Getting closer

Matone poked her head from her little corner, where she made her nest in the enclosure. Her green orbs looking around, looking to see if a certain, fluffy, brown cheetah was near by. He wasn't. 'Good.' She thought, and stepped out as she stretched. She didn't know how she felt about this tom.

It was weird, cause only Kipekee had ever taken a liking to her like this before. Every other male at home thought she was either too young, or was put off by her father. She headed to the man-made lake to get some water, her soft pink tongue lapping it up before she yawned.

"Late night, Mattie?" Matone didn't hold in the groan, and looked up at the larger tom with annoyance, but also playful acceptance. "Thinking about me no doubt, eh?" The dark brown cheetah chuckled, his dark blue eyes twinkling in mirth and teasing.

"Oh yes, was just thinking when I'd be able to get away from you." Matone grumbled, and turned to leave. She saw the other cheetah's in the enclosure waking up, and she skittered to the wall. She didn't like them, and they didn't like her. The only one who'd even go close to her, was the dark colored tom. Who had followed her.

She sat, watching the others as they all waited for their breakfast to be brought to them. Matone felt like she was getting way to fat since being brought here. She hated, being fed like this. She would rather that they hunted their own food, instead of allowing these furless creatures to bring it to them. She had not eaten at first, not till the tom said how, she'd never get the strength to get out of here if she didn't eat.

"So, Mattie. What are you doing today? Going to brood again?" The dark colored tom asked, grinning down at her.

Matone rolled her eyes. "I do not brood." She said, settling down too, not, brood.

"Hmm, sure." He said, not at all bothered by her tone. In fact, it made him want to know more about her. "You know, you've been here for a week or two now, and you have yet to ask me my name." He said, and inched closer to her. He had this thing where he liked to sit close to her to the point of touching. Even with the others he did this.

"That's cause I don't want too." Matone muttered, and inched away from him.

The dwarf cheetah quickly got to her paws, however, when the door opened, signalling breakfast. She raced over, the only time she tolerated the other cheetah's in the enclosure. She got onto her hind paws, and nipped at the meat in the human's hand. It shouted at her, but she didn't care. She never got as much food as the others, due to her small size. She always missed out on the larger pieces. It yelled at her again, and another appeared to loop something around her neck.

Matone knew where they were going to take her, and  she growled. The dark colored tom, however, had different plans. He went over to her and the human who had her, while the other fed the others, and jumped playfully on the human's back and chirped. He then got down, and bit down on the large metal stick, pulling it away from it's hands. The loop loosened from around her neck, and Matone slipped out and ran away. The humans were upset with the large tom, and merely escorted to one of the cages they had in the enclosure, forgetting all about her. When they left, and all the others were eating, Matone walked over.

"Why did you do that? It's not like they were going to hurt me." Matone said, as she looked past the bars of the cage. "They probably think I'm a cub, and know no better..."

"I know, but.... I know you were hungry." The tom shrugged, his shaggy fur making it look like he was uncomfortable about sitting in such a small cage.

"....That a stupid reason. I still didn't get anything to eat." She muttered to him, and sat.

"And neither did I. But that's okay, cause I rather it be like this." The tom said with a smile, causing Matone's to tilt her head.

"Why? What do you mean?"

"Well, better me than you. No beauty should ever be caged." He spoke in such a way, that it made Matone feel... Weird. Something she hadn't felt for for anyone, other than Kipekee before. "Me on the other-paw, I'm a beast. It's okay for me. We missed out on breakfast, but we still have lunch and dinner coming."

Matone looked around then, and saw a cheetah leave it's large breakfast to go and get a drink. It was one of the cheetah's who snubbed her the first day, and barely bat an eyelash at. Matone dashed over, ignoring the tom's confused call, gripped the large piece in her jaws, and started to quickly drag it back to the cages.

The cheetah only noticed, when he realized that the 'runt' had taken his meal. He ran over to her, growling, fur up. Matone shoved it into the cage, from between the bars, and turned to growl right back.

"That was mine, Runt." The other, and larger, cheetah growled, his eyes showing just how much anger he had.

"You left it." She said in a matter of fact tone.

"Thief." He growled, then looked to the tom. "Give it back, Kup." He growled, the brown tom tilted his head.

"You know the rules, Muta. As does she. You left it, she took it. And now, I have it. No gives backs." The tom said with a smirk. "And you know how the humans will react, if you attack her. To her, she's a cub, and you are a grown adult. Who do you think they'll punish, if you attack her?" Even though he was behind the bars, he was somehow making it seem like he wasn't.

With a glare and a snarl, the tom turned to go and sulk. When he did, Matone relaxed. "That wasn't too smart. Why did you do that?" The dark tom asked the smaller one, and he tore the meat in half, and pushed the bigger piece out to her.

Matone shrugged, as she brought the meat in close to her to start eating. "No beast should starve." She simply said, causing the dark tom to out right laugh, a rich dark sound. She smiled, actually finding that she liked it. "So, your name's Kup?"

"Sort of. It's Mpole Kubeba." Matone laughed, and Kup tilted his head, also finding he enjoyed the soft and jingling sound of her laughter. "What?"

"Gentle bear!? I-I'd of thought, i-it would have been j-just bear!" Matone said between her laughter, and Kup just smiled, and shook his head.

"Eat your cow." He said with an amused grin, as Matone continued to giggle in between bites.