[PRP] Heart & Home [Tawi x Raiatea]

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Stress was behind them, for now.

Their trip to the roguelands had been fruitful, for both Raia and Mstiri. Triumphantly they would return to their home with the 'prize'. Everyone was safe once again, and healing. Since arriving home she had been lectured, frowned at and peppered with a series of questions that left her reeling. Why can't they leave it alone.. Her thoughts were echoed by a furrowing of her brow and a tension of her muscles. She didn't want to be far from Tawi, but for the time being she had to collect her thoughts.

"I love you."

The words seemed so foreign now, out of place even. Raia could feel her heart race and she peered around for another soul. Mstiri could be anywhere, flying above, perched in the tree she had opted to lay beneath.. Tawi was much less sneaky. Just the breathing alone gave him away, and it might until he was fully healed. Fortunately for her that would take time.

I'm safe for now.

But that didn't mean they wouldn't eventually have to have that conversation. The stakes were at an all time high and suddenly she felt certain that Mstiri would have words to say about how foolish she was being, how foolish Tawi might be being. Her eyes rolled slightly and she dropped her head to her paws. Life had grown so complicated in her eyes, and yet so simple. It was simple as speaking her mind, something she was never shy about before, but this was Tawi.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Since his return, Tawi found himself staying in his parents den.

That was, of course, without some sort of conversation. His mother seemed to understand the male, but his father was furious. He was pretty sure Nteo had used some words that the former upper-class lion shouldn't have said. But, it was all for reason. Tawi did leave them without notice. He did leave his position as guard, putting the pride at a potential risk. He did have Raia and Mstiri follow him, though that one wasn't by his choice. He did end up getting injured. Ultimately, he did return. Raia was safe, Mstiri was safe.

The answer didn't seem good enough for his father. Finally, Tawi retaliated with a shout. He told him how he really felt, how Astrea was their pride, and if they hadn't spent every waking moment coddling her, maybe, just maybe his life would have turned out differently. That seemed to catch their attention. When Nteo tried to speak, Tawi stopped him, giving him one last piece of detail. "I will not be a guard like you were. I am choosing to follow my heart instead." He coughed, the excitement getting back to his still healing lungs as he left the cryptic message with his parents before exiting the den.

Well, that was not how he expected things to go.

Tawi sighed, well there went his mood for the day. His silver eyes scanned for his bond, not seeing him anywhere. As he walked, there was a raspyness to his breathing. He couldn't stalk up to someone even if he wanted.

A familiar scent entered his nostrils. He hadn't seen Raia since his return. He faintly remembered their conversation when he was injured. Their return had been...more or less silent, but slight nudges from each as they walked home were very much present.

Just thinking of her brought the hint of a smile to his maw. At least if someone could make his day better, it'd be her.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

That raspy breathing.

Her head was still rested on her paws, eyes closed, and mind racing with a million thoughts and questions of her own. Their brief adventure almost seemed like a fairy tale - even if her paws still ached from the long distance travelling. He can't be out yet. The thought rang loudly through the others and cleared out a haze that had taken over. Raia finally opened her emerald eyes, peering for that familiar lion. His scent began to fill the air and rid of her of any tension she had been feeling, but it did a number to her heart.

"The damn thing is going to jump out of my chest." She cursed under her breath at the way her heart hammered away. Tawi wasn't even within reach, just his mere presence did this. Still she couldn't see him from where she was laying. Oh wait..

"Tawi, over here!"

Raia spied his blue pelt, and bright white mane moments after beginning to wonder if she was just insane. She wore a smile she couldn't control, so perhaps she was insane. Naturally her eyes scanned over him, though pleased to see the lion she was also worried - should he already be out and wandering around? "Did you parents kick you out of the den so soon?" She chuckled softly as she posed the question, innocently as possible. Raia hadn't been by, but was damn sure that the tension there could have been cut with a knife - their son had packed up and taken off without so much as a good bye and returned in much the same way.

I missed you.

The unspoken words were beat down, they seemed foolish - how could she miss someone she had just seen, and even spent ample time with over the last few days.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Tawi knew he was on the right direction towards Raia, and her calling out to him only made him focus more on his path. His steps were slow, but finally the male spotted the darker form lying on the ground before him.

He shook his head with a frown. "No...I....left on my own accord." No one said Tawi was the brightest of males when it came to dealing with his own personal problems. Running from them instead of facing them were always easier anyways. "I'm going to need to look for a place to stay I think. Not sure if it's best to go back to their den right now." He could always stay in the community den, but Tawi and a group of lions was never a good combination. Maybe he would just sleep under the stars, in the watchful eyes of the Great Lion.

"Er...how are you doing...after coming home?" The male hoped she hadn't gotten into too much trouble from him.

His heart beat against his chest as he lowered himself to lay next to the female. He knew he had said he loved her. But he hadn't heard the return words. Still, would she have him so close if she didn't feel the same way?

He was a moody, angsty lion sure, but Raia seemed to bring out a different side of him, even if he wasn't always fond of expressing it.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Concern came and left in waves as he wandered over to her, raspy breathing and all. He really couldn't sneak up on someone. It would make him an easy target if he left to protect the pride once again - no rogue would have an issue finding him.

"Well that's not so bad." Immediately wishing she hadn't spoken so soon he finished what he was saying. "Oh." Raia remarked. The sound was small and contemplative. "We can work on that together.." After we talk. Her thoughts told her what she needed to do, it was just a matter of doing it.

"I'm not sure, Tawi."

The words were followed by a brief silence which she needed to prepare herself for what was to come next. "Tawi, what are we?" Raia almost whispered the question, she suddenly realized how public they were. "I mean. I know we are friends, but am I crazy.. or is there more?" She couldn't meet his eyes now, her own vibrant emerald gaze turned towards the ground to stare down a rock.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

I'm not sure, Tawi. He heard her say, followed by an awkward silence. His eyes shifted on his head, as his mane fell over his eyes. He was sure the small movements were echoing through the land in their sudden silence.

What are we? Tawi grimaced. He looked anywhere but in Raia's direction. Expressing his feelings was always hard for the moody lion, and when she whispered the question, and subsequent the 'is there more?', the male found himself struggling to think.

"..." He was still silent. It was his normal sign of being lost in thought. Tawi always analyzed and over analyzed a situation, and right now Raia had put his mind into overdrive.

What if she hated him? He was just a brat after all. He didn't deserve her.

Stop. His mind and heart screamed at the same time, causing the male to visible flinch.

He pawed the ground, hesitant to speak.

"I...I think there is more." He grumbled, finally listening to his heart in his answer. I want there to be more. he added silently, finally turning his silver gaze to her. "But...if you don't want it to be anything but a friendship..." he started to say, ready to run off again in the chance she would turn him down. Where was Mstiri when he needed him?  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Silence overcame them, but it didn't seem to last long enough. Nothing had prepared her for the way he avoided her eye contact and she suddenly grew nervous. The obvious signs of that nervousness poured in through adjusting her seat, glancing everywhere - often having her eyes land on Tawi, but not looking for long - and so on. Raia hadn't considered what might happen if her question wasn't answered the way she had anticipated - there absolutely was something there and she desperately wanted Tawi to see it.

She had to know better, this silence was his way of thinking through things. Yet she couldn't bury the fury that began to bubble below the surface at his lack of immediate words and suddenly she began to wonder - was she insane?

Tears welled up in her eyes, this lion had caused her to weep more times recently than she had in her entire life. Why won't he speak? Her ears pressed against her skull and she turned her gaze towards the ground not daring to face the world, not when her heart was slowly breaking.

"What?" Anger tinted the word as her head snapped up to look at him. Raia knew better, but couldn't stop the emotions that had sprung up. Taking a deep breath following her single word outburst she blinked away tears that threatened to continue falling. "What do you mean if I don't want anything more than friendship?" Is he stupid? That rage bubbled over a little bit and she furrowed her brows. "Tawi, what... in all of this suggested that?" The question was harsh, but she did manage to tone it down with a softer tone of voice.

"Tawi.."

Her ears lifted slightly, gaze turned towards the lion that she was prepared to spend the rest of her life with. Through thick and thin, just as they had already felt through their time as cubs, into moody adolescence and now as grumpy adults. Just the vision of his face inspired joy in her heart and the thought that he had possibly considered going elsewhere stung deeply. All of it they had worked through to get here.

"I love you."

Raia said the words quietly as though something might break in the world. Quiet enough that they hopefully wouldn't scare Tawi off as well.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

It was a good thing Tawi didn't glance at Raiatea. If he saw her with those tears starting to form in those beautiful...green eyes....

He shook his head, startled when she snapped at him What? His silver eyes glanced at her, wide with confusion at the outburst. If he could shrink down to the size of a pebble, he would. He didn't deal with anger very well. He didn't deal with other's emotions in general, very well.

...Did he really need to explain himself? He gave the female a small shrug. A typical answer for the dark male when he was uncomfortable with either the subject, or explanation. He did notice her tone had been a bit softer, but it still didn't change the wave of anxiety that was pooling in Tawi's mind.

He looked away when she said his name. Only when she said the words...the words he had hoped he would have said to her earlier in their life, the words that distracted him during his runs as a guard, the words he had dreamed of her saying to him whilst asleep in his den, did his head turn to her.

I love you.

Her voice echoed in his mind. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.

"You do?" He questioned, not believing what he had heard. It was as if a sudden wave of emotion overcame him, before he found himself blurting out. "I love you too."

His eyes widened as his jaw slackened. Wait...Did I just say that? Of course you did idiot. Own it. We've all been waiting for him. Who 'we' was in his mind was questionable.

Tawi's nose twitched, before he found himself giving the smallest of smiles. A first in what seemed in ages for the Guard.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Initially she was shocked by his answer, though not by his immediate actions, the Tawi she knew would have reacted exactly like it. Simply it meant that he seemed back to his old self and something about that thought relaxed her quite a bit, even when he didn't say anything back beyond 'you do'.

"You better." She responded in a mock harsh tone, but wore a grin so large her cheeks began to ache. Raia couldn't believe they hadn't said it sooner, a relief was washing over her in a heavy waves and her muscles ceased to tense up. "So about that den situation..." Had she not been grinning from ear to ear she might have smirked slightly at her nonchalant suggestion.

"What do you think about us... building a home together?"

She had been thinking about it for much longer than this exact moment, it just seemed the most convenient. Of course she realized the weight of what she asked.. the action was either accompanied with a marriage.. or spurred one. The silent decisions that she hoped Tawi would weigh in on soon.

KasaiLoki

 

[KasaiLoki]

Ctrl F Greenie

Whoa. His ears flattened. It wasn't an intentional action, Tawi was just terrible at hiding what he was thinking. Just was quick as the ears hid in his white mane, they peeked up, as if contemplating the idea.

He did need a place to live. And he'd be lying if he never thought of sharing a den with Raia in his future. He just...didn't think that future was now.

"Now?" He asked, almost hesitantly. Things were moving quickly. A little too fast for his already whirling mind. "I mean..." Raia should know his hesitation was nothing against her. It was how Tawi processed things. At least he didn't flat out deny her like he did when he was a cub. "I think...that's the next step...?" Was that an agreement? A Tawi-agreement, perhaps. It was too bad Mstiri wasn't here. He'd be answering a lot better than the blue male was.

"Won't your parents be mad?" He frowned. Even though he was in a rough spot with his father, it probably was a good idea to tell him his future plans. He was family after all.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Moving in together was an obvious step in her mind. If it were a question of commitment she wouldn't have brought it up.. but they had been dancing this dance for most of their lives. Even during times apart she had discovered he was often on her mind and from what Mstiri described.. she was on his. So his reaction was surprising - given where they were now - but not by Tawi standards.

"It is the next step." Where he hesitated Raia took the reigns, something that she and Mstiri had become used too. It was her offering to the relationship and one she took pride in. "My parents?" Truthfully the lioness hadn't considered the future of anyone else.

"I suppose they might think we are rushing? Perhaps offer some kind of advice?" Awkwardly dance around the subject of a 'family'. She shuddered slightly at the thought of receiving the 'talk'. Cubs were a delight, but to discuss the practice involved.. it wasn't something she looked forward too and kept herself from bringing it up, she had no intentions of scaring him all that much in one go.

"I think it shouldn't matter. We are adults now." She stood gracefully from where she had been laying and shook free some loose debris that her pelt picked up from the ground. "I'm sure Mstiri would agree with me." Their little family finally seemed to all be on the same page and Raia found comfort in that. "It's probably best we let them know though..." Her voice trailed off slightly before she took to walking away.

"I'll see you later Tawi.. I love you." Her words were laced with pure joy as she said it again, out loud.

KasaiLoki