Traces de minuit (Felix/Oswald)
Summary: After a night of passion, and with the house asleep, without anyone noticing what has just happened between the two adults, Oswald and Felix chat, cuddle, and share a pleasant moment until dawn.
Words: 1862
Note: This short story is part of an alternate timeline I created based on Inky Mystery. For more information:
A timeline from one AU to another AU
Spanish version of this story
Moonlight filtered through the slats of the blinds, casting silvery lines across the wrinkled sheets.
The silence in the room, beyond the crackling of the fire consuming the wood in the fireplace, the patter of rain against the windows, and the sounds of Toontown's nightlife that barely filtered through the glass, was almost absolute. A silence broken only occasionally by the soft rhythm of their breathing, which was returning to normal. The air still held the scent of clean sheets, sweet sweat, and the lingering warmth of their bodies.
The adrenaline and intensity of their shared moments behind closed doors had dissipated, leaving in their place a dense, comforting warmth, but also an inevitable, timid silence in the aftermath of what had transpired.
Oswald lay on his side in bed, where he had now left an indelible mark, staring at Felix, whose back was to him. With Felix's back turned, Oswald could make out some of the physical marks of what he'd done, like the bite on his left shoulder, one on his right ear, and a few on his neck (perhaps what Tens had said about him biting his classmates was true). It was a wonderful sight, and it made him feel so embarrassingly excited, like a teenager who had finally done something with the girl he liked (even though Felix wasn't a girl, but he liked her a lot).
One of his hands gently stroked the black cat's ears. And at the soft caresses, Felix let out a low, comforting purr that melted the other's heart. The feline felt his body surrender to a pleasant weariness, so he wasn't going to deny Oswald the pleasure of hearing him purr, even though it still embarrassed him a little.
“Sometimes I wonder if everything that’s happened so far has been real,” Felix whispered, breaking the silence with a deep, husky voice, tinged with the muffled moans of a few minutes earlier. He didn’t even bother to turn to look at the rabbit. “The map, the ink sickness… us.”
The rabbit blinked, banishing the sleep that threatened to overtake him; his long ears drooped at the sides of his face in a gesture of complete relaxation, but he remained attentive to the former adventurer’s comment.
Oswald let out a soft sigh as he ran his fingers through Felix’s dark, shaggy fur, which made him look incredibly attractive. He really wished he could see the cat disheveled more often.
“It’s real, Felix. Every danger, every piece you found… and this too. How does it feel?”
Felix turned slowly to face him, which made Oswald remove his hand from his fur. His eyes shone with that spark of cunning that even exhaustion couldn't completely extinguish, but now there was something far more vulnerable in them.
"I feel like I've been run over by a tricycle… but in the best possible way." Felix let out a laugh that widened Oswald's smile a little more, and then the cat's faded. "You know, if we hadn't been able to help my children back then…" The cat hesitated, swallowing hard. "I… everything…"
Oswald's gaze softened. Gently, he placed his hand on the cat's cheek, forcing him to look him in the eyes.
"Listen carefully, stubborn cat. Nothing will erase what we've built here, and your children are fine. One of them is asleep several miles away, finally tangled up with the girl he liked, and the other is drooling on a pillow, just a stone's throw away from catching us playing 'Paty-Cake' if he decided to come and see you."
Felix closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of Oswald's hand, and chuckled at the unusual comfort.
"You're an incorrigible romantic when you want to be, you know?"
"Only with you," Oswald replied with a tired but no less mischievous half-smile, stealthily leaning in to place a tender, lingering kiss on Felix's forehead that made the feline blush even more than he already was.
Oswald moved even closer, closing the distance between their faces. The kiss was slow, a gentle caress that sought to erase the bittersweet moment from before. The feline sighed against the other's lips, wrapping his arms around Oswald's neck.
The initial shyness quickly dissipated. The rabbit took the initiative firmly, but carefully. With a fluid movement, he gently pushed Felix back, positioning himself on top of him. As they separated, Oswald wore a mischievous grin, which the cat returned with one of his own.
"Drink some water," Oswald said quietly, picking up a cup he'd left on the nightstand before it all started. "You're going to get dehydrated with all that purring."
Felix chuckled and, with a touch of discomfort, sat up to take the mug with both hands. He took a few small sips while Oswald took the opportunity to rearrange the pillows behind them, making sure they were well supported. When Felix finished, Oswald placed the mug back and unexpectedly wrapped the cat in his arms, pulling him close and giving him a few kisses on the neck before lying down on the unmade bed. This made the former adventurer blush deeply at the closeness of their naked, tired bodies, but he chuckled.
"Thank you," Felix murmured, closing his eyes completely and snuggling against Oswald's neck.
“Always, Felix,” Oswald whispered, his voice husky but incredibly gentle. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Oswald recalled the instructions he’d received about doing something like this, and if there was one thing he didn’t want, it was for Felix to be… ugh, in such bad shape (despite how attractive he looked all disheveled afterward). How shameful it would be to have to rush to the hospital at this hour and for these reasons.
“Yes, Ozzie. I’m fine. Incredibly fine,” Felix replied with a smile so radiant and calm that it dispelled the rabbit’s anxieties. “But we should take a bath; I don’t think we smell like flowers and cookies.”
Oswald smiled at the joke, which wasn’t far off the mark. Neither of them smelled particularly good, but not terrible either, just a little like sweat and something else.
“Whatever you say, boss.” The rabbit released Felix and got up to go to the room’s private bathroom.
The cat lay stretched out on the wrinkled (and dirty) blanket of his bed, listening through the half-open door as Oswald rummaged through the bathroom drawers and turned on the tap, filling the tub. The approaching footsteps made Felix open his eyes; he didn't know when he had closed them. The first thing he saw was Oswald's grinning face, his eyes twinkling mischievously, which made the cat let out a sleepy chuckle.
"The bath is ready, let's go," said Oswald, reaching out to pick him up. But Felix refused, taking his hand and walking, still uncomfortably, toward the bathroom.
The dim light from the ceiling lamp reflected off the luxurious bathroom tiles, eliminating the shadows that had previously filled the space, and in turn, the light threatened to rouse Felix's sleepy eyes. Hot water filled the bathtub, releasing a thick steam that fogged the mirror above the sink and created an almost dreamlike atmosphere, a space that threatened to lull the feline into sleep.
Oswald was being very considerate.
"The bath is ready, Felix. Come in." Oswald gestured for him to enter, placing his hand on Felix's back.
Felix turned to face him.
"Well, I have two options: the first is to bathe after you, and the second is to bathe with you." Oswald replied with a mischievous tone, smiling and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
The reaction the former wizard imagined from Felix would be a stutter and a blush, but after a few seconds of the cat processing what the rabbit had said, it was as if the room's brightness concentrated in the feline's eyes. Oswald pricked up his long ears, noticing this change. Had he said the right thing?
The adventurer carefully stepped into the bathtub, turned to face him, and extended his hand with a radiant expression.
"A bath together saves water," Felix's witty remark widened the rabbit's smile.
That bath wasn't exactly short, but neither was it excessively long, and it certainly wasn't boring. The warm water was a balm for their tired muscles and bodies, and the atmosphere was enlivened by jokes and anecdotes, the occasional pleasant silence that settled over them, and Felix's constant concern upon noticing the scars on Oswald's back (the rabbit himself had forgotten about them until Felix went to help him wash his back and was alarmed to discover them).
It took them a few more minutes to stay in the bathroom, now wearing the pajamas that the magic bag (which burst into the bathroom, startling them) had brought out, and not naked. Felix cleaned and tended to Oswald's accidental wounds on his back, and the cat remained distressed and guilty despite the wizard's attempts to downplay them.
Not that the slight bleeding from one of the scratches calmed him down.
So when they finally entered the room, Oswald sat on the sofa in the corner and watched as Felix removed the dirty sheets and put on fresh ones that the magic bag had brought after sitting down beside him, without Oswald being able to help at all (Felix had forbidden him from helping, arguing that it was only fair). Oswald felt judged by the magic object he kept staring at—it almost seemed like a staring contest—and was surprised when it suddenly spat out an object that the rabbit could barely grasp.
"The bed is ready. Sleep with me tonight… What is that, Ozzie?" Felix looked at his hands curiously.
"Your bag threw it to me." Oswald smiled amusedly, waving it in front of his face.
Felix froze, staring at it.
"Is that… a pregnancy test?" The cat blushed and frowned, looking at his bag, which seemed to be laughing. "Where did that come from? Besides, we're men, something like that isn't going to happen, no matter how much you find the idea of me taking care of it amusing."
Oswald has gotten used to many things. But he still finds it a little surreal and funny to see the bag making sounds when he manipulates the zipper, as if it were responding to the feline.
The archaeologist crossed his arms and gave the object a mocking smile.
"If that impossibility were to become possible, next time I'll let you face X without interruption."
The bag offered him a leash, which Felix accepted, thus sealing their amusing and absurd pact. Oswald stifled a laugh, somewhat disconcerted by the sudden determination they both seemed to possess.
"Good. Good. Let's go to sleep, Felix." With a flick of his fingers, Oswald made the pregnancy test disappear and lay down on his back, though the sharp pain caused him to wince.
The rabbit watched with amusement as the adventurer took one last look at the bag.
They settled down again, this time closer together, erasing any space between them. Felix buried his face in Oswald's neck, inhaling his scent, while the rabbit covered them both with the blanket, consciously ignoring what awaited them when they woke up.
The title refers to the nickname "Mon Minuit".
This story is referenced in the book "Felix".
Well... I know this story took a while to be published, but I hope everyone likes what I've done. I've been a bit busy, which is why I haven't been able to get to this and fulfill the poll winners' wishes.
When I did the poll, I was sure that Mousetrap from PED AU was going to win, since I only receive messages in my inbox with requests and questions regarding this pairing in this AU.
But people did this to my face when the voting period ended:
Wow, I honestly didn't expect people to like the Oslix from Future Timeline of Inky Mystery so much, as I never had any indication that people were that interested in it or anything like that.
And to those who voted for Mousetrap, don't be upset, I'll have some things for you, and if you have any questions about the AU or the pairing, I'll answer them :D
I'm also considering posting something about the Babtqftim AU I created, where I rewrite the lore and universe of the story. I really like my Bendy for that AU, since he's not a hero. I'm breaking with the trend of many AUs where he's a hero. I've tried to make him resemble a combination of Lucifer from Constantine (2005) and Mephiles the Dark (STH 2006). While the last reference might sound infamous, I really like the powerful villain the character concept offered.
And well… that's all. Bye <3
