Work Text:
To me, Matt is a casual animal lover (this is a headcanon I've always had for him. This shall be on my headstone.)
- He had many encounters with stray and house cats whenever he went on patrol. Matt would give them pats on their little heads if they approached him. Other than that, he usually respected their boundaries and minded his business.
- Matt started dating you, and he found himself in close quarters with your beloved cat, which you lovingly named Moon. When Matt asked why that name, you told him it was because her eyes were wide and round like a full moon. Her dilated pupils often reflected the light cast on her, and you could see every little dot in her eyes.
- The few first times that Matt came around to your place, Moon would keep her distance. She would always stay close to you but tended to avoid Matt. She would go so far as dodging Matt's outstretched hands when he attempted to pet her.
- You made a show before Moon by rubbing yourself all over Matt to show that he was not a threat but a "friend." All for her to decide that you tried too hard and walked away, much to your disappointment and Matt's amusement at how hard you tried to make Moon like him.
- Whenever Matt joined Moon on the couch, she would sit on the opposite end and stare at him with wide eyes as if she was assessing him, sizing him up with her cool, nonchalant gaze.
- Something shifted the night Matt came to you with his injuries. The wounds were nothing Matt couldn't handle (his words), but they were quite serious. You were worried sick, fussing over his casualness and his bloodied cuts.
- While you were patching him up on your bed, Moon jumped onto the bed and made herself comfortable within Matt's reach, staring and expecting head rubs from him. She couldn't understand why Matt wouldn't look at or pet her immediately upon her "invitation." She even swiped a paw over her head a few times and chirped as if to ask Matt to pet her.
- You told Matt what she was doing and explained that Moon wanted head scratches. Matt put a tentative hand on her head, hesitant to fully go for it. Moon nudged her small, furry head into his palm, encouraging him to go ahead. After a few rubs, she purred happily as you quietly cleaned up Matt's wounds and tried not to get distracted by the cuteness of these two.
- When you were done with his injuries, Matt rested peacefully on your bed in clean clothes, nestling under your warm blanket with your cat staying close as if to keep watch over him.
- After that night, Moon became friendlier with Matt, albeit slowly. Matt would buy Moon her favourite treats, speeding the process along. He was determined to make your cat love him, and his enthusiasm surprised you as Matt didn't come across as a dedicated cat person to you. Eventually, Moon would rub herself against his legs whenever he came to your apartment, letting him scratch her head when he bent down to greet her. She would often chirp in hellos and form a loaf near where Matt chose to sit.
- Your cat would ask Matt to pick her up by standing on her hind legs and pawing at Matt's leg. And Matt would always be happy to oblige her. Sometimes, when you came home after running errands, you would see Matt busying himself with something with Moon in one hand.
- Moon loved to sit on Matt's lap when the two of you cuddled. She gradually preferred to plop down on Matt's side since his body heat was higher than yours. The fact amused you since it made you feel like you were third-wheeling them sometimes.
- Matt would find fur on his clothes, and even though you profusely apologized, Matt didn't mind it at all. He said the stray hair was Moon's love following him around, like the little taps of her feet on the floor keeping him company wherever he went.