Lark was tired. Tired of a lot of things, lately. He felt far more weary than a man his age ought to - he was sick of how unpredictable his family could be, sick of everyone leaving and coming back. He had never been the most selfless individual, but for his family he would do everything; why did some of them think they could do differently?

He missed when he knew precisely what tomorrow would bring. The future seemed wild uncertain to him, and he no longer looked forward to the next day. Who might leave next? Who might return again, and pretend they hadn't been gone? He grimaced as these somber thoughts filled his head, tormenting him with each step he took through the tall grasses of Serpent Plains. It was strange to think that once, he had expected to inherit Abaven. But now? He didn't know what the hell he wanted in life.

What he wanted right now was much more certain to him. He wanted to see Lillie, and for once in his life - and possibly the first time ever - he didn't question it. Not even a little bit. Brows furrowed as he made his way across the plain, his head held low as he grabbed hold of her scent and hurried in her direction.

She was in heat, she was in heat.... For the love of everything, she hated being in heat. Frustration marred her face as she battled the cravings inside of her, and she groaned as she rolled over, peering inside her old den. Just like last season, the cravings were getting under her skin and influencing her very emotions. It was getting highly irritating. She flopped back over, restless, to stare back the other way, at the grasses in front of her. She was laying outside her old den, with Farrym sitting on a root and cleaning himself as she was decidedly miserable.

A rustle of grass made her head raise, and she sniffed the air, trying to see what it was she just heard. It was either something big or super close to her; she hadn't been paying attention so she didn't have much an idea. Her curiosity didn't remain for long, because the question was answered the moment she smelled ark. Flailing up, her tail started to wag behind her as she forcibly ignored the thing called heat. Lark would certainly help with that, she hoped - he would be a distraction from the annoying physical desires.

She stood up as he got closer, her expression suddenly cheerful. She hadn't seen him since her season started, and though that was not that long ago, she had missed him and his company. Much like him, she didn't bother questioning that desire, and she eagerly bounced forward to meet him, nose reading out to tap him on the shoulder in greeting, all while smiling.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

At least, with Lillie, he knew precisely what to expect. In a sense - she was still stubborn enough to be considered unpredictable at times, but he felt confident she wasn't going to up and leave Abaven, a tradition growing more common among his family members, it seemed. Even though they often butted heads, they had secured their friendship, and he had no fear that one day he'd wake up to find her gone. It gave him a constant in life, which was something he appreciated and needed these days.

Seeing her, today, seemed to instantly brighten his mood. It certainly couldn't dampen it. A lopsided grin would appear on his face as she moved forward, his tail batting gently behind him. Her touch was always surprising to him, for she didn't strike him as a particularly affectionate wolf - but what did he know? "How are you?" he'd ask gently, his mood sobering a bit as he greeted her. He wasn't having the greatest of days; he was irritable and thinking about things that he couldn't change.

It took him a moment to realize that her scent was different. He'd noticed it before, last spring, and he'd found himself acting weirdly around her because of it. It hit him suddenly and he found himself taking an involuntary step backwards. Her scent was much nicer now - he was half-tempted to bump his own nose into her neck for a better whiff of it but realized that the moment to greet her was over, and he wanted to avoid any possibility of bodily injury today.

No, Lillie had no intention of leaving. Despite her disagreements, despite her frustrations at time, she was content here - and especially now, with Lark. Well. Maybe not while she was in heat, but outside of that she was! This was her home, and she didn't want to leave home - not now, and certainly not in the future. No, she loved her friends, and while she had no family - no parents, or siblings - many of her friends were practically family to her.

Cheerfulness glittered in her eyes as her appearance was met with a lopsided grin, and she felt happiness fill her as she gazed at the much taller wolf. His own greeting - which was much less outwardly affectionate - was met with her own smile, though it dropped somewhat at his gentle question. She sighed heavily, falling back onto her butt. "Well, I'd be a lot better if I wasn't in heat," she admitted. It was absolutely infuriating the thoughts that were going thrugh her mind, and she kept noticing things that, well, she didn't really want to notice.

"What about you?" He seemed unusually solemn and somber, and she wanted to know what was on his mind, though she had an idea it was his family, like usual. A frown briefly appeared on her face, but she shook it off. This would not go so badly as the last time his family was mentioned did.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

His life had not turned out at all how he had expected it. It was not such a bad thing - he'd learned a lot about who he was, and who was family was along the way. It was strange to think that he was already, three, though; hadn't he been a child just yesterday, romping in the grass with his siblings? He shook his head at the thought.

Her words were surprising to him. Were.. women supposed to talk about that sort of thing? It struck him as a bit of an unspoken thing - something that wasn't discussed, even if everyone knew it - but Lillie wasn't exactly one to hold things back. "Oh.." he'd start, trailing off soon after he opened his muzzle to speak. "That.. sucks."  Did it suck? He had no idea, but she said it did, so it must. He felt uncomfortable thinking about it. His head felt hazy and strange, but he felt disconcertingly.. good? He shuffled his paws beneath him after a moment, taking a few steps to the side and lowering himself to the earth, legs folding under him.

"I'm fine, I guess," he offered.. his usual half-hearted response. He didn't really want to talk about what was bothering him; they'd had this talk just recently, and it hadn't helped him at all. In fact, it'd made things worse. Going over the same stupid thoughts wasn't going to help him. "Better than you, though, maybe?" He really had no idea, but it seemed funny, and he let out a brief chuckle as he eyed her.

The surprise of Lark was absolutely priceless, and Lillianna couldn't help but laugh. Okay, that wasn't her intention, but she certainly didn't mind that outcome. Well, he certainly hadn't been expecting her bluntness. The laughter died, though she began to chuckle again at his dumbfounded "Oh...", amusement sparking in her eyes. "Just a little!" she agreed with another laugh, tossing her head, watching him as he lowered himself to the ground. She slid down as well, fully, laying at an angle beside him so their heads were a scant foot away from each other.

She breathed in his scent, and it was quite pleasant and warm - how'd she not notice before? Of course, Lark hadn't given her weird tingly feelings in her stomach before, either, which she attributed to the heat that she was suffering through. But, in the back of her mind, she knew it - the feelings - wouldn't be there if they hadn't been there before. That's what both scared and excited the wolf, and what she had to struggle to keep her mind off of.

Thankfully, Lark spoke which... sorta got her mind off of it. She nodded slowly. So, it was his family, hmm? She'd not press for details. If he didn't want to talk about it, then she wasn't going to force him. Her smile reappeared at his teasing comment and his own chuckle, and she laughed quietly herself. "Possibly," she agreed, shifting her paws. She kinda wanted to lean against his much larger form, but she was pretty hesitant about doing so. Instead, she irritably flopped to face Lark, legs and paws kicked out towards him as she sighed.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

Hm. She seemed amused at his discomfort, which elicited a slight frown from him and a quiet huff as he settled down to the ground. Truthfully, it made him feel even stranger, but he wouldn't admit it to her out loud. He knew about this sort of thing.. about women being in heat and whatnot, but he didn't know how to actually talk about it, and talking about it with Lille of all wolves seemed totally bizarre to him. It wasn't like he was a child anymore, but he felt young enough to feel uncomfortable talking too much about it regardless.

He shifted as he lay on the ground, eying her warily. "For real, though," he started with a shrug - as though talking might make him forget how sweet her scent tasted to him right now. "How have you been? With Abaven being so quiet and all?" He watched her for a moment as she settled in front of him, her front paws stretched toward him. "I miss when everyone was here still. It made things a lot easier." Lark wasn't really moping about it, just chatting, genuinely wondering how she felt about things.

She spotted his frown, and on an action of impulse, she reached forward to poke him lightly on the side of his muzzle - one could even call it a small, slight nuzzle. "Hey," she murmured quietly. "Don't frown like that, okay?" Her tone was unexpectedly soft as she spoke, and she smiled softly. She truly didn't like it when he frowned, and even less so when she realized that it was her laughing at him that caused it; though she was confused as to why that would cause upset-ness, but it didn't seem like that was too much the case from the soft huff he also did.

Either way, she simply listened to him as he began to speak. His words ellicited a small, sad smile from her. She nodded in agreement with him; she missed everyone too. "Not as bad I could be," she admitted. She reached out to do that small-poke thing again (refusing to admit what it really was). "I do have you, after all," she teased, winking. There was a sad tone to it, though; while teasing, she still missed everyone. "It can't be as bad as you, though. I'm used to... well, not really having a family. I had my adoptive parents, but that was all. I'm used to being mostly alone." She said it matter-of-factly, in the same conversational tone that Lark had; it was just the simple truth of it.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

He hadn't realized until now, suddenly, just low lovely Lillie smelled. If his face wasn't covered in fur, he was certain she'd see that his face was hot and flushed. Luckily, that was hidden, and he only stared - eyes widening slightly as she leaned in to nuzzle him. It wasn't like they'd never touched before; they'd taken a few close naps in the last few months, ending up snuggling, something they never really spoke about afterwords. But this.. sent a jolt of electricity through him. The feeling that welled up inside his chest felt greedy and demanding - he wanted more. He didn't know why, didn't know how, or if he even should be wanting more; he just did. His frown deepened for a moment, caught up in his own thoughts, but it wasn't long before Lillie spoke up again.

He half-smiled at her words, that she had him. She did, he supposed.  It had been established long enough that they were friends, even if being friends had once seemed insane to him. It still seemed a bit weird, but they were being the point of questioning it. Lark's hazel stare fixed on her as she admitted she was used to not having many wolves around.  "I'm sorry," he said softly, his words genuine. Growing up without family must've sucked; hell, she'd been without her adoptive parents the whole time she'd been in Abaven.  "Well," Lark would start, clearing his throat - tilting his head toward her, scooting forward slightly to lift one paw and slide it against one of her own.  "You're not alone here." Wait. That sounded way too sappy. He didn't mean to be so.. dramatic? Soft? He shrugged slightly. "I mean. There's a lot of wolves in Abaven that care about you."

Truthfully, Lillianna felt much the same spark that Lark did. As her nose brushed against the soft, short fur on his muzzle, something tightened in her chest, and she found herself short of breath when she withdrew. Yet, despite that feeling - or maybe because of it, she wanted more; she wanted to lean against him and feel the warmth of his body against hers. But, that was nothing new, was it? She had always enjoyed cuddles, yes? This was nothing different... right? She knew she was bullshitting herself, though; this was different, and she knew it. In essence it was the same, but at the core... there was a very different feeling in her chest than at any other point in time when she thought of a thing such as cuddling.

She sighed softly,dipping her head down to rub at a rather insistent itch on her nose before tipping her head back to look at Lark, her green eyes meeting his. As he apologized - for something he had no control over - she shook her head. She knew what he meant - sympathy, that it happened; she disagreed regardless. "Don't be. It was a simple life, and I was happy with them. Really, it was quite the bizarre change to be in a pack." Though by now, she was quite content in one, since she had been in Abaven for... half her life, now.

Her breath caught as she saw Lark scoot forward, and his (much larger) paw completely covering her own. She smiled up at him, ears flicking slightly at his words. a rush of gratitude filled her, and she scooted forward herself, just a tiny bit, so she was more parallel with him, and so she could lay her muzzle in the thick fur of his neck. "Thank you," she whispered, a smile in her voice as she spoke. She had to chuckle a bit at the clarification he made, and she pulled her head back to look up at him again, eyes sparkling. She didn't say anything then, but she also felt that she didn't need to, either. She felt content, and happy. And... other things, but let's avoid that.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

It had been as strange for her to join a pack, as it might be for him to suddenly be without one. He thought about it for a minute, his gaze soft as he watched her.   "Would be weird to be anywhere else,"   Lark commented idly, conversationally. The thought of their conversation ending wasn't terribly pleasant, so he sought to continue it even if he had little to say.

She pushed herself forward, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat. What's wrong with me? he asked himself silently, wondering why he felt so bizarre around her. Part of him was well aware - her scent was wildly different than what it normally was like - but part of him was blissfully ignorant. Lark felt even more strange when she moved to bury her muzzle into his fur. He fought back a soft gasp, instead flinching at her touch, though not pulling away.

"So," he managed to mutter, resisting the urge to push back into her touch. It was far too enjoyable, but the last thing he needed was to piss her off and get her to snap at his face like she had to Starling. He nearly shivered at the thought.  "What should we do today? Don't want to bore you," Lark suggested, leaning to let his head rest against her own with a bit more pressure than before.

She chucked softly, nodding. "It would be," she agreed quietly. "This is home, now. I don't think I'd want to be anywhere else." And that went double; being in Abaven, and being here with Lark right now. She wondered if he would pick up on that; probably not, and that made Lillie laugh a little, nevermind the fact that he'd probably question why. If he did, then so be it, she'd just tell him - she was happy, hear, in this moment. Very happy indeed.

She felt simultaneously soothed and flamed her willing nuzzle, though all that halted as he flinched away from her touch, and her ears flattened, a soft, uncontrolled whine breaking through, and she herself pulled back a bit, concern in her eyes - not that he could see. But then he started speaking again, and he didn't move away, so she stayed there, her head slowly ducking and shifting back down against his neck. She smiled again as he commented on not wanting to bore her, though there was still... not unhappiness, but not entirely happy either; she was a tinge upset from the flinch. Was he okay? Did he fear her? What - what? Her turmoltuous thoughts were suddenly on pause as she felt a subtle pressure against her head. Wait - now he was pressing back? Did that mean he was okay with whatever-the-hell-this-was?

Not willing to give up the sudden chance she was given, Lillie twisted her head to the side, doing a much more firm and insistent nuzzle than before, and even leaned her body towards him, shifting her paws from under her to sticking out the side as she laid more on her side than her stomach. "I don't know, I'm pretty happy like this," she murmured, the words somewhat muffled by his fur. Yes, she was more than willing to stay like this, basically wrapped up in the man she had grown to care for very much, in this weird relationship that she couldn't really identify what it was - not that she wanted to question it. That was scary. But she could stay like this, quite fine.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

Being anywhere but Abaven really did sound terrible, that was something they could agree on. Though he didn't exactly love every wolf in the pack, bring without them sounded strange to him in thought. Lark would've never imagined that not all of his family would be here still, but he knew dwelling on that didnt do him any good.

Her comment seemed genuine, and he grinned lightly in response. Home... that was exactly what this was. He wouldn't have it any other way. He watched her from the corner of his eye as she moved to press closer into him. His skin felt suddenly hot - burning, like it could ignite a spark at any moment. His stomach turned in a pleasantly uncomfortable way - he couldn't explain it if he tried. His body craved more contact, desperately, but his mind whirled with confusion. He'd never thought about Lillie this way, not conciously at least. He'd craved her touch more than once, but now a burning need was growing inside him thay was difficult to ignore.

Her whine sent a pleasant shiver down his spine, though she seemed briefly confused. As confused as he was, he wondered? Doubtful.

"Are you?" He would ask, tilting his head to gaze at her, no longer flinching at their closeness. He felt a burning, aching sensation growing in his belly that made his vision spin. "I'm happy like this too." Feeling rather on edge, hesitant still - perhaps she really would turn on him and snap at him, he had no clue - he'd shift a bit closer, pressing his nose into the fur of her chest and taking in her scent greedily. He tried to stifle a murmur of approval, but the sound was plainly audible and he felt the temperature in his face rising sharply again.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat at that grin she glimpsed in the corner of her eye. She always liked his smile; all too often he was frowning, or upset, or neutral, and it was so rare to see him smile genuinely. She remembered when she first made him smile and laugh; even now it made her happy, because she had felt so accomplished then. Well, now it was a lot easier for her to cause that reaction, and she made a soft, but audible, mrr of contentment, especially as she shifted that tiny bit closer.

He certainly didn't seem to protest, though every nerve in her body seemed to simultaneously scream what are you doing, and more, now. She was acutely aware of the warmth of his body, of the burning need of her own, and even the soft rise and fall of his breath that she could have sworn was uneven, as uneven as her own breath.

It especially didn't help when his voice reached her ears; the soft tone inexorably pleasant in just about every way. She twisted her head a little, enough so a single green eye could peer at him. "Mmmmhmmm," she affirmed. His own agreement made her eyes sparkle. Good, very good. The confusion and upsetness from before vanished without a trace, and she was contemplating pressing her whole body against his much larger one when he moved first, burying his muzzle into her fur... and making a sound that caused her stomach to flip and burn. It would be more than obvious the way her breath hitched, and the way her body trembled and shivered after that, her fast and rapid rapid thudding in her chest. She felt like she should say something - anything - but her mind could not form the words; no comprehensible thoughts rose above the clamor of her desire. It should scare her, but she was enjoying it way too much.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

What the hell were they doing? Of course he'd thought about this sort of thing before, but never like this. Never with anyone in particular, especially not Lillie. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, just.. unexpected. He moved slightly closer to her, obeying his body's demand for more. The grass felt somehow infinitely more pleasant as he lay there, facing her, struggling with what exactly to do or say.

 "Should..."   he started, his voice quivering slightly as he watched her. Lark was already confused about what they were doing, and trying not to move at the same speed his body begged him to.   "Should we.. like.. go somewhere else?"  He couldn't imagine what any of his siblings might say if they found him here, laying with her like this. Or, god forbid, his father. Lark also wasn't sure what she'd say in reply. Letting a sigh hitch in his throat, he'd push his muzzle into the fur of her chest, nipping lightly at the flesh there.

She pulled her head back when Lark did, regarding him herself. She had definitely thought of it before, and last season even gave into the temptation with another wolf, and had been thinking about it all season this year, but never did she expect any thoughts about Lark. They had been there, in the corners of her mind, and she had ignored them, but now they came out full force; the incredulity of it all was absolutely hilarious - never did she think even a few seasons ago that this would be happening... with Lark. She giggled, shaking her head a bit, though it subsided when Lark started speaking.

Should they go somewhere? She shivered again, even while her body practically begged yes, and so did her mind. She restrained that thought, though, instead reaching forward and laying her head on the back of his neck again. "That all depends if you want to," she whispered, leaving the decision entirely up to him. After all, she wasn't entirely certain if he really wan- all thoughts disappeared as the sting of a nip on her chest. Shivers ran up her spine as well as an intense desire, moreso than anything else she had felt. She lifted her head and pushed it towards his ear, nipping it, though much more hard than Lark had nipped her. Her self-control was slipping each moment, though Lillie rather relished in its loss.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

Lark was really confused, but in his frazzled state he couldn't stop to think about much. He wanted more, in a desperate, panicked sort of way. He found his breathing growing a bit more rapid, though it steadied as she spoke. Slowly he lifted his head off the ground, facing her with a steady hazel stare.

Her whisper did something to him he couldn't have expected before, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat.  "Of course I do,"  Lark answered, perhaps a bit too quickly - though his voice did not lack the uncertainty he felt. Uncertainty, mingled with excitement too that couldn't be denied.     "Should we go to... my den?"  Anywhere was fine with him, and he shrugged as he pulled himself onto his stomach. Anywhere but out in the open, was all he could think.

She wholeheartedly felt the same as him; the burning feel in her stomach was spreading through her body and the desire was growing stronger. Her green eyes met his, and inside them flamed the heat and yearning that she was holding back physically, and also a softer emotion, one of kinder, tender, even affectionate feelings.

His uncertainty made her pause, made her have uncertainty, but she pushed that back. It was surprisingly easy to do that; the excitement and the cravings inside of her were more than enough to push it away. "That works." Did she sound as breathless as she felt? She thought she did, and she rolled back onto her stomach, rising to her paws, and staring down at the much larger wolf. Hell, perhaps it was her... lack of modesty, perhaps, but she wouldn't mind staying where they were, but she completely understood his thoughts. The thoughts mortified her, too, or rather, the idea of getting caught by... one of Lark's siblings, or even worse, Bass. No, thanks. She'd gladly follow Lark, though at this point she'd do so regardless.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"

Any tiny shard of clarity he had left seemed to slip away, more steadily with each second that passed. His normally composed self had shattered entirely, replaced by a raw hunger that tore at his chest and ignited a fire in his heart. Her words were as uncertain as he felt - that works? Did she not actually want to do this - but the way she moved with eagerness made him sure again thay she wanted this as badly as him. He though to say something in reply, but nothing sounded quite right in his head.

Instead of apeaking, be pulled himself silently upright and didn't hesitant to start toward his den. The aching in his gut made it difficult to get there without touching her; the contact had felt so good and he wanted more. He bumped his snout lightly into her shoulder, taking another deep whiff of her scent which suddenly was like a drug to him, before slipping into his den. It was plenty big for the two of them, but he found himself slipping down to the earth and wondering how exactly to proceed. His head was still spinning, like the world was shifting around him, drunk on pleasure and badly wanting more of it. He figured he'd feel more bold, but he felt almost shy now that they'd made it here

Her words were met with silence but that was perfectly alright with her. No words were needed; everything had long been since said. No, it was only a primal, instinctual hunger. It was something she didn't fight but rather embraced willingly, the heat of her desires almost making her want to tell him to not even bother going to the den. She would not fight it; no, not anymore - it would be too raw, too painful, to do so.

She didn't even try to withhold herself away from him while they traveled elsewhere. Instead, she would occasionally reach over and nip lightly at his shoulder. Teasing little touches that both flamed her desire, and likely his too. It actually made her grin, and her eyes sparkle with utter delight; for some reason, that teasing she did was absolutely satisfying.

She followed him into the darkness of the den, her body shivering with excitement that she herself didn't quite understand. With eagerness, she approached closer, almost hesitant, but not enough so to pause. She tipped her head back, nipping a bit hard at his throat. Her eyes twinkled mischievously; just because they were here did not mean she'd stop that teasing of hers.

"Lark" | "Lillianna"