Harabu had been off hunting, it was different now, they had left Nyek and were together. For once his heart was seeing the right thing and that was being with Amani. He had taken so long to admit it to himself. It was just something that was so strange and new to him.
He carried back with him a rather large hare, males weren't made for hunting so he could never catch much, his body shape was more to knock animals over not run after them first!
He saw Amani and smiled, dropping the hare at her paws he sat down and looked to the sky... freedom.

Amani had watched Harabu as he approached and she smiled at him when he dropped his kill. She stood and nuzzled him.
"You're getting better at that. Hare's are hard to catch," she said. She'd blocked out the oasis when they'd left. She didn't want to hate anyone, but she knew she'd always hate Nyek. She pitied the others, but that brought about her hate. So she forgot about them altogether. Harabu was all she needed now.

He smiled and let out a sigh, "Its for you. You can't really hunt till that scar has healed properly." He laid down and licked at his paws trying not to look at the elegent shape of Amani. He wanted to, but she didn't know what he felt and it was better that way. After all, what good is love anyway?

Amani made a face at him and shook her head.
"I can hunt prefectly fine. It just hurts a little if I run too much, is all," she argued, but returned to the hare and began to eat anyways.

He snarled a little. "You shouldn't move too much though. It can get worse." He then stood up and started to walk backwards and forwards just pacing around. It was the only way. He had found that softening how he acted could show things that weren't meant to be shown and not only that, he wasn't safe, Nyek would hate him now, it was certain.

Amani's ears drooped and she nodded.
"That's true. I don't want it to be any worse than it already is..." she left off, glancing at the triple Vs below the crescent on her shoulder.

"Dont worry, I always heard the mistweavers are healers. We shall find them, they can help you." He continued to pace feeling restless. He was having something close to a war in his head about whether or not to tell Amani.
He collapsed suddenly, on purpose and laid his head on his paws sighing. This was stupid, why did he have to go and fall in love anyway

Amani looked at him and tilted her head. She idly licked the blood from her muzzle as she considered him. He'd been acting very strange since they'd left the oasis. He had been pacing and watching her a lot. And she didn't think she'd ever forget the look on his face when he saw Nyek's mark when he returned.
"Harabu, is something wrong? You seem... troubled," she asked, taking a step towards him.

"Dont be silly.." He didn't move as he spoke he just laid there, very aware of where Amani was and what she was doing. He was listening carefully.
He had become alot softer since when he first met Amani, it wasn't a slave master relationship anymore, more of friends. He loved having Amani around but was yet to admit it and when she was close to him it was like heaven, but would he admit any of this? Nope, he was far too stupid to do a thing like that!

"Fine, have it your way," Amani replied in an exhasperated tone and went back to the hare. Once she was finished, she cleaned the blood from her maw and laid down facing Harabu, her head on her paws. She just watched him, trying to figure out what had changed in him. He did seem different than before. It appeared that she was doomed to love a very complex lion. Yes, she'd admitted that she loved him. Not to him, but at least to herself. She felt safer with him and very, very happy. It explained why his treatment as a cub had made her so upset, as well as the loneliness that had struck her when he'd left.

"Why did you follow me to Nyeks land?" He asked, he was curious, he still didnt understand why. "Why were you happy to see me again? Why are you with me now?" He had to ask they were important questions to ask!

Amani blinked and tilted her head slightly.
"Well... I followed you mostly because you threatened to kill me if I didn't. But I was happy to see you becaused I'd wondered about you. You'd seemed so scared of me as a cub, even though I was a little afraid of you and I had wondered what became of you. I was happy when you returned to the oasis because... Well, because I thought you'd abandoned me there and... I guess I was lonely when you left," she confessed, her gaze dropping from his face to the ground.

She wasn't sure how she should answer his last questions, there were so many reasons. She could say it was because she needed him or because she didn't know where else to go or she felt that she would be terribly unhappy if she was on her own again after meeting him or she could just say it was because she loved him.
"And I'm with you because I want to be, Harabu," was all she could bring herself to say.


Harabu listened to her speak. They had met as cubs? He couldn't remember though much of that was a blue now, just a past memory.

"You want to be with me? Why?" He wanted to get it out of her, he had a feeling she had strong feelings for him but had never said, he wanted to get it out of her, it would make him feel better.

"Because... because..." Amani started, her ears going down a little as she tried to form the words. She wanted to tell him, but she wanted it to sound just right. And, yet, she was also afraid, so afraid that he might not return her feelings or think her needy. Would he understand?

She sighed and closed her eyes. The only way she could find out if he'd catch her was if she jumped.
"Because I feel so alone without you, so sad. I don't know why, but you make me feel happy and safe, just by being there. I don't think I ever want to leave you. Harabu... I..." she trailed off. Her tongue wasn't doing what she wanted it to. Why couldn't she just say it??

Catch me, please.
"I love you, Harabu..."


He listened as if on the edge of a seat waiting to hear what was going to be next. She described how he flet about her. She made him feel like someone, made him feel whole, made him happy and oh how he loved her. It had taken him so long to realise but oh how he loved her.

"I wont let anything harm you Amani... not ever. You won't be alone and.. and... I... well..." He paused briefly and looked into her eyes for the first time, letting down all his walls his eyes actually looked soft. "I love you Amani... I love you so damn much... when I saw what Nyek had done, I could have killed him. Oh.. Amani.."

Amani's eyes widened and she felt them fill with tears.
"You... You love me?" she whispered, the tenseness that had been around her heart disappearing. He loved her! And, more importantly, he loved her enough to admit it. She felt the tears slowly fall over her cheeks, she was just so happy. She wouldn't have to hide her affections from him.
"You love me," she couldn't help repeating it, even though she felt silly saying it over and over, she couldn't help it.


He just watched her a little confused. He had heard that he would never understand females. He accepted that.

He just nodded and watched her, looking totally and utterly confused. "I do love you... yes..." He tilted his head, his mane covering one of his eyes. He looked different with his mane like that, but it was upto his Amani to decide whether she liked it. She was his now, he didn't own her like he once did, no, he actually had her, as an equal, as a mate.

Amani stood and walked to him. She leaned down and rubbed her cheek against his, her eyes closed, but there was a smile on her maw.
"I was afraid you didn't," she whispered as she nuzzled him. She loved everything about him. Okay, so he'd probably get on her nerves sometimes, still, but she loved that about him as well. It was what made him Harabu. Her Harabu, her love, her mate.


He let her rub against him and he let out a purr like rumble. He licked at her maw and nuzzled her neck. "We will get you healed then find somewhere to settle down, to make a family, our own children, just you and me..." He licked at her again and again as if he couldn't get enough of her.

He loved her and he never wanted anything to harm her again, not ever.

She laid down beside him, leaning her head against him.
"A family... Yes, I like that," Amani whispered, laughing a little as he licked her over and over again. She smiled as she pictured a family. She would gladly have Harabu's cubs, as many as he wanted.

"I hope we get there soon, then. I want to settle down with you," she sighed, licking his cheek lovingly. She knew she would eventually, but she put off worrying where they would go for later. Right now, she was content to just lie here by him, feeling happier and safer than she'd ever felt before.