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"It would be wise if we don't push your presence on Nic tomorrow. If he comes around my house, then that will be a different story."

"Are you staying with Caden now?" Cass asked, looking at Nero.

"They are welcome to come and go," I state, looking at Cassiopeia. She puts up her hands.

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"I already figured they were," I assure Caden. I eye the back of his head more and more curious about his sudden defensiveness when it came to Nero.

We pull up outside my house and I slid forward on the seat. "Thank you both for your help today. Seriously, I asked a lot and you both delivered. You should have seen Nic and his dad's face." I lean forward and kiss Caden's cheek then Nero's. "Just in case Nic doesn't delivery on his promise to give you both a kiss. See you tomorrow." I slid out of the car and climb up the steps two at a time. Like usual, Caden waits until I'm inside before pulling away.

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“Am I safe to assume she doesn’t hate me anymore?” I ask, rubbing the area where she had kissed me on the cheek as I watch Caden. There are moments where it seems like he’s protecting me from Cassi, which I find a little strange. She isn’t who I need protection from. I fidget in my seat, playing with the seatbelt a little. Do I ask him about it? As usual, I treat it like a riddle I’m solving, but there are too many unknown variables to find the answer. I chew on my lip as I try to piece it together.

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I smile, watching Cassi disappear into her house. I rest my hand on Nero's leg and give it a gentle squeeze before I pull back and drive away, heading for downtown Chicago and the stores that are open a bit later during the week. It was no New York or LA, but Chicago still had a good social scene which meant they are good clothing stores that catered to all kinds.

"She's coming around. Because of our history, she's extra protective of me as I am of her. I am glad to see she is trusting me on this one."

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When I walk into my house I'm expecting disaster; but it isn't that bad. I'm greeted with a lazy meow, the other two missing in action. I dump by bag onto the couch, being mindful of the offering bowl and the envelopes I got earlier. I creep around the house, Wayland following me with his fluffy tail raised and flicking this way and that.

"Ah, ha. I knew there would be a few victims." A couple of my herb plants of been knocked over, dirt in the sink, on the counter, and a bit on the floor. Some of the dill I was growing had been nibbled on but nothing terrible. I keep doing recon through the house and find more destruction in the bathroom. Currently Calypso and Maximilian are batting a bottle of nail polish back and forth.

"Of the three of you, I did not expect you to be part of the problem, Max," I scoop him up, flipping him onto his back for unwanted affection. Calypso weaves between my legs and I pick her up next. She is much more receptive of my kisses.

"You little instigator you," I cooed. Calypso was my problem child, which I was not surprised by in the least. She had that look about her in her eyes that let you know trouble was on the horizon. I loved it all the same.

"Alright, how about I feed you before I start fixing all these messes." A chorus of meowing answered me followed by Calypso jumping from my arms, and all three cats ripped out of the bathroom and down the hallway. I smiled and shook my head. At least I wasn't lonely when I came home.

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I fidget as the thought goes into my head. Why is he trusting me though? We obviously find each other attractive and comforting, but is that enough against a hundreds-of-years friendship? I decide to keep that line of questioning to myself as I finish my milkshake.

“So, what kind of clothes are you thinking of for me?” I ask Caden, curious if he is looking for a specific style or type of clothing. I would trust him though, his style sense was on point.

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My dad and I trade stories of my mom with each other, soon going into memories of Kiki too. Mom had always worried that the time my sister had spent in hospitals would affect her bright personality, but Kiki was always cheerful and a social butterfly anywhere we would take her. This is the first time we bring up Kiki where my dad doesn’t bring up how I could still go back and get my medical degree, which I’m grateful for. My dad pulls out his phone and starts playing a traditional Chinese song, telling me in Mandarin that this was their first dance at their wedding.

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I look at Nero, letting my eyes wander before I grinned. "I really rather like the idea of nothing," I say cheekily. I turn off the freeway to make my way downtown. "There are several shops in a row we can venture through. If you find something you like, we'll get it. It's whatever you want to wear, Nero. Whatever you'll be comfortable in." I reach out and rest my hand on their leg.

"Just ask me whatever you want to ask me." I could tell they were battling with asking my questions. I wasn't sure why they were so worried about asking me anything.

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After I get the cats fed and placated, I go back and clean up the bathroom, working my way to the kitchen. The plants still look to be in tact and I have no doubt they will come back around. I set up the pots again with some fresh soil. I whisper words of encouragement and magic as I replant the uprooted beauties.

"You'll come back stronger than ever," I assure them. I rehome them up on a high self, so they have a chance to get used to their new pots. After, I pick up my milkshake, dirty hands and all, and finish it off. It's around that time of having nothing left to do that my mind starts to wander. I think about Nic and his dad when they saw everything. How happy and sad Mr. Wu had been. And then there was Nic's reaction. I felt flush again just thinking about it.

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“I don’t think you could handle me wearing nothing.” I say brazenly before reaching to hold the hand resting on my thigh with one of my small ones. Fidgeting, I chew on my lip for a moment, staring at our hands as I ask, “Why do you trust me? And why are you defensive of me towards Cassi? Even if I’m different from other demons, I still am one myself. Why do you even want to protect me?” The questions kind of tumble out of me all at once and I feel my face flush at my own vulnerability.

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Exhausted and full of good food, my dad decides to try and take a little nap on one of the couches they had brought us. I wait until I can hear his snoring before I pull out my phone. My dad wanted to thank you for getting this all set up. I send to Cass before realizing how that sounded. Not in the same way as me though, of course… Obviously.

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I had a feeling that's what was bothering them but I wasn't sure how to answer them. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly before I turn into the car park. I manage to find a spot closest to the street and the stores.

"I've seen evil. Tasted it, felt it, witnessed it. You aren't that. I'm not saying your soul is pure and you haven't done bad or evil things but true evil you are not. Being a demon in hell that could be a bad thing, but being up on earth or with me, that is a virtue. I trust you because I like you. I trust you because I trust first." I turn in my seat to look at them fully, smiling. "I'm defensive because I like you, and it's hard for me to keep the beast quite when I claim someone as mine. Now, that isn't to say you can't up and leave tomorrow or even right now. It's not a physical claim I feel. It's an arbitrary and archaic one. I barely understand it myself."

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I eventually decide that I need to scrub the soil off my hands, even though I love the feel of dirt and the smell of growing things. I'm just toweling off when my phone dings. I glance down and then around. Seriously. How does he do that? I pick up my phone and read his message, then double check my phone didn't hear my eternal thoughts and message Nic creepily saying I'm thinking about him. Thankfully, there is no evidence of that or a live stream of me in my home.

Oh, that's a shame. He's closer to my age. Are you sure he isn't looking?

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A chill goes up my spine when he talks of himself as a beast that’s hard to control, but I find it pleasant. I don’t know why, but the fact that he’s ‘claimed’ me makes him all the more attractive, even if it’s the way he’s describing. Doing some sort of happy wiggle in my seat, I finally raise my head to look at him, mostly satisfied by his answers. The small voice in the back of my head didn’t agree, but that voice was also the one telling me I don’t deserve to be happy with Caden.

I lean forward and kiss him briefly before I pull away to smile. “I’d be okay if you didn’t let me leave you.” I say with a sly smirk.

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Covering my mouth so I don’t wake my dad up, I shake my head. I’d ask him to make sure, but he only just fell asleep. I move to go sit on the floor couch thing, happy to kind of just spread out.

How’s the state of your house? Were the kittens well-behaved while you were gone?

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I let my eyes fall closed before they kiss me, all the more thrilled when they actually do. Nero pulls away and I opened my eyes to look into their's intently. I grin at their comment and move a hand to let it rest on their leg. "Well maybe I'll make sure you never do, and if you try or someone comes for you, I'll let the dragon come out to play." My eyes shift to the dragon's, allowing them to make their presence before they shift back to my blue/green.

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How convenient, I taunt. Oh, they weren't awful but they weren't great. Had to rescue a few plants and clean the bathroom. Calypso is a rather good instigator. I hit send and set my phone down for a minute. It wouldn't be a bad idea for me to do some clearing while I am at home. Having all the casts in the same space was good for things like that, plus I had been to several places all over the city today. It was good to clear and set new intentions for the next day.

I go about doing that, thinking about whether I wanted to ask Nic about how a vigil works or if I should just leave him be. I knew what a basic vigil was but I wasn't sure if it was different for a Chinese funeral. I figured they were just looking after his mother's soul, that sort of thing.

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I bite my bottom lip, pleasantly thrilled as always with his little shifting tricks. “Okay, let’s get this ‘Pretty Woman’ montage over so we can go back to your place sooner than later.” I say as the one getting distracted by the hand on my leg and the exquisite man looking at me. I almost suggest just forgetting the shopping, but I remind myself that having a change of clothes readily available at Caden’s would be a good thing.

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Very convenient since it means I have you all to myself for the moment ;) I chew on my lip before I finally hit send on that message and move on to the next. Was my Wayland a good cat though? I help myself to some of the snacks we had brought, already feeling peckish after the meal we had.

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I chuckle and get out of the car to open up Nero's door. I offer them my hand to take to help them out of the car.

"What about supper at a ridiculously overpriced restaurant after?" I remind them. I lead them out onto and walk past a few shops before bringing them into the first one. We're immediately greeted at the door, and I recognize a few of the sales associates. They ask what we are looking for and I give them a general idea, but tell them to follow Nero's lead. They look from me to the little imp and their attention shifts. I know they are surprised but I also know they will keep their mouths shut because they want to make the sale. I just hope Nero finds the swing of things and is able to make their mark.

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I glance at my phone as I'm setting out candles and I blush at the comment. If only that were true and he were here, I think to myself and immediately start to feel warmer. I quickly move into the kitchen to get a tall glass of water before returning to a second message. I laugh.

Your Wayland? Oh, now I see how it is. Well, I'm sure he had a hand in some of it, but he greeted me at the door.

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I shake my head at him, tempted to remind him that I don’t need to eat. Once inside the shop, I flush a little at all the attention that shifts to me. I peer at the sales representatives with wide, owlish eyes, unsure how to answer most of their questions. I eventually just tell them that I’m willing to try on anything and I swear their eyes sparkled as they dragged me away from Caden and towards a dressing room. I shot him a look of feigned horror over my shoulder.

They start with some basics to get a feel of my sizing, even so much as bringing me a bra, before they start setting up outfits and eventually I’m being ushered to change into the first outfit and dragged out to show to Caden. I give him a nervous, sheepish smile.

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I grin. My good boy would never be naughty, I’m sure of it. I send the first text before popping some food into my mouth and sending another text. (Also please send pictures, I miss him dreadfully.

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I wink at Nero when they look back at me with fear. I get handed a champagne flute and shown where to sit while Nero gets showered with clothing. I flip through a magazine, seeing what sort of clothes I may want for myself when Nero’s first outfit is presented.

My eyes take their fill, lingering on those legs of theirs. They may be short, but their legs were probably their second-best feature next to their eyes. However, as much as I like the outfit, I can’t help but think of a maid.

”Do you have a green shirt of the same material? Green is my favourite,” I say and take a sip of my champagne, winking at Nero.

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Mhmm, sure. I call for Wayland, and he comes trotting over. He peers up at me and I snap a photo of him and another after he sits with his big fluffy tail over his paws.

There. Happy? I say after sending the two Wayland photos.

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Flushed, I barely get a chance to react to Caden before I’m being pulled back again. I hear one of them say they have the shirt in a deep emerald to Caden and ask if he wants to see it on me before I’m ushered into a second outfit. I feel a little like a show pony of some sorts, but it is fun to see Caden’s reactions. Once the stylist feels the outfit is prepped, I’m dragged back out to Caden again. This time I’m trying not to laugh at how absurd all of this feels to me and also denying that a part of me likes it.

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The pictures of Wayland make me smile. THERE’S MY GOOD BOY!!! Maybe I did want a pet of my own? I decide I need to ask the only expert I know of first. Okay, but actually, how hard is it to keep plants around a cat?

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I pass on seeing the outfit again with the green shirt. Instead I tell them to set that outfit aside with the green shirt to be purchased. They roll Nero out in the next outfit, and I smile with a nod. It was casual yet suited them still.

”Hast du Spaß?” I ask them. They look a little lost, which is understandable, so I want to make sure they are doing okay.

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I find myself not able to set my phone back down this time and I just wait for Nic to message me back. I lay back on the floor, and Wayland flops down beside me. He starts purring and it vibrates through my side soothingly.

Depends. I’ve had animals that don’t even look at them. Others that forced me to keep my plants in a greenhouse. It’s more important to only have plants that are animal friendly in case they do get into them. Also, keep them up on high shelves. My cats are pretty good, but they’ve been cooped up in the apartment for two days. I usually rotate them through the shop and my house, and that keeps them stimulated enough.

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I nod with a small laugh. “Das hatte ich nicht erwartet, aber es macht irgendwie Spaß, wie eine Puppe behandelt zu werden.” I tell Caden with a smile. I think the sales people here enjoy having a blank canvas to work with. I’m stolen away from Caden again for the next outfit.

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I lay on my back on the little floor couch as I read her next texts. I think I’ll just have to keep you around to help me ;) I send to her. I never had pets growing up so all of it would be new to me. I look up local shelters in the area, making the mistake of actually clicking through the photos of each stray brought in.

Help, I made a mistake… I text to Cass.

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I smiled, glad that Nero was settling in and enjoying themselves. My champagne was refreshed when they disappeared again. They came out in the next outfit, and I took a moment to reassess it before I shook my head.

”I don’t think so. Was denken Sie?”

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I smile, liking the idea of being wanted by Nic, even though I didn’t before, and was still hesitant about it. I rested my free hand on Wayland and gave him scratches, while I worked the energy up to light the candles. Nic messaged me again, and I smiled.

You started looking at shelters, haven’t you?”

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I shrug, more interested in what he likes. “Ich möchte, dass es dir gefällt.” I tell him honestly. With a promise of this one being the last, I put into a final outfit to show Caden. Personally, I like the turtleneck aspect of it a lot. Though the sales people didn’t comment on my scars or even give them a second glance, I still like keeping them covered.

“Was denken Sie.” I ask of Caden this time.

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There are so many that I wish I could just get all of them and provide what they would need, but I know it’s not possible for me to do it alone. Wow, you really are psychic I text her before I start taking screenshots of some of my favorites I found. Do you want to buy a big plot of land with me so we can have all the cats?

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I smile affectionately while Nero is changing outfits for the last time. They not only want but prefer my opinion, which tells me that they really do trust me. I find I like that more than anything. When they come out wearing the last outfit, I’m not smiling, but the look is all in my eyes. I look at the lead sales associate and nod.

”We’ll take the first two, and they’ll wear this one out. Please package everything else up,” I say and hand the associate my card to go and process the payment.

The associates cleared away to wrap Nero’s two new outfits and what they had worn into the store, leaving Nero and me alone for the moment. I stand up, doing the button on my jacket back up as I walk around the table and approach Nero.

”Ich habe mich nie für einen Mann gehalten, der sich zu Beinen hingezogen fühlt, aber ich glaube, ich werde einer.” I stop in front of them, my fingers twitching to run my hand along their nyloned leg but I refrain. ”Du siehst in Grün gut aus,” I add.

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Speak for yourself. I joke. If he knew that I was already thinking about him each time he messaged me, he would also consider himself psychic.

I scroll through the screenshots as they come through, cooing and awing at the cat photos. I laughed out loud. As wonderful as that sounds, I don’t think I could handle raising all the cats in the world. I had my hands full with the three personalities I already had to look after.

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Suddenly feeling shy, I look up at Caden through my eyelashes, my cheeks warm. “Gefallen dir meine Beine?” I ask for clarification, suddenly wanting to get all the outfits that would show them off now. “Deshalb bist du bereit, mich deine Hemden stehlen zu lassen.”

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I smile in bemusement at her response, rolling over onto my stomach, my legs tangling off the cushion, only inches off the ground. Wait, what do you mean? I’m psychic? XD I ignore the message regarding the cats, far more interested in what she meant by the first text.