Archive of Our Own ^beta

"I thought that room might have been for the cat," Tandri said, one of her eyebrows canting itself up as she smiled.

It was a sort of gentle teasing that invited Viv to laugh along, the kind that was the furthest thing away from being laughed at; it was the sort of smile that, normally, Viv would've leaned in to steal a kiss from. At the moment, however, they had a more pressing problem. "Amity," she said, trying to strike a properly friendly, negotiating tone, "who are your friends?"

"Mrrr," said Amity, from where she lay sprawled atop what was nominally Tandri's bed. "Hrrp," said the chorus of ten-- eleven? other cats of various sizes arranged in a wild, furry patchwork around her.

"Not her kittens, are they-- do you think?" Viv asked under her breath.

Tandri shrugged, leaning around Viv's shoulder in the doorway to take a better look. "I don't think so? They look like grown cats to me-- regular ones."

"In that case, Tandri is going to need her room back," Viv told the assembly.

Tandri's hand slipped into hers. "...at some point," she added. "I don't mind sleeping over again... if that's all right with you."