A rolling laugh would bellow from his chest as she chastised him playfully telling him to shut up. A younger, less mature Maverick might have thought she was being serious, but this Maverick was sure she was not. His certainty was reinforced by her gentle nuzzle on his cheek. Curiosity painted his features, currently at war with seduction as he attempted to seem as innocent as possible - though his comment did not make that a simple task. Maverick was curious - as any boy, or any wolf would be - about the ways of love. One could say that he was naive to such knowledge, but was not unwilling to learn - particularly with the breathtaking beauty above him. As her teeth collided with his ear, he could not hold back a shiver as it overtook his frame. His heart beat wildly within his chest, threatening to erupt from the cavern in a frenzy of passion as she whispered, sweet and low. Lucky is my middle name, he huffed back, taking time to allow his hot breath to flow past her ear. Unfortunately, good things could not last forever, and the damsel shifted from above him to a resting place beside him. The warmth of the sun returned to his frame as he rolled from his back to his side, facing her and allowing his head to rest sideways on the earth. Her voice would fill the air again and his ears pricked toward the sound, wishing it would never ever stop. And are you planning on seeing me more? The question was mostly innocent, but his eyes were contemplative and serious. He certainly intended on seeing her, but would never be sure if she was planning the same. Mav speaks, pip speaks,

A sigh escaped the girl's lips. Surely such contentment could not last forever, could it? If it was possible to be so happy, so blissfully ecstatic all the time, Epiphron was honestly not sure if she could handle it. If she was able to spend forever with Maverick, would they ever grow tired of one another, or would she find herself forever enraptured by his russet fur and his emerald green eyes? Would he keep her constantly on edge; how long would the excitement last? She found it impossible to imagine it ever fading -- from here, she would only grow more fond of him, she would only want him more than she already did. Epiphron was sure of it.

She relaxed on her side, head falling to rest on the warm earth. One paw moved to push some grass aside that had sprung up between them. She knew from a distance they were all but totally obscured, unable to be seen by others. The thought made her smile widen slightly, realizing they had more privacy than usual here. The girl slid closer to press her nose into his neck, desperate for as much contact, knowing they would have to say goodbye before long.

"Of course I'm planning on seeing you more," she said with all the seriousness in the world, eyes locked on his own. "I..." She what? Loved him? No, those words weren't to be used lightly, as much as she wanted Maverick to know how much she cared for him. "I really, really like you, Maverick. I can't imagine not seeing you again." Her eyes sparkled with seriousness -- no longer filled with tears, but emotion of another sort. Now that she'd met him, she couldn't imagine being without him.

Lying here on his side with her next to him, he was sure that this was as close to paradise as he could ever get. Oh sure, he daydreamed of being married, having pups, things of that nature. But he wasn't sure any of that could be much better than this moment. He liked to dream about what all that would be like with her. Getting married, one day having children, rising to King with her as his Queen. Oh she would be a magnificent Queen, simply sublime. He could see her leading Seracia alongside him, heck, she could do it all on her own. She was the type of girl who didn't need a man, but who enjoyed the company of one. He was just happy - for the time being - that he was that man. He only wondered if things would stay that way forever. What would happen if she got her way, if she rose in ranks and eventually found herself satisfied with Valhalla? Would some part of her always long for him, or would it be filled with power and prestige and Adravendi pride? All fears were squelched for the time being, however, when she responded with such certainty. So, he had not been fooling himself by believing she cared about him, by trusting that she felt the same way he did. Cerulean and lime gazes met, synchronizing perfectly with one another. His heart began to beat feverishly, and he wondered if he would always feel this way when their eyes met. I really like you too, Epiphron. I.. I don't want to think about the future without you in it. He didn't tell her that he couldn't imagine her as anything but a part of his life. He didn't tell her that his future would be nothing without her. All the crowns in the world were not worth losing her, and not one of them could ever take her place, not in his mind. Seracia.. we've got some stuff coming up in the next week or two.. what if we met again in two weeks? Where would you like to meet? He didn't care much where she picked, so long as he would find her there in two weeks. You can bring Erani if you think it's a good idea. He wasn't certain about meeting Erani for the first time, but he would do anything for Epiphron, especially if she thought that it was a good idea. Tail tapped the earth gently as his eyes continued to focus upon her own. He was unable to break the stare they had going, but would do so reluctantly if she chose to part it herself. Mav speaks, pip speaks,

Surely they would find a way to make it through this. Epiphron prayed silently that Erani would like Maverick, though she had little doubt that she wouldn't. And then what? She'd have to eventually speak to her father, or Collision -- while she'd never heard of being married outside of the pack, she wasn't sure whether she ever HAD to be married. Could she simply get permission to visit him? Would he ever be welcomed into the lands of Valhalla as a visitor? Even if not, she could work with that.. and if she was expected to marry within the pack, then what? Polygamy didn't settle well in the young girl's brain, but she pushed the thoughts from her mind for now. Everything would work out. It simply had to.

Her sapphire gaze burned with adoration as she observed him, watching emotion visibly wash over his face. It was incredibly exciting to watch how intensely her words could affect him, could bring about emotion in the very core of his being. This kind of power was more thrilling than anything she'd ever experienced -- and she knew very well that the boy laying next to her had the same kind of power over her. No wonder Syrinx had questioned her feelings for him; the strength of the affection she felt for him was overwhelming, but they had only met a handful of times now. But damn what he thought. She was the one doing the feeling, nobody else. Her tail wagged happily behind her, batting at strands of grass that grew tall all around them. No response was needed to his confession, only another simple kiss, placed delicately on his lips.

"Can we meet at the ravine, and take things from there?" She questioned gently, unwilling to let herself feel panicked again, worried that he wouldn't show. They could easily find somewhere to wander, together. "Two weeks is fine. It'll go by fast enough, anyway..." The girl tried to maintain a facade of sureness, unwilling to let her smile fade completely. But around Maverick she couldn't... no, didn't want to hide any of it. Two weeks would go back quickly, she knew, but still it seemed like a lifetime. But she would persevere; she had to. Though he composure still wavered as she realized she really ought to be going. Every second she spent here gave her brother more opportunity to notice her disappearance, and she really was not quite ready to deal with that argument yet.

He felt very much like a puppet on strings. She of course was in control of those strings, leaving him without any semblance of control over his emotions or actions. He wondered briefly what it would be like if he hadn't met her. Would he have fallen for someone else? Was this a normal thing, or was she just something special? He would choose to believe the latter. She was special and he knew it, he didn't need convincing. He only wondered how much stronger his feelings could possibly become - or if they might cap off at some point and stay there for all of eternity. It was likely that they would, but some part of him felt like he could continue falling for her head over heels each and every moment of each and every day. She kissed his lips gently and he knew everything he'd been thinking was true - and then some. He would return her gesture with a caress of his own, drawing his tongue slowly across her cheek, as if pulling it away would be torture. Indeed it was, as the salmon being finally slithered back between unhinged jaws. The ravine. He liked the idea, but it was risky. Her brother - if he noticed her gone - would surely go there first. The ravine is fine, but I don't want to linger there long.. He tried to play it off as innocently as he could, but she would probably pick up on his uncertainty. She knew him well enough to read that plainly on his face. It would certainly be easier to locate her there, as opposed to the tall grasses that surrounded them here. For a moment he drew his eyes away, surprised at how little attention he had paid to the fact that they were nearly invisible to anyone who might be looking for them. Wow, he breathed, almost in a whisper. Attention would turn back to the girl. Not fast enough, he huffed with a sigh. He'd barely lasted a single week without seeing her, much less two. But he knew he'd be busy in those two weeks, and most likely his mind would be occupied. Not that that would ever fully keep her out of his mind. He leaned into her slightly, attempting a kiss at her cheek once more. I hate to do this, but we'd better start thinking about heading home.. they'll be looking for you. He was less concerned about himself, though the odds that his own family had noted his absence as well were high. Still, he mostly just wanted to be sure he didn't have another run-in with her brother. Mav speaks, pip speaks,

A gentle, blissful sigh left the girl's lips. In some ways, it was probably good that they both agreed they ought to be saying goodbye soon. Every moment she spent in Maverick's presence made her desire him even more, made the girl feel much less in control of her thoughts and actions that she was used to. She would certainly embrace the helplessness if it meant more time with Maverick, but her judgement told her that their time together was quickly becoming over. Epiphron still had some semblance of self-control, and she was determined to keep it that way... for as long as she could stand it.

Those sapphire blue eyes of hers would scan his face, taking in every detail, lingering on each one of his features. It would be two weeks until they met again, and that was two weeks too long for her -- but she would grin and bear it, as she always had. Perhaps the time spent apart would make their reunion that much more exhilarating. She was certain that it would, but she was worried about the time between then and now, when the Seracian prince would refuse to leave her mind, possibly even finding his way into her dreams. Even though he was far away, he had certainly become part of her everyday life, thoughts of him impinging her mind far too frequently.

"We won't stay there long," she assured him gently, her nose pressing into his own. Their locked gaze seemed unbreakable, and she was hesitant to look away, as though doing so would make their slowly approaching departure a painful reality. "I just want to make sure we find each other." Didn't want to waste precious time she could be spending with him, that was.

"You're right," she mumbled half-heartedly, squirming on the ground to shift closer to him. The girl would press her body into his on, the positioning awkward but comfortable; she pulled her legs into her chest, burying her muzzle into the thick fur of his chest. She would've preferred for Maverick to be the one breaking the embrace, but despite the fact that she found him irresistible, she found the strength to retract from him and slowly lift herself onto all four paws. She had to leave, but every muscle in her body was tense, wanting so badly to resist the inevitable.

table change ftw!

Her warmth beside him was almost as euphoric as any sensation he'd ever felt in his entire life. He was sure that if he were to lay beside her until the end of time he would be happy while doing so. Ecstatic, even. The Prince was pleased to be in her company, even if it couldn't last forever - and indeed it couldn't. Already he could feel the pestering guilt of leaving Seracia for so long. It festered in his chest, and called to him deep within his gut. He needed to be getting back, and he knew she needed to be as well. It would do them no good to lose their ranks and respect of their families by staying away too long. As much as he loved her - and indeed he believed this was love - he knew that they could not linger much longer. She would assure him that they wouldn't stay at the ravine for long, making him feel as though she had read his very mind. Was she too worried about running into her brother again? She just wanted to be sure they found each other, and he couldn't help but agree. He hadn't liked it, arriving here and not knowing if she would show because he couldn't see her standing in front of him. She shifted toward him and he let out a very audible sigh, clearly content to lie here for the rest of his life. But he could not. "I usually am." He smirked in good humor as their bodices pressed together. She retreated all too soon and he found cool air replacing where she had left him warm and comforted. With another sigh and a forlorn groan, the Prince lifted himself onto all fours and rushed to her side to place a kiss upon her lips. Before he could change his mind, the year-and-a-halfling pivoted and left her side, muttering a soft and devastated "goodbye." Exit Maverick. "speeeeech"