Abracadabra pspsps

      Andrew thought that bringing the cat back home was a good idea. Oh, how dumb he was. He regrets all the choices that have led him to where he is now.       “For the last time, take your meds, you little fucker.” The glare he sends the cat doesn’t seem to intimidate the animal in the slightest. Andrew gets a bored look in response, and the cat starts licking his paw nonchalantly. How do Aaron and Katelyn do this everyday? Because he’d go mad, he’s sure of it.       Well, time for more drastic measures since the little fucker just won’t swallow the antibiotics he’s been prescribed. Andrew braces himself and sees that the cat does a similar thing. The game is on, then.       Andrew lunges towards the animal, and he manages to actually catch it (minding its injuries, of course). The triumph doesn’t last long, though, since the cat wiggles out of Andrew’s grasp and jumps down on the floor, keeping the distance from Andrew. The man lets the irritation show on his face. Okay, maybe time for the magic’s help.       But before he can resolve to more serious measures, something happens with the cat. It looks like the air ripples around him and soon there’s a young man sitting on his living room’s floor. A horribly attractive man, Andrew notes, even though the man’s clothes have seen better days. The gray shirt has holes in it, and could be black once, but the color’s washed away. The jeans and shoes aren’t in any better state, and Andrew wonders if the man’s homeless.       The stranger crosses his arms over his chest and glares. “Stop trying to poison me.” His voice has a slight growl in it. Andrew shouldn’t find it cute, but he can’t help himself.       He looks the man over, and he notices a pair of cat ears on top of his head and a tail swishing behind. So Andrew’s suspicions have been right, after all.       “So, a familiar,” he says, ignoring the threatening aura around the stranger.       Familiars are rare as it is, and the third one appearing in their small town can’t be a coincidence. Some magic folks don’t meet any through their whole lifes – that’s how few there are. So excuse Andrew for being on guard when he meets another familiar in the span of three months, without looking for any in the first place. Just his luck. The Fates must be playing some kind of joke at his expense.       “Do you have any name?” Andrew asks.       The man doesn’t answer. One of his auburn curls falls on his forehead and he tries to brush it back unsuccessfully, and Andrew really shouldn’t focus on that. Or on the blue eyes that keep glaring at him.       “I can call you ‘Kitty’ if you want to be stubborn,” Andrew says, and that finally gives him a reaction.       The man bristles. “Fuck you.” After a pause, he adds, “Neil.”       Fuck Andrew’s life because it can’t be this Neil from Kevin and Jean’s stories. No, he refuses to believe in such coincidences.       Anyway, one problem at a time. He shows the small pill to the man. “Well, Neil – take your medicine.”       “I don’t want it.” Neil turns his head away.       Gods, give me some strength, Andrew thinks. “Too bad because you’re taking it.” He’s so done with the situation. Can’t he just have a nice peaceful evening?       Andrew gets closer to Neil and stands over him. The other man doesn’t cower, but instead, bares his teeth. Ears flat and canines showing, Neil could intimidate maybe Nicky, but it takes a lot more to scare Andrew off. Though he won’t harm the familiar – not because it’s taboo to do so, but because he’s not a total piece of shit, okay? But Neil doesn;t need to know it.       Andrew flicks one of Neil’s ears. “Oh, so threatening.” Instantly, something pricks his finger, making Andrew wince at the slight pain. He jerks his hand away in surprise and inspects it. Two dots of blood have already formed there, and Andrew squints at the smug-looking Neil. What a jerk.       Andrew takes a deep breath to calm himself down. It doesn’t help much, but at least he doesn’t strangle Neil on the spot.       “Look,” he starts, and sees Neil’s ears fluttering. “You need to take the antibiotic to heal.” Neil still avoids his gaze. “Either you take it now or I’m calling Aaron, and he won’t be so nice about it, believe me.” It’s not a lie - Andrew has been subjected to his brother’s medical care more than once, and Aaron’s a force to be reckoned with when someone’s health is on the line.       “Oh, so you’re the nice one?” Neil’s voice drips with sarcasm. His whole body is tensed up, like he’s bracing himself for a fight. Which, maybe he is.       “I am when it comes to giving medicine to stubborn idiots,” Andrew replies and watches as Neil thinks about his words.       The familiar’s tail is swishing behind him, though it’s no longer so puffed up. The wooden floor creaks as he shifts his weight. “Fine, give it here.” Neil reaches out with his hand, waiting for Andrew to place the pill in his palm.       Ignoring the gesture, Andrew crouches before the man. “Say ‘aah’.” He smirks at Neil’s glare. There’s no guarantee that the man wouldn’t crush the pill or throw it away as soon as Andrew gave it to him, so it’s better if he makes sure that Neil actually takes it.       To his credit, Neil doesn’t say anything else and instead opens his mouth. Andrew places the pill there and watches his throat to be sure the man swallows the medicine. But he needs to be sure.       “Open,” Andrew says, grabbing Neil’s chin. For a second, he thinks Neil might spit on him, but the man must think better of it and follows Andrew’s request instead.       Andrew checks if the pill isn’t hidden anywhere in Neil’s mouth, which isn’t the case, Andrew notes with satisfaction. With his finger under Neil’s chin, he pushes Neil’s mouth closed. “Good boy.” The sharp teeth nearly got him again, but this time Andrew was prepared. He moves to his couch and sits down, but Neil stays in his spot on the floor.       Silence stretches between them, and the men observe each other. When Neil does nothing to break it up, Andrew decides to be the one to talk first.       “So,” he starts, “what were you doing under my porch?”       “That’s none of your business,” Neil replies defiantly, nearly making Andrew roll his eyes.       “You owe me at least an explanation.”       Neil grimaces, and his ears flatten. Andrew has the urge to touch them, but he stays in place, on his ratty couch. Fuck his brain for finding pathetic strays attractive. While Neil still ponders what to say, Andrew sinks further into the decorative couch pillows (courtesy of Renee) and tries to relax his tense muscles. He’d prefer to just hide under his blanket and forget about the world.       After a while, Neil finally says, “I’m looking for someone.” His tone’s uncertain. The answer doesn’t explain how he managed to land himself in such a predicament, but Andrew’ll roll with it for now.       “And who might that be?” Andrew asks.       Neil bites his lip, and Andrew can’t help it but stare. The distraction nearly makes him miss Neil saying, “My friends – Jean and Kevin.”       Andrew doesn’t say anything to that, but on the inside he feels like screaming. So it really is that Neil from the stories – the shit-talking menace who always gets in trouble but is loyal to a fault. If he’s here then a catastrophe is nearby, and Andrew isn’t in the mood for any of it. Do the Fates hate him? Is it his punishment for using dark magic once years ago? Andrew’ll have a serious talk with Kevin.       Not wanting to share any of his thoughts with Neil now, he just says, “Okay.” He watches in amusement as Neil looks at him in shock, probably having expected a longer interrogation. Which Andrew would do if he wasn’t so damn tired.       “There’s a guest room.” He waves at one of the doors to his left. Once it was Kevin’s and a twinge of pain arises in Andrew’s chest at the memory, but Andrew ignores it. What’s in the past stays in the past.       When Neil closes the door silently, Andrew looks at the white ceiling and finally lets himself say out loud, “Fuck my life.”