Chapter Three: Nyctalopia and a nightmare.

"hey, What's 'Nyctalopia' mean?"

"being unable to see at night because it's so dark."

(Radin walks off)
(carl walks up)

"just how i like it to be during our 'little games', sy~"

"shove off, you big slut~"

-Radin.

-Syrus.

-Carl.

-Syrus.

radin lay in his single bed with the desk lamp on.
syrus sat upon carl's head as the leopard tugged the blankets over their son.
"comfy, rad?" the adult leopard asked, then added "is it okay for me to call you 'rad' ... or should i not?"
the young snow leopard sighed contentedly at the warmth of the blanket that had taken syrus a full year to make, even with the aid of machinery.
"yeah, it's okay, i guess..."
the blanket, it was nice to use, it was so soft and warm, he figured it must be like getting cradled in the paws of a giant as a non-giant, a position his adoptive parents doubtlessly shared regularly.
syrus chuckled "like the blanket, Radin?"
he nodded "yes, thank you... but... you sure i can use this? don't you need it more?"
syrus sighed, grinning "it's fine, he gets enough warmth from our bedding, and I get enough warmth from him, anyway..."
radin smiled as the adult leopard gave him a hug with two quick squeezes to represent a hug each for himself and syrus to their adoptive son.
syrus smiled kindly "remember, you need anything, call for me."
radin nodded as carl turned off the lamp.
"i will, thanks Mr Syrus..."
he heard carl "nighty-night, radin, sweet dreams..."
then syrus chuckled and added "goodnight, sweet prince."
radin snickered "thankyou... good dreams to you, Mr Carl... and goodnight, Mr Syrus..."

the adult leopard strode out of the room, and radin fell asleep.

but... dispite the words of the leopard and the little otter, his dream wasn't a good one.

-Radin's Nightmare-

it was a scene that would never leave him, one he'd suffered through every single night since he'd first seen it happen in front of him.

he sat in the corner of an office, while two well-dressed adult snow leopards worked at a desk and at a filing cabinet respectively.

suddenly, a robotic mech burst in, a human with a balaclava on his head piloting it, making the mech aim its weapons at them.

radin screamed, shots were fired, his parents fell down.

the mech aimed at him next, and the last thing he saw was a grey fireball engulfing the whole building...

---

he quickly sat up, panting.
whether his eyes were open or closed, all he could see was pitch-blackness.
he looked to his bedside desk on his right.
his clock read "11:00 PM"
he'd somehow spent three and a half hours in the nightmare.

"Radin?" came a whisper from a small voice "are you awake?"

he knew it was syrus speaking "y-yes... i had a nightmare..."

he heard syrus groan "the same one as last time?"

"yes..." he replied depressively.

he could hear syrus slowly getting closer as he padded over to his bed, and continued talking.
"i just... i miss them so much..."

"that's perfectly natural..." syrus' voice filled with the sound that he'd had an idea
"say, most kids your age have a bed-toy or something, don't they?"

"yes... i guess so..."

he heard syrus climbing the ladder built into the leg of the bed, and now could even pick up on his scent as he crossed the matress to radin's head.

"so, i think i might be able to help."

"how?"

syrus hugged his face, chuckling slightly "well, by acting in place of one, of course! lots of kids share their parents' bed after something like this, so, why not the other way around? i'm small enough to fit, after all."

radin felt the otter brushing his paws through the fur on his feline muzzle
"but... doesn't Mr Carl need you for the exact same reason?"

"he can manage for a bit, i left a rolled up bit of the blanket in his paws."

radin took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"thank you... Dad..."

that one word seemed to set the otter's heart beating faster.
"you called me... i'm happy to hear you say that, you've no idea how much it means to me."

he hugged his little father's body to his cheek
"i miss them, my rea- i mean, my birth parents, and i'll always love them... but, i think you and Mr Carl are good parents as well..."

"good, because we love you back, son." syrus insisted, and began humming a lulaby that helped the snow leopard cub fall asleep again.

---

a few minutes later, syrus walked back into his and carl's bedroom, hearing the big leopard groaning and moaning discontently.

(tch. nothing but an oversized kitten... oh well, kittens need attention.)

making his way up onto the matress, he stretched out on the giant's expansive chest, hearing the distressed noises change to a pleased purr almost instantly.
too instantly...

"carl, it's late, go to sleep already!" he whispered in a hushed voice
a small chuckle came from his partner.
"aww, caught red-pawed..."

syrus sighed, crossing his arms "you need your sleep."

"but, remember? i can't sleep without my precious little Mustelid nearby..."

"you could just say 'otter', you know."

"yes, but the technical term makes me sound smarter, doesn't it?"

syrus scoffed "i didn't promise myself to an intelligent person, where'd my simple leopard go?"

carl laughed quietly "how dare you! i'm intelligent!" protesting with mock-offense.

syrus rubbed the spot under carl's jaw that he knew brought out the deep, contented thrumming of carl's happy purring, and chuckled "i dare, because i know you can't live without me... of course, that's mutual."

with a happy moan, carl settled down to sleep, syrus knowing full-well that he was apparently a master at comforting giant cats.

(next chapter: Syrus' Nocturnal Excursions)