I tensed on instinct, knowing something was wrong, and my fur stood on end. I waited by the door, until something snapped, and then I jumped and ran behind a box. I couldn't believe how much of a coward I was, but the man who entered WAS big and scary. He was tall, and he was dressed in black clothes. There was a black mask over his face, but I knew he was a bad man, because his yellowish eyes were sharp and scary.

I waited behind the box, trying to stay out of sight, and watched the man. He walked around the apartment for a while, looking in the drawers in the kitchen, and then he moved to the living room and looked through some boxes. I wondered what he could be looking for…

The intruder growled and threw the box he had been looking for. Whatever he wanted, he hadn't found it. I was about to make my move, until I heard a familiar sound of footsteps coming down the hall. The jingle of keys could be heard, and I became worried. Hisoka was home…

The intruder seemed to notice, also, and he hid around the corner of the living room as Hisoka pushed the door open.

"What? Why is my door open…?"

Oh, no! Hisoka was home! My human set down his backpack by the door and looked around.

"Hello? Is someone hear?"

There was no movement from the man, even as Hisoka walked towards the living room. Hisoka was clueless, and ignoring the fact that the door had been open, he started calling for me. I kept my eyes glued on the intruder, but I couldn't ignore the call for me. I didn't know what to do!

"Tsuzuki? Hey, Tsuzuki…? Where are you, you stupid cat?"

Hisoka looked under a chair but couldn't find me. I wanted to run to him, mewing, telling him to run away, but I was too late. Hisoka heard a noise and walked towards my box. That's when the intruder jumped out and grabbed him from behind. Hisoka yelled out and tried to put up a struggle, but the man was too big and strong for him. He held Hisoka still.

"Hey! Who are you? Let me go, immediately!"

"I don't think so, Kurosaki…"

"H-huh?"

"That's right… I know who you are! Word on the street is you're one of those rich boys…"

Hisoka didn't respond. I could tell that he was terrified.

"Now, tell me where your valuables are, and I just might let you go free alive!"

"I-I don't have anything valuable here!"

"You lie!"

"No! my father… he keeps everything with him!"

"Then what do you do for money?"

"He sends me some whenever I need it!"

"You lie! Do you take me for some idiot?"

"I swear it's the truth!"

The man called Hisoka a liar again, and rose his hand to hit him. I couldn't allow that, and I jumped out from behind the box. I climbed up his leg, and he gasped. I didn't care if I scratched him up as I climbed up his body, but he wasn't happy about it, or the fact that I scratched up his face when I got to it. He yelled out, and Hisoka tried to get away, but he held onto him. Then, he grabbed me and tossed me to the ground.

"Ow! You'll pay for that, you runt!"

"Tsuzuki!"

I'm coming back, Hisoka! And that's what I did. When the man threatened my Hisoka again, I jumped right up to his hand and bit down hard. He yelled more, giving Hisoka the chance to jump out of his grasp. I couldn't let the man get away or get back to Hisoka, and so I held on as hard as I could. He shook me, but I didn't let go. Finally, he pulled out a gun and hit me with it.

My head reeled and I let go. His hand swung and the next thing I knew, my poor back made contact with the corner of the bathroom door. My world went blank.

--

Hisoka gasped at seeing his first and only friend knocked against the hard surface. Tsuzuki fell limply to the floor, and it filled him with rage. That man was only there because of his name and money, which he also blamed on his father. His father was well-known to many people around that area, which only served to cause Hisoka more and more misery. He didn't care what happened to other people, but he opened his heart to Tsuzuki, who had proved to truly care about him. He wouldn't let that affection and care be for nothing.

Turning around, Hisoka grabbed the fire extinguisher from off the kitchen counter, and by the time the intruder turned back his way, Hisoka swung the metal object in his face. It made a crushing noise as it came in contact, and before he knew it, the man was on the floor. His nose was a bloody mess, and he was not moving. The sound of the door bursting open made him jump, but he relaxed, seeing that the ones who entered were police officers.

The police gathered around the man on the floor, and Hisoka looked up to see Mr. Tatsumi running towards him. He dropped the fire extinguisher.

"Mr. Tatsumi!"

"Kurosaki, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine… What's going on here?"

"I saw an unfamiliar person walking up here and then there was a lot of noise, so I called the police."

"…Thank you!"

An ambulance arrived and they took the unconscious man away. Then, some people came to check Hisoka out. It was when they were asking what happened that Hisoka remembered Tsuzuki. He ran to the bathroom, and froze. Tsuzuki was lying on the floor in the same condition as he had been in before. He hadn't moved.

"No, no, no… Tsuzuki…!"

Shaking fearfully, Hisoka knelt by his dear little friend and picked him up. He never seemed so small or fragile, and his eyes were closed. Lightly, Hisoka touched his little ears, letting out a sniffle. Tsuzuki's ears were still as soft as ever, but he wasn't responding to the touch. Finally, Hisoka felt tears fall, and he held the kitty close as the rivers of tears fell down over his cheeks.

"No! Tsuzuki! I hate him… that man hurt you! He took you away from me! Tsuzuki! Tsuzuki! Tsu…"

Tatsumi turned his head away, following the police out into the hall for a talk. Hisoka was left alone in the room, crying his heart out. he lost all hope, but refused to let the creature go. Then, there was a light, wet contact on his cheek, and he snapped his eyes open. The little kitty in his arms was weakly looking up at him, licking his tears away. If there was one thing Hisoka knew about Tsuzuki, it was that he hated to see his master cry.

--

"Tsuzuki…"

I quietly mewed in response. I was sore all over, but seeing Hisoka was far more painful. I tried to lick all his tear away, but like before, he pulled me away to wipe them away himself. I saw his landlord peek his head in, and Hisoka yelled.

"Mr. Tatsumi! He's alive! Tsuzuki's alive!"

Hisoka hugged me so tight I thought I would be crushed, but I loved it at the same time. There was no way I would ever leave him… Hisoka saved me from being alone, and wet, and finally, I did something to show him my gratitude. I would have died for him… and for a moment, I thought I had.

Thank goodness cats have 9 lives, ne?

"Tsuzuki, you stupid kitty… lets eat, okay?"

Mew! heart

This was only the beginning of a very beautiful friendship… with increased sugary benefits promised!

Owari.