Rei sighed mirthfully. Nagisa giggled as he continued to entice a grey cat with orange patches to play with a cat toy teaser. A white and brown cat rubbed against Rei's knees. There was a myriad of cats sleeping and playing in their yard. It didn't help that Nagisa encouraged them to visit with toys and treats. When had things gotten like this?
When Rei and Nagisa moved into the neighbourhood, their new neighbours were quick to inform them of two things: homophobia will not be accepted and that cats just do as they please around here so don't worry. The first one was kind of the neighbours to offer but the second one was a bit strange.
It didn't take long for either Rei and Nagisa to understand why it was necessary to be said. Rei had counted a grand total of fifty-three stray cats that frequented the area. He also had a feeling that there was probably more and maybe even kittens to come. None of these cats appeared to have actual owners or homes but the neighbourhood was fine with coddling them. Nagisa loved them and Rei had to admit, he had his favourites amongst them all.
After a few weeks of setting and getting to know all of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, geriatric and feline, Rei and Nagisa noticed that some of the cats left presents. "Presents" which is not a euphemism for excrement or dead birds. Presents like candles and handkerchiefs. Nagisa had didn't mind that the cats liked to bring them strange gifts. He turned the seashell earring into a tiny wind chime and he put the hard won and broken head of a cat teaser on the shelf. Rei thought that they should be thrown out but the way the cats stared at them so charmingly as they proudly left their strange mementos in front of Rei and Nagisa, Rei lost all will to throw out discarded ribbons and bottle caps.
Unlike Nagisa who saw the cats' gifts as adventure and romantically unexplainable, Rei wanted answers. He was using a beautiful pressed flower to mark a page in his books, given to him by a gorgeous Siamese cat with an aloof personality. Rei didn't mind that the origin of said bookmark was unknown but he wanted answers. How were these cats giving him and Nagisa all these strange and assorted trinkets? How did the cats acquire them? Moreover, how were the other neighbours were getting similar gifts too?
It makes no sense.
Rei sat on the veranda and Nagisa sat next to him with a bubbly smile. He leans against Rei's shoulder and snuggled in close. A few cats curiously wandered towards them. Rei noticed that one of the cats, the shy cat with dichromatic eyes, had a plastic hand mirror in tow. "Look." Rei mumbled. Nagisa looked away from his boyfriend's face and towards where Rei indicated.
"Yes?" Nagisa asked.
"How does a cat obtain a hand mirror?" Rei asked.
"I don't know." chuckled Nagisa. "But I'm sure you have a theory."
Rei readjusted his glasses. Nagisa rolled his eyes. "Of course." he said and he began to spiel - theorize - about how exactly a cat may acquire a hand mirror. His argument had no actual basis in logic other than what might be possible but Nagisa didn't mind. He liked how Rei speaks so impassionedly on topics he believes he knows a lot about.
"Good thinking, honey." Nagisa said and he pecked Rei's slim cheek. Rei blushed and Nagisa couldn't believe how embarrassed Rei still was about affection even though they had been dating since high school.