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The bell chime of the door opening caused Coco to turn over her shoulder, a particularly chunky cat still cozied up in her arms. "Ah—welcome in! I'll be with you in just a moment."
Agott hummed and removed her earbuds, coiling them up before tucking her phone into her pocket. She blinked slowly and bit back a yawn as she glanced around the cafe itself. The air was filled with the inviting scents of coffee and fresh pastries wafting from the back. The walls were covered in cute pawprint decals (and a singular painting of... a horse? certainly a statement piece) that added to the cozy atmosphere.
She watched with a sluggish gaze as the green-haired girl pushed through to a room to the right, setting the cat in her arms down before shutting the door and going to wash her hands in a nearby sink behind the counter.
"Sorry about that! Puff Puff got out again…I swear, he's learning to open that door all by himself! Is there something I can get for you?"
Agott stared at her for a moment longer than necessary as her brain struggled to catch up to her exhausted body. She snapped back to attention and opened her mouth to respond, only for a yawn to slip out first. Her ears went red as she cleared her throat in an attempt to brush it off. "You have…cats?"
The girl behind the counter, whose nametag Agott barely registered as reading 'Coco,' giggled softly. "Yep! We have a few cats, all of which are up for adoption! Ah— though obviously you're more than welcome to go play with them without taking one home. They love cuddles and attention! If you do happen to be interested, I can send you the information for adoption papers. But before that, can I offer you a drink? We have coffee, tea…it sounds like you may need it."
Agott rubbed her face in an attempt to wake herself up further, to little avail. "Coffee would be great, thank you." She fumbled around her bag before she was able to procure her wallet, shuffling over to the counter to pay while Coco busied herself preparing the drink. After placing a few somewhat crumpled bills on the table, she watched with interest as the girl behind the counter stuck out the corner of hr tongue in concentration while she worked.
It was only a few minutes before a light blue mug was slid across the counter, the liquid inside nearly sloshing over as she did so. "There we go! One coffee, with the signature Cozy Kitten touch! That'll be 3.50."
Agott hummed and lifted the coffee to take a sip. "You can keep the change," she mumbled, eyes closing. Just before they did, she noticed something unusual about the coffee itself. Floating on the surface was a small cat design made out of milk.
Coco looked up from the register as she heard the other girl snort softly, blinking with curiosity. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, it's fine," Agott assured her as she finally took a sip, savoring the warmth (and praying the caffeine would hit her system sooner rather than later). "I just didn't expect it was all."
"Oh, the latte art?" Coco grinned and tilted her head. 'That was my idea! It's become sort of a staple at the cafe these days. It looks good for photos, and any publicity is welcome! The proceeds go towards keeping the cats fed and happy!" She glanced towards where Puff Puff was pawing at the door again in an attempt to escape, eliciting a chuckle. 'Maybe a little too well fed."
Puff Puff meowed in offended protest from the other room.
Agott took a seat at a nearby table as she drank, checking her phone once more for any updates on her most recent project. She grumbled in annoyance at the lack of progress before shoving it halfheartedly back into her pocket and looking towards the connected cat room.
Through a panel of glass, she could see a range of cats and kittens going about their morning— a pair of older-looking felines cuddled up on the windowsill together, a small calico chased a tabby around the room, and the particularly fluffy cat from before continued to paw at the doorknob.
"Oh no, you don't. I just fed you!" Coco scolded playfully as she pointed towards the room. Puff Puff only meowed louder.
"He's quite vocal," Agott noted as she finished off the last of her coffee.
Coco nodded her agreement as she took the seat across from Agott, resting her cheek on her palm. "He gets like that. So dramatic…so! What brings you by the Cozy Kitten? I don't think I've seen your face before."
Agott hummed, surprised at having been joined at the table, but raising no protest. "A colleague recommended it to me, and I figured I'd give it a try since he recommended the coffee. I'm hard-pressed to find a cafe with reasonable prices…and what's more, he said it may help me de-stress. Though to that extent, I haven't the faintest notion what he was—" A buzz from Agott's phone sent her frantically grabbing for it, only to check the display and groan in defeat. "—referring to."
A giggle from Coco was quickly stifled as she brought a hand to her mouth. It was rude to laugh, but the sight was so strangely endearing. "Right, well, I think some time in the cat room might be of help. If nothing else, they are awfully cute! Want to give it a try?"
Agott looked back towards the cat room with a pensive hum. A few minutes couldn't hurt…
Agott stood perfectly still in the dead center of the room, unsure what to do with herself. The tabby she had seen through the window had decided to make herself at home curled up on her shoes, leaving her unable to move.
Relief flooded through her as she heard the door slide open behind her. "Agott? Are you alright?"
Her savior.
"I'm fine. It seems I've become someone's favorite pillow." She sighed and smiled despite herself.
Coco swooped in and scooped the tabby up into her arms. "Bell! You have so many napping spots…and you always choose the customers!"
Agott watched as Coco continued to talk to the cat in her arms as she set him down on one of the various cat trees. Some of the other kittens meowed and circled her feet as she walked. "They certainly seem fond of you."
"They think I have food," Coco giggled and reached into her pocket, producing a tube treat. "And they'd be right. Want to feed them? A little snack won't hurt!"
Hesitantly, Agott nodded and followed Coco to the corner of the room where a small black kitten was curled up in a cat bed. The kitten blinked at them, sniffing Agott's hand as she extended it before turning her attention to the treat.
Agott took the treat from Coco and extended it towards the kitten, watchign as she began to take slow, content licks of the paste. She smiled as she took a seat on the floor to get more comfortable. "What's her name?"
"This is ink! She can be a bit hesitant to play with the other kitties, and usually naps in her little corner. She's very sweet, though," Coco explained as she scratched behind the cat's ears, earning her a quiet purr.
"Ink, Bell, and Puff Puff? Do you do all the naming?" Agott smiled and raised an eyebrow.
Coco rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "Only some of them! Why, do you not like them?"
"It isn't that at all. They're quite fitting." Agott tucked her knees up towards her chest as she watched Ink finish her treat. As she set the empty tube aside and began petting the kitten's soft fur, she could feel the tension in her muscles begin to melt away. "I must admit, this has been strangely effective stress relief. I should be thanking you."
Coco smiled and took a seat beside her on the floor, scooping up another nearby kitten into her own arms. "Please, I'm happy you could relax! Come back any time you need. I'm sure Ink will remember you now that you've become the bearer of treats."
Agott hummed and nodded, glancing fondly at Coco and the small animal cozied up in her arms. "I will, thank you." She slowly stood and brushed cat hair off her clothes as she turned to leave, pausing at the last moment. "Oh, can I give you my number?"
"…Your—um, huh??" Coco flushed red as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Oh!" Agott flushed an even deeper shade of red as she coughed. "You mentioned you could send me adoption information, so I figured…"
"Adoption information!" Coco sprang upright and waved her hands frantically as the cat jumped out of her lap. "Of course, that's what you meant! Yes, I can take that down in our system so we can send you the info. I'm so sorry!" She clasped her hands together and scurried out of the room and back behind the counter, hiding her face as she scrambled for a notepad and pen.
Agott watched with a lingering fluster as she hurried away, her own heart still calming down from racing.
Coco leaned against the counter and clicked the pen in preparation, still refusing to meet her gaze. "I'm so sorry again. Please, I'll take your name and contact information."
"Please, think nothing of it." Agott coughed and shook her head. "It's Agott Arkalaum. The number is…"
After getting the details noted and finally calming down, Coco looked back up. "I'll get that sent to you sometime this evening! I didn't know you were looking to adopt, or I'd have explained the process sooner."
"To be completely honest, I don't think I'd be ready to take a cat in right away. That being said, the information can't hurt to have on hand, and I'll most certainly be back." Agott nodded and adjusted the strap of her bag. Before she turned to leave, she cleared her throat once more. "And, for what it's worth…you can keep my number, if you'd like."
Coco short-circuited and flushed pink once more, hiding her in her hands. By the time she regained the confidence to look up, she had already heard the bells of the front door as Agott rushed back out down the street. She laughed softly and held the paper close to her chest, trying not to squeal.
"Mrow!"
She startled as she watched Puff Puff break loose and jump back onto one of the chairs.
"Puff Puff, not again!"