Chapter 6: Meaningful Discussions
Surprisingly, T-Bone approached the discussion in a professional manner covering all points quickly and efficiently. Feral gained a grudging respect for his new mate besides the new feelings he was having for the cocky tabby.
By late afternoon they had covered most everything that would be an immediate problem. Any other difficulties would be addressed as they occurred.
First, the SWAT Kats' identities. T-Bone declined to be forthcoming since it wasn't his decision alone. Razor had to be consulted and Feral had to admit he admired his mate's loyalty to his partner.
Second, how he as Chief Enforcer, would treat the SWAT Kats from now on. Unless they truly broke the law (minor infractions didn't count nor did property damage), he would tolerate their existence as he did now with the exception that he would no longer threaten or make an effort to arrest them.
T-Bone understood the position he was putting his mate in by making Feral 'sit on the fence' between his enforcers and them. The Commander still could not publicly sanction their existence either and T-Bone accepted that without a qualm. Further, Feral would notify his enforcers of the new rules regarding the SWAT Kats with an added proviso that his mate would be permitted free access to his person at any time. This did not include Razor which should soothe some of his ranking officer's ire about the new rules.
Third, living arrangements. For now they would continue to live apart with T-Bone having free access to Feral's apartment whenever he wished. Feral would make him a key as soon as possible and T-Bone told him he would be around a lot at first because he felt Feral needed closeness right now to help him cope with his feelings of loss.
Fourth, counseling. T-Bone repeated his demand that Feral seek professional help. He would brook no hesitation on Feral's part on this point, stressing just how much the dark tom's emotional problems were mounting despite the calm they seemed to be having at the moment. Though reluctant, the Sabren agreed.
Fifth, handling the press and what to tell the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the public. They agreed that giving out the new arrangement between enforcers and SWAT Kats was the only thing the public needed to know. Everything else was no one's business but their own and Razor. Ms. Briggs might have a need to know more about their situation but they would decide that on a case by case basis.
"Well that's it for now! Let's order lunch, I'm starved," T-Bone said stretching, actually surprised and pleased that they were able to come to an agreement on nearly everything without any major blowups between them and in only four hours time too.
"Humph! You think about food a lot...don't you?" Feral grumbled but there was a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Hey! I need to keep my strength up if I'm to keep you safe and healthy," T-Bone smirked lecherously.
Feral felt his face burn at T-Bone's obvious innuendo. He couldn't remember ever blushing before. To save face, he got up from the couch and made a call to the local deli for lunch to be delivered.
T-Bone, meanwhile, turned on the TV and was pleased to find a Scaredy-Cat Cartoon on. He settled further into the comfortable couch and began to watch.
Feral went to the kitchen to get some sodas, ears pricking up at the sound of laughter. Puzzled, he returned to the living room to find his mate choking with mirth at something on the TV. He lobbed a soda to his mate who caught it deftly without really looking then sat down next to him.
He never watched much TV so was strangely captivated by the idiotic cartoon. His eyebrows rose when he was treated to T-Bone's loud guffaws. He found himself smiling at his mate's merriment more than the shows wacky nonsense.
The show was over by the time the doorbell rang with their lunch delivery. Feral stretched then got up to pay the delivery kat, closing the door behind him and carrying their meal to the coffee table. A news flash was just coming on when he sat back down. He rummaged in the bag as he listened, handing a sandwich to his mate then pulling one out for himself.
"Crud, I wonder what's going on now?" T-Bone grumbled as he accepted his sandwich from Feral.
"This is Ann Gora from Kat's Eye News and I'm standing in front of Enforcer Headquarters where we have been informed by Lt. Commander Steele that Commander Feral had called in absent for the day. We had wanted to interview him about his and T-Bone's new relationship but it seems the two are apparently spending time getting to know each other better. We'll try again tomorrow and keep you abreast of any new developments. For those of you unfamiliar with what's going on a quick recap is the news of Commander Feral's true species being revealed as a Sabren who had recently mated with the SWAT Kat known as T-Bone. This is Ann Gora reporting live for Kat's Eye News."
"Well, tomorrow should be fun," Feral said sarcastically, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"You want me to be there with you?" T-Bone asked eyeing his mate in concern. "Before you say no, remember they are going to try and interview me anyway."
"Hmm, you're right of course. I'll contact you when they want to talk to me," Feral sighed in unhappily agreement.
"Great! And speaking of contacting, I'll get Razor to whip up a special communicator for you to use that will be a private line between us only," T-Bone promised. "You done with lunch?" He suddenly asked as he downed the last of his soda.
"Huh?...Uh yeah, I guess so," Feral muttered eyeing T-Bone questioningly as the tabby shut off the TV.
"Good, I want dessert!" He growled, pouncing on his mate and kissing him senseless.
For the next thirty minutes they made out on the couch. Feral panted with excitement at all the kissing and nipping T-Bone was doing to him. It felt soo good. Panting as well, T-Bone raised up and looked into Uly's glowing eyes seeing intense desire there.
"Come on, Uly, let's take this into the other room," He growled hotly, dragging his mate to his feet and pulling him into the bedroom. He laid burning kisses on Ulysses' face and throat as he pulled the Sabren's clothes off, Uly doing the same to him. Panting with desire, T-Bone shoved his mate sprawling to his back onto the bed and dropped down on top of him.
"Are you ready for me, kitten?" He rumbled deep in his throat as he probed his mate's vaginal opening. "Yep!" He crowed triumphantly as his fingers came away dripping. He plunged his steel hard cock into his mate without further preparation, swallowing the sudden cry of surprise from Ulysses with his own mouth in a burning kiss.
Feral's body jolted from the sudden joining. Fierce pleasure rushed through him as he wrapped his legs around the brawny tabby's body, drawing him deeper with each thrust. Meanwhile the wicked tabby's tongue was doing marvelous things to his mouth that had his head spinning.
T-Bone was obviously not interested in the scenic route right now as he pounded his mate hard and furious, chasing the fire he was building to its peak then feeling Uly's sheathe squeeze him at just the right moment to sent them hurtling over the edge together. A bright burst of light nearly blinded him as they climaxed then it vanished almost instantly, leaving its unmistakable presence in his retinas.
As he lay panting atop his mate, T-Bone blinked in surprise. "Will that always happen when you come?"
"Uh, will what always happen?" Feral mumbled dazedly, not having seen the glow because his eyes had been closed.
"You burst with light when you climax. I just wanted to know if it will happen every time we have sex?"
"I don't know since I've never had it happen before." Feral drawled lazily, totally unconcerned and enjoying his endorphin high far too much.
"Hmm, I wonder if it has to do with how strong an energy drawer you are because I read other Sabren, after their initial mating, don't glow hardly at all," T-Bone mused, thoughtfully.
"I really can't say." Feral murmured, now curious if T-Bone might be right but wasn't certain how they would test the theory.
The tabby suddenly grinned evilly. "Well, let's just do it again, shall we, and see if you go off like a sunburst again!" And so saying, he swooped down and captured his mate's mouth again, stealing Feral's breath away.
After a couple of hours of play, they discovered Feral did indeed flash briefly on each of his releases.
"Well we certainly know when you're coming!" T-Bone quipped, smirking.
"Ah, T-Bone that was just bad!" Feral groaned at the terrible pun.
T-Bone smacked his mate on the butt and climbed off the bed. Instead of being tired, he was invigorated and restless, he briefly wondered if it had to do with the energy Uly poured through him.
'Damn, I really need to get all these questions answered,' he thought in frustration.
"Come on! I'm feeling antsy being cooped up here. Let's go for a run," he urged his mate, grabbing his g-suit and pulling it on.
"Go for a run?" Feral stared at his mate from the bed in shock.
"Yeah, run! It will help you sleep better and clear your emotions a bit," T-Bone coaxed.
Feral shook his head but got up and went to his dresser to rummage through it for some sweats and a T-shirt. He dug out his tennis shoes and sat on the bed to put them on.
"Gotta pair I can wear?" T-Bone queried, since he didn't wear shoes in this outfit.
Feral returned to the closet and found a pair for him. T-Bone sat on the bed to put them on and found them to be only little big but tying the laces tight helped keep them on his feet.
"Know where we can go so we don't get mobbed by the press and the curious?" T-Bone questioned as he tied the last lace.
Feral paused a moment to think. "Hmm, well only place I can think of where we won't be bothered is the enforcer track," He said thoughtfully as he stood up.
"Huh! Well they do have to get used to us being together sooner or later. Sure why not," T-Bone agreed with a shrug. "Anyway, you'll be able to bring your hummer back as well."
"True!" Feral agreed as they left the apartment.
No one saw them as they walked to the elevator, took it down to the parking garage, and stepped out to walk toward T-Bone's covered bike. Pulling the cover off, he handed it over to Feral who put it back in his storage unit. He took the helmet T-Bone handed him as he got on behind the tabby.
They were soon zooming through the late afternoon city traffic easily. Within minutes, they arrived at Enforcer Headquarters where T-Bone parked his cyclotron beside Feral's hummer. Many eyes followed them as they walked side by side through the huge doors of the building and across the lobby to the bank of elevators. There was no one in the car with them as they ascended to the sixth floor gym.
There were only a handful of off duty enforcers in the gym at this hour, so they walked to the track undisturbed. After doing some stretching exercises to warm up, they began a steady ground eating lope easily keeping pace with each other.
By the time they went around the track five times, more off duty enforcers filled the room. Many eyes watched the odd pair as they swept around the track together. They did ten more laps before walking two laps to cool down. They finished and walked to a basket of clean towels, wiped down a bit, and grabbed some bottled water before walking through the gym for the exit.
"Glad to know you keep fit, Uly!" T-Bone teased his mate.
Feral snorted. "Glad you could keep up with me." 'Wonder what he'd think if he knew I could move faster than the eye could follow?' he mused, smirking to himself.
"Hah! I could out race you but I didn't want to. Felt nice to pace along beside you, seeing you sweat and smell your musky scent. Quite arousing!" The tabby said darkly, a smirk twisting his lips.
Feral felt his face heat yet again. "Wish you didn't do that to me!" He muttered, uncomfortably, as they reached the exit door.
"I like how you blush for me," T-Bone purred heatedly. They were forced to pause a moment at the suddenly opening door. The tabby chose that instant to pull the big tom's head closer to him and deposited a hot, passionate kiss on his mate's surprised mouth.
Lt Commander Steele was just walking in when he caught the SWAT Kat kissing Commander Feral. He stopped and gaped in shock.
Feral's face was blushing when his mate released him. T-Bone chuckled, slipping an arm in the big tom's and pulling him through the still open door, ignoring the shocked officer standing there as they swept past him.
"Now I think I've seen everything!" A major in the combat squadron commented still shaking his head in amazement as he came up alongside the still stunned Lieutenant Commander. "Who would have thought the Commander would be seen with a SWAT Kat much less be mated to one. It's still a shock to know the Commander isn't the same species as us at all. Did you know he was a Sabren, Steele?" He asked.
"Are you kidding? He kept that secret very well but this...this is just disturbing," Steele managed to blurt out.
"It might seem disturbing but you better be careful saying that out loud. He's a powerful Commander, the best we've ever had and from what I've heard an extremely powerful Sabren. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side by saying something derogatory about his mate," The major said warningly as he left the gym, leaving a pensive Steele chewing on that bit of wisdom.
Still linked arm and arm, Feral and T-Bone walked out of the building just as the evening shift was coming on which meant there were quite a few gawking enforcers around to see them leave.
Just as they reached his hummer, T-Bone finally released Feral who walked to his driver's door as his mate went to his cyclotron. Feral had just unlocked his door and was preparing to get in when someone called out his name. He paused and looked around. T-Bone had been putting on his helmet and he too paused, looking behind him at the origin of the voice.
Ms. Briggs was hurrying toward them from her car she'd just parked behind them
"Just a minute you two!" She hailed again as she quickly closed the gap between them.
"Yes Ms. Briggs?" Feral asked coming back around his vehicle to stand near T-Bone.
She stopped near them and stared at the two for a moment before she spoke. "I'm sure you know the press have been hounding the Mayor and I about the odd situation you are in. Though the Mayor had insisted you come in and make a statement, I was finally able to prevail upon him that adjustments had to be made between you and that you had a right to be left alone long enough to do that. Unfortunately, I won you only a day," she said, annoyed to be put in the middle of this mess but knowing it wasn't their fault. "So, have you been able to come to an accommodation? It seems you're getting along well so far...at least you're not hurling curses at each other," she said, making a small joke to ease the tense situation.
They glanced at each other for a moment then T-Bone said, "Well, it was rough at first but we've come to some agreements that should help us adjust. We also ironed out any difficulties that could cause problems between us and the enforcers. Please understand, Ms. Briggs, we only intend to discuss that issue and nothing else with the press. Our personal problems are our own business and not the public's," T-Bone insisted quietly.
Feral was pleased T-Bone had said that but kept his face a blank mask as he added, "As he said, it hasn't been easy but we're as ready as we can be to meet the press and we'll do it together. Call me tomorrow with a time and I'm assuming it will be in the Mayor's press room?"
Callie gave a sigh of relief and commiseration, saying, "Yes it will be and I'm glad you were able to come to some peace between you. I completely understand about personal questions. However, you know as well as I do that the press doesn't always listen. I will make it plain to them that personal questions are off limits and that's the best I can do. At least the Mayor will be pleased you are willing to do this tomorrow. I'll call the press tonight and schedule the conference for first thing tomorrow morning. I'll see you both then." Nodding at them she turned away and headed back to her vehicle. They watched her pull into traffic and disappear.
"Well, I guess that took care of talking to Ms. Briggs," T-Bone said with a snort of mild amusement as he climbed aboard his bike. "I'm off to talk to Razor. Might as well get that done now before he gets too concerned. I'll probably have dinner with him too so don't wait up for me and get yourself something to eat as well. Try to stay calm and not think too hard about your problems. I won't be too late so don't lock me out," he told his mate then pulled the tom down to him and gave him a parting kiss. "See you later, Uly," he said, smiling as he put his helmet on then started his engine.
Feral stepped back and watched his mate swing his bike into traffic then he too disappeared. For a moment he suffered a spasm of anguish at his mate's departure. He grunted in surprise at that sensation, not happy to be that dependent on his mate for keeping the bad feelings at bay.
Firmly pushing those unfamiliar feelings aside, he realized since T-Bone was going to be busy elsewhere there was no reason for him to go home right now. He did miss a complete day of work and he had no doubt his desk was buried under paperwork.
Having made his decision, firmly convincing himself it wasn't because he didn't want to be alone, he relocked his hummer and walked back up the stairs to reenter headquarters. A couple of hours of solid work should catch him up rather quickly and he could order in some food as well.