Pending Reality

"Mya!"

(Why'd you leave?)

Hotaka pretended he didn't notice him and walked around.

"Myaaa-aaahhh!"

(Hey, you're not- don't tell me you're ignoring me now? The heck with that? After I saved your ungrateful aaaass!)

Hikaru hissed at him. 

He stopped at the bus stop. The bus was already there.

"heeeen!"

(Ingrate!)

Hotaka huffed. He held up a hand to stop the bus driver from closing the doors.

"I'm sorry, he's with me."

Hikaru sat curled on the seat next to him observing him through eye slits.

(If I wanted to kill you, I would have already! Idiot! Moron! Fool!) it began to mutter but to those on the bus it was only audible as chittering.

Hotaka tried to collect his thoughts as he sat there but it was hard under the cat's resentful gaze.

It occurred to him then that he had never acknowledged him properly.

He lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, for running away. I-I needed time to think."

Hikaru's tail began to twitch and flicker around.

(Think? Yeah, right! I know this is weird for you, but this is just as weird for me! This isn't my original form you know? Do you know what it's like to be a little cat? In this world, this is the best I can do so bear with it! You should be more considerate of me!)

"Right. I'm sorry."

(Hmph!)

One of the passengers sitting up front turned around.

"Um, excuse me could you and your cat be quiet?"

Hotaka flushed. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

He bowed again after getting off the bus to apologize. Hikaru watched on with slitted eyes.

(Pathetic.)

"Oh be quiet!"

(One apology would have sufficed why bend yourself backwards still? When Papa told me about you I was curious but you're just a loser.)

"Because its embarrassing, I got seen talking to a cat!"

(What does it matter, we're going to talk to each other much more after this. If people want to look let them look! Talking to a cat is only weird if the cat isn't talking back!)

"What?"

Hikaru whipped his head, to side-eye him. 

(People will soon realize I'm an intelligent cat, you know.)

He had a point.

"But do you want others to know that?"

(Of course they'll never know the extent of it, they'll simply think I was trained well.)

That was also true but... "It's still weird and embarrassing."

(I'm the one who's embarrassed here! I'm a cat! I have to run after you all the time on all fours and I'm so smaaaaaaaall! You don't know what's half of embarrassing, I'll tell you what! Dumbaaaaass!)

"I get how weird it is for you but-"

(Nyaaa you don't. Shut uuuup!)

Hotaka glanced down at him.

"Then...Do you want to sit on my back?"

Hikaru's little head flicked up at him. He pondered it for a while before trying it.

Hotaka upon recalling what his claws did to the shelf that morning suddenly changed his mind.

But Hikaru had already landed. Clinging onto his shoulder. Oddly enough his claws didn't tear into his clothes and he could barely feel them as the cat shifted around its weight on his shoulder.

After a moment of walking in silence Hikaru voiced his opinion on the experience.

(Yeah, this is beyond humiliating.)

Hotaka also felt embarrassed.

Hikaru closed his eyes.

(But whatever I guess.)