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Review: Fickle Feline, Nakazakichō Osaka

If you look closely at the second floor of a shophouse along the charming Nakazakichō district, you’ll spot a cat cafe by the name of Fickle Feline. 

This cozy cafe is home to ten friendly rescue cats, eager to welcome the visitors that walk through the door. During your visit here, you can expect to enjoy the company of the cafe’s friendly residents while sipping on a drink prepared by the in-house barista. 

The cafe interior is divided into two areas, separated by a sliding glass door to keep the cats from wandering out. 

You’ll find yourself in the reception area when you first arrive, facing a front counter where you can register before your visit. Right behind the counter is a pantry area with an espresso machine and seemingly endless bottles of syrups and powders. Several tables and chairs are arranged neatly at the side of the room, available for use if needed.

The highlight of the cafe, however, is the play area located behind the glass door. With tatami lining the wooden floors and natural lighting illuminating the space, the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxing. 

Upon entry, you’ll be greeted by a few cats lazing on the massive cat tree right in the center of the room. Several cat beds are nestled beside the tree for the cats to rest in, and a large sofa lies at the other end of the room for visitors to sit on.

The prettiest part of the play area definitely has to be the big window at the end of the room. With a gorgeous view of the sky and a park in the distance, your visit will undoubtedly be a scenic one. The extended windowsill ledge is often occupied by cats who lay there to enjoy the sunlight.

Although a tad bit intimidating, the owner of the cafe gladly introduced all the cats to us and patiently answered any queries we had. The barista was friendly as well, serving us delicious drinks at affordable prices. 

If you ever have a chance to visit the area, I highly recommend paying a visit to Fickle Feline for a therapeutic and worthwhile experience!

Click here to read reviews from other users like Ushijima Wakatoshi, Kuroo Tetsurou, Hinata Shoyo…

✧/ᐠ-ꞈ-ᐟ\

NOW HIRING!!

Barista - Full Time (willing to work on weekends)

Experience required

Walk-in Application

Contact [email protected] for any queries.

=＾´• ⋏ •`＾=

“Working here with you has been so wonderful Kiyoomi,” Yachi says between sniffles. “I’m so sad to be leaving.”

Since the opening of his cat cafe two years prior, Kiyoomi has been lucky to have Yachi by his side working as the cafe’s barista. Aside from being the only other employee at the cafe, she was also one of the few people who Kiyoomi would deem as a close friend. 

Although Yachi was a competent barista, her dream has always been to work as a graphic designer just like her mother. So when the long-awaited job offer came, Kiyoomi didn’t hesitate to encourage her to pursue her dream. Letting people go is a part of meeting them after all. 

“You’re welcome to visit whenever, Yachi. I’m sure you’ll do great at your new company.” Kiyoomi isn’t the best at comforting people but he tries his best, handing a tissue over to a now sobbing Yachi.

“I hope you find a new barista soon! That way, you won’t be lonely while I’m gone.” 

Kiyoomi nods his head in agreement and gives one final wave to Yachi before she tearfully walks out of the cafe. He watches her retreating figure descend down the stairs before he turns away and heads to the play area to clean up for the day.

He sweeps the floor once, then twice for good measure before mopping thrice as he tries to quell the worry simmering in his chest. 

Getting a new barista is going to be such a hassle, and the chances of things going very wrong are high. He got really lucky with Yachi — with her respectable work ethic and friendly demeanour. Kiyoomi doubts he’d be able to achieve this same luck twice.

Adding this new barista to the mix could alter or even ruin the atmosphere of the cafe, one that Kiyoomi has worked very hard to build. 

Sensing Kiyoomi’s shift from rational to overdramatic, his cats start meowing at him to catch his attention. Haru and Hatsuki, his orange and black tabbies respectively, hop out of their shared cat beds to follow Kiyoomi around the area. They meow loudly as they paw at the bottom of his pants, as if asking him to ditch the mop and join them on the ground. 

Only now does Kiyoomi register the overwhelming smell of detergent filling the room, a sign that he should probably stop with his stress cleaning. With a sigh, he keeps the mop and reenters the play area to sit beside his cats. 

Haru and Hatsuki wait till he’s settled down before they pounce onto his lap to cuddle, nuzzling into his thighs in an effort to placate him. 

Kiyoomi loves every single one of his cats, but Haru and Hatsuki will always hold a special place in his heart as his first pets. 

In his third year of university, he had found them as kittens, abandoned by the side of the footpath in the middle of winter. Wrapping them in his hoodie, he brought them back to his apartment and he’s taken care of them ever since.

The two of them are the noisiest cats Kiyoomi owns, always calling out for his attention. They alternate between being the best of friends and fighting any chance they get, but they’re undeniably a pair.

“Yachi’s gone now, so we’re going to need a new barista as soon as possible.” Kiyoomi throws that statement out to no one in particular, but all his cats perk up at his voice. “I have no idea how to operate the espresso machine, so our visitors are going to have to survive off canned drinks for a while.”

The cats respond with soft, comforting purrs, bringing a small smile to his face. Haru shifts so he’s nuzzling into Kiyoomi’s palm, looking up at him with big gold eyes. Kiyoomi closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as he lets the anticipation wash over anxiety. He opens his eyes again and looks around the cafe, now with a renewed sense of calm. 

“Fingers crossed,” he whispers, drawing no response from his cats. 

It’s alright though. He has a feeling everything's going to work out just fine.

/ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ

Welcome to Fickle Feline!

— Opening Hours —

Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 6pm

Saturday - Sunday: 10am - 8pm

— Cuddle Charge —

60 分 / 1000 円

60 minutes / 1000 yen

Full Day Pass / 3500 yen

— Beverages —

Only canned drinks available at the moment. 150 円 per can.

(｡^•ㅅ•^｡)

Kiyoomi has always been told that spring is the season of new beginnings. He’s seen the way frigid winter makes way for the emergence of cherry blossoms — learnt to anticipate the pink flower petals that rain down from the trees instead of snowflakes from the sky.

So really, it’s no surprise that change walks into his cafe on a Tuesday morning in the middle of spring.

The door to the cafe opens and the gentle sound of the windchimes hanging by the doorway floats through the cafe. Kiyoomi looks up from the cash register to glance at the clock. It’s just past 10 am, the cafe’s opening time. He normally wouldn’t get customers this early on a weekday since everyone is either at school or at work, so he’s curious to find out who this new visitor is.

Turning his head towards the doorway, he sees a boy with faux blond hair stepping through the doorway. With his strong brows, sharp jawline and steady gaze, he looks slightly intimidating. But a split second later, his cold demeanour melts away as his lips curl into a sunny grin. His eyes glow as he looks around the cafe, gaze zeroing in on the cats in the play area.

Kiyoomi figures he looks young enough to be in university. Scratch that, he was far too happy to fit the bill of a suffering university student. Maybe a high school student who was skipping school? Nevermind, he probably shouldn’t pry.  

Kiyoomi clears his throat, catching the attention of the new visitor.

“Welcome to Fickle Feline.” Kiyoomi gestures towards the small sign sitting on the counter detailing the cost per hour. “How long would you like to stay? It’s a thousand yen for every hour. As for refreshments, there are only canned drinks today.” 

The boy walks up to the counter and purses his lips, staring at the sign in contemplation. Right as he’s about to open his mouth to speak, he lets out the loudest sneeze Kiyoomi’s ever heard. Thankfully, he covered his mouth in time. 

“Are you sick?” Kiyoomi asks, staring at him in horror.

The boy shakes his head frantically, nose still a little pink. 

“Are you allergic to cats?” Kiyoomi did not want to be the one calling an ambulance if someone collapsed in his store.

The boy laughs when he hears the question and Kiyoomi’s frown deepens.

“It’s not funn —”

“I’m not sick or allergic or anythin’. It’s spring so I’m a little cold, that’s all.” 

Now that Kiyoomi’s taking a closer look at the boy, his scarf is wrapped tightly around his neck and his cheeks and ears are tinted cherry blossom pink. It must be really chilly outside, Kiyoomi will never not be grateful for the heating system in his cafe. He’ll pretend the sneeze never happened, but still…

“Don’t interrupt me while I’m speaking.”

The boy gives a non-committal hum in response, busy looking at the sign on the counter and checking his wallet to see if he has enough cash.

“I’ll stay for two hours!” 

Kiyoomi nods and extends a palm out to accept two one-thousand yen bills from the boy, handing him a timesheet from beneath the counter. “Fill in your name and time of admission here.”

The boy nods and scribbles down his information before handing the sheet back to Kiyoomi. Written in barely legible chicken scrawl is Miya Atsumu, 宮侑. A single character family name and given name, how uncommon. 

Kiyoomi leads Atsumu to the shoe shelves, instructing him to remove his sneakers and slip into a pair of indoor slippers. In the middle of untying his shoelaces, fingers still tangled in the string, Atsumu stops and looks up at Kiyoomi.

“Do your cats like tuna?”

“Huh?”

“No, wait. Do your cats like fatty tuna?”

Kiyoomi looks down at Atsumu in confusion and disdain. The only customers that ask him such strange questions are little children or anxious parents. 

“My cats consume tuna occasionally, but never fatty tuna. Why are you asking?”

“I had fatty tuna onigiri in the mornin’ and I was wondering if your cats could smell it?”

Kiyoomi does a mental double take at the question. Atsumu has to be kidding.

“What?” 

“I was just thinking about whether they’d like me more.” 

So he’s serious. Kiyoomi takes a moment to collect himself before answering. 

“They won’t smell it and it won’t change how they feel about you.” 

Atsumu has a tiny frown on his face, clearly disappointed by Kiyoomi’s answer. The cafe barely opened but Kiyoomi already wants to kick Atsumu out and call it a day. He’s had enough. Taking a deep breath, Kiyoomi decides to jump into his explanation of the ground rules before he lets Atsumu into the play area. The sooner this visit ends, the better.   

“No screaming or making any sudden loud noises around the cats. Don’t try to lift any of them up because they will scratch you. No pulling of any tails —”

“I’m not an idiot, I got it,” Atsumu blurts out

At the interruption — the second one within the past five minutes — Kiyoomi decides that the spirit of customer service can go to hell. He fixes Atsumu with a stern glare and opens his mouth, ready to chew him out. But before he can say anything, Atsumu gives Kiyoomi an apologetic look while frantically waving his hands in front of him.

“That came out so wrong, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m really good with cats, I swear! I’ve helped many of my friends cat-sit before, I know what to do.”

 “Those are some very big statements, coming from someone who just asked me if my cats can smell their breakfast.”

“In my defence, ‘Samu and I were debating ‘bout it this morning and I was curious! Anyway, I promise your cats are safe with me,” Atsumu glances down at Kiyoomi’s name tag, “Sakusa-san.”

Atsumu looks sorry enough, so Kiyoomi decides to let him off. If Atsumu happened to get scratched by any of Kiyoomi’s cats, he could pay for the consequences himself. 

“Fine. You can go into the play area. I’ll follow you soon after.” 

On a usual day with Yachi around, she’d usually be in charge of both the drinks and the front counter as well. Kiyoomi, on the other hand, would stay in the play area with the customers. This way, he can make sure both his cats and the visitors are comfortable. 

Recently however, he’s had to man the entire shop by himself, a task that was as tiring as it sounds. He sends a silent plea to the universe in hopes of finding a new barista stat. He doesn’t know how much longer he can keep this one man show going. 

After finishing up a few more administrative matters, he quickly goes to watch over Atsumu. There hasn’t been any distressed meowing coming from the play area yet, so that’s a good sign that none of his cats — or Atsumu — have been hurt yet.

When he enters the play area, he’s taken aback by the sight before him. Atsumu is seated on the floor with Haru resting comfortably on his lap. Hatsuki is laying down beside Atsumu, black fur blending in with black jeans as he nuzzles up to Atsumu’s thigh. The rest of Kiyoomi’s cats regard him curiously, gathering around him like visitors to a shrine. With the sheer amount of felines in his proximity, Atsumu looks like a living cat-magnet. 

Confusion doesn’t even begin to describe how Kiyoomi feels. Usually, his cats are colder in the morning, still a little prickly and irritable before dawn. They need some time to warm up before they start actively cuddling with visitors. But today, every single one of them seems so entranced by Atsumu. 

Atsumu looks up at Kiyoomi and raises his stupid brows. “See, I told ya. Cats love me.”

Kiyoomi wants to slap the smug gin right off his face. But he’s never seen his cats so enamoured with anyone before, so he sucks it up and settles down beside Atsumu. He reluctantly introduces each of the cats to Atsumu, ignoring the way Atsumu laughs when he hears the name of the cats. 

“Miso, Soba, Dango, why are most of ‘em named after food?” Atsumu giggles as he tries to remember every one of their names.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Kiyoomi tells Atsumu a bit more about the cats before the conversation eventually lulls. The silence would have been awkward if not for the cats’ gentle purrs and soft tapping of paws against the wooden floor as they walked around. 

Grabbing a big wooden brush from the front pocket of his apron, Kiyoomi extends his arm to bring it closer to Haru, gently brushing his cheek. Every single one of Kiyoomi’s cats shy away from this particular brush like it’s a weapon, all except for Haru, who adores it. 

Atsumu’s eyes light up at the sight, eyes trained on the brush in Kiyoomi’s hands and the pleased look on Haru’s face. Kiyoomi feigns ignorance for a while, just to see Atsumu fidget, before handing the brush to him. 

“Haru likes to be brushed on the cheek.”

Atsumu takes the brush hesitantly from Kiyoomi’s hands, bringing it slowly towards the side of Haru’s head. He lets out a fond sigh when Haru leans into the brush, little copper eyes closing in happiness. What a striking pair, Kiyoomi’s orange tabby and Atsumu, the fake blond. 

Perhaps Kiyoomi and Atsumu got off on the wrong foot. Maybe Atsumu was just horrible at first impressions, running his mouth without a care. After all, he couldn’t be that bad of a person if Kiyoomi’s ten cats all liked him.

“Sakusa-san,” Atsumu says as continues brushing Haru, “I saw a poster out front saying ya need a barista.”

Oh no. 

“There’s no poster.” Kiyoomi prays for Atsumu to take the hint and drop it.

Atsumu gives an ungraceful snort, startling the cats around him slightly. “So ya do have a sense of humour! Anyway, I’d like to apply for the job. I can make coffee and bake, so I’m a two-in-one package. Three-in-one if ya count the good looks.” 

Kiyoomi takes it back. All ten of his cats have terrible judgement. 

He glares at Atsumu and then at Haru and Hatsuki who never left Atsumu’s side. Before he can open his mouth to utter a rejection, Haru and Hatsuki start meowing at him, seemingly sensing what he’s about to say. The rest of his cats join in too, looking at Kiyoomi with their stupidly adorable dilated pupils. Those damn cats.

It wouldn't be entirely fair to dismiss Atsumu without a fair chance and Kiyoomi knows this. He'll just do it the proper way, by letting Atsumu show off his skills — probably mediocre at best — before rejecting his application. 

“Come in again tomorrow half an hour past six. I’ll taste your coffee before I even think about hiring you,” Kiyoomi hisses out.

"Really? You’ll think about hiring me?” Atsumu asks excitedly. His ability to selectively hear the words he wants is truly baffling. “See ya here tomorrow Sakusa-san! I’m gonna blow your mind.”

"We'll see about that."

Atsumu’s allocated two hours comes to an end at noon when the sun hits its peak. He waves goodbye to the cats and promises Kiyoomi he’ll come on time tomorrow. The fact that he has to tell Kiyoomi he won’t be late seems like a red flag in itself, but Kiyoomi chooses to ignore it.

As the sun makes its slow descent from noon till closing time, Kiyoomi welcomes more customers into Fickle Feline. There’s Kenma, the regular who always purchases a day pass to do his work alongside the cats. Kiyoomi still hasn’t been able to figure out what Kenma does for a living, but he doesn’t pry. The group of high school students that arrive after are less pleasant. They’re so damn noisy, but gentle with the cats, so Kiyoomi reluctantly lets them stay. 

People come and go, arrival noted with a “Welcome to Fickle Feline” and departure marked with a “Hope you enjoyed your time here” . The cafe finally closes at six, but Kiyoomi’s work doesn’t end there. He cleans the litter boxes, grooms the cats and mops the floor before flopping down in the centre of the room. 

As he lays sprawled out on his back, a few of his cats come up to lie next to him while the rest remain in their beds or on the cat tree. Haru and Hatsuki make themselves comfortable on his stomach and Kiyoomi grunts under the added weight.

“Oh, so now you traitors love me again,” he remarks.

He’s met with quiet purrs and a few apologetic nuzzles against his arms. Kiyoomi closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, the fatigue and lethargy from the day finally setting in. His back aches, his eyes feel heavy and he’s in desperate need for a shower. But he’s satisfied with this place he’s built and that’s what matters.

“Do you think Atsumu is going to be a good barista?” Kiyoomi asks. Haru and a few other cats meow in response.

“He’s so infuriating though. The thought of having to work with someone like him everyday is exhausting already.” 

Hatsuki uses his paw to hit Kiyoomi on the belly and hisses of protest can be heard. He’s not sure if they understand what he’s saying but he’s willing to take that bet. 

“Alright alright, we’ll see how he does tomorrow then.” 

Kiyoomi’s stomach growls in a plea for some dinner, so he gently pries his cats off of him. Expectedly, they claw onto his clothes, refusing to move. He rolls his eyes at their dramatics and gives up. Five minutes more of this couldn’t hurt.

^ •ﻌ• ^ ฅ

Atsumu places three cups of coffee on the table, the clink of mugs catching the attention of the cats. Kiyoomi, ever critical, clicks his tongue when he sees foam almost spilling over the rim of the cup. Motoya and Yachi however, present reactions of the polar opposite, oohing and ahhing over the latte art. 

They weren’t supposed to be here since Kiyoomi wanted to do the testing himself, but they insisted on joining in. According to them, “cousin rights” and “ex-barista rights” entitled them the right to grade Atsumu’s drinks.

In each cup, Atsumu had drawn adorable kitty faces, all sporting different expressions. Grinning at the mostly positive response, Atsumu clears his throat before he presents the drinks. 

“As per request, I’ve prepared three cups of coffee for y'all to try. A cappuccino, latte and mocha,” he introduces as he gestures to the respective cups. “Judges, enjoy.”

Atsumu takes a dramatic, deep bow before hurrying back behind the drinks counter to do god knows what. Kiyoomi rolls his eyes while Motoya and Yachi laugh at Atsumu’s antics. At least one of three judges knows not to be swayed by Atsumu’s charms. 

They decided to do the tasting this way: Kiyoomi - Motoya - Yachi. Kiyoomi takes the first sip, followed by Motoya and Yachi because they’re the kind of people who don’t find it revolting to share drinks. The moment Kiyoomi takes a sip of the cappuccino, his heart sinks. 

It’s delicious. There’s a hint of espresso with just the right amount of milk. The foam layer is rich and thick, but the coffee itself is not too creamy; it’s the best damn cup of cappuccino Kiyoomi’s ever had and he hates that it is. 

He makes sure to keep a neutral expression as he slides the cup towards Motoya. His cousin takes a sip before letting out a dramatic gasp, going back to take a second very long gulp before passing the cup to Yachi. When she tries the coffee, her eyes sparkle and she nods her head in approval.

“This tastes so much better than the cappuccino I make, maybe I could ask him to teach me how he does it!” She exclaims, much to Kiyoomi’s dismay. 

The latte and mocha both receive equally shining reviews, with Motoya finishing almost the entire cup of mocha by himself. Every praise they sing sounds like a gavel rapping against its hardwood base in the courtroom, calling for attention. The jury have notified the judge of their verdicts, and Kiyoomi’s certain this trial won’t be ending in his favour.

Atsumu comes back out with another cup in his hand, placing it beside the now three empty cups. Compared to the other contenders, this drink is light green. A matcha latte, Kiyoomi figures. The latte art depicts a white cat, with big eyes and a singular black spot on its forehead. It looks just like —

“Matcha, this one’s for you!” 

Atsumu shoots finger guns towards the play area, right at Kiyoomi’s white maine coon, Matcha. Sitting on the top of the cat tree, she blinks back curiously at Atsumu with her wide-eyed stare and little black spot.

Kiyoomi looks between the latte art and Matcha, impressed without his consent about how accurate Atsumu had made it. Despite only meeting the cats yesterday, he already remembers how each of them look. Kiyoomi’s heart squeezes at the gesture and he sighs in defeat. A ruling has been made, the judgement finalised. He takes a sip and the matcha latte tastes bitter, just like how he’s feeling inside.

“I’ll give y’all a moment to discuss,” Atsumu states before running into the play area to give Matcha some head pats. 

Yachi turns to Kiyoomi with a determined gaze. “Kiyoomi, you seem to have some reservations about Atsumu. But from one blonde barista to another, I can assure you that he’s definitely skilled enough to hire!”

Motoya grabs Kiyoomi’s shoulders and clings on even when Kiyoomi tries swiping his hand off in a petty move. “Kiyo, you and your big university brain know that he’s a huge catch. You’d be stupid not to hire him.”

“Maybe I want to be stupid,” Kiyoomi grumbles. Motoya furrowing his beady little eyebrows in disapproval, looking at him in exasperation.

Atsumu chooses that moment to come back to the table, practically skipping his way there. His grin is an innocent one, fooling Motoya and Yachi into thinking he’s an earnest boy looking for a job. Kiyoomi knows better. One look at the glint in Atsumu’s eyes and Kiyoomi knows the rest of his days in the cafe are going to be hell.

“I passed the test right? I told ya Sakusa-san, I’m pretty damn good at this,” he boasts.

“I’ve tasted better.”

“Nah, you’re lying. Ya definitely haven’t.” Atsumu is right but he doesn’t need to know that.

Kiyoomi wants to pick at Atsumu a while more but Yachi throws him a scathing look and he caves. “Ugh, fine. You’re hired.”

Atsumu jaw drops at Kiyoomi’s statement, as if he expected Kiyoomi to put up more of a fight. He lights up, smile stretching onto his face, jaw still slightly ajar. 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe ya actually said yes! When can I start work? Tomorrow? Please say tomorrow, Omi!”

Kiyoomi visibly recoils at the sound of the nickname. Of course it only came out after he hired the brat. 

“Call me that one more time and I’ll fire you immediately.”

“Really? I think Omi sounds kinda cute,” Atsumu teases.

“Don’t test me,” Kiyoomi threatens.

“Atsumu, don’t listen to Kiyo, he needs you more than you need him!” Motoya chimes in like the horrible cousin he is. 

Atsumu and Motoya’s hands collide in a loud high-five and Yachi’s cheers can be heard in the background. Kiyoomi can already feel the impending headache. He bids a silent farewell to his peaceful cafe life and overall sanity. 

Before the contract is officially signed, Kiyoomi asks Atsumu a few routine questions and finds out that his initial hunch was right. Atsumu’s a nineteen-year-old fresh high school graduate. However, he isn’t a university student. He chose to take a gap year between his studies, hence the job hunting. 

Pen on paper and one large signature later, the contract is signed and Atsumu is officially hired. 

“Bye Kiyo!”

“All the best Kiyoomi, tell the kitties I’ll think of them at my new job!”

“See ya tomorrow Omi!”

Atsumu practically floats out of the cafe, taking his leave with Motoya and Yachi. The glass door shuts but Kiyoomi can still faintly hear Atsumu cracking a lame joke, drawing muted laughs from his company. Kiyoomi pinches the bridge of his nose and turns back to the play area.

He’s met with the sight of Haru attempting to spring a surprise hug on Hatsuki. This expectedly does not go well and his two troublemakers start play fighting. They’re slapping each other in the face and letting out noisy meows, oblivious to the other cats gathering around to watch as if it were some sort of feline boxing match. If the cats had money to bet, he's sure they'd be making their dealings right about now. 

Only Matcha remains where she was, unbothered on top of the cat tree, grooming herself. Kiyoomi looks back at the unwashed cup of his finished matcha latte in the sink and sighs in defeat. 

  /\__/\

꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

Drinks Menu

Note: You can request a drawing of your favourite cat in your latte art! 

— Coffee —

Espresso 

Americano 

Latte 

Flat White 

Cappuccino

Mocha

— Tea —

Matcha

Houjicha

Genmaicha

Oolong

Earl Grey

— Specials —

Honey Cinnamon Latte

Sweet Potato Latte

Blueberry Latte

˓˓ก₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎ค˒˒

Within the first week of Atsumu’s stint as Fickle Feline’s new barista, he’s broken two mugs, nearly toppled over the cat tree (with the cats still on the structure ) and captured the adoration of the cafe’s resident felines. One of those three things sounds like a positive, but it’s really not. 

Kiyoomi’s cats are clingy, that he knows. What he wasn’t aware of, was the fact that this clinginess could extend to someone else too. When there aren’t any customers, Atsumu joins Kiyoomi in the play area to interact with the cats. Immediately, they start following him around like ducklings, meowing to ask for scratches or pawing at his leg to catch his attention. Kiyoomi swears that man possesses some sort of black magic.

Whenever the sneaky little bastards notice Kiyoomi getting jealous at the lack of attention, they come right back to him, placating him with their soft purrs. He overhears Atsumu talking to the cats one day and realises that Atsumu addresses Kiyoomi as Dad One and himself as Dad Two — Kiyoomi doesn’t know how to feel about that yet.  

Aside from the cats, Atsumu has also received glowing reviews from the regulars. 

Usually timid Asahi, who insists on visiting despite his mild cat allergies, opened up after Atsumu offered some antihistamines. Even Kenma bonded with Atsumu after realising they had the same taste in mobile games. 

Tendou, the eccentric regular who Kiyoomi swears can communicate with his cats, comes in on a slow Wednesday. He has Ushijima in tow, who’s currently nodding intently at a story Tendou is retelling. As Tendou flails his arms around in big gestures, Ushijima dodges instinctively to prevent from being hit.

Kiyoomi is very familiar with Ushijima and Tendou since they pop by the cafe at least twice a month. He knows they have the same little routine every time they visit. 

Ushijima steps into the play area first to sit beside Tofu, his favourite cat. Tofu, Kiyoomi’s fluffy white persian, is the eldest of the ten cats. She’s not one for chaos and tends to stay away from Kiyoomi’s noisier cats. It makes sense that Tofu enjoys Ushijima’s company as much as he enjoys hers. 

Meanwhile, Tendou gets them both drinks at the counter, a cappuccino for Ushijima and a sweet potato latte for himself. He likes to wait by the counter and watch Yachi make their drinks while talking to her in the process. It never fails to frighten her and he finds it absolutely hilarious. Afterwards, he’ll skip into the play area with two cups in hand and tell Ushijima about how funny Yachi’s reaction was.

“Tendou, stop scaring poor Yachi,” Ushijima will say.

“Lighten up a little Wakatoshi! I’m just teasing,” Tendou will reply.

Today however, Tendou steps in and announces that the ‘new blond barista’ is now his friend. How the hell that happened, Kiyoomi's afraid to find out. 

“Look Wakatoshi!” Tendou exclaims, happily presenting the cappuccino to his companion. “Atsumu asked which cat you liked best, so I told him you and Tofu are best buds. Look what he drew!”

Ushijima takes a peek at his cappuccino and his eyes widen in shock when he sees Tofu’s chubby face in the latte art. With little upside down crescents for eyes, milk foam Tofu looks undeniably content. 

The adorable drawing earns a small grin from stoic Wakatoshi, who admires the art for a staggering 9 seconds. He takes the cup from Tendou’s palm to take a sip, distorting Tofu's face in the process, before nodding in approval. “Kiyoomi, do give my regards to this new barista of yours.”

Kiyoomi is flabbergasted. He may not be a camel but this is the last straw that's threatening to break his back. Atsumu has to be a witch, there’s no other explanation for how he charms everyone — cats included — into liking him. 

When Wakatoshi and Tendou leave the cafe, Kiyoomi practically corners Atsumu at the drinks counter.

“How?” He demands, the one-word question clearly leaving Atsumu confused.

“How what?” 

“How do you do it?” Kiyoomi continues, making vague gestures with his hands. “How do you get along so well with everyone?”

Atsumu laughs a little at the question and gives Kiyoomi this look he can’t quite decipher. He sets the cup he’s wiping back on the shelf before placing both palms on the counter, leaning over so he’s closer to Kiyoomi.

“I don’t think it’s that surprising Omi, everyone loves me!”

Kiyoomi flips him off as he cackles away. Of course Atsumu would give some sort of narcissistic answer, what did Kiyoomi expect? He turns around to leave but Atsumu shoots an arm out, grabbing him by the waist to pull him back. The touch is gone a second later, but Kiyoomi still feels the phantom grip of Atsumu’s hand. 

“Don’t be mad, I’m kiddin’. I just try my best to be nice to people and luckily for me, they’re nice back!” 

“That’s it?”

“What did ya expect me to say, Omi? That I’m teamin’ up with your regulars and cats to conspire against ya?”

“Maybe,” Kiyoomi grumbles, ignoring the way Atsumu laughs at his response. He doesn’t know why this whole thing bothers him so much, but it just does.

Atsumu hums in contemplation as he narrows his eyes slightly. “Your regulars are all pretty cool ya know? I asked them a little ‘bout what they think of ya. Wanna know what they said?”

“No actually. I don —”

“Well I’ll tell ya anyway! They all love the cafe, obviously. They say it’s the nicest one in the area and ya obviously take care of all the cats real well. But everyone thinks you’re a little bit– hmm, how should I say this… intimidating? You’re so gloomy all the time, it wouldn’t kill ya to be a little sunnier sometimes ya know?”

Atsumu chuckles at the sight of Kiyoomi’s signature glare that unintentionally proves his point. 

“So what, I should be nice like you?” Kiyoomi questions.

“Of course! I’m the gold standard for customer service,” Atsumu brags, chest puffing up in arrogance.

Objectively, Kiyoomi knows that his customer service could definitely use some work. But “being nice” isn’t his brand. He’s not like Atsumu, naturally approachable and friendly. He doesn’t have a sunshine grin or a laugh that lights up the room. Even if he tried to be friendlier and make small talk with his regulars, it would be awkward and off-putting.

“It’s alright Omi,” Atsumu reassures, sensing as Kiyoomi spirals into overthinking. “I appreciate ya just the way ya are!”

Thankfully, a bunch of new visitors choose that moment to arrive, so Kiyoomi doesn’t have to conjure up a response. He moves away from the counter, reestablishing the distance between them, before turning around to greet the customers. 

Kiyoomi doesn’t look back at Atsumu. But he’s sure that if he did, he’d see the blond looking straight at the visitors, welcoming them with his “customer service” smile.

=^..^=

Ushijima Wakatoshi

★★★★★

The visit was a pleasant one and the cafe was kept tidy as always. I appreciate how well the owner takes care of his cats, who were very good hosts as well. I am glad I got to see my favourite cat again.

The detailed latte art done by the new barista was impressive as well, and it really made my day. 

I highly recommend this cafe to anyone looking to visit one. 

Satori Tendou

★★★★★

One day I’m gonna steal a cat from this cafe and no one will see it coming :D

Fickle Feline ✔

Please don’t.

/ᐠ-༝-ᐟ\ 

For the first time in two years, Kiyoomi buys something new for his cafe. 

It’s a countertop display case with clear glass panels and a wooden frame that blends perfectly with the cafe’s aesthetic. The case has a domed front that shows off its three tiers and an oak tray at each level. Attached with small hinges, the glass door at the back can be opened for access to the inside of the display.

Now, Kiyoomi normally wouldn’t spend any extra budget on furniture like this. But Atsumu had offered to bring home-made pastries to the cafe to sell. Kiyoomi told him repeatedly that he didn’t need to spend his additional time baking, but Atsumu brushed it off. ‘ Baking makes me happy Omi, pleaseee let me sell it? ’

Eventually, after a week of begging, Kiyoomi caved. He went online and bought the fanciest looking display case he could find. Since he paid for express delivery, it arrived the next day on Thursday at 8 pm, exactly as scheduled. 

They wait till the shop closes before bringing the new display in. With Kiyoomi holding one side of the case and Atsumu holding the other, they slowly make their way to the counter. A few cats peek out of the window curiously, watching as Kiyoomi and Atsumu take baby steps towards the counter. 

Nori, Kiyoomi’s jet black bombay cat, has taken the spot on the top of the tree today. Her yellow eyes lock onto the display as she lets out little barks — yes, barks — of excitement. 

Kiyoomi has this theory that she lived with dogs before she was brought to the shelter. Atsumu believes Nori was the leader of a stray dog pack. Either way, she’s definitely a kitten with a puppy’s heart.

They’re a few metres away from the counter when Atsumu trips over his feet and stumbles forward. Kiyoomi’s heart flies out of his chest in panic, terrified that they’re going to drop the case and break it’s stupidly expensive glass. The mere thought of having to sweep up a hundred little shards of glass is enough to make Kiyoomi shiver. Thankfully, Atsumu manages to regain his balance and keep a firm grip on his edge of the case. 

“Be careful Miya, I can’t believe you almost dropped it! The glass could’ve cut you,” Kiyoomi chastises, frowning at Atsumu over the top of the display. “... and the cats,” he adds on, trying not to sound too concerned about Atsumu.

It’s too late though, Atsumu is already smirking at his little slip up. “Oh wow, I’m touched, Omi. Ya care ‘bout me as much as ya care ‘bout your cats?”

“No. I like my cats more because they don’t call me dumb nicknames.”

“Nah, ya gotta stop lying to yourself. Just admit it, ya like being called Omi don’t ya?” Atsumu asks with a smug grin on his face. 

“You’re delusional,” Kiyoomi scoffs. He knows Atsumu is the only one who can get away with calling him ‘Omi’, but he’d dive off a cliff before he ever admitted it out loud.

Fortunately, they maneuver their way to the counter before Atsumu has any more chances to tease Kiyoomi. They set the case down gently and Kiyoomi lets out a sigh of relief. 

Grabbing a microfibre cloth from the cupboard below, he immediately starts cleaning the glass. Meanwhile, Atsumu gives his hands a quick wash before running into the play area to tend to the noisy cats. 

“Guess what little guys, the case is finally up! I’m gonna bring all kinds of muffins and cakes to the cafe tomorrow. I’m so excited, but also really scared. I hope people actually wanna buy my stuff…”

Kiyoomi can’t help but smile at the way Atsumu talks to his cats like he’s holding an actual conversation. He’s seated on the floor, beaming as he waves his hands to express his excitement to the growing crowd. The cats gaze up at him, heads tilted as they listen attentively. To an onlooker, it would appear as if they really understood what Atsumu was saying.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bake some yummy cat treats for y’all soon! Just don’t tell Omi ‘bout the extra food,” Atsumu whispers.

“I’m not deaf Miya. I can hear you,” Kiyoomi deadpans. Atsumu spins around so he’s facing Kiyoomi and frowns in faux confusion.

“Hear what?” Atsumu questions, feigning innocence. 

“Did y’all hear anything?” He asks the cats. When none of them answer his question — for obvious reasons — he turns back to Kiyoomi and shrugs. 

“Ya should get your ears checked out Omi, people tend to lose their hearing when they’re old.”

“Fuck you Miya, I am not old.”

“Are too!”

“Am not.”

“You’re being awfully defensive.”

“You’re acting like a child.”

“Only someone who’s old would say that.”

Kiyoomi realises he’s playing a losing game, but it still takes all of his willpower to stop responding to Atsumu’s taunts. With a deep sigh, he turns away from Atsumu and makes his way to the storeroom. He pulls up his mental checklist of things to do: groom his cats, feed them dinner, clear their litter boxes and clean the floor. 

As Kiyoomi’s digging through the closet to find the broom and mop, he feels a tap on his shoulder and startles. Whipping around, he sees Atsumu right behind him, shit-eating grin on his face and both arms raised in surrender.

“Didn’t mean to make ya jump Omi. I just wanted to see if I could help ya with cleaning since ya always have to do it alone.”

Kiyoomi snorts at the offer. “I’ll be fine Miya, go home.”

“Come on, I could help ya clean the place while ya take care of the kitties. It’ll be way faster if we both do it. What’dya say?”

Cleaning is Kiyoomi’s routine to wind down, his way to transition from work to rest. It’s his time to finally enjoy some quiet after an exhausting day of attending to customers. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to invite someone into this pocket of peace yet. 

But Atsumu holds out his hand, a request for the broom in Kiyoomi’s grip. His eyebrows are raised, lips pulled into a lopsided grin, expression open. From the look on his face, Kiyoomi can tell Atsumu genuinely wants to help. 

It’s fine, he thinks as he hands the broom to Atsumu. He can always tell Atsumu to leave if he asks too many questions or talks too much. 

As Kiyoomi brushes his cats and clips their claws, he’s pleasantly surprised by how quiet Atsumu is. Compared to his usual self, he seems like a whole different person now. He doesn’t attempt to make any small talk or start petty fights about something stupid again (like Kiyoomi being twenty-two and ancient). Instead, he hums along to city pop tunes and rambles occasionally to the cats.

When he finishes sweeping and mopping the floor, he helps to clean the litter box before settling on the floor beside Kiyoomi. He watches curiously as Kiyoomi uses a cotton pad to wipe Haru’s ears. Hatsuki climbs into Atsumu’s lap, distracting him with a nudge to his palm. 

“Uhhh what’s he doing?” Atsumu’s whole body is stiff, afraid that if he moves, Hatsuki will walk away.

“He wants you to clean his ears.” Hatsuki confirms this with a soft meow.

Kiyoomi leans over and squeezes a few drops of ear cleaner into Hatsuki’s ears before handing a fresh cotton pad to Atsumu. The next few minutes are spent teaching Atsumu how to massage the feline’s ears before gently wiping up the excess solution with the cotton. Even though his movements are awkward and way too slow, Hatsuki rests on his thighs patiently, eyes closed as Atsumu tries his best.

True to Atsumu’s words, they finish all the chores an hour earlier. This wasn’t too bad, Kiyoomi thinks. In fact, he wouldn’t mind it if Atsumu offered to help again tomorrow.

“So Omi, what’dya say ‘bout grabbing dinn–” 

Atsumu is cut off rudely by the deafening sound of the siren from ‘The Purge’ blasting from the speakers of his phone. He swears as he fishes his phone from his pocket and swipes to answer the call.

“What’dya want ‘Samu, I’m busy!... Wait, what’s that sound?”

Kiyoomi stands in shock as Atsumu yells into the phone.

“Huh? Ya set off the smoke detector?”

Was there a fire at Atsumu’s house? Kiyoomi looks at him with concern, but Atsumu rolls his eyes and waves it off.

“I thought ya said ya were making onigiri tonight?... ya decided to fry some karaage too…how does that even set off the alarm?”

Kiyoomi set off the smoke detector in his apartment while trying to fry an egg once, so whoever Atsumu is calling, Kiyoomi understands the struggle.

“Gimme fifteen minutes, I’ll be back to help turn it off ‘fore ma gets home and whoops our asses.” Atsumu hangs up the phone and shoves it back into his pocket with a sigh. 

“I’m sorry Omi, I gotta go. My idiot brother did something again.”

With that, he dashes into the play area to bid farewell to all the cats. All of them lean into his touch as he gives them gentle headpats or scratches underneath their chins. He can’t reach Nori who’s still perched on the top of the tree, so he blows an obnoxiously loud flying kiss instead.

He comes back out and reaches an arm towards Kiyoomi. When he realises what he’s doing, he violently retracts his hand and tries to play it off.

“No head pats for me?” Kiyoomi jokes.

Atsumu flushes scarlet and looks away. “Ya seem like you’ll claw my eyes out if I touch ya.”

Kiyoomi can’t help it, he bursts out laughing at the response. “You know what Miya? You’re probably right.”

Atsumu regards him wide-eyed, lips lifting at the corners as he sees Kiyoomi laugh. For a moment everything is silent, they’re standing face to face, matching crinkles by their eyes. This peace is shattered when Atsumu’s phone starts blasting out the purge siren again. He groans out in exasperation as he looks down at the screen.

“I already told him I was comin’ home, why’s he calling again? I really gotta run now, see ya tomorrow Omi!”

Atsumu grabs his bag, slips on his sneakers and hurries to the door. Right before he leaves, he hesitates and turns around. Lifting a palm to his lips, he blows a quick kiss to Kiyoomi before visibly cringing. He stumbles at the doorway step, barely catches himself as he laughs it off and finally dashes away.

Kiyoomi stands rooted, utterly bewildered by the entire scene at the doorway. God, Atsumu is the most ridiculous person he’s ever met. 

He looks towards the top of the cat tree where Nori is perched.

“Can you believe him Nori?” Kiyoomi laughs. “What even was that at the door?”

Nori blinks at Kiyoomi for a beat before curling up and closing her eyes. Even the usually noisy Nori doesn’t know what to say anymore, no more barks to give. Kiyoomi shakes his head in defeat, wondering what other surprises Atsumu could possibly give him tomorrow.

(^=🝦 ﻌ 🝦=^)

BAKES

— Muffins —

Blueberry

Chocolate

Matcha

— Cakes —

Carrot

Earl Grey Lavender

Yuzu

/ᐠﹷ ‸ ﹷ ᐟ\ﾉ

“Come here Miso!”

“Look Miso, it’s a toy mouse!”

“That’s the ugliest mouse I’ve ever seen, Kuroo.”

“Not uglier than you.”

Kiyoomi sits on the sofa, watching in amusement as Kuroo and Yaku compete to win the favour of the most number of cats.

Both of them are regulars at the cafe, with Kuroo being a friend from college and Yaku visiting whenever he comes back from Russia. Kiyoomi didn’t know the two were acquainted till they started coming to his cafe together and competing over the dumbest things. 

Right now, that thing happens to be winning the affection of Miso. 

They’re currently crouched on the ground a metre away from him. Yaku is sticking to the pspsps strategy while Kuroo waves a toy mouse in Miso’s direction. 

“Kenma told me you like belly rubs, I’ll give you all the belly rubs you want if you come to me!”

“Don’t listen to him. The bastard likes dogs more than cats.”

Kuroo gasps, scandalised. “Hey! I said that years ago. I love dogs and cats equally now.”

“Bullshit,” Yaku scoffs, scowling at Kuroo before turning back to Miso. “You’re a Russian Blue right? а ну иди сюда котёнок сладкий.”

“That’s so unfair! You can’t use your Russian advantage here.”

Kiyoomi’s pretty sure his cat does not understand Russian. Either way, Miso remains where he is, completely unbothered as his head swerves between the two men. The sound of the glass door sliding open catches Kiyoomi’s attention. He looks to the left just in time to see Atsumu walking in with two plates in hand.

“One yuzu cake for Yaku and a chocolate muffin for Kuroo!” 

Miso gets up immediately, sprinting towards Atsumu to circle around him. He nuzzles against Atsumu’s ankles, purring happily at the sight of him.

“Awww, I love ya too Miso.”

Kuroo drags a palm down his face and Yaku shakes his head, both sporting wry smiles on their faces.

“Yakkun, let’s call this one a tie?”

“It’s more of a mutual loss, but sure.”

Kiyoomi gets up and takes the plates from Atsumu’s hands, serving it on his behalf so he’s free to play with Miso. Atsumu yells out a quick thanks when Kiyoomi hands the food over to Kuroo and Yaku before sitting down on the floor beside Miso. He rubs Miso’s tummy, grinning as he hums along to the tune of a song Kiyoomi does not recognise.

He’s been happier than usual these days since his pastries are selling well. All the positive feedback on his muffins and cakes inflated his ego so much he’s practically floating around the cafe.

“Damn Sakusa, your eyes are screaming in love right now.”

Kiyoomi tears his gaze away from Atsumu and whips his head around to gawk at Kuroo. Kuroo sports a sly grin on his face while Yaku regards Kiyoomi curiously.

“What?”

“We’ve known each other long enough, you can tell me the truth. How long have you two been together?” Kuroo asks.

Kiyoomi quickly looks back to see if Atsumu heard Kuroo’s question. Thankfully, he’s too preoccupied taking pictures of Haru and Hatsuki cuddled together in a cat bed, Hatsuki gently grooming a sleeping Haru.

“You’re mistaken Kuroo, we’re not dating.” 

“You sure about that?” There’s this lilt in Kuroo’s voice that gets on Kiyoomi’s nerves. It’s the same tone he used back in university whenever Kiyoomi needed his help with chemistry.

“You do look pretty fond of him, Sakusa,” Yaku unhelpfully adds.

Kiyoomi’s heart dips and he can feel his cheeks heating up. God, he never thought he’d be teased like that at twenty two but here he is. If he could bury his head in the ground right now, he would. 

“Atsumu and I aren’t– I’m not fond of him, the two of us would never– No, just no,” Kiyoomi denies.

“ Mmmm alright, whatever you say man,” Kuroo replies sceptically. 

The conversation is quickly forgotten as Kuroo and Yaku move on, trying to win the favour of the other cats in the cafe. Save for Miso and the sleeping Haru and Hatsuki, they have 7 other cats to compete over.

Although they don’t bring the topic up again, Kiyoomi can’t stop thinking about it. How does he look at Atsumu? He’s pretty sure he doesn’t look ‘fond’ like Yaku said he did. He certainly does not look like he’s ‘in love’, no matter what Kuroo claims. 

For the rest of the day, Kiyoomi schools his expression into something neutral, not wanting to give anyone the wrong idea anymore. 

It’s 6 pm by the time Kuroo and Yaku leave, the cafe’s closing time. Kiyoomi sends them off at the door and flips the sign from “open” to “closed”. 

When he goes back in, he finds Atsumu leaning against the counter, typing away on his laptop. He’s started bringing it to the cafe to use whenever customer traffic is low.

“What are you doing?” Kiyoomi asks.

“Nothing much, just some research for uni. Gotta think of the future ya know?”

Atsumu clicks a few more keys before he yawns and closes his laptop. “Wanna clean up now Omi?”

“Alright.”

It’s their usual routine as always. Kiyoomi sits in the play area and wipes his cats’ paws, making sure there’s nothing stuck between their toes. The last thing he needs is a trip to the vet because of an infection 

It’s their usual routine as always. Atsumu sweeps and mops every corner till there’s no more fur on the floor. He’s still a little awkward when he cleans and it’s obvious he doesn’t do this much at home. But Kiyoomi can see him trying his best so he decides not to point it out.

It’s their usual routine as always. But today, Kiyoomi can’t help but notice the way Atsumu glides around the cafe. He looks like a little kid on skates with how excitedly he slides around. One day he's definitely going to slip and Kiyoomi’s going to say I told you so.  

Kiyoomi listens to the tune Atsumu hums under his breath and realises that it’s become his equivalent of hotel lobby music — Atsumu’s always adding a little music to Kiyoomi’s day, and although he doesn’t pay attention all the time, the cafe would be too quiet without it. 

Kiyoomi stares and stares and hates how he finds Atsumu attractive. Despite being bleached to hell and back, his hair still looks soft. His cheeks are a little chubby but his jawline is sharp. Kiyoomi would be lying if he said he never wondered what it would be like to run his finger through Atsumu’s hair or trace the line from his ear to his chin. When Atsumu helps Kiyoomi move things around the store, sharp lines carve out lean biceps, arms flexing underneath his sleeves. Don’t even get Kiyoomi started on his thighs. 

Admiring physical attributes is something Kiyoomi doesn’t shy away from. He has two eyes that allow him to appreciate attractive men and he’d be damned if he doesn’t put them to good use. Beyond appearances however, it’s dangerous waters. 

Against initial expectations, Atsumu is amazing with Kiyoomi's cats, treating them like his own. He runs his mouth far too often, but Kiyoomi never seems to find the chatter truly unpleasant. There’s this boyish charm about Atsumu that reminds Kiyoomi of freedom, mischief and unadulterated joy. He looks happy making drinks or talking to customers and Kiyoomi wonders if he could ever make Atsumu smile like that — bright and open.

He shakes that thought from his mind when Atsumu steps into the play area and calls him to get his attention.

"I'm all done Omi! The floor's so clean I can see my reflection in it and I’m telling ya, it looks pretty good.”

“Admiring your good looks even while you’re cleaning, how self-obsessed are you Miya?” 

Kiyoomi only realises his mistake once the words have left his mouth. He bites his tongue and hopes that Atsumu missed his slip up. Unfortunately, the growing smirk on Atsumu’s face tells him otherwise. 

“So ya think I’m hot?” Atsumu asks, wriggling his eyebrow smugly.

“No I don’t.”

“Are ya sure ‘bout that Omi? ‘Cause I think I just heard ya call me smokin’ hot,” Atsumu teases.

Kiyoomi scoffs at the exaggeration, hoping the panic simmering underneath his skin isn’t as evident as he thinks it is. “Narcissistic much?” 

“Nope, just being honest.”

 “Leave,” Kiyoomi says, swatting Atsumu with the cloth he has in hand.

“Hey! Damn Omi, chasing me away without a ‘thank you’?” Atsumu teases.

“Thank you and goodbye, Miya.”

Atsumu lets out a small laugh and nods his head “Alright alright. I’ll see ya tomorrow then!”

Before he can even take a step out, Hatsuki leaps from Kiyoomi’s lap and dashes towards Atsumu. He nips onto the cuff of Atsumu’s jeans, pulling him back. Haru spots what Hatsuki is doing and quickly joins in, grabbing onto the other leg of Atsumu’s pants. 

“What are the two of you doing?” Kiyoomi is interrupted by Soba and Udon jumping into the fray, pawing at Atsumu’s calves too. His other cats start gathering around Atsumu, meowing loudly at him. Atsumu laughs at the scene, looking down at his legs in amusement. 

"It looks like they want me to stay Omi," he jokes.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into them. They're usually not this clingy.” Kiyoomi reaches forward and carefully pries the cats away from Atsumu, praying that they didn’t scratch his pants.

"It’s fine, this just shows how much they love me." Atsumu walks back into the play area and bends down to pet the cats, appeasing them with scratches under their chin or head rubs. 

“We should grab dinner together Omi, order some takeaway,” Atsumu suggests. Before Kiyoomi can answer, he rattles on again. “Unless ya already have plans for dinner? A date maybe?” 

Kiyoomi shoots him an exasperated look before shaking his head. “No Atsumu, I don’t have plans.” 

“That’s great! Not great that ya don’t have a date, but great that we can have dinner together.” Kiyoomi flips him off and Atsumu laughs so loudly it startles the cats.

They end up getting a large platter of sushi to share, a spread enough to feed four. Kiyoomi worries that they won’t be able to finish their food, but with the way Atsumu is inhaling the nigiri, they’ll be fine. The cats look out the glass in envy, eyeing the colourful sushi with piercing stares. Too bad they can’t eat sashimi.

Kiyoomi’s never had someone in the cafe this late before, so it feels a little strange. Atsumu looks different under the glow of artificial yellow lighting, muted and softer around the edges. The product in his hair is starting to lose its hold, causing his fringe to droop down, covering his eyes slightly. Is this what his hair looks like unstyled?

“What’re ya looking at?” Atsumu asks between bites.

Kiyoomi points to a grain of rice by Atsumu’s lip. “Are you saving that for your midnight snack?”

“Haha, very funny.” Atsumu rolls his eyes and wipes it away with his thumb before popping it into his mouth. He finishes a few more pieces of maguro nigiri before he places his chopsticks down and rests his chin on his palm.

“So, why a cat cafe Omi?”

Kiyoomi stills. “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious. Why a cat cafe specifically? How did ya decide on the name? Why run it by yourself? Why rescue cats? I know lots of other cafes only get pedigreed cats.”

“That’s an awful lot of questions.”

“Come on, throw me a bone.”

Kiyoomi finishes the last two pieces of sushi extra slowly, just to watch Atsumu squirm. He makes a show of wiping his mouth with a napkin for nearly half a minute before he answers.

“Well, I love cats, so a cat cafe was the obvious choice.”

“I could picture ya running a hedgehog cafe though. Prickly pets for a prickly owner,” Atsumu comments with a smirk.

“Too bad I don’t like hedgehogs,” Kiyoomi replies, drawing a playful shrug from Atsumu. 

“As for the cafe’s name, Motoya picked it. He called me at 5 am one morning because the name ‘Fickle Feline’ came to him in a dream.”

“I bet ya pretended to not like the name when poor Komori called, didn't you?”

Kiyoomi exercises his right to remain silent because Atsumu was right. Kiyoomi had hung up on Motoya after he suggested the name, much to the latter’s chagrin, before immediately noting ‘Fickle Feline’ down as the name of his cafe. Motoya didn’t even know Kiyoomi had chosen it as the cafe’s name till opening day. He cried big fat tears that day.

“Moving on, I chose to adopt because I believe all cats deserve love. Especially cats that are homeless and abandoned. Haru and Hatsuki showed me that rescue cats have the capacity to be loving companions as well, so that’s the direction I headed for the rest of my cats.”

“Awww, who knew big and scary Omi could be so sweet?” 

Kiyoomi frowns at the comment and Atsumu grins before hopping up from his seat. He grabs a can of beer and another can of ume sour from the back of the fridge and brings them back to the table. He wipes the top of the cans with a napkin before passing the ume sour to Kiyoomi.

“Ya should be proud of what ya built,” he says, taking a long look around the cafe. “This is a real nice place.”

“I am proud,” Kiyoomi hums, lifting the tab to crack open his can of ume sour. 

Starting this business by himself certainly wasn’t the easiest. He’s had his fair share of financial struggles and breakdowns over endless paperwork. But if all of that has led him up to the success he has today, then everything was worth it.

“I’m glad ya hired me. I’m the best barista you’ve ever had aren't I?” 

Leave it to Atsumu to ruin a nice moment.

“That’s debatable.”

Atsumu clutches onto his chest and gasps theatrically. “After everything we’ve been through?”

“I’m saying this precisely because of everything we’ve been through.”

Atsumu looks so offended that Kiyoomi has to purse his lips to stifle his laughter. They have a mini stare-off before Atsumu breaks. Kiyoomi follows immediately after, quiet laughs alongside Atsumu’s breathy chuckles. It’s nice, Kiyoomi thinks. Having someone to eat dinner with at half past eight on a weekday.

“Keep lying to yourself Omi,” Atsumu mutters once he’s calmed down a little. He cracks open his can of beer and holds it out to Kiyoomi

“Cheers?”

Kiyoomi lets the corners of his lips curl up as he lifts his can to clink it against Atsumu’s.

“Cheers.”

（ฅ＾・ﻌ・＾）ฅ

Kuroo Tetsurou

★★★★★

Who knew that the ten best cats in the world would be found right here in my buddy’s cat cafe! Okay but for real though, seeing these little buddies never fails to cheer me up. The cats are active and friendly and I wish I could’ve given them all a big hug.

The drinks and food were super delicious too! The barista is a real nice guy, I’m sure the cafe owner would agree ;)

Yaku Morisuke

★★★★★

My favourite place to visit whenever I come back to Japan. Good food and great cats, the only downside was the person I visited the cafe with. @Kuroo Tetsurou, the cats wouldn’t have wanted to hug you in the first place.

Kuroo Tetsurou

Shut up Yaku.

Fickle Feline ✔

Stop fighting in my reviews.

 

₍⸍⸌̣--⸍̣⸌₎

Summer graces the cafe with soothing warmth and a hint of humidity. The sunlight streaming through the big window in the play area paints the space in golden hues. The cats are scattered across the floor and couch, laying around in places where the sun rays hit. Their fur glows under the light, making them seem almost magical.

When Kiyoomi was deciding on a space for Fickle Feline, he specifically chose this shop because of how much sunlight it got. His cats adored the sun and so did he. Normally, he’d be enjoying the summer sun beside his cats. 

Instead, he’s googling ‘How many cups of coffee per day is too much?’ on his phone at two pm on a Friday afternoon. 

Atsumu walked into the cafe today with a declaration that he was going to make 3D latte art in the form of cats that sat nicely on top of his coffee. He’d apparently seen some pictures online of adorable foam cats and, in his words, knew I had to learn how to make it Omi! Kiyoomi shrugged and agreed to it because Atsumu had looked so eager. Thanks to the lack of customers, Atsumu had all the time in the world to experiment.

Several hours and eight cups of coffee split between them later, it’s clear that this whole thing was a mistake. The world is moving excruciatingly slow and Kiyoomi’s pretty fucking sure he can hear his cats talking to him. 

Soba and Udon are cuddled together in their cat bed, one shaped like an instant ramen bowl. Yachi had gotten it for them as a joke — since they’re named after noodles — but they loved it, practically snuggling there together any chance they got. Their heads are currently peeking out over the edge of the bed as they trill at Kiyoomi, probably warning him that too much caffeine can lead to hallucinations. Kiyoomi shakes his head back, in a manner that screams I know, the effects are already kicking in.

His telepathic conversation is broken abruptly when Atsumu slams a fifth cup of coffee on the table. This time, he attempted to make a foam cat that’s laying curled up on a cup of mocha. Unfortunately, it just looks like a big blob with a fat tail. Kiyoomi groans in dismay at the thought of drinking any more coffee and pushes the cup away from himself.

“No more, Miya. I think I’ll die if I drink this.”

“I’m not doin’ any better,” Atsumu complains. “This is the last cup for today, I promise. Can we just split it Omi?”

Atsumu looks at Kiyoomi pleadingly, big eyes and a  small pout on his face. He looks so stupid, but Kiyoomi is a weak man so he relents. He downs half of the mocha like a shot — something he definitely should not have done — before passing the remaining beverage to Atsumu. He frowns as he slowly finishes the drink, nose scrunching up with every gulp. 

After the final sip, Atsumu moves to slam the ceramic cup down onto the table like a drunkard at the bar. Even caffeinated to hell and back, Kiyoomi can still smell Atsumu’s shenanigans as it’s about to happen. He shoots an arm out, grabbing onto Atsumu’s wrist before another mug is shattered. 

Kiyoomi opens his mouth to yell at Atsumu for almost breaking his fourth mug but stops when he sees Atsumu’s face. 

His eyes are fixed on Kiyoomi’s hand connected to his wrist, slender fingers pressed against his pulse. His ears are tinted pink, mouth slightly agape with the stray foam staining his bottom lip. Somehow, Kiyoomi's traitorous heart finds it endearing, not messy. Why was Atsumu such a messy eater?

The stain reminds Kiyoomi of Tako, his tortoiseshell ragamuffin cat who sports a white patch around her mouth. The scolding that sat at the tip of Kiyoomi’s tongue crawls back into his chest, leaving him lost for words.

Why is he still holding onto Atsumu’s wrist? What was he going to say to Atsumu again?

“You have something on your face.” Is what he settles on. 

“Really? Where?” Atsumu asks. 

Kiyoomi points lamely at Atsumu’s lip with his free hand, the other still gripping onto his wrist. Atsumu hums in understanding and darts his tongue out, running it across his lip. Kiyoomi watches as he licks the foam away and his mind blanks. 

Before he has time to process everything that happened, the door to the cafe swings open and the tinkling of the wind chimes cuts through the daze. Kiyoomi immediately lets go of Atsumu’s wrist, dropping it like the touch scorches. The sudden movement frightens Atsumu into dropping the cup, but he lurches forward to save it before it hits the ground. 

Right as Atsumu’s fingers loop around the handle of the mug, a loud voice bellows through the cafe.

“Hey hey hey! Sakusa, how’re you doing?” Bokuto sure knows how to make an entrance. 

Kiyoomi whips his head towards the doorway, arms still retracted oddly against his chest. He probably looks like a thief caught red-handed with the panicked expression on his face. At the doorway stands Bokuto, arms outstretched as he waves a boisterous hello. Akaashi makes a much quieter entrance, nodding his head in greeting. Behind his glasses, his gaze darts curiously between Atsumu and Kiyoomi. 

"Hello Bokuto, Akaashi. Long time no see," Kiyoomi replies. "How was your vacation to —"

"Oh? Where's Yacchan?" Bokuto asks, staring at Atsumu questioningly. Kiyoomi would be more pissed about being cut off mid question if it was anyone else, but it was just Bokuto. Kiyoomi was used to it at this point.

"Bokuto-san, Yachi started working as a graphic designer, remember?"

"Oh yeah! " Bokuto nods at Akaashi's reminder. "We haven’t been here in a while huh, who's the new guy then?"

Atsumu places the mug — unbroken, thankfully — onto the table before walking up to the pair. He waves at Akaashi before sticking his hand out towards Bokuto. 

"Nice to meet ya, the name's Atsumu. I'm Omi’s new barista!"

"Woahh, you have an accent! Where are you from?" Bokuto asks

"Hyogo born and raised," Atsumu replies proudly.

"That's so cool, I have a baby cousin in Hyogo actually…"

Kiyoomi rolls his eyes at the sight of Bokuto and Atsumu making small talk. Of course those two would get along. Kiyoomi can see tiny ears and big eyes peeking through the glass as his cats attempt to catch a glimpse of the commotion. As the two of them continue talking, Akaashi and Kiyoomi make their way to the counter to sort out payment.

On the way there, Kiyoomi nearly trips over his own feet, stubs his toe against a chair and knocks his hip into the corner of the counter. By the time he actually reaches the cash register, he’s swearing under his breath, feeling absolutely horrible. That’s it, he’s never having coffee again. As he rummages around trying to find the timesheet, he hears Akaashi clear his throat.

“Sakusa-san, are you alright? You look a little, hmm…” Akaashi purses his lips, frowning as he tries to find the right words.

“I’m a little dizzy after drinking four cups of coffee. But other than that, I’m fine.”

“Four?” Akaashi asks, appalled.

“Four and a half, to be precise,” Kiyoomi sighs. “Miya’s been failing spectacularly at doing 3D latte art, so we’ve both been ingesting unholy amounts of caffeine.”

Akaashi frowns as he stares in confusion. “3D latte art with milk froth?”

Kiyoomi thinks about it for a while before realising he probably wouldn't know the answer. He should definitely ask the resident barista about this.

“Miya!” Kiyoomi calls out. 

Atsumu perks up at the sound of his name, halting his conversation with Bokuto momentarily to turn to Kiyoomi. “Yeah Omi?”

“Do you use milk froth for the latte art?”

“Yup! Microfoam for the base and macrofoam for the design on top. Why?”

“Nothing.” Kiyoomi waves a hand signalling for Atsumu to return to his conversation before turning back to Akaashi.

“So, every time he failed, either one of you just drank the entire cup of coffee?” Akaashi asks, speaking slowly so Kiyoomi can process the question.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t Atsumu just scoop the macrofoam top layer off the drink and redo the design?” 

Kiyoomi’s brain halts for a second. Akaashi is right, why didn’t Atsumu do that? 

“Ya know what, I never thought ‘bout that!” Atsumu has the nerve to look amazed at Akaashi’s suggestion. 

Maybe Kiyoomi’s being a little over dramatic — sue him — but he starts charging towards Atsumu, who’s slowly backing away.

“Nine cups. You’ve made nine cups of coffee and you didn’t think about it? ” 

Atsumu steps past Bokuto and starts running. In a state of caffeinated delirium, Kiyoomi takes off as well, chasing Atsumu around the room. Atsumu’s yelling out apology after apology, all of them rebuffed by Kiyoomi yelling back about him being an idiot. 

“Run faster, Atsumu!” Bokuto cheers. Akaashi watches from the side, looking amused by the chaos he caused. 

Just as Kiyoomi almost catches up, Atsumu plays dirty and opens the glass door, dashing into the play area. The cats startle initially at the sight of their owner and barista running around, but they recover quickly. Just like Bokuto, a few cats start meowing and cheering too, little heads turning as their eyes trail the chase.

Atsumu eventually crouches behind the cat bed where Dango is seated and carefully picks him up so he’s standing on his back legs. 

“Protect me, Dango!” Atsumu cries out as he turns Dango to face Kiyoomi. Dango, completely nonchalant, blinks several times before yawning in questionable agreement

“That’s cheating!” Kiyoomi complains.

Ignoring him completely, Atsumu turns towards Dango. “You’re going to protect me from angry Omi right?”

“You’re unbelievable Miya. I wouldn’t be angry if you hadn’t been so stupid in the first place.”

“Technically, ya also didn’t realise we could just scoop out the top layer of foam, so we’re both at fault.”

“We’re both at fault? I’m not the barista here!”

“Akaashi isn’t a barista either, how come he could figure it out?”

Their argument is broken when they hear laughter ringing through the cafe. Akaashi has a hand over his mouth, failing to stifle soft giggles. Bokuto clutches onto his belly as he laughs, loud and happy.

“Oh man, I like you Atsumu,” Bokuto gasps out between laughs. “You’re a fun guy. I’ve never seen anyone get Sakusa that riled up before!”

Akaashi nods his head in agreement. “You do look a lot livelier, Sakusa-san.”

Kiyoomi gapes, incredulous. “LIVELY? I’m suffering. ”

“I’m sorry Omi.” Atsumu gently clasps Dango’s paws together in an apologetic gesture, slowly moving his paws up and down. 

“Please forgive him,” Atsumu says in a high pitched voice, in supposed imitation of Dango’s voice — if cats could speak at all.

Kiyoomi can’t believe it. Atsumu is so goddamn unbelievable. He feels all his anger seep away as he tries his hardest to suppress a smile.

“From now on, you’re doing all the testing yourself Miya.”

“Got it boss!” Atsumu gently places Dango back down onto his cat bed as he nods his head aggressively. 

Kiyoomi turns around and makes his way back to the counter to continue registering Akaashi and Bokuto in. When he walks out of the play area, he sees matching smiles on their faces and knowing grins on their faces and sighs. First Kuroo and Yaku, now them too?

He needs a nap, preferably for the next 4 hours till the cafe closes. Caffeine be damned.

(^ _ _ ^) zzZ..

Six pm eventually rolls around and they’re finally done for the day. They clean the cafe together as always, taking a little longer today because they’re both still a little loopy from the coffee. Atsumu finishes first, so he trods into the play area to talk to the cats as Kiyoomi balances the cash register. 

Kiyoomi isn’t the best at maths, but the calculator was god’s gift to counter that weakness, so he finishes the task fairly quickly. When he’s one hundred percent sure that there’s no shortage of bills and coins, he gives his hands a quick wash before going to ask Atsumu what he wants for dinner. 

When he reaches the play area, the sight of Atsumu splayed out on the floor is the first thing that greets him. He has both arms tucked behind his head, eyes droopy as he looks at Kiyoomi. Hatsuki is prodding worriedly at Atsumu while Haru meows in distress.

“Miya, are you alright?”

“I’m dead Omi, I feel like absolute shit. I’m never drinkin’ that much coffee again.”

When Atsumu goes to university, he’ll definitely reconsider that statement. Red Bull and Lipovitan are going to become his best friends. Kiyoomi crouches down behind Atsumu so they’re closer together, noting how funny Atsumu looks upside down.

“Would a big bowl of gyūdon make you feel better?”

“Hell yeah it would!” Atsumu tilts his chin up, smiling gratefully at Kiyoomi.

“Alright, I’ll get one for you from that shop across the street.”

Atsumu moves to sit up from his spot on the floor but Kiyoomi shakes his head. Frown lines appear between Atsumu’s eyebrows as he looks up in confusion.

“It’s fine Miya, I can go get dinner by myself.”

“I’d feel bad though,” Atsumu mutters. “Gimme a minute, I’ll get up soon to go with ya.”

“Stay here. I don’t want to leave my cats alone. You can keep them company.”

Atsumu’s troubled expression morphs into a grateful one as he nods his head and closes his eyes again. “Will do Omi. Come back soon!”

Kiyoomi heads to the counter to grab his wallet and notices that Atsumu’s laptop is still open, screen brightly lit. Atsumu never remembers to turn his laptop off, no wonder he always complains about it running out of battery. 

Kiyoomi chuckles as he leans over to shut the lid of Atsumu’s laptop when something catches his eye.  

The document left open on his screen reads ‘Culinary Schools’ at the top in big, bolded, comic sans letters. Directly below lies a massive table with chunks of texts detailing the various costs and courses of different schools. ‘Nakamura Culinary School’ in particular is highlighted in bright red. The endless open tabs at the top of the screen only proves how much research Atsumu has put into this.

Kiyoomi slams the laptop shut when he realises he’s prying. He pockets his wallet and makes a beeline for the door. A few steps out, he gives in to curiosity and whips out his phone to search up the culinary school Atsumu had highlighted. 

Located in Fukuoka the page reads. 

Fukuoka, where the winters are colder and summers are hotter. Fukuoka, nestled at the tail end of the country. Fukuoka, hundreds of kilometres or a two hour shinkansen ride from Osaka.

It makes sense that Atsumu would aim for a culinary school, Kiyoomi figures. He likes baking, and although Kiyoomi would never tell him to his face, he’s pretty talented at it too. Him going to culinary school seems like an obvious choice in hindsight.

Kiyoomi thinks about it on the walk to the restaurant and on his walk back, running on autopilot as he purchases their dinner.

The cafe serves as a comforting reprieve for its visitors, a space to relax in the comfort of feline friends. No matter how pleasant the experience, their stay is temporary and  fleeting. So really, Kiyoomi shouldn’t be so surprised that it was no different for Atsumu. This gap year spent at Fickle Feline probably exists like a bubble in his life before he gets “back on track”. He isn’t going to stay forever.  

When he arrives back at the cafe, he places their food on the table and goes to wash his hands. Since Atsumu hasn’t called out to him or come out yet, he mustn't have heard the sound of the windchimes when Kiyoomi came back. 

Glancing through the glass partition, Kiyoomi sees Atsumu sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the couch. His phone rests on the couch seat, blasting some English pop song Kiyoomi doesn’t know. Atsumu sings along as he lifts Matcha up so her front paws are up in the air and she’s “standing” on her hind legs. Matcha looks up contently at Atsumu as he holds onto her paws and moves them around in a little dance. After a minute of this, he puts Matcha down and moves her gently aside. Dango, who’s been waiting patiently, trills when Atsumu picks him up and he realises it’s his turn to dance.  

Kiyoomi doesn’t know how long he stands there, silently watching Atsumu play with his cats. But when he glances up and sees his reflection in the glass, the realisation is achingly clear. 

Fuck, he thinks. I do look fond of him.

/ᐠ_ ꞈ _ᐟ\

Bokuto Koutarou

★★★★★

BEST CAT CAFE EVER!! I had so much fun playing with the little kitties!! Maybe I should get a cat for myself…

Akaashi Keiji

★★★★★

Walking up the stairs to the quiet space overlooking the lively Nagazakichō, it’s almost as if entering another world. You’ll be greeted by the knowledgeable owner who’ll gladly introduce you to the gentle cats. If you want to order a drink during your visit, the welcoming barista will gladly give you a few recommendations.

The dynamic duo operating the cafe make a very good pair :) Together, they’ll ensure that your visit is an enjoyable one.

     /\__/\

    =( o  o   )=

The weeks fly by and soon enough, the summer reaches its tail end. Even summer, in all her glory, runs out of energy eventually. After a season of warm blaze comes the fall. The temperature starts to drop, ever so slightly. Kiyoomi can tell because Atsumu is starting to sniffle and sneeze again. 

He lets out a particularly loud sneeze exactly as the door to the cafe opens, windchimes gracing the visit of sunshine incarnate.

“Hi Atsumu! Hi Sakusa!” Hinata bounces happily into the cafe, one arm linked with Kageyama’s and the other raised in an excited wave to Atsumu and Kiyoomi. Kageyama mutters a soft hello, nodding his head in greeting.

“Hey Shoyo! Hi Tobio!” Atsumu returns Hinata’s greeting with equal enthusiasm while Kiyoomi gives a small wave in return. Hinata and Kageyama have visited the cafe together several times since Atsumu started working as a barista, so they’re fairly well acquainted. 

Atsumu had hit it off immediately with Hinata, talking as if they’ve known each other for years despite being strangers. He wasn’t quite as close to Kageyama, but then again, Kageyama wasn’t as outgoing as Hinata. The poor boy always looked so tense whenever he visited, despite Hinata’s constant reassurances that the cats wouldn’t attack him or claw his eyes out.

“Are you doing alright Atsumu? Your nose is a little red,” Hinata comments.

“Don’t worry Shoyo, I’m fine. It’s just a tad cold, that’s all!”

“Warm tea would help,” Kageyama pipes in.

“Yup! I’m gonna brew a pot of Houjicha for myself and Omi later.”

Kageyama nods in agreement, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. Before the awkward silence drags on, Hinata grabs onto Kageyama’s elbow and drags him closer to the counter so they can look at the menu.  

“I’ll have one honey cinnamon latte!” 

“One glass of plain milk please.”

They both say their orders at the exact same time, prompting Hinata to look up and glare at a smirking Kageyama. Atsumu laughs at their synergy and scribbles down their orders. 

“Would y’all like any muffins or cakes to go with that?”

The duo glance at the countertop display for a few seconds before looking at each other. They have a small non-verbal conversation before turning back to Atsumu to order one blueberry muffin to share. Atsumu scribbles that down too and Kiyoomi takes over, leading Hinata and Kageyama into the play area.

Hinata immediately heads over to the instant noodle cat beds to say his hellos to Soba and Udon. Making himself comfortable on the floor beside them, he launches into a recount about the time his breakfast almost got stolen by a stray cat. 

Kageyama, on the other hand, stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, lips pursed as he looks around warily at the cats. Kiyoomi has tried to help Kageyama befriend his cats in the past, but the poor boy was always so worried about the cats hating him.

Atsumu waltzes in a few minutes later with their drinks in hand, handing the glass of warm milk to Kageyama before presenting Hinata’s honey cinnamon latte to him with a dramatic bow. 

“Wow Atsumu! You’ve gotten so much better at the 3D latte art, it actually looks like a cat now!”

Hinata lifts his mug to show it to Kageyama, the latter looking fairly impressed at the foam cat sitting atop the drink. 

“Of course it looks like a cat Shoyo! I didn’t practise for weeks for nothing,” Atsumu huffs out, pride lacing his words.

“There’s definitely still room for improvement,” Kiyoomi chimes in, just to knock Atsumu down a peg. 

“You’re so mean to me Omi.” Atsumu sticks out his tongue before putting on a show of stomping out the play area to get the blueberry muffin. 

When he comes back, he places the plate down on a table and his eyes zero in on Kageyama. Kageyama is currently crouched a metre away from the couch where Haru is resting, staring longingly at said orange tabby.

“Tobio, I’ve truly never seen anyone as awkward ‘round cats as you are.”

Kageyama frowns at the taunt. “I’m just afraid they’ll scratch me since cats don’t like me very much.”

“I feel kinda bad for ya, so I’ll help ya out just this once, Tobio.”

Atsumu walks over to Kiyoomi and sticks his hand into the pocket of Kiyoomi’s apron, ignoring the way Kiyoomi startles at the sudden gesture. They’re nearly chest to chest as Atsumu rummages through the pocket and Kiyoomi reminds himself to breathe.  

This situation is totally normal. He’s not going to have an undoubtedly embarrassing mental shut down in front of his customers or Atsumu. Atsumu pulls his hand out a few seconds later, wooden brush in his grip. He walks back to Kageyama and Hinata — who’s now seated beside the raven.

“Haru likes to be brushed on the cheek,” Atsumu says as he brings the brush to Haru’s face. 

Kiyoomi’s heart climbs to his throat as he watches Atsumu hand the brush over to a hesitant Kageyama. “Give it a try.”

Kageyama slowly lifts the brush in his shaky hands, bringing it towards Haru’s cheek. A wobbly grin stretches across his face when Haru leans in. Hinata cheers excitedly from beside him, filming the entire exchange with his phone. All throughout the exchange, Atsumu watches proudly from the side, doing a poor job at concealing how happy he is for Kageyama. 

Atsumu tilts his head up to look at Kiyoomi, eyes forming happy crescents as he smiles. The fleeting thought that Atsumu looks cute pops into Kiyoomi’s mind. He tears that thought to shreds and tosses it aside before he starts to think too hard about it.

“Looks like I’ll be taking over your role soon, Omi. I did a pretty good job explaining things to Tobio, dont’cha think?”

Kiyoomi purses his lips and gives a non-committal nod. His heart sits on the tip of his tongue and he’s afraid that if he opens his mouth, he’s going to admit the truth — the naked truth that when he thinks about Fickle Feline, he thinks of his ten cats, and then he thinks of Atsumu. 

It’s the worst kind of package deal, the kind where in Kiyoomi’s head, one can’t exist without the other. 

ฅ/ᐠ｡ᆽ｡ᐟ \

Hinata Shoyo 

★★★★★

We had such a great time at Fickle Feline! The atmosphere was cozy and staff helped us feel really comfortable around the cats too :D My favourite cat is Tako because she’s so pretty! Or maybe it’s Matcha. Anyway, all of the cats are very friendly!

Also, you should order a coffee to get the coolest 3D latte art ever :>

Kageyama Tobio

★★★★★

I didn’t get scratched and I had a really good time. Thank you Atsumu (Barista) for helping me get closer to the cats.

Miya Atsumu

Aww, you’re welcome Tobio!

Hinata Shoyo

Hey Atsumu!!!

Miya Atsumu 

Hi Shoyo!!!

Fickle Feline ✔

LINE exists. Don’t have a conversation in my reviews.

Hinata Shoyo

:(

Miya Atsumu

:(

Fickle Feline ✔

Leave.

 

=＾ㅎ ⋏ ㅎ＾=

Kiyoomi settles down on the play area floor, sitting with his legs folded and crossed over each other. Atsumu wasn’t able to stay for dinner today, so here Kiyoomi was, alone in the cafe hours after closing. 

Usually his cats would have approached him by now, curling up by his side or calling for his attention. But tonight, none of them spare him any affection. 

Most of them are perched on the cat tree while some of them sprawled out on the many chairs in the room. But every single one of them is staring at Kiyoomi with judgement in their eyes. 

“I see how it is, all of you are only friendly when Miya’s around huh.”

None of the cats deem his comment with a response. 

“Annoying brat. Hiring him was a mistake.”

His cats yowl in protest, calling Kiyoomi out for his blatant lies.

“Alright, fine. I guess I’m glad to have him around. He’s still annoying though.”

Haru jumps off his spot on the cat tree and saunters towards Kiyoomi. He curls up beside Kiyoomi, purring as he nuzzles against Kiyoomi’s thigh. Cats can be so perceptive, it’s as if they know exactly what Kiyoomi’s been bothered by these past few weeks.

In the quiet of his cafe after dark and the company of his ten cats, Kiyoomi lets that knot at the pit of his stomach unravel. He opens his mouth and lets the words he's been so afraid to utter rest on the tip of his tongue.

“Maybe I do like him,” Kiyoomi whispers in admission. It's liberating yet terrifying, throwing your feelings out there only cements it after all.

The cats start meowing immediately after they hear his confession and the peace in the cafe is disrupted. 

Soba and Udon turn to each other with wide eyes as they meow, as if gossiping about Kiyoomi in plain sight. Dango gives a few slow blinks before squinting her eyes as she curls up to sleep. Nori wags her tail in excitement as she lets out little barks.

“It still won't change the fact that he’s leaving," Kiyoomi sighs, "I just- I don't want to pursue something that won't have a good ending, you know?"

His cats quieten down. Their droopy ears and tails make a pretty good reflection of how Kiyoomi is feeling inside.

"I wish he could stay a little longer," Kiyoomi whispers.

Hatsuki hops down from his place on the cat tree and makes a beeline for Kiyoomi. He rests in Kiyoomi's lap, trying his best to comfort his troubled owner.

“What am I going to do with the countertop display when Atsumu is gone?” a bitter laugh spills from Kiyoomi's lips “I can’t bake for shit.”

His cats don't respond to that, the silence more chilling than comforting.

/ᐠ.ꞈ.ᐟ\

“Omi-omi, guess what I brought today?” Atsumu asks the second he steps into the cafe. It’s nine in the morning, an hour before opening time, but Atsumu’s fully awake. Meanwhile, Kiyoomi wishes he was back in his bed and sleeping in.

“Please don't tell me you accidentally brought your brother’s onigiri instead of the pastries again.”

“That was one time, will ya never let me live it down?” Atsumu digs through his bag and pulls out a sizable tupperware container. “I, your amazing barista and even better baker, made cookies for your cats! And trust me, they’re a million times better than ‘Samu’s onigiri.” 

The cats must have overheard him, because they start gathering behind the glass door one by one, little necks craning to have a peek. Even Hatsuki and Haru, both currently in the middle of smacking each other’s faces, stop mid-fight at the prospect of food. 

Atsumu shakes the container in his palm, building anticipation with each rattle of the cookies, before opening it to reveal dozens of tiny cookies. Atsumu had cut the cookies into paw print and goldfish shapes, making sure they were small enough to be bite sized for the cats.

“The paw prints are made of carrot and a teeny bit of catnip. The goldfish are made of tuna.” Atsumu points to the different shapes as he explains. “I dunno if they taste good though.”

At the smell of the treats, the cats start meowing and calling for Atsumu. It sounds about as good as a chorus of ten very off-pitch felines can. They give Atsumu and Kiyoomi big doe eyes, pleading for a taste of the home-made treats. 

God, his cats are adorable. Kiyoomi wastes no time preparing their feeding bowls for Atsumu to evenly distribute the treats amongst his cats.

It’s a balancing act to get the bowls to the play area because Atsumu simply refuses to make a round trip. With feeding bowls perched unstably on their forearms, they move at snail's pace towards the cats. 

Atsumu nudges the glass door open with his foot and yelps when a bowl almost slips off his arm. Kiyoomi would laugh at Atsumu, but he’s too preoccupied with trying not to drop the shaky bowls on his own arms.

By sheer dumb luck, they make it all the way inside without a single treat spilling. The minute they place the bowls on the ground, the cats clamber to their respective bowls to enjoy their food. By the way they’re nibbling aggressively on the cookies, it looks like Atsumu was right about them tasting amazing.

Sat beside each other in comfortable silence, Kiyoomi and Atsumu watch as the cats scarf down their food. The point where their thighs press together burns with warmth in contrast to the increasingly chilly weather. 

Atsumu makes a happy sound when he sees Hatsuki’s tongue dart out to lick his lips as he finishes his food. Sauntering over to Atsumu, the black cat climbs into his lap, purring in delight. One by one, the cats finish their treats and gravitate towards the blond. They all let out soft, content noises as they cuddle up beside him — It’s as big of a thanks as he’s ever going to get from Kiyoomi’s cats.

“Awww, all of y’all are very welcome,” Atsumu coos as he takes turns stroking each and every cat. “I’ll definitely bake more next time. I’ll even text Omi the recipe so he can make some whenever y’all want!”

Kiyoomi doesn’t even dream of replicating the treats Atsumu brought. He doubts he’ll even be able to bake anything remotely edible once Atsumu leaves. But when his phone buzzes with a text from Atsumu containing a link to the recipes, Kiyoomi still bookmarks it just in case.

Unfortunately for Kiyoomi and Atsumu, their shared hour before the cafe opened seemed to be the only moment of calm for the day.

It’s a Saturday, so the larger crowd is expected. But today brings the most number of customers Kiyoomi’s seen in a while.The stream of customers is endless, keeping Kiyoomi and Atsumu on their feet the entire day. Don’t get Kiyoomi wrong, business is good and he’s very thankful for that. But by 2 pm, Kiyoomi thinks his brain has checked out, leaving his body to run on autopilot.

Faceless people come and go, arrival noted with a “Welcome to Fickle Feline” from Kiyoomi and departure marked with a “Hope you enjoyed your time here” from Atsumu. 

When the cafe finally closes at eight — curse the longer working hours on the weekends — Kiyoomi feels like the walking dead. His energy is completely drained, but at least his cash register is full. His vision is a little blurry and he’d give anything to flop onto his bed and just pass out.

In his sleepy haze, he remembers Atsumu going into the play area a few minutes prior. The usually noisy blond hasn’t made a sound since he entered, so Kiyoomi decides to drag his feet there to check on him. 

Kiyoomi slides the glass door open silently and oh.

He’s greeted with the sight of Atsumu laying on the ground, spread out like a starfish and sound asleep. Soft snores escape from his mouth, the blond completely unaffected by the additional weight of Hatsuki curled up on his stomach. Kiyoomi’s nine other cats, all equally as tired, make themselves comfortable as they lay down beside Atsumu. They lean against his body — arms, torso, thighs — as their little eyes slip shut for a cat nap.

Overwhelmed, Kiyoomi pads towards the center of the room to sit beside Atsumu. Hugging his knees to his chest, he stares at the sight before him.

Like this, Atsumu looks like an island; a safe haven for any creature who may be searching. Kiyoomi can’t help but think about how Atsumu has wormed his way into his life, spreading his boundless love to Kiyoomi’s ten precious companions as well.

"What would I do without you?" Kiyoomi breathes.

The question comes out unbidden, in a tone soft and tender. If Atsumu heard even a bit of Kiyoomi's stupid rhetorical question, he'd probably be able to pick out how Kiyoomi felt about him. Well, it's too late to take the question back now.

Kiyoomi's heart catches in his chest and he holds his breath.

Atsumu’s breathing does not falter, chest rising and falling at a metronomic pace. 

Disappointment or relief, Kiyoomi doesn't know how he feels. Maybe it's a bit of both, maybe it's neither.

Since Atsumu is passed out cold, Kiyoomi decides to dip his toes in indulgence a little longer.

"I like you too much to let you go."

/ᐠ𝅒 ‸ 𝅒ᐟ\

Kiyoomi meets Miya No. Two™ on an unassuming weekday afternoon.

Having woken up late, Atsumu had scrambled to the cafe, stupidly leaving his phone at home in the process. Instead of going to get it himself, he borrowed Kiyoomi’s phone to call his twin, asking Osamu to “deliver” his phone to the cafe. 

Twenty minutes of squabbling later, Osamu reluctantly agreed to come over after lunch.

“Miya, wouldn’t it be quicker to just go home to get your phone?” Kiyoomi had asked.

“Ya wouldn’t get it Omi, it’s a twin thing.” Atsumu had replied. Kiyoomi thinks it’s just his excuse for being lazy but he doesn’t call him out for it.

At 1 pm sharp, Osamu barges into the cafe like a storm. He throws the front door open so hard Kiyoomi fears the glass is going to shatter. Walking out from behind the counter, Atsumu waves to his brother happily. 

Eyes following Atsumu’s figure, Kiyoomi looks over from his place behind the cash register and can’t help but blink at the sight of the eerily identical twins.

“Hey ‘Samu!” Atsumu chirps, shooting a big smile at his scowling brother. 

“Here ya go,” Osamu says as he tosses Atsumu’s phone to him, making Atsumu lunge forward to catch it before it hits the floor.

“What was that for ya prick? My phone could’ve died! ”

“Didn’tcha spend a shitload of money on that ‘unbreakable’ phone case of yours? I just wanted to test it out.”

“Test it out my ass.”

One Miya in the cafe was noisy enough. Kiyoomi should’ve anticipated that two would sound like a riot. He’s grateful there aren’t any customers present to witness the spectacle. Well aware of the pointless bickering that will inevitably stretch out for the next few minutes, Kiyoomi tunes it out in favour of observing the twins. 

He’s always known that Atsumu had a twin brother. It’d be impossible not to, given how much Atsumu talks about ‘Samu’ every single day. Still, he can’t believe how closely they resemble each other. If it weren’t for the hair colours, they’d be nothing short of carbon copies. At first glance, at least.

When you look closer, there are a few subtle differences that differentiate the brothers, like Atsumu’s honey eyes and his brother’s bluish-grey ones. Atsumu’s jawline is sharper and his canines are more prominent than Osamu’s. There are differences in their behaviour as well, like how Atsumu stands with his back straighter and gestures more with his hands than his brother.

Kiyoomi’s mental assessment of the twins comes to a halt when he sees the twins put their petty fight on hold. Atsumu rolls his eyes as he grumbles under his breath, presumably having lost the verbal fight against his brother. Osamu turns away from Atsumu to fix Kiyoomi with a curious stare before he nudges Atsumu’s shoulder. 

“Are ya gonna introduce me, ‘Tsumu?”

“I was going to,” Atsumu huffs out, scowling at his brother again before carrying out the belated introductions.

“Omi, this is Samu, my shithead brother. Samu, this is Omi, my boss.”

“So he’s just your boss huh, nothin’ else? I thought ya said he–'' Atsumu jams an elbow harshly into Osamu’s ribs, drawing a loud yelp from him. Osamu doubles over in pain as he swears up a storm. 

Not even sparing a look at him, Atsumu turns towards Kiyoomi with a panicked look on his face. “HAHAHA, ignore him Omi. ‘Samu just likes to run his mouth. I swear, he never knows how to shut up.”

“I don’t know how to shut up? You’ve been yappin’ for months ‘bout your stupid cru–” 

Atsumu moves to elbow Osamu again, but his twin sees it coming and swerves, barely avoiding the jab.

“I hate ya ‘Tsumu.”

“I hate ya more ‘Samu.”

They stick their tongues out at each other and Kiyoomi can’t help but laugh at the sight. They’re definitely twins, he thinks. Both of them equally childish, especially when it comes to each other

“What’s so funny, Omi?” Atsumu asks. Kiyoomi shakes his head and waves it off, unable to conceal the grin on his face. 

Atsumu shrugs and turns back to Osamu. “Anyway ‘Samu, have they sent ya your acceptance letter yet?”

It dawns on Kiyoomi that Osamu is probably facing the exact same hassle plaguing Atsumu and many other nineteen year olds: University applications.

“Ugh, they haven’t,” Osamu groans, “they’re prolly gonna reject me anyway.”

“God dammit ‘Samu. I’ve literally told ya this a million times, Nakamura would be stupid to reject ya!”

Kiyoomi hears a record scratch in his head. The school Atsumu just mentioned sounds horribly familiar. 

“Hold on Miya, are you talking about Nakamura Culinary School? The one in Fukuoka?”

The twins both give him puzzled stares, using their hands to gesture between them as if to ask which Miya are you referring to?

“Sorry, force of habit,” Kiyoomi apologises, “I was talking to Atsumu.”

Atsumu’s eyes widen when he hears his name in Kiyoomi’s voice for the first time. A light flush covers his cheeks as he gawks ungracefully. Beside him, Osamu rolls his eyes as sighs. 

“He asked ya a question ‘Tsumu.”

“Oh, right! I didn’t know ya knew ‘bout Nakamura, Omi. Osamu’s gonna be studying there for the next few years!”

“If I get in.”

“You’ll definitely get in Samu, it’s you. ”

“So, both of you are going to culinary school?” Kiyoomi asks. He looks between the twins, beyond confused by what he’s hearing. 

“No we’re not? Only ‘Samu’s going!” Atsumu replies.

“Yeah,” Osamu confirms, “‘Tsumu’s stayin’ here in Osaka to study Physiotherapy.” 

God. Kiyoomi has been so unbelievably stupid hasn’t he? 

He closes his eyes and feels his axis of reasoning tilt with the weight of this new revelation. Atsumu isn’t going to leave for a place hundreds of kilometres away, his time at Fickle Feline wouldn’t be fleeting after all. He could come to visit the cafe even after starting University, perhaps even work here part time if Kiyoomi was lucky enough. 

No matter what, Atsumu was staying. That realisation alone is enough for Kiyoomi’s axis to regain its balance again. 

“Are ya alright Omi?”

“Yeah Sakusa, ya okay?”

“I’m fine.” Better than fine, Kiyoomi thinks as he opens his eyes.

“Alright, whatever ya say Omi!” Atsumu replies with a shrug.

Osamu squints at Kiyoomi for a second before he turns around to leave the cafe. He barely takes a step however before Atsumu links their arms together and pulls Osamu back. “Since you’re here ‘Samu, ya should come say hi to the cats!”

“I’m busy ‘Tsumu.”

“Come on ‘Samu. I know you’re a dog kinda guy, but the cats are gonna love ya. It'll be fun, I promise! And, it’s free because brother rights,” Atsumu says.

“I don’t recall having a privilege like that.” Kiyoomi points out.

“Pleaseeee?” His frown deepens for every second that Atsumu drags the word out.

“I’ll pay for dinner.” Atsumu adds.

“Fine,” Kiyoomi concedes.

“Dinner? Is that why ya always come home late nowadays?” Osamu questions. Both his eyebrows slowly rise as he blinks accusingly at his twin. Kiyoomi barely catches the smirk sneaking its way onto Osamu’s face before Atsumu grabs his brother by the shoulders and steers him into the play area. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Atsumu hisses through gritted teeth. He turns back to Kiyoomi and flashes a sunny grin. “Tell me what ya want for dinner later Omi!”

Kiyoomi waits till Atsumu and Osamu are out of sight before squatting down on the floor and burying his face into his palms. 

The last time he felt this dumb was one year ago when he thought Dango had died. The cat hadn’t moved in over twenty hours and in a panic, Kiyoomi had cried to Motoya over the phone.

(Dango was just asleep.)

This moment right now beats Dango’s not-actual death by a mile. Months, he’s spent acting like a melodramatic fool, worrying and sulking about Atsumu leaving him forever.

“This is so fucking embarrassing,” Kiyoomi mutters to himself, still crouched on the floor.

Then as if to make matters worse, it dawns on him — He can tell Atsumu how he feels now. There’s no longer any reason to hold back after all, and he’s never liked dragging out a confession unnecessarily.

Still, his axis starts spinning at the thought of spilling his heart out. All the embarrassment from a minute prior disappears, swiftly replaced with unbridled panic. 

Now, how does one confess to their barista turned best friend turned big fat crush?

 /`=🝦 ﻌ 🝦=マฅ

Miya Osamu

★★★★☆

The cats in this cafe may have convinced me that cat’s aren’t the devil spawn. Although I was dragged here against my will, the visit wasn’t too bad. 

Only 4 stars though, because the barista is a coward who doesn’t want to act on his feelings. 

Miya Atsumu

Are ya seriously talking shit about me on the cafe’s review page? 

Miya Osamu

Yes. Go cry about it.

ฅ/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ฅ

It’s been over a week since Kiyoomi promised himself he would confess and somehow, he still hasn’t done it yet. He blames it on never having the right moment to tell Atsumu, but that’s honestly only a half-truth. 

It’s so unlike himself to be afraid of confessing, but he can’t help but worry about how Atsumu will respond. 

Atsumu and him have gotten considerably closer since the first day they’ve met, and Kiyoomi thinks that there’s a pretty good chance of his feelings being reciprocated. But even if Atsumu rejects him, they’ll hopefully still agree to stay good friends.

Although, there’s always the off chance that Atsumu is so put off by the confession that he stops working and visiting the cafe entirely. Then Kiyoomi would have to live with the fact that even though they’re in the same city, he’ll still never see Atsumu again. 

Kiyoomi doesn’t like to think about that possibility very much. 

Productivity distracts Kiyoomi from spiralling into negativity, so he does all he can to keep himself busy. He’s sorted out the budget for the next few months, deep-cleaned the cafe twice and drafted out a few confession speeches. All the speeches were rehearsed in front of his cats before he finally settled on the best one to memorise. 

When Sunday rolls around, Kiyoomi decides to bite the bullet and just invite Atsumu out on a date tomorrow. It’s perfect since the cafe won’t be open and they can spend the whole day together. Also, Kiyoomi’s patience is thinning and he thinks he’ll lose it if he has to wait any longer.

He’ll just ask Atsumu after the cafe closes, he figures. The hour they spend cleaning up together is the most convenient time to talk after all. 

Right as Kiyoomi’s about to jump into his confession, the siren from ‘The Purge’ blasts from the speakers of Atsumu’s phone, signalling a call from Osamu. Kiyoomi hears some yelling from Osamu’s side of the line and watches as Atsumu’s eyes widen comically before he starts yelling back.

“See, what did I tell ya, I knew you’d get into Nakamura! I’m so goddamn proud of ya ‘Samu!”

 Under the influence of Atsumu’s infectious excitement, Kiyoomi soon finds himself grinning as well, happy for Osamu’s accomplishment. He takes his confession sitting on the tip of his tongue and swallows it back down, not wanting to intrude on their moment. 

His cats sprawled out across the room fix him with wide-eyed stares full of sympathy. A few of them meow at him, urging him to confess. But Kiyoomi shakes his head and gives them a sad smile. His speech can wait, Atsumu should probably go and celebrate with his brother tonight.

“Atsumu, you should go home for dinner,” Kiyoomi suggests when Atsumu’s call with Osamu ends. 

“And leave ya here all alone? I don’t think so, Omi,” Atsumu replies.

“Do you not want to celebrate with your brother?”

“Nah. He’s at Suna’s house right now, and I’m pretty sure they do not want me ‘round,” Atsumu replies with a grimace. “Whatd’ya think ‘bout chirashi dons for dinner Omi? A new place just opened up across the street.”

“Sure Atsumu, sounds good.” Kiyoomi breathes out, relief flooding his veins. 

Since Plan A was unsuccessful, Kiyoomi moves onto Plan B: making a move during dinner. It couldn’t be that hard to find a way to slip his confession in. He’d do it smoothly, remaining casual and nonchalant as he asked Atsumu out. 

But before he can say anything, Atsumu immediately breaks off into a tangent about how he’s being stalked by a cat in his neighbourhood. 

“So here’s the problem Omi, every night when I walk home, I see this white cat sitting smack in the middle of the road. It just sits there in complete silence, head swivelling to watch my every move. I dunno what it wants from me, but I’m so creeped out. And I swear Omi, I even saw it disappear once! I watched it cross the road and suddenly, the little bastard just vanished into thin air!”

Kiyoomi’s never hated a cat as much as he hates this random white cat for disrupting his second attempt at a confession. But Atsumu is so passionate in his recount that Kiyoomi decides to indulge him and listen to his theory about the cat being a Yōkai in disguise.

By the time Atsumu is finished with his tale and Kiyoomi has reassured him that most Yōkai, if they even exist, do not eat humans, their bowls are empty and it’s completely dark outside. 

Kiyoomi is disheartened, for lack of a better word. There’s been not one, but two interruptions and it seems like a sign that maybe, Kiyoomi shouldn’t go through with this.

It’s a gut-churning feeling, building up the nerve again and again only for it to never amount to anything. 

“Ya look a little sleepy Omi,” Atsumu comments, chin resting on his palms as he looks at Kiyoomi. 

“Mm, it’s been a long week.”

Atsumu nods in agreement and leans down to grab his bag resting by his feet. He slings a strap over his shoulder before getting up from his seat at the table. “Well then, I better get going.”

Atsumu makes a quick run to the play area to bid farewell to all the cats, giving them their usual headpats and flying kisses. With one final wave to Kiyoomi, Atsumu walks out of the cafe. 

The minute Atsumu turns the corner and heads down the stairs, Kiyoomi heaves a deep sigh. If only he didn’t like this boy so much, then he wouldn’t have to put himself through the wringer like this. 

Shit, he’d just try again next Sunday. He could bear one week more of this.

Just as Kiyoomi’s about to head to the sink to wash the dirty bowls and cups. He hears the frantic tapping of paws on wooden floor. 

Glancing in the direction of the sound, he sees Haru and Hatsuki squeezing their way out of the play area before running towards him. Atsumu must have forgotten to close the door to the play area properly when he went in to say his goodbyes, leaving it slightly ajar on accident.. 

As the two tabby cats run towards Kiyoomi, they screech loudly at him, as if screaming at him to do something. Hatsuki nips at the leg of Kiyoomi’s pants, trying to yank him towards the glass door Atsumu just left through. Haru stands by the door and taps on it as he meows.

Kiyoomi crouches down to pat Hatsuki gently on the head. “It’s too late now guys, I’ll just try again another day.”

Haru shoots Kiyoomi a suffering look before dashing towards the play area door. He nudges it open wider with his head and the next thing Kiyoomi knows, all of his cats are running out to surround him. 

“What are you guys doing?” Kiyoomi asks as he stands up to usher them back in. 

For the first time, none of them budge when he gestures, every single one of them refusing to listen to their owner. Their cries grow desperate, meowing the loudest Kiyoomi’s ever heard them. In a surprisingly collective effort, they start nudging Kiyoomi towards the door, dragging him by the pants and pawing at his ankles.

It’s as if they knew that Kiyoomi needed that final push. 

“Okay, I’ll do it,” Kiyoomi declares as he looks at all of his cats, resolution in his gaze. 

He exits the cafe, making sure to shut the front door tightly behind him so his cats don’t escape, before running down the stairs onto the street. Even though it’s night, the street is brightly lit by the rows of streetlights illuminating a warm yellow. Under the glow of the light, he can see the leaves starting to turn red. In a few weeks time, there’ll be no trace of green left on the canopies and the trees will be bathed in a fiery red. 

Kiyoomi shivers when the chilly autumn air bites at his skin, belatedly realising he should’ve thrown his coat on before he left. He has no time to go back and get it though, too busy trying to find the one person he’s been trying to confess to all day. He looks around and is relieved to find that Atsumu was barely a block away.

“Atsumu!”

The blond pivots around in shock, watching as Kiyoomi runs up to him. 

“What’s the matter Omi, is something wrong? Did I leave anythin’ in the cafe again?”

Still panting from the short dash, Kiyoomi musters up his courage for the final time before asking the question he’s been holding back. “Do you want to go out with me tomorrow?” 

His voice comes out way louder than intended and Kiyoomi cringes at the sheer volume. He glances around to see if anyone else heard him, but thankfully, the street is empty. 

Turning back to Atsumu, he finds himself at a loss for words at the sight. He’s never seen Atsumu under the moonlight before, but he looks absolutely lethal like this. His face is soft in a way it’s never been before and Kiyoomi’s heart drops to his feet.

How would Atsumu look in the glow of a sunrise? What would he look like under the deep hues of a sunset? He’d probably look gorgeous under the cherry blossom trees in spring, even prettier in winter where snowflakes rain down from the sky. Kiyoomi wishes to see Atsumu basking under the backdrop of every scenery and every light nature has to offer.

Atsumu stares at him with wide-eyes and a slack jaw, as if he was taken by pure surprise. Slowly, a beautiful smile stretches across Atsumu’s face, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Are ya askin’ me out on a date, Omi?”

“Yes.” Kiyoomi breathes out. He waits a few seconds for a response from Atsumu, but when he doesn’t get any, he panics. His planned speech flies out of his head and he breaks off into a nervous tangent. 

“Well, I figured that since it’s a Monday tomorrow and the cafe won’t be open, it'll be the perfect day for us to spend some time together. We could watch a movie or visit that cafe you’ve been talking about. Or we could just do something else if you’d like. I understand if you don’t feel the same way about me, but I just– I’m really fond of you Atsumu. Will you go on a date with me?”

Atsumu takes a step forward and lifts both arms, wrapping them around Kiyoomi’s neck. “Will the cats be there?” He asks teasingly. 

Kiyoomi lets out the breath he was holding and laughs at Atsumu’s quip. “We can come say hi to them after lunch.”

The smile on Atsumu’s face grows wider at that. Grabbing onto the back of Kiyoomi’s neck, Atsumu pulls him down, simultaneously leaning forward to meet him halfway. 

Kiyoomi burns when their lips meet, the cold autumn breeze long forgotten. He’s been longing for this for so long that it feels unreal to finally have Atsumu this close to him. The hands he places on Atsumu’s waist serves not only to pull the blond even closer, but also to reassure himself that he has Atsumu right here, in his palms. 

Inexplicable euphoria floods his senses and Kiyoomi feels himself grinning against Atsumu’s lips. He feels like a teenager all over again, giddy at the thought of being in love. Kiyoomi feels Atsumu starts to smile too as he pulls away so their faces are just a few centimetres apart.

“Stop smiling’, I can’t kiss ya properly like this,” Atsumu says, fingers tracing soothing shapes at the nape of Kiyoomi’s neck. 

“You’re smiling too,” Kiyoomi shoots back.

“I can’t help it Omi, ya make me happy!”

Kiyoomi crumbles at the admission, unable to find any words for a second. Atsumu is beaming at him, bright and open, and Kiyoomi doesn’t know how to deal with the knowledge that he makes Atsumu as happy as Atsumu makes him. 

“Let’s try again, shall we?” Atsumu asks before answering his own question by moving to close the distance between them. He’s stopped however when Kiyoomi places a hand on his chest to hold him back. 

“Hold on Atsumu, is this a yes?”

“Yes to what?”

“Yes to going on a date with me tomorrow.”

Atsumu tilts his head back and laughs, loud and free, as if Kiyoomi just said the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. He reaches his hands down to lace their fingers together and gives a reassuring squeeze. 

“It’s a hell yes, Omi.” With his free hand, he cups Kiyoomi’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. 

Kiyoomi never expected that hiring a new barista would lead to this, but he’s so glad Atsumu was the one who walked in that morning, worming his way into Kiyoomi’s life so unapologetically. 

“One more,” Atsumu whispers, a cheeky grin on his face as he leans in for another kiss. 

Many more, Kiyoomi thinks as he surges forward to seal their lips together.

Chapter Text

Haru has a problem.

It’s one of the biggest problems he’s faced so far, second only to being abandoned on the side of the street with Hatsuki as a kitten. 

To set the context, Kiyoomi and Atsumu — his favourite humans ever — have gotten a lot closer recently, and it’s all the cats have been talking about. 

Their owner smiles a lot more now, and he gives more frequent bellyrubs too. Atsumu has also been happier, and a happier Atsumu bakes more cookies for the cats. Overall a win-win for all parties involved.

However, there’s one thing that’s caught Haru’s attention. 

Kiyoomi and Atsumu have started doing this thing where they lean in very close to each other and their faces touch. Haru doesn’t know what they’re doing but he knows that they always pull apart looking very happy.

Haru wants to do the same thing with Hatsuki, his first and most precious companion. Maybe if they touch noses, it’ll make the perpetually grumpy Hatsuki happy too.

Although they’ve known each other since they were little, Haru doesn’t quite know how Hatsuki feels about him. He sees Hatsuki as his lifelong companion, but he’s not quite sure if Hatsuki sees him in the same way. Maybe a nose touch would help him confirm Hatsuki’s feelings towards him.

Now, back to his problem. 

Haru has tried to touch noses with Hatsuki once, but when he got close to Hatsuki’s face, Hatsuki screeched and dashed away. He ran all the way to the top of the cat tree, pushing Matcha off in the process. 

Matcha was not happy about that. 

Not wanting to think about that incident anymore, Haru looks out the glass door at the reception area, watching Kiyoomi and Atsumu drink their cups of tea. They’re holding hands under the table as they laugh over something Atsumu just said. 

A minute later, they lean forward and their faces touch again!

Haru finds himself missing Hatsuki all of a sudden, so he turns around to look for him. He finds Hatsuki staring out the window, head tilted up as he stares at the night sky. Hatsuki looks like he’s at peace and Haru wonders if he’d let them touch noses now.

His thoughts are interrupted when the door to the play area slides open and he sees Kiyoomi and Atsumu come in with bowls of food balanced on their arms. All the cats — Haru included — immediately crowd around the pair, meowing in excitement and hunger. 

Haru feels his little stomach growling and decides that food comes first. He’ll think about trying to touch noses with Hatsuki again tomorrow.

♡

Over the next week, Haru tries again and again and again, but to no avail. Hatsuki simply refuses to touch noses with him. It’s strange because Hatsuki will cuddle with him and play with him, but the minute Haru tries to touch noses, Hatsuki runs. 

Haru is so sad. 

Udon and Soba have been sitting in their instant noodle cat beds, watching all of Haru’s failed attempts over the past week while whispering between themselves. Haru is used to the sisters gossiping, he even joins them sometimes. But it feels weird to be the one gossiped about this time.

After some thinking, Haru comes to the conclusion that asking the other cats for advice seems like the best course of action. 

He goes up to Miso,who’s admiring his reflection in the window, and meows to ask if he knows the reason why Hatsuki won't let him touch noses. Miso stares at him deadpan and sighs before trilling, as if to say he’s not sure why. 

Haru then approaches Dango, who’s resting on the cat tree, and taps him gently to wake him up. After a minute of tapping and nudging, Dango starts to bristle. Haru lights up and waits for Dango to wake up, but he simply turns around and goes back to sleep.

Dejected and disappointed, Haru moves to a chair at the corner of the play area and hides under it to sulk. 

Tako approaches him worriedly, tapping him with her paw as she purrs in concern. Since Tako is Haru’s best friend, he tells her all about his current predicament. Tako pauses for a bit, and thinks before giving a hesitant meow to tell Haru that she too doesn’t know why Hatsuki is acting like this. Haru leans forward to nudge his head against Tako’s to thank her anyway for listening. 

Wanting to find Hatsuki, Haru looks around the cafe and spots Hatsuki staring right at him at Tako, glaring in anger. 

One of the many mysteries Haru will never be able to figure out is why Hatsuki hates his best friend so much. Haru wishes his best friend and his life companion would get along, but he guesses that’s never going to happen with the way Hatsuki is hissing in anger.

As usual, Haru bids farewell to Tako and runs up to Hatsuki to check on him. He nudges Hatsuki with his head to ask him why he’s so angry, but Hatsuki doesn’t give him a reply. Instead, Hatsuki raises a paw and smacks Haru playfully on the head.

Haru immediately gets excited, recognising the invitation for a playfight. He reciprocates by hitting Hatsuki on his cheek and soon enough, it evolves into a full fledged playfight. As Haru and Hatsuki swat at each other, the other cats gather around as if spectating a boxing match. 

A cacophony of meows and a few stray barks from Nori fill the cafe. Tofu looks on from a distance, looking a little irritated at all the noise. Still, she watches on curiously.

Haru is happy again. This is the kind of relationship he wants to have with Hatsuki, this is what he’s missed. He just wants to spend time with his companion without all the running away. If no nose kisses is all it takes, Haru wouldn’t mind giving it up for this.

♡

“Are they fighting again, Omi?” Atsumu asks. 

He and Kiyoomi are currently standing at the sidelines, watching the scene unfold. Atsumu has his phone out as he films the WWE match that the cats are holding.

“They’re getting along.”

“They’re so weird. Oh well, I’m just glad their little spat is over. It was sad seein’ Hatsuki avoid Haru like that.”

“Hatsuki was just feeling shy about all the affection. He wasn’t actually mad at Haru.”

“How’dya know that Omi?”

Kiyoomi takes a long look at his orange and black tabby cats, and a smile stretches across his face. “They just remind me of some people I know, that’s all.”

♡

Haru may have given up on nose touching, but he still hasn’t given up on the other things yet. 

Besides touching faces, he’s also seen Kiyoomi and Atsumu hold their hands a lot and lace their fingers together. Haru doesn’t have fingers, but he does have paws, so he attempts to place his paw on top of Hatsuki’s. 

To his relief, Hatsuki doesn’t run away this time. It seems that holding paws is on the table for acceptable affectionate gestures. In his delight, Haru spends the rest of the day laying next to Hatsuki, paws atop each other’s.

Even the visitors seem to love it, all of cooing as they whip out their phones to take endless pictures.  

In light of this success, Haru decides to keep watching Kiyoomi and Atsumu, using their actions like a blueprint.

He catches Kiyoomi and Atsumu dancing together one night, laughing and spinning around as upbeat music plays in the background. Unfortunately, Hatsuki and him can’t stand on two legs so he can’t do that. 

He watches Kiyoomi and Atsumu touching their faces together many more times as well. He still doesn’t know what they’re doing but he’s pretty sure Hatsuki would not like it if Haru stuck his tongue out and licked him like that. 

(It is an interesting thought though, one that Haru puts away for later.)

One night, when Kiyoomi and Atsumu are having sushi for dinner, Haru sees Kiyoomi give his share of maguro nigiri to Atsumu. Atsumu’s eyes sparkle at the sushi and he beams happily at his boyfriend. That looks easy enough, Haru thinks, vowing to try it at the next mealtime. 

The next morning, Atsumu brings his famous homemade cookies that all the cats love. Kiyoomi and him divide the food equally into all ten feeding bowls before carrying them into the play area and placing them on the floor. 

Haru sticks his head into his feeding bowl and bites onto a few paw print-shaped cookies — Hatsuki’s favourite — and walks over to drop them into Hatsuki’s feeding bowl. He purrs as he sits beside Hatsuki, waiting to see his companion’s response.

Hatsuki stares at the extra cookies for a while before leaning into his own bowl to bite onto a few goldfish-shaped cookies. Hatsuki struts over to Haru’s feeding bowl and drops them in, returning the favour. 

It worked! Haru is over the moon. 

He runs around the play area excitedly for a few moments before he remembers that he hasn’t eaten the cookies yet. Even if his heart is full, his stomach isn’t, so he quickly heads back to his feeding bowl to scarf his food down, 

♡

“Did ya see that? They’re so in love, Omi.”

Kiyoomi blinks in shock, still trying to process what his cats just did. “I’ve never seen Hatsuki share his food before. He usually hates it when anyone else even comes close to his feeding bowl.”

“Well ya know what they say, love can really change a man,” Atsumu says. 

He tilts his head up and plants a big wet kiss on Kiyoomi’s cheek. Even though Kiyoomi groans and rolls his eyes at him, he doesn’t wipe the kiss away.

♡

The issue of touching noses doesn’t cross Haru’s mind again. At least, not until his best friend brings it up. 

He’s lying on the floor with Tako, basking under the rays of the summer sun, when Tako purrs to get his attention. He turns to look at her and sees her raising a paw to tap her nose, as if asking him about how his endeavour to touch noses with Hatsuki is going.

Haru remembers his many failed attempts and his ears droop. He gives a few sad meows to tell Tako that he’s given up. Tako turns her head slightly to sneak a peek at the windowsill where Hatsuki is sprawled out before her eyes light up with an idea. 

Haru doesn’t know what idea she has, but he definitely isn’t expecting it when Tako leans in closer to his face, the distance between their noses narrowing every second. His eyes are wide and he stays rooted to where he’s seated, too shocked to move away. 

Right before their noses touch, Hatsuki leaps down from the windowsill with a loud snarl and runs towards the two. He nudges Tako out of the way roughly and smacks her across the face. It is not a playful smack. Of course, Tako doesn’t take this lying down and returns by hitting Hatsuki on the torso.

The cats break out into a full on fight, trading blows while rolling across the cafe floor. Haru is still seated a distance away, unmoving and panicking as his best friend and companion fight each other. 

A few of the cafe cats gather around to watch, meowing noisily as they spectate. 

After a few seconds, Haru regains his senses and leaps up. He glances around the cafe worriedly before he spots Tofu curled up in her cat bed. Tofu is the oldest and wisest cat amongst them, if anyone knew what to do, it would be her.

He runs towards her and nudges her body while crying out in distress. She opens her sleepy eyes at the sound of Haru’s cries and looks around, sighing when she sees the fight between Hatsuki and Tako. 

She pads towards the two and growls, as if telling them to stop their nonsense. Immediately, Hatsuki and Tako come to a halt, leaping apart at the sight of Tofu. The other cats scatter as well, walking away as if they weren’t just egging the two on.

With her job completed, Tofu trudges back to her cat bed and promptly goes back to sleep. 

With one last snarl at Tako, Hatsuki angrily makes his way back to his spot on the windowsill. Haru wants to check on Hatsuki, but he usually needs a little alone time when he’s angry, so Haru goes to check on Tako first. 

He approaches Tako, who’s still lying on the floor, and purrs in concern. He expects her to be angry at Hatsuki’s outburst, maybe a little sad too. But she turns to look at him with gleaming eyes. Tako sports a mischievous look on her face, like she’s happy at the chaos she just instigated.

Haru is so confused. The past five minutes have been so puzzling. 

Tako uses her head to gesture towards the windowsill where Hatsuki is seated and meows for Haru to go to him. 

So Haru does. He leaps up onto the windowsill and slowly makes his way towards his companion. Hesitantly, he moves to sit right in front of Hatsuki so they’re facing each other. 

Hatsuki’s black fur looks like it’s glowing, stripes becoming more visible under the sunlight. Haru thinks he looks very pretty, so pretty in fact that he doesn’t want to tear his eyes away from his companion. He wonders if his orange fur shines too, judging by the way Hatsuki is staring back at him. 

Haru reaches out to place his paw over Hatsuki’s paw and meows softly, trying to placate him and ask him if he’s alright. 

Hatsuki doesn’t respond. He simply sits there, staring at Haru silently. Haru is starting to worry again, could Hatsuki be mad at him for some reason?

He prepares himself to face the brunt of Hatsuki’s anger when Hatsuki surprises him by leaning forward, closing his eyes as he gently bumps his nose against Haru’s. The touch is gone after a second and Hatsuki instantly turns his head away to stare out the window, as if he didn’t just give Haru what he’s been dreaming of for weeks. 

This is probably how the birds outside the window feel when they soar in the sky; how the yellow butterflies feel when they flutter from flower to flower; Haru feels the warmth of the sun enveloping him as he bathes in euphoria. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this happy before.

Turning to look around the cafe, he sees all eight other cats staring at him and Hatsuki. They have varying expressions ranging from shocked to knowing, but they all look as happy for Haru as cats can look. 

Haru is buzzing with excitement, still in disbelief of what just happened. The nose touch was as magical as he thought it’d be. No wonder Kiyoomi and Atsumu do it so often. Haru really gets it now. 

He purrs softly at Hatsuki and nuzzles into his neck affectionately. When Hatsuki turns back to face him, Haru leans forward to touch their noses again, taking Hatsuki by surprise.

Hatsuki doesn’t run away or dodge this time. Instead, he purrs happily and leans forward so their foreheads are touching as well. It’s tender and soft and Haru knows at this moment that this is going to be his favourite thing to do with Hatsuki, his lifelong companion. 

Bonus:

“I can’t get enough of it, Omi! The nose touch thing they do is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Atsumu enthuses as he crouches down to snap a picture of Haru and Hatsuki.

“Don’t you have enough pictures of them already, Atsumu?”

“I can’t help it Omi, our cats are in love. I gotta capture all these moments for their wedding in the future.”

“A wedding?” Kiyoomi asks with a laugh.

“Of course. We’re gonna dress them in little suits and lay out a white carpet. I’ll even bake a cake for them.”

Atsumu and Kiyoomi move to sit on the floor beside their cats, watching in content silence as Haru and Hatsuki sleep with their foreheads pressed together and their noses touching. 

Kiyoomi knows he’s head over heels for Atsumu because he sees them in his cats, but he can’t find it in himself to complain. Happiness settled itself in the spaces between Kiyoomi’s ribs the moment Atsumu walked into the cafe, so really, Kiyoomi was a goner from the very start.

He loves Atsumu so much, and thankfully, he can utter those three words freely to Atsumu now. 

“Atsumu, I lo–”

“When do ya think Haru’s gonna try to lick Hatsuki’s face? Because sometimes, I catch him staring at us while we’re making out and– Wait, were ya gonna say ya love me?”

“No.”

“You were definitely gonna tell me ya love me, Omi!”

“You’ve ruined the moment.”

“I didn’t mean to! Say it again Omi, I’m sorry!”

♡

(Haru does try to lick Hatsuki about a week later. Hatsuki smacks him in the face.)