Strays
Walking home, Kouya spots an old box with a lonely wet kitten inside. Feeling hesitant to bring it home, she picks it up anyway, wondering what Yamato would say. Little did she know, Yamato had taken the same route home. One-shot Fluff.
Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless.
The rain came down in steady torrents, splashing upon the sidewalks mercilessly in attempts to clean the streets that could never truly seem to be clean. Puddles were frequent, and many splashed unpleasantly on the thin sneakers of a student, or the pants leg of a businessman, or the frequent stomp of a child's delighted foot. Kouya herself was having a hell of a time trying to avoid much of the torrential downpour, ducking underneath store overhangs and searching out dry spots shielded by building ledges. She wasn't having much luck, her hair and sweater being thoroughly soaked, but she kept her arms wrapped around her paper shopping bag preciously.
She didn't want a single drop of water to get into the bag, lest its contents get wet and become ruined. Sighing gently as she dodged under the overhang of another store, a bakery judging by the smells and the window display, the dark haired teen took a few moments to rest. There were still quite a few blocks before she could get back to the apartment she and Yamato were living in, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Though, with the rain, it was merely made more of an annoyance than difficult, really.
Pursing her lips as she prepared to run out again, Kouya froze for a moment when she heard a small sound. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes wide in curiosity as she tried to perk her ears, she waited to see if the sound would repeat itself. It did, though it seemed a little louder than the last time, maybe because she was trying to listen for it, and she looked around to see where it could be coming from. Kouya didn't take long to locate the source of the sound, and stepping out from under the overhang, she cringed when she felt the downpour of water soak her again, but the sound called again, and she was more determined by stubborn curiosity to find it.
There was a narrow alleyway between the bakery and the building beside it, probably only big enough to fit one grown person, possibly both Kouya and Yamato together if Yamato didn't prove to really have gotten fatter from all the junk she ate. But Kouya only had to look down to discover the form of a slightly misshapen box with soaked sides. Another piece of cardboard was placed over the open top of the box, though it only covered a portion, unfortunately allowing the rain to fall in through the exposed opening of the box. On the side facing the street, Kouya stared at it for a moment studiously, trying to make out what the running ink was supposed to say, though she felt a stab of ice in her heart when she was finally able to read in messy handwriting, "Free Kittens."
Another sound from the box, and Kouya squatted down, pressing her bag between her chest and her thighs as she placed her hands on her knees. She ignored the fact that she was getting quite wet now, only interested in the box. Reaching forward hesitantly, Kouya removed the lid to peer curiously into the box. The site that met her eyes made her lips turn down slightly in pity.
When the meager roof of the box was removed, and rain fell into the box from all sides, a damp kitten that quickly was becoming soaked by the rain turned its head tiredly to stare up at the girl. Its pale blue eyes brightened up, though, and it didn't show its resentment of the rain, its attention purely focused on Kouya. Uncurling from the little ball it had tied itself up in within a dark colored scarf, it shakily stumbled over to the edge of the box, kicking the edge of the scarf that clung to its claws away before weakly trying to stand on its hind legs as it pressed its white paws against the soaked side of the box, meowing pathetically as the little creature tried to curl its wet little tail in excitement.
Kouya's lips remained pursed and her eyes wide as she reached with one hand into the box, wondering if she could pet the thing, when her hand froze just before touching its wet little head. The creature folded its ears back, and with another cry, it met Kouya halfway and stretched its neck up so that its head could reach the girl's fingertips. Kouya allowed it to rub its cold and wet little body against her palm, all the while her green hazel eyes staring at the little, quaking body.
Soaked fur speckled with tufts of white and creamy orange marred over its body, its tail being completely white like its paws and stomach, though one ear was completely orange. Its ears were a bit big, but nothing it couldn't grow into. And the little pink nose twitched with a sneeze when a raindrop fell upon it, the whiskers quivered as well. It opened its eyes to stare up at Kouya, meowing again with what Kouya thought looked like a smile. Sighing, Kouya finally broke a smile, and ignoring the immediate thoughts of money needs, she scooped the poor thing up with one hand, and brought it close to her face so that their noses nearly touched.
"Hey little girl," she murmured quietly, her face slightly pink as she opened the neck of her sweat to tuck the baby cat in. It may have been wet, but at least it would be warm being so close to her skin. Standing, the girl was careful to hold her bag against her body carefully as she resumed dodging the rain. She did have a bit of difficulty retaining her composure at intersections, having to wait for the WALK sign to light up while the kitten seemed to play inside her sweater, sometimes reaching a paw up from out of her clothing to bat at the strands of her soaked hair, mewing softly. A few odd looks went ignored by the girl, but Kouya was a bit more worried about what she'd say to Yamato once she got home.
Yes, having a pet could be expensive, especially picking up a wet stray, and though they were already tight for money, they'd surely manage. She knew she could convince Yamato with sex if all else failed, so with a new determination, she stepped up the concrete stairway to their apartment building, and hurried till she reached the third floor, and down the hall to the fourth door. She didn't bother to fumble for her key, since she noticed that a corner of the mat outside the door was flipped, which meant that Yamato was home and the door unlocked.
Getting the door open, Kouya stepped inside and pressed the thick door closed again with a bit of effort from her shoulder. Feeling the kitten stirring under her sweater, Kouya placed the bag down by the door against the wall, and pulled the little cat out from her clothing. Holding it in her arms like a little baby, she slipped off her shoes before stepping into the main room of their apartment.
"Yamato, I'm home! And I need to talk to you about something," Kouya called out, a little worriedly as she cradled the kitten close. It was happily pawing the material of her sweater, biting on it as well till Kouya tapped its head with her finger. "No," she mumbled softly, making the little creature look up at her with a cute expression, before mewing and making another one of those "smiles." Kouya smiled, and looked up when she heard footsteps coming from the bedroom.
"Ah! Welcome home! I have something to talk to you about, too," she heard her blonde companion call as she opened the door slowly, though Kouya thought she heard tones of nervousness in Yamato's voice. That was unusual. She usually only got nervous if she broke something, wanted to try something "different" during sex, or had to ask her something semi-serious. The occasions varied, but nonetheless, Yamato had Kouya's attention.
But when the door was opened fully, and the blonde stepped out wearing nothing but a bath towel around her body, and holding another towel bundled in her arms, Kouya was even more curious. Yamato didn't look at Kouya, keeping her gaze on the floor or the bundle as she walked over to her lover. But just as she lifted her gaze and was about to open her mouth, the blonde stared wide eyed at the little body in her lover's arms.
"…Kouya…" Yamato muttered, incredulous surprise evident on her face. Kouya shared the look when she saw the bundle move.
"…Yamato…"
Before more words were said, Kouya watched as a little black head poked out from underneath the pink towel, and a pair of hazel green eyes stared out at Kouya. A familiar pink nose and set of whiskers quivered, and a little sneeze came from the thing, before it mewed softly and struggled to crawl out of the towel. Yamato then sprang back to lucid thought and action, quickly pulling the towel over the little cat and rubbing gently.
"Hey, stay still," she grumbled, furrowing her brow and staring determinedly down at the little bundle. Looking back over to Kouya shyly, she smiled nervously, "He was afraid of the blow-dryer, so I've been trying to dry him with a towel instead," she explained, her tone making Kouya see that the blonde was hoping not to sound too ridiculous and knowing she was failing.
"Where did you find him?" Kouya asked after a moment, watching the blonde struggle with keeping the kitten in the towel.
"Well, I got hungry, and went to that bakery just a few blocks away, though I had my umbrella with me," she added, smirking at Kouya, who'd left earlier that day before the rain started saying that she didn't think it would rain all that hard. "And when I was coming out, I saw a little girl with her mother near the alley, and the little girl was giggling about something, and I walked over out of curiosity, and saw that there was a pathetic looking box sitting in the alley, and three little kittens were huddling together. It was really cute, but then the girl plucked one of them from the box, and walked off with her mother. It was starting to rain, and the kittens were just so cute! I wanted to take both of them, but I knew it would be hard to convince you to keep one, so I picked up this one, and ran away as quick as I could so I wouldn't have to see the other little kitten all alone. I left my scarf so it wouldn't be too cold, but…" Yamato added, looking down guiltily at the kitten in Kouya's arms.
Kouya's lips broke into a smile, and she began laughing, holding the kitten closer to her chest. "I thought that scarf looked familiar," Kouya answered, making Yamato smile back amused. "But, you know we won't be able to buy a new one if we're going to keep these two, they're going to make us broke, what with vet visits, along with costs of food and everything else," Kouya added playfully. Yamato grinned widely, holding up her bundled kitten to her face.
"Ha! I knew I'd get to keep you," she cooed to the kitten, hugging it close as Kouya rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"We'll have to think of names, though," Kouya added after a moment, a shiver running down her spine from her wet clothes. She needed a bath.
"I've already decided on mine! I'm naming him Doughnut!" Yamato exclaimed, making Kouya sigh.
"You're not serious," she began, but knew she couldn't argue. She would just have to hope that her blonde lover never tried to eat the poor thing. Kouya was about to turn away, when her eyes fell across the skimpy towel around Yamato's body. Raising an eyebrow, Kouya asked, "Yamato, why exactly are you only wearing a bath towel? Did you take a bath?"
The blonde broke from the childish amusement she was having with her kitten to glance slyly over towards Kouya, a smirk curling on her pale pink lips. "Well, I planned to show you what I could bribe you with if you wouldn't agree to keep my kitten." the blonde explained, her voice just a bit husky as she sauntered closer to her companion. "Though, the offer's still on the table…if you ditch the wet clothes, that is," Yamato joked, winking at the smiling Kouya.
The dark haired girl tilted her head to the side and leaned in to give Yamato a chaste kiss. "Only if the bath is ready," the dark haired girl countered, her eyes hungrily drifted directly to Yamato's supple display of her cleavage shown above the towel.
"Still steaming," Yamato answered, leaning in for another kiss, though both girls broke apart when they both felt a kitten press into them. Yamato laughed, and Kouya shook her head slightly as she followed Yamato into the bedroom where she placed her bundle on the bed. Kouya tucked her own kitten into the bundle with the other creature who welcomed the addition, and before going to follow Yamato into the bathroom, she stroked her kitten's ear.
"I suppose it's just as degrading as 'Doughnut,' but Hazel should do for you," Kouya mumbled. She then turned to meet the hungry gaze of her companion, and quickly began discarding her clothes as she approached the bathroom.
Eh, just a weird little thing with the promise of implied sex at the end. Inspiration is weird sometimes…What're you gonna do?