[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Umeme giggled when Muroki tried and failed to get up the tree. She leaned over where he fell and nuzzled him. "Alright, you can stop trying to get up," she told him, smiling at his immediate relaxation. Her grin widened when she saw Muroki frown, even if it was fake. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't be able to climb this tree either." She giggled as his frown turned from entirely fake to only partially.

Delano allowed Lina to lean into him, aware that if she leaned to far in, it would hurt him to support her. But as she was now, he was fine, and he smiled again at how close to him she was. "Well, I was so happy to see you... and yet, even now, it's still like I am looking at you for the first time. It was you who kept me alive all this time, when I was ready to just give up. You..." He hesitated as his feeling started to become more understandable. "Lina... I think... no, I know..." he took in a deep breath. "Lina, I love you."

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki was never of the competitive type. He also wasn't one of those who felt like they had to do better than a girl, but he still found Umeme's remark somewhat annoying. Like with how she taught him to dance, he was sure that he could be just as good as her in climbing trees if he ever practiced it. Still, he wasn't going to since he didn't really care. "You know what? It does make me feel better." he admitted, putting a paw around her shoulder and holding her close, nuzzling her at the same time.

Lina smiled a huge smile which Delano probably couldn't see because she was leaning against him when he told her that he loved her. She couldn't remember whether he had said it to her before, but it sure did feel like it was the first time. In overall the past few minutes felt like she was falling for him all over again, not that she had a problem with that. "I love you too." she said happily, hugging the lion she so deeply cared about and closing her eyes.

[DGFone]

Umeme returned Muroki's nuzzle, allowing him to bring her closer. She purred loudly as he placed his paw on her shoulder, glad that she was able to say something that made him happier. Even though she really wanted to see Muroki climb up the tree, he clearly did not enjoy it at all and would rather forget about it.

Deciding against getting up again, Umeme leaned on Muroki, content on letting the two of them stay here until the sun would set.

Delano's breath caught in his throat when Lina expressed her love for him. As she hugged him, his strength left him and he hung limply, help upright by her body. He wasn't even aware that she was hugging him so tightly that his chest was being crushed, making breathing difficult. All he knew was that she loved him, and at that moment, it was all he cared about.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki's smile became even wider as he heard Umeme's loud purrs which indicated that she was comfortable. "You know, I've been thinking..." he said after a short silence, looking at her in the corner of his eye. "Now what?" he wasn't surprised at the confused expression he recieved from her in return. "I mean Delano's finally back, which is great, but what's gonna happen next? It's a little hard to grasp that we're finally going to be able to live peaceful lives like we've wanted to for such a long time..."

[DGFone]

Umeme's confusion turned into laughter when she finally understood what Muroki meant. "Well, somehow I don't think that you will mind having some normalcy for once," she giggled some more, patting Muroki's shoulder with a paw, "we wanted some peace and quite for a long time, and now we're finally going to get it." She smiled at the though. "That does sound very nice..." she finally said dreamily. "We'll be able to finally relax, and enjoy ourselves fully..." She rubbed Muroki's head again. "But first Delano needs to get better... I don't want Lina to fight with him again."

Delano regained his senses just enough to look around again. His eyes fell on the sun, which was now starting to set on the horizon. "Hey, Lina, look," he whispered, "the sun..." He fell quiet again, resting his head next to hers.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki found it unnecessary to explain how obvious it was that he wouldn't mind living a life that wasn't a drama for a change. After their parents died and they came there he was hoping to achieve just that, but every time there was something which prevented that natural wish. Now it seemed like that wish was finally granted. "They seemed alright when we last left them, and Delano seemed to finally come to his senses after I talked to him..." he doubted they should worry about anything regarding the two.

Lina, unlike Delano, was completely off in her own world that she only noticed the sunset when Delano pointed it out to her. Even though he only whispered, his voice surely was enough to get her attention. "It's beautiful." she said quietly as she watched the sun, her head still on Delano's shoulder.

[DGFone]

Umeme smiled. "Yeah, it looks like the two of them are alright now," she agreed, "whatever you told Delano, it worked." She grinned and gave Muroki a lick. She knew that things would be around, especially with Muroki. "Were you always a smart lion?" She asked.

Delano sat in silence, watching the sunset with Lina. Unlike before, even though the sun was setting, he felt comforted and warm, not cold and afraid. He started to think that maybe, now he was finally alright.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki smiled rather sheepishly at Umeme's lick. "Well, I wouldn't say that..." he paused for a moment. "Our father could be rather intimidating if he wanted to, so you could say that perhaps being his son helped me a little with that, even if out of the two of us I was the more quiet as a cub..." he chuckled, "Don't get me wrong though, my dad was a very nice lion. I bet you would have gotten along perfectly."

[DGFone]

Umeme grinned at Muroki's answer. "I hope I never do anything to bring out any real intimidation from you," she said, only to frown when he mentioned his father. "I guess I will never meet your dad," she said, "but you are enough for me." She rested her head against his. "You don't need to try and compare yourself to anyone else. I like you as you are."

A cold breeze swept over them and Umeme shivered, and so she moved herself closer to Muroki, needing the warmth of his body.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki smiled at Umeme's comment, "I know you do. I wasn't comparing myself to my father or trying to be more like him, but you could say that I unintentionally ended up doing it." he chuckled, "Guess it came to me by instinct..." He felt the cold breeze as it swept over them, and held Umeme closed when she moved herself closer, trying to shield her from the wind with his own body as much as he could.