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When Aone stepped off the train and onto the platform, heading towards school, the first thing that hit him was how cold it was.
The second thing that hit him was the tiny kitten he had seen wandering around the station yesterday was curled up on top of the newspaper stand, shivering. He’d been hoping the mother cat would come and collect it overnight, but apparently, there had been no such luck. Aone wondered if it had been abandoned.
He walks over to it, rummaging for change in his pocket. He has just enough spare coins and silently selects a newspaper for the staff to roll up. Under the guise of being interested in the headlines, he runs his fingers over the kitten.
It’s so cold. It’s freezing. Weakly, it lifts its head and give a tiny, squeaky mew. Aone can feel his heartstrings pull, and he lays his large palm over the little creature. It can’t be more than three or four weeks old.
“You can take it, if you like.” Aone blinks and looks up as the vendor ties a string around the newspaper to keep it rolled up.
“The kitten. I can’t, I have an allergy. But the wee thing hasn’t had proper care for a couple of days. Just a few scraps I’ve been giving it.” Aone glances at the kitten, spotting a little tongue poking out from between dried lips. He nods, scooping up the delicate animal with gentle hands, and holding as close to his chest as possible. He can feel how cold it is through his school uniform.
“Ah, don’t forget yer paper.” Aone bows politely, tucking the newspaper under his arm, and with precious bundle in his hands, makes his way towards the school. He steps into the gymnasium and makes a beeline for the closest radiator, putting the newspaper down in layers just within the range of warmth, but not close enough to catch fire, and puts the kitten in the centre. He takes off his blazer and makes a nest out of it around the kitten, just to stop it accidentally stumbling away.
“Yo, Aone? What are you doing?” He looks up at Futakuchi as the Wing Spiker enters, smirk melting into confusion with his head tilted to one side. Aone turns back to the kitten, gently puffing up his blazer to try and trap warm air within it.
“... You- You do realise that thing is gonna get pelted with volleyballs, right?” Aone glares at his best friend, pursing his lips together tightly. Futakuchi holds his hands up in surrender with a placid grin, trying to hide how terrified Aone’s glare makes him.
“We can find somewhere safer! Like, the clubroom, perhaps?”
“No. S’cold.” Futakuchi sighs. It’s true that their clubroom lacks the heating to keep it as warm as the gymnasium, but if Aone doesn’t want this thing to get hurt….
“Fine. But you’re the one who sits at the edge and stops anything hitting it.” He pauses, raising an eyebrow. All he can see is Aone’s white blazer and newspapers.
“What even is it?” Aone tugs down part of his blazer and the kitten is revealed. Futakuchi stares. He opens and closes his mouth like a koi. And then he squeals.
“It’s a kitten! A kitten!!! Aone, it’s so cute!” The corners of Aone’s lips twitch upwards. Unbeknownst to anyone else, he’s well aware of Futakuchi’s weakness for anything cute, fluffy, and cat. The kitten checks off everything on the list.
“Lemme look at it.” Carefully, Aone transfers his precious little bundle to Futakuchi, the kitten mewling weakly in protest and tiny paws stretching out to press against Futakuchi’s face. His eyes light up at the contact, but the narrow as he looks at the kitten longer.
Aone waits, allowing his best friend to poke around the kitten, manhandling it a little. He knows Futakuchi is doing no harm, instead giving the tiny scrap a quick checkover. One of the many benefits of have a friend who aims to be a vet.
“About three weeks old, I’d say… Old enough to poop by itself. It’s dehydrated… Definitely hungry but not quite starving. Luckily, there’s no fleas, so it’s not anaemic. But it’s cold. We need to warm it up, find some suitable kitten feed, and get it a drink.”
“... Sakunami.” Futakuchi tilts his head in question, cradling the kitten close for warmth, but Aone ignores his curious glance and instead starts texting on his phone. Futakuchi clocks on quickly when Aone stares at him.
“Oh! We’ll need, ah, let’s see… A pipette or medicine syringe if he can’t find a tiny bottle… And KMR formula. Preferably the powder version, but canned is okay. Apart from that, maybe a heating pad or blanket, and a litter box.”
“M’kay.” Aone sends off the text, patting the newspaper and blazer nest as an indication for Futakuchi to put the kitten back down. Pouting, he does so. Already in uniform because he seems immune to the cold, Futakuchi starts warming up by stretching and jogging around the gym whilst Aone goes to change.
They’re both incredibly early. Aone, because he has to take the early train or miss practice. And Futakuchi because he gets dragged out the house when his older sister goes to work. They get breakfast on the way, and then he comes to school bright and early to set everything up.
It’s just as he’s putting up the net, Aone returning to help put the poles on, that the gymnasium doors open once more.
“Morning, Senpai!”
“Good morning! I got the stuff you asked for.” Sakunami and Koganegawa arrive together, bundled up in hats, scarfs, coats and gloves. The libero holds out a bag from the pet shop near his home, filled with items. Aone nods thankfully as he takes it, walking back over to where the kitten is curled up in his blazer, purring in the warmth from the radiator.
With a tiny smile, Aone carefully lifts it up to put the heated blanket underneath, plugging it into the point on the wall. He stares at the kitten nursing bottle for a long moment. There’s no hole in the teat. He blinks. Stares a little longer.
“... Futakuchi?” Halfway through explaining the kitten situation to Koganegawa and Sakunami, Futakuchi pauses and looks over his shoulder. Aone holds up the bottle and he rolls his eyes.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. You two go and get changed, we’ll start soon.” The first years answer in unison, enthusiastic as usual, and jog away as Futakuchi comes over to Aone’s side. He lays a hand over the kitten to check if all their attempts at warming it up are working.
“A little chilly, but it’s not so cold anymore~.”
“Mhm.” He snorts a laugh at the jolly response, focusing on setting up the bottle and feed, letting Aone scratch the tiny kitten under the chin. It’s a lot softer and reacts quicker than his tortoise.
“What are you going to do with it though? Keep it?” Aone’s silence speaks volumes, and Futakuchi raises and eyebrow.
“Seriously, you’re going to keep it?” Black eyes slid to him, Aone fidgeting and slightly pouting. With a laugh, Futakuchi whacks his back.
“Okay, okay! I’ll help you out! You gonna name it though?”
“Tsumetai.”
“... Really? Cold thing? You’re going to name a kitten cold thing?” The kitten lifts its head and give a long, loud mewl. Aone’s shoulders shake as his eyes close and he grins, silently laughing. Futakuchi just sighs. His best friend is such a gentle giant, but he’s also a massive dork.
“Well, it seems to like it, so… Welcome to Dateko, Tsumetai.”
The little kitten, cold no more and yet ‘cold thing’ forever, purrs as it gets its first feed from its new owner, a warm lap to curl in and a warm heart to keep it safe.