The address that Lead had sent her was a cheap hotel on the third deck, meaning it was on her side of the station. Lead had them already checked in and sat in the tiny foyer. He jumped up seeing her and led her straight to the small room. And despite Lead's overpowering male scent, she still noticed another pair coming from their room. So they were not the only ones using this hotel for short-term fun.
After the first hazy rush, they enjoyed the afterglow. And now, with their minds unclouded, they bathed in the closeness of their bodies. Not pressed for time, just 55 of the 1000 had passed, they talked while cuddling. Lead made the start. He had been the single child of a poor mother, a one in 10 chance to be a lone male. His mother had been working hard in construction, a powerful cat, adored by the young Lead. Not rich enough to start a tribe, he stayed her only child. Since he had been small for his age, he had started school late. After his seven years of mandatory education, his mother insisted on him going to a normal high school even though it would take her last savings. He had passed more than ten entry exams but was rejected each time when they realized that he was a male. They finally found a mixed school which would accept him after almost a year of futile tests and searching, when he was already fourteen. Meanwhile, he had started to work at the same construction company as his mother but only for lighter jobs. He had been mostly the company’s trophy male. When he went back to school, he took up a side job as a bartender and joined the school's gym. The school was a mixed school on paper but in reality, there were five males among its 250 students. That taught him the strength to keep sane among females, at least for a few days. Being two years older than the rest, he had been immediately targeted by the senior year's cats for their pleasure. He never told them that they actually helped him to resist for the next few days. And the gym helped him to focus too.
After half a year, he was strong enough that he could fend off the senior cats. Instead, he formed an informal pack with three other gym-going cats from his year. They called themselves the gym pack as a joke. It had been a happy time, they kept him sane and everyone had fun. And they studied and trained together.
In his final year, his mother's health deteriorated, cancer. At his graduation, she had become frail and worn, but her pride and happiness in his achievements still made him smile.
The gym pack soon disbanded after graduation too since the other cats moved away for their jobs. He tried to find a regular job. With his education, he had many offers as a courtesan in higher clans. But he had declined them all, he wanted to stay close to his mother in her final days. She died very soon after his 19th birthday.
He still trained every day, not least for his mental well-being. Once, a gym owner asked him to pose for an advertisement. That had been an entry to modelling. He had done quite some adverts and even had two short appearances in movies. The last shooting had been on the station, four years ago. The freedom here had deeply impressed him: Males on the station moving around freely, no special compartments on the lift cars, no males-only roads or males-only shops as he found out when searching for a gym to train a little before the shooting. But then, the only gyms were in the medical facility for rehabilitation of low-g workers and in the posh area, inside some male massage parlours for the courtesans there. Since the shootings were usually with some cats, he had met many beauty contestants. The station shot was different, all the female models had been buff. By chance, one of the models for the shooting on the station was a cat from the old 'gym pack' from high school, working as a model between jobs and attracted by the location. The rebonded after the shooting. And then, he convinced her to open a gym on the station together, open for everyone and affordable. She did the business negotiations since no bank would have given a loan to a male.
They had a hard time starting up the gym together. After a year, things looked like they would make it. They had earned enough to pay back more than the monthly interest and even started to talk about founding a tribe. But then she got an offer to manage a whole branch of gyms on the planet. He would have liked to follow her, but they both had no illusions: On the planet, he would be back to his role of eye candy. But he also did not like to hold her back, she was a cat from a nameless tribe and that offer had been too good: It had been a tearful separation. He had been too sad to care for anything for almost ten days. But then he opened the gym again.
She promised that she would transfer the gym to him after it was paid it off. Hence, he still paid her each month his part. Privately, her employer must never get wind of that. And she had climbed up in the company and was now in charge of the operation on half of the planet, they kept in contact. She had visited him twice on a private holiday, and she even discouraged her company from expanding to the station. Hence, he had found his niche and had found a true friend on his way. And by now on the station, he was known as the odd male with a business. He would never go back to the planet.
She was deeply moved. Her story was much shorter, born with a golden spoon in the mouth, but mutated with hands and feet. On adolescence, too short with thin white fur, bullied, thus taking up martial arts and gym, and finally renouncing her Samul family. Her new life after getting to the station, working in the shipyard and then meeting Ken and buying the Sagan from him. And how happy he made her by accepting her as she was.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
They cuddled again.
The 1000 was up too soon. But they would meet again in three days.
* * *
In the Petra den, they had just started to prepare dinner when she came back, smiling like crazy but otherwise exhausted. She still wanted to help, not least to improve her meagre cooking skills. Fieta threw an apron to her which she bound over her naked body. She was envious of how quickly and evenly Fieta sliced a blaumore into purple see-through-thin slices. Her attempt produced uneven thickness while taking ten times as long. Senta, the teen with the math problem, showed her how to properly handle the knife and use the claws to direct the blade. But her fingernails were useless for this, way too soft. But she got the idea from Senta and soon improved insofar as all slices were a little thicker but regular. It would still be the most uneven blaumores the den probably ever had eaten. Out of pity, Fieta decided to steam them with a sauce, so nobody would notice the irregularities immediately. Albeit she used nicer wording.
She admitted that she was no help for cutting. Instead, she started to put the plates and cutlery on the trolley. Here she could use her power, taking the entire stack of 17 plates at once. That meant of course that she was finished in no time. Kit came from the den and the work changed again. She was now assigned to stirring duty, canting off boiling pots, and the like. This was a task she could deliver without problems.
But for the final phase of finishing and arranging the dishes, she was again more hindrance than help and withdrew to the den. Bowing to the clanmother when entering and while being already assaulted by the kittens. Their carefree joy made her forget her defeat in the kitchen. She chased them around the den, laughing.
When the trolley entered, she shooed them aside and rolled up the carpet. She still had to choose first, it became more embarrassing with each day.
Just when the clanmother had filled her plate, Eli arrived with a trolley full of leftovers and laid down near the wall next to the clanmother's place, her infants quickly crawling to her to suckle on her full breasts. Eli had closed her eyes and seemed to have dozed off already, despite the noise of the den.
She felt bad again, being a guest originally invited by Eli, whom she yet had to see having a day off. Eli certainly did not hold back, being the figurehead of Petra catering.
After dinner, she helped to put the dishes into the industrial washer and to store away the food or to dispose of it. Slowly she learned how the kitchen was organised and was confident enough to be less of a hindrance the next time.
Then it was time to dim the light in the den. She wondered if she should stay for tonight or not. The big, tired eyes of two of the still-awake kittens bade her to stay. She hesitated but no one gave her a hint. And the clanmother was already asleep.
Hence, the big eyes won. She laid down next to the kittens and the two soon snuggled at her belly, slowly purring until deep asleep.
* * *
This morning, she woke up as soon as the lights were brightened. 2150 said the pad in her drawer which she checked while waiting for the toilet. She would be at her cabin in time to meet Trina, she had even time for a short shower as she was reeking after sweltering under the kittens.
Today, Trina looked more tired. At the 'Blended Followers' she told her of the last evening, a big official family function which had totally spun out of control. The other party, some ground tribe of Samul, had brought two males with them. Another cat had found it funny to spray relaxants into the room and everything went downhill from that. Including assaulting complaints from the catering. "Stupid politics powerplay", she finished her rage.
"Trina, actually, you remembered the white fluffy tigress catering for us with Ken?"
"Eh, yes? But yesterday was a different catering company. Why?"
She relaxed knowing this. “You know”, she began, “That tigress is from the Petra clan. We talked a little after you left. Since then, I have been invited a few times into their home." She patted her belly although that was still flat as it should be. “Never ate this good.”
Trina smiled, "Good news that's what I need. So how is the Petra clan?"
"Tiny and poor, what else? Still, they have their residence at the counterside; but one-half of it is the kitchen. Only one room houses the whole clan, from the clanmother to the kitten and infants. The last days, I watched the kittens who cuddled all night with me."
"Wow", Trina was really hooked, "So I smelt kittens yesterday."
“Yes, five kittens all over me. And only two this night. And, you know, the den is very traditional. We were all naked, from the infants to the clanmother.”
"That sounds very different indeed. Although, I am not sure about being naked."
"It is no big deal, at least after the first time. Somehow, it is not sexual at all, it even feels natural like being with close friends."
"Sounds more cosy than Samul for sure."
They both laughed bitterly.
"We have to go", Trina said, pointing to her pad, "but on the way, you have to tell me your second secret: Before you test jump, you were with a male."
She stopped, sighing. "Trina, please keep this a secret."
"Well, the smell was all over you, so you failed with the secret. But ok, I was just curious."
"It was not paid for", she said, "he took me for what I am. I met him at the gym."
"Ahh", Trina said and nodded. "Fine, no more questions, you lucky cat." Her face betrayed her, big curious eyes. But Trina was no kitten.
“Sorry, Trina, not cute enough!” she giggled, “no competition to the five kittens.”
Trina feigned disappointment.
The lift car came, they both straightened to look more serious. Although, this early in the morning, just two other passengers were in the car. The door closed.
"Trina, can you teach me welding?"
"Hmm. For hull 472?"
She nodded.
"Welding is not so easy. If it is just for a few times, ask the twins. They could also teach you. But it’s not easy to get a nice joint. Trust me, I had tried it too." Trina held up her arm and showed a scar slightly below her right wrist. "At least you have shorter fur, sparks will have a harder time igniting your fur. Anyway, you promised to work the first 4000 every day for the shipyard. You know how understaffed we are."