Chapter 11

"It's past nine already, Jerry."

"I know,"

"He's going to freak when he finds out you're not home, and he'll be here in a few minutes too." She nibbled at her bottom lip worriedly.

"That's why I need you to do me a favour."

"Again?"

"Please?"

Juno sighed heavily on the other line, knowing she couldn't refuse her brother's request. "Fine. So, care to tell me why you're still in Tom's house this late?"

"Uh, I-"

The sound of a motorcycle met Juno's ears. She went to her window and slightly moved aside the curtain, peeking. "I have to go, Jerry. Night-night. Mwah," she imitated a kiss, then hung up.

Her long blonde waves were pulled up to a messy bun, many strands escaping the hold and falling around her face. She was in loose pink pajamas and barefoot. She went and unlocked the door for her brother.

"Hey,"

"Hey, where's Jerry?"

"Hm?" Damn it, why does that have to be the first question you ask?!

"I got him that potato crunch thing he wanted so bad. " He moved to take it from his backpack, but Juno stopped him.

"He isn't here yet."

After glancing quickly at the clock, not that he needed to, his big-brother mode was activated. "It's past nine and he's still in that motherfù-"

Juno's palm was over his mouth before he could finish. "Lower your voice, everyone's asleep. And he told me he'd sleep over at Loess' today, so you shouldn't worry."

"Again?"

"Yea, chill. What do you have against Tom anyway? You two used to be best buddies. "

"I'm going to call Loess, " He deliberately swerved the question, dumping his bag in the couch and taking his phone from his pocket.

"Wait, no!" She impertinently snatched it from his hand, holding it away.

Bad move, because now Jesse was onto her. Furrowing his thin blond eyebrows he asked, "Are you trying to - "

"I have a boyfriend! " What the fùck are you saying now, Juno..

"What?"

"I've been dating this boy, and uh, I felt like it's about time I told you."

"... You're dating? You? Dating? "

"Why's it so hard to believe?" She glared sarcastically at him, feeling offended.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because... You?!"

"Just let me talk to you about my relationship?"

"Hold on, for how long?"

"Uh, just a couple weeks." He's buying it?! When did I become such a good liar..?

"Does Dad know?"

"Nah, just you." She put on her natural adorable mask, looking up at him through her lashes and pouting slightly. It always gets 'em. "Are you... mad? "

Jesse sighed, feeling defeated even though he could see through the facade. "No, I'm not, since you told me."

"Phew, that's a relief. Nice talk, bro. Now we should all just head to bed and -"

"Juno, I think I'd like to meet this boyfriend of yours." He crossed his arms, his challenging sky-blue eyes meeting hers, wondering just what type of guy his little sister was interested in.

A cold sweat trickled down Juno's temple as she met his gaze. "Oh... "

Shìt.

Jeremiah, you owe me BIGTIME.

***

Thomas stepped out of his bathroom, wearing loose sweatpants and with a bare chest, despising himself, because you're not supposed to jerk off to a friend when he's in your house. Or at all for that matter.

But Jerry had helped him get undressed, wearing a sleep mask the whole time so he didn't see Tom's body. But Tom saw everything; how could he not, with the way his eyes were poignant and trained on Jerry's small, pinkish hands.

How could he not, as those fingers lightly brushed on his abdomen, his waist, his thighs... all the while, he needed them to touch something else entirely.

By the time his boxers were off, he was presented with a painfully hard friend between his legs. Even after the little mouse left, he could still feel strange remaining whispers of his touch on his body, and a long, cold shower didn't help cool down his heat. He had had to bite his hand to suppress the lewd moans he made during the act while thinking incredibly unholy things involving his friend.

Just a friend. He had to remind himself of that every second he thought of him. Jerry couldn't become anything more to him, because it wouldn't end well.

But it still hurt, no matter how much he distracted himself.

Speaking of hurt, a dull, but twinging ache had started in his abdomen while he was in the shower, and it had gotten worse. It felt like his insides were being pierced and wrenched with a trident.

"Aagh!" The pain gained a new intensity, twisting and agonizing him, making him want to claw at his goddamn stomach to get rid of it.

He sank to his knees, a pained growl in his throat, one hand grasping his stomach and growing sharp claws which pierced in, his mind was too clouded to tell whether that helped or not. His other hand yanked at his dreadlocks, trying to make new pain to take his mind off the one in his tummy. His eyes were a glowing yellowish hue, and long stalacite canines poked out of his mouth.

Then suddenly, "Tom!" Something clattered onto the ground. "Shít, shít, shít, shít..." The boy slid onto his knees, coming in front of Tom and immediately pulling the black paw and claws away from the bleeding stomach. Despite the deadly snarl sent his way, he kept the bloody claw away, which was hard because panthers were strong.

"S-stop, stop it!" He held Tom's claw away with both hands, and as a result, the second one was wrapped around his neck, threatening. "Tom-"

"IT FÚCKING HURTS. " The voice of two creatures in one yelled at him, grasping his neck tighter.

"I know, I know," Jerry soothed, speaking over the large lump clogging his throat, and brushing a tear away from the corner of Tom's eye with his thumb. "But it won't as much, if you relax and let the panther's mind in a bit."

This confirmed Jerry's guess that Tom really hadn't eaten before drinking, but he was more interested in why. Mutants had a unique metabolism and needed to eat more than a normal person, and Tom hadn't eaten at all. That would only weaken his reflexes, senses and strength.

If the person wasn't healthy, how much more their creature.

If only you'd just eat, you stupid cat.

In Tom's blurred eyesight, Jerry was a hazy cloud reaching to touch him. He felt that his lips were being parted, slender fingers pulled them apart and he felt something cold and hard against his bottom lip. It was tipped forward, and water rushed into his mouth, along with a pill.

He swallowed, lacking resistance. The hand around Jerry's neck left it and rested on his shoulder, and he took in deep, measured breaths, gaining back control over his body. And the pain slowly faded into numbness. All the while, Jerry let him lean on him and bury his face in his shoulder, and tenderly rubbed his hand up and down his back, calming his nerves.

As Tom's body turned back to normal, his mind gradually faded into darkness that happily claimed him.