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The weather seemed to have darkened to match Unzu's mood, roiling stormclouds bringing blessed rain in from the oceans moving overhead, small patches of sunlight breaking through piercing the sub-cloudular gloom and lighting his way as he meandered through the swamp far below. The rains were good for the land, but it made the prey harder to catch. And Unzu didn't really like it, to be honest. He was moving a little faster than his usual swing-low lope, searching for a place to bide the storm before it broke over him.

Then, inevitably, a peal of thunder shook the swamp and the storm broke, rain thundering down, beating onto his back like tiny fists, and he broke into a full run for the nearest tree, this one thick with succulent growth and waxy leaves, perfect for protecting an occupant from the rain. He skidded under it, shaking himself off and groaning, sitting down to rest after his sprint over here.

Unzu stiffened immediately when Akinyi joined him under the tree. He'd recognize that fur anywhere. His emotional wounds still hadn't healed after his last encounter with her, he was quite unhappy to be in her presence again. Still, though mojo wasn't winning against brain, Unzu felt a little sympathetic to her plight and laid down in the soft earth, not saying anything to her and letting himself dry off and rest, staring out at the rain bewteen the overhanging branches, the brush so tight around it that the space was basically dry.

He didn't even glance at her, seemingly occupied by his own thoughts, dripping into the soil, shivering a little in the cold as his soaked mane laid thickly against his neck, rivulets of water running off of his body. Akinyi might as well have been a rock for all that he acknowledged her.

Unzu didn't answer her, though he did glance at her sidelong, observing that she was as cold and wet as he. He kept his back turned for a long moment, considering. The wind pierced him through to the bone and he shuddered, finally coming to a decision as he felt the cold sapping his strength, grunting as he stood up, going over to sit with Akinyi, cautious, laying at her back.

For a long moment he didn't do anything, just lay there not looking at her. Then he leaned against her a little.

His expression unchanging, he acted as if the most fascinating thing in the world right now was the rain, pounding down, filling the swamps higher, keeping the grass, and thus, the herds happy. The unfortunate side-effects were necessary evils.

Unzu glanced down at her as she shifted against him, feeling mildly accomplished, and then looked back out at the rain. She was even more soaked than he had been, and had obviously been through some mud to get here. He remembered his mother sponging moisture out of his fur with her tongue, and how comforting it had been to him. He paused, considering the lioness beside him.

Then he leaned his head over, starting to lick her shoulder dry, flicking his ears back like he expected to be bitten, his fail flickering a little hopefully as he pressed forward, taking his chance as he saw it. He wasn't sure if he'd get attacked for his seeming act of charity, but he continued anyway, the world was for the bold.

Unzu continued licking, encouraged when she didn't immediately bite him, enjoying the shared warmth of their bodies and having her not flinch away at his approach. The dark lion had never really had a mate, just the odd romp in the savannah, and it was still thrilling to the young adult now. More often than not he was being chased off for some reason, sometimes the pride members just didn't like his face. He was kind of a douche. So to have her leaned against him, actually answering his advances, was kind of amazing to him.

He paused when she started to lean up, feeling his heart thud as she licked his ear, blinking at her as she purred, and he put his tongue away, answering her purr, eyes half-lidded, his voice rumbling much lower than hers as they relaxed there. It was going so well, such good signs! Surely something had to go wrong sooner or later. Unzu decided not to push his luck, giving her one final lick along the neck before he rested his head on her, flicking his tail, resting there with her and waiting out the storm.

"How's it been?" he asked softly, almost too soft to hear over the rain and occassional thunder beyond their place under the tree.

Unzu purred as she licked at him, arching his neck, quite pleased to lay there for a while and chill, then started when she started to speak, looking at her, watching her beside him. He quirked an eyebrow when he felt her tail on top of his, blinking at her, not sure if he should dare to believe what she was saying. He gaped at her for a moment, not moving, stock-still.

The dark lion wasn't so stupid that he'd just sit there when she was making such an obvious innuendo, and suddenly Unzu felt very glad for the rain and this chance meeting, even if she was awful and had put him in such a foul mood. He jumped at her offer, and waiting out the rest of the storm wasn't going to be so boring and depressing.

Unzu felt wrapped in warmth, as comfortable as if he were curled up against his very mother's bosom, and having a most pleasant dream that his mother and aunts had taken down a very large wildebeest and were offering him the heart. He rolled over, and was surprised awake by Akinyi's absence, blinking and looking around hazily. He felt awareness returning and stretched, looking around for Akinyi, amused.

"Hey, where'd you go?" he asked aloud, before it occurred to him that she might have left as he slept, abandoning him. Wow, he felt so used. Was this a wham, bam, thank you ma'am? Unzu frowned, standing stock-still.

Well, fine! He could play this game too. He wouldn't let her get to HIM. With a snort, the dark lion stalked off in the opposite direction into the swamps, disheartened, pointedly not following the trail she'd left out into the soaked savannah.