He's well past his prime, he thinks.
Sadiki's watched his family grow beyond his reach, only occasionally hearing whispers of an addition to this tree he's near the roots of. The branches are many, strong and ever-growing. But still, he's terribly lonely. The only child of his that ever comes to speak to him has finally found her love, her heart. And the visits decrease in number as a result.
It's alright. He wants his kin to be happy, after all.
"What about yourself, hm, old man~?" The teasing voice of the younger stallion frequently shook him from his musings. Today was no different.
Coyotl certainly lives up to his name, being a trickster in nearly every sense of the word and making Sadiki's solitary life...interesting, to say the least. There was a certain aura that followed the pawed male around, and Sadiki couldn't really decide if he enjoyed it, or found it unsettling.
Still, Coyotl hadn't caused much trouble, except to tangle his tail while he slept a few times. And somehow tinged his drinking pond pink. And replaced the sweet apples he had picked with painted onions. And....Okay, so maybe Coyotl was a bit more a of a pest than Sadiki wanted to admit. It could have been easy to declare the male a pest and a nuisance, chase him off, scar up his pretty little hide with bites and kicks...
"I'm content." Sadiki replied, shocking Coyotl into raising his head in shock.
"...Huh? He speaks? He has an answer...?" Sounding shocked at first, Coyotl quickly and smoothly slid his teasing lilt back into his words, leaning in close to the older stallion, nearly brushing muzzles. "Content, you say?" He grinned, showing his unusually sharp teeth. "Where's the fun in contentment, old man?"
"Fun enough. Y'may find it yourself one day, Coy. " Per their usual song and dance these days, Sadiki stayed still. In encounters during their early days, Sadiki would have leaned away, flinching. Being so close was near intimacy, and after losing his first mate, had found that it frightened him.
But Coyotl was persistent. Personal space was something made up after all, and those who insisted on it were so fun to rile up. Especially when it came to Sadiki, he was so...interesting.
"Maybe I will." Coyotl replied after a moment, finally leaning back to look at the setting sun. A familiar sight at this point, especially from the front of the cavern that Sadiki called his home. When had it come to be so, he wondered vaguely? Interesting...and fun. "Maybe not your brand of contentment, but maybe I'll find my own brand. All I know is it'd be weird if I can't bring you along for the ride on the way."
"...Hmf." Sadiki could only reply with a soft laugh, laying his head back down and closing his eyes. They got more tried much more easily lately.
"....Ya good?" Coyotl asked, staring down at his....friend. Friend? In slight concern "Need to head in soon? It's getting a li'l chilly."
"'m warm enough." Sadiki assured him, and to make sure his point was heard, he rolled over to lean against Coyotl slightly. "Already said it. I'm content, Coy."
He wouldn't say it yet, but as Coyotl looked down at the dozing male beside him, he almost believed that 'contentment' was an attainable thing for him. For the both of them.
Maybe one day they wouldn't be lying to themselves.
