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Every day, Akaashi would feed the stray cats on his way home from school. He always had a small bag of cat food tucked away in his bag and refilled it as he got home so he wouldn’t forget. It was just in his routine. But with nationals came closer, practices went longer and Akaashi got more tired with each passing day.
One time he was just so tired that the second he got home he dropped onto the couch with a pained groan—not to mention the fluctuating weather only enforced his suspected illness. He could feel it coming already. The gentle throbbing of a headache, his nose clogging up. He’d deal with it later, right now he just needed a nap.
That nap lasted well until the next morning, and Akaashi felt so much worse. He took the quickest shower of his life, downed half a bottle of cold medicine with ibuprofen and jogged out of his house to go to school. The hot sun had him squinting and groaning from the brightness and heat. He could have been comfortable in his bed, but he never missed a day of school, and some small sickness wasn’t going to make it the first.
The day was long and hard. Akaashi barely survived. He was completely out of it, so the rest of the team suggested that he should go home early. Even Bokuto agreed, which was surprising. So, Akaashi made his slow trek home, feet dragging against the pavement and sniffled every couple seconds. He still stopped by the alley where the stray cats resided, and they were there, as expected, patiently waiting for their food.
Akaashi dug into his bag and got out the smaller bag, opening it. He huffed deeply, a few pieces of cat food falling out but that was it. He shook the bag but nothing but cat food dust fell out after.
“Sorry guys, I’ll… treat you to extra tomorrow,” he apologized with a bow, tucking away the bag and then walked off. The feeling of guilt was fast but the heat of his fever was faster. He staggered deliriously away from the group of cats with the back of his hand pressed to his forehead.
The sounds of meowing cats were just a mere echo behind his head. All he wanted to do was get home and sleep—hopefully he’d make it to his bed.
God, he felt like he was hallucinating. The loud yapping of one of the cats didn’t leave his mind even when he got home. The blur of jet black rushed past him as he opened the door. He rubbed his eyes hard, then looked around. It was all in his head. Surely.
Akaashi trudged over to the couch again, dropping his bag beside it and laid back. He panted heavily unbuttoning his shirt and touched his neck, then his forehead. He took so much medicine, but who would have thought taking too much would be a bad thing. He pressed his palms over his eyes in an attempt to cool them down. He could make it… his bedroom was just a few steps away. He sat up slowly, then laid back down.
No he couldn’t.
It didn’t take long for Akaashi to pass out, it was even quicker than the day before. But at least this time, something woke him up from sleeping through the rest of the day.
Loud purring and a weight on his bare chest and… the scent of ramen? Akaashi opened his eyes slowly, meeting the sly gaze of hazel coloured eyes. So he wasn’t hallucinating. Something did brush past him when he had entered his house, and it was staring right at him. A black cat with a janky hair cut and Akaashi was delusional enough to believe that the cat was smirking at him.
He rubbed his eyes hard again and slowly sat up. The cat was indeed real, and its tail curled around Akaashi’s arm before licking his hand. It then hopped off Akaashi’s lap and walked away to the kitchen, disappearing from Akaashi’s sight.
Akaashi grunted, holding his head in his hands. He was sure he saw the cat gesture for him to follow. He didn’t want to believe it. But it did happen, right? As he was about to get up, he heard a voice from the kitchen. Unfamiliar. Deep. Sultry.
”Come eat, get your energy back.”
Akaashi paused in the middle of his movement to take his shirt off completely. He took slow steps towards the kitchen and as he crossed the threshold, he had to pinch himself.
A naked, half-human half-feline leaned against the kitchen counter with his tail swaying behind him, and ears twitching at the top of his head. The smirk that Akaashi deluded himself into believing was plastered on the hybrid’s face and he suspiciously glanced around for the cat and then back at the being standing in front of him.
“Where’s the…”
“Cat? Right here, what do you mean?” The hybrid tapped his long, sharp nails against the marble countertop, “Actually, I won't tease you, poor baby’s sick.” He faked a pout and grinned again.
Akaashi slowly stepped closer, a spot on his arm reddening from pinching himself multiple times.
The hybrid pushed the bowl of ramen across the counter slowly, “Eat.”
Akaashi stared at the bowl—the smell made his mouth spring water and he swallowed hard. The soup looked rich and each of the toppings were neatly presented on the noodles. He didn’t even realize he had a few of the ingredients in his house. He eyed the food suspiciously and glanced up at the hybrid again.
”What? I didn’t poison it if that’s what you’re thinking. I just want you to get better.”
Honestly, it was enough reason for Akaashi to dig in. He thanked him for the food and started eating. His chest filled with a warm, comforting sensation with each sip of the broth. His slurps were loud and desperate as he ate like his life depended on it.
”My name’s Kuroo by the way, Kuroo Tetsurou, if you even care,” Kuroo introduced himself as he dragged his nails back and forth against the marble, eyes lasered in on Akaashi.
Akaashi nodded and mumbled out a ‘nice to meet you’ with a mouthful of noodles. He swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up at him.
“I have questions… Do you know me? and how? Why’d you make this, and how do you know where I live?” He watched Kuroo who sauntered closer and laughed, and it took everything in Akaashi not to glance down to see exactly what he was hiding behind the counter. After all, from the waist up Kuroo was naked.
”You asked me why I made something before you asked how I knew where you lived? You’re so cute…” Kuroo snickered, ”Everyone knows you, you’re Akaashi Keiji, vice captain of Fukurodani’s volleyball club, and the guy who feeds us everyday. Well, almost everyday.”
Akaashi’s jaw slacked as he looked at him, but Kuroo continued, ”I made this because I wanted you to get better, you can’t be missing any more days. Besides, we like your company. And I followed you home, that’s obvious, but I’ll allow it since you’re ill.”
Okay, so, Akaashi was a little comforted knowing he wasn’t that far gone to be making up stuff. He glanced at his arm—it was red, and it hurt, so he wasn’t dreaming. So this was real.
He wondered if it was a sign. Maybe it was the last thing he’d see before he died. He just wondered why the gods would give him a catboy that made incredibly delicious ramen. It wasn’t his ideal dream, but maybe he could get used to it before it ended.
”Whatever’s going on in your head, stop it,” Kuroo flicked Akaashi’s forehead gently, ”This is all real baby, every single inch of me.”
“Right…” Akaashi stirred the broth slowly, “So you’re one of the… cats. So how are you… like this?”
”Um, we’re called Nekojins, thank you very much,” Kuroo’s eyes shifted to slits, then back to normal when Akaashi uttered out a quick apology, ”However, that’s just the ones like me. Some are just regular cats.”
“Okay, and the others I’ve been feeding…”
”Oh, I’m the only one like this in that litter, which makes me the alpha,” Kuroo winked and raised his hand to form a claw and stuck his tongue out.
Akaashi had to pinch himself again to make sure what he was seeing was real. Yup, it was.
“Okay. So why are you here?” He asked, staring at him intently and slowly sipped on his broth. When Kuroo moved closer to him, the tip of his tongue passing over the fangs in his mouth, Akaashi leaned away slowly.
”Like I said, you’ve never missed a day of feeding us until now. So… I’m here to make you feel better so you don’t miss another,” Kuroo leaned in, his cheek grazed Akaashi’s bare shoulder and felt the heat radiating off his body. ”So, so, ill,” he clicked his tongue and shook his head. His tail curled against Akaashi’s stomach and brushed against his chest. His purrs were loud, coming from the back of his throat as he nuzzled against Akaashi. ”You’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
Akaashi’s fingers trembled as he held the bowl in his hand. He didn’t move an inch and just let Kuroo do whatever he wanted to him. Either he was too scared to move or too sick to protest.
“Okay, sorry,” he managed to murmur out and slowly lifted his spoon to take another sip. He felt Kuroo’s warm breath against his neck and his nose twitched against Akaashi’s skin.
”Apology accepted, Keiiiiji~”