Chapter Text
Late into the night, just as you and Grim were preparing for bed, a strange occurrence broke the silence. As you reached to adjust the curtains in your room, you froze.
"Henchman?"
"Did you hear something outside just now?"
"? I didn't hear a thing, y'know," Grim replied, tilting his head.
You tried to dismiss it as your imagination, but the moment you turned back toward Grim, it happened again. From far away, then suddenly close—the sound of dogs barking echoed outside the window, ranging from low growls to high-pitched howls.
"Grim."
"…………?"
Despite the clear alarm in your voice, Grim remained puzzled. It seemed that these sounds—the barking, the low snarling, even the scratching of paws against the wall right beneath the window—were audible to you alone.
"You're acting weird, y'know," Grim noted, watching your face grow pale.
"Maybe… I'm just tired," you murmured. You wondered if your dislike of dogs was manifesting as auditory hallucinations, or if someone was playing a prank. Shaking your head to rid your ears of the lingering echoes, you crawled into bed.
"I hope I don't have any bad dreams."
"The Great Grim will stay right here with you."
Grim wiggled into the covers and snuggled against you. His warmth and fluffiness were a constant source of comfort. As you buried your nose into the top of his head and took a deep breath, you caught the soft scents of sunshine, earth, and… a faint hint of tuna.
That was strange. He was supposed to have just had a bath.
"Grim, did you sneak a snack?"
"I DIDN'T, Y'KNOW."
He definitely did.
"Geez. If you get any more squishy, you’re really going to be a raccoon dog. Or a seal."
"The Great Grim moves around plenty during Magift, so I’m fine, y’know!"
"I wonder if that’s true."
You playfully poke and prod at Grim’s belly with your fingertips. When you pinch a bit of his soft, plump skin, he presses a paw against your cheek with a huff of "Stop that." His paw pads are soft, moist, and utterly enchanting. If you sold tickets for a paw-shaking event, Idia would surely buy out the entire stock.
Wait a second.
"…………"
In that moment, you realize that instead of waiting for Idia to buy up tickets, it might be faster to just set up a "Boss Rental" service with him as the primary target. You stare intently at the top of Grim’s head with a solemn expression.
"Boss, would you be interested in selling yourself for a bit to earn some tuna can money?"
"…You have a really wicked look on your face, y’know."
Looking displeased, Grim pulls his front paws out of your hands and presses them squishly against your chin.
"Stop thinking about weird stuff and just go to sleep, y’know."
"Yessir."
Though he sounds exasperated while trying to put you to bed, the fact that he doesn't wiggle out of your arms suggests he’s worried about you in his own way. This Boss of yours is surprisingly independent; he doesn't possess the kind of helpless sweetness where he can't do anything without you nearby. He is, after all, a former stray—or rather, a wild magical beast. If you didn't call out to him, he could manage to survive on his own well enough.
Yet, this same Grim now begs you for food and sleeps beside you like this. Letting you hold him is just another part of the "Boss’s service."
"Goodnight, Boss."
"Goodnight, Henchman."
Exchanging your final greetings for the night, you closed your eyes while cradling that warm, breathing life in your arms.
And then.
In sharp contrast to the peaceful beginning, you—true to form—shot up in the early hours of the morning after a terrifying dream. The only silver lining was that you managed not to wake Grim.
"…………Sigh."
With a heavy breath, you slipped out of bed to take a shower. A cold sensation seeped through the soles of your feet the moment they touched the floor. Despite the chilly season, you were damp with a sticky night sweat from the nightmare.
It was a truly depressing start to the day.