The evening sky outside Lumineâs window was painted in soft hues of orange and purple as the sun dipped below the horizon. The apartment was quiet again, save for the distant hum of city life filtering through the open window. Lumine sat cross-legged on the floor, her laptop open in front of her as she tried to make sense of the endless school notes scattered around her.
Kuni lay sprawled nearby on the couch, his midnight fur blending perfectly with the shadows of the dim room. From his position, he lazily flicked his tail, his sharp indigo eyes quietly observing Lumineâs furrowed brows and exhausted sighs.
âWhy is homework like this?â Lumine muttered to herself, flipping a page in frustration. âIt never ends. Just when I think Iâve finished, another assignment appears. Itâs like my teachers enjoy watching me suffer.â
Kuni tilted his head slightly, his ears twitching.
Lumine groaned, leaning back on her hands. âI swear, Iâll lose my mind. No one told me school would be this miserable.â
Kuniâs gaze softened for a moment before he hopped down from the couch with graceful ease. He padded over to Lumine, and without warning, jumped straight onto her lap.
âAhâKuni!â Lumine yelped in surprise as his weight landed firmly on her legs. âWhat are you doing?â
Kuni didnât answer, of course. He simply sat there, nudging his head gently against her arm.
Lumine blinked, taken aback by the gesture. âWait⦠are you trying to comfort me?â she asked softly. âSince when are you so sweet?â
The cat gave her a pointed look, as if to say Donât push it, before pressing his head against her arm again, this time purring softly.
Lumineâs lips curved into a faint smile. âYouâre such a weirdo, you know that? One minute you act all high and mighty, and the next, youâre being clingy.â
Kuni curled up neatly on her lap, his tail wrapping around himself as he continued to purr.
Lumine couldnât help but feel the tension in her shoulders ease. She reached out and stroked his midnight fur, her touch gentle and lingering. âThanks, Kuni,â she whispered. âI donât know why youâre acting so nice, but⦠I really needed this.â
Scaramouche, hidden behind his feline form, stayed still, his purring steady. He refused to admit to himself that seeing Lumine so stressed had made him⦠concerned. It was an unfamiliar feelingâone that unsettled himâbut her smile made it a little easier to accept.
---
As the evening stretched into night, Lumine found herself more at peace than she had been in days. Kuni remained on her lap the entire time, his warmth steady as she worked through her notes. Occasionally, she would stop to scratch his ears or murmur a quiet comment, as if she were talking to an old friend.
âYouâre really not like other cats,â she said at one point, tilting her head curiously. âSometimes itâs like you can actually understand me.â
Scaramouche stiffened slightly at her words but remained still, pretending to sleep.
Lumine chuckled to herself. âIf you do understand me, just know Iâm glad youâre here. I donât feel as alone when youâre around.â
The words hung in the air, and for a fleeting moment, something stirred in Scaramoucheâs chestâa strange warmth that he couldnât quite name.
Youâre such an idiot, he thought bitterly, though the insult lacked its usual bite.
---
By the time Lumine finally decided to call it a night, the stars were already scattered across the sky. She carefully lifted Kuni off her lap and placed him gently onto the couch. He opened one eye and stared at her, as if irritated by the movement.
âHey, I need to sleep too, you know,â she teased, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. âYou can have the couch tonight. Donât complain.â
Kuni huffed quietly but made no effort to move. Lumine shook her head, smiling faintly as she turned off the lights and headed to her room.
Once she was gone, Scaramouche slowly opened both eyes. He stretched lazily, the faint remnants of Lumineâs warmth still lingering on his fur. He could hear the soft creak of her bed in the other room, followed by the quiet sigh she let out as she settled in for the night.
For a moment, he sat there in the darkened living room, his thoughts swirling.
Why do I care? he asked himself for what felt like the hundredth time. Why does it matter if sheâs stressed or happy?
He shook his head, as if trying to push the thoughts away.
---
Later that night, Scaramouche found himself standing in the hallway in his human form, his indigo hair slightly ruffled and his usual sharp glare softened by the quiet. He lingered near Lumineâs door, staring at the faint sliver of light that crept out from under it.
Why did you save me that night? he wondered silently. You didnât even hesitate.
He took a step closer, but before he could do anything else, the floor creaked beneath his foot.
Scaramouche froze. A soft shifting sound came from Lumineâs bed as she stirred slightly, murmuring something in her sleep. In an instant, he turned back into his cat form and darted silently down the hallway, his heart pounding for reasons he couldnât explain.
When Lumineâs breathing evened out again, Kuni leapt onto the couch and curled up tightly, trying to push the strange emotions away.
But no matter how much he tried to deny it, the warmth heâd felt earlierâthe comfort of Lumineâs presenceâstubbornly remained.