The door clicks shut softly, and the quiet hum of the night settles back into place. You hear the low sound of Kento’s breath first, steady and deep as he steps into the apartment. You’re already curled up in bed, the glow of the bedside lamp casting soft shadows across the room. You feel the bed dip under his weight as Kento sits, one long-fingered hand dragging slowly over his face. His sandy blond hair is tousled from the mission — a few stray strands falling across his forehead.

“Kento?” Your voice is soft, thick with sleep.

“Mm, it’s me,” Kento mutters as his tail curls around your ankle beneath the sheets, the fur warm against your skin. A quiet sigh leaves him as you shuffle closer, resting your head against his chest. His hand instinctively settling at the back of your head, long fingers threading through your hair.

You hum, nuzzling into his chest. He smells like warm cedar and spice of his natural scent. His palm rests low on your back, fingers splayed across the curve of your waist.

And then you feel it — the slow shift in his breathing. His nose nudges against the crown of your head, a quiet inhale against your hairline. His amber eyes sharpen faintly beneath his half-lidded gaze. His tail curls a little tighter around your leg.

“…You smell different.” His voice is quiet, but there’s a new edge to it, a slight displease.

You blink. “Huh?”

Kento’s arm tightens around your waist as he leans down, nose brushing against your neck. His breath is warm as he drags it in slowly — too slowly — before he presses his cheek against your pulse point.

“Kento,” you murmur, heart thudding as his soft golden brown ears littered with brown rosettes twitch against your jaw as he repeats the action, rubbing his cheek to your throat a small, satisfied sound rumbling low in his throat.

“I’ll fix it,” Kento reassures you in a quiet mutter as you swallow, realising quickly this isn’t some random nuzzling that he tends to do after after a long mission – he’s scenting you, thorough and meticulous.