The number one thing Kyubi hated about winter was his fur. He could usually manage it during everyday of his life, but during this season, his body just HAD to suddenly grow four inches of fur, even if he kept bundled up and shaved often. There was always the pills, but he just didn't trust that stuff that had "cyanide extract" in the ingredients.

But now, near the end of December, he looked like a chia pet who was picking out bits of pieces of sparkling wrapping paper out of his legs and tails. The kitsune looked like he was wearing shiny skinny jeans as he was being gawked at by Jibanyan, donning his Christmas present of a cat sized ugly sweater, with the wooly rendition the Notorious B.I.G, complete with crown and all.

"Jibanyan, you shouldn't be making fun of Kyubi. He can't control whether he wants his fur to grow or not,". The sweet, angelic voice of his partner came into the room as Katie walked in holding a pair of pajamas draped over her arm.

"Eh, I know, but it's still funny," Kyubi replied to the cat's we quip by sweeping his tail under his hind paws, flipping him over on to his back with a yelp. It made him feel a bit better. Katie just rolled her eyes before entering the bathroom.

Jibanyan grumbled, giving Kyubi his best death stare while getting up and collecting his remaining gifts of a new scratching post and two pounds of Chocobars.

He stuck his tongue out, which was returned, before exiting the living room.

Kyubi chuckled at his little trick and went back to paper picking. There was little pile next to him of multicolored wrappings.

His little, short-lived comfort was extinguished as he fished for red and white piece of paper with a smiling penguin design. He felt like it mocked him it escaped his clawed graps every single time.

He heard the water come on as the piece went to the base of his tail. Grumbles accompanied by swears came as he say how deep it was. Some days, he wished he was like his second cousin Akari. She was, as parts of his family have quietly said, a mix, her grandmother marrying a desert fox spirit (they must have loved each other an awful lot as they had fifteen kids).

Akari showed this not only by her sandish colored fur but also that it never grew more than half an inch.

She didn't have to deal with this shit. If she got something stuck in her tail, she could pull it out and not need a full grooming kit.

Retribution came as his claws, pinching the retched piece, pulled it slowly like a claw machine arm. Kyubi sighed in relief as this was the very last piece he needed to get out. He threw it onto the pile and scraped it up, making sure it didn't touch the fur on his arms.

After throwing it out and patting his hands, he decided to go to bed, as his phone told him it was almost 11:00. Kyubi gathered his gifts, consisting of a copy of "The Face That Must Die", a rock (he wanted to throw it at the little shit right then and there, but he had to work on his anger like Katie told him to, so he just set it aside), and a package consisting of a handwritten letter from Mom and Takeshi (even though they always emailed him. He guessed it was the thought that counts), an 8 x 20 framed photo of the whole family (they were probably as big as the Al-Sauds), and a tiny statue of Colonial Sanders. This, of course, was Takeshi's gift.

So, neatly setting them all on the chair besides the desk in the bedroom, Kyubi went over and peeled back the layers of down comforters, blankets, and sheets; San Fantastico was nice in the summer, but unforgiving in the winter due to it being next to the ocean.

Instead of diving into the warmth, Kyubi simply layed down and covered himself with the top sheet. The worst part about all this fur is that he could never find the comfortable temperature at night. Put on a few covers, too hot, just one, too cold. The fur didn't help much besides exaggerated the heat or cold.

With arms folded, the kitsune closed his eyes and imagined always having short fur like Akari. Not the lice like here, of course not, but just being able to not have biology shit on you all the time.

Wait a minute...he COULD just shave this all off. He'd have to do it multiple times, but it'd be better than looking like the fox version of a sheepdog. So why has he not been cutting it?

He heard the door open and a beam of dull light hit his back. Katie sombered in, equally tired from the shower (and much more heated up). She turned off the lights behind her, and fumbled in the dark into the bed. She dove right in and was soon snug as burrito. She snaked her arms around Kyubi and pulled her abdomen to his creamish furry back and shoulders. He internally blushed as he felt her warmth and breathing that grew slower.

"G'night," she mumbled. There was an awkward pause before she muttered,

"...Fuzzy,"

Kyubi didn't know if that was a petname or if Katie just said the obvious, but he used his last ounces of energy to stop his tails from wagging. His cheeks radiated an almost luminescent reddish-pink color.

Now he knew he kept the fur.