Big Book of Rythna One Shots

Cat-Sitting (S)

TW: Random AU

"Get the fuck off my couch!"

It is more the volume than the words, Rythian notes dryly, that wakes his uninvited guest. Blond hair, mussed and trying desperately to fluff out, is shaken and scraped away to reveal startlingly deep green eyes. Rythian finds himself thinking, just for a moment, that this appearance fits the man. He catches himself just before he thinks that the man actually looks good, sprawled on his couch as he is.

The man's rumbling groan is enough to pull Rythian from his unwelcome thoughts and back to his present annoyance.

"Who are you?" He demands, tossing his bag beside the door and storming over to face the stranger. 

"Why are you in my apartment? I haven't been home in weeks!"

"Three and a half weeks," the stranger mumbles, rubbing at his eyes with one hand and pushing Rythian back with the other. "Hospital, right?"

Rythian can only stand there and stare as the man pushes himself into a sitting position, meeting the purple gaze with sleepy innocence.

"How- how did you get in here?" Rythian exclaims, reaching into his pocket to feel for the only key he has - the one he just unlocked the door with.

"Landlady," the stranger says blurrily. "Heard your cat. Asked for a key." He gestures at his legs, and Rythian finally notices his cat curled on the man's lap. "Hadn't been fed for three days."

"O-Okay?" It's an explanation, or at least part of one, and the man falls back on to the arm of the couch, closing his eyes again.

"...Are you just going to sleep there?"

"If you'll let me." The man seems to doubt he'll be kicked out.

"Who are you, anyway?" Rythian can't help but pester him one last time.

"Lalna. Room 133-6. Down the hall," he says, and waves his arm in the general direction without opening his eyes.

Quietly Rythian picks up his bag, slinking into the kitchen to prepare a silent morning snack. It's no wonder that Lalna fell asleep; midnight was a few hours ago.

Rythian stretches leisurely. It is his fault, he supposes, for demanding to be let out of the hospital at such an unreasonable time - he just couldn't stand all of the depression and grief a second longer.
A tiny prrrrow draws his attention, and he notices his cat rubbing against his ankles.

"Hey, Zoey," he says, crouching to let her rub against his hand. "Sorry for leaving for so long. I tried to come back to you, you know, but I couldn't."

Her forgiveness is shown only in a slow purr and a good-natured flick of her ears. Rythian smiles at her, running a hand through her fur one last time before standing up.

He glances once more at Lalna, who is doubtlessly going to sleep there for as long as time allows. He's had access to Rythian's apartment for nearly a month now; if he wanted to do something, he's had plenty of time already.

It doesn't take Rythian long to devour his snack - it's so much better than hospital food. He stretches again, yawns, and looks at the clock. Definitely time to go to bed.

He's grateful for the fact that Lalna doesn't snore. His apartment suddenly has much less space between the bedroom and the living room, and he sleeps restlessly.

Rythian is grateful for the fact that Lalna stayed because he wakes up to the smell of breakfast. It's better than the little coffee shop he normally stops at, better than the times he's let the girl next door cook for him.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Lalna greets him. The blond grins, winks, and turns to continue cooking.

"What are you making?" Rythian asks cautiously. The smell is new, but not entirely unpleasant.

"Just bacon and eggs," Lalna says with an easy smile. This person is so different from the stranger Rythian saw last night that he can only stand and stare, for a moment. "Haven't you ever had them before?"

"Not for a while," Rythian says as he sinks onto a kitchen stool. "I typically have pastries for breakfast." He squints suspiciously at Lalna. "I don't have any bacon. Where'd you get it?"

"I grabbed it out of my apartment," he says with a laugh. "I never clean the dishes so it's easier to cook here."

Rythian has nothing to say to that, so he falls silent and simply watches this almost-a-stranger cook him breakfast in his own kitchen. He likes the easy rhythm the man seems to have as he cooks, and he barely notices as a plate is set before him.

"Hey," Lalna scolds him teasingly, "you're welcome to eat me, but I think the breakfast would taste better."

It takes a moment for the words to register, but when they do, Rythian turns red and glares at the food on his plate. He ignores the little voice that tells him to rise to Lalna's words, instead getting up and taking cutlery from the drawer. He offers a knife and fork to Lalna, unsurprised when he's already got his own.

"Don't go so quiet," the blond tells him as he sits back down. "You're more fun when you're angry."

"I am plenty angry," Rythian snaps, knowing that it's the wrong word but not caring. "I haven't forgiven you for breaking into my house, you know."

"I did not break in," Lalna protests. "I have my own key."

Rythian opens his mouth to ask for the key back, but the little voice in his head shushes him before he can say anything. Maybe it won't be so bad, letting this man into his life - if only to cook for him.
Before he can make up his mind about anything, Lalna jolts upright and streaks out of his chair, making it halfway to the door before Rythian stops him.

"Where're you going?" Rythian grips his wrist, not quite sure why he was so determined to stop Lalna but reluctant to let go.

"Gonna be late for work," Lalna says hurriedly, tugging himself away from Rythian and dashing off down the hall. Rythian can only stand there for a moment, tempted to chase after him, if only for the sake of doing so.

Then he shakes his head, and goes to finish his - begrudgingly admitted - wonderful breakfast. He'd quite like to get back to work today, even if the hospital staff had advised against it.

By the end of his day, he almost agrees with them. His boss was just as slow and careless as always, and he hadn't the patience to deal with the man's secretary. He's tired and grumpy, and his foot is hurting him and-

And god dammit, why is this man in his house again.

"Oh, you're home," trills the blond from his place at the kitchen counter. Rythian would growl at him if not for the scent coming from the oven.

"Why are you so determined to cook for me?" Rythian sets down his bag and goes over to stand before Lalna, a half formed challenge hidden in his stance.

Lalna just pecks him on the cheek and winks. "Can't have you overexerting yourself, can we? If I'd had the choice, I'd rather you stayed at home."

Rythian flares indignantly at the kiss - not as much as he should, but enough - and stumbles to find a retort. He settles with a few grumbles and goes to sit on the other side of the counter, which seems to have become his place.

"What will it take to get rid of you?" Rythian asks, only for the sake of argument. He's not entirely sure he'd like to get rid of this blond man.

"A few kisses," Lalna says, "and a good night's sleep."

The kisses, Rythian hopes, will be easy to give - but he's not so sure Lalna will sleep undisturbed.

Credit to britishparty on tumblr