Hello everyone! Sorry I took so long to update, or that this chapter might not be all that great, but I've been very busy. Luckily, this week is Spring Break so I'll be able to write another chapter this week! Yay for me!
He checked both ways twice, making sure there was no one to see him. With a small sigh of relief, Ryoma closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, glad that his dignity wouldn't be lowered anymore.
Vaguely, he felt his tail twitch and the smell of fish hit him. His eyes closed tighter and his face scrunched in determination. He wasn't going to go see where it was coming from, not at all, not any time soon-
Damn it!
Quickly he stepped out onto the street to face a little girl around eight staring at him with wide silver eyes, and long brown hair, fish sandwich hanging limply in her hands. His eye twitched. Who carried fish sandwiches around!
"Um, I'm not here…?" Ryoma offered lamely, cursing himself. Those cat genes were surely affecting his brain.
The little girl blinked her silver orbs. "Neko-chan," she whispered reaching a hand out to him. "So kawaii."
"Che," he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not a cat."
The little girl cocked her head and smirked. Smirked. "Not according to the ears and the tail," she told him raising an eyebrow. His eye twitched again. Did that little brat just say that? Who did she think she was?
"I'm not a cat. I just got these," Ryoma stressed the word, eyeing the sandwich. It smelled good…
Noticing his gaze, the little girl smirked further and held it up a bit. "Want this?" she asked teasingly. He narrowed his eyes, ears twitching. "Well then, spend the afternoon with me. I'll give it to you, and maybe more, if you do."
Ryoma glared at the girl. Bribery. She was good. How in the world did she know how to do these things? But the smell was too much, making his mouth water. "…fine."
The girl brightened and walked up to him, taking his hand. "My name's Aya. What's yours?" Aya asked, handing him the sandwich. He took a bite quickly and gave a sigh of happiness, golden eyes closing. "Ryoma."
Aya smiled at him and pulled him along. "Well Ryoma-chan, I think we're going to be great friends."
They ended up going to the park which was luckily deserted of people. Aya led him to the swings and Ryoma pulled his white Fila cap back on as a precaution. The younger child swung happily, brown hair flying as she did so. Ryoma watched, idly noting that if it were not for the silver eyes, and if her hair was in ponytails, she might look like that Ryuzaki girl.
"Ne, Ryoma-chan, how old are you?" Aya asked as she swung higher. Ryoma spared her a glance and took a bite out of the sandwich. "Fourteen."
"I'm eight, just so you know. Favorite color?"
"Don't have one."
"Okay, favorite season?"
"Don't have one."
"Favorite constellation?"
"Don't have one."
"Is that all you can answer?"
"…mada mada dane."
"You're so frustrating!" Aya stopped swinging and threw her hands up in the air. Ryoma shrugged indifferently. With a small glare, the girl crossed her arms over her chest. "Any hobbies?"
"…tennis."
"Really? You like to play? Are you any good?" she asked excitedly, jumping up and down in her seat. Again Ryoma shrugged. "Better than some."
"That always seemed like such fun. I wish I could play someday. Ryoma-chan, is playing tennis what makes you happy?" Curiously, Ryoma looked at her again; what kind of eight year old talks like this?
"Aa."
"That's good to hear. Being happy is important, and if you're not, then you should go get some happiness. It's free ya know. Are you happy being a kitty?"
"I'm not a cat!" Ryoma glared at the girl and she shrugged it off.
"Yes you are, and you're so cute! I bet all the girls just want to cuddle you right?" A twitch was starting to develop in his eye and a mischievous gleam appeared in the younger's eye.
"Do you like boys Ryoma-chan?" The question was asked so innocently, Ryoma's eyes just had to bug out. He turned to look at her; she was the picture of innocence. "I mean, I like boys, and some other people I know like boys. So do you?"
"They're alright," he offered shortly, not at all ready to accept the fact that he's having this conversation with a girl six years his junior.
Aya's brows furrowed. "No Ryoma-chan, I mean like like. It's not the same thing!"
He didn't answer, ears laying low below his cap. What kind of answer could he give? He never really cared for girls or boys, none ever catching his attention. Which wasn't really surprising, seeing as how the only things that did catch his attention were tennis and Karupin. But, there were some people who were worthy opponents. Buchou, Fuji-sempai, Monkey King (rarely, but there was that one time) were good players. But he didn't like them like that. He didn't like anyone like that. He just really didn't like people at all.
"AYA-CHAN!" A faint voice called from a distance and Aya looked up with a small frown. How was she supposed to get her answer now? "AYA-CHAN!"
Ryoma smirked, standing up and hiding his tail in his shirt. "Looks like your mother's looking for you." Now the little brat would stop with her questions.
Aya matched the look and stood up as well. "Kind of" was the vague response he got. He raised his eyebrow. "What do you-?"
"Ah, Aya-chan, there you are! And Ryoma-san too! Isn't this a surprise?" Nanako came running up to the two, panting harshly. She turned to Aya with a stern look. "Aya-chan, you shouldn't just run off like that! What if something had happened to you? Like getting kidnapped? Or tortured? Or tripped over a rock? Or-?" Wow, who knew his cousin could sound like Oishi so much?
Aya gave her a bright smile looking like the innocent eight year old she's supposed to be. "I'm sorry Nanako-san; I just saw Ryoma-chan and thought I'd get to know him. I didn't mean to worry you."
Nanako turned to Ryoma with a bright smile. "Thank you for taking care of her Ryoma-san. It's good that the two of you got to know each other."
There goes that twitch again. "What do you mean?"
Aya cocked her head to the side with wide innocent eyes. "I thought I told Ryoma-chan already?" she said with feigned surprise. Ryoma's ear twitched. "Tell me what?"
"I've adopted Aya-chan! She'll be living with us until I can get an apartment!" Nanako stated brightly, clapping her hands together.
It was quiet for a few seconds and Nanako looked at Ryoma's blank face worriedly. "Ryoma-san?"
Ryoma blinked a few times and then glared. "Nani!"
The little girl looked at him mischievously. "Don't worry Ryoma-chan, we'll get along wonderfully," Aya said with the barest hint of a smirk.
The rest of the evening was hell. Not only did he have to put up with his perverted father, but now some weird little eight year old who seemed to find his sexual preference interesting. They had had a big meal in order to celebrate the new addition to the family and throughout the whole thing he got whispered comments like:
"Ne, Ryoma-chan, you're really pretty. The boys must always try to talk to you huh?"
"Ryoma-chan, there was these two girls I saw when we were coming back. I think I heard them whispering that you'd be perfect for this guy they knew."
"Ryoma-chan, at my last foster home, one of the teenagers there said that a boy gave him a better blowjob than his last girlfriend did. Whatever that means. That's a good thing right?"
That last one had Ryoma choking on his food and an angelic Aya watching on as Nanako tried to help him. And that was only within the first hour.
Then, he had to put up with his stupid father, again. Somehow when he was going up to his room to do homework, his shirt must have lifted or something (more than likely having to do with the brat) because the man made him stop. Ryoma turned around curiously and his father walked around him, studying carefully. He had rolled his eyes when the older had started poking him. Suddenly he attacked: grabbing at his shirt and pulling it over his head with ease. Then he took the hat off with a smirk, leaving Ryoma in all his kitteny goodness.
Nanjiro stared at him for several uncomfortable (on Ryoma's part) moments. Then he burst out laughing, clutching his sides and falling to the floor. Boy wonder's face flushed and he ran to his room, locking the door behind him. There would be no living with him now…
He now lay in his bed, Karupin curled up at his side (Karupin wouldn't go near him at first. Ryoma spent twenty minutes trying to coax her out from under his bed) tired as hell.
Today had been a horrible day, even more so than his normal ones (as if you could call those normal). Ryoma let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes. Maybe when he woke up the next morning it would all turn out to be a bad dream. Karupin let out a small snort in her sleep. Ryoma sighed again. Great. Even Karupin knows how screwed he was.
Just freaking perfect.
Again, sorry this chapter wasn't so great. Ryoma seems so ooc doesn't he? At least I got to introduce Aya! She's my personal oc, though normally she's sixteen, not eight. But I thought that an eight year old would be better, and kind of unexpected. Her role will play out in later chapters. Hopefully I'll get that next chapter out this week!
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