[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

As Umeme waited for Muroki to join her, she caught him staring at her. Giggling at his embarrassment at being caught, she moved her body to give him a better view just for fun, especially as Muroki became even more embarrassed, if such a thing were possible. When he came over, she whispered into his ear, "You know, I do remember promising that I owe you one. I am thinking... today might be a good day to make good on that promise." Nuzzling Muroki once more, this time it was her turn to purr at the contact. "I think you will like that."

At the back of her mind, she knew that they will need to find someone to watch over their cubs first, but she didn't want reality to ruin the moment for now. Knowing that there would be time to think about that later, and figure out the logistics of it, Umeme allowed herself to enjoy the morning with her mate as the two of them lay side by side at the entrance of the cave, watching the sun slowly begin to rise above the horizon.

[TheWhistlerify]

Quickly making his way over to his mate, Muroki felt his cheeks become redder than ever before when she teased him even further by providing him with a better view. There could no longer be any doubt that he'd been busted. He did his best not to blush even harder as she then whispered into his ear, but it would be an absolute lie to say that he wasn't almost relieved to hear her suggestion.

Well, how was he supposed to not react that way? They were mates for one thing and, secondly, Umeme really knew just how to tease him when she really wanted to. His confidence returning to him as they nuzzled and as the embarrassment from just a moment ago began to fade away, he grinned as they laid side by side. "You think?" he asked as he gently pushed her onto her side, placing one foreleg over her side and the other around her shoulders as he licked her across her muzzle.

Now that he was thinking about it, the amount of time they actually spent watching either the sunrise, sunset or stars whenever they decided to supposedly do so was very little. Inching closer to his mate, he grinned wider and licked her again. "You really enjoyed yourself just now, didn't you?" He knew she did, so the question was rather pointless to begin with.

Although, he was probably the one to blame for most of these. Getting caught staring like that? Sometimes it was like he was just asking for it. "But you can't blame me." he added jokingly, pulling her closer to him. "I'd like to see you in my place with a mate like you to gaze at all day." Having supposedly made his point, Muroki chuckled quietly to himself and started to tenderly nibble and lick her neck. He knew she liked it when he did that, and the closeness was something neither one of them minded even when their son and daughter were always interrupting.

[DGFone]

"What? Do I not have the right to enjoy myself?" Umeme asked playfully as Muroki pulled her close and began to lick the back of her neck, something that he hadn't done in a while now. "It's way too easy to forget how great these moments are when the cubs are asleep," she muttered dreamily, enjoying the contact, "while I love them with all my heart, sometimes they can get a bit... much, don't you agree?"

Of course she knew that Muroki agreed with her, otherwise he wouldn't be so for the idea of taking a day off. For that matter, even Delano and Lina do that, and they only have one cub to look after. Mornings like this one were one of the few moments when Muroki and Umeme could enjoy not having to hold back their feelings, but more often than not, these moments would be interrupted by one or both of the playful little furballs.

Hearing paw-steps behind them, Umeme turned her head to look, expecting to have to start to take care of the cubs, but was surprised to see that it wasn't Marini or Ubawa. "Well look who's walking around again," she greeted Delano quietly, feeling slightly embarrassed at being found like this with Muroki, but also somewhat grateful that it wasn't one of their cubs, who would instantly complain about it.

Delano had gotten up to get a drink, leaving a sleeping Lina behind as he limped outside, not expecting to find Umeme and Muroki. At first, he thought of simply turning back around and returning to Lina's side, but for some reason, the effort of doing that seemed like too much. It had taken a lot from him just to get up and get this far, so to have it all go to waste didn't sit right with him, so he hoped to simply sneak past Umeme and his brother, but he clearly failed at that. In hindsight, turning around would have been the smart thing to do.

"I uh, was simply going to get water..." he muttered sheepishly, and was about to try to get away as fast as he could before he hesitated. "Hey, I overheard about you two wanting to, well... do something together," he wasn't sure sure who was more embarrassed now, him for overhearing that, or them for being caught, "...it's just that... Lina and I can watch over Marini and Ubawa if you want. We won't mind."

Truth be told, he really didn't want to watch over three cubs. While he had escaped being woken up screaming from a nightmare, his night was mostly spent awake and in a rather bad mood. The only reason why he was volunteering to get the cubs off Muroki's and Umeme's backs was that he was hoping that it would at least distract him during the day, and more importantly for him, he really wanted Muroki to get better. After talking to his brother the day before, Delano hadn't felt entirely convinced that he got Muroki to calm down, and he was dreading what would happen if his brother remained in that mindset. All too aware of how unstable he had gotten from a lot of stress, as well as just how useless he was right now, Delano was willing to take on extra load if it meant that Muroki would return to normal.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki chuckled as he carried on with his display of affection. "Of course you have the right to enjoy yourself at my humiliating expense." he said, his tone suggesting that something like this was obvious. At the end of the day, he didn't have a problem with this sort of teasing. Quite the contrary, in fact. Sometimes it was very much appreciated. "You always do."

There could be no argument about what she was saying, though. He loved Marini and Ubawa with all his heart, but taking care of two cubs simultaneously was a very handy task. "Yeah, they're quite a pawful, these two..." For hairballs so small, they sure were difficult to handle from time to time. "But I love them very much." he added. "They're perfect, just like their mother."

He was about to say something else and take the conversation in a more flirtatious direction when Umeme cut him short, greeting Delano who turned out to be standing behind them. Blinking a few times, the lion felt too relieved that the words hadn't left his mouth in order to get embarassed at Delano clearly knowing just what the two of them were planning to do as soon as they found some private spot.

And, before Muroki's mind was able to process everything in order for his face to turn completely red, his brother then offered to keep an eye on their son and daughter for them. He'd obviously already thought that they would need to find someone to watch over the fluffs, but Delano and Lina didn't really come to mind, what with him still recovering and with Akili to take care of on top of that.

Seeing how he'd walked to the entrance of the royal den on his own, there could be no doubt that Delano was getting better at a promising rate. But his brother still felt unsure as to whether they should burden him and Lina with two more cubs for an entire day. "Are you sure?" he asked. "We can always ask someone else..." Their in laws or even their aunt and uncle had helped them out in that regard more than once in the past, not to mention that they were all perfectly alright and not recovering from something bad.

[DGFone]

Trying not to sound too hopeful, Delano shrugged at being told that they won't have to watch over the two cubs along with Akili. "Well, if you don't find anyone else, Lina and I can always watch over them." He really didn't want to watch over two more cubs today, but he hoped that that feeling didn't get across from what he said. For all he knew, looking after three cubs could be exactly what he needed to get his mind off things, even if the effort of making sure that three cubs didn't get into trouble was feeling like it would take much more energy than he had at the moment.

Turning towards the waterhole, he resumed his slow limp towards it, leaving Umeme and Muroki alone again. Reaching the water, he lay himself down on the bank and took his time drinking the cool water. Quenching his thirst, he thought of returning to Lina's side, but the slightly moist ground he was on felt so soft, and the walk back would be so long... Closing his eyes, Delano chose to remain by the water and perhaps catch a quick nap, at least for now.

With Delano having left them, Umeme and Muroki now found themselves alone again. While the interruption did ruin the mood somewhat, Umeme didn't feel like it was completely gone. Nuzzling Muroki when she decided that Delano was far away enough, she giggled slightly at noticing that Muroki also seemed eager to resume their flirting. After all, with two cubs around, they only got so many opportunities to do that... "Now, where were we again..?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki gave his brother a slight nod in response before watching him as he slowly made his way towards the waterhole and left the two of them alone. Even with the way he was limping, there could be no doubt as to the process of his recovery. He was about to cheerfully point this out to his mate when she began to nuzzle him again, immediately making him forget what he was about to say and reminding him just what Delano had interrupted them in the middle of.

Grinning to himself as Umeme purred loudly at having resumed to contact, the male returned her nuzzle while slowly caressing her side with one of his paws. "I think somewhere around here..." he said quietly, deciding to return his attention to he lioness's scruff again. There was still a limit as to just how far they could allow themselves to go, but the absence of their two cubs was still very helpful and appreciated at the moment.

Chuckling at just how content his mate seemed to be, Muroki stopped after a few moments and gently placed his free paw against her cheek, making her look at him. "You're so beautiful..." he muttered dreamily, smiling as he felt himself getting lost in her eyes. Boy, was he glad Ubawa was asleep. This would reach a new level of gross by the cub's standards...

[DGFone]

Umeme smiled back at Muroki, enjoying the attention he was giving her. "I know, you were staring," she teased again, "but I don't mind." If anything, catching Muroki being so engrossed by her sight only reinforced Umeme's hopes that she still had the effect on him as when they had first met and fell in love. So while embarrassing it might be for him, Umeme really liked seeing Muroki lose himself so much like that, which was why she had teased him in turn

Placing her head on Muroki's mane, Umeme purred softly as he rubbed the back of her neck with a paw. "So who are we going to ask to watch over them two?" she asked dreamily, "because you know how hard it is not to just run off with you right now?" The way Muroki was making her feel right now was already starting to make her feel crazy, and she could hardly wait until they would finally be free to do exactly that. "I am sure that mom and dad will stop by here today..." She was hoping that would be the case, so that there would be someone looking after Marini and Ubawa, and Delano and Lina won't be overly burdened as well.

Deciding to fall silent, Umeme let herself get lost at watching Muroki as he stared at her, grinning foolishly. This was the mate that she had been waiting for these past few days, and she wasn't disappointed.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki couldn't help but grin almost foolishly at what his mate was saying to him, not to mention that just how relaxed and caught up in their moment she clearly was only added to that effect. "Well, don't I just wish I had the confidence to talk like this when we first met, then." he said jokingly. It was only partially true, though, seeing how he would have been way too nervous to do anything if the two of them got this close after having known each other for only a few days, even if he was in the process of falling for her at the time.

Either way, it was very nice to remember that Umeme felt that way with him. Muroki very often recalled just how nervous and shy he'd once been around the lioness. So, while their cubs were a constant reminder, moments like this really made him recall that Umeme had ended up falling for him despite his initial worries over whether she could ever like a guy like him. After all, it wasn't like Marini and Ubawa came to be just like that.

Now, not only did he not know whether his parents in law would really drop by to check on them that day, but there was also no telling when the two would show up in such a case. It could be, well, like a few hours from now at like noon or somehing... He really didn't want to wait that long. These past few days felt like way too long now that he was able to get himself to relax and enjoy Umeme's company again. She must have been so worried...

Smiling, the lion placed his head on top of his mate's, deciding to only carry on with his paws for the time being. "I'm sorry I made you so uncomfortable and concerned these past few days..." he said softly, licking her once behind her ear. "But it's going to change, I promise..." He had a feeling that one of the reasons Umeme had suggested for them to go off together for the day was to help him feel better. However, he believed that she deserved this way more than he did. "Today's gonna be all dedicated to you." he added, offering Umeme a small, toothy grin as he licked her again.

[DGFone]

Umeme chuckled as Muroki licked her behind the ears. "You know I also liked you when you were nervous all the time, it was cute." While she did like the way she can reduce Muroki into a mumbling fool, she had to admit that now that he was more confident and wasn't afraid to speak his mind, Umeme enjoyed the smooth talking Muroki even more.

As he promised her a great day, she grinned some more. "It's okay, Muroki, I understand. You and Delano wen't through a lot, and it takes time to get over it." Bringing his muzzle over to hers with a paw, she rubbed noses with him, staring into his eyes. "But I won't say no to your offer." Now, much like Muroki, she felt herself get restless at waiting for someone to come along on whom they can dump the two cubs on. Oh, how much she wanted to just get up and run off with Muroki for today...

----

At the waterhole, Delano rolled over restlessly, unable to relax. For some reason, he kept feeling like he shouldn't be here, that he was being watched. But he knew that there was no way that this was the case. Unlike the oasis he found with Lina, this waterhole was open and rather devoid of any cover. Plus, being so close to the royal caves, there were so many lions in the area that it was almost impossible to hide.

Staring at his reflection, Delano hated to admit that he was also feeling the same paranoia that had kept Muroki awake for the past days. While perhaps not as bad as it was with his brother, he still felt like he shouldn't be here all alone. Deciding that he could get more rest back inside, he slowly hauled himself up to his feet and began the slow walk back, trying to keep as much weight off his most painful limbs as possible.

He found Umeme and Muroki where he had left them, and they were once again engrossed in one another. He paused in his walk back, leaning against the side of the cave entrance as he watched the two. If anything, seeing them together like this made him feel somewhat jealous. While he loved Lina with all his heart, Delano wasn't sure if he could calm down enough right now to be able to display so much affection to her. Especially seeing Muroki, who just yesterday was completely oblivious to the world around him, so relaxed and content as he stared at Umeme, Delano had to wonder how his brother was able to change so quickly, and wished that he could do the same.

[TheWhistlerify]

Muroki gave a slight, playful roll of his eyes. "I know you think it's cute." It was why she used almost every opportunity she had to tease him to her heart's content. But at least her ability to do this to him meant that he didn't have to pretend to be nervous just to amuse her. Since it often made her giggle and since he found that cute on her part, it seemed as though both of them could benefit from his antics.

Licking her nose playfully, the male allowed himself to grin widely, once again in a playful manner. "Of course you won't say no to my offer..." Then, noticing the look she gave him in light of his tone, he raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked innocently. "At least let me live in the illusion that you're not the only irresistable one around her." Perhaps this was an example of the smooth talk Umeme enjoyed hearing from him. It's not like he thought of these ahead of time.

Both of them seemed to have failed to notice Delano this time as he came limping back inside, no doubt more clumsily because of how eager he was to allow his aching legs some rest. By the time his brother and sister-in-law did notice someone approach he'd already long stopped observing them and gone back to Lina's side.

It was Kato of all lions, who was running back in the direction of the den and slowing down the closer he came to the entrance. Coming to a complete halt in front of the two, the young adult seemed quite out of breath to say the least. "Yo..."

"Um... Hi..." Strangely enough, having the prince see him and Umeme like this wasn't as bad in Muroki's opinion as having their cubs look at them, Ubawa in particular. What he was confused about was what was the king's son doing running back home at such an early hour. He didn't look as though something was wrong...

"I went running." explained Kato before his friend a chance to figure it out himself, stretching his legs.

"I don't remember seeing you leave, though." said Delano's brother. He's been up for a good amount of time now and the younger male wouldn't have gone by without saying hello or something.

"Oh, you were sleeping like your two babies when I left." said the prince with a chuckle. Wow. That was actually a lot of time. "It only seems like much to you, Muroki, because you're getting old." Muroki raised an eyebrow. He wasn't getting old at all. Kato wasn't that much younger than him and Delano, for that matter.

"Am not." he replied in an almost childish manner as he grinned and raised an eydbrow. The way the prince grinned back as he finished stretching and lay down confirmed that he was kidding.