Archive of Our Own

It had been a normal boring day, when suddenly a rude witch with an annoyingly pretty face waltzed right in and started making demands. Of course, as the king Hanamaki had to politely refuse and the witch threw a tantrum and stormed out. He thought that that had been the end of it, until the next day.

Hanamaki couldn't believe it. He stared down at his hands, which were now paws - fluffy paws with pink pads and razor sharp claws. He had been turned into a cat.

The bed he had sat upon was now far too big for his new body. He rose and walked clumsily around on the bed, trying to coordinate his new limbs. It felt like his legs had fallen asleep and he was forced to balance on a log roll. He needed to find someone immediately and… Wait. How would he be able to explain the situation? He can't talk, could he? He quickly spoke, trying to say ‘hey’. All he could do was meow.

Hanamaki started to panic, pacing around on the bed anxiously, mind racing. He was interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by a hesitant, “Your Majesty?” Instinctively, he went to say ‘Don't come in,’ but ended up meowing again. The door opened anyways.

One of his greatest knights and friend, Iwaizumi, stood there, confused. No king to be found, but a sleek light brown cat stood alert on the bed. Iwaizumi certainly had seen Hanamaki in numerous predicaments but this would be one for the books. Hanamaki meowed at Iwaizumi.

“What the hell?” Iwaizumi half whispered, striding over to the bed. Hanamaki walked to meet him at the side and meowed again, trying to speak but failing. Maybe Iwaizumi would understand?

Iwaizumi picked him up by the scruff of his neck. Or maybe not. Hanamaki angrily hissed and tried to claw at Iwaizumi’s hands. “You're not supposed to be in here,” Iwaizumi said matter of factly. He turned and strode out of the room, Hanamaki struggling helplessly in his hand. They walked down to the first floor, past the interior courtyard, through the kitchen, and out the back entrance. Iwaizumi finally set him down near the stables where other cats would lounge.

Hanamaki had never felt so insulted in his life. He tried to sprint back inside, but Iwaizumi closed the door too fast and he ran straight into it instead. Hanamaki sat consumed in anger, meowing at the door until some passing servant threw a bucket at him. He ran behind a barrel and hid, rethinking his plan. Maybe there was an open door somewhere where he could sneak in again?

Circling the outside of the castle, there were, in fact, many open doors. But he didn't get far before somebody threw him back out again. Some were nicer than others, but all the same kicked him out. When he freed himself of this... predicament he would change the castle rules about animals. Maybe.

He was sulking underneath a tree by the main entrance when a familiar voice sounded from above him. “Oh! So my spell did work!” Hanamaki looked up. It was that annoying witch from yesterday.

“What did you do to me?” Hanamaki tried to say with his angry meows. The witch laughed, unable to understand.

“You are familiar with the old fairy tales, right? True love will break the spell. Same rules, kitty,” the witch explained, dropping down from the tree. Hanamaki backed away hissing. “Sorry, your majesty. But I need you out of the way for a bit. Let's hope your second-in-command is easier to persuade than you.” With that the witch disappeared into thin air. That guy certainly like to put on a show.

His second in command was Iwaizumi, since he had no other kin. But Iwaizumi was very faithful, so he didn’t worry about the witches taunts. But true love? That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Hanamaki did not have very good luck. First, he tried appealing towards the maidenly workers, thinking that he could easily get one of them to love him. A few would coo and pet him, but mostly he was ignored. Irritated, he tried getting close to other cats next, which ended horribly. There seemed to be some sort of unspoken social order with them that he just couldn’t figure out. These misunderstandings quickly led to fights. When running from his fourth battle, Hanamaki decided to give up with them.

Out of ideas, Hanamaki wandered about the city. It seemed much bigger than he remembered. From his stunted height, the buildings and stalls towered over him. Testing out his motor skills, Hanamaki bounded from one surface to the next, until he was above most of the commotion. He followed the main street since it was the one he was most familiar with. Besides being larger, nothing was different. Then Hanamaki heard some voices from one of the branching paths that he hadn’t noticed before. Curiously, he followed the edge of the roof and turned. He had never wandered from the main road before; there was never a need to. But now, with his abundance of freedom and time, he found himself poking his nose around every corner.

To his surprise, there were even more streets similar to the main street that ran parallel to the main road. They were more condensed and narrower, but just as busy. The shopkeepers weren’t as dressed up and talked to the customers like they were old friends. It was almost like walking into another world. Hanamaki kept above the ground for fear of being stepped on. As an observer, he watched and wandered through the streets. Unlike the straight main road, these streets would curve and wind their way through the city. Hanamaki would be able to figure out where he was in the city based on where the castle was. The castle sat at the center of the city. The city spread out in a lopsided circle on one side of the castle; on the other side sat a lake.

The main road had had many different and unique knick-knacks as well as people. It seemed to be full of life and entertainment. As Hanamaki looked at the surrounding areas, the main road suddenly seemed very out of place. Like it was an illusion, and the real life of the city actually existed around it. Hanamaki found that the further from the castle he walked, the more friendly the people became. Everyone greeted each other and seemed glad to help each other out. He could have never experienced this as a human, what with being king and all. That thought hurt, but he ignored it and relished exploring as a stray cat.

Hanamaki had been wandering around for awhile, and realized he was very thirsty. He spotted a rain barrel in one of the alleys and climbed down to it. Conveniently there was a stack of crates level with the barrel that Hanamaki could stand on. He hunched down to the lip of the barrel and paused. How do cats drink water? He tentatively lowered his head to try and drink similar to how a human normally would. He accidentally inhaled water and coughed and sneezed, his nose burning. Brainstorming, he remembered that some cats would lick water from their paws. He dipped his paw into the water and licked the water from it. It worked, but it was too slow and he ended up with more fur than he liked in his mouth. Settling near the lip of the barrel again, he tried lapping at the water. He had to practice with the motions for a while before he finally got the hang of it, but not without splashing a lot of water everywhere. After satisfying his thirst, he bounded back to the roofs. He was glad that no one was around to witness that.

By the time the sun had started to set, Hanamaki had wandered around most of the city and found a nice rooftop not far from the castle. From his spot, he watched the sun fall into the distant mountains. After it had disappeared, Hanamaki considered returning to the castle yard to sleep through the night. Then he noticed strung lights turning on along the side streets. Curiosity got the better of him and he turned away from the castle.

Night had begun and the city became an entirely different place. The normal hustle and bustle disappeared and soft music and dim lights speckled the streets. Hanamaki meandered through the same streets he had explored during the day. He marveled at the city he had never seen before. Usually, he was tucked away in his castle, letting people fawn over him before he slept. But now, without anyone knowing who he was, he could freely walk around and take it all in undisturbed.

After exploring for hours, Hanamaki needed to rest. His ears perked at a familiar faint tune. It sounded almost like an old lulluby. As if being drawn to the music, Hanamaki followed the song toward the outskirts of the town. It source was a street musician, sat up on a small stood against the side of a building. The musician had his eyes closed as he bobbed his head with the beat, short black curls bounced along with him. Large hands with long fingers moved along the guitar’s neck expertly.

It would’ve been easy to just walk right by him, if not for his music. Tiredly, Hanamaki sat down near the street musician. He sang sweetly as he strummed at an old acoustic guitar. Some songs he recognized, but most were completely new and he found himself enjoying it. The musician’s deep, smooth voice lulled Hanamaki into a light doze.

When the musician stopped, Hanamaki stirred and blinked sleepily up at him. The musician kneeled down beside him, and offered his hand for Hanamaki to smell. Hanamaki didn't move, so the musician took it as a ‘go ahead’.

“Hey, kitty, do you like my singing?” he gently stroked Hanamaki’s head. Unconsciously, he found himself purring and blamed it on how tired he was. The musician smiled warmly and stayed to pet him for a while. He was very gentle despite his rough hands. He would softly coo over Hanamaki like a doting parent would a baby. Hanamaki ignored it, too sleepy to care until the man stopped. Hanamaki looked up at the musician as he stood up. “I'll be here tomorrow, too. You should come visit me again.” Then the musician left. Everything else had started closing as well. Hanamaki didn't know where to go.

He trekked back to the castle, sorely missing his large comfy bed. Reluctantly, Hanamaki sat outside, underneath the same tree that the witch had ambushed him from before. He fell asleep while waiting for morning to come.

-----

He woke up to thundering hooves as a carriage pulled through the main castle gate. Hanamaki knew he didn't have any important appointments today. Who could that be?

The annoying witch from before stepped out of the carriage. They looked back and saw Hanamaki, and winked before entering the castle. Hanamaki couldn't believe it. That bastard had the audacity to go waltzing into the castle right in front of him. Once he was human, he was going to rip that witch in half.

He angrily waited until the witch returned. They gave him a sly smile before stepping back into their carriage. He had no idea what that meant but that only made him more angry. He needed to return to his original form, and quickly.

With renewed vigor, Hanamaki turned on all his charm and went to town, trying to woo anyone and everyone. As a king, he may have been able to charm anyone passing by, but as cat, it wasn’t doing him any good. He was just as unsuccessful as the day before. In fact, he had gotten into even more trouble. He had followed people indoors until he got kicked out and had broken some untold rules of cat society.

Night fell and Hanamaki found himself worn out, hurt, and very hungry. The cities change to the night hadn’t dazzled him like yesterday. Instead, Hanamaki found himself back at the spot he had found the musician. Sure enough, as he had said, the musician was there, singing and strumming along. Hanamaki flopped down nearby and listened to his soothing voice.

After the musician had stopped, he kneeled back down to Hanamaki, offered his hand again. Hanamaki meowed pitifully. He struggled to remember when he was last this tired. It felt like he was dying, and he was very hungry.

“Oh dear... Are you okay?” The musician immediately started to worry over him. Hanamaki meowed at him again. Maybe he was being too dramatic, but he felt so tired that he didn't want to move. When the musician went to pick him up, he didn't resist. The musician gently held him in his strong arms, and started to walk. Hanamaki couldn't bring himself to pay attention to where they were going, and let the musician take him as he dozed off again.

-----

When he woke up the next day, he found himself laying on a soft fluffy blanket. A bowl of water and plate stacked with bits of fish had been set nearby. Immediately, Hanamaki went to eat, licking the plate clean, something he would’ve never done at the castle. It was oddly satisfying. After a quick drink, this time without making too much of a mess, Hanamaki looked at his surroundings.

The blanket was set on top of a low table. Mismatched pillows were thrown around it signifying seats, all set up on top of an ornate looking rug. A few feet away was a messy bed overflowing with even more pillows. Above it hung a tapestry of a great tree with geometric patterns. Turning in place, he saw that there was also a kitchen in the same room, and three doorways hung with beaded curtains. One door was opened wide with light streaming through it. There was someone singing on the other side. Curiously, he jumped down from the table and peeked through the doorway. The musician sat on a small rug with a notebook. He would sing, then stop and write something down, then sing again. Hanamaki watched him repeat this process for a while, before striding over to him. He sat next to him and meowed to grab his attention. The musician jumped slightly.

“Oh, hey there. How are you feeling today?” he asked, offering his hand. Hanamaki turned away from it. He certainly was thankful, but didn't need to be petted. The musician went ahead anyways. Hanamaki decided to allow it for now, since it felt nice. “Seems like you are feeling better.”

“I'm Matsukawa. What's your name, kitty?” Matsukawa asked. Hanamaki tried to respond, but only ended up meowing again. That made Matsukawa laugh, and he thought for a moment. “How about I call you Meowster?” Hanamaki didn't like that and meowed angrily at him. “Not that? How about Calcifur?” Another angry meow. “Whiskers?” Denied. “Catpurnicus?” No. “Kitkat?” That one was kinda cute. Hanamaki waited too long to argue against it. “Kitkat it is. You're welcome to stay as long as you want.” With a final scratch behind the ear, Matsukawa stood and stretched. At least he wasn't calling him something lame like Fluffy.

Not knowing what else to do, Hanamaki followed Matsukawa around most of the day. Well, he tried to. He followed Matsukawa into his work, where he was forced outside by the rest of the staff. Matsukawa was a cook at a high class restaurant and apologized for leaving Hanamaki outside. Instead of waiting around for Matsukawa to finish work, Hanamaki found his way back to the castle and sat underneath the tree again. He watched the flow of people coming in and out of the castle. Nothing interesting happened the entire time, and thankfully the witch didn’t show up either. When the sun started setting, Hanamaki turned back to the restaurant.

His best option at this point was to hang around Matsukawa until he could find a solution to his problem. Matsukawa seemed nice enough to feed him and let him stay at his place. That was better than nothing. Or was he just taking advantage of Matsukawa’s kindness? He resolved that he would only stay until he was able to return back to being human. Hoping that it wouldn’t take long.

Hanamaki waited around the restaurant until he realized Matsukawa had already left. Then, he went over to where Matsukawa liked to sit and play his guitar. Matsukawa wasn't there either, so Hanamaki waited for him.

It wasn't long until Matsukawa showed up. “Kitkat! How was your day?” He bypassed offering his hand and went straight to petting Hanamaki. He would've resisted, but Matsukawa’s smile was so bright and cheery, he’d have felt bad to deny him. Matsukawa set up and started playing as he always did. Soft simple songs that lured a few passers-bys to stop and listen for a while and drop a coin or two before they went on their way.

The night dragged on, but it was peaceful and calm. When Matsukawa was done, Hanamaki stretched and followed him home. Matsukawa talked to Hanamaki as they walked, chatting about how work was. It made Hanamaki wonder how many friends this guy had, or was he like this all the time? Matsukawa continued to ramble on about meaningless things until they reached his place. Once inside, Matsukawa put a bit of food of Hanamaki’s plate and disappeared into the shower.

Hanamaki finished the food right as Matsukawa finished his shower. He hadn't bothered with covering up and Hanamaki avoided looking directly at him, embarrassed in Matsukawa’s place. Matsukawa flopped down onto his bed, causing a few pillows to fall. “Goodnight, Kitkat,” he mumbled before falling asleep almost instantly. Hanamaki was slightly amused at Matsukawa’s habits. It was clear that he lived alone, made a decent living off of his cooking job, and playing music for fun. Matsukawa seemed like he was going to be a decent roommate.

Hanamaki would've preferred to sleep on the bed too, but wasn't keen on sleeping next to a naked stranger who was five times bigger than him, even if the guy had a nice body. Reluctantly, he settled down on the soft blanket, compromising for now and missing his own bed.

-----

Morning came and the day proceeded very similarly to the one before it. Matsukawa made them breakfast, giving Hanamaki scraps of what he was making for himself along with some fish. It tasted great. Then Matsukawa sat on the balcony for a while before he had to work. Hanamaki walked with him to his work before going off to try to solve his own problems. Hanamaki had decided that instead of trying to find the ridiculous ‘true love’, he would try and figure out more about the witch. Which involved sitting outside of the castle waiting for them to show back up. He could also slightly monitor what was happening in his absence. Once the sun started to set, Hanamaki made sure to meet Matsukawa where the musician liked to play. He would always smile brightly upon seeing Hanamaki. What a simple minded person , Hanamaki thought to himself, but allowed Matsukawa to pet him all the same. At the end of the night, they walked back to Matsukawa’s place. Matsukawa fed him, showered, then fell straight into bed. Hanamaki took his own place on the blanket. Maybe he could get used to this set up.

No, he couldn’t. Waking up, Hanamaki, found himself stretched out half on the table and half on the blanket. He felt sore and stretched lazily. Matsukawa was already up, seeing as there was food on Hanamaki’s plate. Gratefully, he ate the food, before finding Matsukawa on the balcony again.

Matsukawa’s days seemed to follow the same pattern, with work and playing music. Meanwhile, Hanamaki stood watch by the castle. He would hear the gossip of the staff about what was happening inside. Iwaizumi seemed to have told them that he was on a surprise vacation for an undetermined amount of time. Not the most creative excuse, but that wasn’t exactly Iwaizumi’s forte. It was better than the staff coming up with their own ideas.

In the evenings, he would find Matsukawa at his usual spot. Matsukawa would always pet him and coo over him, which was a bit embarrassing, but no one knew that he was anything other than a cat. He certainly appreciated the attention, until Matsukawa would try and pick him up. He was not fond of that and would scratch and bite if necessary, yet it didn’t deter Matsukawa from trying.

During his quest for knowledge, Hanamaki found out that the witch was visiting about every other day and staying longer and longer each time, which concerned him. He trusted Iwaizumi but this new knowledge made him think that something else must be going on, and the witch was definitely behind it. Hanamaki had tried to follow the carriage the first time he spotted it, but he lost it too quickly. The second time, he tried jumping onto it, only to miss and crash into the ground. Matsukawa had tried to give him a personal examination after seeing Hanamaki limp around, which ended poorly for both of them. The third time, Hanamaki jumped onto the carriage before it left, which only worked until they hit a large hole and he fell off. Hanamaki just needed to confront the witch face to face. He definitely would next time.

-----

The next day came and Hanamaki rose creakily from his less than accommodating bed. Oh, how it made him miss his big soft bed in the castle. He turned to his plate, only to find it empty. He looked at the bed. Matsukawa was still fast asleep, pillow strewn about him and half covered by the sheets, despite it nearing noon. What day was it? Didn’t he have work? Hanamaki jumped up onto the bed, avoiding stepping on Matsukawa until he was near his head. He meowed once, but Matsukawa didn’t stir. He meowed again, and pressed a paw against Matsukawa’s cheek. He earned a slight flinch. Another meow and he finally started to wake. Hanamaki pushed against his face again, earning a protesting groan. One more meow and Matsukawa squinted, dark brown eyes looking directly at Hanamaki. He sighed heavily and rolled over.

“I don’t have work today, Kitkat. Let me sleep,” he mumbled, burying his face into the pillows. Well, that explained that, but now Hanamaki was hungry and didn’t want to go back to sleep. He circled back to Matsukawa’s face and meowed again. Matsukawa groaned, “Really?” Hanamaki meowed. Yes really. Matsukawa sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Fine,” he complied.

Throwing on an oversized shirt, Matsukawa went to the kitchen to fix up some food for them. Hanamaki hopped back up on the table and waited patiently by his plate, watching from a distance as Matsukawa prepared the food.

Matsukawa huffed in amusement. “You act like you’re some type of royalty,” he mused. He wasn’t wrong, but there was no way for Hanamaki to tell him that, so he just meowed. “One moment, your majesty,” Matsukawa said jokingly. If only he knew how right he was , Hanamaki thought. Matsukawa separated out the food, placing a portion of it on Hanamaki’s plate as he sat down with his own. There were green peppers in it… Hanamaki didn’t like green peppers and ate around them. Matsukawa was quick to notice and quirked an eyebrow up. “You’re one picky cat.” Hanamaki ignored him.

“Do you want to run errands with me, Kitkat?” Matsukawa asked while washing the dishes. He thought for a moment, considering the request. The castle watching had gotten awfully boring. He could do with a break. Hanamaki meowed in what he hoped was a positive answer. Matsukawa smiled warmly at him.

They walked down to the market stalls, which seemed busier than usual. Hanamaki walked close to Matsukawa to make sure he didn’t get stepped on or lose him in the crowd. At every stall they stopped at, Matsukawa struck up friendly small talk with the owners and they always seemed to bring him into the conversation..

“Who’s that with you today?” one would asked.

“This is Kitkat! He’s been following me around now. I don’t know where he came from but it seems like he likes me,” Matsukawa explained with a shrug.

“That’s one pretty kitty. Sure he didn’t use to have an owner? Maybe they lost him?”

“There’s no collar so I’m not sure. But he sure acts all prim and proper,” Matsukawa joked. Hanamaki meowed in annoyance, but that only made them laugh.

They kept shopping and occasionally Matsukawa would ask Hanamaki if he should get something. “Do you think we need any fish?” Matsukawa asked. Fish sounded good, so Hanamaki meowed in agreement and Matsukawa would pick up some fish. Matsukawa was pretty easy to manipulate, since he would go with what Hanamaki suggested. It probably was due to him being a cute cat, but Hanamaki enjoyed having some control.

“I think we got more food than we needed, Kitkat,” Matsukawa said, looking at the pile of food on the table after they returned home. That was very apparent, but Matsukawa didn’t complain as he started storing things away. Hanamaki knew that the meals to come would be delicious.

Since Matsukawa didn’t have to work, he spent the evening sitting out on the balcony, working on his songs. Music seemed really important to Matsukawa, but Hanamaki couldn’t figure out why. He certainly had a natural talent for it, but there seemed like there was something else driving him to sing. Hanamaki ended up lost in thought while listening to Matsukawa’s voice.

Instead of going down to sing on the streets, Matsukawa stayed inside and cooked a nicer meal for them both, using a lot of stuff they had bought that day. It was even more delicious. Hanamaki considered hiring him as his own cook, when he turned back, of course. After eating, Matsukawa pulled out some book that had been laying by the bed. It was painfully quiet and Hanamaki quickly grew restless. He went over to Matsukawa to bother him, but the book he was reading caught his eye. It was something that he had seen in the castle library many times but hadn’t picked up. He started to read from where Matsukawa was. Matsukawa was a much faster reader and turned the page before Hanamaki could finish. Hanamaki meowed at him, annoyed.

“What?” Matsukawa asked. Hanamaki attempted to turn the page back, and failed. Matsukawa was quick to understand what Hanamaki wanted and turned back a page for him. Once he finished, Hanamaki tapped Matsukawa’s hand so he would turn the page. Matsukawa laughed. “Do you want me to read it to you instead?” he offered. Would he really? Hanamaki was doubtful until he actually turned back to the beginning and started reading.

Hanamaki had thought his singing voice was nice, but his reading voice really took the cake. Matsukawa would do different voices for each character, and his narrating voice was silky smooth. It reminded Hanamaki of when he was little, and the nursemaid that would always read him stories until he fell asleep. As attentive as he was trying to be, Hanamaki found himself drifting off into sleep, not knowing where the story ended and his dreams began.

-----

Hanamaki woke up right next to Matsukawa’s face. Matsukawa was sleeping peacefully, and Hanamaki froze because he didn’t want to disturb him. So he laid there and studied Matsukawa’s face, noticing that he actually quite pretty. Of course there were his large eyebrows that sat like bushy caterpillars on his face. But he also had long sweeping eyelashes that occasionally twitched with whatever dream he was having. Hanamaki could feel his slow exhales from his wide nose, and followed the soft shadows down from Matsukawa’s eyes. His lips naturally made him look like he was pouting. It was pretty cute. Absently, Hanamaki wondered if he kissed Matsukawa would that pout change to a smile. Would his lips be as soft as they looked? Realizing what he was thinking about, Hanamaki rolled over and hopped out of the bed. He took his place on the table and meowed loudly, avoiding looking at Matsukawa.

Matsukawa stirred and they started their day like the majority of the days before. Hanamaki quickly forgot his early morning thoughts and his day continued perfectly fine, until the evening. While he was out by the castle, storm clouds started to form and before he knew it, it was pouring rain. Hanamaki ran from shelter to shelter, straight to Matsukawa’s place. Matsukawa was already there, strumming his guitar.

Hanamaki meowed at him from the doorway and he looked up. “Kitkat! You’re soaked!” Matsukawa immediately pulled out a towel and grabbed Hanamaki against his will, wrapping him in the towel.  Hanamaki complained as Matsukawa forcefully tried to dry him. “Come on, this is better than being soaked, right?” Hanamaki stopped meowing, but grumpily looked away. Matsukawa could only laugh at his behavior.

After being released from the drying prison, Hanamaki settled on the bed and listened as Matsukawa picked up his guitar again, playing softly. He sang a couple songs before stopping in the middle of one.

“You know, I didn’t like the guitar at first. I wanted to play the piano,” Matsukawa said, lightly strumming as he talked. Hanamaki turned his attention to Matsukawa. He had the feeling that Matsukawa was going to share something personal. He had a far off look in his eye.

“When I first heard the piano, I was in love. It was some simple classical song, but it really struck a chord with me.” Matsukawa smiled at his own joke. He spoke but paused between each sentence, emphasizing it with a strum. “But we couldn’t afford a piano. Too expensive. So instead, my dad got me a guitar. I hated it. I refused to touch it for the longest time. I was really stubborn.” Matsukawa stumbled on a chord, and paused to check his fingering. Hanamaki wondered why he was telling him all of this.

“And then my dad died,” Matsukawa said, as if discussing the weather. But Hanamaki jerked back in surprise, raising from his curled up position. “I cried for days, I was so upset. Then I saw the guitar again and decided to learn to play it. I realized it wasn’t just the sound of the piano that drew me to it, it was the whole aspect of creating music that I loved. You know, like the feelings you can draw forth from such a simple instrument.” Hanamaki meowed his understanding and Matsukawa smiled at him.

“So I learned the guitar instead. This is the guitar from my dad,” Matsukawa said nodding down at the one in his hands. It was well maintained but definitely old, with some wear and tear around the edges from years of being carted around. “I could get a new one… But how does someone just replace something like this?” Matsukawa wondered aloud. Even if Hanamaki could talk, he wouldn’t had known what to say. Would his input even be necessary in a situation like this?

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder crashed, scaring Hanamaki and making him bolt into Matsukawa’s lap for cover. Matsukawa laughed. “Scared of a little thunder?” Hanamaki meowed in annoyance. Storms were much worse than he had remembered. Maybe it had to do with his new body, but whatever the cause, he didn’t like it and stayed put in the safe spot between Matsukawa and his guitar. Matsukawa continued his strumming, blocking out a bit of the noise.

“Thanks for listening to me, Kitkat. Even if you probably don’t understand what I’m saying,” Matsukawa half mumbled, before gently leading into a quiet song. He sounded a bit sad, so Hanamaki gently pushed against his stomach and purred, hoping to make him feel better. Matsukawa played one slow soft song after another until Hanamaki had fallen asleep, still huddled on his lap.

-----

In the morning, Hanamaki found himself pressed up against Matsukawa’s bare stomach. Tentatively glancing down, Hanamaki was relieved that Matsukawa was still wearing underwear. He relaxed again and stretched out, enjoying the warmth at his back. This bed was much more comfortable than the lousy blanket on the table. But not as good as his own bed, he argued with himself.

Hanamaki could still hear the light drizzle of rain outside. Matsukawa stirred next to him, yawning widely. He wished that Matsukawa wouldn’t get up, he was very comfortable and the rain made him want to fall back asleep. But there was work despite the rain and Matsukawa rolled off the bed, leaving a warm spot that Hanamaki rolled onto. Hanamaki lazily watched Matsukawa complete the usual morning tasks. When he went to put food on Hanamaki’s plate he finally rose and stretched. They ate in silence, enjoying the sound of the rain.

Hanamaki didn’t follow Matsukawa out to his work today. It was still raining and he wasn’t keen on having another drying session. Because of that, he was stuck inside with nothing to do. There wasn’t much to explore in the tiny house, and he couldn’t physically do anything besides make a mess. With nothing better to do, Hanamaki returned to the bed, settling himself down right in the middle of it and dozing.

He drifted in and out of sleep easily, only checking if Matsukawa had come back, and if not, drifting back into dreams.

Matsukawa certainly made an entrance when he returned from work. He stripped out of his soaked clothes and fell heavily on the bed, startling Hanamaki out of his dreams. Before Hanamaki could move, Matsukawa grabbed him and pressed his face into his belly. Hanamaki let out an offended meow, trying to push Matsukawa off without clawing him, but Matsukawa held firm.

“Kitkat, today has just been the worst day. Heal me,” Matsukawa spoke into Hanamaki’s stomach, voice muffled. His voiced causing vibrations to echo through Hanamaki’s small body. He meowed again, pressing more insistently against Matsukawa’s head. Finally, Matsukawa raised his head, looking down at Hanamaki with tired eyes. It was clear how worn out he was and Hanamaki felt a tinge of guilt for being annoyed at him. Matsukawa began scratching his neck, a very nice feeling that quickly brought forth a purr from Hanamaki that he didn’t know he had.

“I bet you don’t have a care in the world. You can just sleep all day. Life must be so simple,” Matsukawa talked aloud. If only he knew. Hanamaki didn’t know how he could correct him, so he enjoyed the attention instead, purring louder for Matsukawa to hear. That did make Matsukawa smile and he leaned down to kiss Hanamaki on the forehead. Hanamaki froze for a moment suddenly remembering the curse. That was a kiss, right? But how would he be able to tell if it was true love? How was he supposed to know? Nothing happened and he quickly relaxed again. It was for the best that he didn’t change back. He would’ve been put in a very awkward position with how they were laid out currently. He reasoned that finding the wizard would still be the easiest route.

His attention dragged back to Matsukawa as the musician rose to grab his guitar. He played inside again, not wanting to risk the rain ruining his valued instrument. Hanamaki liked this better. It was more comfortable and private, as if Matsukawa was singing just for him. Many people had sung for him before, but this was different, because it felt more genuine. Matsukawa didn’t need to pretend to please royalty, he was just being himself. There was nothing forced about his singing, and that calmed Hanamaki. It allowed him to enjoy the music more. He was almost annoyed when Matsukawa stopped, until he felt the familiar gnaw of his stomach.

After dinner, the rest of the evening passed slowly as the rain disappeared. Hanamaki nestled himself beside Matsukawa, enjoying the warmth shared between them as much as the bed.

-----

The next couple days passed similarly to the ones before the rain, only now Hanamaki enjoyed lounging on the bed more and more. Matsukawa would let his hand drop to pet him mindlessly and Hanamaki didn’t care anymore. He actually found himself enjoying it, a purr rising up to meet his mood.

Despite his visits to the castle, Hanamaki was quickly getting nowhere. Gossip did not serve much value when it was said that the witch requested private meetings every time. Hanamaki internally scolded Iwaizumi for allowing such a thing. He felt like his time was better spent waiting for Matsukawa at his work, but he couldn’t give in that easily. He was a king after all. He continued to sit watch as often as the sun shined. Once the sky started turning red, he would take his leave to find Matsukawa. See him had easily become his favorite part of the day.

Hanamaki settled down right beside Matsukawa, his music was as soothing as ever. He was seated in his usual spot, a bit earlier than usual, but singing as brightly as always. He was just in time to catch those returning home from an evening out and those who were starting their nightly strolls. There were slightly more people pausing to listen to Matsukawa’s gentle songs. They would stop and linger in a loose semi-circle. Occasionally, someone would step forward and toss some loose change into the velvety guitar case. Matsukawa barely noticed them, all his focus was directed towards strumming and singing. Looking around at the crowd, Hanamaki noticed everyone looked relaxed. Knowing that everyone was enjoying the calming atmosphere made Hanamaki happy.

Shouts and yells started in the distance. It seemed so far away, that nobody really noticed until the yells overshadowed the music. Lazily, people pulled their attention away to see what the commotion was all about. Hanamaki turned to try and see as well, Matsukawa slowly faded out of a song midway.

There was… something being chased. They couldn’t see what it was until the crowd parted and it was practically upon them. A very large and very frightened stallion was charging towards them. The crowd that had gathered scrambled out of the way of the beast. Yells from behind the horse were calling for help to stop it, but no one wanted to get in the way of that crazed beast. No one besides Matsukawa. He jumped forward to block the horse’s path, hoping it would slow and stop. It did stop, but the crowd surrounding it only freaked it out more and it started to kick out randomly as it spun in place. Everyone backed up even more to avoid the powerful kicks. Matsukawa had backed up too, but not far enough. The horse landed a blow directly on his front, propelling him forcefully against the wall. The horse escaped past him.

The first thing Hanamaki noticed was the guitar’s front completely smashed inwards, with snapped strings and a skewed neck. Then he noticed that Matsukawa wasn’t moving. People had rushed to his side, checking his pulse and pulling the broken guitar off of him. Hanamaki felt frozen to the spot, he hadn’t been able to move. He stared, as a group lifted Matsukawa up off the ground. Far off voices talked of taking him to the doctor. It wasn’t until they had walked past him that Hanamaki snapped out of his trance and bounded after them. He felt useless, not being able to do anything. The thought I wish I was human repeated over and over through his head. Then maybe he could have done something. Anything.

Someone had run ahead to wake or warn the doctor so when the group showed up at her place, they were immediately rushed inside. Following suit, Hanamaki went to enter but someone picked him up swiftly as soon as he stepped inside. “Oh no you don’t, no animals allowed in here,” a voice said. Hanamaki strained to look over their shoulder, not paying attention. Matsukawa had been laid down on a bed, there were so many people crowded around he struggled to catch a glimpse of him. As soon as he touched the ground outside, the door shut.

Anxiously, Hanamaki paced outside the door, straining to hear inside. Many voices were speaking but through the door, it just sounded like a garbled mess. The voices stopped and Hanamaki pressed his ear up to the door. What had happened? Slowly the voices started back up, and grew closer. Hanamaki jumped back to avoid the door swinging open. The people exiting were smiling, which relieved his pounding heart slightly. Glancing inside, he couldn’t see Matsukawa but the doctor looked like he was talking to the bed he was on. That was all he saw before the door closed again.

The rest of the people had left, but Hanamaki waited patiently outside of the house. He waited past sunrise, until Matsukawa finally emerged out of the house. He meowed loudly with uncontrolled happiness, which startled Matsukawa. “Kitkat?” he said in surprise, staring at the cat. Without thinking, he jumped up at Matsukawa. He was caught in his arms and purred loudly while rubbing his head against the other’s jaw. “Did you miss me?” Matsukawa ended up laughing as he started home.

Hanamaki stayed in his arms the entire way back, Matsukawa mumbling about what a weird cat he was. Normally, he would have cared, but that didn’t matter since everything was okay now. That was what he had thought, until they saw the guitar case sitting outside their door.

It had gotten left behind in the rush, someone must have known where Matsukawa lived and delivered it there. Hanamaki jumped down and Matsukawa brought in the inside. He set it on the table and clicked open the clasps. The top opened and they both froze. Oh… right. They stared at the smashed guitar. Hanamaki had forgotten that it had been ruined, but this was Matsukawa’s first time seeing it. Shock and horror were clearly expressed on his face. He leaned over the instrument as quiet sobs escaped him. Hanamaki watched, not knowing what to do.

Cautiously, Hanamaki approached Matsukawa. He was shaking and fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Hanamaki softly meowed, but that only made Matsukawa lean forward more,as he hid his face. Hanamaki settled down next to him, nudging his leg occasionally with his nose. Matsukawa didn’t move for a long time and his shaking didn’t stop. But Hanamaki stayed by him.

It wasn’t until noon when Matsukawa finally rose, startling Hanamaki from his doze during the long night. Matsukawa abandoned the guitar and went directly into the bathroom. Hanamaki helplessly stood outside the door, listening. The shower turned on… Then the shower turned off… The door opened and Matsukawa beelined for the bed, throwing the covers back. He pulled the sheets up and over his head, becoming a lump on the bed amid the pillows.

Hanamaki rose and sat next to the lump, wanting him to know that he was there, but unsure if it would help at all. The day passed slower than any other day had before.

-----

Matsukawa wouldn’t leave the bed. He laid there sniffling with the blanket pulled up over himself. Hanamaki could only sit by him and worry. He would only rise to go to the bathroom and drink water. Occasionally he would pick at some food, but barely ate anything before returning back to the bed.

The first day, Hanamaki figured he just needed some sleep. The second day, Hanamaki cautiously nudged at the person sized lump. The third day, Hanamaki meowed until a pillow was thrown at him.

Every day he would pace around the house, trying to think of how he could possibly help. But what could he do? He was only a cat. Even though he could find food for himself, Matsukawa needed to eat too. Hanamaki picked up an orange in his mouth and dropped it in front of the lump, meowing once.  Matsukawa didn’t move, so Hanamaki tried pulling the blanket away himself. It proved to be more difficult that he had imagined. After one good tug he got it pulled back, exposing Matsukawa’s face. Matsukawa did not look good. There were wet streaks on his face and his eyes were puffy. Sad dark brown eyes squinted, adjusting to the light before meeting his gaze.

“Kitkat, please stop,” he said quietly, reaching to pull the blanket back over himself. Hanamaki meowed in protest and pushed the orange towards him. Matsukawa paused and stared at the orange. Hanamaki was hopeful, until he shifted away and ignored it. Alarmed, Hanamaki meowed more insistently until Matsukawa pushed him off the bed. He spent the rest of the day dejected as he laid under the table.

The next day, when Matsukawa refused to eat again, Hanamaki was beside himself with worry. He felt useless and badly wanted Matsukawa to bounce back. He wanted to see that bright smile and hear his soft songs. Walking around the lump, Hanamaki figured where Matsukawa’s head was and struggled to crawl under the blankets with him. It was very hot and stuffy under the blanket as Hanamaki wiggled up to Matsukawa’s face. He meowed softly.

“Hey, Kitkat,” Matsukawa said quietly, acknowledging his presence, but not moving at all. He sounded weak and Hanamaki pressed his face against Matsukawa’s. Tears were falling from his eyes so Hanamaki went to dry them the only way he could, by licking. It was salty and didn’t taste that great, but he did it until Matsukawa stopped him. “Kitkat, that tickles, stop it,” Matsukawa weakly laughed, pulling his face away. Hanamaki gained hope when he heard that laugh. He pressed his forehead against Matsukawa’s and purred loudly. He missed that laugh.

He hated seeing Matsukawa this way. It made his heart feel like it was going to break. It hurt so terribly, so much worse than anything he had ever felt before. Even worse than that time he broke his leg horseback riding. He missed the happy and smiling, bright as the sun, Matsukawa. He wished he could do more. Wishing because… well, because he loved Matsukawa. He admitted it, Matsukawa had unknowingly become the world to him and he realized he loved him more than anything else.

Suddenly, everything turned white and Hanamaki felt his whole body tingle weirdly. He couldn’t see anything or hear anything. Just as suddenly as it had come, the light disappeared. Hanamaki was left staring down at a much smaller and wide eyed Matsukawa, who had fallen off the bed.

“Matsukawa!” Hanamaki said. The sound of his own voice startled him and he clapped his hands over his mouth. Hands… He pulled his hands away to study them, turning his long slender hands back and forth. He had hands again. And a voice! He looked down. He had his old body back, he was human again!

“Kitkat?” Matsukawa cautiously asked. Hanamaki looked up, remembering where he was and that he was stark naked in front of Matsukawa. He quickly covered himself with a pillow as a red blush burst across his face.

“H-hello,” Hanamaki said awkwardly, trying to avoid Matsukawa’s gaping stare.

“But… But… You’re Kitkat?” Matsukawa struggled to say. Hanamaki nodded. “There’s no way… You… You’re the… And I… Oh god,” Matsukawa couldn’t finish his thoughts, his own blush creeped onto his face. “I’m so sorry!” Matsukawa took a bowing position in front of Hanamaki.

Seeing him do that rubbed Hanamaki the wrong way. “Matsukawa, don’t act like I haven’t been living with you for the past month,” he reminded him.

“But Kitkat- I mean, your majesty! I did so many embarrassing things! Like-like walking around naked, and-and, oh god, I’m so sorry,” Matsukawa kneeled at the side of the bed, refusing to make eye contact and rambling on about everything he did.

“Matsukawa… Matsukawa!” Hanamaki said forcefully, leaning down and grabbing Matsukawa’s head to force him to look at his face. “I forgive you, okay? Now will you please eat something?” As if on cue, Matsukawa’s stomach growled loudly.

“Oh,” Matsukawa said. Tears started to overflow his eyes, alarming Hanamaki.

“Why are you crying?” he asked worryingly.

“Because...Because after all.. All this,” Matsukawa gestured vaguely at him, “You’re still worried about me.”

“Of course I am! You haven’t eaten in five days! I don’t want you to die, Matsukawa!” Hanamaki said loudly. He wanted to tell Matsukawa that he loved him, but stopped himself. Now didn’t seem like the best time. Matsukawa tried to wipe his tears away before Hanamaki pulled him into an awkward hug.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Matsukawa managed to say.

“It’s alright. Let’s just eat, okay?” Matsukawa nodded and stood. He paused beside the bed, looking at Hanamaki. “What?” he questioned.

Matsukawa grabbed the oversized shirt he typically wore on lazy days and handed it to Hanamaki. “Here.” Hanamaki gladly accepted it, slipping it over his head. Matsukawa went on to make a simple and quick meal for both of them. He pulled out Hanamaki’s usual plate, before realizing that it was far too small now and switching to a larger one. Placing both plates on the table he looked back at Hanamaki.

Hanamaki stood on wobbly legs, and managed to awkwardly walk to the table. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was and immediately dug into the food messily. Matsukawa ate just as ravenously and even prepared seconds for both of them.

After eating, awkward silence fell over the room. Neither of them knowing what to say.

Matsukawa spoke up first. “So… what’s next? For you?”

Hanamaki hadn’t thought about that much. “I’m… not sure.”

“Don’t you need to go back to the castle.”

“...but I don’t want to leave you,” he said quietly. Silence fell over the room. Matsukawa had adored Kitkat, but now that Kitkat was actually the king, he worried that Matsukawa wouldn’t like him. It had been bugging him since he had transformed. But after seeing how depressed Matsukawa had been, he didn’t want to leave him alone.

“You’ll have to go regardless. You can’t hide here. You’ll definitely be found out,” Matsukawa reasoned, surprisingly logical.

“Not yet,” Hanamaki begged, grabbing Matsukawa’s hand. The musician flinched and tensed at the contact. “Not until I know you’re better.”

Matsukawa thought for a moment before sighing and nodding. Hanamaki nearly jumped across the table to hug him.

For the rest of the day, Matsukawa asked Hanamaki questions about the curse. Hanamaki left out the part where true love would break it, feigning confusion on why he changed back when he did. Matsukawa talked to him very formally, and Hanamaki couldn’t help but notice the stiff way that he now moved around. They both took showers and awkwardly flopped onto the bed. Matsukawa put a little bit of space between them that only reminded Hanamaki that things might be different now that he’s human again. It was possible that he wouldn’t be able to be as close to Matsukawa as when he was a cat. He worried over it and had a hard time falling asleep.

-----

When he woke up, Matsukawa was already up and making food. Hanamaki yawned and stretched, feeling good in his old body again. A stifled laugh came from the kitchen. “You have awful bedhead,” Matsukawa remarked.

“I don’t usually sleep with a thousand pillows on my bed,” Hanamaki shot back. Matsukawa just chuckled, a sound that warmed Hanamaki’s heart to hear again. Maybe Matsukawa was warming up to him. The day passed a bit awkwardly, before Matsukawa was headed off to work for the first time after his breakdown. He gave Hanamaki some clothes to wear, luckily they wore the same size so everything fit. While waiting for Matsukawa to return, Hanamaki was reminded of all the things he couldn’t do anymore, like sitting in Matsukawa’s lap. He pondered over all of the changes, bringing down his mood with every revelation. He tried to stop thinking about it, but couldn’t. Being a cat hadn’t been so bad.

The next day was slightly better. Hanamaki had been napping when Matsukawa gave his head a few pats before realizing his mistake and over apologizing for it. Hanamaki hid his face in the pillows to keep Matsukawa from seeing his blush.

“It’s alright… I don’t mind,” he mumbled. To his surprise, Matsukawa went back to stroking his head. If Hanamaki had still been able to purr, he would’ve.

That evening, Matsukawa insisted that Hanamaki return back to the castle the next day. He had been gone too long, and Matsukawa promised he felt better now. Hanamaki was very reluctant about it, but ended up agreeing to leave. The rest of the day passed by too quickly and soon they were both laying in bed. Hanamaki didn’t want to sleep, because if tomorrow came, he would have to leave. Experimentally, he inched closer to Matsukawa until their arms were pressing up against each other. Matsukawa didn’t move away, relieving some doubt in Hanamaki’s mind. He wouldn’t dare move any closer, afraid that he would end up making Matsukawa uncomfortable. Instead he laid there, listening to Matsukawa’s breath, trying to devise a plan stay with Matsukawa until he dozed off.

-----

Matsukawa was up first again, already cooking. This meal took longer than usual but smelled just as good. “I wanted to make something special for you, before you leave,” Matsukawa explained as he set out all of the food on the table.

“Thank you,” Hanamaki barely managed to say, gaping at the food. They began to eat, but as he ate, Hanamaki could only think about how he didn’t want to leave. Before he knew it, his vision had become blurry and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Matsukawa asked alarmed, moving to Hanamaki’s side.

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Hanamaki said, mouth half full of food.

That didn’t seem to satisfy Matsukawa. “The food isn’t bad, is it?”

“No, it’s good. It’s really good,” Hanamaki said as reassuringly as he could while crying. Matsukawa rubbed his back until he stopped crying. It took longer than it should’ve for him to calm down enough to eat again. Matsukawa kept a worrying eye on him until they finished eating.

Then it was time for Hanamaki to leave. Matsukawa had promised to walk to the gate with him. Hanamaki pulled a hood over his head, not wanting to be recognized immediately when they left. They walked without a problem towards the castle, silent the whole time.

They reached the gate and stood awkwardly facing each other for a bit, before Hanamaki moved. He hugged Matsukawa tightly. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Thank you, as well,” Matsukawa responded. Then Hanamaki strode towards the castle, pulling his hood off. Immediately the castle staff recognized him, and soon he was surrounded by people. Before entering the castle, he glanced back, Matsukawa was already gone.

Hanamaki was bombarded with questions that he couldn’t answer and comments about his long absence. Finally his saviour, Iwaizumi, parted the sea of people and pulled him into his private bedroom, locking the door behind him.

“Alright, speak,” Iwaizumi commanded. Good ol’ Iwaizumi, just as friendly as ever. Hanamaki gushed about his whole adventure, leaving out a few personal parts for Iwaizumi’s sake. He particularly savored Iwaizumi’s reaction to the beginning when he had found Hanamaki as a cat. The knight didn’t interrupt and listened to the whole ordeal quietly.

“So that annoying witch was the one who turned you?” Iwaizumi said at the end. Hanamaki nodded. Iwaizumi sighed heavily. “Get clean and changed, I’ll handle the staff,” Iwaizumi instructed.

“Thank you,” Hanamaki hugged Iwaizumi, surprising him.

“You were never that touchy before,” Iwaizumi commented.

“Sorry, it’s been a rough morning.” Iwaizumi nodded and left Hanamaki to clean up. He took a long hot shower and slipped into his normal royal attire, noting how stiff and tight it was. Viewing himself in the mirror, he saw the same familiar face with beady eyes and short cropped light brown hair. With a sigh, he turned away from his reflection. I looked cuter as a cat, he thought.

He neatly folded Matsukawa’s clothes and set them on the bed. He’d have to return them at some point. The chance to see Matsukawa again, made his heart soar, only to come crashing down. Would Matsukawa even want to see him again?

Iwaizumi interrupted his thoughts. He barged in and briefed him quickly on what his story was to be about his absence and also added that the witch was here to see him as well. Hanamaki cursed, he really didn’t want to see that witch ever again.

Thankfully, as he passed through the halls, the staff left him alone and he reached the grand hall easily. Except there was no one in the grand hall. Hanamaki turned to look at Iwaizumi, who gestured to the side room meant for private meetings. Hanamaki rolled his eyes and continued forward, slamming open the door to the room.

“AH! You broke the curse! How wonderful!” the witch announced cheerfully.

Hanamaki left Iwaizumi to close the door behind him, noting how the knight stayed inside instead of excusing himself out. “No thanks to you, that’s for sure,” Hanamaki spat, letting the formalities drop.

The witch frowned as they sized Hanamaki up. “Oh dearie. You’ve got quite the broken heart.” Hanamaki froze, unable to mask his surprise. The witch was right, but he couldn’t figure out how they could possibly know that. The witch spoke up again. “I see the confusion in your eyes, but it’s pretty easy to tell when I carry a similar burden with me as well.” The witch glanced meaningfully at Iwaizumi.

The glance was not lost on Hanamaki, and he stared daggers at the knight. Iwaizumi visibly stiffened. “Iwaizumi,” Hanamaki drawled angrily. “What has been going on?”

Iwaizumi stepped forward, a sheen of sweat already appearing on his forehead. “Well, sir, the witch Oikawa kept coming back after you first dismissed them to make the same demands over and over again. Of course, I have declined these demands, like you did the first time. I stay true to your word even after the witch tried to tempt me by using... other methods,” Iwaizumi reported dutifully.

“HA!” The witch barked. “You say temptations, but they were anything but! You wound me, Iwaizumi. Even now you refuse to acknowledge what we were, even when it had nothing to do with my earlier demands.” The witch pouted.

Hanamaki glared back at the knight, awaiting answers. Iwaizumi shifted in place as a blush rose to his cheeks. “I may have been weak, in… dealing with Oikawa. They proved to be quite charming and distracted me from my duties.”

Hanamaki rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. This was not what he wanted to deal with right now. He cut to the chase. “So what you’re trying to tell me, is that you hooked up with the witch, right?”

“This witch has a name!” Oikawa piped up.

Iwaizumi looked down at the floor. “To put it simply, yes.”

Hanamaki nodded then turned back to Oikawa. “You, no means no, now stop bugging us about it! I don’t care if you want to hook up with my knight just don’t schedule royal meetings to do it! It looks bad.” Both of them blushed at that and Hanamaki stormed out of the room, leaving them to deal with their own problems. He had other things he needed to think about.

-----

Hanamaki was very nervous as he quickly knocked on Matsukawa’s door. Matsukawa hadn’t been at work, or at his usual singing spot, not since the accident, so he must be at home. There was a muffled, “One moment.”

Then Matsukawa opened the door, shocked upon seeing Hanamaki. “Surprise,” Hanamaki awkwardly said. Inside his heart was racing, happy to be able to see Matsukawa even if it had only been a couple of days.

“Your majesty,” Matsukawa said, inclining his head slightly before gesturing for him to come in.

Hanamaki stepped inside the familiar home, enjoying the familiar clink of the bead curtain. “You don’t have to call me that,” Hanamaki said, slightly annoyed.

“Sorry. Just… what are you doing here?” Matsukawa looked a bit worn out, as if he had been overworked or something. Hanamaki hoped that he was okay.

“I’ve come to return these.” Hanamaki presented the clothes he had borrowed.

“Oh. You really didn’t have to come in person for just this,” Matsukawa said, taking the clothes and setting them down on the table.

“Nonsense. There was more I wanted to give,” Hanamaki said excitedly.

Matsukawa looked confused. “Like what?”

“Like this.” Hanamaki brought a new acoustic guitar out from under his cloak into Matsukawa’s sight.

“No…” Matsukawa said in disbelief. “You shouldn’t have.” Matsukawa took the guitar and admired it. It was the typical light wood color, but had designs etched across the entire surface of the body similar to that of the tree tapestry that hung above Matsukawa’s bed. Hanamaki had had it specially designed.

“You were so torn up about the last one, I wanted to give you the chance to make music again. I know it doesn’t hold the same value, but I hope that won’t stop you from singing?”

“It’s beautiful,” Matsukawa said in awe, half listening.

“One last thing,” Hanamaki interrupted. Matsukawa looked at Hanamaki, confused at what more there could be. “Matsukawa,” Hanamaki started, taking a deep breath. “I love you.”

Matsukawa stared at him, mouth gaping. “I… Uh… You… What?” he finally managed.

Hanamaki swallowed shakily and let himself gush out everything that he had been keeping inside. “I love you, and I miss you. I miss your smile, your voice, your singing. I miss all of it. Even you petting my head. I miss that too. I know we didn’t spend long together, but I miss that time.” Hanamaki studied the floor as he talked, well aware of the blush that formed on his cheeks.

Matsukawa was painfully silent. “...This is… A lot to take in. I don’t know what to say… Can you give me some time to think?”

Hanamaki felt his heart crash but smiled and nodded despite it. “Sure. Don’t be a stranger, you are welcome anytime at the castle,” Hanamaki said quickly and showed himself out before tears could form in his eyes. He felt so stupid. Matsukawa obviously didn’t feel the same way for him. How could he? He had only known him when he was a cat, not as a human. No sane person would develop romantic feelings for their cat. When he reached the castle he stormed past everyone and went straight to his room, releasing his tears into the pillows. His bed was not nearly as comfortable as he remembered it.

-----

Hanamaki moped around the castle. He was able to carry out his duties as normal, but everyone noticed that he was less cheery. The food tasted plain and the music was dull. His world felt clouded over as he found himself staring out over the city from one of the upper rooms. He searched for where Matsukawa might be playing, straining his ears to pick up any sort of familiar tune. It was all pointless, he was too far away to hear or see anything.

Days passed and Hanamaki was beginning to come to terms with the heaviness that he felt inside of his chest. As he was settling down to go to sleep, he heard soft strumming. Bolting upright he froze to listen. There was strumming and singing and it sounded familiar, but new. He rushed to throw on a robe and followed the sound of the music. He nearly kicked down the door as he burst outside.

There was Matsukawa, who startled, but cleared his throat and began again. He sang a bit quieter this time, directing the words at Hanamaki. He sang of a cat. A strange cat that found him and how he decided to take care of it. Hanamaki felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he slowly walked closer to Matsukawa. He was crying by the time he reached him.

Matsukawa slowly ended his song and reached out to cup Hanamaki’s face. “Why are you crying? Aren’t you happy to see me?” asked an overly concerned Matsukawa.

Hanamaki sniffed loudly. “I am happy, I’m so happy that I can’t help but cry,” he choked out, trying to dry his eyes.

“You haven’t even heard what I have to say,” Matsukawa said. Hanamaki froze as panic flashed across his face. Matsukawa smiled, that blindingly bright smile and gently brought their faces together. He kissed as softly as he sang. It was brief but its message was perfectly clear.

Hanamaki wrapped his arms tightly around Matsukawa, shoving his face into the musician’s shoulder as he let loose another round of tears. Matsukawa shoved the guitar around him so that it wasn’t in the way and put his arms around Hanamaki.

“I may have known you mostly as my cat, but I want to get to know this version of you as well,” Matsukawa said softly. “I love you, Kitkat.”

Hanamaki choked out a laugh. “I love you too.”