Afterlight rendezvous

[March the 1st, late enough that the 2nd might be getting close. Closed to Nuka]

The lioness had kept her promise almost flawlessly; she'd gone and visited him every chance she'd had, almost daily. But the day Dotty showed up in the Pridelands, scared ans desperate, Zukki had been in a situation where she had to cancel the visit to the outlands for the day. She'd spent all day watching over the cubs, Nuka's last daughter included, and thought of maybe postponing the visit once more, until she realized she couldn't afford to. Did Nuka know of Nia's death? It had only just happened, after all. Zukki had to check up on him, her beloved Nuka, to make sure he was still in one piece if he knew, and if not, she'd be the one to tell him. Nuka deserved to know.

Creamy paws walked hurriedly through the dry lands, her head lowered and her senses alert, every hair on its edge; Zukkiza was always fidgety about her constant escapades, but today in particular, she was feeling the thrill of knowing she was not supposed to be there. Adrenaline rushed through her body, as did a feeling of dread she couldn't quite shake off. Where was he? She'd caugh the smell of him not to long ago, so how was it the lioness hadn't bumped into Nuka already? Was he hiding? Had the darkness finally taken enough of a toll in her eyes that the lioness didn't have such a keen eyesight anylonger?

Zukkiza refused to let those thoughts linger as she pushed onward, head lowered as she cosntantly took deep breaths to follow the trail of the lion that wouldn't leave her thoughts alone. Maybe when Nuka knew about Nia, maybe then he'd realize his life could be better. Maybe then he'd follow her home.

But where was home?

The lioness had thought long and hard about it, and there was a single place that would come to mind every single time; Nottingham. The place of Mauko's death. The place of Nuka's kingdom. She wouldn't take him back to the pridelands; she couldn't. But Nottingham? It had shelter, it had food, it had hiding places. It was perfect. Maybe, just maybe, if Nuka was vulnerable enough, the lioness could convince him to follow her, she thought selfishly.

Maybe today was the day Nuka would grab her paw and let himself be pulled up from the grave he'd dug for himself so many moons ago.

“Daddy! Catch us Daddy!” Mauko laughed loudly as he and his sister bounced in the grass. Nuka smiled brightly, lowering his body into a pounce.

“Ha ha! You can’t catch us!” Nia giggled.

“Oh YEAH?” Nuka said, “Daddy’s got some moves left! Watch this!” He lept towards his kids and landed, slammed really, into a pillar. Or rather, a fuzzy pillar of a leg. He gasped, the wind knocked from him. His head lifted, his jaw dropping slightly. It was Scruffy. Next to her was his mother. Their eyes glowed bright red and yellow. His ears folded back as he searched for his cubs. He didn’t need to look far. A drop of blood on his nose alerted him to Nia’s hanging corpse in Scruffy’s mouth. Mauko was in Zira’s. The cubs were mangled, dead.

“Why didn’t you save us Daddy?” They said in unison.

“GAH!” Nuka awoke with a roar; his eyes wide open from the fear. It was just a dream. But it wasn’t, was it? He buried his nose in his arms. “Son of a fucking bitch. Son of a goddamned fucking bitch…” His ears lifted slightly. His nose took in the scent.

“Zukkiza?” He whispered. Was she here? Oh god, please let her be here…

The sudden, clearly startled roar made Zukkiza's ears perk as she turned her head towards it, eyes wide and ehart racing. That had been Nuka, there was no way around it. Confusion and slight fear rushed throught he lioness as her body instinctively followed the sound, trying not to think about the possibility of Nuka being wounded. She couldn't panic, not until she knew something was truly wrong.

Soon enough, the sight of the scruffy, scawny lion filled Zukki's sight; as she approached him, the lioness inspected his every feature; he was on the ground, and he looked alright. Miserable, yes; his expression spoke of a sparkle of hope in a mind clouded by tragedy, but he had no physical wounds to be seen. Wordlessly, Zukki carried erself all the way to where Nuka was, not even thinking before bumping her forehead to his, letting her weight sink her body to the ground so that she could lay before him, purrs rolling out of her maw as she nuzzled herself close to him, satting her chin atop his messy, scarce mane. Did he know of his daughter's demise yet? ZUkki couldn't be sure. Just in case, though, she let the touch linger, hoping that Nuka would understand her affection as an act of solidarity and love.

She wanted to ask him how he was, but small talk would not make Nuka feel any better, she was aware. It also seemed rather stupid to ask, since it was evident that Nuka was everything but alright. Insttead of offering words, the lioness merely wrapped her arms around the other for a moment, letting Nuka be the first to speak so she could chooser her words carefully, whether she needed to tell him of Nia's fate or be the pillar that supported Nuka's emotions if he already knew.

Yeah, that was her. His eyes lifted slightly. Zukki was here. Hopefully that would make him…happy? His ears folded back, his teeth showing slightly as she approached. But when she closed the gap between them it all flooded from him, the emotions, the feelings, the broken frame he’d carried tight to his chest. All of it died. All in front of her.

He began to sob. Violent, ugly crying. Loud as well. He buried his face in her chest, gripping her shoulders tightly as he fell from his perch. His façade broke, the mask he kept on to keep himself alive just shattered and snapped. Fat tears fell from his eyes and stained her fur dark. “She’s dead,” he choked, “She’s dead. She’s dead.” For some reason she called this spirit out of him.

“Mauko’s dead. Nia’s dead. I’m the only one who’s alive. Dotty’s gone. Kuzimu’s gone. I’m alone again. Oh GOD…I’m ALONE.” And the crying kept going. He gripped his claws into her as well. It probably stung a little, but at this point Nuka was a bawling child, trying the grip the one bit of comfort and warmth he had left.

Could anyone blame him?

Nuka's tears were not unexpected. In fact, they were relieving; when Mauko had died, she'd taken longer to break through his angress, his aloof facade. But now? Her mere embrace had melted Nuka, and for that, she was glad. Bottling all the grief, that regret, that hatred, it wasn't healthy. So, when the tears came, when his claws reached her shoulders, Zukki breathed asigh of relief, nuzzling her face against his head tightly, repeatedly, letting his sobs feel the silence until her belowed, broken Nuka finally spoke up.

"I know. I know, Nuka, I know." Her voice was soft, her words an acknowledgement of his pain rather than a statement of how she was aware of what had happened. So he did know. How did Nuka find out about his daughter's demise? Had he come across her corpse? Dotty couldn't have been the one to tell him, which only left two possible options: either Nia's murdered had told him, or he'd found Nia's dead body. Honestly? Zukki'd rather not find out, and she was sure Nuka didn't want to talk about it.

“Mauko’s dead. Nia’s dead. I’m the only one who’s alive. Dotty’s gone. Kuzimu’s gone. I’m alone again."

His grip on her shoulders tightened to the point Nuka's claws stung, but Zukki didn't care. Her shoulders already bore scars, and Nuka could've dragged his claws through them, rip them open, make them burn like fire again, and the pain wouldn't compare the the one she felt in her heart at the sound of his words. Dotty had left. Without a second thought, she'd left Nuka behind. Zukki was being biased, that much she knew; but, to her, Dotty's actions seemed cold, cruel. And now? Now Zukki had to be the one to pick up Dotty's mess, to clean after her.

And so she would.

Her feline tongue dragged delicately across one of Nuka's ears, the touch warm, affectionate. Zukki didn't cry. Not like with Mauko, not again. Nuka needed a pillar to lean on, and that was gonna be her. Cream muzzle didn't withraw from his ear, instead pouring her words on comfort straight into his ear. "You're not alone. Not anymore. I'm here, I'm here for you. I'm not leaving you, not again. I promise." Her promise seemed far-fetched. Zukki knew she couldn't stay. But Nuka was broken, grieving, he was... vulnerable. A selfish thought sparked in Zukki's head, but love is always a little selfish.

"Come with me."

Her tone was a plea, desperate, "Not to the pridelands. We'll find a home, just you and I. My cubs... and ours"" Her muzzle lowered, and she nipped at Nuka's neck lightly, softly, carefully, before trailing her tongue across the trail of bites she'd made, burying her nose into his black mane and breathing softly against him. "You don't have to be alone ever again. Leave this place behind. Leave Dotty behind. Leave the pain behind. I'll help you, I'll fix you. Please."

“NO ZUKKI! YOU DON’T KNOW!” Nuka cried loudly into Zukkiza’s fur, “You don’t! You couldn’t!”

His voice turned hallow, numb. “I watched her EAT her, Zukkiza…I watched Scruffy as she ATE Nia.” Crunching, blood pooling, it all came swirling back to him. He walked away briefly and hacked, coughing and throwing up on the ground. He wiped his muzzle, his mind clearing from the vision of the putrid form of his half-consumed daughter with one simple phrase.

"Come with me."

She was asking him again. He wanted so badly to go with her. But the idea of seeing Kula…and Sabini… "Not to the pridelands. We'll find a home, just you and I. My cubs... and ours…"

“Ours?” He whimpered. They had kissed but even Nuka knew that wasn’t how babies were made. But she was nuzzling him, biting him, wanting him. He shuddered. Being happy…the idea sent Nia’s body back into his mind. Blood pooling. Crunching. He hacked, coughing.

“I-ack-can’t…I can’t be happy or safe…I just…can’t…”

His lashing out, although not entirely unexpected, startled Zukki. She didn't pull back, no, because she didn't think Nuka capable of woudning her; she merely stiffened, listening to his words carefully. What? Scruffy's name was familiar; the both of them had shared a pride for what seemed a lifetime, and the massive lioness was not a sight Zukki could forget. She'd always been a nightmare on four paws. But to eat another lion? A cub, nonetheless? It took Zukki a moment to pull her thoughts together because of the sheer shock factor of it all, but when she did, she dug her claws into the ground anxiously. "I'm sorry." She was apologizing for both having spoken up and for the fact Nuka had to see that. She hadn't meant to reignite the memory in his mind, she truly hadn't.

At the sound of his broken voice and the shudder his body gave, Zukki's determination returned; she had a chance. She did, she knew. She just had to convince him. "Stop." Her voice was not commanding. It was like she was asking Nuka for a favor. "You can, I promise you can. I'll keep you safe. We can be happy. You and I. And our cubs, all of them. We'll raise them right, alive and happy. They'll have your eyes and my ears and our noses. they'll be perfect, and we'll love them, and I'll love you. I already love you." She insisted, trying to nab at his weak spots, his need for affection and his longing for a true family, one that would stick around.

Zukki lowered her head, pushing upwards against the bottom of his chin, purring. If cubs were what it took to lure him away, she'd give them to him. As many as Nuka wanted. She just had to keep touching his weak spots, keep luring him with her gentle words and loving touches. She could do it, she was ready. The lioness kneaded him softly with her paws, rubbing her forehead all over his neck before going back to gentle nibbles, "Please, please come with me. Please." Her voice was hushed as she begged for him to just listen, "I'll do anything you want, anything at all. I'm all yours, you just have to say yes. We can be happy, we can."

With another soft purr, she added, "Just trust me this once. Just one time. Please."

“Will we…be together?”

His words sounded almost child-like as he rubbed his angular nose off on his paw. He sniffled, leaning to the side. “I’m just really tired, Zukki…really…really tired…” His ears lowered. Mauko, Nia…Dotty’d left him, he’d never see her or Kuzimu again. His little spitfire…the last one left. Though maybe that wasn’t the case? He looked at Zukki with exhausted eyes. She was in full affection mode, depositing little kisses and nips and rubs.

“We’ll be together,” he huffed, “We’ll…have a handful of cubs. And a little pride…we can do it…right? Right? I mean…but what if…” His whole mind was what ifs. What if Scruffy came back for seconds and ate he and Zukki’s daughter? What if they left and Zira came for revenge, killing another son?

“I can’t lose another cub, Zukki…” He mumbled, “What if Mother…or Scruffy…or anyone comes for us?” He was so uneasy. “I just…I want to I just…don’t know…”

Nuka was cracking.

Zukki was succeeding. Slowly, but surely, she was getting there. He was hesitant, but not in denial anymore. Zukki's ehart thumped harder in her chest with the thrill of her small success. Her lip twitched upward just slightly, unnoticiably, as she trailed one les lick up from his neck until his ear, letting a soft purr out. "We can do it, Nuka. We'll have our little pride. No war, no sides, just us." Of course, he had his doubts. Nuka was afraid. He was afraid because he'd completely crumble if he had to see another child of his die. But Zukki... she wasn't going to let her children die. She'd proved she was a competent mother thus far, and she wasn't going to let any of her children face death without dying herself first. Ever.

"If Zira gets near our cubs... I'll kill her." Although Zukki's head was still pressed tightly against Nuka, her vocie had turned cold and sharp, like a blade. Zira was a warrior, and she was a queen. But Zukki was younger, and she had one thing Zira did not know; actual love for her children in the purest sense of the word. They weren't her heirs; they were her children. And that alone gave her the confidence to stand up for them, even against the worst tempest. "Scruffy won't come after us as long as we don't provoke her. We're fina, Nuka. We'll be." Zukki sounded convincing even to herself; she had no real proof she could protect their whole family, but she could die trying, and that was enough.

"I'd die before seeing my own children dead. I would. I'd face the devil himself if it meant they could run and hide. I have three cubs, Nuka, and not once have they been in danger. I intend to keep them and however many siblings they have intact. I'm not..." The lioness hesitated for a moment, before sighing lightly and pressing on, "I'm not Dotty. I will never put my cubs in a place where I know they might die. I can promise you as much. Do you trust me, Nuka?"

Finally, the lioness pulled her head away from Nuka's neck, only to tilt it upwards slightly and press her maw into Nuka's again, like she had that one time just a few days prior, letting her touch linger before pulling back slightly and looking Nuka in the eyes, her own amber orbs half-lidded, "I'm capable of a lot more than you give me credit for." She purred softly, a playful edge to her voice that hadn't been there before.

His ears dropped as far as they could drop. He looked weak, meek and broken as he listened to her. He truly believed her. He believed she’d kill his mother or die trying if Zira came near the cubs. He realized his mother had her white little worms to deal with but if her pride was bruised who knew WHAT she would do. But Zukki seemed so determined. So…caring.

“I’m not used to someone caring about me,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear, “No. You’re not Dotty. You’re stronger. You wouldn’t have let Scruffy take Nia…you wouldn’t have let her die…” He did feel a slight pang of guilt as he spoke about the mother of his dead cubs. When she kissed him he let his heavy eyes close as if he was falling asleep after a stressful days work. So much comfort was given that he was still kissing the air when she pulled away. He raised a fluffy eyebrow and his charm curled back slightly. What little there was of it.

“Aw, now you’re just being unfair,” he said, breathing heavy on her mouth, “I know you’re capable of a lot. Of everything…I just…don’t want to…get you hurt or anything…”

Zukki leaned into the touch of Nuka's tongue against her ear, something within the lionesss fluttering as he finally returned the affections she'd been showering him in for what felt like forever. As he spoke about how he understood that Zukki would never had let Nia die, Zulkiza felt guilty, but also like she was moving forward with him, slowly. They were getting somewhere, step by step. "You'll grow used to care and love." She promised, "I'll shower you in so many kisses every morning, there won't be room for doubt in your mind." The smile upon her features was soft and tender, at least until Nuka's tone changed.

There he was. There was her Nuka.

At the slightest peek of his old charm, she couldn't help but to smirk a little. His breath on her mouth made the fur along her spine rise with goosebumps. Still, the lioness kept her cool as she spoke again. "I won't get hurt, or let anything hurt you or our family. I swear." Her voice was honest and collected for a moment. Then, her playful demeanor returned, and she rolled onto her back, her head nested between Nuka"'s arms.

"See? You're still underestimating me. I can make miracles happen. I made you smile, didn't I?" She purred, reaching out with her paws for his face and nuzzling his forehead sweetly.

Nuka was such a blessing when he was the slightest bit happy.

His ears flicked back slightly as he pushed (more shoved) his face against hers. Somehow all of the sadness, all of the blood, the death, all of it washed away when he was with her. It was nothing like he’d felt before. Not a cutesey crush like he’d had on Beauty-Spot, not a necessary caring like he had for Dotty. Or he HAD previously for Dotty. Now he wanted her blood spilled. But no this was something different.

Something he could cherish.

Something he wanted to wonder at.

Something to hold.

He placed his head on top of hers, a little rumble of a purr in his throat. Happy…it was something he hadn’t felt…was he truly happy? Or was he, for once, comfortable and in love.

He licked her cheek with his rough tongue, messing up her perfect flawless fur. His thick black nose pushed against the back of her head. “You did make me smile,” he said softly, “You did. You did make me smile…”

Hearing Nuka purr sounded like bells. Knowing he was happy made her previous smile tug at the corners and turn wider, if such a feat was possible. She let the sound sink in, her face pressed close to his until she felt his tongue drag across her cheek. The lioness laughed, an outlet to the happiness bubbling inside her at his gentle affection. The fact he was able to return it when he'd been in such grief and pain before, it filled Zukki with enough determination to know she was going to get him out of there. Today was the day. It was the day she'd covince him he could be happy forever. Happy with her. With the family they would, in time, become.

"I could make you smile forever," her tone was playful, "I'm just that good." She added with a chuckle, resting comfortably against his body. She would mention they had to leave for that. But not now, not yet. He wasn't ready to say yes yet. But he would be. Zukki knew he would. The lioness let out a soft purr, "I can make you happy if you just let me." She pressed her head back so that Nuka had to lift his upward, and she bent her neck so she could nip at his again, softly, lovingly, like he was porcelain and could break if she was too harsh. "We can do this mushy stuff every day," she whispered softly, her breath hot againts his fur, "You and I. My kids. They're yours too, now. And our kids. The ones to come. As many as we want." Her voice was sweet and full of promises, which she punctuated by trailing a lick across his neck.

"They'll look like you, and like me, and like us. Everything that is beautiful about us." She declared, her mind trailing off to what the cubs could possibly look like. "My pretty eyes and your messy mane. Your wiry whiskers, so messy and cute." She chuckled, trailing her tongue across his cheek this time, flattening said whiskers, "Small and scawny like you, endearingly so. Red fur like yours, or soft velvet like mine, or maye a sweet peach tone between both. They're gonna be so beautiful." The lioness could've trailed on about it all night if she'd wanted to. She would, if Nuka wanted to hear it.

"We'll be a little pride. You'll be king and I'll be queen, and we will have so many little princes and princesses, and it's going to be the best thing you've ever seen. We can forget about everyone else, just us, our family. If you'll let me make you happy." She purred, hoping that her speech was as alluring to him as it had been to herself.