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People may consider him a noisy little brat.
Matt prefers consider himself a life saver. He doesn’t want to annoy Shiro, he’s just worried about his well-being.
Matt has been there at the time of Shiro’s accident – damn, Shiro saved his life at the cost of his own right arm – so he knows how hard was for Shiro to collect back his life.
And he has been there at the time of Shiro’s break up with Adam, almost a year ago. Not harsh as the accident, but still something that left Shiro a little bit shaken. Without a person to share his life with, all Shiro has left is the work, which isn’t as much as exciting as before now that Shiro has been benched after the accident.
It doesn’t prevent Shiro to stay late at work every day, at the point Boss Iverson has to put a limit at the overtime hours.
So, Matt has a conviction: the man really, really needs to get laid.
It shouldn’t have been hard for someone like Shiro. The man is a Greek god sculpted directly from Michelangelo’s own hands. Tall, broad, grey eyes and perfect jaws, the scar on his nose that gives him some bad boys vibes without erasing the angelic aura Shiro has when he smiled. It’s impossible at first noticed the prosthetic arm when Shiro’s tits are so big that not even the old suit he wears can hide them.
Yet, Shiro is still, painful single.
Matt decides he has to intervene before it’s too late. His plan involves Curtis, their new addiction to Shiro’s team. Veronica is sure Curtis isn’t indifferent to Shiro’s charm, but after his employment they got swept away by a very important project so he hasn’t had a chance yet to ask Shiro out.
Matt is about to give him one.
Curtis is at Shiro’s desk, checking the last corrections of the presentation they have at the end of the week. The project is almost done, Matt knows that much, and the other colleagues already left the office. So he enters in the office without knocking, places a hand on Shiro’s desk and leans in his personal space.
“How’s doing, boys?”
Shiro doesn’t look at him. “We’re done. It’s the last power point slide, then we can dedicate the rest of the time before the presentation to calm ourselves and do the last check just to be sure.”
“Great!” Matt exclaims, a little too enthusiastic. “What about a drink to celebrate the ending of this hell of a project? I have a date with N-7 at the new pub, you know, the jazz one at the end of the street? You should join us.”
“Oh, that would be nice,” Curtis says with a small smile, his eyes shift on Shiro.
“I can’t.” Shiro doesn’t move his gaze from the screen.
“Why not? You just said the project is done!” Matt protests.
“Because…” Shiro takes a long breath. “I have to return home.” He turns to Matt. “I adopted a cat and I can’t let him alone.”
Matt blinks. “You adopted a cat,” he repeats, his brain shutting down.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Curtis comments. “I’m more a dog lover, but cats are nice too.” It’s clear the poor guy is trying his best to remain in Shiro’s attention.
“When did you adopted it?” Matt inquires. “You never talked about it.”
“It happened by mistake, I didn’t foresee it,” Shiro explains. “A week ago, the day it was heavy raining, do you remember? Well, I was returning home and I took the shortcut, the one in the small path with the trash cans…”
“I know that street,” Matt deadpans. “You always take that shortcut because at the end of it there’s your favorite fast food. How you can eat that every night and be… like this.”
“I do a lot of gym,” Shiro replies, with a small smile that remember Matt he forgot to pay for his monthly subscription.
He ignores it. “You were talking about a cat.”
“Kitten,” Shiro corrects him gently. “Well, I was walking, with my umbrella, when I heard a small sound, like a whine of a child. It was a meows, of course, but I didn’t know yet. Well, short story, I found this cute kitten behind some cardboard next to the trashcan.” His smile softens and he his eyes focus on his memory. “He was wet, and scared, and cute, and so little… I had no choice but to bring him home with me.”
“That was very nice of you, Shiro,” Curtis says.
“I really can’t resist him, you know?” Shiro adds. “It’s still so little, he needs me to feed him. So, sorry guys, next time.” Shiro hasn’t have that happy expression in a long time.
Matt’s brain is still shut down. “You had a cat.”
It’s already too late.
The news about Shiro’s cat spreads around the office, as Shiro should have suspected. He’s a rather harmless rumor, better than reality, but it’s still a little be unnerving hearing people bringing it up as an argument of conversation even when he isn’t present.
Like when he passes on the hallway and eardrops the MFE team talking about it.
“Shirogane is handsome, a good man, and he also like cat,” Nadia says. “The ideal man.”
“It’s gay, Nadia,” James remembers her.
“I knooow.”
“It’s not so surprising Shirogane likes cats,” Ina comments. “Cats are known for being independent and strong willed, two qualities Shirogane has.”
“Agree,” Ryan adds. “It’s more surprising Shirogane isn’t around showing his new kitten to everyone. At least, that’s what I would do if I have one.”
“Oh, yes!” Nadia exclaims. “We should ask him to show us some pictures of the kitten!”
Shiro swears inside and hurries to reach his cellphone.
Google search: black kitten.
And then he opens Photoshop.
That master in Design really comes at handy.
To be fair, Curtis realizes his behavior isn’t entirely regular. For someone, it could be considered straightforward stalking. But he really likes Shiro, his gentleness, his funny humor, his strength. And Veronica told him Shiro is a disaster at relationship and he doesn’t realize people are pursuing him until people tell him in his face.
So, Curtis rings at the door of his apartment.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Curtis. Sorry for the late hours, but I just realize you forgot your laptop in the conference room and I thought you may need it this weekend…”
“A second.”
From outside, Curtis hears some clattering around and guesses Shiro is fixing his apartment before letting him in. He hears also some soft murmurs, as Shiro is talking to himself. Curtis feels a little guilty of his trick, but he’s rewarded by Shiro’s smile when he opens the door.
“Hey, sorry,” he says. “Thank you for the laptop.” And he leans his hand to grab it.
“Oh, it’s not big deal I was around.” He gives Shiro the laptop, then hesitates. “Everything good? Did you have dinner already?”
“Yes, I had,” Shiro answers, a little bit too fast. Then he smiles apologetic. “But can I offer you something, since you come all this way? Coffee, a bear?”
“Coffee would be nice,” Curtis says. “I did eat a sandwich back here and I need to calm down my stomach.”
It’s a blatant lie, but he gives him access to Shiro’s apartment. He follows Shiro in the kitchen and sits down on one of the chair while Shiro takes his boiler to make coffee. Curtis notices the pile of dishes on the sink, too many for only one dinner. Apparently even Takashi Shirogane has flaws.
“How much sugar?” Shiro asks.
“Oh, no sugar,” Curtis answers.
Shiro places the small cup in front of him and then, with a smart smile, he put three spoons on his own coffee.
“It can still be considered coffee after that?” Curtis laughs.
“I don’t know, but I don’t really care.” He drinks it in only one sip. “Even my ex always complains about my sugar tooth.”
Curtis coughs in his coffee and changes argument. “So, it’s the kitten around?”
“He’s in his dog’s basket, in my room,” Shiro says immediately. “It’s very little, and scared, I don’t really know how he may react to strangers, so I prefer to avoid contact for now,” he explains. “It was hard for me to grab him from that street, you know.”
“I’m surprised you managed in the first place,” Curtis says. “Usually cats run away when they are approached by strangers.”
“Yeah, well, he’s really fierce, a little spitfire.” Shiro smiles soft. “But he’s small, the vest says he’s maximums two weeks hold, so he couldn’t really run…”
“Oh, poor thing. Do you think something happen to his mother?”
“Yeah, probably. Or maybe he was abandoned by the owner, I’ve heard it happened a lot… Some people are bad like that.”
“He was lucky he met you.”
Shiro’s expression is sweet. “I hope so.”
“Well, I’m lucky at having you as team leader…” Curtis’ about to put his hand on Shiro’s, when a sudden yelps startle both of them. Curtis realizes it’s a meows, high-pitcher and very similar to a baby’s weep, but still a meow. It’s insistent, continued, like a cry.
Shiro moves a little uncomfortable in his chair. “I think he’s hungry. I should…”
“Of course.” Curtis has no intention to push more. He stands up. “You’re a dad now.”
Shiro’s eyes widen. “A daddy?”
“For the kitten. Aren’t you feeding him instead of his mother?”
“Oh, sure. Of course.” Still, his ears are a little red. Shiro’s really cute, taking care of a kitten like that. “Thank you again for the laptop.”
“No problem. Thanks for the coffee. I hope to get the chance to offer you something in a quieter time.”
“Uh, sure.”
Yet, when Curtis leaves the apartment, he feels Shiro was only being kind.
Shiro closes the door of his house with a long, relieved sigh. That was close.
Keith emerges from the guest room, a frown on his face. “Was what that?”
“Just a colleague: I forgot my laptop today.”
“I heard that,” Keith replies. “I was talking about the kitten things.”
“Oh. That. How did you manage to replicate a kitten’s meow so good?”
“I searched on YouTube videos about kittens,” Keith confesses. “You will be surprised to know how many videos named ‘small cats crying’ are there.”
“No, I’m really not.” Shiro laughs. “I’ve seen a large amount of them in the past.”
Instead of mocking him, Keith smiles. “It sounds like you.” Then, he returns serious, “did you tell your colleagues you adopt a cat?”
“Yes,” Shiro nods. “Matt wanted to trick me into one of his drunk night and I really didn’t want that. And we’re supposed to have dinner together so I… kinda panicked? Sorry about it.”
“It’s okay,” Keith shrugs. “I understand.”
“You do?”
“Shiro,” Keith says, with a half amused half annoyed tone. “I understand I’m not easy to explain to your colleagues. How do you tell around you find a person sleeping inside card box in the middle of a dirty street with only a bag of his possession, and you just decided to… adopt him?”
“God, Matt wouldn’t have ever let me live with it.”
“I don’t know Matt, but it’s probable. My friend is giving me grief enough about you being my sugar daddy.”
Shiro emits a strangled sound from his throat. It’s true he loves sugar, it’s true he has enough money to take care of all Keith’s needs, and he’s true he can image… no he doesn’t want to imagine it.
“Relax, Shiro, I know you don’t want sex from me,” Keith smiles, patting his arm. “Sure, I didn’t believe you at first, but you’re just this nice.”
“I just wanted to help you,” Shiro agrees, breathing again. “And you’re not taking advantages from me. On the contrary, I should be the one thanking you since my diet improved since you start cooking for me.” He laughs. “But I don’t want the others judging my decision.
“I will manage to pay you the rent once they paid me,” Keith still affirms, even if Shiro assured him on different occasion that it’s fine, he doesn’t mind sharing his too-big-for-only-one-person apartment and that he enjoys Keith’s company for real.
“So it’s okay for me to be your kitten for a while,” he finishes.
Shiro’s brain forms an image of Keith with cat ears that definitely is VM18 and coughs again.
In his life, there are few people Keith can call friend, and Lotor is one of them. That’s the reason why he revealed him the fact he now lives for free at Shiro’s apartment, after Shiro bought him a hamburger after he’d discovered Keith sleeping on the street.
A decision Keith now regrets greatly, because Lotor doesn’t lose an occasion to playfully mock him for it.
“So, how are things with your sugar daddy?” Lotor sits down next to him in the conference room and smirks.
In his defense, Lotor is happy Keith isn’t living anymore on the street, and offers to meet Shiro to assure him Keith is actually a good person. And to assure himself Shiro isn’t actually pursuing Keith’s virginity.
Which is Keith’s suspicious at first, because no one is kind enough to take a clochard from the street and give him a room and free food for nothing. And Shiro is single and rich enough to pay for having sex, so yeah, he’s the living definition of a possible sugar daddy.
But apparently Shiro is so kind, and to be fair Keith wouldn’t have no problem in having sex with him, but of course he can’t tell Shiro that.
“Fine,” Keith answers to Lotor, trying to not paying too much attention to Lotor in order to calm down his interest. “Apparently he told his colleagues I’m his kitty.”
Lotor doesn’t expect that and coughs in the water-bottle he’s drinking for. “What?”
“Well, it isn’t so far-fetched, right?” Keith continues. “I live in his room, eat his food, sleep in his bed…”
“You what?” Lotor repeats.
“His bed in his guest room,” Keith clarifies, with a hint in his eyes that show he was going for that misunderstanding.
“Aha ah funny,” Lotor comments, with a little wiggle of his eyebrows. “But something tells me you won’t mind to sleep in the man’s back. Or maybe not sleeping in the man’s back.”
“No comment,” Keith answers.
“I didn’t place you as a kinky one,” Lotor continues. “But you kinda looks like a kitten.”
“Please kill me,” Keith exhaled.
He’s saved by Kolivan’s arrival, and the all room fells into silence as they wait for his announcement.
“The company has decided which musical will be stage this autumn,” Kolivan says. “I’ve prepared papers with the roles of everyone, and the scripts for the ones of you that has a speaking or a singer role. I’ve also already schedule the training time for each one of you.”
People pile around Kolivan to take their copy of the papers. Lotor manages to grab his own before Keith and then he looks at him with a smirk.
Worried, Keith takes his script and read the title of the musical.
“Oh, fuck my life.”
In the course of the years, Shiro has regretted many times having given his address to Matt and Pidge. Even worse, he regrets to have given them a reserve key to give water to his plant in the rarely occasion he’s out of time.
But now, now it’s a disaster.
His only saving grace is that Keith wasn’t at home when the evil siblings decided to make a surprise and got in Shiro’s apartment without his knowledge. And Shiro finds them there, sitting down on his sofa, playing at his videogames.
“To my defense,” Matt comments, “we weren’t there for our own amusement.”
“Sure,” Shiro says sarcastic. He ignores them and reaches the kitchen. With his back at them, he takes off his phone: Shiro warned Keith about not returning home until he said him so because his colleagues are assholes and, funny enough, Keith answered with a thumbs up. Shiro guesses he means to approve both of his statement, especially the one about his colleagues being jerks.
“For real, man. The idea was to organize you a surprise party, you know, to celebrate the incredible success of your last project.”
“You could have organized it at work.”
“And when? You’re always there! It’s Saturday, and you were at work, that’s why we were able to enter here by ourselves,” Matt complains. “Can you honestly affirm you wouldn’t be still there if we haven’t called you informing you we’re here? Come on, I dare you.”
Shiro ignores him. To be honest, he did plan to stay in the office until late today, but only because Keith wasn’t supposed to be at home that day because busy with something with a friend of his. And Shiro realized he doesn’t want to stay home alone.
This isn’t something he can tell Matt, though.
“Guys, you’re missing the point,” Pidge intervenes. “We can apologize about our violation of privacy later. But we have a more important thing to discuss first.”
“Right!” Matt explains, pointing an accusatory finger at Shiro. “You lied to us. Or you are having hallucinations, and I’m not sure which one is better.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The kittens, Shiro. Where he is?”
Oh. The kitten. Shiro was so worried at the possibility of them finding about Keith that he almost forgot about the all tale about his adopted cat.
Shiro wonders if telling them that his kitten is around with some friends is a valid answer.
“Where is your kitten, Shiro?” Matt inquires.
“It’s at the vets for a check ups,” Shiro answers. “That’s why I was at work, he doesn’t need me at home for once.”
“Shiro, we’ve checked. There is no trace of a kitten inside your apartment.”
“The cleaner day was this morning, so of course there’s fur around.”
“And the cat’s food? The litter?”
“He’s a kitten, he still can’t use a litter. And he drinks only milk for now.”
Matt seems a little dumbstruck by Shiro’s witty answers. He looks at his sister for assistance.
“There isn’t any milk in your fridge,” she says.
“Then I finished it, probably. Thank you for remembering me.”
But there just as much coincidences possible for them to believe, Shiro knows and he’s ready to accept defeated.
“I can’t believe you lied about having a kitten just to avoid going out with us.”
“Not cool, Shiro,” Pidge adds, with a judgmental look. “I can understand avoiding Matt, but me? Lance? Hunk? We missed you.”
Her tone is sincere, and Shiro feels a little bad for them. Does he turn in that kind of bad person that stop hanging out with friends once he found a boyfriend? Minus the boyfriend things because he and Keith aren’t together. Yet. Not yet, maybe never.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t realize I ignored you so much. I didn’t intend to.”
“Shiro.” Pidge smiles. “We’re your friend, you know this? We’re here for you.”
“I’m relieved honestly.” Matt puts his arm around his shoulder. “I fear it was too late and you’re turning into a crazy cat lady, well, lord.”
“About this…”
Shiro doesn’t get to finish his sentence because the bell rings. He frowns, looking at the others. “You called for the others?”
They shake their head. “We haven’t called anyone yet.”
“Who is it?” Shiro asks.
“It’s Keith,” and Shiro has a small heart attack. “I have your cat.”
Now Shiro has a big heart attack. He pushes back the scream in his throat and unwilling he opens the door, because any other course of action would have been suspicious, fearing Keith will be there on the door wearing nothing but a pair of cat ears.
Keith is actually there, but of course he isn’t naked. And he doesn’t have cat ears. But in his face there is a small, soft smile, and in his hand a small ball of black fur.
It was a kitten, Shiro realizes after recovering from his shock. It’s all black, small as Keith’s palm, with his eyes still half closed. Everything in that kitten is small.
“Easy, buddy, you’re home.” Keith brushes a little the kitten’s head, then moves him on Shiro’s chest. “Here, go to your dad.”
“Oh…” The kitten hangs up with his little paws at Shiro’s shirt and immediately Shiro puts both hands around that little body, scared it could fall on the ground. It’s so little, so cute. It purrs and meows and Shiro’s heart melts.
“I didn’t know you have guests,” Keith comments, turning his head at Pidge and Matt and making a waving gesture with his hand. “I take my leave now. See you.”
“Oh. Sure. Thank you for… Black.”
“No problem. See you, little guy.” With a last brush with the point of his finger on the kitten’s head, Keith leaves.
“What was that?” Matt explodes immediately after Keith’s departure, in the same moment the Pidge exclaims, “it is so cute!”
Shiro sits down on the sofa and places the kitten on his lap. The kitten moves around carefully, meowing and sniffing. Pidge sits down next to him and brushes the kitten back, giggling.
“Who was that guy?” Matt asks.
“Oh, it’s… my new neighbors. I asked him to pick up Red for me, since he was supposed to bring his dog to the vets too.”
“You have a hot neighbors and didn’t tell me?” Matt whines.
Shiro frowns. “You have a girlfriend.”
“I’m talking about you. If I would have known, I would try to set up with him.”
“Please don’t,” Shiro deadpans.
“It’s incredible,” Pidge murmurs: the kitten places a pawn on her hand and she giggles. “Cuuute.”
“Guys,” Shiro says. “Thank you for the thought about the surprise party, but with Red inside… Can we organize it to a pub? I’m coming.”
“For real?” Pidge says.
“I promise,” Shiro assures her.
He doesn’t want to lose his friend over a kitten. Not even over a kitten as hot as Keith.
Keith waits for Shiro to confirm he can return home safe. He didn’t ask Shiro permission before bringing the kitten home so he hoped Shiro was okay with it. He has his answer when he enters in the room and finds Shiro on the floor, brushing the kitten’s back with a soft gaze and a sweet smile.
“That was a nice saving,” Shiro says, lifting his head when he hears Keith arriving.
“Just got lucky,” Keith answers, swelling up in Shiro’s sweetness and envying the kitten as he gets all Shiro’s caresses. “I was with my friend and her cat just had babies so she lent one to me. By the way, we need to bring him back as soon as possible. He still needs his mom.”
“Oh. Sure.” There is disappointment in Shiro’s voice, and Keith wonders if he regretted not having adopt a real cat instead of hosting a freeload like Keith. Shiro sweeps the kitten in his big hand and passes it to Keith.
“So... here he is.”
“Do you want to come with me?” Keith proposes.
“Can I?”
“We’ll be faster if we go with your car, and you can see the other kittens. I’m pretty sure Allura won’t mind. Just let me text her so she’ll know we’re going.”
“Oh, well. That would be nice.” Then he turns his head a little. “Does she know why you need the kitten?”
“Yes. But don’t worry, she doesn’t judge.”
“Reassuring.”
But apparently the idea of meeting more kittens is stronger than Shiro’s second hand embarrassment, because he takes the key of his car.
As he drives, Shiro keeps throwing looks to the kitten, who’s in Keith’s lap, and blushes a little. His attention switches focus once they reach
“That’s your friend’s house?” he asks, nodding at the big mansion at the end of hills.
“She’s more the girlfriend of a friend, and the lender of my boss, but yes,” Keith answers. “Have you ever heard of Altea?”
“The clothes designers?”
“Yep. She’s the daughter. She works mostly in scene customs though.”
“I see,” Shiro coughs a little.
Allura is waiting for them at the entrance of the parking, and, Keith notices, she wears one of his casual clothes. She doesn’t do it with strangers, and that means she isn’t going to let Shiro go. Not a good sign.
“A pleasure to finally meet you,” she says, introducing herself to Shiro.
“Likewise,” Shiro replies, with his usual charm. “Thank you for your kitten, he was a lifesaver.”
“You’re welcome.” She chuckles. “And to be fair, I’m the one that should thank you. If it weren’t for you, I suppose Keith would still be sleeping on the street.”
“It’s nothing,” Shiro says. “There is a reason why you didn’t host him?”
“Yes.” Allura throws Keith a look. “His stubbornness. He didn’t accept the help of any of us because, and I quote, I don’t want to take advantage of my friend.” Her attention turns on Shiro. “I guess you have great persuasion methods.”
There is a smart smirk on Allura’s face, and the implication of her sentence are clear. Shiro’s ears turn red and he unbuttons the first bottom of his shirt.
“Allura, please,” Keith admonishes her.
“You have to admit, Keith, none of us has ever be able to convince you like Shiro.”
“Because, unlike you all, he’s not an ass,” Keith snaps. “Now, would you like take your kitten back.”
She scoffs. “You’re not fun.” She grabs the kitten in her arms and nods at them to follow her.
The mom is a white cat with long fur, and she has five baby in total, all white except for the one that has been lent to Shiro. As soon as Allura put the kitten back, the cat mom starts licking him while the kitten submerges his little head in her fur and sucks milk. The others already eat so they’re not hanging around and meowing softly.
“You can rub them if you’d like,” Allura says at Shiro’s melted expression, and he lets the cat mom sniffing him before rubbing the black kitten’s back.
“Do you want to adopt one, Shiro?” she asks, with a little smile. “They’re too little to be adopted now, so I haven’t searched a family for them yet, but if you want him, he’s all yours.”
“I thought you sell them, since they have a pedigree, or so Keith said to me,” Shiro murmurs, and he almost bites his tongue because he wanted to answer yes immediately.
“That’s true, but I can afford gifted my friend.” She looks behind them, to Keith who sits next to the window, pretending to not paying attention to them. “Jokes aside, I was telling the truth. We all were worried about Keith. We understand his desire to be independent, but he shouldn’t pretend so much from himself.”
“I haven’t done nothing but offer him a place to stay,” Shiro responds. “And Keith’s presence is helping me as well. I just don’t understand why he accepted my help but not yours.”
“Keith is scared of abandonment,” Allura whispers. “Probably he thought that we should start to consider him a burden if we gave him help.”
“But I’m not his friend,” Shiro concludes.
“You weren’t,” she clarifies. “But you are now. I think you are one of the main reason Keith is working so hard recently. So he can have enough money to pay a rent to you. Our next show will start next month, so....”
Shiro snaps out his dark thought about Keith living with him only because he doesn’t care about him. “Show?”
“Our ballet company will stage Cats, I’ll make the costumes.”
“Keith dances?” The question comes out high-pitched from Shiro’s throat.
Allura blinks. “Yes. Well, dance and sing, since it’s a musical for this time…”
“Keith sings?” Shiro shouts again.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell him,” Allura scoffs in Keith’s direction, who has gotten near, worried about Shiro’s inhuman reactions.
“It doesn’t seem so important,” Keith shrugs. “And I don’t even know if I would have been chosen for the musical…”
“Sorry, I was just surprised… Positive surprised,” Shiro clarify, with a soft smile. “Please sing something for me.”
Keith reddens “No.”
“Come on, Keith, be gentle to your host,” Allura pushes him, with a saccharine tone. “You owe him.”
“Fine,” Keith accepts with roll of his eyes. He takes a deep breath and then starts singing “The Rum Tum Tugger”. His voice is low but steady, and it fills the room and Shiro’s ears.
He doesn’t even notice Allura leaves the room, too focus on Keith’s figure, the way his mouth moves when he sings.
Then, he comments, “so… you’re going to be a cat.”
Keith shakes his head. “Please, not you too.”
Shiro chuckles. “You’re wonderful,” he adds, with a soft smile.
“It’s nothing.” Keith shrugs. He doesn’t look at him. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No. Why?”
“Well, you’re probably thinking I’m taking advantages of you since I have friends like Allura-”
“I don’t,” Shiro interrupts him. “But I’m afraid you don’t consider me your friend.”
Keith looks at him with wide eyes. “Shiro. No! You… my life would have been entirely different without you.”
It’s maybe an exaggerate statement, but he makes Shiro smiles. “I’m relieved.”
“You’re my friend, Shiro. I’ll do everything for you.”
“Like bringing a kitten that’s not me to cover me with my friends?”
Keith tries to hide a laugh, and fails. “Even being your kitten,” he answers, and the realizes the implication of it.
They both reddens. Then, Shiro takes a deep breath and gains all his courage. “I’d like to… but then you’ll have to cover me even more with my colleagues about my strange kinks I don’t even know I have.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Keith answers, voice a little broken, as he places his hand on Shiro’s arm, and they look at each other with soft gaze.
“Damn, I promise Pidge I’ll go celebrate with them tonight,” Shiro curses. “I can’t disappoint them again.”
Keith laughs. He places his head on Shiro’s forearm. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Not even when you can pay a rent?”
“Not even then.”
“I was fooled,” Pidge comments in front of the coffee machine of their office.
“What do you mean?” Hunk asks at her sudden outburst.
“Shiro. And his cat.”
“Don’t you say his neighbors bring it home so it exists?”
“Yes.” Pidge sighs. “But then I realize something… I was so focused on looking at some traces of the kitten that I didn’t think about it… There are two toothbrushes, as well as two towels, in the bathroom. And two cups on the sink, and the bed of the guest room is ready. Shiro is guesting someone at his house and didn’t tell us. That’s is secret, not the kitten.”
“Maybe Shiro just keep those things for emergency guest,” Hunk guesses. “Shiro is gentle enough to do so.”
“He may be, but… there’s the problem with the kitten too,” Pidge says. “There is a kitten, true, and it arrives in a very convenient way… and it’s too young. I checked: considering how much time passed since Shiro adopted him, its eyes should be already open entirely.”
“Okay.” Lance takes a breath. “Are you telling me that Shiro is living together with a probably mysterious man and pretends to have a cat so we don’t ask about it. Then he has someone bring him a kitten taking somewhere to fool you.” He hums. “Complicated, but possible.”
“Maybe the mysterious man is the neighbors. After all, he’s the one that brought the kitten,” Pidge adds.
“That’s straight a conspiracy theory,” Hunk comments.
“Do you think it’s be exaggerating if I hack the system to search for Shiro’s neighbors?”
“Yes. And illegal,” Hunk says.
“let’s do it anyway,” Lance says.
“I need a second opinion,” Pidge decides, and goes to his brother to explain her hypothesis.
“So Shiro’s fucking with his hot neighbors?” Matt comments. “Good for him.”
“Weren’t you try to set Shiro up with Curtis?” she frowns.
“I just want him to get laid. If he did by himself with Keith-ty, good for him.”
“You’re not angry about the all kitten lies?”
“If it’s for hiding a man, no. And to be honest, it’s better in this way. Can you imagine how horrible it’ll be if Shiro turns into a fully cat’s lady?”
Pidge doesn’t want to imagine it.
She doesn’t have to, since it become a reality.
After two months and a new cellphone and Shiro won’t shut up about his kitten. He has an endless collection of photos and every day he goes around showing around the new addiction to it, despite being usually the same three moment of Black’s life: him eating, him sleeping, him playing.
He also opens an Instagram page about him.
They reach at the point that they start to wish they were right into their conspiracy theory and Shiro has a secret story with his hot neighbors and the all kitten thing was just a cover.
They reach the point they’re so feed up they’re almost scared every time Shiro approach them, and they can’t escape because he’s their boss.
“Hey, guys!”
“Oh, no,” Hunk whispers. “What else does he want? He already pestered me about Black sleeping on the top of the fridge today.”
“Quick, someone fake a sudden heart attack!” Lance proposes, but no one has the courage when Shiro wears that sweet smile.
“Are you free this Saturday?”
“Why?” Pidge answers, suspicious.
“I have free ticket from my boyfriend’s musical, so if you’d like to come…”
They all looks at him with wide eyes. Weeks of bear his cat dad attitude and how the hell the most important information about Shiro’s private life hasn’t come out? Lance opens and closes his mouth, trying to process all the question he has in his mind.
“That’s nice,” Hunk says instead, trying to not being too curious. “Which musical is it.”
And Shiro smirks. “Cats. My boyfriend is one of the kittens.”
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