It was the third day that it had happened.

Once again, when leaving for work, there was a kitten on his doorstep, and without failure, it was always there when he got back, no matter how long his day had been.

Shizuo Heiwajima was starting to think that something strange was going on, especially when the kitten started to look more and more unhealthy, thinning out, it's meows weakening and the shine in his bright blue eyes dulling with hunger. No matter what though, it always managed to show up at his doorstep, every day, and the first and second time it had happened, Shizuo had decided to ignore it. This time, however, the ex-bartender knew that it was not just a coincidence.

The blond didn't remember ever caring for something or someone, the closest thing to this in his past had been taking care of his little brother, but Kasuka could always get things that he wanted if he tried his best, knew how to speak and use the toilet and get his own food if Shizuo wasn't around for a few minutes, maybe an hour. A cat though, let alone one so young looking, that would be hard to take care of, especially because of the man's brutish behavior.

That was why, on the afternoon of the third day, while Shizuo was going home from work and he suddenly remembered the presence of the kitten in front of his door, the frightening man took a couple different turns and ended up at the convenient store, getting the kitten a couple of cans of tuna so that it wouldn't look so unhealthy all the time. Avoiding the stares that he had attracted walking in and out of the store, Shizuo went on his way, thinking mostly about the kitten that would be waiting for him when he got home.

Sometimes, He thought. It feels good to be depended upon.

Without a doubt, the kitten was there when Shizuo got back, looking as unhealthy and frail as ever, his, now pale, blue eyes looking up at the uniform-clad man to help him. Shizuo went about his daily routine of unlocking and opening his door, and the cat's head fell back down, as if he had known that it was a lost cause all this time and that Shizuo would never help a stray like him.

"Well?" Shizuo asked, though he reprimanded himself a moment later for sounding so stupid, asking a cat a question. "You coming in?" He asked it anyways, thinking that people already thought he was a freak, why not add talking to kittens to the list of his flaws?

When the kitten didn't even bother to move in response, Shizuo began to worry. The cat was weak enough, he could have kicked the bucket right then and there, but the blond wouldn't give up that easily. He knelt down to the kitten, still in his open doorway, and nudged it with his hand, smiling in relief when it gave a weak, irritated meow.

The blond reached out, picking the kitten up gently and taking him into the room, closing the door behind him. Shizuo carried the kitten to the kitchen, placing it gently on the counter while he opened a can of tuna for it. "I know you probably don't eat this stuff..." He muttered, draining the can into the sink and pulling a small dish from the cupboard. "But it's what I could find..." The man tipped the contents of the can out onto the dish and put it in front of the kitten, before turning to get a bowl and fill it with water.

When he turned around, Shizuo smiled at the sight in front of him. The kitten was eagerly biting at the tuna, looking like he didn't care at all that it wasn't some special cat food. The kitten only looked up when Shizuo put the bowl of water next to the dish, quietly meowing his thanks and switching from chomping at the fish to take a few laps at the water.

Shizuo couldn't help himself, he reached out and, though the kitten quivered, stroked down the soft black fur of it's back. "I'm not all bad..." Shizuo muttered, frowning just a little bit. "I promise I wouldn't hurt you..." He continued to stroke down the kitten's fur slowly, smiling softly every now and then when he could feel the kitten purr against his hand or nuzzle up to it.

Soon, the tuna was gone the kitten finished lapping up at the dish of water he was given, then looked up at Shizuo with eyes only a little bit less dull than they were before. The kitten mewled up at the ex-bartender, standing a bit shakily and padding closer to him across the counter.

Shizuo gently lifted the kitten off of the counter, taking him to the front room and setting him on the couch. "It's been a long day for both of us, cat, so why don't you rest here and I'm going to go take a shower..." The cat curled up in the corner of the sofa, wrapping it's tail around it's body and laying it's head in it's paws. "There you go, cat, you just stay right there..." Shizuo pat it's head gently once before turning again and heading toward the bathroom.