taking the boy's chin in his hand. "I'm not
mad at all."
The boy's eyes shot to his in surprise, and
Damien smiled widely. He wiped at the shaving cream.
"Kayden," came a call from the other room. It
was John. He must be here with the boy's breakfast.
"In here," Damien called back.
"Sir?" John queried as he hesitantly looked
around the doorway of the washroom, surveying the mess on the
floor.
John saw the Duke wiping white cream from the
little neko's face and hair. The man was smiling and laughing, and
John was shocked to see the lord acting so gentle and--was the man
actually laughing?
Damien finished wiping the boy's face, and
slowly he could feel the boy's trembling subside.
"He had a little accident," Damien explained
to John without looking away from the bright green eyes.
"I see," John said.
Damien rose, gently pulling Kayden to his
feet as well. He was still grinning down at the young neko. "I
don't think you need to shave yet, kitten," Damien chuckled,
running the back of his fingers over the smooth cheek of the boy.
"You're just fine like you are."
He was surprised when soft fingers ghosted
over his own cheek, testing the smoothness. Then the hand jerked
back as if the boy realized his forwardness was grossly
inappropriate.
Damien grinned, taking the neko's hand and
placing back on his cheek, letting the boy know that it was okay,
that he wasn't mad. "I, on the other hand, have to work at it."
He straightened, his hand wrapping around the
boy's neck gently to guide him from the washroom. Kayden suddenly
dropped to the floor to help John clean up the mess, picking up a
couple broken pieces of the pottery, anxious to help with the mess
he'd made.
"Kayden, you don't--" Damien started, but
both John and Damien froze when they saw Kayden swipe up the
straight razor from the floor. The boy moved so fast and silently,
that neither man knew what to expect.
John darted in front of the Duke,
instinctively moving to protect his master.
Kayden froze when he realized that they
thought he was going to attack with the blade. He ducked his head
and cautiously, slowly, moved to the washing table, placing the
blade down. He dropped to his knees in the middle of the mess,
slowly gathering pieces of the broken bowl.
Both Damien and John Drystan looked guilty
for even suspecting that the young neko might have wished him harm.
Damien cleared his throat.
"Kayden, come here," he ordered gently, glad
that the young boy obeyed without flinching. "Go eat. John will get
someone to clean the rest of this."
John nodded with a slightly guilty smile.
"I've left your food on the table."
Kayden let his master lead him out of the
washroom, and Damien allowed himself the comfort of stroking over
the boy's soft hair. John brushed past both of them toward the
door, intent on getting someone to clean up the mess. He heard John
calling down the hallway for someone. When they were alone for a
moment, Kayden looked up at him, eyes questioning.
"You take all the time you need to eat,"
Damien said softly. "I have an important meeting downstairs. John
will bring you down later."
Kayden nodded quickly, and Damien noticed
that while the boy was still hunched in on himself, he wasn't
shaking in terror either at the moment.
He turned quickly and grabbed his waistcoat
from the wardrobe. "Can't keep the king waiting too long, can
we?"
Damien smirked and winked at his little gift,
surprising both of them. Crap, Damien thought, this wasn't him. He
wasn't one to make light of his duties like that. What the hell was
this boy doing to him?
****
Kayden watched his master leave, settling
next to the table and hesitantly reaching for a piece of the
chicken that was resting on the plate. He savored the taste of the
juicy meat, wondering briefly why he was constantly being offered
such a treat at each meal. No master had wasted such tasty morsels
on him before. His ears pricked at the sound of the door opening,
and he flicked his eyes from his
mad at all."
The boy's eyes shot to his in surprise, and
Damien smiled widely. He wiped at the shaving cream.
"Kayden," came a call from the other room. It
was John. He must be here with the boy's breakfast.
"In here," Damien called back.
"Sir?" John queried as he hesitantly looked
around the doorway of the washroom, surveying the mess on the
floor.
John saw the Duke wiping white cream from the
little neko's face and hair. The man was smiling and laughing, and
John was shocked to see the lord acting so gentle and--was the man
actually laughing?
Damien finished wiping the boy's face, and
slowly he could feel the boy's trembling subside.
"He had a little accident," Damien explained
to John without looking away from the bright green eyes.
"I see," John said.
Damien rose, gently pulling Kayden to his
feet as well. He was still grinning down at the young neko. "I
don't think you need to shave yet, kitten," Damien chuckled,
running the back of his fingers over the smooth cheek of the boy.
"You're just fine like you are."
He was surprised when soft fingers ghosted
over his own cheek, testing the smoothness. Then the hand jerked
back as if the boy realized his forwardness was grossly
inappropriate.
Damien grinned, taking the neko's hand and
placing back on his cheek, letting the boy know that it was okay,
that he wasn't mad. "I, on the other hand, have to work at it."
He straightened, his hand wrapping around the
boy's neck gently to guide him from the washroom. Kayden suddenly
dropped to the floor to help John clean up the mess, picking up a
couple broken pieces of the pottery, anxious to help with the mess
he'd made.
"Kayden, you don't--" Damien started, but
both John and Damien froze when they saw Kayden swipe up the
straight razor from the floor. The boy moved so fast and silently,
that neither man knew what to expect.
John darted in front of the Duke,
instinctively moving to protect his master.
Kayden froze when he realized that they
thought he was going to attack with the blade. He ducked his head
and cautiously, slowly, moved to the washing table, placing the
blade down. He dropped to his knees in the middle of the mess,
slowly gathering pieces of the broken bowl.
Both Damien and John Drystan looked guilty
for even suspecting that the young neko might have wished him harm.
Damien cleared his throat.
"Kayden, come here," he ordered gently, glad
that the young boy obeyed without flinching. "Go eat. John will get
someone to clean the rest of this."
John nodded with a slightly guilty smile.
"I've left your food on the table."
Kayden let his master lead him out of the
washroom, and Damien allowed himself the comfort of stroking over
the boy's soft hair. John brushed past both of them toward the
door, intent on getting someone to clean up the mess. He heard John
calling down the hallway for someone. When they were alone for a
moment, Kayden looked up at him, eyes questioning.
"You take all the time you need to eat,"
Damien said softly. "I have an important meeting downstairs. John
will bring you down later."
Kayden nodded quickly, and Damien noticed
that while the boy was still hunched in on himself, he wasn't
shaking in terror either at the moment.
He turned quickly and grabbed his waistcoat
from the wardrobe. "Can't keep the king waiting too long, can
we?"
Damien smirked and winked at his little gift,
surprising both of them. Crap, Damien thought, this wasn't him. He
wasn't one to make light of his duties like that. What the hell was
this boy doing to him?
****
Kayden watched his master leave, settling
next to the table and hesitantly reaching for a piece of the
chicken that was resting on the plate. He savored the taste of the
juicy meat, wondering briefly why he was constantly being offered
such a treat at each meal. No master had wasted such tasty morsels
on him before. His ears pricked at the sound of the door opening,
and he flicked his eyes from his
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