He'd had his eye on the female hailing from the swamps from the moment she joined. She was a gem that Yuan Gui would have for him self and he'd keep her from any other male. Yuan was greedy like that.
And so, from the moment this female joined he was always there to help her with what ever it was Kozo needed help with. More often than not the thing the female needed help with was navigating her way through the thick of the mists. This was not an uncommon problem for newer members. Yuan Gui was just far more attentive to Kozo's need.
The two were both hunters for the mists. Yuan more commonly was there to help Kozo take down the most impressive kill he could rig. To be fair though, Kozo was never a stranger to the hunt. She did just fine on her own with out Yuan Guis help.
Yuan Gui's 'over help' did not go unnoticed by Kozo. Frankly, the female was kind of smothered and annoyed by this point. Kozo was usually a very friendly lioness but she could get short tempered if Yuan Gui was constantly sticking his maw in to her business. One such day was where Yuan Gui had followed Kozo on her own personal hunt.
Kozo knew yet the lioness did not give warning that she knew.
Yuan Gui didn't know that Kozo knew he was tailing her so he kept it up.
After a very long time of having the male follow her did Kozo stop and look over her shoulder at the male. Her eyes were narrowed in to a glare of a gaze. She was not very happy at all. Kozo's maw was split in to a snarl and her brows dipped down in to a scowl.
Yuan Gui made a face and backed up in to the mists. It was possible, at least in his mind, that Kozo did not know that it was him tailing her. Possible, but not likely.
"Yuan Gui I know you're following me." Despite the face that Kozo wore, her voice was quite sweet. "Don't try to stay hidden. You insult my intelligence if you try that. I can see your outline. I am no longer a stranger to the mists."
The male was silent at first unsure if he should say something or move forward out of the mists. His ears went back in thought. Maybe it was the scowl that Kozo wore that blocked his brain from actually making a decision. Yuan Gui finally made a few steps forward despite this as if his body was on auto pilot. Well, s**t, now that it was out that it had been him following her she would be more mad he was sure of.
But Kozo didn't say anything hurtful or yell at him. She didn't have to with a scowl as angry as the one she wore. Yuan Gui wanted to back up in to the mists and run for it.
"Do you not have anything to say for your self? You've been keeping an eye on me since I've joined. Are you afraid I will end up being bad news or something?" Kozo's expression changed to hurt.
Well at least she didn't figure the real reason. Yuan Gui couldn't help but feel a wash of relief over him.
"Oh? Oh! Uh. No." Yuan Guis mouth worked again. Oh goody. "Actually... Quite the opposite. I think you're wonderful." Hopefully that confession didn't come out to dorky. Yuan Gui was out of practice with females and had never taken a female as a mate. This was awkward as it got. "I actually .. Really like you a lot. I really do."
Well all of this had been news to the swamp lioness. Her eyes widened. Kozo was no stranger to love and had even settled down in the mists with some one she thought would be her mate for ever. It hadn't lasted though as Kozo had proven unfaithful and mated with another male. Though she had no feelings for this male, the female could not forgive her self and deemed her self unworthy as a mate.
"Are you.. Why?" Kozo's eyes were still wide. She'd not been the nicest to Yuan Gui. To be fair though the male was often pestering her.
"I don't know. I just .. Really like you. You're the most beautiful lioness I've ever laid eyes upon." He took a step forward and Kozo took a step back.
"Do you know what you're saying? Why are you. You.." She felt numb and nothingness inside of her self. These words were hollow. She felt nothing for Yuan Gui like she had in the past with other males.
"I want you to be mine. Usually I take what I want but... Kozo... I really would just love it if you agreed to be my mine." Yuan Gui shook his head, "Sorry that came out awkward. I mean.. If I am not what you want I'm sorry. I'll harbor these feelings still but... I can leave you alone if that is what you want. I want you. I feel you're lonely here. I'm here to have a new start too. My past isn't exactly perfect but here I feel it can be and it really can be if I was to start a family with a lioness like your self." Ah, that was a long shot. "Guess what I'm saying is would you want to have a future with a lion like me? I know I'd trade all the shiny jewels in the world for a lioness as wonderful as you."
Was that really him saying all of this? Yuan Gui felt his man points go down quite a bit. This was stupid.
"Well that's creepy." Kozo frowned. "You don't know me that well. We've never sat down and talked until now and you're confessing your love to me? Thats so."
Kozo laughed. She laughed so hard she was on her side. For several long moments Yuan Gui watched as the lioness rolled with laughter.
"You can't be serious. This is one of your jokes right? Yuan Gui confessing his love. That's rich." Kozo took a breath.
"....No." Yuan Gui hung his head. "I .. I really mean all of it." Ahhh this was stupid. Why was he being like this.
"..." Kozo's maw just hung open. "Why?"
"I can't help how I feel but..." He sighed. "When I first saw you. When I first laid eyes on you I saw some one damaged and I wanted to take that damaged lioness and make her whole again. "
Kozo rolled to her feet and got up. The lioness marched over to the male and looked him square in the eye. She really needed to know if this was true. If Yuan Gui was telling the truth the lioness wasn't sure what she'd do. Pink eyes looked deeply in to Yuan Guis.
As far as she could tell he checked out.
"Yuan Gui.... I can't say I feel anything for you. I appreciate that you feel something for me but I don't know you. You're a bit of a shyster from what I've seen so how do I know that you really mean it?" Kozo's head lowered. "I've had a mate in the past. I had to let him go because I loved him and didn't want to hurt him."
Yuan Gui took a step closer til he was towering Kozo.
"Let me show you how. Kozo. Let me show you."
Kozo's glared upward but there was a weakness in all of this talk and revisiting of her past that kept her standing there like a lamb. Some sort of deep past desire made Kozo nuzzle up to Yuan Gui face first in to his mane. It felt safe for some reason.
"This is stupid. Your stupid Yuan Gui." But she stood there with her face buried in his mane. All the thief misty could do was smile.
"I know. " He had won. Maybe not all the way but Yuan would win. Something of greed slithered under his skin when Kozo was so close. A voice in his head screamed victory and paranoia all at the same time. She was his, or would be soon and he'd keep her safe. Yuan Gui would fight off even her past mate if he was to keep her.
But this moment. It was sweet. Just for this moment with the two standing together he wished it to last for ever.
And then Kozo backed up.
"I like should go." The lioness turned heel towards the dens. Yuan Gui stood there and watched. What had happened again?
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