Welcome back everyone, how are you all during this mess?
Anyways, since we've got about 30 chapters goin at the moment, the ones (like this) that are in parts will get uploaded a bit faster. So expect another update come Monday.
Although last chapter still had the bounce and fun it, we also began our dive into the heavier stuff, just remember that we'll swing back to that this season later on. Nothing in this chapter like that though, so all good.
As always, we wanna thank everyone whose come around, stuck through this from the start and continue to support us. Means the world to the both of us and we'll see you Monday!
Take care of yourselves, of those around you. Till next time.
Kai trudged through the small alleyway, hands shoved in his pockets and going nowhere in particular. After several days of wandering the same route, he decided to change it up and roam around some lesser known streets. It seemed there wasn't really anything noteworthy of this particular area. Just a quiet little area. Some clean sidewalks. Some nice looking houses.
Why did he even do this? Take himself off for hours on end doing nothing in particular? Became a habit years ago and stuck, he figured. He didn't want to be back 'home' with Voltaire, so stayed out as long as he could. Now, he couldn't picture not having his solo wanderings. As annoying as Grampa and the others could be, he liked being there. It was warm and safe, and his favorite people were there.
And yet still, he vanished regularly. He even kind of liked when Grampa got on his case to a certain extent. He enjoyed the concern...
Speaking of which, the sun was on its way down. He had a good thirty minutes before he was back at the house. Should probably start making his way back. He turned on his heel, going back the way he'd just come and set off again. Head still in his own world.
Back through the quiet little area, the clean sidewalks and the nice looking houses. And back through the random little public garden with a little bench slapped in the middle of it. The elderly couple that were there before were gone now... Probably past their bedtime.
He decided to go through it. Feet crunching the grass as he cut through. His feet stopped though when he heard a small yet familiar sound that his heart and soul recognised.
But where? Where was the source of the siren song?!
His feet veered off his path and followed it, taking himself around the garden and scanning every part he could with the utmost care. He snapped his focused, red eyes when his ears picked up a rustling, tiptoeing slowly over to the green bushes it had come from.
He felt his smirk on the inside as he approached, hearing another sound as his hand reached out to push back the branches.
Found it.
With a gentle push, he parted the leaves and twigs. Internal smirk evaporating to make way for a plague of worry as he met two tiny and terrified eyes buried in a sea of young fluff that shrunk in panic at the intruder.
"Oooooh..." He let out sadly as his brows knit together and gently crouched down.
Mr. Granger frowned. "Did none of you call K-dog down for dinner?" he asked, annoyed. He'd asked them to do so about 10minutes ago, and the tall, frowny one still wasn't at the table.
"We did, Grampa!" Tyson whined, knowing that look, "We couldn't find him anywhere! I think he's doing his wandering thing..."
"Yeh..." Max added with an air of mystery, "He just goes where the wind takes him..."
"Heh! I guess the wind isn't blowing that hard, cause I saw him coming in and out about twenty minutes ago." Grampa huffed, pushing himself out his chair before going to the kitchen window and pushing it open.
"KAI!"
The old man smirked again when he heard rustling and slid the window shut, resuming his seat. Moments later, Kai came in hastier than he usually moved and looking flustered, yet trying to maintain his usual stoic composure.
He would apologize for not being in. But no one shouted him. Wasn't his fault.
Tyson's mouth dropped, "Where were you? We were looking everywhere for you!" He practically whined out, not liking that he had gotten scolded for not being able to find him.
Kai just scowled. "I was around!" He bit defensively.
Tyson shot him a dirty look, promptly shoving his food in his mouth. What crawled up Kai's ass and died, again? Maybe he ran into one of those weird kids on one his walks, as if Max was reading his mind he piped up at the table.
"Did you run into one of those kids again?"
Kai's hand holding his chopsticks fell against the table as he rolled his eyes. "No! I was here! Why don't you ever listen? Or better yet, mind your business!"
"Somebody is touchy tonight, seriously dude. What's up?" Tyson asked in a huff as he slammed his bowl down on the table.
Kai gave him a fatalistic look in warning. "I said nothing!"
Ray sat his bowl down, having been trying hard to ignore the others and Kai's snippy attitude just so he could have one night of a peaceful dinner.
One thing he hadn't missed, was this.
"Guys, can we not have one meal with everyone jumping down each other's throats? We have enough to worry about right now."
"I'm more than happy with silence." Kai shot at him.
Tyson went to open his mouth to say something back, Ray quickly shooting him a look that was enough for him to close it. Picking back up his bowl to finish his food in silence.
Finally, as the table fell in the peaceful bliss, the bowls getting emptier by the minute and the smell of the food evaporating from the air, something else caught Ray's sense of smell. It was an odd smell at first, coming off of Kai who was sitting beside him, though couldn't quite place it just yet. Though it was a familiar smell that much he knew, like cat dander...
Kai often fed strays, he knew that, but this was like he had been attacked by a horde of them and they had rubbed themselves all over his person, and the smell was strong and only getting stronger.
Kai tried to eat at a humane pace. He needed them all to hurry and finish up, have them go pass out in front of the TV so he could sneak outside again.
He knew they wouldn't bother him if they were glued to the idiot box. It was just a matter of waiting it out. He glared at Tyson's plate.
Really!? The one time he doesn't inhale his food! Come on, Shrimp! Do your thing! Eat like a pelican! Set an example, would ya!?
As the silence continued to bring on a more peaceful evening, it was suddenly disturbed by a very small noise. One the others wouldn't have heard as it was even so low Ray almost hadn't heard it, the pieces of the puzzle he was trying to form in his head getting put together slowly.
First the smell, that he finally recognized as cat dander, and now a small meow? There weren't any cats around, none that he had ever seen or sensed before and there certainly hadn't been one outside during the day when he and Max were running practice drills.
He eyed Kai beside him, still working on his food but was trying to burn a hole through Tyson's head... The hell was his problem? His thoughts got disturbed by another soft, low, meow from outside.
Did... Did he bring one home?!
If he asked he risked Kai blowing up, storming out in a huff like he sometimes did, so continued to eat his bowl a bit quicker to get done before the others which would be a first. He'd get out there, figure it out or just sit in the shadows and wait and see. Either way, he was going to find out.
Kai shot a glance at Ray. Oh, that beautiful guy. This was how you hurried the fuck up! If only he could make the others see it.
He followed suit, shoveling in the rest and jumping up like his ass was on fire to clean his dishes. Could he just go? They wouldn't bother him now anyway... Right? And his little ball of everything that was right with the world was waiting for him to come back. He said he'd only be gone a few minutes. Didn't want him to worry.
"Already leaving?" Tyson faked whined in a sarcastic tone as he watched Kai jump up from his spot.
"NO!" He shrieked out in a weird pitch, jumping out his skin as he whirled back around. "I'm just done is all! God, Tyson! Stop smothering me!"
Tyson mumbled something into his next mouthful of food, forget asking him to join them for a movie in the living room.
Ray let out a sigh as he stood up, his bowl empty and quietly took it to the kitchen to wash. He had to be one step ahead of him, get outside to that damn noise he could hear before Kai got the chance to figure out he was onto him.
Kai watched Ray go to the kitchen sink. This guy was being a gem tonight! He went over to him, slipping his bowl in to the sink.
"Thanks." He let our monotonously before making a b-line out the room.
Wait... What? "Hey!" Ray called at him, though he was already gone. Oh, so it was like that was it?
He quickly scrubbed the bowls clean, setting them down to dry and slipped out the back door in the kitchen quietly.
Kai almost tripped over himself as he went to the room they all slept in, diving at his bag and rummaging around for the stash of cat treats and supplies he'd bought. Maybe Rogue needed another brush? He sure did seem to like it. And would he want the salmon or the chicken flavor treat?
...Ah, what the hell. He'd offer both. Who was he to dictate?
He stuffed everything in his deep pockets and slid over the wooden floors to the door, his shoes half on as he slipped out the door. The night was cool and pleasant. Perfect temperature for a decent sleep for his little fluff-Meister.
He crept around to the part of the porch he'd hid him under, gently pulling out the box. "Ro-Ro..." He cooed in a whisper, "Papa's back. You doing okay out here?" His heart exploded when the most adorable little mew he'd ever heard met his ears.
Ray peeked around the corner he was standing against, his ears twitching at the meowing and Kai. 'Papa?' He did bring a cat, and around here of all places?! Why the good for nothing cat whore! Wasn't he enough? Why would he do this to him, to them? They had a good thing going, didn't they?
He shook himself out of it, what the hell was he thinking. They weren't even anything, he just had a crush on the guy that started up last year that didn't get stamped out when they were countries apart for half a year.
Even still, how dare he bring another cat on his turf! This was his home... Well, technically it wasn't, it was Tyson's and he was just staying for the time being like the others.
Still, how could Kai do this to him?
"What you got there?" He painted on a neutral tone as he stepped out from around the corner.
Kai jolted, feeling his heart freeze and his insides almost try to escape out his butt in pure panic as he pushed the box back and jumped up.
"NOTHING! Nothing! Just getting some air!" He scrambled. God dammit! How was he going to get him to go away!?
Ray leaned to the side, getting a small glimpse of the box's corner peeking out from under the bottom of the porch. He righted himself up, putting his hands on his hips.
"I can smell it, ya know. And hear it." He said almost dully.
Kai's eye twitched, feeling the panic only get worse. "Ray..." He said warily, "I can explain..."
"Oh can you?" Ray asked as he shifted his feet, this should be good.
Kai visibly squirmed. Wishing he hadn't shoveled that food in so fast. Felt like it was going to come back up. What was he going to do? Was he going to do the reasonable thing and explain what happened. Exposing himself as being soft as a princess' mattress?
Or was he going to cause a scene in hope of scaring him off?
"I can! But I don't have to explain crap to you! Why don't you guys just back off, huh!? Been breathing down my damn neck since we all came back!"
Ray just blinked a few times at him, "No I haven't, been too busy trying to keep those freaks away from here and snatching our bit-beasts. The only person whose been breathing down your neck has been Tyson."
"Wellllll you're starting to as well! Go mother one of the others!" He threw back childishly.
Ray arched a brow next, "I'm not mothering you, I just simply asked what you have in the box. Though by the smell and the noises I already know, so why don't you just pick it back out of the box for right now since it can't be all that comfortable in there." He rolled his eyes, a sly smirk coming to his lips.
"Papa." He jabbed.
Kai's brow joined the twitching as he was rendered speechless. With one well wielded word, Ray had slain any ounce of power he had. It was all that kitten's fault.
...D'ahhhhhh, he could never stay mad at him!
"What's it to do with you? Isn't there something more interesting going on in the living room?"
"I don't know, I'm out here right now." Ray shrugged his shoulders at him, "Why are you being so weird about this? It's just a kitten."
"You're being weird!"
Kai kind of had him there, sure it was pretty weird to sneak around a corner to find out what he was up to. Not to mention all those weird thoughts after finding out it was just a kitten, but that wasn't the point.
He let out a small huff, moving past Kai and going to the box to let the poor thing get some air. Couldn't be real comfortable cooped up like that, or shoved so hard back inside it when he had come out.
"Say's the guy hiding a kitten under the porch and acting like it's his hidden porn stash."
Kai immediately smacked his hand away. How DARE he touch his precious angel!?
"Don't! Let me do it! You'll scare him!"
Ray stepped back, holding his hands up and sitting down on the edge of the porch. "Where'd you find him?"
Kai didn't hear him. He was too busy looking at perfection staring up at him. He slowly reached his hand in and let him sniff him.
Pff... Ray going at him like that... Poor thing would be terrified. Would look like a giant cat monster coming to get him. Just as he thought that, a small, rough tongue licked his finger and nuzzled his hand. A noise left his throat as every muscle in his body both clenched and relaxed at the same time.
Ray frowned; it wasn't often Kai didn't answer him these days when he asked a question. Oh god, were they reverting back to last year? Why, what did he do?
His eyes went down into the box, that could have been the only reason...
The little fur ball nuzzling up against Kai's hand like it owned it. The longer he looked, the scrawnier the thing seemed to be. When was the last time the baby ate, or even had a bath?
"When did you feed him last?"
Kai's eyes snapped up. "Before I came in for dinner..." His eyes narrowed. He didn't need any one else butting their nose here. Just a man and his cat. Move along, people.
"Okay... What're you planning to do with him?"
Keep him and love him forever. A montage ran in his head of the two of them running through a meadow together. Curling up on the couch together. Being gently woken up by nuzzles every morning.
"First things first, get him fattened up some..."
Ray gave him a look, "Besides the basics, where are you going to keep him?"
Kai waved him off. This is EXACTLY why he wanted to keep him a secret.
"For starters here... I'm waiting for the right time to ask Mr. Granger if he can stay inside with us. The dojo has wood floors so it wouldn't be like he'd claw up any tatami mats and any accidents are easily cleaned up."
Ray nodded along, while deep down he felt a tinge of jealousy. The lil fuzz ball was still rubbing up on Kai's hand, the purring was a bit off in him, more sporadic and not consistent. Then again, when he was that young his was the same way until he got a bit older and could control it better.
"How long has he been here, under the porch in a box?"
Kai made a few kissing sounds as he gently moved his hand under the tiny, warm belly and slowly lifted him up, bringing him in to his chest and unable to stop the adoring smile cracking.
"Couple of days..."
That made sense, seeing as how he hadn't noticed it until now, hadn't had time to... Ohhhh no, that was not fair!
He tried to look away but instead was trying to burn holes into the scrawny little thing, a weird low rumble slipping through his chest as he gripped his pant legs.
What a lucky little feline.
"Well, you might want to ask Grandpa soon, it's not good for him to be stuck out here in a box during the night." He informed as he pushed himself up to stand.
"Uh huh..." He answered back mindlessly, too engrossed in tickling the little ear and reveled in him kneading at his shirt with his ridiculously cute little paws.
He stopped tickling. Did that weird noise come from him? He was way too young to make a noise that deep.
His head lifted along with a brow as he shot a look at Ray. "Problem...?"
Ray's face flushed, whoops. "Think dinner's fighting back." He hit his chest for emphasis, hoping to god Kai bought it.
Luckily for him, he was too distracted to really care when another sweet little meow escaped his new baby.
"Isn't he awesome!?" He asked with a crack in his throat.
Ray rolled his eyes; it was a cat. Seen one you've seen em all. "Yup." He forced out, wasn't like he expected Kai to hear him anyways.
"See you in the morning, Kai." He waved over his shoulder, ready to get away before the jealousy turned to heartbreak. He used to be awesome.
Kai waved aimlessly, before he came back to earth. "Oh! Ray?"
"Yeah?" Ray called back over his shoulder, not bothering to turn back around.
What was so awesome about that cat anyways? He was part cat; it was in his blood. His ancestors were cat, or so he thought. He couldn't really remember, had something to do with a curse.
"Don't tell the other idiots!"
"Oh, so now I'm an idiot?!" Ray yelled as he turned on his heels so fast his hair wrap snapped against the back of his legs.
Kai blinked. "What? I didn't say you were. I meant them, inside."
Ray faltered a little, oh. Right... "Be nice." He huffed, "But fine I won't."
"Thaaaanks!" He waved off, looking as happy as he probably ever had.
Ray shook his head at him, why couldn't he have brought home a dog or a snake? Clearly seeing Kai going back off into whatever world with the kitten, Ray just made his way back into the house, slipping back through the back door into the kitchen. Seeing the bowls from dinner stacked up on the side of the sink, unwashed and left for someone else to do.
Going towards them to get them washed, was better to do something than just sit and stare mindlessly at the TV until bed time. That night he and the others went to bed, minus Kai. When and what time he had finally come back inside to sleep was beyond Ray, though he knew not to pry too hard. Wasn't like this would become routine now.
A few days later said otherwise, how the others were so blind to Kai missing half the time during training was almost mind boggling. Then again, they were all used to Kai's disappearing acts and probably learned not to question it. He'd pop in here and there, not enough to really do much training or stick around long enough for someone else to even question where he had been or what he had been doing.
The nights weren't any better, he'd keep himself stuck out there until he was called in for dinner and then promptly go back out only to return way later in the night. Slowly, due to the smell of the kitten clinging to him and the fact they slept next to each other, Ray had been pushing his futon further and further away from him until he was almost on the other side of the large training room they all slept in.
Max seemed to be the only one that noticed at first, asking Ray in private if the two were fighting, though Ray gently brushed him off without really answering him. How could Max notice that he had moved but not his old rooming buddy?!
This was getting annoying, the skipping the training to coming in at all hours of the night and nobody noticing! To say he was getting to the end of his rope with it all, to the other's naivety and Kai's carelessness when they had a match coming up, would have been an understatement. Not to mention, Kai hadn't asked Grandpa yet if he could even have the fuzz ball. Which left the poor thing outside, under the porch, in a box every day and every night. That was unfair to the baby, almost cruel in a way.
As their second month of being back together as a team was coming to a close, Ray found himself waking up before the others. Not that he had gotten much sleep, being pressed up against the back wall of the training room where coincidentally the box was stuffed under the porch, he had heard every pitiful meow and cries from the kitten and then came the insufferable scratching against the inside of the box all night.
His nerves were frayed, stepping into the kitchen with dark circles under his eyes, on the hunt to put something in his empty stomach and try to wake himself up.
Grandpa was humming to something on the radio, beating eggs for his roll omelets when he heard the feet shuffling behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Mornin' Thundercat!"
"Mornin' grandpa." Ray yawned back, "Mind if I make some tea?" He asked as he stepped up behind him.
Grandpa continued to whisk the eggs. "I just brewed some! Help yourself!" He nodded at the teapot on the table, "You sure you don't want some coffee instead? You look beat!"
Ray made a face at the suggestion, images of coffee burgers dancing in his head. "I'm good with tea, thank you." He said politely as he went to grab a cup before taking himself to the table, pouring himself some tea and relaxing into the back of the chair.
Grandpa just nodded, setting the egg mixture aside for right now and getting to work on the rice balls. "What brings you here so early anyways?"
Halfway dozing off in the chair, Ray's head shot back up as he registered the question. "Hn? Oh, just couldn't get to sleep or stay asleep for long." He answered, taking a sip of the hot tea.
Grandpa cocked a brow. "Then why don't you lay down on the couch? See if that don't help. The futon giving you grief? I might have a thicker one somewhere."
Ray shook his head some, "It's not the futon, sir, it's just the scratching and meowing all night that kept me up." He explained in another tired yawn.
Grandpa threw his head back, sneezing in to his sleeve before turning around. "Sorry, what was that?"
"Bless you. But anyways, it's just the cat. I'm going to move to the other side of the room tonight, hopefully I won't be able to hear it then." Ray said.
Grandpa dropped everything and turned, narrowing his eyes. "What cat?" He asked in a low voice. His slightly running nose and ever so slight itchy eyes tingling.
"The one under the porch." Ray answered as he traced the rim of his cup with his finger, "Been there for almost a week now."
Grandpa frowned. "Then why didn't you think to tell me before, dog!?" He exclaimed, annoyed.
"Kai said he was going to, didn't think I had to." Ray shrugged a little.
Grandpa's brow didn't know what to do. "Keepin' K-dog up too?"
Ray shook his head, "He and the others can't hear it like I can, and as far as I know the others don't know about it either. He asked me not to tell, so I didn't."
Grandpa rubbed his face. He was going to lose his cool if little dude didn't start making some sense. "Not tell what?"
Ray let out a sigh, "Kai asked me not to tell the others about the cat, he said he was going to ask you about keeping it here. I'm assuming he hasn't uttered a word about it to you though." He said before taking a small sip of his tea.
"Told him he needed to." He muttered around the rim of his cup.
Grandpa's eyes twitched violently for a moment, his old, withered face going redder before he roughly went back at those rice balls as if they'd wronged him.
"I see..." He muttered.
Ray arched a brow at the back of Grandpa's head, somehow he didn't feel like this was going to be a good morning but part of him was really too tired to care.
"Would you like some help?" He asked once he cleared his throat a little.
"Oh, good... Someone asks me something... In my own home..." He grumbled again. "You could make the soup if you wanted."
Not knowing what he had done wrong, Ray thought it best to just get up and help quietly. He hadn't really seen Grandpa like this, except for all the times he was trying to beat Tyson on the head with his practice swords, but normally he and the others were always safe from the old man's temper.
Grandpa went to work on the salmon fillets. "I tell ya... Take four extra mouths in my house and this is what I get... Lies and nose leaking... I tell ya, kids these days..." He muttered under his breath.
Ray's ears twitched a little, wasn't Dickenson supposed to be covering their stay with the Granger's? He was always the one pulling the strings behind the curtain, why would this time be any different?
He could get a job, if that helped, wasn't like he had much else to do during the days when Tyson, Kenny, and Hilary were at school.
"If there's anything you need help around the house with, I'd be more than happy to help. Make up for me staying here." He offered, hoping he wasn't sticking his own foot up his ass.
Grandpa shot his fiery head over his shoulder. "Quit using your Vulcan hearing! That wasn't for you!" He bit. "You help out fine. All ya'll do! Doesn't mean I don't deserve to be asked if someone is bringing an animal in to my house!"
It seemed to click a bit more in Ray's head, all the while he had been feeling like Grandpa was angry at him over the whole thing. It wasn't his cat, but that didn't mean he wanted Kai to get in trouble for it either.
Despite what Grandpa had said, one thing kind of tickled his curiosity. "What's a Vulcan?"
Grandpa stopped and turned around. "You don't...?" He looked him over. Of course not. "Never mind."
Ray blinked a few times at him, it was too early for this and he hadn't had enough sleep to deal with it either. Hopefully the kids behaved today.
"Sorry." He hung his head, focusing on his task of finishing up the soup he was supposed to be preparing all along.
Grandpa sniffed and went back to grumbling. He kicked Ray out of the way and back to the table so he could get to work. He could hear people surfacing in the other room. And there was one he wanted to look dead in the eyes and take his sword to.
It wasn't long before the others made their appearance inside the kitchen, Tyson rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Morning gramps." He yawned, scratching at his stomach under his shirt as he took a big whiff of the air that smelled of the food that had been prepared.
Grandpa grunted at him and the others, his mood sour as he ferried over the bowls and plates. Kai shuffled in last, feeling a weird shiver going down his spine as he entered.
Was it cold in here?
"Man this looks good." Tyson drooled a little as he made himself comfortable in his seat, Max coming down beside him.
"Thank you Grandpa." He brightly smiled, carrying the sun into the room with him though it didn't seem to help lighten the room up any or Grandpa's sour mood.
Ray gave Kai an almost nervous glance as he sat down beside him, something told him this wasn't going to be pretty but he didn't have any words besides yelling 'run' at Kai. Sadly, his kitten-love sick friend was oblivious.
He gave a nod of thanks like he did every morning and started eating like all the others. Tyson droned on about god knows what. Max joined in. Was like every morning. But something was off...
Food was good though. A light bulb went off over his head. Rogue would love some salmon! He looked up and peered around stealthily before cutting a big piece and throwing it in a napkin, slipping it on to his lap.
Ray began to sweat a little, why was it they were all so blind?! Grandpa hadn't torn his eyes away from Kai the entire time since he had come into the kitchen, then the beautiful dummy tried to be sneaky and wrap some food up in a napkin. No doubt Grandpa saw that, though he didn't say anything out right about it.
Why did this whole thing suddenly feel like it was his fault?
Kai looked up at the clock. Dammit, he was twenty minutes later than usual. The poor thing was probably wondering if he'd abandoned him. Or was starving hungry.
He finished up his food and in a flash, gathered his plates and made a bolt for the sink, washing like a man possessed.
"Thank you, Mr. Granger!" He called as he disappeared out the door.
"What's got him so worked up?" Tyson asked through a mouthful of his rice ball.
"Maybe he's just ready to get to training?" Max suggested happily; all the while Ray was slowly sinking in his chair.
Maybe he'd pull a Kai and disappear for a few hours, find a nice tree to climb in and get some sleep.
Kai dropped to his knees in his usual spot and reached for the box, feeling awful at the outburst of impatient mews as soon as he touched the box.
"Morning... Ooh, oh, oh. I know... I'm sorry I'm late..." He cooed as he reached in and pulled out his everything.
"Look! I got something to make up for it!" He said brightly as he pulled out the napkin and unwrapped it, the wriggly, stripy baby instantly going to sniff at it and take a few nibbles before going to town.
Kai's eyes lit up. Nothing felt better than making him happy.
The second the door had closed Grandpa pushed himself back from the table, his food practically untouched as he strode towards the back door and stepped outside. Tyson glanced at the other two at the table with him with a confused expression on his face, why was everyone acting so weird this morning?
Back outside Grandpa's steps were light, the sounds padded with his sock clad feet as he rounded the corner of his home. Immediately putting his hands on his hips in a wide stance, his eyes itching again on reflux at the sight of the kitten.
"Yo K-Dog, what's up with the furry critter you got there?!" He asked in a loud voice.
Kai jumped out his skin, bolting to his feet clutching RoRo to his chest while sending salmon flying to the floor.
"NOTHING!" He shrieked out in panic.
"That don't look like nothin' home-dog." Grandpa held a stern tone.
Kai looked desperately down at Ro, to gramps, back to Ro and back again.
He was in trouble.
"Mr. Granger, I can explain!"
Grandpa nodded slowly, giving him the floor as he waited for said explanation.
Just like with Ray, he didn't really have one. "He- see, he followed me home!"
"And when was this?" Gramps asked, going back to his natural tone for the moment as he could clearly see the boy frightened out of his wits.
Kai sank. Did he lie? Say it was yesterday?
"About a week ago..." He admitted quietly.
"Now my man, when were you going to say something?"
Kai sunk further in to himself. "I was gonna! Honest!"
Grandpa let out a huff, his itching eyes shifting to the kitten in Kai's hold to the boys sad eyes.
"You been keeping him warm? Fed, and watered?" He asked.
Kai nodded furiously. "Yeh!" He exclaimed. "I set him up here! He's got a bed, water, I make sure there's always food, he's got somewhere to pee and I spend as much time with him as I can so he doesn't get scared!"
Gramps held his hands up to quiet the out pour of information. "That's all good and well Kai, but I would have appreciated it if you had told me sooner. You see, I'm allergic to cats, so I can't be around them for long."
Kai instantly held RoRo tighter, feeling his chest clench. For a few reasons.
"I'm sorry..." He said guilty, "I really was going to tell you and ask if he could come inside..."
"I'm afraid him coming in is out of the question." Gramps shook his head with a small frown on his face, not missing how Kai seemed to flinch despite his calm tone.
"But..." He breathed in deeply, "If you can keep him warm and fed like you have been I don't see a reason why he can't stay out here."
Kai lit up. He was bummed that Ro couldn't come and sleep next to him, or be inside. But of course Mr. Granger's health came first. Besides, as long as he got to keep him, who cared? He depended on him. He'd make it work. Maybe he could add an extension to the box house...
"Really?! Thank you, Mr. Granger! He won't be a problem, promise! Plus, he's real friendly! Look!" He fired out as he held up the kitten like Simba being shown to the kingdom.
Gramps about tripped over the ends of his long pants as he jumped back, "I trust you'll care for him, and make sure he doesn't come inside."
Kai frowned at the less than enthusiastic reaction to his beautiful, perfect baby. He said he couldn't be around them long, not at all.
"Of course! He chose me! With great power, comes great responsibility..."
"Right on K-Dog, and little dudes like that are a great deal of responsibility."
Kai's eyes sparkled. "I know! And he made the best choice! My middle name is responsible! Got everyone around the world in one piece, didn't I? And this time I get no headaches, just lots of quality wet nose time! Ain't that right, RoRo?" He cooed as he brought the cat to his face, getting a sniff and a nuzzle in return.
Gramps raised a brow, the boy he had known to be cold and quiet, wasn't the one he was seeing in front of him right at this very moment. But, he liked this one better. If only he showed that same type of affection towards his fellow man every now and then, he knew his grandson would appreciate it.
"Sounds good my man." Grandpa chuckled some as he went to leave him there with his new baby.
Two days later and he was starting to regret his decision, not that he couldn't trust Kai to care for the kitten any, since the boy was doing a bang up job at it. The only problem with it all was the kitten had to be left outside all the time, which meant he had free reign of his yard. And his beautiful petunias, that were now dug around and pulled from the soil, pieces of their once vibrant and soft petals now littered the garden bed while the kitten looked up at him almost innocently.
Wasn't really his fault, was just an animal and he was a baby. But the baby seemed bored and now Gramps was close to seeing red.
"K-dog!" His voice bellowed out across the yard.
Kai all but skipped outside with the glow that was almost permanently on his face over the past days.
"Mmyesssss?"
Grandpa frowned, throwing out a hand and pointing at Rogue still messing up his flower bed. "Don't you think you should be watching him? Little dude seems a bit bored, might need to get him some toys to play with." He said in a displeased tone, the frown on his face pulling his mustache down with it.
Kai gasped and ran over. "Rooooo..." He whined in a soft voice, "No, buddy! And I got him toys!" He added over his shoulder as he went to go get him.
"Then maybe you need to be entertaining him with em, can't be havin him comin in here and messin with my petunia's like this." Gramps went off, his frown setting in harder at the tone Kai was throwing his way.
Kai stopped in his tracks and spun to face him, frowning just as hard with a dark look on his face. "Are you accusing me of being a bad owner!? Do you not notice how much time I spend with him!?"
"That aint what I said, now is it?" Gramps countered quickly, "You're doin a fine job, but we can't be having this K-dog."
Kai stood his ground. "What it sounded like! And what am I supposed to do!? Put him on a leash!? He's just doing what cats do! All I can do is fence off your flowers!"
At the commotion, Ray came over to see what was going on before it got too ugly. Kai had already butt heads with Grandpa before, not that he thought he could do much control damage but if needed he could always just pick Kai up and carry him away kicking and screaming.
"It aint what I said! All I'm saying is he seems bored, need to give him a bit of attention is all." Gramps continued on, "And we'll go and get a fence but once he gets older he'll just jump right over it, won't he? So need to teach him not to come in here at all."
Kai boiled. "So much for not calling me a bad owner! I spend every spare second I have with him! He isn't a damn dog!"
"Now what'd we talk bout with those swear words, K-dog! We aint havin that here, ya dig?"
Ray just looked between Kai to gramps and then down at the little fur ball curled up like an innocent angel in Kai's arms. On one hand, Gramps had a point, a fence wouldn't do much once Rogue got bigger. But then Kai had a point, Rogue wasn't a dog, sadly.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Then don't say ridiculous things!"
Gramps just huffed at him, "I aint done no such thing, nor did I say you were a bad owner. Just keep a better eye on him, that's all I'm saying." He simmered down some, in hopes Kai would too otherwise they'd be out there all day doing this and he had a petunia garden to fix and mend back to health.
"Oh I'll just never leave his side, shall I!?" In fairness, he wouldn't mind that really.
"You know what, just go." Gramps shooed at him, feeling a headache coming on.
Kai narrowed his eyes at him. "Gladly!" He held RoRo closer to his chest and stormed his way off. Poor thing. Wasn't his fault. Was just exploring his home. Stupid Grampa.
"Need somethin R-cat?" Gramps grumbled as Ray stood there watching Kai go off with his own personal storm cloud hanging over his head.
"Nope." Ray answered, eyeing the garden bed. "Need help?"
"Nah, you go on off too." Gramps shooed him away too, Ray a little more than happy to oblige as he went after Kai around the house to where Rogue's box was kept.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked as he came around, sitting down on the porch with him.
Kai flashed his offended and sad face at him as he stroked the kitten, contently laying in his arms with his eyes closing. "No! I am taking care of him! I spend a bunch of time with him every day! How dare he suggest I'm neglecting him!"
"I don't think that's what he said at all, or even hinted at." Ray shook his head at him, anytime Kai was like this everything went over his head.
"You are taking care of him, and you've done a great job at it. He sees that, he knows that, he's just a little upset his flowers got messed up is all."
Kai shifted defensively. Of course he felt bad about that. "Was an accident! I can't watch him 24/7 and he's just a little fluff! He didn't mean to!"
Ray couldn't really agree or disagree with that one, looking at Rogue snuggled up in Kai's arms again. Sure, he was still a kitten but the least he could do was learn some manners while living there with them all.
"Well, then need to find a way to keep him out of the garden. He'll get big quickly and then a fence won't keep him out." He offered.
Kai tilted his head. "...How did your people train you?" He asked. Maybe he could apply the same technique.
Ray's face and mind went completely blank as he just stared at Kai. He wasn't serious was he? As the silence crept in, Kai still sitting there waiting patiently for an answer, Ray realized he was serious. And also a bit of a moron...
"That's uh... We're not..." He stuttered around, trying to think of a response while trying not to show off just how offended he was which didn't work.
"Did you really just ask me that? Same way most parents or guardians teach their kids not to do things they shouldn't. You either got your ear pulled or chewed out, or you were sent to bed without dinner and or time out."
Kai blinked at him. "So no... I don't know a way to stop you spraying your scent on shit or stop you bringing dead birds and mice home?"
Ray's hand came up and smacked himself in the face, should have been for Kai but he didn't think that'd go over well. "I'm only part cat! I don't spray anything! Are you crazy?!" He near enough shrieked as his face glowed red.
Kai rolled his eyes. "I don't know how you work!"
"Not like that! Him you would just need to fix!" He gestured at the sleeping devil.
Kai tried to cover the delicate baby ears. "SHHHHHHH!"
Ray gave him a dull look, for all the times he had to go off an endure the screaming and yelling at terrible loud volumes all of last year Kai was only now concerned it would hurt sensitive ears?
"Can try a water bottle, to keep him out of the garden." He suggested as he shifted and huffed angrily at himself.
Kai's brow cranked up. "How is a bottle of water going to help?"
The dull look got duller. "Cats don't like water?" Ray supplied slowly, hoping Kai would catch on.
Kai looked more confused. "Pretty sure he won't be scared by the sight of a bottle of water."
Ray's hand came back up, smacking himself in the face again. "A spray bottle! You spray him with the water." Good lord, what happened to his king where he knew anything and everything?
Kai recoiled, holding Rogue away from Ray's direction and made a horrified noise. "What's the matter with you!?"
"...Do you want Grandpa jumping down your throat again if he gets into the garden? The water won't hurt him, he won't melt, but it could deter him from going in there if it's a consistent thing."
Kai held him closer. "I can't do that. It's cruel."
"It's water, Kai." Ray's tone matched the dull look he was still giving him, "It worked on Kevin." He threw in just to show him it wouldn't hurt the poor baby.
Kai couldn't bear to look at Ro while he considered it. If Ro kept doing it, Gramps might kick him out... But he loved him too much to be mean to him.
"I still can't believe you actually asked me that..." Ray muttered with a very small laugh, unable to get it out of his head.
"What? You have kitty quirks. Not unreasonable. And you even just said you sprayed Kevin, so I wasn't wrong."
"With a water bottle!" Ray yelled back at him, "And I didn't do it, his parents did. He wouldn't stop chewing on their shoes when he was teething."
"Whiiiiiiiich humans do not do." Kai added with the dull tone Ray had used on him.
"Babies teeth, Kai." Ray threw back at him, "Only difference is they only do it once. We do it twice when our fangs come back in after we lose them the first time."
Kai let out an irate growl. This was going off topic. The important thing was Ro.
"Whatever! I don't care! Just how am I going to do this without being mean to him!"
"Spraying him with a bit of water isn't mean." Ray answered with a sigh, "Beyond that, I don't know. Like you said, you can't sit and stare at him 24/7." Though, if given the chance, he was sure Kai would do just that.
"Maybe if I got a tent..."
"He'd claw that up." Ray added in.
"And unlike everyone else I'd respect his feline instincts." He scowled.
"Do that and he'll just keep tearing things up." Ray countered again.
Kai sighed. For some reason Ray was pissing him off. "Uh huh. Can you hold him a second. I gotta pee." He said flatly as he held him out.
"Sure..." Ray answered as he held his hands out, getting a funny feeling about this in the bottom of his stomach.
As Kai went in, Ro woke up, stretching and rolling in Ray's hands with a little mew coming out his throat. Ray smiled down at him, he was actually pretty cute for a little terror. Really did remind him of Kevin when he was young, so maybe Rogue wasn't all that bad.
"Morning." He cooed, going to scratch the back of Rogue's ear with the tip of his index finger. "Caused a little bit of trouble today, didn't you?"
Ro nuzzled it, letting out a content baby purr.
"Need to work on that, kid." Ray chuckled at the distortion and how off key it sounded. Scratching the top of Rogue's tiny and soft head.
"Guess you're not too bad..." He smiled, scratching down Rogue's back and getting his butt in the air a little and chuckled again.
"So glad nobodies found that out, yet."
Ro's small tail stood up straight, tiny butt up as his paws kneaded Ray's skin, claws poking out.
"Ow, ow, Rogue don't do that." Ray winced, stopping his butt scratching to stop Rogue from digging his claws into him. So that's how it felt, couldn't say he was a fan of it.
Ro's eyes caught site of the ponytail draped over Ray's shoulder that wiggled as he winced. Oooooh. New toy. He leapt out his hand, claws out fully as he went at his new play thing.
"NO!" Ray yelled, though was too late as the kitten stuck to him and hung off his shoulder by his tiny dagger claws.
"Owwwww..." He about cried, carefully trying to pull the baby off of him without ripping his shirt or hurting Rogue's claws.
"Let go, c'mon pull them back in." He begged as he tugged gently, Rogue staying stuck to the fabric of his shirt. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Ro's hyper head turned around and bit out at his hand, claws digging in harder.
"You little shit!" Ray screamed as he let go of the tiny body, which left it still hanging off his shirt and in his skin.
"RAY!?" Kai's voice screamed back from the doorway.
"WHAT?!" Ray yelled back in a watery voice, hand bleeding from tiny puncture wounds and his shoulder throbbing as those even tinier needles continued to hang onto him.
"The hell did you do to him!?" Kai yelped as he skid on his knees to get him off before Ray hurt him.
"ME?!" Ray shrieked back, "I'm sorry, who is latched into who here?"
"He's. A. Baby." He hissed as Ro came off with ease and back to the comfort of his chest.
Ray rubbed at his sore shoulder to get the piercing sting to go away, looking down at the baby and saw something almost flash in his beady little eyes like he got some type of enjoyment through all that.
"He bit me." He threw out, "And you act like I hurt him."
"He doesn't just bite! You must have done something to provoke him!"
"Okay, sure..." Ray huffed, slapping his hands down on the porch and hoisting himself up.
Taking one last look down at Rogue it was as if he was smiling back at him, that look in his eyes getting brighter as he rubbed into Kai's chest. He knew exactly what he was doing, and clearly they were not going to get along. Fighting back from baring his fangs and hissing at the little demon, Ray turned on his heel just as his upper lip started to curl back.
That night Kai stayed out side until dinner was almost over, Tyson having to go out and grab him and by the time they all went to bed Kai had gone back outside to sit with Rogue until Gramps had to haul him inside himself.
When Kai had laid down in his futon beside Ray's own, the other turned on his side to put his back to Kai who reeked of Rogue's scent and pulled his sheets higher over his shoulder without so much as giving Kai a good night like he always did.
Leaving the others in the kitchen while they helped Tyson catch up with his homework he was still lagging behind in doing since being in the hospital, Ray wandered out back to where he figured Kai would be. Bored out of his mind being on his own for so long, since he wasn't much help to Tyson in there at the moment anyways.
Luckily Kai was there, right where he figured he would be, since he barely moved from that corner of the back porch where he kept Rogue snug underneath. The tiny little devil there on Kai's shoulder, nuzzling his furry little face into Kai's neck and cheek while emitting low distorted purrs. And all the sudden, Ray had the urge to turn around and walk away and deal with his boredom on his own.
Kai let out a little chuckle as Rogue pushed hard against his head. Such a strong little booooyyyyy!
"Awwww you love me or just hate my face?" He cooed.
Ray's face scrunched a little, how dare that little demon rub all over him! He knew what he was doing, he could see it in his tiny little beady eyes every time he looked at him. But he wasn't fixing to bow down to him, he was top cat in this house dammit!
Sitting himself down next to Kai, though not as close as he would normally sit, he tried to not let the jealousy show on his face.
Kai threw a short glance. "Oh hey."
"Hey..." Ray answered and shifted, that... That wasn't normally how Kai said hello to him. Did he do something wrong?
He couldn't think of anything, not like it was him who had gotten into Grandpa's petunias the day before and wrecked them all up.
"You um... You wanna do something? The others are trying to help Tyson do his homework, and I'm not really qualified to do that."
Kai lit up and turned to him. "So you're free!?"
"Yeah." Ray nodded, smiling. This was more like it.
"Ah! Great! Can you do me a favor and watch him? I gotta go get him some more food and kitten milk." He said with a sigh of relief as he scratched behind his baby's ear.
And like that, it was as if Kai had just tore a rug out from under him. His smile falling as his eyes went down to look at Rogue still nuzzled in the crook of Kai's neck, their eyes meeting where he could see that look in them.
This was not going to be fun, but how could he really say no?
"Sure..." He deflated, holding his hands out for Rogue to be set in them.
Kai gently got a hold of him and passed him over like the precious treasure he was, putting him in Ray's hands ever so carefully.
"Thanks! Last thing I need is grandpa getting all bent out of shape again! I'll be back soon! Bye RoRo!" He cooed as he pet his little head again.
"...Bye..." Ray barely got out of him as Kai was up and just gone. He didn't even tell him bye.
Looking down at the tiny fuzzy demon that fit in both his hands almost perfectly, he let a frown set on his face while they stared at one another.
"If you bite me again, I'll bite you back this time." He warned.
The kitten wriggled hard, letting out a little purring meow after his daddy who had gone, wanting to follow.
"No, you can't go with him. He'll be back in a little bit." Ray sighed, letting the kitten down onto his lap and attempted to stroke his fur.
The meow got aggressive, displeased by the restraint. His paw swiped, baby claws out.
"Ow, you little..." Ray grumbled as he drew his hand back, a paper like cut on the palm of his hand. "Seriously, what have I ever done to you?" He asked, not expecting an answer as he picked the kitten up by the scruff of his neck and plopped him into his box under the porch.
"Can sit in there if you're not going to be nice."
The meows were relentless. Crying almost like a real baby. Ray sat there, trying to ignore it best he could. Rogue had to learn, that's all he was doing, but even to him the crying was almost heartbreaking.
Almost...
"No, you sit in there till you know how to behave." He scolded like he would a child, pulling his arms around his chest.
The cries carried on a while before slowly coming to a stop. Silence falling in the box. Waiting a moment, letting the silence fall, Ray finally pulled the box back out from under the porch and peeked inside. Rogue looking up at him.
"You going to behave now?"
With an ass wiggle and a leap, fuzzy demon jumped out the box. His small legs going like nuts as he bolted around the side of the house out of sight.
"Rogue!" Ray near enough yelled, jumping to his feet to run after him though by the time he came around the corner of the house the tiny bat out of hell was gone.
Where the hell could he have gone, and so damn quickly?!
He started to sweat, running like a madman all over the front yard, the gate thankfully had been shut and there was no way Rogue could have jumped the walls so he couldn't have gone far.
"Rogue! RoRo." He called, like the cat was a dog and would come at its name being called. It didn't work...
He stared at the tree, unsure if Rogue could have gone up it but thought better to just look in case and hoisted himself up into it. Halfway up he heard a loud shout coming from inside the house, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall out of the tree himself; that Rogue wasn't even in.
"Who let the darn cat in the house?!" Gramps yelled so loud it about shook the house.
Ray's heart dropped as he leapt out of the tree. Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!
Running to the front door that had been left open a mere crack, he threw himself inside and ran to where the shouting was coming from. His heart near enough stopped when he realized where the shouting was coming from. Grandpa's study... His second most sacred space, next to his petunia bed...
Stepping into the room the sweat he'd formed on his skin thickened, eyes about bulging as Rogue was busy kneading the tatami mats in the room with his tiny daggers to the point Ray could hear each thread being ripped apart.
"ROGUE!" He snapped in a growl.
The cat startled, ears going back and backing in to the corner, scared and innocent looking. Grandpa let out a loud sneeze, startling the kitten more and even making Ray jump with how loud it was.
"G-get him outta here R-Cat!" Gramps ordered through watery eyes, sneezing again into his shirt and leaving the room quickly.
Ray swallowed hard, he didn't like that look he saw on Grandpa's face when he had looked at him; he was in trouble.
"I can't believe you! You know you're not supposed to be in here." Ray scolded, turning his attention back on the kitten and stomping to go and pick him up from the corner.
"What happened!?" Kai's panicked voice screeched through the hall as his footsteps pounded closer, appearing seconds later with his arms hugging the brown bag to his chest looking rife with worry. But as he caught his baby scared in the corner, Ray towering over, his face got mad.
Picking Rogue up by the scruff again to avoid the claws and teeth, Ray hauled him up out of the corner as Rogue hissed at him which brought his own rolling out of him before he could really stop it.
"Don't even, this is your fault." He bit out at the kitten in his hold with an eye roll, finally registering Kai standing there behind him.
"He got into the house!" He announced as he spun on his heel, holding the kitten up by the scruff still.
Kai stormed up to him, shoving the bag down on the floor. "I asked you to watch him!" He yelled, going to take him back, "AND DON'T HOLD HIM LIKE THAT!"
"I did!" Ray snapped, dropping the menace in Kai's hands. "And please, it doesn't hurt him. He's fine."
Kai brought him in to his chest, looking at Ray like he was a monster. "Oh! Bang up job! And really!? Blaming a baby!?"
"It's his fault he ran off on me, so yeah. I'm 'blaming a baby'." Ray mocked back.
"He's a small animal Ray! He doesn't understand the concept of where he can and can't go! Hence why I asked you to watch him!" He yelled while scanning the room and catching the scratched up floor.
"Wonderful..."
Ray rolled his eyes, like hell Rogue didn't know. He was doing this on purpose, he could tell. Could see it in his beady little eyes.
"I. Did." He growled back again, "He. Ran. Off."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Ooooh. The Great White Tiger got outwitted by an infant cat?" He spat, "I thought of all people I could trust him with, it would be you!"
That stung, really stung, but what could he really say back to that?
"Then have someone else do it next time!" He yelled as he shoved past him, knocking his shoulder into Kai's.
"I will!" Kai sneered back at him, eyes going to Grandpa, who was sniffing and just kind of stood suffering in general.
"Sorry, Mr. Granger. I'll replace the mat... Stupid Ray... Come on, Ro. Let's go take our nap."
Another two weeks had come and gone since the tatami mat mishap, Grandpa still not overly happy about the whole thing but soon enough as time went on the mats were replaced and all seemed well again. Training was put right back on schedule, all of Tyson's missed homework turned in, and things could get back into its normal routine.
Well, as normal of a routine as they could with the one extra and distracting body that was now part of their training. It wasn't so much as that Rogue was interrupting what they were doing, all he really did was just lay off to the side and watch, but it was the others that had to stop and coo or talk to him whenever he did anything and often missing their chance to attack and falling out of the dish as consequence.
Not even Tyson was paying all that much attention, Hilary either which was almost a shock seeing as how she'd been in drill sergeant mode the moment she showed up and tried to fit on the captains hat; that was still too big for her inflated head.
"Ooooooh! He's so sweet! And look how big he's getting!" She said in a baby voice as she tickled his belly.
Kai shook his head, sat on the side with them as well. "Don't say that. He's growing up way too fast!" He said with a slight crack in his voice.
"Hope you saved up some money to pay for his college tuition." Tyson joked off to the side, his head turning to take in the two on the porch while Dragoon spun in the middle of the dish unmanned.
"Tyson, keep your eyes on the match." Ray snapped as he stood over the side of the dish, Max not caring that Tyson wasn't paying attention as his blade slammed into Dragoon and knocked him right out.
"That's two more wins for me." Max cheered.
"Those really shouldn't count." Ray muttered in a breath.
Kai blushed, not liking the jab. "Fine. You just lost cuddle rights with him."
"Whattttt?!" Tyson whined, not even realizing he'd just lost the training match. "But he loves meeee."
Kai eyed him. Whatever shrimp. Ro loved him the most. "Then you'd better chip in for college."
"With what, my good looks?" Tyson laughed.
"Hey, pick up your blade Ty. We still haven't really finished training." Max cut over, having already reset Draciel back in his launcher.
"He deserves better than community college." Kai jabbed back with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Tyson flicked his wrist at him, mouth opening to say something when Ray barked over the top of him.
"Tyson! Pick up your blade!"
Tyson jumped, spinning back around with his mouth still open. "What? I heard you the first time, hold your horses guys."
"We need to focus Tyson." Max lightly scolded.
Kai raised a brow. Since when were they so pushy? Geesh. "You guys need to relax a little more. Like this guy!" He said in a weird voice as he rubbed Rogue's stretched out belly.
Ray's eyes snapped towards captain lazy out on the porch, the growl in his throat threatening to come out. Tyson even gave a look towards Kai, and Hilary as it finally registered that he had lost his match against Max.
He never lost, not even in training! How could he have been so careless? If it had been him against the Saint Shields or those other guys, Dragoon would be gone now.
"Sorry guys." He uttered the apology, picking his blade up out of the dirt and setting Dragoon back in his launcher.
"Ready?" He asked, face set in determination as he kept his attention as straight as possible at Max while barely being able to do just that as Hilary squealed about something Rogue did. He wanted to see what the little guy was doing dammit! But, he also didn't want to lose Dragoon...
"Oh my Godddddddd! Kaiiiii! It's like he's holding your hand!" Hilary squealed with big eyes.
Tyson whimpered, eyes never straying from the dish as he watched Dragoon spin circles around Draciel. Sweating nervously more about the major urge to crack and look rather than the match going on.
Kai kicked his legs as Rogue's rough tongue started licking him, giggling. "He does that sometimes!"
Neither of them could really stand it, Tyson more so because Kai wasn't making it any easier to stay focused on the match.
"Hey! We're trying blade here, keep it down!" He shouted without looking, both Ray and Max's jaws dropping.
Kai flashed a glare at them. Oooooh, now they cared about silence. After over a year of their noise and bullshit!
"Hn. You're a better baby than any of them." He muttered at the cat.
Draciel wobbled a little despite Dragoon not even coming in contact with it, Max's shoulder coming forward a little as he pouted. What happened to him being the best?
"Seriously Kai, take him somewhere else or something so we can actually train!" Ray snapped, having watched Max's performance tank quickly. He'd already been booted to the dog house since Rogue showed up, didn't need Max joining him.
Kai threw his glare at Ray. "What!? He aint doin nothing but laying here! Blaming a cat for their piss poor performances is pathetic!"
"I wasn't blaming him!" Ray shot back over the other two.
Kai snapped his head to Hilary. "Your voice is pretty damn high when you're excited..."
The three at the dish near enough fell over, "YOU'RE DISTRACTING US!" They all shouted together.
Kai blinked, pointing at his own nose. "Me!? How!? When the hell have I ever been a distraction!"
"Right now." Tyson jabbed quickly.
"We can't keep focus with you gushing over RoRo right now, he may not be doing anything but you're making it a big deal." Max continued on while Ray gave him a smug grin from across the yard.
Like hell Rogue was better than his babies!
Kai pouted. "Oh and you assholes don't!? Don't blame me and him cause you guys suck!" He got up to his feet. "Fine, if you're that bothered, we'll go elsewhere. This is a waste of my time anyway!" He spat as he took himself and his tiny waist away, fuzzball rolling and trotting after him.
"Finally..." Tyson sighed out in relief. He was sad to see the little guy go, Rogue too, but he needed to focus. Needed to keep Dragoon out of slimy and dirty hands.
"Alright, try this again." Ray ordered without even sparing Kai a second glance.
The hell was going through his head in a time like this? They couldn't afford for distractions like this, not when they had two different groups of people trying to take what was theirs. How could Kai go off about things being different, blaming the others, when he was the one that was changing the most?
With another loud crack of thunder that shook the house at the worst time in the middle of the night, a small pathetic cry followed after it. Ray shifting in his bed, rolling and trying to block out both noises as the rain pelted down on top of the roof like bricks.
After the day they had all he wanted to do was sleep, but since it started raining and thundering outside for the past two hours he was wide awake. Rogue wasn't helping much, seeing as how he was scared and trying to get his way into the house to get out of it, and not that Ray couldn't blame him.
Lifting his head up from his pillow he shot Kai a look through the darkness that was cut through by a flash of light from another lightning strike, the boom soon following after it and shaking the house again. Kai barely stirred or moved an inch, then again, after the feast he'd gone off having at dinner it wasn't all that much of a surprise since he ate more than Tyson did.
With a sigh, Ray shoved himself off his bed and pulled his blanket along with him. The cries and distressed meows coming in stronger as he got closer to the back door in the kitchen, bending down before he opened the door and caught Rogue with his blanket as the kitten tried to make a mad dash into the house.
"Sorry, you can't come in." He tiredly took the kitten outside, shutting the door to the house behind him and sat down with Rogue wrapped up in his blanket as he slightly shivered from the cold air and rain blowing in from under the roof.
The distressed cat baby wriggled and squirmed, still desperate to find a way inside and out of the horrible weather.
"It's alright, just calm down. You're not gonna get hurt, I promise." Ray continued to speak softly, wrangling the kitten out of the blanket so he didn't get too caught up in it where he got hurt.
Tiny claws pierced his hand and arm as he held him, using his other to lay the blanket out more over his lap and folded Rogue inside it like a taco.
"I know it's scary, but you're gonna be okay." He shifted down a little against the wall, bringing the shivering and meowing kitten to his chest huddled in the blanket and let out a small purr through his chest in hopes it'd calm the baby down.
Kai's heavy breathing got jolted with a slight snort as a loud bang startled him from his sleep. His eyes hung heavy, head still foggy and belly still ridiculously full. He hadn't eaten like that in months...
His head rest back on the pillow trying to settle down again. Moments later, his brain engaged, eyes snapping open as he threw himself out of bed.
Fuckfuckfuckfuck! RoRo!
He ran as fast as he could, finding the tarp and blankets he'd set aside when the forecast said a big one might be coming their way. He dived out the back door in to the wind and rain, heart racing and ready to call out when he saw Ro was already there.
"Where is he!?" He cried through the gale of wind.
Ray about dropped the kitten from his chest, just as he'd stopped stabbing him with his claws too, but with Kai's voice the kitten dug back in through the fabric of the blanket and his tank top.
"Right here." He winced, shifting himself back up to sit against the wall fully. "He's fine, just scared."
"Are you okay!?" Kai asked panicked as he threw the tarp sheet open and over them, getting on the floor next to him.
Ray wasn't sure if that was for him or not, the past few weeks Kai hadn't seemed to even remembered he existed unless they were arguing.
"He's fine." He repeated, pulling back a bit of the blanket so Rogue could peek out and look at Kai.
A relieved sound came out his throat as he held his hands out to get him.
"He's kind of stuck..." Ray shifted back, not wanting to have his skin ripped off at the moment. "When he lets go I'll give him to you."
Kai sat back, turning his attention to the blankets he'd brought and trying to get them out while under the sheet. "Here." He said as he got on his knees to drape it over Ray before getting his own.
"Thanks..." Ray gave him a soft smile, not understanding why that simple gesture made him want to cry all of the sudden.
"Thank you for coming out for him. I can't believe I fucking fell asleep." Kai's voice wobbled, upset and angry at himself as he sat up next to him while trying to get a view of Ro.
"You're welcome, couldn't sleep with the thunder and him crying. Actually was a little heartbreaking having to listen to him out here in this." Ray just smiled again, rubbing the top of the blanket where Rogue was still safely hidden underneath and shivering.
"And you needed the sleep, especially after all that food you ate at dinner."
Kai's eyes watered even more and lip started to go in guilt. He'd meant to be here when it started. His fucking insides picked tonight of all nights to feel starving for a change. He was the worst person in the world...
"RoRo I'm sorry!" He strained as he gently pet the blanket like Ray had been.
A small meow came out from under the blanket, Ray's smile getting a little wobbly. The peace between the three of them for once setting in, even with Rogue's claws still latched, only for it to shatter with another bright flash through the dark sky and the boom that soon followed it even caused Ray to jump and hiss when Rogue's claws sunk in more.
"I know, I know it's loud and it's scary but you gotta let up a little buddy." He winced and hissed, trying to unlatch Rogue from his chest this time.
Kai's hands didn't know what to do. He needed his baby! "Let me..." He practically begged.
"I'd rather you didn't..." Ray said nervously as his eyes caught Kai's beside him, "Just give him a second and he might unlatch. He was about to a second ago." He started up purring again, a little louder as he stroked Rogue under the blanket.
Kai scooched closer to him, head almost on his shoulder in need of his own comfort. "Okay..."
"We get rain storms like this, back home. Would you believe me if I told you Gary is the one we have to cuddle around, and comfort during them?" Ray voiced, just to keep them from falling into silence.
"Yes, actually. He seems like a gentle giant." Kai smiled, shivering.
"He is." Ray nodded with a smile, "I say we cuddle around him, but really he grabs hold of us and doesn't let go. Kinda like this little guy, just without the claws..."
Kai let out a small chuckle. He could see it in his mind perfectly. "I can actually impersonate him pretty well. Can't remember how I figured it out, but I can."
"Oh really?" Ray chuckled back, "Show me." He challenged with a crooked smirk as he turned to look at Kai, not realizing just how close Kai had moved himself beside him.
Kai smiled shyly. "Okay. Um. Give me something to say."
Ray barely heard him as his breath became nonexistent, which left him staring at Kai's eyes. He had the most gorgeous eyes.
Rogue wiggling and unlatching himself brought him out of it, wincing as the claws came out of his skin and the mound under the blanket started to move again more freely.
Kai waited. Frown forming when nothing came. "Hey Raaaaaay. You didn't answer me Raaaaay..." He said in a deep, simple drawl as best as he could muster in his Gary voice.
All at once the fog cleared in his head, it registering Kai's/Gary's voice. Unable to contain it as he belted out a laugh. "Oh my god! That's amazing!" He howled, "You do, you sound just like h-him!" He wheezed.
Kai grinned, thrilled by the reaction. "Heh. Thanks."
"W-what possessed you to even try and do that?" Ray asked between his laughing, side starting to cramp.
"I was bored in my room at school and read your letters again. You mentioned him and suddenly I read your letter in his voice. It was funny so I did it out loud and realized I freakin sounded like him."
Ray's cheeks puffed as he bit back the next onslaught of laughter that had quickly bubbled up. His shoulders shaking and chest heaving.
Kai smirked at the infectious laughter. "Tried to do you but couldn't."
Ray's once cold face began to steadily heat up, the rest of his body soon following after as it began to feel more like a little sauna under the tarps and blankets with Kai right up against his side.
If he asked he'd let him.
"I mean, I think we have two different ranges all together. You got that deep tone, where mines just a tad pitch higher."
"Yeh. You got the girlier voice." Kai nodded.
"Oh har har. Got the girly hair too, but I can just go right in there and hack it all off ya know." He threatened.
"Okay. If that's what you want." Kai shrugged.
"...Maybe tomorrow, it's kind of keeping me warm at the moment." Ray chuckled, "You got the girly waist." He muttered with a smirk.
Kai's jaw dropped instantly. "DO NOT!"
Ray yelped as Rogue's claws pierced through him again from Kai's deep voice yelling out at him.
"Great... You woke the baby..." Ray grumbled as he pet Rogue's body under the blanket, "And I just got him to sleep, good job daddy." He drawled out in a dull tone.
"Will you please let me see him!? You're hogging him! And I do not have a girl waist!" He pouted as his face heat up.
Rolling his eyes, Ray uncovered more of Rogue's head and body from the covers. Beady little eyes greeting the two of them as he peeked out from under the covers.
Kai's face melted. "Heeeeyyyyy little boots!" He cooed, trying to get ever closer, "You doing okay?"
A tiny squeaky meow sounded, the claws releasing their hold as Rogue moved up Ray's chest to get closer to Kai.
Kai wriggled his ass in joy. It had been hours since he'd seen him properly! "Yehhhh that's right, papa's got you!" He continued to coo as he picked him up and brought him in for hugs. His poor baby... He'd been a horrible father! He had to lavish him with love to make up for it.
Ray just grinned at him, thankful the little guy was off his chest. Checking the damage he rolled the bottom of his tank up under his chin, spotting several different tiny puncture wounds scattered along it.
This time it didn't really bother him that Rogue had clawed him up, he just felt bad for the poor thing having to suffer through the storm like he had. If he had been inside then he wouldn't have been scared like he had been, wouldn't have had to endure the first few hours of it alone. But they couldn't bring him into the house because of Grandpa, but it didn't seem very fair to Rogue if they were to have another storm hit.
Kai forgot himself and kissed at the top off his head. "Such a good little kitty. Who's the best kitty?"
The grin vanished in an instant, pulling his tank back down around him more properly as he huffed. He was a good kitty dammit! Not that he really wanted Kai to say that exactly, but a thank you for getting clawed up would have been nice.
Kai's head turned to him. "How do you say, 'I love you' in cat!?"
Ray's brows shot up as his head snapped towards him, brain working overtime whether he should tell him there was no such thing or...
"Wǒ ài nǐ." Say it to him in his native tongue, while his face burned again.
Kai huffed. "That's Chinese."
"Same thing, right." Ray grinned, "We speak it in our village, so it's part cat-o-nese."
Kai's face didn't look impressed. "Noooo. I mean like. A specific nuzzle or something."
Ray's head tilted a little to the side, "I guess there are different types... But I'm not sure if it would translate to an actual cat or not. Friendly you start by holding the back of the others neck, and bring your foreheads together. Mothers normally pull you under their chin and rub the top of your head with a purr or two, fathers would be similar but without the purr. Partners you hold each other and rub noses and then necks."
Kai brought Ro in under his chin and nuzzled the top of his head. Thank god. He couldn't purr anyways.
"How do you say it in Russian?" Ray asked, his throat drying up instantly.
"Ya tebya lyublyu." He answered immediately.
Ray thanked himself for not getting up, since all his bones liquefied and his heart skipped a beat where all he was able to respond with was a squeak to let him know he had heard him.
Another crack of thunder made both Kai and Ro jump. Kai quickly going to comfort mode to soothe the scared baby, taking off his blanket from round his shoulders to cover Ro instead.
"Damn..." Ray sighed before he frowned. Kai would get cold if he gave his blanket to Rogue while he had the other draped around his own shoulders.
Flapping out the one he had brought out, he shifted to throw it over Kai's shoulders and pulled it around him and Ro like Kai had done to him.
"Are you scared of thunder?" He asked as he settled into Kai's side.
"Me? No! Not scared of anything. Just made me jump was all." He scoffed as he snuggled closer.
Ray nodded a little, though he wasn't really sure if he believed him all that much. Getting closer, more for body heat than anything as the rain kicked up again and brought in the chill. He rest his head on Kai's shoulder, pulling the tarp and blanket around them tighter.
"I used to be, when I was younger and before I got Driger. Kind of a silly thing to be scared of now given his powers, which I think kind of helped me get over it."
Kai shrugged. "Eh. Kids are scared of weird stuff. Nothing silly about that."
"Yeah, that's true." Ray pouted a little, turning his head up on Kai's shoulder to look at him better. "So, what were you scared of when you were a kid?"
Kai looked down at him and arched a brow that said 'really?'
"Oh... Yeah, never mind." Ray snickered a little, more at himself than anything. "Sorry."
Kai snorted a small laugh as well. "I guess I never liked the dark."
"Not many people do, pretty sure your simple human eye sight isn't much helpful either." Ray joked as he pushed into him playfully, "I don't like being able to see the bottom of rivers or lakes, has to be clear water for me to get in otherwise I don't. Never know what's down there."
"May I remind you, these babies are demon eyes..." He said to him smugly.
And they were the most beautiful demon eyes he'd ever seen, though he wasn't going to tell Kai that.
"Mhmm. Fitting seeing as how your son is a little demon himself."
Kai frowned. "Stop saying that! He's good as gold." He pouted as he lifted and shoved his nose in Ro's head.
"I'm playing, calm down." Ray huffed, though he was only half playing in all honesty.
"Uh huh." Kai replied in a disbelieving tone, "Is it like a territorial thing or something?"
"Is what a territorial thing?" Ray questioned through a yawn, getting in closer to Kai's side and warmth.
"The fact you don't get along with him."
Ray went quiet for a minute. He'd gotten along fine with him just now after Rogue had settled, maybe at first it was a bit of that but now it was the other issues piling up because of him.
Kai wasn't focusing on training, the others weren't either until today. Kai had gone up and traded them all for Rogue, including him and that hurt more than he cared to admit even if it was selfish. And Rogue knew what he was doing all those times he'd snuggle into Kai while he was around, and it wasn't like Ray hadn't tried to be friendly with him.
"No, and I get along fine with him. When he isn't misbehaving. Let him claw up my chest didn't I?"
Kai rolled his eyes again. He didn't misbehave. But he wasn't about to start another argument about it.
"Fine. Whatever you say."
"You're welcome, by the way." Ray huffed back, not really liking the tone Kai was giving off after they'd been sitting there in the cold and felt like they were reconnecting. Apparently he had read it all wrong.
"For what?" He asked back.
"Getting clawed up." Ray answered.
Kai narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh and I suppose you want an apology for it? Please. You do worse with your own claws."
"No. That's not... You know what, never mind." He bit, pulling himself out from under the covers and tarp to go back inside.
Why Kai was being such an ass right now he didn't understand, was like he was picking a fight to just get him to leave or something.
"And quit comparing me to him! I'm getting tired of it!" He snapped as he stood.
"Where are you going?" He bit at him. "I only compare cause you keep picking on him for stuff YOU do. Why do you keep getting like this with me!? I'm getting tired of that!"
"I'm going back to bed, and that's the problem isn't it? You'll respect his feline instincts, but mine are just a fucking joke to you!"
Kai's face fell. "No they're not? I know I poke fun sometimes but it's just playing. You do the same to me."
"It doesn't feel like playing, maybe before it did, but now it feels like you're using it as an excuse for when he does something wrong. I get it, he's a baby, he doesn't know better. But heaven forbid we say anything about it and you go off like we've insulted your ancestors." Ray ranted off, shivering again from the cold now that he was out of from under their blanket and tarp fort.
"And when I poke fun about you being a jerk or an asshole it's different because you can change that, but I can't change how I am."
Kai's eyes sparked. "Oh is that right!? Newsflash, this is me! If I'm such an asshole then why don't you just stay the hell away from me!"
"Fine!" Ray's voice cracked, his eyes watering that he quickly hid by pivoting on his heel and storming back to the house. The back door slamming shut behind him.
Kai bit the inside of his cheek, eyes still angry but filling up fast. He grabbed the tarp, yanking it back over his head to make the little tent with Ro resting in his lap. He pulled him up under his chin again and nuzzled his head as the pissed off tears fell. At least Ro didn't know what a shit person he was. And therefore wouldn't leave him and love him anyways. Unlike some.