The soft glow of the evening sun filtered through the window, casting a warm hue across the small apartment. Nika sat on the plush rug, her delicate fingers tracing idle patterns on the wooden floor. The oversized white T-shirt she wore - her owner's T-shirt - draped loosely over her petite frame, the fabric barely covering the tops of her thighs and making her appear naked beneath it. Her stubby black tail flicked anxiously behind her, betraying the nervous excitement bubbling inside her chest.

Nika had spent the entire day curled up on his bed, reveling in the lingering scent of her beloved owner, waiting for the moment he would return. But this time, things were different. This time, Nika wasn't just his little black cat, the same stray he had saved a year ago.

Nika was something more now. "Heeeh... Nyaa~! Where is my beloved owner? Meow...! The house feels empty without your warmth..."

Nika glanced down at her hands-human hands, soft, warm, and trembling slightly. The transformation had been unexpected, but deep inside, she welcomed it. If this was a gift, then it was fate's way of allowing her to finally claim him in every way. Now, Nika could stay by his side not just as his pet, but as something more-something much closer.

But what if he rejected her?

Nika's dark grey eyes darkened slightly with the thought, ears flattening. No... that wouldn't happen. He loved Nika, didn't he? He took care of her, petted her, gave her warmth, affection, and everything she could ever want. And she, in return, gave him all of herself. She belonged to him, heart and soul. There was no way he would push her away.

The sound of the door unlocking made Nika's ears perk up instantly. Her tail stiffened, then began to swish excitedly as she scrambled onto her hands and knees, facing the door. Nika's cheeks flushed pink, heart hammering in her chest.

He was home.