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She was a little gray molly-cat, with tabby spots, green eyes, and white socks, and Kai hadn't let Skylor hold her since she wrangled her out of a Crossroads storm drain.
Keeping his hands heated at a comfortable temperature, Kai held the sopping wet kitten close to his chest. The little creature trembled and mewled while Kai soothed her with soft words in a tone of voice he would never admit to if asked.
One would not be able to tell that the spiky-haired ninja had loathed cats just a couple short years ago.
Zane and PIXAL's own bimetallic rescue had corrected that real quick.
As such, he wasn't about to let his spouse steal this fragile little creature from him now.
Skylor touched her hand to Kai's shoulder as they walked through the streets, golden flecks engulfing it as she absorbed a bit of fire.
"You know I can keep her warm too, right?" she asked, summoning a few embers in her palm.
Kai just gave her a suspicious look.
"You might burn her," he huffed, cradling the kitten closer.
Skylor's taken aback look made him stutter, and he closed his eyes, as if that made it easier to answer to.
"I've. . . handled fire a lot longer than you have."
"That's an inconsequential excuse, Hotshot," Skylor deadpanned, reaching for the kitten again.
"H-hey!" Kai protested, hopping out of the way. "If you let me hold her, I'll let you name her!"
"Let me?" Skylor teased, feigning offense, still reaching.
"Y-you know what I mean!" The kitten was bristling now, probably from the rise in his voice. Kai sucked in a breath and began whispering to her again.
"It's okayyyy, kitty~ you're niiiice and safe and warrrm, and I'm not gonna let Mommy take you away from your fi-yahhh dad~"
Skylor tried to ignore the leap in her chest at the new honorific, one she'd never heard Kai call her in its intended meaning before.
Instead she scoffed and continued forward again, twirling to walk backwards as she watched the kitten wrap herself around Kai's finger even more.
A loud purr emanated from the little creature as she finally relaxed into Kai's warmth, and Skylor never thought she'd seen her man's eyes grow that soft.
After rescuing her, they had looked around for a mama cat or any siblings, but had come up dry after almost an hour. According to a couple Crossroads locals, this kitten had been pacing around the shops in that area for a couple days now.
Kai and Skylor did not know how anyone could've passed her by in that time, and it was safe to say they were now pretty bitter towards the shop owners and patrons of that block.
"You'd probably name her Smoky or Ash or something," Skylor muttered, making Kai give her another look.
"Those are great names, Sky," he huffed.
"Talk about basic." Skylor wrinkled her nose at him in that teasing way Kai always fell for, letting her hands land on her hips.
"And what would you name her?" Kai sneered back, stroking the kitten's ears. "Tree sap?"
"I was moreso thinking something food related," Skylor replied matter-of-factly, sticking out her neck. "Kimchi, perhaps."
"Too orange," Kai muttered.
"Curry?"
"Sounds like some deep-voiced actor."
"Dim Sum?"
"Lame."
"Well, do I get to name her or not?" Patience wearing thin, Skylor halted suddenly, making Kai stumble to avoid crashing into her.
Too little, too late.
Kai teetered, his arms lurching.
The kitten ripped free from his grip, and let out a terrified yowl as she jumped through the air, all paws and claws out-stretched. Kai shrieked too and reached out to catch her.
But the kitten had already landed before he could act. Into the frantically outstretched arms of Skylor.
Before anyone could register what had just happened, red-hot flames burst to life in Kai's hands; unexpectedly, considering the bugged-out eyes and unmanly squeal.
"OW!" he hissed, holding out his arms away from himself.
The flames blazed along his sleeve cuffs, singing them black, before dying back and disappearing into his elemental energy once more.
Kai panted with the effort of extinguishing the unprecedented rush of power, leaning over to steady his tingling hands on his knees.
Fire, even kindled by emotional surges, couldn't burn him, but First Master could it still hurt.
Skylor gaped at him and pressed the still-panicking kitten into her sleeve. Kai caught his breath and looked up, his one visible eye wide with surprise.
It happened to be the utter bewilderment and the delayed blush darkening his brown cheeks as he straightened up, that made the hilarity settle in Skylor's chest.
With a mighty wheeze and a sputtering rush of air, she descended into laughter. It rang through the evening air, rattling from her throat and making her shoulders shake. She had to lean over, clutching her stomach with a free hand, to be able to stay standing.
The fire ninja just stared at her, his face darkening even more.
"I t-thought you said you had a better handle on fire, K-Kai!" she choked out between cackles, pinching the slowly calming kitten's scruff to keep her from escaping her crooked arm.
Kai glared at Skylor without heat, burn marks marring the cuffs of his sleeves. Deep in his own chest, laughter was bubbling, the humor of the situation not lost on him no matter how hard he tried to fight it.
And the kitten, scanning around now with wide eyes, looked like she was reevaluating her life choices.
That is how Singe was welcomed into the Smith family.
Somehow, someway, she managed to live a full life with no more fiery close calls.