#Bobby debating if he can just nope right back outside and drive away

[innytoes]

Winter/X-mas Prompts #7: “If you’re cold they’re cold, let them in.” - “That’s a raccoon.” Luke pairing of your choice

He's neck deep in a song, music and melodies flowing through his brain, out his pen, but the lyrics aren't coming as easily as he would like. His humming and mumbling had long since driven Alex and Bobby away, leaving only Reggie (who was hyper-focussed on trying to make a friendship bracelet for Julie) and Willie behind in the living room.

Willie was fiddling with clay, sculpting tiny little antlers for his latest long furby monstrosity. It was snowing outside, the fake fireplace was going (Alex did not trust them enough to buy a house with a real fireplace, and he was right to), and all in all it would be a perfect cozy afternoon if he weren't stuck on this damn chorus.

"Oh hey," Willie said suddenly, breaking the not-quite-silence-because-Luke-wouldn't-stop-humming-the-same-four-notes. "Kitty's here."

"Hmm?" Luke asked, not looking up from his songbook. Maybe if he swapped the words around, it would be easier to find a rhyme with 'forget'.

"The stray I've been feeding. Don't tell Alex and Bobby." Yeah, Lex and Bobbert were all weird about rabies and fleas sometimes.

"It's freezing outside," Reggie said, worried. "Maybe we should make it like a little box or something, with some warm blankets?"

"If you're cold, they're cold, let them in," Luke muttered, half-remembering some kind of commercial that had been on TV a lot when he was a kid. Yeah, 'forget' worked way better as a final word.

He ignored the chill of Willie opening the sliding door, making cooing noises at the stray cat until it apparently came inside. "Do you want some smoked salmon, baby?" he asked. "Do you want to be a bougie boy? Yes you do!"

With the chorus finished, he could go on to the part where he'd switch off with Julie, maybe with Reggie too. He ignored Reggie whispering excitedly that Kitty was 'just so cute', ignored Willie sitting back down, ignored the little smacking sounds of a cat eating the last smoked salmon and the fact that Alex would probably be annoyed because he was hoping to have it as a snack on some crackers later...

"What the hell is this?"

Speak of the devil. Alex and Bobby had returned home.

"It was Luke's idea!" Reggie and Willie immediately threw him under the bus, which, rude. Even though he had been the one to suggest bringing the cat inside.

"Come on guys," he said, finally looking up from his song book to give a confused Alex and an annoyed Bobby his best puppy eyes. "It's super cold outside, you can't be mad at Willie for taking in a stray and saving it from..." He looked over at where Willie was sitting. On his lap, a raccoon was happily eating smoked salmon, clutching it in its little hands.

"That's a raccoon," he told Willie blankly.

"Yeah," Willie beamed. "Luke, meet Kitty."