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James sighed and looked into beautiful gray eyes, trying not to let them pull on his heartstrings. But he was weak, and gave up far too easily, his heart melting. “How the fuck did we get here, love?” he murmured, truly dumbfounded about how they had ended up in this predicament.
“Meow,” was the only reply James received.
He pursed his lips for a few moments before sighing and reaching forward, scratching the soft spot between the ears of the adorable kitten in front of him on the floor. “Did you know I’m a dog person?” he whispered conspiratorially, chuckling as he accidentally messed up the cat’s hair, making it look like he had bedhead.
The next ‘meow’ in reply seemed angrier. James supposed this was fair.
“It’s okay, though,” he reassured the small, black kitten, picking him up and nuzzling him into his chest. “As you can see, I actually have everything I need for a cat.” He looked around at the floor, which was covered in cat toys.
This time, he was rewarded with purring. He hoped that meant he’d done something right. He felt like he’d been such an idiot lately that doing anything right seemed like a giant win.
“It’s just…” he trailed off, staring back down into those giant eyes, sighing. “There’s this boy.”
The little ‘mewl’ the kitten let out seemed like an embarrassed one. James didn’t blame him.
“Trust me. If you saw him, you’d be a mess as well,” James murmured to the small animal, pressing a kiss to his tiny head. “He’s so fucking pretty. Pouty and broody and…his eyes….they’re all icy and gray. Like yours. That’s why I picked you. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
The kitten blinked a long blink and yawned. James sighed.
“I’m going to call you Leo,” he said decisively. “And I think you need to know why you’re here.”
So he began to speak to the now-sleeping cat, because he was too mortified to tell his story to an actual human.
~~~
The Beginning
It started because he’d had some time in between an appointment and plans to meet up with Remus. So, like all normal twenty-two-year-olds, he decided to stop by the local pet store to look at the puppies.
Now, James Potter was a firm believer in adopt-don’t-shop. But he was still just a man, and he loved spending a few free minutes pressing his nose to the glass of the pet store and cooing over the golden retrievers and dachshunds, wishing more than anything his flat allowed dogs and not just cats.
So, he was on his way to the back of the store to where the puppies were located when he had what he could only describe as a religious experience. Why? Because he saw God. Right in the middle of the Kitty Litter aisle.
It took all of his self-control not to gasp and drop his car keys on the scratched linoleum floor. But even so, the man, who was wearing a vibrant blue vest and a scowl that made James’s stomach get a bit warm, turned to stare at him, his gray eyes boring into James’s very soul.
“Finding everything okay?” the God asked, tone bored and tired, as if his shift had lasted much longer than he would have liked.
He almost said he was fine. That he was just going to kill some time by staring at the dogs. But then, he’d lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to a deity, so he changed his mind halfway through. “N-yes,” he nodded, trying not to blush when the man gave him a confused frown. “I need…” he looked around and said the first thing that popped into his head. “I need a litter box. I…I’m adopting a cat.”
Instantly, the man’s demeanor softened a bit. “Oh! Well, I used to have one myself. He was a bit of a menace, but I loved him dearly. I…”
James stopped listening, though. He was too focused on the way the man’s pale pink lips moved and curved as he spoke, the way his eyes flashed and changed expressively while he rambled. The way he tilted his head slightly and moved his hands the smallest bit.
He was mesmerized.
“...so which would you prefer?”
It took him a full three seconds to realize he’d been asked a question. “Erm…what?” James asked stupidly, too focused on the little mole above the man’s lip.
The man raised a perfectly-groomed eyebrow, his expression a little annoyed, and James’s stomach flip-flopped. “Which litter box would you prefer?” he repeated coolly.
Which was how James, who didn’t own a cat, ended up walking out of the store with an entire litter system. But he’d also been smart enough to look for the man’s name on his nametag while he’d helped him check out.
Regulus.
~~~
It Got Worse. Of Course.
He should have left it at that. He should have gone online and sold the damn litter box and moved on, or else returned it and forgotten about it.
But instead, he found himself at the store again two days later. And it wasn’t to look at dogs.
He really didn’t have a plan. He just kind of ambled in towards the cat section, hoping to find the dark, curly hair and piercing eyes he’d been obsessing over for the past 48 hours. And, to his immense luck, he found Regulus again. This time, he was helping a customer pick out cat food.
So, acting completely casually in his opinion, James pretended to pick out his own pet food for the next fifteen minutes, while the elderly woman forced Regulus to talk her through every brand in the entire store, and several they only carried online. By the time they were done, Regulus looked ready to murder.
“Yes, please come back soon,” Regulus said to her as she tottered away, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Fuck, he was even prettier than before.
But he was also stalking away in the wrong direction.
“Excuse me!” James called, waving stupidly towards Regulus, feeling utterly desperate.
“Find someone else, I’m on my brea--oh.” Regulus turned with an icy glare, but it melted a bit as he turned to see James there. “Hi. James, right? How’s things with your cat?” he asked, scowl disappearing as he fiddled with a stray string on his vest.
He paused.. “I….she’s not here yet. But I need more help,” James replied, brain leaving his mind as soon as Regulus walked closer. All he knew was that he needed more time with this man. If it meant chatting with him about cats…well, he would do it. “Can you show me the best collars and food?”
A tiny smile formed on Regulus’s lips.
It turned out, fancy cat collars ran for quite a pretty penny. As did the cat food that looked like it had been prepared by a real chef.
~~
An Actual Problem
“James, this is an actual problem,” Remus said to him a few days later, stepping over several bags from the pet store to get to the sofa in James’s sitting room.
“I have no idea what you mean,” he replied, turning away so Remus couldn’t see him blushing.
“I know you have more money than most of us, but you can’t piss away all your savings at the pet store just to talk to a pretty guy. Ask for his number,” Remus said, rolling his eyes.
“I’m not pissing away–I’m preparing for a cat!” he insisted, gesturing to the bags spread around the room.
But the look Remus gave him was beyond disbelieving. “James. You aren’t adopting a cat.”
“So?” he retorted in a high-pitched, feeling like he was losing his own grasp on reality. “Maybe one will just show up! I’ll be ready! It’s good to be prepared, Remus, you never know-”
“You are utterly ridiculous,” Remus cut him off, snorting. “You’re not a bloody boy scout. This has nothing to do with being prepared and you bloody well know it.”
But James just pouted, sinking into his seat. “You never know,” he mumbled, knitting his eyebrows together.
~~~
The Full Descent to Madness
“So, tell me about the kitten, then,” Regulus said softly a few days later as he and James strolled the cat toy aisle, picking out whatever toys Regulus said were nice. James found that he had the strange urge to buy anything Regulus asked for. It was a collusion he didn’t want to think about too much. “Is she getting acclimated?”
And, at that point, James was half-mad with love, completely dazed every time Regulus spoke, so he just…spoke without thinking. Which, to be fair, he did already. But he thought even less this time. “Oh. Yeah, everything’s going well,” he nodded, swallowing hard when Regulus grazed a hand over a cat toy, his eyes lingering over long fingers. “It’s good.”
“That’s good. It’s…nice. To see a man taking such interest in his pet. You’d be surprised how many men think it’s emasculating, to take proper care of and dote on an animal,” Regulus said, grimacing.
“Really? That’s awful,” James replied, genuinely stunned.
“Hm..it’s good to know it’s not always the case. I’m sure your kitten is adorable, too. Do you have pictures?” Regulus asked, eyes widening with interest.
James froze. “I….no,” he admitted, heart hammering, terrified at being caught in a lie.
Regulus frowned, eyebrows furrowed.
“But you can come over! See her in person!” James said quickly, horrified at being the reason for that frown. Sure, Regulus looked adorable even when surly, but James wanted to make him smile.
A hesitant look of interest formed on the shorter man’s face, and James breathed an internal sigh of relief. “Yeah? I’d…like that,” he said, nodding.
James was very proud of himself for not cheering at all when he programmed Regulus’s number into his phone. He felt high, like he’d achieved the truly unachievable. He’d asked Regulus to come over and he’d said yes ! He could die happy.
Of course, it wasn’t until James left the store with a bagful of toys that he realized his problem.
~~~
“So, that’s how I got you,” he mumbled to the sleeping Leo, who kept opening his eyes and giving him dirty looks. “I could’ve just borrowed a cat like a sane person but I kind of just went to the shelter without thinking and I saw you and I just…”
Truth was, he’d seen Leo’s eyes and been so reminded of Regulus that he’d caved without hesitation. He’d practically thrown his wallet at the shelter employee, signing the paperwork with one hand, cradling the kitten in his arms. He was beyond smitten. For the second time this month. And then, he was truly glad he'd bought all of the expensive cat items. Because an angel as wonderful and beautiful and stunninggorgeouscuteperfect deserved the world, in his humble opinion. He also had made sure to tell Leo this several times.
“So. Here’s the thing. Regulus will be here soon. And we’re going to be on our best behavior. Okay?” he murmured, voice high pitched and baby-like. “We need to show him how normal we are.”
Leo opened one eye to blink sardonically at him, then closed it again.
As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Eagerly, James stood, almost tripping on his way to answer it, swallowing a yelp so as not to wake the sleeping cat in his arms.
Taking a deep breath and reminding himself to stay calm before opening the door, he turned the doorbell slowly and greeted Regulus with a smile. “Shhh,” he whispered. “It’s nap time.”
The little coo Regulus let out when he took in the image of the kitten was James’s new favorite sound. He immediately stepped in, closed the door, and moved close to James, the scent of his cologne making the taller man weak. Two long fingers stroked the sleeping kitten’s fur. “Oh, James ,” he murmured reverently.
Oh, James was so done. Hearing Regulus say his name like that? He would’ve bought a fucking tarantula.
“Here,” he grinned, slowly transferring the kitten to Regulus’s arms, trying not to let out a little screech at the thrilled look on the other man’s normally-less-than-amused looking face.
And he watched as Regulus’s wide gray eyes roved over the sleeping animal, who was now cradled like a little baby in his arms. He seemed completely enamored, a giant smile on his face. It was a truly magical moment, and James’s heart sang, his brain unhelpfully supplying words like ‘precious’ and ‘adorable’ and ‘captivating’, until-
“James,” Regulus said, sharply this time, cutting into his thoughts.
“Yeah?” he asked, stomach dropping. What had he done?
“Listen. I-I’m not one to tell someone what gender they should be…but this is not a girl cat,” Regulus whispered, nodding with his chin towards the kitten’s lower half.
He frowned. No. Leo was a boy. He had been since this morning. “Okay?” he asked, confused.
“You told me the other day that your cat was a girl. Did the paperwork get swapped? Did the shelter give you the wrong animal? You should tell them,” Regulus began, looking a bit annoyed.
“Oh, it’s not big-” James said hurriedly, trying to smooth over his mistake.
But Regulus wasn’t having it. “I can call if you want. I know it seems like it’s little, but that can be a huge mistake. It’s odd, usually they do very well-”
It was at this point that James realized things were getting too convoluted. Short of calling the shelter and telling them to lie, or impersonating the shelter himself, he was stuck. So, he had to come clean. “Regulus. I adopted this cat this morning,” he said quickly, wincing at his own admission.
Regulus only gaped.
“But…you’ve been buying cat things for two weeks,” he argued after a long moment, looking bemused.
“I…was not going to the store for cat things,” James murmured, blushing and looking down, rocking his weight back and forth, feeling completely awkward as they stood in his kitchen.
“You… bought cat things,” Regulus said slowly, giving him a hard look like James was stupid. Well. He kind of was.
“Yes,” he sighed. “But I wasn’t interested in the cat things.”
And Regulus, still holding a sleeping Leo in his arms, took a long time to stare at him before his narrowed eyes widened a bit. “You were there for me? Is that what you’re implying?” he asked, sounding completely shocked.
James laughed humorlessly. “Yeah. Is that so shocking?”
“Well…yeah. It’s not like I’m dressed to impress in my uniform,” Regulus snorted, causing Leo to twitch. “And I’m not exactly in a great mood when teaching complete idiots the difference between wet food and dry food all day. I’m not sure why you’d want to come see me.”
“I think you’re beautiful,” James replied honestly, his voice raw with truth. “And I love spending time with you.”
Gray eyes stared at him with weary awe.
“So…are you mad?” James asked after a long stretch of silence, dying for a proper reaction.
“No, but you are! You adopted a cat just to get me to come over?” Regulus said, laughing and pressing a kiss to Leo’s head. “That’s…ridiculous. Boys have done things to get my attention before, but never this.”
“It’s not mad,” James insisted, trying to defend himself even as he blushed harder and grinned at the teasing. “I just…”
“It’s mad. And rather stupid. Lucky for you, I seem to be attracted to insane idiots who, even if they don’t mean to, dote on their pets,” Regulus smirked, nodding to James’s sitting room, where all of the cat toys he’d bought were still strewn about and a giant cat tower that took up the stretch of one of his walls already put together.
He couldn’t help beaming. “Really?”
“Yes. But I have bad news,” Regulus said seriously, a morose look on his face.
“What?” James asked quickly, the small amount of hope bubbling in his chest disappearing again.
“I think your cat likes me better than you,” Regulus replied, a teasing grin curling on his lips.
“Leo. I named him Leo. And he absolutely doesn't," James argued, affronted. Obviously, Leo loved him the most.
But just then, Leo opened his eyes and stretched his paw out, placing it lightly on Regulus's cheek and meowing softly.
And, for some reason, James couldn't be mad at the smug look the other man gave him.