[Yandere Meowscarada x Reader] I'll Make Them All Disappear!

83 | Soulmates

Florian couldn't sleep. No matter how long he kept his eyes closed, he never came close to dozing off, and his eyelids always felt weightless. He pulled the covers up over his shoulders, thinking it was maybe because he was cold, but that wasn't it. Or maybe he wasn't lying on the right side. He had heard people say lying on your right side leads to an easier time dreaming, but lying on that side was never comfortable for him. He'd have to turn over onto the left eventually.

The house was quiet. As it always was. There were no roommates or parents to make noise late in the middle of the night, and Florian enjoyed that silence, but sometimes it was almost too silent. Sometimes he heard things that weren't really there, like voices or scraping, and most commonly just the sound of the house settling. More often than not he'd also hear Invidia padding around outside the bedroom door, either to head to the kitchen for a midnight snack or the bathroom.

She could use the toilet like a human could. She was just smart like that, but even after all his years of living with her, Florian always found it mind-boggling. A cat that doesn't require the litter box. Impossible.

Speaking of the bathroom, he figured he might as well try to use it. His mind felt empty and he wasn't going to doze off any time soon, anyway, so why not kill fifteen minutes browsing his phone on the toilet? He sighed and dragged himself out of bed, leaving the room and heading down the hall. He stopped just outside the bathroom. The light had been left on, and there was the sound of the faucet running. Florian shook his head and walked in. Invidia stood there at the sink, washing her paws, and calmly looked over at her trainer. She gave him a little nod before returning to massaging her soapy paws.

"Sorry, I can't sleep," he said, walking in and handling his business right there at the toilet. Invidia didn't mind, nor did she ever make a big deal out of it. Florian was her trainer; who cared if he peed next to her?

"I guess I'm anxious. Or nervous," Florian said, pulling his pajama pants back up and flushing. "We're really going to Area Zero. In a freakin' week!"

"Mrow." Invidia stepped away from the sink and into the doorway. Florian locked eyes with her, then watched as she gestured impatiently toward the sink.

"I know to wash my hands," he said.

"Meow."

"Alright, so I get lazy sometimes and don't wash my hands. Everyone does that."

"Meow..."

"You do it, too!" Florian pouted and gave his hands a quick wash. He dried them and stopped at the mirror, gazing at his reflection. He still looked young but he felt awfully old. And he was short. That was the worst part. His classmates called him the runt of the school more often than not, and while he knew it was a joke, he couldn't help but feel a little dejected by the implication. Him. The small guy. Everyone else, the big guys, including his own Meowscarada. She was naturally six-feet tall. One freakishly tall feline, but Florian preferred her that way.

"My sleep schedule is all janky," he said, rubbing the bags beneath his eyes. "Maybe it's not just about Area Zero. Maybe I was doomed to be miserable like this before bed. And get no sleep anyway."

"Meow?" Invidia came up behind him, hugging him and setting her chin on the top of his head. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he nearly let out a noise no human should: a purr. He always did feel safe and warm in Invy's arms like this.

"I'll be fine, Invy," he said, "I'll just have to work on it before we go to Area Zero. Don't wanna be sleep deprived on the big day. I'll be back to normal in no time... soon as I figure out how to fall asleep."

Invy didn't like the sound of that. Yes, Florian always tried to sound optimistic, but she could read him by now. He himself said he was miserable, and that wouldn't do. Still clinging to her trainer, Invy began leading him out of the bathroom and back toward the bedroom.