Spots (mxm)

Chapter 3: When Bathing a Cat, Don't.

The day passed by with quite a bit of humiliation. Every time someone walked into the bathroom they made sure to go look in the handicap stall before going about their business. A few even considered peeing on him, but when he bared his teeth they figured that it would cost them their ability to have children and backed off.

It was about four hours later when Arron heard the door to the bathroom open again and lifted his head from his doze to see another set of eyes looking inside the stall at him. He watched the boy for several moments, figuring that he would get bored fast and leave, however, when he started walking toward him Arron bristled and hissed loudly.

The boy definitely wasn't a predator, but he was a shifter. Not that it matters what you are. I'm still not letting you pee on me. The boy stopped when he saw him get defensive, but when he raised his hands in his own defensive gesture, Arron tilted his head and mewed quietly.

If you aren't here to mess with me, why did you come closer?

"Hey kid. You're Arron, right?"

After a moment of hesitation, Arron gave a hesitant nod as the boy began walking forward again.

"I'm not here to mess with you. I know Rylan told everyone to humiliate you by looking in here, and he probably told you you couldn't come out till after school, too." He said, earning another nod.

"Well, that won't do. That water isn't safe to sit in, come here."

Before Arron could think of a way to stop him, the boy was hoisting him out of the toilet and bringing him over to the sink.

Wait. No, no bathing!

"Ow! Hey! Calm down. You need a bath after sitting in that water all day." The boy said, though his words clearly fell on deaf ears.

Arron was clawing his his jacket like crazy, trying to get him to let him get out of the way of the flowing water. It was one thing to sit in a partially filled toilet, but a completely different thing to be shoved under a sink faucet and scrubbed with hand soap.

Normally, when he got someone with his claws they let go rather quickly, but the kid didn't even seem to feel much of it through his jacket. Arron tried to dig them into his arm more as he scrubbed him with his free hand, but again, only a wince or two.

"You're a little spit-fire, aren't you? No wonder you got under that cocky lion's skin."

Arron just hissed at him again in response, then relaxed slightly when the water was finally shut off. The boy squeezed out some of his fur before pulling off his jacket and wrapping it around Arron's soaked body. When the boy hugged him to his chest Arron didn't bother fighting anymore. He was nice and warm, and somehow felt safe.

His head tilted up so that he could actually get a good look at the kid.

Gray hair and soft brown eyes. Gray. Not many animals had pure gray hair in their human forms...

The door slammed open just then, the handle denting the stopper as Rylan and two of his friends stalked in. Arron immediately tried to hide in the jacket he was being held in but the kid holding him didn't seem to be afraid at all.

You aren't a predator or a human, so why aren't you cowering? There are three freaking lions closing in on us!

"Erin, that belongs to me. He violated a deal we had made." Rylan said as he walked forward.

He did it!

"I took him out of the toilet. He had no say in the matter." Erin replied calmly.

Rylan shrugged and stepped closer, stopping about three feet from them. He was wearing a toothy grin and a small part of his mane was becoming visible. Arron had a feeling that he wasn't quite riled up as much as trying to show off to his pridemates.

"Considering what I understand about this situation, you forced the deal on him because he couldn't change until after class. I don't doubt that he hissed at you, but again, like I've heard, he doesn't know how to control his animal very well. If all of those things are true, then you should be ashamed of yourself for punishing him so badly." The boy said.

Arron's head was barely poking out of the jacket he was hiding in so that he could see Rylan's face change from smug, to annoyed.

"I can do anything I want with him. He's fucking broken! He's at least seventeen and still a kitten! That, and he doesn't know how to treat those more important than himself. I think that punishment was definitely needed. His father must have not bothered to teach him anything about respect." Rylan growled.

I'll teach you about respect while I pee on your shoes. Arron thought.

Rylan gave a low growl as his patience began to wear thin and made a move to grab at him, but when Arron blinked his eyes back open to see how things played out, he was surprised to see Erin easily holding Rylan's wrist in the air, even though the lion looked like he was struggling hard to pull free.

What the heck kind of animal is this kid?