MARLOW #4
Rupert and I both end up peering through the narrow crack in the door, trying to make out the details.
Caspian is letting out soft moans. His shirt has been pushed up high, his hands braced against a worktable.
Juan has one hand on his chest, teasing and pinching at his nipples while driving into him from behind.
Caspian's round, soft ass is pushed back shamelessly, and Juan's thick cock keeps sliding between his pale cheeks with steady, powerful thrusts.
Every movement earns another breathless sound from both of them.
Caspian's small, hard cock is standing up as well, bobbing with every thrust, leaking precum, which is about as clear a sign as possible that he's thoroughly enjoying himself.
But I've already seen enough.
I gesture toward Rupert that I'm heading back. It's none of my business, and honestly, it's not Rupert's either. Juan and Caspian have known each other for months. Whatever arrangement they have is between them.
So I return to the main room.
To my surprise, Rupert doesn't follow.
I sit back down at our table and spend the next several minutes trying to process the whole thing. Great. Three months together, and apparently Juan is already looking elsewhere. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the couples matched by the program.
Meanwhile, Timmy continues performing on stage, completely unaware.
After another minute passes, curiosity gets the better of me again.
I get up and quietly head back toward the hallway. This time I don't go all the way in. I just peek around the corner and immediately freeze.
Rupert is still standing there, still watching through the crack in the door.
But that’s not all he’s doing.
He's masturbating.
Wow.
Out of all the possibilities I'd considered, that one never crossed my mind.
Maybe that's because I don't really have a voyeuristic streak myself.
Unfortunately, I'm not careful enough.
Rupert suddenly turns his head, and our eyes meet.
I raise an eyebrow, making no effort to hide that I find the whole thing pretty weird.
Then I shrug and back away.
A few moments later I'm back in the main room, where Timmy is still singing some over-the-top love song while Juan is clearly occupied with dicking the staff.
Several more minutes pass before Rupert finally returns.
First he ducks into the small restroom near the club entrance, then eventually makes his way back to our table.
He looks extremely pleased with himself.
I can't resist.
"Apparently Caspian's, umm… taken."
I say it on purpose. Over the last few days I've definitely noticed Rupert growing closer to Caspian.
His response catches me completely off guard.
"That's fine," he says. "Good for them. Sounds like they're having fun."
For a second I don't even understand what he means. I almost ask for clarification, but stop myself.
Digging into it any deeper would be pointless, but the fact that Rupert has no moral issue with Juan cheating on Timmy doesn't escape my notice. My suspicion that Rupert and I might not be on the same page when it comes to our sexual preferences is only increasing.
About ten minutes later, Juan and Caspian return separately, entering from opposite sides of the club as if nothing happened. Timmy soon joins them after finishing his performance to loud applause.
The next person up is Pedro, but he fails to attract much attention, and conversations quickly take over the room again.
Then comes another surprise.
Without saying a word to me, Rupert suddenly gets up and moves over to their table.
And just like that, I'm left sitting alone at ours.
Wonderful.
Before long, Rupert is deep in a loud, animated conversation with Juan and Caspian about some celebrity drama. I can hear every word they're saying, but all I feel is irritation.
Seriously, the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The sneaking-out thing, the strange dynamics at their table, their intense personalities, even their sense of humor… all of it feels just meh to me.
These people don't seem to be taking the program or its goals seriously enough.
Or maybe they just don't believe it'll actually work?
I know from Timmy that Juan wants to open a large tailoring business someday.
Possibly he's here to save money, similarly to Rupert, and doesn't actually care about Timmy or starting a family.
Rupert gets more and more involved in the conversation, grinning broadly the entire time. At this point I can't even tell whether he's more interested in Juan or Caspian. Is he flirting with both of them?
What the hell. I've seen enough.
Finally, I get up and leave.
As I walk away, I remember what Dr. Lee told me about being more selective when it comes to potential partners.
I still remember how surprised, even shocked, he looked when I told him I hadn't been really interested in reviewing the candidate profiles.
Back then I'd found it almost funny. I'd believed in the program.
So much! Believed I had a real chance of changing my hormones and finally building the life I wanted.
But damn.
Perhaps that was a serious mistake by a desperate cat shifter. A badly chosen partner could end up being the nail in my coffin.
I step out onto the promenade and then, almost without thinking, find myself turning into the corridor where they'd transported Drax. I follow it, taking one turn and then another. At the far end, I spot several doors, but I have no way of knowing which room belongs to him.
Then I glance up.
A large ventilation duct runs along the ceiling.
I narrow my eyes and stare at it for a moment before turning around and following its path with my gaze as I walk back down the hallway. I can hardly believe it. The same duct branches off from the promenade and continues into the corridor where Rupert's room and mine are located.
Well. Now that's interesting.
A completely ridiculous idea flashes through my head.
I head back to my room.
Sure enough, there's a large vent cover in the corner near the bathroom. I grab a nail file and use it to remove the screws holding the grate in place.
Weighing the pros and cons, I hesitate for a moment. Rupert will be occupied for hours, karaoke nights usually run late, right?
Then I take off my clothes. Dropping onto all fours feels more natural for what's about to happen. Closing my eyes, I reach for the mental switch I've had since birth. Shifting has always come easily to me. Fast. Effortless. I never had to learn how. One day it simply happened.
I feel the magic sleeping inside my body awaken and spread through me. My human hands disappear, replaced by elongating claws. Auburn-colored fur pushes through my skin.
Less than a minute later, maybe even thirty seconds, I'm a cat.
I stretch contentedly.
I've always liked this form of mine.
Glancing at the vent, I crouch low and prepare to jump. The leap is about five feet, maybe a little less. Nothing difficult. I've cleared much higher fences before.
Moving through the ventilation system isn't exactly enjoyable.
The cramped feeling borders on claustrophobic, but my eyesight makes navigation easy.
I mentally retrace the route I'd taken through the corridors earlier and reverse it in my head.
Every so often I pass another vent opening and can look down into the hallways below.
Eventually I spot the promenade, which helps me keep my bearings.
Finally, I reach the corridor where I suspect one of the adjoining rooms belongs to Drax.
I begin checking the vents one by one. The first two overlook ordinary utility rooms. The last one rewards me with exactly what I'd been hoping for.
Through the grate, I spot Drax stretched out on a bed.
One arm is bent beneath his head, partially covering his face.
For a moment I hesitate. Then I decide to embrace the most shamelessly feline solution possible.
I start scratching at the vent with my claws while letting out a series of loud, demanding meows.
I can be surprisingly vocal when I want to.
Drax jerks upright. Those purple eyes immediately lock onto me.
"Wow. What are you doing up there, kitty?"
He gets to his feet and approaches the vent, studying me curiously.
"Hey, how'd you get up there, buddy? Are you stuck?"
He disappears briefly into the second room and returns carrying some kind of metal tool. A few moments later, the vent cover comes loose.
And now comes the moment of truth. Fenn Drax reaches his arms toward me. I could jump down onto the floor beside him. Or… I could jump straight into his arms. A strange thrill runs through me, and I choose the second option.
"Come here, handsome. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."
Fenn keeps holding his arms open, and for some reason I believe him. I leap straight into his embrace.
He catches me easily, and immediately comes the comment I've heard countless times before.
"Oh wow, you're heavy! You're a super chunky boy!"
Naturally, Drax has absolutely no intention of putting me back down.
He carries me over to the bed, settles onto it, and places me comfortably on his chest. Then he stares at me with the same soft, enchanted expression I've seen a hundred times before.
People always fall for me.
I'm an amazing cat, not to be too humble…
"Aren't you the cutest creature on the entire planet? Look at you. Such a handsome, handsome, chunky boy."
Every word comes with more petting, more scratches through my fur.
And on Drax’s face, which I'd seen earlier twisted with pain, stress, and exhaustion, I now see something very different. Genuine happiness.
The moment I realize that, I stop regretting this visit entirely.
If I can give him even a few minutes of that feeling, then it was worth it.
I even allow myself to turn on my powerful engine of purring.
Drax looks even more delighted.
"That is a beautiful purr, my cute meatball!"