Author's note: This chapter had to be rewritten because of an error that happened a little while ago. I apologize for any in convenience.
So I'm gonna hopefully finish this soon. There's a lot floating around in my head about this fic and it's mostly been difficult to keep up with my own mind. Anyways, rate and review!
Quiet hummed as they walked. Feeling a little out of place, Spencer just kept to herself. Before too long, the pair was met with a low growl. A set of yellow eyes stared back at them from a distance. Spencer was admittedly terrified. "Quiet... What do we do? I'm scared," Spencer whimpered. Quiet looked at the girl, before bending down on her knee. Raising her trusted Guilty Butterfly to her eye, the dark butterfly appeared on her face and she took aim.
The beast fell asleep and Spencer let out a frightened shriek. Before going over to the girl, she decided to investigate. A bobcat lay sprawled across the earth, its chest rising and falling in its tranquil sleep. The animal wasn't big but Quiet deduced that it could have done some serious damage. She walked back over to Spencer and laid her weapon down. She wrapped a protective arm around her little boss and hummed into her ear softly. The girl was trembling and Quiet had no idea how to help. So she did the first thing that popped into her head.
Spencer was stunned, rooted in place by the mere fact that she was caught off-guard. Quiet's lips had become attached to her own and her hands were firmly planted on Spencer's cheeks. After little resistance, Spencer returned the kiss and felt Quiet's hands move down to support her back.
By the time she had stopped shaking, Spencer realized that her arms had linked themselves around Quiet's neck. Quiet pulled back and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay now? I'm sorry that I kissed you, it was the only thing I could think of. I've never done this before," Quiet's voice came back as a whisper. Spencer just smiled back at her.
"It's okay, Quiet. I appreciate you thinking of me, and I quite enjoyed the kiss. It just took me by surprise, that's all. What was that?" Spencer asked, motioning what had happened with Quiet's face. Quiet took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly, as if she were thinking of a way to respond to the sudden question. She had never had to explain herself until now. The men at Mother Base had figured her out for themselves. They had never asked her about her condition, only about the man who infected her.
"The parasite therapy that I underwent a long time ago has turned me into something that even I can't explain. A couple years ago, I was sent to a hospital to kill a man. Another patient saw me and started throwing things to keep me from getting to the man. He managed to light me on fire, but the people I worked for wouldn't take no for an answer. You underwent the same treatment after the house incident. They had hoped that someone would send you to your father but they never anticipated that you wouldn't speak. My parasites could feel yours. That's how I knew what you meant when you said you were thirsty. You could probably do something like that too. Try it. Focus on relaxing your body and let the parasites take over." Quiet's facial expression told Spencer that she wasn't joking. She did as she was told.
The look on Quiet's face was riddled with shock. She couldn't tell why though. "Spencer, you're..." Quiet searched for the right words before continuing, "you're a panther... A white panther to be exact." Spencer hummed in response but it came out as more a low growl. She padded over to her counterpart and lifted her head, which felt extremely heavy. Quiet scratched between her ears and Spencer purred, jumping at the noise that erupted from her throat.
She felt herself return to normal and the world around her resumed its color. The feeling that she got was exhilarating. She wanted to try it again but she was feeling parched and dizzy. 'Maybe later,' she thought as she laid on the ground and closed her eyes. After a short minute, she felt cool water glide over her skin. The thirsty parasites drank in the hydration and Spencer could feel herself shiver.
"It takes some getting used to but you did great for your first time. Soon you'll get to a point where you won't have to change back at all." Quiet smiled at the young girl. Spencer was thrilled to receive praise from her older, more experienced partner. Quiet laid down beside Spencer and pulled her close. "We will be okay. As long as I am here, I will keep you safe." Spencer nodded and for once, actually trusted the woman when she said it. She had never felt so safe. She curled into Quiet's side and after a moment of silence, they both drifted to sleep.
The two didn't sleep long, Quiet wouldn't risk the bobcat waking up and having itself a midnight snack. Spencer looked exhausted so Quiet picked her up and gave her a piggyback ride. Quiet didn't mind in the slightest. She actually like having the girl close. Something she had never thought of until now. Spencer managed to fall asleep in Quiet's grasp, dreaming peacefully about her new-found crush. Quiet didn't realize, however, that she had feelings for the younger girl until, amidst her dreaming, Spencer let out a sigh and an 'I love you, Quiet.' She felt her heart jump into her throat. She didn't know if the girl had meant it but she refused to wake her. She decided to ask her once she had awoken.