Become The Same

Arcturus watched Vanille while she kept her gaze hidden from him, looking down at their paws where he held hers. Eventually though she slipped her paws from his and instead shifted forward to slip her forelegs around his chest, hugging herself to him and making his eyes widen with surprise for a moment. Having her suddenly hugged so tightly to him, her head resting on his chest in the thick fur of his mane, it caught him off guard and made his heart flutter in his chest which he desperately hoped she didn't hear or catch onto. It only took him a beat to get his bearings though and his expression softened as he slipped his forelegs around her as well, returning her hug and gently rubbing her upper back to comfort her. As he kept his head tipped down and his sapphire gaze lingering on the top of her head he had to fight against this pull to hold her closer or nuzzle her cheek or some other kind of affection—and just as the thought crossed his mind she lifted her head from his chest to look up at him.

His breath caught as her muzzle lifted, so very close to his and making his heart skip and stutter in his chest again. His gaze flicked across her features as well, his ears folding back at the darkened fur where her tears had run down her cheeks. That tug and pull to her was even more difficult to ignore and after a few moments he didn't want to ignore it any more. His stomach fluttered with nervous butterflies with the fear that he might mess something up or misinterpret all of the signals she was giving him, but in the end he decided to just go for it and hope for the best. He tipped his muzzle forward, crossing the slight bit of space that still separated them, and gently pressed his lips to hers.

It was soft and uncertain at first, feeling that first press of her lips against his and his first ever kiss in general, but he quickly settled into the feeling that rushed through him in a way he couldn't really describe. He lingered there for a few moments, giving her a few gentle kisses before his lips slipped away from hers to move over to her cheeks. He kissed away the remnants of her tears, moving from one cheek to the other before finding his way back to her lips for one more kiss. He pulled back just enough for his gaze to find hers again, a little grin tugging at his lips. "Let me walk back with you?" he asked softly. "I don't want to keep you from your den if you really want to go back... but I can stay there with you tonight."

"Arcturus Indarra"