Chapter Text
Dew wakes up to a mouthful of black fluff.
He spits it out and properly rubs his eyes to see its owner –a black kitten, staring like he’s the one who disturbed its existence.
"Stupid fucking–"
"Say another word about my child, and I'll feed you roaches for breakfast," Nani says with crossed arms and the aura of a man who sticks to his words. Even his boyfriend, Sky, hanging behind his shoulder didn't help.
Dew groans into his pillow, pulling his blanket higher to protect some crumbs of his privacy. "Why are all of you watching me sleep?"
Sky is the only one to have the decency to look sheepish. "I actually came to wake you up for breakfast, but Neona sneaked in and then Nani came–"
A pitiful meow interrupts him, followed by a white cheshire kitten hanging off of the edge of Dew’s bed. It's doing a bad job at trying to not fall off.
"–and Smyle's here too."
"Great, so a whole family of freaks that likes watching poor people sleep," Dew mumbles while gently lifting Smyle by his scruff. As soon as he lets go, Smyle dashes and crashes into the black cat by his pillow. The black kitten, Neona, swats once bellowing allowing himself to be smothered in licks and cuddles from the other.
Nani rolls his eyes, used to the dramatics of his sleep-deprived best friend-slash-roommate. "Get your toast in the next five minutes. Sky's driving."
"I can go by myself."
The look Nani shoots is enough to make any god cower.
"...Yes, sir." Dew relents.
Satisfied to once again establish control over his abode, Nani marches out. Both kittens scramble to chase after him. Smyle’s gait doesn’t falter despite faceplanting into the floor on the way out.
When Dew’s eyes land on the last intruder in his room, Sky smiles like that can act as damage control for his boyfriend.. "Sorry, man. I know it's a little too early for you."
Having accepted his fate since the day he decided to befriend the straight faced cat cuddler back in highschool, Dew sighs and waves him off. "Don't mind me. Just let me know if you ever wanna run away from this cat dad."
With a last, indulgent nod, Dew is once more alone in his room. He stares at the ceiling, wondering what deeds landed him fifth wheeling one of his best friends during his second year at university. He finally gets up at the sound of pans clinking ominously.
Dew arrives to a disgustingly domestic sight at the kitchen: Nani switching between pans of omelettes and pancakes with military precision while Sky tries and fails to sneak medicine into Smyle's tuna. Fortunately, the aroma of warm pancakes and maple syrup makes up for any irritation caused by it.
"Just put it in Neona's food bowl," Nani says without turning away from transferring stacks of pancakes onto a plate.
Neona pauses his breakfast just to give an offended yowl.
"Don't argue with me, you let Smyle finish your food anyway."
The cat goes suspiciously quiet.
"But it doesn't hide the medicine as well..." Sky mumbles, but still reaches for the cabinet containing Neona’s food packet.
Once the food is set out –with the red pill standing out like cherry on a cake– Smyle sniffs his bowl. He turns his head at Neona chowing down his food, sniffs his bowl again, then follows suit. The pill vanishes within the first few bites.
Sky keeps staring. Nani smirks into the pans before asking for another plate.
Utterly disgusting.
"Then move out." Dew quickly chugs a cup of coffee ready at the dining table to restart his brain-to-mouth filter before he gets evicted.
With two kittens fed, Sky joins in the seat opposite him. "Sorry about the early start today. He doesn't want to go to Professor Off's morning classes by himself. Something about his rant about 'leaving a beauty behind in bed'."
"That man is just fucking dramatic." Nani joins the table, slamming his own pan of omelettes, bacon and (to Dew's relief) a table spoon (instead of a spatula). At Sky's confused smile, he sighs and softens his tone. "Wednesday is the only day Professor Off has a class before Professor Gun, so he has to leave earlier without him."
Dew just shakes his head at the explanation. “Then skip it. You literally bail Professor Leo’s class every time you hear he fought with his neighbor before class.”
“I’m already failing all his tests, dude,” Nani says. He pauses to shove the last of his omelets before continuing. “If I don't have the attendance and pass his term exams, I won’t have enough credits to graduate.”
Sounds like a you problem, Dew thinks in the safety of his mind as he continues fueling himself with caffeine.
As he checks for his phone and wallet in his jeans, Dew’s eyes wander around. That’s when he notices the pajama pants on Nani.
Dew looks at the clock on the kitchen wall.
7 o'clock.
"Nani."
Sky pauses mid-bite onto his third pancake. Even the cats go eeriely quiet. Only Nani's unbothered chewing filters through the room.
"Yes, Dew?" he responds, unaffected by the shift in his best friend’s demeanor.
"Why," the question is spoken with the tone of a man on the precipice of lunacy, "are we awake three hours before your class?"
Nani holds up a finger, a gesture that gets Dew's blood pressure up higher. His expression remains stoic, but the remaining audience feels the spike in blood flow at the sudden drop in room temperature.
After swallowing his last pancake, Nani says, "I don't know, ask him."
Just then, the apartment door slams open. The cats jump and rush into Sky's lap, who clutches at their fur just as hard.
With a jovial tone, the new arrival exclaims, "Good morning–"
"I'm not marrying you to make Bright jealous."
Dew almost spits his coffee while the new arrival, now in a deadpan, says, "and fuck you." As they enter further into the apartment, they toss two paper bags onto the dining table. “Breakfast shawarma for everyone except Nani.”
"Good morning to you, too, Win," Sky says, recovered from the shocking entrance of his boyfriend’s best friend. The kittens, having felt Sky’s grip relaxing, also peek out from behind his arms.
Win blinks, then smiles like he hadn't displayed signs of needing a therapist just moments ago. "Good morning to the only person I respect here. Say hello to your spawns too."
Neona hisses back while Smyle looks at Sky for advice.
"I'm still here, you fucker," Dew sighs once the coffee starts going down the correct pipe.
Nani gets up, slowly and stretches like a cat satisfied with a nap. "I'm gonna change now. Babe, keep my shawarma in the fridge."
Sky nods, a mix of lovesickness and urgency to escape, and lets the cats go to leave with Nani's empty pan.
That reminds Dew of his initial strife, so he glares at Win, now taking Nani's seat. "Why the fuck are we going to uni this early? Don't tell me you're stalking Bright's practices again."
"Ew, no, that's beneath me–" says the hypocrite, "and it isn't about him."
Dew raises a brow in lieu of filling the dramatic pause.
"We're gonna go to the basketball tryouts."
"Absolutely not.” Dew almost chokes for the second time that morning while Nani comes back and continues putting on his jacket over the shirt he slept in. "You made me do football last year and I was miserable."
"Shut up, that's how you met Sky so you should be grateful," Win counters before chowing down on his shawarma.
Nani throws the bird to hide his lovesick blush, definitely mimicked by Sky based on how much deeper his head went into the fridge.
"As I was saying," continues Win. "None of us are going to the try-outs. Love you, Dew, but your height would be a greater hazard than an advantage during practice."
"I didn't even say anything," Dew mutters over the rim of his mug.
Smyle jumps into Nani's lap, happily receiving the scratches Nani gives while applying moisturizer one handed. "Then, pray tell, why are we up this early?" The deadpan really sells his shortening patience. Dew is glad he isn’t the only one suffering.
Win suddenly gets serious, eyes blazing with determination so bright Dew's eyes hurt enough to need more coffee. "Mick's gonna be at the tryout, and so is his... friend."
"You mean his situationship, Luke?" Nani clarifies.
"Nong Luke?" Sky perks up while finally closing the fridge and grabbing his bag. "I remember him. He visited the university during high-school and wanted to try-out for the futsal team. I even talked to him about applying and all."
"I knew the kid was up to no good!" Win stands up, vindicated.
Dew reaches up to grab his wrist and sit his ass back down. "Relax, dude. Futsal tryouts are on for a whole week. He's more than free to attend whatever try-outs he wants, not necessarily that he's doing it 'cause of your brother."
Nani dabs the remaining sunscreen into his skin before lifting Neona onto the table to properly pat him. "And, besides, Mick's entire friend group is doing the basketball and football tryouts together, so it makes sense why they're doing it at the same time."
"Regardless," Win shrugs off the assurances, back onto his feet and marching to the front door as if leading a revolution. "It doesn't hurt to keep a closer eye. I'm his brother after all."
"You're just trying to distract yourself from your own shoddy love life," Dew murmurs only when Win is at the front door with Sky. Nani can only shake his head before gathering his things, giving a kiss to Neona and five smooches to Smyle, and following behind with Dew.