[PRP] Space Between (Kureiji x Vassago) FIN

[Dame NightFury]

Vassago lounged on the most perfect spot to watch the members of L1 Colony go about their business. He should probably seek out Father or Mother to see what they needed doing and if he could help. Or maybe one of sisters, if they needed help, teasing, pleasing. But instead he allowed himself this lazy moment to watch other females going about to and fro.

Vassago, though he didn't know it, was trying into quite the loveable rake. He loved females of all species, ranks, ages. They were his small happiness that got him through whatever was giving him a hard time. He loved teasing and picking on many of them kind heartedly, of course, only to bring them a pretty something like a flower or rock that would please them and maybe get a nuzzle or more out of the act.

He was a lover, and had proved to be quite an ordinary fighter, as Emiko and Haziel would atest to. So lover he was, and lover he'd be. Lover, tender, protector sometimes if absolutely necessary, and provider. That was Sago's new found role. Well new found in a way.

While he was more to his sisters than to the women he admired now, Emiko being combination of the two, Vassago didn't really know how to deal with males very well at all.  

[Mogami]

Kureiji had grown from a playful cub into an adolescent who often closed himself off against the world. Most of the time he was slowly building up a good amount of inner tension that he released on his little escapades with a strenuous run or hunting but the young lion was always ready for a fight, always ready to be betrayed and almost waiting to see the dark side of everyone around him. Thanks to the war that had dragged through his cubhood, Eiji was level-headed but never trusting.

His family was the exception and when Kureiji saw his brother – who was without a doubt appraising the female population as usual – the dark-eyed lion made his way towards Vassalo. He honestly didn’t know how to act around his brother, who had disappeared from his life when they were cubs only to return a lot bigger with a light brown mane. He looked somewhat darker now as well, probably because his black legs had grown considerably and overall it was hard to see this near stranger as the little cub he used to spar with. Still, they were family and that meant something to Eiji.

“Hey, Vassago.” The dark-eyed adolescent called out before sitting down next to the other lion. Eiji gave him a look that said he already knew the answer to the question he was about to make. “What are you doing?”
 

[Dame NightFury]

Sago flashed a smile as his brother joined him. Though the war had guaranteed their serpeation and differences, Sago truly enjoyed the time spent with Eiji. Granted, Eiji seemed to think Vassago's past time of admiring the fairer sex to be ... well, too time consuming in a way since he did it as often as he could.

But it was in Sago's mind that it was the small things that made a being happy, and admiring their movements, voices, smells was truly a small thing. Like admiring a field of flowers. So of course the answer was, "Admiring the fairer sex and choosing which to tease into a comfortable situation. And you, Eiji? What brings you here?"

Vassago's favorite tease wasn't in the area, so his so called hunting continued as he divided his attention between the lovelies in the distance and his brother.  

[Mogami]

Eiji sighed at the answer he received, expected as it had been. One would think his brother had been taken to a secluded location with no females from the way he acted. It seemed he was always trying to make up for lost time or something.

"Honestly, don't admit that so proudly." he said in a tone that he tried to make stern but the little amused smirk trembling in the corners of his mouth ruined the attempt at seriousness. He liked that his brother had called him by his nickname which showed a certain amount of closeness between them. It felt nice to hear it from his family members. Eiji lifted a paw to push his brother but he never made the move and it just dangled in the air for a few moments before he placed it on the ground again.

"Not that." he finally answered the question. "So... anyone especially interesting caught your eye?" Kureiji wasn't above showing interest in females regardless of what he said regarding his brother's excesses on the matter.  

[Dame NightFury]

Sago smiled as he lightly shook his head. He couldn't help it if the females caught his attention so often. Besides, who was he to ignore them when they so longingly wanted to be noticed. It wasn't like he was harming them or even lying to them. He told the the truth. It was the least he could do to show them his appreciation. And he normally did far more than the least.

"None of my favorite teases are about, and there doesn't seem to be anyone new in market, so I'm still hunting, I guess you could say. Hunting for fair, admirable, teases. maybe someone who will tease back just a bit." Vassago didn't say it but he thought about Emiko, Haziel and even Mother. Someone that would see him and have fun playing the teasing game. Granted he didn't want to take the teasing game beyond the first level or two with his sisters and mother, but still someone of interest as Eiji had suggested.

His attention having been split between the market and Eiji evenly before, but with the realization that the market held less females of teasing interest than he orignially thought, Sago focused more than half his attention on Eiji. He looked relaxed and that made Vassago smile. "Any suggestions for a good 'prowling' area?"  

[Mogami]

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Eiji asked with a wicked grin when his brother seemed to be paying him more attention. “What’s point of having you around if you can’t even get that kind of simple information?”

He took a deep breath, allowing himself to accept the calm that came with spending time with his family members. It was something that somehow comforted his soul.

“What do you mean by that? Favorite teases?” Eiji backtracked, raising one brow. “I hope you haven’t been stalking the girls. I might have to bail your purple butt out if an angry father comes looking for you.” He chuckled, thinking that perhaps that was scenario he should brace himself for in the near future though as far as Eiji could tell, Sago’s affections were never considered unwelcomed by the female population. He gave a mental sigh, dark eyes lighting up with humor.  

[Dame NightFury]

Vassago couldn't help the deep laugh that erupted from him, drawing some of the closer market goers' attention to him and his brother. And a few of the females' attention stayed with them. Eiji might not notice or care to notice, but he held their attention as well. Maybe not as much or often as Sago. Sago noticed though, and smiled as some of the teases flickered their attention between the two brothers and whatever they were doing at market. "The point, Eiji, is probably that I am useless for any information but how to tease a female and yet make her happy at the same time. And be happy as she teases you in return." Sago smile grew and his good nature ribbing at himself, though partially true, was not a negative in his eyes at all.

"My favorite teases are the females that don't get too attach to the act of flirt, tease, and sometimes more than that. They see the teasing as a game as much as I do and they don't expect more. I avoid the ones that want more, with a few exceptions. But they're not down in the market either."

Sago gestured to the females still watching them. "See those ladies there? They're attention ever wondering back to us? They eyes jumping from you to me to whatever they are suppose to be doing? They would be the ones to get too attached and, eventually, they're the ones that turn to stalking and it might not be me they would stalk. It might be a female friend or one of our sisters because the attention they crave and believe to belong to them is not on them. That's where the trouble lies."  

[Mogami]

“You are absolutely incorrigible.” Eiji said with a dramatic sigh but the way he said made it sound almost like a compliment. Eiji had seen a few female heads turning in his direction but he only truly noticed them when Sago made their attentions so very obvious. This was not a situation he was terribly familiar with and he met their eyes with a mix of conceit and embarrassment while his ears swiveled to the side, listening attentively to his brother’s words.

“Don’t you want someone more… permanent?” he asked a little more seriously, dark eyes slowly turning to look at Sago’s light expression. “Someone who might actually be worth the trouble?”  

[Dame NightFury]

Sago smiled and nudged Eiji. "Why thank you. I take that as the highest form of compliment from you." Sago laughed. "Incorrigible." Sago wondered what corrigible was verus incorrigible. Not that it was important, but he had to think of something since the favored females were not here to occupy his thoughts.

He closed his eyes and soaked up Eiji's presence and the sun and warmth. Someone more permanent? Sago really thought about that. For about five seconds before he knew his answer. "No, not really. The only people that I want permanently in my life are you all. The family. Our family. They're the ones that are important to me. You all are worth all the trouble in the world, including war." Sago confessed leaning slightly toward his brother. After all, Sago loved touching, and it was a great way to remind himself that he wasn't the only important person around. Especially when with his family. They deserved all the touching, hugging, snuggling he could give them.

Sago just wasn't sure if Eiji enjoyed it, so he stopped leaning towards him before he touched Eiji.  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

Eiji sighed, wondering if his brother would ever grow up but knowing he would be probably regret it if he did. He wasn’t much for physical contact – in most case, the adolescent would actually avoid it – but he knew his brother’s habits well. He could tell Sago had stopped right before touching him, probably considering Eiji’s feeling on the matter and he was as touched by that gesture as he was by Sago’s words even if he didn’t like to show it.

“You’re an idiot.” He said with what was obviously mock indifference, leaning to the side to meet his brother’s touch briefly with a quick bump. He was avoiding Sago’s gaze this time, slightly embarrassed by the way the conversation had turned to the bond between the two brothers and their family. It didn’t mean that he didn’t feel the same way but it was very unlikely that Eiji would very say those same words aloud.

The pale lion stood up and shook all those... feelings from the surface before he turned to look at Sago again.

“I’m gonna go check on mom.” He said with a slight twinkle in his dark eyes that implied that he’d had his share of all this touchy feely stuff. Not great resistance to it seemed though in all fairness, few were close enough to Eiji have this effect on the young lion.  

[Dame NightFury]

Mogami

fin?

Sago bit back his smile when Eiji leaned into him for that split second, forgetting, or just selective hearing Eiji's idiot comment, Not that he would have taken it to heart. Sometimes he was. Sometimes it was even on purpose. They were two very different brothers, like night and day. Eiji being day in Sago's mind. But that slight touch was more than enough to confirm several things in Vassago's mind. Eiji. Their affection. And reality. It was odd, even to him, but Sago needed touch to confirm that others were real. Important and real. That slight touch did that and more.

The purple lion stayed were he was, closing his eyes again when his brother stood. "Give her a lick on the cheek for me. And Haziel. And Emiko. And the others." He really did love his family. Especially his sisters. And Eiji. Who was he kidding? Sago loved them all.

He sighed knowing that the other females might actually decide to approach when Eiji left. They were less initiating by themselves. Vassago just couldn't decide if he was inspired enough to get up and move at the moment. Or if he should just "fall asleep" and ignore them. "I'll see you later, Eiji."  

[Mogami]

Dame NightFury

Yes! Fin. <3

“I’ll tell them you said hi.” Eiji said with a slightly amused expression that implied a lick was out of the question, turning slowly to walk away. Had he known what his brother was thinking, he would vehemently disagree with Sago and proclaim his reasoning was all switched around and that his brother was the light and Eiji the dark. At least that was how he felt like most of the time, like a dark cloud always hanged over his head and he could never face the future, a new acquaintance or even his fellow pride members without a good deal of suspicion and negativity.

He threw his brother a little smirk over his shoulder, wondering how different Sago was going to look like with a full mane and he hoped his brother’s looks were the only thing that would change in the future.

"Later." It was one of the few things he knew he could count on and he felt comforted by the fact he still had a family to rely on.