The moon hangs low in the sky, casting its silvery glow over the familiar landscape of the Dancefloor. His senses are attuned to his surroundings, but his thoughts are consumed by a single purpose: finding Elara. So he prowls through the tall grasses, wondering if she is hidden amongst the rustling blade — just out of sight.

The festival is in full swing, its lively energy permeating the air with laughter and distant ruckus. But he doesn’t care much for the action, he just wishes to find his friend. She had ventured into the territory to join in the festivities on invitation, and he was eager to have her back here without the worry of being grounded again. But as the night wore on, he hadn’t honed in on her scent quite yet. There were so many unfamiliar scents here now, in one place. It was difficult to get a lock on her. Damn.

But then suddenly, a faint scent catches his attention — that familiar fragrance mingled with the heady scents of the festival. It's faint, almost imperceptible among the myriad of smells that fill the night air, but to Redrum, it's like a beacon guiding him onward.

Heart pounding with anticipation and excitement, Redrum breaks into a run, his muscles coiled with tension as he races towards the source of the trail. And there, bathed in the soft moonlight, he finds her — Elara, standing in a clearing hidden in the grasses. Relief floods through Redrum as he approaches, his voice a mixture of joy and concern. “Elara!” The young brute calls out, his words tinged with relieved affection. “Redrum was- looking for you!” He growls boyishly, delight bubbling over his choppy words.

""

she’d meant to look for Red, but the commotion of the festival had given her pause, attention snagged by the voices rising joyfully through the air, the smell of food and drink intermingling in a tempting combination. besides, it seems she needn’t expend too much energy searching; Red seems to have an uncanny ability to find her no matter where she is. turning in place, El brightens as brisk footsteps fill the clearing well, a happy flush filling her freckled cheeks. ”well, you’ve found me!” she trills, crossing the remaining distance between them. now that they’re so close, she has to crane her neck just to meet his eyes, practically dwarfed by his muscled form.

”my, do you ever stop growing?” she teases, her laugh tinkling and bell-bright. another burst of warmth crawls up her neck, but this has less to do with joy and more to do with his earthy scent and the heat radiating from his body. oddly, her heart has also started to speed up, pounding against her chest like it wants to escape. “i’m glad i was able to come tonight,” she manages finally, a glancing up from beneath dark lashes. ”i wanted to see you.”

Redrum's heart skips a beat as Elara's words sink in, her presence a comfort and thrill all in one small package. He shifts slightly, feeling the warmth spread through his chest, a warmth that has nothing to do with the festival's bustling energy. Weird. Uncomfortable? Nice.

“Elara,” The young brute murmurs in greeting again, a soft growl underlying his voice that came with puberty, “Red always— finds you.” He steps closer, closing the distance she had just crossed, his towering form casting a protective shadow over her. Her teasing about his size brings a spastic boyish grin to his face, and he rumbles out a low chuckle. He moves to hug her, unwilling to let her go quickly. “Redrum can’t help— it. Maybe Elara is just —shrinking,” He teases back, his voice filled with a rare, playful lightness where usually he is serious and withdrawn. Then he steps back, tall ears twitching as he listens to her speak.

Her laugh, bright and tinkling, sends a shiver through him. He watches the way her cheeks flush, mirroring the warmth he feels inside. The scent of her is nice, too nice, but he doesn’t know why. He tries not to dwell on it.

“Redrum is glad— Elara came,” The vermilion wolf says, his voice quieter now, earnest through his choppy speech. “Red wanted to see— Elara too.” Golden eyes soften as they meet hers, his heart pounding wildly. Was she always so.. bright? Sparkly? What was that? It was like the sun was in his eyes, only much more pleasant. “Festival is more fun— now that Elara— is here!” He adds quickly, the words tumbling out awkwardly but sincerely. She made him mess his words up more, and it brought insecurity to the forefront of his mind.

He hesitates for a moment, then reaches out a paw to gently pat her shoulder, his touch feather-light. Like he’s worried about hurting her. “Stay close tonight?” Redrum says, his voice a careful, affectionate rumble. “Red wants to be with Elara, more… more fun that way.” The admission is simple, but genuine and sweet and he doesn’t know how else to put it.

""

his words make her heart quicken, largely in part because this is Red and he always sounds so earnest, so bluntly direct. she doesn’t think he’s the type to offer shallow sentiments simply because it’s what she wants to hear - and that makes it all the more special, this shared moment.

then he embraces her, and something sparks beneath her skin and writhes in the pit of her stomach, lighting her up from the inside out. for a moment it’s so intense she has to avert her eyes, gaze trained on her feet as she grapples with her composure. when did looking Red square in the face become so hard? when did the rough timbre of his voice become enough to send shivers down her spine? “yes,” she murmurs, her own voice scarcely more than a rasp, “i…want that too. to stay close.” it feels more significant than it ought to, like she’s revealing something she’s not quite cognisant of. but she shares Red’s sentiments; it is always more fun with Red. or at least…more.

she always wants more.

“what have you been up to?” she asks, nudging his shoulder. his eyes seem to reflect the pinprick of stars above, yellow pools flecked with white. she knows she isn’t as up to date on his life as she’d like, knows he’s traversed all matters of land and met all manner of people. it twists her stomach a little with something she can’t quite decipher it, but it’s a feeling that clings to her like a burr and proves difficult to dislodge. well, she’s old enough now, so they can go on all those promised adventures.

when he touches her shoulder, El gathers her courage and leans into it, moving to press herself up against him, practically aligning their bodies. well, he said he wanted her close, didn’t he? and he always makes her feel so safe, this boy - except now her blood thrums wildly in her veins alongside it, light-heated and fluttery, both wonderful and nauseating. “tell me everything,” El says, both a request and a demand. let me in. let me know you. her lips hike up on one side, half teasing and half hopeful. “tell me how much you missed me.”

Redrum's heart races as Elara's words sink in, her voice a soft rasp that makes his own pulse quicken. He feels her gaze falter, watching as her eyes drop to her feet, and it makes him want to hold her tighter, to reassure her.

‘Yes,’ She murmurs, ‘I… want that too. To stay close.’

Her words are so soothing to his insecurities. He embraces her, feeling a spark beneath his skin from the way she lights up from the inside out. When did this become so intense? So overwhelming? But he loves it, loves the way she makes him feel so alive. So strange.

‘What have you been up to?’ She asks, nudging his shoulder. Her eyes reflect the stars above, and he feels a pang of longing, knowing he’s missed so much of her and her life just by proximity alone. He could only visit so many times.

“Elara…” Redrum begins, his voice a low rumble, filled with the earnestness he was well known for now. “Red missed Elara — so much. Been everywhere. Seen forests so thick — no light gets through. Met wolves — big and strong, some smart and wise. But no one — like Elara. Not at all.” No. Because no one will ever measure up to the pedestal he put her on.

He pauses, taking a deep breath, his golden eyes locked on hers. “Red thought about Elara — every day. Wondered if Elara was — safe, happy. Red wanted to say these things sooner — but he had to learn, and get stronger first.” Be someone, something, a wolf who could protect what he cared about.

By now she’s pressed herself against him, aligning their bodies, and he feels a surge of protectiveness and something more, something thrilling. He wraps his neck and chin around her, holding her close, his large frame enveloping her in warmth. Her teasing tone does nothing to ease his anxious thoughts. He thinks telling her everything will help. Won’t it?

“Red missed — Elara’s laugh. Her smile. Her… everything,” He admits, his voice softening as much as his broken speech would allow. “Everywhere Red went, he thought — ‘Elara would love this.’ Or ‘Elara should see this.’” His jaw twitches while he speaks, ears flicking as he tries to banish the spasms that wrack his body. He hates that he’s like this, but he cannot be any other way.

He pulls back slightly, looking into her eyes, his own filled with a rare, vulnerable light. The vermilion prince offers her a shy, boyish grin, his heart pounding wildly as he waits for her response.

""

every word...it's like sunshine basking across her pelt, bathing her in a warm, golden light, effusing her with an excitement so giddy it borders on nausea. the rumble of his voice makes her head spin, and El leans all her weight against him, legs shaking as she sucks in rasping breath after breath. he's thought of her just as much as she's thought of him, has taken a piece of her with him everywhere he went. some of that crushing insecurity - that he'd meet someone he likes better, that he'd forget about the little princess trapped within her borders - melts away like snow on a summer breeze. in its place, a sweet ache that fills her up from head to toe, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. she wants this boy. the thought hits her like a physical weight, and she's certain her longing must be clear on her face.

oh, stars, does she want this boy, wants him so fiercely she trembles with it. "Red..." El's voice is rough, and she clears her throat with an embarrassed little ah-hem. "i don't...i don't want to be apart anymore. i wanna go where you go. because..." it shouldn't be this easy, baring her soul to another so plainly. but she trusts Red down to her bone marrow. "you feel like home to me." is that corny? who cares. El's stomach does about a million little flips as she stares into Red's face, committing every miniscule detail to memory. she meant it when she said she wanted to stay close. in this moment, she wants to rend her heart open and braid the arteries together, merge their veins so that he's a part of her forever. stamp him into her flesh the way he's been stamped into her soul. she can't, like, say those things though - it might come off as a bit clingy. so instead, she does the next logical thing:

she lifts her chin, plants a paw on Red's cheek, and tries to guide his lips to hers.

Redrum's breath catches in his throat as he feels Elara's weight leaning against him in return, her closeness sending a cascade of sensations through his twitching muscles. Every word the smaller girl speaks is a solace to his uncertainty, warming him from the inside out, easing the ever-present spasms that wrack his body. His heart pounds with a mix of relief and elation. What was she doing to him?

When she says his name, his golden eyes flicker with emotion. He can see the longing and vulnerability etched on her face, and it strikes something deep within him. His own gaze softens and fills with yearning.

“Elara…” He murmurs, his voice trembling slightly as he fights to control his spasms. “Red — wants – that too. More than — anything.” He’s careful about his words, scared. Afraid of what they mean, of what they might change.

Her next words strike him like a thunderbolt, filling him with a profound sense of joy and belonging. ‘You feel like home to me.’ It’s not corny at all. It’s perfect. He’s never heard anything more beautiful. He’s stricken by the expression she’s making, like she’s drawing him in.

His muscles twitch involuntarily, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he wraps his large frame around her more tightly, desperate to keep her close. As she plants a paw on his cheek and guides his lips to hers, he feels an overwhelming surge of protectiveness and adoration. He meets her gaze, his golden eyes reflecting the depth of his soul. What was this? What… was she doing? Why did he want to speed it along?

With a tenderness that contradicts his rough exterior, Redrum closes the distance between them. His lips meet hers in a gentle, hesitant kiss, every fiber of his being focused on this moment. It’s clumsy and awkward, his spasms making it difficult to hold still, but it’s filled with all the emotion he’s held back for so long. It's instinctual. Things he hadn’t fully understood until now, until her lips met his, and the lightning struck down his frame and pooled in his core. He gasps, long ears twitching as he processes the sensation of their first kiss.

When he pulls back, his heart is pounding so hard he’s sure she can feel it. He looks into her eyes, his own filled with a mixture of hope, fear, and unbridled affection. “El- Elara… Red — doesn’t know what — what this means.” His words come out in a broken rhythm, but they’re sincere and filled with questioning and vulnerability.

""

he doesn’t pull away, she thinks dazedly, relief and joy warring with something distinctly warmer, a flickering heat that sparks in the pit of her stomach and skitters up and down her spine. the press of his lips on hers burns a fire right through the core of her, and El shivers as she chases that feeling, chases the sensations unfurling between them. when they finally part, El blinks her eyes open - when had she closed them? - and drinks in the emotions whirling through those vermillion eyes with an insatiable thirst. she wants to know every thought and urge taking shape inside that gorgeous head  (even the shape of his cranium is perfect), wants to be the sole keeper of every secret and insecurity. one day, she promises herself, still awakening from the haze of their first kiss, she’ll have every part of him.

El is flooded with a burst of clarity as Red voices his question, confident in the wake of his uncertainty. “it means,” she begins, reaching out to stroke his face (she can’t seem to stop herself from wanting to touch him, all the time), “that i’m yours, Red. and you’re mine.” she lowers her head, suddenly bashful, cheeks pinking. “that is…if you want me.”

Her confession hangs in the air, laden with a promise that both thrills and unnerves him. He has always been the one to protect, to lead, but here, in this moment, now, he feels a shift in the balance of their relationship. El's vulnerability touches him deeply, and for a moment, he forgets the weight of responsibility that usually defines him. He is just Red, not his mother’s son, not the boy who is defined by his quirks. He is content to feel her, to hold her close, this girl who once stumbled across the border and trespassed her way right into his life.

When she asks if he wants her, Redrum's hesitation is fleeting. His gaze softens, and he reaches up to gently clasp her paw against his cheek. “Elara is Redrum’s.” He murmurs, his voice rough yet filled with unspoken emotions, “Redrum is Elara’s.” He doesn’t quite know what it means, does he need to? It feels right, good, like it’s what he should say; what he wants to say. He leans in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, his scent mingling with hers in the quiet heat of the moment. He thinks, he wonders how he’s going to let her go now, to go back to her family and leave him here again. He tries not to think about it at the moment, because that's selfish and he won't be selfish with his sweet friend… his sweet Elara.

""

El preens - there's no other word for it. she feels like she's glowing beneath his attention, incandescent with happiness and contentment and something distinctly smug. mine. she's allowed to think it now as she lets her gaze travel over Red's striped coat, relishing in every little detail. she feels a wonderful cocktail of possession and collector, owner and owned. El lets her eyes flutter shut as he presses a kiss to her forehead, that delicious fluttery feeling exploding through her. "i'm gonna visit again really soon," she murmurs, eyes still shut, unwilling to withdraw and break the warmth of this moment. "now that i'm able, i want you to show me all your favourite places." he's been all over Boreas, after all; she'll have to catch up. she wants to be worthy of him, this fierce boy with his fighting prowess and important rank. wants to be an equal, someone he can be proud to have by his side. eyes blinking open, El finally disentangles herself with a reluctant sigh. already she misses the feel of him against her, his scent and voice. "i'll see you again, Red." a promise, solidified between them in the open air, to herself as much as Red. she's already anticipating their next meeting.