• Years went by, before I could say anything to object, we were in our teen years. I was in High School, I had friends, but never hung out with them out of school. I was strictly there friend in school. When I left school I forgot all about them, Shika was my main 'project' if you will. I would come home with all my books from school, teach him the lessons that I learned, so he would have some sort of education, and then just have fun with him.
    We would go to the park and walk around, or try to cook something that we hadn't made before, usually it ended up with something catching on fire, or Shika in tears because it didn't turn out right.
    Yes, Shika still starts to cry when little things upset him. But I don't get angry or start to laugh or freak out anymore, I give him hug and tell him 'It's fine, it's okay. We can try again some other time.' Then he would he start to laugh and nod, getting over his sudden out burst.
    The scars he got from that bast*** had almost but completely disappeared. Only the deepest and the ones that looked the most vicous at the begining still dared to show their ugly faces.
    Shika usually wore long sleeves and pants to cover them up, because of my nasty habbit of staring at them in hatred. I didn't hate Shika, or the scars, in particular, I hated the one that gave Shika the scars. That guy Shika called 'Master'
    I sighed and pushed my messenger bag thing I used for a back farther over on my shoulder so it wouldn't fall off. "What a long day." I say outloud.
    Birds chirped and sang their songs to each other, probably actually just singing about their day like we do with each other, but we don't sing about our day, we talk about it.
    A woman walking her dog, my neighbor, smiled at me as she passed. "Hello."
    I smiled. "Hello." I say back.
    Her dog growled at me, smelling the scent of cat on me.
    I glared at the dog and in my head I told him to take a flying leap.
    Only a few houses down was my own my home and Shika was waiting in my room pastiently in my room for me, like he had been doing these past how many years we've been living together.
    I smiled and walked faster.
    Yesterday Shika had seemed more jumpy than usualy for some reason, I didn't know why, but he was just fidgety and constantly hugging and touching me. I was used to the hugs he gave all the time and how often he wanted to go outside and to the park and to do things because he was cooped up in here all day, but maybe now he wanted to have more than just go outside. Maybe he wanted to meet other people...?
    I shuttered and my pace slowed.
    What if he leaves one day because he gets bored of me?
    I swallowed and my heart ached.
    What if he does?
    I froze and felt my heart throb.
    Wait... This is Shika I'm thinking about. He would never do anything to hurt anyone, not on purpose that is.
    I smiled and shook my head, feeling sheepish for being stupid to think about that.

    I opened the front door and put my messenger bag away. "I'm home." I call.
    The door leading up to my room flew open and Shika came running at me.
    I grinned and opened my arms.
    He jumped and gave me a super a hug, it's what he called a hug you give someone after getting a running start and then throwing your self at the person.
    I stumbled back and held onto him tightly so he wouldn't fall or get hurt.
    He giggled and looked up at me. "Your home! I was so bored today!" He nuzzled my chest. "I missed you."
    I petted his head and chuckled. "I missed you too. And I got bored today as well."
    He sighed contently and his tail curled. "Gabriel?"
    I smoothed back the hair on his head and closed my eyes, calming myself down from all the excitement. "Hm?"
    "Can we skip lessons for today?"
    I looked down at him. "Why?"
    He shrugged. "I just don't want to do anything today."
    He really is acting strang... I think nodding. "Sure, Shika. But just for today. Then tommorow you have to work twice as hard, okay? I don't want any slacking off, got it?"
    He nodded and hugged me tighter.
    I sighed. "So tell me why you want to skip lessons today."
    He shrugged. "I don't know, I said. I just don't want to do anything, and todays a nice day for walking around and stuff."
    I shuttered.
    Maybe he really is getting bored of being with me and doing the same things...
    I swallowed hard and looked at the wall in shame. I'm a horrible friend.
    Shika looked up at me and blinked. "Gabriel? Is something wrong?"
    "Am I boring, Shika?"
    Shika seemed shocked. "What? No. I think you're really fun, Gabriel."
    I smirked. "You do? Your not planning on leaving anytime soon?"
    He shook his head and hugged me tighter. "Nope. And if you let me, I don't think I'll ever want to leave."
    I smiled. "Want something to eat?"
    He let go of me and jumped up and down. "Yeah, yeah!"
    I chuckled and walked to the kitchen. "You got it."
    Me and Shika have been best friends pretty much since we first met and now it seemed hard to think of one of us without each other. I would personally have a emotional break down and become deprest, I didn't know about Shika though... a part of me wanted to know more than anything to know if Shika would miss me, but another was scared to find out if he could live without me. So I decided not to ask. Shika had never kissed me again after that plate insident, and asked him not to talk d*** sizes anymore too, and like the cool guy he was, he didn't ever talk about them again.
    Shika pranced in ahead of me and looked around in the pantry for something to eat. He put his pointer finger on his lip and his thumb on his chin, thinking hard. "Should we make chicken soup or tomatoe soup?"
    I sighed as I turned on the stove. "Choose a color: red or yellow?"
    Shika jumped in the air. "Red!"
    "We're having tomatoe soup then." I said smiling.
    He blinked. "Wha...?"
    I laughed. "I made you choose a color right?"
    He nodded. "Red or yellow."
    "And you chose red."
    He nodded again.
    I began to explain. "Red was tomatoe because they're red and yellow was chicken soup is-."
    "Yellow!" Shika shouted, throwing his arms up in the air, excited about something. Being like this was normal for Shika, but he got the most touchy after I gave him something to eat. So just sit back and wait and maybe you'll notice it, okay?
    I nodded. "Good job."
    He grined proudly.
    "So, because you like red so much, we are having tomatoe soup, okay?" I ask reaching out to him for a can of soup.
    He nodded. "Yep, yep." Shika said handing me a can of chicken soup.
    I sighed and hung my head. "Shika..."

    After giving Shika his food he sat down on the floor in my room and began eating it quickly.
    I licked the spoon, already having drained my bowl clean.
    Shika looked up.
    I licked the round back and then licked over my lips. "Bwah..." I growled, "I think I got it on my shirt."
    Shika swallowed his mouthful, his cheeks going a slight red.
    Hm... Maybe he has a cold...
    I looked down at my shirt and saw a red dot. "D***. Shika, I'm going to put this in the laundry, do you have anything laying around I can bring down?" I ask.
    He shook his head, not looking away from me.
    I sighed. "Fine. Nevermind. I don't like this shirt anyway. I'll just let it stain the d*** thing and ignore moms b***ing." I say taking off my shirt and throwing it on the floor.
    Shika stiffened and his face went red.
    I sat down on the bed and looked up through the sky light. "What do you want to do today, Shika?"
    "I... don't know." He said softly.
    I layed back and closed my eyes. "Tell me when you find something you want to do, okay?" I say, feeling really tired. I think I didn't get enough sleep last night or something... or maybe I was worrying too much about Shika... That's probably what I get for worrying about someone I'm supposed to be being strong for right now...
    A year ago he began feeling depressed and one day he didn't come down to greet me after school, so when I found him, he was in my bed, crying and telling me he never wanted to see that man again. I don't know what brought this on, but I didn't have the heart to ask, so I just layed with him till he was done crying and got out of bed to get something to eat. I told him if he ever had a problem he could come to me and I would keep him safe, I wouldn't let anything hurt him anymore, I would be strong for him.
    And I plan on keeping my word.

    "...Gabriel..." Said a soft voice.
    I squinted my already closed eyes tighter together, trying to stay asleep.
    "Gabriel?" Asked the voice.
    I slowly came to and saw Shika staring down at me with an odd look in his eyes. I sat up. "What's wrong, Shika?"
    He shook his head. "Nothing. It's just... When you fell asleep earlier and didn't wake up like you usually do I got worried." He said looking down at the bed in embaressment.
    I smirked and petted his head. "It's okay. I'm sorry for falling asleep like that. I'll make it up to you some how." I say rubbing my eyes.
    It was dark and the moonlight could be seen on the floor, flooding through the sky light.
    Shika sighed. "I was afraid to fall asleep just in case you were dead..." He said as tears formed in his eyes.
    I smirked and hugged him tightly. "Shika... It's okay. I'm still alive. I would never just die on you like that. That would be too mean."
    He sobbed. "I don't want you to die, Gabriel."
    "Who said I was going to die anyway?" I ask pulling away and looking in his eyes.
    He covered his eyes. "No one. I just got really worried."
    I rolled my eyes and hugged him. "My foolish cat friend, you are so lucky I care for your."
    He sobbed louder. "I like you too, Gabriel."
    God... we are like the friends from a comedy anime show... the emotionally detached boy and the fun and loud boy. What a funny looking pair we must be...