Starling fidgetted as he sat beneath the brilliant red, his eyes scanning the distance before dropping back to his paws. He was waiting, waiting rather impatiently and anxiously, but he was waiting. He had sent his new friend off to find Cathaoir a while ago, asking his larger friend to meet him here....if he could. Starling missed him wholely, deeply, like he had never really missed anyone before. He knew lonliness, and he knew longing, his time in Sonticus had taught him what it felt to be without his family and friends for an extended period of time. He knew the feeling, and he was rather good at handling it, but there was something deep about this. Something he couldn't place. He wanted to spend every day exploring with his friend, wanted to help him through all his woes and feel the lightness he always felt when around him. Even when things were rough, or he was hanging onto a cliff for dear life, his time with Cath was always...perfect. With a heavy sigh he'd look back at the ground, staring at a rather interesting blade of grass. He was going crazy, he just knew it. It was lonliness, that's what it was. Ever since the meeting he and Lillianna have been...weird, his siblings were all so busy too (not that he wasn't). He barely spent time with Aunt Harmony, not as much as he would like. Bass was busy too, and his mother had just had her children. With a sigh he'd hang his head slightly, shifting on his paws yet again. He had never felt such longing for companionship before. Ever since he had seen his first spring, smelt his first flower he was always been...busy. He had never really needed companionship, never needed anyone really. But this...was different. Again, his eyes would lift, wide and searching for any sign of his friend before dropping back to the ground. Oh...what was wrong with him. "Burn Baby Burn" || "Bruciare Bambino Bruciare"

He had been half way to the North by the time Stella had found him, the starling telling him about Star wanting to meet him. Ah, so they had a homing pigeon to send their messages now, did they? He smirked slightly at the thought, allowing the bird to perch on his back as he made his way towards the meeting place that the brown and white boy had chosen. The grey boy's steps were slow, even at the nagging of the bird behind him. Huffing he shook himself, sending the bird off. She chirped at him before taking off, and he just watched her fly off. He would find his own way there, in his own time. Cathaoir's steps were hesitant for a damn good reason. The last time they had met he had been plagued with his emotions, the thrill of the many birds had drilled into his head too much. His demons had been allowed to take him over, which was something that he had never shown to anyone outside of his family. He understood now why his mother kept herself hidden under layer after layer of masks, casting out all other emotions as she played into her game. It had torn him apart when he left Starling that day, truly thinking that his friend would never want to see him again. He had shown his less favorable side, something that he was so afraid would chase the yearling away. How did Starling not think that he was totally insane? He had become feral, like some dog who had not been raised up among others. He snapped and barked instead of talking, and when he did it was way more broken and... basic. Cath knew that he was better than that, but did Starling? Was the boy able to see through his dark side and to his better half? He wasn't all bad, and wasn't usually controlled by his disability. He didn't let his emotions rule him... at least not usually. His dark tipped ears pulled against his skull as he swallowed hard, trying to dissolve the lump that tried to form in his throat. Maybe that is why Starling was calling him here today, to tell him that he couldn't see him anymore. Cathaoir honestly didn't blame him, he was dangerous. Unpredictable. Who wanted to be around that? He entered the young forest, the leaves already changing colour on the shorter trees. Weaving his way through the trunks, he allowed his flanks to brush up against their roughness. He took their steady presence as a comfort and encouragement, this whole forest pushing him on. If a forest could grow out of the ruined ashes of their fallen fathers, surly he could face Starling, even if it tore him apart. He didn't want to say good bye, or lose him in any way. In such a short time the yearling had become his closest friend, and it would drive him into his own darkness to be pushed away from him now. Shaking his head and closing his minty eyes for a moment, he paused to collect his breath. Counting to ten a few times he opened those stunning eyes, a heavy sigh lifting his chest. He couldn't delay himself any longer, at this point Starling would have been able to smell him, because he could sure scent him. His sweet, earthy scent wrapped towards him and dragged him along its path, pulling him closer to his friend. As he wrapped his way around the trunk he saw Starling standing there, looking at the ground. Cathaoir couldn't help but let out a soft gasp, even now the boy took his breath away in some odd manner. That mottled brown and white coat almost blended into the forest, as his eyes traced the curve of his spine and the dip of his chin. Heart hammering in his chest, he cleared his throat as he took a few more steps towards him. His face remained like stone, usual stoic look on his features. But inside he was afraid, so afraid that Starling would look up at him with those big blue eyes and dismiss him from his life forever. Shifting his weight, his ears remained pulled back, nostrils flaring as he drank in his scent like he was parched. He would always remember this boy, no matter what happened. "Talk" "You" Think

Starling would wait, patiently and impatiently at the same time, his shoulder leaning against the bark of one of the taller red trees as time wore on. He had never really stood in one place for so long, and if he were anything like his normal self, he would have busied himself with gathering herbs while he waited. But something had changed, something important. Instead he just fidgetted, shifting his weight from one paw to the other and staring down at the ground. Ears would swivel this way and that. He was anxious, nervous..afraid, but not in a fearful way. It was an odd mix, something he couldn't understand. He remembered the wild look in his friend's eyes, remembered his anger and the feral way he looked. But all that that had planted in him was the desire to help. There was no fear of this creature he had seen, except for the unknown. Cathaoir was Cathaoir, no matter how he handled his stress and his fear. But now, he fidgetted, clenched and unclenched his jaw before...oh. He head would slowly lift, blue eyes wide as he finally caught on to the scent that swirled around him, wrapped him in it's embrace. But there he was, right there, in the flesh...so close. With wide eyes he would stare up at him, but there was no fear...no longer, no. Anxiety washed away, leaving him open, oddly and perfectly vulnerable. His lips would slowly tilt into a shy smile as he lowered his head just a little at his friend's look. There was something on his mind, but when wasn't there. "Mi sei mancato." He whispered in the only language that gave him strength. His voice was soft, nearly a whisper as he stood fully on his paws and took a step forward. There was no sign of the boy he had seen in the Estuary, all there was was Cathaoir, and he couldn't help the heat that spread through his chest. The odd tingle that chased down his limbs as he took a few steps towards him before pausing. "I-I'm glad...St-tella f-found you." He whispered softly, not surprised at all that he didn't see the bird hanging around. Stella was her own type of companion, she generally didn't hang around and when she did she was just there for a ride. Luckily, he treated her well enough that she would do some things for him, but it wasn't entirely likely. But none of that mattered, no, his thoughts weren't even on his oddly feathered friend. He just smiled up at Cathaoir, expression open and heart racing in a familiare, comforting way. He'd shift his gaze down to his paws then, shifting slightly. "I h-hope you w-weren't b-busy..." He said softly, staring at his paws quite intently. He was shy, still, but oh..how he wanted to step into Cathaoir's warmth...it was almost an addiction now. He craved it, like he had never craved anything in his life. But he refrained, it wasn't something he should do..he knew that, and yet... "Burn Baby Burn" || "Bruciare Bambino Bruciare"

If looks could speak words, those big blue eyes would tell him epic stories. Like the one that Starling shared while he slept beside his friend, shortly after saving his life. Those sparkling eyes, he felt like he could just swim in them. Shuffling his weight from limb to limb, he searched that gaze for anything that may tell him of the fear that Starling felt towards him, but there was nothing. No hatred, nothing that told him that the brown and white boy was afraid of him. His head hung a tad bit lower in relief, his ears pulling forward as the Italian words dripped like honey from his lips. Head tilted ever so slightly, a need to understand that language growing deep within his belly. He didn't know what this was, why he felt so attached to... well pretty much a stranger. This would be their third meeting, but he already felt like he was his closest friend. But how? Cathaoir didn't understand these strong emotions, they made him uncomfortable, and he had no name for them. No explanation for his reaction to this yearling, not yet. Love was not in his vocabulary, nor did he fully understand the emotion. It scared him. It felt similar to what he felt towards his parents and his siblings, but oh so different. Clearing his throat he tried to focus on Starling, but he too found that his gaze faltered and he looked towards his left. It wasn't long before Star spoke again, in words that he understood this time. They were not words of dismissal or hate, of regret or goodbyes. No, just his kind sediments that he was glad his bird could find him, and hoping that he had not been busy. Cath's gaze grazed over his face, splendid blue eyes oh so wide. Cathaoir could write stories on the colours of those eyes. "No. Just... exploring." he rumbled in his deep baritone. Minty eyes picked up every subtle movement from his friend, and he could see him shifting around as he looked at his paws. He had taken a few steps forward but had hesitated, and Cathaoir rumbled out a laugh. Closing the distant between them he brushed his taller chest against his darker one, his neck lowering further to wrap around Star's. "Hi." he muttered. "Talk" "You" Think

Starling fidgetted...again. He almost wanted to clear his throat at the silence. It was awkward, it was always awkward with their hesitance, but all it took was one of them to smile, one of them to move and it would all feel perfect again. There was something oddly bittersweet about the way his heart raced and his chest tightened. Was this friendship? If so, all his other friendships paled in comparison to this. He'd smile softly, tilting his head in such a way that he could glance at Cathaoir's face. Exploring. Cathaoir had said he wanted to see the world around them. He was the perfect travelling companion. "I'm glad." He whispered softly, looking down again. And then...He'd blink as paws that weren't his own came into view, and he'd lift his head quickly just as Cathaoir stepped into his space. He nearly staggered as their chests connected, and suddenly..he was flooded. Warmth spread through him like wildfire, his eyes growing wide at the sensation before slowly falling half lidded as he embraced him. A small smile would slowly spread across his lips as he raised a paw to wrap around Cathaoir's leg, tilting his head to rest his cheek against him. "H-Hi." He said with a soft laugh, his smile growing even wider as his eyes closed. He felt himself become consumed. His lungs filled with that glorious scent, his heart danced in a beat that only belonged to Cathaoir, this man. Everything felt right in a time that felt very...crazy. His spinning head, his flurry of emotions calmed to a simmer as he felt Cathaoir's warth, his fur, his touch...his embrace. Perfection. "I-I've missed you..." He whispered, finally strong enough to admit it to the boy in a language he could understand. "E-everything's b-been s-so insane..." He whispered softly, relaxing considereably in Cathaoir's touch. "Burn Baby Burn" || "Bruciare Bambino Bruciare"