Roman's friends were over again the next day. Remus finished his homework and played a game as he normally did after school. The rain in the early afternoon brought cold front. The temperature was warm inside, but he still felt a little chilly. It was good laying-about weather, nice for games and relaxing vibes. Something about warm indoors and cold outdoors just pleases his primitive instincts or something.
He kicked his feet up on his desk while he reclined and threw satchel charges at an ambulance in the game. He chuckled darkly as the bomb exploded while he went on a rampage down the virtual street. Remus didn't revel in that he thought about doing it in real life, but he generally felt better after letting things out in a game. Remus heard Patton's cute laugh through his headphones and it distracted him from the game.
Patton always laughed loudly and with his entire body. He was so happy and lively, and Remus couldn't help but gravitate towards that. He wanted to feel accepted and supported by Patton. Remus wanted to cuddle Patton. He might even want to kiss him. He wasn't sure yet. Remus mostly wanted proximity, though, and he could physically do that today thanks to a random magical stranger in the night.
Remus saved and quit on the spot, putting down the controller on the desk and taking off his headphones. He pulled the ribbon out of his pocket and stared at it for a moment before leaning forward to tie it on himself. Remus re-oriented himself on the computer chair, feeling comfortable and grounded much faster today.
He bounded off the chair and left it spinning, and it bumped against his desk with a clatter. Remus opened his bedroom door with a bump of his head and headed into Roman's open room. Roman, Logan, and Patton were around the table on the floor playing a card and chatting. Remus sat in the middle of the floor and watched them jealously before meowing to alert them he was here.
"Oh! Hello, kitty!" Roman said brightly, holding out his hand. Remus walked up and pushed into Roman's hand right away.
"That is a massive cat," Logan remarked, adjusting his glasses.
"Kitty!" Patton squealed delightedly, holding his fists up to his chest and wiggling his shoulders. The sound was distressingly high and Remus flattened his ears reflexively, but he loved that Patton was excited.
"Remus found it. It's very smart, I'm pretty certain it opened my door last night after you guys left," Remus purred happily as Roman rubbed his thumb behind Remus's ear. Patton scooted closer and Remus didn't hesitate, depositing himself into Patton's lap right away. Patton released a high-pitched noise that flattened Remus's ears once more. He had to shake his head a few times just to stop the ringing. "Maybe don't make that noise, Pat," Roman laughed. Patton nodded enthusiastically and started petting Remus with a heavy hand. The added pressure was nice, but it was a little weird feeling over his haunches. Remus shifted to move his hips so Patton couldn't pet there.
"I believe that is a maine coon. It's not a breed you would see strays of. Do you think Remus abducted it from someone?" Logan asked, showing a photo of a cat that looked like Remus on his phone. Patton dug in Remus's neck fur and rubbed Remus the wrong way.
"No collar. An absolute sweetie. It's like petting a cloud," Patton cooed, returning to petting Remus more comfortably, and the purr motor started up again. He purred a bit as if he was an electric bike motor that needed maintenance and might stall out and get hit by a truck with the way it warbled. Remus's foot kicked, and he adjusted again.
"He's weird, but he wouldn't up and steal someone's pet intentionally," Roman shook his head, reaching out and stroking Remus's bushy tail once. That 'brotherly support' conflicted Remus. He didn't prefer Roman's attitude, but he appreciated that Roman believed Remus wouldn't do that to someone. Remus wasn't sure about himself, though. It sounded awful to do to someone, but what if he did one day? He wasn't incapable. He knew how. Fuck. Remus tapped his front paw twice on Patton's thigh.
"The cat is very socialized for a stray, though," Logan objected, crossing his arms. Remus glanced up at Logan's expression. This height was weird, and so was Logan's face from this angle. He still wasn't used to seeing people like this.
"It's probably lonely. Are you lonely, baby? Do you need love?" Patton asked in a high-pitched voice, ruffling at Remus's fur. Remus mewed in agreement and enjoyed Patton's warmth.
"You're allergic to cats," Logan pointed out, raising his eyebrow.
"Worth it," Patton grinned brightly, sniffling. Whoops. Remus looked at Patton's arms. He wasn't rashing up, so the allergy was probably on the mild side. At least that was something to be happy about. He grumbled at the mysterious fox masked being for not giving him a dog ribbon, but this was still nice.
"I'll grab some allergy medication," Roman snickered and stood up from the table and headed out of the bedroom.
"We should take it to a vet and check for a chip," Logan suggested, and boy did Remus hate that idea. Remus looked up to Logan and hissed at him in protest. Remus had claws, and he wasn't afraid to use them.
"Oh, kitty doesn't like that," Patton chuckled and scratched under Remus's chin. Remus chattered and dropped his head onto Patton's hand. "You can check for chips with your phone now, anyway. Just install the app and take it out of the case so it can read it," Patton informed him, smiling down at Remus affectionately.
"Ah, I was not aware," Logan hummed, tapping around on his phone.
"Well, it doesn't work with older chips. But if they chipped it in the last few years it would be, and I'm pretty certain this cat is younger than that. It's probably two or three years old tops," Patton replied calmly, relaxing into petting Remus happily.
"Wait, that monstrosity can get bigger?" Roman asked incredulously as he walked back into the room. He deposited a bottle of pills next to Patton's glass of fruit punch.
"Maine coons are notoriously large cats," Logan nodded, looking impressed.
"Wow. It's so lucky to see one it feels sort of like finding a four-leaf clover," Roman smiled and reached out to pet Remus while Patton took the allergy pill with a big glug of fruit punch. It smelled sweet and amazing, and Remus could hear Patton swallow.
"It said they are natural hunters and sturdy cats, but have lots of health risks later in life," Logan informed them. "It's ready. Simply pass the phone over the cat's legs to scan," Logan handed off his phone to Patton. Patton dutifully worked the phone over each leg.
"Oh, there's a ribbon tied onto it," Patton hummed, reaching for the ribbon. Remus flicked his foot away and batted away Patton's hand. Remus didn't know how turning back would work, and he didn't want to deal with that. "I'm just getting it off, kitty," Patton protested, but Remus shifted his leg under himself and made an annoyed expression at Patton.
"It likes the ribbon, I guess," Patton chuckled, handing back Logan's phone. "No hits. It's either a stray or untagged," Patton nodded cheerily. "Which means I can pet it all I like without guilt for now!" He declared, petting Remus with one hand and scratching behind his ear with the other. This was heaven.
"Remus found it, he can handle it. He was probably just lonely and wanted to hang out with this warm purring loaf," Roman sighed, leaning back on his hands. Remus mewed quietly in agreement. He was lonely, and he wanted to lay on Patton and feel loved and thank you weird fox mask person for reading his mind and making his dreams come true, even if he couldn't turn into something that didn't give Patton allergies. Remus enjoyed the closeness and affection with Patton, even if it wasn't quite the way he wanted it.
"I don't want to take my hands off the cat. Let's watch TV instead," Patton announced resolutely, and Remus chattered in agreement.
"You were about to lose anyway," Roman held up his hand and Logan groaned in disdain when he glanced over to it.
"That's fine! Congrats, Roman! I win a kitty, still!" Patton sounded absolutely stoked.
"Maybe Remus adopted it behind your mother's back," Logan proposed, pushing his cards to the center of the table with a sour expression.
"I wouldn't put it past him, he can be impulsive. But this is an uncommon breed, right? Remus couldn't afford that. Our allowances aren't that good," Roman shook his head, leaning over to join Patton in petting. Holy fuck, this was more attention than Remus had gotten in ages. It was almost overwhelming, but it felt just nice enough that it hung on a precarious balance of extreme relaxation and straight-up panicking.
"What's its sex?" Logan asked curiously, and Remus turned his head to glare at Logan. "Why is the cat glaring at me?" Logan motioned towards Remus. Logan should know what he did. Remus narrowed his eyes as he glowered at him. Remus could suffocate Logan just by lying on his face. Or his fur could get caught up in Logan's lungs and he'd choke painfully. Remus's foot felt like it cramped and he winced regretfully. He shouldn't be thinking that.
"Maybe it thought your question was rude," Patton chuckled, shaking his head. Remus settled down into the pets again.
"It's a cat, it doesn't understand English without extensive training," Logan objected, flipping his hand at Remus. Remus rolled his eyes and looked away from Logan.
"Well, maybe it's a trained professional. Kitty, meow if you like skritches," Roman asked and Remus chattered happily while Patton scratched at his chin.
"A coincidence," Logan tapped his fingers in a staccato beat on his crossed arms, looking annoyed.
"What's two plus one, baby?" Patton cooed, still assailing Remus with gentle scratched around the face. Remus meowed three times and started unconsciously kneading Patton's thigh from all the tender pets and scratches around his ears.
"Amazing. It was incredibly lucky. The internet said this breed to be smart, but it's even more intelligent than I would assume possible for a young cat," Logan adjusted his glasses and moved closer. Patton took his hand off and let Logan tentatively pet Remus's head.
Roman picked up the remote and turned on the TV, setting it to some swords and sorcery show. Remus didn't particularly care what was on the TV. He had enough sensory input going on without adding visuals. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed being petted and being on Patton's soft thighs.
Logan and Roman stopped petting him over the course of the show. It appeared for the occasional gentle pet from Patton while they watched. Logan was criticizing the show and Roman always cited, "It's magic, Logan," sarcastically in response. Patton reacted to the show intensely, talking to the characters and pointing out potential symbolism. It annoyed Roman, but he said little in protest. Logan enjoyed discussing the symbolism, but he was clearly much more entertained by poking holes in the show.
Roman even got up and made them popcorn to snack on while they watched. He was so warm and cozy in Patton's lap that he ended up drifting towards sleep. It was so easy to nap while being a cat. He felt the tingle of rest and embraced it, letting him slip away into a comfortable nap.
— ? —
"Baby, I've got to head home," Patton pat Remus's haunches and whispered. Remus blinked a few times and yawned widely. "Oh, good yawn," Patton cooed, scratching Remus's chin twice. Remus hopped off Patton's lap and stretched out. He could stretch so deeply and fluidly as a cat. Patton bent down to pet Remus's head once more. "Bye-bye, baby," Patton's voice was bittersweet as he yawned.
"Maybe you should drive Patton home," Logan looked worriedly at Roman and helped Patton balance as he wobbled slightly. He nearly touched his face with the cat dander on his hands, so Remus meowed loudly to warn him, batting at his shoe.
"Hm?" Patton looked in confusion for a moment before he noticed his hand next to his face. "Oh, thanks, kitty. Let me go wash my hands. Will you drive me home, Ro? I'm really drowsy," Patton asked tiredly and looked to Roman.
"Yes, of course," Roman nodded and walked over to put his hand on Patton's back, leading him to the bathroom.
"You are very interesting," Logan squatted down to pet Remus's head before following them out of Roman's room. Remus sat there and watched them leave.
He looked around the bedroom and thought this would be the perfect time to wreak some havoc in Roman's bedroom and get away with it. Remus could knock over some books or pee in Roman's shoes. He could tear up a pillow or maybe steal Roman's computer mouse. But a snack sounded better than all of that. He was oddly hungry for having eaten dinner not that long ago.
Remus walked into his room and pulled the door closed by biting on the scarf. Once he heard the latch click, he pulled off the ribbon between his teeth and found himself sitting on the floor with the ribbon in his mouth. He jammed it in his pocket and walked downstairs to go to the kitchen. Remus raided the fridge and shoved a handful of sandwich meat into his mouth while he dug around in the fridge for something quick to eat.
"Don't eat out of the fridge," His mother sighed, walking into the kitchen. Remus shot straight and put away the deli meat container. He pulled out a few carrot sticks and munched on those next to the sink instead of out of the fridge. "I suppose that's slightly better. Your hair is everywhere, please go shower after your snack," His mom put her hand on Remus's shoulder in a single pat before refilling her water and leaving the kitchen again. Remus's shoulder felt weird and he tried to roll them out, but his other shoulder didn't feel right.
Remus chewed slowly, watching her go. His mom was always tired. Remus finished his carrot sticks and headed to the bathroom. He was still hungry, but he didn't want to annoy his mom. With Roman out, it was the perfect time to shower. Using up the hot water heater was probably more satisfying than peeing in his shoes, anyway. And maybe the water will help his other shoulder feel more balanced.
After he showered, he chucked his old clothes in the laundry basket and flopped down at his desk. He went to pull the towel off his head, but the ribbon was in his hand. Huh. He must have forgotten it in his other pants. Having it reappear was very convenient. Remus put it down on the desk and leaned back in the chair, glancing at his computer screen. He could go on Twitter and give some people hell. He had that option. Remus booted up his laptop to just vaguely dick around before bed.
His eyes kept glancing at the ribbon, though. He should focus on the game he was playing. He had crewmates to kill. But there was that sad person in the park yesterday. And Remus got the impression it wasn't the first time they went there alone. And Remus also had the feeling they were out there again. Remus had a lot of kinship for random people alone in the night, it seemed. He just got attached easily and could have just been only hoping.
It wouldn't hurt to go look, right? A delightful walk might help him fall asleep. He was napping, and he'd have trouble getting to sleep soon, anyway. Well, maybe technically it would hurt his lifespan. But that was future-Remus's problem.
Remus crawled out the window and shut it in nothing but a pair of pyjama pants. It was colder than Roman's shower would be tonight until he tied the ribbon on his ankle and it covered him in a thick blanket of cat fur. Remus ran around the roof to the front of the house along the small lip, barely even fazed by the transformation. He jumped down on top of the dumpster and bounded away towards the park.
The chilly wind in his fur felt so refreshing and bolting in the grass made Remus feel whole in a way he didn't understand. Maybe he had cat desires while he was a cat? He knew deep inside that running in the night was where he was supposed to be.
The person was sitting in the same swing again. They sat buried in a zipped-up hoodie and they were curled into themselves on the seat. Their feet dangled in the pebbles while they sat with their hands in their hoodie pockets, elbows locked around the rubber-coated chains of the swing. Remus walked up to them and meowed. They raised their head right away this time, looking confused until Remus got closer to them.
"Oh. It's bad breath cat. Did you come to see me again?" They asked, sounding tired. Remus mewed in response and rubbed against their legs, trying to tell them that he did. "You know, you're the only one I've talked to in four days?" They stated sullenly. Remus's tail swished and dropped. "And you can't even talk back," They whispered. Remus chattered to object, and they chuckled weakly.
"Okay, so you can kind of talk. My mistake. I just don't speak cat. It does kind of seem like you understand me. I don't know if I'm just imagining things, though," Remus pushed against their legs again. "Oh, you're warm. Do you want to come up?" The stranger sat up more and Remus hopped up onto their lap. They took their hands out of their pockets and hugged Remus. "All that fur must be nice in this weather," They hummed. Remus agreed, purring in their lap.
"Um, do you mind if I talk to you? I'm barely used to the sound of my own voice," They asked dourly and Remus rubbed against their cheek in agreement. "Oh, you smell kind of like cinnamon today," They hummed in surprise, sniffing at Remus's fur. "Isn't cinnamon dangerous for cats?" They sat back and examined Remus. Remus looked them right in the eyes. He was a magic cat and not concerned with that, it was just his body wash. He was more concerned about this person who hadn't spoken to anything in three days.
"You seem okay," They nodded to themself and Remus mewed softly in response. "It's kind of nice, honestly. I like the smell. My dad used to make me monkey bread when I was a kid. I miss him," They stroked deliberately at Remus's fur, leaning against the chain on one side.
"It feels kind of weird to talk without knowing your name. Do you have one?" They asked, rubbing their thumb on Remus's cheek. Remus let out a cracked meow in response since he couldn't exactly tell them. "Oh, right," They exhaled through their nose humorously. "Okay. A name. I know you have noxious breath and I've only seen you at night," They thought to themselves, tilting their head. They tapped their chin and brainstormed for a few moments. "Oh. Nox is night in Latin. It's perfect," They pet Remus's head, and he rumbled a purr loudly in agreement. He thought it was a cool name to get dubbed.
"Nice to meet you, Nox. I'm Virgil," They smiled and held up a hand. Remus put his paw on it to shake it, and Virgil chuckled lightly. "You can do some cool things. I hope you don't mind that it's technically a feminine word. I don't think it matters, though. They're just sounds," Virgil added. Remus just pushed his head into Virgil's hand again. "Doesn't seem like you care. Is it nice being a cat?" Virgil asked. Remus mewed to tell them it was. "I'm glad," Virgil smiled weakly.
"I'm kind of jealous. The wrong thing always seems to come out of my mouth. I freak out and get angry and say things I regret. And I can be defensive to a fault. If I was a cat, I couldn't do that anymore. I'd love to just exist. Humans can't just exist. It's not allowed," Virgil sighed blearily. Holy shit did Remus relate. He pushed into Virgil, trying to share the warmth.
"My dad and I got into a fight about it. I get that he just wants me to succeed. I know he cares about me. But I called him out and insulted him, and he looked really hurt. He's supposed to come to take me home for weekends and visit me on Wednesday nights. He never showed up last night. I don't think he's coming tomorrow. He's the only person who really gets me and I pushed him away," Virgil sighed despondently, looking out into the night.
"This can't be what adulthood is like, right? Is it really this lonely? I know I struggle with keeping friendships, but it seems like no one is willing to try. Seniors, I guess, decide they're locked in with their current friend group? I… tried to befriend this guy. He has a short temper like me, so I thought we'd get along. He wouldn't even acknowledge me. I knew going in that he was kind of a diva but he just pretends he can't hear me. I still think he's cute, too. What does that say about me?" Virgil's face had an empty smile.
"I think I've just given up on trying. Just a few more months till college, right? Dad used to say I'd come into my own then. I really don't know if I will. You piss off the wrong guy and suddenly nobody will talk to you. He was being a jerk, you know? Joke's on me, though," Virgil groaned and pulled their hood tighter. Remus mewed sadly and pushed against Virgil's face again.
"You're an extraordinary listener, Nox. I don't know exactly how you make me feel heard, but you do," Virgil pet Remus's head and pressed their cheek right against Remus's. Virgil shivered and pulled Remus close again. "Hey, you're a stray or something, right? You're probably hungry. Do you want to come back to my apartment? It's freezing and I just don't want to go home alone," Remus hopped off of Virgil's lap and meowed, waiting for them. He was always down for food. "Wow, okay, jeez," Virgil chuckled, holding up their hands and getting up from the swing. They shook again and gripped themself.
"I don't suppose you'd let me carry you to steal your warmth?" Virgil asked and Remus hopped right into Virgil's chest. Virgil stumbled back on one foot, trying to catch him, but he settled into Virgil's arms easily. "You are way better than gloves," Virgil sounded amused and started walking towards the apartment complex on the other side of the park. It would be a long walk home for Remus, but he didn't want to go home alone right now, either. Maybe his feral cat brain wanted the free food, too.
Virgil huddled into Remus while they walked hurriedly through the night. They pushed a keycode into the pedestrian gate and Virgil kept walking hastily, trying to get out of the chill and get home. It was a bumpy ride, but it was kind of like a weird roller coaster with the odds of him getting beheaded being way lower. Well, that depends on if Virgil was quick and had a cleaver, maybe. He could still get beheaded. Or he could do the beheading. It was hard to behead someone, and he didn't think he had the arm strength, at least. Remus's foot twitched while he adjusted himself.
"I like it when you chatter like that," Virgil snickered, shifting Remus so they could reach into their pocket and get out their keys. Was Remus talking to himself? He would have scared Virgil off if he said all that out loud, probably. Thanks again to weird fox mask beings for this language barrier that prevented Virgil from hearing about decapitation.
"Um, welcome to my apartment. Make yourself at home, just don't pee on anything," Virgil pushed open the door and stepped in, locking up behind themself. Remus rolled his eyes as he walked in. He stayed in Virgil's arms until Virgil deposited Remus on a kitchen pass-through. It looked like a small breakfast bar. Remus glanced around the apartment. It was small, but it was very nice. The wall had a built-in bookshelf and desk area near the door, a dining room, and a big couch with a TV in the living room. The couch had a pile of blankets that looked very cozy.
"Hold on, let me double-check this stuff is safe for cats," Virgil held up a finger and pulled out their phone. They furrowed their eyebrows at the screen and clicked on the ceiling light absent-mindedly. Remus's eyes adjusted, but the sudden brightness temporarily blinded him. "Okay, this is safe," Virgil nodded and reached into the fridge, pulling out a bag of sliced grilled chicken and dumping it on a saucer. They placed the saucer in front of Remus and he leaned down to take a bite.
Eating as a cat was kind of weird and hard to chew, but the grilled chicken was good. Virgil poured some from the bag on a second saucer and put that one in the microwave. Remus worked on eating his pieces while Virgil waited for it to nuke.
Remus always thought microwaves were weird. You can make a bomb with it, but you can't kill an ant. Remus enjoyed putting metal in microwaves to see the light show, but his mom yelled at him for it. She was right to. He could start a fire and burn the whole house down. He tapped his front paw while he ate.
Virgil chuckled to themself watching Remus. The microwave beeped and Virgil squirted ketchup on the warmed plate. They started eating with a fork along with Remus. The chicken was a little tough, but he ate everything on the plate and was comfortably sated. Remus sat back and licked his lips and stuck out his tongue when it stuck.
"It's cute when you chat while you eat. Kind of dry, isn't it? Let me get you a drink," Virgil mumbled as he gnawed on a piece of chicken and pulled out a small bowl, and poured a small amount of milk into it. "I just found out that cats can't have regular milk, but I'm also lactose intolerant. It's supposed to be a safe sometimes-food," Virgil picked up the little bowl of milk and put it in front of Remus. Virgil drank a sip straight out of the carton before putting it back in the fridge.
How the hell? Cats drink by making a bowl with their tongues, right? Remus licked at the milk fruitlessly a few times until he figured out how to do it just by letting instinct take over. Milk was extra-amazing as a cat. It tasted different from what he was used to, just like the chicken. His taste buds must be a cat's and not human, which made sense. But Remus didn't think he'd ever had lactose-free milk, either.
He was very thirsty and finished the whole bowl, sitting back again and licking the milk off his lips and whiskers. Virgil chuckled and grabbed a paper towel, dampening it and wiping off Remus's head. Remus chirped his thanks. Virgil finished the last of their chicken and rinsed off all the dishes.
"I suppose you want to go now that I've fed you? That would track," Virgil asked, and Remus jumped off the counter. Virgil sighed and went around to the front door. Remus walked right past them and jumped up onto the couch and looked at Virgil expectantly. "Wait, where are you going?" Virgil asked. They unlocked the front door and held it open. Remus just stared at them and flicked his tail. "You want to stay? Okay," Virgil smiled and locked the door again. "I guess you want to watch TV?" Virgil tried to confirm. Remus liked the sound of that and he meowed jauntily.
"Oh. Cool. Do you want to watch my favourite show?" Virgil came around and sat on the couch, picking up the remote. Remus meowed again, walking right behind where Virgil sat. "It's about a witch and she jumps between worlds. She has to keep her witch life secret from her human one. She has limited powers in the human world and sometimes has to fight off other stuff. There are lots of fun things along with the fights and action, and the magic world is really cool looking," Virgil explained excitedly, sitting on one leg as they pressed play. Remus couldn't sit on them in that position and squinted at them, trying to figure out how to solve it.
He batted at Virgil's face gingerly to get their attention. "What?" Virgil asked, turning to look at him. Remus pushed their chest with his paws. "Oh, do you want to sit on me again?" Virgil smiled and shifted to sit sideways on the couch. Remus stepped off and laid down on Virgil's stomach and chest, knocking them over to recline on the blanket pile.
Virgil reached up to scratch at Remus's chin, and the purr motor went on full blast again. They kept one hand on Remus and turned to watch the show. Virgil set it to episode one for Remus, which was incredibly considerate for someone to do for a cat. Virgil seemed to understand Remus, though. Papping Virgil in the face with a paw and pushing on them was not the ideal way to ask to sit differently, but they knew right away. Remus wondered if this was magic bullshit or if Virgil just really vibed with cats.
Remus watched the show with interest. Virgil was completely rapt while they watched, eyes locked on the screen. Remus settled onto his side to see the screen easier and laid his head down to enjoy. He liked the premise and the effects for the magic were awesome looking, so Remus slipped into it, too. The exposition didn't explain why she switched worlds every day and other people didn't, but that must have been some plot thing later on. The witch had friends in both worlds but had to keep her other lives secret for some reason, and she ended up feeling very isolated.
It wasn't exactly the way he thought it would happen, but Remus kind of made a friend. He hoped he did? Maybe? Well, Nox made a friend, technically. It was still Remus. Nox was a very cool nickname from a friend. A new friend who didn't know he wasn't just a hyper-intelligent cat. This felt a little weird, right? No, this was easy and Remus should let it be easy. But—Remus's leg twitched a few times before he settled down to appreciate the killer fight sequence in the magic world with Virgil.
— ? —
An annoying pitchy sound perked up Remus's ears, and he yawned widely before opening his eyes. He saw Virgil pawing around for their phone and an 'are you still watching?' alert from the TV. It was also suspiciously bright in here. Shit. He fell asleep as a cat in someone else's house! There goes fucking six hours of his life he didn't even get to enjoy. Well, he got to sleep with someone. That's a milestone, right?
"Oh, fuck," Virgil groaned. "Hey, I gotta hurry," Virgil told him pleadingly and Remus jumped off. Virgil ran into the bathroom. They were out a few minutes later and Remus tagged in to use the restroom while it sounded like Virgil was tearing apart their bedroom.
"Where the hell did I leave my uniform?" Virgil shouted while Remus washed his hands. He blinked in confusion at his reflection in the mirror. Holy fuck, he was shirtless, and he was positive he was about to be late for school. Remus tied on the ribbon again and waited anxiously by the front door.
Virgil came stumbling out of the bedroom in a button-down and slacks with a blazer and backpack in tow. Remus stood up and looked expectantly at Virgil, who held open the door to let Remus out before following and locking the door behind them.
"Thanks!" Virgil and Remus took off across the hallway towards the stairs. Shit, Remus had to get home. He followed Virgil to the pedestrian gate. "Hope to see you if dad doesn't come," Virgil nodded to Remus who bolted off towards the park. He could fucking book it as a cat, but there was no way he wouldn't be exceptionally late for school.