As he night grew on, the moon rose higher, the water returning back to its original state. Our movements grew more confident, encouraging our hands to travel to new places, high and low. They hadn't reached certain destinations but with the passion we were moving with, we were both closer. I could feel him grow beneath me, my stomach burning hotter at the feeling of it.

"We need to stop." Orion pulled away, along with his hands. While one moved up to hold me back, the other was clenched tightly in the water, knuckles pale and white.

"Why?" I asked, running my hands along his chest, amused when his I heard his knuckles crack beneath the water.

"You are such a tease." He growled out, leaning his head up, looking up at the sky.

"I guess I can be." I purred, daring to place my hands lower but he clasped mine in his, ceasing my actions.

"This place is a sacred place full of purities. We are not allowed to succumb to any temptations here, especially without your permission." His voice was stained and his chest was rumbling, as if he were holding in a growl.

I didn't respond, needing the peace to find a distraction to help cool myself down. The Iunae Lumen were still in the process of closing back up. Their pedals slowly folded in on themselves, careful not to lose any. It was a beautiful sight, one I had never seen before, having only seen them bloom. Whilst it was a beautiful experience, it was quite sad to watch. The pale sliver light that they emitted slowly dimmed, sinking back into the flower before fading into nothing as the pedals encased it.

"The water is going to start getting cold now." He said, pulling me closer to protect me from the building chill.

"We should probably leave."

Of course, all of my confidence that had been building throughout the night instantly washed away from my body. We had to get out. Not only would it be awkward to have him turn around again, I had to put on a body hugging dress, an impossible task to do.

Before I had the chance to even think about voicing my opinions, Orion had alrighty made his way through the water, bringing me along with him. Standing up, he wrapped my legs around his waist so that I wouldn't fall, and lifted is out of the water.

Bending down, he placed me by out pile of clothes and grabbed his shirt. Once he stood, I felt the dire need to cover myself but I bit the urge back. Being the chivalrous man that he was, he kept his eyes on mine as he slipped my arms through his dress shirt, leaving the buttons open. Turning around, he began to dress himself, giving me time to slip on my panties.

Now finished pulling on his boxers, he picked me up once more and began to trek through the forest. A breeze picked up, blowing cold air over our still wet bodies, making me shiver. Even if the buttons were button closed, the thin fabric would have done nothing to block out the night's chill. Seeking warmth, I pressed myself closer to his chest, feeling his hardened nipple against my chest, knowing he could probably feel mine.

"What about my dress?" I asked, recalling that we hadn't picked it up as we were leaving.

"Someone will pick it up along with my pants and will have them cleaned."

"I was afraid to ruin it. Mom had put so much work into it."

"You are so beautiful."

"I know, the dress was amazing."

"No." He insisted, gently tilting my head up to his.

"You're so beautiful."

His eyes roamed my body and even though it was mostly covered by his shirt, I felt completely exposed under his gaze. His eyes always seemed to see straight through me, not matter how much I blocked him out. He is my other half, the better part of me, and he will always will be. Orion, my love, is my stability. He is what I needed but never thought of. I thought that I needed a blood family, a father but I didn't. All I needed were people who cared for me and loved me, and he brought me to them. Now that I have them, that I have him, I can't give them up. They are my family, he is my life, he is my love and my heart.

"Hey, hey." He shushed me, brushing my wet hair behind my ear.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying."

"Nothing's wrong." I assured him, brushing away the stray tears that I didn't even know existed.

"Then why are you crying?" He asked, holding me closer to him.

"I just love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too but I don't want you to cry over me. I should never make you cry."

"It's a happy cry, a good cry. I promise.

As the house neared, my nerves came back, but this time I was ready for them. I knew what was coming and I wanted to do it, needed to. My soul called out to him,, bonded to him and needed to have him. Pulling away from him, he set me down on the ground. Nervously, I took a few steps away to gain some composure.

"Is something the matter?"

"I have a present for you of some sorts. A surprise."

"Oh really?" He asked, taking a step closer to me.

"What is it?" He asked, a bit of excitement bubbled from his voice. Reaching my hand out, I grabbed his and walked forward. Leading him into the house, he followed me as I walked up the stairs and down to our bedroom.

Opening the door, I was surprised to see that the dark room was flickering with candle light and that rose pedals were trailing along the floor and bed. By the look on Orion's face, he didn't do this either. A sweet but not overpowering scent lingering softly around the room, enhancing Orion's own enticing scent. Pulling him closer to the bed, I let go of his hand and looked into his eyes.

"Me. Your surprise is me."