Rose helped around the kitchen, chatting happily with Fiora as she cooked dinner. She was worried. She had upset Kyle with her question and he'd gone into his room and she'd not seen him for quite some time. She distracted herself with her chore of cooking but as it ended and she'd not seen him yet, she berated herself for her words.
He had to have had a family at some point, she thought. There could be no other explanation for the house.
The situation that bothered her the most was the question: Where is his family now? She left Rose to finish the job of plating the food and made her way upstairs, stopping outside his doorway. It was quiet, the sound of his heavy, rhythmic breathing picked up by her keen ears. She knocked lightly on his door. No response. She tried the door handle and the knob turned easily. He hadn't left his door unlocked before.
Opening the door, she gasped. Kyle was shirtless on the bed, the scars along the right side of his body visible in the dying light of the late afternoon sun. His dresser, chest, and nightstand were littered with newspapers and old mail, very similar to how the house had been prior to her cleaning. A computer desk sat in the near corner, opposite the bed, with a large laptop and printer.
Fiora quietly walked over to the bed, looking down at Kyle. The scars were old, running from his mid-ribs down into his pants line. She leaned over and gently shook him, carefully perching on the edge of the bed to reach him. He rolled over onto his left side, grumbling in his sleep. As he did, a framed picture of a woman and a small child came into view.
Fiora gingerly picked the picture up and scooted up onto the bed, settling in behind Kyle's sleeping form. Looking at the picture, the first thing to catch her eye was the child's blue eyes, a reflection of her master's. The woman, brown-haired, sat behind the child cradling her in her lap.
This must be his family, she thought.
As she sat pondering the picture, lost in thought, she didn't notice that Kyle had woken up and rolled over facing her back.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked, before spotting the picture frame in her hands as she turned.
His eyes dropped and a heavy sigh resounded from his chest.
Mistaking his features for anger, she quickly hugged the picture frame to her chest. "I am sorry, master. I came to wake you up for dinner and you were laying on this."
Kyle looked up at her. "It's OK, Fiora. I'm not mad at you. It's just..."
She pulled the picture frame down away from her chest and looked at it again. "This is your family, is it not?"
"Yes. It was."
"Where are they?"
"They died two years ago."
She hugged the picture frame back to her chest again. Her voice sounded small when she spoke again. "What happened to them?"
Kyle sighed and sat up. "There was a car accident." He reached out and gingerly took the picture from Fiora, looking at it. "We were on vacation in New York and we got sideswiped by a drunk driver."
Fiora looked down over his scars again. "That is why you are scarred?"
Kyle looked down, following her line of sight. "Yeah. We were hit on the passenger side of the car. I was driving."
Fiora looked down, feeling tears coming to her eyes. "I am sorry about your family, Kyle."
He sighed again. "I am too." He stood up, placing the picture down on top of a stack of newspapers on the opposite bedside table. He walked around and picked his shirt up off the ground, swinging it around his back and buttoning it back up.
Fiora hopped off the bed as well, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I came to get you because dinner is ready, master." She bowed and moved to exit the room.
Kyle reached out and grabbed her arm as she passed, pulling her into a hug as he pressed his face down into the top of her head. She resisted at first, caught off guard by the sudden movement. She relaxed though as she realized he was simply hugging her and meant her no harm. She returned the hug, enjoying the feeling of being close to him with no reservations.
Kyle cleared his throat and released her from the hug, his eyes moist as she looked up at him. "OK," he said, his voice cracking, "Let's go down and have dinner."
As he turned to leave, Fiora grabbed his arm. He turned back to face her and found her face scrunched up. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I had another reason for coming up here and I was wondering if you would talk to me for a moment." she said, her facial expression still worried.
"Sure. What's on your mind?" he said, moving back over to the bed to sit down.
She moved over and sat down beside him sighing. "I am going to be going into my heat cycle soon, master."
"OK." he said, unsure where she was going with this, "Is this something I need to be worried about?"
"No. No." she said quickly shaking her head, "It is an issue that all Neko who have reached breeding age go though."
Kyle nodded his head, still not understanding.
"I was just wondering if you could help me take care of it when it happens." she stated, her ears drooping lightly.
"Ummm, I guess I can."
He waited for a moment, watching her reaction. When she said nothing, he added, "What is it you'll need help with?"
"I will need..."
Her voice trailed off and she turned her head away from him, her ears dropping down against her head. He lightly put a finger on her chin, turning her head back in his direction.
"You can tell me, can't you? He said smiling, "What is it, Fiora?"
"Your seed!" she blurted out, her ears moving to lay back against her head even more tightly, suddenly angry, "I need your seed."
Kyle's face flushed a bright red as Fiora jerked away and turned away from him. She stood up and paced over to the far side of the room next to his computer desk.
"I don't understand what you're asking." he finally said, trying to calm her.
Fiora turned sharply, her face stained with tears. "I need you to lay with me and give me your seed."
Her voice was breaking as she spoke. "The last time I went through my heat cycle, when I was out, I almost broke when I smelled a human nearby. I almost offered myself to him to break my cycle."
Kyle stood, meaning to approach her but she hissed at him and he sat back down.
"I do not need your comfort. I simply need your word that you will help me."
Kyle sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Fiora. I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do."
Fiora's ears moved again, returning to an upright position.
"Is this something that has to happen or is there another way?" he continued.
"It does not have to happen, master." she said, turning for the door, "I would ask that I be allowed to remain in my room during that time."
With those words, she opened the door and left the room. Kyle sat there for a moment before standing up and moving to the door himself. He shook his head, dumbfounded. He opened the door and made his way downstairs. Fiora and Rose were finishing up setting the table as he made his way into the kitchen. Rose happily ran up and gave him a hug, smiling up at him and speaking in Nekonian.
"She says she is glad that you decided to join us for dinner, master." Fiora said rather coldly.
Rose had turned as she'd listened to her sister translate for her, turning back after it was finished and looking up at him. He smiled, patting her on top of the head as he looked over at Fiora. Fiora moved quickly around the kitchen, setting up plates, silverware, and drinks. She made sure not to make eye contact with Kyle as she did so.
"I'd love to join you both for dinner, Rose." he said, looking back down at her.
He rubbed his hand over her head, smiling, before moving from her grasp and taking his seat at the head of the table. Fiora moved to take her seat, once again, not looking over at Kyle. Rose took her seat as well; a booster having been placed in the seat so she could sit up to the table. They ate in silence for a brief time before Kyle cleared his throat, drawing the attention of Rose. Fiora continued to ignore him.
"Fiora," he said, swallowing the bite of food and drawing her attention, "if you wouldn't mind joining me in my room after dinner, I'd like to continue that discussion."
Fiora halfheartedly smiled, "I do not think that is necessary, master, you made your position on the matter quite clear."
"I do have other options that I'm willing to discuss."
"Oh, do you, master? What sort of options?" her voice was contemptuous.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do."
"Then tell me. What alternatives do you offer?"
Kyle looked over at Rose who had stopped eating, her eyes darting back and forth between them. "I'd rather not discuss it right now."
"Ah. I see, master. Well, I suppose we will discuss it later then."
Kyle flushed but stayed silent, returning to his meal.
Once dinner was finished, Rose set about clearing the table. Kyle drew Fiora away, promising to allow her to return once their business was concluded. Rose's ears dropped but she nodded. Fiora said something quickly to her in Nekonian and her ears returned to their normal state as a smile spread back across her face. She ran over and hugged Kyle's legs before returning to clean the dishes.
Once they were out of earshot, he turned to Fiora. "What did you say to her?"