~-Moonlight Destiny - Artemis' Pride-~

[frayedflower]

"Mm-hm... " Back when he'd told her the moon on his head hadn't meant a thing. When he hadn't known. Before his pride, before Luna, before he remembered his past life on the moon.

"A lot's changed since then... " he murmured idly. "... except us. I mean... we've always been together, it feels like. Just like this." She'd never let him down. She'd always been there, always with him, always supporting him.

A faint blush creeping across his cheeks, he peered back up at her. "And I'm glad, but... " He never had been too good at this sort of thing. From his days a millenia ago on the moon to this very moment, he'd always had trouble with situations like these. "What I mean is... I like the way we get along. And I don't want to lose that... but I sort of wish it would change. Because really, I... "

Blush intensifying, he drooped, an awkward, sheepish little smile on his face. "I'm... really bad at this and all, but... "  

[frayedflower]

"But, um... I just wanted to say... I mean... " The white lion shifted awkwardly. How to say it? There were about a million ways. Nice, frilly, pretty ways. Poetic ways. Sweet ways. "... IthinkI'mfallinginlovewithyou, " he blurted out, blushing beet red and clentching his eyes shut.

...it was so nice to know he hadn't lost that oh-so suave edge of his over the centuries...  

[frayedflower]

Artemis felt his heart slowly begin to sink, flakes drooping. Like. Not love. Like. "... but you don't feel the same way, " he filled in, unaware of just how off he was.

He grinned, trying his hardest not to look half as dejected as he felt. "It's okay. I mean... I didn't mean to make you feel awkward or anything. Just forget I said anything." It was a risky move to start with; he didn't want to end up ruining the single best friendship he'd had in this lifetime just because he'd flubbed and said something he shouldn't have.  

[frayedflower]

The blush was back full-force and then some at the lick and her words, any and every bit of sadness that had weighed down on the king vanishing in a flash. "Y-you do?"

She loved him. She really loved him. It was a wonder his heartbeat wasn't drowning everything out. No, no, it was the opposite, even. Everything was so... vivid all of a sudden.

That forced grin was gone, replaced with a big broad smile that looked right at home on Artemis' face. "Then... remember, I told you once, back before I start my pride... that I'd save a special place in it. A place just for you? Do you think you might want it now?"

He swallowed. Even after that, this was enough to get him nervous! "What I mean is... will you be my queen Kagami?"  

[frayedflower]

((Squee. :3))

Unfortunately for Artemis, there was no hiding any blushes behind a coat of white fur. The red stood out bright as a beacon, and all the while he was grinning a mile wide. (Make that a few miles!) "Thank you... "

There was a part of him that would always love Luna; he wasn't about to up and deny they'd shared a lifetime together. Much less the daughter they shared who'd followed them into the next life. But that was just it. This -wasn't- the Moon Kingdom anymore. Maybe... maybe Luna'd been the first to realize it. Maybe that was why she left. Their life together, their love was in the past.

And this?

He leaned forward, licking his new queen lightly, almost playfully on the nose before resting his chin atop her head. A deep purr began echoing in his chest.

This was his future.  

[frayedflower]

Artemis' eyes drifted shut, a wave of contentment washing over him. No locked doors, no missing pages; everything was in place. As it should be.

He chuckled suddenly, nipping at one of her ears in a light, playful way. "Looks like we're spending the day laying around anyway, huh?, " he teased.

Fine by him. He couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be.  

[frayedflower]

((Sure! heart ... gah, real quick since I forgot to ask, just how much of a timejump should we do? XD Newborns, or up-and-walking-around already?))