Bad Weather, Good Company

The warmth of his den was intensified by her entry. Whether that was physically possible he was not quite sure, but by any means he felt warmer as she entered. Slipping into the confines of his inner sanctum, he watched her curl much like he had and relish in the warmth and dryness. Already he could feel his fur transitioning from dripping water to merely damp. She would offer up a compliment, her words smooth and gentle, and praising nonetheless. Had there been more light it might have looked like he'd blushed. In all truth he'd never imagined bringing anyone into his den before now, particularly not a female. However, he was glad to be able to share it with someone - and more pleased to share it with her. "Why thank you," She would comment further, and a smile lingered on his lips. "I hate to brag but I happen to be very good at finding suitable real estate. I know every inch of this land, and I even have dens farther out for when I get caught in a storm while patrolling or hunting." He wasn't exaggerating when he said he knew every inch of this land, gods knew he spent enough time patrolling it. It was a small wonder he'd ever even chosen this den to begin with, there were certainly larger ones, and even smaller ones closer to water features, or closer to good hunting grounds. Still, above all of them, this one stood out the most.

As a silence overtook them, she took it upon herself to break it and spoke up, thanking him once more. "Anytime, I consider you a great.. friend, Ashtoreth, and I'm honored to have you here." He had stumbled over the word friend ever so slightly, and an ear flicked back in alarm - wondering if she would catch his fumbling over words. At times, he had considered them more than friends, but he almost felt certain that she did not think of them as anything but friends. It was his most intimate of turmoils, and one that he wasn't sure he'd ever fully get rid of. He needed to distract her from his last statement, but he would need a question that she really had to think about, or at least think about long enough to forget what he'd said. "It must be the rainy season in this part of the continent.. I can't remember the last time I've seen such a downpour." Had he really just mentioned the weather in a normal conversation? Now she was certain to notice his awkwardness. Leon's other ear flicked back momentarily, before he forced both audits forward in attempt to keep her unaware of his state of mind. Why was he so nervous, anyway? He'd been in close quarters with her before, for several days, in fact. But this just seemed so much more... intimate.

"speeeeech"