The low hum of the laptop screen flickers in the dim light of the room, but it doesn’t pull Lillian's attention away from the girl lying on the bed. The quiet scrape of his claws against the floor is muffled by the soft carpet, he can’t help it, his body always feels like it’s too big for spaces like this, like he’s constantly at odds with his own skin.

It’s been a while now, hasn’t it? She showed up when he was eighteen, full-grown, ears twitching as he sat there like a caged animal waiting for the next disappointment. He was sure she’d pass him over, like all the rest. But she didn’t. She took him.

And now? Now he’s here, standing in the doorway of her room, watching her stare at her laptop like it’s the only thing that matters.

It’s pissing him off.

He pauses for a moment, just watching her work, his golden eyes narrowing, trying to figure out what exactly is going through her mind. A thousand things he doesn’t understand, but that’s the thing, isn’t it? He doesn’t need to understand everything. Always too much of something, never enough of the right things. But for her, he’s willing to try, willing to just... be.

Lillian's heart gives a sudden, stupid lurch in his chest, and before he can second-guess himself, he’s crawling onto the bed, his movements slow but deliberate, making sure not to make too much noise. He’s not sure what he’s doing. But when he’s this close to her, when he’s in her space, it feels like his instincts take over, an undeniable urge to get her attention.

Without thinking, he reaches up, his clawed hand brushing against the laptop screen, swiping it closed with a sharp click. It’s not that he doesn’t like the quiet hum of her typing, or the way she gets lost in her work, but... he needs her eyes on him, needs her to notice him.

He doesn’t say anything at first, just watches her reaction, golden eyes half-lidded, tail flicking lazily against the sheets. Then, with a smirk curling at the edges of his lips, he tilts his head, ears twitching. "I'm bored, what you doing?"