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Regulus woke up Sunday morning to Misty meowing softly in his ear.
Blearily, Regulus turned his head to look at her, finishing his whole field of vision filled with grey cat fluff and demanding icy blue eyes.
“What’s the matter?” he mumbled, petting her gently, slowly blinking the sleep from his eyes. Misty only meowed in response
As he came to his senses, he noticed that James’ side of the bed was empty. That was normal, James sometimes went on runs on the weekend.
“What’s the matter,” he repeated, and then, putting the pieces together, “Did Jamie forget to put your food out? Silly man…”
Misty meowed in what could only be agreement, and leaped high over Regulus’ belly to land gracefully on the floor. Waiting by the door for him to follow, she made some more demanding noises.
“Yes, alright,” Regulus sat up and stretched, “I hear you - just let me wake up a bit.”
Despite the chill, he forced himself to throw back the covers and roll out of bed with an oof, shuffling over to grab his house coat and wrapping it tight around him before following the cat out the door and padding softly down the corridor to the kitchen.
The weather had turned recently, and Regulus had yet to acclimate to just how cold it was in the morning - he and James had definitely had a harder time getting out of bed the past few days, cuddling for warmth against the winter chill on the other side of the covers until Misty came to wake them in protest. Regulus thought fondly on the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms and the kisses they shared in the dim morning - okay, there were worse things than a morning chill, but it was definitely easier to handle with his boyfriend actually their. Regulus tried not to pout too much about James’ dedication to morning runs…
“Meow!” Misty sat in front of her bowl off in a corner of the kitchen - hmm, the bowl was already down then. That was definitely a sign that little missy had already had her breakfast. James didn’t forget after all, Misty was just trying to con her way into a double portion.
As a fellow gourmand, Regulus patted his chubby belly in sympathy.
“Now, did you think I wouldn’t notice?” He asked her seriously. He got down on one knee to pet her head softly. She looked up at him, so pitiful, eyes full of hunger.
“You think you can pull one over on me, huh?” Even as he admonished her, Regulus’ resolve wavered.
Misty mewled, oh so pathetic, oh so cute, and maintained eye contact with Regulus. Regulus pursed his lips trying to resist, but he only lasted a few seconds longer before giving in to her supplicant gaze.
“Oh, alright! But only a half portion!” He acquiesced, petting her once more before pushing himself up with a hand on his knee. Misty, recognising she had won, rubbed affectionately against Regulus’ pyjamaed legs. “Yeah, yeah, be cute.”
Cat thoroughly occupied with her second breakfast, Regulus set about getting his own first breakfast. James, as he always did when he went for a run, had left most of a pot of coffee under a warming charm. Regulus poured a grateful large cup of coffee into his special mug - special because it was exceptionally large, made for him by Euphemia for Christmas a few years ago, with an absolutely gorgeous black and green glaze - topped off with a perfectly reasonable amount of milk and sugar.
A quick look in the cupboards had him pouring a decent portion of cereal into a bowl. James always brought back breakfast after his runs, but Regulus had no way of knowing when that would be - cereal would tide him over until then. It’s not like he had to watch his waistline, nor had he in quite some time, not since he and James had started going out. Having a safe space and a safe person had done wonders to his own self acceptance and willingness to do what felt good instead of what he thought he ought to, in all aspects of his life.
The fact that both he and James got off on his indulgence and resulting larger form was merely an added bonus.
Regulus took his coffee and cereal over to the comfy leather couch in the living room, making sure to prop the doors open so Misty could wander later. He settled down in his spot on the couch, lounging but propped up against a cushioned arm rest, with his breakfast on the coffee table within easy reach, and a blanket pulled up over his belly. With a simple gesture, he summoned the novel he was reading to his hand, ready to loose himself in the fictional world in the quiet morning.
Everything was perf-
Wait.
Regulus snapped his fingers and the fire in the fireplace roared to life, casting a subtle orange glow and warming the room.
Now, everything was perfect.
Regulus read peacefully, munching away at his cereal. Only a few minutes passed before he noticed the cat slinking into the room.
“Are you satisfied?” He asks her lowly, earning him a quiet chirp in response as she jumps up on the couch with him. She carefully climbs across his lap and up on to his belly. She circles a few times before finding a spot she deems suitable and setting about making biscuits with the ample dough at her disposal.
Regulus chuckled fondly at her. When he had first moved in with James, he had been quite a bit smaller, and while he had gotten along with Misty, she was much more likely to use James as a pillow or simply sit next to them. But as time passed, they got to know each other better, and Regulus got plusher and plusher - his belly’s merits as a cat bed became obvious, larger and wider than most pillows, exceptionally soft, practically begging for a cute little kitty to lay down its head. Added to that the fact that Regulus was much less prone to movement, very content to sit in one place in peaceful silence - compared to his lovably very hyperactive boyfriend that had to move every five minutes or else he’d go crazy - well Regulus was only the most logical choice to be blessed with kitty cuddles.
Misty purred contentedly as she kneaded her paws into Regulus’ soft belly, until she was finally satisfied and settled in for a cat nap. Regulus couldn’t help but pet her once along her back, before leaving her be to her nap, breathing deeply and peacefully, equally soothed by the presence of a warm weight - however small - on top of him. Regulus sunk slightly deeper into the cushions, snuggling up with his cat and his novel in the Sunday morning chill.
Regulus didn’t know how much time had passed by the time James got back from his run - all he knew was that he was done with his cereal, his coffee was on its last dregs, and Misty hadn’t moved once and showed no sign of stirring soon.
He heard the sounds of the door, gently manoeuvred on the off chance that Regulus was still sleeping, and then quiet rustling as James took off his shoes and outer layers.
20 seconds later, Regulus’ boyfriend was poking his head in the living room, looking adorably windswept, hair a mess (more than usual), his cheeks and nose red from the cold. When he saw Regulus and Misty on the couch, his expression melted into a blindingly fond smile.
“G’morning, babe,” he whispered, careful of Regulus’ volume sensitivities in the morning, and crossed the living room, bending down at the same time Regulus angled his face up to accept morning kisses. “Sleep well?”
Regulus made an affirmative noise.
“Good, good,” James righted himself, flicking Regulus’ nose in jest, and Regulus crinkled his nose back at him. “I picked up some bagel sandwiches from that bakery you like in mayfair, you want them now or do I have time for a quick shower?”
Regulus considered, he was getting hungry, but- he looked down at the cat still napping on him, and then pointedly up at James. “It seems as though I’m a bit trapped at the moment.”
James laughed softly, and ran his hand over Regulus’ hair.
“Yeah, I can see that, she makes the rules,” he joked. “Do you want anything before I take my shower tho?”
Regulus playfully pouted and shot faux-surreptitious glances at his empty bowl and coffee cup, and James - smart boy - got the memo loud and clear, scooping them up.
“Full bowl?”
Regulus exaggerated the pout even more and made baleful eyes at his boyfriend, nodding.
James shook his head at Regulus’ theatrics, but what can Regulus say, he is a Black after all. Theatrics run in the family.
“My pleasure, babe.” He gave an awkward salute with the coffee cup hanging from two of his fingers.
“Thank you, dear,” Regulus singsonged under his breath at him so as not to disturb Misty.
When James got back, he placed the cereal on the table, the coffee in Regulus hands, and another kiss on his forehead.
“What are you going to do if she never moves?” He asked, indicating the sleeping kitty with amusement.
“Then I guess I’ll be trapped forever,” Regulus answered mock-seriously - he was joking… kind of… “You’ll just have to take care of me forever, I’m stuck on this couch until she decides I can leave.”
“Well, that sounds reasonable,” James agreed, matching Regulus’ tone.
Then he bent down again, pressing his mouth close to Regulus’ ear, just his breath on Regulus’ neck sending shivers thru his body that have absolutely nothing to do with the cold. “I’ll be taking care of you forever regardless. Where doesn’t really matter.”
He kisses behind Regulus’ ear and then on his temple and then-
Blushing furiously, Regulus pushed him away, not forcefully, not meanly, but if James was going to be saying things like that Regulus wanted him as comfortable as he was - which meant a shower and no running clothes - and preferably, Misty would be locked in another room.
“Go take a shower, James,” Regulus hissed at him.
James laughed and held his hands up in surrender, backing away easily.
“Whatever you want, I love you,” he said simply.
“Love you too,” Regulus admitted, it was easier to say these days for him, despite his embarrassment.
In the end, Misty woke up on her own, and decided to leave her comfy bed, freeing Regulus from a lifetime trapped on the couch by kitty.
If she was replaced by a much heavier being, intent on getting his fair share of cuddles from Regulus, plus many more kisses, well then that was just as well.
It was a nice Sunday morning, all things considered.