The first part is more filler that has scenes that didn't fit in the real chapter that I am working on, or just worked as set up for events in the next chapter so it may be a little sporadic, ha-ha
The second half, however, I actually wrote in a notebook last year back in boot camp, so I'm so glad I was able to find it!
Enjoy
A soft purr slipped from his throat as he approached wakefulness. With a groan and a mewl, Ulqui stretched out, flinching at the pleasant yet foreign ache in his rear. Another purr came from him as he remembered how that pain came to be. His lips stretched into a genuine and pleased smile and his green eyes cracked open to find his mate's side of the bed empty, but he reached over to touch it and found it to be still a little warm, and perking his ears, he heard voices in the front of the house.
He huffed in disappointment. He wanted to cuddle with Grimmjow and perhaps entice him into sharing more of his wonderful scent and re-experiencing the process of getting that scent, but that was not to be. Especially when his kit was back from his sleep-over.
Nonetheless, he growled softly and began the awful process of rising from the warm and inviting bed.
Wincing as he managed to get upright, he steadied himself on his feet and stretched one more time. "Hm?" Ulqui looked down when his foot nudged something on the floor and scowled at clothes strewn about on it. Stooping down, he began to tidy up.
"Hey, you."
Ulqui gasped as his hips were grabbed and he was pulled backwards into the arms of his blue haired mate. He purred as a sharp nose nuzzled into his neck and large hands knocked the sullied clothes from the neko's arms and began to run over his bare flesh.
"You woke up," Grimm murmured before pressing a kiss into where he was nuzzling and releasing the neko, much to Ulqui's disappointment. He let the human turn him around and accepted his kiss. "How are you feeling?"
In answer, Ulqui purred and nuzzled his human until he was laughing and pushing him away.
"Suprabhavya, matr!" came a pleasant squeal as Pantera rushed into the room and latched onto Ulqui's leg.
Ulqui moved away from Grimm, and lifted his kit into his arms, uncaring of his nudity, and the kit hugged his mother about his neck. Pan giggled. "You smell like Gimm-pitr! Oh, will I be a jyestha now?"
Grimmjow chuckled and tousled the kit's ebony hair. "Eh, maybe later, Pan."
Pantera whined but smiled nonetheless. The kit was plucked from Ulqui's arms and set back on the ground where he promptly ran off to return to his prior activity.
The bluenet grabbed Ulqui's hand and led him from the room and into the bathroom where a hot bath awaited. "Here, take a long bath while I cook up us some breakfast." He playfully swatted the neko's round bum and left the room.
Rubbing the slightly smarting spot he turned back to the bath and froze, trepidation overcoming him. Wouldn't bathing get rid of Grimm's scent? He didn't want to wash away the scent, therefore the sense of calm and security he was feeling, so soon. Shuffling his feet, he looked around aimlessly as he thought this over. Perhaps he could wash without soap and only stay in the water for a little while? No, even that would probably wash away quite a bit of scent. Or maybe he could wash without getting in the tub. No, that'd be quite messy. Ah, times like this, Ulqui wished that his mother was there to answer these hard questions.
His mother. Thoughts of the ever happy Sulalita filled his head. He remembered the days before his little brothers were born when she and his father were only just trying to conceive. Ulqui remembered his mother smelling thickly of Vegatama, and still she took baths, so surely Ulqui could without worry, right?
Nodding once, Ulqui finally got in the bath and sunk to his neck in the steaming water. Eventually, he put the soap and rag to use.
Dressed in some of Grimm's clothes, and still bearing the dominant male's scent, he wandered into the front area where his son was drawing in the living room and Grimmjow putting together their meals. The bluenet grinned when he turned to look at Ulqui and went back to him task. "Needed more of my scent on you?"
He looked down at the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing that went to about mid-thigh on him. "Yes," the ravenette answered honestly.
"And how do you feel now? Did you get what you wanted from me?"
Ulqui walked to the human and snuggled up to his back with a purr. "Everything... and more... I'm glad we mated."
"Me too."
"Where are you going with that, Pan?" Grimmjow was in the midst of making dinner when he spotted his neko son dragging up a heavy comforter from the basement.
"My room," was all the kit said before continuing on towards the back of the house.
Grimmjow put down his spoon and went out to question the neko tyke some more. "What are you going to use it for?"
"A nest!"
Grimmjow huffed realizing that he wouldn't get all the answers he wanted if he didn't stop Pan so that the kit could focus on talking rather than the heavy comforter. He walked up and stepped on the trailing edge of the blanket that had only just escaped the stairs, and Pantera pulled and pulled on his side until he realized that his father was hindering him.
"Heeey," he whined and tugged some more. "Get offa it..."
Grimmjow shot the kit a reproaching look and his dark ears perked up with a flinch and then flattened as his tail drooped.
"P-Please?" he tried after realizing his error.
Grimmjow lost the look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not until you explain everything."
"Explain what?"
"Why you're building a nest in the extra room."
The neko beamed. "Oh! Because you and matr are mating now so I wanna... wanna uh... be away so that you can and then I'll be a jyestha quicker!" Pan said as if it made all the sense in the world. Grimm had to admit that the plan wasn't lacking in the logic side of everything sans the fact that children were not in the near future with the way he and Ulqui made love.
The bluenet smiled. "Aw, you don't have to do that, Pantera."
"But I wanna! Oh but," his ears flattened again and he looked to the older male with the kitten equivalent of puppy-dog eyes. "I wanna still sleep in bed with you from time to time; your scents are comfier now that you both are mated!"
Shaking his head, Grimmjow removed his foot from the blanket and walked closer. "Alright. Here, I'll help you."
"No, no, no!" the kit shook his head furiously. "I wanna do it!" He pointed and commanded, "Go make dinner!" before turning and darting away as fast as he could with the comforter hindering his movement.
Grimmjow returned to the kitchen just as Ulquiorra returned upstairs from the basement as well though with a basket full of clean clothes rather than comically dragging a large blanket. He told his mate about Pan's rather sweet plan and the mama-cat purred in contentment and thankfulness. A few more words were exchanged between them -Ulqui was pleased that he could continue to sleep bare with Grimmjow for one- and they were treated to the cute sight of Pan darting down the stairs and returning with yet another blanket to add to his self-made nest. He'd have to go check on the finished work later
x~x
Later that night, after dinner, the parents took a look at Pantera's work. Grimm nodded approvingly of it, and Ulqui was rather proud as well. For a blanket nest, it was rather soundly built with it being formed so that Pantera could get in and out without disturbing it too much- the kit even jumped in and out of it to prove the point.
With the check done, Ulqui tucked his son in for bed and followed Grimm to their room. He purred as he shut the door behind them and the human began to strip. Grimm looked at the neko over his shoulder and smirked.
"Enjoying the show, babe?" he teased as Ulqui pulled his gaze away and undressed as well.
Grimmjow was stooped over, picking up his clothes to be tossed in the nearby hamper as Ulqui preferred, when the neko took that as his chance to pounce. With an uncharacteristically giddy meow, Ulqui leaped and landed on Grimm's back. The human grunted and laughed before dumping the cat on the bed.
"You're awfully playful tonight," Grimm commented as he crawled onto the mattress and rested his weight on top of Ulqui.
Ulqui purred again as he thought about it for a moment before answering. "Yes... it's been so long since I've felt this way- so safe and happy. Since I was a child that only hid their emotions from others rather than having buried them." He frowned a little. "Pitr was the one who unfortunately ruined that for me."
Shushing him gently, Grimm leaned closer and gently pressed his lips to his neko mate's in a warm kiss.
They both looked up when there were three light knocks on the door. Grimm shift a little so that his nethers were concealed between Ulqui's parted legs and beckoned for Pan to enter. The kit peeked in sheepishly.
"I forgot Putrika and Kumbara when I made my nest," he murmured.
Grimmjow only chuckled and jerked his chin in the direction of where the dolls were set on the bedside table. He watched as the kit darted over to his porcelain dolls were, gathered them up in his arms and ran back out with a few apologies thrown over his shoulder as he shut the door.
Ulqui accepted another kiss from his human and was disappointed when he rolled off, taking his warmth with him. He let Grimm drag the covers down and then over them before snuggling close.
Grimmjow was tired when he returned home from work a little late the next day, and Pantera was already snuggled up in his nest after being tuckered out from playing with Katen, Nami and Rakurai for most of the day. The human gave a sleepy snuggle to Ulqui, and retreated to the bedroom after telling the neko that he was a tad too tired to eat. Ulqui followed him into the room and they both undressed for bed. The human released a weary sigh as he laid out on the bed on his back, and Ulqui climbed onto his lap.
He smiled apologetically at the neko, though still chuckled lightly at Ulqui's friskiness.
Ulqui sighed in sad understanding, and moved to get off.
Grimmjow gripped his hips and held him in place. "I'm too tired to reciprocate, but do you still want to play?"
Ulqui cocked his head.
Grimmjow let his hands fall to his side. "Explore."
Ulqui's ears perked at that, intrigued by the idea of exploring his mate's body the same way Grimm had always explored his. Those blue eyes slid shut and with a slight upwards twitch of his lips, he began to inspect his mate's form.
Purring deep in his chest, he ran his hands over the body he both envied and admired, scratching his claws lightly in the tuft of blue chest hair and over flat nipples. They weren't sensitive like his were, so he eventually went to stroke Grimm's neck and jaw earning a happy groan from his human when he touched just the right place. Emboldened, he leaned forward and nibbled at the area just behind Grimmjow's jaw.
"Ooh..." the bluenet groaned with both languor and ardor lacing his tone. "That feels nice..." He arched his neck into the toothy caress.
Ulqui lavished the spot with his feline tongue before trailing down to discover other sensitive areas. The earlobe. The collarbone. Feather-light touches over the ribs. The neko found all of his mate's special spots.
He turned around so that he faced Grimm's feet and the human got a faceful of his rear and tail. He felt a hand on his butt and promptly bopped Grimm in the face with his tail. "No, you're tired, remember?"
"Mmm, with a view like this, I think I'm waking up."
Ulqui tail-swatted him again when he was groped again. "No, lie still."
The human groaned and dropped his hands.
Satisfied with Grimmjow's submission, Ulquiorra returned to the task at hand. Oh, Grimm was primed for sex. Ulqui licked his lips as he leaned down and looked at it closely. He gave it a lick.
Grimmjow's entire body jerked. "Shit!" he cursed quietly.
His ears flattened and he looked over his shoulder. Had he hurt his mate?
Seeming to understand the apologetic look, the bluenet shook his head. "Didn't hurt; it felt really good."
Ulqui turned back and did it again earning another jerk and curse. He kept doing it until the head of his mate's cock seemed to darken and he gave the rest of it some attention, lapping all the way down to his furry balls and back up. He had Grimm shivering from an impending climax within moments.
"Mph, Ulqui. Oh God, I'm gonna cum."
Ulqui lapped at him again.
"Urgh!"
The neko squeaked as seed spurted into his face before he could wrap his mouth around Grimm. His human's spend didn't taste bad, just odd, and he drank every drop gladly. When it finally stopped spurting and went soft, he turned around to face Grimm once more. "Clean me up."
The bluenet smirked and took the neko's face in his hands before bringing out his tongue to lap at Ulqui's face. He chuckled as the treatment was rewarded with pleased purring. The licking evolved into kisses once all of his seed was gone from Ulquiorra's face.
Grimmjow threw Ulqui onto his back next to him and rolled over on top of the neko. He ground their crotches together as he went back to devouring his mate's mouth.
Ulqui pulled his lips away. "No, you're tired," he half-heartedly complained at the human's rutting.
"You woke me up." He kissed Ulqui again before rolling away to reach the bedside table where he pulled a condom from the drawer. He shushed the neko when he was given a little growl saying only that he wanted to avoid a mess at the moment; they could get messy when Pan wasn't home. "Now where do you want me?"
Ulqui thought about it for a second before indicating his female sex. Grimmjow smiled before moving down to bestow the same treatment on it as Ulqui had just done his. The ravenette gasped and covered his mouth as his sex was tormented expertly by his mate's skillful tongue. He jerked as teeth gently nibbled his clit and a finger slipped inside him. The neko whimpered and moaned at the treatment as the familiar feeling of a coil tightening grew in his loins and he gasped when Grimm pulled away so suddenly. He tried to clench his thighs closed, but his human kept them spread wide as he rose higher to kiss Ulqui and guide his length home.
Ulqui cried out as Grimm sheathed himself inside before the bluenet swooped down and captured his lips once more, wrapping his thick arms around Ulqui, leaving his arms trapped in the embrace. Both groaned as Grimmjow pistoned his hips, taking his mate with shallow yet eager thrusts. Ulqui could only grip the sheets and hope he didn't shred the fabric with his claws as Grimm swallowed his every moan. They became more urgent and his legs tensed and trembled as he drew close to completion.
"Ah!" The coil snapped and the ravenet bucked and arched as he came. Grimmjow rose up on all fours and pulled Ulqui's knees over his shoulders as he sped his thrusts until he reached his own climax, thrusting deeply once more and stilling with as throaty moan.
When the neko came down from the pre-coital high, there was nothing but harsh pants to be heard before Grimm flopped to the side with a grunt and pulled the filled condom off to dispose of. He turned his blue gaze over to Ulquiorra and smirked impishly.
"Would you be mad if I said that I was hungry?"
The next day, Grimmjow convinced his nekos to both go with him to work. The pair took up residence in their usual booth that was far from the door and close to the kitchen and eventually, Pantera grew adventurous and went to bother the familiar patrons of the diner who gave him little nibbles of what they were eating; Ulqui was comfortable enough to allow his son's antics. Eventually, however, Pan went back to his mother and crawled into his lap for a nap. Ulqui purred gently as he rocked his slumbering kit.
His eyes were closed as he dozed with Pan when Ulqui heard someone draw near and take a seat in the booth seat on the other side of the table. Ears flattened, Ulqui opened his eyes to see the husband of the owner of the diner. Ulqui only knew who this human was because of the pictures Grimmjow had shown the neko, and he couldn't remember the orange-haired man's name, though it was nice to see the twins he'd helped create.
The boys were being secured in child seats, the orange one fast asleep while the white one was cooing and playfully grabbing for his father's clothes, fingers, and whatever else that was catching his attention. The father made sounds back at his son and indulgently nibbled on little fingers when they found their way into his mouth. When he finished, he smiled at Ulqui and held his hand out towards him. "Hello there, Ulqui. It's nice to finally meet you." He dropped his hand after a moment. "I'm Ichigo; Orihime's husband."
"Yes, I know." The statement was blunt, but the neko didn't mean anything rude about it, it was just so hard for him to be welcoming to new people.
Ichigo didn't seem to mind, so perhaps he'd been warned of Ulquiorra's cold demeanor. No, the oranget instead continued speaking as if Ulqui were a longtime friend that he hadn't seen in quite some time. "Yeah, I was just trying to get the boys away from Hime while also checking in on the diner. I swear she's going to worry herself to death how much she agonizes over things."
Ulqui only shrugged. He'd only met the woman maybe once before, so he wasn't really sure about her tendencies.
Ichigo looked away from Ulqui suddenly and waved at something behind him. "Hey Nnoitorra, got anything to report?"
The neko looked over his shoulder at the one-eyed ravenet and received a rough hand on his ears. He cringed; the male's hand was wet.
Nnoi only laughed at the disgusted look the neko shot him before looking back at Ichigo. "Yeah, someone was saying that one of the burners at their station wasn't working and I think we're going to have to call in someone for the garbage disposal; it's making this weird noise and spits up food when you turn it on."
"Huh, it's probably clogged or something." Without thinking, Ichigo stood. "Show me – er." He stopped and looked from his sons to Ulqui. The question was very clear.
"I will watch your kits."
"Thanks, Ulqui." Taking up the conversation once more, the two men walked off back towards the kitchen.
The white babe – Shiro, yes, that was his name -watched his father leave with a sad coo, and his lip began to tremble. Ulqui stood only enough to pluck the boy from his seat and into the neko's other arm. The sudden movement made the babe's eyes widen in shock and his lip ceased quivering.
Ulqui held both boys close as he let his eyes slip closed once more and began to purr, mostly to sooth the babe in his other arm. He felt a small hand tug his hair, and peeked down at Shiro who was gumming a fistful of his locks. He giggled when he noticed Ulqui looking at him. Ulqui pressed his lips to the baby's hair, and went back to calmly sitting and purring.
Moments went by, and Pantera eventually awoke. He gasped and stared wide-eyed at Shiro. With a watchful gaze, Ulqui shifted Shiro over so that he rested against Pan. The kit happily wrapped his arms around Shiro and snuggled him close.
The other babe, Kon, woke soon enough, and began to whimper for its parent. With just a sniff, Ulqui knew exactly what the human kit wanted. Gently, he slid Pantera and Shiro from his lap and onto the seat. He briefly told Pan to watch over Shiro before he picked up Kon, grabbed the diaper bag Ichigo had left and headed for the restroom where he knew there was a baby changing station.
Kon cooed and burbled as the neko took a moment to figure out the diaper and then change him out of his stinky mess. Ulqui threw the dirty diaper into the trash and headed back to his booth. Pan was still as he'd left him, snuggling Shiro with a mixture of excitement and awe in his mismatched eyes. Ulqui left him be and sat in the other seat with Kon grabbing for his hair. He gave it a sharp yank once he got hold of it and Ulqui nipped at him in warning; that had hurt.
"Well, isn't this just the sweetest picture," Grimmjow murmured as he appeared from the kitchen with plates of food in either hand for the nekos. He set the warm plates down and leaned over to kiss Ulqui's and Pan's ears.
"Gimm-poppy!" in his excitement, Pantera had slipped into their native language. "I really really want little brothers and sisters! Does momma have kits yet?"
Grimmjow chuckled once he deciphered what the kit had said. "No, not yet."
Pantera's ears flattened. "By whyyy?" he whined. "You and momma mated."
"It doesn't work exactly like that, Pantera," Grimmjow hedged. "I'm sorry, but there are no new kits."
Pantera whimpered and buried his face in Shiro's hair. The white babe squealed and wriggled.
Grimmjow sent Ulquiorra a sad look before he headed back to the kitchen.
Pantera continued to be depressed for the remainder of their stay at the diner.
x~x x~x Time Goes By x~x x~x
The bundle of blankets shifted as Pantera awakened and slowly unfurled as he rose, supporting himself on his thin arms. He gave a big yawn, showing off his young but still sharp fangs, and stretched out his back in a decidedly felinian way.
It'd been a week, but he still slept in the extra room away from his parents. He liked it there. Sure, he missed having warm comforting bodies around him as he slept, but being able to stretch out and roll around was just as good, and it gave his parents the space they needed.
He sniffed, smelling breakfast in the air, and got up to see whoever was cooking.
"Ah, suprabhavya, Gimm-pitr!" he greeted upon seeing his blue-haired, adoptive father. He was at his usual station in the kitchen, the stove of course, whipping up pancakes. There was a plate with a few of them already resting on the counter nearby. Pan licked his lips.
Grimmjow looked over his shoulder, and greeted the kit back before turning back around. He reached into the oven and pulled out a plate of bacon that'd been staying warm in there. He transferred two pieces of the delicious, savory pork strips and three fluffy, golden-brown flapjacks onto a plate and went to set it on the island for Pan.
Before the human could walk off to pour a drink for Pan, the two-year old went over and hugged his leg, nuzzling his face into the dark fabric of Grimm's night pants. The older male smelled thickly of his mother and another scent clinging to the fabric told the kit that they had mated again last night. It made him happy that they were mating, mostly because his mother seemed so much happier and calm. His mother deserved some shred of happiness, especially with his kupitr, Pezala, around and vying to get him back.
It also made him happy, because he'd probably have little brothers and sisters soon if they kept mating like they were.
He smiled brighter at the image that formed in his head of baby siblings squirming around his exhausted but happy mother. "What would they look like?" was what the kit wondered the most. He really hoped that they would have blue hair like Grimm and green eyes like his mother, and either blue or black -or both- fur would be nice on top of that.
Peals of surprised laughter exploded from him as Grimmjow yanked him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek before ruffling his already mussed hair. Pan was still giggling as he was set down on a stool in front of his plate. While gnawing on a strip of bacon, a glass of apple juice and the bottle of syrup joined his plate, bringing the meal together. He dug in.
He was just about finished with his breakfast -and Grimmjow with preparing meals for him and his mother, whom had yet to join them- when there was a knock on the glass doors. Without a prior thought, Pantera slipped off of the stool and went to answer the summons. "I'll get it, I'll get it."
Darting over, Pan reached up and pushed the door open without checking first. He froze when he finally did look.
His older brothers were there.
Pantera stared for a moment before he remembered his manners. "Ah, s-suprabhavya, jyesthas." He looked nervously towards where Grimm was and saw the elder had stepped out of the room; probably to deliver breakfast to his mother. "Why are you here?" He cocked his head. "And how did you know where we lived?"
Agriya, the eldest brother, spoke for all. "We wanted to see mother, so we followed the path the adults made that lead here."
Pan nodded in understanding.
There was a long stretch of silence.
"Well?" Saniyas, the second born, suddenly snapped. Pan stammered in confusion before the other crossed his arms and continued. "Move so we can come in!"
"Oh, oh, um… okay, but wipe your feet so momma won't get mad."
Saniyas relaxed from his tense posture, while still keeping his arms crossed, and scrapped caked mud off of his feet with the coarse mat outside. They entered quietly once they finished.
Grimmjow returned to the front of the house and came to a stop upon seeing them all. His eyes were wide and his brows raised as he demanded, "What are yo- I mean- What are you kits doing here?!"
"We want to see mother," Agriya answered again.
That made the human scratch is head and glance back to where he'd come. He blew out a breath. "Fine," he sighed as he placed his hands on his hips. "Okay, but wait until he's eaten."
The kits nodded.
"How did you get here anyway? I your father around?"
"We walked here by ourselves, we didn't need father to bring us."
"Does he know where you are?" Or that you even left the village?"
Agriya shrugged. "We told our sisters and grandmother, but we don't know if they told father."
Grimm looked to Pan. "This may end badly."
The runt nodded vigorously.
"I guess I should feed them."
Pan nodded again; his brothers had definitely snuck away without eating.
Shaking his head, Grimm headed back into the kitchen. "Have them sit down somewhere; I'll whip up some more pancakes."
"Yes, Gimm-pitr." Pan looked back to his brothers who were giving him expectant looks. "Gimm-poppy says sit down while he makes you something to eat."
They nodded quietly and sat on the floor with relieved sighs. Agriya and Saniyas rested back on their hands with their legs outstretched while Trita sat with his legs crossed and his hands tucked in his lap. "Your brain must hurt from knowing two languages," he commented easily.
"It's probably big," Agriya assumed.
"I bet it makes up for how small he is," Saniyas murmured.
Pan wasn't sure if he was being complimented or not so he said nothing. After a long and awkward pause, he turned intending on finishing his own meal.
"Where are you going?" Trita asked.
Pan pointed. "I'm going to finish eating." When nothing was said, he climbed into his seat. He listened quietly as he ate.
"He's so small; how is he still living?"
"Mother protected him of course, I don't see why though. She should've just stayed with us and father."
"Mm hm. And father wasn't lying; that human really does have blue hair! Weird!"
"What if mother has blue hair now from mating with him?"
"I don't think father would want her back, but he didn't say anything about it, so maybe her hair is still black."
"Catching blue hair sounds silly. I wonder what the human is making… smells good."
"I wonder if mother can cook too."
"Grandmother can so she must've taught mother how to cook before she ran away."
"That sounds right. Hey you."
Pantera turned around figuring that "you" was him.
"Can mother cook?" Agriya asked.
He shrugged. "I like momma's cooking, but Gimm-pitr cooks more than him."
Agriya scrunched his nose. "Why do you and that human call mother 'he'?"
The smaller kit sighed. Honestly, he was asked that question far too much, and it was getting tiresome. "Momma is a boy, but he can have kits so that makes him a momma."
Saniyas made a face that said "are you stupid or something?" "Mother is a girl."
"No, he is a boy. Momma and Gimm-pitr say so, so it's true."
"Mother must not be very bright is she doesn't know that she is a she."
"That would explain why she would run off to protect a runt instead of staying with her strong alpha and healthy kits.
Pantera flushed angrily at the insult to his mother, but Grimmjow beat him to the punch.
"Say something rude about my mate, your mother, one more time, and I'll punish you. I'm sure you heard what I did to Himsa to straighten him out."
The trio stiffened; apparently they had. Agriya glared warily, Trita slumped down a bit, but it was Saniyas who foolishly spoke. "You don't scare me human."
Grimm cackled, making Pantera flinch; he'd never heard the bluenet make a sound like that before. "Just you wait, kit, you haven't seen me angry yet." He turned away from the counter balancing three plates of small pancakes on his arm and a towel draped on the other. He walked out, set the towel down and then the plates on top of that. While they stared, pondering what it was, Grimmjow left and returned with cups of water and a bowl of sliced bananas. "Eat up."
It took a moment, but once Agriya scooted forward and picked up a flapjack, the others followed suit. Soon they were eating silently.
Grimmjow gathered up Pantera's dishes and tossed them into the sink, he wiped down the counter and stove before heading towards the back. Not wanting to stay alone with his rude brothers, Pantera followed close behind. They entered the bathroom.
His mother was lounging in the tub, his arms dangling over the side and his head resting on the edge, an elevated tray rested within arm's reach.
"Suprabhavya, matr!" Pan greeted and kneeled down to get a kiss.
His mother opened his eyes and kissed him. "Suprabhavya, Ksudra."
Grimm sighed and rested on the toilet lid. "Sorry to ruin your soak, but your kids are here."
Ulquiorra's eyebrows came together and he looked at Pan.
"The ones you haven't seen in two years."
The eyebrows lifted before coming back down. His green eyes shifted over to the side in an uncertain look.
"They really want to meet you."
Ulqui sighed and stood up out of the water. "I'll dress." He paused as he wrapped a towel around himself. "And Pezala?"
"He's not here."
"Good." He quickly fried his hair and left for the bedroom.
Pan moved to follow once more, but was stopped. "Hop in, Pan. You need a bath."
b~~~d
Ulqui dressed slowly in a long-sleeved shirt and loose-fitting jeans. He'd never imagined seeing the other kits he'd birthed ever again. It felt weird, perhaps even wrong, to have them there looking forward to seeing him. After all, he didn't even claim them as his own. They wanted to meet their mother, but was he really that?
Sighing, he took a brush to his hair and braided it before heading out.
They were seated by empty plates on the floor in the dining room, and he lingered by the entryway while they talked amongst themselves.
"Pitr said that matr is pretty," the kit with one good eye said. "You both have her eyes."
"And you have her hair," one green-eyed kit with a strip of leather about his neck pointed out to the other kit whom hadn't spoken yet.
The one-eyed one sighed sadly and planted his chin on his fists. "I don't have any of matr's looks…" Ulqui shifted and his jeans shushed quietly against the carpeted floor, but it was enough to draw the kits' attention. "Matr?"
Hesitating momentarily, Ulqui walked out of the slightly shadowed entry way. He said nothing, only standing there quietly as the kits observed him. Their eyes and heads moved about as they looked him over as he'd done them only seconds ago.
The one-eyed one was the first to his feet and bounding over towards him. "Matr!" He plowed into his leg and latched on, nuzzling his nose into his hip. The other two got up and ran to attack his legs as well.
The whole thing was startling for Ulqui, and he had his hands clasped against his chest, unsure of what to do with them. After a few seconds, he shakily reached down to pet the head of the one-eyed one.
He looked up with surprise, but then happiness replaced it. "Tvam kamiyami, matr."
"I love you too matr!" the second one proclaimed.
"We love you even though you weren't there," the one with the strap announced.
Ulqui's heart seized at the words. These kits shouldn't love them. Not when he'd left them.
"Matr?" the second green-eyed one murmured, still snuggling up to his leg. "Say something, matr."
The leather strap kit hit him once in the arm. "Pitr said that matr doesn't talk."
"Oh yeah… can you really not talk, matr?"
Ulquiorra pursed his lips and swallowed thickly. "I can… just don't…"
The kits gasped elatedly. "You have a pretty voice, matr." the one-eyed one complemented.
"Dhanyavada." He retracted his hand and reclasped it over his heart. "What are your names?"
"I'm your first-born, Agriya."
"I was born next, so I'm Saniyas."
"I'm Trita."
Ulqui shook his head. "Awful names."
"Will you rename us then, mother?" Agriya, the kit who woe the strap, asked.
The shaking continued. "I do not have the right."
Trita was insistent. "Yes, you do, matr! You do."
He looked over his shoulder when the bathroom door opened. Pantera tottered out wrapped in a towel, and Grimm walked out behind him, flipping off the light and closing the door only enough to leave it slightly ajar. Pan's wet ears perked when he noticed his mother's gaze.
"Hi, matr," he peeped before darting into his room to put on some clothes.
Grimmjow didn't follow, he instead threw an arm around Ulqui and kissed him; the kiss made the mama-cat feel better. He then turned to put the clothes he carried into the hamper in the bedroom, and Ulqui looked back at the three other kits.
Saniyas was glaring at his human's retreating back.
"Do not glare at my sayuj."
Saniyas jumped at his tone and nuzzled his hip, asking for forgiveness. Ulqui gave his head a pat, reassuring him.
He shooed them, wanting to sit and headed over to where his pillow was. It was situated in the corner of the living room in the space between the wall and the couch, and his knitting materials were placed neatly in a wicker basket next to it. Flopping heavily onto it, he dragged his nearly complete blanket onto his lap and picked up his needles. "Who brought you here? Your matamaha?" he asked as the three kits gathered around his legs.
"No, we came here all by ourselves." Agriya said truthfully.
"Kim?"
"We're really good at finding our way around, even in new territory," Trita self-praised.
"Don't do that again."
"It's okay, mother," Agriya soothed.
"No, it's not. You are much too young to be wandering off on a two-hour journey; it's dangerous."
They hesitated and glanced at each other before lowering their heads, each murmuring a resigned, "Yes, ma'am."
Ulqui nodded and his needles began clicking as the worked them. The trio scooted closer and closer as time went by, and by the time Pan had joined them in the living room, they were seated on the pillow with him. Trita was on his left leaning against the wall, Saniyas sat slightly on the floor with the basket of the yarn balls in his lap for some reason, and Agriya sat near Ulqui's knee with his legs tucked under the blanket.
Pan got his drawing kit from the coffee table. "Is it almost done, matr?"
Ulqui shrugged as he looked it over. "Maybe… I actually just don't know when to stop…"
Pan giggled. "Make one big enough to cover the entire nest!"
"Don't say silly things like that," Agriya chided, "the nest is way too big."
Pan pouted. "I was joking."
"Well, it was a bad joke!" Saniyas said.
"Be nice," they all heard Grimm call as he passed through. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. "Hello? Oh, hey Ori-hmm? Swamped? What happened with-?" He sighed heavily. "I knew that Yammy character was nothing but trouble; has he come to work, at all, this week? Knew it…" He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "One sec." He pulled the phone from his ear. "I'm needed at work, but do you need me here?"
Ulqui shook his head. "They seem to be well-behaved; Pezala has raised them well enough."
The human nodded and got back on the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he said as he headed towards the back to get dressed as well. Soon enough, he was dressed, pressing kisses to Ulqui and Pan and was out the door.
"Where is he going?" Trita asked.
"He needs to go work," Ulqui said simply.
Trita didn't appear to really understand, but dropped the matter to instead snuggle closer, getting under his arm and resting against his side. Ulqui tensed but eventually went back to knitting.
Moments passed by in silence, and Ulqui became so immersed in his knitting that he forgot about the kits invading his personal space.
"Matr."
"Hm?" he grunted without looking up.
"They're asleep."
Blinking owlishly, he lifted his head and looked about.
Trita was slumped heavily against his side, purring quietly with his ears drooping, Saniyas sat with his head resting in the basket, and Agriya had crawled under the blanket, leaving only his tail peeking out.
"I wander when they woke up," Pan murmured.
"Really early."
Three loud knocks sounded at the front door, startling the three older kits awake. Reacting on instinct, Ulquiorra reached out and touched their heads, shushing them softly. They mewled unhappily, but soon settled again.
"I'll get it," Pan said and went to the door. It opened to reveal Toshiro and Rangiku. "Shi'o!"
"Hey, everyone!" Rangiku greeted loudly.
"SSH!"
The busty woman jumped. "Oh, sorry, sorry. Wait why are you shushing me?"
Pan pointed, directing both of the newcomers' attention to his slumbering elder brothers.
"Who are they?" Toshiro asked?
"My big brothers."
"Really?" Rangiku asked. Wanting to have a closer look, she strolled over, the heels of her stilettos sinking into the carpet; Ulqui still couldn't understand how she walked in those things-sandals and flats were just fine for him. She crouched (Ulqui had to divert his gaze from her awkwardly exposed cleavage) and gently lifted the blanket from Agriya. "Aww," she cooed. "They are just the cutest! Just like Pan. Boy, their father must be quite the hottie."
The neko stiffened. "I wouldn't know."
Rangiku covered Agriya once more, and gave Ulqui a playful jab in the arm. "Now, now, no need to be shy. Spill; is he hot or not?"
"Ms. Matsumoto," Toshiro scolded and glared disapprovingly at his guardian and wanna-be-mother. "Mr. Ulquiorra and Pantera's father were never on good terms; stop mentioning him."
Rangiku looked actually regretful. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ulqui."
Ulqui looked down at his needles and made one knit as he spoke. "… it's fine…" He grimaced and carefully undid the knot he'd made on accident.
The orangette was back to smiling. "Good. Now about your- "
"You're supposed to be heading to work," Toshiro interrupted.
At that, she took out her phone which she had stowed in her bra. "Oh, you're right." She shot to her feet, and headed towards the door, kissing Toshiro as she passed. "Well, I'll be going. See you all later."
Pan and Shiro looked at each other after the door closed. "Wanna play in the back," Pan asked.
"Of course." They left after Pantera donned his shoes.
Ulquiorra was left alone with his sons. He took solace in the fact that they were still asleep and he could avoid their unwarranted affection and innocent questions. He relaxed and went back to knitting.
x~x
"Hmm…" Agriya suddenly grunted -drawing Ulqui's attention- and then lifted his head with a yawn.
The neko had long since stopped knitting as his hands were cramping up. The needles laid primly on his lap with the unfinished craft still covering his legs as well as Agriya and Saniyas whom he'd moved away from the basket. "… Sleep well?"
He nodded. "Mm hm… wait. How long were we asleep?"
Trita and Saniyas were stirring by then, yawning and stretching out their small bodies. Ulqui had to shift so that Trita could move from under his arm.
"About two hours," was what Ulqui said.
Saniyas rubbed an eye. "What's about two hours?"
"We slept for two hours!"
"Kim?!" Trita cried.
Ebony brows knitted together. "It's alright that you slept." Ulqui assured.
"It's not!" Trita protested. "That was two hours we could've spent talking to you and asking questions and just… being with you."
He laced his fingers. "You were with me, I never moved from this spot while you slept."
The kits looked at him for a moment. They hugged him once more, telling him how much they loved him. Ulqui only chewed his lip and let them do as they pleased.
He stopped them after a while. "Please get off, I have to pee."
"Yes, ma'am," they giggled as they scattered.
Legs stiff and shaky from sitting still for so long, he got up and headed to the restroom, glad that the kits didn't follow him like little ducklings. He relieved himself quickly and went back out. Pan and Toshiro had returned from their outdoor play.
Agriya had his arms crossed as he looked Toshiro over with suspicion. "Who are you?"
"He's my friend," Pantera told him.
"Something wrong?" Toshiro asked.
"They just wanted to know who you were. I told them you're my friend."
The snow-colored kit nodded.
Ulqui headed for the kitchen. "Anyone hungry?"
The kits who understood him happily said "yes" as did Toshiro once Pan translated for him. The mama-cat instructed them to sit on the floor as he pulled out sandwich stuff. Once done, he served them with glasses of juice and made himself a sandwich before joining them.
"I'll be taking you home," Ulqui announced between bites. "You're not walking home by yourselves."
"But then who will walk you home?" Agriya asked.
"No one."
His thin eyebrows knitted. "But you need someone to take you home too; you're a girl."
His eye twitched. "I am not. I am male."
"Matr, you can't really think that you're a boy," Agriya huffed in disbelief. "You gave birth to us; only girls can do that."
"And I am both male and female, and I decided long ago that I was male." Ulqui gave him a severe look. "And this will be the last we'll speak of it, understand."
Agriya didn't speak.
"Agriya, do you understand?"
"No, matr, I don't; none of us do."
Ulquiorra set his mostly eaten sandwich down. "Bathe with your matamahi when you can."
"Why?"
"Because I'm sure you'll understand why I feel the way I do when you share a bath with her."
"Okay," they chorused.
"I'm sorry, matr. Are you mad now?" Agriya apologized.
"It's fine, kit. I just do not like arguing over my gender."
"I won't do it again."
"Good."
After finding their meal, they all went outside. The five kits played with the few outdoor toys Pantera had -a couple of balls, a Frisbee which Ulqui had to retrieve from the other side of the fence or the roof a few times, and a jump rope that he'd borrowed from Katen.
"Play with us matr," Trita urged.
Hopping down from the seat he'd taken on a branch of the tree in the back, he strolled over. "Alright, but only for a moment." He caught the ball thrown at him by Pan and joined in on the fun.
It was nearly 5:30 when they finally turned in, and Ulqui decided that he'd better start taking the other kits home. He went to the house phone in the kitchen to call Grimm.
"Hey, whatsup?" Grimm asked cheerfully, and loudly so he'd be heard over the din in the background.
"I need to take the kits home, but I don't want to take Shiro and Pantera with me."
"Forgot Shiro was coming over," he mumbled to himself. "Ah… see if Shunsui and them are available to watch Pan and Shiro. Actually, if you're parents get a hold of you, you might be there a while, maybe call Starrk, he's off today."
"Okay, I'll do that. Bye."
"See you tonight."
Ulqui hung up and called Starrk.
The sleepy man arrived maybe 30 minutes later, and then Ulqui left with kits.
As they traveled, it slowly grew darker and per the older neko's request, the trio stayed close. Their pace slowed as they tired out, but they'd regain some energy after a moment's rest. Probably two and a half passed before they reached the village's edge.
Ulquiorra looked on from the shadow of a tree and urged the kits to go. They hesitated but left his side after nuzzling his legs in goodbye, and he stepped back intending on heading home right away.
"You there!"
He yelped when the back of his sweater was grabbed and he was yanked backwards, towards the village. His assailant misjudged his weight however, and he ended up flying a few feet and landing hard on his rear. He quickly rolled to his stomach but the sounds of crashing and snarling behind him made him obey the freeze option of the fight, flight, or freeze rule in these situations. He covered his head and curled into a ball in efforts not to be mistaken as hostile.
"Wait, wait, wait!"
"Stop, don't hurt her!"
"That's our matr!"
The growling stopped. "Your matr?"
Ulqui slowly moved his hands from his head and lifted it to peer over his shoulder at the neko who'd thrown him and the three kits protecting him.
His assailant was obviously from the Simah clan what with his massive size and large amount of hair. He also looked rather familiar.
"Ko…mala?" he quested.
The Simah member relaxed from his offensive stance. "Atridrutam?" Ulqui lifted his head more and Komala smiled when he could better see his face. "Leza! It's been so long." He walked forward and stooped to help Ulqui up.
He slapped the hand away and scrambled to his feet. "Don't touch me!"
"Ah, I'm sorry for throwing you," he apologized. "I thought you were a threat; you smell and look human."
The conversation was attracting others, as a group was gathering around them, all of the neko's recognizing Ulqui as the female who'd run away so many years ago. Many were awed and even happy to see him, to see that he looked well and healthy, and then there were a few snide jeers from some males to quickly grab Ulqui and put him with a male that would keep him from running off again; some volunteered for that position. Worst of all, the one neko Ulqui never wished to see again pushed to the front: Pezala.
"Nice to see you again in such a short time, matr of my kits," he purred. He grabbed Ulquiorra about the waist and pulled him close. "Abandoning that human to be with me finally?"
Ulqui's words caught in his throat, and he violently lurched away. Breathing heavily, he backed up and warily looked around, not wanting to look at Pezala, but at the same time he was surrounded by the expectant and even envious gazes of the village members staring at him.
"What's wrong? Can't do anything without your human to hide behind?"
I won't stay here. I refuse to listen to him. He turned to run but met a solid chest. He fought when strong arms wrapped around him.
"Ssh, it's okay putri," his father's voice came. Without waiting, he picked Ulqui up and set him on his hip. "Return to your work, everyone, my putri doesn't wish to speak with anyone."
Ulquiorra heard the group slowly disperse as he buried his face into his father's neck.
"That means you as well, Pezala."
After a while, Vegatama began to walk slowly, undoubtedly towards the home he shared with his wife and sons. "Were you really intending on returning the kits without stopping to say hello to your parents? I'm disappointed, putri."
Ulqui said nothing, he only buried his face into his father's neck and clung tighter. Safe. He was safe here.
"Who is-" his mother, Sulalita, paused as Vega carried their 'daughter' in and set him down. "Putra!" Vegatama growled quietly at her and she reluctantly revised her outburst to "putri".
Ulqui scooted over to where his other was sitting and snuggled up to her.
"What's wrong, Ulqui?"
"Her former mate cornered her," Vega answered for him. "She's only shaken, she'll recover."
Ulqui felt his mother nod before reaching up to pet his flattened ears. "Can I speak with Ulqui for a moment? Alone?"
"What for? Whatever you need to say to her you can say in front of me."
"Please, husband," Sulalita implored.
"What are you hiding from me?" Vegatama demanded, crossing his thick arms, and his tail lashing, irritated, behind him. "You've been very quiet and secretive as of late."
"I'm hiding nothing."
"You are."
"I am not, husband!"
Ulqui's voice was muffled by the thick hide of Sulalita's dress. "Both of you, stop yelling!" He lifted his head. "Pitr… would it be so hard to just let mother speak to me in private? Can't she just have that?"
He blew out an annoyed breath before turning and storming out. "We will speak on this again later, wife."
The normally happy neko let out a long breath, seeming to deflate into a slumped sitting position.
Ulquiorra sat up more and looked his mother over. She looked… tired… stressed… unlike herself. "What's wrong, matr? You never raise your voice at pitr like that."
She waved a hand. "Same as you. Pezala. That male is a real creep and I can see why you ran away from him."
Ulqui stiffened. "What has he done?"
"Nothing, and hopefully he never will do anything." She laughed without humor. "Honestly the only thing probably keeping me safe is that I'm wife of the chief. He really wants you, and since we look the same, he… lurks after me. Just staring at me like I'm prey meant for him to hunt. I'm afraid to go anywhere by myself nowadays."
"Haven't you told pitr?"
"Psh, goodness no. Your pitr would rip him apart."
"That's a good thing."
"But then who would take care of those kits?"
The younger neko stiffened and looked away.
"And I know you have a difficulty seeing them as your own."
He nodded solemnly. "They're… good kits."
Sulalita scoffed. "Which is surprising to say the least." She clapped and placed a hand on Ulqui's. "Speaking of them, did they get there safely? I didn't realize that they intended on going by themselves until it was too late."
"They got to my nest safely, and I scolded them for traversing there by themselves."
Sulalita shook her head with a pleased gleam in her eyes. "You may not claim them, but your maternal side greatly cares for them. Did they behave well?"
"Well enough, though they're jealous of Pan. Then again, they have every right to be. I've only claimed Pan as my own, but not them… Matr. Matr, they love me…"
"That's good."
He shook his head. "But I don't know if I love them back. I don't deserve their affection if I'm unwilling to love them back."
"Now, now, you never said that you were unwilling. You're only unsure. It'll all become clear in time." She petted his hand before returning both her hands to her lap. "You're probably hungry from your trip. Here, I'll get you something, and then you can help me with my string craft! I'm getting better at it."
The edge of his lip twitched, wanting to form a smile, and he nodded.
x~x
Ayasa and Himsa were very happy to have their big sister over, so much so that when faced with the decision of whether or not to sleep in the small extra room with Ulqui instead of their mother or father, they convinced them to let them all sleep together. Vega was closest to the entryway, lying on his side with Ulqui nearly flushed to him; Ulqui's back to his front. Ayasa and Himsa were nearly laying on top of each other as they slept between Ulqui and their mother.
Ulqui was nearly asleep, but woke when he felt his father shift to support himself on one arm. "Sulalita… wife."
There was shifting on the other side of his brothers. "Mm… hm?"
"Has that new male been bothering you?"
Ulqui opened his eyes a crack.
"No, husband. Why do you ask?"
"Your odd behavior started when he joined our clan… Has he spoken to you? Touched you? Harmed you?"
"No, husband, he's done nothing."
"Then why are you acting so oddly?"
"There is… no reason."
There was a long pause and then an annoyed huff from Vega; Sulalita diverted her eyes. "Come here," he ordered and carefully moved away, and Sulalita followed after a moment's hesitation. Ulqui lifted up after a moment as well and peeked out the doorway.
At first his parents were just standing there, his father looking menacingly at Sulalita who couldn't meet his eyes, the neko female focused on the floor and her hands which she clenched against her chest. The big male made a low growl deep in his chest, and she yelped when he grabbed her, a hand gripping her scruff and the other around her waist, and yanked her into him. She went mostly limp, though she managed to bring her hands up to grip his biceps before he bit down into her throat. He bit harder. Sulalita whimpered and Ulqui flinched as blood was drawn.
Sulalita released a sob and Vegatama slowly lowered to the floor after he released he throat and just held her close. He laved over the bite with a careful tongue. "You're lying to me, and I don't like it. You'd better tell me the truth soon, because if I find out on my own, you will not like what happens." He released her completely and she slipped from his lap. "Present yourself."
Sulalita looked to her husband with teary green eyes before lowering them and turning to rest on her hands and knees with her rear towards him. Vega moved the clothing blocking his way and mounted her.
The coupling was silent and quick as it was meant only to mark Sulalita as his and his only, not to be touched nor sought after by another man. Sound came when the female whimpered as Vega's barbs engaged. They separated after a moment.
Vegatama grabbed her and pulled her into arms again. He kissed the top of her head and buried his nose into her hair. "Tvam kamiyami."
A muffled sniffle came from where her head was buried in his shoulder. "I love you, too," she said back. She gripped his arms harder, accidentally leaving angry lines with her claws. "I'd never betray you… do you believe me?"
He nodded. "Yes."
Ulqui watched them for a little longer, but when they showed no signs of moving from their spot, he returned to bed.
x~x
He woke with a yelp when his ankle was grabbed and he was dragged from where he was resting.
"Don't be lazy, putri," his father chided softly. "Up and out of bed with you."
Ulqui wiped sleep crust from his eyes. "Yes pitr," he grumbled and rolled to his feet.
"The matings you've done haven't worked; you're fertile," Vega commented.
Ears perked, he looked down. Since he'd removed his jeans for the night he could clearly see a few droplets of blood staining his gray briefs. Saying nothing, he went over to where his jeans were folded and pulled a pad from his back pocket; he'd been aware that his cycle would be starting soon. His father watched as he unwrapped the pad and placed it in his underwear, and the wrapping were balled up and put in his pocket.
After donning his jeans, he followed Vega from the bedroom. His mother was in the main room of the home stirring something in a pot on the cooking fire. She looked up with a warm smile. "Suprabhavya, putra -er- putri," she corrected herself quickly.
"Suprabhavya." Ulqui took a seat next to the female. "I'll be leaving after the morning meal."
"Aw, won't you stay longer?"
He shook his head. "No, matr, I wasn't even supposed to stay the night; Grimm is probably worried."
She made a face as if she'd forgotten about Grimmjow. "Oh, dear. We can't have him worrying over your welfare. Very well. But…"
Ulqui cocked his head.
"Do you think you could… maybe… walk around with me for a bit? Not for too long though."
After a moment of thought, Ulqui nodded. "I can do that."
Sulalita beamed. "Great. Oh!" She looked back to her pot. "Morning meal is done. Let's eat."
Breakfast went by in silence, and once they were done, Ulqui and his mother went outside, locked arms and began their stroll around the village. It wasn't bustling, but it was definitely busy as Ulqui remembered the village being when he was young. They caught many stares as they wandered, but ignored them. Eventually, they found themselves in the play area. There weren't many kits there yet, but that would change as the day went on. Unexpectedly, the silence was broken.
"Intruder!"
"It's a human!"
"Back off! I know Sri Vegatama, and I'm here to get my mate!"
Sulalita looked to her son. "It's Grimm. Go to him, I'll be right behind you."
Ulqui nodded before taking off.
The bluenet was standing amongst a group of male nekos. The only things keeping them all away was his words and piercing blue gaze. Ulqui pushed through the crowd. "Grimmjow."
The glare went away, and he turned to catch the rushing neko in his arms. "There you are!" he said, still speaking in the native tongue of the crowd around him. He lifted Ulqui in the air by his waist and held him there for a moment. "You had me worried, you weren't supposed to have stayed out so long." Grimm brought him back down to his feet.
"I'm sorry," Ulqui murmured. "Time got away from me, and I ended up staying with my parents."
Grimm kissed him on the temple. "It's okay, I knew where you were, so no harm done."
Most of the males around began whispering to each other over that last comment. Ulqui's ears flattened at the whispered, "I would never let my wife wander off,"s, the "I'd have punished her,"s and "I wouldn't let her out of the house for days."
Ulqui moved closer. "Let's go."
He nodded. "I'll say hi to Vegatama and Sulalita, and then we can go."
It was then that Sulalita pushed through the crowd. She smiled when she saw him. "Hello, narya jamatr."
He smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Hello, matr."
There was a collective gasp around them.
"How dare you touch a female that's not yours!"
"That is the wife of our chief!"
"Release her now!"
"WHAT IS ALL THIS NOISE!"
Everything went quiet as Vegatama pushed to the center of the crowd. His eyebrows rose in shock and then lowered once more into a suspicious glower. "How did you find this place?"
Ulqui looked at Grimm; that was a good question.
Grimm waved his phone which he'd been clutching in his hand. "I tracked him down."
"Are you really that good at tracking?"
"Eh, sorta."
Ulqui gave him a dubious look until the human explained further.
Grimm touched the collar he'd bought him and Pantera so long ago. "There's a tracking device in the tag."
"So you cheated?"
"I just used my resources."
Vegatama interrupted before Ulqui could counter. "I would rather you spoke in our tongue when in this village."
"Ah, forgive me, Vegatama."
"That's Sri Vegatama, human!" someone from the crowd screamed.
"Quiet!" Vegatama ordered. "Disperse!"
Grimm shook his head. "Don't worry, we'll just get out of here."
"Oh, husband, may I walk them to the village edge?" Sulalita asked.
"You may."
Sulalita grabbed Ulqui's hand and started towards the exit, and Grimmjow followed close behind. They walked in silence. As they walked, Ulqui noticed that they were walking much farther from the village than his mother had promised she'd escort them, but he didn't quite care to say anything, he was just glad to be away from the village. Seven years, and it was still so stifling, and females were still seen as objects to be owned.
He shook his head. Such thoughts were just depressing him, and he wanted to think of something else. Like his sister. Where was she? He voiced his concern.
"Oh, Lajjalu? She moved to the Zardulan Tribe soon after you'd run off and then they moved a couple of seasons ahead of us."
"And you haven't heard from her since."
His mother shook her head. "I do hope that she's alright, she had two little boys and was expecting more."
"I'll tell the folks we know at NRAPA that there may be another neko clan out there, and I'm sure they'll help look for them," his human said, his words almost fluent now.
Sulalita's eyes misted. "That would be wonderful, narya jamatr, dhanyavada." She held out her arms and Grimmjow quickly gave her a warm hug.
Ulqui felt it was time they parted then. "I'm sorry, matr, but any farther and I'm sure pitr will become cross with you."
She was released from the hug and sighed. "You're right, I've already indulged too much." She grasped Ulqui's hand in both of hers and held it to her chin. "Promise you'll visit soon? I've gone far too long without my kit and I can't bear it. Maybe all three of you could come? That way you wouldn't have to worry about Pezala?"
Ulqui looked to Grimmjow then.
"I'm off next weekend."
Sulalita beamed and looked back at Ulqui.
"… I'll… I'll bite back my hatred for that man… if only to visit you and pitr."
"I can't wait. I'll start preparing for your stay today!" She kissed her son and on a final farewell, she headed back towards the village.
Finished 12 Aug 2016, 20:09