Beauty & The Beasts (Twisted Wonderland x Reader)

Late Night Antics -81-

You fell face first on your bed the minute you had gotten into your pajamas. Grim hopped up next to you, eagerly curling into your side. "Myah... We're only on day one, and I'm already pooped." He complained. You nodded into the pillow. "It's not a walk in the park, that's for sure." You muttered in response.

Grim huffed. "It's all for my tuna bonanza. I gotta make sure they win this thing." The cat said determinedly. Suddenly, there was a muffled voice coming from outside that you were barely able to pick up. However, Grim having animal ears was able to hear it easily.

"I'll erase the brilliance that seems to break." They sang. Grim picked his head up. "Hm? Who's that makin' noise in the yard?" He questioned. Sluggishly, you dragged yourself away from the bed and peeked out the window.

Squinting you eyes, you were able to make out a strong contrast between the white snow on the ground and the maroon red of the Scarabia uniform. "It's Kalim... Let's go check it out." You said before sliding on your slippers. Grim groaned but begrudgingly followed behind. "I can already hear the angry lecture we're going to get about breaking curfew..." He grumbled.

"I'll erase the brilliance that seems to break... Hmmm... I keep missing that note." The housewarden murmured with a hand to his chin. Without any warning, Grim spoke up, seemingly spooking Kalim. "Hey, Kalim! If you stay out late, Coach Vil is gonna chew our heads off!" The cat sung out.

Looking back with wide eyes, the male in question blinked in surprise. "Whoa! Grim and Y/N? Did you hear me from the dorm? Sorry about that!" He apologized with a grin, sheepishly scratching behind his neck. You sent him a small smile in return, lightly tilting your head in question. "I'm glad you're practicing, but rest is just as important. But hey, you're incredibly diligent." You said gently.

Grim quickly nodded in agreement. "Yeah! How can you still be going after gettin' worked to the bone today?" Slightly pink cheeked, Kalim scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Ha ha, it's not what you think. This is the first time I've ever done something like this." He paused, "I'm... pretty upset that I got passed over for main vocals."

You pursed your lips at his words while Grim just looked confused. "Huh? You didn't look upset to me." He responded simply. "I wasn't, when it first got announced," Kalim began, "But when I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, it started nagging at me. I couldn't just lie there working myself up. Figured I'd let off some steam by practicing. I've... never felt this way before."

Before you could even open your mouth, Grim began sharing his own wisdom. "Ah-hah. You've had everything handed to you on a silver platter before this, I bet. Guess that's what it's like when you're mega-rich. Must be nice!" He exclaimed. You sharply turned to the feline. "Grim!" You scolded.

Grimacing, Kalim tapped his pointer fingers together nervously. "Ah, well... Yes and no. I don't think that's quite it. I'm always chosen. Always. That's such an obvious truth that I never even consciously processed it. But now I see that was only possible because of Jamil's constant sacrifices. He created that "truth" in my mind by always holding back. By always letting me win... It stings. "Galling" doesn't even begin to describe it."

Your heart felt heavy from Kalim's admission, but Grim didn't seem to feel the same way. "You wanna talk about galling? Imagine how I feel not even makin' the cut for the audition to start with." The cat said bluntly. The housewarden's eyes widened in realization. "Ah, you're right. My bad! I didn't mean to rub it in. Goodness, there I go again! I'm super sorry, honest." He apologized quickly.

With an awkward face, Grim hopped onto your shoulder and leaned into your ear. "Geez, gettin' a sincere apology makes me feel like I kicked a puppy or somethin'. Ace or Deuce woulda hit me with a comeback..." The feline cleared his throat and addressed Kalim again. "Ahem! Look, if that's how you feel, then you'd better win!"