You sit by the back door and poke the cat door once, making it swing in and out.
When there isn’t an answer, you poke it again, harder.
Still no answer.
Fine, you’ll just have to go and get him, won’t you. You poke your head through the cat door gently and look around. Nope, nobody here but the obvious. Kiku must be around here somewhere.
“Kiku?” you meow, walking right in. You pass the kitchen and notice the black and white cat sat in the corner by his food bowl, ears back as he hears your meowing. You stop in the doorway and he looks happier when he notices it’s you and not some random intruder.
You grin and walk up to him, “Hey, Kiku. Not coming outside today?”
“Oh, it’s only you, ________.”
He isn’t the most talkative of your friends, but he is one of the nicest and one you could happily get on with. Kiku usually just sits there and listens to whatever you had to say and you liked that.
“Don’t sound so pleased to see me, Kiku,” you say, getting closer to him so that you’re leaning against him, your long tail winding around his little one. He looks down and starts to push you away with his back leg, causing you to slide across the slippery kitchen tiles. Shuffling closer to him again, you smirk.
“…I don’t… What are you…” he starts to say, giving you another nudge. Being a light cat, you slide across the tiles again with ease and are actually entertained instead of being annoyed.
“Aww, c’mon, Kiku! Come outside!”
Kiku doesn’t seem too keen on the idea. Instead he just gives you another shove when you get too close.
“Please don’t keep doing that. You’re invading my personal space,” he mumbles, trotting towards the door. Your face lights up, assuming he’s coming outside with you, but he simply sits down by his water bowl.
“Is something wrong?” you ask, putting a paw on his back.
“No, ________, I just don’t like it very much. I’d rather stay inside today.”
He wriggles out from underneath you. You frown, “Ok, fine. I’m going out. Come join me when you’re ready to stop being so… anti-social.”
“H-huh? I’m not being-” he starts to say, but you leave the room and push out of the cat door again.
Personal space, huh? Even though Kiku hasn’t come outside, now you know what bugs him, and bugging people is what you can do best!
“Hey, ________!”
You look up to see Feliciano hanging from the fence, back legs kicking in an attempt to hoist himself up. He drops down on your side of the fence.
“Hi, Feli,” you say, wandering towards him. He instantly jumps on you, nearly knocking you over.
“Hi there, pretty kitty! You’re looking lovely this morning! I like your ribbon! What are you doing here?” he asks, hopping around you. You roll your eyes at your friend. Even now he keeps complimenting you like he does with the other lady-cats.
“Trying to get Kiku to come outside. But, he’s having personal space issues,” you explain, flicking your tail in disappointment.
“Is that all?! I know how to make him happy again!” Feliciano announces, waving his paws around madly, “All you have to do is jump on him from a shelf or something!”
“…uh, Feli, I don’t think-” you stop yourself.
“Sure you do! Do you want me to do it for you?”
“No, its fine, Feli.”
“C’mon, ________, just go and jump on him! I’ll distract him!” Feliciano suddenly dives through the cat door.
Sighing, you decide to follow him inside anyway. As you slip in through the cat door after him, you see him pointing his paws at the kitchen counters. He then runs off towards the lounge, yelling, “Hey, Kiku!” There’s a pause, “You’re in here! Y’know, I’ve seen something so cool in your kitchen that you should go and check out right now!”
You narrow your eyes. He’s such a moron some times. You take this as his way of saying ‘you can jump on him from there’, so you go in and leap up onto the counter, seriously doubting that this will work.
Feli comes trotting in first, followed by Kiku.
“What is it you want me to see, Feliciano?” Kiku asked.
“Oh, looks like it’s gone now!” Feli said.
“…okaaay. Well, if you’ve finished here then I guess I’ll see you later.” Kiku lay down on the floor.
“H-huh? What is wrong with you, Kiku? Why are you so sad today? Do you need cheering up?!” Feli asks, putting extra emphasis on the last two words.
Kiku sighs, “No. I just recently realised something and I didn’t know how to explain it to ________. I like ________ a lot and it’s getting to the stage where I find it awkward to be around her.”
You perk up in interest, listening intently. …Like? As in, like like?
Wow, that was… well, the cat lying right below you was shy, he was quiet, he was… kind. And sweet.
“Wow! If ________ could hear you now, I’m sure she’d cheer you up a bit more!” Feliciano announces. He glances up at you when Kiku wasn’t looking at him, but you shook your head. Looking disappointed, he flicking his tail once.
“Well, I don’t know…” Kiku mumbled. Feliciano looked annoyed at you.
Deciding to make you ‘cheer him up’, he then leaps up behind you and pushes you off of the counter. You wail as you fall right onto Kiku.
“Myaaaaah!” Kiku cries, with a slight hiss. He knocks you off and pushes you so hard you fly down the kitchen and out of the doorway.
Feliciano covers his mouth with his paws, mumbling, “…oopsie. Uh, my bad?”