The pale figure of a large feline swam through dark waters with his head held high. Ever since Mani had joined the family group, Safi couldn't help feeling a little bounce in his step. She was something to take his mind off the every day, and gave him a new sense of purpose. Of course, his brothers like to tease him about why she was there, but that was beyond the point, right?
He would be lying if he said she wasn't attractive.
Safi just hoped his mother wouldn't be angry at him for it. So far, he had only introduced her to his father, and a select few siblings. Of course, Nia probably already knew about Mani, but....
He floated back on his back in the watering hole. He didn't want to be trapped in a committed relationship, so Mani was alright for a while, right?
Nia stalked through the tall grasses in her usual graceful, silent way. If there had been any prey before her the huntress could have reached out and touched it without the poor thing even knowing she was there until then. Instead her focus was on one very familiar white form - her son. She didn't want to confront him about it, but it had been a while since she just spent some alone time with him. That was okay right? It wasn't like she was sneaking into his private life.
So without hesitation the female leapt into the water with a splash. Disappearing beneath the once calm waters the leopardess emerged with a laugh. She hadn't done that one in a while! Looking around she gave Safi a devious grin before shaking the water from her fur.
Safi didn't know his mother was there until he was already screaming. He flailed in the water, knocking his thick mane in to the water and back up again before finally calming down enough to look directly at her instead of wildly back pedaling out of the water.
The young leopon gave a heavy sigh. "Mom, you really have got to stop doing that." He swam to her side, a moon to her night with all the brightness of the sun in his pelt. With a grin to match her own, he 'innocently' splashed water at her face. "Oops"
Oh, he was just so adorable some days! Nia couldn't help but to laugh as her son flailed in the water. "Did I surprise you then?" She asked playfully before swallowing water in surprise, "Safi!" But no she wasn't mad, more like a cub herself. With a growl the leopard smacked the water with her paw and was satisfied to see it splashing towards the white leopon.
She dived under the water and holding her breath waited. Though she loved to have fun with her family the leopard kept having to remind herself that she was here for more than just playing around. That thought in mind she resurfaced on the other side of the water hole.
Safi burst out laughing. Honestly! What did she expect him to do after such an introduction? He barely dodged enough to not get sprayed in the face, but his mane took a hit.
He frowned when she went under, pinning his fuzzy white ears back on his head. "Where....?" Safi craned his head around, and after a couple of moments of intense searching, spotting her on the other side. "Giving up already, old girl?" He teased.
Nia grinned over at her son before shaking her head, "Of course not." She replied before flipping over on her back and staring up at the sky. At least it was a pretty day with lots of clouds dotting the clear savannah sky. After a long pause the leopard pushed through the water towards Safi, "So...what have you been up to?"
She flashed him a sheepish smile, "It just feels like ages since we last had a mother and son talk, you know?" Her golden gaze blinked, "I feel so distant from you and your siblings sometimes."
Safi paddled around his mother, lazily kicking his pale paws in the thick liquid. He knew there was nothing in this water that was going to reach up and snatch him, so why rush about?
He frowned a little at her words, and angled his head to better see her. "I guess that's just part of growing up, huh?" Apathetically, he pushed off for the shore, and rolled onto land with his mother's grace and his father's power. He didn't go far, though, so that he could still be close to Nia.
"Well, I've been...a little here, a little there." He shrugged, sheepishly looking the other way. Honestly, he wasn't sure what his mother would think about his cheetah 'friend', and he'd prefer to keep it under wraps for as long as possible.
Nia frowned but stayed in the water. She wanted to give Safi space, not to mention that the feel of water soaking her fur was amazing against the savannah heat. "I guess so." Though she agreed the leopardess couldn't help but to give a small pout, "I just hoped that we could always stay a close family." Though that may be far from the truth. She still watched over her children, but since they were grown up now...well a lot of things happened that she didn't always hear about.
"Oh?" Nia was floating by the shore and looked over at Safi with curiosity, "Have you found anything while you've been a little here and a little there?" She asked innocently, her gaze still trained on him.
"We are," Safi argued petculently. "At least, I thought so." He was as close to his family as he dared to get, and beyond his twin, didn't view any of them in a long term sense. Some day, he was going to travel, and even if his beloved twin didn't accompany him, it would be worth it just to stretch his paws.
Not that he didn't love his family. He held his parents in high regards, and his siblings were irreplacible to him, even his older brothers.
And still...the way she asked her next question made his skin crawl. "Maybe," he leered. "Maybe not. What's it to you?" Of course he was teasing, but on the whole, he seriously did not want to talk about this with his mother!
"I thought so too." Nia sighed softly before shrugging, "But I guess even close families have their seperate things going on." With that statement the leopardess pulled herself on shore and began to shake her fur free of water, regardless of the fact that it was close to hitting Safi.
"I dunno." The leopard looked back at her son with a frown, "I just thought that sometimes a mother should know things about her son. Like if you had something major happen to you or wanted to just talk about things." She raised her paw and began to groom her face, but was still watching him from the corner of her eye. "You know most mothers consider it their duty to keep watch on their cubs even if they are considered adult by others."
Safi huffed irritably as his drying fur was sprayed by his mother. He moved off to the side to sit, and lick it off passively, choosing his battle wisely.
"Sometimes she should trust that he knows what he's doing." The young leopon looked up at her from the corner of his eye, coyly cleaning off his side. "Trust me, if I had big news, you would be the first to know."
"Easier said than done." Muttered Nia before licking her paw. Perhaps it was a male thing to not understand a female's worry? Or perhaps it was just very hard for a mother to trust her sons? Or males in general? The thought made her laugh softly to herself.
Though his last statement made Nia pause. "Re-really?" Suddenly the mother looked more like a cub, "That's great! Then I guess I should expect to be told something soon~" She said the last part in a sing song voice. "Else I'll just have to dig it up~" Lightning fast she jumped up, nudged her son playfully, and was gone.
(WC - 1,373)
