First published in 2018 in AO3
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The guy is walking in front of the adoption stand, and Tadashi cannot help keeping his gaze on him while he walks away.
He's tall, with light hair and black frames that makes his eyes sharper. He looks even more intimidating and cooler than when Tadashi saw him on that first adoption rally on his freshman year in university. Not that he has been looking for a glimpse of the man around campus anytime he can. Nope, not at all.
Does he even remember that first encounter? When he tried to ask him if he was interested in adopting a kitten? Hoping to get the guy's name, and maybe a phone number?
Pathetic. It's not like he can recognize me.
Two years and several piercings later, Tadashi isn't that naive, lost-looking freshman, who tempted by the chance of being around pups and kittens joined the animal shelter next to the university.
Now I look more like a punk singer than an animal activist...
His recollection stops when a sharp little claw hits his knee through his ripped jeans, the kitten hanging to his leg trying to get out of the little playpen its brothers are.
"Hey! Where're you going!"
The kitten is fast in its run for freedom, scurrying between the legs of the students, and Tadashi is just about to catch the little rebel when it runs in between someone's legs and that person bends down…
It ends up a mess of long legs and elbows in soft places mixed with grunts and annoyed meowing, all lying on the floor.
"Sorry! It's just- the kitten…!"
Oh no. He just ran into tall-black-glasses-guy. What a great way to finally get the attention of the person you've been admiring for a while now.
"It's OK. I was catching this little guy," and sure, the kitten is safe in Tall-Guy's arms, getting cosier by the moment, "Is it yours?"
"Yes- No! She's from the animal shelter near campus, I was-" the Guy isn't listening, but frowning at him while his hand goes toward Tadashi's face.
"You have blood, here," Tadashi feels just the softest graze on his lower lip, but that's enough to send his heart rate to the clouds.
"Oh, it's the snake bite," probably the crash jolted his latest piercing, and sure, he now can feel the sting and the warmth of blood on his chin.
"Snakebite?" the Guy hands him a tissue, while the little rascal that caused all of this is dozing and purring happily.
"Oh, it's the name of the- this two holes under my lip?" and the sharp eyes he's been admiring for a while now go to his lips, and isn't that an attractive look.
"Thank you, umm…"
"Tsukishima,"
"Tsukishima, yeah," Ha! Finally, I got your name! "I'm-"
"Yamaguchi."
"Huh? How do you-"
Tsukishima points at his chest, "You have a name tag."
"Oh, right," after cleaning the blood, Tadashi stands and offers a hand to Tsukishima who is still sitting on the floor, the kitten sleeping on his arm.
Luckily, the rest of the kittens are still in their enclosure, mewing softly when they see Tadashi coming back.
"You've been doing this adoption thing for a while now, right?"
"Ah yes, well..." Did he notice?
They look at each other, maybe for too long until Tadashi makes a gesture for the kitten. But when Tsukishima tries to give her back, her claws are stuck in his shirt (his fitted navy blue button-up shirt with tiny pastel polka dots on it, why so cute) and she's adamant on not leaving.
Tadashi's hands hover over the kitten, unsure. "Oh, should I…?"
"It's ok, Actually…" with his free, cat-less hand, Tsukishima pushes his glasses up his nose, "I've been wanting to talk to you,"
What!
"... about adopting a cat, and maybe..."
The guy who Tadashi is pinning for, Tsukishima, is actually talking to him. And if all the signs are correct, he is flirting with him, or trying at least… Tadashi should be happy, and he is, for a second at least. But something about this setting and his words makes him wary, and he quickly realizes what it is.
"Adopt if you really mean to take care of her." This time he doesn't pause in behalf of Tsukishima's shirt and takes the kitten on his arms, "You shouldn't use an animal to try to woo another person."
For a moment there's no more reaction from Tsukishima than his eyes fixed on his face. As time pass, doubt fills his head, and Tadashi runs a hand through his mohawk.
Oh no, maybe it was too much? Was I too rude? Assuming too much? But I wanted to make a point-
"Well, good afternoon…" with that, Tadashi quickly turns away.
But then, the unexpected.
He is starting to walk away when someone grabs his shoulder. Tsukishima, red bright on his face while he wrings his hands, bows his head in apology, "Sorry, I thought that… maybe you..."
Oh. He's actually not as impassive as he thought, with his ears red and his averted gaze, "Did you really mean to take this kitty with you?"
Tsukishima nods, scratching softly behind the kitten's ears, "My brother lived with me until he moved out some months ago. The apartment feels lonely now."
"Ah, I thought that- the kitty was for you to-"
"What, to 'woo you'?"
The kitten mewls softly when Tadashi hides his face in her fur, "Was I assuming things too? Sorry-!"
"Don't apologize. I'm at fault for not being clear. I wanted to keep the kitten, and also asked you to, well..." Tsukishima is still fidgeting, looking so unexpectedly nervous, that Tadashi takes one of the pale hands and place it over the soft fur of the kitten, who purrs right away with the attention.
That seems enough to calm Tsukishima a bit. Or at least that's what Tadashi thinks until he starts talking again, "Why don't we take this kitty home-" Tsukishima sputters when Tadashi asks curiously, Home? "I mean, to my house, and If you want to, you can, uh, stay for a coffee- ah, you can't have hot drinks with that split lip-"
Tadashi couldn't help but guffaw at the troubled face of the blond, to later wince at the pain of the jostled piercing.
We are a mess. "Ok, but first, you can help me get the rest of the kitties to their home..."
But maybe something good can come out of it. "... then we can go to yours."