Chapter Text
Foggy lifted his brow, Matt felt through the various toys in the pet aisle again. “Is this cute?” Matt asked as he ran his fingers along the little bunch of feathers. “Do you think this is too big?”
“Matt they all look the same except for their colors.”
“All his stuff is red. I need to keep it consistent.”
“He’s a cat, Matt. He doesn’t see colors like we do.”
“Foggy…”
“Yes, it’s red and it’s cute. It’s all cute. They’re cat toys. This is the twentieth thing you bought the damn thing.”
“I thought you’d be happy I got a pet.”
“I am but I’m not happy being your eyes when buying pet toys the third time in the same week.”
“Is this cat bed soft enough?”
“You’re just ignoring me now aren’t you?” Matt grabbed his hand and ran his hand over the bed. “Yes, it’s soft.”
“Perfect.” Matt said. A case of cat food later, they finally left. Really Foggy was glad Matt got a kitten.
It started with Matt’s furrowed brow as he listened to the audio of the Internet. ”You okay, buddy?” Foggy had asked. Matt paused the audio and glanced toward him.
“What?”
“I said are you okay?”
“Yeah. I mean, I found a kitten yesterday, Foggy. His mom was dead. I took him with me. I gave him a bath and now I’m researching how to take care of him.” Really, Foggy had no issue with it and helped Matt stock up on kitten products. He didn’t take them up with him.
Matt had the cat almost a month before Foggy met it. (The billboard kept him away more than he’d like to admit and Matt stopping by more at his place really made it a nonissue.) Thurgood --there were times that Foggy wondered about Matt’s obsession of Thurgood Marshall–needed to be fed. Foggy and Matt were working on different cases and Matt had to stay late to work on his own. Foggy, of course, offered to do it. Matt gave him specific instructions about how to feed him.
This is how Foggy Nelson met Thurgood. He entered Matt’s apartment, switched the light on and was met with no light but the still ever present red kalidoscope from the billboard outside Matt’s home. He tried again. Nothing. Great. Of course Matt wouldn’t know or care that his light bulb was out.
Foggy took out his cell phone, hit the flash light app and shined it into the living room. He was greeted by a pair of glowing eyes and sharp hisses. “Holy shit!” He dropped the phone.
The light landed more clearly on the hissing being. A small grey face greeted him. It had a long snout, pointy ears, and two distinct black patches around its eyes. “Oh my god. A raccoon!” Where the fuck was Thurgood? Did Thurgood get eaten by the raccoon?! Foggy couldn’t leave without verifying. The little raccoon hissed but didn’t attack him.
“Thurgood?” He called. The raccoon stopped hissing and chittered at him. That stopped Foggy. “Thurgood?” He asked it skeptically. The little raccoon seemed to think he wasn’t dangerous and made his way across the room. Foggy kept the flashlight on it. He didn’t want to punt a baby raccoon if it tried attacking him.
The little raccoon went to a bowl. A bowl engraved with the name “Thurgood.” The little raccoon nudged it. “Oh my God. You’re Thurgood.” The raccoon nudged the bowl again. Unable to think of anything else to do, he fed it. Thurgood took the kibble and proceeded to wash it in the little fountain that Matt had gotten him. (Seriously Matt, a ‘cat’?)
He sat and waited for Matt to get home. He sat and sneezed (which is, coincidentally, how Foggy found out he was allergic to raccoons.)
“Thurgood! Daddy’s home!” He paused. “Foggy, why are you still here?” Matt asked as he bent down to pick up the little raccoon. The baby raccoon let itself be pet.
“Matt. That’s a raccoon.” Matt’s face did the strangest thing. His expression quickly went from bewildered to denial and to stubborn.
“Don’t be silly. Thurgood’s a cat.”
“She has thumbs.”
“He has paws. Six toes. It’s really common.”
“It’s a she and that’s definitely a-a-a ACHOO –a raccoon.” Matt’s looked like he had a revelation.
“You’re allergic! Foggy, shame on you. You’re not making me get rid of my cat that easily. If you’re allergic we can hang out at your place.”
“It’s a raccoon. R-A-C-C-Double O-N”. Matt glared.
“Oh and how did you find out he’s a she?”
“Google.”
“You’re not joking about that. Huh, Thurgod’s a girl.” Matt shook his head. “Either way, I’m not giving him away. Now. I have court in the morning and need a good night’s rest so if you don’t mind?”
“Mark my words.” Foggy said as he wondered what had gotten over Matt. The little raccoon chittered and made non-cat noises as he exited. Matt melted into a puddle of wounded duck when it hit Foggy:
Matt was in denial. He probably picked up the thing after getting hit one too many and had bonded. Then when he realized what it was it was too late. Matt was firmly in denial.
Foggy shook his head. It would take a while but he would get through to him.
Until then Foggy was going to start researching animal rescues that could take in raccoons.