A Stray Cat in a White Yukata with Pink Flowers - Fic
title : A Stray Cat in a White Yukata with Pink Flowers
fandom : Black Cat (mangaverse)
characters : Saya Minatsuki, Train Heartnet, Sven Vollfield
medium : ficlet
challenge : past/history
AN : Angst, Train POV, spoilers for vol. 2 and 13.
Crit : W/E
“Wow, I didn’t think the famous Black Cat could be hurt.”
I was almost dead when she picked me up. I didn’t know how she brought me back to her place. Or why.
“How did you …”
She smiled and her fingers hovered above my left collarbone, where my tattoo was hidden by the bandages.
“It was easy,” she said. “Plus, I’m a Sweeper. We know about that stuff.”
“A Sweeper ?”
She took a few steps back, and I wondered if she wanted to put some distance between us, or just get a good look at me.
“You know … I run around the world in pursuit of criminals to earn money. That kinda thing.”
Later, we found out that we were actually neighbors. She’d been living in my building for about three months, but we had never run into each other. If I hadn’t screwed up on this particular mission, we probably never would have.
“I have to go.”
“No.”
I gave a start.
“I’m not done patching you up. Stay put,” she said.
That was an order that I did not have any trouble obeying.
“My name’s Saya Minatsuki.”
She started rummaging into her first-aid kit for a compress and alcohol to disinfect the scrapes on my face. I looked at her back, the delicate white fabric adorned with pink flowers of the strange clothes covering her shoulders, the soft yellow belt encircling her waist.
“Usually, people give their names when they introduce themselves.”
She turned around and glared at me.
“I’m … Train. Train Heartnet.”
The glare disappeared, and the brilliant smile was back once more.
“That’s better !”
****
“I need to go back.”
Saya stood up, her hands on her hips, her face set.
“Why ?”
I sighed.
“I have masters … orders that I need to follow. I should have been back days ago.”
She looked at me as if she didn’t understand what I was saying, and even now I am sure that she didn’t.
“Train … Cats don’t have masters. They don’t follow orders. They live their own lives freely, they go wherever they want … and they only kill to feed.”
“Saya …”
“I know !”
It was her turn to sigh, and then she smiled again.
“Give me your cell phone number, ” she said.
****
I got to spend a week in a cell when I came back. It was the first time it happened to me. It was far from being the last.
****
She never knew who I worked for.
“They’re powerful and they’re dangerous. That’s all you need to know.”
“Traaaaain !”
“I won’t tell you,” I said, shaking my head.
She was mad at me, but not for long. She was never mad at me for long. She had too many beautiful things to show me to lose time staying mad at me.
She called them ‘the organization’.
****
‘Wow, I didn’t think the famous Black Cat could be hurt.’
‘Thanks very much ! Who died on the spot ?’
‘It’s making you laugh to see me be swindled ?’
“I don’t get to see you frustrated because you missed a catch very often, Saya !”
‘You’ve changed, Train.’
‘Now you just have to leave your organization, right ?’
“It’s not that simple.”
‘Cats live their own lives freely, they go wherever they want.’
“Creed ! You bastard !”
‘Don’t be mad at me, Train. I decided to fight him.’
‘I wanted to move soon.’
“Stop ! Don’t talk, Saya ! I’ll take you to a doctor !”
‘You are my best friend, Train.’
‘You can forget me.’
“Saya !”
I couldn’t hear my voice over the fireworks.
****
“…ain ! Train !”
Sven’s voice woke me up with a start, and I banged my head on the car door in the process.
“Ow ! Warn a man, will ya ?”
Sven ignored my whining. He had become very good at it now.
“Do you want to stop here ?”
I looked away from the sign he was pointing at.
“Not yet.”
“Are you sure ?”
“No.”
He took the time to light up before stepping on the gas. And banging my head. Again.
“Ow ! Sven !”
“Just tell me when you’re ready.”
I blinked at him.
“Okay …”
OWARI
fandom : Black Cat (mangaverse)
characters : Saya Minatsuki, Train Heartnet, Sven Vollfield
medium : ficlet
challenge : past/history
AN : Angst, Train POV, spoilers for vol. 2 and 13.
Crit : W/E
“Wow, I didn’t think the famous Black Cat could be hurt.”
I was almost dead when she picked me up. I didn’t know how she brought me back to her place. Or why.
“How did you …”
She smiled and her fingers hovered above my left collarbone, where my tattoo was hidden by the bandages.
“It was easy,” she said. “Plus, I’m a Sweeper. We know about that stuff.”
“A Sweeper ?”
She took a few steps back, and I wondered if she wanted to put some distance between us, or just get a good look at me.
“You know … I run around the world in pursuit of criminals to earn money. That kinda thing.”
Later, we found out that we were actually neighbors. She’d been living in my building for about three months, but we had never run into each other. If I hadn’t screwed up on this particular mission, we probably never would have.
“I have to go.”
“No.”
I gave a start.
“I’m not done patching you up. Stay put,” she said.
That was an order that I did not have any trouble obeying.
“My name’s Saya Minatsuki.”
She started rummaging into her first-aid kit for a compress and alcohol to disinfect the scrapes on my face. I looked at her back, the delicate white fabric adorned with pink flowers of the strange clothes covering her shoulders, the soft yellow belt encircling her waist.
“Usually, people give their names when they introduce themselves.”
She turned around and glared at me.
“I’m … Train. Train Heartnet.”
The glare disappeared, and the brilliant smile was back once more.
“That’s better !”
****
“I need to go back.”
Saya stood up, her hands on her hips, her face set.
“Why ?”
I sighed.
“I have masters … orders that I need to follow. I should have been back days ago.”
She looked at me as if she didn’t understand what I was saying, and even now I am sure that she didn’t.
“Train … Cats don’t have masters. They don’t follow orders. They live their own lives freely, they go wherever they want … and they only kill to feed.”
“Saya …”
“I know !”
It was her turn to sigh, and then she smiled again.
“Give me your cell phone number, ” she said.
****
I got to spend a week in a cell when I came back. It was the first time it happened to me. It was far from being the last.
****
She never knew who I worked for.
“They’re powerful and they’re dangerous. That’s all you need to know.”
“Traaaaain !”
“I won’t tell you,” I said, shaking my head.
She was mad at me, but not for long. She was never mad at me for long. She had too many beautiful things to show me to lose time staying mad at me.
She called them ‘the organization’.
****
‘Wow, I didn’t think the famous Black Cat could be hurt.’
‘Thanks very much ! Who died on the spot ?’
‘It’s making you laugh to see me be swindled ?’
“I don’t get to see you frustrated because you missed a catch very often, Saya !”
‘You’ve changed, Train.’
‘Now you just have to leave your organization, right ?’
“It’s not that simple.”
‘Cats live their own lives freely, they go wherever they want.’
“Creed ! You bastard !”
‘Don’t be mad at me, Train. I decided to fight him.’
‘I wanted to move soon.’
“Stop ! Don’t talk, Saya ! I’ll take you to a doctor !”
‘You are my best friend, Train.’
‘You can forget me.’
“Saya !”
I couldn’t hear my voice over the fireworks.
****
“…ain ! Train !”
Sven’s voice woke me up with a start, and I banged my head on the car door in the process.
“Ow ! Warn a man, will ya ?”
Sven ignored my whining. He had become very good at it now.
“Do you want to stop here ?”
I looked away from the sign he was pointing at.
“Not yet.”
“Are you sure ?”
“No.”
He took the time to light up before stepping on the gas. And banging my head. Again.
“Ow ! Sven !”
“Just tell me when you’re ready.”
I blinked at him.
“Okay …”
OWARI