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Luca Moretti had one mission today.

It was of great importance. Possibly the most important mission of his life.

He had to convince Damien to let him keep a kitten.

Now, under normal circumstances, Luca wasn't the type to beg for anything. He was stubborn, independent, and had zero shame when it came to demanding things. But Damien was a different kind of opponent.

Because Damien didn't like animals.

And animals?

They loved Damien.

Luca had no idea why—but every single creature that crossed paths with Damien became obsessed with him.

Dogs followed him around like he was some divine being. Stray cats rubbed against his legs like he was their king. Even birds landed near him like he was a freaking Disney prince.

But Damien? He was entirely unimpressed by all of it.

He wasn't mean—he never hurt animals or chased them away—but he also didn't go out of his way to interact with them.

So Luca had an uphill battle ahead.

But he was determined.

Because the kitten he found?

She was too precious to be left behind.

It all started a few days ago when Luca found the tiny stray near one of his usual haunts.

She was small—barely a few weeks old—a little puff of white and grey fur with the biggest, roundest blue eyes Luca had ever seen.

And she had just stared up at him with this silent, pleading look.

Luca's heart melted instantly.

Since then, he had been feeding her, visiting her every single day.

But today, when he went to check on her, he found her shivering under a car, her tiny body barely keeping warm.

And that's when he decided.

She was coming home with him.

Luca stepped into their shared apartment, the kitten tucked inside his jacket, warm and safe.

Now, all he had to do was get Damien to say yes.

Which... would be difficult.

Damien, who was currently reading on the couch, barely looked up when Luca walked in.

"You're late," Damien said lazily, flipping a page.

"Yeah, yeah." Luca swallowed hard. Time to act natural. "So, uh... hypothetical question."

Damien finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Sweetheart, the last time you said 'hypothetical question,' you asked me how much damage a grenade could do to a car."

Luca winced. "Okay, but this isn't about explosives."

Damien stared. "That somehow makes me more suspicious."

Luca took a deep breath.

"Alright, hear me out," he said quickly. "Let's say—purely theoretically—that I, uh, found a small, tiny, adorable kitten outside, and let's say she was shivering and cold and needed a home, wouldn't it be, y'know... cruel to leave her behind?"

Damien's eyes narrowed instantly.

"...Luca."

"Yes, Damien?"

"Are you hiding a kitten in your jacket?"

Luca's silence was deafening.

"...No?"

The kitten, as if personally offended by Luca's lie, meowed loudly from inside his jacket.

Damien sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sweetheart."

Luca grinned nervously. "Would you believe me if I said that wasn't meowing?"

Damien gave him a flat look. "Hand it over."

Luca hesitated. "Uh—"

"Luca."

Luca sighed in defeat and gently pulled the kitten out of his jacket.

She blinked up at Damien with those huge blue eyes, her tiny pink nose twitching.

Damien stared down at her.

The kitten stared back.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then, to Luca's absolute horror, the kitten launched herself at Damien—climbing onto his chest and nuzzling into his hoodie like he was the softest pillow on earth.

Luca's jaw dropped.

Damien?

He just sighed again.

"She's already attached, isn't she?" Damien muttered.

Luca, still stunned, slowly nodded.

The kitten purred louder, rubbing her head against Damien's neck.

Luca couldn't believe it.

Of course this would happen.

Of course the kitten immediately fell in love with Damien.

Luca felt betrayed.

"You've known me for days," Luca muttered at the kitten. "I was the one feeding you. And this is how you treat me?"

The kitten ignored him completely, too busy cuddling Damien like her life depended on it.

And Damien?

He looked resigned.

"...Fine."

Luca's eyes widened. "Wait—what?"

Damien sighed. "You can keep her."

Luca gasped dramatically. "Really?!"

Damien leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples. "She's not going anywhere, obviously."

Luca beamed. "You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah," Damien grumbled. "Now get this thing off me."

Luca reached out to take the kitten—

And she clung to Damien even harder.

"...She's not letting go," Luca said slowly.

Damien deadpanned. "Of course she isn't."

Luca snorted.

And just like that, the kitten had officially become part of the family.

Luca named her Mochi—because she was tiny, soft, and impossible to resist.

She followed Damien everywhere.

Which meant Damien—who was not an animal person—was now doomed to a life of being stalked by an adoring kitten.

"She's obsessed with you," Luca teased one night, watching as Mochi curled up on Damien's lap, purring like a motor engine.

Damien just sighed, defeated.

"I hate this."

Luca grinned. "No, you don't."

Damien just glared at him.

Mochi, meanwhile, slept peacefully, unaware that she had completely won over the most feared man in the city.

And Luca?

Luca had never been happier.

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