Unsevered Ties

43. Down Daddy

A/N: I'm very proud of the pun intended for the chapter name. Also I know your hooked, so hook me up with some likes 😂

Chapter 43: Down Daddy

Slightly damp hair gleamed in the bright sunlight, and a pair of legs stood dangerously on the edge of a decently high window.

Dual-hued eyes surveyed the area, looking for a place where the jump wouldn't break any limbs. A ledge about two stories down waited for him to aid his escape.

Naki smiled. "He thinks a locked door can hold me? How'd we even get on this floor?" Naki mumbled to himself.

Gone was the scared little boy who would have been terrified just to look over the window ledge. Here stood a conqueror of fears. He let the gentle breeze hit his face, the little tickle feeling amazing as it ran over his scalp. One day soon he'd get to go to the Mountains again with Aiden, and this time he would climb himself.

Naki smiled to himself again. "He locks me in a room, and I'm still thinking about spending time with him. I must be a lovesick puppy."

"Excuse me, young man! Are you alright? Whatever the reason, it's not worth jumping. Do you need a listening ear?"

Naki stared down, confused, at a pretty tall man who had a silvery white tint to his hair, though his roots were stark black. He blinked in confusion at the man yelling up at him. What was he going on about?

No, no, I'm fine. You can keep going."

Aesmond stared up at the handsome little fellow, the sun illuminating his hazel eyes and making the yellow and green flecks more prominent. He had to shield his eyes with a hand of color akin to saddle brown.

"When people who want to jump out of a window say that they are fine... It's usually the opposite. You seem too young to want to throw yourself out of a window."

Naki shook his head. Was the man daft? Did he look like he wanted to fling himself to his death just because he was standing on a window ledge? Granted, most people didn't stand on the edge of windows for an extended period.

"I see your point. Seriously, though, I'm just planning on climbing down. I got locked in, and I'm just escaping." Naki pointed down at a bench. "Do me a favor and push that like two feet to the left."

Aesmond narrowed his eyes in confusion. There was a lot of odd information being thrown at him at once. "Wait, you were locked in a room, and now you are climbing from a high window to escape? Were you kidnapped or something? I need more details here to properly assess this situation."

Naki huffed. Why were older people always questioning things? "Tell you what, I'm going to jump, and we will both hope my final landing is graceful. If not, you can sit there and feel bad about not helping." He didn't wait. He tossed his pile of clothes down before shifting.

Naki was far more graceful now. Spending a year in a place that was built up and not out forced him to break all fears he had about height. Not only did they have advanced means of travel, but they didn't like to take shortcuts. Shifting in the Cloud City was seen as crass, but many of the young guards were just as rowdy as he was.

His paws landed on a narrow balcony, and his sleek, silver body trailed along the length of it. Iridescent eyes gleamed in amusement at the sound of a heavy bench being scraped against stone. It seemed the wary stranger didn't believe he was going to make his leap of faith. Naki balanced precariously on the ledge until the bench was in a good spot. With one powerful kick of his back legs, Naki set off, his silver fur catching the sun.

Naki landed with a heavy thump before shifting, his tail naturally wrapping around his waist. There wasn't any need for him to feel exposed. Their people walked around this way anytime they had to leave their clothes or shift quickly. He panted a bit as he smiled at the newcomer. "Thanks, mister. I can tell by your face you still think I'm crazy. I just had no other way out of the room, so no need to raise concern."