The dance class is fun- after everyone realizes that I'm not incompetent, that is. Fenix is my partner, because Layton has to analyze and call out to the others as we practice steps in repetition. It's not exactly the ballroom style dancing that I've become accustomed too. It's faster, quicker, and much more fun.
After, I go to the studio right away, the private one. I have some music on, and I am dancing, practicing the same routine that I do with Mrs. Afea. She says that I need to work on my footing, so that's what I do. My eyes close, secure in fact that I am alone. I let my body find its rhythm.
The music... it's soft, and calming, and I can relax. After the day- this morning- all the weird looks I've gotten, I'm finally alone... and I feel like I can breath.
"You're so beautiful." A soft voice whispers, and I freeze, blinking my eyes open. "No, don't stop, here... close your eyes." He says softly, and then he pulls me against him. "Show me how you dance." My arm wraps around his waist, and I hold onto the nape of his neck. I usually dance alone- but I know I can trust him... his body molds to mine- and it's almost as if we are just one person.
"Close your eyes too..." I whisper. "Trust the music... we aren't going to fall." A second later, I begin to move.
And just like that, we are swept away together. I've never felt so at ease, because it's not as good as dancing alone, although that brings me comfort. No, I'm dancing with the boy I love. The boys who wants to be with me... and we are together in every step. I don't now how long we dance for, but I love it... I've never felt more comfortable.
"I've never been able to dance with anyone else like that." Layton mumbles later, when we are laying on the floor, the music turned down. "You're so amazing, Gray... god. I wish you could see you the way I do."
"Layton..." I whisper, my head is laying back in my arm, the one that hasn't anchored him to me, and his head rest on my chest. His ears tickle my chin as he looks up a little at me. "I'm sorry I made you so upset when I left."
"I thought it was my fault." He whispers, "I thought I made you leave... and then I found your jacket... and your phone. I can't believe you don't have a passcode on it...but I was so grateful. I was trying to find out where you might have went- and then I found the entries... I read them, most of them probably a hand full of times more. They were so sweet... I couldn't believe it at first. How highly you thought of me...and then it started getting sad-self hating... I can't believe you never saw how I felt about you. I thought I was so obvious."
"You never talked to me... I just thought I was invisible to you." I whisper, feeling like a fool.
"I was terrified of you, Gray. I've never- never in all my life felt for someone like I do you... and it scared me. I didn't know what I would say- I was... god, you were like my freaking idol, despite everything.
Always turning the other cheek, trying to fit in- but you could never see how your standing out made you important. We- all the shifters and creatures and half breeds; we learn from you- because we're not always gonna be here, you know? We have to learn to adapt to humans, becomes comfortable around them despite our pasts, just like they have to adapt to us having few rights we do.
You tried to be an animal. You tried so hard to completely break the thing that makes you so special. Something that most of the humans in the world don't posses- humanity.
You didn't want to be a human, just like most of us don't want to be animals, because we feel so different, and trapped within a society that can't even learn to accept each other... but I love my human." He whispers, looking into my eyes. I freeze a little, but relax completely when I realize what he is saying- I go to speak, but he quickly shushed me, and presses a kiss to my lips before he continues.
"I love how he retains his humanity in a place that so little humanity is offered. I love how kind he is... how sensitive to others emotions he is..." and then his face digs into my chest. "I love you, Gray."
"I love you too, Layton." I murmur, leaning down and pressing my lips to his hair. I've never been so happy in my entire life. "I think that I have for a life time, and I was going to tell you- I was just about to tell you. But I was so stupid- I saw that picture on your front screen- the one of you and your sister- and I thought that she was your girl friend... but then I saw her in the hall toda-" he looks up at me quickly, sudden fear in his eyes.
"Gray... what are you talking about? You couldn't have seen Daria. Sh-she died two years ago."
My heart sinks. Layton sits up, and looks down on me. The soft atmosphere has broken, and a worried on replaces it. "Did she say anything to you?!"
"Not really- she just told me not to hurt you... and to be careful with you, that your sensitive about some things..."
His eyes tear up, and he nods slowly, before standing up.
"Layton, please don't be angry with me... I-i didn't mean to upset you."
"I'm not mad... I actually planned on giving you something- but I was hesitating. Now I know that I need to do this..." Then he pulls out a black book with a small silver bell attached to it. He hands it to me... "It's police reports- files...and my personals memories of something that happened to me four years ago- that's what she meant... Grayson- my sister and I were kidnaped and sold into slavery. By humans."
My heart sinks further as I look at the cover of the book that holds such horrible things... I sit up straight, before I start to read. I read it all- every bit of it.
It's been at least two hours since I was able to say anything. My eyes are glued on the pictures- how beaten and bruised his is- how hurt and neglected. He was trapped- owned by a human- for an entire year.
But he got out, he returned to his family, and the slave masters were sentenced to death. But it wasn't in time to save his little sister- who was only thirteen. She had died within days of being taken from her family.
"Layton..." I breathe, and my eyes look up to see him. He is standing in the middle of the room, looking into the mirror that covers the opposite wall of the dance studio.
"The day you left- I told you to leave... because I couldn't stand to see you look so broken down by what my kind had done to you. It reminded me of how the humans without humanity made me feel... I never thought you would actually do it. I didn't want you to run away, because I wanted you to be strong- to face it, and show me it is possible. And today you did that, Gray. You showed me it was possible to get passed the past."
He turns to look at me, a fresh determination in his eyes.
"Neko's chose who they mate with- mating for us is a bond that is completely unbreakable... I never thought that I would do this, because after everything, I was scared to be owned by someone. But..." he takes the book out of my hand and pulls on the little silver bell. A long leather strap- like a small belt- comes with it, and he looks at me.
"I know I kind of told you that you were my boyfriend... but... am I yours?" He asks, "because if I am, you have to wear this... and I have to wear one picked out for me. To show that you and I belong to each other,"
"Layton... are you asking me to be your boyfriend? Or your mate?" I know the difference, but I'm confused with how he worded it... mating is an extremely huge deal to any animal, but with nekos and shifters, creature in generally, it's more so because not only are the possessive and territorial, they are also jealous and, to be honest, more conniving than any full animal. But to ask one to be your mate- it's held as one of the highest, most coveted thing- almost like marriage in many ways.
"Both." He says, tilting. His head a little, looking really self conscious. "You don't have to answer right now-"
"Okay." I whisper. He looks up at me quickly, clear shock and nervousness and questioning on his sweet face. I give him a second to collect himself, but he doesn't move. "Well.. are you going to put it on me, or do I do that myself? And where can I get a collar for you?"
"I-I- are you sure?"
"Are you gonna try and talk me out of it?"
"No! No, never! I just didn't expect-"
I pull him to me and press a quick kiss on his cheek, "Just put me in your collar, baby..." I rumble, feeling the very strong need to kiss him. "Your's is the only one I would ever wear."
"I-Okay." He whispers, and then his arms wrap around my neck and he buckled the leather around my neck. My body feels so comfortable with it. The soft leather seems to bend perfectly against my skin, almost as if it's part of my skin. Like it was always meant to be there. I look up into the mirror, and smile a little, flicking the bell enough to make it jingle against the hallow is my throat.
"Okay- it's l-" my lips press on his, and I smile as he does, before pulling him closer, and wrapping my arms around him, so that he can't take off.
"I'm not the fast one, you know?" He mumbles, guessing what I'm thinking.
"I don't know- you were pretty quick to demand my attention the first day I saw you." I say, and he laughs.
"You're so damn cheesy, Gray."
"What ever draws the mice for my neko." I tease, and he laughs.
"Come home with me." He whispers a few seconds later. "I don't want you to just take off again."
"I'm never leaving you, I'll always be here." I mumble, leaning in and pressing my lips to his again.
"I know- just... come home with me? Please?" His beautiful, cat -like eyes look into mine.
"Okay... but first I wanna get you a collar." He smiles radiantly, and I smile right back. We walk out of the studio, and hand in hand, we head to his car. I remembered that the Afea's don't know where I am- they are probably worried...
"I told them you would be coming with me." Layton says softy, and I watch, almost captivated, and he pulls on my letterman jacket before getting in the car with me. His hand instantly seeks mine, and then we drive away from the school.
It's so damn easy to pick out his collar. It's simple brown leather that matched my- but now-his jacket, and it had a silver bell that matched mine.He is so happy with it then, but when I pay, and he sees the price tag the pretty thing carries, he is very conflicted about it.
"I didn't spend so mu- it's too much, Gray. We can get a black one half that-"
"No." I say, and wrap the collar around his neck, buckling it securely, right in front of the man behind the desk. "I think it looks perfect. And it matches the jacket. Every time you see it, you'll know exactly how we came together because I'm a ditsy air head who let his jacket and phone on a studio bench while stalking you and your beautiful tail." My finger tips slid down his chest, and around his hips, gently fingering his tail before I grab a hand full of his delicious ass and pull him to me, fusing our lips together.
"God, Gray. I love you to death."
"I know. I love you too." I sneak the man the cash and tell him wish a gesture of my hand to keep it.
"Let's go to your house." I mumble, and Layton goes to protest, but I sigh, and lift him up, before practically running out of the store, his legs squeezing my waist as he scream.
"You didn't pay! We're gonna get arrested!"
"I did pay. You were just too distracted by my superb kissing skills to notice." I say, and I can practically feel him blushing as I set him down next for the car. He smiles, then a smirk makes its way onto his lips. He grabs my hand, and pulls me close before kissing me again.
"Mm.." I mumble, and he gently moves his hand into my hair, adding pressure to the contact between our lips.
"When we go to my house- I'm gonna introduce you to my family tomorrow, cause they live the next house over, but they are probably in bed... I can order pizza? If your hungry we can eat....and we are gonna go to my room... and then we are gonna go to sleep."
"Okay..." I tilt my head questioningly.
"But your not going to school tomorrow. And neither am I. We are staying home all day. Just the two of us; all day. What do you think of that?"
"I think I'm stupid for having waited so long. How could I have been so wrong? How could you have ever thought that you didn't feel the way I do."
"I love you, Gray. Don't ever forget that." He whispers, and then his hands tighten around mine.
"I won't. I promise." I lean in and kiss his cheek as he drives us to his house.
We go inside, and he is quick to order pizza, but we are both far too tired to bother with it by time we get inside. So we leave it in the fridge and go upstairs. Both of us strip down to our boxers, and then we lay, side by side, in his big bed.
"Do you need anything?" He asks quietly. I nod, pulling him against me.
"Just you."
