Darling, don't be afraid. I have loved you for a thousand years.
She loves the place - he can see it already - and he loves it simply because she loves it. But there’s more than just love for place in her eyes, there’s love for him, and it still bowls him away to see that emotion so nakedly apparent in her gaze. “I know so.”
He leans into her touch, and gazes right back into her liquid eyes, content to just bask in their closeness and the pure joy of the peaceful moment.
She’s leaning in for what he knows will be a kiss (again, how did he get so lucky?), when his rapture is disturbed by a strange female voice ringing out through the clear air.
He deflates, just a little, the golden moment broken, and his scarred head turns, blue eyes alighting on the approaching grullo mare. He can feel Arrya bristling at his side at the intrusion, and while he doesn’t blame her, he nudges her slightly with his shoulder to remind her to be polite. They are the strangers here after all.
Buuuut it’s too late. His lips can’t help but quirk at the oh-so-characteristic Arrya sass, but he tries to prevent it from turning into a full blown smile - he doesn’t want to offend the newcomer. His head cocks to the side for a moment in amusement as she struggles to find an appropriate label for their relationship. He can understand her turmoil - it’s hard to find a word that truly describes what they’ve gone through and experienced together. He personally still thinks of her as his sun and stars, his everything … but that would be a little much to be revealing to a stranger. What Arrya finally settles on works well enough for him, and he nuzzles her gently with his scarred and splotchy muzzle.
Finally he returns his gaze back to the stranger, and he offers the mare a friendly smile. “We’ve only really just arrived. Would you have any recommendations on spots we could rest? I want to make sure this one,” he nudges Arrya, “takes it easy.”
I'll love you for a thousand more.