Connor had adopted many hobbies to pass the time. He discarded the ones that he found no interest but there were some things he kept around. Even now, he crouches in the backyard and sees the efforts of picking up gardening. Everything in the garden bed he had lined close to the fence was beginning to show little green sprouts. Although there was still a lot more work to be done, Connor felt that he could temporarily satisfied with the growth of his cute little carrots. He feels warm when he takes in their appearance and considers staying out all day to watch their slow growth.
"Connor!"
Perhaps not.
Connor hears Hank call him from outside. His voice suggests that he is in stress.
Connor picks himself up from his crouch and follows Hank's mangled sounds. Once he sees Hank, Connor isn't too worried about the man anymore, because Hank did not look like his life was in peril.
"Get your damned kittens off of me!"
Connor suppresses the urge to snort.
"They like you," Connor observes. He watches the kittens climb up Hank's shirt and remembers how withdrawn they were when he first brought them in. Now they were much more comfortable after Connor being cleaned up and being fed.
"Well I don't like them, so a little help would be appreciated," Hank says, scowling.
"Why can't you take them off yourself?" Connor asks because it would be simple to do so. All Hank would have to do is pluck them off and set them on the floor.
"You don't think I've already tried?" Hank groans. "I put them down and they just find me again and climb up my pants!"
Connor takes pity on his friend and gives a low chuckle. He grabs hold of the mewling kittens that had left Hank's shift full of holes because of their unforgiving claws and bundles them close to his chest. Their mewling did not cease.
"What are you going to do with them anyway?" Hank asks, turning on the television.
"I'm going to find them homes," Connor says but he doesn't know how to go about it. Hank didn't need to know that though.
"Good because they can't stay here," Hank sniffs. "I don't need my workload of taking care of both you and Sumo increase by four."
Connor stares at the lieutenant.
The last thing he recalled regarding his welfare and Sumo's… well… Connor had been taking care of all Sumo's needs. Hank hadn't done anything. Admittedly, he might not have done anything because Connor was doing everything, but it was definitely Connor doing all of the caretaking.
Connor decides not to say anything as Hank continues to watch the television. He retreats to the kitten's new cardboard box and settles them all in. He had put a blanket in there earlier so that they wouldn't be cold. They seemed to take a liking to it. They cuddled into it every time he plopped them back into the box.
"Sorry guys," Connor whispers, "Hank is a grumpy man, immune to all things cute."
"I heard that!" Hank says loud enough for Connor to hear.
Connor ignores him and tucks the kittens in.
He retreats back to the backyard to his garden to tend to all that he can. By the time it's nightfall, he realizes he had stayed out for far too long, and returned to the living room where he meets a strange sight. Hank was asleep on the couch, head arched backward over the edge of the couch, snoring. That wasn't what was strange. What was strange were the kittens cuddled together in his lap, silent, and asleep.
Connor raises a brow.
Did Hank not already express his distaste for the kittens?
How did this come to pass?
"I knew you were a softy," Connor whispers to no one but himself.