Chapter Text
Kuroo says goodbye to the last customers leaving the cat cafe and starts getting ready for closing Nekoma for the night. The bright lights outside the window scream of lively evening, but it's calm inside, and Kuroo lets himself bath in the peaceful silence.
Most of the cats are already dozing off in their usual places, and Kuroo reaches for the iPad to take a few photos. He looks at Kin-chan, a black cat with golden eyes, his short fur glistening in the light as he slowly makes his way to Natsu, a beautiful delicate cat, her white lithe form a contrast to Kin-chan's broader one, and snuggles against her. Natsu glances at Kin-chan, then tilts her head, sticking out her tongue and licking Kin-chan's ear.
It's too cute and Kuroo silently groans to himself, hiding his face behind his iPad as he takes a photo. He adds the caption "Cat love is the best love. Good night!" and posts it on Nekoma's twitter account. He looks at the instant notifications, and smiles at the number of people who like cats. Kuroo feels a bit proud and accomplished every time he tweets cat photos, as it seems these simple posts make a lot of people happy. Kin-chan purrs as if he's heard Kuroo's thoughts, and lets out a short, silent meow. Kuroo decides it's his complain that Kuroo shouldn't take all the glory for good deeds. He reaches for Kin-chan and gently pats his nose with his finger.
"You're the star here, of course you are," he comments silently.
When he looks back at the iPad's screen, there's a retweet from Bokuto, and after a few seconds Kuroo hears his phone beep from where he placed it on the counter after everyone left.
[HEY HEY HEY 22:06] >> your updates are really cute but CONTROL UR EMOTIONS
[HEY HEY HEY 22:06] >> cat love is the best love
[HEY HEY HEY 22:06] >> my love is the best love excuse u
[22:07] << dont be jealous of cats bokuto
[HEY HEY HEY 22:07] >> no wonder your relationships never last
[HEY HEY HEY 22:07] >> pro tip: try giving someone as much attention as you give to the cats IT WILL WORK OUT
[22:08] << first gotta find someone worth that attention
Kuroo snorts at the silly sticker from the anime Bokuto's been babbling about for a few days already, and puts the phone away, going to pick up all the toys from the floor. He doesn't rush; he likes spending time in the cat café, and working the evening shift is his favourite time. It's nice when all the people leave and the cats get ready to sleep, cuddling with each other. Sometimes Kuroo wonders if he could secretly stay the night here, surrounded by warmth of cats and the sound of their sweet purring. He shakes his head at the thought. Being with the cats is slightly addicting, and as much as Kuroo can't find the strength to draw back, he can still stop himself from becoming a hundred-percent 'Cat Lady' which is what Bokuto calls him at times.
Kuroo pets a little fluffy kitten named Momo - Bokuto's favourite - and sits on the floor, taking a deep breath. He remembers the conversation he had with Bokuto in this same cafe just a couple of days ago. He told Bokuto to make him date a person that he loves as much as all these cats. It was kind of a joke. It just slipped off his tongue after Bokuto asked Kuroo to make him date a person he talks about the way he talks about his favourite fictional characters. After voicing it out though, Kuroo realised that he actually wants that to happen. He wants to find someone to love, someone he would treat like no one did before. He wishes to be like Kin-chan and Natsu that are snuggling together, caring for each other. It makes him feel like his grandmother who often talked about finding the person you belong with. She used to tell little Tetsurou that one day he would surely find a person he wanted to spend his lifetime with, and up until now Kuroo remembers those tender words. He lets out a soft laugh at the memory and rubs his temples. It takes him a few more moments to finally get back on his feet and finish cleaning around.
It's well past ten when he exits the cafe, running down the stairs into the night. The humidity and warmth hit his face and a little shudder runs through his body at the change of temperature. The smell of rain is lingering in the air, and Kuroo remembers it has rained a while ago. Yawning, he considers taking the train for a moment, but decides to walk instead.
It takes him almost half an hour as he doesn't hurry, letting his thoughts float around in his mind, letting himself get lost there while he has some time alone. The streets are still full of people even at such late hour, but it's quiet as everyone simply walks alone, minding their own business.
There's a catchy song playing when Kuroo walks past a karaoke bar and the door opens. The song gets stuck in his head, and when he reaches smaller streets, he mindlessly starts to hum it. He thinks that maybe he should try to talk with Terushima from the volleyball club to organise a mixer. Those things never really work for Kuroo as Terushima usually invites mainly girls, and as much as Kuroo finds them nice and lovely, they've never attracted him the way guys do. Nevertheless, maybe this time Terushima could invite someone for Kuroo too.
Kuroo snorts to himself at this naïve thought, but ever since the conversation with Bokuto, he can't stop thinking that he wants that someone who he'd really love. He's still young, barely nineteen, he reminds to himself, and he's got time. However, Kuroo also knows that there is a high probability that his special someone won't appear out of nowhere and he has to actually find them. He takes a deep breath and slowly lets it all out, his thoughts drifting to Konoha and his habit of smoking. He wonders if that'd keep his mind off thinking, but the idea makes him scrunch his nose and so he drops it, instead choosing to buy a box of strawberry chocolates when he comes by a convenience store.
Bokuto is already home when Kuroo comes back. Kuroo can hear some ridiculous song coming from the room and soon he finds Bokuto sprawled on the floor between their beds. His body is at a weird angle as he tries to fit in the small space, but it seems to work for him. He looks up from his laptop and gives Kuroo a little smile, followed by a greeting.
"So I've been thinking, I don't really want to organise a party for my birthday or anything. Konoha wouldn't be able to come because of that seminar trip he has, Suzumeda is still not back from travelling in Europe and Daichi's planning to stay in Miyagi until the semester starts, so I don't wanna make him come here just for my birthday."
Kuroo hums, plopping down on the bed.
"Fair enough," he says, "but then the two of us will do something big for it". He snaps his fingers, his eyes widening at the idea, "We should go to a host club!"
"No way!" Bokuto sits up, straightening his back and glaring at Kuroo, "It'd be too embarrassing. I'm never going there."
"No one's asking, it'll be my birthday gift for you." Kuroo winks and Bokuto groans.
"Can we even get in if we're not twenty yet?"
Kuroo shrugs and falls back on the bed, looking at the ceiling.
"Leave it to me, I'll check everything," he says, letting out a laugh when Bokuto sighs heavily.
The chilly air from air conditioner leaves goose bumps on his arms and a little shudder runs through his body. He wishes they had a cat he could hug for warmth right now.
-
They never go to a host club. Instead, they end up at butler cafe, and Kuroo's not sure if that was for the better or for the worse as his life gets a whole lot more complicated after it. He thinks that after all, Tokyo is small or maybe it's just some kind of funny play the gods enjoy playing as Bokuto lands a crush on their butler. Kuroo can't blame him as the guy is worth the attention. He's beautiful; tall, with short black hair and dark green eyes. His voice is pleasant to listen to and the way he behaves, even though it's part of his job, is fascinating. This is where the "funny" part comes though. Apparently that guy is Akaashi Keiji who, Kuroo groans at the thought as he hits his head on the desk, is the same Akaashi that is Konoha's friend. Friend with benefits. Moreover, even though Konoha encourages Bokuto to try things out with Akaashi, since there are no feelings between them, Bokuto thinks he can't ruin Konoha and Akaashi's relationship. It's frustrating to watch them.
Kuroo groans again and straightens up, looking down at his notebook and unfinished homework. This whole thing reminds him of what Bokuto told him before about fictional characters and love. The chances might be slim, but Kuroo thinks that maybe Akaashi is like Bokuto's favourite characters, except he's real. It also makes him remember his own words, and the idea of finding someone he'd really love gets back on his mind. If Bokuto has to go through such things, is something similar waiting for Kuroo if he meets a person who he loves more than cats?
He sighs and stands up, gathering his books and notes, and heads to the gym. Maybe a bit of volleyball can clear his mind.
-
Kuroo loves taking care of cats at the cafe and simply looking at the fluffy creatures, but he also enjoys watching the people who come to Nekoma. He doesn't look at them the whole time, of course, but he knows all the regulars. He likes to see which cats they like the best and he keeps an eye out to see if they're enjoying the visit, sometimes bringing a cat to their lap, sometimes bringing the favourite toy of the cat they are playing with. He likes the regulars. He likes how much they love being surrounded by cats, he likes seeing the relaxed smile on their faces after spending time with the cute animals. He ends up talking a lot with visitors, too. There's a high school girl named Yachi that comes nearly every week to get refreshed after long hours of school. Kuroo always exchanges some words with her about their classes, sharing some studying tips and such. There's also an old man who has very narrows eyes and thin lips. It makes him look like a sleeping cat and Kuroo's always looking forward to seeing him once or twice a month and listening to his stories. Kuroo's not sure if the stories are true all the time, but he enjoys them nevertheless. There are others too, and Kuroo knows all of them. He's always updating the list in his head, but there are also a lot of people that come once or twice and disappear afterwards, leaving just a fading memory after themselves.
It's the last days of September, the new semester just starting, when Kuroo sees another of those people who simply come to check the little cat cafe on their way to the station. It's a guy, perhaps a student of the university as he's not wearing the school uniform, but still looks rather young, probably around Kuroo's age. He doesn't seem very interested. Kuroo guesses that probably he had a bad day and Nekoma looked good enough to let him rest in relaxing atmosphere.
"Welcome," Kuroo says when the guy comes in, bending down to take off his shoes and change into slippers.
"Hello," he says back with a little bow of his head and Kuroo opens the little fence gate that separates the entranceway from the main space where the cats are. The guy is slightly sluggish with his movements and his eyes wander to the cats at his feet while Kuroo tries to talk to him.
"Is this your first visit here?" Kuroo asks, getting a nod in reply, and adds, "Please check the rules." He hands a laminated card and offers a little explanation of the rules himself as visitors tend not to read everything anyway, but he's not entirely sure the guy is listening. He seems really tired and lost in his own world, his rather big, nearly golden eyes hiding under almost half-closed eyelids. The guy looks up at Kuroo when he takes the little plastic case with the key of the locker and paper slip with the time he came in, and Kuroo smiles. It's an amusing and even slightly funny thought, but Kuroo thinks that this guy's face has a somewhat cattish look. His eyes are framed with thick dark eyelashes that make them stand out and together with his behaviour, he reminds Kuroo of a kitten. He wonders if this guy too will look like a sleeping cat when he gets old.
The guy puts his stuff into the locker and walks to the wall where the posters introducing the cats are hung. The cat cafe is almost empty, the cats napping all over the place as it's barely afternoon. The sunlight is getting in through the window, colouring the room with warm hues and making it feel even cosier than usual. It's a pity that so little people come at this hour. There are only an old lady from the neighbourhood and the new guy, so Kuroo decides to watch the guy this time, even though he does look to be the type that doesn't plan to come back.
He has his hair bleached to golden blond, but it has grown to his chin, black roots making Kuroo guess the guy's not trying to keep the look. At first, he goes around the cafe, petting the cats and taking some photos of them. A little smile appears on his face whenever the cats respond to his touch by purring or trying to catch his fingers with their paws, and Kuroo has to withhold a beam himself. The "kitten" guy goes to get a drink from vending machine after some time, and settles at the table next to Natsu sleeping on the other chair. He reaches out his arm to softly rub her behind the ears, his lips curling into a smile before he opens one of the notebooks scattered on the table and begins to doodle something there.
It piques Kin-chan's interest and the cat jumps up on the table. He sniffs the guy's blond hair that is now covering his face, and the guy tilts his head to look at Kin-chan. Kin-chan lets out a funny purr and takes a little step closer, touching the guy's nose with his own while sniffing him.
The guy chuckles softly, raising his hand to slowly stroke Kin-chan's black fur and the cat lies down, closing his golden eyes in pleasure.
Kuroo blinks a few times, furrowing his eyebrows. Kin-chan has been there the longest, and he's the most cunning one of all cats; he acts how he wants and some regulars jokingly call him "thug". He often jumps on visitors when they crouch or bend down so that he can easily get on the top of the lockers, and he rarely lets himself be pet, trying to bite or just walking away.
But here he is, resting peacefully next to a stranger and letting himself be rubbed behind ears as if the guy is same as Natsu whom Kin-chan usually cuddles with.
Kuroo's probably staring as the guy turns his head to look his way, their eyes meeting. Kuroo offers him a faint smile and the guy seems to get slightly flustered at it, but he beams back.
"Kin-chan is really nice," he says in a hush, and Kuroo's not sure if he's saying it to him, to Kin-chan or to himself. It's cute how his voice sounds slightly uncertain when he's saying the name he's seen on the poster a little while ago. Kuroo moves his glance to the guy's thin fingers getting lost in short dark hair, and he's sure that Kin-chan has just become this guy's favourite cat here. He smiles a bit wider.
"He seems to think the same about you," Kuroo says and he notices the guy trying to withhold a smile.
Kuroo changes his mind. He thinks the guy will probably come back again.
-
A little smile lights up Kuroo's face when after a couple of days he sees the "kitten" guy come to the cafe again. He settles onto the pillows on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest and watching the cats. It's a somewhat pleasant and calming sight. He doesn't look very tired this time. He fits in the cafe and it seems as if he's well used to it. Maybe he is, Kuroo thinks to himself. Maybe he often visits other cat cafes and he just came here for a change. Kuroo's thoughts drift to various scenarios about this guy and he tries to guess which places he went to before, comparing them to Nekoma.
Nekoma isn't very popular cat cafe. It's small and they don't serve lovely looking drinks or cakes with cute drawings on them. However, being a little café at a size of approximately two rooms, Nekoma feels cosy. Kuroo has heard numerous customers say it and he thinks so himself - Nekoma makes it feel like you're at home, like all the cats here are your cats. Most of the visitors here are regulars who are recognized by both staff and cats, and Kuroo wishes for it to stay like this forever. They let customers hold cats if the animals aren't against it, and there are always more cats than people inside, which is Kuroo's personal favourite thing. He wonders if that's what makes the blond guy come back in just a couple of days. Perhaps it is. Perhaps the "kitten" appreciates the same things as Kuroo and everyone who comes here regularly do, and he feels welcome here.
Such an idea melts Kuroo's heart and he feels himself smile. From the corner of his eye, Kuroo glances at the guy. He mutters something to a dark and soft brown striped cat named Tora. Then, he takes out a gaming console and leans back. After a moment, a silent sound of the game fills in the cafe, but after a few clicks and a muttered apology later it gets back to silence.
Kuroo goes to change the water in the bowls and takes Momo into his arms when the cat starts meowing at him. He carries him to the table, laying the kitten down on all the notebooks and photo albums there. The blond guy gives him a look, but doesn't say anything. Kuroo hums to himself, murmuring sweet nothings to Momo right afterwards to make it look as if the hum was also meant for the kitten. He's not sure why, but the guy's presence is somehow inviting. It's drawing Kuroo in, making him want to talk to the guy, and Kuroo goes through a list of phrases to start a conversation. However, he is interrupted right after he finally settles with a simple "It seems the rain is coming again." He hears the door open and sees Yachi come in. She smiles at him, changing into the slippers and petting Creampuff, a fluffy cat with creamy brown fur.
"Welcome," Kuroo says, standing up and walking to the counter. Momo jumps off the table and follows him.
"Oh, look at you following Kuroo anywhere he goes," Yachi says in a chirpy voice, squatting down to rub behind Momo's ears. She looks up at Kuroo and gives him a smile, "How are the things going?"
Kuroo prints a paper slip with the time and hands her a key to the lockers with a shrug. "As usual. I got fewer classes this semester so I can work more shifts here. How's school?"
"Makes me want to come play with the cats more than ever." She pouts and Kuroo lets out a silent laugh.
"I remember the feel. But you'll manage, I'm sure," he says, getting a nod in reply.
"I'll do my best," Yachi promises more to herself than Kuroo and excuses herself to go put her bag in the locker. Kuroo uses the opportunity to look at the guy. He seems to have his game paused, wiggling his socked toes as Kin-chan peeks at him from behind a cat-sized tent, fidgeting as he's waiting for the opportunity to leap at the moving object.
"Would you like to hold him?" Kuroo asks, smiling at the guy, and adds, "He might run off but he seems interested in what you are doing."
The guy looks at him, then at Kin-chan and back to Kuroo again.
"Can I?"
His voice is silent, more of a whisper. He's calm and composed, his blond hair suddenly making Kuroo compare him to Yachi who also has her hair bleached. That seems to be about the only thing they have in common, and Kuroo suppresses a chuckle. He still remembers the first times Yachi came to Nekoma . She was nervous and awkward at first, jumping at anything Kuroo told her, but replying eagerly. She would go on rambling after a few exchanged words and secretly Kuroo thought it cute. It was always nice to talk with the girl, be it about cats, the weather or studies. But this guy doesn't seem to be the type to get into casual conversation with strangers. He only speaks up when needed, using short sentences as if talking more than absolutely necessary would tire him out. There's not much emotion in his voice and it makes it hard to guess his character, however it sounds nice to Kuroo's ears. He finds himself thinking he'd like to hear more of it.
Kuroo bends down to gently take the black cat into his arms and walks to the guy, carefully placing Kin-chan down into his lap. A tiny smile curls at the guys lips.
"Thank you," he says and a little chuckle escapes his lips when Kin-chan licks his hand. It's a pleasant sound.
-
Kuroo half expects Kin-chan to run away, but the cat stays. He doesn't even move when the blond guy slowly brings his knees closer to his chest and starts gaming again.
Their eyes meet for a mere second once more, and throughout the hour the guy is staying at the cat cafe, Kuroo can feel those nearly golden eyes on him.
It feels a bit like being watched by a cat.
Kuroo doesn't mind that.
-
"There's a new kitten in Nekoma," Kuroo mutters while slurping strawberry milk. Bokuto's eyes widen at the words and he stills for a second before shoving the remains of the cookies into his backpack.
"Great!" he smiles, standing up, "I'll try to come to Nekoma one of these days then," he adds and grunts to himself after checking the time on his watch. "I'm late again, gotta run! Bye!"
Kuroo waves and Konoha laughs at Bokuto, a rushed "Bye" leaving his mouth. They're sitting on the grass close to the building Bokuto has a lecture in, but even after Bokuto leaving, they don't bother to move.
"So, a new kitten, huh?" Konoha asks, plucking out a grass strand and twirling it between his fingers. "He's coming often?"
Kuroo narrows his eyes at Konoha, getting a snicker in reply.
"You would have given out all the info about new cat right away, but you didn't," Konoha smirks, "I'm guessing it's a new regular."
"Observant," Kuroo comments with a snarl, finishing his drink and placing the empty carton package beside himself. "Every few days, I think? Guessing from the amount of stickers he has on his customer's card." A little grin appears on Kuroo's face and he shrugs, "I mean, he either comes or is already there every time I have a shift, and I swear sometimes he's watching me. Maybe he's just coming for me," Kuroo nearly purrs the lasts words, now smiling slyly at Konoha.
Konoha lets out a snort.
"You enjoy it," he teases and breaks into soft chuckles, "So, what? You've gotten a crush on a customer?"
"I don't know," Kuroo shrugs. "He's kind of cute, but we haven't even talked yet. I mean, at least not about anything that's not cat cafe related." Kuroo sighs, keeping the thoughts filling his head to himself. He does enjoy seeing the "kitten" guy visit Nekoma and little glances at his direction make Kuroo somewhat happy. Konoha's almost seeing right through him and with a drop of fear inside himself Kuroo accepts that it might be a tiny little crush. He's jokingly telling Konoha that the blond guy comes to Nekoma because of him, but there is some truth it this statement. Kuroo's not sure if that's the reason of the regular visits, but he knows he kind of wishes that it was.
"Maybe I'm just affected by how head-over-heels Bokuto is for Akaashi," he adds, keeping the light tone of his voice, and it makes Konoha laugh again.
"Yeah, maybe."
Kuroo also laughs, albeit with a bit of restraint. He leans back, bringing his arms under his head as he lies down. He hears Konoha tap at his phone, an amused snort he lets out telling Kuroo that it's most probably Shirofuku whom Konoha is messaging with.
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, his thoughts breaking free. He wonders if the reason he's interested in the "kitten" really is related to Bokuto's crush on Akaashi. That'd also come back to that conversation they had about finding someone they love and to his own desire to find someone he'd care for unconditionally. It's a bit ridiculous how things like these get to Kuroo's head. People around him usually think that Kuroo doesn't care about relationships that much, that he simply goes out on dates for fun, especially when he ends up at one of Terushima's mixers. In a way they are right. He does go on dates because it's quite fun and more often than not he doesn't take his relationships very seriously. However, it's because Kuroo can usually tell from the very beginning that it won't last. It never does.
Bokuto says the reason is cats and how much Kuroo adores the fluffy animals. Kuroo can't argue with the adoring part, but he's sure that's not why he's single most of the time.
The thing is, Kuroo's never felt like he really, truly belonged with the people he dated. It has always started with high hopes, that maybe this time will be different, but it never was. It always felt the same. Hanging out with someone for fun and vainly waiting for that little twinkle to burst into flames. Looking forward to hearing what name he will be called this time. Kuroo or Tetsurou? Or maybe even simply Tetsu?
It suddenly reminds him of stray cats that get called different names. They seem to belong to many people, but at the same time, they don't belong to anyone. Kuroo abruptly decides that maybe he too is like those stray cats that are always looking for a place to, in a way, call home, and he chuckles to himself.
"What's so funny?" Konoha asks, his words ending with a yawn and a little hum when he stretches.
"Just silly thoughts."
"About what?"
Kuroo stays silent for a few seconds, trying to fit his thoughts into the words. Something is stopping him, though, and he decides to leave the details to himself only.
"About stray cats," he says and laughs again.
He's quite sure that Konoha rolls his eyes.