Amber eyes fluttered as the dark lioness spoke with a tone that was full of annoyance and frustration. "You think we were too hard on that boy?" The question fit her puzzled face. It wasn't normal for the female to lament like this, but something about the worry in his eyes had Mono regretting her actions. Maybe they could have been a bit more understanding with him?
"I don't think so." A snappy remark came from Cairan as the large male stepped to sit beside his lover, lifting a paw to her left shoulder as he spoke again, his tone firm and deep. "We owe him nothing, he was a stranger from a foreign place looking for a Goddess we do not know, his personal journey has nothing to do with us." As the male spoke his tail danced behind him, pondering the thoughts that ran through Mono's mind.
"Why are you so fixated? What has you invested in this stranger?" The male cocked a brow as he frown, his paw still settled firmly against the female's shoulder.
"It's not like that, Ciaran, I just don't think we need any bad karma following us into our new future." While the lioness spoke she lifted a black paw to his, resting it gently on top the Ciaran's with a deep sigh.
"I understand but I think it's best not to let it stew, you and I have our own life to look forward to, and I do not believe karma will be against us, not this time." A low purr rumbled deep within his chest as his blue eyes settled on the back of her head. From the moment he first saw Mono something inside him aligned and the lion knew he had to be with her.
"Thank you my love," the female mused as her body nuzzled into his larger frame. "I'm sorry."
"You've got nothing to apologize for, Mono." The lion would always reassure her unsettled mind. Ciaran knew her better than anyone else, she was his twin flame.
"Do you think we could try again?" A soft question escaped the dark female as pools of tears formed around the edges of her eyes. Her voice sounded muffled and it was easy to see just how uncomfortable the question made her. The male would need to address with this an understanding only he could give her.
"Mono..." The lion's voice trailed off into a whisper as he moved to hold her close with Mono's back resting against his chest and unkempt mane. "You and I can most certainly try again. We will try until we can't anymore, it will happen for us." Speaking about the loss the two shared wasn't easy, having lost a full litter of cubs in the past... it left them broken. The couple found it hard to move on and for a long time they didn't. They allowed themselves to heal and took time to mend the broken parts the loss left inside them.
"Whenever you are ready Mono... I am here to support you, I am here to be with you. When you are ready I am ready."
"--Thank you, Ciaran." The female's voice was soft as her eyes closed slowly. "I think it's time to try again. I think I am ready." This confession wasn't one that came easy, it took her months to welcome this idea into her heart again. "I mean, as along as you agree of course."
"Love, I am a connection of you, I am ready only when you are." The male's voice was firm and sincere. He would stand beside her every step of the way. "I know we have both struggled with this but... we have done so together and we will continue to do this together." A pause filled the air with silence. "I will be with you every step of the way, for as long as it takes." They both wanted this family to happen and together they would make it happen.
"You really are too good to me, you know?" As the lioness spoke her tail curled around her front paws. He always knew how to keep her mind settled, truly he was anchor in this world.
"I would say I'm selfish more than anything, honestly." He teased with a cheeky grin. "I just want you all for myself." It wasn't like he wasn't being honest, he did take pride in knowing that she was his mate. His star that shined so bright. Ciaran longed to see Mono's scars turn into beauty.
"Stoppp." The dark lioness chuckled faintly, flicking her tail at him playfully. "You are so sassy." Mono was incredibility thankful for moments like this, it was the little things that kept the female above high tide. "I think we should start trying again." The lioness declared with a firm voice, Mono knew she was ready.
It was hard not to blush at the implication yet the lion did anyway, even now after all this time the female left butterflies in his stomach. What they lost would never be able to be replaced and they would never dare try, those lives lost mattered. Moving on didn't mean they would ever forget what happened, it only meant that they had healed enough to forgive themselves and to let go of the grief they carried together. It was never going to be easy, but at least now they could focus on a new goal and work toward making the future better for themselves.
"If that's what you want, love, we will make it happen." He was a simple lion who needed very little in this world to be happy, so long as Mono was his life was worth living. "Come on, it's getting late, if you want to watch the sunset we need to get going." They had never missed their nightly ritual, sunsets always left the couple in awe.
"You are right, let's go." The female smiled as she moved to stand, her lean frame leaning into his. Mono knew they were always going to carry that weight, but they could move on now and leave sorrow in the past where it belonged.
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