Love Over Fear

Travel

We had woken up to a bright and cheery morning, and after we had set our destination, we had fallen into a peaceful conversation, talking about ourselves, just learning a few things about the other. Kuroko, not long into our journey, had gotten tired and so I had picked him up and placed him on my shoulders. His thin legs hardly covered the expanse of my shoulders, and he was unexpectedly light.

As we, well I, walked up yet another hill, I gripped Kuroko's knees, to make sure that he wouldn't fall head over heels down the steep incline. As though he had envisioned it himself, he gently wrapped his arms around my neck. His small body was warm, but not overly so, but I still felt flushed with the combined heat of the jungle, but to keep the comfortable atmosphere, and to avoid silence, I asked, "So, how old are you? I mean, I'm just wondering-"

"I am fourteen years old," he responded in a monotone.

"Really?! I thought you were ten or something!" I shouted in surprise. He was so small! Although, looking back on it now, he certainly acted much older than any ten year old, or fourteen year old for that matter.

"Yes, it's true. Now, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Oh, I'm sixteen, only two years older than you!" I replied with a grin.

I still can't believe that he's only two years younger than me. He just looks so much younger, I thought to myself. I suddenly felt a little silly carrying him on my shoulders, but he didn't seem to mind, not that I would be able tell.

We did lapse into silence, but I didn't worry as much as before, because it was much more comfortable than I thought it would be. And for the first time since we had met, I had run out of things to say. Only for the time being, of course.

...

I continued on, yet it continually grew harder to go on as the foliage became deeper, thicker, and taller. So instead of worrying over him getting scratched or hit by branches that were just the right height, I relaxed my shoulders and let him slip down my back. His warmth that was left rapidly cooled with the slight breeze, and I shivered lightly.

"Hmm...? What's going on?" he said quietly. He must've fallen asleep, though I wouldn't know how. It must not have been comfortable to sleep like that, I should've moved him sooner. His hand released my shoulder as I guessed that he rubbed at his eyes. 

"I'm carrying you on my back, so that you don't get hurt, there's a lot more trees with lower branches." I said, keeping my voice even and quiet.

"Hn, okay," was his whispery answer. I couldn't help but smile. As much as he was blunt, and too mature for his age, he really was quite cute- shut up, brain.

As I walked through a particularly thick patch a bushes, I caught a strange scent. It smelt like a wild cat of some sort, someone young, and with this new scent came the barest hint of fruit.

Suddenly, a flash of something yellow rushed at me, and too surprised to catch myself, I found myself falling backwards. I acted fast and reached behind me to grab Kuroko and pull him into my chest, head tucked under my chin. We landed in the bushes behind us with loud snaps as it's branches broke underneath us. I came to attention not a second later, I looked up to to see where, and what, it was that had nearly given me a heart attack.

And there, standing in front of us, was a blonde leopard. But he had me confused for a second, because he looked a little too beautiful to be a boy. With feminine features, soft skin, long eyelashes, big eyes, he looked too much like a girl. A silver piercing in his right ear caught my eye as it reflected the greenish light streaming through the canopy of the trees. He wore a clingy light gray t-shirt and short, ratty, dark blue shorts. His eyes were a golden brown and as I had said before, his hair was bright blonde.