Once the bathroom door had closed Elmarius stood and went over to the bowl that was on the nightstand. He took it with him back to the fireplace and he couldn't help but smile to himself. "Did you do this too, Hakeem?" He asked himself as he poked through the soup in the bowl with the spoon. All of the meat from the stew was gone and all that remained were the potatoes, carrots, and the vegetable broth. He sat down on the floor and took a spoonful into his mouth. It was warm and delicious. The carrots and potatoes were soft and he had no problem finishing the meal quickly. He hadn't eaten much all day and now that he was alone his appetite had returned. At this time Hakeem emerged from the bathroom in a thin shirt and shorts. He plopped down beside Mari and shoved the glass into his hand,

"Are you ready?" The elf looked over at the boiling pot and the faint scent of mint reached his nose. He could feel his heart swell as Hakeem brought the pot towards him and gently poured the tea into it. The red haired shifter was even skilled enough to keep the leaves from falling in.

"You went out in the pouring rain so that you could make me a cup of tea? Hakeem... That's so... silly. I'm not worth any of that..." There was no venom in his voice, instead there was a softness, a vulnerability that Hakeem was rarely privy to seeing. Elmarius's green eyes drifted down towards the cup. He could feel his eyes threatening to fill with tears. What sort of twist of fate was this? Why had he come across a man that was so amazing, so loving and so kind when he had been the least deserving of it? He only dug his claws deeper and deeper into Elmarius's heart and the elf felt like it was only a matter of time before it was crushed.

Yet, his heart fluttered like a feather riding a summer's breeze. Pitter, patter. There it was again, that soft touch to his hand. Pitter, patter. That sweet caress that said, "Mari" without any words. Pitter, patter, pitter, patter. He felt a finger under his chin as it was slowly being lifted. Pitter, patter, pitter, patter, pitter, patter. It was finally happening; his heart was about to explode. Pitterpatterpitterpatterpitterpa– "Ha–" Elmarius eyes widened. It had all happened so quickly. He felt Hakeem squeeze his hand just before their lips had connected. For a moment everything seemed to stand still. Time had finally stopped or maybe he had lost track again. Did it matter? No it didn't. All that mattered was that in this moment Elmarius could feel the warmth of Hakeem's breath and the softness of his lips–and God they were soft. More so than he could have ever imagined. When the moment had passed Hakeem pulled back and his ears had folded down.

"I hate when you talk about yourself like that... It makes me so mad... I didn't know what else to do." Elmarius could still only stare as he processed this information. If it were him, he would have yelled or said something he didn't mean if he was angry but Hakeem. His heart was so large that he only felt anger because of how much he cared about others.

"You kissed me... to shut me up? That is how you expressed your anger towards me?" It was so nonsensical the elf could hardly believe it. Who does that? The more he thought about it the more his body had begun to shake and a deep chuckle slowly began filling the room. Until a genuine laughter could be heard. "Hakeem...Your heart is so large..." He lifted his head and looked into Hakeem's golden eyes before leaning in for another kiss to the lips. The elf was a bit more firm with his affection. His hand came up to cup the other's soft, round cheek as he tilted his own head to bring their lips together without bumping their noses. It felt like he had been waiting years for this to happen and he was going to savor every second of it. "That's what I love about you...you're so ingenuous." He stared right into Hakeem's eyes and rubbed his thumb against the shifter's cheek. Hakeem's lips curved upwards into one of the brightest smiles Mari had ever seen from him. The shifter had succeeded. Mari was happy; for one moment, for tonight he had seen Mari express his joy through laughter, his freedom to express himself, and even his love. Love?!

"Love?! Wait, did you just say ingenious?"

"No, I said 'ingenuous...'" The elf brought the cup to his lips and began sipping it quickly. Perhaps Hakeem had already forgotten his accidental confession. He was easily distracted and the elf was too nervous to explain himself now. Everything was happening so fast and all at once it made the words just roll off of his tongue. "It means 'genuine,' 'naive,' or 'honest.'" The elf looked at the shifter from the corner of his eye as he sipped the tea. It was bitter but the elf didn't mind. Hakeem's love was all the sweetness he needed right now.

"Wait, you said you loved me didn't you?" Ack! Elmarius began choking on the tea. Hakeem had heard him. The shifter began giggling himself now before he reached behind Mari to help him stop coughing. Once he had settled the elf took a deep breath and moved his finger around the rim of the glass. "Perhaps I did say that..." The cat huffed and his tail thumped on the floor.

"Be ingenus!" Elmarius snickered at the mispronunciation. It was too cute for him to not laugh. He rubbed his thumbs against the glass before clearing his throat. His voice was calm and soft,

"I...I said that I love you Hakeem. I've loved you for a long time now... You stepped through my door and turned my world completely upside down. I had always hoped to experience love for many years since I was a boy but I was not prepared for what it actually felt like. One moment I was fine, then you would smile and I'd be all out of sorts...A complete and utter fool. I couldn't even look at you without feeling my heart race!" Hakeem wrapped his arms around Mari and began nuzzling the other's chest with the top of his head much like any domestic cat would. He couldn't speak with such poetic words as Mari's but he hoped that this was enough to say he felt the same way. "I love you too...my experience is small but you are my whole world. I only want to make you happy, Mari." Elmarius felt his heart jump as if it was cheering and he couldn't help but smile at those words. Whenever Hakeem spoke it always created a warmth in his chest. His words were so selfless and kind it was hard to believe he was speaking seriously when they had first met. "You've made me happy every day since we've been together. I only hope that I can do the same for you." The shifter leaned up and licked Elmarius on the cheek.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you." The two of them sat this way for some time. Cuddling in front of the fireplace as the storm pounded against the roof and windows of the inn. Once their voices quieted the room became silent and only the crackling from the fireplace and the storm could be heard. Elmarius still had Hakeem in his arms, which was hard for him to believe even now. The red haired man's eyes were beginning to close and his purring was growing louder. Elmarius knew that the other was falling asleep now. It was something he had noticed after watching him sleep for many nights. The day had been long and it was time for both of them to get some rest.

"Come along. We can't sleep on the floor now can we?" Elmarius set the now empty cup down and stood from the floor. Hakeem got up after him and trudged to the bed with a yawn. The room was dark and the two of them moved closer together. A bed that seemed so small to Elmarius earlier now seemed to be the perfect size for the two of them. Hakeem laid his head on Mari's chest again and closed his eyes as the elf covered them both up. "Sweet dreams, kitty." Elmarius doubted the other could hear him. He was likely already fast asleep. He watched as Hakeem's eyes remained closed and he did the same. Ever since Hakeem had burst into his life the kind hearted shifter was always on his mind and it made it hard to concentrate on anything but him. Tonight he didn't have to fight those thoughts for they had become his reality and it was easier tonight more than any other night for him to slip into his meditation. Finally, finally, he could put his past behind him and begin his journey towards the life that he truly wanted to live.