Soap 0027

You spotted him on the street—small, dirty, and shivering. The kitten was sitting under a bush, whining pitifully. You didn't hesitate for a second, just leaned down and picked him up. He clung to your jacket with his tiny claws and didn't seem to be about to let go.

Soap greeted you at home with suspicion. He sat on the couch, drinking tea and looking at your hands, where a wet lump was trying to hide under your arm.

"Who did you bring here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The kitten," you answered guiltily. "He was cold and alone. I couldn't leave him there."

Soap sighed, put down his mug and came closer, examining the foundling.

"We don't seem to have any allergies," he said doubtfully. "But he won't be sleeping with us."

"He'll sleep in a box," you promised. "And we'll find him a home."

Soap chuckled but didn't say anything, just shook his head and went into the bedroom.

A week passed. The kitten had settled in, stopped shivering, started eating, and seemed to have decided that this house was his. You'd already stopped worrying that Soap wouldn't accept him, though he still grumbled and pretended not to care.

One day, you walked into the kitchen and froze. Soap was sitting at the table, hunched over something. You walked closer and saw that the kitten was sleeping curled up on his chest. Soap stroked its back with his thumb and whispered softly, almost inaudibly:

— …just don’t tell Mom. I’m just checking if you’re alive.

You couldn't help but smile, covering your mouth with your hand to keep from laughing out loud. Soap looked up, saw you, and froze.

"Did you hear?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

“Nothing,” you replied. “I just went to get some water.”

He exhaled, relaxed, and, leaning slightly, said:

• Come here. You'll iron too.

You came over, and he took your hand and placed it on his fluffy head. The kitten purred contentedly in his sleep.

"Now you're both mine," he said, and his voice was filled with the happiness he'd been hiding under a layer of grumbling. "But not a word to Mom."

You sat down next to him and laid your head on his pla