Saccharine
Bester, the black and white liger was haphazardly sprawled under his master's slumbering form. The Varia's headquarters was destroyed with virtually no furniture left, and what does their boss, Xanxus do? Just languidly and almost carelessly laying down on the area with the least rubble, his box animal just as lazily stretching out behind him. Leaving with the rest of the Varia members to scramble for contractors to rebuild the place, and this baffling sight to all, but Varia.
Xanxus currently had his back against the liger's stomach, his feather adornments pillowed behind his head, making them seem as much as a lion's mane, the stark red and pitch black ornaments contrasting vividly against the hide of the majestic beast. The liger was lazily licking the boss's wounds, assuring Squalo that the remiss of his boss' wounds was taken care of. The liger had unsurprisingly all above average manipulation of flames, just like Xanxus who people normally dismissed of such control and skill. As the feline was doing so, Xanxus also had his right arm scratching almost fondling the liger's tufted ears, as he drifted off into either his brooding or sleep.
The thought that strikes most vividly was that the liger and his master held many similarities, a perfect match made in heaven. With both their lazy outer appearance, yet power rippling rippling under their lithe muscles. The feline descendance, Xanxus showing these mannerisms, by the almost grooming action of his adornments and weapons alike. While Bester had his claws, Xanxus had his blades and their eyes, were both fierce shades of red, ruby bright and cutting. And most notably, while the liger was a mixed-blood, he undeniably had the best of both lines, strength and speed fused into one...
And, Xanxus alike was indubitably born king despite his mongrel bloodline- his aura, demeanor and motions all held an inexplicable sense of grace and royalty that was apparent to all. His brusque personality did not shadow his fluidity, and belied by his mercurial temperament he ran cold, cunning and most importantly astute calculations constantly. He had a lazy persona, but that was only because he was efficient enough to do so, his subordinates were capable enough for delegation of work, any further instructions he would have conveyed the message for Squalo to announce. Paperwork? That indeed took up majority of time aside from missions, but with the amount of work he had on hand and the meticulous quality he handed in, it required a certain amount of time, and he never had to review his reports. As for his missions, only his highest ranked subordinates would have been allowed the pleasure of accompanying him or even knowing his absence.
The closest he had as a companion was Bester, the lazy companionship and the flawless partnership on the battlefield a constant in Xanxus' life. When the Varia was given box weapons, they had thought their boss to be dismissive of it, never had they expected Xanxus to take one look at the diminutive box, and calmly inject his wrath flame into it. The result was the magnificent liger, with its domineering figure and unyielding power, to which Xanxus merely turned on his heel, and the liger silently followed. They knew that if Bester was ever injured, Xanxus' rage will be inexpugnable, honed into more of a deadly blade. Just as he would for his subordinates actually, his cold indifference did not make him care less about them as after all he was very territorial. That was where they realised that Xanxus's rage was honed from his unconventional care of his people.
Between him and his liger, he had a warmer and almost cute side, as cute as a ferocious and deadly wild cat could ever be. The liger's company made him relieve his feline tendencies, exaggerating the subtle movements the Varia was used to especially Squalo. The languid flex of his back when he rose from his chair, the low growl when angered and the rare, deep, almost-purring exhalations when he was really relaxed. With the liger, Xanxus started going out more often in the day, occasionally even basking under the sun with the liger. The sight was as if two felines were playing and resting together, likening more and more to a cat.
Xanxus was by no means domestic, as wild and manic as he was ever, however, the interactions between him and his liger was something the Varia could claim sweeter than even Sawada's brat group. Of course, this was in the perspectives of professional, yet companionable, tolerated assasins.