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Kise walked along the pathway with his wet shoes; although lots of rain was predicted for the week, today was pretty much okay just to take the bus and walk to his new workplace. His was used to travel a lot to different locations due to his job and this one was in a very centric area.
As soon as he turned the corner, he stopped in his tracks; a black cat was standing in front him. Kise smiled at the sight and leaned down to pet him. His fur was soft but Kise could feel some wet patches around his back. The cat started rubbing his body against him.
“Hey kitty, aren’t you cold?”
The cat was now lying on his back purring softly.
“Hmmm.. were you playing outside with this weather? I guess you like rain. What’s your name? You are not a stray one, right?”-Kise asked eyeing the cat’s blue collar.
-Oh you’re Aomine! That’s a nice name! Is it because of your eyes? Look at them, so pretty!
Indeed, the cat blue eyes were almost shining like two sapphires. Kise couldn’t help but thinking of the sea. How he -as a child- would often walk along the shoreline and throw pebbles toward the blue brighten ocean. He would stand there feeling the warm breeze and gazing at the clear blue sky because it made him forget everything. Like now too, he was forgetting everything just by looking at the cat’s eyes - oh , it’s getting late! - he said out loud. He gave one last stroke to the cat’s belly and smiling he headed to his work.
Over the next few days he kept finding Aomine almost at the same spot. It seemed as though the cat was just waiting for him or at least that was what Kise wanted to believe.
-Hey Aominecchi! enjoying the sunshine? Are you waiting for me? I know you are!-Kise said almost in a singing voice. He never had pets before so he didn’t know why this black cat made him so happy. Maybe it was because he felt the cat was at ease with him; he also thought if he was this friendly with other passersby as blue eyes stared at him.
Weeks passed and Spring came, by this time Kise had learnt a few things about Aomine.
He lived in the house right at the corner of the street when he first saw him. Kise would sometimes find him lying on the chair outside the porch; he also found out his favourite toy was a small crayfish plushie but he also enjoyed playing with a teaser feather one.
His favourite treat was basically anything that had beef flavour, not like he tried to give him any before. Aomine liked cicadas too but was scared of bees. Kise had realised this one time while playing with him and Aomine suddenly stopped, eyes fixed on the small insect and would not move at the sight of it.
“I bet you tried to catch it once and it didn’t go that well right, Aominecchi?” Kise said teasingly
He also noticed how fast and agile Aomine was. Sure all cats are like that due to its nature but Aomine really seemed to enjoy wandering around the neighbourhood. He sometimes would start running down along the houses’ front yards at the sight of Kise just to appear ahead of him right in front of his workplace entrance.
One sunny morning, Kise noticed how two cherry blossoms trees outside Aomine’s house had already bloomed. He fished out his phone from his pocket and took a few shots of the small pink and white flowers against the blue sky. Suddenly he felt Aomine rubbing at his foot.
-Oh Aominecchi! - he said bending down to pet him. Aomine rubbed his head against his hand.
“You are so soft and cute! Look at the cherry blossoms.. do you like them? They will fall very soon... Do you want to take a picture too? Is it okay if I carry you?” Kise asked placing a soft grip against Aomine. He lifted it and placed it against his chest. The cat didn’t resist he just let Kise do it without trouble. He angled his camera toward them with the cherry trees behind them.
~ click click click ~
Kise was smiling widely looking at his phone
“They are so pretty Aominecchi! Look at your eyes! The same color as the sky!” and again he was getting lost in Aomine’s eyes forgetting everything~
Kise didn’t see Aomine for a few days after that instead he found another cat. This one, a grey tabby, didn’t have a collar; was a bit larger than Aomine and it looked timid at the sight of Kise.
“Hey are you Aominecchi’s friend? - he asked while scratching the cat’s chin- Have you seen him?” he grey cat started licking Kise’s hand
“Are you hungry!? It tickles” Kise said laughing
All of a sudden, the cat lowered his body to the ground, ears turned back and his eyes were wide open staring behind Kise’s back.
Aomine was standing watching them with narrow eyes and flickering tail.
“Aominecchi!”
As soon as Kise turned his back the grey cat fled toward the bushes at the opposite side.
“uh, why did he... hmm Aominecchi did you scare him?”
Aomine purred and started rubbing against Kise’s hand.
“You naughty boy, don’t tell me you fought with that cat before.. or were you actually jealous Aominecchi?” He murmured while scratching Aomine’s ears -Don’t worry, you’re still my favourite one-
Days were getting warmer, Kise’s work schedule was all over the place but he would always make some time to spend with Aomine whether in the mornings or when headed to home he would make sure to greet him.
The cherry trees were full of leaves now and some of them had started to fall. Kise was given the news that again he was being relocated for his job. Three weeks left before he moved to his new place.
“I’ll be going away Aominecchi” Kise said to the cat one morning while stroking his belly -I’m going to miss seeing you in the mornings, will you miss me too?-
Aomine just purred, gazing at him with his blue eyes.
-I know you will but don’t worry, I’ll come to visit you sometime, I promise- he said smiling fondly at the cat.
Almost five months passed since last time he saw Aomine. Kise had been so busy with work and school. He had not only changed his job but also had moved to a new apartment. Finally, having some time to rest, he was enjoying the breeze at the balcony. The weather was really nice and cherry blossom season was expected a week earlier than usual this year. He suddenly thought of Aomine and the cherry blossoms back at his place and although he barely had free time, he decide to make a quick visit to his fluffy friend.
The calendar marked April 1 and Kise couldn’t ask for a better weather. Sunny, blue skies and just the perfect temperature to be outside. Right after his midday class he was heading to see Aomine and hopefully he would be on time to see the blooming cherry flowers as well. He was walking up the street and sure enough the flowers were at their peak blooming; the two trees were fully covered by white and pink blossoms. He approached Aomine’s house when he saw sign placed to a large shrub fence:
-Aomine the cat
We are heartbroken to announce that our dear Aomine has died on March 27 after being struck by a car. We hope you were lucky enough to know him; he was the happiest and chilliest cat ever; he loved attention and entertained here each day. He was just the best pet. Please take a moment to remember him; our family is devastated and we miss him dearly.
We love you, Aomine. RIP-
Kise just silently finish reading the sign; attached to it there were a few of Aomine’s photos. Kise stared at each one them. The one on top, Aomine standing near a window with a Santa hat on his head, another one showing him sleeping on a brown couch with his front paws hanging out at the sides of it; a third one with Aomine lying lazily on top of a wall fence and a fourth picture at the bottom showing him playing with a kid and a feather toy by the sidewalk.
Five days, I missed him for five days Kise thought while stroking a small crayfish toy in his hand; he finally had managed to find one at a pet store. He was reading the sign again when suddenly someone came out from the house.
In front of him, a tall and muscular man looked at him with a slight frown on his face. The contrast of his brown skin and navy blue hair made Kise stare him as well but what he really noticed the most were his eyes. They were blue, not any kind of blue but the one he loved the most; it was the blue of his childhood, the blue of the days he would see at the sea, the blue of the sky during spring days when he would feel the happiest, the blue of his most cherished memories; and like that Kise found himself lost in them forgetting everything again.