Part Of The Family | Katsuo | EPILOGUE
[CURSING TW AND TW FOR HAPPY ANIMALS]
Katsuo had never been happy over the prescence of tons of people, floundering around in a crowd, whooping and crying for their loved ones as they flooded him, making him uncomfortable and clammy. But…today? The thick air, the heated bodies, the love splattered all around….
….it was nice. So much nicer than the cold, almost metallic feel of the city. It felt so artifical, but this place? It felt real. It made him happy to be alive, happy to have left behind his boyfriend, and his possible redemption. Redemption could be gotten, but his life could not be replaced, that he had learned.
Holding onto Makoto, Katsuo looked like a dead boy walking. He had bags under his eyes, those bags sagging deeper than a sinkhole. His eyes were bloodshot and droopy, his expression bare. His limbs seemed to robotically move, in a sloppy, lethargic manner. The only thing seeming strong was his grip on Makoto, fearing just a moment away from her would lead to chaos. He had found his family, and now he never wanted to let it go. Never again did he want to be alone.
He gazed upon the crowd, seeing his peers either embracing loved ones, or taking in the reality of the situation, everyone unprepared for what lied ahead of them. Katsuo sighed, staring down at his feet. Still holding Makoto close, the boy simmered in a mixture of feelings, knowing damn well no one was waiting for him. No one cared whether he had perished or not. His aunt had even gotten captured, and whether she was dead or alive was still a mystery to him. Would he have even cared? Would she?
He guessed at this point it didn’t matter, considering it was the end, and no familiar face could be spotted. It felt bittersweet. He finally had family, but in return, he lost the lingering pieces of his actual bloodline. He was Katsuo Sunohara before, but now he was Katsuo Inaba. Sunohara was gone, and with his aunt and mother’s lives in limbo, who knew whether or not his family line would continue.
Who cared? He didn’t have a reason to care at this point. Makoto was the only family he needed, he had no one else to rely on anyhow, who could care? Who could care?!
Suddenly, Katsuo raised his head, green eyes breaking their gaze on the crowd and zoning into a certain section that held absolute chaos. People were running around, children being reeled back into their parents, splitting to reveal…
….many, many, many exotic animals.
3 wolfdogs, 2 parrots, iguanas, a snapping turtle, and….a small fennec fox, who looked familiar. The fennec fox came closer, now to reveal that it was Penny, wagging her tail and whining excitedly. She seemed to have wandered off, found Katsuo’s old pets and joined them together. Before Katsuo could even explain, the boy was tackled to the ground by the large hybrid dogs, them licking his face and exposed skin, their tails wagging so hard it could create a tornado! The other animals gathered around, dogpiling on Katsuo, practically squishing him in all the added weight. Somehow he was able to deal with this, as they all happily greeted him.
How could he have forgotten? He had family. No, they weren’t human, but he was never good with humans, so why try? Makoto was good enough, and the additions of the pets he had taken care of made him realize he never was alone.
Penny momentarily stopped licking Katsuo to come over to Makoto, jumping on a nearby elevated surface and curling around her neck, the same pose she routinely took on Katsuo. He was preoccupied with all the animals surrounding him. People stared, and people seemed to be afraid of this beastly boy and his companions, but if you looked at Katsuo’s face, you’d find it lighten up like a christmas tree, happy tears trailing down as he sobbed, grinning ear to ear.
He had found his family again.
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