She just laid her head back against the wall of the den, closing her eyes for a brief second. All her body and her mind wanted to do was sleep - she had exhausted herself today with all of her casting, and though she felt powerful as a result, her blood was screaming at her to stop.

She just wanted....she just wanted this to be perfect when Tenn came back. She wanted him to be happy and compliment her and raise her up and hug her in that special way he did, when she felt like the most wonderful thing in the world.

If she was honest to herself...the only reason she was so adamant to be skillful was for him. In being powerful, she was useful to him, and in going around healing other gems, she had stories to bring back and tell him when she made her long way back to their home in Polaris. She loved talking with him and she loved his little sparkle of pride she could see in his eyes when she told him of who she'd saved - it made her feel....

...special.

No one made her feel like that but him.

So she took a deep breath and told herself she could just sleep if she did this one thing, just this one, last thing. And she did it, the magic in her listened, and the moss rooted and spread all throughout the floor of the den, reaching under her and cushioning her with its vivid, soft growth. She sighed in happy contentment, and when she laid herself down to finally sleep, her only thought was that Tenn would love this when he came back.

Tennessee

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play

The little lemur had been out working in Polaris. Gathering up extra cave deer for the ranch and working on some techniques with Buckthorn. It was always good to ride the wild deer and help get him even further in line with their training. Now, he went to the far side of Polaris and went in circles with Buckthorn. Tugging on the reins in combination with kicks at the creature's side. It seemed to be going good and before he knew it the lights of Polaris began to dim. The gray deer was beginning to be lathered in sweat while he himself was out of breath.

The lemur dismounted and began to lead the deer away. For once he had no trouble leading, possibly due to the animal's tired state. Everything was going quietly... until he noticed something new in the distance near his ranch. There was a huge tree with something made inside of it. Tennessee's curiosity was piqued. Had his little, special somebody been making new things for the ranch? She was just so talented! He was so lucky to have her around.

After putting Buckthorn back into his pen Tenn immediately made his way over to the tree where he quickly climbed his way up. There he found the most incredible little den with the softest moss cushioning the ground. Seated in the middle was Cayenne, her beautiful black fur only enhancing the appearance of the cozy place.

The red lemur smiled and quietly made his way over to her where he sat down next to her and gently put one paw on her shoulder. "Cayenne, Cayenne sweetheart wake up." He cooed softly in her ear. He knew she was sleeping but he just had to tell her what an amazing job she had done.

"Speech" | 'Thoughts'

OOC | ---
Words | 298
Tags | @Cayenne
Muse | 5/10

Cayenne turned a little, her eyes flickering open lazily, resting, half-lidded. She sighed a little through her nose and when she saw him, she smiled, still hazy from sleep. He was calling her sweetheart, and the only thing in her head was the leftover wish that he would like what she had made. He was smiling, so, that was good, she thought.

"Nn...I made...a tree, Tenn." She said, sitting up, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand, mindful of her sharp, glinting finger in the low light of the treeden. The flower ring rested against that finger. "You were saying we should have somewhere to sleep, right?"

She looked at the ring, then quickly put her hand down, grinning and blushing down at the mossy floor.

Tennessee

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play

The lemur smiled at his companion, eyes shining with pride and happiness. Golly, wasn't she adorable when she was half asleep. The cowboy threw one arm around her shoulder hesitantly, hoping that she wouldn't mind the close contact. "Yeah, but I didn't expect nothin' so amazin'! Yer incredible, Miss Cayenne! You must have been workin' all day! You must be exhausted... You need't'sleep. An'... An'... What's that ya got there?" he pointed one hand to the little ring she wore on her gem finger. Gentle he reached out to try and touch it if she would allow. "That's awful pretty. where'd ya get it?" His pale blue eyes raised from the ring to her eyes wondering if she too had made such a pretty thing.

"Speech" | 'Thoughts'

OOC | ---
Words | ---
Tags | @Cayenne
Muse | 5/10

He put an arm around her shoulder and she nestled into the crook of his arm, smiling sleepily, accepting his compliments with sleep-softened humor. He was so sweet and kind and wonderful, and all the struggle and frustration she went through in practicing and making the tree was worth it to hear his heart-felt words.

And then he asked what that ring was and she looking up at him with sleepy eyes and a soft smile. "I was tired and playing around...and I was thinking you might've given me something like this. It was just a passing fancy."

She focused, however on his own hand and while she spoke, he might've felt the teeniest, tiniest little pin prick in the web in between his fingers were a tiny little tendril came and wrapped around his finger and bloomed with the same similar little flower. She burrowed more into his embrace, her eyes half open, smiling to herself, her hand resting over his heart.

The reason she gave for having the ring made him melt on the inside. Now, he needed to go find her something real nice. Perhaps another ring or maybe something really fancy that she could wear around her neck... A necklace? Perhaps even a bracelet? He didn't know but for her he'd search to the ends of the earth until he found it! "Well, I think it's gorgeous, sweetheart." He said sincerely, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Yes... She deserved something really really nice for all her hard work. For and foremost that needed to be a nap.

At first Tennessee didn't feel the little prick, instead he was focused on Cayenne as he pulled her closer and leaned his head against hers in an sweet embrace. One paw came up and held hers... that was when he saw it. His eyes blinked open wide at the beautiful flowered ring on his finger. "Boy howdy, ain't that gorgeous. Miss Cayenne, now, yer gonna hurt yerself one day doin' all this stuff." He couldn't even sound stern with her because he was too happy that she was so talented and wanted to make him so happy.

He pulled her in even closer now as he closed his eyes and listened to her quiet breathing and felt their hearts beating as one. "Y'know.... I wish we could just freeze this moment together. Jus' me'n'you... I never want t'leave ya, Miss Cayenne. You know how special ya are t'me?" He didn't know if she did but she should... If she just left he'd be lost without her. All this pouring from his mouth he should have said before but was far too shy for some reason her beauty and kind soul just always had him all flustered.

@Cayennee

He pulled her in more and more and she just felt so at peace, so at home, right next to him. This felt so right to her, so wonderful, and he said what she made was gorgeous, and for the first time, she believed it too.

When he said that she would hurt herself with all this spell-slinging, she murmured an agreement to him, a well intentioned sound laced with loving sarcasm that meant she would disregard his words and just keep doing what she was doing regardless. He didn't need to know about all the countless scars under her fur that she herself opened up with her sharp finger and sewed shut with various methods of physical thread and magical means.

She could feel his heartbeat fall into rhythm with hers, and she never felt more happy than she did in this moment. "You're...special to me too, Tenn," She said, hesitantly, afraid. She'd never had someone who thought the world of her like he did, and she didn't know how to act, or what to say. What if she scared him off with something she said? What if she was doing this all wrong?

But her heart was telling her this was right, so she decided to believe it, and listen to it.

"I love you, Tenn, so, so much. You're...like a tree that's been growing right next to me all this time, and I couldn't find you till..." She said, fumbling for the words, grinning, abashedly into his chest. "Till I noticed that your roots are tangled with mine. Like it's-" She looked up at him, the world in her eyes - him in her eyes. "Always meant to be."

She was offering her heart here on a silver platter, unprotected, free for him to take, and she held the platter, shivering inside.

He smiled, perfectly content in this moment. He felt there was more he wanted to say but he didn't want to ruin anything... He didn't want to push too hard and then lose her completely. Not when he felt like he had her now. However, it wasn't he who had to say anything. Cayenne took over speaking with her sweet voice with tones that sounded like the sweetest wine. Her words filled his heart with glee and made him feel like he was floating on air. Yes. Yes. He understood her exactly. Their lives were inexplicably woven together...

He wouldn't have it any other way.

For a moment he said nothing, simply staring as he let her words wash over him completely. His heart felt like it was light and fluttering, the pyrite working to pump his heated blood through his flushed and dark cheeks. Then, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. When his eyes opened he clasped her hands in his and said, "I love you too, Miss Cayenne. Yer the world to me, always have been ever since I met ya. If I didn't have ya I don't know what I'd do... I'd just be a wanderin' fool without ya here t'keep me company." Her heart would never be denied. Why would the gold ever deny the silver?

"Forever an' always we'll always be t'gether."

She listened to his words and felt his kiss, and she gasped with the shock of happiness in her heart, and she moved back imperceptibly to look at him for just one half-second before flinging her arms around him, grinning so widely her cheeks hurt, and tears pricked her tightly closed eyes. She half laughed and half sobbed, and she held him tight.

Cayenne felt like she had been waiting her whole life to hear him say that, her whole life just spent waiting with held, baited breath, and now that she could let it out, she was beyond relieved and happy, her forehead nestling into his chest, her lips tingling with his kiss.

"Always, always," She said fervently, and never before had relief and pleasure mixed so perfectly in her heart. She reached up to kiss him, then she laughed and smiled and she kissed him again and again, never wanting this moment to end.

-
They fell asleep there in their tree-den, curled up right next to each other, their hands held in sweet and restful sleep, their rings intertwined, their flowers resting their petals against one another in a gentle kiss.

[exit Cayenne and Tenn]