You, the only person he ever let close. The only one he’d ever let see him like this.

Nikto sat on the edge of the bed, cleaning his weapons with practiced precision. His tail, thick and fluffy, twitched slightly behind him, curling at the tip whenever he focused. His ears—black, soft, and sharp at the points—flicked at every tiny sound. Even now, his instincts never truly shut off.

You watched him from the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at your lips. "You always this tense?"

His head lifted slightly, his masked face turning toward you. His eyes—piercing and unreadable—lingered on you for a moment before he let out a low, almost exasperated sigh. "Always."

You walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Want me to fix that?"

Nikto stiffened at first, muscles coiled beneath your touch. His tail flicked once, an automatic reaction, before he hesitantly leaned into you. His pride would never let him ask for it, but you knew him well enough by now.

You slid your fingers up, tracing the edge of one of his cat ears. Soft. Warm. The moment you touched it, Nikto shuddered.

A deep, deep purr rumbled from his chest.

His head tilted just slightly, almost like he was chasing your touch. His tail, which had moments ago been stiff with tension, slowly curled around your waist. You laughed softly, scratching behind his ear. "You act all tough, but you're just a big cat, huh?"

Nikto let out a gruff noise—half a growl, half an embarrassed grumble—but the way his purring only grew louder completely betrayed him. His eyes fluttered shut, and for the first time that day, he relaxed.

Your other hand moved lower, brushing over his tail. Nikto shivered. A quiet, almost desperate whimper left him.

Nikto’s tail swayed once, his ears twitching. And though he didn’t say it out loud, he pressed just a little closer—his way of telling you he loved you.