The big grape headed lion had been trying to woo the girl of his dreams for years, but he always felt like his head was filled with fruit because he said the wrong things and tripped over his tongue when he tried. She was beautiful, luscious black coat, perfectly white markings, she was fast and a good hunter too. She was friends with many of the females in his family, if only he could convince her to be his.
Zabibu sat staring out at the watering hole dreaming and thinking, how if only he had her they would be together forever and make perfect, strong cubs. He was so phased out that he couldn’t have heard anyone approaching. His eyes half lidded he continued to dream. It was dark and the smell of wet earth surrounded him.
Thea wasn’t dumb, she knew that her friend had, had a crush on her since she was in her teenage years and he was just a kid. She was a little sweet on him, but he never seemed to have the right words to say, he would never sweep her off her paws and make her heart stop. As she aged she still pined for that moment of love. She was a proficient huntress and was able to do many things to be helpful to her pride, so why hadn’t her Prince Charming appeared.
She was up restless walking along the watering hole, half hoping that Demeter would have the same insomnia she did. Demeter loved the water. Thea paused spotting Zab and chuckled, wondering why he was awake as well.
“Hello, Zabibu.” She said quietly padding up and sitting beside him. He was sitting so close to the watering hole something could come up and bite his toes.
Zab jumped started and leaned backwards away from the water. He wasn’t prepared for the lady of his dreams to meet him while he was, well, dreaming! He turned toward her a dopey smile on his face.
“H-hello, Thea.” He smiled awkwardly, “I was uh..just looking out at the fish and thinking.” Oh you’re such an idiot Zab, why are you being so dumb, just tell her something nice.
“Your eyes look really pretty at night.” Yeah, that’s going to woo the girl. He beat himself up thinking. She was so strikingly beautiful and he felt so inferior to her. He had loved her since he was just a kid following around Demeter and Thea, the paling around with Makkai. He really thought she was something.
Thea had always thought she’d find some large mysterious lion and he would whisk her away and then they would return to her wonderful family with cubs and happiness. She never thought she would be this old and the only mate prospect would be Zabibu. At times she wondered if she was too hard on him, but really, she didn’t think she was, he was kind and a decent hunter.
The black lioness chuckled when she startled him.
“Is that what you were thinking?” She gave him a cheeky grin, “about fish and my beautiful eyes?”
“Uh..no-no,” Zabibu back tracked and frowned. Why could he never say the wonderful things he felt for her? He felt he would never make her love him the way he loved her, and at times he felt slightly bitter about that. Like she constantly teased him and waited to see how he would react.
“Just like the watering hole, especially at night..so I was lost in thought. Why are you up so late?”
Thea felt bad teasing him the way she did and she frowned too sitting next to him.
“I couldn’t sleep, thought I would take a walk, imagine my surprise running into a you, purple head.” She teased, this time playfully and hoping it would lighten the mood, “I was going to see if Demeter was out and about like she usually is.” Thea and Demeter had been best friends since they were cubs, and they usually knew where to find one another. She knew Zab was related to Demeter, but that was such a large family it was hard to tell, somewhere in there they were distant cousins.
“Do you ever think about leaving here and seeing the world?” She asked that quietly almost in a conspiratorial tone.
Oh, of course she was going to be looking for Demeter, the two were inseparable and they took pleasure in teasing him together. He sat quietly listening to her and smelling her close to him. Taken aback he physically started when she spoke of leaving. He wouldn’t dream of ever leaving here. There were hunting grounds, water, and all of the vast amount of family that he had, why would he ever leave?
“I don’t feel there is any reason to leave, Thea, are you going to leave?” he asked nervously. What if she did? He’d have to find someone else to bestow all of his affection..and that could be awhile, there were so many lions in the pride.
Thea exhaled sharply and laughed, “I’d leave if it meant adventure, a daring lion, and something to do!” Demeter had given birth to Makkai and that was the most adventurous thing either one of them had ever done...and that was truly Demeter’s story.
“If there was anything exciting here, I think I would stay!” She was suddenly angry, suddenly upset that her only prospects in this life were setting for Zab in this boring little pride.
“I should go, Zab, before I say something mean about you, purple head.” She groaned and could feel heat coming off of herself in her anger.
Zab felt as if she had ripped out his heart and stepped on it..boring pride, adventurous male taking her away. That’s all he needed to hear while he was busy day dreaming away about their future. His soul suddenly hurt and tears stung his eyes.
“Go then. I guess that’s that. I pinned after you for too long, and you never wanted me. I have always been good, always been kind.” He kicked a paw splashing into the water and turned from her.
Thea shut her eyes and turned from him sulking away in her anger. How dare he tell her off. He was the one wasting his time, she wanted bigger and better things.