Chapter One
Sissel, as he know knew what he was called for sure now, was a bit disappointed. He wasn't the man he thought he was. Hell, wasn't even a man. It fustrated him that even in the land of the living he still couldn't do the things he wanted to. Damn those paws of his. He wished...no, it wasn't worth it. He'd saved his death, true. But he had consigned himself to this powerless body as well. His tail flickered as he thought, swishing black inside the small apartment where Lynne lived. Lynne he cared for her more than he could have fathomed then, when he had the body of a man. Maybe even more than a cat could possibly feel and yet This emotion persisted. Missile caught his attention, yipping a "WELCOME" he presumed. How common of him. Speech was lost on him now, he couldn't understand anything of that noise, but thankfully he still retained an understanding of human speech. A gift he frequently used whenever he could. He jumped down from his perch on the couch to attend to the dog. Missile dashed toward the door, bashing his head against it again and again in rhythmic fashion. How sad. Seems it was almost time for Lynne to be home. Wonderful, he couldn't wait to wrap himself in her lap and dream she was truly his. That was the thing. All cats believe they own the taller residents of there abode, but as his dead hiatus taught him this wasn't the case. He could never have her, he could barely even feel as a cat should. That feeling was so much stronger his body could not contain nor control. Cats weren't meant to feel such as this and still... it killed him inside.
Lynne put down her coat, seating herself against the couch, allowing him what was now his only pleasure in life. He missed his days of cluelessness, even of death. Especially then, when he could feel more strongly and think clearer. The Pomeranian curled itself against her feet in contentment. He felt her warmth and purred, padding his hands against her legs, leaving small marks against her skirt. She didn't notice and continued stroking.
An hour's time passed and the doorbell rang, sharp and stinging against Sissel's ears. Lynne rose, displacing him from his favorite place straight to the cold floor. The Pigeon Man appeared, the blue bird perched on its head cooed softly in greeting.
"Hello Lynne, it's a pleasure to meet you again." The Pigeon Man stated.
"Er, hi, Why are you here though?" Lynne stuttered.
"Ah I wanted to deliver some cat food, actually, I noticed you were lacking last I was here."
"I've bought some recently...Why would you do something like that?"
"Well it's already here," He pointed. Sissel now noticed how tired and ragged he looked. Did he carry that all the way here?
"I'd be a waste if I had to drag it all the way back." He pleaded, eyes keening pitifully.
"Fine, let me help put it with the rest." Lynne conceded, puzzled by the strange turn of events.
The two of them started dragging in what seemed to be a large bag that would commonly be used to vacuum seal clothes filled with cat food. "What is this bag? Did you even buy this?!" Lynne shouted.
"Ah.. I accidentally broke it open with my...actually when I tried carrying it the first time it broke open, so I had to find a supplementary container." The Pigeon Man said sheepishly, eyes darting back and again towards the window.
Lynne eyed him suspiciously but said nothing. She'd had enough of death to know that the Pigeon Man may be lying, but she couldn't be sure. Him tampering with the cat food would be awfully strange, but not unthinkable.
Lynne resumed her idleness on the couch, though a little worse for wear.
Sissel was pleased his restful heaven had returned and chided her for leaving. He understood her but still he could be fustrated by his position. Sighing, his eyes fluttered close, dreaming of a place where it did not matter that he was a cat.
Dusk set in when he had awakened, golden orange rays against the dull pane of the window. It seemed his lovely lady had fallen asleep right along with him. Splendid. He reluctantly removed himself from her person, tail flicking back and forth in sudden awareness. He wandered over to where they had lazily placed the bag in their exhaustion. Lazy of them and...! It was slightly open. And he happened to be hungry. There was no way he was waking Lynne for selfishness when he could get it himself.
Scaling the counter was a simple task, and he soon found himself gorging on the contents within the strange bag. It quite delicious, almost addictive and Sissel found he could not resist eating quite a bit. This was making his stomach quell and yet he could not stop. His bones keened...keened? Oh. They keened, stretching under unseen weight. It made want to scream as everything burned and screeched, his voice, his muscles , his bones.
Yet there still burned his desire. Always present, as long as he lives and dies, a passion that he can't forget. Lynne...
In those fires of his heart he sank, perhaps to once more die, perhaps be born anew.
Chapter Two
"Sissel? Sissel...wake up..."
"Hmm?" He purred, throat rumbling with chilly air. It was awfully cold, he thought as he curled into himself.
"Sissel?" Lynne pleaded, confusion blanching her voice.
He couldn't resist her pleading, even if he was a cat. He opened his eyes and sat up.
"Yes? What did you need-" Sissel stated before stopping abruptly. He didn't have a voice like that, a human one. He reached for his throat with human hands.
What had he become, a man? It seemed to good to be true, to have his wish granted. It was awfully cold. Didn't humans have something for this-oh yes.
"Lynne..." He paused to relish the ability of speech before continuing."Could I have some clothes?"
"Er-Yeah, I think I have something in your size..." Lynne stammered, stumbling off in the direction of her room.
Sissel was confused, happy of his new fate but worried about what that implicated.
Would Lynne even be open to his love, or too uncomfortable with him previously being a cat?
He tiptoed to her door leaning against it, his arms wrapped around him for warmth. Was that...Lynne was breathing heavily, it sounded almost like sobbing. No. No, he never wanted to make her cry.
The door slammed open abruptly and clothes flew out.
"There's the clothes! Hurry up and put them on!" Lynne shouted from inside the room before swiftly shutting the door.
The clothes were certainly warm, a fuzzy pink sweater and penguin pajama pants that didn't quite reach his ankles. He remembered that Lynne wore these once because Cabanela gave them to her as a gift. He remembered how much she hated it. He still had a different opinion, but it was based on warmth, not aesthetic.
"Lynne, you can come out now." Sissel stated plainly. He didn't understand why she was hiding, but hopefully he had remedied the problem.
"Good, that's good." Lynne peeked out, before nodding in approval. "Now Yomiel, can you explain to me what you were doing in my house naked and sleeping on the floor?"
"...What?" Sissel murmured, befuddled. She thought he looked like him?. Oh. His wish seemed to have granted him the form he took when he was a ghost, Yomiel's. That would be confusing.
"I think you should leave now." Lynne frowned, eyeing the door. No, he didn't want to, this was his home! She had to understand...
"No please, I'm not Yomiel, Lyyne." He pleaded, hands reaching forward to her but never touching. "My name is Sissel, remember?"
She moved in dangerously close, chest to chest a hair's width apart. Brushing away the hair that cloaked his face, and stared into his eyes. There was no longer a need to worry about the cold, It was warm enough to house a furnace where his heart was now and not make a difference.
"L-Lyyne?" Sissel stuttered, feeling like his lungs had ruptured themselves through sheer tension.
"Your eyes... Sissel. I'd recognize those anywhere. But how?" Lynne murmured, svelte voice running over Sissel's ears in a sweet stream of relief.
"I don't know, it's like some crazy dream..." Sissel blushed, hands desperately trying to mask his scarlet face.
"So, what now Sissel?" Lyyne stated, smirk lighting her face like a festival.
"..." Perhaps this gift was more than he could handle. He was falling apart by the second.
Chapter 3
It had been 3 days and his heart still beat, hot and fast as it could muster inside his human body. Living with Lynne had been simple, but this? This was complicated to say the least. For all the freedom he thought this body would give him, it restrained him more than he could have ever dreamed. Laying on her lap and looking soulfully at her was out of the question now, as was touching her in general. Heart aching, he tried to content himself by looking. It was hopeless of course.
"Why the staring? Is there something on my face again?" Lynne scrunched up her face in a ridiculously cute manner.
"No reason!" Sissel meekly squeaked, hiding his face beneath the nearest pillow.
"You're acting awfully strange, even for previously being a cat." Lynne, pursed her lips, glancing back at her case file. "Whatever."
"Did you hear? Detective Jowd finally got his pardon to get back on the force!"
"About time, seeing all we did to try and prove he was innocent." He smirked.
"Couldn't have done it without you Siessel. You really saved us all. Oh! I never did get to thank you for that in person, face to face ya know, because talking to cats that can't understand you is weird and everything-"
"I've always been able to hear your words Lynne." He blurted out before biting his tongue in regret.
"No way!" Her eyes gleamed with dangerous intention. "Your lying."
"I won't lie to you, now or then." He stated, tensing his shoulders to keep a straight face.
"Really? Because it seems you've been keeping something from me, and that's sad. I thought we shared all our secrets, ghost cat to former ghost." She pouted, putting on her best coaxing face.
His eyes fluttered shut with thought, mind straining to fight the impulse to kiss those lips.
"I...It's better if I show you." He slid next to her and crushed his face to hers in a gentle wake of cheek and lips.
"Oh...my..." Lynne murmured between closed teeth before pulling back. "I honestly never expected this."
"In a bad way?" Sissel muttered, tears set to swell behind his eyelids.
"Er well, I mean I barely know you, I mean I did know you as a ghost and that's not what I mean and what I mean is we should date first, get to know each other!"
"Date? What's that?" He inquired, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"...This is going to take a while." Lynne sighed.