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"We're so sorry! We're so really sorry, Trey-senpai!"
On a normal day, Trey would hear the same words around their dorm, but they wouldn't be directed at him, rather, they were words for their dorm leader, Riddle. This specific pair of first years who had quickly become almost-permanent fixtures to the enigmatic Ramshackle Dorm prefect's, and his cat-familiar's lives, often found themselves in situations he never thought possible to happen all in one year.
With that in mind, Trey supposed he should have already prepared himself for whatever mischief they'll bring with them. As Vice Dorm Leader, he understands that he must also act as a buffer between the pair of mischief-makers, and their dorm leader, otherwise it would lead to another Overblotting.
He just hoped it wouldn't lead to that.
It, meaning his current predicament: Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Grim, and even the Ramshackle Dorm's prefect, were all on their knees in front of him, kneeling as they confessed to their crimes- that being their failed Transfiguration project. He rubbed his chin, imagining a beard there, deep in thought as he reminisced his first Transfiguration project: he was in the same group as Leona and Cater, and their project came out alright, he mused, considering that he did most of the work, while Cater talked Leona's ears off- - Leona's very feline ears, that weren't so dissimilar to the pair that popped in place of his regular, human ears when the spell had engulfed him.
"I told you guys, it's alright! I mean, you did tell your professor about it, didn't you?" He looked at the group who all exchanged worried glances. Oh dear.
"I, erm, I told Professor Crewel about the accident. And, well- I called the Headmage in a panic, and then he told Professor Crewel." Yuu, Ramshackle Dorm's prefect, looked earnest, at least, when he spoke up. Trey nods at him, and ignores how Ace, Deuce, and Grim all sighed in relief.
"That's good, then," Trey says, and he meant it. "Now that Crewel knows, he'll start working on an antidote immediately; but since he's busy as hell, handling all of the first years', and most of the science classes, it will probably take him by the end of the week to finish it." This time, it's Yuu who's looking relieved.
He then got up from sitting on the grassy lawn of their dorm's front yard, and dusted the back of his pants. By chance, his hand brushed against the part of his lower back where the tail had sprouted from, feeling a bit awkward still, at the new appendage. "Okay, come on! I made some cookies for the tea party later, and Riddle still has club so he's not around to tell us off if we get snacking." At the mention of treats, the first years' and prefect's downtrodden faces did a complete 180, and are now about to be split apart by their grins. Grim had already run ahead of them, calling out to them over his shoulder to hurry.
With a slight bow, Trey gestured to let the first years run before him, before following them at their heels, his newly-added tail swishing behind him contentedly with his every step.
He can survive the week with cat ears and tail.
He knows he can do it, although he'll have to avoid Pomefiore's Vice-Dorm Leader as best as he can.
Just to be sure.
Later that day, Riddle--and consequently, Cater--were all informed of the situation.
Of course, their own first years were given flamingo feeding duty for the whole week, and were made to write a one thousand-word apology letter addressed to Trey--he'll read them once he turns back, but he'll tease them about this until they graduate--but he didn't go on a much longer tirade than he normally did. Trey supposed he was tired from club, but the blush on his cheeks looked anything but the result of fatigue, or his temper.
(But he doesn't comment on that; Riddle can tell him when he's ready.)
For the rest of the week, Trey had been given permission to take a leave of absence from his classes. His fellow Beastmen dorm mates who Trey was afraid would get mad at him for skipping classes just because he had cat ears and a tail only gave him sympathetic pats on the back, and well-wishes. His roommate, Richard, who was also half-cat, playfully reached up to scratch his ears- - although Trey was embarrassed at the gesture, his tail had swished happily behind him. When he left their room for class, he bid Trey good luck, all while pinching his nose as he ran out of the room.
Hm. That was odd.
He looked around their room for whatever Richard had smelt so offending that he had to pinch his nose at. He found none of the usual dirty dishes from the cafeteria, or leftover cupcake liners from their dorm's numerous tea parties, and un-birthdays, and all of them had just finished doing their laundry yesterday, so it was virtually impossible for dirty laundry to be the cause of it.
Oh well.
Trey supposed he can just ask him later.
And because he was hiding the fact that he had turned into a half-cat, he's taken to using their dorm's kitchen to make his own meals for the day, since he would much rather avoid the cafeteria at all costs- he did not want to bump into Leona and get teased about it. So Riddle had elected Cater, and the two first years responsible, to keep their refrigerator and pantry well-stocked- or in this case--now that Trey took the time to scan the shelves--well-stocked to keep their dorm surviving for a month, in case of an apocalypse. He wanted to laugh, but Riddle always had his head--and his heart--in the right place, after all.
Now that he was already finished with all the homework his professors had given him for the week to finish, he was bored. Although Riddle had advised him to stay at the dorm until Professor Crewel finished the antidote, Trey found himself slowly, but surely, getting bored as the seconds ticked away.
It's not like he was going to run into a currently ongoing class- he just wanted to walk around. He'd grown tired of the hedge maze, and the flamingoes don't even react as wildly as they did when he first dropped by to visit them. That's why once he was finished with his lunch, and washed his plate and cup, he gave all the hedgehogs a pat before stepping into the Mirror. Before he left, he felt that walking around in anything but his regular school uniform would be inappropriate, and for some reason, he felt sweaty in his dorm uniform.
Maybe someone had mistakenly turned the air conditioner off on their way out? Trey'll check that later, after he's had his walk.
Hopefully the fresh air around campus would do him some good.
It was a good idea, he mused as he walked down the main street -- devoid of any loitering students, save for those in the far off streets, running to their next class -- that he went for his walk after lunch. There was no way he'd bump into students- the only one he knew who was probably skipping their classes was Leona, but he'll be napping at the Botanical Garden around this time, so Trey made a mental note to steer clear of that place. At least until he's returned to normal.
He walked around with the ease of someone without a schedule. His pace was appropriate for a casual stroll, and yet he still felt tired so suddenly.
Did he perhaps eat too much pasta? It was Thursday, and he can't recall any rules pertaining to pasta, or anything specific about food to be eaten on Thursdays, so he sighed. Relieved. Even if he was sure Riddle would be more lenient with him because of his situation, he was still afraid that he'll make Ace and Deuce go on more errands than necessary, so he bid his worries away, and headed off to the quadrangle.
Normally, he wouldn't have had the time to be lounging in the grass, but he guessed now was a better time than none at all, so he took the opportunity, and lay on his back. His face met with sunlight, and he let himself relax.
He must have dozed off, and took an impromptu nap in the quadrangle.
Great Seven, what would Riddle say about that?
At least, he hoped he was still at the quadrangle- it still felt warm, and the sun was still out, despite its rays nowhere to be found on his face, so he must have not slept too long ago. Although the shadow covering his face was still present, there was another heat source that's enveloped Trey. And instead of feeling uncomfortable, he felt rather content. Safe.
He felt his chest rumble softly; low purrs of satisfaction tumble out of his lips before he could even stop himself.
And then he heard someone chuckle.
"Mon dieu, how adorable you truly are, Rose Chevalier."
Trey's eyes open at the nickname. He tried pushing himself up, but he found warm, and heavy hands on his forehead, and another one on his arm.
"Non non , dearest. You must rest." Rook told Trey quietly as if they were sharing a secret. Then he felt the hand at his forehead shift, then move on to rub his cat-ears. "These sudden changes on your body must be taking a toll on you," he added, although this was softer, probably he was telling himself, more than Trey. "And you're on the brink of a heat, too."
Now that was new.
"What's a 'heat'?" He grumbled, even if his eyes remained closed, chasing the slumber, and wishing this was all a dream.
Rook chuckled again. "A heat, mon cher , is when a Beastman's hormones tell them that they have their very special needs that need to be satisfied."
Trey fought back rolling his eyes, even with his eyelids drawn shut.
"Just say 'sex', Rook. I'm not a prude." This time, Trey opens his eyes to glare at the other, only he's met with a fond smile on the normally obnoxious guy, his eyes twinkling as he smiled down at Trey, and- oh, he had Trey's head, and part of his torso resting in his lap- this is nice. His tail seemed to emulate his feelings as it swished contentedly beside his thigh.
"Of course you aren't," he agreed. "Would you like to move somewhere more comfortable, or would you prefer that I let you rest here by yourself- although if you asked for the latter, I would have to refuse you, as I would like to protect you from predators who might take advantage of you."
For all these years that Trey has known Rook -- their classes had PE and Alchemy together in their first year, and had only spoken to each other after they both joined the Science Club -- he's never exactly understood the guy. He was, well, a weirdo, but he meant well. Most of the time. Even if he had no respect for other people's privacy, and personal space, he was a rather fastidious man, that despite the multiple explosions in the whole three years that they've been in the Science Club, he's made discoveries and potions that could rival even Azul's. Even with his position as vice-dorm leader, he would rather walk in the shadows, behind Vil, instead of beside him as co-dorm leaders.
"An excellent hunter does not draw attention to himself!" He once heard Rook say about why he would rather traipse alongside their first year who looked like he wanted nothing more than to run away from Rook.
He was intelligent, calculative, and practical.
He was strong, and hard-headed- - in all the years that Trey had known him, this was the first time he's looked so kind.
He almost would have joked, and said "Like you?" at Rook's answer, but the sincerity in his voice left him speechless. He would leave Trey alone if he asked for it, even if he wanted to make sure that Trey was safe?
He scoffed. Forget all those things he just said about Rook.
This guy is ridiculous.
"And what do you propose I do about these "very special needs" that you've mentioned?" For a split second, confusion dawned on his face, before it's replaced by a much more placid one.
"Then- then one must find someone they trust to help them, ah, relieve themselves." How Rook was able to say that without even flinching was beyond Trey. But he was far from over with teasing Rook- even if he didn't know how this'll end for him. For them.
"But what if I don't have someone like that? A person I can trust myself with?"
Rook's expression faltered, but chose to smile regardless of what he was feeling. "Then-" he cleared his throat, "then I suppose you would have to relieve yourself. On your own."
Yes, I got that much, Rook, thank you.
Now that some things are much clearer, and easier to understand, Trey thought back to Richard's actions.
"Do I smell bad?"
A myriad of expressions flash across Rook's face, but they all pass on to another one before Trey could even get a good look on them, and figure them out.
Hopefully, it wasn't too bad an aftereffect- he didn't want to stink out their shared room, and even more so the whole dorm. Riddle would have his head, regardless of his predicament.
Rook was silent for a brief moment, before leaning in to whisper. "You smell delectable, actually."
"Ah." Somehow, Trey felt foolish for thinking otherwise. He now understood why his Beastmen dorm mates were wishing him luck. Ah. They were pertaining to this part of his sudden transfiguration. He was grateful for Richard's concern. But now that raised even more than it answered questions.
"And if I asked if you would keep me company until this passed?"
Rook smiled at that, "I would be honoured, Rose Chevalier, no, ah, Trey. I will gladly guide you through this heat of yours."
This time, Trey allowed himself to roll his eyes at him. "I do hope that's not the only thing you'll be doing." He felt his face get hotter- flushed with embarrassment.
"Don't worry, chaton, I'm quite sure it won't be."
Later, when Rook takes Trey back to the Heartslabyul dorm, they find that Trey's roommates are all packed, and ready to stay in other rooms for another week- or at least until Trey's heat is finished. Apparently, Richard and their other Beastmen dorm mates had clued the others in on the sudden changes that happened to Trey.
When their Beastmen dorm mates saw Rook, a wave of relief washed over them. Their concern for their senior, and dorm mate was admirable, save for Riddle who went on to scold Trey for leaving the dorm without leaving a note, or telling anyone where he was going, and Rook for skipping the rest of his classes for the day.
And on that note, Rook had only nodded along to Riddle, head bowed slightly in reverence to the dorm leader, despite being the elder between the two of them.
Respectfulness was always a pass in Riddle's books, so asking for permission to allow him to stay with Trey was as easy as torte.
Once they were finally alone in Trey's room, he locked the door, then he sat on his bed. He beckoned Rook to sit beside him, but he knelt on the floor, in front of him. He let Rook take his hands, and brush a kiss over his knuckles.
If he were much calmer, and confident outside, now that they were alone together, Trey suddenly felt anxious. He can feel his ears pull back in apprehension, carefully watching Rook's every move.
He must have picked up on Trey's turmoil, as he then started rubbing his thumbs consolingly on the skin of his hands.
"I won't do anything that you don't like, darling, I can just sit here on the floor with you, and hold your hand if you allow me to."
If at first he was skeptical of Rook's intentions, then now, he can finally read him, clear as day- "Don't worry. I have no intention of keeping my bed to myself." He smirked, hopefully Rook would catch on.
Who knew flirting could be so embarrassing, yet so empowering?
Rook looked up to meet his eyes- his emerald eyes twinkling excitedly. Trey felt a chill run down his spine, purrs bubbling in his chest.
"Shall we begin, then?"
Trey nodded. "I'm counting on you, chateur mine."
EPILOGUE
Once they were wrapped up in each other's arms, and only a thin blanket thrown over them for the slightest shred of modesty left in them, Trey turned to look at Rook- his hair was a mess. His bangs were still brushed up, and away from his face from when Trey had pushed them back to kiss Rook's forehead. Sweat clung to their skin, yet neither felt like moving, and would rather meld their bodies into one another.
"Hey," he called Rook, who was still panting, catching his breath; for a self-proclaimed hunter, he sure had the stamina on him. "How'd you know where to find me?"
"And don't say 'fate' or 'destiny' either," he added for his sanity's sake.
Without his glasses on, everything was on the blurry end, save for the clear amusement on Rook's face when he asked him.
"I actually heard it from the grapevine , that you, ah, are in such a predicament," he explained. His arm that Trey found much more comfortable to lie his head on than any other pillow in the world shifted slightly to pull Trey closer against his chest. The gesture was so endearing , that Trey overlooked teasing him about the over-protectiveness.
He mulled over Rook's response. "So Vil had gossiped about it to you?"
"Non, he did not. Rather, I heard it from Monsieur Crabapple , who heard it from his classmate Monsieur Loup , who heard it from your first years."
Trey snorted at that. The same guys responsible for the mishap had somehow, by pure coincidence, made everything better.
He snuggled against Rook's hold. "Nap now, then another?"
"Of course, chéri." Rook said, then kissed him on the cheek as he pulled the blanket up to their shoulders, and let sleep take over them.