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It's not a secret that Ezra connects easily and strongly to animals or any creature of the galaxy.
What is a secret, however, is the fact that Ezra accidentally smuggled a lothcat onto the ghost a few months ago. The lothcat is a secret known to Sabine, Zeb, Kallus, and Ezra himself. Allegedly, and probably, the lothcat stalked behind Ezra during a narrow escape. Ezra and Sabine couldn't dump her anywhere that wasn't back home and The Ghost doesn't travel to Lothal regularly. So for the past few months, the four have been secretly taking care of the lothcat. And the lothcat has grown quite attached to them.
Well.
Most of them.
There have been a few… disagreements between the lothcat and Zeb. Zeb is convinced the lothcat just doesn't like him. Ezra says that it's just because Zeb has such a foul attitude around her so she reflects that back to him. Kallus snickered and said she's like a moon. Ezra immediately started referring to her by Jericho, which stuck.
Still. Bottom line is Jericho and Zeb do not get along. But since Jericho seems to love Kallus, and Kallus allows her to do as she wishes, Zeb keeps his mouth shut about her to Kanan and Hera. And Chopper by default. Chopper would rat them out in an instant. No matter how much Zeb dislikes Jericho, he wouldn't betray his siblings' trust like that.
Plus Kallus asked him not to. Nicely. Karabast.
But that doesn't mean the two get along. Probably something having to do with the fact that both have the capacity to purr and the capacity to hiss and the capacity to pin their ears back.
The first time they met, Kallus had been holding her, smiling as he scratched under her chin, and she was just vibrating.
Until her eyes met Zeb’s.
There was a mutual pause. Zeb decided to try and be respectful by slowly extending his hand for her to sniff. But it's not just fault that she immediately kriffing hissed and swatted at him! His reflex was to do the same back, but Kallus had pulled her out of his reach paired with a swift scolding.
"Garazeb Orrelios! You know better!"
Ever since that day, Zeb swears the lothcat has had it out for him. She hates him and that is the hill he will die on. She knows. She knows that Zeb is fond of Kallus and will deliberately hoard him.
As frustrating as it is, Zeb hasn't said anything to Kallus about it because when he told Sabine, she snorted and said that he's jealous of a little kitty. Him. Jealous. Of a cat! Never. She's diabolical. Calculated. Cunning.
And no, Zeb is not overreacting. This feline will go out of her way to kriff with him. She's almost as bad as Chopper. The number of times that he'll just be minding his own business and she'll pounce on him from out of nowhere. Or one time he was trying to nap and she jumped out from the kriffing vent, bit him, and then kriffing fled. Zeb has lost count of how many times he'll just be walking and then out of nowhere, again, she'll decide to 'randomly' lay down under his foot as he goes to step. And of course yowl. Zeb is given a dirty look every time. It's why he is under the correct assumption that Jericho has it out for him.
At this moment, however, the lothcat is nowhere to be seen. But Zeb knows better than to let his guard down. He's on his way back to his bunk to meet Kallus. His partner comm'd him once he was planet side, asking to meet up so Kallus could get some decent sleep. After the mission he had, he's exhausted and misses Zeb. And Zeb has missed him just as much.
Thus far, not a hair of Jericho has been spotted.
That is, until his door slides open and there Jericho is, perched on top of Kallus’s side. Both are half asleep, Jericho purring and giving an occasional flick of her tail. Happily tucked under Kallus’s arm as his finger lazily move back and forth, half asleep.
Karabast.
The moment Zeb steps farther into the room, Jericho stops purring, ears pinned back in Zeb’s direction. Zeb pins his own ears, but steps closer to the bunks anyway. In response, Jericho begins to give him a low but audible grumble, echoing from her throat, warning him that he's too close.
Curling his lip up at the lothcat, Zeb bares his teeth. It's my kriffing bunk! That's where I sleep! I'll approach my bed if I want. He takes another step forward, standing beside the bunk.
Jericho hisses as she swats her tiny claws at Zeb. Zeb hisses back, a few seconds away from nudging the lothcat over.
They're both grumbling, almost batting at each other when Kallus gives a miffed sigh. Both fall silent as he inhales and says, "I swear, if you two start a brawl, I'm kicking you both out."
Jericho meows at the same time Zeb protests, "She started it."
Kallus scoops Jericho into his arms and rolls over onto his other side, so that he's facing the wall. He makes Jericho settle down and gives her small scritches with one hand before holding out the other to Zeb. Leaning into the bunk, Zeb hesitantly places his hand in Kallus’s. Kallus wastes no time in pulling Zeb into the bunk and places Zeb’s arm around his waist, relaxing against his partner immediately.
"It is too late in the night for you two to be brawling over attention. I swear, you're both such jealous felines." Kallus interlocks his fingers into Zeb's, gentle despite his words.
Zeb’s ears perk forward as he tries to settle down behind Kallus. "I'm not jealous!"
"And I don't drink caf."
Zeb stops and thinks about the past few months. The irritation and instant dislike he had for Jericho. He brushes his lips against the nape of Kallus’s neck. "Maybe I was a little jealous… but she still started it!"
Giving a huff of laughter, Kallus finally eases Jericho back to sleep. "That she did, but that doesn't mean you should egg her on, Garazeb."
"And maybe she shouldn't plop down underneath my feet while I'm trying to walk. One of these days, Kanan and Hera are going to find out she's here because she'll scream from her own hubris." That's why Zeb is salty about her foolishness. Obviously.
Kallus opens his eyes and turns to look up at Zeb. "You… you know they already know, right?"
Zeb’s eyes damn near pop out his head. "No? How?" The the kriff. Zeb has had to hurriedly scoot Jericho out the line of their sight so many times, the number of shocks he's taken from Chopper so she could keep napping undisturbed. Were they all for kriffing nothing?
"Garazeb. This is Hera's ship and Kanan is a Jedi. Of course they know."
"Do Ez and Bean know that that know? I've been keeping Jericho a secret for them. And because you asked me to."
Kallus looks confused for a moment. "Oh, oh yeah. Well, that had only been temporary. After a week I explained everything to Hera before she had to find out and possibly get mad." Kallus’s eyes squint back at Zeb, referencing the last time he and Ezra tried to adopt a creature. "And, now that I think of it, I don't think Ezra and Sabine are aware that they know."
Zeb nods, eyelids growing heavy as he stifles a yawn. "Are you gonna tell em?"
Kallus snorts, "no." He reaches over and places a kiss to the corner of Zeb’s mouth with a smile. "And you're not the only one jealous of Jericho. She has taken an interest in Hera’s lap as well. And little Jericho does not like sharing. Neither does Kanan." Kallus chuckles at the thought as he snuggles deeper into Zeb's warmth. A yawn rips through Kallus’s lungs too.
Jericho sleeps without a care in the world, and soon, Zeb and Kallus follow in suit.