He had things planned, and before he got too excited over them. He had to run them over with Zephyra. The least he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. As he sat outside of the den he searched for her. It was getting near the end of the day, she had to come home sometime. Just in case he lifted his head in a call for her. There was no harm in spending time with each other if she didn't want to talk about the marriage ceremony. The male tried to relax his shoulders. When was also the right time to start approaching other packs. He'd rather not considering he knew it be best to keep to their own. However after the festival he had seen his aunt and god mother interact with a certain alpha. The alpha of the pack where his son was the one who helped birth him and his siblings. Starling. Ignoring those thoughts for now he rose his head and waited patiently. "Talk" "You" Think

She was never too far from him. It was hard for her to be separated from him, to keep herself away. She craved his presence, his touch, the way he made her feel. When she was alone, she felt so empty, so lifeless. She just wanted her world to be ignited in fire, to feel the electricity they created together. On this day, the queen was already following her king's scent, approaching him like a magnet, a moth drawn to a flame. By the time he called for her, she only needed to traverse a few metres before emerging from the willow trees. Her heart began to race, pounding against her chest. Something in the air told her that there was more to his call than merely wanting to spend time with her. Was there something important he wanted to discuss with her? The thought itself was somehow exhilarating.

Green-tipped tail swished as she approached him, craning her neck to nuzzle into his cheek, expecting some sort of embrace from his end. She was a needy little thing after all, and being deprived of his touch didn't help either. "I couldn't stay away," she softly confessed, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Perhaps we need more permanent sleeping arrangements?"

Of course Rivaxorus would return the embrace. Wanting to mingle their scents together as much as he could. His head craning over her shoulder as he hugged her, tensing his muscles to get her closer as much as he could before letting off of her. "I'm glad, it means I'm still catching your attention." he chuckled mildly. She made a note of their sleeping arrangements and nodded his head. "Well my lady, if you choose a den I don't mind where we sleep as long as it's together." he pressed his head into the side of her neck affectionately. He gave a breath of air before he talked again. "I wanted to talk about our marriage ceremony." Rivaxorus started as he looked at her seriously for a moment. "I don't know what sort of customs your family had, but I wanted my brother Razor to marry us. I also wanted to ask you... if you wanted to take the adravendi last name through the custom or hyphenate it." he wondered out loud for a moment. He didn't want to leave her in the dark. "The last question I have is if you wanted it a public event or just the two of us... Though of course a public event would be friends and family. Anyone you wanted to invite along with me." he smiled. "Talk" "You" Think

She pondered the thought. Should she move in with him or politely ask him to move into her den? Or just make a new den altogether? She quite liked her little nook by the upturned roots of the willow tree, protected by the draping tendrils. She had grown attached to that den, and though originally she hadn't planned to sleep there for too long, over the weeks it had grown more permanent. There was just enough room for the both of them, but what about his? She hadn't seen his, as guilty as she felt to admit it. "Would mine by suitable?" she purred, tilting her head to the side. Perhaps if the idea didn't appeal to him, he could convince her to move into his.

But that wasn't why he had called for him. With green-tipped ears perked, she attentively listened to his words. A marriage ceremony, yes, she had thought about that too. She had never attended such a celebration, nor did she know much about it. Fortunately, he gave her some insight of what he had in mind. His brother would be the one to wed them, and then she would have to take on his family name, or hyphenate it with hers. Agatsuma didn't really mean anything to her; it only brought back unwanted memories of her mother. "Zephyra Adravendi," she mused softly to herself, taking an odd liking to the name. It made her feel more like him, like she was a part of him. She met his gaze with a twinkle in her crimson eyes. "I think it should be a public event. Myriad can attend if they would like to."

As she suggested her own den. The male would quickly nod his head, better say it now before he got attached to this one. Where it had been right near his old den with his family. Perhaps it was time to let that go at least. "There'll be plenty of room there." he smiled as he pressed his nose into her cheek. Taking in her scent easily, he would want to memorize it thoroughly. So even if he lost his sight, he knew it would be her. She was special, among any others he knew that perfectly well. She would agree to it being public. "If it was alright with you, I'd like to invite my family. Like my uncle." he smiled at her. "There's a beautiful island called love island near fiori's lands. That's where I'd like to go." If she wanted to visit the place beforehand, that could also be arranged. It really truly was a place of wonder. He wagged his tail a little bit as he wanted to get closer to her. "Talk" "You" Think

Somehow, he just agreed with her, remarking there being more space in her den. She hoped he wasn't saying that just to please her, impress her. It didn't have to be her way all the time, and she didn't mind improvising to ensure they were both satisfied. At least they could find a new den if hers (now theirs) didn't work out. After all, she wasn't used to sharing her sleeping space, especially being a bit of a snorer herself.

He went on to express his interest in inviting some of his relatives outside of Myriad, including his uncle. Ah, she knew Leo. That wouldn't be a problem at all. If she had kin outside of the pack, she would have invited them too. If only. A small, inaudible sigh drifted from her lips at the thought, reminiscing memories of her mother. Perhaps one of the benefits of having a tight-knit family was knowing that they were always around, always with her. "I don't mind," she assured him, pressing into his body. "Whoever comes and wherever we go, I'm happy."

Rivaxorus looked to Zephyra. He had been quick to answer because he really didn't mind. After all, he should probably let go of what was behind him anyway. As he pushed his nose into her cheek, he pressed his forehead into her. The sensation of her touch making it all that more easy to get his heart beating fast. "Care to show me our new den?" he smirked towards her as he breathed out the words. He was also a bit nervous honestly. Sharing a den with her would be a dream come true. It meant at the end of the day, he would be seeing her no matter what. They would fall asleep in each others embrace. "I love you, Zephyra." he reassured her. Or rather just to say the words come out of his mouth. He would only speak the truth to her after all. Rivaxorus had no desire to lie to her. With her heart in his, he returned every gesture he could. Truly, he thought the gods had graced him with something great. An angel from another world, and for her to enter his own was a miracle in itself. "Talk"

Her den? He wanted to see her den? Well, if he insisted. They didn't really have anywhere else to go. "Well, you've already seen it," she admitted with a nervous chuckle, pulling away from his embrace to lead him to her den. Her green-tipped tail flicked in a beckoning gesture as she began to walk, hoping he would follow close behind. Her nook wasn't too far away, and within a few strides she rounded around the bend that brought her to the large willow tree, perhaps the largest of the entire forest. It was in the heart of the territory, standing tall against the wintery breezes. Willow tendrils kissed the soft earth. At the base of the tree, where the twisted roots rose from the soil, was her nook, now theirs to share. She carefully stepped around the den, craning her neck to look into the dark space. "It might need to be dug out a bit more. You know, to fit the both of us." She was about to add 'and a family' before she quickly clamped her mouth shut. What was she thinking? A family? Pups? How could she be thinking about such a permanent settlement? They had only just confessed their love for each other, and not long before that they had only been friends. Shared a few nights together, but hey, that didn't mean she was ready for pups. Xephyris had to be putting thoughts in her head.

As he followed her, the male would brush up to her side. Giving off a soft sigh as he did, but tried to hide it. It wasn't as if the sigh was out of discontent, the male simply had many things on his mind. Every moment had to be perfectly placed after all. As they reached it, he was honestly happy enough. As she said about the digging, it almost sounded as if she trailed off. His mismatched eyes looked at her. Of course the large male was oblivious to it - he wasn't entirely thinking of a family. After all, his and Zephyra's life had hardly even started. It was a big leap to get married anyway and he knew it was risky - for the both of them. After all, all he really cared about was making her comfortable within his power. He smiled towards her, bumping her with his hind quarters softly. "That's alright, it just means I'll have to get closer to you wouldn't it." he chuckled a little bit. If she was fond of this place, then he was fond of it as well. Anywhere in the willows made him comfortable after all. The male would push himself into the den, and start to gently craft with his paws into the dirt. To make enough room for them to fit cozy - so the two larger wolves were not cramped. "Talk"

Fortunately, he hadn't picked up the trail in her voice, the embarrassment in her features. The blush gradually faded from her cheeks, the twisted knot in her stomach receding. Maybe he had noticed, though decided to keep quiet about it. She could only hope he wouldn't pressure her about the topic when the time came. Not that she was ready; she certainly wasn't, not for a while. Though she had been forced up to grow up fast, she had still retained some of her child-like innocence and naivety.

She pushed the thoughts aside as he gently bumped her before padding ahead to make a start on the den. A small, inaudible sigh left her lips as she watched him carefully scoop dirt from the den's inside. Not long after, she too would make a start. She squeezed in through the entrance, contemplating whether or not to widen it. Hmm, perhaps not, she didn't want the rest of her pack-mates spying on their intimate evenings. Instead, she crouched beside him and began to hollow out the side of the den, green fur brushing against his.

Maybe he was lucky that this time they had the same thoughts in their mind. Now that their life had reached a still point. It was concentrating on building his relationships - she was important to him. Perhaps if he could do anything to let her know that, that was what he was trying. The silence dragged on with them, hollowing the den out with their bodies occasionally rubbing against each other. As soon as he had hollowed enough out where it would make enough room, his eyes moved over her. Rivaxorus found himself swallowing on dry tones. "Are you doing okay Zephyra?" there wasn't really anything behind the question. However silence and peace made him unsettled. Blaming his younger years for that, but he was determined to try and keep it this was for as long as he could. Protect and ensure a long future for Myriad. He hoped it would last generations from now. That they wouldn't lose it no matter what. "Talk"

She continued to hollow out the den alongside him, trying not to brush against his fur too often. The air was growing stale; she could almost taste the dirt particles on her tongue. In the tight space, she tried to take short, shallow breaths instead of awkward loud pants to fill the silence. All they needed to hear was their paws scraping against the dirt, until they could think of something better to talk about. Not the greatest way to spend her afternoon - cooped up underground - but someone had to dig out the den, and she wasn't going to let her knight in shining armour do all the work for her.

Just as she was starting to finish up her side of the den (it was all just a matter of patting it down and ensuring it was even and smooth), he asked her a harmless question. Was she okay? She almost choked on the rancid air, letting out a meek cough to disguise her surprise. He never asked her if she was okay, well, for no reason. How had it come to his mind? Was it because of their earlier silence hollowing out the den? Or perhaps before that when an unwanted thought had popped into her head? "Why wouldn't I be?" she answered in a hoarse voice, clearing her throat of the aggravating dirt particles.

Why wouldn't she be, Rivaxorus could list off a number of reasons. Well, maybe it was his own problems popping into his head. The man would search over her. He tried to think of a good answer to give her, he didn't want it to mean nothing. As he searched his head he sighed a little. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright, guess it's worries that just cling to me a bit." The male's tail flicked behind him. "I'm getting a little restless, and I don't suppose it's a good thing." he shifted a little as he looked at the den. His time with Zephyra kept his mind off things. He would step forward and press his nose into her shoulder. He was a man afraid of many things, but he promised himself he would work as hard as he could to get the things he wanted. To protect the things precious to him - and she was one of them. "I'm glad I have you, you mean the world to me." it didn't matter how little he knew of her. Rivaxorus didn't care. "Talk"

Her ebony skull tilted ever so slightly at his response, a curious glaze over her eyes. Something told her there was more to it than him wanting to know if she was alright. She was always okay, and when she wasn't, she tried to be. At least, she thought she was okay. Perhaps he was just paranoid, and as he admitted himself, a bit restless. A small sigh drifted from her lips. There wasn't much she could do about it, other than hoping it didn't get too serious. She didn't want his constant queries to bug her and throw them further apart. "Maybe you need to relax for a while," she told him, gently pushing into his form. "I could finish this den off and have it ready for later while you take a break."

Rivaxorus watched her, he was half expecting something more. She was right though, he smiled as she pressed into him. A break - he needed to clear his mind and keep calm. That was how he had survived thus far. If he let his paranoia control him, it would end badly for everyone. Not only did he have Zephyra to look after, but a pack to support and lead as well. Rivaxorus pressed into her cheek, he hummed softly. "I'll fetch us something to eat then." he told her as he made sure that his affection got across. "I'll be back soon." Rivaxorus would exit the den. Taking in a deep breath as he let it out. He would go find them something to eat - it would make his muscles feel more at ease. Besides he did his best thinking when he applied himself to something. "Talk"

It was weird - talking about stress when they were barely adults, and telling each other to take a break from reality. Like they actually had problems. Problems worth fretting over. It hadn't even fully sunken in that she was leading a pack, and that pack was her responsibility, weighing down on her shoulders. The realisation certainly made her feel odd. A notion inside told her it wasn't the everyday conversation starter, casually bringing up an abundance of paranoia. Was it healthy? It didn't feel healthy, but was it really? She didn't know.

Well, she had thought he would take a longer break, but if a hunt was what relaxed him, she wouldn't stop him from doing so. She had lost her appetite during their conversation, though she remained quiet about it and continued to smooth the earthen interior of their den as he left to hunt. She ensured the walls were even, and that the floor was relatively flat. When she was content with the den, she went out to fetch some soft willow leaves and moss for bedding. A part of her was missing him already while the other part urged him to take his time and properly refresh himself. She would just have to pass the time.