Chapter Text
“Oh Isabela, wake up! I have something to show you." Merrill was bubbling with excitement, crawling beside Isabela who was sprawled out across the bed they shared.
“Kitten…” Isabela quietly groaned, turning over onto her stomach. The sheets that covered her, slipped from her movement, leaving her brown shoulder bare. Merrill moved closer, pressing her nose against the naked shoulder. Her fingers found their way beneath the sheet, and traced over the small dip of Isabela’s lower back. Like the feline Isabela so affectionately called Merrill, Isabela’s body reactively pressed up into Merrill’s delicate fingers. “It’s hardly light out. What is it that you feel is so urgent to show me before the sun has fully risen?”
“You wouldn’t believe, Isabela.” Merrill said, doing her best not to be too loud until Isabela had fully woken up. “I woke up too early this morning, and when I couldn’t go back to sleep, I took a walk so that I wouldn’t bother you. I didn’t want to wake you up you see. I mean, I have now, but it would have been even earlier if I had woken you up then.”
Resigning to the fact that she would not be getting anymore sleep, Isabela turned over to her side, and propped herself up on her arm. She yawned, lazily raking her hand through her thick, wavy hair that stuck out in all places after a long night.
“So tell me, what happened on this walk?” Isabela asked, tiredly pulling Merrill closer to her body.
“Right. So I woke up this morning and went for a walk, yes? Well, as I was making my way back here, I came across this box. And from this box I heard this scratching and these sad little noises that sounded like….Oh, I should just show you.” Merrill said, untangling herself from Isabela.
Isabela stopped her, holding her by the arm so that she could lean up and gently kiss Merrill’s forehead.
“Alright. Now you can go on. Fetch me this box, and we’ll see what has you so excited.” Isabela purred, leaning back with her eyes on the ceiling, following the few cracks that might do good to be looked at. “You we’re even this excited when I let you tie me up last night. So this must be good.”
Merrill giggled nervously, her face turning a bright shade of red. The night before was the last thing she needed to think about. Creators, she had been so silly and didn’t even tie the rope tight enough, and yet Isabela just guided her long, smiling at her with that encouraging life-filled smiled. She was off-track. The box. She rushed out of the room, and went to grab the box that she left at the front door.
She looked down, a trio of a pair of eyes looked back up at her, clawing at the box and mewing.
“Aww, don’t worry. There’s no way Isabela will say no.” She cooed, reaching in to gently rub between a pair of ears. Distracted as she was, her foot caught on a piece of clothing from the previous night right as she entered into the bedroom, and lost her balanced tumbling forward. Thankfully, the bed was right there. She landed on the bed, and the box landed safely on it’s side. Out of it, three kittens poured out, stepping curiously onto the blankets.
Isabela eye’s widened, first trying to help Merrill up and then focusing on the furry guests in the room.
“Kitten...kittens? Really, my dear?” She sighed softly, scooping up a black kitten with white socks and a white patch that extended from his neck to his chest. She brought it up to eye level, laughing softly as it reached out and gently pawed at her nose. “Are we taken up Ander’s customs now?”
“Isabela, I couldn’t just leave them there. They were shivering, and alone. Probably no mother.” She said, smiling as a orange stripped tabby crawled into her lap. She stroked it gently before leaning down to kiss it. The small kitten stretched it’s neck and booped it’s cool nose to the tip of hers. “I thought maybe we could keep to and give the other one to Anders. He said he was looking for a tabby. I think he would like this one. Then we could name the black one Socks, and the grey one hiding over there….Her name should be…”
Isabela leaned over, resting her head on Merrill’s shoulder. She was not even the least surprise that Merrill had already thought this through.
“...Lady Claymore or...Cinderfur. Maybe Smoky? Oh!” Merrill gasped, reaching to pick up the grey kitten, the smallest of the litter. “What about Ash? I like Ash.”
“I was thinking more like Pebble. Considering how tiny she is. Just like you. Small things you two are.” Isabela said affectionately.
Her entire face brightening, Merrill beamed at Isabela giving her a series of thankful pecks to her full lips.
“So we are keeping them then? You don’t mind?” Merrill asked, delighted at the thought of owning her own pet with girlfriend. It sounded so...domestic. So official. Yes, these are our children. Merrill giggled, kissing Isabela again.
“Yes, well… Cats are always a good thing to have around a ship. Keep the mice out of the food and your beds.” Isabela sighed, scritching gently beneath the grey kitten’s neck. “And it’ll be a good reminder of what I return to whenever I’m out on sea.”
Merrill bit her lip, smiling helplessly as Isabela met her eyes.
“Me?”
“Yes you.” Isabela laughed, running her fingers up Merrill’s shoulder. Her fingers caught at the nape of her neck, laced between the ends of Merrill’s dark hair and pulled her in for a deeper kiss. “My favorite kitten of all.”