“He has never gone away for so long…” Henry muttered, anxiety in his voice and look directed at the window.
Monty failed to comfort his lover with anything but a hug. He was just as worried.
It has been two hours since their cat ‘Enery disappeared. He frequently went out for walks all by himself, but they were short. No matter how many times his owners called him, there was no sight of the tabby.
“I’ll see outside,” Monty said at length and, after a small kiss, parted with Henry. They left the front door open, just in case ‘Enery would have trouble jumping on the window, although both dreaded to think what could cause him this trouble.
Monty was ready to throw a gloomy look at the empty pot, which was ‘Enery’s sleeping spot in their little garden, when he saw some grey cat brazenly basking in the sun there. The cat greeted him with a rather arrogant meow and closed his eyes.
“What are you doing here?! Go away!” Monty exclaimed irritably. This had no effect on the grey cat.
But it did alert Henry, and he hurried to Monty. “What’s- Oh.”
The two lovers stared at the cat who did not care a jot about them. Monty was close to vibrating on the spot with annoyance. How could this stray rogue get in their dear ‘Enery’s pot?! At any other time he would feed the cat with the best sausages, but now it seemed like sacrilege, no less.
Henry absolutely shared this sentiment and stepped forward. He waved his hand. “You can’t stay here, this is ‘Enery’s spot!”
Finally the cat noticed them, reacting with a sound of pure indignation. But he had no intention of leaving his comfortable bed. If anything, he looked like he had every right to stay there and the two men were out of their minds.
“We must remove him, Henry. What if ‘Enery comes back and… Well!”
Having lived with Monty for years, Henry knew by now that “we must” in cases like this one meant that he had to do the job. “Now, old fellow,” he murmured, crouching in front of the pot. The cat did not look pleased, but refused to move even now. “Oh, he has a collar! I think it’s a he, at least.”
“Great, an impudent neighbour’s cat is all we need here!” Monty grumbled and looked around, ready to glare daggers at the trespassers’ owners. But there was no one else nearby.
Thinking that he’d figure out the cat’s sex later, Henry began to carefully pick him up… but stopped, furrowing a brow in confusion. He looked at his palms. Something grey was left on them. “What… Oh dear, is that soot?!”
Monty immediately crouched beside his lover. It was indeed soot. They stared at the cat simultaneously, and the cat stared back at them. With that judging look that both of them knew oh so well. “‘Enery?!” Monty breathed out, as if he had seen a ghost, while Henry stroked the cat’s fur. More soot came off, revealing their own dear tabby, and there was no end to the lovers’ relief.
“How on earth we didn’t recognise him?” Henry laughed, taking ‘Enery in his arms, despite another indignant meow. Monty was ready to hug them both and he wondered the same thing. But they decided not to dwell on it, for it was rather embarrassing.
(Thanks to @aloeverawrites for inspiration!)
