Sayo locked the door to her tiny storage bakery room, the one tucked behind the cafeteria where she kept all her ingredients, mixers, and pastel-colored storage bins.
The warm smell of fresh sweet bread filled the air, and the soft yellow lights made it feel like her own private little world.
Shadow stood by the counter, hands shoved in his pockets, pretending to be completely uninterested in whatever she'd called him in here for. Sayo turned toward him with the sweetest smile she had, the one that usually made people relax.
Shadow did not relax. He stiffened even harder. He knew she was up to something.
"So," she said casually, tying her hair back and grabbing a pastel-pink pastry box, "I made something new today."
Shadow tilted his head, trying to peer into the box. "Why'd you call me back here ..alone?"
"Well..." Sayo shut the box dramatically before he could take a peak. "Because I trust you. And I wanted your opinion. You always tell me the truth."
Shadow blinked. "Mhmm.."
She laughed softly. "Exactly. So if you like something, I know it's actually good."
His eyes narrowed, but she saw the tiny curl of his lip, the part he tried to hide when he liked a compliment.
Sayo opened the box again and held it out. Inside sat a single, delicate truffle, dusted with powdered sugar, and secretly laced with very strong catnip.
Shadow leaned closer, sniffing without realizing he was sniffing. His pupils dilated just barely, catching Sayo's eye.
Bingo.
"What's in it?" he asked, carefully.
"Sugar. Butter. Flour," she recited. "Drugs, obviously."
He almost choked. "Wha— why would you put— who— WHO puts—"
Sayo smirked. "Relaxxxxx, I'm just messing with you!"
He mumbled something unintelligible and glared at the floor.
"Try it," she said, nudging the box toward him. "I want your honest reaction."
Shadow looked at the truffle like it was a trap. Which, to be fair, it was.
He poked it once. "It's... very round."
"Yes," Sayo deadpanned. "That's how truffles work."
Shadow hesitated. "I... don't eat round things."
"Oh?" she said innocently. "Are you allergic to shapes?"
He glared at her, but she could see he was sweating.
"You're acting strange," she said, stepping closer. "Unless... you're hiding something?"
Shadow tensed so hard he practically vibrated. "I'm not hiding anything."
"Mm-hmm." She tapped her finger on the box. "Then eat it."
He hated how she said it. Soft, sweet, but authoritative enough to force his brain into compliance. He huffed, grabbed the truffle, and popped it into his mouth before he could think too hard.
Sayo leaned on the counter, waiting.
Shadow chewed.
Chewed.
Swallowed.
Then stood there.
Completely normal.
Sayo blinked. "...Nothing?"
He shrugged. "Tastes good."
"Good?" she repeated.
"Yeah."
No tail appearing. No ears twitching. No purring. No chaos.
Shadow smirked triumphantly. "See? Nothing weird. I'm perfectly—"
He froze mid-sentence.
Not dramatically, subtly.
A little wobble. A slow blink. A tiny shift in posture.
Sayo's eyes widened as she watched his expression go from normal → confused → slightly too relaxed → suspiciously adorable.
Shadow blinked again, longer this time. "Uh..."
It hit.
He grabbed the counter to stay upright, blinking rapidly.
Sayo stepped closer, worried but also 100% vindicated. "Shadow? Are you okay?"
He lifted his head.
His pupils were huge.
Not normal-person huge, cat staring at a laser pointer huge.
"I'm... fine," he said, voice way too soft. "Is the room warm?
"It's not."
"Oh."
Still gripping the counter, he turned his head and stared directly at Sayo — like she had just become the most fascinating thing on earth.
Sayo's cheeks warmed. "Shadow...?"
He took a tiny step toward her.
Then another.
Then he leaned forward like he was trying to see something on her face.
"You smell... nice," he murmured.
Her heart nearly flew out of her chest. "O-okay—"
Shadow's ears popped up, the hair-clips falling to the ground with a soft ting.
Sayo stared. "I..fucking...knew it."
"What?" he asked slowly, swaying slightly.
"YOU'RE A CAT?!"
He reached up, felt one of his ears, gasped lightly. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," she said.
For a moment, he seemed to panic but then the catnip softened him again. His shoulders dropped, his expression melted, and he stepped forward until he was close enough for her to feel his breath.
He rested his forehead against her shoulder.
Softly. Carefully.
Like he didn't want to admit he needed it, but he did.
Sayo froze, hands hovering awkwardly before settling gently on his arms. She whispered, "Shadow... you're a cat."
"Noooo," he mumbled into her cardigan.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Noooo," he repeated, voice muffled and pouty.
She laughed — quietly, fondly — and combed her fingers through his hair just once.
Shadow burrowed closer. "Sayo..."
"Yeah?"
"You're warm."
Sayo turned red enough to combust. "Yeah, okay, sit down before you fall on me."
He didn't sit.
He just wrapped his arms around her waist like she was the only stable thing in the universe.
And Sayo, blushing and trying not to die, sighed.
"Fine. We'll talk about this when you stop being high."
