Disclaimer: I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.
Warnings: This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. Please exercise understanding of personal sensitivities before and during reading.
Author's Note(s): I know it's been a while since I did anything fic related. I got caught up in school. If y'all are interested, I am accepting prompts through my Tumblr Ask Box. Link to my blog is in my profile and post about prompts is pinned.
Update Note: Just fixing a character name that I apparently misheard. APD sucks.
Challenge/Competition Block:
Stacked with: MC4A (Yr5);
Individual Challenges: Criminal MC (x5); Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion (x3); Ethnic & Present; Zed Era; Fresh Fandom High (Y); New Fandom Smell (Y); Providing Leverage (Y); In a Flash; Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon
Other MC4A Challenges (Prompt): Chim [Irklan](Brushing; Protection; Gold); Hunt [Sp WD](Autism);
Representation: Nate Ford; Autistic Parker; Leverage Team
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenge(s): Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Persistence Still; White Dress; Pocky Pockets; Wabi Sabi
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Tether)
Word Count: 623
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Strays
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"What is that?" Nate asked after coming down the stairs from his bedroom. The team had taken over his loft again. He had given up trying to keep them out, true, but it would have been nice if they would at least pretend to have boundaries. Still. It wasn't bad to wake up to coffee and breakfast already made most of the time. Having central place to meet also helped when they were in the middle of a job and admittedly, an apartment was more discreet than an office.
He was still a little peeved that Hardison had brought the building, but even that had benefits given their proclivities.
"It's a cat," Parker answered as she traded off bites of cereal with the creature sitting on his kitchen island. Perhaps more surprising than the bedraggled beast in his apartment was that the cereal was Cheerios rather than the sugary kid-themed cereals that Parker usually ate for breakfast unless Eliot convinced her otherwise.
"I can see—" Nate cut himself off as he spotted Sophie pursing her lips behind Parker's back and giving him a slight shake of her head. Right. Parker doesn't understand figurative meanings. "I meant, why is there a cat in my apartment?"
"They needed a bath and your place was closest."
Nate squinted at the cat, really taking it in for the first time. Its orange and black long hair was choppy, even cut close to the skin in places, but sure enough, it was clean. As if sensing his gaze, it turned its golden eyes towards him. Then it dismissed him with a flick of one speckled ear and turned back towards the spoonful of milk that Parker was holding out for it.
"I'm not certain if the cat should have that," Nate tried instead. Before Parker or Sophie could say anything, there was a bustle of activity as Hardison and Eliot arrived with armfuls of reusable shopping bags. Distractedly, Nate finished his thought as the guys started unloading the bags. "I don't think milk is actually good for cats."
"It's not," Hardison chimed in. He approached Parker with a double-sided cat brush in one hand and a can of compressed air in the other. He handed the brush to Parker who had finished off the leftover milk from her cereal by then. "Cats are lactose intolerant." Hardison shrugged as he leaned against the island. "But then, Eliot has been stocking your fridge with lactose-free dairy for the last month, so we're all good."
"Wait, what?"
"Hardison," Eliot growled. "You weren't supposed to tell him."
"Skipping over why Eliot is stocking my fridge-"
"Because otherwise it's empty," Eliot interrupted. Nate narrowed his eyes at the man. Eliot held his hands up briefly in surrender before going back to pulling fish fillets out of the bag.
"Why lactose-free?"
Sophie, Eliot, and Hardison all exchanged looks. Parker didn't, but probably because she was busy brushing the cat with the detangling side of the brush. Nate rubbed a hand over his face, debating if there was any way to postpone this conversation until after he had either coffee or a drink.
"You're gassy when you've had milk," Parker said when no one else seemed to want to speak. She continued brushing the cat. "And then you get cranky. Well, crankier than normal. So Eliot started swapping out what he got you. I like the new kind. They're better."
"I don't—I'm not—" Nate cut himself off abruptly because Sophie was not giving him a very unimpressed look. He sighed in defeat and decided to change the topic. "What are you going to call it?"
"Alley," Parker answered happily. "It's where I found them. It's a good name."
Alley purred in agreement.
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An Ending
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