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Ever since Buffy agreed to get a cat (for once, Miss Kitty Fantastico comes through), Luna’s been their baby. And maybe Faith dotes on her too much and Buffy can’t resist giving her extra treats, but she’s their baby. What else are they supposed to do?
And Luna’s the best cat they could’ve asked for. She’s super affectionate, she’s not temperamental, and she’s also not a complete psychopath like Miss Kitty Fantastico (that cat has it out for Faith). She is totally convinced that she doesn’t need them to take care of her, and Faith’s pretty sure Luna thinks she’s their owner and they’re her pets, but that just means she’s extra protective of them, and they love her for it. And every time Buffy or Faith walks into the apartment, she always pads down the hall to greet them and make sure they’re okay.
So, when they don’t find her at the door when they stumble in after patrol, Buffy and Faith very reasonably freak out. Because if there’s one thing Luna loves, it’s routine. And she never breaks her routine.
Faith’s just about to start frantically searching when Luna appears at the end of the hall, staring at them blankly. She doesn’t move until Faith does, and she hisses and disappears around the corner.
“She hissed at me,” Faith says, stopping in her tracks and furrowing her brow. “She’s never hissed at me before.”
Buffy steps up beside her, taking her hand. “We should go check on her.”
They make their way towards the bedroom, finding Luna curled up on the bed and watching them balefully. They cautiously perch on the bed, and Luna hisses another warning.
“Is she hurt?” Faith asks, looking at Buffy in concern.
“She’s not normally like this, but I don’t think she’s hurt or sick or anything,” Buffy says, watching Luna intently.
Faith looks closely too, and Buffy’s right. Luna’s practically glaring at them, but she’s not showing any signs that she’s injured. Faith’s brow furrows again. “Maybe she’s mad at us?” she suggests, turning back to Buffy.
Buffy’s expression lightens, and she laughs, looking up at Faith. “Wait, she is mad at us. You haven’t patrolled in, like, a month because of your ankle. She’s not used to being left alone anymore.” She looks back at Luna, shaking her head playfully. “It was two hours, and we left you treats and everything.” She stands up, walking out of the room and adding, “Needy cat,” with a smile.
Luna still hasn’t taken her eyes off of Faith, and Faith can definitely see what Buffy meant. Luna does look kinda hurt, and Faith’s not sure what exactly to do about that in the future. It’s not like she can stop patrolling, and Luna was always fine with the two of them leaving for patrol before Faith broke her ankle. But for now, Faith just extends her hand, Luna watching the movement from where she lies.
“I’m sorry, Lulu,” she says, and Luna perks up at the nickname. She’s still glaring at Faith, but she moves forward, nudging Faith’s hand forcefully with the top of her head. Faith laughs and pets her, taking the hint.
Buffy comes back with a bag of treats, and Luna quickly moves over to her. They give her treats and Luna looks way too satisfied (this was probably her plan, the little schemer), but it’s okay, she’s their baby and they can spoil her a little. And they should probably work out a solution to the whole patrol issue, but that’s something to worry about tomorrow.
For now, they’re just going to snuggle in bed with their cat until daylight. That is, if Luna will settle down and move away from the treats.