A one shot of Johnny and Rosie for crispy-ghee.
"Tonight's the night," Johnny Worthington the Third stated aloud. He appeared to be talking to himself while he straightened his tie in the mirror. However, this was not the case. He looked over his shoulder at the spiky cat that had curled up on the end of his bed. The feline was certainly a divine specimen, something any cat lover in Monstropolis would fawn over. He had two large yellow eyes, with a tiny horn that was mounted on his forehead. The cat's fur was long and luscious, blue in color, and had a scaly tail that was spiked along the top. But his most prominent feature, were his massive claws. Johnny knew from experience what a pain those claws could be, literally.
The cat, or "Jowl", had been a graduation present from Johhny's sister. He didn't know exactly what provoked her to buy him a cat. It probably had something to do with the intense amount of competition that all the Worthington's had against one another. But he couldn't figure out what she would be winning by buying him a cat.
Little did Johnny know, his sister had been out on her own before. Of course, that was well before she became a Mrs. Fullerton. She knew how difficult it was being on your own, coming home to an empty apartment, being greeted by nobody. Her psychiatrist had recommended getting an animal companion to cope with the latent depression of being alone while at home. She had gotten a cat. She originally thought buying Johnny a cat would be a heart-to-heart gift; something to get across the message, 'I know what you're going through, so don't be lonely and get depressed like I did.'
Upon opening up his sister's present, however, Johnny and Jowl immediately got off on the wrong claw. Jowl had leaped from the box he had been kept in, full fury, attacking Johnny's face, using him as his own personal scratching post. Johnny was immediately put-off by his sister's present, and didn't seem half as amused as she did. The next day, Johnny had planned on taking Jowl to animal control. He didn't care what happened to him, just as long as that fucking cat was out of his apartment.
But animals grow on you... like a weird fungus that you underestimated at first and gradually begin to lose control of. So Jowl stayed, forever being a dirty little secret of Johnny's. He couldn't imagine telling any of the guys at Fear Co, let alone Rosie.
When Jowl heard Johnny talking, he sprawled out across the sheets, lifting up his head in acknowledgment of what Johnny was saying.
"Success is in the air, Jowl. Your Papa knows how to work the ladies," Johnny drawled confidently, turned back to his mirror to straighten the collar on his shirt. "I planned everything out, spared no expense."
Jowl meowed lazily and got up from his laying down position. He stretched before slinking off the bed, hopping onto Johnny's dresser so they would be eye level.
Worthington had planned out the whole night, down to the last detail. Rosie would be meeting him at his house. Together they would stroll down the lit sidewalk, arm in arm. There would of course be some conversation as they walked. Whether they would be talking about work or something more intimate would be entirely up to his date. They would arrive for dinner at Harryhausens, where they would share a beautiful candle-lit meal together. After dinner, Worthington would escort her home, or take her back to his apartment for drinks. He was leaving the end of their romantic rendezvous not properly attended to on purpose, because at that point, anything could happen. He sighed, looking almost lulled at the thought of a nice night curled up in the arms of Rosie Levin. When Jowl's tail flicked him in the face, Johnny snapped out of his dream-like state and shooed the cat off his dresser.
"This night will go perfectly, Jowl. Nobody is going to ruin this for me, not even you."
Jowl looked up at Johnny, as though he had been betrayed by his most trusted comrade.
"Come on Jowl, don't you look at me like that," Johnny said as he grabbed his suit from the top of a chair. "It's nothing personal, she just can't know about you yet."
Jowl meowed in protest and pawed at the bedroom door insistently.
"Jowl," Johnny's tone held a warning, one that the cat did not abide by. With an annoyed sigh, Johnny scooped up Jowl in his arms and carried him over towards the bed, "It's just for tonight," he said, setting the blue fluff ball on the end of his bed. Johnny patted Jowl on the head a few times, then decided to take his leave, especially when he heard the doorbell ring. Johnny closed the door to his bedroom and made way to the front-door. He did a quick once-over of himself, wanting to make sure there was no cat hair on his suit before he opened the door to greet his date. When Johnny was sure nothing was wrong, he opened the door. Rosie's usual, blissful expression of contempt was there to greet him.
"Worthington," she acknowledged him with a nod.
"Levin, you look ravishing."
"Thanks... you look pretty alright too."
"Why thank you." Johnny couldn't help but just smile a little wider than he normally did. It wasn't everyday you got a compliment from Ms. Rosie Levin.
"So did you want to go or what?"
"Of course!" Johnny closed the door behind him, and was just in the middle of locking it when he suddenly heard a menacing... meow. Johnny was almost afraid to look over his shoulder, because he knew exactly who was going to be there. He was going to have to turn around at some point, because Rosie was behind him, after all. When he did turn around, he was speechless at what he saw. Rosie was kneeling on the ground, stroking Jowl's spine, her other hand rubbing under his chin.
"I didn't know you had a cat, Worthington."
"Cat?" Johnny feigned laughter, "I don't have a cat."
"Then I wonder why this cat's license says Jowl Worthington on it." Rosie looked up from Jowl to give Johnny a menacing stare.
Johnny sighed, placing a hand on the side of his head, rubbing his temple. Admitting defeat was one of the biggest downsides to life that a Worthington could ever have.
Because Worthingtons never lost, at anything, ever.
A Worthington was never wrong.
"Fine, fine," Johnny gave an exasperated sigh. "I have, a cat."
"I don't know why you're making such a big deal about it." Rosie got off the ground, Jowl purring in her arms. "I love cats."
"Rosie Levin, loves cats?" Johnny asked, seeming dumbfounded. "I had no idea."
"Turns out, there are a lot of things you don't know about me," Rosie said, not once looking up at Johnny, her gaze turning somewhat kind as Jowl rolled over in her arms.
"He really likes you."
"I like him too."
"What about his owner? He's a pretty handsome devil, am I right?"
"Don't push it, Worthington."
Johnny chuckled, cracking the front door open. "I don't want us to be late for our reservation."
"Right." Rosie caressed Jowl a few more times, then bent down to toss him back inside the house. Johnny closed the door, and made sure to lock it before he and Rosie left the apartments, arm in arm.