The Knight and the Paladin - A series of Oneshots

07 Noodles and cats

This one's very talkative :-)

________

„Hey Danse, you love cats, right?"
"Well, yes. Why do you ask?"
"Because I see how you always pet Emmet when we walk past Proctor Quinlan's."
"And?"
"You know, there is a house in Diamond City, and it's full of cats who just wait to get petted."
"You are kidding."
"No, I don't."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Because we are going to Diamond City."

Danse shook his head. Kathryn walked next to him, both on their way to maintenance. She giggled still thinking that it would be a good idea to ignore their missons for cats.

"Come on, big guy. We can go on a supply run there. We'd strike two flies with one stone."
"No."
"Pleeease..."
"I said NO!"
"Daaanseee..."
"Fine."
"YAY!"

He sighed and couldn't believe that he just agreed to go to pet some cats.

***

The vertibird landed a bit outside of Diamond City. Kathryn jumped out, her hair flying from the rotors' wind. Danse followed her right after. They made their way to the big green gate and the 'bird ascended back into the air. "Hi Danny!", Kathryn greeted a man standing in the enctrance area and he greeted back.

Danse's eyes widened when they approached the stairs down to the market.
"It's a shame these people have to live in fear, sheltering in this old staduim when all those perfectly good buildings are still standing outside." He sounded a little sad.

"Hey, come on. We're here for a bit of fun."
"We are here for supplies."
"And cats!"

Kathryn gabbed him by the hand and dragged him down the stairs. To their left was Publick Occurrences and on the right the path up to the elevator to Mayor McDonough's office.In the center was the market with Fallon's Basement, the Mega Surgery Center, Choice Chaps and a few other trading shops. And right in the middle was Power Noodles. "Come on, let's eat something. I'm starving."

"Nan-ni shimasho-ka?"
"What are those strange noises coming from that robot? Robot. Identify youself."
"Nan-ni shimasho-ka?"
"Sounds like an Asian language... wait a second... maybe it's Chinese! All right, robot... you can drop the act. Who are you working for!? What's your misson here!?"
"nan-ni shimasho-ka?"
"You might think you're clever, but if you step out of line, I'll melt you into slag. I've got my eyes on you."
"Danse!"
"What?"
"He's just serving noodles... God, this is so embarassing. Everyone's looking..."
"Nan-ni shimasho-ka?"
"Yes...", Kathryn eventually said with a red face and pointed two fingers up.She sat down on one of the bar stools while Takahashi put two bowls of noodles in front of her. She sighed and started to dig in the noodles. Danse sat down next to her, eyeing the food in front of him.
"You afraid he poisoned your noodles, or why are you not eating?", she said with a mouth full, looking at her Paladin. He shrugged and began to eat. Kathryn saw how Danse's ears and neck turned pink after his first bite and she laughed. "You do like the noodles!" He coughed.

After they finished their not poisoned noodles Kathryn led Danse over to Arturo. She still chuckled over his pink ears and he got an even darker shade of it. She burst into a full laughter as he tried to explain himself. Arturo tried to wait patiently until Kathryn was done laughing. Danse already focused on the weapons, mods and ammo the trader had in stock.

He stuffed away the fusion cells he just bought and he had to admit that he wondered where that cat-house was. "Hey ah, Kathryn... uhm... I wondered where that house is..?" She almost couldn't believe her ears as he stammered out his question. She began to jump in front of him and squealed.

"There it is."
"But... it's locked..."
"Ya, that's the problem."
"Wha...WHY?"
"Let me just..."

Click!

"Ta daa!"
"You didn't just lockpick that door, Knight?!"
"Yeah I did. And now move inside before someone sees us."

Kathryn pulled him inside. They closed the door and Danse huffed like a wild Deatchclaw.

Mrrow?

He slowly turned around and looked at at least fifteen cats. Without a word he walked inside the room and sat down. At least five cats jumped on him for cuddles. Danse let out a hearty laugh as one of the cats rubbed it's head on his stubble. Kathryn was pleased to see that he had his fun.
They spent at least two hours in there, petting and cuddling all the cats.
Suddelnly they heard steps in front of the door. "Oh shit!"

The door opened and a man with an elderly woman stood in front of the door, jaws dropped as two Brotherhood of Steel soldiers sat in the middle of their home and cuddling with ther cats."Hey there Hawthrone, Mrs. Hawthrone.", Kathryn greeted them both. The curled up kitten in Danse's hair just purred as the air went silent. "Kathryn, what are you doing here?", the man named Hawrthone asked.

Before Kathryn explained the situation the Hawthrones came in and sat down. A few of the cats moved to the man and rolled up in his lap, purring. They sat together and talked for a while, hearing the funniest stories of the cats' adventures around Diamond City. It was a nice day and Kathryn and Danse made some new furry friends. "Alright, it's getting late. We better go now. Thanks for not throwing us out at first sight.", Kathryn said. "Ah, no biggie there. But next time, please ask for a key before you pick at our locked door again. Or better, here, have the spare key." Her eyes widened as Hawthrone put the key into her hand. "Woah, thank you!", she said and jumped up to hug him.

They both forgot something wasn't right with him. The Hawthrones didn't say a word either. Probably because they were happy about it. Danse walked down the stairs as Kathryn giggled behind him. "What is it now?", he asked, annoyance audible. "Oh, nothing. I just like you new hat." she walked past him and scratched the kitten's back. He felt the vibrations on his head. He totally forgot about it.

"Guess we bring it back?"
"No."
"Why?"
"First of all, it likes you. Second, if the Hawthrones would like it back they'd say so sooner. And Thrid, the kitten likes you. You like it, too?"
"..."
"Dahaaanse!"
"Okay, okay. Yes I like it, too."
"Well then, a match made in heaven."

They soon found out it was a little boy. Elder Maxson wasn't that pleased with it.

"Another cat?"
"you can't part them, Elder. It's a real bromance."
"Knight!"
"It's alright, Paladin. She's right."

"WHAT?!"