Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rin plodded up to his apartment with a groan and a long stretch, easing his muscles after an hour of running. He was sore in a pleasant kind of way, his whole body yearning for nothing more than a nice shower and maybe a huge plate of eggs. He stopped on the top step, one eyebrow arched as he looked down at the beat up plastic bowl sitting on the concrete, still half full of tunafish. It was unusual enough that Rin crouched down on the landing, looking around and clicking his tongue a few times.

He'd been feeding the tiny silver cat that hung around his apartment building for weeks. He'd started out using the canned tuna he used sometimes when he was making lunches in a hurry, later going out and buying canned wet food because he hated the thought of eating the same damn thing every day. He purchased more than was probably enough and stuck the brightly colored cans in his pantry, leaving one outside in the bowl each day. His friend had even seen them and excitedly demanded to know if Rin was planning on getting a cat, looking just as pleased when he begrudgingly explained.

He'd seen the cat around a few other places too, hanging around in an alley not far from the tiny music store where he worked, wandering on campus and sprinting from any student that tried to lean over and pet it. He liked the little thing, even if it had only let him pet it once or twice. He always seemed to have a better day when he saw the kitten, the first time he'd been able to pet it he'd won a bet with his co-worker Sousuke and left after his shift with an extra 15,000 yen in his pocket.

But today the cat hadn't eaten more than a few bites of the food. It was weird; it usually pounced on it as soon as Rin set it down, digging in like it wasn't sure if there would ever be food again. His face soured as he stood, no sign of the little silver cat anywhere around. He walked into his apartment with a small sigh; he shouldn't really be surprised, it wasn't like the cat was his.

When he finished showering and gathering his things for the day he stepped out to find the food still there though this time so was the silver kitten. It was laying on his side, breathing shallowly in and out with blood streaked across its face; its tiny muzzle and ears were caked in it and he didn't lift his head when Rin shut the door to his apartment with a snap. Dropping his bag, Rin rushed over and lifted it in both hands as delicately as he could. It mewled at him, blue eyes cracking open with a hiss that was truly pathetic. Rin hustled the little thing inside, hesitating before setting it down on his kitchen counter and digging his phone out of his pocket, pulling Makoto's number up and dialing with a growl.

"Ah- hello?" He answered, sleep making his voice sound heavy and slow. There was a shuffling sound, followed by groaning that was more indistinct. "Rin?"

"T-the fucking cat is all beat up! What do I do?" His voice was louder than he'd intended and there was absolutely not a sniffle. He wasn't going to cry over some stupid stray cat that he hadn't even decided to name. The thing wouldn't even let cat whispering Makoto pet it, but it'd let Rin as long as he had food.

"W-wha? You don't have a cat," Makoto yawned widely into the phone and Rin could hear a hushed voice talking behind him. "Wait- the stray one?"

"Yes! He's all still and quiet and there's blood on him," Rin growled, getting a little annoyed with how long it was taking Makoto to catch up on the conversation. They were talking about a cat, his ass should already be sprinting down the damn street. "Come help me take care of it!"

"Right! Yes. Okay, I'll be right there," his voice had gained a note of urgency and Rin bitterly thought he must have finally shrugged off the sleepy Haru who had no doubt been trying to drag him back into the bed. Rin hung the phone up, grabbing one of his dish rags from the drawer and dampening it with warm water. He started cleaning the blood away from the cats mouth, ignoring its half-hearted protests. It didn't hiss again, instead mewling and giving Rin a kind of wary stare.

By the time Makoto banged his fist on the door the kitten was mostly clean except for the fresh blood that seeped out of his ear and a gash on his nose. Without waiting for an answer, Makoto pushed the door open, blinking as Rin looked up at him with an expression that was partially desperate and partially annoyed. He nodded Makoto at the cat and took a step away, turning to the sink to wash his hands with a grimace.

"Do you know what he got into a fight with?" Makoto asked, hesitating as the kitten lifted its head and hissed as soon as he got close. It was a surprise to both him and Rin; the first cat that hadn't instantly fallen for Makoto's charm. He leaned closer, holding his hand out with a tender smile "I'm here to help, don't worry."

It surveyed him with sharp blue eyes before snapping forward and sinking its teeth harshly into his finger. Makoto didn't stop smiling, squeezing his eyes closed but keeping his hand totally still. At Makoto's lack of a reaction, the cat eased its grip on his finger, still giving Makoto an evaluating look but allowing him to examine the wounds on his face more closely.

“Mmm, these aren't too bad. Still, you should keep him inside for a few days,” he smiled as the cat leaned into the gentle stroking of his fingers, eyes drifting closed. “What's his name, anyway?”

“I dunno. I didn't give him one, he's not my cat,” Rin shrugged, glancing at the cat again before scowling. “Though I guess if I'm keeping him here he kinda is. I dunno. You name him.”

“Rin!” Makoto's head jerked up and the kitten hissed at the sudden volume of his voice. He lowered it but still shook his head insistently. “You have to give him a name if he's yours. It's only right.”

Rin huffed an annoyed sigh, looking around the small kitchen and reaching a slow hand out to stroke over the kittens spine. His head lifted at the contact and he seemed to lose all interest in Makoto, standing and rubbing his back into Rin's hand. “He can be Cloudy then.”

Makoto looked like he would have rolled his eyes if he was capable of making such a rude gesture at anyone but Haru. Rin snorted a little, shrugging his shoulders and narrowing his eyes. “Because Peach and Marmalade tell you every day that they love their names, right?”

Makoto chuckled a little at that, perking up at just the mention of the pair of cats he'd dragged into Haru's apartment afternoon with a trembling lower lip and a heartbroken expression on his face. Rin had actually been there to witness him begging to keep them, insisting it had to be both of them because they were brothers. It had taken Haru a grand total of 16 minutes and 48 seconds to cave into the request after Makoto slumped into a corner with both of them purring in his lap.

“I'm sure they like them just fine! Do you want me to have Haru bring over our extra cat stuff?” He asked, blushing a little at Rin's raised eyebrow.

“You have extra? I was just gonna get him a litter box...” He glanced at the kitten rubbing himself against his wrist, tilting his head. He'd never actually kept a cat, spending too much time bouncing between continents and in boarding schools. Still, he was pretty sure they couldn't need that much.

“Well, you should make sure he has a bed! And probably some toys, and we got this nice grass that grows inside that he can nibble on, and our boys have a fountain that they really like so maybe you should get one of those,” he stared into space, recounting all the supplies. Rin paused for a moment to consider asking if Makoto took as much care of Haru as he did those cats but thought better of it.

“Yeah, get Haru to bring whatever I guess,” he shrugged. A bed and some toys would probably be just fine, not that Rin had the space for much else. “Do I gotta do anything else?”

“Just try and keep him from going outside until he's healed up. He'll probably cry about it a little since he was a stray,” Makoto looked at him with a smile that was damn near angelic. “It's great that you decided to rescue him!”

“Yeah yeah. Get Haru to bring lunch too, I'll put Cloudy in my room so he doesn't take off out the door,” Rin was gentle when he lifted the kitten, cradling him to his chest with a smile. He wasn't going to say it to Makoto, but he made cats seem like the world's most ideal pet and Rin was a little excited.
~
Haru had dragged over more cat stuff than Rin thought was entirely reasonable, especially because Cloudy never touched the plush cat bed and instead cuddled in Rin's bed every night. He'd been a little concerned that a cat would threaten the neat order in which he liked to keep his apartment, but if anything it was cleaner than before, even if things were occasionally not where he remembered putting them.

It had been a good week; the paper he'd been dreading writing for days had its deadline extended by a whole week, and he'd been able to make it home early. He was smiling when he pushed the door open, tossing the keys onto the kitchen counter and nudging the door shut with a foot. Cloudy hadn't shown any actual interest in going outside, though usually as soon as Rin came in the door he was rubbing himself between his feet and mewling for attention. Rin took his first few steps inside a little cautiously, blinking at the lack of pattering little feet that signaled the kitten running through the house. He shrugged a little, setting his bag down and turning to sit down on the couch.

Only he couldn't, because there was someone already stretched out asleep on it. Someone with silver hair and fuzzy pointed ears on top of his head, wearing one of Rin's shirts. Rin stopped dead, staring down at the intruder who had apparently stripped all his other clothing off, borrowed Rin's, and fallen asleep mid-break in. There was a moment where Rin's embarrassment battled with his confusion, his tongue heavy in the bottom of his mouth.

"What the fuck!" He shouted finally, shaking his head to try and whip away the daze. The boy jolted at his yell, sitting upright and blinking his wide blue eyes, pupils contracting inwards as he looked up at Rin. Rin had expected surprise, shouting, an attempt to pull the shirt just a little further down his thighs. Instead the boy looked up at him with a bright smile, eyes crinkling and cat ears twitching.

"Master! You're early!" He leaned forward, nuzzling his head against Rin's hand in a demand to be petted. Rin stared limply down at him, mouth hanging open a little. When the boy leaned forward he could see the long tail jutting from the base of his spine and twitching a little on the back of his thighs. There was a mostly healed cut on his nose, and he leaned back from Rin's hand with a petulant look on his face. "Maassterr?"

"Q-quit calling me that!" He snapped, slapping a hand to his face to cover his eyes and breathe for just a moment. This weird kid was not his cat, even if he acted just like him. And had ears. And a tail. "Who the fuck are you?"

The boy sat back on his calves with a blink, tilting his head and giggling as he looked down at himself. "Oh! Oops!"

He looked up and flashed another smile at Rin, who at this point noticed the fang-like canines in the front of his mouth. He shrugged his shoulders, the sleeve of Rin's shirt sliding down his arm and revealing one slender shoulder. "I dozed off so I forgot to change back... Is this okay Master?"

"S-so you're...?" He trailed off, gesturing around the room and shaking his head. Finishing that sentence would make him sound nuts, so he decided not to. The boy nodded his head, ears flicking.

"Your cat!" He smiled, then blushed a little, picking at the bottom of the shirt. "Y-you could call me Ai if you wanted..."

Rin snorted a little at that, crossing his arms. "What's wrong with the name I gave you!"

Honestly, he felt a little stupid being affronted that his cat-turned-human decided he didn't like being called Cloudy while sitting half naked on Rin's couch. He relented after a pause, shaking his head. "I guess it'd be a little silly, calling a person Cloudy."

"You can still use it if you'd like!" Ai offered even as he beamed. He nuzzled his head forward again and this time Rin rubbed between his ears automatically. His mind wasn't focused on the gesture, rather trying to figure out what in the fuck was going on.

"So what, you turn into a person when I leave?" He asked after a moment, sitting on the arm of the couch with a sigh. He turned and raised an eyebrow, blinking. "Are you a monster or something? Do you drink my blood while I sleep too?"

"I-I would never!" He cried, looking truly offended. He peeked away with a little blush, purring as Rin's fingers skimmed over the shell of his ear. "I-I'm a Maneki neko! And usually I just clean for a little while and then change back..."

"You've been cleaning the house?" He chuckled a little, shrugging his shoulders and looking around. "Well, thanks. You can uh, stay like that if it's comfortable... M-maybe with some pants though."

"Thank you very much, Master!" He crowed, butting his head against Rin's shoulder with a purr. "T-though um, your pants don't fit me very well."

Rin wasn't surprised to hear that; he was tiny and slender and even Rin's t-shirt hung around him. He scratched the back of his head, thinking for a moment before shrugging. "U-um, if you can find something that fits to wear we can go get you some of your own clothes."

Ai blinked sweetly before bounding off the couch, his tail whipping in the air behind him as he went digging through Rin's drawers. He leaned back on the couch, groaning softly at the loss of his paycheck. He could've told Ai to just hang around as a cat, but it seemed rude. Not to mention having someone he could actually talk to without feeling like an idiot did sound nice. It had nothing to do with the fact that Ai made an adorable person with his wide eyes and twitchy ears. Speaking of...

"Make sure you wear a hat!" He called over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at the giggling that trickled out of his bedroom. It wasn't the kind of thing that would go unnoticed, especially on someone as cute as all that. He groaned, shaking his head a little, grumbling to himself. "Now I'm attracted to a fucking cat..."

Chapter Text

Shopping was not Rin's favorite activity, and Ai once they left the house wrapped his arms around one of Rin's, looking around with wide eyes. He'd managed to find a pair of Rin's old pants that hung low on his hips and pooled at his feet. He'd kept the same shirt and dug out a pair of sandals that Rin was sure belonged to his sister originally, with a slouchy white hat to cover his peculiar ears.

Rin counted himself lucky that he'd been able to find anything that didn't nearly fall off of him, at least like this he just looked a little silly. He hugged onto Rin's arm with a bright smile, tilting his head as Rin walked him down to the nearby shopping center.

"I haven't been around here before Master," he cooed, eyes big as he looked in the windows of the shops. Rin's cheeks flushed and he shook his head quickly, chuckling a little.

"D-don't call me that. Just... Rin is fine," he rubbed his head, hoping no one had heard the kid clinging to him and calling him 'Master' like he was some kind of pervert. Ai tilted his head, looking a little confused before nodding his head and smiling a little more shyly.

"Okay Rin," he purred, blinking his eyes and hesitating for a moment as Rin picked a store that had clothes he was pretty sure would suit Ai. He looked around for a second before walking in, like he was expecting to be yelled at for stepping foot inside. Which he probably did, Rin reminded himself because he was a cat. He gave Ai a small nod, withdrawing his arm and pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Go pick out what you like and you can try it on," he smiled as Ai stalked through the different displays of clothing, picking shirts in a variety of pastel colors and pants that made Rin wonder if he'd even be able to fit in them. Apparently he was, and Rin almost didn't mind that he insisted on modeling every outfit for Rin's approval. He looked away from the changing room door, rubbing his cheeks to try and ease the smile off his face a little. He hated shopping, watching Ai try on clothes and give him that blinding smile every time he said something looked nice should not be making him grin into space like an idiot.

He did stop smiling when it came to having to pay for all the new clothing, handing his card over with a cringe and a sigh at the number on the register. Ramen wasn't so bad, even if it would make his coach try and kill him for breaking his strict diet. Maybe he could convince Gou to cook dinner for him if he gave enough subtle hints that he would starve otherwise. He took the heavy bag of new clothes with a little sigh, glancing at the outfit Ai had decided to wear out with a small chuckle. It suited him much better, especially because his pants actually sat properly on the sharp angles of his hips and didn't sag around his ankles. As soon as they walked out Ai returned to hugging around his arm, tilting his head.

"Thank you, Rin!" He chirped, blinking his eyes in the bright sun. He looked around and paused, his eyes settling on a blonde boy stepping out of a store, fuzzy ears standing from the top of his head and a mischievous grin on his face. Rin followed his look and raised an eyebrow, giving his arm a little roll to attract Ai's attention again.

"What? You know him?" He asked. Judging from the ears he was probably whatever kind of weird cat-thing Ai was. He didn't seem to notice the stares directed at him, looking back at the door of the shop he'd just exited.

"H-he's a prince!" Ai's voice was hushed and amazed, still staring at the boy. He hugged more tightly onto Rin's arm, biting gently on his lower lip. "I didn't know there was one living around here."

"Cats have princes?" Rin asked, chuckling a little and raising an eyebrow at the taller boy who walked out of the shop behind the supposed royalty. He gave Ai another little nudge, tilting his head. "We can go say hi if you want, I know the person he's with."

"Y-you do?" Ai looked up at him with huge eyes before nodding, letting Rin haul him across the street with a mix of excitement and apprehension on his face. The cat-prince looked over at him with a tilt of his head, smile only growing as he looked at Ai. He bounded away from his confused looking companion who Rin could recall was named Rei and had joined the swim team not too long ago. He nearly tackled Ai with his hug, nuzzling their cheeks together as Ai's face went bright red in surprise.

"Hello!" He purred out, holding Ai at arms length and staring at the hat covering his ears with a little giggle. "I'm Nagisa!"

"A-Ai," he stammered out after staring for a second, wringing his hands together and bobbing a low bow, the hat tumbling off his ears. Rei gasped a little at the sight and Rin groaned as he leaned over to pick it up. "I-it's an honor to meet you, your highness!"

"Aww, don't worry about all that Ai-chan! Who's your friend?" He looked up at Rin with fluttering eyes, lunging for another hug before Rei's hand caught the back of his shirt, shaking his head with a little sigh. He glanced Ai over and used the hand not holding Nagisa back to push his glasses up his face.

"You're really a prince, Nagisa-kun?" He asked, voice still skeptical as Ai stood back up. His cheeks flushed further as Rin put the hat back on him, adjusting it and giving him an apologetic look.

"Of course I am Rei-chan! I dunno why you didn't believe me when I told you before," he giggled, nuzzling his head against Rei's shoulder, ears pushed to the sides. Rei gave a long suffering sigh, bowing his head.

"Yes well I'm very sorry I suppose," he glanced at Rin with the faintest blush on his face. "I didn't know you had such a friend, Rin-san."

Rin shrugged a little, rolling his eyes and planting his hand on top of Ai's head, scrunching the hat between his fingers. "Yeah, I thought I had a cat."

Ai blushed, leaning his head on Rin's hand just a little, even as his eyes kept wandering over to Nagisa. He cleared his throat shyly, leaning a little closer to the comforting warmth of Rin's side. "I-I didn't know there were any princes living outside of the palace, your highness."

"Oh, that's cuz I ran away!" Nagisa giggled, giving Ai a wink and leaning closer. His voice dropped almost to a whisper. "I wanted to have fun, not give all my luck to a stuffy old Emperor... So I ran off and found Rei-chan!"

He giggled, standing upright again and looking at Rei with playful adoration. "He's not much fun either, though. And he's suuuper unlucky!"

"N-Nagisa-kun! I am plenty of fun, I assure you." Rei crossed his arms in indignation though Rin found he was inclined to agree with the small blond. Rei was constantly badgering on about theory and mechanics and physics during practice; he certainly didn't give off the impression of fun. Nagisa leaned a little closer to Ai again, sniffing at the air before smiling.

"You give Rin-chan a lot of your luck, huh Ai-chan?" He purred, eyes lidded. Ai's face went bright red, staring down at his shoes. Rin didn't quite understand what that meant, but judging by Ai's reaction it was probably something personal.

"I-I don't have a lot, I really can only do small things," his voice was soft and when he lifted his head he didn't look at Nagisa or Rin. "I try hard though."

"Small things are good," Rin said with a smile, glancing down at the incandescent smile on Ai's face. "I'd rather work for big things than get them because of luck."

"A-ah, thank you, Rin," he mumbled softly, cheeks flushing more. Rin shrugged, giving Ai's shoulder a tap and turning to walk back to his apartment.

"C'mon, let's go home," he smiled, giving Rei and Nagisa a wave, laughing as the prince waved so hard he nearly knocked them both to the ground, Rei struggling to hold him upright. Ai bounded after Rin after giving a bow in farewell, biting his lip as he looked up at Rin.

"D-did you really mean that?" He asked after a few more steps, his hands gripping tightly at the bottom of his shirt. Rin looked down with a nod, smiling.

"I'd rather win a bet with good luck than use it instead of earning things," he shrugged, laughing softly and pushing his hair out of his face. "Maybe I'm an idiot for that, I guess I just think hard work is really important."

"I-I don't think you're an idiot!" Ai protested quickly, biting his lip and looking down again. "I think you're a very kind person, Rin."

Rin's neck heated at that, glancing away and nodding his head weakly. He smiled despite himself, giving Ai's shoulder a small squeeze. "Thanks for that, Ai."

He was still smiling when he unlocked the door to the apartment though the embarrassing flush at the back of his neck had thankfully faded. He set the shopping bag down by the couch, turning to the kitchen with a grimace. "I don't really have enough food for two people."

"Hmm? Oh! You don't need to feed me anything special," he giggled, leaning around Rin and grabbing one of the cat food cans from the pantry, tilting his head. "I like these."

Rin laughed softly, shaking his head and pulling out leftover takeout for himself. "It feels weird to give you cat food when you look like that."

Ai pulled the hat off, twitching his ears around and shrugging his shoulders with a little giggle, popping the can open on his own. "I can switch back to eat if it makes you feel better."

"Nah, as long as it's okay with you," he stuffed his own food in the microwave, leaning against the counter and watching Ai's ears curiously. He leaned forward, his hand sliding up the side of Ai's jaw and blinking at the smooth skin where an ear would usually be under his hair. Ai blinked, turning towards Rin with a little smile, can in hand and fork hanging from the corner of his mouth. "S-sorry. The whole thing is kinda weird for me."

"That's okay Rin! All Maneki neko's can shapeshift... Though it's not something we do a lot anymore," he smiled, taking another bite of food from the can that made Rin wrinkle his nose a little.

"Are there a lot of you then?" He asked, turning and pulling his own food out, pushing himself up to sit on the counter while he ate. Ai shrugged his shoulders, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Mmm, I guess. A lot of people who have one of us instead of a normal cat don't even know," he shrugged his shoulders, looking up at Rin with a smile. "Princes like Nagisa-sama usually only live with really powerful people and are amazingly lucky! He could probably help someone achieve anything." Ai looked down at himself, rubbing his neck gently. "I'm not anywhere near that lucky... But I'm happy to be able to help you out however I can!"

"So do you get like.. more or less lucky over time?" Rin raised an eyebrow, wondering briefly if luck like that was why Rei had learned to swim seemingly overnight. Ai blushed crimson at that, swallowing and staring down at the empty can of food.

"N-no. N-not over time," he set the can down, still refusing to look Rin in the face. "W-when we have a better connection to our Masters our luck gets stronger. I-I'm weak because I've never lived with anyone before..."

Rin blinked at that, nodding and chuckling a little weakly, looking around the apartment. "Well, I hope you're not disappointed. I'm happy to have you as long as you wanna stay."

"I-I could never be disappointed!" Ai's head snapped up, biting his lip as he realized he'd nearly shouted. "I-I'm very grateful that you've been so kind to me. I hope I can do more for you in the future, even if you prize your own hard work more."

Rin blinked, sliding himself off the counter and tossing the food container away along with the can. He hesitated for just a moment before giving Ai's hair a little ruffle, hand brushing between his velvety soft ears. "Thanks then. Do your best."

Ai's cheeks went red before he nodded, giving a choppy purr before Rin's hand slid away. He smiled, giving a nod to the shopping bag and walking into the bedroom. "I'll make some room in the closet for all that before I start on my assignments."

"I-I can do it!" Ai protested, scrambling forward and scooping the bag in his arms before Rin could grab it. He smiled, bouncing into the room and pulling the closet open, sorting out the empty hangers with a hum. Rin chuckled and shrugged, sitting down at the desk and pulling out the work he had to do. He was a little distracted by Ai flitting around the room behind; the feeling that there was something more interesting than studying he could be doing nagging at the edges of his attention. It was easier to focus when Ai decided he was satisfied with the closet and curled up on the foot of Rin's bed for a nap, soft mewls sounding as he breathed out.

Rin yawned after he finished his work, flipping the light off and turning to climb into bed himself. As soon as the mattress dipped under his weight Ai opened his eyes, looking at Rin sliding under the blanket with a kind of sleepy awareness before crawling over to shimmy himself under it as well, wiggling out of his pants before he settled in next to Rin. He didn't seem to notice the bright red flush on Rin's face as he worked himself in closer until his head was pillowed on Rin's arm, ears twitching contentedly.

"Good night Rin," he purred, eyes fluttering closed again as Rin's fingers stroked the curve of his ear tentatively, falling asleep quickly. Rin's face remained hot as he was forced to drape his arm over Ai's side by lack of any other place to put it. It only got worse when Ai's slim tail lifted to wrap around his wrist, holding it there. It took Rin far longer to fall asleep than usual, listening to the relaxed breathing of the boy in his arms.

Chapter Text

Ai continued to slide himself into Rin's bed every night whenever he decided to go to bed, curling up once he was cuddled as close to Rin as he could get and wrapping his tail firmly around Rin's wrist. The contact wasn't unwelcome though Rin wasn't sure how to feel about the cuddling in the end. It was Ai's favorite thing, it seemed, and whenever Rin was home and not occupied he would find a way to gently insist that Rin pet him, purring sweetly whenever Rin actually gave in.

It did make mornings a little difficult. The blaring of an alarm clock didn't seem to mean anything to Ai, and Rin had to uncurl his tail as gently as possible, sliding away from the tangle of Ai's limbs to go shower or run. He stepped out of the cramped bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, not really expecting the catboy to be up and around. His eyes were open at least, watching Rin with his pupils shrunken down to slits. He blinked slowly, lifting his head away from the pillow and sniffing the air delicately. He shook his head before sniffing again and sliding out of the bed with a quiet rustle of blankets. Rin didn't pay him any attention right away, shifting through the closet for clothes for the day.

When Ai's arms came to wrap around his waist, rubbing his forehead into bare skin with a fuzzy mewling sound Rin nearly leapt out of his skin, blinking and gripping the towel tighter around his waist as he looked back at Ai, shaking his head hard. "W-what are you doing?"

"You smell funny Rin," he grumbled, rubbing his head more intensely between Rin's shoulderblades. The tips of his ears tickled Rin's back and he shivered a little, shaking his head and trying to turn against the grip around his waist. Ai whined but allowed him, looking up at Rin for a second before instead rubbing his head against Rin's neck, purring softly as he did. "You don't smell like you're supposed to."

Rin couldn't help the bright red flush in his cheeks at the first time Ai's lips brushed over his collarbone. It was probably accidental, but he lifted his forehead away to rub his nose against Rin's neck instead, leaning up on his toes and pressing into Rin's chest for balance. Rin almost stumbled, lifting a hand to rest at the small of Ai's back to help him balance, the heat in his face only getting worse. "W-what do you mean I smell funny? I just took a shower!"

"You don't smell like Rin!" Ai insisted, either not hearing or ignoring the soft gasp that fell out of Rin's mouth when Ai sniffed under his ear, lips resting against the thrumming pulse point in his neck. Ai's hands lifted to tug his hair forward a little, sniffing at that too. Rin swallowed unevenly, blinking and shaking his head hard.

"I-I bought new soap idiot," he snapped though there was no bite to it. He wasn't sure how embarrassing it was to get hard from being sniffed at like this, but he didn't particularly want to share that fact with Ai either. Instead he took a gentle step back, using a hand on Ai's hip to press him back down to his feet. He blinked up at Rin, his pupils swelled up wide again, making his eyes look more human. He tilted his head, blinking softly before wandering over to the bathroom instead. Rin sighed softly in relief, shaking his head and turning back to getting dressed, moving as quickly as he could this time.

"Rin... Who's Soap?" Ai called after a moment, followed by the loud bang that accompanied something being dropped in the shower. Rin hung his head with a little groan, following him in and shaking his head. Ai was curled up in the tub, clinging Rin's shampoo in his hand and sniffing at the open top. He seemed satisfied with the smell of it and closed the cap before setting it back where it was. Between his legs was the bottle of conditioner Rin used, laying tipped on its side but thankfully closed. Rin shook his head, leaning over Ai and picking up the blue bar of soap sitting on a higher shelf, handing it to Ai.

"This is soap. For washing," he blinked his eyes and tilted his head, trying to remember if Ai had been using his shower at all. He'd assumed he just did it while Rin was out at work or school, but from the gentle bewilderment on his face it seemed like that wasn't true. "Don't you take showers?"

Ai stared for a moment before shaking his head and smiling brightly. "I use my tongue to clean myself!"

"Ew," Rin wrinkled his nose, holding out a hand to help Ai crawl out of the tub. He took it with a smile, pulling himself out and blinking at Rin's expression. Rin sighed softly, giving Ai's hair a ruffle and looking away. "I'll show you how this thing works when I get home, it's probably more up to cleaning you than your tongue is. You don't hate water, do you?"

"Ah, I don't think so," he mumbled but didn't sound very convinced. Rin recognized the look in his face; there were certain human things that Rin showed him that made him nervous. He shrugged, rubbing his thumb along the back of Ai's ear.

"Don't worry about it, it won't be so bad," he chuckled softly, letting Ai headbutt his shoulder before turning out of the bathroom, grabbing his bag from the floor. "I don't work tonight, so I'll be home early."

"Okay!" Ai smiled brightly at that, following after Rin until he reached the door. Rin raised an eyebrow, looking down at him and brushing his fingers over the healed cut on his ear, the fur starting to grow back and cover where the scratch had been. He'd asked Ai to stay inside until he was all healed up, worried about him getting into more trouble. Now it seemed odd to ask him to stay cooped up in the house all day though he didn't really know what Ai would do if he went out.

"Um, you can go out if you want. Make sure you wear the hat though," he smiled as Ai nodded his head, giving his ear one final scratch before walking out the door. He wasn't sure why the idea of Ai going out by himself made him nervous; he was a stray before, after all, he'd probably spent a lot of time outside. He raised an eyebrow, smiling a little as he spotted Rei sitting by himself on the train, nose buried in a book. He took the seat next to him without saying anything, simply giving him a polite smile as he looked up. He actually smiled when he was Rin, closing the book and setting it on his lap.

"Rin-san, I wasn't aware you took this train," his tone was so formal it almost made Rin laugh. Instead he nodded with a little grin, leaning back in the seat.

"I don't take it all the time... Usually I jog," he shrugged, giving a glance around that he hoped wasn't too suspicious. No one was paying attention to the two of them anyway. "I was uh, wondering- does Nagisa go out by himself?"

"Nagisa-kun is quite incorrigible. He regularly leaves the apartment to explore the area, despite my advice that it may not be entirely safe for him to do so," he pushed the glasses up his face and shook his head a little at Rin's curious expression. "He has said that there are others of his kind in the area looking to return him home, which he seems quite set against."

Rin nodded, folding his hands behind his head and thinking that over for a moment. He was glad to have someone he could talk about this with who didn't think he was insane. "I dunno why I'm so worried, he kept out of trouble by himself for the most part."

"You're speaking of Ai-san?" Rei asked, shifting the book in his lap as Rin nodded. "Nagisa-kun was very excited to have the chance to meet him. I apologize for his enthusiasm."

Rin laughed at that, shrugging and shaking his head with a roll of his eyes. "Don't worry about it. The second I get home Ai is glued to my side. I have to teach him how to use the shower tonight."

Rei's face paled at that, eyes distant as if he were recalling some terrible memory before he nodded jerkily. "I hope you have better luck with that task than I did. Nagisa-kun will not enter the bath unless I am present."

Rin blinked at that, shrugging and trying to pretend the idea didn't make the back of his neck flush warm. It would probably make Ai feel better if he was there too, he always seemed a lot less nervous when Rin was actually with him. He stood as the train pulled up to their stop, turning the conversation towards swimming instead of their strange magic cats.
~
Ai was surprised when Rin had given him permission to go out. Spending time in the house wasn't so bad, and when Rin had an evening or weekend off from practice and work he'd been more than happy to take Ai out if he seemed like he wanted to go.

He was glad to return a little to the freedom he was used to, sliding the white hat Rin had given him snugly over his ears and bounding out of the house only minutes after Rin had left. He smiled, walking down the stairs and turning to walk towards the path Rin usually jogged to get to university. He'd followed him before when Rin was just a strangely nice person who decided to feed him rather than his Master.

He didn't miss being alone he decided, tucking his hands into the pocket of his sweater as he walked. The scenery was fairly familiar, and even as he eyed the birds with a predatory pang in his chest he was content to let them flutter off without being bothered. He did consider catching one to give to Rin as a gift but decided to wait until later in the day.

He was simply enjoying the time spent exploring until a strange smell brushed past his nose. It wasn't entirely unfamiliar, but it was still new. Two other lucky cats? Ones stronger than himself from the smell of them. Ai bit his lip gently, hesitating in the middle of the sidewalk. It wasn't likely that they would be hostile, but he didn't really know anyone other than his family and Nagisa-sama. Still, it seemed he didn't have a choice when the pair of redheads across the street both turned to stare at him. The smaller one went bounding across the street without a single thought to traffic (a habit that Rin had been scolding him for), the taller one standing with his yellow eyes fixed intently on Ai. The younger one was clinging the yellow hood to his head when he finally reached Ai, slightly breathless but smiling like his entire day had been made.

"I'm Momotaru! I'm with my older brother and my hobby is hunting stag beetles! We're looking for the golden prince, have you seen him?" His words flowed out in a rush that made Ai hesitate in his attempt to catch up. He shook his head slowly, trying not to cringe as he thought of Nagisa-sama. There weren't many others he could imagine fitting the description better, but he had said he'd run away. He probably didn't want Ai sending these two after him if he was happy with the master he had found for himself. Momo nodded in return, standing and tilting his head. "Say, you smell familiar..."

"I-I do?" Ai's cheeks flushed, standing still as Momo leaned in to snuffle at the side of his face. He returned the gesture politely, smiling at the mixture of sweet and spicy that seemed to fit his energy perfectly. Momo turned to look at his older brother, brows furrowed intently together.

"Nii-chan have we met him before?" He asked curiously, the taller cat shrugging his shoulders and adjusting the baseball cap that was probably pressing his ears uncomfortably against his head. He didn't lean in to sniff Ai, but instead stared down at him with hard eyes that made him shrink a little.

"Master Makoto smelled like that before," he observed finally and Ai blinked before smiling a little, tilting his head.

"I met him! He's friends with Master Rin," he bowed his head a little, cheeks still tinged pink as he remembered to hold his hat this time. "I-I'm Ai."

"Sejiuurou," he offered with a nod in return, scratching at his neck. "You're new then, right? That was a few weeks ago."

"Y-yeah. I got into an argument with an Inugami that kept taking my food," Ai shrugged, his ear twitching on its own under his hat. "He was bitey and Master Rin took me in after that."

"Wooahh! And Inugami?" Momo's eyes were wide as saucers, his pupils swelled up wide with excitement. He leaned forward, gripping Ai's shoulders. "Was it super scary? Like a giant monster?"

"Ah- no. He was just bad tempered, really," Ai flushed, leaning away from Momo just a little. He didn't mind the excitement, but there wasn't really much story to tell. Momo nodded like that was just as interesting, smiling when his brother peeled his hands off.

"And you haven't seen any royalty around?" His eyes narrowed, pupils slitted as he glanced Ai over. Ai shook his head, shrinking back another step and nibbling on his lower lip.

"N-no. I haven't met anyone else, I thought I was the only one around here," he swallowed, fingers curling into loose fists. The younger cat seemed friendly but the elder made Ai nervous, his gaze was so sharp it felt like it was penetrating him. He would have to tell Rin about this so he could pass it on to Nagisa-sama's master as well. Sejiuurou nodded curtly, grabbing the back of Momo's hoodie and giving him a tug.

"We have to go home before Master Haruka wakes up," he explained to his brothers pouting face. Momo nodded and whined, waving at Ai.

"Okay okay! We'll see you around though, right Ai-senpai?"

"Y-yes, of course," Ai smiled a little nervously, turning down the path that led to Rin's university. The two cats crossed back across the street, leaving him to jog the rest of the way nervously. He picked at the loose threads of the sweater he had borrowed from Rin's closet, sitting outside of the building he had class in. He hadn't meant to follow Rin, worried initially that showing up at the school would cause him trouble, but now he was worried and the idea of going home instead made him more nervous. Rin walked out with a black haired boy a few steps behind him, laughing at something before he noticed Ai sitting slumped over on a bench.

"A-Ai? What are you-" he shook his head hard, blinking as his face lifted to smile a little unevenly. He blushed as he saw Haru, sniffing at the air and curling into the bench a little further.

"U-um," he didn't have an excuse for why he was on the campus, and he wasn't sure how much Haru knew about the pair of brothers. He stared up at Rin, biting down hard on his lip and trying desperately to think of something. "I-I need a shower-thingy."

Rin stared back at him, red creeping up over his face before he grabbed Ai's thin wrist, ignoring Haru's confused stare entirely and half dragging him along. Ai followed easily, seeming to get more and more nervous as they wound back to the apartment.

"I-I can catch you a bird if you want!" He blurted, swallowing as Rin stopped dead at that, groaning sharply and pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He shook his head slowly, walking again without grabbing Ai.

"I don't need a bird I already have you to take care of," he grumbled, sighing as he unlocked the door to the apartment and let Ai walk in ahead of him, nodding at the bathroom. "I guess I'll show you how it works now. C'mon."

Ai nodded, bounding ahead of him with a blink and a smile, standing in the small bathroom with his head cocked to the side, examining the shower. Rin had said something about water? He didn't mind it too badly, as long as it wasn't cold like the rain usually was. Rin continued staring like he was expecting something before his face went red once more.

"Y-you have to take your clothes off," he mumbled, making a choked sound as Ai started pulling them off without missing a beat. He had noticed previously how Rin could be a little strange about him not wearing clothes, he'd insisted that Ai should really do it all the time, even if it wasn't always comfortable. He left the clothing in a pile, the white beanie on top, staring at Rin with wide, curious eyes.

Rin stared back, seeming intently mesmerized by something before coughing and ripping his eyes away, nodding and twisting the knob of the shower. Ai jolted as rain started falling from it, backing away a nervous step. Rin glanced back at him, scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe a bath would be easier," he grumbled to himself, leaning over the tub and fiddling with the shiny fixtures until instead it started to fill with water. Steam rose from it and Ai approached it hesitantly, sniffing at the warm vapor. Rin laughed, wrapping fingers more gently around his wrist and making Ai trail his fingers through the water. "It's not too hot is it?"

His skin tingled strangely, but Ai shook his head, batting at the water again with a smile. Rin nodded, settling a hand low on his hip and looking directly at the ceiling.

"O-okay, then you climb in and sit in it," he instructed, still refusing to look until Ai was half submerged in the warm water. He wrinkled his nose a little, trying to lift his tail to avoid getting most of it wet. It wasn't particularly bad, but it seemed like a very strange way to try and get clean. Rin looked at him with a smile, grabbing the blue bar he had referred to as 'soap' and dipping it in the water before rubbing it between his hands. "I-I'll show you what to do this time, so pay attention."

There was no real scolding in his tone, taking one of Ai's arms in his slippery hands and rubbing the bar of soap over his skin. Ai blinked, leaning curiously forward to sniff at it. He smiled instantly, recognizing the smell that had clung to Rin earlier in the day. Rin continued with washing his arms before moving to his chest, cheeks red and touch delicate. He glanced at where the water covered Ai's lower half before shaking his head and swallowing.

"T-turn around and I'll do your back too," Ai complied with a smile, purring in surprised contentment when Rins fingers began rubbing over his back. He coughed softly after a moment, nodding at Ai. "O-okay, now duck under the water so your hair gets wet too."

"E-even my ears?" Ai wrinkled his nose again as Rin nodded before obeying. Humans were strange, and he almost squeaked at the feeling of water rushing inside the curve of his ears, pushing his face back above the water quickly. Rin chuckled, grabbing a different bottle and squirting a liquid into his hands. He leaned forward, rubbing it into Ai's hair and massaging his ears with it. It soothed Ai's irritation instantly, his eyes closing as he melted into the contact. Rin's fingers continued to pet and linger for a long moment.

"O-okay, then do it again to rinse," he smiled, pressing gently downward on Ai's shoulder until he sank under again. The feeling wasn't so bad now that he was prepared for it and when he sat back up Rin was genuinely beaming at him. "Good! You're all done, climb out and I'll get you dried off."

Ai stood with a giggle, watching the water run down his clean skin and drip back into the bath before he stepped out. Rin flushed crimson, turning away and grabbing a weathered towel, wrapping it quickly around Ai's shoulders before using it to scrub the water away. Ai purred, leaning his body into Rin as much as he could, enjoying the slightly rough contact. Rin coughed again, taking an uneven step back.

"C-clothes," he grumbled, turning away quickly as Ai pulled the same outfit back on. He glanced over his shoulder once the cloth stopped rustling, tilting his head. "G-got it? I can help you again next time."

"I would like that! It was nice," he smiled, taking a step forward and wrapping his arms around Rin's waist tightly, nuzzling between his shoulders. "Thank you very much Rin!"

It wasn't until Rin was already asleep with Ai's tail wrapped around his wrist that he remembered the brothers he had met at all.