#just the thought of him feeding and petting a black kitty that just passed in front of him while he was walking makes my heart melt 🥹

[holy-megs]

sasuke is a cat person istg 😭

[prismaticpichu]

Gives Sephiroth a Cuahl kitten. It's a kitten, it's a monster, they could spar and take sun-naps together.

Dhhdhxhzhdh YES!!!! JUST YES!!

*BOTW cooking theme as she writes*

Aight so this got dark quickly. Ain’t that fun <333 But I promise it’s only an uphill movement!

Sephiroth stumbled upon this little guy while on a mission. It is a monster extermination assignment—an easy, swift transition between Wutai updates and Avalanche sightings. The assignment itself went just as swiftly. The area was cleared within minutes, not a materia needed. It was over. Done. Time to return to HQ.

Until he heard the mewing.

What laid behind a rock, nestled in the grass like a feathery cradle, was a baby Cuahl. It couldn’t be any bigger than two fists side-by-side, its fur sandy and speckled with tiny black stars. And it was alone.

The color drained from Sephiroth’s face.

One of the monsters… it had been a Cuahl. It had been the most aggressive out of all of the monsters—and now for good reason. It had a kitten to protect. It had. Sephiroth gaze rattled down to the animal, hovering in his body. He had orphaned it. He had taken away its… its mother.

Oh dear Gaia… its mother.

The thought was so cruel, so unbelievably visceral in his chest. Sephiroth dared to look back at the kitten, into its eyes… two shining emeralds, two slit pupils that quivered in the water.

No… NO.

He… he had made a mirror of himself, had passed on his pain like a baton—if he didn’t he mean to, he did.

He felt like the monster.

No… no he had to fix this. He couldn’t leave this animal here, all alone and orphaned. Not as a SOLDIER. Not as a person. He knew that pain all too well—the hollow cavern in his chest whenever he walked through the city, the yearning call for protection that wailed and clawed at his heart. It was all he ever wanted as a child. Maybe he still did. The Cuahl’s mewing continued to ripple through the air.

Sephiroth lowered to his knees, scooping the quivering kitten into his arms.

“Shh… It’s okay. I will take care of you.”

…

(Can we, like, change the music around here? Ok? Ok cool!)

Sephiroth was unwaveringly protective of his new friend. He never let him out of his sight, collecting days upon days of vacation time in order to nurture him, keeping him sheltered in his room. A blankie sufficed as a bed for a few days, until Sephiroth ultimately had to bite the bullet and head to the pet store—to which he returned with the softest, squishiest bed they had, a little baby bottle, and a whale’s worth of toys. Something glows inside of Sephiroth’s chest as he sat on the edge of his bed, holding a bottle of warm milk in one hand as Kitty sips away. There’s a fondness in his eyes that had never been there, a ripple in the Mako-green that he didn’t know was possible. And when his friend curled up to him afterward, purring into his chest, the mews ebbing away like cinders… Sephiroth didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. Days melt by in a similar fashion, kitty sleeping most of the day while Sephiroth works from a laptop—although most of the tabs are dedicated to The Proper Care and Feeding of Monster Cats. It was time for wet food soon!

“Kitty… Dinner.” Sephiroth shook the bowl of food, trying to get his buddy’s attention away from… was that his book? He set the bowl on the floor and slid the book from under his feet, watching as Kitty plopped onto his bed as a result. As Sephiroth chuckled, stroking his head, it occurred to him that “Kitty” probably wouldn’t do forever. Kitty deserved a proper name. Just as anyone else. He glanced down at the book in his hands—The Art of War, of course, a staple for any self-respecting man of combat. One did not need to be Wutain to follow in the great geneal’s footsteps.

Sephiroth hummed thoughtfully, keeping his hand tangled in the velvety fur.

“Would you like your dinner, Sunzi?”

With Genesis and Angeal as friends, nothing is a secret for very long. Genesis came slamming at the door, demanding to know where he was, demanding to know why he skipped sparring on the Sister Ray, demanding—

Oh. Sephiroth’s standing in the doorway cradling a cat and smelling like canned fish and lint. They see.

Genesis initially cackled, while Angeal almost melts at an embarrassingly fast rate. And Sephiroth honestly just wanted them out there. He took a step back as Genesis came closer, clutching Sunzi tighter. No one had ever touched Sunzi besides him. He didn’t know if he was ready. Eventually, though, both his friends calm down, and they end up being a huge help to the kitty. Genesis found an especially glamorous collar for him to wear (with a bell, thank you!) and Angeal offered to make some home-cooked fish. There was still one thing nagging Angeal’s mind, however.

“Sephiroth… you are aware that this is a monster, right? Why not get a domestic cat?”

Sephiroth went silent. “Coming, Hojo!” he shouted suddenly, and left his friends to be with the cat.

More days go by, then more weeks, then more months. Sunzi grew at a rapid rate, growing from collar to collar, and it became apparent that he couldn’t simply be a housecat anymore. He needed more space. More adventure. And he was capable of it too! By the time a year passes, Sephiroth began training Sunzi personally—carefully sparring and battling simulations of other monsters. It wasn’t long until he is a skilled, trained warrior cat, who ended up assisting Sephiroth on every mission they go on. He was exceptional at scaling surfaces to find Materia stones and can chase down any spy they come across. Photos are flashed and articles are written, and Sunzi’s domestic class quickly escalated to that of a hero. ShinRa tried to capitalize on the fame, but Sephiroth STRICTLY refused. No one else would ever receive the cruel mascot treatment as he had.

One night, when Sephiroth is in bed, Sunzi smushed against him, he swore that he saw what looked to be the vague shape of a mother Cuahl. She was standing at the foot, all green and translucent, bowing her head. And if Sephiroth didn’t know any better, he would say that she was smiling.

Even if it was just a dream, the man smiled back. “Thank you.”

[poison--ivory]

Cat Interruptions

Shinsou x fem. Reader

Warnings: Kissing, NSFW, fluff, modern au, no quirks, drinking black coffee, kind of shy reader

Word Count: 1.5K

Shinsou loves cats, no one can deny that. He cares for his two adult cats each day, feeds them, gives them water, weekly checkups, and cuddles with them whenever he has free time. He starts off every afternoon getting ready for the day, feeding his cats, and watching whatever he found on his for you page. This was more than not his daily routine, besides work and kaminari dragging him to the bar now and again.

 He works at a seven-eleven as a cashier, working from 3pm to 11pm, sometimes even later when his co-worker after him doesn’t come in for the night shift. His manager fired the guy and hired someone else, she’s a small elderly lady, but she gets to her shift on time, so Shinsou never complained when she stopped him for a small chat.

He never really had any reason to deter from this daily regime. That was, until about a week ago his whole routine went out the window. As of lately he's been fluctuating his schedule around to stop by a certain cafe. 

That’s where Shinsou, Hitoshi met a nice girl, around the same age as him at a local cafe. She’s a bit shy, always looking down or glancing away everytime he stared in her direction. Her face always looked flushed, probably from all the hot steam that gets blasted in her face. Her name tag read, (L/n),(Y/n), a pretty name for a pretty face he thought. They chatted every time he came in there, bonding over coffee taste and their anti-social behavior.

He ordered a black coffee with a cat cookie, she made a side comment that she loved black coffee. Then, they both laughed that each of their friends hate the taste of regular coffee.

Shinsou found himself dropping in at that cafe every week or so, just to see her. Waking up early to come drop by the cafe or blowing off trips to the bar to hang out with her after work. He slowly started to gain confidence with each passing minute. He finally acquired enough courage to ask her out on a date and from then on you both have been inseparable. You wouldn’t catch Shinsou without (L/n) next to him.

Like right now, he had his tongue down down your throat, the weight of his body pressed against your front. Grinding against your pelvic, and smirking once you began to do the same. His hard on rubbed up against your clothed area, causing a soft mew to come from you. He pulled away, bringing a trail of saliva with him. He kissed your cheek and worked his way down to your neck. Shinsou’s big hand slid up your shirt, tugging at your bra fumbling with the strap. An annoyed grunt hummed against your neck, and you humored him for a bit before undoing the “tricky” clasps.

“I could’ve done that, ya know.” He remarked. His big hands palmed at your chest, squeezing the plump flesh and teasing your hardened nipples. Your hands worked up his jacket feeling at his muscles, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He pulled his jacket and shirt off, aimlessly tossing it behind him. “Like what you see, kitty.”

“Mhm.” She averted her eyes, a look of embarrassment plastered on her features.

Clothes quickly were skewed across the room, Shinsou locked lips with you again. His hand reached out to his bedside drawer trying to pull out his condom stash. Only his hand touched something besides the sleek feel of the box. It was soft and for a moment thought he was touching one of the pillows he received from Mina, but this one was really warm. Tearing his mouth off yours he stared at the cat laying underneath his hand. He forgot that Mochi was still in his room as he remembered that she followed them down the hallway. Soft purring hummed against his palm and as he redirected his hand to his drawer, the cat followed forth and  jumped down into the now open drawer.

Goddammit, Mochi! Not now, I’m trying to get laid.

“What’s wrong, Shinsou?” You asked.

“Nothing,” He uttered, his hand yanked out the rubber presenting it to her. “Just looking for protection.” Tearing the plastic off, Shinsou rolled the rubber down his length, giving it a few practice tugs. Smirking Shinsou went back to making out with you, his hand traveled south down your body. Thick fingers played with your sensitive button for a while, before concentrating on preparing your tight hole.

His other hand caressed your face,“You ready?” Receiving an assured nod, Shinsou moved in between your thighs. Massaging his shaft between your slick folds. Grabbing hold of his length he slowly maneuvered his shaft to your hole. The head slipped in and that alone sent shivers up his spine. Sinking all the way to the hilt he looked up to you for any signs of discomfort. Gripping your knees he leaned down to kiss your heated cheeks, whispering sweet nothings into your ear. As he waited for you to give ‘the all go ahead’, Shinsou was trying his best not to nut just yet. You squeezed his dick in a vice grip making it even harder to compose himself.

Grinding your pelvic and hips to his you wrapped your arms around his chest. “Y-you can continue.”

With that he began his slow pace, looking down at your face to see your face scrunch up in euphoria. Gradually, his pace got a little faster, moving your left leg further towards your chest.

“F-faster.”

“You sure.” He groaned out. You gave a firm nod, Shinsou nodded back in response. Fingers latched around the mound of flesh on the back part of your thigh, lifting them up he placed the back of your knees on his shoulders. Re-positioning his body he situated both his thighs on either side of your hips and slammed his cock back in. A muffled yelp came from you, smirking he pulled out half way before ramming his dick in your plum cunt. Grinning Shinsou’s pace sped up to an abnormal rate, tears fled down your face as he bottomed you out.

His concentration was soon was hindered by something furry rubbing up against his foot steadily trailing up his calf. A flash of silver darted across his peripheral, easing her way between the two gently purring on top of your chest.

“Mochi.” His voice was stern, but the cat leisurely casted her gaze down at you pawing at your nose. “Mochi, no.” Releasing your legs he picked the cat off your chest and softly placed her off the bed. Before he could even go back to having sex with you Mochi jumped back on the bed, placing herself halfway on your boob. Pawing at the fleshy mound before being kicked off the bed again. 

Shinsou decided to put her outside the room, “She really loves her papa.”

Maybe too much. He noted.

Climbing back onto the bed he loomed over your frame, “Let’s continue where we left off, Kitty-cat.” Leaning over her he caught her lips and began to make up for the little distraction. He didn’t get far as the sounds of excessive mewling began to get louder with each flying second. A very loud yowl followed by growling insured.

“We can do this another time or at my place next time.”

Mochi. Goddamnit. Why now? 

“Yeah, sorry.” A defeated sigh escaped past his lips. His mind wandered off to past experiences with lovers, some hated his cats after about a week into the relationship or agreeing to a second date after learning about his cats. A light peck on his cheek snapped him out of his trance, gazing down at you his face grew bright red and before he could give another apology you intruded on his rant.

“To be honest I’m just glad I got to spend this time with you. You make me very happy, Shinsou.” A warm smile grace your features, your swollen lips pecked his lips. “Even if our time was intruded by a very clingy kitty.” A giggle slipped out, causing Shinsou to laugh in response.

“I’m glad I got to spend this time with you, too.” Crawling under the cover he pulled you in with him, the warmth of your body gave some realism to the situation. “Uh, do you want to get washed up before bed or I could just get you a washcloth.”

Nodding you asked to use his washroom, he motioned with his hand that his restroom was down the hall, the middle door. He watched as you sauntered out the room, letting in Mochi as you went. The cat jumped into Shinsou’s lap, stretching and kneading his thigh as he stared up at her master.

“You may be a cock block, Mochi and I can’t really blame you for that since you’re a cat, but thank you. I’m pretty sure you just brung me and (L/n)-chan a bit closer.” The silver haired cat yawned as she curled up in her master’s lap.

Shinsou sat back against his headboard, petting and scratching his cat's head. His mind is roaming to various abstractions, slowly dozing off absentmindedly. . .

Shit! I’m still wearing the condom!

[queenxxxsupreme]

Omg Kacey you should write about the dad witchers being reluctant about getting their child's first ever pet, since you know dad's usually don't want the pet but always end up falling in love with it 😅

A/N: Sooo I did a thing and combined a few of these together for a dad!witchers fic...... I hope this turned out well cause I don’t normally combine asks like this...

***

Lambert

“No. No way! Absolutely not!”

“Lambert-,”

“No, Y/N! Don’t even use that tone with me! You know cats don’t like witchers! Do you know what I am? A witcher, Y/N!” Your husband threw his hands into the air rather dramatically. 

You faked a look of surprise, eyes widening and mouth falling open.

“Really? A witcher? After all these years, you never thought to tell me? I had absolutely no way of knowing.”

“That attitude is not necessary, Y/N.” Lambert muttered. He turned his head to look in the direction Eva was in. 

She sat in the grass beneath the tall oak in the front yard. The calico kitten that you brought back from your trip to town was bouncing around in the grass next to her. 

“Lambert, Eva is excited that she found it.” You lowered your voice as you followed his gaze to your daughter. “It’s young and needs a home.”

“It probably has fleas. And it stinks. I can smell it all the way over here.” The witcher grumbled. 

“Lambert, please.” Your eyes found him. “It would break her heart if we had to find another home for it.”

Yellow eyes searched yours for a few moments before he groaned loudly.

“Fine. She can keep the mangy thing. But I don’t want it anywhere near my bed or near me. Don’t want its fur making me itchy.”

“I didn’t think witchers were allergic to anything.”

“We aren’t…. I just don’t like cat hair.”

“Okay, Mr. Grumpy.” You gave him a smile, placing your hand on his arm. “Thank you.”

He muttered something incoherent under his breath, eyes flickering back to the cat. 

***

A few days had passed since the kitten came to live within your home. Lambert kept his distance from the cat promptly named Patches due to the patches of orange, black, brown, and white fur it had. 

The witcher was currently in the living room taking a nap on his favorite chair that sat nearest to the fireplace. 

A pressure on his lap began to pull him from his sleep. He shifted around a bit. The weight moved from his lap to his arm. 

Whatever it was, it was warm…. And it seemed to have four points of contact. 

As those thoughts went through Lambert’s head, he found himself suddenly awake and looking down at the cat. Patches looked back up at him and meowed rather loudly. 

“Ah! Fuck!”

Patches continued to walk along his arm, perfectly balanced on his forearm. Its tail flicked back and forth. 

“Y/N!”

“Mommy’s outside with the horses.” Eva spoke from the kitchen table.

“Eva! Eva! Come get the cat!”

“I’m coloring, daddy.”

“Eva Marie!” 

“Daddy, he’s just a little kitty. He’s not gonna hurt you.”

“Eva, come get this cat-,”

“You’re scared of kitty cats!” Eva giggled. “Wait until I tell Uncle Geralt and Uncle Esk!”

“I’ll give the kitty cat to Uncle Geralt and Uncle Esk and let him have it.” Lambert muttered under his breath, mimicking the way Eva has said Eskel’s name. She had yet to learn how to properly say Eskel’s name and was still calling him ‘Esk’ just as she had when she was learning to talk.

Patches meowed again then jumped up onto Lambert’s shoulder. He tensed up, eyes closing tightly as he prepared for something to happen. 

“What are you in here yelling for?” You closed the front door behind yourself. 

“Y/N, I swear. This damn cat is about to be coyote food if you don’t….” Lambert trailed off as Patches curled up on his shoulder. “What-What is it doing?”

“Looks like Patches is getting ready to suck your blood.” You giggled. You moved towards the table, admiring Eva’s drawings. 

Lambert’s glare on the cat softened as he realized it seemed to be falling asleep on his shoulder. Its heartbeat was slowing down and it made a low purring noise. 

“I think daddy’s scared of Patches.” Eva whispered to you. 

You looked over at your husband. He was no longer as tense as what he had been. He even had one hand up on the cat to pet it. 

“I think he’s getting used to him.” You leaned down to kiss her head. 

Eskel

Rain trickled down from dark clouds above the house. Eskel guided his horse towards the barn. Both were eager to get out of the rain. But as Eskel neared the barn door, Scorpion began to pull against the lead and grunt.

“Easy, boy.”

Scorpion made noises of displeasure, backing away from the barn as if something lurked inside that posed a threat. His ears were pressed flat against his head and his nostrils flared. 

Eskel knew what he was trying to say and wouldn’t press him to go any further. Curious and concerned about what was in the barn, he tethered the horse to a post just outside of the barn before entering the structure. 

Though the barn was pitch black, the witcher had no trouble seeing in the dark. 

He could hear the goats before he saw them. They bleated from their enclosure to the right, wanting his attention immediately. He’d greet them after he found out what had Scorpion so upset. 

Venturing further into the barn, your horse stuck its head out of its stable. 

Eskel was confused. The animals in the barn didn’t seem concerned or distraught. Why was Scorpion so afraid?

As he was turned to leave, he caught an unfamiliar scent in the air. It was the distinct odor of wild canine. 

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he began to follow the scent trial to the very last stall on the left. Peering over the stall door, Eskel spotted a pair of eyes peering up at him. 

***

“Y/N!” He shouted your name as he entered the house. The force at which he barged in spooked you, making you jump to your feet. He was never so loud and disruptive.

“Eskel! What is it?” You panicked, fearing something terrible had happened. 

“There’s a wolf in the barn. Have we lost any of the livestock since I’ve been gone?” He asked, moving towards the window at the back of the house that faced the woods. “Is Lil Bleater still in here?”

“Oh, Eskel.” You put your hand over your heart and laughed softly. 

He turned his head to look at you, eyes widening. Why were you laughing?

“It’s just a pup.”

“And a pup means the mother is nearby. I wanted to make sure you, Nadia, and Bleater were safe before I remove it and take it back to the woods-,”

“NO!” Nadia shouted from the hallway.

Both you and Eskel looked in her direction. 

“Daddy, you can’t take her back!” Nadia shook her head, brows furrowed together as she moved towards you. She tugged at the skirt of your nightgown. “Tell him, mommy! Tell him!”

“We found the pup in the woods a week ago.” You put your hand on her head as you looked at your husband. “It was crying out horribly. Its family had been killed by hunters. So we took it in. Everyone in the barn has adjusted to it.”

“Y/N, it’s…. It’s a wolf.” Eskel spoke quietly, not wanting to upset Nadia. “It won’t stay small forever. It’s dangerous.”

“I know, love. But right now…. Now it’s just a baby.” You offered him a little smile. “It’s just a helpless little thing. Think of when you found Bleater.”

“She’s a goat, Y/N.”

You fell silent. You knew Eskel wouldn’t be happy with the wolf pup being in the barn. It would be dangerous for Nadia and you knew this, but she never went outside without either of you with her anyways. You’d never let harm fall on her. 

You brushed your fingers through Nadia’s hair, looking down at her. 

“Come on, darling. We must go back to bed. I’m sure daddy will come tuck you in momentarily.”

“What about Luna, mommy?”

“Luna?” Eskel repeated. 

“The puppy.”

Eskel sighed, bringing his hand up to rub his eyes. 

“Nadia, love. It’s not a puppy–,”

“But she is, daddy! She’s a puppy and she gives me kisses and nibbles on my fingers when I give her leftovers from dinner!”

“You’ve been feeding it?” Eskel’s eyes shot up to you. 

“I wasn’t going to let it starve out there.”

“I won’t let you take her!” Nadia dashed towards the door but her father was quicker, stepping into her way and placing a hand on the door. 

“Nadia, I’m– I need you to calm down for a moment.” 

“Don’t take her, daddy!”

“I’m not, love. I just need you to calm down. Take a deep breath and calm down for me. Okay? Can you do that?”

Nadia took a deep breath, her brows still furrowed together as she looked at Eskel. 

“It’s late and you need to sleep.” He kissed her temple. “I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too, daddy.”

“In the morning, we can talk about her. About Luna. For tonight, she can stay in the barn.”

Nadia threw her arms around Eskel’s neck, squeezing him tightly. 

“Thank you, daddy! Thank you! Thank you!”

Eskel looked at you as he rubbed her back. 

“We’ll introduce you to Luna in the morning.” You moved to kiss him. “Let’s get little Nadia to bed.”

Geralt

Geralt placed his sword down against the wall next to the front door. He brushed his fingers through his hair, letting out a soft breath as he listened to what was going on throughout the house. 

The house was silent which was quite odd. Bram and Lana were quite a loud pair and always kept you and Geralt on your toes. 

The witcher furrowed his brows, listening carefully for the teenagers. They were out in the backyard. 

“Ew, Lana! Get that thing away from me!”

“Calm down, Bram.”

“Where are you going with that thing?”

“I’m taking it into the house.”

“Are you mad? Mom and dad will kill you!”

A hand on the small of Geralt’s back surprised him. You stood next to him, having just walked into the house. 

“Is everything alright, love?” You asked, brows furrowed together. “I scared you.”

“Just listening to the kids.” Geralt shook his head softly. He leaned down to kiss your forehead. “How was your trip to the market?”

“Bountiful. Found Bram new trousers. He’s as rough on clothes as you are.” You began to pull the items out from a basket and satchel you placed on the table. “I also found him a few books I thought he might like. They’re those old folk stories he likes.”

Geralt picked one of the books up, inspecting the cover page. He hummed. 

“He used to read these to Lana when she was little.” 

“He did.” You smiled. “And for Lana, our wild one, I found a few little trinkets and a lovely dagger I thought she’d like. It has a pretty ruby-,”

“Mom! Dad!” Bram came through the back door, unknowingly interrupting you. 

“Hello, Bram.” You greeted him.

“Lana’s going to be in- Ooh, what did you bring home?” He was quickly distracted by the knickknacks you placed on the table. 

“The trousers, the books, and the ring are yours.”

Bram picked up the ring to examine it. 

“It looks like one that Uncle Jaskier wears.”

“It’s very similar. I thought you might like it.”

“Mom! Dad! Come take a look at this!” Lana spoke excitedly as she moved towards the kitchen. 

Geralt lifted his head to look at his daughter. His stomach dropped at the sight of the creature she held in her hands. It was a long black and brown snake. 

“Lana! What are you doing with that thing in the house?” You sighed.

“I wanted to show you the little guy. He looks really cute, doesn’t he?”

“Lana, go put that thing back where you found it.” Geralt spoke rather quickly. 

“Are you afraid of him, daddy? He’s just a little snake.” Lana took a step towards Geralt, who became rigid as he watched the animal carefully. 

“Lana, you’re such a creep!”

“Bram!” You scolded your son. “Lana, we don’t bring wild animals into the house. You’re fourteen. You should know that.”

“But there was a hawk outside and I didn’t want him to get eaten.” Lana frowned, looking down at the snake. It began to slither up her arm towards her neck. “Do you think we could keep him?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But dad!”

“It could be venomous, Lana.”

“Dad, we were talking just last week about getting a pet!”

“A dog, not a snake. Take it out into the forest far enough away that it won’t attack the chickens.”

You could see the tears well up in her eyes as she looked down at the snake. She nodded her head obediently and turned to leave. 

“Bram, go with your sister. Make sure she’s safe.”

As your son left the house, your eyes found Geralt. 

“You’ve faced monsters as big as mountains and yet you’re afraid of a snake?” You moved to put away the items remaining in the basket.

“Y/N, you can’t honestly expect me to let her have one of those in the house, can you?” Geralt furrowed his brows at you.

“It’s a harmless garden snake, Geralt.”

“It could constrict around her.”

You said nothing, humming softly as you moved past your husband. His hand found your arm.

“Dove.” He murmured. “It’s a dangerous animal.”

“I like them.” You looked up at him, searching his golden eyes. “And I think it’s cute that you are fearful of them.”

“Y/N.”

“Fear is a good look in your eyes, dear husband.” You tried to walk away but Geralt slipped his arm around your waist, drawing your body to his. You giggled, allowing him to lean down and kiss your lips. 

“I don’t understand why you like those things.”

“Well I do. And so does your daughter apparently.” You placed your hands on his biceps. “I think…. Geralt, I think you should let her keep it.”

“Dove-,”

“I had a snake when I was young, you know. They are very intelligent and fascinating creatures. And I think she is mature enough for one.”

Geralt turned his head to look at the door. 

“Bram doesn’t like them. Snakes.”

“Then we get him a dog.” You grinned, slipping out of your husband’s arms. 

“But we agreed on one pet.”

“Well we can’t get one a pet that the other won’t like.” You reasoned. 

“You are nothing but trouble, dear wife.”

“Always have been.” You winked at him. 

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

Taglist:  @pressedinthepages (<<if you see this Erica, I’m pissed it won’t tag you I’ve always been able to tag you and I am going to write a fucking MLA format essay to tumblr for being a bitch) @mishafaye @whitewolfandthefox @wolfyland07 @belalugosisdead @persephonehemingway @keira-hulmaster @dinonuggs69 @greatestauthorofmygeneration @shadow-hunters-lover @dancingwith-thesunflowers @tedi-fach-las @thecomfortofoldstorries @natkowaa @disasteren @weathervanes-my-oneandlonely @onlyhenrys @wackylurker @criminaly-supernatural @magpie343 @permanently-exhausted-witcher @genderfluid-ho @the-space-between-heartbeats @havenoffandoms @carriebee1 @ger-bearofrivia @naominami @writingawaymylife @reaganjenelle @theawkwardpedestrian @scarlettwitcher @badassspaceprincess @just-a-sad-donut @summersong69 @an--actual--human--disaster @rubyqueen819 @omgkatinka @c-a-v-a-l-r-y @vonxcon @mazakeen @bravelittlesunflower @thereagles @awkward-turtles-world @menalliha @cotton_mo @maan24 @thefirelordm @monkeymo @krenee1drful @nympha-door-a @unadulteratedtreecrusade @Aquarius-pisces-rose @mentallyscreamingsincebirth @fl0ating @sometimesiwrite @you-fxcking-wish-bish @thanks-bruh-for-nothing @maan2442 @thegaydeath @creatingstuffinpeace @wellthisstinks @andyrazzledazzle @ameliasmistake @winterwolf @caraqas @bluscryn @y-napotat @henrycavillbesty @ta-ka-shi-ma @sulkyshengshou @spaced-out-state @thecollection @mayday1284 @babietrain @wandering-poetess @redneckstrash  @crazybutconfidentaf @runawayolives @she-wolfoftheinquisition @onlygeraltofrivia @henrythickcavill  @lharrietg @wellthisstinks @spaced-out-state @redneckstrash 

If your name is in italics, it wouldn’t let me tag you :(​

[procrastination-queenie]

Kitten |JJK

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Fem. Reader

Synopsis: The reader is a cat lover and Jungkook is a sucker for her.

Note: None of the photos used is mine.

Warning: none, just heart-wrenching fluff and love for animals.

Word Count: 2,148

You must've been cursed; that must be it. Since you were a child, your heart has been cursed with softness. Yup! You're were so soft and sensitive, your little heart could never understand the concept of being cold. This was no different when it came to animals. You appreciated the existence of such pure souls in this cruel world. But then you're a child how could you understand the term or the concept of being cruel. Well, humans were the embodiment of that term, you were convinced. Convinced that a man who hit a poor donkey so harshly is cruel, a woman who shooed a starved kitten is cruel, a man who kept his dog out in the streets during cold nights is cruel, a family who abandons a disabled or an aged dog is cruel. Your poor little heart can't take it.

You remember the incident of the donkey and how his owner mistreated him; you instantly turned to your dad demanding that he must take an action and I quote "daddy, you must hit the man because he's being mean to the donkey!" Which he replied to saying "yes, dear of course; I'll do that." But as any parent would in this situation he promised you empty words, passing the terrible incident and driving away. "Why aren't you doing anything?" The baby you pouted in anger as your car moved away. "Sweetie, I promise I'll return to shout at the man for committing such a terrible act." And of course, as any child would, you trusted your dad to handle the situation.

You just couldn't grasp the mentality of these cruel people, more importantly, your mind couldn't help and create weird scenarios in your head such as: what if this kitty is lost? She must feel cold! She must feel hungry! She must be afraid! And your poor heart was the victim of these thoughts. Your Heart was soft to the point that you would literally shed tears if a cat or a dog looked at you cutely. You would coo at him/her then start crying because and I quote, again "It must feel terrible that they can't express to us how they're feeling, I mean what if he/she is trying to tell us something, but we can't understand him/her!" you'd say with tears flowing down your baby face. You couldn't even bring yourself to categorise animals under the subject "it" when talking or referring to an animal you would always address it according to its gender because you believed that they feel the same way humans feel, and they deserve to be appreciated and loved.

It didn't help that your parents were very strict about their "No pets" rule. You have always wanted to care for a soul; however, that was a big no from your parents. This led to you taking interest in every living animal that passed you by in the streets or was owned by your friends to fill this void in your heart. For instance, you will never forget that one time when you said: "hello kitty!" enthusiastically to a street cat while walking around with a friend of yours. The poor thing stood in its place stiff like a statue of a pharaonic cat as you addressed it. "Oh look, it turned to me when I said hi kitty because it knows it's a cat... Awww!" You said with the same enthusiasm to your friend who witnessed the whole thing wondering if you're sane enough to be let out in the streets or not. "Oh Lord, give me strength!" She said walking away from you. "Bye kitty!"

Today like any other day, you agreed with your fiancé, Jungkook, that you'd meet after you both finish work to have lunch together. "Same as usual?" Jungkook croaked an eyebrow as his eyes scanned the menu for the millionth time in hopes to find a new item that he might like to try, but this was an old restaurant, it never really added anything new to the menu. You hummed looking out of the window next to you. It was raining lightly and the weather was getting chilly by the minute. After placing your orders, Jungkook started telling you about his day as usual as you waited for the food to arrive. "… and Jimin-ssi broke the record today for falling out of the chair. Seriously how could he keep falling out of a chair this easily, I mean the chair was right there!" He laughed looking at you expecting you laugh as well but it seemed that your mind was elsewhere, or your eyes were elsewhere. "Jagiya, what are you looking at?" He turned his gaze to where you were staring. There, by the bus station was a shivering small black kitten that looked like it wanted to fall asleep but couldn't because of the cold. The poor thing was shivering wildly. It also looked like it was malnourished. He looked back at you to find you frowning with pouty lips and teary eyes. "Kookie!" You whined and looked at him, pleading to let you go help the kitten. He already knew what you were thinking, and he loved you for it. Your big heart that spread warmth and generosity in abundance was always something that left him in awe. "You know they won't allow me in with her!" Your puppy eyes were killing him, already. He chuckled, "you know already that it's a girl?" He was constantly shocked by how you could tell whether the animal you were talking about was a boy or a girl, and you rarely guessed wrong. "You know the deal." You chuckled standing up. You took off your scarf and went outside.

You approached the poor kitten slowly so not to startle it. "Hey, baby! You cold?" Your voice took an entirely different tone as if you were talking to a child trying to coax it. "It's okay, I am not going to hurt you." You said heart aching at the way she tried to step away from you. You wrapped her into the warm scarf, petting her to calm her down and to let her know that you didn't intend on hurting her.

Jungkook made his way to you with an umbrella and both of your food, in his other hand that he told the waiter that he would take it away instead of eating in the restaurant. His heart swelled at the view of you gently brushing your finger behind its ears. He sighed taking a seat next to you. You pulled a piece of chicken from your plate, feeding it to the kitten. "Awww, she must have been so hungry." You said as the poor thing devoured the chicken in seconds. "Where's your mummy?" You spoke to the kitten, it only meowed back at you which made your eyes teary. "What if she's lost!" You pouted looking at Jungkook. "Awww Jagiya I am sure her mum went to get her some food." He said scratching the back of his head, not really knowing what to do. He just hated to see you this sad. Your pout intensified as your head made up scenarios such as what if the kitten's mum got hit by a car? Or what if she's not returning? and so on. "We could wait a bit if you want? You know, to make sure that she's safe." He said shrugging. You smiled at him thankful that he put your heart at ease, seeing that you can't find it in you to leave the poor kitten alone. You kept on feeding the kitten as a couple of hours passed by, and yet her mum didn't show up. "Jagiya, you have nothing left to eat!" Jungkook frowned at the empty plate, noting in the back of his head to order you something else when you go home. "It's okay I am not that hungry." You said gaze and mind lost in the petite kitten that now found warmth and comfort in your lap, engulfed by your cosy scarf.

Jungkook knew that you won't eat if another being was hungry, even if you were starving. He smiled, a light bulb appeared above his head, "you know..." You reluctant tore your gaze from the kitten to look at your fiancé. " We can take it home." He smiled widely. "It's a she!" You scoffed then gasped after you realised what he was saying. "Are you... saying that we can keep it?" Your eyes widened at his suggestion. His bunny-like features lit up as he simply shrugged. You shrieked in happiness, "Kookie you're the best!" You said planting a kiss on his cheek. You apologised for the kitten afterwards for startling her, "awww, sorry baby!" You patted her.

You couldn't wipe the smile off of your face as you went to the vet first thing to give her the required vaccinations, clean her up and trim her claws. "We should buy her a few toys, too!" You said lost in thought as you waited for your kitten to finish. Jungkook looking at you in awe, he couldn't help how cute you looked. "… Because you know how mum and dad feel about pets." You were babbling, turning your head towards Jungkook, missing the way he leaned in to capture your lips with his. He kissed you softly and passionately that you were lost when he pulled away. "W-what was that for?" You whispered, his forehead resting on yours as you opened your eyes slowly. "Nothing, you're just so cute I couldn't help it." He chuckled.

"Mr Jeon, Mrs L/N, your pet is all set, did you settle on a name, yet?" A nurse came out holding the kitten in a blue blanket. You grabbed her gently as Jungkook shook his head, "Nah not yet." He turned to you, "do you have anything in mind babe?" You nodded eagerly like a child, "yeah I have a few! But we need to settle on something." You looked at Jungkook who chuckled at your child-like behaviour.

Apparently, on your way to the vet you went through the internet looking for a unique name for your kitten. "I like blackie" Jungkook said eyeing the rest of the list, "I like it to, but I feel like it's racist." You pouted hating the idea of naming her "blackie" because she's black. Jungkook chuckled, "okay, how about Luna?" You hummed, then claimed that it was not unique enough.

"What about Twinkie?"

"Doesn't seem like a girl's name!"

"Babe you're the one who made this list!" He looked up from your phone to see you looking at the kitten instead. "Well, they sounded pretty when I wrote them down, but now that we're serious about keeping her, I feel like I'm picking my child's name. Kook this is a huge responsibility!" You pouted looking at him. He laughed at how you were taking this so seriously, but he understood, you have always wanted a pet, and now that you were having one it felt surreal.

"How about Selena?"

"Sounds posh for a cat!" Jungkook erupted in laughter. Oh God this was going to be fun, he thought shaking his head.

"Did you get it?" You jumped in anticipation as Jungkook returned home with your kitten's gift. He chuckled, "Yup" you jumped from your seat running over to him to see it. It was a collar with her name engraved on a golden piece. "It looks beautiful!" You squealed. "Yeah, baby it does." He said kissing your forehead. There laid the name "Angel" in a neat font. You know it's not that unique but you truly felt that the name suited her perfectly. She stood there looking up at both you and Jungkook, head tilted to the side wondering what's going on. You put the collar around her neck as she kept staring at you with her baby blue eyes that made your heart melt. "I think am in love!" You whispered in awe with teary eyes, Jungkook laughed loudly, thanking God for gifting him with a precious hearted partner as you.

That night you and Jungkook went to bed with Angel sleeping cosily between the two of you. "Thank you." You whispered, patting Angel's soft fur. "What for?" Jungkook looked up to you with doe eyes filled with puzzlement. "For allowing me to experience this, I mean you could have said no to taking Angel in." You whispered, refusing to think of what could have happened to her if you left her that day on the streets. "Babe, it's nothing. I don't even know why we haven't thought of it earlier, you know I don't mind pets." He said shrugging. "Still, thank you. I wanted this for so long." Jungkook looked at you with a soft gaze. He kissed your forehead, muttering a "good night", contentment filling his heart for the new addition to your little family.

[towerfandoms]

3AM Encounters

A/n: I feel like everyone uses that title but oh well I’m uncreative when it comes to titles. I’ve been simping a LOT for Shinsou recently so here enjoy this <33 and ik requests are off but for Shinsou I make exceptions ✨✨✨

Summary: Shinsou had trouble falling asleep and was laying in bed, counting as the hours passed by. That is, until he heard footsteps outside

Pairings: Shinsou Hitoshi x reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: none just fluff

Despite the many times Shinsou had laid awake at 3am, he still could never quite get used to the eerie silence. It was times like this when he truly understood the phrase “deafening silence”. The quietness felt too loud. The nothingness made him feel uneasy. During the day, he despised hearing the loud screeches of jumpy teenagers but now, he almost misses it. He could hear just about every little thing, the slight gust of wind from outside his open window, the creaking of his bed every time he shifted to get comfier and the footsteps outside.

Wait,,, outside?

Shinsou grabbed his phone from his bedside table and squinted at the screen, the harsh light illuminating his room. It was 3:15AM. Trying to make as little noise as possible as to not draw attention to himself, he heaved out of bed and looked out the window that was overlooking the gardens. He was surprised to be met with the sight of a black silhouette scurrying across the gardens, making their way towards the equipment shed. They were dressed in what seemed to be a black hoodie and pyjama bottoms. He couldn’t make out their face, their hood masking all their features. Leaning out a bit to get a better view, he noticed they were holding something close to their chest. He wasn‘t sure but to him it seemed like a box.

Now this peeked the teenage boy's interest. He wondered what was inside the box to make them run so early in the morning. They were most likely a student in his year as these gardens were predominantly used by second years, since they were right by their dormitories. Should he go after them and make sure they weren’t getting into trouble? Thinking, he had nothing better to do and the chances of actually being able to fall asleep were slim so he decided to investigate. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say or do when he met the person but he just hoped they weren’t up to no good.

He pulled on the first sweatshirt he found and carefully made his way down to the backyard. He stopped when he thought he heard footsteps and thought of just going back to his dorm and letting the person do whatever they wanted. He wasn’t the class president or anything so he wasn’t obligated to check on every little out of the norm. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep influencing his decisions but for some odd reason he desperately wanted to know what the person was up to. When he first joined the Hero Course in second year he announced to everyone that he wasn’t looking to make friends. However that soon changed as he got to know everyone. He still wasn’t the most sociable person but hey who knows, maybe he’ll find a kindred spirit when it comes to the inability to sleep. So he let curiosity get the better of him and pursued onwards towards the equipment shed.

Once he was outside the shed, Shinsou leaned his head against the rotting wood trying to listen in. He was surprised to hear low whisperings but he couldn’t make out anything bar a few hushed be quiet’s. He stiffly stood outside for some time, unsure whether to knock or barge in. He decided knocking would probably be silly so he opted with the latter. In one swift motion, he swung the handle and stepped inside.

The scene before him was baffling, to say the least. Whatever Shinsou was expecting, it definitely wasn’t this. The black figure from before was kneeling down,  their back to him, petting a large grey cat while a kitten was on their lap. There were three more kittens around them, all purring and rubbing their heads against them, whining for their attention. When they heard the door creak open, they rapidly swung their head around, eyes wide at the thought of being discovered. So they were quite surprised when their deep e/c eyes met with Shinsous' own lilac hues.

They both stayed staring like that, neither pulling away and refusing to break eye contact. After what seemed like hours but couldn’t possibly be more than a few seconds, Shinsou finally pulled away, looking to the side while sheepishly bringing a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Sh-Shinsou!” was the only thing you managed to say, confusion clouding your brain. Just what was he doing here this early in the morning? Then an even more alarming thought popped into your head. Was he going to report you???

Sensing your disarray, Shinsou quickly tried to explain himself, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Oh, um, you don’t have to worry about me snitching or anything haha,” he nervously fumbled out, “I-I just saw you running and was wondering what you were doing is all…” he trailed off, unable to look at you in the eyes.

Of all people he had to meet in the middle of the night, why did it have to be you. You were also in 2-A, in fact you sat behind him in most of his classes. You two had a few brief encounters but it was enough for Shinsou to feel butterflies whenever he crossed paths with you. You were really sweet to everyone, always smiling and happy to lend a hand to anyone in need. Well you were the class president, he supposed, it was your job after all. Still though, the level of kindness you showed them all was something that not even Bakugou wanted to push away. As if your looks and kindness weren’t enough, you also had a killer sense of humour. You were always sending the funniest memes, tweets and tik toks to their class gc and responded to his sarcastic comments with ones of your own. You were without a single doubt one of the most perfect people Shinsou had ever laid his eyes upon. And now here he was seeing you surrounded by cats??? Hell, in his eyes you were quite literally an angel.

“Oh! Whoops, I suppose I should’ve been sneakier,” relief evident in your voice as you chuckled softly. Thank God it was just him and not someone like Iida a stickler for rules.

However, the fact that he was here now meant that...

”Wait a second! Did I wake you up??? Oh my God no, I am so so so sorry. Ugh, I feel so horrible now,” your tone changing abruptly as you ushered out an apology.

“What? No, no, it’s fine. I was always awake,” he quickly replied back looking down to meet your shining eyes again. There was only one window and the moonlight trickled through, enhancing your eyes and accentuating all your lovely features. You really looked as though you were hand-carved by the Greek Gods themselves.

You met his eyes again, sharing a look of sympathy as you understood his pain.

“Oh, you couldn’t sleep either? That’s why I came down here. I found the mama cat and her kittens three weeks ago. No one seemed to be feeding them or even know of their existence so I was kinda like damn, alright I’ll take care of yous,” you rambled on, almost forgetting about the kittens beside you, desperately mewling for attention.

You stopped to take a deep breath and started playing with the kittens next to you, looking up at Shinsou awaiting his reply.

Shinsou on the other hand was so absorbed watching you play that he didn’t even realise you were finished talking until you gave a small laugh.

“Do you wanna come over here and play with them?” you asked a small smile splayed on your lips.

He could not say yes fast enough. He walked over to where you sat and carefully kneeled down so as to not scare away the kittens. He gently started petting mama cat who instantly became smitten with him. Shinsou slowly began to smile, the pure adoration for these kittens displayed on his face.

You allowed yourself to stare at Shinsou while he wasn’t paying attention. Shinsou was a beautiful man, even Kaminari noting his good looks. You two never had much interactions bar a few good mornings and complaining about training. The usual small talk. He was always polite and when in a good mood would throw a few sarcastic comments here and there. Though he was never rude, it always felt like there was a barrier between him and the rest of the class that no one could quite break down. However now, early in the morning you somehow felt closer to him. It was like he was slowly letting his guard down. Even though neither of you were talking, you enjoyed his company, the silence almost comforting.

Despite how much you enjoyed just being next to him and petting cats, you also wanted to talk to him. It was hard talking to him in class, what with the walls he surrounded himself with. You decided now would be the best time to get to know him if you ever wanted to make a lasting friendship with him.

You wracked your brain for a conversation starter, not wanting to be too dry to bore him away nor wanting to be too chaotic to scare him away. God, just why were you so nervous anyways? It's just Shinsou after all. Why did talking to hot boys always have to be so hard ugh?

You looked over at him again, admiring his toned body that could almost be seen through the sweatshirt. You let your eyes trailed down until you noticed his pyjama bottoms. They were baby pink with Hello Kitty printed all over it.

You had to suppress a scream of joy. They were without a single doubt the most beautiful pyjamas you had ever laid your eyes upon.

“I like your pj bottoms,” you said teasingly, though that wasn’t your intention.

“O-oh, thank you,” he muttered, surprising himself by getting out a coherent sentence. Inwardly though, he was cursing himself for not throwing on a pair of sweatpants. You probably genuinely meant it but it was still something Shinsou didn’t want to go around flaunting. Fortunately for him, it was too dark for you to see the tinge of red on the tip of his ears and cheeks.

When he looked back up at you, he was expecting a face of mockery but was pleasantly surprised to see you smiling, your eyes shining brightly under the dim moonlight. The peace he was feeling before returned and he started to feel more confident in your comfortable presence.

“Y’know,” he started, his deep velvety voice becoming more confident. “Aren’t you the class president? What would Iida say if he found out?” he asked, completely breaking the ice between yous.

“You wouldn’t dare,” you said in a low voice, feigning a look of mock fear.

“I don’t know, it just wouldn’t be honest. My guilty conscience would never be able to handle it,” he replied, a teasing smile dancing on his lips.

You couldn’t stop smiling at the thought that he was willing to continue the conversation. You wanted to see how much longer you could make it last.

“Hmmmm, well how about I make it even. If you want, you can join me to feed the cats. They need to be fed in the day too, so it’s not like we’re always breaking the rules.” looking down as soon as you finished, afraid of the answer. You didn’t want to seem like you were being too pushy but at the same time you really enjoyed Shinsous company. The morning was slowly coming to an end and soon you both will have to go back to your dorms. You’ll both have to continue classes the next day and pretend this night never happened. You wanted it to continue. So you waited with baited breath for Shinsous reply.

Coincidentally enough, Shinsou had also been thinking the same thing. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time. Though you both hadn’t spoken much, your presence really put him at ease. He felt so much more relaxed around you. It would be a shame if this was the first and last night of spending time with you and the kittens. So when you asked, he knew his answer straight away. He just had to somehow play it off cool and act unbothered.

“Deal. I guess I have enough time to visit the kittens. And you too, I suppose,” he added with his signature smirk.

You felt your cheeks heat up but managed to return a mischievous grin of your own. You quickly pulled out your phone and sighed with disappointment when you checked the time.

“Unfortunately, I think our time here has ended. It’s nearly 4am, the sun will be coming up soon. And we have annoying classes tomorrow,” you stated a bit sad about the fact that such an enjoyable night has come to an end. However he did say he’d continue joining you so that kept you somewhat excited.

Shinsou looked at you, mouth slightly parted in shock.

“4AM already? Shit, sorry for keeping you up for so long,” with that he tried to remove mama cat from his lap who had fully made herself at home on it. She lazily stretched and got off, a bit annoyed that her nap time was ruined.

You and Shinsou both stood up and brushed yourselves down, dusting off any dirt that may have stuck on to you from the old floors.

“I can walk you back to your dorm,” Shinsou offered, his hand rubbing the back of his next.

“How chivalrous,” you giggled slightly. “Don’t worry about it, besides we wouldn’t want anyone to catch you in those stunning bottoms now would we,”

“Shut up,” he rolled his eyes irritably but there was a pleased smile on his lips, indicating he wasn’t really annoyed.

You both made your way back to the dorms, whispering softly to each other occasionally. You broke apart to go to your separate dorms and try to get at least a couple of hours of sleep.

You lay awake in your bed, replaying the encounter and a bit upset at how quickly it had ended. You remembered his eyes, his smell and his deep velvety voice. You couldn’t stop smiling stupidly when you remembered your conversations. Somehow thinking about his voice managed to help you drift off to sleep, your last clear thought being Shinsou playing with the kittens.

A/n: I tried really hard to keep it gender, race and features in general neutral. If there’s any place where I could improve or switch up my words please let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige :)) constructive criticism/ feedback is always appreciated in fact encouraged so do not hesitate to tell me anything. Anyways thank you so much and have a lovely day yall <33

[bitchapalooza]

Hetalia nekotalia headcanons(covering just a few of them)

It seems weird that the cats would just be called "Italy-cat" by the actual nation whose name is already Italy so I wasted my time in figuring out their possible breeds and searching up acceptable names(unless stated otherwise) for them that the nations may pick for them and even where the nations obtained these cats. I think they've come to value these cats on the same level as themselves due to how long they may have been around(the same goes for whatever other pet(s) they may own). I thought this was a fun thing to do and honestly it was! :)

Might do more when I get the time again~

***Tw for mentions of animal abuse***

Americat:

Domestic long hair, possible Maine Coon mix!

I think America adopted his cat in the 1980s. He was just a kitten, abandoned outside a supermarket in a box with a sign with one other kitten inside. At least 2 months old. America, having a big heart and soft spot for animals of any kind, took them both in. However he was already struggling to buy proper food for his other animals so he needed to find a different home for them. America ended up keeping one, as he fell absolutely head over heels for him, and named him Liberty— for obvious personal reasons. America raised him for the majority of his life as an indoor cat but with how much energy he has he decided to train him to be an outdoor cat as well, even teaching him to use the doggy door. This gave him enough room to actually grow faster into the adult cat he is now compared to if he'd ALWAYS be around America(as in staying small due to the slow aging around America).

Canacat:

Domestic longhair, possible Maine Coon mix!

Canada adopted him after America offhandedly asked. Canada was pretty stuck when it came to naming him. It was 4 weeks into owning him, mostly calling him a range of names such as Paul and Rookie but never sticking to one for even one whole day, but when Canada was just sitting there eating breakfast before leaving for his daily duties, just a normal quiet morning it came to him. Again, he was just sitting there. That is until the kitten figured out how to climb onto the chair next to him that is. He sat there meowing and pawing at Canada's thigh for 10 minutes while Canada ate. And then he tried to jump onto the table 3 times in a row. Canada gave in and allowed him up there for a minimum of 3 minutes. Not even 1 second passed and suddenly the little rascal is trying to steal the last couple bites of pancake. That was apparently what he wanted. And so Canada named him Pancake! Pancake was an energetic little kitten that a spring in his step but he did mellow out as he grew into adulthood. He's mainly an indoor cat. Come winter time when it snows, Pancake has a tendency to forget the existence of snow so he goes bolting for it only to regret it later.

Germany-cat:

A black or gray German Rex!

Germany isn't exactly a big cat person, he prefers dogs. But after this kitten followed Prussia's cat all the way home and noticed how thin he was he couldn't resist taking care of him. Germany ended up naming him Maus in reference to how tiny and often silent his meow was as a kitten. Now it's just a hilarious name as he's grown quite big and has a very strong meow! Maus is a very well behaved cat although it seems he doesn't favor being played with. He's most often seen at the top of his cat tower or in the window basking in the warm sun. As he was previously found as a stray outside he still does favor being outside. He tends to escape whenever Germany unlocks the doggy door or when Germany let's the dogs out in the backyard to run around for a bit. Maus may be a very mellow cat but he does tend to be loud when he wants food and doesn't want to wait for it. He also tends to attack people when suddenly being pet.

Prussia-cat:

An albino German Rex!

Prussia adopted him in 1998 after his and Germany's new home became a little overrun with mice. Prussia affectionately named him Gunther. Gunther was a spunky little kitten, in fact he was the runt of 6 other siblings and noticeably different to his siblings in appearance(originally thought to just take after the father's white coat despite the orange coats of his siblings and mother). Prussia chose him, the teeny little runt, after watching him easily sneak up and take down his bigger sister and win the play-fight he started. Prussia proudly took him home and trained him to catch the mice! Some years later, Gunther apparently got curious and brave and got loose outside. He was gone for weeks. He came back with a limp, a fresh scar, and a kitten clinging to his side. Gunther rarely escapes outside anymore. Prussia didn't know Gunther was albino until took he took him to the vet for his shots.

Itabby and Romano-cat:

They're both European shorthairs!

When the Italies were freshly unified and everything was still pretty awkward they were forced to go bond by taking walks every morning. Veneziano didn't mind this, he enjoyed the morning and even more so the countryside around them. Romano however could care less about it all and just wanted his bed back. Veneziano was all conversation, very observant of his surroundings as he commented on them to strike up an interesting conversation. And that's how he noticed a man cruelly stuffing two kittens into a sack on their way out of town. After alerting his brother, the two confronted the man. The man claimed these two were sick because neither were getting any of their mother's milk like the rest. Romano demanded he hand the kittens over or else he'd regret it. Veneziano annoyed him with his whining to the point where he gave in and handed them over quite harshly. Once they got them safely away from the man they took a look at the 1 week old kittens; they were both terribly skinny but clearly hanging on for dear life and the brothers both agreed, for once(well more like Romano kept saying "whatever the fuck you want"), that they wanted to help these poor creatures. Luckily for them they knew a stray cat that just had another litter of 3 and could perhaps try to get her to accept two more. And she did! Well it took a day but she did eventually take them in and feed them. Veneziano immediately decided that once they were old enough to eat solid foods he was going to keep one of them and name him Gino! It took a while for Romano to warm up to the idea of keeping even one but he eventually did. He took the other kitten and named him Sonno. They've lived so long due to just how clingy they are to the brothers. Their aging was so slowed down because of how often they're near the Italies that they didn't become fully grown adult cats until some time around 1932.

Japan-cat:

Japanese bobtail!

Named Yoshi* for being Japan's little lucky charm. Yoshi was left behind by his previous family after they moved away. He left his home and began wandering around until he got to Japan's house. Taking notice of how the cat stuck around his house, Japan began feeding him. And feeding him. And feeding him. And eventually he accepted the idea that he was now a cat owner. Not knowing his previous name, Japan decided to rename him Yoshi. Because of Yoshi, Japan began to come outside more and more each day as he is an outdoor cat that seldomly comes inside anymore. What's more is Yoshi came into his life in 1999, just a few months before 2000— aka when The Lost Decade was coming to an end as well as his personal on and off string of depressive episodes. Japan spoils Yoshi with treats and only the best cat food he can afford!

*The real name given to him by Himaruya is Tama, most likely a reference to calico cat Tama from Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan(that's at least what I've gathered). Before I knew this(in my early fandom days) I headcanoned his name to be Yoshi, as I said above it was a reference to luck(I didn't have as easy and unmonitored access to the internet as I do now so I never had a steady way to look these things up). I like Tama as well but I still can't get the name Yoshi out of my mind! I'm not sure if Yoshi and Tama can be combined like some names here in America can be combined(like Lilian Pad[as in Lily Pad] or Patches Poo) and I don't want to attempt it in case I get it wrong no matter how much research I do.

Austria-cat:

Domestic longhair!

Austria has quite the soft spot for this kitty surprisingly. He was born on his estate after his mother wandered in and settled between a couple bushes in his garden. He was born one of three kittens, almost entirely identical to his mother. Austria ended up giving names to all the cats but this one specifically was named Mozart— for very obvious reasons on Austria's part. The mother cat and two of the other kittens ended up moving along a year later after Austria decided to renovate part of his house; however the only one to stick around was Mozart. Austria would let Mozart come inside if only he could manage to pick him up. Mozart will jump into his lap outside, brush up against him, greet him in the morning, allow him to come near(especially with food and clean water) and even pet him but he won't ever peacefully allow Austria to carry him. Mozart was originally thought to be a Ragdoll however it was France who identified him to be a simple domestic longhair instead.

China-cat:

Burmese cat!

Originally a stray that endlessly bothered a shop owner and his own cat, China attracted his attention when he fed him only once. This cat followed him all the way to the hotel he was staying at not far from the little shop, which annoyed him greatly but honestly gave him a little laugh as well. As his car ride home was only going to be an hour at best he decided to at least attempt to bring the little fella home for proper care and attention. And obviously it worked. On his way home he decided a name like Zhi seemed perfect for him! Something told China Zhi was used to car rides and being around people, which told him Zhi was originally in a loving home. Feeling a little sad that this nice loyal cat was living on the streets he began to pamper him. Now Zhi expects to be brushed twice a day, let out at least once a day to soak in the sun's warmth and lay in the soft grass. He's fed the best food possible, has more toys that he knows what to do with. China's cellphone is overrun with videos of Zhi playing fetch— a trick he didn't teach him which, to him, is further proof he had a previous owner.

Russia-cat:

Siberian cat!

Taken in from a rescue shelter, at first fostered, then adopted. Russia kept the name the shelter gave him, Boris, as it fit him very well considering his past. Boris was unfortunately neglected when his previous owner was around. His fur was matted, he was skin and bones, upon pick up he had an eye infection. He was terribly scared of people. After being treated and showed kindness, it wasn't very long for him to open up. When Russia came along and took him in to give him all the proper attention he lacked, Boris fell in love with it. And Russia fell in love with having a cat around. Before anyone could swoop in and try to adopt Boris, Russia already put in to adopt. Now Boris is a happy healthy cat who's favorite toy to play with is Russia's supply of yarn. Boris loves bird or feather based toys the most, however, and will often drag his favorite feather wand over to Russia so he'd play. He's not much of an outdoor cat but after being kept mostly in a small cage since birth he does enjoy at least laying on the porch outside.

France-cat:

A Sacred Birman with light creamy point colouration!*

Obtained as a newly born kitten in 1992, France had offered to help nurture him as his mother had died shortly after giving birth. France named him Minou, more so in honor of his deceased mother Minet rather than it being a common French cat's name(some assume he was lazy with his naming). Minou grew up to be properly spoiled and loved by France. From the time he could see and walk properly, France began putting light outfits and accessories on him for very small amounts of time(like hats and ties mainly to avoid overheating). Minou often silently greets France at the door whenever he comes home, barreling through the hallway or off the couch in order to get some much needed love and attention. He surprisingly gets along very well with France's pet birds, only ever going after them once as a kitten. Minou can be found in his luxurious cat bed made of cardboard from the cat tower's box and a quilt France had crafted long long ago that's now drastically torn in various places. OR he can be found planting his fanny on France's face at night, nearly suffocating him. Minou seems to have a likeness for Russia and England.

*I know France-cat doesn't have any visible point colorations to him but him being a Persian doesn't fit him in my opinion, especially a blue eyed white cat. There's a high percentage of blue eyed white cats being deaf. However a common trait in Birmans are blue eyes so that, to me, fits better.

Iggycat:

Scottish fold-American shorthair mix!*

Obtained through a small litter from a colleague. England named him Lopsy  immediately upon seeing him, completely falling in love with him. Due to Lopsy's health concerns(osteochondrodysplasia) he's strictly an indoor cat. He's not very playful due to the pain he endures so he's prone to lay about, especially in England's lap, in his cat bed that sits directly under the window to reach the sunlight, or under England's bed. Despite being on them for so long, it still takes quite the struggle to give Lopsy his medication as he's come accustomed to when England is preparing to give it to him. As he's not very active, Lopsy isn't too fond of France's, America's, or Canada's cats— all of which tend to love playing together. However there are times when Minou is in non-playful mode where Lopsy will lay near or eat with him, but will absolutely refuse to lay with since Minou does have a tendency to attack another cat's tail without warning.

*The reason I see him as a mix is due to the major health concerns breeding two Scottish folds together can bring. However, breeding a Scottish fold with an American shorthair or British shorthair is often the better choice as there's less issues involved. There's talk about banning the breed all together. Even with this talk, breeding persists, preferably for cat shows from the sound of it. There's even research going into fixing these health concerns but it seems incurable due to the Scottish fold disease seeming to be a very dominant trait no matter what secondary breed it's bred with. Scottish fold disease doesn't always occur in a litter, mostly being a 50% change.

Spain-cat:

European shorthair!

Named Vivo for his lively personality, this little guy was found in the rain, drenched and hungry. He looked to be roughly 3 months old, very well fed and groomed so Spain assumed he had a family he ran away from for whatever reason. Without any other solution, Spain took him in until someone came to pick him up. A few weeks go by without anyone coming to claim him, so Spain opted to keep Vivo. Vivo is very loving, he possess a strong purr and often falls asleep purring. He's a lap cat but also has a tendency to curl up on or near Spain's shoulder when he's on the couch. Vivo is mainly an outdoor cat, often chasing mice or other vermen away from the garden without ever destroying it. Spain is pretty grateful to of found him as it had gotten quiet with Romano gone and all. And Vivo defiantly brought some noise to the house! He's not always vocal but when he is he tends to run around happily meowing for attention. He's surprisingly very territorial however— when introduced with then young kits Gino and Sonno, the Italies' cats, Vivo almost attacked them. It took small steps forward to get the three of them to warm up to each other. It also took a while to warm Vivo up to Minou and Gunther.

[lu-undy]

Chapter 106 - SBT

Here it is!

“Alright, here we are." 

"Meow." Perle sat down and Soot imitated her. A couple of weeks had passed since the birth of the kittens now and they had opened their eyes fully.

"Mundy, I would rather stay outside, I really don't think that-"

"No." Mundy cut Lucien's speech. "No excuses, no half-truths. We go together." Lucien raised his eyes to Mundy and sighed. "Don't look so sad, Lu', you're not the one takin' risks here."

"Of course I am." Lucien answered. "If this whole idea fails, who is going to carry your sorrow with you?" 

"I… Yeah, I'm sorry." Mundy sighed and adjusted his grip on the basket he was holding in his arms. The kittens were squeaking and squealing gently there.

"It is fine." Lucien answered. "Mundy?"

"Yeah?" Mundy raised sorry eyes to his lover. 

"Je t'aime, mon loup. You will make it."

[I love you, my wolf.]

"Hope so… C-Can you knock on the door for me, please?"

"Before I do," Lucien raised his eyes to Mundy. "Take a deep breath."

Mundy melted and his shoulders sank. He smiled, albeit sadly. 

"Love you, Lu', you're my everythin'." He whispered and their eyes locked, both blushing. 

Lucien raised his hand and gave the dark brown door a few knocks. 

"Oh, hey boys, come in, please…" Caroline opened the door and let both men through. 

"Who's that?" Mike asked from his sofa. 

"It's Micky and Lucien." Caroline answered while throwing a mildly scared glance at Lucien. The Frenchman nodded to her. 

Mike appeared at the living-room's door, his hand on the door frame. 

"What d'you want?" He bluntly asked. 

Perle took a step forward and her fluffy hair spiked everywhere along her spine. Soot joined her, standing defensively between his wife, his children, his fathers and grandmother, and Mike.

"The cats had babies, we've come here to show them to Mum and you, Dad." Mundy answered.

"Pff…" Mike looked down at Perle and Soot. They were showing their fangs and hissing. 

"Pearl, Soot, no." Mundy said, but the cats disobeyed, their posture was defensive. "Please, guys…" 

The old man took the stairs up and disappeared. 

"You guys come in and make yourselves at home, I'll go and talk to him." Caroline almost whispered to them, and both men agreed. 

They sat in the living-room, Mundy on the sofa and Lucien on the armchair. Mundy put the basket on his lap and Perle jumped to her little ones. Soot helped her bathe them all.

"I'm not so sure it'll ever wo-"

"Shh." Lucien cut him. He was pricking his ears up, trying to hear what Caroline and Mike were saying, but to no avail. "I cannot hear them…" He finally gave up. "Not with the babies mewling that much."

"Bah…" 

"Meow." Perle took them out of the basket one by one and lay down. The babies were hungry and the Mummy had felt it. She started feeding them when Caroline and Mike came back downstairs. 

"So! Where are my great-grand babies…?" She excitedly asked.

"Here, Mum, look." 

Caroline took a seat next to Mundy.

"Aw, look at them… There are… four! They're adorable! How old are they?"

"Just two weeks today." Mundy answered. 

"Aw…" Caroline stared at the little ones feeding from their mother who was trying to bathe them at the same time. "Do they have names?" 

"Yeah, Lu', c'mere and tell Mum." 

"Uhm, of course…" Lucien rose from the armchair and crouched in front of the sofa. "This lady here is Marshmallow, this one is Inky, and then we have two brave little males. This black one is Bushcat, or as Mundy calls him, Bushkitty, and this white one with black paws is Glovy the Second."

"The Second?"

"Yeah," Mundy answered. "Previous litter had a similar kitty but with inverted colours and we called him Glovy. He liked his food a lot too, a bit like this one. He's always the first on his mum's milk and the last to go away from her. He even sometimes falls asleep still sucklin'..." 

"Poor baby…" Caroline smiled. "Ooh, they look gorgeous, look at their eyes…! Bushkitty has one green and one blue, eh? That's very pretty!"

"Yeah, one from his mum and one from his dad." 

"Congrats, Pearl, your babies are gorgeous…!" Caroline gently patted Perle's head who closed her eyes under the tender gesture. "Mike, come have a look-see, they're adorable…!" 

Lucien went back to the armchair to leave some space and Mike approached, not without glaring at the man…

"Listen to them mewl, aw, cutie pies…" Caroline insisted, trying to get a reaction out of Mike, but the old man remained as lively as marble. 

Mike took one more step and Soot jumped to his feet to hiss and show his fangs, digging his claws on the couch's armrest. Perle's ears were pulled back too. She curled on her babies defensively before slowly rising to her feet as well. 

"Right. They don't want me to get close." Mike sighed. 

"Pearl, you get down and Soot too. What's this now?" Mundy's voice was authoritative and it surprised everyone in the room, from Caroline and Mike, to Lucien. The cats immediately stopped and Soot withdrew to Mundy's lap. "There. And stop hissin', we raised you better than that." 

"Meow…" Both adult cats lowered their heads apologetically.

"It's ok, but don't hiss like that ever again, not at Dad's dad, alright?" 

"Meow." 

He scratched Perle and Soot's heads.

There was a second of silence in the room. Everyone was processing what had just happened differently. Lucien was melting on his seat, only he didn't let it show. He didn't know Mundy could be authoritative, and gosh, his insides were molten lava. 

Caroline was overwhelmed by the pride she was feeling. If this was what Mundy was like as a father, then her job on that planet was done. He knew when to step his foot down but showed compassion too. The mother couldn't help but take some pride for herself, surely Mundy had learnt that from her, at least a bit?

The one whose emotions were hidden as well as Lucien's, was Mike. God only knew what he thought of that, but he came closer and sat at the edge of the sofa, on the armrest. Perle looked at him intensely and turned her head to Mundy, who nodded. 

The lady cat carefully approached the old man, who was offering his fingers. She smelt them from a distance and got closer, ever so slowly. Soot jumped on the sofa and tended to the babies.

Perle looked in the direction of her Papa, who nodded too. He wanted to speak, but Lucien was trying to make himself as small as possible in the room. 

The lady cat finally brushed her head against Mike's fingers gently. The old man softly scratched her and she purred, her meows wrapped around the rolling of her purrs. 

"There ya go, baby, this is your Gramps, he's nice."

"Meow?" 

"See how I'm your Dad?" 

"Meow." 

"Well this is my Dad."

"Meow?" 

"Yeah, this is my Mum, and my Dad." Mundy explained. 

"Treat her like your kid, huh?" Mike finally broke the silence. 

"Yeah, she listens." Mundy said and scooted over. He pulled Perle to himself to create some space and Mike joined them on the couch. Caroline and Lucien exchanged an eager gaze. 

"Lucien, d'you mind helpin' me with the tea?" 

"Of course." Lucien took the bait and followed Caroline out. They went to the kitchen and shut the door. Then, both promptly stuck their ears to it… 

"So, how've you been, Dad?"

"Not too bad. Last week, we sold most stuff at the market. With the extra, I had the car fixed."

"What was wrong with it?" 

"The cylinder head gasket needed replacin'."

"Ah, fair. Is it fixed now?"

"Yeah, it's alright now."

Both were nervously petting Perle while the little ones mewled and explored the sofa, wrestling with each other while wobbling on their short legs. 

"And uh… What's up with you, son?" 

Mundy's ears pricked up at "son". 

"Not much. Been busy with these fluff balls. Hard to raise them proper with the daytime job and all, but we manage. Lu' works in the mornings, I take the afternoons, unless there's an emergency."

"They're alright? Growin' well?" 

"Yeah, so far, so good. Today's their first day outside the house."

"They're curious, eh?" Mike said as Glovy and Bushcat tried to climb on his thigh. 

"Yeah, sorry about that, I can take them back…"

"No, no, they're fine." Mike gently let his finger run on the little ones' heads, and Mundy grinned. "Son?"

"Yeah?" 

"I uh… I still don't get it." Mike said in a serious tone. "For Lucien and you."

"Ah yeah, well… It's uh, it's alright. You don't need to-"

"No." Mike cut him short. "I… I wanna understand this. Been talkin' to your Mum about it." He scooped Glovy and petted him between his hands. "I don't know, son…" 

Perle took Bushcat in her mouth and gently dropped him on Mike's lap. The young black male curled down and looked up at Mike.

"I listen to your Mum, see? She's been tellin' me a lot about you and Lucien. Every time she visits you guys, she comes back and tells me about it, gives me the news." 

Perle took Inky and dropped her on Mike's lap. She sat down there and didn't move.

"I don't get it cause I don't feel it in me. Never felt more for a bloke than just bein' friends. Hell, it never came to me that you could be more. And we didn't raise you like that, son, nah, we didn't. So of course, I thought about it all for a long time. Where the hell could you have got the idea from? You can't have just thought about it on your own, can you?" 

Perle finally took Marshmallow and brought her to her great-grand father's lap. The poor kitten lay down, curled in a ball against Bushcat, she seemed afraid.

"But then, when I thought I could never get it, I asked your Mum. And as always, she knew."

Perle lay down, curling her body around her babies, on Mike's lap. 

"She asked me why I chose her. I told her that it was because she was kind, and pretty, and compassionate… I went on until I couldn't think of any words anymore. D'you know what she said then?" Mundy shook his head. "That your Auntie Sally was the same." Mike chuckled and Mundy smiled. The old man laced his arms around Mundy's shoulder. "Then she told me that there is no rhyme or reason as to why I chose her. Yeah, she's nice and all, but lots of other girls are like that too. But your mum has somethin' special that speaks only to me, on the inside, somethin' that no one can put into words. And that's why I chose her." 

Mundy smiled at his father's dreamy eyes. He could clearly see that even after all these years, Mike still loved Caroline, a bit out of habit of course, but the feelings deep down, they were still the same. 

"Then she said it was the same for you and Lucien. You chose him cause he's nice and all, but also, there's stuff you can't explain to me, you can't explain it to anyone, but when you think of him, it feels alright." 

Mundy nodded. 

"Y'know, I still find it a bit weird but… I'll try. I can't promise I won't give weird looks, I'm sorry, it's just so strange to me. But that doesn't mean I don't love you, Micky. It's just that I'm a bit… surprised, if that makes sense." 

"Does that mean you're ok with Lu' and me?" 

"I'm… I'm tryin' my best, son and uh… I'm sorry I didn't just understand it sooner." Mike pulled Mundy in an unexpected hug. "I made your mum and you worry about me and for what? Cause you were happy with a bloke. God damn it, I asked Maurice and he told me he was a war hero that Lucien of yours, did you know?" 

Mundy nodded, returning his father's hug and holding him close. 

"Y-yeah, I know." 

"He's… Maurice told me he's a hell of a guy, traditional, and honest, hard-workin' too." 

Mundy nodded again. 

"Micky?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you really happy with him?" 

The Aussie closed his eyes. 

"Yeah, I am." 

"For sure?" 

"Yeah. He saved me and sacrificed everythin' for me, even his own self. I won't find anyone else like him, Dad." 

"Right. Then, please go and get him out of the kitchen, I need to talk to him." Mike gently pulled himself out of the embrace.

"Alone?"

"Nah, bring your mum too." 

"Ok… Uh, Dad?" 

"Mh?" 

"Thank you." Mundy smiled. 

"Heh, I should be the one apologisin' and you're thankin' me? Gosh, son…" Mike ruffled Mundy's hair. "You're a good boy. Now go and get Lucien." 

"Alright." 

Mundy went to the kitchen and gestured to Lucien and Caroline to come. They brought Caroline's usual tray of tea and biscuits. 

"You wanted to see me, Mike?" Lucien asked. 

The old man gently scooped the kittens out of his lap and Perle helped him remove them. He then stood up to Lucien and looked up at him. 

"You sit down next to me." 

Lucien nodded and obeyed, Mundy went to the armchair.

"Now you listen here… I talked to Micky. I talked to Caroline too. I'm not sayin' any of this makes sense to me at all, alright?" 

Lucien nodded. 

"I wanna ask a few things." 

"Pray do." 

"What d'you think of my Micky?" 

Lucien took a deep breath. 

"He is… unique. Without a doubt, he is the most compassionate soul I have ever met. His unconditional love for you and Caroline speaks at length for his faithfulness, his patience and his loyalty. I have seen him show love for his family, for his friends, and for animals in an outstandingly respectful way. I have also seen his wrath and his frustration, and I admire him for them too. There is something beautifully frightening in seeing a man so gentle become furious. But as of late, I have had the privilege of seeing a more confident Mundy, and what a sight… I think you have raised an example for the human kind, Mike. You might not even see it, or not the way that I do, but please hear my words and believe them."

Mike had listened, frowning all along and nodding from time to time. From the armchair, Mundy was shaking, his limbs were trembling silently as his jaw clenched. 

"Is Micky happy with you?"

"This is my only worry." Lucien answered. "I strive to make his life complete, to make him feel as whole as possible. If in your eyes I am not doing enough for it, then please understand that no one else on Earth would do as much as I have, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I am, and will remain, the only person who will go to unthinkable ends for Mundy's happiness."

"Lu'-"

"Son." Mike raised a hand to silence Mundy. He turned to Lucien again. "You takin' care of him as best as you can?"

"Oui." 

"Hm." Mike nodded to himself. "You… You really make him happy, huh?" 

"More than I thought I could make anyone, including myself." Lucien answered. 

"And d'you have plans for the future?" Mike asked. 

"Neither him or I are young anymore. I do not plan anything else but live with him for as long as God allows it. Whatever his wishes, whatever he dreams of, I shall know of it and bring it to him. Those are my plans for the future." 

"Hm…" 

Mike remained silent for a minute that seemed like an entire life and a half for everyone in the room. 

"Meow…" Perle moved her babies to both Lucien and Mike's lap before sitting on Lucien's lap. She raised a paw to him and he gently held it and put it back down.

"Attends, ma chérie, je parle avec Mike, c'est important."

[Wait, my darling, I am talking with Mike and it is important.]

"Caroline?" Mike asked. 

"Yeah?" 

"Anythin' you wanna ask him?" 

"N-no…?" She answered surprised. 

"Well, c'mon, y'have to, we can't let Micky go with him without askin' a few things…!"

"Mike, they already are together, what are you on about?"

"Yeah, but you know that this isn't about them bein' together, it's about you and I givin' our blessin'." 

Mundy's eyes watered up. Lucien saw it and looked at Perle before nodding in direction of the poor Aussie, melting on his island of an armchair, further away from the action. Perle turned her head to her Dad and both Soot and her went to comfort him. The kittens squealed in Lucien and Mike's lap, seeing Mummy further away, but both men kept them warm in their palms. 

"I have nothin' to ask, I've seen them. I've seen them and I've heard them at home, they're… They work perfectly, Mike, they might even work better than you and me!" 

Lucien was sandwiched between Caroline and Mike and leaned back on his seat to not block their conversation. 

"C'mon, Carrie, ask him one thing at least, just for good measure…!"

"Right, right…. Uh, Lu'?"

"Oui?" 

"Will you excuse Mike and his century old manners with you?" 

"Carrie!" Mike exclaimed and Lucien smiled. 

"Non, please, I am an old man, and a man of tradition too. It is only normal that Mike asks me a few things." Lucien tried to calm both parents down. 

"See? He gets it!" Mike said. 

"Oh well then, now you agree with Lucien, Mike, hm?" 

"Course, I do! He talks sense! Now, please Carrie, give us some tea, throats are dry here and we can't think anymore."

"Right, right… Here, Lu', pass this on to the old man from the last century, yeah?" 

"Of course, Mike? Here is your cup." Lucien handed him the cup that Caroline had given him. 

"This is for you, Lu'... And this is for… oh?" 

Mundy had been staring, his back hunched and tears were streaming down his face. 

"Mundy…!" Lucien put his cup aside and the kittens on the carpet before going to Mundy. "What is wrong, Mundy?" 

"Step aside, son, I think this is for me to handle." 

Lucien felt a hand on his shoulder and withdrew. 

"Stand up, Micky." 

The Aussie pushed on his wobbly legs and Mike pulled him into a hug, to which Mundy couldn't resist and burst out sobbing, his knees gave up but Lucien held him from behind and helped him stand. 

"Dad…"

"Shh, son, don't cry… What's Lucien gonna think, eh? Didn't raise you to cry like that, eh?" Mike patted his back and held him close. "What's yer… uh… companion gonna think, eh?"

"Dad…" Mundy sobbed again, the only word he repeated was Dad for long, long minutes of wringing himself. 

"C'mere now, sit down." Father and son took a seat on the sofa. "There, there, thanks, Carrie. Look, your Mum's handin' you a tissue, yeah, wipe that mess off yer face, good boy… Now, can you speak?" 

Mundy's breath was hitched, his whole ribcage was trembling in erratic waves.

"Y-yeah… I-I'm sorry… I…" 

"Now, now, shh… You have nothin' to be sorry about. I should apologise to both of ya. Sorry, Micky, I didn't want to be mean to you or anythin', I just thought… I couldn't imagine how you could be happy with a man. And you," Mike turned to Lucien. "You continue takin' care of my Micky, alright?"

"Oui, Monsieur." Lucien nodded.

[Yes, Sir.]

"See how sensitive he is? He's fragile, my boy. But he's strong too, eh? I didn't raise a sissy! He's strong and sensitive. He's my boy, and if I learn that anyone's been mean to him…!"

"Mike," Caroline answered. "So far you've been that one…"

"Yeah well, I was… not really bright, anyway! That's not the point, point is, I love you Micky, you're my boy, the baby we chose to raise and we both love you. As I said, don't expect me to not give you the occasional weird stare, I can't help it, you can't change an old man, but I don't mean any harm. I'm just… I'm just surprised, is all." 

"Thanks so much, Dad, I…" Mundy hugged his father, clawing and clinging to him. 

"There, there, it's alright… Now, Carrie, give the boy his cup of tea, he's lost lots of water and will need the hydration. There we go… Now…"

Everyone held their cup and Mundy turned to take Lucien's hand in his. The Frenchman blushed intensely.

"Lucien?" Mike called. 

"Oui?"

"Did I tell you that one time we went fishin' with Micky and he caught a fish with his bare hands, or rather his bare foot?" 

"Oh, non, I don't believe you have." Lucien smiled in anticipation. 

"Well, it's not a flatterin' story, not at the beginnin'..."

"Dad, please…"

"Let me tell him, it's a good story."

"Dad…!" 

"He caught the fish, see? But the fish caught him too! It was a vicious thing that grabbed his foot!"

"Oh, God…" Mundy hid his face in his hands. 

"See, we were on a lil' row boat and Micky fell in the water trying to pull on his fishin' rod too hard. When he came back to the surface, the damn thing was on his lil' bare foot!"

Lucien chuckled and Mundy shook his head. 

"Dad, he doesn't need to know that…"

"Yeah, he does. Now there was also that one time where he tried to hunt bees, now I'm sure you can guess how it ended, eh?" Mike chuckled. "Carrie, get us the photo album, Lucien's gotta see the picture…"

"Dad, no, please…!" 

"Come on! It was ages ago, let me show him what specimen you were… See, he caught the bee in the end, but the poor thing stung him on his ear as it tried to escape and the poor kid got an ear as big as a frying pan!" 

Caroline brough the photo album. 

"Now, squeeze a bit boys, c'mere Carrie… There we go… Now, let's have a look, yeah?"

"Dad, do we really have to?"

"Yeah we do! Lucien has to know what kind of a kid you were. Now, where was I…?"

Perle gathered her little ones and with Soot's help, they all went on their parents and grandparents' laps. As it turned out, the kittens were as curious about the pictures as Lucien was. 

The Frenchman turned his head to meet his lover's gaze and smiled. Mundy's eyes were still a bit red with the crying, but he grinned back, and he slid his fingers between Lucien. 

[here4theheartbreak]

Muscle Paws

AO3 Link Here!

✩ Relationships: yoonminkook (Yoongi x Jimin x Jungkook) ✩ Genre(s): fluff

✩ Rating: Teen ✩ Tags: shapeshifting, general vague mentions of sex, nudity, polyamory, non-idol au

✩ Summary: They say cats choose their owners, and that seemed to be the truth for the cute tabby that hopped into Yoongi and Jimin’s open window one morning. Except that specific cat... Wasn’t quite normal.

✩ A/N: Written for @sujigguk​ for the drabble requests, prompt #2: When did we get a cat?

✩ Word Count: ~4.9k

Yoongi stretched arms above his head, groaning contentedly. What a great sleep. He yawned loudly. And was promptly silenced by an annoyed squeak from his chest He blinked sleep from his eyes, looking down. On his bare chest, curled into a tight, furry, ball, was a sleek brown and black cat. It looked thin, even curled up.

“Well who are you?” Yoongi asked, reaching down to pet the cat’s soft head. It peeked at him from over its tail, deep amber eyes large and inquisitive. It wasn’t uncommon for strays to wander into the house. Yoongi and his lover lived in a remote area, and often left their windows open. Stray cats, puppies, a squirrel or two, and even a fox once or twice, had found their way into their home.

He carefully scooped up the furry animal as he sat up. “Sorry, I gotta get up and start working, kitty. You should go back to wherever you came from though.” He walked to the window and leaned out, carefully placing the cat back on the barrel it more than likely used to climb into the room. He shut the window and went about his morning routine, entering the kitchen to find Jimin already at the table, sipping coffee.

“Morning.”

“Good morning.”

Yoongi kissed his cheek. “Did you see our furry little visitor this morning?”

“Hm? No, I didn’t. What was it?”

“A cat. Do you think we should start closing the window at night?”

“I don’t see why,” Jimin shrugged. “We don’t hate animals – no harm in giving them a warm place to sleep, I figure.” He shut his notebook. “I’m going into town today though; do you need anything?”

“Hmm, something sweet, if you would, and another bottle of whiskey?” Yoongi asked. Jimin nodded.

Yoongi wandered over to the fridge, opening it to pull out a jug of milk. The two had saved enough to buy this small plot of land after Jimin’s parents passed away and left him a sizeable chunk of inheritance. They managed to stay pretty self-sustaining in terms of food, only going into town to get things they couldn’t grow, meats and drinks, mostly. Both loved the quiet; Jimin’s art required it, and Yoongi’s writing was better done in peace. They also preferred the solitude for other reasons. Their ability to be open and comfortable with one another, the lack of nosey neighbors, the ability to do as they wished in terms of their property and relationship. Though dating, they were less monogamous and traditional than their nearby town would prefer. Though they’d never brought a third in permanently, the idea had been tossed around and tried out a few times over the years.

“Are you working today?” Jimin asked as Yoongi ate his breakfast.

“I am. I’m close to finishing this track, I’ll get it over to the guys this afternoon, I hope. And you? After your trip?”

“Thinking about it. I’ve got a few unfinished pieces that I’d really like to work on, and I had a weird dream last night I’d like to play with a little.”

“You and your dreams.”

Jimin laughed, kicking him under the table. “Me and my dreams help pay the bills.”

“Ohh, hey, what am I, chopped liver? Slaving away in the studio?”

Jimin laughed harder. “Of course not.” He rose and leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to Yoongi’s lips.  “I’m gonna head in.”

“Be safe.”

“Always.”

Yoongi watched Jimin get up and slip on his shoes, his heart clenching. They’d met in high school, and even now nearly ten years later… Yoongi was just as in love with Jimin as he was then.

Yoongi puttered around for a few more minutes in the kitchen before heading into his studio. He pushed open the window, letting in the cool morning air as he sat down and turned on his computer to dig into editing the tracks he’d been asked to help produce for a new group in the city. He’d been working for about thirty minutes when something bumped his leg. Yoongi frowned, looking down at the ground. The same brown and black cat was winding around his chair, looking up at him. It chirped before jumping into his lap. Yoongi chuckled, scratching its soft ears.

“You don’t live here, you furry little pest,” he said with no venom. The cat tilted its head, blinking at him.

“Well, you don’t. I suppose feeding you won’t hurt… You’re awful skinny,” he noticed as he stroked the cat’s ribs. “Just once. And don’t tell my boyfriend. He’ll say I’m soft for you fuzzy beasts.” He scooped up the cat and rose, padding into the kitchen.

Once there, he placed the cat on the counter and dug in the fridge, pulling out the jug of milk and pouring it a small bowl. The cat rushed to it, lapping it up contentedly, tail flicking in an s-shape. Yoongi stroked its soft fur, sighing. “You know, I suppose we could adopt one of you one of these days. So many strays come in and out, I don’t see the harm in it, huh, little… Uh…” He hesitated and glanced at the cat’s behind. “Boy. Sorry for the invasion of privacy.”

The cat looked up from his milk and meowed before returning to it. Yoongi chuckled. “I’ll have to talk to Jimin about it. I bet he’d like you.” He scooped the cat up and grabbed the bowl of milk, heading back into his office. He set the milk down near the window and plopped the cat down next to it, going back to his computer.

Yoongi focused on his work for the next few hours, breaking only every now and then to stretch his legs as he hummed a potential tune for the track. Every time he glanced over, the tabby remained, now snoozing in a patch of sun on his rug.

“I’m hungry,” Yoongi finally said. The cat perked his ears up, yawning and stretching as if on command.

“You too? We don’t have cat food. I could text Jimin to get it… But I think I have some tuna.” Yoongi turned and left, leaving the door open for the feline to follow him out. He cracked open a can of tuna, dumping half of it onto a plate and using the other half to make himself a sandwich. He sat the kitchen table, watching the birds flying between the trees as he ate. Next to him, the cat lapped contentedly at the tuna, clearly hungry.

As Yoongi nearly finished his lunch, the front door opened, and Jimin entered with arms loaded with groceries. Yoongi rose, setting the remainder of his sandwich on the table and stepping around the now empty plate to help him. “Hey baby,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to Jimin’s cheek.

“Hey, how’s your day been?”

“Quiet. Got a lot done. Is there more out in the car?”

“Just some packages of meat for the big freezer.” Jimin glanced over and scowled. “Yoongi?”

“Yes?”

“When did we get a cat?”

Yoongi looked over, unable to keep from laughing. The stray was standing on his chair, munching contentedly at the remnants of his sandwich.

“This is the one that was on my chest this morning. He came back to visit when I opened my studio window.”

“I thought we didn’t feed them,” Jimin scolded without venom.

“He’s all bones…” Yoongi mumbled, feeling a bit sheepish.

“You like him.”

“He’s… A cat.”

The cat jumped down and trotted over to them, sniffing Jimin’s sneaker.

“He is skinny. Definitely not owned by someone. But nice, for being feral.”

“I mean, we’re not keeping him or anything,” Yoongi said.

Jimin looked up and smirked. “We’re keeping him, aren’t we?”

Yoongi smiled a little sheepishly. “I mean, he’s a stray so like… We can’t trap him in the house, right?”

“Well, we keep the windows open anyway, so just do that. Once it gets colder and we shut them, then we can decide if we wanna keep him inside.” Jimin shrugged. “You like him. And it’s not like we don’t have the space for a cat. And he’s quiet.”

Yoongi nodded, his heart warming a little at the idea… They were keeping him. He headed outside, considering a name for their furry new housemate as he grabbed the bags of meat from the back of the car.

The following week, the tabby returned daily and spent most days in the home with Yoongi and Jimin. Every evening he wandered away, only to be back the next morning, curled up in bed with one or both of them. He was becoming an honest part of the family pretty quickly. They still hadn’t bothered to name him, opting instead for kitty, or boy to call for him.

One morning, Yoongi awoke to a loud clatter. He groaned, rolling over. “Come on kitty, I’m sleeping.”

“Sorry,” came a weak whisper. Yoongi’s eyes snapped open. It took a moment to focus, but when he did, he shouted. A naked young man was halfway out their window, his broad chest pinning him. He backed up into the room just as Yoongi grabbed a lamp, brandishing it.

“Jimin!” He cried. “Who the fuck are you?!”

“Please don’t hurt me!” The naked boy cried, holding his hands up. His hair was brown and black, the same shades as the cat that had been crawling into their house daily. And his eyes – they were almost inhuman, a vibrant amber that seemed to reflect light.

“Who are you!” Yoongi asked again, lifting the lamp. “The cat! The cat, please, I’m the cat!”

Yoongi hesitated at the absurdity of the sentence. The boy shook his head.

“I know it’s nuts, I can see it on your face, but let me explain, please.”

Jimin rushed in, shouting. “Who the hell—I’m calling the cops.”

“Wait,” Yoongi said, lowering the lamp and holding his arm out. “He says he’s our cat.”

“What?” Jimin deadpanned, making Yoongi chuckle despite the situation.

“I swear. I know it sounds nuts, but I am. Yoongi, you pace around your office all the time muttering to yourself. Right now you’re struggling on the third section of the piece Namjoon gave you, it sounds tinny.”

Yoongi and Jimin exchanged a glance. “Means nothing, you could’ve overheard me talking to Jimin about that spying or something.”

“Fine. Yesterday morning Jimin made you breakfast. I was in the kitchen with him. I sat underneath the counter because he kept dropping pieces of egg and I’d scoop them up. He caught me and called me a personal vacuum.”

Jimin shifted. “The blinds were closed when I did that… And I said it quiet.”

“I know, but you said it in my ear. Please, I have no reason to lie, I promise.”

“Even if we wanted to believe you,” Yoongi argued. “You’re standing in my bedroom as a human. Bare ass naked. Care to explain?”

“I—I was going to get my clothes. I didn’t think I’d shift back so quick…” The boy looked down, covering his nudity with his hands as best as he could.

“Here,” Jimin said. He grabbed his robe from the back of the door, passing it to the boy.

“Thank you.” The boy slung it on, tying it.

“I was your cat. The cat… I don’t belong to anyone, really. I’m a shifter. I can… I can shift from cat to human. It doesn’t always work right though. I’ve been stuck in cat form for a few weeks. Which is why I left every night. It’s easier to shift at night and I spent the evenings trying to shift back. When the sun rose I’d return here.”

“Why?” Yoongi asked, placing the lamp back in its spot. The boy’s shoulders slumped.

“I’ve spent most of my life alone and pretty unwanted. You two were so nice to me, I know you were nice because I was just a skinny cat but… It felt so good. I hoped…” He sighed and shook his head. “I hoped maybe when I shifted back I could meet you face to face, in my human form. Get to know you and… Maybe fit into your family this way too.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know it’s unbelievable. I’m sorry for scaring you, Yoongi.”

He looked up, meeting Yoongi’s gaze. His eyes shined just the way the cats did, and Yoongi’s heart clenched.

“I’ll go now. I won’t be a bother again, I promise.” The boy stood upright and headed toward the door. He grabbed the tie on the robe, undoing it. “I have clothes in the woods, thank you.”

“Well you can’t rightly have breakfast naked, can you?” Yoongi asked, making both the boy and Jimin look over.

“What?” The boy asked.

“You say you’re my cat. Say I might believe you.” Yoongi shrugged. “Right about now is when I normally wake up and feed him, isn’t it?”

As if on cue, the boy’s stomach rumbled. He laughed weakly, lowering his head. “Sorry.”

“What’s your name?” Jimin asked softly.

“Jungkook.”

“Jungkook. Okay… Well, tie your robe then. Have you started breakfast, Jimin?”

Jimin nodded.

“Set another plate.”

Another nod. Jimin cocked his head at Jungkook, his gaze gentle. “You have a pretty face, Jungkook. Much more fitting of a boy than a cat.”

Jungkook beamed brightly. “You believe me?”

“I don’t know. But Yoongi seems to. And you seem kind enough, even if you aren’t being honest… No shame in sharing a meal with a pretty, skinny boy, is there?”

“I’m twenty-three,” Jungkook muttered shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know I look young but…”

“Oh good, so I don’t feel so bad about thinking you’re cute then.”

“Jimin,” Yoongi groaned. “You’re insatiable.”

Jimin laughed freely. He headed out of the room, Jungkook and Yoongi following close behind.

The table was quiet as they ate, each seeming unsure what to say to the other. Finally, Yoongi cleared his throat.

“A shapeshifter is pretty unbelievable, Jungkook,” he admitted. “But say I believe you. How? Why? What’s the story? Where are your parents, are they like you? Why doesn’t anyone know about people like you?”

Jungkook swallowed the egg in his mouth, shrugging. “I know it’s crazy. My parents… They’re… Not around. Dead. I’ve never met anyone like me before,” he whispered.

“Were they like you?” Jimin asked.

“No. They were normal humans. I was born… Wrong, I think. They didn’t want me once they learned the truth… And then when someone not so nice learned… He killed them for me.”

“How old were you?”

“Thirteen when I first changed. Fourteen when they died.”

“So where have you been?”

“The woods, mostly,” Jungkook said. “I’m a pretty good scavenger. I stay in cat form most of the time to hide.”

“So you said you were stuck in that form,” Yoongi said.

“Yeah, it sucks. Sometimes I try to shift back and I just can’t. I’m like… Stuck in the tiny form. I’m fully sentient, like I know exactly what’s going on and I process just like I do as a human. But I just can’t turn back. The longest I’ve been stuck is a month. It can get frustrating. I’m afraid I won’t turn back one of these days… I guess it wouldn’t be so bad though, I could find a family to love me if I stayed as a cat.” He looked down at his plate. “You guys treated me so nice. I’m sorry I did this to you.”

“It’s not like you could tell us,” Jimin said softly. He reached across and touched Jungkook’s wrist. Yoongi didn’t miss the way Jungkook flinched at the touch. He sighed. “Where do you stay, Jungkook?”

“There’s a cave in the woods nearby. I hide there.”

“Are your clothes there?”

Jungkook nodded.

Yoongi nodded. “Alright. There’s some ground rules you’ll need to follow in this form. Keep it clean, clean up after yourself. And help with chores when you can – firewood, cooking sometimes if you know how, helping Jiminie with the groceries. I have some clothes I think might fit you if you need them, but Jimin or I can take you shopping this week if we have to. We only have the couch. If you want to share the bed with us, well… We’ll need to talk about that too, after we get to know you a little more in the form that can talk to us.”

Jungkook’s head snapped up, his amber eyes wide. “What? I—You’re letting me… Stay?” He stuttered, looking over at Jimin, who was smiling softly.

“Well, you’ve already been living here, haven’t you?” Yoongi asked, waving his hand. He rose and began to clear his dishes. “No reason for you to go running off, it’s starting to get colder at night.”

Jungkook rose and slammed into Yoongi, hugging him tightly. Yoongi bobbled the dishes in his hand, nearly dropping them. His eyes widened a little in surprise.

“Thank you,” Jungkook whispered against his shoulder.

“Don’t thank me yet… You have a long way to go… I don’t know you.”

“But you’re giving me a chance. No one…” He stepped back, gasping when his back hit Jimin. Jimin wrapped his arms around him gently, smiling against his shoulder.

“We get a good feeling about people. You deserve a chance. Come on, lets find you pants at least, to wear while you go grab your stuff from that cave. Do you have a lot?”

“No, a couple of sets of clothes and a couple of things I scavenged from campsites and stuff… Nothing important.”

“Want one of us to come with you?”

“No, I’m okay,” Jungkook assured him.

“Don’t go running off on us,” Yoongi said, offering a smile. “It’s your turn to do the dishes.” He winked, placing the bowls in the sink. He leaned forward, kissing Jimin gently despite Jungkook being between them.

“I’m going to start working.”

“We’ll keep quiet.”

Yoongi nodded. He glanced at Jungkook, his eyes darting down to Jungkook’s plush mouth for a split second. “Be good,” he said. Jungkook nodded quickly. Yoongi walked away, kicking the door to his office shut behind him.

The next few weeks found the three falling into a comfortable rhythm. Jungkook remained, helping out around the house and doing his best to fit in. Though Yoongi still had some reservations about the man, he found himself getting more and more attached to him. A quiet conversation with Jimin one night confirmed that Jimin was feeling the same.

Six weeks after Jungkook had appeared in their bedroom (as a human, at least) the three were sitting on the couch, watching a movie. Jungkook was between them, his knees pulled up to his chest and arms curled around them as he watched the screen. His eyes darted back and forth with the action, muscles tensing and twitching when something moved sharply. From the corner of his eye, Yoongi could see Jungkook’s fingers clenching and relaxing, flexing strangely against his arms.

“Are you alright?” Yoongi finally asked.

Jungkook jumped visibly. “What?”

“You’re twitchy.”

“I—” Jungkook shifted. “I think I should go.”

“Where?” Jimin asked.

“I’m itchy. When I get like this it usually means… I need to shift.”

“To a cat,” Yoongi confirmed. Jungkook nodded.

“Why would you have to go?” Jimin asked. “We haven’t seen you shift, we still don’t know if you’re lying. But either way, there’s no reason to hide it, right? This is your place now too.”

“It is?” Jungkook asked, his voice soft and hopeful.

“It is.” Yoongi touched his leg. “If you think you need to… Uh… Shift or whatever. You can do it here safely. Put your clothes away before you do.”

“How does it work?” Jimin asked suddenly. “You’re not a small man, and the cat…”

Jungkook grimaced. “It’s not pleasant, honestly. It doesn’t hurt so much just… Look strange. I don’t want to show you.”

“That’s fine. Go on. Do what needs to be done. We’ll be here. We’ll pause the movie.” Jimin pressed the pause button. Jungkook rose, stripping out of his shirt. In the month he’d been with them, he’d gained weight, looking far heathier and more handsome.

Yoongi could see his muscles flexing under his skin, his back drawn in tight goosebumps. He was definitely uncomfortable.

Jungkook walked to the bathroom, shutting the door.

Jimin moved next to Yoongi. “Can I tell you a secret?” He whispered.

“What?”

“I believe him.”

“So do I,” Yoongi agreed, watching the shut door.

“And another one?” Jimin said softly.

Yoongi looked over. Jimin smiled sheepishly.

“I want him.”

Yoongi chuckled. “I wondered when you’d confess.”

“You don’t?”

“I have for a while,” Yoongi said simply. “But I wanted to get to know him more, and you with him… I like the man. He’s a hard worker, kind, funny, and handsome. He lives here though. If we take him to bed… Are we ready for a third? Permanently? I won’t feel right kicking him back to the couch.”

Jimin bit his lip. “I’ve been ready, I think. For a while. Just wanted the right man… I think Jungkook… I think he might be.” He took Yoongi’s hand. “Can we bring it up to him?”

“I want to, yeah,” Yoongi said. He kissed Jimin gently. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

“Thank you for accepting me.”

“If he really is part cat…” Yoongi chuckled. “What a wild trio we’d make.”

Jimin laughed. “For sure. Let’s wait until he’s a human to talk to him about this though, right?”

“I don’t think he can quite give his opinion as a cat.” Yoongi laughed as he spoke. As if on command, a soft scratching sounded at the bathroom door.

Yoongi rose, opening it. Out darted the brown and black tabby, amber eyes shining. He’d filled out, coat a healthy shine now. Jungkook’s clothes were in the hamper, and he – the human version of him at least – was nowhere to be found.

“Hey handsome,” Jimin cooed. Jungkook hopped up on the couch, climbing immediately into Jimin’s lap and pawing at the strings on his hoodie.

Jimin scratched his face and behind his ears, laughing when he began to purr. “Such a pretty boy – both human and like this, you know that?”

Yoongi sat back down, slinging his arm around Jimin. “Are you okay to settle down and watch the movie?” He asked the furry form on Jimin’s lap.

Jungkook climbed onto Yoongi’s lap, pawing at his chest and bumping his chin with his head. Yoongi chuckled, scratching his neck. “Yeah, yeah, I think you’re cute like this too. We believe you. Now lay down, you’re going to break my ribs, muscle paws. I swear you weigh as much now as when you’re a human,” Yoongi said, laughing harder as he pushed Jungkook’s paws off his chest.

Jungkook bumped his chin once more before settling down. He stretched himself between both of their laps. Yoongi pressed play again, settling in to watch the movie, absently stroking Jungkook’s soft fur.

When the film finished, the two humans rose, stretching. Jungkook curled up in a tight ball on the couch, burying his nose in his tail.

“You can sleep in the bed,” Jimin said to him. “If you want to.”

Jungkook perked up, hopping down and following them to the bedroom. He curled up on the end of the bed, right in the center. Jimin and Yoongi crawled in after pulling on their pajamas, sharing a kiss before turning off the light and chasing sleep.

The next morning, Yoongi groaned contentedly. A warm body was curled around him, breath tickling his ear.

“Jimin,” he grumbled softly, opening his eyes and turning his head. He gasped, surprised to see Jungkook’s very human face right next to him, smoothed out in sleep. Yoongi shifted as well as he could with Jungkook’s arm over him, seeing Jimin fast asleep still, snuggled up against Jungkook’s bare back. He sighed softly. While he was entirely okay with the situation, making Jungkook uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted. He gently shook his shoulder.

“Hey, Jungkookie,” he whispered. Jungkook groaned, his brows furrowing before smoothing.

“Buddy, Jungkook,” Yoongi said a little louder. He shook him again. “Wake up.”

“Don’t wanna,” Jungkook complained, but his eyes slowly fluttered open. He smiled at Yoongi sleepily, then seemed to realize. His eyes widened and he gasped, shooting up. “Oh God, I’m so sorry!”

“Shh, shh,” Yoongi sat up and touched his back. “Don’t wake Jimin,” he said, motioning to Jimin still sleeping. “I’m not mad, okay, I just didn’t want you to feel weird waking up like this, so I wanted to let you know.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know… I didn’t think I’d shift…”

“You don’t have to explain,” Yoongi said firmly. “Why don’t you go get some sweats on and we’ll make breakfast together, okay?”

“You’re not mad?” Jungkook whispered. “Really?”

“We’re the ones that told you to sleep with us. I’m not mad.”

Jungkook relaxed a little at that. He smiled at Yoongi, his amber eyes just as bright and shiny as they were the previous night. “I really like you, Yoongi… And Jimin. More than I should,” he confessed. “I feel bad. Because you two are so happy together. But sometimes I wish I could have it too. I’d never do anything to hurt you two though, I promise.”

“What if we told you that you could have it too, Jungkook?” Jimin’s voice was thick with sleep still. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Yoongi smiled softly at him.

“Someday, sure,” Jungkook said, shrugging. “Just have to find a man who isn’t scared of me. I know I’m a freak… Shapeshifting. I can barely control it.”

“Do you just want one man?” Yoongi asked. “Why not two?”

“Finding one to love me will be hard enough,” Jungkook mumbled. “Especially a love like you two have. You’re beautiful together.”

“The bed is big, Jungkook,” Jimin said casually, motioning to the bed they were all sitting on. “And our hearts are too. We never told you this, because we didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable in our home… But we’re not a traditional couple.”

“What do you mean?”

“We often invite a third man or woman to share our bed,” Yoongi said. “Though up until now it’s been sexual, we’ve been open to the idea of a romantic third as well. I think we both realized we’d found our potential third in you, but we were hesitant about telling you. We didn’t want you to find it strange or off-putting. We want you to feel safe here, regardless of your feelings toward us.”

“You like me?” Jungkook asked. “Both of you?”

Jimin nodded, and Yoongi did as well when Jungkook looked back to him. His nose crinkled a little, eyes thinning as smile lines appeared. His lips finally drew back into a wide grin, top teeth jutting out in a way that made him look unbearably youthful and cute.

“You both like me. You want me!”

“We want you, Jungkook,” Yoongi said softly. He reached out, squeezing the back of Jungkook’s neck gently. “You might have arrived first as a cat, and it took us a while to get used to you as a human… But you’ve become a part of this family.”

“We’re letting you make the final decision, if you want to become a little closer to us,” Jimin finished.

“Yes. God, yes, yes! Of course,” Jungkook cried, his eyes shining. “What—I wanna—” He hesitated, looking at Yoongi. His eyes dropped to Yoongi’s mouth. He parted his own lips, unsure.

“It’s okay,” Jimin whispered, running his hand over Jungkook’s back. “Go ahead.”

“I’ve never…”

Yoongi’s smile faded. “You’ve never been kissed?”

Jungkook shook his head no.

“And other things?” Jimin tried. Another negative head shake.

“Oh, baby,” Jimin cooed. He wrapped his arms around Jungkook, nuzzling his neck. “Take your time, okay?”

“I want to,” Jungkook said firmly. “I just don’t think I’ll be very good at it.”

“I don’t mind. Jimin was a horrible kisser when we first met,” Yoongi teased, laughing when Jimin punched him in the arm. Jungkook laughed a little. It died in his throat when Yoongi leaned forward, shifting his hand from the back of his neck to the side of his neck and jaw.

“Are you okay with this?” Yoongi asked.

Jungkook nodded. He reached up, setting his hand over Jimin’s arm on his chest. He let Yoongi guide him forward, their lips meeting in a gentle, chaste kiss.

Yoongi stroked his smooth jaw, chuckling a little when he felt Jungkook grin against his mouth. They separated, and Jimin shifted over. Jungkook took a breath, leaning forward a bit more confidently. He kissed Jimin, giggling a little when their noses bumped. Jimin held tight to him.

They separated and Jungkook sighed, his grin open-mouthed and contagious.

“You two want me,” he whispered, almost reverently.

Yoongi kissed his temple. “We want you. You’re home, Jungkook.”

Jungkook’s grin widened. Jimin kissed his cheek. “Why don’t you get dressed, then we can go make breakfast, huh?”

Jungkook nodded. He scrambled off the bed, hurrying to the space in the dresser where his clothes were. Yoongi reached over, brushing Jimin’s cheek with his thumb.

“You look happy. You’re glowing.”

“I am happy,” Jimin said softly, watching Jungkook across the room.

“Can’t say it’s a traditional relationship,” Yoongi admitted, rising and pulling his own shirt on.

“But the best ones never are.”

“Come on, muscle paws,” Yoongi said, wrapping his arm around Jungkook’s middle and kissing the corner of his mouth. “I’m starving.”

The three walked out of the bedroom together, and into the first day of the rest of their lives together.

[brideofcthulhu10]

I know I ask alot but could you do a story about the reader getting kidnapped and being held hostage against the boys as black mail or something and the boys coming to save them.

Don't even worry about it! I don't want any of you to feel guilty about multiple asks, there are no limits! Ask as much as you want.

So this is a bit rough, but I will defend my portrayal of the Frog Brothers. Remember they were willing to stake Star and Laddie TWICE, even when they were helping them, just because they were half vampires. A girl and a little boy were still a threat. With that being said, I hope you still enjoy

Taken from Your Bed

Fem!Reader x Poly! Lost Boys

CONTENT WARNING: Blood, Gore, Offensive Language, Subjects of Torture

The idea of a polyamorous relationship was something you had never considered in 17 years of living. The whole idea sounded so complex, sharing someone you loved with multiple people, or multiple people sharing and loving you? It just sounded like a huge mess.

 But when it came down to it, you could never choose between the beautiful vampires that had become absolutely smitten with you. What had started as a summertime time fling with the youngest and most perfect glam rocker, Paul, had evolved into a blossoming romance with his brothers. Late summer nights of riding through wind-warped beach dunes and cool morning naps were your new life. Your house had never really felt like a home even before you were coaxed into the arms of your blood sucking princes, and soon you just stopped coming back. Honestly they didn't even look for you. You'd be eighteen soon, you had graduated early from high school, there wasn't exactly much else to be done. It wasn't a surprise that your family was indifferent, you always questioned whether or not your parents had even wanted children. So, in the dark of the night they swooped in, liberating them of your belongings, and your presence. No note, no farewell, just an empty room with empty drawers.

Some days it would depress you. The subtle rejection hurt, but those days never lasted long. Any signs of tears and they'd be piling on you with a plethora of love. Paul would always remind you it didn't matter. You were with them now! Anyone else can burn in hell. The old cove where Star had slept was made up for you. They were more than happy to trash anything belonging to that treacherous girl. Battery powered fairy lights were hung across worn wooden bed posts, streams of colorful curtains kept you well shielded from any intruders, a mountain of stuffed toys from various trips to the boardwalk decorated the floor and your bed. They even managed to dig up a dusty old dresser for you clothes, and amongst your glamourous new cave dwelling, more often than not at least one of the boys would share the bed with you. On special occasions they'd all fall asleep with you in the middle between piles of plushies and pillows. Each one loved to spend time with you on and off the boardwalk. 

Marko was up for absolutely anything as long as he could be with you. You'd read out chapters of The Outsiders while he burrowed in your lap, just entranced by your soothing voice. He'd beg you to sing to him, just to get a glimpse of what that entailed. You could sound like a dying seagull and he'd still call it a serenade. On lazy days he would let you practice painting his nails when you got bored, or brush his hair. That was his favorite. Paul would whine that he wants his hair brushed too, only for David to interject that it's his turn next. Yes, even David loves having your attention on him. When you aren't sitting pretty in his lap, he's laying lazily against you while you run your fingers through snowy blonde hair. If you get him relaxed enough he'll let out a low, growling hum. You started calling it a sleepy bear sound. Your time with David was often mellow, wrapped in his arms while he read. Eventually you'd grow curious and peek at the pages, asking him to read out loud. "Only for you kitten." He'd whisper.

Dwayne could braid your hair for hours, telling you old stories his granny would tell him passed on from centuries. Your favorite is the wendigo, the story of settlers driven to cannibalism after being trapped in a cruel winter, doomed to roam as superhuman beasts. It makes you wonder if what they had seen were ancient vampires? He'd chuckled, throwing in a casual "maybe" then ask if you wanted feathers woven in your hair as well. Uh, yes please! Dwayne always made sure you were taking care of yourself. If you hadn't eaten that day it was suddenly top priority. He'll remind you the importance of 7 cups of water a day, plenty of rest- until you point out he does none of that. He'd then argue he's undead, that doesn't count. 

When Paul had his turn he'd be ecstatic. You'd both head bang to blasting music off the rock box, fix each other's hair in wild teased messes, sneak in a bit of heavy petting. Watching tv became a staple thanks to some rusty generator you "found" on a fisherman's boat after he… disappeared under mysterious circumstances. With a bowl of popcorn he'll pop in a scary movie, savoring those jumps that made you hide in his chest. It was too adorable! As soon as the other boys saw you two watching a film they'd all join and Paul would huff about his private time being commandeered. 

Even with all of this, you had still decided to remain human much to their dismay. It wasn't that you didn't want to be a vampire. But after the Frog Brothers nearly wiped them out, the boys needed someone to be a daytime watch guard. You weren't supposed to fight anyone, just raise an alarm if there were trespassers. The thought of that made you pout. It's not like you couldn't handle yourself. Sure you weren't Bruce Li, but you had a few street brawl victories under your belt. You could certainly handle those Frog dorks.

 Or so you had thought. 

That night you were absolutely positive no one had seen you, you certainly weren't supposed to be seen. It was 4:35 am, almost the entire boardwalk was scattered by now with most of the families long gone home. The lights were being shut off, rides had been closed hours ago. Only a few party animal adults still lingered at the bars making last calls, lazily returning to their beds after a draining night. A dense fog had started to roll in, coating the moon and beach in a haze. The foreboding swoon promised possible rain the following day. Taking advantage of the ethereal beauty the night was, you had lured two absolutely wasted surfer guys that had been stumbling across the boardwalk now eagerly following you through the misty sands expecting a night of thrills once you reached the caves. Calmly humming, you dragged your toes over the damp sands while wisps of ocean waves tempted to reach your feet. At the last stretch you waded through the shallows, cautiously climbing up onto slick mossy rocks when you reached the mouth of the cave. "C'mon boys. My friends are just dying to meet you," you purred. 

The high fives and penis innuendos were short lived when a flurry of dark figures swooped them into the air. You simply say atop the wet rocks with your knees delicately held against your chest. The screams and gurgled cries were lost to the ocean, and soon a familiar face poked from above looking into the cave. 

"Peek-a-boo," Marko teased, hanging off the roof of the cave before swinging next to you. "Have I ever told you, you have awesome taste in meals for a human?"

"Is that you, or the boozey blood talking," you asked with a giggle, smearing the blood off his cheeks to steal a quick kiss.

"Bow don't go taking all of her, Marko." You looked up, watching David swoop in coated in bloody stains with Paul and Dwayne trailing behind. 

"Sorry I could only bring you five people tonight guys, the fog coming in scared off whatever was left on the boardwalk. I barely caught those last two leaving the bar."

"Don't even kitty-cat, you already brought us way more than we expected," Paul protested, hanging on your shoulders from behind. 

Dwayne nodded, still leaning up against the soggy cave. "Five is enough to keep us full, princess, you did plenty." 

So with another successful night of feeding the boys were left ready to rest as 5 am rolled around. The sun tempted to rise before they had reached the cave, the boys slipping away to their dark hovel after giving you a mess of good night, or rather, good morning kisses. Although you often went to bed shortly after a night out, this morning you felt a surge of energy keeping you up. Thankfully it was a gloomy grey sky, causing minimal sunlight to burst through the slivers and cracks leaving the possibility still open that one of them would come to sleep beside you. Until then you chiseled away the boredom with a pair of headphones and a pile of comic books, flipping through the pages with eager anticipation for the next scene. Two hours barely dragged by, leaving you rolling over your bed in misery. Staring at the ceiling you debated sneaking into the cave. Maybe drag a blanket and a pillow, cuddle up on the ledge.. and then David would give you an earful for not only sleeping where you could fall but climbing through the tunnels. Oh well. It was only- 7:30 am. Perhaps you should spend the day out? But, something felt off. 

You sat up, pulling off your headphones trying to listen for anything out of the ordinary. There was a disturbing still to the room, even the ocean sounded distant.

 Then without warning, a firm hand clamped over your mouth from behind. You tried to wildly thrash and scream, but the sounds were heavily muffled under the thick layers of a towel. There seemed to be another who was running in front of you to grab at your wild legs still getting in every possible hit you could. They were whisper-yelling, demanding you keep your voice down. To hell with that! You managed to kick one in the face! The struggle dragged out for easily five minutes by this point. It always seemed to work faster in fiction, instead it dragged out for what felt like forever. The scent burned your lungs, it was getting harder to breathe, your resistance wavered as the drag of exhaustion continued to claw at your eyes. Your violent thrashing became a few heavy swings of your shoulders, until you could barely move anymore. It was impossible to fight the monstrous sleep they forced you into. Your body dropped into unconsciousness, finally able to breathe as you slipped away in the darkness.

Marko stirred in his sleep, swearing he could hear you screaming just outside. It wasn't until he opened his eyes that he was able to relax. Quiet as the day is long. It must've been his imagination. 

Flutters of light faded in and out of your peripheral vision. The more you saw, the more you heard. Two grumbling voices bickering back and forth. 

"- I say we should just ice her now!"

"Not until we can smoke the rest of 'em out! A vampire rarely travels alone these days! The rest of them won't kill us as long as we have her!"

A verbal groan alerted their attention towards you as you shifted in place. It was still daytime, maybe mid afternoon? You honestly couldn't tell. When you tried to sit up you felt a sharp, worn resistance that kept your arms firmly in place. The rope rubbed your wrists raw. Your boots couldn't get any traction on the floor, it was covered in dust and old hay. Finally you were able to see those responsible for your capture. 

"Oh you have got to be kidding," you announced, glaring at the two camo-clad brothers posing like suburban commandos. This was some old dusty barn, and you were kidnapped by the self proclaimed vampire hunters of Santa Carla, the Frog Brothers, Edgar and Allan. Typical.

"So, you guys have gone from murder to kidnapping. Well, I guess that's progress."

"The only murderer here is you, blood sucker," Edgar gruffly retorted, pointing a freshly sharpened stake in your face.

"Vampire? I'm in the sun you idiot!"

"We all know about you half bloods being in sunlight, you can't fool us." You didn't even realize the tall one spoke. His sneering upper lip wouldn't cease to display the disgust he held against you. 

"You two must be sniffing too much old newsprint," you snorted. "There's no such thing as vampires."

That's when Edgar got close, tilting your chin up with the stake. "We saw you drawing those civilians to the cave for your little monster buddies." 

His words hit you heavily. You were certain you had been careful, utterly positive. Instead not only had you been tailed, you had exposed the boys to a group of radical nutcases ready to kill. Now it was personal. Steeling your resolve, you took in a deep breath. "So what?"

Allan yanked you by your shirt, looking back into your eyes with his own hate. "Where are the others," he hissed. 

With everything you had you tilted your head back and bashed your forehead against his. The force made your ears ring. They always did it in the movies, but no one ever said just how much it hurt. There was a dull sting where your skull had taken the brunt end of the attack while it traveled all the way to the back, a small trickle of what you could only assume was blood dripping off your forehead. Meanwhile the teen had fallen onto his back atop the filthy floor still grasping his forehead with a groan, Edgar jumping up over Allan ready to drive that stake into your heart. 

"No!" Allan grabbed his brother by his shirt, just before it came inches to your heart. "We need her alive… for now."

With a smirk you sloshed around the spit in your mouth. As soon as Edgar turned to face you, you sent the congealed saliva in a forceful blast across. Direct hit. Edgar wiped away the disgusting phlegm off his eyes and in his rage quickly uncapped a bottle of holy water. Yes, a full water bottle of it, and doused you in it. 

Great. Now you were tied up. bleeding, AND WET. You gave them a disinterested glare, cocking an eyebrow. "So, again, not a vampire. Believe me now?"

The two looked at each other and quickly huddled. They would mutter amongst themselves, occasionally peeking above to glare at you and your rolling eyes. Alright, so you were human. Even a head vampire couldn't be out in daylight, and half vampires couldn't handle holy water. But in a way that only made it worse! A living servant of the undead, a spy to lure helpless victims into their grasp, a caretaker of evil! A traitor to your own kind! That settled it then.

Groaning even grew tiresome by this point. You tried to wiggle out of your crude bonds, but you had to give them some semblance of credit, this was a damn good knot!

"Alright," Edgar boomed, catching you off guard. "You may be a human, but any ally of the undead is still an enemy, and we're not showing you an ounce of mercy!"

Allan nodded, and suddenly the atmosphere took a turn for gloomy. He watched with disinterest as you tried to wedge your heel into the ground to scoot away from them but it seemed to have no use. The struggle had you thrashing until you lost balance, flopping over on your side. He stomped over and wrenched you up by your shirt, this time keeping a cautious distance from your head.

 "If they're keeping you alive.. they must think you have some sort of value." Alan finally knelt down to your level with your shirt still clutched in his left hand, brandishing a hunting knife with the right. The glint of it shined in your eyes in a cruel afternoon glow. In its looming reflective surface you could see your own e/c eyes as wide as saucers. They didn't see you as human. You were an ally of their greatest enemy, just as "evil" as the vampires they were so determined to hunt. Being human was no longer a bargaining chip to prevent injury. "Call to them."

Your teeth ground until they hurt, jaw locked in place. "Go to fucking hell," you hiss. 

Before you could land another blow to Allan's smug face, Edgar had grabbed you from behind to keep you in place. The blade lightly caressed the flesh of your upper arm, catching the folds of your skin leaving tiny knicks. It tempted the surface to break beneath it's cruel will as Allan repeated his command through gritted teeth. "Call. Them."

Threats of torture weren't enough to break your silence. Fine, so be it. The tip dug into your arm, skin peeling away in a stream of ruby leaving a trail behind. You sucked in a sharp hiss, but bit on your tongue before you could yelp.There was no way you'd let them get to the boys. If you had to die so they could live, so be it. You wouldn't let out so much as a whimper. Do your worst.

Late afternoon dragged out, clinging tightly to every ticking second until the sun gave way under its own weary weight. The moment night lifted, crowing hoots echoed the cave. Freedom at last! Paul swung out of the cave brimming with excitement, Dwayne flying out behind him and crashing onto a couch leaving a cloud of dust for him to sneeze out. David was the last to waltz out, looking towards your corner. Odd. You were usually the first up to greet them. It'd become almost expected by this point. Sensing David's confusion along with his own, Marko gleefully jumped down from the rafters over debris to reach your bed. Someone was certainly sleeping in!

"Y/N? C'mon baby girl, wake up! Time for..," he paused, pulling away the curtains to find your bed a disheveled mess. Your cassette tape had been eaten to shreds by your portable player, magazines and books thrown on the floor, wads of sheets kicked off topped by discarded plushies. "Guys, c'mere!"

Dwayne quickly jumped up, expecting you to be snuggled in bed like a baby bird in its nest. Instead he stood beside Marko and looked past the curtains at the disarray your little corner had become.

 "Since when does Y/N go out this late at night," Paul questioned from behind the two. Whoa, did a tornado come through here? He hopped over, pulling the trashed tape from your player. 

"She doesn't," David said slowly, a flood of concern spilling into his head. Fully pushing the curtains away they all stepped in, looking for any sign of where you had gone.

Paul managed to wedge out the mess of black threading and plastic, getting a good look at what you had been listening to. Def Leppard's Hysteria Album. He had scrounged up some dough a few months ago for your birthday, you guys spent the whole weekend listening to it. For some reason you liked their gifts even more when they didn't just steal them. This was your favorite thing from him.. you'd never just leave it in the player to get trashed. "Dude what happened here?"

 David lifted your blankets, noticing an unfamiliar scent intruding over your delicate aroma. Someone else had been here. Someone who shouldn't have been here.

Marko was able to catch whiff of a gnarly chemical scent, bitter. Crouching down, it was almost missed. Amongst your belongings was an unfamiliar towel stained with some sort of fluid. Peeling the soggy rag off the ground he took a whiff and immediately scrunched up his nose. "Hey, David, man. Smell this. Is it familiar?"

David caught the drenched towel tossed his way and barely had to smell it to recognize the stench. Throwing it down he began storming out, standing in the center of the room trying to listen for your heartbeat. None. 

"What is it? Where is she," Paul demanded. This was getting to be too much. 

"This isn't a coincidence boys," David hissed, looking their way. "Someone took Y/N. That rag was drenched in some sort of concentrated chemical."

The boys grew solemn, David's words setting into each of them. Paul was enraged, already his red eyes seeping through. How dare anyone take you from him! He'll rip them apart!

Marko's silence held a cruel storm ready to burst, biting on his thumb to stifle any unsteady rage. All he could picture were horrid images of you being hurt. Fear and guilt overwhelmed him. That wasn't a dream, he really had heard you earlier crying for help. The shame of it made him clench his eyes shut. A cacophony of blame riddled his heart knowing you had been taken just beneath their noses. He shouldn't have left you alone, he should have checked on you the moment he thought something was wrong!

Dwayne stood in silence, slamming his fist against the wall. Crumbles of concrete dusted his busted knuckles that quickly healed in place. You were supposed to be theirs, and he failed to protect you! "We have to find her," he choked out, pushing a mess of black hair from his furrowed brow. The not knowing was killing him. It was killing all of them. You weren't just missing, you were stolen while they slept only feet away. 

Even David felt an internal rage unlike anything he'd felt before, not only at the perpetrators, but at himself. A beast among men, eternal life with a bounty of strength worth a thousand. What fucking good was it when while he slept you were torn from your bed? But another thought sat heavy in his heart. Their hearing was impeccable, damn near perfect. Why hadn't you called them? A scream, a cry would be enough! He began to march over to your bed again, but a new perspective had just granted him a moment of clarity. Hidden just under your blankets was a broken strip of red cloth one could only assume was a headband. Clasped tightly in vengeful fists, David's eyes turned bloodshot. He knew exactly who took you. 

You weren't even sure how many hours had gone by at this point. The brother's grew restless at your resolve. While they regrouped in the corner to reevaluate their plan, you had found a nail jutting out from the floorboards to scrape your ankles on, slowly sawing away the worn rope that kept your legs together. Any movement stung. Cuts decorated up your exposed thighs and arms. Fresh blood caked over dried wounds, dirt became mud by this point from the excessive wounds and had smeared up your legs. They had conflicting feelings about throwing any swings your way. You were surprised to hear Edgar verbally voice his hesitations regarding unleashing a blow on a girl. Allan stepped in, but came to the same conclusion that he couldn't hit you. Well, after four good catches to your face. Utterly moronic, a knife was far more painful. Perhaps it gave them some sort of distance from you, punching was just too personal. Still, your busted lip was not appreciative of the last minute sentiment. Part of you wanted to mock them. If you're going to kidnap and torture someone go all the way at least, don't puss out half way through. But, you had other plans. You rapidly ran the rope across the nail while they bickered back and forth, nearly there.. and then you heard a massive thud land on the roof. 

No. No not yet. You quickly dragged your feet as fast as you could while the brothers flew into a panic. But now your feet were free. Using your knees you hoisted yourself up to the nail, rapidly dragging your arms across to saw the straw away. Edgar and Allan began checking each other for weapons, and right as the rammed into the door again your wrists came free. Right!

You dashed for the brothers, snatching the bottles of water and dumping out every drop into the ground. They ran to grab you as you tried to bolt out the door, almost able to see Marko in the air above when suddenly someone had grabbed a fistful of your hair. That was enough to make you scream. A chunk was ripped from your scalp, the rest still tightly grasped in Edgar's fist. 

David watched you bolt out the rickety old barn, ready to fly down to you until they caught you in their grasp. Paul didn't even hesitate once they snatched you back, that is until he caught sight of a shimmering glare wedged tightly against your throat. 

"Get back," Edgar demanded, twisting your arm. The pain rang up through your back to the point you feared your shoulder was being pulled out of place. Your breathing began to become shallow when something cold slid on your throat, Edgar's free hand pressing the blade to your throat so tightly a thin line formed beneath it. 

"You're fucking dead, you little shit," Marko hissed, jumping off the tin roof. 

"M-Marko," you whimpered. You didn't dare move an inch. 

"Back off death breath! Or your little pet becomes your next meal!"

With that warning Edgar tilted the blade just beneath your chin. 

You tried to pull your head back to keep your distance from the foreboding piece, looking at Marko with fear. 

"I'm sorry…"

Marko took a step back, unsure of how to approach this. Any moves he made could result in you being taken. He could see the barrage of wounds coating your skin. It made his shoulders shake, just aching to rip this punk's head off. 

From inside the barn Dwayne hovered over the rafters, shattering the bulb that provided the only light in the room. Left in the dark, Allan grasped at the wooden stake in his hand. He could hear Dwayne rapidly flying through the barn, but he could never move fast enough to see him. "Come out you coward!" 

Allan's scream alerted Edgar to his brother, turning his head just soon enough to watch him bled dry. Dwayne pried his fangs from the limp teen with a disgusted snarl in the dark, chucking the corpse at his brother's feet.

"NOOOOO!"

You took the chaos as an opportunity to escape, knocking his hand off of you and trying to bolt forward. Paul flew to snatch you, his hands tightly wrapped around yours when he heard the most hideous sound. Flesh tearing, bones cracking under the pressure with squelches of blood pittering down into the ground. His fingers trembled watching your delicate face drop in horror.

Edgar stood behind, only seeing the red of his rage as he drive the knife further into the small of your back. "Die you witch bitch!"

Those were his last words as David jutted his hand through Edgar's chest. You screamed in horror watching Edgar barely have a reaction to his own heart being held outside his body, collapsing into a hollow husk of flesh. What air you had was rapidly escaping your lungs, falling in a cascade into Paul's arms. 

"No, no no! Y/N!" He dropped to his knees, holding you tightly against him. David knelt down beside you two, Marko running and skidding on his knees beside you while Dwayne leaned over you. They were all holding back tears, David's hand brushing over the hilt of the knife still jutting out. 

"I'm so sorry," you hiccups between tears, fingers tangled in Paul's jacket. "I co-couldn't… let them g-get you."

Marko shushed you, running his fingers through your hair. "Its okay baby girl, we know. Just hang on, okay?"

David wedged you into a sitting position onto his knees, looking at Paul. "As soon as I pull," he began, pushing your hair away from your neck ", you bite."

The suggestion sent chills through you. "B-but.."

"Y/N, kitten, it's right through your lumbar artery," David whispered softly, lightly tapping the hilt with his gloved hand sending a dull pain through your entire back. "This has gotta come out. But when I pull it out, you could bleed to death."

"Please don't leave us, baby girl." Marko held your hand, looking at you in fear. He wasn't ready to lose you. None of them were. If you had to turn to stay with them, they'd do it in a heartbeat. 

With a slow breath in, you hugged yourself against David and closed your eyes. Paul moved beside your neck as instructed, but Dwayne and Marko each took one of your wrists in their grasp. They all wanted to turn you. "O..okay.. d-do it.."

David kissed your cheek softly, clutching his hand around the knife. It hardly put up any resistance against his vampiric strength. You, on the other hand, couldn't help but cry out. Tears flooded your face, nails dragging against David's jacket. When they could see the tip of the blade surface, Paul dove his fangs into your shoulder. David bit into the left side of your neck, while Marko and Dwayne tore into your wrists. What should take hours only took moments. 

Marko held onto you, closing his eyes tightly trying to muscle through your agonized cries before pulling his mouth off. Tears spilled from Paul's eyes, tearing away before he lost control. The taste of your bittersweet blood lingered on his tongue. Dwayne and David held you in place, and finally you had felt your heart stall, then stop. 

You didn't need to catch your breath anymore, there was no longer any breath left to catch. "I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry,:" you whimpered, buried against David's chest. "Th-they had holy water, they were going to ambush you… I-I couldn't risk it.."

"No more, kitten," David shushed, holding your head on his chest. 

"Don't worry about it princess." Dwayne ran his hands over your hair, kissing the top of your head. "This won't happen again."

"We are never letting you out of our sight again," Marko cooed, nuzzling your hand against his face. Paul gently kissed your available cheek, looking up at the black sky shifting to grey. "Guys, the sun's comin' up."

"So it is." David lifted you bridal style into his arms, kissing you softly. "Let's get you home babygirl. Tonight we'll take you out for your first hunt, but for now, you need your rest."

A burst up wind carried you off into the air, holding on tightly to David as he flew you over the ocean, above the clouds, back to the safety of the hotel. Your home. Forever.

[verothelilsparkleghost]

Tranquility of the Heart

A Bleach Fanfic

Ichigo Kurosaki & Rukia Kuchiki

Rating T 

Summary:

He wasn’t fond of rainstorms. Rain always found a way to make him sad, almost nostalgic, certainly emotional about the past and that wasn’t a feeling he appreciated. But her presence alone was enough to get him out of his dark thoughts.

Part of the August Writing Challenge for The Seireitei Discord Server. Prompt used: Rainstorm sounds. Also it could fit the prompt "Surprise" and "I love you" of the IchiRuki Month 2020. (That way I can feel I participated somehow xD)

Special thanks to @ariadnekurosaki​ for taking the time to help this fic make some sense, and answering all my silly questions <3 Thank you, Ari. (I wouldn't have finished this without your help).

Also found on AO3 and FF.net 

Ichigo woke up to the sound of pouring rain and thunder. Sleep still clouded his mind. Unconsciously, he turned over on his side and reached out to the other side of the bed, hoping to find the warmth of his significant other. His hand met the cold sheets. He opened his eyes right when a brilliant shock of white briefly illuminated the room, he didn’t see Rukia anywhere.

Soon enough, the lightning was followed by a loud boom of thunder.

He wasn’t fond of rainstorms. Rain always found a way to make him sad, almost nostalgic, certainly emotional about the past and that wasn’t a feeling he appreciated. He turned in bed, facing the ceiling. Another brilliant shock of white light illuminated the room, once again followed by a long rumble of thunder. A shudder passed over him; he couldn’t help the memories flooding his mind. Rainstorms always rendered him powerless, they made him feel like the scared little boy he once was. That scared little boy who couldn’t protect his mom.

But the world doesn’t stop on rainy days.

Shaking the memories away, he sat up on his side of the bed, took a long breath and stood up. Over the sound of rain, he could hear Rukia in the living room. Ichigo crossed the small hallway, and from where he stood, he could see a lit candle on the small table by the main door. Rukia was on her knees searching for something in the closet by the door, where they usually hung their jackets and left their shoes. All the lights were off. He tried switching on the light, but there was no power, probably due to the storm raging outside. His eyes adjusted to the amount of light provided by the candle, and he could see that Rukia was frantically searching for something in the dark and murmuring to herself.

“What are you doing, midget?” Ichigo asked. She was startled by him and hit her head against the closet when she heard his voice.

“Ouch… Idiot, you scared me!” she replied while patting her head. For a second, he was concerned. It looked like she might’ve hit her head hard. Ichigo approached her.

“Are you ok? Does it hurt?” He asked while helping her stand up.

“It’s fine, I thought you were asleep. Did I wake you up?” Rukia lifted her eyes to see his face. Another bolt of lightning flashed, and for a split second she saw his conflicted eyes.

“No. The rain did. Let me check your head.”

“I told you, I’m fine. It wasn’t that hard.” He gave her a look and she sighed and gave in.

“Fine.”

He used his fingers to caress her silky black hair looking for a bump. He didn’t find anything. “I don’t see any bumps.” She scoffed and he kissed the top of her head.

She looked up at him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.” she whispered. Rukia touched one side of his face with her hand. He leaned into her touch with his eyes closed. She knew he wasn’t fond of the rain and that many bad memories haunted him. Another roll of thunder could be heard in the distance and she pulled him into an embrace. He always felt at peace in her arms. She had always known how to soothe him. Her presence alone was enough to get him out of his dark thoughts. While his head rested where her shoulder met her neck, she caressed his spiky orange hair with her fingers softly.

He kept holding her, listening to the rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain hitting the windows.

“What were you doing in the closet?” he murmured against her neck.

She gasped. “Oh right! The cat!” She let him go and lowered herself to the floor by the closet again.

“The cat? What cat?” He was confused, they didn’t own a cat.

“Come on kitty, I know you’re scared but you can’t stay in there all night” she mumbled. Stretching her arm, Rukia managed to pull the cat out. Ichigo saw her pull out a small ball of orange fur.

Once she was able to finally grab the orange cat, she cradled it against her chest to help calm it down. It was clear the cat feared the lightning and thunder going on outside.

“It’s okay little one, no need to be afraid” she whispered. One of her fingers caressed the cat’s fur behind its ears. But the cat kept mewling. “I woke up because of the rain too, I couldn’t fall asleep again, so I decided to make myself a cup of tea. Then I heard mewing outside! I opened the door to check and I found this little ball of fur hiding from the rain and shaking. I brought her inside and fed her some left-over chicken.”

Ichigo opened his mouth to say something but she continued before he could speak. “No Ichigo, you can’t feed a cat regular milk, but we don’t have cat food, so I googled it and chicken seemed like a good option, at least until tomorrow.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

Rukia gave him a look that clearly said I know you’re lying. “As I was saying, I fed her, but then there was a loud boom of thunder and she ran away from me and hid inside your shoes in the closet. I was trying to lure her out when you scared me” she finished explaining.

The cat in her arms kept mewing.

“How do you know it’s a girl?” He was genuinely curious.

“Because she looks like a girl.” Rukia replied, like it was the most obvious answer. The small orange cat was shaking in her arms, and she cooed at it to try and soothe it.

Ichigo scowled. “That’s not a good enough reason. Let me check.” Carefully he took the ball of fur from her small hands. For a moment the cat stopped the meowing and while cradling the cat he managed to check his gender. “Yeah, it’s not a girl. It’s clearly a boy”.

Ichigo placed the cat back into Rukia’s arms. The small ball of fur settled himself against her chest. Rukia grabbed one of Ichigo’s hand and lowered herself to the floor, next to the couch, pulling him down with her. He sat with his back against the wall and guided Rukia to sit in front of him between his legs.

Ichigo wrapped one hand around her waist and reached with the other to softly pet the orange cat. “Huh…I guess he likes you.”

Even though the rain and thunder continued outside, the cat was no longer visibly shaking, and was now purring, clearly content in his new position.

“Of course he likes me, I’m adorable.”

“Are you really, midget?” he snorted.

She could see from the corner of her eye that he was smiling. “Shut up.” She mockingly kicked one of his legs with her foot.

For a moment they sat in silence, with only the pitter-patter of the rain and some flashes of white light as company.

This was where he felt at peace, with her in his arms. Her presence would always soothe him, and she always provided the perfect distraction from his thoughts.

“Oh, he’s asleep.” She whispered so as not to wake the small animal.

Ichigo looked over her shoulder and confirmed that indeed the cat was asleep. He reached with one hand towards the couch and grabbed one of the small cushions. He placed the cushion right next to them and told Rukia to lay him there. She did so very carefully. The cat stirred as if to wake up, but she continued to softly pet him, and it seemed he felt safe enough to be lured back to sleep.

Rukia adjusted her position in order to be more comfortable. She rested the back of her head on Ichigo’s shoulder and stretched her legs without stopping her petting.

Ichigo moved some of her midnight hair away from her shoulder, he softly kissed her where her shoulder met her neck and tightened his hold on her waist. Rukia automatically moved her head to the side to give him and his kisses more room.

This moment lasted for a while, comfortable in each other’s arms. Both of them lost in their thoughts.

When Ichigo met Rukia, back when they were both 16, he knew he'd met his match. He was lost in a cave, with the ghost of his mother and the guilt he felt for what happened haunting him, and without even trying, she became his flashlight.

After several years of friendship, and a few of love, it was only a matter of time until they arrived at this moment. A moment full of serenity and peacefulness, where no words were needed.

And in that moment, a thought crossed Ichigo’s mind.

“Hey Rukia…”

“Hmm?” she moved her head towards him to properly look at him.

He knew he’d regret it if he didn’t ask her to be his right now.

“Marry me.”

She dried the rain; she changed his world for the better.

“What?” She was dumbfounded.

“I said, marry me.” He nonchalantly repeated.

“Oh. I heard you, I just don’t understand.”

He moved away from her.

“Hey, what are you doing? Where are you going?” Now she was confused.

Ichigo got up and quickly crossed the hallway and went inside the bedroom. From where she was, she couldn’t see what he was doing, but she heard the sound of a drawer opening and closing.

Having found what he was looking for, Ichigo walked out of the bedroom with something inside his right hand.

He lowered himself in front of her. His right hand, now in her line of vision, held a small dark blue box. With both hands he pried the small box open, and inside laid the most beautiful ring Rukia had ever seen. Her eyes shifted from the ring, to her lover’s brown eyes, and vice versa. The ring was simple, yet elegant. A diamond solitaire sat on a white gold band. He knew her like the palm of his hand, he knew she wouldn’t want to wear something extravagant.

“Marry me.” he repeated, taking one of her hands into his own, and rubbing it with his thumb. “We were apart for 17 months, and I don’t want to go through that again. That was an empty life and my life is not complete if I don’t have you here with me. Deep down I’ve always known that all I really need is you.” He confessed to her.

For a moment she didn’t know what to say; he’d caught her by surprise. “Are you… are you seriously asking me to marry you?”

He rolled his eyes. Of course she would ask him if he was serious, and ignore the fact he was kneeling in front of her with a ring in his hand.

“I’m very serious, Rukia. I love you. You’ve shown me something I don’t want to live without. Because of you the rain inside me has stopped. Life will make us face many more challenges, but I know I can get over them if you're willing to face them with me.” He was nervous, he wasn’t the type to go around proclaiming feelings. One of the things he loved about being with Rukia was that she could read him like a book. He didn’t need to tell her things; she already knew them. In any case, he was better at showing her. But she deserved to hear what he felt for her too.

She was quiet, her violet eyes never leaving his. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth for a second but no sound came out.

Ichigo was now worried. He let go of her hand and rubbed the back of his neck. It was his signature nervous gesture that he couldn’t seem to let go of. “Midget, if you’re not ready for this I understand… and we can wait. But I just… Ah, I want you to know where I stand.” A frown took place in his face. Seconds passed in silence. And Rukia hadn’t said anything yet.

A defeated sigh escaped his mouth as he slowly lowered the hand that held the ring in front of her.

She grabbed his hand before it reached the floor. “Wait, wait!” she exclaimed. “You took me by surprise.” One of her hands touched his cheek as she moved a bit closer to him. “Yes, you idiot. I’ll marry you”. She leaned in towards him and kissed his lips softly. It took Ichigo a moment to understand what was happening. He heard her say yes, and she was kissing him. He reacted a second later and responded to the kiss. His hand, the one not holding the ring, found its place between her neck and ear, allowing him some control over the kiss. Their lips moved in sync with a bit more force behind it as their tongues met each other in battle. Kissing her was always a thrilling experience. When air became a necessity, they separated from each other, but just a breath away with their foreheads touching. “You said yes,” he whispered against her lips.

“I did,” Rukia affirmed and gave him another small kiss. “After all, no one else will ever hold my heart the way you do,” she murmured against his lips. Ichigo took her left and brought it up to his lips to lay a kiss there before taking out the white gold ring from the box and sliding it on her ring finger.

Ichigo looked up from the ring on her hand to gaze into her violet eyes. There were tears in them. Rukia couldn’t help the rush of emotion going through her, and a single tear escaped one of her eyes. Ichigo reached with his thumb and wiped it away. “Don’t cry midget.”

After her sister died, she felt empty, alone and unwanted. Her relationship with her brother-in-law Byakuya was affected after Hisana died. They both had different ways of dealing with her death, which made them drift away from each other. For a long time, she felt lonely and empty inside. Nothing really mattered anymore. She didn’t want to try and connect with anyone. Rukia felt like she didn’t have anyone to talk to or turn to, that is until she met Ichigo.

Her eyes found his. She tried keeping her voice steady, “I’m so glad I found you.” Rukia leaned in to kiss him again, her lips finding his and expressing her feelings in ways her words couldn’t.

Back when they first met, he had been going through a similar pain, years of accumulated pain and guilt, after what happened to his mother. But Rukia came into his life out of nowhere and fit in right away. Without even trying, she became his light in the dark, tearing down all his walls.

“I’m glad you gave me no other choice but to love you,” he proclaimed before softly kissing her forehead. She let out a chuckle.

“Come, it’s late. Let’s go back to bed.” Ichigo stood up and offered Rukia a hand to help her get up.

She looked down at the ball of fur sleeping in the cushion in the floor next to them. “What are we going to do with the kitty?” she asked him.

“We can’t do anything right now, it’s almost 4 in the morning and the rain hasn’t stopped for even a minute. Let’s wait until the morning and then I guess we can take him to a veterinary clinic to see if someone is out there looking for him.”

She grabbed Ichigo’s hand before he moved away from her and stopped him from taking a step “Can we keep him? If… he doesn’t have a family already, of course.” Rukia asked timidly. She didn’t move her sight from the sleeping cat. On some level, she felt this kitty was in the same situation she was in years ago before she met Ichigo, alone and scared of the world.

Ichigo turned to face her again, looked down at the orange cat, and then back at her, seeing the concerned expression on her face. He didn’t consider himself a cat person, or a dog person, he just wasn’t much of an animal person in general, he didn’t have anything against them, but he never really thought about having one as a pet. However, there isn’t much in this world he wouldn’t do for Rukia, and if giving this small cat a place to live would make her happy, with joy reflected in her deep violet eyes every day, of course he’d do it.

He reached down to take the cushion off the floor carrying the sleeping cat on top. “Yeah, we can keep him.” He walked inside their bedroom and placed the cushion in the corner near their bed, closer to Rukia’s side. Rukia followed him inside after blowing out the candle, and once he placed the cat down, she stood up on her tiptoes and put her arms around his shoulders. His arms instinctively slipped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

His lips found hers as they met with passion. The deluge going on outside was long forgotten, despite the flashes of light and the sounds of thunder in the distance. Ichigo moved his hands down to her legs and pulled her up, making it easier for him to carry her towards their bed. Laying Rukia on the bed gently and pulling her close, Ichigo kissed her again. His fingers explored her body with a mind of their own as her hands touched his burning skin. His lips traveled down her neck, as Rukia threw her head back and gasped.

“I love you,” he whispered against her flushed skin. Her body arched up towards him wanting to feel him closer.

Her hands intertwined in his hair, and she pulled him up to meet her eyes, “I love you too,” she proclaimed before crashing her lips against his in a bruising kiss.

Later, they held each other close. Ichigo on his back with Rukia resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. He softly caressed her back with one hand and the other held her own. They were both staring at the ring in her hand. A bolt of white lightning broke the utter darkness in the room for a moment, highlighting their bare skin and the tranquility of the rain tapping on the windows. There was no need to say anything. As they rested together the only sounds heard were their breaths and the rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain outside that slowly lured them into dreamland.

For Ichigo, rain, lightning and thunder used to be terrifying. A reflection of his own turmoil of feelings… but right now lying here with Rukia, breathing in the musky scent and the tranquility of the rain, he didn’t feel frightened. Oh no. He felt happy, and for the first time it was exhilarating.  

Notes:

Well... that was my first ever fanfiction. Hopefully it wasn't a waste of your time xD Thank you for reading :3 Any comments are highly appreciated :)

[petri808]

Hauntober prompt Black cat

Inukag requested by @malditamigs

AU story. I seriously need to learn the meaning of keep it short xD. 1800 words. Hope it came out okay, I liked the idea lol.

There was only one night that Kagome had any chance of lifting the curse, or she’d have to wait another year for the opportunity. For decades she’d tried and failed, and at some point, had almost given up on being human again. A witch had cursed her to be a black cat saying she needed to understand love before she deserved to be human. Okay, she had to admit back then she treated men like toys, getting them to fall in love only to drop them and move on. But to be cursed for it?! That wasn’t fair at all!

She’d take any man just to break this curse! At first, she thought how hard could it be to get someone to love a cat? Humans loved cats as companions and pets, surely, she could parlay such affections into breaking her curse. She’d play the role, the ever-loving kitty, using her wiles on the man, and on Halloween once the sun set, she would transform into a human, praying that because they’d already cared for her as a cat, they would instantly fall in love with her as a human. But it never worked. One after the other, they would freak out and kick her out the door. Be gone witch!

But she wasn’t a witch! Kagome just wanted to be human, to love, to have a family and grow old with someone. It may have taken a few years of trial and error, but she got it now! She understood how important love really was and begged for a chance to prove herself. Because this time, Kagome was the one who’d fallen in love.

It had been a fluke that she’d met Inuyasha two days after Halloween and being kicked out of another home. She’d been wandering the streets when an early snowstorm hit the city and his house was the closest shelter she could find. He took pity on the scrawny black kitty, taking her inside, feeding her and warming her up by a fireplace. Handsome and adoring to animals, this man she’d come to learn was only half human, a product of a human mother and demon father. Rare in this world, but also shunned to some degree. So, animals became the man’s company.

Kagome wasn’t sure at what point her affections had crossed the line into romantic love, but she knew that’s what she was feeling. It didn’t bother her that he could have a brash personality or how his social skills were poorly developed, because she understood the pain of being different. As a young woman, her lavish and selfish attitude would have scoffed at such a person but having been forced to see the error of her ways, it broke her heart when other people treated him like a freak. So, for the entire year she was with Inuyasha, Kagome did what she could in her limited capacity to make sure he felt adored by someone or something. To know he was special and important to her, not just because she had an agenda, but because he deserved to be loved for who he was.

The afternoon of Halloween, Inuyasha had returned from work a little more sullen than usual. From what Kagome could gather, some teenagers on a construction site were teasing him about his appearance, especially his canine ears, asking if he stayed in costume all year. Stupid, but not the worst insult he’s probably ever had, it still brought him down. So, Kagome works her magic, immediately purring and rubbing along his legs, pawing at them and begging for affections to make him forget about those creeps. And Inuyasha obliges, instantly taking a long exhale and picking her up for cuddles.

“Thank goodness I have you,” he scratches behind her ears and under her chest as he holds her in his arms. “I think you’re the reason I didn’t kill those dumbasses today cause then who’d be home to take care of you?”

“Merow,” she mewls and purrs at his ministrations, offering a feline response to his venting. If only she could tell him with words just how much he meant to her. The man gives her a few more scratches behind the ear before putting her down and going about his routine. Feeding her, taking a shower, and dinner for himself.

Kagome was growing nervous, fidgeting as the sun slowly set, because soon enough, Inuyasha was about to get the surprise of his life and her world could come crashing down around her. It was very different this time for her. She paces back and forth next to the dinner table as Inuyasha eats, just watching the light outside dim away. The anxiety driving her crazy, but the wait pained her more than ever before. If Inuyasha reacts like all the others before him, well... this time Kagome really might just give up from a broken heart.

Seeing his cat acting distressed, Inuyasha picks her up and places her on his lap. “What’s wrong?” She stands up and puts her paws on his chest, forcefully rubbing her face against his chin. “Aww, you really want attention today, huh,” he chuckles and snuggles her back, scratching her back and near her tail.

The familiar tingles start racing through her body, the signal that her transformation was imminent. So, Kagome tries to jump off, but he holds her down, preferring to cuddle. She tries a second time, struggling against him in concern of changing right on his lap!

“Kuro, first you’re all love me, now you want down?” He laughs, “typical feline.” She stops struggling and looks up at him, their eyes meeting. It was too late now. So, she stands up again, stretching as far as she can to wrap her paws around his neck. “Awww,” he hugs her, “that’s my girl.”

The transformation begins in a flash of light. “What the?!” Inuyasha shouts, but Kagome grips tighter to his neck. “K-Kuro?! Kuro what’s going on?!” He was about to find out as he watches with shock and awe as his sleek little black kitty changes right before his eyes, elongating, her feline features turning human. Her whines and cries from the pain torture his ears. They pin back as he gives up trying to understand, closing his eyes to the light and tightening the hold he’d had over her growing body.

Several moments pass by until finally... silence and a much heavier weight on Inuyasha’s lap causes him to release his hold. Kagome leans back slowly, her hands still around his neck, staring forward with trepidation to gauge his reaction. “I-I know this is a shock.” Her voice soft and tenuous on the verge of tears.

But all he can do was stare at her, processing the fact that his cat wasn’t a cat anymore but a beautiful woman with raven colored hair just like the fur he was used to seeing. Her yellow eyes were a chocolatey brown now, large and doe-like, with such porcelain white skin... holy shit! He had a naked woman on his lap! Her scent was interestingly still the same, just heightened and mixed with such pain and fear, his inner demon growled in annoyance. It didn’t like her feeling that way.

“Please, say something,” Kagome worries her bottom lip. The silence was killing her, and she couldn’t gauge his thoughts. ‘He’s in shock. Any second now he’s gonna bounce me off his lap and tell me to leave. I know it, it’s just like the other times.’ “I’m sorry,” tears quickly trickling down her cheeks, “this must be... maybe I should just leave...”

“What?! No, way, you— I’m not!” He stops and takes a deep breath to calm his own adrenaline, picking Kagome up and bringing them to the couch. He then pulls the throw blanket off the back of the couch, wraps it around and takes a seat beside her. “Tell me, who are you really?”

Kagome let’s out an exhale and tells her story from start to finish, tentatively at first but as the words flowed, so too, did the emotions tied to her journey of pain and understanding. It was like a cork being popped on a bottle of alcohol. She didn’t hold back anything seeing as she’d finally had an opportunity to tell her tale. By the end her cheeks were red and eyes puffy from crying, but a weight felt lifted off her shoulders. This was the longest conversation she’d held with another human in fifty years. “So, that’s everything,” her words dying out in a wisp. Though her tears had slowed they continued to trickle. “I’m sure it must all be overwhelming, a-and I’ll understand if you tell me to leave too.”

That’s when it was Inuyasha’s turn to surprise her. He reaches out and cradles her face in his hand and wipes away some of the tears. “I don’t want you to leave Kur—Kagome,” eyes softening. “You’re still my girl, even if... ehm, not in the same form. I’m not exactly complaining about it by the way.” The statement causes her to blush something fierce and her eyes avert away in embarrassment. “I mean, you’ve made me so happy this year, I think more so than any other time in my life. Cat or not, that was all you, right? Not some trick if your honest tears are telling me anything.”

“It’s not a trick. I think— know I’ve fallen in love with you Inuyasha.”

A second burst of light suddenly catches them off guard and Kagome’s body starts to glow.

“What’s going on?!”

“I don’t know! I don’t usually turn back till morning...”

But as quickly as it hit, the light dies away leaving her in the same human body. “Oh, my goodness...” Kagome looks to a confused Inuyasha, “I-I think it’s broken. Does that mean, you love me too?”

His eyes widen, “um, I mean I do like what I see, but I don’t know if I can say love yet.”

“But,” she looks at herself in confusion, “the witch said only love can break the curse and I assumed she meant the guy had to fall in love with me.”

“Based on what you told me, maybe it was you who had to feel real love.”

The sudden realization dawns on Kagome. It was true. All the others... she’d never loved them, only resigned herself to be stuck with whoever loved her to break the curse. This has always been a lesson for her to figure out. Fresh tears break free, so Inuyasha wipes them away, letting his thumb sweep along her skin. He’d been honest with her that he couldn’t use the word love yet but knowing how much this woman truly cared for him was certainly enough to let it enter a heart he’d walled off to love. He runs his thumb over her lips, then sweeps in, kissing her and letting his hand weave into her hair to test this newfound possibility. Needless to say, his inner demon was delighted.

“This is gonna take some adjustments, but so far I’m liking it,” he smiles. “I will miss how you greet me when I come home rubbing against my legs.”

Kagome bursts into tearful giggles. “I think that can still be arranged.”

[saltys-writings]

Got7 as Cats

Repost because the old one didn’t show in the tags!

More parts~

JB:

black and white kitty of average size

big and friendly amber eyes

has a completely white tail with only the tip being black

which looks super funny when he’s in his favourite sleeping place up on your wardrobe and the only thing you see of him is his tail slowly swaying from one side to the other or twitching if he has an exciting dream

likes sitting on your grandparents’ old record player while it’s playing, slowly spinning on top of the record and watching the world around him pass by slowly

gets fed up with it and jumps up as the tone arm keeps moving closer to the middle, preventing him from comfortably sitting on the black record

also likes sprawling out on pianos or rubbing his face against the guitar standing around in your room

in general he seems very drawn to everything that has to do with music

sleeps little compared to other cats

usually he’ll just laze around with his eyes half open, watching you whenever he can

he loves watching you do whatever and sometimes he’ll get up and after stretching thoroughly and yawning, he’ll silently walk over to you to bump his head against your chin or nose

actually he doesn’t care much about other humans or animals, but with you he’s more welcoming

trusts you a big deal, and you’re really the only person who he likes being petted or brushed by

usually when other people try to touch him he’ll just get up and walk away to find a more calm and silent place

hates kids and dogs (=anything that’s loud) a lot and will hide away where not even you can find him if there’s either of the two around

very behaved and doesn’t bite or scratch

doesn’t play much either, he’s really just more of a cat that will roam around in your place and give it that feel of “here lives a cat”

but if you want excitement out of your relationship with your cat he isn’t the one for you

Mark:

white and light brown kitty

super friendly

also super sleepy

will direct 110% of his attention to you for the 2 hours he’s awake each day

remembers pretty quickly when you get home each day and his inner clock wakes him up just before you do

so when you turn the key in the doorlock he’ll come running immediately, meowing loudly to greet you

he’ll follow you around for a while and walk right in front and in between your feet

and if you don’t pet him he’ll get REALLY whiny and will spread out on your stuff as soon as you’re trying to do literally anything

likes offering you his soft white belly to pet and will usually let you touch it without problems

eats nothing but chicken (and bread)

whenever you have bread on the table, on a counter, or in any other place in your house he can reach, he will sit down next to it and start licking it until it has this really soaked spot full of cat saliva

but even when he does this you can’t really get mad at him because he’ll just turn around and look at you with his big friendly green eyes and start purring

tends to react very strongly to being petted on his back and especially on his lower back where the tail starts

always pushes his whole body into your hand when you touch him there and the tip of his tail will bend forwards to signal that he loves this and please keep petting right there

very sociable around humans, but also likes hanging out with other animals

in general he’s very curious about everything and will watch other cats, dogs, birds, small animals like hamsters or bunnies, and even horses with great interest

really just gets along well with literally anyone and everyone - no matter if human or animal - loves him

Jackson:

tabby with a striped pattern

even as a cat he is lowkey ripped has a strong build

only fights other cats as a form of play though

usually when he gets seriously pissed he’ll just hiss and arch his back and then backwards tiptoe the shit out of there

loves to be carried around on your shoulders

he’ll really get cranky if you don’t let him up there for a while

also loves sitting there while you do stuff like cooking, studying, watching TV, etc.

never interferes with your activities though and just watches with great interest

loves playing with anything but his toys

especially strings and other long and dangly objects of any kind are dangerous with him

he WILL try to catch and kill that thing, even if it is already very much dead

give him a piece of yarn and he’ll be occupied for

...about 5 minutes - who am I kidding?

has to be played with actively or he’ll get bored and start taking your home apart

so you better tire him out everyday before you go to sleep or you won’t recognize your place when you wake up the next morning

whenever he uses his litter box, chances are you’ll find litter up to five meters away from the box

that doesn’t mean he isn’t clean, he’s just... not very fast with cleaning himself

so instead of making sure all the litter gets off his fur right where his box is, he’ll shake it off over time while walking elsewhere

don’t let him out or he’ll break into other people’s homes and try to steal their food

he once got himself locked in a basement for a whole night and only got back out because his meows were so loud that they woke up the neighbours

a family also once returned him to you, with their two daughters crying because they totally wanted to keep the kitty

in the end you had to promise them to let them come visit him once every two weeks

the upside is that they always bring along catfood and you have to spend a little less money on that

Jinyoung:

ginger cat

has a scar on his nose that another cat rightfully gave him when he was growing up

is - in short - a real jerk of a cat

also MOOD SWINGS

will be the cuddliest uwu bundle of fur ever one second, and then the most furious monster you ever saw the next

HATES other cats

really, he despises them

will usually sit next to them, appearing calm and just watching them, and then out of the blue punch them square in the face

you think he’s still salty that he got that scar on his nose years ago

the type to pee into your shoes for no reason

or throw up in the microwave if you forget to close it

really, whenever you take something out of the microwave or put something in you need to do so fast, because by the time you’re done chances are he’s already standing next to you, glaring up at the microwave with all the hate in his eyes he can muster

keeps staring when you turn it on and will get ready to jump as soon as it gives the signal that it’s done

usually he’ll just jump for it when you open it, so you have to keep him from reaching it by blocking the way with your arm (which he will of course hold onto with his claws)

loses interest when it’s closed and it becomes apparent you’re not using it anymore anytime soon

what does he have against the microwave anyway...?

likes sunbaths a lot

surprisingly also likes water - it hasn’t been just one or two times you had to throw him out of the bathtub when you were getting ready to take a nice relaxing bath after a tough day at work or school

doesn’t like being touched much, but if you’ve lived with him for long enough he will permit you to give his back two or three quick strokes once a day

also likes going out to hunt and will usually bring a small mouse or a tiny gecko back home and offer it to you as a sign of his acceptance of your existence

Youngjae:

long haired kitty with chubby cheeks

giant paws that look like he could seriously hurt you with them, but in reality they’re just really soft

will use his claws for playing excessively though

likes lazing around and playing on the floor the most

usually very careful not to hurt you, but he can get a little too into playing and end up scratching you if you don’t pay attention

likes being scratched behind his ears and under his chin a lot but won’t hesitate to bite if you even think about getting near his fluffy belly

tends to have a lot of mats there though, and those can get quite uncomfy for him, which will in turn irritate him and when he’s in a bad mood he’ll bite you if you’re just standing next to him

so you’ll have to let him bite you one way or the other aksjflksa

you don’t realize just how huge his mouth is until he’s all comfy in a sunny spot at your place and lets out a big yawn, showing off his teeth and pink kitty tongue

sleeps literally anywhere

sprawls out on the floor in the most inconvenient place ever and won’t move for a solid five hours so you have to step over him all the time, because he will definitely not wake up from this nap anytime soon

your bed is a very beloved sleeping place of his as well, especially your pillow, because it smells so nicely like you uwu

he’s usually awake and roaming your place during the night, but will sneak into your bedroom and curl up next to your pillow when it’s almost time for you to get up

will never loudly beg for food ever

instead he’ll just stare up at you and follow you around, bumping into your legs over and over again until you feed him

not picky about food, but loves fish a lot

please don’t give him catnip unless you want a hyperactive hairy high and snappy cat scattering the catnip all over your place kasfjlkas

BamBam:

thin, elegant cat with veryveryvery short, light-colored fur and amber eyes

you put a collar with a golden nametag on him after you got him

you thought he’d hate it and try to get rid of it like most other cats, but turns out he loves it

loves being looked at and will puff out his chest on purpose when people are watching him

kinda gets along with other cats, though they will usually avoid him mostly and he won’t make much of an effort to approach them either

it’s all about coexistence in apathy lol

only eats gourmet food (might be because you never really tried feeding him... you know... normal cat food...)

doesn’t go out much, but time and time again he likes venturing outside to take a short walk through your garden

but will return back inside soon because the many toys and the huge cat tree you bought him are more interesting to him

plus they’re familiar so he can really relax there

likes being petted especially on his head and loves scratches behind his big ears

likes sitting in inconvenient places - like on the box the mailman only just brought and you took your eyes off of for a second to lock the door, or the pack of take-out sushi you just bought, or your new shoes that you wanted to wear to tonight’s party

at least he can’t get hair on any of it

speaking of sushi, he loves watching you eat that and then look at you with half closed eyes, putting a paw on your arm to signal that he wants to try some

will start kneading your arm and purring loudly if you don’t give him any

tried smelling the pickled ginger that comes with it once and almost threw up on the floor as a reaction

but he’s also still Bambam, so sometimes, in the middle of the night when you’re still up you will find him lying in a corner of the living room in an impossible position with his body twisted in ways you didn’t know a cat could move, and derping at you with his tongue hanging out of his mouth sideways and one of his eyes being half open while he snores loudly yes he sleeps like this

Yugyeom:

grey little kitty that looks big because of his relatively long fur

blue eyes since birth that everyone loves him for

they also help him fool people into thinking he’s a cat you’d totally wanna own

honestly though, if you don’t have a bunch of extra time on your hands you really don’t want to own him

needs so much attention

acts like he’s dying every time you have to leave home and you can hear his cries even after closing the door behind you

is also overjoyed and will start climbing your legs to make sure you’re never leaving again after you come back (even if you were just away for like a minute to get the mail)

you really need to train him a lot to be able to stay away for a longer amount of time

whenever you’re home you always have this feeling in your gut that you’re being watched

turn around and chances are you’ll find him sitting on some surface across the room, watching you intently

comes running up to you for pets and cuddles at least ten times a day

the upside of this is that he will never ever feel overstimulated and lash out at you for petting him too much

the downside is that you can barely do stuff because chances are if he isn’t watching you, he’ll be in the way, sprawling all over your things and your arms and then still expect you to be able to pet him

you can often come to an agreement though, having him doze off in your lap and petting him with one hand, so you can at least use the other hand to do things

if you take your second hand away for a while he’ll gently put his paw on it to signal that you should keep petting him

loud

so damn loud

will meow and whine and cry all day every day if he isn’t getting enough attention

also has a crippling fear of the vet

whenever you have to take him there you need to hold him the whole time, or he’d just nyoom out of there and hide somewhere narrow where neither you nor the vet nor his assistance nor any other human being can reach him

sometimes in the middle of the night he will meow in front of your bedroom door because he wants cuddles right now

better let him in or he’ll start scratching your door and you’ll have marks all over it by morning

[random-mha-thoughts]

Night Drives (Shinsou x Reader)

Pairing: Shinsou x Reader 

Genre: Fluff/Comfort, College!AU

Summary: You’re having a rough and stressful week, and Shinsou helps by taking you out for a late night trip.

Word count: 1,814

Tags:  @yuki-osaki​ @liviitehe​ @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog​ @bunnythepipsqueak​

a/n: I know I promised angst, but I really wanted to write this little comfort/fluff piece for anyone who might be facing a mid-semester funk/depression like me.  I was inspired because I went out to pick my cousin up from the airport late last night and I never realized how therapeutic night driving can be.

I also wasn’t really sure which character I wanted to write for this (bc they would all fit one way or another), but I chose Shinsou bc I haven’t written for him in a hot minute and he deserves some more love.

I hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope it helped some of you and maybe helped cheer you up 😊

I sit at my desk, hands carding through my messy hair.  Pouring over my notes is the most stressful thing I could be doing this weekend, I'd rather be sleeping or doing something more relaxing.  Weekends before exams are always the hardest because it's when I get my biggest chunk of studying done, so I'm usually holed up in my room the entire day.

It's also times like this when the dark thoughts roll in.  I've always been a smart kid, but being in college really makes me question it.  Getting low B's and high C's on exams in my major classes don't mean the end of the world, but I rethink who I think I am because of it.  I still get A's in my other bullshit classes, so why am I struggling in the classes that are supposed to teach me the skills I need for my future career?  Should I rethink my future?  Do I even want to go into my chosen field anymore?  Am I making a huge mistake being here?  I'm wasting my entire scholarship money if I decide to start over from scratch.  My fingers close in on my scalp.

"Kitty?"

The warmth in his voice jolts my head up.  "Oh, hey."  I straighten my back, not even realizing how hunched over my back was.

Shinsou's eyebrows are furrowed at me.  "Are you okay?"  His large thumb brushes over the wetness clinging at the corners of my eyes.  "You're crying."

I tug at the sleeves of my hoodie.  "Yeah, I'm fine."

He studies my face carefully, his own dark circles standing out against his pale skin.  He knows how I get when I'm in this mode, staying respectful of my study habits.  Since I don't come out of my room, he'll let himself in and stay in my bed, reading, sleeping, doing his own studying, or watching something on his laptop until I'm finished.  Just a few moments ago when I peaked over my shoulder to see what he was doing, he'd fallen asleep with his headphones on, lightly snoring.  He doesn't bother me.  It's something I appreciate about him.

Shinsou crosses his arms over his chest.  "When was the last time you ate?"

My stomach admittedly feels empty.  I've only been snacking when I felt hungry.  Looking at the clock, it's almost midnight.  "Since breakfast," I answer feebly.

A sigh escapes his lips.  "Are you finished now?  You've been like this all day."

I cast a dreadful look over the pages of notes.  There's still a few chapters I need to look over, but my brain feels that it might explode if I try to cram anymore information in.  The worst part is I don't even feel like I've retained anything I've read in the past few hours.  I start closing my books.  "Yeah, I'm done."  And utterly defeated.

Shinsou gently takes my hand in his, calling my attention to him.  "Come on, go wash your face and change.  We're gonna go eat."

He leaves me to go to his room and fetch his wallet.  Trudging into the bathroom and following his instructions, I wash my face to wake myself up, change into some jeans, and pull on a hoodie that's more presentable for going out into the world.

Shinsou returns, changed into a pair of jeans, hoodie, and denim jacket, and we head out of our dorm building.  The air isn't as cold as I thought, but it was just as deserted.  The scattered lamp posts across the pavement are the only illuminations in the parking lot.  I walk with my hands in my pockets and my hood up.

How the hell am I gonna learn everything by Tuesday? I despair.  I hate how I always end up thinking about work even when I don't want to.

Shinsou closes the distance between us and snakes his arm around my torso.  "Have you ever considered getting a hoodie with cat ears on them?" he asked casually.

I'm thrown off by his random question, but I have to laugh.  "Uh, no?  Why would I wear it?"

"So I can pull at the ears, duh."

"You and your cat addiction needs to chill."  I want to shove him away, but his warmth feels great to touch.  "Where are we going?"

"Noodles?" he offers.  "It's been getting pretty cold."

"Is it wrong that I want something...filling right now.  And no, get your mind out of the gutter!" I shove Shinsou before he can say anything.

"I wasn't even thinking it, who actually has the dirty mind, hm?"  He pokes the side of my head.

After I'm done pouting at him, I suggest, "Do you think there's a tempura place open around here?  Actually, I just really want fries and something else."

"Anything else, your royal highness?" he smirks and unlocks his car.

"Mmm," I hum as I settle into his passenger seat.  "A pet dragon would be nice too.  Or full payment on my college education."

Shinsou chuckles at my sarcasm.  "Anything for you, kitty."  Holding my hand, he kisses my palm before starting the engine.

As he drives down the abandoned road, I lean my head against the window, staring out the windshield.  The sky's already black, but there's too much light and the car's moving too fast to count the stars.  Something about the emptiness of everything at night calms me down.  It almost feels like Shinsou and I are the only 2 people in the world at this hour.  Even the parking lot of the fast food joint down the block is deserted.

"I'll get it to go so we can eat in here, what do you want?" my purple haired prince asks me sweetly, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"10 piece nuggets and medium fries.  And a diet soda, I'm watching my calories."  I whisper the last part.

"Coming right up."

.

"Are you sure it's okay to eat in your car?" I ask, tentatively opening the paper bag of food goodness.  I didn't realize how hungry I was until the smell of high calorie fast food wafts in front of my nose.

Shinsou's eyes are on the road as he drives down the roadway.  "Yeah I don't care, it's not like my car's new or anything."

I dip into the bag and grab my box of nuggets.  A smile graces my face when I notice he remembered the sweet and sour sauce.  "Why are you so good to me?"

"Because you're my kitty and I love you," he answers without missing a beat, his large hand messing up my hair.

A familiar fuzzy warmth fills me as I lean into his touch.  Digging into my nuggets, I end up completely demolishing them, the hole in my stomach finally filling  at the process meat.  I don't care how old I get, I will always have chicken nuggets at fast food restaurants.  Every once in a while, Shinsou would ask for one of my fries, and  I'd happily feed him.

I have no idea where we're going; for some reason, we're on the highway.  I just quietly finish my meal and sip my drink.

Shinou's eyes glint with mischief.  "Since we're alone on the highway..."

My eyes widen.  "Babe, no-!"

The engine revs to life under my boyfriend's lead foot and the car jolts forward.  I clutch my fries and almost choke on my soda as we speed down the highway.  The biggest grin spreads across his face.

"Hitoshi, I'm not ready to die!"

He takes his foot off the gas and the car relaxes, as does my heart.  But he knows how much I secretly love it when he does that.  "At least wait until I'm not about to choke before you do that!"

Laughing at me, he passes me his phone. "Play whatever you want, kitty."

Oh, it's over now.

I select a playlist of hype songs we both love, belting out the lyrics from the top of our lungs as Shinsou speeds down the highway. A mess of screams, laughter, loud music, and singing fill the entire space as we zip past all the lights on the highway.  It reminds of what it might feel like rocketing through space. The pit of my stomach feels weightless from the excitement and the speeding car.

Are we crazy?  Maybe.  Did I savor every second of it?  Absolutely.

Shinsou finally slows down and exits down a beach.  Pulling into an empty space, he parks the car and gets out, waving for me to follow him.  We end up sitting on the hood of his car, eating our food under a blanket he keeps in his car.  A nearby streetlight dimly illuminates our dark space.

I snuggle Shinsou's left arm and look out into the dark expanse.  I can finally count the stars, between stealing bites from Shinsou's burger.  Clutching my end of the blanket over me, I lay my head on his shoulder.  "It's so strange sitting on the hood of a car."

"Guess you've never done it before," he replies quietly, balling up his empty wrapper and placing it back in the bag.  Both arms wrap around me, resting his head on top of mine.  "I used to come here when I wanted to clear my mind.  There's just a whole lot of nothing and silence."

I can't agree more.  The darkness - the absence of light - makes everything seem quiet and empty.  Something about it feels liberating, letting all my emotions flow out in front of me freely and let me just be.  A breathe in and let it rattle out of me.  The endless void surrounds us, isolates us, encloses us so our thoughts can't bother us.

Shinsou brings me closer, letting me sit halfway on his lap, placing a gentle kiss on my temple.  "Are you feeling better, kitty?  I know you're pretty stressed, more so than your usual anxious self.  I figured bringing you out here would help somewhat."

My heart swells with warmth.  I hug him tighter and close my eyes, leaning my head to his chest.  "Thank you, Hitoshi.  You've done a lot for me, I really appreciate it.  You really went out of your way  for me."

"Nothing's out of my way for you."  His large hand rubs my scalp.  "You work so hard, you deserve this."

I snuggle deeper into his chest, my eyes slowly closing as the rhythm  of his heartbeat calms me.  "What did I do to deserve you?" I mumble.

"Well, maybe you saved an entire country," he jokes, pressing another kiss into the top of my head and running his fingers lightly on the back of my head, "But I think you just being perfect deserves all the happiness I can give you."

"You're too sweet."  I drift off to a light sleep in his arms, surrounded by his warmth, choosing to think about life some other time.

[sope-and-shine]

My Favorite Kitty

-> SFW // Shifter!AU // fluff, angst (if you squint) // Shifter!Taehyung -> Pairing: Yoongi x Taehyung -> Word Count:  3.6k -> Summary: What else is Yoongi supposed to do when his best friend gets him a cat but accept it and take care of the fluffy creature. But Jin may not have told him everything about his new pet.  -> Warning(s): mild language, nightmares, avoiding sleep, Kim Seokjin (cause I think he should always have his own warning) 

a/n: Sooo... I’ve been working on this for almost a year... cause I’m a dummy who can’t write consistently... BUT it’s finally done and just in time for @cest-la-tae​‘s birthday. Daija boop I know you been waiting for this since I hard you read is months ago, so I hope you like it!

*

Yoongi honestly doesn’t remember how he and Jin became friends. Sure he’d tell people Jin had annoyed and followed him so much that he didn’t have a choice. But neither boy could ever think of a time they didn’t know each other. Maybe they met in school before Yoongi’s parents had died in that freak accident. Yoongi remembers being so scared and alone, everything he knew was suddenly going away. And then he found himself living with his best friend and that’s how it’s been since. He’d never be able to forget how much he owed Jin’s family and the man himself.

Growing up with Jin had been an adventure. The two were polar opposites. Jin was a people person, beautiful, popular, the ideal student. Yoongi wanted nothing more than to be left alone, keep his head down and simply do what was needed to achieve his dreams.

But regardless of what he wanted, people knew him. They’d have to be living in the stone age not to know the illustrious Kim Seokjin’s broody best friend. They were nice to him because otherwise Jin would have their heads, and no one wanted to be on the King’s bad side.

Yoongi had never been a fan of two-faced bitches, so anyone who tried to make nice with him simply to get to Jin, well they were in for a rough time. Some could describe Yoongi as nasty and vicious. Once a girl even tried to tell Jin to cut Yoongi out of Jin’s life. That had not ended well.

Even now that the boys had long since become adults with their own lives, they constantly inserted themselves into each other's lives. Jin made no secret that he loves Yoongi like a brother. And, while Yoongi would never admit it outloud, he loves that brat to death. They graduated college together and Jin went off to make a name for himself as an up and coming actor. Yoongi got to live out his childhood dream, creating and producing music. He preferred staying behind the scenes, being a faceless artist but his music was out there now. They even ended up at the same entertainment company.

Jin flourished, making friends wherever he went, just like always. Yoongi kept to himself, just like always, only having two close friends besides Jin. He’d help them with their own music and they weren’t as loud and boisterous as Jin, so he didn’t mind when they stuck around. Well, actually Hoseok was quite loud but his cheerful personality and kind heart made it hard to turn him away. Yoongi’s world was small and quiet and he was perfectly fine.

Mr Kim Seokjin, however, thought that wasn’t enough. He thought his pretty Yoongi should be out there living it up. He made a decent amount of money and was more than smart enough to do great at work while cutting loose. But that wasn’t what Yoongi wanted, and Jin respected that.

He still thought the man should at least have a roommate or a pet or something! Or he should have at least accepted that date Jin had tried to set up for him and Hoseok. Well before Jin had realized he had a crush on Hoseok and went on the date himself. But still, Jin constantly pestered his small friend about expanding his circle just a little bit. He wanted to disrupt Yoongi’s peaceful little world and he wasn’t going to stop until he won.

Yoongi was perfectly fine living alone. He was happy with his handful of friends and his quiet empty apartment. He didn’t want to go out cause that meant dealing with people and people were annoying. He was fine just going to work and staying home. He was a grown ass man and what he did with his life was his own choice.

Besides, Yoongi would rather keep his problems to himself. He felt bad enough that his horrible sleeping schedule was messing with his work schedule and caused Jin to worry, even if he really didn’t need to. He’d feel worse disrupting any little animal inhabiting his small studio apartment, let alone another human. He got sleep, albeit at strange hours, and handled his workload perfectly fine. The man just had a little insomnia and some nightmares from time to time, but that didn’t make him someone who needed to be babied. Jin didn’t need to constantly worry and look after him, it was getting old.

What does it matter if his annoying friend thinks Yoongi needs a pet? He doesn’t. He is perfectly fine on his own. Who cares what Seokjin thinks? Yet he still decides to waltz into the apartment at the ass crack of dawn carrying a fucking cat.

Ok, so maybe the cat was really cute. He’s pretty blue eyes staring up at him made Yoongi’s resolve weaken. But he refused to let Jin be right. Even if this cat had the softest fluffiest cream colored fur in existence. Nope Yoongi wanted nothing to do with this adorable baby.

Jin dumps the poor cat onto Yoongi’s lap before moving about the apartment setting things up for the fluffy creature. “What’s his name?” 

“I’m not keeping him, Jin.” Yoongi grumbles, finding himself regretting giving Jin a key for the millionth time.

“Why not?” Jin doesn’t even falter in his mission, knowing this time he’ll win. “What’s the harm?”

Yoongi cautiously peers down at the cat before shooing him off the bed. Deciding that a large cup of black coffee was the only thing that could help him deal with his dearest friend at the moment, the dark haired man brushed past the tiny creature to trudge to his little kitchen. “I don’t know the first thing about caring for a cat, for starters. I don’t even have the things he would need. And I’m busy with work.”

“I bought you stuff. It’s in the living room. And I know your work schedule, you can’t pull that I’m too busy crap.” Yoongi grabbed a mug only to find Jin sliding him a large cup of coffee from his favorite cafe. He ignores Yoongi’s hard glare in favor of picking up the fluffy feline. “Just give him attention, feed him, and change the litter. Easy. He basically takes care of himself.”

It was a long, hard fought battle, but in the end he kept the cat. Actually, no it wasn’t. All it took was the little fluffy ball curling into Yoongi’s belly and his soft purrs for the small man to know Tata was never leaving his side. 

Even though he’d never tell Jin, maybe Yoongi really had needed Tata. He was the sweetest baby, alway staying nearby or tucked into his side. He was the perfect companion for his lazy ass. And a great cuddle buddy when he went to sleep at night.

Tata was such an amazing addition to his world. So Yoongi really hated it when he’d wake up, tears on his cheeks after a nightmare, only to find his little friend staring up from his place on the man’s chest. He’d say it was fine, more to himself than the cat, but the stubborn boy never listened. Yoongi found it odd. He’d alway heard cats were less caring and standoffish, he’d even been compared to a cat by several people for his blunt and, at times, harsh actions. But this little guy was anything but. He’d watch Yoongi closely until he slipped back into slumber, curled up on his chest the whole time.

Yoongi never remembered the nightmares but they kept coming, and they only got worse. He slowly slept less and less. It had been weeks and the most sleep he’d gotten was 45 minute naps here and there. 

By the time a month had passed, he knew something had to change. But the man couldn’t bring himself to do anything. So Yoongi continued on as if he’d die if he slept too long. And every time he stayed up through the night, the faithful kitten was right there with him. Always looking at his human with a sad glint in his eyes, like he wanted to help but didn’t know how.

By now his coworkers and few friends had noticed the change. Yoongi was a phenomenal producer and, even with his lack of sleep, still was, but his work wasn’t at its best. That and he had to fight to stay awake as time went on. Hoseok had accidentally woken him up after barging into the smaller’s studio to tell him about the progress he had made on his mixtape. Meanwhile, Namjoon had to continually keep him from dozing off while the two worked together on songs for their own releases. Needless to say they were concerned and if Namjoon and Hoseok knew, it was only a matter of time before Jin found out as well.

Which he had, and quickly hunted Yoongi down to yell at him. He made it very clear if the man came into work the next day, he’d get the CEO of the company to ban him for 2 weeks. And Yoongi knew Jin could pull that off, at this point his chaotic best friend owned the company in all but name. Plus Bang PD always wanted to take care of his people, so the CEO would probably ban him without Jin even asking.

So he stayed home. It was easier to stay awake doing chores around his apartment than sitting in his small studio anyway. And he could dote on his pretty kitty this way. 

Yoongi spent his new found free day organizing the kitchen. How on earth some of these things ended up where they did he had no idea. He must’ve thrown his favorite coffee mix on the top shelf while unpacking in a hurry, because otherwise he’d never put it there. Besides the fact he couldn’t reach up there without climbing on the counter, the mix always went right next to the coffee maker to fuel the man’s dependence of the dark bean juice. 

The day dragged on and still Yoongi refused to rest. At one point he thought the sleep deprivation was getting to him when he heard the toilet flush even though he was nowhere near the bathroom. When he walked in and found Tata sitting on the closed lid staring up at him, Yoongi decided it was the perfect time to make a big pot of coffee and move on to scrubbing the bathroom. Tata stayed for a moment before bolting off to the kitchen, probably on a quest for his food.

Before long Yoongi’s phone was constantly going off, vibrating harshly against the ceramic tub. Not wanting to add a headache to his ever growing list of problems, he quickly snatched the annoying contraption to see a multitude of texts from Jin, Hobi, and Namjoon, all with varying degrees of threats. Really it was only Jin making threats, Namjoon and Hobi were simply telling him to rest up and take care of himself. Yoongi rolled his eyes, looking at the time before locking his phone. 

10:33 PM, the perfect time for him to start drinking his fresh coffee and start a Marvel marathon. Grabbing his biggest mug, Yoongi fills it up to the brim, lazily running his hand through Tata’s fur. Setting up his laptop with his first movie of the night. As the intro plays, he takes a huge sip of his warm coffee and cuddles up with Tata.

As the night passed by, Yoongi found himself just getting more and more sleepy, no matter how much coffee he drank. He was tired but he wouldn’t- no, couldn’t sleep. So the small man curled up on his bed, at the point of exhaustion where he just wanted to cry. But crying meant sleep, and sleep meant dreams. So he only curled around his pillow tighter and watched the seconds slip away. 

He’s so tired that he doesn’t question the deep voice humming to him and the warm arms that wrap around his smaller frame. It soothes him in the worst way, making him lethargic instead of more aware. It feels as though a memory is seeping through in his haze and attempts to lull him. Yoongi tries to fight sleep but the second his back hits the warmth behind him he’s gone.

The next thing he knew, Yoongi was snuggling deeper into the bed trying to hide from the sun’s blinding rays. When he finally managed to force his eyes open all the exhaustion from the previous night was gone. 

He barely remembered falling asleep, just the comforting warmth. The man had felt so safe and, honestly, he’d never slept better. No dreams, just sweet beautiful darkness. He’d slept so well Yoongi didn’t even remember his alarm going off.

Maybe that’s because it hadn’t. As he fumbled for his phone and caught a glimpse of the time, the small man felt his stomach drop. 1:33 PM. The numbers glared back, mocking him. He’d already missed about half a day of work, and he wasn’t about to miss the rest.

As he started to rush around, trying to look at least somewhat alive, he failed to notice the confused looking man sitting on his kitchen counter. “What’s the fuss for, hyung? You should be resting.”

“I have to get to work. I’ve already missed enough.” The smaller threw back at the blonde.

His entrancing blue eyes light up as he proudly claims, “I already called off for you!”

Yoongi stopped in the middle of the room, “Called… off?”

“Yeah! So you can get some more rest.” The man’s boxy smile grew larger, despite the slight scowl slowly appearing on the other’s face.

“I’m not going back to sleep.” Yoongi walked past the cute but annoying man, grabbing one of his coffee cups.

“Do you need more sleeping pills?”

“I don’t…” Yoongi paused, shaking his head before continuing to pour himself a cup of coffee from the pot he made last night. He didn’t have time to start a fresh pot, he’d have to settle for warming this one up in the microwave. “I’ve never taken a sleeping pill.”

“Yes you have. Hyung said you had to ingest them but I figured you’d find them in your food. But they disappeared in the black stuff.”

Yoongi stopped and slowly turned to face the man, his happiness not at all affected by the pure stupidity that had just left his mouth. “You put sleeping pills… in my coffee.”

“Yeah in the pot.”

After a moment of dumbly staring at the man, Yoongi grabbed the coffee pot and promptly dumped it down the drain. 

The blonde cried out as he watched the dark liquid go down the drain.  “But I made that for you.” Yoongi knew the man probably had a little pout on his face just from the cute whiny voice.

“I appreciate the sentiment however if in the future you could try not to poison me that’d be great.” The shorter turned back to face the man perched on his counter, and sighed. “And can you stop sitting on the conter like a fucking cat.”

With a sheepish smile, the man slipped off the counter and walked towards Yoongi. He stopped barley an inch away and dropped his head onto the smaller man’s shoulder. He reached to hold Yoongi’s waist but paused, seemingly thinking better of it. “‘M sorry.” He whispered, his breath ghosting over Yoongi’s collarbone and sending shivers up the man’s spine. Yoongi sighed and wrapped an arm around his waist, slipping the other up to run through the soft blonde strands. The taller melted into Yoongi’s touch, bringing his hands to cling on Yoongi’s waist and nuzzle into his neck.

They simply stood there, the blonde practically trying to wrap himself around Yoongi as they cuddled. Yoongi thought they probably made quite the picture at the moment, the tall blonde man with enchanting blue eyes looked quite small now. Yoongi didn’t try to fight the small smile, knowing the only one who could see it was buried in his neck. This moment was so peaceful, Yoongi almost never wanted it to end.

Suddenly the smaller realized a very crucial detail. He had no idea who this man was and how he got into his apartment. So Yoongi decided to do what any logical person would do; shout, shove him off, and throw the rest of his cold coffee at the startled man.

“Why’d you throw that at me?! I made that for you with love!!” The blonde cried, trying to wipe the coffee off his face.

“Get the fuck out of my house weirdo!” Yoongi took his chance to run over and grab his frying pan. He may not be the best at self defense but he could wield a mean frying pan. 

However, Yoongi hadn’t been expecting the blonde to have such quick reflexes. The moment he turns to swing, he feels a large hand wrap around his wrist. Firm and strong, but gentle at the same time. Yoongi tried to use his only hand to get free, only to end up with both hands being held in the blonde’s while he gently took the frying pan and set it down on the counter. “Jin-hyung did say you were feisty but I wasn’t expecting this.”

Yoongi stopped struggling, zeroed in on one very important word. “What did that stupid asshole do now?!”

“Hyung is the reason I’m here, remember?”

Yoongi scoffed, once again regretting giving Jin a key. He really needed to get that back. “No, my loving best friend didn’t say anything about letting a stranger into my apartment.”

“But I’m not a stranger, I’m Tata.”

Yoongi paused to look at the man, finally noticing his hair and eyes match his precious cat’s exactly. That and the feline has been missing the entire time the man has been here. “I thought hyung told you.”

“No, that little shit didn’t tell me anything.” Yoongi grumbled, seemingly done with fighting. Tae hesitantly let him go, pleased when he wasn’t immediately attacked.

“I thought that’s why you called me Tata. Cause you knew.” After receiving a confused and annoyed look, he continued on. “You know, cause my name is Taehyung?”

Yoongi didn’t say a word as he grabbed his phone off the couch. Angrily jabbing at it, he made his way to the contact to call his favorite hyung. 

Jin answered after the first few rings, sounding as cheerful as ever. “Hey, Yoongi.”

“Yeah, hey. WHAT THE FUCK!” Yoongi knew starting a shouting match with Jin would break his ears, but at the moment he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“Yah, you brat! Where’s the respect?!” came Jin’s indignant reply, so loud even Tae flinched from his spot on the couch.

“You don’t get any, you bitch. You gave me a fucking human?!” Yoongi growled out, wishing Jin were here so he could lovingly strangle him.

“Shifter.”

“You shut up.” Yoongi glared at Tae, causing the blonde to put up his hand in surrender. Pleased that one of the two idiots might behave for the moment, he went back to trying to figure out what the hell his dearest friend was thinking. “Jin I swear I’m-”

“Going to kill me? Yeah I know. But look, you like Tata and Tae is the same person.”

Yoongi flops down on the couch with a sigh, “He is a human. I had a cat yesterday and now I have a human.”

“No take backsies! Love you bye!”

“JIN!!” Yoongi shoots up again, ready to scream and curse Kim Seokjin to hell and back, but Jin had already ended the call. “I should’ve poured that coffee on his fucking head.”

Yoongi sighed, falling back onto the couch and holding his phone up “Hey Siri, add kill Kim Seokjin to my to-do list.”

There’s a moment of silence before Yoongi is reminded of Taehyung’s presence. The shifter softly placed his hand on Yoongi’s smaller one, his expression solom. “Do I have to leave now?”

“... No. I just don’t know what to do,” Yoongi sighed and opened his arms, an invitation Tae quickly accepted, curling into the elder’s side.

“Well you can throw out the cat food. It’s nasty.” Tae mumbled, his disgust causing a gummy smile to appear on Yoongi’s soft lips “And then we can get food and cuddle for the next week.”

Yoongi’s smile dims once he remembers food means money, and money means work. “I have to go back to work.” He made no effort to move from Taehyung’s comforting embrace no matter how many times he repeated that.

“Yeah after you get more rest. Please hyung?” Tae gently pulled Yoongi closer, trying to tempt him to stay, using his best puppy dog eyes and cutest pout for good measure.

“Ugh fine.” Tae’s boxy grin returned as he nuzzled into Yoongi’s side. The smaller tried to fight off the blush rising up and softly placed a kiss on Tae’s head. The shifter perked up at the action, blue eyes staring intently in dark brown ones, before tackling Yoongi and showering his face with kisses. He tried fighting back, but Yoongi has discovered when it comes to Tae, he can’t say no.

“I liked you better when you were smaller.” Yoongi whispered once Tae had stopped, his soft smile showing of his gums and making Tae’s heart melt. They affectionately stare at each other for a while longer, before uncertainty creeps into Taehyung’s gaze. 

“It’s really ok for me to stay?” His voice was so quiet, Yoongi almost missed it. But he didn’t and his face softens, his gaze warm and comforting. His hands move to gently cup Tae’s face, his thumbs running over his cheeks.

“Yes Tae. I’d be sad if my favorite kitty left.”

[pluto-art]

Out of the Cold, Out of the Cavern

Type: Fan fiction (PatB) / Self-insert/Y/N/OC (sort of...) Genre: Hurt/Comfort (what else?) Words: 4,841 Rating: K+

Fan Fiction Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13724127/1/Out-of-the-Cold-Out-of-the-Cavern

As usual, I recommend the fan fiction version, which includes all of the italicized words.

Thanks to @shuunthenonbeliever, I was inspired to finally write this. :)

“One-sixty… one-eighty… two hundred,” the plump woman said, sliding a packet of bills off her jewel-laden fingers and into yours, like water pouring out of a spout.

“Thank you,” you replied, hesitant to pocket the load with those two, round, black eyes still staring at you, burrowing into your soul. They belonged to a young girl, nine or ten in age, perhaps, with short, auburn hair, her little white and turquoise dress bouncing up and down as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, waiting, watching.

“She’ll need watch every weekday from three to nine,” instructed the woman, barely even looking at you or her daughter as she checked her purse for something. “If you have any trouble you have my work number.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“But you’ll be no trouble. Will you, Elmyra?”

“Oh, no, Ma’am. Nopey nopey nope! We’re gonna have so much fun laughing and cuddling and playing with all my fuzzy whittle animals!” screeched the girl, in a voice that scratched like sandpaper.

“Yes, dear. Be good to your new babysitter, all right? Mommy has to go to work now.”

“Bye byeeeeeee!!” Elmyra waved, smiling widely in mock innocence as her mother stepped out the door.

“Bye,” you called out, a bit half-heartedly.

As soon as the door snapped closed, Elmyra turned to look at you expectantly, beaming.

“All right. She’s gone. You can go play with your pets,” you said.

“Yaaaaaaaay!! I’m coming, my fuzzy whuzzies!”

And off she hopped, skipping down the hall and around a corner ever so gayly, to a spot that you knew to be her bedroom, where all manner of horrible and unspeakable things happened.

You turned, leaned against the front door, and inhaled a long, deep breath of air, practically sliding against the thing as you counted out the greens in your hand -- one one-hundred, a fifty, a ten, and two twenties. Yep. Checked out.

You pocketed the loose change, paused, then got up and stuck it in your backpack instead. It’s not like it was going anywhere for a while. Besides, you hated carrying around more than you needed to in your small pants pockets.

Tossing the backpack next to the living room couch, you collapsed onto said couch and took a gander at your new surroundings.

It was a quaint little abode. Could have done with a new paint job, perhaps, but the yellow interior and old-style furniture wasn’t completely abhorrent. The whole cottage was rather cute, in its own weird way, sporting the occasional gothic chandelier that would have looked much more at home in Edward Scissorhands’ house, or a wastebasket that was far too frilly and posh to even be used for its original purpose. But the seating was comfortable, the cable was working, and, best of all, the fridge, stuffed to its seams, was, according to Mrs. Duff, 100% at your disposal. If there was anything that solidified a job offer for you, it was free food.

Not that the job was all chipper and charm. You knew what you were getting into when you took it, and the intermittent screams coming from Elmyra’s bedroom, as well as the cat that nearly bit your finger off from earlier as you tried to coax him out from under the kitchen table, were stark reminders of that. Everyone in the city of Burbank knew who the Duff family was, whether it was personally or from the horror stories passed down the school halls. Most who visited their house, unless they were a close family friend or relative, never wanted to step back in it again. It was common knowledge that you only went to Elmyra’s if you wanted a nice, long day of yelling and suffering, and all in your dorm would have rather died than take on the job of babysitter when it was posted online. But you took it. You took it… partially ‘cause you had no choice. What with a full-time college schedule and not much else in the cupboard save for ramen and three-day-old apples, cash was in short supply and desperately needed, and even though the last thing you’d rather do was keep watch over this kid, you also couldn’t find a job anywhere else. Besides, the pay was good. Excellent, in fact. Two hundred every Friday. You might even splurge on Chinese this weekend.

Sliding the remote off the thick, wooden table, you flipped through the channels, one-by-one, finally landing on National Geographic. The narrator was deep in discussion about the living habits of bats. Appropriate, you thought, as Elmyra flitted out of the room, make-shift cape trailing behind her and blindfold on, zoomed into the kitchen and grabbed a packet of cookies before zipping back into her room, sounding very much like a bat as she laughed in a loud, screeching tone the entire time. You did a double-take as she slammed the door behind her. Were there… other voices coming from the room? No. That’s silly. You shook your head. Crazy.

The next couple of hours went by surprisingly uneventfully; so much so, in fact, that you wondered if there was any basis in the rumors that floated around about the Duff residence being a literal “house of horror”. Some even said the place was haunted. It wasn’t until 6:55 PM, when you went to remind Elmyra that dinner was almost ready, that you got a whiff that things weren’t… quite what they seemed.

Of the menagerie loose throughout the house, Elmyra owned a total of one cat, a parrot, a turtle, and two white mice. The turtle hid. The parrot squawked. And the mice? The mice… talked.

“Narf! Hello there!” the taller of the two said, as you meandered into the room. You cocked an eyebrow and hesitantly lifted a hand to wave at him.

“Hi…,” you replied, a little taken aback.

The shorter mouse didn’t look up at you. His focus was heavily trained on a notepad rife with complex calculations far beyond your intellect. He was scribbling away as if his life depended on it. He also called you a “disposable hindrance”, albeit indirectly to his associate, something you didn’t entirely appreciate, but you also didn’t dare talk back. Not yet.

“Oooo. Munchie time! Come on, little mousies!” Elmyra cheered, and she grabbed both rodents tight around the neck with her short, groping fingers, stuffing them into her shirt pocket as she ran out of the room and in the direction of the kitchen.

You stood behind for a moment, nonplussed. Okay then.

A soft shuffling down the hallway made you turn. It was the cat. He still looked quite wary of you.

“Hey, kitty,” you cooed, gently but not in a childish fashion; more like you were simply greeting a friend. “You gonna let me pet you this time?” you asked, bending down and holding out a hand for him to sniff.

Tenderly, cautiously, the cat stepped up to you, wagging its tail slightly behind him. You narrowed your eyes. A wagging tail wasn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when it came to cats, but this was… different. The closer he got to you the more he wagged it, as if he was… excited? Curious? He sniffed your hand… and licked it. Odd. Then he peered up into your face, lolled out a long, pink tongue, and barked.

You sat back a little, wide-eyed, as the cat-dog jumped up onto your legs and actually started licking your face. It was… weird. Cute, but… weird.

After a few hearty licks, the cat, satisfied, jumped back down, scratched itself, and ran off to play with a ball. You wondered why he hadn’t come up to you before. Perhaps he still had more of the cat than the dog in him. You also now understood why some people claimed that this house was “haunted”. Two talking mice and a barking cat. Not exactly “spooky”, under your terms, but definitely unusual. You wondered what other treasures this quirky household held. Pirate bones? Dinosaurs? You had to admit it was rather exciting.

Shuffling back into the kitchen, you found Elmyra at the table, greedily shoveling the macaroni and cheese you’d made for her into her mouth as she watched a cartoon program on tv. The mice sat beside her in a little highchair, both now dressed as infants, the big-headed one looking absolutely miserable. Now and again, Elmyra would shovel a huge spoonful of mac and cheese into one or the other’s mouth against their will. Lanky mouse didn’t seem to mind it too much. Grumpy mouse turned to look at you with an expression that read: “shoot me”.

“Elmyra, be careful with how you feed your pets, okay? They might not like too much mac and cheese…,” you suggested, cautiously, frowning a little at the big-headed mouse in pity.

You knew, of course, about this kid’s harsh treatment of her pets. Everyone knew. But her parents were rich, and could probably buy out the police station and the A.S.P.C.A. if they’d wanted to, and so no one said anything. Still, as an animal-lover, you were curious. Just how badly did she handle her critters? Maybe you could do something to relieve their pain while you were there? And the situation was bad, certainly, but you’d seen worse, and there was only so much you could say besides, at least while she was awake. Too much rebellion and you’d probably be fired. That being said, you fully intended to assist in giving the poor things a little reprieve once Elmyra went to bed in an hour, and so you let the macaroni-shoveling slide… for now.

8:00 PM came and went, with little deviation from the norm aside from Elmyra quickly popping into the kitchen again at 7:23 PM, opening the freezer, and succinctly closing it before racing back into her bedroom. You shrugged at the gesture, barely turning around from the tv, figuring she probably just went to grab some ice cream. Thankfully, Elmyra not only went to bed early, but also was a heavy sleeper, so by the time 8:15 rolled around she was already obediently in bed and snoring, needing only a reminder from you ten minutes prior. The lanky mouse opened an eye as you peeked in. He was sleeping in the bed with her.

“Sorry,” you muttered, making to close the door, but the little mouse sat up.

“Wait! D-Do you mind checking on Brain? Elmyra said he went to Antarctica, but… he hasn’t been back in a while. You’ll go look for him, won’t you?” he asked, twisting his tail as he said it.

“Sure. I’ll look for him,” you responded pleasantly, and you meant it. The mouse smiled.

“Oh, thank you!” he whispered, tucking back into bed. “Good night!”

“Night,” you whispered back, closing the door softly behind you.

You frowned. Antarctica? More than likely, cranky mouse was simply hiding somewhere, but internally you promised to keep an eye out and check a few cupboards.

Several drawers, a pantry, numerous cupboards, and a couple of closets later and you still couldn’t find the little mouse. You even checked the higher areas of the house, wondering if “Antarctica” meant somewhere scalable and colder. Your first thought, of course, had been the freezer, but that was preposterous. She wouldn’t be that cruel. Would she…?

Out of pure curiosity, you headed back into the kitchen, grabbing a bowl from a cupboard as you did so. You were hungry anyway and figured that a hearty helping of ice cream before you left in half an hour certainly couldn’t hurt. You had free reign of the fridge, after all.

You set down your little blue bowl on the counter. You grabbed a spoon from a drawer and set it in the bowl. You even snatched a couple of Oreo cookies from an Oreo cookie box nearby and plopped them next to the bowl for good measure. Could never be too careful.

Noticing that Elmyra had left a box of frozen fruit pops on the counter without putting them back, you shook your head, grabbed it, opened the freezer door…… and dropped the box onto the floor with a loud plop. Hastily, you whipped off your red sweater, reached into the freezer, and pulled out a little white ball of frozen fur and whiskers.

“Oh, you poor baby,” you cooed, cradling the small mouse in your sweater as if he were precious cargo. You tittered. “Goodness. You poor thing. She actually put you in here??”

Closing the freezer door, you brought the mouse up close, pressing a finger to where his heart would be. His eyes were shut tight, and he was curled so firmly about himself that it took a little doing to get your finger up to his chest. He didn’t stir as you moved him about. There was a heartbeat… barely, faint as a whisper. It was a miracle he was still alive.

Almost instinctively, you cupped him in your hands, brought him over to the sink, and slowly turned on the faucet, checking that the water was lukewarm before carefully sticking him under the steady stream. You didn’t want it too hot right off the bat. Even a warm temperature might be a shock.

Two minutes later, after you’d let the (hopefully) stimulating mini waterfall wash over him, you turned off the faucet and proceeded to dry him off with a towel -- softly; slowly. He still hadn’t stirred, not even a little, and you gulped. Were you too late..?

8:35 PM. The stillness of the night, save for the now dimmed volume of the television, found you sitting once more on the couch, this time with a fuzzy occupant in hand. Big-headed mousie -- the… Brain… he was called? -- lay cradled in your arms, encompassed about with a very soft, very woolly blanket indeed. It was the fluffiest you could find in the house. Nothing less would suffice, in your mind. You could only imagine how frightening of an ordeal it must have been, shivering, cowering in a freezer for an hour, not knowing if the next breath you took would be your last….

A thumb gently stroked the snow white fur of the sleeping mouse, and you couldn’t help but massage that oversized head of his from time to time, muttering to him in soothing tones as you did so.

“You poor thing…. I’m so sorry I didn’t see you in there earlier,” you apologized, even though he probably wasn’t listening. He still hadn’t opened his eyes, the only indication that he wasn’t dead being the steady beat, beat, beat of his thumping heart every half a second.

“You gonna blink for me, sweet heart?”

And then, as if on cue, the little mouse sloooowly blinked, opened his eyes, and stared at you.

“Hey there, little one,” you whispered, smiling at him. “Atta boy….”

His eyes began to shift around, rapidly, and he frowned, as if trying to take in all at once where he was and what had happened.

“It’s all right. It’s all right,” you reassured him, readjusting your grip a touch as you continued to hold him close to your chest. “I’ve got you. Elmyra’s asleep. She can’t do you any harm. And if she tried I wouldn’t let her.”

He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it once more, and subsequently shut it again, as if at a loss for words. Perhaps he really was speechless, or perhaps he was still a little stiff from having been locked up in the freezer for so long. Whatever the reason, he continued to stare at you, almost unblinkingly. As you went to pet him again, he reeled back, breathing faster than normal.

“Shhh. Shhh. It’s okay,” you said calmingly, pausing a mite before resuming your soft massage of his head. “It’s all right, little one. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

And slowly, hesitantly, he settled.

“‘Antarctica’,” you mused, shaking your head. “I’m surprised you survived that. Poor thing….”

You continued to talk to him; comfort him. After a solid five minutes of being stroked and cooed to, he actually leaned into your hand. You could tell he enjoyed the massage, reluctant as he was to admit it. A heavy sigh escaped your lips. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little fellow, even if he had been a bit of a butt to you earlier. How often did this kind of thing happen to him? Weekly? Daily? How often did he bath in this torment? You decided to ask him.

“Does she do this kind of thing to you often?”

He nodded, gaze still trained on you.

“Like… daily?”

He nodded again. You sighed.

“I’m so sorry….”

He actually shrugged.

“It’s… my life,” he coughed out, in a deep, chocolatey voice that was a little raspy. It was almost comical that a voice that low could come from something so diminutive.

“Well, it shouldn’t be your life,” you countered. “You don’t deserve any of this.” He simply blinked at you.

“How long has she had you for?”

He shrugged again.

“Over a year..?” he guessed.

“Over a year…. Sheesh…. How are you still alive?” you asked, actually chuckling a little… and regretting it immediately after. This was no laughing matter.

“I… I don’t know,” the Brain admitted, his body vibrating for a second as it released a shiver. For once, he looked away from you. “I don’t know….”

There was something in the way that he said “I don’t know”, something in the way his voice quivered a touch as it floated off into the air, that made your heart break in two. It was as if he himself couldn’t believe they’d held out as long as they had; that they hadn’t given up all hope by this time. It was a dry admittance, a sad admittance, and he blinked rather rapidly and sniffed after saying it, as if trying to bite back tears.

Any animosity you’d had for such a creature had completely dissipated by this point. His honesty. His helpless quaver…. They’d destroyed it. With all the more tenderness, you rocked him gently to and fro, taking extra care to massage his whole little body, as best he’d let you anyway, trying to iron out every last bit of pain trapped in those delicate bones. He barely even resisted, save for asking once why you even bothered to help him in the first place.

“Because I think you needed it,” was your blunt response.

He’d looked away a little shyly at this, before turning back to look into your eyes.

“Thank you,” he muttered, and it sounded sincere.

You simply nodded, smiling at him, continuing to rub out the pain as best you could.

8:47 PM. You tossed a frown at the clock. Mrs. Duff would be back in about thirteen minutes. The time you had spent with your new charge hadn’t felt like enough. You were fully aware that you couldn’t take him back to your place for extended relief. He’d have to return to Elmyra’s room, or, at the very least, be put back somewhere in the house before the mother arrived. This posed a bit of a problem, however, for by this point he’d fallen back to sleep in your arms. You stopped rocking him back and forth for a moment to simply… look at him.

He was so small. Much smaller than expected for a pet mouse. Perhaps he’d been a field mouse in the past? A body that fragile shouldn’t be thrown around in a house by a volatile little girl. He should be cared for; comforted; loved.

8:48 PM. He was actually snoring, so quietly it was barely audible. Despite yourself, you leaned down… and kissed him on the top of his head. He stirred, but didn’t awaken.

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered again, swallowing thickly.

You looked at the clock. 8:49 PM. You sighed.

You couldn’t do this. You knew you couldn’t do it from the moment you opened the freezer door and saw him lying in there. Two hundred dollars a week wasn’t worth it. You were going to be fired and that was that. Screw the money. The thought of leaving the two mice in such a condition as this was unbearable. You couldn’t rescue all of her animals, of course, and you hated the idea of stealing, but this one had almost died.

8:50 PM. You groaned. This wasn’t going to be easy….

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sunday morning saw you bright and early, topping off some pancakes in your dorm room with maple syrup, cutting up a few tiny pieces, and setting aside said pieces on a small napkin on a table. Two little white mice immediately stepped up. You smiled at them as you dug into your own, much larger portion of the breakfast, watching the sun rise beyond the balcony.

In the end, you’d chosen the lesser of two evils: voluntary departure. The moment Mrs. Duff had returned home, you’d politely thanked her for the payment, but regretted that you didn’t think you could continue to operate as babysitter. She’d been disappointed, but not surprised. It wasn’t the first time a new hire had quit so suddenly. The turn-over rate with Elmyra was high.

And so you left, leaving the two mice behind at the house, but had returned the next day around 1:00 PM while Elmyra was in school and her parents were preoccupied. She had a tendency to leave her bedroom window open, you see, and it didn’t take much convincing to persuade the mice to consider new living arrangements. The taller one, whose name turned out to be Pinky, was a bit uncertain, and felt bad about ditching without even a note of thanks or apology, but the Brain said it wouldn’t matter, that Elmyra would get over it soon enough and find some other tiny rodents to torture, and so Pinky relented. Not that you could blame him for being hesitant. You also felt bad about literally kidnapping them in this way, but you couldn’t think of any alternative.

Watching Pinky happily lick maple syrup from his lips, however, and observing Brain take notes on a pad while he chewed on pancake satisfactorily, you felt it had been worth it. Pinky still felt a bit guilty about ditching Elmyra so suddenly, but he seemed to adjust to change surprisingly quickly, and sweet breakfast food every morning was a-okay in his book. Brain was still getting used to you, and spoke only when necessary, but he hadn’t forgotten the freezer incident. When he did speak to you it was fairly formal and polite, and he’d even let you scratch behind his ears now and again. Pinky was undoubtedly the friendlier of the two, and you enjoyed spending time with him, talking about movies and playing board games, but there was a special place in your heart reserved for Mr. Grumpy. You figured that would always be there after what had transpired several nights prior. All you could see whenever you opened a freezer door now was an ivory, frost-bitten body trembling in your hands.

Bright sunlight was pouring into the dorm room now, alighting the chairs, the tables, the dishware…. Smiling, you stood up, plate in hand, and stepped out onto the porch, choosing instead to rest in one of the outside seats, the better to enjoy the day’s warmth.

Several minutes later, as you popped a piece of pancake in your mouth, something, or someone, crawled up into the chair beside you. You looked down. It was Brain.

“Hello,” you greeted him pleasantly.

“Hello,” he replied. He licked his lips a little timidly. “Umm….”

“Yes?”

“I…. Well, I… I just wanted to say that… you’ve…. Well, it’s… it’s nicer here than at Elmyra’s….”

“Glad to hear that. I would hope so,” you smirked.

“And… I…. Well, I… um…,” he stammered, scratching at his neck.

You smiled.

“It’s okay,” you said. “You’re welcome.”

He looked up at you, then back at the sunrise. A minute passed. Quietly, inconspicuously, he sidled up close to you, and leaned his entire body against yours, closing his eyes as he did so. Your heart warmed at this show of trust. Oh….

Gently, so as not to startle him, you brought up a hand and began massaging him.

“I love you, little one,” you whispered under your breath.

In response, he pressed closer against you. It wasn’t at all what you expected from him, but you gratefully accepted it all the same.

You both sat like that for a long time, enjoying the touch of the sun’s rays, Pinky finally joining in some moments later as he snuggled up to his friend. Brain actually wrapped an arm around Pinky... and smiled. Pinky hugged him back.

A grin tugged at the corners of your mouth as you watched them, before turning your attention back to the sunrise. Hot pancakes. A beautiful view. Soft mice. And no Elmyra. It was nice. 

As you petted the two little fuzzies cuddled up next to you, warm and full and far away from any girls who would put them in freezers, one thing became absolutely decided in your mind: no amount of money could ever substitute for this.

The End

--------------------------

Author’s Note:

I promised myself I’d never do a self-insert. Granted, that applied more to drawings, and even then I’ve made a couple of exceptions in the past, but writing out this kind of thing is still a bit embarrassing to me. I feel like it tampers too much with the canon universe, but, then again, so do AUs and even fan fiction in general. Every story is a “what if”.

This one came about, however, because I was inspired by a friend of mine, Shuun. She’d written a very sweet little story called Haven Forbid (which I suggest you check out), that was, in turn, partially inspired by a soft idea I’d had in which a young woman, taking on the job of Elmyra’s babysitter, discovers Brain trapped in the freezer and proceeds to nurse him back to health. The idea in general is one I’ve had for months and months and months. Whenever I daydream about cuddling and comforting Brain, it often comes back to this particular scenario. So, yes, it’s a flat-out self-insert. Ha-ha. I just normally don’t like sharing these things publicly, but Shuun inspired me to be brave. Heh. :)

Although this is written with a y/n perspective, the character of the babysitter is basically me. This is what I would most likely do if in this situation. Pinky, Elmyra, and the Brain is a show that I not only abhor, but that hurts my heart terribly. The pain I feel regarding Brain, watching him get beat up, tossed around, thrown against walls, choked, and all manner of other despicable things, is nigh through the roof. So dearly do I yearn to rescue him from such a predicament that I’ve literally been in tears thinking about what he had to endure in that show, even though it’s technically not canon. He can be a little butt himself sometimes, but he absolutely did not deserve any of what he was put through in that series.

Hand me a little frozen Brain and I’d do exactly what you saw in the story. Let me warm him; hold him; love him; tell him he’s not alone…. He’d probably balk at a majority of it, but, deep down, he wants to be comfortable and secure as much as the next person. I have so much love for this little fellow. A lot of the time he needs a kick in the pants, to be certain, and occasionally he’d rather be left alone than spoken to, but once in a while, even though he’d never admit it, I think he also needs a kiss to the head.

(As a side note, the title of this story was… paaaaartially inspired by the famous “Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire” chapter title in The Hobbit.)