It had been a while since he'd gotten away from the pride hed managed to get himself into. Managed to get away from the mother of his cubs and his cubs. Sure he loved the little things, but nothing felt quite right about the whole situation. So, he was back in the rougelands. Near his pride, but far enough away. He needed alone time, needed time to think about everything. He missed Kile. His heart was aching just thinking about her name. Stupid female. How did they manage to get so close so quick? He didn't even remember how it all shattered.Kabu sighed softly as she paced the edge of the pride land. Her darlings where fast asleep, under the watchful and loving eye of their aunt and uncle. A small smile curled the edge of her muzzle as she thought about her family. She had been so afraid at first, both of being a mother and what her brother would say but now...now her world felt complete...at least until little Dusan words came back to her. He asked about a daddy..
He found himself wandering near a familiar place. Had he really walked here without realizing it? He looked around, brows furrowed. Where was she? What had happened to her since their last visit? Did she even know he had cubs? Swallowing thickly, the male stopped and sniffed around before calling out for her. Surely she as near the boarders. "Kile..?" His voice wasn't that strong, he had his doubts that she was here.
Violet eyes blinked before she frowned shaking her head. Surely it was just her mind playing tricks on her for her to hear his voie in the wind. Just memories brought up by little Dus's question. Had her heart ever been broken? She heaved a sigh as she smiled humorlessly, how could one little cub be so deep already?Getting no reply, Vestip gave a bit of a sigh himself and continued walking, knowing a little bit of where the boarders were. Finally, he stopped and called out to her again. Maybe he just wasn't close enough last time. "Kile....? Are you around?" He asked, looking out. He saw a dark figure ahead of him and he blinked. Was it her?
She froze, her eyes going wide, there was no mistake that time. Slowly the figure stood, her back still too him. There was no mistaking her short, heavy set frame, the faint scent of swamp and honeysuckle vines that clung to her fur. "Ves..."
He moved towards her, not caring if he crossed the boarder. When he was within sight to actually see her, he gave a purr and didn't think. He brushed up against her, nuzzling into her neck when he got there and just stayed there. He probably would for as long as she let him. She was here; Vestip was really seeing her again. "Kile..."
When he brushed up against her, a soft moan spilled from the dark lioness as she nuzzled her nose into his bright red mane. He was here! He was alive!! But her joy was short lived and he would feel her stiffen as she stepped away from him.
He knew he overstepped something when she stiffened and stepped away. He didn't let it get to him, though. He wouldn't, She was here and it's not like they could pick up where they left off. "Sorry... ....I just.... It's good to see you.."
"I am glad you are alive, I had began to wonder." Yes her voice was still that soft husky purr that it had been before. "When you left so suddenly I had feared the worse."
So she'd been worried about him? His head hung at the memory and he sighed softly. Yes, Vestip had left suddenly, and with good reason. "I didn't... think you wanted me around anymore," is what he said, his head hanging slightly. His voice no longer had the happiness in it.
"Why because we had one disagreement?" Her ears flicked back as she regarded him, thought inside her heart ached. For one fight, a few harsh words was the only reason he had left her and broken her heart?
".....I... got another female.... pregnant," he whispered slowly. He didn't remember if he told her or not. He wasn't right in the head right now. "...I had to join a pride to... help her with them."
Her eyes went dark purple as she stared at him silently, her face unreadable. So that is why he left her...another female. "I see..."
"I.... didn't mean for it to happen. I thought I wasn't fertile... ...I couldn't just leave her. ...I don't love her," He said finally, turning around with a swallow. Vestip couldn't finish what he was going to say. It was to painful. I love you...
"No you males never do mean for it to happen, but it does." She sighed then her eyes closing so she didn't have to see him. "And your cubs...do you love them at least?"
He nodded at her question and swallowed slowly. "...I do... I love all of them. ....I have six. .....What about you? I.. thought I smelled cubs on you.."
"When you left..." Her voice broke as she took a moment to compose herself. "When you left me i made a mistake and ended up pregnant. And yes I love my cubs,more than anything in this world or the next."
He stepped closer to her, nuzzling against her again and shook his head. "....So we both have families..." He whispered softly, giving her a fond lick to the forehead.
She whimpered faintly at the contact and nodded, "Yes." When she finally opened her eyes to look at him, they where almost black with emotion and words unsaid, that both famliys should have been one family.
He pressed their foreheads together and he gave a small smile. He knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. "One day..." He whispered softly. "We'll have our own... and combine our families..."
"You can't leave your cubs anymore than I would leave mine."
"When they get older," he said simply. "....When they get older Ill come to you. Maybe with one or two of them, but I will..."
She shook her head gently as she stepped back, a small sad smile on her face. "No you won't Ves. You are a rover and a wanderer, you won't be tied to one place and one lioness. And I...I can't accept anything else."
Vestip pushed forward again, shaking his head. He moved to rest his head on the back of her neck and gave a groan. "Bekile..... .....For you... Why can't I change for you?"
"You won't Ves...and that is not my name or who I am anymore." She stepped back from him, a proud and stubborn look on her face.
"What do you mean, that's not who you are?" He was angry. Very angry indeed. Why couldn't she believe he'd chang if it was for her. The only one he'd ever felt this wa about? He didn't understand.
"Bekile was a scared haunted girl, that isn't who I am anymore. I grew up and have responsibility now. I have a home and a pride, i have a brother and his mate who love me and I have my children who depend on me to be there for them. I can't be your Kile anymore. " She didn't want to hurt him, Gods knew she still loved him, but she was a mother now and needed someone to depend on and who would be there.
He just stood there, swallowing thickly as she spoke. Then Bekile said those words. She wasn't his anymore. And it broke his heart all over again. He locked his jaw and looked away from here before turning his back. "...Sorry I came back," he whispered.
She clenched her jaw to keep from crying out, he had misunderstood her words yet again. Yet it almost made her believe her own words. He was turning away again, he hadn't bothered to ask who she was now, her name..he would just leave and not fight for her...again.
He didn't walk away this time. He was trying to calm down. His tail swished, his whole body slowly started to relax before he turned around and sat down. "...If you're not.. my Kile... Then who are you?" He asked seriously. "I want the new you to still... love me."
"I am Kabusha," there where tears in her eyes when he turned around again, but this time she didn't draw away from him, instead she just watched him. Could..would he honestly fight for her this time?
"...Kabusha..." He said, testing it out on his tongue. He liked it, actually. "What... does it mean?" He wanted to fight for her. To somehow win her over once and for all. He wanted to make her never think of another male as her mate.
"Rebirthed. Ukosa named me so the day my cubs became part of the pride." Her words where filled with love for whoever this Ukosa was as well as the little ones that called her mother.
He didn't care who this Ukosa was. It sounded very girlish to him, so he only assumed it was a girl. Licking his lips, Vestip nodded and gave a smile. "You were reborn into a mother," he said quietly. "It... fits.
Her smile turned gentle then as she watched him, "Thank you...they are my world." A soft purr rumbled from her chest at the thought of her five little ones. Each so different and yet all so bright and loving.
"I've got.. so many bright little cubs... Yellow and red, black.. white, creme, orange.." He didn't know where half the colors came from, but they were all so special to him.
She laughed softly nodding. "Most of my cubs look like me, darker colors save for two. Poor little Tana looks like his father while Takhi is so brightly colored and patterned."
"There isn't one that looks like me. ...They've got traces... But no one looks like me. I'm ... kind of grateful," he said bitterly. "......I did pass on my blindness to a daughter of mine..."
"Oh Ves.." Without thinking, she moved closer nuzzling his neck gently before licking his cheek.
He didn't react to that. He didn't know if he should, with his past attempts at giving her affection. "She's nearly blind.. can only see up close.." He knew Kim'acha would have a very hard life ahead of her. And it was his fault.
"You can't help what passes one. Tana takes after his grandfather, he is so tiny that without the pride i would fear him living to adulthood."
He still felt like a bad father for even breeding when he knew one of them would end up like he was. It wasn't fair to her. "She'll never see beauty," he whispered softly. "She'll come to hate me..."
"If you love her and protect her, then she will love you."
"...Hopefully..." He'd turned very bitter since he learened that. No one else in his small family knew of their blindness.
You will protect her." She smiled at him gently. Whatever wrongs he had done, She had never known him to allow someone helpless ot be hurt.
He nodded. Of course he would. That girl was coming with him when he would leave the pride. "....So can I come back to you, Kabu?" He asked seriously. "Me and my daughter?"
She studied him silently for a moment, "And your other children? What of them?"
"They'll come if they want. I won't force them.."
She smiled faintly, "If your children wish to come, I will not turn them away."
He smiled at that and turned to look at her, moving over to give her muzzle a soft lick. "Thank you.."
Chuckling softly she got to her feet, "Would you like to see them? They are asleep of course but.." she shrugged faintly wondering why she had offered. They where her's yes, but by another male.
He shook his head and shifted from paw to paw. He was already treading on pride lands. Why go further to get caught? "Next time..."
She nodded her head slightly as she watched him. A fear gripped her heart that this wold truly be the last time she saw him. He said he loved her...but he had said that before hadn't her?
He moved closer to her, moved her into a half hug, one of his front legs wrapping around her, resting his head on her own. Vestip just wanted her to be close right now. ".....I'll be back.."
She buried her face in his mane, unable to help the faint shiver that ran through her. "Promise?" it slipped out before she could stop it.
"Of course." He whispered that into her ear and smiled softly, going to nuzzle against her head. "Were supposed to be together."
A soft purr rumbled up from deep within her chest ,"If you disappear again I will come and find you and you will regret it buster." She nipped his ear roughly but smiled at him.
The n** made his spirits raise and he laughed, pulling back to n** at her nose before pushing he back. He wanted her to land on her back so he could lay on her.
She grunted lazily as she flopped on her side, " Still pushy I see."
Laying on her, he licked at her cheek and purred softly, tail going to curl around her own. "Just... want to be close," he whispered after a moment. "It's been how long?"
She butted her head against his jaw with a soft sigh "too long."
With a nod, he just stayed like that, close and comfortable, but making sure he wasn't crushing the female under him. He nuzzled against her, a slow purr beginning as he let his eyes slipped close, corners of his lips tugging upwards.
She gently washed his face and mane, feeling an odd sort of pity for the female that had sired his cubs somehow just knowing he had never laid with her like this.
He'd have to go soon, he knew. Before his family got to worried about him. Licking her face gently, he got up and sighed. "I'm afraid.... I have to get going..."
"I understand," She slowly got to her own feet looking up at him. Wishing things had been different, knowing that things SHOULD have been different.
"I"ll come back... the same time about.... six days from now, ok?" he whispered, watching her face carefully, hoping she'd agree.
"I'll be waiting." If he didn;t show..that would be the end.
"I'll be here," he nuzzled her once more and sighed carefully, swallowing a bit. "....See you soon." With that, Vestip turned around, taking the path he'd taken a few times before.
She watched him go, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. Something told her, warned her that this was the last time she would ever see the handsome rouge that had stolen her heart.
