Arivae had always refused to stay up at night. She believed it would put her sleep schedule at risk, therefore altering the way she performed pack activities. And she was raised that way...Garthinaw and Song had both ensured that she rest from dawn til dusk. Whether that was to assist her puppy-growing process or not, she had continued to sleep at those times. Tonight was the exception. Arivae had gone out to find Amalia some herbs as sort of a favor. She didn't know whether or not the woman had been running low on them, but hey, too many goodies was never a bad thing! On her way back from giving her red-headed mentor/friend the bundle of stuff, the sun had already hidden itself behind the horizon and refused to cast its brilliant light across the mangrove. Which had worried Arivae for a while. With clumsy paws she tripped and stumbled over the roots that covered the forest. They were everywhere, and with tiny paws like hers it was hard not to get stuck in them. The good news was she didn't get so stuck that she couldn't wiggle her way out. The bad news? She kept falling on her face and bumping her nose. And it hurt! Her poor nose was throbbing because of it! Arivae whined softly, looking around. Through the darkness she could see a little patch of ground without too many roots. Thank the stars, she could rest. The small girl whined and stepped over the remainder of tree that blocked her path, before flopping to the ground and rolling over. Her chest rose and she let out a prolonged sigh. Her paws rose to her face and she cupped her sore nose for a little while, trying to rub it free of pain like her mother did when she was younger. But it seemed to only make it worse. Arivae whimpered and rolled over, only to be greeted by an incredible light that had gone unnoticed while she was turned over. It was everywhere. The water that stretched like fingers across the entire mangrove lit up blue, and it made Arivae squeak in excitement. She slowly stood to her paws and moved over to the closest slip of water. She lowered her head and stared at it, blinking in awe. How did it glow like that? Why hadn't she noticed this before? Arivae smiled and dropped to her belly, her tail wiggling gently as she tried to figure out where on earth this magical glow came from. "Talk" "You" Think

Unlike Arivae, Tiburtius was no stranger to sleepless nights. His thoughts bothered him the most at night, keeping him awake and forcing him to wait till he was really tired to actually go to sleep. That was the state he was in now. He had found a spot next to one of the many glowing streams that moved thread the mangroves and he was laying on his side, his front half propped up on one elbow. One of his pale gray forepaws reached forward to lightly skim over the top of the water while he watched it absently. He was used to Arivae going to sleep fairly early and his mothers had been doing the same since his sisters were born so he tended to spend his nights alone. He was okay with that, but he did wish sometimes that he had someone to stay up with. Like the world wanted to answer his wishes, his ears perked at the sound of a rustle and a thump in the darkness, his head lifting to squint out into the dark to see what had made the noise. Curious, he got up and made his way over in the direction the noise had come from, careful to step over the roots and things that cluttered up the ground. He heard a whine and he realized who the voice belonged to moments before he spotted Arivae laying on the ground. He watched as she rolled over and saw her expression when she saw the glowing water around them. He chuckled softly and padded over to her, stepping over the water she had been so awed over to come settle on his stomach beside her. He pressed his nose to his cheek with a smile, his tail wagging behind him. "What are you doing up so late, pretty girl?" Speak Thought Others

Arivae picked up on Tiburtius' scent right away. The more-than-familiar aroma hit her nose and she tore her attention away from the luminescent water, her ears pricking forward. Her tail thumped gently against the earth and she moved over just a tad to give her massive friend a place to lie alongside her. She missed Tiburtius. They didn't see each other as much as she would've hoped, but that might be because of her. Earlier she had gotten over being sick and that probably took a toll on how often her friend visited her. But that was okay! She didn't want him getting sick, nor did she just want to fall asleep on him the whole visit. Now that she was feeling better, though, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. And this was a good start. Arivae gently leaned against him as he touched his nose to her cheek, a soft smile gracing her lips. Her little tail continued to wiggle weakly in excitement however she ensured she wasn't slapping her partner in the rear. Or... the side. Because she was so darn tiny. "Admiring something beautiful," The small girl said to him, turning to look at him with that weak smile still playing upon her dark lips. "But now that something has become someone." A guy being called beautiful? He wouldn't mind, would he? Arivae's smile became a tiny grin, her ears falling back lazily. She scooted closer to him and, only if he removed his nose would she provide him with a soft kiss on the cheek. When she hinted that he looked beautiful, she wasn't lying. The luminescence of the water shined up onto him, and in the dark, it looked absolutely stunning. But Tiburtius was beautiful anyways. She had always admired his two-toned eyes and the blue tint in his fur. Arivae pulled her lips away from him and smiled again, her tail still swaying in subtle excitement. "What are you doing up so late, Tibby?" She played a rather mischievous little smile, her eyes narrowing playfully. Was he always up this late? She didn't know. But it wouldn't hurt to ask! "Talk" "You" Think

Tiburtius's eyes lingered on Arivae's face as she looked up at him, a grin tugging at his lips at her compliment. He didn't think anything of her calling him beautiful. A compliment was a compliment in his eyes. His tail brushed gently against the ground behind him as she scooted closer and kissed his cheek. He really had missed her so much. He always felt so much more at ease when she was with him. He wanted to dip his head down and nuzzle her, but for a moment he just admired her beautiful, delicate face, the pale light from the water in front of them bringing out the blue of her eyes and accenting the pale markings around them. He gave her another little grin when she asked what kept him up tonight. "I'm almost always up this late, silly. Sleep doesn't like me as much as it likes you." He chuckled softly and finally let himself dip his head down to her scruff, nuzzling into her soft fur. "I'm really glad you're feeling better," he commented softly as he pulled his head back a bit so he could kiss the top of her head. "I've missed you a lot." Not only had he been missing her terribly, but just the worry over if she would get better was enough to way him down. He felt like everything else would be okay as long as he had his best friend with him. Speak Thought Others

He was almost always up during the evening? Well, this was new. She had thought Tiburtius was like her. Sleep from dusk til dawn, like puppies with their mothers. But it seemed he was different.. and that was okay. Maybe she was the weird one in this pair. The thought made her smile gently and she leaned in closer to her big blue friend, his heat mingling with hers and warming her up. If she were a cat she'd be purring a lot. Instead she stood silent, her breathes slow and her eyes ready to slide shut. Not from exhaustion, but peace. Even though Tiburtius' voice could probably very easily loll her to sleep... she wasn't going to ask him to talk and talk until she passed out on him. Besides, she wanted to savor this moment with him. They were both awake, they both missed each other, and she was ready to spend this night with him one way or the other. The setting wasn't too bad either. Seemed romantic enough, even though Arivae wasn't to be known as your friendly neighborhood sap. When he nuzzled into her neck she shivered slightly, her heart picking up the pace. An obvious sign that she was feeling better and that she was totally recovered from her illness. If only Tiburtius could hear it. Actually no... that'd be embarrassing. He kissed her head and she felt her whole body warm up. Despite all the affection they shared, good golly gosh she loved his touches. They still made her want to grin and giggle like a lovestruck puppy. "I've missed you, too.." She said softly, moving her head so she could press her nose into his neck. She kissed and nuzzled him and almost naturally moved up til she reached his shoulder blade. There, she planted once last kiss onto his soft fur and leaned as close as she could get to him. He was so soft and warm.. who wouldn't want to be right there beside him? Luckily for her she was special. She could have all the Tiburtius she wanted.. of course, if he allowed it. She'd sit here and love on him all day if she could. Unfortunately the world didn't work they way.. they only had tonight to cuddle before they had to return to pack duties. There were of course other nights they could do this but that was later. It was their time now. She reached up and placed a very gentle, yet teasing nip on his chin, and then returned to nuzzling into his shoulder and neck. She didn't have much else to say.. she missed him. She had missed him so much and she loved him so much. Yeah... "I love you." She whispered into him, the movement of her tail slowing down a bit until it only swayed gently. "Talk" "You" Think

Even though it was pretty much a known fact at this point that they always missed each other when they weren't together, but it still made a little part of him happy to hear her say it. It made him feel like his wanting after her wasn't for naught, that she cared for him as much as he cared for her. His tail brushed against the ground behind him as she started giving him her own nuzzles and kisses, making his whole body feel like it was humming. A smile lingered on his lips, his body curving slightly to hold her better against his side as she continued to lean into him more. She was so small and delicate, but he loved that about her. He wanted to curl around her and keep her safe for as long as they lived. Each little kiss she gave him made the smallest shiver tingle down his spine. Her affections were so addictive, he wished they never had to stop this moment they were in right now. He knew it had to end eventually. They had to get back to their daily lives and new days would come and go. They'd have plenty more moments like this if he had anything to say about it, but for now he wanted this one to last as long as possible. A grin tugged at his lips at her playful nip, his gaze turning down to look at her. "I love you too," he replied softly, pure sincerity in his tone and his gaze. He loved his blue eyed girl so much. He understood the way his mothers looked at each other now that he had Arivae. He tipped his chin down to kiss the top of her head once again, giving her a few more gentle licks across her ears as well. He really didn't have much of a frame of reference for how relationships were normally supposed to go. His mothers had become mates and gotten married after he was born and even then he was too young to really understand how that whole thing worked. He didn't know if there were certain things that were supposed to happen before other stuff or what protocols he was supposed to follow. He only knew that he loved Arivae more than anything else. For someone that cared about his family more than his own life that was saying a lot. A thought passed through his head and before he could really process it he let the words pass his lips. "Arivae... Would you want to marry me?" he asked softly, his gaze lingering on her curiously. He knew she had been at Leo and Svetlana's wedding so she would know what he was talking about at least, but he was really more worried over what she would say. Was that crossing a boundary? He didn't know. ""

Arivae felt his body curl in just slightly and she snuggled deeper into his soft blue fur, her body seemingly becoming smaller just to fit inside the little half-curl he provided. If only they could sit here and forget the world. She wouldn't argue if he asked if they could just lie here and fall asleep together. It was the best feeling in the world to fall unconscious beside her best friend, knowing and trusting she was in safe paws. Even though she preferred the cuddles and snuggles over sleep, she'd do anything if it was beside her beloved. She leaned into his tender touches, her whole body shivering with excitement as he licked her ears. His touches, too, were like a drug to the small female. She loved them and she never wanted them to stop. She'd get as much as she could when she could.. because it wasn't always available. Tiburtius had things to do, too. Unfortunately.. well, she'd make the best of now. She shut her eyes with content as he continued to smother her with attention, her breathes soft and yet her heartbeat elevated. It was the question he asked her that nearly made her heart stop. Her breathe became strained and she froze all movement. Of course besides her eyes that flew open in shock. Marry him? As in husband and wife? Proposal? Mate? What? It took Arivae a while before she could breathe normally again. Her heart started thumping rapidly in her chest. Of course she wanted to be united with Tiburtius. She wanted to be with him forever. But the question was so sudden in made her shake. Finally she opened her mouth but it actually took a few seconds before words rolled off her tongue. "Tiburtius..." Suddenly she became an emotional mess as she realized what this meant. Her face quickly became hot and suddenly there were tears forming in the corners of her eyes. A weak smile graced her lips. "Of course...of course I do." She replied, her voice shaky but sincere. She kissed into his fur and felt so much excitement and warmth rushing through her. Married! Officially mates.. she could call him her husband.. Arivae grinned as tears continued rushing down her cheeks. Not tears of grief but of joy. She never thought she'd be asked this as a pup and here she was now.. "Talk" "You" Think

Tibutius watched Arivae anxiously while he waited for her answer. His heart was pounding a mile-a-minute in his chest, his stomach churning as the seconds drug on like molasses. It had been a quick, sudden choice on his part, but the moment the words left his lips he knew it was exactly what he wanted to do. He started to worry that she would say no or that he had pushed the limits too far as she struggled to answer him. He saw the tears forming in her eyes moments before she finally gave him an answer and the moment she spoke, agreeing that she wanted to marry him as well, he went from anxious to over the moon. A huge smile slowly spread over his lips, his tail beginning to brush against the ground again. "You really do?" he asked with a giddy laugh. He couldn't believe it. It was like he was living a dream, laying here in this amazing scenery with the most beautiful woman curled against him. She was going to be his wife. He realized with a start that tears had pooled in his own two-toned gaze as well, falling into the silver and slate blue fur on his cheeks. He chuckled and tipped his muzzle down to gently lick away the tears on Arivae's face before nuzzling his own face into the fur on her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. "How did I get so lucky?" he asked softly between kisses as he placed them all over her neck and cheeks and ears. He just wanted to shower her with all of the love and emotions that he had bottled up in him. "My sweet, beautiful Arivae. I love you so much." Speak Thought Others