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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: For the Love of Kittens
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes (with mention of Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,420
Summary: Andrej accepts a request for a favor without consulting his boyfriends.
Author’s note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. I had three phrases from Adventures in Babysitting and went with the obvious.
Zayne stopped midstride when something large and furry bolted past him. He started to move forward again when something larger and furrier followed the first. Unsure of what was going on, he stopped dead in his tracks and hollered for his boyfriend. “Zeklos, get your ass out here right now!”
“Zayne,” Andrej asked, coming into the living room with a dish towel in his hand. “Are you okay? What is wrong?”
“Something big and hairy just ran past me,” he said, pointing in the general direction of where the unknown objects had disappeared. “Two somethings, actually.”
Andrej glanced around the living room before tossing the towel onto the coffee table. He got down on his hands and knees in front of the couch and looked under it. “I know you two are back there,” he said. “You’d better come out now or I’m calling your father.”
Seconds later, two giant kittens presented themselves for inspection. Smiling, Andrej lifted them both and held them cradled against his chest. “This is Brennan,” he said, holding a gorgeous calico monster out towards Zayne. “She is very sweet and calm when her brother isn’t chasing her around. This,” he said, holding out an even more massive grey tabby, “is Ryan and he is a troublemaker. Just like his father.”
Zayne’s heart melted a little at the sight of the two cats. He reached out and took Brennan from Andrej’s hands and she immediately began to purr in his arms. Giving her a scratch under the chin, Zayne frowned at Andrej. “I thought you said no pets in the house. Something about rules of cleanliness or something?”
“Yes, my people have very strict standards of what they consider clean,” he said, setting Ryan down on the floor. The grey kitten sat at Zayne’s feet, watching him warily. “Things like not sharing your utensils and only washing your dishes under running water. Those, I have mostly shed during my years in America. A dishwasher works better than any stream. But some things, they’re harder to let go.”
“And not allowing animals in the house when you’re trying to maintain a strict level of cleanliness makes sense,” Zayne said, kissing the kitten on the top of her head. “So, why do we suddenly have kitties?”
“They are not ours,” he said. “They are on loan.”
“Loan?” Zayne snorted and Brennan echoed his mirth with a tiny mew. “Where’d you go? Kittens-R-Us?”
“No,” he said, looking at the floor. Ryan turned his green-eyed gaze to Andrej and meowed. “They belong to Travis and Ethan.”
“Those fools brought their cats here? All the way from Utah?” Zayne shook his head. “I knew that writer was nuts.”
“Travis and Ethan have gone to Texas for a couple weeks. Some cousin of Travis’ is getting married.”
“Hmm,” Zayne said, making baby noises at the kitten. “And I’m going to guess his parents are going with him?”
“They are,” Andrej said. “Which is why we are the proud parents of two rambunctious kittens for the next two weeks.”
“Kittens?”
Andrej and Zayne turned to see James standing a few feet away, staring. “Hate to break it to you, but those aren’t kittens. Those are oversized sewer rats.”
Ryan stalked over to James and hissed as angrily as a fluffy four-pound kitten could manage.
“I’m so frightened you little hairball,” James laughed. He reached down and snagged Ryan off the floor, giving him a good cuddle as he did so.
“Hey,” Zayne said, grinning. “Don’t fuck with the alpha cat, narco.”
“Shut up, cowboy,” James said with a laugh. “So, they’re not ours?” He turned a pouty face almost as good as Zayne’s towards Andrej.
“No, they are not ours,” Andrej said. “They belong to Travis Murphy. We are kitten-sitting until they get back from Texas.”
“Okay, so when do we get our kitten,” James asked, scratching the top of Ryan’s head. “Kittens.”
“We do not,” Andrej said, trying to hide the cringe that came at the request. “Animals stay outside the house.”
“Is that why you feed the stray we sometimes see?”
“He is outside the house,” Andrej repeated, not denying the allegation.
“So why are these two inside the house again,” Zayne asked.
“Because Travis asked me nicely and I could not say no,” Andrej said, sighing. “We are not home enough to have a kitten, Jay. I said yes to Travis because it is only for a few days. They will be okay unattended for that long.”
“R-I-P all our nice things,” Zayne laughed.
“They all died a slow death the minute you moved in anyway,” James teased. “So, no kittens?”
“No kittens, Jay,” Andrej said for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Okay, but we had to ask, you know that right?”
“I do,” Andrej said, smiling at both his boys. “I would not expect any less.”
“Truthfully, we didn’t think you’d harbor these two criminals either so that’s something,” Zayne said. “Maybe we can wear him down, gingerbread. Get Murphy to send him pictures of the cats on the regular?”
“What kind of cats are these anyway,” James asked.
“Maine Coon is what Travis called them,” he said. “Ethan swears they are devil spawn.”
“You know, Bobby Flay, that ginger cook you like so much, Zek?” Andrej nodded that he knew who Zayne was talking about. “Well, he has this gorgeous ginger Maine Coon named Nacho. I think we need one of these.”
“I have seen Nacho Flay,” Andrej said, crossing his arms. “He is a very sweet and fluffy cat but we are not getting a kitten.”
“Okay, okay, had to try one last time.” He set Brennan on the floor and watched her scamper away. “Where’d the little crackheads get their names anyway?”
James lowered Ryan to the floor and he immediately started chasing his sister. “Yeah, Ryan’s kinda normal but Brennan’s a little odd.”
“Travis named them after one of his favorite fictional detective pairings – Tempe Brennan and Andrew Ryan.”
“Leave it to Murphy,” Zayne laughed.
“He says they help inspire his own work,” Andrej said. “But I think he is a literary nerd like I am and thought it would be funny, even if no one understood.”
“Okay, so now that I know what tried to attack me when I came out here,” Zayne said, “maybe I can get back to what I was doing?”
“And what was that, Reyes?”
“Getting lunch,” he said. “Are either of you hungry?”
“I’m starving,” James said.
“Of course you are,” Andrej laughed. “You are becoming as bad as Zayne. Yes, please go get us some lunch. Jay, go with him and I will put the kittens in their crate while we eat.”
“Aw, poor kitties,” Zayne teased.
“Go,” Andrej said, waving them towards the door. “And I will not have a cat in my lap while I have my meals.” Although, he’d definitely be okay with a kitten or two in his lap while he sat and read later.
As soon as he heard the car pull out of the drive, Andrej texted Travis.
You were right. They love your little balls of fur.
His phone dinged almost immediately.
Told you, Travis texted back. I hear tell that B&R’s mama is ready to have another litter. Say the word, baby, and you’ll have your kitten.
He frowned at his phone for a second.
They are very sweet but I am not sure I am ready for that yet.
Andrej could almost hear Travis’ laughter in his response.
You’re living with those two animals and aren’t sure you’re ready for a kitten?
Amused, Andrej texted him back.
That is my point – I already have my hands full, T. But I will think on it and let you know when you stop to get the little ones.
I’ll hold you to that, he responded.
Shaking his head, he stuffed his phone into his pocket and rounded up the kittens. “It is time for you two to take a nap,” he said, putting them into their overly large dog crate Travis used for taking them places. They meowed for a minute or two before curling up together in one giant ball of fur. He had to admit, they were cute as sin and sweet as pie.
“What have these boys done to me,” he muttered, walking away to wash his hands before lunch arrived. God help him, but he was actually contemplating getting a cat.
No, no he was thinking about adopting two cats.
Yeah, he was in trouble now.
--
Edit: I meant to add a pic of Nacho because he's the cutest damn cat. <3
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes (with mention of Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,420
Summary: Andrej accepts a request for a favor without consulting his boyfriends.
Author’s note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. I had three phrases from Adventures in Babysitting and went with the obvious.
Zayne stopped midstride when something large and furry bolted past him. He started to move forward again when something larger and furrier followed the first. Unsure of what was going on, he stopped dead in his tracks and hollered for his boyfriend. “Zeklos, get your ass out here right now!”
“Zayne,” Andrej asked, coming into the living room with a dish towel in his hand. “Are you okay? What is wrong?”
“Something big and hairy just ran past me,” he said, pointing in the general direction of where the unknown objects had disappeared. “Two somethings, actually.”
Andrej glanced around the living room before tossing the towel onto the coffee table. He got down on his hands and knees in front of the couch and looked under it. “I know you two are back there,” he said. “You’d better come out now or I’m calling your father.”
Seconds later, two giant kittens presented themselves for inspection. Smiling, Andrej lifted them both and held them cradled against his chest. “This is Brennan,” he said, holding a gorgeous calico monster out towards Zayne. “She is very sweet and calm when her brother isn’t chasing her around. This,” he said, holding out an even more massive grey tabby, “is Ryan and he is a troublemaker. Just like his father.”
Zayne’s heart melted a little at the sight of the two cats. He reached out and took Brennan from Andrej’s hands and she immediately began to purr in his arms. Giving her a scratch under the chin, Zayne frowned at Andrej. “I thought you said no pets in the house. Something about rules of cleanliness or something?”
“Yes, my people have very strict standards of what they consider clean,” he said, setting Ryan down on the floor. The grey kitten sat at Zayne’s feet, watching him warily. “Things like not sharing your utensils and only washing your dishes under running water. Those, I have mostly shed during my years in America. A dishwasher works better than any stream. But some things, they’re harder to let go.”
“And not allowing animals in the house when you’re trying to maintain a strict level of cleanliness makes sense,” Zayne said, kissing the kitten on the top of her head. “So, why do we suddenly have kitties?”
“They are not ours,” he said. “They are on loan.”
“Loan?” Zayne snorted and Brennan echoed his mirth with a tiny mew. “Where’d you go? Kittens-R-Us?”
“No,” he said, looking at the floor. Ryan turned his green-eyed gaze to Andrej and meowed. “They belong to Travis and Ethan.”
“Those fools brought their cats here? All the way from Utah?” Zayne shook his head. “I knew that writer was nuts.”
“Travis and Ethan have gone to Texas for a couple weeks. Some cousin of Travis’ is getting married.”
“Hmm,” Zayne said, making baby noises at the kitten. “And I’m going to guess his parents are going with him?”
“They are,” Andrej said. “Which is why we are the proud parents of two rambunctious kittens for the next two weeks.”
“Kittens?”
Andrej and Zayne turned to see James standing a few feet away, staring. “Hate to break it to you, but those aren’t kittens. Those are oversized sewer rats.”
Ryan stalked over to James and hissed as angrily as a fluffy four-pound kitten could manage.
“I’m so frightened you little hairball,” James laughed. He reached down and snagged Ryan off the floor, giving him a good cuddle as he did so.
“Hey,” Zayne said, grinning. “Don’t fuck with the alpha cat, narco.”
“Shut up, cowboy,” James said with a laugh. “So, they’re not ours?” He turned a pouty face almost as good as Zayne’s towards Andrej.
“No, they are not ours,” Andrej said. “They belong to Travis Murphy. We are kitten-sitting until they get back from Texas.”
“Okay, so when do we get our kitten,” James asked, scratching the top of Ryan’s head. “Kittens.”
“We do not,” Andrej said, trying to hide the cringe that came at the request. “Animals stay outside the house.”
“Is that why you feed the stray we sometimes see?”
“He is outside the house,” Andrej repeated, not denying the allegation.
“So why are these two inside the house again,” Zayne asked.
“Because Travis asked me nicely and I could not say no,” Andrej said, sighing. “We are not home enough to have a kitten, Jay. I said yes to Travis because it is only for a few days. They will be okay unattended for that long.”
“R-I-P all our nice things,” Zayne laughed.
“They all died a slow death the minute you moved in anyway,” James teased. “So, no kittens?”
“No kittens, Jay,” Andrej said for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Okay, but we had to ask, you know that right?”
“I do,” Andrej said, smiling at both his boys. “I would not expect any less.”
“Truthfully, we didn’t think you’d harbor these two criminals either so that’s something,” Zayne said. “Maybe we can wear him down, gingerbread. Get Murphy to send him pictures of the cats on the regular?”
“What kind of cats are these anyway,” James asked.
“Maine Coon is what Travis called them,” he said. “Ethan swears they are devil spawn.”
“You know, Bobby Flay, that ginger cook you like so much, Zek?” Andrej nodded that he knew who Zayne was talking about. “Well, he has this gorgeous ginger Maine Coon named Nacho. I think we need one of these.”
“I have seen Nacho Flay,” Andrej said, crossing his arms. “He is a very sweet and fluffy cat but we are not getting a kitten.”
“Okay, okay, had to try one last time.” He set Brennan on the floor and watched her scamper away. “Where’d the little crackheads get their names anyway?”
James lowered Ryan to the floor and he immediately started chasing his sister. “Yeah, Ryan’s kinda normal but Brennan’s a little odd.”
“Travis named them after one of his favorite fictional detective pairings – Tempe Brennan and Andrew Ryan.”
“Leave it to Murphy,” Zayne laughed.
“He says they help inspire his own work,” Andrej said. “But I think he is a literary nerd like I am and thought it would be funny, even if no one understood.”
“Okay, so now that I know what tried to attack me when I came out here,” Zayne said, “maybe I can get back to what I was doing?”
“And what was that, Reyes?”
“Getting lunch,” he said. “Are either of you hungry?”
“I’m starving,” James said.
“Of course you are,” Andrej laughed. “You are becoming as bad as Zayne. Yes, please go get us some lunch. Jay, go with him and I will put the kittens in their crate while we eat.”
“Aw, poor kitties,” Zayne teased.
“Go,” Andrej said, waving them towards the door. “And I will not have a cat in my lap while I have my meals.” Although, he’d definitely be okay with a kitten or two in his lap while he sat and read later.
As soon as he heard the car pull out of the drive, Andrej texted Travis.
You were right. They love your little balls of fur.
His phone dinged almost immediately.
Told you, Travis texted back. I hear tell that B&R’s mama is ready to have another litter. Say the word, baby, and you’ll have your kitten.
He frowned at his phone for a second.
They are very sweet but I am not sure I am ready for that yet.
Andrej could almost hear Travis’ laughter in his response.
You’re living with those two animals and aren’t sure you’re ready for a kitten?
Amused, Andrej texted him back.
That is my point – I already have my hands full, T. But I will think on it and let you know when you stop to get the little ones.
I’ll hold you to that, he responded.
Shaking his head, he stuffed his phone into his pocket and rounded up the kittens. “It is time for you two to take a nap,” he said, putting them into their overly large dog crate Travis used for taking them places. They meowed for a minute or two before curling up together in one giant ball of fur. He had to admit, they were cute as sin and sweet as pie.
“What have these boys done to me,” he muttered, walking away to wash his hands before lunch arrived. God help him, but he was actually contemplating getting a cat.
No, no he was thinking about adopting two cats.
Yeah, he was in trouble now.
--
Edit: I meant to add a pic of Nacho because he's the cutest damn cat. <3
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no subject
Date: 2019-05-20 10:43 pm (UTC)OMG.... That was hilarious. Almost makes me want to have an indoor kitty.
Nachoflay is a very cute kitty.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-21 12:58 pm (UTC)I know, right? I'm still searching for a Maine Coon kitten but no luck yet. I'm not sure your girls would appreciate a kitten. :) I am glad you found it funny!
Nacho is SO PRETTY and I discovered yesterday when I went looking for this pic that Bobby's gotten another MC kitten named Stella. Not that you care but... LOL
no subject
Date: 2019-05-21 01:23 pm (UTC)One spasoid in the apt is enough...lol
Proves that Bobby has a warped sense of humor.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-21 01:33 pm (UTC)Right? Sunny currently holds that title in our house. Maddie calls her a crackhead because she does the strangest crap.
Bobby is one of the biggest dorks... I love watching Beat Bobby Flay because he really does prove what a goof he is. But I might be biased.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-21 12:18 am (UTC)And these three raising a kitten would be adorable.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-21 12:54 pm (UTC)It would be a lot of fun to write this, honestly. Especially having a crackhead kitten in my house right now. She's insane and an animal like that would drive Andrej nuts. :)