Dragoncrest Cliffs Beryl [M]

dated for jan. 20th.

she awoke sweating, which was odd considering it felt like her paws were frozen solid. her paws, sure, but her nose and her ears and her tail and, well, pretty much everything felt frozen. she was freezing cold, but somehow felt like she was sweating an ocean-- which surely didn't help her keep warm. it took a while, considering she was still waking up, but it took a quick glance at @Dio to realize her problem. she sucked in a breath and stood up, gaze scanning the sleeping wolves scattered around the cavern. "dio," she muttered softly, trying not to wake the rest of the den, "dio, wake up." she lowered her nose and prodded sharply at his side. she waited impatiently, unsure what to do, her hind legs shifting uncomfortably and her tail tucked between her legs. this was mildly embarrassing, and she just prayed no one else would wake.

Bleary eyed, he roused with a confused, sleepy, grunt at Portia's suggestion -- and first thought was that something was wrong, despite the lack of obvious panic around. Evidently it had been a cozy, satisfyingly deep sleep for he needed a few beats to catch up to the here and now. Blinking, sniffing, wondering why she'd poked his side.. he was already halfway to his feet before he realized properly what was happening.

His furs prickled up and this got him waking up even faster, instinctively looking to stay close and keep her guarded from nearby others of the male persuasion all at once. But when he reached his muzzle for her ruff, he felt the pull already. Anxiousness and desire made an unpleasant mix. Wildfire's heat had recently been denied, with the commander's reasons understandable.. but as he had known it, Portia's intentions were not the same as the bandrona's. He whined quietly, pining almost for more of her scent in his nose.

Starting small, quickly and quietly, he nudged against her again with a low, throaty whisper of a chuff. Head out? was all he hoped to convey with a point towards the cavern's mouth next. The bitter cold be damned, that at least could give him some space with this. With the very idea, his ears splayed backwards, almost enough to fall flat against his head.. torn on how to proceed exactly. Protect her, unquestionably, was on this list but the more he smelled, the more he'd like to have.

He knew well what he'd like, what she'd probably like to. He'd be more than glad to, trust him on that. However experience lent him a very good sense of cause and effect. He kept thinking of the commander's words to Wildfire, and her resulting sorrow.

For now, while still waking up properly and until he could figure it out, he'd focus on keeping the rest of the nearby noses from getting involved. That was the last thing he needed right now.

his whines were cruel, because she loved to hear a good whine. it was almost like begging, but more instinctual and made her feel like the ball was in her court-- which, in this case, it totally was. but she knew the consequences of heat, and it was unbearable. he nudged her, offering a low chuff. she nodded, leading him lead her forward and out of the cavern. it wasn't snowing, thankfully, but the cold bit ruthlessly at every inch of her body. "it's cold," she muttered, her ears splaying. she wanted to be back in the cavern with the rest of the pack, though she knew that for a little while that wasn't the best of ideas.

her tail was still curled between her legs, her brow furrowed. the skayona turned to look at the brown wolf, her eyes scanning him. she wasn't sure what else to say. she'd followed him this far, and wanted desperately for him to take her right here... but she knew what would happen, and she'd told him months ago that children weren't exactly on her agenda... but were they? for him? she studied him further, waiting for dio to say something, or do something-- or something. she needed this desperately, and she knew he did too, but now she was caught in an emotional battle of right versus wrong.

Once out into the cold, he regretted the suggestion not too long after he was squinting his eyes against the bitterness. "I know," he sighed, and seemed reluctant to press on too quickly, especially before he got moving enough to warm his muscles. But that aside, he still felt far too selfish to share this with the pack, so he moved to press against her to share his warmth instead -- although even in the cold, mere thought of her felt a little like fire. He quickly caught his mind wandering off, thinking about how good they could have it and all manner of lewd details to follow, so much he had to click his teeth to focus. Not easy, he swore, peering intently over his shoulder at his young mate. "The pack, though.." he murmured on the edge of a low growl, wary of how well he could trust each of the newer, younger males; he hoped she'd understand his frustration.

Dio realized in an ugly rush that he didn't really know if she'd ever been in heat or if she'd thought about what to do. He'd not asked exactly, and only knew that it'd never been a productive effort for her -- thus leading him to believe that to still be true. It always became so overwhelming to him, and he was no stranger to the spell. He was even sharper in its presence, more eager than ever to please. She held the key to great, great things and every single thought about it made his heart race.

"The forest cover helps a little," he offered and nudged against her before moving off a pace or two with a proud trot. He staved off the cold, fluffed his furs, and swept his muzzle in an arc. "So does a little motion," he sneered. While wanting to stay close, he'd feel even better further out from here.

she watched him as he moved. he mentioned the pack, and how close they were, and she turned her head to look at the entrance to the cavern. any second now she almost expected someone to come out, hungrier and less understanding that dio was. but it remained still, save for the harsh, icy snow that would blur the background. "i know," she echoed him, stepping closer to him as he seemed to imply for her to keep moving. just with his gaze and his body, he seemed to urge her forward, and she was too wrapped around him to listen to the better judgement of her mind.

his nudge sent a shiver down her spine-- different than the chattering her bones were doing already. she steadied herself, and then looked up at the towering redwoods, realizing that they would give more cover. so, eagerly, she followed him.

right away, dio suggested something that she was surely down for. he looked almost ridiculous, like he was dancing away from her with that cocky little trot of his. she returned his sneer, her tail loosening around her rump and wagging with amusement. "you're doing all the movement, hun," she teased him, her tongue swiping over her dry lips. she followed him into the woods, not as bouncily but in a hurried fashion. it was better under the cover, snow that fell was not as biting, and the wind was buffeted by the trees. she let out a breath, still cold, but less pained by it. her gaze swept back over dio, raising an eyebrow quietly.

Everything was so much, and a little more distance does bring his tension down away from the others. Maybe they'd just be wise not to question it knowing he'd be with her, although he wondered (worried about) if Thuringwethil knew about it as much as the males. He at least knew what he'd do if one of the boys came sniffing around -- teeth, in some manner of ugliness, for starters. The outcome was far more unclear should it be their commander's attention instead. Thinking about that made him feel even colder.

As he'd said, he did want to move because the tight frustration winding itself in his bones made him anxious.. but the bitter air made him want to stay close even more. He felt perpetually torn and knowing what he had to address in one way or another. Ears back, a wry look on, he wasn't about to kid himself. "True, but I can't help it." His tail switched."You know you want to, too," he breathed, vaguely, about being the only one in motion as he watched her. He saw she'd seemed a little rushed. Probably antsy about it too; he was, far more than he'd really expected to be. All the more reason he just wanted space so he could try to breath for once, although ever time he did he had to circle right back to the cause here.

He matched a stride to hers, and moved himself parallel again to the point of touch. Further out, with the redwoods still passing by, he was less inclined to reign the affections back despite a greediness for them seeping into his motions. He arced his neck towards her, looking to bury muzzle first into her scruff, knowing full well what it could lead to should she allow it.  Step by step, he reasoned, he'd do what he could.

oof @ me trying to get back into the swing of things with him @_@

her cheeks flushed-- surprisingly to her-- and she let out a breath as she smiled gently. "well, you're not wrong," she jested lightly, ears cupping forward. he moved towards her. pressing himself against her to match her curves as they walked, slowing down as she stifled a heavy breath. this was nothing, hardly even a touch, and she wanted to beg for more.

he buried his muzzle into her scruff, and she stopped walking completely. her green gaze hovered on nothing for a moment before she closed her eyes, sorting through muddied ideas of right and wrong. this was wrong. it was written out plain as day in her mind and somehow, she still confused the two. she relished in the extra affection for a handful of moments before she turned to preen at his neck. "don't tell me," she said softly, nosing the bottom of his jaw, "that it's lil' ol' me who's got you acting so recklessly." but that was a joke, because she knew damn well why he was acting the way he was, and the same went for her.

Every second, every breath of his that spoke so plainly of her made his head spin wildly like maybe, it was everything he'd need right now. His mate, a home, their delicate solitude. The cold be damned (that seemed even colder on the subtle breeze -- worse to come?), for it aside, maybe he wouldn't mind if time itself froze here and now.

All of it had been a slow coming realization, one striking upon him hard in these cold days on the cliffs. But he couldn't help it. He loved her, her, so painfully precious to him that he couldn't even make the words to say it and now she faced him with this. Dio felt fit to burst, pent up and held aside by an undertone of reason. It couldn't stop him from wanting more, though, for it didn't feel so right to fight the desire his wife spurred in him.

Recklessly? Perhaps, her words drew him to a new focus, one her touch had eased him out of almost. He still did all he could to curve protectively against her, fluffing his furs and nosing back at her snout -- fully opting for these riskier ways to stay warm. "Always, but I do.. let it happen," he purled quietly, nipping a kiss back to her cheek. She knew how it was. "Because it is lil ol' you," he quipped. Wildfire's heat may have scrambled his brain much the same, but such intimacy as this encouraged him in these new, devious ways; still, he knew to mind himself if she seemed uneasy. All but murmuring into soft the fur by her ears, he didn't want to part. "I don't want it to be anything you don't want, but.. damn." This came with a woebegone stare to signal his struggle, matched by the frustration coiled into tense muscles that craved more touch, and to meld them to one.

she shivered, but it was again from his touch rather than the cold. his nose grazed her ear as he murmured into it, and she leaned herself against him as he curled himself around her. he was too sweet, and too handsome, and far too skilled for her own good. she'd done a fine job attracting men of all sorts of personalities throughout her lifetime, but it seemed she'd picked the one perfect one to keep.

but damn, he'd said. more conflicting thoughts ran through her mind, and she juggled them back and forth once again. in her haze, there seemed to be only one right answer, and she couldn't get past it. even with her heat, was something she wanted so badly truly a bad thing? there were consequences, sure, but they could handle them together... surely.

"you're doing an awful lot of talkin', sugar," she murmured, snaking out from his protective coil and arching to press her backside and tail to his chin as she went. "don't tell me you're all bark and no bite."

The second she snaked away from him, he started to ache at the absence already with a pining scrunch of his face. He didn't have time to dismay for long, and neither did he even have a chance to go after her.  Her rump was invitingly close to his chin before he knew it. It felt like a single motion, but he nipped light over her tail and swung up his first forelimb. To her words, he huffed; a challenge, then, although he'd take no offense. Why brag now? His actions would have to do. "You'll see," he smirked, because of course he was confident in his craft. After a lustful, low rumble in his throat, and he began to gather himself up while threading his teeth lightly, teasingly, along her spine.

She was petite, and he was.. not, so he was careful with his whole self as he steadied up behind her and should she have it, pulled her close into the embrace all at once -- from there, it took little to bring them together. He knew what he was doing, even if his last lover had been more.. ah, rugged, but be it the hormones or his heart, he thought this felt right.. and so perfect and overwhelming that it sent him gasping into her furs for a beat as he'd start slow. He'd simply decided to take his odds with what may come of this.. all after assuming she felt the same the second she put her tail under his nose. May or may not, he knew he would stand beside her and they'd see it through. For now, though, much of that began to fall away. The cold, the winter, the pack, and all else.. right now, it all didn't seem to matter.

her invitation was interpreted as such, and it took him no time to pull her back towards him with gentle nips down her spine and a single-leg hold on her back. it felt like one, sweeping motion, and portia was falling hard under whatever spell he had placed on her. a small purr-like growl rumbled in her throat, pushing back against him in more encouragement. he steadied himself fully upon her, so that it wasn't so heavy or uncomfortable, and she sucked in a breathe-- filled with anticipation.

he started slow-- as one. his muzzle pressed against her fur, his breathe warm against their frigid surroundings. for a moment, she'd forgotten how cold it was, wrapped up in him-- quite literally now. she knew how it went from here, it was easier now. her concerns melted away, her mind lucid and her soul focused only on this moment.

He focused, although it took little time once he began to find the best rhythm. Lashing his tail, Dio quietly staved off a growing nervousness too since it felt so misplaced in among all the just right.

Which, he supposed, was all just wanting to do right by her. She tended to do that to him and this wasn't so different, even if he could chase new heights of his own pleasure too all at once -- which he did, his warm breath on her nape and his grip firm but only just as much as he needed to be. She deserved the world, he knew. What he didn't know was what, exactly, would come of this. He wouldn't be considering the thought at great length now, not with his nose full of her heady scent and every sensation so focused on what she could do to him.. all he could do was get closer, bit by bit, until instinct got him to pick up the pace with a new, earnest vigor.

Nipping at her more fervently along the way, eventually matters culminated swiftly afterward, so he didn't rein anything in once he'd seen the other side of the tipping point. It all was a rush, leaving him breathless, quivering, and panting all at once. When the time was right and he'd gathered up enough sense to do so, he very carefully moved his weight off her. In regard to tender bits, he kept pressed close to her and found, quite happily, that the cold wasn't bothering him nearly as much. He'd found how he'd be keeping warm, evidently, because he knew that wouldn't be all that would be had; a plan that very much pleased his basal, virile brain.

He gave a soft, contented rumble as he angled his head towards her -- her fur disheveled, his scent and hers all tangled up together in this brand new way, he could never stop seeing this right here. Giving a huff, and splaying his ears, he did feel much better with that behind him so he smirked. "Let's find a place just for us  -- we can hole up and stay warm there before this weather gets worse. We don't even need much, since I think we can keep it cozy no matter.." His tail waved in anticipation, although he scrunched his nose when he could finally move away from her. He wiggled, then swung to nuzzle Portia's cheek in hope that it all appealed as much to her. "I love you," he added, more quietly with a gentler kiss for he was enamored with the notion of hiding away with her, just them, and continuing what they'd started.

*awkwardly and vaguely covers a lot of ground in one post at 4am uhhhm*

it ended as soon as it began, or at least it felt like. she was a mess-- her fur was ruffled in every direction and saliva dripped from her tongue as she panted heavily. it froze as soon as it left her warm breath, hitting the ground as little ice-droplets and making little indentions in the deep snow. he spoke from behind her, yet to part. the idea was just as appealing to her as it was to him, and she let out a low noise that resembled a purr. he finally moved back,  nosing her cheek softly. the fisa nosed his own in response, her tail waving happily. "i love you too," she murmured softly, pressing herself closer to him.

still breathing hard, she glanced off through the forest, squinting at the snow that blew through. she'd like to stay here, where it was covered and away from others. dio was here, that was all she needed, but she knew that it probably wasn't the best idea. she nodded, eventually, and looked at him with wide green eyes. "lead the way, hun," she purred, nipping at his cheek playfully. they would keep it warm, no doubt.

!!! you can post again or mine can fade it out, i figured around here was a good stopping point <3