Happy Purrth-Day

[cuppa_q]

James and Harry were abroad in an undisclosed location, for an undisclosed amount of time. It was a bit of a misery being all alone, but it was also a fine excuse to celebrate Beta and Alpha's adoption day. ...Really celebrate.

Sitting on the floor with a few open cans of tuna and bags of catnip, Q, and the cats, were wearing little party hats. However the real centerpiece was a tiny little tabby with a very loud and shrill meow. Alpha was sleek and black, Beta, fluffy and white, but the new addition to the family was spotted and stripped. Just a tabby. 

...A tabby Q had rescued from a dumpster that morning after hearing a very sad series of squeaks. It was meant to be, as far as the boffin was concerned. Serendipity and all that.

The little beast cried again, and Q cooed a little as he offered her more tuna.

"There you are, Squeak. You eat your fill."

Comments

[lepidopterologist]

The back door opened then, and Harry and Bond both came in - tired, perhaps, but otherwise none worse for the wear.

Immediately, Pickles came running in to nip at Harry's heels, as if he wanted to tell him something dreadfully important. "Hello, boy," he murmured. "What's going on?"

Then he saw Q on the floor. It took him a moment to register the entire scene. "Well hello, darling," he finally said. "Seems you've been having fun without us."

[0_0_7]

Bond took in the sight of it. Q, on the floor. With a party hat. And cats. Significantly more cats than when he'd left.

"You got a kitten?" he asked skeptically. The kitten made a sound much too big for the small bit of fluff that it was, and walked straight to him and began rubbing on his shoe and playing with the laces.

[cuppa_q]

Q gingerly removed the party hat and got to his feet.

"Her name's squeak. Someone had dumped her out by the bins. ...I couldn't just leave her there."

[lepidopterologist]

"She seems to like you," Harry said fondly, to Bond.

[0_0_7]

Bond looked down at it and scowled a little.

"Go back to Q. Eat you tuna," he ordered. Squeak, for her part, released a tremendous complaint over Bond's bossy command

[cuppa_q]

"Don't be rude, she's only a baby," Q said, reaching down to scoop her up.

She purred a little, nuzzling at Q before trying to leap out of his arms and onto Bond's shoulder.

[lepidopterologist]

"I confess, I'm a little jealous," Harry teased. "At least Mr. Pickles still likes me best."

[0_0_7]

She didn't quite make it and tiny needles of claws dug into his suit. Bond scowled, but Squeak climbed up and settled in, purring madly and looking quite proud of herself.

[cuppa_q]

Q was also jealous, but he didn't say as much. He just hummed and returned to his spot on the floor where Alpha and Beta were still eating.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

[lepidopterologist]

Harry hesitated, trying to decide whether or not to say this, but then, Q would find out soon enough anyway. "Generally fine. I got shot though." Then before Q could react, added, "In the arm. I'm fine." He shrugged off his suit jacket to reveal a short sleeve shirt underneath with the bandages visible - they were think enough that he hadn't tried putting a dress shirt on over them.

[0_0_7]

"Quit showing off your trophy and help get her off of me before she snags," Bond complained, totally preoccupied with the noisy, vibrating kitten.

[cuppa_q]

Q was too accustom to gunshot wounds to panic over one, but he did frown slightly at the sight of it.

"You should both wash up and get changed. I thought I was eating alone so I'd not bothered with dinner. I'll order in," he decided, serving the cats the rest of the tuna, then scooping up Squeak once he was on his feet. It took a bit of time to unhook the kitten's claws from Bond's suit jacket, and she protested as he held her against his chest. "Do you require stitches?" he asked Harry. "Painkillers, perhaps?"

[lepidopterologist]

Harry almost offered to cook, out of habit, but then decided that ordering in was a better idea.

"Already stitched up," he assured Q. "And does scotch count?"

[0_0_7]

Bond inspected his jacket and found no damage from the tiny claws.

"That's a good idea," he said. "I'm going to get cleaned up and comfortable."

He started to walk away and the kitten squalled loudly.

[cuppa_q]

"Oh dear, has daddy left you?" Q cooed at the kitten, before smiling at Harry. "If you'd like something stronger than a drink, my med kit is in the bathroom. Bond knows which pills are the good ones."

[lepidopterologist]

"Thank you, Q," Harry said, and leaned down to kiss him, before petting the kitten briefly and then following Bond up the stairs.

[0_0_7]

He was absolutely not the kitten's daddy, or anything. He was fine with Q's cats and Harry's dog. They were...fine. He'd had dogs when he was young, even. He just wasn't a pet person, he imagined.

Bond began to slip out of his suit, carefully hanging it up before heading for the bathroom.

"The bottle you want is on the middle shelf," he told Harry as he moved in beside him,

[cuppa_q]

Q, for his part set about ordering food- Just a bit of Chinese, he'd decided- Then wandered into the bedroom to change into his pyjamas.

The cats all followed along, Alpha and Beta hopping up onto the bed, while squeak shot off to find James.

[lepidopterologist]

Harry was in the bathroom getting that bottle of pills. There wasn't a need for him to be in pain. Worst case, he got a little high too, and would just sleep it off.

[0_0_7]

Bond had slipped into a pair of soft bottoms and an even softer henley. Once Harry had moved a bit he stepped in to wash off his face.

He'd just splashed himself when he felt four thousand needles pierce his leg. Squeak climbed right up, mewing all the way until Bond reached down with a wet hand and plucked it free.

"Why does she need to do this?" he asked, holding her out for Q to take.

[cuppa_q]

Q was only half dressed, but took the kitten- Frowning when she let out a very sad cry.

"She's bonded with you. She's a baby, James, be nice," the boffin frowned, a bit hurt by James' behavior.

Turning to Harry, he sighed. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything? I can change the dressing on your wound if you like."

[lepidopterologist]

"I think it's all right for now, Q. Thank you."

He walked closer to Q and offered his hand to the kitten.

"It's all right," he said to her. "Many women are drawn to the bad boys who don't like them, as I understand it."

[0_0_7]

"I never said I didn't like...I'm not being mea...Oh, give me the cat," he said, sighing as if he was so put upon. He plucked squeak from Q's fingers and she began to purr furiously.

"Let's go get a drink, little rubbish," he told her and carted her off to introduce her to scotch.

[cuppa_q]

Q watched him go. smiling a bit before returning his attention to Harry and pushing up on his toes to give him a quick kiss.

"I missed you both very much."

[lepidopterologist]

"I missed you too, love," Harry said softly. Then winced a little as he moved his arm. "Why don't we go join James before he started feeding scotch to the kitten."