Work Text:
The café was doing excellent business, especially since there was a chill in the air and new fall flavors had been added to the menu just this week. Customers filled every table and cozy chair, and there was a constant line of patiently waiting people in front of the counter. Soft chatter filled the air under the soothing melody of indie pop playing on the radio.
Kenma hated it.
He knew that this was a good, steady job, and he was good at making drinks and the precise movements needed to create latte art or frost kawaii cookies, but it was still, underneath the artistry and pretention, a customer service job. He hated customers. On slower days, he could hide in the back, restocking, or skulk around making drinks and leave the customer interaction to Keiji or Tooru. They were so much better at it, and he was sure customers would actually prefer to talk to chirpy, flirty Tooru or the permanently calm Keiji. Kenma got nervous and mumbled and didn’t like to make eye contact, and the tip jars were never as full when he was working the register.
On top of the rush today, he was training a new employee. He had tried to beg off, but Sugawara-san had just cheerfully informed him that he was the best at consistency and was the official trainer for the drink creation aspect of the job. Suga was sneaky and conniving under that angelic expression, which was probably why he had been made the manager. Despite his protests, Kenma found himself accompanied by a very tall, very intense shadow.
He was just adding the finishing dollop of whipped cream on a to-go marron latte, when his shoulder was nudged by Keiji. Looking up, his gaze followed Keiji’s head tilt to the end of the counter where one of his best friends stood grinning and waving. “Thanks,” he muttered, and he handed off the finished drink on his way to greet his friend. “Hi, Shouyou,” he said, leaning on the counter. “What brings you here?”
“Kenmaaaa, I came to ask you--oh.” His friend’s excited babble was cut short abruptly, and Kenma saw him looking at something behind him.
Turning, he sighed. “This is just my friend, Tobio. You don’t have to shadow me talking to my friend. Go, um… go collect the dishes from empty tables,” he decided, after a glance around the café. “Only the empty ones!” he added, calling after the retreating shadow. “I’m supposed to be training him,” he informed Shouyou, and his expression said exactly what he thought of that.
“Wow, he is tall,” replied Shouyou. “And like… brooding.” His eyes were following Tobio as the trainee wandered through the maze of tables and removed empty cups and plates.
“Uh, Shouyou?” prompted Kenma, after a moment. “You were going to ask me something?”
“Right!” His eyes snapped back to Kenma, and Kenma sighed internally at the pink blush spreading across his friend’s cheeks. “I was over here shopping, and I wanted to stop by and invite you to come with me next Friday night. We’re going to this club over in Shinjuku, and I know you’re not a clubber,” he added hastily, as Kenma opened his mouth to refuse, “but this one is different, and the bartender on the weekends is super cute, and he said he prefers blonds,” finished Shouyou with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.
Kenma’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t think so, Shou.”
“Oh, come on, it’s been a long time since you’ve been out with anyone, and I know you get lonely.”
“Shouyou,” hissed Kenma, who didn’t particularly like his private life being discussed at his workplace. His coworkers were awfully nosy and loved to gossip. He would rather they not join in on this game of 'matchmaker' his friend was playing. But Shouyou was actually correct, damn him, and Kenma often wished he had someone to spend time with in the evenings. The cold weather and darkness of autumn and winter only enhanced his seclusion, and he remembered last year’s melancholy and bleakness when his life had reduced to the cycle of sleep-eat-work-repeat. He would like to find some kind of companion, whether it be romantic or platonic, but he was also fairly positive that a super cute bartender at a club was not going to be what he had in mind.
“Don’t try to set me up,” he complained to his friend. “I don’t want to go to any clubs or meet any bartenders. I don’t need a date,” he said, trying to sound convincing and independent. “But you could come around more often,” he added pointedly. “We’ll have to find a night for you to come over and play games or watch a movie.”
“Well, okay,” said Shouyou doubtfully. “You always say that, but then you never invite me. And I still think you’d like this guy.” His eyes had started drifting back to Tobio across the room.
“I think you’re too focused on cute guys,” commented Kenma drily.
“No such thing,” said Shouyou, grinning cheekily. “Fine. I’ll come back soon, so you’d better be checking your schedule and finding a night for us to hang out.” He tried to do a stern look, but it just didn’t fit his face at all, and he ended up smiling at Kenma as he zipped up his jacket and made his way to the door.
Kenma waved at him as he left, but then he hurried back to his station. In just the few minutes he had been speaking to his friend, drink orders had piled up, and he frowned at the slips of paper lined up in front of the bean grinder. “Okay, Tobio,” he said, sensing that his shadow had returned and was looming behind him. “You’re going to make this next one.”
As Kenma shrugged into his coat at the end of his shift, he had to admit that Tobio was not the worst trainee. He was focused and followed the formulas and seriously took in all of Kenma’s tips. His latte art needed some work, though. Kenma reached up to pat his shoulder in reward for a good day.
Then it was out into the chilly night air. The sun had already completely set by closing time, but the bright lights of the city illuminated the neighbourhood well into the night. The café was nestled in one of the busier shopping districts, so there were always plenty of people and bustle for Kenma to disappear into as he made his way home. He didn’t like the cold, and even in November, he found the temperatures too low for his comfort, but if he was sufficiently bundled up, he found he preferred the anonymity of the city moving around him to the crushing emptiness of his flat.
A couple of blocks from the café was a shrine, a peaceful haven from the hectic shops that surrounded it, and Kenma often found himself heading in that direction. It was usually quieter than the busy streets, but he rarely found himself alone there. Even if he didn’t encounter any other humans, stopping to offer a prayer or a coin, he could always stand for several minutes on the bridge and watch the koi swim beneath him. There was a specific calm that he experienced here, where he could be among other living beings without any expectations.
Lately, he had made friends with a little cat he often found wandering the grounds of the shrine, and it always made him swell with pride when she came right up to him without fear. Street cats were usually cautious and untrusting, but he had won this one over. It helped that he had started keeping a package of cat treats in his bag so that he always had something to give her in return for allowing him to pet her.
He couldn’t find her this time. He had made his way all over the shrine grounds and checked in all the places she usually liked to be, but he hadn’t seen any sign of her. It was dark, though, the light of the lanterns not fully banishing the deep shadows under the trees, and he didn’t suppose he was the only one who offered her treats. Perhaps she was off somewhere adventuring, or having a nap, or just didn’t feel like being social today. Kenma had turned toward the gate and was on his way out when he heard a very quiet mew.
Dropping into a crouch, he poured a few treats into his hand and offered it in the direction of the bushes. He made some beckoning noises and waited patiently, keeping still. After a moment, his friend slowly limped out of the bushes, mewing sadly, and as she got closer, he could see what looked an awful lot like dried blood in her striped fur.
“Oh, no… what happened?” he asked her, still not moving as she gobbled the treats off of his palm. She flinched as he gently brushed his fingers over her, but she didn’t try to flee. It was obvious that she was hurt, and he didn’t like the idea of just leaving her here, alone and in pain, where she could possibly be injured further by whatever had attacked her. He offered her some more treats as he frantically tried to think. Wasn’t there a veterinary clinic a block or so from the café? Yes, that was right. Some of the employees were semi-regulars, and he had at first assumed they worked at a hospital because of their uniforms, but someone had told him it was actually an animal clinic.
As silly as it felt, this cat was his friend, one of the ones he saw most often, other than his coworkers (who he didn’t really count as they had to spend time with him), and he felt like he had to help her. He stroked the top of her head, which seemed to be free from injury, and spoke to her softly. “I think I can get you some help,” he told her. “Now, you’re not going to like this, but I promise it’s for your own good. You’re going to have to trust me. Can you do that?”
He opened his coat and quickly scooped her up against his chest. She squirmed and hissed in protest, and he felt claws sink through his uniform shirt and into the skin of his chest, but he held her tightly until he zipped his coat back up around her. In the darkness and warmth, her fighting decreased, and he was able to shift his hold so that it was just supporting her from beneath and hopefully not crushing her as much. She settled against him with some resignation, but he could hear her constant growl of protest. If he walked too quickly, or made any sharp movements, she yowled and sank her claws in, but with a steady stream of soothing murmurs, he was able to transport her very slowly back toward the café. Hopefully he would be able to recognize an animal clinic from the outside, because he had no idea what the address was.
Kenma was about to give up hope of finding it on his own, and he was fumbling in his pocket for his phone to call Keiji, when he saw someone in medical clothing exiting an unobtrusive building a little way ahead of him. He hurried towards it--for about two seconds until the cat’s claws reminded him to slow down. When he got near enough, he saw a sign posted next to the door that confirmed that the animal clinic was on the second and third floors. He followed the signs in the building and, as quickly as possible, addressed the person sitting behind a counter.
“Please, can you help me? I have a cat that’s hurt--I don’t know if she was in a fight, or what--but she needs some help. She was bleeding.” He looked imploringly at the woman, trying to push past his normal social anxiety so that his friend could get the treatment she needed. His stomach was still twisting, partly from the unfamiliarity of the situation and partly out of fear for the cat’s health.
“I’m sorry, sir, we’re just about to close,” said the woman, unaffected by Kenma’s obvious worry. She pointed at a sign on the counter that showed the clinic’s hours.
“But…” protested Kenma, feebly. “What am I supposed to do? She’s hurt, and I don’t know how to help her…”
“Sir, I can refer you to an advice line,” began the woman, but Kenma’s coat interrupted with a muffled yowl.
“I--” Kenma didn’t know how to be the kind of assertive person who got service when he wanted it, and his heart sank as he began to worry that he would be on his own in this mission.
“What’s going on?”
Kenma and the receptionist both turned toward the voice, and he saw a tall, dark-haired man in a blue medical uniform stepping out of a room off to the side of the front desk.
“My cat’s been injured,” blurted Kenma in a panic.
“Let’s see her then,” said the man, speaking over the receptionist’s protests.
Cradling the cat close against his chest, Kenma followed the man out of the reception area and into the clinic itself, where he was shown into a brightly lit examination room. There was a counter with a sink, a computer, and a long table protruding into the center of the room. Kenma looked around unsurely, waiting for instruction, as the man followed him in and shut the door firmly behind him.
“My name is Tetsurou,” said the man, smiling at Kenma from across the table. “I’m a technician here, so I’ll do all I can to make her more comfortable for now, and if necessary, we can keep her overnight and have the vet take a look at her tomorrow. Sound okay? Can you put her on the table?”
“Er… she is pretty scared,” said Kenma. “I don’t think she’ll stay there.”
“Well, I can’t examine her in your jacket,” Tetsurou said, smiling. “So we’ll have to work with her out here.” He pointed to a discreet air freshener in a power outlet near the door. “A lot of cats are nervous to be examined, so we always pump out scents that are calming to cats in our feline rooms.”
Feeling as though he had provided sufficient warning, Kenma hunched his body over the table, letting the cat inside his coat rest on the tabletop, and he slowly peeled back the fabric to reveal the cat. She blinked around slowly, pupils slits in the bright light, and cautiously stepped out onto the table. The tech offered his fingers for her to sniff, which she did, and then she immediately bolted off the table and to the corner of the room, hiding under a chair.
“Sorry,” said Kenma.
“That’s okay,” replied Tetsurou, who crouched down to look at her. “I think we will leave her there for a few minutes while I get some information from you, and then we’ll try to entice her out with treats.”
He logged into the computer and clicked through the software until he brought up some kind of a form. “You look familiar,” he said, looking over at Kenma, “but I don’t think we have you in our system.”
“No,” said Kenma. “This is my first time coming here.” He shifted anxiously under the man’s gaze and fiddled with the ends of his sleeves.
“That’s okay. We’ll get you added in here. What is your name?”
“Kozume Kenma,” replied Kenma. He dutifully relayed his contact information when prompted, but the next question stumped him.
“And what is your cat’s name?”
“Er…” He paused, considering. “She’s not exactly mine,” he finally said, trying to be honest. “She is a stray I’ve been… I just see her all the time, and she lets me pet her if I’ve got treats. But today, when I found her, she had dried blood on her fur and was limping, so I got worried.” That was probably not normal behaviour. Did people usually just show up with strays that they wanted to be treated? He felt his cheeks heating in embarrassment, but even if it was odd, he didn’t think he could have made any other decision. She was a sweet cat and his friend, and she deserved to be helped.
“Ah, I see,” replied Tetsurou. “Would you like to give her a name?” As Kenma hesitated, he added, “Or we could just put ‘cat’ in for now…”
“Put… Togo,” said Kenma, after a moment’s consideration.
“Like the admiral?” asked Tetsurou, raising an eyebrow at Kenma.
“Like the shrine. That’s where she lived.”
“Ah… and you said she was a stray, so I am going to assume she has not had any vaccinations or other treatments.” Tetsurou rapidly clicked through a few more fields, and then he turned away from the computer. “All right, let’s see what we’ve got.” He fished a packet of tuna out of a drawer and ripped it open. “Here,” he said, handing it to Kenma. “She knows you. Try to get her out and back up on the table.”
Kenma crouched down in front of the chair and offered the cat--Togo, he supposed she was now-- a sniff of the fish. This was not so different than the first time he had coaxed her to him, except that the fish seemed to be a lot more appealing to her than the little treats he had used. It wasn’t long before he was able to scoop her up again and deposit her onto the table. Before she could jump off again, he distracted her with the fish.
It took a bit of wrangling, and Tetsurou had to partly wrap her in a towel to keep her from clawing them both to pieces, but with Kenma helping to hold her, he was able to do some routine checks. She had a bite wound on her leg, which was the cause of the limping, and there were some more minor punctures on her ears and shoulders. Tetsurou cleaned the dried blood away and disinfected what he could, but he warned Kenma that she was definitely going to have to stay overnight because she was going to need some antibiotics for the bigger wound.
He felt over the rest of her body, looking for anything abnormal, and he paused on her abdomen, his hands under the towel. “Ooh,” he said. “No wonder you’re so feisty. I’m going to get an xray done tomorrow,” he told Kenma, “but I’m pretty sure she’s pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” repeated Kenma, looking down at the bundled cat he was gripping. Her little striped face was peeking out from the towel, and she yowled angrily, her tail slicing the air behind her. “But she’s so little. I didn’t think she was even full grown.”
“Well, cats don’t really have to be very old to reproduce. Especially outdoor cats. An outdoor female may have twenty or more litters in her lifetime.”
Kenma gaped at him, then looked down at Togo, aghast.
“You haven’t mentioned it,” added Tetsurou in a casual tone, “but have you thought about whether or not you’re going to keep her? I know you said she was a stray, but you were befriending her, right?”
“Um,” said Kenma. “I’ve never had a cat before, so I’m not really sure…” He trailed off. He really didn’t like the idea of her going back to the shrine, even after she was healed up. Something there had attacked her, and apparently she was going around getting pregnant, too. Her little body looked too fragile to have a bunch of litters of kittens.
“I think you should consider it,” continued Tetsurou, “but if you’re not able to, I think I’d like to look for a place in a shelter or a rescue for her. At least until the kittens arrive. It’ll be safer for her indoors, and it will be more likely that the kittens will survive. Once she’s delivered, we can get her spayed so that she doesn’t get pregnant again.”
He looked at Kenma and reached to put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. I know this is a lot of information all of a sudden. You don’t have to decide anything right now. I will get Miss Togo set up in a cozy kennel, and we’ll have the vet look at her tomorrow to see about that bite wound and to confirm the pregnancy. I can give you a call tomorrow afternoon with an update?” he suggested.
“Er,” said Kenma, trying to wet his dry lips. “I will probably be at work. You can leave a message, or if you text me, that would be better.”
“Sure,” said Tetsurou. “She’s going to be okay. I’m really glad you brought her in.”
Kenma looked up at him, somewhat reassured by his kind words and presence. “Thank you. I… I didn’t know what to do.”
Tetsurou smiled at him again, and Kenma noticed that beneath the disheveled hair and dark circles under his eyes that spoke of long working hours… he was quite handsome.
Instantly panicking (because that was just what he needed--a crush on his vet!), he squeaked, “I should probably go. You’re… you stayed late, and I don’t want to keep you any longer.”
“Okay,” said Tetsurou easily, either not noticing or ignoring the frantic notes in Kenma’s voice. “Let me get her in one of our kennels, and then I’ll walk you out.”
“No need!” protested Kenma. “I can see myself out.” He practically shoved Togo at Tetsurou and fled, not stopping until he was on the sidewalk outside of the building.
He paused for a moment, catching his breath, but he didn’t want to be lingering there when Tetsurou came out, so he hurried off toward the train station. Despite the cool night air, he was sweating in his coat. Maybe Shouyou was right and he needed to get out more. A smile from a handsome man shouldn’t get him this worked up. It wasn’t just the smile, though, but the kindness and gentle reassurance in the face of all of Kenma’s worries.
He wondered if keeping the cat would be an excuse to see him again. No, he shook his head vehemently, drawing some strange looks from other train passengers. That was not a good reason to adopt a cat. It was a much bigger decision, and he had to make it with his brain, not his rather neglected libido. He wasn’t even sure what it would entail. Food, water, shelter were the basics, but he felt it had to be more complicated than that.
By the time he reached his apartment, he was deep into a Google search, and he had a list of supplies he would need in his notes app. The quiet click of the door closing behind him only served to enhance the emptiness of his dark apartment, and he allowed himself a moment to imagine a little striped cat meeting him at the door and demanding her dinner. Smiling, he began typing out an email to his building manager.
*
“So you’re going to adopt it?”
Kenma and Tooru were prepping to open, and he had related the story of the cat to his coworker after some rather rude comments about how tired he looked.
“I think so,” said Kenma. “I never had any pets growing up, so I’m kind of nervous, but the idea is growing on me.” He really liked the thought of having something to greet him when he got home, of not returning to an empty house night after night. “It does sound like a lot of work, though.”
“Hmmm, maybe you should ask Handsome Doctor Vet Man to help you out,” suggested Tooru, cheekily.
“Oh, shut up,” grumbled Kenma, flushing. He hadn’t meant to mention the handsomeness of the guy at the vet, but his judgment was compromised. It was early, and he hadn’t had his own coffee yet.
“I think you should do it, Ken-chan,” said Tooru, uncharacteristically serious. “I lived on my own two years ago, and I remember how lonely my empty house was. Of course, I solved that by making Iwa-chan move in with me, so I’d really suggest a boyfriend. But I suppose a cat is a step in the right direction.”
“Why’s everyone so concerned with my love life?” complained Kenma with a huff.
“Because we’re your friends, and we love you,” replied Tooru, and then he crushed Kenma into a hug, dropping a kiss onto the top of his head.
“Gross, Tooru, no!” he protested, struggling in his grasp.
“Oho, is it kisses time?” The back door opened, letting in a blast of cool air and two more of his coworkers. Atsumu fluttered his eyelashes at Tooru and puckered up, while Keiji calmly ignored all of them and began working on his own caffeination.
“‘Tsumu, if it wasn’t for my Iwa-chan, you know I’d be all over you,” sighed Tooru, dramatically. “But our little Kenma thinks we’re too interested in his life.” He sighed again and rubbed his cheek against Kenma’s hair. “It’s as if he doesn’t know how much his happiness means to us.”
“What life?” asked Keiji, but Atsumu was talking over him.
“Awww, so we’re giving him kisses to show him?”
Kenma finally wriggled out of Tooru’s grip and grabbed a pair of tongs from the countertop. He brandished them threateningly. “Back! If you touch me, you’ll regret it!”
After lots of initial bickering, he and Tooru had reached an understanding over the years, and Kenma would tolerate a certain amount of his nonsense. Tooru had a tendency to push the line, but he rarely went over it, and underneath the pretty-boy flirt routine, he was actually intelligent and (mostly) nice. They had very little in common, but Kenma found himself talking to Tooru more often than the rest of his coworkers.
Keiji, by contrast, was easy to be around when he wanted calm silence, and his opinions were often more realistic than Tooru’s, so he was Kenma’s voice of reason. Sugawara was the boss, and Kenma didn’t really hang around him too much, especially as Suga tended to put him to work whenever he saw him. Aside from Tobio, Atsumu was the newest member of the daytime crew, and Kenma was often annoyed by him. He and Tooru had a lot of similarities, but there were things Kenma would allow from Tooru that he would not allow from Atsumu, just because he hadn’t earned it yet.
Atsumu pouted, but he was quickly distracted by some animated conversation with Tooru about some reality show they both were watching. Kenma took the opportunity to comb his fingers through his hair, smoothing down the places Tooru had mussed, and he pulled it back into his customary low bun. That left too much of his face exposed, so he was one of the only employees that actually adhered to the uniform and wore a visor while he worked.
He drifted over toward Keiji as the customers started queueing up at the counter, and they quickly fell into a rhythm as they worked their way through the morning rush. Kenma tended to zone out during heavy rushes like this, only paying attention to what he needed and ignoring the people on the other side of the counter as much as he could. He focused on his work, preparing the drink orders at his station and passing them down to the end of the counter. He gladly let Atsumu organize the finished drinks and announce them, picking up more of the drink making slack in exchange. He hated calling out the names, always nervous that he’d misread someone’s handwriting and be stared at while everyone tried to figure out who he meant.
Atsumu, however, always got hungry early and took his break first, so as the frenzy started to die down, he left his station, and Kenma had to cover. There were still several customers in line, and the front door was opening regularly to let people in and out, but it was a much more manageable pace.
Kenma carefully pressed lids onto two to-go orders and set them out on the end of the counter. “Koutarou,” he said, trying his best to make his voice louder than normal. “And…” He looked down at the order slip in front of him. Tetsurou.
Looking up, his gaze met the dark eyes of the handsome man he had met the night before at the vet clinic. “Tetsurou.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and he couldn’t seem to get control of his body enough to look away or hide behind his visor or even flee back behind his coworkers. He was pinned in place by the electric gaze and slow smile of the man in front of him.
“Kozume-san,” exclaimed Tetsurou, looking genuinely pleased to see him. “I knew you looked familiar! I must have seen you here before.”
Another man, picking up the cup for ‘Koutarou’, slung an arm across Tetsurou’s shoulders and peered down at Kenma. He was somewhat frightening in appearance: tall and muscular with shockingly white hair and intense eyes. “Oya, Kuroo, who’s your friend?”
Kenma’s stomach felt like lead, and he was finally able to drop his gaze. The scrutiny made him nervous, but more than that, he couldn’t say he was unaffected by the sight of this man’s arm lying heavily across Tetsurou’s shoulders. Of course someone who looked like that wouldn’t be single. He didn’t know why he felt disappointed; it wasn’t like he was going to act on his little crush, anyway. He didn’t have a chance, in reality, even if he wanted to try, and he was sure Tetsurou was just as friendly and kind to all of his clients.
“Kenma,” he mumbled, looking down at the counter as he pushed Tetsurou’s drink forward.
“What?”
“Kenma. Not Kozume-san, please.”
“Ah, okay. Kenma.”
Kenma peeked up to see Tetsurou looking pleased and the other man looking confused as Tetsurou ignored his question.
“I’m just on my way in to check on your cat,” continued Tetsurou. “I left a long note for the vet before I left last night, so hopefully I’ll have some news for you soon. Have you thought anymore about adopting her?”
Kenma nodded silently, twisting his fingers in the fabric of his apron. “I… I asked my building manager if I could have a cat, and she said yes,” he said, his voice low and quiet. “I want to say yes, but… I don’t know anything about being a cat owner.”
“You’ll be great,” said Tetsurou, his voice warm and emphatic.
Feeling himself flushing at the praise, Kenma almost jumped out of his skin as a hand landed on his shoulder.
“Ken-chan, are you on your break, too?” asked Tooru, eyes roaming over the two customers in front of them.
Kenma turned to see quite a few order slips lined up on the counter, and he looked guiltily back at Tetsurou. “Sorry, I should get back to work,” he muttered.
“All right,” acquiesced Tetsurou easily. “I’ll be sure to send you an update right away about your cat.”
“Oooh,” said Tooru, his face lighting up in a way that made Kenma’s stomach drop. “Is this the guy who’s helping with your cat?”
“Er, yes,” said Kenma, not making eye contact, hoping that Tooru would let the subject drop.
“Such a sweet story,” continued Tooru, clearly set on ruining Kenma’s life. “If I’d known, we’d have given you a free drink. Here,” he said, rummaging through a drawer beneath the counter. He handed Tetsurou a card. “Next time.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” protested Tetsurou.
“Nonsense. From what I’ve heard, you’re a sort of angel who swooped in to help our little Kenma in his hour of need!”
“Tooru!” hissed Kenma, now completely mortified and wondering if he could get away with melting down behind the counter and curling into a ball. He was sure he had not presented it that way at all. He could feel Tetsurou’s eyes on him.
“I was just in the right place at the right time,” said Tetsurou.
“I hope you make a habit of it,” said Tooru, and he held out his hand. “I’m Oikawa Tooru, day manager.”
“Kuroo Tetsurou.”
“Come back to see us again soon. And let us know about that poor cat.”
Kenma felt like his legs were made of jelly, and as soon as Atsumu reappeared, he bolted for the back room, mumbling “Break” over his shoulder by way of explanation.
He sat for a few moments in the relative quiet, letting his body calm down from its panic mode, and then he took out his phone and sent Tooru a text. I hate you, and I’ll never forgive you as long as I live. The response was a kiss emoji, and he sighed.
Some friends. He supposed that they were well-intentioned, but he wished they would let him do things at his own pace. Of course, his pace was currently a standstill, but that was his decision, wasn’t it? He couldn’t deny that he was interested in Tetsurou, and he let himself smile over Tooru’s skillful extraction of his surname. Kuroo… it suited him, honestly, with all that black hair.
But for crying out loud, the man had only been doing his job, and he was clearly kind-hearted or else he wouldn’t be in the animal rescuing business. He probably worked overtime when anyone brought in a sick or injured animal at closing time. Kenma had no reason to think he was special. It was a nice encounter, and their meeting again was a coincidence. He only knew of that vet clinic because the employees came to the café, after all. That was all there was to it, and he wasn’t going to let himself get pushed into anything more just because his coworkers thought he was lonely.
True enough, when Kenma checked his phone a little bit later, he had a voice message from the vet clinic. It was Tetsurou confirming that poor little Togo was indeed pregnant and the xray showed that she had at least three kittens cooking in there. They had administered antibiotics for the wound, and she would need them again for the next few days, but since she was on the feral side, they thought he’d have trouble getting her to take pills, so they were going to keep her until her medication course was completed. That would incur kenneling fees, which Tetsurou explained, and if Kenma had a problem with that, they could discuss alternate ideas or payment plans.
That should give Kenma enough time to get any supplies he needed, and he was a little bit shocked at how high the fees were, but he could afford it. He rarely spent money; his only indulgence was the occasional new video game, and he saved a good chunk of his paycheck by being a hermit. He was concerned enough with getting to know his new roommate and a little on edge about her pregnancy, so he was quite willing to skip administering any pills for her bite wound. He hadn’t the first idea how to do that, anyway.
The message ended by Tetsurou saying he wanted Kenma to have his phone number and to feel free to call him anytime. This caused Kenma’s heart to flutter with anticipation, as well as a lot of speculation by the group of his coworkers who had gathered around to hear the update.
“He gave you his personal number, Ken,” insisted Tooru. “That’s because he wants to keep talking to you.”
“It’s for if I have any questions about my cat,” protested Kenma, weakly.
“No, then you would call the clinic. Not him personally.” Tooru crossed his arms mulishly. “He’s totally into you, and you can’t say you don’t like him. You should go for it, Kenmaaaaaa.”
“Yeah, right,” mumbled Kenma. “He’s just being nice. And that guy he was with was probably his boyfriend, anyway, right? He was all over him.”
“Even if it was,” said Tooru, “they definitely aren’t exclusive, because that other guy was totally flirting with Keiji.”
“You think everyone is flirting with you,” protested Kenma, only half-listening.
“That’s because they are,” replied Tooru, unfazed, “but I said he was flirting with Keiji, actually. Who, by the way, didn’t give him the time of day.”
“I like to make them work for it,” said Keiji mildly.
“Whatever,” said Kenma. “I think you guys are making more of this than it is, and I don’t need or want your help or opinions.”
“So vicious, Ken-chan,” complained Tooru. “You and your little wild cat should get on wonderfully.”
Kenma stuck his tongue out at him and returned to his station.
“Fine. Ignore it all you want, but I bet you 2000 yen that he asks you out before your cat has her babies,” said Tooru.
“Not a chance,” replied Kenma, squashing down the part of himself that kind of thought that sounded like a good idea. It really was unlikely, and there was a reason it was called a ‘crush’. He had been let down many times before so he wasn’t going to get his hopes up this time. Besides, even if Tetsurou was interested initially, surely it would fade as he kept encountering Kenma’s pervasive awkwardness. Even if he was asked out, he didn’t think he could survive a date with a handsome man he hardly knew. Dates were nerve-wracking, and Kenma’s nerves were already beaten down by constant anxiety.
Still, now that he was faced with vet bills, he wasn’t going to pass up a chance for an easy 2000 yen. “But you can’t cheat and try anything to make it happen,” he clarified.
“Deal.”
*
A few days later, Kenma got another voice message informing him that Togo was ready to come home, and he thought he was as ready as he would ever be. He had gone on quite a spree through the pet store, and he had all of the recommended supplies. Still, there were nervous butterflies in his stomach as he made his way to the vet clinic after work. Togo had liked him well enough at the shrine and had even curled up and purred for him a few times, but what if she didn’t want to live with him and hated her new life? He had read many warnings online that former feral cats took a while to warm up to life indoors, and he didn’t expect her to cuddle with him all the time, but he did want her to be happy.
She wasn’t exactly pleased to go into the carrier he had brought, but before that, she had greeted him with a sniff and bumped her head against his hand, so he was feeling more hopeful. He was worried that she would start to yowl and disturb people on the train, so he ended up taking a taxi home.
When she was allowed out of the carrier, she immediately vanished. His apartment wasn’t very large, and he wouldn’t have thought there were many hiding places, but it seemed that there were plenty for a small cat. He was slightly disappointed, but he had been halfway expecting this, so he let her be and settled himself on the couch.
The next several days passed in much the same way. Kenma rarely saw the cat, except for when she dashed through the living room at top speed, or sat at the window and yowled in the middle of the night. But the food he set out was steadily disappearing, and there were, er, additions to the litter box, so he figured she was doing fine. When he approached her, he was always slow and cautious, letting her sniff him, and he was able to get a few pets in before she scampered off. For having at least three kittens in her belly, she was surprisingly spry.
It was about a week after she came home that Kenma really felt like it was going to work out. He had come home from work, added food to her bowl and heated up some convenience store ramen for himself, and he was settled on the couch with his current videogame. A small noise caused him to look over, and he saw Togo perched on the cushion next to him. She sniffed around for a moment, walked in a couple of circles, and then curled up for a nap. It wasn’t a cuddle, as there was about a foot of space between them, but it was a major step forward. She had never relaxed this much in his presence before, and he was strangely touched at the trust that showed. Unable to help himself, he quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
He showed it around the next day, grinning in the face of his coworkers’ gentle teasing. He was a cat dad now.
In fact, he was so elated at the progress they had made that he willingly switched places with Atsumu when he spotted a familiar head of dark, messy hair in the café’s queue. “Hello,” he said, heart thumping heavily in his chest. He pushed Tetsurou’s drink across the counter and smiled shyly. “I wanted to… er… well, I thought you might like to see…” Pulling out his phone, he opened the picture he had taken of Togo and held it out to the other man.
“Kenmaaa!” exclaimed Tetsurou. “She looks so happy!” He also looked extremely happy that one of his patients was doing so well in her new home. Kenma’s crush grew a little larger in that moment. He had been a little nervous that Tetsurou was only being polite, but he could tell that the other man was genuinely interested and pleased to have an update. “I told you you would be great at this,” he said, handing the phone back to Kenma.
“Yeah,” said Kenma, looking down at the counter. “Thanks. You were… very encouraging.”
“Well, after all,” said Tetsurou, straightening an imaginary tie and affecting a haughty demeanor, “I have quite a trained eye, you know. I can always tell who will be good with cats and who, unfortunately, will be shredded.”
Kenma laughed, surprising himself. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but Tetsurou was smiling warmly at him, and he couldn’t muster up the energy to be too embarrassed.
“I’ve got to get to work, but I’m glad you showed me that,” said Tetsurou, picking up his drink. “I hope I see you again soon. I look forward to more pictures.” With a little wave, he made his way out of the café.
Kenma only had a moment to look after him and sigh, because Tobio was having some kind of emergency with the steamer and Atsumu was just laughing and not helping him.
As he passed the register on his way to help Tobio, Tooru softly sing-songed, “You liiiiiiike himmmmm.”
“So what if I do,” muttered Kenma in reply, but he was still smiling. He didn’t stop until long after the milk had all been cleaned up and the slight burn on Tobio’s wrist had been treated and bandaged. He did like Tetsurou, and the few minutes they had shared over the counter had been so nice. Though they met only a short while ago, there was something about Tetsurou that put Kenma at ease. He had been nervous to initiate the conversation, but it had disappeared quickly under Tetsurou’s warm eyes.
Even if nothing came of his crush, Kenma felt hopeful that they could become friends, especially if Tetsurou was going to keep visiting the café every few days. He was looking forward to it, and that was a strange feeling. For a long time, Kenma had been simply existing, going through the motions of life without much excitement. He didn’t mind that, either, because there was such a thing as too much excitement (as he often confirmed when he had to endure Atsumu talking about his social life), and he liked a simple, quiet life. But this feeling of anticipation was slowly spreading through him, like a sunrise slowly driving away the shadows.
*
The first text took him about an hour to send.
Togo was quickly acclimating to apartment life, and she was very curious about the bathtub. At first, it was a little disturbing to have her staring at him while he tried to soak, but he was getting used to her presence. She acted like she was guarding him, in case the dangerous water attacked him, and he found it rather charming. One time, he turned on the water and went to fetch a fresh towel, and when he came back, he found her standing in a couple inches of warm water and splashing vigorously. He had taken a picture.
And he wanted to send it to Tetsurou.
He could wait until the man came into the café, he supposed, but it wasn't like they had any kind of standing appointments. He had no idea when Tetsurou would show up, or even if he would. And he had said Kenma could contact him anytime. He was definitely overthinking this, but he was so bad at initiating conversation. Somehow it was so much easier in person, which was not something he said very often. But Tetsurou was different. And Kenma liked him very much.
Sending him a picture should be just as easy as showing him one in the café. He sternly told himself not to be a baby and pressed send. He then promptly threw the phone across the couch and buried his face in a pillow. He had resurfaced and was trying to take a few calming breaths, when he heard the chime of an incoming message. Scrabbling for his phone, he dropped it twice before opening the new message.
He had sent the photo with the message: I think this cat is defective.
The reply was: Sorry. No returns or exchanges.
Kenma grinned. I knew I should have paid extra for the extended warranty.
Unfortunately that was not an option on this model. Have you tried turning it off and turning it on again?
I can’t find the power button.
Hmm. Tricky. Then I think your only option is a process called Keeping the Door Closed.
Thank you for your help. I’ll try that next time.
Is there anything else I can do for you?
Not at this time.
Please rate your satisfaction with this experience on a scale of 1-5.
3
3?????????
Yes. Advice was not that helpful, and experience was over too fast.
Your satisfaction is my only goal. I will attempt to do better. Also, I don’t like the phrase ‘over too fast’.
I mean, it was less than five minutes.
The menu for his game played over and over on the television, a soothing, repetitive background noise as he sat on the couch and texted Tetsurou for the rest of the night. He never got around to starting the game.
*
“Bokuto-san is definitely not his boyfriend,” announced Keiji as he hung up his coat and scarf.
“Who?” asked Kenma, still groggy and pre-caffeine.
“Bokuto-san,” repeated Keiji, patiently. “He and your vet are just friends.”
“And how do you know?” asked Tooru, popping his head around the door of the fridge to eavesdrop more effectively.
“Because he took me out to dinner last night, and I asked him.”
“Oh-ho-ho! Is our Ice Prince finally thawing?” Tooru’s face was bright and gleeful, as it always was when he barged in on someone else’s love life.
Keiji ignored him. “I just thought you might like to know,” he said to Kenma.
Kenma did like to know. For all of his pretence of not caring either way, it was a weight off his mind to know that Tetsurou wasn’t dating that man. Of course, he could still be dating someone else, but Kenma had never seen him with anyone else, so he could easily ignore that idea. He tried to tell himself that he was okay with just being Tetsurou’s friend and that anything romantic was not necessary, but it was becoming harder and harder to believe.
Since the first text, he had exchanged several messages with Tetsurou every day. A lot of the time, it was pictures of Togo or of latte art he was proud of, but he branched out quickly to relating the ridiculous things his coworkers did and his frustrations with the newest game he had bought. Tetsurou was always so responsive, and it made Kenma feel like he could talk to him about anything. And he tried to make it reciprocal. Sometimes Kenma struggled to come up with responses to texts and ended up not replying, but he always made the effort for Tetsurou.
And most of the time, it wasn’t that hard to keep the conversation going. Tetsurou was full of interesting information, and Kenma quickly found out that he loved trivia and scientific facts. Sometimes, if he didn’t have anything interesting to say himself, he asked Tetsurou to tell him something he didn’t know. That usually sparked a conversation, and Kenma was genuinely impressed with Tetsurou’s knowledge and passion. Occasionally he also got selfies of Tetsurou and a cute dog or cat that was in the clinic. Those were all saved in a secret folder.
He liked Tetsurou more and more every day, and he was starting to hope that Tooru was right and that he would be losing that 2000 yen bet. Kenma had never been as interested in someone as he was in Tetsurou, including the few boyfriends he had in college. This was on another level, and he was kind of scared of what would happen if nothing happened. He might be heartbroken forever.
He shared his concerns with Tooru in the back room as they restocked, and he was reminded why they were friends. Tooru was uncharacteristically serious and kind as he reassured Kenma that he could tell that Tetsurou was interested in more than being friends and that he was absolutely sure he would win that bet. Tooru’s confidence was soothing, and Kenma laughed at his assertion that he would set Iwa-chan on Tetsurou if he ended up hurting Kenma. “You’re my Ken-chan, and he better realize how special you are!”
“Ugh, Tooru, don’t be gross.” But Kenma wrapped his arms around him in a quick hug.
*
“Here’s your coffee,” said Kenma, handing a to-go cup to Tetsurou. “And your cookies.” He produced a paper bag from under the counter.
“I didn’t order any cookies.”
Lowering his voice, Kenma leaned across the counter conspiratorially. “They’re the decorating rejects. For some reason, Keiji wants us to do owls with santa hats…” It was bewildering, and Kenma had spent three afternoons in the big kitchen trying to figure it out. Cats and dogs, okay, and bears were sort of Christmas-y, but he didn’t see the point of using up space in their display for Christmas owls.
“I’m training Tobio, and he needs lots of practice. I thought you could share them with your coworkers,” added Kenma.
“That’s so sweet, Kenma!” said Tetsurou, beaming at him.
Kenma blushed and raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Just because they’re not pretty enough to sell doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be eaten,” he said.
“Hi, Tetsu-chan!” cooed Tooru, swooping in from out of nowhere. “I was hoping you’d be coming in! I’m having a holiday party this Saturday night, and you should definitely come. Right, Kenma?” He elbowed Kenma, which was frankly, unnecessary.
“Ah…” Tetsurou looked disappointed. “I wish I could. That’s the same night as my work party. And I’ve already said I’d be there.”
Sighing dramatically, Tooru said, “I suppose that’s a good excuse. But you have to promise to come a different time!”
Tetsu crossed his finger over his heart. “Promise.” As Tooru wandered off, he added, “Sorry. I’d much rather go to a party with you than my boring work thing.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Kenma, forcing a smile through his disappointment. It would have been nice to spend time with Tetsurou without a counter between them.
“You’ll have to tell me all about it,” said Tetsu. “Please. I’ll need something to keep me entertained, or else I’ll be forced to listen to Umezawa-san telling about her family’s trip to Hokkaido for the fifth time…”
Smiling, Kenma said, “Well, I wouldn’t want that.”
“I’m counting on you.” Returning the smile, Tetsurou raised his cup in salute before he turned to leave.
*
Since Tetsu hadn’t been able to come to the party, Kenma invited Shouyou. He had been trying to make more of an effort to spend time with him lately, but it was difficult when all he wanted to do was text Tetsu. Shouyou loved parties, and he had a passing acquaintance with most of Kenma’s coworkers.
They sat at the counter between Tooru’s kitchen and living room, grazing on the snacks, and Kenma shyly relayed the saga of the past several weeks, beginning with the rescue of his cat. He had sent Shouyou pictures of Togo, so he knew of her existence, but Kenma hadn’t told him the whole story and the fact that he was becoming hopelessly attached to the man who had helped them out. Shouyou was an excellent listener, albeit rather loud in his exclamations of surprise and delight, and Kenma had a good time catching up with his friend.
It was while he was listening to Shouyou telling a story about his sister chopping down her own Christmas tree when Tobio showed up to the party. Apparently he had misread the instructions and ended up in a different neighbourhood before calling Tooru for help. Kenma could see the shift in Shouyou’s body language and how he kept turning to track Tobio’s movements from one room to another. Ordinarily, he might have been annoyed, but he was feeling the holiday spirit. “Go on,” he said, giving his friend a nudge. “I’ll be all right on my own for a while.”
“You sure?” asked Shouyou, already rising from his seat. “I’ve tried to talk to him before, but he was always working, you know…”
“He responds best to directness,” advised Kenma. “Don’t try to be subtle.”
“Gotcha!” Beaming at Kenma, Shouyou made a beeline across the living room to ambush Tobio.
Shaking his head, Kenma pulled out his phone and began to text Tetsu. They traded lots of messages about their respective parties, including photos, and it became a contest of which party was the most ridiculous. Kenma sent a picture of Tooru in his ugly sweater. Tetsu sent a picture of himself and his coworkers in cat- and dog-eared headbands. Kenma sent a picture of Sugawara-san dragging his husband back under the mistletoe. Tetsu sent a picture of that crabby receptionist dancing with a taxidermied dog. Kenma sent Atsumu and his twin trying to see who could fit more marshmallows in their mouths. (The twin won.) Tetsu sent his boss wearing a Santa beard to hand out holiday bonuses. Tooru trying to eat Iwa-chan’s special super spicy dip with tears running down his cheeks. A room full of adults trying to do the limbo under a tinsel garland. Keiji and Bokuto-san making out. A very sad series of bingo cards with no bingos.
Eventually, Kenma had to put their game on hold, because he had been called to join the Mario Kart tournament, and he had to show them all how it was done. When he returned much later, victorious and exhilarated, he found Tooru sitting next to his phone.
“What did you do?” he asked, suspiciously.
“I just thought Tetsu-chan might want to see you in your element,” said Tooru, smiling innocently.
Kenma scrolled up in the conversation to see that Tooru indeed sent several photos of him looking determined as he kicked their asses, but he noticed he had also done quite a bit of chatting with Tetsu in between photos. Most of it seemed to be complaining about the pictures of himself that Kenma had sent, and it didn’t look like he had said anything too incriminating, so Kenma supposed he could live. For now.
“It’s too bad he couldn’t be here,” continued Tooru. “I like him for you, Ken.”
“Me too,” said Kenma, smiling down at his phone.
“Ughhhh, you’re so smitten, I can’t hardly stand it!” Tooru scrubbed a hand down his face. “I said I wouldn’t cheat during the bet, but if I lose--and I better not-- I’m totally going to have a talk with him and figure out why he hasn’t pounced on you yet.”
“I don’t want to be pounced,” protested Kenma.
“Even if he was doing the pouncing?” Kenma’s silence was enough of a response for Tooru. “I’m too invested in this. I need for you two to end up together.”
“Don’t rush us,” said Kenma. “I can be patient.”
“I can’t! Iwa-chan and I are all settled and domestic now. I need to live vicariously through you! You have to tell me everything about your dates!”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll get right on that,” scoffed Kenma. But he thought that when--no, if! It was still if!--Tetsu asked him out, he would be so excited that he’d babble it all to Tooru, anyway. "Thanks, Tooru," he said.
"Come on. Let's see what other games we have. I like watching you completely trash 'tsumu..."
*
"Are you going home for Christmas?" asked Kenma, leaning against the top of the display case so that he could talk to Tetsu. The café was busy, and he really should have been on the steamer, but Tobio was basically fully trained, and no one would begrudge him a few minutes to talk to his… his friend.
"Nah. Nobody's really there anymore," said Tetsurou. "I usually go to Bokuto's. He's got a big family, so it's fun. I get to be Uncle Tetsu and sneak the kids candy when their parents aren't looking." He grinned. "How about you?"
"I always spend it with my parents," said Kenma. "Keiji and I are from the same town, so we usually go together. It's not too exciting with just me and my parents." He shrugged. "I like it, though."
"A peaceful holiday sounds nice."
"Yeah," nodded Kenma. "I'm a little worried about leaving Togo, but I'm only going to be gone two nights. I have to come back and work," he explained. "Do you think she'll be okay if I just leave plenty of extra food and water?"
"She'll be fine," Tetsu assured him.
"I'm just… she's getting very round," fretted Kenma. "The other day, she tried to jump up on the windowsill and missed! It freaked me out, but she just walked away like she didn't even want to be up there anyway."
"See?" Tetsurou leaned closer and patted Kenma's hand where it rested on the display case. "She's resilient."
"Yeah," said Kenma, looking at their hands. "I just don't like to leave her when she's about to pop." He slowly turned his hand over so their palms were pressed together.
"I don't think she's quite ready yet," said Tetsurou, holding his hand still, his fingertips resting against Kenma's wrist. "It's going to be okay," he said, slowly bringing his gaze up to Kenma's face.
"Yeah," said Kenma again. He couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Kenma-san," said Tobio, appearing at his shoulder.
Kenma jumped and snatched his hand away. "What?"
"Oh," said Tobio, looking between Kenma and Tetsurou. "I… I just need to get in that case. A snowman cookie?"
"Oh," said Kenma. "Of course." He moved out of Tobio's way and looked at Tetsurou, his face very hot. "Sorry," he said. "I should probably get back to work."
"Yeah, no problem," replied Tetsu, waving a hand. "I'll text you later." He offered a half smile, less brilliant than normal, and left.
Working in food service, Kenma couldn't really avoid washing his hands, but he could swear he felt tingles in that hand hours later.
*
No babies yet.
Well, that's good, isn't it?
Yes… but I was kind of hoping that she'd have taken care of it while I was gone and that I wouldn't have to worry about it.
Kenma, she's a healthy cat. You don't have to worry about it. Cats like her have kittens on their own all the time.
But things do happen sometimes, right?
Stop reading online forums.
I can't! I want to be prepared!
There's not much you need to do… just make her environment comfortable and make her feel safe.
I know. I'm just… nervous, I guess. What if something goes wrong?
Well, I guess it's good that you know someone with vet connections.
Would you come and help her?
I'm just a tech, so there's not much I could do, but I would call in some favors and make sure she could get help right away.
Thanks, Tetsu. That means a lot.
Anything you need, Kenma. I'll always do what I can.
*
Togo was too round to be allowed. She had swollen to twice her size in the past few weeks, and it looked like she had swallowed a whole watermelon. Kenma had placed pillows and cushions all over his apartment, anywhere he thought it was likely she could fall. Togo didn't seem to appreciate it at all, but it eased his worries a little.
She was sleeping much more, and her middle-of-the-night yowling had mostly stopped. He had put an extra blanket in her little bed, and she often burrowed into it so that only her little striped face could be seen. It was just adorable, and Kenma had several photos of it. At night, she liked to curl up at the end of his bed, and he had to be careful about how he moved his feet in the night so that he didn't disturb her.
They had definitely developed something of a bond. After eating her dinner, she always bathed herself (a feat that was getting more and more difficult with each passing day), and then she liked to curl up on the sofa for a nap. Sometimes, she would choose his lap as her napping spot, and he gently stroked her fur until she started purring. Lately, when he touched her sides, he could sometimes feel a kitten moving inside of her. It was… kind of freaky. But fascinating.
It was probably very uncomfortable for the poor thing. "Not long now," he told her, rubbing his fingers under her ear. "Good girl."
*
Happy New Year, Kenma! Did you stay up to watch the sunrise?
I actually just got up early. But I saw it. Happy New Year to you, too.
Did you make a wish?
Yes. Did you?
Yes. I really hope it comes true.
I hope so, too.
*
It was the second week of the new year, and the weather was bitterly cold. Kenma shivered all the way home from work, despite his heavy coat and thick scarf. All he wanted to do was curl up in a big blanket. Maybe he would get out the kotatsu…
His apartment was warm enough, but he still shivered as he shed his coat and hung it by the door. As he headed to the kitchen, he gave a whistle for his cat. "Togo… dinner time!" He added a scoop of her kibble to the bowl and picked up her water dish to refill it.
Togo was nowhere in sight. And she was usually waiting for him by her empty bowl. It hadn't been empty. She had barely touched her breakfast.
Uneasiness started to prickle up his spine. "Togo? Come get your dinner." He told himself to be calm, to not panic… Slowly, he made his way through the apartment, looking in her hiding spots. He had an idea of where she might be, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.
Finally, he peeked into the closet in his bedroom. Yes, there she was, in her nesting box. She had been there a lot lately, but she always came out for dinner. Now, she was vigorously scratching at one of the towels, pushing it up against the side of the box. She laid down for a moment, then got up and walked in a circle a few times, and laid down again.
Biting his lip as he watched her pace restlessly, Kenma pulled out his phone and sent Tetsurou a message.
Something is happening. I think it’s time.
Do you want me to come over?
I don’t want you to go to any trouble.
It’s no trouble. I’ll be there soon.
Kenma paced around nervously, waiting for Tetsu to show up. They had once discussed that they took the same train line, so he knew Tetsurou lived somewhat nearby. He tidied his living room a bit in between checking his phone for any updates and peeking in on Togo. This would be the first time Tetsurou visited his apartment, and it ordinarily would have been a source of panic, but he was too distracted by Togo’s situation to be that worried about how his apartment looked. It wasn’t pristine, but he didn’t usually do much that accumulated clutter.
Last week, he had cleared out his closet in order to set up a nesting area for her, and she had a good sized box in one corner. The sliding door farthest from her was open enough for Kenma to pop his head in, but light was limited and she still had plenty of space. All of the online forums had said to observe, but not to get too close or check in too many times in case it disturbed her and impeded the birth process. However, no one seemed to have a consensus on the appropriate amount of hovering, and that was why he needed Tetsurou. This was so stressful.
Poor little Togo had seemed restless yesterday and in the morning before work, but now, had finally settled in the box and was licking herself with an unconcerned air. Her wide belly stretched out in front of her, and she seemed to be breathing rapidly. She wasn’t making any distressed noises or anything, which he supposed was a good sign.
He nearly jumped out of his skin at the quiet knock on his front door. Kenma let Tetsurou in and clutched at his arm, leading him quietly to Togo’s nesting spot. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered. “I can’t do this on my own. It’s… there’s too many things that could go wrong.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” replied Tetsurou, rubbing his hands up and down Kenma’s arms. He peeked around the door to look at Togo and her nest. “Everything looks good, Kenma,” he said. “Yes, she’s definitely about to get started. Let’s…” He trailed off, looking around the closet for a moment. “I think it will be easier for both of you if we can observe from afar, so I think we can do that via video call. If we can get one of our phones propped up in here with the camera on her, we can watch on the other phone without coming in and out and disturbing her.”
“I didn’t even think of that,” said Kenma, almost weak with relief at having some support. He followed Tetsurou’s instructions and gently eased into the closet with some soft words of encouragement to Togo. She watched him warily while he accepted Tetsu’s video call and muted everything, angling his phone on one of the built in shelves so that her nest was in full view of the camera. Then he eased himself out, still murmuring to her, and escaped to his living room to collapse on the couch next to Tetsurou.
“You did great,” said Tetsurou, handing Kenma his phone. The picture was kind of dim, due to the limited light in the closet, but it was clear enough to see what was going on, and Tetsurou assured him that they could easily run in and intervene if there was a problem.
It took… a while.
Togo seemed to be in no hurry to push out these babies, though Tetsurou assured Kenma that he could see her having contractions. The urgency and panic started to fade, and while they still watched her on the phone, they began to talk of other things. Kenma hadn’t even realized that Tetsu had brought snacks and some cold drinks with him, but they were much appreciated, as Kenma was never very good about stocking his cabinets or refrigerator. Tetsurou kept him distracted from his worries by relating wild stories about his time at the vet clinic. Kenma found himself laughing and even eagerly sharing his own anecdotes about his early days at the café, when he and Tooru spent most of their time butting heads.
If it wasn’t for the occasional disgusting spectacle of his cat squeezing out a slimy kitten and then licking everything off of it, he would have called it a quite pleasant evening.
"Is it over?" he asked quietly, when there hadn't been much movement in about half an hour.
"Let's go and check on her," suggested Tetsurou.
Kenma stood outside the closet, shifting from foot to foot, as Tetsurou knelt by the nest and carefully checked Togo over as much as she would allow. He smiled up at Kenma and moved over, quietly sliding the door a bit further open so that Kenma could join him. Sinking to his knees, Kenma looked down at his precious feline companion and felt almost breathless as he took in the sight. Togo was lying on her side, still panting a little but resting, and there were four little of the tiniest kittens he had ever seen cuddled up to her stomach, feeding.
"You did it," he whispered, and he slowly offered his hand for her to sniff. She didn't seem disturbed by it, so he carefully stroked her head a few times. "Good job, Togo. But we're not going through this again, young lady!" he added, sternly. "What do we do now?" he asked Tetsurou.
"There's not much to do," he replied. "As long as the babies continue to eat and she continues to care for them, we can just leave her to it. She'll need some extra food in a bit and for the next couple of days, and if she'll let us, we should get her a nice clean blanket soon."
Kenma nodded. "Thanks, Tetsu. I'm glad you were here."
They sat for a moment without speaking, no noise except for the soft mewing and snuffling of kittens, and just looked at each other. There wasn't much space between them, and Kenma was almost surprised at how comfortable it was to be this close to someone, to have those eyes on him. He smiled.
"Kenma," whispered Tetsurou. "Do you… would you like to go to dinner?"
His smile widened. "Tetsu! It's like, two in the morning!"
"Well, some other time, I mean. Some time soon."
"Yeah," said Kenma, softly. "I'd like that."
Tetsurou grinned back at him. "I've been wanting to ask you out for so long, but I--wait! It's two??" He looked at his watch. "I'm supposed to work tomorrow! Today, I guess." He scrubbed a hand over his face and stood, stepping away from the closet. "And the trains will have stopped running… I'm not sure how I'll get home."
Kenma stood as well and put his hand on Tetsurou's arm. "Just stay here tonight." At the surprised look on Tetsu's face, he added, "I… I've got an extra futon for guests."
"Are you sure?" asked Tetsu, looking concerned. "I don't want you to feel like things are going too fast, or that I somehow… orchestrated this… I'm sure I can get a taxi or an Uber or something."
"I'm sure, Tetsu," said Kenma, cutting him off before he could get too worked up. "I know you wouldn't do that, and I… this..." He waved a hand between them. "This has been the perfect pace for me." He could feel himself blushing, and he looked away.
"All right then," said Tetsu, voice quiet and gentle. "I'd love to stay over. Are you going to make me breakfast in the morning?" he asked in a much more teasing tone.
"Oh no," said Kenma, half laughing. "I couldn't do that to you. I'm only good in the kitchen when it comes to coffee. But you can come with me to the café before your shift. We have some pretty good breakfast options. And you can drink your coffee with me."
"I, er..." Tetsurou was shifting uneasily and looking away from him. "I don't actually like coffee."
Kenma's mouth dropped open. "But you've been ordering it for months!"
"Yeah, well, there was a cute barista that I liked to visit."
"Tetsurou… we have other drink options," said Kenma, shaking his head. "Tea, smoothies, cocoa… I could have made you anything." He sighed. "Did you drink all those coffees?"
"No, I usually brought them back to my coworkers," admitted Tetsurou. "It just seemed easier, and I didn't want to be a bother. I just wanted to see you and maybe talk a minute."
Kenma felt incredibly touched by this strange romantic gesture. "Well, I'm glad you did, but don't order things you don't want anymore, please. You… you can come see me whether you buy anything or not, really."
"Nah, I've got to keep your shop in business and you in a job, don't I?" said Tetsurou, taking Kenma's hand. "Breakfast tomorrow is on me, by the way."
"No," said Kenma, looking at their joined hands. "It's on Tooru. He owes me 2000 yen."
Tetsurou laughed. "Would… Can I kiss you?"
Rising up on his tiptoes, Kenma pressed his lips to Tetsurou's. "Yes," he said. "Please do."
Tetsurou pulled him close and leaned down to kiss him again, more thoroughly. A few minutes later, when they parted to catch their breath, he said, “Please rate your satisfaction with this experience on a scale of one to five.”
Pausing a second, Kenma said, “Three.”
“Kenmaaaa! Stop giving me threes!”
Kenma grinned at him. “I just think there’s room for improvement. If I give you a five, you might stop trying.”
“I’ll never stop,” vowed Tetsurou. And he kissed Kenma again.