Edd's life changes when he stumbles across a lonesome figure in his yard. Hope you guys enjoy! ;)
Early-morning sunlight streamed down onto the city, promising a warm beautiful summer day. Perfect opportunity as any to hang up the laundry to dry outside. It was another ordinary day as usual in the four friends' household. Ever since Tord came up with a chore plan, every single one of them contributed in some way; and beyond a few minor disagreements here and there, they all pulled their weight.
Edd arranged the clothes and bed sheets up on the hanger, the breeze ruffling his hair, when he caught wind of a pathetic tiny chirp in the air.
Pausing his work momentarily, his head snapped up and he peered around. He heard the chirp again, higher pitch this time. Edd abandoned his basket on the grass and went to investigate the source of the weird noise, only to find a dark shape huddled miserably by the fence of his backyard, staring at him pitifully as it mewed.
Edd's heart melted at the sight of the tiny gray tabby kitten, and he kneeled down. "Hey." He cooed softly. "What are you doing out here all alone, little one? Are you lost? You seem way too young to be wandering about on your own. Where are mama cat and your siblings? Are they around here somewhere?"
He slowly offered his hand, and the kitten hissed at him – trying to bat him away.
The kitten looked so small, dirty, and maybe even a little malnourished. Edd didn't really understand much about cats, but even a feral kitten born in the wild needs to be looked after by someone. Thank God it wasn't winter, or the kitty would've been a pussy-cle a long time ago.
Gently, Edd nudged the little kitten onto his hand and picked it up, cradling it close to his chest to keep it warm as it shivered against him. He could carry it on the palm of one hand only if he wanted to.
"Maybe you belong to someone around here." Edd said. "Might as well take you to the vet anyway and have you checked out."
He headed inside, passing behind his friends watching television in the living room on his way to the garage. He quietly borrowed Tord's car keys and promptly left the house.
He found a local licensed vet nearby, right next to an insta-roof store downtown. To his luck there weren't many people waiting ahead of him, and Edd just had to wait a little while with a shivering kitten in his hands until their turn came.
To pass the time, Edd petted the kitten and played with it using the strings of his green hoodie to tease it. He watched warmly as the kitten batted away at the strings and purred loudly in his hands.
The veterinary that attended them, Dr. P. Nicks Right, took a look at the kitten Edd had found in his backyard.
"Female. Lots of fleas. No chip. And about three to four months old I'd say." The vet murmured. "You said you found her in your backyard?"
"Yeah. Just huddled alone by the fence."
"A feral one, I suppose. This little one must've split up from the rest of her family or something worse happened." Said the vet. "Well, by all means, you're more than welcome to keep her if you want. Although if you're not interested I'm sure this little one won't have any trouble finding a new home in the shelter after a good meal and a bath."
Edd hesitated. He'd always wanted a pet in the past, but will his friends accept a kitten in their ranks? She was so cute, staring up at him as though he were her savior. Parting with the kitten would be hard now that he grew so attached to her. The mere idea of leaving her here to wait for an undetermined amount of time for someone to adopt her worried him.
He knew he couldn't leave her now, even if he wanted to.
"I'll take her." Edd dragged his gaze away and stared at the vet.
"Splendid! I'll give you the supplies you will need for her care, and would you like for us to chip her while we're at it?"
"Yes, please."
A fizzing excitement bubbled within him, threatening to burst free. He is now the proud owner of a tiny little cat. He could already picture the gray feline growing up in his household alongside his friends, getting pampered and going on adventures together. Their mascot of sorts.
As the first flare of happiness settled inside him, the vet broke through his thoughts. "Do you have a name picked out for her, yet?"
Edd considered the question at great length, remembering how he found her squeaking her little heart out, and smiled. "I think I'll name her Ringo." He replied. "She's quite the noisy girl if I may say so myself."
The vet handed him a list of supplies he needed to buy, and Edd headed for the nearest pet shop. Tucking Ringo into the pocket of his hoodie, Edd went on a shopping spree. He bought toys, a bed, special anti-flea shampoo, wet food, a cola slushy for himself, and even a cat tower. He didn't even pause to consider his friends' reactions in all of this, or if he might be going a little too far with his purchases.
Ringo was his cat now, no matter what anybody says, and god dammit he was going to spoil her!
When Edd arrived home, his friends were still watching television. Tord looked up to greet him, only for his eyes to widen at the sight of the shopping bags Edd was carrying with him into their home. A deafening squeak rang out from his pocket, and two more pairs of eyes snapped toward him.
"Uhhh… Edd? What's that you got there?" Tord asked.
"A slushy." Edd said matter-of-factly, putting his bags down. "Oh yeah, I also may or may not have adopted a kitten today."
"KITTEN!" Matt jumped off the couch and rushed toward Edd with an excited skip in his step. "May I see it? Pretty please?"
"Alright, first calm down." Edd cautioned, reaching into his pocket. "Otherwise you're going to scare her."
Lifting up his hands, Edd unfolded them apart to reveal the tiny matted dark gray kitten still squeaking in his palm for his friends to see. Matt gushed silently, doing everything in his power not to spook the feline even though he desperately wanted to pet her.
"Where did you get a cat from?" Tom demanded. "Did you go and adopt one behind our backs?"
"No! Well… sort of." Edd said defensively. "I found her in the backyard. I only meant to have her checked over, but I-I couldn't help it! She is just so cute and small and defenseless. I decided to take it upon myself to look after her."
"Until she is well enough to fend for herself, right?" Tord asked, his eyes widening further.
"No. I found her, and she is my cat now." Edd glared at him, cradling Ringo in his arms. "I already chipped her and gave her a name and everything."
Matt bounced. "Oooo! What's her name?"
"Ringo."
"Awwwn, she's really cute, Edd." Matt slowly reached forward to scratch the top of the kitten's head. "Look at the way her little tail sticks out upward like a twig!"
Tord face palmed. "Great! You're already attached to her. Did you really not think this through before you took in a feral stray?"
"Why? What's the problem?" Edd demanded.
"Now on top of all the chores we have to do around the house, we also have to worry about taking care of a pet?" Tord hissed incredulously. "You didn't even consult us first before you went ahead and decided to adopt her. What if one of us was allergic to cats, Edd? You didn't think about that did you?"
"I know none of you are allergic! I wouldn't have taken her in if that was the case."
"Still, your rash decision affects all of us." Tord pointed out. "You should've consulted us first before doing whatever you feel like doing."
Tom nodded slowly in agreement. "I hate to side with Commie here, but he has a point, Edd." He said. "Some of us aren't too keen on sharing a house with a pet. We live together now. We have to take others into consideration before bringing major changes into the household."
"I for one love it." Matt spoke up. "I think Ringo is adorable. A little stinky and dirty, but cute regardless."
Tord sighed, meeting his friend's gaze. "What's done is done. You adopted the damn cat, now she is yours and only yours." He said. "You will care for her, train her, play with her, feed her, bathe her if needed, and whatever mess she makes in the house will be your responsibility to clean up. I am not going to get involved in this, you hear me?"
Edd bristled. "Fine! If that's how it's going to be, then Ringo is my pet only. But just so you know, I am not allowing her near any of you. Well, except for you, Matt. You're good. Ringo is my cat now, and mine alone."
"Sounds good to me." Tom shrugged.
"So be it." Tord agreed.
Without another word, Edd carried his bags to his room with Matt accompanying him the entire way. Ringo was shivering and mewling pathetically in his pocket.
Before anything else Edd decided to bathe her first. He placed the little scrap in the bathroom sink, and used the anti-flea shampoo to wash all the dirt and grime off her fur, careful so the water temperature was just ideal. When that was over he gently dried her with a towel.
"She's really quite vocal, eh?" Matt said next to him, watching the entire time. He appeared to be just as enamored with the new tiny resident of their house as Edd. "You think she might be hungry?"
"I wouldn't put it past her. I mean, who knows how long she's been out there fending for herself?"
"Poor thing." Matt cooed.
When Edd was finished and satisfied with her cleaning, he grabbed a packet of wet food and poured a little bit inside the bowl he bought for her. The vet had advised to feed her in slow and small doses to make sure she didn't overeat and get sick.
Placing the bowl down, Edd and Matt watched in fascination as Ringo waddled over and munched eagerly on the soft food with small famished bites.
A knock on the bedroom door made the duo lift their heads. It was Tom. "So what will we have for dinner today? I ask because Commie and I are hungry and it is getting late." He said. "If you're too busy looking after her I'm sure I can convince Commie to order something."
"No, it's okay. I can cook in just a moment." Edd spoke up hastily. He was determined to show Tord that Ringo wouldn't be a burden. "Do you guys have anything in mind?"
"Anything is fine with me." Tom shrugged.
"Same here." Matt agreed.
Edd sighed. "So I think I will make us pasta for tonight." Something nice and simple so I won't have to be away from Ringo for too long.
"Sure, sounds great." Tom turned away and left.
"Okay, Ringo, I'll be right back to feed you some more." Edd told his cat softly, kneeling on the floor. "In the meantime, I got some toys to keep yourself busy while I'm gone."
From his grocery bags he pulled out a vast assortment of cat toys he thought she'd enjoy, but unfortunately most of them were too big for her to reach or required his help to play with. On top of that, Edd wasn't sure keeping her in his room was safe for her. Not that he had any sharp or dangerous objects around, unlike Tord, but he hadn't baby proofed the bedroom and he was concerned Ringo was going to disappear into some small crevice and get stuck.
For a moment he considered putting her up on his bed, but he didn't want her pooping on his bed sheets by accident.
"I can watch her for you while you're gone." Matt offered, already taking one of the toys to entertain Ringo as she followed the string curiously.
Edd stared at his friend, filled with gratitude. "You will? Thank you!"
"No problem!"
With no time to waste, Edd hurried to the kitchen and got to work.
Pasta was one of the few dishes he was most experienced with cooking on his own, so it really took no time at all to get everything done in less than an hour or so.
"Guys, dinner is ready!"
The days following Ringo's official adoption were rather tough on Edd. He could hardly sleep the first few nights because Ringo would stay up the later hours meowing and running about the room. Dividing his time between the chores around the house and looking after his new cat, he hardly ever left her alone for even one second. He carried her around in his pocket and she would accompany him everywhere. If he went to the supermarket with his friends, he'd take her. Watch TV or play games with his friends? Ringo came along. If any exciting prospect for adventure ever presents itself, you can bet his faithful mascot was participating in the journey!
The whole time, Matt was the only one of his friends that showed any interest in the kitten.
Tom and Tord were distant and couldn't care less about the cat. However, they weren't outright hostile to her either.
One time Edd lost sight of Ringo for a few moments while he was drawing his next gig idea, and when he went looking for her, he found his cat in Tom's room. The eyeless man was playing his bass guitar, trying out a few tunes with Ringo curled up by his foot, mewing with every note he played. It was an endearing sight to behold, and Edd was sure his friend grew just a tad more attached to the house's newest addition. After all, he'd allowed her into his room and was even playing for her!
That had to mean something?
Still, Tom showed no interest in her other than that. He'd pet her on occasion, but other than that he wasn't too emotionally involved.
Tord on the other hand…
The four of them were watching television on the couch, Ringo sprawled on Edd's lap as he caressed her back. They were watching some lame horror movie upon Tord's insistence. Ringo's mews grew louder, and she crawled off Edd's lap and climbed up onto Tord's.
Tord stiffened and looked down at the kitten as she wriggled forward, climbing him. Everyone had stopped paying attention to the movie altogether to stare at Ringo's progress in amazement. He watched, without resisting, as Ringo curled up between his legs.
"Guys… I can't move now." Tord's gaze softened, not taking his eyes off the gray kitten as she kneaded his legs. "Help."
"You're on your own, buddy." Edd beamed. "I think she likes you."
Tord hesitated, but then gently ran one hand over her back and through her soft fur.
After that instance, it wasn't uncommon for Edd to find Tord playing with Ringo in his room, baby talking to her in Norwegian, and even allowing her to perch on his shoulders from time to time claiming 'she likes to be tall'.
In a matter of days, this adorable tiny feline had won over their hearts and established herself as a pivotal member of their group and rightfully earned her place in the household. Adopting Ringo and taking her in was one of the best decision's Edd has ever had in his life, and she is his baby.