Monoma woke up, cringing at the lack of sun shining through the windows. It was early, far too early for him to wake up considering the late night he had the day before. But he had no choice but to get up at his butlers greeting and prepare himself for the day.

"When's my first meeting again?" he asked his secretary who had come into the room as he checked himself out in the mirror. His butler was off to the side watching quietly.

"It's at 7 a.m. with Mrs. Nakamura from the western branch," his secretary responded.

Monoma stopped his fidgeting, turning around to his secretary."Nakamura?"

"Yes."

"I should've known." He cursed to himself, turning back to the mirror and straightening his hair out one last time."That old hag's the only one who would want to meet me so early in the goddamn morning. She should just hurry up and retire already. I'd give her a bonus if she took some vacation days."

Nobody responded to Monoma's ramblings, just watching him patiently and waiting for him to give them the go ahead.

"Alright." Monoma stepped back, admiring himself in the mirror and flashing a quick smile."Showtime."

He swiftly turned around and his butler naturally opened the door for him as he stepped out of his room. He made his way down the familiar hallway of the west wing, his secretary and butler following dutifully behind him.

By the time he made it to the main entrance his schedule for the day had been recited to him and Monoma listened patiently but forget most of it by the time the words came out of his secretaries mouth. There was always something he had to be thinking incessantly about and right now it was motherfucking Nakamura from the western branch.

Before he began walking down the steps towards the front door, he stopped his stride and a distasteful look took over his face. His butler and secretary looked at him curiously, then glancing ahead at the scene he was staring at. A cold shiver ran down their spines.

Monoma took quick steps forward past his original route."What the hell's going on here?"

The distressed servant in question looked up tensely, hands shaking the tray in his grip. Below him was his hybrid, blood dripping through a hand he kept clutched to his cat ear and onto the floor. He was cringing in pain, broken glass from plates and cups lying around him.

"M-Master!" the servant's voice shook."I-I'm sorry! I wasn't looking and then..."

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Monoma snapped back at him. His eyes could see well enough what happened."You're fired."

"W-What...?"

"What will happen if you leave a scar on him, huh? Do you want my reputation to plummet?!" Monoma glared back at him."Pack your things and go. I expect you gone by the time I'm back at the end of the day."

The servant opened his mouth but knew nothing could stop him from being fired. So, shaking with all the intense emotions swarming through him, he left to pack his things.

Monoma turned to his butler."Go get someone to clean this up and call the doctor."

"Right away." His butler bowed and left to do his bidding.

Monoma then turned back to the hybrid, bending down and making sure to avoid the glass scattered about. The hybrid was sweating and had a strained look on its face as it attempted to stay calm.

"Move your hand away," Monoma ordered."Let me see the wound."

Shinsou shakily did as he asked, bloody hand falling into his lap. He stared at it, vision hazing slightly as pain overtook his thoughts.

Monoma took a look at the cut, a small thing ripping into the side of his ear about a third of the way in."Well, it can probably be stitched back up, but I'll leave that to the doctor. Hopefully your fur will cover any scarring."

After giving it a look over, Monoma was ready to leave and get his day started. The hybrid, finally succumbing to the pain, passed out and fell right onto Monoma.

Monoma was throughly shocked, hands barely catching him before he slipped off and into the broken glass. He looked down slowly, his worst fears coming to light as he saw the hybrids blood seeping into his fresh suit.

"Mr. Monoma, are you okay?!" His secretary scrambled towards him.

"Yes, just get this hybrid off me," Monoma grumbled and his secretary quickly moved to help him."We'll need to push my meeting with Mrs. Nakamura back as well. Seems I need to change into some new clothes unless I want to show up looking like I just murdered someone."

His secretary nodded, gently pulling the hybrid away and into a safe place.

-

It had been one month since Shinsou saw his new owner. During that time, Shinsou enjoyed himself as he promised, but everything he did felt empty. There was something about the lack of other warm bodies that made everything he did throughout the day feel mundane and meaningless.

There were times when he was perfectly content, but then there were other times when he just wanted to be pet and played with, typical cat-like traits Shinsou hadn't realized he still had. He realized quickly that it was because he was around humans now more than hybrids, so that side of him was just naturally awakening.

He didn't want it to awaken, because now his luxury was really becoming a sweet hell. Why wouldn't any of the servants or maids helping him pet him or play with him? Were they ordered not to by his owner, or were they just too busy to pay attention to him? They had been so curious at the beginning too and now it all felt like a lie.

Shinsou didn't want to ask any of them for pets either. It would be the ultimate icing on this cake that would only last two more months. Shinsou didn't want to spoil himself too much, or he may actually grow depressed about leaving at the end of all this. Monoma had told him from the beginning his purpose so that he wouldn't misunderstand and get comfortable, so he couldn't do the opposite of what he said.

But when he saw his owner again, all that resolve just crumbled more and more. Even drowning in pain after that servant accidentally hurt him, he could smell his owners familiar scent that drowned an entire room in its demanding way. He smelled it all around the house but up close it made him dizzy like catnip.

And when checking his wound, Monoma had just barely brushed against his hair but it was enough to make Shinsou's heart sputter and his whole body crave more and more of him. Out of everyone in this mansion, his owner was the one he wanted attention from the most, yet out of all the people in this mansion, his owner was probably the last person who was going to give him the time of day, unless it concerned his agenda.

That was the only reason he had shown even an ounce of concern anyways, right? It was all for this lie of his, but Shinsou dared to think that perhaps it was fate. Maybe there was some way he could get Monoma to let him stay.

When Shinsou woke up after he passed out, he noticed someone that looked like a doctor fiddling around with some things on his left. He was in his usual room and there were some pillows propping him up and sheets laid out to make sure the bed didn't get dirty.

The doctor noticed he was awake the minute he opened his eyes."Don't move," he ordered."Especially your ears, or the stitches will come undone."

Shinsou stayed still, not fully coherent yet. The doctor walked up to him, handing him some cloth."I got this from your owner, in case you need to calm down. I need to ask you some questions, is that okay?"

Shinsou wasn't really paying attention to him at this point. He just stared at the article of clothing in his hands. It was the same button up he noticed Monoma wearing under his suit coat before he passed out and he noticed a small blood stain on the collar. Monoma had actively went out of his way to give him his shirt, even knowing they weren't that close and thinking it probably wouldn't help Shinsou. He had some hope. It was scary.

"Do you feel any pain around your ear or anywhere else?" the doctor asked.

"Just a bit in my ear where it was cut," Shinsou responded, forcing it not to twitch as he talked about it. He clutched Monoma's shirt absentmindedly, not daring to smell out his scent now.

"Good," the doctor nodded."And how's your hearing?"

"Fine."

"Good, good," he nodded off."If you have any questions or anything comes up, Master Monoma has my number. The servants have been instructed on what pain meds to give you and general care instructions. I'll be back in a couple weeks for a follow up visit."

"Okay," Shinsou mumbled, still staring down at the shirt.

"You and Master Monoma both are so straight to the point," the doctor grumbled, probably to himself."Not bothering with niceties at all..."

Shinsou perked at his words even though they were supposed to be somewhat harsh."Have you known my owner for awhile now?"

"I wouldn't say awhile, cause I don't see him unless he's done something stupid like get shot."

"He's been shot?!" Shinsou's eyes widened.

"Not yet," the doctor grumbled, packing up his equipment."It'll happen one day, I'm sure."

"Oh..." If Shinsou's owner was that reckless, it would only make him worry more. He should forget the doctors words."Has he ever said anything about owning a hybrid?"

"I know he's never wanted a pet," the doctor started."Something about them trashing his house or shedding all over. After hearing his complaining, I was surprised to see he picked you up." The doctor finished putting everything away, turning around to Shinsou."Well, all I gotta say is good luck."

Shinsou nodded, watching him leave his room without another word. The minute he was gone, Shinsou pulled Monoma's shirt up and shoved his nose into the soft fabric. The scent made him dizzy, but it also comforted him and calmed him down in a way that made him lie back in his bed with a hearty sigh.

Perhaps it was his instincts recognizing Monoma as his owner and naturally calming from his scent. Shinsou had never had a true owner, so he wasn't sure how it all worked. All he knew was that he enjoyed his owners scent much more than he had when he first smelled it, and he was now sure he needed to get the other to let him stay.

But how the hell was he supposed to get a guy who didn't want a hybrid to want one? Shinsou could easily keep his hands to himself and not mess up his house, but the fur he could do nothing about. He had to appeal to him in some way.

Maybe as some kind of way to destress? People loved to lie down with an animal and cuddle at the end of the day, right? But it's not like Monoma would even allow him close to him. He was in the east wing and Monoma was in the west for a reason.

He would just have to force Monoma to get used to him like he had to with Monoma.