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~*~
There was a ghost in Amiya’s room.
Red emerged from the shadows as if conjured by some sorcery, silent and inscrutable. As she stepped into the light, her sinister form melted away into something softer, warmer, cast in the cozy, comfortable light of Amiya’s desk lamp.
Rosmontis was napping at Amiya’s desk, her head pillowed on her crossed arms, a damp towel around her shoulders. Red’s lips ticked upwards in the beginnings of a smile, a warm glint in her eyes. Her smiles rarely made it down to her lips, but they always started in her eyes. She reached out, placing a fond hand in Rosmontis’ hair.
“Mrrrp?” Rosmontis murmured, instinctive. She lifted her head, eyes heavy-lidded. She met Red’s eyes, and then blinked slowly, deliberately. A sleepy sign that she felt safe with her.
Red ruffled Rosmontis’ hair. She shrugged off her signature red coat and tossed it over the back of the armchair in the corner. Her knife collection within clattered on impact, when somehow, while Red was still wearing them, they hadn’t made a sound. Red dropped an armful of convenience store bags on Amiya’s bed, which similarly hadn’t made a sound until she’d allowed them to.
Rosmontis blinked at her, marveling at her selective stealth abilities. But as Red turned, pulling cans of iced tea out of the bags and depositing them in the mini-fridge tucked under Amiya’s nightstand, Rosmontis found herself distracted.
A tail. Red’s tail was swishing in front of her. She followed it with her eyes, entranced. Rosmontis raised a curious hand and gave Red’s tail a swat.
Red blinked. She glanced over her shoulder to discover Rosmontis batting her tail back and forth with her hands.
Red smiled. She turned back towards the fridge, playing along, her tail pulling just out of Rosmontis’ reach.
Red heard Amiya’s desk chair rolling back as Rosmontis stood, following her tail forward. Red swished her tail, tantalizing, mesmerizing, as Rosmontis crouched low, ready and eager--
Rosmontis pounced. Red whirled around and caught her in her arms, the two of them tumbling onto Amiya’s bed. Red, always eager for some roughhousing that didn’t involve knives or fighting for her life, wrestled Rosmontis under her so that Ros was laying on her stomach. Red plopped down on top of her and squashed her down into the mattress, leaning into her with all her weight.
Between the three of them, not counting Amiya’s ears, Red was the tallest, the oldest, and the strongest. Sometimes that involved tackling the other two and pinning them to the ground. You know. Lovingly.
Rosmontis whined in dismay, conceding defeat.
Get off! She sent silently, and a little too strongly. Red felt her limbs twitch and she backed off, half because Ros asked her, and half because Ros made her.
Ros shot her a look. Red flattened her ears against her scalp in apology.
Rosmontis pouted, before lowering her head and bumping her head into Red’s chest. Red pulled her into a hug, smoothing Ros’ silver hair against her scalp, her hand lingering on Ros’ cheek. Ros hugged her arm, and gave Red a gentle nibble between her thumb and pointer fingers. Rosmontis was purring, vigorously enough that Red could feel her whole body vibrating. Red pulled her close with a squeeze, Ros’ tail curling around her waist, her own tail wagging behind her and thumping against the headboard.
Was it childish? Maybe. You wouldn’t see people like Kal’tsit purring or Dobermann wagging their tails. But it was nostalgic. Comforting. Warm.
In this world, cold and cruel, they needed all the warmth they could get.
A side door opened, and Amiya emerged, in a nightshirt, shorts, and a cloud of steam. She reached up, pulling her ears out of their protective plastic shower sleeves. She caught Red and Ros’ eyes across the way, her entire face lighting up.
“Hey,” she said, with so much fondness it made her heart ache. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
She crossed the room and reached up, petting Red and Ros between their ears.
“I’m glad you two are getting along,” Amiya beamed.
Red and Ros parted-- reluctantly, immediately missing the warmth-- only for Amiya to fill the space between them like this is where she’s always belonged. She settled in, Red’s arms around her waist and Ros curled up on her legs. Red tucked Amiya’s head under her chin and took a playful nip at her ears, to Amiya’s giggling delight. Ros bumped her head into Amiya’s chest and Amiya pulled her close, blissfully warm.
Amiya closed her eyes and let out a content sigh, savoring this feeling, this island of warmth and security in her life fraught with danger and destruction. She hummed to herself, pleasantly sandwiched between her two best friends. As an afterthought, she plucked the remote off her nightstand and clicked on her TV.
“So,” Amiya smiled, “whose turn is it to pick the movie?”
She felt Red and Ros shrug against her. Amiya scrolled down her list before putting on a sitcom they’d already watched plenty of times before. Something familiar, not too much of a plot you have to follow, funny enough to be entertaining on a rewatch, light and pleasant enough to be background noise.
Amiya tossed the remote aside. She found Red’s hand, snaked around her waist, and Ros’, clinging to her neck. She took them both, and twined their fingers with a squeeze.
Three little hands, linked in a promise.
~*~