ashes to ashes ➙ simon lewis [1]

ii. BUZZKILL.

There was nothing Bella liked more than the prospect of closing her eyes and not having to worry about anything. Sleeping on park benches for the last couple weeks made that difficult, but now, in the sanctum of a trustworthy warlock's apartment, she could finally relax.

Sike.

She yelped as Chairman Meow landed on her face, fingers latching onto the ball of puff and pushing the small cat onto the other pillow. She bolted upright, gasping for breath as she glowered at the animal. Chairman Meow seemed unbothered by her negative reaction, focused only licking himself and offering her the occasional judgmental stare. 

One second of complete and utter calmness passed. Two. Three.

"Magnus!"

It happened this week every morning. For the last three mornings, at least, if that was a streak of any kind. Bella was still struggling to adjust to sleeping with a roof over her head, rather than the blackness of the Brooklyn night sky. Whenever the cat leapt on her, even if it was entirely good-natured, it shocked her into thinking she was being attacked by someone.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't worried it was her dad a couple times.

Stepdad, if she was taking demonic technicalities into account. But as mentioned, she had never been particularly fond of details. She'd always preferred the big picture over the fragmented puzzle pieces.

It took a few painstaking moments before Magnus entered the guest bedroom. He was clad in a flowing, deep purple robe that sparkled with golden trim and glitter with every move he made. Beneath the robe, he wore only leather slippers and black silky sweatpants, showcasing his lean, muscular chest, though Bella paid no attention to that. Something repelled her from Magnus on a physical level, despite how automatic emotional trust towards him.

Maybe it was the matching demon marks. That wasn't exactly her favorite feature about herself, either.

"The Chairman likes you," Magnus drawled. "You should be flattered."

He made the same remark every morning, and Bella was quickly growing tired of it. She liked cats, sure, but they weren't supposed to like her back. She had nearly been mauled by a couple strays in the park over the last few weeks, so the sudden cuddly presence of Magnus's hamster-cat was unsettling at best.

"That's enough," Bella said, throwing the heavy silk blankets off herself. Despite his many annoyances, Magnus did take pretty good care of his guests. Bella hadn't even been familiar with silk fabric before. But she was still nearing a breaking point regarding the unmistakable cat situation. "Seriously, I can't take anymore. My dad was always allergic to cats, and now I'm grateful for that." 

"Your stepfather," Magnus said, then paused, clearing his throat, "clearly has regrettable tastes. My Chairman is easily the light of my life. Talks significantly less than people, which already paints him as an angel in my eyes." 

Bella inhaled sharply. It was nice and everything for Magnus to give her a place to live and listen to all of her recent trauma, but she couldn't take this cat thing anymore. Her insomnia was already prominent enough without this little fur ball from the depths of Hell keeping her awake all of the time. "I need some air," she grumbled. Her pale feet tangled haphazardly with the silk sheets as she struggled to free herself from the confines of the guest bed. 

She pretended not to notice how Magnus's lips quirked into a smirk. "Are you quite sure you're stable enough to walk, my dear?"

Bella also chose to ignore that. Instead of responding, she grabbed one of the overstuffed, firm pillows on the bed and chucked it directly at Magnus's face.