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"A penny for your thoughts?" Came Haru's gentle voice. Just as everything about her is. Gentle. Her hair had grown out since they had first met, a slight bob with the ends teased towards the ends of her lips.
There was wisdom in her eyes, even if they still contained the same wistfulness they used to.
Humming softly, the baron smiled softly at her. "Ever curious, Miss Haru. I'm afraid the cat bureau currently has an awfully problematic client." It brought him tremendous pain to lie to her, but he simply had no choice.
Haru laughed, taking a sip of his famous tea blend. Her chuckle caused a flurry of emotions through him. She was making it incredibly difficult for him to deny his... Affections towards her.
"Oh yeah? How's Muta handling them? With zero tact, I bet." The creation sighed deeply. "As per usual, Miss Haru." Another lie.
In the beginning, Haru had seemed like just another client to him, until she had returned. He was aware of her feelings towards him after they had escaped her unwanted almost husband, as she had confessed to him immediately after they were brought to safety. It was obvious she was not in love with him, but merely infatuated.
Albeit being flattered, he clearly did not reciprocate her feelings back then. It was not until she returned to the cat bureau (with help from Muta, of course), seeking friendship from the trio. He remembered the aforementioned cat being grumpy and spewing complaints all about, but obviously being happy about it. Toto was ecstatic, and had sought to catch up with the girl. Baron was simply glad that she had remembered them.
Since that faithful day, Haru would visit the bureau when she was not attending college classes or spending time with friends. She held herself with confidence and poise, which Baron was pleased by.
Over the time she spent with him, he found himself admiring her more and more. She was kind yet honest, considerate yet firm, gentle but confident. And most of all, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
After all of this time, he still admired a woman who spoke from the heart.
But he knew that he couldn't have any type of romantic affiliation with her. A human girl with a creation like him, meant to stick his nose into others problems, fated to help resolve them? It would simply not work out!
He was an anthropomorphic cat figurine for Heaven's sakes, he would only burden her. He could not give her what a human suitor could offer. If she chose him, she would be doomed to keep returning somewhere she did not belong.
He was content with this. He had to be.
"Miss Haru?" He mused. She turned to him, an inquisitive look in her eye. "What is it Baron?"
A beat.
He smiled. "Nothing."