Kaihdin padded up to the spot where she had, yet again, promised Raruo she would meet him again today. It wasn’t difficult realizing that the strange feeling that had slowly been building up from when she woke up, began her walk over to this place, and had finally sat down was one of butterflies in her stomach. The lioness was nervous but excited, shy but eager, and quickly realizing that she was turning into a love-swindled girl. Hopelessly, one could add. And if he didn’t return those feelings, well…Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me, she thought to herself. Was she just attracted to the males that acted like they liked her, but then ran away at the last possible second? Was that the problem? Her problem?
Sighing and pushing it out of her mind, Kaihdin decided that a cool, refreshing drink of water would make her feel better. Her paws led her to a small pool not too far away, and in good sight of their meeting spot. She felt confident that she would hear or see him walk up while she was busy washing bad thoughts away from her mind.
She plunged her head underwater and shook it, hoping the liquid would do what she hoped.
Three days in a row! Was that pushing it? He wasn’t as nervous today as he had been before. He somehow knew she was going to be there. They had had such a good time of it before, so why wouldn’t she be there? He didn’t think he had done anything that might be offensive in retrospect, after she thought on it.
He shook his head. Now he was beginning to worry.
He wanted her to be there. That he was sure of, at least. He didn’t want to drop these meetings now. Before he had thought if she moved on he wouldn’t mind her going, but that wasn’t true now. How quickly these stupid, dopey feelings were growing! She obviously wouldn’t be feeling them, right? She must have some sense, which Raruo obviously didn’t have. She would know how to control herself. How to just be friends with someone. Instead of just falling head over heels for someone the moment they met.
Raruo was clearly just a hopeless, idiotic romantic.
Chiding himself, shaking his head, knowing no matter how many chastising words he put to it he would never be able to deter himself from feeling this way and enjoying it, he found his way to their little meeting spot. His heart sank when he didn’t spot her right away, his tail hitting the floor. But a turn of his head and a sniff of the wind allowed him to find her nearby. With… her head in the water?
He moved over to her, standing next to her for a beat before dunking his head in to, just to look at her from under the water.
Her eyes blinked open at the same moment Raruo dunked his head under the water to join her, slightly scaring her. But for the five seconds after that as she looked at him, the more she just wanted to laugh. His mane was fluffing and floating all around his face, poofy and making such a picture that she tried to giggle. However, laughing usually calls for a sudden or quick intake of breath, and Kaihdin had forgotten that she was underwater.
So she took a deep breath of the water instead of the air she meant to.
Choking, coughing in order to get most of the water out of her lungs, she reared her head back and out of the water and shook it, backing away quickly from the pool. Her coughs quieted soon, and they turned into the chuckles that she had wanted to emit in the first place.
Though she hoped he wouldn’t think of her too strangely now, especially for laughing at her own near-accident.
Raruo blinked at her when he saw she was staring at him, then offered a smile that only added to his stupid look underwater. He pulled his head out when she started sputtering, looking at her in concern.“I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant to drown you!” he said on instinct, a bit sarcastic as always, “just make you laugh. I forgot the two had a good chance of happening simultaneously.” He moved closer, dripping because he hadn’t shook the water from his thick, graying mane. He tilted his head, “you look only half drowned, though, and from your laugh I guess you’re okay?”
He grinned. Already he was having more fun than he usually allowed himself. He felt like he could just relax around her, and he loved that. He grumbled a bit, almost a purr if he were capable of such things. Really it was just a growl in a happy cadence.
“You are okay, though, right?”
She only laughed more at him, nodding her head and trying to catch her breath. One minute she was dying from breathing water, and the next she was dying from a lack of air to her lungs. Was he trying to kill her on purpose, taking away all her air?
“I’m fine,” she giggled again, “though I would appreciate it if you did remember that I am mortal, and laughing while underwater is a difficult task to accomplish. You’re lucky I’m half-drowned, otherwise I’d push you into the water and see how you like it.” The threat was a half-empty one. If she figured she would actually have a good chance of managing to push him into the water, Kaihdin would have tried it. But doing so with a big lion like him didn’t bode well for the turn out, and even she knew her boundaries.
For now, anyway. If she could catch him off guard later…
“Thank you for that lovely wake-up. I knew I was still half asleep. How are you?” she lightly changed the focus from herself to him, shaking her small tuft of hair to get any spare water droplets out.
“Hey, I stuck my head in the water too. I just happened to remember that there’s no air in there, and didn’t try to breathe it. It’s not my fault you forgot,” he shook his head, big drops of water falling from his mane. He noticed them then and shook his head a bit more furiously, splashing her with the remaining moisture that was clinging to his heavy mane.
The veteran grinned at her, coy and challenging. He had meant to splash her, and let her know it.
And if she tried to push her in the water, he’d take her with him. He was as confident as ever, not doubting his ability to stand up to her in this little game.
“I’m better now. I thought you might not be here, but it turned out you were just pretending to be a fish.” He cleared his throat. That was a bit honest. She made him smile, and he couldn’t hide it any more, like he had been able to at first. The more comfortable he got with her, the harder it was to hide.
“You surprised me, I didn’t have time to think rationally. So it is your fault,” she shot back with a grin before shrieking slightly at getting sprinkled on the otherwise dry spots of her body. She hadn’t meant to get him more wet from drying her mane off if she had, but he had done that on purpose!
Kaihdin made a face at him. “If I was pretending to be a fish, I would have gone into the water fully, not just my head, thank you. Wouldn’t that be a silly sight: all the fish just had their heads in the water with their tail fins flapping about on the surface.” This playful banter with him was just too easy to continue, as well as the teasing factor that subtly (and not so subtly) lay under both of their exchanges.
“Aw, were you worried about me? Or worried that I wouldn’t show up?” Her face took on one of innocence, pleased that he had found her so quickly when she wasn’t at their usual place. If that quickness had been a result of worry, curiosity, or something else, she wasn’t sure. But at least it showed that he cared enough to do so.
“Oh, sorry,” he drawled without a trace of sincerity, his keen red eyes sparking with devious intent, “did I splash you? Completely my fault. I should have warned you. Ah well, nothing to be done about it now.” He grinned.
He listened to her reasoning. He supposed it made sense.
“I have to wonder why you’ve put so much thought into being a fish,” he hummed accusingly, “I didn’t mean to offend you, thinking like this. I mean. I thought it was just a joke, but if you want to be a fish then… go for it. However you want to do it.” He laughed, shaking his head, which grew in intensity at her next comment.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I was worried for the fish. You were probably scaring them, intruding in the water like that. I had to peek in and see if they were okay. But… ah… yeah. I was a bit disconcerted when I thought you had stood me up. Nothing wrong with that. It’s not like I don’t have things to do in my pride, You being there was what I was looking for. If you weren’t, then… you know. I’d’ve wasted my time, I guess.” He was trying to not say ‘I wanted you to be there’, but he was making a mess of it, mostly because it was what he wanted to say. Or, more importantly, what he wanted her to know.
“You are such a mean lion, did you know that?” Her eyes squinted in a half-hearted glare towards his direction, one of those mocking ‘I don’t really mean it but you’re still being a meaniehead’ looks that females tend to do so well. “You could apologize for real, you know. It’s not terribly hard to say ‘I’m sorry’ and mean it.” She sniffed and lifted her nose into the air, practically snubbing him.
But she glanced back at him, gaping, as he playfully accused her of wanting to actually be a fish. “I’d kindly hope that if I wanted to be a fish, perhaps because I was a fish in a past life or something, that you would be slightly more supportive of me. What if I had just found myself? My true self? What if I wanted to be all shiny and sparkly and be able to swim so smoothly like a fish?” she demanded, knowing that even as much as she was fighting back, he had already won this particular argument.
And she nodded, knowing that for the argument of him worrying about her, SHE had won. “Sure. Whatever you want to tell yourself, that’s fine, darling,” she said sweetly. “But I know it was really because you were worried about me. We both know that your pride isn’t going to be hurt if one little lioness stands you up at a meeting,” she added teasingly. Kaihdin hadn’t even noticed when the little endearment had slipped out earlier, but she didn’t bother to go back and try and recover her slip. It felt…right, in a strange way. She didn’t think too long on it.
He thought he might melt at the chastising look she was giving him, and then he felt like a goon for thinking that. He shook his head, wondering why she turned him into an adolescent whenever she was near him. He didn’t really have to think that hard about it, knowing it instinctively even if he was afraid to admit it in his head. And definitely not out loud.
“I would apologize for real, if I felt like I needed to. But I didn’t, so I don’t.” He tilted his head, watching her snub him. His tail fell a bit, though he knew she was playing.
He laughed out loud at her response.
“I suppose I should be more accommodating! For that I do truly apologize. If you had found a thread to a past life, I would support you, as clearly it is the will of the spirits to reunite you with your fishy passed life.” He shook his head, then opened his eyes and bumbled a bit. Had she called him darling? Was that facetious? He cleared his throat.
“Ah… I know this is a sudden turn from the fun we’re having but…I wanted to ask you today if… if you were considering… staying here. Maybe?” When he was nervous, he had a habit of just diving forward. Like in a fight, or something similar, he just made the first move and got over the shock of fear over the unknown. That was what he was doing here. Maybe once he started talking about it, and having her talk to him about it, it wouldn’t weigh so heavily on him. Since he hadn’t slept at all the night before, thinking about when she might leave.
Kaihdin rolled her eyes and shook her head at that. It was such a Raruo-esque response that she couldn’t blame him for it, even though she wanted to. Sometimes playing with him was a sarcastic battle, although not a real, truly harmful one. It kept her wits about her and kept her on her toes, though. She was thankful for that. It had been a while since her last banter.
“I’m glad that I would have you behind me, then, if I had truly found a…a spirit to lead me to a passed life.” She guessed at the proper term, hoping that it was what he wanted to hear. Kaihdin knew that his pride was both about fighting and the spirits, but that was about it. She was eager to learn, though.
The playfulness died away slowly as he introduced a more serious topic: whether she would stay or go. Well, that all depended on what she wanted to do, didn’t it? She –wanted- to stay with him. She wanted to see him every day of the week if she could. She wanted what he wanted. It had been so long since she had someplace to stay, and someone to stay with that really…it was hard to say no to his offer. If it was an offer. She hoped it was.
“Are you…offering me a…place to stay?” she asked carefully, hoping for the best but ready for the worst. “A place in your pride?” Or just a permanent residence on the borders, where he could easily visit her like they did now?
Raruo looked a bit hopeful.
“”I… I am,” he nodded seriously, his hopefulness turning into bashfulness. He swallowed hard, not letting himself look down. He had to look strong here, be strong. It wasn’t his typical kind of battle, but it was one he was more than eager to participate in. He nodded at her, “if you wanted to. I would like you to stay… here. In my pride. And, uh. With me, if… if you wanted to. Or, I mean, not in my den if… but… near? Or in…”
He stammered, losing his confidence as he got closer and closer to the confession he really wanted to make. He didn’t know how he had become such a coward, so timid and anxious now. He didn’t want her to say no to him, not because he didn’t want to feel rejection, but because he didn’t want to be responsible for driving her away. He wanted her to stay in his life, and he knew she had an interest in the teachings of his pride.
It made him happy to daydream about her learning, with him, about his home and what a life she could have. He wanted to teach her, but, more than anything, he just wanted to be with her. If that was selfish, he was more than willing to admit that he was. Just… not out loud. Not yet.
This was indeed a serious request he was making of her. One that she was prepared to accept, of course. But it was still a big decision. The only other male she had even considered living with had been immature, and part of the reason she wanted to be with him was guilt, for she had been the one to take his childhood away and ruin his life. So he had told her, before abandoning her. Kaihdin had thought she had loved him, those feelings of wanting to somehow make it up to Tain. But now, with him gone and Raruo standing before her…
Raruo was such a stronger lion, older with more experience and more patience and more understanding…
And she held more feelings for him, as well. Much more than she ever had for Tain.
Her smile returned softly as he began to muddle up his words, her heart slightly skipping over a few beats at the bumbled, slight invitation of actually staying with him.
“I would like that. I really would.” She said the words slowly, but as she did, she grew more confident, and her smile widened. “I want to stay with you. Will you teach me about your pride, too?”
Raruo waited patiently for her response. He couldn’t rush her, because that wouldn’t be fair. He didn’t even know how he felt, in hard and fast words. He understood his feelings, of course, but if he were asked to voice them he knew he would have trouble finding words that were good enough, that meant enough, that were potent enough to adequately describe what was in his head.
He looked at her as she smiled, feeling embarrassed by his stumbling, but getting the sense that she knew what he had meant.
“You would?” he asked, ears perking forward. He grinned. A big, unfamiliar grin that almost hurt because he was so unused to making expressions like it. Still, he let it linger, liking the way it made the muscles in his face burn. He didn’t care if he looked like a cub that had just bumped noses with a cute girl: he was just as excited as that, anyway.
“I’ll teach you everything you want to know. About the pride, and whatever else you want me to,” he said, acting on impulse and moving to her, nuzzling her with some honest, serious affection.
She almost laughed at how happily eager he looked; the old lion looked exactly like a cub who had just gotten the best present ever. The smile lit up his face to a point where she could hardly recognize the face that had once greeted her with a frown and a grumble. But it was a good thing. She was so glad that she had made him smile.
Kaihdin nodded again when he repeated her answer, and was only put into shock when he stepped forward and crossed the physical boundary. The one that she had wanted to be stepped on and over for a while, now. She hadn’t expected him to be the one to break it. But she wasn’t complaining.
The lioness instinctively, gently, nuzzled him back, rubbing her nose into his graying mane. His unique smell invaded her senses in a most pleasing way, and she sighed happily. “Thank you,” she murmured into his skin.
Raruo kept his eyes closed as he nuzzled her. He didn’t even think about bouncing back in awkward apology, because he didn’t get the vibe from her that he should. This felt right, and he liked it, so he hoped she was on the same page as him. He rumbled a bit as he felt her move against him, once again almost purring with his growl.
“I think I should be thanking you,” he said quietly, mushy and not even caring about it now. He turned his head so he could catch her muzzle with his, bopping his nose against hers in warm, tender motion. He blinked, trying not to go cross eyed as he looked at her, his slightly damp mane sticking to her fur a little bit. He grinned. He liked being close enough for that to happen.
He had just asked her to come back to his pride with him, and yet for the moment he was hesitant to start back in that direction. He could have stayed in that moment for hours yet. He rubbed her again and then turned toward his pride. “Come with me, then. I’ll show you my home. Uh. Our home.”
She did go crossed-eyed, actually, when his nose touched hers and at first they romantically stared into each others’ eyes. Kaihdin grinned and made a face at him with her eyes crossed like that, pawing his wet mane off her neck, where it tickled slightly. Not as an excuse to get away from him being so close to her, oh no. She rather liked that part. It just felt funny to have a wet glob of hair sticking to you in a ticklish spot. That’s all.
“You can thank me after I teach you how to purr properly,” she murmured just as quietly. “That growl was pitiful. Scary and intimidating in a sweet sense, of course, but pitiful.” She licked his cheek sweetly and followed him in the direction of his pride. Their pride, now, to their home.
So, there really was a place for her in this world after all. She was glad she had finally found it, and someone to share it with.
End!
