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Oct. 23rd, 2009 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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loony_moony's birthday, and she asked for J2 and kittens, and I guess I thought that was not sufficiently schmoopy, because I also decided to make it kidfic. So, Men With Kids 'verse, Nate gets a kitten.
"I have a proposition," says Nate.
"That vocabulary's gonna get you beat up someday, kiddo," says Jared, sighing. Jensen pokes him in the side.
"It is not," says Nate. "I don't say that to my peers."
"You're eight," says Jared. "You don't have peers. You have friends, classmates, and people with cooties."
"Your dad's an idiot," says Jensen. "What's up, Nate?"
"I'm mature, right?"
"More than he is," says Jensen, grinning at Jared.
"Shut up," says Jared.
"I think it's time," Nate continues, very seriously, "that I get some responsibility."
"Responsibility?" asks Jared.
"I want a kitten."
"A kitten?"
"I like kittens," says Nate. "I think a kitten is a good first pet. I wouldn't have to walk it, and it's the summer, so we'd have a lot of time to get it acclimated before I have to go back to school. I think a kitten would be a really good first pet." He smiles. "I wrote a list of additional reasons here."
Nate presents them with a page he clearly ripped out of his journal, written in large, messy script.
Reasons Nathan Oliver Padalecki Would Be a Good Cat Owner:
1. Responsible.
2. Caring.
3. Good at measuring, so the kitten doesn't get fed to much.
4. Likes animals.
5. Would let the kitten sleep in my bed if it wanted.
6. Can make toys instead of buying them to save money.
7. Paul has a puppy and Greg has two cats and a dog and we don't have anything.
Jared bites back a snort, and Jensen elbows him in the ribs.
"That's a very good list, Nate," says Jensen, all kindergarten teacher.
"We'll think about it," says Jared.
*
Of course, Jared loves animals, and Jensen is a pushover, so within a week, they're visiting shelters and looking at craigslist. In general, Jared likes rescue animals, but he gets that Nate is, no matter how mature, eight, and very interested in having a kitten, because kittens are cuter than cats. So it's pretty much an amazing blessing when they get to the third shelter and there's a litter of tiny little rescue kittens that Nate falls in love with at first sight.
His clear favorite is a gray tabby with white paws and a white belly, who bats at Nate's fingers happily when he starts cooing over her. The shelter worker tells them her name is Adelaide and her mother was brought to them during her pregnancy. Most of the kittens have been spoken for, which makes Nate look like Christmas has just been canceled and he'll be getting no presents for his birthday either, but the girl assures him that Adelaide is still up for adoption.
"You won't be able to take her home for another week," says the girl, "but if you'd like to reserve her--"
"Please?" says Nate. He's cradling Adelaide carefully in his arms, just the way the girl told him to, and the kitten is purring contentedly. "Please? I'll take really good care of her and get all the right food and play with her every day and--"
"We'll take her, yeah," says Jared, grinning at Nate.
The shelter girl gives Nate a string and lets him play with Adelaide while Jared gets the paperwork.
"If you'd like," says the girl, in a low voice so Nate can't hear, "it can be helpful to visit a few times, to get the cat used to you. It makes for an easier settling process."
Jensen smiles. "I think we could probably bring him back a couple times."
"He's gonna be begging every day."
"First pet?" asks the girl, looking charmed.
"Yep. He begged and begged."
"They always do. I can give you a list of things you should pick up before she gets there, that should also keep him busy."
"Thanks so much," says Jared, flashing her a grin. "That'd be a huge help."
They leave kittenless, but Nate is fortified by the idea that he'll be able to come back and visit Adelaide, and by the prospect of setting the house up just right for her.
*
"Do I need to cover the outlets?" asks Nate.
"What?" asks Jared. He's sort of trying to work, but Nate's running around kitten-proofing, which is way more interesting.
"When I was little you covered the outlets so I couldn't get in them."
"That's cuz you had fingers," says Jared. "Cats don't have fingers."
"Oh," says Nate. "Okay."
"How about we go to the store and pick this stuff up," Jensen suggests. "Let your dad get some work done."
"Can we get a big scratching post?" asks Nate.
Jensen checks the list. Jared knows it's not on there, but Nate looks ridiculously excited by the idea, so Jared is not at all shocked when Jensen says, "We'll see." Jensen is such a pushover.
"Have fun doing awesome stuff while I'm slaving away," Jared says, with a grin to let Nate know he doesn't mind.
Jensen leans down and kisses him quickly. "Have a good day at work, sweetie," he says.
"Jerk," Jared replies, beaming.
*
They pick up Adelaide the first day they're allowed to, of course, and she howls the whole way home in the car in her carrier, but Jensen manages to convince Nate that this doesn't mean the correct answer is to take her out of it.
"It's like you wearing your seat belt," says Jensen reasonably. "You don't always like it because you can't move around everywhere, but if you weren't wearing it, it'd be dangerous."
When they get inside, Nate puts the carrier down and sits down next to it, opening the door and watching the kitten nervously pad out into the house. He seems riveted and scared, like he thinks Adelaide will not approve of the house and they won't be able to keep her.
Jensen puts an arm around Jared's waist and leans against him. "You're such a pushover," he says fondly.
Jared smiles as Adelaide hesitantly butts her head into Nate's hand and lets him scratch behind her ears. "Shut up."
loony_moony's birthday, and she asked for J2 and kittens, and I guess I thought that was not sufficiently schmoopy, because I also decided to make it kidfic. So, Men With Kids 'verse, Nate gets a kitten."I have a proposition," says Nate.
"That vocabulary's gonna get you beat up someday, kiddo," says Jared, sighing. Jensen pokes him in the side.
"It is not," says Nate. "I don't say that to my peers."
"You're eight," says Jared. "You don't have peers. You have friends, classmates, and people with cooties."
"Your dad's an idiot," says Jensen. "What's up, Nate?"
"I'm mature, right?"
"More than he is," says Jensen, grinning at Jared.
"Shut up," says Jared.
"I think it's time," Nate continues, very seriously, "that I get some responsibility."
"Responsibility?" asks Jared.
"I want a kitten."
"A kitten?"
"I like kittens," says Nate. "I think a kitten is a good first pet. I wouldn't have to walk it, and it's the summer, so we'd have a lot of time to get it acclimated before I have to go back to school. I think a kitten would be a really good first pet." He smiles. "I wrote a list of additional reasons here."
Nate presents them with a page he clearly ripped out of his journal, written in large, messy script.
Reasons Nathan Oliver Padalecki Would Be a Good Cat Owner:
1. Responsible.
2. Caring.
3. Good at measuring, so the kitten doesn't get fed to much.
4. Likes animals.
5. Would let the kitten sleep in my bed if it wanted.
6. Can make toys instead of buying them to save money.
7. Paul has a puppy and Greg has two cats and a dog and we don't have anything.
Jared bites back a snort, and Jensen elbows him in the ribs.
"That's a very good list, Nate," says Jensen, all kindergarten teacher.
"We'll think about it," says Jared.
*
Of course, Jared loves animals, and Jensen is a pushover, so within a week, they're visiting shelters and looking at craigslist. In general, Jared likes rescue animals, but he gets that Nate is, no matter how mature, eight, and very interested in having a kitten, because kittens are cuter than cats. So it's pretty much an amazing blessing when they get to the third shelter and there's a litter of tiny little rescue kittens that Nate falls in love with at first sight.
His clear favorite is a gray tabby with white paws and a white belly, who bats at Nate's fingers happily when he starts cooing over her. The shelter worker tells them her name is Adelaide and her mother was brought to them during her pregnancy. Most of the kittens have been spoken for, which makes Nate look like Christmas has just been canceled and he'll be getting no presents for his birthday either, but the girl assures him that Adelaide is still up for adoption.
"You won't be able to take her home for another week," says the girl, "but if you'd like to reserve her--"
"Please?" says Nate. He's cradling Adelaide carefully in his arms, just the way the girl told him to, and the kitten is purring contentedly. "Please? I'll take really good care of her and get all the right food and play with her every day and--"
"We'll take her, yeah," says Jared, grinning at Nate.
The shelter girl gives Nate a string and lets him play with Adelaide while Jared gets the paperwork.
"If you'd like," says the girl, in a low voice so Nate can't hear, "it can be helpful to visit a few times, to get the cat used to you. It makes for an easier settling process."
Jensen smiles. "I think we could probably bring him back a couple times."
"He's gonna be begging every day."
"First pet?" asks the girl, looking charmed.
"Yep. He begged and begged."
"They always do. I can give you a list of things you should pick up before she gets there, that should also keep him busy."
"Thanks so much," says Jared, flashing her a grin. "That'd be a huge help."
They leave kittenless, but Nate is fortified by the idea that he'll be able to come back and visit Adelaide, and by the prospect of setting the house up just right for her.
*
"Do I need to cover the outlets?" asks Nate.
"What?" asks Jared. He's sort of trying to work, but Nate's running around kitten-proofing, which is way more interesting.
"When I was little you covered the outlets so I couldn't get in them."
"That's cuz you had fingers," says Jared. "Cats don't have fingers."
"Oh," says Nate. "Okay."
"How about we go to the store and pick this stuff up," Jensen suggests. "Let your dad get some work done."
"Can we get a big scratching post?" asks Nate.
Jensen checks the list. Jared knows it's not on there, but Nate looks ridiculously excited by the idea, so Jared is not at all shocked when Jensen says, "We'll see." Jensen is such a pushover.
"Have fun doing awesome stuff while I'm slaving away," Jared says, with a grin to let Nate know he doesn't mind.
Jensen leans down and kisses him quickly. "Have a good day at work, sweetie," he says.
"Jerk," Jared replies, beaming.
*
They pick up Adelaide the first day they're allowed to, of course, and she howls the whole way home in the car in her carrier, but Jensen manages to convince Nate that this doesn't mean the correct answer is to take her out of it.
"It's like you wearing your seat belt," says Jensen reasonably. "You don't always like it because you can't move around everywhere, but if you weren't wearing it, it'd be dangerous."
When they get inside, Nate puts the carrier down and sits down next to it, opening the door and watching the kitten nervously pad out into the house. He seems riveted and scared, like he thinks Adelaide will not approve of the house and they won't be able to keep her.
Jensen puts an arm around Jared's waist and leans against him. "You're such a pushover," he says fondly.
Jared smiles as Adelaide hesitantly butts her head into Nate's hand and lets him scratch behind her ears. "Shut up."
