Complex: Too Quiet, part 1

[frogs_of_war]

This story is a result of man-children and listening to "Why is Vermont so White"


Title: Too Quiet, part 1
Side story to: Complex
Length: 2000 words
Summary: Salathiel has problems with Aleš and Jonáš method of communication.



Master list: lj DW


Salathiel looked into his full living room feeling lonelier than ever. His son’s Mate had had his kittens on Salathiel bedspread to save the plush carpets. And those kittens’ other parent was now his son’s lover.

Why did that work for Hezekiel and not for Salathiel? Why was their son, after having done so many stupid things and even brought scholars of the law and religion down on his head, why was their son happy?

Hezekiel laughed and his lover, Steele, kissed him. Dal, Hezekiel’s Mate, changed from his cat form to his man form—naked of course—and sat on his husband’s lap. Steele held him close. Dal rubbed himself against Steele and said something that made Steele and Hezekiel laugh. Penelope, Hezekiel’s other Mate, added something. Steele groaned. Hezekiel put his arm around Penelope, but his eyes were on Dal. Maybe he wasn’t as happy as he pretended to be.

The kittens peeped and mewed. The four turned their way and everyone scrambled to give the tiny kittens attention. Dal turned back to a cat and passed out the kittens. The identical twins insisted on being together, so that left Dal free to clean himself and turn back to his man form. He still didn’t put any clothes on.

“He’ll let you hold one if you ask.” Cunobelinus put their hand on Salathiel’s shoulder.

Salathiel shrugged them off. “I should see to our other guests.”

“Aleš and Jonáš are hiding under our bed.”

Salathiel bit their lip. “The house will be quieter soon.”

But the house had been too quiet since Hezekiel left for college. Salathiel didn’t want the house to ever go quiet again.

~~~~~~~

Salathiel got their guests to come into the kitchen by putting fish on a plate and setting it on the floor. They were both so small and graceful and made no noise as they padded across the floor. Aleš and Jonáš hadn’t turned to their man forms since they’d arrived. Dal said they were forced to look human when their master was near, so maybe this was a normal reaction.

But it made talking to them awkward and Salathiel still hadn’t figured out who was striped and who was spotted like their son. They were both shades of blues and greys. Both beautiful. Hezekiel was lucky to have their son fall for him and stupid for losing him.

“Dal is alone in the living room with just the kittens. I’m sure he’d like to see you.”

The striped cat blinked at them. They’d done something wrong. Salathiel closed their eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll mind my own business.”

The striped tabby rubbed against their leg, walked around them, then rose on his back legs, his front paws resting against Salathiel’s calf. “Meow.”

Salathiel was petting the pretty cat before they could stop themself. They pulled their hand back. “Sorry.”

The striped tabby rubbed them again, but Salathiel held themself back. One didn’t just touch another being. They hurried to the couch and squeezed their hands together. Too bad Cunobelinus wasn’t home. They could have a nice fight and maybe some makeup sex. Salathiel and Cunobelinus only really got on in bed, where the power flowed between them and all the little things that added to a mountain of hurts and resentment didn’t matter so much.

Dal watched them for a moment before closing his eyes again. Raising a young one was tiring even if you had help. Four must be worse. But Dal’s husband was always quick to lend a hand and Hezekiel had grown up a lot in the last few months, and Penelope, as Dal’s friend, came popping in every few days to give the little ones attention.

If only Salathiel had had that much help with Hezekiel.

The striped tabby hopped onto the couch beside them, making use of the stool Cunobelinus had found somewhere. The spotted cat put his nose against Dal and inspected the kittens. He and Dal were probably talking in the quiet way Dal had with Steele and Hezekiel.

“Meow.” The striped tabby rubbed against Salathiel’s arm. He looked towards Dal and climbed into Salathiel’s lap. “Meow?”

Dal moved away from his children and switched to his man body. “He’s going to bite you.”

“What?”

Sharp teeth bit into the flesh of Salathiel’s hand. They pulled their hand against their chest and brought the small cat with them. The little cat let go and set about licking the wound. He rose up on his back paws and demanded Salathiel set their hand on their lap, so he could finish cleaning it properly.

Salathiel obeyed. They looked at Dal. “I don’t understand.”

“Meow. Meeeow. Mew,” the striped tabby demanded.

Salathiel lifted their unhurt hand and petted the pretty cat. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand you.”

Dal and the striped tabby looked at each other again. Dal sighed. “Tati wants you to pet him.”

“I am petting him.” Although Salathiel didn’t know why they were doing it. “I don’t think I should though.”

“He wants you to.” Dal pulled on the shirt and shorts he’d left by one of the thousand year old end tables Salathiel parents had given them as a wedding present. “It will make it easier.”

“Make what easier?” Salathiel was a stranger in their own home.

Dal moved one of his babies back to its siblings. “You’ll need to drink his blood.”

Salathiel pulled their hands back and lifted them over their head. “I can’t do that.”

They’d only ever tasted Cunobelinus’s blood.

Dal closed his eyes. “It isn’t that hard. But it has to be done.”

“I can’t.”

The striped tabby dug in his claws. Salathiel jumped to their feet and rubbed the sore spot. Those tiny claws were sharp. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

The striped tabby didn’t look like he was hurt, even after that great of a fall.

“It’s not that hard.” Dal sounded so reasonable. “Tati will cut himself and you lick the paw. Easy. Hez and I managed it.”

“You did? But why?” Salathiel stared at the striped tabby.

“Once you share blood, you will be able to hear Tati in your head.” Dal bit his bottom lip. “Tati and Ocko have noticed how uncomfortable you are when I’m furless and naked. They don’t want to upset you each time they have a question or need.”

“I see.” Salathiel closed their eyes. They didn’t want to see their expressions. “But I still can’t.”

“Why?” The voice was soft and small, like a child’s but also not. The man was even smaller than Dal and perfect in every way. The striped tabby was sitting in his lap, covering the important bits. Salathiel was just as disturbed as when Dal walked around naked, but for an entirely different reason. They quickly closed their eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” The tears were coming now. They couldn’t stop them.

Warm bodies twisted around their legs and a soft hand touched their elbow. “You don’t want to talk to Tati and Ocko? Should they go?”

“No!” Salathiel got a hold of themself and looked at the cats at their feet. “Do you have some place else you want to be? I don’t want to keep you against your wills.”

The striped tabby meowed several times. It was important, whatever it was.

“No,” Dal’s eyes filled with tears. “They were both born in the demon realms and they are scared enough as it is. They want to live here, but you don’t seem to want them.”

Salathiel hurried to the table and got a tissue for Dal, then decided to take the whole box. They handed the box to Dal and used the first tissue to dab their own cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Then let Tati talk to you. Taste his blood.”

Salathiel took a deep breath, closed their eyes then opened them. “I can’t taste your blood, not because I don’t want to talk to you, but because I’ll fall in love with you. Sometimes I get so mad at Cunobelinus that sipping his blood is the only way I’ll ever love him again.”

And he wanted to love Cunobelinus so much. Sometimes he just couldn’t.

“I think that only works if you’re Mates.” But Dal didn’t look certain.

Salathiel wiped their face with the last good parts of the tissue. “What would I tell Cunobelinus? I’m sorry I feel in love with someone else, who I don’t even know the name of. Could be Aleš, could be Jonáš. I don’t know.”

“Tati’s name is Jonáš.” Dal pointed to the striped tabby. “And Ocko is Aleš. Ocko is my carrying parent.”

“Thank you.” Salathiel swallowed down their fear. They got to their knees. “I’m glad you’re staying with us. Jonáš, Aleš. I’m glad we found you.”

Dal got out a new tissue and wiped his cheeks. “The master was trying to force a new baby on Ocko. He couldn’t get Ocko with his own baby, so he brought in a bigger cat. Bobcat sized. The master wanted him to die, then he was going to force a baby on Tati.”

The tears flowed faster than Dal’s tissue could soak them up. Salathiel had heard much of the sordid tale from Cunobelinus the night Professor Onesimus knocked on their door. They had already left to tell Dal his parents were rescued and found him in labor. Everything had happened quickly after that, but it was lucky for all of them that the large cat was a spy sent in to find Dal’s parents.

Salathiel wrapped an arm around Dal’s shoulder. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have found them sooner.”

Suddenly they had their arms full of son-in-law. They kissed his head. “My sweet, I’m glad we brought them home.”

“But then why won’t you sip their blood? The master could hear them but never listened no matter how much we begged.” Dal swallowed hard. “You would listen, but you refuse.”

He pushed Salathiel away. “You could help them but you won’t. You’re as bad as he was.”

Then he ran off down the hall. The spotted cat followed him, looking back at Salathiel like this was all their fault.

It was their fault. Their fault the kittens were mewing too. They got on the floor and put the kittens in their lap. The striped tabby just watched.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you feel you weren’t welcome. I’m a horrible Mate. I can’t love Cunobelinus like I’m supposed to. Before I fall in love with someone else, I should ask Cunobelinus. At least I can do that.” They took a deep breath and looked down at their not quite grandchildren. Jonáš put his front paws on Salathiel leg and watched the kittens.

“The funny thing is,” Salathiel picked up the kitten who looked most like Steele did the one time Salathiel had seen him in porcupine form. “Cunobelinus is going to tell me to go for it; they won’t see a problem.”

They leaned back against the couch. Jonáš climbed onto Salathiel’s leg and put his paws against Salathiel’s chest.

Salathiel put their face down so Jonáš could sniff it. “I can see you won’t care if I fall in love with you.”

The spotted cat—Aleš returned without Dal. Salathiel held out their fingers. “You want a bite too?”

Aleš sniffed their fingers, licked them, then took a delicate chunk out of one. Only the babies on their lap kept them still. “Such sharp teeth you have, my dear.”

Aleš delicately licked their blood. His small tongue was just the right amount of raspy to make Salathiel glad his tunic covered his lap. Aleš looked up with his big eyes.

“You can hear my thoughts, can’t you? Like I’ll hear yours? I’ll try to keep my thoughts clean.”

Jonáš butted them in the chest.

“You don’t want me to keep my thoughts pure?” Where had that though come from? Salathiel covered their mouth. “Oops.”

How were they going to survive until Cunobelinus got home?