000
"Wow. Already?"
The vixen watched him from across the room, the excitement and happiness in her mate's voice making her wonder even more who he was talking to.
"So...just any time?...Just whenever we want?...No bills or anything?"
The disbelief on his face made her smile yet she didn't bother diving into his thoughts to figure out just exactly what was being said on the other end of the line. He'd tell her soon enough, though she couldn't help but already have a good guess as to what it would be about.
This past week, ever since Fox went to see Pepper things have been perfect. It's almost like a dream, almost tooperfect to be real. With the ship, the credits, and how Pepper managed to keep this whole thing under wraps...it's like karma has finally decided to favor us.
It had been six days since Fox had visited with the general and came back to tell them the amazing news. It had been nothing short of celebratory in the room as the vulpine, with a unmasked grin on his face, told them how it had went. She had thrown her arms around his neck and kissed him seconds after, Katt doing the same to Falco, as they watched their lives slowly get pieced back together. Afterward they had contemplated going out to eat at one of Corneria's most prestigious restaurants but decided against it, all of them just as happy eating at any regular place.
But when they had finally decided on a place to go, they ATE. The vixen's stomach had healed magnificently over the past week and even though the pain still remained while performing some actions, it wasn't enough to keep her chowing down on the unlimited buffet numerous times.
I couldn't remember the last time we all were so full. After rationing food on GreatFox for so long, getting to eat like that...
She smiled to herself as she remembered how sick they all had felt afterward, but it had been worth it and she knew they'd do it again if the option came along. After that they had split, the falcon and his pink mate taking off in one direction, her and Fox in another, as they took off to see the town. The feeling that they both shared the entire time they were out there...it was one she never wanted to lose. To be able to feel so happy and carefree, to hold the hand of the one she loved more than life, to rest her head on his shoulder as they walked beneath the bright lights of Corneria...it was absolutely perfect.
The whole week was like that too. Just...perfect.
Time.
It was all they had now. Credits were no longer a problem, nor were missions or repairs or any of the other chores that came with being a struggling mercenary in Lylat. And Fara...the one who had started all of this...the effects of all that she had done now could almost been seen as a blessing. It was difficult to think of it like that, but somewhere in the back of her mind the sapphire fox knew that Fara's jealousy, her insanity and desperation, it had been the reason why things ended up as they were.
So for the past week they didn't worry about anything other than each other. Peppy and Slippy were with their loved ones, as was Katt and Falco, and Fox and herself, and she was sure that if the rest of them were as grateful to have survived this as she was then they'd focus on spending as much time with their mate as possible.
She once again lightly blushed and grinned as she recalled every night for the past week with the vulpine, the two of them alone in the room, lights out, television on, yet neither of them focusing on anything except the other.
So...perfect.
"That's great! We'll be there tomorrow!...any certain...ah, any time of the day? Okay...thank you!"
Finally the vulpine closed his new phone and slid it into the pocket of his also new jeans before turning to face the vixen. He met her gaze only for a moment, an excited look on his face as he jumped forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her down on the bed with him.
"Fox!" she laughed, putting her hands against his chest and grabbing his shirt, "Who was that? What's going on?"
He kissed her first, once again reminding both of them they finally had the other. She looked down at him, answering the kiss and loving every second despite how surprised she was at the intensity of it. He merely pressed on, reaching forward and brushing a lock of hair from her face before finally easing away and rolling over by her side, that same look of excitement still in his eyes.
"Nothing much." he answered her coyly, grinning and wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Who called?" she repeated, returning his playful expression and pressing her muzzle against his.
"Oh that?" he replied, shrugging and shaking his head, "Just some salesman. He was advertising something, I can't remember...
"You jerk."
He laughed, pulling her closer and once more kissing her. She loved this new side of him. Before they had admitted their feelings for each other he had never been like this, but looking into his thoughts and going by his character...she had known this part of the vulpine was in there. She knew he was fun loving, that he enjoyed being happy and making others feel the same way. But with her it was as if he had taken it to another level.
He loves me so much, it's unreal. And I feel nothing short of the same way. God I hope it stays like this forever.
She eased out of the kiss, once again noticing the playful twinkle in his eye as he held her gaze. Whatever it was he had been told on the phone she knew it was good news, and after all they had been through she couldn't help but think they deserved a lot of it.
"Don't make me read your mind." she threatened with a grin, running a paw up his chest until it rested on the side of his face.
"Go ahead." he taunted, struggling to hold a serious expression throughout their game, "I bet you still can't figure it out."
Before he had finished the sentence she had already slipped into his thoughts, staying there only a second before blinking in surprise and jerking out, immediately looking up at the vulpine and blushing.
"Fox!"
He couldn't help but roll over and laugh before standing up beside the bed, clearly content with putting the image into the vixen's head.
"Something wrong?" he asked, stepping forward and pulling her to her feet and into his chest, "Was that too much?" he added, his voice now a playful whisper in her ear.
She couldn't help but smile, once again realizing how much she really loved the vulpine and this new side of him she was still getting to know. That he could be so carefree, to know that he loved her and she loved him enough to act like this, it made everything that much more beautiful.
Everything is truly perfect.
"Well if that was it," she answered him, running her hands up his shirt, "then what are you waiting for?"
The cocky grin on his face almost instantly faded as he realized his dirty thought was becoming reality. He issued a growl of approval, raising his arms and allowing the vixen to push him across the floor towards the bathroom.
"R-right now?" he managed to murmur as her mouth left his.
"Is this a bad time?" she asked, never looking away from him as she turned on the water to the shower.
Seconds later all that remained on either of them were the bare necessities, her paws resting inside the elastic of his boxers as their mouths connected once more. She knew what his answer would be and it was one she would never get tired of hearing. The past week had been long enough and it had taken only a few days before the two of them had finally broken the barrier that so many other couples were afraid of. But afterward it was as if the flood gates had opened and it was as if simply kissing the other was all it took to get like this.
And I love it.
"This is a great time." he answered her, his paws resting on the release of her bra.
She only grinned, sliding down his shorts and connecting their mouths yet again, simultaneously feeling the last few articles of her own clothing fall from her body as she allowed the vulpine to pull her into the shower.
"I love you." he managed to pant, finally easing away from the kiss as the lust seemed to overtake them both.
"Show me." came the reply.
000 ^ cliché? Eh. I consider it my own little line. I've used it in a few of my stories and just love it.
"Wow."
Yeah wow. I feel the same way.
"They really cleaned up the place."
Falco's comment was nothing short of the truth as the band of four made their way across the lounge, which was absolutely spotless at this point.
Hard to believe this whole floor was covered in blood at one point.
The vulpine's hand remained intertwined with hers, almost as if he was afraid of letting her out of his sights again as they arrived 'home.' He hated feeling this way though, being scared of returning to his own ship. But after what had happened on it, after all the blood that had been spilled here and all the suffering that his team had been put through...he knew that no matter how top-notch the crew had been that had cleaned this place they'd never be able to wash away the memories of what had once taken place.
It was no secret to either him or Krystal that Fara had carved memories into both their minds, memories that would remain in their thoughts for the rest of their lives, long after the fennec fox had been dead. Every night from then on he knew they'd be hesitant of walking the hallways of the ship alone, all of them living in constant fear of seeing those same two red orbs glaring at them from across the room, knowing they belonged to a monster.
It shouldn't be like that. But no matter how hard I try, despite how great things have been going, there's nothing I can do to erase that problem. Thoughts like those just can't be forgotten. Only ignored.
Which he realized wouldn't be that hard to do as he felt the vixen's paw tighten around his, her gaze catching his as she happily smiled at him.
She's so beautiful. So god-damn perfect too. I'm so lucky to have her.
"Did-did they replace the floor?" Katt's question pulled the two foxes back to reality and they stepped forward into the kitchen, looking down at the newly furnished tiles.
"Huh, I guess so." he answered, looking up and around the rest of the kitchen, "And a few more things as well."
He was right. The old fridge was gone, now replaced with a newer, larger one. As was the sink, stove, table, counter tops, and the cabinets. They were all in the same place, and relatively the same size as before, but all were much newer and better. Even the walls had been repainted.
"Wait a second," Falco interrupted, stepping forward and making his way over to the fridge, opening it and looking it over. "Okay we're good. They stocked it."
The four of them shared a laugh before turning back around and looking over the rest of the ship. The more they explored the dreadnaught the more amazed they became. Pepper had spared absolutely no expense when he had taken GreatFox under his jurisdiction. It was as if the entire ship had been remodeled. Almost everything in their bedrooms had been replaced. New beds, carpet, new sheets, dressers, lights, doors, and anything else that was replaceable. Then to top it all off every single room had a new paint job to go along with it.
Then there was the hanger and control room. Each of them had been repaired and updated to the fullest extent of Cornerian military technology. There was a new launch pad, the bridge had been remodeled, the computer and controls in the command post had been replaced with technology that was far more up to date than what they had been using before. Plus the engines had been repaired 100 percent, along with almost every other mechanical function on the ship.
Slippy will pass out when he sees this.
Even their own Arwing's, which had remained aboard the ship this entire time, had been fixed and updated with more of Corneria's vast weaponry. But the best part, the part that surprised them all more than anything else, was when they checked the cargo bay.
"Holy shi-
"Wow."
"Amazing"
"We'll never use it all."
The four of them voiced their own responses but none hardly heard the other as they took in the sight before them. If Pepper had spared no expense with everything else, then he had definitely not spared any here. Never before, in all the years that he had owned the ship, had the vulpine seen the cargo bay this full of supplies and material. Crate upon crate upon crate of emergency food and fuel and spare parts seemed to fill every single inch of this large section of the ship.
Now...now everything is perfect.
"I bet there's 3 million credits worth of stuff here." Katt finally managed to murmur, pulling them all back to reality.
"At least." Krystal answered.
We honestly have everything we could ever need now. No...we have everything we could ever 'want'. I've got all I 'need' right beside me. The rest is just extra.
She squeezed his paw, causing him to look over at her only for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise and satisfaction as he returned her gentle kiss. She had heard his thoughts but he didn't mind, they both knew it to be the truth anyway. Each other. That was all either had wanted this entire time. The rest would have fallen into place, but only after they had the one they loved so dearly in their arms.
The four of them stood there for only a few seconds more before Falco finally allowed a yawn to escape him, breaking the silence.
"So now what?" he asked, turning and facing them, his arm on Katt's shoulder.
The question almost caught the vulpine off guard, he himself having been thinking about that same question for the past few days and still not being able to come up with a good answer.
We've got all we need. None of us would have to be a mercenary now unless we wanted to. Credits aren't a problem at the moment. I mean, sure five-hundred thousand is a lot but after a few years that will be gone. Then what?
"I'm not sure." he managed to reply, turning and leading the four of them back up to the bridge. "Everything is so great right now...there really isn't anything we need to do."
He knew the unspoken thought that they all were probably thinking. Sure things were great now, but they wouldn't always be. Eventually credits would get tough again, unless they prepared and worked to prevent their lives from returning to that state. But to be honest the more and more he thought about it, the more he asked himself that one question over and over again, the more he continued to get the same answer.
What do you want?
I want things to be just like they used to be. Only with a few 'minor' changes.
He had enjoyed his life before, he had liked living with his friends on GreatFox in the mercenary lifestyle. But it wasn't until he had Krystal that he was finally happy. So now what? What move needed to be made this time?
"You know what I think?" Krystal spoke up, instantly causing him to wonder if she had been eavesdropping on his thoughts. "I think things were great just the way they were before. Including a few changes...
You sly fox. Don't be like this. I want you to be happy, don't just say what I'm thinking.
He wanted to reply, to tell the vixen not to just side with him, but before he could do anything Katt spoke up and voiced her agreement as well.
"Me too." she answered, stepping closer to Falco and running her arm around his waist, "I loved things the way they were and I don't want anything to change...at least, not now."
The avian blushed and looked away, clearly not as willing to display his affection towards his mate in front of his friends as she was. But Katt only smiled and looked over at the vulpine, nodding as if to add a conclusion to her own vote.
"Yeah I agree." Falco mumbled, still looking away, "We're still Team StarFox and I kinda enjoy being a part of it."
He felt Krystal press closer to him as Falco finished, a loving look on her face as she smiled at him and wrapped her tail around his, "See Fox?" she said softly, "We're still a team. Fara didn't stop that either."
A few seconds passed and he returned her smile, finally weighing his options and deciding on what they would all finally end up doing. Though, there was a part of him that still feared they were all just saying this to make him happy, but he wasn't sure. Maybe they really did want to keep things the way they were, how they had once been. Of course, with those few little exceptions.
"All right." he finally answered, smirking at the vixen before looking back over at Katt and Falco, "Then I'll set us a course for Sauria and we'll await our next assignment, just as we had been doing before."
He noticed the relieved and accepting look overtake them all and realized that he had made the perfect call.
We're mercenaries. That's what we know best, why try to change that?
"Sounds good," Falco answered, stifling yet another yawn, "Well if that's the case then I think I'm going to grab a shower and then take nap. Katt..."
"I'd love to." she answered, a blush overcoming the bird once more as he forced a grin to his face.
The two of them nodded at the foxes before heading down the bridge and into the lounge. He watched them round the corner before turning back and facing the sapphire beauty that his life revolved around. She fell into his chest, her arms around his waist as she looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you Fox."
He managed to return the expression but he still couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and his heart wouldn't be at rest until he at least asked her the question that had been troubling him.
"But are you sure?" he asked, looking down at her, "Is this what you want? Will you be happy living this life?"
"What makes you think I wouldn't?" she replied with a small laugh.
"Because," he started, resting his arms around her, "You deserve so much more than the life of a mercenary. You're too...amazing...to be stuck taking on cheap missions and living like this."
You deserve to live the life of what you are. And you're a goddess.
She had heard the thought and he had meant for her to. More than anything else he just wanted her to be happy, to be able to wake up every morning and have the ability to say that she enjoyed her life and where it was going. To not be able to do that, for someone as great as her, it almost made the vulpine angry. But now, especially now, since had had the money and the resources...he just had to make sure.
"Fox. I've never been happier at any point in my life than I am right now." she answered softly, slowly leaning closer to him, "This is the life I've always dreamt of. To be able to fight alongside my friends, and to be able to love you every single day, it's everything I've ever wanted."
"But-
"Trust me Fox. There is nothing that could ever happen that would take away the happiness I feel as long as I still have you."
As she finished so did her mouth ease up against his, not allowing any further worrisome thoughts or comments to make their way out of the vulpine, instead only provoking him to tighten his hold on her as he returned the kiss and replayed the vixen's words over and over again.
So she's happy then? This is the life she wants...that they all want? That I want?
He held her for a few seconds more before finally pulling away the smallest of inches, his eyes locking onto hers as he searched for the slightest indication of regret or doubt in her gaze but getting none. None of them regretted the decision, not even after all they had been put through, after all that they had suffered just because of him. Despite everything they still remained by his side and a part of his team.
"Then if that's what you want-
His whisper was cut short once again as she closed the gap between them a third time, her paws and mouth doing all the talking and reassuring the vulpine that she was positive about her decision. Finally he felt that sense of fear leave him as his heart and mind accepted the vixen's proposal to live the rest of her life with him.
She's right. All we need is each other. Nothing else in the universe matters…not if I've got her.
"Now c'mon Fox," she said softly, grabbing him by the collar and whispering in his ear, "Get this ship back in space so we can focus on more important things the rest of the evening...
000
Author's Note: The End.