storypaint | Kaho-neko (Touya/Kaho) *repost*

Comm: 15pairings
Words: 731
Title: Kaho-neko
Pairing: Touya/Kaho primarily; hints of future Eriol/Kaho, Touya/Yukito
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. This fanfic is a derivative of canon material that is not my property. I do not profit from these writings. The opinions and actions expressed in these stories are not necessarily the views and beliefs of the original author or me.
Rating: G

Excerpt: What possesses a twenty-something-year-old schoolteacher to wear cat ears and tail? And to paint upon her perfect porcelain skin crayon whiskers?

What possesses a twenty-something-year-old schoolteacher to wear cat ears and tail? And to paint upon her perfect porcelain skin crayon whiskers?

That's what Touya was asking himself when he met his girlfriend. It was a day like any other day, or so he thought. The autumn wind nipped at his teal sweater, making him draw his coat closer about him as he walked to the shrine where they met most days.

He thought it was a day like any other day, except that his girlfriend was dressed like a cat. She waved merrily at him as he approached and he looked around in case she was waving at some small child who would appreciate the ridiculousness of the situation. She was not.

"Touya-kun!" she said, lifting a paw--er, hand--and batting at him. "Happy Halloween!"

Touya lifted an eyebrow at her. She made a purring noise, still wearing that goofy smile that had made him fall for her so hard. How lucky I am, he thought, to have found someone I can love all my life at such an early age. The thought made him blush and then he pushed it away. What was he, sentimental? Whatever. A teenage guy was not supposed to be in touch with his feelings. Then again, his maturity had been something that attracted Kaho to him and allowed their relationship to become two-sided. She could get fired for an involvement with her student, he knew. He admired her determination.

"What's with the get-up?" he said gruffly, trying to ignore that he'd always had a sort of thing for catgirls in anime. To see his girlfriend like this, in public or not, was giving him interesting thoughts. He bet that those ears were soft... and he wanted to touch them. He twisted his hands behind his back instead.

"Well, it's Halloween," she said, as though that explained everything.

"So?"

"In England and in America, Halloween is the day that small children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door to get candy from the neighbors," she said with another fond smile. He could have almost sworn that her tail twitched, but he brushed the thought off. That was silly.

She had a large bell around her neck and tags. He leaned forward to read the words but she jumped back playfully, her bell jangling, and took a pretend swipe at him.

"People just give these kids candy for appearing in costume?" he said, trying to ignore her cuteness. The holiday didn't make much sense to him.

"Yep," she nodded. "There's a history behind it, but it's just candy and costumes now. It's supposed to scare away evil spirits, actually."

"Really?" he said, grabbing her hand. She let him pull her close and rested her head on his shoulder. When he was with her, he never felt self-conscious about being so tall. It just felt like she needed a large man to lean on.

"Don't want any evil spirits, hmm?" she said, looking up at him. Then she reached up and took her kitty headband off, and put it on his head. He felt pretty silly and guessed it must have shown on his face because she laughed and petted his head.

"That will scare all the evil spirits away from Touya-neko," she said and giggled.

"Hey, I don't want these--" he tried to protest, but she jumped away playfully and lifted a paw.

"Catch me if you can!" she said, and took off running towards the stairs by the shrine. He pelted after her, content to be chasing his girl in the late autumn afternoon. Her tags jangled as she ran, but he never did read them. When she left him, a day not far off from then, not that he knew at the time, she took the collar and tags with her, along with the ears and tail, though she never wore them again. Once in a while she'd take them out and read the inscription, and her eyes would crinkle with a smile of remembrance. It wasn't that she was sorry that fate had pulled them apart, nor that he had found happiness in another, as had she. It was just that she treasured their time together and the last few fun moments they had had. She'd read the inscription again:

Kaho-neko-chan
if found please return to
Kinomoto Touya
55 Nakashiku, Tomoeda

And she would smile.