A/n: This is a flashback chapter, the main storyline will continue in the next chapter.
"It's been a while since you checked on Neji, was getting beat up by her too much for you?" Rudolph asks a day later after the festival event. Kairo scowls and hisses out, "Shut up and leave me alone. You are too chirpy." Rudolph sighs and crosses his arms across his chest, "He told you an hour ago when he was dying to not cry for him when he dies. Besides, people have different ways to grieve..."
"YOU DON'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND A THING, YOU PIECE OF CRAP! HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK ME IN, WHO BELIEVED IN ME AND TREATED ME LIKE AN ACTUAL HUMAN. DON'T GIVE ME THAT RIGHTEOUS STUFF!"
Kairo then stops with a sharp gasp as he realizes what he just did. He turns his head away from Rudolph and looks down at the ground in shame. "I'm...I'm sorry, I have no right to treat you this way and talk to you in the way I did. Please forgive me." Rudolph stays for a few seconds before slowly walking towards Kairo. Once he got close, he places a hand behind Kairo's head and brings it forward. Kairo sighs as he places his forehead on Rudolph's toned stomach.
Rudolph doesn't say anything, instead, he just combs his fingers gently through Kairo's hair and scalp in comfort. Kairo breathing gets shaky alongside his body. He quietly sobs and curses under his breath, slamming one of his tightly closed fists on the top of his leg. Rudolph pushes Kairo away and slowly goes on his knees in front of him, moving his hands to cup both of the man's cheeks, making those eyes to lock with his. "The medical staff came up with a name for this illness...it's called...colon cancer. There is no cure for such a sickness. It's a miracle that my uncle lasted as long as he did. Believe me or not, but I'm grieving too. I just don't show my tears and sorrow to everyone." Kairo places a hand on top of one of Rudolph's on his cheek, "I...just want to see her. I wish things were easier like back then, and less complicated and gut-wrenching. Life was happier, I was happier," he removes his hand and turns his head to the side with a scowl, "Bah! She probably despises me still for that chaos between us years ago. Plus, she already moved on and had her first child with another man. It won't be any use to see her." He hisses out in a whisper.
"Are you jealous that the guy got to her first before you?" Rudolph teases.
Kairo scowls, "Oh, shut up!"
"Alriiight, I will stop. But still," he turns Kairo's face back to his again, "I don't think that this is the end of you and Neji. I don't know, it's just a feeling. Anyways, I'm so glad that we're free of that dude we had a contract with. He was such a pain." Kairo shrugs and looks down at his lap, "So you're back to being my only master. Not much of a difference." Rudolph stands up and removes one of his hands, opting to just take ahold of Kairo's chin instead. Tilting the man's face back very slightly.
He smirks, "Well...not for long, my friend. You seem to forget what today is." He takes a neatly folded up paper from his pocket and opens it up, showing Kairo's contract. Rudolph points to a date and Kairo looks at it with a bored expression, not knowing why but still going along with it.
But that didn't last for long.
He recognizes the date matches with today..."I'm free...! I paid off the debt!"
"Congratulations, you're a free man. Now, I do have a favor to ask you. Not as your former master, but as a friend." Rudolph's face soon grow a bit serious as he takes out another folded piece of paper, handing it to Kairo. "I want you to go to this area near the festival. I have, or rather had, a friend who was suppose to give me these two special items and 50,000 credits as price for helping him with some things. He never got back to me and each time I see them in our town, he actively avoids me. So, I want you to get what I want and scare the dude a bit. Don't kill him, though. Just...frighten him. You know how." Kairo stands up and turns to go out to do the task.
But Rudolph stops him, "By the way, be careful. I hear that some people from the Empire are going to be there. Also, I forgot that you do have to wait a bit. You're getting a new speeder. For now, change your clothes and get dressed, what you need is upstairs."
Kairo gives an annoyed 'tch,' but nevertheless goes upstairs and get ready.