Affection | Jenlisa

Little Fluffball ★

Lisa didn't know why a cat was waiting in front of her apartment door so casually. She had a mini staring contest with the puffy white cat laying there like it owned the place and was locked out. The feline had turned its head when it sensed the girl approaching the door, leaving Lisa extremely confused, but minutely intrigued by it.

"Are you lost, little one?" she asked, kneeling down in front of the huge ball of taking up space in front of her door.

The cat's face scrunched up into what she could only register as annoyance, striking her as odd. She didn't know cats could express such human emotions, not to mention them having such attitudes. Thought, admittedly, she thought there was a tickle of familiarity scratching at the back of her head.

"You can stay the night here for now. We'll take good care of you." She stood to insert the key into her door and swing it open.

Without a moment's hesitation, the cat sprinted inside with its stubby legs and perched itself on the middle cushion of the couch, sinking down as it stretched and purred to make itself comfortable.

Lisa almost laughed at how it managed to make itself instantly at home, and how that space was usually where Lisa would find her girlfriend when she returns from work. Speaking of, she wondered where her girlfriend could be at this hour when she was sure she had no work today.

Lisa shrugged, figuring she would come home whenever she was ready, settling next to the soft hedgehog of a cat and stroking its surprisingly soft fur. "You definitely remind me of someone special, little one." A soft smile played on Lisa's lips.

The cat turned from its laying position to shoot Lisa another annoyed glare, this time baring its teeth at her. From this close, Lisa noticed how the eyes were the same her girlfriend has.

Lisa only chuckled. Being with her girlfriend had certainly made her immune to any pointed glares from anyone. "You two share a lot of similarities, that's all. Your eyes are the same, you have the same attitude as her, you even chose her favorite spot on the couch to sit. I wouldn't mind keeping you as a pet for us, we'll see what she says when she comes back."

Lisa always knew she wanted a pet, something to share with her hotheaded partner, something to solidify and strengthen their relationship, something to call their own.

The puffy cat jumped on top of Lisa's lap suddenly, growling low and staring at her.

"What is it? Is there something you wish to say?" Lisa had no idea what to do at times like this.

"Meeeooow!" it suddenly yelped, placing a paw on her shirt, glaring eyes straight into Lisa's soul. Surely, this cat had something on its mind, but the lack of a shared language wasn't helping the situation as she can only stare blankly at the expectant animal.

In an exasperated huff, the cat pounced onto the floor and pattered towards the nearby coffee table next to the TV, taking a photo frame into its mouth and returning back to Lisa.

Lisa grabbed the frame. "Yes, this is me and my girlfriend. As I said, you two share many similarities-"

"MEEEOOOOWW!!!"

Lisa sighed. "I really don't understand what you're trying to say-"

Once again, the cat growled in dismay at the dense girl in front of her. How can she see one single similarity between two people and immediately theorize that they're long last family members, but not put two and two together in this situation?

The cat sat on its hind legs and tapped one of its front paws on Lisa's leg. Lisa could only find it adorable how the cat seemed to have the ability to think like a human. It would be an excellent addition to their family. She couldn't wait for her girlfriend to come home to tell her about it. "You're a peculiar one, little one. I know you two will get along nicely." Her hands scratched behind ears standing at attention.

At the gesture, the wound-up feline couldn't help relaxing against Lisa's fingers, triangle ears flattening against its giant, furry head and body.

"You must love cuddles too, don't you?" Lisa gathered the ball into her arms to bury her face in the precious fur. "Wow, you even smell like her too."

The cat pawed at Lisa's ear before nipping at the lobe, eliciting a petal of laughter from the girl. "Alright, maybe I should have dinner and we can go to bed to wait for her." Lisa cradled the cat and towed it into the kitchen, setting it on the counter. Lisa began reaching for a plate and a small bowl. "I can't really cook, the only thing I know how to do is boil noodles."

There's a hard crackling of plastic suddenly. To Lisa's surprise, the cat had the bag of soba noodles in its mouth by the edge of the package. Lisa pat it on its head. "How did you know I needed this? You're so smart."

The cat rolled it eyes. It's given up at this point.

As Lisa went about cooking her meal and turned the stove on, the cat shrieked and almost slipped off the counter pushing its paw out to lower the dial. "MEOWW?!"

"Oh, I guess I did set it too high." Lisa noticed the mistake and gave the cat another well-deserved scratch behind the ears. "Well done. If Jennie were here, she would've yelled at me for almost burning the house down."

After preparing her meal and setting the table for herself, Lisa sat at the table to eat her dinner while the cat sprawled itself onto the bed in the room, closing its eyes and trying to drift off to sleep on its own as Lisa finished her dinner, showered, and came back out in her sleep clothes.

"What a tiring day," Lisa sighed again, her muscles still a dull ache from the hot shower. Winding down, the stress of the day finally weighed down on her. Admittedly, she's still worried about the whereabouts of her girlfriend. It wasn't like her to be out terribly late considering her strict sleep schedule.

But when Lisa lifted her eyes to the mattress where the fluffy lump lay fast asleep on Jennie's side of the bed, she couldn't help but smile again. Usually, she would talk to Jennie about her day at bedtime, whispering to each other into the darkness. Perhaps this cat could be the substitute she needed for now.

She climbed onto the bed and softly stroked the cat again, amused how her motions won't wake it up. "What a champ sleeper," she cooed, gazing out the window. "I'm worried that you won't get to meet your other mom today. It's strange for her to be out this late. I even called her phone, but she won't pick up." She looked down at the mass of white fur, listening to its deep breathing and feeling the rise and fall of its soft body. "I'm really hoping you two get along. Maybe not at first, since you're too similar to each other, but I know Jennie's actually a huge softy. She's secretly a sucker for cute things. Maybe she'll think of you as her child." Lisa's chuckle barely resounded in fatigued. "No, she's probably not the type to be an obsessed pet mom." She glanced out the window at the night sky again, her eyelids drooping. "I hope she's safe."

A wet muscle tickled Lisa's palm, stunning her awake, only to see the cat's tongue lick her gently and purr while its eyes were still shut.

Lisa stroked her finger over the cat's pink nose. "You're good at comforting, that's good." Lisa's body finally wanted to give in. She turned around and collapsed with a groan, her head nestled onto the cat's body. "Let's see if you're good at being a pillow too." Her words garbled together in rising slumber. She just barely missed the way the cat tensed at the sudden heavy weight. "Good night, little one."

The cat only gave a final mumble in response. "Meow..."

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Bonus:

The first thing Lisa noticed when she woke up was her pillow being tougher than she remembered. The cat pillow was much squishier. She stirred to find a better position.

"Lisa, wake up, you're crushing my ribs."

Lisa pried her eyes open to meet the face of her - currently annoyed - girlfriend. "Jennie?" She shot up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "When did you get home? Where'd you go?" Her speech was still garbled, tongue falling over itself as her groggy mind couldn't speak fast enough for her thoughts. "Where's the cat?"

"YOU DUMBASS, I WAS THE CAT THE WHOLE DAMN TIME! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU NEVER CONNECTED THE DOTS!"