The Flaw

First this is the first story I am posting here and I don't really know what I am doing, so please have patience. Also I am looking for a beta, so if anybody is interested let me know. I thought this is the best way to find someone that is actually interested in the story. Also please review and point out errors. I need the encouragement to keep posting and I want to keep this story consistent (if you know your Ai no kusabi universe and I make mistakes with places etc. please let me know. I tried to look at maps and stuff, but...). Lastly English is not my first language, so point out mistakes, but don't be too harsh (constructive criticism please).

Disclaimer: I guess everybody knows that I don't own Ai no Kusabi. I sure as hell am not talented enough to have written that.

Chapter 1
Katze felt miserable. Today couldn’t have gone any worse. Actually it was not really only today. It had been the past year – ever since that unfortunate fire. He cursed Guy under his laboured breath. It was cold this time of year and Ceres made it seem colder. Every smart mongrel had found shelter and only a couple of desperate ones that might not survive the night were still out. That sadly included him. For a year he had felt like a nomad. Jupiter’s anger over her golden boy’s death had ruined his life. Finally with the death of his master, he had gained citizenship, just to find out that it was all worth nothing. Jupiter had destroyed he black market - if only temporarily - and with it Katze. Deep in his musing Katze didn’t realize how the dark and dirty alleys he was wandering along had become cleaner, almost free from the stench of poverty. Now he found himself on wider streets, that were well lit. Katze raised his head slightly to look where he found himself - Mistral Park. He had had business contacts here. Maybe some of them were still intact, but he doubted it. He had used most of his contacts, what little of them was left, to survive in the past year. Cars now started to rush by him spraying slush at his stained and worn clothes. This was just the perfect day for a stroll. He was staring at the ground again. It had become habitual. First the servant, now the useless castrate. There was nothing lower than him. He heard another car approach and drive by. Then it stopped. It was a white limousine, large probably transporting some new pets for some rich elite. Katze moved further towards the buildings lining the road, avoiding the parked vehicle. The driver got out and waved at him. This trick wasn’t new to Katze. Someone was looking to have some fun with him - beating him, kicking him and other things. Citizenship didn’t protect from disdain and his origins were plain to see.
“Katze, is that you?” Katze looked up at the man standing at the side of the road. “Daryl?”
“Oh, my God, Katze. I thought I would never see you again. I thought she had killed you.”
“She might as well.” Katze mumbled, but then said more audibly. “No, she didn’t. I’m still around. You look well?” He gave Daryl a sharp analyzing look, trying to see how valid that statement really was.
“Yes, I am fine. Come on. Get in the car. You look like you are about to collapse.” Daryl looked at his old friend with concern. He was thin, too thin, his lips blue and his face looked ashen, yet sharp brown eyes, surrounded by dark circles, looked as alert as ever. Daryl knew Katze wouldn’t survive this night, but he didn’t think Katze did. In any case Katze would be too proud to admit it. “No, I can’t go with you, Daryl. What will your master think?” Katze said softly. He wished he could take advantage of this offer.
“Don’t worry. I only have to take care of these new pets today. He will never find out. I have to get them settled in Apatia. You can come with me and after I’m finished, we can chat. I insist.” Daryl moved towards Katze and gently tugged him by the arm to the vehicle. “If you think, I won’t be a problem. I don’t want to cause any trouble for you.”
“You are never trouble.”

Katze woke up and felt disoriented. Where was he? He remembered meeting Daryl and getting into the limousine. Then nothing…
He shook his head and realized he was lying on a small bed in a dark room. The only source of light was coming from a small night light. “Lights on.” He tried his luck and it worked. He must be in a pretty decent place for voice activated lights. But then Daryl was still furniture… . The room was very small with nothing but the bed and a night stand. Throbbing pain came to Katze’s attention and he grabbed his head. “Dim lights by half.” That seemed to be much better for his head. The door adjacent to the bed opened with a huff. “Oh, you have come to. I am so glad.” Daryl moved over to him and sat down at his feet. “Daryl, I am so sorry. I don’t want to inconvenience you any longer. If you could just show me out. I should get going anyway.”
“You passed out in the vehicle. You are not well. You probably haven’t eaten for days. AND you are not leaving here before you have.” Daryl replied calmly, but every word was precise and sharp. There was no room for discussion.
“Does that work on your master’s pets? You know better Daryl. I know the tricks of the trade.” Katze chuckled, but then stopped. Oh Jupiter, his head hurt. Daryl blushed, eyes cast down in embarrassment. “Sorry.” The word was barely audible. Daryl was indeed good furniture, obedient and a little timid, easily bullied into submission. Katze smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder.
“I’m just so happy to see you again. I thought I would never… . I want to help you. Let me help you, please?” Big beautiful green eyes held Katze’s gaze. He looked down.
“OK, let’s have a bite to eat together and catch up. I am happy to see you too, Daryl. I missed you.” His words were rewarded with a smile. “By the way, where are we?”
“We are at master’s harem. I had to take care of his new acquisitions and get them ready for a show in a couple of days.”
“Will you get in trouble for taking me here?” Katze asked while he slowly got up and waited until his vision returned to normal.
“No, he will never find out and I don’t think he will mind much. He has been good to me. Let’s go to the kitchen.” Daryl pulled slightly on Katze’s shirt sleeve and motioned him to follow. Both men were quiet. Being invisible and inaudible were among the most important rules of their profession, and they both knew it. They went through a couple of well lit, but bare hallways entering a huge, well-equipped kitchen. Everything was spotless. “He has not gotten sloppy.” Katze thought. Daryl sat him down at a small table in the corner.
“So what would you like to eat?” Daryl looked at him questioningly.
“Anything, really.” Katze didn’t feel much like eating, since his head was killing him swatting down even the hunger of a starving man.
“OK, let’s have some leftover stew and then see where we go from there.” Daryl happily started getting busy in the kitchen, digging for something in the fridge. This gave Katze time to really look at the young man that he had trained to replace him. He looked a little older and more muscular than the last time he had seen him, but was still very slender and youthful. His face was still that of a child. ‘Good,’ Katze thought, ‘he will at least have another couple of years.’ Other than that he looked healthy. His cheeks very full and though his eyes looked a little tired now, he did not seem overworked. There were also no signs of abuse. No limping, no awkward movements, due to bruises or sprained limbs. “Master Raoul has been good to you, hasn’t he?” Katze whispered with relief.

They ate their meal mostly in silence. Katze wolfed down most of his stew and Daryl had quickly gotten out day old sandwiches for him as well. Daryl thought Katze must have really been starved to eat this quickly and undignified in front of him. Usually the older furniture managed a perfect façade.
Furniture was not allowed to drink alcohol, at least not on duty, which was pretty much always, so Daryl had served some lillaberry juice. Katze was in heaven. He hadn’t eaten this much and this well in weeks and the taste of the sweet juice as it filled his mouth was divine and no comparison to the stale, dirty water or cold snow he had made do with. His stomach was so full that he felt food coming back up, when he finally realized it would be better to stop. He swallowed the last bite and tried to keep it down, while looking across the table at the younger man. Daryl looked into the bright red-brown eyes smiling. He was glad to be in the company of his old mentor. In the past year there hadn’t been much familiar around him. Nothing to hold on to really, while faced with a new master and the challenges that came with him. “I’m so glad to see you, Katze. You don’t know how glad I am to see you.”
A grunt that was a suppressed laugh was heard from across the table. Katze had certainly not heard that for a long time. “Don’t get sentimental, Daryl. It doesn’t suit us.”
The room remained quiet for a while, the only noise the humming of the fridge.
“How is your new life? How is it really?” Katze broke the uncomfortable atmosphere.
“Well, it has been quite good. I was glad that Raoul decided to keep me. He is a good master. Not very strict and only at times demanding.”
“A blondie that is not demanding? Jupiter must have messed up working on his genetic code.” Katze smirked and the two of them were back to normal.
“Ok, let me say, he is not too demanding for a blondie. I mostly take care of him, but right now he acquired a lot of new pets, so I can’t help him as much at home. I will have to stay here over night for the first couple of weeks to make sure they are all fine and he even suggested I don’t have to attend him in the morning.” Katze’s eyes went wide in astonishment. “A blondie that is willing to dress himself in the morning? That is indeed uncommon.”
“Yes, he even suggested he can heat up his own breakfast, if I prepare it ahead of time. But I have someone deliver the food in the morning, since I don’t want him to burn the house down.”
“I guess you are lucky then.” Katze sighed. “Let’s hope you have many more years of service.”
“I thought you couldn’t wait to be a citizen? Iason had been dangling that like bait in front of you for years. Letting you go, but not really…” Daryl thought how his old master had skillfully controlled Katze, using his freedom as the elusive prize. He had given the man freedom to live in his own place and he had been one of the most powerful men in Midas, but in the end he had no status, no rights and was owned, like all other furniture.
“It’s not as grand as you think, kid. It’s an illusion. People still know. We will never shed what we are.” Disappointment was dripping from these words and Daryl looked down reaching for his glass. They talked about this and that as time went on. They talked about the newly acquired pets and what quality they were. Daryl asked some information about how to best deal with four new acquisitions at a time in addition to the other two that were already in the harem. Katze complied, playing mentor, a role he was familiar and comfortable with. No awkward questions about his condition and how he was doing. The only thing Daryl could not hide was the concern in his forrest green eyes. Maybe there was also pity, thought Katze disgusted by himself. He should really leave and try to find a place to stay for the rest of the night. He started leaning back on his chair moving it away from the table, signalling Daryl that it was time. “Oh, you must be really tired. I’m sorry for keeping you up, Daryl. It’s already 200, you will have to get up in less than 4 hours.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, but you must be tired too. I will get you a bed ready and…”
“No, Daryl you can’t do that.” Katze interrupted. “I will go. I was really heading somewhere already, when you picked me up.” He lied.
“Katze, you will stay. I do not care about your pride. I do not care about the fact that you don’t want to accept my help. You will stay. I will not let an old friend walk out in this cold with no place to go!” Daryl hissed angrily. When had the young furniture become this imposing? “But I have somewhere to go! For that matter, people might be expecting me!!” Katze retorted with the same strength. “Don’t lie, Katze. It doesn’t become you. It never did. I might not have been able to tell in the past, but I can tell the lie now. There is no room for debate this time!” Daryl was getting angrier and slammed his hands on the table getting up of his chair and moving towards Katze. They stared at each other for a second and then to Katze’s surprise Daryl gave in, eyes turning soft. “Please, Katze, do it for me. Let me be a friend… at least for tonight.” Voice now low and begging, eyes wide and Katze lost. “OK, but don’t make a bed. Raoul is not so relaxed that he will allow you to put up some person from the street in one of his pet rooms.”
“You can sleep in my room.” Daryl grabbed his hand happily dragging him out of the kitchen and down the corridors again.


------------
God, did I find many mistakes. I just looked it over again and changed some stuff around. Nothing major, but I found some stuff pretty embarrassing. I have to look more closely next time. If you find more problems, point them out.