[Open] The Winds of Change

[SimbaKovu]

Vitani was running on pure adrenaline at this point. She had a look of sheer rage mixed with intense lust etched across her face as she panted heavily while keeping Baya pinned to the ground. As the dust literally settled around them and she was able to regain control of her breath, her jaw began quivering again in response to Baya's shouts of enjoyment over having being pinned by her. She couldn't contain herself any longer. As they maintained eye contact for at least 10 straight seconds, the only sounds being both of their exhausting panting, Vitani leaned down and kissed him.

[Baya]

His smirk faded as her muzzle touched his. What an odd way to end a fight. Especially since most of the time, Vitani made it seem like she hated everything that he was. Once her kiss was finished, he looked up at her with an expressionless face. "What the hell was that? You really have gone soft." Baya mused as he pushed her off, not really knowing how he should react. His mind was racing with thoughts that pretty much confused him. He was a rogue of the desert, born and raised. How could she have gotten so intimate so quickly? Things like this confused him to no end. Especially because he enjoyed it.

[SimbaKovu]

Vitani was taken aback by Baya's reaction, but she was used to it by this time in her life. She'd never been highly sought-after by the other males, in either the Pride Lands or the Outlands, given the fact that, even when she was all dolled up for special occasions, she was only, at the very best, mildly attractive. She had longed for a male in her life, and realized now that she'd subconsciously been hoping for al ong time that Baya would be the one. His suggestion that she had gone soft elicited a weak smile from her, as she regained eye contact with Baya.

"Yeah," she replied solemnly as she took a few steps toward him and sat down directly in front of him, "I guess I have." She then proceeded to softly nuzzle Baya's chest with the side of her face, hoping he would reciprocate in some positive way.

[Baya]

Still, he did not know how to react. Though he figured it was common for something like this to happen, even with the most unexpected female. He had encounters out the in the desert like this before, and usually he would just kill the lioness performing it. However, instinctively, Baya rested his head atop of hers. He still had no facial expression, and no words escaped his muzzle for a short while. "I've gone soft too, I suppose." Baya murmured silently. It wasn't often he spoke so softly to anyone, and never did it happen before that he would genuinely show affection for a lioness. He noticed that his heart was racing, and his eyes were fixed on the lioness that had her head ruffling into his chest.

[SimbaKovu]

Vitani could feel the accelerating pace of the beat of Baya's heart. She smiled as tears began to stream down her cheeks. All of the emotions stemming from every experience she'd ever had with Baya began flooding into her mind all at once, with the positive emotions speaking the loudest volumes. She began to sob softly into the tuft of Baya's soft black mane. She re-positioned herself so that their bodies were more tightly pressed together and, as she continued sobbing quietly, she peered down at the ground and saw Baya's paw, which she instinctively clasped with hers. After a few more seconds, Vitani broke the silence.

"Baya....I love you...." she whispered, just barely loud enough for the male lion to be able to hear.

[Baya]

He had no idea how to react to the way Vitani was acting. Why she was crying was far beyond him. He had half the mind to smack her for such a presentation of weakness, but he thought better of it when she spoke her next few words. His eyes widened slightly as he pushed his head a bit more down on hers. "You? You love ME?" Baya asked with a cackle. "What a turn of events. I thought you hated my guts." Baya murmured. He figured now was the time to spill his own little bottle of feelings.

"I've admired you for quite some time. Tell anyone this, and I will kill you." Baya warned with a growl. The last thing he needed was the jeers and teasing of the pride landers. "Though I did think you always seemed to want some sort of...savior or wise lion to whisk you away. Why pick me, hm?" Baya asked.

[SimbaKovu]

Vitani tilted her head upwards to make eye contact with Baya. She smiled warmly as he began to convey his feelings to her in a manner which didn't involve physical combat. When he was finished speaking, Vitani began to reply, her sobs having subsided a bit.

"Baya...I could never hate you. I was just hiding from my own feelings about you..." she whispered. She peered away from his eyes and chuckled before looking back up at him. "And what makes you think you're not my savior?" she added with a wide smile.

[Baya]

"Because. I'm not." Baya pointed out with a snort. "Just like that time I almost got the both of us killed near the gorge. Four rogues, two of us. If anything I was afraid for you. Got distracted the entire battle." Baya murmured as his ears flattened slightly. He then cleared his throat.

"Wait, why were you hiding from your own feelings? That's pretty stupid. Can't hide from yourself." Baya added with a tilt of his head. All of this was really confusing for him. His eyes met hers however, and his heart began to race once more. Was this what love felt like? He would normally say it is the most annoying of all feelings, but for him right now, it felt really good. It was like battle to him. Would this lioness ever consider him as a mate? He wouldn't press on it until she did.

[SimbaKovu]

Vitani chuckled at Baya's recollection of their time near the gorge taking on those rogues. If she recalled correctly, Baya came to her aid as she was being pinned to the ground and in the beginning stages of being mauled by one of the rogues he mentioned. So, even though it was indeed his fault that they had ended up in that area near the gorge in the first place, without him, Vitani probably would have died a horrible death at the paws of those rogues. So, if anything, Vitani owed her life to Baya, which made her love him even more....

As Baya finished speaking and she felt his heart begin to race once more as she reestablished eye contact with him, Vitani began to speak. "Baya, you and I both know that you saved my life that day....I owe my life to you. You were my savior that day, and I still think you are now...." she said softly. "As for hiding from one's feelings, you're right, and I was stupid to think I could hide from my own. But....perhaps you should consider whether or not you're trying to do the same thing I was..." she said as she resumed her nuzzling of his chest, waiting for him to respond.

[Baya]

"I wasn't hiding from my admiration, I was simply controlling myself. I figured you'd run off with some rogue anyway, so I didn't want to get my hopes up." Baya snorted. He then averted his gaze to the sky. "and part of my was afraid of getting more and more attached...then losing you. I'd lost my mother already out in the desert. That is what turned me into the monster that I was. If I lost you, what would happen then, hm?" Baya asked with a sigh. He then rested his chin atop her head. "You are the only lioness I've felt like this towards. As crazy and debotched as Zira was, she knew that I found you more interesting then the others. She confronted me about it."

Baya then closed his eyes in recollection. He thought for a moment before opening his eyes again. "She asked me whether I cared deeply for you, and I gave her no reply. To that, she simply told me that if I could help her gain the power she so desired...I could...possibly have a chance with you. At the time, I wasn't really thinking of it that way...but now I suppose it isn't forced, right?" Baya asked as he looked down to Vitani. "Did she confront you about it?"

This was the most talkative Baya had been in his life. She was making his heart race more and more, and the same went with his mind.