(no subject)

[nottheboss]

It's late at night. The corridors aren't quiet; they're full of men and women restlessly trying to sleep in their quarters. Bossie should be one of them. But instead he slips barefoot down the hallway to Carver's room, where he knocks.

"Hey, man, you up?"

Comments

[minuteofangle]

"You know, it just might be. Carver already made breakfast - that's not a bad start, right?"

He sighs as they turn the corner to his and Mancea's room.

"Okay, I gotta warn you. The baby, she's little. But she's getting her teeth in and goddamn does she like to use 'em. They're like little needles, I swear."

[nottheboss]

He laughs. "Why am I not surprised that a kitten raised by you wants to use her teeth for everything? Goddamn." He doesn't mind. He'll wear the wounds with pride.

[minuteofangle]

"Excuse you. You implying I bite people?"

Gabe puffs himself up, mock-offended.

"I'll have you know I'm a gentleman of wealth and taste!"

[nottheboss]

"Oh bullshit, you're a terrier and you know it!" Bossie crows. "And we love that about you, Fifty. You'd bite a guy's throat right out for us and we know it."

[minuteofangle]

That prompts a laugh out of him, more bark than not. He reaches out, feeling for the door and then pushes it open. He and Mancea keep the kitten on a little pillow between them, the way he's heard parents do with babies. During the day, Gabe puts her in the playpen with the other kittens so they can go on maneuvers without risking a kitten getting accidentally squashed, but he likes having her close at night.

"I sure would," he drawls. "You got me, I admit it. Guilty as sin. Come say hi to the little monster - this is Cosita."

[nottheboss]

"Cosita," Bossie echoes, gently following the emphases Gabe places. he wants to get her name pronunciation right. He holds out his finger for her to smell, like he was trained to do with Shaw's dog. "Hi, little lady. Can I hold you?"

[minuteofangle]

The kitten stirs, squeaking and flailing. Her eyes are open, Mancea's said. And she's little, but she's scrappy. Always demanding attention, food, warmth. Whatever she wants, she grabs for. You have to respect that, Gabe thinks fondly.

"You can, she likes that," he replies. "She might hiss at you, but she likes being held. Just give her a minute to get used to you."

[nottheboss]

"I can be careful," Bossie promises, reaching out to the kitten, not offended when she balks at his scent. It takes a while to know who's safe and who isn't, doesn't it?

"C'mere, precious," Bossie murmurs. "You feel like a cat dad yet, Gabe?"

[minuteofangle]

Cosita hisses, squeaks, and then bats at Bossie's finger. Inhaling deeply.

Gabe huffs, elbowing Bossie just because he can. "Weirdly, I do. Suppose it's a given after all the times she's peed on me. But she's the best, you know? I like tucking her under my chin, hearing her purr."

[nottheboss]

"She cuddles? All she's done is try to kill me!" He exclaims, but happily. The kitten is gnawing on his finger and he doesn't even mind.

[minuteofangle]

"She does! She might just chew on you in the middle, is all."

Gabe feels himself softening, tension draining out.

"She's pretty neat, huh?"

[nottheboss]

"Yeah she is." He wiggles his fingers, letting the kitten bite them. "Who knew we all needed kittens so damn bad, huh? I wouldn't have guessed."

[minuteofangle]

“I wouldn’t have, either,” Gabe admits. He pats Bossie on the arm, cycling his tech, and starts hinting around for some real clothes. And shoes. “That’s one good thing Riley did—we wouldn’t have this without him. Try Abe remember that, okay?”

[nottheboss]

"I will." He says, but reluctantly. "Is it that obvious I'm jealous of him?"

[minuteofangle]

“Yeah,” Gabe replies gently, sitting on the edge of the bed so he can change into his work uniform and out of his sleep clothes. “But I pay attention to that kinda thing. I don’t think the others have realized.”

[nottheboss]

"I did a dumb thing. I kissed Carver last night." He flinches, looks at Gabe. "He took it okay. He said someday when he's not so messed up we could do more than kiss. But I shouldn't have done it. Pope wouldn't like it."

[minuteofangle]

Oh, Gabe thinks, his hands stilling for a moment. Then he hums, considering that, and finishes lacing up his boots.

“Probably not,” Gabe agrees slowly. “But do you think Carver wanted to do it?”

[nottheboss]

"I don't know. Does it matter? If Pope's against it..." Then it's like God Himself has spoken.

[minuteofangle]

"Pope was against me and Mancea," Gabe points out gently. He finishes lacing up his boots, tucking the laces neatly inside. "I'm not saying anything against Pope, understand. He's a good leader, he's gotten us through this shit. But he gets caught on shit like we all do. Doesn't mean he's God."

[nottheboss]

He still doesn't know how Gabe managed to get Pope to cave for him and Mancea. Gabe can get away with things no one else can.

"It's just hard to think about defying him," he admits. "He's like a father to us all. It sucks to disappoint him."

[minuteofangle]

"Here's a thought. And just...let it sit with you a minute, kay?"

Gabe tilts his head back, humming a little.

"What if he didn't have to be like your dad?"

[nottheboss]

He thinks about that. "It's hard for me to even imagine. I don't know what he'd be if he wasn't that. After everything he's done for me..."

[minuteofangle]

"Could you try?" Gabe asks gently. "That's all I'm asking, that you think about it."

Try and reframe it ever so slightly.

[nottheboss]

He'll try but it's clear it's a stretch for him. Like asking him to think of the sky as pink.

"What is he to you?"

[minuteofangle]

“My boss. And I respect him, I do. It’s not easy to run this place. I don’t envy the weight of that.”

Gabe hums a little.

“But I had a father, I’m not hurting for another one. So, Pope’s never gonna be that for me.”