"I feel silly being in your lap," Art muttered as Singa drove them to Venti's apartment.

Venti patted the lion's chest. "How do you think I feel, having to take off the front seat of a car so I can have the leg room all the way in the back?"

Art fingered with the bandage wrapped around his head. "I guess it could be worse, huh? Doctor's said I'm all right, I just need to take it easy for a day." He grimaced as his finger touched the bruise on his forehead. "I never thought styrofoam could hurt so much."

"Yeah, well if I ever see that old man with a gun in his hands, I'm going to show him how much I can hurt him," Venti growled.

Art turned around to face Venti, the wind whipping his hair out in front of him. "Hey, no. I can fight my own battles. I'll call you when I need you to beat up someone your size, all right?"

"Art, he could've killed you if he had real bullets in that gun."

"Venti, don't treat me like I'm fragile. I'm okay now." Art cupped the jackal's cheek, rubbing it slowly. "I'm going to be okay later, and I'm still going to be okay tomorrow."

Venti covered Art's hand with his own. "You better."

Singa focused on the road, trying to ignore the scene in his backseat. How does he do it? thought the cheetah, glancing in the rear view mirror despite his best efforts. How did Venti find someone mere weeks after breaking up with Damon? Singa hadn't been so lucky in the dating world, and he wondered if maybe his eccentricities were too much for people. The cheetah tried to sound cheerful as he pulled into the parking lot. "Here we are at your place, Venti."

Venti cradled Art in the crook of his arm as he got out of the car, setting the lion down to put back the car seat. "Thanks again, Singa. I love you."

Singa gave the jackal a smile. "I love you too,"

Even though I've lost you again, he thought.

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