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It had been Aphelios’ idea for them to get out of the house a bit. Kayn had rolled his eyes, and Yone had protested with an excuse about meetings and schedules that K’Sante quickly shut down with a meaningful look. He would take care of everything around the house, including meeting with Alune and the label company, while Yone got some much-needed time away. The eyebags weren’t getting any smaller, and late hours spent behind the computer certainly weren’t helping. Ezreal quickly shoved Kayn out after them, who really only seemed interested in what kind of trouble the lot could get up to during their day out. Sett wished Aphelios a fun trip and requested that he bring back some snacks, and sent him on his way.
Yone, much to Kayn’s disappointment, claimed the keys to the SUV that the label had bought to fit all of them. Without Sett or K’Sante, it was rather roomy, though the scowl on Kayn’s face never quite left as he was sequestered to the backseat so Aphelios could navigate. This was meant to be a surprise, after all, but there was no way that Aphelios would listen to Kayn’s whining that he couldn’t drive. The rocker wouldn’t dare to be as dramatic with Yone in the driver’s seat – at least, not for now.
Aphelios navigated them to a small building downtown. Denoted by a bright yellow and white awning, and cartoonish drawings of cats batting down Christmas bulbs, the sign outside read “KARMA CATS CAFÉ”, with a smaller label inviting visitors come to sit, to drink, and to enjoy some of their local adoptable cats in a low-stress and fun environment. Aphelios was half expecting Kayn to protest, to call the activity stupid or whine about going home, or Yone to protest in that silent disapproving scowl he has. But to his pleasant surprise, both men seemed enchanted by the prospect of the cats.
“This was your surprise? Why didn’t you bring everyone along?” Kayn’s voice pitched with something close to glee. “Ez would have loved this.”
Yone’s face simply lifted into a small grin, nodding once at Aphelios in approval. Aphelios turned to the backseat so Kayn and Yone could watch him sign.
‘Wanted to do something for just us. They’ve got us working double time on this new project and we needed some time away.’
He wasn’t wrong, of course. They were already planning an album, and the publishing label had been pressuring them to develop it as quickly as possible, to follow hot on the heels of the popularity of PARANOIA. This had, of course, received, some pushback from Yone and K’Sante in a bid to give their boys time to embrace the creative side of crafting a song. Kayn and Rhaast usually had something cooking, though, and their groundwork had led to many sleepless nights for Aphelios as he tried to build a melody around the deep voice and expansive lyrics. Yone, like any good producer and resident mother, had stayed up with the pair. While it remained under the guise of getting work done and answering emails from the other side of the world, where the sun still lit the world, both men knew that Yone was staying awake for them. Channeling – and controlling – Rhaast always took something out of Kayn, and Aphelios had the habit of getting a little too lost in his music, so Yone provided the grounding to allow them to flourish. All of this support, of course, from the other side of his meticulously organized desk and the tap of long fingers against his keyboard. Close, without being overbearing. The three had been through it the past few months, making this day off to the cat café the perfect thing to refresh their minds and creative spirits.
Kayn’s face wrinkled into a genuine smile, one Aphelios wasn’t sure he had seen before. He was the first one out of the car, followed by Aphelios and finally Yone, who locked it behind them before heading into the café.
To say the interior was chaotic was an understatement. The doors opened to a small lobby, where a counter stood next to a series of windows looking into the cat room. Around the café were several displays of local artists, cat toys, and posters of cat related humor that had Yone chuckling quietly to himself. Past the second set of doors next to the counter was the door to the cat room, filled with approximately 23 cats playing with dozens of cat toys. Towers and shelves filled the room, giving them safe places to climb and play around the building. A frazzled looking woman edged her way out of the cat room, nudging a runaway tabby back inside with her heel.
“Heya, folks, you must be Aphelios, right?” She murmured, looking at Yone, who stood nearest to the counter. Yone simply shook his head and nodded toward Aphelios, who waved to get her attention.
“Well, the room’s all set for you. I’ve closed it for the next few hours, so it’ll be just you and the kitties until about 2. Is that enough time?” Aphelios nodded, and she continued. “Anyone in there is adoptable, and their names are up on the board. All I ask is that you be gentle with the cats, but I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”
The men nodded, Kayn distractedly so, as he stared through the window at two cats fighting over a plastic tube. The woman slid a waiver over, and after all three signatures were given, she handed them each a bag of dry food and sent them on their way.
“Phel, this was a great idea, can’t believe I’ve never thought about something like this.” Kayn’s excitement was almost palpable as he pushed through the door. One black cat immediately bounded over to him, sniffing his pants experimentally before rubbing up against his legs with a pleased purr. Yone’s excitement was restricted to a knowing smile as he strode over to a nearby chair to observe the cats. Aphelios felt his heart swell, both with the soft fur brushing against his own leg, and the feeling of his best friends enjoying their outing. He sat comfortably in the middle floor as a large tabby lazily walked up to him and flopping onto his free hand, demanding pets.
It wasn’t long before Kayn had a group of cats chasing him around, a feather toy drawing them into a game of cat-and-mouse. Once he tripped, though, he was quickly overwhelmed with the cats taking up residence on his back and thighs, pinning him to the ground under their fluff. Aphelios laughed, bright and loud, ignoring the pain in his throat for the moment, and Yone felt his heart soar at the sound.
Of all of the band members, Aphelios held himself to a different standard. Yone ached for him, seeing a much of his own passion edging on darkness within the composer, knowing a lot of what he was going through. To have it all, and to walk away from it. Only difference was that Yone did so willingly, and Aphelios was forced into retirement. There was a melancholy to his soul that seemed to wrap itself around his creative spirit, choking it out if Aphelios allowed it to drag him too deep. And so, Yone remained, distant but close enough to drag him up and out if needed.
Today, Aphelios was dragging himself out from that darkness. He delighted himself with a fat orange cat that had claimed his lap as his own, her purrs loud enough to shake the composer’s body. Dark eyes glittered with delight as he signed to Yone.
‘So big. Can feel her here.’ He gestured to his chest. The cat opened her eyes at him as Aphelios stopped petting her to sign with Yone. He rolled out a half-hearted sigh and resumed petting her, setting her at peace.
Yone busied himself with petting an older black cat that had wandered up to the nearby table. Slower than the rest, it was clear that he was lacking some of the attention that the kittens received from people like Kayn who was now tucking one such kitten in his jacket pocket. Yone appreciated the gentle bat of his cat’s head against his palm, the awkward shove as he positioned himself for Yone to pet the perfect spot along his crooked spine. Yone hummed as he scratched his dull nails against his butt, smiling to himself as the cat clawed gently into the table to display his pleasure.
The room was quiet, with random bursts of meows and occasional hisses coming from cats getting into playfights over their favorite toys or attention, and Kayn’s whispered speech to both the cats and Rhaast, being the only real noise. Yone breathed deeply, ignore the smell of cat litter, and felt something relax in his very soul. The older black cat, whose name was Hobbs, according to the name next to his picture on the wall, blinked slowly up at Yone. His heart stirred, fingers digging gently into the scruff around his neck. It was mediative, calming, the effect that something like yoga once had on him, until it became impossible to turn his racing brain off. These days, it was all about the next steps, meetings, building the brand while staying true to what they wanted out of it. But here, in the bright pink cat room of this building, it all turned off. Yone sighed contently, mind empty and body at peace.
Kayn, the ever energetic one, did not mirror the same quiet peace. He lay on his back, holding one kitten to the lights, before bringing her down to step gently on his face. Laughter followed as the gentle pads of the kitten’s feet pressed into his nose and cheeks. Another cat found refuge in the concave of his stomach, enjoying the bare skin of his crop top.
“You’re just a little guy, huh?” He murmured, quieter than his usual self for fear of scaring the cluster of cats that surrounded him otherwise. The kitten mewled in agreement, and Kayn groaned with the cuteness of it all. “That’s what I thought, little guy.”
“This isn’t very becoming of you, Kayn. Thought you were a bad boy.” Rhaast spoke up, teasing him.
Kayn groaned for real this time, his fingers sinking into another cat’s fur to help ground him against the mocking tone of the demon. Rhaast had been a boon to his career, somewhat a friend most of the time, and someone that he could always count on to listen. But sometimes, a guy just has to pet a cat. “Leave me alone.”
“Big bad Kayn, losing his mind over a kitten.” Rhaast snorted, and Kayn rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, they’re cute. What about it?”
Rhaast huffed in Kayn’s mind, and Kayn rolled his eyes. While Rhaast was a constant in Kayn’s life, and he appreciated the demon for what he did for him, and their goals, he couldn’t deny how obnoxious he could be at times.
A voice interrupted their back-and-forth. “Enough. Rhaast, leave him alone.”
Clearly, Yone had been used to breaking up arguments between the pair, and Rhaast fell silent with a scoff. Kayn returned to his important task of petting the cat that now sat comfortably on his chest, murmuring quietly to both the cat and himself.
Aphelios sat crossed-legged in the middle of the floor, the same orange cat slung comfortably in his lap. Where Kayn had delighted himself with playing with the cats, bouncing around energetically as they chased him, Aphelios had closed his eyes and entered a deep, meditative state. It was similar to those midnight trance states, where only him and the music existed, dragging him deeper and deeper until he lost himself in the emptiness. Sometimes, it was impossible for him to return from them independently, needing Yone’s firm hand on his shoulder to realize hours had passed and sunlight peaked through the curtain now.
Here, the steady, grounding thrum of Julius’ purr against his hands, Aphelios felt his heart soar. Music splayed across the darkness of his closed eyes, notes pulling themselves out of the darkness to dance in dazzling blue lights across his eyelids. Aphelios leaned into it, allowing the meditation to shatter the artist’s block that had rendered him useless for the past few weeks. He picked chords out of nothing, mentally comparing them against Rhaast’s deep voice, pulling elements of K’Sante and Ezreal’s pitches to weave into something that could be called a song. No notepad was required, his fingers plucking out the notes into the soft, orange fur of Julius as he purred. Without realizing it, he began to hum, matching the rate of the cat in front of him.
Yone looked on, watching the two boys find peace in their own ways. Part of him wanted the rest of the band there, but the majority of him was grateful for the moment of solitude, away from any prying eyes or questions to shatter the moment. The door would remain shut to the outside world for another half hour, plenty of time to bring the two back to ground level. There was something that Yone craved in their joy, in their peace, with something as simple as the cats that milled about the café. He considered Hobbs again, scratching gently against his chin and jaw, gazing softly into his green eyes.
“What am I going to do, Hobbs?” The question was almost silent, Yone supporting the silence of the other two. “What am I going to do?”
Hobbs simply blinked in response.
The remainder of their time passed uneventfully, with Aphelios locked in the blue trance of his mind and Kayn playing quietly with the small horde of cats that craved his attention. The bag that held the dry treats had been given out an hour ago, but that didn’t stop them from pleading with him for more. Out of the corner of his eye, Yone saw the frazzled looking woman nod gently at the window. Time was up, it was time to gather everyone up.
Yone gave Hobbs one last scratch along the jaw and ears, sighing happily at the old cat flopping over in content at the feeling. Something about that cat cleared Yone’s mind, grinding everything bringing him stress to a startling halt. It was addictive and nearly impossible to drag himself away, but he had work to do. Isn’t that always the problem?
“Kayn.” Yone called out, pulling the man from his mountain of cats clamoring for his attention. And to Kayn’s credit, he responded immediately to the soft command, rolling carefully to his knees and removing the cats from his pocket. Kayn gave each cat a gentle scratch between the ears and set them down to continue their play.
Rising to his feet, Kayn glanced at Aphelios with a worried look darkening his brow. “Is he…?”
Aphelios didn’t stir, indicating that he was in deep to whatever had claimed his attention today. Yone shook his head gently. “I don’t think so.”
They had to be careful with how they pulled Aphelios from his own mind. In too far, or in the middle of a work, and Aphelios would be startled back to Earth in a spluttering, disheveled mess. It would usually destroy whatever he had created in his mind’s eye, and make the entire session useless; Kayn was no longer allowed to wake him up from these, as they usually ended poorly, so he simply stood by and watched Yone move closer. It wasn’t like the other trances that Aphelios entered, his body was relaxed and eyes moved beneath his lids as his fingers plucked out more notes on the cat’s coat. Julius simply purred in response.
“Phel.” Yone’s voice was just above a whisper, watching the man carefully for any discomfort. “It’s time to go.”
Aphelios’ head tilted to the side, as if he were craning to hear something. Yone paused, allowing the words to sink through the layers of his mind, for Aphelios to process. The humming continued, faster this time, as his fingers picked up their pattern in the fur. Yone felt his heart sink, knowing the warning signs of mania in the man, where the dark obsession with music would overtake his passion for it. There was usually no good way out, and Yone steeled himself for the anticlimax of it all.
“Aphelios, it’s time to go.” Yone tried again, his voice louder, more firm, but still gentle. It was clear he wasn’t asking the man to come out of it himself this time, taking control for his own good. Yone knew that Aphelios preferred to be pulled out rather than be trapped, he signed it himself, but it was never pleasant for Yone to do so. Still, it was for Aphelios’ own good.
The humming picked up again, becoming more of a sound than a silent whisper that was typical. It was a broken tone, vocal folds wrecked from surgery knocking together harshly. Yone sighed, glancing up at Kayn who nodded in agreement. It was time.
“Aphelios. Come back to us.” Louder this time, as Yone moved to place his hand on Aphelios’ shoulder. Kayn took a step back to give him some space. “Come on, Phel. We’ve got you.”
But before Yone’s hand could make contact, Aphelios’ eyes flew open with a start, irises darting around wildly. Yone took a step back, waiting to see how he would react to the sudden return to this realm, and Kayn let out a soft curse under his breath. It was unlike Aphelios to bring himself back, especially when he was in that deep, and it never came with this level of energy. He was usually sapped, eyes downtrodden and soul bared empty to the void that claimed him. Usually, he’d slink away to a dark corner of the house and try to recover on his own. This time, Aphelios was energized, turning to both the men and signing wildly.
‘I’ve got it, I’ve got it. I’ve got the melody.’ Yone was the best at reading the rapid sign, while Kayn took a second to catch up. Julius opened one lazy eye, clearly displeased with the sudden movement that the room had, and hefted himself from Aphelios’ lap to find a still place to nap. Aphelios launched himself to his feet, grinning wildly, riding a high that he hadn’t felt since before the surgery that stole his voice. ‘I need my instruments, and the computer, but I got it!’
Yone allowed a rare smile to overtake his face. “Anything you need, Phel, we’ll get for you.”
‘And I need Kayn. And Rhaast.’ Aphelios looked over at the rocker, who nodded determinedly. Beneath the eyepatch, his red eye glowed in agreement.
“Here.” Even Rhaast was excited by the prospect of progress, following the mental block that Aphelios, and by extension, the other two, had faced over the past few weeks.
Aphelios sighed breathlessly, grin splitting his face in two. This was it, the same feeling when he was producing on his own. It felt like magic then, too, his soul being hefted by the music he made. A high worth riding, until the bitter end, something that he had perceived as gone for good. Maybe not.
With a start, he hurried off toward the door, leaving the other two to follow with confused and elated looks.
The car ride home was busy, full of chaotic and creative energy as Aphelios tried to describe the melody to Kayn. Kayn nodded along, adding his opinion in as needed, with Rhaast chiming in where he felt was appropriate. It was clear that this song would be a labor of love, creativity at its most pure form. Aphelios signed about bringing in other members of the band, adding an undercurrent to the song he had named All Bad Options for now.
Yone drove them home, smiling softly as Aphelios and Kayn burst into the house, both equally as excited about the project now. They disappeared into Aphelios room, where the sound of piano and a synthesizer quickly replaced Kayn’s loud voice. They’d be locked in there for a while, Yone wagered, and he made a note to ensure that they actually eat something today.
He took stock of the house since they left. Sett clearly went to the gym, if the dusting of candy-red protein powder across the kitchen counter was anything to say about it, and Ezreal could be anywhere, getting his social media fix for the day. And K’Sante must be –
“How did Phel’s little surprise go?” Came the deep rumble of the man behind him. Yone felt the tension in his heart melt at his very voice.
He turned, nodding softly at K’Sante. “Excellent. He took us to a cat café. I think he needed it more than anything. It evidently got something going in him.”
K’Sante was no stranger to Aphelios’ moods and fits, usually acting as another go-to for the composer when he craved the stable silence of someone that wasn’t Yone. “That’s good to hear. Him and Kayn blew past me on their way upstairs, so I’ll take that as a good sign that they’ve got something going.”
K’Sante moved across the kitchen, footsteps quiet for such a large man. He wrapped muscular arms around Yone’s lithe frame, resting his chin on Yone’s shoulder and pulling him tightly against his own body. “I know you were worried about him.”
“He takes himself too seriously. He’s going to burn out if he keeps up at this impossible rate.” Yone mused quietly as he rested his head against K’Sante’s.
“Who does that sound like to me, hmm?” K’Sante teased, pulling Yone even tighter against himself to press a butterfly-light kiss against his jaw. “No wonder you have a soft spot for the kid.”
They all had one for Aphelios, who was willing to tear himself apart for the craft. They knew that he could easily go days without eating or sleeping if his mind sank deep enough into the crooning darkness of obsession. Usually whatever came of those sessions was loathsome anyway, Aphelios throwing the darkest parts of himself into the notes only to despise it when he finally resurfaced. But there was something about the cats that changed that, that kept the waves of compulsion from pulling him under.
“You should have seen him, K. He was so bright when he came out of it, happy, even. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Yone mused out loud, melting back into K’Sante’s hold until the man was holding them both up. “There was this cat in his lap and something about him kept Phel from going too deep.”
“It must have been some cat, in that case, to keep that kid out of his own head.” K’Sante murmured.
“Yeah.” Yone’s tone was troubled as the image of relaxed Aphelios hunched over the cat appeared in his mind again. If only he could give that feeling to Aphelios again.
“You’re thinking about something.” And just like that, K’Sante jerked Yone back to Earth again, holding him firmly and comfortably. “Let’s hear it.”
…
A few days had passed since the trio returned from the cat café. The song had gone from a handful of lyrics jotted on a napkin stained with energy drinks, to a second draft recording of Kayn and Rhaast slipping between the rich chords that Aphelios crafted. It had brough a high to the group, with everyone thankful for the artistic break. Even the label seemed happy with the progress made and the direction the song was headed. The next step would be to pull in K’Sante’s voice and have Ezreal play backup on some of the lyrics.
Aphelios was glowing, constantly humming or writing down ideas in the old teal notebook that went everywhere with him. He would stand out on the porch with his eyes closed, to listen to the sound of the wind and the street and the birds above and jot down ideas with a grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes. Sett was enamored, watching Aphelios create even when the composer didn’t know he was being watched. Kayn, exhausted but happy with the work him and Rhaast had done, had taken some time off with Ezreal to recover a bit. The pair slept in Kayn’s room, whiling the hours away by talking, arguing, and playing video games to blow off some steam.
Yone had taken the few days after the creation of All Bad Options to draw out another plan, with K’Sante’s help. Together, they designed the schedule, cat litter three times a week on a rotating schedule, with K’Sante feeding him when he gets up for the gym and Aphelios feeding him at night. The whole group would play with him, that Yone had no concerns about. The only thing left was for the pair to return to the bright and airy cat café, and pick out the right cat for the house.
It was a struggle, admittedly, to pick out the best cat for the heavy job of being loved by the band. K’Sante was drawn to a tiny kitten who mewled in the palm of his hand. Yone stifled a laugh at the sight, of K’Sante being so gentle and kind to the tiny animal. No, they’d need something a little less fragile, especially knowing Kayn’s affinity for getting into trouble. Yone considered the tabby that tried to escape from the other day, but he seemed a little too high energy for what they needed. Besides, the house didn’t need any more escape artists.
The frazzled woman came in as the pair were selecting their cat. Her name, Yone had learned later, was Mandy, and many of the cats in the room had been hand raised by her after being rescued by good Samaritans.
“Y’know, Hobbs has been in a funk since you all left.” She nodded to the large black cat, who snoozed in a dark cubby in the corner. “Hasn’t come out much, and I’ve never seen him visit someone like he did with you. I don’t want to push you into anything, but sometimes the cat chooses the person.”
K’Sante nodded toward her gratefully as Yone moved closer to the snoozing old cat. Hobbs’ eyes opened, shinning up at Yone, and the man felt his heart swell. Something about it felt so perfect, like pieces were clicking into place.
“Old guy’s still got some play left in him, too, don’t let his tired look fool you. He’s just picky on who he loves. Aren’t we all?” Mandy laughed breathlessly and moved to leave the couple alone.
K’Sante crouched next to Yone, extending his hand out so the cat could take an experimental sniff. There was a pause as Hobbs decided if K’Sante was worthy of his attention, which was quickly granted in the form of the cat hefting himself up and pushing his head against K’Sante’s knee. A laugh rumbled from the man as he pet Hobbs, and Yone found himself grinning despite himself.
“Guess we have our answer.” K’Sante scratched Hobb’s back, smiling at the loud purr that echoed from him. “He’s perfect.”
The adoption process was quick and to the point, the adoption fee plus a little on top to help support the nonprofit rescue left along with a stack of paperwork. Mandy gave Hobbs a kiss against the head before they left, wishing him a good long life with the HEARTSTEEL band.
…
[SMS: HEARTSTEEL – From: Yone] Team meeting in ten.
Hobbs’ reveal to the rest of the band was a quick but vibrant affair, with Sett and Ezreal quickly losing their minds over his soft paws and shiny coat. Kayn was already shopping for more cat toys for the inevitable game of chase they’d have across the entire house. And once the crowd had died down some, and Hobbs was left to rest quietly by himself, Aphelios wandered up and sat beside him on the floor. To his delight, Hobbs curled lazily in his lap and purred loud enough to vibrate his chest. Aphelios’ eyes shone with tearful excitement.
Yone watched the band react with a warmed heart, body leaned against K’Sante’s in a rare display of public affection. K’Sante pressed a chaste kiss against his jaw and whispered in his ear.
“Merry Christmas, my moonlight.”