Breakfast in Bed Characters: Regulus, Anubis Summary: Regulus realizes it isn't so bad being owned by a cat.
Gaius - or Anubis, as he was now thinking of himself thanks to Regulus - woke slowly, yawning and stretching for a moment before rising up on all four furry legs and flipping his tail. He was hungry, he needed to relieve himself, and Regulus was still sleeping, his dark hair splayed out on the pillow, which wasn't helping with either of Anubis' current problems. Fortunately, that was something he could remedy.
Stepping off his own pillow - actually one of Regulus', but Anubis considered it his now - he moved to his human, butting his head under Regulus' chin and purring loudly as he rubbed his sleek black body against Regulus' beard. Ah, yes... that felt good.
Regulus stirred and woke, cracking his eyes open to peer at his furry companion. "Breakfast time, eh?" he murmured, his voice husky with sleep, and he reached out to caress Anubis gently from head to tail. He glanced blearily at the clock on his bedside table and chuckled. "Looks like I won't need an alarm clock anymore."
Anubis arched into the stroking, then turned and put his cold, wet little nose against Regulus', staring into Regulus' eyes. "MRrrrow!" he said by way of agreement, then flicked his raspy tongue over the tip of Regulus' nose to help wake him up.
If anyone had asked him before Anubis had come into his life, Regulus would have said being licked on the nose by a cat - or any other animal, really - was not something he wanted to experience. Having now experienced it, however, he found he didn't mind at all. It was rather endearing, actually. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and tried to remember if he had any pressing business to attend to that day. One good thing about his business was that it let him set his own schedule, and as far as he could remember, the day was clear.
"How about breakfast in bed?" he suggested, reaching out to scritch Anubis' ears before throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed. He scooped up Anubis and set him on the floor. "I'll make breakfast for both of us, and then we'll come back in here. All right?"
Part of him felt a little foolish about talking to Anubis as if he could really understand what Regulus was saying, but Anubis had shown himself to be intelligent, and sometimes Regulus got the feeling that he could understand. It wasn't logical, but it was nice to feel like he was having a conversation, albeit a one-sided one, rather than talking to himself.
Anubis purred, twining himself around Regulus' ankles for a moment before flirting his tail and trotting off toward the litter box, which thankfully was one that magically cleaned itself, something which appealed to his fastidious soul. Then he returned to the bedroom, jumping up on the bed and settling down upon Regulus' pillow to await his return with breakfast. Regulus treated him very well, verging on spoiling, but as a cat, he felt it was his rightful due.
After checking his schedule to make certain he hadn't forgotten an important meeting with a client or a seller, Regulus went into the kitchen to put the kettle on and prepare a light breakfast of fruit with honey and toast for himself. While he waited for the tea to steep, he sliced up a bit of fresh fish into bite-sized pieces and arranged them on a small china plate with silver edging, and he poured some milk into one of Anubis' bowls. Once his tea was ready, he loaded everything onto a tray and levitated it back into the bedroom. Much to his amusement, he found Anubis already back and seeming to be waiting for him.
"Breakfast is served," he said, setting the tray on his bedside table. He picked up the plate of fish and sat cross-legged by Anubis' pillow. He picked up a piece of the fish and offered it between his thumb and forefinger. "Is this to your liking?"
The fresh fish smelled wonderful, and Anubis ate it daintily from Regulus' fingers, lapping them to get every morsel. Then he sniffed them and looked up at Regulus. "Mrow?" he asked, then looked significantly at the plate of fish.
Pleased that his offering had been accepted, Regulus placed the dish on the pillow within easy reach. "There you go. I brought some milk to wash it down with after you're finished," he said as he reached for his cup of tea.
Purring softly, Anubis began to eat from the plate. It wasn't nearly as nice as eating from Regulus' hand, but it would have to do, and he cleaned the plate without dropping so much as an a tiny morsel on the pillow. He looked up at Regulus, licking his whiskers clean, then rubbed his cheek against Regulus' leg by way of thanks.
While Anubis ate, Regulus did as well, and he put his empty plate aside, exchanging it for the bowl of milk. "Ready for this?" he asked, reaching to pet Anubis lightly. "I'll hold it steady for you," he added, lowering the bowl so Anubis could reach it easily.
The rich milk smelled even better than the fish, and Anubis lapped at it, enjoying the taste. He didn't take too much, though, moving his head back and settling down beside Regulus again, pressed against his side.
When it was clear Anubis had had enough, Regulus put the bowl back on the tray and shifted to lie down on his side, propping himself up on one elbow so he could reach out and stroke Anubis while he relaxed. He felt the vibration of a purr beneath his palm, and the repetitive motion was soothing in and of itself.
"I've been missing out," he mused, amazed that he could take such pleasure and wonder in every little thing Anubis did. That it was usually adorable had something to do with it, he was sure. "I never realized how nice it was to have a pet. It makes the flat seem less empty." He paused, thinking about the wisdom of speaking his thoughts aloud, but he realized he had a perfectly safe audience for once. "Less lonely," he added. "It makes the nights more bearable."
Anubis looked up, his blue eyes searching Regulus' face, the words worrying him, making him want to offer Regulus comfort. Regulus had been through so much, and he'd face so much of it alone, but now Anubis was here to make up for all that, to give him companionship and solace. He moved closer to Regulus, purring louder to let Regulus know that he was there for him, no matter what.
Regulus smiled and scratched Anubis' ears. "It isn't as bad as it used to be. Right after I was attacked, I had terrible nightmares every night - when I could sleep. Time has helped ease the fear. Along with heavy wards, of course. But nights are always worse. The rest of the world is asleep, and there are so many shadows out there and in here," he said, tapping his forehead. "It's easy to get caught up in my own thoughts too much, and there are only so many distractions one can find in the middle of the night. It helps having another living being in the place. Small and furry though he may be," he added, smiling as he tapped Anubis' nose gently.
The tap on the nose made Anubis blink, then he sneezed and shook his head, giving Regulus a momentarily pained look before purring again and rubbing against Regulus' finger. He would protect Regulus, so Regulus didn't need to worry about anything. Besides, he'd learn that cats were excellent for cuddling soon enough - and cuddles could solve almost any problem in the world.
Chuckling, Regulus leaned over and nuzzled his cheek against Anubis'. "At any rate, I find myself quite glad we found each other," he murmured. "It's what I needed, I think, and I didn't know it."
Anubis' expression said "well of course" quite clearly, although he could honestly say that he was glad about it as well. He returned the nuzzling, then rolled over on his back, batting his paws in the air playfully. He liked it when Regulus laughed, and it was very satisfying to know that he could make Regulus happy.
Laughing at Anubis' antics, Regulus conjured a piece of string and dangled it enticingly. If it was playtime, he was happy to oblige.
The string appealed to Anubis' hunting instincts, and he gave a chirp as he flailed wildly, trying to capture it with his claws. He managed to snag it, carrying it to his mouth so that he could bite down on it, giving a victorious snarl as he pulled at it, trying to loosen it from Regulus' grasp.
"Such a fierce ball of fluff you are!" Regulus laughed as he tightened his grip on the string, tugging it to give Anubis a challenge. "Perhaps you would have fared better against that dog than I thought. He wouldn't have stood a chance against your delicate little paws."
Determined not to lose the struggle, Anubis held on, paws batting at the air as he wrestled Regulus for the string. It was fun to play like this, to be carefree while at the same time knowing that he was helping someone else. His tail twitched in the air, and he hissed softly, although it was all in fun.
Regulus continued the tug of war for a while longer, enjoying the game as much as Anubis seemed to be; it was a pleasant distraction, one that let him forget the rest of the world and focus on the here and now. At last, he relented and released the string, watching as Anubis got tangled up in its length.
"MROW!" Anubis looked distinctly offended as he found himself suddenly wound up in his toy, and he rolled over, managing to struggle into a sitting position. He looked at Regulus imploringly.
"Poor thing!" Regulus chuckled as he sat up and scooped up the affronted cat, untangling the string from around the wee paws swiftly. "There we go," he crooned, cradling Anubis against his chest. "That's better."
It was indeed better, and Anubis purred loudly as he snuggled into Regulus' arms contentedly. He butted his head against Regulus' fingers insistently; as nice as the snuggling was, the addition of petting would make it even better.
Regulus took the hint and began stroking Anubis gently, scratching behind his ears and beneath his chin. He realized he was smiling as he did so, and he felt at peace for the first time in longer than he could remember. For once, his mind wasn't racing, and he could sit and be still... could simply be. All thanks to this haughty, demanding ball of fluff. His cat. His companion. He was indeed owned by a cat, and he didn't mind a bit.