The winter was continuing on and Rhythm knew that any day Valentine would rally his troops and they would be off to avenge her captivity. She felt worried, though she likely didn’t need to, but it was still there. She feared losing the two men she loved most. Valentine was getting up their in years, and though she’d never doubt his skill there was always someone younger and faster. Rhyme knew the slavers better than anyone, but she worried for his safety as well. She felt her nervousness increase with each day. Rhythm had invited Valentine to share her den that night, she just wanted to be close to him during the stress filled time. She was unable to really gather any herbs during the winter, and there wasn’t much to keep her mind off the coming events. A long snuggle during the cold winter night would do her well, and she hoped her mate would make his way into the den under the rock sooner rather than later. ""

Valentine took Rhythm's invitation as a sign that things were well on their way to returning to how life had once been between them. Since her return Valentine had been careful to let Rhythm set the pace between them. As much as he wanted to just jump back into how things had been, he was afraid of inadvertently driving her away with his enthusiasm. For him the years apart had been empty, but for her they had been filled with things he couldn't bring himself to think about. The old king crouched down beside the den's entrance and poked his head inside. His vision wasn't as good as it had once been so he could make out very little in the darkness even though there was moonlight behind him to help illuminate the passage. Did he go in or announce his presence? If the roles were reversed he would expect Rhythm to feel free to come in without an invite and he didn't think she would object to him doing the same. Perhaps there was a compromise between entering unannounced and waiting outside. "Rhythm?" he called gently as he wormed his way through the narrow opening. "Coming down, love." ""

Rhythm pricked her ears at the sounds of someone shuffling outside the den, Valentine’s scent wafted down to her as he decided to join her. His voice filled the den and caused her to brighten into a grin as he both let himself in and alerted her to his presence. She shifted slightly, pushing herself against the wall of the den to give him enough room to settle. The forced closeness didn’t bother her in the least. In fact she welcomed it. Rhythm felt like they hadn’t been close enough since her return. She understood that he was giving her her space, she’d been through too much over the last few years and if their roles were reversed she would have done the same. She didn’t want him to be distant though, she wanted nothing more than to glue herself to him and never leave his presence again. ”Hurry, I’ve been waiting.” She teased as he wiggled through the slim entrance. She invited him into her waiting arms. ""

Rhythm didn't have to tell him twice. How could he possibly resist? In the darkness Valentine could just barely make out Rhythm form. He sank down beside her and nestled into her arms. It was a bit of a role reversal but he quite liked it. Having the bigger arms, he was usually the one that did the holding.

Valentine felt around in the darkness in search of Rhythm's cheek to kiss. What started out as a tender moment soon turned silly as he missed the intended target more than once. Finally when he found it he couldn't help but laugh quietly into her ear before making up for his bumbling with a fierce kiss. So much for romance.

OOC: terrible tag, sorry!! >.<

Valentine didn’t waste anymore time as he squeezed his way to her side. She wrapped her arms around his thick neck and smiled widely as he managed to fit the whole of himself in her small den. He rooted around blindly as he searched for the correct place to kiss. Rhythm couldn’t help but join in to his amused chuckling with her own giggles. She hadn’t realized how much she missed laughing with him. The old Destruction woman aimed to use her slim muzzle to still his movements. She attempted to reset the scene, and nuzzled her nose at the side of his cheek. Her soft pink tongue slipped from her lips as she kissed him slowly. All the while never losing her sweet smile. ”You’re even more clumsy than when we first met.” She chuckled into his ear before offering a playful nibble right after. Rhythm pressed herself against his massive form, signing into him as she let the familiar emotions return. She felt safe and loved, something that had been rare in the last half of her life. "Should I help you get back into practice?" She asked, but didn't wait for a reply as she stole a passionate kiss. ""

The years had numbed him to how much he'd missed this. He hadn't forgotten, no, but time had a way of dulling the memories to make the future easier to handle. The sweet, quiet moments they'd shared between the chaos his misadventures and choleric personality had so often gotten him into. As much as he loved the excitement and the danger, he'd loved those moments in between too and the balance they gave him. "Heyyy," he protested in mock outrage. "Give an old man some credit; at least I made it to your den." Oh, wait. Practice? Heck yes he wanted practice. "Mm," he murmured softly, Rhythm's kiss still on his lips. "I like the sound of that. Practice sounds nice." ""