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When Kazuma went downstairs that morning, he found Iris deeply immersed in her handcrafts. Curious, he approached her, watching as she skillfully sewed the colorful fabric.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Gifts for Ginny and Mary.”
With those words, she raised the pair of plushies she was making so he could have a better look. Just like Ryunosuke and Susato before him, Kazuma had a small collection of gifts from Iris, which he proudly displayed in his bedroom. He observed that new pair, amused to see they were an owl and a hedgehog.
“Great choices,” he said. “Especially Gina’s.”
“Are you saying she’s a prickly one?”
“I never said that.” Kazuma creased his brow. “And you’re the one who chose a hedgehog.”
“Maybe…” A slightly mischievous giggle left her lips. “I won’t tell her if you don’t.”
Kazuma smiled. “Sounds fair.”
He stayed close to her for a while longer, watching how carefully she worked on those plushies. He should be having breakfast so he wouldn’t be late for work, but as he looked at those plushies, a thought crossed his mind. Iris had given gifts to Barok before, but Kazuma couldn’t remember seeing a stuffed animal among them. If she were to make him one, what would it look like?
But, more than that, Kazuma couldn’t help but wonder if his mentor would appreciate such a gift. From Iris, certainly; probably not as much if it came from him, though…
It was Iris’ voice that brought him back from his thoughts.
“Are you thinking about Uncle Barry?” She smiled at his surprise. “You always make a funny face when you are.”
Kazuma averted his gaze. “Am I that easy to read?”
“More than you think.” Iris thought for a moment. “You know, Kazie… I was thinking of making a gift for my uncle, but I’ll be a little busy with my manuscripts these days, so…” A dramatic pause. “Maybe you’ll want to do it instead?”
Kazuma knew exactly why she had suggested that, and it didn’t help calm his embarrassment at all. It hadn’t been that long since he and Barok finally found their courage to admit their romantic feelings to each other, and they were still learning to navigate that new relationship. But apparently, they were terrible at being discreet, since all those closest to them soon became aware of what was happening, being so overwhelmingly supportive that sometimes Kazuma wished they had never noticed it at all.
But he knew Iris only wanted to help them in any way she could, so instead of pointing that out, he responded in a casual tone.
“He would be happier if it came from you.”
Which didn’t work as expected, since it only made Iris narrow her eyes in frustration.
“Kazie, you can’t be serious…”
“Why?” He shifted slightly in place, trying not to sound anxious when he finally asked what was on his mind. “Do you think it would make him happy?”
“Of course it would!” She opened the widest grin. “No doubts about it!”
When she said it with that much confidence… Kazuma let out a small sigh, meeting her gaze.
“Alright, then… What do you suggest?”
When Kazuma arrived at the office, Barok was already there. He greeted Kazuma, who was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn’t respond, instead approaching his mentor’s desk with determined steps.
“Lord van Zieks,” he said. “Would you mind answering some questions?”
Barok slightly widened his eyes, surprised. “No, of course not.”
“In this case, what is your favorite animal?”
He observed Kazuma for a moment, perplexed. Maybe going straight to the point hadn’t been such a good idea… Kazuma wondered if Barok would question him about his reasons, which would force him to come up with an excuse; instead, he gave his answer a moment later.
“If you asked me this question not even a year ago, I would say dogs. Nowadays, however, I feel like I favor cats.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t say bats,” Kazuma said in a playful tone. “Any breed of cat you prefer?”
“I never thought about this before. But I suppose one with black fur.” Barok considered it for a moment longer, a slight smile on his lips. “Perhaps a black and white one.”
“I see.”
“With a needy and mischievous personality.”
“I see…”
“Who seeks affection, only to bite in response. And who very often causes me trouble, but is so adorable that I cannot bring myself to be angry at it.”
Kazuma raised an eyebrow. “Very specific, but thank you for your detailed answer.”
“I’m glad to be of help.” Barok met his gaze. “Why all these questions so suddenly?”
“Nothing.” Kazuma leaned in his direction, giving him a brief kiss on the face. “Alright, thank you for indulging me, my dear mentor.”
But Barok continued to observe him, intrigued. “Are you, perhaps, considering adopting an animal?”
“Not exactly.” Kazuma dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand. “There is no need to worry about it.”
Barok seemed about to insist on the subject, but stopped himself—he already knew Kazuma well enough to know he wasn’t getting anything else out of him.
And so, with Iris’ help, Kazuma spent his following evenings working on his gift—which turned out pretty cute, if he said so himself. So, when he entered the office that morning with that small box in his hands, he was nothing but confident. He walked toward Barok, placing the box in front of him, which made his mentor raise his eyes.
“What is this?” he asked.
“A gift.” Kazuma smiled. “Go on… Open it.”
Barok did as he said. And then, suddenly, Kazuma started to question himself in a way he hadn’t until then. Were the stitches misaligned? The ears or eyes crooked? Maybe he forgot an important detail, or Iris was too kind to point out an obvious flaw…
But it was too late to go back, since soon Barok opened that box, taking from it the black and white cat plushie that Kazuma had made.
“I just wanted to give you something a little different this time,” said Kazuma. “Hopefully it is adequate to your tastes.”
Barok observed that small cat plushie for a while. His expression slowly softened, a smile taking over his lips.
“It is, indeed, perfect.”
Kazuma suppressed a relieved sigh. “I’m surprised someone as exigent as you would say this.”
Barok didn’t respond, too busy observing that gift from all angles. When he was finally done, he placed it on his desk, eyes still on it.
“I suppose I will name it Kazuma.”
His words made Kazuma stare at him. “What?”
“As I thought, the similarities are undeniable.”
Kazuma couldn’t respond for a while—suddenly, those unnecessary comments and barely contained smile as he responded to his questions made more sense. A hot feeling grew in his chest, spreading throughout his body; in an instinctive move, he reached for that plushie.
“Give it back!”
But as if predicting his actions, Barok took it first, holding it away from his grasp. “I refuse to.”
He didn’t give up, trying to grab that plushie again, only for Barok to move it just far enough from his fingers.
“Just give me that!”
“It is quite rude to ask someone to return a gift,” said Barok.
“Stop being obnoxious.”
Kazuma tried to get it a third time, and Barok hugged it tightly against his chest to protect it.
“I said I am not returning it.” He lowered his eyes to that plushie. “It is already quite dear to me.”
More than anything, Kazuma wanted to grab that cat and run out of the office with it. But the happy expression on Barok’s face stopped him: how could he willingly do anything to ruin it?
“Fine,” he grumbled. “If you care so much about it, then keep it.”
With that cat now free from danger, Barok carefully placed it down on his desk. Without a word, he stood from his chair, walking toward Kazuma and holding him tightly in a hug.
He said nothing, but the gesture was enough to make Kazuma’s body melt against his; he hugged Barok’s waist, burying his face in his chest. And then, because he was too embarrassed not to, he spoke in a reproachful voice.
“My dear prosecutor, I should remind you that we are in the office, in the middle of the day.”
“Since when do you care so much about professionalism?”
“You wound me…”
And still, he didn’t let go of Barok—not until he managed to control the silly smile he knew he was carrying.
When Iris learned the cat’s name, she made it a cloak and a small sword, which only added to Barok’s joy. Months later, when Ryunosuke and Susato returned to London, they also gave it a red headband, like the one he used to wear in his younger days.
Kazuma scowled at that small and cute depiction of him, crossing his arms. “Teaches me to never do anything nice for you again.”
But Barok didn’t seem bothered in the least. On the contrary: he adored that plushie so much that, sometimes, Kazuma caught himself a little jealous of all the attention it received.
Some time passed until the day Barok was the one to approach Kazuma, placing a small box on his desk.
“I’ve brought something for you.”
That caught Kazuma off guard. “What is this?”
Barok simply indicated the box with a gesture of his hand. Kazuma opened it, being surprised by a handmade plushie: a gray cat, wearing a cloak and a top hat. Even without a word, it was impossible not to see the resemblance.
“I thought Kazuma looked lonely without a companion,” said Barok.
It took Kazuma a moment to understand that he was referring to the plushie and not him. He turned his eyes once again to the cat in his hands, and the more he looked at it, the more his heart raced.
How was it possible for that man to be so adorable?
Kazuma stood up, walking to the table where the small version of himself was sitting; he placed the gray cat beside it, the two softly leaning against each other. He couldn’t hold back a small, pleased laugh at the sight.
“They look quite happy,” said Barok by his side.
“They certainly do.”
And before he could worry about his lack of professionalism, he threw his arms around Barok, standing at the tip of his toes for a kiss. Maybe because Barok already expected it, or maybe because he was slowly getting used to Kazuma’s spontaneous ways to show affection, but he simply held him close in response, seeming as pleased as Kazuma himself.
Not far from them, that small duo seemed overjoyed to be together as well.