A cold night and cuddles

Nova shivered despite all the furs she had piled on top of herself. Living in a cave was great in summer, but in winter she was often freezing. She pulled her hyena plushie - a gift from Mara - closer to herself as she trembled.

If only Mara were here! She could always count on her girlfriend to keep her warm and cozy even in the coldest days.

Nova loved watching the snow fall outside through the windows in the ceiling, nestled into Maras arms.

Briefly she pondered getting up to make some tea but quickly trashed the idea. It was just too cold!

The floor in their bedroom was covered in blankets and furs, but the walls often felt like ice to the touch, absorbing all the warmth. No, better wait until Mara came back.

Her love was late, but Nova never worried about her. Why, she was the ruler and goddess of all who lived here! No one could harm her even if they tried, and no one would dare anyway. Mara was easy to anger and sometimes lost control of herself, obliviating those around her and levelling parts of the forest.

She wasn't ever dangerous to Nova, though. Nova trusted her girlfriend with her life.

Thinking of Mara made her feel all warm inside and her eyes were just beginning to drift shut when she heard faint steps outside. Steps she'd have known anywhere, steps that she would feel in her heart if she went deaf.

Forgetting about the freezing temperatures, she shrugged off the furs she had buried herself in and hurried towards the cave entrance.

"You're back!" she yelled, holding open her arms as she sped towards her girlfriend. "Do you know how cold home is without you?"

Mara laughed as she gathered Nova in her arms and held her close to her chest.

"You mean, cold in your heart because you love and missed me so much?"

"Well, yes, obviously, my love," Nova replied and gave Mara a quick kiss before snuggling back into her chest fur and sighing. "But mainly because you're a literal furnace!"

"What would you do without me, hm?," the hyena asked, setting Nova back on the ground. She took off her jacket and carefully draped it around her tiny girlfriend's shoulders before continuing. "If you give me a second, I'll start a fire. I brought some meat, too, all that shivering must have made you hungry."

The cat struggled with the jacket for a second and finally managed to wrap the sleeves around her like two oversized scarves. It was taller than she was, but blissfully warm and smelling deliciously like hyena goddess.

"Do I want to know who that was? Did we know them?," she asked, her eyes barely peeking over the collar.

"No worries, darling, I know you don't like that. I got a bear after I was done with some troublemakers. It was so wonderfully bloody, you should have seen it," Mara said, genuine delight in her voice.

Nova rolled her eyes, but smiled. "I've seen you in action often enough. You should rather tell me if you've brought me anything cool!"

The hyena had built a tent of wood in a pit in the middle of the clearing in front of the cave while talking and blew on it to ignite it. Once she was satisfied with the inetnsity of the flames she got up to get the spits from inside the cave.

Nova scooted closer to the crackling fire and narrowed her eyes at Mara. "Hey! Stop ignoring me! Have you brought anything? Don't tell me you forgot!"

When her girlfriend came back, she was grinning mischievously. "Come on, love. I'm just teasing you."

With her free hand she flicked Nova's nose. "When have I ever forgotten to bring you loot? Just be patient, I found something really pretty this time."

Nova wrinkled her nose as she impatiently watched Mara set up the spits and start roasting the meat, fat sizzling, sparks flying.

"Now come here, you grumpy tiny kitty," Mara smiled as she picked Nova in her jacket up again and cradled her close to her with one hand, looking for the jacket's pocket with the other and getting out a small leather pouch.

"Open it, love!"

Whiskers twitching, Nova obliged and held her breath as she undid the knots.

In the pouch she found a ring. A thin, silvery metal was made to look like intertwining branches, with tiny leaves studded with even tinier emeralds.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, holding it close to her. "Thank you so much!"

"Small, but oh, so beautiful. Just like you."

Nova sighed as Mara kissed her, butterflies soaring through through her stomach as if it was her very first kiss. She raised her hands to her girlfriend's face and once again couldn't think of anything she had done in her past life to make her deserve the love of this literal goddess. Mara was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"I can't wait to spend eternity with you," she whispered in her lover's ear.

"And I with you", Mara replied. "You're mine forever."

I hope it's to your liking! If you want me to tweak anything, please let me know!

Also, once you are satisfied with it, would it be alright with you if I posted it to my thread as an example of my work?