My Darling Feline (Bill X Fem! Reader)

Chapter Twelve: Just Like the Stars

With a nervous breath, Bill and I stared up at the tall, scrawny wooden ladder teetering against the giant orange T-Rex sculpture. The art department had been tweaking it for three straight days.

I swallowed hard. Bill shot me a look, half worried, half sarcastic. "That looks... stable," he said, voice dripping with doubt as a gentle breeze made the ladder sway just a bit.

Dom expected me to climb up and fix the lighting inside the dinosaur's head.

"I don't think you should do it," Bill said, his tone matching the unease bubbling in my chest.

"Why not?"

Bill clicked his tongue. "Well, for starters, I kinda like you in one piece."

I sighed, shoulders slumping. "As much as I'd rather not, someone's gotta do it. If I don't, there's no way we light this thing up."

"Why not have one of the others do it?"

I shook my head. "They all took off somewhere. No clue if they'll be back before nightfall."

Bill hummed thoughtfully, then straightened up. "Fine. I'll do it."

***

"Oh, come on Bill! Don't tell me you're scared of heights!" I shouted up at him as his big frame wobbled on the ladder.

"Not heights," Bill called down, gripping the rungs tighter. "Just falling!"

"I told you I'd do it, you dummy!"

Bill shook his head, clutching the ladder like it was the last thing holding him up. "Nope! It's fine, really. I'll fix the problem and get down. Easy."

His voice was definitely shaky. Every step he took made the ladder creak and groan like it was about to snap. I couldn't help but cringe, convinced the whole thing would collapse any second.

Finally, Bill reached the top, popped open a tiny panel in the back of the T-Rex's head, and fiddled with the wiring. After a tense minute, he slammed the cover shut.

"All good! Now hit the switch!" he shouted.

I grabbed the controller and flipped the switch. With a satisfying click, the dinosaur burst to life, glowing orange against the dusk sky like a fiery star. Bill laughed triumphantly.

Then, halfway down the ladder... crack.

The ladder gave way.

"Bill!" 

I rushed over to where Bill lay sprawled on the cold ground. "You okay?"

Bill groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. "Ouch. Nothing broken, though. Definitely not fun."

I gave him a light smack on the shoulder. "You idiot. Aren't cats supposed to always land on their feet?"

He rolled his eyes but grinned. I held out my hand, and after a playful pause, he took it. Our fingers tangled briefly as he pulled himself up.

Standing side by side, we both stared up at the towering T-Rex. I pulled out my phone and snapped a quick photo, shooting it to the art department group chat.

"How about a picture in front of it?" Bill suggested, a grin tugging at his lips. "This might be the closest anyone gets before the festival."

"Sounds good to me."

Bill pulled out his phone and nudged me toward the dinosaur. He set the phone on a paint bucket nearby, angled it just right, and hit the timer for ten seconds before sprinting back to my side.