Chapter 126-Little menace (2)

Chapter 126: 126-Little menace (2)

Aymara watched Nathaniel’s interaction with Yaya for a while longer.

She had spent the past few days making sure Nathaniel ate properly, took his medication on time, rested enough, and didn’t push himself beyond his limits. Yet a few minutes of batting a toy with his cat around were apparently enough to make him smile like that.

Perhaps she needed to invest in better entertainment. "No, what am I thinking?" Aymara immediately rejected the thought.

She was not going to compete with a cat. That would be ridiculous! She took a breath and pushed the door open. "Nathaniel," She hid her displeasure behind the sweetest smile.

He looked up, his face brightening when he saw her. "Mara? Come in."

Aymara stepped into the room, keeping a careful distance from Yaya. The cat noticed her almost immediately. Its ears lifted, and its round eyes fixed on Aymara.

Aymara stared back and for one brief moment, neither of them moved, just then Yaya meowed.

Meow.

Aymara’s shoulders stiffened and Nathaniel noticed her reaction immediately. His lips twitched. "She’s saying hello."

"Is she?" Aymara seemed most stunned by the news.

"Of course," Nathaniel agreed. "She likes you."

"She sounds suspicious."

Aymara didn’t buy that the cat loved her. They were both contending for number one in Nathaniel’s heart, how can Yaya like her?

Nathaniel laughed. His head back and hair messy, he let loose and enjoyed heartily.

Aymara glanced at him, then at the cat again. Yaya had already lost interest in the confrontation and was now attempting to climb onto Nathaniel’s shoulder.

He gently guided her back into his lap. "Yaya, behave, girl."

Aymara raised an eyebrow. "You’re telling her to behave? She was the one who started it so it makes sense that you’ll advise her to behave."

"Started what?"

"Whatever that was."

Nathaniel looked at her for a moment before breaking into another laugh.

Aymara felt a strange warmth settle in her chest. She didn’t mind being teased if it meant he could laugh like this. She had missed seeing him so relaxed, without pain clouding his expression or the weight of their past hanging between them.

Still, she wasn’t about to approach the cat without a compelling reason. She stopped beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. The medicine helped, and I haven’t had any chest discomfort since resting."

"Any dizziness?" Aymara asked while being keen about his features. She wanted to confirm with her own eyes that he was alright.

"No."

"Breathing difficulties?"

"No, Mara."

"Fatigue?"

Nathaniel gave her a fond, exasperated look. "Should I prepare a medical report?"

"If you want to save us both time, yes."

He shook his head, smiling. "I’m fine. You don’t have to worry so much."

"I’ll decide how much worrying is necessary," She said. Her gaze dropped to the cat.

Unfortunately, Yaya had noticed her again. The little creature leaned forward in Nathaniel’s lap, sniffing the air before stretching one paw toward Aymara.

Aymara immediately stepped back in a hurried step. She glanced cautiously at adorable cat. Part of her wanted to step further back but the other part that was considerate of Nathaniel’s feeling kept her put.

Nathaniel stared at her with a confused look. Then he began laughing so hard that he had to hold Yaya securely against his chest.

Hahaha. Hahaha.

"Mara! She only wants to sniff your hand!" He said between laughs.

"She can sniff the air from there," She said light but while he was confused laughing, she took one careful step back while narrowing her eyes at Yaya.

"She’s harmless."

Aymara didn’t fall for it. "That’s what people say about creatures right before they bite them," She let out.

"Yaya doesn’t bite."

Nathaniel raised three fingers as a way to give his word to her. He could swear on his life that Yaya was harmless and wouldn’t harm a fly.

"She has teeth," Aymara looked wearily at Yaya’s teeth. "...and they are sharp."

Nathaniel looked at her, utterly delighted, his eyes sparkling with the kind of amusement he rarely bothered to hide. He had known about Aymara’s dislike for pets for as long as he could remember.

Even as children, she had never been particularly fond of furry creatures, preferring to admire them from a safe distance rather than have them anywhere near her.

Perhaps that was precisely why he had taken Yaya in after Aymara left him. Back then, his heart had been a mess of hurt, anger, and disappointment over her betrayal.

The girl he had trusted most had abandoned him, and in those lonely days, he had been desperate for something to distract him from the ache she had left behind.

Taking in a cat had seemed like a harmless way to fill the emptiness, especially when he knew perfectly well that Aymara wouldn’t be pleased if she ever returned and discovered that he had welcomed a pet into his life.

There had even been a childish, spiteful satisfaction in the thought of it, a tiny act of defiance against the girl who had broken his heart. If she could leave him behind without a second thought, then he could do something she wouldn’t like, too.

However, what had begun as a petty attempt to soothe his wounded pride had gradually grown into something genuine.

Yaya had quietly worked its way into his heart, keeping him company through the long, silent days and offering a kind of uncomplicated affection he hadn’t realized how badly he needed.

Before long, Nathaniel found himself caring for Yaya far beyond his original intentions, and the bond between them became an irreplaceable part of his life.

In a way, Yaya had been his rebound after Aymara’s departure, but the little creature had long since become more than a substitute for someone he had lost. It had earned its own place in his heart, and no matter how much Aymara might dislike it, Nathaniel had no intention of giving it up.

"I give you my word. Yaya would never harm a hair on you."

For a moment, Aymara wondered whether he was deliberately trying to torment her. Then she saw the happiness in his eyes and decided she could tolerate a little embarrassment for that glint of happiness in his eyes.

She slowly extended one hand. Her heart was beating in a raced pulse and her hand was shaking slightly.

Yaya sniffed her fingers in that time, Aymara held her breath. The cat leaned closer, whiskers brushing against her knuckles. And to Aymara’s surprise, Yaya rubbed her head against her hand. She froze up.

Nathaniel’s laughter softened into a smile. "See? She likes you."

Aymara stared at the cat as though it had just performed an inexplicable magic trick. "She does?"

"Of course, she does," His eyes softened as he looked at her. "Who wouldn’t?"

Yaya rubbed against her hand again. Aymara carefully withdrew it. "Well, I suppose she has acceptable judgment."

Nathaniel’s smile widened. "That’s high praise coming from you."

"Don’t get used to it."

She turned toward the table and picked up the empty food container, using the opportunity to put some distance between herself and the cat.

Nathaniel watched her with unmistakable amusement. "You know, you could sit with us."

"I’m already standing with you."

"You could sit on the bed."

"And let that creature climb all over me?" She imagined that scenario and it was a hard pass for her. "No thanks."

"Her name is Yaya and she’s the most lovable cat you’ll ever meet."

"I’m aware of her name."

"Then stop calling her ’that creature.’ It’s kind of offensive if you look at it from her point of view."

Aymara looked at him and Nathaniel looked back. After a moment, she sighed and sat down on the far edge of the bed, leaving a generous space between herself and the cat.

"There. Are you satisfied?"

"Very," Nathaniel smiled again. "You look good when you pout... you know."

Yaya immediately curled up against Nathaniel’s side and Aymara watched them in silence.

The cat was small, warm, and completely content to exist beside the person she loved. Nathaniel stroked her fur absentmindedly, his attention drifting between the television and Aymara’s face.

She realized that she didn’t resent Yaya for receiving his affection. She was simply unfamiliar with sharing his attention, especially when every moment with him felt precious after all the years she had wasted.

But if Yaya made Nathaniel happy, then Aymara could learn to tolerate her, perhaps even pet her occasionally. On very special occasions.

After confirming that Nathaniel had eaten and taken his medication, Aymara rose to leave. "I need to return to the control room. The repair teams are still working."

Nathaniel nodded. "Don’t push yourself too hard either."

She paused at the door. It was such a simple thing to say, yet the concern in his voice touched her more deeply than he probably realized.

"I won’t," She hesitated before adding, "If you need anything, call me."

"I will."

Aymara glanced at Yaya one last time. The cat had already closed her eyes, apparently convinced that the world was perfectly safe as long as Nathaniel was nearby.

Aymara shook her head. "Take care of him, little one."

Nathaniel’s eyes widened slightly. Aymara realized what she had said and immediately frowned.

"Don’t look at me like that. I meant that you shouldn’t make him chase you around the room."

"I didn’t say anything," Nathaniel held back the urge to laugh again. He found her more adorable that Yaya in that moment that he nearly wanted to tease her a bit more.

"You were thinking loudly."

Nathaniel laughed again, unable to hold it back any longer. The moment was too good to pass up and she wasn’t exactly doing herself any justice with her retorts.

Aymara left before he could tease her further, closing the door behind her. As she walked down the corridor, she glanced at her hand.

The faint warmth of Yaya’s fur still lingered against her fingers. She flexed them once, then sighed.

Accepting the cat had been easy enough but becoming a cat person, however, was another matter entirely.

And if Yaya thought she could steal all of Nathaniel’s attention simply by being cute, she had another thing coming.

Aymara Ellington was perfectly willing to share. Just not without a fight.

"I’ll see to the safety of the ship first. Then..." She paused and shot back a meaningful look. "It’s game on!"