"Oh," says Martin, a little surprised when Daine just deposits the already-purring cat into his arms, though that is nothing compared to his astonishment when the cat - The Bishop, seriously? - braces his paws right on Martin's shoulders and pushes his head directly up under Martin's chin, purring just as hard as when Daine had been holding him.

"Oh," says Martin again, softer and faintly reverent this time. He really hasn't known many cats, and what he'd been given to expect is that they generally need time to warm up to a person. Especially given the vague parameters he'd given Daine, instant affection is not something he would have expected. But it doesn't matter. The Bishop burrows up against him and Martin shifts his hands a bit to support his weight better - his fur a little patchy, his shoulders a little too sharp - and he feels something he hasn't felt in what seems like a very, very long time.

"Hello," he says quietly, smiling small and warm, unable to stop himself from pressing an instinctive little kiss on top of his head. "Hello there."