Neko-Hiro

Chapter Fourteen: Bath

Neither Nowaki nor Hiroki said much as they traveled. As Nowaki carried the tattered neko all the way back to his apartment, both completely ignored all the strange looks they drew from others as they passed.

Normally Hiroki would have acutely aware of the stares they garnered and protested being carried, but the adrenaline had left his system and, between this and his injuries, he was too exhausted to walk. Nowaki, on the other hand, was just so happy Hiroki was finally his, he couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Hugging the catman protectively to his broad chest, he determined that NO ONE was ever going to take Hiro-san from him. EVER. When Nowaki squeezed Hiroki tighter it pressed his tender wounds and almost cut off his breath. He didn't complain about this either, however, because, despite the discomfort, it reassured him he was no longer at Tsumori's.

He hoped he would never find himself in a situation like that again.

Resting uneasily in Nowaki's arms, Hiroki's mind still struggled to comprehend his sudden shift in fate. After all the experiences and rejection he'd suffered in his life, the neko had a hard time believing that someone could possibly want him and couldn't believe everything Nowaki had gone through to save him.

Closing his eyes and breathing in Nowali's soothing scent, he wondered how long he would hold Nowaki's interest before the man grew weary of him like everyone else in his life had.

Once they reached the apartment, Nowaki immediately took Hiroki into the bathroom and began drawing a bath. Once this was running, he was finally ready to set Hiroki down. With the neko standing shakily before him, Nowaki slowly reached forward and carefully removed the stiff heavy collar from around Hiroki's neck.

Nowaki sadly traced the angry lines made by the leather around the neko's badly bruised throat with a gentle finger. "Oh, Hiro-san..."

Hiroki shivered at the touch.

"We need to get you cleaned up and I need to check you over and make sure that there are no serious injuries here. Nowaki's voice was very kind. "Okay, Hiro-san?" Not having much experience with nekos, he wasn't sure about how the cat part of Hiroki might feel about the water so he asked, "Do you mind taking a bath?"

Hiroki knew he was going to have to reveal himself to Nowaki at some point. After all, the man was his owner now. But Hiroki was terribly embarrassed about how he looked. He covered this up by acting offended by the question.

He sniffed. "Don't be a goof! Of course I don't mind taking a bath. I am part human after all." Hiroki was shocked at himself for answering this way, but it slipped out before he could stop himself. He quickly added in what he hoped was a much more humble tone, "and anyways, nekos and Kamijou nekos especially, are very particular about keeping clean."

Despite his attempted save, Hiroki still expected Nowaki to be angry with him, but the man just grinned and gently ruffed his already disheveled head.

"Of course, Hiro-san, I should have realized."

Nowaki continued to smile, happy to see the neko's fragile pride peek out again. However, Hiroki's spirit faded quickly when the bath was ready and Nowaki gently urged him to disrobe in front of him.

"I won't hurt you, I promise, but I need to see your body, Hiro-san, so that we can fix any injuries you have. And as you know, I am studying to be a doctor..."

Hiroki looked down, red creeping up into his pale cheeks. "I understand, Nowaki-san."

He began to remove his clothes with trembling fingers. What if Nowaki was so repulsed by his body that he suddenly decided he didn't want him anymore? He had spent his entire time with Tsumori being told how ugly he was, and then obviously Akihiko had not found him attractive.

As Hiroki began to disrobe, Nowaki put his hand up to his mouth. He knew Hiroki had suffered under Tsumori's ownership, but until now he'd had no idea how much. Tears sprang into his eyes at the sight of the neko's battered body.

Beneath his clothes the hybrid professor was incredibly skinny: Nowaki could see every rib on Hiroki's lithe frame. But more than this, Hiroki's shoulders were covered with even more welts than he'd sported the previous evening. His body was heavily patterned with bite marks and deep purple bruises from the base of his abraded neck all the way down to his bottom, and even extending onto his thighs.

Seeing this, Nowaki wondered how the neko had even found the strength to stand and he could not imagine the determination it must have taken to continue to teach.

When Hiroki turned to face him, the brutal marks of Tsumori's sadistic rage were equally visible on the neko's front as well. It seemed as though his senpai had not spared a single inch of his poor pet. And when he saw how Tsumori had pierced the fragile hybrid's body, Nowaki could no longer stifle his gasp ..

Hiroki knew that he shouldn't hide himself from his new owner, but he could not help but try and cover himself. When he heard Nowaki's sharp exhale, he felt even more humiliated. He knew he must look disgusting. His ears flattened in dismay and even his tail curled up as though its skinny length could obstruct view of his body from Nowaki's dismayed blue eyes.

"Did Tsumori do that to you, Hiro-san?" Nowaki indicated his piercings soberly.

Hiroki choked on his next words, but he knew that he needed to be honest with Nowaki. "No, Nowaki-san, he traded me temporarily to another man who did it for him."

"Hiro-san, did Tsumori do that often?" Nowaki's voice had become almost a whisper. "Trade you I mean?"

Hiroki couldn't meet Nowaki's gaze. Tears filled his eyes and fell silently to the floor as he nodded. He knew that he must truly be repulsive to Nowaki now. There was no way Hiroki could imagine Nowaki would still want him after learning his.

He waited for the man to explode in fury over how much money he had just lost to purchase such a truly worthless hybrid.

But no outburst came, only silence.

Nowaki struggled to control his breathing, so filled with rage at what had been done to Hiroki. Any guilt he had been feeling about handing Tsumori over to the knackers was now completely gone. He motioned to the trembling neko, gesturing to the rings in his fragile flesh. "Can you take those out yourself, Hirosan? Or do you need help?" He tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

"I... I can do it." Flushing deep red with embarrassment, Hiroki turned away. When he turned back he was surprised to see Nowaki holding out a small waste basket.

Nowaki softly directed, "put them in here."

It didn't seem a very sanitary place to store them. Hiroki's face must have shown this, because Nowaki offered him a sad smile.

"We're throwing them away, Hiro-san."

Hiroki's eyes widened. "You mean, I don't have to put them back in after the bath?"

The hope in Hiroki's voice broke Nowaki's tender heart. "Never again. Unless you want them, that is."

Hiroki gladly threw the hated ornaments away. He was startled though, when Nowaki reached for his outstretched hand and gave it a supportive pat.

"Nowaki-san…" Hiroki's ears twitched shyly forward, "How can you still touch me after everything you've seen?" His voice dropped lower than his already hesitant whisper, "especially after what I just told you?"

Setting the waste basket down, Nowaki gathered the shivering, naked neko carefully in his arms.

"Hiro-san, I cannot believe how brave you are. You are an amazing creature to have endured what you did, and what's more, to have kept going despite this. I have nothing but respect for you."

At the warmth of Nowaki's voice and the sincerity of his words, Hiroki could not help it; he began to weep, but for an entirely different reason than any other tears he had ever shed in in his life.

"What happened to you is not your fault," Nowaki's voice became firm. "No matter what you did, or what Tsumori told you that you deserved, no behavior merits the treatment you suffered.

"Besides, Hiro-san, I told you that I loved you. I am not the kind of man who makes such a declaration and then easily takes it back." Nowaki's voice took on a new measure of sorrow, "Although, I'm sure, given what you have been through, it will take you some time to trust this. But I don't mind waiting, because I do love you, Hiro-san."

Hiroki said nothing, but after a moment he nodded silently through his tears.

Nowaki smiled. For him, right now, this acknowledgment from Hiro-san was enough.

Picking the neko up easily, Nowaki set Hiroki tenderly into the tub. Then he began to lather the catman's battered skin ever so gently with a wonderfully scented soap with one hand, while he continued to hold one of Hiroki's paws in the other for reassurance.

His or Hiro-san's he could no longer tell.

Hiroki winced slightly against the sting and his soreness, but he didn't want Nowaki to stop: the feeling of his large, warm hand was so wonderful. Tentatively he looked up at Nowaki who met his shy glance this with another sweet smile.

A moment later, Nowaki began to softly laugh as his Hiro-san suddenly started to purr.

Thanks everyone who wrote in yesterday. I am so pleased that you liked my resolution...

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