Zana beamed as she headed into the den she shared with her beloved. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news! Spying him Zana slunk up behind him with a giggle. "Evening my love. Say Kimya...Do I look any different?" She pranced around him, tickling him with her tail. Well she did look fatter, maybe she had been eating too much?
Kimya shivered under her touch, and moved to pad away from it, but also to get a better look at her. His response was to puff out his cheeks, and put a paw to his stomach. Was she happy that she was getting bigger? Why would she be happy about that?
Her jaw dropped open as she gave an outraged squeal then slapped his shoulder scowling, " I am -not- fat you big lughead!" Huffing she sat down with her back to him, the tip of her tail twitching with irritation. Inwardly she was hurt that he could even think of calling her fat! She wasn't fat! She was radiant! That big jerk!
Kimya jerked back with a scowl, absently rubbing his shoulder. He flicked his ears back, nodding towards her. Then what the hell was she the-? Oh. OH. The realization was visible. His entire body relaxed, and his face shined with fear.
She was still sulking her back to him. How dare he say she was fat! Laying her ears back she turned her head to yell at him only to pause seeing the fear on his face. "Kimya?" Concern quickly replaced the anger she had felt.
One side of his mouth started twitching as he slowly opened his mouth, only to close it again before showing clear signs of hyperventilation. He could just barely hear what she said. It sounded like she was far away, in a tunnel somewhere, because he couldn't see her as clearly now.
Zana mutter a dark oath as she hurried to his side, "Breath baby, come on breath. It's ok Kimya." She licked his cheek and mane trying to calm him down. "Easy handsome."
Kimya forcibly took a deep breath, and lowered his head down to the ground. She hadn't said anything yet, so maybe he was just over-reacting. That was what his natural self was telling him, but the ever-present healer was saying otherwise. When he'd calmed down enough to look up at her, he passed her a queasy smile.
She sighed bumping her head against his, " Kimya, we have talked about this. I am not your mother and you are defiantly not." She licked his forehead with a tender hum, "You know I would never hurt you and I would most certainly never hurt our cubs."
If she thought she was helping, she wasn't. Kimya had dropped down to the ground completely now with his head laying lazily between his paws. When she mentioned his mother, he shook his head, leaning in closer to her. It wasn't his mother he was thinking of. More like the general shock of being a first time parent PERIOD. Though, now that he thought about it...
She frowned then bit the tip of his ear rather hard, not to hurt him but more to shock him back to his sense.
Kimya yelped and jerked his head up. He gave her a hard look before rubbing his ear. This could be...problematic. The doubty lion saw flaws in everything this adventure would take them, but the biggest one was the fact that he had agreed. But first....Kimya pointed to her stomach, then the sky, his way of asking how long she'd known.
"You back with me now?" She arched a brow waiting for him to nod before sighing. "A few days, I wanted to be sure before I said anything."
Kimya's eyes traveled out across the sands, and in his mind's eye, he could see them. Little blue and white bundles of dependency. What if he screwed up? What if they started asking him questions he couldn't answer? Literally.
A soft lick was brushed against his muzzle as Zana smiled down at him, "Kimya, I know you are scared. I am too...but I can't do this without you." She nuzzled her face into his mane with a soft sigh.
Kimya brushed up against her, nodding softly. He turned his head up to lick the tip of her nose with a smile, one filled with more hope than before. There was no way he was going to give anything less than his best from now on, but he was scared, but really, what new parent wasn't?
"C'mere," She smiled moving so he could lay his head on her stomach. It was still early but if he listened hard he would likely be able to hear fast, high pitched little heartbeats. "Amazing isn't it?" She couldn't hear them of course, she was just amazed at the idea there was life growing inside her.
He moved over to lay his head on her stomach, instinctively knowing where to move his head to hear them. At first he was shocked, but then he smiled, and nodded. It WAS amazing. Really amazing. Somewhere inside of his mate were little cubs that he had helped create, and someday soon, he'd get to meet them. And it- Kimya jumped up, surprised when he felt a kick near his ear.
She chuckled softly, "They just started that a few hours ago." Her eyes were bright with love as she looked at him. Zana had never imagined finding someone she would want to spend the rest of her life with, much less risk the curse of her blood to have a family with...and yet here he was.
Kimya looked down at his mate, in all her pregnant glory, and couldn't resist nuzzling her maw with his own. These were the last few days they would spend as a couple before becoming a family, and while he was going to miss the silence, he was ready to start fresh. Of course, now someone had to tell Runako.
(word 1010)
