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Moose:
It had been a little while since the cubs had found their footing and no longer needed constant tending that Sandalphon pondered a vocation. Fitting in wasn’t easy when one barely remembered anything past their name, but it was pleasing to discover that he was a quick study. Sandalphon had busied himself with tending to the cubs, and learning the pride’s laws right along side them. Even while they slept he ran over facts; his learning had bordered obsession, often keeping him up well past normal hours, but the payoff was worth it. He was confident enough to mingle with others without Lari or Aji by his side as a safety net. His lack of memory still bothered him, but Sandalphon was coming to terms with never really knowing who he was before meeting his mates.
When not with them he was sitting in on all the trials he could. It was one such event that Sandalphon was coming home from. He stretched across the threshold, tired but not yet sleepy.
Seaki:
Aji was quietly waiting in the den. His job really ended a lot sooner than everyone elses. He was the only Monk so far, but most of the others simply went to Lari for help or, since the pride was still fairly small, the Monarch. He wasn't miffed. He spent a lot of his time wrangling the rowdy cubs that Lari had birthed. Still, he liked to be home before anyone else, to greet them.
When he heard footsteps approach the den, he stood. So Sandalphon was home first today! He wasn't quite sure where Lari was, but she would turn up eventually. "Welcome home," he greeted his mate with a fond smile.
Moose
It still felt odd to be greeted like he was actually wanted, and that in itself felt odd. Why should it feel weird to have someone be happy he was around? Sandalphon had to ponder on that. Still, that didn’t detract from his instant smile upon seeing his mate. “Glad to be back.” And he was; there was no place like home.
Settling beside Aji, the large lion nuzzled the other males mane. “You’re home early. Slow day?” Sandalphon had meant to go see his mate’s at their respective posts today, but the trials...he was so very easily distracted.
Seaki:
Aji gave a bright smile with the nuzzle, and he returned the affectionate gesture. "Pretty slow, yeah. I closed up early and came home to see you both come home," Aji admitted. He liked being the first home - It gave him a chance to tidy up. He loved making his mates feel welcome, though he was sure the pair could do just fine without him there.
"Come on, you must have had a long day. Why don't we lay down and relax a bit while we wait for Lari?" He suggested. He glanced back to the back of the den where Aji had fluffed up some furs earlier so they would be more comfortable.
Moose:
Aji really was too nice for his own good. Sandalphon remembered referring to him as ‘the warm one’ when he couldn’t put a paw on the right word so many moons ago. Looking towards the back, his light blue eyes sparkled. It didn’t take much to coax him onto the furs, and out came a very relaxed moan. “This feels wonderful.”
Sandalphon moved over so there would be plenty of room for Aji. “They let me sit in on another trial today. Well, a mock trial. There hasn’t been any big cases, just minor disputes, but this time I knew what they were talking about.” It was a proud moment for the ignorant lion. He knew so little these days, so to be able to keep up with the conversation instead of drowning in it was a crowning achievement.
Seaki:
Aji was quite pleased when Sandalphon moaned. He was sure that the silver lion had a long day - he didn't understand anything about trials or anything... He was sure that Sand knew more about the pride than he did.
"That's great!" He grinned though. "Did you have a nice day, then?" He asked. There were always good and bad days, especially with both of his mates and their past memory loss. The bad days were becoming further in between the good days though, so Aji counted it as a plus. They were still all settling into their roles after all. He was more a story-teller than a monk, though.
Moose
Smiling broadly, Sandalphon nodded to his darker lover. “I did. I spoke with a soldier, I think her name was Tsubaki, and found we have common strategy theories.” It was so nice just to be able to talk to others. His good days were far outweighing the bad which left him a little freer to pursue his interests.
“Would you like to come with me tomorrow? I would like to try training with her....but I am unsure.” Sandalphon looked at his paws. “She said I had the build of a warrior, but I can never remember fighting and I don’t want to hurt anyone. But maybe that is what I was before? I would very much like for you to be there to help me should things...come back.”
Seaki:
Aji listened avidly to his mate’s tale of the day so far. “Well, you’ve always got tonight to think about if you want to do it or not,” he told Sandalphon. “If you feel up to it, I’d say go for it. You can always reschedule if you’re not,” he gave his silver-winged mate a warm smile, accepting whatever the other male wanted to do.
“I’ll come with you though, either way. I think it would be fun to spend the day with you,” that was just exciting. There were only their harem’s cubs in the pride at the moment, and a litter of another - but he figured they were too young for stories, and his own children thought they were too old. He had nothing to really do for the day, but even if he did he could always shift some things around.
Moose:
Sandalphon nodded. “True. I’ll think it over and ask Lari what she thinks as well.” He wanted to busy his paws with something and now that their harem’s cubs were too old in their minds for a father who hovered he felt that urge more strongly.
“We could go to the training, if I decide to go through with it, and then....whatever one does with a mate when they have the day free.” He shrugged, smiling despite the embarrassing warmth on his cheeks. “I haven’t really had much alone time with either of you since before the cubs were born,” And really, that hadn’t been much quality bonding. Between Lari’s memory loss, his own, and the fact that cubs were right around the corner there hadn’t been much in the way of “alone” time. Not that Sandalphon would have known what to do with it.
“Aji..” Turning to his darker mate, Sandalphon awkwardly turned his gaze back to the ground. “Thank you for taking me in. I know I’ve been little more than a burden to you both, but I really don’t know where I’d be without you. You’ve been such a blessing to me.”
Seaki:
"I'm sure we could figure out something to do when we're alone," Aji gave a wide grin. He wasn't sure Sand would understand, but he had to comment anyhow. He nuzzled the silver male again, continuing to grin even as he hid his face.
"You're both wonderful," he told Sandalphon after a moment. "I would be lost without you both - you two saved me, and I don't know what I would do without you," he told his mate honestly. He felt a pain in his chest every time he thought about his life without his mates. It felt like a tree was slowly crushing the life out of him.
"Hopefully we'll get more alone time, soon - you, me, and Lari, hmm?"
Moose:
Of course Sandalphon didn’t get the meaning right away. It took him a full moment, and when he did his grin was tinged with the awkwardness of a young boy. Were he a cheetah he would have purred as he lifted his head, giving Aji better access for his nuzzling.
The honesty that came from his mate was both shocking and heart warming. He had never once thought that he and Lari had been Aji’s saviors; it had always been reversed. It made him feel needed, and that he liked. “I think I would enjoy that very much.”