34. Akira

CHAPTER 34

Akira

A kira's breath was loud and shallow in his ears as he stood facing Kyle, his chest heaving with the force of what he'd just said.

Fuck, emotion hurt.

The blonde's jaw ticked and he nodded once, stiffly, and then turned and left the office without another word. Akira remained in place, not wanting to crowd him when he was obviously so angry – although angry, on Kyle, came through as a heartbreaking kind of sadness that spoke more of painful disappointment – but when he saw the man leave room thirteen a few moments later with all three of his cats bundled in his arms, Akira saw red.

He stormed out of the room and blocked Kyle's access to the staircase with a hand slammed violently against each wall.

"Didn't we just talk about this?" he demanded. "Making yourself homeless does not count as staying safe."

Kyle dragged wet eyes up to meet his. In the minute they'd been apart, he'd been crying, and Akira felt the physical blow that delivered to his head and heart.

"I'll be back," Kyle promised dully, dropping his chin onto the top of the black cat's head. It glared accusingly at Akira. "I just need to…find another place for these three."

Akira was confused. "Why can't they stay here? They're not doing any harm."

That wasn't entirely true. The creatures could always be found sprawled insolently across his desk, they weaved dangerously about his feet when he descended the stairs, and had somehow managed to coat every single piece of clothing he owned with cat hair…but he'd no sooner evict them from the House than he would Kyle.

Besides, Akira was used to dealing with wayward little brats. They made up half of his staff.

"I get you want to protect me," mumbled Kyle. "But I need to protect them. I can't…"

"You're not making any sense."

Tears began to stream freely down Kyle's cheeks. "Did you really kill the cat in the alleyway?" he whispered to his feet.

Akira stared at him. "Oh, Kyle ." He breathed his name, choking on it.

That was what had him so upset? Not what Akira had done to him, but what he thought he'd done to an animal?

The other man deflated, his shoulders dropping, and he let out a loud sob as if he'd heard an answer Akira hadn't given. All three cats flinched at the noise and sprang out of Kyle's suddenly limp arms, fleeing in every direction and leaving him clutching pitifully at air.

"No," Akira said urgently. "No, of course I didn't. It was just a recording I downloaded onto my runepad to get your attention. I…"

Kyle began to cry harder and panic surged in Akira. What was he doing wrong?

"So…so somewhere, a cat was tortured to get that noise!"

"Ye-ess," Akira admitted slowly, "but it was probably a long time ago-"

That didn't help. The crying just got worse.

Stars, Kyle was this upset about an animal he'd never even met? That heart of his was bigger than even Akira had realised; large enough to consume the city, easily. A city that did terrible things to each other – and innocent creatures – every day, and he'd hardly expected anyone to be surprised by that fact.

People were not good. Kyle should have learned that by now.

But he was Kyle fucking Randall, and of course he hadn't.

Akira liked how Kyle always had a kind word for everyone. He liked his effortless positivity and the way he offered help to anyone who needed it. But by every twinkling little ball of gas in the sky, did it frustrate him.

"I have no intention of harming your cats," Akira whispered, doing the opposite of what he'd planned and offering the man reassurance instead of ingraining the fear and paranoia that would keep him alive. "Any cat. I'm sorry I led you to believe otherwise."

Kyle sniffed through his tears. "I thought you said you didn't regret what you did?"

Akira winced. "I regret...parts."

He moved his arms apart awkwardly and Kyle fell into them, clutching at him tightly. Fingers dug into his back.

Akira longed to stroke his hair. He wanted to remind himself of how it looked with his fingers tangled through the strands. He wanted to breathe in the man's scent and pull him close and kiss his tears away.

He didn't. He'd put up barriers between them for a reason, and that reason hadn't gone away.

But it still hurt.