a strange case of mistaken cats in the night

sasukesassthetic:

prompt: ssm17, day 31

summary: no, that’s my cat.

notes: thanks for tuning in this month, i’ll probably write more, stick around ❤

it was late in the evening that sasuke would see the sheen of his coat slink in through the living room window, as he ate his dinner in front of a muted television, an LSAT workbook in his lap. sasuke would assume his duty as an owner and give the semi-present cat a can of tuna, at which point the feline would allow him several moments of scritches on the cheeks before digging in. nights with sasuke were of quiet coexistence.

in the mornings, sakura would wake to the sound of claws at her balcony door. sleepily, the medical intern would drag herself from the bed, or the couch— or wherever she so happened to pass out the previous night after a long day at the hospital—and allow the fine black cat to saunter in for breakfast. often, she wonders just where it is the creature goes many nights, but long ago she accepted that, regardless of speech ability or opposable thumbs, everybody has a schedule. she picks the cat up typically without much protest, and snuffles her face against his, offer an eskimo kiss or two, before setting him down for his meal. by the time she’s in her scrubs and out the door, he’s a lump of useless fur on the sofa. still, she smiles, “goodnight, taro-san,” and departs out the door to start her day.

it’s that summer that the local animal control begins posting notices that animals be required to wear a collar, or risk being taken to the shelter. sasuke reads this one morning over coffee, his mouth contorting in the slightest as he finished the article. a seed of concern planted itself as he looked out the window and wondered where his silent companion might be. “he’s fine,” he tells himself as he dresses and departs for work. he would make it a point to stop by the pet store that afternoon to make tags for the fleeting feline, complete with sasuke’s address, his telephone number, and a name that simply read: cat.

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