A Christmas Tail
Dec. 24th, 2019 07:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiPairing: Arashi general friendship, Sakumoto
Rating: PG
Genre: fluff, friendship, pet Arashi
Summary: Sho stood back to admire his handiwork with a satisfied smile. The tree was not the straightest, or the most beautiful, and it was definitely too tall for the room, but it was the first live tree he’d ever had at Christmas. The needles gave off a soft scent when touched, warming Sho’s heart.
Note: This short Christmas story contains mild flirting, cute pets and mildly snarky Nino. To me no festive season is complete without at least a few of these things. Merry Christmas everyone!
Sho stood back to admire his handiwork with a satisfied smile. The tree was not the straightest, or the most beautiful, and it was definitely too tall for the room, but it was the first live tree he’d ever had at Christmas. The needles gave off a soft scent when touched, warming Sho’s heart.
After looking through reams of catalogues and brochures, Sho had decided to decorate according to a simple monochromatic theme. The plan was to purchase some silver stars and strands of silver tinsel. However when Sho stood in the aisle filled with an overwhelming array of decorations all of his plans flew out of his head. The tree was now smothered in red tinsel, green icicles, blue baubles, purple stars and golden bells which jingled when shaken. All that was left to do was to switch on the lights. Sho had wrapped them around the trunk and branches of the tree before adding the decorations.
Sho turned to the sofa where a small grey kitten was curled up sleeping soundly. One paw was draped over his eyes and his tail twitched as he dreamed. “Jun-chan,” Sho cooed softly. “You don’t want to miss the big moment.” He picked up the Russian Blue and stroked the velvet fur on his face until the kitten’s eyes blinked open. The kitten mewled and yawned widely, stretching his legs in turn as he rested in Sho’s hands.
Sho placed Jun-chan on the woollen rug in front of the tree and picked up the control box for the lights. “Here we go. Three. Two. One.” Sho flicked the switch with a flourish. The lights burst into life, illuminating the room with multi-coloured flashes.
The kitten jumped to the feet, hissing and arching his back as he fluffed out his fur. Before Sho could react, Jun growled deep in the back of his throat and launched himself at the tree. Sho tried to catch him but Jun was soon clinging desperately to the tip of the tree as it swayed dangerously. The kitten’s eyes were wide with fright and he cried out piteously as he struggled to maintain his grip.
“Hold still Jun-chan,” Sho said soothingly as he steadied the tree before it toppled over. As he reached out with his free hand to grab the kitten the small creature hissed and spat. Jun’s ears were flattened against his head as he swiped at Sho’s fingers with his sharp claws. Sho yelped and snatched his hand back. “OW! Calm down. I’m just trying to help you.”
As soon as Sho released the tree it swayed again as the spindly tip bent down under the weight of the trembling kitten. Jun mewled sadly and looked at Sho beseechingly. “That’s it little one. Just hold still for a second.” Sho moved very slowly this time, holding out his fingers for the grey kitten to sniff. Jun growled softly before nuzzling Sho’s hand with his nose. “That’s it,” Sho whispered. As Jun leaned towards Sho’s hand he knocked against one of the golden bells which jingled loudly right beside his sensitive ear. The kitten yowled and released his grip on the branch, tumbling down the outside of the tree. Sho’s heart clenched as he grabbed wildly for the kitten but missed. If Jun was to hit the floor from that height Sho was sure that he would be injured. Fortunately Sho’s excessive decoration overload came to the kittens rescue. As Jun fell, he bounced off a protruding branch and became entangled in a strand of tinsel. The glittery red decoration wrapped around the kitten’s torso, leaving him dangling upside down in mid-air but safe from harm.
Sho supported the kitten’s slight weight as the carefully unravelled the tinsel and freed him. Jun gazed at Sho trustingly and mewed softly as Sho cradled him to his chest. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.” Sho smoothed Jun’s ruffled fur and breathed a sigh of relief as a surprisingly loud rumbling purr issued from the little kitten.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson,” Sho said sternly as he lowered the kitten down to the floor. “The tree is definitely off limits.”
Jun let out an unhappy sound and lifted his front right paw up in the air before taking a couple of limping steps as his eyes squinted half shut in pain.
Sho immediately panicked, hastily shrugging on a jacket and grabbing his keys before scooping up the kitten and dashing out the door.
^.^
The sounds of agitated knocking roused the small yellow dog from his position on the sofa. He jumped down and trotted over to the entryway, adding his yapping to the uproar.
Aiba dashed out of the bedroom with his shirt half unbuttoned and his hair sticking out in ten different directions. “Nino! Shush! I already heard the knocking.”
Nino whined and sat down, looking back and forth between Aiba and the door as if telling him to get a move on. Aiba patted Nino and opened the door. He was almost knocked off his feet as Sho burst in carrying Jun. The kitten dangled from Sho’s hands, making small meowing noises. Sho thrust the kitten towards Aiba, babbling breathlessly, “I'm sorry to intrude on you at home, but it's an emergency. Jun-chan climbed the Christmas tree and fell down and now he's hurt. I'm a terrible person. How could I let this happen?”
“Calm down Sho-kun. Pass Jun to me and I'll take a look.” Aiba gently took the complaining kitten from Sho and placed him on the dining table. The yellow dog immediately hopped up onto the nearest chair so that he could closely observe what was happening. Aiba lightly ran his hands over the kitten’s limbs testing his joints. As Aiba checked for injuries Nino nudged Jun with his nose and the kitten purred hesitantly.
Sho hovered anxiously as Aiba completed his examination. “Is he okay?”
Aiba smiled reassuringly and tickled the grey kitten under the chin causing a marked increase in the volume of the purring. “As you can hear and see, Jun is fine. There is a slight sprain to his paw but he’ll be fine in a few days as long as he stays out of trees.”
“Thank goodness.” Sho sagged with relief. “I'm sorry for interrupting your evening,” he hastily added. Sho had only just noticed that Aiba was dressed to go out, or at least mostly dressed apart from his gaping shirt.
Aiba followed Sho’s line of sight and blushed slightly as he buttoned his shirt. “Not to worry. It’s always good to see an owner who cares about his pet. Some people only come to see me after the poor animal has been suffering for days.”
“I'll be going then.” Sho moved to pick up Jun who was busy batting Nino on the nose with his paw, which seemed to have made a miraculous recovery.
“Why don't you come with me? I'm just going to my friend Kazu’s coffee shop. He’s having a bit of a Christmas party for his regular customers.” Aiba graced Sho with his most irresistible smile.
“Um, okay, if you think he won't mind. But what about Jun-chan?”
“He can stay here with Nino since they seem to be getting along rather nicely.”
Sho and Aiba smiled fondly at their pets. Jun was pressing his tiny nose against Nino’s shiny black nose and purring loudly while Nino’s tail wagged slowly in a wide sweeping motion.
Aiba picked the kitten up and carried him over to the sofa and placed him down next to Nino’s spot. The small dog trotted over and jumped up beside Jun, making room for him on his blanket. Aiba picked up the remote and switched on the television. Nino gave a happy yelp as the opening credits of his favourite anime scrolled across the screen. Jun curled up beside Nino and his bright green eyes blinked closed as he fell asleep nestled against the reassuring warmth of the yellow dog.
Aiba gave Sho a thumbs-up and they quietly left the apartment.
^.^
The coffee shop wasn’t as crowded as Sho had anticipated as he trailed behind Aiba who greeted the small man behind the counter with an enthusiastic hug. “Kazuuuuu!”
“Ack Aiba, try not to kill me. Even though I find Christmas to be the most annoying time of year, it’s also the most profitable and I’d hate to miss out on the extra income,” Kazu said grumpily as he attempted to wriggle out of Aiba’s embrace.
Sho stood and shuffled his feet awkwardly, not sure whether he should find a table or wait for Aiba to catch up with his old friend. Aiba must’ve noticed because he grabbed Sho’s elbow and pulled him closer to the counter. “This is my new friend Sho-kun. Say ‘hi’ Sho-kun.”
“Hi?” Sho said uncertainly. He was flattered that Aiba considered him to be a friend and not just a client but unsure of how to act with the man who was obviously one of Aiba’s closest friends. Or at least that’s what Sho presumed by the way that Aiba was clinging to Kazu while checking out the selection of cakes in the display cabinet.
Kazu bestowed a gummy smile on Sho as he scraped Aiba off and held out his hand for Sho to shake. “You’ll get used to Aiba after a while. He’s a stage one clinger but he’s a very loyal friend. We’ve known each other since grade school and I’ve managed to not strangle him yet.”
While Kazu was dressed casually in a yellow t-shirt and jeans underneath his black apron Sho noticed that he was wearing an unusual scarf, despite the warmth inside the shop. The scarf was the colour of well-done toast and appeared to be made of some sort of fur. Sho doubted that the fur was real; as a veterinarian Aiba would hardly be likely to be friends with the type of person who would wear the genuine article. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scarf quite like this,” Sho said as he unconsciously reached out to touch the intriguing item.
Sho couldn’t tell whether he was about to have a stroke or a heart attack as the ‘scarf’ opened a pair of shiny eyes and yawned widely. Sho jumped back, knocking into the table behind him sending a coffee cup flying to the floor and ending up half sitting on it. “Holy crap! It’s alive!”
Aiba dashed over to help Sho to stand and Kazu laughed and stroked the dark brown ferret which was now sitting on his shoulder yawning widely. “Sorry about that. I forgot that you're not one of my regulars.”
“Don't worry, Oh-chan is harmless,” Aiba said as he brushed crumbs off the back of Sho’s jacket. “He spends most of his time sleeping.”
From somewhere behind him Sho heard, “Sho-chan!” It was a voice that Sho didn't recognize. He spun around to see who had called him. To his surprise he saw a handsome younger man with outrageously long eyelashes and dark hair streaked blonde who was apparently talking down into the front pocket of his shirt. Sho was beginning to think that since walking the café he’d somehow ended up in an alternative universe.
“Do we know each other?” Sho couldn't imagine not remembering someone who looked like that. “I'm so sorry for knocking over your coffee. If you tell me what you're having I’ll replace it.”
Huge brown eyes blinked at him as a pair of thick eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. "Know each other? I don't think so. But I would appreciate another skinny latte."
Now Sho was even more puzzled. "But you said my name just before."
"Oh! I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Sho-chan."
Out of the corner of his eye Sho could see Aiba and Kazu watching his conversation closely and wearing matching grins. "But my name is Sho…"
The stranger laughed and his eyebrows relaxed as he pointed to his top pocket. "This is who I was actually talking to. I wanted to check that he hadn't been squashed when you knocked against the table."
Sho was still utterly confused until a small furry brown and white head popped out of the top of the pocket and gazed around curiously with bright eyes like tiny black beads.
"This is my pet hamster Sho-chan. Kazu doesn't mind having well behaved pets in his shop since he always has Oh-chan wrapped around him. My roommate Ohno went home for Christmas and took his pet rabbit with him so it didn't seem fair to leave Sho-chan at home all alone."
Apparently now wide awake, the chubby hamster squeaked and gazed hungrily at a decorative string of popcorn hanging from the ceiling.
The ferret draped over Kazu’s shoulder saw the sudden movement of the hamster and immediately woke up, watching Sho-chan with great interest.
“Careful!” Sho placed himself in between the ferret and hamster, hovering protectively in case Oh-chan pounced on the defenceless rodent.
Kazu laughed and stroked the ferret which went limp, allowing his dark brown body to dangle bonelessly around Kazu’s neck once more. “You don’t have to worry. Oh-chan would never eat a paying customer. Especially not Jun-kun’s little Sho-chan.”
Aiba nodded vigorously and pulled a treat out of his pocket offering it to the ferret who took it delicately. “Oh-chan much prefers hamburger anyway.”
Now Sho was even more confused than ever. “Sorry, did you say ‘Jun’?”
Kazu broke off a kernel of corn from the string and handed it the little hamster who greedily stuffed it into his cheek and disappeared back into the depths of Jun’s pocket. “I did.”
Sho-chan’s owner directed a stunning smile in Sho’s direction. “My name is Matsumoto Jun. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“That’s really weird,” Sho blurted, causing Jun’s smile to disappear in an instant. Sho hastened to explain himself. “I don’t mean that your name is weird or anything. It’s just that I have a Russian Blue kitten called Jun-chan and my name is Sakurai Sho.”
“Seriously?” Jun couldn’t help looking delighted at the coincidence. “Perhaps the universe is trying to tell us something.”
Everyone laughed, but Kazu and Aiba exchanged a look which hinted that they saw definite possibilities in this chance encounter. “Sho-kun, why don’t you join Jun for a coffee while Kazu and I catch up with each other?” Aiba asked with a glowing smile.
“I’ll bring you some cake too,” Kazu offered generously.
Sho took a seat opposite Jun and pulled out his phone. “Would you like to see some photos of my Jun-chan?”
“He’s adorable,” Jun cooed, leaning closer to Sho to get a better look.
As Jun and Sho chatted, Nino deftly cut two generous portions of his special Christmas cheesecake which was flavoured with brandy, smothered in whipped cream and topped with glistening red strawberries.
Aiba looked on enviously as Nino sprinkled some flaked almonds over the top as an extra garnish. He found Nino's sudden generosity to be quite out of character. "I can't believe you are paying for this yourself."
Nino gave Aiba a look of pity at his innocence. "Don't be silly. I'm adding them to your tab of course."
Aiba laughed and shrugged; he expected no less from his frugal friend. "In that case since I'm paying I might as well have some too."
Nino picked up the plates and headed over to where Sho and Jun were seated and talked to Aiba over his shoulder as he went. "Help yourself to extra almonds. Consider them to be your Christmas present."
As soon as the plate was put in front of Sho he grabbed a fork and took a huge appreciative bite, rolling his eyes in pleasure at the taste.
Jun pulled out his phone to take a picture for his Instagram account and while he was fiddling with filters a small furry head popped out of his pocket. Sho-chan's beady eyes grew big as he saw the cake. "SQUEAK!" The chubby hamster dove out of Jun's pocket landing square on top of the whipped cream with a soft squish. The largest juiciest strawberry on top of Jun's slice was almost too big for the small hamster to grip but he somehow managed it. He plopped his furry butt down in the whipped cream and began to gnaw on the strawberry, dripping juice down his chest.
“SHO!” Jun, Aiba and Nino yelled in unison.
“MMFFF?” Sho jumped at the sound of his name, and looked up at them. His cheeks were bulging with cheesecake and his eyes were wide and startled.
“SQUEAK!” Sho-chan hastily stuffed the remainder of the strawberry into his cheek pouches and sat looking at them with an almost identical expression.
Aiba and Nino doubled over with laughter, hanging off each other as they struggled to catch their breath. Oh-chan didn’t even wake up, swinging back and forth in the air as he dangled precariously from Nino’s neck.
Jun, who was giggling helplessly, plucked Sho-chan from the cheesecake and began to wipe whipped cream off his paws. The little hamster chirped happily and wriggled in Jun’s palm as his feet were tickled.
A puzzled Sho mumbled around his mouthful of food. “What?” Everyone was still too busy laughing to answer, so Sho shrugged philosophically and took another huge bite.
After cleaning the strawberry juice of Sho-chan’s chest and yet more whipped cream from his stumpy tail Jun tucked his little pet back into his pocket. Sho was finishing the last bite of his of dessert and a small blob of cream clung to his lips. Jun resisted the temptation to clean Sho off as he had for his hamster, instead passing him a napkin to wipe his mouth on. “I’d offer you some of my piece but since it most likely tastes like hamster butt now it's probably not such a good idea.”
“Thanks for the offer. As they say, it’s the thought that counts,” Sho replied with a smile. “But I should be getting home as soon as I can round up Aiba. I left Jun-chan at his place and I need to collect him.”
Jun looked disappointed. “Oh, so you and Aiba-san are together?”
“No no no,” Sho hastened to explain without knowing why it was so important for Jun to not get the wrong idea. “He’s Jun-chan’s veterinarian and he's my friend, but nothing more. I took Jun-chan to him tonight because he had a sore paw and somehow ended up here.”
“That's great!” Jun looked horrified as he realized what he’d blurted. “I don't mean that it's great that your kitten was hurt, I meant the other part. It’s a shame you have to leave right now though.”
Aiba, who was less than discretely listening to their conversation, immediately piped up with, “Don’t worry about a thing Sho-kun. There’s a litter tray already set up for Jun-chan in my apartment and I’ll scoot home and take Nino for a quick walk so he can go to the bathroom. You two keep chatting and I'll be back before you know it.”
Jun smiled shyly at Sho who blushed and thanked Aiba who attempted to wink.
“Hang on a sec.” Nino ducked into the kitchen and came back with two plastic bags. “Hamburger for Nino and a piece of fresh fish for Jun-chan.”
At the sound of the word ‘hamburger’ Oh-chan snapped awake and quickly shimmied down Nino’s arm towards the bags. Nino caught him with his free hand and passed Oh-chan over to Sho who was too surprised to refuse. He juggled the slender ferret around until Oh-chan was comfortably resting in his arms. Aiba pulled another treat from his pocket and fed it to Oh-chan who chewed it happily, gave a happy clucking noise and promptly fell asleep.
^.^
Aiba nudged open the café door with his butt and shuffled inside. On his way back from checking on the animals he’d made a quick stop at the liquor store and his hands were full.
Kazu glided over and held the door open but made to attempt to help to carry the bags. As soon as Aiba and the beer were safely inside he turned to his customers and clapped his hands. “Thanks for being my best customers over the past twelve months. I look forward to serving you next year. Now everyone finish up your coffee and get out.”
Sho was shocked by Kazu’s bluntness but none of his regulars appeared to be the slightest bit offended. They continued to chatter happily as they gulped down the dregs of their drinks and grabbed their coats off the back of their chairs. Sho went to stand but Kazu shook his head, pointing at him and Jun who was already halfway out of his seat. “Not you two.”
While Aiba went to put the beer in the fridge and put the snacks he'd purchased into some bowls Nino opened the door and made a shooing gesture towards a couple of customers who hadn't already vacated the premises. "Out! I haven't got all night."
"Always a pleasure Kazu-kun," an elderly man chuckled as he made his way slowly past Kazu.
"Yeah, yeah, blah blah Ogura-san," Kazu responded, earning himself a fond pat on the shoulder as he made sure that the old man hadn't forgotten his walking stick and that his coat was properly buttoned.
Sho wondered if anyone else saw Kazu slide a package of Christmas cookies into the elderly man's pocket before closing and locking the door behind him. He absently ran his fingers through the soft fur of the ferret dozing him his arms and met Jun's eyes. By the surprised look he received in return Jun had obviously seen Kazu's kind gesture too.
"Don't let him know that you saw that," Aiba whispered to them as he placed a plate of cheese cubes on the table. "He doesn't want anyone to know what a softie he actually is."
"Aiba, are you serving us drinks or gossiping?" Kazu snarled as he gently lifted Oh-chan from Sho's arms and took a seat, dragging over a vacant chair and propping his aching feet up on it.
Aiba gave Sho and Jun a messy attempt at a wink before bustling into the kitchen to retrieve a six pack of beer and some salted nuts.
Sho-chan climbed out of Jun's pocket and snuck towards the nuts as soon as Aiba placed them down. Unfortunately he wasn't as sneaky as he thought and he was spotted instantly. "No Sho-chan, these are way too salty." Jun scolded gently, picking Sho-chan up just before he reached his goal. The little hamster chittered angrily and wriggled in Jun's hand reaching out with his front paws for the forbidden food.
Sho was once again caught off-guard when Jun went behind the counter and into the staff area out the back. He returned a minute later carrying a clear plastic ball into which he’d placed the plump hamster. Catching Sho’s puzzled stare Jun smiled and explained, “I work here part-time and sometimes I bring Sho-chan with me. It’s best not to leave him home alone with my roommate’s pet rabbit. They are like a pair of furry criminal masterminds when they work together.”
Jun placed the exercise ball down on the floor and watched for a moment as Sho-chan slowly rolled it across the floor. The hamster paused a few times, looking up at Jun who spoke encouragingly to him. Eventually Sho-chan trundled off on a path around the table and Jun sat back down next to Sho who was looking a little worried about the little hamster. “Don't worry,” Jun said reassuringly. “Despite appearances he actually enjoys it and he needs the exercise.”
“And it keeps him safe when he's roaming around,” Aiba added.
“Right. Enough fawning over the fuzzy golf ball.” Nino sat up suddenly and handed around the beer. “I can't stand people who overindulge their pets.” Since when Nino spoke Oh-chan was laying on his back on Nino’s lap having his tummy tickled Jun merely rolled his eyes and took no offence to the snark.
They all cracked open their beers and clinked the cans together, chorusing, "Merry Christmas!"
^.^
In such pleasant company (especially Jun’s), time passed quickly and Sho didn’t even notice that it was almost midnight until Jun yawned and looked at his watch with a small frown.
“I really should be going now. I have to be at my part-time job early in the morning and the boss is a real hard ass.” Jun turned to Sho and asked, "Would you be able to hold Sho-chan for a minute while I go to the bathroom?"
"I'd love to," Sho replied happily. While nobody was looking he slipped the hamster a tidbit of cheese, hastily stuffing the rest of the cube into his own mouth to cover his tracks. “Work with me and there’s more of this to come,” Sho whispered into the hamster’s ear.
When Jun returned to the table and tried to take Sho-chan back the hamster clung to Sho’s hand with his tiny paws and chittered angrily. The brown and white hamster scurried up Sho’s arm and dove into the deep pocket of his jacket. “Sorry. Looks like he doesn’t want to leave me just yet,” Sho said with an innocent shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe if I walk you home he’ll have calmed down by then.”
“If it’s not too much of an inconvenience,” Jun replied. He pulled his scarf up over the lower half of his face to try and hide his blushes.
Sho blushed just as deeply and shuffled his feet as he replied, “I’d love you. I mean TOO. I’d love to walk with you.”
Nino opened his mouth to interject but was forestalled by Aiba, who began to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” very loudly as he ushered Sho and Jun out of the coffee shop.
After locking the door they both stood with soft smiles on their faces and watched the other pair walking slowly along the sidewalk engrossed in their conversation.
^.^
“This is me.” Jun stopped in front of a low block of small apartments. “It was nice to meet you.”
“I’ll definitely drop in to the shop soon.” Sho reached carefully into his pocket and lifted the little hamster out. Sho-chan looked up at Sho with shiny eyes as he handed him over to Jun.
Sho-chan sat on his hind legs and reached his front paws out in Sho’s direction, making a sad sound. Jun looked down at his little pet and back up at Sho, holding the hamster out to him. “Would you like to come in for a minute? It seems as if Sho-chan isn’t quite ready to let you go just yet.”
“Well, if it’s for Sho-chan,” Sho replied with a smile as he retrieved Sho-chan. “I’d hate to let the little guy down.”
As Jun led the way upstairs, Sho pulled a cube of cheese out of his pocket and furtively offered it to Sho-chan who hastily stuffed it into his mouth, chewing rapidly. Sho muttered. “Good boy Sho-chan.”
“Squeak!"
Afterwards Sho was never quite sure whether it was a trick of the light or his overactive imagination which made it appear that the little hamster winked at him.
Rating: PG
Genre: fluff, friendship, pet Arashi
Summary: Sho stood back to admire his handiwork with a satisfied smile. The tree was not the straightest, or the most beautiful, and it was definitely too tall for the room, but it was the first live tree he’d ever had at Christmas. The needles gave off a soft scent when touched, warming Sho’s heart.
Note: This short Christmas story contains mild flirting, cute pets and mildly snarky Nino. To me no festive season is complete without at least a few of these things. Merry Christmas everyone!
Sho stood back to admire his handiwork with a satisfied smile. The tree was not the straightest, or the most beautiful, and it was definitely too tall for the room, but it was the first live tree he’d ever had at Christmas. The needles gave off a soft scent when touched, warming Sho’s heart.
After looking through reams of catalogues and brochures, Sho had decided to decorate according to a simple monochromatic theme. The plan was to purchase some silver stars and strands of silver tinsel. However when Sho stood in the aisle filled with an overwhelming array of decorations all of his plans flew out of his head. The tree was now smothered in red tinsel, green icicles, blue baubles, purple stars and golden bells which jingled when shaken. All that was left to do was to switch on the lights. Sho had wrapped them around the trunk and branches of the tree before adding the decorations.
Sho turned to the sofa where a small grey kitten was curled up sleeping soundly. One paw was draped over his eyes and his tail twitched as he dreamed. “Jun-chan,” Sho cooed softly. “You don’t want to miss the big moment.” He picked up the Russian Blue and stroked the velvet fur on his face until the kitten’s eyes blinked open. The kitten mewled and yawned widely, stretching his legs in turn as he rested in Sho’s hands.
Sho placed Jun-chan on the woollen rug in front of the tree and picked up the control box for the lights. “Here we go. Three. Two. One.” Sho flicked the switch with a flourish. The lights burst into life, illuminating the room with multi-coloured flashes.
The kitten jumped to the feet, hissing and arching his back as he fluffed out his fur. Before Sho could react, Jun growled deep in the back of his throat and launched himself at the tree. Sho tried to catch him but Jun was soon clinging desperately to the tip of the tree as it swayed dangerously. The kitten’s eyes were wide with fright and he cried out piteously as he struggled to maintain his grip.
“Hold still Jun-chan,” Sho said soothingly as he steadied the tree before it toppled over. As he reached out with his free hand to grab the kitten the small creature hissed and spat. Jun’s ears were flattened against his head as he swiped at Sho’s fingers with his sharp claws. Sho yelped and snatched his hand back. “OW! Calm down. I’m just trying to help you.”
As soon as Sho released the tree it swayed again as the spindly tip bent down under the weight of the trembling kitten. Jun mewled sadly and looked at Sho beseechingly. “That’s it little one. Just hold still for a second.” Sho moved very slowly this time, holding out his fingers for the grey kitten to sniff. Jun growled softly before nuzzling Sho’s hand with his nose. “That’s it,” Sho whispered. As Jun leaned towards Sho’s hand he knocked against one of the golden bells which jingled loudly right beside his sensitive ear. The kitten yowled and released his grip on the branch, tumbling down the outside of the tree. Sho’s heart clenched as he grabbed wildly for the kitten but missed. If Jun was to hit the floor from that height Sho was sure that he would be injured. Fortunately Sho’s excessive decoration overload came to the kittens rescue. As Jun fell, he bounced off a protruding branch and became entangled in a strand of tinsel. The glittery red decoration wrapped around the kitten’s torso, leaving him dangling upside down in mid-air but safe from harm.
Sho supported the kitten’s slight weight as the carefully unravelled the tinsel and freed him. Jun gazed at Sho trustingly and mewed softly as Sho cradled him to his chest. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.” Sho smoothed Jun’s ruffled fur and breathed a sigh of relief as a surprisingly loud rumbling purr issued from the little kitten.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson,” Sho said sternly as he lowered the kitten down to the floor. “The tree is definitely off limits.”
Jun let out an unhappy sound and lifted his front right paw up in the air before taking a couple of limping steps as his eyes squinted half shut in pain.
Sho immediately panicked, hastily shrugging on a jacket and grabbing his keys before scooping up the kitten and dashing out the door.
^.^
The sounds of agitated knocking roused the small yellow dog from his position on the sofa. He jumped down and trotted over to the entryway, adding his yapping to the uproar.
Aiba dashed out of the bedroom with his shirt half unbuttoned and his hair sticking out in ten different directions. “Nino! Shush! I already heard the knocking.”
Nino whined and sat down, looking back and forth between Aiba and the door as if telling him to get a move on. Aiba patted Nino and opened the door. He was almost knocked off his feet as Sho burst in carrying Jun. The kitten dangled from Sho’s hands, making small meowing noises. Sho thrust the kitten towards Aiba, babbling breathlessly, “I'm sorry to intrude on you at home, but it's an emergency. Jun-chan climbed the Christmas tree and fell down and now he's hurt. I'm a terrible person. How could I let this happen?”
“Calm down Sho-kun. Pass Jun to me and I'll take a look.” Aiba gently took the complaining kitten from Sho and placed him on the dining table. The yellow dog immediately hopped up onto the nearest chair so that he could closely observe what was happening. Aiba lightly ran his hands over the kitten’s limbs testing his joints. As Aiba checked for injuries Nino nudged Jun with his nose and the kitten purred hesitantly.
Sho hovered anxiously as Aiba completed his examination. “Is he okay?”
Aiba smiled reassuringly and tickled the grey kitten under the chin causing a marked increase in the volume of the purring. “As you can hear and see, Jun is fine. There is a slight sprain to his paw but he’ll be fine in a few days as long as he stays out of trees.”
“Thank goodness.” Sho sagged with relief. “I'm sorry for interrupting your evening,” he hastily added. Sho had only just noticed that Aiba was dressed to go out, or at least mostly dressed apart from his gaping shirt.
Aiba followed Sho’s line of sight and blushed slightly as he buttoned his shirt. “Not to worry. It’s always good to see an owner who cares about his pet. Some people only come to see me after the poor animal has been suffering for days.”
“I'll be going then.” Sho moved to pick up Jun who was busy batting Nino on the nose with his paw, which seemed to have made a miraculous recovery.
“Why don't you come with me? I'm just going to my friend Kazu’s coffee shop. He’s having a bit of a Christmas party for his regular customers.” Aiba graced Sho with his most irresistible smile.
“Um, okay, if you think he won't mind. But what about Jun-chan?”
“He can stay here with Nino since they seem to be getting along rather nicely.”
Sho and Aiba smiled fondly at their pets. Jun was pressing his tiny nose against Nino’s shiny black nose and purring loudly while Nino’s tail wagged slowly in a wide sweeping motion.
Aiba picked the kitten up and carried him over to the sofa and placed him down next to Nino’s spot. The small dog trotted over and jumped up beside Jun, making room for him on his blanket. Aiba picked up the remote and switched on the television. Nino gave a happy yelp as the opening credits of his favourite anime scrolled across the screen. Jun curled up beside Nino and his bright green eyes blinked closed as he fell asleep nestled against the reassuring warmth of the yellow dog.
Aiba gave Sho a thumbs-up and they quietly left the apartment.
^.^
The coffee shop wasn’t as crowded as Sho had anticipated as he trailed behind Aiba who greeted the small man behind the counter with an enthusiastic hug. “Kazuuuuu!”
“Ack Aiba, try not to kill me. Even though I find Christmas to be the most annoying time of year, it’s also the most profitable and I’d hate to miss out on the extra income,” Kazu said grumpily as he attempted to wriggle out of Aiba’s embrace.
Sho stood and shuffled his feet awkwardly, not sure whether he should find a table or wait for Aiba to catch up with his old friend. Aiba must’ve noticed because he grabbed Sho’s elbow and pulled him closer to the counter. “This is my new friend Sho-kun. Say ‘hi’ Sho-kun.”
“Hi?” Sho said uncertainly. He was flattered that Aiba considered him to be a friend and not just a client but unsure of how to act with the man who was obviously one of Aiba’s closest friends. Or at least that’s what Sho presumed by the way that Aiba was clinging to Kazu while checking out the selection of cakes in the display cabinet.
Kazu bestowed a gummy smile on Sho as he scraped Aiba off and held out his hand for Sho to shake. “You’ll get used to Aiba after a while. He’s a stage one clinger but he’s a very loyal friend. We’ve known each other since grade school and I’ve managed to not strangle him yet.”
While Kazu was dressed casually in a yellow t-shirt and jeans underneath his black apron Sho noticed that he was wearing an unusual scarf, despite the warmth inside the shop. The scarf was the colour of well-done toast and appeared to be made of some sort of fur. Sho doubted that the fur was real; as a veterinarian Aiba would hardly be likely to be friends with the type of person who would wear the genuine article. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scarf quite like this,” Sho said as he unconsciously reached out to touch the intriguing item.
Sho couldn’t tell whether he was about to have a stroke or a heart attack as the ‘scarf’ opened a pair of shiny eyes and yawned widely. Sho jumped back, knocking into the table behind him sending a coffee cup flying to the floor and ending up half sitting on it. “Holy crap! It’s alive!”
Aiba dashed over to help Sho to stand and Kazu laughed and stroked the dark brown ferret which was now sitting on his shoulder yawning widely. “Sorry about that. I forgot that you're not one of my regulars.”
“Don't worry, Oh-chan is harmless,” Aiba said as he brushed crumbs off the back of Sho’s jacket. “He spends most of his time sleeping.”
From somewhere behind him Sho heard, “Sho-chan!” It was a voice that Sho didn't recognize. He spun around to see who had called him. To his surprise he saw a handsome younger man with outrageously long eyelashes and dark hair streaked blonde who was apparently talking down into the front pocket of his shirt. Sho was beginning to think that since walking the café he’d somehow ended up in an alternative universe.
“Do we know each other?” Sho couldn't imagine not remembering someone who looked like that. “I'm so sorry for knocking over your coffee. If you tell me what you're having I’ll replace it.”
Huge brown eyes blinked at him as a pair of thick eyebrows scrunched together in concentration. "Know each other? I don't think so. But I would appreciate another skinny latte."
Now Sho was even more puzzled. "But you said my name just before."
"Oh! I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Sho-chan."
Out of the corner of his eye Sho could see Aiba and Kazu watching his conversation closely and wearing matching grins. "But my name is Sho…"
The stranger laughed and his eyebrows relaxed as he pointed to his top pocket. "This is who I was actually talking to. I wanted to check that he hadn't been squashed when you knocked against the table."
Sho was still utterly confused until a small furry brown and white head popped out of the top of the pocket and gazed around curiously with bright eyes like tiny black beads.
"This is my pet hamster Sho-chan. Kazu doesn't mind having well behaved pets in his shop since he always has Oh-chan wrapped around him. My roommate Ohno went home for Christmas and took his pet rabbit with him so it didn't seem fair to leave Sho-chan at home all alone."
Apparently now wide awake, the chubby hamster squeaked and gazed hungrily at a decorative string of popcorn hanging from the ceiling.
The ferret draped over Kazu’s shoulder saw the sudden movement of the hamster and immediately woke up, watching Sho-chan with great interest.
“Careful!” Sho placed himself in between the ferret and hamster, hovering protectively in case Oh-chan pounced on the defenceless rodent.
Kazu laughed and stroked the ferret which went limp, allowing his dark brown body to dangle bonelessly around Kazu’s neck once more. “You don’t have to worry. Oh-chan would never eat a paying customer. Especially not Jun-kun’s little Sho-chan.”
Aiba nodded vigorously and pulled a treat out of his pocket offering it to the ferret who took it delicately. “Oh-chan much prefers hamburger anyway.”
Now Sho was even more confused than ever. “Sorry, did you say ‘Jun’?”
Kazu broke off a kernel of corn from the string and handed it the little hamster who greedily stuffed it into his cheek and disappeared back into the depths of Jun’s pocket. “I did.”
Sho-chan’s owner directed a stunning smile in Sho’s direction. “My name is Matsumoto Jun. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“That’s really weird,” Sho blurted, causing Jun’s smile to disappear in an instant. Sho hastened to explain himself. “I don’t mean that your name is weird or anything. It’s just that I have a Russian Blue kitten called Jun-chan and my name is Sakurai Sho.”
“Seriously?” Jun couldn’t help looking delighted at the coincidence. “Perhaps the universe is trying to tell us something.”
Everyone laughed, but Kazu and Aiba exchanged a look which hinted that they saw definite possibilities in this chance encounter. “Sho-kun, why don’t you join Jun for a coffee while Kazu and I catch up with each other?” Aiba asked with a glowing smile.
“I’ll bring you some cake too,” Kazu offered generously.
Sho took a seat opposite Jun and pulled out his phone. “Would you like to see some photos of my Jun-chan?”
“He’s adorable,” Jun cooed, leaning closer to Sho to get a better look.
As Jun and Sho chatted, Nino deftly cut two generous portions of his special Christmas cheesecake which was flavoured with brandy, smothered in whipped cream and topped with glistening red strawberries.
Aiba looked on enviously as Nino sprinkled some flaked almonds over the top as an extra garnish. He found Nino's sudden generosity to be quite out of character. "I can't believe you are paying for this yourself."
Nino gave Aiba a look of pity at his innocence. "Don't be silly. I'm adding them to your tab of course."
Aiba laughed and shrugged; he expected no less from his frugal friend. "In that case since I'm paying I might as well have some too."
Nino picked up the plates and headed over to where Sho and Jun were seated and talked to Aiba over his shoulder as he went. "Help yourself to extra almonds. Consider them to be your Christmas present."
As soon as the plate was put in front of Sho he grabbed a fork and took a huge appreciative bite, rolling his eyes in pleasure at the taste.
Jun pulled out his phone to take a picture for his Instagram account and while he was fiddling with filters a small furry head popped out of his pocket. Sho-chan's beady eyes grew big as he saw the cake. "SQUEAK!" The chubby hamster dove out of Jun's pocket landing square on top of the whipped cream with a soft squish. The largest juiciest strawberry on top of Jun's slice was almost too big for the small hamster to grip but he somehow managed it. He plopped his furry butt down in the whipped cream and began to gnaw on the strawberry, dripping juice down his chest.
“SHO!” Jun, Aiba and Nino yelled in unison.
“MMFFF?” Sho jumped at the sound of his name, and looked up at them. His cheeks were bulging with cheesecake and his eyes were wide and startled.
“SQUEAK!” Sho-chan hastily stuffed the remainder of the strawberry into his cheek pouches and sat looking at them with an almost identical expression.
Aiba and Nino doubled over with laughter, hanging off each other as they struggled to catch their breath. Oh-chan didn’t even wake up, swinging back and forth in the air as he dangled precariously from Nino’s neck.
Jun, who was giggling helplessly, plucked Sho-chan from the cheesecake and began to wipe whipped cream off his paws. The little hamster chirped happily and wriggled in Jun’s palm as his feet were tickled.
A puzzled Sho mumbled around his mouthful of food. “What?” Everyone was still too busy laughing to answer, so Sho shrugged philosophically and took another huge bite.
After cleaning the strawberry juice of Sho-chan’s chest and yet more whipped cream from his stumpy tail Jun tucked his little pet back into his pocket. Sho was finishing the last bite of his of dessert and a small blob of cream clung to his lips. Jun resisted the temptation to clean Sho off as he had for his hamster, instead passing him a napkin to wipe his mouth on. “I’d offer you some of my piece but since it most likely tastes like hamster butt now it's probably not such a good idea.”
“Thanks for the offer. As they say, it’s the thought that counts,” Sho replied with a smile. “But I should be getting home as soon as I can round up Aiba. I left Jun-chan at his place and I need to collect him.”
Jun looked disappointed. “Oh, so you and Aiba-san are together?”
“No no no,” Sho hastened to explain without knowing why it was so important for Jun to not get the wrong idea. “He’s Jun-chan’s veterinarian and he's my friend, but nothing more. I took Jun-chan to him tonight because he had a sore paw and somehow ended up here.”
“That's great!” Jun looked horrified as he realized what he’d blurted. “I don't mean that it's great that your kitten was hurt, I meant the other part. It’s a shame you have to leave right now though.”
Aiba, who was less than discretely listening to their conversation, immediately piped up with, “Don’t worry about a thing Sho-kun. There’s a litter tray already set up for Jun-chan in my apartment and I’ll scoot home and take Nino for a quick walk so he can go to the bathroom. You two keep chatting and I'll be back before you know it.”
Jun smiled shyly at Sho who blushed and thanked Aiba who attempted to wink.
“Hang on a sec.” Nino ducked into the kitchen and came back with two plastic bags. “Hamburger for Nino and a piece of fresh fish for Jun-chan.”
At the sound of the word ‘hamburger’ Oh-chan snapped awake and quickly shimmied down Nino’s arm towards the bags. Nino caught him with his free hand and passed Oh-chan over to Sho who was too surprised to refuse. He juggled the slender ferret around until Oh-chan was comfortably resting in his arms. Aiba pulled another treat from his pocket and fed it to Oh-chan who chewed it happily, gave a happy clucking noise and promptly fell asleep.
^.^
Aiba nudged open the café door with his butt and shuffled inside. On his way back from checking on the animals he’d made a quick stop at the liquor store and his hands were full.
Kazu glided over and held the door open but made to attempt to help to carry the bags. As soon as Aiba and the beer were safely inside he turned to his customers and clapped his hands. “Thanks for being my best customers over the past twelve months. I look forward to serving you next year. Now everyone finish up your coffee and get out.”
Sho was shocked by Kazu’s bluntness but none of his regulars appeared to be the slightest bit offended. They continued to chatter happily as they gulped down the dregs of their drinks and grabbed their coats off the back of their chairs. Sho went to stand but Kazu shook his head, pointing at him and Jun who was already halfway out of his seat. “Not you two.”
While Aiba went to put the beer in the fridge and put the snacks he'd purchased into some bowls Nino opened the door and made a shooing gesture towards a couple of customers who hadn't already vacated the premises. "Out! I haven't got all night."
"Always a pleasure Kazu-kun," an elderly man chuckled as he made his way slowly past Kazu.
"Yeah, yeah, blah blah Ogura-san," Kazu responded, earning himself a fond pat on the shoulder as he made sure that the old man hadn't forgotten his walking stick and that his coat was properly buttoned.
Sho wondered if anyone else saw Kazu slide a package of Christmas cookies into the elderly man's pocket before closing and locking the door behind him. He absently ran his fingers through the soft fur of the ferret dozing him his arms and met Jun's eyes. By the surprised look he received in return Jun had obviously seen Kazu's kind gesture too.
"Don't let him know that you saw that," Aiba whispered to them as he placed a plate of cheese cubes on the table. "He doesn't want anyone to know what a softie he actually is."
"Aiba, are you serving us drinks or gossiping?" Kazu snarled as he gently lifted Oh-chan from Sho's arms and took a seat, dragging over a vacant chair and propping his aching feet up on it.
Aiba gave Sho and Jun a messy attempt at a wink before bustling into the kitchen to retrieve a six pack of beer and some salted nuts.
Sho-chan climbed out of Jun's pocket and snuck towards the nuts as soon as Aiba placed them down. Unfortunately he wasn't as sneaky as he thought and he was spotted instantly. "No Sho-chan, these are way too salty." Jun scolded gently, picking Sho-chan up just before he reached his goal. The little hamster chittered angrily and wriggled in Jun's hand reaching out with his front paws for the forbidden food.
Sho was once again caught off-guard when Jun went behind the counter and into the staff area out the back. He returned a minute later carrying a clear plastic ball into which he’d placed the plump hamster. Catching Sho’s puzzled stare Jun smiled and explained, “I work here part-time and sometimes I bring Sho-chan with me. It’s best not to leave him home alone with my roommate’s pet rabbit. They are like a pair of furry criminal masterminds when they work together.”
Jun placed the exercise ball down on the floor and watched for a moment as Sho-chan slowly rolled it across the floor. The hamster paused a few times, looking up at Jun who spoke encouragingly to him. Eventually Sho-chan trundled off on a path around the table and Jun sat back down next to Sho who was looking a little worried about the little hamster. “Don't worry,” Jun said reassuringly. “Despite appearances he actually enjoys it and he needs the exercise.”
“And it keeps him safe when he's roaming around,” Aiba added.
“Right. Enough fawning over the fuzzy golf ball.” Nino sat up suddenly and handed around the beer. “I can't stand people who overindulge their pets.” Since when Nino spoke Oh-chan was laying on his back on Nino’s lap having his tummy tickled Jun merely rolled his eyes and took no offence to the snark.
They all cracked open their beers and clinked the cans together, chorusing, "Merry Christmas!"
^.^
In such pleasant company (especially Jun’s), time passed quickly and Sho didn’t even notice that it was almost midnight until Jun yawned and looked at his watch with a small frown.
“I really should be going now. I have to be at my part-time job early in the morning and the boss is a real hard ass.” Jun turned to Sho and asked, "Would you be able to hold Sho-chan for a minute while I go to the bathroom?"
"I'd love to," Sho replied happily. While nobody was looking he slipped the hamster a tidbit of cheese, hastily stuffing the rest of the cube into his own mouth to cover his tracks. “Work with me and there’s more of this to come,” Sho whispered into the hamster’s ear.
When Jun returned to the table and tried to take Sho-chan back the hamster clung to Sho’s hand with his tiny paws and chittered angrily. The brown and white hamster scurried up Sho’s arm and dove into the deep pocket of his jacket. “Sorry. Looks like he doesn’t want to leave me just yet,” Sho said with an innocent shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe if I walk you home he’ll have calmed down by then.”
“If it’s not too much of an inconvenience,” Jun replied. He pulled his scarf up over the lower half of his face to try and hide his blushes.
Sho blushed just as deeply and shuffled his feet as he replied, “I’d love you. I mean TOO. I’d love to walk with you.”
Nino opened his mouth to interject but was forestalled by Aiba, who began to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” very loudly as he ushered Sho and Jun out of the coffee shop.
After locking the door they both stood with soft smiles on their faces and watched the other pair walking slowly along the sidewalk engrossed in their conversation.
^.^
“This is me.” Jun stopped in front of a low block of small apartments. “It was nice to meet you.”
“I’ll definitely drop in to the shop soon.” Sho reached carefully into his pocket and lifted the little hamster out. Sho-chan looked up at Sho with shiny eyes as he handed him over to Jun.
Sho-chan sat on his hind legs and reached his front paws out in Sho’s direction, making a sad sound. Jun looked down at his little pet and back up at Sho, holding the hamster out to him. “Would you like to come in for a minute? It seems as if Sho-chan isn’t quite ready to let you go just yet.”
“Well, if it’s for Sho-chan,” Sho replied with a smile as he retrieved Sho-chan. “I’d hate to let the little guy down.”
As Jun led the way upstairs, Sho pulled a cube of cheese out of his pocket and furtively offered it to Sho-chan who hastily stuffed it into his mouth, chewing rapidly. Sho muttered. “Good boy Sho-chan.”
“Squeak!"
Afterwards Sho was never quite sure whether it was a trick of the light or his overactive imagination which made it appear that the little hamster winked at him.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-29 12:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-01-13 07:00 pm (UTC)I love this! Your pet Arashi fics are always so good!
The Sho-chan duo cooperating there hahahahaha! I love that Sho and Hamster!Sho look the same when they eat cake xDDDDD
Thanks for sharing this!!! :D