A/N: This is for XxPerfectlyRuinedxX, who messaged me requesting this story. It's set in a neko-verse and contains slash, so if you don't like, then don't read. I hope you like it! R&R. Enjoy!
As I Breathe You In
Cody walked down Fifth Street, glancing into the windows of the shops he was passing. He didn't usually go on walks – especially not ones that led him downtown – but for some reason, he couldn't shake the urge to just walk. Something inside of him nagged him to the point where he just caved, and Cody Rhodes is not one to cave. It rarely ever happens, so for him to just get up and walk due to some random notion was pretty spectacular indeed. But why the hell did he head towards the downtown area? Of all the places he could have headed, why downtown? Downtown was the worst part of town; it was where all of the prostitutes and drug dealers worked their devilish crafts, so it made no sense as to why he had decided to walk there.
He wanted to turn around the go back home, to his apartment; to his files and the presentation he needed to finish for the company tomorrow. But his legs wouldn't allow him to turn around and go back. They had a set destination and they weren't going to turn around until they reached it. Cody sighed and kept walked, eyes focused straight ahead. His was definitely on a mission, but for what? Yelling up ahead brought him out of his thoughts and Cody came back to reality. Shaking his head, he stopped walking and stared at the opened door of the pet shop.
Sandy's Pet Shop.
What a cheeky name. But the yelling didn't stop and Cody was intrigued and a bit worried. What if someone was getting hurt? He'd feel obligated to help if that was the case. Picking up his pace, he quickly arrived at the pet shop and stepped inside. What he was met with left him speechless and confused, but only for a moment.
A woman, who he assumed was the shopkeeper, towered over a figure on the floor.
The figure on the floor was a neko, a very thin, very shaky neko.
A neko who looked positively terrified.
A neko whose chocolate brown eyes flashed at Cody when he stepped into the shop.
The emotions that he saw in those eyes overwhelmed him. Fear. Panic. Confusion. Relief. So many other emotions as well and they all hit Cody in the stomach. His decision was made in that moment and he stalked forward and grabbed the woman's shoulder.
"Hey! Knock that off! What are you going? You can't just...beat him up." The rolled news paper fell from the woman's hand and she turned around and glared at Cody.
"This is none of your business! I'm free to do as I please to the things I'm in charge of, and this thing's no different!" Cody's eyes narrowed when the woman referred to the neko as a 'thing'. Nekos were people too, they just had cat ears and tails and tendencies. But they were still human.
"Actually, it is. Your door isn't locked and the 'open' sign is still up. As a customer, you beating on the neko I'm looking to buy is my business. So back off." The woman's eyes widened and she turned to the neko on the floor, who was staring up at them obviously shocked and confounded. With one last glare at Cody, the woman shook her head and walked away from them.
"He's yours. Take him if you want. I've had enough." Cody looked down at the black haired neko before he looked back at the woman.
"What about payment and stuff?"
"Just get him the hell out of here. He's your problem now, not mine. And that's all I care about." With that, the woman disappeared behind the curtain that separated the shop from the kennels.
Sighing, Cody looked down and gazed softly at the neko on the floor, who was looking unsure and helpless and frightened and just…so… God, Cody couldn't even describe it, but he knew one thing for sure: he was going to take the smaller person home with him. Smiling softly, Cody reached a hand down and offered it to the neko. The brown eyes widened and looked up at him, uncertain.
"Hey there… I'm not going to hurt you. Come on. Let me help you up." The neko stared at the hand for a split second longer before he finally grabbed it, his hand sweaty and shaking. Pulling him up, Cody saw that the neko was wearing too baggy jeans and a torn, worn out shirt. He was still shaking and he had a red mark on his cheek, but other than that, he looked fine.
"I'm Cody. What's your name?" The neko looked at him and he smiled. It was just barely there, but it was there nonetheless and Cody thought he looked a lot better when he smiled.
"Evan."
"Well, Evan, let's get home. It's getting late and-"
"Get him out of my shop now!" Cody winced slightly while Evan all but jumped ten feet in the air. Shaking his head, Cody grabbed Evan's hand gently and tugged him towards the doorway.
"Best get going. Lest she comes back." Evan flinched and quickly followed Cody out of the shop and onto the sidewalk of the downtown area.
Cody had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he had helped someone out, a really cute someone who had the most gorgeous brown eyes, and that was all that mattered. At least, that was what he was hoping.