Chapter 16: Nekos

Angel’s POV

Angel’s dreams were a mix of good and bad. One moment she was tangled with Castiel on a bed in fevered passion, and the next she saw Castiel falling from a cliff to a sea of clawed hands.

She headed to the play yard to clear her head and calm a racing heart. A small fire crackled, soft slow dance songs surrounding from the speakers. Between sleeping and some grinding horizontal bodies, Angel weaved to find an open place to sit hugging her knees. Poking a found stick at the fire so embers sparked out, she was mesmerized by the flames and started to relax.

A sudden body enveloped her from behind, with arms crossing around her shoulders and long bare legs stretched on either side of hers. A prickly chin nestled into the crook of her neck. She jumped at the sudden touch and wiggled for escape until a familiar voice purred “My Sexy Spy, have you been avoiding me?”

“Dai, you scared the life out of me!”

Dai laughed and kissed the side of her neck. “Sorry kitten! I’m a hugger and I haven’t seen ya in aaaaaaages!” He smooched her shoulder, then nuzzled his chin back into her neck. “Where ya been?”

Angel was pretty sure Dai knew everything already. She lifted a hand to idly cover his wrapped arms. “Working at the bar temporarily. Learning lots and expanding my mental music library. It’s a great way to learn city news and I like feeling useful.” He mumbled against her skin with another kiss something that sounded like ‘sexy spy’. They sat in silence for a while.

“Have ya kissed him yet?” Dai asked suddenly.

Angel physically jumped from the question. Shit. “What? Who?” She hoped it sounded innocent.

Dai ignored her response, asking another. “Are you ever gonna kiss me?” His voice was in serious mode.

Angel nibbled her bottom lip. Dai was her own kind, a great leader, funny, and had been nothing but sweet with her despite his reputation. He damn near kissed everyone, so it wouldn’t be strange to be included. His voice however seemed to imply if she would KISS-kiss him, as she had with Castiel. “Maybe” she finally answered honestly.

Dai squeezed her from behind, then crossed his legs under hers so she was practically sitting in his lap. Angel thought on how to change topics. “Dai? Can you tell me about nekos?”

Dai laughed and squeezed her again, then cleared his throat. His voice vibrated on her shoulder as he spoke without raising his chin from her. “Well, once upon a time, in a land far far away…” Angel smiled. “…A horny shapeshifter took the form of a big ass cat and rocked the sheets off a young girl’s bed. The tale says the baby she bore was a tomcat like me, who quickly seeded a whole town of girlies. Totally sounds fun!” Angel giggled and slapped her hand playfully on his knee. He really was a horn-cat. “Owwie. Rough! Anyways, nekos stuck together and grew their colonies. We’re not ones that do that whole lone wolf crap. My group found the city here 5 years ago. Hmm, what else.” He kissed her neck as he thought, then spoke mumbled against her skin between kisses. “We’re sexy.. stealthy.. stamina for days.. suuuuper good at kissing..”

Angel slapped his knee again, but purred at the affection. A thought crossed her. “Are there any other kinds of nekos? I don’t exactly fit with Tribe.”

Daishkan unwrapped one arm from her so he could slide it down her thigh and then over her tail which draped off his lap. “Mmm, yes, you are a bit of a unique fluffball. I’ve never seen a tail or eyes like yours kitten. There’s stories from 50 years ago where humans did some genetic testin’ that proved us cats could only reproduce with ourselves or humans. No amount of kinky fun with others would produce offspring.” He idly stroked her tail while the fire popped. “Angel-cakes, what do you know about yourself?”

Angel slowly shook her head. “Nothing. I was either abandoned or sold as an infant to a, um, a training facility. A stark place ran by two grumpy old ladies. I was the only non-human there, and where I eventually ended up too. No one that.. Well, visited there had seen a neko before.”

Daishkan pulled her close and slid his arm back around her shoulder. “I’m sorry Angel.” His voice was serious again. “I want you to know something though. You would never have been dropped or sold. You kittens are fiercely protective mommas. Your pretty momma would never have willingly separated with your cuteness.” Angel felt the tears burn and a lump choke her throat. What she had painfully accepted as truth her whole life was now thrown in the air. Was her mother killed? Was Angel stolen? Why?

She let the tears fall silently and Dai turned her to cradle her in his big lanklap. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head, letting her cry herself to sleep.