"Baby, stay with me for a little longer please." Michael tucked a piece of Embers hair behind her ear.
"I'm trying I really am." Ember yawned sitting up a little straighter. Ember looked at the clock in the car, it read 2:01 am.
"I just wanna go home and snuggle up with Patches and sleep." Ember said out loud. Michael laughed to himself as they drove down a street that's usually light up like there's no tomorrow. Now it was dark and most people were in bed.
"Speaking of Patches." Michael nodded his head out Embers window. Ember looked to see the pet store where they had gotten the calico kitten.
"This is where we got our her," Ember smiled a little. "She's our first pet."
And with that Ember had found one piece to this puzzle.
----flashback---
"Aren't you glad we took this walk?" Ember swung her and Michael's hands back and forth slightly. They walked down a busy street that was lined with different shops and things. The sun was reappearing and disappearing behind the fluffy white clouds that floated along on a bright blue canvas.
"Yes I am," Michael replied. Their first aim for this walk was to find somewhere to eat, but it turned into a 'let's see how far we can walk before getting lost' kind of thing. They had already passed a music store and small bakery. Ember started watching the shops next to them and she noticed a pet store which was located next to a frozen yogurt place. Ember nudged Michael and pointed to the painted windows. They stopped walking.
"Should we go in?" Ember asked him and he looked at her oddly.
"I dunno, do you need to?" Michael asked and she shook her head laughing a little.
"No, just for fun. I always used to beg my parents to take a trip to the pet store when I was little, and I'm feeling a little nostalgic." Ember tipped her head to the side and smiled innocently. Michael laughed at her behavior and walked inside the store with Ember in front of him. They walked along an aisle full of fish tanks.
"Why do you like pet stores?' Michael wondered as he turned and noticed he was eye level with a tank filled with fish that resembled Dory from Finding Nemo. He laughed to himself as he thought of that.
"I like adorable animals, and I have nothing against snakes." Ember shrugged turned around to face Michael before noticing a tank that had hermit crabs in it next to her. She was admiring the painted shells when Michael walked up next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist from the side.
"Nothing against snakes?" Michael laughed a little and Ember shurgged.
"Do you have anything against them?" Ember put a hand on her hip and looked at Michael with mock annoyance.
"No they just creep me out a little." Michael shuddered a little as he thought about the scaly creature slithering across the floor of his apartment. Not that it's ever happened before, but Michael just freaked himself out with his own thoughts sometimes. It was weird, and Michael found it just as weird as everyone else he told that to. Ember turned a corner without Michael knowing, which left Michael to have a tiny heart attack since he thought he lost her.
He felt a little stupid for not realizing that she probably went into the next aisle. Michael soon followed and saw Ember huddled over a small cage. He raised an eyebrow before standing next to her and realizing what she was looking at. There were three small kittens, only about six weeks old, milling around in the cage. Michael smiled to himself.
"They're adorable, especially that one." Ember looked at Michael and back to the cage. Michael followed her line of sight to a small calico kitten that seemed to be as interested in Ember as she was with it. The small animal was batting it's tiny paw at her every so often.
"I wish I could take it home." Ember gushed as she finally stood up. Michael thought for a second before turning to her.
"Why can't you?" Michael asked.
"I mean I could, but I don't have the money right now. Plus I'm not sure what I would name it even." Ember laughed to herself.
"Well I mean we could buy it as our own, and when we, well, move in together one day," Michael half talked half mumbled, "we would be able to take care of it together, but you would have to take care of it for now since my apartment building doesn't allow animals."
"Wait, you aren't seriously gonna buy us a kitten." Ember widened her eyes a little. Michael shrugged. He smiled to himself think ing of how happy this would make Ember. Also, as much as he refused to admit it he had a huge soft spot for small furry animals. He had never told anyone about that though.
"I want to." Michael smiled at her. Ember broke out in a grin.
"Well I want to say thank you for this, and I hope you know how much work this will be," Ember wrapped her arms loosely around Michael's neck. "Plus, I'm totally paying you back for this so don't try to stop me otherwise I will feel bad."
"Alright fine." Michael laughed as he wrapped his arms around Embers waist.
They decided they would get the kitten and they would buy food and water bowls along with a litter box and a few toys. Ember had insisted on buying the food and litter herself. Michael told Ember to wait outside while he checked out with the kitten and the supplies. Ember was leaning against the brick wall outside the shop and excitement was filling her whole body at the thought of this cute little thing living with her. Meanwhile, Michael was holding the kitten in his hands while the worker was in the back getting him a small carrier to take the kitten home. Which Michael now learned was a girl. He waiter until the employee was out of ear shot before he raised the small cat up to his face.
"I can see why she already loves you, you're actually really adorable." Michael said to the kitten as he stroked it's head lightly. The kitten responded with a small meow and purring following that.
"I dunno what we're gonna name you yet, but it'll be something good. I'll make sure of that it's probably best you don't grow up with a stupid name anyways." Michael continued talking to the kitten. The worked happened to walk in just as he said that and she was giving him odd looks. She slowly handed the bleached boy a small boy carrier with holes here and there for oxygen. The worker placed the calico inside and closed the lid before handing Michael the handle. She handed him his bags and then he exited the store.
"Here lemme help you." Ember took the bag of supplies which allowed Michael to carry the small kitten and it's box. The calico let out meows here and there, rather loud ones that is. They finally made it back to Embers small house. Ember set the litter box up in the bathroom and the food and water bowls were put in the kitchen. Michael placed the mewling kitten and it's box on the floor. Ember opened it up and allowed the small thing to emerge onto the carpeted floor of her living room.
When it emerged the small cat took quick interest in the small green mouse Ember and Michael had brought. They watched the small kitten before turning to each other.
"What're we gonna call her?" Ember asked, looking at the kitten and back at Michael.
"Could we call her the most common name for a calico cat ever?" Michael smiled at Ember who let out a few laughs.
"You wanna name her Patches?" Ember questioned a smile tugging at her lips. Michael nodded excitedly, and Ember laughed a little more at this. They watched her a little longer before Luke began paging Michael back home since it was Michael's turn to cook.
Ember ran out the store to buy food and litter. She looked up what to feed the young cat later that night and fed Patches accordingly. Ember felt like she had a small family, even though the child was a cat. Ember liked the feeling and she loved the way Michael acted around it.
She hadn't thought it possible, but she felt herself falling in love with the bleach blonde boy from the bar even more.
***
