Wizard's World - Strays : If You Love Me.
Title: If You Love Me
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 723
This was supposed to be ‘Kittens on a Farm’. It has to do with felines, familiar felines, so of course it went where it wanted.
Continues at If You Love Me Redux
The meal was going to be perfection, Charm thought, as he looked over the candle lit palest of green tablecloth at crystal and the gleaming of dainty floral patterned china. Please let it be perfection.
The delicate chimes of Westminster sounded from the Anniversary Clock on the mantel in its glass dome, the four golden balls within swinging around and back. Darrell was late. Maybe he didn’t want to come to dinner after all. Maybe he was lost in traffic because Charm’s directions weren’t clear. Maybe he’d been in an accident and clinging to life in a hospital without anyone to tell them who he was.
He would not fur out. He could handle this in his human form … maybe. Already there was the prickling of fluffing under his skin, he could feel it. He WOULD stay in his human form.
Muffled thuds came from the front door and dulcet tones from the doorbell still echoed in the front entry as Charm threw open the door in welcome and froze. Darrell stood on the doorstep holding a large cloth cover squirming basket from which a small whiskered face pushed out from under and then another and another.
“Sorry,” Darrell mumbled reddening, “My brother had to stay late at work. I’ve got the kids.”
Only then did Charm notice how bedraggled Darrell’s clothing was, like he’d been wrestling with a mountain lion for there were scratches that looked fresh and puffy pink on his hands.
“You stop that,” hissed Charm at the basket, “act as if you know how to behave correctly in someone else’s home,” before reaching out and pulling Darrell into the house. “Your brother’s kittens?” he asked in confusion.
“Daren finds strays and ‘domesticates’ them until he can find good matches for them. These are a little younger and more than he’s usually had in the past.” The basket had settled into three tense little shapes, the eyes on familiar kitten faces huge in worry.
“You watch them when your brother is at work?” Charm eyed the small faces sternly. “I thought you were still in University. When do you study and go to classes?”
“I do, there’s a crèche at the University when I’m in classes. Look maybe I should go,” Darrell shame faced and disappointed said.
“No you don’t, you aren’t getting away so easily.” Peering down at the kittens, “Nursery school, hmm. What are you learning while you’re at school,” was asked of the kittens, Charm’s claws still hooked in Darrell’s sleeve as he drew him and the kittens further into his home.
“I know how to wash behind my own ears,” squeaked one.
“I’m really good at covering my … use the litter box. Climbed into it all by myself yesterday,” said another.
“ABCs,” the third added. “Want to hear us sing it?” was asked hopefully.
“After dinner. Yes, I would.” He looked up at Darrell, “I’ve some boiled chicken that might do for them. The Chicken Marsala isn’t appropriate for kittens, there’s wine in it. I’ll put place mats down and they can eat on the table.” Looking at the kittens, “there’ll be no playing with your food and the peas stay on the plate before you eat them. I know they roll like balls but I DON’T want them on the floor.”
At Darrell, “put the basket down and let them come out and explore while I get the table kitten ready and serve up the food.” Charm sighed, “I wanted this to be a romantic dinner for two,” he smiled, “but a family of 5 works too.”
“I love you,” Darrell smiled forgetting he was still holding the basket as he stepped into Charm to kiss him. The little mews from the basket had him jerk back slightly.
Taking the basket from him and placing it on the floor where the little bodies struggled to get over the sides, Charm claimed that kiss. “It’s okay, Cable has the Disney Channel. I’m sure that we can find something that will amuse them after they’ve explored and eaten and they shouldn’t be too far from sleep after that. We’ll make do.” He smiled. “Just wait a moment while I put the phone book down to act as a step into the litter box for little legs.” He pecked a kiss, “And I love you too.”
Author: charisstoma
Word count: 723
This was supposed to be ‘Kittens on a Farm’. It has to do with felines, familiar felines, so of course it went where it wanted.
Continues at If You Love Me Redux
The meal was going to be perfection, Charm thought, as he looked over the candle lit palest of green tablecloth at crystal and the gleaming of dainty floral patterned china. Please let it be perfection.
The delicate chimes of Westminster sounded from the Anniversary Clock on the mantel in its glass dome, the four golden balls within swinging around and back. Darrell was late. Maybe he didn’t want to come to dinner after all. Maybe he was lost in traffic because Charm’s directions weren’t clear. Maybe he’d been in an accident and clinging to life in a hospital without anyone to tell them who he was.
He would not fur out. He could handle this in his human form … maybe. Already there was the prickling of fluffing under his skin, he could feel it. He WOULD stay in his human form.
Muffled thuds came from the front door and dulcet tones from the doorbell still echoed in the front entry as Charm threw open the door in welcome and froze. Darrell stood on the doorstep holding a large cloth cover squirming basket from which a small whiskered face pushed out from under and then another and another.
“Sorry,” Darrell mumbled reddening, “My brother had to stay late at work. I’ve got the kids.”
Only then did Charm notice how bedraggled Darrell’s clothing was, like he’d been wrestling with a mountain lion for there were scratches that looked fresh and puffy pink on his hands.
“You stop that,” hissed Charm at the basket, “act as if you know how to behave correctly in someone else’s home,” before reaching out and pulling Darrell into the house. “Your brother’s kittens?” he asked in confusion.
“Daren finds strays and ‘domesticates’ them until he can find good matches for them. These are a little younger and more than he’s usually had in the past.” The basket had settled into three tense little shapes, the eyes on familiar kitten faces huge in worry.
“You watch them when your brother is at work?” Charm eyed the small faces sternly. “I thought you were still in University. When do you study and go to classes?”
“I do, there’s a crèche at the University when I’m in classes. Look maybe I should go,” Darrell shame faced and disappointed said.
“No you don’t, you aren’t getting away so easily.” Peering down at the kittens, “Nursery school, hmm. What are you learning while you’re at school,” was asked of the kittens, Charm’s claws still hooked in Darrell’s sleeve as he drew him and the kittens further into his home.
“I know how to wash behind my own ears,” squeaked one.
“I’m really good at covering my … use the litter box. Climbed into it all by myself yesterday,” said another.
“ABCs,” the third added. “Want to hear us sing it?” was asked hopefully.
“After dinner. Yes, I would.” He looked up at Darrell, “I’ve some boiled chicken that might do for them. The Chicken Marsala isn’t appropriate for kittens, there’s wine in it. I’ll put place mats down and they can eat on the table.” Looking at the kittens, “there’ll be no playing with your food and the peas stay on the plate before you eat them. I know they roll like balls but I DON’T want them on the floor.”
At Darrell, “put the basket down and let them come out and explore while I get the table kitten ready and serve up the food.” Charm sighed, “I wanted this to be a romantic dinner for two,” he smiled, “but a family of 5 works too.”
“I love you,” Darrell smiled forgetting he was still holding the basket as he stepped into Charm to kiss him. The little mews from the basket had him jerk back slightly.
Taking the basket from him and placing it on the floor where the little bodies struggled to get over the sides, Charm claimed that kiss. “It’s okay, Cable has the Disney Channel. I’m sure that we can find something that will amuse them after they’ve explored and eaten and they shouldn’t be too far from sleep after that. We’ll make do.” He smiled. “Just wait a moment while I put the phone book down to act as a step into the litter box for little legs.” He pecked a kiss, “And I love you too.”