It came as no surprise that Lillith wanted to continue with their plans to visit the far north. Despite the daunting obstacles they would have to face, the little silver Adravendi had never shied away from a challenge, at least not as far as he'd seen. Of course she was going to want to prove herself, and if she felt up to it, who was he to tell her no? She already had one overbearing male in her life telling her what she could and couldn't do, she didn't need another. She claimed that the extra season of recovery and training would help strengthen her body for the trip, then already began to plan a winter training regiment for them. Romulus laughed, but it wasn't in spite or mean-spirited towards her, it was out of amusement and awe of Lil's indomitable spirit and her strength of will to keep doing more and more. She yearned so much to lead a more daring life, and it brought a smile to his roguish face every time.

Roman returned her smile with an easy grin of his own, squeezing Lillith gently in his forelegs against his body a little tighter. "Oh you know we'll be doing winter training," he remarked with a wink to her. "Build up our strength and stamina, get us both a little more fit for long distance trekking, let our winter coats bulk up. Oh, and you still owe me a revenge spar for forcing me to know what sand tastes like." He stuck out his pink tongue and made a grimacing face, though the playful grin he put on afterwards let her know he was just razzing her as he enjoyed so very much. "We'll be able to see everything between here and the North by the time we're done getting ready! Every forest and river and valley and plain and lake!"

It was an easy thing to promise in words, but Roman meant every one of them. Whatever Lil wanted, he would find a way to give to her. Her sparkling garnet eyes made his heart skip beats like it was dancing a samba in his chest. He smiled down at her, bringing a large paw up to gingerly caress her cheek while he held her gaze, watching the twinkle of the stars and the fire of life dancing in those rubies. Gods, it was so difficult to not want to kiss her again in a moment like this! But, as difficult as it was, Roman resisted, unwilling to put Lillith out of her comfort zone that far again. "You know you're amazing, right, Lil?"

"Speech"

If Lillith was anything it was determined, if she wasn’t she would have perished a long time ago. She was a fighter, and had a taste for life that couldn’t be counterfeited. She wanted to make up for lost time, she wanted to prove how much more she was than her sickness. She wanted to do everything an other wolf could do. That would take time though. She couldn’t even say now she was normal, not when she had lost her breath over a heated kiss. Maybe she was just trying to compensate for her behavior, but seeing the way Roman looked at her as she spoke so confidently only reaffirmed her feelings. She wanted to see the Aurora Borealis with Romulus. No matter what it took.

Lil mirrored the grin he wore as he squeezed her tightly and completely agreed with her. They were going to be doing lots of training in the snow. He had to get back at her for burying his face in the sand the other day. Lilith beamed at him, the memory of winning their spar on the beach was one she would treasure forever. She playfully swiped at his chin as he struck his tongue out at her before reminding her of the adventure they had to look forward to. The whole world would pass beneath their feet as they travelled.

"I want to see all of it together.” Together, just like this. Lillith's heart fluttered at the thought. Just her and Roman, exploring and travelling to see the mythical Northern Lights. Every forest, river, valley, plain, and lake. Just like he said. Lil’s expression had settled into a dreamy grin. He put a paw to her cheek, his own expression similar as the future promised them both great things. Roman spoke again, softer, and Lil felt her cheeks erupt into a soft blush. Was she amazing? It didn’t feel like that at all most days. ”You think so?” She asked uncertainly. Lillith had all kinds of big dreams and plans but what good were they when she couldn’t even get out of bed before noon most days?


"Speech"

Lillith wanted to see the entire world with him, she proclaimed. "And so we shall," he replied in turn. They were young, they had life and vitality in their veins, Lillith arguably more so than the spritely Armada wolf for all that she had overcome. It was easy to assume Romulus as the stronger of the two when he hadn't been forced to overcome a life-threatening illness in the dawn of his lifetime. If given the same circumstances, who could say he wouldn't have expired before his first year? What Lillith mistook for weakness in herself was actually the greatest show of strength of body and spirit. If only she could see herself the way his steel-silver eyes saw her: powerful and beautiful and flawless, just like the rubies her eyes mimicked.

His compliment brought another flush of color to her cheeks and she smiled bashfully, asking if he truly believed what he said. His smile grew to a full grin while his paw continued to stroke over her cheek with a delicate tenderness. "I do." He gazed down at Lillith with the same longing and desire he'd entered her room with, but he was far more gun-shy about simply acting again after her freakout. But that didn't stop the bold Armada boy from trying just a little more. Gently cupping Lillith's cheek, he tipped her muzzle towards his, bringing his lips down to within millimeters of hers until he could feel her warm breath against his snout. He hesitated deliberately, giving her a moment to process and settle herself so he didn't startle her again.

"Can I kiss you, Lillith Adravendi?" he asked, his whisper so faint as if to make sure only she could ever hear him. "I promise I won't push it too far again. We can go at your pace." He waited for her to give him permission, eager to feel her soft lips against his again, and had he not been so concerned about suffocating her with his presence, he would already be doing so.

"Speech"

He promised they would see the world together, and if her heart wasn’t beating fast against her chest before it really was now. Lil was easily swept up into Roman’s soft silvery gaze as the moonlight poured onto them. She felt a similar warmth from earlier spread over her skin, but this was much more welcome and fitting in the cool night. The blush that overtook her features warmed the whole of her slowly, not like the crazy fire she’d felt in bed. It was cozy and inviting. She looked to Roman for assurance, unwilling to believe his words as he spoke at first, but again he assured her as his paw stroked her cheek gently.

The way he looked at her, the deep emotions she could see swirling on his liquidsilver gaze, was all the truth she needed. He really thought she was amazing, a normal, or less than normal girl who hadn’t even swam in the ocean before him. Roman went on to prove what she said as he carefully tipped her jaw, and brought their noses to nearly touching. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips as he spoke, just barely audible over the thundering of her heart in her ears. His slow pausing motioned helped to keep her at ease. Her heart pounded against her chest but her breathing came easily. The warmth that spread from where he touched her was not unbearable like before.

Roman asked to kiss her, using her full name and speaking quietly, only for her. He promised to keep at her pace. Lilith grinned, her lidded garnet gaze lingering on his silver eyes. "Yes, Romulus Armada, you can kiss me.” She told him just as quietly as a thrill raced down her spine. Not only from the excitement of kissing this handsome boy, but also the danger of doing so beneath her father’s nose. Her heart fluttered as much as her belly did, but with his careful advances Lillith kept control and cool.

"Speech"

The way that Lillith looked at him never failed to make Romulus feel a swell of pride. She looked at him with large ruby eyes like he was some sort of magnificent beast, something extraordinary and not just another wolf walking the world. That adorable blush spread across her cheeks, feeling warm beneath her skin where his paw touched her face. Roman was a suave romantic, of that he was guilty, and he had a particular enjoyment for making girls swoon for his charm, but there was something especially fun about making Lil blush and turn to this feminine shyness. He could see the fires flaring inside those garnet eyes, her inner desires screamed by a mind and spirit that yearned for what her body had rejected. There was never any maliciousness in his teasing, but gods damn, did he love getting her all flustered!

She grinned to his request, then returned the favor of using his full name to give him the consent he sought. A sly grin of his own spread across his lips, silver eyes never leaving the beauty of those lidded rubies while she eagerly awaited the kiss he asked for. Roman didn't keep her waiting long. Moving his large paw from her cheek to slowly caress the back of her head and soft ears, Romulus slowly closed the space between their lips, beginning as a light brush of his mouth against hers until he was pressing her into a slow, firm kiss. He refrained from pushing too far, keeping himself in check and using just a light pressure of his lips against Lillith's. The thought of someone catching them never even crossed his mind, let alone that they were out on the balcony right next to Ulric's bedroom. All of his thoughts were consumed by Lillith; nothing else existed in this perfect moment but her.

The kiss lasted a few long moments, Roman memorizing the feel of her soft lips pressed to his, the warmth of her breath against him, the way his heart hammered at his ribcage, and her body snuggled close to his. When he did finally break their kiss, he didn't pull but an inch or two away, a quiet sigh of delight coming from the young wolf while silver eyes flickered open halfway to peer at the gorgeous girl in his arms. That roguish grin found its home on his face, watching for her reactions and allowing her the freedom to steal a kiss of her own if she wished it. "Better this time?" he asked in a husky whisper, his voice practically a low purr.

"Speech"

Roman looked at her like she was the prettiest she wolf in all of Auster, and he made her blush easier than any other wolf she met. Lil liked the way he teased her, even if she did feel bashful because of it. Maybe it was the fluttering in her stomach or the warmth that flushed over her skin when he did it. The boy was charming and romantic and Lillith didn’t stand a chance against him. Not that she wanted to. He was slow and deliberate this time, giving her plenty of time to consent and properly go through the motions. To adjust to the way her body reacted to Roman’s affection. To wrap her mind around the intensity of the feelings he caused to well in her chest.

He didn’t spare any time when she didn’t deny him either, and as Lillith closed her eyes and leaned into his touch he pressed his lips to hers. The newness took a moment to wear off before Lil began to press into the kiss similarly to Roman. Her silver paw lifted to his cheek as her heart fluttered erratically in her chest. She didn’t realize that she had started to hold her breath until he pulled away. Lil gasped lightly for breath, surprised at how easily she let herself be close to him like this. She wanted the feeling of his body close to hers instead of feeling smothered like before.

She blinked open her garnet gaze, her attention on his lips that remained inches from her own. She breathed in deeply, sorely tempted to close the distance between them again. She did reach up to kiss his chin as he questioned her quietly, asking if this was was better than their first kiss. "Better this time,” she told him as she pulled away slightly, gazing into his polished silver eyes. Grateful that she could be so comfortable with him so close. "I’m sorry I can be so difficult.” She whispered softly as she tentatively offered innocent pecks along his chin and jaw, growing ever more comfortable with their little affections and close proximity.

"Speech"

Heat spread through Romulus' body like liquid fire pouring through his veins when he felt Lillith's lips push as eagerly against his, drawing low rumbles of delight when he felt a dainty paw rise to caress his cheek and urge him to remain in their kiss and embrace with her subtle body language. This time, there was no resistance or panic from Lillith; the girl gave herself fully over to their kiss, the passion not burning her quite as severely as before, or if it was she was hiding it very well. When their lips parted and her garnet eyes opened again, he noticed her attention focused entirely on his lips, seeing the yearning in those eyes and smirking a bit. She was getting addicted to kissing and passion and desire, it seemed.

Another rumble of delight came from the silvery brute when the little silver and snow fae's mouth moved to kiss along his chin and jawline, agreeing that this was a better first kiss and then apologizing for being so difficult. Roman gave her a teasingly stern look and booped the end of her snout with his own, giving her slender body a gentle squeeze in his forelegs. "You are not difficult. You're just different," he replied in a hushed tone, gently ushering her head down so he could plant a tender kiss on her crown. "Different is unique. I like different."

Roman was loving the chaste little kisses of her lips against his jaw, and the sounds he was making in response were proof of his enjoyment. He could have easily stayed up all night kissing and loving on Lil, but the lateness of the hour was beginning to get to him, and he knew Lillith would need her rest. "We should probably be getting some sleep." He peered down at his little Adravendi lover, giving her a little grin, though there was some noticeable hesitancy in his steel eyes to let her go. "Would, uh..." He paused, a little uncharacteristic blush of shyness crossing his cheeks. "Would you like me to spend the night...? Y'know, for like, cuddling?"

"Speech"

Lillith could have easily gotten lost in Roman’s lips again. She was half astounded at how her mind focused entirely on the boy that held her. There were no stars, no ocean, no castle, no dad in the next room. There was only Romulus with his bright silver eyes, handsome smile, and sweet kisses. He pulled away but she didn’t really want to stop despite the exhaustion that tugged at her eyes. His little purrs of pleasure encouraged her, and she reveled in the soft rumbles of his chest against her. Being this close to anyone was thrilling in itself for the reserved little she wolf, but Roman was far more persistent than anyone else. Despite her illness and everything that came with it he helped her overcome all of the obstacles in their way.

He was the only one who could hold her like this and she felt completely comfortable. Like she belonged right here nestled against his chest. His words were soft, convincing her that she was different and unique, not difficult like she apologized for. She tried hard to believe him, he sounded so genuine and he topped it all with a kiss on her head. A protective gesture. "So, you like me, Roman?” She asked him quietly as she peeked up at him from tilted features. She knew he wouldn’t have snuck in her room at midnight, nor walked her out here if he didn’t. Hearing him say it though…

Roman mentioned the lateness of the hour and she couldn’t argue. She should have been sound asleep right now, and he hadn’t slept at all tonight. What was more interesting was seeing the light flush to his cheeks as he went on and asked if he could spend the night. A bashful grin spread over her blushing features as he mentioned cuddling and she nodded softly. "I think that sounds very nice.” She returned shyly as she bravely reached up to steal one more kiss on the balcony.


"Speech"

Romulus raised a curious brow and an amused grin replaced his smirk when Lillith asked if he liked her. A soft chuckle escaped the Armada wolf and he responded by placing another kiss to Lil's forehead. "Do I need to give you some more kisses to make it more obvious?" he asked in jest, running his paw down her neck to stroke along the subtle feminine curves of her side, pausing on her belly so he wouldn't go places he shouldn't and set Lillith on fire again. "Yes, I like you, Lil. I like you a lot. Like, this much..." He punctuated his statement with another slow, tender kiss to her soft lips, this one more of a peck than the intimate kiss they'd just shared. "Does that mean you like me, Lillith?" he asked in turn, already knowing the answer, but also enjoying teasing her too much to stop. Plus it would be nice to hear the words from her lips too.

He knew it had been a bold shot to ask to join her in bed for the night, but it was a risk that paid off in dividends. He watched that sheepish grin form on her face and felt his heart soar with eagerness even before she started speaking. "I think that sounds very nice.” Internally, Roman did a little victory dance, while externally his smile simply widened and silver eyes shone with excitement. Before he could respond, however, Lil dumbfounded him further when she reached up to steal a kiss of her own from his lips. He made a soft sound of surprise, but settled easily into kissing her back, letting his mouth press and move against hers in harmony until she pulled away.

Once their kiss ended, Roman gave a happy sigh and stared adoringly at the silver and snow fae in his arms. "C'mon, let's get to bed," he said. Romulus slowly let Lillith slip from his grasp to stand, rising to his paws a moment later. Lying on the stone balcony for an extended period had numbed his leg, but he managed to stumble back inside and close the balcony doors before clambering up onto the mattress. He found the hollow Lillith had made out of the blankets and pillows and nestled himself in, turning his body into another large pillow for her to settle into. Roman snickered and patted his side to call Lillith to snuggle into him. "Your personal cuddle pillow is ready for you, beautiful," he said with a wink and a titter.

"Speech"

Roman chuckled at her as she asked after his use of the word like, he kissed her forehead again. Like she had thought silently he asked if she needed a few more kisses to prove what was already obvious. She grinned up at him as he trailed a dark paw down her side, and she couldn’t focus on much beyond where his paw law on her belly. Though his words were everything that she wanted to hear. He liked her a lot, a lot a lot, and his sweet kiss made that fact even more obvious. She hummed pleasantly, eyes closing as she felt intense emotions again rise in her belly. He pulled away slightly once he had made his point and asked the same of her. "I like you a lot too, Roman.” She whispered back with a mischievous grin playing on her features and garnet gaze glittering up at him.

He seemed maybe a little surprised when she invited him back to snuggle with her the rest of the night. Even more he was taken aback by the kiss that she wanted. Lil had made leaps and bounds when it came to their relationship tonight. From worried about losing him because of her reaction, to now when she was inviting him back to snuggle in her warm bed. They were never going to make it back to sleep if she didn’t let him go. Lillith pulled away reluctantly, but her own happy little sigh joined his as Roman reminded her that they needed to sleep.

She nodded with a sweet smile and pulled reluctantly from his arms. Lil started back towards the door as Roman shook himself out. Delicate paws carried her inside with him as he closed up the doors and swiftly settled onto the mattress and welcomed her beside him. He patted the bed beside him, offering himself as another pillow and calling her beautiful. She grinned bashfully and carefully lifted herself into the bed, curling her back against Roman’s stomach and her head nestled in the crook of his arm. She looked back up at him, her heart beating frantically in her chest. She tried to relax and remember that she needed to get back to sleep.

She sighed heavily, her slim frame relaxed against him. "Goodnight, Roman.” She whispered breathily as she willed her heart to settle and the warmth of her skin to burn out. This had been one of the most incredible nights she had ever spent with anyone. Her first kiss, and knowing Romulus liked her as much as she liked him. It felt like sleep would be difficult to attain, but as the pair of wolves settled into bed together Lil didn’t take long to begin settling back into sleep.

"Speech"

While Lillith climbed into bed with him and curled her smaller body up into his, Romulus reflected on her admission that she liked him a lot too. It had been something he'd known for some time now, but it still made his heart miss a beat or two to hear it from her lips. As she got settled in with her back to his chest, Roman draped a foreleg across her side, pulling her slender form tighter to his. They settled in together, his larger body curling protectively around hers. Lillith's warm body and soft fur pressing all over his underside left pleasant tingles across every inch of his skin. Roman gently nuzzled into Lil's scruff, breathing in her sweet scent while they snuggled in the silver moonlight and dark of the quiet room. This was what he had wanted tonight to be like, and he was beyond grateful that they were able to get back to it.

Roman drew in a deep breath, releasing it in a content sigh while his body relaxed into the mattress. The heavy pull of sleep began to tug at his body, Lillith acting as a great treatment for his insomnia. "Goodnight, Lil," he whispered back, nuzzling between her ears as they slowly slipped into the calming embrace of slumber. His last conscious thoughts were of her, reflecting on their first kiss, hearing her sweet voice admitting her crush on him, the feel of holding her body this close to him so intimately, it put the young wolf into a state of pure bliss.

He stayed awake long enough to hear Lillith's breathing deepen into heavy, sleepy breaths to know she had fallen asleep, and then he followed shortly behind her. In a matter of minutes, Romulus fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, holding Lillith next to him for the entire night.

"Speech"