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Tim would curse, if only he was able to. Actually, the only sound he was able to make was some cute kitty noises. He was walking in circle on the Batcomputer, Bruce mechanically typing up some research. The man glanced briefly at him, his eyes highly amused. Tim growled.
“I know, I know, it’s not funny for you.”
Alfred pulled Tim up in his arm and started to pat his head gently.
“You have to admit, thought, that you became a really beautiful black norwegian cat, Master Timothy.”
Tim was pouting. But as a cat, it only resulted at his ears moving down and glaring dagger at the butler, who only chuckled some more before walking upstair.
“Let’s get you some milk. Master Damian is going to be, I assume, really glad to take care of you.”
The cat in his arms mewed in desperation, flopping his head on Alfred’s hand in resignation.
Damian. He forgot the teen was a cat lover. Since Bruce decided it was wiser -and he agreed- to say nothing about it to Damian, he probably was going to think he was just a simple cat.
Talking about the teen, there he was, in the kitchen, already giving Alfred -the cat this time- some food.
“Pennyworth? Where did that cat came from? It’s a norwegian cat!” He said enthusiastically, eyes almost sparkling at the view.
“Ah, a dear friend of mine went on holidays. He hoped I shall take care of his pet during that time. I believe you won’t mind having another animal here, even if it’s for a little while.”
Damian shook his head, taking Tim in his arms and petting gently his head.
“Of course not. Even, I can take care of him if you wish, Pennyworth.”
“Quite nice of you, Master Damian. I have enough to do already by myself.” The butler stared at Tim with smiling eyes. Oh the bast- Leaving him with Damian?! Whyyyyy in the woooorld.
The cat seemed to whine, and Damian smiled.
“There there. I know everything is probably weird for you, it’s not your home. But do not worry, I shall take care of you the time being.” He paused. “Pennyworth? What is his name?”
“Hm. I believe his name is Tom.”
“Tom. What an unfit name for such a beautiful creature. But alright. I’m not his master, after all.”
He placed ‘Tom’ on the floor and poured some milk in a small bowl.
Tim was downright biased now. He stared at the offered bowl a moment. Fine. He was a cat, and he was hungry anyway. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to eat some disgusting cat food. He trusted Alfred enough to at last cook him some meat. Moving to try and drink the milk, it got in his snout and he started to sneeze.
Damian was staring at him during the process and chuckled fondly.
“Hey, slowly little guy, drink slowly.” The voice was so gentle, Tim wasn’t used to that. Once his sneezing calmed, he tried to lap at it. After some difficulties, he managed to. Alfred placed another small bowl with cooked chicken.
Tim glanced him a thankful look before finishing his meal. Quite tasty.
“Does his master didn’t feed him correctly? He look like he didn’t eat in ages.”
“Oh, I believe he just have good appetite. Now, if you don’t mind, I shall go to my cleaning.”
Belly full, Tim just had to go somewh-
Nope. Damian decided otherwise, apparently.
“Let’s go upstair, Tom.”
The teen flopped him on his bed, and closed the door behind. Tim started to mew loudly, unhappy.
“I know, you don’t know that place and you don’t like being here. Which is why I keep you here. You wouldn’t be happy to meet Titus.”
Titus. The great dane. Tim totally forgot. He already found the dog huge in his human size, so as cat… Fine then. Damian’s bed pretty comfy anyway. He turned around a few time to make himself comfortable and finally decided to lay like a loaf. Cat loaf.
Damian smiled, scratched his ear gently.
“Nice cat. You seem very clever.”
Then he moved away to his bathroom. After quite a time, where Tim just stayed here, glancing around from time to time -gosh his ears were so much sensible to sound, and he had such a good smell as well. And view too. Different, but really good.
Damian walked out of the shower with a towel around his waist, another in his hair. Tim blinked. Of course he was a cat so the teen was probably going to-
Drop the towel and search some boxer in his wardrobe. Tim might have shrieked and flopped his face in the sheets. He felt a hand brush his fur.
“Come on, what happen to you now. You’re such a weird cat.”
Tim slowly looked up. At last Damian put on some pajama pants. The teen smiled slightly, still stroking his fur.
“You can visit around if you wish. Thought I can understand you are being comfy here. Alfred like to stay all day on the bed as well.”
Does everyone with cats or pets in general talked to them? Probably. He looked curiously as Damian moved into bed. He got his head patted a bit more and then the light were gone.
He was a cat, for as long as Bruce didn’t find a way to change him back. Might as well take some time to rest. As soon as he curled on himself, he fell asleep.
A week. It have been an entire week he was a cat. Titus liked him a lot, and appreciated to put his snot against his… Rear to smell him. It was awful, and it always ended up with Tim shrieking and running away like mad every time the dog did that. That only made Damian laugh. Strangely, he got used to be dragged by Damian in his bedroom to sleep. The teen was drawing at his desk. Curiosity got him and he jumped effortlessly on the desk, moving to sit close to the drawing book, staring down at it. He tilted his head to the side curiously. There was… Drawing of him?!
Damian glanced up at him, smiling a bit. “Got bored?” He reached out to put him on his lap, and kept drawing. Tim placed his head on the wooden desk, amazed. Why on earth Damian would draw him?! … What if…
Playfully, he raised a paw to tug at the pencil. Damian chuckled. “Hey, come on, I won’t be able to draw if you keep doing that.”
Tim bounced up and rolled on the sketchbook, looking up at Damian as cutely as he could. He was going to have his answer. No matter what he shall do.
The teen stared at him and chuckled again, starting to pet his belly. Wow, that felt great.
“Come on, Tom, I want to draw for a bit.”
“Meow.” Came the reply. Standing up, he moved away, flopping just in front of the drawing Damian made of him.
“Yes, yes, meow.” He started to draw again, and Tim pushed some pages with his snout, gnawing at them in order to try and turn them. After quite a time, he managed to got a page above his head, and there were more drawing of him. Wow.
Damian sighed, pulling the cat up in his arms.
“Alright, you want cuddle or something, that is? You didn’t got any in a week, and you seek attention.” He flopped down on his bed, the cat on his chest, and started to pet him.
Ooooh that was nice, too. Being a cat was actually pretty fun. He was so cute Damian didn’t dare to say anything to him. Something started to rumble in his chest, and he realised he was purring.
Damian smiled gently.
“That’s funny. I never noticed, but you have the exact same eye color than Timothy.”
Tim blinked his eyes open, staring down at the teen. He sighed softly, petting the cat absently.
“It’s been quite a time I haven’t see him. I wonder if he’s okay. Well, I guess if he wasn’t, father would warn us. The thing is…” He paused, staring at the ceiling. “I wish I could find a way to get closer to him. Alfred said I should just apologise about my behavior, but I-… I’m not sure. I mean. It wouldn’t be enough, right?”
Damian looked back at him, and Tim was so amazed his eyes were probably like, blown wide. The teen chuckled, patting his head.
“Yeah, I know. I mean, I tried to kill him, so apologise wouldn’t be enough. But I don’t know… I would like to invite him, to go watch a movie, or in a restaurant, but what if… It would sound too much like a date. Not like I wouln’t want to date him. I mean, he’s… Really nice looking. And I figured my attraction toward both men and women alike quite a time ago now, but… It’s Timothy. He’s way too clever and he’ll immediately know if I ask him on a date, even if I didn’t say so.”
Oh.
Okay.
That was a lot more than what Tim expected. Damian wanted to apologise, get closer to him and
ask him on a date. Wow.
The petting hadn’t stopped, so he was still purring.
Someone softly knocked on the door, and Alfred entered.
“Master Damian? I believe it is time for Tom to leave us.”
Damian sat down, Tim flopping on his lap.
“Already?” He sighed, cuddling the cat some more. “Fine, then. A shame he can’t stay here forever, but he belong to someone else, after all.”
Alfred smiled a bit, taking Tim in his arms.
“I shall tell his master that Tom is welcome to come by anytime he wish.”
Damian nodded, going back to his desk.
The next day, Tim was back in his human form. And he decided something. When walking back at the manor, he had a little black norwegian kitten waiting in his arms. If Damian had no idea how to approach him, then… He could as well try to do the first step himself, right?
And he’d never forget the smile he got when Damian saw the tiny little ball of fur he brought him. Not like he’d ever forget anything after that.