He was crouched low, staring at his prey as it bounded back and forth on the carpeted floor. The feathers frantically waving in the air is it took off into the air. But it was never there for long, it landed with a pronounced thump each time it hit the floor. The time was drawing near to strike and it caused his rump to rise slightly from his crouched position and wiggle a bit.
With a final thump of it landing is when Heiji finally pounced. Claws digging into his prey. Of course it wasn’t real and he cursed himself for falling for such a trick!
First off it was bad when he, Hattori Heiji the great detective of the west, got stuck as a cat in the first place. Things got worse when out of anyone in Tokyo, of course this had to happen in Tokyo the place was cursed, actually found him it happened to be Hakuba Saguru. The guy had the audacity to treat him like a regular cat.
Despite finding Heiji in a pile of his own clothes. His signature hat resting completely over him and the charm Kazuha had gotten him still around his neck. The guy just didn’t put the dots together! In fact Hakuba saw fit to mail the things back to Osaka. Or at least that’s what Heiji thought he did see the other detective put the things in a box but he didn’t know where that box went.
Anyways it was humiliating and if Hakuba ever found out the truth the guy would never, never, let this go. The only plus was that Heiji was safe and warm during this rainy season and Hakuba had gotten the good cat food.
Of course he’d put the dots together, but it was so much more fun to pretend that he hadn’t. After all, there was no point in wounding Hattori Heiji’s pride when he was in cat form – cats weren’t especially good at showing expressions on their little faces with the way that their muzzles were shaped – and he wanted to get the full effect for his efforts.
Hakuba had never owned a cat before, but it was easy enough to find cat enthusiasts online who were more than willing to share their tips, tricks, and advice. Yes, the best cat food, the best toys, the best catnip, treats, little kitty bed, brushes, claw clippers, and so on… That way, though embarrassed he was sure that Heiji would be, he at least wouldn’t be able to claim that he’d been mistreated in any way.
Humiliation through unconditional kindness was far, far better.
The blond detective reached down to offer his hand to the current feline, rubbing fingers together in way of offering. “Come, little Tora-kun; let’s take a little break for the afternoon, shall we? We can watch the rain together from the window seat… perhaps cuddle in one of my quilts. Doesn’t that sound lovely?”
As much as he felt admittedly odd being so affectionate toward what he knew to be his rival and arch nemesis, he had to admit that cats had a certain warmth to them that he really enjoyed. It was probably the fluid quality to them… warm, fluffy bellies unhindered by rigid bone structure, letting them drape and stretch comfortably like a furry heating pad. Unlike his goldies, who while warm, had the habit of stepping all over him while trying to get comfortable.
Cats were soft. Even Hattori cats. And Hakuba liked that.