The Purrfect Match

♥ The Scent of Love ♥

Suki stretched her jaw into a yawn as she opened her eyes, staring out of the window and into the trees. For a second, she wondered why she had slept next to the window, where the light would most definitely awaken her the second she woke up, but then the memories flooded back. The forest, the cat - her friend, falling asleep in Giang's arms. Then, awakening in the middle of the night, scared and alone, sitting on the windowsill and imagining that in every shadow were the lustrous eyes of the cat she had only met twice but could not get off her mind.

She stood up, feeling more youthful than ever, and leaped down from the windowsill, stretching out her legs as she made her way into the kitchen. Suki purred slightly as she saw Giang sitting at the kitchen counter. The black-furred cat crouched, then exploded upwards, scrabbling for a holding on the slippery surface of the table. Once balanced, she let out a meow and touched her nose to her owner's wrinkled hand.

Giang smiled and said something quietly, but Suki was more interested in her owner's breakfast. Sniffing, she recognized the familiar scent of congee and meowed again. Giang laughed and stood up, the floorboards creaking as the older woman made her way across the kitchen. She took a small dish from the cupboard and poured some of the porridge into it. She returned to the counter and served it to Suki, who happily lapped it up. 

The congee had been flavored with coconut milk and a mild dash of sugar, and Suki purred as she rapidly swallowed the porridge. Belly now full, she jumped down from the counter and let out a thankful meow before stepping out the half-opened door.

The crisp air of the morning nipped at Suki's ears, and the cat inhaled a deep breath, the scents swirling around in her mind before registering with her memory. Familiar grasses and animals sharpened in her nose, but ever so faintly, the gray tabby's scent clicked into place.

A smile lit her green eyes, and Suki couldn't help but let out a short mew of joy. She wanted to see the cat again, but surely she wouldn't be out until dark. 

"What are you doing?" came a frank meow from across the yard. Suki turned to see Mouse, a gray-furred tom, sitting on top of the fence. Looking mildly confused, the tom leaped down into the yard and crossed the grass, sitting in front of Suki.

"Just taking in the beauty of the morning," Suki meowed with a contented sigh.

"You never come outside until midday," objected Mouse. "Look - you're getting your paws all covered in dew."

Suki looked down. Indeed, little drops of water were caught on the hairs of her paws. Flinching once she noticed them, Suki jumped back over to the steps and sat on the bottom one, raising a paw and licking off the water. "So what?" she meowed. "I can, um, make changes to my life." She felt her muscles tense.

Mouse shrugged. "Whatever... so how are you?"

"I'm amazing," Suki meowed, shoulders relaxing once her mind refocused on the tabby. "I met someone last night."

"Oh really?" Mouse asked, skepticism flashing in his gaze. "Giang let you out?"

"She forgot to lock the cat door," Suki meowed with a shrug. "She never does... as of the late, I guess."

"So, tell me about him." Mouse turned and licked down the fur sticking up on his shoulder. 

"She," Suki said carefully, "is a gray tabby with beautiful - just beautiful - yellow eyes. She's from the forest-"

"The forest?" Mouse recoiled visibly, shock lighting his harsh stare. "You talked to a cat from the forest?"

"There's nothing wrong with the forest!" Suki defended.  

"Are you kidding me?" Mouse scoffed. "Forest cats are insane - insane, I tell you. I once was sitting out in my yard, watching some birds, and this cat comes flying out of a tree and just kills the thing! Like, who would do that! Just murder a bird?"

"You don't know what their lives are like," Suki protested. "Maybe they need it!"

Mouse rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let me finish." He cleared his throat, correcting his posture and his sharp, unsettling glare that was fixed right on Suki's face. "Anyways, the cat shouts something loudly - I don't even know what he said, probably some sort of savage speak - and a bunch of other cats come out of the bushes. They're all congratulating him for murdering a bird! It's crazy!"

"My friend isn't like that," Suki meowed, breathing sharply. "Okay?"

"Just don't go out at night," Mouse meowed. "Who knows what they do then."

"Fine," Suki meowed through her teeth.

...

Suki curled up on Giang's lap, purring softly as her owner relaxed into the soft chair behind her. The woman's hand shook as she stroked the cat's back, but Suki didn't mind. 

Only a moment later, a loud whistling sounded from the kitchen. Giang let out a sigh and patted Suki twice on the head before moving her off her lap. "Tôi cần trà của tôi," she muttered, hobbling off toward the kitchen. Suki watched her owner go for a few moments before jumping down from the chair and poking her head out the open cat door.

She took a deep breath, but before she could figure out what was lingering outside of the door, a soft whisper sounded from the corner of the yard.

Suki stepped outside, heart pounding as she searched the shadows for the familiar yellow eyes. "I'm over here," came the whisper again, this time louder. Suki jumped once she realized where her friend was. 

"Hi," she meowed, slightly out of breath. "How has your day been?"

by rio xx