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esp_dragonFandom: Noblesse
Summary: Tao goes to M's house because he's been acting a little under the weather. M hasn't been under the weather.
Notes: Non-modification AU, but also werewolf AU.
Cage and beast prompt for the Noblesse 10 year anniversary.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 3,294
Status: Work in progress
Tao hummed as he twirled his keys around his fingers, his desired one falling into place as he reached M’s door. The guy had been grouchier than usual, to the point he was snapping people when they stepped closer to him. Tao was sure he’d heard a growl at one point, but he must have been imagining it. Though he’d joked with Takeo a few times that M was a werewolf now, since he’d been attacked by a dog a couple months back on the way home.
M had been grouchy afterwards then too, not that anyone could blame him. He’d spent a few days in hospital as the doctors checked on him, and he’d ended up with a half-moon set of teeth mark scars over his left wrist and a gash over the right side of his mouth.
The house was dark when Tao peeked in and hm. That was weird. M didn’t have any hobbies as far as Tao was aware: the guy was a hermit who never went out or did anything aside from work, so he should be home. That was why Tao had brought some chicken soup! Because even if M didn’t do anything, he still didn’t bother to eat so Tao just wanted to make sure he did.
…Which, okay, was just a tiiiny bit hypocritical of him, since he sometimes forgot to eat too, but that was because he’d gotten absorbed in modifying another one of his babies, not because he couldn’t be bothered. It was totally different.
Tao flicked the lights on and… Tao frowned, looking at everything. There was a lot less stuff around than the last time he’d visited, and that was saying something. M at least had a table before and now it was gone. He’d had a clearout? Why? It’d been a good table! One of his shelves had gone too, weird.
He’d brought this chicken soup and M wasn’t even here? He could leave it on the counter with a note, but then he wouldn’t know if M had eaten it.
Tao cocked his head and then turned to face deeper into the house. That hadn’t sounded like a tv…
He set the soup down and wandered towards the sounds. There was frantic scrabbling and huh, M had never mentioned having a pet. Maybe a trapped animal? It would explain the distressed whining he was hearing.
“Heeey, it’s okay,” Tao called out softly, as soothing as he could make his voice.
It seemed to work, the animal quietening for a second.
“Yup, I’m not gonna hurt ya, so no biting me, okay?”
The animal whined again. Dog by the sounds of it. In the bathroom. Okay, he could do this.
Tao eased the door open and then stared, his mouth dropping open. What had-
Silver canine head, that was for sure, but it wasn’t attached to a canine body. It was a humanoid, also silver furred and the werewolf stared at him, ears pricked in his direction.
“Funny, M,” Tao squeaked, trying to find where the other man was hiding, where the seams in the suit were. So maaaybe he’d been making the werewolf jokes a lot, but he didn’t think M had minded them that much.
The werewolf lunged, arms (and holy shit those claws were as long as Tao’s face) reaching for him.
Tao yelped, scrambling back.
He got an answering yelp, the werewolf straining against…a chain that was attached to the shower curtain rail. There was a thick metal collar around its neck, and it glistened red in the moonlight, the fresh scratches still leaking blood over it.
What…?
The werewolf whined at him, the tail behind wagging furiously as it continued to try to reach him, pawing at empty air.
And there was an old scar cutting across the right side of the werewolf’s snout.
“M?” Tao squeaked again. “You know I’d been joking, right?”
The werewolf grumbled at him, still trying to reach him. …Those claws looked way too sharp, and if they’d cut into their own flesh like that…
“Okay, let’s make a deal,” Tao said, his voice still high, his heart still hammering, “if you, uh, sit and put your arms down, then I’ll come over.”
The werewolf stared at him for a few long seconds and then took a few steps back, crouching down with their arms by their sides.
Okay. So the werewolf (M?) could understand him.
Tao edged a step forward, the werewolf watching his every movement, and as soon as Tao stepped closer, the werewolf perked up, rising.
“Ah-!”
The werewolf froze.
“Stay there, please.”
The werewolf huffed, but then crouched again, his tail beating against the bath.
“Well, you listen more than M does,” Tao mused, mostly to keep himself from thinking of something going wrong and ended up a messy stain all over M’s bathroom.
…Though there was a lot of blood splattered all over the bathroom already. It almost looked like the police procedurals, where the victim had been stabbed in the neck and died instantly but… Tao glanced at the werewolf, who whined at him.
The werewolf was definitely still alive, even though they were still bleeding, but they weren’t bleeding out at least.
Breathing out slowly, Tao extended his hand, palm up. “No biting, okay? It’s a greeting.”
The werewolf - M sniffed his hand. And then licked it.
“Whew!” Tao took his hand back before M could lick it again. It seemed like a bite caused the transformation, but keeping the fluid transfer to a minimum would be a good idea for now. “Let’s get you outta here, huh?” The chain and collar had probably been a precaution since M didn’t know how he acted under a full moon. Was it even a full moon tonight? He could check later.
Once Tao was close enough, M sniffed at whatever he could reach. Which was good, because it kept his head still for the most part. Tao found the catch with no problems and undid it, wincing as it caught on some of the wounds.
“Sorry ‘bout this, M,” Tao said as M whined, trying to pull away. “It’ll be over soon.”
Tao tugged the last bit free, and M shook himself, scratching at his neck.
“Hey, hey, don’t do that! You’ll hurt yourself!” Tao waved his hands, trying to distract M.
M’s ears flattened and he growled. Though it was more like a complain whine rather than threatening.
“Okay, hurt yourself more,” Tao said, huffing. “How 'bout I patch that up for ya? It might help with the itchiness.” The bandages would get shredded if M scratched them, but M did seem to mostly listen to him, so M could leave them alone.
M grumbled, but didn’t move, so Tao figured that meant M was okay with it.
Tao rummaged through the bathroom until he found the first aid kit, pulling out the bandages. The kit was pretty well stocked, even having gloves, but if this wasn’t the first time M had gone through this…
Tao eyed the blood on M’s neck and then snapped the gloves on. “Better to be safe than sorry, huh, M? And the stuff is right here anyway.”
Cleaning the wounds was easier than Tao thought: the wounds only looked deep. Though there were still areas where there wasn’t any fur bracketing the slashes, so either M had cut in the exact same places as before, or…he was healing really fast.
“Do werewolves have fast healing?” Tao asked as he brushed the washcloth over M. M just blinked at him, before leaning in to lick his face. Tao papped his snout again. “No licking the face, sorry.”
M grumbled, then turned his head to lick Tao’s arm. Tao smiled at that, for M listening to him, and because it tickled.
“Well, even if ya do have fast healing, I’ll bandage it up anyway. Don’t want it getting infected.” It didn’t take long to do the rest of it, the white bandage making another collar around M’s neck. “No scratching this either, okay?” Tao said as he binned the gloves.
M’s ears flattened, and he growled at him, but Tao petted his snout. “It’s better in the long run, you’ll see.”
M huffed. And then wrapped his arms around Tao, nuzzling his neck.
Tao couldn’t help snickering as M’s fur tickled his skin. “Still finding all the loopholes, of course. Yeah, you’re still you.” Though he’d said M’s arms were to be low, but M had probably figured out why Tao had asked that.
“Sooo,” Tao said once M had let him go, “are ya hungry?”
M perked up at that, his tail wagging again.
“Great! I brought some chicken soup!” Time hadn’t passed that much since he’d arrived, even though it’d felt like it, so it should still be hot. “ Thought you might like it. Though…” Tao looked M up and down. “If I’m gonna stay the night, we should get you a blanket to wrap you up in.” There wasn’t anything new Tao hadn’t seen before (unless being a werewolf really changed things down there) but he was sure M would appreciate it. “…And spare clothes too.”
M’s room was mostly how Tao remembered it too, M sniffing at the bed as Tao pulled out some clothes and removed the blanket.
“All riiight, everything’s been collected so let’s get ya filled up, huh? Transforming probably takes it out of you.”
M followed him closely as they went back to the living room and Tao heard him sniffing once they entered. “Lemme grab a bowl first.”
When Tao turned back around with a bowl in hand, M was nosing at the plastic bag around the soup, obviously knowing what was in it from the fast beat of his tail, but not willing to tear it apart to get to it.
It was cute. Very cute. Too cute to not take a picture of.
Tao pulled his phone out and snapped a picture, one of M’s ears swivelling to him at the shutter sound, but the rest of him was still intent on the food.
“Don’t worry,” Tao told him as he freed the soup from the plastic bag and poured it into the bowl, “I’m not gonna blackmail you or anything. No-one’d believe the picture anyway; I think for the most part you look like a dog there too. Ya just looked super cute there, waiting patiently for food.” Tao glanced at the bowl and then M, who was standing by the counter.
“Do you wanna eat like that?” M would understand him and would sit on the chair, but the way his legs were arranged right now… It didn’t look comfortable.
M continued staring at the bowl, not paying attention to him and Tao chuckled, pushing the bowl towards him, his phone raised again.
“And look how the ferocious werewolf tears into the helpless chicken soup,” Tao said in his best commentary voice as he recorded M eating, droplets of soup splashing onto the counter.
M’s snout was wet when he was done, licking his snout as best as he could. Tao cleaned that up before washing the bowl. “Okaaay, time to see what’s on tv!” There had to be something watchable. Or maybe even soothing music if there really was nothing on.
As soon as Tao sat on the sofa, M climbed on after him, curling up beside him, laying his head on Tao’s lap with a sigh.
Tao smiled at him, and pulled the blanket over M, who didn’t seem bothered at getting covered. That done, Tao reached over to run a finger over M’s head. M looked up at the touch but didn’t try to pull away, so Tao added a couple more fingers, scratching there. M’s eyes slowly closed, relaxing, and Tao smiled. “Yeah, you’re definitely a ferocious monster.” Tao snapped another picture of them, M already looking on the verge of dozing off from the scritches.
Now to find something to pass the time…
* * *
When Tao woke up, he blinked at his surroundings, sunlight peeking through the window, before he looked down. His hand was buried in M’s hair, M looking human again.
Aw, he’d wanted to record the transformation; he wanted to know what it looked like. But if he hadn’t woken up during it, it must have been fast and not too traumatic to go through. Unless it was because M was asleep at the time, but still, there hadn’t seemed to be that much movement.
Next time he’d make sure to record the transformation.
Tao peered at M. The bandage was looser now, giving him enough space to see there were no scars or even red skin left behind. It almost seemed like a dream, but M was right there, sleeping on his lap.
He saw M’s forehead crease. “Mornin’!”
M’s eyes snapped open and M stared up at him. “What the fuck are you-” He paused, his eyes flicking around them, then his eyes widened and he went pale. “What did you do?”
There were a lot of things M could be talking about, but Tao tackled the most obvious one. “I releas-”
“I could have killed you!” M snapped, struggling to get up past the blanket and making sure it was wrapped around him.
“You didn’t. Obviously.” Tao winked at him. “What were you doing, chainin’ yerself up like that?”
“I did that because the first time I-” M screwed up his face, then hissed. “-whatever that is, I trashed my house!”
“I think ya were just lonely,” Tao said.
“How would you know?” M snarled, curling his lip. “You just found out about this!”
“Yeah, and you calmed down pretty much as soon as you saw me. You lay on top of me the entire night and there wasn’t even a nibble. Lots of hugging and licking though.” Tao pulled out his phone, going to his gallery of all the videos and pictures he took. “See?”
M stared at Tao’s phone before slowly reaching out and checking everything Tao had taken. “It’s probably because I already knew you.” But his voice was quieter than it had been before. Doubtful.
Tao nudged him with an elbow. “Or you’re not a monster like you thought you were.”
M looked away, clicking his tongue. “Why are you even here?”
“Weeell,” Tao said, stretching, a couple of his joints cracking, “you were actin’ grouchy, so I decided I was gonna be a good friend an’ check up on ya.”
M narrowed his eyes at him, studying. “Just to check up on me. Not to check I was a werewolf.”
Tao flailed, startled laughter escaping his throat. “I was joking about that, seriously! I didn’t really think you were a werewolf.” If he had, he wouldn’t have been proclaiming his suspicions out in the open so loudly.
M frowned at Tao’s phone. “So what are you going to do now?”
“What, do you think I’m going to prove the existence of werewolves by posting those online?” Tao shook his head. “Nah. No-one’d believe 'em anyway. And I don’t care about that.” M frowned at him, opening his mouth. “I just took 'em because I thought you were actin’ cute at the time.” M’s mouth stayed open, his eyes going wide. “And to give you proof yer not a monster.”
M glanced down at the pictures again, his expression a little softer.
“Sooo,” Tao said, leaning closer to him, “the next time this happens, can you invite me over?”
M rolled his eyes. “I can’t call you when I’m like that.”
“Ass.” Tao whapped him with a hand, laughing. "You know what I mean.“
M huffed. "You’d break in anyway.” There was a small smile on his face as he said that.
“I didn’t break in!” Tao jangled his set of keys. “You gave me an extra one, remember?”
“Weren’t you supposed to give that back afterwards?”
“Anyway,” Tao said, clearing his throat, and stuffing his keys back in his pocket, “it’d be way more polite if you invite me beforehand.”
“I don’t-”
“You’re not going to bite me.” Tao paused, considering it. “And even if you did, at least then you wouldn’t be alone!”
Before M could say anything, M’s stomach rumbled. M rolled his eyes again, wrapping the blanket up around him more as he stood up.
“Transforming must take a lot out of you, heh,” Tao said, holding the pile of clothes out to M he’d kept on the armrest.
M hesitated, looking at the clothes like they were some kind of peace offering. “Yeah, it does,” he said, shoulders slumping.
He sighed, taking the clothes from Tao. “Fine, you can come next time. But-”
“Yessss!” Tao punched the air.
“-you have to be careful.”
“Of course I will! And I already was!” This was going to be great.
* * *
M looked Tao up and down, frowning. “You didn’t bring anything.”
“I did!” Tao held up the plastic bag filled with warm goodness. “Soup!”
M sighed. “I meant-”
“I don’t need to bring anything.” Not for protection anyway. “I’ll be fine.”
M didn’t say anything for a few seconds before nodding. “Fine.”
Tao followed M through the house after setting the soup down. Tao didn’t think much of it until M opened the bathroom door.
“Aw, M…” The chain and collar were hanging off the shower curtain again.
“Just in case,” M said through gritted teeth. “It could have been a fluke.”
“It won’t be.” Tao trusted M, no matter what form he was in and how he thought.
“Just in case.”
“Fine fine.”
Tao turned away as M started stripping, playing on his phone.
“Does it hurt…?” he asked.
M didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “No. I just…thought I was dreaming the first time it happened. Or I’d been slipped something. It was just…surreal.”
Tao nodded. “I’m glad it doesn’t.” Being a werewolf was cool and all, but he didn’t want M to be in pain every single time he went through it.
“And thanks for trusting me and yerself,” Tao added, a small smile on his face. M could have run away after Tao had found out, but he hadn’t. He could have cut their friendship off, or anything really, but he hadn’t. He’d just kept going like nothing new had happened, just like when he’d first been bitten.
“Don’t make me regret it.” The snap of the collar latching shut was loud in the bathroom.
Tao laughed. “You won’t!” There wouldn’t be any regret tonight, or any night after this.
Tao had a countdown for when the sun set and he watched the numbers go down.
“Shhi…” Tao glanced over and M was leaning against the bath, shaking his head.
In the span of a few seconds, M’s was gone, lost under the silver fur and long claws.
The first thing M did was reach for the collar.
“Nono,” Tao said, waving his hands, “don’t do that.”
M’s froze and then his attention snapped to him, his ears perking up. After a second, his tail was beating against the bath, but he didn’t rush over.
“You remember from last time, don’t you?” Tao said, grinning as he walked over. “Great! This’ll be easier then.” As soon as he was within reach, M leaned closer to nuzzle Tao’s neck. Tao ran a hand over M’s head, the other one reaching for the collar.
“Let’s get you outta here, huh? I’ve got lots of things planned for you tonight!” They were going to have so much fun. And he’d make sure to record them all so M would know just how much of an oversized puppy he was like this.
Summary: Tao goes to M's house because he's been acting a little under the weather. M hasn't been under the weather.
Notes: Non-modification AU, but also werewolf AU.
Cage and beast prompt for the Noblesse 10 year anniversary.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General
Word count: 3,294
Status: Work in progress
Tao hummed as he twirled his keys around his fingers, his desired one falling into place as he reached M’s door. The guy had been grouchier than usual, to the point he was snapping people when they stepped closer to him. Tao was sure he’d heard a growl at one point, but he must have been imagining it. Though he’d joked with Takeo a few times that M was a werewolf now, since he’d been attacked by a dog a couple months back on the way home.
M had been grouchy afterwards then too, not that anyone could blame him. He’d spent a few days in hospital as the doctors checked on him, and he’d ended up with a half-moon set of teeth mark scars over his left wrist and a gash over the right side of his mouth.
The house was dark when Tao peeked in and hm. That was weird. M didn’t have any hobbies as far as Tao was aware: the guy was a hermit who never went out or did anything aside from work, so he should be home. That was why Tao had brought some chicken soup! Because even if M didn’t do anything, he still didn’t bother to eat so Tao just wanted to make sure he did.
…Which, okay, was just a tiiiny bit hypocritical of him, since he sometimes forgot to eat too, but that was because he’d gotten absorbed in modifying another one of his babies, not because he couldn’t be bothered. It was totally different.
Tao flicked the lights on and… Tao frowned, looking at everything. There was a lot less stuff around than the last time he’d visited, and that was saying something. M at least had a table before and now it was gone. He’d had a clearout? Why? It’d been a good table! One of his shelves had gone too, weird.
He’d brought this chicken soup and M wasn’t even here? He could leave it on the counter with a note, but then he wouldn’t know if M had eaten it.
Tao cocked his head and then turned to face deeper into the house. That hadn’t sounded like a tv…
He set the soup down and wandered towards the sounds. There was frantic scrabbling and huh, M had never mentioned having a pet. Maybe a trapped animal? It would explain the distressed whining he was hearing.
“Heeey, it’s okay,” Tao called out softly, as soothing as he could make his voice.
It seemed to work, the animal quietening for a second.
“Yup, I’m not gonna hurt ya, so no biting me, okay?”
The animal whined again. Dog by the sounds of it. In the bathroom. Okay, he could do this.
Tao eased the door open and then stared, his mouth dropping open. What had-
Silver canine head, that was for sure, but it wasn’t attached to a canine body. It was a humanoid, also silver furred and the werewolf stared at him, ears pricked in his direction.
“Funny, M,” Tao squeaked, trying to find where the other man was hiding, where the seams in the suit were. So maaaybe he’d been making the werewolf jokes a lot, but he didn’t think M had minded them that much.
The werewolf lunged, arms (and holy shit those claws were as long as Tao’s face) reaching for him.
Tao yelped, scrambling back.
He got an answering yelp, the werewolf straining against…a chain that was attached to the shower curtain rail. There was a thick metal collar around its neck, and it glistened red in the moonlight, the fresh scratches still leaking blood over it.
What…?
The werewolf whined at him, the tail behind wagging furiously as it continued to try to reach him, pawing at empty air.
And there was an old scar cutting across the right side of the werewolf’s snout.
“M?” Tao squeaked again. “You know I’d been joking, right?”
The werewolf grumbled at him, still trying to reach him. …Those claws looked way too sharp, and if they’d cut into their own flesh like that…
“Okay, let’s make a deal,” Tao said, his voice still high, his heart still hammering, “if you, uh, sit and put your arms down, then I’ll come over.”
The werewolf stared at him for a few long seconds and then took a few steps back, crouching down with their arms by their sides.
Okay. So the werewolf (M?) could understand him.
Tao edged a step forward, the werewolf watching his every movement, and as soon as Tao stepped closer, the werewolf perked up, rising.
“Ah-!”
The werewolf froze.
“Stay there, please.”
The werewolf huffed, but then crouched again, his tail beating against the bath.
“Well, you listen more than M does,” Tao mused, mostly to keep himself from thinking of something going wrong and ended up a messy stain all over M’s bathroom.
…Though there was a lot of blood splattered all over the bathroom already. It almost looked like the police procedurals, where the victim had been stabbed in the neck and died instantly but… Tao glanced at the werewolf, who whined at him.
The werewolf was definitely still alive, even though they were still bleeding, but they weren’t bleeding out at least.
Breathing out slowly, Tao extended his hand, palm up. “No biting, okay? It’s a greeting.”
The werewolf - M sniffed his hand. And then licked it.
“Whew!” Tao took his hand back before M could lick it again. It seemed like a bite caused the transformation, but keeping the fluid transfer to a minimum would be a good idea for now. “Let’s get you outta here, huh?” The chain and collar had probably been a precaution since M didn’t know how he acted under a full moon. Was it even a full moon tonight? He could check later.
Once Tao was close enough, M sniffed at whatever he could reach. Which was good, because it kept his head still for the most part. Tao found the catch with no problems and undid it, wincing as it caught on some of the wounds.
“Sorry ‘bout this, M,” Tao said as M whined, trying to pull away. “It’ll be over soon.”
Tao tugged the last bit free, and M shook himself, scratching at his neck.
“Hey, hey, don’t do that! You’ll hurt yourself!” Tao waved his hands, trying to distract M.
M’s ears flattened and he growled. Though it was more like a complain whine rather than threatening.
“Okay, hurt yourself more,” Tao said, huffing. “How 'bout I patch that up for ya? It might help with the itchiness.” The bandages would get shredded if M scratched them, but M did seem to mostly listen to him, so M could leave them alone.
M grumbled, but didn’t move, so Tao figured that meant M was okay with it.
Tao rummaged through the bathroom until he found the first aid kit, pulling out the bandages. The kit was pretty well stocked, even having gloves, but if this wasn’t the first time M had gone through this…
Tao eyed the blood on M’s neck and then snapped the gloves on. “Better to be safe than sorry, huh, M? And the stuff is right here anyway.”
Cleaning the wounds was easier than Tao thought: the wounds only looked deep. Though there were still areas where there wasn’t any fur bracketing the slashes, so either M had cut in the exact same places as before, or…he was healing really fast.
“Do werewolves have fast healing?” Tao asked as he brushed the washcloth over M. M just blinked at him, before leaning in to lick his face. Tao papped his snout again. “No licking the face, sorry.”
M grumbled, then turned his head to lick Tao’s arm. Tao smiled at that, for M listening to him, and because it tickled.
“Well, even if ya do have fast healing, I’ll bandage it up anyway. Don’t want it getting infected.” It didn’t take long to do the rest of it, the white bandage making another collar around M’s neck. “No scratching this either, okay?” Tao said as he binned the gloves.
M’s ears flattened, and he growled at him, but Tao petted his snout. “It’s better in the long run, you’ll see.”
M huffed. And then wrapped his arms around Tao, nuzzling his neck.
Tao couldn’t help snickering as M’s fur tickled his skin. “Still finding all the loopholes, of course. Yeah, you’re still you.” Though he’d said M’s arms were to be low, but M had probably figured out why Tao had asked that.
“Sooo,” Tao said once M had let him go, “are ya hungry?”
M perked up at that, his tail wagging again.
“Great! I brought some chicken soup!” Time hadn’t passed that much since he’d arrived, even though it’d felt like it, so it should still be hot. “ Thought you might like it. Though…” Tao looked M up and down. “If I’m gonna stay the night, we should get you a blanket to wrap you up in.” There wasn’t anything new Tao hadn’t seen before (unless being a werewolf really changed things down there) but he was sure M would appreciate it. “…And spare clothes too.”
M’s room was mostly how Tao remembered it too, M sniffing at the bed as Tao pulled out some clothes and removed the blanket.
“All riiight, everything’s been collected so let’s get ya filled up, huh? Transforming probably takes it out of you.”
M followed him closely as they went back to the living room and Tao heard him sniffing once they entered. “Lemme grab a bowl first.”
When Tao turned back around with a bowl in hand, M was nosing at the plastic bag around the soup, obviously knowing what was in it from the fast beat of his tail, but not willing to tear it apart to get to it.
It was cute. Very cute. Too cute to not take a picture of.
Tao pulled his phone out and snapped a picture, one of M’s ears swivelling to him at the shutter sound, but the rest of him was still intent on the food.
“Don’t worry,” Tao told him as he freed the soup from the plastic bag and poured it into the bowl, “I’m not gonna blackmail you or anything. No-one’d believe the picture anyway; I think for the most part you look like a dog there too. Ya just looked super cute there, waiting patiently for food.” Tao glanced at the bowl and then M, who was standing by the counter.
“Do you wanna eat like that?” M would understand him and would sit on the chair, but the way his legs were arranged right now… It didn’t look comfortable.
M continued staring at the bowl, not paying attention to him and Tao chuckled, pushing the bowl towards him, his phone raised again.
“And look how the ferocious werewolf tears into the helpless chicken soup,” Tao said in his best commentary voice as he recorded M eating, droplets of soup splashing onto the counter.
M’s snout was wet when he was done, licking his snout as best as he could. Tao cleaned that up before washing the bowl. “Okaaay, time to see what’s on tv!” There had to be something watchable. Or maybe even soothing music if there really was nothing on.
As soon as Tao sat on the sofa, M climbed on after him, curling up beside him, laying his head on Tao’s lap with a sigh.
Tao smiled at him, and pulled the blanket over M, who didn’t seem bothered at getting covered. That done, Tao reached over to run a finger over M’s head. M looked up at the touch but didn’t try to pull away, so Tao added a couple more fingers, scratching there. M’s eyes slowly closed, relaxing, and Tao smiled. “Yeah, you’re definitely a ferocious monster.” Tao snapped another picture of them, M already looking on the verge of dozing off from the scritches.
Now to find something to pass the time…
When Tao woke up, he blinked at his surroundings, sunlight peeking through the window, before he looked down. His hand was buried in M’s hair, M looking human again.
Aw, he’d wanted to record the transformation; he wanted to know what it looked like. But if he hadn’t woken up during it, it must have been fast and not too traumatic to go through. Unless it was because M was asleep at the time, but still, there hadn’t seemed to be that much movement.
Next time he’d make sure to record the transformation.
Tao peered at M. The bandage was looser now, giving him enough space to see there were no scars or even red skin left behind. It almost seemed like a dream, but M was right there, sleeping on his lap.
He saw M’s forehead crease. “Mornin’!”
M’s eyes snapped open and M stared up at him. “What the fuck are you-” He paused, his eyes flicking around them, then his eyes widened and he went pale. “What did you do?”
There were a lot of things M could be talking about, but Tao tackled the most obvious one. “I releas-”
“I could have killed you!” M snapped, struggling to get up past the blanket and making sure it was wrapped around him.
“You didn’t. Obviously.” Tao winked at him. “What were you doing, chainin’ yerself up like that?”
“I did that because the first time I-” M screwed up his face, then hissed. “-whatever that is, I trashed my house!”
“I think ya were just lonely,” Tao said.
“How would you know?” M snarled, curling his lip. “You just found out about this!”
“Yeah, and you calmed down pretty much as soon as you saw me. You lay on top of me the entire night and there wasn’t even a nibble. Lots of hugging and licking though.” Tao pulled out his phone, going to his gallery of all the videos and pictures he took. “See?”
M stared at Tao’s phone before slowly reaching out and checking everything Tao had taken. “It’s probably because I already knew you.” But his voice was quieter than it had been before. Doubtful.
Tao nudged him with an elbow. “Or you’re not a monster like you thought you were.”
M looked away, clicking his tongue. “Why are you even here?”
“Weeell,” Tao said, stretching, a couple of his joints cracking, “you were actin’ grouchy, so I decided I was gonna be a good friend an’ check up on ya.”
M narrowed his eyes at him, studying. “Just to check up on me. Not to check I was a werewolf.”
Tao flailed, startled laughter escaping his throat. “I was joking about that, seriously! I didn’t really think you were a werewolf.” If he had, he wouldn’t have been proclaiming his suspicions out in the open so loudly.
M frowned at Tao’s phone. “So what are you going to do now?”
“What, do you think I’m going to prove the existence of werewolves by posting those online?” Tao shook his head. “Nah. No-one’d believe 'em anyway. And I don’t care about that.” M frowned at him, opening his mouth. “I just took 'em because I thought you were actin’ cute at the time.” M’s mouth stayed open, his eyes going wide. “And to give you proof yer not a monster.”
M glanced down at the pictures again, his expression a little softer.
“Sooo,” Tao said, leaning closer to him, “the next time this happens, can you invite me over?”
M rolled his eyes. “I can’t call you when I’m like that.”
“Ass.” Tao whapped him with a hand, laughing. "You know what I mean.“
M huffed. "You’d break in anyway.” There was a small smile on his face as he said that.
“I didn’t break in!” Tao jangled his set of keys. “You gave me an extra one, remember?”
“Weren’t you supposed to give that back afterwards?”
“Anyway,” Tao said, clearing his throat, and stuffing his keys back in his pocket, “it’d be way more polite if you invite me beforehand.”
“I don’t-”
“You’re not going to bite me.” Tao paused, considering it. “And even if you did, at least then you wouldn’t be alone!”
Before M could say anything, M’s stomach rumbled. M rolled his eyes again, wrapping the blanket up around him more as he stood up.
“Transforming must take a lot out of you, heh,” Tao said, holding the pile of clothes out to M he’d kept on the armrest.
M hesitated, looking at the clothes like they were some kind of peace offering. “Yeah, it does,” he said, shoulders slumping.
He sighed, taking the clothes from Tao. “Fine, you can come next time. But-”
“Yessss!” Tao punched the air.
“-you have to be careful.”
“Of course I will! And I already was!” This was going to be great.
M looked Tao up and down, frowning. “You didn’t bring anything.”
“I did!” Tao held up the plastic bag filled with warm goodness. “Soup!”
M sighed. “I meant-”
“I don’t need to bring anything.” Not for protection anyway. “I’ll be fine.”
M didn’t say anything for a few seconds before nodding. “Fine.”
Tao followed M through the house after setting the soup down. Tao didn’t think much of it until M opened the bathroom door.
“Aw, M…” The chain and collar were hanging off the shower curtain again.
“Just in case,” M said through gritted teeth. “It could have been a fluke.”
“It won’t be.” Tao trusted M, no matter what form he was in and how he thought.
“Just in case.”
“Fine fine.”
Tao turned away as M started stripping, playing on his phone.
“Does it hurt…?” he asked.
M didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “No. I just…thought I was dreaming the first time it happened. Or I’d been slipped something. It was just…surreal.”
Tao nodded. “I’m glad it doesn’t.” Being a werewolf was cool and all, but he didn’t want M to be in pain every single time he went through it.
“And thanks for trusting me and yerself,” Tao added, a small smile on his face. M could have run away after Tao had found out, but he hadn’t. He could have cut their friendship off, or anything really, but he hadn’t. He’d just kept going like nothing new had happened, just like when he’d first been bitten.
“Don’t make me regret it.” The snap of the collar latching shut was loud in the bathroom.
Tao laughed. “You won’t!” There wouldn’t be any regret tonight, or any night after this.
Tao had a countdown for when the sun set and he watched the numbers go down.
“Shhi…” Tao glanced over and M was leaning against the bath, shaking his head.
In the span of a few seconds, M’s was gone, lost under the silver fur and long claws.
The first thing M did was reach for the collar.
“Nono,” Tao said, waving his hands, “don’t do that.”
M’s froze and then his attention snapped to him, his ears perking up. After a second, his tail was beating against the bath, but he didn’t rush over.
“You remember from last time, don’t you?” Tao said, grinning as he walked over. “Great! This’ll be easier then.” As soon as he was within reach, M leaned closer to nuzzle Tao’s neck. Tao ran a hand over M’s head, the other one reaching for the collar.
“Let’s get you outta here, huh? I’ve got lots of things planned for you tonight!” They were going to have so much fun. And he’d make sure to record them all so M would know just how much of an oversized puppy he was like this.