Speaking

(I couldn't think of a topic title xD)

Kodiak made his way slowly to the riverside, knowing full well that Angel would appear soon. He sat down in the cold snow and faced where he had just come from. This river was a run off from the lagoon, not too far, so he could make it there in no time if he needed to. The part of the river that he sat by was beautiful, as was most areas of Mitane, and the freshly falling snow made it that more breathtaking. Further down the river he could easily hear the rushing of water, but here it was only a musical trickle. Rocks dotted the water's surface, large enough for a wolf to jump on to get across, but if they were to fall... the rapids downstream wouldn't be very forgiving. Kodiak's face was still the same as before, showing little emotion as he waited for Angel to arrive.

(Lol, it fits well, though. XD)

Angel's white pelt moved forward with Kodiak as they neared the river. The female didn't like how his face looked, so stern that it seemed she really had done something wrong. Her already white pelt was becoming cold from the snowfall. Once she saw Kodiak had stopped and sat, she sat down also, though in a much more crouching position; Like when she had first met him. She dared not speak, looking at the ground with her ears pulled back. She sighed, looking at his russet fur, stained with blood, though with the snow melting on him it was slowly washing away. But now wasn't the time for daydreaming, she had to pay close attention to her Alpha.

Kodiak's silver gaze picked up the rustle as Angel appeared, and when she did his face softened. His eyes became warm and his muscles relaxed slightly. "Angel.." he sighed, looking down at the fresh snow in front of her. He sighed and looked up to meet her gaze. "About what you said at the cave." He paused. He wasn't used to this. "I-... What do I think about you?" He was stalling now, stumbling over words to find the right ones. "I can't explain it," he finally said, giving up on trying to choose words. He just let them flow. "Every time I see you... it feels like I can relax. Peaceful. I like that feeling. Then when your not there everything is tense and it feels like I can't take much of it. It's like you take all of the pressure away." He wasn't sure how far to go with his little speech, so he just paused and waited for her reply. He wouldn't blame her if she just flat out ran away from him just then.

Angel looked up at him, he seemed embarresed for some reason. The female walked over to him, laying down before his paws and streched out her own to make them almost reach his. Her hind legs also streched, more relaxed than before with his reaction. Angel layed her head between her paws, in the soft, cold snow, looking up into his beautiful silver eyes warmly. "Re-Really..?" She couldn't believe her ears, he liked her better than she thought.

Kodiak's ears went flat when Angel lay in front of him. He sank to the ground where he was and joined her, stretching his body along side her's. "Yes," he answered, meeting her gaze with warm eyes.

(... I know, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else. <.<)

Angel jumped a bit when he lay beside her, though was enjoying the warmth of him being nearer to her. She felt less skittish around him now, he seemed nicer to her for some reason. The female was beginning to wonder why she had even asked that question, but somehow kept repeating the conversation. "But why? Why me?" She couldn't understand why it would be her that relaxed him, she wasn't anything special; She wasn't doing anything helpful. She let out a small sigh, looking back up to him. 'Why is any of this happening?'

He gave a small sigh and looked down. "I don't know," he admitted, and looked up at her again. "It's a strange feeling, I told you before it was hard to explain." Questions started filling his head. She'd been able to ask him how he felt about her, but he couldn't bring himself to ask that same question. The air was filling with big fluffy puffs of snow as the two wolves spoke, and the cirping of birds could be heard nearby. There was no breeze today, thankfully, so it wasn't freezing out.

Angel looked into his silver eyes with a special gleam in her own. She could tell he wasn't telling her something. But before she could talk he spoke first, and his words still made her confused. I mean, seriously, she wasn't exactly the bravest wolf you've met. She left a pack battle, for pity's sake! When he finished talking, she brought up her previous thoughts lightly, not wanting to upset him. "What's wrong?" The white tail of the female began to wag slightly, even though she didn't want it to. 'Stop it,' she told her self through thought, but it didn't help a bit.

The vixen stopped gazing into his metallic eyes and turned to the snow, deep in thought as she waited for him to answer. Most times she was flashing her belly, but she seemed slightly more confident now, at least with him. 'But why him?' She thought, rambling on about those sort of things in her head. But that was a good question, it was like the how Kodiak was more relaxed beside her. Sort of vice versa, she was braver around him.

Kodiak gave her a small smile, hoping to hide his embarrasment. He'd never done this before and he really didn't know what to say. He nipped himself inwardly and, once again, let the words flow. "Since I've told you what I feel, I've been wondering the same about you. What do you think about when your around me?" he said, gazing into her deep blue eyes. His voice was soft despite the truth of his words and thoughts. The peacefulness was still lying over him like a thick blanket and he was thoroughly enjoying it. He loved this moment, just being himself with her, not having to mask himself and be a leader. Here, he was comfortable, thoughtful, peaceful. Only she could bring that out in him. He didn't want this single moment to end.

Angel flicked an ear in his direction when she heard him speak, shaking off a small amount of snow that had sat on it. His words confused her a bit, she didn't expect him to ask that. She hesitated for a bit, thinking over what her answer would be. Usually wolves didn't bother asking her the question. 'What I think of him..?' She thought over it a bit, finally coming to a decision.

"Well," she started, still staring into the freshly fallen snow. "Kodiak, I do like you." She hadn't exactly planned it out, so she was just going with the flow where she didn't know what to say really. "Y-You make me.. More confident, braver. I suppose it's something like me relaxing you." She was embarrassed at talking about this, and wasn't so sure what she said should be said, but she said them anyway.

Kodiak stared at the snow in front of him as his ears picked up her sweet voice. She still sounded hesitant, but he could tell that her words were the truth. She did seem more confident right now, or at least more so than when the two were back at the cave with the others. Kodiak felt a small smile creep onto his maw, and he met her gaze once again. He leaned forward slightly so that his nose touched hers gently. His voice took on a lighter tone, almost teasing but it still held a tenderness that only she could make shine through him. "I still need an alpha female, you know," he said, the smile growing very slightly. A thought flashed through his mind and he moved his muzzle away so that their noses were no longer touching. He flattened his ears. "I'm... sorry if I'm going too far," he murmured quietly, dragging his gaze away from her soft blue eyes. He got to his paws and walked a few steps away to sit down facing the river. He glared at one of the rocks in the black water and sighed inwardly. Why'd I have to go and say that? he muttered. I just ruined everything. His head dropped as he continued his glare at the rock.

What's happening? Mayi's voice cut through his thoughts. I'll tell you later, leave me alone for now, okay? he growled. There was no reply from Mayi and he sighed inwardly again. I'm sorry, he apologized. It's alright. I'll leave you alone. Her voice was kind and soft this time. He'd been forgiven for his grumpiness.

Angel's ears perked up when Kodiak had touched his nose to her's, flattening them again when he pulled away. He seemed different than before, at least with her. She looked into his beautiful, silver eyes again, only to see that he'd turned away from her. What he said was surprising, but she liked them. The she-wolf had somehow ended up leaning on him, and when he stood up she fell to her side a bit. The snowflakes still fell, and had collected onto Angel's fur a considerable amount. She stood to her paws and shook it off fairly easily, and looked around for Kodiak through the falling crystals of ice. Her paws carried her over to where she saw a figure, and as she moved closer she could tell more and more that it was him. She stopped a few steps behind him, and her ears flattened against her white head softly.

"Kodiak.." She muttered under her breath, taking yet another step forward. She could tell he was uneasy, or confused. Whichever it was, it wasn't helping Angel not act the same way. "I-If that was an offer.." The vixxen paused, closing her eyes. 'I hope I wont get in trouble for this..' She opened her eyes again, and let them look into his eyes again, not caring if he turned away afterwards. The female knew that whatever her answer would be, it would change her life, but she didn't care. Just this one moment, just this once, she wanted to be unafraid of the side-effects. Her eyes held a caring, loving gleam, one showing that whatever she was about to say was the truth.

"I.. I-I love you, Kodiak."

Kodiak didn't turn to her, still continueing his glare at the rock, but he knew she was there. He listened to her speak and braced himself for her regection, but he wasn't prepared for the words she chose. "I... I-I love you, Kodiak." He turned toward her slowly. It felt like his heart actually skipped a beat, but he payed no mind to it. He stood up, holding her gaze. He took a step toward her carefully, almost cautiously. His face held surprise; he wasn't sure he heard her right. "You... you love me?" he asked, his voice quiet. He continued his careful approach toward her, the female's words still lingering in his mind like sweet honey. He was at a loss of words for how he felt; all he could do was hold her beautiful gaze and repeat those words in his mind again and again. She was almost invisible in the snow; her pelt blending in perfectly in the white sea around them. Her soft blue eyes, too, were well hidden in the downpour.

The white vixxen raised a paw in surprise to him coming so close so quickly, but lowered it again when she was sure he wasn't mad. Her fuzzy neck lowered with her head. His tone seemed so hopeful in his last words, which made her somewhat curious to if he felt the same. "Y-Yes," she stuttered a bit from embarrassment and a bit of nervousness. Angel took a step forward and nuzzled his chest in relief, all worry flooded out of her like a river over a cliff. "I have for a little while now.." She admitted, continuing to nuzzle his chest softly, and even gave him a small lick on the chin to prove it if he didn't believe her words.

Kodiak halted his approach when Angel met him the rest of the way, giving a soft nuzzle and then an even softer lick. He exhaled his breath and lowered his head to rest it on her neck, gently nuzzling her. Just as before, his muscles relaxed and he felt a blanket of peace wrap around him. "I have too," he murmured quietly. "I was just..." He sighed and tried again. He couldn't believe this was happening. "I was just... embarrased, I guess. I thought it was silly at first, but then when I was able to talk to you more... I realized it was so much more than that." He pulled back from her to he could look into her beautiful blue eyes once more. "I love you, Angel," he said, his metallic eyes holding nothing more than the love and concern he had for her, echoing his words over and over again. "More than anything."

Kodiak flattened his ears, feeling her soft, gentle touch to his cheek. She moved away and it looked as if she regretted what she had done, but her eyes told a different story. Her posture and actions were confusing; at one time she'd feel the same way he did to her, but at other times it was as if she thought he'd attack her if she did anything wrong. Her eyes, however, held all the truth he needed. Her question confused him and he searched desperately in his mind to find what he'd said earlier. Then he recalled the words he'd said before; the ones he honestly regretted saying. Not that he didn't think she'd be a good leader, or that he didn't like her, he just felt he'd rushed things a bit at that point. But now that she brought it back up, he'd answer it. "I know, Angel, without a doubt that you would make a perfect leader. And I know, with you at my side, that this pack will be the strongest." He lowered his head to her and gently touched her nose, as he had done before. "But if you don't want to lead... You don't have to. I won't make you."