Black Cat Fan Fiction ❯ Free Spirited ❯ Free Spirited ( Chapter 1 )

Title: Free Spirited

Author: hostilecrayon

Pairing: Light Train/Saya, light Train/Sven, light Eve/Leon

Rating: PG

Warnings: Melancholy

Word Count: 907

Disclaimer: Black Cat was created by Kentaro Yabuki and licensed by Viz Media and Funimation.

Notes: I just… really wanted to write some Black Cat. I have a couple other fic ideas brewing in my brain, but I think I'll save those for later.

 

Free Spirited

 

When Eve returned with some cash and a broad smile on her face from successfully catching her target, Train wondered when she had grown so much. In Sven's eyes, she was still just a child, but Train knew that not only was she a fast learner, her age and her body size just didn't match up. Her body had changed some over the two years since they had met, but her mind was not that of a fourteen year old.

 

Despite knowing this, he couldn't help but think of her as his little princess.

 

She had brought home food as well, and there was no mistaking the look Sven gave her. After all this time, he was still worried stiff about her, but he couldn't help be proud of her independence, and Eve reveled in the affection. It made Train smile even as the smell of the food made his mouth water.

 

It didn't take long for the three of them to devour the meal, and Train lounged languidly in the easy chair while Sven busied himself with their embarrassingly large debt and the new bills that had come in.

 

Eve, however, was stealing nervous glances at him; her fingers toying with a rather thick book that she had yet to open.

 

“Did you need something, Little Princess?” he asked lightly.

 

“Well…” she began, but fell silent again; her face flushed.

 

“Well what? It's not like you to be shy.”

 

“You know I've been spending a lot of time with Leon, right?” she began hesitantly.

 

“Oh, so you want to know about the birds and the bees?” Train grinned and Sven choked. “Why not ask Sven? I'm sure he'd be a better person to ask. I may be handsome, but I don't have a lot of experience in that area, Little Princess.”

 

“It's not like that!” Eve said quickly. “But I think you're the only person I could ask…”

 

“Well, I'll give it a shot, but I can't guarantee results.” Train sat up, giving Eve his full attention. “Go ahead, lay it on me.”

 

“I wanted to know more about Saya.” The silence following her statement was strained; even Sven had stilled his scratching pen. “I mean,” she rushed on, “I know that she had a major impact on your life, but I wanted to know more about your life back then… and more about who she was that she changed you so drastically.”

 

Train's eyes were distant as he remembered that time when, bleeding and on the brink of death, the angel known as Saya Minatsuki appeared in his life.

 

“I'm sorry to ask such a personal question, but I think it will help me understand some things.” When Train didn't reply, Eve inquired, “Train?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, it's alright, Little Princess. I'll tell you about her. Did you have anything specific you'd like to know?”

 

“What was she like?”

 

“Well, I've already told you that she was like a stray cat - doing whatever she wanted, that was Saya's way. You could say her way of life intrigued me, but it was more than that, really.”

 

“More?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, she saved me from the brink of death for no reason. Kindness wasn't something I was used to, back then. I was the Black Cat - feared all through the underworld. Kindness was something I didn't think I needed. But to see Saya care so much about the world for no apparent reason, just because she could, really, it confused me.” Train stretched his legs, Saya's light-hearted laughter echoing in his ears as if he had just heard it.

 

“Saya was a funny sort of person. She could be ruthless when chasing down her targets, but she never killed. Free spirited Saya… she thought I could be like that, too…” He trailed off, his amber eyes clouded over with nostalgia.

 

Eve cocked her head to the side. “And you are now, aren't you?”

 

The smile was slight. “Yeah, I'm just a stray cat, now.”

 

It was quiet for a moment, then Eve caught Train's gaze. “Could I ask one more question?”

 

“Go ahead, Little Princess.”

 

“Did you… love her?”

 

Train grinned ruefully. “Love? Only as much as a cold-blooded assassin can love.” He sighed, blowing his wild hair from his eyes. “That's what I thought at first, anyway. But slowly, I changed. Saya showed me that I didn't have to be a killer anymore - that I could be like her. And after she died…” Train looked down, his hair covering his eyes. “I realized that I did love her. I loved her more than the man who was called the Black Cat could ever truly understand.”

 

“Thank you for telling me, Train. It really helped.” She put her hand on Train's shoulder as she passed, squeezing it companionably. She really had grown.

 

As Eve left the room, Sven put down his pen, his uncovered eye lingering on Train. “I'm going out for a while.”

 

Train looked up and Sven winced visibly at the pain evident there. But as quickly as he saw it, it was gone again and Train was smiling at him. “Where are you going?”

 

“I… just need to get out for a while.” Train nodded and Sven solemnly left the safe house.

 

Train sat in the silence for a while; his smile tinged with something more.

 

“I love you, too, you know,” he whispered to the empty air around him before retreating to his room.