Hello! A few things:

Obviously, thank you for taking your time to look at/read this.

Second, there are some depressive thoughts throughout the story, tiny mention of self harm. The notes will let you know if there is any in that particular chapter. (PLEASE! do not think this story is about love saving Kenma from being depressed. It's not.)

Third, I had to make someone the bad guy. I know Kageyama is a cute lil dork and I love him as much as everyone else, but he sort of fit for the path I took; I didn't want to have to make a completely new character.

Thank you, enjoy!

Scratch

Chapter 1:

What's New, Pussycat?

The elevator stopped at floor five, the doors opening with a small ding! Kenma Kozume stepped out of the apartment building's elevator, shuffling over to the door labeled 501, skillfully unlocking it and opened the door in no time at all. He quickly stepped in and turned around to close the door, checking and double checking that none of his four cats got out through the door.

After a swift head count of, yes, four, he sighed and relaxed. It would really, really, be an unnecessary hassle if one of his precious kitties got out. Not only would the cats - who are indoor cats; they wouldn't last a day without being fed - annoy his neighbor Kageyama in 502, but the landlord would be told, and there goes all four cats.

Animals, cats included, were forbidden in Karasuno Apartments. Not only did Kenma immediately break the rule, but Kenma had four cats. Four. Despite being in his mid-20s and a guy, he was still known as the crazy cat lady.

Two of the cats came bounding up to Kenma, pawing at his ankles. He squatted down, ruffling the hair of Colin, a feisty adolescent cat with pure black hair, except for a quirk of orange on the tip of his tail. The other cat meowed angrily, annoyed with the attention on Colin. Kenma chuckled and gave Lynn a long stroke, who purred appreciatively.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Kenma realized it was almost 6 - about time for the news. He stood back up, smoothing out his nice clothes, which were now covered in cat hair. Lynn huffed and shook her beautiful blonde coat, before dashing off to attack Colin.

If those two were humans, they would be like Kageyama and Shouyou, he chuckled to himself, amused at how Lynn was pouncing on Colin. However, Colin was having none of it - he swiftly bit at Lynn and she yelped. She stalked off, pouting in a corner.

Kenma was about to plop down on the leather couch before he - thankfully! - noticed that a third cat was sprawled out in his favorite spot, cat-napping. He sighed exasperatedly; it was like they knew it was his favorite spot. Well, actually, they probably did: that's the only place he ever sat.

"Come on, Clyde. You know I like that spot." Kenma murmured, too lazy to be angry. As if in response, Clyde looked up at Kenma before meowing and resting his head again. "This is what I get for taking you in? You're lucky you're so cute, Clyde."

Another meow.

Kenma shook his head with a small smile, and turned the tv on. He walked into the kitchen to make sure the water dish and dry cat food dish was full. Reaching into the pantry, he pulled out a wet cat food can. He was about to open it and prepare himself for the rampage of hungry cats before he heard a pitiful meow. The noise was more like a cry, than a meow, though.

He turned towards the sound, and looked down. Sugar, his fourth cat, was sprawled on the floor. But she didn't look like she usually did - she was a bit chunkier. Kenma knew this, but hadn't been worried, because it wasn't an unhealthy amount of weight gain. She had also been a little more irritable with the other cats more than usual, though he hadn't thought anything of it.

Suddenly, Sugar started retching and threw up all over the kitchen floor. Kenma shrieked. He ran over, scooped her up in his arms and hastily put a bunch of paper towels over the vomit. At this point, he didn't need any of his other cats starting mischief by eating it.

He fidgeted, unsure of what to do. As panic took over his mind, he grabbed his coat, keys, shoes and darted out the door, still somehow making sure the other three cats did not leave. How Kenma managed to get shoes and a coat on while holding a very sick cat, he didn't know. All he knew is Sugar needed help and soon.

"Could the elevator be any slower?" he groaned, waiting for the doors to open to the lobby. Almost on instinct, he hid Sugar in his coat before dashing out the opening doors and out to the parking lot. He got in his car, started the ignition and sped away towards the nearest emergency animal hospital.

Thankfully, the hospital was only a few minutes away, but in the few minutes it did take Kenma to arrive, Sugar had threw up again - on his nice coat. But with no time to care about that, Kenma picked Sugar up again and ran into the vet's office.

Gasping, he kneeled over at the receptionist's desk, "I - cat - sick - please help."

The young man looked over Kenma, his eyebrow quirked.

"What's wrong with the cat?"

"She… she… keeps throwing up. Um, and, she's gotten much chubbier. Also, she seems more low-key than usual lately, I don't know. Can I see the vet?"

He smiled, one that wasn't 100% genuine, but still kind. A knowing smile. The receptionist leaned over and brought out a paper and clipboard out of a drawer. "Please fill this out." Kenma's face fell, utterly devastated. What about Sugar? She needed help now, for all he knew, she could be dying!

"Dr. Kuroo will be out in a jiffy, I promise," he responded, to help ease the young man's worries.

No sooner than Kenma had sat down, wrote his name, and Sugar's symptoms did Dr. Kuroo come out. At first, Kenma hadn't noticed him - too busy filling out paperwork. A boisterous laugh brought him back to reality, and looked up to see the doctor.

"... Doctor Kuroo?" he inquired, unsure to as how a rugged man like him could possibly be a doctor.

"Yup! That'd be me!" He responded, his hair sloshing everywhere. It reminded Kenma of a bird's nest. A very, very, untamed bird's nest. "SO, what can I do for ya?"

"Oh, right. Sugar is sick. Please help."

Dr. Kuroo gestured for Kenma to follow, and they went into a white room. There was a couple chairs, and a table that served for a scale, as well. Fidgety, Kenma looked around. The whiteness was almost creepy, unnerving even.

He put Sugar down on the table/scale thing that he had no clue what its name was, still unsure if Kuroo was really a vet. He looked like he would be anything BUT someone who helps others. Drifting off for a second, Kenma imagined the vet as a different profession. Maybe a race car driver. Or a grave digger. Something seriously outrageous, something like that would definitely suit him.

Kenma was brought back into reality when Kuroo had asked him a question. "Ah, what? Sorry."

"I asked what this little cutie here's symptoms are," he answered with a small smirk on his face. A tall, dark haired, smirking man definitely did not look right petting his cat.

"Oh. I dunno, like, she's been kinda sad. And she's gotten fatter. And she threw up a lot today." Kenma explained. "Ruined my nice new coat, too," he muttered quietly, Kuroo's smirk growing.

"Ah, I guess we have an innocent boy today, huh? You're too cute. What was your name, again?"

"I never told you my name. It's, uh, Kenma. Kenma Kozume," he responded quietly, a tad embarrassed.

"WHOA! Like, the famous video game developer Kenma Kozume?!"

Kenma nodded.

"Woah, that's awesome, man. Anyway, your cutie here is preggo," Kuroo explained casually, effortly transitioning from a compliment to a serious topic. It took a moment, but Kenma visibly blanched. There was no way he could take any more pets - he already had four cats.

"Wha-what? Pregnant? How?" Kenma stuttered in disbelief. Usually nothing could surprise him, but this definitely threw him off. Plus, the vet he had to deal with wasn't exactly helping his nerves.

"Well, cats, just like humans, get pregnant when a mommy and a daddy love -" Kuroo was quickly cut off by Kenma.

"Shut up."

Kenma scowled, turning red from both embarrassment and frustration. At his sudden outburst, he looked away and his voice dropped to a whisper. "You and I both know I didn't mean it like that! I … " he trailed off, unsure what to say. Here, Kenma was, his precious Sugar was pregnant and the goddamn vet was a dumbass. Ah, my new coat is ruined as well. Let's not forget that.

"Mmmm… so as I was saying, Sugar is pregnant. It seems she's about 6 weeks along, which means there's probably about 3-4 weeks left. I think the reason she hasn't been eating is probably cause you're not feeding her the right food - which makes sense, ya know, cause you didn't even know she was knocked up!" Kuroo laughed, still petting Sugar. After a moment of silence, the vet pressed lightly on Sugar's stomach, did some other vet-like stuff, and he nodded to himself. "Yup, definitely about 3 weeks to go."

Kenma nodded back, still in a daze. Kuroo continued to talk, something about giving her some vitamins to help with the vomiting and so on. Kenma tuned in, though, when Dr. Kuroo started to give some tips.

"If I were you, I would go out and buy some cat food specifically for newborns and pregnant kitties. Plus, put down a lot more food, they'll need it. Ahhh, um, keep some food out for her at all times - that'll definitely help. Oh! Many people forget this, but Sugar still needs to exercise."

Kuroo paused, looking at Kenma with a thoughtful look on his face, trying to remember anything else he might have forgotten. Kenma couldn't help but think the look didn't really fit him very well. Kuroo gave the impression that he was all smirks, not thoughtful and kind. "Ah, do you have other cats?"

Kenma nodded. "Yes, I have 3 others. Two male and a female."

"Keep Sugar separated from them, alright? It'll be best for everyone, I promise. Try to keep Sugar in like, your bedroom or something. Other than that, everything should be okay!"

"You talk way too much…" Kenma muttered under his breath. He stood up, shakily, and thanked Kuroo. He took Sugar in his arms and went out to the receptionist to pay. Of course, the vet followed. To be polite, and keep himself sane, he weakly joked, "Um, thanks, Dr. Kuroo. I feel better. Sugar's only pregnant - I guess that's better than dying, huh?"

"You are very much wel -" Again, Kuroo was cut off.

"Ah, so she IS pregnant!" the receptionist squealed. Both looked at him, confused. "Oh, ah, I knew your cat was pregnant when you walked in. It was really obvious, I was surprised you didn't realize it."

"Well you know, Kenma here is an innocent lil boy!" Kuroo laughed, not-too-lightly, either. All Kenma could do was blush. Which he did.

"You're annoying."

"Thanks, I know."

Kenma scowled, this guy was so irritating… seriously, how was he even a vet, how was he around cute animals all the time? He didn't get it. Lost in his grumbling, he didn't realize Kuroo had gotten nearer until Sugar started purring.

"Why is Sugar purring? She doesn't like anyone except me."

He also hadn't realized he had spoken aloud until he heard that same voice that had been grating on his nerves all day. Usually Kenma could keep his thoughts to himself. What was wrong with him?

"Well, you know, I'm not just anyone! I am Dr. Tetsurou Kuroo!"

Kenma only laughed feebly. Sugar didn't like anyone. And she's pregnant. And the previous vet was even more-so a jerk than Kuroo. And Sugar likes this vet. Oh, she's pregnant. Did he forget to mention that? That too. Kenma made a decision he would probably kick himself for later - but it was all for his precious Sugar! At least, that's what he was telling himself.

"Ah. Dr. Kuroo."

"Mmmhmmm?" he drawled in response.

"Can you be my - I mean, Sugar's - primary vet? She hates everyone. But she's pregnant right now. So could you? It'd be… a great… help…" Kenma said, grinding out the last part.

Said vet gaped at Kenma, before his face blossomed into a smile - granted, it was still half smirk, but it was a smile none the less. He looks so much more handsome when he smiles like that, Kenma sighed dreamily, before scolding himself for thinking this idiot was even remotely handsome.

"Of course I'll be your vet! I'll make sure Sugar has the easiest pregnancy ever, alrighty? I'll make sure your other kitties are good as well. Here's my number!" Kuroo scrawled a number out on - funnily enough - a napkin, before handing it to Kenma. In a stage-whisper, Kuroo may or may not have mentioned that the number was his personal cell.

All of a sudden, Kenma began to regret asking the doctor to be his primary vet. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to shake Kuroo for a long, long time. He'd be bothered forever. Sugar shuffled in his arms, whining about being held for so long, forcing Kenma to make a decision. He took the napkin and shoved it in his pocket before scurrying along to his car without saying goodbye.

"Call me!" was the last thing he heard as the automatic doors closed behind him.

"Well damn, he was really cute, what do you think Oikawa?" Kuroo asked, a full blown smirk on his face. He looked down at his receptionist, waiting for an answer.

"You and I both know if I agree with you that you'll whine about me stealing all the hot people. Anyway, I'm nearly 99.98% sure he was gay too, dumbass. Or at least bisexual," Oikawa responded, the utmost respect in his voice. "I'm not gay."

"If you say so," Kuroo said, wiggling his eyebrows at his friend. Then, he leaned both elbows on the desk, looking off dreamily. "Do ya think he'll call me?"

"Mmm…" Oikawa fake concentrated. "Yes. But not because he likes you, you know? Probably because he's so clueless on how to help his cat."

The two laughed.

"That's really funny, 'cause he told me he has 3 other cats. Like how can you have 4 cats and not know one of 'em is preggo?" Kuroo snorted. "He must be an idiot."

Despite what he said being an insult, Oikawa could immediately sense the fondness. Or, since it was Kuroo, the I-want-to-annoy-them-forever type of fondness. He grinned a Cheshire cat (ha!) grin before making a 'whipping' sound an emotion.

"Oh shut up, Oikawa. So what I think he's cute? When was the last time you actually liked someone? All I see you do anymore is flirt and get laid. Come on. Where's the romance? Where's the flowers and kisses and dates?" They stared at each other for a couple seconds before bursting out laughing again.

"Ooooohhh man, you're far gone already, dude. It was like, a half hour, and now you're acting like a kid in a cheesy romance movie. Pretty sure he doesn't like you anyway, he totally called you annoying."

Kuroo waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Doesn't matter. He'll fall for my charm, just like you did."

Oikawa snorted. "Right. Because it's not like I'm straight or anything. The only reason I work here is because the pay's good and I hardly have to do anything. Plus, I get to comfort pretty girls who are sad 'cause their dog is sick."

"You're such an ass."

"So are you."

Back in the safety of his apartment, Kenma put Sugar in his bedroom with plenty of food and water, and shut the door. He glanced at the clock, 8pm… I'm not tired, but there's not really anything to do…

Kenma decided he'd pay Shouyou a visit - he could use some cheerfulness. Plus, he was hungry, and Shouyou always, always had food. Before he left, he checked the food - refilled the food bowl, and dumped the water and filled the water bowl up with clean water. He pet Lynn, Clyde, and Colin before escaping his little Cat Heaven.

Looking around nervously, Kenma knocked at door 503. It was really weird. Kenma lived in 501, and befriended Shouyou in 503, but he still felt so awkward passing by Kageyama in 502, like the dark haired man knew whenever Kenma was walking by. So when Shouyou opened the door, he fled the dark hallway and into Shouyou's sunny apartment. How it was sunny at 8:10pm, he didn't know.

But it was Shouyou, so of course everything was sunshine-y.

"Ooooh, Kenma. What a surprise, who knew you would talk to me first?" Shouyou said, bouncing on his feet, full of energy.

"Mm, Shouyou, I had a really really weird day. Can we play some video games or something to get my mind off it?" Kenma asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Usually he didn't ask - it was offered. This day was just all around weird. And unnatural. Yeah. Don't forget unnatural. Stupid vet.

And so, Shouyou and Kenma played video games. He was no match for the famous video game developer seeing as he actually made these games. A few battles and several deaths later, the orange-head huffed and fell back onto the couch.

"Uncle, I give, I give. You win," he frowned, "like always."

Kenma stretched - a stretch that looked awfully like a cat. Learned from experience, apparently. He got up, shuffling to the kitchen and grabbing everything edible before sitting down again. He stuffed a couple chips in his mouth, before remembering why he actually came. "Ahh, Shouyou. Sugar is pregnant."

"OOH! Is she really? That's great! I wonder which one of your silly little kitties got her pregnant. Cause, you know, she's an indoor cat - I haven't seen her outside, once! I bet it was Clyde. He likes to cause trouble and I'm pretty sure that Lynn and Colin are like, soulmates, anyway."

Kenma smiled. Lynn and Colin, soulmates, huh? It was a possibility.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Kenma murmured, responding to who the father could be. "It doesn't matter. She's pregnant. She'll have kittens. The end. Except not the end because I can't have any more cats… Four is already a hand full."

Leaning back, Shouyou crossed his arms. He was thinking - probably the first time in a while, as the room suddenly smelled like something was burning. "That's true. You already have 4 cats. Ah… Maybe I could take one? But you can't tell anyone, alright?! I'll take one, cause your cats are always the nicest and therefore mine could see its mommy!"

Kenma looked confused, before breaking into his once-in-a-blue-moon smile. "That would be wonderful. Thank you. But are you sure you want to break the no-animals rule? And what about Kageyama?"

"Ah-ha! Well! I've always been a rule breaker, you see," Shouyou laughed, unsurprisingly proud of himself. "And, actually, Kageyama likes cats as well. He just doesn't like you, cause, uh, well…" He rubbed his arm nervously. "Well. We're together. Okay. Me and him. Like, boyfriend and boyfriend, you know?"

Kenma nodded.

"Yeah, well, he has a big possessive streak. He doesn't like you cause we hang out so much and he's super jealous, which is actually kinda cute, but you know, at the same time, rude, cause, you're my friend, and .. and - " Shouyou gasped for air, as he was talking way too quickly. He took a deep breath. "Yeah. He's jealous. He thinks you'll take me away from him, or something. He thinks you're gay, which doesn't make sense cause you're totally obviously not!"

"Uh. Shouyou?"

Shouyou looked over at him and cocked his head. He looked so cute, kinda like a puppy. Don't say stuff like that, Kenma! That's why Kageyama doesn't like you. He can tell you have a crush on Shouyou!

"Ah. About that. I actually am gay."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So… Then, do you actually like me? Like he said?" Shouyou asked, his lip quivering. He looked sad. Probably because he thought he broke Kenma's heart when he started dating Kageyama. Something both kind and ridiculous like that.

"Should I be honest or say what you wanna hear?"

"Uh. Honest?" Shouyou said, though he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

"Mm, yeah, I have a crush on you. But don't worry, I think you two look good together, even if Kageyama doesn't like me. And…" Kenma trailed off, not sure if he should even admit this to Shouyou - because that would mean admitting it to himself.

"Yeah?" Shouyou pressed on.

"There's kinda, uh, someone else. I really don't like him, at all, but he's kind of hard to ignore. I only met him today, it's ridiculous; I feel like I'm in a romantic comedy." His lips quirked into a small smile, before continuing his half-explanation, half-rant. "Maybe since he was the one that told me Sugar would be fine, he took advantage of my vulnerability and that's why I keep thinking about him. That's a psychology thing, right?"

Shouyou looked at him strangely. "... Sure."

Though the words that had been said sounded like insults, Shouyou knew his friend well enough to know that it wasn't the case at all. He also knew that Kenma got along well with people that put effort into a friendship or relationship. As long as he was happy, it didn't really matter to him.

"Sugar likes him, and right now, that's all that matters."