Feral

Wonder Duo

Then

It was cold.

So, so very cold.

His body was wracked with involuntary shivering. His teeth clicked and chattered and hurt .

It didn't matter how far underground he was, or how tightly he curled up on himself, not a single ounce of warmth made itself known. He tucked his ears flat to his neck, where his fur was the thickest, and yet the cold still nipped at them, sending waves of stinging pain.

He couldn't even feel his lower half. It had already gone completely numb.

Leaf-bare was always the worst. He hated the cold. He would rather lay on a warm patch of grass and sunbathe for hours, soaking in sunlight. That was the best.

But with leaf-bare; daylight was fleeting, and nights were stretched out, never ending. And worse of all, prey was almost nonexistent.

Even now he could feel a whine building in his throat as hunger stabbed at his insides. Why couldn't that be numb instead of his back legs? What he wouldn't give for it to just go away .

What he wouldn't give just for something... anything to eat. To sink his teeth into and tear and rip and ravage. For the wonderful feeling of hot blood dripping down his chin as he nosed into his prey savoring its warmth that was untouched by the cruel freezing cold touch of leaf-bare.

He didn't notice the drool flooding his mouth until his clenching stomach brought him back to his harsh reality.

His eyes pricked. Squeezing them tightly shut, he whined loudly. Why did it seem like every leaf-bare was steadily growing worse? The cold used to never affect him this badly!

A thought of shifting down into his smaller form and wrapping himself up in the large blue cloth-pelt popped into his head. But the creature shook it off as soon as it came.

No, the cloth-pelt was getting too thin these days and the torn holes made it hard to keep warm anymore.

His mind drifted, where did he find that again?

...

Oh, right... from a dead two-leg... that was during the leaf-bare too, wasn't it?

But it was so long ago. And it was getting hard to think. His brain felt like thick mush, slogging to grasp the details.

That two-leg came during the leaf-bare... he's pretty sure he ended up feasting on it.

...

Did he finish it?

Was there any waste?

...

Will another show up?

...

If he eats... will warm up?

He sighed longingly, his eyes dropping closed into an uneasy, fitful sleep.

He didn't have the energy for anything else.

Now

Shouta was doing something very strange.

He was getting dressed in the clothes he wears to that big place, but it was nighttime! Silly Shouta, doesn't he know they go during the daytime? He should be getting dressed in his bedtime clothes!

Izuku said as much.

He puffed out his chest with his important news and pointed a small furry finger to the large nest-bed.