110Summary: Frankenstein finds a way to pass the time with M-21 during the full moon.
Pace the Night
By Dark Ice Dragon
Brush Out
Frankenstein paused as he headed to the kitchen one night, listening out. There. Quick footsteps on the floor above.
While Frankenstein had to get used to another person in his house, he would have expected M-21 to be quieter, considering the circumstances M-21 was used to.
Hm... Frankenstein headed for the stairs in case M-21 needed something.
The movement stopped as soon as he reached the stairs. "M-21?" he called out. "It's just me, Frankenstein."
No response.
Frankenstein frowned. That was also unlike M-21.
He saw movement as he got to the landing and - ah. Frankenstein stopped. That would explain the discrepancies.
There was a silver furred werewolf on the landing, long limbs barely covering scars across his entire body, and a small scar slashing down the right side of his snout.
"Hello, M-21," Frankenstein said, gauging his reaction. M-21 was smaller than Frankenstein would have expected, only slightly taller than when he wasn't transformed.
M-21 backed up with a snarl and it was a wonder he didn't crash though the balcony doors.
While M-21's fur had puffed up with his ears flat, the biggest tell for how M-21 was feeling was his tail tucked between his legs.
"Do you recognise me, M-21?" Frankenstein tried again, his voice soft and calm. Muzaka still recognised Frankenstein in the moments when he lost his senses, but it had been a long time since their first meeting and just because Muzaka was able to, that didn't mean M-21 could.
M-21 snarled again, lunging forward half a step before retreating.
Except.
M-21 wasn't looking at Frankenstein.
He was staring at Frankestein's lab coat.
Oh. Of course.
Frankenstein should have realised M-21 would have bad connotations burned into him regarding scientists lab coats, but Frankenstein had just left the lab and had forgotten he was still wearing it.
"You aren't in the Union," Frankenstein said, slipping the lab coat off.
He wasn't sure M-21 heard him, M-21's eyes focused on the coat as Frankenstein draped it over the banister.
As soon as Frankenstein let it go M-21 relaxed, looking back at him, his ears slightly higher.
"Now then," Frankenstein said, "shall we try that again, M-21?"
M-21 focused on him, ears pricked. He stayed where he was, but he didn't back away either.
"Do you remember who I am?"
M-21 studied him, but didn't respond.
Hm. Time to try something else. Frankenstein sat at the top of the stair, his back to M-21. He wasn't sure if it would work, if M-21 would be curious enough or be willing to approach, but he didn't know M-21 very well at the moment.
All he could do was wait and see.
"I suppose I could see if you were more interested if I brought you snacks," Frankenstein said to empty air, filling the silence, "but I'd rather not leave you alone. You seem to at least tolerate my presence right now and I'd rather not worry you any more than needed if I were to leave." Considering how...M-21 had first arrived into his house.
Frankenstein resisted turning his head around when he heard footsteps slowly approaching.
"Though would you like to come with me if I were to make you something to eat?" The transformation would be draining M-21, especially if this was his first time.
M-21 didn't answer, sniffing around Frankenstein's head. Frankenstein didn't move, letting M-21 investigate.
M-21 sat back with a whine.
...Yes, Frankenstein wouldn't be the one M-21 wanted to see.
He slowly lifted his hand, a growl snapping out of M-21's throat for a second. When Frankenstein didn't move, M-21 crept forward to sniff Frankenstein's hand.
And then pressed his snout into it. Frankenstein scratched there, like he was asked to, and M-21 huffed, relaxing into Frankenstein's touch.
M-21 wasn't as fine as he pretended to be, looking for someone who wouldn't return. Frankenstein didn't say that out loud, in case M-21 remembered in the morning and realised Frankenstein knew.
With each passing second, M-21 pressed harder and harder until he was leaning against Frankenstein's back, threatening to push Frankenstein or himself down the stairs if he slipped.
"Shall we pause this until we're in a less precarious position?" Frankenstein suggested.
"Hrr."
Frankenstein paused scratching M-21's snout to see what he would do.
M-21 pulled back with a whine.
One, two, and then a cold nose was sniffing at Frankestein's neck.
He chuckled, petting M-21's snout. "I was checking to see if you were listening. Let's go downstairs, hm?" He turned to look at M-21, who glanced away.
Frankenstein narrowed his eyes as he studied M-21, though he relaxed by the time M-21 looked back in case M-21 misinterpreted. Frankenstein wasn't angry at him, but now he had a closer look, he could see just how patchy M-21's fur was. There was far too much fur on the carpet to be normal shedding.
Well then. Frankenstein had another idea how to pass the time.
M-21 followed as Frankenstein walked downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a number of snacks that he'd seen M-21 having and then headed for the living room.
He set the snacks on the table, but as Frankenstein left them to go to his set of drawers, M-21 continued to follow him. Companionship more valued than food then.
When Frankenstein retrieved the brushes from a drawer, M-21 pulled back with a growl. Interesting.
"Do you recognise brushes-" Surprising as Frankenstein didn't envision Union scientists using them. "-or because they're something new?"
Frankenstein walked back to the table and sat down next to it, putting the brushes down next to him.
M-21's growl tapered off, though he stayed where he was.
Frankenstein started spreading the snacks out, listening for the distinctive click of claws.
M-21 did approach, giving the brushes a wide berth.
Given the speed M-21 recovered and that he didn't give the brushes a second look, Frankenstein surmised M-21's reaction must have been because the brushes were new.
M-21 snapped up the bit of snack Frankenstein tossed towards him, getting closer and closer. Once M-21 was settled, Frankenstein reached for a brush.
M-21 glanced at his other hand, but re-focused on the hand giving him food.
When Frankenstein picked up the brush, M-21 froze, staring at it. While his nose twitched when Frankenstein held the snack under his nose, he didn't look away.
"I'm not going to hurt you with it," Frankenstein said, holding everything in place.
M-21 looked at Frankenstein's face and Frankenstein smiled.
"Yes, it's me, Frankenstein."
M-21 took the snack, still staring at him.
Frankenstein continued the habituation of the brush, slowly raising it until M-21 was comfortable and Frankenstein touched it to M-21's shoulder.
M-21 flinched back and then whined.
"It's just a touch, see?" Frankenstein held his hand and the brush in the air. "I'll be brushing your fur if you let me. I'm told it feels like grooming, though I'm not sure if you know what that is or how it feels."
M-21 relaxed at his voice and leaned forward again.
It took a while longer for M-21 to allow a full swipe and even that was enough for the brush to come away fully laden with fur.
This was going to take a while.
Though they did have the whole night, if M-21 tolerated it.
[-]
M-21 woke up slo- He froze. His pillow was wrong. Lower. Warmer. Breathing.
He wasn't in his room, naked with a blanket over him. Tiles under him.
Not the Union. It was too warm to be the Union and it didn't smell like a lab eith-
"Good morning, M-21."
Well, fuck. That was Frankenstein's voice, directly above him. That's whose thigh he was leaning on?
M-21 was surprised Frankenstein had left him there - Frankenstein was easily strong enough to push him off from...whatever the fuck had happened last night.
Shit.
M-21 remembered going to bed. Nothing else.
"I take it from your silence," Frankenstein said, "that you have no recollection of last night.
And he'd been so stunned he still hadn't moved. M-21 jerked up, the blanket pooling around his lap. "Sorry." They were in the living room, surrounded by ...M-21's hair? But he didn't have that much on his head and he ran his hand through his hair to double-check. It was still there, with no weird patches.
There was even a huge collected clump that looked the same size as M-21 next to Frankenstein.
"For not remembering? I wouldn't have expected you to."
That made M-21 pause. "You wouldn't have expected me to?" Did Frankenstein know what happened?
He heard Frankenstein stand up and stretch. How long had he been sleeping on Frankenstein's lap? "Would you rather get some clothes first and then we can-"
"No." What difference did wearing fucking clothes make? "What's happening to me?"
"Very well." A creak of the sofa. "Here then."
M-21 stood up, taking the blanket with him. He didn't have body shyness, but he wasn't going to put his bare ass on Frankenstein's sofa. There were empty plates all over the table too.
"Is this the first time you've lost a night?"
He'd lost fucking everything, but that wasn't what Frankenstein was talking about.
Frankenstein specified a night? When M-21 glanced at the window, he could see the sky lightening up, the sun starting to rise in the distance. "...Yeah." M-24 had never mentioned this before. How much had his body started breaking down? Did he need pills again?
"I see." Frankenstein paused for only a second. "It would appear your heart is affecting you more than I assumed it would."
M-21's stomach dropped and he stared at Frankenstein. He hadn't even considered the possibility his werewolf heart would change him.
"You fully transformed last night and you became instinctual."
Shit. "So you had to restrain me the entire night." That made sense. Frankenstein was strong enough to do that and that would explain why there was fur everywhere. His fur. His werewolf fur.
"Hm? Does it feel like I did that?"
Did it...? M-21 rubbed his wrists. To be honest, he felt the most rested in all the time he could remember. The only thing holding him down when he'd woken up was the blanket. He picked at it, his skin normal and unbruised as far as he could tell. "No," he admitted. "Then what the fuck did happen?"
"I realised you were shedding and I spent the night brushing it out while you leaned against my leg."
M-21 waited for Frankenstein to continue. He didn't. "That's it?"
Frankenstein smiled. "Yes."
...That was another explanation for why fur was everywhere. He just let Frankenstein do that? ...Of course he had.
"Okay." Because what the fuck else was he meant to say? He looked around the room, seeing his fur starting to clump up as they moved around. "I should-"
"Rest," Frankenstein completed for him. "You have been transformed for the entire night - what you need right now is to regain all your energy. I can clean this up in the meantime."
M-21 exhaled, relaxing. "I - thanks. I'll-" Words failed him as he stumbled to his feet, dragging the blanket behind him.
He reached his room and took in his bedsheets in disarray, his torn clothes all over the floor.
He had no recollection of any of this. Nothing.
It was like someone else had tried to ransack his room.
M-21 made his way to his bed, feeling as though... As though he'd spent the entire night transformed, with barely enough energy to drag his feet forward and breathe.
He flopped onto his bed and was immediately asleep.
[-]
"Is this going to happen often?" M-21 asked the next night to Frankenstein in the kitchen, because that was how long it took for him to fucking wake up again.
This time he'd missed an entire day because of his fucking heart.
"The-" M-21's face twisted as he tried to say the words, that he had to acknowledge that this was real. "-transformation."
Was it eventually going to happen every night and he still wouldn't remember anything? Would the werewolf instincts eventually take over and he would never come back?
The fact Frankenstein didn't say anything straight away, continuing to cook and not fully looking at M-21, was answer enough.
"I can't give you a definite answer," Frankenstein said with a slowness to his words that said he was picking every word carefully, placing his spatula down, "as you are a unique case. How your heart interacts with the rest of your DNA is...hm, to be seen."
Which meant his heart hadn't finished changing him.
Fucking great.
[-]
The results of Frankenstein's most recent research had gone well and he left the lab, taking in a deep breath - as he heard something moving upstairs.
A second passed and Frankenstein heard the distinctive footfalls of something trying to move on all fours, but not smoothly like a quadruped.
...Ah. Frankenstein made a note on his phone as he walked up the stairs. "M-21?"
Another full moon. Pure blooded werewolves weren't affected by the lunar cycle, but if M-21 was then he was possibly like a mutant changed by a noble's contractee, taking on different characteristics than where their power originated from.
A silver furry face appeared at the banister as Frankenstein ascended, making him smile. It would appear that M-21 trusted him more and was more comfortable in the house compared to last month.
M-21 even approached him before Frankenstein reached the landing, ears pricked and tail wagging softly at the tip.
"Do you recognise me now, hm?" Frankenstein said.
M-21 stepped forward, sniffing around Frankenstein's face. While M-21 looked at Frankenstein's hand when he raised it, M-21 didn't flinch back when Frankenstein ran his hand through M-21's fur.
It was bushier now with less obvious bald patches.
Frankenstein's hand still came away covered in fur and Frankenstein tutted. M-21's fur had changed, so the winter coat should have already gone. "I'm not sure how long you will stay in this state, but it looks like we'll continue brushing your fur tonight."
M-21 followed him, tail wagging harder now.
Did M-21 enjoy being brushed?
[-]
Tao slowed his typing, turning his head towards his door. That sounded like...
Well, he wasn't sure since he'd been focused on work, but it was something out of place for the noises he'd gotten to in the house.
The house. It still sounded weird. The house. Not the safe house. Not shelter. Not camp.
The house.
Maybe even 'his' house. He and Takeo would have to see if they really could stay here, but M-21 seemed to trust Frankenstein and that said a lot.
Anyway. Distractions aside, there was a potential intruder in the house and maybe he should set up cameras later if this really did become 'his' house.
Tao got up, still listening out for any more noises.
Footsteps down the stairs and... huh. It was two feet, but they were heavy and didn't sound right in a way Tao couldn't place.
He peeked out his door and...
Oh.
Yeah. That'd explain it.
Tao could see a furry back of someone going down the stairs. Not furry in a bear hairy - but kinda except in a werewolfy actual fur kind of way, topped off with triangular ears and a fluffy tail to boot.
M-21's door was ajar and Tao checked, knowing what he'd find.
A neatly made bed that hadn't been slept on, clothes folded neatly on M-21's desk.
Ooor maybe not.
But that could be why definitely-transformed M-21 had walked down the stairs instead of howling at the moon or being destructive. M-21 was pretty quiet anyway so maybe that was why his werewolf state was the same.
Tao followed after M-21, hearing the living room door click open.
"Oh?" Tao heard Frankenstein's voice from inside. "You brought your own brushes and want to try them? Let's see them."
That was an entirely different tone Frankenstein was using compared to when he was fighting Dr Aris. It was close to how he sounded when M-21 asked for Tao and Takeo to be allowed to stay in the house though.
Should he go before he was found out? This was just between M-21 and Frankenstein. Just sneak back to-
"You can come in, Tao," Frankenstein said in a louder voice and Tao cringed.
Eek. Caught.
"Ehehe, hey Boss," Tao said, poking his head into the living room. Weirdness 1: Frankenstein sitting cross-legged on the floor. Weirdness 2: werewolf M-21 with his recogniseable scar if the silver fur wasn't evidence enough curled up against Frankenstein's thigh. Weirdness 3: a thick brush in Frankenstein's hand as he brushed out M-21's fur.
Then again, Tao didn't know what was normal in this house, so maybe he was the weird one. Takeo said so enough times. And Frankenstein and M-21 seemed to be acting like this was normal.
M-21 sighed at another pass of the brush, pressing up against it.
"Awww," Tao couldn't help but say, stepping in to get a better look, "you look so cute!" M-21 would kill him for saying it, and he'd left his phone upstairs too!
"I'm sure he would feel mortified if he knew you said that," Frankenstein said dryly, turning the brush over to pull out a handful of loose fur. Where had all that fur come from? It had looked empty when Frankenstein started.
Oh. Wait. Tao ran through Frankenstein's words again. "He doesn't remember what happens on these nights?" Was it a full moon? He'd have to check.
Frankenstein shook his head. "I trust you won't take advantage of this? The fact he hasn't negatively reacted to your presence says quite a lot."
"Yeah, I won't." Tao joked around but this was different, and the passing comments M-21 made about his abilities was starting to make a bit more sense.
M-21 lifted his head and then turned around. A paw hit a brush, making it spin out towards Tao. M-21 looked up at Tao.
"You don't have a werewolf translator, do you?" M-21's gaze was like he was trying to telepathically tell Tao his thoughts but Tao certainly wasn't receiving anything.
Frankenstein chuckled. "He wants you to brush him as well."
He did have a translator! "Really?" Tao picked up the brush near his feet and walked over.
"His undercoat was shedding when he first came here," Frankenstein said as Tao started brushing. M-21's fur was stiffer than it looked, the fur thick. "Most of it is gone now so he doesn't need as much brushing, but I think he enjoys it."
Tao's brush was full of soft fur when he pulled it free and he added that to Frankenstein's already growing pile. "How much fur was there if this is 'mostly gone'?"
"Enough that the pile in the morning was the same size as M-21."
Tao's eyes widened and he whistled, looking between M-21 and the pile. Frankenstein did that every time?
"Well, you've got an extra set of hands to help now, Boss!" Tao said, brushing again.
[-]
M-21 didn't wake up alone, someone's arms splayed across his waist.
His heart lurched for a second, but it was the wrong shape for M-24, too bony. The wrong smell.
It wasn't Frankenstein because he'd never woken up to Frankenstein in his own bed and this was definitely his own bed.
He opened one eye a crack and saw black hair.
Tao.
Last night was the full moon; he should have expected Tao to find out immediately.
Tao made a grumbling sound, his arm tightening to a hug. "Morn'."
And he should have expected that Tao wouldn't care what he was or what he was becoming. To Tao, this was how M-21 had always been.
"Morning," M-21 said, closing his eyes again.
M-21 didn't know if he would lose more of his humanity, but the full moons hadn't gotten worse since he'd started transforming during them, and he wasn't dealing with them alone.