Archive of Our Own ^beta

For all intents and purposes, it should have been a normal Tuesday. And, while it may have started that way, life just had to throw a new curveball at Gunvolt.

As if he didn’t have enough on his plate already…

5 am on the dot, GV's alarm rings. The tune of some retro game that Zeno set for him, blaring throughout the small living room. With a few grumbles and whines, a messy head of blond spikes rouses himself from the blanket draped over a well-worn couch.

After a moment spent to turn the incessant 8-bit jingle off, and another to find his glasses, the boy gets up to start his day.

First, a trip to the kitchen, to get some water boiling in the old and slightly dented iron kettle they got second-hand. 

The thing may sound like someone screaming bloody murder, but, without the need for electricity – instead being made for a stove top, the thing is way less susceptible to getting destroyed by an accidental lightning strike from GV.

Then, after making sure the lid of the kettle wasn’t about to fly off and decapitate somebody, the blond left the small room again to get dressed and tie his hair.

Taming the figurative bird’s nest atop his head and twisting the longer strands of hair into a long braid, finishing it off with a small bow, always takes a while. So, once Gunvolt stepped outside the tiny bathroom of his apartment, he could hear the signature death whistle of the kettle disturbing the fragile tranquility that always seems to spread through the place in the early morning.

Returning to the counter next to the stove, he takes two mugs from the cupboard above and sets them down along with a small container of sugar and a pair of spoons.

A quick glance at his phone lets him know that he would have another 30 minutes before the second resident of the small one-bedroom apartment would be waking up. So, the teen made up his mind and set out to make a quick breakfast for the two – some sunny-side up eggs over rice and a bowl of miso soup for each.

At around 5:45, with the rice cooking and the small pot of soup steaming alongside the tea, a small figure emerges from a room tucked into the far corner of the flat. The lilac, shoulder length hair of the girl stood up in all possible directions, obviously mussed by sleep, and her eyes were still bleary. Despite this, she made her way over to the brightly lit kitchen to stand next to the older boy.

“Morning Joule. Sorry, did I wake you up?”, the boy asked in a timid tone. The girl in question was quick to ease his worries, though. “No, just couldn’t really sleep well, was restless the whole night.” She shot Gunvolt a quick, mirthful smile.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything bad!” Joule immediately added, upon seeing the small frown now resting on the other’s features. “We’re just going to get the results of our last test back today. You know, the one I told you I messed up?” Another glance, this one more sheepish.

Finally, a small giggle forced its way out of the boy, the small smile from before returning with it. “Alright”, the quiet reply ending the conversation. The last remnants of sleep seemed to still be clinging to the pair, bringing the two children to a comfortable silence.

Joule slowly lifted the kettle, bringing it over to one of the mugs set out. Her favorite, adorned with small pastel images of cats.

She began to pour the fresh tea, spilling a few droplets due to the sudden shift in weight, but without much trouble otherwise. Afterwards, GV took the kettle from her hands to pour himself a second cup.

This habit began shortly after the two moved into the small flat together. Joule couldn’t really have tea much while still in Sumeragi’s clutches, but Gunvolt’s affinity for the stuff seemed to have bled over to the girl he now regards with the fondness of a sibling.

After breakfast was done, and the dishes were washed, Joule retreated back into her room to change and pack her bag for school.

Despite the occasional worry about her test results, Joule enjoyed school. Being around people her own age, and having the adults around have her best interest at heart, had been unimaginable to the 13 year old girl just five months prior. But by now, she had gotten accustomed to her life of freedom.

With a little help from GV, the purple mess Joule called hair was smoothed out and made to look presentable. The tie of her uniform loosely hung from her neck as she finished the last of her morning routine. She properly tightened it once she, too, stepped out of the bathroom. And shortly after, the two were out of the house, on their way to school. The same routine as most days.

Their school day was nothing out of the ordinary, as well.

Joule still managed to pass her test, to her relief. Gunvolt’s friends tried to get him to come to their small party at one of their houses this weekend. Lunch break was spent in their respective friend groups after high-fiveing the other in the hall.

 It was after school that things took a turn.

Taking the same, always crowded street as usual to the train station and chatting throughout the whole trip, you’d think that the small, quiet sounds coming from a nearby alley wouldn’t have been able to be picked up by the two teens, but Gunvolt had years of training under his belt. The need to always be on guard during missions caused him to have remarkable hearing, even in spite of the few explosions that have come dangerously close to his face.

So, he was capable of making out the small mewls coming from their right, tensing up a little once he recognized the sound. Joule immediately picked up on the blond’s change in demeanor, straining in hopes of finding out the cause like he did, but ultimately failing.

So instead, she turned towards the alley that now held her best friend and brother figure’s attention, taking small steps towards it when she sensed none of the protectiveness GV  would undoubtedly be radiating had he thought danger was nearby.

It only took until she reached its entrance, that she, too, heard it; a meow, scared and in pain. She took off, deeper into the alley, Gunvolt calling out to her in warning, and immediately running after the short girl.

 Here, nestled between old cardboard boxes and a trash bag, sat the small creature making all those little noises: a small, bone thin, black cat.

The feline looked up with its big green eyes when Joule approached its hideout, now quiet, but didn’t seem to have the energy to put up much of a fight. Continuing to cower and make itself as small as possible, in hopes of going unnoticed by the much larger presence that hovered close by.

Crouching down, Joule held out her hand a considerable distance away from the obviously scared kitty. With a few soothing whispers in its direction, the little one seemed to calm down.

From her position, the girl could make out a wound on the cat’s left back leg. The source of its worrisome cries.

By this point, Gunvolt had long since caught up to his little sister, but kept some space between himself and Joule upon seeing the cat, not wanting to spook the poor thing any further. Now though, he took tentative steps towards the scene before him, crouching down next to Joule.

Joule turned her head away from the small feline and regarded the blond: “It’s hurt, we have to help it!”, she cried, tears already forming within her eyes. The plight of the innocent creature clearly affecting the young artist.

Gunvolt nodded his agreement, slowly taking off the jacket of his school uniform. “So we have something to wrap the cat up. Don’t want to get scratched, now do we?” He responded, when the girl beside him seemed confused.

“I have a feeling it’s going to trust you more than me, think you can try to pet it?” The boy asked, “We need it to be calm, if we want any chance to pick it up.”

Nodding, Joule regarded the small kitty again, and inching her way forward, stopping when the cat visibly tensed up, and repeating the steps once the creature deemed her not a threat.

Once she was directly beside the animal, she timidly reached out for the cat to sniff her hand. After a moment, the feline relaxed and bumped its head into Joule’s hand, clearly trusting the girl.

“Your fur is so soft.”, she cooed towards the animal, already enamored with it.

 After around ten minutes of petting the thin void, getting it to warm up to the two teens just wanting to help, the slight thing was swaddled up in Gunvolt’s jacket and purring quietly.

And with their new passenger secured, the trio stepped back out onto the street, still bustling as ever, to their new destination: the nearest veterinarian.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I already agreed to keeping the cat, there’s no need for the puppy eyes you keep giving me…” Gunvolt sighed, once outside of the clinic, clearly exasperated.

“So you can’t change your mind later!”, the girl in question replied, stubbornly.

That got a small laugh from the boy, once again holding the bundle of purring fur that would be staying with them from now on. Without replying, the blond simply nodded his head in the direction of the run-down apartment complex they lived in. Joule got the silent message and started skipping towards their home, glee in her eyes and clearly proud of her accomplishment.

Things returned to normal for the rest of the day, for the most part.

The two kids still did their homework together, despite them being in different school years. Afterwards, Gunvolt checked in with QUILL, seeing if there was a new job they wanted him for. When his night was confirmed free, he let out a sigh.

While it was nice to go to bed at a reasonable hour for once, the new addition to their household also meant an addition to their weekly expenses.

The cat food he bought earlier won’t last forever, and if the feline’s appetite from an hour before was anything to go by, he’s going to have to buy more sooner than expected.

Joule was totally smitten with the tiny thing though. She never let the raven cat out of her sight for more than a handful of minutes.

It was nice, seeing the girl so happy, especially after everything she’s been through.

“I’m going to get started on dinner.” Gunvolt exclaimed into the living room. “We’re having Mapo Tofu, you okay with that?”, he asked, looking towards the girl currently sitting on the floor with their new roommate making herself right at home in the girl’s lap.

“Yep, please don’t make it so spicy, though.”, came her remark. And the puppy eyes were back.

“I wouldn’t dare try.”, a huff left the boy while he maneuvered around the two, braid swishing from side to side with his movements.

This didn’t go unnoticed by their new feline friend, of course, and, as quietly as the walking void could muster - which wasn’t very much, considering her injury - she stalked after her object of interest.

Gunvolt liked cooking. Sure, he wasn’t some pretentious chef who could somehow taste the exact brand of wine used in a sauce, but he was able to – at the very least – feed himself and the girl in his care without complaint.

The repetitive cutting motion and the smell of peppers permeating the air lulled the boy into a sense of calm he could rarely achieve otherwise. Swaying lightly from side to side, humming a nonsensical tune, he added some freshly cut garlic to the pan. By now, he’s sure he could do the whole prep work blindfolded, with how often he's made the dish. 

A noise gave him pause. It wasn’t from the pan, already sizzling with oil and spices, or any noise from outside drifting in through the window. Before the blond had a chance to turn around, the source of the noise made itself known, pouncing forward, latching onto the end of his braid and letting all its weight hang from it.

A yelp, more from shock than pain, rang through the apartment, scaring the cat that mistook his hair for a toy. Joule stuck her head into the kitchen through the open door, clearly worried.

A playful glare was sent in her direction. “Your new friend seems to be feeling better already. But the vet said to have her take it easy for a while, just so she doesn’t get herself hurt. I think you need to keep a better eye on her.”

Joule burst out laughing at that, desperately trying to stop at the raised eyebrow Gunvolt gives her for it. “Do-don’t be so hard on Tuna! It’s not her fault that she wants to play!”

“Maybe you could make her see that I’m neither a toy nor scratching post, then.”, he kept glaring, but his tone held no heat. “Also, ‘Tuna’? What’s up with that?”

“It’s her name!”, Joule exclaimed, clearly proud of herself. Her mood sobered up quickly though, “Where did she even run off to?”, a worried edge to her tone.

“Your room, if she ran straight in just one direction.” GV added, pointing in the direction the blur of a cat ran off to, “she must’ve gotten scared by my yelling. Sorry.” The boy looked sheepish, despite no fault of his own.

“I’m going to check on her.”, after excusing herself, the girl went after the feline, delicately opening the door to her room further, as to not make more noise, and quickly vanishing inside.

By the time dinner was served, Joule was still holding Tuna to her chest like a baby. After a few scratches on her chin, she seemed quite content in forgiving Gunvolt for scaring her, purring away like a well-oiled motor.

After bidding Joule Goodnight, Gunvolt was ready to call it a day as well, regardless of the energy he usually had left around this time. He had quickly come to learn that Tuna liked to throw ‘usual’ right out the window.

Even now, the cat sat perched upon the couch, completely oblivious to the mental peril she put her new owner in. Or maybe she is being vindictive over the scare earlier, GV thought to himself.

Whatever the case, the cat had to move, at least until GV laid down. Though he would prefer the cat not lay on him at all. You never know when his Septima might act up because of a nightmare, and he’d really like to prevent electrocuting the poor thing after she just found a new home.

Taking mercy on him, seemingly, Tuna slowly got up before languidly stretching and carefully jumping down from the couch.

Now, instead, she sat herself down right in front of Joule’s bedroom door, yowling like she just got shot and scratching on the wood.

Slowly opening the door, Joule poked her head through the gap. The small nightlight Gunvolt had gotten her months ago was illuminating the room behind her in a gentle blue hue.

“Aww, you want to cuddle with me, Tuna?” came out of the girl’s mouth after a stifled yawn. Quickly making her way inside, brushing up against the girl’s leg as she passed, Tuna seemed pleased.

After a glance and a sweet smile thrown Gunvolt’s way, Joule returned to the room too, closing the door behind her.

Sleeping arrangements for all three residents of the place accounted for, Gunvolt returned to the couch and quickly fell asleep.

It was a regular Tuesday, in their household, at least.

Get woken up, spend way too long blindly smacking the general area Gunvolt believed his phone to be in, get up, make tea, get dressed and washed up, start breakfast.

For a while now, breakfast has started to include a portion of cat food, set aside for their smallest family member.

Then, when Joule made her way out of her room, still bleary-eyed and sluggish, another leaves her room alongside the girl.

Tuna, now at least 5 pounds heavier, and walking without a limp, finally, then gets started with her morning. Yelling at Gunvolt until the blond sets down her bowl where she can reach it and going to town on her breakfast seems like a perfect start for that.

After getting ready and playing with the spoiled brat they took in well over a month ago, GV and Joule say goodbye to their furry friend for the next few hours and get started on their commute to school.

And like clockwork, when the door to the apartment opens again, the little troublemaker gets up from whatever place she decided to sleep the afternoon away on, and jumps right into Joule’s already open and waiting arms.