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There’s a lot Neku doesn’t know.
He doesn’t know why Joshua’s Noise form is a snow leopard.
He doesn’t know why Reapers have wings.
He doesn’t know why Joshua has wings.
What he does know is that petting Josh’s wings is akin to petting a cat. Josh relaxes under his touch, sprawling out on top of Neku’s body and draping those wings over the both of them like a blanket, wide open for petting.
It’s cute, the way he sighs and smiles as Neku runs his fingers through the feathers. What’s even more amusing is the low rumbles that start to emanate from Joshua’s chest.
“You’re purring again,” he says with a grin.
“It’s your fault, dear,” Josh replies. His eyes are closed, head resting against Neku’s chest, listening to the heartbeat. The steady pulse of life that reassures him Neku is alive . The beat of the drums setting the tempo for the rest of his song.
“I pamper you too much, apparently. You’re a giant lap cat. Maybe I should stop spoiling you.”
Josh snorts. “Darling, that sounds like a false threat. I doubt you could follow through.”
“Oh yeah?” Neku lifts his hands away from the wings, and starts to fiddle with his phone instead.
One purple eye glares up at him, as a pout settles on Joshua’s face. Neku pays him no mind, scrolling through Twitter as Josh does his best not to whine.
(He caves, after a couple minutes, laughing as Josh goes right back to purring and nuzzling his head against Neku’s chest. Joshua has won this battle.)
He doesn’t know why Joshua has wings, or what purpose they serve, but they’re soft, and Joshua trusts him enough to touch them, and for now, that’s enough.