Amalesh slipped quietly into the classroom, not bothering to make eye contact with any of the other students. He knew some of the class would not like the fact that he was a freshman in a higher-level class. They would like it even less if they found out he was taking this class purely for the sake of knowledge, since it wasn’t required by any stretch of the imagination to take a computer technology class when he wanted to be a high school history and literature teacher. But he wanted to take the class, so he had. He was wearing a skin-tight sleeveless shirt. It stressed that despite his high IQ, he kept in shape as well. He had a white dress shirt on over it, and casual black slacks to match. His scruffy brown ears twitched as he slipped into a seat. He then swung his book bag around to slip out his laptop, leaving the books inside. He'd take them out later if he needed them. He flipped it open and woke it up from sleep mode, his slightly bushy tail twitching as he started to pull up the online notes for the class to come. The length and fluffiness of his tail was unusual. Most of his race had slick slim tails. He brushed some of his brown bangs out of his eyes and sighed, leaning back. He was fully prepared for the class to begin. He had chosen a seat in the front row so that he didn't have to be distracted by other students not paying attention. He was here to learn, not to get angry with others for not caring.

 

Aku was one of the last students in the class, his blue bangs hanging in his face. He looked around to see if his normal seat was open, and of course he saw that some guy had snagged it before him. The only open seat was up front. Right beside what appeared to be a middle school student at first glance.  Upon second glance he saw that the smaller male that he was looking at was in fact a freshman and seemed to be in shape since his smaller body was lean and muscular.  With a smirk on his face he saw how the smaller Neko was already pulling out notes for class. His dark blue eyes sparkled as he went to sit beside the small male. He set up his own laptop but instead of pulling up the online notes, he hacked the school system to find out who this little rough gem was, along with any information he could about him, including his email.  Within five minutes he chuckled and saved the information onto a flash drive before erasing his tracks. Pulling up his email, he quickly typed out a small message and sent it to the boy.

 

Amalesh blinked when an icon popped up in the lower right-hand corner of his computer screen, indicating he had received a new e-mail. Clicking rapidly, he navigated to the appropriate page, wondering who would be sending him e-mail at this time of day. He saw the name and didn't recognize it. He hesitated. He should probably just trash it; it was in all likelihood spam. But it could be from the school, maybe someone trying to get him to join a club. He sighed and then clicked open the e-mail to see what was inside, hoping to finish before the teacher came in.

 

With the rough looks you have, not many will take a second look at you. However I think that there is a hidden gem under that rough little exterior you have.  You just need a little help polishing it up.
-Aku-

 

Aku grinned as he saw how quickly the younger Neko worked. With a slight purr he relaxed in his seat, letting his shirt go to either side of his waist as he sat there. 

 

Amalesh's ears twitched and he gritted his teeth. Rapidly typing, he shot a response back to this stranger. When the teacher walked in he exited his e-mail and tried to focus on the syllabus the teacher was going over, but couldn't help but wonderwho had sent that e-mail.

 

Seeing the young Neko send a response Aku refreshed his inbox and clicked on the new mail icon.

 

Aku,
I don't know who you are and to be honest I'm not sure I care. I like my appearances just the way they are thanks. Just because my fluffy tail and ears deviate from standard genes doesn't make them inferior.
-Amal

 

Aku chuckled softly to himself. The little Neko had some fire to him. Without a second thought he sent back his reply and let his eyes play over the freshman’s body again, as if registering all of it into his mind.  After a moment he turned back to the teacher and pretended to pay attention even if he already knew everything the teacher was talking about.

 

The screen flashed again and Amal tried to ignore the curiosity tugging at him and pay attention to the teacher. But then he couldn't help it and he pulled up his email on a new screen.

 

Amal,
I am not saying there is anything wrong with your looks. In fact you are a bit too attractive for your own good.  Do you know that when I came into the classroom I couldn’t help but be drawn to your messy tail and then your lithe body? It looks so soft yet I can see the well defined muscles you have.  I am talking about your social skills my little kitten.
-Aku-

 

He emitted a low growl and then clicked out of the screen. Why even bother to answer? He was just being goaded – probably some older student trying to make fun of him. He managed to sit through the rest of class and pay attention to the teacher. When class was over he shifted his laptop into sleep mode, gently closed it, and slipped it carefully into his book bag. That laptop sometimes meant more to him than other people. He then moved to slip on his backpack as he stood to leave.

 

Aku stood and picked up the smaller Neko’s backpack before he could slip it over his shoulder. "What is your next class?" He smiled gently and softened his eyes to seem friendly when his instincts were telling him something completely different.

 

The Neko spun and his eyes flashed. "Give me back my bag will you? Who gave you the right to touch my stuff?" he growled. "And as for my next class why the hell should you care? You don't even know me and if you're going to just randomly grab people's things then I'd like to keep it that way." His tail lashed once, his anger etched in his entire stance.

 

Aku chuckled. "Easy there spitfire. I am just trying to be friendly. It looked a bit heavy so I was just going to hold it until you were going to go.  I wouldn’t harm your laptop."  He smiles again and holds the bag out to the smaller Neko.  "What’s your name little one?  I don’t think I’ve seen you around this class before." His thin tail flicked slightly out behind him and then wrapped around his waist seeming to be a furry blue belt that interrupted the pure black field formed by his undershirt and slacks.  His shirt showed off his broad chest and defined muscles.

 

Amal kept his gaze from wandering over the other Neko’s body. He snatched his bag back. "I'm a first semester freshman that's why. My name's Amal, what's yours?"

 

"Amal, nice name. It suits you. I figured you were a freshman.  The name is Aku. And you never did answer me. What is your next class little one?" He ruffled the young mans hair and rubbed his ear slightly then dropped his arm and picks up his own bag, slipping his laptop into it.

 

Amal's eyes widened. "You're the stranger that e-mailed me! What was that all about?" Then he blushed when he remembered the content of that last e-mail.

 

"Just some friendly chit chat. Now where is your next class little one? Tell me or I will just have to make you skip it." His grin grows a bit as his tail unwinds from his waist and rubs over the smaller Neko’s slightly, just barely touching it.

 

Amal's tail bristles as he shivers. "I...don't have class after this, I'm done for the day," he stutters out, unnerved by this Aku. He swallowed. He couldn't believe he had just brushed his tail. To Nekos, the tails were personal, not meant to be grabbed or touched carelessly.

 

Aku grinned and purred in happiness. "Good, me too. How about I take you out for a bite to eat." He puts his hand on Amal’s shoulder and basically pulled him along out of the classroom and towards the exit of the school, not taking no for an answer.

 

Amal tried to struggle but quickly realized he wouldn't be able to get out of this one...at least not yet. So he sighed and let himself be manhandled out of the campus.

 

Once they were off campus, Aku loosened his grip on Amal’s shoulder. "So tell me Amal, what do you think of the dear campus so far?" He smiled and moved so his arm was around the smaller boys shoulder and his tail flicked against Amal's rougher one every now and then.

 

Amal was growling by now. "It's fine. Except it's got a real big creep on it who likes to harass freshman and accost them to go places with him without considering their feelings."

 

"Aw Amal, has someone been harassing you? Just tell me who and I will have them taken care of...better yet I will take care of them myself." He grins even more knowing the younger man was talking about him but trying to get a smile from him. "All I am trying to do is be nice and get you something to eat at this great little place I know not far from here.”  His tail accidentally wraps around Amal’s and brushes the end of it a little more.

 

That was it; that was all Amal could stand. Amal forcibly pushed Aku away. "You know what, I'm sorry, I don't like your version of nice." He was growling and his tail was bushy, making it even fluffier than usual. His ears flattened to his head. "You keep your tail to yourself and I'll go get my own food." He turned to walk away.

 

Aku put his hand on Amal’s shoulder. "I’m sorry my tail just latches onto anything close to it.  But I just seriously want you to try this little place.  I don’t mean to seem rude or anything.   I really am just trying to be nice.  Won’t you just try this restaurant I’m talking about?" he asked, his tone somewhat hopeful and a smile on his face.

 

Amal's tail twitched twice before he frowned and turned, but his ears remained low to his head. "Fine, but keep your tail in check or I will leave."

 

"I’ll try my best." He smiled even more and did his best to act carefree as he puts his bag over his shoulder so it wouldn’t bounce around. This way his tail could warp around the strap.  "So tell me, why are you in such an advanced class when you’re just a freshmen?"

 

Amal shrugged as he walked beside Aku. "I wanted to take it; it seemed interesting. My other classes are advanced too. I've gotten most of my core classes out of the way in high school with dual-credit and AP. So I have some leeway in what I can take these first years."

 

"Ah, so your the braniac type. Cute." He grinned and ruffled the smaller boys hair again before he dropped his arm and turned down a smaller alley.

 

Amal growled and flattened his ears again but stops at the alley entrance, his tail bristling slightly. "Are you sure about this? This just looks like asking for trouble." Maybe even trouble from you, he thinks silently.

 

"Yea, this is just the shortcut I always take. Don’t worry there are constant patrols around here so there aren’t any shady characters." He chuckled and puts his hands in his pockets so the smaller boy wouldn’t feel threatened by him. "Once we go through this all it’s just a left and then about half a block or so before we cut to the other side of the road and there it is. Its really small but the cooking is great, if I do say so myself." He grinned a little more and then began to hum out of habit

 

Amal sighed and then started down the alley. "Fine then, let's get this over with." A small breeze ruffled the dress shirt he wore over the tight black shirt and set his hair moving before the breeze died down.

 

Aku nodded and increased his pace a bit to see if the smaller boy’s stride could keep up before cutting the corner and crossing the street. "Come on its right up here."

 

Amal only had to quicken his pace slightly to a light lope to keep up. It didn't tax him physically at all. He had a lot of stamina. He stayed silent, puzzling to himself. He didn't really like this Aku, but he knew why he was continuing to be around him. Aku stirred strange new feelings in him and it had him curious.

 

Aku abruptly stopped in front of a small older building. The sign on the front read “Closed” and all the lights were out.

 

Amal stopped his lope just shy of running into Aku. He raised one eyebrow and couldn't help but comment. "Oh yes, this looks like just the greatest place to catch a meal. If you want to stand out front and breath air that is..."

 

Aku grinned. He pulled some keys out of his pocket and opens the door. "What, are you making fun of my place?" He held the door open for Amal as he flicked the lights on so that the small quaint restaurant was visible and it looked quite nice from the inside, nothing like the older run down look of the outside

 

Amal blinked and looked between Aku and the restaurant as he stepped warily inside. "Your place, what do you mean your place?" His tone was wary and skeptical.

 

Aku laughed. "This is my restaurant and I live upstairs. It is my home and my business." He smiled and shuts the door behind him but kept the sign flipped to closed.  "It doesn’t open up for another hour or so." He pulled off his white dress shirt and threw it over one of the chair as he pulled out a bandana and wrapped it around his head so that his hair is out of his eyes. "Anything you want in particular?" He flashed another grin and put on a plain white apron that looked brand new except for the small frayed edges that gave away its age.

 

Amal sat carefully in one of the seats. With the way Aku had acted and the way he felt his own body reacting to Aku, he wasn't sure he felt comfortable being alone with him, but he couldn't very well back out now. However, that didn't mean he needed to let Aku know how his body was feeling. He kept his ears half-flattened to show his wariness but his tail remained low in what some would interpret as a submissive act. His tail never had been able to behave dominantly, but then again, neither had he. He might have a wicked tongue on him but his bark was much worse than his bite. "No, whatever you want to make is fine," he said blandly.

 

Aku let a pout come to his lips "Come on that’s no challenge.  A chef’s goal is always to please the customer.  Do you like your foods spicy or mild? Do you prefer lots of taste or more on the bland side?" he asks as he sets the table for two.  "Today I am your personal chef. Anything you want I will fix. Come on, it’s to make up for my rude gestures earlier with my tail..."

 

Amal snorted. This felt more like a date than he cared to think about. "I prefer mild spice but with lots of flavor," he finally answered. "My favorite foods are fajitas, gyros, and any sorts of alfredo."

 

Aku grinned. "Alright give me just a bit and I’ll be back. Feel free to look around as you please. If you want you can join me in the kitchen." He moved towards the kitchen. Once there he got out all the ingredients he would need for fajitas and chicken alfredo. He sang slightly as he quickly put the noodles on to boil and started on the Fajitas.

 

Amal sat at the table, and his tail twitched as he looked around the restaurant, his mind not registering much of what he saw as it processed the complicated thoughts about Aku and all that had happened today.

 

Aku’s singing reached out to where Amal was sitting as he danced around the kitchen. Aku put some of the chicken that he had left over from the night before on to heat up and then fixed the fajitas and puts them in the oven before beginning to mix the sauce for the alfredo.

 

Amal's ears perked up to listen to the singing. He sighed. Aku was truly unique. He seemed interested in Amal, but Amal didn't know how he felt about that. Not only that but Amal wasn’t able to tell whether Aku was truly interested or just wanted something from him.

 

A little later Aku comes out of the kitchen with four plates, one in each hand and then two on his arms. He placed them on their respective spots on the table like a pro. "Lunch is served. You have your Fajitas here, with a mild yet spicy taste and then you have the chicken alfredo with softer taste to equal out your taste buds and settle well on the tummy." He grins and removes his still clean apron. He hangs the apron neatly on the chair behind him before turning back to Amal. "And to drink?"

 

Amal shrugged. "Water I guess, I don't know what you have." He eyed the food. "It looks good." But what if he poisoned it or worse yet drugged it with some kind of date-rape drug...then he shook his head. You're being silly, he scolded himself,

 

"We have milk, any kind of cola you could want, tea - sweetened and unsweetened. We also have a few choice wines and some champagne." He smiled and leaned against the back of the chair as he looked over the brown haired boy again.

 

Amal raised one eyebrow. "Oh, and your restaurant makes it a common practice to serve alcohol to minors?" he queried. "I'll take sweet tea please."

 

 

"I was merely stating what we had. I didn’t say you were gonna get it." He chuckled. "One large sweet tea on its way." He disappeared into the back and returned with a large cup of milk and another one of sweet tea. He placed the tea down in front of Amal. "Lunch is served." He sat down and set his milk to the side before he unwrapped his cloth napkin and took out his silverware.

 

Amal couldn't deny the food smelled delicious. So he unwrapped his silverware and twirled some pasta on his fork to try. He chewed thoughtfully and then smiled. "Not bad, not bad."

 

"Not bad…it should be better then that…alfredo is one of my specialties," he whines. He eats a small bite of the alfredo and sits for a moment. "I could have added a few more pinches of spices...but other then that...is it to your liking?" Aku sat there watching him as he took a drink of milk.  "I don’t promise anything on the fajitas…I’m not so good at making them."

 

Amal shrugged. "With the alfredo you could have added diced tomatoes sprinkled across the top to give texture, flavor, and a nice aesthetic touch. Or you could have even added sun-dried tomatoes and spices directly to the sauce to create a unique flavor. But overall, it is good alfredo." Amal then reached out and wrapped up one of the tortillas and took a bite. He blinked. "Surprisingly, you did a good job."

 

He grinned. "That’s good. I was never good at making them. Oh well I guess I really can cook when I want to impress." He chuckled. "I’ve decided something. You are going to be my critic...you know what you are talking about when it comes to food...what do you say...will you help me out?" He smiled hopefully, and his ears pointed up in anticipation.

 

Amal's ears flattened and he sighed. That meant he would have to spend a lot more time alone with Aku. The thought both intrigued and unnerved him at the same time. He knew the sensations Aku stirred up in his body were lust but they were new to him. He'd never felt them for any girl let alone another guy. He wouldn't deny that Aku was handsome but Amal wasn't sure how he felt being attracted to a guy. "Fine," he said. He knew Aku wouldn't leave him alone until he agreed anyways.

 

Aku jumped up and ran around the table and hugged Amal tightly. "Thank you!" He laughed and spun the boy around happily

 

Amal's hand went instinctively around the other's waist for security and he started to growl but then suddenly found he didn't mind being spun around by Aku. When they came to a stop he didn't remove his arms from around Aku's waste and without thinking about it he closed his eyes and leaned into Aku, resting his head on Aku's shoulder. "You're welcome," he said quietly.

 

Aku smiled and rubbed Amal’s back gently. He nuzzled his messy hair.  He decided it was better not to open his mouth and ruin the moment so he just simply held the smaller Neko close. He realized it had been a long time since he had just held anyone in his arms without it leading to a heated mating at some hotel. He never had potential ‘mates’ at his restaurant or even his quarters upstairs. I know I am attracted to him...but why did I bring him here of all places? And why am I trying to please him like this? Oh well I will figure it out later. He relaxed and then without thinking began to hum a soft lullaby that was sung to him as a child.

 

Amal's ears twitched and perked as he let the song lull him he nuzzled his head into Aku's shoulder even more but then he realized what he was doing. Didn't he dislike Aku? Wasn't he sure Aku was playing him for some freshman fool? He jumped and pulled away from Aku and turned, tail twitching rapidly as he worked to control his blush. "Uhm, I really should be going home and doing my homework..." he mumbled, and reached for his bag.

 

Aku tried to hide the disappointment in his eyes. "H…hold on for a moment..." he stuttered and ran into the kitchen. He returned with a small box with that had divided places and put some of the alfredo and fajitas in them. "Here...in case you get hungry later...you didn’t eat very much." He hid his hurt at the small boy running from him with a smile, and he carefully let his bangs cover over his eyes just enough so the hurt that he knew was in there wouldn’t be seen.  "I’d hate for you to say that you left here hungry."

 

Amal turned and took the box, trying to avoid Aku's gaze. "Thank you," he muttered. Then, against all his reasoning screaming to him that Aku was just trying to use him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled something on the paper then slipped the pen back into his pocket. "Here, you can have my number, so if you need me...to...you know, be your critic, you can reach me." He placed the piece of paper on the table and scampered out of the restaurant, not looking back. He was well and truly scared of the fact that for a few moments he had let himself feel safe in Aku's arms, when he was sure that Aku was just using him. Fresh meat was what upperclassmen like Aku called freshman like him. Plus he didn't want Aku to see the tears that trickled out of his eyes at this thought.

 

Aku sighed and sat back down where he had been sitting before Amal had left. "Of course he would be scared of you. Who wouldn’t? At least he will still help me out with the restaurant..." He lay his head on the table before shaking himself out of the depression he was feeling. He put his apron back on before he carried all the dirty dishes to the kitchen. There he cleaned them in preparation for when the restaurant really opened.