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‟Of course I’ll be there, my little kitten!”
Manami sighed, peeking around the curtain, but. . .
His papa stood out in most any crowd - even more in one like this, mostly monkey humans. And. . .
Well.
Manami knew his papa. She might have said . . . but he could count on one hand the number of times she’d absolutely really promised to come home for an event for Manami - a tournament, a graduation ceremony, a birthday - and actually made it.
Mom had offered to come - and even though it was the busy season at the ryokan, and with Hidekuni-nii and Shinobu-nii both away they were really shorthanded, Manami knew she would have - but he’d told her it was all right. And it was, really - Mom came to everything that was important to Manami, if he wanted.
Still, it was a little. . .
Manami sighed, but pulled on a smile as one of his classmates tapped his shoulder. He scurried back across the stage behind the curtain to get ready - to let them set up for the first of his classmates.
Manami listened to them play, one after another - the music he knew so well now, the occasional mistake - tucked out of the way backstage. He resisted the fizz of nerves as his true soul tried to bleed through, flexing his fingers and fighting back the creep of his claws. He couldn’t play properly with them showing, he reminded himself - though his ears and tail were more noticeable, he thought with a wry, silent laugh.
‟Manami-kun!”
Manami opened his eyes and nodded, rising as his teacher shooed him out onto the stage. He didn’t look at the audience, only moved to the waiting piano, focusing on the music he had practised and practised until surely he could play it in his sleep. . .
He smiled as he began to play, nerves only a bright, glimmering edge to his excitement, and lost himself in the familiar music. Now both old and skilled enough to be allowed to choose his own program more freely, the piece building beneath his fingers was one of his favourites.
His, and also-
Manami pushed that away, nothing more than the music in his mind as he played through to the end, then rose, moving to the front of the stage to bow, and- froze.
Kunimasa grinned from the front row, giving a sharp whistle as he applauded with the rest of the audience.
Manami beamed, though his struggle for control spiked, and hurried off the stage. He should wait until the recital had finished, but. . .
Taking his wavering control as an excuse to slip away, he found Kunimasa waiting for him outside the auditorium doors. ‟Masa-nii!” Manami cried, pouncing.
Kunimasa caught him, lifting him easily, pressing a hard kiss to his neck and making him purr.
‟You made it.” Manami mewed happily, kissing him.
Kunimasa laughed, nuzzling back. ‟Of course I have!” he returned Manami’s purr, deep and rough. ‟A special day for my little kitten?”
Manami shivered, biting his lip, heart fluttering.