((I am sooooo, soooo sorry that this is late >.<))


Awaking to the bird's calls and the sun just barely peeking over the horizon, Spirit looked upon the slightly lit pack ground from the bottom of his tree where he slept. The male noticed something peculiar about it. "Hm..." He mumbled. "I wonder why no one is awake yet." Yawning, the male got up and stretched. Spirit began to walk towards the forest known as the Neutral Territories. On his walk back to Helidos, Nyx had told him of these areas. He had heard her talk about the Mirror Lakes and how she wanted to visit it but never had the chance to. The brute remembered her description of this area. How it always seemed so relaxing. He thought about his encounter with the blue-brown eyed female and decided to take a spin around the "special" lakes. Spirit felt his heart start to pound faster as he imagined her snow-white fur, her gorgeous face, and lastly, her eyes. Whenever she looked at him, it seemed that she was really looking at him instead of past him, that she was looking into this male. Shaking his head to stop himself, he found that he was just about 35 feet away from the lake. "Crud!" He yelled. "I wasn't paying attention! Again!!" Sighing, he sauntered over to the edge of the lake. The male dropped onto his belly and looked into the water at his own reflection. He looked into his own cold, gray eyes, smiling to try and put life into them, yet gave up. He scanned over his thick coat of browns and blacks, wishing it looked more exciting. He rested his head on his paws and rated himself as a boring, unmatable brute who couldn't get a fae if he tried. He immediately remembered Nyx, but felt guilty. "What about Creek?" He wondered. "I told her I'd wait for her, and try again..." He shut his eyes tightly and told himself that everything will work out. Eventually. He laid there, waiting for something, anything. His gut told him to stay so that was exactly what he was going to do.

A sliver of light shown in her otherwise dark den. It was basically a large hole in the ground, hidden under a cluster of tree roots. The area was spacey, though the entrance was only large enough for one to enter at a time. Nyx loved her den all the same. The beam of light warmed her snowy fur and alerted her of the day's presence. Stretching, Nyx yawned and wiggled her way out of her den. The roots rubbed along her ribs and stretched out her bunched up muscles. Since coming to Erenyx, she hadn't done much besides mark the borders with the pack scent. The fae had kept thinking back to the others she had left, two of them in particular. The first was her sister, Ember. Nyx hadn't left her since the injury but Ember had insisted she do what felt right. The other wolf had been the one known as Spirit. He had been so kind to her on their first meeting, had given her compliments no one had ever before. She had never seen one such as him before. Nyx laughed as she remembered why they had met. He was lost, trying to find his way back to the clearing. The fae couldn't help but smile as she made her way off of the territory. This would be her first time attempting such a feat since she had switched packs. Nyx wandered around aimlessly until she saw a lake. The water seemed to call to her and suddenly she wanted a nice, long swim. Waters like this had never looked so still to her before, nor the grass so green. She walked to the water and looked down at herself, her different colored eyes. There was nothing she could do about them but she didn't care what others thought of her.

Just as she was about to step into the water a breeze drifted across her nose. That scent was familiar to her, though she couldn't place it exactly. Following in its direction, she rounded a bush to see none other than Spirit. Her heart rate picked up and her tail began to wag. Nyx had done some growing since they'd last seen each other. Now she was fully grown and of average size. Training had put muscle on her bones as well as a diet of deer and other prey. She hoped he noticed those things was she walked up to him, her head low. "Hello stranger. Long time, no see." A smile lit her face as she looked at his gray eyes.

Being upwind, he could just barely smell the aroma of the trees and flowers swirling around him. Opening his eyes, he just barely caught a whiff of a scent he hadn't smelt before. Confused, he tried to close his eyes once more, convincing himself that it was nothing. He then heard Nyx's voice. He jumped up, startled, then looked to her with wide eyes. "H-hey Nyx. Yea, long time huh." Smiling at the female, he relaxed a bit. He looked to her shoulders, realizing that they were broader than before, but still just as graceful. She came closer to his size, but still he could look down upon her. Even if her body had indeed changed, her eyes still stayed the same. Still beautiful, still stunning, still hypnotizing. "Well now," he circled her a tad, "someone has been working exceptionally hard." He grinned a big toothy grin and spoke to her in a playful tone, "I'm sure that Azul and Steele are very proud of you. Though Steele probably worked you half to death, of course." He laughed a bit. "So, since..." He trailed off, hoping he wouldn't have to remind her how he got lost. "Yea.. Well, what have you been up to? I haven't exactly been in a whole lot of camp meetings. Any mate or thinking of one in particular? I mean it's ok if you don't have a male in mind or anything." He looked away, towards the waters, feeling his heart race quicker as he talked. The faster his heart beat, the faster his mouth seemed to move. 'Why?' He wondered. he looked at Nyx and something inside him just clicked. 'No' He thought. 'No, no, no, no. I can't like both Nyx AND Creek!' He showed nothing in his eyes or on his maw, but in his brain Spirit was just going nuts! He kept thinking to himself to try and calm down. 'It's nothing, Nyx is just pretty. You are still going for Creek, remember?' He tried to tell himself that is was nothing, more that once, but each time he did, he felt less and less convinced. He sat, hoping that she couldn't see through him and turn him down, never speaking to him again. Feeling a bit awkward with some of his thoughts of Creek and Nyx, he shifted on the grass.

The fae smiled as Spirit jumped. She knew he was jumpy, but she hadn't meant to scare him like that. Her paws padded around nervously on the ground, knowing this male made her jumpy as well. Nyx quietly rolled her eyes playfully as he circled her, smiling at him. "I hadn't meant to scare you, forgive me. Yes, I trained hard and I grew up. You're still bigger than me though. Not to death, he pushed me hard and trained me right." She tried to stretch up on her paws and be the same height as him, she stopped with a defeated sigh. The fae sat and curled her tail around her paws, smiling at his questioning. "Well, as you've probably heard, Steele created a pack of his own. I'm the elite female of his pack now, and no mate. I don't try to attract males. None have come to mind, but that will sure change if I find the right one." Nyx let out a soft laugh at his ramblings, trying not to do so herself. She had missed seeing him, stumbling upon him now made her happy. A soft thumping came around her paws, alerting her that her tail was wagging involuntarily. She hoped he thought nothing of it or that it was pure friendliness. "Is there something wrong, Spirit? What have you been doing in the time I haven't seen you? Find yourself a mate, perhaps?" The fae spoke softly, seeing the trouble in his eyes. Confusion came into her own eyes, looking at her friend's conflicted face. Her heart beat picked up as she tried to meet his eyes. Nyx liked Spirit, but she wasn't sure of herself. Last time she heard rumors saying he was in love with Creek, and Nyx could respect that. Creek was a beautiful wolf in her own right, though she was disappointed in herself for liking on who was already taken. She shifted uncomfortably on the grass and looked at him, her heart thudding rapidly in her chest. "If you wanted to be alone or was waiting for someone, I can leave... "

Seeing her smile at his reaction made him blush. Laughing, he replied playfully. "Oh really?" Spirit then nodded, forgiving her. "I see, well I'm glad that Steele didn't kill you." He chuckled. Noticing her attempt to look at him eye to eye, he leaned down to her level, smiling. Confused, he tilted his head. "Really? Steele left? Whoa." Spirit perked his ears in voluntarily when she said she had no mate. His tail began to shift, glad that he had a chance. He stopped cold when she said that she didn't think of any males. "So you hadn't thought of," he emphasized this next word, "any??" Seeing movement in the corner of his eye, he looked down slightly. 'Is she.. Happy?' The male began to feel a second thump but it wasn't her tail. Nervous that he was going to break his promise with Creek, he took a deep breath to calm his heart. Coming back to reality, he rose back up to his own height. "Oh no no, I was only thinking. Oh you know, I slept, walked around some. Nothing much actually." Startled about her question of him finding a mate, he rose his brow. "Nope, I am waiting for that special wolf. Although," he looked into her eyes, "I think something is telling me where to find one." Seeing her shift as he did, he knew that she felt uncomfortable. "N-no, no, no. I just came here because I heard from you that it was quite beautiful. I was also hoping to come across an angelic snowy white female with eyes like no one had ever seen." He sighed out those words as he looked into her radiant eyes.

"Really. Yes, Steele left. My loyalties had lay with him since the day I got here. I'm in his pack now, but I smell that you're still in Helidos. Are you happy there, being treated right?" The smile never left her face, but she was concerned for him. Nyx cared dearly for him, and if he was happy then she would be. His reaction to finding she didn't have a mate made her curious, but she quickly dismissed it with his next question. She shifted uncomfortably, looking down at her paws. How was she supposed to tell the male that it was him she had thought of? Nyx quickly turned her head to the ground, looking up at him with her eyes. "Well, yes, I have thought of one male. Though I don't think he knows that I like him so much." Not being able to finish the rest, she gave him a look that practically screamed "it's you." Her tail twitched back and forth as it thumped against the ground, wagging gently. She smiled ad laughed softly as he spoke to her of what he had been doing, but her ears perked forward at the answer to her mate question. Nyx swallowed, her heart thumping in her chest. The fae remained a calm facade, looking at Spirit curiously. "Oh really? Where does that something tell you to find that 'special wolf'?" She was reassured when he said she didn't half to leave, but the words he spoke next made her small smile become a large one. The playful tone in her voice rang true as she flicked her ears around happily. "So you were hoping to see someone? You must think highly of her for you to describe her in such a way. Mirror lake is quite beautiful, I'm glad you took my advice." She had a good idea as to who he had hoped to see, but she didn't want to immediately assume it was her. There were plenty of females that could be described in such a way.

He smiled, glad that she was with a pack that could protect her, but when she asked if he was happy, he dropped his gaze. "Yes." He confirmed, "I am indeed being treated right, but to your other question on my happiness there..." He looked back up, involuntarily looking at her with sad eyes. "For some reason, I feel empty there." He instantly remembered how much he smiled and laughed when he was near her, how his heart is racing even while they talk. 'It's her.' He realized. 'Not Creek. This never happened with Creek.' His gaze slightly widened, surprised at his finding. Hearing the answer to his own question, his ears perked. "R-really? Who is he? What's he like? I mean... So I could get you an answer from him." He awkwardly tried to laugh, but it ended up sounding fake. As he looked at her, he could almost see her true feelings. 'No, dude, you're imagining things. She'll tell you if the male she thought of was you or not.' He thought to himself. Unable to help it, his tail began to thump in sync with hers. Hearing her next question made him think. 'Where is it telling me to look?' "Well, oddly enough," he said, "it's telling me that I'll find her here." He blushed slightly and looked to the ground. He then glanced towards the waters. "I do think highly of her. Her eyes show two side of her, one being the beautiful blue, and the other the golden brown, her strength." He chuckled, knowing that he gave it away. "I am glad as well." He looked back to her, smiling, waiting for her response.

The fae’s ears went back slightly at his comment of feeling empty. A little glimmer of hope rested in the back of her mind, thinking all by itself without her permission. ‘Maybe is he feels like that at Helidos.... He could maybe, just maybe come to Erenyx.’ On the outside, Nyx spoke in a concerned tone. “Why do you think you feel empty there? Maybe your missing something or someone?” The fae knew that she had missed him terribly, but her new duties as an elite had kept her mind off of such things. Instead, she had taken comfort within the hunting and welcoming new wolves into the pack. Now, as she looked at him, her heart sped up in its rhythmic beating. She was instantly shy when he asked her who the male was. Looking down, she spoke. “I’d rather not tell you who he is, but you can guess and I’ll tell you if you’re right.” A sly look crossed her face as she gave him clues, very large ones at that. “When I met him, he was lost but a very gentleman about it. I admire him and have missed him since he is among Helidos at the moment. I came upon him here today, just a few moments ago and I’m speaking to him right now.” Nyx didn’t think she could put a bigger “It’s you” sign on her clues than she just had. At his tail’s wagging, her began to wag more easily as it curled around her paws. The next words he spoke made her tail wag even more happily, realizing he was talking about her. She decided to see how much she could get him to say. “This female you think so highly of, do you think she could be ‘that special wolf’? The tone in your voice tells me you care for her highly, and I can’t help but be curious.” The look in her eyes let him know she knew it was her, but she couldn’t help but want to hear him confess more. She would do the same, but was reveling in the fun of the game. The fae’s ears had flicked forward and a smile came upon her face. She nodded to the lake and flicked her eyes back to him. “Would you care to take a swim with me? We can paddle around as you tell me about this female you think so highly of.” Nyx stood and walked to the water, being careful not to slip in like should would have if she were alone.  Standing in the shallow parts of the water, she watched and waited to see if Spirit would follow her.

At seeing the female's ears twitch back, Spirit shifted to comfort her, knowing it was his fault. He stopped, playing it off as though his foot cramped. Listening to her question, he replied. "I honestly.. don't know." He answered, genuinely confused. "Though, I think that I am missing someone, someone I met recently." His gray eyes looked to her blue, then to her orange. Confused that she was looking down, he tilted his head. His heart thumped faster as he thought of her answer. 'You.' Her voice seemed to whisper in his head. 'Nah.' He thought. 'Not you, probably some other male from her own pack, you know.' Hearing her angelic voice once more, he snapped back into reality. After she was done speaking, he steadily put the pieces together. "Helidos.. You came upon him a few moments ago..." His eyes widened at their full extent when he realized the last clue. "M-me?" The male felt as though his heart would pop right out of his chest. He tried to slow his heart by taking heavy breaths, but it only ended up making his heart beat faster. Seeing her somewhat ease up, he loosened his shoulders, making sure to make be so rigid. From her next question rose a smile. "Yes." He simply replied. "Though, my problem is that I don't especially know if she thinks the same of me." He turned slightly to the water, trying to hide his ever growing grin.  As he looked back to her, he saw a hint of a sparkle in her eyes. He couldn't help but stare into her eyes, falling deeper and deeper. Noticing that she was waiting for his answer, he shook his head slightly and looked to the lake again. "Sure." He responded. "I'd love to." Following her to the edge of the lake, he took an unfortunate step and ended up face down into the water. Breaking the surface, his body soaked to the bone, he laughed. "Come on in!" He yelled to her. "The water's great!" He began to paddle around, trying to get her to believe that he fell in on purpose. Swimming around to look at her, he motioned for her to jump in. He awaited her next actions.

Standing there in the water, Nyx listened to his words quietly and with a smile. The fae didn’t think it possible to be happier than at this moment, but apparently she could be. Cool liquid stirred around her paws and went halfway up her legs. Raising a paw, Nyx pawed and stirred at the water. It was quite funny to her, how much she enjoyed water. She took quiet comfort at the weightlessness she felt in it, the stretch and relax of her muscles when she swam. Her thoughts were slapped back into reality when Spirit spoke. The fae’s ears flicked forwards in interest and a smile crossed her face. His words made her lift her soaked tail and begin its happy wag. “Well, maybe the same someone missed you back. In fact, I believe they missed you greatly.” Turning her head down, she quickly took a drink to relax her nerves and shake herself of all the jitters she was feeling. Spirit’s first guess was correct, and she expected it to be. The male she had been thinking of was him, but her clues were rather obvious. Looking back up at him, she smiled. “Yes, Spirit. The male would be you.” Taking a few steps forwards, Nyx sunk further into the water so it brushed against her sides. She looked up at him and her smile widened with every word that answered her.

Nyx watched with slight worry as he went to tumble into the water. The fae went to jump after him but jerked back as the spray of the splash covered her neck and back. She shook her head and tried to get any excess water from covering her ears. As he told her to get in, she began to laugh before moving so the water encased her back and up her neck. When she couldn’t stay up with her paws still touching, she kicked up and began to paddle around. She quickly made her way towards Spirit and swam around him in circles. “I’m glad to know you think this female is to be the special one you search for. I can tell you honestly that she indeed does feel the same as you, Spirit.” Nyx quietly moved around the water, looking for fish below the surface but finding none. Her paws stirred up the ground below and made giant clouds of dirt and sand a she waited for him to speak.

((I hope that you can forgive my lateness))

He noticed her tail begin to wag, spraying water everywhere behind her, as well as the smile that sneaked its way across her maw. He chuckled at the sight. Yet, when she said that the same someone missed him back, his assumption was proven to be rock solid. His paws inched towards where the female stood. As she lifted her head, he stopped, hoping she didn't notice. "So I was right, you were thinking of me!" Spirit exclaimed with glee. Recomposing himself, he spoke once more. "And of course, you already know that I was thinking of you. Still am actually...." His voice trailed out as he watched her sink deeper into the water.

Just as his head breached the water, he began to bark with joy. "It's so refreshing!" He yelled out. He watched her slowly move in and made a note to himself to never push her into the water. Seeing that she was having little fun swimming around, he decided to do something new. He grinned to Nyx and dunked his own head underwater, his ears folded over to keep the water out. Spirit swam around himself then under Nyx. His paws paddled as fast as they could. The male then swam behind Nyx and lifted his head for air. As he did, his tail curled around hers. "Hello there." He simply said, his smiled widening as he saw her beautiful coat and eyes. His own was glued to his frame, making him look smaller than before, but still just as buff. Spirit hoped that he hadn't frightened her so before doing anything else, he awaited her response.

Nyx couldn’t help the giggles that bubbled up as she looked at Spirit. She wasn’t laughing at him per say, but rather she was lost in the joy of the moment and being around him. The happiness she gave out around him was not something she could help, Nyx had a certain warmth to the brute. He was adorable yet she got the feeling he could handle his own if he needed. With Spirit, there was some sort of inaudible ‘click’ as if her happiness was built up around him. The fae continued to paddle through the water as she thought these things, not aware of the brute that swam beneath her until his tail touched hers. At first she jumped and prepared to snap, scared that some sort of monster had come from the water to eat her alive. But when she turned to snap, the creature she adored stood there with his tail curled around her own. The fae laughed softly and moved closer to him to nudge his muzzle with her own. “Well hello there,” she said and licked his cheek quickly out of her pure joy of the moment. Her ears were perked forwards and she felt like there were butterflies in her stomach, nervous and excited. Nyx smiled and splashed water at him playfully, gesturing to him. “Would you like some water with that water?” She laughed and wagged her tail, watching him.

Seeing her almost snap at him, he lowered himself further into the water, but still to where he could breath and see her beautiful features. As she relaxed, he leaned up and felt her maw touch his. Warmth struck his cheeks even as the cold water swirled around them, stinging his backside. "M-my my, Nyx." His cheeks burned with joy and excitement as she licked his cheek. His ears straightened, just as hers did for he too felt excitement coursing through his body. This feeling grew with each second he swam next to her. Just as he was about to lick her back, he felt a splash of cold sear his muzzle and forehead. Laughter filled his ears. This laughter, he soon realized, was from none other than Nyx, his love. "But of course." He remarked. He then retaliated, splashing her back. He paddled away, using his tail as a propeller, not wishing to be beaten in a splashing contest. The male then jumped up onto the shore, hugging his soaked and shivering body close to the ground. Slowly getting up, Spirit shook his fur, spraying water droplets everywhere, creating a rainbow. His fur fell in awkward positions; leaning to the left, then to the right, and even sticking up. A puff ball is what he looked like, nothing more and nothing less. His own fur betrayed him for he looked like an idiot. This is exactly what he thought at that moment. He motioned for Nyx to come out as well. "Hm...?" He mumbled. He awaited for her action as he stood there, shivering.

The fae bounded around in the water, only slipping a few times in her hasty excitement of their reunion. Her eyes were wide and bright with the happiness she exhumed from being around him. Nyx was quick to follow him out of the water, water spraying fro her in all directions as she bounded along the ground happily. Her mouth was parted and her tongue lolled, panting as she returned to him with a wagging tail. Her white fur clung to her body, making her look like a way oversized drowned rat. Nonetheless, she looked a Spirit with a certain and special look that was for none other than him. During that time, she was willing and did forget about the difficulties they were going to have in order for their feelings to be known. Her focus was solely on being near him, not much else mattered to her during her time with him. It was their safe haven, the two hearts reuniting as they had been waiting to do for a while. Her revelation had been a rather large leap in the perspective of her past events. She didn’t even know what she was feeling, but it made her never want to part from him. The fae wanted to take him back to her pack with her, show him her home and make it his as well. Her heart stuttered and thumped in her chest with each thought of what could be as she looked at him and his shivering appearance. She looked at him for a few moments, sympathetic to the slight shaking of his form and wanting to be dry to warm him. Though unfortunately, being soaked to the bone herself, she wouldn’t be able to do such a thing. Nyx padded over to him anyways, smiling and bouncing slightly with each step.

Shaking out her fur, the fae’s fur stood up in spikes. They seemed like blades of white along her fur though she waited long enough until she was in a semi-dry state. Nyx walked over to Spirit and rested her head on his shoulders, nuzzling him and working on cleaning his fur as well. The actions were involuntary, but she was more than willing to dry and warm him up. “Oh Spirit, you’re simply adorable.” Nyx spoke in the playful tone of a regal creature, smiling at him with a teasing smirk. Once he was dry enough she sat next to him and leaned against him, sharing her warmth with him because he was still shivering. The last thing she wanted was for him to catch a cold or be ill at all. Though she also didn't mind the closeness to him. When they parted, she would be happily leaving him hopefully to make a den in Erenyx and having his scent layered with the one her pack held. He couldn't claim her and she couldn't claim him, so their scents would have to do. Nyx nudged him with her muzzle and head a few times, laughing softly.