Category: 2019

fighting, conflict resolution

Charlie slinks into camp, walking back as a panther. He sits at the edge of the firelight, eyes on Thandi. She stares back at him.

Every time he does this, she understands that he has something to say and no way to say it. He has a habit of finding a form that seems to pass the message on better than what he could say. Thandi opens her arms to the panther, who stands and walks into her embrace. She feels the rasp of his tongue on her neck and cheek, the heavy purr rolling out from his chest, one large paw pulling her as close to him as he can.

Thandi strokes the fur of his neck, mildly amused by his clothes. Even as a literal animal, he’s so shy. Unless it’s her…

As she strokes, she realizes suddenly that she’s not stroking fur now, but tangling her fingers in Charlie’s hair. He hugs her close, silent. Savoring her against him.

“Thandi,” he mumbles. “Please. Please… I don’t want you to get hurt. I… just want you to be… a little less reckless. Okay, a lot less reckless. When you get hurt, I get… anxious.”

“I’m sorry, darling.” Always the magic word. She feels his hands tighten on her back as he nuzzles her. She feels her cheeks heat— so affectionate! “I just know what I need to do and do it.”

“Sometimes we have to let people do stuff for us. It’s okay to fall back some. Please, Thandi.”

She smiles and continues to rub his back. “I’ll do my best.”

“You terrify me.”

“Terrify?”

“I… yes. You scare me.”

“I don’t understand… am I…?”

Thandi feels him press her closer to him now, and it’s comforting despite his clear anxiety. His hair is soft. He’s warm. Hot, even. She can feel his stuttering breaths as he considers his words.

“I… as I’ve said before. What am I to do if you die?”

What can she say? She can’t promise not to get hurt. And dying, well, she doesn’t want that, either. “I won’t die, Charlie.”

“You could. You could, and that is the most frightening thing I’ve ever… ever. Been frightened of.”

He cares that much?

“Will you… help me?”

He pulls back now, enough to look into her eyes. Studying her. Tracing a line around her face, lingering low before his eyes meet hers again. He leans close, lips parted slightly, and a well of fear rushes up inside of her. Does he intend to kiss her?

It’s with some relief that he pulls her back, hand pressing her into his shoulder. “Always. Always, always, always. Even if I don’t know how.”

This gets a laugh from her. Thandi clutches at the back of his vest and lets herself laugh, lets herself relax in his arms. “Thank you.”

fluff

Charlie squeezes Thandi with all his might, spinning her as he laughs. It’s such an honest, open laugh that she’s surprised. High, giddy, energetic, strangely sweet.

When he puts her down, he buries his face into her shoulder. She feels his breath, hot and moist, along with his hair that tickles her ever so slightly. He gives that heavy, happy hum, “Hmmmmmn!” as he allows himself a smell of her.

It’s absurdly cute coming from a man who was satisfied throwing a tantrum in front of the entire Haven. He mumbles something into her skin and she laughs again.

“What was that, darling?”

“You smell nice.”

She feels her face get hot and attempts to laugh it off. “Thank you, Charlie.”

“Mmn.”

There’s a sort of comfort to be had from simply being in his arms. Warm, safe, reassuring. Thandi hugs him back and feels the tension in him relax, and they both sink deeper into one another.

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.

tbo, fighting

Thandi reaches out to touch Charlie’s shoulder. He jerks away as if scalded and throws her a look over his shoulder, anger still sparking fiercely.

“What do you want?”

His tone stings, and Thandi pulls her hand back, hugging herself. “I was hoping we could… talk?”

“There’s nothing else to say. You. You insisted on moving ahead of us all and when I patch you up afterwards, you charge in again. You won’t listen to reason!”

“Charlie, I—”

“If you die, what am I to do?”

“I won’t—”

“You might die!”

“Let me speak, Charlie!” Her glare overpowers his and his mouth snaps shut. The silence presses close and Thandi takes a breath. “I won’t die. I’m much stronger than you give me credit for. You are all still learning, and I have you to—”

“I can’t always heal you!”

Her pulse is wild. He feels her fingers brush over the bracelet as she once more hugs herself. Everything goes blurry and Charlie turns his face away hastily, unable to stop the tears. Why is he so… sensitive about this? He’s… terrified. If he gets any more attached, what’s going to happen?

She tries again to touch him and he steps out of her reach and stalks off into the trees. It’s always like this. He’s not going to get through to her. And she watches him go. What else can she do when he’s so determined to be upset? She strokes the bracelet and feels the coils tighten now.

She feels the innermost coils shift and a tendril moves along her inner wrist, a now comfortable gesture. How much of it was from him and how much of it was the magic of the bracelet?

Thandi sits. His moods don’t always linger long.

tbo fluff

Charlie opens his arms to Thandi. “Come home,” he mumbles.

She wraps her arms around him, and he does the same with her. He’s solid, safe, warm. His breath on her neck tells Thandi that he’s arranged himself as always, face burying into her neck. There’s an impulse to kiss his cheek, but she instead clings tighter.

“Why do you keep saying that, darling?”

“Say what?”

“’Come home.’“

Charlie clears his throat, grip loosening. “Did you want me to stop?”

“No! No, no… it’s adorable. I’m just curious.”

Thandi is pulled close to him again. Feeling each other breathe, him protecting her, their heartbeat seeming to tie together. Charlie savors this feeling as he tries to figure out how to phrase his words.

“Because we’re both displaced. I thought perhaps it would be, er… sweet. To be home to you. As. As you are. For me.”

Thandi’s face goes red and it’s her turn to hide her face. She presses to his chest and he rubs her back as she lets the embarrassment ebb away.

“I… like that.”

“Charlie!” Thandi laughs as she feels him sweep her up and lift her, kissing her neck as they spin.

“What is it?” He sets her down, giving her a dozen small kisses as she giggles, wriggling.

“That! Tickles!! Darling!!” A small chuckle is the response she gets, hugged tight once again.

tbo pining

The first time they kiss, there’s only searing pain. It’s like pressing his lips to a hot iron, and he’s frozen there for a moment. His brain screams for him to pull away, but he doesn’t. Not until Thandi separates from him, sees the unbidden tears on his face.

She wipes the tears away as he recovers, and he smiles at her. It’s not what she expected, and he begs her for another kiss. Thandi denies him and he longs for her anyway.Love is pain, after all, he says. Thandi hates the gentle smile he gives her, despite what she inflicted on him. But he still hugs her. Nuzzles her. Loves on her. Begs for just one more kiss.