Eventually
#1 of The Other
AN- This is set way ahead of anything else in the "Other" series. Like...several years after what's currently up.
She was plucking the limes off her miniature tree when she heard the old DragonZord summoning from the kitchen. With a grin, she made her way into the brightly lit area, the sun's dying rays reflecting off the copper pots and pans hanging from the skylight. She set the basket on the table, and picked up her cell.
"Rebry mortuary, you stab 'em, we slab 'em. Right now, we have a two for one special going on...how can I help you?" she answered, cradling the phone between shoulder and ear.
"Well...I was wanting to speak with a certain tigress, but with a deal like that, I'm sure you're very busy. I'll just call back later," the voice replied, full of wry humor.
"Ha ha...very funny. You get off work early?" she asked as she caught sight of the clock. Almost an hour ahead of schedule. "Or is something wrong?"
"Nah, got bored...decided to see if you had any plans?"
"Ahh, I see I see. Well, honestly...I was about to start fixing supper for a certain someone...but if you're gonna be home early, then you might have a bit of a wait until you can eat," she replied.
"Well, then I guess I'm just in time. I have decided that we have other plans. Get dressed, put on your autumn collar, the one with the gold and red tag? And don't forget the cuffs to go with it. I'll be home in about thirty minutes...then we're going out for sup. Got it?" the voice asked, steadily getting lower and huskier.
The tigress shivered, a chill racing down her spine. "Yeah, got it. Anything else?"
"Not that I can think of. See you in a bit." With that, the connection died, and she smiled. Looked like someone had a good day at work today.
Pinning her ears back in anticipated pleasure, she made her way to the bedroom, removing the sheets and tossing them in the washer before she stripped, tossing her muddy clothes into the washer as well. She stopped by the linen closet, removing fresh black sheets, teal pillowcases and an orange towel. The bedclothes were tossed at the foot of the bed, the towel hung on the hook next to the shower.
She rummaged in the drawers for a moment, tail swishing behind her as she searched. Finally, she found what she was looking for. The black jeans with the silver thread shot down the length, tight and almost indecent to wear, coupled with the black V-neck shirt that had the silver and white roses twining down the side onto the stomach. A hunter-green lace bra and matching set of panties completed the rummage in the dressers. She fished around in the 'treasure chest' for her collar and cuffs, setting them beside the sink for later. She eyed the bed for a moment, then shook her head and slipped into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later she stood in the center of the bathroom, dripping wet and shivering. She glanced around the room, then grinned and shook like a canine, laughing as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Fur was poufed everywhere, making her look like something the dog had dragged in and then electrocuted. She shook her head, and smoothed her fur back down, purring as the faint scent of soap and just clean wafted up.
A glance at the clock had her mate about eighteen minutes away still, so she quickly dressed, shivering as the collar settled into place, pressing against the back of her neck and sending heat to coil in her belly. The cuffs clicked shut, and her ears pinned back, unhappy. She hated the cuffs, resented the lingering sensation of being restrained, but could tolerate it for the other one. Her patience and good behavior would be rewarded later tonight. She hooked a hoop with a bell into her ear, chuckling as the soft chime sounded when she flicked her ear.
She set the bathroom to rights again, flicking off the lights as she made her way back into the bedroom. Tugging the sheets on the bed, she made sure that the box of toys was within easy reach, and flipped off the lights, humming a little tune as she went about closing up the house.
A few minutes later, she watched the old grumbly pick-up roar into the drive, settling down with a few muttered protests as the driver put her into reverse. The tigress climbed in quickly, leaning across the bench seat to kiss a greeting to the other. "Good day at work?" she asked, making sure the door was latched as they rumbled down the drive again.
"Ehh, it was so so. But we're not going to talk about work. We're going to have a nice, quiet evening out, and just the two of us. No work, no critters, no cares. Just you, me, and a happy steak tonight." The voice held tiredness, but was still full of the quiet respect and care that it always held when talking to her.
She nodded, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the ankles, watching the scenery pass. The quiet was comfortable, the radio playing softly as background noise. The trees were familiar at this point...and she smiled to herself as she realized just how much they had gone through.
The road to where they were had been rough. And she didn't fool herself...it wasn't clear sailing from here out. But she knew that this relationship was well worth it...that's why she kept coming back, kept fighting and kept working at it to make it work. There had been screaming matches, slammed doors, and months of not talking to each other.
She smirked, eyes sparkling as she remembered about six months into this whole thing. Everything had gone to hell in a handbasket, and everything was falling apart. She was stressed and scared of getting too attached, and when the other had asked for a little space, the feline had panicked and left.
It had taken another four months to patch things back up, to get back to just being friends. The fear of being left had shook her that badly, and looking back, she realized that she had royally screwed up. It was a miracle that the other had even had the patience to try to repair things, to try to re-establish the baseline of being friends, and being comfortable in each other's presence. But together they had worked it out again.
"You okay over there?" She jumped, and grinned sheepishly as the bell chimed in her ear.
"Yeah. Just realizing how far we've come...never thought we'd reach eventually." A hand reached across the seats, squeezing tightly before resettling on the steering wheel.
"Didn't I tell you to just give it some time? Things like this will happen on their own, naturally. That's just the way it is." The other shook her head, russet locks blocking slate blue eyes for a moment. "Damn city kid. Always trying to rush stuff."
She leaned over, pressing a kiss to the muzzle of her beloved. "Damn country kid. Always letting things happen naturally."
The tigress stretched again before resting a hand on the other's leg. It was nice to just have each other again. It wasn't easy, but nothing worth having ever is. It was worth every tear and bit of sweat that they put into it.