Neko Virgil! And Human! Roman

Virgil growled and hissed at the scientist that was currently bringing him to another testing chamber. Ever since his ex-boyfriend, Damien turned him into the cops on a faithful night that he put all of his trust into him, he has been tested on in both of his forms that he was able to take. He was not fond of these scientists, they barely fed and watered him, constantly had cameras on him, and always had someone with a clipboard around him, poking and prodding at him with questions that he didn't even know or want to answer. Virgil was eventually placed down in a room, where he immediately ran to a corner, noticing this was a new nesting chamber. They must've found the hole that he was digging to escape.

Virgil growled again when the scientist tried to pet his fur, warning them to not touch him. The scientist didn't even flinch at Virgil's attempt to threaten him, irking Virgil on to bite the man. The scientist yelled out in pain, and shook Virgil off, accidentally throwing him into the cement walls of the nesting chamber. Virgil laid limp on the ground, blood dripping down from his mouth, not his own, the scientist's blood. Virgil huffed out as the scientist left, weakly getting up from the cold cement floor. He needed to find a way out. It wasn't a want anymore, it was a need, for his safety. Virgil limped over to the pile of blankets on the ground, settling down for some rest before he would be awakened again for more tests. 

~*~

Virgil shot awake when he heard the door open, ears flattening down on his head as he watched a man with round glasses walk in, wearing a white lab coat, just like the others. This one, however, had a different air around him. The air was... kind, nurturing. Could this man help him out?

Virgil read the badge that every scientist wore, reading, 'Patton Hearth, 30 Years Old, Animal Specialist'. That last statement made Virgil burst in excitement. Patton could help in at least keeping him alive in the most basic way, food and water. Virgil's ears lifted slightly as Patton sat in the middle of the room, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a sandwich and some deli meat. He was giving Virgil the option to stay in his cat form or come out as a human and talk with him.

Virgil hesitated, knowing that he had to choose one over the other, he couldn't have both. He also noticed that he brought out a water bottle and a bowl, waiting to pour it into the bowl or give it to him if he transformed. Virgil slowly stalked up to Patton as he set the things down in front of himself, placing his hands on his knees so Virgil could see them. He noticed a ring on his ring finger, a silver band that had a couple of embedded diamonds on the top. The man was married, having Virgil ease up a bit. Virgil was finally in front of Patton, about arm's length, sniffing the bags that were in front of him. He settled for staying in his cat form, not trusting this man yet, dragging the bag a little bit away from Patton.

"Don't worry little guy, I don't plan on taking either of these away from you. You look so thin, what have they done to you?" Patton reassured the halfling, having read up on him before he came in, quite concerned for the safety of him. What they were doing was animal and human abuse, against the law, and his husband, who was a lawyer, told him this when he asked him about it. It was odd enough that the scientists found him, saying that he was very secluded, but it stated who turned him in.

Damien Hearth, his brother, was responsible for this.

Of course, Patton was angry at the younger sibling, knowing that he talked of a boyfriend, but never told him his name. This was who he was talking about, it even showed up in the cat form that he was currently taking, probably to keep himself safe from the other scientists. Patton had to break him out, and if he had to file a lawsuit, he could win it with his husband defending the case by himself. He had all of his information in a portable USB, all he had to do was take some pictures, upload them, and give it all to Logan to evaluate and state his case.

Patton sighed softly, pouring some water into a bowl, having already opened the bag of deli meat before he came in here, knowing that Virgil, or at least he thinks that's his name, they had it listed at the top of the file, would probably stay in his cat form unless he was alone. Virgil dragged out a piece of deli meat out of the bag, examining the meat, making sure it wasn't tampered with in any shape or form. Virgil purred softly as he discovered that it didn't have any lingering smells of chemicals, so, he dug in, delighted to have something in his belly for once.

Patton watched, smiling softly as he saw the black and brown spotted tabby eat, knowing that he was grateful that Patton had done this for him. Virgil glanced at the sandwich, half tempted to go into his human form and eat that too, but, his anxiety told him otherwise. Once Virgil ate three slices of the deli meat, he slowly stalked up to the water, keeping an eye on Patton as he started to drink the water, haunches up, ready to launch him across the room if Patton did something he didn't like.

Patton laid on his belly as he watched Virgil drink his water, placing his hands under his chin. "Hi there Virgil. My name is Patton Hearth, and I'm a veterinarian at the SPCA in Florida, and my mission is to retrieve animals and get them in tip-top shape before giving them to their new forever homes. I'm here today to see if you are a case of animal abuse, and, golly, you sure are one. I can see your ribs and everything. I will be able to take you out as I see it is necessary. I hope you don't mind."

Virgil stared at Patton in awe, haunches going down. Patton wasn't and isn't going to hurt him. He's going to save him!

Virgil's tail swayed as he padded forward to Patton, brushing against his face, purring loudly to show his appreciation. Patton grinned, giving out his hand towards the cat. Virgil sniffed it, bumping his head against it for some pets. Patton did so and sat up, petting Virgil between the ears and down his back. "May I pick you up? I need to get you out of here," Patton asked, holding out both of his hands now for Virgil to climb into. Virgil sniffed across his hands, climbing into his hands and laying across his shoulders as he continued climbing up.

Virgil purred softly as Patton slowly got up, careful not to accidentally drop him, and headed out the doors, taking the deli meat and sandwich with him. The scientists in the room stared at him, flabbergasted. The halfling wasn't hissing at the man, hell, he was laying on his shoulders! One of the many scientists went up to protest, but one stopped her, shaking his head to her. Patton was a professional and had a higher status in the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), meaning he was allowed to take animals that he deemed in danger. And, in this case, Virgil was one of those cases.

Patton stood tall, shoulders back, showing intimidation, or, at least what he thought what he was doing was intimidating. Virgil snuggled into Patton's neck, hoping that Patton wasn't lying to him. If he was lying, Virgil would be heartbroken, and wouldn't trust anyone ever again. Patton made it outside, taking off the lab coat, revealing a light blue polo shirt and a sweater tied over his shoulders. Virgil noticed it looked like a cat and purred softly at the look. He noticed his belongings were in a bag next to Patton, growing ecstatic as he saw his patchwork hoodie in there. He couldn't go anywhere without that hoodie before he was in the lab, considering that he and his friend Talyn worked hours on end to make this one hoodie. 

Virgil jumped into the bag as Patton picked it up, causing Patton to panic a little as the new weight almost broke the paper bag. Patton smiled softly, and laughed, being careful with the bag and placed them into the car, climbing into the driver's seat. Virgil climbed out of the bag, tilting the bag over, pulling out the hoodie. He snuggled into his hoodie, purring loudly enough for Patton to hear. Patton chuckled and parked in front of his home

Patton stepped out of the car and went to the middle seats of the car, scooping the cat up in his hoodie and picked up the paper bag by the handles. Virgil was purring loud, letting his enjoyment known to everyone around him. He hadn't felt this good since Damien agreed to go on a date with him. Virgil looked around himself as he noticed a nice little house, that held another car in the driveway. His significant other must be home, how interesting. Virgil watched on as Patton unlocked the door, opening the door to a nice living room with a kitchen near the doorway, a stairway to the right. He wondered on what could be upstairs as he was sat down on the conjoined couch facing a T.V. in the corner.

Virgil heard heavy footsteps come down the stairs, involuntarily retreating under the cushions that he could get behind, hiding from the stranger. Someone came into view, Patton greeting his husband with a hug as he spoke, "Salutations, love. Where's the cat that you spoke about?" This man sounded very formal, grounded, and serious. Virgil popped his head out of his pillow cocoon and watched on.

Patton giggled lightly as he made eye contact with Virgil, having the husband turn around. He had a very small smile on his face if you blinked you could miss it, sort of smile. Virgil blinked at him, feeling oddly calm around this man. Virgil stalked out of the cocoon, hopping down from the couch and coming up to the blue-eyed male himself. He got down to his knees, sticking his hand out, palm face up. Virgil sniffed his hand, eventually bumping his head into his hand. "Hello there, my name is Logan, I am Patton's husband," Logan stated matter-of-factly, smiling that same small smile that he gave him earlier.

Virgil purred, and sat down, looking up at the two blue-eyed men. Patton had a darker tan than Logan, who had pale skin, not as pale as Virgil's though when he's in his human form, and had dark brown, almost black, hair, in contrast to Patton's sandy blonde curly hair. Virgil turned around and jumped onto the couch, purring constantly as he laid down on the plaid patchwork hoodie. There was a knock on the front, causing Virgil to stiffen but stay in his spot, watching Logan carefully as Patton went to get the door.

"Roman! Such a good time, come meet the new cat, Virgil! We're fostering him until we find him a forever home," Virgil listened in to Patton's greeting, melting when he heard the accent of the man named Roman. "Ah, perfect, Patton! May I come in? I would love to see Virgil." Virgil lifted his head at his name, at ease with Roman's voice. God, that voice, he would take him as his owner anytime I'd he could always listen to his voice.

The sound of the door closing had Virgil slump down, thinking Patton quietly said no, due to his skittish nature that he's running right now to keep himself safe. That's when caught a whiff of the new scent in the house, looking up towards the doorway. Virgil's eyes widened as they landed on a very tall man, with bright green eyes, auburn hair, and a gorgeous tan. He was wearing a jacket that resembled one to a prince uniform, a Lili and Stitch tanktop underneath, wearing a light wash of skinny jeans.

Virgil stared, then got up, watching as Roman stayed in place, probably by Patton's request. Virgil was about five feet away when Roman went down to sit crisscrossed on the floor, holding out his palm towards the cat, ever-so patient. Virgil sniffed his hand, noticing that Roman's nails were painted a passion red with gold trimming. Virgil passed Roman's hand and went to his lap, perching on his thigh then laying down.

Roman gaped at the cat, whispering, "I am the chosen one." Virgil swore that was a Harry Potter reference of some sort, and settled down for a nap, internally grinning, knowing that Roman wouldn't know about his human form. Patton was holding his stomach from laughter as Logan shook his head, heading upstairs, to who-knows-where. Virgil drifted on into a sleep, purring softly.

Roman stared at the cat, and look up to Patton, almost on the verge (hah) of crying, never being chosen by an animal. "Can I keep him, Patton? I'll take wonderous care of him! I promise!" Roman pleaded to Patton, already falling in love with the new companion he had barely met. Patton ceased his laughter after a bit, and replied, "I mean, he has some PTSD issues, in which could result in some anxiety in him, but, I don't see why you can't. I just have to keep him for about a month to get him to a regular weight and he's all yours."

Roman grinned, looking down at the cat. He did notice that he was able to count his ribs, making him frown a bit. Whoever owned him didn't feed him, that's for sure. His fur also looked very dirty and dry. They didn't give him water either? Roman's frown deepened, feeling sympathy for the cat. He pets Virgil's fur, feeling the strands were very dry feeling, not silky, like regularly fed and watered cats coats would be.

Virgil purred in his sleep as a reaction to Roman petting him, waking up slightly to it. Maybe it won't be so bad in the future.

~*~

Roman knocked on Patton's door, a cat carrier in his hands, along with a small bag to carry some of Virgil's possessions. He found it a bit odd that Virgil had possession, even though he's a cat, but never questioned it, seeing as it calmed the cat down from an anxiety attack. Patton opened up the door, beaming. "Come on in, Kiddo! He's in the living room," Patton said, stepping aside to let Roman in.

Roman spotted the black and brown cat on the ground, wrestling with a ball of yarn, looking much healthier than when he first saw him. His coat was shinier and you couldn't see his ribs. Roman smiled, setting down his things on the ground, going into the bag that he brought, taking out a box. "Virgil! Hey buddy!" Roman said, walking over to him with the box. Virgil stopped wrestling with the string and chirped at him, getting himself untangled from the strings.

Roman laughed to himself, helping Virgil get untangled while setting down the box in front of him. Roman sat in front of the couch near Virgil once he untangled the tabby, taking the small box into his hands. "I got a present for you, I think you'll like, it's the same color as your hoodie," Roman said, conversing with the cat, even though he knew Virgil couldn't reply. Virgil chirped, jumping up onto the coffee table that is placed in front of the couch, watching Roman open the box.

Roman picked out a black and purple flannel patterned collar, with a tiny bell and a storm cloud tag that held Roman's information and Virgil's name on it. Virgil purred loudly, jumping into Roman's lap, twirling around in circles excitedly. Virgil thought that, once he showed Roman his human form, his magic that brings anything that was around his neck initially to shrink or grow with him, would have Roman believe that Virgil is the cat and the human that he'd present himself in.

Roman chuckled, buckling the collar around Virgil's neck, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose, picking the cat up and hugging him to his chest, burying his face into the now soft fur. Roman was ecstatic to finally have a companion. His home was very quiet and he never liked it that, always playing music or a show playing on in the background, but, most importantly, it felt... lonely. Roman could never hold onto someone when he's in the dating game, usually being told he was too loud or flamboyant for them to handle. He had Virgil now, which he adored coming over once a week to see his progress that the cat was making throughout the month.

He smiled, looking forward to new memories that he would make with the cat.

~*~

Roman grunted, feeling Virgil jump onto his back, walking his way up to his head, batting at his hair as Roman's alarm started going off. It has been a couple of months since he brought Virgil to his apartment, starting a new routine immediately once Virgil started seeing patterns in Roman's life. Roman would wake up around 7 o'clock, start the coffee machine, take a shower, get dressed and groomed, grab a cup of coffee in a to-go cup and leave the house at around 8:30 am. Virgil meowed loudly at Roman, practically slapping him upside the head with his paw. "Ow..." Roman mumbled, opening his eyes groggily, looking in the general area of where Virgil was.

Virgil chirped, rubbing his head up against Roman's face, licking his nose. Roman smiled at the affection, rolling over to get out of bed. Virgil jumped off the bed once he saw this, bell ringing as he moved around, picking up a grooming brush for Roman to brush Virgil with. Virgil was a long-haired tabby and didn't like grooming himself due to hairballs that he would throw up, which he found disgusting.

Roman hummed, looking down at Virgil, grabbing the brush from Virgil. Virgil hopped up onto the bed, sitting next to Roman as he brushed his fur. Virgil purred loudly, loving the brush that itched the right places. Roman laughed softly, and put down the brush, getting up to go to work. Virgil followed after him, heading to the living room. Roman would feed him now, and, he learned quickly, that Virgil liked eating human food. Roman learned the hard way. Virgil would steal his food that was on his plate instead of eating the sad brown food that is for cats. Virgil chirped, seeing Roman pull out his favorite, dark turkey slices. Virgil licked his chops, watching Roman place two slices onto a plate, holding it above Virgil.

Roman held out his hand, which Virgil touched with his paw, then, the hand was above Virgil's head, in which he bumped into it. Lastly, the hand went into a circular motion, having Virgil roll over onto his belly, waving his tail patiently. "Good boy, Virgil!" Roman exclaimed, placing the plate in front of him. Roman gave a pat on his head and went to take a shower. Virgil ate his food, hurrying to the couch, jumping on the T.V. remote as he did so, turning the T.V. on.

A soap opera was currently on. Virgil scrunched up his nose, knowing Roman loved to watch cliché love stories, not particularly interested in the Spanish speaking individuals. Virgil learned that Roman could speak Spanish, once he heard the man yell in a different language one day when he stubbed his pinkie toe on the coffee table, probably yelling profanities. He would never admit it, but, he enjoyed listening to Roman speaks or sing in Spanish.

Virgil didn't know much about his heritage, presuming, by his tan-ish skin, that he was maybe a part of Spanish or Mexican, also presumed by pictures on the walls that he could only guess was family. The people in the photos were normally dressed in really frilly dresses that were multiple colors and black suits, with vests that had some intricate designs sewn into them. Roman was in one of those suits, bowing down to a lady with his hat off, the woman in a curtsey. She looked a lot older and had Roman's green eyes, but black hair; probably his mother.

Virgil huffed softly, thinking back to the family that he had. Or, never had, in his case. He was an orphan, having been separated from his parents after they were put in jail for child abuse. His other family was all dead, so, he went to an orphanage. He was bullied a lot for the cat ears that he sported in his younger years, now having learned how to hide them for a long time until he was alone. That's one of the reasons he preferred to be a cat since he didn't have to worry about needing to hide any of his features that were more cat-like.

Virgil perked up at a door opening, finding Roman walking across the small apartment to his room in only a towel around his waist. Virgil immediately laid back down, putting his paws over his muzzle, covering his eyes. Virgil had to admit, seeing a guy with a six-pack and muscular arms got to him, making him all sorts of flustered.

Roman came out, not in work clothes, but a pair of jeans and a red and white baseball tee. He sat down on the couch next to Virgil, patting his lap lightly. Virgil purred softly, standing up to lay down in his lap. Roman started to pet Virgil's soft fur, smiling softly. Virgil purred, rolling over onto his back, flopping onto his back, facing the T.V. Roman chuckled, grabbing the remote, going to the news. Virgil watched on, purring softly as Roman continued to pet him.

"Scientists are claiming that there is a slight chance that people could hold feline DNA, resulting in humans having cat ears and a tail. They can shift between their human and cat form easily, showing some human characteristics while in the cat form. They tend to hold the eyes of a human and keep their hair color and a portion of another color in their fur. They tend to be a regular breed of cat, Tabby. Their fur depends on their hair cut, whether it's long or short," The reporter said all of this, making Virgil's eyes widen. They showed a picture of Virgil in his human form when he first entered the facility, then his cat form. Roman's mouth hung open, his eyes shifting quickly between the cat on his lap to the picture on the T.V.

'This can't be real, can it? That had to be photoshopped or something,' Roman thought to himself, staring at the cat who grew stiff on his lap. Virgil stood up suddenly, looking up at Roman with a scared look in his eyes, ears flattened against his head. "Virgil...?" Roman asked softly, reaching out to the cat. Virgil jumped back, running into a room, which he found was Roman's bathroom. "Virgil, wait!" Roman stood up, running after the cat who fled. Virgil was in the bathtub, having nowhere to run, nowhere to go.

He couldn't go back to the facility, he wouldn't! Virgil started hyperventilating, struggling to keep himself in his cat form. Roman stumbled into the bathroom, watching Virgil breath quickly, suddenly being engulfed in a cloud of black and purple smoke. There sat a man, around 23 years of age, black hair with ears on top, tips of his hair dyed purple, a tail that was puffed up, and, finally, a patchwork collar around his neck. Roman's mouth hung open, eyes widening. Virgil, his cat, was a halfling? He only thought halflings were existing in fantasy worlds, not in Florida!

The man's chest was going up and down as he was hyperventilating, trying to calm himself down, but couldn't due to how Roman was looking at him, not saying anything. Roman shook himself out of his surprised state, looking at Virgil's body, blushing slightly at the slight four-pack that he had, suddenly noticing that Virgil was very naked. In his tub. In his apartment. Roman's mouth opened and closed, face a dark red, debating whether or not to leave the room.

Roman slowly approached the bathtub, keeping his eyes trained with Virgil's, his heartbreaking as he watched Virgil sob. Roman stepped into the tub, sitting across from Virgil. Virgil continued watching, his body growing stiff as he grew weary of what Roman could do. Roman opened his arms, offering a hug. Virgil's eyes widened, shuffling a bit, wondering what Roman was doing.

"It's okay, Virgil. I'm not going to do anything to harm you, I promise," Roman said softly, keeping his arms out, waiting for Virgil to take his offer. Virgil teared up more, jumping into Roman's arms, feeling a sense of security and safety as Roman hugged him, making him sob harder. Virgil was afraid that Roman would send him back to the facilities like Damien did when he showed him everything.

Roman rubbed circles into Virgil's back, letting Virgil cry everything out until he was reduced to just hiccups. Roman hummed a melody, not sure what, but it sounded Disney like, waiting for Virgil to calm down completely. Virgil stopped crying, a hiccup coming up every once in a while. Roman sighed softly, and started to speak, "Virgil, why didn't you tell me earlier? Everything makes sense now, but, why? I'm hurt that you didn't trust me, Virgil."

Virgil sighed, shifting a little bit, choosing his words. "I... as Patton stated earlier, I have PTSD and anxiety issues. The PTSD began with my ex-boyfriend sending me to the facility that was on the T.V. I didn't want to tell you for the sake of having a home to stay in with someone that I liked. I've never been treated so nicely before and I didn't want that to stop once you saw what I was..." Virgil looked away, biting on his lip, a cat fang showing up instead of a regular human-canine. Roman ran his hand through Virgil's hair, smiling sympathetically. "How about this; we get you into some clothes, talk about this later, and see what happens from there, yeah?" Virgil nodded, getting up off of Roman, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his hips. 

Roman looked away as Virgil did this, spotting his ass just a little bit. Not that he would admit that. Roman followed after Virgil, heading to his room. Roman grabbed a pair of boxers, grey joggers and a white tee. Virgil had grabbed his hoodie when they passed the living room. Roman immediately turned around when Virgil dropped his towel to the ground, getting dressed in front of him. Roman's cheeks were a deep red, but, he couldn't help but admire how much Virgil trusts him, to the point that he's willing to get undressed and dressed in front of him. Virgil tapped his shoulder, shifting from leg to leg, giving off nervous energy. He's never met someone that accepted him for the weird mutant that he was, and, now that he knew he wasn't the only one, he felt at ease. 

Roman smiled softly, petting Virgil's ears. "Now. Shall we start at the beginning?"

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