The Neko's Tail - 12. Mixed Feelings

A knock on the door roused Artemis from his sleep. He was warm, comfortable, Elias’ arm thrown over him, a slender rod nestled against his ass-

Artemis inhaled quietly, trying not to move. He could feel the neko’s breath on his shoulder, slow and deep.

The knock sounded again, and Elias’ breathing changed. Artemis felt him stiffen behind him, the neko’s rod pressing against him.

Sighing, Artemis sat up and swung his feet out of bed. Standing, he walked to the door, unlocking it so the being on the other side could open it.

A lime green blob was on the other side, a sealed piece of paper floating over their head.

“I bear a missive for Commander Hawke. Her eyes only.”

The human stepped up behind Artemis a second later, and the tiger returned to Elias, who was sitting up, covers up to his neck.

“I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to touch you like that,” the neko shivered.

“Elias, there is absolutely nothing to be upset about.”

The tiger leaned in toward Elias, who cowered.

“You can touch me like that any time,” he whispered.

Elias gaped at him, and Artemis chuckled, gently raising the neko’s jaw with a finger.

“Change of plans,” Hawke said, interrupting the two. “I need to be at Oyhaf Station in ten days time.”

“And there still is no other ship that can take you?” Artemis confirmed.

“None but yours. It is a shorter journey, at the least.”

“Well, with your permission, I will take Elias back to the ship and prepare to undock. We will have you at Oyhaf in a week.”

Hawke nodded and Artemis turned back to Elias.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

The neko stared at him, worry in his eyes. Slowly, Elias nodded.

The tiger picked up the collar Elias had been wearing, and placed it around the neko’s throat, checking to make sure it fit comfortably.

“If you’re marked as a slave, less people will stare at you,” he explained. “I promise I won’t use the remote.”

“That’s a good plan, Captain, except for one detail. Your slave is wearing what is obviously your shirt, while you yourself are bare chested.,” Hawke said.

Artemis looked at Elias, taking in the black shirt covering him.

“Fuck…”

The tiger thought for a moment. He could go back to the ship by himself and get an outfit for Elias, but that would require leaving Elias alone with Commander Hawke, and he didn’t want to do that. There was nothing else they could cover the neko in. The collar would be useless if he let Elias wear his shirt.

Sighing, the tiger looked at Elias.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Frowning, Elias lifted his shirt over his head, handing the fabric to Artemis. He was bare to the world once more.

Artemis didn’t like it. No one should be looking at the neko’s groin. He could at least cover that.

“I’m carrying you,” he decided, hoisting the neko over his shoulder.

Elias squealed as he was lifted into the air. His body fell over Artemis’ shoulder, his rod buried deep in the tiger’s armpit.

The tiger walked out of the room, Elias’ tail flicking furiously in his face. He had to fight the urge to bite the tail as he sped out of the hotel. The neko’s body was so warm against him, and the pressure of it excited the larger cat. His arm curved over Elias’ butt, the slender tail brushing against it in its’ angry twitching.

Not many beings were about yet, and Artemis breathed a sigh of relief, even as he picked up his pace. He could feel Elias hardening in his armpit, and his eyes glazed over slightly.

Shaking his head, Artemis continued toward his ship. They finally made it to cover, and the tiger unlocked his ship, setting the neko down. Elias scurried onto the vessel, sparing a moment to glare at Artemis before speeding toward the cabin.

He hit the panel to lock the door and sank to the floor. That did not just happen.

Elias’ face burned with shame. Not only had he just been carried through the station naked, but he had gotten hard in Artemis’ arms. There was no way the tiger did not feel that. And he had been pressing against him when they woke up. Elias was lucky the tiger didn’t take offense to it.

In fact, Artemis had seemed almost… happy. Like he had enjoyed holding Elias, and having Elias’ dick pressing against him.

The neko didn’t know what to do. Artemis wanted him. He had said so before, and today proved it. But he didn’t take Elias when the neko offered. What was going on? And did he care?

Yes. He cared a lot. The realization surprised Elias. Sex had always been about work for him, but this time he actually wanted Artemis. He wanted to touch the tiger, hold the tiger, do things he had never done with anyone before.

And it worried him. What if Artemis didn’t want that? What if the tiger just wanted to fuck him and be done with it?

A knock at the door interrupted the neko’s thinking, and he heard Artemis call, “I left some clothes by the door if you need them.”

Elias unlocked the door and grabbed the clothes, shutting the barrier quickly. He dressed slowly, still mulling over Artemis.

The tiger did say he could touch him whenever he wanted. It was obvious he wasn’t going to be punished.

Or was he?

Elias touched his collar. Artemis hadn’t removed it yet. Though to be fair, he hadn’t really given the tiger the chance to take it off yet. Maybe, if Artemis freed him again, he could try some things with the tiger?

Another knock came at the door.

“Elias? Are you okay in there?”

The neko unlocked the door, hand still on his collar.

“Oh,” Artemis said, staring at the collar.

His hand brushed over the leather, releasing the lock on the collar, and the band fell away from Elias’ neck, freeing him once more.

“Thank you,” Elias said quietly, nervously.

“Are you okay?” the tiger asked again.

The neko shrugged. He didn’t know how he felt. He was safe in the ship now and they would be leaving soon, but being close to Artemis made him nervous.

“Hey, it’s okay to get excited,” Artemis said gently. “I’m not going to attack you over it.”

The air felt stuffy. Elias had just gotten dressed, but he felt an almost overwhelming urge to rip off his clothes.

The neko tugged at his shirt, yanking it over his head as he panted.

“Elias?”

He shrugged up and down rapidly, trying to relieve the sudden pressure in his shoulders.

“Elias, what’s wrong?” Artemis demanded, the tiger’s hand resting on Elias’ shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” the cat blurted, shying away from the tiger.

His eyes closed as he tried to draw in a full breath.

“Elias, I’m going to take you to the med bay. Who knows what those slavers gave you?” Artemis said. “Can you follow me?”

The neko nodded, stumbling after Artemis. As they neared the medical bay, he began feeling better, like he could breathe again.

“I’m okay,” Elias said as Artemis opened the pod in the med bay.

“Humour me,” Artemis replied, looking at him in concern.

Sighing, the neko started climbing into the pod.

“Um, you can’t wear your pants in there,” Artemis said.

The tiger sounded almost embarrassed, asking Elias to strip. He watched Elias hop back down and remove his pants, the neko’s tail held rigid.

Elias did not like the idea of being stuck in the pod again. He felt a lot better already; he didn’t need to be cut off from the world. But Artemis seemed concerned about him. It was not an emotion he was used to seeing, at least not in connection to himself.

The tiger stepped toward the neko and Elias yelped as furry arms scooped him up, placing him in the pod.

“Sorry,” Artemis muttered. “I just… I like holding you.”

He removed his hands from the neko, leaving Elias to puzzle over the words. As the glass closed over him, the neko realized something.

“I like touching you too…” he whispered into the glass before the air around him thickened and knocked him out.

Artemis sat in the pilot’s seat of his ship, Commander Hawke staring over his shoulder at the controls. He decided he didn’t care for her much. The tiger would be forever grateful to her for finding Elias for him, but that’s where his appreciation of her ran out. The human was far too nosy, and it stressed him out having her watch his every move as he prepared to leave the station.

“Asla Station, this is Captain Artemis requesting permission for undocking,” he said through the comms.

“Permission denied Captain. Be advised there is a fifteen minute wait for take off,” came the reply, and the tiger sighed.

“Affirmative Asla Station. Waiting on your permission.”

It was against regulations for a ship to have the station inform them when they could leave; it put too much stress on the station controllers. But Artemis didn’t care at that moment. He was part of the Exploration Fleet, not the Military Fleet, and he was entitled to a few breaches in protocol.

Of course, he usually didn’t have a military fleet commander watching over his shoulder.

“Do you leave them on call every time you leave a station?” Hawke asked with a hint of disdain.

“Not every time Commander. But I figure I could start plotting the jump to Oyhaf now instead of later. It will save time.”

Switching seats, Artemis brought up a 3D map of the galaxy, using a keyboard to locate the target system. Setting the ship’s autopilot to steer them toward the star system, Artemis returned to the pilot seat. The distances were the same in this universe and the alternate, he merely had to bring the ship up to beyond the speed of light and the autopilot would do the rest.

“So tell me Commander, how is the Empire faring?” the tiger asked idly.

“What business is it of yours? You’re safe flying in uncharted space. You don’t have to worry about a bunch of Imperial dogs trying to murder you.”

“Call it idle curiosity.”

Commander Hawke scowled.

“Captain, on my world we have a saying. Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Ah, but if I recall correctly, the rest of the phrase states that satisfaction brought him back. You are not the first human I have met among the stars, nor will you be the last.”

Commander Hawke was spared the necessity to answer as the station called the go ahead for Artemis to take off. Placing his hands on the ship’s controls, Artemis rose up, flipping on the ship’s artificial gravity as he floated through the station’s mailslot and out into space.

Picking up speed, the tiger directed his ship away from the station, waiting until he was ten kilometres out before rising from his seat.

“And where are you headed?” Commander Hawke demanded.

“Well I need to close down the ship before we jump through the portal. Not to mention there is a neko in the med bay who would be fried if we leapt while he was still under,” the cat retorted, continuing his walk.