Chapter Text
“Alright, there you go.” After just five minutes, Alfred had finished up Mystery’s work. It seemed like Alfred was always given so much more to do than all of the other employees, likely because he would never speak up about it. Regardless, it was finally time for him to get in some relaxation before bed. He handed the folder back to Mystery, who had been carefully watching him work.
“Geez, is that a hint?” Mystery scoffed, crossing his arms. “Well… w-what else do you need?” Alfred felt slightly guilty, but he was also eager for his valued alone time. “You care if I sleep here? It’s kind of too late for me to make that drive again.” The shibe looked up at the clock. Mystery was right, it was almost two in the morning. Fuck, how was he supposed to be at work in just seven hours?
Alfred acquiesced, clearly not happy about the situation. “On the couch.” He flipped open a small wooden box resting on the side of his coffee table, retrieving a thick joint from what seemed like a stash. He sparked it with no hesitation, inhaling deeply to brighten the flame on the other end. The thick herbal fragrance penetrated Mystery’s nostrils, causing him to reel back slightly. “Holy fuck, and you complain about cigar smoke.”
Almost immediately, Alfred felt himself sink deeper into the couch as his stiff muscles relaxed. Suddenly, the Maine Coon’s presence hardly irritated him at all. He almost welcomed the companionship. He took another deep drag, the crackling sound almost therapeutic in itself. His limbs were starting to feel quite limp, as if he couldn’t really hold himself up. Alfred quickly noticed Mystery staring at him, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
The shibe extended his hand, offering the burning joint to Mystery, who snapped it up immediately. He was a bit hesitant, but didn’t want to put his tough-guy persona at risk. He gently inhaled, feeling the smoke curl back into his lungs before starting to cough violently. “Ha-haaaa… l-lightweighttt…” Once Mystery was finally done coughing, he sat back up with his eyes still watering.
“No, I’ve just never done that before.” Alfred’s eyes widened a little in surprise. “What could possibly be the appeal of… uhhhh…” He trailed off, quickly forgetting what he had just said. His cheeks felt hot, like he was lying in the sun, and he took note of how comfortable Alfred’s couch was. He felt like he was made of jelly, and it wasn’t completely unpleasant. There was a creeping paranoia around his mind, but it was mostly overridden by the settled, content feeling pulsing throughout his body.