Fic: All Legs And Ears - Sequel to ‘Happiness Is A Cute Kitten’
Title: All Legs And Ears - Sequel to ‘ Happiness Is A Cute Kitten’
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Owen, Tosh, Gwen.
Rating: G
Word Count: 822
Summary: Torchwood’s kittens are growing fast, well on their way to becoming cats.
Spoilers: None.
Written For: 3am_moonlight’s prompt ‘Any, any, gangly kittens’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Coming out of the Hub’s kitchen area with the latest round of coffee for his hardworking colleagues, because for once, miraculously, most of them were actually getting on with their paperwork without being nagged, Ianto paused. Jack was staring into the purpose-built kitten run, watching the team’s five kittens, but instead of grinning or laughing at their antics, he was frowning.
“What’s up?”
“Huh?” Jack blinked his way out of his reverie, turning to look at his lover.
“You were staring at the Fearsome Five like you were worried. Is there something wrong with them?”
“Oh, no, they’re fine, it’s just…” Jack sighed. “They’re not tiny bundles of fluff anymore.”
“And you’re what, disappointed?” Ianto chuckled. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but kittens don’t stay kittens forever; they grow into cats. It happens to all of them. Of course, by then they’ve already dug their claws so deep into our hearts that nothing really changes. They remain our relatively benevolent furry overlords, and we remain their willing and adoring slaves.”
That drew a grin from Jack. “They have got us all well trained, haven’t they?”
“It’s what they do. Cats are notorious for it.”
“Ours aren’t really cats though, are they? Not yet anyway.”
“Not sure I’m quite following you,” Ianto admitted. “If they’re not cats, what do you think they are, some sort of shapeshifter?” This being Torchwood, it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
“No, ‘course not. I just meant they’re sort of in-between, halfway there, not quite kittens anymore, but not fully grown cats either.”
“Ah.” Ianto studied the kittens, noting the changes taking place. “They’re at the gawky, adolescent stage, all legs and ears. Still got some growing and filling out to do.”
Where the kittens had once rolled and tumbled with youthful enthusiasm, they now seemed confounded by their own legs half the time, one minute stalking each other stealthily with an approximation of catlike grace, and the next tripping over their own paws and blundering into things as they tried to gain control over their longer limbs.
“I miss them being all fluffy and helpless. They don’t need us as much as they used to,” Jack complained.
“Of course they do! Who else is going to feed them, pet them, play with them, and groom them? Just because they’re starting to become more independent doesn’t mean they don’t still need to be looked after. They might be growing up, but they still have no idea how to take care of themselves. They’d starve without us.”
Setting his tray down, Ianto went over to the kitten enclosure, tapping his fingers against the mesh door. Immediately, five kittens abandoned their romping and swarmed towards him, miaowing. The rest of the team stopped what they were doing, drawn by the commotion. Ianto grinned; it never failed.
“Okay, everyone, twenty-minute coffee and kitten break! Come and get ‘em!” he announced, unlatching the door to the enclosure. The kittens bounded out, looking around for treats, or possibly mischief to get into. Like all adolescents, they had a knack for getting themselves into trouble.
Owen snagged Minion before the leggy ginger kitten could dive into the Rift pool; for some reason he was irresistibly drawn to water, even though he hated getting wet.
Long tail waving in the air, Tiptoes sashayed across the concrete, elegance personified, then spoiled everything by sneezing and nearly falling over. Tosh stifled a giggle.
Hobnob raced straight for Jack and scrambled up him like he was a tree to rub her head affectionately against his cheek, while Frodo ignored Gwen and climbed onto the sofa instead, sticking his paw hopefully down behind the cushions, because Rhys always hid treats and toys down there at home; apparently the kitten saw no reason why the same shouldn’t apply at the Hub.
Kitty Galore simply sat down and casually scratched her ear, waiting for Ianto to fetch her.
“You’re too lazy by half, young lady,” Ianto accused, scooping her up one-handed and draping her over his shoulder. “And you’re getting too big to carry around like this. You’d better not pull any threads while you’re up there; this suit wasn’t cheap. Not that you know anything about money.” He took his coffee mug from the tray and settled into a chair, digging a morsel from the bag of treats in his pocket and offering it to her ladyship. The rest of the team soon joined him, kittens on laps, and coffee mugs in hands. The sound of contented purring soon filled the air.
Gawky the kittens might be, but they were growing fast; it wouldn’t be much longer before all traces of kittenhood were gone, and then perhaps it might be safe to allow the cats more freedom around the Hub. But for the time being, it was safer to keep them penned in when everyone was too busy to properly supervise them. They still had a lot to learn.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Owen, Tosh, Gwen.
Rating: G
Word Count: 822
Summary: Torchwood’s kittens are growing fast, well on their way to becoming cats.
Spoilers: None.
Written For: 3am_moonlight’s prompt ‘Any, any, gangly kittens’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Coming out of the Hub’s kitchen area with the latest round of coffee for his hardworking colleagues, because for once, miraculously, most of them were actually getting on with their paperwork without being nagged, Ianto paused. Jack was staring into the purpose-built kitten run, watching the team’s five kittens, but instead of grinning or laughing at their antics, he was frowning.
“What’s up?”
“Huh?” Jack blinked his way out of his reverie, turning to look at his lover.
“You were staring at the Fearsome Five like you were worried. Is there something wrong with them?”
“Oh, no, they’re fine, it’s just…” Jack sighed. “They’re not tiny bundles of fluff anymore.”
“And you’re what, disappointed?” Ianto chuckled. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but kittens don’t stay kittens forever; they grow into cats. It happens to all of them. Of course, by then they’ve already dug their claws so deep into our hearts that nothing really changes. They remain our relatively benevolent furry overlords, and we remain their willing and adoring slaves.”
That drew a grin from Jack. “They have got us all well trained, haven’t they?”
“It’s what they do. Cats are notorious for it.”
“Ours aren’t really cats though, are they? Not yet anyway.”
“Not sure I’m quite following you,” Ianto admitted. “If they’re not cats, what do you think they are, some sort of shapeshifter?” This being Torchwood, it wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
“No, ‘course not. I just meant they’re sort of in-between, halfway there, not quite kittens anymore, but not fully grown cats either.”
“Ah.” Ianto studied the kittens, noting the changes taking place. “They’re at the gawky, adolescent stage, all legs and ears. Still got some growing and filling out to do.”
Where the kittens had once rolled and tumbled with youthful enthusiasm, they now seemed confounded by their own legs half the time, one minute stalking each other stealthily with an approximation of catlike grace, and the next tripping over their own paws and blundering into things as they tried to gain control over their longer limbs.
“I miss them being all fluffy and helpless. They don’t need us as much as they used to,” Jack complained.
“Of course they do! Who else is going to feed them, pet them, play with them, and groom them? Just because they’re starting to become more independent doesn’t mean they don’t still need to be looked after. They might be growing up, but they still have no idea how to take care of themselves. They’d starve without us.”
Setting his tray down, Ianto went over to the kitten enclosure, tapping his fingers against the mesh door. Immediately, five kittens abandoned their romping and swarmed towards him, miaowing. The rest of the team stopped what they were doing, drawn by the commotion. Ianto grinned; it never failed.
“Okay, everyone, twenty-minute coffee and kitten break! Come and get ‘em!” he announced, unlatching the door to the enclosure. The kittens bounded out, looking around for treats, or possibly mischief to get into. Like all adolescents, they had a knack for getting themselves into trouble.
Owen snagged Minion before the leggy ginger kitten could dive into the Rift pool; for some reason he was irresistibly drawn to water, even though he hated getting wet.
Long tail waving in the air, Tiptoes sashayed across the concrete, elegance personified, then spoiled everything by sneezing and nearly falling over. Tosh stifled a giggle.
Hobnob raced straight for Jack and scrambled up him like he was a tree to rub her head affectionately against his cheek, while Frodo ignored Gwen and climbed onto the sofa instead, sticking his paw hopefully down behind the cushions, because Rhys always hid treats and toys down there at home; apparently the kitten saw no reason why the same shouldn’t apply at the Hub.
Kitty Galore simply sat down and casually scratched her ear, waiting for Ianto to fetch her.
“You’re too lazy by half, young lady,” Ianto accused, scooping her up one-handed and draping her over his shoulder. “And you’re getting too big to carry around like this. You’d better not pull any threads while you’re up there; this suit wasn’t cheap. Not that you know anything about money.” He took his coffee mug from the tray and settled into a chair, digging a morsel from the bag of treats in his pocket and offering it to her ladyship. The rest of the team soon joined him, kittens on laps, and coffee mugs in hands. The sound of contented purring soon filled the air.
Gawky the kittens might be, but they were growing fast; it wouldn’t be much longer before all traces of kittenhood were gone, and then perhaps it might be safe to allow the cats more freedom around the Hub. But for the time being, it was safer to keep them penned in when everyone was too busy to properly supervise them. They still had a lot to learn.
The End