Another short one but it's IMPORTANT. But it made me depressed... yeah... Again sorry for the slight ooc of everyone, Duo's bipolar tendencies, and the mispellings.

Chapter 8

It must have been the longest week of Duo's life. Everyday he watched Heero sulk around the house and stare out the window, looking like his heart was breaking. He couldn't count how many times he had heard Heero sigh or seen the japanese man just wander around outside. Officially adopted as Heero's pet he got a first hand look at the behavior that seemed out of the ordinary, at least, compared to what he had seen before.

"Neko, stay still." Legs crossed on the floor and frowning Heero was holding his pad, glaring daggers at his little cat. Duo gave a catish shrug and dozed, comforted by the increasingly familiar sound of charcoal across paper. Heero it seemed was an artist of sorts, in fact he had painted the portrait of Trowa hung on his wall.

Sleepily Duo let his violet gaze drift around the room, so much more organized now. Most of the boxes had been unpacked, the carpet vacumed, the couch recovered with a soft blue velvet which Duo was engaged in shedding upon and a few shelves had been placed upon the newly painted wall. It was nice, Heero had won his approval mainly by chosing the color scheme of blue and violet. Duo couldn't help but like the new look to his house. Maybe Heero could stay after all.

"Done. What do you think Neko?" With a satisfied smile barely on his face Heero turned the pad for Duo's approval.

Mewling Duo stretched his back legs. You made my tail too short.

"You think so?" A small frown creasing his brow, Heero picked up his stick of charcoal again and made a few minor revisions before turning it back towards the cat. "Better?"

With a breathy purr Duo stood up and hopped off the couch to rub against Heero's leg. Carefully folding the skethpad shut Heero put it on the couch and scooped up his pet instead. "Glad you approve." Sighing he buried his face in Duo's fur, inhaling the little cat's scent. "Neko, do you think Duo'll ever come back? I-I miss him."

Heero... Duo started licking his roommate's face and mewing softly, trying to be comforting.

"I hope so..." Holding the soft bundle of fur close Heero sighed again. The moment was broken however when his phone rang, quite loudly and suddenly. Duo in panic scratched Heero's arm and scrambled away to hide under the couch.

"Neko!" Growling to himself and rubbing the parallel bleeding lines on his forearm he went to the phone and grabbed it out off the cradle. "Moshi mosh- -"

"HEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRROOOOOOO!!!"

Horrified Heero dropped the phone and backed away. Ow! Deaf in one ear! From the safety of his hiding spot Duo hissed and bristled. Anything that loud could not be good.

"Heeerrroo I'm having a party tonight and you have to come Quatre gave me your number and address and I'll send a car to get you in an hour see you there bye!!" A click then dial tone.

Silence.

"I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!!"

Duo bristled at Heero this time and growling scooted off towards the bedroom. If it was going to be this loud then screw the world, he was going to stay away from it.

A few minutes later Heero entered to see the chestnut furred cat curled up on his new dark violet comforter. "You have a catbed you know." Grumbling to himself the japanese man sat down and began stroking the wary cat along his spine. "Looks like I'm going to be gone tonight, will you be okay without me here?"

Duo sniffed. Oh however shall I survive? Truth be told Duo was looking forward to some time away from his pet human. Not that he hadn't grown attached to Heero over the last week, it was just that with the man's sleeping habits Duo hadn't had much opportunity to stretch his legs as the panther. But for now he was content to let Heero pet him, giving a moment to wondering what it'd feel like during the full moon.

All too soon the attenion was interrupted by a man at the door, Heero's ride. With a sigh Heero gave him one last pat muttering darkly, "If I don't come back tomorrow it's safe to say I killed myself..." before grabbing a coat and going to face his fate.

Duo listened to the sound of an engine revving up and leaving, after a while the sound faded into the distance and he swished his tail. Alright, the human's gone, time to get a little stretching done. Gracefully jumping off the bed and landing with a soft thump he set off towards the door. Getting outside was a simple matter with the cat door Heero had installed for him.

The instant he was out in the fresh sweet air Duo concentrated at the little part of his mind that made him what he was. With a practiced little mental 'twist' he initiated the change which stretched muscle and bone, rearranging his body to the size and shape of an adolescent panther. This much at least he could do whenever he wanted, though it left him a little sore afterwards and slightly fatigued.

His claws gauging into the dark moss that fringed the doorstep he threw his head back to breathe in the night heavily. Ah! There, a gamey scent. Muscle's bunching and shifting he crept off towards the undeniable scent of rabbit, determined to work out the blood lust that had been building within him for the last week.



"Heeerrrooo!" The japanese man winced as the pink terror clung to him the instant he stepped across the threshhold of her mansion. He was SO going to kill Quatre for this. Giggling and babbling Relena dragged him around like a prize dog to show her friends. Heero simply tuned it all out, looking around him at the rest of the party.

Most of the guests it seemed were hunters and were swapping hunting tales that got taller each time around. The large room was thankfully NOT pink, instead decorated in rich mahogony and excessive animal trophies. It smelled like pipe smoke which was odd since the pink princess didn't smoke. Eyeing an impressive brown bear, stuffed and rearing on it's forepaws in the traditionl stance, he was surprised when Relena suddenly pulled him into a side room away from the crowd.

His first reaction was to bristle and demand what she was doing.

"Heero dear, don't you want to see my special collection? My rarest trophies?"

Interested in spite of himself he let himself be dragged though he didn't let his gaurd down the slightest bit. In a moment the were in another dark wooded room and Heero's breath caught at the sight of some of the trophies. More than half he'd be willing to bet were fake. Relena had released him to twirl about the room and spout stories of each addition in turn. Examining a stuffed jackalope he turned her out until something caught his attention.

"--werecat species very rare actually, an excellent addition--" Spinning around he caught her arm.

"Werecat? You killed one?!" The pupils in his dark blue eyes had become mere pinpricks in sudden alarm.

Relena didn't notice Heero's panic and proudly puffed out her chest, almost busting out of her skimpy dress. "Two actually. I only retrieved one fur though. See." Like a game show girl she gestured to a roaring mounted panther, it's fur a reddish brown. Heero looked into the violet glass eyes, feeling sick. "The troublesome thing about getting werecat's fur, you have to skin them while they're still alive or they go back to human shape and 'thrope or not, it'd be tacky to have a human looking skin. I got her mate as well, I couldn't get his fur though, killed him too soon."

Near the edge of tears Heero laid a hand on the snarling muzzle, his heart hurting. In his mind's eye he saw a lion standing in it's place. Trowa...

Behind him Relena was still babbling. "I shot her a few miles from your new house about eight years ago, you should be careful about going out at night, for all I know that panther I was hunting might be another one. Too bad I never found it."

Voice shaking in barely concealed rage Heero spoke softly. "Why did you kill them? They're humans for god's sake!" His voice cracked and raised until he was almost shouting the word 'humans.'

Snorting Relena waved a hand dismissively. "No, no Heero love. Don't worry about it. They're not human, a 'thrope, whether cat or wolf, is a monster, as soulless and stupid as any animal."

With each word Heero's hand clenched tighter until his palms were bleeding and he was still adding more pressure. A million memories of Trowa raced through his mind, all the times the soft spoken man had out debated him, each rare smile that had become more frequent after he fell in love, how happy he was with Quatre. And Relena would kill him if she knew that he wasn't human because he was "just an animal."

Unable to speak and not wanting to have someone's death, even Relena's, on his conscious he turned silently and left. He'd walk home if it came to that. Behind him Relena called out and couldn't for the life of her figure out why he'd left.



In his forest Duo wandered, the rabbit long since caught and eaten, the skin stowed away for next full moon. With his stomach full he climbed into a tree high enough to see the waning quarter moon, vaguely remembering nights spent like this with his mother before she had left.

Why did they leave? Amethyst eyes asked the stars mournfully, half expecting an answer. Was it me? Was I not a good child? Was it because...because I can't be human? Eyes sliding shut against the tears that couldn't come his body shook.

But...but I have Heero now to be mine. I just hope...that he doesn't leave me like they did eight years ago...I couldn't stand it...







I made myself sad writing this.... reviews would be appreciated.... And before anyone asks, no, Heero can't understand cats, he's mostly just goofing around when he 'talks' to Duo-kitty.

It's a pressie for all the nice reviewers people! Thank you for 100 reviews! (Well, 101 now) So I drew ya guys a yummy yaoi pic with my lil mouse and the paint program. Squee Oekaki!! Here's the link to the picture; http:www. deviantart. com /view/9077304/ Just without the spaces, k? Sorry but it's the only way it'll let me stick this up! Or you can look on my profile, it's there TWICE.

I hope this link works out. And thanks to Ultra Rodimus for being the 100th reviewer. Wow, you're also the one who got me out of my funk. I hadn't written on this for months then all a sudden I got a review and it reminded me about this so yeah, Lotsa thanks. Thank you to everyone else, sorry if I haven't gotten to responding to reviews like I normally do, I've been really busy. Hopefully there will be a new chapter soon, until then enjoy the picture.