MHA #6, Tuesday Morning

[firstofitskind]

At some point during the night, Liam had gone from small and furry and curled up on one corner of the bed (and yet still somehow taking up half of the space), to human-sized and no longer furry and curled around Verity.

Being a cat had been... interesting. But it was nice to be back in his own skin.

He figured since breakfast had been so rudely interrupted last time, he ought to give it another try. So once again there were pastries, and coffee being made, and Liam was sitting at the kitchen table as his own cup of tea steeped.

[ooc: for the giiiiirlfriend.]

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[firstofitskind]

"Hey, they're your family's mice," Liam pointed out. "You should know from normal when it comes to what they get up to."

[arboreal_priestess]

To be fair, they were pretty bloodthirsty for mice, too.

"I'm sure there will be new regalia now for me to admire, so thank you for that, Liam," Verity sighed, trying to sound put out.

She was far too amused to really make that work.

[firstofitskind]

"I'm the worst," Liam agreed cheerfully, leaning over to give Verity a quick peck on the cheek. "But you like me anyway."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Normally, I'd try to deny it," Verity said, heaving a heavy sigh. "But there's canned tuna and catnip tea in my house now, so you may have a point."

[firstofitskind]

"It happens sometimes," Liam said. "But seriously though, thanks for... looking after me, I guess." Sure, he probably could have taken care of himself just fine, but knowing Verity had his back even when something as strange as turning in to a cat happened was... well.

It was nice.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Well, of course," Verity said, sliding into his lap and smiling down at him. She ran her hand through his hair. "I wasn't just gonna let you wander around. You're too pretty, someone would have catnapped you in a heartbeat."

[firstofitskind]

Liam snickered.

"I think Kaidan might have been tempted," he shared. "Before he figured out I was most likely a person, not just a regular cat."

[arboreal_priestess]

"And I would have had to go fight to get you back and I hear most laws say I'm not supposed to shoot people just because they've stolen my boyfriend," Verity said. "Even if he is a cat at the time."

[firstofitskind]

"And that would've looked pretty bad considering I'm part of what passes for law enforcement on this island," Liam replied with a smirk.

[arboreal_priestess]

"It would just be pretty terrible all around," Verity said with a solemn nod. "Probably best I kept you close, where you could be spoiled and feted by my mice, which isn't a weird thing to say at all."

[firstofitskind]

"What, you don't like that we get along so well?" Liam asked, his tone oh-so-innocent.

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity leaned in, expression over-the-top suspicious. "I don't trust it," she told him, sounding like a bad cop in a cheesy drama. "I am pretty sure you lot are up to something."

[firstofitskind]

"Oh no," Liam said, eyes going comically wide. "You're on to our shenanigans."

[arboreal_priestess]

"Damn right I am," she declared, stealing a kiss since she was already up in his face anyway. "Always knew you were a troublemaker, Kincaid."

[firstofitskind]

"And what's that say about you, huh, that you're dating a known troublemaker?" he teased.

[arboreal_priestess]

"That I'm keeping a family tradition alive," Verity said with a laugh. "I'm sure you've heard about all of my various great-grandmothers by now."

[firstofitskind]

Liam nodded. "It's not like there was much else to do during the days except listen."

Which was a weak excuse, since he also spent plenty of time listening to what the mice wanted to share while not a cat.

[arboreal_priestess]

"And the weeks before you were a cat?" Verity asked because she knew you, Liam.

[firstofitskind]

"Uh," Liam scrubbed one hand through his hair. "Well," he said after a moment. "It... might sound kind of weird?"

[arboreal_priestess]

"Liam, you're in a house with talking mice, where you trip over five different weapons just leaving the bed, and there's a kill-on-sight order for Tooth Fairies," Verity drawled. "I think I can handle a little weird."

[firstofitskind]

"I suppose," he admitted, with a sheepish smile. "It's just- I've said before, I find what they have to say is interesting. And it's because you have this actual, living connection to your history, your family." The sort of connection he'd never had, genetic memories or no.

[arboreal_priestess]

"My family is part of everything I do," Verity said softly, understanding. "It's part of me. And the mice make sure it never fades or dies."

[firstofitskind]

"I like it," Liam said, leaning forward and placing a light kiss on her collarbone. "I like that you have that."

[arboreal_priestess]

Verity smiled at him. "Me too," she said. "For us...the family is all we have. It's all that we can trust."

In a world that was literally trying to kill them, family was what enabled them to not just survive, but keep going.

[firstofitskind]

Liam considered that. "Do you trust me?" he couldn't help but wonder.