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From the past few days, Winston wonders about his master's strange behavior. From his bed in the living room, he watches his golden haired human fiddle with an electronic in his hands. A wide smile was plastered on his face, puzzling Winston since he rarely sees him smile before. It's been like this for a couple of weeks now; his master became somewhat more… lively and happy for some reason. Winston knows both he and himself are happy together, but he has never seen his master look so radiant and carefree, as if he was standing on top of the world.
Maybe he did well on his college exams? That always made his human happy. And it also meant movie nights where they would huddle on the couch and watch films from the telly. He loved snuggling against his human. He was warm and he would rub his head until Winston falls asleep. It would be a good night tonight.
The next few days past and Winston notices his human acting more and more bizarre. The change was so drastic it almost scared him. He caught his master humming whenever he cooks lunch, he would be singing while he showers, he always had his nose stuck to his electronic (he would still be using it past their bedtime), and the smiles grew wider and wider. His master was also spoiling him a lot; he bought him more toys, fed him more treats, and they even went outside and had a walk.
His master hated going outside. In fact, both he and his master preferred staying indoors to avoid contact with other humans. That is why Winston found it strange when his master suggested they have a short walk at the park. Winston wanted to decline, wishing to stay inside and curl up on the couch together, but he couldn't bring himself to do it after seeing the hopeful and zestful smile on his human's face.
What has happened to his master? He suddenly went from a quiet and reserved introvert to a giddy and cheerful person. It was so bizarre and Winston couldn't comprehend why his human's demeanor changed.
He soon got his answer a week later. Winston was on the couch watching a silly show on the telly, waiting for his human to come back from his trip to the grocery store. He heard the clicks at the door, indicating that his human has returned home. Winston jumps off the couch to greet his master, purring in content as he sees his golden-haired human walk in with a paper bag in his arms.
However, something else catches Winston's eye.
Behind his master was another human. A human he's never seen before. He was tall, taller than his master, with blonde hair that reminded Winston of wheat fields. Baby blue eyes sparkled behind a pair of spectacles. When those very eyes caught sight of Winston, the blue orbs lit up and the other human beamed.
"Aww, so this is Winston!" He chirped, closing the door behind him before crouching down beside the cat. "You're so small and cute, little buddy!"
The other human reached to pet the feline, but Winston had flinced and scurried away. He sprinted towards his own human, calling for him with distressed mewls. Winston finds refuge behind his human's feet, hiding his body as he stares warily at the stranger. Who was he? Why was he inside their home? Was he a burglar? Gasp! A cat burglar?! They needed to leave now! They must escape from this dangerous human!
"See? I told you he'll get scared, Alfred," his human sighs, crouching down to rub Winston's head to soothe him.
"He reminds me a lot like you, haha! You were so jumpy when we first met."
"Oh, shut it, git. Make yourself useful and place the groceries in the kitchen."
Winston's green eyes exchanged between his human and this 'Alfred'. Why was his human so calm around the stranger? Shouldn't he be worried? His worried eyes glanced at his human, attempting to cry out to him but his attention was on Alfred.
"Sure thing, babe!" Alfred chirps before grabbing the paper bag from his human, then disappeared into the kitchen as he was instructed to.
While he was gone, Winston called for his human. When his human's large pair of forest green eyes turned to him, he smiled and rubbed Winston's head once more. "That's Alfred, you'll be seeing him more often from now on."
Seeing him more? But why?
His master leads him to the kitchen, where they see Alfred digging his hands inside the bag of groceries.
"Now you understand why you couldn't bring Ace?" Ace? Who's Ace?
"Mhmm," Alfred hummed in reply, his hands still searching for something in the bag. "But don't worry! I'll get Winston to like me in no time! And then he can meet Ace!"
Winston found himself getting dizzy from the stranger's hyper and exuberant personality. Everything about this stranger was loud. Both he and his human valued peace and quiet; so how come his human allowed this stranger to bring havoc upon their home?
"I told you, he's not very fond of new people, and other cats as well," his human sighs, remembering their previous arrangements with people he knew. "It will take long before Winston finally accepts you, and for him to become friendly with Ace."
"Don't worry, I got this! Plus, he and Ace are gonna have to meet somehow. And I have the perfect thing for Winston." Alfred's hand shoots out of the bag, revealing a small pack of treats. "Ta-dah~"
His human chuckles. "It's going to take more than that to gain his trust."
"Oh, come on! At least have some faith in me!" Alfred sits cross-legged on the kitchen floor. He opens the bag and lets a few treats fall on his palm. His eyes catches Winston again, and a wide grin curls on the human's face. "Here you go, little buddy. I got these for you. Arthur told me how much you loved these." Alfred spread out his hand, presenting the treats gathered around his palm.
Seeing the different shaped treats on his hand, Winston's mouth watered. As much as he wanted to pounce and nibble on the offered snacks, Winston held himself back. He didn't know who this person was, and why he was inside their home. Even if he might not be dangerous, Winston remains cautious.
"Aw, man," Alfred pouts, his hand falling in defeat. "I was sure this would work! It always worked on Ace!"
"Not on Winston though," Arthur pointed out. "Let's just hope he'll get used to you."
Alfred stands up and places the treats inside the bag. He approaches the pair with a sly smirk. "Well, that just means I'll have to visit you more, yeah?" He snakes an arm around Arthur, pulling the shorter blonde closer to his chest.
"Watch your hands, Mr. Jones," Arthur chastised with a grin when the arm was sliding even more south.
The two humans interacted in a way that confused Winston. Why were they standing so close to each other? Why was Alfred's arm around his human? Winston remembers when another human, a man that Arthur calls 'Frog', slid his arm around his waist, his human had snapped and whacked the latter with a broomstick. How come Arthur was not doing anything? His human had always ranted about personal space to the 'Frog', preaching about respecting one's privacy and such; so how come Arthur let this new human hold him so close?
So many questions filled Winston's brain, and they even multiplied as the hours pass by. Lunch time came around and the two humans were cooking together. Winston's lunch was already prepared and placed in his bowl, but he couldn't find his appetite. His attention remained focused on Alfred and Arthur, who stood side-by-side behind the counter, their backs facing Winston. Arthur was chopping vegetables while Alfred was putting ingredients in a bowl.
As they work, they shared a light and hearty conversation that was loud enough for Winston to hear. If Winston's ears didn't fail him, they talked about college it seems. Is that how they knew each other? Were they classmates? They seem awfully close to be classmates.
Arthur mentions something about Alfred, and the latter harrumphs in reply while the former laughs out loud. The other human pouts and Winston sees him bump his hip against Arthur's. Arthur replies back a nudge with his hip as well, and the pair fell into a playful fight with their hips. This peeked Winston's curiosity. He tries to formulate an idea about why these two were doing such a thing with each other, but he couldn't understand why.
Their teasing continued until Alfred did his next strike. The taller human seemed to have overestimated Arthur's strength because when he bumped his hip against his, much stronger this time, Arthur released a surprised yelped and lost his balance, threatening his body to plummet to the floor. Winston's body stilled in shock, eyes widening in worry knowing his master will get hurt from the fall.
Nevertheless, arms had moved with ungodly speed to catch Arthur before he falls, and the shorter blonde found himself pressed against a hard, sculpted chest. Winston sighs a breath of relief, but when he turns his gaze at the humans, he sees them staring at each other, their faces strangely red. Winston cocks his head to the side, folded ears twitching in curiosity.
Then, the two humans lean in and they shared a short peck on the lips. Winston hears Alfred mutter a soft apology before kissing Arthur's nose. They blushed again as they straighten their backs, nudging each other slightly before returning to their task in hand. The pair were quiet now, but both of them were flustered and blushing.
And then- oh.
Winston finally realized why. It had hit him like a pile of bricks.
His human had found a mate.
Upon realisation, Winston shyly looks away and nibbles at his food. If cats could blush then Winston would be a tomato right now. Now that he knew, everything from before now made sense. Why this stranger was welcomed in their home, why Arthur had let him in an intimate embrace; it was because they were mates. And that's what mates in the human world do.
It made Winston a little envious. He never knew that Arthur would ever involve himself in a relationship like this, and the cat was content with it. But now that his human had a mate, that means Arthur's affection is divided. Winston didn't want that, he only wanted Arthur to love him and only him!
But then, his master looked so happy. Happier than before and Winston knew he couldn't take that away from him. In addition, Alfred didn't seem that bad or evil at all. He saved his mate before he could take an ugly dive against the floor. And the fact that Arthur, his human that never liked the company of others, accepted Alfred to be his mate, then Winston knew he could trust this man. He even bought treats for Winston just to befriend him!
An hour slid past and the humans were eating already. Usually, when Winston was finished eating he would curl up on his bed in the living room and sleep the afternoon away. But before he could do that, he strolled over to Alfred slowly, looking shy at first before rubbing his head against the human's ankles. He heard them drop their conversation, felt the human's leg shift and then heard a coo above him.
"Aw, would you look at that."
Winston had placed his scent on him, meaning he recognized the human as a newfound friend.
A large hand rubbed his head, and Winston purred in content. He could hear both humans sputter in shock, but relief and happiness bloomed afterwards.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad afterall.
x
Winston was awakened from his afternoon nap. He felt something tickling his nose, stirring him awake. Blinking, green eyes fluttered open, drowsy and unfocused. He opened his mouth to release a yawn, and as his vision slowly focused, he finds himself staring into a pool of azure eyes. Winston didn't react at first until he realized that the eyes he was looking at belonged to another cat.
A cat that he's never seen before.
Hello~!
When the other purred to greet him, Winston jumps out of his bed as a reflex, frightened by the sudden encounter. His frightened green eyes widened in shock at the larger cat, a Maine Coon by the looks of it, whose fur was short and white with a black ring of fur around his neck. The azure eyes belonged to him, and they were strangely sparkling at Winston.
Instead of replying, Winston scampered away from the cat, leaving the latter puzzled. He hung his head in the air, nose searching for his human's scent. Plague hit him when he couldn't find it. His human's scent was what calms him whenever he's troubled. He knows he'll truly be safe once he is in his master's arms. But where was he? Was he not in the house?
A different scent entered his nose, and it may not be Arthur's, but at least it was someone he was familiar with. He catches sight of Alfred inside the kitchen, humming a soft tune as he washes the dishes in the sink. Winston scurries towards him, hiding between his legs.
Alfred stops humming and looks down to see a ball of white and orange fur curled beside his feet. "You woke up early, little buddy," he wonders, but he soon found his answer when the other cat entered the room, meowing in confusion.
The human saw Winston flinch. "Oh, so it was you," Alfred pouts, sending the other cat a scolding look. Turning off the faucet and drying his hands, the tall human crouched down and picked the smaller cat in his arms, petting his fur to calm him down. "Sorry about that, little buddy. This is Ace, he's my cat," Alfred introduces, and on cue, Ace releases an excited meow. The human kept his serious look. "I told you not to go near Winston, Ace, you stubborn cat. You woke him up."
Ace, ignoring his master's stern voice, skipped over to Winston, greeting him once again before reaching a paw towards him. Winston mewls and buries head against the human, obviously showing the other his disinterest in meeting each other.
Alfred sighs. "It's alright, Winston, he's harmless. He won't hurt you," he assures the trembling cat. Poor thing. He must have been in shock, waking up to see a stranger lounging about. Alfred glances at Ace and noticed the cat's worried expression. "Sorry, bud. He's a little shy. You gotta tone down that energy of yours. He's not fond of new cats like you."
Turns out Arthur's mate had a cat of his own as well, a large chubby cat named Ace. Unlike Winston, Ace was a ball of energy that loves to play around with friends and eat a lot of cat food. The larger cat spurted out bursts of happy energy whenever he enters the room. He was quite the explorer too.
From the couch, Winston watches their new addition as he runs around his home, knocking a few stuff down, resulting him in getting reprimanded by both humans. It was interesting and slightly entertaining to watch Ace rile up his master and his mate. It seems there was no stopping the stubborn cat from doing what he wanted.
Alfred had been visiting their house more. He completed a full week before introducing Ace to them, well, to Winston because Arthur had met Ace beforehand. Despite Ace's enthusiastic demeanor, Winston still doesn't approve of him. He was hard-headed and he doesn't listen to his master; he means well but Winston feels uneasy around him.
Just like now. It was evening and they were having a movie night. The humans were sitting on the couch with their cats on their laps. The couch they were sitting on was actually a love seat, meaning it was meant for two people to be squished together. It didn't help Winston in this case; since the humans were sitting close together, no gap at all, it meant that the other cat was close to him as well.
Winston tried to ignore the other cat for the entirety of the movie, but when he snuck a glance to his left, he sees Ace staring back at him, a determined expression painted across his face. The Scottish Fold looked away immediately, hoping that Ace would do the same, but no.
You don't really talk much, don't you?
The other cat had inched closer, causing Winston to shriek and hide under his human’s arms. “Ace,” Winston hears Alfred call, his voice clear and laced with austerity. “I told you to stay put, didn’t I?”
The larger cat seemed to pout and whine at that. “Sorry, Arthur. Ace is a little bit stubborn- well, actually a lot stubborn, but he usually obeys me when he knows I’m serious about it. I’m not sure why he’s so disobedient right now.”
“Maybe he’s caught the flu?”
“Hmm, probably. I’ll take him to the vet tomorrow.”
Ace whined even more after hearing that statement.
x
Winston was awaken by soft murmuring. He opened his drowsy eyes to see the dimly lit living room, the telly now off and the clock showing the late hour. The humans must have finished the movie.
However, Winston questions his current placement. He was on his bed, the bed inside the living room. When did he get there? Last time he remembered he was on Arthur’s lap, watching the movie. Arthur must have placed him here when he fell asleep.
Winston’s eyes searched for his human and mate, seeing their heads disappear to the hallway. Releasing a soft meow, Winston leaps from his bed, running to catch up to Arthur. As he approached the humans, Winston sees Alfred following Arthur inside his room, causing the cat to release a mewl.
Arthur’s eyes fell on him. The human knelt down and smiled, but the smile was small and it looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, love, but can you sleep in the living room for tonight?” He asks, his hand rubbing the top of the cat’s head.
Winston eyes him incredulously. But why?
“Alfred will be sleeping on my bed tonight,” Arthur explains in a soft voice. “Just for tonight, darling.”
And with that, Arthur kissed his nose before disappearing inside his room with Alfred.
Winston remains standing with disbelief. At the same time, he feels a little hurt by Arthur’s actions. Arthur had always let him sleep on his bed, he did so ever since he was young. And why did Alfred have to sleep on Arthur’s bed? They had a guest room, the other human can sleep there. Whenever the ‘Frog’ visits Arthur, he would make the latter sleep in the guest room. So what made Alfred so special?
Because they were mates.
Oh, yeah. That.
Winston's ears dropped as he saunters back to the living room, plopping down on his bed. He curled into a tight ball, shivering from the cold air around him. As he ponders, he soon begins to wonder how different his life would be now that Alfred and Arthur are together. The humans appear to really love each other, and their relationship seems to become more and more serious as each day passes. Would Arthur not love him anymore? Would he love Alfred more? What would happen to Winston?
Winston had missed the old days; when it was just him and Arthur in this house. He missed Arthur's undivided attention. But now that Alfred was a part of their life, that attention was now split into two.
He didn't mean to sound selfish. He'd actually began to adore Alfred as well; the blue-eyed human was nice and caring and he took care of him like Arthur did. But at the same time, Alfred was slowly taking Arthur away from him. Winston knew this would happen one day, but he wasn't prepared for it.
You too, huh?
Winston jerked in shock, his head whipped towards the direction of the voice. He bit back a cry when he saw Alfred's cat, Ace, staring at him with a twinkle in his sky-blue eyes. He nearly forgot about the fact that there was another cat in the house. Despite the fact that Ace was a loud and noisy cat, he often appears out of nowhere.
Sleeping outside because your master and his lover are off mating inside their bedroom?
Winston blushed at that. He glared at the Maine Coon in front of him.
Stop and be quiet.
Despite the obvious retort, Ace appeared to beam.
You finally talked back to me! I've been here for almost a week; I started to think you hate me or something.
Hate? Winston cocked his head to the side. Why would I hate you?
The Maine Coon looked at him incredulously. You seem to despise me for being here. Whenever I try to talk to you, you always run away!
Winston blushed in embarrassment. I apologize. I didn't mean to make you think that way… I'm not really fond of strangers.
You're just shy, aren't you? You're just like Arthur! He always blushed and runs away whenever Alfred does sweet things to him.
The Scottish Fold sputtered. I-I am not shy!
Yes, you are!
The two cats fell into a petty, useless argument. Nevertheless, after their weak bickering, Winston realized that having Ace around wasn't… that bad. He doesn't even remember why he was so uncomfortable with having the Maine Coon inside their house. Albeit the latter being so loud and stubborn, he was… bearable.
Don't be too sad about your master.
Winston's folded ears twitched. What?
Alfred's not taking him away from you. Ace gave him a smile. When I first met Arthur, I thought he was hogging all of Alfred's attention from me. It really bummed me out, but I realized it's not so bad! Arthur's really great, and he makes Alfred happy.
Winston sat up from his bed, his emerald eyes looking down at Ace. Don't… don't you feel lonely at all?
Nope! Ace plopped back on the ground, rolling to his back. I know Alfred still loves me, and I'm confident that Arthur still loves you! He'd never turn his back on you!
How would you know?
I've spent enough time with your master to know how much he cares for you. He adores me too, y'know! He gives me a lot of snacks and treats… even though some of them were a little burnt. Anyway, he spoils me a lot! I mean, I'm not complaining. He always brings food whenever he comes to our house. He knows how much I love food.
No wonder you're so fat.
Ace winced, his whole body turning to sit up as he gawked and sputtered at Winston's insult. I am not fat!
Yes, you are. Winston snickered. I've never seen a cat as big as you are.
Ace pouted, bringing the other cat to snicker even more. I'm a Maine Coon! It's in my nature to be big!
Sounds like excuses to me.
Shut up! You! You're so small and tiny, take that!
Winston smiled as he and Ace talked all night. He never expected to befriend anyone but Arthur in his life. When Winston was a kitten, he was abandoned inside a box on an alleyway. He remembers how cold and lonely he was until he saw a head hover over him, emerald eyes shining and twinkling with sympathy. It has been a long time since that night, and although his memory was fuzzy, he recalled how those small, pale hands had picked him up from that battered box and pulled him in a warm, protective embrace.
Arthur was his only companion and best friend. It scared Winston when Alfred entered their lives. He thought that the man would take Arthur away, leaving Winston all alone again. Nevertheless, Winston was wrong. Alfred was a great man, and if he made his master happy, then he was happy.
Arthur had lied when he said that Alfred was only staying for one night. The man had stayed over night after night. It didn't take long for them to realize that the man, along with Ace, had practically moved in with Arthur and Winston.
This meant more nights sleeping inside the living room. But Winston wasn't unhappy about it.
Because he had Ace by his side the entire time.
My writing's a little rusty and rushed lol. Well, it has been two months since I've written something. This was actually inspired by someone on Tumblr! Although the prompt was different. Originally, I was supposed to write a drabble where Alfred and Arthur adopt a cat for the first time, but this idea suddenly came to mind.
Anyway, I'm gonna try and finish the original one as well. Thank you for reading!