Mellow ~ A Simon Rix FanFiction

Cat Shelter

* This part is in the third person, unlike the rest of the book which will be in first :3 *

Enjoy!

She picks up the kitten. It's ebony fur soft beneath her fingertips, it's sharp green eyes melting into her own.

For a second she considers choosing it, until it begins to nip at her hands. No, this kitten is far too energetic for her liking.

Next one.

She attempts to pick up the shy creature but it only scampers away, leaving her crouching on the floor helplessly.

Coming to the shelter was her therapist's suggestion, owning a cat and loving it might help her overcome her anxieties, might make her feel less lonely. Ever since he left, she has isolated herself, he left a hole that could not be filled. Being responsible for another will help her to come out of her shell, to regain her confidence.

He never liked cats.

She picks herself up from the wooden floor, noting the twitchy charity worker hover around her, eager to be rid of a kitten. They must not get much business in this area.

She sighs, thinking of giving up, before making direct eye contact with a sleepy mog, purring and licking its black paws, its frame almost breakable.

Cautiously, she wanders over to it, bends down, and gushes over the adorable feline, about to pick it up when another pair of hands, male hands, picks up her kitten.

She watches with big eyes as the curly haired man cradles the kitten in his arms, making noises one normally makes around a newborn baby, tickling the kitten's torn ears and nose.

She stays quiet, not wanting to kick up a fuss over nothing, after all, was she ever really serious about this cat malarky? She can hardly look after herself!

"Sorry, did you want him?" The man tears her from her daydream, ending the silence between them.

She looks up into his deep blue eyes. "Urm, no, it's okay, he seems happy with you." She stumbles on her words. It's been a while since she's properly spoken to a bloke. Since he left.

The man chuckles, "No, it's fine," he gently passes the kitten over to her, "I'm not planning on adopting."

She plops the kitten down on her knee, letting it scamper about freely, "So why are you here? You're not some kind of cat perve, are you?" the second she says it she regrets it, but her anxiety ceases as the man laughs at her comment.

"Nah, I like to come here when I'm stressed. I think they call it cat therapy." He trails off in thought, watching her with the cat.

She tickles the kitten's tummy, giggling as the kitten purrs back loudly.

"I think he likes you." He whispers, as to not disturb her or the cat.

"You think?"

"Definitely."

There's a brief silence as a few cats wander over, crawling on top of the man's lap.

"I think you're the cat whisperer." She chuckles.

"Not the worst thing I've been called." His voice is deep and immediately she can tell that he's from around here.

"Are you thinking of adopting?" He queries, picking up one of the kittens and placing it on his right shoulder, it runs in wobbly circles around his neck.

She shrugs, letting the kitten on her lap join the other cats. "I'm not too sure-"

"Do it! I would, but my landlord is strict on pets." The man prompts her to make a decision.

"Is it a lot of work?"

"Not to me. I love cats." The man gushes at all the cats in the room, his eyes full of curiosity.

She leans on her hand, thinking through the pros and cons of adopting the kitten. The only con is the shit. The pros are endless.

"Come on, you'll regret it if you-" He pauses to answer his phone. "Hello? Now? Ugh, fine, fine, I'm on my way..." He replaces his phone in his jacket pocket. "Sorry, I've got to run, lunch date with my mum." He stands up, allowing her to take in his full height. He's tall. Seriously tall. Much taller than he was.

She stands up too, bringing the kitten with her.

"Simon, by the way." He nods in her direction, a small smile on his face.

"I'm Delilah." She smiles.

"Hopefully I'll see you again Delilah." He waves before stepping out of the shelter. She watches him walk along the pavement on the other side of the glass, the wind causing his mop of mousy hair to fall into his eyes and flail out around him.

"Would you like to adopt?" The twitchy charity worker stops her from watching Simon walk away.

She nods, stroking the kitten's chin.

"Okay, well I'll go and get the paperwork-"

:-:-:-:

Delilah watches the kitten as he jumps up onto her sofa and snuggles down into the crease.

"What have I done..." She sighs, before cooing at the yawning kitten.

No. This is going to be great. This will be amazing for her. A new start. Responsibility. Everything she wants and doesn't have.

She brings over the newspaper and sits down next to the kitten, pulling him onto her lap.

"You're going to need a name!" She gushes, the kitten meows into her lap.

She ponders briefly.

Timothy? Casper? Or something funny like Dave or Brian.

No.

Unisex? Sam? Leslie?

No.

Steven or Samson? Simon or Samuel?

Simon?

Simon, like the guy she met today at the shelter.

She smiles to herself.

"Simon?" She thinks out loud. The kitten responds with a squeak.

"Simon it is then." She buries her head into the kitten's fur and tickles him.

:-:-:-:

She didn't expect Simon to follow her around everywhere.

She crawls into bed, groaning when the kitten steps on her face and walks along her body.

Simon ends up falling asleep at her feet.

Delilah yawns, dreading work tomorrow, dreading the marking, the children, parents evening.

But somehow, with her kitten snoring at her ankles, her stress melts away like butter. She can see the light at the end of the tunnel, she can see hope, Simon is going to change everything.