"Oi! Come back here you stupid cat!" The fat and short baker hollered from his bakery at me as I ran away swiftly from him with a bun secured tightly in between my teeth. I have to get back quick. Skidding along the cold wet floor caused by the snow, I slipped a few times along the way but still managed to make it back in one piece.

"Naruto?!" I called out worriedly for him when I realized that he had disappeared from our home, which is basically just a cupboard box near the trash. It's easier to find food like that when the humans dumps food into the bin.

"Sa-Sasu-ke?" A soft and trembling voice called out my name as my ears perked up at Naruto's voice which came from the dark corner of the alley. Running quickly to him, I place the bun down near him before wrapping my arms around his badly shivering form.

Damn...he's ice cold. "I've got you a bun."

"I-I'm c-cold, Sa-sasu." His teeth chattered from the coldness as he snuggled deeper into my embrace, trying to find some warmth. "I-I...can't f-feel m-my legs..." Reaching down to his barely covered legs, I flinched back a little when the coldness of his skin pierced my hand like a spear. Shit, he's freezing up. I have to find a warmer place fast.

"Can you stand?" I questioned him in concern as he tried to move his legs but eventually still failed. Staring at me with his wide sky blue eyes in distress, he teared up a little before starting to sob against my chest.

"W-When can we go b-back, Sasu? I want t-to go ho-home. I don't wanna stay here anymore." He cried softly in anguish as I wrapped my arms much tightly around him. Damn those elders. I'll fucking kill them all once I get back.

Picking him up gently in my arms, though to humans it'll look like I'm carrying him up by biting on his scruff, I roamed the streets quickly as I searched for a place with a heater or something. There has to be a heating source somewhere.

Naruto and I used to live in the spirit world but were banished from it and kicked into the human world when the elders found out that we're lovers. Apparently, they are homophobic and to make sure no one else turns out to be homosexual like us, they exiled us immediately without even giving us to bring anything along with us.

It has been 10 days since we've been loitering the streets and scavenging for food to make ends meet. Not to say, it's winter in the human world so with thin flimsy clothes and no food, it really isn't an ideal condition for us to live in, especially Naruto.

His spirit system only allows him to take in liquids so with only solid scraps which could be found, he pukes them out after eating them, making him even weaker than before. But it's better if he can at least get some food into his body, even if it's just a little. Not to say, he also has a weak immune system so the bacteria is making him sicker that usual. I on the other hand can eat anything due to my strong immune system and is much resistant to the filth.

In the spirit world, I'm a warrior but he's a healer. My job is to guard the palace gates while his is to heal anyone who's injured or sick at any time, as long as they want him to, which in turn will cause him to feel extremely fatigue. He evens black out sometimes when he overworks. He has no say in that world but it's better for him to be there than here. At least he'll be fed and warm. He can't survive the harsh weather here and it's taking a huge toll on his small frame.

At least we managed to blend in to the humans' lives. To humans, we look like ordinary cats but in our perspective, we are just like humans but with a tail and a pair of cat ears.

"S-Sasu-" He mewled softly in my arms as his eyes threatened to close. "I-I'm tired... I wanna sweep...." His said with a drowsy voice as his eyelids fell and open slightly repeatedly as he tried to stay away.

"Don't you dare sleep, dobe." He scowled at me slightly before his whole body slackened.

"Te...m-me..." He let out softly, barely like a whisper before closing his eyes fully as he laid limp in my arms. Shit.

"Oi, Naruto. Wake up. Oi! Wake up Naruto! Wake up!" I shook him violently but he remained unconscious in my arms, his lips turning a darker shade of blue at every passing second. Shit shit shit! This can't be happening. "Wake up Naruto!"

Sigh...why must it snow so heavily? Now I can't cycle home without fearing of crashing and I have to walk back home in this crazy cold weather! Just then, my phone rang loudly, telling me it's Kakashi who is my boyfriend that is calling. I had set him a different ringtone to differentiate his calls from the others.

"Yo, Iruka."

"Oh hey, Kakashi."

"Do you want me to pick you up from work? I just knocked off."

"It's alright. I'm on the way back home already."

"You sure? I can pick you up now you know? It's freaking cold outside. I don't want you to catch a cold." He asked with worry laced in his voice. This may be why I love him. Though he doesn't show much expression, he still cares deeply for me nonetheless.

"I'm fine, really. Drive safely okay? The road's slippery."

"I will. Call me when you're back home safe okay?"

"Sure. You too."

"Will do. I love you Iruka."

"Mhm. Love you too."

Hanging up my phone, I slipped it into my pocket absentmindedly, without watching out what's in front of me. Before I even knew it, I felt myself accidentally kicking something soft as a high pitch mewl rang out. Shit!

Turning my gaze down anxiously, I saw a small sized golden fur kitten lying on the ground unconsciously while a larger black fur one ran quickly to it, nudging it with its muzzle against his unmoving frame. Shit...I did not just kill it, did I?

Stepping cautiously towards the two, I bent down a little to reach for the golden one but to get hissed at furiously by the black one. Shit. He's pissed. Staring at me with sharp eyes, he glared at me in fury, bearing his sharp canines at me, as if threatening me to get away from them.

Holding my hands out at him to show that I'm not going to hurt them, I advanced towards them slowly but once again, earned a warning hiss from him.

"Look here cat, I'm trying to help your friend there okay? I promise I won't hurt your friend there so can you please let me see your friend?" Why the hell am I talking to a cat? I must be going nuts already from the cold. It's not like they even understand me.

The black fur cat turned his head towards his friend, as if contemplating my words, before turning back to glare at me with a fierce gaze. Walking over to his friend's unconscious body, he stood over his friend body protectively before tilting his head up at me with a serious look on his face, as if asking me to introduce myself.

I swear I'm officially nuts. First I'm talking to a cat, then I try to interpret its actions. Now I'm thinking of introducing myself to a cat! A freaking cat! Sigh...oh well. I want to get out of the cold as fast as possible. "I'm Iruka." I introduced myself to him.

His eyes widened a little at my words, as if understanding what I'm saying. Cats nowadays are so weird. Reaching towards the gold one cautiously, the black one stepped aside slowly as he watched me pick his friend up on high alert. Geez, is he like the mate of this golden one? This one must be a female then. It's so small and cute.

"Come on." I held my hand out to him as he jumped up agilely into my arms, settling comfortably next to the gold one. I guess they're really mates then. Wrapping my arms tightly around them, I stepped up on my pace as I rushed back home quickly. Let's just hope that the gold one is alive. It feels too cold to even be alive.

😊