April 2001
It had been Duo who had brought Baka and Bub into their lives. The American had been planning on getting his lover a pet for his 20th birthday, or the day they had assigned as Heero's birthday, anyway. He knew Heero was fond of dogs, so he had envisioned presenting him with a warm bundle of golden retriever puppy or maybe really surprising him with a Saint Bernard. In the end, they agreed, this worked out much better. (Heero had admitted later he wasn't sure they made enough money combined to feed a Saint Bernard; feeding Duo was hard enough.)
The braided ex-pilot had been driving home one night when he had seen something that made his blood boil. A car, driving far too fast for a residential neighborhood, had struck a small animal crossing the road and then driven off without even stopping.
Duo quickly parked and ran to the creature's aid, knowing his chances of finding it alive were not good but unable to leave anything hurt and alone. He wished he'd gotten the car's license number. Heero could have used his computer to track them down and then he'd show THEM what it was like to suffer...
By the time he had reached the animal, a cat, he was surprised to see another one standing over it. A dark tabby was meowing pitifully at the long-haired, reddish gold victim, batting it's face with a gentle paw. Seeing Duo, it placed itself over the fallen cat and hissed, teeth bared.
"Easy, big guy. Your buddy's in a bad way. If you don't let me help him he's gonna die. Neither of us want that, right? Let me get him to a doctor." Duo said softly. "Let me try and save him."
The tabby glared at him suspiciously.
"You can come along too if you want. If I hurt him you can scratch my eyes out." Duo offered. "Ask anyone. I never lie."
The tabby glanced at his friend uncertainly and then stepped aside.
Duo gently lifted the furry animal against his chest. It was still alive but it's breathing was labored. It didn't have long. He tore off his shirt and wrapped the cat in it.
"Come on, there's a vet not far." He ran toward his car, the tabby hot on his heels. Please, don't let it be too late. If You do exist, spare this poor thing.
He laid the cat down the seat next to him and the tabby jumped up as well."Keep him warm, okay? Tell him he's going to be all right." Duo started the car and sped toward the animal clinic.
The tabby mewed at the long-haired cat and wrapped himself gently around him, licking the top of his head. His eyes, however, never left Duo.
Duo had gotten the long-haired cat, a Maine Coon he learned later, to the vet just in time. They had been able to stabilize it after emergency surgery, and had even allowed the tabby to stay by it's side, something that got to all of them. He would not let them touch him, but grudgingly permitted them to attend to his friend.
Heero had made Duo put up found posts and an ad in the paper but no one responded, so when the Maine Coon was ready to leave the vet's Duo had brought it to their home. Along with the faithful tabby.
Heero had never had much use for pets. But then again he'd not had a lot of use for other people either until Duo had entered his life. And since his koi felt responsible for the animals, he had agreed to let him keep them without a fuss, only stating that he wasn't changing the litter.
"These are special cats." Duo explained. "Something weird about them."
"Weird?"
"They're smart. Really smart. You'll see." He said mysteriously. "Oh, and don't raise your voice at the long-haired one or Bub will smack you."
"Bub?" Heero raised an eyebrow.
"Short for Beelzebub." Duo shrugged, grinning.
"Why would you name that poor cat Beelzebub?" Heero was puzzled.
"Because of the way he stares when he gets mad. It's spooky. Like a devil's glare. In fact..." Duo snickered suddenly. "It's a lot like your Death Glare, come to think of it. Maybe I should have called him Hee-kitty."
"Humm. Well, it was the other one that went skipping across the street without looking and almost got himself killed. Maybe we should call him Duo."
"Don't even think about it."
From behind them was a crash. Heero turned around to see the long-haired cat bathing itself calmly on an end-table. The lamp that had formally occupied it now lay in a mangled heap on the floor. The animal paused in his bath and gave them an innocent look over a shaggy paw.
"Baka." Heero grumbled. "That's what I'm calling you, you stupid cat!"
"Yowww." Came a warning from Bub. Yellow eyes narrowed at Heero, who took a step back.
"It's okay, Bub." Duo said soothingly. "He calls me that all the time. He doesn't mean it as an insult. Do you, Heero?" He poked his koi in the ribs meaningfully.
"No, it's not an insult." Heero said through gritted teeth, feeling stupid for explaining himself to a cat. "But you have to admit he's a little..."
Yes? the cat's eyes seemed to dare.
"Silly." Heero finished lamely.
The tabby relaxed and glanced over at Baka. He looked at Heero again, and the Japanese man could have sworn he saw amused agreement in that yellow gaze. Duo was right; these were very unusual cats.
Bub and Baka made themselves at home in the house in the way that only cats can. Within days it was hard to remember that they had not always lived there.
Bub was the quite one. As long as Baka was safe he was content. He would often sit in the window and watch the world go by, but made no attempts to go back outdoors. And for a long time, he would not permit the men to touch him. Duo had tried to bribe him with catnip mice and string, but the cat had simply batted the mice over to Baka and ripped the string from Duo's hand with a quick swipe, giving him a "What kind of moron do you take me for?" glare in return.
Baka, on the other hand, was an eternal kitten. Everything in the house was a toy, or could easily be converted to one. He was also, to Heero's chagrin, a incorrigible mischief-maker. He seemed to sense the exact moment when unplugging Heero's computer or landing on his head would infuriate him the most. Then before the Japanese man could react or retaliate, the long-haired cat was out of the room mewing for either Duo or Bub to come and rescue him from the bad, evil human. And to make it worse, Duo would cuddle the beast gently, and scold Heero for upsetting him, or Bub would tenderly lick his ear and hiss at Heero to stay back.
The blue-eyed man could pinpoint the exact moment their relationship, his and Beelzebub's, had changed. He had been asleep on the couch one afternoon when he felt something batting at his hand.
"Go away, Baka." He muttered.
A nip.
He opened his eyes, surprised to see Bub standing with his front paws on the couch, his eyes wide with fear.
"What is it?" Heero yawned.
The cat tugged on his hand.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Heero climbed to his feet and followed behind the anxious tabby.
The cat stopped in the laundry room in front of the clothes drier.
"What, you have some laundry you need done?" Heero asked sarcastically. "Laundry day isn't until Sunday. You'll just have to wear what you've got on now."
The cat gave him an annoyed glare and meowed at the drier. An answering cry met his own.
"Oh for..." Heero opened the door of the drier and a rather linty Baka sprang out, giving him a sheepish glance.
"Look, I thought we'd laid down the rules. When Duo's not home you're supposed to keep him from doing stuff like that." Heero reminded the tabby.
Bub sighed.
"Yeah, I hear you." Heero agreed. "But I've got my hands full just making sure Duo doesn't get stuck in any driers. I can't keep track of both of them, you know. But no harm done, you told me he was in trouble and I fixed it. He's lucky to have a friend like you."
Baka meowed at that and licked Bub's neck, getting lint on the tabby as well.
Bub hesitated for a moment, as if he was trying to come to terms with something within himself. Carefully, cautiously, he approached Heero and sat down next to his feet.
Heero knelt down slowly and held out his hand.
Bub sniffed his fingers and then rubbed his cheek against them, marking Heero.
Still moving slowly, Heero reached out his other hand to pet the tabby's head and Bub allowed it, even moving closer so Heero could reach more areas.
Heero paused as he rubbed the cat's back, feeling something rough beneath the fur. Scars? Maybe from fighting? No, he instinctively knew this wasn't the case. Somewhere, someone had hurt his cat very badly. He was surprised to find himself suddenly blinking back tears.
His cat? Hadn't he meant to think "this cat?" or "Duo's cat?"
"You don't ever have to worry about that anymore." Heero stroked the soft fur. "You're my cat now and no one is ever going to hurt you like that again. I've been there, pal. I've got a few scars of my own. But you're safe here."
To his surprise, Bub began to purr.
The two men cuddled together on the couch, watching the cats bathe each other. Baka was laying on his back, a goofy look on his face, while Bub's tongue moved through the thick fur of his belly.
"Watch out or you'll get hairballs." Heero warned.
Bub appeared to smirk but did not stop his task.
"They look like they're enjoying themselves, don't they?" Duo asked, running a hand up Heero's arm.
"Very much." Heero nodded. "Almost makes you want to be a cat, doesn't it?"
Duo grinned up at him. "You don't have to be a cat for that." He shrugged. "All you need is a belly, and a partner with a tongue."
Heero rubbed his chin. "I've got a belly. And no one could ever accuse you of not having a tongue."
Duo licked his lips. "You saying you want a bath?"
Heero nodded.
Duo leaned up to whisper against his ear. "You want to me to bathe you like the cats bathe each other, with my tongue, all over?"
Another nod, and a swallow.
Duo purred and rubbed his head under Heero's chin. The Japanese man shivered as he felt a warm tongue swipe at the thin skin and move upward, circling his chin and darting across his lips.
Duo stretched and began licking his koi's left ear. "There's a good kitty." He whispered into it again. "Just lay back and enjoy." He leaned to the other side and bathed the other ear. He nibbled it as well, causing Heero to moan.
He slid his mouth first down one arm and then the other one, licking and sucking all ten fingers before moving on.
With a quick tug he removed his lover's sleeveless tee-shirt. He carefully moved his tongue over every inch of Heero's chest, especially the dark buds, which he nipped gently.
Heero muttered something and his hands moved to the top of Duo's denim shorts. The braided man smacked his hands away lightly. "You wanted a bath, you're going to get a full bath. Now be a good kitty." His tongue teased Heero's navel.
Heero lifted his hips as his own shorts were tugged off of him.
Duo nuzzled the hot flesh. "Good thing gay kitties don't need to be neutered." he breathed against it.
"MEOW!" Came two voices from across the room in perfect harmony.
Heero burst out laughing. "I think they agree with you." Then moaned again as that hot tongue scraped over him, circling him. His hips lifted as he thrust into Duo's mouth. A mouth that was suddenly gone and moving lower. "Not yet, koi." Duo said amused. "You're not clean yet." His tongue cupped Heero's sack, lifting it and sucking on it gently.
Heero closed his eyes, and then suddenly felt himself turned over on his stomach, Duo's tongue moving across his shoulder blades. Oh god, he really meant to finish this, didn't he?
Duo licked and nibbled his way down the smooth skin of Heero's back, muttering small words of appreciation against it. Lower and lower he moved, and Heero felt that warm, wonderful tongue move across the globes of his rump, the teeth nipping here and there. Then Duo began licking the seam, darting his tongue into it, in and out, before moving back to lick his sack from the other side.
By this time Heero was about to come into the couch.
"Now!" He ordered breathlessly.
"I'm not done yet." Duo rubbed the back of Heero's leg.
"I don't care! Now! I want you in me." Heero groaned.
Duo considered it for a moment. Heero usually liked him to be on the bottom. He'd be a fool to waste the chance.
He reached under the cushions of the couch for a dented tube, noticing that his fingertips were smaller than the dents caused by Heero's fumbling. He flipped open the lid and spread the lube on his fingers, using more than normal because it had been a long time since Heero had allowed himself to be taken.
He unzipped his shorts, pulling himself out through the fly and lubing up the hard flesh. Heero cried out softly at the sound of the zipper. He was unable to see Duo from this angle, but his imagination supplied him with all the images he needed.
He then spread Heero's cheeks apart, still damp from his tongue, and began stretching his lover.
Heero pushed against the couch helplessly.
"If you finish without me no more kitty baths." Duo warned playfully.
The movement stopped.
"That's better." He inserted another finger.
Heero hissed.
Duo lifted him up on his hands and knees, kneeling behind him, holding his hips as he guided himself to Heero's opening. "Ummm, you're so tight." He muttered. "Feel so good. So warm..." He pushed in deeper until he was buried completely in his koi's body.
"Yes..." Heero pleaded."More."
Duo complied, drawing back and sliding in again and again.
"That's good. Cats are noisy when they mate." Duo said, thrusting harder. "They sometimes wake up the whole... neighborhood." He reached around Heero to stroke his erection. "We're animals, Heero. Let's be... animals. Come on, let me know you like it."
"I... like it... feels.. so good." Heero panted. "I... can't... hold... it back. Going to come..." His head snapped back and he shuddered, his erection twitching and spurting in Duo's hands. He yowled out his pleasure.
Duo leaned forward, sinking his teeth into Heero's back as his own climax crashed into him. He emptied himself endlessly into his koi's tight channel before falling bonelessly on top of him, gasping for air. A moment later, he licked a bead of sweat off of the back of Heero's neck.
A howl caught their attention, coming from the back of the house. Duo chuckled. "Think we inspired them?"
Heero shook his head. "Have you ever stopped to think what the odds are of us adopting queer cats?"
"Nah, I gave up trying to understand the way the universe works years ago." Duo shrugged. "Oh, that reminds me. We better get cleaned up. Trowa and Quatre are coming over in a little bit to show us their new kids."
"Huh?"
"They found a pair of stray cats in their basement the other night. Little white Persian and a brown one Trowa thinks might be an Ab. Anyway, I told them how much fun Baka and Bub have been to have around so they decided to keep them."
"Hope they know what they're getting in for."
Duo snuggled closer, reluctant to break the contact just yet. "Yeah. But it'll be good for them to have little ones around to keep them on their toes."
In the doorway, two cats exchanged conspiring grins.
The End
(:./lasha/meow3)
