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One thing about underground caverns: sound really carries well. Mana was able to hear the sound of someone approaching long before he would be able to see them. It was one of the reasons he actually preferred the river belowground. There was still a part of him - and perhaps there always would be that part of him, which was a cringeworthy thought - which hated to be taken by surprise and feared the possibility that someone from his former pride would find him and finish the job of maiming him that they'd started all those seasons ago. His irrational and continuing fear of those lions rankled, and he hated it, but it was still there if he checked, and would occasionally manifest in other ways, like a tensing of his muscles upon hearing the sounds of another person approaching, despite the fact that he could recognize a cheetah's tread on the stones, rather than a lion's or leopard's walk. Cheetah claws couldn't be retracted, and so they always clicked on the stone. He didn't call out to the person approaching, however, since he could not yet see them and there was a possibility it was someone he didn't wish to see anyway.

Abhi stopped and stretced out her front legs, lowering her front half so her chest rested on the ground, rump in the air. Her tail flicked at that then proceeded to get up and stretch out her back legs. This is how she'd gotten Mana's attention the first time they'd met. However, she didn't even now where he was. Stretching done, Abhi continued on to her favorite spot, which was just a big, flat rock that was in the sun at all times during the day. Leaping up on said rock, the brown cheetah sighed and laid down. "Mmmmm... Love the sun." Her voice wasn't a held back whisper like she sometimes spoke in. No, no one was around so she just talked normally.

Actually, Mana wasn't so much of a creepy stalker type that he would sit there and watch a person go through their usual routine without drawing some attention to his presence. That is, he didn't really find a person's usual routine all that interesting, and so the idea of watching wasn't particularly appealing. Particularly given that Abhi was so much more interesting to talk to. Though there was no point in denying that she was also lots and lots of fun to watch, even as she performed mundane tasks. Some people were just like that, and Abhi was one of them. She had definitely found her calling in the 'Nera. Mana admired her in many ways. And because he admired her, he would stop being weird and creepy and actually say something, even though he'd been perfectly all right with things as they were. "Unusual place to come for sunlight," he remarked as he climbed to his feet. "Most people seek it aboveground."

A sudden voice made Abhi jump to her paws, fur bristling as she craned her head around. How was she supposed to know it was Mana? He gave her a freaking heart attack! Her brows knitted together as she glared at him, relaxing her locked muscles. "I didn't want to venture out." She almost pouted. Almost. She was much to dignified to actually pout. "What are you doing creeping up on people? Have you been there this whole time?" Those blue eyes narrowed a little in irritation. She didn't want him to see her startled. He was only supposed to see her when she was comletely composed.

"I could've. But my mind was elsewhere. I was actually enjoying having some time to myself." He winced as he realized how that must have sounded. "Sorry. I just meant that I wasn't thinking about it, really. Sometimes when I don't have to worry about dealing with other people and their expectations and the exact right behavior, I let all of my manners completely slide." He rolled his shoulders and shook his head. The sunlight around her made it very easy for him to see the way her tail twitched in annoyance. Not doing well here, he wasn't. Well, he'd already apologized and that was the most he intended to do. Abhi knew he wasn't always silver tongued. Just most of the time. "My fault, I'd guess," he said. "The not talking. Things have been busy."

It didn't take long for the cheetah to calm down, her tail now flicking in only habit. The annoyance seeped out of her with every word he spoke because she knew he was sorry. If he wanted to scare her, Abhi knew Mana could do a whole lot worse than sneak up on her while she was sun bathing. But still, the idea of being watched like that on a day to herself was a bit unsettling. At the same time, scrutiny was part of her every day routine, and it looked like she didn't get a break from it. She got her work mask slipped back on and got that air of an Entertainer around her as she nodded a little bit. "Think nothing of it. Just don't go around spreading that I was caught off guard. I'd never be a Geisha if something like that slipped out." She watched him with a little smirk on her face. She could be teasing him, but it was hard to tell right now.

"To be honest, I'm not really a cub person myself. My own don't seem to be so bad, but only because of Tomkrie. If I had to care for them myself, I'd probably go mad. Then they really would have changed me." He noticed her shift as he spoke and leaped with grace onto the rock with her. There wasn't a great deal of space for two adult cheetahs, but he was able to settle himself without touching her too much. She was attractive and he was attracted to her, but he knew because it was his job to know that she and Bugie were almost something, and he had too much respect for her to deliberately make things difficult. Not unless she gave him some sign that she would welcome his advances. "Nyoka was furious when I first told her about them," he said softly.

"When is Nyoka not furious?" she asked, a teasing smile coming to her lips. It seemed everyday she heard someone say Nyoka was mad or furious or just generally pissed off. So, Abhi didn't think much of it. She'd only caught Nyoka on good days, so she didn't know the wrath. "Well, ....I was too." In the past, she thought she made it quite clear she was interested in him. He hadn't taken her advances, hadn't flirted back with her or even asked her about it. So, she just assumed he wasn't interested in her. That's why she was comfortable against him now. She settled so one side of herself was pressed along his side, head on her paws with that grin. "But... I suppose it isn't a bad things, having spawn. I mean, with your blood and rank? They're to be respected, no?"

In an attempt to match her casual demeanor, Mana responded to her admission in kind, offering her a truth he hadn't shared with her before."You know, I was into you as more than friends. If truth be told, I am still incredibly attracted to you. I figured the cubs had more or less ruined that, though." A little irritably he thought that he had been right, now that he was apparently in the good friends category. "I did notice that you were unhappy initially, you know. And I wondered if it was because of something like that." Her head pressed against his neck told him that maybe he hadn't completely screwed things up, but he wasn't sure how far he should take this, or let her take it.

She looked up at him and arched a delicate looking brow. Interseting. He still had feelings for her, and she for him. ....Maybe ....Bugie wouldn't have to know. If it was a casual thing and let him get serious with whoever. She could keep a good distance if need be, emotionally. OK, that was a lie. But it sounded good in her head. Looking at him again, Abhi leaned in and licked his muzzle, pressing up against his side. She wanted to test this, to see what she was missing.

"...How about this; we be together for a bit, see how things go? But.... not tell Bugie?"