Two hours later, Alex, Steph, and Ryan were at the animal shelter, walking down the rows of large cages that held cats of all sizes and colors. Alex stopped in front of each one to read the laminated card stuck to the front with the cat's information. Some of the cats watched her with interest, coming up to the bars to peer out at her, while others ignored her, too busy sleeping or playing with their toys. When she reached the end of the row, she paused, squinting into what appeared to be any empty cage. Eventually she spotted a cat with long, black fur huddled at the very back, staring at her fearfully with wide, yellow eyes.

Ryan and Steph came to stand on either side of her, Steph taking Alex's hand and squeezing it gently.

"Wait, is there even a cat in this one?" Steph asked, standing on her toes to get a better look into the cage.

"Yeah," Alex said, pointing to the corner the cat had wedged himself into. "At the very back."

"Poor guy. He looks terrified." Ryan leaned forward to read the card on the front of the cage. "It says his name is Blackie. He's eight years old and has been at the shelter for four years. It also says he has anxiety and behavioral problems."

Steph raised an eyebrow. "'Behavioral problems'? What does that mean?"

Ryan shrugged. "Not sure. That's all it says."

Alex hadn't taken her eyes away from the cat during their entire conversation. "I want to adopt him."

"You sure?" Ryan asked, pointing at the card on the front of the cage. "He might be a lot to handle for your first pet."

Alex nodded. "I'm sure."

Steph squeezed Alex's hand again, giving her a huge smile. "Great! Let's go find someone who works here and you can bring him home."

—-

Alex opened the door to her apartment, careful to make sure the cardboard pet carrier she was holding didn't bump the door frame as she walked inside, with Ryan and Steph following behind her. She slipped off her shoes before walking toward the bed and setting the carrier down on the floor next to it.

Alex stared down at the carrier as Steph and Ryan came to stand beside her. "I guess let's see if we can get him to come out," she said, kneeling down to open the box. When she looked inside, the cat was flattened against the bottom and hissed when he caught sight of her.

Steph laughed softly. "I think he and Val might actually be siblings."

Alex slowly tipped the carrier until it was lying on its side. She stood up and took several steps away from the box, motioning for Steph and Ryan to follow her. "Let's give him some space for now."

"Have you thought about a name?" Ryan asked.

Alex nodded. "I was thinking Mao-Mao. 'Kitty,' basically."

"Nice, nice. I like it." Steph motioned toward the pile of toys and treats next to the cat tree they had bought earlier. "Do you think we can coax him out?"

Alex looked back at the box and shook her head. "I think maybe we should just let him be for now. He'll come out when he's ready. I don't want to scare him."

"I hope he warms up to you soon." Ryan yawned and gestured toward the door. "I gotta take off, I have a few things to do yet tonight and I have an early shift tomorrow. Text me if you need anything, yeah?" He smiled when Alex nodded, then headed out the door.

Once Ryan had left, Alex walked toward the carrier but stopped about three feet away. She knelt down again, ducking her head to look at Mao-Mao still huddled inside the box. "Big day for you, huh?" she said softly. "You met a stranger who said they would take care of you, and then they took you to a place they said was your new home, but it was really weird and scary." She straightened up and set back on her heels. "I know how that feels, little guy. You take as much time as you need."

Steph moved to stand next to her, taking Alex's hand as she got to her feet. "What do you wanna do now?"

"Probably just chill for a while. I don't want to do anything that could scare Mao-Mao." Alex stepped closer to Steph, lacing their fingers together and squeezing Steph's hand. "Could you stay over again tonight? I could probably use another nightmare banishment."

Steph nodded. "Yeah, of course. Whatever you need, dude." She leaned down as Alex went up on her toes for a kiss, both of them smiling before their lips met.

Alex woke slowly, gradually becoming aware of Steph pressed against her back with an arm thrown around her waist. She was about to roll over when Steph's arm tightened to hold her in place.

"Wait, Alex, don't move," Steph whispered, her excitement clear in her voice. "I think Mao-Mao's on the bed. I can hear him purring."

Alex looked down, grinning when she saw a dark shape curled up in front of her shins. Mao-Mao was fast asleep and purring steadily, lying just close enough that she could feel his fur brush her skin every time he breathed. "He's down by my legs," she whispered.

"Holy shit, that's awesome!" Steph squeezed her arm around Alex's waist and kissed the back of her head. "Who knew you were a cat whisperer?"

Alex laughed softly. "Maybe just for this one specific cat. Val definitely still hates me too much for it to work on all cats."

Steph slowly raised her head, resting her chin on Alex's shoulder as she looked at Mao-Mao. "He's so cute. Do you think he'd let you pet him?"

"Not sure, but I don't wanna wake him up and scare him."

"So, we're just stuck in bed until he wakes up?"

"Yes. It's literally illegal for us to move right now. I can't believe you don't know that."

Steph sighed and dropped her head back down onto the pillow. "But I have to get up. I still need to stop by my apartment before my shift." She started to pull away, laughing when Alex reached back to try to stop her. "I'll be careful, I promise. I won't wake him up."

As soon as Steph moved again, Mao-Mao jumped up, his hair standing on end as leapt off the bed and scurried underneath the couch.

Alex made a frustrated noise and rolled over, lightly smacking Steph's arm. "I told you not to move. Look what you did!"

Steph gave Alex a sheepish grin before bringing her hand up to caress Alex's cheek and guide her into a kiss.

Alex automatically started to kiss her back but broke away a second later, gently shoving Steph away from her. "No, hang on, you're not gonna distract me with—"

Steph grabbed Alex's hands, pinning them to the bed as she pushed Alex onto her back. She hovered over Alex for a second, taking in the dazed look on her face before kissing her deeply.

When Steph pulled back a moment later, Alex's heart was hammering in her chest.

"Okay," Alex said breathlessly. "That might be enough to distract me."

"Glad my plan worked," Steph said, grinning again as she looked down at Alex. She moved one of her hands to trail her fingers along Alex's jaw. "But it may have backfired a little because now I really don't want to leave." She paused, a line of worry appearing between her eyebrows as a purple aura flared around her. "And are you sure you'll be okay on your own today?"

Alex took Steph's hand in her own, turning her head to kiss Steph's palm. "I'll be fine. I have Mao-Mao to keep me company and I know you'll be back right after your shift."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Alex reached up to brush some of Steph's hair back behind her ear. "I promise I'll be okay. But you have to leave soon or you're gonna be late."

Steph took a deep breath, her aura dimming but still not fading entirely. "Okay. But text me if you need anything and I can try to get away."

"I will."

Steph leaned down to kiss Alex's forehead before she got up to gather her things. Alex met her at the door a moment later, giving her one last hug as she left.

Once Steph was gone, Alex turned toward the couch where Mao-Mao was still hiding.

Okay, little buddy. How can I get you to come out?

She thought for a moment, then moved to the kitchen, grabbing Mao-Mao's bowl and filling it with dry cat food. Taking a few pieces of kibble from the bowl, she set one on the floor a few inches away from the couch, making a trail that led toward the bed. When she got to the side of the bed, she set the bowl on the floor and laid down on her stomach in a spot that gave her a clear view of the couch. She could see Mao-Mao's yellow eyes peering out at her, but so far, he hadn't moved from his hiding place.

"I won't make you do anything you're not ready for," Alex said, careful to keep her voice low. "But there's food out here if you want it."

She stayed in this position for about five minutes, silently watching until a paw darted out to grab the first piece of kibble. A few seconds later, Mao-Mao wriggled out from under the couch, keeping his body low to the ground as he followed the trail Alex had laid out for him. When he had eaten the last piece before the bowl, he stopped, staring at Alex with his eyes wide and his ears flattened against his head. Alex smiled but otherwise didn't move.

Mao-Mao crept forward, still keeping his eyes on Alex. When he reached his bowl, he cautiously ate the first few pieces of kibble but gradually relaxed, finally looking away from her as he focused on eating. Once he finished, he sat down in front of the bowl, looking at her with curiosity instead of fear.

Alex slowly extended her hand, resting it on the floor a few inches away from him. Mao-Mao tilted his head to the side and moved to sniff her fingers. She raised her hand and gently touched his fur, grinning when he didn't pull away. After a moment, he pressed against her palm, purring loudly as she scratched along his back.

Yes! Maybe Steph was right about me being a cat whisperer. I should try this on Val the next time I'm at the store.

Alex spent the rest of the morning showing Mao-Mao his new toys and watching him explore the apartment, texting Steph and Ryan pictures whenever he did something extra cute. When she took a break to take a nap after lunch, Mao-Mao jumped onto the bed with her. He curled up so he was pressed against her shins again, close enough that she could feel him purring while he slept.