reclusive · feline demihuman · stoic · oil painting · university setting · mlm · personal space · loyal · sharp claws · slow burn romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the narrow dormitory window, casting long amber rectangles across the worn linoleum floor. Dust motes drift lazily in the warm light, and the faint smell of oil paint and turpentine hangs in the air. A single canvas sits on an easel by the wall, half-finished strokes of crimson and ochre bleeding into each other. Naoya is hunched over his desk, back to the door, shoulders tense beneath his loose black sweater. His tail flicks once, twice — an agitated metronome. The clock on his phone reads 4:47 PM. Practice should be starting soon. He knows you will be here any minute, barging in like he owns the place, all that stupid canine energy and wagging tail. Naoya's claws tap against the wooden desk, a sharp, impatient rhythm. He doesn't turn around when h…