Asha blinked. he hadn't been bored he had been..content. "I..I wasn't bored..I like the quite. silence is safe.." or so he'd learned anyways. Silence was. safe. "But I suppose we can go back if you want." maybe he was boring the other?

Gage smiled, the expression a little thin. He only assumed he bored Asha because he had little to offer right now. He was often a boring person when not playing music. He didn't have a life, or friends, or any real social skills. He stretched out his back, then nodded his head. "We should probably go anyway. It's getting late and I'm sure you have things to do tomorrow." A reason to wake up earlier than Gage had to with his pathetic and mostly nocturnal life. "I'll call you soon though," he amended as if that concession counted for more than it was worth. It was something though.

Asha felt his heart jump at the added 'I'll call you though' "I'd like that. Next time I'll bring my violin.. i can carry it in a ruck sack in my mouth when i shift forms." he moved forward and offered his arm nudging the other's arm with it as he waited to see if the other'd let him lead the way back that they'd come. he was trying for human forms so it'd take a while.

After a second, Gage lightly gripped Asha's arm above the wrist to let him take the lead. It was a hesitant gesture, but the first real show of trust. He was starting to feel easy even without realizing it. "Alright, that sounds good. I wish I could bring things with me when I fly, but a bat can't carry much more than a small piece of fruit." He supposed he could travel in human form but due to his blindness, it was always just so much more comfortable as a bat for both him and his family. That way, he didn't have to rely on anyone. "Do you want to walk the whole way back?"

"Naw just a bit, then we can shift forms. I feel more alive and safer in my feline form even though Large cats like me aren't around here that much.." but given his past..his feline form was a protective reaction. it gave him more of a fighting power then his human form. not that it had ever helped fully. "And besides ether form i think you look cute.." he froze when he realized what he'd said and went red. once again thankful the other couldn't see the blush.. 'STUPID don't go saying stuff like that..' Coughing a bit he started back along the path. after about a block of distance he stopped and shifted the other so he could feel a tree. "We should probably change back. that way we're less conspicuous..

Gage would think no matter what it would feel safer to be a large cat. Humans might fear them, but that was because big cats were dangerous. If not for his own unique circumstances, he wouldn't feel safer as a bat. It was such a delicate little thing, and funny enough, something that humans feared for no reason at all. But then, it might be a shifter thing. All his family enjoyed their animal form in a way that being human just couldn't achieve. Gage froze at Asha's next words, a baffled expression crossing his face as he tried to work through those individual words and make sense of them. A second later, a flush washed over his face and all the way down to his neck. "You really think so?" he asked. After the seconds of silence, it was unclear whether he responded to being called cute or Asha's comment that they should change forms.

Asha glanced back at the other. a small smile flickering across his lips. "Yes I do think your cute no matter what form your in. and I'm not talking just physically ether you..make me feel safe. something I haven't felt in a long long time." and the other made him feel free to.

Gage ducked his head, feeling heat rush to his face and make him feel dizzy with it. The quickened beat of his heart overwhelmed his ears for a second, leaving him awkward and completely in the dark even with Asha leading him. Not liking the feeling, he pulled away for a second and shook his head, wanting to clear it, but unintentionally looking like he dismissed Asha's words. "I shouldn't be the sort of person who makes you feel safe," he murmured. "Let's just change forms and hurry back."

Asha wanted to argue, but instead held his tongue. "A.alright." he murmured as he moved a bit away giving the other some privacy to do as he wanted. he crouched down so he had less of an area to fall and then began to shift back. bones popping as muscles rearranged and his skin split open as fur seemed to spill out from inside of him quickly covering his body as he shifted forms.

Gage simply turned his head toward the sky, finding a nearby tree trunk with his hand. He felt the rough wood and stepped closer to it as he shifted, not bothering to make anything easier for his bat form. The bat fell from his human height before catching itself on the tree's rough bark. Seconds later, it crawled its way up farther to let go and take flight. Sounding off a series of squeaks, he got a solid view of forest, then circled above Asha to show he was ready to continue their journey. Maybe this was running, but he reveled in the chance not to speak. That way, neither of them could say anything that would embarrass the other.

Asha gave a feline huff of amusement as his ears fallowed the little noises Gage made and then he was off, relishing the speed that this form could get up to, the fact that the forest was suddenly lined with paths marked by scents, like strings he just had to pull to find the stories behind. he was almost saddened when they reached the area they had met up on.

As they reached the area they met up at, Gage dropped down to squeak a little good bye to Asha. He didn't want to spend the effort to change forms for words, then switch back so he just fluttered around the panthers head for a bit before he felt he'd said farewell enough. Then he turned toward home, finding the path with the ease of many nights flown. The bedroom window still lay open a crack and he slipped inside, dropping into human form just as the bat passed through the window, letting him drop softly to the floor. The familiar scents of his room encased him and he just sat for a second, taking them in. Finally, he slipped into his pajamas and went to bed, thinking that he really would give Asha a call the next day.

Asha watched the little bat flutter off as he climbed the tree he'd left his bag in before dropping back down to the earth and setting it aside as he shifted to a human form and redressed, tugging the bag onto his shoulders he began to make his way back to the little apartment he owned. a block away he caught an all to familiar scent and slowed. stomach knotting up. 'no..no he couldn't of found me..' reaching the end of the side walk that lead up to the porch to his place he stood there frozen. stomach a twisted knot of painful emotions as he stared at the reason he'd run from home in the first place.

Zaire had yet to move from his spot on Asha's stoop. People came and went, but the other thing that changed was the strength with which he clenched his jaw and manic stutter of his foot against the concrete. The jitter looked mad, unstoppable, perhaps enough to shake him from his stair. All of a sudden, the jitter stopped. Zaire looked up, finding Asha's gaze almost as if pulled to him, seeming to sense the other's presence even before he was close enough to see or hear. "Asha," he breathed out, voice tense and harsh because of his still clenched facial muscles. The scowl had yet to fade, but now there was a sharpness to his gaze as he stared down the boy he once called his. "I was waiting for you."

Asha flinched as if struck and backed up a step. eye's dropping instantly to the ground in an unconscious submissive action. "H..h.how d..d..did you f..f..find me.." his voice shook as he swallowed then belatedly remembered the fact he was playing in the town's orchestra. of course the other'd find him. he knew asha loved music.. 'stupid..' he should of become a clerk or something..but he hadn't thought..

Something like a smile flitted over Zaire's face, drawing light to the faint scar running down his left cheek and a matching one down across his collarbone, easily seen with the partly unbuttoned black shirt he wore. It was something that made most people shiver despite having an otherwise soft looking and charming face. He stood, taking a step toward Asha. "I know I pushed you away like I did, but I've thought about it," he murmured. "I miss you and I want you back. Weren't we great? I just...overreacted because you're..." He faltered over his words for a second, eyes casting away for the first time. "...because of what you are." His fists clenched at his side, reminding the other by of the anger over this the last time they parted.

Asha swallowed. hard. throat suddenly dry as he fought not to bolt. His heart doing what felt like flipflops in h is chest as he swallowed again trying to get his fear under control. "I.." how was he supposed to respond to that. and it didn't help that he still had feelings for the man. he shouldn't but he did. he tried to ignore them. and remember the terror he'd felt every time he'd angered the other after he found out asha was a shifter. "H..How d..d..did you find me?" he asked. voice sounding weak to his own ears. his eye's wary as he kept a good amount of distance between them. the last thing he wanted was the other being able to get a hold of him.

"Why do you keep asking that!" Zaire yelled, voice rising only for an instant before he forced his fists to un-clench. A smile flitted over his face again, but this time far too tense to believe. He was trying though, trying to be reasonable when all he wanted to do was capture Asha in his arms and steal him away. "...You weren't hard to find. You forget, I know almost everything about you. I even know where you would go if you ran away, and what you would run away too." Music. He remembered loving the violin that Asha played in a simpler time when they were both human and happy. Zaire just realized he hated being alone more than he hated the inhuman half of Asha. "Doesn't that count for something...?"

Asha swallowed, his heart constricting. of course the other knew what he'd run away to. how many hours had he played the violin for the other. if he'd only kept his other half secret perhaps they'd still be together. things might still be perfect between them but he hadn't. and even though as a shifter he could heal a lot of damage.. it didn't mean the pain went away faster. no that stayed. in phantom aches. 'stop it, you know he's possessive, even if he didn't like your other half he'd of fallowed you because YOU left him. he didn't leave you.' he mentally snapped at himself. it didn't help. he could still remember the happy times. he could remember standing in their living room and playing his violin, all but gone inside of the music as the other listened. he hadn't ever wanted to be a 'star' ..he'd been happy and content just playing his music.

Zaire stepped closer, a faint frown playing across his face. He wanted to closer the distance between them both physically and emotionally, and a number of yards still sat between them. In a hopeless sort of gesture, he lifted a hand, almost reaching toward Asha with a weak, hurt sort of gaze. It was the look of a desperate and needing man. "You're not saying anything," he whispered. "Are you telling me that you've forgotten what we had? Have you forgotten me?" The anger twisted back into his voice. "If you have, just tell me! Damn it, Asha. Do you want me to just look like a fool confessing my love on your porch as you just stare!!"

Asha flinched, shoulder's hunching. "N..n.no I..I don't I just.. Don't know what to say. I left to make things easier..so you could find someone NORMAL.." the words hurt. cut his throat up or at least felt like it. wasn't that one of the other's main complaints. that he wasn't NORMAL wasn't human so how could he understand? and what about Gage. asha had.. feelings for the little bat shifter. he couldn't just turn his back on those. and with gage there was no fear. just. safety.

Zaire's face twisted as he brought a hand up, running his finger along the scar there like the next second he might dig his nail in and rip the scar open again. It was a harsh reminder. "Normal?" He laughed. He did vaguely remember saying something of the sort to Asha. It was perhaps his 'normalness' that drew Zaire to him in the first place. Not being normal hurt. It brought back memories and nightmares that left him sweating and crying out at night. Listening to Asha's music made him forget that. And then, he found out his safe haven wasn't even human. It awakened something horrid in him along with all the anger he'd tried to bury. It was the desire to hurt others like he'd been hurt. Zaire dropped his hand, gaze finding Asha's again with hard eyes. "You should know I can't find a new person easily."

Asha flinched again eye's closing for a second as he swallowed. He'd of taken this inside, but the threat of the other's anger..made that an unwise action. "W..what do you want me to say. that I can forgive what you did. how terrified you made me feel when you became enraged?" his hands twitched. the urge to find h is violin burned through him. the need to put music to his emotions was strong.
it was how he dealt with his emotions. muted them so he could think instead of just act.

Zaire bit his lips, hard enough to draw a bead of blood. He sucked it in before speaking. "I'm sorry for it. Won't you give me another chance?!" he snapped, not quite able to keep his voice under control. He was going to draw the eyes of the neighbors at this rate, but the rational side of his brain refused to see that or that he was ruining the chance he was trying to gain from Asha. He'd been past reason for a long time though, perhaps all his life. "I-if you don't, I don't know what I will do..."

Asha saw one of the neighbors looking out of their windows at the raised voice and forced himself forward. even though he did a wide step around the other before going up the steps fast. reaching the door he undid the lock his hands shaking hard enough it took him a couple of moments to get the key into the lock. the rational part of his mind screamed not to let the man into his home. but he didn't need the neighbors talking. and what if the other lost it all together? how on earth would he explain that to the cops? swallowing hard he stepped into the house hands shaking as he left room for the other to enter. though it was clearly unwanted. he would just rather not have this displayed for gossipy neighbors.