Title: Cat and Mouse
Author: Proclaim Thy Warrior Soul
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Nothing recognisable belongs to me. Except maybe the cat. Because the cat is cute :)
Summary: Steve wasn't meeting Chin for another hour yet so he had plenty of time for a run along the beach before the sun disappeared completely for the day. All he had to do was sneak past the snoozing kitten perched on the arm of the couch in the other room... He was a Navy SEAL. How difficult could it be?
Notes: Spoilers for season 5. Cute and fluffy and then not so much...
Cat and Mouse
"A thing of beauty, strength, and grace
lies behind that whiskered face." -Unknown
Chapter One
"Damn it, cat..." McGarrett grumbled as he tripped over yet another toy littering his once pristine floor. Kicking the offending item out of his immediate vicinity, ignoring the fact that he'd probably trip over it again at some point later in the day, the head of Five-O padded softly towards the kitchen.
Ever since the tiny ball of fluff had decided to make the SEAL's home its permanent one, Steve had discovered a newfound appreciation for the word 'patience'. Because, apparently, owning a cat included toys and kitty litter, screwed up balls of paper, and fur that literally ended up everywhere.
Not that he had anyone to blame for this predicament but himself. Well, there was always Danno, of course. Because between the two of them they'd somehow figured it'd be a great idea to introduce Grace to the latest addition to the McGarrett family.
Big mistake.
Now the furball owned literally every variation of cat toy ever made by man...and likely some invented by the miniature Williams herself, although the SEAL couldn't help but grin as he recalled Gracie's squeals of excitement whilst the playful kitten leapt for her long braid of hair and chased her all through the house. The shared look of amusement on his temperamental partner's face had permanently settled any doubts he had over keeping the feline.
Rifling quietly through a drawer of junk next to the sink, McGarrett fished out a tangled pair of headphones and checked the time on his watch. He wasn't meeting Chin for another hour yet so he had time for a run along the beach before the sun disappeared completely for the day. All he had to do was sneak past the snoozing kitten perched on the arm of the couch in the other room...
He was a Navy SEAL. How difficult could it be?
Slipping both feet into his unlaced sneakers, Steve worked on untangling the mess of wires as he headed back through to the living room, shoving the earbuds into place when a few moments later he'd solved the puzzle. Skimming through his Spotify playlist for a soundtrack to his impromptu workout, McGarrett patted his back pocket to confirm that he had ownership of his keys and headed for the door to the lanai as the intro to the first song assaulted his ears.
A quick glance at the snoring kitten brought an unexpected smile to the SEAL's face as a wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm him. Changing trajectory to head to the furball's side, Steve had to bite back a chuckle as one beady eye opened to take in his approach.
"Hey, monster. You're not supposed to wake up yet. I can't sneak out of the house if you're looking at me all cute and fluffy-like," he grinned, crouching down so he was at the kitten's level.
It was a peculiar feeling, being responsible for the life of something so delicate and small; definitely not something McGarrett had ever planned on committing himself to, that was for sure. But in the short few weeks since Jersey had barged headfirst into his life, Steve could honestly say it'd been one of the best decisions he'd ever made.
"Go back to sleep, little J. I won't be long," Steve promised as he ruffled the soft fur on the kitten's head and stood to leave.
Thinking it was a new game, Jersey's tiny paw shot out and snagged the wire to the headphones, yanking the buds from McGarrett's ears with ease.
It was the only thing that saved the SEAL's life.
Without the loud music to disguise it, the sound of shattering glass echoed noisily through the house. As the muzzle of a rifle forced its way through the new hole in his front door, McGarrett grabbed for the terrified kitten as the bullets started flying.
Author's Notes: Cliffhanger, d'oh!