... fuck it I’m posting it. Part 2 of cat AU, inspired by the pic at the end
Matt gets home after another long day, relaxing slightly when he sees Tiny trot towards him. He kneels down to pet him.
“Hey, buddy,” he says. “How was your day? Huh? Did you have a good day?”
“I did, actually,” he hears Anders say from down the hall. Matt looks up to see him leaning against the wall, and, great. He’s been watching him this whole time.
“I meant Tiny. But I’m glad to hear you had a good day, too. Better than mine.”
Anders walks down the short hallway as Matt stands up to hug him. “Oh, love,” he says, kissing the top of his head. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Matt sighs. “Just busy. I have to go to a client meeting out in Amherst tomorrow.”
“Oh, that sucks. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. The good news is I get free lunch out of it.”
Anders laughs. “Free food is always good. Speaking of food, what do you want for dinner?”
The next morning, Matt wakes up early to try to beat the traffic. He’s going against traffic, technically, but he’d rather be early than late. Anders is just waking up when he has to leave, so he kisses his forehead, smiling at the way Anders looks up at him, hair going in every direction. He tries his very best not to lose it at how adorable he is this early in the morning. He’s moderately successful.
“I’ll be home late,” he whispers. “I love you.”
“Love you, too,” Anders mumbles back.
Matt goes down to the garage to his car before he realizes he forgot his coffee. He runs back up to grab it, then heads on his way.
The good thing about driving west in the morning is that the sun isn’t in his eyes, and there aren’t too many cars heading in his direction. Once he gets outside of the Boston city limits it’s pretty much smooth sailing. He makes it to Amherst in no time. Just as he pulls into the parking lot, he gets a call from Anders.
“Hey,” he says as he picks up. “What’s up?”
Anders doesn’t say anything. Matt checks to make sure they weren’t disconnected. “Honey?”
“I can’t find Tiny,” Anders says.
Matt starts to panic. “Oh, no.” He frantically tries to remember if he had seen him that morning. “I gave him breakfast, but I don’t know if I saw him after that. Did you check the garage?” The backyard?”
“Yeah, he’s not there. I don’t know where he could be.”
“Have the neighbors seen him? Maybe he got out.”
“I don’t know. I’ll check with them. I’m calling in sick today to look for him.”
“Okay. Call me if you hear anything, yeah? Actually, text me, I’ll be in my meeting.”
Matt is about to say goodbye when he hears a soft meow. “Oh, is that him?”
“That meow. Did you find him?”
“There was no meow, love.”
Maybe Matt’s losing his mind. But then he hears it again. He feels himself fill up with dread as he turns around.
Tiny is sitting in the backseat, looking absolutely petrified.
“Anders,” Matt says slowly. “You’re never gonna believe this.”
“No way. How did you not notice?!”
“Matt, I was having a fucking heart attack! He was with you the whole time?”
“I don’t even know how he got in the car!” he protests, before remembering he had to go back to grab his coffee. He had left the door open since he was coming right back. “Shit, he must have snuck in when I went back upstairs.”
Tiny meows again, so Matt taps on the console to get him to jump up with him. He scratches his head a few times to try to calm him down. “What am I supposed to do with him? I can’t take him to my meeting.”
Anders sighs. “I already called out. I’ll come out there and pick him up.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“Well, where else are you going to put him?”
“Good point.” Matt checks his clock. “Shit, I don’t think you’re gonna make it in time. My meeting starts in half an hour.”
“Shit. I’m leaving now, but I’ll never make it there by then.” Matt hears the car door shut. “Can you, I dunno, ask your boss or something? Promise he’ll be a good boy?”
“I suppose. Just, try to get here as fast as you can? Safely.”
“Will do. Love you.” Anders hangs up.
Matt sighs, then looks down at Tiny. He looks back up at him, seeming to be slightly more relaxed.
“You wanna come to my meeting?” he asks, scratching his head again. Tiny purrs in response. “Let me ask Charlie first, okay?” He picks up the phone again and calls him.
“Charlie Coyle speaking.”
“Hey Charlie, it’s Matt. I, uh, I have a problem with today’s meeting.”
“Oh, are you lost? I can get you directions.”
“No, no, I’m here, I just - so is my cat.”
“He snuck in the car before I left. I didn’t know he was there until I got all the way out here. Anders is coming to get him but I don’t know what to do with him in the meantime.”
Charlie is quiet for a bit, before he bursts out laughing. “Oh, man,” he says. “You’re gonna be the highlight of the meeting for sure. And I thought it was gonna be that free lunch.”
“Of course. You can’t just leave him in the car.”
“Thank you.” Matt had honestly been expecting that to take more convincing. “Anders made me promise he’ll be a good boy.”
“I believe you. See you in a few.” He hangs up.
“Good news, buddy, you’re coming with me.”
