Animals.

Alaude had this little… Habit. Well, it was more of a secret, really. Except, Niccolo knew about it. Niccolo didn't really do anything to condone or prevent it. Even if it did result in a cluttered house and it was perhaps a little noisy. But, well, Niccolo thought it was probably the cutest thing in existence.

You see, Alaude's little habit was that he had a tendency to pick up stray and injured animals. Cats, birds, dogs, almost anything, really. If it was injured, homeless, or just plain cute, Alaude would probably bring it home in his coat pocket.

Alaude thought he was being sneaky about it, too. And for a while, he was. He'd nurse the animal back to health and send it to a shelter or to a contact he knew would take care of it. One day, he tried to sneak a pair of kittens into Niccolo's house.

He would have gotten by unnoticed if his coat hadn't started meowing. That caught Niccolo's attention, and the Cavallone founder had tilted his head toward his lover. "… Angel, did your coat just meow?"

"…No." Alaude looked away, hiding his almost-pouty expression.

Niccolo chuckled softly and patted the seat on the couch next to him. "Bring them here, Angel."

Alaude sighed and begrudgingly did as told, knowing that he couldn't just ignore the raven Cavallone. He took the kittens out of his coat pockets and sat next to Niccolo, placing the kittens in his lap.

"…They look pretty weak, Angel." Niccolo frowned at the poor condition of the kittens. "…Where did you find them?"

"Venice."

"…You brought them all the way here from Venice?" Niccolo gave his angel an incredulous look. It was a miracle that the kittens had survived the trip.

"It was pouring down rain." Alaude pet the kittens gently with index and middle fingers. "… They fell into the Grand Canal."

"… Angel." Niccolo narrowed his eyes slightly, worry creasing his brow. "Angel, are you telling me you jumped into the Grand Canal to save stray kittens? In the rain, no less?"

"…" Alaude turned his head away.

Niccolo sighed heavily, getting up from the couch. "Well, we should probably warm them up and feed them. They've had a long trip, after all."

Alaude blinked in surprise, sitting up a little straighter. He scooped up the kittens and got up, following Niccolo to the kitchen. Together the fed and nursed and cleaned the travel-worn kittens.

They worked tirelessly for days to make sure both were healthy. All that work, however, was for naught. Only one kitten survived the strenuous get well process. He was a lucky little critter. His sister wasn't so fortunate.

Alaude was torn over it. He adored animals, especially the small ones. Losing one hurt, especially since he'd kept them alive through an arduous trip from Venice to Niccolo's Tuscan estate. Niccolo rubbed Alaude's back. "We can keep him, Angel. I know you can't bear to part with him now."

The blonde skylark blinked and looked up at Niccolo, expression hopeful – and it hurt the raven. He'd never seen Alaude like this before. Animals really got to him – enough to put his walls down in Niccolo's presence.

The raven offered an encouraging smile. He nudged Alaude gently, pressing a kiss to the blonde's temple. "Well? You can keep him, Angel. So go ahead and name him."

"…"

Niccolo waited patiently, smiling in encouragement.

"… Giotto."

And Niccolo broke into hysterical laughter. He couldn't help it. Naming a scraggly kitten after his boss… Niccolo thought it was hilarious. "Really? You're going to name your kitten after your boss?"

"… He's a survivor." Alaude huffed, defensive. Of course he'd have that information. Alaude was a detective and a certified stalker. "… And he's yellow."

"But Giotto."

"Yes, Giotto."

"… And what if Giotto finds out about it this?"

Alaude shrugged. "We'll deal with that when it happens."

"…We?"

"Yes." Alaude picked up the kitten and nosed it affectionately. "…Thank you, mon cheval."

Written as a pick-me-up for Gen Volkes. It's a bit late, but... I hope she enjoys it c: