A Couple of Cats

A Couple of Cats is the second chapter of the second season of The Two Cats, and is the fourteenth chapter overall. This chapter explores the start of Expi and Mariko's relationship.

Intro
It has been months since Expi first met Mariko, and after going home, Expi reflected on herself of how great of a friend Mariko has been, and how their friendship has been a diamond in the rough patch of her life following the divorce of her parents and moving with her mom and siblings.

A Strange Feeling
Expi makes it home and talks to her mother before she heads upstairs to put her stuff down. Expi receives a text message from Mariko including photo, and thinks about how she looks cute. But Expi contemplates this, feeling that girls don't usually consider other girls cute, and starts to notice she has been feeling a bit of attraction towards Mariko. These thoughts are interrupted by dinner, but they came back after she goes to bed. Ultimately, Expi decides to talk to the counselor the next morning, after coming to the conclusion that she might be gay.

Meeting the Counselor
Expi meets up with the counselor early on in the school day, before most of the other students showed up, and talks to her about the feelings she's had towards Mariko and how she was starting to come to the conclusion of being gay. Expi expresses concern about being bullied or harassed, particularly by her uncle who carries conservative views, and also strongly feels that Mariko won't feel the same way back towards her. However, the counselor tells her to just talk to people who might understand, like Expi's mom, but wait until she personally feels comfortable doing so. The rest of the school day goes on, Expi and Mariko hang out during the day as per usual.

Coming Out
That night, Expi goes downstairs to talk to her mom in the kitchen. After making sure no one is around, she decides to tell her mom about how she is developing a crush, and leads up to telling her mom that she's gay. Her mom understands, saying that this does not upset her and ultimately she wants Expi to be happy. Expi expresses concern regarding her uncle, to which her mom reassures that they'll "cross the bridge when they get there." Expi then tells her mom that she has a crush on Mariko, and expresses worry about Mariko rejecting her or disliking her. However, her mom reassures her that she doesn't think Mariko will hate her, and even if she doesn't feel the same way back, she'll still find someone she's happy with. But also insists Expi that she should ultimately wait to talk about it with Mariko until she's comfortable doing so.

The next day, Expi and Mariko hang out after school as per usual. Mariko notices that Expi is a bit more shaken up than usual, and tries to talk to her, to which Expi repeatedly denies that anything's wrong. Mariko keeps asking about her however, and Expi ultimately decides she wants to get how she feels off her chest, telling Mariko that she loves her and that she wants to be her partner in life. Mariko slowly nods, and asks Expi to stand up. Expi continues to talk, but before she finishes, Mariko kisses her, which completely surprises Expi but feels "right" to her. After they stop, Expi asks if Mariko feels the same way, to which Mariko affirms, telling Expi that she felt the same way for months but never wanted to tell, saying that she was afraid and how each of them were waiting for the other to say something. Mariko also reaffirms her that even if that wasn't the case, she would still be supportive of her close friend. They share another kiss between them, and after a while Expi walks home, telling her mom that she told Mariko how she felt and that it went better than she expected.

Trivia

 * The rose on Expi's shirt is not seen on the cover. This is due to ExpitheCat wanted to differentiate Expi's younger self (in flashbacks) from her slightly older self.
 * This chapter was released in accordance with Pride Month.
 * In addition, it was also announced that this chapter will be written as one of three in a row that is centered around LGBTQ+ themes.


 * Coincidentally, this chapter was released on the same day as the ruling of Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, a landmark ruling that protected employees from discrimination based off of sexual and gender identity.
 * Expi's glasses are missing on the cover art