Esarosa didn't want to spend too much time at the mines, and she had already decided that she definitely wasn't going to make a den there. Perhaps the mine had stabilized over time, but her near-death experience inside would not be so easily erased. So instead she opted to explore the Sparse Pines in search of a suitable resting place, and she had asked Steel to come with her. She was glad he'd agreed to join her, even if he didn't seem too thrilled about being here. In general, the North wasn't exactly her favourite place, but she'd rather be with a strong group of wolves for the winter than to spend it wandering the lands as a loner. She just hoped her friends would all make the most of their time here. Bounding ahead of Steel, she scoped out the terrain, delighted to see that even in the frigid north, there was greenery to be found. There were shrubs speckled across the landscape, dead grasses wilted in the cold, and clusters of small pines. One of those clusters had to be good for a resting place. She turned away from her explorations to face her companion, waving her tail as she smiled at him - she wondered, of course, if he saw anything he liked. "Steel, what do you think of this area?" she questioned as she pranced back to him to walk at his side, "Do you see anything that might make a good shelter?" She had been hoping to find a good place to make a comfortable den, something that would be big enough for both of them. Although, she still hadn't actually asked him what he wanted to do... for all she knew, he wanted his own space. But she hoped that wasn't the case - their time spent together in the willows had never left her mind, and if she could spend every night beside him like that... her cheeks warmed at the thought and a silly smile etched its way across her already happy expression as she waited to hear if he had any opinions on what might make an ideal shelter or den area. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Ivalice seemed.. okay. Better than the pack he'd been in before, that much was certain. At least here he didn't have to deal with Mithras's irritatingly charming presence, and he didn't have to face the children that Faria had created with him. Surely he'd have to eventually try to contribute, for Esarosa's sake if nothing else, but for now he was able to keep to himself, which pleased him. In all honesty, if she was happy, he was happy too. Feeling truly happy was something that he often felt was beyond him. It was no secret that Steel was a somber man, though these days he found himself smiling more often than usual. A slight one even tugged at his lips now, as he walked at Esarosa's side, as they weaved in and out of the tall pine trees. These lands were far more desolate than the ones he was used to, back in Auster, but he tried not to complain. He supposed the season could be much harsher, though it could be more pleasant also, by a long shot. Esarosa didn't seem to mind, though, and she loped forward somewhat playfully as they explored. He hadn't expected to be asked what he thought of the place. "It's.. fine," he started with a slightly noncommittal shrug. It seemed a reasonable enough place to live. She was looking for somewhere for them to sleep. More permanently? It'd been a long time since he'd had a real den, one he slept in for weeks at a time, and the thought was odd to him, though not in a bad way. It didn't cross his mind that they might not share a den - or, that sleeping apart might be a option. "Let's keep looking," he offered lightly, far from a demand, but more of a tentative suggestion. His paws carried him aimlessly across the snow-covered terrain, occasionally letting himself stride closer to her. A light bump of his shoulder against her own kept in grounded, and kept a faint grin from disappearing from his lips. It didn't take long for him to find a slight incline in the terrain, and he headed toward the rocky area with curiosity. The forest was still thick here, though some of the trees had fallen - perhaps from a nasty winter, long ago - and the combination of gnarled trees and rocks made the perfect entrance for a den nestled in the small high. His smile widened as he glanced at her, as though searching for a reaction. It was small, but surely they could dig some of it out and make it a suitable area to sleep each night.

"It's.. fine." His words made her smirk as he gave a short answer, followed by a rather noncommittal shrug. That was so like him. "You're always shrugging," she commented lightly with a small giggle, tapping him with her tail. As she walked beside him, she nuzzled the side of his cheek. She perked as he suggested they keep looking, she nodded in agreement. Did this mean they really were looking together? "Yea, there's gotta be something better around here," she murmured. She smiled to herself as they padded along side-by-side, taking their time, bumping into each other now and then. She followed him as he started to take the lead up an incline. Perhaps he had an idea about where to start looking. As they came to a rocky area with fallen trees, she watched Steel go ahead just a bit, and then turned to her with a smile. She pranced to catch up with him, trying to get a good look at what he had discovered. Her emerald eyes peered over the perfectly assorted rocks and fallen trees that made a clear entrance into a small den. She glanced back at him, ebony tail waving. "This looks promising," she said with a grin. She turned back to the opening in the rocks and started to creep inside. It was cozy, although it would definitely need to be dug out for them to both fit comfortably. Coming to stand at the den's entrance, she tried to meet Steel's gaze. "There's only enough room for one right now, but if we work at it, we can dig out enough space for both of us," after she said it, she blushed slightly, shuffling her paws on the rock she stood on, "That is, if you want to share. I know you like to be alone sometimes, but it'd be great to share a den each night... that way we'll never be too cold, or lonely." She hoped he wouldn't be reluctant, but then when had he ever been reluctant to spend time with her? He was always there for her, he'd been such a great friend and more. And more was what she wanted to talk to him about. Eventually. Although it was still cold now, the season would be turning eventually, and she knew that the springtime would put her in a very different mindset. How would he deal with her then? "Speak" "Listen" Think

For her, he would do anything - hell, he was pretty sure he'd follow her to the ends of the earth, if not only because he had nowhere else to go, but also because he truly wanted to. Thinking about where they might end up tomorrow, or even a week from now, was difficult to envision for him.. but he was happy with how things were going, now. Her comment about him always shrugging made him shrug his wide shoulders again, though more dramatically this time, obviously poking fun at her. "I can't help it. That's the only way they move," he insisted lightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Steel was hopeful that she'd be impressed by his find, and he watched her expectantly as she examined it. It might stay small for awhile - he wouldn't complain about their close proximity - but once the worst of the winter cold faded, hopefully they could work at the soil and dig out some more space for them. They still had to dig out some before it would be suitable to sleep in. His smile widened at her words. "Of course I want to share," he offered, his words genuine, albeit slightly hesitant at the same time. It would've been easiest to simply say sure, rather than really tell her what he was thinking. Hopefully she appreciated his effort, if she noted it. "I have no desire to sleep alone again."  Steel had spent more than enough time alone - he didn't feel like going back to how things had once been. "As long as you want to share with me," he offered in slight jest, his small grin widening as he leaned to nudge her with his nose as they stood at the den's entrance. "And promise you won't get sick of me."

The ebony-coated woman couldn't help but laugh as Steel shrugged yet again, but more exaggerated as though to poke fun at her comment. She shook her head, an obvious glimmer of amusement in her emerald eyes. She hadn't known this cheeky side of him before, but she found it rather amusing. She couldn't help but to giggle. After she had examined the den and come back out, her ears tilted toward the red-eyed brute as she waited eagerly to hear his response. And his words were instantly reassuring to her, and she let out a slight breath she hadn't realized she was holding, while her tail swished back and forth in relief. He wanted to share after all! The doubts in her mind had been unnecessary, she should have known. But their relationship was still somewhat new to her, she hadn't shared such closeness and emotional intimacy with anyone before. So, although she was an optimistic being, she couldn't help but to fear that he might not feel as strongly as she did. Yet, the more time they spent together, the more she realized that he cared about her, perhaps as much as she cared about him. Maybe more? That much was still very unknown to her, but she was okay with that; time would tell, as it always had. She would be further reassure by his words, and surprised that he had chosen to express as much. Normally he was lacking in words, although she knew by now not to take this as disinterest on his part; it was just how he was. But in this moment, he expressed himself thoroughly in a way that left no doubts in her mind. As he nudged her with his nose, she pressed into him, nuzzling into the side of his neck where she felt most comfortable. "Oh I definitely want to share," she assured him, murmuring into the thick fur of his neck, "Now that I've slept beside you, I wouldn't have it any other way." "And promise you won't get sick of me." How could she ever get sick of him? Well, she wouldn't promise it directly to him. She knew he didn't take promises very well. He had to be shown, it had to be proven to him, and she knew the value in that as well. Now, it wasn't that she couldn't promise this to him - of course, she couldn't dream of ever getting sick of him. Somehow, she had broken through his tough and cold exterior, and she had gained his affections. That wasn't something she could just throw away, it meant so much to her. So, although a verbal promise was not in the making, there was something else she wanted to say, to ask him. "Steel... I want to be with you for a long, long time..." she began quietly, nervously, but she knew she had to say it now, otherwise she might think it over too much, and never mention it again, "Have you ever thought about starting a family?" She had pulled her face away from his scruff now, trying to meet his eyes, but she couldn't help but to look down a little, nervous but eager to hear his reply as well. Please don't get freaked out, please don't run away, she pleaded desperately in her mind. Oh dear, had she gone and asked a little too much? Was she trying to move things too quickly? "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel couldn't help but feel.. lacking. How had someone as beautiful, as kind, and as adventurous as Esarosa decided to be with him, of all wolves? Though he knew better than to admit it to her, for he was certain she might scold him for it, he felt like he had little to offer her. His companionship, and his devotion, but what was that worth, really? These thoughts were present, but not overwhelming - he never felt totally at ease, so feeling a bit of doubt was not unfamiliar to him. Her touch sent a brief jolt of electricity through him. It wasn't unexpected, but the pressure - coupled with her words of agreement - sent a rush of warmth through his very core. His smile softened, adoration shining in his eyes as he gazed at her, though not before leaning back into her touch lightly. "I'm glad," was all he could find to say, but it seemed appropriate for the moment.  Briefly he let his eyes flutter shut, happy to be here in the moment with her, even though their new discovery meant they had quite a bit of work to do in the near future. Her attention seemed to shift slightly, and he eyed her inquisitively. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised.. she had never been that predictable, not to him at least, but he didn't expect what she had to say. First, she reiterated that she wanted to be with him for a long time. He'd somewhat agreed with her, though had avoided any real talk about the future. Until now, at seemed. She mentioned.. a family? His chest constricted at the thought. His smile drifted, though did not turn upside down entirely; the warmth that had once filled him seemed to fade, giving way to a colder feeling that shook him quietly to the core. "I.. no, not really," Steel admitted, carefully, cautiously. He, too, didn't want to upset her - or frighten her with his answer. "I'm not sure I can imagine myself being a father." He'd been abandoned, too much, to imagine another being depending on him - and he wondered if he could even provide something like that for another when he doubted himself even being enough for Esarosa, as a mate. Being a father was something else entirely. What if he failed them? Could he bring himself to such an obligation, knowing the sort of fate that his children could succumb to? He shuddered involuntarily, his gaze lifting to meet hers. "Why? I mean.." he shuffled his front paws, a bit uncomfortably, though didn't move away from her. "What about you?"

Esarosa was happy to just stand there with him, enjoying his embrace even though they had work to get done - it could wait. She could stand here all day with him. But then, of course, she had wanted answers to her question, so now she moved from his embrace so that she could face him and talk properly. The warmth she'd felt just moments ago seemed to melt away as she watched his face change, which in turn caused the slightest frown to tug at the edges of her lips. Oh no, I should have just kept my mouth shut, the thoughts raced through her mind, almost causing her to miss his response, He's going to think it's too serious now... he doesn't want to commit that much. He'll just leave now, won't he? When his voice reached her ears, her thoughts stopped whirling, and she focused for a moment. He hadn't thought about it before... she tried to breathe calmly. She supposed she hadn't thought of it much before, either, but the desire in her was growing out of seemingly nowhere. Well, not out of nowhere. She knew it was because of how she felt about him. It just felt natural for her - she wanted him to be her mate, and she wanted that to blossom further. Her hormones tugged at her, begged her to take the next step, especially with spring just around the corner. Her ears folded back at the thought that maybe he hadn't reached that point yet - would he, or was it just wishful thinking? "I'm not sure I can imagine myself being a father." Was that all it was? Was it that he doubted himself, or was it that such a thing had never occurred to him? Perhaps he just wasn't interested in being a family-figure at all. Doubt and worry flooded her mind. When he finally asked her why, looking very uncomfortable, she met his ruby red gaze for a moment, trying to muster up a smile. But she couldn't, so instead she just looked to the entrance of the cave he'd found. She wanted to just brush it off and act like she'd never said anything, but if she did that, she was sure they'd never talk about it again. "I guess I've thought about it a little," she murmured, tail swishing by her hocks as she forced herself to look up at him again, "I think I want to start a family... with you, Steel. I guess I hoped that you'd want to, too..." The last bit of her sentence came quietly, ending in just barely a whisper - but the peaceful silence surrounding them would allow him to hear her. She had never wanted to freak him out, but now that she had started the subject, she needed to let him know what was on her mind. She couldn't hide it, and she just had to know if he could handle it. Would the pressure be too much? Was she just moving too fast? She didn't want to believe that it was too fast... she just wanted to be happy with him, and for him to want it, too. "Speak" "Listen" Think

God was he bad at talking about these sorts of things. Things often came easily with Esarosa, and when they didn't - he froze up. How did they even get to talking about having kids, anyway? It wasn't like the thought had never crossed his mind at all. It had, but not to the extent she was talking about. He'd never really considered it. Steel tried to keep his expression neutral, not wanting Esarosa to freak out at his own slightly confused expression. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset her. She admitted she had thought about it. Huh. He wouldn't deny he'd thought about the act that came before starting a family.. he was quite attracted to her, but he'd never been the best at expression himself, certainly not when it came to being physically affectionate. His face felt suddenly warm as his mind reeled back to the topic at hand. "I..." part of him wanted to say that he wasn't ready for it, but was he ever ready for anything? Steel felt suddenly quite pathetic. What kind of man was he, letting her take the initiative all the time? He knew he didn't make things easy on her, but somehow, she didn't seem to mind. His brows pulled together as he leaned closer to her, not wanting her to feel as though he might be pushed away by the topic of discussion. He knew if she let it go, it would be difficult to bring up again. For him, at least. "I don't know if I'd be a good father," he started, his words careful and earnest as he eyed her, attempting to catch her gaze. "I'm actually scared of being an awful one. But I'll try," he offered, tentatively, though his voice was steady. "If that's what you want to do, we can try." Steel hoped that was good enough for her. Breathing softly - feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and hopefully hers now too - he leaned forward to press his nose to her neck, inhaling her scent greedily as though he might die without her next to him.

Her nerves were wracked with anxiety as finished speaking and waited for Steel to say something, if he had anything to say. She could almost feel her muscles quivering, and her stomach doing flips. Why was this so hard to talk about? Why was it so terrifying? As her emerald orbs washed over his face, she noticed that although his expression remained neutral, something about him seemed a little flustered as he quietly struggled for words. She knew she must have caught him off-guard - in fact, she'd even caught herself off-guard a little. Still, she couldn't help but to worry, as even though she'd mentioned it on a whim, it was still very important to her. But as he leaned in a little, she felt a glimmer of hope - maybe she hadn't freaked him out. Well, not enough to send him running. Then he spoke again, and her ears perked toward him, listening eagerly. His concerns were legitimate, and if she really thought about it, she had no idea what kind of parent she'd make, either. After all, she was a wanderer, whimsical and spontaneous. But if she was with him, it couldn't go wrong... right? Although he didn't seem to mind traveling with her, she was sure that he would help ground her, to keep her in one place long enough to do things properly. As he said he'd try, her heart jumped. "If that's what you want to do, we can try." Did he really say it? An excited giggle escaped her. "I think you'd be a good father," she murmured to him in a light-hearted tone, "You're tough on the outside, but really you're just so sweet and selfless." He seemed willing to try anything for her, regardless of his doubts, so she couldn't imagine how far he'd go for his own flesh and blood. As he pressed his nose into her neck, inhaling deeply, she took in a sharp breath of her own, surprised by the intensity of the sudden gesture. She craned her neck slightly, feelings ripples of warmth move through her skin at his touch, her cheeks burning. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she smiled warmly, her eyelids fluttering almost shut as her heart thudded in her chest. He always made her feel that way when they were close - at first, it had made her anxious, but now she craved the sensation more and more. In this moment, she wanted to be closer as she got a little light-headed. "I don't want to move from you," she murmured, pressing into him, "But we should really get this den finished. You know, if we ever want to be... alone together." She pulled her head away from him just far enough to look at the handsome male beside her, a warm glow in her emerald eyes. She'd love to be alone with him. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel was never overly enthusiastic, or overly certain, about anything. Indecision ought to be his middle name, really. Hopefully Esarosa knew that, and understood why he wasn't more expression at their talk, though the smile that grew on his solemn face was steady and true. Esarosa seemed thrilled at his response, and his own expression brightened at her reaction. She wasn't disappointed that he didn't seem more eager, but truly pleased at his response. He felt his tail swaying gently behind his frame, ears twitching in pleasure. He was terrified that he'd be a good father - but if she thought he'd be a good one, he could somehow find the courage to try. He let out a gentle, slightly nervous chuckle at her assurance. "If you insist," he replied easily, his grin widening as she leaned slightly into his touch. Of course, they'd have to.. actually make this happen. He remembered when her season was; her scent had been alarmingly attractive to him then, and that was before they were officially a thing. He wondered how he might feel now when spring came. The very thought made his face feel warm, and his mind grow hazy. Steel didn't want to move away from her either.. but she was right. Spring would be here soon, and the den he'd found was rather small. Much of the digging would need to be done when the ground thawed, but they could start some of it. "Good point," he agreed with another chuckle, watching her as she moved away and taking the first few steps toward the den to better investigate it.

Esa knew that Steel was a stoic man, and expressed himself with as few words as possible or necessary. The fact that he had opened up to her at all showed her that he cared, and that he didn't want to miss this chance to talk about things. It was a sticky subject, one that would have been difficult to bring up at another time if today hadn't gone well. But she was just so pleased that he had told her his fears, but for her, he had agreed to try. This was going to be a whole new experience. She couldn't wait to get started. It seemed that he would agree, as they stayed close to one another for several more moments. "Oh, I do insist," she murmured in response to him, finally prying herself away from him. Her tail flicked him under the chin as she made her way to the den. She slipped into the darkness again, the light from outside just enough to let her see the edges of the den. She didn't want to move anything that might be holding the structure together, although it looked quite sturdy. As she tried to dig her claws into one edge of the den, the dirt felt hard as rock - alarmed, she dug a little harder, but she felt one of her nails splinter against the frozen ground. She withdrew her paw quickly, licking at the cracked nail for a moment. Well, this certainly wasn't going to work. Disappointed, she came back out, looking at Steel. "It's too frozen," she muttered, sounding somewhat defeated. She had really hoped to get some work done on the den right now. Where were they going to sleep now? Maybe Steel would know what to do, perhaps he was strong enough to dig into the tough, icy ground. What if they didn't get to spend time alone? No, that couldn't happen! She just wanted to be with him, to spend all of her time with him. And she wanted to explore and do things with him that she'd never done before. Maybe they would have to go on a trip together, to somewhere warmer, just for a chance to be alone. Although disappointed about the den right now, she couldn't help but grin dreamily as she thought about being alone with him, her head spinning a little as though intoxicated - well, they were alone right now, weren't they? "Speak" "Listen" Think

Honestly - what had he done to earn any of this? Steel had never imagined, not in a million years, that someone as lovely and caring as Esarosa might have feelings for him. Might want to spend time with him like she did.. even start a family. It rendered him speechless, though that was pretty common for him, it was in a different way. Her words moved through him like electricity; he swore he felt a current running through his spine, his head spinning at the simple touch of her tail to his chin. She did insist. Well.. he couldn't argue with that. He watched as she started to move, digging at the ground of their den. He joined her, using his upper body strength to begin to paw at the frozen earth. It was pretty damn solid, and it was easy to realize they would be digging nothing any time soon. "Damn," he murmured, though only half-heartedly. If they wanted to start a family, they had a lot of digging to do, but they didn't need to do it today, or even next week. They had time, and the prospect of being forced to be close to her was not at all unappealing. "Guess we have to sleep close tonight," he offered with a slow, teasing grin. It wasn't quite night time yet though, and he certainly wasn't tired at all. Steel couldn't help himself from staying away from her, and he hoped she didn't mind. Quietly he'd slink into the small den, though he'd lean to press his nose to her cheek before gesturing for her to join him.

Esarosa turned toward Steel as she watched him try digging into the den's frozen floor, but it looked like it was futile. He'd mutter just one word as he gave up. It was no use. They'd have to wait for warmer weather to make any difference. Yet, he didn't seem too disappointed. Her head tilted, slightly confused. But when he spoke again in a suggestive tone, it became clear as to why he didn't seem too concerned. "Guess we have to sleep close tonight." She grinned as the realization came over her, feeling her belly clench slightly, heart pounding, as the light-headed rush in her head intensified. "I guess we just have no choice," she conceded in a cheeky tone, a giggle bubbling past her lips. As he touched her cheek, her breath caught for a moment, her eyes closing briefly before he pulled away; emerald orbs flew open, just in time to catch his gesture, beckoning her to join him in the den. The sun was past its highest point, but it was still far from setting. There was plenty of time until either of them would feel like sleeping - they'd just have to entertain themselves until the sun went down. Her cheeks burning, she watched his handsome, well-built frame move away from her before she started to follow him, tail waving in the air behind her. The midnight-coated maiden went willingly, no, eagerly, into the den behind Steel, pressing into his side as she shoved her way into the cramped den. She felt somewhat anxious as she'd never done this before, but she wanted to erase that feeling and just give in to the moment, the new sensations she was feeling. So she wasted no time; moving to seat herself in front of him, her black nose touching his, she planted a kiss delicately on his lips. She smiled to herself as her forepaws came up to wrap around the back of his neck, drawing his head toward her. She pressed her cheek against his, her nose nuzzling into the back of his ear, kissing the side of his neck more eagerly. As she tried to pull him closer, she toppled over onto her back, hoping to drag him down with her, giggling all the while. Yet the tone of her laughter had changed - she felt short of breath, a warm sensation rippling down her belly and through to her legs. As her body heat rose, she hoped that Steel wouldn't feel shy at all as her eyes roamed over his silhouette in the darkness. Esa was no longer worried, she just craved his closeness with an indescribable desire to feel his weight pressing down on her. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Her playful, flirtatious tone was all it took to make his stomach drop again. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, not at all, just a unique sensation that he wasn't sure he'd ever grow used to. He returned her grin with one of his own, his ears flicking atop his head as she giggled. The sound was lovely - he almost thought to ask her to laugh again, so he could enjoy the sound, but realized how strange that might seem to her. The heat that rose to his face seemed to intensify with each second, especially when she eagerly joined him into the tight space they had claimed as their own. Now.. this was something new. If not for Esarosa's own eagerness, he likely would've been a fumbling mess; but somehow he moved fluidly with her, her scent drawing him in, lulling him into a drunken sort of stupor. Her kiss sent a shiver down his spine, and gladly he would return it, letting out a quiet murmur as she fell backwards and dragged him with her. He had no intentions of denying her what she wanted now, and he wanted it just as badly. Steel was grateful that his body seemed in control, for his mind was spinning, and without its guidance he was sure he'd be reduced to an awkward, stunned mess. Briefly he'd lean down, pressing his nose to her belly, inhaling sharply as he nuzzled into her fur gently. Letting his body do the talking - he didn't know if he could speak if he tried, for it felt like his stomach was caught in his throat from exhilaration and joy alike - he'd let out a guttural mumble as his face pressed into her fur. Slowly, carefully, he would move to the side, his muzzle slipping to her side and nudging lightly, encouraging her to roll over. "I.." he'd start, his voice low as he eyed her before she moved. "... I love you, Esarosa." He meant it, though the words sounded strange on his tongue. He didn't want to continue unless she knew that; it seemed strangely, suddenly important to him.

Ecstasy. It was pure ecstasy. His body moved with hers, fluidly, in some sort of graceful trance as instinct took over for both of them. She didn't question it, nor stop to think. From this moment her body would move on its own. Each time he touched her, a ripple of warmth and pleasure shot through her body like a shockwave. With every exhale came a soft sigh, a delighted hum in her throat. Her body shuddered as his nose pressed into her belly, nuzzling into her fur, a warm, tingling and all at once numb feeling creeping down her hind legs. Her forepaws grasped his face as her head tilted back, her eyes closed as she enjoyed every sensation that his touch brought her. A sleepy sounding, humming giggle escaped her as he moved to her side, his muzzle nudging her gently as he encouraged her to roll over. Then, in the midst of their physical enjoyment, she heard his voice, and her eyes slowly blinked open to look at him. How he had found his voice at all in this moment was intriguing, but when it dawned on her what he'd said, she felt her heart jump, as if it could pound any harder than it was now. Had she heard correctly? In her elated state, there was no room for doubt, and she knew she had heard clearly. A dreamy smile crossed her lips as she rolled onto her belly, her head tilting just so to look at him. "I love you too, Steel," she murmured without hesitation - she didn't have to think about it nor question it. She simply knew it - this man had grown to be such an important part of her life, and she couldn't imagine being without him. Although it had been an unexpected addition to their activities, Esarosa was glad that they had shared such words, in a moment that was so tender between them. It just made their bond feel that much more special to her, and this time that they shared together would stay close to her heart. As her thoughts drifted, her body would soon remind her of its demands, its desperation to proceed; now shifted onto her belly, her legs moved, propping herself into a position that would accommodate Steel's body, for which she waited eagerly. Every inch of her skin was on fire now as her breath came rapidly, unable to slow. Her heart pounding, she felt her body throbbing with every pulse, an ache in her lower abdomen growing as she craved him. She turned her head to look at him, a dazed but encouraging smile upon her maw, waiting for him to make his move. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Love. It had always been a strange concept for him. He'd told his parents he loved them, and his siblings - but this? This was something new. Something totally unique and mind-blowing. He felt his head spin as he stood by her, his entire being filled with sudden warmth and passion alike. The quiet giggle that left her throat made his fur stand on edge, electricity traveling down his spine. Somehow, he felt groggy and hazy and thoroughly alive all at once. She affirmed soft that she loved him too - he felt his heart lurch in his chest. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, pure joy flooding his being. She loved him, and he loved her. They had plans to start a family together. How the hell had this all happened? It hardly felt real, and part of him dreaded that he might wake up to find it had been just that. But each moment that passed made it all the more clear. He would move with the utmost care, his body quivering with need for her, though he was cautious - the thought of hurting her was devastating. Placing a firm kiss on the back of her neck, he'd make the final movement toward her, shuddering as two became one and his vision flooded with ecstasy. - fade -

She could hear her heartbeat in her ear, feeling dazed and hazy and elated all at once. She never realized she could feel so much all at once, or that her heart could beat so fast just from being close to Steel. The time she'd first met him, she hadn't been sure she'd ever see him again - it had simply been a nice little picnic on the beach with a new acquaintance. She'd never imagined they'd meet again, and their friendship would develop into so much more. Into this feeling of love that flooded her now, the tightness in her chest, the pounding of her heart... she hardly knew what was going on but she wanted more of it. When she finally felt him touch her, she felt fire ripple down her spine from the site of his firmly planted kiss, and the sensation of his weight gently bearing down on her. Her emerald eyes fluttered closed as she focused on the electric feelings sparking through her abdomen, excited shivers wracking her body. Delighted sounds escaped her now, from deep within her chest, losing herself to the moment as at last their bodies became one entity. -fade- "Speak" "Listen" Think