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Zuberi wasn't used to all this wandering around. Most of his life he'd been in a pride that was stationary, but in the past few months he'd done more walking around than he ever had. First he had left his pride, then he had found the Ela and stayed with the Wolf clan, then they congregated with the other clans to celebrate the annual festival, and then moved again to join the Earth clan. He wasn't complaining, though. It was a nice change of pace and he enjoyed himself quite a bit.

There was another perk to his new life as well, and that was his new friend Haini. She had been very helpful in getting to know lions, even if she didn't know it. As soon as lions had come across her on the way back to the clan's designated area, she had gotten tons of congratulations from her success in the festival. The large talisman she had been given for a trophy attracted all kinds of attention, and Zuberi could see while she was flattered, she was also incredibly surprised and unsure of what to do. Thankfully, time wore off the novelty of Haini's success, and the pride members returned to their normal daily life.

Zuberi found himself with Haini more often than not. There were those that teased he had joined for other reasons than to stick with his new friend, and now he was beginning to wonder if they hadn't been at least a bit right. The more time he spent with Haini, the more he found her laughter making him smile, her babbling keeping his attention held, and her little bumps and touches were slowly being returned in a teasing way. It wasn't until she had laughed at one of his rather dry and horrible jokes that he realized he did, in fact, like and admire her as more than a friend. She was a beautiful, capable lioness with a heart as wide as her smile, and she had been right in front of him for so long now he had nearly been blinded to it. She was hard on herself far too much, he decided. She was clumsy, yes, but it was endearing. She talked a lot, it was true, but he hardly spoke at all so it filled any silence between them.

Zuberi decided that day to see if becoming a bit more forward with his feelings would get any sort of reaction from Haini. If it was good, he'd continue. If it was bad, he'd back off. Simple as that.

It wasn't long that Zuberi was alone, but he certainly didn't mind being joined by Haini. He was ready for the bump, used to it now that she continued to do it, and glanced beside him at the smaller lioness. He gave her his custom small smile in greeting, something that was reserved only for her. Others usually got a nod of the head or a quiet 'hello' when they spoke to him, but Haini...well. She was a special case and deserved a special greeting.

Her instant concern made Zuberi's normally gruff expression soften just a bit, and he shook his head. "I am quite all right," he said to reassure her, reaching out to place a paw on hers. While Zuberi was quiet, he had no problem doing things to express himself. To him, actions spoke louder than words, and he could be a very physical lion when he wanted to be. His mother had finally been the one to push him away when he was a young adult, telling him that nuzzling and cuddling at his age was far too childish. That hadn't dampened his spirits much, though. He as just as touchy as ever with the right lions.

"Just thinking about you." Words were important too, of course, and while his rather blunt way of speaking might not be considered romantic by some, he knew exactly what to say to change his normally stoic tones to gentler ones.

Zuberi watched Haini's reaction to figure out how his words affected her. Her initial reaction seemed to be surprise and embarrassment, but when she didn't bolt, he decided those were good things. He kept his paw on hers as she spoke, eyes half-lidded as he peered down at her. She had been thinking about him too? It would be nice if Haini had been thinking about him in the same capacity he'd been thinking about her...but he wasn't one to ask things like that so bluntly, not when Haini was still so flustered.

He gave a closed-mouth chuckle, the tone staying deep in his chest, and he slid his paw from hers to move just a bit closer before sitting down. "I was," he confirmed. "I've made a deal with myself," he went on. "And while I won't tell you outright what it is, I will say that if at any point you are made unhappy by anything I do, please either tell me or simply leave the area if you're uncomfortable saying something. I don't wish for anything between us to grow strained."

He stopped speaking after that, the mini-monologue rare for him to say all at once. He did, however, lean in to return the little bump she had given him earlier. Baby steps were crucial.

Zuberi had to chuckle softly as Haini spoke to quickly put his non-existent worries at ease. She was far too adorable, even when she was nervous. He shook his head and stood, glad she was game for this little experiment. He just hoped she wouldn't end up regretting she agreed to go along with it.

"Then why don't we go for a walk?" he suggested, shifting his weight to head off in the direction of the lone watering hole the Earth clan had for this rotation. It was never empty by some miracle so it was more than enough to sustain the pride, but it was also quite the hot spot for the clan to gather around and talk. There were some nice trees set aside from the water, close enough to get a drink if need be, but far enough for voices not to carry. That was his intended destination.

He paused to see if Haini was following and flicked his tail just a bit, curling around her hind paw lightly to tug her gently along. Zuberi kept his expression neutral as was custom to him, but the touch was certainly far more than friendly.

As Haini spoke Zuberi found himself checking off a few key points he had to hit. It was like she knew exactly what his mission today was. So far the little touches he'd given hadn't been turned away, and she had even laughed after the last one. Now she was telling him just how happy she was that he was here...well. Perhaps he should up the ante a bit.

He shifted his stride so they brushed against one another as they walked slowly, in no particular rush to reach their destination. Haini's expression when she finished made Zuberi nod and once again reached out with his tail, but this time to twine with hers just a bit.

"I'm very glad you told me," he said, his voice still deep and soft as it always was. "I'm quite glad I made the switch as well. Never mind this clan seems a bit more welcoming than the Wolf...but I certainly didn't have someone quite as magnificent as you there." He paused in his speaking, letting their close contact and hooked tails convey the deeper meaning of his words. A moment later and he leaned over to nuzzle her ear, hoping to lift if from the downward position it had taken.

"I know you're shy by nature, but surely you don't need to be quite so bashful around me."

Zuberi dug his claws into the ground just a bit to keep them both upright as Haini flopped against him. He glanced down at her as her face disappeared into his mane, and after just a few moments he could feel her somewhat labored breathing against his neck. The amused smile that had made frequent visits to him once again returned, and he lowered his head just a bit to press his muzzle to the top of her head.

"I won't be leaving any time soon," he reassured her. "And so far you have done nothing to make me believe you could mess 'it' up." He pulled his head back slightly, taking a careful step away from Haini so she wouldn't fall. He ducked his head, bringing him to eye-level with the smaller lioness. He held her gaze with his own two-toned one for a moment before leaning in to press his forehead against hers.

As he allowed their contact to continue, he mulled over her words. She didn't know how to explain, she didn't want to mess it up, she didn't want him to leave...they were all good clues, but it really didn't solidify his question. Did she feel that same sort of giddiness and delight whenever they were together? There was only one way to press the issue, and that was with words.

"When I joined this clan I was following a friend to a new home," he said quietly as he pulled away once more. "I didn't think that I'd come to find 'home' was wherever you happened to be. Forgive my bluntness, Haini, but you've come to mean more to me than I first imagined you would."

As his sentiments were returned, Zuberi felt that warmth in his chest explode into a raging fire that he knew would never be extinguished. He pleased purr rumbled in his chest as he returned the affectionate nuzzles, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. Words had always been his weak point, but when it came down do it, he knew what to say and how to say it to get his point across.

He remained silent after that for quite some time, having done his quota of talking for the day. Words didn't need to be shared any longer between them, though. They were both on the same page, both knew what the other wanted, and he couldn't have been happier with the results. This move had been the best decision of his life. He'd always have his tattoos to remind him of his past, but from here on out, Haini would be a constant reminder of his wonderful present and future.