A Helpful Hindrance

"Don't you think you should… go to sleep now?"

"Naaaah."

Mae's eyes were lit up by the screen she was glued to, her paws working fast on the keyboard. Cole stood awkwardly in the doorway. He had planned to leave an hour ago, but something had held him back. It was probably the tempting smell of pizza lingering in the kitchen; the one he should have cleaned up. Or it might have been the fact that, since he'd arrived at four in the afternoon, Mae had barely moved from her spot on the sofa, eyes manically fixed on her laptop, and it was now almost two in the morning.

He needed to go. He would either miss a taxi, or he would have to walk home before it got too cold.

But somehow, he couldn't move from where he stood. "Mae, you've been doing that for hours. Take a break."

"Nah," Mae replied in a careless tone. She didn't even glance at him. The intense look on her face was enough to make Cole uncomfortable. Perhaps she needed a nudge in the right direction before he left.

"Um… do you want a drink?"

"No."

"Some more food?"

"No."

"Not even a taco before bed?"

"No!"

Mae repeated loudly. She said no to a taco? That was worrying.

"You don't get it, I'm about to beat the crap out of these dudes!"

"Can't you do it tomorrow?"

"I'm not going to be in my prime tomorrow! I'm in my prime now! I'm a beast!"

"Mae…"

"I'm a beast that's going to slay everyone in my path! No stopping now!"

Cole noticed how her pupils were growing less focused, like the energy had been drained away, and the fur on her head was sticking up in clumps that made her look like she'd been dragged through a hedge. He scratched the back of his neck. Maybe now was the time to stop being nice.

"Mae, go to bed," he insisted.

"Shut up, Cole!" Mae snapped, ruffling her whiskers.

"You're exhausted. And worryingly obsessed with that game."

"You don't know… anything…"

Her voice was beginning to sound strained, like it was slowly giving up on her.

"Come on, I'll take you up," Cole said calmly, approaching her slowly.

"Noooooooooooo!" It sounded like the whine of a child being ordered to bed by impatient parents. Her head was beginning to sway from side to side as she tried to keep her eyes open, and Cole was even more reminded of a child, in an endearing way.

"Come on," he repeated, sitting on the sofa.

"Shut uuuuuuuup."

"Mae, it's two in the morning."

"Night time is half of all time, y'know! Screw sleep! I can… I can s-stay awake for w-weeks!"

She was beginning to sway more noticeably, like her head would roll off her shoulders. Cole took the opportunity to slide the laptop out of her grip, surprised that she didn't fight back.

"N-not tired, I said!"

"Yeah, sure. Come here."

"No, don't… t-touch me!" He ignored her complaints as he brought his arms underneath her, lifting her up with ease, and feeling her head slowly rest against him. There were a few irritated mumbles he couldn't understand, but other than that she stayed still as he carried her upstairs, her tail swinging underneath. When he finally got to her room, he felt his arms sagging from her weight. He wondered how many snacks she'd managed to get through from that evening alone as he carefully placed her on the bed.

"Better?" he asked.

Mae's eyes were shut and her ears were twitching in annoyance. "You're a jerk," she grumbled.

"All right. I'm going now."

"You're such a big jerk, Cole."

"Okay. Go to sleep, Mae."

"You're not my mum,"she whined, her voice barely audible now. She was sliding under the covers, holding her pillows to her cheek. Cole checked the time. 2:10 AM. Well, better late than never, he supposed.

"Okay, good night," he said quickly, realising how stupid it sounded only after he'd said it.

Mae, however, didn't seem to care one way or the other. Her entire body went still, and she let out a final, sleepy grunt before going completely still. Feeling suddenly out of place in a girl's bedroom of all places, he came to his senses and turned to leave.

But he found himself pausing, listening to the steady 'tick-tick' of the clock from downstairs. He wasn't used to leaving people alone. It was his instinct, being part of a big family, to be around for siblings and relatives alike. Something, once again, was drawing him back.

He glanced at Mae. Her breathing was slow now, her ears twitching occasionally as she began to dream.

"Wanna hear about dreams full of ghosts and gods?"

He pondered their recent conversation. Maybe night-time wasn't the best time to leave her alone after all.

"You're the one who invited me, Mae."

"That doesn't mean I wanted you sleeping in my room! Geez! That's kind of gross."

"How?"

"You'll spread your germs."

"What germs?"

"Guy germs. Cole germs. No-regard-for-personal-space germs."

"You have such a way with words."

"I've been told. Are you leaving yet?"

Cole checked his watch. Four in the afternoon. Perhaps he should make a move now. "Yeah, I guess so."

Mae blinked sleepily from her unchanged position in her bed, yawning audibly. Cole got up, grabbing his bag and shrugging on a jacket. He watched her with a grin. "You need to get a job, Mae."

"Oh, get out, already."