fluff
Thandi feels something brush her legs and looks down to see the velvety head of a panther. He sits, purring, rubbing his face on her, wrapping one massive paw around her to keep her still.
Of course.
Charlie must be nervous. A man like him is unused to wanting affection, or giving it. It makes her smile to see him try a little more openly.
“Charlie, you can simply ask when you want a hug.”
The panther seems embarrassed, dropping his head and pressing blindly to her, tail whipping. Watching that tail lash makes Thandi laugh, and she gives him a deep scratch on the forehead before kneeling and massaging his cheeks.
His purr grows louder as she does this, and finally, she wraps her arms around his neck. Thandi feels the purr hitch before the forepaws of the panther pull her closer.
Briefly, she wonders if he would hug her as a man. She misses that.