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Yareha was taking his time at the watering hole, putting off the inevitable moment when he had to go back home to the kids. Oh yes he loved them - dearly! It was just hard to balance spending time with them and having time to himself to keep sane. Thank the Lion they'd seen fit to give him a break from most of the hunts while the kids were still cubs. There were also a couple low class lions who'd decided not to hold grudges that were keeping an eye on the litter while he was out. He'd always had an appreciation for the slaves, but it had never been this profound until now. There was also Aysu, who was more helpful than he would have guessed given some of their...earlier exchanges.

Not to mention his father and the other two cubs.

All things considered, the white lion decided life wasn't at all bad right now. He still felt awful about how he'd screwed up with Laelia, but he was determined to prove it to her by doing a good job raising Iei's cubs. After all, if he proved himself an able father, perhaps she could forgive his terrible habit of putting his paw in his mouth.

The lion looked up, smiling at the thought when something caught his eye. The smile froze in place upon his face as the object of his dreams and desires came walking up.

He was so surprised to see the lioness that had been avoiding him since Ieiunium's last visit, he didn't notice anything unusual about her appearance.

Well. He supposed he wasn't surprised that she didn't want to talk to him. After all, she'd been successful for some weeks now at avoiding him completely. It was simply that her luck had run out in that respect. The question was if he'd gotten lucky or not.

Truthfully, he would have been happy to let her be until she was ready to talk to him. And that was what he'd intended. But, as he watched her move, he thought there was something...off. Something different.

Blue eyes goggled slightly as he realized what it was. But...it couldn't be his fault...could it? Being male, the lion was less familiar with how long it took a lioness' pregnancy to show, so he really couldn't be sure what the odds of the children being his were.

Damnit damnit damnit. As if he needed anything else added to an already complicated situation! But how did he approach her? What did he say? Several phrases came to mind, but he was pretty sure none of them would help him and some would probably be met with extended claws.

"You're looking well," he offered gently, avoiding the mention of her pregnancy for the moment. It might have helped that he genuinely felt that way, whether it was absence making the heart grow fonder or motherhood adding that special glow, Laelia looked great.

He supposed that he should feel encouraged by a response that was, at the very least, not immediately negative. It wasn't what any lion would hope for unless if he, like Yareha, had done a damned good job of messing up his life.

But now to the pertinent question. Did he ask her outright about the cubs-to-be? Or did he allow her to avoid the topic entirely? Should he just make small talk, or should he try to resolve some of their numerous lingering issues? It was enough to make anyone's head spin.

He decided to go for something somewhat neutral. "I'm getting better at not blurting out what comes to mind," the white lion told her. "Since there's a lot I could say that young ears shouldn't hear."

Censoring himself had been difficult at first, but the new habit had gotten easier over time. Yareha had decided that this was a good omen for things to come.

Yareha sighed inwardly. Laelia just wasn't going to make this easy on him. And he really didn't want to go and make her even angrier with him. He'd given up being the twins' father for this chance and if he messed it up, he'd lose her too.

If he'd dared, Yareha would have prayed to the Great Lion for aid. But he doubted that such a selfish prayer would be answered. He had to figure this one out on his own.

He tried a different tactic. "Have you started giving any thought to what sort of accomodations your cubs will need?" There. He'd said it aloud. Now she'd either bite his head off or...or...well, he wasn't really sure what else she'd do. But pussyfooting around the issue hadn't gotten him anywhere, so the lion figured it was time to face it head-on.

But with some tact. At least he wasn't just going and asking if they were his.

Well, so far the uncharted ground he was moving across had proven stable. That was something. Neither good, nor bad. Laelia was much better than he was at this game, giving nothing away. She'd taken his question and tossed it right back at him.

Yareha had never been a liar, but he'd decided back when this whole mess had begun that honesty was the only thing he could give to Laelia when she refused everything else from him. Perhaps his earnestness could win her back, whereas concealing the truth would ensure that even if he got her, he'd lose her later when it was discovered. So experience had told him.

But there was telling the truth and there was avoiding lies. And, most importantly, not saying something utterly and completely stupid.

"I had hoped we might raise children together," he answered as calmly as he could. In fact, the white lion was surprised by how level and conversational his voice sounded. He wondered, for a moment, if it was really him talking.

Besides, he hadn't mentioned whose cubs they'd be raising. Idly he would daydream that it was a mixed family, his, hers, and a litter that was both. But that was neither here nor there.

The lioness had a way of bringing him back to reality. It was one of the things Yareha loved about her. However, a blush was visible through his white fur. How to answer that one?

"I...ah...assumed that was another reason you were upset with me," he answered, backsliding a bit into old habits. Just because he wasn't sure on the timing...and because he had no idea who else she would have gone to. Well, there were other single young males in the pride, but none of them struck him as being lions that would appear attractive to Laelia.

Or maybe that was just jealousy speaking.

She was retreating. Step by careful step. He could pursue her again...but that would probably just make her run. And he couldn't keep up if she chose that path. She'd outrun him and leave him alone.

But maybe if he let her go now, she'd come back to him later. He could only hope. Only the Great Lion knew what she was thinking, or even if he had a chance with her. Yareha liked to think he did, but maybe that was just pride talking. He couldn't know for certain.

The white lion shrugged. "If you want to talk to me, you know where to find me Laelia," he told her. "And even if you don't want it, you'll have my love."

He couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do. But he could ask and he could offer. Perhaps she'd feel like accepting. One day.