Returned
Running. He was running again; it seemed all he'd ever done was run, be it to a subconscious destination or from a conscious threat. But this time, a rarer occurrence, it was pouring rain.
"Get back here kitten!" a large, menacing dog roared behind him.
He didn't respond, only continued his four-footed dash through puddles in the sidewalk.
Golden fur stuck to his body; even his tail dragged the ground with the water's weight. The only things not hanging were his pointed ears, up and alert, and his whiskers. And all the while his identity jingled around his neck.
Wrong.
"Stop!" the hound barked.
Still no response from the cat's gritted teeth, as once soft paws pounded the pavement, now calloused from two years of padding their way through deserts and floods; through hot and cold, through confusion and determination.
Wrong.
A low growl issued from the infuriated canines throat, and with dark eyes blazing he thundered, "Do you plan to keep running forever!? Come and face your fate!"
Something in the flaxen feline snapped, and in a fit of rage he skidded to a stop with his back claws and turned to rake his front claws across the beasts snarling maw.
The monster yelped in instant agony as he slammed his bloody nose into a nearby puddle.
This was wrong, everything was wrong. Why was he here? Someone was waiting for him and had been waiting for a long time, he could feel it; if only he knew who that was; if only he knew who he was. All he had were a few vague memories and a faded leather strap with a metal tag dangling onto his chest. And engraved in the red metal, but barely legible for the years of wear, was a name-the only concrete clue to his identity: Edward.
What's the matter!?" Edward glared his slit pupils at the beast. "Can't handle it when your unsuspecting victim fights back!?"
"Not a wise move, cat."
Another growl came from behind him, different from the first but matching in its anger and resentment.
"Two against one, huh?" he smirked without turning around. "Quite the tough flea bag, now aren't we?"
"Tough enough to bring down a scared little kitten!"
His claws were out, his hair bristling despite being sopping wet, and his pink nostrils were flared.
Wrong.
The beast bared his teeth.
Wrong.
Edward placed himself in a pre-pouncing stance.
Wrong.
The beast roared, with malice and fulmination.
Wrong.
Edward's eyes twitched and he hissed, loud and threatening.
"This is wrong!"
Just then a loud explosion sounded near the trio. There was no flame, no smoke or screaming; only the sound. Each drop of the rain could be heard as it hit the concrete, while the rest of the world went silent to hear the explosions thunder roll off. Both monsters and Edward froze, all threatening efforts faded with the stillness.
"Get out of here!" said a woman's stern voice while she stomped one foot down.
Whimpering, the beasts ran off, but Edward stayed stock-still. No matter his strain, none of his muscles would even twitch. It was almost as if his very soul demanded he stay put.
"Hey there," her voice was gentle, her lips smiling, as she replaced a smoking gun and crouched in front of the stiff cat.
"Who-…Who are you?" he mewed warily, his voice the only thing working."
"Don't be afraid. I'm not some wild dog, I won't hurt you," she kept her tone gentle as she reached out her hand.
"No!" he hissed, and bit down firmly on his middle finger.
There was a pause, and then a quiet, "Ouch. Still a little scared I take it." Still very calm, she tapped the tip of his nose, causing him to sneeze lightly and let go, then slipped off her blue over-jacket. Moving quickly, she scooped up the soaked feline within it.
Hey, what-!?" but what she did next stopped him half way with mouth still open.
"Sshh," she crooned into his ear, "stop struggling. You're safe now." Cradling him against her in the coat, she smiled and leaned down to kiss him softly on the nose.
What was this feeling swelling in his chest? It started small when first she smiled, but grew exponentially with her kiss. This feeling was familiar; a feeling that pushed against the edges of his mind, begging to be remembered. It was felt for her that much was certain, but what he was feeling and who exactly this woman was were two things he was very much unsure of.
"Uh, um, th-thank you," he mewed his thanks while brushing a light paw across her chin, to which she responded by snuggling him closer to her.
Amidst this foreign air of calm two very strange things happened, strange to Edward anyway: His whole body vibrated quietly with the ultimate sign of kitty contentment, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity,-for the first time in all the years of wrong- something finally felt right.
"So, your name's Edward?" she mumbled, toggling the tag with her finger.
Edward could barely nod, as her other hand was scratching up and down his spine; setting off that content rumbling as in her arms and numbing almost all other movement for his relaxation.
The woman and her new companion were placed side-by-side on her bed, in a relatively small apartment provided by her profession. He, now dry, was curled into a sort-of crescent atop her pillow with front legs curled, back legs stretched, and tail tapping and swishing over the pillowcase. She had her own legs tucked under her, dressed now in a long pair of light-blue pajamas since her uniform was drying over the back of a small gray chair, and the sun was starting to set-so it was assumed by the darkening, still-stormy sky. Just in front of the door, there sat a very attentative, very jealous, dog; who hadn't been too keen on seeing his master return with a cat, and appreciated even less the attention said cat was receiving.
But Edward barely noticed the rain anymore, and paid no attention to the domestic canine shooting him envious glares from the doormat. His eyes were closed, his furry lips were smiling, and his purring could only increase when her fingers trailed under his chin. It was only when her fingers paused and didn't restart that he raised confused eyelids.
"Edward…" she repeated his name as if the very syllables were a stab to her chest. Staring deep into his greenish eyes a range of emotions flashed through hers of bronze: Pain, sadness, nostalgia, humor, joy-love.
Riza…
There is a man; eyes like flowing honey and tresses a thousand strands of pure gold. There is a woman; hair like sunflowers and eyes the earth in which they grow. Her arms are wrapped around his neck and his around her lower back. Their eyes are locked in a lascivious gaze, while both their mouths are turned up into a smile. She mouths three words, he responds with four. And then they kiss, deep and passionate, as twilight engulfs the world.
Edward yelped and scrambled to his feet, panting as though he'd sprinted over the surface of the sun. His ears were straight up, his tail brisling, and his whole body was trembling. The memory, as well as the name preceding it, had come and gone from his mind like a bullet from a barrel, and brought along just as much pain.
That voice had once been his, just as the eyes and locks of gold. He'd once held that woman close, once felt her arms around him and her lips against his own. She'd said something to him and he to her; but he still couldn't be sure exactly what, since neither of them had voices in his recollection. One thing he was truly certain of was the connection between his voice and memory:
That woman, who had appeared a few nameless times before, who was eyeing him now with concern and worry, was Riza.
"What's the matter?!" Riza quickly scooped him up, cradling him again.
These were the arms, this was the warmth, of his memories.Mind beginning to race like his pulse, he shook his head, "Nothing…I-it's nothing, I'm fine," he meowed.
Riza looked into his fur-rimmed eyes and smiled a little, "You…remind me of him."
Somehow he managed to hear her through the sound of his own rushing blood, but he didn't know how to respond.
Not minding his silence, she closed her eyes, still smiling, and went on, "You and him have the same name, you know? And…the same eyes; kind, strong and determined. We sort of met the same way too: Completely by chance. Heh, though Hayate took to him much quicker than to you. But he always had that affect on people…You couldn't help but like him. Or in my case, I guess…feel more than just friendly affection."
He began to find breathing difficult as she opened her eyes and looked, un-smiling, at the opposite wall, "How long has it been now…two years?
"Two years without a report, a letter, a voice;" her arms started shaking, her eyes started to water, "without a sigh…without a whisper…without a breath…"
His pounding heart froze, while mind and body smoldered, when she looked back down into his wide eyes.
"Without-"
Green beginning to fade, he placed one paw on her chin.
"-just one chance to tell him-"
A melancholy smile slowly raised her lips to join the pools in her eyes.
"-I love you."
All the world went silent, save for the drip-dripping of tear drops onto bed sheets and a single, quiet sob. Even the storm outside quieted. Weight left her arms, a leather strap snapped and fell to the floor, and muscles were stretched as eyes, long unseen, softened at the woman holding her head and sitting on a mattress. One footstep, two, three, and then a soft hand gripped her chin in its thumb and forefinger.
"Riza," the voice was strained, having gone long unused and well as unheard, but was tender and amiable.
She removed her hands, wet eyes wide, as he tilted her head up and slid the other hand down her back to ease her to her feet.
"Sshh," he thrummed, smiling warmly while trailing a thumb over her lips when they parted in awe.
Holding her close in a one-armed embrace, he continued to trace his thumb over her lips: They were soft, even softer than he remembered, and warm; warm like the involuntary rivers' unceasing flow down her cheeks, warm like the sun now setting in a clear sky. But as much as he enjoyed the feel beneath his fingers, there was one other place where he knew he could revel in their supple warmth forever.
Their eyes locked, communicating more than could be in words. She wrapped tremulous arms around his neck, and he around her back.
And then they kissed; deeply and passionately pressed their smiling lips together as twilight engulfed the world.
In the darkness their arms held fast, and the words that had so awakened him rang fresh in his ears. Voice returning, he opened his mouth, and said against the warmth he adored, that he'd so anxiously waited to feel, four words she'd longed to hear, and he'd longed to say.
"I love you too."