Moonspear Happy call

Set for this evening (after any other celebrations). @Floki :D <3

Wildfire was thrilled for her friend—for all four of the Lodbroks, really—and she hoped to steal Floki away for a small, private celebration. She was patient, letting him enjoy his day, but asked him to meet her on the mountain's west face at sunset. In the meantime, she spent the afternoon hours hunting, not just for something to eat but something else, something special, to commemorate the day. They were both adults now, after all, and they had such bright futures ahead of them.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Wildfire basked in its glow, eyes closed to shield against the glare. Her heart felt like a bird trapped in her chest, fluttering its wings against her rib cage. The tip of her black tail wriggled, yet she was careful not to move it otherwise; it was carefully concealing her presents for her beau and she didn't want to reveal them until he arrived.

:D

As the sun sank towards the horizon, Floki obediently turned his paws to the west. He followed a snow-covered path around the mountainside, his spirits high as he traveled to meet Wildfire. Not only was he excited to see his kind-of-girlfriend, but the events of the day had greatly buoyed his self-confidence. With only three months until his birthday, Charon had officially moved him into the adult ranks. He had considered himself a hard-working and contributing member of the pack for a long time, but now he felt as though he could truly be recognized for his efforts.

This also meant that Tevinter, Kaylan, and Ragna would ascend the hierarchy, as well. Unsure of what to make of Kaylan and Ragna's recent reappearance, Floki had avoided them, although he had been made aware of their presence. They were on his mind as he made his way towards Wildfire, though as soon as he spotted her fiery fur against the whitewashed landscape, he could think of no one else but her.

"Hey," he said breathlessly as he approached. He wasted no time in planting a kiss on her cheek, then stepped back and struck a pose with his chin tilted up and his chest puffed out. "So. Do I look like an Eta?" he teased.

The instant she heard approaching footfalls crunching in the snow, Wildfire turned, grinning as she prepared to receive Floki. He looked rather dashing when he appeared, his pale fur gilded by the failing sunlight, and she had to remember not to move to greet him. Fortunately, he quickly came to her, kissing her on the cheek. Her own tongue swiped up and over one Caribbean blue eye just before he tipped his snout into the air and puffed out his chest with mock pompousness.

Her eyes sparkled when he reported that he was an Eta now. "I started off as an Eta as well," she said with a smile. "It looks good on you," she added, unable to resist reaching out again, this time skimming her nose along his jawline before planting a smooch right on the tip of his muzzle. "Congratulations, boo. Welcome to adulthood."

She glanced down- and backward now, to check whether she had unwittingly exposed her gifts during her displays of affection. Only a little, she mused, rearranging her black tail over them and then glancing up to her taller beau again to say, "I got you a little something." Wildfire wanted to draw out this moment and his expectant anticipation but she couldn't wait herself and suddenly reached down to grab a chunky (@Finley) dead gopher from beneath her tail.

After plopping it at her friend's feet, she was quick to say, "And that's not all." She bent over again. From Floki's view, it probably looked as if she was pulling the gift out of her ass—literally. When Wildfire righted herself, there was a strange object dangling from her maw: a long white snake spine complete with hundreds of spindly but almost perfectly intact rib bones. She held the skull itself gingerly between her teeth as she showed it to him, then gently set it beside the gopher.

"Found this in a cave." She paused emphatically. "I braved a cave for you." She grinned again. "Anyway, I'm not sure what species it was or anything but I thought it was pretty cool. Maybe you can wear it as a necklace," she teased. In reality, Wildfire was hoping he would keep it and put it on display in their future den, although she kept that thought to herself, for now.

*finagles*

Floki grinned broadly as Wildfire kissed and congratulated him. His tail swung in a steady rhythm behind him. When she mentioned that she had also been bumped into the Eta rank upon her promotion, he opened his mouth to elaborate. It still didn't feel real, but Charon had proposed that Floki become his legitimate right-hand-man -- his Beta. Charon had made it clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer, but Floki still felt as though he was processing the information. Besides, it wouldn't be officially official until Charon and Amekaze announced it to the pack via howl; that would at least give him one night to let it sink in.

He didn't get a chance to share his news, however, because Wildfire suddenly shifted gears. He closed his mouth with a subtle click of his teeth, intrigued by the apparent gifts that she had prepared for him. He was simultaneously surprised and touched; it was an extremely thoughtful gesture, even though he hadn't anticipated it at all. This whole day had turned out quite differently than he had expected. The Lodbrok had simply planned to go about his business without much pomp and circumstance -- but Charon and Wildfire had had other plans for him.

"You didn't have to do that," he said, ducking his head in an "aw, shucks" manner as she presented the gopher. Wildfire wasn't done, however; in the next moment, she revealed a snake skeleton, its tiny, intricate bones commanding his attention as she laid it at his feet. "Wow," he breathed, but his awe only grew when she admitted that she found it in a cave -- and that was the most meaningful gift of all. "You went into a cave? For me?" he asked, feeling overwhelmed. "Thank you," he said emphatically, moving forward -- and carefully stepping over the gopher and the snake -- to wrap her in a wolfish hug with his neck.

:P

His bashful reaction caused Wildfire's heart to stutter in her chest. He was simultaneously handsome and downright adorable, a combination which definitely heated the young lady's blood. Knowing that she had put that look on his face sort of made her want to swoon. It was probably at this very moment that Wildfire herself acknowledged that her breezy crush on Floki had developed into something deeper and more meaningful than she had ever anticipated.

The realization was a little overwhelming, yet mostly it just made her feel strangely gleeful. She certainly welcomed it. "I did," she confirmed with a little bob of her smudged snout. "Anything for you, boo," she added, giving him a very doughy look indeed. "You're welcome," she finished graciously, happy that he so clearly enjoyed her gifts.

Still feeling giddy from her realization—she had fallen in love with him—but not quite ready to articulate it aloud, Wildfire asked, "So, did you do anything fun with your brothers and sister today?" She knew he was still on iffy ground with his three litter mates but she was absolutely sure he and Charon had done something to celebrate this special day.

"Well, I'm impressed," Floki said as he withdrew from Wildfire and settled onto his haunches. He leaned down to get a closer look at the skeleton. It was amazing that she had found the snake's bones still intact -- and even more of a feat that she had managed to keep it that way. Wildfire was notoriously clumsy, so he was surprised that she hadn't dropped the skeleton or accidentally stepped on it. This thought brought an affectionate smirk to his face, and he looked up when Wildfire asked if he had done anything to celebrate the day.

This was his chance to explain to her what Charon had done. He felt his cheeks warming even before he started to speak, and he shifted his weight nervously. "Actually, Charon had a surprise for me, too. I met up with him earlier, and he asked me something," he said, his gaze locking on Wildfire's. He paused, then uttered the words out loud for the first time since leaving his brother's company.

"He asked me to be his Beta." The roundness of his eyes betrayed the incredulity he still felt, though there was a bit of pride in his tone, as well. He had earned it, and he knew that out of anyone, Wildfire would be happiest for him.

He suddenly appeared to grow ill at ease, which caused Wildfire's brow to furrow. Uh-oh, she thought. Had something gone wrong with one of his siblings? But when Floki spoke, it was definitely not bad news that tumbled from his lips. Her amber eyes slowly widened, mouth slack before suddenly curving into a grin. Whatever his response to Charon's invitation, it was an incredible honor just to be asked.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "And? What did you say?" she pestered him, moving closer to her beau to bat his shoulder. She was about to tell him what a great Beta he would make—she wasn't biased, nope, not at all—but her lips pressed together when she noted that he had mentioned his Eta rank. What did that mean? Had he declined the promotion?

Just as he had anticipated, Wildfire expressed nothing but happiness at the news of his unexpected promotion. He didn't yet know about some of the concern that would rise from his packmates; that would come later, after Charon and Amekaze announced the change by howl. For now, he was blissfully unaware and ecstatic.

"I said yes, but I asked him to wait until tomorrow to tell everyone. I wanted to tell you first," he said with a smile. "So technically I am still an Eta until the morning." He waved his tail, thinking back to the moment only hours earlier when Charon had made the suggestion. Knowing that Wildfire would want more details, he continued.

"I wasn't really sure about it at first, but Charon basically wouldn't let me say no. He said that he and Ame will train me and make sure it's a good fit," he explained.

As soon as the words "I said yes" popped out of his mouth, Wildfire gave him another playful love tap. She smiled so wide it felt like her face might split, her amber eyes dancing. The fact that he had waited to tell her first also made her heart twitter. She almost blurted something, yet bit down on her tongue as Floki continued, mentioning that Charon wouldn't have taken no for an answer.

"You're gonna do great," she gushed. "I mean, I'm sure the training will be beneficial and stuff but you're already a natural. You've got a good heart and a great head on your shoulders. And you're handsome as hell," Wildfire added with a wink, laughing momentarily before continuing more sincerely, "I'm so happy for you, boo."

Like him, she didn't stop to think what anyone else might think. Charon and Ame were on-board; Floki was clearly happy about it; and Wildfire was thrilled. "We should do something to celebrate!" she exclaimed. She had brought the gifts to celebrate his ascension to the adult ranks but this turn of events called for something a bit more than that. "Although I'm not sure what," she admitted after a beat of silence, laughing at herself.

*interrupts their celebration* :P

"Thanks," he replied heartily. His cheeks were beginning to ache from grinning so hard. The mention of a celebration sounded delightful, but something else suddenly popped into Floki's mind unbidden. All the talk of Charon had abruptly reminded him of something the freckled Alpha had said a short while ago -- that he suspected that Wildfire had a crush on him. His speculation seemed to contradict everything that Wildfire said and did, but Floki still felt a moment of doubt.

He nodded his head, then said, "Yeah, let's celebrate. But I want to ask you something first." He paused, the smile fading from his face as he ran his lower lip nervously against his canines. "A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with Charon, and he said he thinks you have a crush on him." He fixed her with a solemn gaze, knowing that his inquiry was kind of silly but unable to shake the need to ask it anyway. "You don't...right?"

Strangely, he didn't look or sound as enthusiastic as Wildfire had anticipated. She scrutinized his face, spotting the proverbial shadow there as an errant thought clouded his mind. She gave him a look, silently asking, What's up? But Floki didn't leave her to wonder long at all. When he began by saying, "But I want to ask you something first," her heart suddenly began beating wildly. Was he about to ask her what she thought he was...?!

Nope. His smile faded instead and he leveled her with a solemn look and asked if she had feelings for Charon. The question was so absurdly out of left field that Wildfire's lips parted and she unwittingly let out a single loud guffaw of laughter. She quickly sucked in her bottom lip, amber eyes drinking in the stormy look still affecting his handsome, youthful features. He was serious, Wildfire realized with a start.

"No!" she replied with perhaps too much vehemence, never once breaking eye contact. "I like and respect Charon—even when he's being kind of a jerk—but I definitely don't have, like, romantic feelings for him!" Wildfire continued breathlessly, wanting desperately to make sure Floki understood just how much he was mistaken. "What made you think that?" she couldn't help but demand before blurting in the next breath, "I mean, isn't it stupidly obvious that I'm in love with you...?" The silly boy was implied by the sudden soft warmth in her amber gaze.

Kim. Look what you did, Kim. Now I'm gonna barf.

<33333

She was quick to set his mind at ease, her words sharp as she denied having any romantic feelings for Charon. Floki felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, though her final statement caused his heart to constrict. It wasn't a bad feeling by any means -- more like something that he just couldn't describe. Now that it was out in the open and had been spoken aloud, he realized that he felt the same way; the reason that he wanted to spend every waking minute with Wildfire, that he felt so content falling asleep at her side each night, and that he wished her to be his traveling companion for the rest of time -- it was because he was in love with her too.

He took a deep, steadying breath. This was a lot to process, but somehow it was reassuring to know that he and Wildfire were in this together. "I love you too," he said softly, his voice scarcely above a whisper as he looked her earnestly in the eye.

Q: Could my toons' love lives be any more opposite right now?
A: No.

He returned her gaze and Floki didn't even need to say it; it was all there, in his eyes. Her soft smile grew when he did say those three magical words, though, quirking into a bit of a smirk really. They had been in love all along—or at least for a little while now—hadn't they? It was nice putting those feelings into words and mutually acknowledging them. Actually, Wildfire didn't think she'd ever felt so light and happy as she did right this very moment.

"And you know it's true love because I felt this way before you became a big bad Beta," she quipped just before deciding to absolutely tackle him with hugs and kisses. Of course, he was both taller and broader, so knocking him off his feet wasn't exactly possible (at least not without some give on his end) but Wildfire did her very best to overpower Floki with her love.

Floki grinned at Wildfire's words, but wasn't given much of an opportunity to react before she launched herself at him. As he had done before, he allowed his legs to collapse beneath her gentle weight, falling to the ground theatrically as though her momentum had actually knocked him down. In reality, he just went limp and let gravity do its job.

When he was flat on his back with Wildfire sprawled across his chest, he licked the tip of her nose then said, "Well, it's good to know you're not a gold digger." Another teenage male might've started to consider the next steps in this relationship, now that they had admitted their feelings for one another -- but that didn't cross Floki's mind just yet. They had never labeled themselves before, so he didn't feel a pressing need to do so now. They simply were.

After exchanging two dozen licks and nuzzles, Wildfire ceased and desisted, relaxing over the slope of his breastbone. She felt warm, fuzzy and content. She hoped Floki felt the same way. A glance at his face gave her her answer. He was glowing. Well, it had been a big day for him. From single puppy to taken Beta—what a jump start to his adult life!

Like him, she was just happy that they had declared themselves and didn't feel any pressing need to continue "the talk" at this very moment. However, she belatedly realized Floki had never answered her question. Wildfire angled her snout from where it had come to rest in the crook of his foreleg to peek up at his chin, brows knitted but a bemused smile tugging at her lips.

"But... seriously." She sat up just the tiniest bit so she could catch his eye. "Charon?"

His ears perked as Wildfire straightened slightly in order to address him. She pressed for more information on Charon, and he grimaced. Now that he knew the truth, he wondered when would be appropriate to break the news to his brother, and if it would cause a rift between them. He hoped not; Charon hadn't seemed all that interested in Wildfire herself -- just the attention that he thought she gave him.

"I dunno, he mentioned it a while ago. Just out of the blue he said he thought you had a crush on him because you act shy and awkward around him," he said, leaving out the part where Charon had mentioned Wildfire batting her eyelashes at him. He didn't want to think about that, even if it wasn't exactly true.

She hadn't expected that answer and Wildfire just sat there a moment, staring off into space, thinking back on her various encounters with Charon. She could be shy or awkward around almost anyone; it wasn't personal. Although he did intimidate her, in a sense. He could be so brutally straightforward, always speaking his mind, when Wildfire was a softer, gentler sort.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" she had to ask, though she highly doubted it. If Charon was interested in a girl, Wildfire was pretty sure that girl would know it. He didn't exactly filter himself or beat around the bush. "So crazy," she muttered to herself, snorting quietly and shaking her head.

But she (gently) shoved Charon out of her mind. This moment was about her and Floki, nobody else. She stretched to press her lips to his jawbone. "It's you. It's always been you," she assured him. "I think I've been falling for you since the moment I first saw you, actually," Wildfire mused with a chuckle.

"I don't think so," Floki said, shaking his head as he remembered Charon's words. A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "He said you're not his type," he added with a teasing lilt to his voice. "Luckily for me, you are my type," he assured her in the next instant just as she began to muse about how long she had been in love with him.

He wasn't sure if he could pinpoint an exact day or time; really, it had just been a few minutes ago that the realization had truly hit him. But he did know that they had clicked from the beginning and that he had felt closer to her than almost anyone else in the world. Charon was his brother and best friend, but his relationship with Wildfire was different.

Suddenly, he laughed out loud. "You have been falling for me from the start -- literally. Remember when you fell down the mountain the first day we met?" he reminisced.

Floki laughingly recollected the fact that she'd literally fallen the day of their first meeting. She had been searching for her missing Aunt Finley that day. The two brothers had helped her, putting the wheels into motion and leading to her eventual transplantation. Everything happens for a reason! she mused with a smile.

"I fell before I met you," she pointed out with a playful jab. "Many times, actually." She wasn't exactly the most surefooted wolf out there. Wildfire paused, then quipped, "Because I'm an angel that fell from heaven, just for you." She giggled at her own bad joke, then pressed her face into the hollow of Floki's throat, smiling against his flesh and fur.

Mellowing, she withdrew again and said, "You helped me that day. You both did. I knew you were quality people from the start. But it was your eyes, you know... this is going to sound cheesy as heck but I remember they took my breath away. They still do," Wildfire amended, sitting up slightly and resting her weight on one elbow so she could gaze at his face. Without even realizing it, she held her breath.

"Oh, is that it?" Floki laughed as Wildfire made a joke and then hid her face against the curve of his neck. He pulled her closer with his forelegs, though he was forced to release her as she pushed back against him gently in an effort to sit up straight.

She began to speak about the first day they met, though there was a solemnity to her tone that made him press his ears forward and listen attentively. He was surprised to hear her compliment the shade of his eyes; he hadn't realized that it was his features that had first drawn her attention. From his point of view, their friendship -- and romance -- had progressed slowly and naturally. He was strangely flattered to hear this, and he turned his gaze away unintentionally, looking at her dark tail for a moment instead.

"I'm glad that you're here," he finally said. "With me, in Moonspear, I mean. You could've stayed with your family at the caldera. But it means a lot that you're...here." He smiled, locking eyes with her again.

He spoke a few sentimental words of his own and Wildfire finally let out her breath in a long, low whoosh. She smiled, warmth fluttering in her chest when Floki acknowledged the sacrifices she had made to come here. Not many knew how truly difficult it had been for her, how sometimes she still pined for the familiarity of the caldera and all her loved ones back there.

But—"No," she disagreed amiably, eyes sparkling, "I couldn't've. I was always going to end up here, with you." That was so sappy and syrupy that the words seemed to stick in her mouth and glue her throat shut. Wildfire's nose wrinkled and she laughed as she admonished, "Goodness, we're gross," before pressing the tip of her snout to his, their gazes still latched together.

But, eventually, Wildfire pulled her eyes away and nestled her head into the crook between Floki's head and shoulder, happy to lie there with him as night continued to fall around them. "I love you, Floki," she said again, the words sweet in her mouth. Her lips curved around them, forming a soppy smile, and she closed her eyes. "Happy adultery," she sighed contently against his neck, still unaware that that word didn't mean what she thought it meant.

My last post, maybe, I think?! :) <3

<3

He chuckled, sticking his tongue out when Wildfire proclaimed that, as a pair, they were gross. There was certainly more affection between them than he had ever felt towards anyone else, and while the teenage boy side of Floki would probably be appalled by his own behavior, he was too wrapped up in warm, fuzzy feelings to be concerned. She made him happy, and that was all that really mattered.

"Love you too," he murmured as she curled up against him, her eyelids gradually closing. It had been a long and busy day, and he felt the pull of sleep as well. Once his mind quieted, he slipped into a content slumber.