"And…well that's the story so far. Guess I'll be staying here for now," Adon stood up, brushing some dirt off his knees after speaking about the most recent developments in his life. He took a deep breath, letting the scent of foliage fill his lungs before he exhaled, feeling the burden of his emotions and raw wounds not healed properly lighten just a bit.
Things weren't perfect. Far from it, but he felt better. A little relieved as well. Above him, the afternoon had been blocked by pale clouds, hiding it behind a veil of formless, dull gray. It wasn't quite ready to rain, even if the humidity lingered. But it was less hot than yesterday and that gave him room to think. Pay his respects and ease his heart. Pray to the gods that his old folks were happy in the afterlife.
Adon spun on his heel to leave the graveyard, slowly coming to terms with himself as he left the overgrown area. By its entrance, Sagat stood, and then followed. In silence, they made the trek home. In the reticence that followed, Adon tried not to think of the Hado messing with Sagat to the point where even he lost himself. Which meant its power was some serious stuff, enough to bring even the most stalwart of men down to his knees.
"It seems that my…situation has made you quite upset," Sagat loomed closer, but never quite touching a startled Adon.
"Huh? I'm fine. I already said I'd kick your ass if it comes down to it,"
The old tiger sighed, folding his arms over his chest, "You are and will always remain a godawful liar. Coming to terms with our own fears is healthy,"
They were alone in the middle of the wilderness. That was enough to make him dent his fingers just slightly against Adon's back, pressing into his skin enough to make shudders shoot up his spine.
"I'm fine, really. I'm…," Adon began to panic as his cheeks flared. Shit, fuck, he didn't expect to be talking about his feelings so soon again, "Also kinda scared… of you being gone,"
"How sweet of you," Sagat said with no emotion. The faint softening of his expression ruled out sarcasm when Adon turned his head. The day he'd get a loving smile and some corny love declaration from this man would be the day when the world turned upside down.
He must have looked completely blank as Sagat punctuated his actual feelings by grabbing him by the jaw and pulling him into a kiss, lingering tender, yet dominating as if to erase all of Adon's worries and fears.
It didn't quite do the trick, but it sure did help.
Adon surrendered quickly, leaning into the touch, humming with want, wondering if he should try to wriggle around so he could get better access but it ended before he could even begin to shift.
"We should hurry back," Sagt said as he untangled from Adon, continuing onwards towards the village as if nothing had happened at all.
Flushed and frustrated, Adon stomped his foot into the ground, "You tease!"
Sagat stopped, turned around, and huffed like a proud old man, then continued as if he was supremely proud of himself. Fuck him, Adon thought as he trotted behind, rubbing his face to quell its blushing.
By early evening, they set foot into the courtyard, welcomed by Namupun sitting by the entrance of the house with the kitten in her lap. Upon seeing them, she waved enthusiastically, stretching her entire arm for that purpose.
"Hey!" she greeted, and the kitten perked its head from its warm spot. Upon seeing Adon, it jumped out of the little girl's lap and sprinted towards him, meowing and purring when it tried to climb him. He picked it up, letting it climb and rest on his shoulder. He ought not to make it a habit but the kitten was cute and he was a softie. When Sagat tried to pet it, the kitten hissed and yowled at him. When it had initially amused Adon, he sort of felt bad for the old tiger.
"Have you given him a name?" Namupun skipped over to Adon, just in time for Sagat's giant beast to arrive from the shadows and comfort him.
Adon shook his head, tickled by soft fur and the vibrations of purring. Partly agitated by sharp claws digging through his clothes and skin.
"Oooh, can I name him then?!"
Oh. Adon blinked, realizing that he hadn't even thought about a name for the cat yet. Or its gender for that matter. He just liked having it around. It made mornings more bearable when he was feeling extra awful. A bundle of warmth to cuddle with. Sagat was a different matter, the man was a mountain and better as the cuddler than the cuddled.
"Sure," Adon shrugged and the little girl's eyes lit up like a million fireflies. Before he had even thought of his suggestions, she raised her arms in victory.
"Sunti! Means peace. Because it seems like you two are friends again," she exclaimed, louder than the occasion warranted. But her excitement and innocence brought a light chuckle from Adon.
"Man, kiddo. You're real maudlin, huh?"
She lowered her arms, tilting her head a bit, "What does maudlin mean?"
"In tune with your emotions," Sagat spared her from the unbiased truth with a mild one.
Namupun blinked, then smiled, happy and giddy like children her age did, "I am? Wow, thanks! Let me cook dinner tonight! I have a good idea so Adon, can you go to the woods and get some river tamarind leaves?"
Good idea sounded like she just made it up on the spot.
"Sure, I'm on it," he shrugged instead of calling her out on it, taking the kitten by the neck, supporting him with a hand under his hind legs, and inching him closer to a receptive Sagat. The kitten yowled some more and hissed, then purred when Adon stroked his back as he eased him into Sagat's arms. The cat, now Sunti, squirmed a bit but relaxed.
"Don't get mad if he scratches you," Adon smirked with a blend of mischief and worry.
"You say that to a man who owns a tiger," Sagat let the kitten sniff his finger.
"Fuck-dammit," Adon corrected himself, mindful of the child staring at them with her big brown eyes. "Curses, you're right. Touchy or whatever the heck French people say,"
This sorry excuse for a joke, Sagat understood, and he snorted just faintly as if he was amused. Or maybe he just got a kick out of watching Adon taking those ''language'' reminders to heart finally.
Sunti's large eyes stared longingly after Adon however while he made his way out of the courtyard, then stared at Willa Maiu that came stalking up next to him. She chuffed, in that weirdly unsettling sound that tigers made when happy. Apparently.
The walk to the woods was refreshing, even when Adon was out here alone with an apex predator by his side. He was familiar enough with the area to navigate to the river, taking the quickest path he knew. Soon, he stood by the riverbank, scanning the area after the much-desired river tamarind.
The tiger decided to drink the water while Adon searched, venturing deeper into the woods while he let the tiger to her own devices. His breath hitched in his chest when he felt suddenly a familiar aura growing amongst the trees; the Satsui no Hado. The one who almost killed him. The blue creature stood on top of a bolder, his eyes glowing red when he spotted Adon.
"You dare to approach me? You will feel the wrath of Oni," His voice snarled with demonic, deadly intent. He jumped down from the rock and prepared himself for battle.
Adon swallowed; there was little chance, he'd survive this encounter. Fear was something he rarely felt and there were few people that had made him step down from a fight with them and this was one of those instances. His pride however began to flare up inside of him, urging him on, beckoning him to fight. He had a feeling he probably wouldn't be able to escape, even if he tried.
This Oni was out for blood, not caring where said blood came from. Adon imagined bringing him back to the village would result in everyone getting slaughtered. So he chose to fight. It was the Oni way or the highway. Seeing the challenge for what it was, Oni launched himself at Adon, with a flurry of kicks and punches, all of which Adon managed to avoid, sometimes with luck.
Oni was as quick as he was strong, Adon already knew that. He'd be royally fucked if he made one mistake, so he tried not to, avoiding every strike to the best of his ability. Suddenly from the bushes, a beastly roar howled from the dimness and Willa Maiu leaped at Oni with claws and everything. With the weight of a fully grown tiger pressed against him, he staggered with his arm caught in her maw.
That was the chance, Adon needed, and he took it, circling Oni and trying to attack him from the side with a Jaguar Kick. Big fucking mistake. Adon's opponent caught him by the ankle, with an iron grip, that was so tight, he thought his foot was about to be cut off. He flailed as he felt his entire body lifted from the ground until he dangled upside down unable to see anything but dimly lit flora.
Oni jerked his arm to the side, throwing the tigress off before he punched Adon in the back. The blow was enough to force the air out of his lungs. Momentarily, Adon went limp against the throbbing pain, imagining that a bad bruise would spread over his skin by sunrise. He lifted the foot that remained free, about to kick one ugly son of a bitch in his face when suddenly Oni punched his leg. Seconds after, he felt a sickening crack in his knee. Its sharp, sudden pain made him scream like a banshee and flail his limbs like a madman.
In his wild thrashing, Adon managed to kick Oni in the face, sending himself dropping to the ground. He winced at the jolt of pain that shot up through the entire half of his body. Somewhere, Willa Maiu jumped at Oni again with a fierce growl, and he got busy fighting the tigress. Adon barely managed to roll out of the way before he got stepped on. He groaned, nearly blacking out from the aching.
Fuck this, fuck this so much.
Adon couldn't run, and rolling would only make him puke. He could flee into the water and hope the river carried him away. He could pray to higher powers that Oni lost interest and went back to wherever he came from. Whatever Adon had hoped for however was interrupted when Oni dug his fingers into his head, pulling him by the roots of his hair.
The stench of blood lingered heavily in the air, at least not from Adon this time as he felt drops of red, warm crimson beading from Oni's tigress wounds. The adrenaline which the man was running on must have been nearly radioactive because it made him completely and eerily invulnerable to getting mauled by a beast multiple times. He just shook the pain and a tiger off like both were inconvenient bugs.
"Motherfuck-" Adon barely managed to spit and claw at his opponent before his arm was caught. And broken.