When Lily's Cry: Puppet Strings

Chapter II. Un-welcome home

WARNING:  May contain mature content such as self harm, murder, suicide, abuse, swearing, etc...

A/N: This chapter is shorter because it is a transition to the the next chapter. It's still important though.
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Alfred took a deep breathe, allowing cool autumn air to fill his lungs. He licked his lips, pondering over wether or not to use chapstick. He took his normal route, with the occasional neighbor or child greeting him cheerfully. So he would of course smile kindly and reply with just as much enthusiasm, if not more. Of course none of it was truely what he felt, but he didn't want to worry those around him.
He walked passed a dirtied alleyway and heard the faint sound of a meow. He stopped in his tracks and walked backwards to the alleyway, before turning and bending over to see what was inside. Grime and smoke coated the walls, while the ground was littered with trash and puddles of stagnant water, or oil. Alfred wasn't quite sure which.
He saw what looked like a wad of fur, or one of those fluffy balls kids wear on their backpacks. It sat in one of the large puddles, and Alfred noticed that it was shaking, and part of it was erratically rising up and down, like your chest would after you ran for a mile.
He stepped closer, causing the small ball to meow. His eyes widened as he realized that what he thought was mucky and sticky trash, was actually a kitten. He frantically took off his coat and put on his dark brown bomber jacket to replace it.
He then gently picked up the kitten, and cradled it inside his coat, giving as much warmth as he could muster. The kitten wrapped in his arms purred softly, as Alfred petted it's fur lightly. He thought that it was a long haired breed, and rationalized that it was most likely male, since  female long hairs were usually smaller at that age.
He quickened his pace along the deteriorating sidewalk, rushing past passerby's.  He turned the corner and walked up three steps to a small, most likely family owned, store. He pushed open the glass door, which caused a small bell to ring above his head.
Inside were pictures of animals and a poster on the wall opposite to the door with the anatomy of several animals, like dogs, cats, fish, and birds. Chairs sat in the center of the room back to back, while the wall to Alfred's right had chairs pressed against it that seemed identical to the ones in the center. To his left was a desk covered in papers and stamps, while the top of a computer poked up behind it. A silver bell sat at the farthest edge of the desk, next to a cup of wildly decorated pens with things such as fake flowers and spoons taped to the ends. He quickly strode towards the desk, slamming his hand into the bell frantically.
A small man with auburn hair skipped down the hall behind the desk. A strange curl bounced slightly as he came to a stop. He ran from behind the desk with a cheerful smile on his face. This soon vanished when he saw what Alfred was holding. The smaller man let a quiet gasp escape his lips as he gently took the kitten from Alfred's arms. Worry coated over his chocolate brown eyes as he examined the small feline. Alfred fidgeted nervously as he watched the smaller man nod his head towards the chairs in the center of the room.

"Wait a little bit, Okay Alfred? He should be fine, his injuries aren't too serious, just lack of important nutrients."

Alfred sat slowly in one of the chairs closer to the hall the Italian had first appeared through.

"Thanks Feliciano."

The European man, Feliciano, nodded in understanding and scurried back down the dimly lit hall. Alfred leaned back, relaxing his tensed shoulders. He wasn't sure exactly, but it pained him to see that kitten, probably abandoned by its parents or its owner. In a way, Alfred felt strong empathy towards the feline, since he was in a similar situation.
Alfred tapped his fingers on the wooden armrest of his chair, listening to the tick of the clock hanging on the wall above a picture of puppies. After about 20 minutes, Feliciano walked out of the long hall, giving a sideways smile to Alfred. His curl bounced slightly as he plopped into the chair on the left of Alfred. The two teens sat in awkward silence, obviously not sure what to say. Then Feliciano's head popped back up from its previously drooped position. His brown eyes held a since of relief and fear, which freaked Alfred out.

"So, are you going to keep him?"

Alfred rose an eyebrow, before slowly nodding, and giving a soft smile.

"Sure! How soon can I bring him home?"

The small Italian's mood brightened at these words.

"Depending on what time you get out of class's, you could pick him up today."

Alfred nodded again, but his smile had flipped into a frown.

"Today's not the best day to bring home a new pet, does Friday work for you?"

Alfred forced a smile, trying to keep the brunette happy.

"Sure.... if you ever need a place to stay... when you don't want to go home.... feel free to call me. I'm always there to help."

Feliciano smiled sincerely.

Alfred nodded. "Thank you, Feli. Is Ludwig okay with it?"

Feliciano giggled. "He'll be fine. Your class is about to start right? Better hurry then!"

Alfred checked his phone before his eyes widened. He flashed Feli a Hollywood smile before waving and running out the glass door. The bell made a high pitched ding before the door closed with a clack of metal. Feliciano smiled sadly, clutching the fabric of his pants.

"...... so his father is home after all..."