Serendipity
Chapter Three:
The next morning, Itachi and Kisame rushed around the apartment as both of them had overslept and they were now going to be late for work.
Itachi rubbed his head, wondering how he had allowed himself to dismiss every one of his alarms. It wasn't like him. He had four different alarm times, despite being able to be up by the time the first one sounded. This time, that was not the case.
But even his backup alarms had let him down.
He had woken up in a haze, curled up around a purring warmth that seemed to gently lull him back to sleep every single time he thought about getting up. It had taken him a long second to realize that it was the kitten he had saved. He had smiled at him, thinking he could sleep a bit more when he snapped awake.
His brain screaming at him that it was too light in his room.
He had then reached for his phone, and noticed the time.
To say that Itachi jumped out of bed so fast was an understatement, the man literally kicked off of it. Itachi had then banged Kisame's door open and told him to get up, they were late. Kisame was not happy with that kind of wake up call. The man had fallen off his bed trying to untangle himself from the covers, and rushed to get properly dressed.
"How could you of all people sleep in!?" Kisame roared, hopping on one foot to get his shoe on.
"Stop depending on me, what would you do if I ever move out?" Itachi asked in return.
"Please don't!" Kisame cried, "I'd die without you. I'm sorry Itachi don't hate me."
Itachi sighed at Kisame's dramatics, "Just hurry, we have to go." Itachi said, reaching into the fridge to pull out leftovers.
He heated them up for the kitten and filled his bowl with water. A part of him was worried about leaving the little creature here on his own. It wasn't like he could take him to work though…he could probably sneak him in. No, if they found him they might ask him to throw him out.
He should be fine right, he's a kitten. They are independent. Itachi thought to himself, but even as he thought it and took a look at the kitten pawing and hissing at the hot food he couldn't help but feel he was wrong.
This kitten needed him.
"I got the keys! Let's go!" Kisame called, throwing the front door open and startling their neighbor who was also stepping out of her own apartment. Old woman Chiyo was what they called her, she was usually nice but when startled she could curse with the best of them. She gave Kisame an earful of colorful words before she huffed away.
"You think kitty will be okay?" Itachi asked as he walked out, closing the door behind him. Even so, he hesitated when Kisame tried to pull him along.
"He's a cat of course he's fine! He won't even notice that you are gone, come on!" Kisame snapped, "Pein is already texting bitchy comments about how we are missing the meeting." Itachi hesitate only a second more before nodding his head and going along with Kisame. They were running extremely late, and they would definitely get their pay cut if they didn't hurry up.
The kitten inside was eagerly eating, thinking that Itachi's food was really the best he had ever tasted. It had nothing on his mom's cooking. Sitting back, he thoughtfully sat back chewing.
His mom…
A wave of sadness hit him suddenly as he thought back to her.
He had been born not too long ago, his mother being a shapeshifter had fallen in love with a man who was considered a strong full demon. She was the best at shifting into a human form so beautiful, and she even had power that made her come off more like a demon.
He vaguely remembered her saying that it was thanks to her good genes.
She had told him and his siblings that they were hiding. That once they were big and strong they would be able to find a place in life.
Their mother was really a sweet woman with long dark hair, pitch black eyes, and delicate pale skin. She often hummed soft songs at them and told them about how they would have to make sure they took pride in their demon blood. That they would take over the world because they would have something that she didn't have.
They were special.
She had nursed them, taken care of them, raising them all by herself. She had said that they never needed to know who their father was, and hoped that they never ran into him. That they would grow up and she would make sure that they had better.
That they were lucky to be half demons, genes that eradicated any form of humanity that could have come from her. Because demons and humans couldn't be together, they just didn't work out.
Her shapeshifter side was the only reason they were able to be born.
All of them had lived happily in that time, in silence, and peace. He could remember the sunny warmth that filtered in through the dusty window. How hard and cold the ground he played on with his siblings was, Most of all he remembered her warm body as she allowed them to sleep against her when the moon was out.
That had been until the man that was their father had found them.
The man himself had said he had been looking everywhere, that he knew she was carrying his child. He, in his short black hair and blue eye had looked so happy at the prospect of being a father to someone. He had frozen at the sight of them, a tiny litter of five, three month old kittens.
Said kittens tumbled about, barely learning to shift into small and curious four year old toddlers.
The man had a look on his face that shifted from hopeful to pure rage. He had screamed at their mother, "You're a useless shapeshifter. You lying cunning bitch!" and then he back handed her. As she collapsed she shifted into her cat form, baring her fangs and claws with a deep growl. Their mother planned to fight.
The kittens had all flinched back, scared, not knowing what to do. This was their mom, they wanted to help her. They had followed her lead and shifted, baring their own claws and fangs, small backs arched to make them look bigger.
The man who was supposed to be their father didn't hesitate and killed their mother in front of them within seconds, ripping into her.
He then proceeded to knock them around.
He told them to go ahead and fight, to show him that they were worth leaving alive. He wasn't even sure if any of his litter mates made it, as they had all run in different directions, terrified. On four tiny legs that only seemed to take them so far, the man had whipped at them, kicked them, made them fly far and found them again, and again.
His taunting words even now haunted him and made him tear up.
Was he not worth anything?
Did he not deserve to live?
He was supposed to prove that he should be allowed to live, but he couldn't even take care of himself independently. He was practically relying on Itachi and his kindness right now.
If his father ever found him again would he be able to protect himself?
He couldn't rely on Itachi to save him again.
His whole life felt like a nightmare.
"Useless, how can you even be called my children. How despicable," The man roared in pure anger, blue eyes blazing. "What a waste of my seed." Their father had scorched them, causing a large explosion.
The eldest was burned alive, he was sure he was and then he had flown, knocked unconscious when his little head met a metal bin. He was sure he was dead too, because the darkness had followed. There was no telling what had happened to the rest of his siblings.
The pain was still real, and the cold hurt.
He didn't know how long he laid there, his mind coming in and out of consciousness as he struggled.
He wanted to keep quiet, what if he was found again?
Why couldn't he keep silent!
Then warm hands had reached for him.
He was tucked into even more warmth that lulled him into a light sleep. His body relaxed as he had momentarily felt safe, and he healed under that calm touch. He looked down at his paw, wondering if it was Itachi's demon magic that had healed him.
Or was that his own ability?
There was no way he had that much energy left in him at the time…
Thinking of the demon that had saved him, he decided to look for him.
After the meeting Itachi stayed behind to talk with Pain about the kitten situation he was currently having. A few words here and the man conceded that if he really needed it, he would allow the kitten to come to work with him.
Of course, on the prospect that none of their clients saw the small creature, the last thing you wanted was for other demons to think you had a weakness.
Itachi agreed.
When lunch time came, he swiftly left his office without telling anyone where he was going.
He had looked through the GPS and inputted the same directions for the diner they had eaten at that night. The drive there was short and Itachi climbed out of the jeep to inspect the area. Itachi walked around the trash bin and past it, looking for any traces of where the kitten might have come from.
The magical traces left behind indicated that a demon had attacked there recently. It was a relatively strong demon, but still young. It was nothing that Itachi couldn't handle if the demon decided to appear again, but as he explored he came to an abandoned building.
The building was tall, made out of red sturdy bricks that someone had tried to pummel through at some point. It had broken glass, barred off entrances, and it was falling apart. The air was still around it, heavy with the unmistakable pressure that came with death.
Closing his eyes at the prospect of what he will find, Itachi proceeded to enter the building.
The kitten's ears flickered, listening to everything around him.
The kitchen was eerily silent, and it unsettled him. Looking around and seeing that he was alone, he walked to the living room. He searched high and low. Under the couch… over it… or was Itachi in the bedroom?
As he ran around the apartment and seeing no trace of Itachi, the small kitten's eyes shone with mischief—he was home alone!
Running across the living room again he knocked into the glass like structure that was set at the front of the living room. On the center there was a large television, but around it were frames with pictures of what looked like family and friends.
The kitten blinked at one of a small Itachi and two grownups with him. He smirked, were those Itachi's parents? Itachi looked so funny being that small compared to what he looked like now.
It was strange.
How old could he possibly be in this picture?
Leaving that on the floor he jumped towards the couch, flipping and rolling around it, feeling playful before noticing the television again. That thing was always fun, climbing up and knocking even more things, he tried his best to search for the remote.
He spotted it in the back and knocked it to the floor with one swipe of his paw.
He followed after said remote, knocking his paw over the on button and flipped the channels until he found the cartoon he and his siblings always watched when his mom would take them to the laundromat.
The kitten was distracted for a good half hour, before he was bored again. This time he turned his attention back to the couch, knocking the cushions to the floor and clawing at the arm rest until thread was spilling out of them.
He then went in search for more food and water.
He took a bite of the food he had left behind, but spat it back out because it was cold. Looking into his water bowl and spotting a few questionable specks, he knocked it over and then searched for water elsewhere.
He found an open pantry that housed a new case of water bottles. The small kitten bared his claws, ripping though the plastic effortlessly, and getting himself the water he desired.
About five of them met their demise as they spilled onto the floor, soaking it.
The small kitten then rushed back to the living room, where he walked back and forth in front of the book case, and finally jumped onto it. Knocking out several books, he created a small place for himself and fell asleep there for a while.
The floorboards creaked under his feet as Itachi pushed past one of the barricaded doors and came inside the dark, stuffy building.
His eyes shifted color into red so he could see through the dark clearly.
He brought his hand over his nose and mouth at the horrid smell that filled the building, but continued into what looked like an empty lobby. Everything inside was either torn or broken. Itachi walked further inside, opening an unhinged white door to a hall way.
It seemed this once had been some sort of medical office, in especially for psychiatric care. It had a similar structure to it. Itachi had been in a few to know why they had that unique design, and there was no doubt this place had been abandoned. Left behind without anyone to properly claim it in the end.
Buildings like these were the perfect hunt for lesser demons or creatures.
Walking down the hall way and passing several rooms, he finally came to one at the back that seemed to have blankets and pillows nested around one of the corners. Itachi slowly approached it, reaching to move the covers as he could sense something under it.
He winced when he saw what more than likely had been the mother cat.
Her stomach was ripped open, her face set in a painful expression, mouth open, and tongue hanging out. He closed his eyes with sadness.
Who could have done such a thing?
Itachi continued to explore, finding that overall the building was empty. He could sense the trails of magic that seemed to go past the building, and he followed each path. What he found at the end of each trail was four more bodies.
He gently collected, wrapped, and gave each one a proper burial.
He figured someday, when the kitten he had was older, he might bring him here. The kitten probably wouldn't know, maybe would forget, but he couldn't help but want to do at least this. These animals didn't deserve to be forgotten.
A while had been three hour, and once the kitten was awake again, he was full of energy.
The kitten walked around searching to see if he spotted Itachi or Kisame. When he didn't he jumped and opened the door to Kisame's room. He knew it was Kisame's room because it smelled just like him.
The kitten shredded a few clothes, and some expensive looking shoes. He climbed on the desk, ripping up a few papers before pissing all over them as he made his own makeshift litter. Satisfied with his exploration of this new room he jumped off the desk and ran back to Itachi's room.
There he climbed onto the bed, rolling around the lingering scent of Itachi and allowing sleep to take over again.
He was so bored!
When will Itachi be back?
"I'm telling you that you are worrying about nothing what the heck can a kitten do while unsupervised?" Kisame asked, he was desperately trying to get Itachi to change his mind so they could go and eat dinner with the rest of their friends.
He had been looking forward to drinks tonight.
"Well if you're right we will just do a short check-up and then we can go." Itachi wasn't budging on this.
Kisame groaned, muttering about how he hated that they shared a car all because that was all they were allowed to keep in this damn building.
Itachi ignored him as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was already dark inside the apartment, except for the television that seemed to playing a lively and colorful kids show. This made him even more worried as he reached for the lights. He froze once the lights came on and he saw the mess in the living room.
Itachi looked around, shocked, before turning a glare to Kisame. "You were saying."
Kisame gaped looking around in disbelief.
"What the fuck, Itachi that thing destroyed the place…" he paused as he turned to the television when he heard cutesy voices coming from it."Is that the kids channel…that television has a kids channel?" Kisame dashed for the control and readily changed the channel to his classy porn and sighed in relief. "Much better, the hell dude, are we paying for kids shows?" he asked turning to Itachi who was walking away.
Kisame shrugged and move to fix some of the things in the living room.
Itachi ignored Kisame as he looked into the kitchen, and moved to clean the spilled food and water. After he was done with the mess there, he looked around calling for the kitten. He paused when he heard a meow from the direction of his room, and turned to face the mischievous kitten standing in the doorway.
The little thing yawned, slowly blinking at him.
Oh no.
Itachi ran to his room, and sighed in relief when he saw the only mess there was his bed. It just looked like it had been unmade, nothing that big.
"Okay, you little trouble maker-" Itachi started before a loud horrified scream cut him off.
Itachi rushed towards Kisame's room, and flinched when he saw the trashed clothes, shoes, and important papers that were for work.
"ITACHI THAT CAT IS DEAD!" Kisame yelled.
Itachi couldn't help it, he laughed.
He was feeling completely amused by the situation. Kisame froze, watching his friend in amazement…he didn't know Itachi could laugh so free like that.
Maybe that cat wasn't that bad after all.
But that didn't stop him from feeling upset over the mess left in his room.
"Hey, I told you it wasn't a good idea to leave him unsupervised." Itachi smirked. Kisame simply screamed, pulling at his hair and cursing the cat out. Itachi turned to his kitten once more. "Alright you little trouble maker, explain yourself."
The kitten looked up, red eyes shining innocently, "Meow," It muttered, tail tapping up and down almost seeming impatient. Food.
Itachi quirked a smile as Kisame cried about his papers having cat piss all over them. "Come on let's get you fed while I try to figure out what to do with you."
The kitten followed after Itachi, suddenly scared…was Itachi going to get rid of him already?
The lingering silence as they made it to the kitchen had him sitting, watching the long haired demon for confirmation on his thoughts. When nothing came, he found himself hyperventilating and thinking fast.
Fine, he was ready to go if that was so! He was more than ready to start life on his own, he could do it. His mom had prepared him! Who cares if he still didn't know how to fully shift into his demon form. He would learn along the way.
He wasn't going to beg Itachi to keep him.
And even as he thought that, he couldn't help but ravenously devour the warm tasty food Itachi set out for him. Itachi watched him, slightly amused at the funny stance the kitten kept while grumbling little growls as if someone was going to steal his food.
Kisame came into the kitchen then, holding out the ripped up proposal papers. "Good news, he just destroyed the contract that Orochimaru tried to propose to us. Nothing of value was lost. In fact, I think he did us a favor." Kisame said as he shoved the pissed on papers into the trash can.
Itachi scrunched his nose up in disgust. Kisame ignored him as he moved to thoroughly wash his hands.
"We can't leave him alone yet, and I rarely would have time to try and teach him what is right and wrong. He will be coming to work with us tomorrow." Itachi said, crossing his arms. How would he even train him to use the litterbox?
Itachi had never had a pet before.
"You think Pein will allow it?" Kisame asked, drying his hands with a paper towel.
"Yeah, he has no choice," Itachi smirked.
Kisame sighed.
He knew that Itachi had been extra busy today. Besides accomplishing his work he had left on a private investigation of his own during lunch. Kisame still wasn't sure all Itachi was doing, but he was sure that at some point he must have asked for permission from their boss. If that was the case, he was not going to question it.
If anything, that cat could stay as long as he made Itachi happy.
"Fine, but you owe me new clothes and shoes. What that little demon did is unrepairable."
"Fine whatever," Itachi shrugged. It looked like this little kitten was going to cost him even more money. Yet when those ruby bright eyes turned to look at him, Itachi couldn't help but melt and think…It's worth it. "Just show me what he ruined and Ill replace it."
Bed time rolled around quite fast after that.
Itachi found himself dressed in his pajamas and silently reading through a book, trying to get his mind off of the day.
He couldn't get his thoughts to stop. He couldn't stop the lingering images out of his head as he recalled all that happened.
He had gone to look for the kitten's mother, only to find dead bodies.
Itachi had found four dead kittens and the mangled form of a bigger cat that he was sure had to be the mother. He couldn't think what, or who could have done that to such small and frail creatures.
What harm had they caused for someone to so maliciously end their lives?
To think that the kitten in his care could have met the same fate, he could be dead…no, Itachi would never allow for that. If he ever found any harm coming to his kitten, he would destroy them. The small creature didn't deserve its life taken from him.
Cursing softly, he tried once more to concentrate on the words in front of him.
The kitten on the other hand, sat on the floor.
It was debating.
He looked from the bed Itachi had bought him and told him was his, to the bed where Itachi was currently distracted reading. He pawed at the pet bed, thinking it wasn't the same. Not as soft. He climbed in, turn around a few times before settling. Not as warm.
After a while he flipped again, trying to find that comfortable spot but failing to do so.
It wasn't the same.
He didn't want to get closer to Itachi. He needed to think of an escape plan for when the time was right…and yet his ears perked up at the sound of the page flipping. The sound reminded him of when his mother would call them over to her. She would take her time and lift one by one up, calling their name…
What was it that she had called him again…
Damn it! No, he didn't want to think of that right now. He didn't want to think of her or his siblings. He needed to get stronger. He needed to become independent and find his way in life. He couldn't linger in the past.
Getting to his feet, he grudgingly padded over to the bed. He easily jumped onto it.
He sat back, his tail tapping up and down as he looked at Itachi expectantly. The demon blinked, looked away from his book and towards the kitten. Itachi offered him a smile, his hand lifted and his fingers flicking to make a motion for him to come closer.
The small kitten first grew apprehensive, his little heart racing as he watched the hand. Gentle, he first thought, beckoning, was second. Itachi wasn't going to hurt him.
He easily got to his feet once more and trudged over to Itachi, jumping eagerly into his lap the second those fingers caressed a path down his spine. He sunk into the delicious warmth, breathing in Itachi as his fingers caressed and scratched over his back, between his ears, the base of his tail, and the best- his belly.
This was different.
Itachi wasn't his mom, it was nothing like her…this feeling…
He flipped over, purring loudly with abandon, encouraging those fingers to keep rubbing his belly.
Itachi dropped his book to the side.
His mind that had been in turmoil over his day was suddenly calm. His focus solely on the soft kitten on his lap looking up at him with bright red eyes, and Itachi felt challenged to scratch him more.
The tiny thing was a melty purring mess by the time Itachi decided it was bed time. "You're nothing but a mush of a kitten," Itachi gently said, slightly amused by the seemingly purr drunk kitten. The kitten easily allowed himself to be dragged into strong arms.
His purring a gentle rumble in the dark as he and Itachi fell asleep curled up together.