Shelter

Shelter

It was a peaceful Friday evening, and as always, Mika and Ezekiel were enjoying their retirement in the comfort of their lovely home. Both Galatiers were seated side by side on the sofa—Ezekiel nose deep-in a book (a cup of hot cocoa perched on the coffee table before him) while Mika whittled away at another one of his wooden creations. 

Both Galatiers were up a little later than usual, and Ezekiel had found himself absolutely hooked to a novel Fubuki had sent him as a present for his birthday. Both uncle and nephew shared an appreciation for the written word, and as a result, would sometimes trade or gift each other books on special occasions. The book Ezekiel was currently reading was a fantasy novel about two lonely adventurers who had crossed paths due to fate—a wandering vagabond and a runaway noble, treasured companions.  

Maybe he was being sentimental, but reading about the protagonists’ grand adventures reminded Ezekiel of his time on the road, of his many chance encounters with Mika. It always amused him how they managed to run into each other time and time again, two distant souls traveling under the same vast sky until they were inexplicably reunited by fate.

Almost as if the stars had aligned for them.

A friendship blossomed, a proposal to travel together was made, and the rest was history. Ezekiel reckoned their love story would make for quite the impressive novel, it was a thought that made the taller Galatier chuckle quietly to himself. 

As Ezekiel devoured page after page, Mika whittled away at his third wooden carving of the night—a proper four-legged dog. Despite past failures, Mika had continued practicing diligently and (thanks to his tenacity) had improved immensely over the past few months. 

Gone were the days of three-legged dogs and horses with heads far too large for their bodies. Now, the shelves were filled with pleasantly proportionate wooden animals.

“I think our little star will like this better than the last one I gave him,” Mika said with a proud smile. 

Ezekiel looked up from his book, and noting the pride that shone in his husband’s eyes, couldn’t help but smile too. “I’m sure he’ll love it. This one won’t fall over when he places it on his desk.”

Indeed, it was quite the upgrade from the last three-legged dog he’d slipped into Min’s coat pocket.

“Seems like Fubuki got you quite the page turner?”

“I haven’t been able to put it down,” Ezekiel answered. “It reminds me of our days on the road—fishing for our next meal, sleeping in tents under the stars… it’s making me nostalgic, of course, these days I prefer the comfort of our own bed.”

Mika chuckled. “Traveling was nice. Sleeping on the ground, not so much.” 

“We’re not as young as we used to be,” Ezekiel mused.

The two Galatiers spent a few moments reminiscing when it began to rain. What started out as a slight drizzle, merely a few minutes later, turned into a much heavier downpour. 

Shortly after it began to rain, both Galatiers heard a faint scratching at their front door. 

Neither of the Galatiers were strangers to having strays spend the night. If anything, the community they lived in was quite accepting toward strays—the majority of people in the area going out of their way to leave adorable little pet beds and water bowls outside their homes. 

Mika and Ezekiel were no different, the latter even going out of his way to carry pet treats (along with an assortment of other items) in his pockets so he could give the strays a treat whenever he crossed their path on his way to work or the farmer’s market in the mornings. 

Showering his animal friends with treats became even easier once Min—perplexed by the chaotic state of his father’s pockets—bought him a proper backpack as a gift. 

Ezekiel stood up from where he was seated, Mika following close behind him.

The taller Galatier reached for the doorknob, and as he pulled the door open, was greeted by the sight of a white cat, soaked and shivering on their front porch. Its white fur was caked in a thick layer of mud, as if the poor thing had fallen into a puddle before it arrived at their door. 

“You poor thing,” Mika was the first to approach the stray. The shorter Galatier got onto one knee and began to gently run his fingers across the cat’s wet fur. “Are you looking for a place to spend the night?” He cooed. “You’re in luck, we’ll take care of you. We’ve got a nice fireplace where you can warm yourself right up.”

Ezekiel crouched down and joined his husband. “We’ll get you a nice, warm bath—a soft bed too. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” 

The cat pressed its forehead against Mika’s hand and began to purr, as if it were thanking them for the hospitality. Mika giggled at how cute it looked, before he slowly gathered the poor stray into his arms and scooped it off their front porch. 

Ezekiel watched with an amused expression as Mika carried the cat into their home. He closed the door behind them, made a beeline for the bathroom, and opened the door for his husband and the stray. “After you,” Ezekiel said with a gentle smile. 

“There, there,” Mika cooed. “You’ll be nice and warm after we get you cleaned up.” 

Slowly, he plonked the poor stray into their empty tub. Mika reached for the showerhead, pointed it at the cat, and turned to his husband—as if giving Ezekiel the signal to turn on the shower. The stray cats that wandered around the area weren’t exactly strangers to impromptu baths. 

So when the cat let out an annoyed hiss, Mika was quite surprised. 

The shorter Galatier looked at the cat’s displeased expression before he realized what was wrong—the water temperature. “You forgot to turn on the heater!” Mika exclaimed. “Poor baby.”

“Ah, my mistake!” Ezekiel quickly fixed the problem by turning another knob. “Sorry, little fella.”

“There, there,” Mika continued to comfort the stray, waiting for a brief moment before pointing the showerhead at the shivering feline. “You’re okay, we’ll take good care of you.” 

As soon as the warm water ran over the soaked feline’s fur, it stopped shivering. 

Ezekiel blinked once then twice—realization hitting him square in the face. Slowly, a goofy little smile wormed its way onto the usually stoic man’s face. “Doesn’t he remind you of someone?”

It took a moment for Mika to understand exactly who his husband was referring to. 

Mika laughed—recalling days from years ago when Fubuki, Min, and Xue would come barrelling through the front door, soaking wet from the sudden downpour, muddy from tripping in puddles on their mad dash to the safety of their home. 

The stray (with its white fur and annoyed expression) reminded him so much of a soaked Min. 

“He kind of looks like our little star,” Mika chuckled. 

“They even have the same displeased look on their faces.” Ezekiel added. 

Now that Ezekiel had pointed it out, the resemblance was utterly striking.

As soon as bath time ended, and as soon as the stray was resting comfortable by the fireplace, both Galatiers quietly crouched down beside the feline as Mika struggled to take a selfie. 

It took some fumbling with his phone, but after a lot of trial and error, the Galatier managed to send the photo to Min. The text underneath the picture stated: It reminded us of you. Love you always. See you soon.