Waif and Stray - 11. Hairball

The closing front door woke Jinx into bleary, cramp filled reality. There was something very wrong with her middle - roiling noises and sensations left her in no doubt that both ends of her anatomy had substances they were dead set on being rid of, but one currently held clear dominance. She retched violently, a dry heave that left pain in her side as if she'd pulled a muscle, and hauled herself to a kneeling position. With the bed for support she managed two legs on the floor, but after a few steps towards the door collapsed down to all fours, heaving again. Whatever was in her stomach, she needed it gone, now. She crawled into the hall, met by her kitten's new friend. She didn't really know him, but a close personal relationship really wasn't necessary when she needed help so badly, any more than Zack himself had needed one when Charlotte held him after his caning. She collapsed into his arms, fine hair plastered to pallid skin with a sheen of sweat. The concern on the human's face was obvious; he lifted her effortlessly, instinctively seeming to know where she wanted to be. Her hair was held back, soft touches rubbing welcome circles on her back as she wept in distress, staring into the litter tray.

It took nearly quarter of an hour for the catgirl to finally dislodge the mass irritating her stomach. It was vile; the ball of mainly white hair had caught pieces of fish in it that had gone bad and it smelled eye-wateringly foul. Jinx didn't have time to consider it before the food poisoning it had caused decided to make itself very much known. Her companion was blessedly efficient; one horrified eye contact and an audible gut roil was all he needed to sweep her up. The catgirl found herself supported under the arms by one of Zacks', the other under her knees, as he suspended her over the litter tray. She didn't have space for humiliation in her mind; reliance on not going through this alone outstripped any desire for Dignity by far. It was a good thing too, given she produced some of the least Dignified noises and smells of her life over the next ten minutes.

Once he was pretty sure the poor neko was done, Zack gently cleaned her up as best he could with wetwipes while she whimpered in pain. He took the tray out into the kitchen - Jinx could need it again but they all needed relief from the smell. He wrapped the shivering, despondent catgirl in blankets and sat her on his knee, then fired his first text to Finn on the number Charlotte had given him as a concerned Ghost sidled up next to them.

~☆~

His hosts were back within half an hour, having assured him Char knew how to handle it and not to worry too much; Jinx would be fine. She certainly seemed to chirp up slightly having gotten the rancid mass out and squirmed uncomfortably as Char entered and fussed at her. "Is she OK? Didn't scare you too much?"

"Nah, she was amazing. Looked like it really hurt but she was so brave" he lied, smiling down at her. Crystal blue-grey eyes widened in surprised gratitude. Jinx decided she liked this one. Charlotte gently picked her up out of Zack's arms, cradling her protectively. The tall twenty year old gave a glance filled with thanks; it was't all that much fun to sit with a catgirl on a bruised butt in her experience, she mused.

"Right, well I need to get your temperature for aunty Sara, in case you've done yourself a real mischief, and I think we might have to consider a diaper until you feel better kitten. Thanks so much Zack; Ghost would have been terrified if that happened when they were alone, not to mention Jinx. I'll be back in a bit to tidy up."

"Thanks. Hate to think of Jinx like that, she'll have been so embarrassed." Finn knelt down by the catboy and other teenager.

Zack smiled. "Neko can be a bit uppity on occasion, huh? Poor thing hasn't had a hairball before, has she? Looked so surprised."

Finn shook his head. "Char's been telling her to stop licking Ghost's head since I got here. Even spanked her once - that was hilarious too. Jinx acted like a few lovetaps were the beating of a lifetime and sulked for ages." He idly scratched behind Ghost's ear, getting a satisfied jumble of syllables. "You didn't get in any more trouble with your cousin did you?"

"Nah, she was just really angry. Ended up shouting about how the school was evil to my dad on the phone, no one has even mentioned being upset with me. You? I mean, your sister seems pretty... relaxed about it all."

"She doesn't hold with the whole 'punished at school, punished again at home' thing like my foster dad did." Finn shifted awkwardly and blushed. "She got the same at school once. Was just angry it happened to me too. She worries."

"She loves you man, I can tell." As Finn shifted again, blushing awkwardly, Zack was sure he'd crossed a line somehow, bringing up the obviously close relationship between the foster siblings. Finn wasn't acting like himself at all. Zack closed his eyes, his heart and stomach feeling like they were plummeting, mind searching for a change in subject to save them from the pregnant silence. He was stunned, eyes blinking immediately open, when something warm pressed against his mouth. Finn was kissing him. Zack took, in his mind, forever to respond. First he battled with the fact it was happening at all, then marveled at the sheer brass balls of being able to just kiss another boy, not knowing they felt the same way. It was the bravest thing he'd ever witnessed. Finally, his mind screamed you should be kissing back by now!!! His fingertips raised to lightly touch Finn's cheek as he returned the kiss. By later standards of both, it was well below average as kisses go. Finn was a way from grasping that less could be more sometimes and was more aggressive than strictly necessary; Zack so shocked to his core that he barely responded at all, never mind with considered tenderness, but in the moment none of that mattered. It was perfect, a moment of shared confirmation that little hints hadn't been their imaginations, that what they had been feeling was real. They both heard Char moving in the other room, were prepared to stop in time to avoid being caught, but it was Finn bursting out laughing that startled his young lover into opening his eyes. Ghost had clearly decided he was being left out, and was kissing his friend's cheek enthusiastically. Zack joined in the laughter, his eyes meeting Finn's in a long, knowing glance.

Ghost sat back, laughing himself. He had no idea why the two humans were feeling so guilty; it had looked like a very nice kiss to him.

~☆~

Charlotte kept coming through the lounge, an unfortunately essential thoroughfare between the kitchen and the rest of the house. In her mind she was being supportive and nearby for Finn in case he felt awkward; she had no idea just how forward the teenager had been. Zack tried to focus on plain conversation with Finn - something the little imp didn't help with, giving him hungry looks and knee-trembling grins every time Char was out of his line of sight. The whole situation was surreal; he wanted time alone with Finn to talk, and yet simultaneously dreaded it. Zack had expected to be the, well, stronger partner, the lead perhaps, a protector of sorts, but at the moment it felt like the boyish blond held all the cards.

The conversation, at least, was fairly neutral on the surface. The two were relatively similar, with a few different leanings but definitely overlapping interests. Both liked reading, though Zack leant toward fantasy and Finn to sci-fi. They liked different art styles and writers but both liked comics. Each had seen TV series they thought the other absolutely needed to see, same with films and videos online. Music too... they chatted for hours, until Ghost grew bored listening to it all.

Jinx seemed to be having a poor time of it by the number of times Charlotte seemed to have to calm her distress or change a nappy. She got a fair amount of sympathy even though it was mostly self inflicted, with only occasional comments about being warned. She lurked in the playroom, occasionally accepting a brief visit from Ghost who never quite relaxed fully while she was ill, and Char who had some simple medicines that seemed to help. It was during one of these extended times alone that Zack finally managed to get Finn into a more open conversation. The incorrigible boy stole a kiss from Zack first of course; it took a firm hand squeezing the back of his neck to get Finn's attention.

"Seriously, let me take a breath! Promise I'm not going to go off the idea of kissing in the next ten minutes!" He shook Finn gently in mock castigation, the thrill that the boy's totally submissive gasp of pleasure at being treated just a touch roughly gave him was breathtaking, but seemed to teeter over into concern almost immediately.

"Sorry, I - it's just that it seemed so new..."

"Oh, it's great. Better than great. Just... I thought we'd be friends first, even if we did end up... y'know. I dunno how you knew, but I really like you and don't want to mess this up 'cos I'm not thinking properly."

Finn blinked. "You don't want to mess it up? I was trying to just enjoy it, get as many kisses as I could before I mess it up. No, leave it there..." Zack had started to loosen his hand from the back of the teen's neck; it was losing this firm, guiding touch Finn objected to, "...I really like that. Makes talking easier. I always mess it up. Either I'll get scared you're getting too close and push you out somehow, or you'll get close enough to see how messed up I am. Either way, you'll go eventually."

"You done?"

Finn blinked. The question gave him a chill down to his soul - the taller boy tightened his grip, the controlling hand drawing another gasp from his lips. He nodded, eyes wide.

"I'd like to think I get some input into these events at some point. I was supposed to come on too strong an' scare you off long before any of that anyway."

Finn grinned. At some point, his left hand had drifted dangerously close to his own crotch, seemingly with a mind of it's own. He only realised what it intended at the last moment, and resisted touching himself at becoming the sole focus of those piercingly green eyes. Just the slightest hint of disapproval seemed to have charged him to bursting with sexual longing. "If you think that's for the best."

Zack blinked in surprise. "No, it'd probably be for the best if we talk a bit more away from Char. Any chance you still have that numbing cream? Seriously, up all night with these stripes on my ass. You?"

Nodding agreement, and mourning the moment Zack's hand regretfully slipped away, Finn checked Char was fine with them slipping off to 'tend to their wounds' again, then led Zack upstairs. Charlotte watched them with a grin - they were nowhere near as subtle as they thought, and it really was very sweet indeed.

Zack slipped his trousers down for Finn to tend to him first - it seemed unspokenly fair to both. Finn still felt guilty that he'd gotten the taller teen in trouble and applied the cream nervously, swallowing at the sight of the now heavily bruised rear end before him. Zack gasped at the sensations, speaking only to curtly tell Finn to shut up when he tried to choke out an apology. Once satisfied, he turned to his nurse, pulling up his clothing. "Your turn." He nodded toward the bed with a smile, "Drop 'em."

Those two words struck Finn like a lightning bolt, his mind flitting back to Charlotte's spanking. His eyes lingered on the hairbrush across the room, then lay obediently on his belly, pushing the pyjama bottoms he had on down to mid thigh. The motion revealed the bare bottom that Zack had so lusted over since it's last experience with the cane. The delicately curved rear was horribly marred with long bruises, all six still very much distinct. One had caught Finn spot on across the point buttock meets thigh - this seemed to give him the most discomfort as Zack applied the soothingly numbing anaesthetic. "C'mon Finn. You're itching to say something, I can tell. Not letting you up til you get it out."

Finn pushed himself up to his elbows. "This isn't easy, okay? But I'm talking about it 'cos I want to, don't think you made me or anything like that and interrupt til I'm done, if that's OK." He glanced back over his shoulder for a reassuring nod from Zack, who had finished rubbing in cream and was now just tracing his fingertips lightly across Finn's rump, getting no complaints from the owner. He turned back away from the other boy before resuming "It's really hard, sometimes. Letting people in. I get all excited like this, then panic, and I think I know why. I'm messed up, 'cos of... stuff. I mean..." He swallowed, obviously close to tears, "I mean I get scared that I'll lose people, like I lost..."

Waiting long enough to break hearts, Zack gave space for the orphan to finish the sentence. When nothing came, he whispered "I know who. Just press on if you can. You get scared people will go."

Finn nodded, grateful for the help. "It's like a bit of me just wants to be alone, no matter what the rest of me thinks. Then there's all the weirdness. Seriously, you have no idea how messed up I am."

"I think we're all messed up a bit, you know..."

"Not like this. Anyway, there's no way this isn't going to fly apart. You'll hate me, and I'll be alone again except it'll be worse than before because I'll miss this so much."

"Look, I'm pretty sure I'd never judge you for any secrets you've got, but if it makes it easier for now, how's about we just go slowly? No need to open up if you're not ready, I promise not to be offended if you get creeped out or need some space, you do the same. No way to scare me so no chance I'll leave. We'll just... relax a bit, y'know? Get used to... this." Finn felt his chin turned with one finger as Zack leant in. His lips just brushed Finn's; it was so soft, so warm... the lips returned, plucking at his with a slight nibble. "That look on your face will do for now Finn."

"Come on. Oh, don't look at me like that, I wasn't born yesterday. You two have been mooning at each other all day - quite literally by the rate you're going through that anaesthetic. C'mon! You're killing me here!"

Finn smiled coyly, chewing the inside of his cheek. "We might have kissed a bit."

Charlotte's eyes went wide. "OK, hold that thought. We need ice cream. And details Finn! So many details!"