Summary: It's the night of the full moon.

Adapt

By Dark Ice Dragon

Kentas exhaled, closing his eyes as he sat cross-legged on his bed. The power of the full moon pulled at him, filling him with power. It overflowed within him and triggered his transformation. The instincts that came with it curled around his mind, but he ignored them with well-practiced ease. It would only be a few more hours until it was over.

He frowned, hearing someone nearing his door. They were snuffling, like they were trying to track somone. It couldn't be Garda or Lunark, so-

He snapped his eyes open and leaped off the bed, heading for his door.

M-21 was in the corridor, transformed and hunched over as he braced a hand on the wall. When he saw Kentas, he growled at him, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth.

Damn.

Kentas looked away, turning his head away from M-21, trying to make himself look less threatening. Learning how to control themselves during the full moon was something a werewolf was taught as soon as they gained their claws. Some families taught their pups the exercises before that, to prepare them.

M-21 wouldn't have had someone to teach him.

He might not even understand the meaning of Kentas' gestures.

It seemed like he did, M-21's growl tapering off and M-21 approached him, sniffing again.

"Recognise me?" Kentas murmured, trying to figure out how far gone M-21 was.

He got a soft growl in reply after a pause. Completely gone then.

Kentas exhaled when M-21 leaned in and nuzzled his shoulder.

"Come on," he said, leading M-21 back to his room. "No point trying to tell you how to control yourself when you're like this," Kentas said as M-21 followed him in. But the sound of his voice should help M-21 focus a little more.

They curled up in bed, M-21 pressing himself up to Kentas with a sigh as Kentas ran his fingers through his hair. M-21 made a grumbling sound but relaxed further at the contact. Kentas growled softly, M-21 responding in kind.

M-21 closed his eyes and dozed, though Kentas continued to stroke his hair, to keep him calm.

A few minutes later, Kentas heard someone walking up and down the corridor, a few doors opening and closing.

He lifted his head at the knock on his door. "Door's open," he said, peering at it. He wasn't going to leave M-21 by himself if he could help it.

The door opened and Takeo poked his head in. "Kentas, have you-" He stopped, staring at Kentas. No, it was more at the fur stripes on Kentas' face. "Kentas...?" Takeo stayed by the door, though his gaze flicked to M-21.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said, still stroking M-21's hair. "M-21's not."

Takeo nodded, coming into the room and closing the door. "Are you not as affected by the moon?"

"It's not that," Kentas said, shaking his head. "I just know what to do during this time to keep control."

Takeo opened his mouth for a second, then closed it, looking away.

"I'll teach him how in the morning," Kentas said with a smile.

Takeo smiled back, and then dug into his pocket. "I should tell Tao where he is — we were worried when we couldn't find him."

Kentas huffed. "Tell him to come here — being surrounded by family helps."

Takeo paused from texting, his smile turning wry. "If Tao heard you say that, he'll throw himself at the bed and lay on top of you both."

"You make it sound like that isn't what I wanted. We should move to the floor anyway," Kentas said, eyeing it. "There's more space there." They wouldn't have to worry about people falling off.

"Tao'll still lay on top of you both."

Kentas quirked his eyebrows up, one corner of his mouth going up. "Not all three of us?"

Takeo blinked, then smiled. "All three of us, yes."

They had arranged the blankets and pillows on the floor, and had just laid down on them with M-21 in the middle when Tao entered Kentas' room.

"You're all ready!" Tao said with a grin. He walked over and then draped himself all of them, one of his arms going around Kentas' shoulders.

M-21 turned his head to sniff Tao's face, then nuzzled him.

Tao snickered. "Your fur's ticklish!"

M-21 growled softly but stopped, settling down again.

"So," Tao said, looking at Kentas, "are we going to hug him the entire night?"

Kentas nodded. "Until he transforms back."

Tao beamed. "No better way to pass the time!"

Being surrounded by people who cared about you, no, there wasn't.