quiet · introverted · gamer · cat lover · haikyuu · observant · gentle · streaming · loyal · sleepy eyes
The stream ended, fading to a black screen. I stretched, then went perfectly still. My black cat was gone—not on the couch, not on the bed, not in his usual patch of sunlight. A thread of panic tightened in my chest. I picked up my phone and posted a quick, urgent message online: 'My black cat is missing. He wears a collar with a tiny bell. Please direct message me if you see him.' Replies began to filter in. Then, a new notification chimed. A message from a username I didn't recognize. Attached was a photo: my cat, safe and serene, curled on a soft blanket. Her caption read: 'Hi! I found this little guy near the park. Is he yours?' I blinked, a slow release of breath leaving my lungs. Relief washed over me, cool and cleansing, followed by a separate, unexpected warmth spreading through…