Challenge #43: Christmas lights Challenge: Christmas Lights Author: Rebel Warning: Angst and veterinarians Timeline: Post-513 Author's Note: The continuation of my drabble series about Rage the kitten, which began with "Justin Saves a Kitten." There are five drabbles here, and each condom will go to Justin.
Not a Toy By Rebel
Justin was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the tree, untangling the mess of lights. Rage was sitting on the chair next to him, watching.
Justin lifted the lights and gave them a shake, hoping to dislodge the end of even one string. Rage’s paw shot out and hooked the light, pulling it in for closer examination.
Justin laughed and pulled the lights away. “That’s not a toy,” he said.
Rage gave him a skeptical look, jumped to the floor, and stalked off.
Brian looked up from the computer. “Apparently, he disagrees.”
Justin smiled after his kitten. “Apparently.”
Rage Explores By Rebel
Rage crept down the stairs. He wasn’t sure why he was creeping, since Brian and Justin were sound asleep in the bed.
He went into the big room with the tree, and sat looking up at it. It stretched up high, high above him. Not as high as the tree he’d been in when he’d found Justin. But high.
The lights on the low branches smelled a little bit like Justin, so he sniffed them for a while. Then he tasted the water under the tree; it was nasty, so he spit it out. Then he went back to bed.
Home Alone By Rebel
The next night, Brian and Justin went out. Rage didn’t like it when they went out and left him home, but Justin sadly said that they were going to something called Babylon, and that the noise might hurt Rage’s ears. Besides, it didn’t look like there was anywhere for the kitten to go in the clothes Justin was wearing.
As soon as they were gone, Rage stalked into the tree room. The lights were on, and he watched them sparkle for a while. Then he went back to the ones that smelled like Justin. Did they taste like him, too?
Rage in Trouble By Rebel
Brian laughed and helped Justin get the key in the door. It was freezing cold outside, and they were both a little drunk. The car that dropped them off was pulling out of the driveway by the time Brian got the door open.
He walked into the media room, and stopped. Under the tree Justin had insisted on setting up in there was Rage, lying very, very still. Brian said Justin’s name in a strangled voice, and dropped to his knees beside the kitten.
“Brian? What is it?”
Brian looked at him, and Justin said, “No.”
Brian took a breath.
Rage at the Vet By Rebel
They sat in the waiting room at the emergency vet. Justin thought about all the hours he’d spent watching things like this on Animal Planet. About how Daphne had told him to “kitten proof” the house. He thought about the day he’d found the little kitten sitting in the tree in their garden.
Brian’s arm was around him, and Justin hid his face against his shoulder. “Make him be okay.”
He felt Brian’s lips on his hair, and his arm pull him closer. “They’re taking care of him.”