Work Text:
Buck has always loved animals. He smiles at dogs when he meets them on the street. He also pets them whenever he gets the chance to. Buck thinks that coming home to a dog with a wagging tail would be pretty amazing. But he also wouldn’t mind a cat or a bird or any kind of pet, really.
A lot of his childhood friends had pets. His parents never got any. Too much work, too much trouble, too expensive.
Now, as a firefighter, Buck is never sure if he should get a pet, since neither he nor Tommy are home a lot.
But he does think it might be nice to have a pet in the future. Someday.
Buck didn’t know that “someday” would come so soon when there’s a fire at a farm and he fishes a screaming kitten out of an already smoking heap of hay.
Thick smoke is still rising up from the charred remains of the barn. Fortunately, neither humans nor animals were harmed. Quick thinking and acting saved a lot of lives today.
Buck looks at the saved kitten, making sure she’s alright. Underneath a thin layer of soot, her fur is white. She looks like a little fuzzy marshmallow.
And … she just won’t let go. Her little claws are digging into the thick fabric of his turnouts and she keeps rubbing her face there, making little pitiful noises. Buck looks down at her, amused. She’s so cute. But he clearly has to hand her over to someone. He already asked around, trying to find an owner. But no one wants to claim the white ball of fur.
“Cats just live here,” one of the farmers tells Buck, shrugging. “They sleep in the barns and hunt the mice. Sometimes they multiply and sometimes a few of them are driven over by a car. Nature balances itself, you know?”
“Sure,” Buck mutters, glancing at the kitten which looks up at him with wide-open blue eyes. He swallows and chuckles nervously. “Uh. Marshmallow. You really have to let go now, ok? Maybe your mother is somewhere around, huh?”
The kitten just rubs her head against his chest again, purring.
“Looks like this cat is going home with you,” Chimney says with a grin.
Buck perks up, eyes widening. “What? Uh. No. I can’t, I …”
“Cats choose their family,” Hen chimes in, smiling. “Seems like this one made her choice.”
“I …,” Buck turns to Bobby, begging him with his eyes to save him. But Bobby just laughs and says, “Congratulations, Buck. You’re a father.”
Buck sighs. When he looks down into those eyes again, he realizes he’s ready to admit defeat. For now. “Come on, Marshmallow. We’re going home.”
When Tommy comes home, Buck is sitting on the couch and Marshmallow is lounging on one of his knees like a little white Queen. He washed the soot off, brushed her fur and gave her some water as well as cheese. He really has to buy some proper cat food.
Tommy stops and stares at the picture in front of him, clearly astonished. Buck smiles weakly. He gestures at Marshmallow, who looks at Tommy attentively and with her ears pointed towards him, but remains sitting on Buck’s knee confidently, licking one of her paws, probably chasing after the taste of cheese. “Yeah. So … this happened.”
Tommy blinks. “Ev. Why is a tiny white cat sitting on your leg?”
Buck clears his throat, stroking down the arch of Marshmallow's back. “That’s Marshmallow. We got called to a farm fire and I saved her. She apparently decided I’m her new Dad now.”
“Marshmallow. You called a cat Marshmallow?!” Tommy asks, raising his brows.
Buck shrugs. “I couldn’t think of anything else. She’s small, white and looked a little burnt before I washed her. But … We can still re-name her right?”
“You want to keep her,” Tommy says. It’s not a question.
Buck swallows. He looks at Marshmallow and can feel the love for her blooming in his chest. “Yeah. What do you think?”
Tommy tilts his head and approaches the couch. “I’m more of a dog person. But cats are fine, I guess. Hey there,” he smiles at Marshmallow and carefully reaches out to pet her. Marshmallow ducks her head and makes a hissy noise, her claws piercing Buck’s jeans and stinging like little pinpricks.
Tommy frowns, pulling his hand back. “I don’t think she likes me,” he says and sounds disappointed.
“Give her a few hours,” Buck says, amused. “She just got here. I'm sure she's going to get used to you soon enough."
Turns out Marshmallow doesn’t want to leave Buck’s side at all. She follows him everywhere on her small paws, her tail raised and butt wiggling while she hurries to keep up with his steps.
When he goes to the bathroom and closes the door, Marshmallow sits outside, meowing in a demanding way and scratching at the door.
When he goes to bed, Marshmallow sits on the floor and meows until he picks her up and she can snuggle up against him, purring. A small, soft, warm ball of fur.
“Okay. I‘m definitely starting to feel jealous now,“ Tommy mutters, kissing Buck’s neck and glancing at the cat.
Whenever Tommy tries to touch Marshmallow, she ducks and looks up at him sceptically. At least she doesn’t hiss anymore. Still, Tommy sulks over the fact that Marshmallow is so focused on Buck and Buck tries to convince him it’s just a matter of time.
Then, two days after Buck became a cat Dad, he comes home after going to the grocery store for some cat food as well as proper bowls for Marshmallow. He opens the door and is greeted by silence. When he walks into the living room, he stops and has to keep himself from laughing.
Tommy is taking a nap on the couch. And curled up on his evenly rising and falling chest, is little Marshmallow, also fast asleep.
Buck takes a picture with his phone and leaves the room on tiptoes, with a smile on his face.
They’re both cat Dads now.