Tears Of The Neko - 9. Chapter 9

Five days after the king's visit, Kayden was slowly beginning to find some comfort in the master's routine. They'd mainly stay in the study or dining room when they weren't in the master's suite. After dinner with the other masters, Damien would send Kayden up to the bedroom to bathe while he checked in the with kitchen, slave den, and guard barracks. Two days ago, he'd spent the day in the kitchen again, huddled in the corner by the hearth when his master had gone riding again.

It had been two weeks since he'd been given to Damien as a gift, and he was finally starting to get used to the man's abrupt manner. He wasn't as easily startled by his master's sudden movements in the study, even if he was still anxious around new people and changes in the routine. He tried to stay quiet and unassuming, so as not to draw attention to himself and risk being hurt, and so far it seemed to be working. The loud, smelly master hadn't bothered him again, other than just being loud and making snide comments.

And he was feeling more relaxed than ever before. He craved contact that wasn't painful, and his master's small touches to pet his head, stroke his back, caress his nape over the last week had been excruciatingly pleasant.

--Neko--

Damien had sent the boy up to the room after the dinner meal as he usually did, so the boy could bathe and prepare for bed, while Damien took his brief walk around the house, checking that everything was in order. It was a ridiculous habit that he'd started after his father died, worrying that he was doing everything right, as his father would want him to. It was an unnecessary exercise now, as his staff and brothers had stepped up to help assure that the house ran smoothly without much of his interference.

So when Damien returned to his room, he could hear the water still splashing in the washroom. He had Drystan start a fire in the fireplace as the air was had been chilled the last couple nights, and Kayden seemed to enjoy the extra warmth. He settled himself on the couch with his whiskey and a book.

When the boy emerged from his bath, dressed in the oversized clothing, his eyes immediately darted to the fire. Damien smiled slightly as he waved Kayden over, gesturing for him to enjoy the fire too, and for a second he thought the boy would just dart into his room instead. But Kayden slunk over to the edge of the carpet, a slight smile playing across the boy's face, the first one he'd seen from the boy. It lit up the boy's face, and he looked even more beautiful.

He watched Kayden settle cross-legged in front of the fire, staring at it mesmerized. The silky black locks glistened with water that dripped onto the back of his overlarge shirt. The long black tail swished behind him idly, flopping on the carpet. It was the most relaxed he'd ever seen the boy--usually he was tense and curled into a ball--although he did seem to be more at ease here than anywhere else in the house.

"Kayden," Damien called gently, and the boy turned. Damien was glad to see no fear or anxiety cross the boy's features this time, only curiosity. He patted the couch next to him. "Come. Sit here."

Kayden slowly unfolded himself and slinked up onto the sofa near his master. He tucked his legs up under him to keep his feet warm.

"You like the fire?" Damien asked.

Kayden nodded, staring at the flickering flames. Damien could see the exhaustion in the boy's body, and the yawn that came next caused Damien to chuckle lightly. He reached over and gently gripped the boy's neck and tugged, urging him to lie down.

Hesitantly, Kayden settled his head on his master's thigh, and Damien wound his fingers into the long damp strands, gently petting and rubbing as he'd done before. He could have sworn he heard the boy sigh in content.

"Do you like it when I do this?" he finally asked, to be sure.

The head bobbed, and Damien slowly scratched behind the pointed ears. "Talk to me, kitten. I like to hear your voice."

Kayden swallowed, "Yes, sir."

Damien's hand stroked down the boy's back, frowning when his fingers felt the knobs of the boy's spine through the thin material of the linen shirt. He slowly explored further, not wanting to break the relaxed moment, but felt along the boy's side and realized he could count ribs. Just how thin was this kid?

"Kitten," Damien kept his voice low and even, "are you getting enough to eat?"

Again, he nodded at first, but then came the voice. "Yes, sir."

And Damien briefly wondered if he would even tell him the truth and vowed to increase his portions. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," came the soft voice again. "It's more than I've had before and better."

"Good, but I want you to keep eating. Let me know if you are hungry or need more," Damien said, going back to slowly petting the boy's head.

Damien felt a small hand creep onto his thigh next to the boy's head as Kayden settled even more into the spot next to him. The slender fingers dug briefly into his thigh, as Kayden's whole body seemed to relax.

Damien smiled as he gazed down at the lithe little body curled up next to him, and he felt more at ease and relaxed than he'd felt in a long time. He pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and covered Kayden. Sinking back into the couch, he stretched his legs out to the table in front of him and picked up his book, settling in for one of the most tranquil evenings he'd ever had.

--Neko--

Kayden's ear twitched as he heard voices, they were distant and non-threatening, so he ignored them, slightly annoyed they had woken him from the best sleep he'd had in a long time. He rubbed a hand across his face, then nuzzled his face in the warm blanket under him that smelled of his master. He sighed at the reassuring scent as he resettled against the warmth.

But then the warm blanket moved under him, and he startled, his eyes popping open. He stared in shock up at his master's face whose eyes were still closed as he started shifting to wakefulness.

Kayden froze in fear as he realized that he was nestled against his master's chest, and what he'd thought was a warm blanket under him was actually his master's warm body. He had apparently fallen asleep on the long, muscled body, soothed by the even cadence of the man's strong heartbeat and deep breathing.

A second later, the breathing changed and the body tensed under him, and Kayden was staring up into the deep aqua eyes of his master, who was now realizing that Kayden was on top of him.

Kayden gasped audibly and jerked abruptly as he scrambled to get off his master, eyes wide with fear at the thought of what punishment his actions might bring.

"Woah, woah," his master's deep voice rumbled.

Kayden felt strong arms tighten around him, gently restraining him. He struggled for another minute, then felt the large soothing hand cup the back of his head, pressing him back down toward the broad chest.

"Shhh, calm down, kitten," Damien whispered against his ticklish ear. The hand petted soothingly, and Kayden slowly relaxed against the length of his master.

--Neko--

Damien stared down at the wide green eyes, smiling as he felt the boy's body relax. He realized that at some point during the night he had dropped his book and settled even more into the plush couch, and that Kayden had snuggled up onto him, curling up against his chest.

Waking up to the weight of the boy pressed against him had to be one of the most comforting moments of his adult life. At least until the boy had startled and suddenly tried to get up.

When he finally got the boy to settle back down, he pulled the blanket back over them. He could still feel some tension in the thin body, but the boy wasn't panicking or struggling.

"Are you okay, kitten?" Damien breathed against the top of the boy's head.

Kayden nodded against his chest and seemed to take a deep breath. Damien gently relaxed his grip, moving his hand to stroke the fine ebony hair.

"I'm enjoying relaxing like this," Damien said, "but if you want to get up, you can. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

He wanted the boy to know that it was okay, that he hadn't done anything wrong and that Damien was enjoying being with him. But he didn't want the boy to feel trapped either. Damien focused on listening for sounds of distress but didn't hear any.

After another moment, he actually felt Kayden seem to snuggle back in against him. He smiled and kissed the top of the boy's head. He stroked down the boy's back, and as his hand slid back up, he found his hand against bare skin. He paused as the boy's back muscles rippled under his fingers, but when Kayden settled back down, he flattened his palm and stroked up the smooth skin.

He felt Kayden shiver under him and almost seemed to purr. The thin body stretched out against him, arching into his touch. He smiled when he felt the evidence of the boy's reaction to him pressing against his thigh. Of course, if the boy moved anymore, he'd feel Damien's own reaction to the boy's body as well.

Damien groaned as Kayden nuzzled into his chest, the small hands inadvertently brushing across his nipples through his shirt.

A knock at the door caused both of them to freeze--Kayden in fear and Damien in frustration.

"Yes?" Damien yawned.

"Sir, I have your breakfast," John Drystan called.

"Fine, come in," Damien grumbled, and the door opened.

John stopped in shock when he saw the black ears peeking out from under the blanket that was curled over his master's chest.

"Come on, kitten," Damien urged. "Let's eat."

Damien laughed at the drop-jawed look on his servant's face as he threw off the blanket and the young neko tried to burrow further into his chest. He quickly leaned down and brushed a chaste kiss across the boy's cheek, causing him to flush a bright pink.

He stretched as John moved to put the tray down on the table. He untangled himself from the light little body and stood to pop his back.

"Did--did you sleep well, my lord?" he stammered, casting another glance at the neko, curling itself into the couch.

"Yes, actually," he grinned. "We had quite a lovely cat nap." And he was surprised to hear a little giggle from the curled up ball on the couch.

--Neko--

Damien felt unusually relaxed the entire morning. He couldn't exactly figure out what it was, except that he and Kayden had finally reached a point where he wasn't annoyed by the boy's presence anymore. Ever since seeing the boy playing with the shaving cream and feeling ridiculously protective of him when the king's guard grabbed him, he couldn't help but see the boy as more than just a burden now.

And waking up with the warm body curled up on him had been...

Damien smiled down at the boy that dropped to his knees next to his chair as he did every day. He curled his fingers through the silky locks and the boy's head dropped against his thigh with a soft sigh.

Yeah, Damien thought, things had definitely changed.

--Neko--

Today, Damien was so busy going over accounts that he hadn't stopped to eat. Kayden had moved to the window sill behind him earlier and had watched men pruning bushes and horses coming and going up the path and around the back of the house. But he was beginning to sense that the man getting irritable. He hoped his master wouldn't take it out on him. Somehow, he didn't think that he would, but he hadn't known the man that long either.

Kayden sighed at the memory of waking up to the heat of his master's body, drowning in the scent of the man. He glanced over at the back of the man's head, wishing he could run his fingers through his master's fine waves, but he knew he'd never get up the nerve to touch his master in that way.

He heard Damien curse under his breath, and instinctively felt his body tense before letting his shoulders and tail drop. His master wasn't mad at him, he reminded himself. If he thought about it, no one here had hurt him except that loud, tobacco-smelling master. Even the slave master hadn't hurt him intentionally, only frustrated by Kayden's actions when he was trying to get his collar on.

He gracefully slid off the window sill and slowly moved to stand near his master, this morning's triste having left him feeling more audacious than he'd ever been. He stood, waiting to catch the man's attention so he wasn't distracting him.

It took several minutes for his master to look up at him, and Kayden felt his heart jolt when the man actually smiled at him.

"You okay?" Damien asked him, as he reached his hands behind his head and stretched.

Kayden watched the fabric stretch across the man's pectoral muscles and swallowed hard. He instantly dropped his eyes to the floor and nodded.

Kayden bit his lip as his bravery faltered, and he debated if he should speak. His master had said it was okay, but he still wasn't so sure.

"Did you want to tell me something?" Damien asked as he noticed the boy hovering.

Kayden's green eyes flashed up, and he nodded again, swallowing hard to find the nerve to speak to his master, but he couldn't.

The large man rose from his chair and stepped closer, and Kayden fought the urge to drop to his knees. He felt the man's hand caress his cheek and then tilt his chin up so their eyes met.

"Tell me, kitten," Damien said softly.

He bit his lip and swallowed again. "I--Sir, I--t-thought m-maybe..." Kayden felt his chest tighten with the fear of talking to his master like this, of initiating a conversation, of asking a question. "I--thought y-you m-might be h-hungry?"

A deep chuckle rose from the man's chest, as he smoothed his thumb over Kayden's throat above the soft leather collar. Kayden felt himself leaning into the touch. He'd been so long without a gentle touch that he couldn't help but savor the feeling of the man's fingers on his skin when he could.

"I'm sorry," his master's deep voice said lightly, "I've just gotten busy today. I didn't even think to stop to eat. And Oliver is coming to visit in a bit, so I probably need to eat now."

"I--I c-can g-go get it," Kayden stammered, wanting to do something to please his master. "If it p-pleases you, s-sir."

The thumb paused its exploration briefly as Kayden heard the man's breathing change. Damien cleared his throat, as Kayden glanced up to see the surprise in the deep sapphire eyes. His master knew how hard it was for him to offer. "That would be wonderful, if you would be willing to do that."

Kayden felt himself nodding before he could change his mind and totally lose all his courage.

"Good," Damien said, turning to return to his seat. "Whatever you bring back, I'm sure will be fine. Ysmenia will help you, I'm sure."

Kayden nodded and darted to the door before he lost his nerve. As he cracked open the door, he glanced around to see if anyone was in the hallway. Seeing no one, but hearing voices upstairs, he skittered across the hall to the dining room, taking the path to the kitchen that he'd followed behind his master several times before. He knew there was another entrance to the kitchen, one most servants used, but he wasn't sure exactly where it was. And the idea of running into so many other strangers had his heart pounding in his chest, not that it wasn't already. Softly stepping through the dining room, he moved to the small hallway that led into the kitchen, hovering in the shadows of the doorway.

Now that he was here, he wasn't sure what to do. He observed the bustle of the kitchen, noting the chef and several assistants that he recognized. A couple other servants walked through the back door. Five were sitting at the long wooden table eating and laughing together.

"Hey, Nickolaus!" Garin called over to one of the men sitting at the table. "When you are done, you guys can run these baskets of food to Arnett and Brenner at the den and barracks."

The man nodded. "Got it."

"Lizzy," Garin turned to one of his assistants who appeared to be chopping carrots, "How was the kitchen staff over in the east wing doing? I know they just have the carpenters and slaves to feed right now, but eventually, a master will be moving in over there and they need to be ready."

"They were fine, sir," the tired looking woman stated. "I brought them a bunch of herbs and stuff yesterday, and the overseer said everything was going well. Master Harrison and Master Roman have been checking in each day on the progress as well."

"Good, good," Garin nodded.

Kayden saw Ysmenia breeze in from the other entrance. "Just took Master Roman the lunch he demanded," she grumbled. "I swear that man..."

Lizzy laughed as Ysmenia shook her head. "Did he grab your bottom?"

Ysmenia chuffed, "No, he knows better than to do that with me."

"Then count yourself lucky," Lizzy chuckled, slamming the knife down on a head of lettuce, causing Kayden to jump slightly.

"Tell me about it," one of the young male servants at the table gruffed. "He smacked me once for accidently spilling his drink. It was a fucking accident," he mumbled.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll move into the East Wing," the man called Nickolaus said.

"I bet we can't get that lucky," another said. "Besides, I saw Master Harrison and Miss Penelope in the garden earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if he proposes soon and they move into the east wing."

There was a round of laughter, and Kayden shifted against the wall, still unsure if he could enter the kitchen and ask for his master's lunch. What if the chef yelled at him? What if...

"Hey, Garin, think you have a visitor," Nickolaus called, lifting his chin in Kayden's direction, and Kayden froze when so many eyes suddenly turned on him. He had the sudden urge to flee back to the study.

"Oh, kit!" Ysmenia cried excitedly. "Come on in, sweetheart. Did Master Damien send you for something?"

He nodded quickly, grateful to her for asking a question he could answer with a nod.

"Well, don't just stand there, boy, come on in," Garin grumbled at him, and he didn't hear any anger in the man's voice. In fact, he seemed rather...nice.

Kayden took an uneasy step forward as Ysmenia hurried over to him.

"So, does he want lunch now?" Ysmenia guessed, receiving another grateful nod.

"For just you and him?"

Kayden paused. Did Damien want him to eat too? The man hadn't said he could, but he had never said he couldn't either, so Kayden gave a hesitant nod, figuring if his master didn't want him to eat then he wouldn't offer any.

"Okay, good," she said. "It won't take but a minute, since I just made Master Roman's. If you wait, I'll walk back with you."

A small smile tipped the corner of his mouth as he nodded, slipping to the corner next to the fire. He noticed eyes watched him curiously, but none gazed at him in the malicious, lustful way the hunters had, so he was able to sit down on the hearth without the urge to dart away.

When he returned with Ysmenia to the study, Damien rose from his desk as the food was placed on the low table in front of the couch. Kayden hovered as he waited for Damien to settle on the couch, surprised he didn't sit in his favorite wing-backed chair.

Damien then patted the couch next to him. Kayden hesitated, wanting to drop to the floor. The floor was always safer. But he had been safe next to his master last night on the couch in his room.

So Kayden slowly crawled onto the couch, tucking his legs close instinctively as his master offered him a small bowl of roast, apples, and carrots.

"Here you go, kitten," he said. "I'm sure you're hungry. I made you wait so long for lunch."

Kayden was sure the man was teasing.

Damien leaned forward to pile his own roast between layers of bread, making it easier to eat.

"You can relax you know," Damien said, "You don't have to always sit so curled up."

Kayden mumbled something under his breath, and his master turned.

"What was that?" Damien said absently, taking a bite of his lunch.

"I-it m-makes me a smaller t-target," Kayden said softly, then added, "Sir."

He saw his master's mouth open, then close, stunned at his comment.

Damien didn't know what to say to that, although it made perfect sense, and explained why the boy always sat so curled up. He was saddened to think that the boy felt that way in his home.

"Kayden," he said gently, "I'm not going to hurt you, you know that right?"

And Kayden nodded, because he did believe that this man wouldn't hurt him. So he smiled slightly as he untucked his legs, and they both dug into their lunch.

--Neko--

"I'm so glad you were able to come over today," Harrison said, gently letting his hand glide over the laces down the back of the simple day dress.

"Me too," her light voice teased his ears. "You know I love spending as much time as possible with you."

Lady Penelope looked radiant, as she always did to him. She turned her smile on him and his heart just flipped with joy. She was so sweet and pleasant to be around, not like so many of the other phlegmatic girls he'd dated before. Most were aware of how close he was to the crown with his uncle being the king (and his brother as the heir), and somehow thought that it would be a great notch in their status if they could marry him, even if he was never going to be king.

But Penelope had been different. She was the first to actually turn him away the first time he'd met her, as she knew of his brother's reputation in societies' upper circles. But he wasn't like Roman, so eventually, he had managed to convince her to give him a chance.

They had been seeing each other for several months now, since the Fall Harvest Festival that Damien threw each year. Her family had visited and stayed over at the manor for the Winter Equinox Celebration. They had approved of Harrison Whitmore courting their middle daughter. And after spending much of the winter (when snow didn't keep them apart) and most of these early spring months together, he was beginning to feel that his heart was long past being lost to her.

As he grinned down at her, he knew it was time for him to talk to Damien about asking her hand in marriage. He briefly wondered if Damien would disapprove for some reason, and that made his heart ache.

As they approached the door, and he led her to her waiting carriage, he paused. He cupped her cheek and stole the kiss he wanted to take. She pressed back eagerly. It wasn't their first kiss, by any means, but they still were hesitant out in the open. The carriage driver ducked his head away, pretending to be interested in the flowering bushes by the door.

"I love you, Penelope," Harrison whispered against her ear as he pulled away.

The bright smile from the petite auburn-haired woman lit up her fine features. Her light gray eyes danced with excitement and happiness. She brushed her fingers through his blond waves. "I love you too, Mr. Whitmore," she smiled.

Harrison couldn't help the goofy grin on his face as he helped her into the carriage, casting a glance at the smirking driver, who gave him a wink and a nod.

After watching her off, he turned back to the manor. Maybe Damien wouldn't be too busy, and he could talk to him now, while he still had the nerve to admit his feelings.

Harrison heard his brother's voice from his office and realized the study door was already open. Apparently, whatever meeting was happening was not a formal one, so Harrison made his way over to the door, immediately recognizing Damien's good friend Oliver Druet relaxed in the armchair. So now probably wasn't a good time to talk him. He started to turn away but something caught his eye and he froze.

He was shocked to find his brother lazing idly on the sofa across from Oliver, with the neko at his feet, head resting on his brother's thigh. His normally stoic and tense brother was, well not relaxed totally, but definitely not his usual stiff self. He was gesturing in animated conversation with one hand to Oliver, while his other hand played lazily in the ebony locks of the feline at his feet.

He had heard rumors over the last week from the staff, Drystan specifically, that Damien had become more comfortable with the boy, but he hadn't realized just how much so.

His brother looked different, his face not etched in the permanent frown... Harrison grinned at the thought that the young neko was indeed growing on his older brother, and both of them seemed to be having a calming effect on each other.

"Hello, Damien," he greeted from the door, and he noticed that the neko flicked a swift wary gaze at him, ears twitching. But with a languid flick of his tail, the neko ignored him and closed his eyes again.

"Harrison, come on in and join us," Damien waved.

When Harrison shot a raised eyebrow and a quick glance at the boy, Damien laughed softly, glancing at Kayden.

"We've gotten more comfortable with each other," Damien stated the obvious.

"Yes, I can see that," Harrison smiled.

"Would you like something to drink?" Damien asked, and when Harrison nodded, he turned to Oliver. "A refill?"

"Of course," Oliver grinned, "It's been forever since we've had time to catch up. I'm quite enjoying it."

"Kayden," Damien tugged slightly on the boy's hair. "Would you get Harrison a glass of..."

"Whiskey," Harrison supplied.

"Whiskey, and Oliver a refill of bourbon?"

Kayden nodded with a slight smile and rose to his bare feet, silently padding over to retrieve Oliver's glass before going over to the side bar and filling two glasses with the requested drinks. Harrison watched in awe as the previously skittish neko moved with easy grace to bring their drinks.

Harrison noticed the neko suddenly tense as he passed over the drink. The boy's nose twitched as he glanced toward the door, his ears flattening out.

Roman appeared in the doorway, greeting them all jovially. Harrison frowned as the boy seemed to shrink, his eyes casting down, and hair falling over his face.

"Join us, Roman," Damien waved, obviously in a good mood, but oblivious to the discontent of his pet.

"I think I will," Roman said.

"Kayden, bring Roman a whiskey," Damien called over as the boy had backed away from the group.

Harrison eyed the boy as he took a sip of his drink. Roman took a seat next to Damien on the couch as they continued to talk with Oliver about some idle gossip about the Leichesters. Kayden seemed to slink over to the bar, his whole demeanor changed from the relaxed figure he'd seen when he'd first come in. When he returned with Roman's drink, Harrison noticed the slight tremble in the boy's hand as he handed it over.

"Ahh, so the little tiger is good for something," Roman leered as he accepted the glass. Harrison noticed the boy's eyes narrow slightly.

Roman surveyed the young neko with something that Harrison couldn't describe. The look was so brief that Harrison wasn't even sure that he'd seen it before Roman redirected his attention back to the conversation, his hand briefly managing to slide along the neko's tail as the boy turned away.

Kayden flinched, his tail curling in tight as he retreated to the back of the room. Harrison watched as the boy folded himself down into his usual spot by the window, in the sunshine. He eyed the group of men warily before settling down into a tight ball for a nap, his tail flicking in agitation.

Huh, Harrison thought as he sat back in his chair, taking another sip of his whiskey. The boy obviously didn't seem to have a problem with Oliver or himself, but Roman seemed make the young feline very nervous. He must still remember Roman's reaction to him in the slave yard.

"Guess he doesn't like you," Harrison muttered before he realized he'd said it out loud.

"What?" Damien asked as the other men stopped to look at him as well.

"Oh, sorry," Harrison started, "It's just the boy," he gestured with his glass towards the neko who no one else had noticed disappearing into the farthest corner. "He doesn't seem to like Roman."

Damien scoffed as Roman's eyes narrowed. "It's because Roman is loud," Damien guessed, but Harrison suspected it was something more.

"He's probably exhausted anyway after all the work of serving drinks," Roman said flippantly, and Harrison watched the sharp flick of the neko's tail--the boy was more than aware of what was happening in the room, even if he appeared to be indifferent. "Besides, it's not like he could join us on the couch or anything."

"True," Oliver agreed.

Harrison caught his oldest brother casting a glance at his pet over the top of his glass. A slight furrowing of his brow made Harrison think that just maybe Damien also thought something was wrong.