I'm in trouble 'cause a look never hurt this much
Tigerlily was quickly learning that Björn had a way about him. It was as if his very presence was a sanctuary, perfectly designed to make her feel safe. Even his words… The gentle reassurances, the whispers of comfort and even the phrases he spoke in his foreign tongue, words that Tigerlily didn’t know and yet seemed to understand. A voice had never sounded so beautiful to the buckskin splash mare as Björn’s did, and with each syllable that slipped from his mouth, Tigerlily found herself slowly loosening the tight grip of fury that refused to let go of the past, and all the wrongs she’d felt had been done to her. Björn didn’t want her to be angry. After all, he knew first-hand what anger did when it consumed a soul. Dögun, his own father…
Björn wanted better things for her than that. He wanted her to be happy, wanted her to have what she desired. And all she desired was to be with him.
The smile on her muzzle is soft and serene, and it lingers there a long time. With a small sigh of contentment, Tigerlily leans into Björn’s side, and closes her eyes, ears turning to and fro as she just takes in the sounds round her. The rushing water. The rustle of the canopy above them. The calls of songbirds, lilting and melodious (but still incomparable to the beauty of Björn’s voice). And the stallion’s even breathing, steadying her. This place seemed too good to be true, and never had Tigerlily imagined she’d have the fortune of meeting a stallion like Björn, who seemed to see past her brokenness and flaws, and sought not to take from her, but to give. That he had been patient with her, and genuine in his concern and affection for her meant more than she could say.
Tigerlily had never been a hopeless romantic but in this moment with Björn, his tenderness having healed her bruised heart, she felt herself tipping dangerously close to love.
She opened her eyes after a few minutes of peaceful resting, and shifted forwards, pulling away from Björn. Tigerlily turned to face him, reaching out to caress the scars on his muzzle again. Her eyes darted up to meet his, and then she glanced away, feeling her face flush warm. She’d never felt like this before, even her foolish fillyhood crush and Dances With Wolves had not been so strong, so
real. A moment passed, and she risked returning to his gaze, no longer caring if her blue eyes gave her away.
“You saved me, Björn,” she spoke the words softly, this truth of hers that was so delicate and beautiful, like the petals of a flower.
“I understand now, and I need you to know this.” Tigerlily closed what little distance stood between them, running her muzzle gently down the length of his strong neck, before stopping when her shoulder pressed into his shoulder. She draped herself across his back in a tender embrace, and felt her heart thudding in her chest, wondered if Björn could feel it.
“The Norns, they sent you to save me. Thank you. Thank you.”
T I G E R L I L Y
I got it bad, and you’re my blue heaven midnight crush