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Aquapuga looked over at the voice and cringed a bit. He was sleep deprived as heck from taking care of cubs, and did not know if he could deal with this lioness. What was she saying, something about flowers... flowers. Oh, right, the flowers. He actually had been on his way back from the roguelands when he found the six cubs, so he had the flowers. He just had not found the time to get them to the lioness. Strangely enough, he'd actually gotten LIVE flowers for her. That were in a bucket inside his den, where the six cubs were currently napping.

"Yes, I did get you flowers... I will have to get them out of the den. I was able to bring back some living ones using a bucket that has a hole in it. It is in my den... but we would have to be very quiet if I get it for you." Aquapuga did not know if the female knew about his adopted cubs or not, likely she did since she tended to get involved in everybody's business. Of course if she did hear, she likely was oh so amused by the fact that at least one lioness had offered to take the cubs and he had rather forcefully refused to give them up. Elsa had even defended his right to keep them since he found them, saved their lives, and was doing a decent job at caring for them.

Aquapuga was a bit proud of himself really. The cubs were coming around. Yes some of them had attitude problems, but they had been abandoned by their mother. Nobody knew if the lioness had left them to get food, and something ill had happened to her or if she had purposefully abandoned them. As such, Aquapuga could not really tell them that she HADN'T abandoned them. Such things did lead to attitude problems. He just dealt with them and showed them that he would protect them. It was the way things had to be.

Aquapuga should not have found it quite so amusing that the lioness nearly fell on her nose. It wasn't "nice" to find amusement in another's pain, but that part of him that took after his mother was quite amused and wished she had actually fallen. The part of him that liked this lioness enough to call her a friend, was happy she did not fall. The leopon sighed and shook himself a little, wishing that things were simple to explain to this lioness. He knew she meant well, but some of her questions, really made him wonder.

"I do not know if one should call them cute, they might get egos. There are six of them and they would not look like snow because they were found there or because their mother ate it. They do resemble me, which is very odd since they are lion cubs and not possible to be mine by blood." Aquapuga did find it a little disturbing just how much they resembled him. He also thought it might be why he had found it so easy to become attached to them. Oh well, they were his now and he was not going to let anyone harm them.

"Please don't talk too loudly. I may be tired, but I am not deaf. I can think of some things a pretty female could do to keep me awake, but none of them are appropriate in this situation." Aquapuga probably should not have said that out loud. Hmm, he was going to have to either apologize later, or just blame it on sleep deprivation and confusion. He could do that right? Maybe, she might believe him, even if most would not be convinced. He really should watch what he said to her, or she might get ideas about him that were bad.

"It is possible, but the markings look more like my mother whom is a leopard. These are lion cubs." Aquapuga watched the lioness with his tired eyes and started toward his den. "Come along, Pekee, we'll have to get those flowers for you." The worst that she would do is wake the cubs, but they had a nanny right now so all would be fine that way anyway. "Try to be quiet." He would address the swimming thing in a bit. It took only a few moments to get to the den and Aquapuga sneaked in, grabbed the bucket, and was back out in a few moments. He moved away from the den to cut down the noise the cubs would hear before showing Pekee the vibrantly colored flowers growing in the bucket.

Aquapuga put the bucket down carefully. "You have to keep them in your den for them to stay alive, and they need water brought to them every day. You will have to let the water warm up a bit before putting it on them. They would freeze and die otherwise." The leopon had to wonder about himself. He was giving this lioness flowers that he had gone and searched out for her, he did not attack her for her naive and annoying ways. He even spoke to her about the cubs even though she would spread everything he said all over the pride. Perhaps he liked her more than he thought?

Aquapuga pushed those thoughts aside as he watched Pekee for her reaction to the flowers. "I did not mean swimming earlier... I apologize for what I was implying. Even if you may not have understood it, I was suggesting you and I engage in mating activities." Perhaps she would get it this time. If she hated him for it and blew up at him that would make it easier. If she HATED him, he could go back to finding her annoying and not think about things like her being pretty or such.

Aquapuga gave a small smile at the excitement of the lioness, sparing a glance back to the den to make sure that the cubs would be alright. Nanny or not, he did not take chances with their wellbeing. When he heard no sounds of stirring, he decided they must be fine and sighed. He would have to upset the lioness. She might think she was convincing, with her laughter, but he knew better. The chatty lioness had gone quiet in an awkward way. He would have to make it up to her.

"Perhaps it was meant as a joke at the time, but it was not meant to be an insulting joke. I think of you as a friend, Pekee, and you ARE pretty. You exasperate me at times, but I still like your company." The more he thought about it, the more Aquapuga realized he DID like being around this lioness. It was weird, but he did not want her to stop talking to him or stop being his friend. His friends within the pride, at least so far, were more like family.

Aquapuga looked down at his paws for a moment. She liked being around him at least. That had to be worth something, right? "I am not nice... but I am trying to change." It was the truth. Elsa was helping, and he had gotten some advice from his stepfather as well. He was making strides, and made a few friends now. Of course the friends were one thing, but then there were the cubs in his den too. He was doing a lot of trying, but he was not sure he was really succeeding.

"Others are right, if they think I am mean. I am glad you do not think so, neither does Elsa, but that is because you are both just too kind to see the truth." He turned and went into his den, not even sure if she had caught all his words on her way out. Ah well, let her think what she would, perhaps she would see just how much he liked her, perhaps she would just think he was a mean leopon. He was half afraid she would not return to see him, but he refused to stay out there and make a fool of himself over these weird feelings he got around the lioness. He had cubs to care for.