Got my claws in you

Chapter 71- my girl

(This chapter has been split into two for CONVENIENCE sake at the smart behest of my darling @Midiiplier so the AN will be after the SECOND chapter update!! ENJOY!)

AMINA POV:

"Shhh little kit... it's an adventure." I hush, finger pressing to my lips. Watching as wide eyes blink up at me, yowling happily as she paws for my hand, stretching out on her hind legs to try clamber close.

I scoop her up, fingers sinking into soft grey and white fur, lips brushing over her ears, scent turning soft when she nudges her nose against mine, little kitten licks as she reciprocates the affection with a smatter of kisses, meowling softly, tail swishing eagerly.

She curls up in my hands, tail swishing and brushing against my wrist, circling as I cradle her, drawing her close to brush a kiss across one ear then the other. Nosing gently at the tiny scar on the grey ear, chest rumbling with a soft chirp before she butts her head against me, yowling as her cheek rubs against mine, paws pressing to my face.

"Sweet baby... want to go explore?" voice hushed and quiet. Her meow in response is loud and eager, wriggling to scramble closer to me, cheek rubbing against my neck, paws fumbling to curl against my throat.

I lift the edge of my hoodie, watch as she curls herself small under it, settling directly against skin with a contented purr, burrowing closer when I draw the hood over my head, hiding my kit and ears away.

"Just for a little bit." I murmur quietly, padding towards the door, eyes cautiously peering out to see if anyone's wandering by ears flickering and perked to catch the slightest sound, body moving noiselessly out of the room.

My head turns both directions, eyes scanning for approaching figures before finally deeming it safe to slip out into the corridor. The sudden loss of scent in the hallway, the perfectly neutral air makes my body jolt for a moment, so used to the scent of sea-salt entangled with faint wisps of honey, with the baby-powder scent of KitKat that the sudden absence of it has my nose dipping to breathe in the scents clinging to the jumper. To the reassuring reminder of pack clinging to the fibres of the clothing, feet moving silently down the hallway, peering curiously at the warded rooms, every door shut away and no indication save for the names outside that give an inkling for whose inside.

I backtrack when I realise that my name could very well be on the outside of my room door, retracing myself to the door, eyes searching for my name, my initials even. Relieved and surprised both when there's neither, when a fake name that I don't recognise is labelling the door instead. A room for one. Not a room for an officer and her stowaway kitten.

Nothing to mark me out for anyone other than who needs to know.

And the world... the world inside the centre, inside the warded ICU doesn't need to know that Lieutenant Fang Amina is alive. The world just doesn't need to know until I know that the world is safe for the bundle of fur wriggling around and currently settled against my skin, snuffling at my shoulder.

The same quietness, the same wary, alertness trained into me, forced in by survival keeps me noiseless and quiet, hand unconsciously drifting to brush over the small, almost indecipherable lump under the hood, offering the pad of my fingers when she meowls, small fangs gumming lightly, pawing for closeness before she settles. The disquiet soothed away.

And quietly I take in the ICU, take in the section of the centre portioned off, a maze of corridors and hallways that I wander around lost for a while. It takes far too long, for an officer... for a lieutenant to realise the intent behind the maze-like structure, to realise I've effectively been walking around in circles, confused and thrown off by the layout. That it takes a few endless cycles to realise that the faint tang of my sea-salt scent lingers in the air before its diffused again, lost in the neutralisers airing out the space.