11. Chapter 11

" W hat? What happened?" My hands clutched the steering wheel, trying not to jerk it in reaction to his abrupt command.

His hand left mine, and he cupped them around his eyes, looking through the window. "You need to pull over."

The sudden change in tone had me concerned, but I did as he asked, looking over my shoulder to check if it was clear before moving to the right and parking in the bike lane. "Are you going to be sick?"

Marley didn't answer me, simply flung the door open and jumped out. He was already walking quickly back in the direction we'd come before I could hit my emergency flashers and turn off the car. Marley's profile looked ominous in the blinking red lights from my car. I hurried behind him to catch up, but his steps slowed until he knelt down beside a bush that hung over the curb.

I cautiously came up behind him. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"Shh." He waved at me before leaning over on his hands. Not understanding what he was doing, I looked around for anybody nearby or any indication of what was happening.

"Come here. It's okay." Marley's voice was so soft, I found myself holding my breath, as he held a hand out to the bush. " Psp, psp, psp ."

Was there something in there? I peered in, but all I could see were dark shadows from the streetlight, until one of the lower branches quivered ever so slightly. I placed my hand on Marley's shoulder, silently warning him to be careful.

"It's okay. Come here." He snapped his fingers, and a tiny pink nose stuck out from the bush, sniffing his fingers.

Drawing in a sharp breath at its appearance, I let out a surprised, "Oh!"

" Psp, psp, psp . Come here, sweet baby." My date stayed perfectly still, neither of us moved or scarcely breathed. After a few minutes, it stepped closer before rubbing its little apple-shaped head on Marley's hand. I didn't know if it smelled the food we'd eaten on him, or maybe the duck feed, but whatever it was, it seemed to keep the interest of the small critter. Marley was so gentle, so calm, and when it seemed the little guy wasn't going to dart away, he scooped up the tiny orange kitten. It was so little, he looked shabby and scared.

Marley held it to his chest, trying to warm it, scratching his head and cooing comforting words at it. Enthralled by the scene, I knelt down beside him, watching as Marley held it. The little kitten started a broken purr, one that sounded like an engine trying to turn over, as if it wasn't sure how to do it yet.

Reaching over, I ran my hand along the orange-striped back. "Incredible. How did you know it was here?"

"I saw a flash of eyeshine, the light reflecting in its eyes."

"But it's so tiny. I don't know how you could have seen that so fast. Where do you think it came from?"

Through the dim light, I couldn't see any houses around, just an abandoned parking lot of what used to be a liquor store.

"I don't know, but look at him. He's so scared and alone. We can't leave him out here." Marley's voice broke with concern that had me ready to do whatever he needed, simply to not hear him worry.

"It's too late to take him anywhere. What do we do with him?"

Marley snuggled his nose into the kitten's head. "I could take him to my place. At least temporarily."

"Okay. Are you sure? "

"Yes. Wait! No! Derek, I can't take him home." He sniffled as he continued to pet the kitten, who seemed to have gotten a better hang of purring.

"Why not?"

"My house isn't ready for a cat. I have plants that could be toxic to him. I can't bring him home just to risk him getting poisoned by something."

I sat on my knees right in front of him, not thinking about the dirt and the grime that was getting on my slacks. The pained look on Marley's face damn near broke my heart. In a panic, trying to fix the situation, I blurted out, "He can stay with me."

Marley sniffed once more and looked up at me, his eyes misty. "What?"

Well, it was out there, and if it gave him any kind of hope or comfort, I could manage a tiny little fluff for a short time. "I'll take him to my place. I don't have any plants to worry about. It's temporary, right?"

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask, I offered."

"Are you sure? Like really sure?"

Petting the small orange head, I lowered my voice. "I'm sure."

Marley threw his free arm around my neck, pulling me into an awkward hug. The kitten let out the teeniest mew when he was squished between us. "Thank you, Derek. Truly, thank you so much. It would just break my heart to leave him out here all alone."

"Come on, let's get out of here and get this little guy warm." I stood and held my hand out to Marley, who grabbed it and used it to help him stand, all the while keeping the kitten clutched to his chest.

Once we were in the car, I got a better look at him. He looked skinny and his fur was dirty. He was young, but not an infant. I couldn't tell any more than that.

"Do you have any cat litter or food?"

"Shit! No. I've never had a cat. We'll stop and pick some up."

It was too late to go to the pet store, so we stopped at the closest superstore. Luckily, no one said anything about the kitten in Marley's arms. I just hoped it didn't get away from him. I grabbed a cart, and we headed to the pet section.

After getting litter, a box, and a bag of kitten food, we continued to peruse the cat products.

"He looks pretty scruffy. I think he might need shampoo. Do you think he has fleas?" I asked.

Marley held the kitten out to look him over. "It's hard to tell, but it might not be a bad idea to get a flea comb, just in case. Oh, and maybe a bed, too, so he has somewhere to snuggle up."

"Alright."

Twenty minutes later, my cart was full of bowls, treats, a bed, a tunnel to play in, and a feather toy. It was a full new-pet shopping spree for an animal that wasn't even a pet. Marley looked at the cart with a sheepish expression.

"I guess I got a little carried away. We can put everything back but the necessities."

"It's not a problem at all, and we can always donate it after."

"Okay. If you're sure."

I squeezed Marley's elbow. "Yes, I'm sure."

On our drive back to my place, I could feel Marley staring at me. "You okay over there? Is the kitten okay?"

"We're fine. I'm just feeling bad about how this has all ended up. We had the most romantic of moments, and now I've roped you into caring for a stray."

I slid my gaze over to him briefly. "I'm not upset or disappointed. Sure, this wasn't expected, but we're here now. I don't want you to feel bad, and this doesn't undo the time we had earlier, merely adds to it."

He sighed softly. "You're a good man, Derek Marten."

"As are you, Marley Ortega. I still can't wrap my head around how you not only saw him but managed to coax him out and hold him all this time, too."

"He's a lost thing. Aren't you, little one? Just a little lost, but we're going to take care of you." Marley nuzzled against the kitten who seemed completely content in his hold .

"A lost thing? You say that like it means something?"

"I don't know. I've always had this penchant for lost things. Furniture, plants, people, and animals. They tend to find me, or I find them. As a kid, I was always bringing animals home, but living in apartments meant we could never keep them, which was hard, but at least I got to know that they weren't going to walk into the road or get eaten."

"You're amazing. A beam of light in the dark. Sunshine, that's what you are. It's no wonder the lost things find you."

"Stop it already," Marley said as he slapped my arm lightly.

"Stop what?"

"Being so damn perfect. I'm sitting here, holding a kitten, and you're over there with all your smooth-talking, and I don't think my heart can get any fuller. So if you don't want me to explode from happiness all over your car, cool your perfectness and let a man catch his breath."

His playful tone made my lips pull up at the corners, loving his antics. We rode in silence until we pulled up to the security gate of my condo.

Marley let out a long whistle. "Daaayum. I figured you lived somewhere swanky, but this place looks really nice."

"It does the job." Personally, I liked that the property management took care of all of the landscaping and maintenance, while still giving me the freedom to do what I want with the interior. It felt like a win-win to me .

I pulled into my designated parking spot, luckily mine was right in front of my building. "Let's get the little guy inside and I'll bring everything in."

With Marley carrying the precious cargo, I grabbed a couple of items out of the trunk and led the way to my door. After putting in the code on the keyless entry pad, I pushed the door open, letting my date inside. Nerves about having him see my place for the first time managed to sneak through. Besides my parents and Carmen, I never had anyone over. I kept everything clean, but I knew the muted gray tones and black leather furniture were vastly different from all the bright colors of Marley's place. Along with the anxiousness came some excitement, too.

I hadn't planned to bring him back to my place, and this certainly wasn't the way I thought it would happen, but I had a man I liked in my home, and I was having a lot of feelings about it.

Marley didn't seem to pay any attention to the colorless space and walked down the hallway like he owned the place, which gave me even more feelings. "I'm going to sit in the bathroom with him while you bring everything in, if that's okay? I don't want him darting out, and there will be fewer places for him to hide. Plus, if he gets nervous and makes a mess, it will be easier to clean up."

"Good idea. The bathroom is the first door on the left. I'll be right back. "

After a few trips back and forth to the car, I managed to get the entire pet department into my living room. Staring at the pile, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous amount of things we'd gotten for a kitten that might only be staying a night or two. I wasn't mad, though. It was the most excitement I'd had in a while.

Not sure where to start, I grabbed a bowl and knocked lightly on the bathroom door, not wanting to startle either of them.

"Come in, just open the door slowly," Marley called out.

Following his instructions, I pushed the door at a snail's pace, checking for an orange fluff, not wanting to bump him or have him run out. When it seemed clear, I slid inside and closed the door behind me.

Marley sat on the toilet lid while the kitten stood under his legs. I took the bowl to the sink and put water in it before lowering to the ground to sit cross-legged and placed the water bowl next to Marley's feet.

Marley stuck a finger in the water and showed it to the cat, letting it smell it on him. He did that a few more times before the kitten took a tentative step toward the bowl. A moment later, he was drinking, and it felt like we'd overcome a huge hurdle. Marley and I shared a silent smile, not wanting to disturb him.

After the kitten seemed to have had enough and started slowly walking around the bathroom, I asked, "Do you think we should see if he'll eat? "

The kitten crept closer to me, uncertain, but curious enough to investigate. "Yeah. I'll go. You stay there and let him get used to you."

Marley stood up with great care of every movement and exited, leaving me on the bathroom floor with two tiny amber eyes staring at me. I held my hand just in front of him, not touching him, so he could decide if he wanted to come to me. Surprisingly, he did. He sniffed, and then was rubbing all over my fingers, pushing his head into my hand. When I scratched him under his chin, he started that funny little purr of his and it made my heart pitter patter right along with it.

I stayed still as he came closer, even stepping onto my leg. He jumped when the door opened and scrambled over my folded leg, curling up in the nook of space between my groin and my crossed legs.

Marley gasped when he saw us. As he closed the door, he said, "Oh my God! Derek! Look at him, he's so cute. I'm kind of jealous."

"Of me or of him?" I asked as I pet the kitten tucked up against me.

Marley looked from me to him, staring at my crotch region, making my skin feel warm. "Both, I think."

His voice sounded slightly thicker, making my cock perk up. But I could not get an erection on a kitten. That wasn't happening. I scooped the little guy out of his cave and held him. Marley watched me holding him, his brown eyes filled with wonder.

"I brought some kibble and a few treats. I figured if he doesn't go for the kibble, we can try the treats just to get some food into him." Marley set up his bowl next to the water and poured a little food into it, then held one out to the kitten. His tiny pink nose started sniffing, and he pulled away from me to get closer, his curiosity casting out any fear.

We sat in silence for a moment as he crunched and purred. Marley held his hand out to me and I took it, happy to share this special moment together. If it weren't for him, I would have driven right past and never known the kitten was there. Who knew if anyone would have found him? I might not have been the biggest animal person, but looking at this little kitten, I couldn't imagine him trying to survive out there in the world with countless dangers and predators.

"You did good, Sunshine."

Marley looked at me with a question in his eyes. " Sunshine ?"

"Yup, that's you. Unless you hate it."

Beams of the light that lived in him sparkled in his eyes and he smiled that beautiful smile, his freckles radiating on his cheeks, before leaning over to give me a soft kiss. "I don't hate it. "

I brushed his pink hair aside and kissed him again, loving the way his warm lips felt on mine. The bathroom floor wasn't the setting I imagined for a tender moment, but here we were.

Soon, the litter box was set up in the bathroom, and he had everything he could need to get him through the night. It was getting late, and I needed to get Marley home. We both had to get up in the morning. Marley picked up the kitten and nuzzled his nose against his head before reluctantly setting him back down and leaving the bathroom.

We closed the door behind us, trapping the kitten in there where he was relatively safe. Marley stared at the door as if he could see through it. "I feel so bad leaving him."

Putting my finger under his chin, I gently tipped it back until he was looking up at me. "I'll take good care of him, I promise."

"I don't doubt it, but I know you weren't expecting all of this. We'll figure out what to do with him tomorrow."

I gave a slight shake of my head. "Tomorrow's no good. I have meetings all day, and a prospective client called today and wants to meet for dinner tomorrow night. Saturday?"

"Saturday is Heartcraft, I can't. And Sunday, the shelters are closed."

"Okay, so I have a roommate for the weekend. It's fine."

Marley met my gaze. "You're really sure? "

"Yes. I already told you I was. A few more days isn't a big deal. Besides, I think I have enough supplies to last a while."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I suppose so. In the meantime, I'll work on cat-ifying my house. But it's not as simple as throwing away my plants. I can't in good conscience do that. So, I'll put out ads for them and see if I can find them good homes that will care for them."

"Such a good plant dad," I smirked. As much as it amused me how much care he put into inanimate objects, I admired it at the same time. Admired him. Everything about him. My Sunshine . Was it too early to consider him mine? I didn't know, but I knew I felt warmer and more alive in his presence.