Extra chapter time! I couldn't resist.

(And sorry for not updating my other stories, it's busy with school right now and I'm tired, not feeling much enthusiasm to fic.)

This takes place before they meet Misaki and the others. Remember, by the end of that last part of the last chapter, it has been 5 months since then and the start of Colorful Feelings.

Epilogue will be a long while later...

Update May2/16: Had started this in April I think lol. Also, this chapter is about 2 and a half months later after the first part of the last chapter where they had finally reunited.

Mm, this was the life.

Masamune yawns on his little bed before sitting up to stretch his arms. Blearily, he stares down at his lover still sleeping at his side, dreaming. He then puts his hands on his cheeks to contain the rush of happiness running through his body. As a tiny neko person, heightened emotions really took a lot out of you. Everyday, he still can't get used to it. Promptly, he lays back onto the bed, tired. He was so happy.

"Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," he purrs, feeling Ritsu cuddle up more against him, softly purring himself. He paid no mind for his grown human watching them from the doorway with his cell phone taking pictures. As long as he was with the brunet, he didn't mind much of anything at all.

"It's so cute, isn't it?!" Kazuto gushes as quietly as he could to his phone, video calling his best friend. "Their whole bed is vibrating now!"

"Bro, this is like, the 20th time this month. 'Ohh look, they're sleeping! Ooh look look, they're sharing their noodles!' Kazu I'm happy for you, but please..."

"Sorry, sorry! I can't help it!"

"It scares me to think about what's going to happen when you get a kid."

"H-hey..."

"How's it going with her anyway? It's been like 2 and a half months now right?"

"Yeah... I-I think soon, I'll ask her."

"What? Already? That seems too fast you know."

"I know but! We've had a lot of dates so far, and I think we're ready to be girlfriend and boyfriend!"

"..."

"... Kai?"

"You... you meant that and not-?" Kai sighs from the other end. "Oh. My. God. Okay, I'm just going to hang up."

"W-what?"

"Kazu, man, just... Focus this week. Tell me how it goes."

"W-w-wait, this week!? What if-"

"Bye~" After being hung up on, Kazuto found himself sitting on the couch, nervous.

'This week...? This weekend...' He looks at the calendar on his cell phone. 'She's busy this weekend, isn't she? I don't want to get in her way or anything...'

...

A few hours later at work, An finds herself confiding to her older friend.

"Shouta, I'm worried..." An admits to him, watching Ritsu and Masamune nap at the edge of her desk. "He hasn't asked me to be his girlfriend yet."

"What? I figured you guys were already together."

"Well, yes, it feels that way but..." She bites her lip, "What if he's seeing someone else?"

"Isn't that sort of impossible?" Shouta says, pointing at the two chibi nekos, "You two are sort of bonded by 'fate.'"

"S-still..."

"He's going to ask this weekend," They look to a drowsy, irritated Masamune. "You guys are loud."

"Sorry," An says, before continuing, "So, he doesn't have anyone else, right?"

"No," Masamune yawns. "He is just slow."

"He really, really likes you," Ritsu murmurs loud enough for them to hear, rubbing his eyes. "He's nervous."

"Asking you that is like asking you to... marry him." Masamune decides to state, before gently adjusting Ritsu into an embrace before grooming him with his tongue. The latter mewls in slight protest before giving in, their tails intertwining.

[Let's do it when we get home.] The older neko purrs in between licks, resisting the urge to let his hands tease his lover's body.

[...] He remembers the second night after they were reunited, and how shy Ritsu still was when they became intimate. They began then to relearn about the other, and Masamune found himself loving to tease his mate's more awakened feisty side. He also still loves how he himself can make Ritsu swoon so easily and succumb to his touching... And then, the way Ritsu mewls is so cute and arousing...

[...Okay,] Ritsu finally responds with closed eyes, lulled by his rhythm. It would be another minute before the brunet neko let his body relax and go limp as he mewled in contentment, much to the satisfaction of the dark haired neko.

Meanwhile, An blushes, oblivious to the smaller two's neko conversation. "M-m-m-marry him?!"

"Hehe..." Shouta teases her. "You're in love with a bad boy with the heart of a child."

"That's so cute..." An mumbles to herself, understanding how nervous her soon-to-be-boyfriend was. "I didn't realize he's thinking so much about it."

"Yeah but if he still doesn't ask, it's up to you!"

"Y-yeah," An clenches a fist, pumped up. "It'll be up to me..!"

*Ring Ring* "Hm?" Ritsu tilts his head, interest piqued at the familiar sound. From his bed-space near An's bed, he can see that it was her cell phone that was ringing. Today was An's date with Kazuto during the weekend now, and she was getting ready.

"Rittie, get that for me please!" She calls from the bathroom, doing her hair.

"Okay!" Ritsu leaps onto the bed, before unlocking her lock screen and pressing the green button and speaker option. "Hello?"

"Oh? Hello Ritsu!"

"Hi, An's Mama!" The chibi neko greets back to the lively woman, receiving an affectionate laugh in return.

"How are you Ritsu? Your mother and father visited the other day with my sister and brother-in-law, and they are doing well."

"Ohh?!" Ritsu smiles. "That's good!"

"They miss you very much! Be sure to get An to come home and visit!"

"I will! Can I bring Masamune?" He asks innocently, before hearing something crash in the bathroom. "..?"

"Masamune?" An's mother can be heard repeating in suspicion, before An rushes in with her hair in a frenzy to take the phone and answer her mother.

"HI MOM!" An laughs nervously, watching as Ritsu stares back at her in confusion with his head tilted at her, "Edamame, he said edamame!"

"...E-edamame? I don't think he-"

"Yes!"

"Then, why does he want to bring edamame? I can cook some if you guys come home, no need to go buy them-"

"A plush edamame! Y-you can zip it open and take out the soybeans that have faces on them! Rittie loves to hide and nap in it!"

An tries hard to ignore Ritsu's judging stare as her mother replies to her, believing her bluff. "Aw, that sounds so adorable! Of course he can bring that along! Well, I should be going back to making dinner-"

"Okay, that's great! Nice talking to you Mom! Bye!" She hangs up in a huff, before letting out a huge sigh.

"I can't tell her about Masamune?" Ritsu asks, becoming upset. "Why?"

"Y-you can, Rittie," She pets him, not meaning to make him feel bad. "Just not yet. If you explain it to her now, she's going to try and come down here or demand I go back home and introduce Kazuto, and I don't want to make him more nervous than he already is."

"Oh, okay..." Ritsu nods, ears drooping a little.

"Sorry Rittie. I-If Auntie or Uncle call though with your parents, then you can tell them. Just not Mama."

"I see..." Ritsu's ears came back up in understanding. "Okay!"

...

"Do you think she likes roses? Maybe I should have got peonies instead. Wait, are they even in season? How much do you think they are? Little man?" Kazuto panics a little, unsure of all his choices. He gasps. "Maybe she likes sushi more than ramen. But she's never had ramen so I thought maybe this would be nice you know? But what-"

"Stop!" Masamune shouts from his shoulder. "Stop! Too much! We're even in front of her apartment!"

"Urk! You're right! Oh, maybe I should have waited inside? What if she thinks I'm creepy now? How long have we been out here? Maybe-"

"Shut up!"

"S-sorry..."

"I want Ritsu..." Masamune pouts, annoyed with his owner. "You are too nervous."

"I... I'm trying here you know? I can't help it..."

"Sorry. You just need to relax..."

"I'll try..."

"Oh, have you been waiting long?" He shrieks as An surprises him, having come out of her apartment. "A-are you okay?"

"I-I-I'm fine..! Ahh, hi..."

"Hello!" An greets cheerfully, before letting Ritsu jump off her hand to join Masamune on Kazuto's shoulder.

[Hi!] Ritsu jumps on top of him, stacked over him affectionately, as if they were tiny pancakes.

[Hi...] Masamune melts, Ritsu's warmth making him feel mushy. [Hold on tight okay? Since you're only gripping onto me...]

[Okay!]

'It's too cute!' Kazuto thinks passionately to himself, with a hand over his mouth trying to contain his gushing. 'Too cute! I can't see it, but I know it through their voices even if I can't even understand it!'

"Let's go?"

"Y-yes!" Kazuto gently grabs on to her hand and pulls her along. "Let's go!"

...

"Do you like it?" Kazuto asks hesitantly, watching her slurp up the noodles.

"Mm! It's really good!" An happily replies, before looking down at their nekos, who were sharing some of the noodles and broth from a small bowl Kazuto had brought with him just in case. "Is it good guys?"

"It's yummy!" Ritsu says, taking in more broth. "Really good!"

"..." Masamune nods, still eating.

"It was nice of them to make their noodles smaller. Not a lot of people have nekos."

"Yeah." Kazuto says, "When I first brought Little man here, they weren't sure to make me pay half price, or full for his. In the end, I just paid full for both of ours. After all, it's a lot to make it small for them."

"Yeah, since they're so tiny."

"Also, it's fun to watch them eat." Kazuto sighs in contentment, watching them now. "They're so cute."

An blushes noticing that other people were watching them too. "Y-yeah..."

"Is there anywhere you want to go to?" Kazuto asks her as they were walking down the streets, enjoying the pleasant night time weather. "We can go anywhere you want if it's open."

"Oh well... I don't..." She turns her head once before noticing a particular crane machine. "..!" 'Edamame?!'

"This arcade? Okay!" An's startles to see Kazuto now pumped up. "I'll get whatever you want!"

"Edamame." She stiffens, avoiding Ritsu's knowing stare as the little neko said that in his tiny voice. "Edamame." He repeats.

"Edamame? Aw, it looks so cute!" They go over to it. "Little man and Ritsu can sleep in there if they want to."

"They have faces." Masamune mutters, seeming uncomfortable as he looks at it. "No."

"Come on Little man, they're pretty cute. Let's see..." He puts in a few yen before moving the control lever. "I used to be pretty lucky at these things back in high school." It took less than a minute for him to get one. "Yup, I still got it!" He takes it out from the bottom panel before handing it to her. "Here you go!"

"T-thanks," She says with a faint blush, having never really received a prize from a crane before from a date. "It is pretty cute," She points out, unzipping it. Curious, Ritsu goes into it and feels around before hugging himself to one of the pods. "Is it soft, Rittie?" An giggles, watching as he nuzzles the soft green felt.

"..." Masamune pouts before jumping over to get on it, annoyed. Quietly, he moves Ritsu's arms from around the pod to around him. "I'm softer." Blushing, Ritsu shies away before moving to hide behind one of them. With a huff, Masamune goes in after him, oblivious to Ritsu coming out from the other end to jump over to Kazuto and hide in his shirt pocket. "Ritsu?" The older chibi neko calls, looking around seeing that he was no longer in the edamame with him. "Ritsu?"

"Now now, let's get back home before continuing your hide and seek game," An reasons, giggling at seeing Masamune now sulking in the edamame.

"Oh um, An," Kazuto begins, flustered, "I was wondering if we can drop them off at home before..."

"Before what?" An asks.

"I-I want to show you something, and ask you..."

"Ask me what?"

"A-a question! Um... so, if we can drop them off so we can b-be alone..."

Blushing, An holds the edamame tighter against her. "Okay..." 'Alone... Is it about what I think it is?'

...

"Okay you two, be careful while we're gone!" An says, she and Kazuto setting them on the couch in Kazuto's apartment before leaving. All was quiet as Masamune got out of the edamame and faced a fidgeting Ritsu on the other side of the couch.

"..."

"..."

Ritsu takes off.

[Get back here!] Masamune shouts, chasing after him. [I'll get you!]

[No you won't!] The brunet laughs with adrenaline, swiftly turning around the corner to find a place to hide.

The truth is, Masamune didn't like hide and seek. Ritsu was unusually good at it, and sometimes it felt like his mate really was gone and the world was playing tricks on him. However, Ritsu seemed to find it fun, and he didn't want to ruin that for his lover. "Ritsu!"

[I'm over here!] The brunet calls for him, from the bookcase. By the time he reaches the bookcase he hears Ritsu's little steps leaving the room. Surprised, he turns around and tries to leave the room as fast as he can to catch up.

After a few minutes, Masamune found himself on Kazuto's bed, panting. Ritsu was so fast. "Ritsu?"

Faintly, he heard a small laugh.

[Ritsu?] Masamune calls for him again, officially calling quits on the game.

No response.

He hates this game. The space around this was too big, and he and his lover were so tiny. "Ritsu?"

It took a few more minutes of silence for Masamune to start trembling, the feeling of fear starting to overwhelm him. He couldn't take it anymore. [Ritsu! Come out! I don't like this!] From under Masamune's little bed, Ritsu giggles before peeking out. His eyes widen seeing his lover looking like he was going to cry, and trembling.

[?] When Masamune fell back on his behind and started bawling, Ritsu pales before rushing out, panicking. [Don't cry! Don't cry!]

[I'm sorry *hic* I hate this game. I hate it!] Masamune cries, rubbing his eyes as Ritsu embraces him. He lets himself be laid back and licked as Ritsu began grooming his ears. [I don't like it when you're gone,] he sniffs.

[We don't have to play it if you don't want to,] Ritsu says quietly, hugging him close. [For me, I like it when you find me.] Masamune's ears perk up at the slightest. [Next time though, I'll find you if you want! Or we really don't have to play it anymore.]

Masamune had never thought of it that way- finding Ritsu over and over and vice versa. Sniffing, he sits up as he grabs his love's hand. [I-I can play! I'll always find you! I can find you anywhere, anytime!]

[I'll always find you too!] Ritsu says back, before kissing the other on the cheek. [Do you think you want to play soon?]

[...No.] Masamune abruptly lays back down and cuddles towards Ritsu. [Keep touching me.]

Ritsu laughs before continuing to give him affection. [Okay!]

A while later, Ritsu guides him back to the edamame that was left behind on the couch. [It really is soft!]

[I'm softer,] Masamune stubbornly insists, even when Ritsu took his hand and ran it along with his down the soft felt of an edamame pod. [It's... alright.]

[We can nap in here until they come back,] Ritsu pulls him along to lay down next to him, squished between two pods. [It's so warm,] He yawns, nuzzling his cheek against his mate's.

'That's because you're here,' Masamune thought, nuzzling him back lovingly before closing his eyes.

...

The walk back was silent as Kazuto held in his happiness. As of now, they were together. Officially! It didn't matter anymore that he tripped up the stairs, or got his coat stuck to a guy's watch. "Ack!" He jolts in surprise when An grabs his hand, and he laughs it off before tugging her along. "D-do you think they're still awake?"

"Maybe." An looks ahead. "You know, I've noticed some things."

"Like what?"

She tucks a strand behind her ear, smiling.

"Your socks are mismatched."

"E-eh? Ah!" Kazuto flusters, in disbelief that he didn't notice that.

When they went into the quiet apartment, the older man cooed immediately when seeing the two nekos napping in the edamame. "Look at them! So cute!" He whispers excitedly, taking out his phone to take photos.

"I'm so happy for them," An comments quietly, regarding the two affectionately. "Rittie was so sad. He tried to be strong whenever he woke up each day, he can look so stony. He was like a lonely prince who refused to cry."

"Haha, really? Little man tried, but he cried easily. Always, always sleeping with his blanket." Kazuto reaches out and rubs the older neko's dark head with a finger. "And when he'd wake up, the tears start all over again."

"..." An presses her lips together, feeling sad for the little neko as she begins to hover over them. "My... my aunt and uncle own Rittie's parents; they'll be so happy to know that they found each other again."

"Can I meet them one day? If that's alright."

"Of course! Although," An looks in wonder at Masamune. "I don't know who his parents are... Not even his birthday. I remember Rittie telling me that he was at least two years older."

"Oh? Then I'm one year older than him then." Kazuto realizes. "My bandmates back then decided that Little man's birthday be on Christmas Eve."

"Christmas Eve? Then, me and Rittie have a lot to plan!" An says, optimistic. "10 years worth."

"You... you don't have to plan so many things. All he ever wanted was Ritsu, and now look at them." They watched as Ritsu let out a small, sleepy mewl before stretching and re-settling against Masamune. "Just look at them."

"They... They really are so cute..." An gives in, now taking out her cell phone to take a picture and set it as her new wallpaper.

...

...

It took her the next afternoon to realize that she had somehow sent the picture to her family.

Neko grooming can be friendly, motherly/or fatherly, and intimate much like how cats do! Since they don't have fur though most people don't do it unless it's parents to their kids affectionately and to clean, or between friends to encourage, clean, or soothe- mainly to their cheek, ears, or head, or intimately (like how Masamune is doing).

Intimately can be anywhere *coughcough* and where Masamune is licking him is just the head, ears, and the neck since they're at An's workplace. And Ritsu is sensitive to him cause it's him lol.

Since their emotions are felt so vividly, they cry just as easily.

*I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi and Edamame plushies! *cries* I want one though, they look really cute!