With Every Step

23. Courage

He was engaged in a staring contest.

With a cat.

The moment he broke the window, that damn cat started growling for all she was worth. Seeing Amon made her quiet, but she continued to glare at him.

After Rabbit had spoken with him, soothing some of his worries about meeting Akira again, Amon had decided he couldn't go empty-handed. He was still as terrible at buying gifts for people as he had been years ago, but this time he didn't need to buy anything.

"I have a cat waiting for me at home."

He had a feeling that when Akira woke up, when she realised how long she had been on the edge of death, her first concern would be this hellion—Maris Stella. What an elegant name for a decidedly not-so-elegant pet.

But his feelings about the cat didn't matter. What was important was that Akira cared for her.

"Come here, kitty," he said softly, crouching on the floor and patting the space in front of him. That was how you were supposed to call a cat, right?

She stayed exactly where she was, seemingly not having any intention of moving.

Amon couldn't spend the whole day trying to convince her to follow him. With a sigh, he stood up, walking towards the cat. She raised her head to look at his face, almost like a challenge.

Bending down, he picked her up in his arms.

She let out a sharp cry, scratching at his hand, but Amon didn't let go. He had suffered pain much worse than what her claws could inflict and his body healed faster now compared to when he had been fully human.

The sound though... if she kept being so loud, the neighbours would be suspicious. Amon knew how it would look, a stranger breaking into a woman's house. And that was without factoring in issues with the CCG.

Akira had always spoken about how intelligent her Maris Stella was. He hoped she hadn't been praising the cat out of affection alone.

"I'm taking you to Akira. You know who that is, right?"

The cat stilled, and Amon pushed his luck.

"She's injured. She can't come here, but we can go to her."

He got a meow in response, but at least the cat had stopped fighting against him. Adjusting her in his hands—he had no clue how to hold any pet, but it couldn't be too hard, right?—he left.

The bell rang as he walked into the café, and Rabbit looked up from her work. He watched amusement appear on her face as she saw what he was holding, but she didn't make any comments.

"She's alone right now."

Amon nodded and made his way to where Akira was being kept. He was suddenly and painfully aware of how each step took him closer to her, when he had spent so long staying away.

Heart in his throat, Amon mustered all his courage and opened the door to her room.