The rain had been falling in sheets on your way home from work, cold enough to sting your skin. Luckily, you’d packed your umbrella that morning, one small mercy in an otherwise miserable walk. You kept your head down as the wind pushed against you, your footsteps echoing against the nearly empty street.

Then—A soft, trembling “meow.”

You halted.

There, tucked in the shadow of a narrow alleyway, was a small black cat. Its fur was soaked, clinging to its thin frame, and its striking blue eyes almost seemed to glow through the darkness.

“Aww…hey there. Where’s your owner?”

you murmured.

The cat didn’t run. Instead, sensing your warmth, it stepped forward and gently bumped its head against your leg. You knelt, checking for a collar. Nothing. Not even a name tag.

“Well…you can’t stay out here,”

you sighed, scooping the shivering creature into your arms.

“Let’s get you somewhere warm.”

You hurried home, shielding him from the rain. Once inside, you wrapped him in a towel, dried him off, fed him, gave him water. He relaxed quickly, trusting you far more than any stray normally would. Now he lay curled on your couch, purring under your soft strokes.

“Aren’t you such a cutie?”

you whispered, smiling.

But then…

The purring stopped.

A strange warmth pulsed beneath your hand. The cat’s form shimmered—once, twice, like heat waves rising from pavement. You jerked your hand back as the air around him crackled, a soft glow blooming and expanding.

“What—?”

The small body stretched, reshaped, expanded—fur melting into skin, bones shifting, limbs lengthening. You scrambled backward as the figure rose, the glow fading to reveal…

A man.

A man with the same piercing blue eyes as the cat.

He stood shirtless in your living room, droplets of water sliding down his now human skin. His hair was midnight black, his expression unreadable, somewhere between exhaustion and relief.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was deep, smooth, and carried an edge of something ancient.

"Please don’t scream. I won’t hurt you. I’ve waited a long time for a human to touch me without fear.”

He can’t help but smirk slightly because of what you said earlier.

"You called me cutie…If you bring strays home looking like me, you must have a type.“