It's about nine in the evening by the time Haru drags himself home.
It had been a tired, exhausting day for him - all meetings and failed paintings and exasperation - and the call of his bed is much too real, ringing in the back of his mind as he trudges through the puddles and the mud caused by the steady fall of rain. He had forgotten his umbrella on his way out this morning and is currently paying the price with damp hair and cold clothes. Haru sighs softly to himself, vowing to jump immediately into a hot bath by the time he gets home.
He knows Rei is waiting for him, the thought warms him up inside and makes him move a little quicker through the downpour, but he hopes that Rei has put himself to bed because he sounded quite drained when he spoke to him on the phone about an hour or so ago. Rei has a habit of forcing himself to stay awake until Haru is well and in the house; it goes with his worrying nature that Haru sometimes finds endearing and sometimes finds annoying.
(It's irritating when Rei doesn't take better care of himself and spends too much time concerned about Haru).
Haru shakes any thoughts of that from his head as he exhales softly through his nose and passes under a flickering street light that only slightly illuminates the territory around him. He thinks it's odd that there isn't that many people out during this time of night, only a few scattered about. It isn't all that late and, while they don't live in the busiest neighborhood, it's pretty uncommon for the streets to be this bare but he doesn't dwell on the fact as he takes a sharp turn around a building and notices in relief that he's almost home.
His feet are pretty much on autopilot from then on as they take him down the familiar path home and he tries to pull his thin cardigan closer to his body in order to fight against the harsh, autumn winds. Haru's in the middle of mentally berating himself for not grabbing a thicker jacket when a noise breaks through the dead silent streets around him, startling him and causing him to jerk to a stop. His blue eyes are widen and darting around in surprise, surveying the surrounding area as best as he can in the dim light.
Haru can't tell what it is but it pierces through the evening air again, a squeaking noise that comes from his right. He gradually turns more confused with each passing second, inching forward and peering around the edge of the building that's next to him, even though he knows he should be anxious because Tokyo streets at night aren't the safest.
He doesn't pay any mind to the fact that he could probably be jumped right then and there, only gazing down the alleyway that he sees and tries to find the source of the noise.
Haru should just turn and go home, not give any attention to the near empty alley, but his curiosity gets the better of him when he notices how empty it is. There's only a large trash can on its side toward the end and foliage lining the ground and the sides of the buildings that stand tall on either edge.
And a box.
He doesn't know what makes him move forward, curving around the corner of the bricks and ignoring the cold that seeps now through his clothes, but something tugs in his lower stomach and before he knows it, he's standing a little more than a foot away from it.
Haru notices the box had been thrown haphazardly into the alleyway; the darkened cardboard looks a little soak from the current weather, he guesses as he advances slowly toward to it. He hears the sound again, something small and quieter than before - like a yipping sound through the pitter-patter of the rain. He glances about him, a frown tugging on his usual smooth features as he reads the messy handwriting on the front of the box - 'free kittens'.
His heart clenches uncontrollably as he takes a peek inside of the dampened container.
In the bottom of the box, there are no kittens except for one. Haru isn't sure how many of them were there in the first place but he crouches down - mindful of the wet asphalt beneath him - and gazes toward the one that is shivering and whining in the corner. It's a tiny, bundle with splotches of brown, white, and black fur, shaking and curled up to warm itself against the light wind and frigid air.
He sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth at the sight of the neglected kitten and he presses the back of his hand to his mouth, fingers shaking and eyes narrowed as he fights to control the emotions bubbling up from the deep in his throat. The kitten doesn't look more than a good seven weeks old and he can't see its face, only sees the way its ears twitch whenever a chilly gust of air blows through.
Haru sighs, looking this way and that before slowly leaning over and dipping his hand into the box. He doesn't want to frighten it as his fingertips come in contact with greasy, dirty fur. His heart is in his throat, a little disgusted with how it had just been abandoned there in the dingy alley. Haru has taken care of cats his whole life, ones that practically live in his backyard and come to him when he has a fresh plate of leftover mackerel and some water but even then, they weren't as bad as the little one in the box in front of him.
The kitten trembles when he runs a finger across its ear, finally lifting its head to look at Haru. It meows louder to him, an almost panicky sound that sends a stabbing pain through Haru's heart and he chews on his bottom lip as bright eyes regard him in an apprehensive manner. He scratches the ear softly, trying to show it that he means no harm, and it leans slightly into his touch with its large eyes closing and a soft purring coming from the young kitten.
It's getting colder as it gets later and the two of the shiver simultaneously against the bitter breeze. Haru wants to get home and he can't just leave the cat there because that would be inhumane and Haru can't find himself to walk away from the box knowing the state of the animal in it.
His decision is concrete when another cry breaks through his concentration, looking down to see the kitten trying to snuggle in the heat of his hand. Haru isn't sure about what Rei is going to say but he doesn't give it much of a second thought as he scoops the kitten up into his palms, sniffling slightly as he stands up.
Haru tucks the little ball of warmth against his chest, fingers running through knotted fur as he starts his way back home again.
The rain gets heavier by the time he gets home and he looks like a drowned rat as he opens the door to walk in. Haru shakes the water out of his hair, cautious of the quivering body in his hands, and toes off his shoes where they go before shuffling further inside the apartment.
He spots Rei almost right away when he enters. He's asleep on the couch; his head leaning against the back cushions with soft snores tumbling out of his parted mouth. There's a book resting on his chest, almost falling off every time he shifts. Haru has to smile to himself, watching the way Rei mutters and his eyes flutter through whatever dream he must be having. Leaning down, Haru places a soft-barely there kiss against his forehead before remembering that he's soaked to the bone and the kitten keeps whimpering against his chest.
Haru glances down at it, being able to see it more clearly in the brightly lit room. There's dirt matted into its fur and it's bigger than he realized, taking up the space of his open palms together. It stares back at him with its own blue eyes almost impossibly wide, opening its mouth to meow at him. Haru can't help the tiny smile on his face that grows as he pets it with two of his fingers, he has to get it washed and give it something to eat. He knows they don't have cat food stashed anywhere, so he hopes that leftover mackerel will suffice until he can pick up supplies for it.
"Haruka?" His head snaps up at the sound of his name - the adorable sleepy sound of his name - and sees Rei blinking blearily at him through crooked red frames. A drowsy, lopsided grin makes its way over Rei's face and Haru's stomach jumps at the sight before hearing him mumble, "Aw, you're home."
"Yeah." Haru breathes, nodding his head numbly as Rei sits up. Before he can say anything else, Rei places a sloppy kiss against his chilled lips and he sighs into the warm mouth.
"You're so cold," grumbles Rei, pulling away with a frown etched on his features. "Why are you so wet? Why are you late? Are you okay?" Haru wants to laugh, almost, because Rei sounds so dazed, not quite awake and practically melting back into the couch to go to sleep. Haru opens his mouth to give him some sort of answer but a muffled hiss stops him in his tracks.
Rei tiredly raises his head, squinting his eyes as he peers toward the source of it. "Haru? What's that?" He raises his hand, poking gently at the kitten and Haru twists frantically away from him, shaking his head back and forth.
"No, don't do that." Haru reprimands, pushing Rei's hand away from it as gently as he can. The kitten seems to be scared out of its mind and Haru doesn't want to make it worse.
Rei stares though, gaze flickering between Haru and the kitten with furrowed eyebrows and a puzzled expression. "That's a cat." He finally states - as if that wasn't obvious - and sits up so he can see the both of them better while his hand goes to adjust his glasses in his usual fashion that is more reflex than it is a habit.
"Yes, it's a cat, Rei." Haru says, before turning away and starting to walk down the hallway toward the bathroom. He has to get the kitten clean and warm quick, because the shivering has intensified and he doesn't want it to get some sort of hypothermia or something. He hears a loud thump from the living room - indicating that Rei has fallen off of the couch - and a hurried yell of his name before pounding footsteps follow after him. The kitten cowers closer into his cupped hands.
"Haruka! Why do you have a cat? Where did you get a cat? Don't ignore me!" Rei huffs, a complaining tone to his voice and Haru has to refrain from rolling his eyes as they enter the bathroom.
"Stop whining and help me." He keeps the kitten tucked against his chest while he searches their cabinet for a wash cloth. He hears the soft sigh of defeat coming from behind him before Rei reaches over him and tugs a small one from the back of it.
They find themselves in the bathtub in the end of it all. It started with Haru washing down the kitten with a cloth, attempting to wash as much of the dirt away that he can, with Rei behind him chastising Haru for being careless and still being wet to the bone. He kept saying that Haru needed to think of himself, to get out of those clothes unless he wanted a cold, and to get warm himself.
Haru compromised by sinking down into the heated water he filled the tub with and trying to keep the kitten above the surface to be safe. Rei ended up seated behind him, arms around his waist and chin digging into his shoulder.
It's silent around them, only sounds coming from the kitten who seems a little bit more lively and takes to splashing the water and nipping at Haru's hand whenever he tries to pet it. Its fur is much clean now, drenched from playing in the tub, but he can see the spotted browns and blacks on a white canvas a lot better than before. It surprises him when the cat had wiggled out of his hand to land into the water with smack, quite content in the liquid.
"Cats don't normally like water," Rei muses, his breath hot on Haru's neck and he has to stop the shudder that races down his spine. Baths are one of Haru's favourite pastimes, especially with Rei and he's completely enclosed in a pleasant feeling that seeps all the way down to his toes.
Haru leans a bit forward, eyeing the way the kitten kicks its feet and he can't help the happy sigh that worms out of him. "He's special, he embraces the water as he should."
There's a sudden movement out of the corner of his eyes and Haru watches as Rei extends his arm out in front of them, carefully poking and prodding at the meowing cat, before ultimately lifting up its tail as best that he can.
"It's a she," he concludes.
"What?"
Rei chuckles softly as he allows the cat to play with his fingers under the water, wincing softly when its - or her - claws catch at the skin. "It's a she. Typically in female cats, the urinary tract opening and the anus are-"
Haru is quick to slap at hand over Rei's mouth, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief at the action. "Please, don't finish that sentence. I believe you." Rei nods silently while Haru slumps back against the expanse of his chest. "Since you seem to know how to tell genders, do you know what kind it is?" Haru murmurs, eyes drooping as he settles into a comfortable position as best as he can in the cramped tub.
There's a few moments of quiet before Rei speaks again. "I can't tell you the type of cat it is but it does have a tortoiseshell coat." Rei murmurs low in Haru's ear as the both of them watch the kitten slap and play with its tail, gnawing on it when she catches it. There's a hint of a smile in Rei's voice and a hint of a smile on Haru's mouth.
"Tortoiseshell?" asks Haru, arching his neck to look up at Rei.
Rei smiles and nods, a gentle kiss is placed against Haru's temple before he rambles on. "Yes, the tortoiseshell cat, commonly known as the calico cat in North America. It's not really a type of cat, calico or tortoiseshell is given as a name to the coat that it has," he runs a finger down the back of the kitten and she attempts to swat and bite at his fingertip. Haru watches in amusement as the smile widens on Rei's face, "it looks similar to the Japanese bobtail cat in colour but it has a long tail, so I do assume it isn't a bobtail." He frowns slightly in concentration, "I'm not well versed in the different types of cats so, again, I can't tell you the breed of it."
Haru hums and cocks his head to the side, nuzzling against the skin of Rei's neck. "What are we going to name her then?" There's a pause, "We should name her Mackerel."
Rei sputters, flailing a bit which sends a small wave of water over the kitten and Haru. He's quick to grab on to her, craddling her as she shakes the water off of her. Haru turns to glare at Rei, who is observing him with a wide-eyed look.
"I'm sorry but who says we're keeping her?!"
Haru pouts, burying his nose in white fur and turning away from Rei. His voice ruffles the strands and the kitten squeaks at him. "What did you think we were going to do with her?"
"Haruka, we can't keep her. We don't have the means of doing so or the extra cash to support a pet. And kittens need constant attention, they need to be held and played with and neither one of us are home enough to do that sort of thing!"
Haru runs his nose down the side of the kitten - she smells sort of musky from the dirty alley, he'll have to pick up some kitty shampoo tomorrow - and frowns to himself. "I'll work from home for a bit ad I do have some cash saved up, it won't be too much of a problem." He tries to bargain because he doesn't want to give her up. His decision was solid when he found the soaked box in the alleyway and he rather not just put her back or give her to the pet shelter or something.
She's his. She likes water and seems to like both of them, so why couldn't they keep her?
Haru smiles a bit when she nips at his nose, tiny teeth barely leaving any sort of pain behind. He can feel the weight of Rei's gaze on his back but he ignores him because he doesn't want to listen to his rather stupid reasons for not taking her in.
"We're not naming her Mackerel."
Haru's head snaps up at Rei's words but he's scowling at the wall, almost in embarrassment on giving up so easily. Haru's learned that Rei doesn't stay with any argument too long and usually ends up giving in to Haru's end. He exploits that information often to get what he wants. "What?"
Rei puffs his chest out and goes to adjust his glasses - only to remember that they aren't on his face and flushes at the realization - "I refuse to allow you to name our cat after fish. There's some sort of cruel irony to doing so, I swear. It is only customary to give them a name that actually fits, nothing that resembles your favourite food. "
Haru lights up because that's pretty much Rei's declaration that they have a new pet, "So, we get to keep her?"
Rei sighs, pressing his lips together as he nods and Haru resists the urge to kiss him right then and there. Actually, he doesn't resist the urge, he just leans over and does it, smacking their lips together for a brief second.
The kitten meows in Haru's hand.
It's past eleven by the time that they get to bed. Luckily, tomorrow is Saturday so Rei doesn't have to go into tomorrow for any school work and Haru figures he'll take the day off for once to spend some time with him.
They had finished bathing and fed some leftover fish to the kitten and gave her some water to hold her over until they could go to the pet shop tomorrow. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, wrapped up in a fluffy towel in Haru's arms. She seems warm and content, purring in her sleep and snuggling deeper in the towel.
Haru's on the bed with her on his lap, scratching and rubbing behind her ears as he watches Rei put together a makeshift bed for her. It's an old cardboard box - in better condition than the one he found her in - and the front of it has been cut out for easy access. Rei lines the bottom with an older towel and places it toward the edge of their bed in a way that the moonlight through their window will allow them to keep an eye on her.
Haru tries to stifle a yawn that spills out of his mouth but he doesn't catch it time to avoid Rei seeing it. There's a look of fond exasperation on Rei's face and he simply shakes his head, "Let's head to bed, ok? We'll worry about her more in the morning." Rei presses the pad of his thumb to Haru's cheek and it makes Haru close his eyes, leaning into the touch of Rei's hand.
He agrees with a small hum in the back of his throat as Rei takes the bundle from his arms. Haru feels ready to drop, wanting to just crawl under the covers and sleep. He does just that, slipping under the sheets as Rei goes to rearrange the kitten in her new bed. They'll have to pick up a proper one in the morning, along with other supplies but Haru's thoughts sort of drift into the in between of consciousness and unconsciousness.
The bed dips on the other side as Rei slides in, arms snaking their way around Haru's hips as he buries his nose in dark hair. Haru huffs against his neck, burrowing deeper into the warmth provided.
There's a few beats of silence in the room and, as the both of them start to slip into slumber, Haru's voice breaks through the quiet.
"Monarch."
"Hmph, did you say something?" Rei's voice is quiet and sluggish, like he's already half asleep and Haru peppers kisses on his shoulder as he contemplates his next choice of words.
"Let's name her Monarch. Like the butterfly, y'know?" Haru snorts softly when Rei makes a confused sound, groaning as if he doesn't want to be disturbed. "She has the same colours as it, right? The browns and the blacks and the whites? It's better than Mackerel, don't you think?"
Rei's arms tighten around his middle as he cuddles closer to him. "Monarch?" he repeats, yawning into Haru's hair. Haru nods, eyes closing as he takes in Rei's heat.
"Beautiful." Rei mumbles and Haru smiles.
I hope you enjoyed, feedback is appreciated!
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