CATS and DOGS

CHAPTER 4

Noctis is hearing some voices in his head. As he opened his eyes, he saw a big man with a guard-like uniform.

"Sorry sir but you're not allowed to sleep in here." The man said.

Noctis' arms still wrapped around Lightning and Lightning's still leaning on him and sleeping peacefully.

"Lightning" Noctis whispered tapping her shoulder, gently. Lightning moaned then she frowned her eyes still closed. "Lightning," Noctis continued. This time Lightning, sleepily, opened her eyes, then she looked around her surroundings and back to Noctis.

"What?" She sleepily said.

The guard spoke. "Ma'am as you can see, you're not allowed to sleep in here."

"But sorry too, it's morning already." Lightning mockingly smiled as she looked at the guard, lazily. Noctis and Lightning is still on their positions.

"" the guard emphasized. "So if you please, you both can stand up now and get out." He continued.

Lightning's the first one who stood as she scratched the back of her head, sleepily. Her hair's a mess. Then Noctis followed.

"Now, what're we gonna do?" Lightning said, hopelessly as they walk slowly.

"I don't know" Noctis said as he pinned an arm around Lightning's shoulders and he gently stroke her it as a sign of saying. 'It's going to be okay.'

Lightning lazily moaned.

As they were walking, a thin guy with brown hair appeared in front of them, panting.

"Ben?" Noctis said.

"Mr. Baker…wants to see you" panting Ben said.

OoOo

"You're looking for us?" Noctis said as he shifted his bag down his hands. Lightning's behind his back.

"Yeah. You're looking for a job, right?" Mr. Baker asked. Noctis looked at him eagerly. Mr. Baker, chuckled. "So tell me, what you can do?"

"Cleaning," Noctis said, sounded unsure.

"Oh, a janitor. But are you sure you could wash dishes? Because by the look at you, you're better to be an actor. You have looks. Okay what about her? ... Maybe she's better do the dishes." Mr. Baker looked at Lightning. "But she has looks too."

"She's not good at anything." Noctis muttered. Lightning eyed and frowned at him.

"Is that so? … Then where is she good at? At bed?" Mr. Baker leaned closer and whispered to him. Noctis shot him a confused look, but for Mr. Baker it was a glare.

"Oh, son, I'm just kidding," Mr. Baker laughed. "Don't worry I had a wife who's more beautiful than her and more good in bed. But she was gone, now." Mr. Baker smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry about your wife." Noctis said.

"Don't be…Ben" Mr. Baker called his assistant. Then Ben appeared. "Ben here will teach you on what to do." He placed his hands on Ben's shoulder. "And you're looking for a place to stay at, right?" he asked Noctis.

"Yes." Noctis said.

"Ben is living at an apartment, maybe he could help you." David turned to Ben. "Right, Ben?"

Ben smiled and nodded at Noctis.

"By the way, have you two eaten?" Mr. Baker asked.

"No. Not yet." Noctis said.

"Okay…wait here" Mr. Baker went to the kitchen and Noctis waited. After a few minutes, David came back carrying two bowls of porridge.

"I give this to you both, for free." Mr. Baker smiled. Noctis' eyes widened so as Lightning who paced toward Noctis and held his shoulder.

"T-thank you, Mr. Baker." Noctis said.

"Just call me David" Mr. Baker said.

Noctis took and carry the two bowls of porridge and placed it down the table.

"Noctis" Lightning hissed. Noctis looked at her. They sat at a table, face to face. Lightning leaned closer to him and whispered. "I—I don't know how to use this," Lightning held her spoon up.

"That's a spoon" Noctis said.

"Uh, excuse me?" Ben interrupted. Noctis and Lightning turned their attentions at him. "Actually, you could put your bags there." Ben pointed at an empty shelf. Noctis and Lightning exchange glances. Then they placed their bags on the empty shelf. As Ben left, Noctis said to Lightning. "H-honestly, I, too, didn't know how to use this…but I'll try." Noctis took a hold on the spoon. But as he tried, he's having a hard time. Mr. Baker noticed them.

"Do you need any help?" Mr. Baker asked. Then he approached the two.

"Uh, honestly, we didn't know how to eat using this," Noctis held his spoon up.

"Oh, is that so?" Mr. Baker said, quite surprised. Then he taught them.

After eating, Mr. Baker opened his restaurant and Noctis started on his work with Ben. Lightning just sat there. Mr. Baker approached at her. "Maybe you could help your partner. You could be my waitress here."

"Is it hard?" she asked.

"Remember this, there's no work that isn't hard"

Lightning sighed. "I'll think about that."

"Maybe you and your partner could take a bath for a while. By the way what's your and your partner's name?"

"He's Noctis and mine's Lightning."

oOo

"I could lend you the bathroom here. Yes, we have bathroom here inside the restaurant, but for personal use only, not open for customers. And we're lucky." David said, smiling. "Come on" he continued. Noctis and Lightning followed him and they stop in front a brown door.

"Here." David held his hand in front the door. "It's quite wide." He smiled and opened the door to show the inside. It's quite big with a small tub and a shower. Noctis, hesitatingly, went in. Then Lightning followed.

Mr. Baker got surprised. "Y-you two will have a bath together?"

Noctis turned to Lightning.

"Y-yes." Lightning said, and then she closed the door. David stood there, stunned.

"Noctis, cats are afraid of water. I'm afraid of water." Lightning said, leaning on the tiled wall.

"Wait, I'll just get the bags." Noctis went out and after a while, he came back with their bags.

"Lightning, you need to take a bath. You don't want to smell bad, are you?" Noctis asked.

"Of course not." Lightning crossed her arms.

Noctis started to take off his clothes. Lightning still stood there, gluing herself in the corner.

"Okay, I'll open the shower…" Noctis said as he slowly opens the shower.

'This dog has much knowledge about human.' Lightning thought.

"…and…I'll 'SPLASH' you water!" Noctis suddenly splashed water to Lightning. Lightning gasped in shock.

"Noctis!" Lightning growled, while Noctis laughed as he continued to splash her water.

"Noctis, Stop!" Lightning tried to cover her face by her arms.

Their loud voices and shouting could be heard outside.

Mr. Baker and Ben looked at each other and shrugged.

"They sure are sweet." Mr. Baker said.

"Yes." Ben said.

Noctis, slowly and gently, put off Lightning's arms in front of her face.

"Lightning…Lightning, look at me," he said. Noctis almost smiled at the funny look on her face. Then Lightning slowly looked at him.

"Lightning, water can't harm you. You're now a human, remember? So please just try it this time, and then tell me if water did harm you, okay?" Noctis reassured her.

Lightning nodded like a child. Then she started to take off her clothes.

"Noctis, Mr. Baker mentioned earlier that maybe I could be his waitress. What is that?" she said.

"Waitresses? I think, they're the ones who serve and give food to the customers." Noctis said. Then he, suddenly, dragged Lightning, who's still half naked, onto the shower. Lightning got surprised and gasped for air. She, then, impulsively wrapped her arms around the laughing Noctis, out of shock, gasping and panting for air. Noctis tapped her back, gently, snickering. Lightning let go off him.

"Noctis!" she hit him on the arm. "What's that for?"

"See, it didn't harm you" laughing Noctis said.

"But it almost killed me."

"You cats have nine lives, right?"

"I'm not a cat anymore, remember?"

"Yeah," Noctis sighed. Then he went back to the shower. "Come on."

Lightning frowned and crossed her arms.

"Oh, come on Lightning, see, I'm sorry." Noctis said.

"I'll just take this thing…" Lightning said, referring the tub.

"Do you know how to use that?"

"Are you patronizing me?"

"No. actually when I was still a… y'know, Rufus took me there one time."

Lightning didn't respond. Noctis walked between her and the tub and poured water in it. After several minutes, the tub was full and he get some bottle with a picture of bubbles on a rack. He opened it and poured some on the tub. Then he make them bubble.

"There, you can go in now." Noctis said as he returned to the shower. Lightning took off her left clothes and slowly go down the tub, but unfortunately. "Ugh!" she slipped. Noctis, hurriedly approached at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

On the outside, the customers are getting puzzled about the noises they are hearing.

"I'm sorry about the noise, because I have new employees and luckily, they're a couple. They're taking a bath together. Aren't they sweet?" Mr. Baker would tell the customers, sheepishly. And the customers will nod and some would answer "Yes, they are…" and some are "Really? Oh, I wish me and my husband still like that…" and et cetera.

~to be continued~

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