Not that he would tell you himself, but Jet has a fondness for cats. They’re so cute and independent, not to mention full of personality. Just like Jet. If Smellerbee weren’t allergic, he would keep one in their apartment. Alas, that is not the case.

This particular kitten is staring up at him with big golden eyes. The little guy has black fur, except for the left side of his face, which is almost a honey-brown. He meows again. Jet reaches down to pet him and the poor little thing rubs his face against Jet’s hand, maybe the only source of warmth it’s seen in a while. Steeling himself, Jet picks up the little kitten, tucks him into his messenger bag, and trudges the rest of the way up to his apartment building.

Once he gets in the elevator, Jet takes the cat out of his bag and holds him to his chest. He’s barely big enough to fit in the crook of his arm. The little guy looks back with those big gold eyes again, and Jet scratches him behind one of his ears.

Jet opens the door to his apartment. He finds Smellerbee and Longshot cuddled up on the couch with a blanket over their legs, watching a movie and eating leftovers from the Chinese food they ordered last night for dinner.

“Guys, I found a cat,” Jet announces. Smellerbee and Longshot shoot him surprised looks. Jet holds up the cat in response. “I couldn’t leave him out there in the rain! He was meowing and crying and his eyes got me. Please?” The cat meows, as if trying to support Jet.

Smellerbee sighs. “Well, I suppose he can stay. But he stays in your room and you’re responsible for his food and stuff.”

“Thank you!” Jet replies. He goes to his bedroom and sets up a pillow for the cat, then goes out to the kitchen for food for himself and a bowl of water for the cat.

Jet sits on the floor beside the cat and works on his laptop – checking emails, looking at his dashboard on Tumblr, all that good stuff. He notices that the cat has settled beside him, on the far edge of his pillow. Jet looks at him, and the little kitty looks back. Jet scratches him behind the ear again and he starts to purr.

“You’re probably pretty hungry, right, little guy?” Jet asks. It’s probably not the best for him, but he figures that something is better than nothing, and he offers the cat a piece of pork from his fried rice. The cat sniffs at it in Jet’s hand, then eats it. His whiskers tickle the palm of Jet’s hand, and his tongue is a weird combination of rough and soft.

“You know, I can’t call you ‘little guy’ forever,” Jet remarks. “How about…Lee?” The cat meows affirmatively, at least that’s how Jet interprets it. There wasn’t a collar on the cat, but he could already have a name that Jet just didn’t know. But he doesn’t seem to mind being called Lee, so it sticks.

Jet changes into his pajamas, makes a cup of green tea and settles into bed. Lee hops up and curls up beside him on the bed, purring in earnest. He rolls over and lets Jet pet his belly, and does the little-shit-cat thing when he paws and nips at the hand as it strokes his fur. Jet chuckles, but continues to stroke the cat. Eventually he calms down, and returns to purring. Jet gets up to brush his teeth, and by the time he returns Lee has curled up into a ball and fallen asleep. Gently, Jet slides into bed.

“Good night, Lee, ” he says to the cat before closing his eyes.

***           

Jet wakes up, the late morning sun streaming through the window blinds. It’s the weekend, so sleeping in is acceptable. He rolls onto his side to avoid the light, then rubs the sleep out of his eyes. Then blinks, wide-eyed, as he sees what he’s been sleeping beside. 

He finds himself looking not at the little cat from last night, but a young man, roughly his age. He has shaggy black hair and a scar on the left side of his face. And black cat ears on top of his head. Jet looks over the side of the bed and finds a black tail draped over it. The cat-boy’s ears twitch, then he moans and falls back into slumber.