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By the end of the school day I was dragging my feet to the entrance, still debating on whether I should come up with a half ass excuse to keep Namjoon away or just grin and bear it for the time being. A small part of me was happy that he was concerned about the kitten enough to ask about it. And I suppose I do owe him one for gifting it to me. But I still don't trust his motives. The memory of his declaration was still stuck at the forefront of my mind.

"I'll try again tomorrow."

But. He likes cats. That is his saving grace. He can come visit this one time. But tomorrow I'm going back to ice queen town and planting my grouchy ass there for the rest of my life.

As if on cue Namjoon appears at my side as I'm exiting the building, offering me that same devastatingly cute dimple smile and I quickly force my eyes elsewhere. I won't let him hit me with that twice and get away with it. I nearly died last time.

He doesn't seem fazed by my attitude and offers me a box of sweet tarts that he pulls out of seemingly no where.

"The vending machine spit out the wrong candy," he says smoothly, but I don't believe a word he says. "You want it?"

How did this man know all of my weaknesses? Cuteness, check. Cats, check. Candy, check. Free stuff, check. How long had he really be stalking me? It was either that or he was a very observant person. As much as I hate to accept anything else from him, or seem like I was giving him any leeway in this non existent 'relationship', I love candy too much to turn it down. Without meeting his eyes I accept the box of sweet tarts, feeling like I won and lost this round.

You're not in a martial arts, match, Y/n. I'm not but why does it feel like every time there's any sort of encounter with Namjoon I always take and I always lose? It's selfish of me to protect myself under the guise of being a bitch, I know. But it's the only way I know how.

There's an awkward silence between us as we exit the school grounds together and start our way back to my home. I don't really want to start a conversation with him but then again I didn't want him come over in the first place. For the hundredth time today I imagine myself karate chopping Eun-ji's head off. The thought brings me so much satisfaction that I honestly worry about myself.

"So did you name her yet?" Namjoon breaks the silence with a casual question.

I nod. "Her name is Lucifer." I can't help the snort that escapes me when I see his confused expression. "She's...a handful. You'll probably see what I mean."

His finger moves to push the glasses he always wears back up his nose "Should I...take her back? I can find her a different home-" he shuts his mouth when he catches the look I'm shooting him.

The cat is the devil but it's still my cat.

Quickly he apologizes and for once I feel like I win one of our exchanges. The awkward silence returns and stretches out for so long that even I'm becoming so uncomfortable that I want to make conversation, just to make it stop. Thankfully he speaks up first.

"Your friends broke up?"

Of all subjects it had to be this. "Yeah," I answer shortly and wonder if I should apologize for In-guk's behavior earlier. I decide against it. What do I care if those two dislike each other. "But I'm sure they'll be dating again before the end of the month. It's not the first time they've separated."

Namjoon's expression was just as baffled over this behavior as I felt. "I don't know." I offered before he had an opportunity to question it. My house finally came into view and I speed up, eager to see my babies and to get this over with.

If he noticed he didn't say anything and Namjoon quietly followed me to the door and waited patiently as I unlocked it. The second I open the door I remember that the only thing from yesterday I had bothered to clean was the cat poop and the broken glass that littered the floor, leaving the rest of the house in complete destruction. Whatever. Maybe it'll drive him off, thinking I'm a complete slob on top of being a crazy cat lady and an antisocial bitch.

Seriously, why is he even interested?

The jingling of a bell and a low meow reach my ears as BooBoo tears into the hallway and straight for me. Namjoon's existence is wiped from my memory as I squat and gather the ginger cat into my arms and shower him with cuddles and kisses. Have I mentioned that he's the ? Purrs rip through his chest as he aggressively rubs his head against mine, effectively scenting me. Then abruptly he halts all other movement to look over my shoulder.

I startle a bit when I glance back to see Namjoon; I'd seriously forgotten he was there. Neither he nor BooBoo seemed to notice my surprise however, as their eyes were currently locked in a stare down.

What?

I open my mouth to say something, anything because this is...weird. Before I can, a low growl emits from BooBoo's chest and all the hair on his tail stands straight up. Sensing danger and not really wishing to be clawed half to death by my grandpa aged cat, I quickly set him on his feet and watch as he backs up slowly, never dropping the eye contact he and Namjoon had yet to break.

...What the fuck?

"Uh..." I'm at a loss for words but I feel like I should say something once he disappears and Namjoon turns to me innocently. "Sorry?" I offer, not really understanding why I'm even apologizing. "I don't know why he's acting like that...He only reacts like that when he sees dogs." I mutter that last part mostly to myself and I doubt Namjoon heard it.

Feeling more confused than I ever have, I decided to escape this strange situation by searching for Lucifer. And by Lucifer I mean the kitten. Calling her does nothing since she hasn't learned her name yet and she completely ignores the ticking sounds I make with my tongue because (I love this cat but...) she's an asshole. All of my other babies came to greet me though and not one of them seem to have the same reaction to Namjoon as BooBoo had.

Speaking of Namjoon...he's now sitting on the living room floor next to the downed curtains, Madam SparklePuss rolling affectionately in his lap while Voldemort is cautiously sniffing his fingers. Steve, my super rare and super tricky to get along with male calico cat, is perched on his shoulder as if he has every right to be there, but he didn't seem to mind this from the cat at all.

For one terrifying moment I feel a little spark of affection for him in my heart light up at this sight...one that I immediately douse with water and fling into a chest wrapped with chains and dump into the deepest part of oblivion I can manage.

Feelings taken care of. Don't want any of those.

I tear myself away and eventually find the tiny kitten sleeping on a window sill upstairs. For now it seems she's gone back to being adorable and I feel myself fall in love with her all over again when a pair of blue eyes blink up at me. How could I have ever thought this gentle creature was evil?

"You're not evil are you? You are the cuuuutest wittle kitty!" I baby talk to the kitten and nuzzle her pink nose with mine.

"Y/nbear, I'm hooome!"

My very real love connection with the baby cat is interrupted when I hear the unmistakable sound of my dad's voice coming through the front door. And Y/nbear. Of course. A nickname I've disliked for years and one he insists on keeping.

"Oh, Ronald, look, there's a cute boy in the house." I groan as my father sounds way too pleased with this turn of events and I hear the name of his boyfriend, Ronald. Stupid, lame, ugly ass, dumbass, fuck ass Ronald. He came off as a cool enough guy when I first met him. His sin? He was scared of cats.

How you could be afraid of god's most beautiful and majestic of creatures (pretty sure it says that in the bible) was completely lost on me. But thanks to stupid Ronald every time he decides to bring his crusty ass over here my precious babies had to be locked up and I know they hate it. Did I mention that Ronald is stupid? My dad can do so much better.

Dreading what was to come I tuck the kitten under one arm and go downstairs to see Namjoon now standing and covered in cat hair and greeting my father. Dad is greeting Namjoon politely and Ronald is standing in the still open front door, his eyes trained on the cats across the room who aren't bothered by his appearance at all. For one vindictive second I fantasize about somehow getting Lucifer to go apeshit again so Ronald could actually have something to be afraid of. Then dad turns to me and his eyes land on the ball of fluff under my arm.

Oh shit. I forgot to tell him. He hasn't specifically forbade me from bringing home any more cats but when Voldemort had barfed on his pillow three nights in a row last month, I recall his strained smile towards me over the breakfast table. "This'll be the last cat for a while, right Y/n?" This was posed as a question but I understand what he really meant by it. That being, "Bring another cat home and you might die, Y/n." My dad was never the type that raised his voice but I always knew a warning when I heard it.

Now I gulp nervously and raise the kitten so it was at his eye level, hoping to appeal to his compassionate side. I widen my eyes and attempt to look as innocent as the white feline manages to pull off so well.

"Dad." I smile anxiously. "He was a gift. I can't refuse a gift, you taught me that was rude." This was true and I hoped right now it would save me.

Dad didn't even blink, just looked me in the eye with a straight face and I knew right then I was dead. That is, until: "I gave it to her." Namjoon suddenly offers. "I'm sorry. She was a stray and I didn't know what to do. I might have guilted Y/n into taking it. Sorry." He blurts one more time and drops into a ninety degree bow.

Dad's attention shifts from me to Namjoon. I feel more anxiety bubbling in my chest until he laughs and motions for Namjoon to stand up straight. "Well I suppose if it was a gift from a cute boy I can't fault her for that. They're my weakness, after all."

What?

Namjoon's cheeks are pink as he stands again. Relief starts to flood through me until I hear the next words out of my father's mouth. "Namjoon, you said your name was? Why don't you stay for dinner?"

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Edited 7/20/21