Isla was feeling the same as @Colsun was, her heart thudding a little harder in her chest and her breath catching in her throat every now and again. She had never yearned for a man, not until recently with Harou, but the same sensations she had felt for him were the same she was feeling now for the pointed eared man laying next to her. His words bring out a soft laugh of appreciation, eyes closing with the sound. "Your dedication to me and the Lagoon will not go unnoticed." Eyes finally open to allow for them to stare up at the sky, now dark enough to watch the stars comfortably.

Soon, her own body was lowering to lay beside Colsun, a purr of her own thrumming in her throat and matching his. "You are as handsome as you are funny, and that is a lot." Her voice is soft, almost too soft, as she attempts to rest the side of her head into the thick of his mane. Having a lion as big as she was laying next to her made it quite comfortable to mold into, not having to accommodate or shrink to match another's size.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Unnoticed? Colsun blinked at that, wondering what she could possibly mean. Noticed? "I'm not doing any of this to be noticed," he replied softly, more than happy to offer himself as a pillow as she came to nestle against his side. "I mean, not in a way that deserves to be acknowledged. It's the right thing to do for someone you care about." And he did care about her, so outside of being told more often that he was handsome, Colsun couldn't exactly ask for more. He appreciated it nonetheless, content she recognized the efforts he was making even if they were for selfish reasons.

He grinned over his shoulder at her as she complimented him. Funny and handsome? "Give me some time to get a few more scars. I hear that makes men even more handsome." Colsun bent to rasp his tongue gingerly across her forehead, not bothering to hide his affection or temper it for the sake of any awkwardness. He was an affectionate man and he knew damn well if she had objections to being doted on, she would swiftly remove his tongue. "You should sleep, Isla. I won't leave." No, he would stay there all night if she wanted him to.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

Another laugh escapes her at his comment about gaining more scars. "So you listen to respond. I find that rare in men." Many listened to hear, not to respond, and sometimes that made more issues than solving them. His comment about her getting some rest would gain a flick of an ear, a point to show that she was going to ignore his suggestion. "Not just yet," she says softly, enjoying the feeling of @Colsun beside her and the stars twinkling above them.

A silence wraps the both of them, one Isla is comfortable in. Being able to allow for her body to relax for the time being was what she needed, for soon enough there wouldn't be much time for her to have the luxury of doing so. "Do you ever think of your future?" The question is asked suddenly, the Queen moving only slightly so that her head could find a better position laying within his mane. Isla often wondered what was in store for her own future, about how long it would be until another came and challenged her for her crown. She knew it would only be a matter of time, and the thought of the unknown was a bit unsettling.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Colsun flashed a toothy grin, clearly proud of himself for having remembered something worth impressing her. Shit, if that was all it took, he probably could have saved a few layers of skin. Women liked it when their counterparts listened to them when they talked, who would have thunk it? Colsun wrote that down mentally: listen when she talks.

She denied his offer to sleep and who was he to chide her? If it meant getting to spend a little more time simply being in her presence, he would take it. What he hadn't anticipated was the existential crisis she threw him into the moment she asked about his future.

Colsun made a thoughtful noise, considering.

"I do, and it's frightening sometimes because I don't know what it holds. I've been living day to day for so long that the idea of the future is wild to me, but whatever it brings, I've got no choice but to face it. Good, bad, whatever." He flicked his bobbed tail, lost in thought. "All I know is I want a family one day. The rest is up to fate." And how he handled the cards he would be dealt.

"You?"

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

Isla knew the question she asked was a rather complicated one to answer. She herself wasn't really sure on what she wanted out of life or where her future would lead her, but it sounded as though the two of them held similar wants. "A family as well," she finally responds, dual colored eyes continuing to watch the stars above. "My family is quite large and I wish to have something like that for myself." And she knew she wasn't getting any younger, being at the prime of her life right now. She had accomplished becoming a Queen, something she had wanted for a long time, and now she felt as though the time was right for her to think about having a family - despite what loomed on the horizon. Even if she knew she wasn't too fond of children, she knew she would love and dote on her own.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

"Whatever the future, we'll have each other." What did it mean, he wondered, that they shared similar goals? Colsun didn't want to read too far into things and he certainly didn't want to get ahead of himself and assume she was in some way reciprocating his feelings, albeit it in her own way. No, Colsun wasn't going to go down that path quite yet. The talk of feelings could wait, and the press of her skin against his was making his brain cease to function regardless.

The shadow allowed his instincts to take over as he began nibbling along her scruff, a low growl in his chest that bordered on possessive. Perhaps it was too much, too soon, but Colsun didn't seem to care at the moment. "Isla," he murmured, voice low and husky he pushed himself up onto a sit to nip at her cheek before rasping his tongue over the skin there. "Send me away before I devour you." His tongue ran along his muzzle, lustful and needy.

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER

Perhaps in the back of her mind she was waiting for this, for @Colsun to act upon desires they both knew were there. A purr of her own sounds as she feels him nipping at her scruff and cheek, his tongue running along to taper any pinching she may have felt. His words sent a shiver throughout her body, instinct beginning to kick in. "No," the Queen breathes, denying him his departure. Instead, her body acts on its own and begins to crawl forward a bit until she was in front of the male. Her tail curls out of the way and her skull turns so that she could give him a sideways glance, hunger dripping from the look she gives him. "Devour me." It's spoken in a soft and low tone of her own, and as she awaits for what is to come her claws dig into the sandy ground beneath her, bracing herself for his bearish weight.

fade.

lines by ale-tie, colored by drifty, table by gunner

Colsun was pleasantly surprised that the only thing he felt was the primitive desire to possess the woman and not nerves. He couldn't imagine how terrible things would have gone if he hadn't been on the verge of simply losing himself in her altogether, so he thanked his lucky stars that his body was acting on instinct. Instinct, and the heated desire to to pleasure both of them.

She moved forward and his heart began hammering in his chest, strong enough that he felt the blood pulsing in his veins. He didn't respond with words as his queen commanded him. No, Colsun simply snarled in feral delight and allowed his body to do all the talking for him.

fade

ART BY SPU, CODE BY DEE, MODIFIED BY GUNNER