Work Text:
Taako’s sprawled out on the loveseat in the living room, swirling a glass of rosé, when he hears the familiar tear in the fabric of spacetime coming from the front hall. Right on time. He grins, sitting up and scooting over to make room on the sofa. Kravitz has gotten into this habit lately of always facing into the corner of a room when he shifts from his skeletal reaper form to his flesh form, so as to avoid accidentally scaring the shit out of Angus whenever he visits like he did that one time. It’s stupidly considerate and unfairly charming, just like everything else he does.
“Hey, grim,” he calls, propping his feet up on the coffee table and picking up the second glass of wine he’d set aside earlier. “You’re not allergic to cats by any chance, are you?”
Kravitz walks into the living room, tie undone, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Gods bless this man and his understanding of the power that disheveled menswear and bare forearms can hold.
He offers Taako an amused expression in response to his question. “Taako, my body is a gift from the Raven Queen,” he says, taking his spot on the couch beside him. He gratefully takes the glass of wine that Taako offers him. “Giving me allergies would be a bit of an oversight, don’t you think?”
Taako snorts, pulling Kravitz in by his tie for a brief kiss. “You wanna talk about allergies being a divine oversight? Read the room, bones, you’re talkin’ to the guy who’s lucky enough to have a peanut allergy and an identical twin sister who doesn’t share it.”
Kravitz winces in sympathy and wraps an arm around him. “That’s fair, my bad. Sorry, love.”
Taako laughs, resting his head on Kravitz’s shoulder. “You’re fine, babe, I’m joking. But seriously, I’m assuming that’s a no on the cat allergy?”
Kravitz shrugs, taking a sip of wine. “I don’t think I’ve ever actually been around a cat long enough in this form to tell, so I don’t really know? I don’t think I am, at least. What’s this about, anyway?”
“Cool cool cool,” Taako says, redirecting seamlessly. “How was work?”
Kravitz knows him entirely too well by now to fall for the old bait-and-switch trick anymore. “Taako.”
“Okay, okay, fine,” he says, sitting up a bit and turning to face him more directly. “When I picked Angus up from therapy today, Nadine asked him to wait in the lobby for a sec so she could have a chat with me.”
That gets Kravitz’s attention immediately, and he sits up straighter too, lines of worry creasing his forehead. “What did she say? Is everything alright?”
Taako’s heart twists a bit in his chest, the same way it always does whenever Kravitz shows obvious interest in Angus’s wellbeing, which is pretty much all of the time, because the world is a fucking nightmare specifically designed to make Taako feel things. Disgusting.
“Yeah, no, shit’s cool, he’s fine, don’t worry,” he says, and Kravitz visibly relaxes.
“You could have led with that part,” he says, and Taako rolls his eyes.
“She wants me to get him a pet, ‘s all. Like a therapy cat, or whatever. She thinks it might help with everything he’s got goin’ on. Like the nightmares ‘n shit.”
“Oh,” Kravitz says, gently pulling Taako back down against him. “Well, what do you think, love?”
Taako sighs, taking a gulp of his wine. “I mean, it’d have to be a cat. I don’t fuck with dogs.”
Kravitz hums thoughtfully. “So you are thinking about it, then?”
Taako huffs and levels a weak glare up at him. “Shut up.”
Kravitz laughs, and they fall quiet for a minute before Taako speaks up again, softly. “She knows better than I do what’s best for him, right?”
“Probably, yes, but not necessarily,” Kravitz says. “That’s not to discount her opinion, of course, she’s a trained professional. I just mean that you’ve known him for quite some time now, and you’re his guardian, so if something strikes you as the wrong approach, it may well be, but if your opinion lines up with hers, then it’s probably a fairly good idea.”
Taako carefully chooses to sidestep the weird clinical feeling that the word guardian gives him. He doesn’t have time to analyze that shit right now. That’s a problem for future Taako.
“He does love animals,” Taako offers instead.
“It sounds like it’s a good option then,” Kravitz replies, taking another sip of wine, nudging Taako gently with his shoulder. “But I can tell you’re not entirely sure. What’s holding you back, love?”
Taako takes another drink. “I mean, it’s whatever,” he says breezily. “As long as you’re cool with it, since you live here too.” He pauses. “Practically, I mean, not like, for realsies or anything. Can't say I blame you though, Taako’s pretty great. I'd spend all my time with me too if I could.”
He feels his ears twitch back before he can stop them, and not for the first time, Taako finds himself resenting his lack of control over them. The amount of transparency and honesty that responsible adult conversations require is, frankly, absolute bullshit. Kravitz rubs a cool hand along his arm for a moment before answering, letting him know without a word that he understands Taako’s unspoken anxiety, because of course he does, Kravitz knows all his fucking tells. Taako has no clue how he’s going to survive the eventual “move in with me” discussion without spontaneously combusting. Just letting people know that their opinions matter to him literally at all whatsoever feels like enough of a betrayal already. He wonders when he got so soft.
“Well,” Kravitz finally offers, “I certainly wouldn’t mind having a cat around the house. I’m fairly fond of them, and even if I wasn’t, you’re going to have to try harder than that to get rid of me, dear,” he jokes, and Taako exhales sharply. “Have you talked to Angus about it?”
Taako shakes his head. “Nah, I was waitin’ for you to get home. I called Lup earlier today though, and she told me I was overthinking it, so.”
“I’ve learned my lesson about taking sides in twin squabbles, so I’m choosing not to comment,” Kravitz says, and Taako laughs. “But for what it’s worth, I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“Wise man. Alright, fine,” Taako says before calling up the stairs. “Angles, kiddo? Can you come down for a sec? I have a question for you, nothin’ ugly, don’t worry. Krav is here too, bee tee dubs, hope that’s cool.”
“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute!” Angus calls back, loud and clear, and it makes Taako smile in spite of himself. Only a few short months ago, there’s no way in hell Angus would have felt comfortable raising his voice in the house, even if just to speak across different floors. Watching him settling in, relaxing and acting his age for once, has admittedly been...nice.
“Sure thing, pumpkin!” he yells back, and he can practically hear the smile in his voice. Gross. Feelings.
Taako feels Kravitz’s eyes on him, and when he turns to meet his gaze, the smile on his face is near unbearably tender, and it makes something in Taako’s chest ache in an odd way that isn’t... entirely unpleasant. He’s in too deep.
Taako feels his face heating up, his ears pinning back in embarrassment. He points at Kravitz threateningly. “No. Don’t even start. Not a fucking word, you hear me?” he hisses.
“I didn’t say a thing, dear,” Kravitz says, putting his hands up in mock surrender, giving him an amused grin. “This one’s all you.”
Taako groans, shoving him halfheartedly before burying his face in Kravitz’ shoulder. “You’re terrible, you know that?”
Kravitz laughs, petting his hair gently. “And yet you keep me around anyway.”
They’re interrupted a moment later by the sound of feet thundering down the stairs as Angus bounds down the steps, around the corner, and into the room to join them. “Hello, mister Kravitz! It’s good to see you again, sir.”
Kravitz smiles and waves at him. “Hello, Angus, it’s nice to see you too.”
Taako scoffs, holding a hand to his chest as if offended. “What, no greeting for me? I see how it is, I bring some company over and I’m suddenly out of vogue,” he jokes. “I kid, I kid. C’mere, you.”
Angus laughs and sits down cross-legged on the carpet in front of the couch, and Taako sits up a bit, untangling himself from Kravitz. He reaches down to ruffle Angus’s hair.
“Sorry, Taako,” he says. “In my defense, it is polite to greet the company first!”
“Yeah, Taako,” Kravitz says from Taako’s other side, his voice warm and wry and conspiratorial, “In my defense, I do make pretty great company.” That earns a laugh from Angus.
“You’re both dead to me,” Taako quips haughtily. “I have no allies in this household.”
“Technically speaking, wasn’t mister Kravitz dead to you already?” Angus asks, giggling, and Kravitz reaches around Taako to offer him a high five that Angus gleefully accepts.
“Technically speaking, shut the fuck up,” Taako says without any heat behind it, and Angus stifles a laugh behind his hand.
“Taako, language,” Kravitz chides. “He’s like...Angus, how old are you?”
“Four,” Taako deadpans.
“I’m twelve, sir,” Angus answers, glaring at Taako. “And Taako says we can swear in the house.”
“Yeah, Krav,” Taako drawls, swirling the wine left in his glass and shooting an amused look his way. “This is a pro-swearing household I'm running here. Get with the program, jeez.”
Kravitz sighs and laughs a little, reaching over to tuck a piece of hair back behind Taako’s ear. “Alright, alright, whatever you say, love. I'm certainly nowhere near qualified to be giving parenting advice.”
Parenting. Huh.
Taako catches Angus glancing between him and Kravitz, his eyes lingering on the space left on the couch between them. “Damn right you aren't, babe,” he says breezily before turning to address Angus, gesturing to the couch. “You gonna join us up here so we can talk, or are you waiting for an invitation?”
Angus scrambles onto the couch between them in a matter of seconds. He pushes his glasses up a bit and looks up at Taako. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Well,” Taako starts, realizing he hadn't thought through this part yet. “Uh. Have you ever had a cat before, boychik?”
Angus shakes his head. “Not really, no. There was a stray cat that would come to the porch looking for food sometimes, when I was really little. Our cook would give me scraps to feed it every once in a while, but it never let me pet it or anything. I do like cats though!” He blinks up at Taako then, the strangeness of the question having caught up to him. “Why?”
Taako sighs, finishing the rest of his wine in one gulp. “Remember when your therapist pulled me aside for a sec earlier? She wanted to talk to me, about... getting you an emotional support animal, I think she called it? Like a pet, I guess, to help calm you down when you're feeling shitty, or whatever. She seems to think it might help, so I told her I'd think about it, and then this one over here convinced me it was the greatest fuckin’ plan ever and pretty much twisted my arm over it,” he says, gesturing to Kravitz. “So here we are.”
“I did no such thing, Angus,” Kravitz says. “He just doesn't want to admit that he was sold the second he pictured you holding a baby animal.”
Taako groans, dropping his head in his hands. “Way to blow my cover, you fuckin’ narc. This is what I get for dating a lawful good death cop.” He looks up at Angus, who's been awfully silent while the two of them bickered.
Angus is staring at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open a bit in shock. He looks like he's so excited he might start crying any second now. “Sir- I mean, Taako, am I- are you really getting me a cat?” His voice shakes a little on a watery note of surprise and hope.
Taako feels his heart melt a little in spite of himself. Fuck it. He lets the tenderness take him over, and he sighs, reaching out to cup Angus’ face gently in one hand, offering him a soft smile. “Yeah, bubbeleh. If you want one, and if you think it would help, then yeah, kiddo. Of course.”
He's pretty sure that the enthusiastic bear hug that Angus gives him in response manages to crack a few ribs.
“Someone please tell me how we walked into this shelter with the goal of bringing home one cat, and now somehow there are two,” Taako says on the drive home, cradling a small cardboard cat carrier in the passenger seat while Kravitz drives them home. It shakes in his arms every now and then as the creature inside paces back and forth, letting out demure and anxious mews that are muffled by its cardboard prison. “Kravitz, I blame you. You're supposed to be the impulse control in this relationship.”
“I know, but she's so cute. What was I supposed to do, let you leave her there?” he says, reaching to hold one of Taako's hands over the gearshift.
“Yeah,” Taako sighs, poking a finger in through one of the holes of the carrier, feeling the kitten sniff it, rub her face against it.
“Hey, maybe they'll be friends,” Angus chirps from the backseat, holding his own cardboard cat carrier, though there's considerably less meowing coming from his than from Taako's. “Cats are social animals. They're happier in groups. I remember reading that somewhere. I think they get anxious when they're left alone.”
“Oh worm,” Taako says. “You and me both, little guys.”
That makes Angus laugh, and Kravitz flicks a fond look at him from the driver's seat.
“I think this might be good for you too, Taako,” he says, lowering his voice to a murmur. “You never know. I know you're doing a bit better and all, but. She might help.”
Taako offers a noncommittal hum in lieu of any actual answer, but Kravitz gives his hand a gentle squeeze all the same.
“I'm gonna name you Randy,” Angus coos softly in the backseat.
Taako turns to look at him incredulously over his shoulder. “Okay, no, cat ownership privileges revoked. Kravitz, turn this car around. No way am I letting you name that poor thing Randy. What is he, old?”
Angus laughs, cradling the big lanky gray tom cat to his chest, evidently having released him from his cardboard cage. “I don't know! He just seems like a Randy to me.” The cat blinks his green eyes up at Angus and then leans in to sniff at his cheek before nuzzling his head against Angus’ chin. Angus looks at him in delighted surprise, eyes wide, and Taako feels his heart grow three sizes.
“I'm not turning around,” Kravitz hisses. “We’re supposed to be supportive!”
Taako rolls his eyes, heaving a sigh that's at least fifty percent performative theatrical melodrama. “Fiiiine, fuck. I'll allow it, but at least give it some jazzy spelling or something. It needs some more panache. There's no swag in a name like Randy. He's gotta have some brand value.”
Angus nods solemnly. “Okay, that's fair. What if I gave it two A’s?”
Taako raises an eyebrow. “Chip off the old Taako block then, huh?”
Angus looks away furtively, shrugging a little. “Maybe so.”
Precious, Taako thinks.
“And two Y’s,” Kravitz chimes in from the driver's seat, sounding incredibly pleased with himself. “Two A’s and two Y’s. Raandyy. It's perfect.”
The car is quiet for a moment before Angus starts to laugh, quickly followed by Kravitz. It's the infectious kind, and Taako can't help but join them in spite of himself.
“That's so fucking dumb,” he wheezes. “I love it.”
“Me too,” Angus chirps. “Raandyy it is! What about your cat, Taako?”
“Okay, let's get one thing straight,” Taako says, wiping a stray tear from his eye in an effort to not smudge his makeup. “She's not mine, per se. I just happened to pick her out.”
He's met with two sets of raised eyebrows, Angus and Kravitz wearing matching unconvinced expressions, and he heaves a defeated sigh.
“Fuck, okay, so maybe she's like, a little bit mine. Anyway,” Taako says, opening his cat carrier and gently scooping up the Sphynx kitten inside, holding her between his palms. She blinks up at him with her big blue eyes and offers him a tiny mewl. “Say hello to Lady Amethyst Greenglass of the Third House of the Raven Queen, Grand Purveyor of the Mouse Hunt. You can call her Lady for short.” He lifts her up to his face and plants a tiny kiss on the top of her head.
Kravitz is looking at him with a mixture of disbelief, exasperation, and fondness on his face. It's one Taako is very familiar with by now. “You are ridiculous, you know that, right?”
Angus stifles a giggle from somewhere behind them, and Taako smirks, reaching a hand back for him to high five. “Don't hate me cause you ain't me, bones. Now c’mon, let's get home. We've got cats to feed.”