Has Nora mentioned how Andrew and Neil get their cats??
Because imagine Andrew has already graduated. He is signed with his own pro team and whenever he goes to practice he sees this one specific cat around.
"Someone must be feeding it." He thinks and just files it away. Because it just doesn't really matter.
Now the cat is almost always around when he gets to practice. It might be gone a few days, onky to be back nearby. By the fence or the back entrance. Sometimes its in the closest green patch cleaning itself or laying in the sun.
One day he rides to practice. Parks his car near tge entrance and hears small sounds under one of the cars. Its parked right by the door, so he crouches doen to see the cat with 5 or 6 kittens. It had been pregnant and given birth, right there. Kinda dumb of the cat, but oh well. If under a car is where she decided to do it, none of his problem.
Hours go by at practice, its a long one. He is exhausted and takes a long shower there, staying way past most of the team. When he finally leaves he looks to where the car was but the lot is emoty. No car, no cat, no kittens.
"Must have moved to a safer place."
He still does this thing where he would take 5 minutes to stand outside the door in the parking lot. He used to do it when he smoked but now it was just a habit left over. Andrew found it helped him seperate exy and home. Rather clear his mind.
And while standing there, leaning on the door. He hears it again. Weak and quiet. Almost nonexsistant. Must have fallen silent when heard him, a threat, but was now calling for its mother. Its a small kitten. Hiding behind a pipe. It's eyes not even fully open. Fuck. The mother should be back soon right? She just mived the others and was now coming back to get this little guy. So it's fine. Not his problem.
He walks ti his own car, gets in, throws the duffel in the back seat. Puts the key in the engine and almost turns it on but... He just cant. He cant leave. Andrew just cant leave without making sure the little rat is taken care of. So he takes the key back out of ignition and silently sits in his car.
Hours go by. He doesnt care how many, but its certaintly well into the night now. But the cat never comes back for the little kitten.
"Maybe shes just far away" Andrew tells himself. "Probably took hours to gather the others too."
But the gnawing feeling in his stomach just doesnt leave. Its alone. And yelling for its mom. Afraid and cold. He must have been the same right? Those first days, left behind. Alone and scared.
Andrew doesn't really think ahead. He just turns around and rummages the duffle for something he could wrap the little thing in. He find an extra black shirt and gets out of the car. The door opening makes the little rat go silent but he knows where it is. Good thing he isnt a predator or something.
