The Quiet Before the Storm part 11

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're hurting me too?" Ahadi watched silently as Uru stormed away, his false anger giving way to regret. He stood where Uru had left him, turning her words over in his head. He'd pushed her away out of fear of getting hurt, but he'd never stopped to think about what he would be doing to her.

Never mind whatever he felt about her, she had been his friend for eight long years, and she'd done nothing to deserve being rejected like that. He had been too focused on his own fear of being hurt to think about her feelings. Ahadi closed his eyes, cursing his own idiocy.

He didn't see Uru again until the following morning. She was crouching by the lake drinking her fill, unaware that Ahadi was watching her. The Prince took a deep, shaky breath, then approached the lioness. "Uru."

The reddish-brown lioness stiffened. Slowly, she turned to face the Prince, her expression neutral. "Hello, Ahadi," she said evenly.

A few moments of silence passrd. Ahadi shuffled his paws uncomfortably. "Listen, Uru... I'm sorry." The lioness merely raised and eyebrow, willing him to continue. "You were right. I wasn't thinking about your feelings. I was being an idiot." He cleared his throat. "I should have trusted you."

Something in the lioness's eyes softened. "You really should have," she said stiffly, but her eyes were warm.

Ahadi lowered his head humbly. "You've been my friend for a long time, Uru. I know you have your secrets," here Uru looked away uncomfortably, "but you have always been there for me, and you have always been my friend. I will always trust you."

He could have been mistaken, but he thought Uru looked very uncomfortable with the turn this conversation had taken.

Masilahi and Ahadi had become friends again. There was no more fighting, no more awkwardness. It was almost like old times again, except there was still that longing for something more.

And then there was the guilt. It had always been uncomfortable pretending to be someone she wasn't, but now she had to deal with that nagging guilt. Before she was only lying to her best friend, and while that was still bad she could deal with that. But Ahadi was more than that now, was putting more trust into her now, even with the awful betrayals he had suffered in the past. And it turned out the one lioness he had chosen to trust completely hadn't even told him her real name.

Masilahi wanted to speak up and finally end that guilt, but things had just gotten better, and they had just stopped fighting, so she waited. Waited until the decision was either forced on her or she couldn't bear to keep silent anymore.

Things began to change. The two spent more and more time together. Whispers were spreading through the Pride, rumors about the two of them, and no longer did either of them refute these rumors. They never spoke in words to each other about what they were now, but for now that wasn't needed. A paw on her shoulder, held gazes, a friendly nuzzle were enough for now. The fact that Ahadi was allowing himself to pursue something with her was so unexpected, it made Masilahi wary of trying to bring it up in conversation or push him farther than he was willing to go. So this unspoken romance continued to grow, and both were content.

Some weeks after this reconciliation, Masilahi and Ahadi were taking a walk around the shore of the lake, admiring the starlit surface. The two were enjoying a companionable silence, punctuated only by the cries of night-birds and cricket chirping, walking side by side closely enough that their pelts were touching. This closeness was broken when Ahadi took a few steps back and cleared his throat. Masilahi turned to him expectantly. "Yes?"

Ahadi's gaze was unusually solemn. "Uru, we need to talk."

The words sent a chill down Masilahi's spine. There was only one thing Ahadi could be referring to. He wanted to talk about them. She knew how much effort and trust this must be costing him, and she suddenly understands that she can't let him do this. Not until he knows everything.

Masilahi steels herself for what she must say, then meets the Prince's gaze as strongly as she can. "I know. But there's something I need to tell you first."

Ahadi looks slightly annoyed at being interrupted. "Uru-"

"That's not my name."

The next few minutes were spent by Masilahi recounting her past - her real past this time, although quite honestly what she'd told Ahadi was to close to the truth that all she had to do was tweak a few names and events - and trying to ignore the stunned and slightly hurt look in Ahadi's eyes. When she had finished, Ahadi was silent for several moments. He had turned so he was facing away from Masilahi, which could possibly be read as a dismissal. But Masilahi stayed. She had been hiding the truth from Ahadi for so long. If this uncertain silence was part of her punishment, she would stay there and take it, not leave and possibly lose him forever.

Minutes passed before Agadi turned back toward Masilahi. His green gaze seemed to be searching the lionessi's face for something. Masilahi yearned to say something, offer an apology greater than the one already given, but she let silence hang between them. It was Ahadi's choice.

Something in the Prince 's eyes softened, and a faint smile spread on his lips. "I said before that you have always been there for me," he said quietly. "And you have been. It wasn't the fact that we were both born rogues that made us friends, or a false past. It was you." The smile softened into a relaxed, adoring expression, no suspicion or distrust left. "And you're still you. You have always been honest with me about who you are, and that's all I care about."

Masilahi let out a shaky sigh or relief. She reached her paw out and laid it overtop of his. "Thank you. I wish I had told you sooner." In a quieter voice she murmured, "I never wanted to lie to you."

Ahadi shook his head. "No. My parents and Asili lied to me. You? You kept your secrets, yes, but you never lied. You were always you. And I love you."

Masilahi's breath caught in her throat at the words. It was finally out in the open. The words were spoken and couldn't be taken back. She let herself smile, for the first time since her secret had come out. "And I love you."

Tomorrow they would go to the King and Queen and request a Joining Ceremony, do they could become mates officially. Tomorrow they would recieve the congratulations of all their friends and the smug I-knew-it smirks from Zuzu and Nyonda. Tomorrow the sun would rise on their time together.

But tonight was for them.


Yay, Masilahi and Ahadi are finally together. And Masilahi will no longer be called Uru in Ahadi's POV, so she is TOTTALY and completely Masilahi again.