A/N:

Not much to say here aside from the fact that I think y'all will really like this chapter.

Also keep in mind that if you have followed or favorited, as well as reviewed, this story, then you can enter the free one-shot drawings that I hold. As of now, there is only one person entered.

Special thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter in particular.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Character thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene

Chapter 16

— — — — —

Liam

— — — — —

He hadn't been able to shake the event from his mind, finding himself recalling every tiny detail of the gesture on her part. As quickly as he'd realized what had happened, Selina had jumped up and demanded that they leave the area, continuing their journey North to Temporal Tower. She just went and… licked me. I can't believe it… He couldn't make heads or tails of any of it, other than the fact that his entire life had flashed before his eyes when he had fallen. Had it not been for the added strength of the Space Globe, Liam wouldn't have been able to penetrate the stone with the iron thorns, and his attempt to avoid falling to his death would have been in vain.

And amid the chaos, he couldn't even believe what she must have felt. The lucario hoped never to hear her cry like that again, and it had struck him to the core. And he had to agree with her - amazing view or not, he didn't ever care to go up that mountain again. But that didn't mean that he had stopped contemplating what exactly had transpired up there. The umbreon had been more sensual than he could possibly have imagined, and the thoughts refused to leave his head. She had nuzzled him almost possessively, and his cheek still tingled each time he thought about her tongue brushing across it.

Yet she didn't seem to be concerned with it in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually; she was happier now than she had been in the last few weeks. Really, happier than he could ever remember her being. Aside from her usually cheerful self returning, Liam couldn't help but notice a new sense of joy within the umbreon. One thing was for sure, though: Selina had completely discarded any of the reservations that she'd brought with her to the island, and had become far more bold than before. Only a few days had passed, and now it was he who was constantly having to think things over.

In the distance, he could see Temporal Tower, stretching into the heavens with its former glory. Dialga had finished all the reconstruction last time they had been there, and the tower was certainly a more awe-inspiring sight now that it wasn't about to collapse.

They had reached the small pond where they generally camped near every trip. A creek originated about ten feet above, surrounded by smooth, moss-covered stones and depositing a small yet steady stream into the water below. The duo had noticed this place the first time they visited the island, but back then there wasn't time to enjoy it. Ever since they started coming back, though, Liam and Selina had found the place to be a relaxing spot, and a great area to settle down for the night. Not to mention it was somewhere that they could properly clean themselves.

Fortunately, the small bar of soap that they had brought with them had been kept in the side of the nearly-depleted food satchel, which he hadn't dropped due to it being connected to his sash. He had gone about setting up the tent while Selina went around and collected small sticks for the fire. By the time he had assembled it and pegged it into the ground, she had created a small pile that would last them several hours.

"Alright, I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to wash up," she said. Being dirty had always been one of her pet peeves, though it was the lucario that generally did a good bit of the work in scrubbing her down. Not that he minded at all.

"Sounds good to me. Ladies first?"

"Why thank you," she said, faking a snooty tone to the best of her ability. He smiled as they headed over to the waterfall, already knowing that it was about to be incredibly cold. On second thought, he should've started the fire so that it would be ready for them when they got back, but she had just stepped into the water, shivering from its chill.

"Ohhh… it's freezing!" she said.

"Yep," he said as he joined her in the water, hoping that he would be able to adjust to the temperature quickly. She trudged into the waterfall, the lucario following behind as she shrouded herself within it. He stood outside, and a moment later, a soaked umbreon peaked her head out towards him.

"Alright, I'm ready!" she said happily. He was just glad that she had started acting like herself again, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different as of a few days ago. He dipped the soap into the water, then began lathering it into her silky fur. She released a sigh of content as his paws traced down her body. "You've gotten so good at this."

"I've had a few years of practice," he joked.

"That you have." He brought the bar of soap towards her face, and she closed her eyes instinctively as he touched her gently, before slowly raking his hands down her cheeks and forehead. Once he had finished washing her face, he playfully tapped the bar of soap onto her nose, causing her to giggle. "Alright, you silly lucario. I can take it from here." He smiled, then turned around so that she could tend to the other areas that needed cleaning.

When she had finished, he stepped underneath the pouring water as she exited the pond, shaking herself off. He rinsed the soap before quickly scrubbing his body down, seeing her position the sticks for him to light. Her rings had begun to glow as the sun had nearly vanished, and just like every other time, Liam found himself marveling at the sight. "You just about done?" she asked, seeing him gaze at her.

"Yeah, I am." He let the waterfall remove any traces of soap from his form before leaving the pond. The lucario retrieved his sash from the ground, which had a thick, rounded piece of flint within. Using an iron thorn, he swiftly raked it along the surface of the flint, causing for sparks to shoot out in each direction. Only a few minutes had passed, and the pine straw within the pile had caught fire.

The two of them sat by the campfire, enjoying the heat released. Tomorrow they would reach the Rainbow Stoneship, where Selina's treasured 'relic fragment' still remained. That, and the last place he had seen Grovyle…

"Everything alright?" she asked. Funny, I've been the one asking that for most of this trip…

"Yeah, I'm just kinda thinking," he replied. "You know, we're gonna need to hit those berry bushes tomorrow. Maybe pick some apples while we're at it. We're about out of food."

"Oh, we'll be fine," Selina stated, nudging at the pouch at his side. "And speaking of food…"

"Right." He opened it, and they each picked out what they wanted before shutting the nearly-empty satchel. Liam ate quietly, his thoughts still pertaining to that moment on the mountain. The events played over and over again in his mind, from the sounds of her cries to that lick to his cheek. He couldn't get over that part. They had had countless gestures in the past, and he wouldn't hesitate to even call some of them affectionate. But licking him like that? Even licking in general was something of a far higher magnitude than he had ever experienced before, and he couldn't tell if it had been done in the heat of the moment or if there was more to it. And he wasn't so clueless as to understand what the deeper implications could have been behind such an action.

Eventually the two decided to turn in for the night, though now they lacked either a bedroll or their blankets. He had apologized each and every time he had thought about it, but she would simply smile and say that she was just grateful that those items had been the only things to hit the ground. The lucario softly reclined on the grass, somewhat missing his bed back home. Selina laid right beside him, and to his surprise, gently lowered her head onto his chest. "S-Selina?"

"What? You make a good pillow. And besides, this isn't the first time we've done this."

"No, but…" He was dumbstruck by the display. The only other time, and it had been an accident on the beach. But this… this was intentional.

"I'm not a bother, am I?" she asked.

"No… you aren't," he replied, his own emotions pulling him in what seemed to be a million different directions. Her breathing soon became steady, and he could feel it on his neck, serving to keep him far more awake than he had intended this late. With their bodies pressed together, though, he no longer had any concern in staying warm for the night. Now all he had to worry about was actually managing to fall asleep.

. . . . .

By the time he had woken, it was nearly midday. Selina had already gotten up before him, which was rare, and was outside of the tent, sitting as she listened to the creek. He sat up, somehow having rested better than he'd ever imagined. "Good morning," she said cheerfully. "I couldn't bear to wake you up when you looked so content."

"I didn't mean to sleep in this late…" he said.

"Not to worry. I doubt Temporal Tower is going anywhere. Us, on the other hand, well… I'd say berry picking sounds like a great idea right about now." The two of them finished off the few remaining reserves before packing up the tent, heading North. It only took about half an hour to find just a few of the berry patches that the island had in such plentiful numbers, so the threat of being without food was nonexistent.

Selina stopped in front of a pecha bush, one of her favorites, and leaned forward to softly bite one off of its stem. "Mmm… there we are." Liam took at least a couple dozen before moving onto the next bush.

It didn't take him long at all to fill the satchel to the very brim, and before they had left, they ate their fill on the spot. What they had managed to pick would last them for about a week, and by then, they'd be back here again to fill up once more. He had ended up picking mostly pecha berries, as they were very sweet and had more sustenance within them than the other species. Then again, they also happened to be one of the berries that could pack weight on if one wasn't careful in monitoring their portions, though that wasn't much of a concern for the two of them given their lifestyles. While they were there, he picked a few aspera twigs, since it wouldn't be long before they ran out of those, either. The stems of the plant served as an oral disinfectant, and allowed for them to easily clean their teeth.

Aside from a few moments, though, the task had been almost completely absentminded on his part. All that he could think of was where things were headed between Selina and him. For the majority of the journey, she had been jumpy and skittish, especially when he had spoken to her. Granted, he still wasn't sure what he had said, though he was beginning to wonder among the few possibilities in mind. But she had reverted to her usual self after witnessing his nearly-fatal fall, and he couldn't figure out what had sparked the sudden change in attitude.

"Do you think Dialga has a hold on things now?" Selina asked. "I remember him saying something last year about his power still recovering."

"I can't imagine why he wouldn't," he replied. "It's been three years now since that whole incident."

"Yeah, that's true. That was quite a time, wasn't it? No pun intended…"

"Oh yeah, that's for sure. Though I'm glad all that stuff with Darkrai is done."

"Me too. I'm still surprised that we survived it all to be honest. We were so young…"

"That we were. But Arceus was looking out for us. That's pretty much the only explanation I can come up with," he said with a laugh.

"Well I know it's true. But aside from that, Grovyle said it right. We are the best of partners." He knew it to be true, and he heard it all before. But somehow, her saying it made it seem far more meaningful.

"That reminds me," he said. "We're getting close. We should pick some flowers."

"Of course," the umbreon said. The grass gave way to the stone brick path, and further ahead were the stairs that led the the top of the Temple of Old Ruins. As they had done the previous times they visited, Liam and Selina picked a few of the zinnias that grew around the temple for Grovyle. Selina hummed quietly as she picked the flowers, holding them in her mouth. It served to distract him, and the lucario found himself more focused on her than the task at hand. These last few days, she was on his mind - even more so than usual - and at this point was the only thing that he could think of. Licking him, laying on top of him like she had… And now, he was admiring her from the side, his eyes tracing over her sleek, beautiful form. He shook his head, trying to remain focused.

"I think we've got enough," he said, hoping that she hadn't caught him looking. "You ready?"

"Mhm!" she replied, holding the flowers tenderly in her mouth. The two of them ascended the stairs, and though there was no drive to stop the world from falling to ruin this time, being here of all places was always a surreal experience.

They slowed to a stop as they reached the Rainbow Stoneship. Temporal Tower stood ahead, an impressive sight to say the least. They would probably depart tomorrow morning, as it would be dark by the time they reached Dialga if they left now. Instead, the pair decided to set up camp down by the lower courtyard, where the fight against Dusknoir had taken place. Memories of the vicious battle resurfaced within his mind, all up to the point where Grovyle had left, never to return.

In the center of the courtyard was the small shrine they had constructed. Having taken a few loose bricks here and there, Liam had been able to build a heap within the middle of the courtyard, fixed in place and with a large stick protruding from the middle. It had taken him nearly the entire day when he'd first made it, but the lucario had managed to attach smaller sticks and erect the symbol of Arceus.

Wordlessly, the two of them went about placing the flowers among the stones, decorating the grave that held no body underneath. There was nothing left of Grovyle, but that wouldn't stop them from remembering him and paying their respects. "Well?" Selina asked. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"I'm not sure what to say anymore," Liam stated. "That I miss him? That I'd like to just speak to him once more? It's all been said before."

"I'm sure he's listening. But… I guess I'll start." She stepped forward slightly, then looked up at the sky. "Grovyle… I know you're out there. Liam does too, but… you know him, difficult and all." The lucario rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he's gotten into all sorts of trouble since you've left. But I'm sure you know about that. You've gotta be up there laughing at all this chaos he's started - meddling in elections and politics and all that. But… he's still our Liam, and I can't help but feel grateful that things are the way they are now. I don't know what all you did in the future you came from, but I know you helped shape him into the person he is today - you and Celebi. Thank you for that."

Liam placed his paw on her shoulder appreciatively. "Maybe you should've written Tristan's speeches during the campaign," he joked.

"Haha, whatever you say." He looked towards the shrine, and one thing that he hadn't previously said came to mind.

"I know the resolve we had coming back here. Of course, we're alive and all, and you know we did it. I just want you to know how much I appreciate everything you two must've done for me. I guess that's some pretty lousy thanks after all those years of adventuring we must've had, but… it's the best I can come up with given everything that happened…" He looked at the umbreon to his right, then back at the shrine. "And in the off chance that somehow you're out there… then you know why I… can't come back." The umbreon looked at him, a smile on her face. "I know you would understand, it's just… I can't lose them. I can't… leave Selina."

"See Grovyle? You can't have him. He's mine now," she joked. He shook his head, not knowing where this Selina had come from in the midst of everything. Not to mention he wasn't sure how to even respond to that.

It was still pretty early in the afternoon, but they decided to go ahead and set up camp now so they wouldn't have to later. This would be, after all, where the two of them would spend the night. They constructed the tent towards the corner of the courtyard in a small section where the brick didn't quite reach, and the pair sat down. It wasn't quite time for dinner, and there wasn't much to do.

"Hey now, why'd you go and toss your satchel in the bushes like that?" she asked. "That's our food!"

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked. "It's in the tent…" She looked at him in confusion, then over to her right.

"Then what is…?" She stood up and began walking over towards the object, with Liam joining her curiously. The umbreon grabbed something with her mouth, then pulled it out of the bush. An old, worn satchel came out, and the two of them looked at it in confusion.

"I… have no idea what that is…" he said.

"Are we… not the only ones to come here?" The question was a far more daunting prospect than he had hoped to consider. But there was no way Lapras would bring anyone else to the Hidden Land… right? He knelt down and unbuckled the latch, gently removing the contents from it. A luminous orb, some iron thorns to his surprise, and some various seeds and herbs that had long since gone bad. This has been here for awhile… Then again, the mildew on the leather surface was enough to tell him that. But one large item in particular stood out, and he carefully removed it. A book.

"What on Earth?" Selina asked. He shrugged, then untied the loose string that bound it shut. Though the satchel it had been inside of was in poor condition, it had seemed to shield this book from the various elements that the island could throw its way. Liam opened the cover, and was greeted to the sight of small, neat handwriting. "What is that?" she asked.

"It looks like… a journal…" He was more confused now than he had been in a long time, and started scanning over the words. The months had unfamiliar names, and the year was not present, but his suspicions were confirmed after reading a few sentences. "Selina… this… this was Grovyle's satchel!"

"What?! You think so?"

"This had to be! He must've dropped it in the fight, and… we've been walking around it this whole time!" He held it so that she could see it, and immediately the two of them began scanning over the words. The journal looked to be a few hundred pages thick, but only a small portion of those had writing on them.

"But… this can't be his. He wouldn't refer to himself by name. So it had to be… mine…"

For the next hour or so the two of them flipped through the journal, but most of it seemed to be notes about the locations of the time gears and whatnot. A few sketches that must've been done to pass the time, which were actually of pretty good quality, but nothing aside from that. On one of the last pages was a large drawing of Grovyle and Celebi sleeping side-by-side, and Liam smiled to himself.

"Wow… this is all so…" Selina couldn't find the words.

"It's not much, but it's something," Liam said, closing the journal. "I didn't know I could draw like that. Guess I haven't really tried any time recently…"

"I'm sorry there's not more…" she said. "But why don't you continue it? Write down some of our new adventures."

"You know, that's not a half bad idea," he said.

. . . . .

Once it had reached nighttime, they ate dinner and made a fire as usual. Liam had broken several small twigs and prepared them to make some charcoals, which he would use for the time being to write with. The prospect of continuing the journal actually excited him, and he was looking forward to his first entry.

"Those actually turned out pretty nice," Selina said.

"The only reason that's the case is because they're pretty easy to make," the lucario replied.

"Well do keep up with it. In the meantime, let's go up there," she said, motioning to the Rainbow Stoneship. "I don't know about you, but that beats that mountain view any day."

"Alright then." He set down the journal inside the tent and followed the umbreon up the stairs. She sat down in front of the Rainbow Stoneship so as not to activate it, and Liam took his spot next to her. Selina smiled at him, then gazed forward into the night sky. The sight was vibrant and astounding, the surreal tower beautifully illuminated by the moonlight and the countless stars. Above the light clouds, the various shades of violet marked the edge of the galaxy, and each year it had always the most breathtaking view imaginable - definitely beating that from the mountain that they would never visit again, as she had said. And it wasn't just because of what they were looking at, but because of where they were sitting.

Liam knew that Selina had gone through a lot in his absence, and had been equally hurt when he had nearly died days prior. For everything to take a turn like that, all during a time as peaceful as this… it couldn't have been a good thought for the umbreon. Her sobs had been pained and heartfelt, and he hated that it had come to that. But it was still that lick that weighed heavily on his mind over everything else. She had never done anything like that to him before, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it something done in the heat of the moment, or was there more to it? He wanted to know, yet asking such a thing could embarrass her, and that was the last thing he wanted, given that she had just recently broken out of the phase of awkwardness that she had gone through.

"I love it here," Selina said quietly. "Being here with you, Liam… it means a lot to me."

"Me too, Selina." He looked at the tower silently, remembering the vicious battle that had taken place on top. And Dialga stood there now, this time as a friend rather than a foe, and likely already aware of his two visitors' presence. But right now, the only concern within him was the umbreon sitting next to him, and the numerous emotions that he could read from her. Not that he wasn't feeling a lot of them himself. She looked more stunning in such a setting than he had ever realized, and Liam found himself staring with nothing short of adoration.

"Is… something wrong?" she asked timidly.

"No," he slowly replied, "not at all. I'm just… kinda at a loss for words right now. Other than beautiful…"

"I know," she said. "It's a night sky like no other…"

"I uhh… I wasn't talking about the view…" It took no time at all for the umbreon to avert her gaze, and immediately he felt the spike within her aura. But he could pick out one feeling he'd come to know these last few days among the others - the one that made him feel warm all over.

In a world as hostile and rough as this, she had always had his back, and he hers. Selina was the greatest thing to ever happen to him, and though he had a past that was unknown to him, the journey to this point had all been worth it. There were mistakes that had been made along the way, but he would bear with each and every one all over again if it meant making things the way they were right now.

"I know you don't like talking about this," he said, "but it needs to be said. Back when we were up against Dialga… I was more scared of leaving you than fighting him."

"Liam…"

"I know," he continued, "it needed to be done. But there was still so much I wanted to tell you. So many plans I had for the two of us… and then to think that it was all about to vanish along with me. And just a few days ago, I got to relive that fear all over again, only stronger."

"It's okay," she said. "We're both here now, and nothing's going to change that. I'm not letting you out of my sight again," she said. He smiled in response to her protective attitude, but he would feel the same way if the situation had been reversed. She knew the pain of losing someone that she held very dear, and she had just been exposed to that pain once again, so he could understand.

"Yeah, I know. But I promised myself after that fall that I wouldn't make that same mistake a third time." She focused intently on each word he said, her eyes fixed on his. It was his turn to break the gaze, instead looking out at the spectral scenery before them.

"O-oh? What are you talking about?"

"I mean…" he cut himself off, not knowing if he should continue. His calm and collected disposition threatened to give way at any moment. "Well, I've been thinking a lot lately. And… I think I've pieced together what I said that night I was drunk… With how you had been acting for awhile… it only leads me to believe that I said something about… the two of us." He slowly looked at her, and her eyes were still and fixed on his own. Each knew of the implications, and the deafening silence between the two of them was eventually broken by her.

"Liam… Is it true?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. There was no going back; he'd passed the point of return.

"Selina… I don't really know who I am. I had some sort of eventful past, and now it's like none of it ever happened. When I came into this time world, though, I had a brand new start. You found me on that beach, and you were all that I had. We've done so much together, and we built something great here. But with everything that we've done, it all leads back to you. Treasure Town, the Guild - Team Retribution, even - all of those have been projects. But you, Selina… you're my entire world…" He fell silent, and the indecisiveness was killing him. But the powerful words eventually forced their way out, albeit barely. "Yeah… i-it's true. I... I love you."

She said nothing, though the shock was evident from the look she gave him. He had begun to wonder if he had just struck a blow to their relationship, one that would make it awkward beyond repair, and a fear unlike any other had started to manifest itself within him. A fear that vanished when the small smile appeared on her lips.

"I-I didn't know it before, but… I've waited… a long time to hear those words from you…" She gave him a pure, heartfelt grin, and the joy within Liam could hardly be contained. Instincts that he didn't even know that he had took over as he drew her into an embrace, the two clasping one another. He came to relish the scent of the umbreon as he buried his nose into her neck, and she nuzzled him sweetly in return. Liam drew back and looked at her, with Selina giggling from sheer happiness. They closed the distance between them.

The gentle peck was sweet and innocent, with the lucario quickly retreating and pressing forth with more vigor. She opened her mouth, granting him access, the two of them passionately exploring their partner. Their tongues danced with one another's, and by the time she pulled away, both of them were out of breath.

"Arceus…" Liam said, the excitement bubbling in his voice. "Selina, I… don't know what to say!"

"I do," she said, before uttering the words that, just a few days ago, she would never have imagined herself saying. "I l-love you too… my mate." He claimed her lips again, unable get enough of her taste, or the small, subtle moans that she released as they made out. But his physical limitations once again caught up, and they heavily panted into each other, smiles plastered on their faces.

"I was… so scared," he said when he could finally speak. "All this time… I didn't want to ruin what we had…"

"Shhh, it's okay… I know what you mean. But how long have you felt like this?" she asked.

"Ever since we started exploring together, Selina." He had hidden the feelings for years, and now they were free to be released. Liam couldn't believe any of this was happening, yet there was no denying what they had just done.

"I… have felt the same way for some time," she said. "I didn't know, though… I wasn't paying attention to the signs…"

"Well I don't care," Liam said. "We're here now, and I couldn't be happier." He nuzzled her cheek, and they resumed their sweet lip-lock. Awkward as it may have been due to their muzzles, he couldn't have imagined it being more perfect. It was her, after all. "I've… wanted you for so long… You are the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on…"

"And you… you don't care? About being human?"

"Not one bit," he said, kissing her forehead. "And even if I were still human, I'd feel like this. You're beautiful no matter what body I'm in." She nuzzled up into his chin, and the feeling of her fur against his own had become his favorite sensation.

"Alright, I better knock it off," he said, pulling away. "I don't want… well…" He was having trouble finding words to express his concern, but he didn't want to surprise her by revealing himself in such a way. Thankfully she caught the hint.

"Oh my! I didn't mean to—."

"No, no, it's not your fault," he said with a smile. "It's just… I haven't had to deal with something like this before…" There was no denying the pressure that he was feeling, and he wanted nothing less than to embarrass the both of them in such a way.

"I see," she said, before giving him a light peck on the nose. "Well, I would like to wait for some time before we do anything like that…"

"Me too. And besides," he said, caressing her cheek, "I'm fine just being like this with you… I'm okay with waiting however long you want." He stood up, and right as he did so, the umbreon got up on her hind legs, placing her forepaws on his chest. Liam wrapped his arms around her, and they nuzzled one another's cheeks, basking in the moment once again as they tenderly embraced each other in the moonlight.

They eventually returned to the tent, where the two resumed their affectionate gestures, claiming one another's mouths for what seemed like hours. Each time Liam looked into her eyes, he knew that he had found the perfect girl. They had both waited so long for this, and now that it had finally come to pass, he couldn't imagine going back to the way things were before. Selina touched their cheeks together - something that they had found that they both really enjoyed - before looking at him in surprise.

"Liam… are you crying?"

"No," he said. "…Alright… maybe just a little. I'm sorry, I'm just so… so happy…" She giggled, licking his cheek sensually.

"Aww, that's so sweet," she said. "My Liam… the bounty hunter…"

"I know… the others would give me hell for it. But I don't care," Liam said, claiming her neck.

"Mmm," she said as he softly kissed her, "you just… keep doing that…" Her purrs were music to his ears, the noises of happiness being something he wanted to hear for the rest of his days. He retreated a second time, feeling the pressure once again. As he did so, he bumped into the journal.

"Hey! I've got an idea. Kinda silly, but…"

"Oh? What is it?" He grabbed the journal and a piece of the charcoal, grinding it up into a fine dust in his paw.

"Here, give me your paw." She offered her front right, and he spread the black powder onto her forepaw. He skipped a single page after the last one with writing on it and laid it flat on the ground. Liam pressed his paw onto the page, and catching on to the idea, Selina followed suit. The two prints touched each other at the side, marking the first new addition to the journal.

"That's sweet. Now where were we?" Selina asked.

. . . . .

Liam smiled as he listened to her soft breaths, rubbing her cheek gently as she slept. The umbreon had a smile on her face that hadn't left ever since they'd started this new journey in their lives. He stepped outside for a moment, noticing that the fire was nearly dead. Liam piled the rest of the sticks on before stepping back. Though he was about to join the sleeping umbreon once more, the lucario decided to open the journal and carefully grip a piece of charcoal in his paw. It may have been an awkward feeling, but he would be able to manage. It was by the light of the fire and the umbreon he loved that he made his first entry.

18th of Great Harvest, 1572

I found this journal by the lower courtyard in the Old Ruins. Wasn't able to learn much from the other pages, but I guess I'll jot down whatever comes to mind. Arceus knows our lives are eventful enough to write volumes.

This trip has been far greater than anything I could've imagined. I am now the happiest lucario (or human?) ever, all because Selina felt the same way. I love her with everything within me and have for a long time. Once we confessed, we began the first stages of intimacy, and I have already lost count of how many times we have told the other of our love.

I don't have much more to say than that, at least for now. Whatever the future holds, the two of us will face it together.

A/N:

And that takes care of that. There is a finished picture of this scene, and if any of you would like to see it, just DM me. Hope you enjoyed what is probably the sweetest romantic confession in any of my stories.