Truly, madly, deeply

Listening to Venom speak of the volcanic eruption that had claimed her family's ancestral home was a sobering experience, especially as the two wolves wandered their way through the old ruins of what had once been the fledgling Ashen Empire. Coated in ancient ash and soot, the world was almost shockingly peaceful. Like how he imagined the world might be after a calamity that exterminated all life and nature was given free rein to reclaim the planet. It wasn't far from the truth of what had happened here. Though the eruption of the volcano hadn't been a major extinction event, it had clearly been powerful enough to shift the course of the world and countless lives permanently. The way Venom described her life before the eruption, Maverick assumed she must have been very young at the time of the tragedy. "I have a hard time ever imagining you as a tiny puppy," he remarked with a touch of his roguish humor, shooting her a half smile. "Though I bet you could probably say the same for me."

Large mismatched paws followed his white-gloved lover into what he assumed was the main chamber that acted as the master suite for the palace. It wasn't as grandiose or vast as the palace they resided in now on the archipelago, but it mattered little to him. If anything, it was a stark reminder of just how much the Abraxas family had grown in terms of power and influence. From humble beginnings to legendary renown. And yet he still felt like such a small drop in such a large bucket when he considered what he had gotten himself involved in. A real rags to riches story, Maverick's life was shaping up to be. Their steps left paw prints in the thin layer of igneous ash as they walked. Mav immediately took note of the lack of furnishings. No furs, no bedding, no furniture. Had they all been destroyed in the eruption, or pilfered by scavengers in the aftermath? Had the pack that occupied these lands used this palace for their own purposes, or had they left it undisturbed?

Maverick listened intently while Venom informed him of her parents' conditions. Her mother lived, though in a different pack. Her father, however, had perished in the calamity. In an instant, the dire wolf's heart plummeted in his chest. Yeah, this was exactly what he had hoped to not bring up—though he supposed the topic would have been avoidable at some point. "I'm sorry, Ven." Dammit, had he ruined the moment? Surprisingly, he found Venom leaning gently into his side while she touched one of the stone archways that made up the door frames, idly watching her survey her childhood home, lost in nostalgia and wistfulness. Mav lifted a paw to rest on her back, stroking gently between her shoulder blades; a silent gesture to show he was there for her.

"Well, I guess that means I don't need to go looking around to ask for a blessing to do this..." he remarked, slightly cryptically, with a hint of a chuckle in his voice. Maverick slowly extricated himself from Venom's side—though he was loathe to do so—and moved to sit directly in front of her. His navy paw lifted to take one of the Empress' alabaster ones in his grasp, holding sunset eyes with his own aqua gaze. "I did have an ulterior motive for bringing you here, Ven," he began, all traces of joking and humor gone from his visage. "I wanted to know more about where you came from and see your past, but I also wanted to be here when I asked you for the rest of your future too." Mav let loose a whistle, and in a flutter of wings, his sparrowhawk came to land at his side. With deft paws, the prince consort untied the ribbon from his companion's neck, concealing it from Venom's view for the time being. "I love you, Venom. More and more every day, and I don't ever want to stop loving you. You took a chance on a scruffy, wild rebel with no regard for your borders or rules and you gave me a new lease on life. You took me into your home, your family, and you never showed any regret for betting on me. I don't think you'll ever really know just how much you've done for me or what you mean to me."

Meeting Venom's iridescent purple eyes with an affectionate smile, he once more took her paw in his—only this time, he placed the ribbon in her hold and turned her paw over so she could see it. It was a thin strip of velvety black ribbon, luxurious and high quality in its ow right, but the piece de resistance were the three stud earrings pinned to it. Made of lustrous gold, each one featured a different gemstone. A purple-hued ruby that was a near perfect match to Venom's eyes, a pale Montana sapphire that was reminiscent of the teal of Maverick's irises, and a brilliant red ruby, a traditional representation of passion and love. "Where I come from, it's tradition for a brute to present the fae he wishes to take to mate with a gift that represents themselves. A stone for you, a stone for me, and a stone for the strength of our love," he explained, still holding her paw delicately in his, his gaze never leaving hers while he took in her reactions. Mav's heart was racing as he bore forth his love and his intentions, watching to find the moment Venom realized what they were doing here. "I can't show you my past the way I can see yours... but I can promise you all of my future together. Venom Klein Abraxas, will you marry me?"

"Maverick & Venom"