Heat: Fluffy Terrorist

Fluffy Terrorist

"You are seriously not doing this Ryujin. Tell me you are not where I think you are." Hyunwoo's voice echoes out from the speaker of my phone. I grin sheepishly, looking around the store. White, black, grey and ginger colored fluff balls moving on the floors. A black tabby with grey marking and long fur turns over his back exposing a large white belly. My heart explodes at the cuteness.

"Fine, I won't tell you," I reply with a smug grin. This is it, my happy place. Heaven as people would say, just that I am an atheist so I don't believe in god. Unfortunately, someone doesn't approve, but I couldn't care less. I have decided and nobody shall stop me, not even Hyunwoo. Sorry, bro. I hear a sigh on the other end of the line, "Ryujin..", ignored him and started to blabber about the cat I've seen, contemplating which name I should give this ball of adorableness.

"Oh my god, I am so in love with this one. It looks so squishy and fluffy. Hyunwoo, should I name him Captain Fluffypants? how about cuddles? I want to cuddle this cat so bad."

"Resist the call of the cat. You don't need one." He repeats, in a clear and decisive tone and I resist the urge to scoff.

"I think I do. I've given up. I'm going live out the rest of my sad years in sweatpants and surrounded by cats and I'll laugh at all of their quirky jinks! Every single one!"

"Oh come on! One bad relationship doesn't mean you'll be alone forever."

"I won't be alone. I'll have Han Solo..yeah that's what I'll name him. I'll tell him I love him constantly, and he'll meow back that he knows. It's perfect. And it wasn't just one bad relationship. It was a lot of bad relationships."

Hyunwoo groans so loudly that I squeaked out. "Have you considered therapy?"

"Have you considered that the entire male population is terrible?" I ignore his yelp of anger and continue my rant. "No offense, Hyunwoo, but I've been a witness to all your doomed relationships. You're my best friend, but you're the worst when women are involved."

"The worst? Girls know exactly what they're getting when they follow a guy home. They enjoy each other and go their separate ways. No lies and promises to the future."

"And that is the problem here. They want the sexy nympho to come over, screw their brains out and leave the next morning." I ignore the old woman glancing at me. An older gentleman soon s her and her face immediately lights up and I just want to cry. Now I am even jealous of an old woman. What next? How couples look at each other? They hands and leave the store. So. Freaking. Precious.

I turn back to the cats before continuing, " I want a forever. I want to become one half of a boring old married couple, sipping tea on the veranda and watching my grandchildren play. I'm not asking for a fairy tale. I just want contentment. I know I won't have it so I'm turning to cats."

"So what you're saying essentially is that because I personally have commitment issues, you're adopting a cat." I roll my eyes. He always thinks everything has to with him. Well sucks to know that it isn't. He's a manwhore, and it works for him."

Maybe two. I could get a boy and a girl and name them Hades and Purrsephone. Get it? Purr-sephone. Ah forget it, I forgot you were always bad in Greek mythology."

"Ha-Ha. So funny." He says dryly. I frown at how easily he dismisses my purrfect pun. "Seriously, I've been thinking about this for a while. Last night was the final straw. the last drop in the bucket of sick."

"Not all guys are like that creep. A proper dude does not pick up girls at a bar when he's married with a baby at home."

"And what about all the other guys? What about the guy who asked me to consider doing a boob job?" I sigh and look at a ginger-colored cat playing with a feather. "Boys are terrible, cats are good. I might start wearing socks with sandals."

"Anomalies. And if you start wearing socks with sandals, I will never acknowledge you in public again."

"Liar. You and I both know how much you love brunch. Your manwhoring ways prevent you from taking a conquest out. You need me to get your brunch."

"You wouldn't dare threaten a brunch embargo."Oh, I dare" I warn in a low, sinister voice.

"Jerkface."

"Nerd"

"Ryu?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't get a cat."

"Hyunwoo?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." It hurt me to say that because he is my best friend and I know that he is trying his best to make me feel better. I slammed the call button with a dramatic flair. Or so I thought. It's never like in the movies. I spectated the cats in the cages and saw a small white and grey striped kitten with big blue eyes and tiny paws. This is the one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What is that?" I swear my voice isn't normally this high. Hyunwoo, along with a two and a half meter monstrosity beside him. "Peace offering. And it weighs a ton, so would you open the door already and tell me where you want it?"I'm frozen in my position. My key hand loosely from my hand and Hyunwoo quickly stomps over to me, taking the keys from my hand and opens the door. Before I could stutter anything he heaves that thing into my living room."So, where's the cat?" He finally asks, settling himself beside me. "The little dude better appreciate his new heaven. Your doorman is never going to stop laughing at me."

"No wonder Elias looked at me weird when I came in," I mutter under my breath. I guess I lost the bet then. Hyunwoo and I bet on who could make him laugh first as he was like one of those English beef eaters.

"So, cat?" Hyunwoo repeats his question, making himself comfortable on the couch.

"How do you know that the cat is a boy?" I ask. "Boys cats are easier to name hilarious things. It's the first thing you ever taught me." I smile widely. We knew each other since I was sixteen and when he was seventeen. We both were dropouts. When he first came into the store and introduced himself I was head over heels for him. I slowly got to know him better and all the romantic feelings I had for him were overridden."He's hiding under the bed," I say. pointing at towards my messy bedroom."Name?" He is asking a lot of questions today."Hyunwoo, why do you care? I thought you were against cats anyway. You call the fluffy terrorists."

"They are fluffy terrorists. They hold you hostage, have only demands and kill things for fun."

"Such a dog person thing to say.  At least they are self-sufficient."

"Such a cat person thing to say." He mimics. We both exchange glares and stop when we see the little kitten trying to climb in Hyunwoo's boots.

"Ryu...this is not about getting the cat. This cat house has been in my locket for many years now. You getting a cat was already set in stone for many years. You giving up is making me worried."

"What the? You've had this monstrosity for years?" I ask incredulously.

"It was on sale when I was forced to shop with my sister." He said that nonchalantly. That behavior somehow irks me. You don't do something this weird and out of character and then shrug. That's not how the world works. When people do crazy things, they're supposed to act, well, crazy.

Hyunwoo was never the person to plan. His attention life is that of a goldfish. His longest relationship lasted for four days because I forced him to get an apartment on his own and set a bank .

"You shouldn't give up Ryu." He says quietly, and I groan. Oh, can he shut up?

"Why can't I? You have seen how my relationships went the worst ways possible for eleven years. Eleven. fricking. years. Besides, you have your part-time job as a women hunter. How is that different? At the end of the day, we're still alone. The difference between us is that I am not in denial, opposite for someone next to me."

"It's very different. I'm temporarily filling the void in my life. I understand your intent. I just don't agree with it."

Hyunwoo stared at the kitten with a lovely expression. The kitten meowed quietly and put his paws out of the bed.

"So, the cat's name is?" He asks brightly, changing the subject with all the subtlety of a hammer.

"I don't know yet. I'm waiting for inspiration to strike. It's a forever name, so it has to be perfect."

"You spend way too much energy worrying about forever."

"One of us has to," I reply with a snort.

He looks momentarily pensive before tactfully countering. " I have a healthy respect for it."

"I am glad that you have anything." I punctuate my statement by pocking his bicep. He grips my wrist preventing me from repeating the action. He finally let my wrist go and I gulp audibly.

"Maybe it's a case of me knowing what forever I want and it being unattainable." He looks at me intently. What is he talking about?

"Please, there's nothing unattainable to Son Hyunwoo. Twenty-eight years old and you've never been denied a single thing. I'm pretty sure if you called up the NASA they'd just let you go to space, no questions asked."

He looks at me tenderly, before replying in a hushed voice, "Trust me. Some things will always be just out of reach for a guy like me."

"Like what?" I mirror his soft tone. His hand reaches out for mine and softly clasps it. Time starts to slow down, and I look down at this strange new develpüment with curious eyes.

"You." I gasp silently, the unexpected confession wreaking havoc on my senses. My heart starts to resume a curious beat I haven't felt since we were sixteen. Or maybe it's been there all along.

"Come again?" I ask, not moving a single inch. He moves closer and I can't breathe. "I like you. I always did." He says with a soft voice and looking at me sincerely.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whisper, trying to make some space, appreciating every single centimeter that separates us.

"I wanted to tell you, but you were dating that English boy called Daniel. By the time you separated, we became friends. I never got the chance to confess to you my feelings because you always hung out with other guys and dated them.

I gulp, trying to process everything he said, and I want to hit myself for not realizing sooner. As I was thinking that, warm lips pressed on mine and I stand there, shocked and not able to do anything. A few moments later my mind shut off and I moved my lips while wrapping my arms around him. We were interrupted by the kitting meowing as he snuggled between my legs. We both let out a laugh and Hyunwoo looked at me in a serious manner.

"Ryujin, would you like to try to date me?" He exhaled loudly, looking around nervously. It didn't take me long to answer that because even before I can say anything, my body reacts first. I nod at his confession. We both hug each other and try to get comfy on the couch with the kitten.

I guess this is the start of my happy ending.