Neko-Hiro
Chapter Eleven: Deal
After hearing Nowaki's offer, Tsumori quickly reached a decision. He turned to the knackers.
"Okay, you heard the man, the deal's off."
The big knacker's face grew dark."Not a wise move, Pal,"
Even though he was a complete asshole, Tsumori did have balls. He didn't shy away from the two trafficker's angry glares. "Like Kusama said, you haven't paid me yet. My neko still, my choice. Let him go."
With a grunt of disgust the big knacker released Nowaki. Despite the pain, Nowaki rose quickly rubbing his shoulder and moved towards the smaller knacker.
"You heard Tsumori; take your hands off Hiro-san now!"
Gaze shifted between the two gangsters, despite his promise to Tsumori, Nowaki did not look at all humbled. "Now leave, before I am forced to injure the both of you!"
Something in the expression of those black eyes went straight into the bowels of the hardened knackers. Even with Nowaki's injured arm, the big one was deeply regretting letting him loose.
Equally disconcerted, the smaller knacker released Hiroki, who immediately darted back under the table. "Fuck it, let's go! No hybrid is worth all this shit!" he grumbled, tucking himself awkwardly back into his pants.
His partner simply nodded. Then he added, glaring at Tsumori as they left. "Don't get too comfortable, Tsumori. You never know when you might be seeing us again." Door slamming behind them, suddenly the apartment was silent.
After a few awkward moments, Tsumori broke the quiet. He rubbed his still aching neck.
"Well! That was certainly exciting, wasn't it, Nowaki. I'm glad you came when you did, to think, I was about to make a terrible mistake, letting Hiro go like that. Especially when you were willing to make me such a much better offer.
Tsumori walked over to the fridge in the kitchen and pulled out a beer. "Want one?" He shot Nowaki his most winning smile.
"No." The word was a growl. Nowaki's eyes remained black, his expression fierce.
Tsumori walked casually over to the couch and sat down. Nowaki didn't move but his gaze followed his senpai's every motion.
"Kusama, that's no way to talk to me after the deal we just made." Tsumori seemed completely at ease now. He motioned with the bottom of his beer bottle towards the dining room table. "Before we clarify the terms of our 'agreement,' oh honorable one, you might want to check on your neko."
As much as he hated Tsumori, he was right. Immediately Nowaki knelt down and peered under the table.
"Hiro-san?" He saw the battered neko crouched, backed up against one of the table's far legs. The poor hybrid's eyes were completely wild with fright.
"Oh, Hiro-san," Nowaki soothed. "I'm so sorry. It's okay now though, those men are gone."
Tsumori watched, alternating between disgust and amusement, as Nowaki spent the next ten minutes coaxing his traumatized pet out from under the table.
When Nowaki's legs had grown tired of kneeling, he simply sat down cross-legged, moving so that his broad back rested against the outside of one of the table's legs. Completely ignoring Tsumori, he waited for Hiroki to come out.
It took a while for Hiroki to believe that Nowaki was still really there, and he wasn't going to end up raped or taken away to become a tortured guinea pig in some sterile laboratory. Finally though, Nowaki felt the neko professor draw close to him.
Hearing the hybrid sniff slightly, measuring his scent as he approached. Nowaki stayed perfectly still, not wanting to make any sudden movements that might cause Hiroki to retreat again. His heart leapt when he felt the delicate edge of one the neko's ears brush up against his arm.
Hiroki couldn't help himself. Though appalled at the terrible bargain that Nowaki had struck with his owner to save him, he was so glad to see him, so grateful for Nowaki's intervention. Skiding himself around Nowaki's shoulders, he crawled straight into his lap, tucking himself in between the man's crossed legs.
Hiroki wrapped his arms around his rescuer's neck, tucked his cinnamon head under Nowaki's chin and hid his face in Nowaki's broad chest. He pointedly avoided any eye contact with Tsumori, whose eyes had increasingly narrowed as he watched this scene unfold from his seat on the couch.
Hiroki could not stop shaking. Nowaki winced as he put his still aching arm around the trembling neko. "Are you cold, Hiro-san?" Nowaki's other hand gently stroked the poor catman's head.
He pulled his hand back feeling something sticky as his fingers grazed Hiroki's bitten ear. Looking at his fingers Nowaki realized they were stained with blood: Tsumori's cruel twist of Hiroki's ear had reopened the previous night's wound.
He kept his face neutral, but inside Nowaki raged. Tsumori was so going to pay.
His ear was the last of Hiroki's concerns at the moment. The broken neko murmured into Nowaki's chest. "I'm so sorry, Nowaki.
"I'm not worth it. You should have just let them take me."
Nowaki felt his shirt grow damp with the cinnamon catman's tears. His gentle fingers returned to stroking Hiroki's fear-fevered head.
"Don't say that, Hiro-san," he whispered. Not caring that they were under his senpai's jealous scrutiny, he nuzzled into Hiroki's good ear and said in a voice hardly louder than a breath. "I love you. You mean everything to me…"
Rather than comfort, this only added to the poor neko's anguish. Under the cover of Hiroki's quiet sobs Nowaki added, "besides... I haven't given up anything yet."
Did you dare? Comfort is the reward for your bravery...
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