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It was on the fateful night of November 11, when Harith discovered what Pocky Day was, and what game couples play on that day.
"That's a stupid game." Harith took another pocky stick from the box, he bit a quarter of it, then impatient for the taste, ate it all. Crumbles of bread fall on the table as the plate of vegetables in front him was left ignored.
"It's fun when you play it with someone you really like." Alucard wagged his brows, the look on his face... Gross...
Harith's fur rose in self defense, any attempts of Alucard to look good only made it worse, and his sharp hearing detected a slight change in Granger's heartbeat even if Granger was somewhere in the kitchen.
But he doesn't care about that. Never did.
Harith clutched the open pocky box in has hand, and kicked the sack full of pocky boxes behind his chair.
"But Pocky's too delicious!" Harith took five this time and munched on it like a carrot, smudges of chocolate was coated on his mouth, which he wiped. "Why would you share it!? Pocky's hard to come by!"
"Its tradition, Harith." Alucard reached out his hand to take a stick, but Harith bared his fangs and growled, hid the box from Alucard's reach. Alucard was befuddled, Is this the power of these breadsticks? To turn you into this pocky-obsessed maniac? To think there's something more dangerous than Nutella. This is nuts.
"Hey, relax..." Alucard raised his hands and tried to appease him, but Harith hissed. Alucard grimaced, Leonin is just a fancy word for feral cat.
Alucard pursed his lips, tried a different tactic. He smirked this time. "You'd want to play it with Nana won't you?"
Harith's heart did a backflip, a blush he fought so hard against flooded his cheeks, he stubbornly looked away from Alucard's stupid smug face.
"I'm not gonna share my pocky with anyone..."
"Not even me?" Alucard grinned, it's rare to see Harith like this. And this is really good news, he's been eyeing to pair him with Nana for a while...
Harith whipped his head at the suggestion and pointed an accusing finger at the blonde. "Why would I do that, stupid? You already have a tub of Nutella in your stash."
Alucard's eyes widened and he made placed an index finger on his lips. "Harith be quiet about that!"
"Will you two just stop?" Granger settled himself in his chair, smackdab between them, his collar was lowered. He glared at the untouched food, and they're still warm too.
"I'll never cook for you guys again."
"Hey! I love your cooking!" Alucard still smiled despite the annoyed glance from the brooding cook. "Besides, I told you he's not gonna eat those."
Granger shrugged and pushed away his own plate, appetite gone. "I should've checked what a Leonin's diet is then, my mistake."
Harith smiled and took another red pocky box from his sack. With the threat of eating vegetables gone, he made a move to open it, but then a flick on his finger stopped him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Granger asked.
Harith was bemused at the bandaged finger on his hand.
"I don't have to eat the food anymore... So..."
"You did nothing but eat pocky since this morning." Granger's eyes narrowed, and an unexplained guilt flowed in Harith's chest. The urge to talk back sizzled into nothing. Why couldn't he rebut Granger? He doesn't get it...
"And that's the eighteenth box you had today." Granger's frowned deepened. Harith flinched at the number.
"What the... You counted!?"
Harith's pocky box disappeared from his hands, already in Granger's grasp, Harith pouted.
"Granger come oooon!" Harith's ears perked when Granger hid the pocky away somewhere under the table. Harith bristled, why even take it? Granger doesn't even like sweets, it's wasted on him!
"That's really mean of you, Granger." Alucard snickered. Then a flick on his nose. "Ow!"
"You spoil him too much." Granger took a glass of water. He sighed. "You're a horrible pet owner."
"What are you implying with that?!" Harith shot up and slammed a foot on the table. His tolerance for this emo trash is getting lower by the minute, his nerves frizzled, he still doesn't know what to make of Granger sometimes.
"That's very pet-like of you, Harith." Granger stared at Harith's foot. Harith winced at Granger's neutral expression and quickly sat down.
"We-well it's just–" Harith swiftly shut his mouth to avoid further humiliation. It's hard to argue with him...
And yet, Harith is anything but docile.
"Well, I'm not eating this garbage once you give me back my pocky." Harith harrumphed and crossed his arms, even made a show of placing his legs on the table.
"Harith what are you trying to prove?!" Alucard scratched his head, but he was ignored.
Granger was unperturbed, as if Harith didn't say anything at all, and courtly replied. "I won't treat you properly with that behavior."
Harith blushed, and lowered his legs, flustered at his actions, it was so strange, having someone not give in to his whims, it made him act like this...
It's Granger's fault for being so rigid, just once can't he let Harith win an argument?
"You're mean." Harith pouted. Teary eyed. Even sniffed
"It's called discipline." Granger answered. Unimpressed at Harith's attempts to look cute.
"You're STILL mean." Harith turned his chair to look away, then he heard Granger groan and Alucard snicker. Well good. Granger SHOULD feel guilty.
"Alright, I guess I do discredit you sometimes." Harith heard soft rustling of clothes and when he turned back, Granger was taking something from under the table. "I'll treat you better if you prove to me that you can control your cat urges."
"If you fail." Granger momentarily looked at Alucard, who had this wide grin, and Granger nodded at him. "You'll play a pocky game with Miya's Leonin."
"Her name's Nana." Alucard frowned.
"That's not important." Granger shrugged.
Granger then hurled something at the end of the room.
Harith salivated once he saw what it was.
It was his Pocky.
"Repress your-"
A disheveled table. Quick dashes on the floor. A Leonin already opening the red box.
"–hunting instincts..."
Alucard guffawed. Amused. Granger sighed as he looked at the mess. Hours of Cleaning. Wasted.
Harith, however, was happy to be reunited with his beloved Pocky. So distracted he was he didn't hear Granger's foreboding words.
"Well, you have an excuse to breed Harith with her at least."