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Most people hated being snowed in. And, don’t get Denki wrong, it did suck — he was a social creature through and through and felt a little, tiny bit insane not being about to bother his friends face-to-face — but there was upsides to every situation.
Like, the fact he got a day off work and was only just waking up at one in the afternoon.
And the fact he went into the kitchen and made himself a hot cocoa with a shit ton of whipped cream for his breakfast.
Sitting in his room, mug of delicious liquid chocolate ambrosia in hand, all he could think was: finally. The perfect weather to do… absolutely nothing contributive to society.
He logged on to his steam account and and saw D3c4y3r was still on and active. What the hell? Did they just game all day? He glanced over their activity — playing League too…god help them going down that path.
Only a few minutes into Monster Hunter, he was interrupted.
From the corner of his eye he saw something move. After doing a double-take, he turned his gaze fully toward the window next to his gaming set-up.
Outside — there was something outside. On the tree right by his apartment’s window. Figuring it was a bird, but still infinitely curious (did a bird forget to migrate south for the winter, or something? Wait. Some birds didn’t migrate — he was getting off topic) he paused his game and stood up to peer out.
The window’s view was slightly obscured, latticed with ice crystals. Denki leant close, squinting, trying to figure out what the hell he was looking at.
Upon closer inspection — it was definitely not a bird.
It was a cat! A gangly looking one, too. Covered in a dusting of snow, as if it had been wandering around outside for awhile.
On one of his google search rabbit holes, he recalled reading that cats could get up trees but often struggled to get back down…was the cat stuck?
Denki never considered himself a bleeding heart animal lover or anything, but this was terrible. He couldn’t let that cat freeze to death! Nobody with a scrap of human decency would.
He pulled the window up just high enough to stick his head out, immediately feeling the cold slice into his skin.
“Pspspsps,” he called to it. It eyed him, visibly shaking — even from the distance it was perched at. “Hey, buddy… come here, pspsps, it’s okay,” he held a hand out, making a gesturing motion at the cat — as if it would know what that motion meant.
He took a fortifying sip of his hot cocoa, then rushed around his room trying to find something that would assure he didn’t freeze to death. Well, he wouldn’t — shouldn’t — be out for long… he shoved on his thickest hoodie and managed to find a beanie and a pair of gloves. He shoved on shoes and hurried back over to the window, checking to see if the cat was still there.
It was. Still clinging in the middle of the branch, looking lost and frightened.
The way the tree was, the branch held itself out directly toward and slightly under his window, so he was really in the perfect vantage point to see and save this cat. He could do this. He could so do this.
He heaved half his body out the window, first attempting to coax the cat closer so he could just lift her right into his apartment. Instead, in true cat fashion, it did the opposite — scurrying and huddling to the far side of the branch, farther away from him.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.
Gritting his teeth and steeling himself, he wiggled the rest of the way out the window — his four story window, oh — latching on to the outstretched branch as tightly as possible. He hugged both his arms around it, and also curled his legs around for good measure.
It felt like the wind spitefully kicked up, and he found back the urge to look down as he wiggled for his life to get closer to the cat, who’s shivering only became more obvious the closer he got.
Don’t look down, don’t look down… he chanted like a mantra in his head. Closer and closer he got to the cat.
When he was within an arm’s reach, he could hear the cat hissing over the rush of the wind.
“It’sokayit’sokay,” he said, praying whatever muscle and core strength he had would come through as he reached out to the cat.
“I’m trying to help you, it’s okay,” he didn’t sound totally convinced himself, but did manage to get hold of the cat. It actually stayed still in his arms — digging its needlepoint claws hard enough that it broke through the two layers of hoodies he was wearing and hissing all the while — but staying shock still. Like it was too cold to even physically fight back.
Poor thing...
He got the cat shoved inside his first hoodie layer, so it was tucked right under his chin, curling an arm around it so its back was supported.
…Then began the arduous process of wiggling his way backwards.
Honestly, the journey back to his window was less scary — maybe because the cat itself was distracting him. Despite not being able to see where he was going and only using one arm to balance and hold on to the branch.
The branch was creaking under his weight, but branches creaked all the time, right? And he was so close now, he just had to get a legspan to his window and then he could hook one inside and get them both warmed up.
Almost…home…free…!
Like he was jinxed, just as the thought passed through his mind, the branch broke.
His last thought while free-falling downward was to twist and angle his body so he didn’t land on the cat. He curled his arms tighter around it and braced for impact.
- - -
Hitoshi was one of the few people out in this weather by choice. All smartly bundled in his winter coat and scarf, he trodded through the blizzard in search of strays. Cats, specifically, but he’d help any animals he saw out in the frigid.
He worked at the local cat shelter, so he was carrying plenty of treats and food on his person to lure cats over if he needed to. He was also carrying a cat carrier — he was only scouting the immediate area, but a lot of cats tended to find their way near the shelter he worked at. Probably because they smelled the food, treats, other cats.
He was just about to call it in for his lunch break when he — literally saw someone fall out of a tree in the distance.
He jolted into action, rushing over and hoping his tread-smart boots actually treaded smartly.
He shoved a hand in his coat pocket as he ran, pulling his phone out and dialing 119 — that person had to have fallen at least several stories. He glanced up at the apartment building as he got closer.
“119, emergency services, what’s your emergency?”
“Yeah, uh—“ he almost tripped as he got to where the person had landed in the huge amount of snow they’d gotten — along with probably more that looked like a plow had shoveled over. “S-someone here just fell out a…tree? Or their window?”
“Are they responsive?”
“Hang on,” he trudged to the depression in the snow where the person was, kneeling down and—
Meow!
“What the—“
“Sir?”
“Sorry, uh, hang on.”
He shoveled and brushed snow away until he could get a view of the…whatever had fallen out of the tree.
Okay, it was a person, but— there was also a cat. He immediately knew where it was, because of the way the huge lump stuck out in the front of the person’s hoodie.
The person stood out starkly in the snow, with their highlighter-yellow hair Hitoshi could still make out even under their beanie, which was askew on their head. They had a bright flush to their cheeks — okay, that was a good sign, right? And this close, he could see the still falling snow clinging jealously to their lashes, much darker than their hair color.
“Hey? Are you—okay?” He asked haltingly. What a stupid question, the person had fallen from several stories — “Can you—“
“Mmmng,” the person said. Hitoshi had never been so thankful to be interrupted.
The bundle in their front moved, wiggling out from their protective hoodie shelter. Yes, it had been a cat. He brushed more snow off both of them, then placed the cat carrier down and quickly threw some treats nearby and inside, hoping the cat got the message.
The person’s eyes creaked open a sliver. They were a warm brown color, but looked almost golden in the harsh light of winter.
“Can you hear me?”
“…mhm,” they said.
“—They’re responsive.”
“Good; make sure not to move them too much, they could have a broken neck. But don’t let them doze off, if they have a concussion you don’t want them losing consciousness.”
“Okay,” he assured.
“Where is your location?” Hitoshi listed it off. “Okay, we’re sending an ambulance your way.”
“Thanks,” he said, unsure what else to say in response.
“Cat,” the person puffed out. Hitoshi shuffled closer, straining to listen. “Had to…the cat was stuck in the tree…cold.”
“Is it your cat?” He’d have a very different opinion of this person if they’d just been letting their own pet out. It seemed unlikely, but he’d seen all sorts of things and all sorts of ways people treated their cats. It was already irresponsible to let your cat out, but to let it out when you lived in an apartment building? In the middle of winter? He’d have second thoughts about helping them, actually.
“N-no,” the person shivered. “Not. My cat. J-just saw it out my window...”
Feeling much more generous towards them, Hitoshi unwound his scarf from his neck and — ah. He couldn’t exactly put it on them, the dispatcher had said not to move them too much if possible…he tucked it delicately under their chin instead, hoping at least his residual body heat might help.
It was stupid of them to pull such a stunt, but still…he’d have done the same, probably. It was stupid of him to be out walking around in the weather, too. The desire to help cats always won out for him, though.
“What’s your name?”
“M’Denki,” the snow crunched a bit as it seemed like Denki was trying to turn to look more in Hitoshi’s direction.
“Ah!”
Hitoshi startled. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
The person was clumsily patting their front. “Where—the cat—?”
“The cat’s fine. They’re—“
Like an audible miracle, he heard crunching and turned to see the cat had started warily munching on some of the treats he’d left, not inside the carrier but on the treats he’d put nearby. Hopefully he could get this cat to the shelter safe, too. After this person had risked their life to save them and everything.
“They’re right here. You got them…” his voice trailed off, but he awkwardly added: “good work.”
“Mm...” they said, their eyes slowly closing.
“Don’t—hey! Keep your eyes open. Alright?”
They did as they were told, their lips tilted into a smile.
“Yessir…Casanova,” Hitoshi blinked at that. Casanova? Yeah, this person was delirious…thankfully he didn’t have to agonize over how his heart rate picked up at that for too long, the person was already mumbling something else. “My hot cocoa’s…all cold now.”
“Cold cocoa,” Hitoshi tried keeping the conversation going. Just keep them talking. “What’s…uh. What’s your favorite color?”
“Mm,” Denki blinked slowly, staring for a long enough time at Hitoshi that he resisted the urge to shy away from it. Had to make sure they didn’t pass out…of course.
Denki’s eyes drifted upward for a second.
“Purple,” they blurted.
Hitoshi hair was dyed purple. Just a coincidence. And, again, they’re delirious…they don’t know what they’re saying right now.
Thankfully, the hospital wasn’t too far away— he heard the sirens in the distance and made himself scarce as the EMTs got to work.
He hoped they’d be alright…
Now, he had a cat to wrangle.
- - -
A knock came to Denki’s hospital room, interrupting the conversation he was having with his visitor.
“Another package came for you,” the nurse said.
“Oooooh,” Denki drawled, eyes honing in on it with rapt curiosity. “Let’s see, let’s see!” He made grabby-hands for it after the nurse dropped it off at the nearby table, where a few other assorted get well soon! packages and bouquets were. Apparently Kyouka — the friend sat at his bedside — had had to convince her girlfriend not to send in a whole military’s parade’s worth of flowers and wreaths.
“Aww, I think I deserve all that.” He’d pouted.
“You don’t.” ...Truly, they’d been destined to meet so she could humble him. Forever.
“Let’s see, let’s see!” He made grabby hands for the gift box. Still laid up in a hospital bed, it was up to Kyouka to get it and hand it off to him.
“You’re an adult man, oh my god, quit that.”
“Let’s see…” Denki pointedly ignored her comment. He started unwrapping the package, revealing a…box of hot cocoa?
“Huh,” he found a card pressed to the side of the package. The front was your basic get well soon card, but inside was a note that had been written on a notepad with paper that had little paw prints on the corners. Something already began to jostle in his memory.
He read over the note.
I work at the local cat shelter.
Thank you for saving that cat. Being stuck in the tree, and in this weather, we’re not sure what would have happened otherwise.
We’re leaving deciding his name up to you.
Our address is…
A nearby address was written neatly out.
You're welcome to stop by.
Or, my personal number is: xxx-xxx-xxxx
If you’d like cat updates, I can share.
“Heh,” he leered, turning the note around to Kyouka. “Still got game, even when I’m half-dead.”
“Don’t joke about that, numbskull.” She kicked his hospital bed lightly, but her face really was tight with genuine irritation. Oops. Better not push it. Not everyone finds your brush with mortality that light-hearted, bud.
To be fair, he didn’t, either. But he was good at burying that feelings deep, deep within the forbidden recesses of his mind, never to be spoken of again.
You know. Healthy.
“Glad the cat’s okay, too,” he sighed, one of his hands finding the scarf the EMTs had found him with. It definitely wasn't his own, but he'd been holding on to it ever since. Not like he could really give it back...
“Yeah,” she relaxed in her seat. “You gonna go visit?”
“Well, I was invited. I’m telling you, this cat shelter lady wants me.”
Kyouka raised a thin, unimpressed eyebrow. “Who says they’re a woman? And even if ‘she’ is, she could be like, in her 50s.”
“Neither of those outcomes are dealbreakers for me.” Denki shrugged, leering playfully.
“Gross, Denki.”
“A homophobic lesbian…the world’s totally crazy, man...”
“You know that’s not what I meant—“
“She’s backtracking, she’s backtracking…!”
They easily got back to their easy banter, despite being in a literal hospital, with one of Denki's legs strung up in a traction. As they laughed, Denki glanced down at the box he’d gotten alongside the note.
Why the hot cocoa, though?
- - -
Cat Heaven was so close to Denki’s apartment complex he was actually a little embarrassed he’d never noticed it. To be fair, the building was nondescript — very official-looking on the outside, like a post office.
Inside, though, was much cozier. Of course they had the expected sanitized cages and dental-office-set-up looking front desk, but he could peep other rooms from where he walked in that had softer lighting, plenty of food and treats in neat boxes along the walls, a ton of toys strewn about, equipment for the cats to climb and play on, beds…it really was Cat Heaven.
There was a short guy working at the front desk. Dressed entirely in black, save the cutesy pastel pink colored work apron he had on. There was a black cat perched on the desk in front of him, and he was combing a darkly-bejeweled brush through its fur. As Denki got closer, he could see the guy had his makeup done in a style that reminded Denki of the vkei magazines he used to steal from—borrow from Kyouka. Hm. Did he have a chance here? Most of the guys Denki had dated in the past had been taller than him, but he didn’t really mind. Might kinda be nice being the tall one, for once. And this guy was cute. Didn’t have bad taste in jewelry, either…
“Good afternoon,” his potential paramour greeted, voice a lot deeper than Denki was expecting. “Welcome to Cat Heaven, is there something I can help you with?”
“Yeah, um!” He shuffled the rest of the way over to the front desk, flicking the personal note he’d been sent. Sure enough, on the front desk he noticed a note pad with the same little cat paw designs. “I have a..." the formal, vaguely Victorian way the guy spoke was contagious. "...missive."
“Oh,” the mystery vkei cat shelter worker— his name tag said Tokoyami. “This is from Shinsou, I believe.” Denki felt his heart sink a little. He was already hyping himself up for a whirlwind meet-cute with this Tokoyami guy. “He should be finished in a moment…”
Denki was ready to fill in the oncoming awkward silence.
“So who’s this?” He motioned to the cat currently half asleep, still getting her fur brushed. A little jealous. Oh, to be a cat getting your fur brushed all day and sleeping whenever you want...he didn't think he could live without burgers and chocolate, though.
“Ah, this is Dark Shadow.” His voice rounded into something friendlier. “Mistress of the abyss.”
"Wow, her full government name." He held his hand out for her to sniff — yeah, he’d been doing his research! — then scratched under her chin gently. “Hey, Dark Shadow...Wish I had a cool name like you.”
“I’ve always felt names should be chosen later, by the individual themselves. In fact, in some circles I'm called Tsukuyom—“
“‘Kay, boxes are all clean,” another voice interrupted. Also deep and raspy? Was this a cat shelter, or a support group for dudes with sexy ASMR voices? What was going on!?
The guy who emerged from one of the other rooms was tall, even with his hunched posture. His hair was wavy and tied half-up, a fading dyed-purple color. The color…something was there on the outskirts of his memory. Maybe he was just remembering how much he loved the color. And it definitely looked great on him. He had sort of a haunted look about him, but it was working. It was really working.
The guy's eyes widened in a way that Denki already got the impression was not a common expression for him to have.
“It’s you.”
“Wait, what?” Denki blinked at him. Wasn’t this the first time they were meeting…?
“He didn’t mention—” Fumikage’s dark gaze bore into Shinsou’s briefly. Oh yeah, this guy and Kyouka would get along like a house on fire. “—No. I suppose he wouldn’t have,” he sighed through his nose. “He’s the one that found you.”
“Tokoyami,” Shinsou grit out.
“Oh my god!” Denki’s jaw slackened. “Purple! That’s what I was remembering! You’re my savior, dude!”
Shinsou's shoulders were drifting even further up, his face pinkening. “Anyone would have done it.”
“I really doubt that, actually!” Denki shook his head. “Seriously, thank you! And thanks for finding the cat, too. Man. If I’d sprained as many bones as I ended up spraining only for somethin’ else to happen to the cat…”
“The cat,” Shinsou latched on to any other topic besides himself. “You want to see him?”
“Yes, yeah!” Denki cheered, waltzing over to Shinsou and staring up at him expectantly. “Let’s see ‘im!”
Shinsou stood there awkwardly for a moment, probably not used to having so much energy in the room suddenly. He wiped his hands on his jeans, glancing over at Tokoyami who had gone back to brushing Dark Shadow.
“…right. This way,” he slouched into a nearby room with Denki still close behind. “He might be asleep, so…”
“That’s alright,” Denki grinned. He just wanted to be one-hundred percent sure the cat was okay. Yup. That was it. Then he’d leave. No ulterior motives here. Or multiple ones, even. No sir.
Several cats mrrped or made other little greeting chirps and noises when they entered the room, but most were asleep like Shinsou had said. Including their little terror, who had found a spot to himself…
“…At the top of the cat tree.”
“Yeah. He likes heights.”
“Who knew?” Denki snorted.
Shinsou smiled lopsided back, a small sound of amusement hissing through his teeth.
“So, I, uh,” Denki suddenly felt a little shy. He’d never named an animal before. He’d grown up in a pet-less household. “I already have a name ready.”
“Oh, yeah?” Shinsou turned more toward Denki. “Let’s hear it.”
“—Kiseki.” Miracle.
“Hmm,” Shinsou looked back up at the cat, then back at Denki. “Yeah,” his expression was gentle. “I think it’s fitting.”
- - -
Denki stuck around the shelter for longer than he meant to. Shinsou and Tokoyami were both interesting to talk to. Low energy, but sharp, observant, and happy to try and follow Denki’s wandering trains of thought, no matter how far out of the station they got.
“Shinsou,” When it was time to leave, he did have one last, very urgent question.
“What’s the adoption process like?”
- - -
Denki was about to fall asleep that night when he recalled the real last question.
Finally, he opened up the number he’d saved in his phone after he got it but had been holding back on texting.
I gotta ask >
why the hot chocolate? >
< lol
< you said you “lost yours”?
Denki slammed his reddening face into his pillow. Awesome. Very cool. Very cool and awesome.
- - -
“You are an evil,” kiss “little” kiss “cockblocking urchin.” He put on his cutesy-est voice. “Y’know that? Otete,”
“What are you saying to my cat, Denki?”
“Our cat. This is our terrible son."
“That explains a lot.” Shinsou — though, now he was known by Hitoshi to Denki — muttered, going for deadpan but the effectiveness was ruined by how he was trying to lick whipped cream off his nose.
Denki covered 'their son's' ears. “…wanted to put that tongue to better use.”
“Denki.”
“Maybe the whipped cream, too. See, now I’m getting ideas.”
“Hmm. That’s dangerous, given your track record.”
Damn, he’s got me there.
He uncovered Kiseki’s ears, scratching behind them instead.
But then, sometimes dumb ideas bring you great things.
He felt the bed dip under the weight of Hitoshi settling in next to him.
Yeah, really great things.