Cartoon Cat x Male Reader (SCP AU)

｡˚ Chapter 5 - A Fluffy Saviour ˚｡

The usual hum of voices filled the cafeteria, but today the noise seemed sharper, more grating. You regretted skipping dinner the night before—your stomach felt like it was devouring itself, and your sleep had been restless, broken by the smallest sounds. Every creak of your bed jolted you awake, and once disturbed, it was nearly impossible to drift back into sleep.

Your plan for the morning was simple: devour your entire plate of food and then sleep for a week. At least, that's what you wished you could do.

It was breakfast, and pancakes were being served. Your E/C eyes lit up at the sight of actual, appetizing food. Today, you were beyond ready for it.

You sat down next to Bella and across from Andy, who, like you, seemed to be on a mission to eat as much as possible. He was practically inhaling his food, swallowing an oversized bite of pancake before greeting you.

"Morning, Y/N!" he mumbled through a mouthful of food.

You barely acknowledged him, too focused on your own plate. Beside you, Isabelle quietly peeled the skin off a blood orange. Being vegan, she avoided anything that came from animals, which meant her options were usually limited to whatever fruits, vegetables, or salads the cafeteria offered. This morning was no exception.

Andy noticed too, glancing at her with his usual half-smile. "I honestly feel bad for you, Isabelle," he said, still chewing. "There's so much you can't eat as a vegan."

Bella, without missing a beat, shot him a look. "And there are so many animals that wouldn't suffer if people stopped eating meat," she countered, popping a piece of orange into her mouth.

"Hey, hey, no guilt-tripping me!" Andy pointed a fork at her, his tone playful but defensive.

Bella sighed, her irritation quickly replaced by calm. "Sorry, I'm just sensitive about it," she admitted, her voice softer.

Andy nodded in understanding. "Nah, it's all good. I get it," he said, offering her a small smile before turning his attention to you.

"Hey, Y/N, aren't we working together today?" Andy asked, his enthusiasm returning as he put down his fork, signaling the end of his meal.

You blinked, startled at the mention of your name. It took a second for the memory to hit: yes, today you were both assigned to work together on his SCP—SCP-173. The Foundation had paired you because you worked well as a team, and today you were going to assist him in documenting the SCP. Despite it being Keter-class, Andy had never directly interacted with SCP-173 before; his work had been primarily writing and research, sharing responsibilities with another researcher, Dr. Sheila Greenwood.

"Oh, right!" you said, smiling up at him, trying to shake off your fatigue.

Andy grinned back, while Bella pouted. "Why do you two get to work together and I don't? No fair..." she sighed dramatically, nibbling at her orange.

"Sorry, Vampire Bella," Andy teased, unable to resist a smirk.

She gave him a confused look, then noticed the blood orange in her hand and rolled her eyes. "Very funny, dad," she muttered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Andy narrowed his eyes in mock disapproval, but said nothing.

You and Andy made your way through the hallways, both carrying notebooks and pens. The conversation between you was light, but something felt off. There was an underlying sense of dread you couldn't shake.

"Everything okay, N/N?" Andy asked, noticing the tension in your expression.

You gave a weak nod, trying to calm the rising unease in your gut. "I don't know... I just have a bad feeling about today."