Work Text:
It was a sunny afternoon. The famous boy band ENHYPEN had just finished filming the first half of their pair track's music video. All of them were tired from the strenuous choreography of their new song, ParadoXXX Invasion.
The seven members parted ways to enjoy their 30-minute break. Some monitored themselves, some ate, while some played with the kittens the owner of the shooting place had. One of those members who played with the little tiny creatures was Sunghoon.
He picked up the kitten with all the gentleness he had in his body, patted its head, and played with its tiny paws. Heeseung played along with the kittens, taking pictures and feeding them one by one.
It didn't last long when a kitten fell asleep on his thighs.
"Hala, Seung! Tignan mo!" He whisper-shouted at Heeseung, pointing at the sleeping kitten on his lap.
"Kuya Hoon—"
"Shh!" Sunghoon almost immediately shushed Riki who just entered the room, holding his phone in his right hand and a bottle of water on the other.
Riki didn't get it at first when Sunghoon abruptly shushed what he was about to say. Not until the older pointed at the kitty on his lap who seemed like it was already in dreamland (if kittens do dream too).
"Oh my god."
The younger covered his mouth at the sight. He quietly ran toward Sunghoon's sitting figure, squatted in front of him, and clapped in excitement as he stared at the kitten sleeping. If you look closely, you can see how its little body moves up and down because of its breathing.
"Where did you get it? Is it a stray cat? I want to adopt one, kuya!" Sunod-sunod na sabi ni Riki kay Sunghoon. It made the latter laugh.
"It's the owner's." He shortly answered, using his index finger to gently pat the kitten's head.
"Can we adopt one?" Riki asked once again.
Sunghoon shook his head while stifling a chuckle, "No, Ki. You know that two of our members are allergic to cats."
"But they're kittens pa naman and not cats, eh!"
"It's the same, Ki." Sunghoon chuckled at the silly response of the other.
"Pero, kuya—"
"We'll resume in a minute." Their manager reminded them.
They once again returned to shoot the other half of their music video. Riki gave it all para matapos na agad. He wants to see the kittens again. And maybe, successfully persuade his kuya Hoon and other members to adopt one in their dorm.
"Hi," Riki said as if he was talking to a baby (well, technically a baby but a baby cat).
He picks up the cat, oh-so-gently , and puts it on his lap. He bit his lower lip to stifle a smile while he pats its head. Unti-unti ay napalapit na rin sa kanya ang pusa. The little kitten never left him despite the other members around that it can go to.
"Can I feed it too po?" He asked the owner, to which he nodded. He gave him a little feeding bottle that had milk inside.
He and the cat quietly enjoyed each other's company — playing and talking as if they could understand each other. While the cat frantically meows and meows and meows , Riki talks to it, asking if she wants to be adopted.
"Kuya Hoon!" As soon as Sunghoon entered the room, Riki and the kitten immediately got his attention. "Look at her!" Excitement was evident in Riki's voice.
"Sa kanilang apat, I think she's the visual." He giggles. "Look at how pretty her eyes are!"
"I think so too." Sunghoon nodded, agreeing with whatever Riki said (that he didn't understand, by the way). All he did was look at how fond Riki's gaze was towards the kitten, not minding whatever words came out of his mouth.
"Kuya."
"No."
Riki furrows his brows and whines, "wala pa nga, eh!"
"I know what you're going to say, Ki." He chuckles. "No, we cannot adopt him."
"It's a she!"
"Alright. We cannot adopt her."
Riki dramatically sighs, "Why?"
"I told you. Jungwon and Jay are allergic to cats."
"Why are they allergic to cats?"
Sunghoon sighs, "I don't know, baby. It's either hereditary or just.. just because they're allergic to them."
He doesn't really know what to reason out, but Riki once again asks.
"Why?"
"What do you mean why ?" He asks, a little bit frustrated.
"Are you mad?"
"No, I'm not, Ki." He sighs again which seems like for the umpteenth time today.
"But you look and sound mad, though?"
"I'm not mad po." He approached Riki and sat beside him. "But we can't really adopt the kitten, Ki. Aside from our two members who are allergic to them, the kitten has an owner too. We cannot just simply adopt them without permission."
"Then let's ask!"
The older massages the bridge of his nose. "It's not like that, Ki."
"Guys? Last shoot for today. Wash your hands before going out."
"Okay po." Jungwon answered their manager.
"Rinig ko LQ nyo dyan." Their leader laughed. "Sumunod na kayo pagkatapos ng LQ nyo, ah?"
Riki was sad, really sad. After shooting their last scene, they immediately went home. He failed to bid goodbye to his daughter, nikitten, because after saying their thanks to the staff at the shoot, dumiretso na agad sila sa van.
Riki sighed , and sighed , and sighed while looking outside. A couple of raindrops started to occupy the window beside him. It was raining. Seems like the earth is sharing the same glum feeling he has.
"Pang-ilan na 'yan?" Sunghoon asked beside him.
"Huh?"
"Kanina ka pa bumubuntong-hininga dyan, ah?" He chuckled. "Is it about the kitten?"
"It's Nikitten. She has a name." He crossed his arms over his chest, obviously sulking.
The name sounded foolish. Who the hell names a kitten the way Riki did? It sounded so stupid. He can at least name the cat, like, Muning or Bella or whatever decent name.
But again, it's Riki. For Sunghoon, whatever Riki does is endearing. Even if he merely just twirls around. Or just simply sit on the chair—surely, Sunghoon would find it adorable. He's a fool. A fool in love, I say.
"That's a witty name for our child." He titters.
Riki furrows his brows. Siniko nya pa ang tagiliran ni Sunghoon that made the latter move an inch away from him. "It's only my child! You refuse to adopt her, remember?"
"Weh? Akala ko ba, whatever’s mine is yours? And whatever’s yours is mine too?"
"Nikitten's an exception!"
Sunghoon laughs as he pinches his lover's cheeks. "Tigilan mo nga ako!" In which.. well.. Riki didn't like it (lol).
"Hindi pa rin kayo tapos sa quarrel nyo?" Sunoo, from the seat in front of them, asks.
"Kanina pa sila dyan, eh." Jaeyun added.
The whole night, Riki didn't bother to talk to Sunghoon. He knows it sounded so petty and childish to act like this when in fact he has nothing to do against it anymore. Kahit naman hindi allergic ang dalawa nilang members sa pusa ay hindi pa rin sila papayagan ng manager nila na mag-uwi ng pusa sa dorm.
That is why the next day, he planned to apologize for his attitude to Sunghoon. But as soon as he woke up, the shadow of Sunghoon could not be seen. He searched every nook of their dorm and even asked his co-members, but no one really knew where he went. Tulog pa lang kasi silang anim ay umalis na ito.
Riki plopped himself on Sunghoon's bed, ruining the neatly placed blanket. He looks, one by one, at each side of his shared room, hoping Sunghoon will pop out of nowhere so he can instantly say his apology.
As if some fairy or deity or whatever mythical wish-granter creature heard his wish, Sunghoon appeared at the room's door, holding a paper bag in his hand.
"Morning, Ki." He casually greeted him without even looking at the younger.
"Saan ka galing?"
He shrugs. "Went for a morning cycle."
"Without me?" Riki disappointedly retorts.
"Love, I know how tired you were from work yesterday. I didn't want to interrupt your deep slumber for an early morning cycle." He pats the younger's hair before planting a chaste kiss.
"But I wanted to come."
He chuckles. "Tomorrow. I promise."
"What's that?" Riki asks.
Itinaas ni Sunghoon ang hawak-hawak na paper bag before giving it to Riki.
"Breakfast?" Sunghoon shook his head, no.
The younger furrows his brows in curiosity as he looks at the paper bag and at Sunghoon repeatedly. He then fished the item inside the paper bag, recognizing what it was.
"Baka masaktan sya. Dahan-dahan lang naman." Sunghoon held the younger's arm to halt him from gripping on the item too tight.
"Eh, ano ba ito?" Riki grabs the item inside the bag as soon as those words slip out of his lips.
Jay and Sunghoon's shared room fell into silence. Riki stared at it for a long time. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes… and stop!
"A cat plushie?" Riki whispers as if he is talking to himself.
"I tried to look for something that is a bit similar to Nikitten's color, but the closest I could see was this light gray cat." Sunghoon scratches the back of his neck. "It looks like Sailormoon's cat, though."
Sunghoon didn't get a response from Riki or a statement. He was just seated beside him, seeming to have a staring contest with Nikitten's supposed-to-be dupe.
"Is this mine?" Those were the first words that came out of his lips.
"Kanino pa ba?" Sunghoon laughs.
"Ours." Riki smiled. "It's Nikitten's sister! Our Nikitten's sister!"
Sunghoon furrows his brows. He seems to not get what Riki is talking about. "Our what?"
"Our second baby, dumbass!" Riki rolled his eyes heavenward. "Look at her, she's so cute!"
Sunghoon's mouth formed an 'O' after understanding Riki's statement. He subconsciously smiled while looking at the lifeless plushie that Riki was pinching.
" Ours ." He repeated to himself. He then bit his lip to stifle a smile that was creeping in.
Riki lay on his stomach, still caressing the plushie's fur-like texture. It looks like a real cat from afar. It even has a collar on its neck that says meow .
"I meow you," Sunghoon whispers, lying beside Riki.
"What?"
"It has an 'I meow you' embroidered on its paw." He got the plushie on Riki and pointed at its right paw.
Riki giggles. "I meow you!" He said while inching his face closer to Sunghoon.
"I meow you too," Sunghoon whispers as the tip of their noses touches. Riki giggles once again when the older prints an invisible tattoo of his lips on the tip of his nose. "I meow you paw much."