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Slowstep was on a mission.

After his brief conversation with Sunbreak, Slowstep was bound and determined to tell Skygaze exactly how he felt. He didn't want to taken another for a mate, and while polygamy was not frowned upon in his pack, well, Slowstep didn't want any other female except for Skygaze. He only hoped that she felt the same -- and while Sunbreak's encouraging words had brightened his outlook on the situation, there was still that slight gnawing fear in his gut that she'd just laugh in his face and turn him away.

With a grunt, Slowstep moved towards Skygaze's den.

Skygaze was furious.

"I know I left it right here," she mumbled to herself. She was furious and frustrated and exasperated with herself and it was getting to the point where she just wanted to curl up in a ball and sulk. Coolbreeze had given her a small shell and Skygaze had filled it with a healing salve that Coolbreeze had helped her to make. The shell itself held much importance -- after all, it had been a gift from her mentor.

With a shrill yip, Skygaze petulantly slapped a large, bowl-shaped rock that she'd pushed all the way home a while back. It was perfect for mixing herbs in.

"I can't do anything right," she huffed to herself, shoulders dropping in defeat.

Slowstep heard Skygaze before he saw her -- she'd probably lost something, as was the usual for her. With a soft smile on his muzzle he shook his head as he peered around the corner into her den. She looked so disgusted and upset with herself that Slowstep couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Skygaze," he called quietly as he stepped into her field of vision. "What's going on?" This probably wasn't the best way to start a conversation about how his heart belonged to her and he wanted nothing more than to call her his lifemate, but what could he do?

"Can I help?"

Great, just what she needed. Another opportunity to look like a fool in front of the male she most wanted to impress. Today was really off to a nice start, now wasn't it?

"Nothing. What do you need?" She tried to keep her voice as tempered as she could, but she was just feeling so frustrated with life in general that she couldn't quite keep the quaver out of her voice. No, she was not going to cry. She wasn't.

Okay, she might.

Dashing a paw across her eyes, Skygaze turned away from him and busied herself with the plants she'd been drying.

The smile instantly melted off of his face when he caught the tremble of emotion that was in her voice. Was she going to cry? A look of concern creased his forehead and he hesitantly stepped into her den. It was well kept and organized, surprisingly enough -- especially for someone who would lose her head if it wasn't attached.

She was an enigma, his Skygaze.

"Can I help?" He repeated, since she hadn't answered him the first time. She would probably turn him down as she had multiple times in the past, but it wouldn't stop him from asking again in the future.

He was always wanting to help. Always. Mister helpful, that's what they should call him. As much as it annoyed Skygaze, she couldn't help but get the butterflies flitting around in her chest. Why did he persist in hanging around her? What did he want? Conflicting emotions collided in her mind and echoed in her chest.

"No," she snipped, despite the urge she had to keep her voice as calm as possible.

"What did you need, Slowstep?"

Slowstep's brow drew down in a thunderous frown. What did she mean, what did he want? Fine, she wanted to be all grumpy and snippy? Two could play at that game.

"I came to see you." Let's see how she responded to that! Let's see how she felt about him coming to see her just because he wanted to and not because he had any other ulterior motives about her, not because he wanted or needed something from her.

Planting his rump in the entrance to her den, he watched her with narrowed eyes.

Skygaze glanced at him over her shoulder, ears perked and eyes wide. He'd come to see her? He hadn't needed anything else? He'd only wanted to see her? For some reason it was hard for her to believe, and she slowly turned around so that they were face to face. Eye to eye.

"I'm not having the best day so far, Slowstep, so if you want me to play the nice hostess, you might want to come back another time." She lifted her jaw a little in defiance. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so prickly, she just was. He would either have to deal with it or he would have to leave.

She didn't want him to leave.

"I don't want anything from you, Skygaze." No, that was a lie. He wasn't sure how he pictured this conversation going but it certainly hadn't been like this. His voice was calm -- not because he was an endless fountain of calmness, but because he was feeling calm. He wasn't sure how to proceed, so he just sat in silence and watched her for a few moments.

"Look, I don't know how else to say this so I'm just going to say it." He cleared his throat nervously a few times before gritting his teeth. Looking her straight in the eye, he barged on.

"I ..love.. being with you," he stuttered, pausing for a moment.

Wait, what? Those namesake bright blue eyes of hers widened in shock. Her jaw even dropped open the slightest as she watched him quietly. He looked so determined to keep talking and so she remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

She wanted to shriek with joy, though. He loved being with her? Could he possibly be going down the road that she thought he was?

"I love being with you," he repeated a little more firmly, determined to keep going.

"I love your clumsiness. I love your forgetfulness. I love your smiles and your laughter." He cleared his throat abruptly, preparing himself to say those three little words he'd been wanting to say for the longest time.

"Skygaze, I love you. You're the sun to my moon, the sky to my earth. You make my life worth living and I want you to become my lifemate."

Well, he'd said it. Slowstep exhaled softly, waiting for her reply.

She watched him quietly for a few long moments. This couldn't be happening. This only happened to dogs like Coolbreeze -- dogs that were apt at their craft, graceful and gentle. This didn't happen to dogs like Skygaze -- veritable disasters waiting to happen.

Skygaze met his bright orange eyes, gentle eyes that had a way of turning up at the corners when he laughed. He was here professing his love for her, Skygaze. Not Coolbreeze or any other female that Skygaze so yearned to be like.

"I love you too," she said softly, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"I should have told you sooner," he said softly. "I should have told you when we were younger -- I've loved you for a long time, Skygaze. Too long." He shook his head. "Now that I've told you, I'm never letting you go. You are mine just as I am yours and nothing is going to change that. I want you just the way you are and I hope you understand that your faults are what make you who you are, just as mine make me who I am." He shrugged and rose, taking the steps necessary to bring him closer to her. Nuzzling her cheek, Slowstep sighed happily.

Everything had fallen into place just as she'd hoped they would. It had just taken them far too long to admit their feelings to one another, and now that they'd each taken that step, it was time for them to start building their future together.

"Well... now that we've bared our souls, do you mind helping me find the shell I lost?" She grinned at him impishly, her tail thudding against the floor. For the first time in her life she no longer felt ashamed of her clumsy forgetful nature. As he'd said, these faults were a part of who she was, a part of the dog that he loved.