February, 2006


It’d been many years since the passing of Nikki’s beloved pets, Dillon and Amara. Dillon had been killed when a vicious Neko had jumped his fence while the young man was roaming around the back yard, enjoying the warm, California sun on his skin. Thankfully, his mate had gotten back in the house and hidden before the vicious Neko could do her any harm, which was a good thing, considering that she’d finally conceived and carried beyond her first trimester.

Unfortunately, the young Neko had died a few short months later in childbirth, leaving their kitten parentless in the world. The kitten, a little boy who looked exactly like his mother with his father’s dark coloring, was Nikki’s pride and joy, and despite being a junkie, he raised him as his own. Being the crazy man that everyone knew him to be, he named the kitten Ashley, though he allowed him to have his parents’ surname.

Now young Ashley was eighteen and hiding a secret from his Master. Once he’d aged enough to go through puberty the way any normal human would, he’d discovered that he was what was known as a fertile amongst the Neko community. Although he had the ability to impregnate another Neko the way any male would, he also had the ability to be impregnated and carry kittens. So far, he hadn’t come across another male Neko he wanted to be like that with, so he hadn’t had to worry about anything but hiding his monthly linens from Nikki, whom he was embarrassed to admit his secret to.

That all changed one day in mid-February of 2006, the day that Nikki finally found him a companion of his own species. Although he now had Nikki’s four children as companions, it wasn’t the same since they were all human and he was a Neko. They all knew that he was different from them, but didn’t care; Ashley, on the other hand, longed for someone who was like him so they’d understand exactly where he was coming from. On the day that his Master brought home the new Neko, the first one he’d gotten since the day he’d gotten Ashley’s parents in 1981, he felt something he’d never felt before: attraction. And it was no wonder, considering that he could tell this Neko was a Dom, and was more attractive than anyone he’d ever seen.

“Ashley!” he heard Nikki bellow from downstairs.

“Yes?” he answered, sounding shy as he peeked around the corner from the bottom of the staircase.

“C’mere. I want you to meet someone,” Nikki told him, beckoning him over.

Still feeling shy, he slowly shuffled over to where he stood with the new Neko, hiding his face behind the long, raven hair that was styled similarly to his Master’s.

“Ashley, this is the Neko I found earlier. His name is Andy,” his Master said, pulling his head up. “Andy, this is the Neko I’ve had since he was a kitten, Ashley.”

“Nice to meet you, Ashley,” Andy said, his ears standing up out of the long hair that was styled like he’d seen those who were called “scene” style theirs.

“He’s a bit shy, Andy, so it might take some time for him to warm up to you,” Nikki told him. “The only ones he really knows are me and my kids, whom you’ll meet later since they’re at school. Why don’t you two sit down here and get to know each other a bit while I run upstairs and get your room ready?”

“Works for me. What about you, Ashley?” the new Neko asked.

Too shy to speak, he merely nodded.

“I’ll be upstairs if you two need anything. The brood should be home soon.” With that, Nikki jogged up the staircase to the second story, leaving them alone.

“So Nikki’s had you since you were a kitten?” Andy asked, sitting Indian-style on the floor.

“Mmm hmm,” he answered, joining him. “He originally brought my parents home, but they…”

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he told him. “If it’s too painful, I understand. I lost my parents when I was young, and it’s sometimes hard for me to talk about them.”

“I never got to meet mine,” Ashley admitted, tears welling up in his eyes. “Nikki told me that my dad was killed by a vicious Neko a few months before I was born, and my mom died giving birth to me.”

“I’m so sorry.” He was shocked when his new companion wrapped his arms around him in a comforting hug. “At least you’ve had Nikki since then. As nice as he seems, at least that’s better than being on your own, or having an abusive Master or Mistress.”

Unable to hold back the tears, one of the things he considered bad about being such a shy, quiet Neko, he let them stream down his cheeks. Andy hugged him tighter, soon pulling him into his lap and rocking him back and forth as he rubbed his back. As the tears began to slow, he couldn’t stop the soft purr that rumbled up from his throat as he continued the gentle caress.

Before long, the young fertile had cried himself to sleep in his new companion’s arms, his own wrapped tightly around his skinny waist. That was exactly how Nikki found them when he returned to the first story, his new pet’s head bowed as he hummed softly to keep him in a calm state. He stood back and observed them for a few moments until Andy’s ears perked up, flicking in his direction as they picked up his breathing and possibly the soft rustle of his clothing. In a way that didn’t wake Ashley, he looked up at his new Master, his icy-blue eyes as piercing as they were the moment he’d spotted him.

“I’m guessing he told you about his parents?” he asked softly.

“Mmm hmm,” Andy hummed, still rocking back and forth.

“I know he appreciates that I kept and raised him, especially when I could’ve given him to someone else,” Nikki said, coming closer. “But considering that I never had my father around, and my mother might as well not have been, either, I couldn’t bring myself to do that to him.”

“I wish I could kill the Neko that killed his father,” the new Neko growled.

“I took care of that myself, even though I was stoned off my ass that day,” he sighed. “I sometimes think that, if I hadn’t been stoned, I might’ve been able to shoot it before it killed Dillon.”

“He said his mom died giving birth to him.” It was a statement, not a question.

“That’s right, but I think she died partially of a broken heart.” He nodded. “She’d been mated to Dillon Purdy for over a decade; his sudden loss could’ve caused her body to be too weak for delivery.”

“Does he get like this every time he thinks about them?” he asked curiously.

“Not usually. Only close to the individual anniversaries of their deaths,” his Master answered. “Amara, his mother, would’ve been dead eighteen years a couple weeks ago. He usually stays this way for two or three weeks afterward, and it usually starts two or three weeks beforehand.”

“When did his dad die, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“September twenty-second, 1987. Amara’s death was the day he was born, January twenty-eighth, 1988.”

“So he’s eighteen?” Andy asked, wanting to be sure.

“Just turned eighteen a couple weeks ago,” Nikki answered, nodding. “He’s really not that much older than you.”

“Has he always been this shy and submissive?” he asked.

“You sure are an inquisitive one,” his Master chuckled. “But yes, he has. That was more or less his mother’s nature, while his father was a bit more out-spoken. He has his moments when he’s a bit out-spoken himself, but most of the time he’s shy and submissive.”

“He strikes me as shy and lonely,” he said.

“Well, even though he’s had my kids to socialize with, he’s never had another Neko around,” he told him. “I imagine that he’s always felt a bit lonely, in that respect, from wanting one of his own kind around.”

“Why didn’t you ever get another Neko for him to socialize with?” Andy sounded a bit reprimanding as he spoke, which made him laugh.

“Son, I’m very picky about the Nekos I bring into my home. Even if I weren’t, with Ashley being as shy and submissive as he is, I didn’t wanna bring just any Neko here. I wanted someone that, whether shy or out-going, would be willing to take care of and comfort him when need be. Basically someone much like himself, but with enough differences so that they basically weren’t twins.”

“And then you found me out wandering the streets, looking for more of my own kind.”

“Exactly. You were orphaned and having to raise and take care of yourself; it’s a wonder no other Master or Mistress snapped you up in all those years. Ashley needed someone to socialize with, but also to comfort him when he needs it.”

“So what are we gonna do with him right now?”

“I can show you where his room is. You’ll likely have to stay with him for a while, but he’ll be all right when it’s all said and done.”

Nodding, Andy got his help in shifting the older Neko so that he could carry him to his room bridal-style. His new companion wrapped his arms around his neck and he felt the gentle prick of his claws against his skin from where they’d emerged slightly in his sleep. His breathing remained steady and even, so they knew he hadn’t awoken from what appeared to be a peaceful slumber from being moved.

Once he was ready, he nodded to his Master, who returned the nod and beckoned him to follow. With the almost silent, weightless steps of a typical domestic housecat, he followed the man to the stairs and up them, then down a short hallway. There were three doors on either side of it, a lone door at the very end, and each one had a name painted on it. The first two on the left clearly said “Gunner” and “Decker”, and he could only assume that they were two of Nikki’s kids. The first two doors on the right said “Storm” and “Mary”, and again, he assumed they were his Master’s kids. The others he assumed were their bathrooms.

The lone door at the end of the hall clearly said “Ashley”, so it was obvious whose bedroom it was. Nikki opened the door and stepped in, beckoning him to follow once again. Andy did so obediently, taking in the color scheme and décor as he walked over to the queen-sized bed, which he laid his companion down on. Ashley curled into a ball like he was cold, grappling for his black-clad pillow in his sleep, and he couldn’t help but smile at how cute he appeared.

His new Master suggested that he lay down with him, as the other Neko was a major cuddler, especially when he got depressed over his parents’ deaths. Nodding so they didn’t have to make much noise, he crawled onto the bed beside Ashley, chuckling softly when he decided the pillow he was hugging to his chest wasn’t good enough for him. Those strong, tattooed arms wrapped around his waist once again, and his companion used his chest as a pillow this time instead of his shoulder. Andy looked up at his Master to see that he had a smile on his face, which got him a thumbs-up before he left the room, gently closing the door behind him. So far, he liked his new environment, what with having a kind Master who viewed him as an equal rather than a slave, as well as a companion of his own kind.

It wasn’t long before the Neko in his arms began to stir as if he were waking, which was fine by him, even though he enjoyed having him right where he was. He’d smelt the scent of a fertile on him the moment he’d seen him, and he’d always been a bit overprotective of any fertile he met. It was just in his nature to protect them rather than use and abuse them, and this time was no different. In being protective, that meant that if he had to cuddle Ashley to protect him from his inner demons, then he’d do so with open arms and without complaint. He knew it would take time for him to completely open up to him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be patient and let him do so on his own terms, rather than by force.

“Mmm,” the Neko in his arms murmured, nuzzling his chest.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” he whispered in his ear, gently rubbing his back again.

“Mmm, Andy?” he purred, cracking his eyes open.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Andy chuckled. “Have a good catnap?”

“Mmm, I’ve had better,” he answered, stretching in his arms.

“Well, that’s a shame,” he pouted. “I’ve been told that I make a pretty comfy pillow.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Ashley chuckled, sitting up enough to look at him. “I meant that I’ve had naps where I didn’t dream about my parents the whole time.”

“Hey, hey. Enough depressing thoughts,” he told him. “I know your pain, but let’s not allow it to define us, shall we?”

Grinning, the older Neko crawled off his bed just as their Master called for them. “Ashley! Bring your new buddy downstairs, will ya?”

“Sure thing, Dad!” he answered. Since he’d raised him as his own, he’d called him “Dad” from the time he could talk well enough to say the word.

“I’m glad to see you’re close enough to him to call him ‘Dad’,” Andy chuckled.

“Well, he did raise me; I see no reason I shouldn’t.” He shrugged.

“And his actual kids don’t get jealous over that?” he asked curiously.

“Nope. They look at me as an older brother,” Ashley told him. “I suppose that’s kinda true, seeing as I am older than them, and he pretty much adopted me.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to think of him as my dad,” the younger Neko admitted.

“And that’s fine by him. So long as you don’t call him ‘Master’, or put yourself beneath him as a slave, he doesn’t really care what you call him.”

“Yeah, he told me that he doesn’t like being called that and views us as his equals.”

“He told my parents that the day he brought them home.” He was quiet for a moment, then grinned. “Personally, I like having a Master who views me as an equal, rather than a slave.”

“Seriously. I mean, Nekos are bred to be slaves. To stumble across a Master or Mistress who views us in such a way is a rarity.”

Nodding and grinning their agreement, they made themselves presentable before heading downstairs. Once they were ready, Ashley beckoned him to follow, which he did without hesitation. The older Neko knew that Nikki wanted to introduce him to his kids, whom he himself enjoyed being around since they were so cool. Sure, they had their differences, but they were also similar in a lot of ways.

Gunner and Decker, Nikki’s sons, were into a lot of the same bands as him, which included Mötley Crüe, and were pretty good guitarists. Decker even followed in their Uncle Tommy’s footsteps and started playing drums a bit, although he was nowhere near as good as the older man, as of yet. Storm and Mary, Nikki’s daughters, were into a lot of the same bands as the guys, as well, but they shared the older Neko’s love of styling their hair and messing around with makeup. The most his sons did was heavy eyeliner, but the girls had actually taught him a few tricks with eyeshadow and other things.

When they got down there, Nikki and Ashley introduced him to the quartet of rambunctious kids, ranging in age from fifteen to five. Andy was pleased to meet them, although he kept his ears tucked under his hair against his head. Chuckling, the older Neko told him he didn’t have to hide what he was, considering that they were used to having a Neko around, but he was still a bit shy, in that regard. Overall, things went pretty good, and they sat around getting to know each other before dinner was served and it was time for bed.

Notes