KM De-anon: Lazy Summer
Prompt: "Any nation - spending time with their cat"
Any nation spending time with their nation!cat.
Original: [link]
Notes: Quite short. The prompt was posted two months earlier and seemed unlikely to be filled, though, so I thought that'd be okay…
"That looks comfortable," Japan sighed. His cat was curled up in a beam of sunlight by the open sliding door—a cool, comfortable breeze made the bells on his porch chime. It was a hot and muggy summer, but the breeze today was fair, making it more bearable than the day before.
Japan knelt quietly beside his cat, trying not to disturb him. Despite his care, the cat turned to look at him, blinking sleepily before yawning suddenly. Japan couldn't help yawning in response.
How many years had it been since this cat had found him? Japan wasn't sure. He called the cat Tama, but he suspected his name was something far older and more powerful. Tama had lived alongside him throughout the Edo period and into the Meiji Restoration; he'd come to him one summer night in the year 1000 or so and had never left.
Despite being more than a millennium in age, Tama was remarkable youthful in appearance. Sometimes he acted persnickety and even crochety, but today he was affectionate, and butted his head against Japan's hand.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest," Japan said, tipping his head toward him. He always half-expected the little cat to reply. "Shall I prepare some tuna for you?" Japan asked. Tama gave him a very solemn look and slowly nodded to him. Japan patted his head before rising.
Tama followed him to the kitchen, where Japan carefully prepared some fresh tuna for him. (Tama had never accepted food from a can, and had even disappeared for three days after first being offered it.)
"Greece tells me that you can't eat just tuna," Japan said. "Not enough taurine, I think?" At this, Tama let out a baleful meow, and Japan smiled, carefully making certain that no small bones remained in the tuna. "We don't have to tell him, though; it can be our secret."
Japan set the plate before Tama, who ate with gusto. If he'd survived a millennium on tuna, perhaps it was all right to continue with that. Tama seemed to sigh happily when he'd finished—a bit too human, but Japan was used to that.
"Would you like to play, or would you like to rewatch Chi's Sweet Home with me with the A/C on?"
Tama turned toward the living room, turning an ear to face Japan to listen for him following.
As they watched, Japan scratched Tama's ears. Typical cat or not, having a companion through the years was very nice indeed.