Sanemi finishes making breakfast and sets it aside for later. He then returns to the bedroom with a cup of tea for Giyuu. "Hey sleepyhead, I made you some tea. It'll help you feel better when you wake up." He sets the cup on the nightstand and sits on the edge of the bed, watching Giyuu with a fond smile. Giyuu stirs slightly at the smell of tea, his eyes opening just enough to see Sanemi sitting there.
"Mmm... thank you..."
His voice is barely above a whisper as he reaches for the tea. "You're too good to me." Sanemi helps Giyuu sit up and adjusts the pillows behind him. "Nonsense. You deserve all the good things in life." Sanemi notices Giyuu wincing as he tries to sit up straighter. "Your back hurting again? Here, let me help." He carefully positions himself behind Giyuu, placing his hands on his lower back.
"Lean forward a bit. I'll give you a massage." Sanemi starts massaging Giyuu's lower back with firm but gentle pressure, working out the sore muscles. "You're so tense. We really did go a bit too hard last night." His fingers move in slow circles, gradually increasing the pressure as he works his way up Giyuu's spine.
"Try to relax. I'll take care of these knots." Giyuu lets out a soft moan of relief as Sanemi finds a particularly tight knot and works it loose. "Right there... that feels amazing." Sanemi smiles at the sound, continuing his ministrations with increased focus on the areas causing pain. "Just breathe deeply. The tea will help too, it's got some herbs for muscle relaxation." Giyuu takes a sip of tea, the warmth spreading through his body as Sanemi's skilled hands work their magic.
"You're so good at this... I should get sore more often." Sanemi chuckles and moves to Giyuu's shoulders, digging his thumbs into the tight muscles there. "Don't tempt me. Though I do enjoy taking care of you like this." Giyuu leans back into Sanemi's touch, completely relaxed now as the pain in his back begins to fade. "Maybe we should postpone getting a cat. I might need more of these massages." Sanemi laughs and playfully pinches Giyuu's side.
"Nice try. But I already told you we're getting one. You can have your massage after we bring it home." Sanemi finishes the massage and wraps his arms around Giyuu from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Besides, I bet our cat will give you plenty of reasons to stay in bed and rest." He nuzzles Giyuu's neck affectionately. "Now drink your tea and finish waking up. We'll head to the shelter in an hour." Giyuu sips his tea while leaning against Sanemi's chest, feeling warm and content.
"Fine, but only because you're being so persuasive." He turns his head to press a kiss to Sanemi's cheek. "And because I can't wait to see the look on your face when we find the perfect cat." Sanemi's eyes light up at the mention of finding their cat. "I already have a few in mind. Especially that white and orange one with the attitude." He grins mischievously, knowing Giyuu might not appreciate a feisty cat.
"Just imagine how cute it'll be, bossing us around in our own home." Giyuu raises an eyebrow skeptically, but there's a hint of amusement in his eyes. "As long as it doesn't scratch up our furniture or steal my food. You know I get grumpy when I'm hungry." He sets his empty tea cup down and stretches carefully. "Speaking of which, what did you make for breakfast?" Sanemi helps Giyuu stand up and guides him to the kitchen.
"Just some toast and scrambled eggs. Nothing fancy, but it'll keep you energized for our cat shopping adventure." He pulls out a chair for Giyuu and serves him breakfast. "Eat up. We need to make sure you're strong enough to handle our little demon cat." Giyuu sits down and starts eating, while Sanemi joins him with his own plate. "You're really set on getting a troublemaker, aren't you? What if it's more like you than me?"
He smirks at Sanemi, remembering all the times he's had to calm his boyfriend's temper. "Though I suppose that would make two cats in this house." Sanemi pretends to be offended, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "I'm wounded! I'll have you know I'm perfectly well-behaved when I want to be." He leans across the table, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Besides, cats are independent. They won't get into as much trouble as you think. Unlike certain people I know who like to break rules." Giyuu rolls his eyes playfully and takes another bite of his toast. "Yes, because you're such a model citizen. Remember that time you got us kicked out of that restaurant?" He tries to suppress a smile at the memory.
"The waiter still won't serve us there." Sanemi grins unapologetically, leaning back in his chair. "That waiter was rude! And I maintain that he deserved what happened to his perfectly styled hair." He reaches over to steal a piece of Giyuu's toast. "Besides, it was hilarious. You should have seen your face when he started yelling about us being 'demon spawn.'" Giyuu slaps Sanemi's hand away from his toast, though he's laughing now.
"Yes, hilarious until security showed up. I still have nightmares about that incident." He shakes his head fondly, remembering how they had to escape through the kitchen. "And you call our cat going to be trouble?" After breakfast, Sanemi and Giyuu finish getting ready to head to the shelter. Sanemi drives them there in his sleek black car.
"Ready to meet our future troublemaker?" he asks with a smirk as they pull into the parking lot. Giyuu looks at the shelter building nervously, fidgeting with his seatbelt. "I hope they have something... manageable. Maybe a shy kitten who just needs love?" Sanemi parks the car and turns to Giyuu with a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, we'll find the perfect one. And if they don't have what we want, we'll keep looking until we do." Sanemi gets out and opens Giyuu's door, offering his hand. "Come on. The sooner we go in, the sooner we can get our new family member." He leads Giyuu toward the entrance, where several cats can be seen through the windows.
"And who knows? Maybe they'll have that white and orange one I mentioned." As they enter the shelter, Giyuu is immediately greeted by a friendly volunteer. "Welcome! Are you two looking to adopt today?" Sanemi nods enthusiastically while Giyuu clutches his arm, overwhelmed by all the cats. "Yes, we're interested in seeing some kittens." The volunteer leads them to a room filled with playful little furballs.*
"We have several kittens who need loving homes. Would you like to meet them first?" Sanemi kneels down by the kittens, while Giyuu stays standing, watching with a mix of fascination and apprehension.
"These are adorable!" Sanemi exclaims, reaching out to pet one. The volunteer gestures to a group of playful kittens tumbling over each other in a box.
"These are our newest arrivals. They're about eight weeks old and ready for their forever homes." Giyuu sneeze and Sanemi quickly stands up. He pulls Giyuu away from the kittens. "Giyuu, you should step back. We don't want your allergies getting worse." The volunteer nods understandingly and moves the kittens to another area. "We have some older cats too, if you'd prefer. They're less active but just as cuddly." Sanemi looks concerned as Giyuu rubs his nose, his eyes already starting to water.
"Let's check out the older cats. We can always come back for the kittens another day." The volunteer leads them to a quieter section where several adult cats lounge about. "These cats are all spayed and neutered, and have been here for a while. They're great companions who just need someone special to love them." Giyuu sits down on a nearby bench, trying to compose himself as he watches the adult cats.
"They're beautiful..." he murmurs, particularly drawn to a gray tabby cat lounging in a sunny spot. Sanemi sits beside him, watching his reaction carefully. "That one seems to like you. Want to go meet her?" Giyuu nods hesitantly, still sniffling a bit. "Yeah... she's pretty calm. Maybe she won't make my allergies worse." The volunteer approaches with the gray tabby, who purrs softly as she's lifted into Giyuu's lap.
"This is Mochi. She's three years old and very gentle. She loves naps and cuddles." Mochi immediately curls up in Giyuu's lap, purring louder as he gently strokes her fur. "She seems perfect for you," Sanemi whispers, watching how relaxed Giyuu looks with the cat. The volunteer smiles warmly at the scene. "Mochi is actually one of our more reserved cats. She doesn't warm up to everyone right away, but she seems quite comfortable with you."
Giyuu's eyes light up as Mochi starts kneading his thigh with her paws, clearly enjoying the attention. "She's so soft... and she doesn't make me sneeze as much as the kittens." Sanemi grins, already knowing they've found their cat. "I think we've found our demon cat after all. Though she's definitely more of a sweetheart than a troublemaker." The volunteer notices Giyuu's attachment to Mochi and speaks softly.