I hadn't planned on a second part to this story, but well...it happened anyway.

Part two, in which Hijikata hadn't expected married life to be so full of four-legged friends.

There was a deafening crash of thunder just as the front door slammed open, and Chizuru couldn't hold back a squeak of surprise.

There, in the doorway, stood her husband with Princess. Both were dripping wet, the now-useless inverted umbrella dangling from the hand not holding the leash. Hijikata's hair was plastered to his head, hanging in limp strands—evidently it had come out of its tidy ponytail at some point, likely due to the gusty winds—and Princess looked just as miserable as he.

"This goddamned dog…" he started through gritted teeth.

Chizuru clamped down on the giggles she felt threatening at their pitiful appearances. "Let me get you a towel! Or…a couple…" She jumped up, and as she grabbed the towels, she called, "I told you Princess hated the rain! That's why I offered to take her out."

His expression was sour when she returned, and he directed a glare at the dog in question. "I assumed, incorrectly apparently, that it meant she would hurry."

She pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile, and shook her head. "Ah, no. She actually takes longer—completely illogical, I know, but typical Basenji stubbornness."

Princess chose that moment to shake thoroughly, and though her coat was short, she'd managed to collect a surprising amount of moisture in it, which now sprayed all over both Hijikata and Chizuru.

Chizuru yelped from the sudden cold shower, and Hijikata snorted, a small smile tugging at his lips.

She fisted her hands on her hips. "That's not funny!"

"No?" He arched an eyebrow. "Then you weren't trying not to laugh when you saw me come in looking like a drowned rat?"

"Um…well…" She busied herself with finishing drying off Princess and then unleashed her, the freed dog darting off to zoom around their apartment like a maniac.

Chizuru laughed as she patted herself dry, partly at Princess's antics and partly at Hijikata's incredulous expression.

"She always does this when she gets wet. From rain, after a bath… For whatever reason, it brings out the zoomies."

"Zoomies?" A dry chuckle. "Is that a technical term?"

Chizuru smiled and shrugged. "Maybe? Sen calls it the B500, but that's because she's always had Basenjis. Other people I've known with dogs refer to it as the zoomies."

"I see…"

Whatever else he might have said was cut short when Princess ran up to them and snatched a towel, shaking it viciously before dodging Hijikata's grasp and scampering off, towel streaming behind her.

"Get back here, you! Pain in the ass dog…"

The next day was sunny, thankfully, so Chizuru didn't worry about Hijikata and Princess coming in soaking wet. However, when they did return from their morning walk, Chizuru could have sworn both man and dog wore matching expressions of disgust.

"Is everything okay?"

"Can you believe someone asked me if she was a Jack Russell? I know Basenjis aren't a common breed, but seriously?"

She hid her smile by taking a sip of her coffee. "Why, Toshi, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were offended on her behalf. Don't tell me you actually like Princess?"

She peeked up through her lashes to see a dusting of pink appear across his cheek bones even as a deep crease formed between his eyebrows.

"Hmph. Just can't stand ignorance is all…"

She knew he'd slowly grown attached to the dog, no matter how much he might protest the opposite, no matter how many times Princess shredded toilet paper and destroyed pieces of his clothing—until he'd learned not to leave laundry where she could get to it.

"Mmmhmm." Now she didn't hide it, giving him a knowing smile. He ignored her in favor of getting himself another cup of coffee.

A couple weeks later, Chizuru was in the kitchen, making them some tea, when she heard the front door open and close, followed by, "What is he doing here?"

"Hmm… Hijikata, are you referring to me or your namesake?" As usual, Souji's tone was playfully mocking.

"Both," was Hijikata's flat reply.

Boys, behave…she thought in exasperation.

Carrying the tray out to the living room, she smiled at her husband. "Hi, Toshi. Souji's leaving Toshizo with us while he and Saito go out of town."

When Hijikata scowled, she raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked Toshizo?"

"He does…" Souji snickered. "He just hates the name…and doing any favors for me."

Hijikata said nothing, stalking off to their bedroom to hang up his jacket.

Souji gulped his tea before standing. "Well, I should go. Oh…and one last thing… Toshizo always sleeps with us, so don't be surprised if he wants to sleep in your bed."

Chizuru nodded. "Oh, that's fine! So do Cookie and Princess, so we're used to it."

"Well, then…" Souji's lips curved in a decidedly feline smile. "Have fun…"

Pat.

Pat pat.

Pat pat pat…

Smack!

"The fuck?" Sleepily, Hijikata pried his eyes open to find a silver Bengal sitting on his chest, a paw lifting away from his face.

"Oh. It's you." He closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep when Toshizo slapped his cheek again.

"Oi, knock it off!"

Toshizo blinked and yawned, before shamelessly prodding Hijikata's nose.

"Toshi?" Chizuru said from within her cocoon of blankets, voice barely audible.

He exhaled loudly. "Sorry, just the damn cat pestering me. Go back to sleep."

Toshizo objected with a loud mrow.

"Maybe he's hungry?" she mumbled.

"He can wait." Another strident meow. "Yes, you can." Hijikata shoved the Bengal off his chest and rolled over to spoon his wife.

Toshizo, evidently unwilling to be deterred, hopped up and balanced on Hijikata's shoulder, an impressive feat for such a large cat. Then with needle-sharp teeth, he chomped on Hijikata's ear.

Hijikata's startled curse and bolting upright had Chizuru sitting up as well, eyes huge as she stared at him in surprise.

"He bit my ear."

She pressed a hand over her mouth, but he didn't miss the quivering in her shoulders as she tried—and failed—to hide her laughter.

"Remind me again why he's even in here?" Hijikata asked, annoyance increasing not so much from her amusement, but from how petulant he sounded.

"Souji said he likes to sleep with them and to let him sleep with us."

Hijikata's eyes narrowed. "Oh, he did, did he?" That twerp. I'm going to murder him…

Exhausted after a long day at work, Hijikata was looking forward to a relaxing evening with his wife, thankful that there were no four-legged "guests" staying with them presently. However, when Hijikata let himself into their apartment, a very distinctive sound met his ears.

Incessant high-pitched mewling.

No… Tell me she didn't…

"Chizuru?" he called, suspicion coating his tone.

"Welcome home, Toshi! I'm in the guest room!" Her voice was far too cheerful and innocent for his liking.

"Tell me you didn't get a kitten."

Nervous laughter. "I didn't get a kitten."

He frowned. "Are you lying to me?"

Without waiting for her response, he turned the doorknob to their guest room.

What he found there had him massaging the bridge of his nose and sighing deeply. "Chizuru…"

From where she was seated on the floor, his wife smiled up at him brightly. "I didn't get a kitten, Toshi. I'm only fostering a litter for the local cat rescue group."

Three itty bitty kittens squirmed in her lap while a fourth nursed from a bottle as she held it.

"Chizuru…" Hijikata repeated, groaning. "In other words, we're going to wind up with four kittens."

Her chocolate-brown eyes widened guilelessly. "No, no, it's just until they're old enough for adoption!"

Yeah, right…

A good thing he liked cats.

Then he spotted a tiny tabby whose reddish-brown coat was oddly similar in shade to a certain someone's hair color. As young as they were, the kittens' eyes were still blue, but Hijikata found himself hoping that particular one would have green eyes.

"So…have you named them yet? Because if not"—he pointed to the reddish-brown tabby—"I've got the perfect name for this one."

The end. Probably. For now, maybe?

Who knows. I make no guarantees I'll add to this; I am subject to the whims of my muse. Thanks for reading!