"Hey numb nuts..." Shenzi laid down next to Banzai on the cool den floor, giving him a soft lick to the cheek. "You feelin' any better?"
"What do you think?" He growled in reply.
"Hey now, don't get smart with me, boy." Shenzi warned him. "I'm only worried for ya. Be nice."
Ed crept cautiously into the den, a zebra haunch in his jaws.
Slowly, he approached the other two hyenas, before laying the peace offering down at Banzai's paws.
"Aw, now ain't that sweet?" Shenzi grinned.
Ed sat with his head cocked slightly to the side, looking at Banzai expectantly. He was hoping this would get him off the hook.
"Get lost." Banzai growled at him.
Ed frowned and mumbled something sadly.
"Go." Banzai growled again.
Ed's ears drooped down and he slunk out of the den with his head down and his tail tucked between his legs.
"Now that just ain't fair, Banzai." Shenzi sighed. "Ain't his fault."
"Ain't his fault!?" Banzai demanded. "How ain't it his fault? He's the one that did it ain't he? You see me lettin' any other males climb on top of me?"
Shenzi rolled her eyes then rolled over onto her back.
"Would it make you feel better if I let you mate me?" She asked with a sly grin.
"Not really." Banzai admitted, digging into the zebra haunch Ed had left for him.
Sure he hadn't exactly accepted the peace offering but he had to eat something. After all, he was eating for two now. Or three, depending on how many pups there were growing within him.
Shenzi rolled back over to where she was sitting up again and laid her head down on her paws.
"You sure are a hard one to please ain't ya?" She muttered.
Banzai rolled his eyes. It was true though. Shenzi had tried almost everything she could think of to cheer him up but so far nothing had proved affective.
"You know Eddie didn't mean for this to happen." Shenzi told him then. "He loves you. Just like I do. Now why ya gotta treat him this way?"
"His fault." Banzai growled.
"Maybe but it ain't so bad is it?" Shenzi tried. "You always wanted to be a Dad right? And it'll be nice to finally have another girl around here."
Banzai muttered something under his breath.
"What was that, tough guy?" Shenzi asked.
"I said it's a boy." Banzai muttered louder.
"Oh sure. Cause you know that don't ya?" Shenzi chuckled, putting a paw to his belly to feel the pup's little movements.
"Quit it." Banzai blushed, embarrassed.
"Nope. Think I'll just keep feelin'." Shenzi grinned. "What're ya gonna do about it, huh?"
Banzai put his head down and looked away from her.
Ed whimpered from outside the cave, desperately wanting to join his mates.
Banzai rolled his eyes, frustrated still.
"Let him come in." Shenzi pleaded. "Poor thing's had enough of your torture already."
Ed whimpered sadly again from outside. It was starting to rain.
Banzai sighed.
"Get in before I change my mind." He called to Ed.
The damaged Hyena wandered into their den slowly, shaking himself off near the entrance.
"Commere' Eddie." Shenzi urged him. "Feel our little puppy."
"Nuh uh." Banzai growled in protest until Shenzi growled back at him, silencing the upset male.
Ed slunk forward cautiously.
"It's okay, sweet thang. Come on over here." Shenzi assured him.
Ed chuckled softly and approached his two mates, laying down next to them and putting a paw out to feel Banzai's belly.
The pup was strong. That much was certain.
Ed gave a delighted giggle when their unborn little one nudged his paw from inside Banzai.
The other male laid with his ears drooped and a frown on his face.
He figured he'd just have to accept this and move on. There really was nothing else he could do about it.
Plus, it wouldn't be totally bad to have another little male running around the den. Especially now that they'd been allowed into the pridelands.
Still, though, why did anything everything always have to happen to him? And only him?
.........
"Breathe, honey." Shenzi nuzzled Banzai's face while the laboring male panted in pain on the den floor.
"I can't..." He grunted in agony.
Ed frowned and gave a worried whimper.
"It's okay, Hun. He'll be fine." Shenzi assured her other mate.
Banzai groaned as his belly contracted again.
There was a lot of fluid and nasty stuff involved in this giving birth thing and he didn't like it.
That wasn't the worst of it though. The worst of it was the unbearable pain he was currently in.
"Shenz I want it out...." He growled, pain clear in his voice.
"He's coming. Just breathe for now." The she hyena coached him, nuzzling his face gently.
Ed came forward and gave him a soft lick to the forehead, trying to give a little encouragement.
Banzai huffed and panted, shutting his eyes against the pain.
"Come on." Shenzi encouraged him. "Just a little longer."
"Shenzi I...I can't...It's..." He groaned, his body stiffening up.
"That's it. Push." Shenzi coached him.
Banzai bared down, groaning and lifting his leg up slightly.
Ed licked at his birth canal, encouraging the pup to come out.
"Oww..." Banzai whined.
"You're almost there. Keep pushing." Shenzi told him, smiling as she watched a tiny black head begin to emerge from her mate.
Banzai stiffened up and gave a final push.
The pup entered the world, squeaking a squealing in protest of being out.
Banzai say up immediately and began licking it off.
"Aww look at our little gal." Shenzi smiled proudly as she watched her mate clean their newborn pup.
Ed barked happily and ran, jumping in excitement in circles around the den.
"Calm down, you damn numbskull." Banzai growled at Ed, continuing to lick the tiny new life as it searched for a nipple to latch on to.
"Ooh what should be call her?" Shenzi mused, getting closer to get a better look at the pup.
"Janja." Banzai answered.
"Janja?" Shenzi asked, raising a brow. "That's a males name, fool."
"I know." Banzai replied, continuing to lick the little suckling pup. "He's a male."
Shenzi frowned slightly.
"Aw man. Thought I was finally gonna have another girl." She sighed, sniffing at the pup, who whined and whimpered at the touch of her snout.
"Aw, well, I guess you ain't so bad little man." She smiled, licking him gently.
Ed came closer and nuzzled Banzai before licking and nuzzling their pup. He was definitely a proud daddy.
They were all proud of little Janja. That much was certain.
(I own nothing!)
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