The castle was silent, not a sound to be made in any of the corridors this late. The Hallowed lands were quiet and peaceful in the late autumn night. In the dark of his room, Romulus stared out the window at the night sky that glistened with thousands of stars, the silver moon hanging high and covering the world in an ethereal veil of pale light. The Armada boy's mind was filled with thoughts of the girl sleeping just downstairs. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her in some form or another. Fighting off the saber cat together, swimming in the ocean, her lying across him after a tickle fight, the checkups they gave one another... Lillith had invaded his every thought and dream, the young brute was smitten and intoxicated by her beauty. Her silver and snow fur that felt like it had been made of silk, her gorgeous ruby eyes that shone whenever she looked at him, the pretty face on the slender body, the melodic sound of her voice speaking his name with a giggle on her breath...

Romulus heaved a sigh while rolling onto his back, paws curled to his chest while he stared blankly up at the ceiling. It didn't seem like sleep wanted to spend time with him tonight. Judging by the position of the moon, it was a little after midnight, and everyone else in the castle was asleep. Roman's expression shifted as realization crossed his features. Everyone else in the castle was asleep. Except for him. Armada boldness began to fill his soul. All the risqué thoughts and fantasies he'd had that had kept him warm through the nights, they could all become a reality. All he would have to do was take the confidence to go downstairs. It would be so easy. No one would be the wiser. Ah, but her father... A roguish smirk crossed his lips. Her father would never know, not if he played his cards right.

After debating with himself for a few minutes longer, Roman decided it was time to seize his opportunity. After the recent days spent with Lillith, he knew the young Adravendi girl liked him and embraced his advances so far. What harm would taking a couple more liberties do? Rolling off the bed and to his paws, Roman quietly unlatched his bedroom door and peeked out into the hall. It was dark and quiet, just as he expected. The grin returned. Like a silver shadow, the wolf crept down the hall, using the old carpets to dampen the sound of his clawed paws as he made his way to the foyer, then down the stairs to the second level. He turned down the Adravendi wing, still moving slow, smooth, and silent, until he arrived at Lillith's bedroom. He hesitated outside the door for a minute longer, straining his ears to listen for the slightest sound to tip him off if anyone was stirring. Nothing—except for a faintly noticeable snoring coming from Ulric's bedchambers. The grin widened. Excellent.

He didn't knock. He didn't make any noise to announce his presence before quietly lifting the latch and slipping into the dark of Lillith's bedroom. He closed the door slowly, making sure the latch slid gently back into place with nothing more than a soft sound of metal rubbing against metal. Roman turned and made his way across the room to Lillith's bed, knowing the girl was a heavy sleeper and probably wouldn't have heard him enter. He snuck up to her bed, spotting her form silhouetted in the moonlight and sparkling silver all over. She looked breathtaking, like an otherworldly spirit taken form before his eyes. He could have stayed there and just watched her sleep all night—but the Armada in him demanded more; always more. Romulus lifted his paws to the bed, hoisting himself up just enough so he could reach her muzzle to place a couple slow licks to her nose to wake her up. "Shhhh, it's just me," he whispered in the dark, grinning at her, though he didn't know if she could see it.

"Speech"

Lilith was a heavy sleeper depending on when you tried to disturb her, in the mornings she was light and woke with ease but for the first half of the night she was nearly undisturbable. Roman caught her at one of her deepest moments. The day had been long and she hadn’t napped unlike the day on the beach. She was exhausted and clung to sleep because she needed it so much. Garnet gaze was closed and only a few stars and a sliver of the moon shone through the window to illuminate within. Lilith didn’t stir an inch as the one she dreamed of snuck into her room and approached her bed.

She felt the gentle kisses through her deep dream-like state as he roused her. Ruby eyes fluttered open, but she remained half asleep as she lifted her head from the pillow. She had no inhibitions in her dream-like state, and with an almost ethereal smile she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. The tingling on her lips and the fluttering in her stomach were real, but felt so dreamlike. Sleep clung to her as she lay her head back down, barely able to keep her eyes open, and more than that not realizing what she did.

Lil sighed softly as she relaxed against the bed, seemingly completely comfortable with Roman’s presence and what she had just done.

"Speech"

Romulus saw Lillith lift her head, saw a flash of red as her eyes peered open no more than halfway, sleep-heavy lids still hovering between awake and asleep. She still looked completely out of it, looking at him with this floaty smile of someone stuck between a dream and the waking world. He cocked a crooked grin at her, but hadn't been expecting her to lean in until her lips met his. Steel-silver eyes shot open wide, flutters starting in his gut and his tail swishing so fast across the floor. It was a light, little kiss, but it was enough to spark the fire in his belly. When her lips fell away from his, Roman breathed a quiet sigh of delight, watching in his stunned stupor while she settled her head back down and seemed to fall seamlessly back into slumber.

Roman had a choice to make now. He could slip back out and go to bed as if nothing had happened, leave Lillith undisturbed with the tingling on his lips. Or he could double down, seize the moment and enjoy it to its fullest. He glanced towards the door, then back down at the beautiful sleeping silver spirit in the bed before him. His choice was easy. With a daring grin on his face, Roman lowered his muzzle back down to hers until he caught her lips with his, letting his kiss linger longer, pressing his mouth to hers with a careful need. When he did finally break the kiss with his sleeping beauty, the silver-furred man pulled his body up onto the bed with her without a word. He stepped carefully around her prone body, eyes roving across her form almost of their own accord while he settled down beside her, enveloping her smaller body with his larger frame until they were tucked snugly together in bed.

Lifting a large paw, Romulus draped his foreleg across Lillith's body, pulling her gently up into his until every inch was touching in some manner. The warmth of her body felt like fire against his skin and he loved burning himself against her. He didn't dare try to push too far with her in a catatonic state, knowing the fine line he walked between sweetness and assault, but he'd committed himself to this now. He ran his nose through the fur on her back, bringing his muzzle up the curve of her neck, drinking in her scent and lavishing in getting to hold and touch her like this. Roman's silver eyes fluttered closed with absolute euphoria. Like his family before him, Romulus was a very physically affectionate and passionate wolf, a distinctly Armada family trait. All he wanted was to cover Lillith in soft touches and kisses from head to toe. If only she wasn't quite so asleep...

Craning his neck to bring his head up over hers, Roman leaned in to run his tongue in a gentle lupine kiss across her cheek, testing to see if she would stir or remain asleep in his arms. He was unable to resist her beauty, watching the sleeping seraph as if it were his last night alive.

"Speech"

All she knew was the pleasant dream, it wasn’t much different than the dreams she already had of Romulus. Had she been fully awake she never would have lifted her features to offer such an easy kiss. She would have fallen right back asleep and never really realized it happened if Roman had taken the opportunity to retreat. As it was her state of suspended animation remained as he leaned forward to return the sweet affection. She stirred slightly, leaning into his lips and humming softly through her silvery lips. She started to wake up at the gentle pressure against his lips, the savory taste of Roman’s lips as she floated between dream and wakefulness.

He pulled away and Lillith’s eyes blinked open a little bit more, her wakefulness a little stronger as Roman lifted his huge frame above her and came to rest himself around her small form. He wrapped himself around her like a perfect hug, and instead of pulling away like she might have in full wakefulness the girl leaned into the slate marked boy. She sighed softly into his embrace as his huge silver arm wrapped around her and pulled her into his full embrace. She took in a deep breath and emerged further from her dream-like state, waking ever so slowly to his sweet affection.

She leaned back against him as he trailed his muzzle up her neck and through the thick fur there, her own tiny ivory paws held to the massive one pressed to her chest. Lillith was becoming much more lucid, but she didn’t squirm or attempt to get away, this was her daydream. Though she didn’t quite realize it wasn’t another of her silly dreams. Roman was here with her in the middle of the night, and he was stealing kisses.

"Mmm,” she hummed softly as his tongue caressed her cheek. Her ruby eyes blinked open and she tilted her head back, aiming to press her muzzle against his as her thin frame snuggled into his strong embrace. "Roman,” she greeted him quietly, still sleepy but much more aware there in his embrace. "What are you doing in here?” She whispered as she shifted her body so they were belly to belly and she could bury her features into the soft fur of his chest.

"Speech"

Once he had gotten settled into bed around her, Lillith seemed to wake up more from her dream-induced delirium. He felt tiny ivory paws settle over his larger slate-tipped ones that held her body close and warm to his own. Romulus heard her give quiet little murrs under her breath as he intentionally roused her from the enthrall of slumber, grinning to himself when he felt her head shift to glance back at him until their muzzles rubbed against one another's. She spoke his name in that soft whisper that made raw emotions and desires run wild in his belly, his breath hitching while he savored every part of this moment. The feel of her slender body turning in his grasp to face him, her soft belly fur rubbing up against his torso, warm breath brushing his cheek when she whispered and her scent surrounding him like an exotic perfume. Nothing about this could make him regret his decision to misbehave tonight.

He gazed at her while her fur shimmered in the dim silver moonlight, steel eyes meeting rubies while she asked what he was doing here. "This," he responded back simply, voice a husky whisper. One paw slid up Lillith's side to caress her cheek and tip the young fae's muzzle up to meet his, claiming her lips in a kiss far deeper than the little ones they'd shared but moments ago. Silver eyes drifted closed while he enjoyed the sensations kissing Lillith brought with them. This was not his first time kissing a girl; the Armada family held a reputation for being intensely physical lovers and that was fairly accurate. But feeling his lips moving against Lil's was by far the most thrilling thing he'd ever done with a fae to date. He had wanted this for some time now—gods, how he'd wanted to kiss her! The physical pleasure it brought was like a hit of a familiar drug, and yet wholly new and exciting when it was with her.

Romulus broke their lips apart after a few moments, but already he could feel the tightness in his belly and the urge to claim more from his gorgeous silver angel was becoming impulsive and undeniable. His boldness grew more daring, and the young wolf allowed his confidence and desire to steer his actions. Steel-silver eyes flicked open just enough to catch her reactions before he pulled her back in again, eyes closed to delighted slits as he stole another kiss from her, introducing Lillith to the world of passion and desire as he slipped his tongue into her maw, one strong foreleg wound tighter around her lower back to keep every inch of her he could get pressed to his body.

"Speech"

He held her gently enough that Lillith could shift in his grasp. There was no mistaking the way he gazed down at her with intense moonlit silver eyes. Just like in a dream. Lil grinned up at him with sleepy curiosity as he answered with a simple word. He showed her instead, letting his paw trail up her neck to cup her cheek as he pressed his lips against hers. The kiss sent electricity racing over the surface of her skin and her stomach began to fold into knots. Her heart fluttered and beat against her chest like it never had before and she was suddenly very awake. It was stunning and exciting all at once and the girl leaned into his unabashed affection with a bubbly grin.

Romulus was undoubtedly her first kiss, from the innocent lick to her nose and now to this much more meaningful kiss he shared with her. Cuddled close in her bed as the midnight moon shone lightly on their tangled forms. Lillith was softly losing her breath when Roman pulled away. Lil opened her garnet gaze once more, stunned and excited at once. His expression turned a little more serious as he pulled her back in, holding her strategically against him as he pressed his lips to her own once more, but pressed his tongue against her with a fiery passion she was easily overwhelmed by.

Suddenly her skin was much too hot. Though she wanted to be held by him the burning was too much coupled with the way he took her breath away. Lilith whined softly, feeling pleasure give way to discomfort. "Roman, stop, please.” She asked through gasping breaths as she aimed to wiggle out of his grasp and out onto the cool stone of the floor. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She begged forgiveness through panting breaths. This was everything she wanted, but she couldn’t even enjoy the way he held her.

"Speech"

Everything seemed to be going amazingly. Better than he had hoped, even! The first press of their lips together had Lillith leaning into him without any reluctance or timidity, following his flow easy enough. It had sent fire through his veins to see the way her eyes slid closed to enjoy the moment they shared. But the second, significantly more heated kiss had been her tipping point. As soon as he pressed more fervently into their shared passion, he heard Lillith give a muffled whine and her body went rigid, trying to squirm her way away from him. He withdrew after a moment, ears flicking to catch her words broken by gasping breaths. His brow furrowed, confused and dazed, and as soon as his grip loosened even a bit, she was out and gone. Just like a silver shadow.

Romulus blinked through startled silver eyes while he watched Lillith throw herself out of bed to slide to the floor, putting an almost painful amount of space between them. His heart was still pounding against his chest and that pressure inside of him refused to subside, but it also felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water on him. The shock on his face didn't vanish until she began apologizing against panting breaths. That was when he realized what had happened. "Too much." It wasn't a question, and there was no uncertainty in his hushed voice. Lillith wasn't ready for him, not for the passion and fire of his Armada blood. Slate-tipped ears dipped to his head. "No, it's not your fault, Lil. It's not," he tried to reassure her, though he doubted his words would do much good here.

Roman's silver eyes left Lillith's form on the floor to peer out at the night sky, his mouth opening and closing noiselessly a couple of times as he struggled to find the words to say. He'd never been rejected before; this was a new feeling to the Armada lad. But he'd also pushed her too far. Lillith was still in a recovering state, apparently so fragile that even a single heated kiss was too much to bear. Or perhaps he'd misread the signs and she wasn't into him like that. Or maybe it was the difference in their ages, one still closer to puppyhood and one on the eve of becoming an adult. Either way, he'd pushed her too far and found her breaking point. "I shouldn't have done that," he mumbled, mostly to himself. He rose from her bed, suddenly finding it very uncomfortable to be lying in it when she was on the floor. The larger brute slid to the floor, gesturing with a flick of his head for her to get back in so they could swap places.

"Speech"

She was enjoying herself. Roman’s sweet kiss and gentle embrace was everything she wanted. The burning of her skin, the swift unnatural beating of her heart, and his stealing her breath made her panic and leap from his grasp with no grace and no tact. He didn’t attempt to keep her restrained to his benefit. Lillith wouldn’t have responded well, not that she thought he would ever do anything against her will. She pressed herself against the floor, embarrassed and feeling like she would die from the heat on her skin. For the fire that he had ignited in her belly.

It scared her, all of the emotions that he could elicit within her so easily. Roman recovered slowly, but spoke the truth as he saw it. He had asked too much of her. Lilith was always trying to prove herself, to exceed expectations of her, but in this instance she felt so much like she had failed him. He tried to reassure her that she wasn’t at fault at all, but she didn’t feel it. He paused for a moment then, and Lillith buried her face in her paws, ashamed of herself for reacting so swiftly and negatively.

"I’m sorry,” she repeated again softly as he returned his silver eyes to her. Saying how he shouldn’t have done it. The truth was Lillith wanted his kisses, she wanted to be able to handle the fiery passion he had just given her a tiny glimpse of. He motioned for her to get back in the bed but she didn’t move that way. Carefully she leaned back into his side. "It’s too warm.” She told him as she shook her head slightly, still feeling herself breathless. "Roman, I…” she was lost for words, but she wanted to explain herself. "I really like kissing you.” She confessed with her ears slicked back to her skull. "I don’t know what happened, it was so hot and then i couldn’t breath and…” She looked away but her shoulder still leaned into his as they lay there on the floor.

"Speech"

Lillith apologized again, but Romulus didn't hear it. He knew she was probably flustered, definitely embarrassed, and she had nothing to be sorry for, but she would continue to do so anyway because she was constantly blaming herself. He frowned a little; he hated that she was so hard on herself for something so out of her control. "It's not your fault," he repeated, still trying to keep his voice even a quiet so as not to wake her father sleeping just next door. He didn't want her blaming herself for something she wasn't prepared for. It was fine. She refused to get back in her bed, stating it was too warm, then leaning against his side as if nothing had happened. He blinked in surprise, but didn't refuse her affections. Lil tried her best to explain what was on her mind and speak her heart, the words coming out in breathless fragments, but he got the gist of it. She liked his kisses, but it was too much for her. Her body didn't respond well to arousal, it seemed, and her lungs were refusing her any more. He nodded slowly. Too much. Pushed too much.

The two wolves lay there on the floor for a while, the cool stone beneath him ebbing away some of the fire that had ushered him down to her bedroom in the middle of the night. As he sobered up from his lust drunk, he glanced down at Lillith with concerned silver eyes. "Is the floor helping?" he asked after a minute. "It's cooler down here, but I could open a window or we could sit on the balcony if that'd be better." The cool night air outside might do her some good, but he also didn't know if that would aggravate her lungs even more. Gods, he wished he knew what was hurting her so he could fix it! He didn't bring up the kisses, instead focusing entirely on making the almost wheezing girl feel better again. He'd already known he'd crossed too far, now he'd just reel himself back in and cool her down again so he'd know he hadn't accidentally killed her by making out with her.

"Speech"

His deep voice was soft but also held a serious tone with her as he against reminded her there was nothing to be sorry for. She couldn’t have helped what happened, she did exactly what she was supposed to. Ask for him to stop when she grew too uncomfortable. Lillith just hated how uncomfortable she was, she knew that she wanted to kiss him and a part of her wanted to explore the burning feeling he’d caused throughout her form. He simply nodded at her confession, bringing no more comment to the table about his adventurous kisses. Lil lowered her head a little and watched her ivory paws, slowly catching her breath as she lay beside him on the cool stone floor. This had to be so far from what he had been envisioning for their night. Guilt ate at her but she tried to tell herself this wasn’t the last opportunity for kisses, they had a whole winter to find cozy places to snuggle up and try again. Maybe she would do better knowing what was to be expected.

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, but she still felt the scenario weighing heavily on her head even as Roman spoke again. How was the floor treating her? His obvious concern for her helped to ease the emotions filling her as he offered a couple alternatives to the floor they were laying on. "A little better,” she answered honestly. At least she didn’t think she was going to die of heat stroke. "Would you take me to the balcony?” The cool air would help more, that and they would be under the moon and stars together. Lilith didn’t often see the world at this time of night, and she kind of liked the idea of stargazing with Roman. She still felt bad about what happened on the bed, but he hadn’t left her and his concern never diminished.

"Speech"

Romulus didn't exactly know what else to say. In the past, he'd been the one to put a stop on things going too far with a pretty fae. Of course he was an adventurous boy, so kissing was nothing new to him, but the cautionary stories of his great-great-grandfather Isardis from his grandfather had kept him from making any mistakes. This was his first time ever being turned down, and he wasn't sure where he was supposed to do from here. Had he made things too awkward? Did Lillith want him to leave? Was he supposed to leave now? Was that rude? Gods, is this how all rejectees felt? It sucked! But he wouldn't pressure Lil into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with. As much as he disliked it, she had shown him her boundaries, and he could respect it or ruin their friendship forever. That was an easy choice for the young Armada to make.

When Lillith confirmed the cool stone was helping her feel better, Roman began to relax a little more. So it looked like he wouldn't be accidentally killing the alpha's daughter tonight. That was a relief! She asked him to help her outside, and he gave her a small smile and nod, rising to his paws to help get her on hers. Once they were both standing, he walked alongside her to the balcony door, letting her use him as a crutch if she needed. A single paw was all it took to push open the glass doors, cool night air rushing into the warm bedroom. Outside on the balcony, they could see eastward across the plains and out to the dark forests of Auster. In the navy sky overhead, stars twinkled and shone like hundreds of diamonds, and the moon hung bright in the heavens. There were no clouds in the sky tonight, leaving the open canvas free for the two wolves to gaze at unabated.

"Take a seat, relax," he gentle urged Lillith down to the balcony before reclining on his haunches beside her. He still didn't say much, unsure of what there even was to say. He couldn't say he was sorry, because that would be a lie. He wasn't sorry he'd tried to kiss her like that, and he wasn't sorry he'd snuck down to her room to try. He did regret getting her in such a state, but what was done was done. Now he was just focused on getting through the night without causing any more damage to their friendship. He didn't want to try and coddle her, but it was difficult not to unintentionally when he'd seen her fall apart point blank like that. Watching her kick and squirm to get away from him... that had subconsciously done something to the way he saw her. Lillith was too young, too fragile. Maybe they could still be friends after this debacle of a night was all said and done—but maybe it would be best if they stayed that way. Friends. He was too dangerous to her simply by being himself.

"Speech"

Lillith didn’t want him to leave and she wanted to take back what happened. He was everything he was before but he was obviously shaken. She reacted on impulse at the sudden overwhelming emotions that had filled her. Lil didn’t want this to make a difference in the relationship they had but with how quiet Romulus became she felt like something was wrong. Like she had upset him. It was a terrible feeling too. She’d tried to explain herself, ut even that didn’t seem like enough.

Still, he agreed to lead her out onto the balcony. He let her lean against him if she needed and led the way out into the night. The moon was so much brighter out here. After everything inside it almost hurt how beautiful his eyes were out here in the chill and moonlight. She tore her garnet gaze away from his bright silvery eyes and looked up into the unending night sky. Lilith would never cease to wonder at the sheer amount of stars that filled her vision. It made her emotions, sickness, her life feel very insignificant knowing how tiny she was.

She leaned against him easily despite everything as her neck craned and she followed the thickest belt of stars back up and over the castle. The night was really quiet, there was the soft sea breeze and the faint sound of the ocean but the seabirds were quiet. There wasn’t a storm for miles, it was a perfect night. So why did her belly have such a big knot in it? She took in a deep breath, it was smooth and even. She could breathe again and her skin was no longer burning. Instead she was beginning to feel the cold of the night and had little wonder about the pile of blankets on her bed.

"Thank you for staying with me,” she told him quietly, feeling close to fully recovered from whatever that was. Her illness. Always crippling her at the worst moment. After she’d lost a fight, after she’d fought a saber cat with Ezra, after she’d fought alongside Roman against the same.. When he kissed her. She should have been happy, excited, celebrating, and that was never the case. She wasn’t allowed to be happy; she had to be sick. "It’s really pretty out here. I’m not… outside a lot at night.” She confessed quietly, trying to get him talking again, anything to feel like she hadn’t ruined everything.

"Speech"

Despite his growing doubts, Romulus didn't abandon Lillith. He remained with her because he wanted to, he liked staying in her company, and because she hadn't told him to go. Surely he couldn't have done that much damage if she still wanted him around, right? He continued to be her support while she leaned into his more muscular frame, both wolves peering up at the sea of stars, rippling waves of clustered lights creating bands in the inky sky. It really was a beautiful sight to behold. While they stared at the stars, Roman stole a glimpse down at Lil, watching while his companion stared at the heavens in awe. He could see the stars twinkling in her eyes, making them look even more like finely faceted rubies. Although they weren't facing the sea from her room, the distant sound of ocean waves could be heard in the otherwise still night, only the chirping of nocturnal insects out in the plains making any other sound. It was tranquil and peaceful and perfect.

Romulus listened with keen ears while Lillith sucked in a deep breath of the cool autumn night air, listening to the smooth draw and exhale. She seemed to be getting better, which was good. The temperature difference had cooled her off and she was becoming more like herself again. How awful it must be to have your own body betray you. Roman couldn't comprehend an existence like that, yet that was the world Lillith lived in every single day. She was by far one of the strongest wolves he knew. When she spoke again after some time in silence, thanking him for staying with her, Roman responded by craning his head down to rest his cheek against her forehead while they cuddled together. "I wasn't gonna just leave you like that," he replied, referring to the way she'd ended up barely able to breathe on the floor.

Her confession that she didn't go outside at night a lot didn't really surprise him, what with how overprotective Ulric was. He probably put a curfew on his daughter's bedtime for right after sundown since she was a pup and never let up. "On nights like this, it's really pretty," he said, turning silver eyes back up to the celestial heavens above them. "Back home, I would sometimes sneak down to the beach at night to go looking for shooting stars and listen to the waves. It would help me sleep when insomnia decided to be a bitch." He chuckled under his breath, bringing his bushy tail to curl around Lil's hips as they sat with their sides pressed together. "You could come out here any time you want, y'know. This is your balcony. You can be a little rebellious if you want."

"Speech"

He wasn’t in a hurry to see her back to bed so he could be on and about his business. He could have already been back in bed half asleep again but he wasn't. He stayed with her, an infallible pillar for her to lean on as she caught her breath and recovered from the excitement. Recovered from the shameful reaction she had. She was already breathing better, her skin was no longer burning, and she felt almost as good as when Roman had wrapped her up in his arms and held her close on the bed. This was really amazing though, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen so many stars before. The worst part of it was right outside her door!

Roman shifted slightly and rested his cheek upon her crown as he assured her that he wouldn’t have left her in the space she was in. Lilith had hardly been able to control herself as the overwhelming feeling took its toll and she’d reacted poorly. Roman showed her his true self, he’d stuck with her even through the terrible part of her life. Even with her weakness and shortcomings here he was, offering himself in support as she struggled. He told her he couldn’t have left her in a state like that, gasping on the floor. "I know, but I want you to know I appreciate it.” she told him softly as she leaned a little heavier against his shoulder.

She took in the sky alongside him as he told her about the night. She had just always been in the habit of sleeping not long after the sun disappeared under the horizon. Then he gave her another glimpse into his own life. How when he was a boy he would sit by the ocean and use the gentle sound of the waves to lull him to sleep. There weren’t many times when she had trouble sleeping, except for when her sickness was really flaring up and she couldn’t breathe. "Do you still feel insomnia?” She asked him quietly, wondering if he had snuck into her room because he hadn’t even been able to sleep.

He curled his tail around her hips and she felt a little more cozy in his embrace, it wasn’t so intense as his grasp in the bed. Honestly the moment she was in right now was perfect. His warmth was gentle and comforting, as well as the loose hold. She felt free but so safe and… loved at the same time. She giggled as he reminded her that this was indeed her balcony. She could do whatever she wanted. "I could, but I’m usually asleep.” She told him with a grin, but felt an idea pop into her head.

"What if we went camping?” She asked him quietly, suddenly imagining her father and Artorias out on the road when they had been visiting all the packs. "With a campfire, and the stars, and staying up as long as we wanted.” Her voice took on a dreamy tone, but she wasn’t in danger of falling back asleep, just getting lost in the vision that danced behind her eyes.

"Speech"

The steel blue boy gave a soft hum of acknowledgement when Lillith said she appreciated him not leaving her and wanted him to know it. "Well, you're welcome all the same," he said. There was a brief pause of quiet between the two young wolves while they simply took in the night, enjoying it for all its worth before winter came and took ahold of the land once more. Lillith asked if he still suffered from insomnia now, and he chuckled and flashed a smile he didn't know if she'd see or not from their current positions. "Well, I'm wide awake now, aren't I?" he remarked with a little more of his usual harmless snark. "Some nights are worse than others. It's gotten better the older I get. When I was real young, before my first birthday, getting me to bed was almost impossible for my mom! I was just restless, I guess."

Romulus didn't lift his cheek from Lil's head as he spoke, comforting her in all the ways he could without smothering her for fear of causing another reaction like the one he'd gotten in bed with her. He still gave her all the freedom to pull back and slip away if she wanted to take it. He just couldn't help himself before. He was passionate and intense by nature, and when he let himself go, it had been too much and overwhelmed the poor adolescent fae. Lillith came up with a suggestion of going camping so she could stay up and see the stars every night, fantasizing about that life for a moment. Roman hummed pensively, picturing digging a fire pit for a campfire and snuggling around it in the nighttime woods, just the two of them under the stars. He was apprehensive, still uncertain of if he'd be able to restrain himself, but if they kept their spacing and just remained friends, he could probably manage.

"I did a lot of camping on my own when I left home. Well, until I found you and you brought me here to be held in your castle against my will," he said with a clear tone of jest in his voice, a teasing grin on his muzzle. "It's fun. Getting to be out amongst nature really puts the world into perspective for you. Once the winter passes, if you'd still like to, we could go for a trip. And if your dad doesn't kill me for taking you on such a dangerous adventure!" More teasing, but it was the sort of humor he felt she needed right about now. A distraction.

"Speech"

He reminded her she was welcome with a soft hum and they settled into silence for a long moment under the stars. She couldn’t imagine insomnia, and she wished Roman didn’t have to deal with the affliction, but she was glad for it tonight. She had freaked out, and maybe damaged whatever relationship was building between them, but she wouldn’t wish he hadn’t come. If he hadn’t been kept awake she wouldn’t be out here right now. Basking under the endless night sky together.

He teased her lightly, he was indeed awake right now in the middle of the night. She wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all. He was always awake earlier than she was too, she didn’t know how he dealt with so little sleep. Maybe that was why he never had a problem napping with her. He didn’t move, his cheek on her forehead as she leaned into his shoulder, needing his warmth a bit more as she cooled off with the night.

She offered her spur of the moment idea, not so sure of herself as he offered a non verbal answer. Before she could tell him to forget about it, he told her how he had camped on his own after he left his family. He teased her about keeping him locked in the castle against his will and she bumped his shoulder and chuckled along with him. Roman offered to take her in the spring as long as Ulric didn’t kill him for suggesting the idea.

Lil was technically an adult at a year and some change old, but it felt like a season’s worth of time would bring her so much closer to real adulthood and so much further from her illness. "We could sneak out on a camping trip.” She offered in rebellious retort. He had told her she needed to channel more of that quality. "What kind of dangerous adventure are you going to take me on?” She prompted him softly as the quiet fell back over them with the blanket of stars.

"Speech"

Lillith surprised him quite a bit by suggesting they sneak out without Ulric knowing, this sudden rebellious flare in her personality causing Romulus to raise a brow and chuckle again. Was this shy little she-wolf suggesting she run away with her friend to do gods knew what out in the woods? All right, look at you go, Lillith! "I like that idea! Adds an element of danger to our vacation," he remarked with a laugh, already thinking about how it would be like they were evading Ulric like some fugitives or something. She asked where he would take them on this dangerous journey, and Roman hummed while he mulled it over. "Good question... Where would you like to go?" He glanced back to Lil, steel silver eyes meeting crimson rubies. "Is there somewhere you really want to see? Somewhere you've maybe heard other wolves talk about? Wherever it is, we'll go there."

It wasn't a tremendously grand promise, but it was one he felt would be nonetheless impactful for her. He could promise other kingdoms and fantastic forests filled with exotic animals and mountains with giants living in caves. But at the end of the day, he wanted to make Lillith smile. This trip was equally for her, if not more than, as it was for him. He would be content going anywhere new and seeing the lands his family had once thrived in. But Lillith... this would be her first foray out into the world proper. This was special. So whatever she wanted to see, he would take her to see.

"Speech"

He told her she should be more rebellious and she was going to start sooner rather than later as she suggested they sneak away without permission. The most important part though, was how proud Roman looked of her. She peeked up at him from under his chin as he hummed and let himself consider for a long few moments. The pair of tem would be off on a daring adventure and she would give her father a heart attack. Romulus turned the question back onto her, where did she want to go? What kind of adventure did she want to take?

It was Lillith’s turned to be put into a contemplative silence. Where would she go if given the chance beside Roman? The place she thought of off the top of her head was where she was born, back in old Hallowed land. She didn’t remember a whole lot about the journey down here to Auster, but her youngest memories were of a hot spring. Before she could answer with that she had another thought.

"Have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Uncertain where she would find the northern lights except north. Very north. There weren’t many places that would be more fraught with danger or farther away.

"Speech"

To say that Romulus was a little surprised by Lillith's suggested vacation destination would have been a gross understatement. He was amazed that she wanted to take such a trek, but he was also highly impressed. When he'd started trying to convince the young she-wolf to push herself outside of her comfort zone, he hadn't been anticipating a cross country trip! But if that was what Lillith wanted, who was he to deny her the request? "No I haven't," he replied. "My family settled in a very temperate region near the sea. We were a long way from anywhere north enough to see them. But I've heard stories from my grandfather and great-uncle who used to live in Boreas." He turned his silvery eyes down to Lillith's hopeful garnet irises and grinned. "You feel up for a trip like that?"

Heading up to the arctic would be no small feat. It would take them several days, and he would have to be careful of Lillith's physical state and her lungs along the way. But this was also a whole season away. She could be significantly better by spring, and maybe the trip would be less perilous than he expected. But if this was what Lillith really wanted, he wasn't going to tell her no. They'd just have to take a lot of stops and breaks along the way—and maybe cover some ground with him carrying her if need be.

"Speech"

Seeing the Northern lights seemed like one of the most outlandish and magical sights to see. She wasn’t sure if there was even anyone within the pack that had seen them, they were simply a forign concept, like a supernatural occurrence. It was so far out of reach Lillith wasn’t even sure that Roman would agree to her idea. As it was she could see the look of surprise that crossed his features. At least she continued to outlive his expectations of her. He admitted himself that even he had not seen the Aurora before either, but even with how impossible it felt he was eager to oblige. He added another tidbit about his life before coming to Boreas as well. She knew he grew up near the beach, but he was given stories by his relatives that once lived here. His bright silver eyes held a bit of mischief in them when he returned his gaze to her and asked if she thought she was ready for a trip like that.

Lil could back out now and try to decide on another place that they could venture to, but now that she thought about it, and saw Roman’s eagerness, she knew what she wanted. If she could make it north on a trip like that, what was there she couldn’t do? Of course there was always the chance something would go wrong or her illness would flare up, but she had to be confident in her ability. Just like she was confident in Romulus to help keep her safe.

”In a season I will be.” She assured him confidently. Right now she felt like there was no way she could manage it. Time would continue to pass, she would keep getting stronger, she could manage such a strenuous trip in the Spring. "You can help train me! We can go marching in the snow when it starts to fall, condition ourselves for the cold weather. We could take on the whole North by the time the flowers bloom.” She became more confident with every word she said, and more excited to. As was evident in the way her garnet gaze sparkled.

"Speech"