The black panther yowled as Charlie tried to push it in the bathtub. It had been calm most of the way home, only slightly tensing when nearing other humans, but nonetheless inoffensive. It had been another story, though, when Charlie had started to run a warm bath. 

The vampire had had to lock the door before the feline could make its escape. Surprisingly, Mika hadn’t tried to claw at the door, which could have left deep marks, and Charlie was immensely grateful for this. Maybe it was linked to the fact that his personality didn’t like making others mad, or he just found kneading the mat much more satisfying while he waited.

Now that the bath was ready, however, it was another thing. Mika still kept his claws away, but Charlie had to drop him as he struggled too much. The water only came to his mid-calf, but the black panther was absolutely terrified. Charlie could sense some trauma behind his behavior, because even normal cats didn’t react that much.

Charlie decided to show it was safe by getting into the tub himself, splashing his body and then showing his unhurt skin to a dumbstruck Mika. The big cat blinked his turquoise eyes at him, looking back between his wet skin and the water, as if astonished by the fact that Charlie was safe.

Mika made a low rumble in the back of his throat, before slowly climbing into the bathtub when Charlie patted his thigh. His hackles were still risen, he was ready to run at the slightest feeling of pain.

When nothing happened even after he was fully seated in the water, Mika slightly relaxed. Charlie took this as his clue to start pouring water over his tangled fur, trying to untie the knots. The water in the tub quickly became brown with dirt and it took a few refills before Mika’s beautiful coat found its moonless night shine. Charlie watched in awe at the smooth patterns showing through the obsidian fur when the light hit it in just the right way.

Coming out of his fascination, the Doctor got up from the tub before unplugging it and taking a fluffy towel off of the shelves. Charlie wrapped Mika in it and took him out of the tub. The drowsy panther slowly blinked at him with heavy eyelids before yawning as Charlie started to dry him with a hair-dryer.

The blond vampire lightly chuckled at his cuteness.

When Mika was finally clean and ready for a good nap, Charlie took him to the cozy couch before the fire-place, gently lowering the already sleeping big kitten on the cushions. He then lit up a fire and covered Mika with a fluffy blanket. Before he could catch himself, Charlie had bowed his head and placed a fleeting kiss on the cat’s forehead.

***

The black panther’s eyelids slowly lifted to reveal slanted pupils still dilated with sleep. Mika lifted his head off the paw where it was resting and looked at his surroundings. He didn’t know where he was, or how he got there. The only thing he remembered was running away after his father discovered his secret.

Just the thought of the rejection he faced made his heart painfully squeeze.

A small part of himself wondered if his people would be more lenient with him. Maybe they would accept his ideas. Not every shifter had bad blood with the Vampires like the King. When he would be able to guess where he was, Mika could use a computer to look at the Weres forums. The news of his disappearance just before the coronation would surely make the headlines and the comments could inform him of the shifters’ opinion.

Mika’s whiskers twitched and his dark pink nose inhaled some air as a sweet odor started to waff through the opening below the door behind the couch he was on. The black panther got up with difficulties, his limbs not obeying him well. He didn’t know for how long his animal side was in control, but he could guess that it had been running non stop for at least a few days.

It could have been even less time, god knows just how broken his body was.

Mika looked around the small office. There were only the couch he was on facing a lit fire-place, a desk with a chair at the door’s right and a wooden cabinet on the left wall. The door was closed, but Mika could hear soft humming and what seemed to be the sound and smell of pancakes being baked. He gulped at the thought of the soft meal between his famished teeth and nearly moaned as he imagined the flavor. 

He had only eaten pancakes one time in his life and it was when he had to attend a banquet held to celebrate the coming of age ceremony of a girl from an influential family. His father had forced him to go to make connections with her. It had ended in a solid defeat as Mika was uninterested in girls in general and thus couldn’t force himself to make conversation with the girl. He had instead spent his sweet time eating from the buffet. 

It couldn’t be hidden that it had led to a severe beating when he had come back.

Mika got down on the floor, still in his panther’s form. He was stronger this way and in an unknown place, it was better to hide his weak side. Arriving near the door, the feline paused mid-step, unsure of how to open the door and a little afraid of what was awaiting him. Just because he got beaten up all his life didn’t mean he enjoyed the pain. He wasn’t exactly enthusiastic at the thought of having left one kind of hell to end up in another one.

Before he could debate more on his following actions, the door opened from the outside, making his panther let out a squeak of surprise. Doctor Charlie stood outside the office, looking in shock at him, before pressing his fist to his mouth, muffling the laugh that wanted to escape.

Mika felt all his body heat up at the embarrassment as Charlie’s body shook with tremors. He thanked his dark fur for hiding his flush and quickly bypassed the brown-eyed vampire. He felt the man follow him in the corridor and soon he entered the kitchen. Mika approached the table where he could somewhat see the corner of two plates filled with pancakes waiting for the both of them. Before he could get up on the seat, however, Charlie rackled his throat.

‘Oh’

Mika stopped, tail and ears dropping as he realized that the meal was probably not for himself. He cursed at his stupidity, not believing that he had taken for granted such a fact when he knew that nobody ever made something for him. The black panther started to walk back to the office, hoping he could throw himself in the fire and end his suffering.

"Where are you going Mika? Don’t look so down, I just wanted to tell you that I would appreciate it if you could eat with me in human form." Charlie said with a sad smile, looking at Mika with eyes that told him the Doctor could guess the thoughts he just had.

The feline’s tail and ears immediately shot up in the air, a soft purring leaving its throat.

Hey dear readers, do you think Charlie is the ML?

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