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A misty chill hung in the air as Law and Cora-san took their usual route home from school.
The day had been plagued by rain, and though it had passed for now, the sky remained ominously overcast. They had until evening before it returned—at least according to the weather forecast app on Law’s phone—but Cora-san still held his umbrella over both of their heads.
“Just in case!” he’d said with his usual, adorable grin.
Sporadic showers were predicted through the weekend, along with heavy rainfall Saturday night. Law figured they’d stay inside, finishing up chores and homework and then relaxing for the rest of the time. They’d cook good food. Play with their dog, Onigiri. Law was especially looking forward to sleeping in. He didn’t mind getting up early, but spending a couple of extra hours comfortably warm and curled up to his favorite person was an invaluable part of any weekend morning.
He glanced down at Cora’s free hand, the one not holding the umbrella’s curved handle. Instead of placing it away in the pocket of his black school slacks, he’d allowed it to dangle next to his hip—within Law’s reach.
Law’s heart skipped nervously as he considered taking Cora’s hand in his. They’d never held hands in public, but maybe they should start doing that? They were boyfriends, after all.
The moment Law reached out, Cora briskly veered away from him.
“Did you hear that?” he asked, shuffling to the side of the path. He looked around, then squatted down near some bushes. “Oh!”
“Cora-san?” Law hurried to rejoin him under the umbrella.
Cora held his other hand down low, one long finger extended toward the bottom of the bush. And then Law saw it: a tiny, pink nose poking out from the wet leaves. It sniffed cautiously, and then the rest of its face emerged, huge blue eyes blinking curiously up at them.
It was a cat—or a kitten, rather—the color of snow.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” Cora said in a low and gentle voice. Briefly, he turned back to Law to pass him the umbrella. “Take this for a sec.”
Law stood over him, holding the umbrella as Cora fished the kitten out of the bushes. It didn’t seem injured, but its fur was damp and its paws were very dirty. “Do you think it’s a stray?” Law asked.
“Either way, we can’t leave it out here.” Cora held the tiny creature close to his chest, cooing, “There, there! It’s okay!”
Law turned away as he folded up the umbrella. He wasn’t tall enough to hold it over Cora-san’s head, and it might have scared the kitten, anyway. Plus, it still wasn’t raining.
When they arrived home, Onigiri barked his usual, excited welcome. But as Cora-san stepped into the living room and sat on the couch, the small dog appeared to notice that something was different. He hopped onto the couch with him, his tiny nose wiggling in the kitten’s direction.
The kitten peered at the other animal from over Cora-san’s arm, then gave a barely audible hiss. Onigiri cocked his head in confusion.
“It’s kind of like when I brought you home,” Law said to his dog as he, too, sat down on the couch. Onigiri hopped onto his lap, but his beady eyes remained stuck on the newcomer. When Law gave him a pet, he noticed that Onigiri was a bit tense.
“I’m sure they’ll get used to each other eventually,” Cora-san said, always optimistic. Just like Onigiri, his focus was completely fixated on the cat. His big hands almost encased its small body entirely as he lifted it up in front of his face, letting its back feet dangle. “We should give her a bath!”
Law wanted to get started on dinner, but he knew he’d better supervise his clumsy partner. He couldn’t have him making a mess of the bathroom. “Okay.”
He set Onigiri on a cushion and then got up to follow Cora-san down the hall and into the bathroom. As he shut the door behind them, he saw that Cora-san had placed the kitten down on the counter.
“Would you keep an eye on her?” he asked, turning on the water.
The kitten stiffened, its fuzzy fur expanding a little, but it didn’t try to run. Law stood within reach, just in case he needed to grab her.
When a scratching sound picked up outside, he cracked the door open to find Onigiri glaring up at him. “Ruff!” the dog yapped.
“I’ll feed you soon, Onigiri,” Law told him.
Onigiri growled softly. The kitten, still perched on the counter above, didn’t seem to care about the other animal’s existence. She must have thought she was too far out of Onigiri’s reach, unaware of his impressive vertical jump.
Law nudged Onigiri back outside with his foot and closed the door again. The scratching resumed as he went to join Cora beside the sink, dipping his fingers into the water to check it. Cora had actually done well to make it a comfortable temperature.
The kitten struggled as Cora lowered her down, but then began to relax as her tiny body was submerged in warmth. Grinning, Cora cupped some water in his palm and poured it over her fur. “There, let’s get you all clean!”
Outside the door, Onigiri began barking.
“What’s with him?” Law muttered.
“He’s probably jealous that there’s another animal in the house,” Cora guessed.
Law thought it was a pretty silly reason to be jealous, but what could he expect from a dog who had never had to share his owners before? “I’ll check on him. Just don’t accidentally drown the cat while I’m gone, okay?”
“How rude!” Cora-san shot back. He quickly returned his attention to the kitten, using one of his long fingers to brush a few soap suds away from her eyes. “There, there, I’ve got you!” he said to her.
The kitten mewed in response. Law stared a moment at the sight, then left the bathroom.
“Come on, Onigiri. You’re probably hungry.”
He suddenly realized—watching Onigiri dash over to his empty food bowl—that the kitten would need to eat, too. Cats liked fish, and there was some leftover shiozake in the fridge, but would that be too salty for a small kitten?
Either way, it was all they had. The kitten would just have to settle for tonight.
Onigiri seemed happy to receive his dinner, and Law wondered if that was the real reason he’d been acting grumpy before. He gave his dog a gentle pat, then stood. It was time to whip up something for himself, Cora-san, and their very small guest.
Law was still getting things together when Cora emerged from the bathroom.
“All clean~!” he sang, holding the kitten high enough for Law to see. Its body was wrapped entirely in a hand towel, its eyes large and alert as it looked around.
“Careful, Cora-san!” Law dashed toward him, worried he was about to trip and fall.
But Cora-san passed him by without incident. “What are you making?” he asked, stepping into the kitchen. He now held the bundle close to his chest like it was a newborn baby.
“Uh.” Law stared. “I was going to make some fried rice out of the leftovers.”
“Sounds great!” Cora said with a grin.
Law proceeded with the meal, chopping up most of the day-old shiozake while setting some extra bits aside. “Here, see if she’ll eat this. Hopefully, it won’t be too salty.”
Cora took a piece of the fish and held it up to the cat’s tiny nose. The animal must have been famished, for it swallowed the morsel in half a second. It then sniffed and licked Cora’s fingers, searching for more.
“She likes it!” Cora said happily. He offered her another bite.
Onigiri, who had finished eating, sat near his empty bowl. He watched the two men fuss over the kitten, and while he didn’t look particularly happy, at least he wasn’t growling.
After dinner, Law brought a large cardboard box up from the basement.
“This’ll be where she sleeps,” he explained, placing the box in his and Cora-san’s bedroom. They worked together to prepare it with a soft blanket and a small, shallow bowl of water.
“Do you think Shio will be lonely tonight?” Cora asked as he placed the kitten inside. She explored the space, first sniffing her water and then climbing into the makeshift litter box (it was a paint roller tray filled with some plain potting soil, also sourced from the basement).
He had begun calling the kitten “Shio” due to her pure white fur and how much she had seemed to enjoy the shiozake. Law worried that Cora-san was already getting too attached to her.
“I don’t know,” Law said. “But she’d probably be happier with her real owner.”
Cora looked at him. “Huh? Real owner?”
“Of course. She must belong to someone.”
“Oh.” Cora looked conflicted. It seemed he hadn’t taken the time to consider how brief the cat’s stay could actually be. “I guess you’re right.”
He ran a hand down Shio’s back. She arched up at the touch, and even Law had to admit that she was pretty cute. But Onigiri was cute, too, and Law thought one household pet was enough.
“We’ll get her some supplies for now, but we should make some found posters, too.”
Cora nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Hey.” Law leaned against Cora’s side, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “Remember when we lost Onigiri? How scary that was? I bet Shio’s owner is feeling the same way right now.”
Cora’s eyes were still on the kitten, watching as she curled up in the blanket. She looked cozy, ready for sleep, her blue eyes slowly starting to close.
Law was finally able to drag Cora away. “Come on, let’s get ready for bed.”
* * *
The room was empty when Law woke up. No Cora-san in bed with him. No Onigiri sleeping on top of the covers. No kitten in the nearby box.
The isolation filled him with dread. Unexpectedly so. Law hadn’t woken up alone since Cora-san started living with him, and it almost scared him that he could feel this needy.
A cough from the den confirmed that Cora-san was home, at least. Law forced himself up.
He found them all on the couch. Cora-san sat with Onigiri to one side, the kitten to the other, his hands petting them both simultaneously. Law narrowed his eyes, realizing there was no spot for him.
“Hey!” Cora flashed Law a grin, finally noticing him. “Morning, sleepyhead!”
“Hey.” Law was still peering down at the animals. Onigiri seemed much less bothered by the kitten, and the kitten didn’t seem to mind him, either. “Did you feed them?” he asked Cora.
“Yep. I went to the market earlier and bought some stuff!”
“Did you get some tea?” Law asked, remembering that they were running low.
“Oop, I forgot. We still have a little, right?”
“Probably just enough for today.” Law figured they’d be back at the market soon enough. They could hang up one of their found posters there. “We should make those posters.”
“After breakfast!” Cora said. “Could you cook? I have to watch these two.”
Law rolled his eyes but went into the kitchen. “Omurice okay?” he called from over his shoulder.
“Sounds great!” Cora-san shouted back. “Thanks. I just don’t want to take any chances, even though Onigiri is getting more used to Shio. I think he’s even starting to like her!”
“That’s good,” Law said, though he didn’t quite feel the same. Having another animal in the house was awkward so far, but at least it would only be temporary.
After breakfast, Law asked again about making Shio’s found posters.
“Yeah, okay,” Cora replied, taking his phone out of his pocket. “Guess we need a photo first.” He settled onto the floor and placed the cat down, too. “Hold still, Shio!”
Law waited as Cora snapped one picture. Then another.
“Hm, the angle’s not right!” Cora complained. He was a big guy, and, even sitting down, he towered over his tiny subject. “Maybe if I lie down…”
As he settled onto his belly, Onigiri hopped onto Cora’s back. He barked and wagged his tail, thinking it was playtime, which caused a startled Shio to take cover under Cora’s arm.
“I’ll do it!” Law snapped, kneeling to pluck the kitten out from her hiding place. She mewed in fright as he lifted her up in front of himself.
“Hey!” Cora got up and quickly collected her. “Don’t hold her like that! Be more gentle.”
Onigiri barked chidingly in Law’s direction, as if to agree.
Law frowned. Cora-san, of all people, telling him to be gentle was quite ironic. “Fine. Then you hold her and I’ll take the picture.”
Cora smiled and held Shio back out, as if he were proudly presenting her. Law snapped a picture. “I’m going to go make the poster now,” he said, still feeling annoyed as he turned for the door to the basement.
Onigiri followed as he descended the stairs.
“This is for his own good,” Law muttered under his breath. “He can’t get attached to an animal that probably already has an owner. Besides, I have enough to deal with around here already!”
He booted up the terminal and, after transferring the photo from his phone, got to work creating the poster. It ended up looking pretty basic: the word “found” printed boldly across the top, the cat’s picture underneath accompanied by a short description, and finally, Law’s contact information.
“The sooner we find them, the less painful it’ll be for him to give her up,” Law said, telling himself that he was just talking to Onigiri. But the dog had fallen asleep at his feet several minutes earlier.
Okay, so he was trying to convince himself. It wasn’t like he was wrong, though. Even if he wanted to keep the kitten, too, they would still have to attempt to find its rightful owner first.
“I guess if we don’t find anyone, then…”
Law knew he’d have to give in. He could never say no to Cora-san.
But he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
* * *
“Even if Shio does have an owner,” Cora-san grumbled as he and Law walked the neighborhood streets. “They must be pretty irresponsible to lose her!”
Spotting another telephone pole, Law took one of the found posters from his backpack and readied his staple gun. Such posters were only really allowed on utility poles and community bulletin boards, so they’d been keeping an eye out for both.
“Well, we lost Onigiri once,” Law reminded Cora.
Hearing his own name, Onigiri barked from his place in Law’s hood.
Law stapled the poster to the pole. The street they’d been walking down happened to be several blocks from the one where they’d discovered the lost kitten to begin with. Cora-san had been purposely leading them further away and opting for alleys and backstreets that were less traveled.
“But that’s different!” Cora argued. “Shio’s just a baby. If she has an owner, then they should have been watching more closely!”
Law couldn’t say he disagreed. No one should have been letting their small kittens loose outside, especially when the days had been so cold and rainy. Was it possible that Shio didn’t have an owner at all? She could have been part of some stray cat’s litter, though she seemed a bit too tame for that.
Sighing, Law looked toward the sky. He had been hoping to pick up some tea while they were out, but the clouds were darkening by the moment, and the market was in the entirely opposite direction from their house. “Maybe we should head back home soon.”
“Okay!” Cora smiled at the favorable suggestion. “If nobody calls, then we can put up more posters around campus on Monday.”
“We should put up more tomorrow,” Law insisted. In the nearby puddles, he noticed ripples from scattered raindrops. They seemed to be increasing by the moment, and he remembered that there was supposed to be a storm that night. “…but I guess we can wait for the weather to improve, first.”
He questioned how long the posters he’d just put up would even last. Hopefully, the kitten’s true owner would see one of them before the rain and wind tore them all down.
Cora turned away, coughing against his closed fist. Law looked up at him.
“Are you getting sick?” Law recalled hearing Cora cough earlier, too.
“I don’t know,” Cora said. “I feel okay.”
“Let’s go home. We’ll finish off the tea and then get more tomorrow.”
Cora grinned. “Okay!”
The rain picked up as they walked. Law’s hat and coat blocked most of it, but he took Onigiri out of his hood and held him protectively in his arms as Cora readied the umbrella.
They reached their doorstep just as the deluge truly began, the din against the roof echoing inside as wind gusts beat the window panes mercilessly. Law was glad they hadn’t tried to go all the way to the market—Cora’s umbrella wouldn’t have stood a chance in this weather.
“It’s your turn to cook dinner,” Law mentioned. He sat Onigiri down onto the floor, then carefully removed his dampened shoes. “You were planning on soup, right?”
Looking up, he realized that Cora-san wasn’t even in the room with them anymore.
Law walked into the empty kitchen, mumbling, “I guess I’ll get it started for you…”
He was still prepping ingredients for the udon soup when Cora-san came out of the bedroom. “Oh, you’re making dinner?” he asked. “Thanks, Law. I guess you got it covered then?”
“Yeah,” Law replied flatly. It was a simple dish, and he supposed he could finish it up. His narrowing eyes drifted to the tiny interloper in Cora-san’s hands. As silly as it was to be jealous of a cat, Law couldn’t help but feel a little miffed about all the attention Cora’d been giving her.
Even when they were out putting up posters, Cora wouldn’t stop talking about Shio. It was obvious he didn’t want to give her up, but Law didn’t know how much more of this he could take.
“Can you feed them?” he asked as he pan-seared the shaved beef steak. Taking care of the animals was the least Cora-san could do after pawning off his dinner duty.
He fed Onigiri first. As always, the pup happily scarfed his kibble from a bowl on the floor. Cora then filled a shallow soy sauce dish with kitten food and let Shio eat on the countertop. Law made a mental note to clean the spot later.
Before long, Cora and Law were seated at the short kotatsu table with their beef udon soup. “It’s supposed to rain all night, probably most of tomorrow morning, too.” Law frowned as he scanned the weather app on his phone. “Those posters aren’t going to make it.”
“That’s too bad,” Cora-san said, though he didn’t sound the least bit regretful. He immediately became distracted playing with Shio under the heated blanket.
“Should we do our homework after dinner?” Law asked him.
“Hm? Oh, sure. Better get that finished.” Cora-san was still preoccupied. He hadn’t even touched his soup, though that was probably for the better as it was still visibly steaming. “She keeps nibbling my fingers! So cute…”
“That’s a bad habit,” Law pointed out. “The bigger she gets, the harder she’ll bite.”
Chuckling, Cora-san finally turned his focus to his bowl of udon.
Perhaps he should have waited a little longer, for he proceeded to burn his tongue on the hot broth. He flailed, scaring Shio further under the table. While he clumsily tried to extract her, Onigiri once again thought he was playing. He started to get riled up, barking and running around like he was cheering Cora on. Law felt the vein in his forehead pulse in annoyance.
Once everything had settled down again, Law was able to finish his dinner in peace. As Cora-san slurped the last of his soup, the suggestion of homework also seemed to drain from his mind.
He pulled out a small toy fish from somewhere and wiggled it in front of Shio, who was back in his lap. “Law, look at this cat toy I found at the market! Cute, huh?”
Law watched the kitten bat at it curiously. He and Cora-san still had all of tomorrow to get their homework done, so he decided not to interrupt their fun with even more nagging.
For the rest of the evening, Law found himself sitting around as Cora-san played with Shio.
She was cute, sure. But Law still would rather have Cora all to himself.
He went to take a shower, returning to find the pair still in the same spot in the middle of the den. Shio seemed to be getting tired, noticeably less active than she had been before Law’s departure. Onigiri was already asleep, curled into a perfect ball on the couch.
“Ready to go to bed?” Law asked Cora-san.
The man nodded, yawned, and scooped Shio up into his hands. Law assumed that Cora would put her in her box before proceeding with his evening routine, but he took her into the bathroom with him instead.
Law sighed as he headed for the bedroom. Distantly, he heard Cora cough a couple of times and wondered again if he was starting to get sick.
Cora-san eventually returned and finally put Shio away for the night. But he even took his time doing that, sitting on the floor with one arm dangling into the cardboard box. As he wriggled his fingers, the kitten would try to grab them and kick with her back feet, which made him laugh fondly.
Law went to sit on their bed. He watched Cora-san for a little while, trying to decide if his attitude regarding Shio was irrational. Cora-san often doted on Onigiri, too, buying him toys and talking to him like he could understand. Wasn’t this the same thing?
“Cora-san, I…” Law hesitated to admit that he was actually jealous of a cat. “Maybe you could give…Onigiri more attention, too?”
“Huh?” Cora-san’s head whipped around, his eyes searching for the dog. “Where is he?”
Onigiri was still asleep in the living room. “I mean, in general.” Law felt his face warm a little. “It’s just…you’ve been obsessing over that cat all weekend. We’re starting to miss you.”
The words sounded even more pathetic aloud than they had in his head. But Cora-san just smiled warmly. “I see.” He got up and came over, holding out his hand to the still-seated Law. “I guess I have been pretty focused on Shio. Sorry to make you guys feel lonely.”
The moment Law took his hand, Cora pulled him up and into his arms. “Ack!” he grunted as he was squeezed tight. “Cora-san!”
“You and Onigiri are my family,” Cora told him. “And even if our family grows a little, I’ll still love you both just as much!”
Law let himself settle into the hug. “I know, Cora-san. I guess I’m just not used to sharing you. Not since I got you back and we started living together.”
“You know, I think I’ve been missing you, too,” Cora admitted, letting a hint of flirtation color his tone. He released Law from his embrace but not entirely from the hold he had on him, large hands wrapping around his arms as he guided him down onto the bed.
Law landed softly onto his back, Cora climbing over him to meet him with a kiss on the lips. Law hummed his contentment, relieved to finally have the man’s complete attention.
And Cora never faltered, worshiping Law’s body as he removed his clothes. He took his time, lingering on certain areas—his collarbone, one of his nipples, the edge of his hip—as Law gasped and shivered with growing need. Cora remained steadfast, focused, a man on a mission to satisfy his lover.
Law cried out, legs shaking around Cora’s head, fingers curling into blond locks, and the streak of white on his belly proof that Cora had succeeded in his endeavor. And then, with a swipe of Cora’s tongue, it was gone.
As he came back up, Law wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. Another deep kiss, Law tasting himself the moment Cora licked into his mouth. Cora held him. Kissed him. Made him feel loved.
For the rest of the night, Law remained pleasantly unbothered by his earlier concerns. Whether it be the irksome lack of tea in the cupboard, the tempestuous storm outside, or the small kitten that slept in a box nearby, innocently unaware of the wider world.
He could wait until tomorrow to worry about them.
🐾
Law awoke to a downpour just as heavy as it had been the previous evening. He glanced from the dark window to the clock on his nightstand, confirming that it was actually morning. The lack of sunlight made it difficult to tell, dark gray clouds still masking the sky.
It was indeed morning, and Law had slept in again. But this time, he found that Cora-san was still in bed with him. He sidled up to the larger man, snuggling against his back.
Cora stirred at the touch. “Law…”
“Morning, Cora-san.”
“It’s still dark.”
“It’s morning, I promise.”
Cora rolled toward him. “My throat hurts.”
“Are you sick?” Law put a hand to Cora-san’s forehead. “You don’t really feel that warm…”
“I don’t know,” Cora said, a scratchiness to his voice. “But I could use some tea and honey.”
“We’re totally out of tea,” Law informed him. “But I can go pick some up.”
“In this weather?” Cora asked worriedly.
Law began to get up. “I’ll be fine.”
Cora looked at him with glassy eyes. “Even though I made you feel so lonely yesterday, you’re still so selfless…”
“Of course, Cora-san. It’s my job as your boyfriend to help you.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Besides, I want some tea, too.”
“Are you going right now?”
“Might as well.” Law pulled on a pair of pants. “It won’t take long if I ride my bike. You just stay in bed and rest, okay?”
Cora settled back onto his pillow, still gazing at Law with puppy dog eyes. “Could you check on Shio for me?”
As he buttoned his coat, Law stepped over to Shio’s box and glanced in. He took a moment to observe the kitten, soundly asleep on her blanket. Each time she breathed in, her body expanded slightly, like there was a tiny balloon in her belly. Her pure-white fur looked very soft.
It occurred to Law that he had yet to actually pet her. He knelt, slowly reaching into the box and grazing her coat with his fingertips. Chirping, she uncoiled with a big stretch. Her eyes stayed closed and, a moment later, she relaxed and dozed off again.
“She’s good,” Law said, his heart feeling almost as soft as the kitten’s fur had been. He stood quickly and announced, “I’m heading off now!”
Though purchasing tea was his main priority, Law did have another reason to go to the market that morning. As he parked his bike and headed inside, he looked around for a community bulletin board.
He found one near the checkout area, but didn’t go to hang up one of his found posters until after he had bought the items he needed and was ready to leave. As he approached the board, Law felt an unexpected pang of guilt. He was trying so hard to get rid of Shio, but if that happened, then wouldn’t Cora be sad?
Law looked at the poster in his hand. Cora’s large hands were shown in the image, protectively holding onto Shio in a way that Law now found familiar. It was almost enough to make him reconsider trying to find the kitten’s owner at all.
And then he noticed it—among the fliers and ads and business cards—a lost cat poster.
It wasn’t much different than his, especially considering the subject of both posters was one in the same. The pictures themselves were similar, too, but while a pair of oversized hands held the kitten in Law’s poster, this one featured hands that were much smaller.
They were the hands of a little kid.
🐾
Law didn’t tell Cora-san about the lost cat poster right away. He returned home and, after changing into some dry clothes, made a pot of hot tea. Cora felt well enough to come out of their room, joining Law at the kotatsu. They drank their tea together while Shio roamed around on the table top.
“She’s so curious,” Cora said. “Independent, and yet she enjoys being carried around!”
“Hm.” Law put his tea cup to his lips as he watched the animal in question boldly wander over to the table’s edge.
Onigiri sat nearby, having found a section of warm blanket to nestle on. His tongue lolled from his mouth as he locked eyes with the kitten. He stared a moment, then lifted himself up and gave her face a lick. Shio stumbled backward, blinking in confusion.
“I’m so glad Onigiri came around,” Cora said. He glanced at Law. “Maybe someday you will, too.”
Law scoffed lightly, but smiled. “She’s fine.”
Cora picked Shio up. “Here, why don’t you hold her for a moment?” he suggested, arms extended to dangle the kitten within Law’s reach.
Law hesitated, but eventually took her. After Cora’s constant handling, she seemed relaxed no matter how she was held or who was holding her. Law placed her down in front of him, surrounding her with his hands so that she wouldn’t scamper away.
“Run your thumb over her forehead,” Cora suggested. “She likes that.”
Law tried it, smoothing Shio’s short, soft fur. After a few strokes, the kitten closed her eyes and began to purr.
“You’re a natural,” Cora said. At that moment, Onigiri hopped into his lap, and Cora began to scratch his head, too. “Not that I should expect anything less from an experienced pet owner.”
“Hmm. Cats are a little different than dogs.” Law ran his hand down Shio’s back. “But I guess they both enjoy being pet.”
“Yeah! You know, when I woke up with a sore throat this morning, I thought maybe I was turning out to be allergic! Thanks for the tea, by the way, my throat feels a lot better now.”
“Glad to hear it.” Being allergic to cats would have been unfortunate, though Law supposed it wouldn’t have mattered, anyway. Cora-san was still going to have to give Shio up. And soon. “You don’t seem like you’re getting sick…”
“No, actually. I think it’s because I haven’t smoked in three days! I’ve just been so preoccupied taking care of her.”
“That explains the coughing, which would lead to…”
“A sore throat.” Cora nodded. “The moment I realized, I started craving a cigarette!”
“I can’t believe Shio almost got you to quit…” Law was still petting her gently, finding the repetitive motion almost as calming as she seemed to. Her entire body vibrated as she purred, not that it amounted to anything stronger than the way his phone buzzed when it received a call.
Law frowned. “Cora-san?”
“Yeah?” Cora asked.
“When I went to the market earlier…”
🐾
Just as the forecast predicted, the storm had ceased by Sunday afternoon. Law and Cora emerged from their home onto the wet streets, the shorter man holding a small bag of kitten food under one arm, a slightly larger bag of cat litter under the other. The pet carrier—held by the taller man—belonged to their dog, but was currently being borrowed by the tiny kitten they had found three days ago.
Law first spoke to the woman who had put up the lost cat flier over the phone, finding out that she lived just a few houses down from the spot where Cora-san had found Shio. When they arrived at her home, the woman came to the door with a young boy.
Law figured it was this boy who had been holding the kitten in the picture. He was about ten, maybe younger, skinny with black hair and a gentle expression. His eyes had a tired, puffy look to them as if he had spent most of the weekend crying, but shone with alertness as they homed in on the pet carrier.
“Did you find Yuki?” he asked hopefully, once Cora-san and Law had been invited inside.
Cora gazed down at the boy, his mouth slightly open but saying nothing for an almost awkwardly long moment. Law was about to poke him. But then Cora smiled and knelt down, bringing himself closer to the boy’s level.
“Yeah, we did!” he said, placing the pet carrier on the floor and opening the door. “Do you want to get her out of there?”
The boy knelt, too, and reached inside. “Yuki!” he explained as he pulled out the little ball of white fluff. He hugged her close to his face. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“Thank you both so much!” said the woman. “As you can probably tell, Yuki is my son’s first pet. I told him to keep a good eye on her, but I should have been paying more attention, myself…”
“It’s okay,” Law said. After spending a whole weekend not knowing what had become of their kitten, these two had probably learned their lesson. “Oh, yeah, you can have these.” He handed the woman the food and litter.
“Yuki’s a really nice cat,” Cora told the boy. He reached out to give her one last pet on the head. “Take good care of her, okay?”
The boy smiled and nodded. “I will!”
Cora picked up the empty carrier as he stood, waving a final time at the boy’s mother before turning for the door. Law followed him back out to the sidewalk.
As they walked silently toward home, Law worried that Cora was feeling down. He wanted to try to comfort him, though he also feared that anything he said wouldn’t sound very sincere. It was funny, though. After all his complaining, he thought he might end up missing Shio, too.
Cora ended up speaking first. “You know, it was really nice to take care of something for a little while. It was just such a nostalgic feeling that I guess I got kinda swept up in it.”
“Nostalgic?” Law asked. “But you’ve never had a cat before.”
“It actually reminded me of when you were small. It’s been a long time since I got to carry you around and look after you. It’s been a long time since you…needed me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Law glanced away. “If anything, this weekend taught me that I need you more than I realized.”
With his free hand, Cora took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. “Is that so?”
“Yeah.” Law took the carrier so that Cora could use both hands to fumble with his lighter. “I really became dependent since you came back into my life. I felt about as needy as that kitten was.”
As Cora lit his cigarette, Law watched for any spontaneous flames. The cold, misty air seemed to keep them subdued, making Cora much less of a fire hazard than usual. Blowing out the first bout of smoke, he said, “I’ll be sure to give you all the attention you need, then.”
He held out his other hand, and Law took it in his.
“And Onigiri, too,” Law said, feigning generosity as he squeezed Cora’s hand.
“Hey, how about onigiri for dinner tonight?” Cora-san smiled almost sheepishly. “It’s my turn to cook, right?”
“Of course you’d pick something easy.” Law sighed softly but was glad that Cora-san already seemed to be back in good spirits. He leaned against the taller man as they walked, closing his eyes for a moment. “But, yeah,” Law said. “That sounds perfect.”