He was caught in the embrace of a tail so much longer and fluffier than Isuma’s that he would have laughed if their situation had not been so serious. He reached up with idle fingers to stroke its softness, appreciating the warmth that came with it – not merely from the fur, but the sense of love and belonging in the gesture as Amalia wrapped around them both with an affection he was still learning to accept.
And to treasure.
Amalia’s words were a surprise and a balm, and Jigano chuckled out loud as nuzzled her side. ”Yes,” he agreed softly, then squeezed Rory’s shoulder as the man began to speak. He had known about Maea’s family, but he hadn’t known that they had been friends of the hunter’s, and he tilted his head in a moment of impulsive desire to comfort, pressing his lips to blond hair.
”I’m sorry for your friend,” he murmured, the words soft as the leopard’s fur beneath their heads. ”Amalia said that we have each other, though. And she’s right. We have enough to deal with at the moment. Maybe we can revisit this government issue later… but for now, you should rest. Let Ama and I protect you for an hour or two, before you have to go back out there.” He hesitated only a moment before tilting his head back to watch the play of sky through the branches above them. Strange, to feel so self-conscious offering something he did every night at the Rathskeller, but those nights he wore his masks and performed for entertainment and profit, not to soothe wounded hearts. More and more when he was with Rory and Amalia he felt those masks slipping away. ”Shall I sing for you?”
And to treasure.
Amalia’s words were a surprise and a balm, and Jigano chuckled out loud as nuzzled her side. ”Yes,” he agreed softly, then squeezed Rory’s shoulder as the man began to speak. He had known about Maea’s family, but he hadn’t known that they had been friends of the hunter’s, and he tilted his head in a moment of impulsive desire to comfort, pressing his lips to blond hair.
”I’m sorry for your friend,” he murmured, the words soft as the leopard’s fur beneath their heads. ”Amalia said that we have each other, though. And she’s right. We have enough to deal with at the moment. Maybe we can revisit this government issue later… but for now, you should rest. Let Ama and I protect you for an hour or two, before you have to go back out there.” He hesitated only a moment before tilting his head back to watch the play of sky through the branches above them. Strange, to feel so self-conscious offering something he did every night at the Rathskeller, but those nights he wore his masks and performed for entertainment and profit, not to soothe wounded hearts. More and more when he was with Rory and Amalia he felt those masks slipping away. ”Shall I sing for you?”
