[PRP] Rekindling (Mtembei x Kitambi)

[Hopefolly]

Wordcount: 1,131

Mtembei had managed to score significant alone time with Kitambi a total of twice since they'd been back. In neither case had anything resembling romance transpired. They discussed what of their life they had left, then what they had lost.

Kitambi had walked away from him both times.

A different kind of lion would be angry with her. Him? He found this all distressing. It was a problem to be solved with geniality, not judgement. Placing blame for the struggles in their relationship would lead somewhere very dark, very quickly. He wanted no part of that.

Late one night, Mtembei approached the den with a bird limp in his jaws.

He carefully set it down so that he may call to her.

"Kitambi!"  

[Hopefolly]

Thanks to her mate, Kitambi had at last mourned their sons. She felt both better and worse for it. The experience of having such strong contrasting emotions blurring into one was surreal. She didn't like it one bit.

And she didn't care for Mtembei yelling like a crazy lion when it was so late either.

Kitambi checked that their daughter was still asleep. One of these days, she and Mtembei were going to have to leave the Malenga's den and find their own. Who knew when that would be.

She rose and ventured outside.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, the end of each word sharp like a jagged rock. "You're going to wake someone up."

Was that a bird? Why did he kill a bird?

--How had he killed a bird?  

[Hopefolly]

Mtembei grinned. One of the many things he liked about Kitambi was her predictability. She was sturdy, and her words and actions were as much a certainty as the rising sun or the rain. He knew what she planned to say and beat her to the punch.

"Don't you remember?" It hurt his paws and his back, but he stopped slouching and straightened himself out, all proud and regal like when they were young. "I said once I would capture a bird mid-flight if you asked me too."  

[Hopefolly]

O..kay...

Kitambi had to take a minute to think about it. He was looking at her like he expected this to bring forth some recognition from the recess of her mind. She supposed she owed it to him to try and sort through her memories and find the one he was looking for. Hm..

Oh. Oh, right. He had said that once, hadn't he? What a foolish thing for him to remember. She would never have thought about that incident again had he not brought it up.

Kitambi advanced forward and got a look at the bird. It was full grown and black. Some kind of prey species; definitely not an eagle or a vulture. And definitely not flying when he caught it.

"You can barely walk most days. You expect me to believe you caught this in mid-air?"  

[Hopefolly]

Busted. But it was alright, Mtembei had expected as much. For as long as he had known her, nothing important slipped under her notice. Nantale was the same way.

The females in this family kept a watchful eye on everything, and paid no mind to whether others considered it important. Probably so they could blame their brothers and mates more effectively when situations went awry.

Who could blame them? It did tend to be their fault. If the females truly were the observant ones, the males were just as assuredly the troublemakers. They were charming, though. His boys had gotten that from him.

He chased away thoughts of them settling down with a mate as he had and having some cubs. Perhaps two sons and a daughter...

Mtembei grinned again, guilty like a cat caught with feathers in their mouth -- oh, wait.

"No, I expect you to call me out on my lie, then to listen while I confess it was already dead when I found it. But secretly you'll think my efforts were adorable. If you agree with me, do not smile. At all. I'm serious."  

[Hopefolly]

When he was young, Mtembei was ridiculous.

When she was young, she had expectations that he would grow out of it. Those certainties became hopes that were dashed by their years spent together. Her mate did not get any less playful, any less lighthearted.

It took something severe as having their home nearly destroyed and most of their children lost forever for Mtembei to start acting his age. Coming back here was like going back in time for him.

And she...

Kitambi bowed her head to hide it, but the smile was there whether she liked it or not.  

[Hopefolly]

Mtembei abandoned his long-dead bird in favor of getting closer to her. He sat at her side, nudged her with his shoulder, and lowered his head so he could peer up at her. "I seeee you. The mighty Kitambi has smiled!" He dropped his voice low as it would go and bellowed, "Wake up, pride! Wake up and see a miracle at work!"  

[Hopefolly]

Eyes wide as the full moon, Kitambi batted at his face with her paw. "Mtembei!" she hissed. "Stop! You really are going to wake someone at this rate."  

[Hopefolly]

The females might have a history of blaming their male counterparts, but domestic abuse was new. Mtembei snorted and lifted his paw to gently guide hers away and to the ground. There, he brushed over it.

"Only Nantale, and she'll be up soon on her own. Hard-worker, that one. Just like her mom." Mtembei had nothing but admiration for his daughter, who happened to be their new leader as well. That didn't mean he agreed with all her decisions. She should take a break from the constant work, think about taking a breath. And, if she would give herself enough time for it, starting a family.

Speaking of which.

"It's really not proper for us to be in the same den as the Nantale, is it? I mean we could..."  

[Hopefolly]

Since when did he take such care to abide by the rules? He hadn't danced a day in his life, and she had known him for quite a while before he'd been willing to sing. The song and dance, the rhythm of the world, was the foundation of the pride and he treated it like a game.

Kitambi supposed his shortcomings in that area did not necessarily make him wrong about this subject. The proposal was one she'd known was coming and he was well within his rights to bring it up.

Strange timing, and strange use of words. Almost like he was implying some--

Kitambi bristled. "Forget it, Mtembei."

Mostly on principle she tromped back into the den. Sleep would not bless her the rest of the night.

He better not be thinking what she thought he was thinking.