Chapter 4
Night came, and of course, Jirou did not. Not the Jirou that Shinchirou-sama was waiting for, anyway. Jirou tried to distract him, mostly by looking really dumb by asking the names of lots of things. Like the television, and the fridge. Jirou and the cats had previously called them the talking box and the cooling box. He would pass this information along to them, along with microwave, when they were alone.
When it came time to sleep, Jirou followed Shinchirou-sama, into his master's room.
"I have a guest room but it's cluttered with junk." Shinchirou-sama told him, which he knew. He, Gorou and Nana liked to go in there and play hide and seek, and take turns scaring each other by popping out from boxes and bags. It was lots of fun. So much so that for a moment, thinking about it, Jirou was sad, because he couldn't do that anymore. But it was worth it.
"So for now, I hope you won't mind sharing my bed with me and-" and then Shinchirou-sama stopped, and sighed, laughing a little awkwardly. "I was going to say "Jirou." He usually sleeps with me. Actually, he's done it every night since I found him."
"Oh." Jirou said, even though he'd been about to say, "I know."
"Sorry I keep talking about him. I'm just worried about him."
Jirou nodded silently, then moved on quickly. "I don't uh...mind. Sharing the bed."
Shinchirou-sama nodded, and smiled, then started digging through his drawers, coming out with a pair of pajamas he often wore.
"You can wear these, if you don't mind."
Jirou shook his head, grabbing the clothes and looking awkward. He excused himself and went to the bathroom, changing into the clothes. It wasn't exactly easy, since he'd only ever wore his one outfit, and never had a reason to take it off. Eventually, after minimal flailing, he got them on. They didn't fit perfectly, but were close enough.
Jirou pressed the fabric of the clothes to his nose and breathed in the smell. He'd smelled the clothes before, in fact, he could smell himself on the clothes, but it was still something amazing. He was wearing Shinchirou-sama's clothes. And he would lay next to him in bed.
When he went back to the room, Shinchirou-sama was already changed, but not laying in the bed yet, seemingly waiting for Jirou. Once they were both in the bed, Jirou restrained himself from cuddling into his master, like he always had come night time.
"So, uh." Jirou said softly, but he didn't know what else to say. There hadn't been a planned end to the sentence. He couldn't really get his thoughts in order, because all he could think about was the fact that he was in the bed with Shinchirou-sama, as a human, like he'd always wished. He shut his eyes, breathing in and out, and managed to hold back his smile.
"Thank you. For letting me stay."
Shinchirou-sama yawned. "It's not a problem. Besides...I feel like I know you, somehow. Isn't that weird?"
Jirou shook his head, smiling openly now. "I don't think so. I feel like I know you too."
*(*)
It was impossible to fall asleep, because he was so aware of Shinchirou-sama. Even after the human fell asleep, Jirou stayed awake, glad he wasn't a regular human who had work tomorrow. He was excited too, after the day he'd had, and he knew sleep wouldn't come easily.
Finally, just as a hint of sunlight peeked over the horizon, Jirou managed to fall asleep.
The next day, Shinchirou-sama made breakfast, and the two of them laughed and talked as they ate. Human food was really good, as Jirou was learning, better than anything he'd tasted before. It was a light atmosphere, for the most part. But there was also a tiny sadness in the air, that Jirou knew was coming from Shinchirou-sama. He tried to ignore it, even though he knew what was causing it.
Gorou jumped up onto the table to speak with Jirou, saying, "Hey, let me try some, if it's so good." Jirou rolled his eyes, but did as instructed, giving some to both Gorou, and Nana, who was so excited by the food that he ran around the table, knocking Jirou's plate off the table. The plate itself didn't break, which was lucky, but the food was everywhere.
"I'll take care of it." his master said, going down the hallway. Jirou sat at the table, waiting, whispering quietly to Gorou and Nana about the things he'd learned already. Their quiet conversation came to an end, when suddenly, a noise from Jirou's nightmares ripped through the air. It was loud, and scary, and it sent, he, Gorou, and Nana sprinting down the hall, running into the room filled with junk.
"It was that monster again." Gorou panted, as Nana leaped into a nearby box. This was where the three of them always hid whenever Shinchirou-sama used that monstrous tool. It was much too loud and frightening.
There was a knock on the door. "Jinshiro-kun, are you alright? I didn't mean...well I didn't think you'd…"
Jirou opened the door, blushing in embarrassment. "Uh, sorry. I just uh...don't like the sound of those things."
"Vacuums?" Shinchirou-sama asked, seeming confused, but then he nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have known."
It occurred to Jirou that Shinchirou-sama probably thought he was some boy who had been beaten in a dark room, where he'd never been allowed to leave. It was the only explanation for why he had no idea what common household items were called, and frightened by others. Well, for now, he just wouldn't say anything.
"It's not your fault." he said, stepping out of the room. "I'm sorry."
Shinchiro-sama smiled, and suddenly began to laugh, making Jirou take a step back, cocking his head in confusion. Had his apology been funny, somehow?
"I'm sorry." his master managed to say after a minute. "You just...reminded me so much of a cat. The way you ran off down the hall. You even hid with my cats."
Jirou found himself blushing fiercely, and he looked at the ground, unsure what to say next. He looked up when he felt a hand on his head, looking up into Shinchiro-sama's eyes. His master laughed again, and this time, Jirou managed a smile back.
They spent the next couple hours alternating between talking and watching TV. The television had never really interested Jirou before, but now, it was much more interesting. He saw Shinchirou-sama watching him watching the TV out of the corner of his eye, and wondered what he was thinking. Probably he was amazed again at how totally out of the loop Jirou was.
It was during one of the moments they'd chosen to focus on the TV that Jirou heard his owner let out a small sigh, one a human with normal hearing wouldn't have picked up on. He turned, and saw, for a brief second, a look of sadness of his owner's face. But when he saw that he was looking, Shinchirou-sama smiled. Jirou didn't let it slide.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. I'm alright. I was just...thinking about Jirou again. I hope he's okay."
Jirou paused, once more swarmed with guilt. "I'm sure...he's alright."
Finally, it came time for Shinchirou-sama to leave for work. He asked Jirou about tweleve times if he'd be alright left alone, each time Jirou assuring he would be. He'd stayed behind while Shinchirou-sama went to work for his whole life. And this would be his chance to tell Gorou and Nana all the new things he had learned.
"If you get hungry, there's some snacks in the cuboards. You don't have to microwave them or anything. Just open and eat them."
"Which are those?" Jirou asked, risking looking stupid so that he wouldn't later end up eating a sack of flour or something. His master showed him the snack, and then buttoned up his coat, standing in the doorway.
"I'll be back around six. You'll be okay until then?"
"Yes, Shinchirou-sama."
Shinchirou-sama smiled, and said, "I told you, you don't have to call me that."
Jirou nodded, even though he had no intention of stopping. That was all he'd ever called his master, and he wasn't planning on stopping.
"Watch the cats for me, okay? And could you keep an eye out for Jirou? He's a siamese cat."
"Okay." Jirou answered, and Shinchirou-sama smiled, then turned to walk away.
"See you later."
"Have a good day at work!" Jirou said, bursting with joy that for the first time, his owner was hearing him wish him off. "Be safe!"
Once he was gone, Gorou and Nana both crowded him, so he sat on the ground, telling them everything he'd learned, as they sat in his lap and listened. Once they finally fisnished chattering excitedly about all of those things, Nana soured the mood a little.
"So, what are you planning to do?" the younger cat asked. "About, well, yourself."
"Yeah. If you don't say anything, he'll think forever that you, as a cat, just ran away and never came back."
Jirou shrugged. "What else can I do? He wouldn't believe me if I told him the truth, anyway."
"Maybe he would." Nana said, stretching out his limbs and curling into a ball on the floor, clearly growing sleepy. Gorou too looked tired, but he managed to stay awake a little longer, offering his advice to Jirou.
"Think about it, anyway." the black said. "Telling him. No real rush."
Jirou nodded, and, as the black cat curled into his own ball, he couldn't stop himself from joining them, laying on the floor, and falling asleep just like he always did.
He woke up about two hours later. Both Gorou and Nana were still asleep, but Jirou stood up, stretching his arms out. Sleeping on the floor was much more uncomfortable as a human. His stomach growled, and he ate a few of the snacks Shinchirou-sama had left for him. When he was done, he cleaned up, wanting to do something to repay his owner for letting him stay there. But Shinchirou-sama was a very tidy person, and there wasn't much to clean up, so after another hour, he was done, standing in the kitchen, looking left and right for something to do.
As a cat, he never had to try very hard to find something to do. Mostly because he didn't really feel the urge to do anything. But as a human, he had the desire to move around a little more. He opened the front door and looked out into the frontyard. Just yesterday, he'd been sitting in this yard, same as now, but he'd been a cat. And now...he was a human.
What a difference a day (and a witch) could make. It was horrible to think about. If Leo hadn't come to pick the girl Nina up from school, if he hadn't smelled them, and then come to play, he would still be a cat, still hurting inside, wishing with all his heart for something he thought was impossible.
Gorou and Nana heard him go outside, and luckily, helped pass much more time, playing with him out in the yard. They sat on the sofa with him, as he explained the things that were happening on the television. With his help, the cats found it much more interesting.
Jirou couldn't tell time, but years of waiting taught him how to judge it. About an hour before Shinchirou-sama was set to come home, he decided to go for a walk.
"A walk?" Nana asked, tail twitching nervously. Gorou's twitched too, but it was with interest. "Why would you do that?"
"I should learn the neighborhood, right? So I can be more usefull to Shinchirou-sama. He can send me to that food place he goes to." The cats had long ago realized that the human's food was all being kept some place, all they all had to go there to get it.
"Yeah." Gorou said. "Can we come?"
Nana jumped a little, obviously not liking the idea, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Okay." Jirou said. "But stick close to me."
"Right."
Nana didn't need to be told twice. The younger cat was practically glued to Jirou's side as they walked, jumping everytime a car went by, hair bristling in fear when humans shouted. Gorou was much more excited, leaping around and investigating everything they passed. Jirou was a mixture of the two. Curious and excited to learn, but also scared. He made sure not to take many turns, because he did not want to lose him way back home.
They came to a building that had many, many cars parked infront of it, and lots of people going in and out. They were all carrying the same bags that Shinchirou-sama carried whenever he went out for food.
"This must be the food place." Jirou said, and the two younger cats nodded. Nana, finally easing up a little, jumped out of his arms, sniffing the air.
"There are lots of smells coming from in there."
"Let's go in." Gorou said, and Jirou and Nana followed behind him. Jirou saw people staring at them as they headed toward the building, and he wondered why, trying to come up with some guesses. Maybe animals weren't allowed in the building?
"Guys, I don't think animals are allowed in." Jirou said, and the trio stopped.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Gorou asked, and Jirou considered it.
"Well, remember how Shinchirou-sama doesn't like it when we get our hair in his food? If this place if full of food, it's probably the same thing."
"Oh." Nana said. "Yeah, you're right."
So the trio headed back towards home. They were only a few minutes away when suddenly, there came a sound that froze them all in their tracks.
It was barking.
Jirou wasn't afraid of all dogs. Most dogs were friendly, or at least left them alone, on the rare times he did venture out of the frontyard. But this didn't sound like friendly barking. He turned, and knew right away he was correct in this assumption. The dog in question was big, and it's teeth were bared. There weren't any humans around that it seemed to belong to.
"G-go away!" Jirou said, speaking to it as a cat, so that it would understand him. But this only seemed to make it worse, and the dog began to stalk forward. It was very skinny, for such a big looking dog, but Jirou knew that would only make him faster. Both Nana and Gorou were bristling, hissing and trying not to look scared. Nana wasn't doing as well as Gorou, so Jirou bent down and scooped the young cat up.
His movement startled the dog into movement, and it charged them, barking and snarling. Gorou darted off, gone in a flash, and Jirou quickly went after him, crushing Nana against his chest. He ran as fast as he ever had, panting and puffing. He could hear the dog chasing them, and no matter how fast it ran, it seemed to be faster, catching up quickly.
Jirou's blood was pounding in his veins, and he was as terrified as he had been the night before, when that strange man had pulled him into the alley.
The house came into view, and Jirou put on a burst of speed. Gorou beat him to the yard, and ran in, darting under the porch. Nana leaped out of his arms and did the same, and Jirou turned to latch the gate shut. But he wasn't quick enough, and the dog forced it's way in. Jirou braced himself, but it went right by him, throwing itself to the ground, snarling fiercly as it tried to force itself under the porch.
The spot was too small for the dog, but not by much. If it tried harder, it would be able to sqeeze itself in.
"Stop!" Jirou screamed, and a second later, he threw himself on the dog, tackling it to the ground. It turned it's fury on him, trying to bite him as he held on, but it couldn't reach it's head around. He couldn't hold on tight enough though, and the dog was able to free itself. The moment it did, it leaped on top of him, it's teeth snapping inches in front of his face. Jirou fought back and much as he could, yowling and screaming in a way that he knew regular humans would not.
"Jinshiro-san!" he heard, and a couple seconds later, Shinchirou-sama was there, with something in his hand. His owner hesitated only a brief second before he started whacking the dog with whatever it was. The canine stopped it's attack, and, luckily, ran off, leaving Jirou panting and trembling in the dirt.
"Are you alright!?" Shinchirou-sama asked, leaning down and examining his body. He was dirty, and his clothes were torn, but Jirou was pretty sure he didn't have any injuries.
"Y-yeah."
Gorou and Nana both ran out from under the porch, jumping onto him worriedly.
"Are you okay?" they both asked, and Jirou nodded silently.
"I'm okay."
"What happened?" Shinchiro-sama asked, as he helped Jirou back to his feet.
"I went for a walk." he said. "Your cats came with me. And we bumped into that dog. It chased us back to the house, and tried to go after Gorou and Nana. So I…"
Shinchirou-sama nodded, and then hugged him suddenly. Jirou froze, even though every cell in his body was screaming at him to hug back.
"Thank you for protecting them. And I'm so glad you're-"
And then suddenly he stopped, and gave Jirou a strange look. "Wait. I don't remember telling you the cat's names…" he said slowly, and Jirou's heart jumped in his chest, and he tried to quickly think of an explanation.
"You did." was the best he came up with, and Shinchirou-sama only thought about it for a second before shrugging it off.
"You're all dirty now, Jinshiro-san. Let's get you a bath running."
Jirou froze, the image of all that running water bursting into his mind. He knew that word.
A bath.
It was one nightmare after another.
