I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 18: Sleepy Time

Alisha slathered some ointment over my knuckles and then wrapped it with some gauze bandages and tape before putting me to bed. I expected her to come right back to lay down next to me and start sleeping but instead she gave me a kiss on my forehead and headed back downstairs with her phone in hand.

I watched her go, missing her but I understood she might want security while she made whatever calls she had to make.

I laid in the bed, staring at the orange gradient on the ceiling from the salt lamp. I had yet to see her turn it off which, I guessed was because it functioned as a night light. The color was very warm and it wasn't enough light to do much but I could see into the corners of the room.

Somehow knowing that Alisha worried about half her “captains” wanting to kill her made sleeping with a night light make sense, even if she was a strong independent adult.

I tried to settle in to the bed, feeling restless and finally gave up and got my phone to scroll through the internet.

A few.minutes later, a text came in.

From Sophia: I hope you're doing okay, please let me know if you need anything at all. I want you to feel safe and happy.

I responded: Thank you, I am perfectly safe and happy.

I couldn't remember a time I was safer than when I'd started staying with Alisha. 

Sophia: Im glad I just need you to know I'm here for you.

Me: Thank you 

I put the phone down. Sophia had always been a good sister, even when our parents were nightmares. But she also still loved our parents, something I could not bring myself to do anymore. I just couldn't be certain they would get their claws in her and twist her around to use against me somehow. Convince her I was as messed up as they said I was.

I waited, but Sophia didn't message me again and I put the phone aside and tried to sleep again. The anxiety was still there, still poking annoyingly to keep me awake and alert.

Alisha’s ceiling was very smooth, I noted. Sometimes I'd counted the ceiling tiles in the dorm to help me fall asleep but her ceiling didn't have much texture to even examine. I rolled onto my side and looked out the far windows. There were trees with leaves gently swaying in the breeze. They were dark and mysterious without the sun.

A while later, Alisha came back upstairs and into the bathroom for several minutes my brain was still awake so I decided to wait and see if her presence would help me relax.

When she came to the bed, she hesitated. 

“You're still awake, Kitty?” She asked softly.

“Mmhmm,” I mumbled.

She sat on the mattress and reached over to stroke my hair a few times. “Are you just stressed?” she asked.

I nodded, then slowly sat up. “You must be stressed, too,” I pointed out. “I mean…” I wasn’t going to say it out loud but she had admitted something pretty significant earlier. I didn’t think she’d let anyone else hear her admit to that kind of emotional exhaustion.

“Only a little,” she said and pulled me a bit closer. “How about we have some tea or something?” she asked. 

I nodded. I was definitely more of a coffee person but it was too late to have that much caffeine.

She got up then, with me following quickly behind. I sat at the dining table, exhausted and leaning my head down, but far too alert for my own good. Alisha went about getting an electric kettle from a cabinet and getting the water started before sitting next to me, two flawless white mugs in hand.

“Do you like peppermint?” she asked.

“Like the tea?” I clarified.

“Yes.”

“I’ve never had it,” I admitted. “I think I’ve only had black and green tea.”

“Well you can try it. It won’t be a big deal if you don’t like it, but I don’t have anything else caffeine-free.”

I nodded and then yawned.

“Do you want to talk about anything?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I still don’t know much about you, you know.”

“I suppose not.” She looked at the table for a long moment, her eyes flickering across her reflection on the glass as her thoughts processed. “What do you want to know?” she asked.

“Uhm… everything you’re comfortable with telling me,” I decided. “Like about you, I don’t need to know about the business.”

She nodded. “I see.” The kettle beeped in the other room right then so she got up and fetched the hot water to fill our mugs.

The smell of peppermint immediately filled the room. It was a nice smell, to be honest, sweeter than I would have expected but also more earthy than the kind of peppermint flavor I was used to.

Alisha sat back down and crossed her legs with a thoughtful expression. “You know my name, and you know my occupation… I guess I could tell you that I’m twenty-six years old, I’m bisexual…” She thought for another long moment.

“Do you have a favorite color?” I asked.

“I think… purple, or like a burgundy, you know. They have a very complex profile.”

“I see,” I agreed. “Do you like kittens?”

“Do I like adorable helpless creatures looking for love and comfort? Yes.” She patted my head after this. “Not that you’re completely helpless, surviving on the streets for any length of time is a mark of not being helpless. Retaining your own identity through it is a mark of a survivor.”

I felt the sheepishness come back. “I wasn’t doing so well,” I admitted. “I’d kinda given up when you saw me.”

“I know, but you did accept my help.” She scooted her chair closer to me and reached her arm around to pull me against her.

I relaxed. Her body was warm, the tea was warming me up from the inside and despite all that happened today, it still felt safe here.

“What about you?” she asked. “Do you like snakes?”

“Snakes?” I pondered. “Why would I like snakes?”

“Fierce predators lurking in the shadows, sneaking through people’s yards to strike when the opportunity presents itself.”

“But you’re not a snake,” I pointed. “I think you’re far more catlike than you could ever be compared to a snake.”

She was quiet for a long time. “You don’t see me as sneaky and underhanded?” she asked.

“No.” I yawned and took a long sip of the hot tea. “You can come off as aloof and strictly focused on your own business but I’d never call you sneaky or underhanded. The only people you’re sneaky with are normal civilians who wouldn’t want to know your business anyway.”

She pulled me a little closer. “Thank you, Kitten,” she said solemnly. 

“For what?” I asked.

“Saying I’m not a cold slithering reptile looking to swallow you whole,” she explained. “I think about that a lot.”

“I think I’m ugly and useless a lot,” I pointed out. “And you tell me I’m not.”

“You’re not ugly or useless,” Alisha said. “You made bread today. Do you think I’ve ever made bread?”

“I would assume you’ve made some form of bread, even if it isn’t a fancy french bread,” I explained.

“I have not. I think I made drop biscuits once, but that isn’t really the same.”

“Mm,” I agreed. “I think I’m getting sleepy now,” I said and immediately yawned. 

“That’s good,” Alisha sighed and stroked my hair gently. “The tea helped?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, let’s get you back into bed then.” She gave me a kiss, making me feel even warmer.

I nodded and followed behind her to put my mug into the kitchen sink and then up the stairs again. We brushed our teeth together, and then she brought me back to the bed again and peeled the blankets and sheet back.I climbed in and a moment later she climbed in after me and pulled the blankets back over us and pulled me closer.

“Good night, Kippy,” she mumbled sleepily.

“Good night,” I replied and pressed against her a little more. She was warm and the contact with her was soothing.