Work Text:
Soon after they consolidated their living arrangements, they made the choice to get a cat. Both of them had a lot going on outside the house, plus the fact that their work compelled them to commute at irregular hours, as a rule, they would not wait for one another to finish dinner or go to bed.
The most important thing was to stay up-to-date with each other: whether they would come home late tonight, whether they wanted to dine at home or not.
Today, Aether would be working all day from home. Over the past week, a number of his colleagues had been assigned to similar roles and he had wondered at what point he would be next.
The minute he woke up, he immediately cooked breakfast and placed a basket of recent purchases of fresh fruit at the dining table.
His lover would certainly feel refreshed by the warm and fluffy rice.
They had made it back really late last night. At the door, their cat gave them a long yawn as a welcome. Being the first to arrive, Kunikuzushi was in the process of removing his shoes when he slipped inside unannounced, his morose expression had thawed at the sight of jet-black hair which he knew exactly to whom they belonged.
“How did your day at work go?”
“Exactly as it has always been.”
He’d put his shoes next to Kunikuzushi’s, noticing how silent he was. There were no snide quips which at times required great patience on his part, no defiant looks whenever he attempted to guide him in the correct direction.
“Have you had a long day?”
“Eh… maybe?”
“Alright.”
He drew Kunikuzushi close to his chest. His back was so cold. Even with his work attire on, he could feel it. It was close to freezing up.
“What are you doing…?”
“A hug to keep you in good health. Four will be just enough to get by. But we did it once before we left this morning, so it should be okay. Everything is fine.”
Kunikuzushi exhaled a shaky breath. At the same time, the strain on his back had gradually eased. “Then we just need two more?”
“I don’t mind if you want more than that.”
“Just … hugging? What are we supposed to do while we’re at it?”
“There is nothing you need to do.” His laughter was gentle and low. “Just focus on me, that’s all. Think about how close our bodies are to each other now. It’s that simple, no?”
“None of this seems necessary, you know,” he replied, but his tone was not at all harsh.
“Maybe you’re right.”
Kunikuzushi had thrown all his weight on him, which he happily supported. Soaking up every event that happened to him today, trying to set up the space he needed. A breath of his perfume was still there, wafting out of his body.
After some time, he eventually had to pull away, albeit reluctantly. He reasoned, though, that he could get both of his hugs afterwards. “Have you had anything to eat?”
Kunikuzushi shrugged no in response. “Have you?”
“Fortunately, I went along with my instincts and bought more honey chicken than I could eat on my own. Come, help your boyfriend out.”
They had apportioned responsibility for preparing a hot bath and raking the cat litter. He could hardly remember when they went to bed, but it was the bath time that impressed him the most. Intertwining his fingers with Kunikuzushi’s, he had encouraged him to unwind and his beautiful boyfriend did so by leaning his back against his chest.
All the unmet desires were crossed out in his heart. And as he saw him breathing steadily; eyes closed with so much trust that, a year prior, he could not have had for him, Aether had found everything was too sweet and delicate for him to bear alone.
He was beckoned back to their convertible studio by a tap on the shoulder. A newscaster from the living room announced some world political news which he would only participate in if he was sufficiently interested in it or if it had a major impact on both their lives.
Kunikuzushi wore nothing but his pajama top, and only after he double-checked, did he realize (fondly) that it was his, snugly fitted into Kunikuzushi’s lean body.
“Morning, sleepyhead. Breakfast?”
“Mmm, thanks.”
His smile was slothful, exposing tiny, rather pointed teeth resembling a mythical creature from a children’s picture book.
“Here you go.” As Aether placed the crockery and glasses neatly on the table, their house cat, who had been awake since the sun’s earliest rays, had also positioned herself close to the table bun feet.
“Oh, you impatient wee thing. Follow me.” Kunikuzushi pushed himself up, led her toward her ceramic bowl, then poured the dry food in the amount they had previously measured together. “Your papi and I are going to have breakfast together, and you should wait till we’ve finished. Understand?”
The cat inclined her head in confusion, not touching her food right away. Her tail waggled softly. Kunikuzushi’s little sigh was exasperated as he scratched behind her ear.
“Listen. You know I care about you, don’t you? I just haven’t got a lot of time these days. And so does your papi. We’ll be busy throughout the day and … ah, anyway, you’ll be good for me, right?”
As if to release him from the weight of his thoughts, she sounded a sweet meow, rubbed her body against his legs, and only then did she eat. The sound of crunching was audible, louder than usual but not by much.
Kunikuzushi went back to the dining room, sat down on his seat. “You haven’t touched your meal,” he observed.
“I was waiting for you. Did she give you too much trouble?”
“Certainly not the one I couldn’t handle.” To which he added next, “I think she’s just in need of attention. The last few deadlines have been so harsh on me and you’ve had multiple meetings away from the office. I mean…”
Kunikuzushi did not even have an explanation for what the cat wanted. Perhaps it would be better If she were able to speak, even if it would have caught them off guard the first time.
He stirred his food absent-mindedly. “Ah, yes, I’ve noticed it, too. I was wondering when you’d say something about it.” Then he brought the spoon to his mouth, chewing slowly. “So, when is your day off? Will you have it any time soon?”
Kunikuzushi had yet to verify his schedule. To be quite honest, he was starting to lose the ability to differentiate weekdays from weekends. Everything seemed to merge together into one blur motion, making him lightheaded and unable to see far ahead.
Then he felt a warm touch on the back of his hand. Aether had yet to grasp it.
“Kunikuzushi? Hey? Is the food unappetizing?”
“No.”
“It isn’t to your liking, then?”
“No, Aether, it’s not…” Not that. Kunikuzushi blew out a deep breath, along with an unconvincing smile on his visage. “Hey, maybe we do need a day out as soon as we can. I’m thinking of having a picnic. We can take her along. Or...”
The truth was, he was not concerned about where they were going. He could easily envision himself letting his feet stray, as long as he was with his cat, who had an erratic sleeping routine of her own, and Aether too, of course, whose entire face would scrunch up until it resembled a sponge bath whenever he was fatigued beyond a lifetime.
“A picnic. That sounds like a great idea.”
Aether raised his body just a little from the seat, leaned forward, and kissed him with tenderness his brain must have stopped as he caught his breath. Sometimes he touched him with such care that Kunikuzushi had no need of it, given that they had been a couple for quite a long time. And as suddenly as they had arrived, the dark clouds retreated and were replaced with brighter ones.
“Okay. I’ll be looking forward to it.”