you stick your head just inside steve’s office. “have you seen callisto?”
your question pries his attention away from his computer, earning you a cursory glance. “uh, i don’t know. i think she’s somewhere.”
no doubt she’s somewhere. you blink, studying the steep curve of his back while he resumes typing. “okay.”
if you hadn’t taken off your heavy work shoes at the front door—if you hadn’t spun silently on your heels in pursuit of your cat—you might not have heard the faint meow.
“steve.”
he rotates his chair. “what?”
a light gray tail pops out of the hood of his blue sweatshirt, flicking at his ear. steve winces.
after some shuffling, callisto reveals her pointy ears and tiny pink nose, too, and you lack the self-control to chastise steve—at least at first.
so, with a couple steps inside his office and a light shove, you spin his chair until you’re cooing at your kitten, who purrs happily within her makeshift hammock. “hi baby.”
steve’s arm slinks around your waist and whips you onto his lap, your thighs across his. “you’re not gonna say hi to me?”
“you can’t keep hogging her,” you say, a palm on his shoulder restoring your balance.
“she crawled in there voluntarily.”
“she can’t live in your hoodie.” you knit your eyebrows together in gentle warning. “she needs exercise.”
“she’s scared of heights,” steve declares.
you think to the newly-purchased cat tower in the corner of the living room. it hasn’t gotten much use. “you’re a full three feet taller than that thing.”
if his hands weren’t sitting at your hips, he would have crossed his arms. “well, she feels safe with me.”
“i don’t blame her.” you’re a little jealous, honestly, that she could theoretically spend her entire day that close to steve while you’re busy at work. “why are you being so ridiculous?”
whatever fondness lies in your words is clipped by your startled yelp as steve’s forehead thuds onto your collarbone.
the wide, flat plane of his back invites callisto out of her shell. as she maneuvers inside the cozy space between you and steve, you scratch at his short hair. “what’s wrong?”
“nothing,” he mutters unconvincingly into your shirt.
frowning, you kiss his temple. “hard day of being the captain?”
he nods. “it keeps getting harder, somehow.”
"you needed her.”
a simple turn of his head and his lips touch the pulse underneath your skin. “need you,” he admits sheepishly. warmth radiates in your chest.
"i’m here.” callisto hops off your thighs when you feel blindly for steve’s hand, looping your pinkies together while he yanks you closer. “all yours.“