Velo en Cascada You take the pretty and colour it dark

RE: Askan, blowing snow has disoriented you.
@Reyes ♥ ♥ ♥

Askan usually didn't mind winter but when it was like this, cold and biting, he had to agree with his mate that it was absolutely fucking shit. Heading out during a snowstorm hadn't been the smartest of moves, really it was pretty damn stupid, but if he had to spent a moment more with that stink he'd go insane, lose what few marbles he had left these days. In his defence, the weather hadn't been this ferocious when he'd set out in the early hours of the morning. It'd been snowing heavy, when he looked up at the sky he saw nothing but white, but the air had been relatively still, calm. Not for long though, apparently the weather was as changeable as Askan's temperament. So there he was, ducking against the roaring wind as he shuffled through the forest, hoping to find some form of shelter before he lost any of his extremities.

As luck would have it, there was a dark blur ahead. He pushed on, kicking up snow until he felt ice beneath his paws. He slowed, his claws digging down to stop himself from slipping, and took a minute to try and figure out where he was. If it wasn't for all the swirling white he would have no doubt recognised this place, remembered that this is where there legacy of Shallows Edge began. But in that moment all he saw was a cave, somewhere he could hide from the storm till it passed.

Stepping into the darkness, he shook the layer of snow off his coat and huffed as his tail fell back down, limp between his legs. What a shit show, but at least he was out the cold for now.

The breeding season bothered him. Not in the way it bothered females, obviously – he had no horrible fever, no itch threatening to kill him (or at least, his sisters described that once, they only year he’d been around during this time). But it still gnawed at him. Ate at him. Reminded him of things he couldn’t have, and made him feel pent up. Energetic in all the wrong ways.

Made him want to run.

Except, for once, his heart wasn’t really in it.

So Reyes did not go far from the Shallow’s Edge, only to a place he’d discovered upon first entering Relic Lore. He did not expect a sudden snow squall to pick up. He could only be glad he sort of knew where he was, and—

“…well. Fancy meetin’ you here, mi amor.”

Reyes circled once, planting his hefty frame next to Askan’s. He reached out to kiss his stupid nose – that stupid nose had no right to be so cute. So kissable. “What are you doin’ out here?”

holy moly, i forgot how charming gabi could be

If it had been anyone else Askan would have taken their nose off with a snap of his jaws. But Reyes had a uncanny way of slipping over Askan's defences as though it was nothing at all, as easy as breathing. It hadn't always been like this, their first few encounters were venomous and sometimes even bloody, and yet here they were, together, as though it was meant to be. It was funny, almost, how they always seemed to come together when it was cold, when the wind howled and shivers wracked their bones. And yet, there was no one Askan would rather warm up with, Reyes was all he wanted and more.

It appeared as though the season was getting to Reyes as well, except that he handled it with far more decorum than Askan could ever hope to achieve.

Askan's ears perked at the low, alluring, rumble of his mate's voice. When he put it like that it sounded as though it had been the Selwyn's intention to lure him away for some alone time which- wasn't a half bad idea, now that he thought about it. Ensuring that the Shallows was in working order took a lot of time and effort, it was only fair that they'd have some time to themselves every once and a while. It had been so long...Askan couldn't help but get a little hopeful.

"Mmm, you have wonderful timing. I was just thinking about you." He admitted, his tail tapping the floor as if to beckon his lover to come closer. Not that Reyes ever needed much encouragement.

Nor did Askan need any encouragement at all to accept the litany of kisses that came his way. He leaned into his mate's touch, going a little cross eyed as he tried to watch Reyes' tongue, before deciding that he probably (definitely) looked stupid and closed his eyes. If Reyes thought he could pull away without Askan stealing a couple of kisses of his own then he was wrong and should have honestly known better by now. They were equals through and through these days- not to mention that when it came to Reyes, Askan was greedy as hell. So he kissed him, a quick little swipe on his nose, before flicking his tongue around to wipe the snow off his muzzle. Only once he was satisfied-for now- did he pull away to regard his question.

"Well,"he began, reclining back against his lover as though he was his own personal armchair. His bulk and mass not only made him a damn fine piece of eye candy, but he was a great snuggle partner too. "Maybe I wanted you to come find me. Maybe I've been wanting your attention."

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

“Maybe you called to me.”

Maybe he didn’t, but it was a nice thought. Romantic, perhaps. It was the only time of year Reyes was all that romantic (or so he liked to think). He dragged his belly across the floor, not willing to get back to his feet once he’d settled down. Eventually, the kisses stopped – his muzzle was wet. The dark wolf lifted a paw, brushing it across the bridge of his muzzle as they took a brief break. (Thank fuck for this waterfall, really. Couldn’t imagine doing this near the pack – or the kids, dios mio. It was the small miracles.)

Askan reclined, and the older wolf rested his chin against his lover’s shoulders. His tail thumped slowly behind him. “Ah, see? Knew it was you.” Something had set his feet to wandering. His ears pricked forward and he wiggled a little closer. “Think we found a waterfall this time last year, too. Are we getting domestic, Askan? Is this our thing?”

He smirked. How saccharine.

Askan had never believed in fate or destiny. Anything that seemed too good to be true usually was just that, a facade that would crumble and leave nothing but ruin it it's wake. Yet, whilst their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start (that was putting it lightly)it was stronger than ever, their bond firm and undeniable, as though it was meant to be. Askan couldn't squeeze out a smidge of annoyance, nor could he force his typical Selwyn scowl. He was just too content, he didn't care how soft he was getting- that they were all domestic.

"Mmm, I think so." In that moment Askan would have probably agreed with anything his mate said. The sky was green? Sure it was. "Never thought we'd have anything, but you won me over. How'd you manage that?" He asked, his gaze not wondering from his lover's face. Holy shit, he was hot....Which wasn't to say Askan always thought he was but in that moment in particular, his eyes really did seem to shine in the dim light. Almost as though he wasn't real, a spectre of Askan's imagination.

His tail thumped at the ground in earnest. Maybe he was getting a little to into this, into him. Not that the Selwyn cared one bit, he wanted whatever Reyes would give him and had the intention of giving a little something back too, if he wanted. Cause that's how things worked between them, a back and forth rapport that ensured that they were forever and always equals.

"Got any more charming words for me today? Or has that river run dry?" He asked, with a wicked grin, his eyes gleaming with mirth.

“I dunno. Persistant. And I liked your face. Looked a lot like mine.”

Reyes snickered softly to himself, knowing well it had been a point of contention once. Frankly, these days, he didn’t think they looked anything alike. His undertones were cool, and Askan’s were warm. He had a face covered in scars. Askan’s mask was more pronounced. And those Selwyn yellow eyes… Yeah. It would be hard to mistake them for one another. But if you didn’t spend half of your day staring at Askan’s face, well. Maybe it would be harder to tell.

The small cave echoed with the sound of thumping tails. He leaned closer, shuffling and rearranging himself until he could reach the small spot on Askan’s back, between his shoulder blades. The fur was thickest there. For whatever reason, though, it was one of Reyes’ favorite places. Maybe it just smelled the most like Askan, or something equally as sappy. He didn’t think too hard on it, instead leaning in to nibble and groom, first his neck, then his ears, and then his face. They had a private moment. Might as well make the best of it.

“Para ti, mi amor, el río nunca se secará. Tú eres mi cielo y estrellas. Mi único corazón. Si me pidieras que te persiguiera por la luna, lo haría por ti, con gusto.”

ooof

"So it was like seeing your reflection? You vain bastard." Askan rumbled, only to shake his head as a yet another smile formed on his lips. His cheeks were starting to ache, he'd filled up his monthly smiling quota in one day. Damn. Reyes was good, really fucking good at this mate milarky.

"Not that I blame you, of course." He settled once more, enjoying the familiar weight that settled upon the small of his back."If I look anything like you that means I'm handsome, right?" Or at the very least that's how it added up in his mind.

It soon became apparent that Reyes had plenty of charm left up his sleeve and-holy shit. Even after his talk with Cancer, Askan was far from fluent in Espangy. He didn't understand a word he'd said but...it sounded really really nice, all deep and rumbly with a rhythm the common tongue couldn't even get close to. Better yet, Askan could feel the words as his mate uttered them. They sunk into his skin, warm and heady, and went straight to his spine like a flash of lightning. Askan shivered.

"Uh..what does..." He shook his head, deciding he didn't want to know what it meant. It sounded better this way. "That's uh...kind of hot, you know?" Very hot. Phew, was it warm in there?

Oh yeah.

That was the good shit, right there. It was a rare day Reyes said more than a curse (or several) in his native tongue (out loud – his internal monologue was another story entirely), but, well, his mate had asked very nicely. Maybe not in so many words, but this was the result he’d set out for. If wolves could purr… The older alpha had to settle for a deep, near-constant rumbling in his chest, interrupted only when he had to inhale.

His tail thumped loudly against the ground, breaking the silence as Askan’s brain screeched to a halt and started smoking, a pile of wreckage as glassy yellow eyes stared back at Reyes. Oh, yes. He still had it.

The wolf leaned forward, sweeping kisses across his mate’s snout. “I’m kind of hot, I know. It ain’t news, mi amor. But you know, it’s for your benefit. Just for you. Only you.”

Askan hadn't quite recovered yet, nor would he anytime soon. Not with his mate so close, his words so rumbly and alluring. Askan had never had an interest in smooth talkers, their words bounced right off of him like water off a duck's back. If anything, they were an annoyance, an unwelcome advance he'd shove off with bared teeth and snarled words. But Reyes? Askan, for the life of him, didn't know how his mate managed it. If anyone else spoke to Askan like this....it would be repulsive, sickening, and would make his skin crawl. But this felt as natural and as easy as breathing, as though they belonged.

"All mine." It felt good to say it, to know it was the truth.

Askan allowed his eyes to flit closed as his mate spoiled him. As lovely as this was, it was all a little one sided. Perhaps Askan ought to do more, maybe it was time to put his practice into action. He licked his lips, savouring the taste of his mate's kisses. He could do this, for his mate he would.

"You're not the only one who can say nice things in....Espangy?" He was pretty sure that wasn't it but whatever, he'd gotten to grips with other words better, or so he hoped. He cleared his throat and inhaled slowly. It was okay, he could do this.

"Tus ojos son... galaxies, he began, his words clanky and stiff. But he was trying here, he really was. Even if he was murdering the Spanish language in the process."Y quiero explore cada estrella. Tu pelaje es un bosky, en el que soy adicto a purderme. Uh...Tu contact-to se quema como el hielo y nunca quiero que nos des- dezcongelemos."

Ooof.

He huffed out a sigh, in part relived that he'd made an attempt-a heartfelt one at that- but on the other paw he worried that Reyes would react in one of two ways. Either he wouldn't understand a word he'd said, or he did and instead of being flattered-grateful?- he'd be real offended instead. As though Askan had gone out of his way to insult everything and everyone he held dear.

His tail tapped slowly at the rock beneath him, he was cooling down now. He licked his lips again, put of nervousness rather than desire. Either this would get him laid or thrown out into the snowstorm....he hoped it would be the former.

TLDR:Askan is basically trying to badly recite what Cancer told him to say