Work Text:
For all the years they have been living together −and in a relationship even longer− they have managed to work out a system to take their massive mastiff dog out for his mandatory walks. If one of them was sick or away on a business trip, they work around their schedule so Cyril is always able to go out at least once a day.
It’s Friday evening and they were getting ready to go out for their evening walk. Alfie has been away for two days now and is scheduled to come back tomorrow at midday, so Tommy has been taking care of Cyril, keeping each other company. It’s not usual that is Tommy the one that stays −basically because more often than not, he’s the one that has to leave on business trips− but it’s definitely not the first time he has stayed alone with Cyril. Tommy and Alfie started their relationship eight years ago, back then the dog didn’t exist in his boyfriend’s life until one day, one year into their relationship, he was surprised by a small brown ball of fur jumping into his lap when he was making out with his boyfriend at his house. Alfie had laughed at his reaction and told him that Cyril was his kid, and if they’re going to have a future together Cyril might become his too, at that Tommy only raised an incredulous eyebrow. But. Cyril was there five years ago when they moved into their house and was there three years ago when Alfie proposed to him, and was there too for their wedding. So, yeah, Cyril did become his son after all.
Tommy puts his coat on, puts the leash on the exited dog and they go out. The sky was gray, big heavy clouds covering the London sky and Tommy has half a mind about grabbing an umbrella but thinks they’ll just have to be quick. So, even with the threat of rain they walk to the park, Cyril happily smelling everything that comes in his line of sight −doesn’t even matter he walks by them every day− and stayed there until it started to drizzle.
On their way back they walk past a dark alley and something there must have caught Cyril’s attention because he went there to inspect the contents of a wet box against Tommy’s wishes. The mastiff sniffed and sniffed the box even when Tommy tried to coax him away, he kept on insisting even when it started to rain and finally a weak meow came from within the box and a black and white paw came out to touch Cyril’s wet nose.
“Come on, boy, we gotta go.” Tommy pulled on the leash but Cyril didn’t bulge and instead started to bark at him, as if urging him to look at the box too.
Tommy, fed up with the entire situation, decides to oblige his dog’s whim and gets closer to where Cyril is to inspect too. And that’s when he saw the poor little thing −skinny, wet, hungry and cold− and something inside Tommy shifts and feels this profound sense of protection, feeling like he must take the little thing home with them.
So, carefully he coaxes the cat out of his box and when it’s within reach, Tommy grabs and finally he gets a good look of the poor thing: one eye as blue as his own, the other with a honey like color similar to Alfie’s, its face divided with black and blond fur −the perfect combination between him and his husband− and just like that Tommy was in love with it.
When he’s putting him inside his jacket to keep him out of the rain, Tommy realizes just how docile the cat is, which means it was thrown in the streets, abandoned by the ones who were supposed to love it and Tommy feels an inexplicable anger towards the people who did it, whishing he could find them and teach them a fucking lesson, but instead he holds Cyril’s leash tighter and together they rush home.
Once they were back in the warmth of the house, Tommy creates a nest with towels in front of the heater where he puts the shivering cat, then he takes his coat out and with another towel starts drying Cyril who tries to lay down next to the tiny kitty, “five more minutes, boy, then you can lay down, alright?” he manages to dry the dog as best as he can before letting him lay down right next to the now sleeping cat.
Tommy lets them there while he goes to the bathroom to take a warm shower and get dress on sweatpants and a cotton shirt, when he goes back to the living room to check on the animals and what he sees fills his heart with love: the small feline has crawled over to rest under Cyril’s neck, both enjoying the warmth from the heater and napping together. Tommy takes a several pictures and thinks about sending them to Alfie but decides that it would be better to surprise him tomorrow, so instead he focuses on making himself dinner.
The next morning Tommy wakes up early and after feeding himself and the animals, he grabs his car keys and takes the cat to the vet to treat it and to put on the microchip because there’s no doubt in his mind that the cat is going to stay with them.
The vet gives him some meds to treat her and after he buys everything a cat might need, he drives them back home where Cyril is more than happy to welcome them. It’s still fairly early so there’s time before Alfie arrives, so grabs his laptop and after preparing himself a cup of tea, he sits in the couch with Cyril at his feet. Five minutes into his search, the cat contently settles in his lap. Tommy smiles down at her −and yes, the vet told him is a female− and goes back to what he was doing, connecting his headphones to listen to some music while he works.
He must have lost track of time because next thing he knows a flash is startling him and when he looks up, he sees his husband taking pictures of him.
“Hello, love.” Alfie smiles at him, cocking his chin to point at the sleeping cat, “you got yourself a new friend, Tommy? Should I be jealous you cuddling someone else?” Alfie has a smile on his face and looks at Tommy as he shuts his laptop and sets it aside but doesn’t stand up to greet him, so when Alfie realizes that he crouches down in front of him. “Does he have a name?”
Tommy leans over to kiss the other man before responding, “he is actually a her. Cyril found her last night when we were coming back home and I just couldn’t leave her there.” He knows Alfie wouldn’t ever tell him to get rid of the cat −that man is a big animal lover, one of the reasons why Tommy loves him so much− but he still felt the need to explain himself anyway. “And about her name… I was thinking Leah. Means ‘weak or sick’ in Hebrew.” Tommy moved the cat so his husband could look better at her.
“You were looking for Hebrew names?” Alfie’s entire demeanor turned soft at how thoughtful his husband is for trying to find the meaning of names in his religion. He loves this man so much.
“Wanted it to be in Yiddish but didn’t find one I liked, but that one seems to fit her. I like how it sounds too. Leah.” At the sound of her name she opens her eyes, immediately spotting Alfie, heterochromatic eyes locked on Alfie’s.
“I see why you took her in. She’s beautiful.” One ringed hand comes down to pet her behind one ear and she gladly lets him. “So, we got ourselves a new kid?”
“Congratulations, it’s a girl.” At that they both let out a chuckle before kissing again. Cat happily purring, dog happily snoring on the floor next to them.
It might not be conventional, it might be cliché for a gay couple, but it’s family.
Their family.
And they wouldn’t trade it for the world.