Northstar Vale Ima be a love you 'til the day I die kinda man

He spoke honestly—something she could appreciate. But while his words were spoken with nothing but candor, she almost wondered if he was truly being honest with himself. Reyson knew nothing but the life of a solider—he knew nothing else, it seemed. So would he be content to settle down in a quiet home, for a family?

But anytime she asked, he insisted, and so she could not bring it up again, if only to avoid the potential disagreement. Instead, she shifted closer, preening at him quietly, happy he felt he could share with her. “I hope I can always be there for those nights,” she quietly offered, feeling a sudden wave of shyness. “To try to ground you.”

She was mistaken that all he knew was the life of a soldier. For almost a year, he had traveled a loner, had found peace within himself and the world around him. He liked the simplicity such things offered, truly. He could settle down. Longed for it actually.

Reyson smiled into her fur. I hope so too. That was probably the best night of sleep i've ever gotten after such an episode was that night. Normally I would have paced the borders, and screamed at the sky. IT is not a pretty thing those moments.

He couldn't tell her of the times that it froze his innards. That h ecould not more move than speak. That he saw the bodies lying on teh ground even though it had been long gone. That he was still shattered in the dead of night if he thought to long and too hard about it.

She quieted after those words—the sharing of her hope something that was not spoken lightly, for the fear that within months from now, she would be alone once more, clung to her. That it was all for naught.

Her own demons, apparently.

She curled closer in to him, feeling the quickening of her heartbeat while doing so. A tentative kiss was placed upon him as she tilted her head upward, her nose grazing across his throat—tentative, uncertain of his reaction to such an intimate act.

Perhaps he should have told her that there was no need to hope for it would be so. But that felt to bold a claim. He had promised slow and thus he would attempt to keep this promise.

She shifted against him. Closer and closer still. Blue eyes went wide as she brushed against his throat. A small swallow, brief unease. But he tilted his head further up and to the side, bearing his throat further for her. He knew well what it had taken her to do such a thing. And though every fiber of his being all the years of training screamed at him to not, he did it anyway.

A low rumble of delight slid from his throat to dance along the air.

He allowed her access. She paused at the bob of his adam’s apple—nerves? But he remained silent in the matter, and she praised him in her own quietude—a rain of kisses continuing along his throat, sneaking further up to his cheek, and finally the corner of his mouth.

What should have felt joyful—alluring, even—felt terrifying to her, and she quaked with it, a tremor ripping through her when her mouth came hot upon his ear, her forehead pressing closer to him. “Have your intentions changed?”

Did he plan to simply ditch her, come spring, when something better came by and willing? She felt just as vulnerable as him--and she couldn't hide behind a mask of fake confidence where none existed.

She paused right where she was with his brief hitch, but she continued onward. Testing his fortitude of patience. A small smile lit up his face as she continued her ministrations. But he began to worry when she shivered near him. There was a difference to shivers, and this didn't feel like the good kind.

Blue eyes went wide at her soft question and he wanted to scoff, fought it very hard, but he kept it calm. He curled his head around hers.

Of course not. If you'll have me, imma love you til I die. But I'm trying to move as slow as you want me too. And.

A tilt of his ear, to show that he was at the moment as vulnerable as she. If you're sure i'm what you want. After all. I'm not easy to deal with or handle.

He seemed so sure of himself and she couldn’t withhold the rather unladylike snort that escaped her, forehead still pressed to him, unable to seek his eyes out now. “You seem so sure of yourself and this.” 'This' was spoken with the lightest sweep of her paw, and then she did pull back to look at him, brow furrowing at the mention of him not being easy to deal with—she didn’t possibly know how. Everything he did was seemingly for the comfort and well-being of others. How could he not be easy to deal with?

Unless, of course, he meant that there would be many sleepless nights on her end, worried for the man who did exactly as he was trained to do—be a soldier, and accept duty.

“How can you be so sure of this?”

She snorted and he chuckled at it. He tried not too, but it came out before it could. Ah he was falling fast for this femme.

He meant the sleepless nights she would have worrying about his brain and his heart, when he had an episode. Or any patrol he went on, no matter where he went, whether he went to Epoch. She would worry, it was what she did. She would infinitely worry. But more than that, he was just blunt and brusque and honest to a fault. He may say something that she didn't like. That hurt her in some way.

A soft grunt left his lips as he hmmed. He tightened his large legs around her, but didn't pull her back, if she wanted to she could come forward again.

I just am. I know exactly what I want, and am willing to wait as long as I need too, or as long as you need me too. And I also know despite some of my flaws, what kind of wolf, and man I am. I know that what i speak is absolute truths to me.

She remained disgruntled at his words that were meant to reassure her—she was nitpicking. She knew she was. She couldn’t stop the words coming out: “Everyone has their truth. Doesn’t mean it lasts for them.”

And, because she might have questioned what he thought he wanted, she also was scared he would simply give up, she allowed herself to be pulled in, groaning into his chest in minor frustration at herself. “Why am I like this?”

Reyson listened and she was cute, disgruntled and angry. he took the moment to lick along her cheek, a soft chuckle in his throat.

that's true too. Alright how about this then. I won't lie to you many things don't last, but I think, hope, plan to have us last.

She slid back into him and he held her close laying his head atop hers. Because you've been hurt badly by others. It's natural Meadow. And I wouldn't trade you. I don't mind finding ways to reassure you. And then when I Don't it's cute when you hand me my ass back to me.

He pulled her in closer—she nestled against him, quietly sulking at what she knew was very much a broken confidence—or a complete lack of. He made promises to her—assured her, and it all sounded so very good on paper. And yet she worried her lip with concern, not voicing once more how she found it so hard to trust those words when she knew she would be nothing more than a broken record.

“I’ll try not to destroy us with my trust issues,” she mumbled into his fur, sorrowful at the thought. Perhaps in the end she was the one that drove everyone away—and that was a hard pill for the silver waif to swallow.

Reyson allowed a small sigh to leave his lips, but it was one of contentment. Nothing more. He was not dissatisfied with her or their budding romance. No, it was a welcome challenge. Mean when they got through the end, it would be worth more. Something precious.

I know you don't trust me, Meadow. And that's okay.

He ran a maw along her brow and into her nape, in soothing gestures of care. He had no more words for her, because what could he say to make her feel any better. It was she that pushed. Granted she hadn't had very good models of good men. But he understood. All he could do was be there when she needed him and prove her she was wrong and so were the ones that left her.

She fell silent—what more was there to say, for now? A certain darkness that lingered in her—promising her she would be uprooted from this life in about a year’s time, convincing her that this feeling of warmth and safety was all temporary.

Sleep might have come to her—but it was not deep. If anything, she dreamt vividly, and horribly. Despite being wrapped in a lover’s embrace.