Love is a game (Love in the air collection)

Rain The Cat Whisperer

Five year old Rain was crying and pleading with his parents. "Please can't we keep them, they followed me home and I love them so much."

Rain's mother looked at the three kittens sitting on the front step, she wants to say yes, would like nothing more than to say yes. How to explain to the five year old that she is allergic to these cute little fluff balls. What's more this isn't even the first time, for some reason Rain is always attracting cats to him. If they had kept them all they would have well over 100 cats by now.

"Rain, you know we can't," his father steps in. "They make mom all itchy and ugly." His wife smacks him on the arm at this but Rain sniffles and smiles a little.

"We'll find them a good home, I promise." His mom tells him.

14 years later

Phayu and Rain had been dating about 2 months the first time it happened. Phayu had come home from work to find Rain asleep on a lounge chair by the pool. Two cats, a larger ginger and a black and white tuxedo cat, asleep on his chest. Another three, all tabbies, sleeping in various spots around his chair.

Phayu stood staring in amazement. They didn't have a cat, much less five.

"Rain." Phayu says keeping his voice even.

Rain opened his eyes and smiled at him, "P'Phayu you are home!"

"Where did these cats come from?" Phayu asks.

Rain blinks as if he just noticed his furry blanket. "Oh, they belongs to the auntie next door."

"Why are they here?"

Rain only shrugs and tells the cats to go home now. To Phayu's amazement they do just that but not before the big ginger one turns to glare at him grumpily as if he has interrupted their nap time.

The next time it happens they are walking past one of those cat cafes where they adopt out cats. Just as they pass by, one of the patrons opens the door and a flood of cats make a dash straight towards Rain. Rain only sighs and leads them back inside, telling them to stay inside where it's safe so they can find their forever homes. Again the cats obey Rain as if he is some sort of cat whisperer.

Then there was the time Rain and Phayu took Rain's eight year old cousin to the zoo for her birthday. Everything was pretty normal until they reached the large cat habitats where you could view the cats safely through the thick glass. Every where Rain went the cats would all rush to the glass and sit as patiently and meekly as puppies waiting on a treat. Lions, pumas, tigers, jaguars, it didn't seem to matter they all flocked to where Rain was.

Worst of all was the night Rain forgot to close the windows. Phayu is rudely awakened by a furry cannonball landing directly in the center of his chest. He looks around and his eyes widen in amazement. There are no less than twenty cats some sleeping, some moving around the room chasing bits of light or playing with each other.

He nudges Rain awake who looks around and giggles, but stops at a look from Phayu.

"I'm sorry, P'Phayu, I will make them leave." He issues commands to the cats and all but one leaves. The one that stays is a huge Siamese/Burmese mix in desperate need of a bath and good meal.

"What about this one?" Phayu asks Rain.

Rain looks at Siamese sadly. "She doesn't have a home to return to. Phi, please let her stay tonight. I will take her to the shelter tomorrow."

Phayu sighs, "Just tonight. Promise."

"I swear," Rain says giving Phayu a kiss on the cheek.

"Why don't you open a can of tuna for her. There's some in the pantry. Also don't forget to close the windows this time silly boy." Phayu tells him, ruffling his hair.

Rain takes the cat downstairs to feed her and gets her a dish of water as well. He also takes some shredded papers from the office shredder and puts these into a shallow cardboard carton that drinks had come in as a makeshift sandbox.

When Phayu wakes up again he realizes that Rain never came back to bed. He goes downstairs to find his boyfriend asleep on the sofa. The cat was curled up asleep next to him.

Phayu looks at the sight with soft eyes and a little smile. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have a cat. Rain probably gets lonely staying here by himself when Phayu works late.

Phayu goes and gently shakes Rain awake. "Go take a shower and get dressed, naughty boy. I will make a vet appointment."

"A vet appointment?" Rain asks in sleepy confusion.

Phayu nods at the cat, "To get her checked out and all of her shots up to date. Also you probably need to come up with a name, they'll want something to put down on her paperwork."

Rain gasps, "We can keep her? Really?" He asks excitedly.

Phayu nods at him. He is happy that Rain is happy to be honest. He would agree to have 20 cats to see that look on Rain's face. He won't tell Rain that though, one cat is enough.

Phayu takes the day off to take Arellia, as Rain has named her, to the vet and the pet store for food and supplies. Arellia happily explores her new home while Phayu and Rain puts together a cat tree and finds the best spot for her food and water dishes and sandboxes.

Rain still attracts cat when they go out but Arellia has become so possessive of their home that none of the neighbor's cats dare even set a paw in their yard. So that's a bonus in Phayu's eyes.

********

Notes:

Prompt from discord who wanted a cat story.