A drabble for day 15′s Julance prompt that became Klancey. I just can’t resist making them happy together.
Hope you enjoy!
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Lance takes his cat for walks.
It started off as a joke by his sister. Red is beauty incarnate…in Lance’s eyes. He does understand why others struggle to see it. When he was seventeen, he’d heard crying from an alleyway on his way home from school, only to find a starving, mangy cat scrabbling against the lid of a dustbin. Immediately, he fished her out, unperturbed by the scratches he received in return.
His arms were red with the raised welts for days. Hence her name.
He’d thought at first when he’d taken her to the vet, she was an old cat; on her last legs and abandoned. But after an examination, the vet informed them she was only around a year old, but a year of living off scraps without care had made her seem far older.
Lance loved her before they even left the vet’s office, probably loved her from the moment she stared up at him with her bright yellow eyes from the bottom of the bin. So when no owner could be found, his mother relented and allowed him to keep her.
Even after all the love and care he and his family could muster, Red still didn’t ever quite stop looking like a stray. Her fur grew in patches, a scar over her left eye making it difficult for it to open fully. Added to her tendency to sit underneath cars and get covered in grease, she seemed to be permanently dirty.
(On meeting her for the first time, Pidge had asked with delight why he had the cat from Pet Sematary. Red seemed to have taken that as a compliment, for despite Lance’s protests, she loved Pidge more than any of his friends).
Five years later and Red is now queen of his small apartment, surveying all beneath with a pleased glance. Therein lies the problem, though. Unlike when he lived with his parents, there isn’t much space for a cat to roam outside, his apartment situated on a main road. Red tends to only leave to do what’s necessary, but otherwise just stares at Lance as if to say ‘do you seriously want me to go out in this?’
Unfortunately, it’s causing her health issues. And while to Lance she is always his beautiful Princess, the vet seems to think otherwise. So when Veronica jokingly said he should take her out on a lead, Lance thought he’d give it a try. And only partly to annoy his sister.
Weirdly though, Red loves it. He assumed she would be offended by his attaching the lead to her collar, but she doesn’t seem to mind; happy to stroll where he guides and glare at passing people, cars and runners. He secretly thinks she feels she’s taking him for a walk, or at least allowing him the pleasure of her company. She does look regal every time they stop, Lance having to document each and every trip out.
His instagram is basically a dedicated page to Red at this point. He thinks she’d probably say ‘as it should be.’
It’s while they are strolling through a park that the dog appears. Well, it can barely be called a dog, it’s huge. Lance is pretty certain wolves aren’t allowed in parks, but as that thought occurs, the dog-wolf notices them. Or more specifically, Red. It’s ears perk up and it runs straight for them, Lance grimacing at the speed.
He tugs on Red’s lead, hoping to spur them away long enough for it’s owner to find the dog-wolf and take it away. Assuming it has an owner, it did materialise as if from nowhere, and it’s size is so vast it could be wild for all Lance knows about dogs.
Red responds to Lance’s tug by sitting down.
“Red, noo don’t be stubborn come on,” he hisses, trying again as the dog nears.
He’s a second away from scooping up his cat, scratches be damned, when the dog slows down. He blinks as it changes seamlessly from a bounding gallop to a trot as it reaches them. Then, it sits down opposite Red, before lowering itself into its front paws, almost as if it’s bowing. Red stays exactly where she is, staring at the dog.
“What the hell?” Lance says to himself.
Has his cat hypnotised a dog? Enchanted it into obeying her? Does he now by proxy, own a wolf? Just as he’s marvelling at what’s occured, a shout reaches his ears.
“Kosmo! I’m so sorry, he broke his lead it’s-”
The person trails off and Lance just stares. For this dog-wolf apparently does have an owner. A cute owner. Dark unruly hair in a hasty ponytail; probably asque from running after ‘Kosmo,’ pieces slipping away to fall into his face. He’s dressed in a bright red hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans, a brightly coloured lead with hippos all over it clutched in his hand. His nails are painted a dark mauve colour, and he’s biting his lip in concern as he approaches.
Lance swallows, the way the man worries at his lip far too distracting, and stares at him, who in turn stares at the scene before him. Then, he looks up, and Lance has to force himself to not make any sort of unexpected noise at the intense purple-grey eyes that meet his own.
“Are you walking a cat?” the stranger says, looking entirely confused.
“Are you walking a wolf?” Lance counters, wondering why he’s suddenly trying to match this stranger word for word.
However, the man just smiles, and it’s a good look on him; lightening his whole face and makes Lance want to step closer, see that smile in minute detail.
“He’s part wolf and…yeah. But he likes to break free,” he says, holding up the snapped lead.
“Want some help fixing it?” Lance offers, although he has no idea how he’ll be of any use.
But his words cause the man to flush ever so slightly, a tiny pinking to his cheeks as he nods.
Lance grins. “I’m Lance, and this is Red,” he says, gesturing to his cat who still sits primly, staring up at them.
The man smiles at nods at Red, who blinks once in reply. Lance is certain it’s on purpose.
“I’m Keith, and this is Kosmo,” he says, then steps closer to his dog, showing Lance the break they need to fix.
And as Lance bends down to take a look, he sees Red pointedly tip her head at him; definitely her version of ‘you’re welcome.’
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