Written for my friend, Yhibiki. Happy birthday!
Junjou Romantica is the rightful property of Nakamura Shungiku. This is a fanwork written purely for both your entertainment and mine.
Kamijou Hiroki stared down at the small, saturated animal that his lover, Kusama Nowaki, was currently holding close to his chest. His eyelid ticked a little, and he took a long, slow breath.
"Nowaki?"
"Yes, Hiro-san?"
"What the hell is that?"
"A cat."
Hiroki felt a muscle in his jaw twitch.
"And why, pray tell, are you holding it?"
Nowaki jumped guiltily, but quickly recovered and continued to smile.
"Well, he was all alone in the rain near the hospital. I asked a few people, and apparently he's been hanging around at the hospital for some time because people keep feeding him."
Hiroki could hear the blood rushing in his ears.
"And what does this have to do with me?"
Nowaki took a deep breath, and then said, "Well, I think the house can get lonely when we're both busy with work. It would be nice to have company when Hiro-san is at the university."
The expression on Hiroki's face told Nowaki that his lover was unamused. Nowaki decided it was time to try a different approach.
"Please, Hiro-san?"
Hiroki flinched. It was very rare that Nowaki asked for anything from him, let alone asking this desperately. Nowaki's expression began to fall, and Hiroki told himself not to be tricked by that, damn it, Nowaki pulled this every time.
As per usual, his heart seemed to ignore the logic his brain was trying to feed it.
"Fine, the stupid animal can stay here."
"Hiro-san-!"
"But only temporarily!" Hiroki snapped, "We'll try and find it a better home!"
Nowaki just smiled.
"Of course, Hiro-san."
Six months later, and not only had Hiroki failed to adopt the cat off to anyone else (hell, he'd even tried the Professor and Akihiko), but Nowaki was more attached to it than ever.
The cat, which Nowaki had dubbed "Tama" (oh, what originality, Hiroki thought) had settled in entirely too quickly and had effectively taken over their apartment within the space of a week, finding every nook and cranny to hide in, every scratchable piece of furniture and every way to suck up to his lover.
After an entirely too expensive trip to the vet, they'd been informed that the beast was actually a female. Tama was a scrawny animal, a mess of black and gold and white patches of long, tangly fur. She had an unpleasant-looking, squashed-up face, which made her look like she'd run headlong into a brick wall, and wide golden eyes. Hiroki was sure that if cats could show human-like facial expression, the stupid animal would look at him with permanent disdain.
Every afternoon when Nowaki got home, he would flash Hiroki a smile, have a quick sit-down next to his lover (five minutes was quick!) and then go to feed Tama. While Hiroki and Nowaki were spending their quality five minutes together, the cat would yowl and claw at the leg of Nowaki's pants, and when he finally stood up to feed her, she would wind in and out of his legs all the way to the kitchen. Hiroki would sit on the couch and scowl. Just wait at see if he'd help if Nowaki tripped over the stupid cat and broke his neck!
One evening, Nowaki and Hiroki were sitting down to dinner (and Tama had happily claimed Hiroki's favourite armchair to sleep on), and Nowaki decided to touch on the subject of the cat.
"Hiro-san?"
"What is it?"
"Do you like Tama?"
Hiroki's face went red.
"What kind of stupid question is that?!"
"Well... it's just that sometimes, you treat her very unfairly."
Hiroki grit his teeth. He treated the cat unfairly? Ha! The cat had ruined his life, if anything. Wasting his money, shedding all over his clothes, sleeping on the end of their bed...
"If you have a problem with Tama, I would much rather you tell me. Then we can work to resolve it together, so both you and Tama can be happy here."
This time, he was sure that Nowaki could hear the grinding of his teeth, even from the other side of the couch.
"What happened to finding the animal a new home?"
Nowaki calmly picked up his cup of water and took a sip.
"Well, we couldn't find her one."
Hiroki's hands fisted against the couch cushions.
"So, I thought that she could stay here. But I want both you and her to be happy."
"How kind, putting my happiness on the same level as a cat's..."
Nowaki turned to Hiroki, looking crestfallen.
"That's not how it is at all, Hiro-san! But... Tama is comfortable here now. We couldn't give her up, even if we tried! Haven't you heard all of those stories about families moving house with their cats, and the cats walking for miles back to the old house because they were settled and happy there?"
"Couldn't have that now, could we?"
"Please, Hiro-san."
Hiroki sighed, and put his plate on the dining table. There was no arguing with Nowaki when he had his heart set on something. He knew that very well.
"Fine."
"Hmm?"
"The cat can stay."
Nowaki's entire face light up.
"Thank you, Hiro-san!"
Hiroki nodded miserably, and looked over to his favourite armchair, where Tama was sleeping. The cat shifted comfortably in her sleep, and her expression could only be described as smug.
Tama stared at Hiroki.
Hiroki stared at Tama.
The animal really did remind him of Akihiko's cat, but it must have been because they shared names; she wasn't nearly as friendly as Akihiko's cat.
Hiroki sighed, and reopened the book on his lap. Tama sat at his feet, tail waving back and forth deviously against the floor, paw casually reaching up to toy with the tassel hanging off the bookmark Hiroki was using. Hiroki snatched the bookmark away and glared down at the cat at his feet.
Tama stared right back, tip of her tail flickering lazily.
Hiroki scowled and resumed reading.
Nowaki was working late at the hospital, which meant Hiroki's only company until about 1a.m. was Tama. And the cat wasn't particularly good company, to say the least. It was barely 4p.m. in the afternoon, and she already wanted feeding, despite the fact that she usually didn't get fed until 6pm, the time Nowaki usually arrived home.
Stupid animal.
As if she could read his thoughts, Tama jumped up next to Hiroki and stretched, yawning sleepily and walking in a few lazy circles before flopping down against Hiroki's side, claws roughly flexing in and out of the couch upholstery. Hiroki directed one last scowl at the cat before she shut her eyes, just so she could see how displeased he was, and then continued to read.
It had been about two months since Nowaki had accused him of being unkind to his cat, and since then Hiroki had been making an effort to put up with Tama's presence.
Perhaps not a totally honest one, but an effort nonetheless.
Nowaki must have noticed, because he seemed happier, and also seemed insanely intent on keeping the peace. The wallpaper on his cell phone was a picture of an angry-looking Hiroki holding a content-looking Tama on his lap, for crying out loud! To Hiroki's credit, he'd been tipsy when it was taken, but that didn't excuse it!
Tama rolled over against Hiroki's side, legs in the air and toes curled into the pads of her feet. Hiroki frowned. The cat looked so stupid, with its legs in the air like that. He briefly rested his hand on the softer fur of her stomach, out of reflex more than anything. Tama began to purr, and he yanked his hand away as if he'd been burned.
He could feel the heat creeping to his face.
Stupid cat.
Two hours later, Tama's eyes shot open as Hiroki turned on the television to watch the evening news, and she rolled back over onto her stomach, looking at Hiroki expectantly. Hiroki continued to watch the news; unaware of the hungry cat nestled against his side.
Tama raised a paw and hooked her claw in the sleeve of Hiroki's sweater. Hiroki batted it away, annoyed.
Tama's tail flicked angrily.
This was clearly unacceptable.
After another good fifteen minutes of scratches, yowling and cursing, Hiroki finally realised that Nowaki wasn't there to feed the cat, and hoisted himself off the couch and into the kitchen, fetching the dry biscuits out of the bottom of their food cupboard. He filled Tama's bowl and set it down next to the oven, and started heating up his dinner in the microwave.
Tama looked down at the food in front of her, sniffed once, and then calmly walked away.
Hiroki watched her, and frowned. Leaving his food to heat up, he walked back into the lounge room to find Tama curled up on the couch. He frowned, and then picked her up and took her back to the kitchen. Placed her directly in front of her food bowl and pointed at the dry food inside of it, feeling like a fool the whole time.
Tama stared up at him, and then walked between his legs and into the hallway, down the hall and into the spare bedroom. Hiroki watched her, and then frowned, feeling slightly concerned.
Nowaki's cat was probably going to starve to death or something, and it would be his fault.
Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, Hiroki pulled on his shoes and jacket and walked across the road to the convenience store, picked out about five different brands of tinned fish and then hastily walked back to their apartment.
Tama was waiting for him in the doorway, eyes glowing golden in the darkness. Hiroki flipped the light on, and she immediately began entwining around his legs, purring and meowing. Hiroki ignored her and walked into the kitchen, dumping the tinned fish onto the counter and sticking his head around the doorframe.
"Oi, cat!"
Tama blinked at him, and then sat down and curled her tail around herself.
Hiroki's eyelid twitched.
"Tama, come here."
Recognizing her name being called, Tama got up and padded into the kitchen, tail high in the air. Feeling thoroughly humiliated, Hiroki reached down to retrieve Tama's bowl, but stopped short.
The bowl was empty.
Turning around to stare at the cat again, Hiroki was met with the smuggest look he'd ever seen on an animal's face.
He was seriously considering renouncing his pledge to make an effort to like this animal.
Nowaki returned home late that night. He felt physically and mentally exhausted, and all he wanted more than anything was to get into bed and fall asleep next to his Hiro-san. Switching on the hallway light so he could safely make his way into the bedroom he and Hiroki shared, he was met with a sight he could barely believe he was seeing.
Hiroki was asleep on their bed, limbs splayed out haphazardly across the mattress, and Tama was asleep on top of him, curled into a tight atop of his chest.
Nowaki's face broke into a wide grin, and he reached into his pocket for his cell phone.
Hiroki was awoken seconds later by a brief flash of light, and he reached up to rub his eyes before opening them, unsurprised to be looking up at his lover when he did.
"Nowaki."
"Hiro-san," Nowaki replied, smiling broadly.
"Mmm... is it storming outside?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Just thought I... saw a flash..." Hiroki mumbled, and Nowaki's smile broadened.
"You must have been dreaming, Hiro-san."
"Hmmm..." Hiroki mumbled, and suddenly became aware of the warm weight on his chest. Noticing Tama sleeping on his chest, he suddenly felt wide-awake, and a horrified expression formed on his face.
Nowaki laughed and lifted Tama off his chest. Tama woke up briefly, looking displeased, but fell back asleep as soon as Nowaki's put her down.
"I'm so happy you've made friends with Tama, Hiro-san."
"That's not...!"
"I'm so happy," Nowaki murmured, hugging Hiroki close. Hiroki froze for a moment, but accepted the hug, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.
"I have tomorrow off. How about we spend the day together, just the two of us?" Nowaki murmured against the shell of Hiroki's ear. Hiroki nodded stiffly, and Nowaki's smile widened.
"I'm so happy, Hiro-san."
Hiroki sighed, looking over Nowaki's shoulder at Tama. She opened one eye and locked with his gaze, before shutting it again. Hiroki relaxed and shut his eyes, too.
Some things were better when left unsaid.
Omake:
"Heee, look at how cute she is!"
Nowaki stared dumbly at his lover, who currently had his cat in an overly affectionate stranglehold. Said cat looked highly unimpressed, and on the verge of lashing out.
Just as promised, he and Hiro-san had spent the day together, and Hiroki was finishing the day in a grand style, complete with expensive sake.
"Can you believe I didn't like this adorable cat?" Hiroki chortled, narrowly missing a claw swipe when he rocked drunkenly backwards, "Keeping Tama was the best idea I ever had, Nowaki!"
Nowaki sighed, and simply stared at Hiroki.
Some things really were better left unsaid.
End
Comments are appreciated.