The thunder of an off-season storm rumbled and crashed outside. Huong, not usually fearful of the weather, huddled back into the den. She didn't like it, how the sky roared.. Whatever God it was in charge of storms, it sounded like they were absolutely ANGRY. As a deep boom filled the sky, she squealed, pressing back into the den.
Despite the storm outside, Dongo had been sleeping peacefully... HAD been. Huong's squeal had woken him up, a wide yawn escaping his maw. "What's wrong, Huong..?" Looking outside, he saw lightning streak across the sky. The storm was still going over? What was it, a hurricane? Carefully getting up, he went over to her, pressing against her. "It's okay, Huong..."
Pressing into Dongo, Huong pinned her ears back. Storms didn't usually scare her, not like this, but the loud crashing and booming of thunder did nothing to calm her. If it was a low and deep rumble, she'd be fine, but this was neither deep nor low. "I don't like the loud noises, Dongo... They scare me..." Outside, the rain started to patter down upon the ground, seeming to dance along the plains.
Ah, she feared the loud noises... Nuzzling into her, he let out a whuff along her ears. "It's okay... I'm here to keep you safe.." Reaching up, he put a paw around her, holding her close. "You need something to distract you from the storm, that's all..." When he thought about it, though, he could think of nothing to distract her with. What would prove effective to fight a storm for attention?
Trembling all over, Huong listened to the rain outside. It had all her attention, undevided... Until Dongo's breath ghosted over her ears. Looking up at him, she offered a smile, small as it was in light of her fears. Nestling into him, she felt his mane seem to close around part of her, as if it was a shield against the storm. Things lulled outside, as the storm passed by, and Huong began to relax. She remained where she was, though, getting lost in thought. After a moment, she looked up at Dongo. "Dongo... I..." She stopped, unsure of herself, looking down.
The male looked at her curiously, wondering what she was about to say. He could hear that the storm had calmed, passed. Now there was only a light rain, singing in the night. "What is it, Huong...?" He nuzzled her, assuring himself, for a reason he did not know, that she was really there. "You can tell me... You can trust me." He'd never let her down, had he? He could recall no moment when he'd done so. "If it's something personal, I promise I won't be mad or anything, if that's what you're afraid of..."
His kind words gave her hope. At the same time, though, her upbringing... Made her conflicted. What she felt was not something a lioness of her pride was supposed to feel, not for a male. Then she stopped herself. This was her pride now, the Ela'wadiyi... She was Huong of the Ela'wadiyi, of the Mantis clan. While she stood out, she'd come to accept it. After all, the clan was named for an insect, and insects COULD be pink... She'd seen it. Mostly in butterflies, but she'd seen it. This was her clan, and this was her pride... She didn't have to worry about what they thought. Returning her gaze, gold eyes locked onto blue. "I... I love you..." Three little words couldn't be harder to say.
He hadn't exactly expected THOSE words to come from her. But while he was surprised, the expression of surprise turned to relief and joy. "I've waited... To either find the nerve to say that to you... Or for you to say it first..." He nuzzled her, letting out a pleasant rumble. "I love you, too, Huong... From the moment I met you... It was like fate..." He smiled, then looked at her. "In this pride... Couples are mated... Will you be my mate...?" He didn't even have to go to another clan. It had been pure chance they'd ended up in the same clan at all.
He wasn't mad... He didn't hate her! He... He loved her, too! It made Huong's heart leap with joy, as she gently tackled him. "Of course, Dongo!" She nuzzled into him, rubbing right under his chin. In her joy, Huong didn't notice any more rumblings of thunder. The storm was forgotten, as was the fear, her attention now entirely focused on the gold-pelted male.
Rumbling back, Dongo wrapped his arms around Huong in a hug. "You had a bad day, you takin' one down, you sing a sad song just to turn it around..." Licking her cheek, he hummed to her, to himself, to... Anything that would listen. In another part of the den, Amadeus let out a huff and dug a burrow to another part to get away from the lovebirds. Huong didn't mind at all, didn't care... His entire world right now was Huong.
