Work Text:
Skulking around back alleys was not an unfamiliar activity for Tango- He always enjoyed the hunt, following his potential victim for the day, scoping out their routines and habits. After nearly 100 years stalking his prey, he'd learned by now that he hated feeding off people who didn't drink coffee, so he frequented the local coffee shop, taking notes on who the regulars were, and then spent his time observing them.
He could feel the hunger panging behind his recessed fangs, trying to stay level headed as he thought about the rush of his first feed in a month. The feeling of the caffeinated blood filling his soulless body, making him feel alive again as he drained the helpless victim, the tearing of the fragile human flesh and pumping of blood beneath his teeth as it spilled into his mouth.
While he stood in the shadows and salivated from staring at the clueless humans going about their day, a high pitched squeak caught the attention of his hyper-sensitive ears.
Usually he ignored the sounds of the wildlife, but something about the pathetic-ness of the noise tugged on his killer instincts.
Zeroing in on the sound, he found himself stood in front of a large dumpster. It looked as though it used to be blue, but was now covered in black and brown stains from overuse. There were bags of trash piled next to it, and Tango heard a quiet shuffling noise coming from the inside.
His curiosity got the better of him, and despite how he hated getting dirty, especially in his 'hunting' clothes, he threw open the lid of the dumpster, expecting a dying possum or raccoon or something. To his surprise there was a small black trash bag that was moving around and mewling.
Resting the lid of the dumpster on the brick wall behind it, he reached down and grabbed the bag from out of the squalor, pulling it up and over and gently setting it on the floor next to him. The bag stopped squirming immediately as he set it down, but the whimpering noises got louder.
He sat on his haunches as he reached down and cautiously tore open the bag.
The first thing he saw was two golden, glowing eyes that looked too big to belong to the tiny face staring up at him. The rest of its body blended seamlessly into the black plastic of the trash bag, save for a pair of ears that looked as though they might be pinned on from their size relative to the small face.
He carefully reached down and grabbed the fuzzball, lifting it up to get a better look. It was a tiny kitten, who let out a screech at the sudden-ness of being picked up by Tango, but quickly nuzzled into his embrace as it got used to the motion.
"What the hell? Who dumps a kitten like this?" he sighed in disbelief, "And they say I'm the soulless one."
He took more time inspecting the kitten for injuries, letting out another sigh as he placed the kitten down in his lap, "What am I gonna do with you, huh, little one?" The kitten let out a small meow and snuggled into his lap as he stared down at it.
Somehow, he had forgotten about finding his meal for the month as he enjoyed the warmth of the kitten curled up in his lap. Instead, he deliberated on what to do with it as he took in the subtle movement of its breathing and gentle kneading into his thigh.
In the end, he decided he would keep the kitten, as he couldn't bear to think of the little creature getting abandoned again. So, he scooped it up, placing it carefully into his buttoned-up jacket, getting ready for having to walk home instead of being able to transform and fly back. He briefly considered compelling someone to take him home, but decided it wasn't worth the risk of them remembering, since it had been so long since his last meal.
Walking home in the slight chill of the late afternoon air, he considered what he'd have to buy for the little kitten bundled up in his coat. 'I'm only gonna buy what's necessary' he thought to himself as he strode across the street. 'I should probably get you to a vet though'
As that thought crossed his mind, he pulled out his phone and found the nearest vet, heading straight there as fast as he could.
~~~~~~~☆~~~~~~~
It turned out that the little cat was a female kitten, about eight weeks old, was slightly malnourished and had fleas, but was otherwise in perfect health. Tango scheduled an appointment to get her spayed, and took her home to his manor.
He was used to being mostly alone in the manor, only occasionally bringing humans back to turn them, or other vampires he came across if he was bored. Despite his cold outward reaction to the kitten, he felt an odd warmth at the thought of having a little creature keep him company.
When he finally got back to the manor, the kitten was wide awake and meowing at him loudly, she had shuffled in his coat so much, he was struggling to keep her in it. He gently unbuttoned his coat and set her, and the bag of cat stuff, down on his kitchen counter top.
This wasn't the first time Tango had a pet in his 100 years of 'life', but this was his first kitten. When he was a younger vampire he had gotten a dog to try and meet more prey, and potentially turn a couple humans if he got bored, but decided that pets didn't live long enough for a vampire with a strange sense of time.
The kitten clambered around the countertop as he prepared her food, and decided to play with some pots that were hanging from a rack above the kitchen island.
"Hey what are you doing you little…" he chided as he picked up the kitten from the counter and set her down in front of her food. The sound of the furball clattering the pans together gave Tango an idea, "I should name you Clank for that."
She wolfed down the food as Tango watched, remembering he hadn't fed yet either.
He checked his pocketwatch, wondering if he could still manage to catch a meal yet today, but was sorely disappointed by the result.
"Damn, I guess I'll have to eat tomorrow now, 'cos of you." He whispered as he looked down at the kitten with a fond expression, reaching to scratch the midnight fur behind her ears. "Nice to have you around though, Clank."
Tango ended up finding his meal the next day, and of course, Clank ended up as a very spoilt cat.