When Fai returned this time he was carrying a bundle of first aid items: cotton balls, peroxide, antibiotic cream, gauze and tape. Most of this went onto the coffee table alongside Fai's hot chocolate, and Fai settled himself on the edge of the sofa next to Iwai--or at least as close to the other man as he could manage around the sprawl of cats surrounding him.

"C'mon mon petit chou, scoot!" he chided, nudging Soel until the cat gave an indignant meow and jumped down to the floor.

"You can snuggle up to him again soon, I promise," Fai laughed. He reached for the bottle of peroxide and a cotton ball. "How's the hot chocolate?"