Chapter Text
No matter the supposed perks of having two "significant others" in his life, Avila was starting to get rather frustrated with the downsides. Ivan and Linares didn't get along very well- competitive in a way that naturally made the don feel smothered. It didn't help that not much had been going on lately, and he rarely got involved with hits since he was the don of dons now. That meant he was home more often than not, and his harem clashed on a regular basis.
But today seemed to hold the last straw.
"Linares?" Avila called, giving an annoyed sigh.
"Yes, sir?" Linares soon answered, coming to the kitchen.
Avila was staring at the open cupboard, which was lacking certain items he had requested.
"Where are the snacks I asked for?" Avila asked, "I gave you a detailed list."
Linares was quiet for a moment before speaking, "I couldn't allow myself to get so much junk food, sir. How are you supposed to sustain yourself on chips and ramen…?"
"I don't care, it's what I asked for. You didn't even buy real meat, Linares!" Avila pointed out.
Linares wasn't backing down so easily, "I can assure you that they taste exactly the same- and they're healthier."
Avila was getting tired of this, "Fine. I'll just go to the store myself next time, since you can't be trusted with that simple task."
Linares seemed hurt by this, believing that he was just trying to help his don. Avila brushed past the man before he could defend himself anymore though, knowing Ivan would soon be home to commence the nagging that he usually gave.
"I'll be outside, don't bother me." Avila said, heading to the backyard.
Linares quietly followed but only to the backdoor, watching as Avila sat in one of the pool-side lounge chairs to brood. He sighed lightly as he stared at the don for a moment, not sure what had gotten into him. He supposed it was cabin fever, even with how large the house was. He knew better than to pester the man though, leaving Avila be.
–
After about an hour, Ivan arrived at the large house to find it more quiet than he was used to. Avila wasn't moping around in his usual spots either, and Linares was nowhere to be seen. The "watchmaker" assumed the other man's location though, making his way down to the basement.
Sure enough, Linares was at his desk when Ivan entered the room. All the screens were alight with scenes from across Mexico City, no particular feedback on the largest of the screens. It seemed Linares was just checking in on everyone, since all the drama had quieted down lately.
Ivan approached the man, "Linares?"
Linares spun his chair around, looking at Ivan with slight annoyance, "Yes?" He asked.
They usually didn't converse without Avila present, and if they did it was nothing but snide remarks and passive aggression.
"Have you seen Don Avila?" Ivan asked, refraining from starting an argument, "I need to speak with him."
"He was outside when I saw him last." Linares answered after a moment, "But I'll warn you, he's in a mood."
"Very well…" Ivan replied, because when wasn't Avila in a mood?
Linares shut his monitors off but allowed the cams to keep recording, deciding to follow Ivan in hopes of witnessing an argument between them. Ivan noticed but didn't comment on his presence, making his way to the backyard.
"Huh…" Linares said as they walked outside, "I could've sworn he was here."
The yard was empty as they walked through it, Linares glancing at the chair that the don had previously occupied. But as the men got closer, they noticed something strange in Avila's place.
A random black cat.
Upon further inspection, they were able to see a thin red collar around its neck along with a small bell. It meowed at them curiously, and they stared for a moment.
"How'd it get in here?" Ivan wondered aloud.
Linares approached the cat, making a light clicking noise to summon it. After a moment, the animal jumped down from the chair and made its way to the man. Linares leaned down to pet it.
"I'm not sure, maybe it's one of the neighbor's…" Linares said in thought, "We should find don Avila though, who knows what he's up- ow!"
Linares yanked his hand away after the cat swatted its claws at him, successfully scratching the back of his hand. Luckily it didn't really bleed, only leaving red marks in its wake.
"Maybe it's feral." Ivan casually said, not at all pitying Linares.
"Don't be stupid, it has a collar." Linares grumbled, rubbing his hand.
"Looks can be deceiving…" Ivan said while thoughtfully eyeing the creature, "Either way, we'll let it be. It'll find its way home."
Linares nodded in agreement, walking back towards the door. The sound of the cat's bell let them know it was following them, but they were quick to shut the door before it could come inside.
The moment it was closed though, it began to pace the length of the doorway, meowing desperately and looking at them through the glass. Ivan paid it no mind as he took out his phone, but the sound tugged on Linares' heartstrings. He hesitated before opening the door to allow it inside.
Hearing the jangling of the bell, Ivan turned around with an annoyed expression. He watched as the cat sauntered in, pressing its side into Linares' leg as it walked by- as if to show appreciation. Linares smiled but Ivan scowled.
"What are you doing?" Ivan asked, "Don Avila will have our necks if he finds out we let it in here."
"Maybe it's hungry…" Linares replied, "I'll put it back outside after I feed it."
"It'll just come back, that's why you don't feed strays." Ivan said, but he was ignored.
They watched as the black cat made its way to the long red curtains, beginning to bat and scratch at them.
"It kind of looks like our don, doesn't it?" Linares asked with amusement, "It even hates the curtains like he does."
Ivan groaned at this, "Or maybe you're just obsessive."
The "watchmaker" wouldn't admit that Linares was right about the appearance of the cat, especially with the red collar. He instead returned his attention to his phone, deciding to call the don. Meanwhile, Linares was able to lure the cat to the kitchen and retrieve a can of tuna for it.
Calling Avila, Ivan patiently waited in hopes that the don would actually pick up. Unfortunately, he was instead perturbed by the sound of a ring tone coming from outside. It took him all of 5 seconds to piece it together, looking out the window to see Avila's phone buzzing on the table beside the lounge chair.
"How strange…" Ivan commented as he entered the kitchen, "It seems he left his phone outside."
Linares was staring at the cat as it contently ate from the can of tuna, but he raised his head at this new bit of information. It wasn't like Avila to disappear quite like this, and both of them were getting concerned.
"That is strange." Linares said in thought, seeming hesitant.
Ivan raised a brow at Linares' change in demeanor, trying to get a better look but the other man glanced away. Narrowing his eyes, Ivan stepped closer.
"What is it?" He asked sternly, "Do you know something I don't?"
This wouldn't be the first time Linares withheld information from him, but he shook his head.
"No- It's just…" Linares stopped himself, "It's nothing…"
Ivan didn't let it go though, "Tell me." He demanded.
Linares suddenly seemed more embarrassed than suspicious now, "What if… that's our don?"
He pointed to the cat, which was innocently licking the tuna can clean. Ivan stared at it, momentarily at a loss for words.
"... You must be joking." He finally replied, but Linares shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. It makes sense- we found it in the exact spot I last saw him. And his phone was there too. That's the only explanation."
Ivan was in full denial, "If this is your idea of a joke-"
"It's not!" Linares insisted, "I know it's him, I can feel it."
He studied the cat closer, gently picking it up to be examined. Ivan narrowed his eyes at the feline, and he once again saw just how much it looked like Avila. It had large and pitched pupils, its face expressionless as it stared back at him.
"See?" Linares prompted, swaying the cat back and forth lightly.
It meowed at the movement, eyes still locked with Ivan's. He thought for a moment, trying to consider a way to test this theory.
"... Touch its feet." Ivan finally said.
Linares hesitated, "Um… What?"
"If it's our don, he'll most likely have an adverse reaction." Ivan explained.
Linares seemed unsure, as he didn't want to upset the cat- especially if it really was their don. But he decided to go along with it, adjusting his hold on the cat. He first rubbed its belly to settle the squirming, before reaching lower to squeeze one of its back paws.
In an instant, the cat became a thrashing and shrieking threat. It tried to dig its claws into Linares' hand, slipping from his hold as the man gasped in surprise. The cat gracefully landed on its feet, scurrying under the table to hide from them.
"Does that mean…?" Linares hesitantly asked.
Ivan had no choice but to nod in agreement, crouching down to look under the table. Avila was huddled behind a chair leg, eyes narrowed at him.
"My apologies, sir." Linares mumbled guiltily.
"We had to be certain." Ivan added, reaching a hand out to him.
Avila slowly left his hiding place, easing closer to his men with a low noise. Ivan awkwardly patted him between the ears, as it felt odd to do this but seemed appropriate.
"How did this happen?" Ivan asked Avila, "...Well you can't tell us much right now, can you?"
"Maybe it's a 24 hour kind of thing…" Linares wondered, "We can take care of him until then, can't we?"
Ivan watched Avila with skepticism, and the cat seeming to hold that same sentiment towards them.
–
"Sir, please!" Linares practically begged, "Your reaction is unnecessary!"
Him and Ivan were currently knelt in front of the tub, holding a screeching and clawing Avila as they tried to get him into the warm water. They both were sporting multiple scratches, sleeves wet even though they had been rolled up to their elbows.
"I believe the bath is unnecessary." Ivan grumbled, "And stop calling him 'sir'- you sound unhinged."
"It doesn't matter if he's a cat, he deserves our respect." Linares insisted, huffing as he held the squirming Avila.
They were finally able to get their don fully settled into the water, and he gave up as he was completely wet. He only gave a few low noises, shooting his men a murderous look. Luckily all it took was some scratching behind his ear to settle him down though, Linares doing this as Ivan began to gently wash him.
"Maybe one of our enemies put a curse on him." Linares wondered aloud as they cleaned him.
Ivan hummed in thought, "Wouldn't be the strangest occurrence I've witnessed."
Linares faltered in disbelief, "... Really?"
" No , not really!" Ivan scoffed, "A grown man turning into a cat isn't easily topped. I'm still not convinced this isn't some sort of joined hysteria."
Linares tisked and went back to his rubbing, saying, "Well he seems calm enough given the situation."
"I'm talking about us ." Ivan shot back, "Don Avila very well could've been kidnapped, and we're wasting our time with this filthy creature ."
Linares looked at Ivan with shock, "Don't talk about him that way, he can probably understand us! And I doubt he was taken, there wasn't a single sign of struggle outside."
Ivan groaned at this, but he knew Avila being snatched from his own property was very unlikely. The intruders would've had to either climb the tall bushes or go through the house anyways, which would've been detected by Linares.
"Fine, I guess we'll have to stick with our current theory then." Ivan gave in, though he wasn't happy about it.
From the looks of it, Avila wasn't happy about it either. But luckily they finally drained the tub, getting the dripping feline wrapped in a soft towel as if to make up for the "torture" he just had to endure.
Ivan carried their don to the living room, starting to dry him off as he shivered in his arms. The right-hand man gave a sigh at seeing Avila in such a pathetic state, wondering how they'd gotten into this mess.
"Don't worry, you're in good hands with me." Ivan decided to reassure, "I'm sure you'll be back to your old self in no time."
Linares watched as he followed them, pointing out, "He doesn't seem all that worried, honestly. Maybe he prefers it this way. He acts like a cat half of the time anyways."
Ivan nodded in agreement, sitting on the couch and settling Avila in his lap. He was more gentle with him than he'd usually be with an animal (not that he'd ever care for another animal like this). Avila only made a few attempts to bite him, and the men could tell it wasn't in a playful manner.
Finally it was over with, Ivan snapping the collar back on and letting the don go. Avila sprung off his lap, bell jingling to let them keep track of his whereabouts as he shot around the living room.
"Has it crossed your mind that we might be next…?" Ivan asked as they watched Avila dart back and forth, most likely to completely dry off.
"... Yes." Linares answered, "I can't say I'm fond of the idea."
Ivan nodded, feeling a small sense of dread. He hadn't believed in the supernatural before, but now it seemed like it may very well exist. He was also beginning to wonder if their don would stay like this forever.
Avila finally made his way back closer to the two men, beginning to scratch at the couch without hesitation.
Linares furrowed his brows, "Sir, you'll ruin the furniture."
"He's sharpening his claws." Ivan deduced, "Hopefully to scratch you again."
Linares didn't find that funny, nor the destruction of the couch. He picked Avila up with ease, who gave an innocent mewl as he stared at him. He obviously wanted to run amuck and cause havoc, but Linares held him firmly.
"Just try to stay calm while we figure this out." Linares tried, petting Avila gently.
Avila batted his hand away but settled in his lap, curling up and letting his claws sink into Linares' pant leg. Ivan smirked lightly at this while Linares didn't dare to try and move the don.
"Maybe he just needs some time to settle down." Ivan said, reaching to stroke under the cat's chin. Avila hissed and swiped at him, prompting Ivan to add, "Maybe a lot of time…"
–
An hour later, Ivan and Linares found themselves in Avila's room. They weren't hiding there- or at least that's what they told themselves as they sat beside each other on the edge of the bed. They had closed the door, keeping the cat away from them as they tried to collect their thoughts. Neither of them took their eyes off the door, hearing Avila scratching at it and meowing insistently.
"He wasn't turned into a cat… He was turned into a monster ." Linares whispered, closer to tears than he'd like to admit.
"What kind of game is he playing here?" Ivan mumbled, eyes narrowed, "He's reckless, but he's never been cruel ."
Both of them were covered in scratches and bite marks by now, and each jingle of the collar's bell made them suppress a flinch. The meows sounded as if Avila was heartbroken, but they had learned not to fall for it anymore. Even as a cat, their don had completely taken over the house.
"I want the old don back." Linares said pitifully, "How long has it been?"
"I don't know." Ivan admitted, as it had felt like forever, "We may have to accept that he'll never return to normal."
Linares gave a noise that was a mix of sorrow and fear. He began to feel guilt, believing he should've just let Avila have those unhealthy snacks, because now he'd never be able to eat them again.
"What do we do if that's the case?" Linares questioned.
Ivan didn't have to think about it, as the thought had already crossed his mind when Avila had bitten him for the fifth time.
"... I say we put him out of his misery."
Linares did a double take, looking at Ivan in shock, "We can't kill our don- especially when he's a defenseless cat!"
"Defenseless?!" Ivan exclaimed, "Look at us!"
He gestured to their current location, because yes they were hiding at the moment. Their raised tones seemed to awaken Avila's fury, and he meowed even louder. This forced the men to bring their volume back down to a tense hush.
"This isn't even our biggest issue." Ivan continued quietly, "How are we to explain this to the other dons?"
"They don't deserve an explanation. We'll tell them he died or ran away…" Linares suggested, "It'll be a pain finding a new don of dons, but manageable."
Ivan nodded in agreement, not wanting to reveal how badly he didn't want to lose Avila. Truth be told, he'd grown rather attached. But of course Linares had no problem showing how this affected him.
"He must be so scared and confused…" Linares mumbled, "What if he needs us?"
" Don't open the door." Is all Ivan said, ready to tackle Linares if he tried to.
But luckily he stayed put, both of them feeling utterly defeated.
Linares shifted lightly, glancing hesitantly at Ivan.
"... What about us?" He finally asked.
"What do you mean?" Ivan wondered, glancing back at Linares.
"Well not to state the obvious, but we can't date a cat." He explained, "So what do we do?"
Ivan once more tried to seem unphased by the suddenness that their lives were changing, saying, "I assumed we would… disband."
The word "break up" didn't seem to suit him well, as it had never felt like he and Linares were together in the first place. They were only there for Avila, and they just had to deal with each other to share the don. This was probably the most time they had ever spent together without Avila present- at least in a normal state.
"Do you think that's what he'd want?" Linares asked, purely because he wasn't sure.
Ivan hummed in thought, "Our don does seem to have the ego to be offended if we move on so quickly, especially if he ends up returning back to normal. But I don't see how we could stay together and wait for him."
Linares and Ivan sat in silence for a moment then, the only sound being the occasional scratch or jingle on the other side of the door. Linares finally forced himself to turn to Ivan, looking him over in thought.
The other man internally sighed but did the same, meeting Linares' gaze. Ivan didn't protest when he scooted just a bit closer either, and he found himself staring at Linares' lips.
Linares hesitantly leaned forward, wincing lightly as he did so. Ivan begrudgingly met him halfway, their lips connecting into a kiss. They'd never done this before, as they were simply together due to their attraction and loyalty to their don. Ivan vaguely felt Linares' hand rest on top of his as they locked lips. The kiss lasted just a few seconds, both of them soon pulling away and staring at each other as the silence persisted.
Ivan was the first to speak, "That was…"
"Disgusting?" Linares finished.
"I was going to say 'revolting', but yes that works too." Ivan replied, both of them scooting slightly away from each other.
Linares wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "Let's never do that again."
"Agreed." Ivan replied, rubbing the back of his hand as if it'd been burned.
Linares gave a defeated sigh, "Well, I guess this is it then… It's over."
Ivan tried to keep a shred of dignity after that experience, "I'd say it's been a pleasure, but I think I've grown rather tired of lying lately."
A sort of gloom fell over the room as they tried to come to terms with this. But before the two men could sulk in their self pity for much longer, they were both jolted by the door handle jiggling.
Linares almost jumped out of his skin, "I told you we should've locked the door!"
Even Ivan was rather disturbed by this, "But that's impossible-"
They both gasped as the door swung open then, the cat darting into the room and instantly launching himself at the two men. Both of them were too scared to move, preparing themselves for the inevitable attack.
… But it never came.
They slowly opened their eyes, watching in surprise as Avila purred and rolled around in the space between them. He playfully pawed at the air as he laid on his back, eliciting a soft laugh from Linares.
"Is he done terrorizing us?" Ivan asked with confusion.
"I think he wants to play." Linares said, rubbing the cat's chest lightly.
" What the fuck are you two doing in my room? "
Ivan and Linares instantly shot up at that, finally noticing the figure in the doorway. It was their true don, looking at them with annoyance as his hands were occupied with grocery bags.
"Sir?!" Linares exclaimed, both shocked and relieved.
"Why is there a cat here?" Avila asked with annoyance, narrowing his eyes at them as they stared in shock, " Well ?"
Ivan instantly rushed to Avila's side, taking the bags from him, "A misunderstanding, sir. I'll take it outside immediately."
Avila allowed Ivan to take the bags, raising a skeptical brow, "What kind of misunderstanding…?"
Ivan opened his mouth to deflect the question, but of course Linares cut in.
"We thought you turned into a cat, sir." He quickly admitted, mostly out of relief, "You were gone and there it was, and it-"
" What? " Avila interrupted with disbelief, "Is there a gas leak in here or something?"
He turned to Ivan then, praying that this was either a prank or at least a realistic misunderstanding. But the man hesitated before responding.
"... Linares was rather convincing, sir." Ivan admitted with a bit of embarrassment.
Naturally, Linares felt betrayed by this, "You made me touch its feet to prove it!"
Avila was at a loss for words, scowling as the black cat jumped off the bed to purr and rub against his leg.
"Linares, you read too many of those online 'fan novels'- or whatever they're called." He grumbled, "I went to the store since you couldn't do it right the first time."
Sputtering lightly at first, Linares asked, "You were gone for hours ."
"I walked there, I wanted a break from you two!" Avila fumed, "And now I come back to an absolute madhouse, and my men- who are trained killers - were bested by a cat! Were you hiding in here?"
Ivan and Linares both looked away, neither of them willing to answer that question.
"... Can we at least keep him, sir?" Linares asked timidly.
Avila gave an unamused look, pointing to the door with a sigh, "Put the groceries away and stay out of my sight- the both of you."
He watched as they dejectedly left the room, leaving the don alone to try and collect his thoughts. He sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose lightly. The cat seemed completely unaware of the situation, following Avila to the bed and jumping into his lap.
Eyeing the animal for a moment, Avila gave in and began to pet it.
"They really believed I turned into a cat?" He asked it with an exhausted tone, "No wonder you tormented them… They're idiots."