POLY (UPDATED 04/22/2023)

Chapter Five

The days they went without seeing Kitten turned into weeks and the weeks added up to a month. Kitten continued to hide away in her bedroom without any words to Yohani and Greg who couldn't tell if she was alive or not. Yohani slumped up in the library with tears bouncing off the pages.

This wasn't the life she expected to have with Kitten in the house. Yohani expected full laughs and lots of kisses between the three. Maybe a possibility of a full relationship. Yohani wipes her face as she closed the book that was supposed to be her distraction.

She sighed and made her way out of the library towards her room. It was too late in the night to be reading anyway. Hell, it was too late in the night to be thinking about Kitten's current state. It would send anybody to tears.

Greg sighs when he hears Yohani door close for the final time. He noticed that she grew an ungodly habit of staying up late since Kitten holed herself up in her room. So he grew the habit as well to make sure she didn't hurt herself or wouldn't hurt herself.

Greg knew this was one of the major keys of depression and has already scheduled an appointment with an therapist. He wasn't going to risk Yohani's mental health. He didn't want to risk Kitten's. If it was up to him, Kitten would be seeing a therapist weekly to get the help she needs. Sadly, it isn't.

Finishing off his brandy, Greg made his way to the sink to begin washing the glass. The sound of a slight gasp caught his attention. His head snapped towards the stairs where Kitten stood with messy hair, baggy eyes, and one of Greg's T-shirt's hiding her body.

The air stood still as they stared at each other. Greg instincts knew what was going on behind those brown eyes of Kitten's, so he knew he needed to make the first move.

"It's okay," Greg says softly and calmly.

He needed her to feel safe with him or else she's going to run and hide again. He needs to prove furthermore that he will not hurt her. That she is safe with him. That what happened Zach was a slip up on his part and not hers. That it will never happen again.

Kitten stood on the last step of the stairs in hesitation as she watched Greg's every move. Greg paid no mind and placed the washed glass on the drying rack. He beckoned for Kitten to come closer as he opened the oven.

"I know you're hungry. I made pasta tonight — your favorite actually," Greg continues.

He pulled out a pan of lasagna and placed it on the stove top. The sound of Kitten's stomach giving him a slight pinch in his stomach. How long has she been hungry?

"I don't want to talk about it... if I come down can we not talk about... it?" Kitten hoarsely asks.

"We don't even have to talk, as long as you eat and drink something," Greg agreed.

Kitten rushed to the island and took a seat while Greg cut her out a piece of lasagna. She knows it's a bit selfish to not want to explain the events, but she finally felt like she was on track. At least her foot was on the ground. That's the only reason she came out of her room, even at such an ungodly hour.

Kitten looked up to Greg's back as he hummed a soft song; waiting for the microwave to stop. She wanted to see his face. It had been so long and she just wanted to see him smile. That'll probably make everything better for her.

The microwave stopped and Greg pulled out the plate and handed to Kitten. She watched his face intently as she placed the plate down on the counter. Greg gave her a small smile and Kitten couldn't help, but smile smile as well as he placed a fork on the plate.

Greg watched as Kitten ate the food. He had to keep her from going into that room once she was done. How was he going to do that?

"I'll be right back," Greg whispers.

Making his way upstairs, Greg goes into his bathroom to run a hot bath with bubbles. Grabbing some clean towels he place them inside his towel warmer and begins the process. Going under the cabinet, he pulls out some hair care products he bought that one time Zach allowed Greg to wash Kitten's hair.

Kitten's texture was different from Yohani's and Greg wanted to make sure he did it right. Kitten really seemed to like it as well.

Once Greg was done, he made his way back downstairs and saw Kitten staring at her empty plate. She probably didn't want to leave without him knowing first. Greg cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"You done?" He asks.

Kitten nods and Greg takes the plate and fork before placing them into the sink. Greg walked over to Kitten and placed a small kiss on her head while giving her a hug. Slowly, Kitten arms wrapped around Greg's waist causing her to relax to his touch.

"Let me take care of you," Greg whispers.

A moment of silence followed. Greg's heart raced as he waited for some form of consent from Kitten. A nod, a meow, a soft yes. Anything to let him know that she was ready.

"Okay," she mumbles.

Greg began to be filled with warmth as he picks up Kitten's body. Carrying her to his bathroom, Greg stripped Kitten of her clothes and sat her inside the bath. Greg turned off the water before he grabbed a washcloth and began to wash her.

Hopefully by the end of this when he lays her in his bed she'll stay. When he was done, Greg began to wash Kitten's hair with softness and care.

"You know..." Kitten starts.

Greg took a pause as he looked down at Kitten who was relaxing in the water. Her hands playing in the bubbles. Always a sign of peace for Kitten.

"I didn't let him in. I was in the pool and I... I looked up to see him. I couldn't deal with the fact—"

"None of that matters, what matters is that you are ok. How were you were surviving in that room?" Greg asks.

"Snacks that Yohani and I hid away in there... since either of liked sleeping on our own and always slept in the shared bedroom we hid away snacks in our separate bedrooms so we could feast when... when you say no to sweets," Kitten confesses.

Greg chuckles slightly, now knowing he has to do a full sweep inside their separate bedrooms to get rid of the candy. Greg swiftly detangles Kitten's hair before taking a cup and rinsing out the suds.

Kitten relaxes to his touch. She missed this type of tender care with Zach. If only he was the same Zach she knew before then things would be alright.

Greg lifts Kitten from the tub and grabbed a warm towel from the towel warmer and placed it around Kitten. He gave her a soft smile and she fluttered those big brown eyes up at him.

Every instinct inside of him just wanted to swoop her up and get her into the bedroom quick. Though he couldn't. Not yet.

Greg gave Kitten her toothbrush as he went through her hair with the blow dryer and widespread comb. He wrapped her hair up in a satin bonnet and scarf before leading Kitten into the bedroom.

Grabbing another of his shirts off the rack, Greg placed over Kitten's body before she dropped the towel. The two climbed into bed together and Kitten place her body as close to Greg as possible.

"You promise to protect me?" Kitten asks.

Her voice like honey in Greg's ear; soft and sweet. He laid a kiss upon her forehead and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"I promise that I'll put my life on the line just to protect you."