Crux was doing a pretty good job at keeping his anxiety from spilling out of him, barely. It was simmering just below the surface. So when the instant there was a sign of them being released Cryptis began to pull him away, he simply had no energy left to fight her. Not that he was inclined to anyways. Still he glanced back nervously before the two of them could be completely swallowed by the mists. First he spotted Riya, rising to her paws with a knowing and amused smirk on her face, then he tried to find Widow, Triss' mother's expression, to gauge exactly how she was reacting but he got less than a second to try and take in that image before his vision was obscured.
It was easy enough to let her drag him through the woods, already dreading trying to learn the layout in the coming days. It was going to take him forever to get anywhere... Well longer than usual.
But that thought was banished from Crux's mind when they drew to a stop and he felt his nerves start to slough off. It was effortless with Triss. She just made him feel so comfortable. He allowed himself to be "pulled" into her, gently winding a foreleg around behind her to make their embrace a mutual one. He almost wished their kiss would never end, the simple joy he felt seemed too fleeting, as if the moment they parted he'd discover it was all an illusion.
But it wasn't.
"Of course I did." Crux spoke softly, having only gotten a chance to respond now. "I love you Triss. I've wanted nothing more than to actually be with you for so long." He kissed her again, squeezing gently as if he could make them any closer simply by holding on tighter, even as he made sure to give her ample room to breath.
His life had taken a sharp turn, and Crux wouldn't pretend it wasn't bittersweet... He'd left his family after all. Not the way Dread had, but left them all the same. And he had no doubt the adjustment period would be a struggle, but he knew he wasn't alone and being here, holding her, knowing he could see her whenever he wanted? New thoughts, new plans were starting to manifest in Crux's mind that he'd never even dreamed of before. His future wasn't just his anymore, it was theres..
"Triss" & "Crux"
Updated 04/30/23: Still on indefinite scarcity, please do not remind me of threads I am behind on right now.
Crux has a 6 inch long burn scar on his throat, most of his art does not reflect this.
