“One in the same,” Battle replied, reaching a long arm to the cat and further extending a long finger.
Greystoke sniffed it then butted his head against it.
Battle started scratching behind his ears.
“I haven’t met him yet,” I said. “He’s so chonky.”
“He’s around Prue the most, and she has copious cat treats stashed throughout The Downs, so he’s usually the beneficiary of those.”
“Hence why he sticks close to Prue,” I deduced.
“Hence, that,” he replied, his voice shaking with humor.
Greystoke took a chance and came closer to cuddle with us, doing this at my hip.
Which meant I got to start stroking.
Oo, his thick fur was so soft!
“Fuck,” Battle grunted.
“What?” I asked.
“Grey is here, and that means we can’t move until he’s gone. Am I right?”
I bit my lip.
He read that as what it was.
An affirmative to his question.
As such, he griped, “To use your terminology, a sucky part of all that’s completely and utterly wonderful about you, is that you refuse to disturb a content animal.”
“They never stay long.”
“Mm.”
“And I just met him,” I added.
He said nothing.
He also didn’t move, because I was stroking Greystoke, and I didn’t want him to.
White gold.
Clicked in.
My guy.
“You know, I had the weirdest feeling before I turned into the drive at The Downs,” I informed him. “It was kind of like before you go into a haunted house. You’re scared, but you’re excited. I don’t know what that shit was about.” Haunted ballroom notwithstanding, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “I just know my vibe-o-meter was malfunctioning, because turning into your drive was the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.”
“Vibe-o-meter?”
“You get what I’m saying.”
“I do, and a very not sucky part of what makes you so attractive is that you’re an unabashed loon.”
I grinned proudly. “I am that.”
