Just got a kitty, and it inspired this little fic! Enjoy all you OddxAelita people out there!
With a heavy, and possibly over dramatic sigh, Odd climbed out of his car looking up at the building before him. It was a fairly large structure, built from bricks and painted a pale yellow. And spread over its glass double doors in big plastic lettering were the words 'Kadic City Animal Shelter'. Odd made a face at the sign, then turned his attention to the person exiting the other side of his car.
"Are you sure this is what you want for your birthday?" he asked the pink haired girl as she shut her door.
"Yes Odd, for the last time, I am very sure," Aelita answered in tone that suggested she had been asked this a few times before. Odd gave a pout, causing Aelita to pout in return. "Odd, you promised you'd get me one for my birthday. And besides, I thought you liked cats."
Odd just grumbled under his breath in response to this statement, but didn't argue further as Aelita grabbed his hand and pulled the blonde inside the shelter. The pair made their way through the building's lobby and up to its front desk, behind which sat a young girl with light brown hair. She was, at the moment, sitting with her nose pressed into a book. Odd cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Oh, uh, hello," the girl said, jumping slightly. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, we're looking for a cat," Odd said, motioning to Aelita with his head. "It's for her birthday."
"Oh, Happy Birthday!" the girl said, rummaging about her desk. She found a nametag and stuck it to her chest. It read 'Beth' in big block letters. Beth gave the pair at the desk a quick smile, then turned to look through a half open door behind her. "Rick!" she shouted, "I'm taking these people back to look at cats. Come watch the desk! Um, okay," she said, turning back to Odd and Aelita. "Let's go!"
Aelita giggled happily, grabbing Odd's hand and pulling him along as Beth led the way away from the lobby and towards a door off to the side. With a happy smile Beth pulled the door open, leading the pair through.
Behind the door stretched a hallway, which went straight through to the back of the building, and was lined on both sides with doors. "So," Beth said as she began leading the couple down the hall. "What are you looking for today, an adult cat or a kitten?"
"I hadn't really thought about it," Aelita admitted. "Can we see the adults?"
"Of course," Beth said, stopping so suddenly that Odd almost ran into her. "Here' the adult room," the girl announced, pointing to the door she'd stopped at. She then shepherded the two people in and shut the door. "So, see anyone who grabs your attention?"
Odd and Aelita looked about the room wide eyed. "There's so many of them," Aelita said, looking around the room. And indeed there where. Cages lined the walls either side of the door, all of them holding big mewing kitties. Aelita was immediately attracted to one of the nearby cages that held a slender cat with long cream fur with dark brown legs, tail, face, and ears. The tag on its cage read 'Miss. Scarlet'.
"Aw, you're so cute," Aelita cooed, poking a finger through the cage bars. The cat rubbed against Aelita's fingers happily, and then sat down looking up at Aelita, opening its mouth as if to meow. Aelita was expecting a little mew from such a dainty looking cat. So the rather loud yowl it let loose gave the pink haired girl a bit of a shock.
Across the room, Odd was checking out a cat of his own. He had found a big fluffy orange cat, who was, at the moment, fast asleep. "So, does this cat do much besides sleep?" the blonde asked Beth, giving the cat a poke. Beth looked over his shoulder.
"What, Frank? No, that's about all he does. All day. Every day. He's a bit boring really."
"Sounds like my kind of cat," Odd said with a smile. But the smile disappeared when the cat suddenly sat up, gave a ridiculously loud sneeze, shook it's head and flung snot everywhere, then went back to sleep. "Okay," Odd drawled, moving away from the ginger cat. "Maybe not my cat."
"What about this one?" Aelita asked, standing in front of a cage halfway down the room. "He's kind of cool." The cat Aelita was talking about was a big white cat, who happened to be sitting in his litter box. His nametag read 'Armondo'.
"He looks a little mean," Odd said when he saw the cat. As if hearing Odd's words, the cat turned to glare at him. Odd made a face at the cat, who hissed in return.
"Aw, I think he likes you," Aelita giggled. Odd just huffed as Aelita pulled him away from the big white cat and over to the cage opposite him. "Look at this cat Odd," Aelita said, tugging on Odd's arm and pointing to the cage. Inside lay a big fat tabby, sprawled out on its back. Its big gold colored belly was lined with rows of black dots, its dark paws curling up over its chest. This cat's name was Stormy.
"I…think it's snoring," Odd said, raising an eyebrow at the cat. And indeed the cat was, her belly moving in and out with each wheezy sound she made. Odd turned to see Aelita's response to this cat, and found she had been distracted by the cat in a nearby cage. Odd came over to see what cat could have grabbed Aelita's attention so fully.
And came face to face with the ugliest cat he had ever seen. It was a big fluffy cat with a very flat face. Its fur was a dirty cream color, with grey on his legs, tail, and face. He had watery eyes and his fur was cut like a poodle. His name was Richard.
"Isn't he adorable?" Aelita asked, smiling at the cat.
"No," Odd answered. Aelita just waved him off, instead opening the cage and lifting the cat out and cuddling him against her chest. Richard responded with a rumbly purr, resting his head on Aelita's shoulder." Aelita, you are not getting that cat," Odd said, wrinkling his nose at the flat faced kitty.
"Yes I am," Aelita said, turning to look at Odd. "It's my birthday gift."
"But it's going to live in my house," Odd argued back.
"Our house," Aelita responded. "And it's my birthday."
"…Well, that thing is not riding in my car."
"Odd, I will have this cat."
"No you won't."
--
"Yes, I will," Aelita said, grinning triumphantly. Richard seemed to grin too as he sat comfortably in Aelita's lap as the pair rode back home in the passenger seat of Odd's car.
"I hate you," Odd grumbled, staring out at the rode.
"Love you too," Aelita said, cuddling her new cat. The two rode in silence like that for a good ten minutes before Odd spoke again.
"Hey, Aelita?"
"Yes Odd?" Aelita asked curiously. Odd flashed her a grin a quick grin.
"Happy Birthday."
Heehee, I love kitties. Oh, and if you didn't notice, all four of my cats made appearences! And Richard is a real cat, he lives at the shelter at work at.