Summary: There was movement in Tao's security feeds.

Pace the Night

By Dark Ice Dragon

Kiss

Tao hummed as he worked. The patch had went through well and so far nothing had gone wrong. Which was good because it was three in the morning and-

Movement caught his eye and he looked across at the corridor feeds.

Nothing there, but on the one covering the stairs...

Damn.

There was a big mass of silver fur heading down. Not quite a wolf - he was too top heavy for that, front limbs longer, and he was wider chested than a normal one.

The scar on the right side of the snout made it obvious who it was.

M-21 didn't seem nervous or angry, wandering through the house rather than trying to make an exit through a window or wall.

Tao still kept a text prepared for Takeo as he headed back into the main house, just in case that temperament changed when M-21 saw him.

M-21 had made his way to the kitchen by the time Tao reached him. As soon as Tao entered the room, M-21 whirled around, snarling with his ears pulled back.

Well. So much for not being nervous or angry. Tao knew M-21 was bigger like this, but he hadn't gotten a proper look before leaving: M-21 was over head and shoulders taller than him now, Tao not even reaching his armpits.

"You okay, M?" Tao said, staying where he was.

M-21 growled back, but he didn't lunge towards Tao or away, which was a good sign.

"It's not a full moon tonight-" He'd checked. "-so I'm not sure why you're like this." Or maybe there wasn't a reason why werewolves fully transformed.

M still didn't seem to recognise him, but his lip was slowly uncurling, his ears lifting back up.

"But I bet yer hungry! I know I am, heh." They'd had dinner, but that was hours ago. Not to mention who knew how much energy it took to transform.

M-21 eyed him when he stepped closer. When Tao took a second step, he growled louder.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya," Tao said, waving his hands in the air in circles. "I just don't wanna be half-yelling across the room. I know you can hear me, but it's still weird and it's the middle of the night."

M-21 continued to growl.

"And you're right by where the food is, so how am I going to feed us both if I can't get to the fridge?" Tao pointed behind M-21.

Tao took another two steps. There wasn't any change to M-21's behaviour so Tao moved again.

They would have been nose to snout if M-21 had been shorter. "I hope you don't stay this height," Tao said as he reached for M-21's head. "'Cause I have no idea how we'll explain this to the children." A secondary growth spurt? He'd ate all his vegetables?

M-21 growled louder as Tao's hand neared him, but he didn't snap, leaning away instead.

"Not gonna hurt you," Tao repeated. He patted M-21's snout. "See?"

Tao continued to pat and scratch what he could, and he smiled when M-21 started to dip his head towards him.

"Told ya I wasn't gonna hurt you," he said as he planted a kiss on M-21's nose. "Do you want food now?"

"Hrrr."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Tao hummed as he opened the fridge. "I'm sure we had some chicken left over." And as M-21 was right now, he probably wouldn't be interested in anything green.

M-21 peered over his shoulder and Tao snickered as his fur tickled his ear. "Okay, okay, yer hungry. Gimmie a minute - I don't want to give you this cold, even if your digestive system might actually be able to take it."

He kept a hand on M-21's snout as he took the chicken out, putting just enough force to stop M-21 from snapping it all up. "One minute, M, then you can eat. I don't want you getting an upset stomach when you transform back."

M-21 grumbled at him, still hovering over his shoulder.

Tao recorded M-21 watching the food spin around, in case M-21 assumed he was violent when he was instinctual. Which he would, Tao knew. Which was why he was recording. He smiled when M-21's tail wagged a little as the timer counted down.

"You're really hungry, huh?" Tao said when the microwave dinged.

M-21 lifted a paw at the door and Tao batted it. "Ah, ah! No claw marks - Boss'll kill us if you leave any."

M-21 stared at him and Tao smothered a laugh. "Someone's super impatient for food."

Tao kissed him again on the snout to distract him as he opened the microwave door and pulled the food out. He set it on the counter, M-21 almost eating the chunks in one gulp.

Most of the food was gone by the time Tao had finished heating up his own food, M-21 sniffing towards his plate.

"Hey, this is mine!" Tao nudged M-21's snout away. "Or do you need twice the amount of food as usual?"

"Hnng."

"Okay, fine, you get half of mine - but only half!" Tao halved his food and put it on M-21's plate. M-21 dove right in as soon as Tao gave him space.

They finished at the same time, M-21 slowing down by the end.

"You full?" Tao asked as he picked up their plates, M-21 seeming to be content to stay where he was.

He got a yawn as a response, M-21 flashing his fangs. "Heh, good. It is time for bed. You coming with me or do you wanna go to your room?"

Another sleepy grumble.

"My room then, just in case you try to wander off."

It only took a minute to clean the plates, and by then, M-21's eyes were already drooping.

"C'mon, sleepy head, let's get ya to bed," Tao said, leading them out the kitchen.

M-21's hands had paw pads.

Soft paw pads.

Tao really wanted to take a picture of them but M-21's yawns were contagious, and fine, if this happened again, then he'd take as many photos as he could.

Tao dropped onto his bed as soon as he reached it. He didn't have to coax M-21 on, M-21 curling up around him.

"M," Tao said, patting whatever he could reach. "I know you love me and all, but could you maybe not show that by laying right on my chest?" Sure, he was an enhanced human, but M-21 was still heavy.

M-21 huffed and then rolled over, leaving Tao with breathing room.

"Than - ack!" M-21 had licked him, nose to eye.

Tao squinted at him, while M-21 stared back, ears up and no fangs on display.

"Were you kissing me back?"

M-21 licked him again, making Tao laugh.

A yawn interrupted what Tao was going to say next. "Aaand that's the sign for me to sleep," he said, throwing an arm around M-21's neck and closing his eyes.

M-21 nuzzled his cheek for a second and settled down as well.

Tao dozed off to the sound of M-21's breathing.

Written for givethispromptatry's prompt, '"Enough," he whispered as his hands cupped the massive muzzle inches from his face. The growl reverberating in the air quieted with the kiss he pressed between two glowing golden eyes. "Enough."'