Chapter Text
Snowflakes fell from the sky, melting on the faces of busy people rushing down the streets, pressing against the windows, coating the city in a bright white. Inside a red and pink decorated café, Rin sat alone at a table, typing focused on his notebook. Well, he was not exactly completely alone. At his feet, his goose sat, sharing its warmth. Its neck was tucked, it seemed quite relaxed.
Rin trusted it not to cause any problems.
That trust lasted exactly three minutes.
Rin was sipping on his oversweetened coffee when the bell over the café door rang. Cold air rushed in along a tall figure. He was with a goose, its feathers dark as midnight. Rin did not seem to notice it as his eyes were still glued to his screen. However, his goose did.
And lost its mind.
It spread its wings, tiny feet slapping against the tiles as it ran towards its target with such speed that RIn barely had the time to react. His chair screeched as the goose bolted away. “Hey–!” Rin called after it but it was too late.
“What the hell?” The tall blond man stepped forward instantly, his legs between the geese. His hand shot out to catch Rin's goose mid lunge. But the fierce pale animal just snapped at the blonde man’s fingers. “Tch!”
“Stop it.” Rin was already on his feet, walking towards them. The café had gone silent. Some heads turned towards them, some deliberately ignoring them. He grabbed his goose under the wings, hauling it back despite its furious protesting. This god damn animal could be so loud, honking non stop. “I said stop.” Rin’s voice remained calm, yet it had a sharper, stricter edge to it.
It stopped. Yet Rin could feel how tense his goose was.
Slightly mortified, he looked at the European in front of him, who seemed to be eyeing him and his goose with a raised eyebrow, skepticism perhaps. “Controll your damn animal.” The blond’s voice was cold, his posture relaxed yet protective.
Asshole.
However, Rin's attention shifted towards the small creature behind the blond man waddling closer.
The little black goose approached Rin, which seemed to shock the blond man. First, black feathers brushed his calf hesitantly, then a curious beak. “Princess?” The blonde’s eyes widened.
The black goose stretched its neck up, high as it could. Rin's goose went suddenly still in his grip, its neck stretched forward, far down as it could. The black goose sat down on Rin’s feet. It made itself far more comfortable than it should with a stranger. It seemed like it was waiting for Rin to put his goose down.
“Huh,” The blond scoffed amused, “Lucky you.”
Rin frowned “What?”
Kaiser gestured down at his goose. “Princess doesn’t tolerate strangers– or anyone else besides me.”
Rin glanced at the goose on his feet again. “Princess?” He repeated flatly.
Princess did not react.
“Yeah, her name.” The blond smirked, “Since she seems to like you so much I should introduce myself, the name is Michael Kaiser.”
“Rin… Itoshi.” Rin hesitated before introducing himself. He was not even interested in talking to someone else right now. Or ever.
“She really never did that before…” Kaiser mumbled as he crouched down to pick up his goose.
“Mine either.” Rin said. Yes, his goose could be loud and obnoxious– even attention seeking at a lot of times. But it would never just run towards a random person or another goose. Rin was not even sure what it had tried to do earlier.
The two geese tried to reach for each other's beaks while being held by their owner. Rin could throw up just from the sight of these two stupid animals.
A goose choosing his fated soulmate…
No, Rin did not care for such kitsch. His teal gaze met Kaiser’s blue ones. As if Rin could accept the fact that Geese could choose a stranger he did not know as his soulmate. They were just animals. Besides, Rin had no interest in getting to know someone.
The barista, whom Rin had not noticed approaching them, cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said, eyes flickering pointedly to the geese. “You are occupying our entrance.”
Even Kaiser seemed to be taken aback by the barista for a moment. “Oh, apologies.” He said casually. He took one single step, however, it was enough for Rin’s goose to go on a rampage again, flapping its wings in distress. God forbid, its newfound crush would move just an inch away.
“Calm down.” Rin grew slowly irritated by his goose today’s antics. Rin ignored his goose’s tantrum and walked back towards his chair. He tried not to pay any attention anymore towards Kaiser and that black goose.
And he failed immediately.
He heard Kaiser say, “C’mon Princess~ Don't you want treats–? Princess!” Kaiser gasped.
Rin was back on his notebook, placing his goose between his feet, forcing it to stay. “Hm?” Rin watched the black goose approach him– or more like his stupid goose. A chair screeched against the tiles and Rin glared at the man who sat right across him.
“Temprorary,” Kaiser said, smirking. “Until they get bored.”
“They won't.” Rin replied as Princess pecked at his leg, demanding to give her some space so she could just sit right on top of his goose. Kaiser gave him a smile, something between a shit eating bastard smug and a warm one.
The café resumed its noise around them as Rin started to type on his notebook again. Kaiser, on the other hand, scrolled through his phone. The two geese were still between Rin's legs, resting on top of each other and sharing each other’s warmth.
Kaiser leaned back, one arm slung casually over his chair as his eyes drifted over to Rin for the tenth time in a minute. Then his gaze flicked to the other man's empty cup. Smoothly he rose from his chair. “I'm getting us some coffee.”
Before Rin could question it or say anything else “I didn't–” Kaiser was already standing at the counter. His princess glanced at him only once before closing her eyes again. Rin let out a sigh. This black goose was awfully quiet, but he felt like it had some attitude…
Kaiser returned with two cups of coffee. “One black for you,” He placed it down on the table, nudging it towards Rin. “No sugar.” He winked at the dark haired man. “Call it intuition.”
Rin blinked once, staring at the stupid European man. “I don't drink my coffee like that.” He said flatly.
“Oh.” Kaiser's eyes widened. “Well excuse me, Pri– eh, what was it, Lin?”
Rin's eyes sharpened. “Rin.”
“Right, I'll be right back~”
“You don't have to–” Rin let out a defeated sigh when Kaiser went back to the counter with his coffee. It seemed like the two geese felt disrupted by Rin so they waddled away, under an empty chair. “Figures…”
Kaiser came back with a nice sweetened cup of coffee. Rin stared at the cup for a long second before he took it. “... Thanks…”
“So…” Kaiser took a sip from his coffee. “I'm trying to figure out where you're from…”
“Japan.”
“Oh, I see. So you came to Germany to study?”
Rin raised an eyebrow. “I'm a teacher.”
“I'm getting not so lucky with guessing here.” Kaiser took another long sip.
Rin scoffed. “Not at all.”
“Should I guess which subjects you teach?”
“Go ahead.” Rin paid no attention to his notebook, he took his cup of coffee and took a sip.
“P.E.?”
“Yes, and?”
A long pause. “Japanese?”
“That's not a required subject in Germany's schools. You should know.” Rin took a jab. “It's english.”
Kaiser raised his hands in defeat. “Sorry, sorry~ well, I'm a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist.”
“I didn't ask.”
Kaiser ignored him, his cheek rested on his hand. “Say, how old are you, Rin?”
Rin raised an eyebrow. “Twenty-nine.”
“Mhhmm…” Kaiser was watching him as if analyzing something in his head. “Three years younger than me...”
Rin was sharing his intense gaze. “You look at least ten years older.”
“Ouch, is that how you get back to me?” Kaiser chuckled. Then he leaned forward. His perfume smelled… extra. “You correcting your students' essays or something?”
“Preparing for class.” Rin glued his eyes back to his screen when Kaiser in.
“A hardworking teacher, huh…” Kaiser said quietly, as if he was talking to himself. Rin's eyes never left his screen, but he could practically feel Kaiser's intense gaze. The moment felt like forever to Rin. He was not even sure himself what exactly was happening right now.
Thankfully, Kaiser cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So what is…hers or his name?”
Rin looked up to Kaiser. Was the blonde always sitting this close?
“Goose.”
…
…
…!
“I beg your pardon?” Kaiser tilted his head, leaning in with one ear closer as if he did not hear it.
“Its name is goose.”
“That… is not a name. And you don't know the gender?” Kaiser seemed to be baffled.
“I don't care for that, and it listens to goose so that's its name.”
║▌║█║▌│║▌║▌█
Rin finished his worksheets in his notebook as Kaiser kept typing and scrolling on his phone, while the two geese switched every five minutes of playing together and cuddling on top of each other.
The café began to empty until it was almost just the two of them. If you do not count their feathered companions. The February snow had thickened, the city outside painted in bright white yet again as the city lights reflected off the thick layered coat of snow.
“Alright,” Kaiser sighed, putting his phone away. “That's enough.” He stood up to reach down for the cuddly geese. Rin also stood up to get his goose, however, he heard Kaiser gasp and jerk backwards, the blonde's back hitting against Rin's chest. Intuitively, Rin grasps Kaiser's shoulder to balance him.
Kaiser seemed taken aback and looked at his finger in disbelief. “It… it bit me!”
“Let me see.” Rin said. Kaiser raised his hand to Rin to examine it. His finger was red, a bit of skin was torn yet there was no blood. It seemed quite superficial. “Looks fine, you'll manage.”
“Really? So nothing will happen? Is it vaccinated?” Kaiser asked.
“Yes, you can sue me if you caught a disease.”
Kaiser raised an eyebrow, amused. “That’s a way to ask for my contacts.”
Before Rin could even react a loud obnoxious honk interrupted them. The white goose, Rin’s lunged at them with full speed. “Stop.” Rin’s voice was calm yet strict.
The goose stomped dramatically with his flappy feet against the tile floor, as if it was throwing a tantrum. “Behave or you’ll sleep outside.” Rin warned it.
“Hey, why doesn’t your goose like me?” Kaiser watched, confused, at the tantrum of the white goose.
“It doesn't. It just likes to stay at the center of attention.” Rin kneeled down to pick up his goose, gently caressing his white feathers. Which seems to be quite a contrast to his harsh words.
Kaiser bent down as well to pick up his goose. The black goose immediately cuddled into the blond man's embrace.
Perhaps it was a good thing, Rin decided not to come back to this café.