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Steve never had pets.
Too messy, his parents would say, and you’re allergic anyways.
Turns out that was another way his parents lied to him, he was definitely not allergic, otherwise Mews and Tews would have killed him years ago. He never had an answer when people would ask if he preferred dogs or cats, just a shrug and a I dunno before moving on to another question. He could see the appeal of course, a cat he could snuggle with on the couch, feel their purr beneath his fingertips as he scratched behind their ears. Or a dog he could go running with in the mornings.
So when Billy came running with him one morning, Steve knew there was something he wanted to say.
Billy had been quiet after Starcourt, still loud and brash when he wanted to be, but he was calmer, his anger wasn’t replaced, but it was controlled more. There were slashes and splatter of paint covered canvases all over the garage, and pieces of metal twisted and beat into shapes. They were selling quite well, actually, and a couple in Chicago had purchased some for their hotels with a request for some custom work as well.
That being said, trying to get him to talk about his feelings was like pulling demodog teeth.
Nearly impossible.
So Steve slowed his pace, knowing that Billy’s lungs weren’t like they used to be, and the two jogged around the farmland and were nearly back to the house when Billy stopped. Breathing hard, Steve jogged in place while Billy took deep breaths.
“I want to get a cat.”
Steve stopped jogging.
“Okay.”
Billy’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Steve. “Okay?”
“Yeah, do you want like a kitten or something or?”
“N-no, I found a flyer for one in town at the humane society. You’re really okay with this?”
Steve shrugs, stepping close to Billy to hand him the water bottle. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Billy drinks, then looks down. “I mean it’s your house so.”
“Hey woah,” he steps closer, reaching a hand to lift Billy’s chin, “it’s not my house. Yeah, I bought it, but it’s our home. You, me, and Eddie. I’ve never had a pet before, so I’m excited for this.”
Steve will never get tired of seeing this smile, this soft smile, where Billy bites his lip a bit as a blush races across his cheeks. His eyes are so full of love as he sneaks a kiss to Steve’s cheek. “Thank you.”
Steve gives him a proper kiss, tongue tracing the seam of Billy’s lips to drag a whimper from his throat. “Anything to make you happy, baby.” They walk back together – Billy can’t go any faster then that, and needs his puffer when he gets back at the house – but later that day they drive into town.
Eddie is visiting with Wayne, but whole heartedly agreed on the phone, too excited about getting a cat for the house that he walked away without hanging up, prompting Wayne to come over with a sigh and invite them for dinner in a weeks time.
Steve isn’t sure what to expect from the humane society that Billy leads him to. But as Billy talks to the woman behind the desk, he looks at the walls and posters: dog walking, grooming, puppy classes. One side shows all the animals for adoption, and he looks at them, trying to guess which cat Billy wants. There a tabby, several black cats, a fat white one, and a group of kittens.
“Here’s Jake.”
Steve turns to see Billy take the fat long haired white one from the woman’s arms.
“It looks…dopey.”
Billy laughs, “So his eyes are a little off, but cute yeah?”
“Off? Billy, his eyes point two different ways.” Steve is trying hard not to laugh as the cat looks towards him but also at the ceiling.
The kennel attendant laughs. “Jake came from breeder, his lazy eye should right with time, but no one wanted a, well, dopey looking cat.” She scoffs, “not for the prices they were charging at least.”
Steve raises an eyebrow, “Do I want to know?”
“Over a mortgage payment.”
“Holy shit.”
The worker nods, gesturing to the board behind him, “You could buy all the cats, and dogs, hell even the lizard we just had dropped off, and still have room to get them all snacks for the same price as one cat.”
Billy looks to Steve, who just shakes his head “No we agreed on one, not a whole herd.”
“Clowder, a group of cats is a Clowder.”
Steve stares at Billy, whose shit eating grin is marred by the dopey cat butting his fluffy head into Billys stubble. “Of course, a clowder, look do you want the dopey cat or not?” at his nod, Steve pulls out his wallet, “How much for the little monster?”
Sixty dollars poorer, they have a carrier, food, some toys and a collar with a bell that keeps ringing as Jake meows pitifully on the car ride back to the house. Eddie still isn’t home yet, but with it being almost a four hour drive, they’re not too worried as they bring the cat in the house to let him get used to the surroundings.
Though the three are sleeping together most nights in one bed, they need their own bedrooms, even if they are significantly smaller and house a single bed and small dresser.
Billy lets Jake out in this room first. It has his shell lamp on the dresser, along with the one photo of his mom he has (she’s beautifully done up, hair perfectly curled, smiling at the camera with a newborn Billy in her lap). Jake is cautious at first, hiding under the bed for an hour until he eventually wanders and looks around.
Billy leaves the door open, lets Jake walk around at his own pace, sniffing and crawling under and over everything in the house. He ends up in their master room in the converted attic, jumping onto the massive bed Steve spend far too much on, and curling up in the very center of it to nap.
Eddie finds the cat there when he goes to lay down after the drive, it’s exhausting sitting in the same place, and his hip is not happy at being so bent for so long – physical therapy does enough but some days it doesn’t help. So he comes home, kisses his boys, and goes to laydown with acetaminophen.
Only, Jake, the dopiest cat in existence, is staring at him when he walk in and causes Eddie to fall down with laughter, prompting his boyfriends to run up into the room.
They find Eddie laying on the floor laughing, pointing at the cat and then pointing in different directions before breaking out in laughter again. Billy joins him, kneeling down on the carpet to run fingers through the black brown hair splayed on the floor and laugh alongside him.
Steve just stares at the cat and the two of them laughing on the floor before he climbs into bed with a deep sigh. Jake meows and climbs daintily to rest on his chest. They stare at each other – mostly – while Billy helps Eddie up and into the side of the bed before climbing over him to get the middle space.
(they don’t have spots, whoever hurts gets the right side of the bed, where a bar is installed and a small fridge with icepacks, heat packs, and pain relievers sits, its chaos otherwise of who wraps around who and how they lay together)
Settled now the three talk quietly, Billy holds both their hands, thumb gently stroking as they drift to sleep.
Steve's yelp wakes them up hours later when he gets up to pee and finds Jake staring straight at him from the dark, eyes glowing in the same direction. Eddie and Billy don’t believe him, when the see Jakes eyes are still as dopey as ever, but Steve knows that cat was watching him.
He knows.