Edit: I've changed this story a bit, turning it into two parts for the sake of flow. Also changed a few bits, and fixed some slight grammatical errors. It's been awhile since I've wrote this. Might be a good reread.
-o0o-
One would think their soul mate would be somebody who was their opposite. That somehow, they would connect. That was not the case with Fox and Krystal. From the moment they tried to be a couple, it didn't work. They didn't fit. Sure, she stayed in the team, but that didn't mean things would be the same for them. Not that Fox cared. He was too depressed to. Fox knew it wouldn't work, but there was a profound sense of loneliness in his heart. It became a thing when his father was murdered, and even more so with Krystal. Peppy tried so hard to fill that void, but he never could. It just didn't work. He didn't think anybody could.
So there Fox was, wallowing in his sorrow and regret, on his bed in the Great Fox. He hadn't eaten much. Particularly, he couldn't care less. Peppy walked in his room, frowning at Fox's state.
"You look awful," he said.
"No shit. I feel worse. This just fucking sucks. I lose my father, I lose Krystal. We haven't had an exciting mission in ages. I can't gain anything. And before you say something, I know you and Slippy and Falco are trying to help. I get it. It's not working, though," Fox said.
"Well, maybe you should take your mind off of things. Go take a break. Find something to do on Corneria. Stay at that apartment you inherited from your father. After all, everything has been peaceful and quiet since the aparoids."
That actually perked Fox's mood a bit. Getting up, he said, "I never thought of that before. To be honest, I comoletely forgot about that. Thanks, Peppy! I'll leave as soon as possible!" He exclaimed, grabbing his flight jacket.
"Uhh, that's not what I meant-"
Whatever Peppy was going to say next, it didn't matter. Fox put on his flight jacket and his father's scarf. He grabbed his comm and a photo of him and his dad. He also made sure to get his blaster pistol and reflector.
"I'll meet with you guys whenever I can!" Fox said, flying out the door. Peppy only chuckled, watching him go.
"He's definitely your son, James," he said.
-o0o-
Fox dashed to the hangar, and climbed in his Arwing. Starting it up, he was flung out of the Great Fox and into Corneria's orbit. Their mothership was orbiting it, since their most recent mission was on the planet. He descended through the layers of the atmosphere, and came upon the glittering surface of the ocean. Fox forgot how amazing flying felt, especially after all of the boring ground missions they'd done. Corneria City soon came into view, it's beautiful skyscrapers jutting into the sky, like long, slim fingers in the night sky. It was an amazing view, with the buildings lit up like nighlights. Fox decided to land his Arwing on the closest spaceport to his apartment.
It wasn't to far a walk, but Fox nearly got himself lost a few times. It had been about a month since he had seen the apartment. He did recognize the outside immediately when he saw it, though. The quaint, two story apartment was home to many memories of Fox and his family. Smiling to himself, Fox unlocked the door with his key. Stepping in, he wrinkled his nose at the musty, dry smell. It hadn't been touched in weeks. He saw dust gathered everywhere. The vulpine didn't particularly care, however. He set his jacket and scarf on a hook near the door, and sat on the dusty old sofa in the living room.
"God, I missed this place," Fox whispered.
The vulpine then realized he was going to have to buy essentials, as he brought none. Thankfully, it was late; way past dinner time, so he didn't need to worry about getting anything until the next day. Fox got up, and moved to the small bedroom on the second floor. He didn't bring any nightclothes, either. Smart move, Foxy, he thought. Fox really didn't care. He lay on the bed, and almost instantly fell into a deep sleep. The best one he'd had in weeks.
-o0o-
Fox woke up, yawning. He nearly forgot that he had moved into the apartment for awhile. The vulpine clambered out of the bed, groaning and stretching his arms. Time to go on some errands, he thought.
Fox walked down to the first floor, and out of the building, grabbing his jacket and scarf on the way. The crisp, cold air of the winter made him shiver, and draw the scarf closer around his neck. Fox never really did anything that a normal civilian would do, like shopping and going by restaurants and cafés to eat, so he was honestly lost on where to go or what to do. The area around him looked relatively residential, so he walked a few blocks south. Looking around, he spotted a nice looking café on the other side of the street. He would've walled across the street, if he hadn't seen something. Something bad. Down the street, a man was walking across the street, but a truck was about to run him down. Thinking on impulse and reflex, Fox sprinted down the sidewalk and pushed the man and himself out of the path, grunting. They landed on the opposite sidewalk, groaning. Fox got up to find the truck, but it was already long gone. Turning around, he faced the other figure.
"Hey. Are you alright?" Fox asked, reaching his hand down to help the other up.
"Y- Yeah, I'm fine," a gruff voice said, taking the vulpine's hand and getting up. Fox's eyes widened, recognizing who the man was.
"Wolf? Is that you?"
"Fox?"
Now that Fox was up close to him, he recognized the facial features of his rival. He looked a bit more haggard than before, and slightly unkempt.
"I guess I saved your life, huh? Didn't expect that," Fox said, grinning.
"Yeah. Neither did I. Thanks, though."
Fox had a sudden urge to wonder where his rival had been. He hadn't seen Wolf since his team mysteriously disappeared after the destruction of the Aparoid Queen.
"You wanna catch up over some coffee? I haven't seen you in awhile."
Wolf was silent for a few moments, thinking on the offer. Then he opened his mouth to say, "Sure. Why not?"
"Great! Come on, there is a place down the street a bit. Let's go."
Fox and Wolf walked down the sidewalk, and entered the café. It was actually called Starfox Coffee, which Wolf found amusing.
"What?" Fox asked.
"I think it's funny how everything gets named after you when you become famous, is all. I'll buy for us, okay?"
"No, you don't have to do that," Fox said.
"You saved my life. It's the least I can do," Wolf said.
Sighing, Fox found a small table near the window, and waited for the lupine to get their food and drinks. Fox was genuinely curious as to know what his rival was up to. He looked pretty beat up and almost…. Homeless. Wolf was wearing a pretty beat up black hoodie and frayed jeans.
Wolf came with some coffee and muffins a few moments later, and handed Fox his food.
"Hey, Wolf."
"Yeah?"
"What have you been up to since the aparoids?" Fox asked. Wolf visibly winced.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Fox said, noticing Wolf's discomfort.
"No, I should tell you. You have the right as my rival, don't you?" Wolf asked, chuckling.
"Sure, why not?"
"Alright. Well, we haven't exactly been doing well. Of course, we didn't get credit for helping you guys; General Pepper was happy to label us as MIA. Everyone thought we died, so guess what? No more jobs for us. Sargasso was shut down because we couldn't pay for anything anymore. Soon after, Star Wolf was disbanded, and went their separate ways. I still keep in contact with Panther, but I don't exactly know where he is. I took my Wolfen here, to Corneria. I actually live in it, you know," Wolf explained.
Fox felt a pang of guilt, seeing his state. He felt so bad for Wolf. Living in his own starfighter, living off of scraps.
"I guess that's all Star Fox's fault, huh?" Fox asked, casting his eyes away.
"Hey. It's all in the past, right? Don't blame yourself," Wolf said.
Suddenly, Fox had an idea. Maybe not the best one, but it would help Wolf's sake nonetheless.
"Well, I'm taking a break from my team, and I've got an apartment down the way. You could, uh, stay for awhile," Fox said, awkwardly.
Wolf stared at Fox in disbelief, the grinned.
"Wow, you save my life, take me on a first date, and ask me to live with you all in the same day? I'm sold!" Wolf exclaimed, laughing. It was a hearty laugh, full of joy. Fox had never heard that before. He liked it.
Blushing, he said, "Well, I can always retract the offer-"
"No, don't do that. I'd love to have a place to crash," Wolf said, grinning.
"Great!"
The two canines finished their food, and left the café, walking to Fox's apartment. On the way, Fox explained how his life had been the past month, and shared what had happened with Krystal.
"She uh, said that we didn't fit. I understood, but it still broke my heart. I've never felt so lonely before. First it was dad, and now Krystal," Fox said, his tail drooping.
Wolf looked genuinely concerned for him. "I'm sure you'll find someone better than her. After all, you could get anybody you wanted, man or woman," Wolf said, putting his arm around Fox's shoulders.
"That means a lot. Thanks," Fox said, smiling. He meant it.
The two walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Fox liked having the company of somebody so sarcastic. It made for interesting banter. He wondered if he could consider Wolf a friend. Maybe that was too soon.
They came upon Fox's apartment awhile later. Fox unlocked the door, and led them in. He hung his coat up and laughed at Wolf's face when he started sneezing due to the dust.
"Jesus Christ, Fox! Dust this place sometime, will ya?"
"Sorry. Just moved in. That's why there isn't much here."
"Oh. Do you have a spare bedroom in this place?" Wolf asked.
"I don't. Sorry. You can have the couch, though."
"Nah, I think I'll be sneezing all night. It's got like, an inch of dust on it," Wolf said, chuckling.
"Fine. We can share the bed upstairs. Don't get too friendly with me, though," Fox said jokingly.
"No promises," Wolf joked.
Suddenly, Fox remembered that he hadn't gotten any essentials. He'd have to get double for Wolf, now.
"Crap. I have to get food and other stuff. Can I trust you to watch the place while I'm gone?" Fox asked.
"Sure. I mean, I'm going to live here, after all. I'll try not to make a mess," Wolf said.
"Well, make yourself busy and clean the place. You were the one complaining about the dust," Fox said on the way out of the door.
"Yeah, whatever. See you in a bit, Fox!" Wolf called to the doorway.
Chcukling, Fox tossed Wolf a spare key and left the apartment, locking it. He hoped that immediately giving Wolf all of that trust was the right decision.
-o0o-
After Fox shut the door and threw him a key, Wolf lay on the couch, sighing. Why the fuck did it have to be Fox to save his life, and be unnecessarily nice and caring to him? He didn't deserve it; half the Lylat system thought he was dead or a serious criminal. He was touched by the kindness, though. It had shocked him the Fox was so trusting. Wolf was determined not to give it up. And on top of everything, Wolf managed to avoid Fox for a month, solely because he didn't want to see the vulpine.
It wasn't that he had something against Fox, he was ready to stop being his rival. Wolf guessed they were on the road to being friends, but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be more than that. Wolf wanted to avoid him, and deny his feelings for the vulpine. He couldn't, though, and it killed him. What would the public think? Fox McCloud, war hero, dating somebody presumed dead. A male, nonetheless. It would kill him to see Fox in such a terrible position.
Wolf groaned, getting up and looking around the house, looking for the bedroom. He needed somewhere to sleep peacefully. The lupine found the bedroom on the second floor. It was a nice queen sized bed. He lay in the bed, and his nostrils were assaulted by Fox's scent. Wolf murred to the scent; he didn't think someone could smell so good. Why the hell did he have any doubts? He'd work on it, eventually. He'd get there. Wolf wrapped himself around a pillow and drifted into sleep, thoughts of that stupidly sweet vulpine in his head.
-o0o-
"Wolf? Hello?"
Fox stepped in the living room, void of the grey lupine. He set all of the sacks of groceries in the kitchen adjacent to the room, and looked around the apartment for him. Fox found Wolf sleeping peacefully on his bed, curled around a pillow.
"Poor guy. Must've been through a lot," Fox said to himself, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Wolf. Wake up, Wolf."
The lupine stirred, and slowly got up, yawning and showing his fangs. He turned to face Fox.
"How long was I out?" He asked.
"Only two hours. I just got back with the stuff. Come on, I need your help putting it away," Fox said
"Fine, if you insist," Wolf said, sighing dramatically.
"Come on, oh mighty Lord O'Donnell. I find the task of putting away supplies impossible without help," Fox said sarcastically.
"Alright, drop the crap. I'll help."
Fox walked back to the kitchen, Wolf at his heels. Wordlessly, they put all of the foodstuffs up, leaving them with a bag of toiletries and spare clothes.
"I couldn't find many clothes that you or I would like in the store, so we'll just have to share, alright? But fear not, we won't have to share toothbrushes," Fox said.
"That uh, that's fine. We can find more soon," Wolf said. He looked genuinely shocked at the kindness he was receiving.
"Yeah. Here, go put them in the dresser. I gotta put some more stuff away."
Fox gave Wolf the clothes, and he left to put them away. The vulpine was glad he could help somebody so much, even if that someone was his ex-rival. It didn't bother him. Fox honestly thought of Wolf as a friend now. Smiling to himself, he put the toiletries in the bathroom, and came back, seeing Wolf on the couch, watching the TV.
"You got that old thing started up?" Fox asked.
"Yeah. It was a nightmare to plug in, though. There is so much damn dust back there," Wolf said, looking back at Fox.
Fox sat next to Wolf on the sofa, choosing to relax for awhile. The news was on, and it was pretty boring, to say the least. That is, until a particularly interesting story came on.
"Breaking news. A suspected conspirator of the old Venomian army caused a suicide bombing in the Legacy Park this morning, around ten o'clock AM. Officials have confirmed at least four dead, and dozens injured. Attacks similar to these have been recorded happening in densely populated areas on the planets Fortuna and Katina. Andrew Oikonny is the suspected leader of these attacks," the news anchor reported.
That caught both of their attention.
"Andrew? I thought I killed him back in Fortuna!" Fox exclaimed.
"That isn't good. I think we should stay out of it for the time being, though," Wolf said.
Fox sighed. Wolf was right. He was on vacation, and they had little information on Andrew's whereabouts.
"You're right, Wolf. I should just take it easy," Fox said, sighing.
"There we go. That's the right choice," Wolf said, ruffling Fox's hair in a friendly manner.
"Hmph."
They spent the rest of the day on the couch, watching movies and sharing stories, as they nothing else much to do. Fox had come to respect Wolf, and enjoy his presence. He was a smart and sarcastic individual, and Fox loved that. Around late evening, they decided to go to bed. Wolf went to shower while Fox changed into a pair of sweats and a grey shirt. He slumped onto a half of the bed. Wolf hadn't stopped remaining grateful to Fox, even at his insistence that it wasn't a big deal. Around ten minutes later, a clean smelling Wolf stepped out of the bathroom, shirtless and in sweats. Fox wondered why he didn't have any lovers, with such a great figure. He lay next to Fox, on the other half of the bed.
"Hey, Fox."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For taking me in. You could've just left me after saving my life. You didn't, though. Thank you for caring about me," Wolf whispered.
Fox smiled. "You're welcome, Wolf. You can stay here as long as you want; I'm not going anywhere for awhile. And since you're being sappy, why don't I return the favor?"
Wolf chuckled. "Sure."
"Well, as I've told you before, I've been incessantly lonely and depressed. First dad, and now Krystal… even Falco and Peppy couldn't cheer me up, or fill the void. I haven't had a tether to keep me in reality for a long time. Then, Peppy suggested I take a vacation, and here I am now. You've helped me fill the void a little bit, and make me happy. Thank you."
"No problem. Anytime. Jesus, we're a couple of guys opening up to each other in the same bed. What's next, sleeping in each other's arms? Sex?"
Fox started laughing at that point. "Shut up and go to bed, Wolf."
-o0o-
Fox stirred, vaguely aware of a warm presence pressed up around him. He realized that Wolf was spooning him like a pillow. He was about to object, but he decided that the warmth was nice and comforting. Wolf, however, stirred and woke.
"Hey, Wolf. I appreciate the hug, but I'm not a pillow," Fox said.
"Wha- oh crap! Sorry, Fox! I didn't mean to do that," Wolf said, blushing bright red.
"Hey, I get it. You probably spoon a pillow in your sleep. It's no big deal, Wolf."
They got up, and moved to the kitchen to eat breakfast. That breakfast consisted of cereal and some orange juice, to which Wolf didn't mind. Fox was glad he wasn't a picky eater.
While they were at the table, Fox asked, "Do you want to go anywhere in the city? Like, a park or something?"
"Why not? I haven't been around the city too much, and a walk might be nice. Sure," Wolf said.
"Alright, let me go shower. We can leave after," Fox said, getting up and leaving the kitchen to shower.
Wolf, finished off his food, and went in their room to change. He put on some jeans, and an orange t-shirt. Sighing, he sat down on the bed. Why the hell did he have to make things awkward for them? Well, that wasn't entirely true. Fox didn't seem to mind all of the gestures. He fingered the small pendant on his chest; it was shaped like an eye and made out of a relatively large emerald. It was one of the few things he didn't sell after losing all of the money. He always knew he'd give it to somebody he'd spend the rest of his life with. Wolf didn't exactly know if Fox would reciprocate the feelings. He was sending some pretty mixed feelings. That wouldn't stop him from trying, later, at the park. Maybe that would work.
Fox stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans, a grey tank top, and his flight jacket. Wolf thought he looked great.
"Ready to go?" Fox asked, going for the stairs.
"Yeah. Got any ideas for a park?" Wolf asked, joining him.
"Well…. I got this one up north a few blocks, it's pretty quiet. That good for you?"
"Sounds perfect."
On the way out of the door Wolf grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. He followed Fox to the park, which was a fair distance away from the apartment. It was worth it, though. The park was small, with a glittering pond in the center, and a statue of Fox's late father, James, jutting out of the center. It was shaded with plenty of trees, and there weren't many people in the area. They sat on a bench in front of the statue.
"You like it?" The vulpine asked, seeing Wolf looking around.
"Yeah. I think it's a perfect place to hang out," Wolf said.
"Cool."
"Hey, Fox."
"Yeah?"
"It was rumored a long time ago that I helped kill your father. I wanted to tell you I never did. I would've been fourteen at the time, actually. I didn't start flying until sixteen," Wolf explained, aware of the statue in the background.
"I kinda figured. You're only three years older than me. I was eleven when my father died," Fox said lightly, casting a fake smile.
Wolf couldn't take the faked mood anymore. It killed him to see that in Fox. He embraced the vulpine, which shocked both of them greatly.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Everything. The losses you've had. The cruelty you've faced. The loneliness. The death. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Wolf whispered.
The lupine heard Fox whimper a bit. "T- Thank you, Wolf. You don't know how much it means for me that you'd say that. I needed somebody like you to help me."
Wolf could only smile. "I'll be here."
They let go, and turned to face the statue. The sun was climbing fairly high in the horizon, signifying the afternoon. The two sat in silence, observing the scenery. It was almost unreal, like the setting was taken from a fantasy book. Wolf loved it so much. Smiling, he looked over at Fox. He was staring at the statue, with an unreadable look. Now or never, Wolf thought.
"Hey, Fox."
"Yeah?"
"I've got something I've been meaning to tell you for awhile. It's been eating me up," Wolf said.
"What would that be?"
"Uh… I'll just show you."
Wolf leaned close to Fox, his breath hitching. Tentatively, looking for any signs of hesitation, of which he saw none, Wolf kissed Fox. It was gentle and caring, and they both loved every second of it. Fox wrapped his arms around Wolf's waist and drew him closer. They remained close together, tongues sliding against each other in their mouths, exploring the other. They broke apart, gasping for air, and smiling like idiots.
"Wow. I- uh…. Wow," Fox breathed.
"Yeah."
"That wasn't bad."
"Very funny. Come here," Wolf said, pulling Fox into an embrace.
"Thanks. I loved that."
"You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you. When you pulled me up, and I recognized you, I was so happy on the inside. I had found you again. When I was going through everything after the aparoids, I always had one thought on my mind. Finding you again. Look what happened because of it," Wolf whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"I'm so sorry you went through that. We've both been through so much, and it's pretty damn awful. Look on the bright side, Wolf. We can hold on to each other through everything."
"I know. Thank you."
They released the embrace, and Fox leaned on Wolf, grasping his hand.
"So, we're kinda, lovers now?" Fox asked, innocently.
Wolf chuckled. "I didn't kiss you for nothing, Fox. Of course we are."
"Now all of those wisecracks you pulled are ironic, huh?"
"Yeah."
The two stayed like that for awhile, until the sun dipped low in the horizon, reflecting off of James's statue. It was beautiful in Wolf's eyes.
"Fox. There's something I wanted to give you."
"And that is?"
"There's this pendant that I've held onto for the longest time. I never sold it. I knew that I'd give this pendant to somebody I want to spend the rest of my life with. Now I know who that person is. It's you, Fox," Wolf said, unclasping the eye shaped pendant from his neck and putting it around Fox's.
Fox smiled, saying, "Wolf, thank you. I swear I don't know how many times I have said that in the past few days. I don't have anything on me, but it's at the house. Speaking of that, want to go back?"
"Yeah. Let's go. It's getting really late."
The two canines got up off of the bench, and started the trek home, holding the other's hand. Wolf didn't fail to notice, however, the strange looks some of the passersby gave them as they walked. He chose not to care, for Fox's sake. The vulpine was visibly nervous, but Wolf just grasped his hand tighter, for reassurance. That made him visibly relax.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the apartment. Fox stepped inside, and sighed.
"Damn. That was hard."
"Hey, Fox. It'll get easier. Besides, I'm right here. We'll make it through this," Wolf said.
"God, you're awsome," Fox said, kissing Wolf on the cheek.
"I try."
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot! Hold on, stay right there," Fox said, running upstairs.
He came back a moment later with that scarf he always wore. He didn't take it today, for some reason.
"This scarf was my dad's. Peppy brought it to me after the mission when they failed to kill Andross. I've worn it for as long as I could remember. Don't know why, but I've always wanted to give it to somebody else, and carry on the legacy. My dad would want that. I would've given it to Krystal, but I think you should have it. You've helped fill a void in my life that I thought wouldn't ever go away."
Wolf was shocked. He didn't know that scarf had such a history, he assumed Fox just liked how it looked. No wonder he would always wear it. Gingerly, he took it from Fox.
"You didn't have to do this, Fox."
"I did it anyway."
Wolf embraced Fox. "Come on, let's go to bed."
"Yeah."
The two canines took off their jackets and hung them on the coat hangers. They walked up to their bedroom, and undressed, facing away from each other as they did so. Fox then rooted around in his closet until he found a pair of sweatpants he deemed suitable to wear to bed, and threw them on. He then turned around to see the lupine, clad in nothing but his boxers, climbing into the bed with a sigh of relief. The vulpine felt his face heat up, and joined Wolf on the other side of the bed.
"I'm glad this happened," Fox whispered, facing his lover and smiling softly. Wolf nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, me too. I didn't think this would all work out, but it did."
The vulpine kissed the other man softly, and the two smiled into it, glad that they could have each other in that moment. Fox inched closer to him ehen they broke apart, and Wolf wrapped his arms around him in response.
"Good night, Wolf."
"Night, Fox."
The vulpine quickly found a deep and happy sleep in his lover's arms, glad all of his troubles were washed away in the thick veil of unconsciousness.