The Neko's Tail - 26. The Neko's Love

Elias tapped on Reinard’s door six hours into their journey. He was worried about the Faro. Reinard hadn’t left the room and the neko thought something might have happened, though what could have happened, he couldn’t say.

“Come in…” Reinard’s muffled voice called.

The door hissed open and the neko squeezed into the room, standing between the bed and the desk. Reinard was curled up on the bed, buried in his blanket.

“Does Artemis need me?” the fox asked.

Elias shook his head.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“No. I don’t know…”

Reinard sighed.

“It’s just hitting me now. There’s a chance I might never see my clan again. It’s like… I feel like I’m a slave again, just with looser chains.”

Elias nodded. The neko knew that feeling well.

“I think I made the wrong choice. I should have stayed with my clan and dealt with my demons.”

Elias climbed into Reinard’s bed, wrapping his arms around the Faro. The fox shuddered under his touch, tears falling from his eyes as the neko comforted him. There was a strange feeling in Elias, one of protectiveness, but also a gentle caring. He had never felt this way before, and he had no idea how to react.

So he just continued holding the Faro in his arms as Reinard wept.

Artemis sighed in relief, putting his tablet aside. He had copies of all his reports over the past two months ready on his tablet. And it had only taken him eight hours to get them all ready. He still had seven hours to catch some sleep before they needed to jump again.

The tiger already missed the days of sleeping in at the Artego house…

“Computer, locate Reinard and Elias.”

“Both are in Reinard’s cabin.”

Artemis smiled. At least they could comfort each other…

The tiger stood up, exiting his own cabin. Maybe it was a bad idea, but he needed to work out some energy before he went to sleep. It was time to see if the treadmill worked.

He entered the recreation room, striding toward the moving floor. As the tiger stepped on the treadmill, the wall next to him filled with a forest of trees bathed in the midday sun.

Artemis smiled as he walked, the stress of the past week melting away. It would be back, he knew, but for now, the tiger was going to enjoy this moment of freedom.

He heard soft footsteps approaching and turned, stopping the floor with a foot. Elias stood behind the tiger, his face a stony mask.

“Hey kitten, are you okay?”

The neko shrugged.

“Do you want to walk with me and talk about it? It might help clear your mind a bit.”

Artemis held out his hand, but Elias ignored it. Shrugging, the tiger began walking again.

“What’s on your mind? Reinard?”

Elias nodded.

“I don’t want him to be upset.”

“I can’t take him home right now,” Artemis sighed. “Maybe when we get to a station I can find a ship that will take him back if he wants to go.”

“But I don’t want him to go…”

“Did you tell him you don’t want him to leave?”

Elias nodded.

“Then you just have to trust him to make the right choice. And if that choice is to go back to his clan, you have to accept that, as hard as it might be.”

Elias frowned.

“But he can’t go-”

“That isn’t your choice to make kitten. All you can do is enjoy the time you have with him.”

Artemis stepped off the treadmill, ruffling the neko’s hair.

“I need to go take a nap. You can join me if you want,” the tiger offered.

Elias shook his head and Artemis shrugged. He left the room, returning to his cabin. Some sleep would be better than none.

A knock roused Reinard from his quiet slumber and the fox smiled. He knew that knock.

“You can come in Elias,” he called.

The neko stepped into the room nervously, his hands fidgeting.

Reinard stood up, embracing Elias.

“I’m sorry,” the Faro said. “I don’t think I can leave you. Even the thought is tearing me up inside.”

He raised himself on his toes and pressed his lips into Elias’ mouth. Elias’ arms wrapped around Reinard’s back, holding the fox against himself.

“I… I think I love you Elias,” Reinard breathed.

“Leim areula ey too…”

He could feel the neko’s reaction to him, the rod pressing against the fox’s stomach.

“I want you in me…” he whispered, butterflies fluttering through his stomach.

Elias stepped back, hitting the edge of the desk. He frowned slightly, and Reinard bit his lip. Was this too fast?

“Hed cal you eto me erl you?”

The fox blinked, trying to puzzle out Elias’ words.

“I… want to have sex with you,” he tried again.

Realisation dawned in the neko’s eyes and he smiled nervously.

“I want tel too…”

He leaned toward Reinard, kissing him as his hands touched the fox’s back.

“Do what you want with me…”

The neko’s hands tentatively ran down Reinard’s back, thumbs hooking in his pants. The fox’s tail wagged slowly, seductively, and the neko pet the appendage

His hand gently pressed against Reinard, and the fox sat down, pulling Elias toward him. He wanted the neko to take him, but Elias wasn’t going to do that without a little direction.

Dipping his fingers into Elias’ pants, Reinard lowered them slightly, freeing the neko’s rod. It looked strange to him, furless and pale like the rest of the cat, but the fox decided strange was good.

“If you don’t like this tell me,” he said, before taking the neko’s rod in his mouth.

Elias sucked in a breath, body tensing. Reinard slowly wrapped his tongue around the cat’s length, his hands resting on Elias’ butt. It tasted weird, sweet and salty at the same time.

Not that the Faro had anything to measure it against. He had never done this before. But at least Elias seemed to like it.

The neko thrust suddenly, and Reinard backed off, coughing. Elias was kneeling next to him an instant later, his hand on the fox’s shoulder.

“I’m okay,” Reinard coughed.

He lay back on the bed, pulling Elias gently on top of himself. Their lips met, Elias’ hands tugging at Reinard’s pants.

“Why do you avu av soro?” the neko asked as the fabric fell away from the fox.

“I… I don’t understand…”

Elias’ hand ran under Reinard’s own rod, brushing the fox’s sack before running over the moist folds of Reinard’s vagina.

He didn’t know. The neko didn’t know what that was…

“Fuck… Um, I can explain later, okay?”

“Okay,” Elias smiled, kissing the Faro.

Reinard returned the kiss, pulling at Elias until the neko was poised at his entrance. His hands rubbed over the neko’s back, his arms not long enough to reach his butt.

Elias’ eyes were wide, staring down at the Faro.

“You want me to… to salei you?”

Reinard nodded, hoping he hadn’t misunderstood the word.

Slowly, Elias pressed against the fox, pushing into him. The two both gasped at the unfamiliar feelings. The neko thrust instinctively, Reinard letting out a moan.

The moan turned into a keen as Elias thrust again and again until the neko deposited his seed into the fox with a shudder.

“Did I heda you?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m okay,” Reinard panted. “No, I’m fantastic…”

He kissed the neko deeply, the cat purring as the fox’s hand ran through his hair.

“I love you so much…”

Artemis heard the Faro’s wail through the wall. He sighed, resting his head back against his pillow. That was a mating call, a signal that the fox had been bred.

“Good for you Elias,” the tiger murmured, yawning.

He was happy for the neko. More and more Elias seemed to be coming out of his shell. This was just another step for him in his journey. Artemis hoped Elias and Reinard figured out their relationship. He didn’t want to see either of them unhappy.

Maybe the sex meant Reinard was staying. If not, they had just made things much worse for themselves. The tiger doubted either of them would have sex without intimacy.

Grumbling quietly, Artemis moved the pillow from under his head, holding it against his torso. He loved them both and wanted to keep them safe, but the more time passed, the more it seemed impossible to do.

If Reinard wanted to return to his planet, Artemis would send him on his way, but it would leave a hole in the ship. He wondered if the Faro realized that. Probably not. The fox was still young, and prone to making stupid mistakes, as Artemis had in his younger years.

Not that returning to his planet was stupid. If war broke out again, Artemis could understand Reinard wanting to be with his family. And if he left, Artemis would make sure Elias knew the tiger was here for him.