Chapter Text
The veterinary waiting room is quiet as Ryuusui enters. Aside from the receptionist, there is only one other person – a white hair boy dressed in a yellow duffle coat who has headphones on while reading a pet magazine, likely from the magazine rack nearby. His companion is a fluffy golden retriever wearing a red collar.
'It's big' is Ryuusui’s first impression. It perks up as soon as it spots him, and its tail wags, sweeping the floor as it watches him approach the counter. After being told to wait for a while, he goes to take a seat. The dog stands up when he comes closer, sitting one seat away from its presumably owner, since that is where the dog settles. The owner glances over as it sniffs around Ryuusui, but doesn't react yet.
“Hey there.” Putting the cat carrier on the seat next to him, Ryuusui extends a hand for it to sniff. That is when he realizes that for a golden retriever, its eyes are quite unique – they’re slanted upward.
The golden retriever seems to like his scent, as it lets out a happy bark and, to his surprise, stands up on its hind legs to lunge at him.
“Whoa!”
“Ah! Shinkai, down!” The owner takes his headphones off to pull the dog, whose eyes are level with a sitting Ryuusui’s chin, back.
“I'm sorry, she can be a little excitable at times.” He apologizes hastily while the girl just woofs cheerily from being hugged by her human.
“Haha, no worry!” Ryuusui snaps his fingers. “She’s just a very friendly girl, aren’t you?”
She barks, tongue lolling out.
“She must really like you.” The boy says, one hand idly petting the dog. “She’s well-trained so as not to jump on people suddenly.”
“Haha! Is that so?” Ryuusui reaches out a hand, and when there’s no objection from the boy or the dog, he pets her head. “I’m honored to catch the eyes of such a beautiful woman.”
The boy lets out a laugh of disbelief. Like, what is this strange handsome man talking about? After staying still for a while, the golden retriever starts to get restless and tries to wriggle free.
“Behave, ok?” He whispers, ruffling the thick fur around her neck, before letting her down from the seat. Nose sniffing, she takes a few steps past Ryuusui toward the carrier on his other side.
There is a white cat inside. She huddles to the end of the carrier in the presence of such a big dog. Despite how the dog’s tail wags fervently, she remains quiet with only her mouth open like a wide smile with her big tongue.
Eventually, the cat grows less wary and starts stalking forwards slowly. She sniffs back at the other furry animal. It's not very visible, but she seems to relax. Sensing this, the dog perks up, and, licks a thick stripe across the cat's small face which is near the carrier door.
The cat freezes, as though needing time to process what just happened. Once she does, she sticks a paw out and bats at the other’s nose angrily, only for the dog to bark happily, unbothered.
Watching them together with Ryuusui, the white hair boy giggles.
“Is that your cat? They seem to get along well. Usually cats don't like Shinkai very much.”
“Hmph, she was a stray I fed a few times, now she's mine.”
He smiles. “That's really kind of you. So you're bringing her here for a checkup then? What's her name?”
“Well, I haven't thought of one yet.”
He chuckles again. “That's ok. It'll come to you at some point.”
Ryuusui hums thoughtfully. He reaches out to ruffle Shinkai's head, who is playing with his cat. Her bright red collar has a little name tag, like engraving that same name.
“Shinkai…” that name sounds familiar, “...6500? The research submersible?”
The boy’s eyes regarding him grow wide. “Wow, you know it?”
“Haha, of course! Sailing ships, battleships, steam, cruises, submarines – I desire them all!” His fingers snap loudly, and the boy reels back slightly and blinks his green eyes.
“Oh, wow, so you seem to really like ships…?”
“Like is an understatement!” He ruffles Shinkai's golden fur vigorously, causing her to narrow her eyes in satisfaction. “Why this name, may I ask?”
“Eh, well,” an embarrassed smile on his face, the boy ducks his head in embarrassment and rubs his nape, “I’m like you, I guess. I’m a fan of submarines. I think they’re cool.”
“I see.” Hmmm. Submarine, ship… Ryuusui puts his chin in hand in thought.
“...May…”
“Oh, May for Mayflower? The sailing ship? Hehe, that’s a good name.”
Ryuusui snaps his fingers. “One of my personal favorites!” Now that he has come up with it, it sounds more and more fitting. “Haha! I've decided!” He strokes the top of the carrier. “Your name will be Mayflower from now on! How about it?”
Mayflower meows.
The boy giggles. “She seems to like it.”
Ryuusui puts his hand to the opener for her to sniff. “Seems like it.”
He glances back at the other person.
“What?”
Ryuusui laughs. “Just realized I haven’t even asked your name, when you helped me name this girl.”
“I didn’t really do anything.” He is quick to dismiss. “You came up with it on your own.”
“Only thanks to you!” Ryuusui laughs and turns to face him. “So, could I ask the name of Shinkai’s owner?”
This man is so strange. Thinking this, the boy acquiesces. “Saionji Ukyou.” He bows his head, a smile on his face. “Nice to meet you, Nanami-kun.”
Huh? Does this boy recognize him?
The white hair boy bursts out laughing. “Don't worry, I'm not a stalker or anything.” His green eyes sparkle mischievously. “I just heard you say your name at the reception desk.”
A corner of Ryuusui’s mouth quirks up in confusion. “Excuse me, I was under the impression those are noise cancelling headphones.”
He looks pointedly at the headphones resting around the younger’s neck, who also glances down at them.
“They are.” He confirms, nudging them with his hand. “They just don’t block out everything.”
Ryuusui raises a brow. “That or your ears are too sharp?”
Saionji startles. “You think so?” He smiles, rubbing his nape.
“Haha! Just a hunch! It’s one of the possibilities, no?”
Saionji nods. “Yes, you’re right. I have very sharp ears. If I have to say,” he pets Shinkai’s head, “they’re as sharp as Shinkai’s nose, right?”
She barks, earning a laugh from him. At that moment, a girl with long blond hair comes out, holding the leash of a black shiba inu.
“Why are you so hostile to Chrome, Clover?” She asks the restless canine. “I thought you two finally got along last time?” Obviously, she receives no answer.
“What did he do this time, Ruri?” Ukyou calls out in amusement. At the same time, Shinkai and Clover spot each other and get all excited. They bark, run up to each other, and instantly get into a playfight. The waiting grows even noisier.
“Oh, you know,” the girl smiles weakly, “he bit Chrome’s hand… and shin… again…” Her shoulders slump in defeat, but she quickly shakes her head to dispel the gloominess. “Nevermind that, I didn’t expect to see you here, Ukyou.”
Saionji opens his mouth, only for the receptionist to call him.
“Guess we have the same idea, huh?” He tells her, standing up. “I’ll talk to you later.”
He turns to Ryuusui with a smile. “It was fun talking to you. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“Haha! The pleasure is all mine!”
Saionji laughs and bows his head, before walking over to tug a victorious Shinkai off of Clover by her leash. “Hi there, Clover.” He scratches the shiba's belly, and the dog wags his fluffy curled tail like crazy, barking happily. Laughing, Saionji stands back up, and with a wave, he and the golden retriever make their way into the veterinary.
Watching them leave, eventually the girl, Ruri, turns her attention on Ryuusui. “Did you two just meet?” She ask him as her dog approaches and sniffs his leather shoe.
“Haha! You would be correct!”
She peers at Mayflower in her carrier. “I've never seen you and this kid around, is this your first time here?” At his nod, she smiles and continues. “You made a good choice, they take good care of animals here.”
Moving his foot out of the jaws of the canine, he chuckles. “I know. I know a guy working here.”
“Clover! Bad doggy!” Aghast, Ruri pulls him back by the harness once she notices what he is up to, then hastily bows to Ryuusui. “I'm sorry sir! This kid can be so troublesome sometimes!”
“Haha! It's all good! That's how dogs are, aren't they?”
She chuckles weakly. “He always gets feisty with new people, but he’s a total sweetheart once you get on his good side. With the exception of Chrome, that is.” She mutters the last part defeatedly.
Ruri turns her gaze toward Ryuusui again. As though noticing something, she stares at him curiously. Does she recognize him? The playboy son of the Nanami corporation, his reputation isn't exactly pretty.
“You kind of look like…”
She is cut off by loud chirping. Shortly after, another person comes out with a rather noisy parakeet. And then Ryuusui is called up. Whatever Ruri is about to say is forgotten as they exchange some pleasantries, before he is bringing Mayflower in for a checkup.
“That man back there kinda looks like Shinkai, don't you think, Clover?” Ruri muses once they are outside. Clover walks ahead of her on his happy little feet. “You even tried to bite him like when you first met her!”
“Woof!”
Mayflower is all healthy, and all she needs is some vaccine shots. On their way out, as Ryuusui holds her in one arm and the carrier in the other, his phone rings in his breastpocket. He quickens his steps to put down the carrier in order to free his hand and check the caller. Seeing that it is a subordinate, he puts the cat in her carrier and goes to take the call outside.
It ends up taking way longer than expected. When he goes back inside, he heaves a sigh and puts his phone away. Giving the receptionist a weary grin, he walks over to pick up the carrier. As his fingers close around the handle, the opener slides outward. The carrier feels distinctly— very light.
Ryuusui and the receptionist guy make blank eye contact. The silence seems to stretch on forever.
On the monitor screen, Saionji and his golden retriever, presumably done with their vet visit, came into view a few minutes after Ryuusui exited the building. As Saionji talked to the receptionist, based on the direction he had his head turned, Shinkai wandered over to the carrier on the chair, tail sweeping back and forth. Then Saionji made his leave, tugging Shinkai along with him. And the moment they disappeared from view – that is when Mayflower slithered out of her place and followed them in a fluffy white blur.
“How did you not notice that?!” Senkuu exclaims, gesturing wildly towards the screen.
“I was distracted!” Ginrou, the receptionist, cries. “Look at how fast that cat moved! She was gone in a flash!”
“Even so!” Chrome snatches the mouse and fast forwards the footage. “For the rest of the time until Ryuusui came back, you didn’t even notice she was gone!”
“H–how was I supposed to know!? It’s not my fault!” Ginrou thrusts his finger at Ryuusui. “He’s the one who left the carrier open!”
“Watch your fucking mouth.” Senkuu smacks him in the head. “This guy can sue us into bankruptcy if he wants.”
“H-huh?!?!?!?” Ginrou’s jaw drops to the floor while Senkuu snickers. Is this guy a big shot or something!?!? is what goes through his mind right now. Has he angered someone important?! With no dignity, he jumps into a dogeza at Ryuusui’s feet and bawls.
“I’m so sorry, sir! Please forgive me!!! Please don’t make us go bankrupt I have a family to feed!!!”
Ryuusui’s temples throb. “Stop that.” He says flatly, cutting off the wailing. “How about we try to think of how to find my cat and I’ll consider not suing.” Because not keeping an eye on the animals at a veterinary is certainly poor service.
“Well,” Chrome chimes in, “it looks like she followed Ukyou out. If that’s the case, he’d notice her sooner or later.”
“Can you contact him?” Ryuusui questions, and Senkuu replies.
“Yeah, of course.”
…
“That’s your job.” He kicks Ginrou’s butt. “Go call Ukyou!”
“Owie! I’ll go, I’ll go!”
Ring, ring…
“Uh, hello, Ukyou? You’ve been waiting for us to call?? She’s with you??? Thank you thank you I’m saved!!!”
How can a man be so pathetic… Ryuusui leans over. “Is he always like this?”
“Pretty much.” Chrome nods, while Senkuu boredly picks his ear.
“Nanami-kun! Over here!”
Ryuusui quickly spots the yellow coat in the park and jogs over. Before he could reach Saionji, Shinkai runs up to meet him halfway. As lovely as she is, his mind is a little preoccupied right now.
“Mayflower,” he breathes out, eyes darting around, “is she with you?”
Saionji chuckles. “Don't worry. Look,” he points upwards at the tree they are standing next to, “there she is.”
Ryuusui tilts his head up. Just as the other says, perched inconspicuously in one of the highest branches, surrounded by the thick canopy, is his beloved white cat. A heavy sigh of relief escapes him.
His mouth curves up tiredly. “You sure gave me quite a scare!” He calls out to Mayflower, who keeps staring at him, unbothered.
“I saw you talking on the phone when I left.” Saionji says. “I only noticed her after we were a few blocks away, otherwise I would have brought her back.”
“Hmph, yes, thank you for looking after her. If you’d like, I’ll gladly compensate you.”
Saionji’s eyes widen at that statement. “Compensate? What? There’s no need for that.” He laughs awkwardly, waving it off. “I didn’t really do anything. Mayflower is very well-behaved. She just stuck to Shinkai and didn’t cause any trouble.”
“No need to be humble. It’s nothing, I insist!”
Saionji struggles to stave off this strange man. In an attempt to divert attention, he points up at the tree. “Ah! Shouldn’t you bring her home? If you need, I could climb up there to get her for you.”
“Hmmm.” Ryuusui peers up at the canopy. Mayflower yawns and licks her paw. “It’s fine, I don’t have anything urgent to attend to.” A break after rushing from the vet clinic over here would be nice.
Something bumps into his legs. As if she could understand his words, Shinkai looks up at him expectantly.
“Well then, would you like to play with this girl? She seems to have taken a liking to you.” With a flowery smile, Saionji holds up a well-worn tennis ball. “This is her favorite ball.”
Ryuusui considers it for a few seconds. And then, smiling, he takes the ball.
“School teacher?” He repeats, his eyebrows raised.
“Yes? Is there something wrong with it?” Saionji replies while petting Mayflower. After slowly approaching and sniffing him, the cat crawls into his lap like it's her cat bed. Impressive, it takes Ryuusui a few feedings to be allowed to touch her.
“Well, I was under the impression you are at the age of a school student. Are you actually an adult?”
Saionji laughs helplessly. “Yes. I get that a lot. Sometimes parents or other teachers ask me which grade I am in… even though we're at an elementary school.” He hangs his head dejectedly.
“Haha! That just goes to show how youthful you look! Apologies for my mistake!”
No wonder he appears to carry himself more mature than his age, or more accurately, as mature as he should be. Finding out they are in the same age range, it feels like an unnamed barrier has dropped between them, and it makes the conversation flow even smoother. They end up having a lot to talk about on ships alone, that the sky has shifted to a warmer tone before Ryuusui knows it. Taking a look at his wristwatch, Ryuusui decides it is time to head back and says as such to the other.
“Mh, I should go too.” Saionji stands up with Mayflower in his arms. “Shinkai is probably hungry now, aren't you?”
“Woof!”
Ryuusui takes back his cat, and Saionji goes to attach the leash to the golden retriever's collar. However, when Ryuusui starts walking away, Mayflower starts squirming. She scratches his nice blazer and puts her front paws on his shoulder to look over it.
“Ah, come on, Shinkai, it's time to go home.”
Somehow, in the span of one afternoon, a cat and a dog have managed to become inseparable friends. Ryuusui wouldn't mind letting them meet again, and not to mention, Saionji is a great conversation partner. Just as he makes the decision to turn around and asks for the other man's number, Mayflower slips out of his hold and jumps off, her tail slapping his face as she does so.
“Gah!”
“Wah!”
She lands on Saionji’s face then jumps off again. Shinkai barks and chases after her, dragging along Saionji, who struggles to keep up. The golden retriever charges at Ryuusui with all the might of her big body. Saionji trips on his feet. Shinkai twists around Ryuusui’s long legs, but her owner isn’t as lucky. It looks like an accident unfolding right before his eyes. Ryuusui instinctively raises his arms in hope of lessening the impact.
They crash into each other with a dull thud. Meanwhile, their pets keep chasing each other in circles around them. As a result, Shinkai’s leash winds around their legs over and over until it can’t anymore and tightens, tying them together.
“Urghhh…”
Saionji makes a face as he tries to regain his bearings. His lashes flutter blearily, and when he opens his eyes—
Time seems to slow down.
What the— Ryuusui knows that Saionji has green eyes, but this… They’re large, round, and sparkling like gemstones. No wonder people mistake his age. The soft face and the lustrous shine of his eyes stir up the depth of Ryuusui’s greed.
“You have big eyes.” He says, cutting through the silence.
“Huh?” The big eyes grow even bigger. Saionji’s expression wilts. “I'm sorry…” because my dog put us in this mess.
Ryuusui raises his brows in genuine confusion. “Why are you apologizing? They’re beautiful.”
In an instant, Saionji’s face flushes red, all the way to the tips of his ears. Amazing!
The leash around them loosens. Still, Ryuusui keeps his arms around the other.
“Are you single?” He asks. “I'd like to go out with you.”
At that moment, Ukyou is in complete shock. Today has been a very strange day for him. This tall, broad man with shiny golden hair and the face of a superstar appears out of nowhere, who is so good-looking and charismatic there is no way Ukyou has any chance with him. And yet.
He is asking Ukyou out??? This has to be a one in a million chance. Maybe he should buy a lottery ticket later.
The distinct anchor shaped eyebrows of the other man knit together. “Hey, are you listening to me?”
He startles. “Huh? Ah, uh… you said… going out? Like—”
“Dating, yes.”
Woah, is this really real??? As the leash drops to the ground, Nanami straightens up and helps him do the same.
“...Are you sure?”
Nanami shows a charming smile. “Yes.”
Ukyou blushes even redder. Wide-eyed, he nods.