Henlo.

I know, Cloudy fans. I KNOW! But I've been on a real Steins;Gate kick lately because I rediscovered Spotify, where the ENTIRE FREAKING SOUNDTRACK is just THERE! Just watch the anime, okay? It's really good.

In the meantime, enjoy this one-shot I cooked up.

He was supposed to go to the corner store to restock the Future Gadget Laboratory. Okabe Rintarou, nay, HOUIN KYOUMA! had not expected for it to rain, and even if he had, dammit, did it have to rain this much? It must be the work of the Organization. Okabe was tempted to make a phone call, but the downpour certainly frowned on that. Instead he took quick long steps towards the corner store. Nearly a block away…

A tiny, pathetic-sounding mewl stopped him right in his tracks. Quiet though it had been, it was so sudden and stark against the quiet hush of the drops falling coldly against the fabric of his labcoat, turning his usual slicked-back hairstyle into soaking, tousled drips. Tentatively, he took a half step.

There it was again. He spotted the cause this time. Down there, huddled up next to the curb was a sopping wet pile of fuzz, small as his hand open wide, its eyes shut tight against the rain, shivering, with whiskers quivering most of all. Someone whom he didn't recognize thumped into him, and hard. "Watch it, dude!" came the furious hiss in passing. Okabe was too enamored with this newest mystery to care.

The identified creature opened its bright green eyes, blinked a few times, and looked up at Okabe expectantly.

Mew.

The world seemed to stop as Okabe and the kitten locked eyes. Throwing aside his persona, it was just the two of them, suddenly in a shared state of vulnerability, of presence. There was no more Houin Kyouma, no more even Okabe Rintarou. Just a young man, and a helpless tiny kitten.

A helpless… something clicked into place as he snapped back into reality. Bending over, he quickly scooped the cat into the collar of his t-shirt. He bunched up the top of his shirt and mopped as much excess moisture off the creature as he could. Hunching his shoulders, he dashed back to the lab and made his way up the stairs as quietly as he could considering the constant drippage coming from his labcoat and his loud huffing from the exertion.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping Kurisu or the enthralled Daru and his 2D game, he kicked off his shoes and edged his way towards the miniscule bathroom the lab called their own and to the couple of neatly folded towels they had on deck, in no small part thanks to Mayuri.

Now that they were in the warmth of the lab, Okabe really felt how sopping wet the fur on the kitten was as it shook. Gently, he laid the kitten on the towel that he'd spread out on the floor, and folded it in burrito-style. It blinked and opened its tiny mouth in protest, showing the sharp pearls it housed, but did not fight the wrapping.

Still squatting, Okabe shed his labcoat and t-shirt and wrapped himself in the second towel. He then picked up the mewling fuzz-rito in one hooked elbow and hung both articles of clothing from the shower curtain rod.

He had the poor timing to sneeze just then.

As if on cue, Kurisu yawned and sat up, her long chestnut hair falling over her shoulders as carefully as the leftover rain now dripped from Okabe's hair. "Oh…" Her Prussian blue eyes crinkled and she blushed lightly as she took in the situation. Then her eyes snapped wide open as she stomped up, her fists positioned at her hips. "Okabe, absolutely not! You KNOW we can't keep that here!"

Okabe whirled and flushed. "I-I," he stammered. "It's our newest lab member, you see!" He began to maniacally laugh, which cut short with Daru's snickering.

"Some 'mad scientist' you are! Taking in a stray kitten cos you felt sorry for it… That's super cringe, bro, not gonna lie."

In response the self-proclaimed mad scientist straightened up, and pulled the bundle closer to him defensively. "Look!" he proclaimed. "As the founder of this lab, if I say that we are to rescue an innocent victim from the Organization's cruel clutches, and if that were to be the choice of Steins Gate, then that's what goes!"

Kurisu sighed angrily. "There's no WAY that –" she began.

The door creaked open as three girls padded inside. Mayuri, Ruka, and Faris instantly surrounded Okabe and his toweled bundle. Coos and awws of appreciation and newfound adoration leaked out to the group and seemed to cool Kurisu off. She, too, edged closer to him.

The kitten, now drier, opened its eyes and began to sniff the air. It looked at Kurisu and mewled again. Despite herself, she put her hand to her cheek. "Aww," she conceded. "Okay… but Okabe, you're on litterbox duty."

"What do you think you'll name him?" Ruka looked up at Okabe with shining violet eyes, blushing as she tried not to concentrate on his bare skin.

"He should obviously be called 'Fenrir'!" Okabe responded.

"He's not a dog, you colossal moron!" Kurisu snapped. "What about… 'Smokey'? You know, for his dark grey fur."

"Only such a simple assistant could come up with such a simple name!" Okabe retorted.

"Oh yEAH?!" Kurisu gritted her teeth and glared up at him. The room broke out into angry murmuring and shouts of different cat names.

"Wait! What about 'Keiko'?" Mayuri suggested sweetly. The clamor of the lab broke into a quiet assent.

As if a response, the kitten had wriggled out of the towel and leapt down to the floor. It padded over to Mayuri, mewled, and rubbed up against her ankle.

"Keiko doesn't seem like a bad name," Okabe grumbled.

"Keiko is a FINE name, Okabe," Kurisu said through gritted teeth.

Mayuri picked up the kitten and held him to her chest carefully. She closed her eyes with a quiet smile. "Listen… Mayushii and everyone made Mr. Keiko so happy!"

Kurisu strode across the room and dug out a t-shirt from the basket under their whiteboard, sitting beside the couch she'd been sleeping on half an hour before. She shoved it into Okabe. "Please… for Pete's sake, put on a shirt!"

"Oooo, is Miss Makise thirsty for Okarin?" Daru's eyes twinkled in merriment.

"N-no! It's just that his lanky frame is extremely distracting," she said defensively.

"Distracting, am I?" Okabe smirked.

"Not. ONE. Word," she levelled her glare back to his hazel eyes, and a fist rose.

Okabe shrunk back and obediently marched to the bathroom. In the meantime, Mayuri let Keiko down to explore. He sniffed at the phone-microwave device, and his tail fluffed up as he waddled backwards and away. He'd moved a bit too fast, however, and plunked down right on his butt. Not to be deterred, he hopped back up to explore other parts of the room.

A hair dryer resounded from the bathroom, and Keiko sat flat down again before standing, arching his back, and floofing out his tail as much as he could. He opened his mouth again, but once again, no hiss.

"Awww, Mr. Keiko is too young to hiss-nyan~!" Faris exclaimed, starry-eyed.

Okabe appeared from the bathroom once again, this time dressed as usual, plus one damp towel slung lazily on his shoulders. Keiko, eyes bright, bounced over and began climbing Okabe's pants. He stifled the grunts of pain, and encouraged him over to his newly-dried labcoat's pocket. Keiko fell in at first, but after a bit of wriggling, managed to pop two ears, then his head outside of the pocket. He looked up and locked eyes with Okabe again.

Mew.

Okabe smiled wide for the first time in what felt like years.