Cherry Blossom | TRACOB

Sixteen

"Gee worked on the stage, a lot after you got out actually, but I was kept at a separate location that Tyler owned," Mikey explained. Jacob and Pete were sitting at the table talking over their drinks, obviously happy to see each other. They had been roommates in college and had not seen one another for a few years. Mikey and Troye were laying on the floor in the living room, watching Joel colour and try to keep Riley from eating the crayons. "That's where he kept all the nekos he decided he wanted to breed. I'm sure you would have been there too if he was not so worried about how much you would be worth."

Troye nodded. He had heard about the other locations Tyler had owned, but he did not know what happened at them. He also did not think much of them - he had his own job to take care of.

"Gee told me how special you were to Tyler. Everyone knew about you: the blue eyed, curly haired, fertile neko from the main house. We always wondered if you would be brought to our location, we always wanted to meet you," Mikey giggled. "Then you got out, word of that spread to us too. We were hopeful, we really were. We thought maybe we could get out too and go find our babies... They were too far gone though, all of them sold to some trainer. I was so sad, so disappointed.  I got to find Gee again though, that was amazing. We stuck together through it all. Frank actually brought both of us home with him, so I thought he was going to keep both of us, but a day or two later his friend came over, and that is how I found a home."

"I felt bad, leaving you all behind with him like that." Troye looked up at Mikey as the blonde hybrid sat up. "Tyler was so... There was something wrong with Tyler." The blue eyed one sighed, reaching out to grab Riley as he came crawling towards the pair. "Connor and him are both dead, did you hear about that?"

Mikey's eyes widened. "Both of them? Connor as in the green eyed one? Like, Tyler's Connor?"

Troye nodded, his lips set into a line. "I miss Connor. He did not deserve to die, he could still be here." He pulled himself to a sitting position, lifting the toddler into his lap. "But without Connor I may not have gotten Joel, and I may not even have Riley or be with Jacob. He kept me alive, if I'm honest."

"How so, if you don't mind me asking?"

Troye chuckled as he stood up. "That is a story for another day, Mikey. For now, this little munchkin needs to go down for a nap... Would you like to help?"

-

Jacob had walked up to the crib and picked the twelve month old up, sighing at the screaming. It was never him to get the boys up- it was always Troye. They got along fine after they had calmed, but not right after they woke up. He hurried to get back downstairs, looking to see Troye asleep on the couch. He had said he was tired, but Jacob had not expected him to be that tired though. It was only lunch time and Mikey was still there.

"I could have got him," Mikey said quietly, looking at the kitten with his ears pricked forward. "I have not been around babies in too long." He stood on his toes to peak at Riley, one hand on Pete's shoulder. "He's beautiful. So is Joel. You're so lucky." He sighed and lowered himself down to the ground beside Pete, resting his head against the man's legs.

"You can hold him if you would like to," Jacob offered, not missing the way the neko's light brown eyes lit up as he nodded, holding his hands out as soon as the offer was made. Jacob handed him Riley and followed with a bottle, watching as Mikey offered Riley the drink.

"We only got to do this for three days," Mikey said, looking up at Pete. His eyes were bright and happy, a smile on his face that was bigger than any Pete had ever seen before. "Those three days were always so short, then we had to watch them go away. That was the hardest thing, watching them go away and knowing you will never see them again. You don't even get to know their names. They're so little..."

Pete nodded, offering Mikey a sympathetic smile. "I know, he was a bad man. But you never have to see him again now that you're with me, right?"

"No, he's dead."

"Dead?" (Dead!)

Jacob slid back into his chair and nodded.

"Yes, Tyler and his neko both."

Pete raised his eyebrows at Jacob, who just shrugged. "Where did you hear this?"

"Troye. Sir, I'm happy, I think." Mikey smiled again, his teeth flashing in the light from the windows. "No actually, I know I'm happy. I have not been happy since I was a kitten."

Pete could feel tears in his eyes at hearing those words, but he could not cry in front of Jacob. He just smiled, petting Mikey's ears softly. "I love you, my kitten."

"I love you too, sir."

Mikey purred as he focused his attention on the kitten in his arms, the milk disappearing quickly as the kitten drank, keeping his blue eyes on Mikey the whole time. He did not seem to mind the fact that the neko feeding him was not his dad, in fact he seemed pretty calm with Mikey.

Mikey was also acting super calm, despite the people around them. He was usually super jumpy, even at home when it was just Pete and him. Mikey's story was deeper than Jacob, Troye or even Pete had heard, though they were sure to find out why the kitty was so jumpy soon enough.

-

hey hey hey

me: wants to go see the 1975

me: wants a camera

me: needs some horsey stuff

me: [breaks down in lesbian]