The Dutch Boy [BxB]

N I N E

At four o'clock, I bounded out of school, my fingers curled round the straps of my backpack. Theodore was leant against the gate, his beanie pulled down to his eyes, his silver curls peeking out by his ears. His glasses only succeeded in hiding his face even more, and his oversized sweater practically drowned him.

I shot him a lazy smile, "Hey. Ready?"

He hitched his backpack up on his shoulder, smiling shyly, "Y-Yeah, hey."

We squeezed past cars, winding through crowds of kids laughing and chatting, until we eventually reached my car on the far side of the car park. After clambering in, I started the engine and drove out of school, the radio murmuring between us.

"W-Where's your cousin?" Theodore asked, tugging at his sleeves and fidgeting with his hands as the tyres bounced along the wet road, dotted with puddles.

"She's out getting a manicure with Sam and Daya." I laughed lightly. "I told her I had football training."

His glistening eyes snapped to mine, "Y-You didn't have to-"

"Shut up." I laughed, pulling into the pet shop's small concrete car park, containing merely four spaces. "Dude, I love kittens. I'd rather be doing this, trust me."

I could tell he still felt guilty as he exited the car and I locked it behind us. The shop was already open when we walked in, though the sign read 'closed' and no one was behind the counter. Theodore didn't dwell on this as he walked straight through the store and into the back room.

I froze when my eyes landed on a woman, clutching a small ginger kitten to her chest. She - like Milo - had Theodore's green eyes, but her hair was darker and her skin not so pale. "Oh, good, you're here." She sighed, glancing up at us before pausing. "Oh, hello." She nodded curtly at me.

"Mum, th-this is Luca." Theodore introduced.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." I smiled warmly.

"What an adorable accent." She complimented, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Luca." And after ruffling her son's hair and placing the kitten into a large cardboard box, she was out the door.

"Her a-and my Dad share the day shifts." He explained, sitting crosslegged on the cold floor, "Me and M-Milo take the afternoon ones."

I sat beside him, in front of the tall box, peering into it and gasping. The box was layered with blankets and toys, little balls of fluff wandering around and meowing softly. Most of them were ginger, their bodies inflated with fluff, their legs spindle thin and barely able to support their weight, their tails pointy and sharp. "Oh my god." I breathed. "They're fucking adorable."

Theodore laughed softly, carefully picking one of them up, holding it close to his body, his fingers running along its soft fur as the kitten snuggled into his chest. "Yeah, they are." He agreed, "You can hold one. I-If you want." He told me quietly.

I shuffled closer to the box, my eyes darting between the various strays before landing on a little calico one, its coat white with splashes of brown and black. I slipped my fingers under its soft belly and lifted it gently, resting it on my lap as I let it sink its claws into my thigh, my fingers caressing its spine, "D'you think people will take them?"

Theodore sighed, "I don't know. H-Hopefully."

"What if they don't?"

His gaze fell to the cat in his arms. Its eyes had fallen shut and it was purring softly as Theodore stroked it. "I-I guess I'll take a couple of them. The rest will have to be sold off t-to a breeder or s-something."

"How many pets do you have?" I queried. I'd never asked him before, but now that I thought about it, I was curious.

"Uh...s-six." He smiled shyly. "T-Two rabbits, a tortoise, a dog, a hedgehog and a snake."