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 Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:35 pm
Two weeks had passed since she had seen the sapphire stallion that had, even if she wouldn't admit it, wormed his way into her heart. After so many years of carefully keeping away from any type of romantic involvement, Hienna had fallen prey to the comfort and relaxation that being with Zaphiro had generated.
Two weeks of being lost in thoughts and wandering around on her own. Today she couldn't help but go back to the ocean - to wear that brush off had happened. The talk with Firefly had done a little to ease her mind and while she was now sure she did feel something, she now had to push those feelings away.
Zaphiro obviously did not feel the same.
Hie stood quietly, watching the sunset over the ocean. At least she could take part in that and try to lose herself in the beauty.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:51 pm
 Two weeks...had it really only been that long?
Zaphiro felt as though he had been moving in a daze for months, years, an eternity even. And why not? No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't find her. She hadn't returned to the clearing, nor to the meadow where he'd first encountered her; not once had he spied that shimmering purple in all these days.
It was strange, really, how obsessed he'd become with making things right. He couldn't sleep well, couldn't enjoy his food, couldn't even relish his cherished morning swims. All he coud think about was Hienna, and the way that she'd looked at him as she'd brushed him off.
That look haunted him, dogging his steps and spurring him in his search. He had hurt her; hurt her while attempting to prevent just that very occurance. And boy, had he screwed up.
Not a cheerful thought, but most of his thoughts had been far from cheery lately.
He wasn't exactly sure what had motivated him to come back to the beach, of all places. He'd been back twice since the day he'd lost Hienna, and hadn't seen her; obviously he was running out of ideas.
And now he was starting to hallucinate as well, because damned if he didn't think he was looking at Hienna...
The dark blue stallion stood silently on the edge of the woods, eyeing the mare with blatant disbelief. But the longer he stared, the more he started to realize that it wasn't a dream. He'd found her.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:56 pm
Zaphiro may have found her but the mare certainly wasn't paying any attention to anything but her own thoughts, the crashing waves, and the technicolored sunset.
Hienna sighed wistfully after a moment and turned to walk away as the last colors started to fade. They were projecting themselves across her body and lighting the purple and gold afire.
She was about to walk when she stopped in her tracks. Was she hallucinating? Imagining things?
God she hoped so. Maybe if she just stood there very still he'd go away...
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:02 pm
For a wild moment, Zaphiro thought she was coming towards him; but the second their eyes met and he saw the surprise and confusion evident, he knew that it was merely wishful thinking.
However, this time he wasn't going to let himself get bogged down with awkwardness. Keeping his golden gaze locked on Hienna's, he walked towards her, neither running nor inching but walking with a purposeful stride. Every inch of him was that of a stallion in control of the situation as he walked right up to the mare...
And immeadiately dropped down onto his knees. "Hienna, I am so, so sorry."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:16 pm
Oh god, he saw her. How could he NOT see her? Panic flooded through her but she managed to quell her urge to run. Did he come to further humiliate her? Hie couldn't handle that. It was bad enough she was dealing with - oh.
...He was on his knees now?
"I..."
Well, now the unicorn was at an absolute loss for words. How did she respond to a stallion being on his knees?
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:25 pm
He'd found her; he'd finally found her. And now that he had, he was actually going to fix this. He wasn't exactly sure how to do that, didn't have a plan, but when you didn't know what else to do, that best idea was honesty. And that, he'd decided, was all that anyone could even attempt.
So he stayed as he was, head bowed slightly so that he was looking at her feet and his curls fell about his muzzle. But his tone was sincere, and the words heartfelt.
"I owe you an apology, probably even more than that, for my behavior last time, Hienna. There was no call for that level of idiocy on my part, and I never should have tried to rationalize myself as I did. It was never my intention to hurt you; just the opposite, in fact. But after what I said, I can completely understand your reaction and your upset; it was what I deserved. Actually, scratch that; what I deserved was that AND a swift kick. But now that I've found you, I just want to know...can you ever forgive me, Hienna?"
And now he was lifting his head, raising his eyes to hers yet again. Aside of the intensity in those eyes, one might not realize just how serious he was; but burning in his eyes were the fires of true intensity. How she responded to that, only time would reveal.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:40 pm
The heartfelt words touched the mare and she looked down quietly. How could she have thought differently? But he had said...Confusion, still, until she looked up and met his eyes.
There was no doubting him. No doubting him at all after that. She gathered all the courage she had and took a deep breath, "Zaphiro...I...I just don't understand what happened..."
Maybe he'd tell her. Maybe all her thoughts and rationalizations and scared hunches could be put to ease right now.
"Do..Do you or do you not..."
God she couldn't even get it out!
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:45 pm
His eyes still on hers, Zaphiro rose to his feet and stood beside her, a slightly wry smile playing on his lips at her somewhat confused words. Not that he blamed her; he'd been very good at sending mixed messages.
Well, not any more.
Inclining his head slightly, Zaphiro's rueful smile widened. "I care for you, Hienna; in fact, I care for you a great deal. I guess I just need practice in actually expressing those feelings, so at the risk of making an utter a** out of myself..."
Now or never, Zaphy-boy. "I think I love you."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:04 pm
...Love?
Oh no, oh no oh no oh NO. What had her mother said about love? At the moment, it was blaring all too loudly throughout her mind. How could he love her? How could...
She was silent for a very long time, her eyes locked in on his with a shocked sort of expression written on her face. Then, finally, a cautious step forward.
"...Do you really?"
What was coming out of her mouth? Why wasn't she running?
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:11 pm
She wasn't laughing in his face, nor was she running away; both positive signs. So he was able to keep his calm while he smiled, a smile of a truly sheepish nature.
"Well, I seem to be expressing all the symptoms, and have been virtually since the first day I met you, so I'm going to go with yes on this one. However," and here he raised a hoof in defense, "I can completely understand if you don't feel the same. I mean, we really didn't get to spend a lot of time together, so I was more than a little shocked myself when I realized it. But even if you don't love me, all I ask is for a chance to change that."
Sincerity was ingrained in his tone, and even more telling was the shine in his eyes as he looked at her. Strange, really, to think about how comfortable this whole process seemed to be for him; after all, last time he'd managed nothing but awkwardness. Honesty really did seem to be the best policy...
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:18 pm
"I...Zaphiro I..."
Again, stumbling for words. Usually so put together and careful with her speech. What did this stallion do to her? The mare closed her eyes for a moment to gather her wits about her.
"I don't quite...understand or know what love is," she said slowly, trying to pick and choose carefully, "My mother always warned against it, warned against letting...letting any stallion close. She always told me us mares do not need...But...I..."
Deeeeep breath.
"I know that I care about you and I have. I think I may...uh..." Great, moving onto the filler words like uh.
She just blushed. God she hoped he got what she was saying.
"But it will take time...for me to get used to, and be sure."
There.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:26 pm
Watching Hienna stumble and falter for words was like an eerie case of deja vu; how recently he himself had been staggered by an inability to speak, to express. If nothing else, these past two hellish weeks had at least given him time to think.
Now, if he never had to think again, he'd be happy.
Not that he wasn't happy right now; DELIGHTED was probably a better word. As she spoke, the smile on his face widened as the somewhat unspoken message came through the confusion. And that message was all he needed.
Nodding his head in acknowledgement of her words, Zaphiro felt as though he'd just been handed all he ever wanted. And now that they knew where the other was coming from, there was no need to feel awkward, was there?
"Time exists in plenty, Hienna; for now, merely the knowledge that I have a chance is enough for me, and for that I thank you." As he spoke, he leaned forward and gave the mare a nuzzle; definitely not a loverly nuzzle, but a bit more than a mere friendly nuzzle. "And nothing is ever truly NEEDED, so on that level your mother is right; however, there are things we can want, feel, desire more than any other...and in those cases, she's terribly wrong."
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:29 pm
The nuzzle made her relax a little and sigh, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her racing heart. Hie knew that it wasn't for her appearance - that much was for sure. After all, he would ...love... her even if she was a plain brown mare, wouldn't he?
She believed he would.
Rationalizing it in her head she let herself smile and return the nuzzle affectionately, "And...You feel that way for me? Desire me...more than anything?"
The thought was strange and foreign to her - not that she was complaining.
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:38 pm
Feeling the nuzzle returned, Zaphiro closed his eyes, savoring the moment; however, for some reason her question managed to break that moment, because damned if he wasn't blushing again! So much for being over that habit...
Feeling his cheeks darken, Zaphiro quickly looked away, willing the color and heat to go down. "Is that so hard to believe, really?"
Damn, he didn't want to have this conversation looking elsewhere, blush or no! Looking back at Hienna, he managed to smile and hopefully distract her from the shade of his face by the gesture. "I've never felt like this around anyone else, ever. The last two weeks, when I thought that I lost you, I was devastated. It was crazy."
And it had been; terribly crazy.
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