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Time moves fast. Especially when you spend your day to day life doing the same thing over and over again. But the little changes and progresses are what make it all worth it. It's been a few months now since Mane found Wemmbu in that house.
And a few weeks ago Mane and Flame took Wemmbu to the clinic for the first time while the infant napped. While there they found out he's about 6 months old now. And it does show with how much he's grown. He's still a bit on the small side for a traditional cub, but the doctor reassured them that he's still perfectly healthy for his age. Altho the doctor did have a weird look in his eyes as he checked over Wemmbu's wings for any tears or developmental issues. But that doesn't matter.
All that to say, good lord is he fast.
“Wemmbu? Where did you go?” Mane stalks around the kitchen, keeping his eyes low to try and catch a glimpse of the wild mane of purple curls. His ears twitch when he hears a tiny giggle come from around the corner of the counter. A little tail peaking out and swaying back and forth. Mane smirks.
His feet pad along the wood silently as his eyes narrow into slits. He rounds the corner fast and whisks the runaway infant into the air.
“Aha! Gotcha!” Wemmbu squeals, his wings flapping and tail swishing. Both of his hands reaching out to Mane as he babbles from up in the air.
“For someone who learned to crawl last week, you're pretty fast.” Mane sets him on his hip and heads back into the living room. When walking in he spots Flame checking around the couch and by the chests for the runaway.
“Found him.” Mane brandishes Wemmbu out in the air, dangling there like a scruffed cat.
“He looks offended.” Flame points out, to which Wemmbu just tries to stuff his hand in his mouth while looking directly into Flames eyes. Mane snickers and walks Wemmbu back over to his play mat and sets the wiggly dragon down on his stomach. To which he rolls over and brings his covered feet up to his head.
“Bro, how did you even find him?” Flame grumbles and walks up to his brother, leaning against his side. Mane ruffles Flame’s hair. “He sucks at hiding dude.”
Mane can practically feel the eyeroll behind Flame’s blindfold.
“You still good to watch him today?” Mane watches in real time as Wemmbu grows bored of his feet and rolls back over and starts crawling towards the couch next to him.
“Yeah im good.” Flame shrugs. Walking over to Wemmbu and grabbing his pacifier. Handing the infant the green rubber before picking him up. Hissing a bit when Wemmbu refuses to bend his knees and his straight legs dig right into Flames stomach.
“I'll be good if he can sit-” Flame grumbles, shifting Wemmbu. But Wemmbu giggles around the pacifier in his mouth.
“Ok well- you two have fun.” Mane says with a laugh, walking over and ruffeling flames hair again. The teenager grumbles as his ears flick but he doesn't say anything. Wemmbu whines when Mane stands in front of him, leaning out of Flame’s hold with his arms out. Wanting Mane to carry him. Mane snickers and runs his fingers through Wemmbu's hair. The wild purple curls feeling soft against his fingers.
“Be good for your brother, ok?”
“Dude, just go already. He's going to start crying if you keep on teasing him.” Flame pulls Wemmbu closer to him and starts to rock the sniffling infant.
“Ok ok im going.”
Flame sighs as he pats Wemmbu’s back, the infant had been letting out these weird sad little warbles since Mane left. Once he calms down a bit, Flame sets Wemmbu back down onto his play mat and takes a seat next to him. Watching the infant push himself up onto his hands and knees and crawl towards one of his toys. Instantly stuffing the blue shiny bear into his mouth.
“...ew.”
Taking a look around the room, Flame realizes how much of a mess it really has become within the last few weeks. There's toys scattered around everywhere, blankets covering the floor along with a few of Wemmbu’s onesies. And worst of all? The plates on the living room table. The table that Wemmbu tries to stand off of. Flame pinches his nose.
“Looks like we're cleaning today.” Flame says to Wemmbu, who in turn throws a toy at Flame. He missed, but there was some power behind the throw. Flame raises a brow before getting up. He grabs a few of the blankets scattered around the room and creates this sort of circle barrier around wemmbu and his play mat. Placing Wemmbu in the center along with some of his toys.
“There we go. That should keep you contained.” Flame says proudly, his hands on his hips. He steps away from the circle and starts picking up around the room. Making sure to keep his ears on Wemmbu in case the 6 month old needs anything. But little does Flame know, you can't keep chaos contained.
He starts with the table, bringing the dishes to the kitchen to be washed later, before moving on to the items scattered around the base. A few pairs of Wemmbu’s spare clothes here and there. Some cleaner than others. A literal mountain of baby toys. One of Mane's spare spears lying on the kitchen counter. How that got there? Flame has no idea.
As he's finishing up placing some blocks they had laying around into their chests, Flame realizes he hasn't heard Wemmbu make any noise in a bit. The infant was making quite the ruckus a while ago, but now he's silent. That's never good. Deciding that it's time to do the dishes and get Wemmbu something to eat. Walking over to the makeshift play pen Flame freezes when he spots the disturbed blankets. The 6 month old no where to be seen.
“...You’ve got to be kidding me.” Flame pinches his nose.
Mane hates going to the village. Ok that's not true. He hates going to the village alone. Without Flame or even Wemmbu with him to act as a buffer, everyone he talks to just keeps on talking and talking and talking. At first the gesture was nice. They ask about how he's doing, how the baby is doing, if he needs anything. Then as he's buying what he's gonna need for the next month, the conversations always derail into petty street drama and gossip. Rumors about how the next village over got raided by bandits, how there's a food shortage going around. About a new empire being built to the west of them.
It's all nice and good to stay up to date, but Mane is trying to lay low. So it was a bit of a surprise when he was shopping for diapers and some man in a hood approached him. Even more of a surprise when the man knew him as ManePear the bounty hunter instead of Mane the lion hybrid who lives up the road with his two younger brothers. Safe to say, Mane was absolutely going to ban the guy, but then they got to talking.
One thing led to another and now Mane was walking back to the Treehouse with his bags of groceries secured along with a flyer burning a hole into his pocket.
A job offer. Mane hasn't taken a job since they found Wemmbu.
Both him and Flame decided it was too risky until Wemmbu was old enough to know when someone has bad intentions.
But this job was different.
He should talk it over with Flame before he makes any decisions.
Walking up to the base of the tree, Mane is met with a bundle of fur crashing into his legs. Ashen stands on his hind legs barking and panting. Stepping back to do a spin before sitting.
“Hi to you too, Ashen.” Mane snickers, petting the puppies head before passing his dog house and starting up the stairs. Ashen goes to follow before whining and lowering his head. Turning around and heading back into his dog house.
That's another thing they had both decided on since Wemmbu was so young. Ashen would stay in his dog house at the bottom of the tree and have free reign of the yard until both Ashen and Wemmbu grow up a bit more. It was just a bit much having a barking puppy in the same place as a napping infant. No one was sleeping for a solid week until they decided on the dog house.
But it's not like they leave him alone, Flame is almost always out with the dog. Walking him through the woods, training or even just playing. Plus they always bring Ashen up into the tree when it starts raining.
Mane gives Ashen one last look before reaching the top. Opening the door to the treehouse, Mane is met with silence. He freezes when he catches sight of the absolute mess that is his treehouse. There's blankets everywhere, furniture overturned and worst of all is the glass of red juice spilled onto his hardwood floor. The color obviously soaking into the grain and staining it an awful red color.
His ears twitch as he sets the bags down by the door, closing it behind him. His tail freezes its slow sway as his pupils narrow. The silence sitting undisturbed. Glancing around he notes that both Flame and Wemmbu are nowhere to be found. His sword materializes in his hand on instinct as he moves deeper into the treehouse. Turning to the left into the kitchen first. Glancing around he spots nothing out of order and goes to leave but at the last second his eyes catch sight of a tiny purple tail sticking out from behind the fridge in the corner.
He doesn't even realize he lets out a sigh as the sword vanishes from his grip. Rounding the corner of the fridge he stifles a giggle at the sight of Wemmbu absolutely passed out. Green nookie in his mouth with one of his smaller blankets held in his fist. His little body tucked into the warm spot behind the fridge. Mane reaches and lifts the infant up into the air, he's absolutely gone. His body limp as he snuggles up against Mane's shoulder.
Mane subconsciously lets out a purr, rubbing his head against his cub before snapping out of it. Hearing a crash from upstairs which could only be one other person. Mane crosses the living room, noticing the absolute wreck before ascending the stairs. Taking two at a time. Every single door in the hallway is open. His, Flame’s, the spare and even the bathroom and storage closet. Mane finds Flame in the spare bedroom, looking under the bed. He notices the at tigers tail is all puffed up, along with how pulled back his ears sit on his head.
“Bu? Please come out. This isn't funny anymore.” Flame calls under the bed before Mane clears his throat behind him. Flame whips around, his eyes wide and frazzled. Mane can physically see him deflate when his gaze lands on the tuft of purple hair tucked into his neck. Flame sighs, and flops down against the side of the bed.
“...where did you even find him?” Flame asks, rubbing his eyes. Mane shakes his head and laughs.
“Behind the fridge.”
“How?” Flame groans as Mane offers him a hand, pulling him back up to his feet. Leading him out of the room and down the hall.
“Dude, Wemmbu always tries to hide somewhere warm. Under blankets, behind the fridge, the cabinet by the fireplace.” Mane watches as the realization hits Flame, who groans and shoves his face into his hands.
“Of course he would.”
As they both walk back into the living room, Mane places Wemmbu in his crib before taking a look around the room.
“..you know you gotta clean this up. Right?”
“Bro…” Mane snickers at the look on Flame’s face.
“Less whining, more shining!” Mane claps Flame on the back before heading to the doorway to put away the groceries.
By the time hes done, he heads back out into the living room while holding a glass of water. Wemmbu having woken up from his nap. Flame must have moved him from the crib to his play mat. Mane snickers into his glass as he leans against the door frame, watching as Wemmbu tries to ‘help’ Flame clean up.
“Ew. don't do that.” Flame takes the toy from Wemmbu who is trying to stuff everything in front of him in his mouth. His pacifier long forgotten in his crib.
“Not that one either.”
“Thank you Bu, you're helping sooo much.” Flame takes the piece of plastic from the baby. This goes on a bit longer before Wemmbu starts getting upset everytime Flame takes something from him. Dissolving into a battle.
“Nope.”
“aa!”
“Really? Let me have that one too.”
“-aaaA!”
“Mine now.”
“aaaaAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
Mane can tell Flame about the offer later. This is more important.