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“Hey Kei?”
His husband's voice carried from the doorway down the halls to the kitchen. Keigo felt something shift in the air, making him pause and look up from the badly burned cabbage he was struggling to stir in the charred pot. The cabbage on his husband's once pristine wooden spoon was both caked onto and somehow inside the wooden stick that painfully scraped against his ears and feathers. He felt his shoulders and wings tense up at the sound and his head turned at the sound of his husband sliding the glass door to the kitchen open.
Keigo stared wide eyed as his head was completely turned like that of an owl towards his husband who stood there frozen, hand on the door, face in shock as anger began to build in his eyes as the air started to grow hot. Keigo didn’t miss that Touya’s other hand held something in it but gaining control of this disastrous situation came first. Keigo could not allow Touya’s anger to roam free, he would burn down their kitchen or worse, the whole apartment if he doesn’t do something about this.
“Touya, babe, honey, my love,” He nervously chuckles as he turns his body in a rush, forgetting to turn his head back as his wings knock over the pot and the charred cabbage falls onto the counter and Touya is rushing to pull Keigo away from the stoves fire.
Keigo does not want to admit that all of this was one big accident and not a carefully crafted plan to distract Touya but he won’t admit that. Not when Touya is patting his wings and fretting over him. He’s smiling to himself at a mission accomplished but he may have smiled too soon since Touya is rubbing his neck bones to make realigning his head easier only to smack him on the crown of his head after making sure he was okay.
“Who the fuck told you to come into my kitchen and use my cookware and the food I bought!”
‘Oh no,’ he mentally sighed, outwardly he hiked his shoulders up at Touya with a genuine sheepish grin pulling his lips. Keigo knew it was a bad idea to try cooking again, the first time he did he ended up burning down his agency's cover home. He didn’t know he couldn't put a pan full of cooking oil on high then dump all the raw chicken in at once. It wasn’t his fault, the instructions weren’t clear. That’s what he chooses to tell himself at least, Touya absolutely laughed at him telling him it was common sense and that he should’ve just told Touya he couldn’t cook.
“We could’ve gone to a restaurant for our first official date birdie, not have the fire department scolding you for ruining their peaceful night.”
Keigo doesn’t see it as a bad thing, not entirely. He made Touya laugh that entire night and managed to convince Touya to marry him. Keigo calls that a major victory since he’s a bit of an oddball, but so is his Touya who is still cursing him out. Maybe if he reminds him of that night he’ll be out of the hen house and can sleep in their nest tonight?
“Damnit Keigo are you listening?”
“Hehe, funny thing love,” he sheepishly tries to avoid the inevitable but something saves him from being further berated. It comes in the form of a wiggle under Touya’s jacket and a soft mewling noise that immediately pulls Touya’s attention away.
When Keigo sees what Touya pulls out from his jacket he becomes still like the courting stick and stone he gifted Touya in embarrassment. Vaguely he can recall Touya crying over said stone and pulling out a gem that was Keigo’s favorite color, a precious item Keigo has shrieked over when someone other than Touya tried to look at it. The two objects in his husband's hand, unlike his beautiful stone, are a horrible sight to behold.
And what is it his husband holds in his hand?
“I know I should’ve asked first, Kei, but they were crying all alone in an alley and I couldn’t just leave them there,” Touya coos.
It took everything in Keigo not to let his pupils dilate and attack the two flea bound cretins in his mates arms.
“Touya, honey,” he strained, voice barely able to hold back the malice at seeing two mewling things squirm to get free. They’re moving far too much for comfort in pale palms that heat up just a tad bit more for comfort.
“Get rid of them,” Keigo utters to his husband’s horror. The amber eyed man can see every shade of betrayal and hurt in those pretty blue eyes, but he just can’t stop himself from seeing those things as a nuisance to his mental stability. He was not a fan of cats nor did he want one living in the safety of their home.
No matter how many words of caution he spoke that night, his mate and husband ignored every single one of them. Keigo tried every dirty trick he was willing to use on his star but he simply could not get through to him. Touya was determined to ruin the chaotic peace they’ve built with each other no matter how much Keigo insisted it was a bad idea.
He was forced to stand by and watch as Touya washed the little fleabags in their bathroom sink. One cat was truly ugly on the eyes while the other was decent enough after being bathed by the hands of his star, hands they were not worthy to touch. One kitten 's fur is deep brown with horrible patches of orange while the other made his stomach turn just looking at it. The other kitten was naked, completely void of fur save for its ears.
How his star could handle skin contact with the disgusting alien-like creature was beyond him but he kept close watch in case the nude cat was actually a person using their quirk to hide. His mate scoffed when he voiced this of course but he decided to ignore Touya saying the cat was a Sphynx and the other a Tabby cat.
Keigo couldn’t fathom why his mate even liked cats when this was a birds only household. He even tried bargaining, “I’ll get you a pet bird if you’re feeling lonely, Star. Anything but… cats,” he practically vomited on the spot after saying it but he was serious. The territorial instincts that resided within kept Keigo from liking the idea of another avian near his mate, even if they would be a pet and not a person like himself. He wasn’t feeling much better about the cats either since the naked one triggered his hunting instincts.
So maybe he shouldn’t have allowed Touya to see his fangs flash at the kittens, but he couldn’t help himself. Those furbags were taking up Keigo’s spot on Touya’s warm plush chest and he needed his plush pillow time! This was the worst crime he’d ever experienced in his life and he’s insulted by Touya calling him dramatic and unreasonable when sharing his complaints.
He did not deserve to be left in their nest by his lonesome while Touya stayed in the guest bed with the spotted kitten and naked menace. It was impossible for him to fall asleep without Touya laying right beside him and when he tried to slip into bed with Touya, the little vermin woke his star with their postured hissing.
‘Tch, as if they can do a better job of protecting my mate than me,’ Keigo grumped with tired eyes and a hot cup of coffee in his hands.
Last night without his mate was rough on him and if he wanted to get any sleep, he’d apologize and make a promise not to eat them. It was hard, the kittens were mewling and climbing all over his husband without a care for anything else and Touya kept losing focus to give them all his attention. It was hard, seeing his star so happy with his natural enemy, but he’d do anything to keep that smile on his mates face and if it meant sharing their home with…those things, then he’d do it.
So Keigo joined Touya on his trip to the pet store and listened to his mate happily point out all the cute things he would come back for in a few weeks. Keigo was just happy to hold his mate's hand as they put things in the cart and walked around the store. He decided helping his mate set up the litterbox and put cat beds in the living room was worth seeing Touya’s bright smile at the kitten's wobbly steps to inspect everything.
Their loud mewls and stuck up tails did nothing to make him happy but it was something that made Touya happy. So he grumbled a little less every time Touya pulled his phone out to record or take a picture as the days passed. Keigo found he didn’t mind seeing the kittens so long as Touya was smiling. He never went anywhere near them on his own but he didn’t flare his wings at them or eye them like a snack anymore.
“If I kept eyeing you like a snack, maybe I wouldn’t be stuck watching you,” Keigo sighed.
There was a slight pause in the hairless kittens fumbling but they soon went back to wobbling towards the small sweater his husband had his mother knit for him. Touya thought having both the kittens wear clothes would be such a cute idea. Keigo didn’t care one bit so long as Touya didn’t overdo it and have a dresser full of clothes for them, or well, one of them. The tabby cat his mate named Frappe, did not enjoy wearing a single outfit Touya picked out. In fact, the kitten wiggled out of every outfit only to attack it right after. That left Touya with just one kitten that enjoyed wearing clothes and that kitten was currently nosing at the shirt Touya left for them.
It was warm in the house for Keigo due to his avian anatomy and the cats seemed comfortable with the heat as well so that was a plus for the both of them. It’s just that Touya worried his naked cat would still feel cold since he was crudely vulnerable in Keigo’s eyes. So his beautiful mate left behind this sweater for Keigo to put on the naked asshole in case he sees them shaking. Keigo tried to argue being left alone with the thing let alone touching it, but Touya had a vet appointment he needed to take Frappe to and he was already running late so there was nothing he could do.
Now he was stuck here watching a disgusting hairless flea that finally managed to put the sweater in their mouth after five minutes of sniffing, wobbling and mewling. He has no idea how Touya could find this creature to be “cute,” but Keigo was not buying it. This thing was a menace in the making. This hairless bastard and Frappe slip inside their nest every night without permission and get their claws in his blankets. He does not nor will he ever like these helpless and annoying—
“Mrrroowww.”
That odd mewling coming from the kitten stole Keigo’s attention like Frappe who has begun to steal his feathers right after a long day of work.
Keigo looks down to see the hairless menace sitting right in front of him with the mini sweater in his mouth. Those deep brown eyes look up at him with expectation and impatience. He feels both inferior for being caught off guard and looked down upon by such a tiny young thing and shocked that the kitten is smart enough to bring him a sweater because they’re cold.
“I’m not touching you,” Keigo finally says after a moment of silence.
This is apparently the wrong answer because the kitten comes closer and begins to climb into his lap. He almost jerks away but if he does that he might accidentally hurt the little worm and he doesn’t want to hurt Touya’s feelings. Begrudgingly he can admit he doesn’t want to hurt this kitten but only to himself. He wouldn’t dare say aloud he’s used to watching where he walks so he doesn’t accidentally step on one of them.
“Mmmeerrrr,” the kitten voices their displeasure for Keigo’s lack of servitude and the cold biting into their skin. He can see the goosebumps forming and his corrupted heart manages to feel a slight bit of remorse. So with unsure movements Keigo takes the sweater from the kitten's mouth and places the opening to their head. It’s to his surprise they shove their head right in and lift their right paw first to be slid inside the sleeve. The kitten twitches their paw and huffs with impatience when he doesn’t move immediately.
Keigo isn’t sure why or how, but when the kitten does this it reminds him of his Touya. His star. His impatient, beautiful, slightly unhinged and emotionally medicated mate, Touya.
He’s quick to slip their paw in carefully and do the same for the other.
When the task is over the kitten looks like they’re beginning to warm but Keigo can still see those goosebumps and he can see Touya’s displeased face on the kitten that stares at him. So what does he do? The logical thing of course.
His husband comes home from the vet to find Keigo still sitting on the floor with the kitten. Only this time, things are a little different.
There’s a new nest surrounding them, the heat is just one degree higher, Keigo is content and hyper focused as he lets the kitten loaf on the warmest part of his lap. While red wings are splayed across the nest in relaxation as the kitten sleeps with a loud purr making the ends of Keigo’s feathers curl and uncurl lazily in rhythm.
“Kei,” Touya questions softly. He receives a feather zipping towards him and rubbing his check as a kiss before it points for him to come closer. Touya slips his shoes off using his feet after quietly shutting the door. He still has a sedated Frappe in his arms that doesn’t even register they’re home.
“I see you’ve bonded,” Touya smiles as he bends down to sit next to Keigo. He gives his husband a soft kiss that makes his birdie coo and slight head bob in happiness. That always pulls a bright smile from Touya and yes, Keigo does notice and it makes his tail feathers sway. But he tries to keep still for the little bundle resting on his lap.
“How is Frappe?”
“Good. The procedure went great, she’ll just be tired for a few hours.”
Touya notices his mate still hasn’t looked up yet and he wants his kiss after being apart for so long.
“Kei, kiss me. Now,” he demands softly with a huff. That pulls Keigo’s attention immediately.
Touya is given his rightful kiss on the lips but at the cost of their kittens pillow moving. An immediate eye opening mmrrpp and the kitten yawns full bodied before displaying their displeasure at being disturbed from their slumber.
“Sorry Soba, you can go back to sleep,” Keigo urged gently with his fingertip to their head. The kitten ignored his apologies in favor of a full bodied stretch and stood to sniff at Touya and Frappe from the safety of Keigo’s lap who held them with one hand under the belly.
“You named them Soba? Why?”
“When I took too long putting their sweater on earlier, they glared and huffed at me…just like you,” Keigo smiled sweetly.
His tone was so fond and gentle, Touya didn’t have the heart to be offended or ruin the beautiful moment between them. So he figures instead he could finally admit the reason he named their tabby Frappe was because she reminded of Touya of Keigo after his third cup of coffee.
He’d tell his husband the truth…eventually.