Work Text:
Yin unlocks his door, balancing the bags of groceries in his hands as he continued talking on his phone.
“I’ll send the paperwork tomorrow, I’m still settling in this new place.” He said through the receiver, placing his bags on the kitchen counter. "We should have them ready before Christmas."
“What the hell?” He shrieks in surprise when he feels something moving against his legs as he was about to end the call.
He drops his phone and nearly stumbles to the floor when he sees exactly what was rubbing against his legs.
"Yin? You alright?" He hears his coworker call out to him from the fallen phone.
“Yeah,” He hurriedly picks up the device and takes slow careful steps away from the feline in his kitchen. “I think a cat followed me home.”
---
“Stop fretting, Rookie is smart, she’ll find her way home.” Bver comforts the distressed doctor who ignores him and keeps walking around the room.
“Also please stop pacing, you’re agitating the other animals.”
It was the right thing to say because War immediately stops and sits down, hiding his face in his hands.
“What if she’s not okay? Rookie never runs away and she never strays away from home. What if she’s lost?”
The doctor looks up, eyes impossibly wide. “What if someone kidnapped her?”
“Calm down, we’ll find her.”
"Do you think she ran away because of the Christmas sweater I got her?" War asks frantically. "I know it's ugly but that's the whole point."
"I'm sure it's not because of the sweater War." Bver sighs.
--
Yin makes sure he keeps a distance of at least five feet from the feline, glaring at it as it cleans its paws. Where the cat came from, he had no idea. But he was not heartless enough to chase it out, especially not this late and especially not in this weather.
And that was why he was crouched on top of the table in the middle of his living room, wielding a decorative candy cane, eyes trained on the claws of the unbothered feline.
As it turned to lick its other paw, he caught the glint of metal on its neck.
“You have a collar, that means you have an owner. Good.”
The cat turned to him when he spoke as if saying 'duh' and then continued to stare at him with wide, unblinking eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that, you were the one who barged inside a strangers' house.”
The cat answered with a meow and he felt kind of ridiculous when he realized that he was talking to a cat. “Why am I even talking to you?”
He looks around at his house, already knowing that it was not cat-proof. Especially since his work papers were just lying around in the corner.
"I'm not going to kick you out."
Meow.
"But you have to promise me," He looks at the cat sternly, trying to sound convincing. "no funny business."
Meow.
"Okay that's enough Dr. Doolittle for today." He said to himself, getting his feet back on the floor. "I'm going crazy."
He heads to his kitchen, careful not to startle the cat and sighing in relief when he reaches his groceries unscathed.
Yin starts putting them away, leaving what he was supposed to cook for dinner on the counter but he stops in the middle of getting the pan ready when he remembers his uninvited guest.
"What do cats even eat?"
---
"She's not here." War whines to his phone, standing in the middle of his apartment and not seeing the ball of fur that would usually jump out as soon as he opens the door. "What if she's lost and starving? I can't let my daughter starve, that's against the cat parent code."
"I'm pretty sure that's against all parent codes." Bver replied. "Have you tried posting online? It could work."
"Maybe." He puts his phone on speaker, typing out a quick tweet. "I hope this works."
"We'll go out looking for her in the morning again." His friend tried to console. "And we're the only animal clinic in the area, if someone sees her, we'll know."
He looks around his house, the bright blinking lights looking dull . "Rookie loved Christmas."
---
"Please stop trying to take down my tree." Yin scolds for the nth time that night as the cat starts pawing on the lights. Again. "I just got it up, I don't want to do it again."
The cat spares him one look and then starts pawing on a shiny Christmas ball instead.
"Thanks for nothing." He whispers with a glare before turning back to his papers. "I should find a way to get you home."
He starts looking up any place where he can ask about his uninvited guest and ends up on a page about a clinic named EE-I-EE-I-O.
"If Ronald Macdonald is not there I am going to be disappointed." He whispers as he notes down the address. "Who even names their business after a nursery rhyme?"
His attention goes back to the papers on his desk and the next time he looks up to check the time, it was past midnight. He stretched and craned his neck to see what the cat was up to and saw that it was curled in a ball on his couch.
"You're cuter when you're asleep." Yin whispers and makes his way to the sleeping feline. "Now if I could just see if there's anything in your collar."
Yin tried to be sneaky, making as little noise as possible but as soon as he was a feet away from the cat, he was staring into a pair of big eyes. He stills, hands frozen in the air.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said, hoping that his voice was comforting enough to save him. "I just want to know your name."
The cat looked at him for a few more seconds before stretching on the couch and walking towards him. At first he didn't move a muscle, afraid that he has somehow upset the animal. But to his surprise, the cat nudged his hand.
"Oh." With wide eyes, he let the cat nuzzle on his fingers. "You're not that bad."
When he got past the fear of doing something wrong and ending up clawed to death, he starts rubbing the cat's fur, smiling to himself.
"Now let's see." He sits down on the couch and let's the cat crawl on his lap. "Maybe I can figure out where you live."
Yin continues with his ministrations as he turned the collar around, trying to see if he can find any information about the owner.
"Rookie." He hummed. "Is that what I call you? Rookie?"
The cat purred and he took that as a yes, inspecting the collar further and seeing a small engraving with a familiar name.
"EE-I-EE-I-O, the clinic?" Yin asks himself and the cat seemed to perk up making him smile fondly. "Alright, we'll go there tomorrow."
He sits comfortably on the couch, letting the cat do as it pleased as he watched the flickering lights of the tree.
"Maybe you'll be my Christmas miracle."
---
"Rookie!"
Yin didn't even get the chance to talk to the receptionist when a man in a white coat rushed towards him, holding his hand out. The cat jumped from his arms and sauntered over to who he assumed was a doctor, if the scrubs were any indication.
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you." The man scolded the cat who sat on the floor obediently. "I have half the mind the ground you for all your nine lives."
He watched in fond amusement as the vet continued scolding the cat who appeared to be listening to every word. By the end of it, the man opened his arms and cuddled the cat to his chest, cooing at the feline, anger seemingly forgotten.
As if remembering that they weren't alone, the man finally looks up and Yin was met with two pairs of wide, shining eyes.
"Uh hello?" He said awkwardly. "I think it was the right decision to go here."
Rookie resembled her owner and Yin had a passing thought that they were both unfairly cute.
"Oh right! Right!" The vet said brightly, rubbing his hands on his scrubs and extending it to him. "Hi! I'm War Wanarat, Rookie's dad."
"You look alike." Was the first words out of his mouth and he widens his eyes. The man's eyes crinkles with a smile as they shake each others hand, Rookie meowing between them. "I mean, it's nice to meet you. I'm Yin."
"I haven't seen you around here. You just moved in?" War asked.
"Yeah actually." Yin said, scratching the back of his neck, eyes turning to the feline "I had quite the welcome party last night."
"I can imagine." The small man laughs, patting Rookie's head softly. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."
"Not at all. She was great company, although she seems to love my tree too much."
"Oh yes." War laughs, the sound rich. "She's quite a Christmas head."
The vet lets the cat down and Rookie scampers somewhere to the back of the clinic.
"Thank you so much for bringing her home. i was worried sick." The vet said with a small smile. "I was about to take a walk around the neighborhood this afternoon, you saved me a lot of time."
"Glad to be of help." Yin smiled widely, looking around the place for the first time. "Quite a place you have here."
"You have a pet? I promise you free pet care for the rest of your life."
Yin laughs, reminded of the cat's energy. She definitely got that from her owner.
"Not at all. Animals and me definitely don't mix."
"Oh?" War's mouth forms a pout and Yin had the urge to take back whatever he said. "You and Rookie seemed to get along well though."
"She's one of a kind." He decides to go for flattery, pleased when it brings out a bright smile.
"She is." War replied. "Let me treat you to something as thank you for taking care of her. Coffee?"
"You don't realky have to."
"I insist." The doctor looked at him with those eyes and he was sold. There was no way he can say no to that.
"Coffee sounds good. I don't really know my way around so you'll have to guide me." He said with a nervous chuckle.
"Leave that to me." The vet said, removing his coat. "Give me five minutes to get out of these scrubs and I'll take you to the best coffee in town!"
---
Yin sips his iced coffee, hiding his smile as he watched the man in front of him make a disgusted face at the drink in front of him.
"Why did you take me out to coffee if you don't drink coffee?" He asked, eyes dancing with amusement after War's next failed attempt at sipping his drink.
"You looked like a coffee guy and I thought 'what the heck, there's always a first time for everything!', clearly I was very wrong." The doctor crossed his arms and pouted, making Yin's heart jump a little at his cute behavior. "I knew I should have ordered the cake instead."
"What if I wasn't a coffee guy?" He asked, trying to see how the doctor would react.
"You're not?!"
The adorably shocked sound that the doctor made shot an arrow straight to his heart. "You should have told me."
"I am. I just wanted to see your reaction."
"This is the last time I'm treating you to coffee. One night with Rookie and she's already rubbing off on you."
"Oh you were planning to ask me again?"
The doctor turns crimson at the teasing tone of his voice, looking very much like the blushing elf ornaments hanging above his head.
"No - I - that's not-" War's rambling was cut off by Yin's hearty laugh. "Definitely the last time I'm taking you here."
"I have a question." Yin said once War was happily munching on his cake, cup of coffee forgotten on the side.
War looks up at him, cheeks full and Yin resisted the urge to pinch them. "What?"
"Why did you name your clinic EE-I-EE-I-O?"
"Why do you think I was the one who chose that name?" The doctor said, swallowing his cake quickly and glaring at him with crossed arms.
Yin merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I've known you for approximately two hours and I can safely say you're the type of person to choose that name for the giggles."
The doctor shrugs but the smile on his face was enough of an answer for him. "You chose it for the joke?"
"Wanarat had a farm EE-I-EE-I-O sounded catchy in my head."
"No one stopped you?" He asked incredulously.
"The man at the registry definitely gave me weird looks but other than that-" War said, eating another spoonful of his cake. "People were on board."
"I bet they were."
"Why?" War widened his eyes at him. "You're judging my clinic's name aren't you?"
"No-" Yin looked away. "Maybe a little."
"How dare you, that place is my baby-" War considered the statement for a few seconds. "-after Rookie of course."
An unfamiliar song comes up and War's lips curled to a smirk before he belted out the lyrics, completely uncaring that they were in a public place.
"C is for the candy streams around the Christmas tree-"
Yin looked around and saw that the people stopped to look at War who was still happily singing along to the song. The fond smiles on their faces probably mirrored his own.
"A is for the angels who made up the Christmas list-'
He turns to look back to the doctor who was finishing off the song, bowing like a performer when the cafe bursts out in applause. Maybe Rookie was his Christmas miracle, she was definitely the reason why he met an angel.
After they finish their food and after War's little concert. They head back to the clinic where Rookie immediately comes to greet them.
Yin was starting to understand that War loved animals very much, too much, but that's one of the things he's come to like about him. What was odd however was the chicken that was making it's way to the laughing doctor.
"Nugget!" War said happily, carrying the chicken in his arms. "How are you buddy?"
Yin clears his throat and War looks at him with question in his eyes. "Is that a chicken?"
"Nugget? Yes! He's been with me for a while but he has to stay at the clinic, my apartment didn't really specify chickens as one of the allowed pets inside."
"I wonder why."
"I saw him wandering around and at first I really wanted to find someone to adopt him." War replied. "But it's hard to find someone who wants to adopt a chicken and not make him to a soup."
---
It was easy to fall into a routine, he would wake up, work for a few hours and then he would head to the clinic under the excuse of wanting to see his feline friend. Even Nugget was part of his daily life now.
"I can't right now Prom, I'm not home-" He scoots down and picks up the cat who has long started to be comfortable around his presence. "I'll send it in later."
"You're visiting that doctor again aren't you?" Prom asked and he can practically hear hus smirk. "How long have you been going to his clinic?"
"I'm here to visit Rookie-" He said indignantly. "Besides the other animals are great too. Did you know he has a chicken named nugget?"
"You blanch at the sight of a bird." Prom deadpanned. "You're definitely not going there for the animals."
"I am. I'm starting to think they're not that bad."
"I need to meet this doctor of yours, he's definitely something else if he can make you, of all people, voluntarily visit an animal clinic everyday."
"Not a chance. Goodbye Prom, Merry Christmas!" He ends the call before the man could get in another word.
"Work?"
"Unfortunately." He whines, walking towards the man and noticing the reindeer headband on his head. "I didn't know Rudolf was in the clinic today."
"Ha ha very funny." War said with a scowl. "It's something we do every year, sets the mood for Christmas."
"Well it's definitely festive." He looks at the cat in his arms. "Right Rookie? Your dad looks silly as a reindeer."
"Don't bring her into this." Yin laughs but stops when he sees the glint in War's eyes.
"I don't like that look." He said, stepping back.
"What look?" The doctor asks nonchalantly, hands inside the pocket of his coat. "I don't have a look."
"You definitely have a look." Yin held Rookie up, hiding behind the cat. "Don't move, I have your daughter."
"Nice try." War takes Rookie from his hold and starts advancing towards him. "But Rookie loves me more."
"Traitor." He whispers to the cat and surrenders when War corners him to a wall.
The doctor stands at the tip of his toes and haphazardly places a reindeer headband on top of his head. "Now you're dressed for the holidays."
Father and daughter look up at him with happy eyes and Yin couldn't stop his smile. He could get used to this.
----
"Ask him out!" Bver screams at him from his desk. "Or ask him to spend Christmas with you and Rookie, he adores you, he won't say no."
"I'm not going to ask someone I met three weeks ago to spend Christmas with us." War shrieks. "That would be weird."
"He shows up here everyday, you're either blind or dense but knowing you, you're probably both."
"Excuse me?"
"Good looking guy comes to visit you everyday, adores your cat, laughs at all your bad jokes, and let's you be your cute chaotic self and you say you're just friends? The guy didn't even question it when you introduced him to Nugget."
"First of all, Nugget is adorable and second of all we're just friends!" The doctor argued. "Good friends."
"Tell that to Rookie who has practically adopted Yin as her second dad." Bver replied. "All I'm saying is, you've been alone on Christmas for years-"
"But-"
"No Rookie doesn't count." His friend said with a strern face. "This is your chance, grab it."
"What does that even mean?" War asks in exasperation.
"Rookie already found a man for you, it's up to you if you want to pursue him or not. But I say go for it."
"You're making Rookie sound like a wingman whose helping me score a date."
"She practically is. She's probably tired of your single ass drinking wine alone on Christmas Eve."
War throws a crumpled piece of paper at Bver, hitting him on the face. "My Christmas tradition is fine thank you."
"It will be better if you have someone to share it with." His friend whistles.
---
They were seated at the cafe they went to the first time they met, Christmas songs playing on repeat. And for some odd reason, War keeps remembering Bver's advice.
"Stupid friend." War whispers under his breath, catching Yin's attention.
"What?"
"Nothing." He said defensively, going mute when he meets Yin's eyes. "I-"
"You?" The other man asked.
"I was just thinking-" The doctor continued. "How do you spend Christmas?"
War breathed a sigh of relief, that was close. It's not that he wasn't considering Bver's suggestion, he was just hesitant.
"Nothing much, sometimes I go home but when I can't I just cozy up and watch a bunch of holiday movies with a glass of wine."
"And are you-?" War asked with a hopeful tone. "Are you going home this year?"
"No." Yin said sadly and it was the opening that War needed.
"Well-" The doctor said with a faint blush. "I know someone who might want to spent Christmas with you."
"Oh?" Yin tilted his head with a smile. "Do tell."
"She's cute, she adores you and her dad definitely won't mind if you spend Christmas with them."
Yin's smile fell after he stops talking making him squirm in his seat.
"Do I know this person?"
"Maybe. Though I won't say person exactly."
Yin's smile was back and War had the sudden urge to run away. But the words were already out and he'll be damned if he didn't see this through. If everything fails then he'll just try to chalk it up to a joke.
"They get sad when it's just the two of them on Christmas eve and her dad is a really good cook, I promise you'll have the best Christmas!"
"I'm listening." Yin hummed and War finally gathered the courage to look him in the eye. "Tell me more."
"Only if you accept." The doctor said stubbornly, making Yin laugh.
"Alright, maybe I will."
"Good because I didn't tell you that ugly Christmas sweaters are required in case you declined if you heard that."
"I won't." War smiled and Yin decided he wants to see that smile everyday. "Do you think her dad will consider going out with me after Christmas? I promise no coffee."
War smiled softly. "I think he'd really like that."
---
[BACK AT THE EE-I-EE-I-O CLINIC]
"Following that human home was definitely a good decision. I'll finally have another dad." Rookie thought to herself. "And he has sparkly things at home, I can't wait to play with them again."
The feline watched her dad and the human enter the clinic with their cheeks flushed and their hands close to touching.
"Ah I knew you were right for him. Cat's are never wrong." She meowed and headed to the two humans who immediately showered her with attention. "I could get used to this."
END.