Philip Hamilton x George Eacker becuz I said so

Chapter Eight - Philp's friends love his pets more that him

"Pip! Your friends are here!" John Laurens yelled to Philip who was outside, stoking the fire pit that sat in their covered porch.

"Coming!" Philip yelled back, shutting the glass sliding door behind him.

"Do you have Stella?" Philip asked Frances, who was holding the Doberman by her collar. Frances nodded before opening the door.

"Let us in, Philip!" Richard whined "it's raining and this jacket is new!" Stella barked from inside the house.

"Is that Stella?" G gasped, shoving Dick out of the way and entering the house "I've missed her!"

Stella stopped barking as the group of teenagers crowded around her to pet her.

"Let Stella sniff your hand before you pet her," Philip told George has he bent down to pet the dog "she has trust issues."

A small yip sounded from the kitchen as Hop the chihuahua was let out of his box.

"Hop!" Theodosia squealed happily as the tiny dog raced into her open arms.

"Sometimes I think you guys just come over to pet my dogs." Philip said, watching as his friends ignored him in favor of his dogs.

"Kinda." Will admitted as Hop nuzzled his hand.

"I'll be outside if you're bothered to hang out with me instead of Stella and Hop." Philip said, turning on his heal back to the sliding glass door.

"Hello, Moonlight." Philip said to the cat as he sat down on one of the chairs surrounding the fire pit.

Moonlight meowed in response and jumped up onto his lap.

Every year another litter of cats was born and raised under the Hamilton's porch. The cats didn't belong to the family, but Moonlight and her kittens, who were now crawling out from under the porch and on to Philip after their mama, had still been named and fed by them.

Philip giggled as all five cats tried to find room on his lap.

"I see you have cats as well." George remarked, closing the sliding door after him.

"They aren't ours, they just live under the porch, but they're people friendly if you want to hold one."

George nodded and Philip handed over one of Moonlight's kittens.

"What's his name?" George asked, settling in the chair next to Philip.

"Tiger, cuz he looks like one." Philip answered.

"He's so small." George cooed, talking more to the cat than to Philip.

"He's the runt of the litter." Philip answered, stroking Tasha, Tiger's sister.

George nodded, and scratched Tiger under his chin.

Philip smiled and watched. George seemed so much more gentle with the small cat on his lap.