Chapter VIII

After the boxing match, which wasn't really a match—it was more a lesson in self-worth—Suzaku returned to his quarters, and dropped onto his bed. He huffed out a breath as he spread himself out on the covers, letting the coolness of the blue comforter ease warm, achy muscles.

He was exhausted both physically and mentally. Gino had really put him through the ringer, in all sorts of ways, and he was thankful for his friend for doing so. Truthfully, it was a wonderful birthday gift. He didn't bother to change out of his gym clothes, as he eased off to sleep with a peace of mind he hadn't had felt in weeks.

The next thing he knew, his communicator began beeping with an alert, and he looked at it with sleepy eyes. How long had he been asleep?

He scrolled through the messages, and one of them was about more Eleven escalations in ghettoes, but they were being provoked by the Britannia militia. And he felt tension fill him again.

Just leave them alone, for heaven's sake!

He sat up and yawned, then stretched, and winced from sore muscles. He stood out of bed, and then tripped, slamming his chin onto the floor. "Ow…" He moaned, and looked back to see that it was a cat toy. "Arthur!" He then saw one paw reach out from under the bed, feel for the toy, and pull it under, without even revealing its owner, hiding in shadow.

Suzaku shook his head, amused. And for the first in a while, he laughed.

He stood up and felt his face, winced with the lightest touch. He hurt all over from Gino's punches. Crossing the bedroom to the on-suite bathroom, he looked at his face, bruising had already started, exactly where he had banged his chin. But it was obviously from boxing.

But Gino would never reveal what had happened in the ring, it was a private matter. And knowing Gino, he would probably make up some ridiculous excuse like, "Oh, that clumsy Suzaku. He probably just slipped on one of his cat's toys and banged his chin."

Suzaku laughed at the thought. Not only was it true, it would make the perfect cover.

Suzaku showered and dressed, donning his Knight attire—it took him about thirty minutes. He was just about to snap on his cloak, when he heard the chime of his quarters's door sound. He wasn't expecting anyone, but knowing Gino, he'd probably want to see if his bruising had started. Gino was a hard hitter and just remembering his punches made Suzaku wince.

He answered the door, and was surprised when he found Perez on the other end.

Perez bowed, then raised. "My Lord, please forgive my intrusion," he said politely. "I received permission to enter this wing from my master, Sir Gino Weinberg. I just wished to convey my deep heartfelt apologizes for squirting you in the face with the water bottle. I was told an apology would not be unnecessary, but I was adamant to offer it, nonetheless."

Suzaku sighed. "Apology accepted," he said, agreeing that it was unnecessary. "Please come in, would you like some tea? I don't have to be on duty for another twenty minutes." It was customary in Japanese culture, or had been, to offer a drink to a visitor.

"I'm fine, Sir Knight Kururugi," Perez addressed.

Suzaku stood firm. He put up a finger. "Number #1, it's Suzaku—while alone." He added another finger next to the first. "Number #2, Gino is not your master, so please stop calling him that." And a third finger, all on the same hand. "And, are you a cat person?" Suzaku moved to the side, and Arthur sat behind him, twitching his tail. "Meet Arthur," he said.

Perez blinked at the dark grey feline with black patches on his fur.

"Um…hello?" Perez said, a little taken back, obviously bewildered that anyone would introduce their cat. "Oh, yes, I do recall you had a pet cat." Perez crouched down and extended a hand. "He's cute. Hello, Arthur," Perez addressed Arthur directly.

All of sudden, Arthur cocked his head away, like a diva, and jogged away.

Suzaku gasped. "Arthur!" he chided, watching him retreat to the bedroom. "That was rude!" he added. "I'm sorry, he's not normally like this. He's a good judge of character."

Perez stood up. "That's okay, sir," he said with a thin smile. "I guess, he just doesn't know me. Cats are very sensitive animals, they don't respond as friendly to people like dogs do."

"Still," Suzaku cupped his hips, looking back at Arthur. Then he realized he must have sounded crazy acting as of cat had the aptitude of a human. His face flushed a little, as he looked back, and smiled at Perez with embarrassment. "Let's just say Arthur is unique in his own way. I'll be right back." And Suzaku left for the bedroom. He was determined to bring Arthur back.

The moment he had met Perez, he didn't think much of the young man. He was a friend of Gino's, a helper, so he allowed a certain latitude with the association. When he had prevented Suzaku from leaving the boxing ring, Perez's alliance with Gino was secured, and he immediately disliked the guy. Now, here, after that apology, all was squared.

"Arthur! Get back here," Suzaku demanded, as he chased the cat around the bed. But it appeared to be playtime and Arthur ran under, around, and then jumped on the bed, as Suzaku attempted to snatch him, bolting by every grasp. Suzaku kept missing him by inches. "Arthur! I don't have time for this right now. I'm on duty soon. We can play later."

Suzaku could just see Gino laughing in his head, being beaten by a cat. When he first moved into Knight Headquarters, Suzaku was told animals were not allowed. But Gino stood up and declared that Arthur was welcome, saying, "If the rest of you animals can live here, so can Arthur." It was a bold statement and it stirred the ire of some of the other Knights, but ultimately he was allowed to being Arthur in provided he behave himself. So far, there had been no issues.

Suzaku lunged for him on the bed. Arthur leapt away, and jumped onto a nightstand, and knocked over a lamp, accidentally, of course, the shade snapping off when it hit the floor. The fixture's lightbulb, however, was undamaged, thank god. Suzaku didn't need glass everywhere. "Arthur, stop fooling around! I know I've been neglecting you a lately, but now's not the time to get back at me. I have a guest, and you were very rude to him."

Arthur leapt high onto a tall, wooden clothes closet, where Suzaku hung up his best clothes. There was just enough room for Arthur to jump up and stay away from Suzaku's grasp. And the moment Suzaku reached up, Arthur swiped at his hand with claws extended.

"Ow!" Suzaku voiced, holding his hand. But he knew Arthur was only playing, in his own way.

"My Lord," Perez said from the other room, "is everything all right in here?"

Suzaku took his attention away from Arthur for a moment. "Everything is fine, Perez," he replied. "Just having a little disagreement with Arthur," he added. Then he realized how foolish that sounded. To most people, animals were just pets. Suzaku, instead, saw a companion.

He looked at his hand where Arthur had scratched him, it was bleeding. But it was just a flesh wound. This was nothing compared to some of the injuries he got while an infantryman, or even piloting Lancelot, when he fought the Black Knights. It still stung like heck.

He licked his wound, sucking the blood, then looked back up, and saw Arthur looking down at him. The cat meowed, almost apologetically. Suzaku opened his arms in forgiveness and Arthur jumped down, Suzaku catching him. He then set the cat on the bed. Arthur sniffed his wound. And, bizarrely, sneezed. Suzaku pulled back, now with his hand covered with cat snot.

"Arthur," he said, then sighed. He went into the bathroom to wash up. "I don't know what possessed you to just walk away from Perez like that, but I would like you to apologize, okay?" Suzaku returned to the bedroom, but he found Arthur had disappeared.

He looked around, the cat was no where to be seen. He sighed again.

Just then, his door chimed again. Suzaku turned, and went to answer it, when Arthur suddenly darted from under the bed, and leapt onto him, causing him to tilt off balance, and fall against his closest closet. The cat bounced off him and landed on the floor.

Suzaku looked at him angrily. "Arthur!" he shouted. "What has gotten into you?" He rubbed the back of his head, a hurt erupted. First his face, now the back of his head. "Perez, can you answer that for me? Thank you."

"I will, sir," the other replied back.

Suzaku sighed deeply. "Don't call me 'sir'," he said softly to himself.

All of sudden, he heard a shout, and a yelp.

Suzaku jumped to his feet and raced out of the bedroom, only to see Perez stabbed in the stomach, dropping to the floor, his hands to his stomach, blood oozing out of a wound.

Suzaku looked at the attacker. He was not in uniform, but Suzaku recognized the face.

He was the same guard Suzaku had encountered in the corridor just yesterday that he disciplined for unsoldiery actions. He was dressed all in black, like an assassin.

"You're a dead man, TRAITOR!" he shouted, and then charged, running at Suzaku with utmost fury in his eyes, and his knife raised high.

To be continued...