Hi, another Ai no Kusabi fic. Please be warned that Ai no Kusabi is a yaoi category, and if you don't like yaoi or don't know what it is, please step away from this fanfic. I ask that those who do read this review, but please be nice!

Okay, Much Love: Soulhearts

"Huh? Where're you going…? Wait, come back!"

Riki had his head stuck up inside a vent in Eos tower. The vent itself was large enough for him to have become slightly wedged inside. With his left shoulder and head firmly squeezed into the tight space, the sound of a mewling kitten was only amplified. The kitten backed up further into the vent and he sighed exasperatedly.

"Come on little guy… don't be like that, I'm only trying to help you! You sure ain't makin' this easy though…" then a few seconds later… "GOTCHA!"

His hand curled around the tiny kitten's body, and once he had it in his grasp, the tiny claws that sunk into his flesh did virtually nothing. He pulled the little thing out of the vent and sat on the clean, pristine floor, ignoring the snickers and whispers directed his way from high ranking elites.

"God, don't they have anything better to do…" he muttered under his breath as he slowly turned the kitten, making it more comfortable, but also placing it on an angle in which it could not climb out of his grasp again.

Gently, Riki began patting the little cat's head and he gave it a little once-over. It had a very unusual pattern of white and black, and it was like someone had decided to splash paint all over the little kitty… no wait… that was paint!

Riki began softly dusting away the less coated pain and he realised that the cat was actually a solid midnight colour. He sighed as the kitten pushed his head into the mongrel man's touch. It seemed like the thing was really taking to him, but Riki knew how mongrels were and the cat could just be buttering him up.

"Seriously little kitty, you're a bit young for the outside world. I dunno how you got into Eos tower of all places, but if I took you outside you'd be eaten by bigger cats before you could say "meow". I promise I'll take good care of you." The little cat mewled softly in response and snuggled into Riki's button-less shirt.

Ignoring the looks and snickering – yes, he looked like someone had shoved him straight into a dust bin – he took the glass elevator from the bottom of Eos tower to the very top.

Once the elevator slowed, Riki disembarked and then, hurriedly, he walked the short distance down the metallic hallway. Waving his hand over the door sensor he was immediately let in to the apartment, only to be directly greeted by the sight of his lover, and the new ruler of Amoi, sitting comfortably on the plush, cream sofa.

As the blonde man took in Riki's appearance, his icy eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Yet, the look on his face was priceless as he looked at the kitten in Riki's arms, and Riki couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips.

"What is that?" Iason hissed coldly, making his way over to the mongrel and stray.

"A kitty Iason," Riki chuckled innocently as his lover's eyebrow twitched. "I mean, I know you've lived in a vacuum your entire life, but I would have thought that you would know what a cat is! Come on, Jupiter didn't teach the letter C to her blondie's? You know how it goes, A is for apple, B is for boat, C is for CAT–"

"Enough, Riki." Iason cut him off, although his tone wasn't harsh.

Deliberately, the blondie raised a hand to his temple and began massaging it. "First of all, where in Jupiter's name did you even find such a thing in Eos?"

"I found him in a vent…" Riki mumbled as he looked down, stroking the needy kitten's head as it vied for his attention.

"I hope you realise we're not keeping him." Iason forcefully announced.

Riki's eyes enlarged into orbs the size dinner plates. "What?! No, Iason! He needs a home! He has nowhere else to go, he'd just end up on the street… probably starve to death or something."

"I've given you my answer Riki, and my word is law now. I trust you remember that."

Riki's face scrunched up into a ball of emotion – he looked as if he was almost about to cry, but not in the "please-stop-fucking-me" way – and suddenly, Iason felt his heart constrict inside his chest. This was an expression that he had never seen before, and it took the blondie all his strength not to claim Riki right then and there. But Riki's emotion quickly passed, and Iason was taken in with the more familiar sight of his angry mongrel.

"Why not?!" Riki demanded, his hackles raised.

"There are a multitude of reasons as to why not. If you put your brain to it I'm sure you could figure out a few, but really, all you need to know is because I said so." Iason looked down at Riki, his eyes narrowing as the conversation turned sour.

"Iason, you're being unfair!" Riki argued with a huff. He was about to continue, but Iason got in first.

"I am the master of this house, everything I do is fair." He said quietly, ice once again laced like daggers in his tone.

Riki gaped like a fish as he gawked at Iason's ridiculous arrogance. "Why can't we keep at pet? Come on Iason, just look at him!" He held the little, scruffy kitten up so that Iason could get a better look before tucking him gently in his arms again.

Iason stepped forward, causing Riki to back up habitually. His back hit the door just as Iason's palm landed next to his head, and the big blonde leaned in with an almost threatening aura, although the words that followed were more sensuous than anything else.

"You are the pet Riki."

Riki had opened his mouth to fire back, but at Iason's words, his mouth snapped shut again. The mongrel man turned his head away from Iason's gaze and slowly huffed out a lungful of air.

Why did Iason feel the need to do that? To remind him that he was a pet? Sure, Riki wasn't complaining about how things had changed… well, considering how the dynamic of their relationship had worked before…

Riki no longer referred to Iason as his master and Iason hardly ever referred to Riki as his pet… well unless he wanted to get to him – like now. Riki knew that Iason knew how much it offended him when he was referred to as his pet – they were most certainly past that stage in their relationship – so to have Iason tread on his feelings like that…

Immediately Iason noticed the change of behaviour, and the blondie, not wishing to ruin the evening with his Riki, put on a gentler tone.

"Come on, let's get you bathed. Cal can take care of the cat while you're in the shower."