"I swear it's judging me."

Connor's eyes flicked from his textbook to Oliver to the grey cat on the coffee table staring at them. "He's probably judging you for your tie. I mean, diagonal stripes? What were you even thinking?"

Oliver hit him. "Be nice!"

"Refer to my cat by his preferred pronouns and I'll consider it," Connor smirked, and Oliver hit him again. "Hey!"

"Why do you even have a cat?" Oliver asked, leaning over to start a stare-off with the creature. "I didn't pick you for the pet type…"

"Yeah, well, the thing just won't die." Connor rolled his eyes, but it was with a certain fondness hidden underneath. "I've had Loki – "

"Loki?"

"What? I had an obsession with mythology when I was 10." Connor shrugged. "Anyway, I've had him about 15 years and he just sort of… followed me here."

"He followed you."

Connor noticed the change in tone – the disbelief in Oliver's voice – but he just nodded.

"All the way to Philadelphia."

"Alright, he jumped in a box when I was leaving and I didn't hear the crying until I was a couple of states over. Satisfied?"

Oliver laughed as Loki meowed and promptly began to rub up against Connor's hand – of course choosing the one with a highlighter and otherwise preoccupied. "Not really," he said, stroking down the body of the Russian Blue. "I thought you'd say you'd die before leaving him home or something like that… not that you're just stuck with some immortal cat."

"He's not just some immortal cat!" Connor immediately protested – and then caught the smirk on Oliver's face. "Alright. You got me." He sighed, shifting the books in his lap so that the cat could crawl onto his legs instead, scratching it between the ears. Loki purred, beginning to knead at his knees. "I did need him to come here… I'm a long way from home, and Loki… He's been through a lot with me."

"That's sweet," Oliver said, suddenly quieter. He looked pensive, studying Connor's eyes – and Connor knew he was waiting, wanting more information… Maybe in time, perhaps, he'd feel comfortable sharing more. For now though, he was comfortable letting Oliver see that he was a jigsaw puzzle – later he could see the edges and the cuts and breaks and try to work out which pieces were in the wrong place and what the picture should actually look like. "I'm really glad you have someone… even if my competition is a cat…"

Loki meowed again, as if he knew he was being spoken about – and his ears pricked back. Connor snorted. "I might talk to him more but, trust me, it's not Loki's lips I'm dreaming of at night."

Oliver turned red.

"Besides… you're not honestly jealous of the cat, are you?"

Oliver's blush deepened, but he stared Connor straight in the eyes. "He gets to spend every minute of his life hanging around you and you trust him with secrets you won't even tell me. Of course I'm a little jealous."

"You know," Connor said, tugging his fingers away from Loki's fur and trailing over to Oliver's sleeve, slowly running his finger up Oliver's arm, "you were gonna say this before, but I'm stealing it. You're adorable." Connor's finger reached his shoulder and he stopped there for a minute, rubbing each fingertip against the smooth skin. "But you have no reason to be jealous," he whispered, low and harsh, as close to Oliver's ear as he could manage, "because there are many things you can do that a cat can't…"

"Yeah…?" Oliver stretched, the muscles on his neck standing out as he pressed his cheek to Connor's. "Why don't you help me figure some of those things out…?"

Yet another Tumblr prompt, asking for Connor with a 15 year old cat and Oliver teasing him. I strayed slightly (no pun intended) from the prompt, as always, but I'm just in love with this idea. I mean... Connor himself is super sassy and independent and I LOVE the idea of him with a cat so... there's this :p

Like it? Hate it? Want me to get lost in the labyrinth that is my new university tomorrow? Please let me know!

Keep smiling! :D