Chapter Text
Gojo wasn’t expecting to be picked up that night. In all honesty, he’d been content–sort of–to lie in the box on the side of the road, making himself comfortable inside of it while he waited until he turned back into a human. It was winter, but more than a few people had dropped off scarves and put it in his box, and Gojo had always liked people-watching, so his vantage point a few steps away from a mall entrance wasn’t bad either. He also enjoyed the numerous pats to his head he received while he was like this, as people passed by and ducked to rub between his fluffy white ears for a few seconds before going on with their day.
Gojo didn’t know how he’d ended up like this. Last night, he’d gone to sleep in his Tokyo apartment’s bed, burying himself in the dark black duvet, beneath his matching grey sheets. He was a human then, tall and fit, handsome if he was to say so himself. He had an odd appearance, one that garnered more than a few questions, confused smiles as women pointed to his white hair, their jaws dropping in shock and admiration when he lowered his shades to reveal stark blue eyes, but more than enough men and women alike had suggested he model for him to not realize that he was good looking. He couldn’t see his eyes anymore, had woken up locked outside of his apartment this morning, approximately six feet shorter, but he knew he had white fur, and judging by the ease with which his gaze grew fatigued, he figured his blues had likely stayed the same too.
He imagined he was a cute cat, given how many people seemed incapable of resisting running their hands through his fluffy fur despite clearly being busy. More than a few stopped in front of him when they’d come out of the mall and he was still there, half-asleep in that cozy cardboard box, murmurs of concern echoing around him. But none of them stopped to pick him up, to take him home, and he was rather glad because he didn’t know how he’d find his way back to his apartment as a cat if he wandered too far.
He’d been ready to close his eyes and settle in for the evening when a shadow blocked the bright Christmas lights that decorated the streets, glowing at night. Catoru cracked an eye open, prepared to yowl at the person for blocking his view, only for a man to crouch down in front of him, a large hand held out to sniff. Catoru’s eyes narrowed; he couldn’t see the man clearly with the way the lights haloed him, obscuring his features in darkness. He took a hesitant sniff, knew that’s what cats were supposed to do, and the man waited a second, as if gauging for an adverse reaction, before letting those long, thick fingers settle atop his head. A low purr escaped from deep within Catoru’s chest, his eyes fluttering shut. Light blocker or not, the man’s hands felt nice, and Catoru let out a quiet ‘mraur’ when the man scratched behind his ear with a delicate nail.
He decided then that he didn’t mind the man blocking the view of everyone else if it meant he’d get pets like this. Before he’d become a cat, Gojo had been painfully single, his own fault more than anything. He knew himself that he was overworking, spending all of his time navigating life between his job as a professor and the two children he’d adopted. They were adults now, in university, but Gojo wasn’t the type of parent to stop worrying as soon as they were away from home, and given that they lived in the dorms where Gojo worked, it was easy to find himself occupying his time with them.
A stray thought passed through his head. He’d been sitting there, a cat, all day, and while it was the weekend, he tended to call Megumi and Tsumiki daily. He wondered if they were worried about him; maybe he should find his way to the campus tomorrow.
His thoughts dissipated as soon as they appeared when the man’s hand came to a halt above his head, and suddenly he was being lifted into the air. Catoru jerked, letting out a startled meow, and the man paused, slowing down as he carefully lifted the box to eye level. And oh, were his eyes beautiful. Catoru blinked, blinked again, as if after one of these blinks, those beautiful brown eyes wouldn’t be there anymore. Catoru didn’t know if he was fortunate or unfortunate that when he blinked again, they were still there, warm and gentle, a soft hazel that reminded him of autumn.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” the man said, and his voice was beautiful too, deep and a little raspy, soft and low like he was trying not to give Catoru another fright. “It gets chilly at night,” he said, slipping his hand back into the box and offering Catoru another sniff. Catoru took it, and he didn’t know if it was the man’s natural scent or not, but he smelled like warmth personified, what Catoru imagined it’d smell like if he could inhale the sun. He meowed and nudged the man’s hand, and the resulting smile the man leveled at him made him melt. It was gentle, small but genuine, and from this close, Catoru could see the way his eyes crinkled beneath wispy strands of hair. “Can I take you home?”
Catoru would’ve preferred those words coming from a man so beautiful in another context, but he made a noise anyway, struggling to communicate his affirmation. He nuzzled harder into the man’s hand, and the man released a quiet chuckle and, apparently, accepted it for the yes it was. Catoru meowed with pleasure before settling back into the box as the man tucked it beneath his arm and made his way to a nearby convenience store.
Inside, Catoru watched with a lazy gaze as the man wandered around, picking out various cat items, little tubs of salmon and a water bowl, and then a toy or two. It was cute, the way he would stop every so often to set Catoru down, crouching in front of him and holding out options. Each time Catoru would paw at one, and the man would put the other back on the shelf before setting the item in Catoru’s box, and by the time they made it to the register, there was scarcely enough room for Catoru in his own box.
“Oh, you got a cat?” the cashier said with curious eyes as he rang up the items. He leaned forward, peering into the box, and with a loud coo, he reached inside, offering his hand to pet. Catoru gave it a wary sniff, and it didn’t smell nearly as lovely as his new owner’s hand, but it wasn’t too bad either, so he let his eyes shut again and allowed the cashier to pet him. “So cute,” he said with a squeal, and Catoru imagined his big brown eyes went wide as he said it.
“I found him on the side of the road,” the man said, his deep voice a sharp, soothing contrast to the cashier’s enthusiasm, and Catoru found himself letting out another quiet purr.
“Seriously?” The cashier paused his petting, and when Catoru cracked an eye open, he was looking up at the man. In the light of the convenience store, Catoru could see now that the man who’d picked him up was tall and stern-looking with wheat-blond hair and severe cheekbones. It was his eyes that betrayed his softness, that warm hue so gentle he could never mistake the man for anything other than beautiful. The man shrugged at the cashier. “That’s unlike you.”
A crack of a smile. “Maybe I was feeling impulsive,” he said, and the cashier hummed, finally pulling his hand away and going back to ringing up the items.
Catoru sighed, poking his head out of the box as the man continued to make small talk with his new owner. He narrowed his eyes. ‘Haibara Yu’ his nametag said, and Catoru glanced between Yu and the man before hopping out of the box and prowling over the counter toward Yu. Yu let out a delighted giggle as Catoru pawed at his nametag before glancing down, his soft brown eyes wide. They weren’t quite as gentle as the brown eyes Catoru preferred, but Catoru couldn’t hold him to that standard.
“Oh?” Yu said, pointing at the tag. “I’m Yu,” he said, smiling, and Catoru meowed an acknowledgement before turning to the man with an expectant gaze. Behind him, Yu let out a loud laugh, running a hand down his back. “You’re so smart,” he said, and the man’s brows furrowed as Yu added, “That’s Kento.”
Gojo tried to meow the name, Kento, a handsome name for a handsome man, and the soft smile that spread across Kento’s face was like the sun’s rays erupting behind the clouds after a rainy day. Catoru meowed it again, and Kento laughed, low and deep, before running a hand over Catoru’s head and ducking to meet his gaze. He glanced at Yu and back.
“Never seen a cat do that,” he said, petting Catoru now like he wasn’t even aware of it. Catoru meowed and moved closer, sliding Kento’s hand down his back and letting his tail curl around his wrist.
“I know right!” Yu said, and the register made a noise as he rang up the last item before accepting the card Kento passed to him. “He tried to say your name; he loves you already.” Yu handed Kento his card back and grabbed the receipt, stuffing it into the bag before passing that to Kento too.
Kento hummed, and upon seeming to realize that Catoru had no plans to let go of his wrist, he picked him up with his hand, tucking him into his arm. Yu accepted the box before Kento said a word, sliding it underneath the counter, and Catoru nudged into Kento’s arms, warm and muscular, thick. He wondered how they’d feel wrapped around his human body because as a cat, he didn’t think he wanted to be anywhere else.
“Thanks, Yu,” Kento said for the items, and Yu offered a bright grin and a wave as Kento left the store, the door ringing with his exit.
The walk from the convenience store to Kento’s home wasn’t far, and Catoru was glad because it meant that he might still be able to find his way back to his own apartment whenever he stopped being a cat. Maybe before that, depending how long his predicament lasted. He wanted to be home before Monday, when Megumi and Tsumiki tended to come by for dinner after Gojo had once begged them, whining that they needed to keep spending time with him even after they graduated. They’d made the concession with only a few threats from Gojo to embarrass them at school, and Gojo wouldn’t miss it even if he was a cat.
Kento lived in a nice apartment building with a bold ‘pet-friendly’ sign on the front door. Catoru watched lazily as Kento slipped through the front door of his lobby and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the third floor, and when they finally made it to the end of the hall where Kento lived, Catoru hopped out of his arms and slipped through the door as Kento cracked it open.
Kento made a quiet, startled noise, but he didn’t call for Catoru to come back, and Catoru used the opportunity to explore as Kento took off his shoes and began to put away the things he’d bought. Kento’s house was nice and cozy, large and spacious, though Catoru imagined it looked bigger as a cat. The seating area was decorated with a tan couch and a matching loveseat, a coffee table in the middle. There was a bookshelf on the far wall, though it didn’t look particularly organized aside from a row of books labeled ‘Tbr.’ Beside that sat a tall Christmas tree, decorated with a few ornaments and a star on top.
Catoru made a few noises in commentary as he wandered deeper into the apartment, down a short hallway and inside an open door. It was Kento’s bedroom, quaint and neat, his bed made up with dark red sheets. There wasn’t much interesting inside; Kento kept the room sparse, and Catoru slipped back out soon enough before he made his way back to the front of the apartment.
Kento was in the kitchen, and Catoru followed the noise of a few pots and pans before hopping up onto the kitchen counter and taking a seat next to a blender. Kento paused to glance at Catoru, and for a second Catoru thought he was going to scold him, but instead, he set a soft hand on his head again and ruffled his fur before going back to what he was doing.
“I guess I should get used to having a cat on my kitchen tables,” Kento said, and Catoru cocked his head as he watched Kento bustle around the kitchen, cracking open one of the packs of salmon he bought and sliding it into a pan. He sprinkled water into the pan as well, adding a couple of vegetables, and then he placed a lid over the pan and let the food simmer. Catoru let out a meow of excitement, and Kento turned to look at him, leveling him with a long, soft stare before leaning against the kitchen counter next to him. “You’re very cute,” he said, holding his hand out again, and Catoru was quick to place his head in Kento’s hand with an enthusiastic ‘mreow!’
Kento smiled.
“You’re talkative too,” he said, scratching beneath Catoru’s chin, eliciting another rumbling purr. Catoru thought he could get far too used to life like this if Kento was going to keep doting on him. “I was told cats are solitary creatures, but you seem too chatty for that.” Catoru meowed; was that supposed to be an insult? Kento hummed. “I guess it’ll keep me company.”
Catoru imagined that a man who looked like that could’ve gotten company from anyone if he wanted to. He batted his eyelashes, widening his blue eyes, and he hoped that when he turned back human, Kento would still find him just as adorable. Not to mention, with an actual human, he wouldn’t have to talk to himself, and Kento had been right because Gojo was chatty. Catoru wiggled, slipping closer towards Kento, and Kento released a quiet chuckle as he let Catoru rub his face against his chest.
Catoru meowed again, his tail flickering behind him. Kento was soft and comfortable, even here. He’d taken off his sweater at some point, and the grey tee he wore was thin, enough that Catoru could feel the firmness of his chest beneath the fabric. But it wasn’t too firm, flexed only when he moved or let out a soft laugh, and Catoru loved it, rubbing his forehead all over Kento’s chest as Kento continued to pet him.
After a while, Kento pulled away and grabbed the food he’d cooked before pouring it into one of the cat bowls he’d bought. Catoru let out a pleased sound, and Kento chuckled, setting the bowl onto the counter before stepping back and letting Catoru approach it. He looked away while Catoru ate, busying himself with cleaning the kitchen, and even without any seasoning, the food he’d made was much better than Catoru expected to eat as a cat. When Kento was done cleaning, he turned back to Catoru and ducked his head.
“I’ll look up what other things you can have too,” he said, and Catoru felt his heart swell in his chest. Kento was so gentle, perfect, and Catoru hadn't known all it’d take to meet the man of his dreams was to turn into a cat and wait.
When he was finished eating, Kento grabbed the bowl and set it in the sink to be cleaned later before, rubbing a hand across Catoru’s head.
“I have to shower,” he said, and Catoru jumped off the counter to begin following as Kento headed for his bedroom. Kento glanced down at Catoru. “Will you be okay out here?’
“Mreow!”
Kento hummed. “I can’t tell if that’s a yes or a no.” He cracked open the door to his bedroom and slipped inside, leaving it open for Catoru to follow, and Catoru did with no qualms. Admittedly, he knew he should let Kento shower alone; it wouldn’t be fair if Catoru got to see him naked whilst he was a cat while knowing that he had a human brain and would, hopefully, be turning back soon. He poked out his tongue, but as Kento reached down to grip the edges of his shirt, Catoru turned around with a haughty huff, facing the doorway instead. “Wow,” Kento said, beneath the swish of fabric. “Yu’s gonna have a field day when I tell him you turned around.” He chuckled. “Do you even understand? Perhaps you just got interested in something that way.”
Catoru let out a protesting meow. He hadn’t gotten distracted; he was being a gentleman, hopefully a point in his favor when he turned back. Kento must’ve finished getting undressed because in the next few seconds, he was brushing past Catoru, a towel wrapped around his waist, and Catoru made a point to look at his face as he crouched down and pet his head.
“I guess you’ll be fine out here then,” he said, and Catoru released a mournful sigh, but he had to be responsible. Maybe Kento would give him a treat for it.
Still, he sat outside the shower door while he waited, bored already with the few things he’d found in Kento’s apartment. There wasn’t much to enjoy inside of it for a nonhuman, and Catoru had played with the toys Kento bought for a few minutes before missing Kento’s presence and going back to the bathroom door. After a while, it finally cracked open, and Catoru strutted off towards Kento’s bedroom, not waiting for Kento to follow.
Kento laughed. “You missed me already?” he asked, though he followed Catoru anyway, laughing again as Catoru turned around once more while he got dressed. When he was done, he bent down and picked Catoru up in those big arms again, holding him close, and Catoru loved it here. “I didn’t know cats could be so clingy.” A faint meow in protest, though it quickly petered off with the way Kento was petting him again as he took a seat on his bed.
Catoru’s purrs were steady now, each one escaping from the depths of his stomach, and Kento held him close as he lay back in his bed, his hand a steady stroke over Catoru’s fur. Catoru didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep, but it was hard not to in Kento’s arms like this, and for the first time in far too long, Catoru felt soothed, cocooned in someone's touch, his breaths growing steady as he sank into the feeling and off the edges of consciousness.