Ari snickered at Eric's responses. This was his brother, and he knew him too well in some respects. However, Eric had always made Ari feel he had to prove to him that he really cared. Eric's insecurities begged Arioch for reassurance, which he was happy to give. He let the younger lion pull him up and ignored the jab. "We can do whatever you want, sweetheart."
Suddenly, in the quiet and safety of his wagon, Arioch started to cry. He scarcely dared believe this was real, that he had really heard those words coming from his brother's mouth with such power. He sniffled when he tried to answer. "Love you so much. Missed you so damn much." His voice broke and he hid his face in the crook of Eric's neck. He had been moved and overwhelmed to tears when he first found Eric, but he hadn't ever felt safe enough that he could really let go of all his ancient grief for his brother. Tears of sadness mixed with tears of joy.