It was... cold. Safuraa was definitely not used to being alone. Well, he wasn't completely alone. He glanced at his father, who was curled into a tight ball some ways away. He watched the shaking form for a moment before sighing. His father was so much smaller than he was.
The white cheetah pulled himself to his feet. The night was no longer young, but he was restless. He needed to walk. He just needed to get out of here. His footsteps were soft against the sandy plains. He promised not to be gone long. His father would probably die without him.
He looked up as he walked, stars dancing overhead. The moon gave a bright glow to guide his journey, but he was to tired to wonder the direction. That is, until he collided harshly with something. He stumbled, jerking back reflexively when the object snarled at him. He cursed his weakness as he began shaking. "I'm so sorry," he whimpered out, scrambling a few more steps back.
"Quiet!" The figure snapped. He could feel his jaw snap shut at the command; he could hear his teeth click together. He scrambled further back, not wanting to takes his eyes off of the other. He could see white teeth glinting dangerously. There was blood on the other's maw allowing the daggers to be seen against what he guessed would be a white face.
"Stay still," the voice commanded again. His muscles tensed as he froze. He swallowed reflexively under the golden gaze of the other feline. She stalked towards him and he could see the muscles rippling under her skin.
And he was scared. He would be able to outrun her, but she probably had a lot more stamina than he did.
The female stopped directly in front of his frozen form, a paw coming up to his face. He flinched, expecting a sharp smack across his maw. He was surprised when a soft paw just brushed against his cheek. "Shh, shh," the Leopardess murmured, and he only realized a whine had escaped him.
"What's you're name, Love?" The Leopardess pulled her paw away. She made a slow circle around him, scrutinizing the smaller feline carefully.
"Uh, uh..." his teeth clacked together with every shake of his body. One of the paws touched him again, right on the nape of his neck. "Safuraa, my name. It's Safuraa Kijani Ruhusa."
"A big name for such a tiny little thing," the Leopardess commented. She chuckled, shaking her head. She stroked along Safuraa's spine, petting him and coaxing him into sitting. He was still shaking. "You may call me, Asha, Love."
Safuraa gave a jerky nod, saying her name just to commit it to memory. Asha kept petting him, even though he was tense. He could feel her breath against his ear as she spoke, but he could still remember the blood on her maw. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, though his blue eyes shifted to catch a glimpse.
Claws scraped against the nape of his neck and down his spine, gently. It didn't hurt, more of a soothing motion. He could feel his muscles begin to relax under the ministrations. "You poor thing," Asha cooed. "You try so hard, don't you, Love? Just relax."
And he did - probably against his will, but he could barely tell. He sunk to the ground, but the petting continued as he fell into a laying position. "It's okay to submit. It doesn't make you weak, Safuraa."
"But it does! It does. I can't... I can't just," he whined. He shook his head, unable to finish his sentence. He could feel the paw move to the bright shock of the long pink fur down his spine. It moved to between his ears and he tensed, but it felt nice. The nails scratched against the wide of his neck and behind his ears.
He shuddered, body slumping almost against his wills. "You need this. I can See it, Love," she murmured to him.
"I have to get back to my father," Safuraa answered, trying to push himself up. The paw moved back down his spine and pressed him down, refusing to let him leave. Asha's eyes turned cold. "We'll leave when I say so, Safuraa. We'll go back to him soon."
The cheetah struggled to get up, fighting against the strong paw at his back. Fear crept back into him, and he twisted to try to get out of the hold. He fought and fought, kicking his feet out to try to get the leopardess off of him.
"Please, Asha," he gasped out. "I, I... Please."
Asha didn't move until he stropped struggling and fell silent. He was wheezing, choking back sobs. "You're okay, Love. Shh, you're okay. She began stroking down his spine again, continuing even with the small flinching movement. She sank down next to him, running her tongue along his forehead, offering comfort.
It didn't surprise her when the small cheetah took it, curling into her side. Their fur meshed together, making them appear one being. "I wouldn't have done that if you didn't need it, Love. You're okay. It was just a lesson."
She didn't try to stop his cries, offering the comfort he never got as a child. He sobbed until he couldn't anymore. His breath hitched as he tried to calm himself. "Sorry," Safuraa murmured, rubbing one of his eyes with his paw.
"There's nothing to apologize for, Love." She nudged him. "Are you okay?" She nuzzled the top of his head, smiling when he pressed into it.
"I am," Safuraa nodded, sounding surprised with the revelation. "Thank you. I.. I didn't know I needed that." He could feel Asha nod against his head.
"I knew what you needed. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. Your father should be okay for a bit longer. You should rest." Safuraa looked up at her, brow furrowing like he would argue, but the Cheetah nodded. He tucked his head under hers, feeling oddly safe after the events that just took place. He sank into a restful doze. He could feel something shift into place inside himself and he decided - he really needed this.
And maybe. Maybe that was okay.
