Salt In Your Wounds
"But, maybe, just maybe, little demon, I do this help you. Don't you know, little demon? Things get worse before they get better." -Myself (same poem)
-o-oOo-o-
Weeks later found Vlad Masters sitting alone at his home office desk, a large glass filled to the brim with wine. He had bought the drinks when he first moved in as a joke, or to entertain guests if he ever had them. He hadn't drunk in years, and never so heavily.
He didn't care, at least not right now. His core would heal whatever damage he did to his liver.
Perhaps it was childish, he mused, getting so depressed over a cat. But she wasn't just 'a cat'. She was Maddie, she'd been special. She hadn't been phased by his ghost form, she didn't care when he got so angry he'd blow things up. She'd always just come right up to him and mew adorably, pressing against him. Perhaps she knew how lonely he'd been, knew how much her company meant to him. Perhaps she'd tried her best to make it better. By fluffing his chest in the early mornings, sticking her butt in his face when he worked too hard, nibbled on the books he read which would then turn to biting his hand when he denied her the attention. Always sleeping on his leg during the night, up on the counter every morning to sit beside the coffee machine, trying to lay in the sink while he used the bathroom. The small little things she'd always done that had affected him never seemed so important until she wasn't there anymore to do them.
The first morning had been the worst. His life was too empty without her or anyone, really. He'd like to say that the days have gotten better, but it wouldn't be very truthful, since they hadn't.
Hence the alcohol.
He needed to focus on revising the documents he'd been faxed from his workplace, and if he needed to be drunk to achieve that, so be it. Hell, just a few days ago, he'd blasted Daniel out of his study through the roof when the boy thought his silent absence from their 'shenanigans' had been him plotting. Brash, he'd think in hindsight, but the boy deserved the burns the elder was sure the teen would be sporting for a couple of days. He needed to fix that hole too, it was going to rain in a couple of days.
Grabbing the glass, and nearly downing all its contents in a single shot-certainly not the way a half million dollar wine was supposed to be drunk-he hunched back over his desk. His pen filled the silence that small jingles and purrs would have accompanied before.
Day turns to evening, evening to night, only the shuffling of papers and the refilling of his glass to keep the time. He'd blasted the clock a week ago, the ticking bothered him. 11:00 marked the time his automatic outside lights came on outside the window, yet still, he continued. He seemed to have no intent on going to bed any time soon.
Something wapped him across the cheek.
Startled, he looked up, blinking. Once. Twice.
Maddie blinked back at him. Her paw was still raised, the tips of her claws showing from in between her little green toes. She was a patient cat. Most of the time. Being ignored was not one of those times.
Vlad was far too dumbfounded to even do anything. She reached out and bapped him on the cheek again, a short little mrow passing her glowing mouth. Her touch was super heated-like raw fire. Which was not so surprising as her tail was a long, lithe flame. Her head tilted to the side, an ear flicking. Even bright ghostly green and glowing, she was far too adorable for her own good. She still had those perfect golden eyes. She was still Maddie. And she'd come back, twice. As a ghost, and back to him.
He scooped her into his arms faster than he could have blinked, holding her to his chest. He didn't even care how hot she was. She was here. She'd come back.
She wiggled in his arms, pressing her face against his chin, and purring the loudest she'd ever purred in her existence. This was where she belonged, and this was where she would stay; forever and eturnity if she had any say over it. Pushing herself up on his fingers, her eyes met his watering ones. And then she licked him.
Right on the nose.
Her human needed her, and she'd sooner poop on the grim reapers cloak before she'd ever leave him alone again.
-o-oOo-o-
Maddie the cat has quickly become one of my favorite characters because g'damn, she just loves Vlad so fucking much its equal parts adorable and heartbreaking. Jack's complete and utter devotion is worse, but Maddie takes a close second, which is made even adder since there's only the two of them who care for him in the first place. Human Maddie long since started hating him (though to her credit, for good reason). Not to mention Vlad plays chess with his cat. Its so adorable and so sad. I full heartedly believe that if she ever did die, this is exactly what would happen. She'd come back, because hes her human and she loves him so much. I just...i just can't express the full extent of my love for this cat (an odd thing to claim, after I kill her.) Vlad needs more people who love him. Vlad needs more people who refuse to leave him alone, to haul him out of the dark hole he's buried himself into because he's certainly not getting out of it himself. Just...Just happy Vlad. That's all I want. Happy Vlad. -sobbing in the corner with a bottle of wine- It was never meant to be.