Work Text:
Catra strode past the main park on the Bright Moon College campus. A breeze rippled through her brown curls as she approached the local coffee shop. After ordering her favorite drink, she paced down the sidewalk. Today was one of the colder days. The leaves had turned from summer green to bright reds, oranges, and yellows. As much as she enjoyed seeing the colors, she wasn't a fan of chilly weather. In a month or so, there would be snow, which meant she had to put away some of her favorite outfits.
Catra's heeled boots clacked against the sidewalk. Her phone buzzed with a message from her childhood friend Adora. She sent a quick reply and stashed the phone into her pocket. As the dorms came into view, she decided to take a shortcut. In an alley, she caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. Gross. She glimpsed a small figure sitting by the empty cardboard boxes. A cat? No, it was smaller. Wait, what was a stray kitten doing here all alone?
It let out scared meows and ducked behind a box. Catra's heart ached for the poor kitten. Though, she debated whether to take the kitten with her to the dorm or take it to an animal shelter. Most dorms weren't pet-friendly. She could understand the reasoning behind their no-pet rules. If she chose to take the kitten home, she could try to make the dorm manager understand.
Catra's phone rang with a call from her girlfriend, Glimmer. She tapped the 'accept' button. "Hello?"
Glimmer's voice came through. "Hey, Catra. We're going to Mermista's party tonight. Are you coming with me?"
"I'll come. I'm getting to the dorm in a bit."
"Alright. You may have to get ready for the party."
"Don't count on it, Sparkles." Catra's tone was joking. "I'll wear my usual ripped-jeans and tank top outfit."
Glimmer chuckled. "Alright, then. I've got to finish up my assignment and take a shower."
The call ended. Catra turned her attention to the kitten. It was now staring at her with curiosity. She crouched down, holding out a hand. "Uh, hey. I don't know where you're from, but I'll probably take you home for the time being."
At first, the kitten glanced at Catra's hand in apprehension. Within a minute, it approached, its tail pointing up. Its nose twitched, sniffing her fingertips. She had a soft spot for cats, and this one was no exception.
In a gentle movement, Catra scooped up the kitten, holding it in her arms. She walked to her dorm and entered, then went upstairs to the room she shared with Glimmer. The room had one bed, of course.
At the start of the year, Catra and Glimmer hadn't gotten along due to the former putting up walls. They had bickered a lot and refused to be in the same area together for long. With the passage of time, they had warmed up to each other. Catra hadn't hesitated to defend Glimmer when a group of bullies ambushed the latter. After that, the two women had developed feelings for each other.
Their first date had them feeling nervous and awkward, but they overcame that and got to know each other. Memories aside, Catra carried the kitten to a bundle of blankets. It could serve as a bed. She went downstairs and grabbed a piece of leftover fish, then returned to where she left the kitten.
"Here you go," Catra said as she gave the piece to the kitten. "Do you have a name?" She checked for a name tag. There was none. The feline didn't have a collar, either.
Perhaps the kitten's mother was a stray cat that had a litter. Or someone didn't want any more kittens and abandoned this one. The idea of a heartless individual leaving cats on the street angered Catra.
Catra stopped dwelling on speculations and focused on the kitten's well-being. "I guess I could name you Melog. What do you think?"
The kitten purred, rubbing its body against Catra's hand as if answering the question. She then searched for a hiding spot. The closet could do for now. She opened the closet door, placed a towel into a shoebox, and put the kitten in.
Catra shut the closet door and sat on the bed, scrolling through social media. Footsteps entered the room. Glimmer was now changing her clothes and touching up her hair. As the shorter girl put on makeup, the meows pierced the silence.
"What's that?" Glimmer asked.
"I was watching a reel," Catra lied.
The meows came again. Glimmer gave Catra a quizzical glance. "A reel, huh?"
"Of course." Catra tapped on a video on her social media feed. She turned up the volume. The meows continued even after the reel ended.
"You're not hiding a cat, are you?"
Catra cleared her throat. "No. The dorm is - haunted! That's where the noises are coming from!"
Glimmer followed the sound to the closet and opened it. She reached for the shoebox. "A - kitten? What is it doing in here?"
"I found it alone outside. No one's been looking after Melog."
"You gave the kitten a name already?" Glimmer picked up the kitten. "You know, Catra, you could have been more upfront."
Catra shrugged. "What did you expect me to do? I don't know if this dorm would allow a pet."
"I could talk to the people in charge of the dorms." Glimmer tickled Melog's chin with an index finger. "By the way, it's so fluffy and adorable." She handed Melog to Catra and dialed a phone number.
Catra listened to Glimmer as her girlfriend talked to someone about the cat. Once Glimmer finished the phone call, she turned her attention to Catra.
"We may keep Melog," Glimmer said.
And instead of going to the party, the two girlfriends shopped for cat supplies. Evening came, and they occupied the bed. They were wearing pajamas. Melog snuggled up to Catra's side. Glimmer stroked the kitten's head. They didn't expect to have a pet during their college years. The kitten purred in response to the petting.
"Do you think Melog will fall asleep right here?" Glimmer said.
"It could happen. Our kitty seems comfortable," Catra replied.
Glimmer smiled. "Perhaps Melog could be our alarm every morning with the meows."
Catra chuckled at the imagery of the kitten meowing loudly and waking the girls up. "Yeah. Or it could paw at our faces."
"At least it's not a dog. They'd jump on the bed and bark."
"That would have been annoying." Catra gazed fondly at Melog. "Look, our kitty's sleeping."
Glimmer gazed at the kitten, too. "It's adorable. Melog must be happy over having a place to sleep now."
"I wasn't about to leave Melog alone in that alley."
"Next thing we know, we'd be getting more cats. Can you imagine us in a few years with a house filled with cats?" Glimmer winked. "You and your love for cats..." She tapped Catra's nose.
Catra chuckled, playfully swatting Glimmer's hand away. "I still have a reputation to maintain as the resident bad girl."
"A bad girl with a heart of gold." Glimmer brushed her shoulder against Catra's. "And an attractive one at that."
For the rest of the evening, they watched over Melog. Soon, they fell asleep. Catra dreamed of Glimmer and their cat.