After a long day at work, all Steve wanted to do was get home and relax. But when he opened the front door, he was greeted by the sight of muddy pawprints leading down the hall and up the stairs, and he could even see some on the kitchen counters from where he stood. Sighing heavily, he stepped inside, muttering, "Knew we shouldn't have gotten that cat."

It had been Eddie's idea, and it took him months to wear Steve down. Neither of them had owned a pet before, and it was a huge learning curve. It was like having a small child who didn't understand a word of English except good girl and food. But Eddie adored her, so Steve grudgingly accepted their new houseguest.

This, however, felt like a step too far.

"Eddie!" Steve called, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Where's Leia?"

He didn't get a response, but a thump and muffled curse from upstairs let him know where Eddie was. Stomping up the stairs and following more muddy paw prints, Steve was led to the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. Inside, he could see Eddie kneeling in front of the tub, soaking wet and looking annoyed.

"Look, Steve is gonna be pissed when he gets home, and he'll be like, 'I told you so, Eddie. We should've got a dog.' Okay, so, just hold still and let me clean you… up!" Leia shot between his hands and streaked past Steve, leaving smears of bubbles, mud, and water in her wake. Eddie groaned loudly, caught sight of Steve, and sighed. "Come on then, let me have it."

Steve stepped into the bathroom and knelt down to kiss Eddie's soapy cheek. "You tried."

"Yeah. She's a handful." Eddie smiled and splashed the water. "Suppose I should try and catch her, huh?"

"I think it's a little late for that." Sure enough, Leia's trail ended at the cat flap when they got downstairs. Steve shook his head in amusement and handed Eddie the mop. They got everything cleaned up before, finally, he was allowed to collapse on the couch. Eddie brought him a beer, opting to throw his legs over Steve's as he sat down. Squeezing Eddie's thigh, Steve drank deeply and sighed. "Next time, we're getting a dog."

"That's like getting a bigger cat. More mess."

"More trained."

"Fine. You're cleaning the garden." Eddie leaned in and kissed Steve, rubbing a thumb under his eye. "Early night tonight. You need your beauty sleep."

"Hah, thanks."

"I still love you, even in this horrific state." Eddie laughed, falling back when Steve poked him in the ribs. "Stop it!"

"Then behave." Steve patted his lap, and Eddie smiled, turning around to rest his head there. Combing his fingers through Eddie's damp curls, Steve began to relax. Until their muddy problem rejoined them, hopping onto Eddie's chest and meowing lightly. "Where's that towel?"