Hello, fellow writers. Gonna keep this short and sweet, so uh...
I wrote this at 3 in the morning and only revised it slightly. Don't expect the best writing ever, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment.
With that out of the way, here's...
Loneliness
The Broken and the Brave (1/2)
The night was cold. Most Cornerians sat comfortably within the confines of their homes, likely beginning to sleep. All was content with the people. The Lylat Wars were long gone, The Anglars have been defeated for over two years and most, if not all of those remaining as enemies had seemingly been wiped out.
Star Fox had been disbanded almost immediately after the Anglar Blitz. Falco rejoined the army under another team, and seemingly, died in combat. Slippy had retired at this point, living in a secluded area of Corneria. Peppy took a job as a Flight Instructor for the military, forgoing his old days as a mercenary.
And then there was Fox. This is, ladies and gentlemen, where our story begins...
The corner of the street was lit only barely by that of the streetlamp. A shadowy figure sat underneath it, out of sight to most, it's only defining trait being a cigarette within it's left paw, drawn to it's mouth once every few moments.
Unbeknownst to said figure, another trotted slowly down the sidewalk, his head low to the ground as tears slowly dripped down his face. Sniffling could be heard from him as he trudged along the path.
"D-damnit..." Fox sighed as he lifted his bag back to his shoulder. "I j-just need to get to the damn hotel, and i'll be able to sleep it off-?!" He looked up, finding someone he definitely did not wanna see standing near the bus stop. Wolf?! No, I can't let him see me like this...Just compose yourself, Fox... the canine stood straight, wiping his face of the tears that stained it, and walked up to the larger male. Shifting his feet, he stood beside him, waiting for the bus and trying his damnedest not to breathe in any of the smoke coming from the wolf's cigarette.
"Look who it is. If it isn't Star Fox's very own, well...Fox." the wolf chuckled a bit, to no response from the Fox. The two had been in good, albeit shaky, relations ever since the Anglar Blitz, but Fox didn't trust the Wolf too greatly, even still. "How have you been?"
"G-good..." Fox shakily gave his response, trying to keep his composure. The larger male raised an eyebrow.
"Alrighty, erm..." the Wolf shifted, the awkwardness of the situation already reaching him. "You okay there, kiddo? You seem a bit, uh...shook." the Wolf looked down at the smaller male.
"Y-yes, i'm fine!" The sudden outburst surprised even Fox, but at the moment, he wasn't mentally prepared to have a discussion with the larger male he once considered an enemy. "N-now can you please be quiet and leave me alone?!"
"Yikes." The Wolf took a step to the side. "I'll let you be, ya don't have to be angry, sheesh- are you crying? What happened...?" He gazed down at Fox with worry in his face.
"Why do you care? It's not your business." Fox wiped away another tear. "You should d-despise me, right? We used to fight all the time, so why do you suddenly care so much?"
"...Just because we were enemies on the battlefield, it doesn't mean we're enemies here." The Wolf took another shot at his cigarette before crushing it under his boot. "You have a place to go? You're obviously in need of someone to cry to."
"N-no...I don't." The Fox sighed as his tears began to dry up. "W-why?"
"Come to my place." The canine hesitantly put his hand to the Fox, awkwardly rubbing his friend's- enemy's? -shoulder. "You can sleep over if you'd like."
"What, why...?" The Fox looked up at Wolf, repeating the question.
The Wolf shrugged. "I wanna help. I'm not as heartless as you seemingly presume." A gentle smile came to his face as he looked over. "Here's the bus."
The bus pulled up to the final stop, and Wolf shook the one beside him. He'd fallen asleep on the ride, his head resting dangerously close to the other male's shoulder.
"Ey, Fox, we're here." He tapped at the younger male's head, attempting to awake him. "Wake up, c'mon..."
"Hmm..." the Fox sleepily gazed around. "Oh, sorry..."
"Need me to carry you?" The older male chuckled a bit, his red eye looking over the smaller canine, who was now both awake and pink in the face.
"No." The smaller male glared at Wolf, his voice holding a hint of anger.
"Yeesh, okay." The canine chuckled. "I was just offerin'." The Wolf grabbed his small bag and began to walk towards the front of the vehicle. No one else was on the bus when they arrived, and the same was said for when they got off.
Wolf had lived in a smaller apartment building on the left side of town. His apartment was, surprisingly, very clean, which definitely had surprised the fox. Taking off his coat and putting it aside, the Fox only wore his jeans and a tank top now. The Wolf, on the other hand, removed his jacket revealing a dark blue shirt underneath, alongside his jeans.
"Welcome to my home." The Wolf turned around and opened his arms. "Mi casa, su casa, as they say." The Fox nodded, a smile finally reaching his face. The Wolf had achieved his goal at last.
"Wow. A bit cleaner than I expected." Fox gazed around the room. A couch in the middle, a kitchen that was (hopefully) full of food... "It's nice." The Fox sat down on the couch near Wolf. Looking towards the shelf, he saw something out of place: a gaming system, the newest of it's kind. He smirked.
"I didn't think of you as someone who plays video games." The canine stood and grabbed at one of the controllers. "Ah...which do you have, is the question."
"I'll grab one." The Wolf stood, walking over to a shelf near the television and grabbing one of the large cases off of the shelf. "This work?"
"Sure." Fox grabbed a controller and got himself into a more comfortable position, ready to play.
Several hours had passed, and the two had played for hours. A pillow was snuck in between Fox's legs and his arms as a sort of cushion, while Wolf had shifted several times during the matches they played.
"What time is it? Jeez..." the canine looked at the clock on his kitchen wall. "Three in the morning." The wolf stood up.
"Heading to bed?" The smaller male stood as well, stretching a bit.
"Not yet. You want something to eat?" It only took seconds for the former Mercenary to realize his hunger.
"Yeah. What do you have?"
"Hmm..." the Wolf pulled out a package of some kind. "You okay with Ramen? I need to grab some groceries tomorrow..."
"Eh, sure." The Fox sat up, walking over to the corner table and sitting down. "Thank ya."
"No problem." The Wolf grabbed a bowl from a cupboard and filled it with water, putting the bowl into the microwave. Grabbing a mug, Wolf poured himself some water before sitting across from him.
"Tell me, Fox. Why'd you quit Mercenary work?" The Wolf took a sip of his drink before putting it down. "I know you enjoyed it more than anything."
"Huh? Well, uh..." the Fox scratched at the back of his head. "For a while, me and Krystal were in a relationship, and, well...we broke up a few days after the entire Anglar thing. After that, Merc work just kind of...stopped being fun."
"That sucks." Wolf took another sip, standing as the Microwave gave off a loud beep. "Here's your food."
Fox hungrily grabbed at the bowl and began to eat his food, taking it in large chunks. Wolf laughed. "Shoulda told me you were hungry."
"Sorry." Fox simply shrugged as he ate. "I haven't eaten much lately."
"Wait, have you been livin' on the streets or something?" The Wolf put his cup to the side and rested his head in his hands, worriedly gazing at the fox.
"Not really. I've been living in a hotel for about a month now. The job I used to have paid enough for me to continue living there, but..." he shrugged. "I was kicked out this morning."
"Yikes...what happened to your old house?"
"Kicked out. Couldn't pay for it since I quit mercenary work." Fox put down his bowl and sighed before standing up and putting it in the sink.
"Ah..." Wolf stood, realizing his friend was done eating. Stretching slightly, he began for a door near the back of the apartment.
"You heading to bed now?" The fox turned around to face the older male.
"Yeah. You can either sleep out here or in my room with me. Either works, to be honest." The wolf shrugged, and the Fox raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, sleep with you? And you're okay with that?" The Fox folded his arms.
"You're the one turning it into an innuendo, not me." The Wolf turned around and walked towards a door near the back of the room. "Lemme know if you're bunking with me or not."
...Several minutes had passed since the older male had walked into his room. Oh, what the hell, it's just for one night. I hope. The Fox slowly stumbled over to the door and fiddled with it, opening it after a second and entering.
Wolf's room was slightly more messy than the main room was, but not by much. Occasional clothes were about, but that was it. Wolf sat in the bed, reading a book, though Fox couldn't tell the title in the darkness.
"Hey, Wolf?" The Fox peeked inside.
"Yeah?" The Wolf looked up from his book at the Fox.
"Uh, is the bed still, erm..." the Fox shifted awkwardly. The Wolf simply replied by moving over a bit, allowing room for Fox to lay down as he returned to his book. The fox stumbled over to the bed and climbed in, surprised at the softness of the blanket. Only minutes passed until Wolf began to speak.
"Hey, Fox. Tell me something." The Wolf closed his book and looked over at the smaller male next to him. "What's your taste in women?"
The fox's eye's widened at the question. W-what?!"
"What are your taste in partners? I'm interested." The Wolf shrugged.
"Well...I guess having someone strong willed is most important. I want a girl that can support me emotionally, since...right now, at least, i'm not very stable in that department...you?" The fox perked his ears, wondering how the Wolf would answer.
The wolf responded with a simple shrug. "I'd like someone I can trust, above all else." The Wolf nodded. "Someone I can trust with my life, I guess you could say."
"That's fair." An odd feeling overcame Fox, one he was unfamiliar with. "Do you trust me?"
"Huh? ...I mean, yeah. I trust you relatively enough. Dunno why you're asking, though." The larger male gave an awkward chuckle.
"Ah, got it." The Fox turned over in the bed, facing away from the Wolf. An awkward silence ensued.
"Hey, uh...why were you havin' the waterworks today?" The wolf broke the silence and turned over, facing the Fox.
The Fox shook his head. "Falco." He shook his head. "I had a run in with one of his old friends, and talking about him just...hurt, I guess. Then I went to a bar, drank a bit, left, and...well, you know the rest.
The Wolf fell silent, remembering the funeral ceremony he was surprisingly invited to. He'd forgotten about it, but Fox seemingly hadn't.
"I'm...i'm sorry about that, I should've realized-"
"It's okay, I don't really care, I just...miss him, is all." He sighed. "Falco was like a brother to me, and losing him was...extremely difficult, possibly even more than my dad's death, as surprising as that may sound."
"Wow..." the Wolf shifted uncomfortably, unsure as to what he should do next.
"Wolf?" The fox took his turn at breaking the silence, sitting up.
"Yeah, Fox?"
"Why do you wear that eyepatch? The scar you used to have is gone, isn't it?"
The wolf sighed. "You really wanna see?"
"Yes." The Fox turned over to face the one beside him. The older male grabbed at the eyepatch and flipped it up, while turning on a light so Fox could see. "Oh..."
"I have different color eyes. It's always been a sort of an insecurity for me, I guess." Wolf closed his red eye so that Fox could look distinctly at the dark grey one next to it.
Fox giggled slightly. "The big bad Wolf, insecure about his grey eye."
"Hey!" The Wolf glared at his friend.
"Sorry, sorry." The Fox put his hand under the pillow beneath him, and sighed. "It's a bit cold in here..."
"Maybe. Don't Foxes naturally have thick pelts?" The Wolf sat back down, shuffling back into his original position.
Fox shrugged. "Usually. Guess i'm the odd one out there."
"Want me to grab you another blanket, or...?" The Wolf prepared to stand once more.
The fox shook his head. "No, it's okay. I was actually hoping that you could-" the fox stopped mid sentence, a large blush sweeping across his face. "I, uh..."
"You want me to cuddle with you, is that it?" Wolf smirked, heat rising to his own cheeks.
The blush Fox had spread further upon his face, lighting him up. "N-no! I didn't mean that, I..."
"Whelp, no reason to fight it." The Wolf moved over to the Fox and wrapped his arms around him, shoving the fox into his chest.
"Aah, Wolf, wait...!" The Fox blushed even heavier as he was cuddled. "I didn't...!" The Wolf ignored him, nuzzling into his head.
"Goddamnit Wolf..." the smaller male gave in and shifted, his head against Wolf's upper chest. "A-are you serious about this...?"
"About what?" The wolf looked down at the Fox in his arms.
"This! The cuddling, the nuzzling...everything you're doing right now!" Fox almost jumped out of the bed, but kept down the urge to do so.
"I know you're enjoying this, so who am I to deny you such happiness?"
"I've lost all sense of control in my life, haven't I..." the fox looked up at Wolf. "But how do I know you want this-" the Fox was interrupted by a sudden kiss from the Wolf, which sent shivers down his spine, but only moments passed until he gave in, kissing back. The Wolf's breath tasted of a kind of meat, and Fox oddly enjoyed the taste. He wrapped his arms around Wolf as the two sat, and, and when they released from each other, a small trail of saliva was left in it's wake, as well as two red faces.
After a moment, Wolf spoke up. "That enough proof for ya?" he smirked. "I've loved you for a while, Fox McCloud."
"Wait, really?!" The Fox moved back. "Since when?"
"Since the end of the Lylat Wars..." the Wolf looked away. "It hurt to not tell you for so long..."
"I...I see. If I may ask, why do you love me then, Wolf?"
"You're brave, and selfless." The older male shrugged. "You give a sense of heroism that entranced even me, I guess."
"Really? Wow, I never thought of it like that...i'm learning so much about you, it's kinda scary." The Fox chuckled.
"Two sides to every coin." Wolf smiled. "That's how it is for everyone."
"So...lemme get this straight-"
"You can't, Fox."
"Shut up. Anyway, you love me, and thought it was a good idea to bring me into your home with the hope that i'd end up in your bed, is that it?"
"Again, i'm not that insensitive." The Wolf batted at the smaller Fox's head.
"Ow, jeez..." the smaller male rubbed the small scratch mark he had just gained. "Anyways...erm..." he yawned.
"A bit tired, are we?" The wolf chuckled. "Alright, c'mere." Wolf wrapped his arms around the male next to him and cuddled him once more.
"Hey, Wolf?"
"What now?" The wolf jokingly sighed.
"We should go somewhere tomorrow, you and I." Fox looked upwards.
"Sounds like a plan." The larger male planted a kiss on the top of his partner's head, and put his own to the pillow beneath him. "And, uh...Fox?"
"Hmm...?"
"I, uh..." Wolf stumbled on his words, trying to find what he wanted to say. "I...love ya."
"You're adorable." The fox shifted in his partner's arms. "I love you too, you big fluffball."
The wolf just softly sighed in relief.