Love with a Neko

He rescues the kitten

God this day was turning into a nightmare. Everything had been going perfectly - Shion had clung to him for several minutes at the gate, the boy had made the most adorable faces looking at all the animals, Shion was able to take off his hat, Kiyoto had even carried his tiny body through the park. Shion had been smiling the entire time, until Kiyoto had let those thugs near his precious friend. 

He noticed that the boy was being surrounded too late. He had been so lost in his thoughts of Shion's lips that he hadn't even noticed that the subject of his fantasies was being targeted until the boy was already on the ground crying. And even then it had taken him much too long to calm himself down enough to get closer without blowing his fuse. Kiyoto was a failure at protecting the one he loved. If only he had been able to calm down, then he would have been able to collect his tiny partner and calmly walk away, continuing their fun somewhere else maybe. But no, Kiyoto had failed and let his temper get the best of him. He had let those damn protective instincts show and most likely scared the boy to death. It was extremely probable that Shion would always think of him as a monster. A vile, possessive monster that was to be avoided at all costs. 

Kiyoto cautiously glanced at the boy sitting beside him in the taxi, who only met his eyes with a look of wonder. "W-what?" Kiyoto's face turned bright red. He had no clue what he had done to deserve the emotion that filled the boy's eyes. If anything Kiyoto was expecting glares full of disgust or fear or hatred. 

"You were so cool." Kiyoto just blinked, unable to process what had just come out of that soft little mouth.

"Cool?" Shion nodded.

"You protected me." Shion said, leaning to hug him and burying his face in Kiyoto's lap.

"I was a total monster out there. When I saw them tormenting you like that...I'm so sorry. I just couldn't hold back." Kiyoto covered the boy's face with his hands, not wanting Shion to see him and be scared.

"No." the boy replied, pulling down one of Kiyoto's larger hands and giving it a gentle kiss. "Don't speak as if you've done something wrong. You did hold back. I saw it. You could have jumped those jerks the second you saw them around me, but you didn't. You waited. You got me away from them before doing anything. And you gave them a chance, too. If you weren't holding back I'm pretty sure all of them would have been dead by now. 

Kiyoto had to chuckle at that. "So you're not scared of me, huh?"

"Nope. I'm really proud of you. You stood up to those bullies and protected me from them. It makes me really happy to think that you'd do something like that for me." the boy was looking up at him with big eyes, kissing each of Kiyoto's fingers slowly as if to thank him. It was an effort not to take the boy right there in the back of the taxi. 

"Alright, then. Well it's a bit past two in the afternoon and seeing as you never got any lunch, you must be pretty hungry now, right?" the boy was resting the back of his head in Kiyoto's lap, nodding. "Then we should probably get you home." the boy opened his mouth to protest. "Besides, you're also badly injured. You need to clean yourself up so you won't get any scars or infections."

"But I got hurt in some places I can't reach by myself. And my parents won't be home for another few months, so wouldn't it be better to go to your house." Dammit. Kiyoto had been trying to avoid that...but he knew that the boy was telling the truth and most likely couldn't care for himself right now. Kiyoto heaved an inward sigh, mentally bracing himself for all the challenges he knew were going to be coming at him.

"I guess. That is, if you don't mind." 

"Nope!" the small boy actually seemed excited. Lord help him. Kiyoto gave the taxi driver his address, repeating over and over in his head: