No matter how early or how deep into the school year, students always get excited when the dismissal bell sounds on Friday, for they know they have a weekend of relaxation ahead of them. Like everyone else, Mahiru was usually excited on this final day of the week, counting down the minutes of his last class, shuffling through the crowds of students for the exit, his little black cat perched on his head. The cat was just as eager to go home, despite the fact that he usually slept through the school day anyway.

Today was a different story, for both Mahiru and Kuro. Thunder echoed through the school building throughout Mahiru's last period, heralding a grueling and possibly delayed trek back home. Mahiru dreaded it, and he nagged himself for not paying attention to the weather that morning and bringing his umbrella. Scratch that, it wasn't his fault he didn't anticipate the rain - he'd been busy gathering a science project together. It was his lazy servamp whom had been sitting in front of the tv all morning, munching on Froot Loops straight from the box.

On their way downstairs after dismissal, Mahiru looked to the window. The sky was still dark, and a lightning bolt cracked across the sky, making the building quake from the monstrous clap of thunder that followed. "Geez, Kuro. Couldn't you have at least checked the weather for me this morning?"

"Hey, I'm normally good about doing that," his servamp calmly defended. Mahiru realized that he had a point. Kuro even checked his zodiac each week, which may have seemed creepy to some, but the eve thought it showed how serious Kuro was about keeping him safe. It was kind of endearing, if Mahiru was being honest.

Still, the defnse wasn't quite good enough."Okay, so what was different about today?"

Another loud clap of thunder rang through the halls, cutting Kuro off from answering. "You sure you want to go out in this?" the cat asked, curious as to why his eve was still heading for the exit.

"It's not like we have much of a choice." That was true. Teachers and staff were making sure that students were heading towards the exits, telling them to travel home safely and quickly. Mahiru continued, "By the sound of it, it's only going to get worse, and we can't just stay in the school and keep all the teachers from getting home."

Something about what Mahiru had just said irked Kuro. The servamp stiffened but didn't protest, so Mahiru decided to take that like Kuro was in agreement, but still annoyed they'd have to face the bad weather. The eve stopped when he arrived at the door, lowering his backpack from his shoulders and his cat from his head with a sigh. He unzipped his bag and gently scooted Kuro into it. "Here, if you're so worried about getting your fur wet, you can just sleep in here until we get home."

Kuro immediately hopped out of the bag, neatly setting himself beside his eve. "No way."

This confused Mahiru, who involuntarily arched an eyebrow at the response. "Huh? Why not?" He'd never have expected his servamp of sloth to turn down an offer to nap. After all, Kuro was more thanhappy sleeping through important tasks, much to Mahiru's annoyance.

A sweat droplet formed on Kuro's cheek, and he glanced down at his paws nervously. "Cause, doing that would be like one of those water torture tactics." But there was something else, too, something that Kuro didn't know if he could say yet.

"EH!?" Mahiru reared back, stunned. How could he just get that dark all of a sudden?

"Dramatic much?" Kuro sighed, unamused as always.

"Look who's talking!"

"I'm just saying, if it rains too much on your bag, I might drown in there." Once again, the servamp had a point...and it still wasn't the point he really wanted to make, but he decided there was no need to mention that. Without waiting for any response from his eve, he hopped onto Mahiru's arm and began climbing his way to his shoulder.

In return, Mahiru didn't wait for a response from Kuro and lifted him from his shoulder. "Ah, ah, ah," Mahiru protested as he tucked the cat into the brown cardigan of his uniform. "You're not getting soaked and coming down with feline pnemonia." Kuro instantly felt cozy inside the cuddly sweater, but there was something about the gesture itself which was making Kuro feel warm. Mahiru was always so generous, and if anything, that was a flaw of his. For another thing, the servamp was right up against Mahiru's chest...he could both hear and feel the boy's heart beating through his shirt. Something about that made Kuro's own heart beat faster.

Mahiru finally stood back up again, lifting the backpack over his head as a makeshift umbrella. With that, the sloth pair was off to face another battle - getting home through the rain.