I've Found What I'm Looking For

Chapter 2

Laying in bed that night, the old lion tossed and turned, not able to sleep even a wink.

He eventually landed on his back in the bed and only stretched his arms from side to side, looking up at the white arched ceiling above his big lion head.

It had sparkles on it that looked like stars in the night, and suddenly, in that moment, a memory hit hard.

~x~

"What are you doing, Ruby?" he had laughed as he came into the bedroom and saw his wife dotting paint of sparkling gold to the roof. She chuckled herself, climbing down from the ladder and looking at him with warm endeared eyes.

"I'm making our room more magical... more special."

"But why do we need that? We're so special already with each other."

She hummed a small laugh and shook her head as she climbed the ladder again, paintbrush in her hand and she continued with a soft gleam, "I just want to be able to see the stars as we lay in bed at night."

"Then we'll get a glass roof," He laughed back, teasing her in a sense, and walked over to the ladder, climbing up the other side and meeting her in the middle, "So we can see the moon too."

She looked into his eyes, and he into hers.

~x~

The memory jotted out of him instantly that second as he opened his eyes again and looked at the painted sparkling stars that had remained over all these years.

Stars... a star...

Like her...

Ash.

He gave a weak yawn and a heavy sigh, getting up that night and coming down the stairs to his living room.

He turned on the gas fireplace and sat on his large old armchair, watching the red and yellow flames whip against the air gently, the heat not affecting him at all.

At least, not from the inside.

It was still dark outside, must've been at least three or four in the morning. His veined sleepy blue eyes only kept staring ahead at the flames.

"What are you doing up?"

He tensed a little, almost feeling his own cheeks burn by the sudden sound of that familiar beautiful voice.

"I, um..." He grunted awkwardly, turning his chair around by its small wheels and seeing Ash standing there in her pajamas. He finally calmed himself down a bit and added, "Couldn't sleep."

"Of course," Ash went on, her voice kind but playful as she sat on the chair opposite him, "You are naturally nocturnal? Are you not?"

He smirked at her and gave a soft nod of his head.

"Yeah,"

She smiled back too and looked at the fire that whipped around the fireplace.

She didn't want to say the words, but looking at this exhausted sad old lion, she had to tell him what she saw.

"You need to get away from this place, Clay,"

He froze up the second she said this, and he glared at her, hurt.

"I just-" She went on quickly, afraid but being brave. She really did care for him, "I think being here by yourself is just not doing you any good."

He only stared right through her, a small growl forming in his throat.

"You're on her chair, Ash."

Ash perked up quickly the moment he said those words and glanced her eyes down at the big armrests and knew instinctively, who's chair she was on.