Pairing: Iori Yagami + Kyo Kusanagi
Rating: General Audiences
Tags: Animal transformation | Cat puns | Pre-relationship | Non-descript time frame
Summary: He couldn't recall if this was the first or maybe the second time he heard something vague about restoring the world from Athena in a particularly weird almost-greek (mostly a bikini) cosplay, but he sure as hell didn't remember having four paws and a tail. (Or, Kyo finds himself in a cat's body and is seconds away from getting to know the number one stray cat caretaker in Osaka AND having his world-view rearranged against his will).
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pit-pat pit-pat
Hurried little paws stalked past dirty alleyways, mindful of not tripping over, the movement of four paws quite unnatural.
pit-pat pit-pat
Said paws swiftly avoided puddles of unknown liquids, tail stabilizing the limber body when jumps were necessary.
pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat...
It wasn’t an awfully chilly winter night, really, as most stories of sad little critters— Very sad and wet little critters tend to go in the monthly magazines girls at school usually read. Rain droplets dribbled from the unusually large cat’s fur, a late afternoon spring shower running its course just as winter had concluded its stay a couple days ago.
The cat hurried away from the alleys into the streets of Dotonbori, trying to orientate itself before even thinking of getting out of a very catty situation, pun intended. The puddles at the cat's little feet reflected the well-known neon landmarks, blue and yellow signs standing out to its still-readjusting vision. Just as the cat was about to dash towards the Glico Running Man it felt something at its core resonating with another presence, tail puffing-up immediately.
The thing is, the tuxedo patterned cat wasn't normally a cat— it was actually his first time as a four-legged creature, thank you. And even as the years went by, he was never very good at actually resonating his presence with the other two treasures to pinpoint the exact location of their bearers, so it genuinely rattled him to feel the presence of the bearer of the magatama so clearly and near.
The cat— which was actually Kyo Kusanagi, cursed his luck twice that day and quickly changed his trajectory towards the river bank. He did not want to test how much their presences resonated with each other as of now, and, while he was usually down for a quick street scuffle with the red haired man— a well-kept secret that the Kusanagi Clan heir tended to play up his supposed annoyance at the never ending run-ins that seemed a lot more like stalking, he wasn't particularly interested in finding out whether this time the sole Yagami Clan heir would actually fulfill his usual threats and end his life (as a goddamned cat nonetheless).
His newly acquired paw pads did little to soften the quick press of paws against the asphalt as the cat ran, the presence getting closer and closer. An absurd thought crossed his mind: if cats could sweat, Kyo would already be competing against the rain by now. Puffing up even more, he dared to hope that maybe, by pure chance or luck (if you could even call this morphing nonsense “luck”) Yagami got struck by this whole Heaven Spell or whatever-it's-called too.
Really, what was Athena even thinking…! His memories were a bit hazy but he kiiiinda remembers seeing Athena wearing a bikini (was that even allowed in public for an idol?) and babbling something about the world being restored— whatever that means, before waking up covered in fur and with extra appendages. The thought of the other man going through the same did little to soothe his worries as he scampered away.
Sadly, his agitation interfered with his concentration just like his old man always told him. And soon enough Kyo felt his paws leaving the ground as he was scooped up, large hands trying to cradle his nimble body as he struggled against the hold, hair bristling up.
“...Stop moving so much,” The other man mumbled, one thin visible eyebrow furrowing.
As if that would make him stay put! He had to get away from Yagami now! The cat hissed while trying to scratch his rival, body contorting in ways only paw-sible to cats and liquids. Yowling as his attempts to get free failed, he started biting, dropping the reticence he had for getting blood anywhere near his mouth. ‘That’s it, get lost!’ Kyo sank his teeth into the hand’s flesh hard enough to tear, idly thinking on how cool it would look if he could set his fangs ablaze, confident that the other man would unhand him.
“Tch,” But Yagami didn’t flinch, instead he used Kyo’s short-lived victory as an opportunity to grab him firmly from the scruff, his other hand supporting his body from below.
“See? So much easier to just stop struggling.” he grunted while ignoring the cat’s hisses and growls, opting to secure the scared, sopping wet cat inside his black fur coat (terrible fashion choice for light spring showers!) while keeping a secure grip on it; ensuring that the tuxedo patterned tomcat was sheltered from the weather and its surroundings.
Concurrently as man and cat made their way down the mostly empty streets of Osaka, red stall lanterns lighting up their path, Kyo had stopped trying to break free— not that his hair wasn’t standing on end with this troublesome situation, both figurative and literally, but right now he had the feeling that his usually vicious pursuer wasn’t inclined towards animal cruelty. The Kusanagi heir mentally grinned, so Yagami’s official fighter profile was actually true? It was equal parts hilarious and ridiculous to him, considering how many times they had exchanged jaw-breaking blows and stabbing remarks. Well, he supposed animals and humans were different enough for the redhead to act so...composed?
Well! No harm in scooting closer for warmth! He was a cat now and if he had any luck (he was vaguely starting to suspect he was jinxing himself over and over…), his fellow flame bearer would drop him at the nearest animal shelter, where he could stay until it was safe enough for him to figure out how to get his body back!
Feeling self-satisfied just like a real cat at his flimsy plan, he decided to get a quick catnap. Unbeknownst to him, Iori felt particularly at peace with the unusually big and warm cat in his right arm.
-----
Kyo did not wake up to the sterile air of veterinary clinics, nor the noisiness of animal shelters, and much less to the charming lady clientele of popular cat-cafes. Instead, he woke up to soft jazz music coming from some other room as he was being lowered into a towel.
Ah, shit.
-----
If he had had any lingering doubts about the other man in relation to his own safety at the redhead's very capable of violence hands, well… the uncertainty surely went down the drain.
Quite literally.
Kyo’s ears were flat against his skull in annoyance as the red haired man chuckled under his breath, hands towel softly drying the tomcat’s fur. It was hell on earth for Kyo, he couldn’t believe Yagami was physically capable of laughing like a normal person instead of his usual megalomaniac cackles. But at the same time it was equally, or even more disconcerting, that he now smelled like coconut and berries.
If he could, he would have definitely clicked his tongue. Well, at least he was clean and warm now.
Unbelievable.
A hand scratched between his still flat ears as the usually unbridled voice now spoke in muted tones, “...up for some milk?”
A low growl was his answer. Lips slightly curving upwards, he tried again, “Well then… How about some fish?”
Involuntarily, Kyo’s tail stuck straight up just like his now perky ears, embarrassment briefly crossed his mind. However, it could not color his cheeks nor be shown in any significant physical way so he was able to subdue it quickly enough (though he would still be able to if he were in his human body, shameless as he tended to be), and he was really hungry for some fish goddamnit!
The red haired man huffed with amusement, “That’s what I thought.”
A few more towel pats to the tomcat’s fur and his rival stood up, satin shirt still wet and sticking— and left, presumably, to his kitchen.
He could feel the irritation of being hungry increasing, and he refused to groom himself into dryness using his tongue, ew. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop his tail from switching between thumping against one of the towels underneath him and slowly swishing against the fabric. His extra appendage was going crazy, or maybe he himself was, as he truly could not stop his tail from doing whatever it was doing. What a pain in the ass!
Maybe he should have read a cat manual or something at some point in his short life… Well, what’s done is done and he was not fooling himself (or anyone that knew him) by lamenting the fact of not having read a hypothetical book.
A chirp left him as the smell of smoked fish caressed his sensitive nose, tail going up once again.
-----
As long as he was tended to, he didn’t feel particularly inclined to doubt Yagami, accursed bearer of tainted blood or not. In fact, he felt that the redhead was… slightly pampering him. So there was no doubt that the other favored feline company over human company, even if said bass player (an interesting fact he recently learned) spent long hours outside his house. And so, there was no way that Yagami so much as suspected his real identity considering said pampering.
So, in line with how effortlessly he liked to live his life, Kyo decided to stick around until something happened to change his current un-paw-sible situation. Rearranging his body at the end of his new roommate’s bed, he wondered how come he never realized how luxurious the life of a cat could be. To think his mother pampered the occasional stray even more than Yagami…
‘I’ll think of it as a short paid vacation away from nagging old men’, the no-longer-brunet mentally chuckled to himself before turning his head towards the general direction of the front door, sensing the bearer of the magatama before he heard the tell-tale sound of keys.
He shuddered, to think that his former enemy, now rival (or so he and Kagura hoped more often than not when teaming up) always knew where to find him…
It was weird to be on the other end of such oddity.
-----
Almost a week had gone by.
He was certain that his old man and the Clan Elders had their panties up in a bunch trying to find him, ‘Whatever, it’s not like I can help it’. His friends might be more inclined to think this was one of his usual motorcycle escapades— that included Yuki, of course, as they had parted on good terms and regularly hung out.
Kyo Kusanagi wasn’t that bothered yet— the benefits outnumbered the constraints of his four-legged forced work leave.
But, what about Iori Yagami? He must certainly have his panties up in a bunch and nearly burning purple… or so he thinks, he hasn’t seen nor smelled (he felt like a creep now) any significant changes in the man’s demeanor whenever he came back.
However, Kyo did feel restless without his flames.
How was he able to…? Back then...
The cat jumped, curling up by the moonlight rays hitting the end of the bed from the bedroom's window, the uneven breaths from the sleeping man making his sensitive ears twitch.
---
He didn’t pay it much mind at first, assuming it was the usual talking-to-yourself-while-alone deal that assuredly every single human was guilty of.
Even so, it did strike him as odd that the redhead replied in hushed tones. Sometimes uneasiness laced his voice and scent, and more often than not it was laced with reticence and anger. Rarely, if ever, he could smell tiredness mixed in. It was only when he started noticing that Yagami usually holed himself up in literally any available room, that was not occupied by the tuxedo cat, after replying to no one in particular that it struck him as odd— to say the least (the aloof man tended to be anything but normal though).
Yet, that had proved to be false. He acted like any subdued twenty-something in his daily life, if not for the occasional seething self exchanges.
Seething…?
…slithering…
Kyo scrunched up both, his nose and whiskers at the realization of just what— who, Yagami was opposing basically on a daily-basis. Antagonized said entity.
The realization left a bitter taste alongside the sword that resided within him, a feeling not unlike guilt bolting through him. That night, the cat curled up above red hair, stubbornly resisting the hands trying to push his weight away, doing his utmost to conjure up the powers of the sword as it wondered whether it could somehow soothe the other’s ailments short of an exorcism.
‘Tch! Who cares about destiny…’ Except its shackles felt too heavy at the moment, weighting the other man down in his feline eyes.
At some point during the night, the man mumbled something that resembled his rival’s name.
But the cat was already fast asleep.
---
Kyo was struck with two very troublesome thoughts. First, the fact that he did not know a single thing about the other man besides his never ending obsession with him. He has picked up little tidbits of the redhead’s daily life during his stay, but nothing substantial and that… irked him. Especially because these last couple of years he would get the suspicion that Yagami understood him better than what he let on. Well, better to bury that thought in the litterbox! And two, Yagami wasn't that much of an unreasonable jerk outside of tournaments (or when Kyo himself is not near) considering how the guy took care of strays in his own home with enough frecuency that he had quite a lot of products related to their care, such as the stupid coconut and berries scented cat shampoo.
His tail swayed with the fierceness he only showed Yagami when he wanted to bash his purr-fectly made-up face in.
A couple of hours after these vexing revelations, Kyo would start his new pastime of knocking down objects near the other man, haughtily puffing up the white tuft of fur on his chest when the human paused whatever he was doing to arch an unimpressed eyebrow at the cat.
(Yagami would then start a new routine: either go to the kitchen for fish flavored cat snacks, or go fetch a laser pen to tire out the conceited cat).
---
It was quite antagonizing— grating in ways that would’ve made his fist flare up— and equally world-shattering to the point of it being hiss-terical, the extent of Iori’s care for stray cats.
'Where was all that amiability when the world needed saving, huh?!' Utterly ridiculous, to the point that Kyo started referring to him by his first name in his internal monologues and it felt unfair.
Unfair to the redhead, for giving him so little credit as a (somewhat) normal human being and unfair to Kyo himself, for only being subjected to the other’s hatred during all the years they’ve orbitated each other’s lives.
'It aaaalmost felt a little like jealousy.'
He bristled.
Which in turn, provoked the hand idly petting him to stop. So he complained with a loud meow, already pissed off with his own thoughts, until the petting continued with a huff that looked suspiciously like a breathy laugh from where he was.
How unfair.
---
He found himself marking his scent on the sparse furniture just like a real cat would whenever Iori temporarily bought strays in, he convinced himself that it was to keep the intruders from pestering him as he had no interest in acting like a cat with other cats. That was more effort than what he was willing to put in this stretched-out charade. As he licked his paw to clean off sardine residues from his whiskers, he had come to terms with the fact that unless he started moving his lazy ass 'He had now more free time than ever before in his life!' to somehow contact the ever busy Kagura or he started somehow signaling that he wasn’t actually a cat to Iori, he would be stuck in this hairy body for a while.
Kyo had also come to terms— albeit uncomfortably, with the fact that no one searches for their sworn enemy, and by then a once-off ally, just because they were used to their presence like the other man had back… then.
There was more to it; he knew, but he liked to pretend that mindless obsession was the only human emotion the Yagami heir knew in relation to “Kyo Kusanagi”.
The tuxedo cat curled nearby a guitar’s case, trying not to think any longer as he kept an eye on the unruly kitten the redhead was currently obsessing over (caring for) with a soft towel in one hand and a lickable wet treat on the other. Kyo turned around, wondering if Yuki would search for him unrelentingly, doubtless that he was alive out there, if they were still together. His tail swung rhythmically, it was selfish of him to demand something like that from a sweet, virtually powerless girl even in his thoughts.
He missed the warmth of their flames mirroring each other, burning and dancing around them.
---
The cat could tell the other’s blood was restless in ways he would never understand, as the man silently trashed in his bed, red staining his lips.
The cat curled up against Iori’s back.
“How longer until we meet again, Kyo?” But the cat refused to, wouldn’t, couldn’t— answer.
So the cat purred instead, a wish burning from deep within.
---
Iori woke up the next day, the furnace next to— and almost over him, slobbering all over his red hair. Torn between feeling at peace—and the deeply ingrained need to cave the brunet’s skull in.
He inhaled shakily, trying his damned best to gather his thoughts before breaking the other man's flattering nose “Hmph. You always do as you like, you fool."
And he huffed, before shoving Kyo’s drooling face out of his pillow and turning around, deciding to stall his newly acquired benefit of (mostly) restful slumbers for at least an extra hour before he kicked him out of his bed.
---
Kyo woke up, crusty slobber in his cheek and as naked as he was brought into the world.
‘Well, whatever,’ he scratched his hair near his ears and cuddled up to Iori’s large back, blissfully unaware as he tried to purr.
…?
.......?
...........!!
A terrifying realization zapped his sleepy state away almost as effectively as Beni’s Electro Trigger: he wasn’t able to purr anymore.
‘Ugh!! No way…! There’s just no way!? Fuck!’ He wanted to set himself on fire for multiple reasons he didn’t feel like racking his brain for, but just before he was forced to think of anything to get out of his rival’s bed, he felt the other man stir.
So he cursed, put a well-rounded kick to the other man and set the bed on fire in less than 1 minute, just like any self-respecting (former) KOF Champion would have done in his stead!
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Author's note: i don't think kyo is actually ok with everything ever, he just doesnt care enough if its not something dire, a cocky guy who doesnt like to put effort into things might just relax and wait for things to magically sort out? add him being accustomed to iori's presence one way or another plus a grain of denial and u have this fic's kyo... i think.....
on the other hand, i pictured this at some point in the (near?) future in which iori might still refuse to admit he doesn't kill kyo because he actually enjoys the charged "rivalry" theyve got going on but is not that blind to his own feelings? not in denial but certainly wouldnt entertain the though for one or more reasons, idk... im still very unsure in how to write them
(i believe iori really didn't know at first that the cat was kyo, but felt something odd and wondered/projected and then his suspicions were confirmed but kyo's a CAT now. what was he supposed to do? contact chizuru? kyo's family? no way in hell)