He knew he shouldn't be doing this. Neither of them should be. It's not as though his mate was dead, you know. For all he knew, Latifu was still alive and kicking. His insides churned a little at the thought; oh gods, if she ever found out…

"Head in the clouds?" a female voice joked, stirring her denmate from his thoughts. The storm had gone on for nearly a week with no sign of letting up. Bakari and Chinara had found a small abandoned den, and were currently crammed inside, unbearably close to each other. At least for Bakari it was. To be this intimately close to another lioness was a bit taxing on his self-restraint, but he managed.

"E-er, yes. I mean no-- look, um, is there really no other den we could find?"
"You want to go look? Be my guest."

The orange lioness nuzzled her head into her arms, trying to remain comfortable despite their situation. She could always catch up on her sleep, she supposed. Raindrops trickled over the mouth of the tiny cave, splashing onto the grass that grew a few feet from them. The rain was almost hypnotic, and it slowly lulled her into semi-consciousness. She felt her mind wander, drifting through her memories as a cub. She and her family laughing, her older sister babysitting her as their mother and father went hunting. They had always done everything together. She could have dreamt happily of them, until-

"My mate's still alive."

The sentence was followed by a raindrop hitting Chinara on the nose, but she was already wide awake at that point. She raised her head, looking at Bakari.
"Come again?"
"M-my mate, she's… she's still alive. Somewhere." The male kept his gaze steadily on the ground, but he looked worried. Chinara narrowed her eyes a bit; why tell her this now?
"Are you trying to tell me or yourself?" she asked, a bit perturbed. Her ears twitched in mild annoyance. But the male still looked down, afraid to make eye contact with her. He'd only stolen glances of her when she had been asleep. The fact that half of her was squished up near him wasn't helping.
"I'm telling… I'm telling both of us, in case we decide to…"
A long pause.
"In case we decide to what, Bakari?" the female replied, a little too loudly. All she got in return was a guilty glance. Was he insinuating something?! Before he could reply, though, she briskly stood up, nearly kicking the male in the face as she stormed out. The male lion promptly went after her, his fluffy mane already beginning to get soaked.

"Chinara! W-wait, I didn't mean it li-"
"Mean it like WHAT?!" The lioness whipped her head around to pierce Bakari's eyes with her own. "Like we were just going to screw around? You seem to think I'm on the same page as you, but believe me, I'm beyond that!"
Bakari kept backing up as the lioness practically roared in his face. He faltered for a bit, before replying, "But I-"
"You can go to hell, that's what you can do!" she spat back, and continued her march through the rain and mud. Bakari followed behind her, trying to make sure he didn't get too mud-splattered.

The female sensed he was following her, and all of a sudden bolted off. Bakari did a double take; how the hell did she do that in this weather?! He gave chase, following her she as quickly as she had taken off.
Don't YOU try and leave me too! he thought as he began to lose sight of her. A sudden sharp turn past some bushes caused the male to lose his footing and slide over the mud and wet grass. It would've been terribly fun if he wasn't in risk of breaking his neck! He quickly recovered from the following wipeout and continued on his hunt.

But something in Bakari's mind made him skid to a halt.
Oh gods. Was this… was this courting?

He blinked nervously as he pondered this query. Was this how his father did it? 'Cause if it was, boy, his mom REALLY must have been worth it. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, shaking his mane out of his eyes. How many times had Chinara been courted like this, though? A paw slapped itself over his mouth and he blushed furiously. Oh gods, have mercy on his cheating soul.


All the rolling thunder and cascades of rain had ceased by the late afternoon. The clouds parted a few miles away, and a golden-orange light dip-dyed the clouds and grasslands. Chinara had found shelter by a few boulders that had collapsed onto each other to form a decent cave. The rain lulled her to sleep, and now the only sounds to be heard were a handful of crickets, chirping away in the humidity. Bakari padded towards her, covered in mud, grass, and a few fresh bruises. He looked terribly guilty. He slid into a resting position a good ways from her, his eyes watching her dozing face.

He could love her. He could really, really love that poor lioness. They'd poured their hearts out to each other, dried each other's tears… and truth be told, Bakari had never met someone quite like her. Apart from physical beauty, her mind was something to behold, as well. His heart ached just looking at her. No one should have to be in this world alone. Latifu's face suddenly flashed in his mind, causing the male to give an angry sigh.

He knew he was cheating on her. There was no way around it. But… but somehow, in his mind, Chinara's needs outweighed Latifu's. Latifu had a home now, with friends, daughters, and a pride to protect her. Chinara had lost both her mate AND her son. After her illness, she had become more and more of an outsider, judging by how far away she lived from Pride Rock. Bakari inched ever closer to her, still watching her with sad eyes. He so wanted to give her at least a little happiness in this lonely world. As he lay his head down next to Chinara's, Latifu's voice echoed in his mind, sending him into a fitful rest.
"I loved you…"

WC: 1049