When Heinz asked Perry to come to Drusselstein with him, Perry was expecting many things. A repeat of what happened last June on Father's day, perhaps, or maybe some sort of scheme which was just technically not-evil enough to squeak by past the 'I quit evil' paperwork he signed.

Perry was not expecting to immediately be led away in the opposite direction of the town, into the woods. Heinz's feet were practiced and his steps light; despite his height, he seemed almost more agile here than even Perry was, a marked contrast from his usual self. He moved with a sort of grace which sent shivers down Perry's spine. Platypuses were not traditional prey animals, but plenty of creatures would eat them given half the chance. Heinz moved like a predator through the woods and, even though he knew he would always be safe with Heinz, Perry couldn't help the ice that settled into his gut.

It didn't take long to come across a well-hidden clearing, protected by brush and overgrown with grasses and shrubs. Heinz stepped into the space slowly, almost reverently, giving Perry enough time to push through the thick brambles. The clearing itself was roughly oblong, and on one end there was an outcrop of rock with an overhang sheltering a large area below. It was a nice enough space, Perry supposed, and he might have felt more charitable towards it if he hadn't just lost several chunks of fur to get in.

Heinz took a faltering step towards the outcrop. Perry looked at him, startled. Gone was the predator's grace which had guided the man's steps mere moments before. Now he looked like nothing more than a lost child.

Perry stepped closer and took Heinz's hand. He still wasn't sure what was going on here, but whatever it was he would always support Heinz through it. The man looked down, startled, as though he had forgotten Perry was there at all. He took a deep breath, then another, then turned back to look at the overhang.

"This is where my ocelot family lived," he said quietly.

Perry squeezed his hand, suddenly feeling out of place. Heinz had never really talked about when he was adopted by ocelots beyond the fact it had happened. It seemed to be a raw spot that had never quite healed, and Perry had never pushed. If Heinz wanted to tell him something, he would, as had been proven time and again by his elaborate means of conveying his backstories.

Heinz took a couple of halting steps towards the overhang, and suddenly Perry could vividly imagine a young Heinz huddled together with a small group of South American wildcats right in this very spot. Curled up alongside them on cold nights, trying to groom them with his human tongue, attempting to hunt with his weak human nails and teeth.

"I had to leave after I got Balloony," Heinz said softly. His voice sounded distant, like he wasn't really talking to Perry so much as lost in recollection. "He was too distracting for them and he drew too much attention. He couldn't stay, and I couldn't let him leave without me."

Perry could see plainly how difficult that choice must have been. Lose the first friend Heinz had ever made or the only family who loved him; it was a wonder Heinz had been able to choose. It made Heinz's eventual loss of Balloony even more heartbreaking.

As if sensing Perry's thoughts, Heinz tipped his head a little in his direction. "I did try to come back, you know. After Balloony floated off. But it was too late." He swallowed, and the motion sounded painful. "This place was abandoned. I only found out later that they'd managed to get on board a ship heading back to South America."

Heinz smiled, a bitter, broken thing, and Perry had had enough. He yanked on Heinz's hand, perhaps a touch too hard, and Heinz overbalanced and flailed as he toppled over. Perry caught him, of course, enveloping Heinz in as tight a hug as he could muster. A startled sound came from the man, followed by a grumbled, "You could have just asked," but Heinz's arms snaked around Perry's back and clung to him.

Even if Perry could talk, he would never dream of mentioning the tears soaking into his shoulder. Heinz clearly needed to let it out, and what kind of secret agent would Perry be if he denied his ex-nemesis this?

Two days in a row where they end up hugging and crying haha. I don't often write about Heinz being an ocelot, though I try to include it where I can, so I wanted to write something that focused on it for today.

Title from Memory from the musical Cats because I couldn't resist.