Archive of Our Own

“Are you allergic to cats?” Is the first thing Hiori asks Rin when he invites him over to his apartment after a few months of seeing each other. They’ve been only going to Rin’s apartment ever since they started dating each other just because it was always closer in distance to their college. Rin’s also not going to pretend that he didn’t freak out over the thought of being in Hiori’s home. Just the two of them. Sure, they’ve been alone just the two of them before, but it’s different when it’s Hiori’s apartment instead of his. It’s strangely intimate and Rin isn’t sure how to explain it. 

“No, I would’ve told you,” Rin responds casually. 

Hiori’s brought up multiple times how he owns a white cat and it would be a pain if Rin was allergic because Hiori really likes Rin, and he doesn’t want Rin not to be able to bond with his pet. Rin doesn't get that much since he doesn’t have any cats, dogs, or pets of his own because of his chaotic schedule, but it can’t be that hard to get along with a simple clump of fur. 

“I’ve never brought Nines around other people since he’s more reserved, so I hope he likes ya.” Hiori smiles at him as he swirls his straw around in his drink. 

“…You named your cat after a video game character.” 

“It’s a good game!” He yells out defensively. 

Rin rolls his eyes. “I doubt it’s going to be that difficult to get along with a cat.” 

Hiori shrugs, biting down on his straw. “He likes Isagi and Shidou.” 

“Then it’ll be no problem for me.” If Isagi and Shidou could do it, then Rin would just have to do it twice as well. Besides, if Nines standards are so low to take a liking to those two of all people, Rin doesn’t have anything to worry about. 

He’s also not going to act like the thought of Shidou and Isagi inside Hiori’s apartment doesn't send him into a fit of rage.

_____

Rin really overestimated himself.

Hiori’s cat, Nines, hates his guts. 

At first, when he entered Hiori’s apartment, a fluffy white cat with shining blue eyes immediately ran out of one of the rooms with multiple meows and rubbed himself on Hiori’s leg. His tail curled around Hiori and aggressively butted his head into him. 

Rin thinks he finally understands the saying of pet owners looking like their pets because Nines, with his big blue eyes, is almost identical to Hiori’s. 

Rin thought everything was fine and going smoothly with Nines since he managed to pet him a few times and scratch under his chin, but the moment Rin sat down next to Hiori on the couch, Nines was whining on and on about something. He doesn’t know how Hiori knows what his cat wants because he instantly gets up and pours food into his bowl. Maybe it was some owner and cat telepathy that Rin didn’t understand, but he really wouldn’t be surprised if his boyfriend was a secret cat whisperer. 

When Hiori settles himself back on the couch next to Rin, the horror movie they’re watching finally resumes. Rin should probably tell Hiori that he’s already seen this movie before, but as he glances at him, Hiori seems oddly interested in the plot, so it’s definitely too late to let him know now. He’ll just pretend to be shocked at the plot twist when the time comes. 

With each jumpscare that played on the screen, Hiori scooted closer to Rin every time. He wasn’t sure if Hiori was scared or just wanted to be near him, but it was a win for him either way. Hiori latches onto Rin’s arm when the tenth jumpscare plays and Rin almost jumps at the contact. They’ve held hands, hugged, and slept in the same bed together before, but it still makes him feel like a teenage boy falling in love again. 

Even then, he forces himself to move past his nerves and leans in subtly to Hiori’s touch. He could be bold and wrap his arm around Hiori, bringing him closer, but he’s sure his brain would short circuit if he tried, so he stays in place, letting Hiori grab on tightly to his arm. 

“The jumpscares aren’t really jumpscares, are they?” Hiori says quietly. It’s the first words he’s spoken ever since they started the movie. Rin never noticed that they were forty minutes into the movie and neither of them found it necessary to talk. “It’s just loud noises meant to startle ya.” 

Rin turns his attention to Hiori who’s still clinging onto him. “Is it not working?” 

“Ya got the wrong idea. I’m not holdin’ onto ya 'cause I’m scared,” Hiori chuckles, looking at his boyfriend. “Is it a crime to wanna be closer to my boyfriend?”

Rin nearly pulled away not realizing how close their faces were now that Hiori was staring at him. He hoped that his heart thundering inside his chest hadn’t exploded yet and that the lights being turned off hid his flushed face. Goosebumps filled along his arm as he swallowed a lump in his throat, never once tearing his eyes away from Hiori. He swore time stopped as they were a mere few inches apart, trying to silence his breathing, afraid that if Hiori heard him, this moment would be ruined. 

The air was thick around them, filling itself with unspoken words. Rin didn’t know if he was losing his composure or if he was just on the verge of dropping dead right on the spot as his breath caught in his throat. For a single second, as the tension rose, Rin thought he saw something… raw in Hiori’s eyes. Eyes that flickered down to his lips before quickly realizing his mistake and meeting his gaze once again. 

Rin didn’t notice they were both leaning in, slowly closing the gap until their noses were touching. His heart comes back to haunt him, pulsating beneath his fingertips. 

“Rin, I…” Hiori mumbles way too intimately for him to take in all at once. He isn’t sure how he’s still maintaining eye contact like this. The way he hasn’t torn away yet should be praised in history books. 

Rin knows what Hiori was trying to say. Even with barely speaking any words, they both know they crave the same thing. The slow build-up of staring into each other's eyes and sluggishly leaning in closer until they could practically feel one another breathing was a silent ask for something more and they both understood. 

Inching just a bit closer, they- 

“ Ah! ” Hiori yelped suddenly, causing Rin to jump and pull away at an alarming speed. 

Had he done something wrong? Was it too much for him? Was he moving too fast? Did he make him uncomfortable? Rin opened his mouth to spew out rushed apologies, terrified that he made his boyfriend uneasy, but something in Hiori’s gaze told him that he was not at fault. He follows Hiori’s eyes that were looking down at his lap and he finally knows the reason why he yelled. 

Nines pounced right onto Hiori’s lap just before their lips could connect. He sat there to make himself as comfortable as possible, acting as if he didn’t just ruin this for Rin. Call him petty for being mad at a cat, but the way Nines was looking at him with such a dismissive expression as if he knew what he was doing ticked him off. 

“Sorry,” Hiori laughed as he softly ran his hand through Nines‘ fur. “I guess he needs time to warm up to ya?” 

Rin waved it off, trying his best to hide his embarrassment by turning back to the TV and attempting to pay attention to the horror movie again. “I’ll win him over.” 

Rin doesn't ignore the way Nines sends a glare his way.

Yeah, this cat hates his fucking guts.

_____

Rin does whatever he can to overlook Nines hatred for him. It’s almost impossible with the way he’s constantly forcing himself in between them whenever they’re sitting next to each other or how loudly he cries for food the moment they try to hold hands as if Hiori didn’t feed him ten minutes ago. Rin may be many things, but he’s not going to let a cat of all animals push a wedge between him and Hiori’s relationship. 

He likes Hiori, possibly more than everything else in his life, but it’s too early to say if he loves him. They’ve been dating for a few months and you’d think that’s enough time to decide if you love the person you're dating, but Rin’s never gone through this entire process of love before. He doesn’t know what the difference between like and love is, nor is he sure if he’s doing it right, but if he’s an expert on anything, it’s that he cares for Hiori deeply and definitely doesn’t want this relationship to end. So if Nines thinks he’s going to win this war by trying to pounce Rin away, then he’s surely mistaken. He’s never turned down a challenge. 

He thanks his brain for being a quick thinker when he comes up with an idea on the spot. Maybe Nines is winning with one point so far, but Rin will be quick to turn to tides. 

“A date?” Hiori cocked his head to the side when Rin voices his very smart idea to his boyfriend. The corners of his lips slowly twist into a fond smile. “Sure, I’d love to go on one.” 

“A restaurant?” With Hiori responding with an enthusiastic nod, Rin decided it was time to let his plan commence. “We should do something different this time.” 

Curious and intrigued, Hiori raised an eyebrow. “What are ya thinkin’?” 

“We go to your apartment and I cook for you instead,” Rin suggested. “It’s the weekend, so restaurants are most likely crowded. I doubt we’d be able to get a table without a reservation.”

Hiori’s eyes lit up, already agreeing with him in his head. Rin assumes it’s because Hiori knows beforehand how nice his cooking is since he’s had it a few times. “That sounds nice, I’d like that a lot. But, my apartment? Usually, we go to yours, why the sudden change?” 

Because I need to show your cat that I’m sticking around and he’s not winning. 

He shrugged. “Just because the store near your apartment is better.” 

“Ah, that’s right, you need to buy ingredients,” Hiori said with a quick hum. “Should we stop by on our way back then?” 

“That’s the plan,” Rin replied before he thought and bit his tongue immediately, hoping it didn’t cause any suspicion for Hiori. 

Thankfully, Hiori kept looking ahead and Rin was in the clear. 

Phase one was complete. 

_____

The second phase was easy. He had made it inside Hiori’s apartment once again, not missing how Nines kept scowling at him, but that was neither here, nor there. All he had to do now was work his magic with the ingredients he and Hiori picked out when they figured out what they both wanted to eat. 

Hiori ran off to his room with Nines the moment they entered the apartment and Rin took it that he needed some time alone for a little bit. Not like Rin would mind, he didn’t like someone talking to him when he was trying to cook, anyway. He didn’t like balancing more than one task at once or getting distracted and possibly hurting himself, so it was good they both knew what the other needed. He wouldn’t bother Hiori for the time being, knowing he liked his space, and that worked out for Rin. 

He spent his time placing the freshly cooked food on the plates and setting the table, making sure everything was perfect. He couldn’t have a single thing wrong with their dinner or that would be another win for Nines. Rin wouldn't dare to give him the satisfaction of winning again. He even went through the process of taste-testing his own food, even if he knew it was already amazing. 

All he needed to do was pour the red wine into their glasses and it was ready. Neither of them were huge drinkers, but on days when they did decide to use alcoholic beverages, Hiori usually was the one who lost himself in it first. He never would get too drunk when he was offered alcohol, but it was definitely enough to alter his introverted personality. 

A certain memory of a tipsy Hiori clinging onto him while they both walk out of a packed house, so Rin could help him call for a lift sticks out to him. Hiori couldn’t call one himself, claiming he was more drunk than he thought he was while laughing. Rin doesn’t know what came over him at that moment to reach out and help him, but he did. He didn't think they were dating at the time, but he considered Hiori a tolerable guy since they’d talked about horror games before and bonded over many things. He’s also done a few favors for Rin out of the goodness of his heart and Rin doesn't like being indebted to someone.

Rin didn't let loose at college parties often or at all since if he ever needed a day to get drunk off his mind, then he’d do that alone in the comfort of his apartment. He didn’t know what he was like when he was drunk and he certainly didn’t want to find out. Not in front of a crowd either. 

However, today was different. It’s not like he’s going to get blackout drunk off of wine. Maybe he and Hiori would get slightly tipsy, but it wouldn’t be anything out of control. 

Hiori comes strolling out of his room with the soft pitter-patter of his footsteps against the floor, alerting Rin. He pops his head out into the kitchen, an excited smile on his face that makes Rin’s heart jump. “It smells good.” 

“Sit.” Rin pointed at the chair across from him as he sat in the other one. “It’ll taste better than it looks.” 

“You went all out,” Hiori giggled, making his way to sit in his chair. He picked up his fork, cutting into his food. “Was the wine necessary?” 

Rin glared at him with a scowl. “You think I can’t be fancy?” 

He chuckled while shaking his head lightheartedly. “Ya don’t need to be, but this is nice. It's different and I like that.” 

“We’ve never been normal, anyway,” Rin muttered, not taking a bite of his food until he saw Hiori do it first. 

“What made ya do this?” Hiori asked, chomping on the food as bliss took over his face. “God, this is really good.” 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Rin said, pretending he didn’t want to jump in the air at the simple compliment. Even if he knew his food was good, he could never get tired of hearing it from Hiori’s mouth. 

“Answer my question.”

“I just wanted to.” He shrugged, finally cutting into his own meal. “It’s better. There’s no one listening to our conversations or someone staring at us. It’s quiet. Private.” 

“I like it,” Hiori replied with a content smile. “We should do this more often.” 

Rin rolled his eyes. “Just say you want to eat my food.” 

“And is that such a bad thing?” He grinned as he picked up his wine glass and put it up to his lips. “If ya lived here, I wouldn’t have to worry about drivin’ all the way to your apartment to eat.” 

“You could just call me and tell me you're hungry.” Rin watched as the wine went down Hiori’s throat. “I’d bring it over to you instead.” 

Hiori scoffed, swirling the liquid in his glass around. “Totally not pickin’ up on my hints, are ya?” 

“Maybe I am,” Rin mused. “I just want to hear you say it.” 

Hiori doesn’t shy away from the obvious blatant flirting. Instead, he smirks and places his elbows on the table, the palms of his hands capturing his cheeks. “If I knew any better, then I’d say you're indulgin’ in my silly fantasies.” 

Rin doesn’t turn away, keeping their eye contact for as long as he possibly could manage. “And who said it was a fantasy?” 

“Careful,” Hiori warned playfully, taking another sip of his wine. “You're givin’ me ideas.”

Rin opened his mouth to respond, but just before he could, a flash of white fur invaded his vision. 

You’ve got to be kidding me. 

Nines had jumped on the fucking table, making the plates shake and clatter. Rin’s eyes could only widen as he sat in his seat, paralyzed in a state of shock. No way Nines found a way to ruin this for him. Where had he been all this time? Was Rin too distracted to notice that he was observing from afar and just waiting for the perfect moment to attack? He surely thought that Hiori had locked Nines inside of his room or he had gone off to take a nap somewhere in the house, but as Nines stood tall and mighty on top of the table, Rin’s eye twitched.  

Surprised at the sudden outburst from his cat, Hiori almost spit out the wine swirling inside his mouth as a disgruntled noise came from his throat. “ Nines! ”

Hiori placed his glass down gently and stood up to move Nines off the table, but before his hands could make contact with the pet, Nines turned his head to Rin, its beady eyes staring directly at him as if trying to communicate something to him. If he knew any better, then Rin would say that Nines looked like he was smirking at him. That was strange enough, to say the least, but as his paw started to move to his glass filled with wine that he hadn’t had the chance to touch yet, it all sank in. 

Oh, this bitch better not-

The sound of glass shattering into small pieces on the ground was enough for both of them. It was an awfully messy scene of red wine staining the floor with shards of glass scattered everywhere in the kitchen. They’d have to be extra cautious when cleaning so no one would accidentally cut themselves. 

The two of them stayed silent for a moment, taking in everything that just transpired. When Rin glanced to see what kind of face Hiori was making, he saw Hiori with his hands over his mouth and stunned eyes, a flush covering his cheeks. It’s safe to say that he’s incredibly embarrassed about what happened. All while Nines sat on the table, his tail swinging back and forth full of pride. He even had the audacity to lick his paws.

“I’m so sorry,” Hiori stammered for a response, still mortified. “Don’t- just be careful when ya move, don’t step on the glass.” 

Nines hopped off the table, glancing at Rin with a smug glint in his eyes.

If it wasn’t obvious before, Nines really hates him. 

_____

“Your cat hates me,” Rin says absentmindedly, not too hurt about it. He already knows from the start that Nines has it out for him, so voicing it doesn’t cause him any damage. 

Hiori laughs, pushing the door to his room close and sliding into bed next to Rin. “I noticed. Nines isn’t exactly shy when he dislikes someone.” 

“Yeah, the constant scratching and hissing was enough for me.” Rin rolls his eyes. It didn’t take a genius to know that Nines doesn't like him. It’s so blatantly in their faces with him always parading himself in the middle of them whenever they even try to get romantic. 

“I don’t know why he’s actin’ like this, he's never done this with anyone else I've brought over.” Hiori sighs, slumping and shimming his legs inside the blankets. “I really wanted him to like ya.” 

“He’ll come around,” Rin mumbles as he tries his best to cheer his boyfriend up. He’s always been terrible at the whole comforting thing, so he hopes he’s doing it right. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere. He’ll just have to get used to me.” 

“That’s probably for the best.“ Again, Hiori laughs, scooting closer to Rin. “I found him shortly after I moved out of my parent's house, so he means a lot to me.” 

“A stray?” Rin asked. 

He nodded, his eyes glimmering. “It was rainin’ and he was still a tiny kitten then. Ya shoulda seen the way he was lookin’ at me! He was soaking wet and his eyes looked in terrible condition and he was covered in fleas! I was just gonna take him to the vet and nurse him back to health, but I guess I got attached.” 

Rin hummed. “He looks like you.” 

“Like me?” Hiori snorted, turning his head to face Rin with a carefree smile. “You’re talkin’ as if he's my child.”

Rin glanced at him, their eyes meeting. “Your eyes are both the same shade of blue.” 

”Are they now?” He giggled, poking Rin’s cheek. “How observant ya must be.” 

”It’s just something I noticed.” Rin scowled, but not pushing his hand away. “He’s taller than most cats too.” 

“Ya can blame my amazin’ parentin’ for that.” Hiori beamed confidently. “I have to say, I was a bit nervous at takin’ in a cat, but I think it worked out well.”

“Where is he, anyway?” Rin looked around the room, scanning the area for the feline to see if he was waiting to pounce on the two of them again. 

“Sleepin’ in the livin’ room. Don’t worry, he can't getcha here.” He responded, chuckling at Rin’s alarmed expression. “Nines sleeps for hours a day, so we've got time. You’re stayin’ the night, anyway, right?” 

He nodded. “If the rain doesn't stop, yes.” 

“Great.” Hiori smiled, leaning in closer. “Do ya wanna kiss until then?” 

Rin’s eyebrows furrowed into a scowl as a flush crept up his neck, a bright shade of red coating his face. “You’re shameless.” 

Hiori backed away with a cheeky smirk, putting his hands up. “I mean, if ya don't wanna, that's fine too.”

“I didn't say that I didn't want to,” Rin established, ignoring the embarrassment seeping into his skin. 

“Oh, and I’m shameless?” He laughed, moving forward closer to Rin. He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ears, enjoying the sulking expression resting on Rin’s face. “In reality, you’re not any better than me, are ya?” 

Rin resisted the urge to scoff and not to melt under Hiori’s touch. “Just kiss me already.” 

With a gentle smile, Hiori moved to brush their lips together in a soft kiss. Time stops once again.

Rin’s hand found its way to the nape of Hiori’s neck, his thumb stroking his jawline as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. He feels Hiori hum in satisfaction, his lips tilting up into a soothing smile. 

The gentle pattering of the rain against the window fizzles out as the passion of the kiss overpowers all of Rin’s senses. He can’t focus on anything else, but this moment in front of him. That’s usually how it always felt when he was kissing Hiori. The world around him blurs and there's not a single thing that matters to him except for Hiori. It’s easy to get lost and lose track of time when Hiori does such a good job of working his lips on his. 

Hiori shifts to move his hand under the blankets to place it on top of Rin’s, their fingers slowly tangling together and squeezing. Naturally, like Rin’s been doing it for years, pulls Hiori closer and closer until there's not an inch of a gap between them. 

Hiori pulls away once to catch his breath and stare longingly into Rin’s eyes, but it doesn’t last long for both of them before their lips meet again. 

Rin could sit like this for hours on end. If he could spend the whole day with him like this, he’d take it in a heartbeat. 

Hiori, Rin thinks, tightening his hands around his. Hiori, Hiori, Hiori- 

The doorknob starts to jiggle, the sound of it scaring the daylights out of Hiori and Rin. They both flinch, jumping away from each other and whip their heads to the doors so fast that Rin’s scared Hiori's neck might break. He has half a mind to ask Hiori if he invited anyone else over to ease his worries, but he already knew that he wouldn’t do that without telling him, so that idea is scratched off the table. 

As disappointed as Rin is that they got interrupted, he’s way more concerned if someone broke into Hiori’s apartment in the middle of the night. He reaches over to pull Hiori behind him and protect him from whatever threat lies outside the door, but before he has a chance, the door is already creaking open.

Nines sits there, his tail swishing back and forth with a shit-eating grin. 

Is it bad Rin feels deep resentment for his boyfriend’s cat? He’d have to look into that.

Rin sees Hiori relax immediately and lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. I thought someone broke in or somethin’.” 

“Why the hell does your cat know how to fucking open doors?” He grimaced, glaring daggers into Nines. Maybe it’s his own fault or delusions, but that cat knows what he's doing and he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. 

But Rin isn’t going to let him think he has the upper hand.  

“I taught him how,” Hiori giggled as Nines strutted his way over and jumped into his lap. “I can see it’s a problem now.” 

“No shit.” Rin rolls his eyes. He sees the way this cat is looking at him. As if he wants all of Hiori’s attention to himself. He’s not about to be jealous of an animal because Nines is just going to have to get used to him. He doesn’t plan on getting pushed away because of a cat. “How did you even teach him?” 

“Nines is very smart, he catches on quickly.” Hiori praises as he smiles, petting and scratching his cat’s chin. “He’s a fast learner. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t like ya.” 

Rin scoffed, looking to the side. “Because he can tell we’re in a relationship?” 

“It’s not like I knew he was a jealous cat before I took him in,” He says. “It’s probably because I took him in when he was barely hangin’ on. He’s attached to me now. It’s cute that he's jealous, though.”

“Yeah, real cute that he’s scratching up my hands too.” Rin huffed. “Train your cat to control that. And to stop opening doors.” 

Hiori clicked his tongue playfully, picking up Nines and placing him on the ground despite his complaints. “You’re just salty ‘cause he interrupted us.” 

Of course, I am! 

______

Cuts, bites, and scratches be damned, Rin is going to get Nines to like him somehow. He’s important to Hiori so by default, he’s (sort of) important to him. He’s not going to let Nines hate him for the rest of his life. Hiori wouldn’t like that and Rin may hate a lot of things at the moment, but he hates seeing Hiori upset the most. 

So Rin tries treats. It doesn’t surprise him that he gets turned down. 

He buys him new toys. All of a sudden, Nines seems to be more interested in playing with a cardboard box and ripping up his shoes, but Rin thinks he’s doing that just to spite him. 

He gets Nines a new bed. Then that snarky cat is sleeping on top of a shelf and never coming near him. 

Rin is used to people not liking him, but even animals? That has to be a stretch. 

“Maybe ya don’t have an aura that cats like,” Hiori suggested as he looked away from the TV to stare down at Rin whose head was lying in his lap. 

Rin scoffed. “That’s fucking stupid.” 

“Don’t be too down about it.” Hiori ran his fingers through Rin’s hair, his nails raking against his scalp. “He’ll come around.” 

There was something about how Hiori’s voice sounded so soft when speaking to him makes Rin almost want to believe him. “We should just go to my apartment again.” 

“I’m chill with that.” He replied, combing out a knot in Rin’s hair. “The only reason we haven’t been able to go to yours in a while is because Karasu has been busy nowadays. For a reason I do not know of, he keeps gettin’ weird whenever I ask him about it.” 

“It’s because of his thing with Otoya.” Rin mumbles, his eyes falling shut and his muscles relaxing against Hiori’s touch. 

Too bad Hiori stops and freezes. “What? What thing?”

“I saw them swapping spit in the bathrooms,” Rin explained quickly, not understanding why they were even discussing this. “It was disgusting.” 

Hiori gasps dramatically, pulling his hand away much to Rin’s disappointment. “And he didn’t tell me!” 

“Why would you want him to tell you how he was making out with someone in the bathrooms?” He says, trying his best not to sound annoyed. He’s sure Nines is out here somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. 

“Well, maybe not all the details, but I’d still want him to tell me that they have somethin’ goin’ on,” Hiori sulked. “Ya think Otoya likes him too?” 

“I don’t care.” Rin grunts, grabbing Hiori’s hand and placing it back on his head. 

“You’re extra tired today,” Hiori chuckles, his fingers finding their way back into Rin’s hair. “I gotta get up at some point. I have an essay to do.” 

“Then let’s move to your room.” He says, but making no effort to move whatsoever. Maybe the all-nighters he’s been doing to rush to get work finished on time are taking a toll on him. He doubts that Hiori is any better, perhaps even worse.

“You’re so silly,” He brushes Rin’s bangs out of his face, placing a quiet kiss on his forehead. “My legs are fallin’ asleep, ya know.” 

Rin’s heart starts to pick up for the tenth time today. ”So tell me to get up.” 

“Aw, but ya look so cute,” Hiori smiled, pecking his nose. He leans away, but only enough for them to feel each other breathing. Rin can practically feel the warmth from Hiori without even touching him.  “How can I tell ya to move when ya look at me like that?” 

“You’re impossible,” Rin mumbles under his breath as he starts to blush, an expression that Hiori wants to engrave into his head forever. “I- Ow! ” 

“Oh, God- Nines! ” Hiori yells when he turns to see his cat’s teeth digging into his boyfriend’s flesh. “Stop it! Quit attackin’ my boyfriend!” 

Hiori works his cat whisperer magic and manages to peel Nines off of him, using food as a way to distract him for now. It doesn’t take away the fact that Rin’s arm is now oozing out blood from the bite mark. Who knew cats could have such sharp teeth? 

“Here,” Hiori hands Rin a handkerchief. “Place that on the wound.” 

“I’m starting to hate your cat.” Rin grimaced, pressing the cloth to the injury. He sat up fully, glowering at Nines who was living his life, drinking the water out of his bowl. 

Hiori frowned, his shoulders slumping as he flopped back onto the couch. “I’m so sorry, he’s actin’ like such a brat. I don’t know why he’s bein’ so aggressive to ya.” 

“Is there any way I could get him to like me?” Rin groaned, peeling back the handkerchief to see that most of the bleeding had stopped, and dried against his skin. Hiori’s quick to scoot closer to him and wipe down his scratch with a napkin drowned in some sort of disinfectant. It burns into his flesh as his muscles tense, but he works through the pain. 

Hiori shrugged. “He likes fish.” 

 “You've made fish?” 

“Ya don’t know me at all,” Hiori joked. “Karasu did once and Nines ate the entire thing. That was when he started taking a likin’ to Karasu, so you can try that..” 

Should’ve told me earlier. 

______

Nines is staring at him from the couch. Well, staring isn’t the best way to put it. More like very obviously piercing his eyes into him with the intent of killing him. Maybe Rin is being dramatic, but he can just tell. 

Hiori is hidden in his room, working on his essay that he couldn’t do yesterday because of Nines prominent performances. He offered for Rin to sit on his bed and wait for him to be finished and then they could play a game that Hiori had been dying to play, but Rin retreated out to the kitchen. He knew it was a dangerous plan since Nines could rip him apart at any second, but maybe, after this moment, he wouldn’t have any rage left inside of him for Rin.  

A dead fish lay in a pan, cooking on a stovetop. Usually, Rin would season it if he were cooking it for a human, but he wasn’t sure if Nines, a cat, could eat seasoned fish without it harming him. He made sure to do his research beforehand, not wanting to hurt him. Even if Nines didn’t have any remorse for injuring him. 

The smell of it invaded the kitchen as Rin flipped the fish over for it to cook on the other side. He was wondering what Hiori wanted to eat when he was done with his college essay and after Rin tried winning Nines over. He would still have some fish left over, but it wouldn’t be enough for two full meals. Perhaps it could be a side dish and Rin could work with whatever food Hiori had in his fridge- 

“ Meow.”  

Rin slowly looked down, breaking from his trance. Nines sat at the bottom of his feet, his beady eyes giving Rin a look that he’d never gotten from him before. Where was the malice and hatred? Where was the jealousy or Nines tearing up another pair of his shoes? Why did he look as if he was trying to use his cuteness as a way to get his way? 

“Ah,” Rin finally realized, glancing at the fish. “You want this?” 

Nines tilted his head to the side as if he were agreeing. 

“That depends,” Rin turned off the stove when he deemed the fish to be cooked well enough. He set it to the side to cool off and looked down at Nines who was on his best behavior. “Are you going to get along with me?” 

Nines tilted his head the other way. 

“If you want the fish, then you can’t be mean to me.” He tried to compromise. He must look crazy talking to a cat that can’t understand him, but for the most part, Nines seems to get it. “Hiori already doesn’t like that.”

Nines lifted one of his paws in the air, nudging the air. 

“And how do I know you're telling the truth?” Rin hummed. “Let me pet you to seal the deal. If you bite me, I'll give the fish to a stray cat living on the streets.” 

Rin knelt to the ground, being on the same level as Nines. He was a bit nervous Nines might scratch his face and jump on the counter to steal the fish for himself, but Rin decided to trust his gut. He reached his hand out hesitantly, letting Nines sniff his hand and tensing when his nose bumped into his knuckles. Just as he was sure that Nines was going to bite him, he aggressively rammed his head into the palm of Rin’s hand. 

”It was this fucking easy the entire time?” Rin scoffed, petting Nines’ head and scratching under his chin. He watched as Nines purred, rubbing himself against Rin’s fingers. “So you were just being a little shit just to be a little shit.” 

Nines even darted out his tongue to lick his finger. Rin assumed it was because his hand smelled like raw fish. 

“I guess you earned it.” Said Rin, standing up. He grabbed a knife from the knife rack, cutting the fish into small squares. He tossed one of the pieces to the floor, suppressing a smile when he heard Nines meow happily and chew on the fish. He cut off another fragment of the fish, sawing it with the knife. “I mean it, by the way. I’ll make as much fish as you want as long as we can get along.” 

When he looks back down, Nines is already sitting back up obediently, his tailing swaying back and forth and waiting for more. 

Rin counts this as a win. Or a truce. Either way, he thinks he won over his boyfriend’s cat after forever . 

_____

“Rin?” Hiori called out, peeking his head out of his room when he smelled the scent of fish seeping into his room. “What are ya makin’?” 

The lack of reply confused Hiori. Normally, Rin always answered him immediately or waited for a few moments before saying something. But he didn’t get a reply back at all. Rin did look tired when he got over here, so maybe he was taking a nap on the couch because he didn’t want to bother him.

Concerned and worried, he stepped out of his room fully, leaving his essay unfinished. He walked to the kitchen, his chest tightening when he saw no one in there. Rin wouldn't leave without telling him, right? Hiori glanced toward the door to check his suspicions, relieved when he saw Rin’s shoes were still near the door. 

“Rin? Are ya-” Hiori turned around and immediately, all of his fears disappeared in an instant. It was quickly replaced with amazement that shocked Hiori so much, that he had to cover his mouth with his hands to stop himself from gasping. 

Rin was dead asleep on the couch, his chest rising and falling faintly as Nines lay spread out across his stomach. Hiori could only guess that Nines was sleeping as well, but that wasn’t the part that surprised him. 

How were Rin and Nines so close? Just the other day Hiori was watching Rin claw Nines off his arm again, complaining about how another pair of his shoes were ruined. Maybe that’s what the distant smell of fish was? Rin took into account that Nines liked fish and persuaded him with food. 

Either way, Hiori couldn’t contain his happiness and almost screamed his heart out. However, he didn’t want to ruin this sacred moment between his boyfriend and his cat who have spent so much time at each other's throats. 

Instead, Hiori ran to his room to grab his phone. He couldn’t let this slip away. He was going to have the greatest time teasing Rin about it later.