Author's note: This is a sequel to my Christmas ficlet for the USA original, Frankenstein. So it is necessary to have read that one first, I think, or else you'll wonder what's going on most likely. I got the inspiration for it from 15minuteficlets. Please review, reviews are like crack.
Disclaimer: I do not own, please, do not sue.
Detective Carson O'Connor hadn't been to the zoo in years. She hadn't excepted Deucalion of all people to be the reason she visited again. But the immortal had wanted to go, and he had wanted her to come with him for some reason. Maybe it had to do with that kiss during Christmas. Maybe it had to do with the fact that they'd been subtly starting to spend more and more time around each other.
Sloan was starting to notice though. Carson got the feeling he was getting more wary of Deucalion, and she wondered if he was jealous. But right now she and Deucalion were at the zoo, Sloan wasn't around, and Carson had her cell with her in case she was called on duty. It'd been quiet the past few days, but that would change sooner or later.
Carson glanced at the tall man beside her. If he could be called a man. The more time she spent with him, the more she thought of him that way, and the more she questioned the word and the being is was applied to.
Deucalion merely watched the animals, never speaking to Carson, though every so often he would state aloud that her brother should be brought to the zoo one day. Carson agreed - always silently, but agreed nonetheless. Still, whenever he spoke, it always seemed it was merely him voicing his thoughts, not actually speaking to her.
The man was a mystery - again, if he could be called man - and Carson found herself more puzzled by him after that kiss from Christmas. They had never brought it up, but it was there, ready and waiting for them to address it, but Deucalion acted as though it wasn't an issue, as if it was natural and nothing to be thought of again.
And it was starting to grate on Carson's nerves.
Beside her, Deucalion paused, staring at the latest animal they'd passed. He stood facing it, eyes transfixed on the magnificent beast inside the habitat the zoo had created for it. There was only one, but it was beautiful and deadly, and its eyes met Deucalion's, and Carson saw it rise and come closer to its human and immortal watchers.
"She has your eyes," Deucalion stated out of the blue, never taking his gaze of the creature, never moving except to opening his mouth and let out his latest thoughts. "Not necessarily the color. But her eyes are just like yours. Fierce and quiet."
Carson blinked, looking at the animal with confusion for a moment before her questioning stare returned to Deucalion, her companion still staring at the beast. "What do you mean?" she asked, despite herself. She hated not being able to put pieces together or understand meanings, but with Deucalion, it was something to get used to.
"Her eyes are just like yours. They hold the same mystery and openness. You can see what she's thinking yet you have no idea what she's going to do, what is going on inside her head. There is a truth in her eyes, but her gaze doesn't reveal what it is," he explained, still not making any sense to Carson. "Her eyes dare me, yet threaten me at the same time. They are beautiful."
Blinking as the confusion began to slowly ebb into a surprised understanding, Carson met Deucalion's eyes as he tore his gaze from the beautiful animal and met hers. "Are you referring to the kiss?" she asked after a moment, and received a nod of confirmation. "So, what you're saying is, my eyes dare you to kiss me again and threaten you I'll react badly if you do?" she asked, still a bit confused, but she received another nod. "Oh."
Deucalion leaned over, and Carson closed her eyes, braced herself for that second kiss she never realized she dared him to take, and his lips met hers, but it was brief and gentle, not taming, but calming, soothing, placating her somehow despite the chasteness of it.
The sound of her cell phone made Carson sigh in exasperation, but Deucalion merely looked back to the leopard as she laid down, her eyes still watching the two visitors. Pulling the phone out, Carson saw it was Sloan, and she muttered "Shit," under her breath.
"I'll stay here for now," Deucalion stated before Carson could say anything else, glancing down at her once more. "I need to understand what to do, and she is the only one who can give me my answers," he explained, and Carson nodded, though she still was slightly confused about everything that had happened.
Glancing at the leopard and then at Deucalion, Carson nodded. "I'll see you later today most likely," she replied, turning and answering her phone as she walked away from the man and the animal. "Hey, I'm on my way. What happened?" she asked Sloan, but half her brain was still trying to figure out just when her eyes had become catlike.