Chapter Text
1.
It was a rainy Tuesday when Q had found it, him, whatever. While London was known for it's altogether terrible weather the rain that day had been particularly dedicated to drowning anyone and anything outside. Which was probably why, in all honesty, that Q took pity on the wretched thing. He'd just come from the Tube, barely a half pace from the last step up from the station, when Q had spotted the cat. It was a mangy thing; all dirty, matted fur dotted with bald patches.
Though Q was under the protection of the overhang outside the Tube entrance, the cat was instead off to the side and directly under the deluge of water. Its ears, a rather unfortunate pair that were too large for the already admittedly large cat, were flattened to its skull. The poor thing looked absolutely miserable. Q shuffled over a bit so that while still under the protection of the coloured sheet metal he was away from the flow of traffic. He sat down on his haunches, forearms resting on his knees, and watched the cat. Beautifully pale eyes stared back at Q.
The young genius tugged his messenger bag around, settling it on his thighs and pulling open the velcro flap. He glanced up at the cat as he worked and found the beast still watching. Its head was tilted slightly to the side in a mimicry of human curiosity, one ear pricked upwards. Q smiled and pulled free what he’d been looking for. He held up the tightly wrapped leftover half of his tuna sandwich.
“Hello there...” With deft fingers Q unwrapped the last of the sandwich and pulled off a piece. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing out in weather like this, hmm?” He scooched forward a bit until he could feel the first few drops of rain against his head. Q extended his hand with the bit of bread and tuna between his fingers towards the cat. “What do you say, come in out of the rain and have some yummy tuna, yeah?”
The cat watched Q’s fingers, eyes flicking back and forth from his face to the morsel of food becoming steadily wetter as it was held out in the rain. The cat didn’t move, though its ears twitched. The Quartermaster held his hand out as long as he could before his arm protested. He sighed and as his hand drooped the cat stood. With careful, measured steps the beast padded from the rain and into Q’s space, its pale blue eyes catching his own. Gently, with excruciating slowness, the feline reached forward and plucked the soggy bread and tuna mixture from Q’s fingers with the tips of its teeth. With a toss of its pale head the cat swallowed the treat and licked its lips.
Then, without preamble, the cat jumped up onto Q’s lap. Q, with the addition of what was likely two stone of soaking feline, lost his balance and fell back onto his rump. Though he managed not to crush his satchel, the brunette’s tailbone was a bit worse for wear from the impact. The cat, matted fur and dirt and all, pressed against Q’s face, purring. The Englishman stuttered out a half-hearted protest before giving up. He laughed when the cat put its paws on both of Q’s shoulders and gently butted its head against Q’s forehead. Q grinned and pressed a gentle kiss to the cat’s face, only then remembering that the heavy ball of purring feline on his lap was indeed a stray and had likely rolled in any manner of disgusting things before Q had met it.
Q sighed, scratching behind one pale ear, and contemplated what to do. His flat didn’t have a policy against pets, though he’d never owned one. But he wasn’t equipped to own a cat, even if the cat in question was content to be his pet. Looking at the broad, scarred body, Q doubted such a beast would be content with being kept indoors and away from juicy prey. He pressed his palms to either side of the cat’s face and tilted it up. Green met blue and he smiled sadly, resigned to leaving the poor thing out in the terrible weather rather than cage it.
“Let me just say, you’re the most handsome beast I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” The purr that elicited was almost obscene in volume. Q laughed. “I very much want to take you home with me, though I don’t think you’d much enjoy being a house cat. You don’t come across as the domestic type.” He stroked one palm down the cat’s back, eliciting another deep, rumbling purr. Q’s smile drooped a bit; he was inordinately upset over losing a companion he hadn’t really even had for ten minutes. “Honestly, I don’t want to leave you out here; you should be somewhere warm with a soft bed, tasty food, and ample amounts of belly rubs.” The feline’s purrs abruptly ended and the pale head snapped up from where it had fallen to press against Q’s chin. The large ears perked straight up and pale blue eyes wide. If Q hadn’t known better he would have sworn the cat was surprised. But, it was only a cat...
“Ah... food?” The cat cocked its head slightly. “Warm bed?” One ear twitched. “...Belly rubs...?” Q yelped as the cat jerked forward, its face nearly pressed to Q’s, and yowled. Loudly. The purring began again, in earnest, and Q laughed. “Alright, alright, you know what belly rubs are. I suppose that means you were someone’s pet at one time, hmm?” He scratched one ear again, his grin having returned. “So how about this, I take you home and you try me out, yeah? If you don’t like me, or my flat, you don’t have to stay; though I really wish you would.” The cat responded by rubbing its face against Q’s again, still purring.
Q laughed and with a bit of effort he stood. The prickle of sharp claws puncturing his parka was worth the feel of the damp, heavy body pressed to the Quartermaster’s chest. Q unzipped his parka and gently coaxed the pale feline inside, zipping it back up once the ball of matted fur was settled. He tugged his umbrella from his satchel and snapped it open.
He looked down, eyes again meeting the pale arctic orbs of the cat, and smiled. “Alright then, home we go!” Q raised his umbrella and stepped into the rain.