[Lovebite]

"What can I say? I'm proud of them."He replied, and blushed some at the mention of his sore ass,"Not as sore as yesterday."He then turned to face the dragon who came in with the tray of food,"I'll be downstairs cooking for you again in no time."He smirked some and watched the tray be placed down then followed his partners eyes towards the fire,"Something wrong?"He asked, tilting his head as he inspected the clutch himself, his eyes not as well trained as his lover's. As he reached to take a piece of ham and cheese sandwich and eat it.

[bhdire8]

Acrux swept Caleb off his feet and settled him comfortably on his lap, making sure the little abused butt of Caleb's wasnt sitting directly on him. He rubbed his back a bit as he watched his love munched on. "I do look forward to tasting your cooking again. However, before that.... I think there's some thing I want to tell you about." He was about to tell him the possibility of at least one of their egg not being able to hatch, but changed his mind in the last minute. He could hold that on for a few days, observe for some more time on the condition of that particular egg. Instead, he decided to tell him about the bonding. "Caleb, would you ... be willing to share your life with me?"

[Lovebite]

Caleb giggled softly and looked up at Acrux as he sat back against his chest sitting directly on his thigh gap, happy that his lover was so considerate. While he ate the sandwich,"Hm?"He looked curious and met his eyes, grinning lightly,"Haventyou asked me that before?"He asked and placed his sandwich down on his lap,"I've said yes, too."He added and kissed his jaw softly,"I would love to spend the rest of my life with you."

[bhdire8]

"What if... it's not only your life, but the rest of my life?" Acrux asked with a little fear. He hoped he would answer yes and wouldnt grow tired of him in the close to eternity days ahead of them, but knew that was silly as no one could predict of 5he future, let alone how thoughts would change and mind would alter.

[Lovebite]

"What is it you mean?"Caleb asked, sitting up in his lap and trying to meet his unsure eyes with even deeper curiosity than before. The human, of course, didn't understand such things only a dragon would know, though he wished to know more about his lover and their children who were sure to be just like their father.

[bhdire8]

"Us dragons, perhaps you have heard, are very loyal to our partners. A lesser known fact was... we could actually choose whatever as our lover, I mean cross species, and our mate would be sharing our life, until eventually we, too, die with old age. So now, I am asking you, if you would give your consent to be my mate, making my long life no longer lonely and aimless, just as before i have met you?" Acrux said that. It was a proposal for life, and he managed to make it sounded very unromantic. He knew humans had come up with a lot of ways to ask for another's hand, yet somehow he just screwed it up. He looked away in embarrassment not hearing any response, and abrutply said "NO no.. Caleb. just forget it. This is way too suddne. I should have been more prepared and not just bombard you with such new idea. Forget it Caleb oK? just pretend you hadnt listened to anything."

[Lovebite]

"I have."He nodded in reply before the other finished and when he did, he looked lost for a while as he explained in longest terms about what mating to a dragon was like, even tilting his head a little in confusion in the end. Before he realized that he had just been proposed to, he laughed as he turned his head back towards him with his hands then looked up at him for a moment,"Is this something to be asked over a nice dinner or bath with something to show for it if I agree?"He asked playfully, his own cheeks were pink as he grinned at the coy dragon then leaned up to kiss him deeply on the lips despite them moving in haste.

[bhdire8]

"HMmmmm" whatever Acrux was saying got swallowed between their connected lips, and Acrux froze at first, then gradually relaxed and hugged his "little" human close to himself, deepening the kiss as he felt thrilled, excited, loving and the happiest ever in his long life. He continued to explore Caleb's sweet mouth. He hugged Caleb so tight, he wanted to melt this lovely little thing into him, combining them, and hopefully, never separate from him again. it was a long kiss, and both of them a little flustered when they finally parted. "So.. you saying this should have something to show for it if you agree.... so... that kiss i presume is an answer in itself?" Acrux looked at the human with a bright smile.

[Lovebite]

The human nodded some, biting his moist, pink lower lip and looking up at his lover with a small smile,"Mhm... A ring? Maybe?"He offered and leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around his neck, nuzzling him as their noses touched,"I know it's a human thing, but I would love a symbol of us."He said gently and leaned up into him carefully,"Do you like the idea?"He tilted his head and kissed over his jaw softly, running his hands down to place his palms on his chest.

[bhdire8]

"HMm a ring could be tricky for me... you know, when we change forms. Though we do have a tradition of sharing a pair of earring between mates." The dragon took out a royal blue box and opened it. Inside laid a pair of identical earrings, decorated by a brilliant colored diamond. "It is our ritual to be puncturing the earlobe of our mate as the 2nd step of the mating. and the final step being adorning the earring on each other." Acrux said with a little embarrassment. He had been preparing for this not long after they had established their relationship, and to this day, Caleb had been taking his blood unkinowingly for 10 consecutive days as the first step. The second step would be to infuse their blood into the potion that would infuse their life together, and the final procedure would be to spell the earring into a protective charm that would allow the mates to know of the whereabouts of each other.

[Lovebite]

"An earring is even better."He replied and watched as he took out a box, covering his mouth in excitement and looking up at his face,"It's more than marriage, isn't it? It's a bonding?"He looked over the earrings and reached to touch one of them, they looked sturdy yet decorative,"I accept."He nodded, looking up at his lover with a small, nervous smile as he bit his lip,"What do I do?"He asked, happy to technically not have their children out of wedlock since they would be married before they hatched. If the mating ceremony wasn't that intense of a process.

[bhdire8]

Acrux's whole face lit up hearing Caleb confirming his acceptance, and he lifted his nervous human mate up and swivelled him in a circle. "Thank you Cici. Now i understand why you human always thought getting a proposal accepted would make the person to be the happiest man on earth." He kissed deeply into Caleb before updating him on the process. "So now we could move onto the 2nd step. I was thinking we would do this in the garden where the animals and plants could witness it." Acrux suggested, his smile seemed to be permanently set on his face now.

[Lovebite]

Caleb giggled like a school girl when Acrux swirled him around in his big arms, he closed his eyes and leaned into him as he was with his arms wrapped around his neck. "You better be the happiest dragon on earth."He joked, then returned the kiss with a bright color to his face as he tilted his head,"What was the first step?"He asked curiously and ran his fingers through his lovers hair and nodded at the suggestion,"We could do that, I think that'll be nice."

[bhdire8]

"I am ... I am the happiest dragon on earth." He said dreamily and caressed Caleb's bright tomato face,"Hmm the first step is just taking some of my blood. That you have completed. I could have been impatient enough to kickstart that early...." Acrux managed to appear to be a little embarrassed. "Now we need to get that potion ready." He quickly diverted Caleb's attention and took him to the dungeon where he kept all his potions.

[Lovebite]

"You better be."Caleb giggled softly as he looked into Acrux's eyes while he felt his lover caress his blush,"I'm not even upset about that."He replied and kissed over his lovers face as he was carried in his arms,"Mm... Yes, we do."He nodded,"I don't think we'll be able to consummate our mating though, you know..."He said and leaned in to rest his head against his chest as he watched the settings around them change while they walked out of their room and down to the cellar where there was the fortune room and the winery,"What's in it?"He asked curiously,"Only our blood?"He sat up now and glanced around the dungeon as he wiggled out of the other's grasp to stand on his own.

[bhdire8]

"Hmm not able to consummate....?" Acrux brushed over his lover's bottom that was still slightly swollen and sore when he walked too fast. "You have forgotten..." he slipped in deeper between his legs and brushed lightly against the front, smilin to the head against his chest. Letting Caleb go when they arrived the dungeon, he let the human look around while he added a final touch of sparkling powder into the bubbling cauldron before humming "our blood and our love. That should make the potion appear to be a fluffy pink before turning dark and edible." He took an elegantly decorated grail that was his species' customary container for the ritual and filled it with the greenish looking potion.

[Lovebite]

Caleb blushed again as his vaginal lips were brushed upon,"No, I haven't forgotten."He pressed his lips together as he smiled softly, then as he moved towards Acrux again,"Will it matter who drinks more?"He watched the dragon prepare the potion, running a hand up his shirt to touch more of his skin,"Our love is so strong already I think that if this amplified it we won't be able to part even for a second."

[bhdire8]

"Hmm usually we split... i dont think thefe's any specification on volumes actually... well though unless you enjoyed drinking this, i doubt if we would be getting an unequal share." Acrux took ACaleb's hand and kissed it lightly. "Now take this and be careful not to spill it would you?" He handed the grail towards Caleb when he lifted the human up again, carrying him over to the garden where the pavillion was getting decorated by the servants already.

[Lovebite]

"Decorations?"He smiled at the beauty,"They're so pretty."He looked down at the chalice in his hands and made sure not to spill any as he gripped it,"Is it sort of like a wedding?"He asked curiously and watched the servants as they hurried to and fro, the dwarfs looked a bit funny with their short legs and how determined they looked to be working for Acrux. The human looked up at the dragon and smiled softly, his eyes closing beneath the bright sunlight that came into the pavilion.

[bhdire8]

(Gosh I couldn't believe we have left this open for more than 2 months... frankly i have forgotten so much i had to trace back a page or two xDD)

"A wedding.... yes, I could see the resemblance. Only that our vows are more than a common vow... it's a bonding that would link us for life, whether you want it or not. There's no turning back." Acrux suddenly felt a little panicked. He looked at Caleb observing for any reluctance, and let out a little breath when there was none. He set Caleb on his feet, shielding his eyes with his massive hand, and let him stand by himself when he was sure he got his balance and wasn't putting too much pressure on his hips. There was a high table in teh middle of the pavillion, and there were flowers adorning the whole area. "Under the witness of all beings here, I would like to offer to you my soul, my life and all that was in my possession. I am sharing with you until the end of the day." He said, looking expectantly at the human.