Rai gasped, startled as the boy once again fell on him. He was crushed for a second before Slan shifted his weight and apologised. Panting for breath and feeling bruises form on his chest, he nodded. "You are so clumsy..." he said, trying to wriggle out from under the human. The heat from Slan's body made him slow his struggles and soon he just lay there, unsure why it felt this nice to have someone laying on top of him. "I'm sorry if I woke you," he said, staring up at Slan with glowing green eyes. "I didn't know you were going to... Be sleeping..."

With a small laugh, Slan shook his head.. "You didn't wake me up, well not more then any other noise would have. I'm used to running." He wasn't going to run this time. Strangely enough, all Slan wanted to do was bend his head to rest it against the neko. Rai just looked like he would make the most wonderful pillow ... And the other boy was warm.

"Though, there is something I can think of that might make up for it ..." He must have been crazy for actually going through with his crazy thought. Yawning, Slan settled down with his head pillowed on Rai's shoulder, his forehead tucked into the hollow of the other boy's neck.

Rai started slightly as he felt Slan rest his head on his chest. He blinked and glanced down with a questioning stare. He guessed that it had been a long time since Slan had had anyone to cuddle up to and allowed it for that time. As the two lay on the grass outside the hut, the sunset fully and brought on the dark night. The sky was dark blue with tiny pinpricks of light being the stars. Rai's ears twitched at every sound, the crickets chirping, the owls hooting in the trees, the tiny mammals scurrying about in the grass... Finally a cloud of fireflies hovered nearby, making Rai's hands twitch, longing to chase after them. "I got dinner for you..." he said, lifting the warm container full of his Aunt's stew.

He cuddled closer to the other boy without even noticing. It was so comfortable, lying like that. Warm and cozy ... Rai was the best pillow. Slan was dozing off, but the mention of dinner had him lifting his head to peer at the container full of stew. "But I don't want to move," mumbled Slan before letting his head rest against Rai again. Though his stomach rumbled, he ignored it. Slan was used to not eating, but he wasn't used to being so comfortable.

"Comon, I hear your stomach talking," Rai commented, moving so that his friend fell off him. "Have something to eat." He offered the container, his ears flicking again at the cloud of fireflies. "I can provide some light if you want!"

Before Slan could say anything, Rai found an empty jar thrown out in the grass nearby. He then proceeded in catching the fireflies, putting the glowing insects in the jar and covering the top with a leaf. He placed the jar near where they were sitting. The light from the jar flickered like a fire and provided enough for Slan to see what he was doing.

He sent a glare Rai's way when the neko moved. "Hey! What do you ..." He trailed off when Rai raced off. It was kind of comical, and made a kind of warm fuzzy feeling invade his heart, as he watched his friend chase after the fireflies. Since he couldn't see all that well in the dark, it was a little bit hard to see all the chasing going on, nonetheless it was nice to watch.

When Rai came racing back, Slan grabbed the stew and started eating it with an impromptu spoon. It was a branch really, but it worked a lot better then his hands. "Thanks for the stew, and the light. I can't really see all that well at night." Though probably, the neko had already noticed.

Rai watched Slan eat, glad that the human seemed to enjoy the meal. He wasn't too sure what sort of things humans could eat, seeing a few of the things that he ate didn't seem to sit well with his friend. Thinking of this, he rushed around the patch of grass, sniffing out the mouse he had killed earlier. Picking it up by its tail, he plopped it into his mouth and chewed on it noisely. He loved the taste of mice. He didn't understand why, he just accepted it. This was one of the reasons why he was teased at school.

"Whatcha want to do?" Rai came back to the boy and sat, his tail swaying with playfulness.

Slan made a face when he noticed Rai eating the mouse from earlier. He supposed one couldn't waste any kill. Powers above knew how many times he'd had to survive on rats when there wasn't any other game available. The thought made him shudder slightly. The darn things were so hard to catch, but much better then nothing at all.

"I don't know. Never had a friend before." He wondered if Rai would object to being used as a pillow again. Slan was quite tempted to just crawl over and lay his head in the other boy's lap. Just having someone to cuddle up against for warmth on a chilly night ... That was a new thought for him, even though he got the feeling that wanting to do that went a bit above friendship.

"Neither have I, really," Rai replied, scratching an ear as he thought about it. "I guess humans sleep during the night?" he questioned, taking a guess from how sleepy his friend was acting. He crawled over and cuddled up next to the warm form, sniffing at Slan's leftovers. He wasn't entirely hungry, but he could eat anything regardless how far away he had just eaten. His Uncle had said that it was because he was a "growing boy".

Slan smiled a little, placing the lid carefully back onto the container holding the stew. "Yeah, humans usually sleep at night." The young man lifted a hand to stifle a yawn, then shifted slightly to cuddly up against Rai. Somehow he found himself with an arm hugged tight against his chest, and the other wrapped around his friend, while his head once again rested on the neko's shoulder. Mumbling softly to himself about how comfortable he was, Slan began drifting off. Though of course, the slightest loud sound or sharp movement would wake him completely.

Rai felt his friend fall into a light sleep, sensing that Slan's muscles were still tensed, meaning that he would wake at any noise. He wondered what life would be like if he was hunted, afraid to even let his guard down in case someone betrayed him. It wouldn't be very fun, so Rai was happy Slan had decided to trust him. He would have as much fun with his friend as possible. But right now, Slan needed to sleep.

Rai stared at the glow of the trapped insects, opening the jar by kicking it to let the leaf fall off. The fireflies flew away quickly, he watched them swarm further away from the shack. A hoot from an owl made his ears twitch, but he soon closed his eyes and dozed with his friend, beginning to purr loudly.

He tensed at the sound of the jar falling to the ground. Slan's eyes flew wide, and he lifted his head slightly to peer suspiciously all around. The young man relaxed after that, realizing that there was no trouble. He settled down again, and let himself be comforted by the sound of Rai's purring. It lulled him to sleep, this sound he wasn't used to hearing.

The next morning, Slan shifted slightly and found his arms wrapped tight around the neko. One of his hands rested inappropriately close to an unnameable part of the other youth's anatomy. Letting out a long breath, the human moved away slowly so as not to wake his companion. He should just run away, quickly before Rai had the chance to wake and stop him.

Rai started awake at the sound of the rooster's crowing. He hadn't been away all night before and his caregivers must have been worrying. He watched Slan move awkwardly away from him and he sat up, rubbing his eyes and not noticing where his friend's hand had been. "I haven't slept outside for the whole night before, my Aunt and Uncle will be worrying," he explained his startled behaviour. "I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

He got to his feet and sneezed, the dew drops falling off his body. He felt slightly cold now that Slan wasn't resting on him and he could still feel the human's weight on his chest. "Luckily I don't have school today," he told his friend with a smile. "I will just go back and tell them that I had fallen asleep somewhere and I will be out all day."

He hadn't move fast enough, concluded Slan with a sigh. The young man settled down with a slump to his shoulders. He couldn't help but perk up when Rai mentioned having to leave to speak with his relatives. That was the perfect opportunity for an escape! The thought of leaving his friend was a saddening one, but nonetheless, Slan simple couldn't stay. "You go take care of that right quick. I have a few things to pick up from my old shelter, so I might not be here when you come back."

That was convincing enough, he hoped. Reaching out, Slan smiled and ruffled the cat boy's hair playfully. For all the world he seemed like he truly did intend on returning after his errand.

Rai smiled and nodded, getting to his feet and running quickly to his home. He opened the door to find his Aunt making breakfast and his Uncle getting ready to go out into the rice fields. "Where have you been?" his Aunt asked him, dishing up breakfast of bacon and eggs. "It's unlike you to stay out all night."

Rai sat at the table and nodded, apologising but not giving an excuse for where he had been. He ate his breakfast quickly, asking if he can go out again. Luckily his Uncle didn't need help in the fields today, so he was allowed to leave again. Beaming happily, he ran towards the shack, creeping into the long grass and hiding out of sight for his friend to come back. This time, he'd be the one pouncing on the human...

Slan didn't go back. Instead he was trying to creep around the farmhouse at a fair distance with his leather bag slung over a shoulder. He looked like a student going off for a trip, with a bandanna covering his head to hide his rounded ears. It was risky, smelling as he did. The young man couldn't help but worry that the wind would carry his scent to someone, who would then send for the hunters.

Shaking his head, he kept creeping around, careful not to get too near to any of the nearby buildings. He felt bad for having lied to Rai, but Slan knew he couldn't stay ... No matter that he did want to.

Rai waited for a long time, until the sky began to darken above. His ears were constantly alert, waiting to hear the sound of his friend approaching. He began to grow worried and slithered out from his hiding place, running to where he had met the human, making sure to stay away from the river. "Slan?!" he called, sniffing about and keeping his ears perked. He couldn't seem to find a trace of the human.

His heart beating painfully fast now, he ran through the woods, searching for signs of the hunters or anything that could tell him where Slan had gone. By night he had ended up back at the shed, panting hard and crying. He crawled into the place and laid on the mattress, smelling the scent of Slan and cuddling up to it. He couldn't understand why he had left. Why his only friend had run away after they had so little time together. The pain was unbearable and he continued to sob uncontrollably until he fell asleep right there.

He hadn't been able to leave, not yet. There was just one last thing that needed to be done. Slan knew going back was a horrible idea, but he would have felt even worse if he'd left without a trace. Slowly, the young man retraced some of his steps. Tall grass swayed as the short boy waded through the stalks with an almost apprehensive expression.

The door of the shed creaked slightly as he opened it to slip inside. Slan's breath caught the moment his eyes fell upon his friend. The remnants of tears were clearly visible to him when he moved to crouch down in the moonlight to get a closer look at the neko. Rai had cried... That alone made his heart clench and writhe with the idea that he had been the cause of such pain, but it warmed him also.

Shaking his head, Slan pulled out what he had intended to leave behind. It was a small thing really, that necklace made of a leather strand, wrapped around a polished blueish rock, but it was all Slan could think of to leave behind. The young man stuck out his tongue as he moved to shift Rai's hands slightly so he could place the necklace between them. That done, Slan fell back against his heels to get a last look at his friend. It really was going to hurt to leave Rai behind like this, but the idea of bringing danger to Rai and his family was too horrible to contemplate.

He was standing in a field, chasing fireflies while his new friend watched and laughed. He caught a blue-coloured one and brought it back, getting a scratch behind the ear for a prize. He was so happy, being with his friend. "Slan, can we be friends forever?" he asked, watching the human nod slowly.

But then darkness fell and Slan was nowhere in sight. Rai called his name over and over again, hearing the human's screams in the distance and the howls of werewolves...

He started awake, cold sweat clinging to his body. "Slan?" he questioned, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness of early morning. He could have sworn he could smell his friend around him. He sat up, realising he was holding something in his hand. A small necklace with a polished blue stone that Rai had noticed Slan wearing. Did this mean his friend was really leaving? He clasped it tightly, feeling his heart shattering. He cried again before leaving the shed, running back to his house. He knew that he would never forget the human and that the empty pain would never go away. Why had Slan left him without even saying goodbye? It made him feel as if he was worthless and not worth being around. No one cared for him, no one wanted him...

He turned away from his house, running back to where he had met Slan, as if wishing the human would be there. Maybe he was just joking and would appear near the cave, laughing and coming to pet him. Of course, when he arrived back at the river, Slan was nowhere in sight. Rai stared into the running water, tears blurring his vision. He wanted to be washed away. No one would care if he wasn't around anymore...

He had never wanted to die before. He had always lived the life his parents had given him. Now he wished that he had been destroyed as a baby. He moved closer to the river, rubbing his eyes dry.

The beating of his own heart filled Slan's ears. His breath came in ragged gasps as he crashed through the forest in search of some familiar area where he might disappear into the brush, and leave his pursuers behind. The three young werewolves had caught his strange scent, and now they wanted to know what he was... Or they had before the wind had snatched away the cloth covering his ears. Now ... they hunted in truth, probably for simple sport since none of them were professionals. Or perhaps they wanted bragging rights. He could just see them now, brandishing his limbs and shouting out the existence of humans to the world.

That disaster had to be avoided! Sland stumbled lightly, before catching sight of a familiar tree at last. Quickly, he vaulted up and jumped from one sturdy branch to the next. The wolves growled and gathered at the base of the tree, but Slan had already gone on to the next. Each time he jumped, Slan couldn't help but think back to the brief respite he'd had from all of this. It had been years ago, that small slice of peace.

At last they gave up, leaving him be. Sighing with relief, the young man crept through the forest along his old well known routes. The familiarity of everything comforted him, and his footsteps took him once more to his old haunt. Slan could think of nothing save resting his newly bruised body, but froze when he caught sight of Rai sitting so near the river.

"Rai? Idiot! Don't sit so close to the water! Don't you remember what happened last time?" Instinct and impulse had the recluse running forth to pull Rai back from the water roughly. Wiry arms wrapped around the neko's waist, Slan dragged him away forcefully, then backed away to look at him with anger flashing in his eyes. "Why in the world would you do that when you can't swim? I didn't save you to see you throw away your life!"

Though perhaps he had no right at all to say that anymore. Slan had run away those years past. His return was nothing more then happenstance, or so he tried to convince himself. Honestly, he'd wanted to see how the neko was doing after their separation. He felt horrible for having left as he had, but the suspicions which had driven him away had proven true.

A few years had past, and yet every day Rai went to the river and waited for his friend. Through all the seasons and nights, he sat at the river and wished he had the courage to jump in, just to end it all. It was a chilly Winter's night when he made the familiar trek to the waterfall, sitting in his usual spot and watching the ice form around the bank of the water.

Rai cried in fright at the sudden noise, wrestling with the tight grip that had grabbed him behind. He whipped around and gasped when he saw who it was. "SLAN!" he yelled in happiness, hugging the human tightly. "I..." he began to cry again, holding so tight to his friend as if he was afraid the human would disappear. "I... I... Why did you leave?" he questioned, sniffing and rubbing his face on Slan's shirt. "I missed you... I thought..." He went quiet, crying quietly now and listening to the boy's heart beating beneath his skin.

The moon lit the scene so brightly, Rai was certain that even Slan could see how much he had been crying. He nuzzled the warm body. Years had only changed the human's appearance slightly, his muscles were slightly more defined and stubble grew on his chin. He was slightly taller now as well, though he felt and smelt like his old friend. Rai knew that he would look different for sure, being a lot taller, thinner and cat-like than when Slan had known him. His fur on his tail was longer, with stripes of lighter black noticeable in the light. His grey hair was long and ragged, after a few years of chewing the ends of as a way to cut it. His nails were more claw-like now, and he could grow them at will. He also had sharper teeth, his canines nearly showing when he had his mouth closed.

Emotions clogged his throat at the other man's reaction. Slan had expected anger, rejection, even hatred, but he'd never dreamed of being welcomed so wonderfully. He lifted his arms to hug the neko tightly, and tilted his head to lean it against his friend. "Hey come on, stop crying." With a hint of smile, Slan lifted a hand to scratch gently behind one of his friend's ears, all the while shifting the same hand to cradle the other's head close.

"I left because I knew the hunters were close, and I didn't, couldn't, put you and your family at risk." The explanation was sound, and justified. Even so, there was regret in Slan's voice as he spoke. "They chased me for years, until I managed to turn the tables on them. Then ... I wanted to see if you were still here." It was a thought that had haunted his mind for years, one he wished he'd followed sooner. Still, there had been all of those people finding trace of him, following and hunting him down.

Slan had a hard time believing how short he was, compared to Rai. He only came to the other man's chest, something which had to be blamed on his often hungry stomach and hard life when he was younger. It was still a hard life, but he wasn't going to be alone again, Slan would stay now. There would be no more disappearing. One friend was enough to have made him feel lonely upon his departure.

Rai started to purr, though the mix of emotions where making his head spin. Sadness, happiness and anger swirled in his head and he couldn't make heads or tails of it. Instead, he closed his eyes shut and continued to hug the man. Oh if only he could find the words to explain how he felt...

"It didn't matter... It changed when you left. The werewolves decided werecats aren't welcome here any more... They took my Aunt and Uncle, and my baby cousin away a few months after you left. The farm died without them... I... I don't go there any more..." he trailed away as his voice broke and he felt the dryness in his throat which symbolised tears were about to flow some more.

The human let out an angry growl at that, pulling the neko even closer. Slan stopped his petting, and moved the hand to Rai's back to rub circles there which he hoped would comfort his friend. "How did they miss you?" He was glad the wolves had overlooked Rai, and more sorry then ever that he'd left. Shaking his head, Slan closed his eyes for a moment. What in the world could he say?

Nothing. All he could do was hold his friend, and take care of him. Wordlessly, the young man moved away slightly from his friend, only to grab the neko's hand and drag him to the shack. He was sure the place was still there, and well kept. It was the kind of place most people would overlook, and the neko had been the one to suggest it as a hiding place.

The farm had been overgrown for years, the house's windows smashed and small mammals sleeping in the bedrooms. Rai stood near his shack, the place he had been sleeping in since that night, staring at the scene, finding himself overcome with fear and greif once again. He had been living off rabbits and mice for so long he had almost forgotten what his Aunt's bacon tasted like. "They came in the night... I was away in the forest..." Rai sighed, not wanting to admit that he had been sitting at the river waiting for his friend to come home. "I heard them screaming and I... hid... I didn't go back to help..." He gulped down the lump in his throat. He had felt like a selfish coward from that day onwards.

"All the others think this place is haunted and cursed... So they no longer come here..." Rai turned to his friend and looked over him again, amazed at how much taller he was now. "I attacked any child foolish enough to come near... I'm... I've turned feral..." He sat in the grass in the very spot he had waited for Slan to come back all those years ago.