Cat's Meow (Azazel/Janos, R)
Inspired by this picture by st00pz. Written for the X-Men Reverse Bang.
"I am not sleeping here," Angel said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. She poked the stained mattress I had discovered dumped in the back alley with the toe of her boot, warily maintaining her distance. "I could catch a disease or something."
Ignoring her whining, I silently gathered the boxes Miss Frost pointed out, moving them to one side of the cavernous room to give us more space. I eyed her discreetly as I went, taking in her slightly rumpled appearance where before she'd always managed to look so polished and well maintained. Being constantly on the run was beginning to wear on her, but it was at Miss Frost's insistence that we kept moving.
Apparently the other telepath that had intrigued Mr Shaw before, Xavier, kept attempting to get a reading on our position. Though Miss Frost had raised shields around us all to keep us from being found, maintaining them day and night was exhausting. Recently she'd cut down to only keeping them up during the day, hence the extra precaution of flitting from hide-out to hide-out to make it harder for Xavier to track us down.
Luckily, with Azazel on our side travelling wasn't an issue. I cast a glance at the teleporter, surprised to find his eyes fixed on me as I worked, his head propped up on one elbow where he was lounging on his side on the top of a large stack of crates. His tail was dangling lazily over the edge, the pointed tip curling up and around in a slow, repetitive motion.
For some unknown reason, Azazel and I had somehow managed to strike up something of a semblance of a friendship, despite the fact that I had only ever exchanged a handful of words with him over the past year that we had known each other. There was something comforting about the other man's presence that I couldn't quite identify, enough so that I didn't feel at all self-conscious under his rather intense gaze.
I shot a quick smile in his direction as I worked, receiving a curt nod of acknowledgement in return. That was when Angel apparently had had enough of being ignored and stomped to stand directly front of Azazel, her hip cocked to one side and her arms folded over her chest. Ever since the fight in Cuba, Angel seemed to have become even more moody and bitchy than before. I put it down to the fact that she was now flightless, her left wing now rendered useless with the two large holes scorched through the membrane.
"Seriously, there has to be a hotel or, or something near here that we could stay in," Angel demanded with a scowl. "I'd even take mouldy bathrooms over a dump like this!"
Azazel looked down at her with a frown. "You don't like the mattress, you sleep on floor, da?" he told her, impatience clear in his tone. "You have been spoiled by comforts, devochka. Back in my old village-"
"Oh, here we go again!" Angel groaned, rolling her head back in exasperation.
"Back in my old village," Azazel continued, undeterred. "I had nothing but old blanket and hard floor for sleeping."
Angel shook her head and turned to Miss Frost. "Emma, help me out here would you?"
Miss Frost however shook her head, her gaze unfocused, distracted. She'd paused in the process of methodically filing her nails into perfect half-moon circles, the metal file held limply within her grasp, forgotten. She tilted her head slightly to one side as though listening to some distant noise.
"You should try sleeping on this floor," Azazel continued, swinging his legs over the edge of the crates as he sat up. "It builds character, da?"
"The floor is filthy!" Angel exclaimed. "The dust is like an inch thick!"
"That would make it more comfortable."
"You are such a-"
Whatever Angel had been about to say was cut off by an awful, loud, creaking noise filling the air and reverberating off the walls. We all exchanged looks of worry and confusion as Miss Frost abruptly shifted into her diamond form.
"They're here," she yelled, just as the far unloading door buckled in on itself, groaning loudly in protest as it was wrenched off its hinges.
We all leapt into action just as Xavier and his little band of mutants stormed the warehouse. I waved my hands through the air, careful of how much wind I built up. The environment back on the beach in Cuba had been perfect for fighting, having been spacious enough to be able to use the full extent of my powers without worrying about hitting any of my allies. Unfortunately, here in the confined space of the warehouse, I could do a lot of damage if I got carried away.
The shape-shifting mutant was the first to come at me, using punches and kicks with more power than her lithe form would suggest she could manage. I parried her blows, catching her foot as she aimed a kick at my mid-section. Using my hold, she swung her other foot up, connecting painfully with my chin with enough force to snap my head back. I released my hold on her foot as I staggered back, ducking into a roll just in time to avoid another blow.
She came at me again as I rolled back to my feet, her yellow eyes hard and glinting in self-assured confidence. She was certain she would win this fight. Annoyed at her arrogance, I swirled my hands in the air once more, holding the winds back until she swung her foot around into another kick. I threw my miniature tornadoes at her, the force of it enough to knock her off her feet and send her flying back into the far wall. She hit with a loud thud, falling to the floor in an unconscious crumpled heap.
Panting slightly, I glanced around at the chaos. Angel was dancing around the red-head that screeched at super-sonic levels, both limited in how they could use their powers; the boy being in a similar dilemma as myself since the full extent of his powers could hinder his team-mates, and Angel being unable to fly.
Azazel was occupied with fighting both the blue, furry mutant and the young blonde that shot beams from his chest. Though they outnumbered him, Azazel was easily holding his own, using his tail as a weapon as he continuously teleported out of harms way. He had no need for my assistance.
Miss Frost however, did. She'd been double-teamed as well, by Xavier and the metal-bender that had killed Mr. Shaw, Lehnsherr. Though her diamond form was protecting her from Xavier's telepathy, it left her vulnerable to attack from Lehnsherr. He'd used the metal from the old filing cabinet in the corner, distorting and melding it into long thin shackles to pin Miss Frost down. Her own nail file hovered in the air before her, occasionally tapping her diamond cheeks in a threatening manner as Xavier murmured to her in a low, urgent voice.
Waving my hands again, I summoned up the winds, twisting them around until they roared violently before hurling them at Lehnsherr and Xavier. The two were thrown back, Xavier flying further having caught the full brunt of it since he'd been closer, landing just beyond my sight behind some crates. Lehnsherr hit the floor hard, skidding about a foot before he came to a stop. He flung out his hand towards me before jerking it back towards himself in a fist.
I wouldn't have been able to dodge the plate of metal from the former door flying towards me had it not been for Azazel. He teleported to my side, hauling me close before teleporting me just out of the way. I barely had time to nod my thanks at him before he teleported away once more back into his own fight, leaving my nose filled with the unpleasant scent of sulphur.
Lehnsherr had taken the moment to get back to his feet, a smirk on his face as he gathered more scrap pieces of metal, sharp and heavy, to float in his orbit, ready to be launched in my direction. Taking the challenge for what it was, I swirled my hands in the air again, summoning the winds as large as I could risk in this confined space. They would do Lehnsherr some serious damage when they hit him.
Lehnsherr raised his hands, ready to throw his weapons. Just as I was about to hurl my winds towards him, a loud, frantic voice pierced my mind.
"NO!" It shrieked, the power behind it enough to blur my vision and send me to my knees with a pained groan. I grit my teeth, focusing on the winds still swirling above my hands. "No, don't use your powers! It could kill him!"
I knew that, I had no qualms hurting those who were a danger to my allies. I already had blood on my hands from working for Mr. Shaw. I already knew that in order to build a world for us, for mutants, sacrifices had to be made. Lehnsherr would just be another sacrifice to me.
"NO!" The voice yelled again, this time sounding desperate and slightly hysterical. "You can't use your powers! You can't because... because you're not a mutant... you're a... a..."
I felt myself fall to the floor from an odd distance, the smell of sulphur filling my senses even as the darkness consumed me and the voice rang through my mind, echoing through the layers of my thoughts until the words it said rang true.
"Because, you're a cat!"
-
"You have to be able to do something! You are a telepath too, are you not?"
"I've already told you, I can't even think about doing anything until I know what it was that Xavier did to him. And I won't know what that is until he wakes up!"
The voices were loud. Annoyingly so. I let out a low grumble of protest at the noise as I curled up into a tighter ball, nuzzling deeper into the soft warmth below me as I wished for sleep to take me once more.
The voices quietened at my grumble and I felt a hand grip my shoulder. "Janos? You awake?"
I grumbled again as the hand shook me, preventing me from falling back into dreams. I let it turn into a low rumbling growl, making my annoyance at being touched without my permission clear. The hand thankfully drew back as I slowly stretched out, reaching out with my front legs with my hind quarters in the air before lifting myself up and stretching out my back legs. Once satisfied with that, I sat back on my hind quarters to glare at the people who so rudely awakened me, flicking my ears back and forth.
Azazel and Angel were giving me identical odd looks, as though I'd done something strange simply by sleeping. Miss Frost was watching me intently, her light blue eyes filling with a clear amusement as I turned my glare on her. I yawned loudly, letting them know how boring I thought they were before turning my attention on grooming myself.
Licking the back of my hand, I proceeded to wash my face and behind my ears, ignoring the choked sounds Angel was making. She probably had a fur ball stuck in her throat. The best cure for that would be to eat some long grass, but I wasn't about to tell her and help her out after my rude awakening. Let her suffer some, I decided.
"Comrade," Azazel said, his gentle voice drawing my attention for a moment. "Are you feeling all right?"
I tilted my head to one side, unsure of what he meant. I felt the same as normal, if a bit tired after my interrupted nap. I also felt rather filthy and quickly resumed cleaning, this time leaning my head around to lick my shoulder.
"What's wrong with him?" Angel asked Miss Frost, waving a hand an inch before my face. I watched it warily, ready to lash out with claws if she made the mistake of coming any closer.
"His brains have been a bit scrambled," Miss Frost replied, a now rare smile adorning her features. "Xavier planted a suggestion in his mind that seems to have rooted further into his thoughts than it was supposed to."
"What does that mean for Janos?" Azazel asked.
I focused on my grooming as they talked, distressed to discover that my tail, my lovely long tail, was caught in the confines of my pants.
"It means that Janos no longer thinks he's a mutant," Miss Frost told them as I unbuckled my belt and removed my pants, kicking them away from me in disgust.
"Not a mutant?" Angel asked, sounding scandalized. "He thinks he's human?"
Miss Frost's mouth twitched as she clearly suppressed a laugh. "Not exactly."
"Then wha- oh my god, Janos!" Angel suddenly shrieked, slapping her hands over her eyes as I removed my underwear. I let out a small sigh of relief as my tail unfurled from it's previous cramped position, swishing it in the air a couple of times before curling it around my feet.
"Why the hell has he taken off his pants?" Angel whined. "I'm scarred, scarred for life!"
"They were in the way of his tail," Miss Frost explained, stepping forward and giving me an affectionate scratch behind my ears. I purred in appreciation.
"Tail." Azazel repeated, dead-pan.
"He thinks he's a cat," Miss Frost declared, settling down on the plush sofa beside me. "Complete with furry tail and ears. Even though they aren't physically there, his mind convinces him otherwise."
"A cat?!"
I tuned them out as I slinked off the sofa to explore my new territory, rubbing up against the corner as I passed it. It was a small lounge, decorated with purely white furniture. A clear glass coffee table was set in the center of the room, just before one of two matching sofas. Set in the far wall was a roaring fire whose warmth called to me. I pawed at the soft carpet just before the hearth, turning twice in a circle to make certain my tail was in a comfortable position before I settled down in a tightly curled ball.
"Give it two weeks," Miss Frost was saying, attracting my attention as she stood and made her way to the door. "If he's not back to normal by then, there's nothing I can do."
"I'm coming with you!" Angel called after her as Miss Frost strode out the door. "There's no way I'm staying here alone with Azazel and a half-naked Riptide who thinks he's a cat!"
Azazel followed them out, returning again after a few moments before shutting the door behind him with a huff. He looked at me for a moment before shaking his head and storming out of the room. I watched him go, torn between the sudden urge to follow and staying by the warm fire. In the end the urge won out and I trotted out of the room, my tail high in the air behind me as I looked for him.
I followed the vague scent of his musk out into a long hallway. It led me to the very last door which was shut and remained so, even after I leant my full weight against it. A faint memory had me jiggling the knob, but that had no effect. Feeling lonely and shut out, I scratched at the wood, mewing quietly. When no answer came, I scrabbled my fingers through the gap under the door, hoping it would somehow open. Still nothing. I scratched at the wood again, letting out a loud, drawn out yowl that turned into more of a growl towards the end.
My ears flicked forward at the sound of movement from beyond the door and, encouraged, I repeated the sound, scratching again for good measure. The door swung open, revealing a scowling Azazel. I rubbed up against his legs as I padded past him into the room, happy now that I had rightful entry. I took quick stock of the room, rubbing against the majority of furniture to mark it with my scent, before leaping up onto the bed, purring happily as I pawed at the duvet.
Azazel huffed again, eyeing me intently as he strode over to the edge of the bed, his gaze lingering on where my shirt hung to mid-thigh. "This is not how I imagined getting you in my bed," he murmured.
He stood there for a moment, watching me intently before he climbed onto the bed. After another moments hesitation, Azazel reached out, his fingers gliding through the soft silk of my hair as he petted me.
I tilted my head to one side, allowing my eyes to drift half-closed to show my contentment, purrs rumbling in my throat. Azazel's hand slipped to the back of my neck, kneading away the knots of tension there. I couldn't help but let out my soft mewl, arching back into his touch as it slipped further down to my back, the pressure of his hand glorious against my skin.
All too soon, the petting stopped, Azazel drawing abruptly away. I butted my head against his hand in a silent demand for more, but instead of complying like he should, Azazel slipped off the bed and, after a muttered curse about 'self control', teleported away in a flash of sulphur.
I blinked at the spot where he'd just been, bemused, before curling up in the middle of the bed with a huff. I lay there sulking for about half an hour before finally managing to drift off to sleep.
-
The next day, I was determined to treat Azazel to the cold shoulder. However, my resolve didn't manage to last very long, though through no fault of my own. It was all thanks to a weakness nearly all cats share: fish.
I was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, watching the odd scene of Azazel bustling about making lunch. It was odd, but after a year of knowing one another, it was the first time I'd seen him in such a domestic setting. Usually for food, Azazel would simply teleport out, returning with ready-made meals that I sometimes suspected he actually stole from restaurant kitchens. Before that, Mr. Shaw had hired professional chefs to cook all of our meals.
Whilst I was contemplating the strangeness of the scene, Azazel had fished out a can-opener and had started on the can in his hands. For some inexplicable reason, the sound caught at my interest. My ears flicked forward as my tail swished from side to side of it's own accord. Then the smell hit me. It was glorious, salty and fresh and I had to have it.
Before I had even made the conscious decision, my body had moved, slipping off the counter to plaster myself against Azazel's side. My fingers clawed at his arm as I mewled in his ear, demanding my fair share of the tuna. Azazel flicked his attention to me, an amused expression on his face.
"I take it you want some, Comrade," he asked, blue eyes twinkling in mirth. I glared at him, my tail swishing furiously from side to side as I practically yowled in his ear, digging my claws into his arm in my urgent demand for the delicious fish.
Azazel chuckled, using his own tail to retrieve a spoon from a drawer before scooping out a large helping from the can and holding it out for me. I didn't hesitate, immediately lunging forwards to wrap my lips around the salty meat. I groaned deeply in appreciation, almost missing Azazel's hitch of breath as I pulled away slowly, darting my tongue out across the metal to catch any pieces I may have missed.
"It's... it's good, da?" Azazel asked, his voice cracking slightly. I let out a gentle mewl of appreciation, casting my eyes on the can in a silent request for more. After another soft huff of laughter, Azazel complied.
I generously decided to forgive him for the petting incident after that.
But then came the bath incident.
Cats hate water. This is a simple fact that most everyone knows. This however, was not enough to deter Azazel from his single minded mission in which I almost drowned.
I'd followed him into the bathroom, mainly because following Azazel about the house had become a bit of a habit now to help stay off boredom. There was nothing else to do there, other than eat, sleep and groom myself.
Apparently, Azazel had a problem with the way that I kept myself clean, despite the fact that it was how all cats did it.
"Your hair has gotten greasy and you're beginning to stink," Azazel told me once the bath was filled with horribly wet water. "You need a bath."
I stared at him uncomprehendingly. My hair was lovely, soft and shiny and I smelt only of my natural musk. There was no way in hell I was getting in that bath. I'd get wet!
I turned to slink away when Azazel suddenly appeared before me, his arms folded across his chest as he glowered down at me, sternly. He reached out and I skittered away with a hiss, bark arched in the air and my tail fluffed up as I let out a low growl of warning.
Azazel gave a long suffering sigh. "I'm sorry Comrade, but you leave me no choice."
He vanished in a flare of flames, only to reappear directly behind me. Before I could make my escape, he seized me around the waist and teleported us both directly into the tub of now lukewarm water.
I hissed and sputtered, kicking and clawing at Azazel as I tried to escape the horrible wet tub, but he held me firm. He even went as far as to dunk me under the water a few times, ignoring my flails and gasps for breath as I nearly drowned.
When he finally released me, I immediately skittered away, choosing to hide in a little nook I'd discovered under the stairs that led to the roof, just large enough for me to comfortably squeeze into. I was sodden wet, my hair, tail and shirt all dripping horribly. I peeled the shirt off and flung it out into the hallway, not caring that I was now naked. Cats didn't wear clothes anyway.
Though I attempted to lick myself dry, it didn't have much effect. I quickly grew cold in my hiding spot and, shivering, longingly thought of the nice warm bed waiting just down the hall. Azazel was no doubt already curled up in it, smug with satisfaction about having got his own way despite the fact that he'd nearly drowned me in the process.
Eventually, necessity for comfort drew me out from my little nook and towards the bedroom. I eased the door open, hesitating before padding into the room. Azazel was curled up under the blankets, his back facing me. I hopped up onto the other side of the bed, taking a moment to paw at the soft pillow before curling up beside him.
Taking advantage of this position, I propped my leg up on Azazel's side, pointedly using my tongue to lick my leg clean. I was about halfway through when he decided to rudely interrupt by rolling over, where I could see that he was awake now that he was facing me. Undeterred, I propped up my other leg and began the cleaning process on that one.
Azazel watched me in silence as I groomed myself properly. The oddly intense look he sometimes adopted was back in his eyes again. I paused in my grooming, my tongue still stuck partway out between my lips as I tilted my head at him in silent question.
Azazel let out a low growl before he reached out for me. I let out a mewl of surprise as he tugged me down and rolled on top of me, effectively pinning me down. I shivered, his warmth blanketing me and seeping into my cold, bare skin. I unconsciously arched up into him, revelling in his heat.
Leaning down, Azazel whispered in my ear. "You're making it almost impossible to resist taking advantage of you."
I shivered again as he pressed his lips against my neck, letting out a gentle mewl as he grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin there. I tilted my head to one side, baring my throat to give him better access. Azazel growled, a deep rumbling noise that reverberated through my entire body and sent a jolt of desire through my gut.
His lips brushed my ear as he whispered in a heated voice. "I'm not going to now, but as soon as you're back to normal, I will fuck you."
His words made no difference to me, but the heady scent of his musk, thick with lust and desire left my body hot and wanting long after he'd teleported away to leave me alone in the large, cold bed.
-
Left, right. Curl up, then down.
I watched, mesmerized by the movement of Azazel's tail as he sprawled out on the lounge floor, head propped up on one elbow as he read through the newspaper. He had yet to notice me, my movements all but silent but for the rustle of my shirt. It was too cold in the house to go around naked, I'd decided, even if I was a cat. Of sorts.
Crouching low, I inched closer, still wholly focused on my target as it swayed slowly from side to side. I wiggled my hind quarters, readying myself for the pounce before I leapt at the tail. Unfortunately, Azazel must have heard me at some point and simply rolled out of the way, leaving me to land in an uncomfortable sprawl on the carpet.
Azazel huffed out a laugh as I turned to glare at him. "What are you doing?"
I returned my attention back to his tail as it began it's entrancing sway and curling motion once more. It wiggled closer, teasingly in front of my face and I batted at it. It darted away before I could catch it before coming back, dangling before my face once more. I continued to bat for it, following it as it slowly inched it's way for me.
Determined to catch it, I wiggled my hind quarters and pounced again, catching it between both my hands before landing heavily on Azazel's chest with an oomph. I hadn't even realized I'd been practically clambering over him before, so intent had my focus been on his tail.
Azazel held me to him as I tried to stand. After a token wiggle of protest, I let out a huff and lay down, curling up on top of him. His hand went to my hair, gliding through my silky strands in a soothing motion that soon had me purring in delight.
"Get back to normal soon, da? I can't take much more of this," Azazel murmured.
I sighed in contentment before drifting off to sleep.
-
When I next woke, I came to consciousness with a feeling of utmost confusion and embarrassment. Whatever it was Xavier had done to me, whatever suggestion he'd implanted in my mind, had faded into nothing whilst I had slept.
My hope that it had all been a terrible dream faded when I realized that I was still curled on top of Azazel, who'd somehow managed to fall asleep at some point even with my heavy weight no doubt crushing him. Which meant, I thought with complete mortification, that I had indeed stripped off my pants and underwear in front of Angel and Miss Frost without any sense of propriety, and had even strut about the house completely stark naked. Not that Azazel seemed to have any complaints with the latter.
Speaking of which, I reminded myself with a smirk, there was a small matter of a promise Azazel was yet to fulfill. I wriggled down until I was straddling Azazel's waist, the movement already stirring the other mutant into waking. Leaning down, I kissed his neck gently before sucking and nibbling at the skin.
Azazel's breathing grew louder and uneven, his hands raising to cup my buttocks as he rolled his hips up, grinding our erections together. I couldn't help the mewling noise that escaped me and I flushed in embarrassment. Azazel paused, gently pushing me up, just far enough so he could look me in the eye.
"You are back to normal, yes?" he asked, sounding unsure.
I grinned at him sheepishly before nodding, having barely enough time to gasp before he pulled me down with a hand at the back of my neck, seizing my lips in a searing kiss that left me breathless and made my blood sing in trepidation. The world tilted as he rolled me over, pinning me down with his weight. I was beginning to think he liked this particular position.
Without removing his hands from their exploration of the skin hidden underneath my shirt, Azazel used his tail to unbuckle his belt, lowering his pants and briefs just far enough to free his frankly rather impressive erection.
I had only a moment to appreciate it before Azazel distracted me with more deep kisses, his tongue curling around mine in a dizzying motion that set my senses alight. I hissed as Azazel took both our erections in hand, the pleasure bordering on painful without any lube, save that of our pre-cum that wasn't nearly enough.
Realizing this, Azazel flashed away for barely a split second before he returned, a bottle of lube read in one hand. I grinned, thinking that had to have been a record for his fastest teleportation to date. After squirting a generous amount on his hand, Azazel took hold of us both once more. This time the searing pleasure was far more intense, leaving me gasping as I thrust into his fist.
All too soon I could feel my climax approaching, the tension in the base of my stomach spiraling loose. Azazel licked the shell of my ear and bit down on my lobe. The action pushed me over the precipice and I came with a loud shout. A few thrusts later Azazel quickly followed, his spunk splattering over my chest and partly on my shirt.
After a few minutes of simply laying there, basking in the afterglow, I finally managed to stir myself into getting up, coaxing Azazel to follow me into the shower. After a second round under the spray where we took turns in sucking one another off, we crawled into the warm bed. It felt almost second nature for me now to curl up beside Azazel, relaxing as his hand carded gently through my hair.
"So, how was it for you?" he asked me, his voice gruff with exhaustion.
Unable to help myself, I said with a wide grin, "It was the cat's meow."
"I am not sleeping here," Angel said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. She poked the stained mattress I had discovered dumped in the back alley with the toe of her boot, warily maintaining her distance. "I could catch a disease or something."
Ignoring her whining, I silently gathered the boxes Miss Frost pointed out, moving them to one side of the cavernous room to give us more space. I eyed her discreetly as I went, taking in her slightly rumpled appearance where before she'd always managed to look so polished and well maintained. Being constantly on the run was beginning to wear on her, but it was at Miss Frost's insistence that we kept moving.
Apparently the other telepath that had intrigued Mr Shaw before, Xavier, kept attempting to get a reading on our position. Though Miss Frost had raised shields around us all to keep us from being found, maintaining them day and night was exhausting. Recently she'd cut down to only keeping them up during the day, hence the extra precaution of flitting from hide-out to hide-out to make it harder for Xavier to track us down.
Luckily, with Azazel on our side travelling wasn't an issue. I cast a glance at the teleporter, surprised to find his eyes fixed on me as I worked, his head propped up on one elbow where he was lounging on his side on the top of a large stack of crates. His tail was dangling lazily over the edge, the pointed tip curling up and around in a slow, repetitive motion.
For some unknown reason, Azazel and I had somehow managed to strike up something of a semblance of a friendship, despite the fact that I had only ever exchanged a handful of words with him over the past year that we had known each other. There was something comforting about the other man's presence that I couldn't quite identify, enough so that I didn't feel at all self-conscious under his rather intense gaze.
I shot a quick smile in his direction as I worked, receiving a curt nod of acknowledgement in return. That was when Angel apparently had had enough of being ignored and stomped to stand directly front of Azazel, her hip cocked to one side and her arms folded over her chest. Ever since the fight in Cuba, Angel seemed to have become even more moody and bitchy than before. I put it down to the fact that she was now flightless, her left wing now rendered useless with the two large holes scorched through the membrane.
"Seriously, there has to be a hotel or, or something near here that we could stay in," Angel demanded with a scowl. "I'd even take mouldy bathrooms over a dump like this!"
Azazel looked down at her with a frown. "You don't like the mattress, you sleep on floor, da?" he told her, impatience clear in his tone. "You have been spoiled by comforts, devochka. Back in my old village-"
"Oh, here we go again!" Angel groaned, rolling her head back in exasperation.
"Back in my old village," Azazel continued, undeterred. "I had nothing but old blanket and hard floor for sleeping."
Angel shook her head and turned to Miss Frost. "Emma, help me out here would you?"
Miss Frost however shook her head, her gaze unfocused, distracted. She'd paused in the process of methodically filing her nails into perfect half-moon circles, the metal file held limply within her grasp, forgotten. She tilted her head slightly to one side as though listening to some distant noise.
"You should try sleeping on this floor," Azazel continued, swinging his legs over the edge of the crates as he sat up. "It builds character, da?"
"The floor is filthy!" Angel exclaimed. "The dust is like an inch thick!"
"That would make it more comfortable."
"You are such a-"
Whatever Angel had been about to say was cut off by an awful, loud, creaking noise filling the air and reverberating off the walls. We all exchanged looks of worry and confusion as Miss Frost abruptly shifted into her diamond form.
"They're here," she yelled, just as the far unloading door buckled in on itself, groaning loudly in protest as it was wrenched off its hinges.
We all leapt into action just as Xavier and his little band of mutants stormed the warehouse. I waved my hands through the air, careful of how much wind I built up. The environment back on the beach in Cuba had been perfect for fighting, having been spacious enough to be able to use the full extent of my powers without worrying about hitting any of my allies. Unfortunately, here in the confined space of the warehouse, I could do a lot of damage if I got carried away.
The shape-shifting mutant was the first to come at me, using punches and kicks with more power than her lithe form would suggest she could manage. I parried her blows, catching her foot as she aimed a kick at my mid-section. Using my hold, she swung her other foot up, connecting painfully with my chin with enough force to snap my head back. I released my hold on her foot as I staggered back, ducking into a roll just in time to avoid another blow.
She came at me again as I rolled back to my feet, her yellow eyes hard and glinting in self-assured confidence. She was certain she would win this fight. Annoyed at her arrogance, I swirled my hands in the air once more, holding the winds back until she swung her foot around into another kick. I threw my miniature tornadoes at her, the force of it enough to knock her off her feet and send her flying back into the far wall. She hit with a loud thud, falling to the floor in an unconscious crumpled heap.
Panting slightly, I glanced around at the chaos. Angel was dancing around the red-head that screeched at super-sonic levels, both limited in how they could use their powers; the boy being in a similar dilemma as myself since the full extent of his powers could hinder his team-mates, and Angel being unable to fly.
Azazel was occupied with fighting both the blue, furry mutant and the young blonde that shot beams from his chest. Though they outnumbered him, Azazel was easily holding his own, using his tail as a weapon as he continuously teleported out of harms way. He had no need for my assistance.
Miss Frost however, did. She'd been double-teamed as well, by Xavier and the metal-bender that had killed Mr. Shaw, Lehnsherr. Though her diamond form was protecting her from Xavier's telepathy, it left her vulnerable to attack from Lehnsherr. He'd used the metal from the old filing cabinet in the corner, distorting and melding it into long thin shackles to pin Miss Frost down. Her own nail file hovered in the air before her, occasionally tapping her diamond cheeks in a threatening manner as Xavier murmured to her in a low, urgent voice.
Waving my hands again, I summoned up the winds, twisting them around until they roared violently before hurling them at Lehnsherr and Xavier. The two were thrown back, Xavier flying further having caught the full brunt of it since he'd been closer, landing just beyond my sight behind some crates. Lehnsherr hit the floor hard, skidding about a foot before he came to a stop. He flung out his hand towards me before jerking it back towards himself in a fist.
I wouldn't have been able to dodge the plate of metal from the former door flying towards me had it not been for Azazel. He teleported to my side, hauling me close before teleporting me just out of the way. I barely had time to nod my thanks at him before he teleported away once more back into his own fight, leaving my nose filled with the unpleasant scent of sulphur.
Lehnsherr had taken the moment to get back to his feet, a smirk on his face as he gathered more scrap pieces of metal, sharp and heavy, to float in his orbit, ready to be launched in my direction. Taking the challenge for what it was, I swirled my hands in the air again, summoning the winds as large as I could risk in this confined space. They would do Lehnsherr some serious damage when they hit him.
Lehnsherr raised his hands, ready to throw his weapons. Just as I was about to hurl my winds towards him, a loud, frantic voice pierced my mind.
"NO!" It shrieked, the power behind it enough to blur my vision and send me to my knees with a pained groan. I grit my teeth, focusing on the winds still swirling above my hands. "No, don't use your powers! It could kill him!"
I knew that, I had no qualms hurting those who were a danger to my allies. I already had blood on my hands from working for Mr. Shaw. I already knew that in order to build a world for us, for mutants, sacrifices had to be made. Lehnsherr would just be another sacrifice to me.
"NO!" The voice yelled again, this time sounding desperate and slightly hysterical. "You can't use your powers! You can't because... because you're not a mutant... you're a... a..."
I felt myself fall to the floor from an odd distance, the smell of sulphur filling my senses even as the darkness consumed me and the voice rang through my mind, echoing through the layers of my thoughts until the words it said rang true.
"Because, you're a cat!"
-
"You have to be able to do something! You are a telepath too, are you not?"
"I've already told you, I can't even think about doing anything until I know what it was that Xavier did to him. And I won't know what that is until he wakes up!"
The voices were loud. Annoyingly so. I let out a low grumble of protest at the noise as I curled up into a tighter ball, nuzzling deeper into the soft warmth below me as I wished for sleep to take me once more.
The voices quietened at my grumble and I felt a hand grip my shoulder. "Janos? You awake?"
I grumbled again as the hand shook me, preventing me from falling back into dreams. I let it turn into a low rumbling growl, making my annoyance at being touched without my permission clear. The hand thankfully drew back as I slowly stretched out, reaching out with my front legs with my hind quarters in the air before lifting myself up and stretching out my back legs. Once satisfied with that, I sat back on my hind quarters to glare at the people who so rudely awakened me, flicking my ears back and forth.
Azazel and Angel were giving me identical odd looks, as though I'd done something strange simply by sleeping. Miss Frost was watching me intently, her light blue eyes filling with a clear amusement as I turned my glare on her. I yawned loudly, letting them know how boring I thought they were before turning my attention on grooming myself.
Licking the back of my hand, I proceeded to wash my face and behind my ears, ignoring the choked sounds Angel was making. She probably had a fur ball stuck in her throat. The best cure for that would be to eat some long grass, but I wasn't about to tell her and help her out after my rude awakening. Let her suffer some, I decided.
"Comrade," Azazel said, his gentle voice drawing my attention for a moment. "Are you feeling all right?"
I tilted my head to one side, unsure of what he meant. I felt the same as normal, if a bit tired after my interrupted nap. I also felt rather filthy and quickly resumed cleaning, this time leaning my head around to lick my shoulder.
"What's wrong with him?" Angel asked Miss Frost, waving a hand an inch before my face. I watched it warily, ready to lash out with claws if she made the mistake of coming any closer.
"His brains have been a bit scrambled," Miss Frost replied, a now rare smile adorning her features. "Xavier planted a suggestion in his mind that seems to have rooted further into his thoughts than it was supposed to."
"What does that mean for Janos?" Azazel asked.
I focused on my grooming as they talked, distressed to discover that my tail, my lovely long tail, was caught in the confines of my pants.
"It means that Janos no longer thinks he's a mutant," Miss Frost told them as I unbuckled my belt and removed my pants, kicking them away from me in disgust.
"Not a mutant?" Angel asked, sounding scandalized. "He thinks he's human?"
Miss Frost's mouth twitched as she clearly suppressed a laugh. "Not exactly."
"Then wha- oh my god, Janos!" Angel suddenly shrieked, slapping her hands over her eyes as I removed my underwear. I let out a small sigh of relief as my tail unfurled from it's previous cramped position, swishing it in the air a couple of times before curling it around my feet.
"Why the hell has he taken off his pants?" Angel whined. "I'm scarred, scarred for life!"
"They were in the way of his tail," Miss Frost explained, stepping forward and giving me an affectionate scratch behind my ears. I purred in appreciation.
"Tail." Azazel repeated, dead-pan.
"He thinks he's a cat," Miss Frost declared, settling down on the plush sofa beside me. "Complete with furry tail and ears. Even though they aren't physically there, his mind convinces him otherwise."
"A cat?!"
I tuned them out as I slinked off the sofa to explore my new territory, rubbing up against the corner as I passed it. It was a small lounge, decorated with purely white furniture. A clear glass coffee table was set in the center of the room, just before one of two matching sofas. Set in the far wall was a roaring fire whose warmth called to me. I pawed at the soft carpet just before the hearth, turning twice in a circle to make certain my tail was in a comfortable position before I settled down in a tightly curled ball.
"Give it two weeks," Miss Frost was saying, attracting my attention as she stood and made her way to the door. "If he's not back to normal by then, there's nothing I can do."
"I'm coming with you!" Angel called after her as Miss Frost strode out the door. "There's no way I'm staying here alone with Azazel and a half-naked Riptide who thinks he's a cat!"
Azazel followed them out, returning again after a few moments before shutting the door behind him with a huff. He looked at me for a moment before shaking his head and storming out of the room. I watched him go, torn between the sudden urge to follow and staying by the warm fire. In the end the urge won out and I trotted out of the room, my tail high in the air behind me as I looked for him.
I followed the vague scent of his musk out into a long hallway. It led me to the very last door which was shut and remained so, even after I leant my full weight against it. A faint memory had me jiggling the knob, but that had no effect. Feeling lonely and shut out, I scratched at the wood, mewing quietly. When no answer came, I scrabbled my fingers through the gap under the door, hoping it would somehow open. Still nothing. I scratched at the wood again, letting out a loud, drawn out yowl that turned into more of a growl towards the end.
My ears flicked forward at the sound of movement from beyond the door and, encouraged, I repeated the sound, scratching again for good measure. The door swung open, revealing a scowling Azazel. I rubbed up against his legs as I padded past him into the room, happy now that I had rightful entry. I took quick stock of the room, rubbing against the majority of furniture to mark it with my scent, before leaping up onto the bed, purring happily as I pawed at the duvet.
Azazel huffed again, eyeing me intently as he strode over to the edge of the bed, his gaze lingering on where my shirt hung to mid-thigh. "This is not how I imagined getting you in my bed," he murmured.
He stood there for a moment, watching me intently before he climbed onto the bed. After another moments hesitation, Azazel reached out, his fingers gliding through the soft silk of my hair as he petted me.
I tilted my head to one side, allowing my eyes to drift half-closed to show my contentment, purrs rumbling in my throat. Azazel's hand slipped to the back of my neck, kneading away the knots of tension there. I couldn't help but let out my soft mewl, arching back into his touch as it slipped further down to my back, the pressure of his hand glorious against my skin.
All too soon, the petting stopped, Azazel drawing abruptly away. I butted my head against his hand in a silent demand for more, but instead of complying like he should, Azazel slipped off the bed and, after a muttered curse about 'self control', teleported away in a flash of sulphur.
I blinked at the spot where he'd just been, bemused, before curling up in the middle of the bed with a huff. I lay there sulking for about half an hour before finally managing to drift off to sleep.
-
The next day, I was determined to treat Azazel to the cold shoulder. However, my resolve didn't manage to last very long, though through no fault of my own. It was all thanks to a weakness nearly all cats share: fish.
I was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, watching the odd scene of Azazel bustling about making lunch. It was odd, but after a year of knowing one another, it was the first time I'd seen him in such a domestic setting. Usually for food, Azazel would simply teleport out, returning with ready-made meals that I sometimes suspected he actually stole from restaurant kitchens. Before that, Mr. Shaw had hired professional chefs to cook all of our meals.
Whilst I was contemplating the strangeness of the scene, Azazel had fished out a can-opener and had started on the can in his hands. For some inexplicable reason, the sound caught at my interest. My ears flicked forward as my tail swished from side to side of it's own accord. Then the smell hit me. It was glorious, salty and fresh and I had to have it.
Before I had even made the conscious decision, my body had moved, slipping off the counter to plaster myself against Azazel's side. My fingers clawed at his arm as I mewled in his ear, demanding my fair share of the tuna. Azazel flicked his attention to me, an amused expression on his face.
"I take it you want some, Comrade," he asked, blue eyes twinkling in mirth. I glared at him, my tail swishing furiously from side to side as I practically yowled in his ear, digging my claws into his arm in my urgent demand for the delicious fish.
Azazel chuckled, using his own tail to retrieve a spoon from a drawer before scooping out a large helping from the can and holding it out for me. I didn't hesitate, immediately lunging forwards to wrap my lips around the salty meat. I groaned deeply in appreciation, almost missing Azazel's hitch of breath as I pulled away slowly, darting my tongue out across the metal to catch any pieces I may have missed.
"It's... it's good, da?" Azazel asked, his voice cracking slightly. I let out a gentle mewl of appreciation, casting my eyes on the can in a silent request for more. After another soft huff of laughter, Azazel complied.
I generously decided to forgive him for the petting incident after that.
But then came the bath incident.
Cats hate water. This is a simple fact that most everyone knows. This however, was not enough to deter Azazel from his single minded mission in which I almost drowned.
I'd followed him into the bathroom, mainly because following Azazel about the house had become a bit of a habit now to help stay off boredom. There was nothing else to do there, other than eat, sleep and groom myself.
Apparently, Azazel had a problem with the way that I kept myself clean, despite the fact that it was how all cats did it.
"Your hair has gotten greasy and you're beginning to stink," Azazel told me once the bath was filled with horribly wet water. "You need a bath."
I stared at him uncomprehendingly. My hair was lovely, soft and shiny and I smelt only of my natural musk. There was no way in hell I was getting in that bath. I'd get wet!
I turned to slink away when Azazel suddenly appeared before me, his arms folded across his chest as he glowered down at me, sternly. He reached out and I skittered away with a hiss, bark arched in the air and my tail fluffed up as I let out a low growl of warning.
Azazel gave a long suffering sigh. "I'm sorry Comrade, but you leave me no choice."
He vanished in a flare of flames, only to reappear directly behind me. Before I could make my escape, he seized me around the waist and teleported us both directly into the tub of now lukewarm water.
I hissed and sputtered, kicking and clawing at Azazel as I tried to escape the horrible wet tub, but he held me firm. He even went as far as to dunk me under the water a few times, ignoring my flails and gasps for breath as I nearly drowned.
When he finally released me, I immediately skittered away, choosing to hide in a little nook I'd discovered under the stairs that led to the roof, just large enough for me to comfortably squeeze into. I was sodden wet, my hair, tail and shirt all dripping horribly. I peeled the shirt off and flung it out into the hallway, not caring that I was now naked. Cats didn't wear clothes anyway.
Though I attempted to lick myself dry, it didn't have much effect. I quickly grew cold in my hiding spot and, shivering, longingly thought of the nice warm bed waiting just down the hall. Azazel was no doubt already curled up in it, smug with satisfaction about having got his own way despite the fact that he'd nearly drowned me in the process.
Eventually, necessity for comfort drew me out from my little nook and towards the bedroom. I eased the door open, hesitating before padding into the room. Azazel was curled up under the blankets, his back facing me. I hopped up onto the other side of the bed, taking a moment to paw at the soft pillow before curling up beside him.
Taking advantage of this position, I propped my leg up on Azazel's side, pointedly using my tongue to lick my leg clean. I was about halfway through when he decided to rudely interrupt by rolling over, where I could see that he was awake now that he was facing me. Undeterred, I propped up my other leg and began the cleaning process on that one.
Azazel watched me in silence as I groomed myself properly. The oddly intense look he sometimes adopted was back in his eyes again. I paused in my grooming, my tongue still stuck partway out between my lips as I tilted my head at him in silent question.
Azazel let out a low growl before he reached out for me. I let out a mewl of surprise as he tugged me down and rolled on top of me, effectively pinning me down. I shivered, his warmth blanketing me and seeping into my cold, bare skin. I unconsciously arched up into him, revelling in his heat.
Leaning down, Azazel whispered in my ear. "You're making it almost impossible to resist taking advantage of you."
I shivered again as he pressed his lips against my neck, letting out a gentle mewl as he grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin there. I tilted my head to one side, baring my throat to give him better access. Azazel growled, a deep rumbling noise that reverberated through my entire body and sent a jolt of desire through my gut.
His lips brushed my ear as he whispered in a heated voice. "I'm not going to now, but as soon as you're back to normal, I will fuck you."
His words made no difference to me, but the heady scent of his musk, thick with lust and desire left my body hot and wanting long after he'd teleported away to leave me alone in the large, cold bed.
-
Left, right. Curl up, then down.
I watched, mesmerized by the movement of Azazel's tail as he sprawled out on the lounge floor, head propped up on one elbow as he read through the newspaper. He had yet to notice me, my movements all but silent but for the rustle of my shirt. It was too cold in the house to go around naked, I'd decided, even if I was a cat. Of sorts.
Crouching low, I inched closer, still wholly focused on my target as it swayed slowly from side to side. I wiggled my hind quarters, readying myself for the pounce before I leapt at the tail. Unfortunately, Azazel must have heard me at some point and simply rolled out of the way, leaving me to land in an uncomfortable sprawl on the carpet.
Azazel huffed out a laugh as I turned to glare at him. "What are you doing?"
I returned my attention back to his tail as it began it's entrancing sway and curling motion once more. It wiggled closer, teasingly in front of my face and I batted at it. It darted away before I could catch it before coming back, dangling before my face once more. I continued to bat for it, following it as it slowly inched it's way for me.
Determined to catch it, I wiggled my hind quarters and pounced again, catching it between both my hands before landing heavily on Azazel's chest with an oomph. I hadn't even realized I'd been practically clambering over him before, so intent had my focus been on his tail.
Azazel held me to him as I tried to stand. After a token wiggle of protest, I let out a huff and lay down, curling up on top of him. His hand went to my hair, gliding through my silky strands in a soothing motion that soon had me purring in delight.
"Get back to normal soon, da? I can't take much more of this," Azazel murmured.
I sighed in contentment before drifting off to sleep.
-
When I next woke, I came to consciousness with a feeling of utmost confusion and embarrassment. Whatever it was Xavier had done to me, whatever suggestion he'd implanted in my mind, had faded into nothing whilst I had slept.
My hope that it had all been a terrible dream faded when I realized that I was still curled on top of Azazel, who'd somehow managed to fall asleep at some point even with my heavy weight no doubt crushing him. Which meant, I thought with complete mortification, that I had indeed stripped off my pants and underwear in front of Angel and Miss Frost without any sense of propriety, and had even strut about the house completely stark naked. Not that Azazel seemed to have any complaints with the latter.
Speaking of which, I reminded myself with a smirk, there was a small matter of a promise Azazel was yet to fulfill. I wriggled down until I was straddling Azazel's waist, the movement already stirring the other mutant into waking. Leaning down, I kissed his neck gently before sucking and nibbling at the skin.
Azazel's breathing grew louder and uneven, his hands raising to cup my buttocks as he rolled his hips up, grinding our erections together. I couldn't help the mewling noise that escaped me and I flushed in embarrassment. Azazel paused, gently pushing me up, just far enough so he could look me in the eye.
"You are back to normal, yes?" he asked, sounding unsure.
I grinned at him sheepishly before nodding, having barely enough time to gasp before he pulled me down with a hand at the back of my neck, seizing my lips in a searing kiss that left me breathless and made my blood sing in trepidation. The world tilted as he rolled me over, pinning me down with his weight. I was beginning to think he liked this particular position.
Without removing his hands from their exploration of the skin hidden underneath my shirt, Azazel used his tail to unbuckle his belt, lowering his pants and briefs just far enough to free his frankly rather impressive erection.
I had only a moment to appreciate it before Azazel distracted me with more deep kisses, his tongue curling around mine in a dizzying motion that set my senses alight. I hissed as Azazel took both our erections in hand, the pleasure bordering on painful without any lube, save that of our pre-cum that wasn't nearly enough.
Realizing this, Azazel flashed away for barely a split second before he returned, a bottle of lube read in one hand. I grinned, thinking that had to have been a record for his fastest teleportation to date. After squirting a generous amount on his hand, Azazel took hold of us both once more. This time the searing pleasure was far more intense, leaving me gasping as I thrust into his fist.
All too soon I could feel my climax approaching, the tension in the base of my stomach spiraling loose. Azazel licked the shell of my ear and bit down on my lobe. The action pushed me over the precipice and I came with a loud shout. A few thrusts later Azazel quickly followed, his spunk splattering over my chest and partly on my shirt.
After a few minutes of simply laying there, basking in the afterglow, I finally managed to stir myself into getting up, coaxing Azazel to follow me into the shower. After a second round under the spray where we took turns in sucking one another off, we crawled into the warm bed. It felt almost second nature for me now to curl up beside Azazel, relaxing as his hand carded gently through my hair.
"So, how was it for you?" he asked me, his voice gruff with exhaustion.
Unable to help myself, I said with a wide grin, "It was the cat's meow."