Welcome to One Shots (WTNV, Cecilos)

Like Cats and Dogs

"Carlos?"

Cecil pops his head curiously around the doorframe, peering into the living room as a snaking purple tentacle flicks on the light switch. He hasn't seen his boyfriend since yesterday evening, when they kissed goodnight before Carlos went to work on a science project. Cecil has been looking for his boyfriend for several minutes now - almost ten. The only place he hasn't checked yet is the lab in the spare office, but that's usually off-limits. The last time he went in there, he burned a tentacle very badly, and has since learned to steer clear. But, finding Carlos nowhere else in the house (and knowing he hasn't left because he would have left a Post-it on the fridge) Cecil traipses upstairs in search of his boyfriend.

It's raining cats and dogs outside - literal dead cats and dogs. The glow cloud is angry that its attempted school reforms aren't being recognized, and it is punishing Night Vale by keeping them all inside until its motions are passed. Cecil doesn't think Carlos wants to be out, and a quick glance out the window confirms that the scientist is not experimenting on the dead animals. Finally, he is outside the lab.

He hesitantly tugs at the doorknob. Finding the door locked, he raps on it and calls out, "Carlos?" A shuffling noise ensues inside, but no response is made. He tries again.

"Carlos, are you in there?" A little more shuffling, but no response. A prick of doubt gnaws at Cecil; maybe it isn't his Carlos at all. Maybe it's the faceless old woman who secretly lives in their home. Last time he checked, however, she was in the attic, occupying herself with a computer Carlos left up there, and so he decides it must be Carlos.

"Sweetheart, I'm coming in. Or faceless old woman, but probably Carlos." Cecil pushes one of his smaller tentacles towards the door; the tinier appendages have numerous uses, lockpicking amongst them. Within seconds, the door is swinging open.

Something squeaks and scuttles as he steps inside, and he is shocked. The normally orderly lab - from what he can tell by the occasional glimpses inside he gets, anyway - is in disarray. Papers are strewn everywhere, beakers are overturned, and there are random scorch marks all over the room. There are a few shattered pieces of glassware scattered about, and Cecil is cautious of where he steps as he enters the room.

"Carlos?" he calls. A muffled groan echoes from somewhere in the room, and he's afraid. "I'm so sorry to intrude, but . . . are you alright?"

He doesn't hear any response, and he's starting to freak out because what is going on with his precious Carlos today? Cecil wonders if the City Council has need of his boyfriend to investigate some sort of science mystery, and then he remembers the cell phone.

He pulls out his phone and presses the speed dial for his scientist. Holding the phone to his ear, he is startled when he hears the song Carlos has set as his ringtone echoing through the darkened lab. Carlos never goes anywhere without his cell phone; he has to be in the room somewhere.

Searching with renewed vigor, Cecil sends his tentacles whipping through the room. They dart about like purple lightning, feeling in every corner, looking for any trace of his scientist. His purple eyes glow as his night vision snaps into overtime, scanning the darkened room for any signs of his boyfriend. He finds a suspicious blanket-covered lump in the corner, and it seems vaguely person-shaped. Also, the song is coming from that general area, and the blanket squirms when he pokes it.

Cecil yanks the blanket off, and only catches a glimpse of his Carlos before he immediately yanks it back on. Cecil grabs the blanket in his tentacles, tugging hard, and the tug-of-war continues until the blanket rips in half.

Carlos covers his head with the blanket, making a noise that Cecil thinks sounds suspiciously like a whimpering noise. "Carlos, what's going on? Why are you hiding from me?"

"Go away, Cecil!" Carlos snaps, attempting to scurry away. Cecil thrusts out his tentacles, effectively trapping his boyfriend in the corner. Another tentacle pulls off the blanket hood, and Cecil is stunned.

Bright bronze-furred puppy ears stick up out of his black curls, and a similarly-colored tail wraps around his leg. Carlos is practically cowering, and Cecil has no words. "Carlos . . . "

Carlos stares at his boyfriend with eyes that lack the warmth and emotion that they used to have. "Go ahead, say it. I'm a freak. It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Carlos, what happened?" Cecil whispers. He sends a tentacle out to turn on the light switch, the night vision glow dying from his violet eyes. Carlos slides down onto the floor, ears flattened against his head. His tail is wrapped around his leg, and if Cecil didn't know better he'd think his boyfriend was whimpering.

"I was analyzing some of the dogs in Night Vale," Carlos answers, after a while where no one says anything. "The experiment got out of control. I didn't know that - Cecil, some of the liquid containing the DNA I was analyzing spilled on me and I started changing . . . I hid from you because I didn't want you to think any differently of me because I had unusual body parts."

"Why would I think badly of you for unusual body parts?" Cecil asks, slightly offended, as his tentacles wriggle in the air behind him. "As you can see, I am quite clearly an expert in the subject. Additional appendages are nothing to sneeze at."

Carlos stares into the distance, eyes unfocused and expression dazed. Cecil rolls his eyes and, using his tentacles, wraps around his boyfriend and lifts him up. Carlos's ears are flattened against his head and his eyes are wide in a classic "puppy-dog" expression. Cecil smiles, lifting a hand to brush some stray curls from his boyfriend's tanned face.

"I don't care how many odd appendages you have. Do you care how many I have? Do you care that I have these tentacles that retract into tattoos? Do you care that I look like a mutant octopus freak?" Carlos's ears bristle, and he turns sharply to glare at his boyfriend.

"Who told you that? Who said those awful, disgusting, disgraceful things to my Cecil?" he practically growls. Cecil laughs, pulling his boyfriend in for a long, sweet, slow kiss.

"See? Why would I ever want to leave the most perfect, loyal, beautiful scientist in the entire world?" Cecil croons when they break apart. He rests a hand on Carlos's cheek, gently rubbing his thumb along Carlos's strong and perfect jawline.

"Of course, we may run into an issue with Khoshekh, but that's a matter for another day, right?" And Cecil swears he hears his scientist growl like a savage, but he simply smiles and kisses the man's Raven curls.

{A/N: not dead, bitches. ~ ml}