Welcome to Gaia! ::

The blankets atop her shifted as Wolframite sat up beside her. She stirred beside him as he stretched but couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes just yet. When he moved to get out of bed, Laven lazily reached out to touch his arm in a wordless request to stay but instead barely brushed her fingertips against the side of his tail as he slipped out from under the comforter and out of the room.

It was nice to, for the first time in almost a full year, sleep in an actual bed. Yes, the dorms provided them will full-size ones to sleep on but that was hardly suitable for two despite their heights.

Laven rolled over to where he had been laying. The warmest spot on the bed, for now at least.

It wasn’t until after they escaped the Shadow Realm that Wolframite had the idea to move his bed into her room, it required a bit of rearranging but for them, it worked. Minimized the risk of him rolling off the bed or her being wedged between her mattress and the wall at her back.

The new set up worked well but had one drawback that she found kind of annoying at times. Between the two beds was that seam where the mattresses met. It was uncomfortable to lay on and if it wasn’t that they were going to start working toward the renovation soon she would have bought a foam top to cover the gap. A temporary fix but ultimately an unnecessary purchase once they moved out of that place.

Minutes passed before the smell of fresh coffee wafted into the cool room and Laven was finally able to rouse herself awake enough to draw in a deep breath and stretch as he did. Reluctantly she crawled out of bed wearing her normal pajamas, sunset-colored paisley bottoms with a black tank top; the other pair she brought was hidden in the bottom of her suitcase on the off chance she was able to gather the courage to wear it for him.

From the dresser, she pulled out a knitted sweater and pulled it on before meeting Wolframite in the kitchen. “Good morning,” she said sleepily before taking a seat at the breakfast nook. “Sleep well?”

Before he could be so quick as to pull away, Laven reached up with a claw tipped hand to cup his cheek and pull him back for an actual kiss. She nipped at his lower lip then smiled innocently and leaned her forehead against his. “Coffee sounds amazing.”

Happiness was by no means a foregin emotion but something about this morning put her in a mood that was inexplicably different in some way. Perhaps it was that she was simply at peace by the scenery of the place they had chosen, or overjoyed by the feeling of sun caressing her skin and warming her scales. Whatever the reason may be, there was no doubt in her mind that she attributed much of it to him.

Months had been spent looking forward, and working hard, to make it to this day and now that it was finally here she felt like it was definitely worth the wait. “I can help with the eggs if you’d like.” She offered, turning to rest her elbows on the counter Laven glanced outside.

It had been snowing heavily the night before and now that it was light out she could see just how much had accumulated overnight.

“We should go on a walk after breakfast,” she suggested.

The trails would undoubtedly be covered by the aftermath of the storm from last night along with the likelihood of fallen branches that would have snapped under the weight of snow piled atop them. But Wolframite was familiar with the woods and had a good sense of tracking with all the hunting he’s done that Laven felt confident enough in him that they wouldn’t get lost.

With her hot cup of coffee held between both hands, she listened to the sound of bacon sizzling on the stovetop filling the cabin with the most amazing scents that made her stomach growl. After testing the temperature of her drink with her upper lip, Laven took a sip then let it sit for a moment as she then got up and walked over to the fridge and grabbed the carton of eggs and the half-gallon of milk.

Next, she walked over to the cabinets and grabbed a bowl and from below it, she opened a drawer to get a fork. “How many eggs would you like?” He had asked her that same question a moment ago but since he was working on the meat she could handle this for him. Less chance of burning something if they made breakfast together.

The tranquility of this place made her wonder if they could, maybe sometime in the future, save enough to buy a cabin like this of their own. Someplace in a secluded area where nobody would think to look, in an area where the sun could peek through the gaps between the curtains. It was a nice thought to consider but the practicality of it made turning the thought into reality more difficult.

But for now, she intended to take this moment for what it was worth and hold onto it greedily because she had no idea if, or when, they would get another chance like this again.

“I admit,” Laven picked up one of the eggs and cracked it on the edge of the bowl. “For a long while it seemed like December was so far away, that time stood at a standstill keeping this vacation hostage, just barely out of reach. But then we got a week away and suddenly I was scrambling for more time to get ready.” Like someone had put her life on slow-mo for months then at the last second hit fast forward just to see if she’d trip.

She added the last of the five eggs into the bowl then added a dash of milk and began mixing it together with the back of the fork while the pan heated up.

“Well then,” Laven stepped away from her temporary work station while the stovetop heated up. “Tell me, what can we do to slow down time so we can enjoy this sanctuary we’ve made for ourselves?”

She moved so she could lean against the counter beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder lazily, a content smile upon her lips. This little cabin they had rented made it feel like they were in a winter wonderland, a snowglobe of their own making where nothing outside this moment, this place, existed nor mattered.

For now, they were free to simply be as they were made to be. Two half-youma existing in a world of their own.

“What memories do you want to make while we’re here?” Laven asked, looping her arm through his so she could hold onto his hand.

Oh how far they had come in the few months they had been together. Rather than shying away from his touch, she leaned into him, relishing the feeling of his arm around her. It went without saying that it would be a lie to say she didn’t enjoy the attention he gave.

An excited shiver rippled down her spine with each press of his lips against her scales and skin.

Her eyes flitted shut when he kissed her neck and in response, she leaned her head to the side to give him better access. However, it was the second kiss that pulled from her that illusive purring sound.

Laven hummed thoughtfully when he turned the question back on her then released his hand and turned around so they were face to face.

“I would like memories of relaxing on the couch under a pile of blankets watching a holiday movie.” Her hands came up to card lithe fingers through his long hair, running sharp nails over his scalp in the process. Cupping the back of his ears she ran her thumbs over the edge of them then.

“Memories of taking photos of you opening your Christmas gifts.” With a little bit of pressure on the back of his head she encouraged him to lean his head forward as she rose up onto her toes and kissed his brow.

“Memories of catching snowflakes with our tongues.” A silly activity she used to do as a kid. “Or go sledding down a hill side.” She nuzzled his cheek before giving him a kiss there too.

“Memories of building a snowman together.” Laven touched the tip of her nose to his and gave him an Eskimo kiss before capturing his lips with her own in a tender if not chaste kiss.

“And whatever else.” She added with a smile and small n**.

Laven moulded her body into his, with their similar heights she fit perfectly within the circle of his arms.

Wolframite's low growl caused a shiver to race up her spine, not because the was scared or afraid but because of the posessiveness associated with the sound; it excited her youma nature in a way that could not be described.

An almost electrifying tingling sensation raced through her body leaving a trail of goosebomps in its wake.His hot breath against the side of her neck and sharp teeth against delicate flesh were opposing sensations that nearly caused her to go weak in the knees. Instead she leaned into him. She paused with a small gasp in mild surprise that quickly faded into amusement as she looked at him with a mischievous twinkle in her glacial blue eyes.

“Is that a henshin pen you’re hiding in your pocket?” She asked coyly with a purr. “ Or are you just happy to see me?” Her grin spread from ear to ear.

“Depending on your answer,” She whispered in his ear, voice low and secretive as if someone might be listening from the other room. “I might be swayed to postpone breakfast and take you up on your first offer.” Without having to worry about someone walking in or overhearing them if they got too loud, Laven felt more free to just simply be and enjoy the time she had with him, however fleeting as it may be.

Being this forward was definitely still rare but she was still trying to be more open with moving forward.

Three months together, but even before then they had been sleeping in the same bed for a few weeks longer than that. He had been patient and understanding of her insecurities but she had brought along something special to wear; something more so for him than herself, so why not use it as an opportunity to try it on?