Perhaps a Better Place [A Dadzawa Story]

Fortress: Chapter 12

I'm being shaken lightly when I wake up again. I'm still in the car, and my head is still pressed against the glass.

"Hey, we're here," he says softly.

I look around at my surroundings, inhaling deeply before letting it out through my nose. We're on a street not far from the city, as I can still see some buildings in the distance.

I yawn quietly as I open my door, stepping out of the car after unbuckling my seatbelt. I grab my backpack from the floor and toss it over my shoulder.

"Got everything?" Present Mic asks, twirling his keys around his finger.

"Yeah," I answer softly. He then leads me to the front door of a nice house.

"So, we have two cats, a bird, and a chinchilla. The cats are Kami and Bastard."

"Bastard? Who named him that?"

"Eraser did. His name was Buddy, but he scratched Shota, so he renamed him. Kami is deaf, so be careful about sneaking up on her. She won't hurt you, she just gets surprised and meows really loudly. She can't hear herself."

"Aw, that's cute. What about the bird and the chinchilla?"

"My bird," he chuckles, "I named him Heihei because all he says is 'Hey', or 'Yeah.'"

I smile as he leads me into the living room, where a cage the size of a mini-fridge sits on a stand by the left wall.

"Is that the chinchilla?"

"Yep! That's Gray. Aizawa isn't very creative with names, so that's it."

"Can I see him? Her?"

"Him. And yeah, of course. But be careful, he gets a little irritated if you hold him wrong. I'll show you."

He walks to the cage and pulls open the door, patting around in the bedding a little. He smiles before grabbing him, carefully pulling him from the cage. He tucks Gray's feet underneath his little body and makes a platform out of his hand, the other hand cradling Gray's body to his chest.

"Just like this. It makes him feel secure." Present Mic hands Gray to me, where I take him just as gently as I saw Present Mic do it.

"Oh, he's fat!" My eyes light up as I feel how squishy he is. Gray makes a small barking noise.

"You insulted him!" Present Mic laughs.

"But he is. He's so squishy." I smile, rubbing my thumb over the back of his head. His fur is incredibly soft.

"Yeah, he doesn't get much exercise. He'd rather sleep and eat."

"Same," I grin.

Gray starts to squirm more and Present Mic steps up.

"Here, he's getting cranky. I think he's mad because I woke him up from his nap."

I hand Gray over, and Present Mic puts him back in his cage.

"Would you like to meet my bird?"

I almost nod before my stomach grumbles loudly. I place a hand over my stomach, turning a shade of red.

"Sorry."

"Oh, no, it's okay! Pets can wait, I'll make you something to eat. You said you're not picky, but do you have any favorite foods?"

"Uh, not really. Just whatever I find."

"Ah, okay. I'll get you something. While I'm doing that, you should get a shower before school. The bathroom is just down the hall, at the very end. Towels and everything are in a small closet in there. You think you got it?"