A/N: After a long hiatus I'm finally back to writing fics. This was more of a warm up than anything; it was originally intended to be a headcanon but as I was writing it, it evolved into a one-shot.

Feel free to let me know what you think, even if it's to tell me ways in which I can improve. I always welcome and appreciate constructive criticism.

I hope you enjoy!

Stray cats often wandered onto the grounds of the Hiwatari Mansion; half starved, bony and frail, they would mewl and scavenge through the bins in a desperate bid to seek food.
For as long as little Kai could remember, Voltaire had ordered the servants to chase them off of the grounds, and would even go so far as to strike out or hurl things at any 'mangy creature' he saw.
Kai had always hated the mistreatment of the poor animals and sympathised with them deeply.

So one day, after a particularly brutal beating, he went outside and spotted a stray cat trying to claw its way into the sealed bins.
Heartbroken at the sight, and fearful that if anyone else saw it the cat would get hurt, he slowly approached the starving animal. The cat stopped scratching at the bins upon noticing his presence, and for a second that to Kai felt like moments, they started at each other. Then, so as not to startle it, he tentatively crouched down and held out his hand; gritting his teeth in an effort not to wince, as the movement caused pain to shoot through his small sore, bruised and battered body.
He watched as the cat cautiously crept closer towards him. He half expected it to hiss, scratch or claw at him as he had seen others do when coming into contact with humans, mainly his Grandfather. But instead, the tiny creature timidly sniffed at his hand.
A small smile crept along Kai's face as he watched its small, pink nose twitch and wiggle, and despite himself he let out a soft laugh as its ticklish whiskers brushed against his skin.
He watched in fascination as the cat began to lick his fingers with its coarse tongue, before tilting its head into his palm.
He almost flinched at the sudden contact, but the warmth of the nuzzling head relaxed him slightly, and he gently began to run his fingers through its matted and stiff, dark grey fur. He frowned at the soft purring noise that the action seemed to trigger.
It sounded so…cute.
A sudden, loud thud startled both Kai and the cat, and he turned swiftly on his heel, fully expecting his Grandfather to be looming over him, dark brown eyes burning into him, face twisted into a look of pure disgust.
Thankfully, no one was there.
The cat had leapt from Kai's hand, and now stood defensively; back raised, ears flat against its head, and dark eyes focused straight ahead as though expecting danger too.
"I guess we're both scared…" The young boy muttered quietly.
He waited for the cat to relax, then, thinking on his feet, he gingerly crept closer to the stray again and with one palm softly stroking its fur, he used the other hand to gently scoop it up, nestling it safely into his arms.
Once again he expected it to put up a fight, but it merely purred as it snuggled against his chest.
Kai guessed that it must've been a house cat before it became a stray; it certainly didn't seem to mind being around people.
A soft smile flittered across his lips at the warmth of the cat nuzzled against him, it felt nice to be able to seek comfort from something for once.
Glancing round, he quickly ran towards the large black gate, then knelt down and tenderly placed the creature through the bars onto the other side.
"Please stay here, you'll get hurt if you come in again." Kai warned.
His bruised arms, which had already ached, felt a little worse for wear after running and carrying the stray, but it was the strange feeling of emptiness that now bothered him most.
Not wanting to leave just yet, Kai stared at the thin, frail creature, his heart aching at the thought of it wandering the streets with a starved, sore stomach.
He himself knew how much it hurt when meals were withheld from you, the vicious pangs of hunger, and he couldn't stand the thought of the cat being in pain. An idea suddenly came to him.
"I'll try and bring you some food, okay?" He promised, standing up.
The cat meowed as though it understood, though whether it did or not Kai was uncertain.
Moving as swiftly yet quietly as he could, he once again successfully cleared the distance between the gate and the mansion, before timidly entering the back door that led to the kitchen.
His eyes fearfully darted left and right in search of his Grandfather, but upon realising he wasn't in the room a sigh passed through his lips.
Tentatively, he went over to the far end kitchen counter and grabbed the plate of meaty scraps that had been left for the servants.
The emptiness of the room unnerved him as there were usually others bustling around. However, he reasoned that the staff must be tidying up somewhere else and if their absence meant he could feed the cat then he was grateful. He doubted any of them would dare tell Voltaire about the missing food.
After a final quick glance to assuage his unease, he raced back to the gate, relieved to see the cat still sat there idly licking its paws.
"I brought food!" He chirped happily, bending down and scraping the small meaty chunks off the plate with his hand.
The cat leapt at it in an instant, biting and tearing at the meat, wolfing it down as though it would never get to eat again. It made Kai sad to think that that might be the case.
He sat down and winced as he stretched out his legs. They were sure to be a nasty colour in the morning.
Tilting his head, his crimson eyes lit up as he stared at the cat, his new and only friend, devouring its meal. A strange warmth spread through his body at the sight, and he felt his tired and tense muscles relax slightly.
Idly he lifted his right arm up and reached through the bars, running a hand over filthy fur and jutting bones in slow, gentle movements.
"I've never stroked a cat before,'' he said. ''They all run away before I get the chance." He wasn't certain if the cat actually understood him, but it felt nice to feel as though he was talking to someone who would listen.
"I like stroking you, and if I'm not mistaken you enjoy it too."
The cat had finally finished its meal and instead of wandering off, had moved closer to Kai. Head easily fitting through the bars, enabling Kai not to have to stretch so far.
He felt a sense of peace at the repetitive motion of his actions and the calming purrs that emitted from the stray.
He'd originally only intended to stroke it out of spite and defiance; his Grandfather hated cats, hated animals of any kind. But in doing so he'd found a small comfort, and it had made him happy to be able to feed the cat, so he vowed he'd do the same if another stray passed through the gate, or if he ever saw one.
"Kai!"
The sharp tone caused Kai to flinch. The realisation of how close the speaker was sent shivers down his spine as his body tensed. He barely had time to retract his hand away from the cat, before a firm, painfully tight grip seized him and yanked him upright, the movement causing already tense muscles to feel as though they were on fire.
Kai's eyes widened at the furious stare on his Grandfather's face, and he gulped.
"How dare you feed that mangy animal at my gate with my food!" Voltaire screamed as he kicked at the cat that meowed and darted out of the way just in time.
Kai winced as the strong grip tightened.
"I thought you'd have learned to obey orders, but it seems I'm going to have to teach you another lesson."
Kai felt his eyes sting with the familiar sensation of unshed tears. He was definitely going to get another beating tonight. He'd blame the cat except it really wasn't its fault; he had known he would get into trouble if caught.
As Voltaire dragged him towards the house he glanced behind him, to his surprise the cat still stood there. Its eyes bore into him as though understanding and acknowledging his pain, and despite knowing that that probably wasn't the case, Kai had to admit that its presence eased his fear slightly. It felt good to know he wasn't alone. No matter what his Grandfather did next or how he felt about them, Kai decided then and there that he liked cats and would continue to look after them, regardless of how many beatings he had to endure. Trying to ignore his Grandfathers harsh words as best he could, Kai allowed himself a small smile at the thought of his newfound friend.