Jesse McCree (notquitenoon) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-12-22 12:07:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, villians: sydney clarke, ₴ inactive: jesse mccree |
Syd ended up with a friend out of it. It wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last, but when they’d needed fosters to free up the open space at the shelter, there was no hesitation in Syd’s pointed “That one.” and just as easy to talk her boyfriend into helping take care of said fluff-ball over the holidays, until a good home was found.
But maybe they should have tucked the fake cactus-shaped christmas tree in another room and out of kitten sights. The rest of the apartment had been kitten-proofed, much like you would for a baby, and the only real obstacle was the gently whining dog clinging to her from the couch as he worried about the tiny demon kitten coming to destroy his life.
She smoothed a hand over Dol’s flank as the kitten explored the floor around her feet, all fluff and energy. “It’s okay, pal. She’s not going to eat your face off, promise.” She leaned back against him to give Jesse a better look, soft grin plastered on her face. “She might climb the cactus, though. Maybe something that looks like a cat scratcher was a bad idea.”
The cactus had been a joke at first, but Jesse was a little fond of it now. It was a cheesy reminder of home and something less cookie-cutter than the standard fir. But he’d have traded it in an instant if he’d known there was going to be a tiny kitten running around the apartment for Christmas. He was gonna have to start paying for readings from Adam at the market, maybe, because a little warning wouldn’t’ve been so bad.
“You don’t actually know she won’t eat his face off,” Jesse teased. He was crouched next to the tree, trying to at least get some of the ornaments off the lowest arms and move them up higher. It probably wouldn’t change a damn thing but it was worth a shot. Light bounced off one of the bulbs and the kitten dove across the floor after the reflection. “But I guess you’re probably right about the cactus. I’d suggest putin’ it up somewhere high, but I feel like that’s just darin’ her to learn how to climb faster.”
Syd had her phone out and was snapping pictures before the kitten even finished her dive. She’d already promised Blue a wealth of pictures and was planning on making good on that promise before the day was even out. Dol whined in response, as if he knew he was being out-cuted, and he pressed a little firmer against her side. “You’re right, she might actually destroy his face. Especially if he keeps being a big baby,” she ended the tease with a gentle kiss to the top of his large head, as if to soften the blow.
“She has to learn sometime?” Syd pointed out, unhelpfully. Maybe they’d get lucky, or they’d end up having to stuff the thing in a closet - which would make her sad, since this season wasn’t exactly her favorite, and Jesse made it remarkably less miserable. Celebrating that in their own weird way had been fun so far.
But then so was a kitten. “Maybe if she’s a hellion, I’ll come up with something meaner than “Skelly” to call her. Like Bryleigh. With a g-h.”
“She don’t have to learn on our watch.” Jesse knew damn well they were probably keeping this cat, but he liked teasing Sydney anyway. He had a mental bet with himself on how long it would take her to admit she was a foster fail before she ever even got the kitten inside the apartment. Sitting up straight, he tapped another ornament to watch the kitten skitter across the floor after a square of light.
“What’s a Bryleigh anyway?” He felt like he’d missed a step. But growing up in New Mexico and generally not paying attention to books and whatnot made him feel that way plenty enough that it didn’t faze him at all. Dol lumbered over to him and Jesse wrapped his big square head up in a comforting hug. “And why is it scarier than a skeleton?”
Syd made an affirmative hum in return, totally agreeing and knowing that there was a likelihood he’d get just as attached. She already was, but Sydney was practical at heart and if a better, more potentially stable household came along, she’d pass over the kitten with minimal pouting. Probably. Maybe. It was times like this she could have cursed Victor for making her give up every animal she’d ever helped except Dol, but he hadn’t been wrong that they would have ended up with a zoo if he didn’t.
“It’s the name for a snotty middle schooler that has a mom who sells essential oils from a pyramid scheme and brags about her kid being on honor roll and insists she gets the lead in every school holiday program.” It was hard to wince when she was amused by the fluffball skittering across the floor, following a little flash of light all the way to her feet, but she did. “That was oddly specific, wasn’t it?”
“Oh.” Jesse snorted a laugh and Dol huffed against his cheek like he was copying the action. Jesse patted him on the head and climbed to his feet to sit on the sofa near the playing kitten. “Feel like a bit of a dumbass not figurin’ that out on my own,” he admitted. “That is certainly scary as all hell.”
He knew Syd, like himself, had skipped out on a lot of the standard school business when her life blew up, so he didn’t usually bring it up. He side-stepped around it now, rather than ask if the details were so specific because she’d suffered that exact brat herself before everything changed. He picked up a cat toy on a stick instead and leaned over to drag it around in front of her, making the kitten jump at Syd to try and catch it.
“Why do you want to give her a scary name?” he smirked. “Is it cause she’s practically a Christmas kitten?”
“Oof-” Syd ended up with a lap full of leaping kitten, and the little thing was torn between receiving cuddles and playing with the string, so she haphazardly followed it to the end of Syd’s legs before running right back up again, wobbly and fierce. She ended her reign of terror by headbutting into Syd’s chest and landing there for her cuddles, to be received by cuddling arms.
Syd leaned her head back, bumping it into Jesse’s knee. “I mostly just like to think I’m funny when I give them all names at the shelter. This one was almost Nekomancer but it was too long and no one really appreciated my pun anyway. So, Skelly. Maybe Cannonball is more appropriate with this one”
Jesse laughed and scratched his fingers down over Syd’s scalp, watching the kitten in her arms. They had plenty of domestic moments between them in the last year, but this felt especially heavy with it and he was only a little surprised how it didn’t bother him any. He’d always been soft for family, after all. Running from home as a kid had only been in the hopes that his parents cared enough to come after him. When that proved untrue, he found himself new family. And he was damn pleased to have Syd at the center of that now.
“I vote Skelly personally, but it ain’t like I got any pet experience that ain’t Dol,” he smirked. Dol whined from his spot over by the cactus. “Good experience as that is,” he assured the giant dog. “Anyway, you should probably settle on one or the other since we both know that cat ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
Syd snorted. “Victor named Dol, so--” She looked up at the whine, and made a little kissy noise in the air, which drew Dol into a scoot as he moved across the floor closer to her, warily eyeing the tiny demon in her arms. “I still love you most, stop being a big baby and c’mere.”
The dog resisted, stopping halfway and laying his head down on the floor, which drew a laugh from Sydney. “He’s just as dramatic, too.” She looked up at Jesse, neck straining backwards. “I didn’t want to just, you know, assume. This one would be more of a joint call, with the whole living together and in a serious, committed and adult relationship.” Syd smiled up at him. “Like the adults we totes are.”
“Oh hell, are we all mature now?” Jesse grinned. The kitten seemed keen on getting close to the giant dog face nearby. She’d carefully slinked out of Sydney’s lap and was now creeping one tiny step at a time towards Dol. The dog was watching her out of the side of his eye like she was a snake.
“The only thing that ever worries me about taking on a new pet is being sure we got some plan if we disappear. But then I don’t really like thinkin’ about that either,” he shrugged. “Otherwise, I’m happy to add the cute little furball to the house. I...it’s nice, havin’ a place together we can put a cat in, you know. And a cactus tree,” he added, nodding towards it with a smirk.
“I didn’t say mature,” Syd objected with a laugh and shook her head. “But then we’ve both got jobs and our own place and I’m going to college so if that’s not mature, I’m not sure what is. Gross.” It wasn’t gross but it was an unusual place for herself to settle, after so many years on the run.
The fact that she was able to settle in with that, with someone who had consistently had her back as she’d had his, was-- something that made her voice get caught in her throat. “Yeah.” She sounded a little raw in her response, but it was better than sounding completely choked up. “It’s-- good.” Okay, now she’d have to dive forward to end up in between a large dog and a tiny kitten who wanted nothing more than to tug on the dog’s ears. Syd landed on the floor just at the same time as Skelly reached him, and Dol scrambled up, fearing for his life.
A loud thunk on the ground, dog claws scrambling for purchase and making sliding noises, and Dol ending up on the chair - a flurry of movement that happened over just a few seconds, and the kitten just kept on, rather than running to hide, and that left Syd laughing with her head on the floor. “We’ve got a badass up in here, I guess.”
“Syd…” The twinge in Sydney’s voice pulled Jesse’s attention more fully to her, despite the animal shenanigans happening at their feet. He started to say something, but everything went a little bit sideways and Syd was on the ground before he could shape the emotions in his heart into any kind of words. He laughed and slid down to sit on the floor, leaning against the couch.
“Sure does seem that way. Hopefully he doesn’t accidentally sit on her and make her second guess that.” Dol cowered on the chair and Jesse leaned forward to toss a throw pillow from the couch at him. “Hide behind this, ya big goof. Should be thick enough to keep you safe.” He dropped his hand to Sydney’s back and stroked up to the base of her neck. “I reckon the real test is if we can keep them happy and sharin’ a space - kinda like we’ve kept each other happy and sharin’ a space.”
She’d heard that tone, and it didn’t make her wince. Her own hiding from it made her wince, but that was the emotional constipation she’d developed around her entire being doing the talking. They’d both had it shit growing up, but now they had each other and it was hard to quantify that into words for Sydney.
She did sit up with his touch, though, and just happened to lean into him. Sharing a space with Jesse McCree had always come easily to her, and it was hard to believe it had been more than a year at this point they’d been doing that. The better part of it at Vallo had been peacefully coexisting here, in this shared space, co-parenting an undead dog and fending off copious amounts of trauma or magical fuckery.
Shit. It was great. She sighed against his shoulder and gave into the sap, just a little. “Hey, I’m glad I have you. Always, but especially this time of the year.”
Jesse kissed the side of her head and smiled into her hair. All he’d ever wanted as a kid was someone to be glad he was around. To notice if he wasn’t.
“Me too, darlin’. I know we don’t tend to talk about this sort of thing, but….well, you’re my family, y’know? And I’m real damned grateful for it. Never have been sure I’d get to keep one of those for very long. Not one that wanted to stick anyway.”
The kitten seemed to be curious about the cuddling going on and abandoned her dog hunt to rub herself along Jesse’s socked foot. He picked her up and held her close to their faces. She meowed and he meowed in response. “If the dog and the cat get along, I think that means we should think about a horse next. It’s a big apartment,” he deadpanned. “We can make it work.”
Syd snuggled a little closer, finding just the perfect angle and crook to nestle herself into. She reached up to pet Skelly when the kitten was brought closer, and laughed at the fools meowing at each other. Love was an emotion that Syd didn’t exactly radiate, but it made her warm and happy and almost feeling a little drunk on it right now.
“Pretty damn happy with this family. Kind of never expected myself to end up in this but who knew some weird alternate universes could offer a break?” But just as easily, one of them could end up home with only a slim chance they’d ever meet up again. That part was one to shove aside for now so she could laugh. “If you’re lucky, Blue’s been guilting Ronan into adding horses at the Barns. It’s not the apartment but the job has it’s perks?”
She leaned in and kissed the side of his chin, “Yeehaw.”
His head fell back against the sofa as he laughed. He’d only been joking, of course, but it was nice to think about the potential. And to have her support. “Yeehaw,” he echoed back at her, smirking softly.
“Speakin’ a horses...” Jesse handed over the wriggling kitten. He looked at Dol, who huffed loudly as if insulted, and then he rolled to his knees to stand. “I’m gonna take ours for a walk. Find us somethin’ cheesy to watch while I’m gone and I’ll pay you back with a backrub.” Waggling his eyebrows, he turned towards the closet closest to the door, where Dol’s harness and leash were stored.“Come on, then, pup. I’ll give ya a break from that terrifying beast.”