New Life : A Second Chance

Xing Han was silent all the way home.

Nitocris sat at the back of the car with Xing Han, who was lying down on Nitocris's lap. Nitocris was looking out the window, his chin on one hand while the other hand was busy, and steadily, stroking Xing Han's hair.

Zack, who was driving, kept glancing back to look at the quiet couple while Yuri stared in front like a robot.

"Let's go on a holiday," Nitocris said suddenly.

"Huh?" Xing Han said in a daze, his mind still on his family.

"I'll inform the help at Hades," Yuri said, picking up the phone, "You can head there immediately."

Xing Han sat up, looking at his beloved in puzzlement.

"Hades is my private island resort," Nitocris explained, "It's also where Cerberus stays. I go there occasionally when I need some time off alone."

He stroked Xing Han's cheek, "Of course, since having you, I never needed to go there. It's your home too now, so anytime you need a break, just tell Yuri or Zack." 

Xing Han nodded.

"We'll also have your wounds attended to," Nitocris said, his eyes narrowing, "We have a doctor staying there as well."

Xing Han placed his hand on Nitocris's hand. The one that was gingerly touching the slight swelling of his cheeks.

"We will stay on the island for as long as is needed," Nitocris continued, "You can do your school work from there and Yuri and Zack can hold the fort back here."

Xing Han nodded, "Okay."

Nitocris caressed the slightly swollen cheek, "Is it still painful?"

Nitocris knew how easily his puppy's skin bruised, but even then, the injury on his beloved was quite severe. He knew the sort of force that was required to injure his puppy so.

The thought of his puppy in pain ripped him apart.

Never, in his wildest dream, did Nitocris think Xing Han had gone back to break the engagement.

If he had known, he would have been there by his side, to help him face the music and shield him from the danger.

He should have listened to his instinct then. He should have insisted on either his puppy to stay or for his puppy to let him follow him.

Xing Han could see the anguish in his beloved's face and it tore him apart as well, "It's okay, Cookie. I'm fine. Just give it a few days and it'll go down soon enough."

Nitocris clenched his jaw, and Xing Han saw the way those muscles moved on his beloved's face. 

He smiled gently, and kissed Nitocris on the cheek, saying, "I am fine, Cookie. Really."

Yuri and Zack, who were sitting in front, kept getting goosebumps each time Xing Han called their Boss 'Cookie'.

Then they saw how Xing Han tried to placate his beloved, by kissing him all over the face while still calling him 'Cookie'.

Without a word, Yuri brought up the private divider screen between the driver and back seat. 

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Kitty was in Heaven.

Once again, she managed to get Papa's special item. 

Amongst all of Papa's stuff, this one had his smell the strongest.

Kitty just loved the smell so much.

Kitty didn't know why, but Papa's smell always calmed her down. When he was not around, these special items of Papa's always made her be able to handle missing him. She could wait patiently for him to come back.

If it wasn't for these treasures of hers, she would be lost, meowing pitifully without anyone hearing her. It had been like that when she was much, much younger. 

Not being able to see Papa, or smell him, made her feel so upset. Like the end of the world.

When Papa started leaving her alone at home, she got so agitated.

The loneliness almost killed her. 

She still remembered the first time she found these treasures. She had been so happy, that she fell asleep on them.

Papa had not been happy.

So she learned that the best thing to do was take them and put them in her special hiding spots. 

The one Kitty was playing with right now was her most favouritest of favourite of all the items Papa had.

She didn't know why, but this item of Papa's came in all shapes and sizes. 

There was one that was kinda big, like those things Papa wear sometimes when he goes out. This one was the best to pile up and sleep on. It was a pain to drag all over the floor, though.[1]

She could only take this one when Papa was not home.

It was also the one that Papa wore the most, so maybe that was why he was always chasing her for it. Whenever he saw her with it, he would just take it back.

Kitty growled at that.

Once she took it, it was hers!

How could he take it back?

All of it was hers.

There was another that was much smaller, and much easier to carry. She liked to put her head inside and gnaw at the part that seemed to pop out more. Sometimes she would play by putting her paw on it to smoothen it, but it never did.[2]

There was another type that was even smaller than that. She didn't quite like it as much, though. Maybe because Papa didn't really wear those.[3]

But this one.

Her most favouritest favourite was this funny one that had strings all over and just one cloth. The strings were fun to play with and she would often get entangled in them. Papa hardly wore these, so she could … erm, take them without him noticing most of the time.[4]

But right now, she was in a bit of trouble.

The darn strings were wrapped around her paws and neck, while the cloth part was covering her face. She couldn't get free at all.

She whimpered, meowing pitifully.