A/N: This was my first time writing with my boys in a modern AU and I love it! I’d definitely like to have more requests like this!
Thello got along with most animals he met, but there was one notable exception. In his neighborhood, there was a scrawny black cat that didn’t seem to belong to anyone. No one could approach it without getting hissed at, even Thello. So he respected it and kept his distance. Things would have gone on as usual if not for the afternoon when he saw you with it.
He was friendly enough with all his neighbors, so he was somewhat familiar with you. But this was the first time you really caught his attention. In your worn overalls and black baseball cap, you waltzed right up to the cat on the sidewalk and offered it a small piece of food. It was surprising enough that the cat accepted it, but he was shocked to see you kneel down then and run your other hand over its back.
For what had to have been five minutes, Thello stood on his porch with a dumbstruck look on his face as you settled on the warm cement to socialize with the cat. You both looked happy, which he just wasn’t used to. He’d never seen that bright grin on your face before. And he’d certainly never seen the cat act friendly with anyone. When you glanced up toward him, he darted inside and leaned against the door.
Jammer rolled his eyes and walked past, dismissing his little brother’s behavior. Being roommates with him had Jammer quickly becoming accustomed to his oddities, even more so than growing up together.
A week later, he saw you with the cat again. This time, you were walking from your car to the open gate to your backyard with a bag of soil. The whole week had been oddly good for Thello. He hadn’t hit a single red light to or from work each day, he’d found a twenty dollar bill in the pocket of his jeans, and Jammer had returned from a date with Aletaa, giving him an extra order of food they’d accidentally received.
When he saw you, the cat was trotting along a few steps behind. You were bobbing your head to some silent beat, and smiled when you saw him. He gave a nervous little wave and almost tripped over himself. Once he steadied himself and looked back up, you were just disappearing through the gate. And the cat was staring at him. He stared back, trying to see what the cat might want. The pitch black creature blinked at him, tilted its head slightly, then took off to follow you again.
Another weirdly pleasant week later, Jammer opened Thello’s door to let in the same black cat. It made a beeline for him where he sat at his desk, holding a black-eyed susan in its mouth.
“Why is the cat in here?”
“You tell me. It came scratching at the door and wouldn’t leave until I opened it. Then it came running in here. It’s your problem now.”
Jammer closed the door behind him on his way out. Jammer himself had never been very good with animals and this cat was no exception there. Thello turned his attention to the cat. Around its neck was a dark purple collar with a silver tag. There was no name on it, but there was an engraved phone number. When he got close enough, Thello reached out a hand and the cat dropped the flower into it.
“Whose flower is this, bud?”
The cat blinked at him again.
The cat tilted its head and Thello took it as a yes. He turned back to his desk, where he had a small bowl of sliced strawberries. He grabbed one and held it out to the cat. The cat lunged forward to grab the treat, swallowing quickly and letting out a soft little meow in appreciation.
“You like that? I’m glad. Unfortunately, you don’t live here. So while I’m very grateful for the flower, not sure how you got my favorite, I think I’ll have to send you on your way now.”
The cat meowed again and returned to the door. Thello wasn’t sure how the cat seemed quite so attuned to human communication, but the thought quickly drifted to the back of his mind.
The next afternoon, Jammer brought Crash and Flash over for lunch, along with Aletaa and Gen. Jammer, never one to pass up on giving his brother a hard time, mentioned the odd new friendship he’d struck up with the reclusive cat.
“I don’t know what it is. The thing keeps showing up with flowers or looking for treats. It’s never liked anyone in the neighborhood. It avoids everyone but him now.”
“That’s not true, it likes our neighbor just fine.”
Crash looked thoroughly confused.
“No, the one across the street.”
Aletaa and Gen stared at Flash. He glanced between them and tried to defend himself.
“What? She looks like a witch!”
“She dressed like a witch last Halloween, Flash. Other than that, she looks like anyone else.”
Crash, never one to abandon his twin, jumped in as well.
“She grows a bunch of potion ingredients.”
“A garden. She’s growing a garden.”
“She always wears that black hat right?”
“And the cat! That could be her familiar.”
“Yeah! And you got on her good side, so the cat is there to help you or something.”
Aletaa moved to sit on the arm of Jammer’s chair and sighed at the boys.
“Okay, time to call it on today’s conversation for the insane. Lunch is almost ready. Go outside.”
The twins got up and followed Gen outside, helping with the utensils and plate of fruit. Thello gave Aletaa a grateful nod and made his way out the back door. Jammer slung an arm around him on the way.
“I just think it’s strange, Thel. The cat never liked anyone, but it seems pretty happy with you now.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Jammer. I think it’s strange too. I’ve had pretty good luck recently too.”
“Maybe you’ve just got good karma, Thel.” Aletaa ruffled his hair as she walked past his chair to grab the napkins. “You’re pretty much sunshine incarnate.”
As stupid as it was, Crash and Flash got to him a bit. Maybe he had actually done something to earn a sort of surly animal guardian. Or Aletaa was right and he just had good karma. Either way, Thello pushed it out of his mind. Until two weeks later, when the cat showed up again.
“Hey, kitty. What’s going on today?”
The cat pawed at his shoes, then jerked its head toward your house.
The gesture was repeated, and Thello figured he had nothing else to do with his afternoon. He may as well see what the cat wanted at your house.
He gingerly picked up the cat, then made his way across the street and up your walkway, lined on both sides with black-eyed susans. Your door was open just enough for the cat to fit through. Thello waited on the porch while the cat went in and came back out a moment later with you in tow.
“Binx, sweetie, what do you-”
You looked up and stopped when you saw Thello. He felt awkward standing on your porch in his worn red flannel and jeans, with no idea of what to say.
“Y/N. Your um… your cat…”
You gave Binx a disapproving look once Thello nodded. Then you leaned down to eye level with the cat.
“Binx. You know better. What did you bring him here for?”
Binx meowed loudly. You nodded, then stood back up.
“I’m really sorry about that. Binx sort of runs things on his own. I’ve never had much control over what he does. I hope he wasn’t bothering you or anything.”
“No, it’s alright. He’s a sweetheart once he decides he likes you. He’s been stopping by my place most days for the last month.”
“Yeah. That sounds like him.”
Thello knew it was as good a time as any to turn around and go back home, but he didn’t really want to. Now that he was actually talking to you, he wanted to keep it up. You seemed to understand, so you moved back through your doorway.
“If you aren’t doing anything, I was just working on making cookies.”
Thello accepted the invitation and followed you to the kitchen. You had a simple home, with soft blue walls and photos of yourself with who he assumed were your siblings and parents. You looked happy in each one, dressed as usual in jeans or overalls and the same old black baseball cap.
“What are you making them for?”
“The neighborhood. When I was a kid, my dad loved making treats for our neighbors. Said it let him feel like the whole town was his family in some small way. I picked up the habit, and this is the first time I’ve had the chance to do it here.”
“That’s sweet. What kind are you making?”
“Homemade Oreos. My mom’s favorite.”
Thello spent the rest of the afternoon in your kitchen. Once he’d washed his hands, you put him to work pairing up cookies while you pulled more from the oven and made the frosting. After every pair was frosted and put in the fridge to set up, you settled on your counter with Binx at your feet. Thello leaned back against the opposite counter and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt while you talked.
“Thank you so much for your help, Thello. The cookies would have taken me hours to finish by myself.”
“You should probably thank Binx. I wouldn’t have been here to help out otherwise. You’ve got a very intuitive cat.”
“I wouldn’t praise him too highly. He’s got a big enough head as it is.”
Thello chuckled and smiled brightly as Binx pawed at your foot and meowed in response.
“I think he disagrees with you.”
You sent Thello home that evening with a plate of cookies and the offer of company next time you were baking. When he told Jammer and Aletaa about it after, they shared a knowing look. He didn’t notice, or didn’t mention it. He went to bed shortly after, allowing Aletaa to talk about it with Jammer.
She whisper shouted, careful not to be heard by Thello.
“Obviously; how long do you think it’ll take him to realize it?”
“Well, it is Thello we’re talking about. It would probably take a blinking neon sign or a slap in the face. Maybe that cat can spell it out for him in flowers or something.”
“With the weird stuff he already does, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened.”
“Well, either way, I think they’d be cute together.”
Jammer nodded in agreement as he walked Aletaa to her car.
“Maybe we should invite her over for lunch next week. I bet he’d love that.”
“If we do, you can’t warn him. If he got to see me run into a door when you kissed me on the cheek once, I get to see him trip down the stairs when he sees her in our living room. I deserve it.”
Aletaa laughed at her boyfriend. Jammer hated being embarrassed and while Thello didn’t tease him about incidents like that, he still wanted to get even. His intentions were genuine, though. You and Thello would make a pretty good couple. Binx obviously thought so too.
