Snow Leopard (bxb)

Chapter 63- Early Morning Swim

Nobu's POV

A warm brightness on my face slowly roused me and I groaned, it felt early, I didn't want to get up yet. The house was dead silent, all I could hear was my breaths and Ro's soft snores, to me they sounded adorable, the tiniest snuffs, he didn't always make them, usually when he was content, the dream he was having must be nice, I wondered if I purred in my sleep when I was having a nice dream?

That reminded me of the dream I'd had a few weeks ago, if that was truly my future then I'd be the happiest person alive, but the part at the end? The darkness, the large, looming shadow, those sky blue eyes and that roar that haunted my thoughts sometimes, I saw them in my more recent dreams. It felt like whomever it was, they were watching me, waiting, stalking. It unnerved me. It was just a dream though right? It's what I told myself, shaking off the feeling of those sky blue eyes watching me. I think I was just being paranoid, what'd happened recently made me see dangers that weren't there, my mind couldn't cope without something being out there to get me. I hope anyway.

I'd felt death wrap it's cold fingers around my throat once already, seen it dig it's claws into Ro and try and drag him away from me. No way was I going to give up easily, not after I'd felt that, and with everything I had to live for. Ro's near death experience had made him hell-bent, he'd always been determined but this was different, if that's how he coped then as long as it wasn't harming him I'd leave him to it.

That light was still bugging me, I couldn't sleep with it on my face. My sleep blurred eyes opened a smidge, instantly squeezing shut as light blinded me, water filled my eyes and a tear spilled from one. I was sure we shut the curtains before going to bed.

Oh whatever.

I twisted in Ro's arms and buried my face against his chest to hide from the rising sun. I breathed in his rich and sweet scent with a sleepy purr, it rumbling from my chest when his arms squeezed around me, his bristled chin and cheek sleepily rubbing against the top of my head, a puff of air disturbing my hair as he snuffed.

A smile tugged at my lips and I tilted my head back, his sleepy light green eyes were hooded slits, he was barely awake. He mumbled something intelligible, pulling me closer to him with tightening arms. I liked the squeeze of those strong arms, I'd noticed he'd put on some muscle recently from his visits to the gym downstairs. It had only been a week or so but from his picky appetite and the need to exhaust himself every day had made him a little leaner, the muscle he already had becoming more noticeable and all that exercise building more. I had been a little worried seeing him pushing his food around during meals and only nibbling, the talk with his father had solved that though. The tense frown tugging down his dark brows and the serious and agitated set of his mouth and jaw had eased. They'd managed to find a compromise, Ro couldn't stand sitting around doing nothing, and his parents wanted him safe, fighting lessons did both of those things.

I'd surprised myself when I'd asked to attend the lessons, but I stick by the decision. I was one to fight only if I had to, I never sook one out, with Eidolon we had an innate advantage, he was all instincts, he fought like a cat, obviously. I was logical and cautious, two brains was better than one. I knew I could improve though, and I wanted to. If both Ro and I were more skilled at fighting then the fight with Carno wouldn't of ended the way it did, I doubt we would of won but Ro wouldn't of been so injured.

I know Ro felt he needed to protect me, as the more dominant in the pair it was his duty but that didn't mean I was going to sit and watch him get hurt for my sake, or not for my sake. I wanted to protect him too, not in a dominant mates sense, but I'd have his back, support him.

I'd seen the way he'd frowned when I asked if I could train as well, he was very protective of me, I knew that, but I wasn't a delicate flower that could be destroyed by a mere breeze. I was a big cat too, I had deadly claws and teeth, I was weaker and smaller than him, pound for pound he was the strongest big cat with the bite strength to match, but I could take down a wolf and other predators of that size, and have done.