Chapter 22: These Are The Lies

Kitty stifled a sob as she continued to pack her bag. She was only packing enough to last her a week. She assumed she’d find a house by then and would be able to completely start over.

She looked around her room, her eyes lingering on a picture of herself with Takado on her nightstand. The ache in her chest was impossible to ignore.

Finally she gave in, covering her face with her hands as she wept. She wasn’t even getting the chance to say goodbye to anyone with how quickly she scheduled her flight.

She’d be gone in the morning.

“Kitty!” His voice echoed through the house, followed by a loud crash.

She stood from where she’d been seated by her suitcase, staring suspiciously at her door as she wiped tears from her eyes.

“Kitty!” He shouted again as he burst through the door to her room, sweat drenching his hairline as he leaned against the door frame and took a moment to allow his breath to catch up to him.

“Takado, what are you-”

“You’re leaving?” Takado interrupted her. His voice was rough as he spoke, startling Kitty slightly.

“Yes.” She whispered as she looked down to her feet, allowing her hair to fall in her face.

“And you didn’t think to let me know?” Takado growled as he stood up and made his way towards her.

“I told Spikes, so I assumed she would tell you. Which she obviously did.” Kitty’s response was curt as she turned her head to the side.

“You weren’t going to say anything to me though.” Takado continued to growl, his fists clenched at his sides.

“You’re leaving for good, and you left my sister to tell me instead of telling me yourself. 

Why?”

“I don’t have to tell you anything Takado. I have no obligation towards you.” Kitty spat bitterly, lifting her eyes to meet his just in time to catch him flinch.

“I didn’t even think you would care.”

His hands shook, as he stared at her in disbelief.

“Of course I care.”

“W-what?” Kitty stuttered as she took a step back.

“Of course I care, Katherine.” Takado whispered, taking a step towards her.

“No. No you don’t. You said you don’t need me, that you didn’t ever want to see me again.” Kitty hissed at him as he continued to step towards her.

“You said you’d moved on!”

“I lied, Katherine to you, to myself. It was the only thing keeping me alive. The truth is I was losing my mind without you.” Takado reached his hand out towards her, only to have her slap his hand away, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You’re lying. Why would you want me?” Kitty demanded, ignoring the fresh tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“I thought you deserved better than a cat.”

“I’m not good enough for a cat. I don’t deserve better than you. You’re the one that deserves better than me.” Takado reached his hand out again, resting it against her arm.

“I’m so sorry Kitty, for everything. I don’t deserve you at all, but I want to try again. I’d do anything for a second chance Kitty-Kat.”

Kitty stepped away from him, hands covering her mouth as she shook her head and tears fell from her eyes. “You’re just lying. You don’t want me. You’d be happier with a dog.”

“No I wouldn’t.” Takado grabbed Kitty’s shoulders.

“There is no canine on this planet that could replace you.”

“Why?” Kitty stammered, trying to look away from him, but he held her chin in his hands.

Takado swallowed, suddenly nervous as he stared into the sapphire blue eyes that had haunted him whether he’d been awake or slept.

“Because I love you Katherine Caine. Because you’re funny, gorgeous, you’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, you are absolutely perfect as the cat you are and I am so madly in love with you.”

Takado instinctively found his arms around Kitty as her petite frame hit him, and her lips clumsily met his.

“I’m sorry.” Kitty whimpered as she began to try to escape Takado’s arms.

“For what?” Takado questioned, his arms tightening around her waist to keep her close.

“I have to leave. I almost ruined Vincent’s chance with Spikes. I ruined us. I can’t stay and make things any worse.” Kitty pushed away from him once before she gave in, resting her head against his chest and letting herself cry more.

“Carissa and Vincent seemed to be just fine when I saw them, and we can fix things.” Takado pressed his lips to the top of her head.

“Right now we can fix things, but you need to stay with me.”

“I have to leave, Takado-”

“Then I’m going with you.” Takado kissed roughly. He lifted her into his arms, leaning against a wall as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Takado groaned as she gently raked her nails through his hair.

Takado shifted Kitty in his arms as he began to trail kisses across her shoulder. 

“Takado, you can’t leave your sister.” Kitty whispered.

Takado froze with his lips against Kitty’s neck. He pulled back, trying to even his breathing, steady his heart beat and try to think calmly.

He couldn’t though. He couldn’t think calmly when he could already feel Kitty loosen her grip on him, could feel her slip from his arms.

“I can come back and visit her. I am not losing you though.” Takado insisted before taking Kitty’s lips once again.

“Takado you can’t. She needs you. You can’t leave her Takado.” Kitty exclaimed.

“Then you can’t leave either. I am not losing you again Katherine.” Takado kissed a tear as it rolled down her cheek.

"I love you Kitty, so please stay with me?”

“I love you too.” Her confession was so quiet that he’d hardly heard her. He did hear her though, and there was nothing that could pry his cat from his arms now.

He kissed her with a desperate passion as he pulled her impossibly closer, running his hands along her back as she dug her hands into his hair.

Kitty lost herself in the sensation of Takado’s scent, his touch, his taste. The rest of the world ceased to exist as Takado and Kitty fell onto the bed, completely lost in each other.

…

Takado inhaled deeply, smiling at the light scent of Kitty’s perfume. He pulled the sleeping cat closer to himself as he buried his face in her long ebony hair.

“Good morning, Kitty.” Takado whispered, his lips brushing against her ear, prompting a small giggle from her.

“No. I’m still sleepy.” Kitty complained. She rolled over, smiling up at him before resting her head against his bare chest.

“What if I go make breakfast for us?”

“No!” Kitty protested. “You have to stay and keep me warm.”

“Kitty it’s past noon.”

“I don’t care.”

“Alright… I wonder what Carissa will think though. I mean I vanish on her last night, and now I’m with you. She’ll probably start making assumptions, and start asking you questions-”

"Are you ever getting out of bed?" Kitty laughed as she quickly threw some clothes on. "Don't you know it's past noon Takado?"

Takado laughed as he pulled a shirt on before running and lifting Kitty into his arms.

Kitty giggled as she clung to Takado as he spun while he held her before he fell backwards onto the bed.

“I love you.” Kitty smiled as his lips met hers.

“I love you too.” Takado lifted her from the bed, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her roughly before releasing her. 

“Let’s go get food.”

Kitty nodded, trailing behind him as he walked to the kitchen.

She jumped on to the counter as they entered the kitchen, and watched Takado as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

“Anything in particular you want?” Takado asked, walking past her as he made his way to the stove.

“You?” Kitty giggled at the flush of Takado’s cheeks.

“You know what I meant, Brat.” Takado rolled his eyes, turning his attention to task before him.

“I’m still sticking to what I said though.” Kitty retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Unless you have a problem with that.”

Takado turned around, ignoring the small flame on the stove, as he crushed his lips against hers.

It was as if nothing had changed between them. Both picking up exactly where they had left off. 

There was no sign of their separation prior, and the fire between them burned just as strong as ever.

“Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?” Takado chuckled as he trailed his lips along her neck.

Kitty rolled her eyes, pulling his shirt off over his head.

"It is now.”

“I’m being serious, Kitty.” Takado grumbled though he made no attempt to cease his advances towards her. The room suddenly felt like an oven, and he couldn’t understand why it seemed to have no affect on Kitty.

“So am I.” Kitty giggled as she ran her claws down his back. Takado groaned, completely giving in to Kitty and anything she wanted. Until the scent of something burning reached both of them. Kitty turned her head just in time to watch the roaring flame that had engulfed the stove return to the small flame Takado had turned his attention from.

"What the hell was that?" Takado muttered. He walked over to the stove and turned it off. He turned back to look at Kitty, noticing a slight glow in her eyes. "Come here."

Kitty jumped from the counter, and Takado turned the stove back on. She purred softly as his lips met her and he ran his hands down her back. He lifted her into his arms, and once again the temprature of the room began to increase. Once again, Kitty didn't seem to notice. Takado quickly set her down and turned back to find the flame much larger than he'd left it. He watched it slowly recede this time, and sure enough her eyes had been glowing again.

He turned off the flame and returned his attention to Kitty, "It looks like you might have an afinity for fire my love."

Kitty's cheeks flushed as he rest his hands on her thighs, "your love?"

"Well I love you. Seems fitting, doesn't it?" Takado grinned. He kissed her bare collar bone before resting his head on her shoulder.

"I love you too, but-"

"Don't say but," Takado groaned. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. The front door shut softly but neither of them heard it.

"Takado, I don't want to go through this again. I can't do this again, loosing you hurt so much," Kitty hung her head, she could feel tears in her eyes.

"You're never going to lose me Kitty-kat," Takado lifted his head, he rest his lips against her forehead for a moment. He cupped her face with his hands and for a moment he almost felt as if he might cry with her. He leaned forward, softly resting his lips against her. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes, "You're stuck with me Kitty-kat, for always and forever I am yours. You come before all else. You are my pack now."

“What the hell are you two doing in here?” Spikes coughed as she entered the kitchen. Kitty and Takado jumped apart at the sound of her voice before turning to look at her.

“Hi Spikes,” Kitty chuckled, her cheeks flushed as she avoided eye contact with her best friend.

“Are you… just getting home?” Takado questioned, noticing his sister was still wearing the same clothes as she had the day before.

“No!” Spikes exclaimed taking a step back away from her brother and Kitty.

“You stayed the night with Vincent?” Kitty inquired.

“You can’t prove I stayed with Vincent.” The flush of Spikes’s cheeks gave her away though. 

“Shut up, both of you.” She growled stomping out of the kitchen, the echo of Kitty’s laughter following her as she retreated.

…

“We’ve been waiting for over thirty minutes and none of us have gotten so much as a text,” Sabbith complained as she leaned back on the couch in the newly built theater room of Kitty’s mansion. 

“We might as well start without Spikes since who knows when she’ll finally show up.”

“I wanted to wait for her, but you’re right Sabbith. This is getting ridiculous. I told her we start at seven thirty.” Kitty rested her head on Takado’s shoulder, closing her eyes as she sighed.

For the last two weeks Kitty had been trying to organize a movie night for the six of them to attend, but thus far Spikes's attendance had made it difficult.

“She was late the last two times too, but at least she text you to let you know she was running late that time.” Sabbith continued to complain.

“To be fair, she and Vincent just started dating as we began to set this up. You can hardly blame her for being a bit preoccupied.” Gabriel pointed out.

Kitty and Sabbith both rolled their eyes.

“It’s fine if she’s busy.” Kitty said.

"But the least she could do is say she doesn’t have time for us instead of pretending she can do both.”

Takado glared at Kitty before returning his gaze to the television’s menu screen. 

“Maybe something happened Kitty. It’s a little unfair of you to jump to assumptions.”

“Kinda like how it’s unfair of her to ditch us even though she said she’d be here for the third time in a row?” Sabbith barked in Kitty’s defense.

“Can we please just play the movie?” Kitty groaned, hoping to avoid any further conflict between her friends.

She sighed with relief when she felt the tension in Takado’s shoulders lighten as he reached over her to grab the remote to play the movie.

They all sat in comfortable silence as they watched the film for roughly an hour before Spikes and Vincent finally entered the room.

“Hey guys sorry we’re late.” Spikes announced as she stepped inside. She grimaced at the sight of the movie already being played.

“You guys started without me.”

“Sorry about that Carissa. It’s just that-”

“You’re over an hour and a half late, and the rest of us were bored of sitting around waiting for you.” Sabbith cut off Takado without even bothering to glance in Spikes’s direction.

Spikes was taken aback by Sabbith’s hostility, however she shrugged it off paying it no mind.

“Sorry I thought we met later. I didn’t realize.” Spikes commented before crossing the room with Vincent by her side to get to their seat.

“I told you at least four times.” Kitty muttered under her breath.

Takado wrapped an arm around her, squeezing her gently as she began to relax in his arms. She tried to focus on the film instead of the heavy tension in the room, but it was difficult to ignore.

“Are we going to be watching something else after this?” Spikes wondered out loud.

“Yeah. We typically watch a couple of movies before we disband for the night.” Kitty responded.

“Oh. Cause I was thinking Vincent and I could just go seeing as we’ve missed most of this movie. 

We’ll stay though if there’s more.” Spikes stated before turning to face the television, the glares she recieved from Kitty and Sabbith escaping her vision.

Vincent grimaced at the tension in the room, feeling some slight guilt for causing Spikes’s tardiness.

He was about to apologize when there was a sudden and almost frantic pounding at the door.

“What the hell? Who would be here this late?” Spikes growled as she moved to stand.

“Katherine open this door!” Called out a woman's nasally and high pitched voice.

Vincent’s eyes widened slightly, and Kitty bolted upright staring at the door to the room they were all in.

“Kitty what’s going on?” Takado asked reaching his hand out for hers, surprised when she flinched at his touch.

“Kitty is everything ok?” Spikes asked.

Kitty glanced over her shoulder at Spikes, her fists clenched from effort to keep herself from shaking.

“No.”

She stiffly made her way to the door, sighing with relief when Takado began to trail behind her.

“It’s not possible. It can’t be.” Kitty muttered to herself as she walked through the halls to get to the front door.

“Katherine what is the matter with you? Open this door.” The woman demanded as she entered Kitty’s line of sight.

Takado held back for a moment, to examine who was at the door. She appeared to be Kitty’s height with auburn hair. Takado was certain he’d never seen her before until he made eye contact with her.

Eye contact with the sapphire blue eyes he’d fallen in love with, but they were on the wrong person.

Kitty stood in front of the door, staring in disbelief at the woman outside. Her body and voice trembling as she spoke.

“M-mom?”