Aether's tail swishes around beside him as he laid on the couch, his eyes locked onto the tv as Auggie did his homework and watched the television. He was sure that Uncle said not to, but here he was. His eyes locked onto the cat laying in Auggie's lap, Mr.Zhongli, and the cone that wrapped around his neck.
He almost died three times in the past two days they've been there. If it weren't for Xiao and Auggie, he would've been dead.
---
It was sometime after dinner, Uncle had cleaned their large dish and Auggie watched the Television. Most of the cats roaming around or laying beside the boy, Albedo had Klee settled down and sleeping on his back as he watched the television in wonder and his light blue eyes following each new person on the screen.
Aether was in Auggie's lap, enjoying the attention that the boy was giving him but noticed Zhongli was trying to sit up on the couch. His movements a bit sloppy until he was on the top of the couch and looking out the window or tried to. The blinds were covering his vision and Zhongli pawed at the string. It made the blinds shutter a bit, revealing a bit of outside and Zhongli began pulling it towards him once more, he used both hands as he pulled them back and the blinds began revealing more and more. He was so close-
How did it get around his neck that fast?
"Ah! Exuvia!"
"Sensei!"
Xiao was yanking the string off, trying to help the older man before he could hang himself or worst. Childe was attempting to tug on Sensei's tail, trying to pull him out but soon Zhongli's body was lifted, and sat down on the floor. [M/N] had come to check on Auggie but saw the three cats playing with the blinds. "Why are you guys playing with the blinds? What's the point if one of you were about to die from it?"
Zhongli takes deep breaths as he settles next to Aether and brushing his hair back a bit with his tongue, the usual cat thing. "Thank you sir..." Zhongli breaths out but obviously, [M/N] didn't catch a word as he fixed the blinds. He did noticed the look that the cats gave him, especially the fluffy cat he named Hades. "Werid cats..." [M/N] mutteres as he closed the front door and locked it, two clicks of the two different locks before checking the time.
"Auggie, Bedtime."
"Awwww! Come on Uncle, a little more-"
"No, because you have school in the morning." [M/N] said as he closed the blinds after making sure the windows were locked and closed. Auggie sighs as he placed his homework into his bag before placing it on the hook behind the door. "Goodnight guys." Auggie said but lifted up Dr.Pepper, also known as Diluc into his arms.
"Let go of me." Diluc said but came out as a tiny meow which Auggie cooed at before walking upstairs with [M/N] turning the light off behind him.
"I was so close to seeing Celestia again.." Zhongli said as he licked his paw, trying to push down any wild fur rising up. Childe sat down next to Zhongli snickering a bit, " It is not funny Childe."
"It is, I mean, you're like super old and being caught like that just made my day." He let out raspy chuckles and laughs from his spot though he usually would've been toss aside by a usually angry Yaksha.
"Where's Xiao?" Aether asked but nobody answered.
---
The next day, [M/N] was trying to cook lunch after coming home from work, an hour early but still was ready to reheat some chicken nuggets for himself and his nephew once he returned from school. The pasta for the macaroni was still cooking on the stove, but the main focus was making sure Hermes did not try to open the empty wine bottles. He had been obsessed with them but [M/N] was there to capture the cat.
"MEOWWW." Hermes yowls in despair as he was lifted off the counter once more, and [M/N] grumbled as he sits the cat down on his feet. Hermes stared at him before plopping on his back and offered his tummy for a belly rub and to be spoiled but [M/N] moved to the stove. He stirs the macaroni and Hermes paws at his pants.
"Wine, please, listen to me, I'm not a cat." Hermes said but came out as another strangled meow.
"Barbatos, please, just be quiet," Zhongli said as he sat by the doorway, watching the miserable feline beg for wine. " If I can stand not having any tea, then you can stand not having a lick of wine." Barbatos or Venti whines and moved back to laying on his stomach, his tail coiling up beside his body as his ears hang low. "Stop moping about."
"Stop acting high and mighty monotonous Morax." Venti spits back.
"Why you-" Oh how he wished to summon his meteorite and strike the damn drunk but at the moment his claws would work. Venti speeds off with Zhongli following after him, both rushing around and even through [M/N]'s legs. He was too busy to stop them, he opened the oven and placed the pan with the chicken nuggets inside before wincing as Hermes crashed against his leg.
"Hey! Enough!" [M/N] snapped as plucked the cat up and closed the oven door, unaware of the panicked archon inside the oven.
Zhongli moved around, and tried to look for an exit in the weird contraption, he pawed at the glass before hissing as his paws touched the heat of the glass. He licked at his paws before leaning up and yowls when he felt his back and hair burn. He looked up to see glowing orange fire and gasped, yowling in horror before hearing the creak of the oven door. He was quickly grabbed out and settled into the sink as cold water hit him. He hissed but Zhongli felt the calm and soothing hand on him.
"Why did you jump in the oven? You could've died...fuck..now I probably have to take you to the vet..then I have to see Parker...fuck my life.." [M/N] grumbled before feeling some purring under his hand. He stopped and saw Hades snuggling under his hand, despite the pain he could be in, he was showing his appreciating nature.
Even though [M/N] accidentally put him in there in the first place.
———
[M/N] did not have a free day, no paid time off even though he worked at the fucking diner for the last five years. So, he gave up his day off on Monday for Hades who sat on the sliver examining table as Peter looked over him. The blonde was looking over the burns on Hades and the fluffy cat patiently sat there. Not even flinching when he gotten the first round of shots.
" Man, some weird cat. I've never seen one voluntarily jump into the oven." Peter said, giving [M/N] a look and the medium rolled his eyes.
" oh give it up, the cat just though of it a nice place to sleep and I saw him trying to get out when I came back. He was lucky that I even came back to check on the macaroni or else, we would've had cat nuggets too for dinner." [M/N] said as he crossed his arms over his chest and scowls, he didn't want to stay here more that he wanted but glad Peter had an opening for Hades. Probably for Peter to shit-talk him.
" Whatever the Case, he burned his paws so he would need little cooling booties, he would need the jell on his feet for the few days but the jell tends to make cats itch so he would need to wear a cone."
" A cone?" [M/N] repeats with a raised eyebrow.
" Cone?" Zhongli echos But come out as a small meow and a simple flutter of his ears being pulled back in distaste. How humiliating! He was, is an archon who lived many years, fighting in wars and killing enemies. He did not need this clone! " Don't touch m-" Zhongli hissed as the veterinarian came close, and he backs up but the man moved so fast and snapped the cone around his neck and all he saw was purple. " How humiliating..." He could hear Childe's loud laugh already. Zhongli was lucky that Hu Tao didn't end up here as well.
" Now that's taken cared of, you can pay at the front or we can talk about-" Peter started as [M/N] stuffed Hades into the cat cage, and ignored the annoyed hiss as he walked out the door. " How mature [L/N]-" Peter snapped from behind his ex.
" At least I'm mature enough to not go after 20 year old twinks." The tired medium snapped as he walked to the front and sits Hades cage down on the floor as he opened his wallet. He was too busy to watch Hades step out, his cone bumping gained the metal door as he slipped out the cage.
How humiliating... Zhongli thought as he tried to navigate around with the dumb thing around him, his paws didn't hurt anymore, nothing but his ego.
"Excuse me." Zhongli said but came out as the usual meow as he bumps into something but stops moving as he heard growling, he lifted his head and went still as he met the dark eyes of the large dog. He heard [M/N] still talking behind him and the owner of the beast didn't seem to hear their animal, and soon Zhongli rushes back, making zig-zag turns to leave the beast in the dust. He hurried into the carrier and the cone almost taking his head off but the beast barks. It's head thrusting itself into the carrier's entrance but quickly Zhongli felt lifted up and on the counter.
"Sit." [M/N] commanded cooly and the beast growls at him and [M/N] stood his ground. "Sit, pinche idiota." The large, chihuahua whines as it noticed that [M/N] wasn't gonna back down. It waddles away back to his owner. "Stupid dog."
Zhongli breaths out as [M/N] locked the door of the carrier.
One thing for sure was that Zhongli couldn't wait to transform back and offer [M/N] a drink of tea or show some gratitude to him for saving him more than once.
---
"Auggie, no tv while doing your homework." [M/N] said as he opened the front door, bags of groceries in his hand. "I have a reading-"
"I know, I know, with some old lady wanting to talk to her daughter or something," Auggie said as he bit at the end of the pencil and staring down at the workbook page, distress clear on his face.
"Somebody's snappy today." [M/N] commented as he walked by, the bags crinkling as he placed some down on the floor. Cat food, cat toys, cat litterboxes since there was so many and some collars, one for the tiny kitten with a bell on it. "I'll start making dinne-" He glanced at the time and sighs. "Or order something and have it delivered here."
[M/N] walked towards the kitchen with a sigh as Auggie didn't reply to him after placing the things down. He placed the last of the bags on the counter before putting what little things he bought from the store. Once the last thing was put away in the fridge and [M/N] closed the door, he turns but stopped to see Hades and Hermes sitting there.
"He probably had a bad day at school or that cute crush of his rejected him..." He said as he bends down a bit and looked over the two. Hermes stared at him as Hades meows back, as his tail swishes beside him patiently. "Hehe, I'm so desperate for some company that I'm talking to cats..." He moved and gently pets Hermes' head and he hissed, pulling his ears back and [M/N] rolled his eyes before gently petting Hade's head.
A man wearing odd clothes stood over a dying woman's body as he stared down at her. Such despair he felt, so much sadness and longing but he knew the woman was gone. The man reached over to touch her face, perhaps to wipe the dry blood on her lips but the moment his darken fingers with molten gold flowing on them, made the woman's body disappear into thin air, leaving nothing but dust in her place. The next thing [M/N] felt was his pain, the dispair and the roar of mourning and pain coming from his lips.
"Uncle!"
[M/N] opened his eyes to see the cats and Hecate on his chest, Auggie above him holding Hades now from his grasp. The cat looked shaken like [M/N], but Auggie sighs in relief. " Uncle, I think a spirit is nearby, they must've drained you once they got ahold of your soul!" Auggie said as he placed down the cat.
"...Yeah...they must've accidentally pulled me in their dreams.." [M/N] said as he forced a laugh. It had to be a demon...nobody, human soul, or ghost has shown me this..only demons can force a vision of their life or trap me there...what does it have to do with Hades?