The meetings had been here or there. Nothing special. At least to Rhy they weren't really anything, but Gato saw them as a way to get closer to him. Why was she so smitten with him? It made her feel like a cub, with that silly, wistful feeling of love. She knew she was rushing things, even if nothing was going anywhere. They were lingering together, near where Gato worked. Her claws were recovering, and she was working more delicately, so they would last longer than the first time she had thrown herself into her work.
Rhy was glancing around, seeing the piles of stones that needed cutting, and the other pile that grew smaller as some of these were moved to their permanent locations. He knew that the larger ones were worked on where they were, but the smaller ones were easy enough to be moved around. It was a bit messy, but then he was impressed about how busy she kept herself. He wondered how healthy it was, and if she could keep it up.
Gato was only thinking about how to get the conversation going again. She had said almost everything she could, and still Rhy wouldn't share much of himself. Perhaps he never would. All Gato could do was be there for him, be friendly, and hope that someday his heart might change. She glanced over at him warily, as he seemed to be deep in thought about something.
Rhy glanced over at her, a question in his eyes. She swallowed, wondering what it could be. He never spoke much in their meetings.
"Do you do anything beyond work, and meeting me?"
Gato's eyes widened, and she dragged her eyes away from him. She didn't want to answer it, but she was too honest to lie. With a gulp she offered him her answer. "No, I don't." She dared a peek, but he only looked contemplative. A silence appeared before them, but Gato knew that it was Rhy's turn to speak again. She just had to wait for it.
Again, he looked contemplative, and Gato wondered why he suddenly took interest in her. She babbled on and on about anything in the past, but now he was thinking about the now, and not silly stories from her past.
"What are you going to do with your future?" he suddenly asked, throwing Gato off. She felt herself sway. "Well...work here, I guess. I don't plan on leaving, and there will always be work here for me to do."
Rhy shook his head. "Life isn't only about work. It's about a lot more than that. Why don't you think about anything past that?"
Gato furrowed her brows. "I do. But what is the point if it isn't going to get anywhere?" She saw Rhy shake his head, but he didn't look like he had anything else to say. Gato sighed. "I don't think about it much, because I don't think I'm going to get what I want. Isn't that part of life?"
Rhy shook his head. "No. Not really. You have to fight for what you want. And if you can't get it..." He grew silent, unsure as what to say. He fought for what he had wanted, and he didn't get it. So what was he doing? Nothing, really. He ran away from it, shelled himself up, and didn't want to get too close to anyone else. And yet, though everyone else seemed to get the memo, Gato didn't stop. She wasn't nosy, and she didn't try to pry that shell open. She just sat next to him and blabbed her mouth of about anything and everything she could think of.
"Then what?" Gato finally added in, wondering if he had forgotten his trail of thought.
"Ah..." Damn. He blinked, looking at her as she curiously peered at him. And then it started to hit him. She cared about him, but was careful not to push him. She was probably always going to be there for him, and willingly, but she would never push herself onto him. And he liked that about her. A lot.
He softened his looks, and offered her a small smile. "Then you find something else." And he thought that it was standing right in front of him.
Gato blinked owlishly. What was he going on about? But it was nice that he was talking....and really nice that he had smiled, even if it was just a little bit. She hadn't seen him soften up like that before, and she only hoped that he would do it more in the future.
"I guess that sounds like a plan," she agreed, guessing that she understood what he meant. Perhaps he was starting to find it, if he hadn't already in taking the job of guard for the pride.
Rhy glanced away again for a moment. Hm. Now he was wondering what to do, or more so, how he should do it. "Gato," he started, knowing that he would have her attention without asking for it. For how kind she was, it was...obvious how she felt about him. He had sort of felt like this before...but this felt better. He was broken, and she didn't care. She wanted him anyway. "Let's fix our futures, then."
She peered at him again, still lost. She was guessing what he had meant, but she didn't want to wish for it. Didn't want to hope, only for her to find out that she had been misinterpreting him.
He chuckled. "Yes, it's what you think it is. If you're willing to take me in broken, perhaps you can fix....this." He shook his mane, knowing that there were parts not fully regrown in, still little scars from his fight with that b*****d.
Gato couldn't believe what she had heard! Though perhaps it might have been most romantic to rush and nuzzle him, she knew better than that with him. She would take this slowly, and only then would everything be perfect. "Yes," she said with a smile. "You know I would love to give it a shot."
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