you replied, sitting down your drink on its saucer, "soon! i texted him a while back and yes, he does work here."

ayaka threw out some questions that are plausible in this case. "if he does work here, why isnt he clocked in yet? what if he doesn't come and takes your cat away?" but you feel like scaramouche wouldn't do that.

"i've spoken to him-"

ayaka interuppted, "in real life or only on text."

you sighed, "only on text... but! he wouldn't do that. trust me, even if he did, i could ask one of our mutuals to bug him... y'know venti, right?" ayaka nodded as she finally decided to agree to disagree.

it's been around 20 minutes and scaramouche hasn't arrived yet. you laugh nervously as your cup has nearly emptied while ayaka checked her watch. "can you text him again? actually, name, can you call him instead? where is he?"

you attempted to dial his number since you had obtained two days ago, but it went straight for voicemail. ayaka sighed,

"you see, i knew it was a trick. should we leave?"

"no, he's coming, i know it."

"then shall we order more food?"

"okay."

------

the door of the cafe chimed, alerting the cafe employees that there was a new customer coming in. hearing a familiar voice, you turned around, there was scaramouche and the renowned booktoker, kokomi. "sorry that we were late! she couldn't pick an outfit."

the taller woman jabbed scaramouche in the ribs, making him wince in pain. she laughed nervously, fiddling with the ends of her cardigan, "my apologies, it was hard to put tofu in his carrier cage." you nodded in agreement, it's true, tofu does put up a fight. she unlocked the cage as scaramouche scooped the black cat into his arms. although, you did expect him to hand back your cat into your arms, he kept tofu in his lap as he scooted on the booth chairs.

kokomi rolled her eyes as she coughed loudly, "scara, give name back her cat." you noticed scaramouche's shoulders sulked as he scooted out of his booth seat, "of course, i will, kokomi. you think, i would give a ransom to name for her own cat." tofu relaxed in his arms, you think, he has trusted scaramouche, which is cute.

"seems likely for your character." ayaka blurted as she looked away. you chuckled nervously as you tried to defend her. "she means that as a joke. right, ayaka?"

"of course, if i did offend you, i apologize for that." ayaka agreed with you, smiling.

-------- scara's pov

but the smile ayaka gave was clearly fake. this beloved idol of kokomi's doesn't like scaramouche, he can tell. it's the same smile he has seen with his mother. "don't worry, um... miss kamisato, it's a good joke." kokomi replied as scaramouche shot her a dirty look. kokomi shrugged as scaramouche rolled his eyes, tapping your shoulder.

"name, here." scaramouche said, giving you back tofu. although tofu looked like he missed you very much, he jumped immediately back to scaramouche. "huh."

"wow." you looked like you were about to cry. scaramouche attempted to put your cat back on your lap as tofu kept jumping back to him. "excuse us." scaramouche mumbled as he walked a bit to create a distance between him and tofu and the group at the table.

"tofu, if you don't go back to your mom... i mean, name, right now, i won't see you anymore." he saw tofu meow back. "don't disagree with me. im sorry for stealing you from name but seriously go back."

-------- name's pov

"this is kind of cute." you said out loud as scaramouche and tofu have a talk. or seemingly having a talk as scaramouche's voice gets a bit louder. kokomi giggled,

"he normally talks to tofu more than any of our friends at our apartment complex. sometimes, scaramouche scolds him but it normally goes tofu's way though."

ayaka sighed, "it sounds just like that with tofu and name."

"to be fair, tofu knows how to use his charms. ayaka was a victim of it."

"numerous times."

"that's so silly!" kokomi exclaimed as you watched her realize something. "i mean, i agree tofu's charms are far too strong. the archons knew if he was human, it would be far too much."

ayaka let out a laugh, "true. i believe he-" a phone started to buzz as the three of them attempted to find out who's phone was it. ayaka opened her purse and found her phone. "ah... excuse me." ayaka said, taking her phone to take a call outside. after ten minutes, ayaka explained that she had to go.

-----

it was just you, kokomi, the cute guy and your cat in his arms. kokomi asked the purple haired male, "scaramouche, are you going to give back tofu now?"

scaramouche was still a few feet away from you both, cradling tofu in his arms. "yes... give me a second." scaramouche looked like he was still scolding the cat like how a mother would to her son. eventually, he did come back.

"okay, i think i accidentally gave him seperation anxiety." you let out a laugh, agreeing with scaramouche. "i think so too. hey," you gathered everyone's attention as tofu was placed on the floor, jumping to your side. he nuzzled to your torso. you looked down, "not now, traitor! excuse me, but i have an idea."

scaramouche asked, "what is it?" as kokomi and him were awaiting your idea, you drumrolled, "scaramouche, let's be tofu's parents!"

"what?"

"sorry, i mean, let's share custody."

kokomi gasped, standing up all the sudden, shaking the table a little bit, "what?? of your own cat?"

"yes."

she raised a brow, "that you bought?"

answering a bit faster so you could get to your point, "yes."

"why..."

"because clearly, this little traitor of mine has grown attached to this little thief." you gestured to the indigo eyed man besides you.

"i'm not that short." scaramouche said, pausing before realizing you called him a thief again. "nor a thief."

"yeah right." kokomi agreed with you.

"so... do you agree with me or not?"

"yes, i do."

"alright! i'll draft up a little contract next time we meet." you placed tofu in the carrier by putting a bit of his favorite treat in the carrier. "thank you for giving my cat back. bye!"

-------- scara's pov

"i can't believe that happened." kokomi said, plopping back down in her seat.

"i can't believe that they didn't pay."

"hey, you deserve paying for it. you took her cat."

"fair..."

masterlist previously + next

theres the newest member in the cat cafe you regularly visit after school. hes kind of cute in a cat-looklike way. but then you realize, oh shit thats the thief who stole my cat!!

the cat cafe notes: - yes, scaramouche did try to pay for the total amount of food. however, he found out that ayaka already had or at least for her, name's and kokomi's amount of food. - kokomi has a crush on ayaka if you couldn't tell - i didn't know how to write this but i hope this is up to you guys' taste :3