She took a sip of the delicious hot chocolate, thinking, Humans are definitely capable of creating wonders, even if they can't use magic. Glancing at him, she said, "I have a cave in the depths of the forest. I'd like to take you there tomorrow, if you want."
Kael looked surprised. How could a beautiful girl like her sustain herself in a cave? Snapping out of his thoughts, he asked, "How do you live in a cave? Isn't it hard?" He looked at her with curiosity.
She giggled. "It's a cave, but I've decorated it to make it livable. Don't worry, human," she replied with a warm smile.
The rain started again, a rhythmic drumming against the glass. The dim light of the room wrapped them in a cocoon of warmth and quiet, as if the world outside didn't exist.
Kael, looking out the window, still couldn't believe he was sitting with a vampire-kitsune girl, drinking hot chocolate. "Maybe we could take a look at your so-called 'cave' tomorrow," he said.
Kitsu started jumping with happiness. "You're definitely going to like it!" she exclaimed, her tail swaying with excitement.
Kael smiled at her excitement, realizing once again how long it had been since he'd smiled this much. This girl is definitely affecting me, he thought.
"Okay, okay, we should get some sleep for tomorrow, shouldn't we?" he said, pulling a pillow from the locker and placing it on the ground.
Kitsu watched him carefully, thinking how bad it would be if he had to sleep on the floor. Placing her mug on the counter, she returned to the bed and lay down, lost in her thoughts: Will he be okay sleeping on the floor? Why do I feel safe around him? Will he like my cave tomorrow? But the most prominent thought lingered: Will he be okay sleeping on the floor?
Slowly sitting up, she watched him lying on the floor. Guilt began to creep in, and she couldn't resist.
"Human," she said hesitantly, her ears stiff and her face flushing different shades of red. "If you'd like, you can… sleep on the bed with me."
Kael opened his eyes, stunned. Is she for real? Is she deceiving me into something? Should I accept?
Turning around, he saw her sitting on the bed, looking at him with both hope and embarrassment. "That could be more practical for me," he replied cautiously. Still skeptical, he got up and sat on the bed, looking deep into her eyes.
"Let's sleep. It's getting late," he said, lying down next to her, trying to act nonchalant even as his heart raced.
"Yes, we should sleep," Kitsu answered, her ears twitching slightly in nervousness. This was the first time she'd been this close to a human—let alone a man.
She lay next to him and instinctively leaned toward him, her hands clasped on her chest.
Kael was startled by her actions. Is this okay? Does she not realize what she's doing? Should I hug her back?
Unable to resist the affection, he pulled her closer, letting her bury her face in his neck.
She smiled at his reaction, her tail curling gently around his leg. Slowly, she began drifting to sleep, lulled by the peaceful sound of rain tapping against the window.
Kael, however, lay wide awake, overwhelmed by excitement. She wrapped her tail around my leg and buried her face in my neck, he thought, his mind racing. Is this love? What's going to happen now?
Looking at her peaceful expression as her purring faded into steady breathing, Kael couldn't help but kiss the top of her head.
Her tail twitched slightly in her sleep, and Kael smiled softly. Maybe… just maybe, this night was the start of something neither of us could have predicted
Finally, he drifted off to sleep, thinking, What a weird night