Unexpected Companion

The distance from the Imporium to Valentine’s home was short, an uneventful path that slowly dissolved from concrete road to gravel trail. After sharing goodbyes and leaving a few kisses on Hutch’s cheek for their hard work, Valentine was faced with the journey and very little reason to not complete it. The light of the crystals overhead had not yet dimmed, still promising a kind guide and a way home. The evening was still young, the streets filled with other succubuns still running errands and lining up in shops. The sounds of their conversations filled the air, laughter and bitter remarks dancing around as their owners littered benches and sidewalks alike. Val could make out the dinner scents beginning to waft through the air; burgers and pizzas just as tempting as the sweet scent of mochi drifting about. 

Valentine paused her walking to peek at a pizza place longingly, her nose desperate to dissuade her from her journey home. She was sure she had plenty of things to eat back home… And the guilt she’d feel would keep her from bringing back a meal for one. She would have to buy Luka and Akio something, too - but hadn’t they already eaten today? The thought kept her from venturing too close to the siren’s lair, her teeth pressed tightly to her lip and her eyes wandering with uncertainty. She hadn’t had a nice mochi in so long… Some other day, then. For now, she would save her carats for a rainier day, when the lines weren’t so long and the cashiers not so stressed. With a longing glance, she steered towards the trail to home, forcing away the phantom taste of dango on her tongue.  

As the sounds of hooves and heels alike faded into the distance, Valentine noticed that fellow footfalls hadn’t faded completely into silence. Behind the clopping of her own hooves against the concrete, a rhythmic padding comfortably trailing along behind her. She stopped, head turning to face whatever it was that made the sound. When she couldn’t see it with just the swivel of the head alone, Valentine turned fully to greet her company - an impup. The impup. She recognized the excited wag of its tail and tilting of its head, but the tiny spin it did at her acknowledgment only confirmed it.

“Oh, hey little guy… What are you doing all the way out here?” She kneeled down as she spoke, lowering her voice to a sweet whisper to keep her new companion from fretting. The impup practically sprang into her arms, jolting her off balance and pressing her back against the harsh concrete. She chuckled when she found her breath, scratching at the sweet thing’s chin and hoisting herself into a cross-legged position so it could rest on her lap. It was strange that it had followed her, admittedly. She had no clue how it had slipped past Hutch - and no idea how it had tracked her down, either. She shook her head, holding it to her chest and standing with it curled against her.

“Let’s get you back to Hutch, okay? He must be worried sick…”

The state of the Imporium when she had returned did little to contrast her words. Hutch faced away from the door, barely acknowledging the jingle of the bell as he lifted a table to peek underneath it.

“It’ll be just a second..!” Their words were terribly strained, sounding uncharacteristically high and nervous as they continued to open doors and lift food bowls to search underneath them. Valentine glanced at the impup for any signs of guilt, though it was devoid of any such thing. She cleared her throat slightly, running a hand through its fur and stepping closer to the shop’s owner.

“I think I have what you’re looking for.”

“Val? Wh-” Hutch turned, face glowing red from sweat and littered with the kiss marks she’d left them with, “Oh! Oh, you do! How did - Where did you-?” They scampered over, pulling themselves from the floor after bumping their head on the table they’d lifted earlier. One hand lingered on the impact, while the other adjusted their tilted glasses. 

“I’m not sure, it was kind of just… Following me? I have no idea how it even slipped by you - maybe it just kind of walked outside with me when I left?” Valentine held out the imp for Hutch to take, making eye contact with the troublemaker and casting a grin in its direction.

“You might be right… I thought I had it in its carrier, maybe I forgot to lock it-” Hutch’s hands did not meet the calm imp Val had held only seconds prior, its demeanor changing the moment it left her arms. It wiggled defiantly, putting up such an unexpected struggle that Hutch wasn’t ready for. It leapt to the ground, scuttling quickly between Valentine’s legs to paw at one of her hooves. It barked, spun around once, and then sat in front of her with its ever-wagging tail. The display was so baffling that neither Val nor Hutch spoke for a few moments, instead eyeing eachother and the imp while it waited expectantly.

“...It really is the cutest thing, isn’t it?” Valentine’s voice was soft again as she knelt down, hoisting up the impup and holding it close enough to nuzzle it with her chin. With her other hand, she ruffled Hutch’s hair and gently rubbed at the injury the table had given them.

“Do you think you have time for any more training lessons today?”

Hutch grinned, sheepish yet determined. 

"Yeah, I think I could manage that!"