The night air outside the hospital tasted cleaner than anything Kassur remembered breathing all day. Maybe it was all in his head, a side effect of all the bad stuff being left behind.
Sure, he could still hear the distant wail of sirens, and the sodium lights painted everything the same sickly gold, but the weight on his chest eased the moment the automatic doors slid shut behind them.
He wouldn’t celebrate it, not yet. He didn’t want to jinx it.
They found the cruiser parked crooked near the curb, half on the sidewalk, hazard lights blinking but sirens off.
The same bear enforcer from before, Vanessa, leaned against the hood, arms crossed. She straightened when she saw them coming, flashing a smile.
“That’s everyone?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Juno replied. “Thanks for waiting.”
Morty stayed close.
Close enough that Kassur could feel the cat’s warmth through the thin space between them. Close enough to notice the way Morty kept glancing at his legs, eyes lingering on the bandages where he’d hurt his ankle.
“I’m still sorry for putting you in this mess,” Morty whispered.
“Stop that. It wasn’t your fault,” Kassur said, offering a small smile.
Captain Leonardo made a sound; an exhale that was both tired and annoyed. Kassur turned his head to see the massive lion patting the roof of the cruiser. Morty chuckled.
The bear looked mortified.
“Sorry, Captain. I forgot about the roof.”
“Yeah, the roof,” the lion confirmed.
Vanessa opened the driver’s door and reached inside. With a hydraulic whine, the reinforced roof panels split and rolled back, exposing the interior of the rear bay as if the vehicle was being peeled open.
Captain Leonardo climbed up and settled into with practiced resignation, shoulders rolling as he adjusted his weight. He was tall enough that even sitting down, his shoulders and head rose above the roofline. He sat, facing back.
“At least it’s not raining,” he added.
Juno shook his head fondly, stroking his shoulder before climbing into the passenger seat.
Kassur remained there, suddenly aware that this was the moment where paths separated.
“Well,” he said, rubbing the palm of his hands against his pants, trying to scrub the lingering hospital smell off his fur. “I should probably get going.”
Captain Leonardo shifted in the cruiser’s rear bay, making the vehicle groan under his weight,
The lion’s expression wasn’t hostile. He tilted his head slightly, as if measuring Kassur. There was something else there too - faint and unmistakable. Like a small challenge. He looked at Kassur, and then, very briefly, at Morty, before locked back onto the jackal.
“Understood,” the bigger predator said calmly. “You did what you could today. Get some rest.”
Kassur nodded once. “Yes, sir.”
“Hang on,” Morty tugged his hand, hard. “What do you mean? You’re not honestly going to just head back to your shop right now?”
There was something defiant in that green-eyed stare.
“I mean… I do want to meet you tomorrow, and I made sure you’re okay. But I have my shop, and…” Kassur trailed off, searching for the words. “Do you want to come to my place?”
Morty snickered.
“Bold. And, yes… I think I’d really like to do that sometime. But that’s for another time. You also shouldn’t be going there for now.”
“Why not?” he asked, his ears perking up and his brows furrowed.
Juno stepped next to him, placing a hand on his back.
“You shouldn’t be going there today, and maybe not for a while,” the hyena said flatly.
Kassur stiffened. “What the hells?”
“It is safer,” Juno said, turning fully toward him now. “Listen, I did my thing so you didn’t enter that room and that woman saw you. But Cassandra is bitch. The front desk staff were the people that told us about you waiting for Morty. Maybe that is going to reach her ears, and that can make her curious. And her curiosity can be dangerous.”
It felt like something cold crawled up Kassur’s spine.
“You guys were really scared of her being alone with Morty.”
“He will be fine,” the lion said, in a mocking tone. “Let the guy go home.”
Juno glanced at him and made a face. The lion looked away.
“Hey, Kassur. It does feel good to know that you waited for me there. Truly, ” Morty said. “But she was trying to dig for information about the Alpha, and something else…”
Morty trailed off, staring at the distance. Kassur and Juno exchanged a glance. But the cat shook his head and continued.
Kassur swallowed. “I don’t think I have anything she wants.”
“That doesn’t stop people like her,” Morty replied quietly. “Sometimes that makes it worse.”
Juno nodded with a frown.
“She’s someone that enjoys a lot of privileges because of her abilities and how indispensable she is. Part of me is glad that she saved Morty. Yet, she’s also always pushing boundaries in order to gather more favors from upstairs and the chain of command.
The city noise seemed to fade, replaced by the dull thud of Kassur’s heartbeat in his ears.
“You were there with me, at the Stockyard,” Morty said. “You were present when things went bad. There's been a crap ton of stuff happening in the city since last night. Yes, she might not go after you, and that is ok. Honestly, I don't think she will. However, we aren’t going to risk it. There are political shenanigans going on here and I don’t like it.”
“Ava said something similar,” Juno said, scratching his chin.
Metallic thuds interrupted them. They turned to see the lion slapping the side of the cruiser to get their attention.
“If we are bringing the guy home, let’s not waste time,” he called “Move out.”
Juno nodded and slapped the jackal’s back, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts.
“So. You’re coming with us. At least for now.”
Kassur stared. “To your unit?”
“Yes,” Captain Leonardo rumbled from the back of the cruiser, then pointed a clawed finger at him. “Temporarily. Until things settle. You’re involved now, whether you like it or not. Safer this way.”
Kassur opened his mouth. Closed it. Thought of his shop. His tools. The silence waiting there.
He squeezed Morty’s hand.
“Okay then. I’ll grab my motorcycle.”
Morty’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Good. I’m going with you then.”
“Fucking no,” Juno cut in. “I’m not even sure how you’re still standing up. You are not going to be like Leo and risk falling off a motorcycle just for the thrill.”
“Juno’s right,” Leo shouted.
“It does have a sidecar. With a safety belt,” Kassur offered.
The hyena sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked at Morty and back, then back at Kassur, and rolled his eyes before finally flashing a tired smile.
“Fine,” he grumbled, then poked Kassur’s chest. “Stay behind us. I’ll tell Vanessa to not rush. Just… don’t drive like an idiot.”
The motorcycle was parked on the other side of the block, Morty and Kassur walked there in silence, Morty’s shoulder occasionally brushing against his arm. Later, the jackal helped the cat to climb into the sidecar, his hands suddenly clumsier than usual.
“Why do I feel like I just met my in-laws?” Kassur joked while Morty strapped himself.
The cat paused and gave him a cheeky grin.
“Oh-ho? Already calling them the in-laws?”
Kassur clicked his tongue and reached up, flicking Morty’s nose lightly through the helmet visor
He circled the block, and when Vanessa saw them getting closer, she pulled the cruiser forward and started driving.
The lion glared at them the whole way. His head still stuck out of the open roof, mane whipping the wind, eyes locked on them. The expression was unmistakable — amused, protective, and just a little threatening. Like a father watching.
Kassur smiled to himself and followed the cruiser into the night.
He didn’t usually drive at night unless someone needed help to fix something that had broken late in the day. Tagging along behind a DAIR cruiser was new.
They passed mostly empty streets, closed storefronts with half-lit signs. A few bars still bled music into the streets. People standing on corners with nowhere urgent to be.
The farther they rode, the thinner the crowds became. Buildings grew smaller and more spaced out, giving way to houses.
Kassur glanced to his right and smiled.
Morty had slumped in the sidecar at some point, one arm tucked close to his body, chin tilted down. His helmet tapped gently against the padded rim with each bump in the road.
What a weird day.
The thought came uninvited. What a weird cut of fate. What a weird set of people to stumble into.
He had spent most of life afraid of talking to enforcers, haunted by the bad experiences from when he was a kid. He’d rather endure the treatment the regulars offered him. He’d rather pretend to be smaller than he was. It did help, and things didn’t miraculously change.
The world was still the same it was when he woke up.
But he felt that, maybe… maybe he could trust these people that Morty had brought into his life.
He almost laughed inside his helmet.
He’d almost died.
That should terrify him more than it did. It did scare him, the memory of it still sat heavy in his chest. He’d probably carry the weight of that decision for a long time; yanking those electric cables, the thrum of energy and sparks snapping inches from his face. Rogue predators convulsing while being electrocuted.
The collateral damage that he caused…
He’d miss Alejandro.
He wouldn’t call the pig a friend. Not exactly. But, he was honest, and always made sure Kassur got paid, even if only in produce. More than once, it was one of the reasons he didn’t go hungry.
After another 20 minutes, they arrived.
They turned off the main road and rolled into what used to be an industrial block. Some of the outdated style constructions had been converted into squat apartment buildings. Wide and short. Among those, there was the unit that Captain Leonardo was responsible for.
The front of it was made of exposed bricks, the DAIR logo mounted prominently above the entrance. A large lot wrapped around the building with space for personal vehicles. About a third of it was filled with different models of car.
They circled to the back.
Massive hangar-style doors dominated the rear wall - once meant for trucks loading and unloading, now allowed the large cruisers to drive in and out easily. Vanessa honked, and someone within the unit pushed the metal doors aside.
Kassur followed the cruiser into what must once have been the storage floor and heart of production.
The unit didn’t look like what he expected.
Kassur was familiar with the Eastern Precinct, having to go there occasionally on a paperwork run. This place felt completely different.
This felt like a den.
His chest tightened.
A huge, uninterrupted open space, tall enough that Kassur instinctively looked up. Faded markings on the walls hinted at its past as a fabric factory. Where looms and machines had once thundered day and night, fabric rolling, belts screaming, workers shouting over the noise, the unit had made a garage and an open living space for the enforcers on duty.
Speaking of a garage, Kassur spotted two cruisers set aside, open like disemboweled carcasses. Pieces set around them on top of grimy tarps. They weren’t wrecked, just mid-repair. Panels removed. Tires off. Nearby, motorcycles rested on their stands, bulkier and more robust than Kassur’s own. Patrol models.
Beyond all that, without walls or doors to separate it, sprawled what could only be described as a massive living room crossed with a man cave.
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Worn workout equipment claimed the far right of the hall, forming a modest gym that looked more functional than pretty. Beside it, a loose cluster of mismatched couches faced a hulking tube television perched on a reinforced stand, the late-night news flickering across the screen in muted colors and a bit of static. Long wooden tables occupied the center, built to seat the whole unit's personnel. Finally, to the left stretched an open industrial kitchen with long counters, deep sinks, massive pots hung from hooks at the wall. The kind of kitchen meant for cooking in bulk.
Kassur swallowed as he saw some enforcers coming out to greet them. Beside him, Morty stirred, blinking awake with a soft yawn. He stretched in the sidecar, then winced, one hand going briefly to his temple before he climbed out.
Morty looked around, eyes lingering a fraction too long on the room, his gaze going unfocused. Then he met Kassur’s eyes and smiled, and whatever tension Kassur thought he saw was gone.
“Hey,” Morty said quietly. “You okay?”
Kassur nodded too quickly. “Yeah. Just…” He gestured vaguely. “Didn’t expect… this. How about yourself, gato. Getting a headache?”
Morty gave him a crooked smile.
“Something like that. It can be kind of annoying.”
There were too many people inside. Two full shifts’ worth, if Kassur remembered what the bear had said back at the hospital.
Some were still in partial gear, vests unsealed and hanging loose. Others had clearly showered and changed, wearing plain shirts or old hoodies with the DAIR logo half-peeled and cracked with age. The air buzzed with overlapping conversations, bursts of laughter, metal clinking from someone working out, and the steady noise of people cooking.
Vanessa hopped out of the cruiser first.
“Hey! Brought the guys back home,” she called out at the top of her lungs. “And behave - we have guests.”
Heads turned.
A few jokes were shouted as Captain Leonardo climbed out of the rear bay, the cruiser visibly rocking under his weight. Someone made a crack about reinforced suspension. Someone else laughed too hard.
Kassur cut the engine, and Morty swung his legs out of the sidecar, already waving at someone across the space. An approaching enforcer immediately flipped him off with both hands, and Morty returned the gesture.
“Thought I wouldn’t see your ugly face anymore,” the guy, a gorilla, called out.
“I see someone is still pissed at losing at poker,” Morty shot back.
“You know that you cheated.”
“That sounds like what a bitch would say.”
More laughter rippled through the room as the gorilla got near enough to shake Morty’s hand. He was about Kassur’s height, but wider and bukier, with longer arms and hands. He side-eyed the jackal briefly, then snorted and offered a hand.
“Agent Korin,” he said.
“Kassur Ferros,” the jackal replied.
The handshake was firm, but not meant to actually hurt.
“Welcome to Unit D,” Korin rumbled. “And nice to see you around, Mortimer.”
“Likewise. Maybe tomorrow we can catch up on the card games.”
The gorilla waved him off. “You can’t play anymore. You cheat.”
“Sore loser.”
Kassur allowed Morty to drag him into the living space of the unit. People filtered closer in small clusters. No one rushed him. No one blocked him either. There were some curious stares, but nothing hostile. He was the stranger here, and yes people were curious, but they didn’t probe it too much.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the human woman from the hospital, the one called Ava. Juno and Vanessa split off and went to talk to her. The three of them took one door at the opposite wall, going away.
Morty kept introducing him to a bunch of people, and he remembered maybe half of the names.
The unit worked in a twenty-four-on, seventy-two-off schedule.
Normally, part of the roster should have gone home. Especially those who’d been by the river when the alpha first appeared. But none of them wanted to leave. They lingered, just in case they were needed again.
A single roster was composed of six enforcers, three support personnel, with secretarial and janitorial services on a more regular schedule. That put twelve enforcers, and six support people in the unit tonight. Though Korin mentioned most from the previous shift were sleeping upstairs.
Someone handed Kassur and Morty steaming mugs of coffee. The lion had already been dragged toward the kitchen area and was sniffing at the pots. The aroma of dinner being cooked invaded his nostrils, and his stomach groaned.
“Oh yeah,” Korin said, nodding with his chin. “Kitchen’s that way. Hope you guys like spicy food.”
Kassur smiled at that.
“No spice, no life,” Kassur said with a genuine smile.
It was a bit overwhelming, but not that bad.
Morty bumped his fist against Korin’s forearm and pointed to where Juno and the others had vanished.
“House doesn't usually get this full. Let me guess,” he said. “People getting antsy? Juno trying to prevent it from getting worse?”
Korin snorted. “Too much adrenaline and nowhere to put it. Precinct’s asking us to be ready, but the top hats are benching us at the same time.”
“Figures,” Morty huffed a quiet laugh. “But, seriously… Is everything okay?”
Korin grunted. “As okay as it gets when you tell enforcers to sit on their hands,” the gorilla picked his nose and also stared at the door. “Ava was complaining before she went to meet the Big Boss and El-Tee at the hospital. I think there’s more there.”
“There’s always more there,” Morty said, his expression going a bit dark.
Kassur followed the exchange without really understanding the details. Morty must have noticed, because he glanced back, expression softening just a fraction.
“Anyway, we will be around. Just lemme give this handsome guy here a tour and show where the dorms are.”
“Oh,” the gorilla opened his arms and did a hip thrust. “If he feels lonely, Papa Korin’s here.”
“Back away, Korin,” Morty said, grabbing an arm from the wide-eyed jackal. “This one is mine.”
“Friends share, just saying,” he waved them off and marched to where the lion and the other guys were passing plates around in a confusion of conversations.
Others had drifted to the worn gym equipment or collapsed onto the couches near the television.
“They’re loud,” Morty murmured. “But they’re good people.”
“I’m just not used to so many people,” Kassur said, still watching the room.
“I can see that…” Morty said without a hint of judgment. “If you want I can show you the dorms. Then I grab a bite to eat and take it there for you.”
Morty casually put a hand on Kassur's lower back, comforting the jackal, and Kassur practically rumbled in happiness at the touch.
He took a slow breath.
“I can endure it,” Kassur said.
He glanced down at the cat and, on impulse, kissed Morty’s cheek. Morty looked mildly surprised at that, but didn’t flinch away.
What a weird day, Kassur thought.
What a weird turn my life just made.
He should’ve been afraid. Part of him still remembered the old treatment. The familiar fear that these people might turn on him, start interrogating him, pressing him down for his livestock receipts, for how he made his money. The old grilling he used to receive. That small pressure sat in his chest, steady and undeniable.
However, this time, beneath all that, there was something softer. Fuzzier. The echo of Morty saying that Kassur was his.
That felt good. He just wanted to grab the cat and squeeze him close. But he shouldn’t be doing that now.
Kassur took a sip of the coffee and deemed it passable.
================================
“Relax,” Morty murmured.
A pair of enforcers glanced their way as they took seats at the table. One of them, a stocky boar with a scar running across her snout, frowned briefly, then shook her head. The human next to her kept stealing glances at Kassur’s motorcycle.
“So who’s the stray you brought?”
Morty didn’t miss a beat. “His name is Kassur. Saved my dumb ass.”
The boar snorted. “Figures.” She extended a hand without ceremony. “Rafa, Short for Rafaella. This one is Elias. Be nice to him, he’s the one who organizes our gear.”
Kassur shook her hand, grip firm but not challenging. Elias also shook his hand, but with less strength. “Kassur.”
The tension eased after that and small talk followed.
Elias turned out to be a motorcycle enthusiast and peppered Kassur with questions about his ride, which led him into talking about his work. At that, some people mentioned the unit’s maintenance issues, like the stalled cruisers and temperamental engines. They floated the idea of him having a look around
A gong sounded, announcing the food was ready, and enforcers began drifting in and out to fill their plates.
“Smells like stew,” Kassur murmured, while they waited for their turn to get up and get the food.
“Yeah,” Morty said. “Too many people and I guess that makes it easier.”
“How come you don’t work with them? Looks like everyone here knows you.”
Morty shrugged and looked around.
“I’d like to,” he said with a sigh. “But I mostly work with the precinct, reviewing active cases. Investigative stuff. These guys here are more on the combatant line of work. That’s why the unit is located at the outskirts of the city, making it easier for them to ride to the outposts and villages around Endon.”
Morty spoke a little more of his work. Today had been an exception for him as well. From the way he described it, he didn’t usually see much action. Even when something went wrong, he would normally have a scout with him.
Kassur frowned. “So why did you come to my shop alone? What if I had been like one of the guys at the Stockyard?”
Morty smiled faintly. “Well, I told you… I checked your file. Talked to the neighbors. And I heard that conversation you had with the lady. I’d have skedaddled if anything felt off.”
They didn’t even need to get up. Two bowls of food found their way to them. Morty blinked, then smiled up at the massive lion looming beside the table. Captain Leonardo patted the cat’s shoulder, gave Kassur a stern nod, and marched away holding another two bowls with him. One of which could’ve passed for a bucket.
Kassur stared down at his meal. Steam curled upward, the smell rich and filling but… rough.
Morty took a spoonful and chuckled.
“You know,” he mused, nudging Kassur’s feet under the table. “This would be better if we had that bread you made.”
Kassur huffed. “I’ll make sure to bake more of it. Since you liked it.”
Morty smiled. “You should make some here sometime. They’d lose their minds.”
Kassur looked around at the long tables, the tired people eating in companionable silence or half-asleep chatter. “Maybe…”
They ate. Conversation gradually faded as people focused on filling their stomachs.
The food was heavy and grounding, the kind made more to fill and keep people working and warm than to actually impress. However, after a day like this, it was good. Even if Kassur thought it needed more salt. His mind wandered, already thinking about how he might improve it.
Kassur finished slower than Morty. When he looked up, the cat sat motionless, spoon forgotten in his bowl, staring into nothing.
“Hey,” Kassur said softly.
Morty blinked, refocused. “Sorry. I think my brain shut down.”
“That’s usually the cue to sleep.”
“Yeah,” Morty agreed. “Before I fall over.”
================================
The dormitory was quieter. The rooms were on the second floor, near some office spaces. They got there after a flight of stairs.
The room they were given was simple. Two large bunk beds stood close together, forming a rough V against the back and left walls, built to hold big predators, each being 8 feet long.
Still too small for that Lion. Bah, he might sleep somewhere else. Or have a special room. Kassur thought
Along the right wall was an open closet stocked with spare blankets and sheets. Hooks jutted out of the brick wall next to it, meant for gear, or backpacks. All empty now, signalizing the room hadn’t been delegated to anyone else yet.
They moved around each other carefully, exhaustion making everything slow. Kassur claimed one of the lower beds, peeling off his shirt and shoes. As he sighed and let the soft mattress cradle his back, his gaze drifted to Morty as the cat undressed in the narrow room.
It wasn’t meant to be seductive, but Kassur couldn’t look away.
Unlike him, Morty also removed his pants. Kassur held his breath. Morty flinched. Old burn scars marked his shins and feet. Patches of fur missing along the back of his thighs.
“What happened there?” Kassur asked, looking embarrassed after staring for too long.
Morty was looking away.
“I almost died when I was a kid,” he said quietly. “Got the scars as a reminder.”
He folded his clothes neatly, storing them in the closet and hanging his coat. He then grabbed a couple of sheets, and tossed one at Kassur before making his way to the other bunk bed, also claiming the lower bed. “Too disgusting?”
Kassur chortled.
He rolled out of the bed and sat on the floor with his back facing Morty. A tapestry of long, jagged scars breaking the fur along his spine. Some disappearing beneath the waistband of his pants.
“Got these from the time I was alone on the streets,” he paused as he felt the cat touching one of the scars and tracing it down gently, as if afraid to hurt him. “So,” Kassur added, glancing back, “am I too disgusting?”
“No. You are very handsome.”
Kassur had expected a joke. The straight compliment hit him like a punch. He tail wagged before he could stop it.
For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. Then Kassur got up and was about to climb back into his bunk. Morty reached out and caught his hand, stopping him.
Their eyes met, and Morty tugged gently on the jackal’s arm, pulling him into the same bed. Kassur didn’t resist. He laid down and their bodies pressed close together.
For a moment, they just looked at each other.
It had been so long. So long since he allowed himself to be vulnerable with anyone.
Kassur lifted a hand, Morty didn’t speak, leaning into it instead, cheek brushing Kassur’s palm, eyes half-lidded. One hand slid to the back of Kassur’s head, pulling him even closer.
They kissed slowly at first.
Then something ignited. It felt as if a furnace of hunger and desire blazed in his chest. Mouths fitting together like something that had been missing clicked back into place. Kassur felt the tremor in Morty’s breath extend to his whole body.
He was acutely aware of everything, the warmth, the closeness, the weight of Morty as the cat rolled on top of him. Kassur hadn’t realized how much he’d been starved for contact until now, how long he’d gone without someone choosing him.
Morty was a good kisser. His tongue gently teased the jackal’s until Kassur was pressing closer, fingers fumbling at his waistband, tugging them down. Their tongues flirted, his lips soft as he pressed forward into the kiss then eased back at intervals. Half the time Kassur felt like chasing him; the other half, like he was about to be devoured. As if Morty was the predator here.
Kassur felt the flare of old instincts telling him to pull back.
Old habits. Old scarcity. The reflex that said don’t want too much, don’t show too much. He’d learned a long time ago how to keep himself contained, how to survive without leaning too hard on anyone.
But Morty was already leaning. Each time Kassur flinched, he felt the cat’s mouth curve into a smile against his. Morty would break the kiss for a second, nuzzling his neck, gently nibbling at it, relaxing him, grounding him, both physically and emotionally.
“We don’t have to do anything,” Morty murmured. His voice was low, steady despite the fatigue threading through it. “We only go as far as you want. I mean it.”
Kassur nodded. There was another kiss followed by a pause. He pulled Morty closer, chest to chest now, feeling the steady thump of Morty’s heart against his own ribs. The cat chuckled and started to purr, a vibration that made Kassur's thoughts and fears start to melt.
Kassur slid Morty’s underwear down. The cat raised his hips to help and allow it, using the motion to tug Kassur’s pants and underwear down in the same movement. Morty ended up on his back; clawed fingers running through Kassur’s chest fur, making the predator shiver. Kassur braced himself above him, weight balanced on his arms. He leaned down for a kiss and lowered his hips over the cat’s.
A whimper and a sigh escaped them both.
Morty clumsily slid up his hands over his sides, feeling the corded muscles shift beneath skin and fur, smiling at the subtle tremor he caused.
The rest blurred.
Sensations layered on top of sensations. The rustle of sheets, the soft thud of the bunk’s frame against the wall. More than once, they clamped a hand on top of each other's mouths to prevent people in the other dorm from hearing. Muffled moans only for them.
When it was over, Morty eased away, out of him, and they laid panting on the bed. They both had faint, goofy grins. Morty gave Kassur a small hip bump before rolling onto his side and allowing Kassur to assume the big spoon position. Kassur’s arms came around him without thought, holding him there, protective and almost shy about it.
They lay tangled together.
Kassur rested a hand over Morty’s chest, smiling as he felt the cat’s fingers trace idle patterns along the back of his hand. He pressed a kiss into the top of Morty’s head, the gesture so instinctive it startled him.
Neither of them spoke. When Morty shifted, it wasn’t to pull away, but to tuck himself closer, fitting into Kassur’s body like that had always been the plan.
Eventually, Morty’s breathing slowed. His muscles loosened as exhaustion claimed him, and he fell asleep.
Kassur stayed very still.
For a long time, Kassur had learned to treat moments like this as temporary. Borrowed. Something you didn’t lean into too hard because the cost of wanting them to last was always too high.
Morty’s tail curled around his waist.
Yes. It had been a long time since Kassur last had sex. More than that, this was the first time someone didn’t leave after. The first time someone had fallen asleep with him, instead of near him.
Kassur closed his eyes, letting the quiet take him. His thoughts slowed, unraveling into simple sensations: warmth, weight, the steady cadence of breathing that wasn’t his own but now felt like part of him.
For once, sleep didn’t feel like something he had to guard against.