We wander through a foreign town

The sun set slowly on this eve, almost as if it were waiting for something before it could fall against the shadow of the mountain. Apsephion watched it closely with an oddly keen curiosity. He had never found much beauty with most things in life, or perhaps he simply didn't take the time to see it.

Beside the lake he sat, a statued silhouette. The waters rippled, but he did not dance with them. Birds chirped high with sweet, melodious songs as they prepared for slumber. Even the fish— they sprung with joyous life! But the shadow looming over the lake did not. And yet — his mind was not so still. It ran in ten
... no, a million circles! So many thoughts, so many questions; but to him, it felt like there was so little time.

There was one specific thing that popped into his head more than anything. The image of @Delgata, so vivid that it seemed as though she were sitting right next to him. A part of him almost wished she were. Would it have been so bad, though? Through all this time, she was the only wolf that had showed him so much kindness. It made his life feel not so worthless. Not so pained... not so cold... not so—... still.

And yet, he was there. Dead, yet alive. Life moving around him as though he weren't even in existence.

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She enjoyed wandering, finding new things and exploring them. And so, she once again headed out of the pack border and to the lake that she had found earlier. It intrigued her, a place she had never actually seen before. And so, as the sun began to fall, she took that time to explore the lake a bit more. She knew it was late, but she wanted to see the way the lights reflected on the water and see what creatures came out at night. 

She padded quickly to the lake and slowly emerged towards the edge of the water. However, her bright blue eyes fell upon another form and for a moment, she hesitated, until a familiar scent hit her nose. "Apsephion." She whispered, mostly to herself. He just kept running into him and, though she was extremely happy to see him again, she had to wonder what kept him lingering around. Of course, she hoped it was her, but she wasn't vain enough to assume it was. 

She slowly padded up beside him, a small warm smile on her face. Her eyes lit up and her tail flipped behind her slightly. She was glad she had decided to go out tonight, and she hoped all went well.

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The vision of the pale woman... it had only been that, hadn't it?

Feeling a presence near, he soon discovered it wasn't just in his head. She was there, beside him.

Head snapping up in realization, he cleared his throat rather roughly. “We meet again...” Apsephion mused, brows furrowed slightly. This time, she'd come to him. But why, he wondered?

In truth, he was glad she was here. Yet, he couldn't let himself admit it. He could only play along, with hopes that the yearning for her presence would go away.

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She smiled warmly and sat next to him, letting their fur touch slightly if he didn't pull away, but she wouldn't lean into him. She raised an eyebrow at him, her voice light with a small chuckle. "That we do... though I can't help but notice you don't seem upset about it." She teased softly, only to glance over at the water. She fell silent for a moment, enjoying how the sunset bounce off of its surface, hundreds of colors shimmering around them. She let out a soft sigh, rather content in this beautiful setting. 

When she glanced down, she saw their figures, shimmering and shifting over the water. They looked like yin and yang, two opposites, two halves of a whole. And it was about then that she realized her heart skipped a beat when she saw them together, wanting to be close to him and feeling.... comfortable with him.

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time for this to get even cuter:3

---

He didn't seem upset. Was be supposed to? Did she think he would have been? In any other circumstance, he may have felt taken aback. But he did not.

Both found their eyes fixed on the water. And rather than see the sunset or the water, he saw only them. Side by side. Precise opposites of one another, yet so similar all the same. Close, but not close enough. There was still space. An itch inside wanted her right next to him.

A heavy inhale, and before he knew it, a limb had lifted itself, wrapping around Delgata to pull her against him. Assuming she hadn't pulled away immediately, he would have frozen in place, surprised, yet pleased by himself all at once.

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Omg adorable!

---

She had been so focused on the water that she hadn't noticed his movement, not until she felt his strong arm wrap around her and pull her into him. She froze for a moment, not because she didn't like it, but because she was simply caught off guard. It wasn't very long before she seemed to relax, shifting slightly to nestle herself into his chest. He was taller and stronger than her and, in reality she felt safe like this. 

Her body fit perfectly against his and she found herself enjoying the comfort. She looked up at him, her eyes watching his for a moment, a hint of a smile on her lips. She would aim to lift her head and give a small lick to his chin, a light kiss if he didn't pull away.

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She did not pull away; but after a still moment, she embraced him. Short after, she even reached to place a kiss upon his chin.

These actions drew words, regardless of how much he willed them to remain unspoken.

“No matter how hard I try, I can't pull myself away from you.” He admitted, eyes shifting upon her. Still, as he spoke, he held her close, almost afraid to let her go as though she may leave him.

“The image of you drowns my mind....” And it wouldn't go away.

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She heard his words and gasped softly, her head tilted upwards the look at him. She spoke softly, barely a whisper but with their close proximity, it was enough. "I can't stop thinking about you, and... honestly I don't want to stop either." She glanced back at the lake, pulling her gaze away from him for a moment. She was trying to understand her feelings, after everything that had happened to her. She was confused, she was scared and she was unsure. 

"If you want, I can leave tonight... and we can go our separate ways... eventually the thoughts of each other will subside..." It was on the table, one last offer for him to walk away now before they went any further, before she opened her heart to him. A small part of her wanted him to take it, she wanted him to walk away. She had so much baggage that she didn't know what to do. Her last two mates had vanished off the face of the earth, and she was absolutely terrified that the same thing would happen if she fell in love again. Perhaps she was cursed?

Not only that, but one look at her swelling belly reminded her about her other piece of baggage. She was pregnant, baring the children from a man that raped her, someone she didn't even know. But she never could bring herself to get rid of the children and instead, chose to keep them, wanting to give these small lives growing inside her a proper chance to grow and thrive. How could she even ask someone to stick around with something like that?

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She too did not want to forget him. She too did not want to leave. But yet, she still would say that they could part.

Apsephion's jaw tightened. His grip upon her became even more firm, more so than he'd meant. He had her here with him now—and he was not about to let her go.

“No.” A guttural response, body stiff.

She could not leave him. She would not. Not now.

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She felt his grip tighten, pulling her against his chest even more. She let out a soft gasp, partially expecting him to have pull away, or walked away entirely. But instead, he seemed to be extremely sure of his decision. Looking up at him, her eyes flicked across his face, searching his gaze for a moment. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for, but she seemed to relax, enjoying being here with him. 

"You do know what you're getting into, right?" She asked softly, shifting slightly on her feet but letting her head lean against him. "Are you.... prepared for that?" She asked, wondering if he actually thought this through. She didn't like to bring things up or drag this conversation out, but she needed to know. She needed to make sure it would be the best choice for not only her and him, but also her children.

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ngl, his possessiveness is scaring even me *wide eyes*

---

 Do you know what you're getting yourself into?

A voice in the back of his mind, echoing from her words. But he did not hear it. He saw only his vision; the image: him and her, nothing between them.

“I don't care...” He answered coldly, his decision unchanging.

To her belly, his eyes then went. Jaw firm, he watched for a moment. Silence. But not for long.

“I will take them as my own. They will know me as their father.” This was how it would be. His words were true; they were final. He needed not for her to agree, for she already had by making this choice herself.

It did not matter what sacrifice he must make. Only if it all meant she would stay by his side, and he by hers.

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She needed this!

---

I will take them as my own. They will know me as their father..

Those words rang in her ears and she found herself lost for words. He knew nothing of their origin and yet, he didn't care. And for some reason, she felt like a large weight was lifted off of her shoulders. He didn't care. Those words were almost music to her ears. She fell silent, letting everything sink in. "Don't ever leave me..." She whispered, fear lingering in her words as tears pricked at her eyes for a moment before she blinked them away. She was terrified to fall in love again, but here she was, watching her heart get stolen by this mysterious man. 

Taking a breath, she would shift slightly so that she was laying down, laying slightly on her side and pressing her back against his chest. "Are you staying a rogue?" She asked, with no hint of rudeness in her tone. She wasn't going to force him into anything, she just wanted to know. If he chose to stay a loner, she would consider leaving Shiroshika, but of course she wasn't going to tell him that. She had a feeling he would be angry at her for leaving her pack. But also, she wasn't going to force him to join a pack if it made him uncomfortable.

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Don't ever leave me.

“Never...” Apsephion hissed back, muzzle pressed to her ear so that he was sure she could hear his promise.

Her body shifted. His remained the same, ever still supporting her weight against him.

She asked then of his intentions. Would he stay rogue, or would he join her? It was a difficult decision; and yet it was not.

“When the children are born, they need as much protection as they can get.” He did not doubt his abilities to protect them — to protect her. But he knew well that a pack was what they needed.

Though this was something he had sworn to never do so willingly, he listened to himself as he gave in. “I will go with you to Shiroshika. They will accept me, or I will provide from outside the pack borders.” But Delgata and her brood would not leave those borders with him.

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She glanced up at him, a hint of a smile on her face when she heard his words. Her body relaxed and she let her head fall onto her paws with a content sigh. "I'm certain Reiko will accept you, it wouldn't be like her to turn away the one that will father my children." She said simply, stretching out slightly. "I will go speak with her in the morning, but for tonight.." She glanced up at him, her tail lightly smacking the spot beside her, offering him to lay with her. "Tonight I wish to stay with you." She didn't care if she was outside the borders, the trusted him with not only her life but the lives she carried. She knew he would protect her and after everything tonight, she really didn't want to leave, she was tired of sleeping alone at night.

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fade, maybe?

---

 

In the morning. She told him. 

He had waited this long. What was a little more time?

Beside her, he would lay, still allowing the bulk of his body to support her own. Around her, he would curl tight. The generous size difference still allowed her room to wiggle freely, while he was still able to ensure she was enclosed within his frame. Nothing outside of this makeshift shield would make it through without first coming face to face with his mass.

A soft lick to her head he gave, a deep rumble of satisfaction bubbling from the depths of his throat. She was here with him, not to go. Nothing more, did he want. 

Tonight, they would sleep here. And when morn came, their new start would begin.

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