A Home of Our Own

To new readers of my fics, I hate to say this, but you actually have to read ALL my other fics to understand anything. Seriously. I’m trying to save you the trouble of being confused so here’s the order: Kimi ga Iru, You Can Do That, Tegami, With You, Heart of Gold, White Sweethearts, Flyte Time, and Summer Time Magic which does a brief cross over with Still

Protect


He ran along the wall, tail flying out behind him in a straight line. He leapt from column to column, clinging and slipping, dodging bullets left and right. As he scrambled over fence after fence, a golden treasure in his teeth. He knew the toy would please his little brothers immensely and scaled another building wall without care. The shouts and flashlights were now far away. He could work on getting home.

He’d known it was going to be big trouble stealing from up town, but who gave a damn? Where was the challenge in safe targets when all the money was in stealing from the rich?

His ears twitched alabaster in the half moon light and he somersaulted off a roof, slowling his fall on gutters, railing and the side of the building itself.

It was good exercise for the claws.

He landed on a wet alley street and sniffed the air carefully. Yeah, he was home. This was his turf.

Akefia ran this and he ran it with an Iron paw.

As one of the many stray EFCs*, known as Nekos commonly, on Domino streets, he didn’t have time to go begging and mewling at the feet of some human. It wasn’t for him. He had two brothers to feed. It may not have been his fault that humans made experiments they couldn’t control, but it would be his fault if he allowed his kin to die.

He hopped up on a fire escaped and climbed quickly, his red cloak flapping in the alley breeze and walked across another roof, the golden ring still carefully between his teeth. He went down the other side, cloaked in shadows and ran a quick hand through his white ruffled spikes, then grabbed the ring from his hands, his mouth open in a soundless pants as he padded down the alley. He didn’t have enough for shoes, he’d used that money for his brothers. Besides, he didn’t need them.

He paused for a moment, tail twitching back and forth as he listened.

There were a few rushes of sound and scent, telling him who had been here while he was gone. Just a few normal cats and the rare raccoon.

Relieved at the final check, he took the familiar ways that would lead him to the den. He soon came to an abandoned building, taking the back way and going over grates and moving boards, reached a dark room where a mattress lay on the floor.

There was a pile of blankets on it and as he replaced the “door”, the blankets began to move and soon enough, a fluffy head poked out. Akefia crept over, smiling, the toy behind his back. He crouched and waited.

Blinking tiredly, reddish-brown eyes clouded with sleep gazed around the room, shrugging off the covers. He yawned, now visible white ears perking up as he rubbed his eyes and saw who was there.

Leaping off the mattress and shuffling to a retreating Akefia, the boy’s tail swayed lazily in the darkness, lines of moonlight highlighting the bed.

“'Kefia?”

The creature held up a clawed finger, gold cuffs sparkling. “Not so loud. Come, I’ll show you.”

The boy followed him until they were on a low couch. He crawled in the elder’s lap and was immediately licked on the cheek, ears, neck, and face. The boy gave a mewl, protesting and tried to squirm away but was held fast.

“’Kefia!” the boy whined. “Stop!”

“Your hair is all spiked and you haven’t had your bath!” He ran his claws through the boy’s hair and listened to him purr. “Sleep well?”

The boy nuzzled him, his tail curling around the other’s wrist, and batting at a lock of hair. “Ryou started crying. Again.”

“He misses Mother. He is young Bakura…Younger than you. He didn’t even have time to wean. It isn’t his fault.”

Bakura sniffed and relaxed, batting more lazily. “So? He’s a weak baby!”

Akefia held his brother, rocking the kitten as he purred. “You’re still a baby. If anything happens me, you’ll be his protector.”

“Nya…” Bakura grinned, snuggling closer. “You’re the King! The King of Thieves! Nothing’s gonna happen!”

The older boy took out the item and dangled it in front of Bakura’s face.

“For you and Ryou!”

Quick pale paws snatched the item, playing at the golden triangular dangles. “So shiny! What’s this eye thingie in the middle?”

“I don’t know…” Akefia purred, his tanned skin contrasting with his little brother’s pale complexion. “Let’s go to bed.”

Bakura whined again, not really struggling as he was carried back to the bed. He set the boy down and lifted the covers, stretching out beside the boys, cuddling a sound asleep Ryou. The kitten was a picture of innocence.

Still quite chubby from baby fat, he was only two and a half months old by EFC standars, three by human standards. His ears were folded, ivory and small and he cradled his tail like a stuffed animal, thumb pushed in mouth. Akefia couldn’t wait till the boy was older and his aging normalized to that of a humans. Around six months, he’d age like any normal little boy and they could hold his first birthday.

Bakura yawned, his milk teeth showing.

He’s lost a tooth… he grinned as Bakura began sucking the end of his tail. And he’s only seven…

He leaned over and licked on of Ryou’s folded ears and continued to groom the boy as he slept, running a clawed finger along the toddler’s plump belly. He stroked Bakura’s hair.

All he had were his brothers. After his father was taken in by human EFC control and his mother was ran down by a car, he’d taken it upon himself to ensure his brothers survived. Back then, Ryou hadn’t even been out of diapers and Bakura had no idea what was going on.

I’ll protect you as long as I can…


****Flash Forward Three years****


“Bakura…when’s he coming back? I’m hungry…” a whine came.

Bakura scowled at his little brother, the picture of ten year old anger. “Shut up Ryou! Damn!”

The five year old covered his mouth and his ears flattened. “…you’re cursing…I’m gonna tell ‘Kefia…”

“Shut up!” the young Neko had been pacing back and forth anxiously, awaiting his elder brother. The youth had been gone for two days now and he was growing worried. He’s just kept telling Ryou that Akefia had come and gone when he slept, but he could tell that wasn’t going to work any longer.

He felt a tug at his sleeve and looked down. Ryou was gazing at him with large chocolate colored, his mouth trembling.

“’Kura…”

“What?”

The boy rubbed away his tears. “It was an accident, I didn’t mean to…”

“What?” that’s when his nostrils picked up the scent of urine coming off of Ryou. He saw it pooling on the floor and cursed himself silently. He should have been paying better attention.

“Damn it Ryou! Big boys know where the bathroom is…”

The boy started crying louder and sobbing something about being scared to go alone and the older boy rolled his eyes, going to get the kitten fresh clothes.

When Ryou was dry, he licked the boy’s tears away and took the golden ring off his neck and onto his brothers. “Here, you can play with the ring if you’re quiet.”

The boy nodded, one of his ears still folded in infancy. Bakura licked that one, happy that his brother was purring again.

Soon enough the boy was dozing and Bakura would have too if Akefia hadn’t come stumbling into the den, bleeding from a dozen wounds.

“Bakura!” the growled, blood on his teeth. “Bakura…” he fell to his knees and the boy ran to him, crying out in alarm.

“Brother!?”

“Get out! They’re coming! They’re coming!”

Bakura’s eyes went wide. “Who’s coming? Why? Come with us! I don’t know what to do!”

Ryou stood nearby, already crying again. Akefia put his hands on Bakura’s shoulders and stared in his eyes.

“Little brother, I’ve done many things. Many bad things. They’re coming for me, the EFC soldiers –” He sputtered, spitting blood away from the boy. “To the labs, to die, I dunno, but you’ve got to –”

They heard Ryou scream as a window broke and a canister hit the floor, spewing gas. Akefia scrambled, got the canister and threw it out again, grabbing up Ryou and dragging Bakura with his tail.

“You’ve got to run!”

“Where!” the ten year old cried, his face a mess of tears and confusion. “Come with us! Akefia!”

The twenty year old gave a strangled yelp as bullet came through the stairwell and through his leg. He stumbled, Ryou flying from him.

“AKEFIA!” Bakura screamed. He tried to go to the boy but was roughly pushed away.

“RUN DAMN IT! RUN!”

Canisters of gas came through the window and Bakura ran to Ryou, picking up the boy and running. Ryou watched the horror unfold as Akefia took out his lighter and tossed it at the gas.

“They won’t get me alive…” he saw the Neko mouth, turning to smile at his youngest brother as the flames exploded, blocking him from view.

Ryou’s eyes widened and he clung to his brother harder, still watching the flames and his brother as bullets continued to soar inside.

He gave one forlorn cry and blacked out.


He felt coolness leaking against his lips and sputtered, opening his eyes. It was dark here.

“B-bakura?”

The other boy leaned over him, tears tracks on his dirty face. “What?”

Ryou swallowed and felt a sob coil in his chest. “A-akefia…-Ah!”

Bakura smacked his brother across the face, then hugged him close, tears evident in his voice. “Akefia…our brother is dead. He’s dead Ryou. Those filthy humans killed him.”

Ryou cried again and Bakura let him. “He’s gone. He’s gone.”

He looked around, picking this sewer may not have been the best choice, but Akefia had always told him there was a place down here they could stay…

All he had to do now was find it.

Ryou pulled back from him, wiping his eyes. “I’m hungry!” he mewled.

“Then I’ll find us food.”

The boy got quiet. “What if I have an accident?”

Bakura looked at him hard. “There will be no more accidents. Do you hear me?”

“Yes Bakura…”

The boy stood up and pulled Ryou with him. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just shut up and do as I say!”

Ryou nodded dumbly and latched onto his brother’s tail, drawing closer as he saw a nasty looking rat jump into the water. Bakura reached back and pulled Ryou closer to him.

“I’ll protect you from now on.”

“kay…”

And I will, no matter what…


****Flash Forward Eleven Years****

Ryou woke up, blocking his eyes from the strong sunlight coming through the grates high above their home.

That was…eleven years ago…Akefia…big brother

He gave a meow and flicked his ears, listening.

Nothing but echoes. He gave it again and this time was answered.

“What?”

The white haired boy’s ears went back and he looked down, grabbing his pants. “I thought you’d left me…”

“I’d never leave you. If I’d wanted to I could have left you here ten and a half years ago…” the elder Neko was squatting over a meager fire, cutting up what looked to be healthy cuts of meat.

“Thank you Brother.”

“For what?” the gruffed, laying the pieces on the small grill.

“For not…leaving me.”

“Shut up Ryou.”

“yes Bakura…”

They sat in silence for sometime, Bakura turning to watch his brother and their breakfast, his characteristic scowl deepening to an all out frown.

“Stop staring at the ceiling!” he barked. “No! What ever it is!”

Ryou’s ears drooped and he held his tail. “I just wanted to…go outside today…”

“No. The last time I let you you ran off into the park!”

“I…I just want to play –”

“PLAY!?”

Ryou flinched at the roar, whimpering.

“You’re not a god damned kitten anymore! When are you going to start contributing!” Bakura was on his them, cuffing him and beating him. Ryou curled into a ball and bit his lip against the tears.

He was used to it. While Bakura was never kind, he protected him, kept him fed and out of danger. He should have known better than to ask to go out and play.

Bakura shoved him away and stalked back over to the fire. “You’re so worthless…”

Ryou uncurled and began to wash away the blood with his tongue, doing his best to hide his oncoming tears.

“Pathetic…”

“I-I’m s-s-sorry I’m sorry. I’ll never ask ag-again…”

Bakura took the done meat and shoved it at his brother. “Damn straight. Now eat up! Some of us actually work around here...if you leave the den, stay underground! I’ll know if you didn’t!”

Ryou began tearing at his meat ravenously. They hadn’t had anything to eat in three days. His brother was good, but they didn’t get so lucky all the time.

“Slow down.”

“Yes brother!” he said hurriedly, not slowing down in the slightest.

Bakura took a bite of his food and was staring at his lap when he felt eyes upon him. He looked up and saw Ryou watching him and watching his meat.

He’s only sixteen…he’s just a kitten…

He tore it in half and shoved a piece at Ryou who ate it immediately, licking the juice off his hands, only stopping when Bakura raised an eyebrow at him.

Bakura shoved his food at Ryou and got up. “I’m going out.”

The neko left, almost halfway down the tunnels when his sensitive ears picked up Ryou’s voice.

“I love you Big Brother.”

Bakura grinned and whipped his tail at a passing rat.

I love you to Ryou.


****
*EFC: Experimental Feline Companion
*Wow! This turned out better than I thought! Please realize, I am doing this, Night Walk, and several one shots! The Updates will unfortunately decrease! ;_; Please don’t leave me though Loyal Fans!
*I’d like to thank Wicabeth for the inspiration for this fic!
*Schwarzwald loves ya’ll!