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Weren’t for Marinette’s enthusiastic rambles all day, every day, leading to October, Félix would’ve completely forgotten what time of the year it was. To him, October was simply the middle month of the auburn season, when the trees dressed in orange and put up ripe fruit right before they laid bare for the winter and when the wind was in its best mood.
He’d always forget Halloween’s existence the moment he stopped looking at the Jack O’Lanterns and skeletons all over social media though.
But with Mar here to infect him with her Halloween spirit as he was dragged along to buy pumpkins, fabrics, and whatever else they’d need, it was impossible to forget.
“Still can’t believe this’ll be your first Halloween in years,” Marinette said as she picked the smaller pumpkins they’d use to cook while Félix looked for a good Jack O’Lantern candidate. “What happened to the Félix that told me all about the USAmerican’s Halloween traditions?”
“Lost his soul to the working industry.”
“Such tragedy.”
Félix giggled, stepping to the other side of the pumpkin’s craters—and away from other buyers—as Marinette moved to browse other stands. The smell was starting to sting his eyes, but as long as he focused on the task at hand he should be fine.
He moved one of the pumpkins outside the crater with his foot, testing its weight, when something else moved beside it.
Tucked between the pumpkin and the wooden crate was a small furball the color of the auburn season. It tilted its head to glance at Félix, yellow eyes blinking drowsily at him.
“Oh. Hey there, little buddy.” Félix slowly crouched, reaching slowly for the brownish-orange kitty. “Didn’t notice you there. Were you trying to pass off as a pumpkin?”
It fearlessly bumped its head on his palm, purring loudly.
“You’re not a stray,” Félix whispered, scratching the cat’s chin. “Too docile to have been in the streets for long. Are your owners close by?”
It meowled, nuzzling Félix’s wrist before jumping between his feet, where it began to brush against his slacks.
After a deep breath, Félix called for the vendor’s attention to ask about the cat, eyes fixed on the brown splotches on the cat’s face and paws as he rubbed its back.
The merchant had no idea it was even there.
Félix nodded, pursing his lips. “Did you get lost, little pumpkin?” The cat flopped to its back, revealing its pale belly. Félix rubbed it, eyebrows furrowing as he noticed the scorched marks on it and the dark grime stuck to its fur. “Or maybe you ran away?”
“Félix,” Marinette called, walking over to him, “I know you like to be meticulous, but I already got my pumpkins, bought apples and berries, got an ice cream, and you’re still– KITTY!”
She lunged over the stand, scaring an elderly lady, splattering her ice cream on the ground, and startling the cat onto Félix’s arms, and dropped by Félix’s side on the dirty floor to coo over the kitty.
“Hiiiii.” The cat eyed her with alarm but immediately relaxed under her touch. “What are you doing here? Trying to become one with the pumpkins?”
Félix snorted.
“Does it have a name?” She took it in her arms, standing up. Félix did too, swiping at his clothes. “An owner? Or can we keep it?”
“No one seems to recognize it here, and–” Félix lifted the cat a bit, its eyes bulged out as it flicked between both of them, to show the cigarette’s marks on its fur.
Something sparkled in Marinette’s eyes. “We’re keeping it.” She held it over her face, grinning widely. “You’re our child now.”
~•~
Halloween preparations were put on hold as Pumpkin was taken to a vet and a trip to the pet shop was required. On top of Félix’s wardrobe, somewhere in the far corner, there were cat toys, bowls, a sandbox, and a scratching pole that’d only need some cleaning before being good to use again.
Eva, was his previous cat’s name. She was still a kitten when she died. No warning, no fuss, she simply laid down one night and when Félix went to check on her, she wasn’t breathing.
Félix hadn’t adopted another pet since then.
Pumpkin was a curious, but clumsy, sort. They wanted to explore every nook and cranny in the flat, and would always poke their head at whatever the humans nearby were doing, but would always trip and flop to the ground. Marinette would often refer to them as her spirit animal.
“Blue or gray?” Marinette asked, thumbing the aforementioned skirts on her lap.
Pumpkin mewled, pawing at the pencil between her teeth.
“The blue would give the whole thing a nice spark, but gray is more accurate, and with some silvery glitter, it would look a lot more interesting, don’t you think?”
She turned to the kitten, pulling the pencil away from them and then using it to scratch their belly. Pumpkin gave out shrieking meows, flailing their paws in the air.
“You’re so right.”
Félix laughed mutely, putting the tray with balls of dough on the center table to stretch over the couch’s base. He pushed himself to be sitting on it, taking the apple juice bottle with him to push it onto Mar’s palm.
“Hm?” Her eyes snapped from it to Félix. “Oh, right.” She pushed the skirts aside so that she wouldn’t spill juice on them as she downed it, almost choking herself with it.
“Watch out,” Félix murmured, leaning on her side as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Urgh.” She rested the bottle on her thigh, where Pumpkin was sniffing it. “How does it get so dry?”
“You sleep with your mouth open,” Félix mumbled, resting his chin on her shoulder to peer at Pumpkin on her other side. “The colder season helps, too.”
“Huh.”
They quietly observed as Pumpkin stepped to Marinette’s lap, head turning back to sniff the bottle, then back to her clothes and her sticky arm. Back to the bottle, then Marinette’s arm. Eventually, they licked it, making Marinette bite down a giggle. Then they glanced back to the bottle, then Marinette’s apple-flavored arm.
“C’mon little one.” Félix smiled lazily as he rocked his leg back and forth. “You’re smart.”
Pumpkin tilted their head, then resumed licking Marinette’s arm, causing her to drop her face on Félix’s hair as her chest shook with mirth. After licking off all the remaining sweet in her arm, Pumpkin turned to the bottle and stuck their little tongue under the cap.
“And they did it!” Marinette picked them by their back and dropped back onto Félix’s lap, nuzzling the kitten’s nose. “Congrats, Pumpkin! You learned about identification criteria!”
Félix chuckled, shuffling to a more comfortable position as his fingers brushed through Marinette’s fringes.
Pumpkin meowled, squirming in her hands to turn for the bottle.
“Uhm–” Marinette nestled them onto her chest and glanced at Félix. “–should we let them drink apple juice?”
“Technically, they can drink it.”
“But–”
“Too much sugar, so it should be limited.”
“Heard that?” Marinette asked Pumpkin, pressing their paws to her face. “Don’t go overdosing on apple juice, OK?”