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Shouyou hates the rain.
He hates how it falls so freely, washing away life like it doesn’t matter. It’s a heavy burden that when serious can even drown, but there’s nothing to do to stop it.
It’s a part of life, people say. It’s inevitable. It’s impossible to avoid, but people always hope the next day the sun will shine and bring joy back into their lives.
But maybe Shouyou doesn’t actually mean the rain. And he’s not sure if the sun will ever shine for him again.
Shouyou watches as a lone raindrop glides slowly down the bus window until it falls out of view. He watches as an older woman walks alone across the street, only her cane keeping her steady.
There are many ways life makes people alone. Some are kinder than others. For some, it’s only temporary. But for Shouyou, he’s lost something he can never get back.
Someone he can never get back.
The bus rolls to a slow stop, its wheels squeaking against the falling rain. It’s Shouyou’s stop, so he quietly shuffles off, slinging his volleyball bag over his shoulder.
It’s been a month since the Jackals had seen their decoy in action, but Shouyou thought practice would’ve helped — that being surrounded by one of the things he loves most in the world, the thing he shared with the person he loved most, surrounded by teammates and friends, would’ve helped. But all of it was just a cruel reminder of what once was.
Shouyou trudges slowly, in no rush to get back to his empty apartment. The rain still falls lightly, but Shouyou has no desire to take out his umbrella. He’s content to let the drops dampen his clothes, the cold at least making him feel something other than the numbness that’s been flowing through him.
He’s just outside of his apartment complex when he notices rustling in an empty moving box. He walks over and peers inside curiously.
A pair of big blue eyes stare back at him, black-slitted pupils belonging to a large black cat.
The cat’s dark fur is soaked, the rain not doing it any favors, but even so, Shouyou finds himself thinking the feline is quite beautiful. Like one of the cats you’d find in a royal castle. But it’s yet another thing that’s alone in this rain, just like him.
The cat trembles in the cold, but its deep blue eyes never leave Shouyou’s, who can’t help but feel a sorrow in his heart when he thinks about the blue-eyed boy he once had.
“Are you lost?” Shouyou asks quietly, his voice heavy. He reaches his hand slowly into the box, his fingers held out for the cat to sniff.
The cat doesn’t hesitate, nuzzling its big head against Shouyou’s hand. A small, surprised smile pulls at Shouyou’s lips, the muscles straining from how little they’ve been used recently.
He gives the cat a few gentle strokes, absently checking to see if it has a collar for who it belongs to. But he only finds the cat’s thick, black fur. The cat stills, looking up at Shouyou with those big, blue, hopeful eyes that make him fall victim immediately.
“Let’s get you inside,” Shouyou says softly. He can keep looking for an owner once the cat is dry and warm in his apartment.
The feline only meows once, as if accepting, and lays back down in the box. Shouyou lifts it, heavier than he expected, remembering how large the cat is.
He fumbles for his keys, carefully balancing the box with one arm before unlocking his apartment door, kicking it open. He sets the box down, and the cat jumps out, looking around curiously.
“Sorry for the mess,” Shouyou says to the feline, unsure of why he feels the need to apologize. It’s not too bad, simply clothes strewn about and a few things out of place, but it’s an appearance Shouyou never would’ve had… before.
He slips off his shoes, tossing them to the side. The cat stares up at him expectantly, as if waiting.
“Come with me,” he tells it, and it seems to listen, its soft paws following him to his bathroom.
Shouyou grabs a towel and slowly, hoping not to spook the cat, begins to dry it off. The cat doesn’t seem to mind though, sitting contently and staring up at Shouyou.
Shouyou feels a little intimidated by its gaze, but tears his eyes away to make sure again there’s no collar or tag, running his fingers through now soft, dry fur.
“All alone?” Shouyou asks it, but the cat only blinks at him in response. “That’s okay, me too,” he whispers.
They have another staring contest. He’s not even sure if it’s a boy or a girl, but judging by its size, Shouyou thinks it’s likely a boy.
He finds himself wanting to give him a name.
The first name that comes to mind is the name that’s been in his dreams, whispered through his lips to the empty darkness, cried out as he begs for that name to come back to him.
Tobio.
That name is still too painful.
“Tobi?” Shouyou whispers. He knows it’s not all that different, but it’s enough to not hurt as much when he says it out loud.
The cat’s ears perk at the name, and Shouyou smiles, brushing them down.
“Can I call you that? Tobi?” he asks. The cat responds by rubbing against his knee, purring softly. Shouyou takes that as a yes, letting his hand drift across soft fur a few moments longer before standing.
“Are you hungry?” Shouyou asks, thinking of what he has for Tobi to eat.
Tobi meows loudly, his tail perking up in interest as he weaves between Shouyou’s legs. Shouyou giggles, trying to walk to the kitchen and avoid stepping on an eager cat.
“Okay, I’ll see what I have,” he says lightly, flipping open his cupboards.
Nearly empty shelves greet him. He supposes he hasn’t noticed how little food he has. When was the last time he went grocery shopping? Recently, the days have been blending together, so it’s hard for Shouyou to remember.
Another meow enters his ears, reminding Shouyou of his goal. He leans into the fridge and cheers when he sees a small amount of milk in the back.
“Cats drink milk!” he says proudly, happy to have found something for Tobi.
He rummages for a wide container to pour the milk in and places the makeshift dish on the ground. He smiles as Tobi eagerly laps the milk up, and he’s content to just watch him.
Once he’s done, Tobi’s pink tongue darts out to lick his mouth and paws as he grooms himself.
Shouyou keeps watching, sitting on the kitchen floor. His apartment holding life other than his own is making him realize how much he’s missed it.
The grumble of his own stomach startles him, and he looks down at himself in surprise. Tobi’s ears flick up, pausing his grooming. When another rumble bubbles from Shouyou, Tobi walks closer, eyes flicking between Shouyou and his stomach. Shouyou thinks his mouth makes him look like he’s frowning.
“It’s okay. I’m not actually that hungry,” Shouyou tells him, for reasons he doesn’t know. Maybe because Tobi seems highly perceptive, and at least looks like he knows what Shouyou is saying.
Tobi meows low, almost like a growl, before he suddenly pushes his two front legs into Shouyou’s stomach insistently.
“Hey! That tickles!” Shouyou wheezes, squirming, but Tobi doesn’t stop his pushing.
“Okay, fine! I’ll eat something!” Shouyou huffs, a smile on his face. Tobi stops, seemingly satisfied, and allows Shouyou to stand.
Shouyou looks down at Tobi curiously. It’s almost like he was trying to tell Shouyou to eat.
Like he thought, this cat seems oddly perceptive.
He pulls out his phone and orders from the takeout place he and Tobio used to love. Not like he has much food at home, but he hasn’t ordered from there since…
Shouyou confirms his order before he can change his mind, trying not to feel guilty, and walks to the couch, sinking into it in exhaustion. The events of the day have finally caught up to him, and he’s tired.
That’s another thing. The boundless energy Shouyou used to have is more easily drained, making him flop to his bed each night earlier than normal. But despite his exhaustion, sleep never claims him right away, leaving him to stare at his ceiling, trapped in his feelings and memories. Not letting him forget the empty space next to him.
A pressing weight suddenly falls on his stomach and chest, and Shouyou’s eyes fly open as he wheezes at the impact. Brown eyes meet Tobi’s sharp blue ones, and Shouyou is reminded of the responsibility he’s now accepted and other life to take care of.
Still, he can’t help but feel surprised at how fast Tobi has warmed up to him. Tobi doesn’t seem to be wary around him at all, as if he’s known Shouyou for years instead of an hour. Shouyou isn’t complaining though. The company is nice.
He grins, running a hand down Tobi’s back. “What’s up, Tobi? Wanna play?”
Tobi responds by jumping down from his perch on Shouyou’s chest to the floor, looking up patiently as Shouyou sits up. Shouyou thinks about what he has that Tobi could play with. All he has is a volleyball, but that seems too big for a cat’s toy.
But it doesn't hurt to give it a try.
He goes to his entryway to retrieve the ball from his bag and returns to Tobi sitting on the floor, tail swooshing slowly in interest.
Shouyou plops down on the floor across from him, passing the ball between his fingertips to show its appeal to Tobi. It seems to work because Tobi’s eyes follow the ball’s movements, despite the usual downturn of his mouth that makes him look like a pouty cat.
“Here Tobi!” Shouyou says, rolling the ball to Tobi. He cringes, remembering that he’s playing with a cat, not a dog.
But to his surprise, Tobi’s paw bats at it as it rolls towards him, as if he is trying to hit it back to Shouyou.
Shouyou awes and happily returns the ball, and they fall into a steady rhythm of passing the ball back and forth. Shouyou challenges Tobi by rolling it at an angle, but Tobi always leaps to receive it with his paws.
“Maybe I’ll train you to become the best volleyball cat player,” Shouyou laughs, thinking he’s having more fun than Tobi is with their little game.
The ring of the doorbell interrupts them, and Shouyou pauses their game to grab the food delivered. When he returns to the living room, Tobi is jumping at the volleyball and rolling around with it incessantly.
It’s incredibly cute and has Shouyou’s weak heart beating helplessly.
He lays out his food on the coffee table and fishes around for the remote. Tobi sniffs at the noodles, and Shouyou moves it away so Tobi can’t steal a bite.
“You can’t eat this. It’ll make you sick,” Shouyou warns, feeling guilty when he sees Tobi lower his head as if he’s sulking.
Stay strong, Shouyou tells himself. Don’t let his cuteness manipulate you.
He puts on an old volleyball match between Japan and Brazil and slurps down his food eagerly. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was until it was all laid out in front of him, and when he’s done he leans back and groans in satisfaction.
Tobi hops on the couch cushion beside him, settling to lay down comfortably, as if he owns the place, and stares at the match on the TV attentively.
Shouyou scoffs fondly and cleans up his mess, bringing his dishes to the kitchen. He fills a small container with water and places it on the ground in case Tobi gets thirsty.
He even gets the sudden motivation to clean up a bit — washing the dishes, wiping the counters, picking up around the apartment. If Tobi is going to stay, then Shouyou wants the place as good as it can be.
By the time he’s done, he’s even more exhausted as he trudges back to the living room and sees Tobi still watching the match.
“Time for bed, Tobi,” Shouyou says, turning off the TV and giving Tobi a few pats as his attention shifts to Shouyou.
Tobi stands, stretching his hind legs out before jumping down to follow Shouyou to the bedroom.
Without hesitation, Tobi hops onto the bed and begins kneading a spot on the blanket, making a small dip for himself. Shouyou tuts softly, wondering if he should be less lenient to let a stray cat that may have some unknown germs have full reign to all his furniture, but Shouyou doesn’t have the heart to stop him.
He brushes his teeth and throws on some pajamas before crawling under the covers. Tobi has settled into a loaf on the blanket, his head resting down. Shouyou’s heart gives a little pang when he realizes Tobi has chosen Tobio’s old side of the bed.
For the first time in a while, it’s no longer empty. Shouyou smiles softly, petting his hand along Tobi a few times as his eyes drift shut.
“Goodnight, Tobi,” he whispers.
That night, Shouyou falls asleep in seconds.
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“Your face looks dumb,” Tobio said to Shouyou, his dull eyes still holding their familiar sharpness as he stared at him.
Shouyou forced his gaze from his grip on Tobio’s hand, trailing his eyes over the tubes and IVs that ran across Tobio’s body on the hospital bed. He looked deep into those still beautiful blue eyes, even though they were ringed with pallor.
“I’m sorry,” Shouyou whispered brokenly, unable to say anything else. He was sure his face did look different, surely full of a sadness he had never shown before.
“That’s the part where you spit an insult back, idiot,” Tobio scolded, as much as his weak voice could.
But how was Shouyou supposed to do that when Tobio was like this? Suffering through an illness Shouyou was helpless to fix, only able to watch as Tobio was slowly dying?
Before he realized, he felt wetness on his cheeks from his quiet tears. Tobio’s weak hand reached up to brush them away, comforting Shouyou when it should have been the other way around.
“I can’t do this, Tobio,” Shouyou choked out, clutching at Tobio’s hands with sad desperation. “I don't think I can live without you.”
Tobio looked at him with solemn understanding. “Yes, you can. You will,” he assured softly. “But I’m not gone yet, idiot.”
But it was only a matter of time. The doctors had said there was nothing else they could do, only able to make sure Tobio was comfortable in his last days.
Until he left Shouyou alone. Until he lost the boyfriend he loved so much he wanted to marry. Until he lost his true volleyball partner and rival, the boy who had captured Shouyou’s heart when they were fifteen and intertwined their souls forever.
“And I won’t really be gone. Someone has to watch over you so you don’t do anything stupid,” Tobio spoke quietly.
Shouyou let out a sad chuckle, pressing a delicate kiss to Tobio’s hand. “I love you. More than anything.” So much so that Shouyou couldn’t imagine life without him.
Tobio moved his hands from Shouyou’s grip to run them through Shouyou’s hair. “I love you too,” he murmured. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise, Shou.”
Shouyou’s eyes flutter open to his bedroom, lit by the early morning sun. He slowly comes back to awareness from his dream of the past, bringing a hand up to feel his damp cheeks. He must’ve been crying in his sleep again.
That memory was only a month ago, yet it feels like both yesterday and a different lifetime.
It happened out of nowhere.
Tobio had fainted during practice with the Adlers. He’d been feeling off a few days prior, but the couple thought it was just a cold, and he’d been starting to feel better. When he was rushed to the hospital, doctors first suspected the flu.
But then there were tests. So many tests. Shouyou stayed with Tobio through every one he was allowed to, telling Tobio and trying to convince himself that it was just a precaution. That they were making sure they could diagnose him with the common flu, or at worst, pneumonia.
But it wasn’t the flu. And it wasn’t pneumonia.
It was a rare heart disease, one that “only affects one in a million people,” the doctors told Shouyou. It was unpredictable, usually attacking young, healthy adults, and causing critical heart failure within days.
When the doctors told Shouyou that it was too late for treatment, that doing so would likely only make Tobio worse, he was already numb, his eyes unable to move from a crack in the hospital floor.
The soft words the doctors tried to tell him fell on deaf ears. Shouyou stood without a word, blindly stumbling to the hospital room that held his boyfriend.
As soon as he saw Tobio laying in that hospital bed, with that sad, yet accepting look on his face, the words finally sank.
Trembling, Shouyou sat beside the bed, buried his face in Tobio’s arms, and sobbed for what felt like hours.
A loud meow suddenly fills Shouyou’s ears, and when he startles, turning to see blue eyes staring back at him, he’s reminded of the new friend that occupies his home. Tobi meows loudly again and restlessly moves on the bed, as if pestering Shouyou to get up.
“What is it, Tobi?” Shouyou asks, yawning.
Still, he sits up, and Tobi jumps down from the bed, looking back at Shouyou, waiting for him to follow. Shouyou pulls the covers off, stretching his limbs before following the restless cat. Tobi runs to the fridge and paws at the door.
Shouyou smiles. “Ah, you’re hungry. I should’ve known.”
He remembers his nearly empty fridge as he opens it. “But I don’t think only milk is healthy,” he mumbles to himself.
He does a quick online search for what human foods are okay for cats to eat and hopes it happens to be one of the few things he has. Luckily, it looks like they can eat plain eggs, so he takes out the carton and cooks the remaining ones.
He makes one for Tobi, and finishes off the rest himself. It’s nice, Shouyou thinks. He’s missed making breakfast for someone other than himself.
Even if that happens to be a big, hungry cat.
Tobi rubs against Shouyou’s legs the entire time he cooks, meowing impatiently. Shouyou smiles, even as he tells Tobi he’s going as fast as he can.
Tobi’s tail flicks wildly until Shouyou places the dish of eggs on the ground, and Tobi buries his face in the dish as he eats.
Leaning against the counter, Shouyou eats his own breakfast, watching the feline fondly. He decides at that moment if he’s going to take his new role of cat owner seriously, he wants to do it right.
After breakfast, he makes a list of all the basic things a cat may need, and a list of food his shelves so desperately need. There’s no practice today, so it’ll give Shouyou time to go to the store.
He’s in the entryway slipping on his shoes when he hears the sound of soft paws behind him. Shouyou turns to Tobi and pats his head softly.
“I’m going to grab some stuff for us. I’ll be back soon, so be good, okay?” Shouyou says, as if talking to a small child.
He takes Tobi’s short meow as understanding and slips out the front door with a quick wave.
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When Shouyou stumbles through the front door, arms lined with grocery bags (because he’ll never do more than one trip), he calls for Tobi.
He doesn’t get an answer, but releases the bags onto the kitchen counter. He may have spent more than his monthly budget, but it was worth it. He got shiny metal bowls for Tobi, a litter box disguised as a potted plant, a cat tree, and multiple types of cat food for Tobi to try. Not to mention enough groceries for himself to last a few weeks.
Maybe he went a bit overboard, but grocery shopping today didn’t feel as mundane as it’s felt recently, so Shouyou doesn’t feel too guilty.
Once everything is put away, he calls for Tobi again, surprised he hasn’t padded into the kitchen begging for food.
“Tobi?” Shouyou calls to the living room, and he spots a stiff black head turning toward him. Tobi is balancing on a high wall shelf, frozen in place and clearly frightened.
Shouyou gasps and runs to him. He can’t quite reach Tobi, even with outstretched arms.
“Tobi, you’re going to have to jump!” He has no idea if Tobi understands, but he holds his arms out invitingly, hoping that Tobi takes the opportunity.
Tobi hesitates, his blue eyes darting between the ground and Shouyou.
“I promise I’ll catch you!” Shouyou assures.
Tobi hesitates a moment more before he leaps from the shelf and into Shouyou’s arms. Shouyou’s knees wobble, but his grip on Tobi remains steady. He notices how Tobi is trembling slightly.
“How’d you even get up there, dummy,” Shouyou mumbles softly, brushing his hand along Tobi’s fur to comfort him. Tobi gives an indignant sounding meow.
Shouyou notices a frame fallen on the ground that Tobi must’ve knocked down when he jumped. He picks it up, and his heart clenches, staring at an old photo of him and Tobio after a beach volleyball date. Tobio was pouting because he got more sunburned than Shouyou, who only laughed at his cute reddened cheeks, poking at them teasingly in the photo.
With Tobi still in one arm and holding the frame in another, Shouyou sinks into the couch with a sigh, eyes fixed on the photo.
The memory of the day, of Tobio there, comes to him in a wave, weighing his heart down. Tobi meows quietly, looking between the photo and Shouyou.
Shouyou pets him gently. “My boyfriend was scared of heights like you,” he says quietly. “You’d think his height would’ve made him less afraid, but inside he was just a big baby.”
Tobi meows sharply, as if offended, and Shouyou laughs at him softly. But his smile fades as he stares back at the photo, and before he can stop them, small tears begin to fall.
Shouyou sniffles, unconsciously holding Tobi closer. “I miss him,” he chokes out. “So much…”
The tears stream steadily down his face as Shouyou closes his eyes. Things were seeming to get better, with Tobi’s newfound company, but not enough for Shouyou to forget that deep ache that’s still in his heart, still missing the man he loves most.
Shouyou doesn’t notice the movement in his arms until there’s a different wet feeling on his cheeks. Confused, he opens his eyes to see Tobi leaning his paws on his chest. Leaning forward so he can lick Shouyou’s face, wiping away the tears.
“Tobi, that’s gross,” Shouyou protests weakly, but he makes no effort to move him.
He chuckles wetly, letting the last few tears fall and get licked up before gathering the cat close to his chest and burying his face into soft fur.
He’s once again surprised at how accepting Tobi seems to be of Shouyou’s affection, affection he’s been so desperate to give someone, after only a day of knowing each other. Tobi begins to purr, and Shouyou smiles, happy to know that the feeling is reciprocated.
He sits there for a few more minutes, simply holding Tobi and letting his soft fur and gentle purrs soothe the ache in his heart. It’s still there, and Shouyou knows a part of it always will be, but at least he doesn’t feel as alone anymore.
He loosens his grip on Tobi, watching him sit on his lap and flick his tail absently. Those sharp blue eyes stare at Shouyou steadily.
“Thanks, Tobi,” Shouyou says softly, scratching behind his ears. “Let’s stick together, okay?”
Tobi meows once, and Shouyou smiles, telling himself that means a simple, “Okay.”
And that they do.
Weeks pass, and Shouyou and Tobi only grow closer. As in, Shouyou tests the limits of how much affection he can give Tobi, and Tobi always indulges him, to Shouyou’s delight. Shouyou knows that if Tobi doesn’t like something, he’ll make it known.
Tobi proves that one day.
“Come on, Tobi. You have to at least try it,” Shouyou urges, pushing the metal food dish toward him.
Tobi meows snappily and uses his paw to push it back.
He’s acting like Shouyou is trying to feed him poison, not the perfectly normal cat food he’s supposed to eat, as a cat, instead of the human food Shouyou’s been spoiling him with. But what’s Shouyou supposed to do when those big blue eyes look up at him so pleadingly he’s forced to comply?
But this is the day. He’s going to stand his ground and fight against Tobi’s cuteness.
“It’s healthy! You can’t only eat human food. You’ll get fat,” Shouyou scolds, poking at Tobi’s stomach.
Tobi lets out another drawn out meow in defiance. He even pulls out the forbidden move, one that he only uses when he really wants something.
He rolls on the ground to reveal his belly, sticking his paws in the air, and lets out a pitiful meow.
“Oh, that’s so not fair,” Shouyou whines, trying not to gush and show his weakness. Instead, with a huff, he pulls out his phone and snaps a photo of Tobi while trying to stay stern. He ends up failing.
With a sigh, Shouyou discards the unwanted cat food and grabs a can of plain tuna instead. Tobi may have won today, but Shouyou will be triumphant tomorrow. Or maybe the day after.
When Shouyou places the dish of tuna down, Tobi drops all his dramatics and happily chomps down on the food.
Shouyou tuts. “Since when are stray cats picky eaters?” he mutters, but with no bite behind his words.
It’s during days like this when Shouyou can stay busy taking care of Tobi and himself, staying distracted from the grief that still lingers in his heart and mind.
Some nights though, those emotions return tenfold, leaving Shouyou to cry into his pillow for the man his bedroom is missing.
On those nights, Tobi makes sure to burrow close to Shouyou’s chest, letting Shouyou use him as a personal comforter and steady presence lulling him into a calmer state. Tobi lets Shouyou brush his fingers through his fur until Shouyou falls asleep.
The next day, Shouyou always spoils Tobi a little more than usual, probably too much, but he can’t help it. Tobi has given him a new purpose in his life, a new reason to get up in the morning, something that Shouyou feared he would never find again. Giving Tobi an extra helping of food to make him happy seems like a small price to pay for saving Shouyou from his own thoughts.
Not only that, but Tobi is the perfect listener. Maybe it’s because he can’t exactly respond, leaving Shouyou to talk to his heart’s content, but Tobi always looks like he’s listening attentively. Shouyou tells him everything — how practice went, the crazy person on the bus. When his heart needs to, he talks about stored memories of Tobio, his voice usually quiet and strained, but talking about Tobio out loud instead of burying him in his mind… helps.
This is the new rhythm they live in, and Shouyou can say he at least feels… lighter. There’s still an empty feeling inside him, but maybe with time, Shouyou can accept what Tobio wanted for him — to try and live without him.
───────────────
Soon after that, Tobi starts acting differently.
He’s antsy, restless, pacing around the small apartment and constantly checking the window. Shouyou tries to see whatever Tobi is looking at, but he doesn’t find anything.
“Everything okay, Tobi?” Shouyou asks, petting his back.
Tobi doesn’t respond, as if he doesn’t even hear the words. Shouyou hums inquisitively before suddenly being reminded of the time.
“I’m gonna be late for practice!” he says urgently, grabbing his bag and slipping on his shoes. “I promise I’ll get you a treat when I get back, Tobi!”
Shouyou gets no response, but he has no time to dwell on it. He slams the door shut and runs to the bus stop, hoping he’ll make it.
Luckily, he just squeezes through the bus doors as they’re closing, sighing in relief. The commute to practice is uneventful, spent mostly with Shouyou wondering if there’s something wrong with Tobi. He’ll be sure to give him extra attention as soon as he gets back.
When he arrives at the gym, everything goes like it normally does. Shouyou feels like he’s even able to focus better than he has in a while, and he doesn’t notice as many of the concerned looks his teammates usually give him.
The Jackals finish up their practice, heading to the locker room to get changed and pack up for the day. Atsumu finishes quickly and turns up the volume on the TV they usually use to watch game footage, but now plays a local news segment instead.
When Shouyou finishes packing his bag, he goes to stand next to Atsumu, who seems focused intensely on the screen.
“Something interesting on?” Shouyou asks curiously.
“Listen,” Atsumu says, unusually quiet.
Shouyou shifts his gaze from Atsumu to the news reporter on the screen.
“This morning we received multiple reports of people coming forward claiming an ‘impossible miracle’ has happened to them,” the reporter begins. Shouyou’s eyebrows raise in interest.
The segment shows side-by-side images of cats and people as the reporter continues. “These individuals on the left are claiming that they used to be the cats in the photos here on the right. Now, we can all think that this sounds impossible, that these are simply the words of crazy people,” the reporter pauses. Shouyou unconsciously holds his breath in anticipation.
“But what cannot be explained is that every person in these photos had died a few months ago. All on the same day.”
As soon as the reporter says the day they died, Shouyou’s stomach drops.
That’s the same day Tobio…
“That’s… impossible,” Shouyou whispers in disbelief. Atsumu’s head whips towards him, eyes wide and about to speak, until another teammate interrupts him.
“It’s like they got a second chance,” they say quietly, shocked, unaware of the inner chaos running through Shouyou’s mind.
“Second chance…?” Shouyou repeats in shock, the words no louder than a whisper.
Like an old tape, Shouyou’s mind flickers with pieces, memories, similarities between the people on the news and his own life. Circumstances that are impossible, but that Shouyou so desperately wants to believe.
A beautiful black cat, with the same shade of deep blue eyes as Tobio, appearing in front of his apartment building. That had no issue with Shouyou becoming his new owner, immediately comfortable among him and the home as if it were his own.
The cat that knows exactly how to comfort Shouyou in his darkest hours, to make him laugh, that’s been there for Shouyou ever since he found him in that box.
Who refuses to eat cat food, listens to Shouyou as if he actually understands the words, and who even Shouyou has admittedly thought acts oddly like a human sometimes.
Could Tobi be…?
Again, Shouyou repeats the words, That’s impossible, in his mind.
But what if?
Without another word, Shouyou runs out of the gym, moving as fast as his legs will carry him home. He skips the bus altogether, believing his own body can get him back faster.
Maybe it’s only the hope of a grieving fool, another attempt from his mind to prevent him from healthily processing the passing of his boyfriend.
But if there’s even a chance, any chance that it’s true, that Tobio, his love, could be alive, Shouyou refuses to believe anything else until he is proven wrong.
As soon as he reaches his apartment, he urgently pulls out his keys and fumbles with the lock, bursting through the door.
He flings off his bag, but doesn’t even bother to take off his shoes, his mind focused on one thing only.
“Tobi!” he yells, calling for the cat that always greets him at the door when he comes home.
He rushes through the apartment, looking for the feline, but finds nothing. There’s only one spot that hasn’t been checked.
Shouyou doesn’t waste another second before running back and bursting through his bedroom door.
A man’s back greets him. Tall, strong, currently slipping on an old sweatshirt. Tobio’s old sweatshirt.
Shouyou can’t even process how the man seems familiar before his entire mind focuses on the man’s face as he turns to face him.
Shouyou’s breath catches, eyes widening in disbelief.
“Tobio?” he whispers shakily.
The dark-haired man’s beautiful blue eyes soften, lips curving into a small smile.
“Hey, Shou,” Tobio says softly.
Shouyou exhales a shaky breath, taking a few steps to close the distance between them.
His hands grip Tobio’s arms, feeling to make sure that Tobio is real, not some sick hallucination or dream his mind has conjured.
Shouyou’s grip remains tight as amber eyes meet sapphire ones.
“Is it really you?” he breathes, tears springing to his eyes.
“It’s me,” Tobio says quietly.
Shouyou lets out a sharp breath and buries his face into Tobio’s chest, his tears becoming quiet sobs as he clutches Tobio desperately. Tobio’s arms wrap around him instantly, caging Shouyou in warmth and his familiar scent.
Shouyou feels a head rest on his own and hands running down his back to soothe, which only brings more tears to his eyes. He pours out every emotion from the past few months — sadness, anger, fear, and finally, joy.
Shouyou laughs incredulously into Tobio’s chest, wetness still falling down his cheeks. “I—I can’t believe it,” the words fall unsteadily from his lips.
Tobio starts to pull away, and Shouyou panics for just a moment before hands cup his cheeks and soft lips capture his own.
It’s not like his dreams have imagined the past few months — the feeling is better. Their connected lips send buzzes that feel enchanted down to his toes, and with every passing second, Shouyou feels his heart mending itself. It becomes rightfully fulfilled, no longer missing the man who carved out a part for himself.
They have to break for air, but Shouyou’s hands never leave Tobio’s face, thumbs brushing soft cheeks to wipe away a few stray tears.
Shouyou smiles as tear tracks stain his own face, eyes roving across Tobio’s face, memorizing every detail as if it’s the last time he’ll see him.
“How is this possible?” Shouyou whispers. His emotions begin to calm, leaving him happy but still terribly confused.
“Come here,” Tobio says, taking Shouyou’s hand and pulling them towards the bed to sit.
His hands never leave Tobio’s as he gathers his thoughts.
“I don’t even fully know what happened,” Tobio starts. “Some parts are still hazy.”
“What do you remember?” Shouyou asks softly.
“I remember, after it happened, feeling like I was just… floating,” Tobio says, his brows furrowing. “I don’t know how else to describe it. It didn’t hurt, but I remember the whole time there was only one thing I could think about.”
“What?” Shouyou whispers.
Deep blue eyes steadily meet his gaze.
“You.”
Shouyou’s breath hitches, and a whole new round of tears threaten to fall.
Tobio runs his thumbs along their joined hands, continuing. “Then I heard a voice in my head, asking me what I wanted. I said I wanted to see you, to be with you. And the voice said I could, but told me the form I would be in.”
“The cat,” Shouyou murmurs in understanding.
Tobio nods. “I was just happy to be with you in any way I could. I didn’t know if it was some god, the universe, or a scientific miracle. It didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was getting back to you.”
Shouyou doesn’t even respond in words, he simply launches himself into Tobio’s arms and lets himself cry. He feels fingers run through his hair and Shouyou smiles.
“You’re still so sappy,” he mutters lightly.
“And you’re still a dumbass,” Tobio scolds softly. “Even as a cat, I had to make sure you were taking care of yourself.”
Shouyou doesn’t rise to the bait, staying honest as he pulls away to look at Tobio. “It was so hard without you, Tobio. I didn’t know if I could do it,” he says vulnerably.
Tobio looks at him guiltily, his eyes lowering.
Shouyou smiles, cupping Tobio’s cheeks and bringing his face up. “But then… Tobi came along, and I started to feel better. I felt happier, because of you.”
He brings Tobio’s head down so their foreheads touch, closing his eyes. “Thank you for coming back to me,” he whispers. “I’m lost without you.”
Tobio presses a feather-light kiss to Shouyou’s forehead. “I’m here,” he breathes.
“I love you,” Shouyou says.
“I love you, too,” Tobio whispers, and Shouyou smiles, finally hearing the words his ears have been begging to hear for months.
Shouyou simply rests in Tobio’s arms, unsure how long until a sudden stomach rumble reaches his ears. He pulls away with raised eyebrows, staring at Tobio, whose cheeks redden slightly.
“It is usually your dinnertime,” Shouyou laughs. Tobio mumbles something under his breath, looking away sheepishly.
“Come on,” Shouyou says, pulling Tobio up by the hand. Their skin contact never leaves as Shouyou makes a small dinner, through hand holding or Tobio draping himself over Shouyou’s shoulders as he cooks.
Shouyou doesn’t want it any other way.
When they fall into bed that night, Shouyou buries himself in Tobio’s chest, wrapping his arms around him so tightly in fear that he will disappear. But when Shouyou wakes the next morning to a hand brushing along his cheek and blue eyes looking at him sleepily, he knows it wasn’t all just a dream.
Tobio is here with him, and Shouyou will never let him go again.