Of Boxes and Homes
By Moon .com
Beta: lyakahime
Rating: PG
Alternate Universe/Fluff
Warnings: (Minor) animal abuse, crack.
Spoilers: None
Series: Kingdom Hearts
Pairings: Sora & Riku
Summary: Sora is only barely out of kittenhood when he's given The Box by human parents who don't want him. Luckily, there's another cat nearby to help things along. Riku won't mind sharing, right? (Complete Short Story.)
This story is a work of transformative fiction, such being defined as a work which incorporates characters and situations which have been created by other authors/artists. No infringement of copyright is intended and no profit is being made from the creation or dissemination of this work. Kingdom Hearts and the characters therein were created and are owned by Tetsuya Nomura and Disney. They are used with respect and admiration for the work.
***
Rain pounded down on the cardboard box, soaking it until it threatened to rip under its own weight. The box's single half-closed flap offered a little shelter from the weather, but every now and then a car would drive too close to the curb and splash all over, sending the dirty water even into that scant protection. Sora mewled pitifully and huddled against the side of the box, trying to keep his paws out of the growing puddle where the bottom-flaps folded over on each other. It hadn't been raining long, but it was raining heavily, and even the humans didn't like it. He could hear them hurry by, all so eager to get somewhere dry that they ignored the little calico kitten.
"Mom!" Sora wailed again, as loudly as he could. A little bit of his shelter sagged, sending a drizzle of cold water all the way down his back to his mostly-brown tail. He shrieked and huddled closer to the wall. It had been hours, and his humans still hadn't come back for him. Worry and loneliness brought a new pitch to his voice. "Mom, where are you? Mom! Dad!"
Finally, finally, someone above him answered.
"Will you stop whining already?"
Sora's folded ears twitched, their usually tight bend loosening in curiosity. It wasn't his mother, she didn't speak people, and the voice was too deep anyway, but Sora was so relieved that anyone had noticed him that he edged around the puddle and peered upward. The only person he could see was the longhaired tom, fur dark in the shadows of an overhang. He was lounging on a balcony railing just overhead, well out of the wet.
"They're not coming back for you," the tom sneered, tail twitching idly. It was fluffy, almost like baby bird feathers. "Humans never come back when they use The Box. Don't you know anything?"
"But..." He bit back the whine that tried to escape, puffing his chest out to sound less like an adolescent. There was no way the other tom would help if he thought Sora was a pathetic little kitten. Raindrops splattered onto his nose, making him wrinkle it, but they were getting slower. "Why would they do that? And what am I supposed to do now?"
"Go find a new human, duh." The stranger sat up and peered down, tail curling around his paws. Headlights reflected off his fur, shining blue highlights against what turned out to be pale silver. "Or else become a stray. Choice is yours."
Prickles ran up and down his spine as Sora's fur stood on end. "I don't want to be a stray!" He arched his back and bounced on all fours to emphasize his point, butt slamming against the box wall. With a wet riiiiiip the flap finally gave way, letting all of its collected water pour down.
Sora yowled as he was drenched, water pouring down into his eyes and blinding him. Panicked, he spun around, clawing at his attacker. It struggled mightily as he wrestled it, collapsing in on itself. Tail puffed and spitting challenges, battled on until his adversary sagged in sodden defeat.
Wet and thoroughly miserable in victory, Sora started to sit down, then caught himself and bounced back to his paws before his butt could touch the wet sidewalk. It hadn't been a very good fight, and it hadn't done anything to make him drier. With a disgusted huff, he launched for the nearest tree, clambering up away from the water-filled pavement and to the safety of the branches. Rain still slipped through, but the tree was leafy enough to stop most of it. He huddled close to the trunk, ears pressed tight against his skull. His tail was so heavy with water that he couldn't do anything without hearing it squelch.
Overhead, the strange tom sniggered.
Sora craned his head to look up, absently pawing at his ear. It was folded so tightly that water had only gotten in it a little, but even a few droplets itched. He and the other tom much were closer now, so close he could see that the other's eyes were a fantastic shade of blue-green. If he kept climbing, he could reach the balcony and maybe get out of the weather.
He must have been obvious, because the other cat's back arched. "Oh, no," the longhair hissed, large ears tipped sideways aggressively. "This is my home. You can't have it." The little bell on his shiny leather collar jingled. Sora thought longingly of his own collar, which his human father had taken off before they put him in The Box.
They hadn't even put his catnip mouse in there with him, he thought regretfully. "I don't want your stupid old home," he snapped, staring down at his wet tail and wondering if it was worth grooming. It occurred to him that strays must be wet all the time. The thought was so horrible he immediately started trying to dry it out.
"My home's not stupid!" The longhair puffed up even more, looking like a shinier version of the dustballs Sora used to chase under the bed as a kitten.
His tongue rasped against the fur of his tail. It tasted of car and dirt and all the disgusting things his humans put in The Box before him. The wind was starting to bite through his coat, reminding him that it was only spring, and a cat could catch his death from the chill. But the tom was muttering awful, rude things, so Sora pointedly licked his tail a few more times before huddling in on himself against the wind. "Yes it is. It's got you in it, and you've been nothing but mean." He cast his most mournful gaze upward, pleased when the tom settled into a more relaxed crouch. "I just want to get dry, and then when the rain's gone I'll go find some new humans."
Silvery fur darkened as the wind blew a few drops of rain into it. "Just until the rain's gone?" the tom asked suspiciously, one ear back. Sora nodded eagerly, shivering at the feel of the wind through his fur. They locked gazes, but finally the other male looked away disdainfully, tail curling primly behind him. "Fine. Just for now. But then you go!"
A delighted mewl escaped Sora's throat. "I'll find new humans, I promise!" He scrambled up the tree and across the branches until he could jump to the rail. The other cat didn't even look at him as he settled in under the canopy. It was so nice to be completely free of the rain that he shook himself, folded ears pricked as far forward as he could move them. "I'm Sora. Mom said it was 'cause of my eyes." Politely, he leaned forward to sniff.
Slowly, the other tom twisted his head and touched him, nose to nose. "Riku, for no real reason." His over-sized ears flicked forward, and then a harsh tongue scraped over Sora's face and ears, almost startling him off the rail. Riku slammed a paw onto his head, continuing to lick. "You can't come inside until you're dry, doofus."
"Oh—okay..." The strange tongue rasped again, and Sora purred in delight as his new friend helped him groom.
***
Riku, it turned out, was only a month older than Sora's half-year, though he acted like a tom ten times his age. But once he'd allowed Sora in his territory, he became friendly enough, even sharing his food. It was some soft delicious stuff that was kept in metal and melted in Sora's mouth. His own food had always been in a bag, and he'd gotten in trouble for getting it for himself.
"My humans work the opener for me," Riku bragged, tail swishing proudly in the air. Sora could only nod, his mouth full of the wonderful morsels. Wet food, he decided, was definitely going to be on the list of things to look for in a new family. That and no Boxes. "They're a little slow sometimes, but if I tell them enough they seem to get it."
The calico finished his bite and then licked his lips. "It's really good. Thank you." The bowl was still mostly full, but he glanced up at Riku worriedly. "Do you want some? I'm not that hungry." It was a lie. His stomach was so tight he thought it was growling as loud as a dog, but he didn't want Riku to be hungry either...
"They over-feed me. When they come home, they'll probably have to throw it out." Elegant fur ruffled as Riku shrugged. It settled as smoothly as it could, considering its fluff. "Have all you want."
Good manners out of the way, Sora dug in, one ear cocked to listen as Riku explained the house rules. No sharpening his claws on Riku's drapes—the humans didn't like replacing them. No shedding on Riku's furniture—it was hard for humans to clean fur off things, since they didn't have a good tongue. No playing with Riku's toys—they were Riku's. It was little things, but he explained everything very thoroughly. To Sora, who was still in shock over having been given The Box, after six months of blameless family life, it seemed like Riku knew everything about humans.
He had definitely been right about being over-fed, Sora realized as he finally finished stuffing himself. Several bites were still in the bowl, glistening with gravy and begging to be gobbled up, but somehow he knew that if he tried he'd be sick, and then Riku would make him go back out into the rain. So instead he cleaned his paws, watching for a signal on what to do next.
Riku stretched out on the cool tile, head pillowed on his forelegs. The tip of his tail swung back and forth, like he was stalking something. The house was mostly dark, except for a few scattered lights the humans had left on for Riku, so his eyes glowed blue-green from the reflected light. "At first I thought it was the rain," he began, curiously intent, "but your ears are always like that, aren't they?"
A blush warmed Sora's nose and cheeks. "What about it? My birth-mother's were too!" He wiped a paw over one, but it stayed resolutely bent. Again he tried, head down, but there was nothing he could do. His human mother had tried too, and been sad when they wouldn't stay straight.
"Little mongrel," she sighed, rubbing his ears and trying to straighten them. It felt weird, but she cuddled him so close he couldn't squirm away. "Some wedding gift. Auntie meant well, I guess. I bet you'd be worth the fortune she paid if it weren't for these... things."
Sora's head hung lower, letting it sink to his paws. The wonderful food churned in his stomach. Was that why he'd been put in The Box? Would Riku kick him out? Now that he knew Sora was weird and different? "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I can go if you want..."
"No, don't." Riku licked the top of his head, tone apologetic as he smoothed the wild spikes of fur on top of his head. "They're cool. Kind of cute. I bet you'll have a new family in no time with those things."
"You think so? My mom—"
"Was stupid. Humans who use The Box always are." He finished and stood, tail snaking along Sora's neck. It prickled his skin in a new, very pleasant way. There was no time to think about it as Riku sashayed past him, tail languid and ears pricked. "Want to see my scratching post?"
"Sure!" Sora bounded after him, upset forgotten in the face of a good scratch. He hadn't had one since he'd tried out his new sofa the week before, and he wasn't taking a chance on anything Riku hadn't okayed.
The post was simple, a couple of landings and a room on a pole, all covered in cream carpet. He could smell Riku all over it, could see his marks on the dangly toy and practically taste his scent in the fabric. The rest of the house was a mix of things and Riku and humans, but this piece clearly had only a single owner. He hesitated, glancing over at the longhair.
"Well, go on," Riku advised, whiskers wrinkling in silent amusement. "You look like you need it."
Still unsure, but desperate to sink his claws into something, Sora crept closer to the looming pole. The second his paws touched the padded surface, his claws sunk in deliciously, hooking in the fabric and sliding out. Without thought, he kneaded the carpet, shivers running up and down his spine from the delicious friction. It was a pressure in his pads that built and released, built and released, until he was purring with the sensation. Riku fell in on the other side, working on the post. His purrs were softer, but they provided a counter-point and rhythm that Sora gladly fell into.
He didn't stop until his muscles felt like they were sparked with light, like he had enough energy to climb a dozen trees or battle a hundred Boxes. Riku was still working the post, his motions slow and lovely, like the very same thing that made Sora's nerves dance was lulling him to sleep. So entranced was he that he didn't even notice Sora sneak around the pole until he pounced.
"Hey!" Riku's screech of protest rattled Sora's ears, but the post had him in its spell and no noise Riku could make would stop the fizzing in his blood. The little calico stayed perfectly still as they faced off, eye to eye with the longhair. Then tension grew until he couldn't take it anymore.
Quick as a flash, Sora bopped Riku on the nose, then scrambled away. He skidded on the slick wooden floor before finding his feet and zooming off. The silver tom was hot on his tail, fur puffed but ears up.
"I'm going to get you!" he yowled, swatting at Sora's hind end.
"If you can catch me!" Sora executed a tight turn, almost tumbling over himself before managing to again pounce on Riku. Their limbs tangled as they rolled together, gnawing and hissing with glee. Then they sprang apart, eyes locked in another stand off, breathless with laughter.
Seconds later, Riku's paw reached out for a pat, and it was Sora's turn to chase.
***
Thunder woke Sora from a hard sleep. All of the little lights had gone out, darkening the room to an amazing degree. The rain outside was pouring so heavily that it sounded like drums on the roof. He lifted his head to listen, comfortable in the knowledge of his double-protection in the little room at the top of the post. Riku had told him to sleep there—he had a pillow in the human's bedroom. There was something nice about knowing that he had a place out of the wet, even if it was just for a little while. He stretched out in his room and listened to the storm, content.
"Hey!" Riku's voice made him open his eyes. He was blocking the entrance, fur puffed out like a cloud. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Sleeping?" Sora backed up against the wall, giving Riku room to slip the rest of the way in. "What do you think I was doing?"
"I could hear you crying from the bedroom," Riku hissed, ears back as he settled in, body arced around Sora's smaller frame. There was just enough room for them both, if they curled up close. "You woke me up. Afraid of storms or something?"
"No!" Sora glared at the other cat, but Riku had already closed his eyes. "Maybe you heard someone else. I'm not afraid of anything!"
Riku huffed, tail fur still on end. His chin settled onto his paws contently. "Sure you're not. Just go back to sleep, I won't let the rain get you."
"Not afraid..." Sora laid his head on top of Riku's, annoyed that he thought Sora needed protection from noise. But the other cat's presence made the little room cozy and warm, and the rain was still comforting. He relaxed into the shared body heat, barely aware that he was purring as he drifted back into a doze.
***
Weird squealing noises dragged Sora from his slumber. Sunshine slanted through the opening of the pole-room, warm and golden. Riku was still curled up around him, his head pressed into the white spot on Sora's chest. They were so close Sora couldn't really move without waking the other tom up, so he just yawned and snuggled in closer, content to stay there. The noises moved around the room, only becoming distinguishable as humans when they ventured near. He'd only heard that strange, high-pitched type of voice a few times before, but Riku hadn't mentioned having human-kittens...
"Riku?" A face blocked the entrance. "Oh! Hello there," she whispered, reaching a hand in. He leaned forward and sniffed it politely, letting her scratch the top of his head while he rubbed his cheek along her hand. His teeth caught something, a shiny metal band around her finger with a pretty stone, but when he tried to taste it she pulled away and started scratching somewhere else. "Where did you come from, girl?" Her voice was soft, and her eyes were big and green, lined with the silly things human queens used on their faces. There wasn't much, and she smelled nice, like flowers. He liked her immediately, even if she did think he was a queen.
Heavy human footsteps pounded into the room, then stopped suddenly with a little scuffle. "Mommy? Mommy, is it Riku? Is he okay? Did the storm scare him?"
"Hush, Kairi." Her fingers worked all around his head and under his chin. "Riku has a girlfriend, it seems. She must have protected him from the storm."
"A girlfriend? Can we keep her?" Sora couldn't see the owner of the voice, but Riku's mother smiled downward. He purred even louder, leaning into her hand as it migrated to skritch his ears. She had the best fingers for getting his itches. It was almost as good as the scratching post.
"Go ask your father," she answered, still scratching away. "We'll have to put out flyers, in case he has an owner, but... If no one answers, I don't see why not."
"Yay!" Little thuds rattled the post as the human-kitten ran away.
Riku raised his head at the noise, yawning hugely before giving Sora a morning lick. The human let out a little "aw", but Sora ignored it, pulling away from her to rub his head against Riku's cheek.
"Looks like you've been caught," Riku mumbled, stretching out his legs against Sora's body. To his credit, he sounded less than happy about it. "Guess you'll be going soon." He rolled to his feet, almost crushing the smaller cat against the floor before he squeezed out the entrance to stand on the platform just below.
"Yeah..." He thought about what Riku's mother had said, but without much hope. They already had Riku. Why would they want him? "No way they'll let me stay." Sora followed him out, jumping past the ledge to land lightly on the floor. "Thank you, by the way."
"Don't mention it." Riku flicked an ear at him in annoyance, busily straightening his long fur. His tail dangled off the edge behind him in all its fluffy glory. Sora wanted to jump for it, and felt vaguely guilty that he did. When he left, he didn't want Riku to remember him as a bite on his tail.
A high-pitched shriek kept Sora from answering as the human-kitten barreled into the room and swept him up in a hug. His hind legs and tail dangled uselessly in the air as she spun around. He twisted to grip her clothing with his claws, praying that she wouldn't let him go.
"We can keep you we can keep you we can keep you!" Her voice blurred in Sora's ears like water on glass.
"Kairi, you're scaring her!" A big human, the biggest he'd ever seen, plucked him away from the human-kitten with a little pop of his claws tearing free. Sora transferred his terrified grip to the man's thick leather jacket, shivering as the world kept spinning around him. A thick arm cradled his back, legs practically over his head from the awkward angle he was being held at. The man—almost definitely Riku's father—rubbed behind his ears kindly.
Riku's mother looked over his shoulder, looking slender next to the hulk of her mate. The world slowed to an easy rocking motion, letting Sora look up at her without crossing his eyes. "Oh, a male calico, how odd!" she exclaimed in delight. "We don't need to spay you after all. I hate doing that sort of thing, but we don't need a litter."
"I want more kitties!"
"Two is plenty." A hand big enough to crush Sora's skull swept gently down his head, attempting to smooth the messy fur for a moment. Then, ever so gently, the man sat Sora on the ground. The little calico wasted no time leaping up into the scratching-post room to hide, fur on end. He collided with Riku, who was blocking the entrance with his body.
"You didn't," the silver tom hissed, back arched and claws out. "I told you that this is my home!"
Sora slunk down, fighting the urge to make himself small as he backed to the very edge of the platform. "I didn't mean to!" he protested, tail stiff.
"You did!" Riku crouched down, every muscle tensed to leap. Sora braced himself for the fight, fur on end.
"Oh no you don't." The human woman plucked the silver male off the stand, cuddling him close to her chest. Riku's elegant head twisted at a tight angle to press his nose into her arm, but it didn't stop him from growling. "You were being such nice friends just a few minutes ago," she scolded, rubbing his ears. "You silly boy."
Sora slunk into the safety of the little room, curling up in the far corner. The human family was nice, and it seemed like they wanted him. It would be a good place to belong, and the idea of being a stray, even for just a few days, made him want to cry. He tucked his nose under his tail, glaring at nothing in particular.
Who needed stupid friends like Riku anyway?
***
Sora was still hiding in his sanctuary when the unthinkable happened. Without any warning, a giant hand reached in and grabbed him around the middle. Carpet shredded under his claws as he did his best to hold on, but a second hand loosened his paws one-by-one. He barely had time to register the sunlight before he was dropped into a carrying kennel. The metal door clanged shut after him, lock dropping into place with a final-sounding snick.
The kennel jiggled as it was picked up and carried outside. Sora's weight in the back of the cage tilted it upwards just enough that he could see the top of human heads as they rushed past on foot. He wasn't carried very far before he was sat down—in the back seat of a car. The person carrying leaned over and buckled the cage in with a seatbelt. He mewled at her, sticking a paw through the bars.
She patted the top when she was done. "I'm sorry, little one, but this is important."
Another carrier was strapped into the seat next to him, but this other one was more of a soft bag than a kennel. They were face to face, so he could see exactly who was with him. Riku glared out from behind the mesh front, eyes narrowed. The mesh made it difficult for Sora to pick out details, but every line of Riku's body was broadcasting anger so much that he could almost feel it prickling his skin.
"This is your fault." The tip of Riku's tail flipped back and forth beside him. "They wouldn't have done this if you hadn't been caught."
Muscles tensed in Sora's paws, popping his claws out just a bit, even when he had nothing to scratch. "What are they doing?" It was hard to keep the fear out of his voice, but there was no chance he'd let Riku hear him afraid. "Where are we going?"
"The Vet, stupid. 'Cause you're a stray, so you have to get all your shots and stuff." Impossibly, the other tom's ears went back even further, until they almost vanished into the long fur atop his head. "And I have to go because you might have given me your stupid stray diseases."
Sora hissed, glaring at Riku furiously. Just because he'd been given The Box for a little while didn't make him a stray. He had humans again. Riku didn't need to be mean about it! He wasn't very sure he liked the word "vet" either—it sounded familiar. There was a memory of a cold table and smells of other animals, with something oddly sharp underneath it all. Nothing else came to mind.
His silence lasted long enough to be a give-away. "You can't be serious." Riku's ears went up. "You've never been to the Vet?"
"Maybe I have!" The shorter fur on Sora's tail stood on end. Riku rolled over on his side as the car started up, his nose wrinkled in silent laugher. "Shut up!" Sora hissed. It only made Riku laugh harder. Annoyed, Sora moved to the back of his carrier and glared out at the unrepentant male. "What's so special about the Vet, anyways?" he muttered to himself, settling his chin on his paws.
Riku didn't talk to him for the entire drive, but Sora was okay with that because every time he even looked over, the other tom either glared or laughed. By the time the trip was over, Sora was decidedly miserable. Even the human-music coming from the radio didn't make him feel better.
After they parked, the human male carried them both into a building that smelled like other animals and strange sharp things that hurt his nose. It wasn't long before they were set down again, this time beside a chair. Luckily, Riku's softer cage was on top of Sora's, so he didn't have to see him grumble. He had a perfect view of the main desk, which at least kept him too busy to wonder what would happen next.
Sora watched for what seemed like ages as people came and went with their humans—all sorts of people. Cats, dogs, birds. One particularly tiny black kitten made a huge fuss, bouncing on his human's foot and yelling at him. Of course, the human didn't listen, but then, they never did. He just scooped up the kitten and took the seat on Sora's other side, sitting down so heavily that the chair groaned.
The kitten was not amused. He snarled, the high-pitched squeak probably a lot less threatening than he intended. "Watch it there, Sammy! I'm tiny here!" He scrambled down his human's leg, skidding on the floor as he hissed upward. "God, you're useless!"
Sora sat up curiously. The kitten couldn't have been old enough to be away from his birth-mother. Sora hadn't left until he was at least twice that size. "Aren't you too little to have a human of your own?"
Startled, claws popped out as the other cat whirled around. "Dude. A talking cat." The strange kitten looked at Sora from paws to ears and back. His ears flicked as though considering something. "I'm Dean. The other guy's Sam."
"I'm Sora. Is Sam your Dad?"
"My brother." Sora didn't even bother to hide his astonishment, but Dean looked like he expected it. "I'm not a cat. It's a long story."
Almost as if he had heard, Sam bent down and peered at Sora, offering his hand for a sniff. His other hand stroked down Dean's back, dragging out a loud rumble before the kitten yanked away, ears back in a sulk. "Is he bothering your cats?"
Laughter boomed above the kennel. "Not at all." Sora's new father patted the kennel. "They were being nice. Your boy is pretty friendly."
"... yeah. He's just a... fluffy ball of love." Strong fingers reached in between the wires and scratched at his chin. Sora, always a sucker for a good scratch, leaned into the touch and purred. Dean rolled his eyes, muttering about saps, but the human didn't pay any attention. "Is this a Scottish Fold? I heard they cost a fortune; I knew a girl with one, but her cat was a lot bigger."
A chair screeched across the tile behind the carrier. Dean flinched, but Sora just leaned harder into the scratches. "Is that what he is?" Sora's father asked eagerly. He launched into the story of how they'd found Sora, and Sam told him about all the things the other cat had done. Dean made faces and stayed well out of reach of his human brother.
The humans chatted until a voice called, "Dean and Sam Winchester?"
"That's us." Dean tipped his head back to look down his muzzle at Sora. "See ya, kid." Then he scampered up his brother's leg and they were gone.
Riku's voice came down from his own carrier. "I can't believe you bought that story. Are you a kitten, or just stupid?"
"Shut up, Riku!"
And then it was their turn.
***
The Vet was the most awful thing Sora had ever experienced. He was poked, prodded, pinched, picked up, pinned down and altogether helpless to stop any of it. His nails were clipped, his ears were washed and, worse than anything else, he was bathed. And the whole time, he could hear Riku screaming for help while the same horrors were repeated on him. When it was over, all he could do was hide in the back of his carrier and shiver. Even after they were returned home and the door was opened, he didn't move until the humans had left the room entirely. Then and only then did he dash up a flight of stairs and into a room filled with ruffles and pink. It was as far away from the carrier as he could get, and the deep shadows behind the dust ruffle provided even more safety.
He was seriously re-thinking his choice to stick around.
The humans left him only a few minutes of peace to plan his escape before they came for him. It started with distant calls that moved steadily closer. Thumps of furniture being shifted vibrated through the floor, and once he distinctly heard Riku meow as they disturbed his hiding place. One voice in particular came closer, up the stairs and down the short hall. It was higher-pitched than the other two, marking it as the human-kitten.
"Here, kitty kitty kitty. Where are you?"
Sora hunched down and curled in on himself. He didn't want to stay somewhere strange where humans stuck him with sharp things and the only other person hated him. He wanted his mother—at least she'd never taken him to the Vet, and he knew what to expect from her.
"Kitty?" The dust ruffle lifted, showing a face almost hidden by red fur. "There you are. Will you come out?" A small hand reached out to him, palm upward with a nugget of something deliciously aromatic in the center. He backed away from the light, ready to spring into action if he needed a quick escape.
It didn't seem to bother her at all. She settled on her stomach, dust ruffle draping over her shoulders. For a moment Sora tensed, afraid she was going to crawl in after him, but she seemed content to stay at the edge of the shadows. "You don't like doctors either, right? Mommy said I could give you and Riku a treat if you were good, but then you ran away." Her chin settled on her arm, blue eyes bright and playful as she beckoned again. The wonderful smell wafted over—even better than the wet food Riku had shown him. "Would you like a treat?"
Sora's ears twitched. After the Vet incident, he was wary of letting anyone on two legs near him. At the same time, whatever she held enticed him. He wanted to gobble it down, to roll in the odor so he could carry it around with him. Keeping his vulnerable belly low to the floor, he crept closer, whiskers twitching. The little human didn't move, even when he got close enough to sniff the treat. It smelled even better up close, so he licked it a few times before eating. It crunched, but there was something soft in the center coated his tongue with the addictive flavor.
He didn't even realize he was purring until the human-kitten started petting him. She hadn't tried to grab him yet, so he rubbed his head against her palm.
The demand worked, earning him another head rub. "Good kitty." She smiled at him, both hands working his ears. Sora leaned into her, letting her soothe away the indignities of the Vet.
Someone snickered behind him. "You're a suck-up, you know that?"
"AH!" Sora skittered away from the voice, legs sliding everywhere on the waxed floor. Riku peeked under the dust ruffle behind him, smugly superior. The little calico glared, claws digging into the perfectly polished wood to keep from sliding any further. "Don't do that!"
"It's not my fault you're clumsy. You should have been a dog."
Sora hissed, but was scooped backwards into a cuddle by the human-kitten. He tried to hold on, but there was nothing to hold on to. She brought him in against her cheek, rubbing it against his shoulder.
"Riku, don't be naughty. Dolly and I were talking."
"DOLLY?"
Sora didn't even have to look to know Riku was laughing. He buried his face in the available human forearm. He wanted to crawl under something and hide, but that hadn't worked very well this time. "Shut up!" He risked peeking over the arm. Riku had fallen over in a heap of long fur, nose wrinkled with amusement.
"No way." His tail flopped back and forth. One green eye cracked open to stare with unabashed glee. "I was going to tell you to leave already, but I think I'll let you stay. Dolly."
"Sora! My name is Sora!" He bristled with embarrassment.
The longhaired male's head stretched backwards, his other eye opening. His ears fell sideways languidly, as though he couldn't even be bothered to keep them up. "Yeah, yeah. Tell that to Kairi. Dolly."
"ARGH!" Sora huffed and buried his face again. Riku just kept laughing.
***
"Come on, Sora. It's funny." Riku's bulk, the majority of it fur, blocked the light that shined through the entrance of the kitty-cube. It was just one of the things Sora had been given, including his own bed and food dish and a handful of toys. When he'd seen that he wouldn't have to share, Riku's animosity had tapered off. Now he only growled at Sora now and then. Still, the tom refused to stop bothering Sora on one horrible, cruel, vicious subject. There were three other exits, but Sora didn't bother even looking at them. Running from Riku wouldn't remove the ultimate indignity.
Around his neck, a bright pink collar jingled, its bell attached to a heart-shaped name tag. It said "Dolly".
His will to live was gone.
"It's just a name," Riku insisted, shoulders hunched uncertainly. "And they're humans. They're stupid. No one cares what they call you as long as they put down the food, right?"
"I care." Sora pinned back his ears, glaring. When Riku's head dropped a little, he looked away, sighing. "I like my name. It's not fair that they can call me whatever they want and think it's okay. Just 'cause they've got two legs and thumbs doesn't make it right."
Belly low, Riku slunk through the opening. The cube had plenty of space, so he stayed on the far side, tucking his paws under him fastidiously. Only his tail crossed the space between them, draping over Sora's haunches like a blanket. "That's dumb. I still call you Sora. That counts."
Sora's tail flipped, the cinnamon-colored tip smacking the floor. The light that filtered through the cube's thin walls colored Riku's fur an odd shade of blue. It was almost pretty, making his eyes seem greener than ever. "You don't count—you hate me."
Riku's ears pricked in surprise. "No I don't!"
"You do!" Sora rested his chin on his paws, watching the other tom sadly. "You always try to keep me from eating when you are, and you tease me and whenever the humans pet me you chase me away. It's not my fault they kept me!" He sniffled, wanting cry. But Riku was already so arrogant and mean. He'd just use it against him.
"But—it was my home first," Riku defended himself with a low growl. "You stole it!"
"No I didn't!"
"Did!" The fur on Riku's shoulders rose in warning, but Sora was bristling as well.
"Just 'cause you're unlovable doesn't mean I stole anything!" Riku yowled in rage, pouncing across the narrow space to rake his claws across Sora's nose. Sora responded by moving into the attack, wrapping all four legs around Riku and sinking his teeth into the densely furred muscle of his shoulder. They rolled back and forth, bitching and scratching, knocking the cube on its side.
"Boys!" Their human mother reached in and pulled Sora out by the scruff of his neck. Sora curled in on himself, but Riku wasted no time bolting for the stairs and the questionable safety they presented. She lifted Sora up so that she could look him in the face, her usually gentle green eyes snapping with annoyance. "Are you two at it again? What am I going to do with you?"
Sora meowed at her pleadingly, twisting freely in her hold. He hated the way she dangled him, leaving nothing to grab if she slipped. He'd already learned once that trying to hold onto her arm would earn swat on the tail. It wasn't worth the risk. He tried to look as innocent as possible.
It worked. She sighed and moved him to her shoulder, using an arm to support his weight while her free hand smoothed down the fur on his head. "How am I going to make you two get along?" she asked rhetorically. He buried himself in the crook of her neck, tail swishing. Even if she'd been able to understand People-speak, he couldn't have answered: it was all Riku's fault.
"Suck up."
The voice came from the stairs. Sora twisted in the human's arms, ears twitching back as he hissed. The silver-furred tom didn't bother trying to hide. Instead, Riku stretched himself across the central landing, taking up as much space as he could. Sora glared at him with all the fury his little body could muster.
His new mother flicked him on the nose, then set him back on her shoulder carried him to the kitchen. "Bad kitty. I think you need some kennel time."
Riku laughed as the kitchen door swung closed behind them. That only made it worse.
***
Sora sprawled on one of the armchairs, watching his new mother as she sat on the couch and sorted the papers that were delivered every day. He didn't know why the papers were so important to them. They shredded too easily and tasted bland the time he'd tried to eat one. Riku had told him not to bother, but he'd had to check it once. It might have been something amazing that Riku was just trying to keep to himself.
"Are you still hoping for food? It's not, you know."
A silvery head popped up at the end of the chair, large ears perked forward. Sora jumped, then tried to turn it into a stretch to hide that he'd been startled. "I'm just watching Mom. I can do that without you being nosy."
Riku's nose wrinkled in a snicker. He sat back down, forcing Sora to lean closer to the edge in order to watch him. "I told you that mail's just one of those stupid human things. Mom goes through it, makes funny noises and then sets it aside. You should come watch birds with me on the balcony."
Another paper crinkled as she unfolded it. Sora turned his head to watch her, but he kept Riku in his peripheral vision. There was no telling when the other tom would pounce on him, or knock over something and get him in trouble for it. "I don't want to watch birds. I want to watch Mom."
"But it's boring," Riku mewled, ears slowly starting to slide sideways into a pout.
From the couch, their human mother made a noise of discontent and placed the paper she was looking at into one of the stacks. Both cats ignored her. Even though he'd only been there for a week, Sora had stopped trying to make sense of the noises she made. Sometimes they were high-pitched and sometimes indignant huffs, but unless they were directed at him it didn't really matter.
"What are you, a dog?" Sora wrapped his tail around his paws, smoothing the tip of it where the chair had ruffled the fur. "I'm not your pack, remember? Go bird-watch by yourself. It's not like you even like me."
"It's not like that. I..." Riku trailed off into a mumble and looked away, tail popping behind him unhappily. His ears slipped even lower, until they were almost parallel to his head.
Up on his chair, Sora crept over to the edge of the chair, until only his hind claws and a little extra weight kept him from falling off. "What? You hate me. You said so. You said you hate me and you wish you'd left me in the Box and that I should stop stealing the big pillow but you're the one who has it all the time even though it's Dad's and I just—"
A wide paw swatted him across the nose. Sora scrambled to keep his balance, gripping the thick fabric of the armchair for dear life. "What was that for?!"
"To shut you up." The older tom settled back onto his haunches, paw still up and ready to strike. "Kibble, let me finish for once, will you. I don't hate you." His eyes narrowed, green showing through in a narrow strip. "And I didn't mean it when I said I do either, so you can stop looking at me like that."
"Then why are you mean to me all the time?" Sora straightened himself and puffed out his chest until the white patch seemed twice as big as it really was. "You're trying to trick me, aren't you?"
"No!" Claw slid back into their sheaths as Riku started to settle again. He gave his paw a lick, then smoothed the fur away from his face. He was buying time, and not being very sneaky about it. Sora decided to wait him out, but his shoulders stayed tense in case he needed to make a run for the hall.
When Riku finally looked up, his face-fur was smooth and clean, but his expression was as grumpy as ever. "Look, it's not that I don't like you. It's... kind of nice having you around. When you're not stealing my pillow, at least."
"It's Dad's pillow, not—"
"Shut up about the stupid pillow!" A loud sigh made Riku's whole body heave. "Look, I'm trying to say that—" A loud squeak from the couch cut Riku off mid-grumble.
"Sora?"
Sora's folded ears pricked forward as he turned all of his attention to the human. Riku all but twisted himself around to stare at her, ears poking out of the fluff on his head in interest.
"When did she learn your name?"
"I didn't tell her!"
Their mother stared at him over a bright pink piece of paper, her green eyes wide in shock. A hand rose to touch her lips as she looked back down at the paper, then back up at him.
"Is that your name? Sora?"
The little calico meowed questioningly and stretched, then hopped to the coffee table. He took a seat on the biggest stack of papers and bumped his head against her hand. She rubbed his ear, thumb rolling in the crease where it sometimes got itchy.
"I wonder why there's no photo," she murmured. "Well, there can't be two of you lost in this neighborhood in one week." Sora purred and pressed harder into her hand, eyes closing in bliss. He had his name back and she was reaching all the right places. Nothing could make the moment better.
On the floor, Riku had puffed up in agitation. "Don't answer her! There's something wrong about all this!"
Sora opened a bright blue eye to stare disdainfully at Riku. "Stop being a hairball. You just don't like that I'm not Dolly any more."
The silvery tom looked like a one of the catnip puffballs he liked to chase across the floor. His ears were pressed back against his head, making the fluffy similarity even more obvious. "I'm not— okay, fine! Be that way!" Elegant silver fur ruffled and then settled as he turned his back to the couch. A dash and few short leaps put him in the room on the top of the scratching post. His tail dangled outside of it, twitching back and forth.
A thought of going over there and swatting his tail crossed Sora's mind, but he huffed and bent his head to press harder into his mother's rubs. No matter what Riku said, he wasn't over having to share his family. He could suck litter for all Sora cared.
His mother kept massaging the sensitive places on his head, until his purr grew to a fever pitch. Behind the pleasure, he heard her sigh. "How are we going to tell Kairi?"
***
The next day saw Sora stretched out face-down in his bed, back end so far out that his legs dangled over the edge of the pillow-basket. Sunlight streamed in from the window, barely stopped by the gauzy white drapes. The lazy, almost liquid warmth of it soaked into his muscles, making them heavy and lazy with sleep.
His bed wasn't in the best place in the house, being tucked away under an end-table by the couch, but he liked it. It got the sunshine in the afternoon, and in the mornings it was nice and dark so he could sleep. It was pink, but so were all of his other things. At least it wasn't the same blinding shade as his collar. Then he would have had to sleep beside it in protest, and who would want to sleep on the floor with a cushy bed available?
Just above him, Riku was balancing on the bookshelves. Sora didn't need to look up to know it—the faint hush of fur over the books and the near-silent padding of his feet was enough to give it away. He didn't even bother opening an eye to confirm it. The table would keep anyone from ambushing him, and that was all that mattered.
One of Sora's ears twitched as something thumped down onto the table top above him. That was his only movement until a low, plaintive meow carried down. When it did, he rolled over.
He was still annoyed at Riku for being so stupid about his name. Being mad wouldn't last long, and it would be hard to keep up. Sora was horrible at holding grudges, and Riku knew it, but while it lasted he planned to ignore Riku completely. That would teach him to be nicer.
A shadow crossed over the sun.
"Soraaaaaa, come oooooon," Riku whined, so close his head must have been dangling over the edge of the table. "Pay attention to me. You can't stay mad forever. I didn't even do anything!"
Sora didn't even twitch a muscle.
"Mom's making something that smells really good for dinner," Riku tried again. "I think it's some kind of meatloaf. I bet she'd give us some if we asked."
That was harder to ignore. The human-kitten shared a lot, but it was all green things that made his nose wrinkle and smelled funny. Their parents were better at sharing good food, but it took both of the cats looking pitiful and hungry for them to share. Most of it wasn't any good, but some things were just amazing. It was worth a few minutes of begging for a piece of meatloaf. Now that Riku had pointed it out, he could definitely pick out the tell-tale noises of food being made. He could imagine the wonderful smell of meatloaf, with the tangy red sauce and the odd crunchy bits...
If he wanted any, he'd have to work with Riku. Riku, who'd been mean to him about his name. Riku, who hadn't thought he should let Mom know it was his.
Riku, who'd been the one to invite him in from the rain in the first place.
Slowly, Sora twisted his head and looked up at Riku. He'd been right. The other tom was half off the table to try and look at him. Fluffy silver-blue fur was all over the place, spreading out over the glass table top like a blanket, with his tail a long trailing end.
Riku was pretty for a tom. Even Sora had a scar across his nose where he'd battled his littermates, but Riku didn't have anything like that, and he groomed his fur obsessively. Clean fur was nice, but sometimes Sora wanted to roam around in dusty bins and under the furniture. "You act like a queen whining for attention."
"Like you don't do it too."
Sora sat up and stretched, getting rid of all the kinks and knots that had developed while he'd napped, then gave himself a quick wash. Even his tail had gotten a knot in it. It took a bit of chewing to get rid of it. While he did, he could feel Riku's eyes on him.
Long after he was ready, and after Riku started frothing with impatience, Sora twisted his head with an inquiring mewl. The odors from the kitchen weren't just his imagination any more, and there was definitely a hint of the sauce he liked. "Are we going to go get some meatloaf, or are you going to back out?"
Just like he expected, Riku puffed up until he looked almost twice his real size. "I don't back out of anything!"
A snicker wrinkled Sora's nose. Before he could say anything, the doorbell rang. Both he and Riku startled at the sound, diving for the safety of the landing on the stairs. Riku was a warm presence at Sora's shoulder as they peered around the wall together, watching as their mother trotted out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a bright green towel.
When she opened the door, her smile started to fade. "Oh, you must be Marie. I wasn't expecting you to come so soon."
"I couldn't stand to wait for the weekend," the human at the door gushed. "I just had to get my baby back. I miss him so much! You don't mind that I'm early, do you?"
Sora's ears perked forward. He knew that voice.
"No— no, of course. I understand completely. I'd hoped my husband might be here, but... Well. Please come in." Their mother stepped back, letting in the visitor, who was carrying a kennel. They chatted while doing all the little human things that people did when entering a house, but Sora was too stunned to listen. He settled down on the floor without looking away from the front door.
Riku yowled and yanked his tail away from where Sora had crushed it. "Warn me first, will you? It takes forever to..." He blinked at Sora's wide-eyed expression. "What's wrong?"
"That's my mother. My first mother." Something thick and heavy settled in Sora's stomach, like he'd eaten too much food. He crouched down to get rid of the feeling, keeping his eyes on his mother as she sat on the couch. It didn't hit him right away that something was wrong, but the longer he stared at her, the harder to became to ignore.
He wanted to have missed her. She'd raised him when he was a kitten who'd just been taken from his birth-mother, so he should miss her. But she and his father had given him the Box. They'd packed him up and left him in the rain for Riku to rescue. That made it okay to be angry, didn't it?
A densely-furred shoulder nudged his. When he turned to look, Riku's long-furred ears had flipped back in worry. "What are you going to do? Are you going to go with her?" Riku stretched his head to rest it over Sora's back. "They kicked you out."
"I know." The tip of Sora's tail twitched back and forth thoughtfully for a moment before he shrugged himself free of Riku and slithered around the corner into the living room. His newer mother was going into the kitchen, probably to check on the meatloaf. "I'm going to go see her."
"What? Are you crazy?" Riku pounced for him, but Sora dodged by leaping to the back of an armchair. Riku stayed on the floor, fur puffed out like Sora had swatted him. "They got rid of you, and you're just going to go back to her?"
Sora fluffed his neck fur as he stared back at Riku. When the other tom didn't say anything, he huffed and turned around, digging his claws into the fabric in order to keep his balance. Carefully, he slid down to the seat, then hopped onto the coffee table, fastidiously keeping his paws away from anything that they might slip on. It meant knocking off an empty glass and a few pencils, but the humans would pick them up later.
He sat on the edge of the table, waiting. Her eyes fell on him almost immediately; they were dark grey and practically hidden by the head fur that fell over her face. It was dark too, but more of a brown color, with most of it tied back into a thick twist like a tail. Sora used to bat it around, until she'd yelled at him so loudly that he'd hidden under a chair for hours.
"There you are." She reached out and rubbed his head just like she used to, too hard and squishing his ears against his skull. It was uncomfortable, not painful, but his head was pressed down from the weight of her hand. "I thought I'd never find you, you expensive little mongrel."
A yowl came from underneath the table just before Riku hopped up beside Sora, fur bristling as he hissed at her. One of his paws lifted threateningly, claws extended. "Leave him alone!"
"Knock it off." Sora pulled his head away from the heavy-handed pats and glared at Riku. His mother was glaring too, but she pulled her hand out of Riku's range. "She's just being nice."
"She wants to take you away. This is your home!" Riku's paw lowered, but he never took his eyes off the human. He was even more puffed up than he'd been when he'd first realized Sora was staying, every hair on end. He looked like one of the things the humans used to clean under the refrigerator.
While he and Riku were talking, he hadn't been paying much attention to his mother. So he didn't notice that she'd opened the kennel door until he was scooped off the table into it. He tumbled backwards against the wall, scrambling for purchase against the hard plastic. Riku screeched and launched himself at her hand. His mother—his former mother—pulled away before he could scratch, but it left the kennel door swinging open. Sora sprang for freedom, barely squeezing through before she slammed the door shut.
Instinct jumped into action without any need for thought. Together the toms scrambled over the sofa and bolted for the top of the cat pole. By dint of being smaller and a little bit faster, Sora managed to squeeze into it just ahead of Riku.
When he tried to take up a guard position at the entrance, Riku growled at him.
"It's you she wants." His green eyes had thinned to little slits of color. Riku had already been making himself look bigger, but in the tiny room at the top of the cat pole he looked gigantic. "I won't let her have you."
"But—"
"Shut up!" One of Riku's paws whapped his ear, but the claws were pulled in. "I don't care who she used to be. You belong here now."
For a minute, Sora wasn't sure Riku meant it. They were always fighting over food or toys or sunbeams. This was his chance to have his family all to himself again. "You don't even like me."
Riku's head dropped down, until the thick fur of his chest was almost touching the floor. "Yeah, well... maybe I'd like you gone less than I like you here."
He looked so upset that Sora couldn't help but perk his ears forward. "Do you really— Look out!" Sora pounced on the hand that had reached in behind Riku's back, its claws deep red and left long. One of his back paws landed on Riku's face, but he managed to sink his teeth into the fleshy part of the palm. The cat pole rocked as he was pulled half-way out it by his grip on the hand, flattening Riku against the floor on the way.
Sora scuttled backwards over Riku again, bracing himself and screeching as she grabbed at his scruff with her good hand. She smacked him across the ears with the other one, leaving a coppery smear of her blood across his nose and making his head ache. "You little monster, after everything I've gone through to find you—"
"I think you need to leave."
The hand loosened, and Sora shot back into the safety of the room. Riku pressed his side against the entrance, blocking it completely. It left the place dark, but Sora was fine with that as long as that woman couldn't snatch at him anymore.
The little calico curled up with his head under Riku's chin, pressing his face into the thick fur of his chest. Even though the light was blocked, they could still hear the humans talking.
"That's my cat you're keeping in there!"
"No, I don't think he is." Their mother sounded cold, like Sora had never heard her before. Even his ex-mother seemed to hear the threat, because her voice got softer.
"You can't keep my property from me."
"I don't know whose property he is, but I doubt it's yours. No one decent would treat their pet like that." The pause dragged on. Sora could imagine the two humans staring each other down. He was just glad he and Riku were safe.
Everyone knew you shouldn't get between fighting queens.
"The cat is mine." Sora's old mother was definitely growling, like she might pounce any second. "He was a wedding gift. An expensive one. Do you have any idea how much money I can make off of his kittens? I've got a female with ears just like his lined up!"
"Then show me his papers."
"Papers? What papers? It's a cat!"
"Registration papers. Come up with those and you can speak to our lawyer." The pole vibrated as something heavy went thunk outside. He didn't realize it was the door opening until the sounds of cars outside grew louder. "In the meantime, get out of my home. Before I call the police."
"You—"
"Out!"
There was a hiss like a fight about to start. "Get your hands off me, you little—"
Mom grunted, high-pitched and breathy. This was followed by a sharp smack and the sound of high heels catching on a doorjam. Sora barely restrained the urge to peek as something clattered against concrete, and then there was a snarl of outrage mixed with a yelp as not-Mom tripped on the porch .
"This isn't over yet! I'll—"
The door slammed. Screeched curses and pounding carried through it, muffled by the heavy wood, but Sora couldn't make it out.
"Boys?" Soft little shh noises came from just outside the cat pole. "Here, kitties. It's okay now." Sora cocked an ear upwards toward Riku, but didn't pull his face away from his chest.
"Do you think it's safe?"
Something cold pressed against the sensitive skin inside his ear as Riku sniffed it, forcing his nose under the fold. It was oddly comforting, and became even more so when a rough tongue smoothed his fur. "I think so. It sounds like Mom."
"You check. I'm scared."
Carefully, Riku eased away from the entrance and twisted his head around to peek. His tail flicked happily, brushing against the walls. "It's Mom! And she has meatloaf!"
His head popped up so quickly that it collided with Riku's chin. They sorted themselves out, Riku eeling out first. Sora hesitated before following, looking all around the living room before he dared hop down from the safe little nook they'd had.
Their Mom was sitting on the floor with two saucers of still-warm meatloaf crumbles in front of her. They were a little burned, but even so the smell was amazing. Sora gobbled his down as quick as he could, knowing the free meatloaf wasn't a treat he'd see everyday. At his own plate, Riku did the same, crouched possessively over it as he licked up the little dribbles of sauce.
Their mother rang her fingers through the tangle of fur atop his head while he ate. "Without your registration, she can't prove a thing. We won't let that horrible woman have you back," she promised. "
Riku looked up from his plate and cleaned his whiskers, shoulder set like he'd grow ten times bigger if he could. "No, we won't."
Sora rubbed his head into the scratches and purred as loud as he could, beaming at Riku over his food.
He was home.