[PRP] Looking for my friend (Helianthus & Ohm)

[Syrius Lionwing]

Her trip out in to the rogue lands had worried her so much. Her father had told her so much of the world beyond the swamps, he had taught her how to protect herself and warned her of the dangers out there. She had still been afraid. She had known when it was her time that she would be alone and frightened and that coming home would seem a very long way off. Luckily though she had met Kaleo.

Kaleo was her friend, her protector and he had promised he would wait for her and he had kept to his word. They had travelled through the rogue lands side by side and together they had found their names. They had become fast friends and she had felt a lot less frightened with him beside her.

They had come home together and though they had, had to go their own way, to see families and friends, they had promised to come back together again. They had been through too much together for them not to feel connected and though it had taken a few days Helianthus was looking for Ohm. She smiles to herself, so much had happened between them, he was her best friend, her very, very best friend, the thought made her blush a little but she pressed on searching for her friend.  

[ShinosBee]

Ohm had done a great deal of growing in the rogue lands, both physically and mentally. He'd returned to the pride of his birth so changed that several old friends said they barely recognized him. Of course, he still looked like himself, but he'd become...more at peace. He'd had so many questions when he'd left, and it seemed he would never be content to stop asking and return. But Alba had found him, and his promise had held him bound to her. At first it had been a struggle, but he'd learned. And eventually, it was all he wanted to continue as they had in the wilds of the rogue lands.

With her he'd learned to listen, and be patient, and to learn by seeing, not always by asking. She'd brought out the best in him, and helped a great deal in his name quest. He hadn't dared to ask if he'd been any help to her. He'd come to understand that he would learn all he needed to know in time, without being an earful.

Now called Ohm, he'd bid a fond farewell from the friends he'd visited, and began to work his way through the swamps. Would Heli be done with her visits by now? Maybe not...but he would wait patiently for her. He could always be patient, and happy too, waiting with, for, or on her.  

[Syrius Lionwing]

The quiet little lioness moved through the swamp easily, her paws pushing through the murky mud and waters until she cane to the place they had promised to meet up again, and there he was. Her knight in shining armour. She had called him that more than once, her noisy chatty knight. He had changed so much in their time together, his mane was all fluffy now and well grown but more than that, she understood him better now. She understood he could be impatient and she knew that he would wait for her despite this.

The smile on her maw spread wide as she walked towards him and rubbed her head in to his mane. "I wasn't sure if you would be here." She lifts her head and looks up at the dark maned male, her lilac eyes dancing happily. She had hoped desperately that he would be there, it was hard to be without him, those few days apart had been tough, she realised she was very dependant upon her big guardian.

"I'm glad we're back home now." She sighs gently and leans against him lightly. "I missed you though." She states quietly her voice just barely above a whisper, she had to tell him she missed him, she needed him to know.  

[ShinosBee]

He felt his entire being surge with delight--it almost felt like something was gripping his heart, like he couldn't breathe for fear the action would shatter his world, and he'd find this all had been a dream. When had he fallen in love with his sweet flower? He felt he'd always felt this way. "Where else would I be? this is where I'm meant to be." Here, in the swamps. Here, home. Here, with her pressed just so into his mane, leaning against him, looking to him, the feel her heart beating against him and hear her breath as it passed over his cheek.

"As am I...as...did I." He dipped his head, burying his nose in her fur just behind one of her ears, holding her close. As much as she needed him to guard her, he needed her to give him purpose. What would he do if he had no one to protect and cherish? "Did you find your family? Are they all well? Your siblings?" He hoped they were alright. He'd missed his own family, and thought hers must be dear to her as well. Much had changed since they left. Whole new families sprang up. Leadership had changed. Some lions he knew as a cub had never come back from their journeys.  

[Syrius Lionwing]

"Yes my mother and father are fine and a few of my siblings have returned, there is still time." She smiles softly, she hoped that all of her family would return fromt heir quests, but she wasn't sure if they would.

The young lioness gave a nod in to his mane, she nestled closer to him breathing in his scent. It hadn't changed at all in the last few days and she thought it might have, but he still smelled of adventure with the underlying smell of the swamps and well, he smelled like home and safety. She loved him so deeply, she didn't want t be any where but next to him. But, but there was something she had to ask him...

"I.." She takes a breath taking in that scent one again closing her lilac eyes, she felt a bit nervous about asking him this "I don't know if you want to go back to your family or..." She pauses again trying not to mumble or whisper too quietly "I was kinda hoping... we could.. get a den..together... I missed you.." She trails off, feeling nervous, she wasn't sure if he still wanted to be around her all the time, or not, he'd had to look after her out there, in here, there was a whole pride around them both, would he still want to be near her or would he want to go his own way now?  

[ShinosBee]

He listened intently as she spoke, each word like a drop of honey. She'd never been one to talk, not like he'd been, and that made him treasure her words even more. Her question, though expected, still left him breathless when it came. He would never dare ask it of her, it had always been her choice to make. He'd learned on his trip that he would follow and guard no matter where she needed to go. Even her tiniest whispering hopes, he would hear and make come true. It had become part of him, part of his name.

"A den together, like before?" They'd often shared a den, for warmth and safety, in the roguelands. It had never been an issue there, for it did not signify anything, as it did here. Part of him felt it would die of joy that she had picked him, and not left him alone to go along with some other male. If she had, he would not have wept or raged, but he would have felt that part of his very being had gone missing.

"I told you I would always stay by you, yes? I don't like to see you unhappy, missing me. I won't leave you again. I promise."  

[Syrius Lionwing]

She smiles hiding her face in his dark mane, she felt embarrassed, she had lived with him for so long but they had been on a journey and to stick together meant that they were safer, safety in numbers. Here though, here if they lived together they would be more and it frightened her but it also excited her, she wanted to be with Ohm, he was the only person she had ever felt safe around that wasn't a member of her immediate family.

The quiet lioness gave a nod and little girly giggle "Yes, like that only.. Like our parents?" His promise to never leave her made her heart leap in the air and do a few back flips, she was fairly certain it had done that any way, before it had returned to her chest. She was glad he would still protect her here, but she stil needed to know if he wanted to be with her with her, or if they were simply, still friends.

"I don't want to be with anyone else Ohm."  

[ShinosBee]

Talk of being like their parents made his heart skip a beat, and his thoughts raced. Into the murky beyond that was the future he plunged in the blink of an eye. Waking up warm in a den, surrounded by soft fur and happy smiles. His sweet flower, with cubs tucked to her side. Brown and orange, with dark little tufts here and there. His cubs, and hers...A family of their own. Maybe not right away, but some day. Was that what he wanted? He didn't even have to ask himself twice.

His gentle smile became more intense; he was practically radiating delight. "No one here would understand me as well as you. You are my better half. Part of me. I could never love anyone more than I love you. I thought you knew." Of course, it was his first time saying so, but he'd always felt that perhaps she felt the same. Now he was even more certain of it. "I know my family would approve of you. Not that that would stop me." A bit of the old Kaleo flared up in him for a moment, the rebellious desire to spurn even his family to stay with his sweet flower...he quickly repressed the thought. They would, undoubtedly, adore her. "Think your family will like me?"  

[Syrius Lionwing]

A shiver rolled down her spine as she listened to him, lifting her head she smiled widely, her lilac eyes dancing happily.The little lioness laughed gently and leaned up to lick his nose. "I hoped." she sighs gently, a serene smile on her face.

"They will love you." She purs quietly leaning in close to him. "They would love you just because they know I love you. They will love you any way."

"I was so worried you wouldn't want to stay with me Ohm." She whispers looking at her paws embarrassed. "I hoped you would want to stay with me." She lifts her head to look the big dark maned male in the eyes. "I didn't want to be without you, not ever." She laughs gently, a tiny pleased little laugh. "I'm so glad you feel the same." She lets out a long pleased sigh and leaned forwards to bury herself back in his mane. She had never been happier.  

[ShinosBee]

"You won't have to be. I'll never leave." Gently he started to walk, slow enough that she could keep leaning on him as they went. He was more than happy just to walk with her a while. He'd grown a little used to it while they ranged the rogue lands. But he actually had a point to it now, and as they walked, he began looking here and there. For dry spots, little hillocks, clearings in the swamp free of deadfall that would attract crocodiles or snakes. A place to dig a home.

It wouldn't matter if he couldn't find one today. They had all their lives together to find the right spot. As long as they had each other, nothing else mattered. He would dig her a perfect den, just for her. Her, and himself, and maybe, maybe one day, their own family.