Finding their way back to normal was not an easy road, but she knew that at some point they would have to keep moving forward. She just hoped that slowly as they got back to their usual daily routines that things would start to go back to the comfortable normality she was used to. One of those routine things was being home for dinner. Even though she still spent most of her day out among the pack or doing patrols, she always tried to be home in time to make a nice meal for her and Saracyn to end their day on. It was something she had picked up from her mother and it was at least one consistent part of her day that she always looked forward to when it could just be the two of them. Of course there were always exceptions when it was her turn for a late night patrol or when she needed to make a trip to visit another pack, but more often than not she was here to see him in the evenings.

Today she had come home a little early while Saracyn was still out doing a patrol around the mainland borders and she took that time to prepare something a little nicer for their meal than usual. She was a little particular when it came to her meals so she always at least roasted their meat by the campfire, but today she spent some extra time carefully trimming out a couple tender cuts of venison and a whole leg of mutton, seasoning up the meat with herbs and letting it slowly roast and sear on hot metal grates that she had slightly elevated over a low fire with hot coals, letting the meat get some of that smoky flavor to it. By the time the sun had set and Saracyn was due back at any minute she had both cuts of meat nearly ready along with some roasted vegetables and berries in bowls near the furs and cushions where they usually ate and relaxed.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Saracyn was... healing in his own ways, at his own pace. Overcoming the grief had not been an easy road, made even more difficult by the crushing guilt he felt around the entire situation. There was a part of his subconscious that still blamed himself, lingering on the fringes though it was much quieter than it had been thanks in no small part to his mate's efforts to help him through his grief. Avacyn had done so much to try and keep him grounded and out of his own head and the Mendacium brute felt like he owed it to her to keep himself level enough to not try and unalive himself. So Sara continued through the motions, each day getting a little bit easier than the last. There were no easy days, but there were better days, and over time the better days became more and more frequent until they outnumbered the bad days. He no longer spent all his free time mourning over his children's graves, although he did still make his frequent visits. He spent more time with Ava, more time around his family and the pack, more time being present. It was hard, but he was doing it.

The normal routines helped keep Saracyn from wallowing in grief and being swallowed by his depression. The mornings spent planning the day with Avacyn, his regular hunts and fishing trips, his patrols and training sessions keeping his mind and paws occupied. Every night ended with dinner with his twin and then back to bed to repeat it all the next day. Those things kept him sane. Avacyn kept him sane. This evening, Saracyn was making his way up the mountain path back to their den when he caught a whiff of smoking meats on the air. The closer he got, the stronger the smells became, and when he arrived home he saw the wisps of smoke coming from inside the cave. Avacyn must've been preparing dinner already. The crimson brute walked up into the mouth of the den, lingering in the doorway as he spied his violet mate within, remaining quiet while he just watched her go about her final preparations. Watching Ava made him smile. Seeing her doing the things she enjoyed made him smile.

Sara eyed the food laid out around the cushions and furs they usually ate at, watching as Ava finished prepping their food for them. "Preparing a romantic dinner date, beautiful?" he teased her with a crooked grin as he entered their den, pausing just long enough to stow his sword before coming back to join Avacyn on the cushions around the food. "This looks incredible. Am I forgetting some special occasion? How much apologizing should I be preparing to do?" He smirked that mischievous little smile that had been absent from his face for far too long, peering up at Avacyn with that easy grin.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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A bit of movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention just as she was rotating the leg of mutton one last time over the fire and she glanced up, a grin crossing her lips as Saracyn came over to join her after dropping off his sword for the day. "Indeed I am, handsome," she replied, pulling the venison steaks off of the fire before they over cooked before she turned toward where he had settled on the cushions to give him a quick kiss. As he began to question what kind of special occasion this was for and how much apologizing he should be preparing to do for it, Ava giggled and shook her head, giving him a grin. "No special occasion so you can save your apologies this time. We just haven't had a proper date night in a long time and didn't feel like waiting for some special day to do it."

She turned and picked up a pair of smooth, polished wooden planks that would serve as plates and put them down in front of where he was laying and where she would soon join him and then quickly went about plating the venison and sides before pulling over a wider, stone slab to be the platter for their leg of mutton. It was probably more food than the two of them could eat in one sitting, but what was a date night without a bit of a feast? With her plating done, she finally flopped down onto the bedding beside him with a contented sigh, nuzzling her cheek into his. "Go ahead, dig in!" she encouraged before reaching a white-tipped paw forward herself to skewer one of the pieces of carrot with her claw. "Hopefully the mutton isn't over done. Always hard to tell with cuts of meat like that. The venison should be perfect, at least."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Saracyn returned Avacyn's grin with a lopsided one of his own when she confirmed she was indeed waiting for her romantic date to arrive. His bushy tail began to wag ever so slightly behind him, even more so when she came up to kiss him on the cheek. Ava explained that this was just a nice little date night for the two of them to enjoy, no forgotten special occasions on his behalf, and Sara chuckled while he watched her begin to set out their food. "Well, happy date night to us then," he jested, his nose flaring as he breathed in the delicious aromas of the cooking food. "Everything looks wonderful, Ava. Thank you for this." Once his mate had laid out all their plating and food, the dire brute shifted a little on the cushions to make room for his mate to come and cuddle up next to his side while they ate. There was so much food and it was clear Ava had put a lot of time and effort into this for them to enjoy.

After Avacyn had gotten settled in beside him and gave him permission to dig in, Saracyn responded with a delighted rumble and nuzzled his snout through Ava's scruff in a little sign of affection before turning his attention on their grilled feast. While his twin started with the vegetables, Saracyn the carnivore turned on the leg of mutton first. "I'm sure it's cooked perfectly, my soul mate." As if to prove that point, Sara took a sizable bite straight out of the meaty sides of the haunch, revealing the pinkish interior still dripping with seared-in juices. A murr of approval and delight rumbled in Saracyn's chest as he chewed and swallowed the savory roasted meat, flashing a grin to Avacyn. "See? Perfectly done." He took another sizable bite of the mutton before setting the leg back down in front of Ava so she could share some with him, then reached for one of the venison chops. "How was your day, Miss Matriarch?" he asked, maintaining casual conversation while they ate and snuggled together, his piercing cerulean eyes peering down to gaze lovingly into her deep jet black jewels.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Avacyn watched with eager curiosity as Saracyn went for the leg of mutton first, hoping that she had guessed the timing on the cook correctly. Luckily it seemed like his assurances that it was cooked perfectly had been truthful since he tore into the juicy piece of meat and she was pleased to see that it was just the color and doneness she had been trying to achieve. She returned his grin and chuckled as he obviously savored and enjoyed the bite he took, her tail wagging happily behind her. She had always found the most enjoyment and joy in projects and tasks that let her create something that other wolves around her could enjoy and this was certainly no exception to that. Seeing her mate enjoy the meal she prepared was almost better than enjoying it herself. She happily took a bite of the mutton herself when it was handed over to her so she could test it out herself, humming with a pleased, proud hum as she enjoyed it as well.

As they snuggled together, sharing their dinner and this impromptu date that she had brought to fruition, she looked up at her brother with a happiness and a peace that she hadn't felt in quite a while. "It was fine, but now it's excellent," she replied as he questioned how her day was with a little grin, giving his chin a teasing lick as she peered up into his stunning cerulean eyes and entwined her tail with his. It had been so long since they had gotten to spend some time together like this for no other reason than to just be with one another. While it had felt a little silly and trivial at the time to put this much effort into what was ultimately just their dinner, she realized now just how much they had needed this. She nuzzled his cheek happily before she returned her attention back to their food, snagging a bite of the venison. "And yours? Find anything interesting during your patrols?"

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Saracyn continued to eat with gusto, savoring his twin's sublime cooking as they shared a meal. Everything was just so... normal. The two of them, relaxing at the end of a long day, eating together and just enjoying one another's company... It was perfect. It was everything he had been missing since the incident. Immediately keeping his thoughts from straying away, Sara focused solely on his beloved soulmate, watching her eat and enjoy the fruits of her labors with a calm, peaceful smile. Her remark about her day being excellent now pulled an amused chuckle from the dire brute wrapped around her, leaning in to nuzzle at the side of her neck with heavy, huffing breaths meant to tickle her through her fur. "Someone's being sweet on me," he teased her, showing a rare affectionate side of him that only she got to see. "Careful, miss Matriarch, or I just might eat you up for dessert." A playful nip at her scruff, then Sara chuckled again and went back to eating.

They cuddled together a little closer, Avacyn entwining her tail around his own while she asked about his day. Saracyn released a breath and shook his head. "No, everything was quiet, and I'm glad for that. With that other pack virtually on our doorstep all the time, I'm not entirely unconvinced they won't try to get froggy with us at some point. I know that Dad is 'friendly' with their alpha, but I don't know anything about them other than the fact that they raided Avalon not too long ago, and I don't think a few good fucks with our father is going to keep them at bay." Saracyn didn't really give a damn if Avalon got sacked, but it did concern him that their new neighbors were the raiding and pillaging type. Hadn't they had enough trouble with the bloody pirates? Now vikings living next door? Give him a break...

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Avacyn grinned and giggled as Saracyn wrapped around her even more tightly and tickled her neck with his breathing. "Me? Sweet on you? Whoever would have guessed?" she teased in return. She knew how rare this cute, affectionate side of her brother was and she never took for granted the fact that she alone got to see him like this. Their relationship was difficult and messy at times, but moments like this reminded her why he had swept her off of her paws in the first place. His not so subtle suggestive comment about making her his dessert brought a grin to her lips and she chuckled along with him, replying, "I do hope that's a promise," as she nuzzled into the side of his neck with a smirk before returning to their meal. Oh how she had missed these little moments with him. They made it feel like things really could go back to normal.

After asking about his day, she was at least glad to hear that it was quiet out at the border. Even though her brief meeting with Heiðinn's alpha had gone well enough and his interest in their father hopefully earned them a bit of favor, she did understand his concern about having a fairly unfamiliar pack right on their border. She hummed with thoughtful acknowledgement as Sara pointed out the other pack's recent history with being the instigator of a raid and his doubts that their tenuous relations could keep them from being another target. "I can't say I disagree," she said with a soft sigh as she reached for a few of the berries. "I don't think either of us are willing to give up the island to move somewhere else in order to avoid having them on our doorstep though so I suppose we'll just have to be ready just in case they do decide to look our way."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Getting to spend any time with his beloved twin was always time Saracyn treasured greatly. It made him feel whole, happy—home. Even her teasing remark back about promising to make her his dessert earned a playful yet naughty grin from the dire brute along with a husky chuckle. "It’s most definitely a promise, and maybe even a bit of a threat too," he quipped in reply, taking a playful nip at her cheek as he spoke in low baritones into her white-tipped ear. Their conversation continued into the mundane discussion of pack business, and Avacyn agreed with his assessment of their newish neighbors. Neither option of ignoring them or moving away seemed preferable. "I would sooner die on this island than give it up. Mom spent too long and sacrificed too much to get it for us to just toss it aside," said the crimson brute resolutely. Dramatic, but it got his point across. This was their home.

Moving on from his feast of meats, Sara picked at a few of the roasted vegetables. He wasn’t the biggest fan of veggies, having always turned his nose up at them as a pup, but as an adult he could stomach them enough to pretend to be mature and eat his food. Besides, Avacyn had cooked them a delicious spread and it would be rude to leave anything uneaten because he was a picky eater. "We might want to consider another practice raid at some point to keep our warriors on their toes in case of an incursion from Heiðinn or anyone else," he suggested after a moment of thought. "Perhaps one of our allies will be down for a little war game of sorts."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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She knew that his insistence that he would rather die on this island than give it up was a bit dramatic, but she understood what he meant. Their mother had selected this as their home after searching all of Boreas and Auster for the perfect place for them and had done so much to lay the ground work for what they now got to enjoy. She couldn't just throw all of that away just because someone moved in next door and decided to share a border with them. It just meant they would need to be more vigilant and prepare themselves for any eventuality. She knew that a pack being further away from them wouldn't necessarily discourage them from trending on their territory if they were ill intentioned regardless, but this was definitely a reminder of their need to be ready for anything.

She happily ate from both the roasted meats and the vegetables she had prepared–making sure to take more than her fair share of the vegetables since she already knew that she enjoyed them more than her brother did. She noticed him still eating some of them though and she appreciated his willingness to enjoy every aspect of the dinner she had prepared even if it wasn't his first choice. She glanced up from her meal as he mentioned the possibility of doing another practice raid at some point to help them prepare for a possible incursion. His description of the idea as a "war game" made her chuckle, but she nodded in agreement. "I'm sure at least one of them would be interested. Everyone needs to sharpen their skills from time to time, after all. I've been meaning to make another trip to visit our allies soon anyway so I'll bring it up and see if anyone volunteers." They could do trainings and the like all they wanted, but nothing really held up to practical experience.

In the mean time, their lavish dinner was slowly disappearing and her belly was plenty full. She sighed contently and leaned into Saracyn's side, giving him a loving smile as she tipped her head up to nuzzle his cheek. "We should really do this more often. I miss getting to spend time just the two of us." It wasn't as if they didn't come home to one another almost every night, but with so much to tend to around the pack on a daily basis it made it hard to carve out dedicated time like this. "I can see why mom retired when she did," she added with a little chuckle. "I don't intend on retiring for many more years, but... I can definitely see the appeal." Placing a teasing kiss along her brother's jaw, a little grin tugged at her lips as she added, "I guess that just means we'll have to really make the most of every moment we have together."

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Avacyn chuckled at his comment about running a mock raid, but agreed with his assessment that it would be good training for their warriors. Application of theory and all that good stuff. She mentioned bringing it up to their allies on an upcoming trip and her mate nodded his head. Yes, that was a good plan. Plus Saracyn was itching to get his teeth bloodied in a real fight again. Well, maybe not bloodied when it was a practice raid with friends, but same concept. Their dinner was gradually winding down, most of the food eaten between them (and himself, as his dire-sized appetite reared its head) and left the two Mendaciums cuddling together beside the fire as they relaxed post-meal. This was nice… peaceful.

Ava sighed and leaned up to nuzzle his cheek with her muzzle, giving voice to his own thoughts and feelings as she mentioned how nice this evening was. Sara smiled back down at Ava, his facial marking glowing gently in harmony with hers as he basked in her presence and love. "It is nice. Reminds me of when we were younger, carefree, just sharing a room in Mom and Dad’s den," he said with a chuckle. Avacyn mentioned how she understood the appeal of retirement now and Saracyn just gave another laugh. "You know, if you wanna take a sex vacation like Mom and Dad did when they stepped down, you don’t have to retire for that. I’ll take you away to nice places whenever you need a break." The light touch of his sister’s lips against his jaw sent pleasant tingles running down the dire brute’s spine, his marking’s glow stuttering slightly as his heart rate increased. He met his twin’s suggestive grin with a sly one of his own. Oh, she was feeling flirty tonight, huh? Sara could have some fun with a flirty Ava.

Holding his mate’s jet black gaze with a smoldering look, Saracyn began to slowly stroke the giant paw that was draped over her side slowly up and down her slender side, caressing every feminine curve from her shoulder to her shapely hips. Still holding Ava’s gaze, Sara leaned in closer and used his free paw to tilt Ava’s muzzle up to meet his, claiming her mouth in a slow, passionate kiss, gently parting her lips to slide his tongue into her maw to taste her. As he kissed her, Sara put on a show of his strength as he pulled Ava tighter to him and pushed into her side to roll her over onto her back on the furs, positioning himself on top of her with his muscled form covering hers. The soft fur of her underbelly tickled against his chest and stomach, her warmth and softness enticing the dire brute on as he continued to make out with his mate. Sara slowly broke his lips away from Ava’s with a soft gasp for breath, grinning down at her with love and lust smoldering in his eyes. "How about we start making the most of those moments right now and have a little dessert, my perfect mate?" he purred in husky tones, suggestively pressing his hips down into hers.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Avacyn giggled lightly as Sara brought up the carefree days they had sharing a room within their parent's den. "Sneaking into each other's rooms to cuddle like this, I think you mean," she told him with a teasing smirk. Oh how she did miss those days. Sometimes she wished she hadn't been so eager to prove herself and show their independence so they could have continued to hold onto that carefree time for a bit longer. In the end it was better for them to get out on their own regardless, but she did feel a bit wistful thinking about the times when their biggest concern was whether or not they might get caught in one another's rooms. She raised a brow at the idea of taking a "sex vacation" like their parents had, grinning a bit at the idea. She knew it wouldn't be quite that simple since they would need someone that would be able to stand in for them while they were gone, but she appreciated the thought. He had always kept her from being too serious and knew just what she needed when she wasn't able to give it to herself. "Perhaps... Maybe once we have our Council fleshed out and have some more capable wolves that can watch over things while we're gone," she conceded. With a grin she nibbled playfully at his jaw and added, "I would enjoy letting you take me away to somewhere nice."

She couldn't possibly describe how good it felt to just be smiling and making these teasing comments back and forth with her mate again. For the first time since everything happened she really felt like things could go back to normal. She knew that losing their pups would leave a scar for the rest of their lives, but her dark gaze met the beautiful blues of his and her heart pattered and skipped just as much as it ever had. A little smile pulled at her lips as his gaze held hers, drawing her in captivating her as their gently glowing markings flickered and pulsed in time together. They were the fireflies. No matter what happened they would always have one another and as she savored the feeling of his paw tracing her curves it just reaffirmed that nothing could ever come between them. There was no resistance from her as his paw tipped up her muzzle to meet his, bringing her into a passionate kiss that pulled a quiet, pleased hum from her. His affection was just as delicious as their first kiss and she still couldn't get enough of him no matter how many times she was with him like this. Avacyn rolled with him as he pushed her onto her back, her forelegs slipping up around the back of his neck while her lips remained locked with his for a few more lingering moments, the soft toes of her feline paws curling around clumps of the fur on his scruff.

When Sara did eventually break their kiss, Ava gasped softly as well as her eyes blinked open once more, looking up at him with a sultry, tender look of desire. She returned his grin and chuckled softly at his offer of enjoying their dessert now, another hum escaping her as his hips pressed into hers, removing any remaining doubt from her mind of what he was insinuating–not that she ever had any doubt regardless. Her claws combed through his scruff while her hind legs hooked around his hips and she tipped her muzzle up to place a teasing lick across his chin. "I want nothing more," she insisted in a quiet purr, brushing the side of her muzzle against his. Anything outside of this moment was put so far out of her mind that it felt like they were in their own little world together and she easily lost herself in him, her gaze locking with his and looking nowhere else until her ebony eyes disappeared once more behind fluttering eyelids as she caught his lips with her own once more and her glowing marking lit up like a true firefly.

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Avacyn moved easily to his touches and insistences, giving no resistance as he manipulated her perfect body where he wanted her to be. The pair of Mendacium wolves made out hot and heavy as they gave in to the kindling of instinctual urges, passion and desire rising between them. This would never stop, not so long as Saracyn lived. He loved Avacyn; she was his soul mate, his queen, his everything. They were fireflies and they would always glow together. The soft sounds of pleasure he was able to pull from her amidst their heated kissing swelled the smoldering heat within his belly, and he pulled his fae tighter to his body in response. Feeling those big tiger paws gripping at his scruff sent pleasant chills racing down his spine and made his tail wag in eager anticipation for what was to come.

The sultry look Ava fixed him with when their lips finally parted was all the permission Sara needed to continue on, though her husky words of wanting nothing more than him right now were a good way to seal the deal. With Ava's hind legs hooking around his hips to ensure he couldn't pull away from her, Sara gave his lover a lustful grin and then pressed his hips down to hers, feeling her most intimate flesh meet his. A hiss of breath escaped him as he paused, savoring that first contact. Then he pressed his hips forward and joined their bodies together as her lips claimed his in another deep kiss, stifling a guttural groan from the brute as he took his fae and made passionate love to her beside the fire, never looking away from her beautiful face the entire time while his marking lit up in intensity to match hers. She was his, and he was hers, and they would spend the rest of the night glowing together until the morning came.

- fade -

"Avacyn & Saracyn"

Warning: Saracyn is an explicitly mature character for violent and sexual content. Read his threads with caution.
Saracyn's designated wolf to protect as a Bodyguard is Avacyn. She may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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