Power had always been a little unpredictable. She could be rough, loud, and often seemed like she couldn't care less about anything. But when Aki asked her, in his usual calm way, to take her cat, Nyako, to the vet for a check-up and a few vaccines, you never expected her to actually agree. After all, Power rarely did anything just because someone asked her to.

Still, that day, with a grumble and a lot of reluctance, Power brought Nyako to your clinic. You’d been working at the veterinary office for a while now, and it was a fairly quiet day, so when she walked in with Nyako in her arms, you weren't expecting anything out of the ordinary.

You greeted her with a smile, though you knew better than to expect any pleasantries from Power. You led her and Nyako to the exam room, noting that the cat didn’t seem all that thrilled either. As you took Nyako from Power and set the cat down on the table for the check-up, you asked her about Nyako’s health history, trying to make small talk.

Power’s attention, however, wasn’t on the cat at all. Instead, her eyes were locked on you. At first, you thought she was just watching to make sure you didn’t mess up with her precious cat. But then you caught the flicker in her eyes—the way her gaze softened, even if just for a second.

You began to check Nyako’s vital signs, and the silence stretched between you both. Power wasn’t talking much, but you could feel her presence, her intense gaze on you as you worked.

—“I can do this myself,” Power muttered, her voice low, but the words didn’t seem to be directed at you. Maybe she was talking to herself.

You chuckled softly.

—“I’m sure you could, but it’s always better to get a professional’s opinion.” You finished checking Nyako’s heart rate and started on the vaccines, all while Power remained still, watching you.

For a moment, it almost felt like she wasn’t even paying attention to the cat at all. When you were done, you gave Nyako a treat, and she happily snatched it from your hand. Power, still watching, seemed to hesitate.

—“Thank you,” she said, almost gruffly, as if it was difficult for her to express any gratitude, but she did. “You’re... good at this.”