The Switch

6-24-2012

I sighed as I relaxed in one of my favorite napping placed, curled around one of my favorite cats, Colonel Cat, quickly becoming drowsy as the sunlight wrapped around me. I was just about to drift off when –

"Oi!" Sadiq's rough voice jolted me out of my daze. "Heracles! Guess who's visiting me?"

I growled and cracked one eye open to see Sadiq waving as he walked up the hill with Kiku trailing after him.

'Wait,' I jerked upwards in a sitting position quickly. 'Why is Kiku with that idiot?'

"Jealous, Catboy?" I'm sure under his mask Sadiq had winked teasingly at me.

"Not in the slightest, old man." I said calmly. "I don't have a reason to be since Kiku is my best friend."

Sadiq growled but I didn't pay attention to him. Instead I focused on Kiku who seemed to almost blush as I met his gaze.

"Then how come he's visiting me?" Sadiq seemed to recover from his previous stupor at the 'old man' jab.

"Maybe he just felt sorry for you." I blinked calmly, my attention still focused on Kiku. "He's compassionate like that."

Kiku blushed at this comment but it only infuriated Sadiq further. He stalked towards me and Colonel Cat hissed in alarm before jumping away. My eyes also widened in surprise and I scrambled to my feet, ready to follow Colonel Cat's lead only to be tackled to the ground by Sadiq. I tried to squirm out of his grip, my alarm rising dangerously, only to be stopped by Sadiq again.

"Then he'll be crying for your condition." Sadiq sneered. "I've known about this for years and now I can finally use it to my advantage."

'No! He can't –' I began to think desperately to myself, but it was too late.

He had pulled my hair.

"Um, Heracles-san? Please wake up." I blinked my eyes open to see Kiku who looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"Kiku?" My voice sounded higher but it now had a certain soft and gentle sound to it.

"Um, Heracles-san, I-I'm not sure how to say this but…" Kiku looked away, a light blush covering his cheeks. "You're a woman."

I sat up slowly, blinking as I tried t focus. I felt a certain heaviness on my chest as well as something missing a bit lower down. "Where's Sadiq?" I asked curiously, tilting my head in reflex.

"Um, I-I asked him to leave w-while I took care of you." His face was now a dusty pink and he was still not looking at me.

"Oh." I said softly, averting my own eyes as I felt myself blush. "Thank you."

"I-It was no trouble." He murmured, his gaze darting to my face and back to the ground.

An uncomfortable pause fell between us and I bit my lip as I tried to think of something to say. Anything to say. I was about to open my mouth when Kiku interrupted.

"Um, Heracles-san?" His voice was nervous and quieter than normal.

"Yeah?" I turned my gaze to his and he blushed furiously as he looked at the ground again.

"Um, h-how do you, um, change back?"

"Oh, um," I blushed heavily. "Y-you have to pull my hair."

"What?" He looked at me in alarm.

"You have to pull my hair." I smiled at him sheepishly before pointing to the hair that always stuck up. "This one."

"Why? Can't you do it?" He asked nervously.

I shook my head. "It has to be someone else." I grimaced slightly, "Trust me, if I could do it, then I would have."

"I suppose…" He sighed heavily.

"So you'll do it?" I asked brightly.

"I can't pull your hair!" He cried out in alarm.

"Why not?" I pouted cutely and he blushed furiously.

"B-because that would require physical contact," he looked away, his blush deepening.

"So?" I tilted my head.

"S-so that would mean I have to touch you!" He burst out.

I gave a slightly hurt look. "Why does that matter?"

"B-because you're a woman!" I blinked before a high, girlish laugh erupted from my mouth. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "What?"

"I-I didn't think that it would disturb you so much." I smiled, still laughing slightly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not that it disturbs me, it's just improper." He flushed again, making a facial expression similar to pouting.

I smiled, my laughter fading. This was so unlike Kiku. He was nervous and jittery as much as a schoolgirl with a crush!

"Look, all you have to do is tug the hair once." I promised him.

"Just once?"

I nodded. "Then things will go back to normal."

He sighed before nodding. "Fine, just this once," he looked at me sharply. "But you have to do one thing for me."

"What?"

He smiled before leaning over and kissing me softly.

The kiss didn't even last a second but I craved more from it.

Until he pulled my hair.

"Thank you, Heracles-san."

That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out again.