Work Text:
For once, Branzy woke up warm.
Wasn’t exactly normal, for a vigilante who lived alone, and ran cold, despite what the dog genes might want from him.
Still, the first thing he did was smile, still facedown on his pillow, feeling a comfortable weight across his legs.
Despite his best efforts, Clown never actually slept with him. It had been an uphill battle to even get the villain in the same room as him long enough to kiss him, but Branzy had felt the way he relaxed, despite himself, and become determined to lure the cat hybrid into actual physical affection.
But it turned out Clown would sleep on him. Slightly crushing his tail, but that was alright.
Branzy rolled over carefully, trying his hardest not to disturb the villain curled across the foot of his bed, mask askew and shoulders relaxed for the first time in a long time.
He bit his lip, trying not to grin. Cute.
He did love this. If nothing else, having somewhere safe enough to offer Clown that he’d even consider staying the night. Vigilantism hardly attracted the kind of attention top-tier villainy did, and Clown didn’t even know about Branzy’s connections to the darkest side of the law.
Propping his elbows against the headboard, Branzy ran a hand through his own hair, itching at a spot on the back of his ears in mild irritation. He needed new pillow cases. These ones were doing something weird to his fur.
Clown’s tail twitched, then swished through the air contentedly, and Branzy held his breath.
Sure enough, the cat villain asleep on his legs was purring in his sleep. Actually purring. Branzy was going to scream.
Grinning, he reached forward, gently stroking Clown’s back, fingers lingering on his steady heartbeat, through the costume he hadn’t even taken off. Branzy’s own tail was threatening to start wagging too, if he hadn’t been sitting on it.
ClownPierce. Asleep in some nobody vigilante’s bed. Sometimes, Branzy really did feel pretty special, despite it all.
It was quiet for a few minutes longer. Branzy didn’t quite dare to touch Clown’s tail, but did run his hand over the villain’s jet-black cat ears, smoothing them down, and not bothering to do anything with his mask. Clown could work out in his own time that Branzy didn’t give two shits about seeing his face or not.
Then, Clown twitched, and Branzy already knew what was coming. He wished they could stay while this a little longer, but none of that they had was made to last.
Leaning back, Branzy made sure to look half-asleep as Clown’s ears twitched again, then he shot upright, hissing.
“Morning, Clown.” Branzy’s voice was soft, a little hoarse but friendly. Casual. “How’s it going?”
Clown turned to stare at him, apparently unaware his mask was hardly even covering his face. Branzy didn’t comment. Just rubbed his eyes, yawned slightly, and scratched at his ears again. Those damn pillowcases.
“Branzy.”
“Clown.” Branzy grinned, tail perking up with excitement. “My apartment, remember?”
Unconsciously, Clown reached up, finally adjusting his mask and nodding slowly. His tail moved slightly, not in the same easy, relaxed motions as when he was asleep, but close to real happiness.
“Yeah. Your apartment.”
“Mhm.”
“…What time is it?”
“Eight.” Branzy checked his phone to be sure, and nodded. “Eight thirty. In the morning”
“That… is far too early.” Clown huffed, his ears standing on end in displeasure, and his eyes lingered on Branzy a few moments longer than felt comfortable. “Fine.”
Without any more warning, Clown moved fluidly into Branzy’s lap, curling up until he was fully comfortable, his head resting against the vigilante’s shoulder and tail wrapped around his waist.
Branzy froze. But only for a moment, before he laughed softly, nervously, and let himself adjust to make sure Clown wouldn’t fall.
“What happened to not sleeping with me?”
“I don’t do sex, Branzy.” Clown’s voice was muffled, still with the edge of sleepiness that sounded so unlike him. “Not yet.”
“I meant… never mind.” Branzy remembered that sometimes, he didn’t have to question when a good thing happened, and forced himself to drop the issue. “Comfy there?”
“Yeah…”
Clown nuzzled affectionately into his neck, and Branzy grinned at the villain’s clinginess.
Then- Clown pulled back, slightly, and pulled his mask off in one fluid motion, scowling at it as he tossed it onto the floor. Branzy squeaked, slightly, holding the villain tighter on instinct.
“Uh- Clown, you-“
“Don’t question me.” Clown laughed, softly, and he somehow sounded even more dangerous without the slight distortion. “And don’t worry. Not planning to kill you.”
“Good? Oh-“
Clown’s teeth brushed across his collarbone, making Branzy yelp, and flinch, wondering just what exactly Clown meant by not killing him.
He held his breath, waiting, as Clown licked the base of his neck. Branzy spared half a second, between his mixed joy and terror—basically the same thing—to wonder when this had become something that could happen to him. Yes, of course, ClownPierce was in his lap, biting his neck like some kind of absurdly clingy vampire.
“Are- are you done?” Branzy’s voice turned a little shrill towards the end, but he was busy trying very hard not to move an inch as he was fairly sure Clown drew blood.
Clown made a faint, purring noise that Branzy was fairly sure was to the negative, but did shift his weight, forcing both of them to lean against the headboard. Branzy was stuck with a villain in his lap and on his neck, and beginning to understand why cat owners thought scratches were a sign of love.
“You are- so weird.” Branzy laughed, high and terrified and starting to hope Clown stayed on his lap for a lot longer.
After what felt like a good few minutes—Branzy wasn’t daring to move to get his phone and check—Clown pulled away, still sleepy, but something unbearably smug in his smile.
“Yeah. I’m done. You smell nice.”
“Thanks?”
“Yeah. Be grateful. I could actually bite you.”
Clown laughed, but there was something about the warmth and cooling sensation on his collarbone that made Branzy turn red.
“Uh- you can. If you- want to.”
“Oh? Branzy…”
“Look, it’s not sex.” Branzy could feel his cheeks growing hotter, the need to defend himself burning inside him, almost as much as something else he didn’t know how to name. “But- if- if you get to take your mask off, I- I get something too.”
It was a weak argument, made weaker still by how Clown just stared at him, with a strangely humiliating smile. But Branzy stood his ground, until Clown’s expression softened, and he grinned.
“Fair enough.”
Clown didn’t kiss him—not his style, Branzy respected that—but did nuzzle closer to him again, teeth scraping over the base of his neck, plunging through exposed skin. Branzy made a small, keening sort of noise, but his heart was pounding, and it definitely wasn’t a bad feeling, vibrating through him like pure adrenaline.
Clown had sharp teeth. For a moment, Branzy imagined them tearing through his flesh, his own blood covering him and the villain curled in his lap.
Maybe that could wait. For now, Branzy felt a little light headed, both on half-imagined blood loss, and the sheer trust radiating from Clown.
But after a few minutes, the slightly throbbing sensation of a cat’s fangs under his skin withdrew, and Clown rested his head on Branzy’s shoulder in sleepy content.
“Your blood’s on my face…”
Branzy glanced down nervously, and saw Clown lick a drip of blood off his own lips. He swallowed, and tried to ignore the thrill coursing through him like lightning.
“That is-“ Branzy laughed breathlessly, heat coiling in his gut. “That is unfairly hot.”
Clown purred, biting at his ear playfully.
“Scared, Branzy?”
“N- no…”
“Hm… stay still. I’m going back to sleep.”
Branzy wasn’t inclined to stop Clown on that one.
Besides, this was adorable.