Part 37

Randy didn't answer him. Instead the kat stared at him, eyes wide, a myriad of emotions flashing across the pale bruised face. Slowly as if moving on autopilot Randy pulled back from Hunter. Unsteadily he swung his legs over the edge of the bed forcing Hunter to move back. For a moment he sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers gripping the mattress as if that alone was holding him upright. Then carefully, as if moving too fast would hurt, he slowly lifted his head. Sliding his eyes over Hunter's concerned features, he noticed the way the big man was watching him, the almost tender adoration that was visible on Hunter's face scaring him slightly. But then a slight movement caused him to look beyond the man he had come to trust. It caused him to stare at the man standing a few feet behind his master – a man he didn't know. And a man he certainly didn't trust.

"Who's he?"

The rasped question confused the hell out of Hunter. Glancing back over his shouter assuming someone else had entered the room. He frowned when he saw no one except Shawn standing behind him. He stared at his former best friend wondering what Randy was meaning. It was only as he turned back to face the subdued kat that he realised Randy had yet to be introduced to Shawn. Despite the fact Shawn had been with them since leaving the competition Randy hadn't actually met him yet. With a faint smile Hunter chuckled, "That's Shawn, he helped us..."

"Shawn?" rumbled Randy, sounding as if he was testing the name to see if he liked it. After a moment his tail started to undulate on the bed. Hunter noticed too that his ears flattened against his head, a sign Randy was uncomfortable.

"Yeah," confirmed Hunter, "Shawn. I ran into him at the championship and he..."

"The man who hurt you?" rasped Randy, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Hunter gave a faint nod not quite sure what was happening.

There was a moment's silence then with his voice sounding dangerously like a low growl, Randy added, "The man who abandoned you after you gave him your love?"

Hunter didn't reply to that question. He was just watching Randy's hands, fascinated by the way the kats claws were catching on the sheet. He was so wrapped up in the tiny movement of the sharp claws he didn't realise Shawn had moved to closer. He didn't realised he had moved within striking distance. It was only when Randy shot past him and he heard Shawn give a yell of surprise that Hunter even realised Randy had moved. He glanced around horrified to see Shawn holding his cheek with Randy's paw raised to strike again. He grabbed Randy, pinning the kat's arms to his side, trying desperately not to hurt his injured neko as Randy fought to get free.

"You bastard!" roared Randy, desperate to get his hands on the man who had caused Hunter so much heartache, "How could you hurt him like that? How could you...he loved you and you threw him away!"

Shawn glared at the kat but he didn't reply. He pressed his hand to his cheek before wiping away the blood. Glancing at his red tinged fingers he stared at them before finally looking up and replying,"Because I was scared shitless about what loving him meant." He stepped closer, practically ignoring Hunter who was now struggling to contain the enraged neko, "I broke every rule, every belief I had ever held that night," he yelled getting into Randy's face, "I went from having a certainly about the world and life to having everything I had ever been taught, everything I had ever believed in being smashed apart by a single moment of pure and utter joy. Do you have any idea what it is to have your entire world shatter around you and not know what to do?"

"Yes!" hissed Randy straining against Hunter's grip, his nose brushing Shawn's as they stared each other down.

Shawn blinked in surprise, recoiling slightly as Randy repeated his hissed answer.

"I know," mewed Randy finally going limp in Hunter's arms, the fight draining away from him as the pain took over, "I know because every time he looks at me I almost believe...that..." his voice caught in his voice and as he bowed his head he confessed brokenly, "...that maybe this once I really do deserve to be loved."

Hunter felt Randy go limp in his arms. Without thinking and certainly not caring that his former best friend was staring at him, he carefully turned Randy around and wrapped his arms around the silently sobbing kat. Resting his face against the shorn head Hunter closed his eyes and whispered, "I've got you, Beautiful, I've got you."

For several minutes Randy just stood in the embrace, unmoving and unresponsive. Then slowly, as if moving in a dream, Randy dared to bring his hands up and rest them on Hunter's hips. When that move wasn't rejected, Randy slid his arms further around resting them lightly around Hunter's waist. When the only response was a tightening of Hunter's own embrace and a barely there kiss brushed against the base of his ear, Randy finally gave in, clinging to Hunter shaking as the emotional impact of the last day finally took its toll.

Hunter brushed soft lingering kisses keeping his eyes screwed shut. He knew if he opened them, tears would fall and he as damned if he was gong to cry. It was hard enough having Randy gently sobbing into his neck without him added more tears. Although if he was honest his tears would be tears of joy – joy that Randy wanted him. The kat may not have said those words but the way Randy was clinging to him, the very fact the kat felt comfortable enough to break down showed Hunter everything he needed to know.

A soft "Hunter" made him look up. Shawn was standing by the door looking decidedly uncomfortable. For a brief moment Hunter enjoyed the other man's disquiet but then realising he wasn't actually mad at Shawn any more he gave a faint smile and cocked an eyebrow.

"I ummm I..." stammered Shawn. A fact in itself that made Hunter chuckle, Shawn was never lost for words.

"Look I'll leave you two alone I... we..." he paused then holding his cowboy hat in one hand he slowly looked up and murmured, "I'm sorry. For everything I...maybe when this blows over we could..."

"Yeah," croaked Hunter finally taking pity on the stammering man, "Take care, Shawn." He held Shawn's gaze both of them knowing this was far from over but for the moment both willing to try and put the past behind them. "Maybe I can give you a call..." his voice faded into an uncertain cough as he felt Randy shift in his arms.

The smile that lit Shawn's face was enough to ease any misgiving Hunter may have had at getting reacquainted with the man who had all but destroyed him in the past. Setting his cowboy hat on his head Shawn nodded, then with one last lingering look – one that had Hunter frowning in confusing – he took his leave of them closing the door firmly behind him.

Making a mental note to himself to ask Shawn what that last look had meant, Hunter glanced down at the kat now resting in his embrace. Bending his head down he asked softly, "You okay beautiful?"

Randy shook his head.

"What's wrong?" asked Hunter the concern audible in his voice.

Randy mumbled something against his shoulder giving a half sniff

"Randy?" asked Hunter, "Beautiful, I can't hear you. What's wrong?"

"Embarrassed," snapped Randy irritably, "Feel pathetic, crying all the time it's..."

"Shhh," soothed Hunter rubbing his face against the shorn head, "Shhh. Nothing to be embarrassed about," he assured Randy rubbing comforting circle don his back. After a moment Randy eased away from him and string into the honey eyes he rasped, "But I...I keep doing it and I...I don't know why, I'm not weak and I shouldn't cry. I should be..."

"Randy you've been abducted, abused and beaten. You thought I'd left you and that I never wanted to be with you again. Baby," he chuckled fondly, "It's amazing you're still able to function at all. Two bouts of crying do not make you weak. They make you strong. Because it means you're getting over this, you're getting past what those bastards did to you and," he paused before brushing a kiss over Randy's forehead, "And it shows to me how much you trust me, the fact you feel you can break down in front of me.

Randy blinked at him and gave a very unmanly sniff before pulling away completely. He stare at Hunter then rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand he gruffed, "Well don't expect me to be this soft again."

"I promise," chuckled Hunter reaching out to caress Randy's ear, "I don't ever want to see you cry again. I mean it. I'll do whatever I can to make sure it never happens."

For a moment neither man moved then suddenly Hunter took a step back and Randy launched himself at him. Smashing his lips to Hunter's, Randy kissed him before breaking kiss to growl, "The answer is yes," he snarled his hand clutching Hunter's shoulders so tightly, his claws drew little nicks of blood, "If you really meant that question from before," panted Randy , "I want you. I want to be with you, to be your kat to be...I..."

Hunter silenced him with a softer kiss, taking away the embarrassment of the moment and replacing it was nothing but reassurance and tenderness. Breaking the kiss with a smile, Hunter chuckled, "Took you long enough to answer my question, KittyKat," He stroked Randy's tail catching the end and swirling his finger around the tip before letting it fall away. Despite the situation despite everything they had been through somehow everything felt okay.

Randy gave him a faint smile then swayed dangerously, a sudden and slightly alarming reminder as to the state of his actual physical health. Grabbing him Hunter carefully helped him back to bed neither of them noticing the blue eyes staring at them through the window in the door. Neither of them noticed the hand lingering on Hunter's image that was reflected in the tinted glass. And neither one of them heard the soft drawled, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for everything," fog up the glass for the briefest of moments before melting away and leaving no sign on the un-noticed observation.

X x x x x x x x x

"That was JR," called Hunter padding out onto the deck, pocketing his mobile, "He said Josh finally got released. He's finally at home. Davy's helping him get settled."

Randy was lounging on the swing seat his tail undulating around his legs. He looked up from his magazine and smiled, "Really?" he rumbled, "That's good. He was going mad having to stay in bed all that time.

Hunter nodded smiling indulgently at the look on Randy's face. Josh had been kept in hospital for over two weeks. The injury to his hand and leg had needed additional surgery and even then the doctors weren't sure if his hand would recover fully. They had been to visits him every other day. Randy had become increasingly fond of the small receptionist and it hadn't surprised Hunter at all to walk in one time and find Randy curled around Josh purring softly while the smaller man had stroked his tail.

Sinking into his large tub chair Hunter stretch out enjoying the later sun. He could hear Randy moving on the swing and it made him smile. In the time since Randy's discharge from hospital life had been good for them both. But he could sense something was bothering his silent neko. Cracking his eye open slightly he took a sip of beer and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Hunter?"

"Yeh?" replied Hunter caution. He knew that tone of voice. It was the tone Evan used on John whenever the little cat wanted something.

"I was thinking," rumbled Randy his voice thick with emotions, "See thing is I was ...I was hoping that maybe..."

"Damn it kat," growled Hunter fondly, "Spit it out!"

There was a moment's silence then Randy asked, "Can we have pool party?"

Hunter gave a spluttering little cough and sitting up he wiped the beer spittle from his chin and glancing across at Randy he chuckled, "Are you serious?"

Randy slowly sat up and nodded, "It struck me the other night that you and John never got to celebrate your victories and that's wrong," he shot Hunter a half nervous half embarrassed look before continuing stumbling over his words slightly, "And well with the news that Josh is now home that means he could attend as well and I thought that maybe we could use it as a way of saying thank you to Josh for what..." his voice caught in his throat and Hunter saw a ghost of emotions flash across Randy's face but after a second the look had gone and the neko continued, "Also I figured maybe if we invited Shawn then the two of you and John could, I don't know - move on?" he offered his tail flittering around nervously.

"Randy," asked Hunter sinking down to crouch in front of his stammering and blushing neko, "Are you asking me to host a party so we can all put the past behind us and make a start anew?"

Randy didn't answer at once. He just clawed the edge of the cushion, his claws disappearing into the plump fabric. Finally fearing for the safety of the cushion, Hunter caught Randy's paws in his ads and repeated the question.

"I though it could be a new start for everyone," murmured Randy finally looking up, "I thought maybe we could host it. Together? For our friends. Marking our fresh start...if you..."

Hunter felt his throat closing up. He had never in all his life felt so much overwhelming emotion, not even when Stephanie had said yes to marrying him. He reaching up and kissing Randy lightly on the lips he nodded agreeing softly, "Sure, we can host a party together."

The smile he got in return was worth everything he had been through in the last three moths and if he was honest he couldn't wait to see where the future took them.

FIN x