Work Text:
“Stupid curse, stupid witch..” Ford grumbled under his breath, scribbling frantically on the whiteboard he was seated in front of. His tail flicked back and forth from agitation, and his ears angled down in distress. Behind him, his partner was eyeing him closely, amusement with Ford’s frustration mixed with intrigue about the situation. Fiddleford had seen his fair share of strange occurrences during his time working with the other, but this was the strangest by far.
Wordlessly, he extended an arm and ran his hand up the length of his tail, earning a jump and a startled squeak.
Ford shot an embarrassed glare over his shoulder, his train of thought effectively derailed. “F, please. I’m trying to figure out how to undo this, could you not distract me?” He snapped passive-aggressively, his temper getting the best of him. Fidds smirked, raising his hands in a sarcastic act of surrender. “Yup. My bad.” Ford deadpanned but seemed to accept this answer, turning back to his work. Fiddleford let him settle for a couple moments, then struck again, hand running up his tail for a second time. Ford seemed to expect it this time, and only reacted with a stuttered exhale. Unsatisfied, Fidds did it again. And again. And- well, you get it. He developed a leisurely pace, taking note of the fact that Ford had stopped writing, and his form shivered subtly with each stroke. There was quiet, a silent battle of wills commencing between the two.
Then, slicing through the silence like a knife through butter, a low, deep rumble filled the room, resonating from Ford’s chest. They both froze, and Fidds’ jaw dropped as he recognized the sound. “Are you purring!?” He exclaimed, followed by a flustered, “N-no!”
Fidds burst into laughter, Ford buried his face in his hands and groaned, continuing to purr softly.
“Stanford that’s adorable!” He groaned louder, cheeks glowing red behind his palms. “No, it’s not! It- it’s just instinctual– shut up!!” Fiddleford doubled over, shoulders shaking with laughter. “Ohoh this is too good, c’mere.” Ford squeaked as he was yanked onto Fidds’ lap and pinned against his chest, way too easily than he’d like to admit. Fidds scratched at the spot between his ears with one hand and pet down his back and tail with the other, feeling him melt into the touch. The purring started again, Ford's arms wrapping around his torso as he gave in. He moved his head so Fidds’ nails moved to a different spot near the side of his head, which he then focused on. “S’that good, Ford?” He nodded slightly, tail curling in the air. “Yeah…” He sighed absentmindedly. Fidds smiled, heart fluttering in his chest.
Maybe reverting this would have to wait.