Welcome to Gaia! ::

The male leaned against the tree of the pretty little spot
he called theirs. It was beautiful at night, the moon shining on the large pond
of water. The stars shining around as if the night had diamonds in a blanket of sapphires.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the scenery. The air was warm, even though
the sun was not up to warm the area anymore. They had snuck out again, likely to the dismay
of father should he find out, but he didnt give a damn anymore.

"God, why cant every night be like right now? Right here?" He asked, opening his lime green eyes
to look at the yellow female that had taken to being by his side most every moment of the day.
She was so beautiful. She was everything he ever wanted and yet he felt like he was nothing
she could ever need.
She was like the wind...She was so far out of his league.

"Im glad we came out here tonight."

"Mmhmm," she replied, far too comfortable to even move. The night was perfect, the full moon casting a silvery light over everything. Since she'd met Sixx they'd spent little time away from one another, sneaking out at every opportunity. This was no different. She was utterly and completely happy, blissfully so. They'd not made any declarations of love, but Jini had been asking about what one would have to do in order to claim a mate as their own.

"Sixx, we need to talk," she started, eyes still closed. She wouldn't open them yet... it was far too easy to have a serious, heartfelt conversation with them closed, at least for now.

He was enjoying her presence, reveling in the ideas that ran
through his head of things they could do the next day, and the day after.
Until she spoke.

He blinked, looking a little nervous. He was terrified of what theyd need
to talk about. Normally, from experience, that was the worst line anyone
could say. He had no experience with it personally, but he had heard from
others.

"About what?" He asked, laying down next to her and laying his head on his paws, eyes still
ticked over in her direction.

Jini had been resting on her back, and when he answered her, she flopped to her side and stared at his form in the pale light of the moon. He sounded worried, and hell, she was worried too. She never thought she'd have to fight someone to lay claim to them. And with Sixx not having a mother, Jini wondered who she'd have to strike down in order to claim Sixx as her mate.

"I've been asking around in the pride," she started. Jini had rehearsed this speech over and over again until it sounded just right in her mind. It wasn't coming out as easily as she'd planned. Words were jumbled too easily. "Since you don't have a mom, who do I duel? I mean," she grunted, wrinkling her nose, "I don't have a dad or a mom here, so who do YOU duel." If he made her spell it out, she would thwap him a good one, she swore she would

"What I'm tryin' to say is," she started to sound cranky now, "I want to be your mate and I just need to know who I have to fight."

He watched her roll onto her side, and he continued gazing at her.
Bright green eyes nervous, yet gleaming with hope that it wouldnt be
a conversation he'd regret asking about.
She began talking of fighting, and his brow wrinkled. What was she talking
about? Why would she have to fight? And more importantly, even if he had a mother,
why would she have to fight her? He snorted a little, thinking deeply. Finally it hit
him.. He realized why she had been asking those questions. He perked his head, his eyes
clearly surprised by her exclamation of wanting him to be her mate. Of course he wanted
to! Though the fact that she had asked first eased his nerves about the subject.

"I..I.. I dont think we fight anyone." He said with a soft smile. He scooted closer, putting his paw
ontop of hers. Sure it was more mushy than the pride really liked, but he didnt give a damn.
This was his life. HIS.

"I, want to be your mate too. But..But before I say yes, theres something you should know."
He said, gulping and feeling his heart flutter in his chest. His stomach was a mix of unease
and anxiety and he almost wanted to throw up.

That made her feel better, it really did. She hadn't been looking forward to fighting one of his sisters, and she especially hadn't been looking forward to fighting Roth. No, she'd stay a million miles away from that one. She really didn't want to ever have to be in a situation where she felt cornered by him. Jini wasn't as big as some of the others in their pride, but she was smart and cunning, not that it would help her in a fight against a big burly demon lion.

When he rested his paw on hers, she giggled softly. Of course he wanted to be her mate. They'd been inseparable since they'd met. She knew he cared about her as much as she cared about him. It seemed only natural that they admit to their feelings and let everyone else know how they felt about one another as well.

But there was something in his eyes, something that scared her. Something that made her feel on edge. When he said that there was something she should know, all the possible scenarios went rapidly through her mind and she didn't like any of them. "What?" was all she could say.

He gulped, and looked her dead in the eyes. If he was going to say this,
he was going to man-up and tell her while looking at her. He wouldnt look away.
He needed to see her reaction. He took a deep breath.

"Well.."He started, and tried to find the right words to say it. He hadnt been
planning on telling her, but it wouldnt be right if he said yes to her, and then
never told her..Never let her know that he couldnt be the demon she wanted.

"Jini..I wont be going on a name quest.." He responded, looking at his paws, then back
at her eyes.

"I.. Have no demon. Im not evil, Im not twisted and dark like my father. Somethings wrong
with me, and I have no anger inside of me. Im no demon Jini..Im just a phoney."
He sighed.

Jini wasn't sure how to respond to that. She had always known that there was something different about her Sixx, that he wasn't like the lions that they lived with.. that he wasn't like her. With him, she felt as carefree and happy as a normal lion would. Without him, she had a dark side, once kept so hidden and now revered and cherished. She would never hurt her Sixx, but the thought that he had no demon, well... that seemed dangerous to her.

"No demon?" she echoed, looking confused. Maybe he just wasn't aware of his demon? She hadn't been for the longest time, not until she'd had a heart to heart with Balia, and another with Tavar. She wasn't sure what else to say. "Does.. does your father know?"

He knew it..He had ruined it. He had confided in her and ruined
her desire to be with him. Damn it.. He knew that something was wrong
with him. No wonder Roth used him for what he did. He had no other uses,
and even father must have seen through his feeble mask.
He would have cried had he not felt it would make him look weak, but a look
of sadness did cross his features, and he stood up.
He looked at his reflection in the water and growled at it, swatting it away until
his face was just color and ripples.

"No.. and he can never know otherwise Id be killed Im sure." He said with a sigh. He couldnt
bring himself to look at Jini again. The reaction and surprise in her features having broken his
heart. She couldnt help it though! She had always thought him to be something else. And now he was showing
his true colors.

"I understand how this would make you change your mind, Jini. Im sorry I hid it from you for so long.
Im sorry that I cant be what you want."

Now she was really confused. Rising to her feet she padded over to him and took a seat next to him, curling her tail around her paws. He was acting stupid. What did he mean, he couldn't be what she wanted? He was everything she wanted! He always would be, it didn't matter that he had no demon. Had they met under different circumstances, he would understand that. But now... now he was just talking nonsense, and that kind of irritated Jini. Actually, that irritated Jini a LOT. So much that she wanted to stick his head under the water they sat next to.

"Sixx," she began, rage obvious in her voice. The more she thought about it, the more she grew furious. Did he really think she was that shallow and stupid? Did he really think he wasn't worthly of her love and affection? Without a second thought she lifted a paw and thudded it upside his head -- unless he moved at the last second, that is. It wouldn't hurt, as her claws were sheathed, and was more of a 'stop being so stupid' action.

"Shut up, Sixx, before you make me really angry," she warned, her voice thick with tears. She wouldn't cry, no. She might kick his a**, but she wouldn't cry.

He saw her get angry and instantly he was mad at himself all over again. Years of having been rejected
had made him feel completely useless. Why had he thought that of her though? She had never been anything but kind
to him. If she had a demon, well her demon apparently loved him too.
He looked up, smiling softly at her, until she flung a paw and clocked him in the back of the head. He blinked in surprise
and his paw flew to rub the back of his head.

"Im sorry. I really am. I just figured that I wasnt exactly what a demoness would want to consider a mate. Im sorry Jini.
Please forgive me, please dont cry."
He said, and by the end of the sentence he was speaking quickly. He turned and nuzzled her cheek and neck in a desperate attempt
to lessen her anger, and her tears. It was her sadness that pulled at his heart.

"Im an idiot sometimes." He whispered in her ear.

Jini nipped at his ear when he nuzzled her, a gruff purr rumbling up from her chest. "You are my Sixx, and I don't care if you have a demon. I will never tell anyone," she said with fervor, wanting him to understand that she spoke the truth and that this oath would be one she took with her to her grave.

"Perhaps I see something in you that not even you see. When I am near you, I am happy. I think this means that my demon desires you, as well." The words felt odd coming from her mouth. She never thought she'd have what her sister had found in Sungura, or what Balia saw in her father, of all lions in the world. Jini sniffled petulantly before turning a worried look to Sixx.

"We can't let your father ever find out," she said in hushed tones.

His heart skipped a beat whenever she spoke to him. She said such beautiful things that he
couldnt hide the smile that began forming on his mouth. Pulling back enough to look into her eyes,
he spoke.

"I am your Sixx.. I will forever be yours, and you shall forever be mine. Ill love your demon
as well, as she is nothing more than another form of you." He said, and realized that he sounded
horridly cheesy. He grinned at the thought, and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"I love you Jini.. you are my everything. Since the day I met you I knew that I loved you.."
He said, trying to make her feel how she had made him feel.

"No." He said, a little more alert and wideeyed.

"Father can never find out. No one can. Its between you, and I."

That he had such a burden to bear, that made Jini so sad. Her heart wrenched when she thought about it. Having to lie about his nonexistant demon, having to fear for his life if anyone should find out... it was wrong. His words made her realize that she was his happiness, she was his everything -- he said it himself -- and knowing that she had the power to make him so happy... knowing that he accepted her for what she was despite the fact that he had no demon, well... she would give anything for him and his terrible secret. She would give her life for him. She knew her demon agreed.

"I love you, Sixx," she said, voice wavering with the emotion that clogged her throat. Perhaps he was why she'd been drawn to this pride. Her demon had been trying to show her that this was where she belonged. In this place, with him.