Work Text:
Herbert was going to kill Dan.
Well, not quite yet. He’d have to wait until the reagent was just slightly further along to confidently do so. In the past he’d argue that he needed Dan around as another set of hands in the lab. But Dan was as good as dead with the way he had been behaving lately.
He had been moody and more secretive than usual. Herbert didn't understand how his assistant worked. Dan never said what he really meant; He always expected Herbert to know when something was wrong, or acted depressed in order to bait him into asking what was the matter.
It was small irritations at first. Herbert had assumed Dan was simply trying to get under his skin and brushed the comments aside. Dan complained to him that his pencil tapping on the stainless steel counters was painfully loud and snapped at him to cut it out. Insisted that he could hear Herbert biting his nails from across the room, and even that his new cologne smelled too strong.
“I don’t wear cologne,” Herbert drawled, unamused.
“Aftershave, whatever. I don’t care what it is.” Dan rolled his eyes. “It’s practically giving me a migraine. You’re like a teenager in a locker room with that stuff.”
They felt like schoolyard insults and complaints, low even for Dan. Herbert hadn’t been acting any different than usual, and he certainly hadn’t made any changes to his grooming routine. Dan started avoiding Herbert altogether shortly after, which was when Herbert concluded this was more than just an irritating joke. Herbert was done playing games with Dan, done trying to guess what was truly bothering him. It could be any number of things, new hours at work, Herbert’s laundry habits, some offhand comment he made about Dan’s handiwork on their latest cadaver. Herbert had recently begun animal testing again which Dan seemed to be particularly distraught by. It didn’t help that the creature– a reanimated dog– had given Dan somewhat of a nasty scare and jumped on him when he entered the room last week. Herbert found it endlessly amusing. Dan had not.
But, if his assistant had an issue, he'd have to learn to use his words. Herbert was particularly good at feigning ignorance, he could pretend not to notice Dan's increasingly irritable mood and avoidant behavior for as long as it took. This time was no different.
Herbert had been attempting to not let Dan’s avoidance of the lab bother him. One less distraction, he supposed. But Dan’s absence from the lab and what seemed to be every other aspect of his life was becoming a problem for Herbert’s sanity as well.
Namely, the phone was ringing off the hook. Normally Herbert would’ve ignored it, or more likely unplugged it, but he was expecting a call about a shipment of new lab equipment and couldn’t afford to miss the notice. Which meant every time the phone rang, he had to answer. And every time he answered, it was not, in fact, about valuable lab equipment.
It was a woman.
Herbert snatched the old rotary phone from its cradle for what felt like the fifth time that evening. A voice that was becoming far too familiar for Herbert’s liking spoke on the other side.
“Hi, is Doctor Cain there–”
“No, he isn’t,” Herbert answered blankly. “And he’s not dead or injured, so either he has just forgotten about your date or you’ve been stood up.”
Herbert slammed the phone down in the receiver before he could get a response, though he would’ve loved to hear the offended voice on the other line. He just simply didn’t have the time. He needed to sort through this mess with Dan. If Dan wanted to ignore Herbert for whatever inane reason, he could go ahead and do so. But this avoidant behavior was leaking into even the frivolous distractions that Dan was usually swept away in. Something was clearly wrong, and Herbert was sick of it.
He rapped his knuckles on Dan’s bedroom door sharply. When there wasn’t an instant reply, he decided not to wait.
“Meet me in the lab. Immediately.”
Herbert stormed into the basement. He checked his watch, it was nearly sunset and he hadn’t gotten anywhere close to enough work done for the day. He began to sort through the remainder of the cell cultures he had set up for the evening as Dan finally made his way into the lab.
“What’s the emergency?”
Herbert spoke firmly without even bothering to look up.
“You are going to call that woman so she’ll stop bothering us, and then you are going to help me for the rest of the night to make up for all the time I wasted answering your calls today.”
Dan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you serious? I thought something was wrong.”
“Something is wrong. I can’t get any work done around here because my assistant has apparently chosen to become a deliberate heart breaker and sulk away in his room all day.”
“That is not what I’ve been doing,” Dan muttered, an edge entering his tone.
“Oh really?” Herbert finally looked up and gave him a mock-pitied expression. “Then answer your own goddamn messages and do something productive for once. I don’t really care what the reasoning for your odd behavior is, just that you keep it to yourself and out of the lab.”
“My odd behavior? Oh, that’s rich,” Dan spat sarcastically.
“What are you insinuating?” Herbert narrowed his eyes.
“You’re the one who's been acting weird. Being loud all the time and the constant nagging and smells–”
“Daniel, genuinely, what is your problem?” Herbert cut him off, rolling his eyes. “You don’t have to make up this nonsense about my behavior when clearly something else is bothering you.”
“Why would I be making this up?”
“Is this about the dog? If it hurts your poor little veterinarian heart that badly, I won’t use animal specimens when you’re–”
“Would you just shut the fuck up?” Dan snapped.
Herbert paused, raising an eyebrow.
“That was a little harsh, even for your melodramatic tendencies,” Herbert drawled. “That time of the month for you, is it?”
Dan launched himself across the room and grabbed Herbert by his shirt collar.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Fucking– asshole.”
“Bit of an overreaction, don't you think?” Herbert tried to twist himself from Dan's grasp. Dan in turn, pushed Herbert until his back hit the wall.
Herbert never felt afraid when Dan got physically angry with him. It was close to routine. But this time was different, Dan was far more intense than usual. The force he used was excessive, the anger in his eyes beyond annoyance. Herbert couldn't help but notice the thrill that shot through his body at the rough treatment. He shook his head.
“I don't know what's gotten into you and why you've been acting so weird lately.” Herbert finally found his voice again. “But just grow up and cut it out. Frankly, it's embarrassing.”
Dan looked over Herbert and dropped him suddenly. He brought a hand to his own head and pushed back his hair. Herbert composed himself, straightening his tie as he looked Dan up and down. There was a pained, confused look in his eyes.
“The hell…” Dan muttered. “What is wrong with... Why is it… Why’s it so hot in here?”
Herbert began to approach Dan slowly, like he was a wild creature that might run off if he made any sudden movements. Dan clawed at the collar of his own shirt in agitation.
“I’ve just been so pent up. I thought it’d go away but it’s only gotten worse. Everything’s just been so overwhelming lately– even more down here. I feel like I can't even leave my room.”
Dan was clutching at his head and his breathing seemed to quicken. Herbert began to feel concern rather than annoyance. He put a gentle hand on Dan’s shoulder, planning to just sit him down for a moment, take some vitals. But the moment Herbert touched him Dan’s head snapped up and he snatched Herbert’s wrist in a vice grip.
“Could you just leave me alone and stop being such a dick for… for…” Dan trailed off, distracted. His features softened slowly as he looked over Herbert. He smelled the air for a moment.
Herbert furrowed his brow. “Paging doctor Cain, anyone there?”
Dan seemed to be lost in his thoughts and only jostled slightly from them at Herbert's interruption.
“That smell…”
Dan pulled him by the wrist and Herbert stumbled forward. Dan leaned closer, close enough to the point that Herbert pressed his head backwards, fearful of the closing distance between them. He had countless fantasies of the two of them in a position nearly exactly like this, but something was clearly off, which made Herbert cautious. Dan suddenly buried his face into the crook of Herbert's neck and inhaled deeply.
“Dan!” Herbert gasped. He tried to back away but was held by his shirt. “What's gotten into you?”
“Just shut up for a second,” Dan wrapped a hand tightly over Herbert's jaw. His breath was shaky beneath the fingers around his mouth, but he didn’t move to push Dan away. Curiosity was overtaking him now, so he allowed Dan to… do whatever it was that he was doing.
Dan's face followed up his neck, to behind his ear, to his jaw. Herbert held his breath as he felt Dan’s over his skin. He was sure his pulse would be visible from how hard his heart was beating.
“It's you,” Dan sounded surprised, like it was a revelation. “Why do you smell like that?”
“Like what?” Herbert was getting exasperated. The curiosity he had pushed down about Dan's odd behavior was threatening to boil over now. He studied Dan's face and could see perspiration beginning to slick his skin despite the cool temperature of the lab. “Are you feeling alright?”
Dan pushed him against the wall.
“You’re what’s been driving me insane. Making me feel all distracted and– and…”
Dan pushed in closer, inhaling deeply again. “Christ. I wasn't trying to waste time in my room, I'm just avoiding everyone and everything because I feel– I feel like I either need to tear something apart, or like I need to…”
Dan's eyes flitted downward, answering Herbert’s question of what the latter option was. Pressed fully against each other now, Herbert could feel Dan's erection on his leg. This only brought up even more questions, none of which he had the time to ask. Dan looked him up and down once more before pouncing on him. He fumbled clumsily at Herbert's tie and threw it to the floor. He started making his way to the buttons on his shirt when Herbert finally spoke up.
“Daniel, wait,” he caught Dan's wrist. “I don't know what's wrong with you but clearly you are not in your right mind. You're going to regret this later.”
A loud part of Herbert's brain told him to keep his mouth shut. This was the only time Dan had shown interest in him and he didn't want to miss his chance. Herbert, frankly, didn't care if Dan wasn't in his right mind. He just didn't want Dan to regret it all in the morning, or act like Herbert had goaded him into something he didn't want.
“Don't tell me how I feel,” Dan snapped. His grip around Herbert's jaw tightened. “I know what I need.”
Herbert was silent. He wanted it, and feared if he opened his mouth he might list off the reasons why it was such a bad idea.
“And you'll give it to me, won't you?” Dan sounded suddenly desperate. “I feel– I feel like I'm on fire. Burning up. I just need some…” he grinded on Herbert's leg and groaned. “Relief.”
Herbert couldn't deny his own arousal building. Since the moment Dan had first grabbed him, he could feel his dick twitch with interest. Who was he to deny this man who clearly needed some assistance?
Dan gave up on Herbert’s shirt and lowered himself to his knees. Herbert’s own nearly buckled at the sight. He had to hold himself up against the wall to ensure he didn't completely lose his ground. He could feel his own arousal dripping between his legs now.
“That's it,” Dan stopped at Herbert's crotch and he reddened at Dan's revelation. “That smell…”
Dan inhaled, opened mouthed and nearly drooling. Herbert jumped in surprise when Dan leaned closer to rub the side of his face on the inside of Herbert’s thigh.
“D-Dan,” Herbert managed to choke out between the shock and embarrassment that seized his body. “What on earth are you–”
Dan cut him off with a high pitched whine as he continued to rub against him. Herbert’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, not for himself but for the man below him. He seemed almost intoxicated, driven to such an animalistic state with seemingly no shame of his own to hold him back. Dan’s fingers crept up to Herbert’s legs, clutching hard at the flesh beneath his slacks.
“Can I?” He pleaded. “Just a taste?”
Herbert’s heart pounded out of his chest just at the phrasing of the question. Dan’s fingers continued to move slowly up Herbert’s legs until he reached the belt.
“Yes, but– Do you even know what you’re doing?”
Dan didn’t answer, moving before Herbert even finished posing his question. He pulled both his slacks and underwear down in one movement, eyes widening at the string of slick that momentarily connected Herbert’s boxers to his skin before it broke. Herbert felt even more heat rise to his face with embarrassment at the sheer volume of fluid between his legs. Before he could say anything, Dan gripped his thighs and dove in to collect that very slick on his tongue.
A surprised gasp escaped him as Dan’s tongue began to lap at him wildly. What Dan lacked in technique, he made up for in enthusiasm. Herbert squirmed at the sudden intense and vigorous stimulation, and reached out to grab Dan by the hair, more to hold himself up than anything. He couldn't believe what was happening, couldn't comprehend that Dan’s tongue, unbelievably hot and wet, was currently licking a stripe from his hole up to his–
“God dammit.”
He couldn't stop the moan that escaped him when Dan's mouth found its way around his dick. He was sure he had never been this hard in his life, and he was embarrassed to admit that he nearly came on the spot when Dan’s tongue pressed against the tip of his cock. Herbert shuttered, his grip growing tighter in Dan’s hair.
Dan suddenly hoisted one of Herbert's legs over his shoulder to gain better access.
“Christ, Dan!”
He yelped as the position held his legs apart and open even wider than before. Dan’s hand gripped the flesh of his thigh harder, drawing him even closer. After grinding his tongue against his erection and wrapping his lips around it, Dan made his way down, until the tip of his tongue thrust inside of him. Herbert felt himself grow weak at the intrusion. He only had one leg on the ground to begin with, and Dan was pushing him up so much his foot was no longer on the floor. Dan was supporting his weight entirely now as he tried to push ever deeper.
Herbert could tell Dan had no clue what he was doing. Or, if he did, desperation overwhelmed him to the point he didn't much care about technique. He seemed distracted, diving in without a plan and chasing his own desire without worrying much about Herbert’s. Not that Herbert wasn’t having the best sexual encounter of his life, he was by a long shot. He couldn’t tell if it was just the reality of the situation, that Dan was this desperate for him, or if the man between his legs actually had a skilled mouth.
Pressed this close, with Dan’s tongue sinking inside, his nose began to press just perfectly against his painfully hard dick. The onslaught of stimulation became too much, and all too quickly Herbert felt himself on the edge of orgasm.
“Dan, I’m… I’m going to–”
Dan suddenly collapsed, bringing Herbert down with him. They landed in a heap on the floor, both breathing heavily, hearts pounding. Herbert's hands shook from the overwhelming sensations still wracking his body. He reached out and laid the back of his hand to Dan's forehead.
“You're burning up. We should really get you–”
Dan lunged forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him to the floor. Herbert swore there was a flash, a glint of yellow in his eyes for a moment. When Dan blinked his irises were his regular brown, but there was still the wild look in them.
“Stop talking. Stop thinking and just… just…”
Dan whined and hung his head as he pressed against Herbert's leg. He rolled his hips forward experimentally and shuttered.
“I need this. Please. Please, can I…?”
Herbert swallowed, desire boiling inside of him knowing what it was Dan was asking. Without wasting any breath, he reached between them to pull at Dan’s belt buckle. After receiving the sign of permission, Dan’s own hands shot down to fumble with his jeans, perhaps hindering Herbert more than he was helping in his over eagerness. He finally got the belt and fly of his jeans undone and pulled his waistband down.
Herbert audibly shuttered when Dan’s cock sprang free of his clothing, landing hard against the underside of his stomach. He barely had a moment to admire it before Dan was pulling Herbert close and he felt the heat sliding against his drenched entrance. Herbert gasped as Dan began thrusting against him erratically, slicking himself up first. He looked down to see Dan’s face scrunched, eyes tightly closed in overwhelming pleasure. He didn’t get a good initial look, but he could feel the size pressed up against him, and his heart fluttered with apprehension.
“Dan, I’m not sure we’ve, uh, prepped enough for–”
Herbert’s words died in his throat as the tip of Dan’s cock caught the rim of his hole, in what seemed to be an entirely accidental stroke. The two men groaned at the sudden sensation.
“I just need…” Dan moaned as he pushed forward, further inside. “A little more.”
“That’s more than a little, Dan,” Herbert gasped.
“Hot,” Dan managed to spit out between clenched teeth. “God, it’s so hot in here.”
Dan abandoned his grip on Herbert to tear his shirt over his head and discard it to the side. And, despite everything, Herbert managed to think that’s new as he looked at Dan’s naked torso. There was a considerable amount of hair on Dan’s chest; not unusual for a man but unusual for him. Herbert had always mused about Dan’s skin and his smooth, broad chest. He wondered if Dan waxed or shaved, or just naturally had very little body hair. The latter thought must be wrong then, Herbert thought. Dan’s torso had as much hair covering it as Herbert's did, maybe more.
His admiration for the sight before him was cut short, as Dan had his focus back on pushing his way inside Herbert until he finally bottomed out. Herbert whined at the stretch, never before experiencing feeling this full. Thankfully, Dan seemed to be overwhelmed too, and didn’t move as he caught his breath. The two of them got used to the feeling, exhaling deeply into each other's mouths, inches apart.
Not for long, though, as Dan suddenly leaned forward and grabbed Herbert’s wrists in each hand, pinning his hands above his head on the floor. Dan pulled out nearly all the way, then snapped his hips forward. The first thrust was so deep Herbert felt as if the air had been knocked straight from his lungs. Dan didn't give him time to adjust after that, and set the brutal, swift pace instantly.
“God you're so wet. So hard,” Dan spoke through gritted teeth and emphasized his words with a deep roll of his hips. Dan's cock dragged along the tip of Herbert's as he continued to thrust inside of him. “And you smell so fucking good.”
It was difficult to gather any thoughts, but Herbert couldn’t help but notice the oddness of Dan’s sudden heightened senses. Something was clearly altering his physiology and hormones, but what?
Dan leaned next to Herbert's face, growling into his ear. “Was it me getting you dripping like that all the time?”
Herbert flushed at the thought that Dan could pinpoint the moments of his arousal the past few days, or whenever this thing had started. He could literally smell the evidence of his arousal. There seemed little point in lying now.
“Yes,” he choked out.
“How long?”
“How long–” Herbert whimpered, unable to find his voice with Dan’s relentless movements. “How long have you been thinking about the same thing?”
Dan just groaned in response and buried his face against Herbert. Dan's mouth had found Herbert's neck, and quickly coated it with saliva as his tongue and teeth ravaged his flesh. He felt a partially sharp graze of a canine against the sensitive skin there and yelped. Dan hardly seemed to notice.
“It’s your fault, then. The past few days I kept smelling something that was driving me fucking crazy. I’ve been hiding so many hard-ons I’ve barely been able to leave my room.”
“I arouse you?” Herbert asked in a moan. He supposed the answer should be obvious,given Dan’s incessant, relentless pace. But a part of him couldn’t believe it still, that Dan actually could feel attracted to him.
“Don't act like you don't know.” Dan flexed his fingers around Herbert's wrists. “Like you haven't been doing this on purpose. All the sly glances and touches. I've seen the way you look at me.”
Dan looked at him, waiting for a response Herbert couldn't bring himself to give. When he realized Herbert was going to continue to play the fool, he angrily came in for an aggressive kiss. Herbert’s surprise was muffled by the clashing of their lips and Dan's probing tongue. When Dan bit his lip he could taste blood instantly, and they both pulled back. Dan's mouth hung open, Herbert's blood on his lips and sharp canines glinting in the low light of the lab.
“Dan?” Herbert asked warily, eyes flitting between the bright red on his mouth and Dan's eyes. Herbert couldn't help but wish there was more blood streaked across his lips and chin.
Dan dove back down, keeping Herbert pinned to the floor as he picked up his pace again. His mouth trailed Herbert’s blood all along the side of his neck as he continued to suck on his skin.
"I can't get you out of my head," Dan said between bites. "I've been thinking- imagining..."
Herbert couldn't help but clench down around Dan, who moaned openly in response.
"Imagining what?" Herbert managed to ask headily.
"What do you think?" Dan spoke into the crook of Herbert's neck, as if he couldn't bear to tear himself away for a moment. "I wanted you to come by my room. Throw you on the bed or the floor. Thought about all the times you've gotten under my skin, ruined my goddamn life, fuck you until you can stand, let alone be smug and bitchy to me."
Herbert couldn't stop the whine that came from him. He would be mortified if he wasn't aroused to the point of blacking out. All the fantasies he had of Dan coming into his room late at night and pinning him to the mattress felt far less outlandish now.
Dan's grip on his wrists continually got tighter, but Herbert began to feel pricks of pain on his skin. He looked to the side and saw that Dan's fingers appeared… longer, somehow. His nails as well, looking sharper by the second. They dug into his flesh, and as he winced at the pain, instead of alarm all he could think was more.
Dan was moving so quickly it was hard to tell at first, along with the fact that it should be impossible, but Herbert could feel the stretch; Dan was definitely getting bigger– inside of him. It was slow enough not to be painful, but the change in size was obvious by the way Herbert could feel Dan's cock filling out and pressing against new places inside of him, places that made him see stars. Before he even realized, his orgasm crashed into him. He could feel it wrack his entire body, which twitched uncontrollably, but was held fast by Dan. He didn’t seem to acknowledge his partner’s orgasm in any way, except for how his mouth opened a little wider in pleasure, feeling the contractions of Herbert's body clenching tighter around him.
The stretch continued, and, more sensitive from his orgasm, Herbert felt even more aware of every part of his insides that Dan reached. He felt like he was being split apart.
“Dan,” Herbert moaned weakly. “You’re… It’s too much.”
His body felt completely devoid of energy. Dan held onto him and thrust inside like he was simply a thing to be used for his own pleasure. A wave of shame washed over him as he felt a rush of blood travel lower at the idea. He was letting Dan use his body however he wanted. And he enjoyed it.
“I need– I just need–” Dan stuttered breathlessly. He leaned in close once more and licked Herbert’s jaw. Herbert shivered. He wasn’t going to complain exactly, but he furrowed his brow at the odd gesture.
Dan's movements suddenly grew erratic, until he finally thrust deeply one last time. A warmth bloomed inside of Herbert, and he cried out in surprise even though he knew it was coming. Dan groaned and shut his eyes tightly, his body twitching intensely. He lay there for a long moment as they both gasped in the wake of their own orgasms, Dan's seemingly ongoing as he continued to spill his release for an unusually long time. He continued to thrust slowly, pushing them both to the brink of overstimulation as Herbert continued to be filled.
Right as Dan finally was softening within him, he pulled back and out entirely and seemed to jerk away as if in pain.
“Dan?” Herbert asked blearily. He felt light headed and shaky from the rough treatment and the rush of hormones and endorphins, but he pushed himself back up to look.
Dan was across the room, curling in on himself. He convulsed in agony and then screamed. Bones cracked, flesh tore, muscles and sinew were rearranging before Herbert's eyes. His limbs stretched and his face lengthened. He looked over and all Herbert could see in his eyes was fear. Herbert’s brain couldn’t wrap around the grotesque and impossible sight before him.
Terrified, Herbert stepped away, tripped, and landed on his back. When he looked up, Dan was no longer there.
There was a creature, a beast, twice the size of Dan in his place. It snapped its head to Herbert’s direction and fear sank into his body like he was plunged into cold water. A wolf's maw snarled at him, lips peeled back to reveal rows of sharp canine teeth. Yellow eyes with pupils narrowed into slits caught his gaze. Before he could so much as think, it was on him.
The wolf– Dan– snarled at him and snapped his jaw shut, grazing right along the skin of his neck. Herbert was bared before him, pinned by his wrists at his sides once more, helpless. Dan’s hot breath washed over his body, sending a shiver through him. Herbert finally got the sense of mind to struggle against his captors grip, but this seemed to only agitate Dan further. The wolf held him tighter and snarled, teeth and tongue gnashing against his skin, coating his neck in thick, copious amounts of saliva.
Herbert could hear a whimper escape him. Fear wasn't something he was used to. In every life threatening situation, he never fell back on cowardice. He could always see an out to whatever danger he was put in. But here, he was completely and utterly helpless. There was no escape. Dan could tear him apart in an instant. He was faster and stronger than Herbert could ever compete with, even with his superior mind.
And yet, the massive weight pinning him down and fear flooding his entire nervous system only aroused him further.
Am I seriously going to die thinking about another round?
Herbert let out a short, frightened sob when he felt the teeth scrape against his throat again, knowing this was the end. But then, something interesting happened.
Something changed in the wolf’s demeanor. It seemed to soften, relax almost as it smelled the air. It's snout pressed against his skin, and Herbert jumped at the sudden coolness of the it's damp nose. It trailed downward, and Herbert, somehow, still found the lucidity to feel embarrassed at what it was scenting.
The wolf's head snapped back up, intense but less murderous, thankfully. It maneuvered his body harshly and easily, and Herbert cried out in surprise as he was lifted from the ground, the back of his shirt in the creature's teeth. He had the awareness again to feel a sense of shame at how he was being maneuvered like a kitten, but the fear returned quickly enough to douse that imagery from his mind.
“Where are you taking me?”
The wolf, obviously, did not reply. It moved somewhat clumsily through the house, awkwardly cramming them through doorways not built for monsters of this size. But soon enough, they were outside.
Panic seized Herbert's body. They didn't have neighbors, and the cemetery was surrounded by woods for miles, but he wasn't sure if that was a consolation for him or not. The wolf brought up one clawed hand to hold Herbert closer to its chest, still keeping its teeth clenched around his shirt.
Despite everything, Herbert was struggling to keep his eyes open. He felt the thrum of the creature's heartbeat against his body, and, somehow, felt calmed by it. This was still Dan after all. He balled his fists in the fur, that was surprisingly soft, and felt the adrenaline of fear slowly leave his body.
Herbert didn't remember falling asleep. He woke to his entire body aching. At first the pain in his neck and spine were the most apparent, but the somewhat pleasant soreness between his legs brought back the memories of last night. He squinted as he opened his eyes, and was surprised to see the sun poking through gaps in the trees above him.
He shot upright, and looked around frantically taking in his surroundings. He was on the forest floor, which had done unspeakable things to his back, half dressed. The fact that he was still alive at all was a surprise to him. As he let out a relieved sigh, he heard stirring behind him. He turned around and his eyes widened.
Curled around the place he had been sleeping was Dan. A very human, and completely naked, Dan. He was just waking himself, and he groaned as he lifted his body.
“What the fuck…” he muttered as his eyelids fluttered. Then, horror washed over him as he became fully aware of his surroundings. “What the fuck?!”
He tried to get up, and realized his own nudity, and simply drew his knees to his chest in a desperate attempt at modesty.
“Uh… Fuck. I uh…” Dan stuttered. He looked around, panicked until his eyes landed on Herbert. “What the fuck is going on?”
Herbert averted his gaze to try and ease Dan’s anxiety. “You, ah, don't remember, do you?”
Dan continued to look panicked until his eyes raked over Herbert's barely dressed form. Realization sunk in his expression, a different kind of horror in his eyes.
“Oh,” he said softly.
“Yes, ‘oh.’”
There were a million questions to be asked. How much did Dan remember? Was this the result of the reanimated dog bite in the lab? Why did Dan take Herbert out into the woods? Would this happen again?
All extremely important things to figure out. But all Herbert could say was:
“So how long have you been thinking of having sex with me?”