Entry tags:
fic: Finger Biting Good
Title: Finger Biting Good
Series: Hetalia
Character/pairing: Greece/Japan, assorted cats.
Rating: G
Word count: 1146
Author's Note: greece/japan exchange: Christmas, Kentucky Friend Chicken and Greece/Japan. Except that there's no explicit mention of Christmas, because I was writing from memory and forgot it. Hopefully the sheer amount of cats makes up for it? BASED ON A TRUE STORY. The cat anecdotes, not the personified gay countries, mind you.
Thanks to![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
josshouse for the beta.
When they were out and about the town, Greece had procured several buckets of greasy fried chicken, which seemed very unlike him. Greece had his own distinct cuisine and had generally shown little interest in America's fast food. He preferred a cleaner taste–things like salads with feta cheese and Greek yogurt. He was already frail from the economic troubles, and Japan felt a bit of worry rise in him. He hoped this wasn't becoming a habit.
"Isn't that a bit much?" Japan asked. The buckets were big, and Greece had multiple ones. He had a mental image of Greece taking up eating as much as America did...and then going down with a stomachache.
"I always share with the cats," Greece said.
He stepped in the door to a chorus of meows, as the cats came out from every conceivable place. Japan could say with certainty that there was not an inch of Greece's apartment which wasn't covered in cat hair.
A gray cat meowled loudly and began to claw his pants. Others pooled around his feet, their eager eyes turned upwards. They licked their lips again and again. A few let out indignant meows as if to hurry him along.
Greece set the bucket down on the dull counter and began to peel the skin off of a drumstick. He broke it off into several pieces, and the cats jumped in. A small black one growled very loudly as some of the bigger ones tried to intrude and steal the piece of meat away. Greece interceded on this fight by dropping more chicken onto the floor. They bounded away, each quickly eating their treats.
By the time he was done doling out treats, only slivers of meat remained. He chewed on what little meat was left as he thoughtfully watched the cats. When he was done, he dropped the bone, and a ginger tabby each went for it.
Greece turned to him, and nodded towards the bucket. "Your turn."
Japan took up a piece with a tentative grip. Grease was getting all over his fingers, and already the horde of cats were advancing on him. He grimaced. He'd accidentally picked up a thigh. A tortoiseshell female sunk her claws into his leg, and he stepped back in pain and surprise, the chicken falling from his hands in the process.
The little black cat from earlier snuck in like a ninja and grabbed the piece whole. It ran out, far past the others, but Greece had already distracted them with another piece of chicken.
This one was the white meat from the chicken's chest. He only peeled off the outermost skin and threw it to the cats far enough so that Japan could eat.
Greece broke off a piece with greasy fingers and then handed it to Japan.
"For my favorite cat," Greece said with a lop-sided, sleepy smile.
Japan took it with a habitual murmur of thanks, and a slight flush. He was still somewhat unused to small gifts and affectionate names. Greece was patient with him, however. He did not push or demand instant vocal reciprocation.
He would wait for as long as it took.
Japan dutifully took a bite into the meat he had been given. He had to admit, he liked it better stripped down, without the greasy breading of the skin. He still preferred traditional Greek food, but he supposed this eased his worries.
Though in the end, it may have created some new ones. Greece barely ate any of the chicken, but that only made Japan wonder what other meals the cats had begged off of them.
Japan narrowed his eyes at the cats. They may be cute, but he hoped they weren't bothering Greece when he was trying so hard to get better.
When he had finished, Japan saw the little black cat reemerge, sneaking around a corner. It had gold eyes and a seemingly shy demeanor. Or perhaps it was just reserved.
He hadn't realized cats could be anything but indifferent until he'd spent time with Greece. Greece had affectionate cats, cats who were more like dogs in personality, shy cats, and even cats seemingly too smart for their own good–ones who were always getting into trouble.
He tapped Greece on the shoulder. "Which one is that?" Japan asked. He pointed to the little black cat who had gone in so swiftly and stolen away, just like the ninjas of old.
"Uh, Blackie," Greece said.
"Really?" Japan said. He wondered if Greece had simply given it a name on demand to please him as he suspected of Corporal Cat
"Wait, you mean the small one....? I thought you meant the tom. That's Kiku," he said.
Japan bent down to scratch the cat's head. It drew back and stared at him with wide eyes, looking like it might bolt at any minute.
"I see...Thank you, Greece-san."
Greece must not have heard him, for he was looking down at a very persistent cat who refused to believe that the buckets were empty.
"I don't have anymore," Greece said.
The cat meowed indignantly again. Japan could've sworn it was glaring up at him.
"It's all gone," Greece said. He brought down the buckets and showed it to the cats. Several came in quick to sniff, but left after finding no meat. Others stayed back to lick the sides of the bucket.
Greece passed the few lingering cats to make his way to the sink. Together they lathered up soap bubbles, scrubbing away the grease.
"I know you prefer it cleaner...." Greece mumbled. "I suppose you'd like something else, but I promised them I'd bring home chicken."
"No need to worry, Greece-san. I liked it. It was...an experience," Japan said.
They settled down into an easy chair, with enough cats curled up on them both to resemble afghans. The cats purred away, content and full. Japan even had to admit that he felt unwound, relaxed enough to doze and not worry about etiquette or work to be done. He could just be, unfettered by life's worries.
Greece had once said the greatest knowledge of life can be gleaned from a cat. At the time, Japan had thought it one of his peculiarities, but now he was starting to see.
He opened one eye to find that Kiku had crawled up on his lap and was nervously sniffing him. He reached out slowly and the cat drew back, yet allowed him to touch its head.
He smiled. Greece was entirely right.
Series: Hetalia
Character/pairing: Greece/Japan, assorted cats.
Rating: G
Word count: 1146
Author's Note: greece/japan exchange: Christmas, Kentucky Friend Chicken and Greece/Japan. Except that there's no explicit mention of Christmas, because I was writing from memory and forgot it. Hopefully the sheer amount of cats makes up for it? BASED ON A TRUE STORY. The cat anecdotes, not the personified gay countries, mind you.
Thanks to
josshouse for the beta.When they were out and about the town, Greece had procured several buckets of greasy fried chicken, which seemed very unlike him. Greece had his own distinct cuisine and had generally shown little interest in America's fast food. He preferred a cleaner taste–things like salads with feta cheese and Greek yogurt. He was already frail from the economic troubles, and Japan felt a bit of worry rise in him. He hoped this wasn't becoming a habit.
"Isn't that a bit much?" Japan asked. The buckets were big, and Greece had multiple ones. He had a mental image of Greece taking up eating as much as America did...and then going down with a stomachache.
"I always share with the cats," Greece said.
He stepped in the door to a chorus of meows, as the cats came out from every conceivable place. Japan could say with certainty that there was not an inch of Greece's apartment which wasn't covered in cat hair.
A gray cat meowled loudly and began to claw his pants. Others pooled around his feet, their eager eyes turned upwards. They licked their lips again and again. A few let out indignant meows as if to hurry him along.
Greece set the bucket down on the dull counter and began to peel the skin off of a drumstick. He broke it off into several pieces, and the cats jumped in. A small black one growled very loudly as some of the bigger ones tried to intrude and steal the piece of meat away. Greece interceded on this fight by dropping more chicken onto the floor. They bounded away, each quickly eating their treats.
By the time he was done doling out treats, only slivers of meat remained. He chewed on what little meat was left as he thoughtfully watched the cats. When he was done, he dropped the bone, and a ginger tabby each went for it.
Greece turned to him, and nodded towards the bucket. "Your turn."
Japan took up a piece with a tentative grip. Grease was getting all over his fingers, and already the horde of cats were advancing on him. He grimaced. He'd accidentally picked up a thigh. A tortoiseshell female sunk her claws into his leg, and he stepped back in pain and surprise, the chicken falling from his hands in the process.
The little black cat from earlier snuck in like a ninja and grabbed the piece whole. It ran out, far past the others, but Greece had already distracted them with another piece of chicken.
This one was the white meat from the chicken's chest. He only peeled off the outermost skin and threw it to the cats far enough so that Japan could eat.
Greece broke off a piece with greasy fingers and then handed it to Japan.
"For my favorite cat," Greece said with a lop-sided, sleepy smile.
Japan took it with a habitual murmur of thanks, and a slight flush. He was still somewhat unused to small gifts and affectionate names. Greece was patient with him, however. He did not push or demand instant vocal reciprocation.
He would wait for as long as it took.
Japan dutifully took a bite into the meat he had been given. He had to admit, he liked it better stripped down, without the greasy breading of the skin. He still preferred traditional Greek food, but he supposed this eased his worries.
Though in the end, it may have created some new ones. Greece barely ate any of the chicken, but that only made Japan wonder what other meals the cats had begged off of them.
Japan narrowed his eyes at the cats. They may be cute, but he hoped they weren't bothering Greece when he was trying so hard to get better.
When he had finished, Japan saw the little black cat reemerge, sneaking around a corner. It had gold eyes and a seemingly shy demeanor. Or perhaps it was just reserved.
He hadn't realized cats could be anything but indifferent until he'd spent time with Greece. Greece had affectionate cats, cats who were more like dogs in personality, shy cats, and even cats seemingly too smart for their own good–ones who were always getting into trouble.
He tapped Greece on the shoulder. "Which one is that?" Japan asked. He pointed to the little black cat who had gone in so swiftly and stolen away, just like the ninjas of old.
"Uh, Blackie," Greece said.
"Really?" Japan said. He wondered if Greece had simply given it a name on demand to please him as he suspected of Corporal Cat
"Wait, you mean the small one....? I thought you meant the tom. That's Kiku," he said.
Japan bent down to scratch the cat's head. It drew back and stared at him with wide eyes, looking like it might bolt at any minute.
"I see...Thank you, Greece-san."
Greece must not have heard him, for he was looking down at a very persistent cat who refused to believe that the buckets were empty.
"I don't have anymore," Greece said.
The cat meowed indignantly again. Japan could've sworn it was glaring up at him.
"It's all gone," Greece said. He brought down the buckets and showed it to the cats. Several came in quick to sniff, but left after finding no meat. Others stayed back to lick the sides of the bucket.
Greece passed the few lingering cats to make his way to the sink. Together they lathered up soap bubbles, scrubbing away the grease.
"I know you prefer it cleaner...." Greece mumbled. "I suppose you'd like something else, but I promised them I'd bring home chicken."
"No need to worry, Greece-san. I liked it. It was...an experience," Japan said.
They settled down into an easy chair, with enough cats curled up on them both to resemble afghans. The cats purred away, content and full. Japan even had to admit that he felt unwound, relaxed enough to doze and not worry about etiquette or work to be done. He could just be, unfettered by life's worries.
Greece had once said the greatest knowledge of life can be gleaned from a cat. At the time, Japan had thought it one of his peculiarities, but now he was starting to see.
He opened one eye to find that Kiku had crawled up on his lap and was nervously sniffing him. He reached out slowly and the cat drew back, yet allowed him to touch its head.
He smiled. Greece was entirely right.