Work Text:
Choso has always looked out for the well-being of his brothers. From the moment their bodies were brought into this world by Mahito, to the moment they escaped from his cursed hands.
Since Choso first opened his eyes, Eso and Kechizu have been his priority. His complete devotion has been dedicated to his younger brothers, and if he had to risk his life for their protection, Choso would do it. Always.
Escaping from Mahito wasn't the most complicated part; what that curse did to their bodies in the struggle during the escape process was what made it complex.
"Look at them!" Mahito laughed in the distance, his hand on his belly as the laughter made him squirm like a madman. A malicious and strident laugh. "Now they're just ugly kittens trying to escape! I hope they get eaten by a dog."
But Choso paid no heed to their taunts, how could he? Even as his body transformed with every step he took into a new and strange creature, even as his size shrunk, he wouldn't stop, not as long as his brothers kept running ahead of him.
He had told them to run and not look back, no matter what he says, no matter what happens, their big brother will take care of everything, he will protect them. Choso had repeated it to them over and over again, and they, obediently, had listened, even as their bodies contorted painfully while they ran, and their figures turned into small fluffy creatures with four legs, Eso and Kechizu ran because their big brother ordered them to, and they would never disobey Choso.
The three of them ran and ran, even when night turned into a cold and rainy dawn, even when Kechizu's small new body could no longer run, Choso took him by the scruff and with the body of the little kitten, his younger brother, hanging from his mouth, Choso kept running, always making sure that Eso followed closely behind.
Only when the heavy drops falling from the sky no longer allowed them to continue did Choso stop in front of a stone wall. So high that it was difficult for him to see where it ended.
Choso looked at his brothers, their fur completely soaked and their cat eyes filled with fear and doubt. They hadn't taken the time to digest what Mahito had done to their bodies until now. They had gone from being half-curses humans to being… felines.
Mahito and his twisted mind and soul.
When the rain became even more tempestuous, Choso knew that his duty as the older brother (even if he was now a cat) was to take care of his siblings. Even in his desperation and fear, he searched with all his might for a way to get through that tall stone wall and find shelter. It wasn't until, by a miracle, the large wooden gate opened in front of them. Although the reason behind that miracle was simply to allow a car to exit, Choso seized the opportunity to take his siblings inside the residence. Following the extensive path was only the first part of his improvised survival plan; hiding under the engawa of one of the many residences within that compound was the second.
Days passed, or so he believed, days when the rain didn't cease, days when the cold was too much, so much so that even with the three kittens huddled together, they couldn't seem to shake it off. It wasn't until one afternoon, when the rain dwindled, and rays of sunlight pierced through the cloud that Choso thought this would be their chance to finally seek a new refuge, a new place to hide with his brothers, to find some food for them, to fully comprehend the reality of their curse.
Choso thought coming out of their hiding spot was safe, unfortunately, the unfamiliar hands that lifted him and his brothers without any care were enough to realize his mistake.
"Look at these things!"
Choso struggled, yowling and stretching his paws to scratch whatever was within reach, but to no avail.
"This one seems like a rabid beast," said the man holding Choso.
Eso and Kechizu fought as well, but their bodies were smaller and much weaker. They couldn't do much as they were grabbed by their scruffs and shaken in the air like dirty rags.
"Be careful, they might have diseases, they look very bad. One of them has bleeding eyes. We need to get them out of here and—"
"Are those kittens?" A new voice, a younger voice than the others present.
"Kamo-sama, you shouldn't be out here."
It was a child.
"Where did these kittens come from?" The child, Kamo-sama, approached Choso and his brothers. "Hello, little ones. What are you doing here? You're very wet, were you trying to hide from the storm?"
"Kamo-sama, do not touch them! They might have diseases."
But the child didn't heed the men's words, and carefully extended his hands to Choso's siblings, and although the now cat, once a half-curse human, tried to free himself from the hands that held him to protect his brothers from any harm the child might cause, Choso only found kindness in him.
"Are you hurt, little one?" The child asked, his slender fingers caressing Kechizu's head. "Oh, don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're very tiny."
“Kamo-sama!”
"What will you do with them?" The child asked, now holding a trembling Kechizu against his chest. The boy didn't care if Choso's brother was soaked and covered in dirt; he held him close to his chest regardless of whether it ruined his clothes.
"We'll get rid of them."
"Get rid of them? You mean—? No, please! I'll take care of them. I swear."
"But— Kamo-sama. They are beasts."
"No, they're not, they're just kittens."
Just kittens, to that child they were just kittens, but still, he was willing to take care of them. All Choso wanted was for someone to care for his brothers, and that child was willing to do so.
That child, whom Choso soon discovered was named Noritoshi, was the heir of the Kamo Clan, the place where he and his brothers had sought refuge. A lonely child, but kind. So kind and sweet to each of them.
Noritoshi, who cradled Eso and Kechizu in his arms, who cleaned their fur with warm water (even if trying to bathe Choso was an absolute disaster and madness—he hated water in his cat form), healed their wounds, and gave them nice food, even combing Choso's messy fur with all the gentleness Choso had never experienced before.
The boy was kind, too kind for his own good, and respectful. He knew that the smaller kittens were more likely to be more docile with him unlike Choso, who remained cautious and distrustful of the boy's kindness.
"Don't worry, you big kitty, I just want to pet your siblings," he had told Choso on one occasion.
His serene eyes looked with some fear at the cat with the scar over his nose, afraid that he would growl at him for approaching the smaller kittens.
"I understand you're wary. You're their older brother, am I right? Your duty is to take good care of them," Noritoshi said as he gently petted Eso. The kitten with yellow and black fur loved to show his belly to Noritoshi, a signal for him to pet him. "I wish my older brothers were like you, but they're just annoying and cruel."
Noritoshi was attentive.
The boy woke up early in the morning and made sure to attend to his three guests before anything else. He served them breakfast and gave them their deserved cuddles to all three cats. And even if Choso initially resisted them, he soon became fond of them.
Noritoshi spent much of the day outside the room where they were staying, and when he returned in the evening, fatigue showed on his small body, and at other times, tears were visible in his pretty eyes.
Choso, still not feeling sure enough to leave his brothers alone in that part of the Kamo residence, had not yet ventured to explore it. But every time Noritoshi returned with the slightest wound on his face or hands, the eldest of the turned cats felt the desire to know where the boy who had saved them had received them.
"Training is hard, you know?" Noritoshi said as he combed his pretty and soft ink-black hair.
Night had fallen, and Eso and Kechizu slept curled up on the soft cushion they shared. Choso, for his part, watched over his brothers attentively, protecting them even in their sleep.
"Father says I'm not good enough." A soft, small sigh. "Well, everyone says it. But— But I try to get better, you know? Practice my technique, get good grades, learn how to be a good head of the clan. I really try."
Choso observed him, his bright eyes fixed on Noritoshi, whose lower lip trembled in his failed attempt to contain the sadness.
"I promised it to my mother," he said, looking at Choso with a soft gaze. A gentle smile formed on his lips before he gently stroked the cat's head.
Noritoshi's eyes traveled to the two small cats sleeping beside him, but Choso's eyes did not leave the boy.
"I wish she could meet you someday, maybe they'll let her visit me soon. Father promised.” The longing showed in his eyes. “She's very nice, and I know you'll like her as much as she'll like you for keeping me company."
A gentle stroke over Choso's scar. Noritoshi's fingers were always so tender, and his caresses were always warm, comforting. Deep down, Choso sometimes wished those caresses would last a little longer, but he held himself back from them.
"Thank you, little ones. Thank you for keeping me company. With you here, I don’t feel alone anymore."
That night, as Noritoshi slept in his futon, Choso for the first time left his place next to his brothers and allowed himself to keep the boy who saved them company and offer him the protection he needed.
His nose carefully brushed against Noritoshi's cheek before he settled his body by the curve of that delicate neck. The boy smelled nice, like peaches and cherry blossoms.
Even though he was trapped in the body of a creature as weak and seemingly useless as a cat, Choso felt the need to take care of Noritoshi, who was too gentle for the world they lived in.
He was too good, Choso thought amidst purrs, Noritoshi was too good and kind to the world, to his siblings, to him.
Choso lifted his head, his whiskers brushing against Noritoshi's neck.
The gentle breath of Noritoshi caressed the face of the small cat, causing him to close his eyes.
A quick glance at his sleeping siblings was enough for Choso to nuzzle Noritoshi's face without fear of being discovered in his moment of weakness. Choso was just trying to comfort the boy, just as he did with his brothers, nothing more.
Amidst dreams, a faint smile spread across Noritoshi's lips as Choso nuzzled his chin, then, by accident, a small touch against his lips occurred, a small touch against the scar on his nose, an insignificant touch.
A kiss.
And then, in a blink, Choso was in his human body again, his human and naked body, with his face inches away from the serene and sleeping Noritoshi.
The air stagnated in his lungs. Choso couldn't breathe for what felt like an eternity.
There he was, finally back in his human body, if it could be called that in any way; the curse that Mahito had placed upon him, upon his brothers, was reversible, and it only took a kiss to achieve it.
But how? Choso had seen his brothers receive countless kisses all over their faces from Noritoshi in recent days, and nothing had happened, so why did it work with just him?
A shiver brought him back to reality. He was still inches away from Noritoshi's face, the boy's breath brushing against his parted lips. His long, loose hair caressing the boy's cheeks, tickling him even as he remained lost in sleep.
Choso began to panic. If Noritoshi woke up, how would he explain this? How would he explain that the cat Noritoshi thought he had rescued turned out to be a naked man just a kiss away from his face?
What would Noritoshi do if he found out? Would he throw him and his brothers back onto the streets? Would Noritoshi scream in fear? Would those servants who had promised to get rid of Choso and his brothers finally carry out their word?
No, he couldn't allow that to happen, not when the well-being of his brothers depended on staying under Noritoshi's care and kindness.
Finally, the air escaped from Choso's lungs, brushing roughly against Noritoshi's face, who stirred, on the verge of waking up.
No, no, no.
In desperation, Choso squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and when he opened them again, his body had returned to its previous form. He was no longer a naked human; he had reverted back to being a naked cat, but with a disheveled fur covering him.
Noritoshi woke up momentarily, only to find a cat with wide-open eyes, frozen in place.
"Did you have a nightmare, little one?" The half-asleep boy asked, gently stroking Choso's head until the animal finally managed to recover somewhat from the recent fright. “I think I was having a beautiful dream…”
Perhaps Noritoshi was right, perhaps that was just a nightmare, Choso's internal desire to return to what he once was.
Days and nights passed, and the incident of the kiss and Choso's strange ‘nightmare’ about returning to his human body was left in the past.
Time soon flowed for the three cats, who with each passing month and every can of food grew stronger, or chubbier, in Kechizu's case.
And so, time passed for Noritoshi as well. The boy grew taller, kinder, and, in Choso's feline (and sometimes human) eyes, more beautiful with each passing day.
With his gentle smile, delicate and caring hands, calm voice, and the kindness in his heart still intact, despite the hardships of living in the Kamo Clan.
Even if his father was cruel or his step-siblings treated him with malice, Noritoshi's heart and soul remained pure. Though sadness lingered in his gray eyes often, Noritoshi always had a sweet smile for Choso and his brothers.
Even when, after a few months of living in the residence and sleeping alongside Noritoshi, Choso began bringing dead animals as "offerings" for the young boy, Noritoshi would only express his gratitude and cover the poor and bloody animal with a cloth before disposing of it in the trash when Choso weren't looking.
But the grumpy human-turned-cat was always looking at Noritoshi. His eyes fixed squarely on the boy that he vowed night after night to protect.
(Especially after ‘accidentally’ brushing the scar on his nose against Noritoshi’s lips one, two, three times during those two years just for the wish of returning to his human form for a few minutes before the fear of being discovered inevitably made him return to the creature he had been cursed to become.
And he felt awful, as if he was using Noritoshi to fulfill his desire to return to what he once was, but in the process, he discovered that there was nothing like being able to see Noritoshi with his human eyes, instead of the eyes of a feline, and in the process, allowing himself, in a way that Choso didn’t notice at first, to adore the boy purely and wholeheartedly.)
Choso was so adamant in his resolve to protect Noritoshi, almost with the same devotion he showed in caring for and safeguarding his brothers, that each time the young boy arrived with a wound or a tear on his pale cheeks, the already grumpy cat's mood turned even bitter. The only solution for this was the small affectionate gestures that Noritoshi bestowed upon him amidst sobs and trembling smiles.
But deep down, Choso only felt the need to find whoever had harmed Noritoshi and tear their jugulars with his hands, his human hands. But that was only a wish, an almost impossible desire to fulfill, which only resorted to the pitiful option of hissing, growling and sometimes just superficially scratching anyone who approached his favorite person in the even slightest and least hurtful manner.
Choso was fierce when it came to Noritoshi, and Noritoshi was very aware of that.
It was a morning, a few weeks after Noritoshi's sixteenth birthday, when Choso, who in the recent time living in the Clan Kamo compound had finally allowed himself to venture through each of the buildings belonging to the Clan, found himself once again following Noritoshi's scent trail near one of the training yards.
Noritoshi, who not long ago had enrolled in a new school for youths like him, sorcerers, was in the middle of the yard with his shoulder bared as he practiced his archery. Choso could do nothing but watch with a certain longing the grace and delicacy of Noritoshi's movements, and once again, he lamented the reality that plagued him: being trapped inside the body of a cat that could barely communicate with meows, purrs, and the crude gifts of dead mice.
He had been trapped in the form of a cat for two years, and despite those few times when he briefly returned to his human body thanks to the sleeping and unaware Noritoshi, sometimes Choso felt that the little 'humanity' he carried with him began to be lost in the instincts of an animal. A cat.
Choso sat on one of the stones near the training yard, in a spot where he knew Noritoshi would see him. A gentle smile formed on the boy's lips, who greeted his beloved cat with a small wink before continuing his practice.
It was a warm morning, warm enough for a thin layer of sweat to glisten on Noritoshi's exposed collarbone.
It was quite a sight for Choso. (Certainly more so for the human Choso than for the cat Choso.)
But that sight was soon spoiled by the presence of one of Noritoshi's half-brothers, those who had not inherited the Kamo Clan's technique like Noritoshi, and despised and harassed him for it.
Noritoshi noticed it too, and with some haste, he lowered his bow and arrow. His half-brother approached him, and although Choso was at a distance, he managed to hear the taunts and mockery directed at Noritoshi, always related to his mother.
"I'll leave so you can train," Noritoshi said, trying to avoid another confrontation, but it seemed his older half-brother had no intention of letting him go without some entertainment first, and Choso was aware of that.
It took nothing more than Noritoshi's half-brother laying a single finger on his delicate neck for Choso to rush to his rescue.
Choso didn't know what came over him, whether it was his animal instinct or the longing he had accumulated for Noritoshi over those two years, but his claws went straight for the face of that disgusting human, scratching and biting the skin until it bled.
"No! Let him! Please!" Noritoshi pleaded, trying to pull the beast-like cat away from the bloodied face of his half-brother, who, amid desperate screams, managed to fill the training yard with servants who watched in horror at the mangled face of one of their young masters.
When Noritoshi managed to pull the enraged cat away from his half-brother, the damage was already done.
"That beast attacked me! We must kill it!"
"What? No!" Noritoshi replied, holding the furious cat against his chest, trying to calm him despite Choso's attempts to break free and attack the man on the ground again. "He didn't mean to— You made him nervous!"
"He attacked me out of nowhere, you lying piece of shit!"
The servants gathered around the injured man, trying to help him, but his screams of pain were enough to deter anyone from getting too close.
Noritoshi quickly fled with Choso in his arms, running until they reached his room, where the other two cats were sleeping in the sunlight. The boy set down his agitated cat and without saying a word, returned to the training yard, where his half-brother's screams and insults could still be heard.
Choso, still furious, prowled every corner of the room, even ignoring the curious gazes of his brothers. Choso was absolutely irate, more so with himself than with Noritoshi's half-brother.
His only desire was to protect Noritoshi, but after his outburst, he knew that the consequences would fall on the boy. His father, his half-brothers, the servants, they would all take their anger out on Noritoshi just because he couldn't contain his animal side.
It wasn't until his dear Noritoshi returned late at night that Choso managed to calm down, but it was the look of concern on Noritoshi's face that alerted the human-turned-cat once again.
"Are you okay, little one? Did my half-brother scare you? Is that why you attacked him?" Noritoshi stroked Choso's head, his slender fingers caressing the cat's tousled fur. "Oh, little one, you shouldn't have done that! Now they want me to take you to the vet to get you neutered. They say that will make you less aggressive, but I've told them you're not a bad cat, but they haven't listened. Father is very upset with me. I’m so sorry, little one."
Neutered?
Choso heard correctly? They wanted to cut off his—?
A knock on the door of the room. Some servant from the household was looking for Noritoshi.
Choso didn't know what came over him, perhaps the guilt of causing trouble for Noritoshi, or perhaps, just perhaps, the terror of knowing they wanted to cut off his damn balls just to calm him down.
(That wouldn't happen, he would keep trying to protect Noritoshi whether he was human or an animal. Castrated or not. Although he'd prefer they stayed away from his damn parts.)
Taking advantage of the distraction, a frantic Choso escaped from the room and ran into the depths of the estate's forest, even if from a distance he could still hear Noritoshi's calls for him to come back.
The night passed entirely, and even as the sun began to rise, Choso remained secluded in the cold forest. His mind wrestling between his animal instincts and the remnants of what he was two years ago—a man, albeit half-cursed, but a man nonetheless.
Had he really fled out of simple fear of his balls being cut off? Had Choso truly left Noritoshi (and his brothers) alone after he caused all the trouble?
Engulfed in shame, Choso returned with his tail between his legs, ashamed of having abandoned his brothers and Noritoshi, who had saved his life two years ago. When the garden that led to Noritoshi's room came into view, the most heartbreaking scene unfolded before him. Sitting on the engawa, with teary eyes, was Noritoshi, who, between sobs, scanned every place in search of Choso.
Choso couldn't bear it any longer, and with hurried steps, his paws carried him back to Noritoshi, who, upon seeing his cat, took him in his arms, squeezing him against his chest.
Choso couldn't say that it bothered him to be held by one of the dearest people he had.
"You're back, you're back!" Noritoshi whispered, holding Choso in front of his face in an attempt to make sure his little beast didn't have any injuries. "Why did you leave? You had me so worried. You're so mean, you can't just go like that, I was so worried, little one!"
A tight hug, and then, Choso's face was filled with small kisses, all with a trace of relief and adoration, and Choso couldn't be happier, until the realization hit him, but it was too late, because before Choso could react, in the blink of an eye, he was on top of Noritoshi, his body almost crushing the boy if it weren't for his quick reflexes that allowed him to support his weight with an arm on each side of Noritoshi's head, whose eyes were wide open.
Choso was stunned, as much or perhaps even more than Noritoshi himself.
He never imagined this would happen, never wanted this to happen, at least not like this.
What would have been the best way to reveal that instead of a cat he was a human? Certainly, not like this.
Noritoshi's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, unable to utter a word.
In that closeness, with their bodies pressed together and only their faces slightly apart, Choso could see that the boy wasn't even breathing. His face was completely pale, engulfed in confusion, fear, bewilderment.
And then, with a quick glance, Noritoshi fell into the terrible realization that his cat, or what he thought was a cat, was a man, a large, incredibly handsome, and completely naked man who was on top of him.
With all his strength, Noritoshi pushed Choso's heavy body away, moving away from him to finally flee back to his room, pressing against one of the walls as the naked man in front of him covered himself with the first thing he found. Luckily, it was a blanket that allowed him to cover his entire lower body.
"What— What are you? Who are you?!" Noritoshi asked, his cheeks completely flushed.
Choso didn't know what to respond, and as usual, in the blink of an eye, his body had returned to being a cat.
A startled squeak escaped Noritoshi's mouth, but soon the boy set aside his fright and crawled back to the cat now wrapped in the blanket.
"Little one?"
Choso emerged from his hiding spot with Noritoshi's help, the boy still trembling as he lifted the cat to get a better look. His gray eyes searching for any indication that what he had seen seconds ago was reality and not a strange hallucination where his cat turned into a human. But before him, there was only the small and cute 'creature' he had been caring for for two years.
Choso watched as Noritoshi looked at him with rapid blinks, as if trying to make sure of 'something'.
With care, the boy brought his cat closer and, with some hesitation, placed a kiss where he thought he should.
In the blink of an eye, Choso was once again before him, transformed into a man, and this time, instead of horror, Choso discerned a glint in Noritoshi's kind eyes.
Noritoshi, still afraid of scaring away his cat-turned-human, brought his fingers to Choso's face, touching the cold skin with the tip of them. After not finding any sign in Choso's eyes that would tell him to stop, Noritoshi continued the gentle caress of his fingers until he finally reached the man's messy hair.
"May I?"
Choso couldn't respond, unable to form words or do anything other than look directly into Noritoshi's eyes.
The boy took the silence as an answer, and gently began to brush aside the strands of hair that obstructed his view of Choso's face.
A soft, shy smile graced Noritoshi's lips as, as if it were a revelation, he saw a face he thought he had forgotten before him.
"I saw you in a dream, little one," he said sweetly, his face slowly drawing closer to get a better look at those features he thought he had imagined once many nights ago.
"Choso."
"Huh?"
"My name is Choso."
He, once a man-turned-cat (now turned back into a man), allowed his desires to lead him to act, and almost too eagerly, he closed the remaining distance between his face and Noritoshi's.
Up close like that, with the morning light illuminating every feature of that face, Noritoshi looked even more beautiful to Choso.
"Oh!" Noritoshi whispered, his breath tickling Choso's lips. "Choso. I like it."
And then, with a kiss, Choso allowed that curse to no longer matter, if only for a minute.
And who knows, maybe a true kiss was all it took.