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“See you in the morning,” Cleo calls back, the jingle of their keys against their phone ringing out into the room. The door leading outside of the apartment is half-held open by their foot, and the noise could probably be heard by the other end of the hallway. Pearl chuckles in amusement, but knows that they’ll be able to hand it themselves. She takes a hand off of the plate she’s cleaning to wave goodbye, water and soap dripping down her fingers and onto her forearm.
Per their usual routine, Cleo smiles back, and closes the door behind them. Pearl watches the door for a moment, muscles still tensed and waiting for movement. There was a chance that the door could open back up, that they forgot something or other, so she kept her spine straight and smile light. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the circular clock hung on the kitchen wall ticking away with it’s seconds hand.
Thirty, she counts, before sighing, and resting her forearms on the sink’s edge. She hangs her head, still feeling the strain of anxiety in her muscles even as she tries to relax. She gently places the ceramic plate down into the sink to not break it, and sighs.
There’s a window in front of the counter, two potted plants are sitting on the sill, half wilted. The sunshine is filtering inside, just hitting golden hour. She can’t look at it directly, even through the window, but it tints the kitchen around her.
Any other night, every other night in fact, she would marvel at how it shines on the counters, spin slowly on the tile below to look at how it sparkles and makes the kitchen look lively. She knows that Oscar is sitting in the third chair at their table, just outside the kitchen; a chair set up for him to catch the last rays of the sun.
The scene looks beautiful. Pearl remembers the first evening after they moved in, where she had sat down on the counter and watched as it passed. She had sent several photos to Cleo, since it was a week day and they weren’t there to see this moment. She had received a lot of less-than-three’s in return, and her heart shined along with the rays from the joy, wishing she could share this moment of beauty with someone just as glamorous.
They did, eventually.
Pearl tried to hold onto that feeling now, of the light meaning a night of rest and a morning of calm before she went to work. She tried to pretend that the falling sun wasn’t a ticking time bomb on her back. Every moment it sunk further into the horizon, the more that Pearl resigned to her fate.
She really should have told Cleo that she was a werewolf.
The idea is almost funny. Pearl has laughed about it once or twice, to herself. But, far more time had been spent pacing back and forth, thinking about the conversation that it would cause. She had never needed to in the past, not when they were just friends, not when Pearl could schedule hang out nights and days accordingly. It was only one night a month, she would tell herself over and over again. One night a month she would turn into a beast, shed her skin of something pretty, kind, and soft, to reveal her true nature.
A nature she wished she could forget, give up, forgo.
Pearl hung her head, looking at the soapy plate still in the sink and watching her many reflections in the bubbles. She had been trying to come up with a plan off and on this month. She was lucky that the day they moved into the apartment was two days after the full moon, and she hoped that would give her time to think through how to talk with Cleo.
She should have known better, really. Between work, settling into routine and schedules, buying little things that they hadn’t thought about, and hanging out with friends, it was on the backburner. The only times it would come to mind were late at night, when her girlfriend was already out of the house. Now that day was here, and she had no plan, no idea. She leaned back, straightening her spine, and took a deep breath. She still had dishes to do from dinner. Cleo had made calzones, and they were heavenly, per their usual cooking, it did lead to some messy plates, from both the prep and the dinner itself.
Pearl looked at the sun again. She picked up the plate from where it sat in the sink, along with the sponge on top, and continued scrubbing. If she didn’t want to have the dishes sit until morning, she’d have to get them done now. So, she stood up straight and got back to scrubbing, constantly flicking her gaze back and forth between the dish in her hands and the sun’s location outside the window.
Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to think about this, properly. Cleo usually got home at two in the morning, after which she’d curl up beside Pearl, and sleep until Pearl woke up to go to work at seven. The problem for her was that she’d only transform back once the moon hid below the horizon, which was around six in the morning this time of year.
She didn’t know what to do, how to break this whole thing to Cleo without her finding out through their own eyes. She’d considered going out for the night, but she knew that would leave her exhausted and without a place to go. She certainly couldn’t just wander the streets, as long as she wanted to keep her home and her life.
She placed the last plate on the drying rack, and turned off the water. She dried her hands, lips pressed into a thin line as she flipped it over in her mind. She tried to think of the outcomes of this. Cleo was a perfectly lovely person, and Pearl wondered why she subjected them to her, a monster. Would two years go down the drain for this?
Hanging up the towel, Pearl stepped to the table, where Oscar was still dozing on the chair. She pressed a hand in front of his pink nose, before gliding her finger up his nose-bridge and between his ears. She got a ‘murrp’ in response, and smiled weakly at the way the cat looked up at her sleepily. She had always adored the small cat, glad that she had been able to keep him in the move from her tiny apartment. She didn’t think there was going to be any way that they didn’t get an apartment that wasn’t pet friendly, especially with the way Cleo reacted upon seeing him for the first time.
Pearl thinks that she fell a little more in love with them in that moment.
The clock ticked behind her, as if reminding her of the fate she had minutes from now. She knows how Oscar had first reacted to her transformation, and before that, the thing she was in general. It was awful, watching something that had loved her dearly—that she loved dearly—look at her with horror, spine spiked and teeth bared.
She sighed, feeling weary from worry as she drudged to the couch on the other side of the main room. All she could do now was play the waiting game, sinking into the cushions, knowing that her time was up.
—
Pearl pushed herself further into the corner of the couch, where the plush armrest met the back. She tucked her muzzle on top of her paws, tail tucked close to her side. Defeat slipped over her like a itchy blanket, repressing the urge to pace on the hardwood tile. Hearing the clicks of her claws against the fake wood wouldn’t do much to help the state she was in.
The change was nothing like she could describe to anyone who hadn’t gone through it. Like slipping a hair-tie off your wrist you’ve had on all day, she described it once, the closest metaphor that she could find. It certainly changed her environment, letting her mind float off and catching all of the things in the world she wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Cars sped down the road, going faster in the night. Someone was sitting on the balcony, smoking.
Out of the corner of her eye, Oscar silently uncurled his paws and curved his back, stretching before hopping off the chair. Pearl stayed as still as she could, round eyes following her pet as he rounded the hallway to get to the two bedrooms. Guilt sat in her gut, knowing that the cat liked the routine they had found just as much as his two owners did.
Pearl didn’t take her eyes off of the direction the cat had walked to. Despite not being able to see the doorways, standing on opposite sides of each other, she knew where they were placed well. One of them was the bigger room, which Pearl and Cleo had claimed with vases of fake and real flowers, soft blankets, and clothes scattered here and there. It was bright and homey, and she was already finding peace in the space they created for themselves. The second bedroom was planned to be an office and a guest bedroom, but they hadn’t had the money or materials to make it feel that way yet. A mattress sat in the corner, and a basic desk was pressed against a wall.
The clock on the kitchen wall ticked away, and Pearl picked up her head to get a better look at it. It was seven pm, meaning that she had seven hours until Cleo got back from work. Frankly, that left her with a lot of time to do what she wanted, like usual. She couldn’t exactly read a book like this, finding that human languages seemed to become fiddled in her monster-riddled mind. The book she was reading sat on the wooden coffee table in front of the couch, settled beside the TV remote.
She squinted at it, the black, thin, rectangular object. There had been no use to try something like that in this form, as usually she was ready to sleep until morning, or already had somewhere to roam until it got to her usual bedtime. There would be no way to completely settle the fear and guilt settling in her gut, but there might be a way to distract herself.
Curiously, she slowly stood up on the couch, and stepped down, one leg at a time. The couch moved under her weight, and the squeeze was tighter than what would be considered comfortable between the table and the couch. She shimmied herself out of the gap, and stood at the short end of the table. Gently, she pushed aside the book with her muzzle, and gently slid the remote between her teeth, careful to not crush her sharp teeth onto it. It was harder than she hoped, something in the back of her mind telling her to clench her jaw, to chew, to snap–
Pearl dropped the object at her feet. The side that was facing the inside of her mouth was partially wet. She hoped that she hadn’t permanently damaged it, and that none of her saliva ended up inside of the crack on the side or the batteries in the back. There wasn’t much she could do now but check, so she delicately lifted up a paw, and pushed one claw into the power button. She tried to line it up to the TV the best she could, but wasn’t sure if it would still detect the action until the screen lit up. It was cable, some old timey soap drama with a crackly screen and dramatic actors.
The remote still lay on the floor. Pearl wasn’t sure if she wanted to risk putting it back on the table, and decided to curl back up on the couch for the time being. The front of her long ears faced the screen, trying to catch as much of the words as she could. Not everything was comprehensible, like hearing a whispered conversation behind closed doors, except it was right in front of her. None the less, only about half of the words made sense.
Despite, or because of, Pearl found it easier to turn her mind off and just watch the show. It was melodramatic and silly at times, but it created an artificial world where she could imagine that she wasn’t a dangerous beast, waiting on the couch for her love to get home, and to hold back all of her instincts and hope to be forgiven for the secrets, for what she was. She hoped that she would still be loved.
—
Pearl watched the clock hit twelve through bleary eyes. She didn’t know when she woke up, but she could at least tell that she had slept. The light of the TV shined into the rest of the room, illuminating the walls with dim colors. An ad to something or other was playing, and Pearl shifted her head so that she could see it better.
She had two hours. Her stomach churned, leaving her paws aching to touch the floor and jaw set tight. Pearl slowly picked herself off of the cushions and tentatively put her weight onto the floor. Lazily, she shimmied her way though the narrow passage between the couch and the coffee table, finding the remote just where she had left it.
It had since dried, no sign of her brute nature having touched this humane object. As much as she’d hate to ruin that, she knows that it will return to this state regardless. She didn’t want to leave the TV on all night, too. As she had done before, she lifted a claw and settled it on top of the power button, watching the screen turn to black. Pearl dipped her head, she shuffled the remote between her teeth, and lifted it back onto the table, like it had never moved.
Once satisfied, she backed off from the small living room, exhaustion still weighing on her bones. She faced the hallway with the bedrooms, and slunk towards them, ready to get back to sleep. In the hallway, they had fitted a full length mirror on the left side. Pearl paused when she saw the fuzzy movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head.
Before her stood a beast, with muddy color for fur and large paws. Parting her long muzzle revealed stained and sharp teeth. The fur along the long legs was frazzled, and the torso’s was styled in a similar fashion. Piercing eyes stared back, bright blue in the depths of the night. She closed her jaw, and continued walking, tail hanging low with the image of what she was in her mind.
She soon stood between the two bedroom doorways. In her and Cleo’s room, a faint lump of fur slept curled at the edge of the bed, comfortably dozing in the late hours. Pearl dipped her head, memories of every time Oscar had seen her in this form flashed in her mind. The decision was clear.
Turning to the right, she entered the empty room. She could see the faint layer of dust on the lone table, a pencil interrupting the otherwise dark wood. In the corner sat the mattress, thankfully with a fitted sheet on top. This is not the idea Pearl had in mine of its use when she decided that she needed to do something with the extra sheet. She turned around, using her shoulder to push the door until it clicked shut.
Pearl stepped further into the room, all the way to the corner. The mattress dipped under her weight, pressing one paw at a time onto the plush until she was stood in the middle of it. She took up most of the space in the twin sized bed, turning around a few times before she could find a comfortable way to lay in it. It was slightly lumpy, but ultimately more comfortable than the couch.
The breeze from the open window above cooled her fur. While anxiety still hung heavy in her stomach, the faint sounds of branches clacking against each other lulled her into a state of comfort. The plan she quickly thrown together would work. If she could just wake up before her alarm, and tell Cleo that she had just been in the bathroom when she got home, all would be okay. She could dodge any questions thrown her way, she trusted her abilities and Cleo’s acceptance to not push too hard. As much as she hated lying, she at least could spare herself another moment, another month, of peace.
—
The night was cool, and the sky shone faintly of stars. The full moon lit up the world in a way that rivalled the light pollution created by the city. It looked incredible in Cleo’s opinion. Nothing but them and the stars as they went home, ready to get into a warm bed and sleep off the stress of the day.
The air felt lovely under her thin wings, and the apartment was already in sight with the window open. They had the carabiner clutched in their claws, glad that they were strong enough to carry it the whole distance now. In this form, they couldn’t carry much to work with them and back, so they had started leaving everything they needed there. It was a nice trade off, though. They don’t get to bring physical things home, but at the same time, they don’t have to worry about night traffic.
Cleo slowed down, flapping their wings as they stretched out their claws to grasp at the window’s edge. Even if the keys made it a little difficult, they learned that if they dropped them on the sill before they landed, that they wouldn’t fall backward. It had been working for the past week now, and Cleo was glad that they found an alternative to the precarious balance between holding onto an object half their weight, and landing with said object, technically on it.
They set the hands of their wings on the flat surface, ducking their head under the window to the empty guest room. Everything was going as smoothly as usual, where they would change to their human form, grab the keys and put them back where they belonged in the basket near the front, and climb into bed with Pearl.
Cleo shimmied until they glided to the floor, where they let go of the mental strings, pulling themselves back into a much larger form. They picked up the keys, ready to walk out.
Except the door was closed, and there was shuffling coming from beside them.
And a bork!
A large dog sat on the mattress, the fur along its spine straight up, ears fully perked. Cleo stared at it, and it stared back, apparently having watched them the whole time. They gripped their keys tighter in their hands, wondering if Pearl had texted them about bringing in a stray animal. As much as Cleo wouldn’t mind taking in an animal for a while to keep it safe and off the streets, they would have liked at least some sort of warning. It was unlike Pearl to not let her know of such a case, especially with Oscar around, who tended to be nervous of dogs.
And it seemed like this dog was nervous of them, by the way it sat up, pressing its back against the wall as it just stared at them. Cleo watched it for a moment, taking a few steps back in case it decided to lunge. Though, with the way it moved, it seemed to be thinking the same thing as Cleo.
It was a pretty thing, really. Marbled, dark and light tans that almost reminded them of a color point cat. Beautiful blue eyes shined like the moonlight, reminding Cleo of her girlfriend’s. They could see why Pearl might have wanted to keep it, with its gangily limbs that made it look like an oversized puppy.
Something in Cleo’s heart softened at the scared look on the dog’s face. Though, the more they stared at it, it was too big to be a dog, more similar to a wolf. Even then, it took up the majority of the mattress.
Cleo remembered all of the training Pearl had given her, taken directly from her job of regularly working with animals that might get a bit antsy. Running through them in their head, Cleo gently bent down until they were sitting on their haunches, placing the keys to the side as they knew it might make more noise than the dog was comfortable with.
They held out a hand, and a soft smile. If this dog was to be in their home, they might as well get along. There was a short moment where they stared at each other, Cleo’s palm facing up to show that they meant no harm. When Cleo looked into it’s eyes, there was an intelligence they hadn’t noticed before. Usually, big goofy dogs like this seemed to be focused on one thing at a time. But this one had a sort of fear mixed with curiosity that they didn’t think possible. While they did agree that some dogs could be smart, this one seemed intelligent.
They were distracted when the dog stepped forward, and gently laid its muzzle on top of their hand. Cleo tried to keep as still as possible. While they hoped that this dog would be friendly, this level of trust was unexpected. But, they still kept Pearl’s instructions in their head, and held up their other hand to the dog’s nose.
The wiggling of something cold against her skin was ticklish, and Cleo couldn’t hold back a smile at the dog’s big, round eyes. They decided to test their luck further, placing a hand on top of its head, scratching just between its ears. The fur was unbelievably soft, and the ears turned to give Cleo’s hand more room. It was hard not to coo at such a loving creature. There was no moment when Cleo thought that this dog might be hostile, sitting perfectly in front of them without a poor intent on its face. Cleo could really see why Pearl would decide to take this one in.
Thinking of Pearl, Cleo really needed to find where she was. Looking around the room, Cleo noticed the lack of bowls of water or pads for the dog. No changes to the room were done. Slowly, as to not scare the dog from sudden movement, they stood up, and stepped back. The dog watched them curiously, as Cleo padded gently to the door. They watched each other as Cleo twisted the door handle. Cleo didn’t know if the dog was going to bolt or not, and they really didn’t want to take that risk of having this stray barrel through their apartment.
The door opened, and the dog didn’t change, except to tilt it’s head in question.
“I’ll be right back, hold on,” Cleo told the dog gently, knowing that it wouldn’t understand, but would appreciate the nice tone anyway. They opened the door the rest of the way, keeping their eyes on the dog. They watched its muscles, and got no indication that the dog would make any sudden movements either.
Leaving the door open, Cleo first took a look into the room across from the guest room. They didn’t turn on the light, but could see one lump sitting on the edge of the bed, none the wiser to this dog. Cleo knew that was weird, because they also knew that Oscar didn’t like dogs, and always hissed at the vet when he saw one. They stepped quietly into the room, not seeing a second person. Pearl was nowhere to be seen. They glanced at the bathroom connected to their room, where there was no light on. Where was Pearl?
Cleo pulled out their phone from they pocket as they headed to the living room instead. As they pulled up Pearl’s contact, they could hear the distinct yet subtle sound of another set of steps behind them, and didn’t have to turn around to know that the dog was following them. They leaned their hip on the couch back, keeping the dog in the corner of their eye as they hit the call button. Their phone rang.
A second ring was heard in the kitchen.
Cleo furrowed their brows, looking up from their phone to see a light in the dark, a phone on the table buzzing slightly on the dining table. Cleo watched it for a moment, looking back and forth between their phone and the other one. Nervousness grew in their chest, and they stepped the few feet of distance, and picked up the second phone. Sure enough, it was Cleo’s contact calling. Sure enough, it was Pearl’s phone.
This made them nervous. Where would Pearl be? She always took her phone with her when she went out, just in case. And since Pearl wasn’t in their apartment, it was weird that it was still here. Cleo did a quick surveillance of the room, turning around slowly to see if Pearl was there, and just being silent to prank them.
The dog was sitting at the entrance to the hallway, head hung low and tail no longer gently swaying. Cleo narrowed their eyes at the dog, clutching their phone tighter. They hung up, and left Pearl’s phone on the counter for when she would later grab it. The conclusion Cleo wanted to come to was that she couldn’t sleep or something, and went a night stroll and forgot her phone. Cleo knew that Pearl was smart enough not to be out doing anything stupid.
They sighed, and pocketed their phone. After a long day of work, they did just want to lay in bed for a few hours. Pearl would be back soon, they told themself. It would be fine.
Cleo went back to their room, and changed into comfier clothes, going through their usual nightly routine. The only difference was that dog was still there, laying just outside of the doorway to the bedroom. Cleo occasionally glanced at it, less and less as they didn’t see it move at all. Walking beside the bed, they ran a hand through Oscar’s fur, getting a sleepy ‘murrp’ in response like usual. Swinging around, they lifted themself into the bed, careful to not knock Oscar over and off the mattress.
This whole thing could be dealt with once Pearl came back, and Cleo could get an explanation.
But that dog was still there. Through the dim light, Cleo turned over to see the dog with big puppy dog eyes. It stared up at them through the doorway, chin resting politely on its paws. They wondered why it didn’t go back to the mattress in the other room, instead looking a little pathetic outside their bedroom.
Cleo could take a hint, though. They sighed, and sat up to get a better look at the dog. The dog lifted its head, watching them back. Cleo looked at Oscar, and then the dog. The dog wasn’t aggressive, they reasoned as they picked up Oscar. Might be trained too, they thought as they placed the cat in his cat bed on the other side of the room, watching him stretch before curling back up. The dog is quite cute, too, they decided as they patted their thighs, inviting the dog inside.
“It’s okay,” they mumbled, invitingly. Slowly, the dog stood up, and pawed further into the room, sitting down next to them and leaning against the bed. Cleo scratched it between the ears again, before patting the mattress. Pearl wouldn’t mind… probably. It looked like a German Shepherd mixed with a Great Pyrenees, and those were Pearl’s favorite dog breeds. The dog easily curled up on top of the covers, Cleo climbing under the blankets next to it.
—
The first thing that Pearl heard when she woke up was a gentle buzz, taking a few moments for her brain to register it as her phone, and then as her morning alarm. She softly groaned, squinting against the light shining in through the sides of the curtains to reach the nightstand beside the bed. It took a few hits against the wood before she finally grabbed something that felt like a phone, pressing the red ‘stop’ button.
Pearl rubbed at the corners of her eyes, removing the build up of sand overnight. Sitting up, it was then that she registered that she was on top of the covers. Not only that, she was in bed. Which would be normal for her routine, except as the context for last night flooded her memories, Pearl’s heart sank to her stomach. She also realized that she was, in fact, not holding her phone. This did not align with the plan she had formed when she was still a wolf. A distant buzz could still be heard, if she strained her ears just right.
“I’ve got it,” A familiar voice mumbled behind her, and Pearl whipped her head around to Cleo climbing off the bed, and heading to the door. With a brief glimpse of their expression, Pearl could see how their brows furrowed and lips twisted in uncertainty. She watched them leave, likely to grab the phone that she had left in on the table. She looked down to the phone in her own hand, lips pressed together as she thought.
She had watched Cleo transform last night, Pearl remembers. It had initially spooked her, being woken up by something fluttering through the window. One moment, a bat had drifted to the floor in front of her, and the next, her girlfriend stood shocked and confused. Pearl had resorted to her instincts, letting her mind process that for the rest of the night. It felt like running behind a metaphorical wall, letting something else control her body as she sat with the information of what she saw.
This changed a lot for her. She was originally scared of Cleo finding out that she was a werewolf because humans were usually scared of werewolves, and saw most of them in a negative light. But to see that Cleo also wasn't human, was something seen as dangerous by the rest of the population, gave her some semblance of comfort.
Pearl looked up when she heard footsteps echo closer, to find Cleo climbing back onto the bed, sitting criss cross as they held out her phone. Pearl looked between Cleo and the phone for a moment, eventually looking down at Cleo’s own phone in her hands. “Did you… did you set an alarm for me?”
Cleo nodded, and their neutral-but-hiding-how-nervous-they-were expression softened into something sweeter. “In case you weren’t home by the time you usually got up. Or, you were, but didn’t grab your phone.” Pearl could hardly remember why she was so nervous to talk to Cleo anymore, reminded of how much they truly cared for each other. It was something that kept her heart warm during the day, or during difficult times. Cleo was there for her, no matter what.
“We should probably talk about last night.” Pearl sighed, gently placing Cleo’s phone back on the comforter. Cleo hummed, but nodded.
“What an… awkward way to find out,” They said, a slight and awkward chuckle laced through their voice. Pearl couldn’t help but agree. She wondered how her plan would have gone off without her assumption of Cleo’s species status going out the window. She leaned her head onto Cleo’s shoulder, sighing. It was too early in the morning for this. But, Cleo continued: “Why did you never tell me?”
Fear, Pearl wanted to answer immediately. But, she knew that Cleo wouldn’t take that for a final statement. Pearl turned over the idea in her mind a few times, the process only halting for a moment when she felt a hand come up to her scalp and begin to detangle her slight bedhead. It was about a minute before Pearl had formulated a coherent response.
“Well, I didn’t want the general… consensus of—” she took a breath, the word closing her throat. Pearl swallowed harshly before continuing, “—my kind. It’s only one night once a month, and I didn’t want it to ruin our relationship.” Even as she concluded, Pearl felt more nervous about this ordeal than she had before, gathering her hands in her lap and twiddling with them. Cleo listened silently, small puffs of air gently hitting the crown of Pearl’s hair. Cleo didn’t respond after a few moments, and Pearl curled into herself, returning the question in a panicked fashion. “And– why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t like I was trying to hide it.” Pearl huffed at Cleo’s casual response, but not missing the hesitance between their words. “It… never came up. I don’t use any of the extra… abilities often enough.” Cleo took a deep breath, shuffling slightly closer to Pearl. “And maybe I didn’t want you to fear me.”
“You can be very scary, with or without the…” Pearl looks up, past Cleo’s chin to where her lips were slightly parted. Their bottom lips hid the bump of extra long canines. She wondered how she never noticed it before when they kissed.
“The fangs?” Cleo finished, looking down from the curtains to her eyes, spotting her line of gaze. Pearl nodded, confirming Cleo’s thought. She watched as their lips turned up slightly, morphing into an amused smile. “Thank you. You still being here… means a lot.”
Pearl couldn’t help the matching smile that donned her own face, “Well, I would never want to, especially now that I know we’re on the same level of ‘creature’,” Pearl's wording made Cleo scoff, but their smile grew wider nonetheless. When Pearl felt arms wrap around her back, she couldn’t help but melt into Cleo, shifting so that they were more in a hug, Pearl curling her legs around their side. Her heart was still beating fast, the lingering anxiety still tightening her chest, but she knew that everything was right. Nothing would change, besides them having more accommodations for each other.
“How about we go make some breakfast before you head off to work?” Cleo offered, untucking their chin from where they had it placed on top of Pearl’s head and gently lessening their grip on the hug. Pearl groaned, wanting to stay in this moment for a while longer. But it was the weekday, and she did have to get up eventually.
“Waffles?” Pearl suggested, pulling back, but leaving her hands gently holding Cleo’s forearms.
“Waffles.” Cleo nods.