Gharadi hummed to himself with a smile on his maw. Night had fallen rather quickly, the cubs were asleep, getting older, and he was getting used to the fact of staying up later to wait for Avani to come visit, even in hte morning. He would have thought he'd get tired and exhausted from staying up so many hours of hte day, but truly, he felt more alive, felt, fulfilled, in a manner of speaking. Seeing Avani brightened his day adn spirit whenever he came across her. Orange mane falling into his view he yawned as he walked through the vines, heading towards hte borders. Tonight was the night, when he'd ask her again,a nd tell her how he felt inside. It was a strange but wonderful feeling, and he didn't think he should hide it any longer. Tonight was hte night indeed.
She wasn't sure why she was visiting so often, perhaps a few times a month, which was very unusual for her. She didn't stay in places long, let alone go back to them often. Yet she was.. She'd started spending time with that male, Gharadi, and his family, the cubs he took care of. She was learning about the swamp, and the pride..
She was happy.
Usually, the linoess who'd look forward to leaving on another adventure was looking forward to going to the swamp and spending time with them. For the first time ever, she hadn't felt alone. But she still was on her own..
Walking towards the ouskirts again, she perked her ears at the sight of a lion's shape. "Gharadi! "
"Avani!" he called with an enthusiastic voice, and he smiled, padded over to her rather quickly, and almost had enough courage to reach out and grace his cheek against hers, but his cheeks very softly reddened at hte thoght...she might pull away, and he didn't want Avani to feel uncomfortable, not at all, no pressue, no anything, just happiness. "I'm so glad you came today! I want to show you something, if you want to come see that is," he begged and hoped in his mind that she would agree, and follow, him. He wanted to show her to his favorite spot, and tell her something so important he felt as if he might burst from hte inside out if he didn't tell her soon. Emotion welled in his heart as he held his breath, waiting, hoping she would say yes, and go with him to hte most wonderful of places he knew in the swamp.
"Hi! " Avani smiled, then blinked. Something was.. different about him today. Flicking her tail slightly, she nodded. "Sure! Where are we going? " She asked, moving to walk towards the swamp, hough looking back so he could take the lead-- he was the one taking her somewhere, not vice-versa!
"Its a surprise," Gharadi said with a grin taking a step, waiting for her, then beginning to walk slowly, stopping at hte border of hte swamps before getting ready to maneuver around everything until they got to hte spot. "You sure your up for it Avani?" he said with a teasing, joking tone of voice. He was just acting carefree, happy he felt so happy inside it was hard to explain, even to himself! "Theres one part with a little bit of mud, but its not alot...that okay with you?" he asked watching her, waiting before proceeding on their adventure. He would be able to get to his spot, even in the midst of the night air and shadows.
"I've done this before. " She stuck her tongue out at the lion, manuvering into the swamp easly, feeling the wet soil. They weren't in the muddy part yet, but even here you could feel the humidity. It was refreshing. Or was he refreshing? Okay, lets not confuse yourself right now.
"Hurry up! "
Gharadi," Alright alright Miss Adventure," he said with a smirk, quirking a brow and making his way over hte vines and roots above the soil. He walked for a while, making his way over logs, waiting, now and again to make sure if something happened to trip her, or him in all honesty, they wouldn't be too far apart in case one of them got stuck. Walking and walking, he stopped before a patch of deep brown moist soil among the underbrush and leaves of the swamps.
It was almost as if hte water pooled on hte top of it, and on the other side, several meters from where he was standing, rocks began to pop up, tiny pebles and stones creating a carpet or santuary from hte moisture of mud. "Its deeper on that end over there, but over this side i doesn't go up more than half of your foreleg..." or...at least his foreleg, he was slightly taller. He stepped in, the mud making a sploosh as he did so and walked slowly and evenly so that a paw wouldn't get stuck.
She blinked as suddenly the swamp grew unfamiliar, walking a bit behind Gharadi so that she could use him to open up the path, testing most of her steps before actually walking, untill they reached the area. That was.. rather.. pretty. She looked at the water, then to the pebbles, and smiled. "This place is wonderful! " she gaped, stepping carefully behind Gharadi, going towards the pebbles to look at them better, by now already used to walking in the mud.
Gharadi sifted his way through hte mud, and pulled himself out of it on hte other side, shaking his legs to get rid of what extra mud he could. "This is't hte spot though," he said with a grin, shaking his mane slightly so that hte water droplets wouldnt go too far as to hit Avani and make her wet or anything. He didn't want her to get dirty or messy because of his foolish not thought through actions. "Its just a bit farther, after these pebbles, come on," he said with a smile, walked again, pushing himself through hte underbrush. It had been a while since he came through here, he was young when he had the first few times, and everything had seemed to grow. Pushing himself a bit more, he came out to a clearing, where pebbles were coating the soil, the were moist and smooth. In hte center of the clearing was a pool of clean, clear, crisp water in which the moon reflected off of.
Tiny stones shimmered in the pool as he sat beside it, peering in, then up at hte stars, the swamps making its nightly noise of music, leaves rustling, "This is it...its my favorite spot here..." he said with a smile.
"Really? Looks like a good spot to me! " she teased, reaching the rocks and making sure to be a nice distance away from him before doing the same, shaking herself dry and then continuing to follow him, moving swiftly through the underbrush. at least this kind of thing she was good at.
She blinked at the clearing at first, looking at all the pebbles over the soil, then the pool in the center. The oher place had been nice and pretty-- here was just dowright beautiful. "Gharadi.. " She gaped, walking next to him and no even noticing their pelts brush. "Nice spot.. " She blinked, still rather awestruck.
Gharadi felt a chill run up his spine and he smiled, closing his eyes, and opened them again, he felt as if their was a tingling, like a spark, from where Avani and he touched ever so slightly. This feeling, what was it? "I remember coming here when I was younger, before my mom and I went out into hte roguelands, I'd just stare at hte stars during hte night, or watch hte butterflies during hte day, its quieter here, soothing...." though having Avani in his company was soothing as well, he wanted her to stay. But what would she say if he asked again? He fiddled his paws together, "Avani...can I..ask you something?"
"Butterflies? " she asked vauely, still taking in the scene and stiting on the spot she was, not minding how chily the rocks felt against her. "I like butterflies. " She smiled, then tilted an ear in the lions direction as he said something else. "Sure. " she blinked. What did he want to ask?
"Y-yea, there are a lot of butterflies, lots of different colors during hte morning," he said with a no, fiddling his paws still. he let his eyes fall t the ground, getting nervous, then looked at her, a soft smile on his features, "Umm...I was wondering...ummm..." he was fumbling, just say it, he had to just say it! "I was wondering if you wanted to stay...like, I know you like adventuring, but theres lots of adventures here, and Moyo'abu, she's rather taken a liking to you, and likes it when you visit. And I'm sure all of hte others would enjoy your comapny too...I enjoy your company...and,...I like you so..."
"That sounds nice. " She smiled, looking around the scenery once more and trying to picture it in daytime, with butterflies and the sun reflecting off the pool. It must be nice. She flicked an ear to listen to him at first, then felt her heart skip a beat, looking back at the lion clearly surprised.
"I.. "
She paused, looking at him quietly, pondering oer her time here. She loved the swamp, and she loved spending time here.. but now, was that because of the swamp itself, of little Moyo? She liked Moyo, of course she did. But.. She liked Gharadi too. A lot. He'd made her feel like she mattered, really. Avani had always been 'that clumsy rogue', she'd always been alone. And she wasn't.
But shecouldn't find her voice, and instead looked up at him, nodding slightly with a smile.
Gharadi gulped as Avani didn't say anything to his question at first, and he looked nervous, worrysome, was she freaked out, did he freak her out? Oh no, what if she wouldn't ever come back and ven visit if she didn't want to stay? Gharadi didn't know how he'd handle losing his only friend that he'd seen so much, only friend that he cared for truly. But when she nodded, he felt so relieved, and he looked at her, looked at her looking at him and scooted closer to her, and gently graced his cheek against hers with a rumble of a purr in his throat. And as he pulled away, he peered up at the stars. This was hte beginning to something new.
She released her breath, blinking as he brushed his cheek against hers, if a lion could blush, she'd be red right now. With the closest thing to a purr a lion could manage, she pressed her leaned body against his own, nuzzling the male's neck. She had a home, and she had this lion here with her.. Was this what she'd been looking for all along?
