: ... : telepathy
~~~ scene break
[1,2,3...] author's notes at end
Author's notes: yes, I know that panthers do not mate for life or live in prides like lions, but since Duo and Heero are not 'true' panthers, this is okay for the fic. It's my reality, once again, so that means I get to take liberties ^_^
Kitty Litter Part 2a
:Hello, Shinigami. Remember me?:
Duo's eyes were wide with surprise, his mouth hanging open as he stared speechlessly at the speaker. Dimly, in the back of his mind, he noticed that Heero was openly growling at the speaker and he laid a reassuring and soothing hand on his mate's neck.
The woman at the cage door merely cocked her head to the side, the feathered ends of her dark hair gently brushing against her cheeks. She giggled as Duo continued to stare open mouthed, her dark eyes twinkling with mischievous mirth. :Cat got your tongue, o feared God of Death? Or can I call you Duo again?:
Although Duo's body was still struck immobile, his mind was free to communicate. :Hilde?! Is that you?:
The woman giggled again, her laughter light and carefree as she nodded. :Yep, it's your beautiful, talented, and gifted sister-in-law here to visit you!:
By now the shock of seeing a familiar face long absent in his world had worn off and a grin was slowly spreading on Duo's face. With an eagerness reminiscent of a child, he asked, : And where is my cousin? Is Solo with you?:
Hilde glanced quickly at her right and motioned with her head. :Yep, he's right here and eager to see his 'long lost' little cousin.:
Hilde eased to the side as a golden-haired young man stepped into view, his blue gaze falling on the human male and feline partner in the cage. For one long minute he stood staring at the couple, before a warm smile broke across his face.
:Hello, cousin. I'm glad to see your search has been a success.:
:Solo!: Duo jumped up from his spot and would have darted to the cage door, except Heero leapt up and inserted himself between the cage door and his mate. Duo looked at Heero with a puzzled expression even as he asked, :Heero, what's wrong? They're all right, they won't harm me. Trust me.:
Heero's tail twitched as the black cat's head swiveled from Duo's direction to where the surprised Hilde and Solo stood. :I do trust you,: came the answer, :but you're not exactly dressed for the occasion.:
Heero's blunt reply brought Duo's attention back to the fact that he was totally naked, except for the curtain of chestnut hair cascading down his back. A red blush rose in his cheeks (his face, you hentais!) and a sheepish grin made its way across his lips. He looked up at his cousin and his mate, shrugging his shoulders. :They don't exactly supply us with clothing in here.:
Solo's and Hilde's faces dropped their shocked expressions at Heero's actions as Duo's words reached their minds. Both looked at each other before impish grins made their way across their faces. Hilde giggled as Solo replied, :What's this? My cousin has developed a sense of modesty? When did this happen?:
:Hey, Hilde's here, cousin. Besides, things change and I have been gone a long time.:
Solo's laughter died as his face fell into a somber expression. His mind-voice was more serious as he answered, :Yes, when you set off to search for your mate, we didn't expect you to be gone for so long, Duo.:
Duo gave a regretful nod, his eyes full of remorse for the years separated from his family. He glanced down at his mate, who stood listening to the open mind conversation with an interested yet bewildered ear, and his regret lessened. He lifted his hand and began to stroke Heero behind one ear. :Yes, but in the end it was worth it, Solo. I found Heero, my mate, here at the Sank Zoo. And although the journey here was rough, I wouldn't change a single aspect of it since it resulted in our bonding.:
Heero, still standing between Duo and the other mated couple to protect his mate's modesty, turned his head to nuzzle at Duo's hand. Although he hadn't spoken up again, he had heard every word of the conversation thus far and he sent a wordless pulse of love through the bond he shared with the captivating man behind him. Duo answered the bond with a pulse of his own, forgetting his cousin's presence for a brief moment.
Hilde interrupted the sweet exchange as she asked, :So this is Heero, is it? I assume he was human like me?:
:Yes, he was in fact a keeper at this zoo before our bonding.:
:I'm sure the rest of the family will welcome him with joy, cousin.:
:Oh, most definitely, Solo. Especially since we are expecting already.:
Duo's announcement caught Hilde and Solo by surprise, as was evident from their expressions, but their shock quickly turned into joy that spread through their mental conversation. :Oh Duo, that's wonderful! Congratulations you two!:
:Yes, new life is always a blessing upon us. Since you've mentioned that Heero is a he, I assume the change worked like usual and he's female in feline form?:
Duo nodded his affirmative, though his expression turned wary as Heero's head swiveled up to give him a narrow-eyed gaze. His grin became nervous as Heero's blue gaze held him captive and he was certain that the panther's face held an accusatory glare. :You knew I would change like this?!:
Duo gave a nervous chuckle and glanced up at Solo and Hilde. The two were giving him bemused looks and Solo merely raised one eyebrow. Seeing no help from that corner, Duo turned his attention back to his waiting mate, whose tail had begun to twitch with impatience. He gave Heero an imploring glance that begged for understanding as he answered, :Well, you see Heero... um, in the case of same-sex pairings in our species, if one partner happens to be originally human, then... when he or she changes, they become able to either carry or create children in their feline form. It's an oddity that we haven't been able to explain yet. It just happens.:
Heero listened to Duo's short explanation before asking his question again. :So, you knew?:
Duo gave a defeated sigh and hung his head. :Yes,: he answered.
:Hn.: Heero gave his reply, accompanied with the equivalent of a mental sniff. Then, without warning, he moved out from in front of Duo, to pad over to the water trough to get a drink. Duo squawked as he was suddenly without cover and darted for the shadows of the cage. Hilde's and Solo's mental laughter chased after him, as his face burned in sudden mortification.
He looked over at Heero who was still drinking from the trough. :Aw, c'mon Heero. Don't be mad at me,: he implored.
:You could have at least warned me,: came the rebuttal.
Duo became serious as he answered, :I'm sorry, love. I won't ever keep anything from you again, I promise. Forgive me?:
Silence stretched out between the two for a few uncomfortable minutes before Heero relented and said, :All right, I forgive you.: Heero backed this up by padding over to Duo and nuzzling his bare chest with his muzzle.
The two were lost in a brief moment of rapport before Solo interrupted again with a soft cough. :I hate to break up this tender moment,: he commented wryly, :but the sun is rising soon and we have to get out of here before the humans return.:
:One second, cousin,: came the reply. A sudden charge of electricity zinged through the air and then the human appearing couple was presented face to face with a violet-eyed panther. The feline cocked his head to the side and continued, :Before you go, Solo, just why are you here anyway? Why aren't you home at Sanctuary?:
:We came with Iria and Rashid to bring you home, Duo. After we hadn't heard from you for so long, we decided to chase after your tail, so to speak.:
The violet-eyed panther's muzzled wrinkled up in the equivalent of a feline grin even as excitement rose in his mind. :You mean I'm really going home?! I didn't think we'd be able to escape for a long time, especially with Heero expecting and unable to change back for awhile.:
Solo nodded as he answered, :Iria has convinced the zoo board to let 'Shinigami' and 'Kiseki' become part of a relocation program to the 'Winner Feline Reservation'. Just the cover up to keep Sanctuary safe from outside poachers and companies seeking to steal the land.:
:So when do we leave?:
:They'll be transporting the two of you in a few days. Iria's younger brother will also be accompanying you back to Sanctuary. We're leaving tonight and we'll let everyone else know you're returning.:
Duo nodded his understanding as he said his farewells. :See you back home then, cousin, Hilde.:
Hilde replied, :'Till then, Duo. I look forward to getting to know you better, Heero!: With that, Solo and Hilde disappeared into the shadows, intent on leaving the zoo before the sun rose.
Duo turned away from the cage door, seeking out his mate who had fallen silent. He found Heero curled up on the grass bedding and he padded over to join his mate. He settled himself down by Heero's side with innate grace, his tail instinctively reaching out to intertwine with Heero's. He gave his mate's cheek a swipe with his tongue, butting the side of his head. :What's wrong, Heero?:
The blue-eyed panther glanced at his partner for long moment before asking, :What's your home like, Duo?:
Duo started, the realization that he had never described his home to Heero before hitting him straight in the face. He hurried to rectify that problem, overwhelmed by the urge to reassure his worried mate.
:You'll love Sanctuary, Heero. It's protected from poachers and land developers because it's an animal reserve, full of lush forests and plentiful watering holes. There used to be many of us who lived in Sanctuary, but our race began to die out as more and more couples became sterile. We think it might be because Sanctuary is only so big and the population was growing too large, combined with the fact that our genetic pool was becoming too small. Several members of the tribe have left, seeking new hunting grounds, but so few of them return. A few generations ago, when our numbers were in the teens, it was discovered that we could take humans as our consorts, and that such couplings were resulting in children being born again. When you and I return, I will introduce you to the rest of the tribe, and then we shall reclaim my old hunting grounds. There you and I will raise our family and spend the rest of our days together in safety and love.:
Heero blinked at Duo's sudden outpouring of emotions, overwhelmed that he had been blessed with such devotion and adoration in a mate. He had never imagined in his wildest dreams to come across someone who would feel such passion for him, yet he was eternally grateful to the fates for bringing Duo into his life. True, his circumstances now were a bit unorthodox and hard to believe, but he wouldn't change a thing. Purring deep in his throat, he let his emotional barriers drop for a moment and replied, :As long as I'm with you, anywhere is home, Duo.:
TBC...
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