The Abandoned Genius

Who Can You Trust?

Adlet's eyes widen as his brows knit close together. He had not expected that answer. Barely believing his ears, he had to double check to make sure.

"Really?" Hans nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Meow, I don't hold grudges," He replied nonchalantly, "There's neow point to it. Mora can feel as guilty as she wants, and I deown't care if the others end up killin' 'er. I'll get ceowmpensated for all this and move on with my life."

"Wow," Adlet gasped in surprise. He couldn't help but feel impressed with the feline.

"That a big deal or somethin'?" Hans looked back over at Adlet with what looked like a bored expression. Adlet shook his head.

"To me, I'm pretty surprised to hear someone say that." He replied, glancing down at his lap, his hands dirtied with scratches and scrapes. "I mean, I lived the better part of my life only thinking about revenge and nothing else. In the beginning, that was my only reason to become a Brave." That seemed to catch Hans's attention.

"That's right, I remember," Hans said, blinking as the subject changes, "Ya meowntioned what happened to yer village, Tgurneu takin' or killin' everyone except for you."

Adlet nodded his head. His gaze lowered but he didn't seem fazed by Hans poking at his weak point. He was already used to hearing or talking about the events that took place eight years ago.

"It's an interesting point of view to have," Adlet continued, his friendly smile returning to his face as he looks back at his teammate, "I can't imagine thinking like that unless you don't have any significant other in your life." Despite thinking theoretically only, Hans didn't respond to his comment. Adlet grew curious at the sudden silent treatment. He waited a couple minutes before speaking again, never looking in another direction. "Hey, Hans?"

"Yeah?" Hans was staring straight ahead, as if he was on watch.

"Can I ask you something?" Adlet approached the situation cautiously. He brought up the topic on his mind in a vague manner back when they had first met in the Phantasmal Barrier and he brushed it off. He wasn't getting his hopes up that this was going to be any different.

"What's up?" Hans inquired without looking back.

"Well," Adlet took a breath, stringing his words together in his mind first so nothing comes off badly. "Your point of view from earlier makes me want to ask if you have any significant others in your life, either past or present?"

"Meow," Hans mumbled as an eerie grin spread widely across his face, his sharp fangs apparent. Adlet's question seems to have piqued his interest. He slowly looks back over at the redheaded man. "Ya kneow, sharin' personal informeowtion won't be good for my image."

"Right, you said that before," Adlet sighed with a hesitant smile and an arched brow. He stopped in order to collect his thoughts as Hans waited patiently. He wanted to find a way to convince Hans that he could share his background and he won't find himself in any trouble because of it. "You know, I promise to keep what you tell me to myself."

"Meow-ha-ha-ha!" Hans slaps his right hand on his knee as he tilts his head back towards the sky and laughs in utter amusement. "Meow, you're a riot, Adlet!"

"Hey, I'm being serious, Hans." Adlet replied firmly in his defence. His fingers grab the fabric to his dark brown pants and his shoulders become tense. "If your background getting out is what you're so afraid of, you can trust me."

"You're so naive, Adlet," Hans continues to snicker over how foolish the man is being, "Me? Afraid? Don't make me laugh so meowch, my ribs are gonna break again!"

"Come on, Hans," Adlet barks back as he presses the feline man. His ridicule getting to him, Adlet takes a moment to sigh and calm down. He leaves Hans to chuckle to himself as he focuses on collecting his thoughts, his head clearing up to find a better route. "Hans, I promise you can tell me, after all I-"

"What makes ya so confident?" Hans interrupts, finally looking back over at Adlet and staring him down with yellow eyes glowing brightly in the night. He frowns, his serious expression killing any interest in the topic.

"Well, I was going to say," Adlet goes on in caution. He slightly turns his head away from the strange man but keeps his eyes focused on his presence with a crease between his eyebrows. He smiles afterwards, brimming with confidence, "it's because you guys are the only people I really know!"

"Meow?" Hans questions curiously, tilting his head to the side. He looks up at Adlet with hidden eyes, his hands resting flat in his lap. Adlet only widens his bright smile with creased eyes.

"I mean it!" He replies cheerfully, "Aside from my Master, who doesn't really care about anything other than fiends anyway, you guys are the first people I've really gotten to know, and that only started a few days ago!" His answer sounded really good to him both inside his head and outloud. He only hoped that Hans felt the same way as he waited expectantly.

It took a while for Hans to answer. He lowered his head and looked away from the redheaded man. Adlet nervously tapped his foot against the ground over and over as he waited for the reserved man to answer. After a little while of silence between the two, Hans finally sighed.

"Ya swear to keep this between us?" Hans inquired in a flat tone.