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Character(s): Momoshiro, Ryoma, Karupin
Summary: Ryoma's cat befriends Momoshiro, which really shouldn't surprise anyone.
Ryoma wasn't entirely sure how, or even when, he had decided to be friends with Momoshiro Takeshi. He was loud, extroverted, and ridiculously demonstrative for someone Japanese. He also mussed Ryoma's hair, which was extremely annoying, and rarely stopped talking unless he was on the tennis court. He did play decent tennis; however, tennis wasn't enough to explain it. Frankly Momoshiro had the kind of boisterous personality that Ryoma usually avoided.
So how was it, he wondered, that he continually ended up on the back of this bike, gripping Momoshiro's shoulders and listening to him chat companionably about Eiji's latest gossip, or Kaidoh's infuriating quip, or Fuji's amazing counter? They had just finished afternoon practice, and he was in a good mood. Which was perhaps why, when Momo skidded to a halt in front of his home, Ryoma asked if he wanted to come inside.
"Really, you sure?" Momo asked. Although they often traveled back and forth from school and hung out around town on days when there weren't club activities, Momo wasn't often invited into his house.
Ryoma considered. He wasn't bored. He didn't need anything from Momo. He just felt like having him around for a while longer. Wasn't that what friends did? Shouldering his bag, he headed for the door. "Come on before I change my mind."
Momoshiro propped his bike inside the gate. "Lucky! I have some English homework I really need help with."
"You should do your own work, Momo-senpai."
"I do it!" Momoshiro protested. "I just haven't got a head for languages. Not like you and Taka-san."
Ryoma recalled Kawamura-senpai's many exclamations in what could more or less be called English. For lack of anything better to say, he muttered, "Hm."
He was grateful to find that they had the house to themselves except for Karupin, who met them at the door and began winding around Ryoma's ankles. Momoshiro was met with a curious sniff and a slight flutter of a fluffy tail. Momo grinned at the cat. "Yo. Remember me?"
Ryoma sighed. "Come on."
Leaving their tennis equipment at the door, they made their way up to Ryoma's room where they could spread out their homework on the floor. It was something Ryoma did everyday, but he had to admit there was something pleasant about having Momoshiro's shoulder jammed in next to his as they sat against the bed. Or there would have been, if he'd been able to get anything done.
The problem was Karupin. The feline seemed to remember their visitor after all, and had proceeded to arch against Momoshiro's side to get his attention. Momo, for his part, was besotted, and had long since shoved aside his own school assignment in favor of attempting to pet the cat. Ryoma was compelled to say 'attempting', because his upraised hand looked a lot more like he was going to use a tennis smash than to pet a small, delicate animal.
"Echizen, Echizen," he said as he finally succeeded in stroking Karupin. "It's making noises."
Exasperated, Ryoma laid aside his pencil. "Of course. He likes you."
"Really?" Momoshiro said, delighted. "How do you know?"
A warm feeling momentarily filled Ryoma's chest as he watched Karupin climb into Momo's lap and make himself comfortable. The cat even went so far as to roll over and offer up his belly for scratching, something that Ryoma had only known Kuripin to do for himself and Nanako. Momoshiro laughed when Karupin caught his hand in two paws and gnawed affectionately on his fingers.
Ryoma looked away. "Of course Karupin likes you," he muttered. "I like you."
Although Momoshiro played the fool most of the time, he could be surprisingly perceptive. Which is why Ryoma wasn't surprised that his only response was an undemanding, lopsided smile. And wasn't that just another reason why they got along? Momoshiro didn't expect him to be a tennis ace or an idol or the pillar of the Seigaku team. Ryoma had the feeling that he and Momoshiro would be friends even without tennis, which frankly astonished him. Before Seigaku, he had barely known there even were meaningful confederations outside of the sport.
"Mrow!" Karupin protested the lull in Momoshiro's attention, squirming and batting at the air. The purring began again almost as soon as Momoshiro brought his fingers back down.
"Well, I like him, too," Momo said, scratching under Karupin's chin until the Himalayan's blue eyes closed in bliss.
Ryoma harrumphed, but made no comment. At this rate they might as well give up on homework and go play tennis.
Author's Note:
Based on episode (27) Karupin's Adventure, which shows off Ryoma's more human side. When he gets all emotional over having his cat back and then invites Momoshiro to play tennis, it made me think about how painstaking it must have been for a reserved kid like him to cultivate friendships. Also based on my best friend's temperamental cat, who seemed to bestow friendship on me based solely on her master's esteem.