Not happy, but way less sad

As he professed his love for her, Artorias saw the gamut of joy dancing in her gorgeous turquoise eyes, graced by that wide, ecstatic smile. Briar wasted no time wrapping herself around him in a tight embrace, holding him like he was a ghost that might slip away in the blink of an eye. Blinking past the surprising burst of affection, Artorias' smile softened while he wrapped his forelegs around Briar's sides in return, paws running slowly up and down her back to soothe her. He held the Fatalis princess tight to his body, refusing to let his grip around her loosen. He was never going to let her go again, not if he had anything to say about it. His snout nuzzled at her forehead, drawing in her scent of fragrant florals and vanilla, amber eyes slowly drifting closed while he savored the moment of getting to hold her once more.

As she spoke, he could feel his heart mending itself, the pieces pulled back together by the compelling force of love. The ache of loss was steadily replaced by a different ache, one to keep her held close and keep her to himself, cherish and adore her. He gave a soft incredulous chuckle as she explained the flawed logic she had convinced herself of to prove how much she loved him. "I know, you were just trying to do what you thought was best for me," he replied, his voice an equally low murmur. "But your feelings about yourself are just as valid as my opinion. If you feel you have areas you want to improve or work on, I want to help you. I want you to feel as amazing and confident and beautiful as I see you. Whatever we have to do to get you there, I'll be with you every step of the way." He squeezed Briar gently in his arms. "You don't have to do any of this alone, y'know."

Briar's self-esteem wasn't something he could fix in a day though; Artorias wasn't arrogant enough to think that. He just wished Briar had told him how she was feeling so he could help her feel the way his princess deserved to feel rather than shutting him out. His eyes only opened again once Briar pulled back, finding cool turquoise shining with affection and true love. He gave her a warm smile, reaching a paw up to delicately wipe some of the crystals falling from those eyes away from her cheeks while the side of his muzzle brushed against hers. All Artorias wanted in this moment was to hold Briar, keep her close to him all night long, kiss her all over and let her know nothing but love. He couldn't tell if it was the desire in his belly or the heat of the campfire that was warming him all over, or maybe both, but the fire inside him was growing into a smoldering inferno once more. The feeling of Briar's paws running through his scruff, her feline claws gently parting thick fur to prick at his skin while her body pressed tight to his, it was awakening urges they had discovered together.

Artorias nuzzled the side of Briar's face in harmony with her motions, amber eyes drifting to the filets of rabbit cooking on the stones beside the campfire. "I know, I've been making sure they don't burn," he replied with a little smirk. Black ears perked on his head and his pulse quickened in his veins when his lover mentioned that she wasn't hungry for their dinner anymore. A knowing grin replaced his smirk, Artorias running his muzzle along the side of Briar's jaw, right where it connected to her neck, then up to brush the edge of her ear with his lips. "Hmm, that's a shame. It smells lovely." Of course, Briar smelled even better than the cooking meat. A roguish look crossed his face while he parted his jaws just enough to let his teeth catch the edge of her delicate ear, practically purring his words into it. "What are you hungry for then, my Briar?" His Briar. His

"Artorias" | "Corbin"