Abandoned

Tai found himself holding the tray in the hall, staring at the door to the guest bedroom. He had never found himself hesitating and so conflicted in his own home… and all over how to enter a room.

Should he knock, maybe? Well, the blonde was a pet and from what Sora said it didn’t sound like he would take the initiative to answer a knock. Also he wasn’t sure if it would startle the pet more than if he just opened the door.

Tai took a deep breath and eased open the door. He stuck his head in first, worried that if he just stormed in the pet would become rather violently reacquainted with the floor.

The sight that greeted him made him feel like a fool for even worrying so much. The blonde was practically passed out, as he had been every time Tai had checked on his new charge the past few days.

Tai had to chuckle at himself as he entered the room the rest of the way, placing the tray gently down on the bedside table. Sora and a few other serving girls had finally managed to clean all of the grime from the blonde’s skin and Tai took a moment to fully appreciate so much pale skin.

The pet was truly beautiful, if a little too pale and obviously worn thin. There was bandaging around the blonde’s neck where the collar had rubbed skin raw and he looked a little gaunt. Still, Tai could just see how those muscles would fill out and color would return to the sickly tone and he felt a pleasant tingle in his… spine, at the image.

Tai had never been the type to hide his true preferences, and he had to admit that if they had met under different circumstances, improved ones for a certain pet, the blonde would’ve been exactly the type that Tai would chase after.

The brunette was pulled from his musings as his ‘patient’ began to stir. Weary blue eyes opened slowly, blearily looking about the room. Tai did his best to swallow his sudden nervousness and put on his most disarming smile.

At long last the pet’s gaze settled on him and Tai braced himself for a ‘dive off of the bed’ response. Instead, the pet just stared at him for several long minutes. Tai was slightly baffled at the briefest flash of relief and uncertain hope he saw in the blue depths before it shifted to nervous fear as the pet watched him warily.

It practically radiated from him and set Tai’s teeth on edge. He was definitely out of his element when it came to dealing with a pet. He’d never had one before, hadn’t ever really even interacted with one, so he had no idea just what exactly would put the pet more at ease. Maybe introducing himself would help?

“Hey there,” he started a little unsteadily. “I’m Tai, Taichi Kamiya. You’re probably a bit confused right now, huh? Well, you’re in my home…”

He would’ve tried to continue except the realization that he was the ‘master of the house’ must’ve hit the pet, because in the next instant the pet was on his knees, head bowed so far down his forehead was resting on his hands.

“Oh, uh… you don’t have to do that,” Tai tried awkwardly, but the pet didn’t raise his head. If anything he pushed it harder down onto his hands.

Tai sighed heavily, wincing slightly at the flinch that the sound wrung from the prone pet. Sora really hadn’t been exaggerating about the poor boy’s reaction to people. ‘Kicked puppy’ was the first thing that came to mind. The blonde must have taken the sigh to be one of disappointment, if the fact that he had practically stopped breathing in fear was any indication.


Keeping his movements slow and steady, Tai moved from the chair and gently onto the bed, doing his best to ignore the trembling fear in the body before him. The brunette slowly raised his hand and brought it to the bowed head, the pet jerking away slightly as if expecting a blow. But when all Tai did was steadily stroke the dulled golden locks, the body slowly began to relax. Though still wary, he was no longer trembling in fear and it brought a gentle smile to Tai’s face. Well, that was something at least.

From what he had heard, pets were generally treated no better than mere objects, possessions to be ordered around with no thought to their feelings or needs. It was the main reason why Tai was so against the buying and selling of the companions. But, right now, it may just help him deal with a very frightened and confused pet.

“Sit up,” he said, doing his best to sound stern without scaring the blonde more.

There was a moment’s hesitation, but the blonde sat back up, keeping his eyes carefully lowered. Tai lowered his hand and tried to smile, but the wary fear in the room was putting him on edge.

“There we go,” they sat together for a moment, the silence nearly awkward. “What’s your name?”

Blue eyes flicked up to meet his briefly before firmly lowering again.

“No name…”

Tai hadn’t been expecting the pet to answer, so the quiet voice, husky from dehydration, startled him.

“You don’t have a name?”

The pet slowly shook his head ‘no’. Tai wasn’t so sure that was an honest answer. Every pet started out with a name, and then once they were sold their ‘masters’ always called them something. Surely this pet was no different.

“You must have a name,” Tai pressed slightly.

“Master… give name…”

Ah, so that was how it worked. Pets must have been trained that when sold or passed to a new master their old names no longer applied and their new master would rename them.

That was something that Tai definitely wasn’t comfortable with. Whether or not this young man had been born in a test tube, he was still just that, a young man. Biting his lip, Tai tried to think of a way to figure out the blonde’s name.

“You know, it would save me a lot of time and trouble if you would just tell me your name,” he said, trying to keep his tone sounding almost bored.

The blonde shifted nervously, obviously debating between giving his name or risk angering his new master. After another long silence, the pet relented.

“Y-yamato… My name was Yamato…”

Kuragari: SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!!! Hope you’re still with the story!