A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers, with a Special Thanks to my sometimes-beta ArsenicAngel, and Gentleman J for the prompts. Now! Onward, to the story!
Summary: While practicing a new spell, something goes awry, and Dave ends up with some new… features. He tries to hide it from Balthazar, only to be eventually found out.
Warnings: Kitty!Dave, so he's a little OOC, lemon, rimming, anal, general fluff
It had been nearly year since Morgana had been vanquished, and Dave had settled into a fairly normal routine. Weekdays were spent working on the Tesla coils, which was easier now that he didn't have to leave the cage to adjust the coils during testing. He would only take breaks to work on homework or help his professors with first year classes. Weekends were devoted to magic practice, despite how much Balthazar had protested, saying Dave should only focus on his duties as the Prime Merlinian. It had been Veronica who had finally demanded that Balthazar agree to the deal; even without Morgana controlling her, Veronica was pretty scary.
It was the end of the semester, and Dave was relaxing in his apartment after a rather grueling exam. He knew Bennet wouldn't be home any time soon; the other student was "participating" in the end of semester parties that had popped up around campus. As for Becky, well, she had decided they were better off as friends, and after Dave had caught her and Veronica together, he understood why. It was common to see the two women together, now, especially since Becky had taken to showing Veronica was twenty-first century life was like. So, Dave was alone in his apartment, save for Tank, who was curled up at the foot of his bed.
"What do you think, Tank? Balthazar wants me to present another spell by Sunday, and I'm thinking flying monkeys," Dave muttered. He had learned most of the useful spells in the incantus, and was rather good at holding his own when Balthazar decided they needed to duel. Lately, Balthazar had been giving him lessons on forming new spells, and Dave was wracking his brains for something that would count as a halfway decent spell. So far, all he'd come up with was a spell to toast bread the moment you touched it. Not exactly the most useful spell, but it was progress.
He glanced at the dog, who gave him the equivalent of a raised eyebrow. "I've got it," Dave grinned. "My animal totem. The incantus has a spell that reveals it, but not one that allows you to become the animal. If I combine the Inner-Beast-Revealing spell with a transfiguration spell…" He sat up and scrambled from the bed. Grabbing his jacket and his keys, he headed toward the underground lab. It was Tuesday, so he knew Balthazar would probably be tinkering with the spells of his new shop, and not skulking around the lab. He quickened his pace, hoping to escape the slight chill of the New York winter.
Once inside the lab, he grabbed the incantus from his desk and located the two spells he'd need. He studied the Inner-Beast-Revealing Spell, and found where he could replace the revealing portion with a transfiguration spell. For a few hours, he practiced the hand motions and read the required mind-set needed for each portion of the spell. When he believed he was ready to perform the spell, he glanced around the lab, out of habit to Balthazar's ninja-like sneaking abilities, and stripped of his clothing. The transfiguration spell wouldn't include his clothes, and it he turned into something large, his clothes would be ripped to shreds. Muttering about the chill of the lab, he entered the Merlin Circle and concentrated. Slowly moving his hands in the correct pattern, he felt his magic swirl around him. His bones compressed and moved, his skin sprouted smooth, black fur, and his features morphed into those of a beast.
When Dave opened his eyes, he found himself to be low to the ground and something moved on the edge of his vision. Turning his head, he saw a long, graceful tail attached to the end of his spine. "Mirror. I need to find a mirror," he thought. Trying ton conjure a mirror in animal form was more difficult than Dave initially presumed. Luckily, most of the metal in the lab was reflective, and he quickly figured out what he was.
"Well, it's a good thing I left Tank at home," Dave thought sardonically as he stared at his new features. "A cat? I was hoping for something a bit more powerful," he sighed mentally. As he glanced around the lab, he noticed that he didn't see colors quite the same, and that he heard the small sounds of the city much louder than he had before. He held up a paw and examined the sharp claws that extended when he flexed the muscles. He also noticed that his paws were a bit large for his frame. "Great, I'm not even a cat. I'm a kitten. The spell works, but I'm pretty sure Balthazar would laugh himself to death if I showed it to him. Perfect," Dave grouched as he padded toward the Merlin's Circle. "Back to the drawing board, I guess."
Dave had studied the notes on the transfiguration spell well enough to remember how to change back, and he concentrated on his human form. Once the transformation was complete, he shivered and moved to get his clothes. That's when something brushed against the back of his thigh. He froze and slowly turned his head to see a long, sleek tail twitching from just above the cleft in his ass. "Oh god," he breathed. "Mirror! Must conjure a mirror!" With a wave of his hand, one of the metal surfaces became a crystal clear mirror, and Dave's jaw dropped. Reaching up a hand, he tugged on one of the pointed, black ears peeking out from his messy hair. It twitched, and Dave gave an unmanly squeak. "No, no, what went wrong?" Mindless of his lack of clothing, he grabbed the incantus and read the entire details about the Inner-Beast-Revealing Spell.
"Okay, so I don't think I completely removed the revealing portion of the spell. Now, I've managed to conjure parts of my animal totem so that it is revealed to anyone who sees me," he muttered as he read further. "There should be a way to reverse it…"
"Dave? Are you down here?" Balthazar's voice wafted from the upper level of the lab. Dave shot up, glanced down at himself, and ran toward his clothes. Moving into the back of the lab, where Balthazar was less likely to look for him, he scrambled to get dressed. There was a mild struggle to get his pants on because the tail kept getting in the way, but he managed to curl it around one leg. Save for the occasional twitch of the tail's tip, it was unnoticed in his baggy pants. The ears, however, posed a problem until Dave remembered he'd worn a hat when he'd left the apartment. Shoving the hat over the rather noticeable ears, he reentered the main lab, only to find Balthazar waiting for him in the Merlin's Circle. "What are you doing in the lab? I thought you'd be out celebrating the end of the semester," Balthazar muttered, a hint of bitterness creeping into his tone. Even though Balthazar had agreed that Dave didn't need to give up college and focus on magic, he still didn't see any point in continuing with what he called "Dave's past life."
"I was… um… going to try something with the coils," Dave answered.
"Dave," was all Balthazar said. Dave knew the rest of the sentence had something to do with how bad of a liar he was.
"Fine. I was working on the new spell," Dave snapped. It was the truth, so Balthazar made no attempt to ask for more information. Instead, he glanced at the incantus, which Dave had luckily closed. He didn't want to give Balthazar any inkling of his new features. "But, why are you here?" he asked.
"I went to your apartment to drag you here, actually. Now that you are on break from college, you have more time for training," Balthazar said evenly. Dave stared at him.
"We had a deal," he snapped. "I do the whole Prime Merlinian training-thing on the weekends and that's it. I accept my duty as Merlin's heir, but that doesn't mean I'm going to devote every waking moment to learning magic." It was an old discussion, one that had been hashed out over the months. Balthazar only gave him a look and grabbed the incantus.
"You had trouble with one of the spells this weekend. The Brazilian Snake Dance, if I'm not mistaken," Balthazar said evenly. "Have you practiced it at all?"
"I don't have the balance for it. If I want to conjure a giant anaconda, I'll do it without dancing," Dave rolled his eyes. "I doubt an opponent would let me dance around long enough to conjure a giant snake anyway. And why are we even having this discussion?"
"David," the tone told Dave all he needed to know. They were no longer sorcerers of equal power; they were Master and Apprentice, and if he didn't do what Balthazar wanted, he'd probably end up hanging by his toes.
"Alright, but don't laugh if I mess up and conjure a toucan instead," Dave huffed as he stood in the center of the circle again. The moves were quick and so similar to fighting maneuvers that Dave had trouble executing them, until now. The movement flowed through him with a grace and agility that Balthazar had never seen in the young man before. The air around him churned and a long, reptilian shape took form around Dave's feet. With a downward thrust of his open palm, Dave successfully executed the spell, and a large anaconda slithered forward to stare meaningfully at Balthazar. "I… I did it?"
With a wave of his hand, the anaconda vanished, and Balthazar strode forward. "Yes, you managed to complete the spell without any mistakes. And you said you didn't practice. Does this have anything to do with your new spell, David?"
"I don't know," Dave answered truthfully. He wondered if the tail and ears weren't the only things that remained after he's transformed back. "Um…are we done?"
"Since you have shown improvement," Balthazar started. Before he could finish saying that he still wanted Dave to practice, the young man was gone. Balthazar rolled his eyes and turned to study a spell he thought Dave should learn, only to find the incantus was gone as well. Raising an eyebrow, Balthazar stared at the space where the incantus had been, only to shake his head and leave the lab without looking back.
Across town, Dave was about to knock on the door to Veronica's apartment, when the door swung open. "I hate when you do that," he frowned at the brunette. She was wearing more modern clothing, though Dave could see that Becky had failed in converting her to jeans or anything other than a long skirt.
"If your feet were not so loud on the hallway floor, I wouldn't hear you five doors down, David," Veronica answered. "Though, you did seem a little less flat-footed today. Might it have something to do with the thing twitching in your trouser leg?" Dave stared at her for a moment, then glanced down to see that his tail was twitching rather steadily against the fabric of his pants.
"Maybe?" Dave sat down and immediately yelped when the action crushed his tail against his leg. Veronica only raised a delicate eyebrow and picked up her knitting from a basket beside her chair. Well, she called it knitting; Dave referred to it as 'knot making' after her gift of lumpy socks for his birthday. However, the movement of the needles and the yarn caught his attention, and it was only with great effort that he remembered why he had come there in the first place. "I need your help, and you can't tell Balthazar. He'd ridicule me for the rest of my life."
"David, a good master won't ridicule his apprentice for a mistake," Veronica reprimanded. "But I am here to help you, in any case. What might your problem be?" Dave pulled off the hat, and her fingers faulted on the knitting needles, causing them to slip from her hands. "David, I don't know…"
"Veronica, did I hear Dave's voice?" Becky walked into the main room and stopped in her tracks. "Dave, I don't mean to alarm you, but you have ears sticking out of your hair."
"Thank you, Becky. I wasn't aware of the fact," Dave said sarcastically. Becky stuck her tongue out at him and moved to sit beside him. Veronica stood and slowly reached her hand out, seeking permission to touch his ears. He nodded, and she slid her hand over the ear; it twitched and she whipped back her hand. "I have a tail, too."
"How did this come to pass, David?" Veronica asked. Dave unfolded the incantus and began explaining the spell he'd been working on. The entire time, Becky and Veronica sat quietly, only interjecting when Dave began to describe his animal form.
"Dave, I've seen cats, and they're ears are pointed, not round like yours are," Becky said quickly.
"From their shape and coloring, I believe you might be a panther cub," Veronica added. "It would be helpful if you would show us your tail, as well." Dave sighed and stood up, loosening his pants enough to let the tail slip out. He noticed that there were small, almost invisible spot patterns on the tail, ones that he hadn't noticed before.
"A panther? Well, I guess that's better than a house cat," Dave shrugged. "But how do I get rid of the…" he gestured to his animal features.
"Considering the spells you combined, I'm not sure," Veronica answered. "In all honesty, Balthazar should have taught you magical theory before he taught you advanced spells like these. You can't combine a mental-imagery spell and a physical transfiguration spell and not expect repercussions. I will work on a counter spell, but it won't be immediate. I believe it is time to involve your master, David."
"No. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I'm not ready to handle advanced spells on my own," Dave snapped. At the pursed lips and narrowed eyes, he leaned away from the woman. "You know how he gets, Veronica."
"And he is that way for a reason, David," Veronica said tersely. "You are not ready to take on the full responsibility of the Prime Merlinian, even with the defeat of Morgana. You need more training that you already receive, but like you, I understand that magic isn't everything. We have given you freedom, but this little accident proves we may have been too hasty in our decision. Talk to Balthazar."
"Yes, ma'am," Dave grabbed the incantus, and with a short, "Bye, Becky, Veronica," he was gone.
"His ears were so cute, weren't they?" Becky spoke in the silence that followed. Veronica laughed and nodded, returning to her knitting and contemplating how to reverse the magical accident.
The rest of the week went smoothly, considering the small glitches caused by having a panther's tail and ears. The city seemed much louder than before, even with the snow dampening to the noise. He had managed to cover up a rather loud purring sound at dinner one night, explaining it away as his stomach. He was learning to control the urge to pounce on anything shiny or chase a light from a car as it moves across the wall. He had even managed to avoid Balthazar to some extent, only meeting him to discuss a spell he needed to practice. It was not until Saturday morning that things took a turn for the uncontrollable.
Dave woke up in a cold sweat, his breathing unsteady, and his stomach churning painfully. "I knew the street vendor didn't cook that tuna right," he muttered as he stumbled toward the bathroom. As the time neared his appointment with Balthazar, he still felt sick and woozy, and he simple decided that making the trip to the lab wasn't worth the effort. He knew it wasn't food poisoning; he'd gotten food poisoning as a teenager, and it hadn't felt like a deep ache in his groins. Bennet was once again, out for the day, so Dave could walk around with his ears unfettered from the lumpy hat Veronica had given him as a Winter Solstice present. He was just returning to his bed with a bowl of microwaved soup when he heard the door to his apartment rattle and he felt Balthazar's magic working on the lock. Quickly, he found the hat and jammed it over his ears before settling onto the bed. "Dave, you weren't at practice," Balthazar said loudly as he walked into the apartment.
"In here, Balthazar," Dave called. He would simply tell the sorcerer that he was sick, and practice could wait until he was well again.
"What are you doing in bed?" Balthazar asked as he leaned against the doorframe. "You were supposed to be at the lab an hour ago, and you're still in bed. Why?"
"I'm sick," Dave answered. Balthazar rolled his eyes and grabbed Dave's arm to yank him from the bed. Something sparked under Dave's skin and he groaned as the pain in his intensified, along with a rather upsetting urge to simply allow Balthazar to do whatever the hell he wanted. "L-let go," Dave tried to pull his arm free.
"Sorcery is a wonderful thing, Dave," Balthazar said as he dragged Dave through the narrow hallway. "You see, we learned a long time ago how to magically cure most minor sicknesses." Dave was panting slightly at this point, and Balthazar chose to ignore the small whines he believed to be protests. He shoved him into the back of the car and drove to the lab, trying to ignore the rather provocative squirming from Dave.
Dave felt like his skin was burning, and the ache in his groin had centered on his cock, which now throbbed for attention. When the car screeched to a halt outside the lab, his ears flattened and he could feel his tail bristling against his leg. "I don't think this was a good idea," he groaned as he tried to stand while hiding his erection. The winter air snapped against his skin as he was pulled from the car and Balthazar manhandled him into the lab. If he saw the problem between Dave's legs, he didn't comment.
"You have gained new agility, during out last meeting your head twitched at any loud noise or sudden movement, and now," Balthazar tossed Dave into the Merlin's Circle. "You're writhing like a cat in heat, David. What is going on?"
"I…I don't know," Dave stuttered as he gripped his coat to keep from relieving his aching cock.
"Lying again," Balthazar sighed. "And Veronica says you have had trouble with a new spell, but you haven't talked to me about it at all. Not once. I am your master, not Veronica. If you are having trouble with magic, I am the one you talk to. And take off that stupid hat, it makes you look ridiculous."
"No," Dave reached up and forced the hat lower over his face.
"You try my patience, David," Balthazar walked into the Merlin's Circle and grabbed the hat, ripping it from Dave's hands. For a moment, neither of them moved, then Dave grabbed back the hat and placed it over his ears. "Dave, please tell me I didn't just see ears on the top of your head."
"There's a tail, too," Dave muttered into his hands. He rolled to his knees and stretched the fabric of his pajama pants just wide enough to let his tail pull free. It curled around him, as though trying to soothe the ache that wracked his entire body. "What's wrong with me, Balthazar? It started hurting this morning, and I feel like I'm burning." He pulled off the sweater he'd been wearing, leaving him in only the pajama pants. "And I ache."
"Where?" Balthazar took in the heaving breaths and clouded eyes. From the symptoms Dave was exhibiting, he believed his first diagnosis was correct. Dave was in heat. He only needed one last thing to confirm his theory. When Dave blushed and the tail twitched and curled tighter around his waist, Balthazar had his answer. "Dave, you're in heat," he said as evenly as he could. "The only way for the pain to stop if to find a dominant mate."
"Can't we just… reverse the spell?" Dave asked.
"That would take time; the heat would eventually take away your control, and you would mate with anyone who had a dominant side," Balthazar sighed. "If you had discussed the spell with me, I would have warned you not to try it. There is a reason such a spell didn't exist in the first place." Balthazar knelt behind him and placed the palm of his hand on Dave's back. Like the rest of him, it was warm, too warm. "You're burning up."
"Please, Balthazar, it hurts," Dave whimpered. He reached back and grabbed Balthazar's arm. "Reverse the spell, I know you can if I show you the spells I combined."
"Dave, we don't have the time," Balthazar hissed. Dave recoiled, a stricken look on his face at the harsh tone. His ears flattened and his tail flicked angrily. Balthazar could see hurt flashing in his apprentice's eyes when Dave turned to face him.
"It's not like I have someone I can 'mate' with to stop the pain, Balthazar," Dave's voice was cold despite the heat of his skin. "Lock me up if you have to while you search for a counterspell. I don't have any other options."
"Yes you do," Balthazar reached up and pulled on one of Dave's ears. "You have me."
"That's what I'm saying," Dave shouted. He slapped Balthazar's hand away and punched him in the shoulder before turning away again. "I'm asking you to find the damned counterspell."
"Dave, you're completely blind," Balthazar chuckled as he tilted Dave's face to the side and silenced him with a kiss. Dave still, before leaning back and curling up to Balthazar's chest, a purr rumbling from his throat. Balthazar trailed the kiss to Dave's neck, where he bit down lightly. He didn't delude himself; he had wanted Dave for a while now, but had never seen an opportunity to act on his desire. Until now.
Despite the pleasure of Balthazar's teeth grazing the skin of his neck, and the hands caressing his stomach and sides, Dave still felt the pain of his heat. He broke free from Balthazar's grasp and felt to his hands and knees. He felt a hand caress his ass and he bucked into the touch. He was able to keep a coherent thought long enough to ask the one question that burned through his mind. "Is the mating permanent?"
"Only if you want it to be," Balthazar answered truthfully. Dave clenched his hands on the concrete floor. His mind was slowly being clouded by the flaring heat and lust that boiled through him. He gave a jerky nod and lowered his upper body until his head lay on his crossed arms. Unknowingly, he presented his ass in a rather submissive fashion, and Balthazar had to refrain from moaning at the provocative image. He leaned forward and grasped the base of Dave's tail, giving it a soft tug. Dave raised his hips and he gave a small whine. "Are you being a tease on purpose?" Balthazar asked as he stroked the tail. Each pass of his hand over the sleek fur made Dave's hips rise a little higher.
"N-no," Dave stuttered. His mind was clouded with the lust from his heat, and the hand on his tail was driving him insane with pleasure. "Mmmore," he mewled as Balthazar gave his tail a sharp tug. Hands descended onto the waistband of his pajama pants, and tugged them down over his hips. He whimpered when the hands returned to grope his ass and part his cheeks. His tail had risen, arching above his back. The view Balthazar received was nothing short of wanton. Dave had turned his head when Balthazar stilled, and his lust-filled eyes begged Balthazar to do something, anything. His hole twitched under Balthazar's gaze, and between his legs, his cock hung, hard and dripping.
Balthazar ran his thumb over Dave's hole, and the muscles clenched beneath it. He felt a shudder run through Dave's spine, and he smirked. He lowered himself until his face hovered centimeters from the twitching ring of muscles. Dave felt warm breath ghost over his ass, and his eyes widened just before a hot tongue lapped at his hole. He gave a keening whine and pushed his ass back, asking for more of the delicious feeling. Balthazar chuckled and held Dave's hips still as he ran his tongue over the little pink ring before slowly pressing his tongue inside. Dave gasped, and his fingers clutched at the floor.
Balthazar began to slide his tongue in and out, and once the muscles were loosened, he coated two of his fingers in his saliva and plunged them into Dave. His back arched, and his eyes clenched shut as pleasure coursed through him. It only took a light touch on the underside of his cock for him to cum with a mewling wail. Balthazar was surprised to note that despite cumming, Dave's cock was still hard. He knew it had to be a side-affect of the heat, and he quickly added a third finger, kissing the small of Dave's back when he whined at the larger intrusion. He slowly pumped his fingers until there was little resistance; he heard a strained voice demand "more" when Dave turned his head.
"Patience, Dave," Balthazar said silkily as he stood. His clothes quickly joined Dave's shirt in a pile on the ground, and he knelt beside his trembling apprentice. Sliding his pajamas pants completely off, he kissed his way up Dave's spine. "What's wrong?" he asked as pressed against him.
"It hurts," Dave whined. "I need you." His hips pressed back against Balthazar's. "The pain lessened when your fingers…" He trailed off with a blush and a low moan. "Take me, Balthazar, make the pain go away."
"Relax," Balthazar breathed into the shell of Dave's ear before biting it gently. He straightened and spit into his hand, using the saliva to coat his cock, and then he pressed forward until the head of his cock bumped against Dave's hole. He held himself there, as he felt the muscles in Dave's spine stiffen and slowly relax. He knew he was teasing the man, but the little whines and mewls were music to his ears. Dave finally let out a frustrated mewl and pressed backwards.
"Please," Dave's voice was husky, and Balthazar could see the lust clouding his eyes once more. Balthazar grasped Dave's hips and slowly pressed forward, entering in a steady thrust. Dave threw his head back and moaned loudly, his eyes clenching shut as he pushed back, trying to take Balthazar in faster. "Please," he mewled again, and Balthazar let himself lose the last shreds of his control. He slammed into Dave, making the other give a loud, lust-filled scream. Dave came alive beneath him, writhing and pressing back as hard as Balthazar slammed forward.
Suddenly, Balthazar found himself on his back, Dave straddling his hips and riding him for all he was worth. He hadn't seen the movement, and he wondered if Dave's magic had simply bent the laws of physics to its master's will. His ability to process that thought flew out the window when Dave leaned forward and licked his chin. "I need more, Balthazar," Dave purred. "Please." Balthazar groaned and shot forward, pressing Dave back onto the ground. As he moved Dave's legs to hook around his waist, he felt something trace the side of his leg and saw Dave's tail caressing his skin. "Balthazar," Dave said in a low, husky tone. "Move."
Balthazar growled and slammed his hips forward, nailing Dave's prostate. When Dave's eyes rolled back and his mouth opened in a silent scream, Balthazar leaned forward and took the flesh of Dave's neck between his teeth. A small nip and Dave stilled, his hands flying to Balthazar's shoulders. "Who is the Master here, Apprentice?" Balthazar growled against Dave's ear. He slammed his hips forward with each word. Dave cried out and clung to him, his entire body seeming to mold against Balthazar's.
"You… you are," Dave managed as he panted. Balthazar felt the deep rumbling purr against his chest as he licked and nipped at the bite-mark he'd left. His continued his hard, fast pace, hitting Dave's prostate with every stroke. It didn't take long for Dave to throw his head back in a silent scream as he covered his and Balthazar's stomachs with his release. The sporadic clenching of Dave's ass, and the deep purr that vibrated against his entire body sent Balthazar over the edge and he slammed his hips forward once last time before emptying himself into Dave. He caught himself on his elbows, so that he hovered inches above Dave's face.
Dave leaned up and licked Balthazar's chin again before chastely kissing his lips. Balthazar chuckled and cradled Dave's head, deepening the kiss. He traced the seam of Dave's lips, which opened with a breathy sigh. He slid his tongue over Dave's coaxing it to play, and soon, they battled for dominance in the kiss before Dave finally relented and Balthazar mapped the contours of his mouth. He felt Dave slowly becoming less responsive, even as the purr deepened. Pulling back, he saw Dave's eyes had slipped close as sleep claimed him. He chuckled and kissed the young man's forehead before disentangling himself from their coupling.
Balthazar quickly banished the remnants of sweat and sex and conjured a blanket that Dave curled up under, his tail wrapping around him once more. Balthazar didn't know if Dave would wake in pain from the heat, but for now, he was peacefully at rest. He didn't know the exact spells Dave had used, but Veronica had mentioned the Inner-Beast-Revealing spell when she'd told him about Dave's trouble with a certain spell. Taking that as his basis, he decided to let Dave sleep while he attempted to undo the spell.
It had been nearly an hour when Balthazar felt two arms loop around his shoulders and something hard press into the small of his back. "Balthazar, it hurts," Dave's breathy voice moaned in his ear.
A/N: Um... well, that was longer than expected. I apparently like kitty-boys more than I thought. Reviews are a stable of muse diets, so please review! And if you have a request, prompt, idea you'd like me to try, please let me know. As always, if you see a mistake in my writing, let me know so I can fix it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sorcerer's Apprentice, I merely write fanfiction of it.