Makaa stretched and walked just outside of his family's quarters in the early hours of the morning. He was getting older and doing his best to heed his father's warnings about straying too far. He wouldn't stop going to see Zapa, but she didn't live that far away, to his knowledge, and she was after all his only real friend. He stopped to wonder about that for a moment.
In truth, he felt more comfortable around her than any of his brothers or sisters, the only creature he could talk freely with besides his father and the jerboa Ndevu, but the little mouse-like creature that hid in his mane most of the time was not the type to ever really reply. Zapa was slowly becoming his confidant, someone he could almost lean on. He was beginning to open up more to her and that left him vulnerable. He wasn't sure he should continue down that path or not. Perhaps he would ask his father... Another day.
Zapa too had woke to greet the morning in much the usual fashion. She paused in the den to groom herself, slicking down white tufts of fur that had stuck standing up as she slept. It was important she look her best today...She'd only mentioned it in passing to her father, but that had been enough for her. After all, she'd met Makaa's father, and it seemed only right somehow that he meet hers...
But why exactly, she wondered. She wanted her father to approve of her friend (and secret crush, she had only recently admitted to herself) but it had to be for more reasons than that she liked him. None of the other cubs in the pride seemed quite as interesting as Makaa...Even his cold stubborn streak had faded with time. Somehow she felt he was important to her, and deeper down, she realized she hoped he felt the same.
FInally groomed to acceptance she crawled up into the light and blinked, setting out to find her friend.
Makaa yawned once before continuing on towards the water in his normal pattern. As he walked, he felt something catch his back leg, tiny claws climbing up as he walked, skittering across his back and hiding away in his mane. He had decided to keep Ndevu from the den, simply because he didn't want the little hopping mouse to get eaten by one of his siblings as a snack or being used as hunting practice. So they made it a habit of Makaa leaving and the mouse catching a ride as he went to get a drink in the morning.
The young lion stopped at the water's edge and took a slow drink, wondering somewhere in the back of his mind where Zapa might be. Was she awake and wandering about? Or was she still sleeping, curled up among her brothers and sisters, eyes closed and breathing softly as she dreamed of one thing or another... He shook his head, banishing the thoughts from his mind.
Zapa took a moment to adjust to the bright light and glance around as she went. Makaa would usually be at the water this time of day, she knew, but her den was further away, and she couldn't see him just yet. She did see some of her siblings playing a bit further out, and was distracted momentarily as a lizard scampered by...She chased after it, pouncing with claws sheathed, then sniffed about curiously when her paws were empty. She shrugged and continued on, speeding up when she spotted her friend at the water's edge, just like she'd expected him to be.
Bright and cheerful as always, she half-danced her way closer, then slowed, putting on the face of one who had only just awoken, and was not fully aware of those around her. Looking so bleary, she stepped up to the water a few feet from Makaa and drank, making no comment to him just yet.
"Morning Zapa. Did you sleep well?" Makaa asked, tilting his head a bit as the smaller female walked up and took a drink, as well. She looked sleepy, but there really was no telling with her. Personally, he liked some sort of order in things. Not that he really minded Zapa's surprises and spontaneity, but... Well, at that moment he really didn't have a counter-argument to that. He just needed to learn to expect them more.
Zapa managed a yawn and blinked slowly, looking around at Makaa. She smiled and flicked a bit of water off her whiskers before moving closer, not quite nuzzling the orangy juve, but something close, a friendly gesture. "Morning Makaa. I sure did...I had nice dreams too." That was truth, as was her second yawn. "How about you?" She let herself curl up on the bank of the water and close her eyes, as if taking another moment or two to wake up. Now all Makaa had to do was step closer, and she could pounce...!
Makaa let her almost-nuzzle him, having slowly gotten more-or-less used to her touchy displays of greeting or affection. He watched wit a small quirk of his mouth upwards on one side. Tired she may have looked, but there was still no fooling him.
The young lord decided to let his friend have her fun and scooted a bit closer as he replied, "Oh, well. Not much different from normal sleeping. I thinkg one of my siblings or my nieces or nephews kicked me in their sleep. Woke up in the middle of the night."
