Cats and Dogs – Overheard
For safety reasons and through design, the vents of Kat's lab go up through to the lobby. In essence, nothing dangerous can get up there, and you can only hear really loud things from them, like screams of terror, or explosions. That is, unless you are Commander Cruger, in which case you could hear a ladybug farting down there.
So, when Cruger hears Boom pestering Kat about something he pauses, hoping the young man isn't bothering Kat too much (he has the power to put a stop to that, you know). He considers that he might look odd just standing in the middle of the lobby, but he wants to hear this.
"Come on, Kat, admit!" Boom says joyously.
"Boom, there is nothing to admit!" Kat persists, finding Boom enjoying their quarrel a little too much. "And will you quiet down, I don't want—"
"Don't want Cruger hearing about your little crush on hi—"
"SSSSSHHHHHHHHH! Boom, hush up!" Kat's furious shushing is loud enough for average people to hear, although there's no one around...except Cruger. He can detect the slightly higher not in her voice she gets when she's embarrassed. "I...I don't...hush!"
"You don't just have a little crush on him," Boom's voice reflects a realization. "You're totally in love with him! You're a smitten kitten!"
The sound of Kat throwing something (maybe a clipboard) at Boom is heard. "Boom, you are THIS close to losing your paycheck this week!"
"Kat loves Cruger—Kat loves Cruger," Boom sings happily. "Come on, Kat, everyone knows you love him but him! There's no danger in just admitting it."
"I'm not listening," Kat sighs.
"You're seriously telling me you don't write about him in your diary, or doodle K&C inside little hearts on your physics notes?"
"Boom, I am not a child...and I don't have a diary," Kat says a little quieter now.
"If you did, though, he'd be in it." When Boom is answered with silence he takes it as an admission. "I knew it! Everyone knew it but now I know it too! That's gotta be an indicator to you, Kat: if even I know, it's pretty obvious."
Kat sighs, this time more in resignation than anger. "Yeah, well...it's not that easy."
"Kat, you're one of the bravest people I know, what could be so bad? Boom asks in earnest.
"We're best friends, Boom," Kat's voice drops in volume again and she sounds shy, "what if he doesn't like me like that?"
"You won't know until you ask, will you?" Boom retorts, sounding like the mature one for the first time in his life.
"Ugh, this is stupid; I am not in high school, I am a grown woman, this is ridiculous." Kat's tone is frustrated again and she's probably starting to bite at her claws.
"Yes, yes, it is, because he soooooo obviously loves you too!"
"I'm sorry, what?" Kat asks before Boom can even finish his sentence.
"Duh, Kat, people don't just make this stuff up. He totally likes you too, it's, like, common knowledge," Boom shrugs. Kat spends a couple more seconds shifting nervously and Boom sighs. "Look, either you tell him, or I'll shout it so loud he'll have no choice but to hear it."
"Are you crazy?! I don't need this problem projected for all of the command center to hear, thank you!" Kat's exaggerated whisper becomes more of a hiss.
"Well, then, you go tell him, if he hasn't already overheard this from wherever he lurks when he's not ogling your butt."
Cruger shifts, embarrassed, only because the statement holds an inkling of truth in it.
"Boom!" Kat's voice is so high it's squeaky, meaning she's blushing fiercely.
Cruger chuckles and speeds down to the lab, arriving in two blinks of the human eye without a problem. He enters silently and smiles as Kat tries to wrestle his cell phone from him as he tries to text. Eventually, Kat pounces on him and pries the phone from him, immediately deleting whatever was being typed. Boom looks up and smiles broadly, "Hey, Commander Cruger, how's it going?"
"Very well, Boom," Cruger smiles in return. "Would you...?" Cruger nods at the door.
Boom nods with a wink and scurries out.
As Cruger comes in Kat stands still with her back to him, pretending to be absorbed in the book that's actually a catalogue of weapons images. "Kat?"
"Oh, hi, Doggie, what can I do for you?" She asks and smiles nervously.
"Actually, I wanted your advice on a consult of sorts." His use of professional terms has put her at ease again. "Well, there's a hypothesis that needs testing, but there's no way to get the experiment set up, even though the subject's more than willing. I'd like to get the theory out in the open, but it's a little complicated."
"Well, I'm happy to help, what do you need?" Kat asks easily.
"Is what I overheard upstairs true?"
All the color drains from Kat's already porcelain cheeks, making her speckles stand out more. After a moment its color comes back and then some. She buries her face in her palm as the entirety of her face to red, grumbling in mortification. "What did you hear, exactly?"
"Apparently my dear old friend has quite a crush on me, loves me, in fact, but doesn't think I return her feelings," Cruger is enjoying the adorableness of Kat's attempt to hide from him in her hand. "Know anything about this, Kat?"
Kat grumbles into her hand and still doesn't look at him. "Maybe," she squeaks an octave higher than normal.
"Well, what do you think?" Cruger pushes.
Kat sighs and shifts her hand away from her face, though she still doesn't look up at him. "What you heard...might...be...true."
"I see; well, I must take action at once," Cruger approaches and he watches her tense, ready to run in case things go south. Careful not to spook her, he pushes his nose into her view. When her head moves he moves closer to press his damp nose to her small, cute one. "I must say, this development in the hypothesis is most pleasing, Dr. Manx."
Kat lets out a small giggle and finally looks up at him. "I'm glad I could help attribute to your findings, Commander."
Doggie presses a soft kiss to her perfect pink lips and smiles. "I've never been so happy to overhear something."
Kat bites her lip, heart thudding loudly in her chest and she's sure he can hear it as well as she can. "I guess I have to thank Boom for this."
"Later," says Cruger as he collects another kiss, "later..."
Boom walks through the lobby, satisfied with his matchmaking skills, when he hears various moans, gasps and crashes coming from the lab vents.