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Judai’s tires screeched as he slid several feet on the rain slicked road to avoid hitting a pedestrian that blindly ran into the street.
He lifted the visor of his helmet, brown eyes already glaring. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”
The man he nearly ran over startled, holding something in his arms closer to his chest. His blue hair was drenched under the cold rain. The neon city lights lit up reds and blues and purples that shaded his face.
“I-I’m sorry!” He sounded worried, more than just because Judai almost hit him with his motorcycle.
They were alone on the road, sometime past midnight as the rain fell in a steady, cold sheet around them. Judai felt the rain really start to seep through his clothes. He could see the other man was already drenched head to foot.
“Are you ok?” he ventured to ask, because for some reason, he didn’t want to just drive off into the night and go back to his empty apartment.
The man looked about to reply but he looked back down at whatever was in his arms, whatever he was trying to protect from the rain.
A tiny kitten head popped into view, mewling pitifully even over the loud hissing rain.
Ah. So that explained things.
Judai glanced around then back at the man and the kitten. “You’re going to the vet, right? Need a lift?”
The man hesitated, likely about to refuse when the kitten mewled again, pulling the guy’s attention from Judai.
“It’s not too much trouble?”
Judai took off his helmet and handed it to the drenched stranger, whose eyes widened as he stood up.
“Take it, it’s four blocks to the nearest vet, I’ll be fine.” Judai insisted, holding the helmet out again.
The stranger finally nodded, taking the helmet and struggling to put it on without letting the kitten run away. He climbed in behind Judai, careful of the kitten. The man settled and had the kitten held in one arm while he used his free hand to grip the back of the seat.
The kitten squirmed a bit but seemed pleased to be in between warm people.
The pouring rain was making it harder to get a good grip and the cascading around them made it hard to hear each other.
“I suggest you grab onto me,” Judai advised, glancing back at him.
The stranger, who had kept the visor up, hesitated again. Judai reached back and flicked the visor down, covering the stranger’s face.
Staring into those vivid green eyes, even in this darkness, had made his heart skip a beat.
And he wanted to offer him some protection from the rain despite it being too late for both of them.
The stranger eventually decided he was right and put his free arm around him, holding Judai tight.
The next second, Judai had them speeding as safely as they could to the vet clinic that happened to be open late.
They didn’t speak during the short ride, and when they reached the clinic, the stranger’s arm lingered for a moment before sliding away, and carefully getting off the bike.
“Thank you,” he said earnestly, standing in front of Judai. He reached a hand up and attempted to take off the helmet but the kitten chose that time to start wriggling here and there and he took a better hold of the squirmy kitten.
Judai smiled as the rain finally started dying down. He stood up, keeping his bike upright, and reached out to lift his helmet off the stranger.
Under the streetlights and the lights from the vet clinic, Judai found himself staring into kind green eyes.
“Thank you,” the stranger said again. The kitten mewled and he took a step back to start walking to the clinic. “Please drive safely.”
Judai nodded, putting the helmet on and giving the man a two-fingered wave before he sat back on his bike and sped off into the night, the red of his taillights creating a light path in the dark night.
The stranger watched just enough to make sure that he was safely driving away before he rushed into the clinic, asking for help for the kitten he had.
About an hour later, when the vet assured him that the kitten was perfectly healthy and unchipped, asking if he wanted to keep the kitten, he agreed.
The stranger thought about the man on the motorcycle the whole rest of the night, even when he finally got home in the early hours of the morning, with a happy kitten in his arms.
He wondered if he would ever see him again.
Judai felt a sense of déjà vu when his bike came screeching to a halt a few weeks later, in the middle of an almost empty street, with the remnants of rain on the road as he stared at someone familiar who had rushed into the street to pick something up.
Judai flipped his visor up. “You again! Do you have a death wish?”
The stranger looked surprised, but then he smiled. Those green eyes of his twinkled with happiness. Judai couldn’t help but keep looking at them. “No, definitely not. I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful but I saw this little guy,” he held up a little furball in his hands. “And I wanted to make sure he would be ok.”
Judai peered at the furball in his hands. “Is that a hamster?”
“I think so?” the stranger shrugged but the smile stayed on. “Thank you again for the ride last time. The kitten was healthy and now she’s living with me.” He stood up from the ground, keeping a hold on the little furball.
Judai watched as he kept a gentle hold on the furball and debated his next move. They were a couple blocks from where he saw this animal saver last time and it wasn’t raining, but, “Do you need a lift?”
The stranger looked sheepish. “I can walk, but thank you.”
Judai took off the helmet, offering it to the stranger again. Somehow he never felt like he should be concerned about this man, despite his penchant for running into the middle of the road to save a small animal.
Judai then wondered if there was a reason why there were small animals running into the middle of the road but hey at least there was this stranger, helping them.
The stranger looked at the helmet then back at him. “I feel bad about using your helmet.”
“Tell you what, you use it this time and I’ll make it a priority to get another one to keep just in case I need to give a lift to another hero who likes to run into roads.” Judai surprised himself by how easily he spoke to him, and he didn’t even know his name.
The stranger laughed. “Well, in that case.” He stepped closer to Judai.
He took the helmet and slipped it on a little easier than he had last time. His helmet was red and black and while Judai liked it, he considered what colors to get his new helmet. Maybe blue and black?
The stranger gave the furball to Judai to hold while he climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, and once he was situated and holding onto the back of the bike, he held out his other hand for the hamster.
Judai had never held a hamster before but he thought it was so cute. He glanced back and saw his reflection looking back at him. He quirked a brow. “You should hold onto me again, it’s safer.”
The stranger’s expression was hidden behind the visor but he did gently put an arm around him.
Judai noticed that it wasn’t as tight as last time, since it had been pouring rain and maybe the stranger had been scared of the ride.
Judai handed the furball back to the stranger and then they were off in the familiar direction of the vet clinic.
Once they got there, Judai parked his bike. “Actually, could I come in with you? I just want to know how the hamster is doing.”
The stranger’s face still wasn’t showing but somehow Judai could feel the smile on his face.
“Sure, and thank you for the ride again.” He got off the bike and then inclined his head a little.
Judai chuckled and helped him take off the helmet.
Brown eyes stared into green ones and Judai spoke again.
“What’s your name?”
The stranger blinked. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself,” he held a hand out, “My name’s Johan.”
“Judai.” He took his hand. It was warm and maybe Judai wanted to keep holding it for a second longer.
Maybe Johan wanted to as well since their handshake took a few seconds longer than it maybe should have. They let go and Judai took the helmet with him as they walked into the vet clinic.
The vet happened to be at the check in, talking to the front desk staff. She was a lovely blonde with her name stitched on her white coat, Asuka, and she smiled when she saw Johan. “Johan, hi. Did you find another animal?”
Judai blinked. “You mean this isn’t the second time this has happened?”
Asuka laughed. “More like the tenth? Somehow, Johan always finds animals who need help. He’s a favorite around here.” She grinned when Johan flushed. “What do you have for me tonight?”
Johan presented the furball and Asuka cooed, carefully taking it from him and taking it to the back. Johan went up to the counter and asked for the usual paperwork, which the girl at the front happily gave him.
He went to sit down at the otherwise empty clinic and Judai went with him.
He leaned back on the plastic chair, putting the helmet down on the chair beside him.“So you make it a habit to rescue animals?”
Johan blushed. “I just happen to see them and I came to this place the first time and I just always come back. The staff here is so nice. And Asuka is a really good vet.” He filled out some of the paperwork.
Judai hummed. “You’re a good person.”
“Because I bring animals to the vet?”
“Because you are. I can tell.”
Johan smiled. “Well, so are you.”
“Because I didn’t run you over?”
“Because you gave a total stranger a ride twice to the veterinary clinic. When you didn’t have to.” Johan smiled at him.
Judai returned the smile. “I couldn’t let the kitten get more soaked than it already was.”
Johan’s eyes twinkled. “Of course.”
Asuka came out about half an hour later, informing them that the hamster was healthy and also didn’t have a chip, in case either of them was interested.
Judai spoke up, “Could I take him? I’ve always wanted a pet.”
Asuka seemed to finally notice he was there too, “Are you one of Johan’s friends?”
“Yes,” Johan replied with a smile.
She grinned. “Alright, we can get that paperwork filled out and then I’ll go over all the things you’ll need for your hamster.” She whirled away with the hamster while her staff brought out some papers for Judai to fill out.
He chuckled. She was nice, like Johan had said. He turned to Johan. “You don’t have to stay, if you have somewhere else to be.”
Johan hummed playfully. “Well, since it is almost midnight, the only thing I have planned is to sleep so I’ll stick around for a bit longer.”
“I can give you a ride home, if you want.” Judai almost bit his lip because he didn’t offer rides like this, and this guy had been on his bike twice already.
A faint blush dusted Johan’s cheeks. “Alright.”
“So, here’s the little guy,” Asuka said, popping up beside them with the hamster in a small carrier. She went over everything he needed and gave him a couple of samples of hamster food and things to tide him over while he bought more. Judai made sure to pay extra attention and eventually, Asuka handed the hamster over with a smile. She made sure her staff scheduled some vaccination appointments before he left too.
Johan, Judai, and the hamster walked out of the clinic after waving goodbye to the staff.
Judai offered the helmet back to Johan who hesitated again.
“First thing in the morning, I’m going to buy hamster supplies and another helmet,” Judai told him to make him relent in taking the helmet.
They climbed onto his motorcycle and Johan took hold of the carrier with one arm and with the other, he wrapped it around Judai’s waist.
“Can we stop by my place to drop off Hane Kuriboh?” Judai asked.
Johan tilted his head to the side since his expression was hidden by the visor already. “Hane Kuriboh?”
“My new hamster. I’m not sure where the name came from, it just popped into my head.”
Johan chuckled. “I like it. I named the kitten Ruby Carbuncle.”
“That’s a good name too.”
Johan’s grip tightened slightly. “We can go wherever since you’re the one driving.”
“Do you want to drive?”
“Absolutely not.”
Judai laughed and off they went.
After Judai dropped off his new hamster, he walked back to Johan who was leaning against the bike with the helmet visor up, tapping away at his phone.
Johan looked up at him and smiled as he put his phone away. “Thank you again, you didn’t need to do all this.”
Judai hopped onto the bike. “I want to.”
Johan climbed in after him and this time, both of his arms shyly wrapped around him without Judai needing to tell him.
“Alright, where to?”
They made it to Johan’s apartment and he climbed off the bike, taking off the helmet and handing it back to Judai who put it on again, keeping the visor up.
“Thank you,” Johan said again.
Judai waved a hand. “No need, I would gladly help the man who’s going around saving small animals.”
“I found a husky a few weeks ago.”
“Animals of all sizes, then.”
Johan laughed. “Well, goodnight and drive safe.”
“Goodnight.” Judai gave him a two-fingered wave and off he went.
He came home to a much less empty apartment now that he had a cute little pet hamster.
“Johan!” Judai called out, coming to a halt on the side of the road. "Thought that was you."
He startled, but smiled when he saw the familiar motorcycle and driver with a red and black helmet. “Hi Judai, how’s Hane Kuriboh doing?”
“Great, he is living his best life.” Judai lifted the visor. “And Ruby Carbuncle?”
Johan’s smile got bigger when Judai remembered his kitten’s name. “More mischievous than ever.”
“Sounds like she’s living the life. And you? Find any other animals to save?”
“There was this mountain lion last week that I had to call 911 about and they helped get her out of the city safely.” Johan replied thoughtfully.
Judai blinked once, then again. “Wow, you really do find animals that need help.” He laughed when Johan blushed a little. “Anyway, where are you headed off to?”
Johan looked sheepish when he held up something in his hands that Judai hadn’t noticed earlier.
“... Is that a turtle?”
“A small one, yes.”
Judai knew, right there and then, that he wanted Johan to stay in his life forever. “Hop on.” He patted the back of his motorcycle. “Oh, and I got this.”
He pulled out a blue and green helmet from—honestly, Johan wasn’t sure where, but he smiled when he saw it.
Johan took the helmet and put it on while Judai held the turtle. Seriously, he wasn’t sure what a turtle was doing in a city like this, but leave it to Johan to find it.
He slid in behind Judai on the motorcycle, one arm coming to wrap around Judai’s waist, a little tighter than before, and the other arm held the small turtle.
“Asuka should start paying you,” Judai said.
Johan laughed. “I should start paying you for the rides.”
“Nah, I do it for free.” Judai lowered his visor and kept his eyes on the road in front of them. “Maybe have lunch with me one of these days?”
Johan’s arms tightened a fraction around his waist. “I’d like that.”
“Who knows, maybe you’ll find a lost owl there.”
Johan laughed as they sped away towards the vet clinic.
And when they went on their lunch date the next day, it wasn’t an owl Johan found, it was an eagle.