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Rain pattered against the window of Time Photo Studio, a rhythmic lullaby that matched the quiet inside. You were curled up on the couch-tail twitching lazily, cat ears flicking toward every distant rumble of thunder. A fluffy blanket wrapped around your shoulders like a cape, and a warm mug of milk sat between your palms. The studio, usually humming with tense missions and Lu Guang's warnings, had a rare softness to it tonight.
"Another nap day?" Cheng Xiaoshi's voice broke the quiet as he poked his head around the doorframe.
You blinked up at him, a soft purr in your throat. "It's raining. What else am I supposed to do?"
He chuckled, walking toward you, messy hair and tired eyes betraying how late he'd stayed up editing photos. "So being a cat hybrid means you get to just loaf around whenever the weather gets gloomy?"
You smirked. "Exactly. It's in the handbook."
Without asking, he sat beside you and tugged you into his lap. Your tail flicked once, then settled over his thigh. He smelled faintly like soap and the studio's old camera bags-something warm and familiar. You tucked your face against his chest, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around you.
"Lu Guang told me not to bug you," you murmured, "since you're supposed to be resting. But I missed you."
Cheng Xiaoshi exhaled softly, fingers carding through your hair, brushing between your ears just the way you liked. "I missed you too. I always do after a mission. I go back and see everyone's memories, but none of them are you."
You tilted your head up, ears perking. "Do you wish I could go with you?"
"I'd rather you didn't," he said, half-smiling. "Too dangerous. I'd go crazy if something happened to you in there."
Your heart fluttered. He always acted so impulsively, emotionally driven-but with you, he was cautious, gentle.
"Would you still love me if I scratched the furniture?" you teased, claws extending ever so slightly from your fingertips.
He looked down at you, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I already forgave you for clawing up the armrest last week."
"And when you knocked over Lu Guang's cactus?"
"That one was... an accident."
You both burst into laughter, the sound filling the studio with warmth. Cheng Xiaoshi leaned down and kissed your forehead between your ears. "You're lucky you're cute."
You rubbed your cheek against his, purring softly. "You're lucky I chose you, Xiaoshi."
He stilled for a moment, then leaned back to look into your eyes. "I still can't believe someone like you-sweet, soft, loyal... beautiful-wants someone like me."
"Someone like you," you echoed, flicking his nose with your tail, "is kind, brave, stupidly self-sacrificing, and has the warmest heart I've ever known."
He kissed you then-slow, deep, and full of quiet emotion. His hands stayed firmly on your back, pressing you close, like he was scared the moment would slip away.
When you finally broke apart, breathless and giggling, you batted his chest lightly. "You're clingy."
He tucked his head into the crook of your neck. "I'm dating a neko girl who turns into a blanket in cold weather. Of course I'm clingy. You're too soft to resist."
You meowed playfully. "Then let's just stay here. Just like this. No missions, no timelines. Just us."
"Deal," he whispered. "But only if you promise not to eat all the tuna again."
You smirked. "No promises."
Lu Guang walked into the studio, umbrella dripping in hand, only to stop dead at the sight of you two tangled on the couch. You were asleep, tail wrapped around Xiaoshi's wrist like a ribbon, ears twitching gently in dreamland. Cheng Xiaoshi snored lightly against your hair.
Lu Guang sighed, stepping over the scattered snack wrappers and overturned blanket.
"I swear to God," he muttered, "if she eats the emergency tuna again..."
But even he couldn't suppress a small smile as he pulled the blanket higher over you both, letting the rain lull the studio back into peaceful quiet.
Rain tapped gently on the windows of the Time Photo Studio. Soft golden light from a nearby desk lamp made the space feel warmer than the gray, wet afternoon outside. Lu Guang sat by the computer, his usual black turtleneck snug against his lean frame, glasses perched neatly on his nose. He was reviewing files, completely absorbed-until something soft and furry tickled the back of his neck.
"Again?" he asked, voice cool but not annoyed.
You blinked, your tail swishing behind you as you leaned over his shoulder. "You were so focused," you murmured, smiling. "I thought you needed a distraction."
Lu Guang didn't respond right away. His eyes moved from the screen to your reflection in the glass. Ears-furry, expressive, and dusted with faint stripes-twitched playfully atop your head.
"I just organized twenty years' worth of photos into a timeline for a grieving client," he said. "This isn't the time for distractions."
You leaned in closer, purring ever so slightly. "But I brought tea," you cooed, holding out a porcelain mug with a tiny pawprint charm hanging from the handle.
Lu Guang finally turned toward you fully, sighing through his nose. "You know I can't resist the lavender honey blend."
"Mmhm." You slid onto the couch, tail curling around your leg. "I remember everything you like. That's my superpower."
He gave a rare smile. Not wide, not giddy-but a softening of his expression. "Then you're stronger than I am."
It hadn't been easy when you two started dating. A half-neko hybrid wasn't exactly a common sight, even in Bridon. Most people thought you were cosplaying-until your ears twitched or you dropped from a rooftop at inhuman speed.
But Lu Guang never once looked at you like you were strange. The first time you met, you were crouched on a fire escape in the middle of a photo shoot gone wrong, drenched in the rain, arguing with a raccoon over your stolen lunch.
He had walked by with Cheng Xiaoshi, paused, then calmly said: "That bento box is clearly yours. The raccoon didn't pay for it."
You had blinked, soaking wet and shivering. "Wait... are you being serious?"
"Yes," he said, offering you an umbrella. "Come down before you catch a cold."
Now, months later, you often hang around the studio. Sometimes to help, sometimes to nap on the couch in the sun, sometimes just to be near him.
Later that evening, Lu Guang finally closed his laptop. "You've been too quiet."
You looked up from your curled position on the couch. "Is that bad?"
"No," he said, approaching. "Just suspicious."
You gave a soft snort. "I was watching the rain. It sounds nicer here than anywhere else."
Lu Guang sat beside you, wrapping an arm around your waist. "That's because you feel safe here."
His touch was grounding-cool fingers on your back, calming your instinctive restlessness.
"You're too observant for your own good," you muttered, tail curling around his thigh.
"I have to be." He brushed your bangs back, revealing your glowing eyes in the low light. "You move too fast. I need to keep up."
You leaned against his chest, heart steadying as his fingers absentmindedly ran down your spine-smoothing fur, tracing every familiar curve.
"Do you ever see me in the past?" you asked quietly. "In those photos?"
"Sometimes," he admitted. "When you pop into a frame by accident. A tail here. An ear there."
You laughed, embarrassed. "Oh god. That must look ridiculous."
"No," he murmured. "It makes me feel less alone. Like you were always meant to be somewhere close."
"I love you," you said before you could stop yourself.
He looked down at you, gold eyes unreadable in the dark. But his hand on your cheek was gentle, his forehead resting against yours.
"I know," he whispered. "And I love you, too."
Later that night, he let you fall asleep wrapped around him on the couch. Your tail tucked between you, your ears finally relaxed, safe and warm.
And just before he closed his eyes, he murmured against your hair:
"I'll see you in every timeline."
Rain spattered softly against the windowpane as you leaned against the sill, arms folded, watching for the silhouette you had come to recognize even through fog and darkness. Liu Xiao was late coming home. Again.
You sighed, breath misting the glass. His missions, however classified and cryptic, always stretched longer than he promised. "Just two hours," he'd whisper against your forehead. "Three, tops. Then I'll come home and hold you until you're bored of me."
You rubbed your tail anxiously-a twitching sign of nerves that Liu Xiao always found far too entertaining. He had a habit of wrapping his long fingers around it and murmuring praises in that deep, amused voice of his, as though it were his favorite thing about you. Which he claimed, repeatedly, it was.
And maybe you'd let yourself believe that.
You blinked, eyes narrowing as your heartbeat stuttered-not from affection, but from surprise. Down below, in the shared garden just outside your apartment, stood Liu Xiao.
More accurately: he was crouched, completely absorbed in the feline creature from your flat-the one you'd rescued weeks ago, who normally only curled around your ankles and hissed at strangers. But right now? The traitor was rubbing affectionately against Liu Xiao's chest, purring as he scratched behind its ears, completely ignoring the fact that you'd waited with soup on the stove and a freshly groomed tail just for him.
You watched in stunned silence as he said something-soft, amused. The cat meowed in response. He smiled, small and rare.
That smile. That damn smile that you thought was yours.
You slammed the window shut.
You didn't speak to him when he finally came upstairs, shoes wet from the rain and coat glistening. His round glasses had fogged slightly, but even through them, he saw the storm in your eyes.
"...What did I do this time?" he asked carefully, voice smooth and velvet-soft.
He stepped closer. "Something about your heartbeat is off. Jealousy?" A pause. "Ah. The cat."
You turned sharply. "I wait for hours with dinner, and you're down there whispering secrets to her? I had to hear your voice through the window like I'm some stranger-"
"She's not even a human."
Liu Xiao chuckled-a low, warm sound that only made your tail puff in indignation. His eyes crinkled behind his glasses, then softened as he stepped forward. "You're cute when you're angry. But I think I should make it up to you before your tail electrocutes someone."
In one swift movement, he wrapped his arms around you, drawing you into his long coat, which still held a faint chill from the rain. His scent-warm, subtle sandalwood-wrapped around your senses like a promise.
Your tail flicked once, then curled around his wrist involuntarily. He noticed.
"See?" he whispered against your temple. "She can't do that."
You huffed, stubborn, cheeks warm.
"And she doesn't purr when I touch her like this," he added, trailing his fingers lightly through the fur at the base of your tail.
Your breath hitched. "That's not fair."
"All's fair in love and tail envy."
You buried your face into his chest, mumbling something incoherent that only made him laugh again.
Later that night, tangled in the soft mess of blankets and each other, Liu Xiao held you with the kind of gentle possessiveness that belied his cold exterior. He played absentmindedly with your tail, curling it around his fingers like a ribbon.
"You know," he said, voice low, "I could hear your heartbeat all the way from the garden. It sped up the moment you saw me."
You poked his side. "Stop showing off."
"I'm just saying," he murmured. "Even if there were a hundred cats, or a thousand women, I'd still come home to the one whose heartbeat sounds like home."
Your tail twitched again. Not from jealousy. This time-from joy.
And as Liu Xiao pressed a kiss to your nape and murmured something about how warm you were, how soft, and how you needed to stay here forever-wrapped in his coat, his arms, and his heartbeat-you decided maybe next time, you'd let the cat have five more minutes.
The golden haze of Bridon's sunset slanted across the windows of Xia Fei's shared apartment, casting long warm streaks of light across the hardwood floors and the soft cream throw you had wrapped yourself in. Your ears twitched under the wool-knit hoodie, tipped with velvet-black fur. A soft sigh escaped your lips as you buried yourself deeper into the couch cushions.
Modeling gigs, networking, brand meetings - Xia Fei had been swept up in the city's whirlwind ever since his photos hit the billboards downtown. You were proud of him, really. But that didn't mean you weren't lonely. Or touch-starved. Especially when your tail kept flicking in the way it did when you were anxious... or needy.
The sound of keys jingling. Door unlocking.
"Xiao Mao? (Kitten?)" Xia Fei's voice, warm and smooth, floated through the entryway. "I'm home."
"'Bout time," you called back, muffled under your blanket cocoon.
He chuckled and stepped into the living room. His modeling jacket slipped off his shoulders in one smooth motion - you caught a glimpse of his toned arms under the fitted black tee before he tossed it over a chair. His golden-orange eyes lit up when they landed on you.
"You've been pouting," he said, leaning over the couch, smirking as he kissed your forehead. "Your ears give you away."
"I wasn't pouting," you huffed. "I was... sulking. Which is very different."
"Ah, my mistake. Sulking, then." He slid down next to you, arm immediately hooking around your waist to pull you closer. "And your tail's twitching."
"Don't start," you warned, cheeks heating up.
Xia Fei tilted his head, eyes narrowing with faux innocence. "Start what?" His hand ghosted along the base of your tail where it curled beneath your blanket.
"You know what," you grumbled, trying to pull the blanket over your head. But his fingers slipped past the fabric, tracing gentle circles along your spine.
"Tell me what it means when your tail flicks like this," he murmured into your ear. "It's not just frustration. It's something else too... isn't it?"
"Xia Fei," you breathed, flustered.
"Do you know how cute you are when you try to hide it?" he whispered, nosing into the space beneath your ear. "And how warm you get when I play with it?"
You gave a small whimper and immediately smacked his chest. "Tease."
His laugh was husky, but not cruel. Never cruel. His hand slid from your tail to the small of your back, wrapping you up gently as he kissed your cheek again.
"I missed you," he confessed, voice softer now. "Every second today, all I wanted was to get home. To this. To you."
You blinked up at him, watching the cocky grin fade into something more sincere. Xia Fei always had a mask for the world - the ambitious model, the cool-headed physics major, the one who "only went for the best." But with you, his real self slipped through in moments like this. Unarmoured. Honest.
"I'm sorry I've been so busy," he added, rubbing his thumb over your waist. "You're more important than all of that."
Your tail gave an involuntary twitch.
"See?" he teased, grinning again. "I knew that gets to you."
"You're lucky I love you," you muttered, but melted into his embrace anyway, curling your tail around his thigh like an instinctive claim.
"I know," he replied, kissing the top of your head, "but I'll never take that for granted."
You sat there like that for a while - the sunset burning low behind the glass, the buzz of the city distant, your tail curling contentedly with every slow breath. Xia Fei stroked your ears gently, his fingers careful, reverent.
And though his modeling world was full of lights, cameras, and praise... it was here, buried in the soft fur of your tail and the press of your cheek against his chest, that he felt like he'd truly won something precious.
Bridon was unusually warm today, and yet Vein still wore his long dark coat, red tassel earrings swinging as he wandered the upscale shopping mall alone. He hummed to himself like always, drawing a few glances from startled passersby. Maybe it was the sharp contrast of his untamed red-and-black hair or the air of unpredictable mischief that clung to him like a scent.
He ignored it all. His mind was on you.
You, his half-neko hybrid girlfriend, who just that morning had leapt into his arms wearing your favorite fuzzy socks, ears flicking with excitement over a new cat toy Xia Fei had dropped off as a joke. You had no idea he'd been planning a surprise of his own.
"Choker. Black leather. Gold bell," Vein mumbled to himself, tapping a finger against his bottom lip as he inspected display cases at the luxury jewelry boutique.
The attendant blinked. "Sir... Would you like the heart-shaped tag? Or round?"
"Heart," Vein replied instantly. "And...engrave it. 'Vein's property.'"
The poor attendant paused, flinched, then nodded with professional dread.
You were home, curled on the couch with your tail twitching contentedly under Vein's oversized hoodie. You sniffed the air as the elevator dinged - your nose knew that scent anywhere.
You padded to the door on socked feet. "You're late. I was going to attack your coat again."
"You mean like last time when you shed all over me and licked my cheek?"
"Exactly," you chirped proudly.
Vein chuckled, slipping off his shoes and leaning close to brush a kiss against your forehead. "Miss me that much, kitten?"
Your ears perked at the pet name. "Maybe."
You followed him around the penthouse like a shadow, but he kept one hand behind his back, refusing to let you peek. "What's in your hand?" you asked, tail swishing curiously.
"Wouldn't you like to know," he sing-songed. "Sit down, kitten. And no peeking until I say."
Your heart raced a little as you obeyed, sinking into the plush couch. When he sat across from you and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, your breath caught in your throat.
"Oh my god," you whispered, eyes wide. "V-Vein..."
He tilted his head. "Hmm?"
You clasped your hands over your mouth. "Are you... Are you proposing?!"
There was a very long pause.
Then Vein burst out laughing. "What? No, no-oh my god, kitten, no."
You flushed deep red. "T-Then what's in the box?! It looks like a-like a ring box!"
He leaned forward, the velvet box cradled in his palm. "Open it."
You hesitated, then gently cracked the lid open...
Inside, nestled against black velvet, was a sleek black choker made of soft leather. A silver bell dangled in the center, and attached to it: a heart-shaped charm engraved with neat cursive letters.
Your ears twitched. "O-Oh."
"Do you like it?" he asked, almost too casual. "Saw it in a dream. Thought you'd look cute in it. Yours, mine, same difference."
You stared at the bell, cheeks flushed.
"Do you hate it?" Vein asked, suddenly serious. "You don't have to wear it. I can-"
"I love it," you whispered, already lifting your hair. "Put it on me?"
Vein's lips curved into that signature mischievous smile. He took the choker out and moved behind you, fingers brushing your nape as he clasped it on. The bell gave a soft jingle.
You turned, face glowing. "Do I look cute?"
"Mine," he murmured, pulling you close by the collar. "Absolutely mine."
You felt a purr rumble in your chest as you buried your face in his coat. "I still want a ring someday though," you mumbled.
Vein laughed. "Greedy kitten. One collar at a time."
You sat curled on his lap as you both watched reruns of some awful Bridon soap opera. He absentmindedly flicked the bell on your choker with one finger, smirking each time it jingled.
"Hey," you mumbled, half-asleep. "You never told me what your dream was about."
"Hm?" He tilted his head.
"You said you saw the collar in a dream."
He paused, eyes glinting with something unreadable. "In the dream, you wore it and purred whenever I touched it. I woke up annoyed that I didn't buy it yet."
You nuzzled into his neck. "That's so weirdly romantic."
Vein grinned. "Better than a ring?"
You pretended to think, tail brushing over his legs. "If the ring has your name on it? Maybe."
I already posted this in my Wattpad account. There's more oneshot stories in my account on Wattpad. Feel free to go there and read (@raniyattngal), my account has the same profile picture as my tumblr one.
The book title is Link Click | Oneshots
