Categories > Original > Romance > Some Kind of Paradise

Chapter 3

by WaterLovingPyro 0 reviews

Waking up from a bad dream sucks... especially when it comes true...

Category: Romance - Rating: PG-13 - Genres: Romance - Published: 2011-03-23 - Updated: 2011-03-23 - 3135 words - Complete

0Unrated
Kansuke awoke with a start, back on the bridge roof, heart still pounding. Tears ran down his fur, and a few stray drops hung on his whiskers and shimmered in his eyes. What a horrible dream, he thought bitterly. Leaping down from the bridge, he made his way back to the dorms, obviously still plagued by his nightmare. It was nearing sundown, and Yumi would probably be flipping out and looking for him. Somehow, Kansuke could not bring himself to care.

He climbed onto the window and hopped into the room. Yumi wasn’t here. Might as well change. Kansuke shifted into a human, pulling on some shorts and the tank top from earlier. Just as he had yanked the yellow thing over his head, Yumi burst into the room, looking out of breath. Kansuke pretended not to be interested. “Be careful where you barge into. I was changing.”

Yumi scowled at the sarcastic catboy. “Musashimaru said he saw you come up when I last saw him.” Kansuke shrugged and brushed a clawed hand through his hair. Yumi began to lecture him. “Do you know how worried I’ve been? You’re allowed out all day, the least you could do is come home on time! Hey, are you even listening?!” Kansuke wasn’t. He was too preoccupied to care about idle chatter.

Yumi, as ignorant as she was, could even see something was on her cat’s mind. Her gaze softened, and she sat down beside Kansuke, looking him over with a worried glance. “What’s eating at you? You’ve really not been yourself lately.” Kansuke looked away and didn’t reply. Yumi sighed and turned his chin back to face her. “Hey. You’re my very best friend, Kansuke. You can tell me anything and it’ll be okay.” She smiled.

“Is that so…” Kansuke's voice was so low that Yumi did not catch what he had said. Kansuke shivered slightly. He flopped over so that his head and arms were in Yumi’s lap. If Yumi was surprised, then she didn’t show it. She ran a gentle hand through his long, thick white mane of hair. Kansuke closed his eyes and settled himself down. Five minutes later, a throaty, rumbling purr could be heard from Yumi’s dorm.

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When he woke up again, Kansuke found himself in the little cot that they had set up in Yumi’s room. Ah. Right. He wasn’t allowed to sleep in her bed as a human. He rolled off the bed and onto the carpeted floor. He stretched himself out, and yawned lazily before falling onto the floor, finding no reason to move. Just as soon as he had begun to doze off, Yumi swung the door open and banged it against the wall roughly. Kansuke started with a hiss.

“That’s what you get for lazing around, Kansuke.” The catboy in question hmphed and sat up. He looked messy in the morning; his hair and mane flipped the wrong way, clothes crumpled, and that stubborn, sleepy expression. Yumi would never tell him, but she loved the way he was so messed up in the morning and unaware of it. She thought it was adorable, just like how, when he was a cat, he always clung to you when you woke him up suddenly from a nap.

But, of course, his whining voice ruined it. “Yumi~! I’m huuuunngry~! Feed me something!” Now she knew exactly what he said as a cat when he begged for food. She tossed a pillow at his head.

“You’re a human now. Get your own food.” She grinned at his hurt expression. It was as if he had never heard of getting his own food. “There’s organic milk in our little fridge and a pulled pork sandwich for later. You might want to make yourself scarce by 2:00; I’m having a friend over.” Kansuke nodded and dragged himself sluggishly towards the fridge. Yumi waved goodbye to her cat, and then took off.

Kansuke wasted no time in draining the entire milk carton. He would definitely grow taller one day. He supposed it was okay, since he was only four years old. Now that he was a human, he had plenty of time to grow and live. His lifespan had been lengthened considerably. Kansuke opened the window to the dorm, letting a breeze blow in. He could appreciate the good weather today; he was somewhat complacent in himself.

He stuck his head out the window, his black hair absorbing the sun’s warmth. He closed his eyes and listened to the ruckus of the school campus, even on a Saturday. This was a wonderful school, and he would have enjoyed this life immensely, had he been any other cat. “Someone’s satisfied today.” Kansuke cracked one eye open at the sound of Hisui’s voice. The Siamese herself didn’t look too dreadfully unhappy; Kaiya must’ve been feeling extra loving yesterday.

“Yeah, I guess I am. I mean, I got Yumi to pat my head. While I was still human.” Hisui nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s certainly progress. At least some of us have it.” Kansuke smiled sympathetically, and scratched the Siamese behind her ears, earning him an honest purr.

Kansuke paused. “Hisui…can I tell you something?” Hisui nodded. Kansuke went on to tell her the entirety of his dream. Hisui’s eyes were wide by the end of his story.

“Kansuke, that’s awful! What a horrible thing to dream about…” Kansuke shrugged.

“The shock’s worn off now. I just hope that I never think of it again.” The catboy sighed. “You should go enjoy the day, Hisui. It’s pretty nice out, even I’ll admit it.”

“Yes. I’m going to take a walk with Sakura today. And Yamato, if he sees it fit.” She left after that, with Kansuke wishing her farewell. However, neither noticed the presence that had been listening during their entire conversation. The boy closed the book that he had been fake-reading.

So that’s how it is, Kansuke. Interesting.

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Kansuke took a huge bite out of the pulled pork sandwich. Oh gosh, Kotori could cook. Damn lucky bastard, Musashimaru was. Kansuke savored his food, but at the same time, it was like he was missing something. What had Yumi said this morning, again? He shrugged, not really giving it much thought.

He regretted it the second she stepped in the room.

Right. Bringing a friend over. But since when is he a friend, or even allowed over here at all? When Tsubame stepped from behind her, the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. Tension was heavy in the air. Kansuke’s eyes narrowed to slits, and Tsubame smiled dangerously. Yumi looked panicked, constantly glancing between the two boys. “U-Uhm…Kansuke-”

“-was just leaving,” the catboy finished for her. He stood up, stuffed the sandwich back in the fridge, and walked out the door. But not before brushing against Tsubame, whispering, “Touch her, and I’ll kill you.” He didn’t look back as he walked out of the dorm building.

“Wait.”

Kansuke stopped, wondering if Tsubame would pick a fight with him on the spot. Tsubame still wore that dangerous smile. “Come back around 5:00, would you? I have something that we need to discuss.” Kansuke grimaced. This was going to get ugly real fast. He didn’t reply to his enemy, but gave him a challenging glare.

At 5:00 (this is pure lazyness, plain and simple)

“H-Hey! Is this really necessary?” Tsubame and Kansuke were tensed about ten meters apart, staring each other down, while Yumi tried to act as peacemaker. “We can talk it out guys!”

“I’m afraid it’s past that point, Yumi,” Tsubame whispered quietly. “I let this go too far. I’m sorry; it’s all my fault. This should have happened a long time ago.” He glared at Kansuke. “We need to settle this dispute once and for all. Please don’t interrupt.” Kansuke grunted in agreement.

Once Tsubame had activated his mark, the fight began. Kansuke was fast; Tsubame was faster. Tsubame was strong; Kansuke was stronger. The two were evenly matched. Neither could strike a direct hit. After fifteen minutes, both just looked tired and bruised, maybe a little cut up here or there. That’s when the battle of the tongues began.

“You…you don’t seem to understand how impossible you feat is,” Tsubame panted. Kansuke, who was equally as tired growled, “You seem to have underestimated a cat’s heart, then. It is not impossible. My quest has greater meaning than yours. You, you could get anyone. You will find someone else eventually. For me, there is no one else as long as I live.”

Tsubame rolled his eyes. “Please. There are plenty of she-cats in the world that you could chase after. As a cat, you cannot possibly begin to understand the feeling of love. Even if you feel a pet’s devotion, it is not the real thing.”

Okay, now Kansuke was pissed. “No, you don’t understand. This is not a pet’s love for their owner; it is much more. I don’t think you could possibly get it, but its something I have never been surer about. And there is no she-cat. I can never have a partner of my own species again. I have tasted the world of the humans now. I cannot possibly force myself back into that life.”

The other boy smirked. “It’s kind of funny, really. We shouldn’t be fighting. I mean, even if you have your fake love, its not like she could ever feel the same way towards her pet cat.”

Kansuke didn’t really have a comeback. It was purely the truth that Tsubame spoke. Who would fall in love with an animal? Still… “I won’t give up,” Kansuke whispered. Yumi, who had been staring cluelessly at the two, finally got it. Oh, Kansuke…I never thought…

Kansuke looked up at Tsubame, tears in his eyes. “I know it’s hopeless. I know I’m hopeless. I know that Yumi will never love me the way I love her. I know. Hisui knew, too, about Kaiya. And she gave up. But I…I can’t give up. Yumi is…my everything. She’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning, the reason I’d fight the spirit beasts, the reason that I still live and breathe, literally.”

He wiped away his tears hastily. “I know, Tsubame, that you like her. You think that she’s cute or a klutz or whatever, but it’s you who doesn’t understand this feeling. You don’t know how it felt to watch her kiss you. You didn’t hear my screams, you didn’t see the blood. Granted, it was a dream, but the pain was real. I can’t live with the thought that she could belong to someone else. It’s always been us against the world.”

Kansuke gripped his chest. “That’s why…that’s why I won’t let you have her so easily. I don’t think that you’re the best thing for her. I know that I don’t have a hope in the world, but I musn’t lose hope, or it’ll be all over for me. I love her more than you could imagine. Even if its just a weak cat’s heart, its love is unending.”

Yumi covered her mouth, tears flowing from her eyes. All this time…all this time he had kept this all inside. And she hadn’t known. She sunk to the ground, shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Tsubame smiled. “I guess I can’t really top a confession like that. I’ll just have to leave it up to Yumi, then.” He sighed, and walked off to the boys’ dorms.

Kansuke’s face flushed when he saw Yumi crying on the ground. Crap. That better not have been my fault. He walked over to her nervously, not sure if she would throw something at him or not. He crouched beside her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Suddenly, she tackled him, knocking them both over.

Yumi buried her face into the catboy’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably. “I-I’m so sorry… I never…ever…considered you when I was thinking about Tsubame. I just…I thought you wouldn’t care one way or the other…I’m so, so sorry Kansuke…” Kansuke wrapped his arms around the girl’s middle, holding her close to him.

Due to all her blubbering, Kansuke ended up carrying her to their dorm. Neither spoke very much; it was more of an awkward silence. Tsubame and Kansuke had both posed the question, both had confessed. Now it was Yumi’s turn to answer. In any case, Kansuke was very satisfied with his confession. He had gotten a massive weight off his chest, so nothing could really upset him at the moment.

Both got changed into their pajamas, although all Kansuke really wore were boxers. Their usual routine, which had always been the norm, had now become somewhat awkward, as they both avoided touching each other, in fear of upsetting the other. Kansuke brushed his teeth last, while Yumi stared out the window from her bed. After he spit out the last of the foul-tasting stuff, Kansuke fumbled his way to his cot. Both beds were conveniently located by the window.

Moonlight filtered into the room, catching on Kansuke’s cat eyes and setting them aglow. Yumi caught herself staring deeper into them as the two friends sat roughly a foot apart. Kansuke knew that she was staring, but he didn’t want to kill the magic of the moment. Very shyly, he glanced over at Yumi, who blushed at getting caught. “Eh…eh…” She tripped over her words, never having been really good with them in the first place. “K-Kansuke…l-l-look here, I-I have s-s-something to say…”

Somehow she was glad that her cat knew more about her than she did, sometimes. Kansuke leaned over to Yumi, catching the side of her face with one hand. He pulled her very gently towards him, so that their foreheads touched. Yumi’s eyes had already fluttered closed so that she did not somehow make a fool of herself. Her heartbeat quickened with Kansuke’s as their noses brushed. Then their lips met, and it was all over.

Yumi was delicate; Kansuke was gentle, and so their kisses were not the rough, hormone-induced make out sessions that other couples had. It was like they were dancing; like they had spent months practicing the routine over and over so that both knew their partner’s next move. Their first kiss (more like first kisses) lacked the awkward inexperience that other beginning couples had. It was effortless to Kansuke, and Yumi’s euphoric expression told him that she felt the same.

When they broke apart, never pulling out of five inches range of the other, Yumi tugged on Kansuke’s arm, meaning that he should climb into her bed. Kansuke obliged, easily overcoming the backboard. Yumi wasted no time in curling into Kansuke’s arms. The two then fell onto their sides, snuggling together with the summer breeze blowing in through the window. Yumi yawned a little, noting that she really should sleep soon. However, Kansuke’s golden eyes were fully open, showing that he would not be sleeping any time soon.

Yumi buried her face into crevice formed by his neck and shoulder. She tangled her hands in his thick white mane, and fell asleep just like that. Kansuke stayed up longer; he was still wrapping his mind around the events of this evening. He had beaten Tsubame, and more importantly, he had won the heart of the girl he loved.

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Kotori’s voice in the morning was really irritating, Kansuke decided. Why had Yumi dragged him to this goddamned park, anyway? All he remembered was falling asleep with that wonderful girl in his arms, waking up to find her gone, crying out pathetically until she came in and shut him up with food, and then forcing clothes on him and dragging him to the goddamned park.

Ugh.

Great, now that they were dating or whatever, he gave into everything that she asked of him. Here Kansuke, try this poisonous cooking. Oh hey, Kansuke, try on this frilly maid thing, will you? Come here Kansuke, I’m cold. Well…he wasn’t about to complain about the last one. Why was the student council here again?

Right. Party.

Damn, but he would be here. Oh god help him if he started to hit on Yumi… Kansuke would rip out his spine and then feed it to him. Oh great, here comes trouble right now.

Tsubame was the last of the student council to arrive. The others plus Yumi and their cats had set up a little feast thing to celebrate the completion of their mission properly. The others had started in on the food, but Yumi, ever friendly, waved at Tsubame. “Hey Akiyuki-kun!”

Everyone heard in the next moment a low, fierce, and guttural growl resounding from none other than Kansuke, who, at that moment, looked very murderous. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Yumi’s waist, as if to say, back off. She’s all mine. Unfortunately, the rest of student council noticed the possessiveness that Kansuke displayed for his owner, a possessiveness that was a little too friendly.

“Interesting,” Shin murmured, while nearly everyone else’s jaws dropped. Kotori and Kaiya looked unbothered. Hisui’s eyes shone with pride. The others all were in complete shock, along with their cats. Tsubame smirked and held his hands up.

“Whoa there, tiger. I’ll leave you two alone. Especially if you’re going to kill me with your glare.” Kansuke did not let go of Yumi until Tsubame was safely at the other end of the table, at which point, Yumi smacked him in the face with the lid of the soup pot.

“Nice job being subtle,” she sighed while her catboy wailed about his head.

Still, even though she had her moments, Kansuke did not regret a single thing he had done, nor did he regret his feelings for her. He understood his dream better now. This was his Paradise. But if he was to live in the world of humans, he had to accept all of it, even the heartbreak that was included. Maybe it wasn’t heaven, but it was some crazy kind of Paradise. His Paradise.

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Aaaaaaandddddd...done.
5,197 words in total.

...now that I think about it, I really hate this.
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