Chapter Text
“You can’t keep doing this, Chifuyu,” Kazutora says, desperately trying to get a hold of the younger and frowning when Chifuyu ignores him one more time. “You’re going to get caught, just please, slow down.”
“When I asked for help, it wasn’t so you could nag me all the time, it was so I could get Kisaki out of Toman, Kazutora,” The calm tone in Chifuyu’s voice betrays the rage in his eyes. “You can back away if you want, you know that.”
“As if I would leave you,” Kazutora says, trying to keep his own anger under control. “I’m with you no matter what.”
Chifuyu stares at him, breathing heavily. Kazutora watches the man in front of him, slowly walking towards him, and gently placing a hand on his dirty and bruised cheek. The ocean green eyes looking into his golden ones suddenly fill with tears and Kazutora pulls Chifuyu close, letting those tears soak the fabric of his shirt.
“I’m so tired of false leads, of false hopes,” Chifuyu whispers. “I just want things to go back to the way they used to be.”
“I know,” Kazutora says, hating how tired the younger sounds. “But I can’t lose you to this.”
“You’re not going to.” Chifuyu lifts his head and gives him a small smile, enough to warm Kazutora’s whole body an–
“Kazutora!”
Kazutora’s eyes fly open and he jumps from the bed, frantically looking around before spotting the black haired figure standing at his door. He would internally coo at Chifuyu’s bed hair and too large pajamas, if the younger wasn’t looking at him as if he was the most annoying creature to ever live.
“Wh-“
“Turn that damn alarm off it has been ringing for too long,” Chifuyu says. “And forget opening the pet shop early now, let’s just go together.” He huffs, turning and closing the door behind him.
Kazutora blinks twice, finally picking up his phone from the bedside table and turning the alarm off. He didn’t even notice the loud noise before Chifuyu barged into his room, which throws him slightly off considering Kazutora is a light sleeper. He sighs and sits on the bed, mind unconsciously drifting back to his weird dream. Dreaming about Chifuyu is not a foreign concept, but the setting seemed so off, something about it making Kazutora’s heart feel unexplainably heavy.
It felt more like a memory than a dream.
He shakes his head, choosing to brush it off for now and start getting ready for the day, body moving on autopilot as soon as the smell of Chifuyu’s cooking reaches his nose.
“The food looks great.” Kazutora says minutes later, entering their small kitchen.
“I shouldn’t give you anything, you took half an hour of sleep from me,” Chifuyu complains, swatting Kazutora’s hand when he tries to steal something from his plate. “How did you sleep through that?”
“Was dreaming about you.” He answers casually.
“Excuse me?”
“It was weird, Toman still existed,” Kazutora says, humming at the taste of the food and ignoring the strange look on Chifuyu’s face. “But it was just that, sorry we didn’t get to make out in it or anything.” He smirks, finally looking at the other.
“Asshole,” Chifuyu grumbles. “Finish your breakfast or I’m leaving without you.” He says, leaving Kazutora laughing by himself in the kitchen.
Chifuyu and Kazutora have been living together for close to three years now. Kazutora doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the surprise he felt upon seeing Chifuyu waiting for him as soon as he was out of prison. To be honest he wouldn’t blame Chifuyu if he never wanted to see him again after the incident, ten years before. He thought the younger wouldn’t even remember or care enough to know the day Kazutora would be released, and even less be there to greet him as if they were old friends. He was expecting anger, resentment, isolation or maybe a punch to the face if they ever saw each other, but never in his wildest dreams a small smile and a “Long time no see, Kazutora-kun.” would be on his list.
Chifuyu had asked Kazutora if he had a place to stay, already expecting the negative answer. When he took them to his house, Kazutora was still half expecting to be murdered by the man beside him, and have his body hidden to be never be found, but instead he got a room for himself, new clothes and a week later a welcome back party at Draken and Inupi’s shop. Kazutora was half afraid to believe all of that was real and half guilty for feeling happy because of something he still didn’t believe he deserved.
It was because of this confusion that Chifuyu found him one night after coming back from work, sitting at the corner of the balcony and smoking his third cigarette with a tear stained face. Chifuyu panicked for a second as if he was dealing with one of the wounded and scared animals Kazutora had seen him treat so carefully before at his pet shop. He sat beside him, not saying anything and just letting him cry as much as he needed. After Kazutora’s tears dried and the cigarette was gone, Chifuyu asked quietly if he wanted to talk about it, and Kazutora knew he had nothing left to lose.
Finally, he told everything that had plagued his mind since the day he was put behind bars to the day he was released and so on, not understanding how everyone felt so comfortable around him and treated him as if what happened to Baji wasn’t his fault. Chifuyu listened to his long rant and after what felt like hours, Kazutora heard a quiet but understanding laugh and turned to see Chifuyu smiling softly and warmly at him, eyes shining. The words Chifuyu gave him that night quieted down every fear Kazutora didn’t know he had and he made sure to keep them locked at a safe place in his mind, so every time he felt like drowning they could bring him back to the surface.
“I never blamed you, Kazutora. We know it wasn’t your fault, so please give yourself the time to heal and to live your second chance. Do it for me, for them, for Baji and most importantly for yourself. Believe us when we say you deserve it. You’re the only one here who hasn’t forgiven yourself yet.”
Trusting and talking to Chifuyu was what Kazutora believed to be his best decision so far. That marked the last time Kazutora cried over it, with Chifuyu pulling him close and letting him cry on his shoulder for the rest of night. Forgiving himself was not an easy or linear process, but Chifuyu helped him with every step and Kazutora was slowly getting there.
Kazutora likes to think that night was a turning point in his and Chifuyu’s friendship. They got more comfortable with each other’s presence, growing more and more used to the space they were sharing. After Chifuyu offered and Kazutora finally accepted a job at the pet shop, all of their time was spent together, from the minute they woke up, to when they said goodnight and went to bed. If you looked at them now, you would never guess Kazutora had one day felt afraid of being himself around Chifuyu. His teasing nature came almost naturally when the younger man made himself such an easy target, and Kazutora lived for Chifuyu’s reactions.
“Kazutora, I’m really leaving your ass here if you’re not ready in two minutes!” The annoyed voice brings him back from his memories.
“Damn it, I’m coming!”
***
Chifuyu’s pet shop was a safe heaven for Kazutora and he could proudly admit he felt that way even before he got to work there. Besides the usual customer work, there was something about playing with the kittens, running around with puppies when Chifuyu was feeling playful enough to let them out, and trying to pretend he wasn’t scared of the snakes and lizards in the aquariums, that made Kazutora forget every problem he ever had beyond that place. It was a plus that he occasionally got to see his usual serious and stoic boss become a kid every time a cat as much as meowed at him.
If his phone was full of pictures of Chifuyu with the animals, that was no one’s business but his own.
“Thank you for shopping with us, please come back soon.” Kazutora says politely to the old lady who came by every thursday.
“You got a lot better at this.” A voice says behind him.
“Is that a praise?” Kazutora smiles. “Thanks, boss.”
“Stop calling me that,” Chifuyu laughs. “But seriously, I’m happy you’re comfortable here.”
“Well, you made sure of that,” Kazutora says, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I’m glad you keep me around.”
“I don’t keep you around, Kazutora,” He tells him, resting his chin on his hands. “We live together and we work together, you’re my friend.”
Kazutora tries and fails to hide his wide grin and heated up cheeks. Chifuyu’s words never fail to make him feel warm inside, and Kazutora hopes he can have them for as long as the younger let him. He didn’t need the reassurance that he had a permanent place in Chifuyu’s life anymore, but Kazutora would always welcome it when it came from Chifuyu himself.
“You’re so embarrassing.” He laughs.
“Shut up.” Chifuyu smiles.
Their day continues with no major problems, two dogs get adopted and Kazutora holds back his tears when he watches them leave, happy to know they found a new home. Chifuyu leaves him at the front for the evening, opting to stay in his office preparing the orders for the next month. Kazutora is used to it, Chifuyu often locked himself in his office for hours, always the hard working, but for some reason he feels a bit restless today as he looks at the closed door, the heavy feeling from that morning suddenly returning.
Kazutora didn’t have many dreams which he remembered, most of them were usually forgotten by the time he woke up, so for him to still think about the one he had last night was a bit annoying to him. Maybe it was because Chifuyu was in it and the scenario didn’t seem any pleasant, since he was probably beaten up and it had something to do with Kisaki, making it all sound even more weird since the guy was dead and Toman disbanded many years ago.
He huffs and for the second time that day decides to ignore whatever that was, knowing it was probably nothing anyway.
“Ready to go home?” Chifuyu’s voice breaks him from his thoughts and Kazutora turns, watching as Chifuyu carefully places a black cat inside a big cage.
Carefully. Gently. Tenderly.
Like everything Matsuno Chifuyu did.
“Yeah,” He says, only now noticing how dark it was already. “We should get something to eat on the way.”
Chifuyu hums and throws Kazutora his coat, locking the front door as they leave and looking at the pet shop one last time with a proud smile on his face, like he did every day before closing.
The two men get home half an hour later, only stopping to grab some food from a convenience store around their apartment. They make some light conversation as they eat, Kazutora trying and failing to grab some of Chifuyu’s food even if the contents are the same as his, all that just to see the annoyed pout on Chifuyu’s lips. As soon as they’re done and both of them have showered, they spend some time together on the living room, watching a few episodes of some anime Chifuyu has been obsessed with lately.
“I have a meeting tomorrow,” Chifuyu says as he turns the TV off, both ready to go to bed. “You can head home without me.”
“Meeting?”
“It’s a new supplier for that cat food we had some problems with, he wants to discuss prices and you know how that usually goes.” Chifuyu sighs and Kazutora holds back a laugh.
“Poor man,” He smiles. “Has no idea who he’s about to negotiate with.”
“I’m not that mean,” Chifuyu laughs. “Good night, Kazutora.” He says, retreating to his room.
“Night, Chifuyu.” Kazutora says, closing his own door.
Kazutora yawns, laying down on his bed and setting his alarm for tomorrow. He thinks back to his day and how most people would probably find the way he lived his life now boring if compared to how he was years ago. Still, no matter what they thought, Kazutora wouldn’t trade the simplicity and comfort of this life for anything in the world, if he could live every day the same way he would choose it without a second thought or regret. His days consisted of Chifuyu and cute animals and also their friends and really, Kazutora couldn’t ask for more.
And maybe, he thinks, this is what happiness is all about.