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Ollie hears the sound before he even registers where he is. His eyes slowly open, and his "good morning" comes in the form of something wet and sticky against his cheek. Well, he's used to that. Puponelli—although the dog's name had been something Ollie struggled to take seriously when he first met Kimi—is a permanent presence in their bed, from the moment they curl up beneath the blankets until the alarm goes off. So, even though he gets a face full of drool every time he wakes up, Ollie still reaches out instinctively and has no trouble finding the dog's soft fur, listening to the quiet little whines of satisfaction that leave the animal.
This time, however, the sound he hears isn't anything like the ones he's used to.
You see, Ollie stopped caring about Kimi's private zoo the moment he met Lola, the turtle. Kimi got her as a birthday present, and although he insists that Lola is actually a tortoise, since apparently it's illegal to keep turtles as pets, Ollie deliberately chooses to ignore that piece of information. First, because Kimi looks adorable when he loses his patience, and even though he knows everything Ollie does is meant to provoke exactly that reaction, he still turns into an angry little tomato while Ollie laughs with absolutely no intention of stopping. And second, because it's personal revenge for the number of animals Ollie has had to put up with ever since he asked him out.
And no, he isn't complaining. Oliver loves every single one of them, from Puponelli—the golden retriever who's also the oldest of the bunch, even if he does have an awful name—and this is usually the point where Kimi gets genuinely offended because his son's name had been inspired by his own, so what, did Oliver think his name was ugly too?—to Coco, the newest rabbit, who had also been a birthday present. It was almost as though both of their families were determined to help them build a private zoo.
Whenever Ollie gets home, eager to throw himself onto the couch and never get back up again, the couch is occupied by the two rabbits.
Two rabbits.
As if one wasn't enough, Kimi had to own two animals of the same species. Just because one is white and the other is black. Just because Kimi follows the same philosophy people have with cats: I don't have one in that color yet. At least Thumper and Coco have each other now.
Thumper came from an agricultural exhibition they attended at university, and although Kimi was completely against buying and selling animals, the poor little thing had looked so miserable inside that enclosure, displayed like an object, that Ollie had, ended up begging him to buy the rabbit from its owners.
In situations like that, all that mattered to Kimi was rescuing the animal, no matter the method.
Kimi has an incredibly soft heart. And it's no surprise that's one of the things Ollie loves most about him.
When Ollie's touch grows lighter and lazier, still lying in bed with his face clouded by sleep, Puponelli gets tired of not receiving all the attention in the world—which somehow makes him so much like Kimi, because the two of them are needy in exactly the same way—and jumps off the bed.
That's when Ollie hears a low growl, as though it came from a very small animal desperately trying to sound threatening in front of a dog.
That isn't right.
Ollie's eyes snap open, almost blinded by the sunlight pouring in through the open window, and at first he doesn't notice the tiny little thing lying beside him on the bed. The first thing he notices is Kimi's absence from the bed.
It's Sunday morning. Why the hell is he—one of the laziest people on the face of the earth—awake at this hour?
Ollie pushes himself upright until he's sitting on the bed, the mattress—which desperately needs to be replaced with a smaller one—creaking under the effort. He glances at the digital clock on the bedside table. Ten in the morning. Far too early for a day when their only responsibilities are deliberately ignoring the avalanche of seminars and research assignments piling up on their laptops, and deciding where to take Puponelli for a walk because he's been getting increasingly impatient with the route they always follow.
Then, for the third time, Ollie hears a hiss.
At first it's short and choppy, coming from somewhere that seems to be dangerously close—possibly underneath him.
Oh my God. He didn't crush Lola, the turtle, did he? Ollie genuinely doesn't want to be a murderer. He also doesn't want to spiral, but he has serious concentration issues, so his traitorous mind immediately drifts back to the horrifying day he almost sat on the poor little tortoise. Ollie's so hopelessly clumsy he's a hazard to his own children.
That doesn't seem to be the case, though, because the next thing he hears is a scream.
Shrill.
Loud.
Long.
Something resembling a Roman battle cry, albeit pitched several octaves higher than any ancient warrior could ever manage.
And then he sees it. A tiny ball of black fur is sitting proudly on the bed. Right beside him.
A cat.
No.
A kitten.
No.
An installment-plan cat, because there is absolutely no way something that tiny can count as a whole animal. It's a work-in-progress cat.
But a cat nonetheless.
Ollie drags both hands down his face, letting out a long, agonizing groan while pretending not to notice the pair of bright blue eyes fixed on him, judging every single one of his reactions.
As though the kitten were personally offended that it hadn't been intimidating enough for Ollie to notice it sooner.
Dio santo. How long has that thing been there? Where did it come from? Where's Kimi?
He's not even surprised when he calls out Kimi's name, his voice rougher than usual. "Kimi!"
A quick, "Coming!" echoes from the kitchen. From the tone alone, Ollie can already tell Kimi is bracing himself for a scolding.
Despite his determination, Ollie's eyes betray him again, drifting back toward the tiny ball of fur beside him.
Finally acknowledged, the kitten seems perfectly content now, quietly licking its right hind leg.
Ollie almost laughs, because the way the little thing has to stretch to reach it is ridiculously funny.
But then he realizes that if he keeps looking, he won't be able to have the conversation with Kimi.
The conversation where they sit across from each other on the bed. Kimi begs to keep the cat. Ollie tries. Tries. Really, genuinely tries to ignore his boyfriend's pleading eyes.
And fails miserably.
Just like every other time.
This one will be different, he tells himself. Poor, delusional fool.
The cat itself isn't bad. Its black fur, though still missing a few tufts here and there, could definitely grow into something beautiful with proper care. Care that is neither Kimi's nor Ollie's responsibility. They're giving the kitten back. Wherever Kimi got it from. Seriously.
Then, as if to mock him, the kitten decides that both the bed and Ollie are simply irresistible. Rolling onto its back—isn't that a little too early to be showing that much trust?—it rests its tiny head against Ollie's thigh.
Then it closes its eyes.
And has the audacity to let the tip of its tongue stick out.
Ollie feels something inside him crumble as he buries his face in his hands, letting out a sound that isn't dignified for a grown man in the slightest.
He can't resist that. He's a weak man.
As though Kimi had been deliberately waiting for this exact moment of weakness so he could make the most of it and come out victorious—as always. Congratulations, Kimi, for finding a man hopelessly in love with you. Put him in a frame.—he walks into the bedroom with slow, calculated steps.
His hands are hidden behind his back. The picture of innocence.
His eyes are just slightly widened, alert, and his lips are pressed together in a way that would make anyone believe he hadn't done a single thing wrong.
For one brief moment, Ollie almost forgets he was supposed to be mad at his boyfriend. Almost. Kimi, the little menace whose collection of pets rivals the Amazon rainforest.
So before Kimi can take advantage of the opening Ollie, the idiot, has practically handed him, he puts on the sternest expression he can manage, as though rain clouds were hanging directly over his head.
Ollie thinks he looks incredibly intimidating. Kimi is trying very hard not to laugh.
He almost spells out the Italian's name through gritted teeth. "Kimi."
"Ollie." Kimi blinks innocently as he sits on the opposite edge of the bed.
Innocent.
Theatrical.
Laughing on the inside.
Then he pretends to notice the kitten, practically asleep in Ollie's lap, and forms a perfect little oh with his mouth. "He likes you. I think that's a sign." There it is. His eyes sparkle as he looks at the kitten. "We could name him Orso, if you want."
"Kimi." Ollie tries again.
A headache blooms in his temples almost instantly.
"Oh, come on, Ollie! Look how adorable he is, all attached to you already." Kimi's voice softens, his determination slowly giving way to pleading. "I can't just ignore him. Not when he looks this cute, this helpless, this lonely…" He places a hand dramatically over his chest. "Do you really have the heart to send him away? Throw him out like he's nothing? Leave him all alone in this cruel world? Out on the streets? Cold, hungry, lonely... getting soaked by the rain outside?"
Ollie pinches the bridge of his nose, careful to keep his movements small enough not to wake the kitten. "The sun has literally never been higher."
Kimi slaps a hand against his thigh, so dramatically Italian that Ollie has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Not that he's stereotyping. He loves Italians. He loves his Italian. Well. Most of the time.
Kimi gets to his feet and takes the opportunity to pull open the nearly transparent curtains, letting Monaco's dusty air drift into the apartment.
Now he's genuinely excited to prove his point. "Amore, that's exactly my point! In this heat, how can he stay outside roasting under the sun? That's far too cruel—even for you. I can't believe I'm dating someone like you."
Kimi laments, pressing the back of one hand to his forehead like a wounded maiden before dramatically collapsing back onto the bed.
Very carefully.
So he won't wake their newest child.
Because Kimi knows Ollie won't be able to hold out much longer.
Ollie stays silent.
Then Kimi rolls across the bed, as carefully and as clumsily as possible, only stopping once he's hopelessly tangled up in the blankets and perfectly positioned for his final appeal.
He's far too cute, and Ollie does everything in his power to suppress a smile.
Damn it.
He braces himself for the battle he's already lost.
"Ollie, orsetto, please." Kimi looks at him with those eyes, sticks out his bottom lip, and clasps his hands together. "Let's keep him. We don't have a kitty yet. Pupo already loves Orso—they just need a little time to get used to each other. We can make all of them love one another. Our babies."
Ollie holds out a little longer, determined to be the rational one between them.
"Kimi, do you know what's going to happen if this cat stays? If he decides to go fishing with Senna and Risotto, that's the end of both of them. And then there's Lola. And, my God, he's going to eat Dorothy too. That's exactly why we've never had a cat." Ollie sighs as he watches Kimi's determination falter more and more. He's not going to cry. He's definitely going to cry.
Senna is the serpae tetra, and Risotto the betta who survived by nothing short of a miracle after Kimi had been irresponsible enough to nearly let them freeze during the winter. First-time parents, they said. And Dorothy is their firstborn daughter. Ollie doesn't actually know whether "firstborn daughter" is a thing when you're talking about guinea pigs, but the fact remains that she'd been Kimi's second pet.
Kimi doesn't even want to know how his family managed to get their hands on her, but on his eighteenth birthday there had been a guinea pig, decorated with a ribbon, waiting for him on his favorite armchair. Right after they'd moved in together.
Puponelli, on the other hand, had been with Kimi since he was eight years old. The bond between them was so strong that when Ollie first asked Kimi out, Kimi had practically given him an ultimatum, saying that if Ollie had any problem with dogs, it was better to admit it then and there instead of waiting until he had the misfortune of being introduced to Pupo.
Maybe that was the exact moment Ollie fell in love with him.
As though they'd collectively decided this had become a family meeting, Coco and Thumper appear by the bedroom door, both twitching their little noses in that adorable way only rabbits can.
Puponelli is still nowhere to be seen. Probably attacking the pet food. The very expensive pet food. The pet food that has to be bought seven different times over because every single animal requires its own specific diet. In other words, the pitiful salary Kimi and Ollie earn together—Ollie working as a waiter with what he likes to call the dignity of absolutely nothing, and Kimi looking pretty behind the counter of a coffee shop (despite also being ridiculously rich and constantly receiving generous gifts from his mother)—is barely enough to keep up with everyone's appetite.
And now Kimi wants another animal.
Dorothy arrives a moment later, climbing onto Kimi like a lightning bolt before immediately beginning to hop all over him. Lola is tucked inside one of Ollie's warm slippers and seems perfectly content. All of them appear completely at ease with the kitten's presence, which is highly unusual considering they normally disappear at the slightest possibility of encountering anything—or anyone—unfamiliar in the house. Only Senna and Risotto have always remained where they are, drifting peacefully back and forth through the water.
It's comfortable. Incredibly familiar.
It feels as though the decision had already been made a long time ago.
And yet Ollie is still worried there might be a few murders.
Kimi pleads before Ollie can say another word. "We'll teach Orso not to eat any of his siblings. He'll behave. I promise."
"Kimi, you can't interfere with animal instincts." Ollie nearly laughs as he argues with the look of pure disappointment spreading across Kimi's face.
"But... but..." Kimi repeats, growing increasingly desperate as he searches for another argument and comes up with absolutely nothing.
At that moment, Orso slowly opens his eyes. Ollie hates himself for accepting the kitten's name so easily. But that isn't even the worst part. The worst part is when Orso opens his tiny mouth, stretches his impossibly small little paws, and then snuggles right back against him.
He's curled up in a way Ollie didn't think was physically possible. And somehow, that's the final straw.
Ollie, who's been desperately fighting the constant urge to give in to the adorable little creature, finally caves. He reaches out with his broad fingers and gently scratches behind the kitten's ears.
The purr he gets in return is all the confirmation he needs to silence every last doubt.
He smiles before he can stop himself.
Kimi explodes into celebration. He nearly trips over the sheets in his excitement, and Dorothy becomes the victim of the moment, looking thoroughly alarmed when Kimi scoops her up and starts bouncing around with her in his arms.
The commotion is enough to make Orso grumble in annoyance. Which only makes Kimi's victory feel even sweeter.
"You're going to wake Orso." The words leave Ollie's mouth before he can stop them, and Kimi's grin only grows wider. Well. He lost this battle. Just like he'd lost every single one before it.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist!" Kimi beams. "Ti amo, orsetto. So, so much." He's smiling so broadly that Ollie already knows he'll be complaining about sore cheeks later.
But seeing Kimi this happy fills Ollie's heart with warmth. He doesn't know whether he's making the right decision. After all, they'll have to be incredibly careful with the natural predator Orso is—perhaps naming him Bear hadn't been their brightest idea. Hopefully he won't decide to take inspiration from his giant, terrifying mammalian namesake—and make sure he doesn't hurt any of the others.
Still, Ollie allows himself to be reckless.
Because he knows Kimi's uncanny ability to tame any beast.
Not that Ollie had ever been one.
But the ease with which Kimi had tamed him is almost frightening.
And Ollie has always walked willingly into his arms.
Kimi sets Dorothy down on the floor only to cup Ollie's face in both hands and lean in for a kiss. It carries everything it needs to. Trust. Love. Happiness. In truth, it's nothing more than a lingering peck, because the moment Kimi pulls away, Orso immediately claims Ollie as his own, climbing straight into his lap on those tiny little legs.
Ollie catches the briefest flicker of jealousy crossing Kimi's face and bursts into laughter.
Maybe now Kimi finally understands what it feels like to be ignored when there are so many pets lined up, all waiting for their turn to steal his attention.
Kimi's pout refuses to leave his lips, and Ollie tugs him back in for another lazy kiss as he laughs. There is, however, one thing he still doesn't understand.
Absentmindedly stroking the kitten, he asks, "Baby... where did you find Orso?"
Kimi freezes as though he's just been caught red-handed, and the reaction gives him away instantly.
Ollie narrows his eyes while Kimi lets out an awkward little laugh, scanning the room as though looking anywhere but at the Brit.
"Uh... someone left him on our doorstep, you know... a gift from God." He chuckles. Ollie doesn't believe a word of it, raising an eyebrow.
That alone is enough to make Kimi huff before finally admitting the truth. "Max's cat had kittens. I just asked for one."
"...And Max gave him to you." Ollie lets out a disbelieving laugh. "So he was never going to end up all alone on the streets like you said."
Kimi, thoroughly pleased with himself, takes full advantage of the situation. "Duh. I tricked you."
He sticks out his tongue with a laugh before darting out of the bedroom, fully aware that Ollie can't chase after him—not with their newest son comfortably curled up in his lap.
The kitten purrs contentedly while Ollie hears Kimi shouting from the kitchen that he's making breakfast. In the end… Things always turn out exactly the way Kimi wants them to.