The gray lioness knew her siblings had grown up into adults. Oh, yes. Since she'd been home more, she'd watch as they all blossomed into beautiful lions. But the one she noticed the most was Sabbia. The little green lioness went out every single morning and didn't come back until late in the evening. Often times she started to follow Sabbia, but their mother always stopped her and told her to leave the younger girl be. Feana did notice she always came home happy and wanting to tell them something. But the girl floundered and left it be with a simple explanation of making things.
Well, if they were good and in demand, Feana supposed she'd feel pretty good about it, too. Still. She wanted to know just what made her young sister so happy. So, Feana had snuck out of the den right after breakfast, she'd taken to eating with them rather than in her own, and followed the pale green lioness.
Naturally Sabbia was completely oblivious to this. To her, she was going to offer to the ocean and go back to her black rock by the tide pools and wait. Which is what she was doing right now. She slowly put together a few small bracelets for the cubs, some more mature looking necklaces for the adults who stopped by. Of course, these things were started yesterday or previously, which is why she finished them so fast. No, when it came to her crafting, Sabbia was slow and made sure every piece was well constructed and a certain level. Otheriwse she would reject the piece and start anew.
As he did nearly ever morning, Nohokai woke with the sun, ate a swift breakfast and then swiftly darted down to the black rock where he and Sabbia spent most of their time together. He liked to beat her there so that he could be there waiting for his love, but this morning he'd overslept and so she was already there before he arrived, diligently crafting trinkets for the pride. He didn't bother to stop the huge smile that burst over his muzzle at the sight of her, and Kai wasted no time in bounding up the rock. "Sabbia!" The gleeful call was full of the sweet affection that Kai had for his mate, and he continued beaming at her as he drew closer for a soft nuzzle.
The voice caught Feana by surprise. Someone else knew of her hiding spot? Feana had hidden herself in some tall grass and partially behind a rock, she could still see her sister, but not the strange voice. That is, until she saw that strange voice was male and... he was getting VERY affectionate with her sister. Fur bristling at that, Feana blew her cover by shouting a, "HEY! Get off my sister!" Completely oblivious to the fact they were actually mates. This was some guy her age hitting on her younger sister! That was just weird! OK, maybe not. She hooked up with a couple older males in her lifetime, but still. Sabbia was still a cub in her opinion! Sure, she had the body of an adult, but Sabbia was uncorrupt and completely pure!
Startled, Sabbia drew back completely and fell off the back of the rock, landing on her rump with a thump and a fog of fine sand coming up. Her cheeks burned as anger and embarrassment rose. "F-feana?!" She saw her gray and pink sister come out of her hiding spot and she groaned low and hung her head. This was all before she clambered back on her big black rock and sat, looking all together upset and unhappy. It was a sight Nohokai had never seen; the really mad and embarrassed side. "W-what are you doing here? You're.... Momma said.." She was floundering for words and her sister's blue gaze darted from her, to the male.
"Who is he, Sabbia?"
Nohokai turned as soon as he heard the angry voice, his big body shielding Sabbia. Instantly he went from lovey-dovey lion to big and pissed off male, protecting the most important thing in his life. When he spotted the female and actually registered in his mind what she'd said, he turned back to Sabbia to see her fall off the rock. With a soft cry Nohokai would've jumped down to help her up but Sabbia rose to her feet and started speaking to the furious female. Nohokai was confused -- the two were obviously related, and when he heard the older female ask who he was, he shot a bewildered gaze towards her. "I'm Nohokai," he grouched softly, eyebrows raised. "I am Sabbia's mate."
"She would have said something to her family if she had a mate. And she hasn't said anything," Feana said, moving closer to the two and snorting. What she really wanted to say was that Nohokai was way too old for her baby sister.
"I didn't say anything to you about it, Feana, because you'd react like this. Mother, father, and everyone knows...." If they approved or not, she wasn't too sure, but they had reacted positively to the news, so Sabbia liked to assume they did. "Nohokai, this is Feana. She's my sister..." She gave him a look as if to say now you see why I didn't introduce you? Still, she knew her sister wasn't going to let her go. She was in trouble with Feana and she knew it. Her ears lowered as she heard her sister's growl.
Feana had stopped and bristled at her sister's words. "Everyone else knew about it but me? How is that for family trust?" Her blue eyes looked to Nohokai with mistrust. Of course she wouldn't trust him. She'd just met the guy and learned a huge big secret that involved him. "......how long have you two been together?"
Sabbia sighed and leaned against Nohokai, already exhausted with this conversation. She'd let him answer that one.
Nohokai really didn't like the way that Feana was acting towards Sabbia, but he didn't want to speak out of turn. He knew this would have to be handled delicately. If Feana had a problem with Nohokai, he didn't want to make it worse. Gently nuzzling Sabbia's ear, he looked at Feana for a moment before speaking to her. "I befriended Sabbia when she was young -- she was one of the first lions in the pride I met when I joined. When she grew to a proper age, I asked her to become my mate. She agreed." He gestured towards the bracelet that Sabbia wore on her ankle. "I crafted this gift for her as a token of my affection and a promise of my dedication to her and to us. She accepted my proposal, and so it was." It was really that simple to Kai. Nothing about his relationship with Sabbia confused him. It was the purest and most uncomplicated thing in the world.
All Feana could do was watch and listen. Seeing how he acted with Sabbia wasn't at all like how she acted toward Cit. ....Even if Cit left for long periods of time, leaving Feana completely alone and utterly miserable. Everytime he came back, though, Feana was all over him with affection. So, she eased up a bit and nodded, but she frowned at him. ".....Right. So.... ... If you're mates, why doesn't she live with you?" It wasn't said menacingly or hatefully. She was mearly curious. Feana moved out of the den when she had her first mate. Well... obviously, she came to the pride pregnant. But as soon as she was with Cit, she'd moved in with him.
"...U-uhm.." It didn't really come up in a conversation. And the thought of leaving her mother made her uncomfortable, slightly. "It hasn't... come up," is all she could say about it. And that sounded like a pretty lame excuse to use, but it was the truth! They hadn't talked about it yet. Heck, Sabbia wasn't entirely comfortable in her own skin! How would she cope with being uncomfortable in a new enviornment and in her own skin? "....B-but..."
"When the time is right, that will happen," Nohokai continued. "And when the time is right, we will speak of starting our own family." That hadn't even really come up yet in recent times, but he just wanted to make sure that Feana understood that all would come to pass in due time. He knew how Sabbia was, and he didn't want to rush her at all. He remembered what happened the one time he'd brought up meeting her family and Sabbia had gotten so upset and flustered that he'd not brought it up again. It simply wasn't worth it to see Sabbia so upset. This was the reason he hadn't pushed for her to move into his den with him. He knew his mate loved him, and that was enough for Nohokai, at least for now. Just because she wasn't living with him didn't mean she didn't love him any less, or that she didn't want to be his mate or even live with him eventually. It would happen when she was ready for it to happen, and only then. Nohokai would not push.
With a sigh, the older moved over to Sabbia and licked her forehead and nipped her ear, a rather affectionate gesture on her part. ".. Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone. For now, anyway." Feana smirked and looked to Nohokai critically. "If she comes home crying about you just once, you're gonna be in a world of pain." That's all she said before sauntering off the way she'd come. "I'm going home. Sabbai, be home for supper!"
As Sabbia's purple gaze followed her sister round the bend, she sank down on the rock and sighed deeply, brows knitted. "I-I'm so sorry, Kai.." She said softly. "Feana's..... a pawful to handle..." It was true. Sabbia could take her easily angered, always playing a practical joke sister in small doses. And todays was gone already. She was left exhasted, feeling bad, and not wanting to work on her craft for the first time in a really long time. So, she put it all away like she would do at the end of the day and just laid there in the sun next to her mate. "I really am sorry...."
As fast as she'd come she was gone, and Nohokai exhaled loudly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, love, and neither does your sister. She loves you and is only looking out for you." That much was obvious. "Don't apologize." He grinned softly at her, eyes bright. "It is good to have family that watches out for you, ready to protect you if the need arises." It made him feel more comfortable knowing that she did have a loving family that looked after one another. "Do not let it bother you, Sabbia. I am not bothered by Feana, and I am not bothered by what happened today."
Sabbia would be bothered if it happened. But she had warned Kai before that her family wasn't the easiest in the world to get along with. At least... Feana wasn't. "Feana's.... been the center of trouble for our family for a long time. Since she came to the pride. She was younger than me when she had her first litter... Then she split with their father for some other guy no one approves of.. And he's gone for so long at a time... I see her... flirting with others, too..." If Feana kept this up, the gray and pink lioness was going to be kicked out of the pride. She couldn't begin to count the number of times their mother and Sabbia's father had talks about Feana; about what to do about her. Nothing, of course, was ever done. One couldn't do anything about how Feana grew up with her father. "She's... the only reason... I .... I didn't want you to meet... my family," she said hardly above a whisper. She was so ashamed of her weakness when it came to confrontation. She didn't know how to hold her own and often times folded with the first harsh words.
Nohokai's eyes widened at Sabbia's explanation of her sister. He was utterly glad that Sabbia had no similarities to Feana. He was glad that Sabbia was completely the opposite of her sister. "I have thought hard about it, Sabbia, after our last conversation in regards to me meeting your family." He paused, dipping his head so that he could look into her vibrant eyes. "I am no longer concerned with meeting them, at least not until you are ready. When you are ready, I am sure you will let me know and until that time comes I am content. You make me feel that way." He shrugged, smiling warmly. "Just as I told your sister -- things will happen when you are ready for them to happen."
Sabbia nodded and looked up at him. She realized that luck had smiled on her the day he'd chosen her. Nohokai eased her throughts with a few heartfelt worlds and gentle smiles. He was so very good for her. Feana saw it, that's why she went away like she did. In a way, she was glad Feana caught them. "....The rest of my family is easy to meet," she said, nodding. "...I'll set up a meeting day?" Her inquirey was quiet but Sabbia knew he heard it. Only then did she move over to Kai and nuzzle under his chin, purring slowly.
"That sounds fine," Kai rumbled, loudly purring at her gentle affections. She was so perfect for him, his Sabbia, and he knew that with time she'd grow more comfortable with herself. Nohokai was a patient lion, and he'd never rush her. "I look forward to meeting them on that day." Until then, he thought to himself, he'd be perfectly content spending time with her like he always did.
