A/N: To say that I love this fic, that I love Atobe Keigo in all his glory, that I love Kei-tan in all his squishy glory, would be an understatement. Kei-tan is inspired by fic, Contact Lens, which is wonderful and things so you should all go read it.
When Keigo was nine years old, he acquired a pet tiger. Oh, no, it wasn't exactly a pet tiger, per se, but Keigo certainly thought so and no one else quite wanted to contradict him – after all, despite his efforts to the contrary he was quite a lonely boy.
So of course when Keigo came back from a trip with his father (he had looked so happy then) clutching the tiger in one hand and barely restraining himself from clutching his father's hand in his other hand, no one pointed out that it was a plushie, and not the tiger – albeit one that was smaller, more floppy and tamer than normal – that Keigo seemed to think it was.
Keigo had a charming logic of a child that made absolutely no sense to other people at times, and this seemed to be one of them.
Keigo and the tiger henceforth became constant companions (except when Keigo went to school, of course, because Keigo understood the importance of appearances) and so where Keigo went, the tiger could be found.
One Saturday, when Mother was reading in her sitting room, a series of thumps insistently grew nearer and nearer, before suddenly stopping outside her door with a final dramatic thump and barely muffled yelp. She raised a delicate eyebrow at her son as the door opened to reveal him and the ever reliable tiger.
"Hello, Mother. Hobbes and I are going to the tennis courts." Keigo announced.
Barely holding back a smile, Mother asked, " Hobbusu?"
"No, Mother, Hobbes," the irritation was evident in his voice, "Hobbes. Like the tiger that belongs to Calvin in the American comic, only my Hobbes is the real deal."
Smiling, Mother nodded and gave Keigo a gentle push in the direction of the door, "Have a nice time, then, Keigo…Hobbes-san."
She watched her little boy burdened with a large tennis bag and dragging around a tiger almost as big as he was walk down the corridor before he disappeared 'round the corner. Laughing quietly to herself, she immersed herself once more in the art of flower arrangement.
That night at dinner, Mother casually asked how tennis practice that day had been. It had not, she reflected afterwards, been a very nice thing to do. Keigo had launched into an adorable rant of how Hobbes-san just refused to hold the racket properly, maybe because he didn't have opposable thumbs but what excuse what that? And so Keigo had had to practice all by himself again while Hobbes slacked off on the bench.
After that Keigo had started a very technical discussion with Keisuke about tennis and she had diverted their attention by announcing that a party would take place next week to celebrate Someone's Birthday, and then Keisuke's parents had broken their unusually long silence.
It was an Adults Only party, much to Keigo's dissatisfaction. He considered himself just about as Adult as any of them, except for the height difference but that would be remedied in just a few years, anyway. However, he couldn't help the blatant discrimination against children, so he holed himself up in his room after his dinner with Hobbes as his only companion.
This rather worried Mother, because while Keigo was a very well-mannered child with a sense of decorum that other parents could only hope for in their children, there were times when she thought it would be better if Keigo was misbehaved all the time so that there would be less impact.
After all the obligatory mingling and toasting was done, Mother decided to go up to check on Keigo – and reassure herself.
Mother was very relieved not to hear any unnatural noises coming from the vicinity of Keigo's rooms, and concluded that he must be studying. Quietly, she pushed his door open, and then a warm, genuine smile spread across her face.
Her son was curled up on his window seat, almost buried amidst the heaps of cushions and pillows that were piled high, and a blanket pulled up to his chin. Warm light spilled from the intricately carved lamp that hung in the alcove onto the large book spread across his thighs, and he was reading from it in an innocent, almost-drowsy voice to Hobbes-san, who was tucked snugly in between his body and the window sill, and looked as contented as its owner.
English words spilled forth from Keigo's lips, relating the epic tales of those Greeks to the tiger, and his voice held Mother spellbound, for it had an almost mystical quality to it at that moment.
Mother did not know how long she had stood just outside her son's room, captivated by the sight of him totally relaxed and happy. But it was long enough that she gave a start when one of the servants touched her on the shoulder gently. She immediately turned around, eyes wide and index firmly pressed firmly to her lips in the universal gesture of silence.
The maid, rather taken aback, took a peek into her young master's room and she smiled as well, before whispering as they walked softly down the hallway, "Keigo-chama likes his tiger a lot, doesn't he?
"Yes, he does."
A/N: wibbles ISN'T HE ADORABLE? Um, anyway. Comments appreciated, Concrit devoured, Flames used to fry bacon.