Work Text:
The keys make a soft clicking noise as Shouta slips them into the door. He pushes his apartment door open and for a split second, he forgets. He fully expects the familiar happy “chirrup” to greet him, the sound of soft paws running, the gentle head bumping against his shins. But as he steps through the doorways and slips off his shoes all he's greeted with is silence. Shouta sighs. It has been over three weeks since his cat Soba had died and he would still forget. Forget he didn't need to quickly shut his door so she wouldn't rush out, didn't need to fill up her water bowl, didn't need to watch where he sat in case he squashed her. He still forgot she was gone, all he would get is silence and an empty bow, and no soft heavy presence on his lap when he watched TV.
His hangs up his bag, taking out the papers he needs to grade that evening and his phone which is tucked away somewhere at the bottom. As he pulls out the phone he sees the light flashing on it, which signifies a new message. Shouta doesn't get many text messages, so he checks it, figuring it must be important.
“Sho are you in tonight?? Im coming over at 7! Make sure ur in ok! I have a surprise xxx”
“And before u freak out its a nice surprise xx”
Both messages are from his boyfriend Hizashi, and are followed by a string of emojis Shouta doesn't even pretend to understand. Shouta smiles to himself and shakes his head as he reads the messages. He looks at his watch and it is only half past six, so he has half an hour before Hizashi comes over with whatever 'surprise' he has. He doesn't even try to guess what it could be. Shouta has known Hizashi long enough to know there's no point trying to second guess him. Whatever it is, Shouta thinks, he will just be glad for the company. Even though cats are quiet pets, his apartment feels so empty without her. He sighs again, and walks over to his dining table, deciding to get a little grading done before Hizashi arrives. At least it keeps his mind off the quiet.
*
At 7 o clock on the dot the apartment rattles with the sound of a loud knock on the door. Shouta lifts his head from his paperwork and frowns slightly. Hizashi must have forgotten his key again. Which is kind of ironic considering the reaction he had had when Shouta had first given it to him, if Shouta remembers correctly, Hizashi had even shed a few tears, practically jumping on him and wrapping his arms around him in a rib-crushing hug. Shouta's frown disappears at the memory, however, and he smiles softly to himself. How could he ever be irritated at his goofy, loving Hizashi.
He walks over to the door and opens it. “So what's this big surprise then, Hizashi...”
Shouta stops. Hizashi is standing there with a huge box in both arms and an apprehensive smile on his face. “Surprise!”
Shouta moves aside and lets Hizashi into his apartment, where he places the box on Shouta's coffee table. “Phwew, that was not fun to carry up three flights of stairs, I can tell you!"
Shouta just stands there, not sure what to do. Was the surprise in the box for him?
Hizashi sits on the sofa and looks over at Shouta. “You going to come and say hello to your boyfriend, or what?” he says, smiling that brilliant Hizashi smile.
Shouta walks over to him and sits himself down on the sofa. Before he can say anything Hizashi pulls him into a hug and kisses his hair affectionately “I missed you today. I barely saw you at work.”
“Well, that's because you rushed off as soon as the last bell rang,” Shouta complains, but smiles into Hizashi's chest and hugs him back.
“That's because I had to go and get your surprise!”
Hizashi leans back from the hug and looks over to the box. He picks it up gently and places it on Shouta's lap. He's smiling at Shouta, but he looks a little apprehensive.
“What is it?” asks Shouta.
“Just open it.”
Shouta does as he's told and begins to open the box. As he's undoing the complicated folds of the lid (how did Hizashi even manage to do this?) Hizashi begins to ramble.
“I know it's only been a few weeks, and I know it's not the same, it's not meant to replace her.., but you've been so sad lately and I know how much you love rescues and - “
Shouta stares.
Looking up at him is a dusty white kitten.
“- her name is Cotton Candy.”
Shouta reaches down and lifts her out of the box. He nudges the box away and places the kitten on his lap. Her fur is snow soft and she stares up at him with big green eyes. Shouta sticks out his hand and the kitten sniffs it a few times, before giving it a lick with her rough tongue.
“She has green eyes,” says Shouta.
Hizashi is wringing his hands in his lap “So...do you like her?”
Shouta looks up at Hizashi, who was biting his lip, and stares in to his green eyes. Shouta leans forward and kisses him, cupping the side of his face with one hand. Shouta smiles at him.
“I love her.”
He looks at the little dusky kitten in his lap and his heart swells. She had stopped licking Shouta's hand and was now trying to lean across to the coffee table, sniffing at the plate of food Shouta had left out from breakfast, her pink nose twitching.
“Thank you.”
Hizashi grins in relief at Shouta's words. “Good. I was worried it was too soon. But someone dumped her, you see, someone from the station found her abandoned by the river, and I knew you could give her a good home and -” Hizashi sighs “I'm glad you like her.”
“She's beautiful. Thank you. I love you, 'Zashi.”
“I love you, too.”
*
END