Northstar Vale Chandelier's still flickering here.

Ibis and @Akavir had been home for about two weeks, at this point. In that time Ibis had spent hours with him, showing him around the common areas or hiding him away for herself; but she had become more distant in the end, urged by Reiko's comments and her own nervous energy. Now, though, she was ready. With Reiko's advice ringing in her ears (which was actually Hime's but, how was she to know..?) Ibis had begun patrolling the heart of the Vale. She needed to find the boy she'd brought home — she had a lot to explain.

It didn't help that by now, Ibis' belly had begun to round out. Her underside felt tender, and she had struggled to fall asleep comfortably for a few nights. All of the signs pointed to pregnancy and yet Ibis refused to consider it as valid; she wouldn't let anyone come close enough to inspect her, although her scent had begun to shift and accommodate a milky sweetness even she could not ignore in the end. When she found Akavir's scent she paused for a handful of moments, undecided on her intended script, and then plunged forth, following the path to where she thought he might be lingering.

It wasn’t lost on the dark wolf that his companion had suddenly become more distant. He gave her space—confused that the girl who once sought his embrace and company consistently had suddenly spent hours if not days away from him, but he wasn’t willing to press his luck.

Glumly, he could only assume she had lost interest in him. He would have sought out Reiko, perhaps pressing the rather kind Empress for some information on the matter, but he let it be. In time, it would come to a head… and in turn, the Mayfair chose instead to focus on making sure his capabilities were something that could benefit the pack; primarily through hunting and border patrol.

That was where his pale Queen found him—stocky form loping along the borders, his nose closer to the ground as he took in the scents that surrounded them. There was little to report, but he was in no rush, and so when he heard the gentlest sound of paw steps behind him, the swarthy shadow glanced upward, blinking his champagne eyes with surprise as he noticed Ibis seeking him out.

She went over two different scripts in her head. One which she had composed by the Swiftcurrent river, and the next had come a day later after further aid from (presumably) Reiko; it wasn't until she caught sight of him that Ibis knew which one she'd choose to speak aloud. Except when his eyes lifted to meet her own, she faltered in her choice. The girl stood poised before him, one paw raised, very deer-like as she felt the warmth of his eyes upon her. A bashfulness crept across her cheeks — but Ibis couldn't back out now, she had to bite the proverbial bullet and get this over with. Whichever choice she made she would have to live with - and it would in one way or another affect the litter growing in her womb.

A thin smile plays across her face a heartbeat later. She tries to appear relaxed, but there is an underlying tension straining through her, and as she approaches where Akavir's position Ibis cannot help but feel very uncomfortable. Maybe that is a byproduct of being pregnant. Or she already feels guilty - the advice from Reiko filtering through her mind like dissonant white-noise. As she halts again she reaches for him, gingerly licking at his cheek the way she used to; her need to be close had diminished as her body began to swell, no longer resembling herself.

Akavir... We need to talk. She murmurs to him, knowing it is probably the last thing he wants to hear. Her eyes drop from his rugged face to the grassy trail he had been following, and with a sigh she plunges on: I... am pregnant. And um, we... You... The script is gone - vanished from her head. She doesn't want to lie to him, but at this point whatever comes out of her mouth will become the truth, regardless of how valid it might be. You're... going to be a dad. If — If you want.

The smile returned to her face, but it was only for show. Ibis felt the need to curl up as small as possible and stop existing, but there's no power in the universe that could make that happen. Now she just had to watch him for a reaction, and every cell in her body was screaming to her: You liar, he's going to leave you like everyone else, and you'll deserve it this time.

Oblivious to any rounding of her slim stomach, the silver-maned wolf gave a brief shake of his coat, as if warding away any nerves as the girl came closer. His eyes traced over her, and despite the lock-out of emotions he had been receiving on her end the past few days, the Mayfair still found her just as beautiful.

But he was still confused.

The gentle lick to his cheek was a touch that was familiar, but it brought a wave of uncertainty as he frowned lightly, already disliking what she had to say. It was never good when someone started with ‘we need to talk…,’ after avoiding you for days, was it?

He sucked in a breath, steeling himself as he expected to be dumped (not that they had defined their relationship by any means) by the Queen who had come to realize the Peasant was simply not good enough for her.

What he didn’t expect was her announcement that she was pregnant—and his entire world fell still for a moment as he watched her, eyes widening at the realization. “Holy shit… Seriously?”

Giving a quick shake of his head as if to clear away the fog, his eyes finally did land upon her figure, trailing over it with dawning realization. “I mean… Yeah. Of course I do.” But there was a pause. “Do you…?”

800!!

His reaction, although crude, was more subdued than she anticipated. She watched his face for a moment and then looked away again out of mixed deference and bashfulness, and because she was afraid he might suddenly spiral and yell - except from what Ibis knew of this boy, he was like a still lake, not a raging sea.
(That made her wonder deeply: what did she know of him? Now was not the time to wonder.)

Ibis focused as best she could, listening intently for his reply. In every version of this scenario she had painted him as somehow inconsolable and raging; maybe that's what she'd hoped for deep down, somehow. That he might see through her fib and then abandon her in a huff. But that is not what happened and she was, ultimately, glad for his cool head.

Yes. If you stay it will be easier. Oh, but how selfish of her to say that! How selfish it was for Ibis to lie in the first place, and she knew she was in the wrong for it, at war with herself over it. She stepped closer and pressed another kiss upon him, careful and flickering, almost like he was too hot to touch. I want you to stay. But, you don't have to. If you -- if this is -- too much, a lot -- not something you want to do, I know its unfair for me to ask, uhm...

She shook her head and let out a heavy sigh but didn't feel any less tense.

That was only half the matter; Reiko's comment about their future, from their first discussion about this, sprang in to Ibis' mind and she knew she had to address this too. It was a lot all at once. If you stay here with me, and if you really want to be their father, then... we would need to get married. This was said so rapidly that it might've blended together, and Ibis' expression scrunched in to a wince, then a shy glance to Akavir's face.

Was it the worst proposal in the universe? Probably.

Congrats!! That's awesome. Have my.. 32nd? lol.

He had never seen this side to her before—gone was the confident imp that had lead him through the forests and meadows, the alluring looks she had given him now replaced with a nervousness that caused his mouth to go dry. Her next words stirred him, a slight frown pulling at his broad features, tensing as he restrained from moving forward and sweeping her into his embrace. Things had suddenly gotten very real—the consequences of their youthful and carefree actions.

“Ibis,” he started, rolling his shoulders back as he studied her carefully. Usually uncertain in his own ways when it came to her, he found his voice finding a certain steel—determination. “Of course I’m going to stay. You’re not in this alone.”

A father. It was never something he had quite pictured in the near future—and he wasn’t sure what he thought of it. “Why would you ever think it’s unfair? We… We did this.” He paused, his ears swiveling back to his skull as he realized that his words could have been misconstrued—that he believed this to be a mistake. He didn’t. “It takes two to make kids,” he quietly corrected, inhaling and exhaling. Grounding himself.

That was when he moved forward. His stride sure, but his touch tender and uncertain as he made to wrap around her and offer her the solid rock he would need to be for her. For their family.

No sooner did his muzzle reach to place a chaste kiss to her did she mention marriage—and he paused, his form stiffening. “I—“ he cut himself off, blinking at her. Was this a law of Reiko’s? “Is that what you want?"

She opened her mouth to respond with an explanation, but there was no need. He was right. It took two to make kids, a fact she had overlooked. She was taken by surprise when Akavir stepped close, enveloping her in an embrace of dark fur. Ibis stiffened at first but melted in to him easily enough; the spice of his musk was a comfort, equally so his warmth, and the deep vibrations of his voice.

He did grow nervous when marriage was mentioned. Ibis couldn't fault him for that, though she felt terrible to force his hand.

Is that what you want? He asked. The look on his face was hard to describe. She could not read him as easily as before, and floundered a bit in her response. Ibis was quiet for a moment—she knew what Reiko had said to her and it aligned fairly well with what Ibis wanted (which was, a father figure for these children, and a solidly built family for herself), and if Reiko required such a committment then Ibis was happy to obey.

I want a family. I want to be safe, happy, and... Not alone. I'm so tired of it, Akavir; you don't know what I've been through, you... You don't know me much at all, but, I've had too many losses to count. Her lip quiverred but she held it together, refusing to cry in front of him or to let herself show too much weakness; this was a bit overwhelming and Ibis couldn't imagine what it felt like for the poor boy being roped in all of it. I want you to be happy too. If you think -- if we're ever not happy together, or if its all too much one day, you can tell me.

But that didn't really answer his question. Ibis quieted again, her words hanging heavily in the air. When she spoke next she was more self-assured. Will you m-marry me? Her eyes were shining pools of blue, glossy from tears she refused to let spill, but otherwise Ibis looked upon Akavir with an abundance of hope - and a shy, tremulous love.

None of this was what he had expected. Champagne eyes swept over her—noting the tremble of her lip at the admission of abandonment. Her loneliness. And then a proposal. He could have balked at that—not for the reason of complete commitment but because somehow, an inkling of old tradition pulled at him, suddenly feeling as if he had failed to be the one to sweep her off her paws and court her properly. To be the one to propose. To be the one to keep her safe.

And so he would. His form went to wrap around her, to fold her into his embrace as he only wished to absorb this hurt and uncertainty from her. He hadn’t expected marriage right away—and a part of him was nervous at the aspect, after witnessing his parents over the years. But he hadn’t followed after her just because he enjoyed her company—there was a kindling of feelings there, and there was no reason that her pregnancy meant they could not continue to explore that.

He buried his muzzle to the thick fur of her nape, breathing her in, planting kisses along the base and up toward her crown. “Is leatsa mé,” he murmured, the tongue of his father and grandfather seeping through; “Agus mise leatsa.”

He nuzzled, holding her, his nose finally trailing down toward her side and belly. “You are mine and I am yours,” he translated, feeling awe at the simple fact that life grew within her now—life they had created.

It felt like she was holding her breath as she awaited his answer, which came with a sweep of his body to wrap around her. He spoke in some language she had never heard before. Ibis breathed him in, wrapped in his warmth, and as Akavir translated for her, she felt a great calm still the moment. Her cheeks felt warm, then wet, as small trails of happy tears finally spilled down her cheeks - and upon noticing them she laughed softly at herself for being ridiculous and emotive; Ibis buried her face against Akavir's dark furs and wished the moment would never end. She would finally have the family she's always wanted.