Chapter Text
*purrrr*
*brrrrr*
*boop*
A tiny head bumps full force against Greta's fluffy orange chin. Greta breaks her staring contest with the squirrel on the bird feeder and looks down at the black and white bundle of joy to her side. Carson's big mossy green eyes are shimmering in the sunlight of the warm spring sun, her pupils wide and round. Her tiny white chin is shivering with excitement. Greta bows down and gives Carson a few strong licks over her snoot and forehead before biting her neck and throwing her playfully to the ground, a tiny growl leaving the back of Carson's throat.
"Are you two love birds fighting over the squirrels again?" Bertie smirks. Gracie had been worried about bringing another cat into the house. "My Greta is an only child, she won't accept any other trouble maker in her queendom!"
And rest assured 'any trouble maker' probably wouldn't have cut it. But when Bertie stumbled out of Vi's bar into the dark alleyway that fateful night and he finally found little Carson sitting in that dumpster after following her whiny screams, he had no choice but to bring her home. After giving her a warm bath in the kitchen sink she was finally clean of what Bertie assumed to be some leftover pie crust, mixed with dust and dirt into a sticky goo. Bertie still remembers how exhausted but happy the tiny tuxedo looked when he sat her down into an improvised cat bed made out of some old shirts and a pillow stuffed into an old fruit basket. "Tomorrow we will get you checked out by our vet and then you'll be able to meet your new sister, okay little one? Sleep tight!" he said before closing the guest room door.
***
"meow? meow-reow?"
Greta tilts her head. Her long orange fur is softly framing her majestic face, her pink nose and white whiskers twitching.
*sniff*
*sniff-sniff*
A distinct smell lingering throughout the backyard caught her attention.
"brrrrr-brrr?"
Carson is tiptoeing around Greta when suddenly the smell hits her tiny black nose as well. Her back arches, her ears flop tight onto her head and her soft fur protrudes into every direction. Next to her Greta has dropped into an ambush position. Her ears are twitching in alert.
*clonk*
Intruder!
*grrrrrrrr*
Carson jumps in front of Greta trying to appear as big and dangerous as possible while still only being half the size of the orange maine coon.
The intruder, a brown tabby who just jumped onto the backyard wall, does not seem impressed. On the contrary, to the fallible human eye he probably seems like he's having a really good time, given the wide smirk on his face. Slowly he starts walking along the top of the wall, his short tail balancing out his wonky steps while he keeps staring into Carson's eyes.
*hiss*
Carson is getting ready to attack, neatly placing her front paws next to each other under the weight of her chest. Her back arches up and her tail is swinging furiously from side to side like an angry whip almost smacking her girlfriend who is still sitting in her position of ambush right behind her.
The smirking tabby stops his balancing act and stares down at the two angry furballs in front of him. With a sudden movement that almost makes little Carson jump, he drops on his back and starts rubbing it all over the brick wall showing off the dark stripes on his belly.
"Pspspspsps! Hey, dude, where are you? It's time for dinner, come on!"
Within the bat of an eye the tabby jumps to his feet and down the other side of the wall.
"Oh, there you are, Charlie! Here ya go, buddy, it's Tuna Tuesday, enjoy!"
With the intruder out of sight Greta starts relaxing again. She throws herself into a big stretch before getting up and walking around Carson until she's head to head with her fellow little feline. Carson's body is still vibrating in the aftermath of tension when Greta bumps her head into her and starts lovingly cleaning her face.
*purrrrrr*
"Carson, Greta!" Gracie, who watched the incident happen through the kitchen window, approaches her cats at a fast pace. "Are you okay, my loves? Did Charlie cause you trouble again? Outrageous he still has not been neutered, that horny little beast! You've shown him who's the boss on this side of the wall, haven't you my strong little amazons? Follow me, I might have saved you some leftover chicken from lunch!"
***
*lick*
*slurp*
*yawn*
Greta has always been very particular about her evening grooming routine. Keeping her long coat of fur tidy and neat is a lot of work but one Greta seems to be enjoying. And with Carson by her side doing everything to help her get to every little spot she might not fully be able to reach, Greta's orange fluff is in better shape than ever.
*lick*
*yawn*
*slurp*
*yawn*
*yawn*
*sigh*
Carson's head drops heavy onto Greta's belly. Quiet, little snores escaping her snoot. Greta gives her coat one last lick before she wraps herself around the tiny tuxedo and with a deep sigh of contentment, closes her eyes.
Within a few minutes both cats are deeply asleep. Maybe too deeply? Neither of them seem to hear the tiny squeak of the cat door behind them. A dirty, smirky snoot is shoving itself through the cat-sized entrance.
*sniff*
The tabby's whole head is now lurking through the door. Everything is completely silent with the exception of Carson's irregular, tiny snores.
*sniff-sniff*
One paw. Second paw.
*zzzzzz*
Charlie's ears are twitching with curiosity. With one sudden jump he paves his way inside, stumbling over his own paws snoot first into the back of the dark blue couch.
*clonk*
*grrrrrrrr*
Startled by the noise Carson jumps to her feet.
*sniff*
*sniff-sniff-sniff-sniff*
*grrrrrrrr*
Intruder!