A child's wish: 1/1
Title: A child's wish
Chapters: 1/1
Author:
darkwonderland3
Genre: AU, Fluff, Romance
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Uruha/Aoi
Synopsis: All he wanted was a cat. A little ball of fur he could have hugged all day long and loved with all his heart. He wanted a friend to fill his loneliness. He had asked for a cat but what he got on that day suited him perfectly.
His eyes were gleaming as soon as he saw them. Putting his hands on the pane he stood there waiting for his mother to go out from the hairdresser salon, and watched the little balls of fur that were in front of him. The little boy had had enough of staying sat on a chair and watching his mother get her hair cut. He was just a child. Adults' discussions bored him so he left the hairdresser salon, crossed the road very carefully and stopped in front of the pet shop. Moreover it wasn't the first time he was staying in front of this pet shop. Whenever he had to go with his mother when she had an appointment with the hairdresser or with the beautician, he left her and came to the pet shop. But he never went inside. And there he was since about fifteen minutes, looking at all these little kittens who were sleeping or playing with each other, a big smile on his lips. The little boy loved animals especially cats. He had always wanted a cat but his parents always refused. And today again he hoped that it would finally be the day his mother would agree. He was so focused on the kittens that he didn't hear the employee go out of the shop and come closer to him.
"Hi little boy." He said while kneeling.
"Hello Sir!"
"Tell me, I've noticed you come often here. Would it please you to come inside? You'll see the kittens better."
"Oh yes yes I come!" The little boy answered cheerfully and then took the man's hand.
In the pet shop the boy ran immediately towards the kittens, jumping on his feet when he saw them again.
"Do you want to hold one?"
"Can I?"
"Of course if I ask you! Which one do you want?"
The boy hesitated a long time. All these kittens were so cute to him he wanted to hold them all, but he had to choose one. "This one." He pointed at a black kitten with light blue eyes.
The employee then gently took the kitten and gave it to the boy whose smile became bigger when he held the kitten against his chest and heard it purr. He stroked its dark fur a long time and let the animal play with his fingers and bite them kindly at some times. The boy's smile didn't leave his lips a single time. The man in front of him could tell that this little kid was really happy. But this happiness didn't last long, unfortunately. A woman wearing some really expensive clothes entered the store. Her eyes were looking for someone and as soon as she saw him, she took firmly one of his arms in order to make him look at her and then slapped him. None of the people present in the store dared to say a word to the mother or even stand up for the little boy. They were just watching the boy who had began to cry, still holding the kitten in his arms, and whispered sometimes few words.
"Who gave you the right to leave without a word? Are you aware of that I had to look for you everywhere?!" She started to yell at him, shaking him by his shoulders. "And who allowed you to come here?!"
"But.... mama..."
Another slap and the boy cried more.
"That was not the answer I was waiting for Kouyou."
"Kitty... please... mama..."
Another slap.
"Wrong answer. I already said that I won't allow this in the house. You don't need a cat, you don't need something useless. Really you're pathetic!"
"Mama..."
"Ma'am you should leave now," The employee said stopping the mother from slapping one more time her son, "I'm sorry for the troubles but I invited your son to come in and pet the kittens. It won't happen again."
"I hope so. Now come Kouyou. I'm already enough late because of you."
Kouyou gave back the kitten reluctantly and followed his mother, still crying in a heartbreaking way. At home after his mother had finished to scold him he had stayed in his bedroom for long hours and shed more tears, letting out all this pain a 7-years-old boy could feel. All he wanted was a cat. A little ball of fur he could have hugged all day long and loved with all his heart. He wanted a friend to fill his loneliness.
* * *
Years have passed. Kouyou was now a handsome young man of twenty five years who was working in a record shop, healthy and so much more happier than during his childhood. After all these years, he still remembered the incident that had happened in the pet shop. About the pain he'd felt when his mother had slapped him. About the words she said to him when they were back home. About the long hours he'd spent crying. About the kitten. He has never forgotten the kitten that's why he had tried more than a dozen of times to convince his mother. But she had always refused him this little pleasure and kept saying that they were useless, that he had to focus on his studies in order to succeed his father. Since his young age, both his parents put him under pressure and naturally, one day, Kouyou said "enough". He'd had enough to be told what to do, what to say, how to look in front of other people, with who he could be friend, who he should married one day,... He didn't want to succeed his father, he just wanted to live his life as he wanted, doing the job he wanted, be friend with who he wanted, marry who he wanted and it would certainly not be a girl from the upper class, a girl who would fit his mother's expectations. Kouyou didn't want all of that.
Kouyou went to his best friend's house right after his work day. Akira was three years his elder and he knew him for seven years now. Akira was the one who helped Kouyou when his parents disowned him after he left their house for good. He was the only one who was there for him, the only one to advise him, the only one who offered him a roof over his head. They met one day when Kouyou was looking for a job. That day had been synonym of luck for the both of them. Akira needed a new employee and Kouyou was looking for a job, so when the boy entered the store and started explaining his situation, Akira decided to put him on probation.
Today Akira wanted to take Kouyou with him to a brand new store because, as the man said, he wouldn't be disappointed. Kouyou had a vague idea of the kind of store it was and had never heard anyone talk about it even though his friend kept saying that everybody was talking about this new store and that it was the future.
"You're exaggerating. How can a store be the future?"
"Did you heard about those new robots?"
"The ones who are shaped like animals that you don't even know if they're real or not at the first sight?"
"Yes those ones."
"Well... Some customers were talking about them the other day and one of them had one in his bag. What's the link with this store?"
"You'll see." Akira said with a smile. "And trust me, you won't be disappointed."
Kouyou was even more puzzled than before. Those new "pets" were in vogue by young people but Kouyou really didn't like them. For him those things would never replace a real animal. A robot would never replace the heat of an animal, it would never replace its love towards its master. Kouyou was clearly against this new trend. But the young man had never expected what he saw then. As soon as they were inside, the two men stayed a few minutes to look at the new animals and Kouyou was already looking for the place where cats were, just out of curiosity, when Akira took him in the back shop. For Kouyou, it was as if Akira had already been here before. He was too at ease there, and he knew that the back shop was open for customers with specific demands. In the back shop, there were no cute little robotic animals. What was in there surprised Kouyou. There were no animals but human beings who were trapped in some sort of cages. Well, that's what Kouyou thought at first. But the more he was looking at those so-called human beings, the more he noticed that some traits weren't human at all. Scales, tails, claws, feathers, none of that were human traits. Hybrids.
"Amazing, right?"
"I guess so... It's kinda weird."
"Nah, you're the weird one. Come on! Pick one!" Akira ordered him while he was pushing him towards what seemed to be cats.
Kouyou had no other choice than to take a look at the cats. One was licking his paw, another was playing with a ball of wool, and a third one, smaller than the two other cats, was sleeping rolled into a ball. Kouyou gently stroked the cat's head through the bars with some hesitation, making his fingers slip through the long black hair of the hybrid. He couldn't resist the urge to pet it. The cat didn't move an inch when Kouyou gently touched its cheek but he could hear it purr softly.
"You like this one."
"Yeah."
"Excuse me?" Akira spoke to an employee. "My friend is interested in this one."
"What? I'd never said I-"
"Oh I'm really sorry but this one is not for sale. I wonder why it is still with the others."
"Why is it not for sale?"
"Actually it's defective."
"Oh I see," Akira then spoke to Kouyou who was still petting the cat, "What do you think Kou? Do you still want it even if it's defective?"
"I never said I wanted it! And I certainly don't have the means to pay it and-"
"Don't worry for the price, I'll pay."
"But Akira!"
"I'll pay. It's my way to thank you for all these years. And you always wanted a cat so you just have to say to yourself that it's my Christmas present in advance for you!"
"...Thanks." Kouyou smiled.
* * *
"This is your new house," Kouyou said letting the hybrid going out of his box, "I hope you'll be happy living here!"
The cat fearfully walked in the room, looking at all these new objects he could see and then remained sat in front of Kouyou, wagging his tail. Kouyou knelt before him. "What's that?" He noticed the necklace the hybrid was wearing. It was white, had a small silver bell and a round pendant with something written on it. "Aoi. Is that your name?"
"Meow!"
"I guess it's a yes." He gently petted Aoi's cat ear. "It's weird. How did they do that? You have cat ears, cat eyes, a tail, claws but the rest looks human. Your skin is smooth, it's not cold like a machine and well, I have to say that you're a cute little cat."
Aoi meowed joyfully and came closer to Kouyou until he was able to lay his head in Kouyou's neck and purred, making his new master smile. Kouyou loved to hear that sound again, after all these years. He loved to have finally again a cat in his arms, even if Aoi was just a hybrid. The feeling in his chest was the same as the one he had when he was a little boy, when he was holding this black kitten in the pet shop. He was happy.
"Meow?" Aoi meowed when he felt something wet fell on one of his ears. He then looked at Kouyou with worried eyes and noticed tears on his face. "Meow?" He meowed again, touching one of Kouyou's cheeks with his fingers.
"I'm fine, you don't have to worry Aoi." He said smiling. "I'm just happy to have you with me and I don't care if you're defective or not. You're with me now and that's all that matter for me."
Aoi smiled after hearing those words. Putting both his hands on Kouyou's chest, he made him lie on the floor and rested his head on his stomach, holding his shirt in his hand. They stayed like that without moving, with only the sounds of purring that could be heard, and Kouyou was playing with Aoi's dark strands until the cat fall asleep on his body. He then carefully held him in his arms and went on his bed, keeping Aoi against his chest. There, he resumed his caresses in his hair and slightly kissed his forehead at some times. Kouyou soon fell asleep too, a hand on Aoi's hip and the other kept the cat's head on his shoulder.
* * *
It has been now two weeks that Kouyou has adopted Aoi and the hybrid really loved his new house. He loved when Kouyou was coming back home after work and hugged him as if he hadn't seen him for months. He loved when Kouyou kissed him on the cheek or in his neck at night when they were supposed to sleep or when he was afraid in the dark, he loved the way he reassured him. He loved when his master held him in his arms and called him "kitten", making him purring with joy. He loved his master, and he knew that Kouyou loved him too. Because Kouyou always kept saying those nice words to him. Even though he was defective, even though he couldn't talk, even though he was not like the other hybrids, Kouyou loved him.
Now, Aoi was waiting on the bed for Kouyou to come back home. He didn't wait long and rushed at the entrance at the same time his master came in and Kouyou had just the time to catch the hybrid who had jumped into his arms.
"Hello kitten, I'm home." Kouyou whispered in his ear, sending shivers up and down Aoi's spine.
Still holding his kitten, Kouyou walked to his bedroom and laid Aoi on his bed, then sat astride on his hips, holding both Aoi's hands over his head. Aoi was blushing, he had never seen his master like that and wondered what would happen next. But he was not afraid.
"Did you miss me?" He asked while kissing his jaw.
"Meow!"
He chuckled. "I missed you too kitten. I really did."
Aoi smiled at his master and then felt something soft on his lips, something that made him feel good. Closing his eyes he tried hard to respond to Kouyou's kiss. But it was new for him, none of his previous master had behaved like that with him. Oh of course they loved him, but not in that way. Kouyou had always been gentle with him, had always made sure that he was fine. And now, he was kissing him, and that made Aoi really happy, so much that he was purring again.
"You're so cute." Kouyou whispered against his forehead. "I will never let you go, you're mine."
Yes, Aoi was really happy.
On that day at the pet shop, Kouyou only wanted a cat. A little ball of fur he could have hugged all day long and loved with all his heart. He only wanted a friend to fill his loneliness. But what he had now, was more than a friend. He was more than just a hybrid. He was all what Kouyou had ever wanted.
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A/N: I'm not so gifted with fluff but I hope you liked it :D