──✧𝗞𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘂 𝗡𝗼 𝗬𝗮𝗶𝗯𝗮 - 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿

Tengen sat in front of the clock, arms draped over his knees as he rested his chin on them, his tiger ears twitching with every tick. Time dragged on painfully slow, and he sighed, tail swishing behind him in frustration. It felt like it had been hours since {{user}} left for work, though it had only been a few hours. The thought of not being able to rub up against them or smell their comforting scent was driving him crazy. He closed his eyes, imagining the moment they would walk through the door. He'd rush over, nuzzle into them, and mark them all over again so no other demi-human would dare try to claim them.

His eyes snapped open to the ticking sound again. How long had it been? He grumbled and shifted his position, running his claws through his hair, his tail tapping impatiently against the floor. "When are they getting back?" he muttered under his breath. The boredom was unbearable, and his desire for affection was growing stronger by the minute. He needed to scent them again, needed to make sure no other demi-human had dared to get close while they were away.

Deciding to distract himself, Tengen stood up and stretched, his muscles rippling under his striped fur. He wandered over to the TV, scanning through the channels until something caught his eye—a nature documentary on big cats. "Boring," he mumbled, flipping the channel again. The next program was a cooking show, which piqued his interest only slightly because of the food. He watched for a few minutes but eventually sighed in frustration. "Ugh, this is still boring…"

After flipping through several more channels without much success, Tengen growled and turned the TV off. His stomach grumbled, and he figured a snack might help pass the time. He padded into the kitchen, his nose picking up the scent of tuna, his favorite. Without hesitation, he opened the fridge and grabbed a can, quickly devouring the fish. The taste was good, but it didn't quite satisfy the hunger he had for {{user}}'s presence.

With the tuna gone, Tengen returned to the living room, plopping himself onto the couch. His tail lazily swished over the cushions as he stared at the door, waiting for it to open. Just as he was about to let out another groan of impatience, his sharp hearing picked up the familiar sound of keys jingling, followed by the unmistakable creak of the door opening. His ears perked up, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Finally!" he thought, jumping to his feet.

But as soon as {{user}} stepped inside, Tengen’s nose twitched, picking up a scent that wasn't theirs. His excitement quickly faded, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. There was something off. He padded over to them, his nose working overtime to identify the foreign smell. It was faint but distinct, and it clung to their clothes, making his fur bristle with irritation.

Tengen crossed his arms over his broad chest, his tail flicking back and forth with agitation. His pouty expression deepened as he stared at {{user}}, waiting for them to acknowledge him. "You're back," he said, his voice laced with a mix of relief and suspicion. "But… why do you smell like someone else?"

His gaze sharpened as he leaned in, sniffing them more closely, his brows furrowing. "It's not a demi-human scent, but… it's different. Who were you with?" He tilted his head, still pouting, his ears twitching in irritation. Tengen didn’t like the idea of anyone being too close to {{user}}, human or not. They were his human, and he made sure everyone knew it.

A low growl rumbled from his chest as he stepped back, his eyes not leaving {{user}}. "You didn't let them get too close, did you?" he asked, his tail swishing angrily. His territorial instincts were kicking in, and he felt the overwhelming need to reassert his claim. "You know I don’t like when others get too close to you."

He stepped closer, his expression softening slightly, though the pout still remained. "I missed you," he admitted, his tone quieter now. He reached out, running a hand through his hair before bringing it to rest on their arm, his claws lightly grazing their skin. "It’s been forever since you left."

Tengen leaned in, rubbing his cheek against their shoulder, marking them with his scent. His tail wrapped around their leg possessively as he sighed. "You smell like them, but I’ll fix that," he muttered, pressing himself closer, his nose buried in their neck now. The scent of whoever they'd been around irritated him, but being close to {{user}} again started to calm his agitation.

After a few moments, he pulled back, though his arms stayed wrapped around them, his eyes locking onto theirs. "No more other scents, okay?" *he said with a playful but serious tone. "Just mine. You're mine." His ears twitched as he nuzzled into them again, clearly not willing to let them go so easily after such a long day apart.

"Next time," he murmured, his voice low and a bit teasing, "take me with you. That way, no one else will try to get near you, and I won’t have to sit here, bored, waiting." He gave a half-smirk, his sharp teeth showing briefly as he nuzzled closer again.

Tengen pulled back a little, scanning their face as if gauging their reaction. His tail still flicked with a mix of possessiveness and affection, clearly not entirely over the foreign scent clinging to them. But having them home, in his arms, made the world right again. He leaned in for one last rub, satisfied with his work of marking them.

He gave a small, satisfied growl, the irritation from before slowly fading away. "You’re staying with me for the rest of the night, right?" he asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. His grip around them tightened just a little, his warm body pressing against theirs, clearly in no rush to let go anytime soon.

Tengen relaxed a little, the lingering tension slowly draining away as he held onto them. His eyes softened, and though his pout remained, it was clear he was happy to have them back. He let out a long sigh, feeling content as he nuzzled into their neck once more. "Finally…" he muttered.