Archive of Our Own ^beta

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It was pouring rain that morning, the kind that chills you to the bone and you can hardly see through. Kit could see though, as long as he looked at the ground. That’s when he saw it.The pebbles were vibrating. Not just being bounced from the raindrops, but shaking. The ground was too. He knew what this was, he had lived in LA all his life. An earthquake. People started moving and taking shelter wherever they could find it, it was impossible to know how long it would go.

He ducked into an alley and was looking for something to go under when a figure darted in front of him and tripped him. As Kit was trying to get up and off of it, a piece of brick broke off and fell where he was a moment before. He decided to stay where he was until the shaking stopped. After a few minutes of this it had seemed to stop, although it was unfortunately still raining. Whatever was under him started squirming.
“Alright, alright, give me a minute.” Kit murmured. As he got up he got a look at the creature that had saved his life. “A cat?”

It was a mean looking thing, with a face that looked like it had rammed into a wall at some point and never quite healed from that. “Well I guess I owe you, how’d you like to get somewhere dry? You’ll have to let me carry you though.” He felt stupid talking to the cat like it understood, but he didn’t want it to start clawing him when he went to pick it up. The cat gave him a look of disdain but allowed Kit to pick him up. As Kit made his way home with the cat in his arms he started talking to it, in hopes of keeping it calm.

His father wasn’t there when he got back, which made things easier. He brought the cat into the kitchen and filled a bowl with water for it to drink. Kit brought the cat and water into his basement. He fell asleep with the cat staring at him. When he woke up it was gone.

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A few days had passed since the storm and the earthquake, and life was back to normal for Kit. His version of normal anyway. His father was busy with some sort of deal and wasn’t around much, leaving Kit free to wander as much as he wanted, which he enjoyed. On the other hand he was curious about what had become of the cat. He had jokingly told the cat that they were “fresh out of fish” when he gave it water, but Kit really had no clue what he could have safely fed it. He figured that it had wandered off to find food and snuck out of a window that had broken during the earthquake.

Once he had gotten the cat inside and in the light, he had been able to get a better look at it.
The cat was grey haired, with yellow eyes, and as fat as it was, definitely not a stray. It could also have been a good hunter though, Kit supposed. He was making his way back home when a sound caught his attention. He looked around warily and to his surprise, saw the cat in question. It came up to him carrying a dead mouse in its mouth, and dropped the mouse at Kit’s feet, looking pleased with itself. He stared blankly at it. “You know humans don’t eat mice, right? Why don’t you keep it for yourself?” The cat batted the mouse closer to Kit, who jumped backwards to avoid it touching him. Well, that answers whether he understands me or not, Kit thought to himself. He had seen weirder things.

Kit started walking home again, with the cat trailing him. When he walked in the door the cat darted inward as well. “You’re going to need a name if you keep coming around. I don’t suppose you can tell me if you already have one? No? Then let’s think up something epic.” Kit ran through a list of names, none of them meeting the cats approval. “Yoda? Ok, that’s a no.” Kit thought again, and was reminded of a book he had read once. “You really are a smart one aren’t you? What about Hen Wen?” The cat looked at him, and nodded. Then it went to the door, scratching at it to be let out. As Kit opened the door, he called out “See you again Hen Wen!”

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He did not like getting wet. It was very undignified, and when it rained it meant he got mud on his fur, which meant that the humans he was with would give him a bath. He didn’t like those at all, not even when his boy, his Jem, was the one to wash him. Although one of the kittens he sometimes stayed with was also tolerable. He had to follow different rules with kittens Jem said. They didn’t always know not to touch so he couldn’t scratch at them like he could others. The kitten he liked though always knew when to avoid him and where the best places to scratch were. But now he had a new kitten to look after.

When he had gotten stuck in the rain going to his boy a kitten had kept him a little dry and given him water to drink. He had the same scent that his boy and the others like him had, with a hint of something that smelled like sunshine on a warm day.

But this kitten wasn’t like the other kittens he knew. This one seemed to be by themselves and clearly didn’t know how to hunt for food if what he said was true. No fish indeed. Church liked fish. Jem always had fish for him. And when he didn’t Church had to get wet and find one in the large salty river. Or he could go to the market and take one of the stalls, but his boy didn’t like it when he did that. So hunting fish and mice and birds it was. He thought that maybe he should bring a mouse to the kitten, so that it would have fresh meat, and the strength to learn to hunt properly. If no one else would teach him, clearly he had to. After all, the kitten was nice and reminded him of his boy a little, so it couldn’t be that bad. Plus it’s name was Kitten, so clearly it had the good sense to be named after a cat.

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Hen Wen was back again. The cat kept coming and going as he pleased, staying for a day or two at a time and going for a few weeks in between visits. Kit had started leaving a window cracked open just a bit so that he could get in when he wanted without having to search out Kit.

He really was a smart cat. Kit had made up cards with words and pictures on them and told Hen Wen what they meant. He couldn’t read but he recognized the pictures well enough to get a message across when he felt the need to. The only annoying thing was that he kept bringing dead mice with him. Though he hadn’t the last time he visited Kit. Kit was starting to think that he had finally gotten Hen to accept that humans couldn’t eat mice. The fish he brought was a distinct improvement sine Kit could actually cook and eat that, though he gave a bit to Hen in thanks. He was very happy for that fish too.

Cereal and sandwiches all the time wore off pretty quickly, and since his father had been around less because of whatever he was mixed up in lately there wasn’t a whole lot of extra food around. Hen seemed to realize this because fish kept showing up outside his window even if Hen wasn’t always there when Kit found it. He really was becoming fond of the furball. Kit didn’t really have friends since he wasn’t allowed out much, but, he supposed, a cat that kept coming back and that apparently cared about him probably qualified as a friend. Even if he did seem to think that Kit was an actual kitten sometimes, judging by the way he kept going after the back of Kit’s neck.

This time Hen came by was different though. Kit woke up to him licking and pawing at his face. “Sorry Hen, not today.” Kit was sore all over and just wanted to sleep until he felt better. He didn’t bother looking for medicine because whenever he took any, it made him sick, which wouldn’t help him right now. Kit tried to roll further under the covers, but Hen Wen wormed his way under them when he tried and sat on Kit’s chest.

“Hen,” Kit whined, “get off.” He pushed at Hen weakly but only succeeded in pushing him a bit more to the side. But even that exhausted Kit, who decided to give up and let the cat stay where he was. He dozed off. When he briefly woke up later he was hugging Hen to his chest, and it was very comfortable. Kit fell back asleep to the feeling of purring against his chest and a sandpaper tongue licking his neck.

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The weather today was wonderful. Kit had decided to spend the day outside and wandering around to take advantage of it, since summers were normally brutally hot. He was heading to the beach early when he heard a meowing coming from nearby. It was Hen Wen, back again from wherever it was he went when he wasn’t around. Kit was of the opinion that he had another family that he stayed with, but since he was free to wander as he pleased, he had claimed Kit too, because he had heard that cats claimed their families and not the other way around.

While he was thinking Hen had gotten closer and started pawing at his pant leg. “What’s up this morning Hen? In a hurry to go somewhere then?” Hen sometimes pawed at his leg when he wanted attention, but sometimes he wanted Kit to follow him places too. The last time he had followed Hen somewhere he wound up in a beautiful park with plenty of shade. He figured out why Hen had liked it very quickly though. The field mice. Apparently getting him to understand that humans didn’t eat mice was going to be a work in progress. Hen had started pawing at his leg again, this time with more force.

“Alright then, calm down, where is it you want to go today? Why don’t you show me?” He figured that if Hen took him to the park again he would just head to the ocean, but if he wanted to show him something else, it wasn’t like he was really planning anything concrete anyway.

Kit followed after Hen until they got closer to Downtown, which was when he started smelling the distinct smell of fish. “Really Hen?” Kit asked. “What do you want here that you can’t get yourself?” If a cat could look offended, Hen Wen did. “Oh alright, let’s go. You’re lucky that I have some money on me right now.” Hen made a motion that meant he wanted to be picked up, so Kit lifted him up and started walking into the fish market.

Very quickly he wanted to be put back down, so Kit obliged him, and started moving quickly after him so he didn’t lose sight of Hen. When he caught up Hen in front of a stall, Hen started pawing at him to be picked up again. “You need to make up your mind Hen, do you want to be carried or do you want to walk?” Hen ignored him and chose to stare at the fish instead. “Well I’m here now, is it a fish you want? Let’s just get what you want and leave. I’m not sure that cats are welcome here.” As he started to pick a fish Hen pawed at his hand in a way that meant no. “No, what do you mean no? You want a fish, I’m getting you a fish.” One of the other stall workers who had been staring at them chuckled.

“Your cat has good taste. That particular fish isn’t very fresh. You’ll want to look at the color lad, and at how it smells. Your cat stopped you from making a mistake.”

“That’s what this is about? Choosing the right fish?” Hen looked very pleased with himself and started licking his paws. Kit wandered over to the other stall and spent a few minutes talking with the worker, and looked at Hen for approval when he started picking out fish. The worker tossed a few shrimp in for free, because of the amusement that Hen had provided him that morning.

“It’s not often that we have a cat come here trying to show it’s owner how to tell good fish from bad. And your cat has very discerning taste at that.” He gave Hen one of the shrimp right then, who ate it in one bite. Hen rewarded him by head butting his hand. They said their goodbyes and Kit started home with the fish and Hen in tow.

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Church had a plan. He knew his kitten would follow him if he told him to, as he had several times before. So now he was observing his boy so that he could make sure his plan would work. He needed to know when his boy would be and where he would be when. His kitten needed a new home, and he needed one fast. His kitten’s sire had come home and seen him there and was quite rude. He picked Church up and threw him out. And his Kitten’s window was boarded up when he tried to get back in that way.

Church found his Kitten a week later outside, but he looked very bad. And he had been crying. His Kitten said that he couldn’t come back. Which was nonsense. Church was a cat, which meant that he could do as he pleased. And it pleased him to check on his Kitten.

“Church? There you are. So you’re the one that’s been following me all day. Any particular reason? Hmm? I promise that I’m not going anywhere silly cat.” His boy picked him up and started petting him. Church nuzzled into his boy’s chest. He loved his boy. And he knew his boy would love his Kitten.

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Kit had finally managed to sneak outside again, avoiding his father who had been paying more attention to him since he had banned Hen Wen from their house. He didn’t know what his father’s problem was. Hen Wen was a cat, albeit a very intelligent one. It’s not like he could tell anyone what his father was up to, the only reason he kept showing up was for Kit himself, for some unknown reason. Although it might have had something to do with the fish he would cook and feed Hen. Speaking of Hen Wen, there he was waiting for Kit, walking towards him now and jumping into his arms.

Kit couldn’t resist hugging him. Hen Wen was nice to hug, when he allowed it. And he had missed the fur ball. Hen Wen licked him under his chin for a minute, the sandpapery tongue feeling odd, but Kit was used to it. “Missed you too Hen. I’m not sure how long we’ve got, so what do you want to do today, huh?”

Hen Wen jumped down and started walking, turning to make sure that Kit was following him, which of course he was. He was walking more quickly than normal, as if he had to be somewhere shortly, which did make sense, Kit supposed. He had told Hen that he wasn’t sure how long they had.

Hen lead him to an open air market place, and started going into it. Kit stopped and looked at it. It was very different from the places he normally hung around, and he didn’t think that he would fit in, age aside, the clothing he was wearing was definitely not as nice as the people who were shopping there. He called out to get Hen’s attention. “Hen Wen, get back here.” Hen turned and looked at him, staying where he was.

Kit walked over to him and picked him up. “Hen I’m glad that you wanted to show me something here, but I don’t think you or I would be a welcome presence here. I don’t think cats are aloud and I don’t have any money on me.” He didn’t mention his pickpocketing skills, which were not as good as they could be, but would be next to useless in a place like this as opposed to a large grocery store or a crowded street.

Kit noticed a man paying attention to them, he was young, and had odd hair coloring, mostly black with a silver streak, he thought. He decided to apologize for Hen Wen, since he thought that was what the man was staring at. “I’m sorry about my cat, he doesn’t quite understand that cats aren’t allowed in market places. Or at least he doesn’t want to understand.” Kit muttered under his breath. “We’re leaving now though, I’m not looking to cause any trouble.”

That was when Hen decided to jump out of his arms of course and walk over to the man. Of course. Because Kit couldn’t catch a break. What surprised him was the fact that Hen twined himself around the man’s legs before letting himself be picked up and petted. That’s when a woman came out of the market. She was beautiful, and her grey eyes caught his attention. She looked at Hen in the man’s arm and with a look of surprise on her face asked “What are you doing here Church?”

Kit’s heart sank. This must be Hen Wen’s family that he left sometimes to visit Kit. He doubted they’d let him out to visit anymore though, looking at them versus him. The man spoke, kindly, almost like he didn’t want to spook Kit, which didn’t make sense because why would he care about that. “It looks like Church has a friend. You can come closer if you want to, I promise you that it’s alright. You’re not in any trouble.” Kit inched closer, eyeing the couple warily. “Church has a mind of his own and does what he wants most of the time.”

Kit didn’t mean to, but he snorted. “You’re telling me.” He muttered. When he got close enough, Hen Wen jumped towards him, and well trained by now, Kit caught him. Hen Wen, no wait, Church, what a funny name for a cat, nuzzled him in return for that.

The woman introduced them with a smile. “I’m Tessa, this is my husband, Jem. It’s nice to meet someone that Church actually likes. I can count that number on one hand.”