I saw the movie and had to write something. The end. NOW READ!
Lol, nahh I'm kidding. I just saw the movie The Boy and the Beast and became inspired to write something; time seemed to fly in the movie, and I was left wondering what all happened during Kyuta's training years with Kumatetsu.
I'm also going to TRY and not include too much fluff. The way the movie played out, the two would get majorly OOC if I did that.
…
Though that's how this story came to mind. I promise this chapter will be the only one with something fluffy! I'll try hard to keep everyone in-character!
…speaking of fluff, I want a Chiko plushie. That little marshmallow-mouse was too cute!
Disclaimer: All rights belong to Mamoru Hosoda.
~BB~
Move Over!
Winter set in Jutengai quite heavily that year.
Three days prior, Soshi- the Grandmaster of the Beast Kingdom- advised his citizens to stock up on food and firewood ahead of time so to avoid freezing and starvation, as he sensed the blizzard would be intense and keep everyone indoors.
Two days before the blizzard would hit, the rest of the beasts began to sense it too, and hurried throughout the market to gather as much food and supplies as possible. By the eve of the storm, every booth was practically cleaned out!
And then the snow began to fall. It started out as a light sleet, but after minutes started coming down thicker, until there was nothing to see out the window but white and gray.
Tatara looked out the window himself to know this, the beast-monkey shivering and pulling a blanket over his shoulders. "Geez, I knew we were in for a storm, but I never knew it would be this bad!" he stated, walking over and sitting down by the warm fireplace. "When will it stop?!"
Hyakushubo, his pig-beast friend, only sipped some warm tea. "Not until late in the night I'm guessing; by morning the snow will be so thick, it will block the doorway." He responded afterwards, looking out the window. "The enclosure has me worried, I must confess."
Tatara shrugged, coolly lying down on the couch. "So we'll be stuck inside for the day. We've got enough food, it's no big deal!"
"I wasn't talking about us," Hyakushubo looked out the window, in the direction of another house. "Kumatetsu and Kyuta will also be indoors until the snow melts."
Tatara's hair stood up as his eyes widened. "…Oh, crap! And we're not there to make sure they don't kill each other!"
His friend sighed. "I do not doubt their bickering will have increased… but I am sure Kumatetsu will not harm his apprentice, especially after the improvement they have both had in training."
"I bet ya they'll be at each other's throats before midnight." Tatara looked out the window. "Kumatetsu will probably bury the kid in the snow! He'll have a popsicle for an apprentice!"
Hyakushubo only shook his head. "Let us pray their heads stay as cool as the weather."
"…If that were so, we'd all be suffering heatstroke."
"Just go to bed."
~BB~
Knowing their friends well, Kyuta and Kumatetsu were in fact in another heated argument… and it wasn't even midnight. In fact, the two began bickering before the snow even started falling!
First it started out with the nine-year-old griping about being the only one having to buy food in a crowded market, ending up pushed and trampled just to get to a single booth, as well as having to search all over to find enough food to feed both him and the massive beast he had to live with.
Then came Kumatetsu's retort about his share of the work, that being insulating the hen-house so the chickens wouldn't freeze, chopping firewood all day, and still finding time to get as much training in with his apprentice as possible before the snow set in.
Kyuta continued the argument, bringing up how he does all the household chores while his master sleeps until noon, claiming that if he'd get off his lazy fur-hide and help out, they would have more time to train- as well as more supplies, if the bear-beast would go to the market instead of letting the kid get caught in a stampede.
They managed to blow off some steam with a bit of training, continuing even as the light snow began; once it got too slick to continue did they decide to call it a day and go inside… the master beating his pupil in an eating-race during dinner, leaving him to do the dishes.
Thus when the new argument arose about the boy's sleeping arrangements.
The first day he moved in with Kumatetsu, the bear-beast only gave his apprentice two pillows to sleep on (the boy ended up sleeping in the hen-house instead). The next day, Kyuta decided to deal with it- after all, he'd be tired enough from his chores and training that he could sleep on the bare floor!
But once the nights began to grow cold, he grew irritated with his lack of bedding. Especially since his master took the couch to himself!
Finally, the nine-year-old apprentice had enough. "I want a bed," he told Kumatetsu firmly.
"It's on the floor," his master replied, already on the couch and covered by a blanket, his back to the boy.
"I can't just sleep on two pillows! It's freezing!"
"Then go build a fire and sleep by it! …better yet sleep in it,"
Kyuta punched him hard in the back. "Maybe I'll SET YOU on fire! How would you like THAT?!"
Kumatetsu sat up, glaring back at him. "What did I say about talking back to your master?! Either stick with what you've got or I'll throw you out in the snow! Maybe sleeping in a blizzard will teach you to be more appreciative!"
"I'd appreciate a decent bed- let alone a blanket!"
"Then you should've bought one, because I ain't giving up mine!"
"You don't even need one! You should be warm enough with all that fat fur! You should be hibernating!"
"It's hard to 'hibernate' with a mouthy kid keeping me up! Go to sleep!"
"Not without a blanket!" Quick as a blink, Kyuta whipped the blanket right off his master and took off!
"HEY! GIVE THAT BACK, YOU BRAT!" Kumatetsu bellowed, and chased the boy around the house.
As with every routine in which an argument led to a chase, Kumatetsu chased Kyuta around the table and all over the living room of the small house, both of them shouting at one another. Had it not been for the blizzard outside, they would run in and out the two doorways in a circle, perhaps even down the streets and all around the Beast Kingdom.
*Thud!*
Tonight the chase ended differently; with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Kyuta ended up tripping over it, landing in a face-plant on the ground! "Oof!" the boy grunted… then suddenly rolled onto his back when his master whipped the blanket away from him!
"When I set my mind on something, I stick to it- that includes sleeping with a blanket!" Kumatetsu snapped, lying back down on the couch and wrapping the blankets tightly around himself. "Goodnight, brat."
Kyuta stood up, sneering. He wanted to run up and punch the bear-beast right in the face and fight for the blanket! But right now, he was too tired from the chase, lying down on his pillows.
There came a small squeak as Chiko, his pet mouse, poked his head out of the boy's hair- where he usually resided. The tiny fluffy companion scurried down onto the boy's chest, purring in concern.
"I'll get that blanket. You'll see." Kyuta muttered promisingly, stroking the mouse's head. In turn the mouse nuzzled up to his chin, curling up and drifting to sleep.
It didn't come easy, but after a while the apprentice managed to fall asleep.
~BB~
When Kyuta awoke the next morning, he heard the sound of a howling wind outside. Looking out the window, he saw that the snow was still falling. So much for training outside, he thought, picking up the broom and deciding to practice a couple techniques indoors.
He looked over at his master, still asleep on the couch. As cold as it was, he would probably sleep most of the day. 'Like hibernation', Kyuta could imagine, and wondered if any beasts in Jutengai slept throughout the winter.
The apprentice tip-toed over to the couch. If his master was going to be sleeping in, he could snatch the blanket and curl up somewhere until noon.
He walked over to the couch, finding a flaw: the bear-beast was now lying on top of the blanket, snoring heavily. The boy tugged at the blanket, but it wasn't going to budge. He sighed in irritation, having the mind to smack his master with the broom.
Chiko purred atop his head, scurrying down his arm and onto the tip of the broom handle, looking at him with beady eyes. Kyuta sighed. "I'll wake him later," he mumbled, holding up his hand and letting the mouse hop on. "C'mon, lets get some breakfast, huh?"
After cooking up some eggs and toast, Kyuta sat down at the table, leaving a few crumbs aside for Chiko to munch on. Afterwards he practiced a couple more techniques with the broom… and after an hour, sat down in boredom.
His master was still asleep.
The apprentice looked around, wondering what to do next. On any other day, he would just go to the market or spend time with Tatara and Hyakushubo when they visited. But with everyone snowed in, his routine was altered. He had done all his household chores, so there was nothing for him to do…
Even if there was, it was too cold! He looked over at the fireplace, with a stack of locks right beside it. Building a fire sounded like the right idea. He had seen Kumatetsu build one before- all he needed to do was light some straw under a log.
Within a few minutes, he had a small fire going, having used the smallest log he could carry. He sat by the fireplace, holding his hands out towards the warmth of the flames. Due to the small log, the fire wasn't exactly a roaring blaze, leaving the lad still shivering.
"Move," came a gruff mumble, as the lad was grabbed by the head and set aside, watching as Kumatetsu grabbed a larger log and threw it on the fire. A few embers hopped but died out quick, the flames however building up. "When it's this cold, use the large logs, kid."
"I couldn't lift the large logs, idiot." Kyuta grumbled in response, crossing his arms.
"Then keep working on getting stronger," Kumatetsu walked to the kitchen to get his own breakfast. He was in the middle of cracking a couple eggs over rice when there was a *thud* followed by an 'Ouch!'; he poked his head out, seeing his apprentice rubbing his foot while sitting by a log.
He watched as the boy lifted the log- setting it down to take a breath for a moment before lifting again, until he managed to slip it back on the lower top of the pile. He then looked at the pile, grabbing each top-log by the edge and trying to lift it. Once he found one easy to lift, he pulled it out and began to lower and raise it with his arms.
The kid was working out using a log!
Kumatetsu chuckled to himself.
"Ow!"
The master busted out laughing when the kid gave himself a splinter. "When I said work on getting stronger, I didn't mean lifting logs until your arms fell off." He stated. "Start with something more basic, like push-ups and sit-ups. Twenty of 'em."
Kyuta, who was sucking the splinter out of his finger and prying it out with his teeth, only glared. "Twenty?"
"You want to make it fifty?"
Kyuta groaned but got on his hands and knees, doing a push-up.
Kumatetsu stomped his foot, hard enough to shake the floor and make the kid collapse. "Wrong! Like this," he then stretched out on the floor, standing on his toes and palms and doing five push-ups.
Kyuta nodded, following his example. His master sat down, watching him and counting.
By the time the boy got to '15', fatigue began to catch up on him, and the lack of sleep was starting to affect his exercise. "Slow! You're getting slow!" Kumatetsu snapped once he noticed this. "Give me 10 more for slacking!"
"You'd be slow too if you lost sleep!" Kyuta argued, forcing himself to keep up the pace with the push-ups.
"You're the one who decided to stay up complaining,"
"If I had a bed-!"
"Again with the bed…!"
The arguing went on for quite a while; the whole time Kyuta would be doing push-ups, sit-ups or practicing techniques alongside Kumatetsu, yet even the training didn't help them blow off steam.
Perhaps it was because of the cold weather keeping them inside, but the attitude between the master and his apprentice continued to sour as the day went on. Whether it was arguing about training inside a small space (Kumatetsu) to trying to get stronger (Kyuta), or being too slow (Kumatetsu) to being tired from sleeping on a cold floor (Kyuta), the conflict just seemed to go on for hours!
Many neighboring beasts would pause in their own tasks, listening to what some would call 'The Heated Argument That Melted the Blizzard'; three wolf-beasts started making bets on who would win the argument… calling it off as it never seemed to end, and they eventually forgot how it even started.
But, neither the master nor his apprentice would forget the key element that led to the arguing: the blanket.
"Fine! If you want it so bad, come and get it!" came Kumatetsu's roar, which Tatara heard from his house.
"I'll fight you for it!" was Kyuto's retort, and Hyakushubo counted down his fingers from '5' as a ruckus was heard, before hearing the boy's outrageous yell of defeat.
"…Told ya so," Tatara said to Hyakushubo, before yawning and falling asleep.
~BB~
By the time the two finished arguing, it was well past dinnertime. Kumatetsu was once again the first to fall asleep, regardless of his pupil's heated glare from the floor.
Kyuta himself couldn't sleep at all. I would've beaten him if I wasn't so tired… he thought as he sat close to the fire, which was beginning to shrink. And if that beast would just let me have a blanket, I would've slept better!
Chiko purred, curling up in his hair and distracting the boy momentarily from his bitter thoughts. He had to chuckle, the way the fluffy mammal had made his head its own little nest. It was then he realized the mouse had been ducked in his locks since the arguing began. "You never leave my head for anything, not even when Kumatetsu and I are fighting." He whispered to the mouse, reaching up and rubbing his tiny furry head. "You really know how to hold your ground,"
The apprentice paused just then, an idea forming in his head.
Whether it was because of fatigue or raw rebellion clouding his mind, it didn't stop him from going through with the act that- to this very day- he thought was too crazy to pull off.
Standing up, he walked over to the couch, staring at his master a moment. The bear-beast was snoring heavily, lying on his back, the blanket draped over his form, though one paw was clenched around the edge- in case the lad got the idea to rob him of the soft fleece during his slumber.
But Kyuta had a different idea in mind. He grabbed a corner of the blanket, pulled it back…
Kumatetsu grunted and stirred in his sleep, feeling a brief chill…
Moving quickly, the boy crawled under the blanket, the bear-beast beneath him. He shivered a bit, feeling the coldness leave his body, warmth in his place.
No longer than two seconds within his settlement did Kumatetsu wake. "Zz-! What the he- HEY!" the master snapped, seeing the boy lying atop him. "What the hell are you doing?! Get off me!"
Kyuta only shook his head. "No way! You've been hogging the blanket every night, and I'm sick of sleeping on the floor!"
"You think I'm going to share my couch with some brat?!"
"If you're not going to give me a real one, this is where I'm sleeping!"
Kumatetsu sat up, the kid leaning back. His fur rustled with annoyance. "You are NOT using me as a pillow!" He tried to shove him off, but the kid clung onto his shirt, his grip tightening around the fur beneath. "Ow! Stop it!"
The boy, despite his fatigue, kept an iron-grip on the bear-beast, his arms stretched around his master's abdomen tightly while he was being pulled. In his hair, Chiko poked his head out, whimpering with concern before ducking back down. "I'm sick of freezing, and I'm sick of the floor! Until I have my own bed, we're sharing!"
"Kyuta, I swear to the Grandmaster, if you don't get off me, I'll roll over and crush you!"
"It would beat the hell out of the floor!"
Kumatetsu seethed, prying him off and pushing him onto the floor… but quickly as he did the boy just jumped back on his stomach! "Oof! Why you little…!" He grabbed him by the shirt, both of them glaring at each other. It was one of those times when Kumatetsu really wished he could throw the boy out, had he not need of the apprentice.
"If you keep knocking me down, I'll just climb back on you. I'll do it all winter if I have to!" Kyuta told him firmly, his dark gaze filled with promise. As if to make his point, he gripped back onto the bear-beast. "I'm not changing my mind."
A temple throbbed in Kumatetsu's head. He let go of the boy, rubbing his face while muttering a couple curses. "I'm too tired for this…" he groused, looking down at his apprentice who continued to give him that determined stare. "…Fine. But only for tonight- and I don't want any complaints about my snoring. And so help me, if you're a bed-wetter, you'll be sleeping with the hens!"
"I don't wet the bed," Kyuta sneered, grabbing the blanket that had slipped off his back and pulling it up to his shoulders as Kumatetsu leaned back.
The bear-beast grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to his own shoulders… covering the boy's head in the process.
Not that he cared.
"Hey!" Kyuta muffled; he shimmied upward until his head poked out. "What're you trying to do, suffocate me?!"
"What did I say about complaining?" Kumatetsu sneered. "If you're going to go through with this, you're going to take the good with the bad. In other words- suck it up and go to sleep!"
Kyuta grimaced, though his master had a point. It was his choice to go through with this plan, and regardless what Kumatetsu did he had to hold his ground. Sighing, he lied his head down, resting it on the bear-beast's chest.
*ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump*
The boy blinked at the unusual sound, before he realized it was his master's heartbeat. Huh… so he has a heart after all. He thought, listening to the gentle thumping; mixed with the rhythm of his breathing, it was quite peaceful.
Within a few minutes, Kyuta drifted to sleep.
Kumatetsu waited until he heard the boy's soft snoring, before he sat up- figuring he could just set the kid down on the floor the moment he was out. His apprentice shifted, clinging onto him in his sleep, his grip just as tight as it was before. "Even stubborn in your sleep… You really can hold your ground," the master admitted quietly.
The boy only shifted, holding onto him tighter, shivering a bit as the blanket slipped. Kumatetsu sighed and lied back down, covering them both with the blanket. He folded one arm behind his head, the other draping over his apprentice's shoulders- mainly to hold the blanket in place, in his case.
Within moments, he was out like a light, snoring heavily; Kyuta groggily lifted his head to the sound, before lying it back down and snoring himself.
It beat sleeping on the floor, at least.
~BB~
It was past noon when Kumatetsu woke up… the boy still sound asleep on his abdomen. Sheesh, he's usually an early-riser. The bear-beast thought, having to chuckle. "Rise and shine, Kyuta." He stated, tapping the boy on the head.
"Zz… five more minutes…" Kyuta responded, obviously too comfortable.
"I SAID UP!" Kumatetsu exclaimed, whipping the blankets off and shoving the kid to the floor.
"Oof! Hey!"
"Ha ha ha! Now you know what it feels like to be disturbed from sleep!" The beast stood up and looked out the window; the sun was shining and there was at least 3 feet of snow outside. He walked over and grabbed a wide shovel, tossing it to Kyuta (who stumbled as he caught it). "Here. Go outside and start shoveling the snow. Now that the blizzard passed we can get back to some real training!"
"Seriously? I just woke up!"
"I said hop to it, brat! Do it now while the sun's high, and you won't freeze so much." With that, Kumatetsu left. "I'll be in town. See ya!"
Kyuta sneered, but went out.
Three hours passed as he shoveled the snow, until the yard was clear. By this time, Tatara and Hyakushubo came by. "Hey, you're not dead!" Tatara exclaimed in greeting, tussling the boy's hair. "As quiet as it got last night, we figured someone got killed! …er, wait, where's Kumatetsu?!"
"He went into town." Kyuta explained, finishing up his job and setting the shovel beside the door; going inside he made his visitors some tea.
"What exactly happened last night?" Hyakushubo asked. "I know you two have your share of bickering, but I did not expect it to last half the night!"
"I did," Tatara scoffed.
"He kept hogging the blanket, that's all. In the end, he let me have it just so he could get some sleep." Kyuta muttered, not exactly wanting to bring up the details of how he used his master as a pillow.
Tatara gawked. "Seriously?! All that yelling over a blanket?!"
"I suppose the coldness of winter causes everything simple to seem valuable, and tension rises when it lies between more than one owner." Hyakushubo claimed. "You were both cold, and both wanted the blanket. …Exactly, how did you reach a compromise?"
"I just wouldn't let him sleep until I got the blanket," Kyuta replied.
"Must've been a hard-won battle. Kudos to ya, kid," Tatara said, cheering him with his teacup before slurping it down. "I'm going to go find Kumatetsu, see ya." With that, the monkey-beast took off.
Hyakushubo only shook his head. "Have you eaten lunch yet?" he asked Kyuta.
"I haven't even had breakfast. I was up so late last night I slept until noon," Kyuta told him.
"It's important to be well-fed during the winter. Come, I'll help you cook something," The apprentice-monk guided him to the kitchen, helping him make stew. They sat down and ate, the pig-beast making conversation about the weather and how Jutengai only got one blizzard a year, as the climate was naturally warm.
Kumatetsu had not returned yet.
"Tell your master we'll visit tomorrow," Hyakushubo told the boy on his way out that afternoon. The apprentice nodded, bidding him farewell.
Kyuta got to work building a fire; he used the log he was lifting last night, followed by a lighter one, making a warm fire. Afterwards he got to work doing the dishes and sweeping around the house, practicing a few techniques with the broom as he did. By sunset he had dinner prepared, eating a bit while saving some for his master.
He sat down on the couch, tired from all the work. Chiko climbed down on his shoulder, munching on a piece of bread left from dinner. "Where is he?" Kyuta wondered; his master never stayed out this late.
During his wait, he dosed off.
…
*THUMP!*
Five minutes later he was on the floor. "What the…?! Hey!" he snapped, seeing Kumatetsu standing there, having flipped the boy out from under the blanket. "What's the big idea?!"
"It's almost sundown- what, have you've been lazing around all day?" the master prodded.
"I've been working my butt off! Where have you been?!"
"I had stuff to do."
"Yeah? What stuff?"
"None of your business! Now c'mon, lets get some training in while there's still daylight."
Kyuta sighed but followed.
~BB~
Once practice was over, Kumatetsu lied down on the couch. "By the way, you can forget about making me a mattress," he thumbed over his shoulder. "Sleep over there,"
Kyuta sneered but walked over… seeing a small area set up by the kitchen consisting of a mat, pillows, and a heavy blanket. "Where… where did this come from?" he asked.
"Just found a bunch of spare stuff stashed away. I didn't remember till you started complaining," The apprentice only looked at his master, stunned. "Well?! Go on! It's a bed, sleep on it!"
Kyuta nodded. He lied down on the mat, pulling the soft blanket up to his shoulders and resting his head on the pillows. No way they were just 'stashed somewhere'.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
The wind outside blew. Chiko purred softly on the pillow beside him. The logs on the fire crackled a little.
"You're welcome," came a quiet whisper.
Smiling slightly, Kyuta drifted to sleep, remaining warm the rest of the winter, and every winter after.
~BB~
A/N: Ahhhh, I'm sorry this came out horrible! XD Don't worry, this will be my only fluff attempt (for now) in this story. Hope the rest of the chapters will come out better!
For now, I'd like to hear some constructive criticism. No flames though! (pretty sure Kumatetsu will be giving me a hard time once he finds this 9.9)
