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rpg_palaceChristian got out of the shower, towelled off and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. Barechested and barefoot, he returned to the bedroom, dragged a comb through his still damp hair and then padded over to the hamper to drop the towel in.
Obie was asleep on the bed, he noticed, with Willow perched above him on the pillow, peering at him. She looked up as Christian passed, giving him one of 'those' looks. Christian shrugged. "I dunno." he told her. "Last I heard he wasn't allowed on the bed."
The cat let out a huff of breath and stretched extravagantly, yawning, her pink tongue curling as her eyes slitted closed.
Leaving her to her observations of canine misbehavior, Christian headed out into the hall, intent on joining Johnny and Adrian on the sofa for a little tv before dinner. A knock on the front door halted his progress and he turned on his heel and went back the other way.
"Orlando!" He peered into the evening gloom. "What happened? You jump off a building and miss?"
"I got something I deserved." Orlando grinned lopsidedly.
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the worn khaki sweater that belonged to Harry.
"You still got Willow, or'd you sell her?" he asked.
"Got hungry." Christian shrugged. "Tasty, she was." He pretended to pick his teeth but the theatrics were spoiled by a loud 'meow' of greeting and the subject of the discussion turning up in the doorway to wind her body around orlando's legs. "Or not."
Orlando grinned and bent down to pick her up. "Allo Princess. Has Christian been nice to you or do I have to beat him up again?"
"I've been good, she's been good." Christian smiled and leaned on the doorjamb. "Still, I think she'll be happy to go home. Obie gets a bit much for her."
He straightened up again. "Just take her, eh? I'll have to rummage around to find all her stuff. I'll ping for a servant when I have it all and someone can bring it over."
"That's okay. You don't know where her mouse is though? Keep her entertained until then." Orlando asked, petting Willow gently.
"Yep. I'll get it. Hang on." Christian padded off and returned with the toy mouse. "It's a little worse for wear." he warned, handing it over "Obie got it. Bought her a replacement but it's still only second-favorite."
Leaning back on the doorjamb again, arms folded, Christian looked at his little brother. "Hey Rabbit?" he said softly. "You okay?"
Orlando shook his head and smiled at him. "What? Sorry. I was having a stand-off with your dog." He nodded over Christian's shoulder at Shannon.
"Startled me, s'all."
Christian turned. "Oh crap! Sorry." He stepped forward and half-closed the door behind him, unaware that Shannon had moved as well and was sitting in the space left, her head poking out the door, ears pointed with mute interest in Orlando's direction.
"I asked if you were okay." Christian said.
"I am..." Orlando beamed at him. "Better'n I have been this last week. Finally sorted stuff out."
"Excellent." Christian beamed, pleased his confidence in his baby brother hadn't been misplaced. "Whatever you've decided, sure it's for the best.
"I hope you're right." Orlando smiled. He blinked and looked down at Shannon, who had appeared unnoticed at Christian's side.
"He-Hey Shannon," Orlando said, hesitantly reaching out a hand towards her.
Christian went still, watching as Orlando's hand tentatively touched Shannon's head in a soft pat. Shannon too, sat without moving as if she also realized, which she probably did, he thought.
Orlando petted her once or twice and then slowly moved his hand back again, only to stop dead as Shannon lifted her muzzle and licked his fingers as they passed.
Then she backed back and disappeared behind the door. Smart dog, Christian thought with an inner smile that grew on his face as well when he saw the bright glow of something accompished shining from Orlando's eyes.
"Way to go, Rabbit." he praised gently.
Orlando blushed and stared at his shoes.
"Thanks." He grinned.
"Ma wee boy is gittin' all grown up." Christian teased lightly, patting Orlando's head.
"Oh, bite me." Orlando grinned, putting Willow and her mouse into his pocket. "I've got stuff to do. Love to hang around, but I can't. See you later, yeah?"
"Yeah." Christian was dying to ask, but wouldn't, figuring Orlando would make his decisions known when he was ready. "Been nice having ya." He ticked a purring Willow under the chin. "Don't be a stranger now." Orlando chuckled and walked away, waving with one hand and Willow tucked under the other as he disappeared into the growing darkness.
**
Orlando put Willow down and watched her wander over to the sofa, throwing her squeaky mouse after her. She pounced on it and fell onto her side, kicking it in the head with her back feet.
Smiling at her, Orlando moved into the kitchen to fix her some food. It smelt disgusting, in his opinion, but he'd have to put up with it. A faint meow caught his attention, drawing him back into the loungeroom.
Willow looked under the couch, tail high but her ears back, calling loudly for something Orlando couldn't see. For a second he thought she'd lost her mouse, then watched as she ran into the bedroom calling loudly. He followed, but stopped dead in his tracks.
Willow was sitting in the doorway facing him, giving him the filthiest look ever.
"I'm sorry Princess." Orlando murmured, scooping her up. "I'm so sorry. Promise I'll fix it. Promise."
Obie was asleep on the bed, he noticed, with Willow perched above him on the pillow, peering at him. She looked up as Christian passed, giving him one of 'those' looks. Christian shrugged. "I dunno." he told her. "Last I heard he wasn't allowed on the bed."
The cat let out a huff of breath and stretched extravagantly, yawning, her pink tongue curling as her eyes slitted closed.
Leaving her to her observations of canine misbehavior, Christian headed out into the hall, intent on joining Johnny and Adrian on the sofa for a little tv before dinner. A knock on the front door halted his progress and he turned on his heel and went back the other way.
"Orlando!" He peered into the evening gloom. "What happened? You jump off a building and miss?"
"I got something I deserved." Orlando grinned lopsidedly.
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the worn khaki sweater that belonged to Harry.
"You still got Willow, or'd you sell her?" he asked.
"Got hungry." Christian shrugged. "Tasty, she was." He pretended to pick his teeth but the theatrics were spoiled by a loud 'meow' of greeting and the subject of the discussion turning up in the doorway to wind her body around orlando's legs. "Or not."
Orlando grinned and bent down to pick her up. "Allo Princess. Has Christian been nice to you or do I have to beat him up again?"
"I've been good, she's been good." Christian smiled and leaned on the doorjamb. "Still, I think she'll be happy to go home. Obie gets a bit much for her."
He straightened up again. "Just take her, eh? I'll have to rummage around to find all her stuff. I'll ping for a servant when I have it all and someone can bring it over."
"That's okay. You don't know where her mouse is though? Keep her entertained until then." Orlando asked, petting Willow gently.
"Yep. I'll get it. Hang on." Christian padded off and returned with the toy mouse. "It's a little worse for wear." he warned, handing it over "Obie got it. Bought her a replacement but it's still only second-favorite."
Leaning back on the doorjamb again, arms folded, Christian looked at his little brother. "Hey Rabbit?" he said softly. "You okay?"
Orlando shook his head and smiled at him. "What? Sorry. I was having a stand-off with your dog." He nodded over Christian's shoulder at Shannon.
"Startled me, s'all."
Christian turned. "Oh crap! Sorry." He stepped forward and half-closed the door behind him, unaware that Shannon had moved as well and was sitting in the space left, her head poking out the door, ears pointed with mute interest in Orlando's direction.
"I asked if you were okay." Christian said.
"I am..." Orlando beamed at him. "Better'n I have been this last week. Finally sorted stuff out."
"Excellent." Christian beamed, pleased his confidence in his baby brother hadn't been misplaced. "Whatever you've decided, sure it's for the best.
"I hope you're right." Orlando smiled. He blinked and looked down at Shannon, who had appeared unnoticed at Christian's side.
"He-Hey Shannon," Orlando said, hesitantly reaching out a hand towards her.
Christian went still, watching as Orlando's hand tentatively touched Shannon's head in a soft pat. Shannon too, sat without moving as if she also realized, which she probably did, he thought.
Orlando petted her once or twice and then slowly moved his hand back again, only to stop dead as Shannon lifted her muzzle and licked his fingers as they passed.
Then she backed back and disappeared behind the door. Smart dog, Christian thought with an inner smile that grew on his face as well when he saw the bright glow of something accompished shining from Orlando's eyes.
"Way to go, Rabbit." he praised gently.
Orlando blushed and stared at his shoes.
"Thanks." He grinned.
"Ma wee boy is gittin' all grown up." Christian teased lightly, patting Orlando's head.
"Oh, bite me." Orlando grinned, putting Willow and her mouse into his pocket. "I've got stuff to do. Love to hang around, but I can't. See you later, yeah?"
"Yeah." Christian was dying to ask, but wouldn't, figuring Orlando would make his decisions known when he was ready. "Been nice having ya." He ticked a purring Willow under the chin. "Don't be a stranger now." Orlando chuckled and walked away, waving with one hand and Willow tucked under the other as he disappeared into the growing darkness.
**
Orlando put Willow down and watched her wander over to the sofa, throwing her squeaky mouse after her. She pounced on it and fell onto her side, kicking it in the head with her back feet.
Smiling at her, Orlando moved into the kitchen to fix her some food. It smelt disgusting, in his opinion, but he'd have to put up with it. A faint meow caught his attention, drawing him back into the loungeroom.
Willow looked under the couch, tail high but her ears back, calling loudly for something Orlando couldn't see. For a second he thought she'd lost her mouse, then watched as she ran into the bedroom calling loudly. He followed, but stopped dead in his tracks.
Willow was sitting in the doorway facing him, giving him the filthiest look ever.
"I'm sorry Princess." Orlando murmured, scooping her up. "I'm so sorry. Promise I'll fix it. Promise."
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Comment
Date: 2005-04-17 02:09 pm (UTC)*waits*
Comment
Date: 2005-04-19 01:31 am (UTC)Also liked the last scene with Willow bitching Orlando out because Harry's not around. Yep, that's a cat all right. Very true to life AND perfectly appropriate to that chunk of the story. [grin]
Angie