I'm Not a Catnip Kind of Girl

Chapter 2

Later that night I decide to sleep with Matthew in his room. At first I stay under the bed because I feel safer in an enclosed space, but it's pretty chilly down there, even with a fur coat. I slip out from under the bed and hop on Matthew's bed.

"Hey," I whisper while poking him with a paw. "Can I sleep up here?"

"Mmm?" Matthew mumbles as he wakes up. "(Y/n)?"

"Can I sleep up here with, um...you?"

"Sure," he says still half asleep. "I've never had a girl sleep in my bed before."

"Well, technically I'm a cat right now." But if I wasn't I'd be blushing like crazy. He makes my heart pound like crazy, even when he's half asleep.

"Hmmm," he murmurs incoherently. He must have fallen back asleep.

I slip under the blankets and curl up next to him. My keen cat hearing picks up the sound of his heart beating rhythmically as he sleeps. It makes me sad to think that not many people have had a chance to see into his pure heart. He's the nicest person I've ever met. My breathing synchronizes with Matthew's as I lay quietly next to him in the darkness. The last thing I think about before slipping off into a deep sleep is Matthew smiling kindly at me.

I'm the first one in the apartment to wake up the next morning. I figure it's safe to use the bathroom, so I sneak off to go find it. The penthouse may be big, but it's not that big, so it doesn't take me long to find the bathroom. I quietly pad inside, and shift back into my human form. The first thing I do is find a spare toothbrush and brush my teeth. I may be a cat girl, but that doesn't mean I don't have proper hygiene. There's not much I can do about my hair since there's no hairbrush, so I do my best with a comb. I'll have to talk to Matthew about that later. I use the toilet last, and shift back into a cat as soon as I wash my hands.

I make my way back to Matthew's room, but pause at a half open door. This must be Alfred's room, I think to myself. I flick my tail in amusement. Maybe I'll have some fun.

I slip into the room, and jump on Alfred's bed. He doesn't have his glasses on, but it's definitely him. I flick his cowlick experimentally with my paw. He doesn't even move. I flick it again and again. This is definitely as much fun as I thought it would be. I grab the bit of hair with both paws, and give it a slight tug. That causes him to shift slightly. I'm about to tug on it harder when I'm interrupted by a quiet voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Matthew calls from the doorway. "He doesn't like people touching that."

I flick my ears in acknowledgement and jump off the bed. I make my way over by Matthew, and look up at him. His wavy hair is rumpled slightly, and his glasses are crooked from him putting them on too quickly.

He reaches down and gives me a few friendly pats on the head. "Good morning (y/n)."

I meow at him.

He looks at me confused. "Can't you talk? Or did I make that whole thing up?" He looks truly terrified at that idea.

I let out a scratchy laugh. Even though I can talk as a cat, my laugh always comes out sounding funny. "I'm just kidding Matthew. Good morning to you too."

We walk to the kitchen together. Matthew goes to the fridge and pulls out a box of frozen pancakes. "Want some (y/n)?"

"Yes please!" I say excitedly as I jump onto the countertop next to him. "I'm starving."

"You can eat this, right?" he says unsure. "Or do you want cat food?"

"Pancakes are definitely better than cat food any day," I tell him. "Especially with syrup."