#pet sitting

“Are Luke and Kieran going with you?” Sylus nodded in response. “Mephisto?”

“That was my intention, he’s good for intel,” Sylus explained, but when he looked down at you, he saw a flicker of sorrow in your eyes. “Unless,” he started, “unless you wanted to take care of him while I’m away?” he asked gently, and your eyes sparkled in delight.

“I can pet sit him for you!” you exclaimed animatedly, jumping up from his lap. “I’ll take such good care of Mephisto while you are gone!”

Sylus laughed. “You know that he’s mechanical, right?” he asked, eying you curiously. “He doesn’t need to be taken care of like a pet.”

You crossed your arms and let out a huff of a sigh. “You’re just worried that Mephisto is going to like me more than you!”

“Not if you cover him in stickers again.”

And that is how Mephisto ended up in your home, sadly not covered in glitter and rhinestones. The first couple of days had been hard adapting to his schedule; you had been sleeping soundly the first time he woke you up for his walk.

“Why the fuck does Sylus walk you at midnight?” you muttered to the crow, bleary-eyed as you slowly changed out of your pajamas and took him outside.

By the end of the first week, you had fully adjusted to Mephisto’s schedule and each of his quirks. You knew how he liked to be pet, where his favorite places to perch were, and you were always sure to leave the curtain cracked just right so he could enjoy the sunbeam while you were at work, a luxury he did not have in the N109 zone.

On the ninth night, your phone buzzed and you scrambled to answer as you saw Sylus’s name flash across the screen. Sylus’s face appeared on the screen; he was tired, but his crimson eyes softened the moment he saw you. His expression shifted as he noticed Mephisto sitting on your shoulder.

“What the hell is on his head?” Sylus asked slowly, though you could see the corner of his mouth twitching.

“It’s a hat!” you said defensively, and Mephisto flew closer to the phone’s camera and let out a couple of caws. “See! He likes it!”

Sylus pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Sweetie, I leave you alone for one week,” he started, and you grinned, settling into the couch and propping the phone up on the coffee table.

“So I’ve been thinking,” you started, a playful note in your voice. “Are you letting me pet sit Mephisto so I wouldn’t be lonely while you are gone, or is he pet-sitting me so you can keep an eye on me?”

His eyes flicked up, locking on yours through the screen. “Maybe both,” he admitted, his voice low. “Can’t have either of you running wild without me.”

“So, why exactly do we need to pet-sit?” You lean forward and rub the massive tiger’s forehead. It happily rubs its face against your hand and makes a keening sound. “I thought the tiger was also a demon, and by definition, is completely self-sufficient.”

“Yes, well…” Romance clicks his tongue and tilts his head to the side. “Jinu is apparently having problems with it causing mischief lately.” Your boyfriend settles more comfortably against your side when you lean back into the couch.

“Is that Jinu-code for it keeps crashing his dates with Rumi?” You ask, slipping your hand into Romance’s and twining your fingers together.

He hums an affirmative response and shifts your clasped hands up to press a kiss to the back of your palm. “Which means that he thinks his dating life is more important than ours.”

You chuckle at your boyfriend’s pretend pout. “Well, we were planning to stay in tonight anyway.”

“That’s not the point, darling.” He counters but still reaches for the television remote and a blanket like he’s planning to settle in for a long while.

“It’ll be fine.” You laugh before snuggling into Romance’s arms with a content sigh. “We just have to make sure it stays here with us. It can’t be that difficult just to keep an eye on him.”

You really should have known better because nothing can be that simple. The tiger stays put, at first. As the first movie shifts into the second, it decides to curl up on the couch with you like a cat. Or, at least, it attempts to. It ends up mostly sprawled on the floor with its head in your lap. You think it’s more dog-like behavior, but you enjoy absently running your fingers through the soft, warm fur, so you choose not to question it.

Things start to get slightly more concerning by the third movie. You can tell that the tiger is starting to get restless. Maybe it’s upset that Jinu hasn’t made it back yet, but you can’t tell for sure. It decides to sit in front of one of the massive windows and watch the world outside for a bit. You just shrug it off.

You stand and stretch, offering to grab more snacks from the kitchen. Romance follows behind you, trying to explain the exact location of the particular treat he’s craving. Neither of you realize your mistake until you return to the living room, fresh snacks in hand, to find it empty, completely void of one massive tiger.

“Oh no…” You mutter, frantically looking around the room like it might magically appear somewhere you’ve already searched.

“It’s not so bad.” Romance states, clearly trying not to be nervous and only failing slightly. “We just have to find the tiger before it finds Jinu.”

“Uh-huh. Simple.” Your voice cracks slightly when you say it. “It’ll be easy.”

“Don’t say that.” The pink haired man practically whines the words out. “It’s not going to be easy, and Jinu is going to make rehearsals a nightmare tomorrow.”

You frown and pat Romance’s arm placatingly. “Maybe we can still salvage this. Where was their date tonight?”

“I think they were going stargazing at that spot we went last week.” He smiles fondly at the memory, taking one of your hands and cradling it to his chest. “We should do that again.” Romance uses his free hand to brush your hair away from your face. “You look so beautiful in the starlight.”

You blush at the compliment. Then you shake your head to focus back on the problem. “I’d love to do that again, but we need to make sure you’re not too tired for that first.”

“Right!” Romance helps you into a jacket that you’re pretty sure is his before you both go rushing out the door.

Knowing that the tiger will most likely be heading for Jinu and Rumi, you try to get there before it appears. You both sneak into the small park and find the tiger just starting to peek out of the bushes behind the couple. Working together, you drag it back into hiding before they see it.

Unfortunately, you slip and tumble back into the bush, making a rather obvious noise. Romance curses under his breath as he struggles to keep himself and the tiger hidden. Jinu looks around, trying to find the source of the noise only for Rumi to draw him back into their conversation when nothing turns up. You breathe a sigh of relief and work with Romance to get the tiger back to their shared apartment.

You and Romance both let out matching groans as you flop back onto the couch in an exhausted heap when you make it back inside with the tiger. You curl up against his chest and he wraps his arms around you to keep you close.

“Keep an eye on him, Ro.” You say with a yawn, eyes slipping closed.

Romance hums and starts running a hand up and down your back in soothing motions. “Don’t worry. I’ll watch the big guy. You get some rest.”

You mumble something about staying awake to help, only for him to kiss the crown of your head and lull you to sleep long before Jinu returns.

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