paixaorpg | Love Will Find a Way [Completed]

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Love Will Find a Way [Completed]

Character(s): Kovu and Kiara
Content: Our two young lions have something they really need to talk about...
Setting: Jogo da Crianca
Time: Morning, after this thread and this thread.
Warnings: ...Emo lion.

Only a few minutes after Riku left the park, Kovu decided to settle down to sleep. Kiara would be back soon, and she should have been able to find him without a huge amount of trouble. Sleep came very slowly though, without her by his side, and it was fitful at best. Dreams of Scar and Simba made him toss and turn, until the false sun finally made him wake up.

Drowsy and not exactly ready for a new day yet, Kovu noticed that Kiara had laid her head over his neck. "Kiara..." he whispered softly, trying not to wake her up. As a cub, no amount of thrashing or bad dreams would have ever gotten him this kind of attention, not even from his own mother. Carefully, and very slowly, Kovu pulled his head out from under her, using his muzzle to lower her slowly to the ground so that he wouldn't disturb her sleep. He walked a small distance away from her, making sure she'd be able to see him if she opened her eyes, then put his black box thing on the ground and turned it on.

When he was done with that (and after what was almost an awkward conversation with Simba), Kovu nudged Kiara gently with his nose. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead."

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When she finally figured out where Kovu was, she'd found him to be asleep. Kiara had certainly not about to wake him up, so had settled down beside him and soon fallen asleep herself.

It hadn't been the best sleep, however. Kovu's restless sleep had woken her up more than once. She hadn't still wanted to wake him, so had ended up wiggling a little closer to him and settling her head over his neck, trying to calm him. It seemed it must have worked, since the next thing she knew, she felt someone nudging her and a voice.

Blinking sleepily, she slowly opened her eyes, cracking open her eyes to look up at who was nudging her.

"...Mmm... Kovu..." she murmured, sleepily.

"Morning," Kovu answered with a chuckle. He smiled down at her cheerfully, standing almost right on top of her. She'd helped him sleep, after all, so he figured waking her up nicely was the least he could do. Instead of trying to pounce her when she wasn't looking, like she had thought would've been cute back in the Pride Lands surprising him a few days ago.

"Did you sleep well?"

Slowly Kiara stretched her forepaws in front of her, claws appearing for a moment as she spread out her paws. After a large yawn, she looked back up at Kovu, giving him a sleepy smile. She probably could have slept a bit longer, but she wasn't really unhappy with being awoken like this.

"Well... alright," she replied, after a moment. Waking a few times had definitely made her feel a little more sleepy than usual.

"What about you?" Kiara asked, tilting her head up at him. " You seemed kind of restless."

"I did? Oh...sorry about that." He was feigning surprise, and every image of the dreams he had was still clear in his mind. They weren't very pleasant, but he kept focused on her. He didn't want her to start worrying about him.

"I feel grrr-eat though," he lied as he stretched, mimicking the way she'd done it, complete with claws extending for a moment. He gave her a disarming smirk, hoping she wouldn't catch on. "So...what were you going to do today?"

He still had to break the news of the hunting trip with her father to her, and then figure out some reason that she couldn't tag along. Either that...or he'd have to lie to her about that too.

"Well, we need to talk for starters," Kiara said, starting to get up onto her paws as well. They did have a lot to talk about. A big lot. She wasn't even sure how to begin, but it was something she didn't want to put off.

"Um, also Daddy asked me about going hunting with him and you...?" she said, turning her gaze back to her companion, with a raise brow. She wasn't sure when or how Kovu had spoken to her father about that. When Simba mentioned it, it had surprised her, but she was certainly pleased about it.

Two of the most important people in her life were here with her, she wanted to see them get along. They needed to all get along so they could get home.

"Wait, he told you about that?" It took a moment for the initial shock of that to wear off. "...And he invited you along?" Did he have any idea how hard it would be to hunt with her around? She still had a lot to learn, and she couldn't even stalk her prey without scaring them off. He only barely managed not to roll his eyes at the thought, and even then he had to close his eyes for a second so she wouldn't see him start.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "So...you're coming with us?" A few more seconds passed, then Kovu finally thought of a good thing about this: it meant that he wouldn't have to be alone with Simba. This let him avoid one of the most awkward things he could have been doing...even if it had been his idea in the first place. "All right, what else did you want to talk about?"

"Well, yes?" she said, confused why Kovu was acting a bit like he didn't want her to? No, that couldn't be it, could it? She'd been fairly certain he'd be pleased she was coming along. Kiara looked rather confused.

"And, well, we have a lot to talk about, don't we?" she said, settling down on her haunches. Apart from telling Kovu about her conversation with Simba, there was a lot else to talk about. She hadn't forgotten that he'd wanted to tell her something before her father had interrupted them to ask to speak to Kovu. Then there was the ambush... She was more than curious to find out what had actually happened.

Not to mention there was Simba's offer of a place to stay, and, well, probably a lot more things she wasn't thinking of.

"Oh...right." He sighed. Some of this he really didn't want to be discussing, but he didn't have much of a choice. There were things he needed to tell her...and probably she had stuff to tell him, too. He just hoped none of it was too bad.

"...Did everything...go well?" he asked meekly, begging to the stars that it had gone well and asking wasn't going to make her sad. She was going to join him and Simba on the hunt, so that meant it had to ended the way she wanted it to, right? She wouldn't have been so happy at the idea of coming along if if her conversation with her dad hadn't been very good.

"I mean, he didn't say anything stupid, did he?" And of course, by asking that question, Kovu himself had just said something stupid. Oh yeah, great way to start a long talk about stuff that was so serious. Sound like a total idiot in front of the only lioness who's ever you any kindness.

"Kovu," she chided softly, giving him a momentary look.

"It went fine. Good even," she said, as she thought over the evening. "Well, sort of. Good in that... I'm pretty sure he believes I'm his daughter now, and, well, good that he now knows the truth."

Realizing Kovu might not understand, Kiara quickly explained, "After the stampede, Daddy left the Pride Lands and grew up in a jungle with Timon and Pumbaa. He... thought it was his fault, it wasn't till my mother found him and he was convinced to come home, did he find out it was Scar who'd been responsible for Mufasa's death."

Of course, she was still assuming Kovu at least knew the jist of what had happened to her grandfather.

"This... place, somehow, has brought him here from before my mother found him, so... he was still blaming himself. ...And trusting Scar."

"...What...?" Kovu stepped back. He'd never heard that about Scar before. "Scar...what? But..."

He stopped talking. He couldn't even think of anything to say. With his eyes shut as tight as he could, he turned his back on Kiara. His whole life, his mother had been lying to him, and training him to take revenge on Simba, and convincing him that it was all Simba's fault that they had to live in the Outlands, and...it was Scar? Kovu didn't want to admit it, but...it hurt. Scar wasn't...he wasn't Kovu's father, and he'd hardly ever really acted like one. But that didn't...Scar was still part of him, even if he didn't like it now. But to find out one day that Scar didn't remember his heir at all...and then the next that Scar had done something so horrible...He'd even made Simba blame himself for it! It was too much. It was just...too much.

"...I gotta go." With a deep breath, but without saying anything more, Kovu started walking away from Kiara. It was the second time since they'd gotten here that he'd found himself wanting so badly to just...leave. How could he look her in the eye after learning that someone he'd always looked up to had been a killer? And had put her father through so much torment? It was best if he just...left her alone.

Kovu... didn't know? Kiara looked at him surprised by his shock and confusion. It probably shouldn't have been so surprising for her, or rather, it shouldn't have been all that surprising that Zira would have kept the truth from Kovu. It seemed like something she would do. It certainly made Kiara wonder just what Zira had told him about Scar.

This was the third time Kovu had suddenly turned her back on her like this. The third time he was just going to leave. It was starting to get a bit frustrating. Or, well, more like a lot frustrating.

"Kovu...!"

No. No, he wasn't getting away from her!

Moving into action, Kiara quickly leaped after him, grabbing his tail in her mouth and digging her hind legs into the ground.

"What are you doing?!" It wasn't a joke this time. It wasn't Kovu trying to be cute. It wasn't Kovu thinking Kiara was weird. He didn't want her doing this. He wanted to go away. But it was no use...Kiara wasn't going to let him.

"I was supposed to follow in Scar's pawprints. In a killer's pawprints. My whole life, that was all anyone ever told me. That was everything I had. Why do you want me around?" His voice was soft, and it started to crack. He couldn't understand. He really couldn't understand. He felt like somehow, he had done what Scar did, like he was the one responsible for it.

It hurt her so much to see him like this. It hurt her to think someone she cared so much about was brought up in such a way; that he was made to think that. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve the shadows that had been forced over him.

It also hurt that he'd just tried to walk away from her, and that he didn't understand now. Didn't he know? Didn't he realize?

After a quiet moment, she whimpered softly and gave his tail a soft tug, to, hopefully, make him look back up at her. Releasing his tail a second later, he'd find a hurt gaze upon him, but something else was in her eyes too.

Her reason was as simple as her answer was.

"Because I love you."

Pulling on Kovu's tail made him look her in the eyes, and he was left speechless. His voice croaked as he tried to say something, anything. Seeing her look at him like that...he...he didn't like it. Something in his chest ached, and his breath caught.

"Kiara, I..." He couldn't finish that sentence. He didn't know how to. He didn't even know what he wanted to say to her. The look on his face said nothing but how confused and lost he was, and here was Kiara, who had just said three words to him that no one ever had before.

"I..." He leaned forward, but stopped, less confident now than he'd ever been. He swallowed hard. He knew how he felt. And he knew what she meant. All he had to do, was say it back. But for some reason, he couldn't. Not...not right now, not at this very moment. He wanted to say it so badly, to make her feel better, but...everything he was thinking before was holding him back. How could he say he loved her, if he was willing to just get up and walk away whenever he started feeling bad?

His whole face fell, but then lifted back up. She had just told him how. He tried to smile, just a little, and gave her a nuzzle.

"I...I love you too," he said, holding his head against hers.

She tilted her head slightly as she could see he was hesitating, though she'd certainly gotten his attention. Kiara, however, thought for a moment she'd failed, however, when his face fell. Her head swam, trying to come up with something to say, but she didn't have to.

It had been the first time she'd said it allowed and it was the first time he had too. Kiara had known he felt this way. She was certain of it. She'd even told her father that he loved her when he had banished Kovu. Words just hadn't been needed, but still, hearing them now was amazing. She really hadn't expected him to say it back.

"Oh, Kovu," Kiara murmured, nuzzling him back gently, before resting her head against his. Despite the emotional moment, happiness quickly spread through her.

Kovu ran his muzzle along her neck, then turn to face her. He still looked worried, but the guilt was gone. He remembered the night before...it had gone almost the same way. Something had made him feel terrible, and then she was there next to him...and all the hurt just melted away. Right now, it was just him, and her. Exactly as it should be.

"...That wasn't all you were going to tell me, was it?" He had a sheepish look to him, like he was hoping he could get out of having to talk about anything else. Then again, just because they had to change the subject now didn't mean he couldn't come back to this part afterward.

Kiara closed her eyes for a moment, feeling his muzzle at her neck. Problems really did seem to melt away when they were together like this. Realizing he'd pulled away, however, made her open her eyes once more.

"Huh? Oh. Um..." Kiara uttered, trying to figure out just where she'd left off. To say she'd been slightly thrown off was an understatement. "Well, um... there was a few other things I would like to talk about, I guess."

Or rather, there were things she wanted to talk about, but was now nervous about doing so. The reaction to just this had made him try to leave. Could the other things she wanted to ask him cause that too?

"But... maybe they should wait," she murmured, unsure now.

Great, now she didn't have much confidence in him either. Not that Kovu could blame her...that was the second time in less than two days he'd pulled that stunt, he wouldn't be expecting himself to take more bad news either. ...But that was assuming the news was bad...or that it was something she was going to tell him, and not something she was going to ask him.

He nuzzled her gently. "If you want to wait...that's fine." He might have wanted to get everything over with now, but that didn't mean it was a good idea. This place...it was all a lot to take in. He'd hardly had a chance to just sit and think about everything, and sort it out, before learning even more. And very, very little of what he'd been told had been anything but bad news. He just wished...he could've known some of it sooner.

"W-well...Not really," she replied, nuzzling his muzzle back, before sighing softly.

"I just wanted to ask you... a few days ago, back in the Pride Lands... What actually happened? Daddy said there'd been an ambush, but he didn't explain what actually happened," she asked hesitantly, afraid of how he'd react, but... but they had to get through this and sort out everything.

And she just needed to know this. She was certain Kovu hadn't been involved, but she wanted to know what had made her father think he had.

"...Ambush...? Kiara...what are you talking about?" He sincerely didn't know anything about any ambush, especially one involving Kiara's father.

"The last thing I remember in the Pride Lands, we were looking up at the stars...you mentioned the great kings, and then here I was." This was...ugh. Kovu had already thought that something weird like this might have been going on with Kiara, because she was closer to him the other night than he had remembered. She had spent at least a few more days in the Pride Lands than he had, and she knew about what was going to happen. At least...some of it. He wondered if she knew about...? He couldn't tell. That was too bad. It would have been a huge weight off his shoulders if he'd already told her.

"Kiara...I think you remember more than I do. Kind of like you and your dad, just...not such a long time. We still know most of the same stuff, but you...know more of it." He said it out loud less for the sake of making it painfully obvious, and more to try to get it through his own head. He'd put the thought aside since it had occurred to him the other night.

...What? That hadn't been the reaction Kiara had expected at all. How could Kovu not know what she was talking about? She certainly looked baffled at first, till it did, of course, dawn on her also what was going on.

She'd noticed something seemed, well, odd, but she hadn't been able to quite put her paw on it. Now a lot of things made more sense.

"Well, I guess you're right, if you don't even know what I'm talking about," Kiara replied. At least it wasn't such a big gap at all, but it was still enough of one. Enough that now she realized just why he'd been so surprised when she'd started nuzzling him so outright and such.

In fact, as that fact entered her thoughts, she quickly looked embarrassed. He must have thought her to be awfully forward! "And that's why you... when I... Oh Kovu, I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize," she said, failing multiple times to complete a sentence. If lions could blush, she'd have been bright red.

Kovu couldn't help but smile at her. She was embarrassed, and he found it kind of endearing. He nuzzled her.

"It could be worse," he said softly. "One of us could have never met the other at all..." The thought was sobering. They needed each other. If either of them were here, and had to meet the other one all over again....it would be a nightmare. He couldn't even think of how hard it would be here without Kiara there beside him. Even though...even though he'd tried to leave her.

She was still embarrassed, but Kovu's idea of worst was most definitely sobering. Pushing her head under his chin, she snuggled her head into his mane, almost shuddering at the thought. If Kovu hadn't even known her... that would have been worse than Kovu not being here. Kiara had a hard enough time knowing what she would have done if he hadn't been here, much less consider this idea.

"I don't know what I'd have done if it had been like that," she almost whispered, not yet lifting her head from his mane. "I'm so glad it wasn't like that."

"So am I." Kovu rested his head over hers, glad he could both provide some comfort and that he could get some feeling of solace in return. Their nuzzling was such a simple gesture, but, for the two of them, it was the only ting they had to push away some of these feelings of confusion. At least...Kovu could only assume it was the same for Kiara.

"Even if I am from a little bit in your past."

Her feelings were certainly not so different. Everything would be okay, somehow, as long as they stuck together. "A little, important, bit," she corrected, before falling silent, just happily enjoying the affection.

"Oh, um, there was one other thing... Daddy was saying there might be space for us to stay where he and, well, I guess Timon and Pumbaa are too. I said I'd speak to you, though," she said, it rather coming across that she didn't really think sound like a good idea. As much as she wanted to be closer to her father, it sounded a bit like it wasn't the best idea.

However, she did think they needed to find somewhere a bit more... less open than the park to stay... and closer to her father too, if that was possible.

"...He said we could stay with him?" ...Ooooh yeah. This definitely wasn't the same Simba. That offer took away a lot more of what had been worrying Kovu about Kaira's father, since they hadn't met face to face yet. He was thinking he might be less nervous about it now, since Simba really, truly, hadn't been King yet. As long as Simba didn't know who Kovu was supposed to be, or what Kovu was supposed to do...

...Wait. Timon. Kiara might not have noticed it, but Timon had been almost nothing but on edge when dealing with him. Especially when Simba came up. It had taken barely a second for the meerkat to get protective (which was weird enough), so...that meant he probably knew the part that Kovu hadn't even told Kiara yet. He had a feeling there would be other things that had happened here with some other version of him....maybe the last one who was here had been from the future or something, like Kiara was. That would explain why he couldn't remember any of it now, at least.

"That...might not be such a great idea..." he said, breaking eye contact. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't going to run away this time. If she asked him what he was worried about...he would tell her. She deserved to know...it was only fair. He almost said it without her even asking, but...then thought better of it. He didn't want to worry her.

Finally, pulling her head out from beneath his chin, Kiara met his gaze, only for him to break it. Uh oh. Kiara knew why she didn't think it was such a great idea, but from this reaction she wasn't fully sure hers were the same as his.

"Why do you think that, Kovu?" she asked gently, curious of his answer, but not about to push it if he didn't want to answer her.

Kovu took a deep breath. "Kiara..." His voice trailed off. He growled just a little in frustration, then tried again, with another deep breath in between.

"...This whole thing...me coming to the Pride Lands...saving your life..." he sighed. He couldn't look at her at all, much less look her in the eyes. "...Getting close to you..." He cringed.

"It was..." He made a sound as if he'd just been wounded. "It was all part of a plot."

A... plot? Kiara watched him force all this out, with surprise. Surprise in that he was telling her, not so much the content. What he was telling her felt like missing pieces to a puzzle. Given the attempt on her father's life, it wasn't hard to figure out where this was leading.

"Zira," Kiara said, simply, having a sneaking suspicion who was behind a plot like this. "She... wants revenge on my father, doesn't she?"

"That's...putting it lightly." Another sigh. If there was only one thing that Kovu had never wanted to say to Kiara, just one thing that he could have kept a secret for the rest of his life, it was this. Everything else...well, she already knew most of it anyway, so what would have been the point of trying to hide it?

"My whole life...she's been training me to..." He choked on his words again, and squeezed his eyes tight, making the same injured sound as before. "To kill Simba."

His whole body suddenly felt heavy, like he was made of stone or something. Wracked with guilt, he shook, unable to do anything else to try to calm himself down.

It was hard to hear it, but she was glad he was opening up to her and telling her the truth, despite the pain it was bringing him. Kiara wasn't angry at him for these things. He hadn't tried to kill her father and had instead fallen in love with her, foiling Zira's plan.

It was Zira she felt anger towards. No wonder Kovu hadn't known how to have fun or just be happy. To force this on him... it was just horrible. But Kovu had proven himself to be a better lion than Zira had tried to mold him to be.

"Oh, Kovu..." she whispered, before rubbing her head back against his neck, pressing against him.

"But you aren't going to," she said, not as a question, but as a matter of fact. She knew he wasn't. "And you love me. That's all that really matters."

Trying to hold his body still, Kovu leaned back into Kiara, taking all the comfort she was giving him, and thankful for it now more than he had ever been before.

These last few days...they had really been too much. He couldn't even think of anything to say now, he was just lost in it all. All at once, he felt guilty, and relieved, and ashamed, and comforted, and lost...but loved. His mind was in so much turmoil that he just couldn't speak. For the millionth time, he thought of how grateful he was that Kiara was here...and that she refused to give up on him. That she refused to give up on the lion that had spent a lifetime training just to kill her father...and learning to be heir to her grandfather's killer...

"You love me, too," he said. "That's the important part."

Kiara remained where she was, trying to silently send as much love and support as she could. He'd been through so much, but now it could be over.

She pulled back for a moment for only one reason: to deliver a tender lick to the side of his muzzle. "I'll never stop."

The lioness then settled her head back where it had been. "And you know, that night? After we'd looked at the stars and everything? When we returned to Pride Rock... Daddy invited you inside to sleep that night."

She didn't think she was going to tell him about what had happened the next day. Not yet anyways. She didn't want to keep things from him, but learning her father had banished him was something he didn't need to know. It hadn't even happened yet for anyone but her, after all.

"...He did?" That was surprising news. That meant that he...

Kovu couldn't do anything now but smile back at her. "So he did finally trust me...that's great! I've been worried this whole time over nothing!" It was exciting news, really. And after all of the bad news he'd gotten since he'd come here, something good like that made him even more happy. In some way, there wasn't anything she could have told him that would have made him happier...well, not now that she had said she loved him, anyway.

"Kiara...why did you wait so long to tell me that?" He paused. "Oh...wait. You didn't think I'd believe you, right?" Chances were...he wouldn't have. He would have thought she was just saying it to cheer him up. But now...suddenly things were looking up. He was in love, and the guy he'd been so nervous about finally was going to trust him.

"Well, I guess you might not have, huh?" she said with a sheepish smile. "But that wasn't actually why. I didn't know I needed to tell you, since, I didn't know till tonight that you didn't remember some things that I do."

It never would have occurred to her that their memories were a little different, or she might have brought it up sooner. Or not, given how he might not have believed her, but it was really hard to know what exactly she would have done. At least now things were at least cleared up between them. And things were looking up with her father.

Tonight was turning out to be not such a bad night at all.

Kovu laughed. "Right. I forgot about that part."

He walked past Kiara, and teasingly brushed his tail along her side. "So..." he said with a sly grin. "What are we gonna do now?" The question didn't sound so much curious as it did sensual. Kovu was finally in a good mood again, so he figured he may as well lay on the charm while the two of them were all alone.

"Um... well... um..." That was all Kiara managed to respond at first. Kovu had easily made her go speechless.

"What... do you want to do?" she finally responded. It wasn't much of an answer, but it was the best she was able to manage with him grinning at her like that.

That threw Kovu off a little. He nuzzled Kiara, keeping the wry grin. "Come on, there has to be something."

He chuckled a little, and jumped back, lowering into a pouncing position with a big smile on his face--one that made it very obvious exactly what he was up to, if Kiara paid it any mind.

"Something? Like wha--oh. Oh..."

A smile formed on Kiara's face as she lowered herself down for a moment before pouncing towards Kovu with a laugh.

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Love Will Find a Way [Completed]

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