Little Kitten

Part 1

    Once you've been hurt before, it's hard to bounce back and go back to normal. It's even harder when the situation is repeated to the point where you can't breathe from how much it stifles you. If you feed a stray cat once, it'll come back for more, knowing it'll get food, if you spray said cat with water after weeks of feeding it, it will be confused, unable to understand and coming back again until it completely disappears. The same could be said about Nishinoya Yuu, a young student in college who's currently studying marine biology. A little cat who was fed and was suddenly sprayed with cold water.

———————

    Soft brown hair lay on white pillows, framing the face of a sleeping boy who was currently ignoring his first alarm. His eyes were closed, face scrunched in concentration as he slowly awoke to the sound, the beeping digging deep into his head and coming out of his ears, making them ring. He shot up, cold sweat dripping down his face as he looked left and right, forgetting where he was. As if on queue, a hand reached down from the top bunk of the bed and smacked him every so softly. He yelped, smacking the hand back angrily.

    "What was that for Yaku," he whined, watching as his roommate popped his head down to look at Noya with a little smile. That bright, perky smile this early meant something was going to happen to Noya.

    "Change your alarm or I show you my fist," he giggled, dropping down from his bed and walking over to the closet they shared. "And get up, we both have early classes this morning and you're close to losing to Tanaka of all people." See, Noya had made a deal that if he was late more than Tanaka was, he would buy him a full meal for him and his girlfriend who laughed and said no, which made Tanaka want to do the bet more. Noya's prize was Tanaka wearing a laid dress to his first class of the day, and he wouldn't skimp on the clumsy maid trips.

    "Fine, just, don't slap me again," he mumbled, getting up, gently patting Yaku's head with a sigh. He grabbed a bundle of clothes and went to the bathroom, looking in the mirror where he could see how bad his eye bags were.

    He sighed once more, combing a hand through his hair before turning on the shower. He stood half naked, waiting for the water to warm, waking himself up a little bit more. He was fidgeting, not knowing what to do at this standstill as he kept putting his hand under the steady stream of water, waiting for it to get boiling hot. After a few more dips of his fingertips, he got in, shivering as the last of his sleepiness wore off, the heat washing away any trace of exhaustion. He started to wash himself down, paying close attention to his hair, making sure it was soft and fluffy before rinsing himself off.

    As he got out of the shower, his phone which was wrapped up in his pile of clothes started to buzz. That was the second alarm in case Yaku didn't beat him awake already. Noya sighed, hitting the stop button and pulling on his clothes, shirt first, tucking the hem into his pants.

    "OY YAKU YOU CHOSE WELL TODAY!" He yelled, grabbing his gel and spiking up his hair. Yaku was like Nishinoya's mother...or parental figure. He made sure Noya ate, woke up, showered, and had clothes because he knew he couldn't focus on dressing himself.

    "You're welcome hun," he heard a small snap of fingers followed after it. Nerd. He turned back to himself, applying makeup to the dark marks under his eyes and his cheeks that were pale compared to the rest of his face. Once he finished, he looked at himself one more time before leaving the bathroom, seeing Yaku opening his computer before storing it in his backpack.

    "What, have porn pulled up?"

    "Very funny Noya, just making sure my essay is turned in," he looked Noya up and down, smiling softly and reaching forward towards him. The boy shriveled away, scurrying to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder.

    "Thanks Yaku, are you later," was all he uttered as he ran out. Yaku watched him leave, sighing and drawing his hand back in, seeming to have made no progress with Noya in the slightest. Before he left, he checked the drawers and the sheets, making sure nothing harmful was added to them. Nothing. Good.

———————

    Noya sat down in his first class, in the very back, playing with his books as footsteps approached him. He looked up, smiling at the people he saw. Tanaka Ryūnosuke and his girlfriend Kiyoko Shimizu. He waved, pointing at the seats next to him. Tanaka laughed, slapping a hand to Noya's back which he fought the urge to recoil from, frown crawling across his face before being replaced with a limp, unenergized smile.

    "Little dude, there's a new guy today, you should go say hi," Tanaka whispered, holding a hand to mouth as he leaned into Noya's ear. With his other hand he pointed at the back of someone's head, a loose bun holding up long brown hair. Noya shrugged, not seeing why it was such a big deal, and as if god was testing him, the man turned around, his chin covered in fine stubble and his eyes curious. He looked at Noya for a good few minutes, which frankly creeped him out to no extent.

    "That's not a guy that's Jesus," Kiyoko whispered, tapping Noya's shoulder and giggling. Yuu wasn't listening, trying to get that weirdo to stop looking at him. Thankfully the crowd started seeping in, blocking him from tall man's sight.

    At the end of class, tall man got up, packing his bags and walking over to them.

    "Aye Nishi, you've got a visitor," Tanaka smacked him out of his haze, looking up at how tall he was in person. He shriveled back, face pulled into a scowl as he stuffed his things in his bag, running off because he wasn't ready for this kind of commitment.

———————

    Back at home, Noya sighed, his face dropping as he hid under the covers. It had been years since the incident yet he was still too scared to talk to new people, much less tell his friends about what happened. Too many memories surged like the start of a hurricane, filling his whole body up with bad emotions he couldn't handle in a healthy way. He had a bad relationship with touch, feeling hands hold his shoulders far too tightly as they took photos. He felt the handshakes where nails dug into his hand and made him tear up, only to be ridiculed for even thinking about crying. He heard the loud voice yelling over and over again about how if he told a soul he would be dead.

    He was long gone from that person and situation, but the effects lasted, and they seemed to be lasting longer than he hoped. If only it faded sooner, if only it didn't happen, if only he could stop it. He could've but he was too scared. As he thought this, tears rolled down his face, thinking of how the man looked over him, holding out a hand with that stupidly soft smile, as if he wasn't trying to hurt Noya. Curse his short stature, because standing in front of people made him sick to his stomach.

  Things would only get harder as the little cat was sprayed with water all at once by different members of the household, each with different views on him.