Iroh pranced ahead of Elise, his grin nearly bursting from his features. The usually subdued man felt an odd elation as he led his woman through the packlands. He showed her all the areas of interest before leading her into the ravine where his den was located. Iroh led her down into the ravine and along the well worn path to where his selected cavern was.

He could smell the fire Sarabi was tending before they could see the secluded cavern. With the cold day a spot of tea and curling beside the one he loved sounded perfect. Iroh stood back and gestured to the cozy fire and the den behind. The cavern’s entrance was covered with a huge kudu pelt to keep the warmth within. Sarabi had a few fews placed out before the fire for the wolves to make themselves comfortable while they awaited their tea.

”My dear,” he uttered softly. ”Your new home.” He grinned, only barely holding himself back from kissing her. This was the start of their lives together, and he couldn’t stop grinning.

She couldn't remember a single time seeing Iroh quite as jubilant as he was now and it just made him even more adorable in her eyes. She followed him through Aerie's territory with an equal amount of excitement, trying to pay attention to all of the places and sights that he showed her during the brief tour around the lands instead of just letting all of her attention get taken by him. She was still a bit nervous about this new, huge change in her life and perhaps even slightly overwhelmed by the whirlwind that was the last couple of days, but excitement and happiness drowned most of that out. This was what she wanted and where she was meant to be, she could tell.

Following Iroh down into the ravine, she tried to pay particular attention to the path they took to get here so that she could easily find her way back again. The last thing she wanted was to get lost just trying to get back home and end up accidentally finding someone else's den instead. She enjoyed how secluded the cavern was and how warm and inviting it felt. In a way she couldn't really explain, it felt like she was coming home to a place that she had always lived. The smell of the fire made her smile as it brought her memories back to the other times they had spent together and how that had been a common theme for them as they got to know each other.

Her bright blue eyes took in the interior of the cavern as Iroh pulled back the fur hanging over the entrance and she grinned, her tail wagging gently behind her. "It's good to be home," she replied softly as well, looking toward him as she stepped over the threshold. She paused in front of him, her grin widening to match his with a giggle. "I love you, you handsome man," she added before giving him a quick kiss and continuing on into the den. She settled onto the fur by the fire with a contented sigh, stretching out comfortably and looking back at Iroh with an expectant glance for him to come join her.

Walk | "Talk" | think

He honestly tried not to distract her from the tour, however difficult that might be. Iroh could sense how close to overwhelmed she was coming, and he was swift to bring her somewhere she could hopefully relax. The den was a purposefully chosen for the peaceful atmosphere as well as its dryness and size. This was as close to perfect he could find. His home was a sense of pride, he had little control over the overarching events of the pack and the world. Iroh had control over his home though, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit how many hours he’d spent in bringing it closer to perfect for him. There was always something to do, and now he could begin to focus on bringing Elise into the picture as well. As eager as he was to see their relationship develop so was he excited to see the way their home would evolve.

Calling her his, referring to the both of them as a until, solidified her place beside him. She was his mate, they were going to build a life together, a family someday. Iroh had no reservations about pledging himself to her.

Elise seemed to relax as she took in the sight and stepped forward to her new home. Iroh didn’t know the last time she had a den, but he was eager to grow roots with her. Iroh welcomed her, and Elise swiftly claimed her place here and matched his grin as she stepped inside and turned to face him. He returned her quick kiss and her affectionate words, ”As I love you, my beautiful woman.” He chuckled softly and followed her, admiring the way she lounged over the plush furs and invited him beside her.

”Would you like some tea?” He asked her quietly as he started to settle into a more peaceful atmosphere. Iroh leaned against her, unable to keep his eyes off her. Resisting her attention all day he felt starved for it now.

Elise leaned into Iroh's touch as he joined her on the furs without a moment of hesitation. Now that they were alone in his clearly carefully crafted den she felt like she could fully relax again and felt the last bit of tension slide away from her shoulders. There was no doubt that this was now her home and she was thrilled to have made it to this point with Iroh. Settling down with anyone had felt like a far flung dream for a few years, but he had found a way to completely turn all of that around. It was hard to keep her thoughts from spiraling off toward the future and all the room that their relationship still grow into even though she just wanted to focus on the here and now.

"I would love some," she agreed, leaning over to press her nose to his cheek. After all of the times that she had enjoyed tea with him she had really started to develop a taste for it. Though she still wasn't sure what she enjoyed more - the actual taste of the tea itself or just the fact that it was something so unique to Iroh that she couldn't have with anyone else. She waited while the tea was served before settling more into Iroh's side and tucking herself into the larger nook his body formed for her. After being on her best behavior all day it was certainly hard to keep her attention on anything other than her mate and thankfully she didn't have to think about anything else right now.

She gently blew across the surface of the steaming drink between her ivory paws while casting a glance toward Iroh, a little smile pulling at the corners of her mouth whenever their eyes would meet. After lapping up a couple long drinks of the tea she sat back a bit with a pleased hum. "Delicious as always!"

Walk | "Talk" | think

He was glad to get her home and comfortable after a long stressful day. This was the beginning of their lives together. Iroh wanted her to feel like Aerie was her home, they’d started with the tour. He’d focused on showing her around and explaining the customs and laws. Now the evening was theirs and Iroh was eager to see to her every whim and need. Starting with Tea. Elise confirmed her desire as she leaned in to offer her affections. Iroh very nearly forgot about their beverages in that moment, but thankfully Sarabi was his best wingman. The primate was swift to produce bowls and poured the hot water over the dried leaves.

The aroma of brewing tea lifted into the air and joined that of the fire. This was a chamomile based tea, one often consumed in the evening with less caffeine to keep them from sleep. It wasn’t the tea that would be keeping them up tonight though. Iroh curled around her a little tighter as she focused on the tea at her pretty paws. The massive man could hardly keep his blue and lavender eyes from her features.

”Good,” his deep voice rumbled deep in his chest. ”I’m not convinced it's as delicious as you though.” He grinned amusedly as he aimed to steal a kiss from her pale lips. Iroh felt more complete now that he welcomed Elise into his home, their home. They were cozy and warm with their tea, and Iroh wasn’t sure he’d ever felt a moment so perfect. ”Elise,” her name was a blessing on his tongue. He wasn’t even sure he could bring to words the feelings and emotions that bubbled up deep in his chest. ”You’re everything I ever wanted and more. I feel so lucky, so blessed, to finally have you here with me.”