Chapter Text
Malevola hadn’t even considered the possible perks of Robert’s catnip effect.
They’re out shopping at the mall, and she’s dragged Robert along because she usually can convince him to get a few things if he comes with her. His apartment is way better than when they first saw it, but it could always use some work. She's not going to stop until it looks like the most comfy, cozy hoarder lives there.
As it is, she’s sent Robert a few aisles over to look for something when she feels someone tug on her tail. She whips around, a growling reprimand ready on her tongue, but instead she’s met with a small, upset child who smells distinctly of the sea. His lip wobbles, and tears threaten to spill from his eyes as he clutches a blanket to his chest.
“I—I can’t find my mom.” The child explains. “She said if I ever needed help, I should just find someone else like us, and that sometimes people who look scary aren’t really at all.” His breathing picks up as he tries not to sob, but is starting to anyway. He scrubs at his eyes as tears begin to fall. “Can you help me?”
“Of course, kiddo,” Malevola agrees, and the kid allows himself to cry in earnest as she picks him up.
She was kind of hoping that he’d be able to help her out and tell her what his mom looked like and where he saw her last, but he’s just too upset. Malevola tries to soothe him as best she can, but he just continues to cry, hiccuping into her shoulder. She starts to check each row of the store, scanning the aisles for a woman who might seem equally upset, looking for the child they lost, but she eventually spots Robert and gets an even better idea.
She walks towards him, and once they get close enough that he can hear the child’s cries, he immediately turns towards the sound, trying to figure out what’s going on. So predictable.
“Mal, what happened?” He asks, meeting her halfway, glancing down at the child in concern.
“Hold him.” She prompts.
“What?”
“Hold him.” She demands again, shifting to press the crying child against him. His arms lift to accommodate the new weight immediately, and the child cuddles up against him, burying his face in his neck. Within seconds, the crying has stopped as the child starts to calm, and moments later, he’s asleep, soothed by Robert’s scent.
Malevola grins. “I knew you would be good for something.”
“Wow,” Robert agrees. “Instant tranquility.”
“I’m going to go look for the mom,” Malevola says, leading him to one of the benches outside the store. “Stay here and try not to let anyone make off with you or the child. And try not to touch the blanket too much.” She warns seriously. “Selkies are particular with their coats.”
“Got it. I’ll be right here when you get back. Call me if something comes up.”
Malevola nods and then disappears into the crowd, likely following a trail he can’t perceive. The child seems content napping against him, likely worn out from being so upset. Robert shifts some, leaning back so he’s not holding the child’s weight with just his arms. The child stirs a little as he does so, but his hand just grabs onto the fabric of Robert’s shirt before he falls still once more. The blanket drops slightly, and Robert risks tucking it back further against the child, not wanting it to fall on the floor. He really hopes this isn’t like the baby bird thing, where a parent will reject them because of a human’s scent if they put it back into the nest.
In what seems like no time at all, he spots Malevola coming back towards them, a harried-looking woman walking with her.
“Thank you so much,” The woman is saying as they get close, and Robert stands to meet them. “I swear, one minute he was there, and the next he was gone.”
“It’s no problem,” Malevola reassures. “I left him with my friend over here. Looks like he’s still fast asleep.”
Robert swears the temperature drops a few degrees when the mother notices him, her friendly demeanor shifting into something unpleasant altogether. “A human?” The mother exclaims, charging forward to rip her child out of Robert’s arms, holding him tightly to her chest. “You left my child with a human?” She accuses, glaring at Malevola. “I’m lucky to get my child back, let alone his coat still intact.”
Malevola shifts to stand in front of Robert as he takes an apologetic step back, gaze dropping to the floor. She lifts her tail to wrap around his wrist in a comforting manner and watches the realization flit across the mother’s face as she catches a whiff of Robert’s scent.
“Oh,” The mother says softly, readjusting her hold on her kid. “My apologies.” She glances over at Robert, trying to make eye contact with him when he’s still half hidden by Malevola. Malevola shifts a little, allowing her to see him better, but keeps him slightly behind her. She has a feeling she knows where this is going. “It really was ignorant of me to assume like that. I was just worried for my son, and it’s been such a busy day. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me.”
“Uh, it’s alright,” Robert stutters out, shocked by the complete reversal in her attitude. “I’m sure it was very stressful. I can only imagine. Just happy to help.”
The mom smiles shyly. “If you ever wanted to babysit…”
And there it is.
“Sorry, we’ve kind of got a busy schedule today.” Malevola cuts in. “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.”
“Right, of course.” The mom agrees, “Thank you for your help!” She commends once more and leaves to go back to whatever she was doing before.
Malevola lets her tail drop, turning to face Robert, who is watching the mother leave, seeming somewhat amused. “What a rollercoaster,” he comments idly. “For one second, I thought she was going to kill me, then I thought she wanted to eat me for a different reason entirely.”
Malevola grins. "All future childcare calls go to you."
"If only it were that easy, wrangling you guys."
"I don't know," she teases. "If you let us sit in your lap and bury our face in your neck, I think we'd be pretty easy to control, supernaturally inclined or not."
Robert shoves her, flushing a little. "Yeah, yeah. Don't we have shopping to do?"