Neko-Heero; Part Two ~ Oi.I Fainted? ~
By Lady Angelfiren
Disclaimer: Who the fuck reads these stupid disclaimers anyway?!! Why am I writing one?? Oh well, you all know the drill, oh faithful readers, I donna own'um Gundam, and I never will, so back the fuck off!! Oh, and I'm not getting paid either.but wouldn't it be cool if I were??!! Feel free to send me money!!!
Warnings: Uh. heh heh. Sexy Neko-Heero, and Duo,. And much confusion!! Some angst. Kinda PWP, but really Cute!! Just read, hopefully you won't be disappointed, maybe you'll even write back?? *Hopeful look*
~*~*~*~*~*~
Neko-Heero; Part Two ~ OI.I Fainted?~ By Lady AngelFiren
Duo woke up late the next morning, around eleven instead of nine or nine- thirty. He stretched and yawned, then sat up and realized that he was naked, and that Heero was laying across his feet. The Japanese boy was on his stomach, arms stretched out in front of him, tail and legs stretched out behind him, ears swiveling slowly to where Duo was sitting, just watching his strange friend sleep.
Duo yawned again and threw the blankets off of himself to get up. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and was absolutely shocked to see a tail coming out of him. It was covered in short, sandy-orange fur with faint brown stripes through it, and swayed back and forth almost hypnotically. He stood here staring stupidly at it until he realized that it was _him_ making it move, and that he'd been watching it for almost a full two minutes. Shock hit him, and he brought his hands up to his head, to where his ears were supposed to be. Instead of normal people ears, there was nothing, and just a little higher up on his head, Duo felt a pair of sensitive, furry cat ears. He let his jaw drop open in surprise, and a shocked little gasp escaped him. Looking at his hands, he saw tiny claws instead of fingernails. "Ohmigod." He trailed, and sat heavily down on the bed, not really thinking at all. Blackness rushed up around the corners of his eyes, and he felt like he was spinning. Then he felt nothing at all as he dropped into unconsciousness on the bed.
~*~*~*~
"Duo?"
Someone was shaking him..but it was faraway. What was going on?
"Duo, get up!"
Heero's voice registered, and a lazy swirl of consciousness broke through Duo's faint. He peeled his eyes open to see a blurry picture of Heero hovering worriedly over him. Blinking, his vision cleared and the blurry Heero became just Heero.with kitty ears of course. "Oi.I fainted?"
The cat-boy, who was sitting beside him (still buck naked) on the bed nodded vigorously and handed him a glass of water. Duo sucked it back greedily and handed the glass back to his friend. Taking a breath, Duo sat up and looked at his hands. Claws. It was real. He was turning into a cat- or whatever it was that was happening to Heero was also happening to him. The American bit his lip and closed his eyes to keep from crying; it wouldn't do to let Heero see how badly he was taking this. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and a soft head lay over his chest. Heero was hugging him? A deep thrum sounded beside him, and he knew that it was the Japanese pilot purring as loudly as he could to make Duo feel better.
"I'm okay Heero, just shocked. I'll be fine in a minute." He said, hoping that Heero would understand that he was going to need some time to adjust. Heero's nature made it easier for him to accept whatever happened to him. He was taught from early childhood to be that way; resourceful and appreciative of whatever didn't hurt him too much. He was also slow to open up and very untrusting of people, but Duo figured that he was probably not overly upset over the change, and willing to live that way so long as he could still function. Then Duo's thoughts flickered back to the night before, to the complete lack of control in his friend, and he started to wonder if maybe Heero was more upset than he let on.
Duo heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. He looked at Heero, who had evidence of confused worry on his thin features, and got up slowly. His tail flicked around behind him, seemingly with a mind of its own, and he could feel his ears moving around unconsciously on his head, pivoting to face whatever sounds he heard. Duo went into the bathroom and flicked on the light so he could see himself in the mirror. He gasped at his reflection.
The ears on his head were as orange-sand as his tail, and they actually matched his hair really well, despite how strange they looked. Everything else about his features was the same (so far.) except for his eyes. He leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look at his eyes. They were the same deep indigo as always, but slit instead of having rounded pupils, and his retinas reflected the bathroom light in an eerie greenish glow that shifted when he moved. The eyes freaked him out the most, because the were so radically different than before. Duo'd always thought his eyes were one of his better features, and now they were just strange.
Making faces at the mirror, Duo became a little more accustomed to his eyes and furry ears. He found he could move the ears around on his own, but it did take some getting used to. The same with the tail._his_ tail; it was like an extra limb, only not.
Duo was flicking his tail back and forth experimentally, completely into the small motion when Heero pounced on him from the doorway and grabbed his tail in careful hands. Duo jumped a little and tried to pull it free, but Heero wouldn't let go.
"C'mon Heero, let it go." Duo tried, hoping the other boy would listen. Instead he received an actual _grin_ from the Japanese pilot and he let go. Confused, Duo jerked his tail back to himself, and was surprised and amused when Heero chased it and held on briefly before letting go and waiting for Duo to move it again. His Prussian eyes were fixed avidly on the appendage, unblinking and completely attentive. "What the hell are you doing?"
Heero looked up as if he'd forgotten Duo was there and stared at him ".Playing?" It came out as a small question rather than an answer. Heero didn't sound like he was entirely in control of his actions at the moment, as if he'd been completely swept up in his little game of 'chase Duo's tail.'
"Why." Duo trailed in an all-but-accusing tone. He put his hand on his hip to add to the look, and Heero simply stared more.
"Uhm.I don't know. Sorry Duo."
The Deathscythe pilot grinned and flicked his tail again. Heero was after it in a split second, trapping it in his hands momentarily before releasing it and waiting for Duo to move.
"Uh, Heero? You're still naked, go put some clothes on."
"Why?"
"Because, people wear clothes, you can't go around in public like that.
"Wh-" Heero caught himself before he even finished the word. Duo saw the flash of confused frustration in his eyes, and knew the cat-boy was trying to reprimand himself for losing control again, especially over something so mundane. Of course people wore clothes. It was a radical thing to see Adam and Eve played backwards.instead of gaining shame, Heero had lost it. Duo shuddered a bit at this, what else would happen to them both if they didn't find a way to stop this? Heero probably couldn't even access his laptop without help anymore, and forget piloting a Gundam, it was all going downhill. Fast.
As the Wing pilot turned and left the bathroom, Duo saw a thin line of shiny dark fur over his spine. It was just on that one place, and it looked good, he had to admit, but it really scared him.
~*~*~*~
"Ok, what do you want for breakfast dude? Lessee, we've got eggs, cereal, toast, waffles, bagels and a bunch of other stuff. Anything in particular? Otherwise, I'll make us bacon eggs and toast. And I'll even squeeze some fresh oj, then after breakfast we are going to check your mail, and see if there's anything we can do about this. We should go find Relena too, I bet she's got some answers, and if not then we could at least go and see what the hell's happened to her. Maybe we could find out how far this is gonna go before it stops. Sound good?" Duo waited for an answer as he rooted through the fridge in search of the eggs and butter. He'd already set the bacon on the counter, along with a frozen loaf of bread and some oranges. There was no reply. "Heero?" Duo turned to see what the idiot was doing and stopped mid-turn when he noticed that the bacon was gone.
"Heero? Where the hell are you? You stole the bacon? That stuff's not even cooked yet, answer me!" Duo walked into the living room and his jaw dropped open as he saw Heero, sitting on the floor behind the coffee table with the package of bacon on top of it. He was grinning to himself and licking his lips as he used one finely clawed finger to slice the package open.
Caught between howling with laughter and screaming at his friend, Duo made himself walk over to the table and snatch the meat away from Heero, who looked up at him sadly. An angry little 'mew!' escaped him as he pleaded with his eyes for Duo to give the bacon back.
"No! Idiot, this stuff has to be cooked first! What are you doing? Nevermind, just come help me cook or something." Duo grabbed Heero's hand as if he were five and pulled him into the kitchen. "Are you gonna take the bacon again?"
Heero shook his head and looked over Duo's shoulder at the ceiling. Duo grew more frustrated and turned around. There was a moth there, fluttering lightly despite the time of day. Duo fought the sudden urge he had to chase it, and tried to pin Heero with a forbidding glare, but the other boy was already getting up on the counter to catch the moth. His feet stepped lightly; he didn't knock a single thing over, and his tail swished around, balancing him out. He froze and watched the insect for a second, then lashed out at it with his hands, cupping it easily. Heero hopped off the counter and marched proudly into the living room, ears pointed high, the tip of his tail flicking after him.
/Heero's proud he caught a bug? Jesus, I hope Relena has some answers./ Duo thought wearily and cocked his ears so that he'd hear the most severe noises of whatever Heero was doing to the moth he'd caught. Duo started to make breakfast, and before long he had a veritable feast set on the table, complete with fresh orange juice and paper towel napkins. Ok, so the napkins were stupid, but Duo was happy anyway. Then he realized how suspiciously silent the rest of the house was.
"Aw fuck.Where is he now?" Duo muttered under his breath as he went in search of his stupid friend again. This time he was greeted with the adorable sight of Heero, lying curled up in a patch of sunlight that filtered in through the bay window. He had his tail stretched out on the rug behind him, flicking (as usual) sleepily, and his eyes were shut lightly. There was a small smile on his face and his ears moved lazily around on his head, which rested comfortably on his arms. Duo could hear him purring slowly, and between his fingers was the moth he'd caught, limping around and trying to escape. When it was close to freedom, his hand would close over it and prevent escape. As long as Duo didn't think about the poor moth, he thought the situation beyond cute.
Duo quietly padded over to Heero and knelt down beside him, digging his claws absently in the squishy carpet. He started to rub behind the furry ears, and Heero's purrs got louder as he opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at Duo.
"Food? I'm hungry," he said in a low, sleepy purr, following Duo when he grinned and went into the kitchen, purposely switching his tail to attract Heero's attention.
Duo beamed at his neatly prepared table, food steaming on it. "Voila! Bacon, eggs and toast! C'mon, eat up!" Duo sat down and dug in, savouring every bite. Heero did the same, but he left his oj on the table.
~*~*~*~
Having finished breakfast, Duo asked Heero to go get his laptop, and maybe they could figure out how to access the mailbox together. Laying it on the table, Heero opened it and powered it up. A screen asking for a password appeared, and Heero looked at Duo in confusion.
"Well? Its your laptop, what's the password?" Duo asked, glaring a bit at Heero, who looked lost.
"I don't remember."
"What do you mean you don't remember?"
"I just don't! Its like I never knew, its just gone. I'm sorry Duo.but it doesn't really matter, this way we don't get missions." Heero actually smiled at this, and Duo growled. Now what were they gonna do? He shut the small computer and stood up restlessly. He didn't feel right. He felt like there was something he was missing in his head, but he didn't know what. He waved it aside and figured it was probably just his mind simplifying, or whatever was happening to Heero. He knew that it wasn't something he should be just brushing aside, but something else was distracting him. He saw Heero curling up on the couch and told himself that he should wake the boy and take them both to Relena's, but at the moment, all he wanted to do was have a nice nap.
Duo yawned and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Heero and then laying with him as he fall asleep. There was nothing particular on his mind, mostly he was just reflecting on how nice it would be to lay in the sun and snooze forever.
The phone ringing woke him up about three hours later. He jerked awake and scrambled to answer it, stopping for a second to think which button to push to make it work.
"Hello?"
"Is Meghan theywe?" A little kid's voice asked shyly.
Duo stopped to think for a second. Who was Meghan? Did she live here? O.it must be a wrong number. "Uh.no. Sorry kid, I think you have a wrong number, alright? Buh bye." He hung up the phone and dropped it on the floor, walking back over to his couch to nap. Wait.wasn't there something he had to do today? The sun was getting low, it would be dark in a few hours. Then what? Relena. They had to go see Relena.
Duo shook Heero awake, who looked at him through tiny slits in his eyes and glared. "What are you doing? I was asleep." He growled a bit and closed his eyes again. Duo grew somewhat frantic, and shook him harder.
"Get up! We have to go see Relena, remember? So we can find a way to get back to normal, c'mon, get up and we'll try to find a disguise that'll make us look normal, then we'll go to Relena's. You think we should call first?"
"Let's just go tomorrow, I don't wanna get up." Heero closed his eyes again, and Duo grew very upset. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't think very well, and it was frustrating the hell out of him. He hissed at Heero.
Now THAT got his attention! He snapped his eyes open and folded his ears back, the fur on his tail puffing out as if he'd been attacked by a dryer. He looked at Duo, who was sort of replaying the foreign sound in his mind, and glared. "Fine." Heero got off the couch, stretching his whole body in classic kitty style and yawning wide. His tee-shirt was short, and Duo could see the fur that traced down Heero's spine through it when he stretched. Heero clawed at the couch for a bit, then got onto his feet and went up the stairs after Duo.
~*~*~*~
"Quit doing that, you're makin' people stare!" Duo hissed quietly to Heero as the cat-boy squirmed in his seat, sniffing the person in front of him. They were on a city bus, sitting side-by-side in the double seat. The bus wasn't really packed, but there were people in front of them and behind them, and Heero was squished into the seat beside the window, while Duo got the aisle.
The boys had been hard-pressed to find a suitable disguise, so they were forced to disregard the summer weather and wear long coats. It was horribly uncomfortable to have a tail plastered up your back, but that was the only position that was both reasonably subtle and not painful. Heero had dawned a baseball cap, and kept complaining about how it hurt to have his ears folded down on his head. Duo had done the same, but he was at least used to wearing the thing, so it wasn't as bad for him. Neither boy had bothered with anything as drastic as gloves.
Duo looked at Heero. He was staring at the small crowd like they were planning to jump him and break his legs. The edge was heightened by the sound his teeth insisted on making as he ground them together nervously. His hands were in his lap, fidgeting avidly, and he glared out at the threatening people around him with honest fear.
"Are you alright?" Duo asked, seeing that Heero really wasn't doing so well. Duo was alright, being naturally accustomed to lots of people and, more importantly, he wasn't as far along in his little cat-change thing, so his mind was different.
A frightened 'mew' seeped out of Heero's lips and he tucked himself close to Duo as well as he could with the giant coat in the way. Even through all the layers of material, Duo could feel Heero shaking. They had to get off the bus soon, or he feared the Wing pilot would have an anxiety attack or something like that. Duo looked out the window. It was dark, but they were in a busy part of the city. They could catch a cab. It was totally unfair for Heero to have to sit through the torture of the city bus. They pulled the string, and at the next stop, shuffled past people and out the doors.
Duo stepped off the bus, followed closely by Heero. He pulled the Japanese creature close and tried to think of a plan. They could call a cab to take them to Relena's and hopefully she would have some answers for them. It was the only thing they could do.
"C'mon Heero, we're gonna find a cab and get us back to normal as fast as possible, okay?"
Heero nodded disjointedly as he looked at his surroundings and clung to Duo's arm. The braided boy gently pulled him along to a busier street, where they tried to hail cab. Before one actually stopped, Duo's mind lit up with alarm and he shuck his hands into his pockets, looking for money. There was nothing in the coat, but when he turned his pants pockets inside out, he found enough to pay the fare. Sighing in relief, Duo continued his quest to get a taxi, but none had stopped to date.
Heero suddenly jumped in surprise and hissed at the sky. He jumped again and decided to cling to Duo this time. "What is it?" Duo asked in concern.
"Its starting to rain." Heero replied angrily, wincing as another drop hit him. A cab slowed down as if it were going to stop, then flew past the pair. Duo growled in frustration. Now he was starting to feel the rain too, and he didn't like it at all.
The droplets fell faster, daring the angry boys to try and defy them. A hushed whisper rose all around them as the rain drowned out most sounds and quickly elevated from drizzle to downpour in less than a minute. Heero was looking around for a place to hide, while Duo frantically tried to attract the attention of a driver, _any_ driver. The rain was bleeding through his jacket already, and his braid was dripping down his back in a miniature runoff waterfall.
"This fuckin' SUCKS!" Duo groused and threw his arms up in anger, looking at the sky now instead of the street. Heero was hiding from the rain in a bus stop, looking cold and wet and miserable as water poured down around him and dripped off his chin. Duo's coat was getting heavy, and it was making him colder than he already was, but he knew there was no way he could take it off. A cab was cruising along the street towards them. Duo ran onto the road and screamed "TAXI!" as it came. The driver slammed to a halt and Duo opened the door. "Heero! I got one, come on!" he shouted and saw the boy come towards him, glaring angrily at the rain as he sped along.
Heero practically dove into the cab, followed by Duo, who had become little more than a human puddle with legs and a tail. He pulled the door shut behind him as the cab sped off.
"Where to?" called an uninterested man's voice from the font of the car.
"We don't know the address, but it's the PeaceCraft's estate." Duo said in his lightest tone, trying to get on the cabby's good side.
"That's all the way across town, I'm gonna need ta see some dollar before I take you," replied a gruff voice from the front.
Duo took out the small wad of bills he's brought. They weren't wet enough to drip, but the were pretty waterlogged. Fortunately the cabby took the money with a genuine smile and turned the car around. "Thanks." Duo said quietly as he shifted in his sopping clothes. Heero was looking out the window quietly. He fiddled with the cap on his head and brought a hand up to the cool glass, tracing the rain as it fell. The fear was going out of his eyes, but he still shivered from being wet, and Duo was worried that they would both get sick on top of everything else.
"Nice night," the driver said sarcastically to Duo, who was glad to break the silence. He was relieved that they hadn't ended up with one of the truly frightening taxi drivers that frequented the big cities. He and Heero had a few stories about those, and they were never good ones. Often times Heero would lose his patience and take over the vehicle, brandishing a weapon and ordering the driver out. Duo couldn't imagine the Wing pilot doing that now, he was too.small. That's how Duo thought of his friend, smaller, as if there was less of him. It was basically true.
"Yeah, we soaked your seats pretty badly, I think. Sorry about that," Duo said almost jovially, trying to keep the man in good spirits and at the same time using his own confidence to let the nervous Heero know that everything was alright.
"Don't worry about it, I wouldn't want to be caught in this weather either," was the calm, friendly reply. Duo sat back in his seat and let silence rule, listening to the drum of the downpour and the thrum of the engine.
After riding quietly for about fifteen minutes, Duo turned to Heero, startling the other boy out of whatever he was thinking with a light tap on the shoulder. "We'll get some dry clothes at Relena's, I don't think it'll be very much longer, jus try no to catch hypothermia until we get there, ok?"
Heero nodded and went back to staring out the window.
~*~*~*~
"Ok, you think anyone'll answer the door? I fuckin' hope so, or we'll be walkin' back to the house. At least it's stopped raining, but we're both soaked. Lets go."
Heero followed Duo up the long, curvy drive to Relena's current mansion. It was a low-security estate, so there weren't even any guards at the gate where they had said goodbye to their pleasant driver and started walking. Heero hadn't said a word for quite awhile, and Duo was feeling unusually quiet, so there was mostly silence as the walked, aside from the scuff of their shoes on the pavement. The night air was cool, and stars could be seen in the sky, now that the rain clouds had dissipated and they were out of the city. The air was calm, and crickets were chirping madly in the background.
"Do you think Relena will have something to eat? I'm so hungry." Heero trailed, speaking out of the blue. Duo realized that he was ready to digest his own stomach if they didn't get something to eat soon. He had an unusual craving for fish.
"Yeah, I bet she will, but if we don't get up this god-damned driveway, we'll never eat again. Let's go faster, I'm tired and hungry and cold. I want a shower and some dry clothes, and I want some answers."
Duo walked faster, and Heero came up beside him, looking pale and miserable. His hair was still dripping, but Duo's braid was worse, he feared it would never be dry again. They reached the door. It was a simple door, set into the building a bit and flanked by tall rectangular windows on either side, just wide enough for a person to look through. The mansion loomed above them, but they weren't the least bit intimidated by it; all they wanted was to go inside and be warm. Heero knocked timidly, and the door was instantly opened by Pagan, Relena's driver and personal attendant. He saw them and his kindly old face tightened in concern, his heavy steel brows raising almost enough for the boys to see the man's eyes.
"Oh my, you must be freezing! Do come in, and I'll get somebody to help you get into dry clothes, please Mr. Yuy, Mr. Maxwell, come inside where its warm. What brings you on such a wet evening? Would you like me to get Miss Relena? I warn you, she is not completely well, in fact I'm very worried about her. Perhaps you could help."
Pagan ushered the pair inside and two young women appeared to help them out of their jackets and hats. Duo noted the confused concern for Relena in the old man's voice and obligingly removed his sopping coat. Heero watched him and did the same, thankfully pulling off the annoying baseball cap and handing it to the startled young servant who's eyes widened when she saw his ears. Duo swatted his tail about, grateful to have it freed from the confines of the coat, and toed off his shoes by the doorway.
Once they were out of their outdoor clothes, one of the servant girls brought them fluffy white towels, and asked that they follow her to get some dry clothes. A new servant came and asked Heero to follow him, while Duo was instructed to trail the first girl they'd encountered. He was given a tee-shirt, a pair of sweatpants and comfortable sweatshirt. He wasn't really into going commando, but it was better than wearing wet boxers, so he gladly did so. The pants had an opening in the seam at the back, through which he stuck his tail. He was confused as to why they would have that, but content not to worry about it. He rejoined Heero in some kind of fancy sitting room, who was wearing almost the same thing as him.
"Relena is occupied at the moment, sirs, would you like something to eat while you wait?" Pagan came into the room, smiling uncomfortably. He looked like he was eyeing the boys' ears and tails, but neither could see his actual eyes, so they really didn't know. Heero's stomach growled loudly on cue and he nodded his head at Pagan. Duo asked him what there was to eat.
"What would you like? Come with me to the informal dining room, and you can pick out anything you'd like."
The boys followed Pagan and asked if there was any tuna. The old man smiled at them and nodded his head. "Yes, Miss Relena has taken to fish lately, would you both like some tuna sandwiches? We also have salmon"
Duo licked his lips. "Salmon for me. And a glass of milk too."
Heero scratched at the table and looked up at Pagan. "Tuna. And some milk." He looked around the room at the clean white floor and surprisingly casual dining table. There was a nondescript picture of flowers on the wall, covered in thin glass, but no frame. Everything was painfully clean and shiny.
The same servant, the young blond who'd originally bought the two pilots towels, set down a plate in front of each, and came back with two tall glasses of plain milk. Heero practically attacked his tuna sandwiches, and finished all three of them in a matter of minutes. Duo did he same with his, grinning at the feeling of being full and downing his milk quickly.
"Thanks, that was great. Is Relena still busy? We kind of need to talk to her as soon as possible. If you could go get her, we'd be all set. Just tell her Heero's here and I'm sure she'll fly down the stairs to see us." Duo joked, getting up and walking boldly into the room they'd come from to sit in an overstuffed chair. He thought about how weird this whole situation was and watched as Heero found a chair to occupy. The Japanese boy sucked the end of each finger clean, and looked around the room. Eventually he curled up and closed his eyes, brining his tail round him and growling softly to himself until he was comfortable.
Duo flicked his tail into his lap and held it with a hand. The soft orangy fur was still damp, matted here and there from the rain. He'd taken care to towel off his hair and re-braid it, but had neglected to take care of his tail. The Deathscythe pilot started to run his fingers through the fur, unmatting it and letting it dry under his fingertips. It was shinier when he was finished, and made him happy.
Duo absently wondered where the hell Relena was and what she would look like when he saw her. He also thought about how Heero's mind had changed in just a few short days. If Relena was having the same thing happen to her, than would she be able to tell them anything? How far was this going to go? Duo's stomach started to hurt with his worry. What was going to happen to his mind? Heero was having trouble reading yesterday, and this morning he couldn't even remember how to check his mail. The scariest part was that he didn't seem to care at all, more like he was completely content with the way things were. Duo usually didn't mind too badly when stuff went wrong; his whole life had been a series of things going horribly wrong, but at least he was always able to understand what was happening, and knew that he was in control. Now it was different. He was getting confused about things that should have been simple. If he was only one day into this whole thing, then what would he be like next week? How would he survive? It was obvious that he could no longer be a terrorist, and that was pretty much the only thing he knew how to do.
Duo whimpered unintentionally and waited for Relena to come down the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~
To Be Continued
~*~*~*~*~*~
Oi Minna-san! So what did you think? *dodges flying debris* What? I thought it was alright, are you mad about Heero? He can't help being all cute and adorable now, I have him right where I want him! Bwahahaahaahaahaaaa! He's MINE!!! MIIIINNNNE! *Runs away trailing "Please send feeeedbaaaack!!!" e
heH
~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~
By Lady Angelfiren
Disclaimer: Who the fuck reads these stupid disclaimers anyway?!! Why am I writing one?? Oh well, you all know the drill, oh faithful readers, I donna own'um Gundam, and I never will, so back the fuck off!! Oh, and I'm not getting paid either.but wouldn't it be cool if I were??!! Feel free to send me money!!!
Warnings: Uh. heh heh. Sexy Neko-Heero, and Duo,. And much confusion!! Some angst. Kinda PWP, but really Cute!! Just read, hopefully you won't be disappointed, maybe you'll even write back?? *Hopeful look*
~*~*~*~*~*~
Neko-Heero; Part Two ~ OI.I Fainted?~ By Lady AngelFiren
Duo woke up late the next morning, around eleven instead of nine or nine- thirty. He stretched and yawned, then sat up and realized that he was naked, and that Heero was laying across his feet. The Japanese boy was on his stomach, arms stretched out in front of him, tail and legs stretched out behind him, ears swiveling slowly to where Duo was sitting, just watching his strange friend sleep.
Duo yawned again and threw the blankets off of himself to get up. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and was absolutely shocked to see a tail coming out of him. It was covered in short, sandy-orange fur with faint brown stripes through it, and swayed back and forth almost hypnotically. He stood here staring stupidly at it until he realized that it was _him_ making it move, and that he'd been watching it for almost a full two minutes. Shock hit him, and he brought his hands up to his head, to where his ears were supposed to be. Instead of normal people ears, there was nothing, and just a little higher up on his head, Duo felt a pair of sensitive, furry cat ears. He let his jaw drop open in surprise, and a shocked little gasp escaped him. Looking at his hands, he saw tiny claws instead of fingernails. "Ohmigod." He trailed, and sat heavily down on the bed, not really thinking at all. Blackness rushed up around the corners of his eyes, and he felt like he was spinning. Then he felt nothing at all as he dropped into unconsciousness on the bed.
~*~*~*~
"Duo?"
Someone was shaking him..but it was faraway. What was going on?
"Duo, get up!"
Heero's voice registered, and a lazy swirl of consciousness broke through Duo's faint. He peeled his eyes open to see a blurry picture of Heero hovering worriedly over him. Blinking, his vision cleared and the blurry Heero became just Heero.with kitty ears of course. "Oi.I fainted?"
The cat-boy, who was sitting beside him (still buck naked) on the bed nodded vigorously and handed him a glass of water. Duo sucked it back greedily and handed the glass back to his friend. Taking a breath, Duo sat up and looked at his hands. Claws. It was real. He was turning into a cat- or whatever it was that was happening to Heero was also happening to him. The American bit his lip and closed his eyes to keep from crying; it wouldn't do to let Heero see how badly he was taking this. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and a soft head lay over his chest. Heero was hugging him? A deep thrum sounded beside him, and he knew that it was the Japanese pilot purring as loudly as he could to make Duo feel better.
"I'm okay Heero, just shocked. I'll be fine in a minute." He said, hoping that Heero would understand that he was going to need some time to adjust. Heero's nature made it easier for him to accept whatever happened to him. He was taught from early childhood to be that way; resourceful and appreciative of whatever didn't hurt him too much. He was also slow to open up and very untrusting of people, but Duo figured that he was probably not overly upset over the change, and willing to live that way so long as he could still function. Then Duo's thoughts flickered back to the night before, to the complete lack of control in his friend, and he started to wonder if maybe Heero was more upset than he let on.
Duo heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. He looked at Heero, who had evidence of confused worry on his thin features, and got up slowly. His tail flicked around behind him, seemingly with a mind of its own, and he could feel his ears moving around unconsciously on his head, pivoting to face whatever sounds he heard. Duo went into the bathroom and flicked on the light so he could see himself in the mirror. He gasped at his reflection.
The ears on his head were as orange-sand as his tail, and they actually matched his hair really well, despite how strange they looked. Everything else about his features was the same (so far.) except for his eyes. He leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look at his eyes. They were the same deep indigo as always, but slit instead of having rounded pupils, and his retinas reflected the bathroom light in an eerie greenish glow that shifted when he moved. The eyes freaked him out the most, because the were so radically different than before. Duo'd always thought his eyes were one of his better features, and now they were just strange.
Making faces at the mirror, Duo became a little more accustomed to his eyes and furry ears. He found he could move the ears around on his own, but it did take some getting used to. The same with the tail._his_ tail; it was like an extra limb, only not.
Duo was flicking his tail back and forth experimentally, completely into the small motion when Heero pounced on him from the doorway and grabbed his tail in careful hands. Duo jumped a little and tried to pull it free, but Heero wouldn't let go.
"C'mon Heero, let it go." Duo tried, hoping the other boy would listen. Instead he received an actual _grin_ from the Japanese pilot and he let go. Confused, Duo jerked his tail back to himself, and was surprised and amused when Heero chased it and held on briefly before letting go and waiting for Duo to move it again. His Prussian eyes were fixed avidly on the appendage, unblinking and completely attentive. "What the hell are you doing?"
Heero looked up as if he'd forgotten Duo was there and stared at him ".Playing?" It came out as a small question rather than an answer. Heero didn't sound like he was entirely in control of his actions at the moment, as if he'd been completely swept up in his little game of 'chase Duo's tail.'
"Why." Duo trailed in an all-but-accusing tone. He put his hand on his hip to add to the look, and Heero simply stared more.
"Uhm.I don't know. Sorry Duo."
The Deathscythe pilot grinned and flicked his tail again. Heero was after it in a split second, trapping it in his hands momentarily before releasing it and waiting for Duo to move.
"Uh, Heero? You're still naked, go put some clothes on."
"Why?"
"Because, people wear clothes, you can't go around in public like that.
"Wh-" Heero caught himself before he even finished the word. Duo saw the flash of confused frustration in his eyes, and knew the cat-boy was trying to reprimand himself for losing control again, especially over something so mundane. Of course people wore clothes. It was a radical thing to see Adam and Eve played backwards.instead of gaining shame, Heero had lost it. Duo shuddered a bit at this, what else would happen to them both if they didn't find a way to stop this? Heero probably couldn't even access his laptop without help anymore, and forget piloting a Gundam, it was all going downhill. Fast.
As the Wing pilot turned and left the bathroom, Duo saw a thin line of shiny dark fur over his spine. It was just on that one place, and it looked good, he had to admit, but it really scared him.
~*~*~*~
"Ok, what do you want for breakfast dude? Lessee, we've got eggs, cereal, toast, waffles, bagels and a bunch of other stuff. Anything in particular? Otherwise, I'll make us bacon eggs and toast. And I'll even squeeze some fresh oj, then after breakfast we are going to check your mail, and see if there's anything we can do about this. We should go find Relena too, I bet she's got some answers, and if not then we could at least go and see what the hell's happened to her. Maybe we could find out how far this is gonna go before it stops. Sound good?" Duo waited for an answer as he rooted through the fridge in search of the eggs and butter. He'd already set the bacon on the counter, along with a frozen loaf of bread and some oranges. There was no reply. "Heero?" Duo turned to see what the idiot was doing and stopped mid-turn when he noticed that the bacon was gone.
"Heero? Where the hell are you? You stole the bacon? That stuff's not even cooked yet, answer me!" Duo walked into the living room and his jaw dropped open as he saw Heero, sitting on the floor behind the coffee table with the package of bacon on top of it. He was grinning to himself and licking his lips as he used one finely clawed finger to slice the package open.
Caught between howling with laughter and screaming at his friend, Duo made himself walk over to the table and snatch the meat away from Heero, who looked up at him sadly. An angry little 'mew!' escaped him as he pleaded with his eyes for Duo to give the bacon back.
"No! Idiot, this stuff has to be cooked first! What are you doing? Nevermind, just come help me cook or something." Duo grabbed Heero's hand as if he were five and pulled him into the kitchen. "Are you gonna take the bacon again?"
Heero shook his head and looked over Duo's shoulder at the ceiling. Duo grew more frustrated and turned around. There was a moth there, fluttering lightly despite the time of day. Duo fought the sudden urge he had to chase it, and tried to pin Heero with a forbidding glare, but the other boy was already getting up on the counter to catch the moth. His feet stepped lightly; he didn't knock a single thing over, and his tail swished around, balancing him out. He froze and watched the insect for a second, then lashed out at it with his hands, cupping it easily. Heero hopped off the counter and marched proudly into the living room, ears pointed high, the tip of his tail flicking after him.
/Heero's proud he caught a bug? Jesus, I hope Relena has some answers./ Duo thought wearily and cocked his ears so that he'd hear the most severe noises of whatever Heero was doing to the moth he'd caught. Duo started to make breakfast, and before long he had a veritable feast set on the table, complete with fresh orange juice and paper towel napkins. Ok, so the napkins were stupid, but Duo was happy anyway. Then he realized how suspiciously silent the rest of the house was.
"Aw fuck.Where is he now?" Duo muttered under his breath as he went in search of his stupid friend again. This time he was greeted with the adorable sight of Heero, lying curled up in a patch of sunlight that filtered in through the bay window. He had his tail stretched out on the rug behind him, flicking (as usual) sleepily, and his eyes were shut lightly. There was a small smile on his face and his ears moved lazily around on his head, which rested comfortably on his arms. Duo could hear him purring slowly, and between his fingers was the moth he'd caught, limping around and trying to escape. When it was close to freedom, his hand would close over it and prevent escape. As long as Duo didn't think about the poor moth, he thought the situation beyond cute.
Duo quietly padded over to Heero and knelt down beside him, digging his claws absently in the squishy carpet. He started to rub behind the furry ears, and Heero's purrs got louder as he opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at Duo.
"Food? I'm hungry," he said in a low, sleepy purr, following Duo when he grinned and went into the kitchen, purposely switching his tail to attract Heero's attention.
Duo beamed at his neatly prepared table, food steaming on it. "Voila! Bacon, eggs and toast! C'mon, eat up!" Duo sat down and dug in, savouring every bite. Heero did the same, but he left his oj on the table.
~*~*~*~
Having finished breakfast, Duo asked Heero to go get his laptop, and maybe they could figure out how to access the mailbox together. Laying it on the table, Heero opened it and powered it up. A screen asking for a password appeared, and Heero looked at Duo in confusion.
"Well? Its your laptop, what's the password?" Duo asked, glaring a bit at Heero, who looked lost.
"I don't remember."
"What do you mean you don't remember?"
"I just don't! Its like I never knew, its just gone. I'm sorry Duo.but it doesn't really matter, this way we don't get missions." Heero actually smiled at this, and Duo growled. Now what were they gonna do? He shut the small computer and stood up restlessly. He didn't feel right. He felt like there was something he was missing in his head, but he didn't know what. He waved it aside and figured it was probably just his mind simplifying, or whatever was happening to Heero. He knew that it wasn't something he should be just brushing aside, but something else was distracting him. He saw Heero curling up on the couch and told himself that he should wake the boy and take them both to Relena's, but at the moment, all he wanted to do was have a nice nap.
Duo yawned and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Heero and then laying with him as he fall asleep. There was nothing particular on his mind, mostly he was just reflecting on how nice it would be to lay in the sun and snooze forever.
The phone ringing woke him up about three hours later. He jerked awake and scrambled to answer it, stopping for a second to think which button to push to make it work.
"Hello?"
"Is Meghan theywe?" A little kid's voice asked shyly.
Duo stopped to think for a second. Who was Meghan? Did she live here? O.it must be a wrong number. "Uh.no. Sorry kid, I think you have a wrong number, alright? Buh bye." He hung up the phone and dropped it on the floor, walking back over to his couch to nap. Wait.wasn't there something he had to do today? The sun was getting low, it would be dark in a few hours. Then what? Relena. They had to go see Relena.
Duo shook Heero awake, who looked at him through tiny slits in his eyes and glared. "What are you doing? I was asleep." He growled a bit and closed his eyes again. Duo grew somewhat frantic, and shook him harder.
"Get up! We have to go see Relena, remember? So we can find a way to get back to normal, c'mon, get up and we'll try to find a disguise that'll make us look normal, then we'll go to Relena's. You think we should call first?"
"Let's just go tomorrow, I don't wanna get up." Heero closed his eyes again, and Duo grew very upset. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't think very well, and it was frustrating the hell out of him. He hissed at Heero.
Now THAT got his attention! He snapped his eyes open and folded his ears back, the fur on his tail puffing out as if he'd been attacked by a dryer. He looked at Duo, who was sort of replaying the foreign sound in his mind, and glared. "Fine." Heero got off the couch, stretching his whole body in classic kitty style and yawning wide. His tee-shirt was short, and Duo could see the fur that traced down Heero's spine through it when he stretched. Heero clawed at the couch for a bit, then got onto his feet and went up the stairs after Duo.
~*~*~*~
"Quit doing that, you're makin' people stare!" Duo hissed quietly to Heero as the cat-boy squirmed in his seat, sniffing the person in front of him. They were on a city bus, sitting side-by-side in the double seat. The bus wasn't really packed, but there were people in front of them and behind them, and Heero was squished into the seat beside the window, while Duo got the aisle.
The boys had been hard-pressed to find a suitable disguise, so they were forced to disregard the summer weather and wear long coats. It was horribly uncomfortable to have a tail plastered up your back, but that was the only position that was both reasonably subtle and not painful. Heero had dawned a baseball cap, and kept complaining about how it hurt to have his ears folded down on his head. Duo had done the same, but he was at least used to wearing the thing, so it wasn't as bad for him. Neither boy had bothered with anything as drastic as gloves.
Duo looked at Heero. He was staring at the small crowd like they were planning to jump him and break his legs. The edge was heightened by the sound his teeth insisted on making as he ground them together nervously. His hands were in his lap, fidgeting avidly, and he glared out at the threatening people around him with honest fear.
"Are you alright?" Duo asked, seeing that Heero really wasn't doing so well. Duo was alright, being naturally accustomed to lots of people and, more importantly, he wasn't as far along in his little cat-change thing, so his mind was different.
A frightened 'mew' seeped out of Heero's lips and he tucked himself close to Duo as well as he could with the giant coat in the way. Even through all the layers of material, Duo could feel Heero shaking. They had to get off the bus soon, or he feared the Wing pilot would have an anxiety attack or something like that. Duo looked out the window. It was dark, but they were in a busy part of the city. They could catch a cab. It was totally unfair for Heero to have to sit through the torture of the city bus. They pulled the string, and at the next stop, shuffled past people and out the doors.
Duo stepped off the bus, followed closely by Heero. He pulled the Japanese creature close and tried to think of a plan. They could call a cab to take them to Relena's and hopefully she would have some answers for them. It was the only thing they could do.
"C'mon Heero, we're gonna find a cab and get us back to normal as fast as possible, okay?"
Heero nodded disjointedly as he looked at his surroundings and clung to Duo's arm. The braided boy gently pulled him along to a busier street, where they tried to hail cab. Before one actually stopped, Duo's mind lit up with alarm and he shuck his hands into his pockets, looking for money. There was nothing in the coat, but when he turned his pants pockets inside out, he found enough to pay the fare. Sighing in relief, Duo continued his quest to get a taxi, but none had stopped to date.
Heero suddenly jumped in surprise and hissed at the sky. He jumped again and decided to cling to Duo this time. "What is it?" Duo asked in concern.
"Its starting to rain." Heero replied angrily, wincing as another drop hit him. A cab slowed down as if it were going to stop, then flew past the pair. Duo growled in frustration. Now he was starting to feel the rain too, and he didn't like it at all.
The droplets fell faster, daring the angry boys to try and defy them. A hushed whisper rose all around them as the rain drowned out most sounds and quickly elevated from drizzle to downpour in less than a minute. Heero was looking around for a place to hide, while Duo frantically tried to attract the attention of a driver, _any_ driver. The rain was bleeding through his jacket already, and his braid was dripping down his back in a miniature runoff waterfall.
"This fuckin' SUCKS!" Duo groused and threw his arms up in anger, looking at the sky now instead of the street. Heero was hiding from the rain in a bus stop, looking cold and wet and miserable as water poured down around him and dripped off his chin. Duo's coat was getting heavy, and it was making him colder than he already was, but he knew there was no way he could take it off. A cab was cruising along the street towards them. Duo ran onto the road and screamed "TAXI!" as it came. The driver slammed to a halt and Duo opened the door. "Heero! I got one, come on!" he shouted and saw the boy come towards him, glaring angrily at the rain as he sped along.
Heero practically dove into the cab, followed by Duo, who had become little more than a human puddle with legs and a tail. He pulled the door shut behind him as the cab sped off.
"Where to?" called an uninterested man's voice from the font of the car.
"We don't know the address, but it's the PeaceCraft's estate." Duo said in his lightest tone, trying to get on the cabby's good side.
"That's all the way across town, I'm gonna need ta see some dollar before I take you," replied a gruff voice from the front.
Duo took out the small wad of bills he's brought. They weren't wet enough to drip, but the were pretty waterlogged. Fortunately the cabby took the money with a genuine smile and turned the car around. "Thanks." Duo said quietly as he shifted in his sopping clothes. Heero was looking out the window quietly. He fiddled with the cap on his head and brought a hand up to the cool glass, tracing the rain as it fell. The fear was going out of his eyes, but he still shivered from being wet, and Duo was worried that they would both get sick on top of everything else.
"Nice night," the driver said sarcastically to Duo, who was glad to break the silence. He was relieved that they hadn't ended up with one of the truly frightening taxi drivers that frequented the big cities. He and Heero had a few stories about those, and they were never good ones. Often times Heero would lose his patience and take over the vehicle, brandishing a weapon and ordering the driver out. Duo couldn't imagine the Wing pilot doing that now, he was too.small. That's how Duo thought of his friend, smaller, as if there was less of him. It was basically true.
"Yeah, we soaked your seats pretty badly, I think. Sorry about that," Duo said almost jovially, trying to keep the man in good spirits and at the same time using his own confidence to let the nervous Heero know that everything was alright.
"Don't worry about it, I wouldn't want to be caught in this weather either," was the calm, friendly reply. Duo sat back in his seat and let silence rule, listening to the drum of the downpour and the thrum of the engine.
After riding quietly for about fifteen minutes, Duo turned to Heero, startling the other boy out of whatever he was thinking with a light tap on the shoulder. "We'll get some dry clothes at Relena's, I don't think it'll be very much longer, jus try no to catch hypothermia until we get there, ok?"
Heero nodded and went back to staring out the window.
~*~*~*~
"Ok, you think anyone'll answer the door? I fuckin' hope so, or we'll be walkin' back to the house. At least it's stopped raining, but we're both soaked. Lets go."
Heero followed Duo up the long, curvy drive to Relena's current mansion. It was a low-security estate, so there weren't even any guards at the gate where they had said goodbye to their pleasant driver and started walking. Heero hadn't said a word for quite awhile, and Duo was feeling unusually quiet, so there was mostly silence as the walked, aside from the scuff of their shoes on the pavement. The night air was cool, and stars could be seen in the sky, now that the rain clouds had dissipated and they were out of the city. The air was calm, and crickets were chirping madly in the background.
"Do you think Relena will have something to eat? I'm so hungry." Heero trailed, speaking out of the blue. Duo realized that he was ready to digest his own stomach if they didn't get something to eat soon. He had an unusual craving for fish.
"Yeah, I bet she will, but if we don't get up this god-damned driveway, we'll never eat again. Let's go faster, I'm tired and hungry and cold. I want a shower and some dry clothes, and I want some answers."
Duo walked faster, and Heero came up beside him, looking pale and miserable. His hair was still dripping, but Duo's braid was worse, he feared it would never be dry again. They reached the door. It was a simple door, set into the building a bit and flanked by tall rectangular windows on either side, just wide enough for a person to look through. The mansion loomed above them, but they weren't the least bit intimidated by it; all they wanted was to go inside and be warm. Heero knocked timidly, and the door was instantly opened by Pagan, Relena's driver and personal attendant. He saw them and his kindly old face tightened in concern, his heavy steel brows raising almost enough for the boys to see the man's eyes.
"Oh my, you must be freezing! Do come in, and I'll get somebody to help you get into dry clothes, please Mr. Yuy, Mr. Maxwell, come inside where its warm. What brings you on such a wet evening? Would you like me to get Miss Relena? I warn you, she is not completely well, in fact I'm very worried about her. Perhaps you could help."
Pagan ushered the pair inside and two young women appeared to help them out of their jackets and hats. Duo noted the confused concern for Relena in the old man's voice and obligingly removed his sopping coat. Heero watched him and did the same, thankfully pulling off the annoying baseball cap and handing it to the startled young servant who's eyes widened when she saw his ears. Duo swatted his tail about, grateful to have it freed from the confines of the coat, and toed off his shoes by the doorway.
Once they were out of their outdoor clothes, one of the servant girls brought them fluffy white towels, and asked that they follow her to get some dry clothes. A new servant came and asked Heero to follow him, while Duo was instructed to trail the first girl they'd encountered. He was given a tee-shirt, a pair of sweatpants and comfortable sweatshirt. He wasn't really into going commando, but it was better than wearing wet boxers, so he gladly did so. The pants had an opening in the seam at the back, through which he stuck his tail. He was confused as to why they would have that, but content not to worry about it. He rejoined Heero in some kind of fancy sitting room, who was wearing almost the same thing as him.
"Relena is occupied at the moment, sirs, would you like something to eat while you wait?" Pagan came into the room, smiling uncomfortably. He looked like he was eyeing the boys' ears and tails, but neither could see his actual eyes, so they really didn't know. Heero's stomach growled loudly on cue and he nodded his head at Pagan. Duo asked him what there was to eat.
"What would you like? Come with me to the informal dining room, and you can pick out anything you'd like."
The boys followed Pagan and asked if there was any tuna. The old man smiled at them and nodded his head. "Yes, Miss Relena has taken to fish lately, would you both like some tuna sandwiches? We also have salmon"
Duo licked his lips. "Salmon for me. And a glass of milk too."
Heero scratched at the table and looked up at Pagan. "Tuna. And some milk." He looked around the room at the clean white floor and surprisingly casual dining table. There was a nondescript picture of flowers on the wall, covered in thin glass, but no frame. Everything was painfully clean and shiny.
The same servant, the young blond who'd originally bought the two pilots towels, set down a plate in front of each, and came back with two tall glasses of plain milk. Heero practically attacked his tuna sandwiches, and finished all three of them in a matter of minutes. Duo did he same with his, grinning at the feeling of being full and downing his milk quickly.
"Thanks, that was great. Is Relena still busy? We kind of need to talk to her as soon as possible. If you could go get her, we'd be all set. Just tell her Heero's here and I'm sure she'll fly down the stairs to see us." Duo joked, getting up and walking boldly into the room they'd come from to sit in an overstuffed chair. He thought about how weird this whole situation was and watched as Heero found a chair to occupy. The Japanese boy sucked the end of each finger clean, and looked around the room. Eventually he curled up and closed his eyes, brining his tail round him and growling softly to himself until he was comfortable.
Duo flicked his tail into his lap and held it with a hand. The soft orangy fur was still damp, matted here and there from the rain. He'd taken care to towel off his hair and re-braid it, but had neglected to take care of his tail. The Deathscythe pilot started to run his fingers through the fur, unmatting it and letting it dry under his fingertips. It was shinier when he was finished, and made him happy.
Duo absently wondered where the hell Relena was and what she would look like when he saw her. He also thought about how Heero's mind had changed in just a few short days. If Relena was having the same thing happen to her, than would she be able to tell them anything? How far was this going to go? Duo's stomach started to hurt with his worry. What was going to happen to his mind? Heero was having trouble reading yesterday, and this morning he couldn't even remember how to check his mail. The scariest part was that he didn't seem to care at all, more like he was completely content with the way things were. Duo usually didn't mind too badly when stuff went wrong; his whole life had been a series of things going horribly wrong, but at least he was always able to understand what was happening, and knew that he was in control. Now it was different. He was getting confused about things that should have been simple. If he was only one day into this whole thing, then what would he be like next week? How would he survive? It was obvious that he could no longer be a terrorist, and that was pretty much the only thing he knew how to do.
Duo whimpered unintentionally and waited for Relena to come down the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~
To Be Continued
~*~*~*~*~*~
Oi Minna-san! So what did you think? *dodges flying debris* What? I thought it was alright, are you mad about Heero? He can't help being all cute and adorable now, I have him right where I want him! Bwahahaahaahaahaaaa! He's MINE!!! MIIIINNNNE! *Runs away trailing "Please send feeeedbaaaack!!!" e
heH
~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~