Summary: Kittens are horrible beggars. Just ask Eli.

One of the best parts of being a kitten was that his sense of smell was amazing. Hearing too, for that matter. So, naturally, he found out almost immediately when someone was trying to cook or even reheat something.

Tommy leapt down from his spot on the couch to see who was cooking. The answer to that would determine how he was going to beg.

Not if, how.

He peeked his head around the corner, smiling and ears going back a bit as he saw Eli standing beside the microwave, an empty can of soup beside him.

Perfect.

Tommy dashed across the room, launching himself onto the counter. Eli jumped as a kitten landed right in front of him. "Holy shit! Tommy, what the hell? Get down from there."

He blinked as he found himself back on the floor.

Ears falling back, he jumped again. This time he didn't wait, just nosed the can over, licking some of the soup before he was once again deposited on the floor. "You're not allowed on the counter. Go bother Billy if you want to be fed. He's the one with the tuna, remember?"

Well, Mr. Know-it-all, maybe he didn't want tuna again.

The microwaved dinged and Eli pushed him out of the way as he moved his soup over to the table. Steak soup by the smell of it. Eli grabbed his spoon and sat down. He glared down at the innocent kitten on the floor. "You're not getting my soup, Tommy."

Tommy just tilted his head. "Prruup?"

"No." He turned to his soup, taking his first sip.

Now it was time to strike.

Tommy ran over to Eli, jumping on his lap, holding on with his claws. "Aaaaugh, damn it," the spoon fell to the table, soup spilling. Tommy leapt up, quickly licking the soup up. Eli grabbed him around the waist, throwing him onto the floor.

"Stay back over there, Tommy."

Tommy licked his paw.

"This is my soup. Go bother someone else." He glared at Tommy as he took another sip of his soup. After a few spoonfuls he stopped his watch of Tommy.

The next spoonful had Tommy back in Eli's lap, the kitten having climbed up his pant leg.

"Daaugh, stop that." Eli threw him back across the room before he was able to get more soup. But Tommy was not one to be deterred. He heard someone coming down the hall, and smirked.

He knew how he was going to get the soup.

He ran, jumped, and clawed his way into Eli's lap, landing onto the table. "Knock it off!" Eli yelled, picking him up and tossing him out the room.

Only through some clever twisting was he able to avoid hitting Kate in the face. "Tommy?" He picked himself up slowly, playing a small hurt paw. Kate sat down beside him, picking him up as gently as she could. "Eli? What the hell are you doing?" She stormed into the kitchen, glaring at him.

"He's been trying to eat my food. He's clawed me up." Tommy let out a small mew.

"He's just a kitten. Why didn't you just give him a small bowl of it? He needs to eat so he doesn't get sick."

"What? You're taking the little monster's side?" Tommy gave her hand a small lick. She ran a hand across his head.

"Yes, I am taking Tommy's side. He didn't throw you into another room. But if you don't want to share that's fine." She walked out the door, carrying Tommy with her. "I'll get you some soup from my favorite restaurant. Let me pull up their menu and you can tell me what you want."

Eli ran to the door. "Wait, you're ordering out for a monster kitten?" He was flabbergasted.

"Yes, now get back to your soup." Tommy purred as Kate pulled him up to her shoulder, sticking his tongue out at the other.

Victory.