The Kitten

Part Four

Three days elapsed imperceptibly. But everyday Hanamichi didn't cease to be surprised. He never before saw Rukawa so open, expressive and regardful . Oh yes, the fox-eyed boy adored his new friend and pampered him all day long: he fed him, went for a walk with him, played with him . . .

'As if it is the absolutely two different persons', thought Hanamichi. 'Rukawa at school (the one he knew before) and Rukawa at home (whose nature was exposed to him in these three days)'.

As usual, in morning, Rukawa went on his daily basketball practice, leaving the kitten to sleep in his bed. When he came back he did a lunch for himself and the kitten. Hanamichi found out that Rukawa is a good cook . . . Then, after lunch they both went to the nearest park for a walk . . . And after that Rukawa played with little Tensai at home. He usually smiled silently, looking as the kitten hunts after a baseball all over the house. . .

Hanamichi lifted his eyes and looked at the dark-haired boy.

'I like this kitsune more than that morose, melancholic and taciturn bozo that I've known before. To open himself he only needed a friend. . . Hmm? Does it mean that he had no friends before?! Absolutely none? Oh!'

* * * * *

Rukawa lifted his eyes off a sport magazine he was reading, resting on the floor, and looked at the red kitten, who nestled next to him and was 'reading' the magazine too. And again, Rukawa marveled at amazing gumption of his little guest. The name 'Tensai' fit never better to the kitten.

Rukawa softly smiled, but his smile slightly darkened as he remembered that the kitten doesn't belong to him, that Tensai perhaps has the owners, who were looking for their pet at the moment. . . But still Rukawa enjoyed the presence of the little creature in his house that lightened up his lonely life.

The kitten lifted his head up and stared at the human questioningly.

"Meow?" he said.

"Meow," Rukawa replied.

He smiled again and, scratching the kitten behind his ears, turned over the page of the magazine and proceed to reading.

* * * * *

It was spring time. All around was thick with life. . . Flavor of the fresh foliage sweetened through air. . . Everything was colorful, bright, breezy. . . Everything save the one...Hanamichi cast a glance at the fox-eyed boy, who was sitting at the next desk, and shivered. To the classmates' and teacher's big surprise Rukawa was full awake and was staring through the window. . .

Last days he was more morose than always. He spoke to none. Not that he was talkative before, but now Rukawa even stopped to react to Hanamichi's insults, which the redhead thought were an usual attribute of his relationship with the dark-haired kitsune.

Yeah, Rukawa was glum. It seems like a dark aura radiated off him and it kept everyone on the distance and disinclined to speak to the fox-eyed boy. . .

Hanamichi frowned. He suspected that he knows what the reason of his enemy's cheerless mood is. He suspected because this state of mind possessed Rukawa after the red kitten was gone.

Some days ago, at night, after three days term that had been given Hanamichi by Miamoor, the red kitten jumped off the bed, where he was sleeping next to the human, and get out through the window. He rushed into the park where he found the queen of black cats, and she redeemed his human form to him. . .

Hanamichi was happy, if only there was no obtrusive sense of guilt toward Rukawa.

Rukawa closed himself to the world and lost an interest to everything except basketball. The Kitsune very missed the kitten, but only Hanamichi knew it. . .

After school and basketball practice Hanamichi walked along the street. All around was smelling by spring. But the redhead's mind was far from admiring by its beauty. His thoughts returned toward one famous dark-haired kitsune. . . Cheerful, smiling, communicative. . . And now, morose, pensive, unconversable. . .

Certainly, Hanamichi liked that side of Rukawa that he become acquainted with, being the red kitten. He grudgingly admitted that it was fun to live as a kitten in Rukawa's house. Kitsune could be very good host. . .

Yeah, it was fun. . . Hanamichi blushed, remembering. Who would knew that that damned kitsune liked to dance almost as much as he liked basketball? Rukawa could dance to any music: slow waltz or live techno-dance rhythms. And he was the very knowing and excellent dancer! But to the big Hanamichi's embarrassment, frequently, Rukawa's dance partner in slow dances appeared to be the red kitten - Tensai. Pressing the red pet to his chest, Rukawa gracefully twirled all over the room . . .

But the most embarrassing were the moments when Rukawa undressed for a shower. And if there played a music in the room, then an usual disrobing turned into extempore striptease. The motions of the dark-haired boy were flowing and sensual. His body radiated pure sexiness. . .

If Hanamichi wasn't in a cat's form at the time then he had fainted from the loss of blood through a nosebleed. Even now, the memory of that beautiful sensual body brought a blush on Hanamichi's cheek. . .

Yeah. It was fun to be Rukawa's kitten. . .

Red kitten. . . Red kitten . . ?

Hanamichi blinked surprisingly. His eyes set on a little red kitten that was sleeping behind a pet-shop window. Red from the tip of its tail to its ears, the kitten about half-year old was cozily lying on the windowsill, sleeping in the beams of the evening sun.

Hanamichi mused for a minute and then a bright smile lightened up on his face.

"Ore wa Tensai!" exclaimed he and strode unhesitatingly into the shop.

To be continued...

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