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“Holy shi-!” Sissel pricked his ears, pausing in the middle of lapping water from his bowl as Yomiel’s voice travelled down the hallway. Sissel was used to hearing his owner swear occasionally, mainly when he’d been angry, but this time was different. Something about his voice had been - strangely elated.
“Yomiel? Darling, are you okay?” Sissel padded out into the hallway, sitting and watching with a flick of his tail as Other-Sissel, Yomiel’s wife (his namesake) worried over the man, who was doing a poor job at balancing on one foot, the other in both his hands.
“Yeah! Yeah, I’m okay, God, I’m fine Sissel don’t, hah, don’t worry about it…” Sissel observed his owner’s face curiously. Yomiel was grinning, despite obviously being in all kinds of pain.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like an ice-pack for your toe or something?” Other-Sissel asked, voice concerned as Yomiel sat down heavily on the couch, his snazzy red suit blending in nicely with the snazzy red furniture. Sissel was proud to call his owner extremely...Snazzy. The White Coat man came very close afterwards, though.
“...Yeah, actually, please, if you don’t mind…” Yomiel hissed, taking off his sock to rub at his largest toe with a grimace. Other-Sissel kissed his forehead before leaving to get said item, giving Sissel the chance to hop onto the couch beside Yomiel and give him a long look. Yomiel took a moment to notice him, but when he did the human’s mouth broke into a large grin. “I’ll never get over this. Never.”
“I can understand why you like damaging yourself as much as you can, Yomiel, but you’re probably starting to worry Other-Sissel.” Sissel responded, licking his paw and bringing it over his ear repeatedly as he conversed with his owner. The others didn’t remember as much, not really, but having being the last Sissel saved from the ‘doomed timeline’ Yomiel remembered everything. Sometimes it was a blessing - being able to talk with him in the ghost world - sometimes it was a curse.
The nights when Yomiel woke up in the night screaming for someone long dead and simultaneously right at his side were the worst.
“I don’t know how you stand it, Sissel.” Yomiel lamented as he reached out a hand to stroke the cat along his spine, Sissel eagerly nestling next to the man as the stroking continued for both their benefits. “That cursed shard, God I hate it.” They’d had this particular conversation too many times.
“Doesn’t matter.” Sissel responded dismissively as he flicked his tail, Yomiel delighting in the feeling of the cat’s fur under his fingers. Sissel couldn’t feel him back and sometimes it did disappoint him, but if it meant Yomiel’s happiness then he’d gladly forfeit his nervous system for the man.
Sissel remembered his time with Yomiel with mixed feelings. There were good days, where they’d go out together, a man and his cat, simply exploring the city and watching the world turn.
Of course, then there were the bad days. Days when Sissel wasn’t fed, when Yomiel would lock himself away in a room and break things and scream and rage in an attempt to feel something, anything. Sissel would meow pitifully outside the door until eventually it was opened and he could come in and brush himself against Yomiel as the man lay curled in a corner and refused to move.
Sissel was happy to see Yomiel happy. Even when happiness was hurting himself as much as possible simply to delight in the ability to feel, when happiness was the people Yomiel had once called his enemies came to visit, when happiness was Other-Sissel simply existing.
“I love you, you dumb cat.” Yomiel muttered affectionately, picking Sissel up to hold the cat near his face, a familiar gesture from that forgotten time. Sissel nuzzled his cheek against the other’s, returning it happily.
“I love you too, Yomiel.”