Nobody Owns a Cat

What Greater Gift Than the Love of a Cat?

Just as the sixth month passed, Nao took his first breath. Subaru held his own. There is a farewell to the black cat who promises she will be watching over him and the 'new little one'. He wasn't sure what that one meant though. The albino waits for any sign of consciousness with his heart in his stomach. Nao's eyelids flutter open to reveal bottomless black eyes.

Subaru struggles to get words out, throat strained. "Nao?" He asked as if not too sure, worried his love was lost and this was some stranger.

"Who else would it be?" Nao smiles, sliding out of the bed and hugging the vampire as if he wasn't dead for half a year.

Never before has the albino felt such relief. Without hesitation, he holds the boy tight in his arms. His lover might look different, but that voice and smell and feel are the same. He pulls back just enough to stare into those new eyes. There is a softness and wisdom in them that wasn't there before.

As a few seconds pass, a familiar mischievous look flashes in the boy's eyes. "That is quite the needy look. Already hungry again."

Subaru frowns and pins the boy to the bed he just got off of, glaring despite himself. "Just how long do you think you were asleep for?"

It has been awhile since the albino was that angry with him, Nao found himself surprised and nervous. "U-umm a couple months?" He wasn't sure how long it takes for something like a heart to be replaced. Of course there were experiments done that he knows resulted in the conclusion that the more complicated the part the longer it takes to replace. However, he was never told how long each took and was unconscious for a long of it.

There is a sigh as Subaru buries his face into Nao's stomach, anger leaving and being replaced with a tiredness. "6 months."

Needless to say, Nao was not expecting to be out for half a year. He immediately felt guilty and sympathetic to his obviously distressed lover. It was quite a surprise to see an unshaven and messy Subaru who was too worn out to even get properly angry. "I'm sorry Subaru. It won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't." The albino's eyes slowly close as Nao cuddles into him.

"You should rest. We can talk after." The worried boy speaks softly. The vampire grunts a reply, moving onto the bed with a tight grip on the boy. The small male giggles softly as that grip doesn't loosen even after Subaru has fallen asleep. "I'm not going anywhere silly. Not anymore." The fondness and love honeying his whispers.

Nao waits patiently for the vampire to finish his rest, getting his thoughts together. He was thinking very hard on how he was going to share his feelings. It was something scary that he wasn't used to, but he wanted Subaru to know. For once, he wanted to share his everything with someone and have them do the same.

Honestly, he realizes after talking with the black cat, that he hasn't entrusted Subaru with much while the albino has told him a lot. He knew about the vampire's regrets, issues, likes, even his past. Yet he has told very little about himself. It was more than anyone else knew, but still not a lot. Subaru deserved to know. After all of this, Nao wanted to reassure him that he would be spending the rest of his life right. That he would be spending it with him.

When Subaru opened his eyes, the boy he loved was staring back with the usual steadfast sureness. "Feeling better?"

A nod and a kiss answers him silently. "You want to tell me something."

Nao kisses back, feeling a little disappointed when the albino breaks away. "I do." He smiles and leans forward to whisper into Subaru's ear. "I love you." Feeling a little embarrassed and nervous, he teases the vampire with a kiss on his ear before pulling away. Anxious eyes look up at a red and grinning face.