Redhawk Caldera Beaver Moon

When Bronco woke up, it was still fairly dark. The skies were clear, and the Eastern horizon was beginning to brighten. He moved from his bed of cat tail leaves, noticing the way they'd begun to catch frost around the edges where his body hadn't kept them warm. Sleeping out in the open wouldn't be ideal for much longer. 
          He stretched, and that was when he noticed the moon- full, round, and rosy in hue. Licking his lips, he shook his pelt out, and picked up a trot, heading toward where @Teya usually spent her nights. 
          He summoned her with a low rumble. "Close your eyes, and follow me."

teya remembered sorana's stricken face in such stark detail that she hardly registered bronco's step as she lay out beneath the moon. it lit her eyes to silver when she turned them toward him.
a belated smile climbed to her mouth; she moved toward bronco and rested her head for a moment on his shoulder, a large sigh of relief emanating from her.
and then humour turned her face to something softer. "all right. but you not let me trip."
teya looked deep into his quickly-loved face before she shut her eyes, ready to be guided.

Her request made him smile, and he found himself drunk on her gaze. He moved to touch his nose to her cheek, and found himself almost willing to forgo the trip he'd planned so that he could simply stay so close to her and comb his teeth through the fur just below her ear. "Just stay by my side." A compromise. Still close, but moving. "I won't let you trip.

He meandered along the length of her, running his shoulder along her side before he came around her haunches and up to her other shoulder. Static sparkled in the space between them, and made his fur stand on end, reaching toward her. He chuckled, and uttered a soft woof as he stepped forward, cueing her to use his hip as her guide.

"i know."
her breath was a whisper. she kept close to bronco, allowing the warmth of his body to move them on. her paws felt more sensitive, all her senses heightened as she fought to keep her eyes closed.
and for each moment, she meditated upon the beauty of brecheliant even unseen, and was thankful for bronco alongside her. teya felt her heart race; she reached on a whim to brush his flank, with affection. with desire.

She stayed close, and he chose a path that would not have them pushing through bushes, or walking on ground that was fairly uneven. There were many places he could have taken her, of course, though he chose to lead her toward the horizon, the cliff's edge along the Caldera where their view would be open, unobscured. Of course, it became more difficult for him to keep his focus with her so close to his side, and when she reached out to brush against him he uttered an affectionate rumble that came from deep within him. 

"You're a distraction," But murmured with love, in a playful way. She didn't need to do much to pull all of his attention toward her; her presence was magnetic, but he would pull himself away and continue on. He was not immune to seduction, but as the romantic sort, he also wanted to follow through with his plans and lead her to their lookout.

teya grinned, accepting that with a low smirk. she did not open her eyes, however; she relied upon bronco as he continued to lead them on. something like trepidation gripped her spirit, but teya refused to give into it. bronco was here. she was here. he was not reyes.
and so she assured herself, and gave faith over to the gentle scarred man with the whiskey eyes who had captured her soul.
her breath was a croon; she pressed closer in anticipation.

keep going. ignore her sounds. don't focus on how her shoulder occasionally bumps against your flank. just listen to your own tinnitus. there it is. just listen to that.

He had to zone out in order to keep track of where he was going, and though their path was even and easy to follow, navigating it with her at his side, making little noises occasionally, made it seem as though he was navigating a ship through the rocks while sirens wailed at him. 

Fortunately, the trip wouldn't be too long, and the moon had begun to fall lower against the horizon, and appeared even bigger than it had before. While he wasn't sure what a lunar eclipse was, he did recognize that it was special, and had led her to an outlook so they could watch the giant red moon sink toward the horizon. 

He stopped and nudged her. "Mkay. You can look now." He said gently.

teya was warm beside bronco. she felt his emotions, eyes closed; or she felt that she did. when he spoke to her, she blinked several times before turning her eyes out over the space.
brecheliant below! and a great crimson moon gilding everything. he was shimmered in red light when teya turned to look at him. the beauty of his offering was not lost; she inhaled and felt the night air glow around them both.
it was good.
"lovely," the raven whispered.

He looked at her, taking in the expression that swept over her features as she looked at the view. "Mhmm," He agreed, intentionally not moving his gaze for a moment. Bathed in crimson light, her pelt simmered, like a red ale brewing. The looked into each other's eyes, and he felt a flicker of warmth creep up his spine. He stepped neared to her, and then sat, his hip flush against hers, grumbling affectionately as he invited her to lay down beside him as he sprawled. 

"I was thinking," He said. "We could find a place, where we both might live." He said. "Bunk up, for the winter...and the spring," He said. A subtle hint, that he intended to find a place fit for more than just two wolves. "what do you think?" He asked.

she too, felt it, a flush climbing her hips, reminding her that this was courtship. it was not what she had expected. and with each glance of his eyes teya felt more assured that the waiting was worthwhile. he desired her as much as she did him, and the open knowledge of that pushed her heart into a gallop.
the ear closest to bronco flicked up in surprise, cupping toward him. and then her cheeks began to warm into a twitterpated rose.
"i think i like that." the immediate yes pulled back somewhat. she pulled her eyes from the moon and then back toward her — what were they?
toward him.
him, sorana had shouted. how would it look now? 
and the spring. he had said the spring, and despite herself teya smiled, something joyous and shy that faded into a smoother serenity. 
"yes," to both, and her coolwater were upon bronco's own much-adored face.

He'd clearly surprised her, so her hesitance was easy to forgive. The first emotion that shone in her eyes, before she confirmed her agreement was joy and he knew from the pulling of the corners of her lips. She was flattered, he could see. It wasn't a decision that would've had an immediate yes for an answer unless it was something she'd been thinking about already...But she seemed to warm to the idea within seconds. 

To him, the decision had come about when he realized that visiting her, and going off on excursions wasn't enough. He wanted those treasured parts of the days still, of course, but at the end of it all, he wanted to begin and end the day with her. By his side, she would be safe with warmth, and he hoped he could bring happiness to their hearth as well. 

"Just so you know," he said, as though about to warn her of something serious, "I do snore. But if it gets too loud, or I start snoring in your ear, I give you permission to give me a nudge to snap me out of it." He hoped for things like this to be the biggest of their problems. He was well aware that it wouldn't be, but he'd live in that dream as long as he could.

sorry for the wait! <3 should be faster now

teya grinned, and her heartbeat went up as bronco smiled. she wondered if he knew it lit his scarred face all to gold and rays, like the face of a sunflower. the idea of being entwined next to him pleased her and scared her. it was new — for them. 
and it had been a long time since teya had lain next to anyone. the raven reached to tug on his nape gently. "i promise." the words begun sweetly then were muffled by his fur, teya reaching closer for comfort and for warmth. 
and probably for more, though she kept her hungers softly banked and waiting these days.
"i look forward to waking up with you, bronco." the coolwater eyes blinked. perhaps he saw the catch at the end of her mouth, or how her gaze seemed lambent and welcoming.
how she said yes with all of her.

Bronco's feelings for Teya had only grown in the time they had spent together, but he enjoyed the pace they'd been taking; it allowed for desire to bud and bloom over and over again. He felt himself growing more and more certain of the sustenance that made up their growing relationship, when there was still so much ahead for them to enjoy. He knew how sweet the indulgence of their longing would be. 

Her promise warmed his heart, despite it being muffled by his fur. He pulled her closer and uttered a soft grown. It was tough, keeping his longing at bay- but it was wonderful, for him, not having to rush anything. He could sense that she too hungered for more, but that she did not seem to grow sour with all the waiting. If anything, it seemed to work for both of them. 

He smiled and placed his head atop hers, pulling her closer yet again, so she might nuzzle into the crook of his throat. "Every morning." He said softly, a promise of his own. He allowed the moment to linger. 

Lightly, he lifted his chin and resettled it; a shift in the conversation was due. "I thought we could find a second den, close to ours," He said thoughtfully. "So that Sorana would have somewhere of her own to live. But I'd want her to feel...Included. If there's gonna be kids next year, I'd...Really want her to get to see how awesome it is to be a big sister." He said. "Plus it'd be like having our own personal babysitter nearby. Win-win, right?"

there was a good part of teya still wary about the entire thing. supposed sorana never forgave her? or suppose she was upset at what she felt might be a reduction to babysitter rather than sister? or maybe — maybe bronco was just waiting.
just waiting, until she was heavy and pregnant and he didn't have to try anymore, oh, she knew that was terrible to think! he wasn't reyes, he wasn't fresh out of a marriage and bitter. he knew how to include an older sibling into a blended family in ways teya hadn't even considered.
and so she took another step of faith. accepting his courtship had been the leap. and she had never regretted it. she wouldn't let him pay for what reyes had done.
"i think that good idea. sorana still —" [i]upset enraged scared angry sad[i] "— processing it all. sometimes i think you should talk to her, bronco. then i think maybe it make things worse. but — we are together."
her coolwater eyes were gentle. "i keep talking to sorana, long as she need. but maybe soon she come and speak to you. she thinks — she thinks you chase her away soon, so no competition." teya shrugged, narrowly and helplessly. "i not know why."

It was very important to him to make sure that Teya's daughter thought well of him, though it seemed that Teya too struggled with Sorana's emotions. He'd been lucky- Killdeer had been resilient through his breakup with Fennec and hadn't actively punished either of them (to his knowledge) for separating. He could feel Teya's worry, and hoped he could remedy it with touch, as there was nothing he could say that would simply remedy the situation. Her suggestions, though, were accepted with a very willing nod. 

"I...I would be happy to talk to her. I uh....I think at least lately she's maybe been...Not avoiding me but uh...Yeah, she's never really just 'around' like the other kids and I get the feeling...Maybe that's intentional." He said. If he'd wanted to hunt her down and pin her down for a talk, he could have. They didn't have passing conversations, as he did with the other wolves her age in the pack as their paths did not cross nearly as much. He was starting to get the feeling that if Sorana caught wind of him, she'd move off. He was relieved that Teya had tried to approach her daughter first, though it hadn't gone well. 

Sorana's motivation for holding a grudge, though, shocked him. "Oh, no," He whispered faintly. Had he done something that might have set Sorana to think that he would push her away so he could have Teya to himself? He'd been pacing their relationship slowly in hopes that that might make things easier. "I would never-" he said, shaking his head. "You know that, right?" He asked. "You know I would never push her away?" He highly doubted that Teya had seeded that thought in Sorana's mind, but he wanted to assure her nonetheless. "If that's how she feels...Then I definitely need to talk to her. Maybe I shouldn't have waited this long to track her down, I just didn't want to...I didn't want to be too much, you know? Or too soon...I don't want to make her feel cornered so I haven't like...Had the conversation with her about us, with her, but...Maybe it'd help if I told her myself how I feel, and let her know she's never going to have to worry about being pushed away- whether she believes that or not, I don't know, but I think she should hear it." He was quiet for a moment. "We'll find a way to make things work. You're worth it, to me."

"i know, i know," teya murmured, and hoped that her bevy of kisses to his face and throat would be reassuring. "she going through a lot. and yes, i think she — staying away, too." bronco was now stressed over this, and teya wished she had said nothing.
and yet it was very important to say these things. "yes. look for her. it —" and she struggled a moment. "i can only say so much. she need to hear it from you." 
they felt so aligned in this moment; it was not something she had experienced often with reyes. if ever. and teya was annoyed at herself now, for thinking to compare them so often. yet she could not help it, for already bronco had done so much for her in ways that the red wolf had never addressed.
her eyes stung.
"you worth it. i think when she sees how you love me, she — understand." her throat ached; she pushed herself into his arms and held herself there, beneath the beautiful glinting of the great moon.
how had she come to this love?
how had she come to deserve it?
teya told herself, fiercely, that she would no longer question it.

"I will." He promised her. The feathering of kisses on his cheeks assured him significantly. Touch had its way of taking the worry and pulling it out of his system, and Teya was an expert in making all of Bronco's concerns simply float away with a glance of her coolwater eyes, or a touch to his cheek or shoulder. With her Midas touch she made him feel like gold. 

A word was spoken, and it was as if a spell had been cast over him, freezing him for a moment. Not in fear, simply in surprise. His ears perked, and he blinked. Slowly, he came back to life. He leaned away from her enough, but was quick to turn his warm, affectionate gaze to hers so she knew he wasn't pulling away out of want for space. His lips were relaxed, pulled into a smile that brought a glitter to his eyes. "Who told you?" He teased in a soft voice. He chuckled, and pulled her close, squeezing her against his chest. Into her fur, he exhaled, and rocked her gently from side to side. He'd told no others, so it must have been her conscience which had spoken.

"I love you." He exhaled into her ear, so that she might now hear the words from him.

ahhh OMHHHHHGGGGG <333333

bronco spoke and she knew he meant it down to the good, deep marrow of him, where even his bones seemed to be in service to his loyalty. all the while the scarring of his face she had never questioned, only kissed a hundred times, and kissed them now, responding without words.
for they had galloped away from her stricken throat like a herd of deer, galloping along the pendant of her heartbeat; she sought the sound thudding low in the barrel of his chest, pillowing her head there
"you did, bronco," teya said, a little wonderingly. he had proven it over and over, each day; he had allowed her time to heal and did not rush her, and so much of their time together had been talking about sorana — she saw his investment.
she only needed to allow herself the nakedness of the same.
the raven pulled away but only a little, only until she could settle her eyes onto his.
"i love you back."

Gonna gently fade this with a bit of sparkle dust

It meant the world to him for her to know that he loved her, even though he'd never said it before. Perhaps this was the way it was meant to be- not with grand speeches, as words could be false, and disappeared from the air as soon as they were spoken. They would need to be spoke over and over again, to gain purchase- and he swore to himself that he would never stop telling her, over and over again, and he would never tire of hearing the same words from her. But he would continue to prove it to her, with every motion, every thought, every action so she would feel loved with every ounce of his consciousness.