Time Marches On

Time passed since she had suffered abuse at the paws of her mate. The time had been passed by slowly learning one another and becoming accustomed to each other as well. The incident had made them take a step backwards in their relationship, only Ikigai's forgiving nature allowing them to move forward once more. And move forward they did. The pallid fae worked to heal the man that had damaged her in a drunken rage and he had seen the error of his ways and had worked to rectify the problem. In time, they had begun to appreciate one another on a physical level once more.

Perhaps the time apart had built up within the purple brute or perhaps Ikigai's body was just that receptive, but she began to suspect that the next part of her agreement was coming to fruition within her. The slender fae had begun to feel rather nauseous in the mornings, her appetite coming and going. Along with that was a strange sort of natural intuition. Other various changed in her body indicated the same, and after a time, she could ignore the signs no longer. When she was sure, Ikigai sought out her mate to inform him of the news.

Today was Deimos' day for a long patrol, so Ikigai had time to prepare a nice meal for the man. She selected a tender chunk of bison and seasoned it well before coating it in honey and searing it over high heat. The chunks would be caramelized on the outside, but juicy and rare on the inside. She also prepared a few choice pieces of fruit which she sliced and set aside. Lastly, Ikigai brewed a robust tea that she sweetened with berries and left cooling in a nearby mountain stream. All she had to do now was wait for her mate to arrive.

"Iki"