YES. This. He's used to seeing to the running of the household, heavens know Ryan and Brendon can't be trusted to do it. He's always been the suspicious sort, it comes from having to look after two people who have their heads in the clouds a good part of any given day. There's just something slightly off about that Jon Walker, but Spencer can't quite pin down what bothers him so much.
Jon wanders out to the stables when his usual chores are finished, and one day comes across a stray cat, obviously in the kittenly way during a rainstorm! Jon's not sure what might happen if he brings it to the house, so he hides her away in an empty stall in the stables! He sneaks her food and old raggedy bits of clothing too far gone for mending and whatnot for a nest!
He befriends the stable boy/man/person, who catches him sneaking such things into the stable, thinking Jon is stealing from the house only to see the pregnant cat, one who looks as though she's had a hard life, what with the scars and little notch in her ear from past battles, but she trusts Jon! (Ahaha, wretched, wretched plotbits!) They conspire to keep her presence (and those of her soon-to-be-born kittens) from Spencer and the rest of the household.
Naturally, Brendon, who loves to spend time with his horse and sometimes chats with the stable boy/man/person, discovers the cat and her kittens hidden at the back of the empty stall! He's instantly charmed, of course, and also sneaks them tasty tidbits and old shirts.
Jon comes in one day with the stable boy/man/person at his heels and comes to a stop - horrified, even though it's Brendon, who's never been anything but kind to him - sitting on the ground with kittens climbing all over him and the battle-scarred mother cat rumbling happily under his hands. Jon thinks, rightly, Brendon will tell - intentionally or a slip of the tongue - Spencer, and then he will be done for as their butler! (He has been stealing, after all, even if it was table scraps and bits of fabric no longer fit to be called clothing.) Brendon smiles, small and shy, because he likes Jon, and also, kittens! He knows, it's obvious, that Jon and the stable boy/man/person have been keeping them secret, and wants to be part of that. (Even though he knows there's no real need for this kind of secret, Spencer's a pushover, and Ryan would be enchanted by the kittens and their soft fur and tiny voices.)
And then the stable boy/man/person pushes Jon through the entrance, it's pouring out and looks around Jon's shoulder to see what's been holding him up, and then!
Jon's stammering and expecting to be fired - if not on the spot, then soon - and the stable boy/man/person rolls their eyes because it's Brendon. He can be trusted with this sort of secret, and also, it's no so much a secret from Spencer as it is some bit of lunacy on Jon's part for thinking Spencer would could hold out against Brendon and those big, wide eyes of his.
You know where my mind went? Jon sneaking into the stables and Spencer thinking Jon is having... relations with the stable boy (outside the bonds of marriage!) Spencer is disappointed in Jon. And then there would be a scene where Spencer would reprimand Jon for his sneaking around and dealings with the stable hand and Jon would think it has to do with the cats. *g*
Ahaha. Again, YES. Spencer disapproves because he knows their cook-ish person (Ray?) has had his eye on the stable boy/man/person (I choose to elect Bob, for this honor) for the longest time, and Jon trying to steal Bob's affection will not do!
Also, ahahaha. I am imagining Gerard as their tutor or somesuch, who is fond of the former sailor/delivery guy Frank. (I seriously can't think of what he'd be delivering, groceries or something, maybe?) He had to give up on his youthful adventuring at sea to help with the family business, and, oh, look, Gerard's hovering in the doorway watching, fidgeting and fussing with the hem of his sleeve. He blushes when Frank smiles at him, utterly fascinated by the tattoos he can see peeking out from the sleeves of Frank's shirt and the collar of his shirt! And there is blushing and whatnot going on as well!)
Oh! And Gerard having coffee, or tea, with Ray in the kitchen when Frank stops by on his way back from another delivery. It's raining out, storming, really, and he was hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could wait inside with them until it passed?
Gerard, of course, is unable to offer conversation (he never knows what to say to Frank anyway, and Ray seems to have things well in hand) but as the minutes turn into hours Frank manages to draw him into the conversation by talking about all these different lands and countries he's visited. (Gerard's always wanted to see them, but he's never had the chance, and oh, Frank's actually been to these places! He can't help but want to know more about them!)
And then somewhere in there Bob - and Jon - come into the kitchen, soaking wet from seeing to the horses and other animals and Ray gets them something hot to drink and they chat and share stories and Gerard sneezes when Bob sits too close. (There may have been playing with kittens going on as well.)
Gerard doesn't make the connection at first because he knows there aren't any house cats, but after a few minuted of miserable sniffling and sneezing he turns to make a joke about being allergic to Bob, and spots a little dusting of cat hair on his shirt!
And then stuff! (Obviously, there will be a problem finding good homes for the kittens when they're old enough. Gerard suggests they give one to Mikey. Mikey wanted a cat, but couldn't get one when they were growing up due to Gerard's allergies. I would like to think Mikey's, I don't know, an accountant or something, minding the family funds for Spencer and company, maybe?)
Jon wanders out to the stables when his usual chores are finished, and one day comes across a stray cat, obviously in the kittenly way during a rainstorm! Jon's not sure what might happen if he brings it to the house, so he hides her away in an empty stall in the stables! He sneaks her food and old raggedy bits of clothing too far gone for mending and whatnot for a nest!
He befriends the stable boy/man/person, who catches him sneaking such things into the stable, thinking Jon is stealing from the house only to see the pregnant cat, one who looks as though she's had a hard life, what with the scars and little notch in her ear from past battles, but she trusts Jon! (Ahaha, wretched, wretched plotbits!) They conspire to keep her presence (and those of her soon-to-be-born kittens) from Spencer and the rest of the household.
Naturally, Brendon, who loves to spend time with his horse and sometimes chats with the stable boy/man/person, discovers the cat and her kittens hidden at the back of the empty stall! He's instantly charmed, of course, and also sneaks them tasty tidbits and old shirts.
Jon comes in one day with the stable boy/man/person at his heels and comes to a stop - horrified, even though it's Brendon, who's never been anything but kind to him - sitting on the ground with kittens climbing all over him and the battle-scarred mother cat rumbling happily under his hands. Jon thinks, rightly, Brendon will tell - intentionally or a slip of the tongue - Spencer, and then he will be done for as their butler! (He has been stealing, after all, even if it was table scraps and bits of fabric no longer fit to be called clothing.) Brendon smiles, small and shy, because he likes Jon, and also, kittens! He knows, it's obvious, that Jon and the stable boy/man/person have been keeping them secret, and wants to be part of that. (Even though he knows there's no real need for this kind of secret, Spencer's a pushover, and Ryan would be enchanted by the kittens and their soft fur and tiny voices.)
And then the stable boy/man/person pushes Jon through the entrance, it's pouring out and looks around Jon's shoulder to see what's been holding him up, and then!
Jon's stammering and expecting to be fired - if not on the spot, then soon - and the stable boy/man/person rolls their eyes because it's Brendon. He can be trusted with this sort of secret, and also, it's no so much a secret from Spencer as it is some bit of lunacy on Jon's part for thinking Spencer would could hold out against Brendon and those big, wide eyes of his.
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Also, ahahaha. I am imagining Gerard as their tutor or somesuch, who is fond of the former sailor/delivery guy Frank. (I seriously can't think of what he'd be delivering, groceries or something, maybe?) He had to give up on his youthful adventuring at sea to help with the family business, and, oh, look, Gerard's hovering in the doorway watching, fidgeting and fussing with the hem of his sleeve. He blushes when Frank smiles at him, utterly fascinated by the tattoos he can see peeking out from the sleeves of Frank's shirt and the collar of his shirt! And there is blushing and whatnot going on as well!)
Oh! And Gerard having coffee, or tea, with Ray in the kitchen when Frank stops by on his way back from another delivery. It's raining out, storming, really, and he was hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could wait inside with them until it passed?
Gerard, of course, is unable to offer conversation (he never knows what to say to Frank anyway, and Ray seems to have things well in hand) but as the minutes turn into hours Frank manages to draw him into the conversation by talking about all these different lands and countries he's visited. (Gerard's always wanted to see them, but he's never had the chance, and oh, Frank's actually been to these places! He can't help but want to know more about them!)
And then somewhere in there Bob - and Jon - come into the kitchen, soaking wet from seeing to the horses and other animals and Ray gets them something hot to drink and they chat and share stories and Gerard sneezes when Bob sits too close. (There may have been playing with kittens going on as well.)
Gerard doesn't make the connection at first because he knows there aren't any house cats, but after a few minuted of miserable sniffling and sneezing he turns to make a joke about being allergic to Bob, and spots a little dusting of cat hair on his shirt!
And then stuff! (Obviously, there will be a problem finding good homes for the kittens when they're old enough. Gerard suggests they give one to Mikey. Mikey wanted a cat, but couldn't get one when they were growing up due to Gerard's allergies. I would like to think Mikey's, I don't know, an accountant or something, minding the family funds for Spencer and company, maybe?)
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