It was a quiet evening, and Artemis was curled up against Namir’s side, her lithe, muscular body rumbling contentedly as she slept, seeming almost peaceful in her slumber. He watched as she dozed, his head tilting slightly as he smiled at the lioness in rest. This lioness whom he loved so. In her sleep, Artemis rolled, sprawling her limbs out in either direction, one of them knocking against his snout, causing him to chuckle and pull his face away. She cracked open an eye, looking up at him sleepily. Was she judging him?

“W’ts s’funny, giggles?” she asked, before yawning, and he leaned in to nuzzle his snout against her cheek. She 'mrr'd in quiet acceptance of the affection. “You are,” he replied as he began to groom the fur that had been unsettled in her sleepy shuffling. Someday her fur would simply sit in one place, now wouldn't it? She shifted, craning her head back as he licked down the fur of her neck, both of her legs far above her head as she opened and closed her paws in contentment. “M’not,” she challenged sleepily. Namir paused in his grooming to bump his snout against her chin. “Are you sure about that?” he asked and she rolled onto her other side, continuing to stretch out. “Mmmhmmmm,” she confirmed, "'ll fi'tyou....." she added the extra affirmation in the form of using her muscles to back up the statement.

Namir laughed, throwing his head back before beginning to groom the newly exposed side of her fur. “You’ve been sleeping half the day away, love,” he teased and Artemis lifted her head to give him a bleary look. “Not like we’re watching little ones anymore,” she pointed out, "and we don't go out to hunt until it's fairly dark anyways." And she was right - their second litter had grown. His third, but they had held onto an empty nest for some time now. Did he miss the sounds of little paws? “Do you think Yun will take up a mate soon?” he asked her and Artemis rolled onto her stomach to shake herself out. “Are you itching for grandchildren, Namir?” she asked, almost teasingly, bumping her head against his. He frowned, “No! No. I just want our young ones to be happy, Artemis.” he explained. Not that he would have ever accused her of not also wanting the same.

Artemis tapped her paws against the ground before stretching her legs out. “Of course you do, love. Goodness, I do. They’re our little ones. Even if our littlest ones are almost as big as you are.” Yun was their most frequent visitor, returning full of stories from various adventures out in the middle of the night. “What of us, then?” she asked suddenly and Namir jolted with a start at the sudden question. “What do you mean?” he inquired and Artemis tilted her head knowingly at him. He watched her change in posture, suddenly stiffening up. “That’s not an answer, Artemis. If you’re implying something you’re going to have to tell me,” he pressed further. She laughed, moving to settle back in against his side and tucking her head up underneath his.

“I’ll let you figure it out,” she insisted and the brown lion huffed, patting his paws against the ground in something mocking frustration. “That’s not fair! You can’t do that to me, Artemis,” he rumbled, moving to bump the side of his head against hers. She again moved her head to rest it under his instead. “If it was on your mind, you would have known immediately. Since it seems you didn’t have it on your mind, it doesn’t matter. I promise I’d tell you if it was a big deal.” Except that Artemis’ idea of a ‘big deal’ was very different from Namir’s.

“Artemis, we’ve been together long enough you know you can’t do that to me,” he rumbled and Artemis sighed, not with annoyance, but with submission. He wasn't wrong, after all.. “Fine. Fine. I thought you may be missing little paws, love.”

Namir tilted his head at her. “You think I want grandkids because I miss our little ones under foot?” he asked and Artemis tilted her head down at him, giving a slightly judging look, then nodded. “That and I thought you may be wishing for grandkids because you think because all of ours are grown up we’re not allowed little-little ones anymore.” The idea made him laugh. “We could have great grandcubs and I would still want our own little ones,” not that they had any grandcubs of any sort. All the better reason for them to maybe man plans for a third litter of their own.

No, beyond the two of them and their progeny, it seemed there was no more family to be had. Unless they counted the children Apollo had. But Namir had never met the lion and Artemis herself had barely ever met her brother. So beyond them, that was it. The whole family. Their own small corner of the world. Was that sufficient? Was it enough?

“What do you think? Do you think Yun would like the chance to be an older brother?” Certainly, more than Yun would end up being an elder sibling, but he’d be the most vocal - the most nearby to perhaps babysit. Namir chuckled at the question Artemis posed and nudged his snout against the side of her head again. “Let me enjoy your company alone for a little while longer,” he pressed and she sighed, resting her head on top of his legs.

“As long as that’s what you want,” she murmured, stretching and curling back onto her side and back again. “It is. You fulfill me all on your own, love,” he thrummed lovingly at the indigo colored lioness before beginning to groom her again.

Artemis was at least the cleanest, if not the most lovely lioness in the pride as far as Namir was concerned. Artemis wouldn't be doing nearly as nice of a job anytime soon, however.