“I know," Cayson chuckled as he lifted his muzzle up out of the water. Riot always seemed to be able to bring out the playful and affectionate side in him. Not too many ever got to see that side, which was just as well. That part of him belonged to Riot, and Riot alone now. Cayson's breath hitched momentarily in his chest as she threw her arms around him, then tickled his belly. He hadn't been expecting such a forward action, specially after her noticeable hesitation earlier. “You know I love you too. And trust, well, that's something we can continually build upon. Something that can only get stronger. I never want to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable, or Fronima forbid, afraid." Cayson said as he gently stroked her hair, his feet just barely touching the bottom of this shallower part of the rock pool. Riot felt so weightless in his arms. It seemed to him as they were living a dream. Defying gravity. If it hadn't been for the fish, randomly bumping against him every now and then, Cayson would have sworn that this was indeed a dream. “Oh, Ri'ni. Iyo naum ty nokh sy na." Cayson crooned into Riot's ear as he slipped absently into Ramathian.
“Es’t raam tommi fesh u hedh yv tabamsi-veba temka iyo syyc ni haubi haujs ump nupa es ledhs," Riot whispered in return to Case’s sweet words. “Iyo nuca na huggi sy ra uleba." Though she wanted to continue clinging to him, whispering sweet nothings into his ears and receiving likewise, the thill instead leaned back so that she could peer into Cayson’s face. More to the point, she stared into his eyes… a mixture of blue and green with the slightest skeins of pink. She fell into those deep pools of color, her oculars locking with his, even getting sucked in so deep that her forehead angled forward to touch lightly against his as if there was a magnetic force between their mismatched gazes. Though she did not tear her own gaze away, though she continued to stare at him as if entranced or else captured by the soul alive in those windows of his, Riot’s body did move. One of her arms loosed itself from around the arden’s neck, and trailed delicately along his bicep once more. When her digits found his own, she guided his hand upwards, momentarily entwining their fingers, and then untwisting them so that she could guide his hand where she wanted it. As their joined hands got closer and closer to her target, she could see a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, and then, just a split second before it landed, realization. It was at that point that she finally looked away, down, at their hands. Hers cupped over his… his gently cupping a small breast. She stared at this scenario for a moment, before smiling and looking back up at Case, a sort of coyness now apparent in her face, but no longer any sense of timidity. It was apparent that she was not only comfortable with the idea of his touching her, but that she was now enjoying it. “Shet rypi et iyojt."
For a moment, Cayson was dumbfounded. He didn't quite know how to respond to the fact that his hand was now cradling Riot's left breast. Sure, when they had been making out on other occasions there had been a bit of light touching. Yet there had never been anything so direct like this. Cayson quickly found himself, his heart quite literally thudding in his chest. It wanted to escape. Launch itself out of his chest and go exploding skywards in a rapturous song and dance number. Where had all of this adrenaline come from all of the sudden? He wanted at that very moment to take Riot into a tight hug and sweetly ravish her right there and then. He wanted to bury her in kisses. Fill her ears with sweet songs, whispers, and words. Riot didn't look as if she would have minded either. In fact... Cayson gently massaged Riot's breast with his thumb, now returning his lover's coy gaze. Now seemed like the perfect moment. Cay's blue striped tail gently encircled Riot, entwining the two young pendragons even tighter together. His free hand then slipped down underwater and came to a rest on the small of Riot's back. There it lingered for a moment before it gradually began to spider-walk up the length of her spine. Once his hand had finished it's journey, it stealthily crawled over Riot's shoulder, softly traced the curve of her cheekbone, then came to a stop right before her eyes. Cayson was holding something glittery between his thumb and forefinger. “Ni rypi, ni haujs, ni tyol, Ri'ni... shai ralymd sy iyo. Ump shet, shet et ni gjyneta sy iyo." He twisted the small object in between his fingers. It was a beautifully crafted silver ring. “E'p leca iyo sy huba shet ut u tinryl yv ni kynnesnams sy iyo... ump ut u gjyneta shus yma pui, E fell utc iyo sy ra nema asajmulli."
There was the slightest of pauses, as Cayson seemed to consider the fact that he was touching Riot in a way he never had before. The thill watched his face expectantly, wondering where this was leading, and how he would react. She could almost believe that the two of them would give in and make sweet love, their first time, together and overall, right there in the ambient pool. However, she knew now was not really the time – they had just discussed the importance of abstinence and waiting, and Riot really wanted to save herself for when they were further into their relationship. However, that did not mean that they couldn’t touch. When Case caressed her breast with a thumb, Riot’s eyes seemed to close halfway, and a purling, affectionate growl rumbled in her throat. It was such a simple yet intimate gesture, and it definitely made her blood hot. It was such a challenge to restrain herself, to keep from initiating the motions that would surely lead to penetration, and Riot found herself biting her studded tongue to keep a moan of pleasure from surfacing. She didn’t want to ignite anything inside Cayson, lest they proceed licentiously and a bit recklessly. Luckily, Case soon provided a distraction. Though his left hand remained on her bosom, not too far from where her heart was skipping like a rabbit’s, his other hand crawled up her back, fingertips skittering ever so delicately over each vertebra. His reddish digits then sloped over her shoulder and crept up her cheekbone, until they finally ended up just centimeters away from the bridge of her muzzle. Everywhere they had touched upon her body was tingling, and then Riot’s every nerve joined in the sensation when she realized what he was holding in front of her mismatched eyes – a ring. “Case’sla…" she stammered, voice tapering off as if in awe and utter speechlessness. His words echoed in her ears, and though they seemed to cool the sexual tension in the air, Riot still grew hot, and butterflies flocked in her belly. She’d never felt so ecstatic as in this moment; she literally felt moved by his sweet gesture. “Ah, gods. Sy lyba iyo ump ra lybap ri iyo et sy jakaeba u dlengta yv haubam."
Cayson smiled widely, his eyes twinkling. Riot's reaction to his gift made him want to shout out loud with glee. He was so moved by her response. He could have sworn he felt his heart grow twenty times in size just because of the reciprocal love lingering heavily in the air. He wanted to dance, to sing, to smoother the speaker of those words with kisses, to perhaps even cry a little because he was so happy. Instead, he held onto his composure for just a moment longer. “Haja. Las na gos es ym iyo," Cayson said as he delicately took hold of Riot's left hand. Deftly, and with great care so as to not drop the ring into the water, Case slid it onto Riot's finger. For a moment he was speechless. He stared at the ring now encircling her finger, then his gaze drifted up to his love's eyes. For a moment he simply looked at her. Enjoying the warmth, the feelings, that he saw in her eyes. Then, rather impulsively, Cayson enveloped Riot in a tight hug. “Ri'ni, iyo uja haubam." He stated firmly before kissing her.
As Cayson slipped the ring onto Riot’s finger, she could not stem the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes. Could she have imagined a more wonderful day? Here they were, alone, unclothed, tightly clinging to one another, in their hideaway. All around them, the grotto glittered and sparkled with the ambient light from the aquamarine pool, an illumination which was reflected by the platinum band. The thill was moved, so moved in fact that a few tears escaped, rivulets running down her face even as she gave Case a watery smile. “I love you, I love you, I love you," Riot chanted when the arden then encased her in a tight hug, and more tears escaped, little droplets of happiness. She continued to repeat this line in soft whispers, sometimes slipping into Ramathian, the wobbly smile still upon her face as she nuzzled her muzzle deeply into his neck. Finally, after a few minutes, she regained herself, drew back, and peered into his face. He hadn’t cried, but she saw tears of happiness shimmering in his eyes. Riot lifted a hand to touch at his tear duct with one white finger, and then she leaned forwards to kiss at his eyelids, which he instinctively closed. All was quiet around them save for the soft slosh of water and their breathing, and Riot fancied that, beneath the subtle earthen noises and drippings around them, she could hear the dull thud of two heartbeats in tandem. “I…" the thill began to say after another moment, her voice a little thick with her joyful emotions. She smiled, cleared her throat, and tried again. “I actually have something for you, too. Come on, let’s get out of here and get dry, and I’ll show you. I’m afraid it’s nothing compared to this," Riot said, glancing at the ring as she spoke. “But I think it’s a symbol of my trust in you more than anything else." With that said, she gave Cayson a final squeeze and a peck on the nose, and then she loosed herself from his grip. She floated a few feet away from him, and then paddled towards the edge of the pool. She easily hoisted herself from its shallows, and then stood for a moment, dripping. She knew that Cayson kept supplies here, a blanket among them, so as soon as she’d drip dried enough, she padded over towards the niche where it was kept, and grabbed it. Dragging it out into the open, she spread it on the grotto’s floor, then turned to look expectantly at Cayson. Everything was already perfect, but to cap it off, she wanted to lay with him and perhaps fall asleep here, in their secret place. Of course, she wanted to give him his gift first – it was in the pocket of his-her pants, which were cast aside – but she smiled at the thought of a quiet night spent here, with only the pool’s light and Cayson’s perfect love to keep her warm.
Cayson wasn't at all surprised to see tears leaking from Riot's eyes. He was feeling them too of course. His eyes had glimmered over. If he started crying though, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop. He had cried in the past over many things... and these would-be happy tears felt so foreign to him. So he held it all in, holding tightly onto Riot and rocking her gently as her tears fell silently onto his shoulder, her loving words streaming along with them. Cayson held her fast until she had finished. Then she appeared to be herself again, a little playfully poking him in the eye and kissing him. In the end, Riot parted from him with a few words and a squeeze. She had something for him. What Cayson couldn't even imagine. Anything from Riot was worth cherishing though. Eventually Cayson followed Riot and swum to the edge of the pool. He pulled himself out of the water easily and was immediately confronted with the faint chill that was in the air. “I've got some towels as well," he said to her when he noticed that she had gone off to retrieve the blanket that he kept stashed. Cayson moved over to where he kept the towels – inside of a rather small make-shift closet compartment. Here he stopped and pulled out two. One he tossed at Riot with an accompanying chuckle. The other he dried his hair with, then swathed about himself. Just a little chilly. Cayson then caught Riot's eye. She had the blanket all laid out and was waiting for him. He stole closer to her and the blanket with a smile. “So... you got me something? You really didn't have to."
Riot easily caught the towel tossed her way, and then idly began to dry herself off. Her attention was more so on Cayson, though, a grin creeping onto her face as she watched him dry his sultry blond locks. The cool air had affected some parts of him more than others, though he quickly wrapped himself up. Riot was left giggling quietly to herself – though it apparently wasn’t that quiet, as she noticed the orange arden lift a brow and give her a quizzical look. “Myshemd…" she said with a sharp exhalation of breath, trying to hold in her laughter. “Iyo qots lyyc… kylp," she added on, and at this point had to lift a hand to her muzzle to muffle her laughter. This action caused an even more baffled expression to cross Cayson’s face, and Riot could no longer keep her amusement from him. “E’p qots husa sy ra u mucap doi em kylp faushaj. Thjemcemd ump ull shus. Uf… ros iyoj gamet et ty kosa, fa pym’s fums hen sy thjebal. E thyolp taf hen u lessla hus sy caag hen fujn." At these words, Riot busted up for real, bending double and eventually falling into a squat on the blanket. As she eventually sat, still jiggling with laughter, the amused looking Case soon joined her, and eventually her chuckling subsided. All at once, the mood grew quiet once again, and Riot felt a shiver steal over her and creep down her spine. She still had to give the orange arden her gift. It was nothing as special as a ring – at least, when it came to monetary worth – but she hoped it would be a symbol of her trust that he could have and hold. Plus, it was a practical present, too. “E pepm’s <e>huba</e> sy das iyo tynashemd," the thill said, crawling sideways a bit to grab her discarded pants. Using a white hand, she fished around for a moment, before her fist enclosed around something small and silver. She withdrew her fist, but kept the object hidden as she snuck back to Cayson’s side. “Ros E fumsap sy. E fums sy deba iyo shet ut u tinryl yv ni vuesh em iyo, ump yv ni lyba vyj iyo." With that, she opened her head, exposing a small, platinum key. It was the key to her house in Watani, and by giving it to him, she was welcoming him into her home at any time, day or night. He wasn’t necessarily going to be moving into her place, but with the key, he could come and go as he pleased, and use anything he needed there. “Haja’t sha cai sy ni gluka. Iyo uljaupi huba sha cai sy ni haujs."
Cayson blinked several times, not quite understanding what Riot had suddenly found so funny. Then she spilled and Cayson quickly caught on. A sheepish look first came to his face, soon be swiftly replaced by an amused one as Riot mentioned sewing him a hat. He shook his head with a laugh. “Ymli iyo." Cayson then padded over to the blanket and spread out beside Riot as he propped himself up with his arms. “My, iyo pepm's," he said in response to Riot. He was curious now. Just what had she gotten him? If it turned out to be a little hat for a penis, Cayson feared that his gut might just rupture from laughing too hard. He watched Riot as she retrieved something from the pocket of her [his] pants. He looked at her curiously as she spoke again. A symbol of her faith and her love... Cayson leaned in a little closer, tilting his head to the side. And it was... A key. Cayson took it from her when she offered it to him. This gesture on her behalf was immense. If he was thinking that trust was going to be an issue between them before, that thought had been completely dashed from his mind now. He somewhat wished that he had a key to give her as well. Alas, Cayson had never bothered to get his own place. Although, it wasn't due to lack of funds on his part. “Ri'ni, E shemc es't gajvaks. Shumc iyo ty nokh. Shet jaulli naumt u lys sy na." Case playfully gave the key a kiss, then set it gently with the rest of his belongings. “You know what this means though..." he began, grinning as he scooted closer to her and for another time that night, drew Riot into his arms and kissed her on the cheek. “Fa kum tsui og lusa us iyoj gluka, fuskhemd nybeat, tfuggemd tsyjeat, ump E kyolp guems iyoj muelt ump py iyoj huej!"
Riot stuck out her studded tongue at Cayson’s quip. “Because I’m sure that’s exactly what you really have in mind," she said, giving him a playful swat even as he hugged and kissed her. Her voice and her giggling eventually gave way to a coo and she nuzzled him in return, totally ensnared by the love and warmth of his embrace. Despite the exciting day, Riot was feeling sleepy, and so even as Case cradled her, she shifted positions, rolling onto her side so that her back was against the arden’s belly, in a general “spooning" position. She then reached behind her to bring his arm around her middle, and she held it against her belly with her own white hand, gently rubbing his knuckles as she cuddled up to the curve of his musculature at her immediate rear. “This was the best seasonal anniversary I could have asked for," Riot said with a yawn. Her mismatched eyes darted around the grotto, and she felt soothed by the ambient light. Just before she let them close, she peered at the silver band on her left ring finger, and felt a feeling of pure contentedness. “I love you," she said one last time, before slipping easily into sleep.
