A Home of Our Own

A Home of Our Own

Summary: Kimi ga Iru AU. Neko fic Nya nya
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did…*begins to laugh evilly*
Warning:
Author’s Note: Mamoru and Usagi...please tell me you saw that last chapter. In anycase...Otogi, Noa Mokuba...thinking of an idea for a Yami/Ryou piece since someone really wants that...and uh...let’s see...maybe next chapter we’ll catch up with Jou and Shizuka.

Listening

Otogi watched, skeptical about the whole arrangement. He had no idea how to do half of the shit he wanted them to do and was leery about fire and hoops and...the costume.

Mana held up the top hat. “It’s cute! It’s a magical hat! And then we put you in this box and pretend to saw you in half and -.”

Otogi’s ears flattened and he hissed. “No. Fucking. Way.”

Mahado gave a gracious smile. “Mana, won’t you leave us alone for a bit?”

The girl skipped out, chirping that it was an hour till the show. Otogi grew uncomfortable under Mahado’s gaze, the blue eyes making him squirm.

“Otogi, right?”

The Neko nodded feeling very young and very small.

“You do this and you’ll have a bit of money. Do well and you’ll have a large bit of money. You can buy food and have things. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Otogi looked at the man through his bangs. “Well yeah but...”

“I can cut most of the dangerous stuff, but don’t you understand? It’s all about you. You’re the star here.”

“But I don’t know how to do that stuff and...I don’t want to wear a top hat...or that stupid mask.”

“And you don’t have to!” Mahado tossed the stuff away into the trash. “You can...wear whatever you want!” He gestured to a huge rack of clothing. “Most of this stuff is mine, but I’m sure it’ll fit just fine and once you get all showered it’ll be great! So...you jump through a few hoops...and you can have some Neko chow. How about it?”

The Neko’s tail wriggled. “...Are there gonna be like a lot of people out there?”

“Sure. This is the Entertainment district. Don’t you want to be famous Kid?”

Otogi stared at the floor. “Money huh?”

“Yeah. Mana’s just there for props and getting whistles. She’s the Dark Magician’s girl. That’s all.”

Otogi looked at the man and stood up. “I guess...”

Mahado gave a smile. “Then welcome to my world. The showers over there, please be quick we go on too soon.”

****

Noa purred loudly as Mokuba smoothed his hands up and down the Kitten’s bare back. “Getting sleepy?” the boy teased.

Noa shook his head briefly, his tail wrapped around the other boy’s wrist. Lately, Mokuba had been doing this, on doctor’s orders, to help calm the kitten down. After his incident at the school, Noa had been taken in to see a Neko Psycologist. They decided not to give him medication and instead ordered more socialization and attention for the Kitten.

Not that he minded.

He gripped the sheets and sat up, turning and hugging Mokuba, both of them falling back on the bed. He started licking his face and purring, the other boy starting to laugh.

“Noa! Lay off! I’m clean!”

The Kitten nuzzled him and ceased, resting his face in the crook of his neck, continuing to purr. Mokuba laid there happy, staring at the ceiling while Noa lay on him.

“At this rate, I’m sure you’ll do just fine when the other Neko’s get here.” He rubbed Noa’s back again, turning pink when he realized he was having what the school counselors called a “hormonal reaction to proximity”.

“Noa?”

“Nya?” the boy asked softly.

“Could you um...move a bit? Lay by my side?”

Noa shook his head and did move, but in all the wrong ways. He moved right against Mokuba’s growing erection, making the boy cry out.

“Ah...”

He felt Noa licking him again and only got more red faced when he realized that was causing. “Noa please?”

“Mmmr...” the boy purred in his ear, hugging his tighter.

Mokuba ran his hands over Noa’s back and reached for his tail, running it through his hand. “Pretty, you’ve got to get up.”

Noa sat up, confused. “I had a bath today? Am I heavy?”

“Um...no...” Mokuba sat up too, only to realize now that Noa was straddling his lap and pouting at him.

“Noa...I just think ah...that we should go play...in the um...game room! How about that?”

The Kitten shook his head. “I want to lay down more.” He hugged Mokuba again, shimming closer to him, rubbing right against Mokuba in all the right wrong ways. He let out another sigh.

“Un...’kay...”

He felt Noa running his claws in his hair, looking for fleas maybe and sat there with him, realizing his hands were drifting lower and lower until he was just holding the Kitten’s rear.

Oh god...I’ve turned into Seto...how can I stop this -Ah! He’s moving again!

Noa bounced off his lap and ran for the shelf, getting a book and running back to Mokuba. He sat on the boy’s lap again and opened the book between them.

“Say! I’ll read us a story!”

“That’s great Noa.” he murmured, face pink, boxers now impossibly tight. “I think I -.”

“Master...your nose is bleeding.”

Mokuba covered his nose and gentle pushed Noa away, running for the bathroom. Noa sat and read his book, not realizing that his Master was gone so long.

When Mokuba finally came back from the bathroom, Noa had read three beginner books and was now batting yarn between his hands on the bed. He perked up when he saw the boy.

“Mas -Mokuba! I read three!”

“Very good!” Mokuba rubbed the back of his head and briefly wondered if he should go see his own psycologist.

****

The remote was broken.

What was a kitten to do?

It hadn’t been Yugi’s fault. He hada whole speech prepared for anyone who asked. It just so happened when he stubbed his toe on the coffee table things had gone flying around and the remote hit the wall. And the floor. Then the wall again. And while Yugi had initially laughed (because it was pretty damn funny in light of his toe pain) now he couldn’t get the damn tv on! Sure, he COULD go up there and turn it on, but who and the hell did that? He wasn’t a cave man! No! He was a Neko on a mission. A mission...to watch trashy reality tv. With Neko’s in it.

The Kitten sat on the couch, his tail doing angry loop-de-loops while he thought thoughts at the tv, thinking he could make it come on. He rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut and sure enough, something happened.

The damn tv exploded.

“Nooooooooo!” the Kitten wailed, collapsing to the floor and rolling around his hands fisted in his hair. “WHYYYYYYYYY!”

And that’s when he heard laughter. He rolled over on his stomach and looked up to see Marik cracking up, gripping the banister while he clutched his stomach. The Neko continued to laugh even as Yugi pouted, the Golden losing his grip and falling over the banister. Instead of being hurt, Marik just kept laughing, causing Yugi to snort and that got them both going.

After a while, Marik recovered, clutching his stomach and wiping his eyes. “Damn Yugi...you fucked your tv up!”

Yugi smiled, giggling still. “It’s not my fault. Why don’t you ever use the door?”

Marik shrugged and ran his hands in his hair. “Mmm...sorry for ditching ya earlier. You had dinner and all and I figured I’d go home and...be a nuisance.” The Neko looked at the smoking tv and shook his head. “Damn Yugi...you fucked you tv up.”

The Kitten scratched his head. “I know...I was trying to turn it on...”

“You should have used the remote.”

Yugi pointed to the former remote in the corner. It looked like a truck hit it. There were pieces everywhere.

“...Why didn’t you just get up and turn it on?”

“I wanted to sit on the couch.”

“...Yugi...you’re so lazy.”

The boy shrugged and Marik hoisted him up, looking in his face. “So, you want a new tv?”

“I guess....” he let out a small “oof!” when Marik sat the on the couch, the tri-color straddling the other’s lap. Marik sat there, idly scratching Yugi’s back.

“What’d Yami make you eat?”

“Spaghetti. And there was bread. He made me wash the dishes cause his little friend showed up early!”

“The nerve of him!” Marik smirked. “You get a look at this guy?”

“No...” Yugi put on his thinking face and rubbed his chin. “But I’ll bet he’s some sort of...stray.”

“How’d you think of that?”

Yugi poked Marik’s nose. “He smells like street and...alley ways...bet he eats like...those cartoon fishes with the heads and tails only and has like a trash lid for a tray and stuff -.” Yugi gasped. “Oh my god! Yami’s dating Top Cat!”

They looked at each other and Yugi smiled cutely. “It’s a good guess right?”

Marik just shook his head and laughed into Yugi’s shoulder. “It’s not!”

“Or maybe Tom from Tom and Jerry or ah...like um...the cat from Kiki’s Delivery service or Salem from that American show about teen witches!”

They looked at each other again and Yugi winked. “Or maybe he’s dating a homeless man!”

And Marik lost it. He just kept laughing and laughing, Yugi grinning as Marik kept trying to stop himself but starting again everytime he looked into Yugi’s pleasant exppression. There was no way the Kitten was serious. No way!

****

Otogi’s tail was singed and he didn’t like having the whip cracked at him. He wasn’t a tiger and he wasn’t a damn acrobat but the audience kept clapping so he pulled down the short leather top and jumped for it, tumbling neatly when he came out of the other side. Those hoops were hot as hell.

He stood up and posed, holding his hands out to the “Dark Magician”. He would have said Mahado looked ridiculous, but he didn’t. He looked suave in that tailored suit and the tall staff seemed to add mystique to him instead of hilarity.

More people clapped and Mana came out in some blue and pink affair to take the stage with the hoops away. The curtains closed and Otogi went over to Mahado who winked at him.

“You did very well! Now, bow when the curtain opens!”

Mana joined them and when the curtain opened they all bowed.

Mahado spoke to the crowd. “I want to thank you all for coming! We’ll be having another show at ten on Friday! Try the fish we’ll be here all week!”

They clapped and Mahado tugged Otogi forward. “And let’s give it up for my new assistant Otogi! Speak up boy!”

Otogi froze and did what came naturally.

“Nya?”

The women “Awwwed” and the men chuckled and the audience began to leave, various people coming up to get autographs and what not. Otogi stood there and let the kids pet his tail and old women mutter about how they had Nekos or cats just like him at home and gave him stale kitty treats. He smiled good naturedly through it all, relieved when Mahado led him off stage.

When they made it back to the trailer, Mana was already in her normal clothes and getting ready to leave. She kissed Mahado on the cheek and waved good bye, telling the man she’d be in tomorrow.

Mahado closed the door and sat in a chair at the vanity, giving a sigh. In the silence that followed, Otogi watched the man undress and get into civilian clothes that were oddly enough, still very classy. He finally noticed Otogi just standing around and looked the boy over.

“You can keep those if you’d like. I don’t get paid till the end of the week so...you can come back then or stay till then.”

Otogi’s ears flattened. It was going to be a long way home and back. “Oh...”

Mahado looked at him sympathetically. “You’re a street Neko aren’t you?”

“Yes...but I have a place. I don’t need your sympathy! And besides, I’m sure that Mamoru of yours will be back anyway. I been hearing about him all night. Mamoru could do this, Mamoru could do that. Well, where is he?”

Mahado turned away. “He moved on. A scout picked him up. Neko talent scout.”

“Well...if he was your Neko, why’d you let him go?”

The man toyed with a nearby black top hat and eye mask. “It wasn’t like that.”

Otogi quickly guessed how it was and sighed. “So he got another boyfriend and picked up and left?”

“He was never comfortable being with a Human anyhow.” He looked over his shoulder. “You can stay in the trailer, there’s a bed back there. Sorry if it smells like him. He spent a lot of time here...near the end.”

Otogi flicked his tail and looked towards the end of the trailer. “Maybe...”

Mahado stopped messing with the costume and sighed. “I have to lock up, so please, decide now. I have to get back to my apartment.”

Otogi went for the door and hopped out, throwing his arms out. “Ta da!” He whispered to himself.

Mahado locked up and gave Otogi a few strokes then headed to his car, leaving the Neko in the alley. The boy watched him drive off and shrugged, moving on. It wouldn’t take him so long to get home if he ran.

****

Ryou stood on top of a nearby building watching the empty “school”. It was so different without all the people in it. Someone shoved his shoulders a bit, catching him and he purred when they hugged him.

“Hi Big Brother.”

“What are you doing out here...” Bakura nuzzled his neck.

“Watching the school again.”

“No one’s in it. Come on home. I was wondering where you’d gotten off to. You weren’t playing in those fields near the den so I had to come out here chasing your scent.”

Ryou just watched the school, purring more when he felt his brother’s kisses on his shoulder. “Brother...will I get to go to a place like this?”

“If you want to.”

“...they all look like they’re having fun all the time...even sitting in those chairs a long time looks fun.”

Bakura sighed and watched with his brother. He’d gotten all he needed about Kaiba and his trial...now all he had to do was pack them up and go over there...

Akefia said to protect him...I hope this is right.

“Time to go home...come on Ryou.”

Bakura withdrew, tugging the younger Alabaster with him.

****

Yugi clapped enthusiastically when Marik waddled in with a new tv in his arms. He figured he could score more points by going to get Yugi a new tv on the pronto instead of waiting. When he set it down he leaned back, stretching, grinning like a fool when Yugi hugged him around he neck.

“Yay!”

“Yeah. Now shoo. Lemme hook it up! And watch the psychic stuff, this thing cost me big time!”

Yugi went back to sit on the couch and watched Marik open the box. He squeed when he got packing peanuts thrown at him and bit into the Styrofoam when his was tossed his way. He caught the new remote and flipped through the instructions, happy to see that Marik didn’t need them.

“Marik...”

“Hn?” he said from behind the tv.

“Do you have lots of money?”

“Yeah sure.”

“Why?”

“I save it. I’m a greedy hog, now throw me that manual.”

Yugi did and drew his feet up on the couch, hugging his knees. “Want to hear about school?”

The manual flew over the back of the tv and Marik grunted, shifting the tv again. “Yeah sure.”

And Yugi smiled, beginning with the morning.


When Yugi was done telling Marik everything he was on the youth’s lap watching Neko Swap and sipping hot chocolate. He took a breath and looked at Marik.

“And that’s what happened today!”

The Golden smiled. He figured Yugi had been waiting to tell someone all day. He ran his fingers through the boy’s hair and listened to him purr. He liked listening to Yugi the way he’d like listening to Malik when he was younger. Everything was new and exciting. Disappointing things weren’t disappointing for long and tomorrow was always going to be better. He’d loved that and somewhere along the way Malik had gotten vague, vain, catty, depressed, meandering -Malik had grown up away from him. He looked at Yugi shouting that the other family shouldn’t make the guest Neko clean their house and smiled.

Yugi never would.

He nuzzled under Yugi’s chin and the boy laughed softly, looking at him through his lashes a bit then kissing him on the mouth. He leaned his head on Marik’s shoulder and purred more.

The Kitten kept purring while he watched tv happy that someone wanted to listen to him and someone wanted to do things for him and spoil him. He’d thought no one would ever care especially now that Yami had someone to take care of him and Grandpa was away at...camp.

He sat up a bit. “Oh no.”

“What?” Marik rumbled in his ear.

“I forgot to do my homework...”

“Bah!” Marik tossed his head back. “Bah!”

Yugi got up and shook his tail out. “Aw man....it’s late too...” Yugi tapped his chin. “Maybe I can get Yami’s homeless boyfriend to do it...”

Marik cracked up and Yugi smiled, satisfied. “Nah, I’ll do it.” He ran over to the stairs and skipped up them, not bothering to see if Marik would follow.

****

It was daytime. And that...was wrong.

Or at least Honda thought it was. His body said night but it was clearly daytime outside and what the hell was he doing in this kennel?

The guard dogs around him howled as they heard people come and go...so Honda did the same. He was a little hungry and his nose was sore where Pegasus had hit him with a newpaper for peeing on the jet wheel, but other than that...everything was fine.

Except he was in a kennel surrounded by other dogs. He had his own cage and all...he’d just gotten this weird impression that he’d get to sleep in a bed and stuff every night...

Honda stretched out on the floor mat that was there and stared at the wall, counting the cracks. It was a little better than home....

****

* I ended there because I looked at it and decided eh....it doesn’t need anymore right now.
*Advice opinions please! Should I break this whole 30+ chapter thing off as a part one and start a fresh story as a part two still continuing where I left off and all? I’m just really concerned about Chapter length and how new readers will pale at the 30+ chapter length. I mean, I know sometimes when I see a 20+ story I’m a little reluctant to start reading unless I’m instantly hooked...so...lemme know
*Schwarzwald is going to work on stuff now.....