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[conning]

"It's Caffrey. Remember the value of plausible deniability. I'll get back to you."

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[abrightboy]

Malcolm doesn’t believe for one second that Neal will give up this cat, but keeping it feels like too large of a commitment for him, so they’ll break it up.

“Or you can gift him to another Barge passenger who you think is more… stable in their position here at some point. When you find someone suitable.”

[conning]

“What about you?”

It’s a wrench to say it, but Malcolm has to be a better choice.

[abrightboy]

“I appreciate your trust, but I’m a bird person, not a cat person. Just keep the idea in the back of your mind. When you meet the right person, you’ll know,” Malcolm tells him. “Do you think you might name him in the meantime?”

[conning]

“I mean… It doesn’t seem fair, naming him when I’m not keeping him. Whoever keeps him should do it.”

He’s still petting the kitten, even as it pulls threads loose climbing his jacket. He winces and lifts the animal carefully away from his clothes. “I think he needs a scratching post. Or one of those towers.”

[abrightboy]

“If you just keep calling him ‘cat’ or ‘you’ until then, that will become his name, you know,” Malcolm informs him.

[conning]

"Could go by Mr Famous until then," he says, half-smiling. He looks at Malcolm to see if the other man recognizes the reference, but if not-- "Audrey Hepburn's most well-known dog."

[abrightboy]

“You’re his first custodian; he’ll go by whatever you want,” Malcolm tells him with a soft smile.

[conning]

"I'll think about it," he says quietly. "I don't want to give him something that doesn't fit."

He rubs the kitten's head with the side of his thumb. "What d'you think, little guy? Mr Famous for now?"

[abrightboy]

"They do all have a personality," Malcolm agrees. "...Did you call me to ask my permission to keep him?"

[conning]

Neal blinks. “No, not really, I just… didn’t know what to do with him. Keeping him seemed like a bad idea.”

[abrightboy]

“What does he face if you don’t? It honestly seems like the best idea for him,” Malcolm points out.

[conning]

“I’ve never had a pet,” he says again, this time with a thoughtfulness mixed in to the discomfort. “You’ve at least had a bird before.”

Then, before Malcolm can change his own mind about taking the kitten, Neal adds, “Though I have babysat dogs.”

[abrightboy]

"Did you enjoy that?" Malcolm asks, reaching over to tickle the kitten under his chin.

[conning]

The kitten closes his eyes tight in an almost exaggerated expression of bliss, and Neal smiles at the image.

“I loved it. Never really occurred to me to try and adopt a dog of my own.”

[abrightboy]

“Would you prefer a dog?” Malcolm asks curiously.

[conning]

"I don't know," he says. "I like dogs. I like petsitting. But I don't have any basis for comparison."

He shrugs, rubbing the kitten between the ears with his thumb while Malcolm scratches the little animal's chin.

[abrightboy]

"Well, he likes you," Malcolm tells him. "So you might be stuck with him now."

[conning]

Neal is good enough at lying to himself that he doesn’t see it yet, but he’s keeping this cat. It’s a foregone conclusion.

“We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes.”

[abrightboy]

“I expect we will, yeah,” Malcolm agrees, giving Neal a knowing smile.