Underneath Our Noses

Giorno and Fugo rang Narancia and Mista's doorbell, waiting patiently.

"Just a sec!" Mista yelled. He sounds like they were in a rush.

"The two live together, but I can hear them tumbling around," Giorno said. "Are they late for their date? The date that they agreed to?"

Fugo sighed. "Those two idiots." He pounded on the door. "Come on. It's getting dark. Do you want the stores and businesses closed on your date?"

Narancia opened the door, looking fancy in his suit. Mista less so, but he wore something different. A cat, a British shorthair, was also in his hands.

"Is that Lil Meow Meow?" Fugo asked as he walked in.

"Yeah, and he's a good boy!" Narancia tried to convince him.

He looked at the scratched furniture and curtains. "I can tell."

"He's so soft and fluffy." Mista handed him the cat. "Take care of our baby."

Giorno got into the apartment. "Don't worry. He's in good hands. Have fun on your—" Something smelt awful, and it came from the bathroom.

"We will!" Narancia took Mista's hand. "Don't have too much fun in our house, though!"

They left, leaving the blond couple alone with their cat.

"Yeesh, finally," Fugo said as he closed the door. "This will be—what is that smell? Don't tell me one of those two forgot to flush?"

"I'll find out." Giorno went into the bathroom. Nothing was unusual except the cat litter needed to be scooped. "It's just cat poop."

"Disgusting! How long was that there?"

"The cat didn't cover it."

Fugo looked at the cat in his arms. "Seriously?" The cat growled, and his ears went flat. He immediately put Lil Meow Meow down, and the cat hissed. "I knew this cat was a demon!"

Giorno rushed out of the bathroom after cleaning the mess. When he returned, Lil Meow Meow back Fugo, broom in hand, into a corner.

"Get him away from me!" he panicked.

Giorno knelt and brought his hand out. "Pspspsp!"

The cat turned around, sniffing his hand before rubbing himself against it.

"Why does he hate me?"

"Maybe because he never got to sniff you."

"Tch. I was holding him. He should've had my scent. Whatever. I'm going to watch TV and doze off. Want to join me?"

"Let me check the cat's food bowl first." Giorno went into the kitchen and saw his bowl lacked food. He refilled it before sitting with Fugo in the living room. His boyfriend flipped through the channels. "Nothing good is on. Should we watch some of the movies they have here?"

"I already watched all of them."

Lil Meow Meow sat on Giorno's lap, watching TV with them. He looked bored, but Fugo switched to a nature channel, grabbing the cat's attention. A lion devoured a zebra. Sharp fangs ripped apart the zebra's legs. Lil Meow Meow got into it until Fugo switched the channel again. Angered, he clawed Fugo's legs, hissing with ears flattened.

"What the hell?" Fugo glared at the cat.

"I think he was watching the nature channel," Giorno said. "Put it back."

"But we went on a date to the zoo two days ago."

"Lil Meow Meow wasn't with us. You wanted to doze off, right? You can doze off while watching the nature channel."

"I supposed we could watch it." Fugo switched the channel back. Lil Meow Meow seems happier now. "What a violent cat. Of course, he would enjoy watching this."

"Did you know cats play with their prey before eating them?"

"Another reason why I'm a dog person."

After a few minutes, the blonds dozed off, and the channel no longer showed lions in the wild but commercials, boring the cat once again. Lil Meow Meow got off Giorno's lap and decided to do cat things.

-

Giorno slowly woke up, and the channel was still on the nature documentary but discussed polar bears. Fugo rested on his lap, but Lil Meow Meow wasn't anywhere to be seen. Giorno tapped his boyfriend awake, causing him to hum as he woke.

"Are they back yet?" Fugo asked, turning in his lap to face him.

"No, but don't panic."

"Why would I panic?"

"Lil Meow Meow is gone."

Fugo sat up. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Fugo grabbed the remote and switched the channels again. He changed it to the news, and the reporter announced an increase in cat slaughters near their area.

"Okay, I'm worried now," Fugo said.

"He's probably somewhere," Giorno said. "Come on. Let's find him."

They searched the rooms but couldn't find the cat.

"Where the heck is this cat?" Fugo questioned.

"Maybe we didn't search thoroughly enough. Let's check if Meow Meow hid in something or a small gap."

Giorno checked the kitchen, using Golden Experience to sense where Lil Meow Meow was. Meanwhile, Fugo went into his friends' bedroom and searched the drawers, closet, and under the bed. No luck. The two returned to the living room.

"I think he might've gotten out, but how?" Fugo questioned.

"I don't think he did. The windows and doors were closed the entire time. Do you think he might've snuck around rooms while we kept searching?"

"Yeah. Maybe we could use a treat or catnip to draw him out."

Giorno headed to the kitchen and searched the drawers for bait to draw Lil Meow Meow from hiding. He took a bag of catnip and poured some onto the cat scratch post. Lil Meow Meow showed himself, revealing that he hid underneath the couch.

"Right underneath our noses," Giorno remarked.

Fugo got a text message on his cell phone. "They're returning soon. Let's just play with the cat."

"I think that's a good idea. I'll watch him while you search for some toys."