I Unintentionally Became Her Kitten

Chapter 55: Surface Tension

Tye didn't leave once he had dropped us off. I didn't realize until then that he and Alisha needed to make plans for how to deal with the current situation so the two of them sat in the dining room.

For the time being I left them alone, but started the oven preheating and sliced some shortbread cookies to arrange on a baking tray. The smell filled the kitchen and dining room as soon as the heat started to lick at the edges.

Then I got the coffee machine going and the entire place smelled like a fancy coffee shop. The mixing of sweet and bitter smells was intense but pleasurable. They were still huddled together over their phones when I brought a plate of cookies out. Alisha gave me a soft smile and patted my head as I set them down on the glass. I was tempted to stick around and hope to get more pets but she turned back to her phone again and I grabbed the coffee pot and some mugs, the two milks and a couple glasses as well, bringing them out to the table on a serving tray and finally sat down next to Alisha, who poured herself some coffee and then gratefully took the almond milk from me. I picked up a cookie and poured myself just a little dairy milk and splashed a little coffee into it and then nibbled, sipping coffee milk here and there.

The names and places and arrangements they were talking about were beyond me. But there was something that I had heard at my job before, a complaint from management that was repeated constantly. We don't have the people to do this. Alisha had lost three men a week ago and it was apparent only one had been replaced so far. She was now going into a process of finding and executing the remaining individuals who were stupid enough to think she wouldn’t. Concern between her and Tye was very present as there were quite a few rats. They had been festering in her ranks a while and only after she had made some decision that impacted people's profits enough did it become apparent they were starting to stir. Which meant exterminating them would take a good chunk out of her man-power and further impact profits and further cause discontent. On top of that Nico had a very good relationship with the old-family captains and she did not. If things came down to a flat-out war, she was in trouble.

My stomach hurt a little thinking about this. The situation was far worse than I thought. No wonder why she hadn't been sleeping well.

At some point they decided to call it a day, Tye gave some orders out through his phone to keep appearances up, like they didn't know Nico was the King Rat. 

I gave Tye a nod as he left and he returned it. Then Alisha and I sat in the uneasy quiet of the dining room.

She had a hand supporting her chin as she scrolled through messages on her phone. Her hair was pushed to the side in this process and fell in a gentle curving wave past the table edge.

There was temptation for me to reach over and take it up in my hands, maybe even braid it, but I didn't want to damage it. I didn't know a lot about the bleaching and toning process but I knew Stella had told her off for so much as brushing it out while dry so I knew it was fragile. I didn't know if tugging on it to braid was a good idea… or how to braid in the first place.

When she finally looked up and gave her temples another rub, I took a breath.

“Would you like a bath?” I asked.

She looked over, her expression blank. “A bath?” she asked.

I nodded. “I still feel like I can smell Sergei’s basement.”

She blinked and let the thought slowly process. “Oh, right. A bath. You can run the bath, I don't mind.” She turned back to her phone.

I wasn't sure if she had understood me but it was close enough for me to feel comfortable preparing the bath for her.

I got up and put away the empty dishes before going to her lower bathroom and starting the bath water, even exploring the settings on the control panel to see what temperature was good. She tended to like the water a little hotter than I did, and once I felt that temperature coming out of the faucet, I went to the drawer filled with bath salts and rummaged through them. The blue one was there and it would be a nice fruity smell but after fingering through a few others I found a light purple one that I smelled and immediately recognized as lavender and sage.

That would be good. I read the suggested amount but then looked at the tub which was quite a bit larger than the standard size the directions were probably written for. I dumped the whole packet in since it was designed for ‘3 sessions’ but the tub was easily three times as big as a standard American one. The smell was gentle and gradually filled the room. It could've even used quite a bit more before the aroma was overwhelming.

I stopped the water two thirds of the way up the side. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it overflowed. There was a drain set in the tile and the shower just next to the tub sprayed directly onto the floor so this bathroom was made for this kind of thing. The glass wall was probably the indicator of where the waterproofing stopped and the normal bathroom floor began, though I couldn't see any sign of something different from one side to the other.

With that done I went back out to the dining room to find Alisha just as before. She was staring at her phone screen until it went dead and then woke it up again and started scrolling and gradually stopped until it went dead again.

She looked up as I entered her peripheral vision, careful not to get too close before she saw me. I wasn't sure where her mind was but it wasn't in my best interest to spook her and end up on the floor with a hand to my throat. The bruising on my neck had finally healed enough that I didn't need to wear makeup over it. I still would for the next couple days but it was at the point I only saw it because I knew exactly where it was.

“Bath?” I asked.

“Do you need help with it, Kitten?” she asked and started to stand.

I shook my head. “I wanted you to take a bath with me.”

She blinked then gave me a soft smile and put her hand on top of my head.

“I'll be right there, okay?” she asked and went back to her phone. 

I made no move to leave though and simply waited until she looked up again.

“Kitten,” she sighed. “I'm sorry but this is important for me to do.”

“But… it's important for you to take care of yourself as well,” I explained. “You don't have to stop using your phone. I just wanted you to be able to relax a bit.”

“I suppose… I could,” she followed.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a zip-top bag for her and she came with me into the bathroom, setting her phone down on the edge of the tub.

My hair rose, seeing it precariously perched and completely naked inches from the water.

She started to undress as I considered what I should do about this. I didn't want her to worry about me snooping if I took her phone myself to put it in the bag. She finished getting out of her shirt and bra and saw me still standing there, staring at her phone.

“What is it?” she asked, seeing the plastic bag in my hand.

“Uh… I mean, don't you want a bag to protect…”

She looked at me, then at the phone. “For my phone?” She asked.

I nodded. I had noticed she had an unhealthy habit of not putting cases or anything on her phone.

“Does that work?” she asked and picked the small electronic device up before offering a hand to me.

“The fingerprint sensor doesn't usually but you should still be able to text or call,” I explained. How did she not know this? Had she never had to bring a cell phone into a public shower stall with her? I guessed she'd never gone to college but boarding schools had dorms too, didn't they. But… maybe she had never felt like she could call for help with a phone anyway, given her relationship with the police.

She patted my head. “Thank you, Kitten,” she said and closed the bag around the device. “Are you going to join me?” She asked.

I nodded, remembering my job here and started to get undressed. “Do you have soap you use in the bath?” I asked.

She pointed to the drawer above the bath salts, face masks, etc, drawer and upon opening it I found a few pump bottles of unscented baby soap.

I took one out and set it on the edge of the tub before pulling the last of my clothes off and looked at Alisha who was on her phone again looking quizzical. I stepped over the edge of the tub and offered her a hand which she slowly reached to take without looking up. Once her skin made contact with mine she put her phone down on the tub edge again and focused on stepping in. She gently pulled her hair behind her and then twirled it up into a loose knot before sinking into the water.

I followed and greatly appreciated the heat and the single jet I turned on just to circulate the aroma and temperature around.

“What kind of tub is this anyway?” I asked. I had yet to find a brand or model number anywhere on it like jacuzzi tubs had but it didn't quite fit my idea of a jacuzzi tub. Usually they were round or triangular but this tub was deep and quite boxy. But Japanese tubs didn't have water jets in them, I didn't think. Not from what I'd seen in my limited exposure.

“It's a high-end Japanese tub, as far as I know. I let the contractors make the decisions about brands; just told them to make it reliable,” she explained. She leaned back like I'd seen her do before and closed her eyes. “Worth every penny, though. It sucked to go without a bath for so long.”

I nodded. “I didn't get to take baths like this,” I told her and sank deeper in the water. It lapped at my neck and even up to my chin occasionally.

“I know, Kitten. I've been learning just how privileged I grew up.” She let out a long breath. “I never thought I was that attached to money since I didn't really care about flaunting it. But seeing the way you hesitate about every money-related decision looks so exhausting.”

“Well, yeah. Money is power and wealth and people don't just hand it out without expecting something in return.”

She nodded. “But to me I don't have to worry about needing more. I have more than enough to cover my needs so if someone offers to pay for something it's just a polite gesture. To you it's…”

“A debt,” I finished for her. “Something I will owe that person.”

She nodded. “I see…”

I leaned against her a little, enjoying the feeling of her skin against mine. 

“I've been thinking I should get a job,” I told her.

“If you want, Kitten. It might be good for you to spend time around people that don't constantly talk about death and drugs and weapons and all of that crap.”

I nodded. 

“But you don't need to. The cost of having you here is nothing I'm worried about.” She reached over with a wet hand to pull me even closer and rested her face against mine. “But moving forward you should probably stay away from the business. Things are going to get very messy and I don't want you to have to witness or participate in anything that dirty.”

I nodded again. “Now that I have my papers, I can get a job and perhaps do my name-change so I can stop having that looming over my shoulder.”

“Mm. That would probably be good for your mental health. What name do you think you'll choose?” she asked.

“I thought Kitten?” I said, confused.

“That's the name I chose,” she explained. “But you can choose another, I wouldn't be offended.”

“I'll think about it but I do like being Kitten. Or Kit might sound a little more polished… less like a stripper name.”

“Yes I did pick a somewhat charged name for you didn't I?” Alisha agreed. “At the time I wasn't thinking too far ahead.”

“It's okay. I like being your Kitten and using Kit with other people is fine.”

“I'm glad.” She kissed me and soothed my hair back.

We soaked for a bit, letting the steam ease the aches and pains. Alisha hadn't picked her phone up again. As soon as she touched the water she seemed to melt a little bit. Eventually I used a little soap to rub down my arms and then stood to do my legs.

Alisha watched me with a bit of a mischievous smirk and realized she was enjoying the show as I put my leg up on the tub edge and leaned forward making everything in my nether region spread.

“S-sorry,” I said shyly. “Am I turning you on?”

“Yes,” she answered simply. “But that's fine. I can handle it.” There was a flush to her cheeks I suspected wasn't just from the hot water.

I didn’t know if I should lean into it or not so I simply continued to wash my legs and feet before sinking back into the water to do my breasts.

Her hand shocked me as it ran down my back and then I heard the pump bottle and she rubbed my skin with a familiar sudsy feeling. I blushed. It felt nice and not particularly sexual until her hands started to dip below the water line and dug into my lower back. Even that felt good simply because she really did know how to work out some of the tension in those muscles.

When she pulled her hands away, I leaned back to rinse the soap off and then turned around to sink back in while facing her.

She was looking rather cute, her hair falling out of that knot and starting to get overtaken with tiny sparkling droplets.

“I can do your back too,” I told her. My voice was small, uncertain if I should offer that kind of thing. She typically didn't let people touch her much, not even me. We did plenty of cuddling in bed but she was almost always the big spoon and I’d learned my lesson about touching her without warning that night she had nearly strangled me to death.

But she nodded and slowly shifted to get her legs under her and turned her back to me.

I squirted a bit of soap onto my hands and reached over to rub it on her back. Her skin here was still smooth and flawless. There was a small scar on her shoulder blade that was almost unnoticeable except the bathroom had pretty bright white lighting so the silvery speck was visible here. I rubbed harder, digging my fingers into her muscles just beneath her skin. There were bones in there too which stayed firm even as the softer flesh could be stretched and tugged here and there.

I felt myself feeling sheepish again. I'd never had the privilege to touch her like this and after I found a particularly tense muscle and pushed into it, she let out a little sigh of relief. So she was enjoying this. That was what mattered even if I didn't really know what I was doing. The night she had massaged me it had placated me in ways I hadn't known I was capable of. I didn't think I'd be able to get her to that point but I could do what I could. I pushed and stretched and gently worked my finger under a shoulder blade a bit to help pull on that muscle that had been so painful for me. I didn't even know where it was, really, but I'd try to put pressure on and release it anyway.

She did let out a few more small signs and even a moan when I dug my thumbs into her lower back. I felt the muscles flex and shift under my hands before there was a silent pop and even when I lifted my hands away it remained popped like that. I didn't know if that was good or bad but she wiggled her hips experimentally.

“Oh,” she sighed. “You fixed it.”

“I don't know how,” I deflected immediately.

“Mm,” she sighed and shifted to lean against the tub wall a little as she experimented with those muscles down there. “The heels destroy my back there,” she explained.

And she had been wearing heels all day. I never really thought about how painful it might be for her.

“You could probably wear flats at least,” I reassured her and let my hand trail a bit lower to her thighs, feeling the tightness there as well. I didn't know if I was opening a bad can of worms as she leaned forward even more so I had better access to push and pull the muscles there.

“Mnn,” she let out a long breath, evidently enjoying the feeling of me stretching her flesh. “But flats don't intimidate people,” she mumbled. 

I went lower, to above the back of her knees and did what I could there. The texture was different under her skin, more ropey than other areas. “Is that why you wear heels?” I asked.

She nodded. “I'm still a woman. People don't tend to listen unless it's apparent I have money to spend or favors to give.”

I nodded. “I see…” I let her turn herself back around so she could be more comfortable and less exposed.

She did so and pumped some soap onto her hands to start washing away any dirt or oil off her arms and torso. I tried not to think about the way her hand was cupping her boobs, as we had already had a sexual encounter earlier in the day and my body had yet to recharge that energy. There was still a bit of hunger as she worked her hands into her body's nooks and crannies.

“Now you know how I felt,” she teased, seeing my face.

“S-sorry,” I rushed and looked away.

“It's okay, Kitten. It's not like it's anything you haven't seen before.”

I nodded and let my gaze trail back. My eyes fell on the scar on her side as she rubbed the area under the water line.

She noticed this too and gave me a soft smile. “It was a knife,” she explained.

I nodded. “Someone stabbed you,” I followed.

“Yes… but they didn't do a very good job.” She traced the silvery crescent. “The blade deflected off the bone and snapped under there. We didn't have time to stitch it right away either so I slapped some duct tape on there to control the bleeding. If I’d gotten proper medical attention sooner, it probably wouldn’t be quite so visible.”

I nodded. “I imagine it hurt,” I said.

“Not as much as broken ribs,” she said. “Or cramps when they're really bad but cramps are pretty brief. This was persistent for days and a hot bath wasn't exactly going to help.”

“I see… I know it was painful but it is… almost pretty.”

She blinked. “You think a scar is pretty?” she asked.

“I feel like if people could get silver tattoos like that color, people would get them in that shape. It's like when the moon is just a sliver, you know.”

Her face was complicated.

“I know I shouldn't glorify something you got from surviving a horrible experience,” I said quickly. 

“You're right that it does have that shape,” she said. “I just thought it would always be unsightly to people.”

I shook my head. “It's not gross or anything,” I said. “Not like mine.”

“Yours aren't gross either,” she chided. “They're just darker lines in your skin and they've been well taken care of.”

I felt a little blush at that. I had done my best wound care I could and a lot of dilating in my dorm bed, blanket pulled over me so my roommate didn't have to watch. (I was respectful enough to explain to them I wasn't masturbating and they had understood that at least, even if it remained very awkward.)

“You don't think that what's down there… that was… a dick… is gross?” I asked haltingly.

She shook her head. “It doesn't look or feel different from a cis woman’s,” she said. “The scarring should fade more, too, I imagine.” She touched her own scar. “I can say this used to be far larger and more noticeable but it's faded to this over the years.”

“I guess… scars do fade,” I agreed. There was still hope I'd be a real woman that no one would clock and harass for the sake of harassing.

Alisha patted my head and then stood to take her turn washing her legs on the edge of the tub. Unlike her, I didn't eyeball her vulvic area like she had mine. I didn't want to get turned on any more though. It had been a long day and I was ready to simply exist for a while.

When Alisha was finished she settled back into the water and pulled me closer letting my head rest on her chest so she could gently tease my hair more.

I closed my eyes. This was something I could live with. Past be damned, future be fucked, right now I was in the present and it was quite a gift indeed.