(Blood Bound)Eternal Winter

Chapter 2

After I dropped the notes and the strange letter off at the office for processing, I went home. I parked my truck in the driveway, walking through the rain and up the stairs to the front door. I stopped, the front door was open. Grabbing my gun from the holster, I walked through the open door, closing it behind me silently. I looked through the window, checking for Mason, but he wouldn't be home for a few hours.
The house was dark as I checked each room, careful to keep my weight evenly distributed to avoid creaks. The kitchen was dark, Mason's room was dark. I continued down the hall, the night light from the bathroom my only source of light, as I walked into my bedroom. The window was open and the nightside table lamp was on. I walked through the door, my gun raised. I remember her reading something that said, don't point a gun at something you aren't willing to shoot.
I pushed open the door, pointing the gun at the small black ball of fur in the middle of the bed. I lowered my gun, holstering it. I walked to the window and closed it, grabbing a towel from the floor to soak up the water. I turned back to the small furball on the bed, walking towards it slowly. It was a kitten with short black fur and gray eyes. I sat on the edge of the bed, unlacing my boots and setting them by the door. I picked up the kitten in my arms as it began to purr. I walked to the bathroom, setting it in the sink.

"What do you think, little guy? Are you going to go ape shit if I try to give you a bath?" The kitten stared at me, answering with a small "meow" before laying down in the sink. I smiled, opening the drawer of the sink and pulling out the cat shampoo. I set it on the counter, turning on the warm water and filling the bowl. I opened the bottle and put a dime sized amount in my palm, turning to the kitten lounging in the water, and began to scrub him clean.
15 minutes later, I had a clean, dry kitten following me around the house as I tried to find the kitten food.

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm looking, calm down." I said, talking to the kitten the way she used to do with Pancake. I paused, looking at the kitten.

"I'm going to name you Waffle in memory of Pancake." Waffle's purr engine started up again as he began to wind his body around my legs.

I walked into the kitchen, looking under the sink, "AHA!" I yelled in pride. I pulled out two small bowls, filling one with food and the other with water, setting them on the floor. Waffle attacked the food violently. Smiling, I left the kitchen, going to the living room and turning on the tv. I clicked the power button, going to Netflix immediately. I clicked on Arrow, picking up where I left off.

I watched two episodes before Mason arrived. "Hey man." He greeted, walking through the front door.

I paused the show and turned to him, "Hey. We have a new roommate."

He quirked an eyebrow and walked to the couch, spotting Waffle laying across the back. "Who is this little fella?" He smiled, scratching under Waffle's chin.

"He was laying on my bed when I got home from work. I named him Waffle."

He laughed, turning from the kitten to kick off his shoes near the door. "She would've loved that."

My smile dropped, turning my attention to Waffle. "That's why I picked it, actually." I mumbled. Mace looked at me, all amusement gone. "Grey-"

I raised my hand, "Mason, don't." He looked at me unhappily, but listened.
He stood there for another minute before deciding to break the silence. "Do you want to watch a movie? Order a pizza?" He offered hopefully.

I had been staying in my bedroom most nights. I opened my mouth, prepared to turn him down yet again, but when I met his eyes, I knew I couldn't. His eyes were hopeful, almost desperate as he looked at me. I sighed before meeting his eyes and smiling. "Sounds good."

His eyes sparked with excitement. "The usual?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

"You know it. What movie? Documentary, comedy, or action?" I questioned, flipping through Netflix.