Would she come?

Romulus knew his visit was a surprise, although not unexpected due to circumstances, but did not expect the predicament that occurred. When they locked eyes at the border, he knew there was more to them. A talk had to be had. In the silence between their stare, he eventually had to turn away and refocus his attention elsewhere.

As the meeting ended, a sigh of relief exited Romulus and he turned away back to the neutral lands with his head hanging casually. A periwinkle gaze set out on the horizon to a special spot, one that he had been to before, with a goal in mind and another animal to tend to. He walked slow, but with purpose, enjoying the sights and sounds of the twittering birds of the underbrush's unfamiliar land. Marsh mud squished satisfyingly between his pawpads as greenery brushed past his features. With a sniff into the air, he let out a shocked 'hm!' as a tree nearby carried her sweet scent. She came.

Dark nostrils led him forward the rest of the way, practically floating into her grasp. Soon enough, her dark and slender figure reached his eyes and he started to saunter over with lips pulled back into a gleeful smirk. Ears upturned at her words. He regrettably paused to listen from within the shadows, only for his face to grow hot and red underneath his duo-colored fur. A paw reached back to the satchel wrapped around his side, grasping the contents from the outside. Claws fumbled with the outline of his gift, almost as if to reassure him of it's presence and to reinforce the truth in her words. It appeared the feeling he held for her was mutual.

The kingpin finally pulled himself out of the darkness and into the sunrays, the golden sun highlighting his chiseled features with ease. Unlike before, his smile now showed off his teeth. His nose was scrunched in pleasure, almost mockingly, after hearing her words of encouragement. "Merlin," came his coo. "I can hear you." His face was still warm from slight embarrassment. He was also trying to savor the moment, although not enough to embarrass her back with a cocky comment. Instead, things were kept simple.

He softly proceeded forward, attempting to come to her side and offer a nudge of his muzzle against the edge of her jaw. "You're quite striking yourself," he reiterated with a purr. Her pelt reminded him of the fall, his favorite season. Browns, oranges, and yellows. All the more reason to love her.

A chuckle left Romulus at her realization. Yes, he could. He could feel his face growing hot at her surprise, as if he shouldn't of heard her words. The lion had embarrassed her, despite trying to be smooth and understanding. With a twinge of a nervous smile on his features, he tried to lean in again and push his muzzle against hers. He was unsuccessful though, as she changed her sights from embarrassment to exclamation moments later.

As she spoke, he could feel his heart begin to flutter all over again. The kingpin's gaze locked with hers as she spoke wildly with infatuation, causing his mouth to gape open. For once, he was speechless. To hear it from the woman herself, rather than afar, was different. He couldn't act in confidence, only impulse. Words ran through his logical mind, but nothing came out. All he could feel was the pounding in his chest and the back of his throat beckoning for him to speak, almost quivering in anticipation. Silence reigned between the two for a few moments.

On impulse, the lion leaned forward and closed his eyes, attempting to place his head between her neck and right shoulder. With a paw, he'd wrap around her back and pull her close. Romulus tried to rub at the tense parts of her being with his muzzle, aiming to calm her down as a purr begin to unconsciously rumble out of his throat. For a few moments, he'd stay there. His mind raced as he let her lean on him, knowing there was something he could say... but what was it? What ever could he say that would solidify this relationship? Options thrashed around in his head, but one came to mind. There was no disregarding it.

He could feel himself melting into her, but the time to strike was now. Whether or not she was calm, the male pulled away. Periwinkle eyes tried to lock with hers once again. His gaze softened at the sight of her and a lop-sided smile curled upon his jowls. "I..." came his shaky tone, "... love you too." Would she reciprocate? Was her 'like' a 'love' like he interpreted? Nervousness wracked his brain. He had never felt this way. What to do... What to do...

Wildly, a paw blindly reached behind his back and fumbled at the satchel's latch. Eventually, the gift tumbled out of the bag's side and onto the floor. The box's contents spilled across the ground, revealing the leaves he exchanged for tissue paper and a golden glint from within them. Looking back in embarrassment, he quickly snatched the item between his paws and clasped them tight.

When he turned back, he offered an awkward grin in an uncertain apology. Hopefully she hadn't caught a glance. Nevertheless, Romulus cleared his throat and proceeded. "I guess this is the perfect time to say I brought you something," he cheekily mentioned. His paws slowly disconnected from one another, revealing what he had been working on oh-so carefully. The golden glint of the pieces was eye-catching, highlighted by the sun peeking through the sun's many windows and cracks. Even so, the pieces' shape was intriguing. In fact, they held history. The jewelry pieces held the shape of a pair of wings. Romulus had been there when Merlin's wings had been dislodged from her body, regrettably. This, in his eyes, was a loving replacement and a memento of their time together.

A paw pushed them forward nervously. Teeth were now exposed in a loving smile. "I made them for you as a reminder that, despite not having your wings, you will always be my angel," he proclaimed. Cheesy. Don't let him think he did not practice that a thousand times over. Even so, he cleared his throat for a moment though, making a short statement. "If you don't like them-" Given they were connected to a bad memory. "- I can melt them back down and make something else." The tips of his horns started to spark, forming small flames at their ends.