Just A Little Change

Hunter and Roman have a very concrete and well-determined method of sleeping. They have opposite sides of the bed for the nights when both of them are too exhausted to cuddle, and then they usually end up in a tangle of limbs in the middle of the bed, Roman's head tucked under his chin. Now, with Seth and Dean refusing to sleep anywhere but the bed, things have changed.

The little suck-ups must think Roman is their mother because they refuse to sleep anywhere but on Roman's pillow, making a nest in his hair to curl up together in. It's annoying as hell because they squeak and purr in their sleep, and it keeps Hunter up far later than he likes. And even though he bought them a very comfortable—and expensive—cat bed, they refuse to use it for anything but an occasional nap. But even then, they'd really rather prefer Roman's lap to that.

And then the little lunatic assassin has to make everything worse by having nightmares.

It first happens a week after they get home and settle in for the evening, Seth and Dean nesting in Roman's hair as usual. Hunter is half asleep when, suddenly, there's a very sharp and keening cry from right next to his face that makes his pulse race and his eyes snap open in shock.

Fumbling for the lamp on his side of the bed, he manages to get it on in time to see Roman sitting up and picking up Dean. The little brown puff ball is crying and shaking, and it takes Hunter an honest moment to realize he's still asleep. Then his heart hurts and he hates it for that.

Roman the Kitten Whisperer gently nudges Dean awake, but the poor thing doesn't stop crying even when he realizes he's safely in Roman's hands. Instead, he just keeps on until Roman lifts him to his chest, resting Dean's tiny head against his chest where his heart beats, singing softly.

Seth is starting to whine and since he's friendly to everyone, Hunter picks him up and starts petting him in slow, soothing strokes to help keep some order in the bedroom. Though his eyes remain fixed on Dean and he's sure he's never going to live down the same of being all heartbroken over the idea of the poor little guy having a nightmare. He looks a mess more than usual and keeps whimpering until he seems to finally understand he is warm, safe, and sound. Then he noses against Roman's chest for a little bit until his eyes fall closed once again.

"Poor baby boy. What did they do to you?" Roman whispers, and Hunter just swallows hard.

Tiny claws catch at his hand, so Hunter holds Seth out so he can nose against Dean a little, no doubt making sure his partner in crime is okay before he relaxes once again. After a few minutes, Hunter turns the lamp back off and watches Roman lie down slowly, Dean curled on his chest. Seth breaks free from Hunter's hold and scampers over, curling up close against Dean.

The nightmares are frequent after that, at least once a night, and Hunter ends up so damn distraught himself that he forgets the cats keep him up all the time to the point of using sleep deprivation like a weapon. Just seeing Dean so scared and afraid is enough to tell him something is very wrong, and it makes him wonder. Roman found the two kittens in a box on the street, not in a pound or anything. What had happened to them prior to being left behind like that?

He decides just as quickly to stop thinking about it because the idea of their two kittens being abused is more than he can handle at this point in his life. It's stupid how quickly he has grown attached to them, but the simple fact of the matter is that he has. Even if Dean still regularly tries to shred him and even if Seth is still too damn acrobatic for his own good, Hunter is starting to love both of them and he just wants both of them warm, safe, and happy.

"I don't know what to do for him," Roman says one night, Dean's little nose buried against the hollow of his throat as he soothes him after yet another nightmare. "I'm so scared for him. What if he hurts himself or something? This stress can't be good for him, can it?"

Hunter doesn't know what to say, so he just hands Seth over and then wraps his arms around Roman, pulling his boyfriend into his lap and cuddling him like he cuddles Dean and Seth. Even if he did know how to stop animals from having nightmares, he doubts he's the least bit qualified to put any plan into action. He makes a mental note to do some research on the matter and see if there is anything they can do for their little hitman kitten. If not, Roman's heart is going to be permanently fractured over the fact Dean has nightmares nearly every night.

Things change one night. They've gotten used to Dean waking up with nightmares but while Roman can still fall asleep before it happens, Hunter finds himself unable to fully fall asleep. It's like he's just waiting for the nightmare before he can get truly to sleep. But instead of his usual normal crying, Dean flops over out of Roman's hair and somehow ends up in Hunter's face.

The crying is still there, his little face so close to Hunter's that it's impossible not to hear him, and Hunter stretches a hand up to soothe it down his side. Gentle movements that eventually calm him down and his eyes flicker open, reflecting in the darkness. Tiny paws end up right under his eye, as if Dean isn't quite sure where he is, but he usually doesn't wake up here.

"Hey, little guy. It's okay. You're safe," Hunter assures him, continuing the small pets.

Dean doesn't seem quite sure at first and mewls softly, the sound barely audible in the room as his impossible small nose brushes against Hunter's cheek. Double-checking, smart little cat that he happens to be, and then he relaxes and nuzzles against Hunter. Since when is he cuddly with Hunter? Hell, any other time those little claws would be bared like daggers and put to use.

Hunter smiles despite himself and curls his fingers around Dean's small body, gently lifting him without squeezing because that hurts. Yet another thing he's learned from Roman is how gently he has to lift them and never just by their stomachs because that hurts them a hell of a lot.

Of course, Dean squeaks in protest and tries to wriggle free, but Hunter just sets him back down in Roman's dark curls and rolls onto his back, confident he can go to sleep now. And at least he got to Dean first because now Roman can have a full night's sleep. He settles his hands behind his head, more or less patting himself on the back for his performance when he hears movement next to him, jumping when something suddenly jumps and lands next to his head.

"Are you insane? Roman will kill me if you jump in the dark," Hunter hisses at the kitten.

Dean meows right in his ear before nosing at it, the sensation uncomfortable enough to make Hunter pull his head away a little. Which, apparently, was just what Dean was waiting for.

Hunter sighs and holds still. "You know, Roman's hair is your pillow. Not mine."

Not that it seems to matter because Dean uses his claws to pull at Hunter's hair until he has it arranged the way he wants, settling to sleep in the curve of Hunter's neck and shoulder. Anyone else might get annoyed, but it's hard to get annoyed when he can feel Dean's tiny heartbeat.

He wakes up to Seth half-perched on his face, licking his nose and meowing impatiently at him for breakfast. It's like they just know he's their bitch and Roman is really the one in charge—but Hunter will not admit to it aloud. Instead, he just reaches up to pluck Seth off of his face so he can blink the sleep out of his eyes. That's when he remembers Dean sleeping in his hair.

Slowly and gently, he feels in that space until his fingers brush over soft, always messy fur and a tiny, slowly rising and falling body. He finds where Dean's ears are and starts petting between them until Dean wakes up with a tired squeak, nipping his fingers until he pulls them away. Then Dean crawls up out of his little nest and onto Hunter's chest, pouncing Seth over to give him a morning bath. Amused, Hunter watches their antics until both of them are suddenly in his face and whining at him for breakfast. No use in making them wait. He picks them both up, settling them in the crook of one arm, and heads downstairs to start breakfast for them all.

As soon as he sets them down, the both of them are threading around his feet and begging for food. He gives them the far too expensive organic cat food Roman absolutely insisted on buying and makes himself and Roman eggs and sausage with toast. He's forking it all onto two plates when Roman appears in the kitchen doorway, his hair brushed out around his shoulders and his gorgeous torso bare. Hunter isn't the only one happy to see him; Dean and Seth leave their half-empty food bowl behind to go say hi to Mommy, stretching up on their back paws until Roman kneels down to pet them. Then and only then do they return to eating their food.

"I don't remember Dean having a nightmare last night," Roman muses as he sits down and starts eating. Hunter steals a kiss while he gets them both a mug of coffee before sitting down himself.

He takes a sip before answering. "He did. But I took care of it. Didn't I, Dean?"

Dean looks up from where he has one paw in the food dish, licking juice from around his mouth, and Hunter's sure he's about to be attacked. But instead, Dean mewls and goes back to eating.

"That was a yes," Roman translates, and Hunter just scowls at him, which makes him laugh. "Hunt, I told you. All you have to do is listen to them and they talk to you. Simple as that."

Their day is spent lounging on the couch and watching a marathon of My Strange Addiction, which is oddly fascinating even if it is exploitative and horrifying. Seth and Dean take up residence on Roman's lap, giving each other baths and pawing at each other off and on.

And at once point, Dean climbs on over into Hunter's lap to take himself a nap.

It's probably not the end of their disagreements, but Hunter's more than happy to enjoy it.

A/N: There was going to be ONE of these. ONE. But my friend Cathy (ladyschrei on here, go read her beautiful Breakfast Club fanfiction, The Brat Pack) just wanted more. And it turned into a thing and we have like seventy thousand more ideas for this, so you guys get more kittens. Yay.