Kitten
Somewhere in Greece, The Known World - S4
Xena was glaring at Gabrielle furiously through her side-eye, "you found him on the side of the road?" She said to Gabrielle, who was holding a small kitten very close to her chest. Her finger stroking over the top of his head as he purred quietly.
"I'm thinking of naming him after Perdicas," she replied without a hesitation. They were walking down a road, a long winding path and had been on it for some time now. The kitten was becoming a welcome distraction from the boredom of walking. For Gabrielle anyway.
Xena stopped dead in her tracks and turned to her companion. "You're not thinking of keeping him? Gabrielle we can't have a cat, where will he-"
"You have Argo."
"Yes, and we need Argo to carry our things and be her generally wonderful self," Xena turned round and nuzzled her horse, before turning back to Gabrielle.
"Well Argo still doesn't like me, and anyway, Perdicas could be very handy if we're ever aboard a ship?" Gabrielle really was clutching at straws here.
"Whatever for?"
"To catch mice, boats are infested with all sorts these days." The bard nodded and kept on walking, putting some distance between her and Xena as Perdicas started to wriggle free.
"You hate boats." Xena said to herself, jogging a little to catch up.
A while passed with silence between the two, there was nothing acrimonious between them, just simple stubbornness about the whole kitten situation. "He's only little Xena," Gabrielle said, interrupting the quiet.
"Yes but he's going to grow and run off and you'll be sad. Cats shouldn't be contained." Xena folded her arms, but very aware she was never going to win this argument. She was too soft on Gabrielle, truly the bard could get away with anything if she tugged on her heartstrings for long enough.
"Like you, you mean?" Gabrielle said grinning, holding up Perdicas' small, furry little body and presenting him like he was the king of the jungle. "Look how cute he is? Honestly Xena, I'd understand if you just told me why you have such a grudge against him. I wouldn't agree with you, but I'd understand."
Xena shook her head and then conceded, "I just don't like cats okay, they're little flea-ridden plague pests."
"I think you're overreacting, Perdicas couldn't hurt a fly. And he's fine, see-" she held up the tiny feline for Xena's inspection.
"Okay, I guess he doesn't have fleas, but he's still looking at me funny." She gave the kitten a stare.
"He's going to love you, just like I do." Gabrielle said cheerily, clutching him back to her chest and continuing down the path. And Xena smiled, finally accepting that she was going to be letting Gabrielle win from now on. And that the kitten was staying. And that she was not the only thing taking up Gabrielle's attention. She wasn't best pleased about that last one. But to see her blonde happy, meant she could put up with it.