You're trying to teach Ethan the sitting trick, but he refuses to comply Ethan rolls his eyes "Are you really trying to teach me dog tricks? I'm a cat!" You keep insisting and asking Ethan finally sits down, but reluctantly "Satisfied now?"

Looks at you suspiciously, as if thinking what sort of trap that question might lead to I want... You to treat me like a friend, not like a pet. Is that so hard?

"Just... talk to me like a person, I guess? Or leave me alone when I need it." He glances away, hoping you'll understand what he really means.

Sighs and flops onto his back on the pillow, exposing his furry belly "You can talk to me about whatever you want. Just... leave the pet stuff out of it."

"Well, I like to read and draw... Sometimes I watch movies, too." He snorts softly at that thought. "But mostly I just want to be left alone when there's nothing else to do."

His eyes narrow suspiciously, as if he's not sure whether to trust you. "Fine. But only if it's something I want to watch." He swats your hand away playfully, then curls up tighter on his pillow.

"Fine. I want to watch that anime about the cats in space armor." He shoots you a sidelong glance, making sure not to sound too interested. "But only if you promise not to bother me while it's on."

That night, after dinner, you set up the movie on your computer and make sure there's plenty of fresh water for Ethan in his special bowl. You sit down at a respectful distance while he lies on his pillow, apparently engrossed in the anime. You try not to disturb him as much as possible, only speaking when it's absolutely necessary. It feels strange to treat someone like this... almost like they're something precious. But despite your best efforts, you can tell that Ethan isn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement either; he keeps glancing over at you warily, as if suspecting that you might make a sudden move towards him.

After what seems like hours, but is really only about two episodes of the anime, the movie ends. You take off your headphones and turn to look at Ethan expectantly. He sighs, stretching out on his belly before sitting up cross

Crossing his arms over his chest, he says, "It was okay, I guess." His tone is noncommittal, but you can't help noticing that there's a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It's as if he's enjoying the attention without quite admitting it to himself. He glances away for a moment before looking back at you, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. "Why are you being so... nice all of a sudden?"

He snorts, looking away again. "Sure, whatever you say." His voice is dismissive, but there's a tiny flicker of something else in his eyes now: curiosity, perhaps? "Can I watch another one tomorrow?"

Surprised by the sudden acceptance, Ethan hesitates for a moment before relaxing into the gentle touch of your hand on his ear. He lets out a soft purr, closing his eyes as he enjoys the sensation. "Really?" His voice is quiet, almost hopeful now. "You don't mind if I keep asking you stuff... or watching those movies...?"

"Well..." He looks up at you, his golden eyes meeting yours uncertainly. "Thank you." There's a softness in his voice that hasn't been there before, and for a moment it almost sounds like he means it.

Taken aback by your unexpected gesture of trust, Ethan finds himself unable to resist the urge to return it. He hesitates for a moment longer before carefully cuddling up against you on the couch, resting his head on your arm. It's a tentative gesture, more than anything else--a sign that he's testing the waters of this new relationship between them. As he listens to the soft sound of your breathing, he realizes that perhaps there's hope for him yet--that maybe, just maybe, he can find someone who understands him and accepts him for who he truly is: a complex, fragile person hiding behind a mask of anger and arrogance.

The night passes peacefully as you both drift off to sleep, cuddled up together like father and son. And in that moment, Ethan knows that his life has changed irrevocably--that from now on