A/N: (means 'Author's Note' for those'a you who don't know.) I've only just recently stumbled across Code: Breaker, but from episode 2 this story idea has been running in circles around my brain in the form of Yuuki cosplaying as Nyanmaru chasing his tail, and it's demanding to be set free. And so, I shall release it to the public! To start, my OC's grande introduction!
Barely six months had past since Tatsuma left the orphanage where he grew up, but already he had made a decent life for himself. He had immediately found a job washing dishes at a failing restaurant, until the main chef quit two months after Tatsuma's arrival, and his natural cooking instinct and mysterious time altering abilities, or his "excellent time management skills" as he so claimed to hide the nature of his abilities, had miraculously saved the business and turned it around to make it one of the most popular restaurants in town. In fact they had made so much profit within the four months that Tatsuma had taken over the cooking that the owners made the agreement to close the restaurant for a few weeks for a long overdue remodel. To Tatsuma's delight they had even decided to raise the ceiling height in the kitchen to better accommodate their miracle working chef, who stood about six foot four (198 cm.) Six hard months of busting his butt, and finally his efforts were bearing fruit. But what would he do while the restaurant was closed..?
Tatsuma sighed as he came to the door of his tiny apartment after his last day of work for the month, with a bag of leftover fish scraps in one hand and his key in the other; the next few weeks would be an adjustment, for him and for his friends. "Nyan-kun," Tatsuma called out as he opened the door, and as he found no one there to greet him he gave the bag a quick shake in hopes of catching some attention, "Nyanmaru-kun?" Receiving no response he closed the door behind him, and with a yawn lazily stretched his arms to the ceiling. "I'm sure he'll come home sooner or later..." he muttered to himself, and found the vibrant break of silence distasteful. Again Tatsuma sighed, and clicked on the television for the sake of noise before walking across the room into the kitchen.
The room was small, consisting of a lone oversized couch, though the couch was a perfect size for it's owner, and a small lowsitting table that was definitely not a good fit for it's owner. There was little to the walls as well, aside from the three doors: one leading to the outside on the east wall, another to the bathroom and one to the closet on the north wall with a fireplace between the doors and the aforementioned TV mounted over the fireplace, and the west wall opened itself freely to the decently sized kitchen in the back.
The kitchen was the main reason Tatsuma had chosen to make this place his home, if not his only reason; it had everything that the kitchen at the orphanage had, an oven with a ranged top and a refrigerator with a freezer and plenty of counter and cabinet space, and stashed in the back corner was a washer and dryer for clothes as well, which to him was a luxury. Overall his home wasn't much, even lacking a proper bedroom, but for Tatsuma it was more than enough. After traversing the kitchen to stash the bag of scraps in the fridge, Tatsuma returned to his small living/bed room and plopped down onto the couch with his bright green eyes set on the TV which was displaying the local weather report, and for the third time since he got home, sighed.
"Looks like a storm is going to hit soon," he spoke out loud to no one and turned his gaze towards the cat-sized mini-door to the outside, "I hope Nyan-kun comes back before then; he hates the rain..." With an uneasy exhale, the fourth sigh, Tatsuma's eyes dropped to the floor at his feet, shrouding his vision with a bronze haze from his shoulder-length hair. It wasn't uncommon for Nyanmaru to run off, in fact he often ventured out and came back home with a few hungry strays which is how he had earned his name in the first place, but today Tatsuma was feeling oddly... lonely. Perhaps it was the thought of being off work for a few weeks that had thrown him off? Or maybe it was because today was the six month marker since he left the orphanage? Whatever the reasoning, it was a dismal feeling, and the dreary forecast of rain wasn't making it any better.
Tired of the television, and of smelling like a delicious seven course meal after work, Tatsuma rose from the couch and walked over to the closet where he removed one of his two clean shirts and a fresh pair of pants before going into the bathroom for a much needed bath. No sooner than the bath was drawn and his clothes stripped off did he hear the first clap of thunder, but rather than sighing for the fifth time Tatsuma slipped further into the water until it came just to his nose and closed his eyes. The day had been cold, as most winter days are, and the night coming home had been even colder. A hot bath was just what he needed to shake off the melancholy of the day, and though he wasted no time washing his exhausted body he was in no hurry to leave the soothing waters, eventually even dozing off as the rain started to pour. The storm did nothing to wake him, but after a half-hour catnap a certain noise finally managed to draw him from his peaceful sleep.
"Mreow!" It was a frustrated meow from the other side of the door, coupled with a barrage of claws scratching against the wood as the pure white kitty frantically pawed at it.
"Nyan-kun!" Tatsuma awoke with a jump, and with no regards to the splashing water he quickly rose from the bath and opened the door, fearful that his feline friend may have been in some sort of trouble. The cat, however, was perfectly fine aside from being soaking wet, but there was obviously some sort of trouble since he immediately scampered to the doorway and left in a hurry. "Nyanmaru-kun?" Tatsuma's head tilted just a little, but for Nyanmaru to venture outside during a storm there had to be a good reason. He got dressed in a hurry, black pants and a dark blue shirt with a heavy black trenchcoat to fend off the cold rain, and with an umbrella in hand he ventured to the outside, finding no trace of his furry white companion. For Tatsuma such a thing was no trouble at all, and by his will alone time stood still.
The world around him was coated in a grey-scale as even the rain ceased to move, seemingly floating in midair, but here and there small bursts of color would be seen - the aura of life. Every living creature held its own aura, from the smallest of insects to humankind and even silly kitties who run off in a hurry before their caretaker can get dressed. At first there was no sign of any cats, but even this was an obstacle Tatsuma could easily overcome; Nyanmaru had been with him for months now, and Tatsuma had become familiar enough with his aura to see lingering traces of it if he focused enough, allowing him to track the kitty down with little trouble. Soon enough little golden pawprints lit up the sidewalk for Tatsuma to follow, every step taken parting the frozen drops of rain as the contact released them from his hold on time.
It took a few minutes - or it would have had time been moving - for Tatsuma to catch up to his feline companion, who was poised mid-sprint with a determined look in his feline features. Finally Tatsuma freed the flow of time, and as the kitty continued on his venture at top speed Tatsuma found himself running behind to keep up. Countless times Nyanmaru had done this, but tonight he seemed to run twice as fast as usual; whatever trouble Nyanmaru had come across this time it had to be something big.
A few more minutes passed before the cat made a sharp turn into a darkened ally, and as Tatsuma rounded the corner he saw that Nyanmaru had finally stopped and was now laying on the ground next to something. For a moment Tatsuma couldn't believe what his eyes relayed; curled up beside Nyanmaru was an unconscious and soaking wet young male, perhaps four or five years younger than Tatsuma himself who had recently turned 19. "So this is why you were in such a hurry..." Tatsuma said solemnly and patted the cat on the head, "Thank you, Nyan-kun." Tatsuma set the umbrella aside and reached over to the young boy, gently shaking him to see if he would awaken. Lavender eyes shot open the instant Tatsuma touched him, and the moment after he was thrown backwards into the alley wall as the boy yelped. "O-ow..." Tatsuma groaned in pain, the unexpected impact increased by the icy cold chill in the air, but he had little time to dwell on the fact.
As his senses regained themselves he realized that the boy had attempted to run, but was heading straight for the ground just a few steps away. Time froze as Tatsuma responded instinctively, and he forced himself to rise despite the twinge of pain. "He's stronger than he looks," he commented as he walked closer and found himself wondering how someone of such small stature had managed to send him flying, especially since he looked to be in lacking condition: viewed in full color with a surrounding aura of red against the gray it was easy to tell that he was soaked to the bone and probably near freezing, and covered in mud and obviously unable to run since he was currently locked in place mid-collapse. "Poor guy..." Tatsuma muttered as he set himself into position, kneeling down just where the boy was falling with his arms outstretched and ready to catch him, and once again he restarted the flow of time - but this perhaps wasn't the best of ideas.
Just as before the boy responded by crying out when he realized he had been caught and was being held, sending forth vibrant red soundwaves that forced Tatsuma back and onto the ground. This time the boy stood, rather than trying to flee, and in a defiant stance ready to fight he glared at the one who disturbed him. Slowly, Tatsuma sat up, now just as muddied as the boy but meeting his glare with a gentle, though pained, smile, "So that's how you managed to knock me back... Interesting." The boy responded by readying his next attack, since the other had managed to get up again, but before he could deliver the blow a flash of white caught his eye. "Nyanmaru-kun?" Tatsuma looked down as he felt wet fur brush across his hand, "Ah, you must be cold huh?"
The boy's eyes widened as he heard the name and his guard lowered, and with piqued curiosity he watched as the other lifted the pure white kitty and tucked him into his shirt. "Nyanmaru..?" the boy spoke, his voice surprisingly soft and his lavender eyes seemingly sparkling.
"Nyanmaru," Tatsuma affirmed, and pointed to the cat's head that was poking out from the top of his shirt, "He's the one who led me to you... But this is the first time he's taken me to someone who isn't a cat."
The boy hesitantly took a step closer, again repeating the name, "Nyanmaru."
Tatsuma tilted his head to the side as he watched the boy's actions curiously. "Cute..." he unintentionally proclaimed out loud, but luckily it was too soft to be heard over the rain and thunder. "You can come pet him if you like," Tatsuma said with a smile, "Mind you he's covered in rain and mud, but then again so are we."
The boy darted back rather than moving closer, but due to the slick ground and his own state of weakness it sent him falling backwards with a sharp outcry of "Wha!?"
Tatsuma halted time once again, and seeing the look on the boy's frozen face he couldn't help but laugh, "Cute indeed, but a little skittish." Carefully Tatsuma rose and made sure Nyanmaru was securely fit in his shirt, "He seems reluctant to trust me, but I can't just leave him out here like this... Any ideas, Nyan-kun?" The cat meowed in response and ducked down out of sight, as if saying he hadn't any ideas either. "Guess I should've expected that," Tatsuma chuckled, and once again positioned himself to catch the boy, "But you may want to hop onto my shoulder before I catch him again." Nyanmaru huffed defiantly in reply and shirked around to the back of his shirt, sending a chill down Tatsuma's spine from the freezing wet fur. "C-cold," he shivered, but the cold was probably the reason why the kitty refused to come out of his warm shirt. Once the cat stilled, Tatsuma released his hold on time again to catch the boy before he could hit the ground, and he prepared himself for an expected struggle.
But there was no struggle, only a soft murmur and a few small twitches. "I'm so... tired..." the boy thought as his body refused to move. He couldn't even stand on his own, leaving all of his weight for the other male to bare. "What's going to happen to me now..?"
"H-hey!" Tatsuma grew worried as the boy fell limp in his arms and he knelt down on the ground to get a look at the boy's face. He seemed barely conscious, and his face was red from struggling and probably from a fever as well. Carefully Tatsuma shook off his trenchcoat and wrapped it around the boy.
"So warm." The boy stared up at Tatsuma's deep green eyes, and he meekly asked, "Who are you? What do you intend to do to me?"
Tatsuma was a bit startled to hear such direct questions, but considering the circumstances they were valid questions to ask. "Tatsuma," he answered, "And whether you want me to or not, I intend to help you."
"Why?"
Tatsuma blinked a few times as the next question repeated itself in his mind, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond. Why would he follow a once-stray cat out into a stormy night to take home a small, weathered down boy that he had never even seen before? "Umm... well..." he stalled, before coming up with a decent enough answer and smiling down at him, "Because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just turned away from you now; I'm not that type of person. So please... at least for tonight, let me shelter you."
The boy was bewildered. Here was this complete stranger who had only wanted to help him, a stranger who he had attacked repeatedly and tried to drive away only to fail. The guy had kept him from harm, given up his warm coat, was shielding him from the rain, and now he was practically begging to take him home. "O-okay."
Tatsuma smiled as he heard the answer, and was relieved that the boy would no longer fight him. "Thank you," he said softly and reached over to the umbrella. Carefully Tatsuma rose, with the boy held in his arms and the umbrella set in his hand to shield him from as much of the rain as possible, and with Nyanmaru still safely tucked away in his shirt.
The boy's dumbfounded gaze never left Tatsuma's face as he was carried through the dark and stormy streets, and though he was still wary of this abnormal stranger he couldn't help but feel safe. Anything would be better than freezing to death in a dark alley all alone, but he wondered what 'anything' may be in this situation. There was no telling where he was being taken to, or what would happen to him there, but at this point he was too weak to be able to fight back if anything went awry; he would have to trust himself to someone he had never met...
Tatsuma had tried to ignore the fact that he was being stared at, but the boy's lavender eyes were too alluring. "You keep staring at me," Tatsuma stated plainly and glanced down with a smile, "Are you alright-" His question halted short as he realized that he had yet to learn the boy's name, and with a blush tinting his cheeks he added, "I'm sorry, I can't remember if you've told me your name yet."
The boy set his gaze away, a hint of shame in his tone as he gave his answer, "Tenpouin Yuuki."
A/N: (this one means 'After Note') So, there we go! I wasn't expecting to pack so much into the first chapter, but... eh, I couldn't stop myself any sooner. That said I'll probably have the next chapter done in about a week depending on how things play out... Kaen'ta! (this is just my way of saying 'goodbye')