Barrier

Lion-o/Cheetara

The night was quiet; the only noises to be heard were the wind mingling with the trees and grass, as well as the crickets chirping in protest against the invisible assailant. It was peaceful; something the Thundercats never really saw much of after their kingdom had fallen. But this moment was special to the young king; not only was it peaceful, but it was peaceful with Cheetara.

They hadn't been given a moment to themselves since they had gotten together. If they weren't fighting, they were travelling. If they weren't travelling, they were setting up camp. And if they weren't setting up camp then they were trying to take care of their group or planning ahead for the next day. Panthro must have noticed Lion-o's melancholic mood; not getting to spend time with his new girlfriend was starting to wear itself on his sleeve. So the older cat had sent them on another 'patrol' around the border. He winked and sent them off.

Lion-o would have to thank him later.

For the time being the couple walked hand in hand, talking about whatever came to mind. They were comfortable with each other, however at the same time it was like there was this small barrier between them. Lion-o often had to think about what to talk about and sometimes caught himself awkwardly staring at her; just little things. But he just couldn't figure out how to break the small mental barrier that was between them. Or if there was one there to begin with; did she even notice it?

In truth, the cheetah had noticed the slight strain Lion-o put on everything he did. But she assumed it was just his nerves. It would take a little bit of time for everything to completely fall into place; it couldn't be forced, but instead one had to wait for it.

But of course, her boyfriend was a man of action. He would make the barrier break. And that was something she really liked about Lion-o.

"I'm glad it's so nice out tonight." The Cheetah said, admiring the sky and the plains before them.

"Yeah. Usually it's a lot hotter around this time of year." Lion-o took a moment to survey their surrounding and then allowed his eyes to rest on Cheetara. He took his time remembering everything he could about her. The way her lips curved into a smile, the way her fuchsia eyes sparkled in the moonlight; everything about her drew him in.

Cheetara turned around to see his teal eyes locked on her, "What is it?" she asked with a smile, stopping their walk.

He shook his head and smiled; he was such a doofus, "Nothing I guess."

"You've been staring a lot lately."

"I guess" Lion-o leaned over and placed his lips on her temple, "It's sort of hard not to."

And there it was again; butterflies running wild in her stomach just from his touch. She felt her smile get slightly bigger. He was a little shy at times, but he definitely knew how to put on the charm. The best part about it was he wasn't even trying.

She would admit it; she stared at him too when he wasn't looking. She was just a lot more secretive about it. Her favorite time to watch him was when he was sparring. He would wield his sword with a sense of power and honor, and his sword would swing with a stern grace. He had come a long way from being the technology fascinated person she'd met over a year ago. Each day he became a better king and each day she found herself falling harder and harder- something she never thought was possible for a person like herself.

She turned toward him and pushed herself against him. She ran her hand up his chest and then to his jaw, "I know the feeling." Cheetara brought his face down to capture his lips. Every time they shared a kiss it sent shivers down her spine. Lion-o was always so gentle and he made sure to make her aware of his affections for her.

"You know," Cheetara began as she pulled away, "You and I haven't sparred in a while."

"Well, that's because..." Lion-o stopped midsentence. Why did he have to start talking in the first place? Why couldn't have just be suave and brush off her comment like any cool cat would do?

"I think it's because you're afraid of getting your tail kicked." She smiled mischievously at him.

"What?" he smiled back at her, quirking a red eyebrow in response, "You don't think I can beat you?"

Of course she did. But she did like a challenge; she liked to see him get a little worked up even more. "I'm thinking you could if you're brave enough." She let go of him and backed away. She drew her staff and stood in a fighting stance.

"The one time we get a chance to be alone together and you want to fight." Lion-o sighed and shook his head. He couldn't help but smile though; this would be interesting. He backed away and drew his sword, but instead of charging straight ahead he took his time to analyze the situation at hand.

He was facing a woman who could easily clock one-hundred-and-twenty miles an hour, was trained in the ways of the clerics, and also had his heart all at once. He might as well just throw down his sword now and let her beat him over the head with her staff. But he wouldn't learn anything from that; it would be more embarrassing than anything and she would never let him hear the end of it.

He couldn't out run her. He probably had the upper hand in strength, but again she was swift and crafty.

Crafty…well that was a thought. What in the terms of crafty could he do to defeat her? If strength and speed weren't enough, then what could he do to win against the woman who had his heart? His eyes lit up when an idea came to mind. It was a bit daring, and probably a little unfair. But if it could give him at least one victory on her then he was willing to risk it.

Lion-o retracted the sword and placed it back in his gauntlet, receiving a skeptical look for Cheetara as he did so; phase one completed. Now phase two would be put into action. Lion-o walked up to Cheetara. He stood aloof before her, their chests barely touching as he anchored his mouth next to her ear.

Cheetara could feel her hair standing on end and her muscles tensing as Lion-o's breath tickled her pointed ear. She could feel her face heating up and her heart beginning to race as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. The cheetah felt silly; she never allowed herself to feel this way. But this man was the only one in her world who could make her feel as such. She knew he was trying to weasel his way out of sparring. And if it was any consolation, he was doing a very good job of it.

Lion-o could see the blush on his girlfriend's pale face. He pressed himself closer to her, and he could feel her heart beating against his chest. Or maybe it was his own heart he was feeling. It didn't matter how many times; she still had that same heart-soaring effect on him whenever they were close.

He nipped at her ear and he received a whimsical chuckle from her in return. His heart beat even faster when he captured her lips in a tender kiss; he nearly forgot what his original intentions were.

The minute he released her lips he took advantage of the euphoric side effects of the kiss. Before Cheetara could fully comprehend what was going on, Lion-o had snatched her staff from her hand and bounded off, cackling as he ran.

It took her all of a second to realize what the lion was doing. He wanted to play? Oh she could play; she could catch him before he could take another breath of air to laugh.

Lion-o glanced over his shoulder and knew he was in trouble before Cheetara even took a step. She was going to catch him; which was part of the plan, of course. But he wanted to play around a little bit longer before he allowed that to happen.

To his luck he saw a pond up ahead, if he could make it in time he could make a dive. Just as Cheetara was about to catch him he placed the staff in his mouth and lunged head first into the water. He was honestly expecting for her to stop at the shore and wait for him to resurface. But instead he heard a splash immediately following his own.

Most women he had known would have paused and thought twice before bolting into a pond of water to retrieve a glorified stick. Then again this woman had such mannerisms worked out of her by Jaga. She was essentially a perfect fighter- which only made Lion-o swim a little faster in an attempt to try and out run-swim- her, even if only for a little bit longer.

He didn't make it far before he felt two arms wrap around his neck and a whisper in his ear. "Got you." Cheetara knew from the devious glint in the lion's eye that he wasn't done yet. He took a deep breath and before she could even say his name he took the both of them under water.

Cheetara let go of her boyfriend's neck and swam back up to the surface to get the air she hadn't been able to get before she was pulled under. She couldn't see anything because her bangs were lying flat against her eyes, but she could hear Lion-o resurface behind her. When she turned around to face his general direction she could hear his muffled laughter.

His fingers brushed one of her soaked bangs out from in front of her eye. He had the biggest grin on his face, her staff caught between his teeth and laughter vibrating his vocal chords. Unlike her hair, his hair was laid flat against his head and was a few shades darker than it had been before it had gotten wet.

It was a contagious site, but she wasn't going to let him off that easy. With a smirk, she shoved him back underwater before making a slow swim back to land. He followed her, still chuckling behind her staff.

Cheetara wrung out her bangs as Lion-o stood up on the bank. He took her staff out of his mouth and ran his clawed hand through his damp hair. "I guess this means I win."

She could easily tell him that he didn't win; that she caught him and he played dirty. But then again; he did use his wit to trick her and he probably would have out swum her if he hadn't been just playing. "I'll give you that one, for now."

He walked up to her and handed her her weapon. He gently brushed her damp, now wavy, bangs from her face. She stopped trying to fix her hair to stare into his eyes, which were still sparkling from mirth. She didn't think it was possible, but she smiled bigger than she ever had before. She was one who didn't let others see her emotions; who was usually in control of them as well. But she decided not to fight it with him. Maybe he would feel more comfortable if she allowed herself to be more comfortable as well. If they could accomplish this, then the barrier would be broken.

Lion-o leaned down and took her lips prisoner once again. This kiss was a bit different; still gentle, but not as timid. It was playful and outwardly happy. She couldn't help but smile against it and return it all the same.

I hope you guys liked it! :D I never write this sort of thing- well at least to this intensity (which isn't very intense to begin with.) but anyways, I wrote this for a V-day contest on DA and also for one of my friends. :)