Welcome to Gaia! ::

The expressions wore by both Ume and the male he had yet to know formally were expected. He watched the furrowed and raised brows individually and continued to remain silent as they processed what he had told them. This was big news, the biggest his life every knew! Throughout the silence he found himself beginning to grin in a large and stupid manner. This was it, it was finally happening. They had begun to speak again, the silence was broken! His ears perked forward, eyes widened, and throat began close in excitement.

Auntie! Dad! I'm home!

"You have got to be kidding me." The words were mumbled under his breath in exasperation at the sudden and unfortunately timed appearance of the beloved lioness he spoke about. "Hey Yukio!" He corrected his attitude as quickly as he could, but the recovery wasn't smooth. Obviously he was here and speaking with her parent figures and if she was curious enough he was sure she could figure out why they were gathered this way.

"How are you?" He asked, still attempting to recover.

Ume couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh as her shoulders slumped forward. Of course, at this important moment Yukio just had to come home. Goodness gracious she swore that girl was cursed to have the worst timing in the world!

Still there was no reason to take out their disappointment on her. You can't blame a girl for just coming home, even if it was on the worst of circumstances!

Taking in a deep breath Ume calmed her expression back to her normal mild smile. "Welcome home, Yukio." She called out as the large lioness stepped into the main sitting room.

"Maji...?" Yukio questioned, her head tilting to one side in confusion. Making her way over to him she made quick work to plop herself down on her rump, pulling him into a tight hug. "I haven't seen you at work today! I was worried about you!" She exclaimed. Letting out a low purr she nuzzled her head into the crook of his fluffy neck. "Glad to see you're okay, I was going to come make some soup for you or something."
Still...if he wasn't ill that did bring up the question, "Where have you been?" Well there was one more important question at hand, "And why are you here?" She inquired, clueless to what was actually going on.

Being quick to figure out social matters was not one of Yukio's strong suits, as clearly being shown.

"He's come to ask to marry you." Zuberi bluntly pointed out as he watched the couple.

"ZUBERI!" Ume exclaimed, her paws slamming onto the table.

There was a pause as Yukio's eyes widened, slowly turning her head she stared down at Maji bewilderedly. "..What?" She whimpered out. "Ma-marriage? Ma-maji?!"

The welcomes were all sounding significantly disappointed - well all two of them. Maji tried to remain upbeat, but he had looked forward to this discussion, as much as it terrified him. Still he could come back and plan and truthfully seeing Yukio always brightened his day, it would be no different today. "I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry." He finally managed to get out while being swept up into a warm embrace that eased all of his tension with one fell swoop. "I'd still like some of your soup!" He gushed with wide eyes. A secret love of her soup made his mouth water a little bit and he had very nearly forgotten what he was trying to hide.

Then a series of events happened that seemed to fall right into line with how his life went. Either he was waiting to grow up, catch up with his friends that towered over him or life went to quickly. In this instant life swooped by him in one simple answer to a few very easy questions.

"ZUZU." He shouted at the same time as Ume. Maji had no idea that the full name of Zuzu was Zuberi - how could he have known? So to make an already very intense, very awkward situation worse he had used Zuberi's pet name from Ume. He blushed fiercely and stared at the floor. He couldn't face Yukio, couldn't face Zuberi, and just couldn't manage this situation. A deep breath, or two, or three didn't seem to be helping and Maji couldn't seem to shrink his eyes. Instead they remained wide with fear of what the world might look like when he finally looked up.
"Marriage? I mean.. you? I mean.." He stammered around the subject as he battled every emotion he had ever harbored for this moment. "You. Me. Marry?" He continued to babble away. "Marry me, you will?" No no no.. he could do this. No matter how it came about he would have had to handle it anyway - how would he have done this if Zuberi hadn't just messed things up for him?

Another deep breath and he was able to lift his gaze to a bewildered Yukio.

"Let me try this again." He finally managed a fully functional sentence with a small half smile, instead of blurting out no she had simply blurted out his name. That was a good sign, no? "Yukio, you are my sun, you are the ocean that sweeps me in for hugs and bathes me in a familiar, comforting scent. You and I have been through so much together." He took a moment to raise his paw, where a familiar bracelet still hung - though a little tight now. "I couldn't imagine this proposal going any other way, truthfully." He smiled and chuckled. "Would you do me the honor of.. marring me?" He held his gaze on Yukio and tried desperately to ignore the other parties in the room - he was sure he was at least doing Ume proud, but forced even that out of his mind. This wasn't for anyone else, but him and Yukio.

The fact that both of them had screamed at him was enough by it's self to almost make him burst out in laughter, Maji screaming out his little nickname that the important women in his life gave him well...that just made it even better. Thankfully he managed to keep in his laughter, though the s**t-eating grin that tugged at his lips gave away his clear amusement at the situation.

It was completely worth the earful he had no doubt he'd be receiving from both Ume and Yukio later on.

Yukio's ears pinned back as Maji stumbled to try and rectify the situation. With each new word that he said it seemed that her head was spinning more and more. Marriage! Actual MARRIAGE!? Surely he was joking. A cruel, cruel jest on her part that everyone had conspired on. Her mouth repeatedly opened and closed as she struggled to find a response.

What could someone say to a question like that? Oh god, what did people say when this happened!? She couldn't remember! Gods above help her, her mind had gone completely blank!
Her ears perked slightly as he once again spoke, finally righting himself into a functional state. In turn his sudden resolve calmed her anxiety.

That didn't make anything that he said any less unbelieveable though!

"Maji..." She softly whispered out as she lifted her own large paws, completely enveloping his own in a gentle embrace. "You are my best friend. You are my rock that keeps me grounded and that is always there whenever I need it. I couldn't imagine my life without you, nor do I want to! As I've said many times before, but probably still not enough, I love you. But..." Pausing her eyes watered up with thick tears as she chewed nervously on the bottom of her lips. Her own self doubts and self worth issues that she had tried so hard to suppress for years welled up all at once.

Lifting her eyes to meet his she openly showed in them her painfully anxious doubt that were threatening to consume her at any moment. "...Why me??"

If his attentions could have been divided between Yukio and her father figure he'd have lectured Zuberi fiercely, but he wouldn't have known where to begin. His attention was focused on Yukio though and rightly so. Maji watched as the lioness fought through the same emotional walls that he had been struck with. This was a turning point in their lives that would leave the pair stronger than ever or torn apart. Truthfully he hadn't considered that she might say no, what if she did? Suddenly his paws went ice cold and if he hadn't been covered in fur the group would have witnessed color drain from his face. Fear couldn't describe the feeling he felt right now as he watched her mouth open and close a number of times. Silence fell between the and seemed to hang there for a period of time that he would never be able to describe.

His heart stopped.

Maji.. His ears were forward and eyes attentively on her whiel she began to speak, following his speech, Maji couldn't have been more thankful to hear her voice. When she grabbed onto his paws he nearly shrunk away, unsure of what the action meant, but feeling the warmth of them soothed his soul. He listened as her tone starte out sincere and sure of her love for him, something he knew to be true, but there was an undertone of nerves that he couldn't read right away. Then the tears and he couldn't stop it as his own eyes began to well up at the sight of his beloved in so much pain.

"Why you?" He managed to get out after a moment of attempting to collect himself, but he didn't let it go so long as to make her think he had to think on it - he didn't. "Could you picture us with anyone else, truthfully Yukio?" He asked her and paused to let that sink in. "I love you. I love the way that you light up a room when you walk in, the way you take such care in making homes for our pride, the way you go through life with good intentions and try to never let any darkness cloud your heart." A deep breath followed a couple of tears that strayed from his eyes. "I want us. I want us to never stop." He continued on again and smiled largely. "I'd like a family, you'd be the best mother, best teacher, and best mate." A small laugh help to light up his face as he spoke about them. He'd forgotten about their audience even as he mentioned a family - yes, he wanted cubs.

"I want you because there is no one else like you."

His question shot a arrow right through her heart. Yukio had never been one to have much interest in romantic interest, she had her one childhood crush which ended in disaster and that was quite enough for her. But yet she could remember in her time of pain how Maji was there for her like no one else was, how he made all the memories fade away, and filled up her heart with love again. She had to question if the reason she had no interest in love or finding a mate before was as simple as because her soulmate had been staring her in the face the whole time? She had remembered stories that Ume had lulled her to sleep about grand love stories where two souls were completely destined for each other, and would always find each other in the end no matter what.

But if that was so...why did she feel such fear? This felt so wrong but so right at the same time. It was one of the most bewildering mix of emotions that she could honestly admit to have ever experienced.

Her eyes constricted tightly at the mention of children. Her? A mother? A good mother at that!? No, no. That-that couldn't happen ever!

Letting go of his hands Yukio backed away, her head softly shaking in denial as she scooted away from all of them. Her breathing became labored as her chest tightened. She had to get out. She had to get some air! She had to think about this dammit! "I...I-I'm sorry!" She whimpered out before scrambling to her feet. Turning around she barreled through the den, leaving a trail of destruction in her path as she paid no mind to taking her normal care around the vast collection stored in the home.
Zuberi and Ume expressions both echoed one another in shock. Sharing a glance with each other their attention snapped back to the obviously shaken young lion in front of them.

"Oh dear..." Ume began as she got up, padding over to Maji. Lifting a paw she rested it on his shoulder, rubbing gentle circles into his skin. "You didn't do anything wrong, dear. I should have expected this."

"I'm surprised that after all this time she still harbors those same fears," Zuberi remarked with a thoughtful 'hm.' Scratching under his chin he pondered over the extreme exchange that just happened. Yukio was not the type of girl to lie about her affections, he could tell that his daughter was true about her tender words of love.

Ume's brows furrowed together as her head tilted slightly in the direction of Zuberi's voice. "You think that's what caused this panic attack, Zuzu?" She questioned.

"No doubt," He answer with a sigh.

Ume let out a soft sigh of her own. Turning her attention back to Maji she gave him a pitiful smile. "As I said, you did nothing wrong. Yukio has some extreme issues with abandonment, they just are a after affect of what happened in her childhood. She loves you so much, Maji;I know that is a fact. She might have gotten overwhelmed being hit with all of this news at once but deep down I know that this is what she wants. You are who she's meant to be with."

Lowering her hand down to under his chin she tilted his head up slightly to make sure he was looking at her. "Now go make your future parents-in-laws proud and go after your wife. She needs you right now more than ever." Ume finished with a warm smile.

Everything all at once went from beautiful to chaos in moments. They had grown apart before, but he hadn't expected this. Deep brown eyes followed Yukio as she tore through the debris in Umes den to escape into the day. At first he couldn't face Ume and Zuberi, eyes aimed at the ground with confused tears filling them. What had he done? His mind was swirling with ideas of what he could have done differently - would it have been better never to ask at all?

"I didn't?" He finally raised his gaze to meet Umes as she rested a paw on his shoulder and comforted him. "Fears? What fears?" What was he missing? The individuals in the room suddenly seemed to be complete strangers. There was a part of her that had always been hidden from him, not completely, but pieces and it seemed that now it would come up during what should be the happiest time in their lives.

There was no time for that now.
His gaze had dropped, but was lifted again by the paw of his future inlaw. She looked him in the eye and with he reassurance he knew what he had to do. "I will Ume. I won't give up." He looked to Zuberi with a warm, but sad smile and hoisted himself from the ground slowly. It was almost painful to move from that spot and if he hadn't been pushed that little bit by Ume he would likely have never moved again. He had to find her though.

"Yukio! Yukio?" He called out as he left the den of his inlaws and began the search. His shouting brought on a few glances from passerbys and even a few helpful paws in the right direction. He was grateful to them and growing ecstatic. It wouldn't be long now before he would find her and begin the process over again. She was worth every minute of it though and he would do it all again if it meant she said yes.

"Yukio." Finally her pale pelt came into view.

"Oh sweetheart it's..." Yukio's childhood was something that was a closely guarded family secret, per Yukio's own request. In a pride where strong family ties and complete nuclear family units were so important she had secretly felt a shame. Not only had she been the product of a disastrous one-night stand, but one that her mother must have regretted enough that she was willing to let her own children die as a result.

It wasn't all that surprising that Yukio had hid away that dark part of herself to even her closest friends.

"That is a matter that is best if Yukio herself explains it." Zuberi finished for Ume. As someone who held his own closely guarded secrets he refused to break the trust of his child like that. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

With a silent nod in agreement Ume slowly backed away from Maji, giving him the space to rise back up to his feet. "Good luck, dear. Make us proud!" She called out as he left to follow the chaotic trail that Yukio had left in her grand escape.

Pursing her lips together Ume made her way over to Zuberi, leaning closely against him for support. Today had been an emotional roller coaster ride, and it still wasn't over yet. But at the very least she could share her worries with a close friend who was going through the turmoil - even if he didn't show it quite as much!

Yukio, in the meantime, had ran until her legs gave out on her. She hadn't paid mind to the number of people who she passed, most shooting her concerned glances, a few even trying to stop her in her mad rush. She needed to be alone in her thoughts right now, she needed time to calm her growing panic swelling inside her, threatening to consume her.
Alas, her beloved lion would deny her plea for respite.

Her bent head lifted from it's curled position at the familiar deep voice calling her name. Oh, more often she was ecstatic to hear that wonderful voice. It normally gave her a huge sense of comfort and joy to hear it, even if it wasn't directed at her.

It was just another part she loved about this man.

"Maji..." She croaked out, her voice breaking. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks freely, no longer bothering to try to hold back pain and fear long locked away inside her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" She sobbed out loudly.

Lowering her head back down a paw clenched at her stomach, trying to hold back the vomit that threatened to come up. "I do love you, Maji." She continued, her voice lowering into a harsh whisper. "I want to be with you, I want share the rest of our lives together. But...every time I imagine it I get so fearful. I can't help but think that one day I'm just going to wake up to you gone," Shaking her head violently Yukio bent over at her waist, almost curling up into a ball. "Just like my mother did. I'm so scared that no matter what I do everyone is just going to leave in the end, and that I'm going to be left alone."

Letting out a weak sob her head lifted, finally greeting him directly in the eye. "I can't handle that again, Maji. I don't want to be alone."

Leaving her parent figures was easy, finding his beloved was easy, but facing her was difficult. He had never seen anyone so broken and vulnerable before. A physical injury produced the same amount of tears, but yet everyone knew what was going on with a physical injury. Her injuries were invisible to him and it broke his heart that he couldn't just mend the wounds with a bit of salve.

Maji kept his distance at first, allowing her to vent without the physical assault of his presence. "Yukio, sweet Yuki." He began in soft tones as she finished her explanation and eventually admitted her true fear. He understood, of course he hadn't been through her trauma, but he was able to understand her fears - things were starting to make sense.
"Yukio. Do you truthfully believe that Ume, Zuberi, Huo, Shuo, and our others friends will leave you?" He asked gently prodding at the fear he saw in her eyes a little. Maji closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms so that he could hold her and she could be enveloped in his bushy mane. "How long have I known you?" He mused softly. "Remember the bracelets? The trouble we've been in?" He tried for a soft laugh and tightened his grip on her. "I love you. I love you more than I could even begin to describe and I wish there was a way I could prove to you that I wouldn't be going anywhere."

He lowered his head slightly and then lifted. "I do know how." He gasped slightly. "I have a surprise for you, it was for when you said yes, but if it helps you make the choice to marry me then so be it." He smiled down at her before realizing how suffocating that sounded. "Either way, yes or no, I'd like you to accept this gift, but I'll need you to come with me." He didn't pull away right away and even when he did he made sure to not lose contact. "Please let me show you what you mean to me."

That was a question that she struggled with every. single. day. Yes, deep inside she knew that her family, her friends, everyone she had grown attached to also loved her back and wouldn't leave her ; yet that underline nagging fear haunted her with every interaction.

She hated it. She wanted to just be normal, happy, and enjoy the new life she had carved out for herself.

Letting out a high-pitched squeak when he pulled her close Yukio's body tensed before quickly relaxing as she was enveloped in the familiar fluff. Sucking in a deep breath through her nose her front legs rose to tightly return his hug. He had always been her rock, now it was quite literal! It felt as if, if she hadn't been holding onto him she would float away. Yes, her fears were still bubbling to the surface but his presence planted the seed of calm in her, a serene content-ness that was growing with each second he held her.

With a bitter snort she buried her head into his wild curls, rubbing her teary face against him. "Most people wouldn't look back at all the times we nearly got ourselves killed fondly," She replied. "But, I suppose we're not like most people." She mused softly, a tired smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Her fluffy ears perked at his sharp gasp. With a confused set of blinks she slowly lifted her head to peer up at his face. "A gift?" She inquired. She had to admit, her curiosity was quickly overtaking her previous anxiety. Pursing her lips together Yukio's head nodded as she wobbled herself back up to her feet with him.

Though she might not have understood why she deserved such kindness she knew it would break her poor sweet Maji's heart if she outright denied his offer off the bat. So, with a weak nod and smile she responded, "Okay, Maji, I-I do want to see your gift. Let's go."