Lycanthropy
Author: NYWCgirl
Fandom: White Collar
Pairing: None
Characters: Neal Caffrey
Warning: none
Spoilers: none
Rating: Gen
Genre: hurt/comfort, loneliness, unwanted transformation, were wolves
Author's Notes: This ficlet and art fill the ‘unwanted transformation’ square on my H/C Bingo card
Word Count: ~580
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine…
Summary: Neal doesn´t remember being bitten, but he knows he has.
This ficlet can also be found on AO3.
It started with an off feeling, like when you catch the flu. Nothing major, but Neal started feeling progressively worse. He had called Peter and asked for a day off, promising him to go see a doctor, if he felt worse. He took one of his few thick sweaters and huddled up in bed, shivers racking his body. Over the days they appeared to be worse at night.
Something is wrong, he can feel it, it seems to consume him from the inside. He makes himself a new pot of tea and takes some Tylenol, hoping the fever will break.
Once he is hauled up under the blankets, he quickly falls asleep.
* * *
Mozzie walks up the stairs with a take out dish of chicken soup for Neal and some quinoa salad for himself. He knows Neal still has half a bottle of Barolo left, so he is looking forward to it.
He opens the door, to find the loft door, ‘Neal?’
He spots a Neal shaped lump in the bed, so he flicks on the light in the kitchenette.
‘Neal? I bought you some soup from that deli you like so much.’
When there is absolutely no response, he walks up to the bed. Neal pulled the blankets over himself covering him completely, so Mozzie pulls it back, gasping when he reveals Neal.
Strange patches of hair are visible on his face and the one arm he can see. But what is even more disturbing is the pointed ear Mozzie sees.
Mozzie is still debating whether or not he should wake Neal, but the predator in his new Neal has sensed the proximity of a possible prey or threat and Neal eyes shoot open.
Staring in the yellow glowing orbs of a predator, the pupils dilate like a wolf´s, and Mozzie swallows thickly. He takes a step back, realizing what is happening.
‘Neal?’
At first Neal doesn´t move, but then he slowly rises.
‘Neal? Are you with me?’
Neal gives himself a full body shake.
‘Yeah, you said something about chicken soup? I´m starving.’
Mozzie studies Neal for a moment but he appears to not realize what is happening to him.
‘How are you feeling?’
‘Like all my joints are stiff and I have sore muscles, probably the flu. I’m scheduled for a flu shot next week.’
‘Yeah, that is great, but have you looked in the mirror lately?’
It is clear Neal can see something’s wrong and turns to stagger to the bathroom.
‘Wait, let’s eat first, you are sick and I want some food in you. Knowing you, you haven´t eaten anything. And the soup is still warm.’
Neal looks at the containers Mozzie is taking out of the bag, ‘did you by any chance get chicken noodle soup?’
‘Is there any other?’
Neal happily sits down at the table and takes the lid of the soup container. Once Mozzie hands him utensils, he sort of inhales the soup. Mozzie is still nursing the glass of wine when Neal starts rummaging through his fridge and cupboards.
‘What are you looking for?’
‘I don´t know, but I have a craving.’
‘Neal you know I have my own refined palette, but you never have cravings, so as strange as this is, I need to ask, what do you have a craving for?’
‘I don´t know. Steak?’
‘Neal, have you recently been bitten by an animal?
Neal looks up in surprise, ‘how do you know?’
'Oh man... this is not good...'
.