Cai immediately got to cooking once they got back aboard the Donati.

  Roxy immediately moved next to him and started helping, and Nyx realized that during the few days since they’d been apart, the others had gotten to experience his cooking as well. This both disappointed her because she had been looking forward to their reactions to seeing food that wasn’t some variation of Nufuud, and made her jealous because they had spent more time with him now than she had. She’d discovered him first!

  Nyx realized she’d grabbed Cai’s arm and blushed, “I’m gonna be helpin’ too.”

  Cai looks down, “Sure. Can you start slicing the sausage?”

  Cai tells them how to make pizza, starting with the dough. Twoey gets to grate the cheese, Zone slices tomatoes, and Roxy slices these weird things called mushrooms that freak Nyx out.

  Then Cai tosses the dough into the air, amazing everyone until he loses control, and it lands on Twoey, who got too close.

  Finally comes the tomato sauce. Nyx isn’t sure why adding a bunch of finely shredded plants Cai calls ‘herbs’ is important until she samples it and an explosion of flavors hits her tongue.

  Cai then steps back and lets them put the sauce, cheese, and toppings on the pizza, and soon it’s in the oven.

  Twoey is staring through the glass window of the oven, her tail and butt wagging back and forth in anticipation when Nyx realizes Cai is recording them.

  Nyx bristles at first, then realizes that she likes the idea. Their first baking together as a found family.

  She hasn’t felt this happy since… since she herself came on board the Donati. Cai was a part of it, but now they’re free. No more lab. No more pirates. And new friends.

  Even if her feelings for Cai are because he took her in and not romantic, she’d still be happy here.

  The pizza is divine. Even the freaky mushroom things. And soon all the Felis are purring up a storm. Roxy looks like she would be too.

  “Mya! Cai, this is bein’ shiny!” Nyx purrs, her tail swishing blissfully.

  Roxy swallows a bite, “It really is, thank you for teaching us, Cai.”

  Twoey is too busy eating and just growls as Zone tries to take a slice near her.

  Zone hisses at Twoey and grabs the slice anyway.

  Twoey pounces on Zone, her sauce covered and greasy hands soiling his clothing.

  Zone pushes at her, “Gah! Get off!”

  Cai chuckles as he watches, “Thanks, Nyx. Thanks, Roxy.”

  Nyx pulls at Cai, “Hurry and be eatin’! I’m wantin’ to be doin’ a date thing with ya on the dum computer.”

  Nyx has seen how close Roxy is getting to Cai, so she’s going to show him how serious she is.

  Roxy pauses, “Computer thing?”

  Cai thinks for a moment, “Probably full-dive VR.”

  Zone stands, “That circlet thing? That was awesome! We should play that game again. The one with the women with huge…” He pauses as he sees Nyx glare at him and Roxy blush.

  Twoey finishes for Zone, “Boobies! Me too! Me too!”

  Nyx bites Cai’s arm.

  Cai yelps, “Hey! Okay! I’ll change it!”

  “You were already sayin’ you were.” Nyx growls.

  Cai looks to the side with a guilty look, “I did. But Zone wanted to see and…”

  Zone points a finger accusingly at Cai, “Hey! Don’t blame me! I saw how happy you looked when they changed back!”

  Cai’s look turns to shame as he sees Roxy shaking, “Okay, yeah. I’ll change it to have random NPCs, guys too.”

  Nyx pulls on Cai’s arm, “Let’s be gettin’ goin’! Donati! Be makin’ Cai’s favorite datin’ spot!”

  Cai shrugs as Nyx pulls him away, and soon they’re in Cai’s room.

  Nyx points to the desk chair, “Be sittin’!”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Cai chuckles and sits, “Someone is eager.”

  Nyx jumps into Cai’s lap, purring, “I’ve been missin’ ya…” She nuzzles him, “Now be puttin’ on the dum VR thing.”

  They both put on the VR rings, Nyx facing Cai and nuzzling against his chest and under his chin.

  Nyx doesn’t care how she looks to anyone. Now that she’s here, she knows she wants Cai as a mate. She hasn’t known him long, but she’s learned enough to know that she’s safe and happy with him.

  Her vision goes blank, and when it returns, she’s staring and the most water she’s ever seen. Under her bare feet, she feels a coarse powder that’s hot, almost too hot. The smell is salty and rotten? She’s not sure how to describe it. Behind her, there’s a line of trees, several with large brown seed things in them. There’s a small building nearby with tables and chairs. Overhead, several dozen birds are crying as they circle around.

  She looks down to see water hit her legs as it moves in and out with a pleasant sound, and her feet sink slightly into the coarse powder.

  Cai is looking over the water, “How do you like the view? I remember the first time I saw the ocean. I was four years old and couldn’t believe there could be this much water.” He smiles, then looks at her.

  Nyx looks across the vast expanse of the ocean, “I’m knowin’ what the ocean is bein’. All the shiny blue on the Earth.”

  She knew the ocean was big. Took up most of the Earth. But standing here instead of seeing it in a hologram of the Earth as a whole awed her. She knew space was much bigger, but when you’re stuck inside of a sealed piece of metal, it was rare to see how vast it was. That’s why she always enjoyed going into the black and just… watch.

  Cai takes her hand, “Let’s walk the beach. Tell me what you want. With us.”

  He looks at her, and she can’t tell how he’s feeling.

  Nyx feels her tail whipping back and forth as she suddenly feels nervous, “I’m likin’ ya. As a man. I know I’m a dum Felis and you’re probably not likin’ me as a woman, but I’m not carin’. And you’re not bein’ runnin’ from us women anymore. Now be kissin’ me like a man, or I’m doin’ it.”

  Cai looks at the ocean for a moment before he finally speaks, “I don’t care if you’re Felis or not, Nyx. And I do like you. You’re too fun and adorable under that harsh shell you’ve got. But some wounds don’t heal. You remind me too much of my daughter. Well, she didn’t have the ears and tail. It’s part of the reason I let you stay on the Donati. Kicking you off felt like I was kicking her off… so even though I had no obligation to help you, I did.”

  Nyx feels her ears twitch, and she flicks her tail, “I’m not bein’ yer daughter. I’m bein’ very shiny that you are helpin’ me. But…” She growls. “Donati, be turnin’ this dum thing off.”

  Her vision fades before she’s back in his lap, nuzzled against him. She looks up at him him looking down at her.

  Nyx grabs his face, “I’m not bein’ yer daughter.” She grabs his head, purring, her tail swishing, “I’m Nyx. I’m wantin’ ya as a woman.”

  She pulls him down and kisses him, her lower belly warming as she doesn’t let go. Cai doesn’t pull back and wraps his arms around her, causing her purring to deepen.

  When they finally part, Nyx stares into his eyes. They don’t look upset or angry. She can see he’s still uncertain.

  He finally speaks, “Okay. How can I say ‘no’ to that? I worry that you only like me because I helped you and that once things settle down, you’ll regret if we move too fast.”

  Nyx understands what he’s saying. Yeah, she’s interested in him because he brought her out of a life of misery and loneliness. And she’d never liked someone like this before, so she worried she read into her emotions more than she should. But she knew one thing. He was a kind man. She knew he had escaped from people and maybe he was fine being alone, but he’d still let her into his space.

  “I’m not gonna be regrettin’ it. I’m knowin’ ya and I’m likin’ what I’m seein’. I’m wantin’ ya.” She licks his cheek and nuzzles him before licking his cheek some more, her purring the only thing breaking the silence.

  Cai laughs as she licks his face, “Okay. Looks like I’ve gotten claimed. I like you too, Nyx. Let’s try us out.”

  He kisses her.

  Nyx eagerly kisses back, the unfamiliar warmth in her stomach growing hotter despite the cramping that seems to be getting worse.

  They break the kiss and Cai hugs her, “Hey. I’m glad you broke into the Donati that day. I don’t regret being alone out there in the galaxy for so long, but I think it’ll be a lot more enjoyable with you.”

  “Shiniest dum day of my life.” She nuzzles him, her purr still rumbling and her tail swishing happily. “Yer bein’ fine with me bein’ a Felis?”

  She knows that if things work out between them, children will be an issue. She’s not sure she’d want to have a child that could never hear.

  She blushes. Why is she thinking about having kids with him already?

  Cai looks at her, “Well, if you’re talking about the ears and tail, I like them a lot. If you’re talking about children… Not having any is fine. But if things work out between us like that. I may have downloaded the Mankind’s Salvation’s database Twoey leaked. It has the data in it for the gene mods to make Felis and Humans compatible, like Zone is. The Donati’s med bay can make the gene therapy like I did for your radiation treatment.”

  Nyx freezes for a moment, processing what she just heard. One of her biggest worries was if she ever wanted kids. For most of her life, she’d been the only Felis. The crew of the Az Gaper always mocked her or called her disgusting because any kids she’d have would be like Wrench, with half-formed human and Felis ears.

  She didn’t want kids yet. She wasn’t sure if she ever would, even if her body told her to as she licked and kissed Cai.

  Nyx’s purring increased, “Be doin’ it. I’m wantin’ the dum gene therapy.”

  Cai smiles, “Donati, use Nyx’s DNA and formulate a gene therapy using the data from the Mankind’s Salvation database that makes human and Felis compatible for children.”

  Nyx licks Cai’s face more as her tail swishes back and force happily, her purring continuing to rumble loudly.

  Cai pats her head, “Hey, that tickles and now I smell like Nyx spit.”

  Nyx stops licking, “That’s bein’ the point. Makin’ everyone know you’re bein’ mine now.”

  “Hey, I just agreed to one date.”

  Nyx growls, then bites his collarbone.

  “Ow! Fine! I get it. We’ll go on more dates.”

  Nyx releases him and looks up, “Can we be goin’ back to Casey and be gettin’ that paintin’ done?” She thinks about the others, “Roxy, Twoey, and Zone can be comin’ too after we’re bein’ done.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.”

  Nyx nuzzles Cai for a few more minutes, purring, before they go back to the others.