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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 19:12:53 GMT

His chair slid back as he came to a stand.

Before she could turn and face him he was on her, his arms running down her arms to join at the hands.

He couldn't even be this close to her without a stirring she would feel poking at her lower back. His desire to ease her worries both physically and mentally.

It did his stress some good to hear her admit how one-sided she was being. It made it easier for him to acknowledge, at least to himself, that she wasn't being fully unreasonable.

Gently, his chest weighed on her back and shoulders as one hand settled on her stomach.

He searched for the right words but touch seemed to be what his instincts guided him to. His own brows furrowed, he didn't know what to do but he knew what his woman needed. Despite her potentially selfish requests and any secrets she might be keeping from him he gave her the benefit of the doubt she had more than earned.

He gave her what piece of mind he could with what words made the most sense to him. "Tell me about this ceremony."

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cai

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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 20:05:41 GMT

she experienced that familiar surge of giddiness whenever he pressed closer, his hands upon her. her nerves faded in that moment, the woman losing that desire to flee following that tentatively made suggestion. instead, he wanted her to elaborate - cait relieved he hadn't responded poorly.

"i know you aren't a fan of traditional marriage," she said. "one that involves the government?"

'we're actually talking about this.'

excited and hopeful, she continued to offer her explanation as she leans against him.

"it's an... 'off-the-record' ceremony that's performed by my tribe. we'd be legitimized in their eyes as a pair. originally, it was made when the reigning powers wouldn't allow for same-sex or interracial couples some centuries back."

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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 20:21:59 GMT

He relished in her scent as she explained.

The unique smell that was a natural fusion of her scent and shampoo, the fabric softeners she used and lotions and perfumes. The latter products sometimes varied but the most former at its core remained the same. It was smell that channeled his peace, lowered his guards, relaxed his mind and aroused his body.

Long after his nose was no more his eternal soul would remember that scent.

It was what home smelled like, what love smelled like.

The ceremony sounded like something he could agree to without issue, if they hadn't only just met. "In terms of ceremonies done by the tribe, how serious is this one?"

How long did it take to "know"?

If you "knew" too soon how long did it take to be sure? To en-sure that you were giving it the proper amount of time for the sake of all parties involved?

"What's it called?"

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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 20:57:27 GMT

"it's commonly referred to as the 'tree of life' ceremony."

the woman went on to explain how it would be planned, the seriousness of the ceremony and the symbolism behind it.

"it would initially involve activities that are commonly found in traditional marriages. blessings are made - there's a small round of festivities and words are exchanged. afterwards, the seed of a tree would be planted by the pair. this stands as a lasting symbol to their union. one that could potentially bear fruit."

she paused and allowed this knowledge to sink in.

"but the key phrase here is 'potentially'," she said. "the ceremony acknowledges that not all things are fixed into place. if the couple eventually falls away from one another, the tree will then represent the pleasant times they shared - and the happiness that once was. it would serve as a symbol of the past."

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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 21:04:09 GMT

In its context and symbolism the ceremony she explained sounded like the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. Far more honest and meaningful than the league butting in offering tax breaks and deciding how to divvy assets if things didn't work out.

There was an integrity to it in that if Sénon and Cait were only a temporary thing, if their love or at least their being together wasn't something that could stand the test of time their time together would be honored above all else.

Such a meaningful gesture only made it that much more evident the ceremony was something to be taken seriously and not just jumped into because it wasn't based in permanence.

To honor her tribe and her feelings he wanted to give the decision the proper gravity it deserved.

"Tell me more about these ceremonies from your tribe." He moved on partly to distract her from the fact that he didn't outright agree to it and partly because he truly wanted to know about what he was asking. "What ceremonies can my four sons and four daughters look forward to?"

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POSTED ON Feb 14, 2021 23:11:44 GMT

she laughed at his jest, the sound genuine yet tinged with an underlying sadness.

"..."

cait loathed that she wanted to potentially drive him into a rushed arrangement. but it felt like they were running out of time - both the league and rocket driving her to that point. she stepped away from him and out of his loving embrace, his playful inquiry going unanswered as she trembled beneath his gaze.

'why? why? why?'

if everything was as it should be, she wouldn't even need to conspire or plot. only the most trivial problems would have crossed their path, with cait content to merely maintain their courting relationship.

'i just want to be happy.'

it was a simple desire. but it felt like it was out of her reach - because she didn't question senon's steadfast desire to protect hearth and home - and such a thing included both kanto and hoenn. he wouldn't quit the rangers nor would he willingly relinquish what little power and influence he had worked so hard to gain.

'my head.'

that pressure was coming back, threatening to transition into a familiar agony. so she sucked in a calming breath, wiping at her face.

"i'm so sorry, baby. i don't mean to cut into our conversation... but i really need to lay down. i'm not feeling that great right now. it's probably from the long trip."

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POSTED ON Feb 15, 2021 1:26:20 GMT

It felt like rejection when she pulled away, and here he was thinking he was smoothing over the situation.

When she grabbed her head a grip of guilt grabbed at him.

She'd been so happy just moments prior, he seemed to have killed her mood in just a few seconds. He took no pride to taking that joy away from her even if he hadn't let go of why she was so joyful in the first place.

She looked pained and his expression was of vague worry and a guilty sadness.

For the first time he didn't know if she wanted him around or not. "Cai, I-"

His cell phone chimed and he opened it to find a message from Adrian Malcolm . Apparently he was waiting relatively nearby at the Jagged Pass and had challenged for a battle.

"Bring your best." He'd requested. Sénon placed his hand to his forehead fighting off his own migraine.

Knowing Adrian there was probably more to it beneath the surface, he never wanted to hang out but suddenly he wanted to challenge? "of all the times..."

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POSTED ON Feb 15, 2021 20:06:51 GMT

"it's nothing you did, sénon."

she identified a worry intermingled with guilt, the man exasperated as his attention flitted between the message on his phone and her.

"i'm just tired."

cait moved closer to reassure him, her arms seeking to wrap him in a light hug. she leaned against her beau for a moment, relishing his warmth, scent and presence. the woman breathed him in, her shoulders sagging a little as she felt the throbbing in her head ebb away.

"be safe," she said. "and i love you."

with that she slipped out of his reach and into their bedroom, changing into loose-fitting pajamas and tucking herself into bed.

'hypno?'

- yes, mistress? -

'can you wake me in an hour? i'm resting for a spell.'

- of course, mistress. rest well.'

she shut her eyes and allowed herself a moment of peace.

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POSTED ON Feb 17, 2021 19:41:59 GMT

It felt like being torn in half to have his conscious tell him both to follow Cait and also to let her rest without being a bother.

Like a good wife she offered love and reassurances that it wasn't his fault what was happening with her. Like a good husband he question that notion, if it was his relationship and the person he loved, wasn't he always at fault at least a little if something went wrong?

Cait wasn't in this thing by herself. So if it wasn't his fault, whose was it?

Picking up little Pearl she surrounded to his touch trusting him in whatever or where ever he took her.

Placing her in bed the pink phantom, as Sénon had taken to calling her, curled herself against Cait bosom. While Hypno watched him with the same distanced regard as always, he rubbed at a patch of her fur in passing as he left, grateful someone was here to watch over what he held dear.

He was in no mood to battle but he wouldn't leave Adrian out in the tropical cold.

❖

The battle and return flight took more than an hour, more than a couple.

When he returned to the cabin it was as still as it had been when he left. Revelations seldom came timely, they happened when they were supposed to and not when a problem needed them to but the battle with Adrian opened his eyes and his mind.

Sweaty, dirty and tired he put the last of his efforts for the day into scrubbing himself down like he was covered in grime with a rinse and repeat for good measure. Bringing his thoughts to a head he brought his fingers to his head as well, shampooing his hair and messaging the suds into his scalp.

After drying off he slid into bed smelling like a new man, refreshed and centered.

"Hey..." he spoke lowly into her ear, gently strumming her ribs like a bass guitar. "hey Cai."

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POSTED ON Feb 21, 2021 9:08:05 GMT

she had overslept.

her rest had only been broken up when pearl had prodded her awake, whining for the desire for a snack and to use the bathroom. once that was dealt with, both she and the little one returned to curling up in bed and dozing lightly.

"mmm?"

cait responded to his gentle touch, roused back into wakefulness as he murmured in her ear.

"sénon?"

his name came out as a garbled rasp, the woman stirring and rolling to face and snuggle into his solid form. her eyes opened and close, pearl's little yawn detected as the babe began to wake at the foot of the bed.

"mm. when didja come back?"

'he smells good,' she thought, partially drawn in by the familiar scent of his shampoo.

"handle all your business?"

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POSTED ON Feb 23, 2021 18:33:37 GMT

Sliding an arm underneath her, he rotated their bodies so that he was on his back and Cait was on his chest.

His hand trailed down to rest at the small of her back. He closed his eyes, letting his senses adjust to the silence and the darkness.

He never felt more ready to die than he did when Cait was in his arms. As if he were living out the end of a fantasy and his story had no more places to go, no more heights to climb.

He would have been just as happy to lay there with her for the next thousand years if duty and obligations allowed.

In his aging he knew it to be the feeling of being content.

A lot of things could make a human being happy but happiness was fleeting, so many fewer things and even fewer still people, could make a human being feel like everything in the world was as it should be.

Here, fresh out of a shower, tired and in the grasp of the one who mattered most even Kanto's troubles felt a whole world away.

In the morning, that feeling would be gone. When his mind and body were teeming with energy, when his eyes were wide and his gaze was long his home's plight would be back in the recesses of his mind.

But, in the here and now, Cait gave him a peace money couldn't buy, it was only right he did the same for her.

He was confident when he spoke, it wasn't resignation in his voice; he was quite decided. "Let's go see your parents... and plant that tree."

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POSTED ON Feb 24, 2021 4:58:46 GMT

"mmm...?"

she initially failed to grasp his words, her mind plagued with drowsiness as cait rested her head upon his chest with a sigh. the position was a comfortable one, her slight weight resting against his solid frame. it was moments like these which allowed her to relax, the avatar feeling secure in her lover's arms.

"wait - "

her eyes snapped open, the woman's head raising as she met senon's gaze; suddenly alert.

"you're serious? you want to - with me - ?"

she spoke haltingly, appearing quite the mess as she questioned him. her hair was a horribly arranged pile of curls, the woman neglecting to wrap it prior. a thin trail of dried drool resting upon her chin completed the picture of a bedraggled female, her expression comically owlish.

"really?"

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POSTED ON Feb 25, 2021 14:19:47 GMT

He smirked with a closed mouth as he pulled her up and closer to his face.

With a kiss on the lips he imposed his affection and intention.

"I think just under six months is a little soon to be looking to commit for life." He closed his eyes again letting his words float freely in the darkness. "Especially with a twenty-two year old."

The age gap between them was never a problem before but it left plenty of room for her to change her mind or decide she wanted something else, with enough youth on her side to still go and pursue it. "But the way you make me feel tells what I think to shut the hell up."

His brows furrowed even with his eyes closed, as if he was seeing things he didn't want to face. "We've both been hurt, in love and in life." He held her tighter against the unknown threats his mind conjured against him. "I think if we hold on to what we learned from being hurt, and the healing we've given one another; we'll be fine. We'll be timeless."

"I can put you first Cait. I can." Putting her first didn't mean always doing what gave her the best outcome. It meant always considering her well-being and her feelings in every move he made, in every step he took. It meant always taking the time to think about if what he was doing, or about to do, would hurt her or help her.

Even now he didn't open his eyes, he spared her the tension of a tense gaze asking her the most important question he could. He didn't need to search her face for tells or hints that she was lying or unsure.

He had to trust her, even when it was strange and painful to do so. That's what they were building; a foundation of trust. The cement was mixing, all she had to do was say the words. "Can you do the same for me?"

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POSTED ON Feb 25, 2021 15:20:11 GMT

she was aware that there was a disparity present when it came to their ages - a five year gap separating the two. and perhaps her youth was driving her to rush toward what she personally perceived to be her 'happy ending'. but cait's emotions at present were genuine, her desire to keep sénon within her grasp undeniable.

'when i met him,' she thought. 'i wanted him to be mine.'

it was a thought that had struck her the moment she realized he had shielded her with his body. she seduced him moments later, tempting the man into her arms and proudly showcasing her experience in the art of intimacy. cait had bore her heart and exposed a dire secret in hopes it would solidify his trust in her - seeking to sink her metaphorical claws into the depths of his heart.

'i wanted him. and he's so close to being mine.'

but it was likely he already was hers. there was a ponderous expression on her face as she met his gaze, her green eyes fixed upon him. past conversations with hypno resurfaced, the psychic-type having questioned the permanence of their relationship in the first few months. but cait had defended her choice, her attention having caught upon the red-haired man.

her want was driven by the desperation for love in combination with greed, envy and lust.

"yes," she replied, simply.

the look she bore was strangely severe, her brows furrowed as she made her declaration.

"if you swear it... i'll always be yours - if you promise you'll always be mine."

cait wondered if he saw the possessive gleam that emerged, an almost self-satisfied smile beginning to tug at the corners of her lips.

"may celebi serve as our witness," she murmured.

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