BEHIND HIS SMILE

( SPAM X VANEXA )

Story idea by: GreySithLord

( Spam had always been seen as the happy go lucky fox he was. One day, a certain appearance of a new student made him different and only Vanexa took notice of his change. It's up to her to figure out the secret behind his smile )

It's a new day for the students of the Zoophoenix Academy. As dawn struck, students were seen flocking inside the academy, idly chatting and walking around in the hallway. On a certain part of the hallway, a group of friends are merrily chatting with each other, their jolly laughter permeating the air.

"You should've seen the look on Rusty's face! It was pure gold!!" Zill laughs heartily slapping his knees as he couldn't contain his humour.

"That's kinda rude Zill! Poor Ruben! He had a fever for a whole week!" Kayla said in a pitied tone.

"Well... it's kinda his fault for pinching the wyvern. Ms Carrie already told us not to but he was stubborn!!" Jack added to the conversation as he was busy taking out some books from his locker.

"Luckily, it only roared and Ms Carrie got a hold of it before anything bad happened!" Kayla said to them.

"But it was scary, I couldn't imagine anyone not being afraid of it! I mean, my legs were literally shaking when it landed!" Kayla added to them, her face frowning as she recollects the memories from the event.

"Don't worry babe, no dragon will harm my girl! I'll just beat it to a pulp!" Zill bravely says as he slams his fists together showing off his strength.

"Good luck with that!" Jack chuckles at Zill's statement.

"Plus, it's a wyvern not a dragon!" Jack added.

"Wyvern, shmyvern, I'll gladly take it on to protect my dear princess!" Zill says as he immediately hugs Kayla from the side.

"Ooo, save me my charming prince!" Kayla suddenly acts out as she puts on a fake distressed face.

"Don't worry beautiful princess, I'll save you from the tower!" Zill plays along as he nuzzles his nose with hers.

Both of them giggled at each other as they gaze upon one another with a warm and loving look. Vanexa who was standing besides them rolls her eyes as the lovey dovey couple as she returns back to the book she was reading. Her eyes focused on every word written as her mind plays the scene out in her mind. She really enjoyed books, somehow it helps her relax and it made her... happy even though she doesn't show it.

Suddenly, she could feel a presence on her left closing in on her. She turns to her side to see Spam looking at her with a bright smile before he gazes upon her book.

"What you're reading?" Spam asked joyfully.

Among all her friends, Spam was the one she was close with, thought his bubbly, happy go lucky attitude sometimes annoys her not that she shows it nor complains about it. She always wondered about his smile, how his cheeks can cope with the constant stress of raising the cheek muscles to form a grin. And somehow, he never seems to lose his smile. Spam was also very chatty. There wouldn't be a day where he wouldn't talk with them or especially talk with her. He always was interested in every topic and he never seems to forget his smile.

"I'm reading a book..." Vanexa answers in an uninterested tone.

"Ooooh...neat! What's it about?!" Spam asks her again, his fluffy huge tail was seen wiggling behind him.

"About a guy...and a girl... falling in love..." Vanexa answers shortly keeping the plot to a minimum.

"Interesting!! Oo... I'm going to write a song about this!" Spam suddenly said with an overjoyed tone which didn't suprise Vanexa.

Spam always had a knack for writing songs as his voice was on par with Kayla's in her opinion but she just kept those thoughts in her mind as she continued displaying a bored facade and kept reading her book. The main five continued their interactions before it was disturbed by none other than the demon himself.

"My darling angel! How I missed you!" Damian cooes as he suddenly appears from behind her.

"Eeeepppp!" Kayla squeals before hiding herself behind Zill.

"Can you stop that Damian?!!" Zill yells at him for being a nuisance...yet again.

"Listen, el taco! I'm just here to have a friendly conversation with Kayla. There's no harm in it, aight?" Damian starts to call Zill with a made up name as he spoke in an annoying tone which was triggering Zill.

"What did you just call me?" Zill asks him, his eyes blaring with a green flash. He then grabs Damian by the collar before the both of them gritted their teeth and snarled at each other. Both of their eyes not letting go of each others sight as they battle through their wits.

Suddenly, their confrontation was interrupted when they picked up chatter from far away. The group turned their heads as they saw a few female students screaming at someone. All of them laid their eyes upon a white werewolf student who was as tall as Zill. He wore a black jacket with a white undershirt and blue jeans. He also wore a pair of sunglasses as he lifts them up and winks at the crowds of girl surrounding him.

"Wow, look at that dude! He's a real hit with the ladies! Who is he?" Jack asks as he turns to Kayla.

"I'm not sure... but he is hot!" Kayla said as she bit her lips.

"What!!!" Both Zill and Damian who were at each others throat exclaimed at her remark and immediately let go of each other. Both of them gave her a shocked expression.

Jack and Kayla just giggles at them seeing their plan worked in the end. Meanwhile, Vanexa on the other hand couldn't care less. She just leans herself on the lockers as she continues reading her book. All those times, she expected Spam to comment on it but his comment never came. It was quite...too quite. And she swore she heard a snarling sound from besides her. She turns her head in curiousity to lay her eyes upon Spam. His fangs showing, his muzzle quivering in a snarl, his snout wrinkled and his eyes wide open with his pupil shrunk. It was like a predator looking at it's prey, ready to pounce.

Suddenly, his eyes returns to normal as he puts on a shocked face. He didn't realise that Vanexa was keeping a close eye on him. Soon, he just silently separated from the group not saying a word as he left them. Vanexa displayed a look of shock at the sight of Spam. Was she dreaming? Did he just?

"Vanexa you're okay?" Kayla suddenly asks her with a concerned look as she puts her hand on her shoulder. Vanexa just shot at her and nods silently. Kayla then separates from Vanexa as Vanexa just kept staring at the direction where Spam walked off.

It was the first time she ever felt worried...

The academy bell rung as students hurriedly rush to their respective classes. It was a moment of chaos as students were busily taking their seats, some running around and some still chatting. As our group of friends sat on their respective spots, Vanexa couldn't control herself as she took a peek at Spam. Luckily, Spam already had his signature joyous grin back as he carves a smile on his face.

Suddenly, a large red fox entered the class as they immediately settle down at his presence.

"Good morning class!" Fabian greets them in his deep French accent.

"Good morning Mr Fabian!" All of them collectively greets him.

"Good, today we have a new student joining us! Please come inside!" Fabian invites as the familiar white werewolf entered the class. He then proceeds to look at the rest of his classmates as he gave them a warm smile. He even winked at some of the girls as he makes them swoon and gasp in awe.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" Fabian asks him.

"Thank you Mr Fabian! The name's Fangz, that's with a Z!" He introduces himself to all of them in a polite manner not letting go of his smile.

"I just moved to this district a week ago and it's my first time here at the ZPA. I hope y'all are fine with me and it'll be an honour to be your friend!" Fangz said as he bows to them.

"Okay, so treat Mr Fangz here with respect! So, you may seat yourself on the empty spot on the back!" Fabian says to him. Fangz immediately moves as he walks pass Spam and sat on his chair which was a few row behind Spam's.

Vanexa just eyes the newcomer as he doesn't seem to have any malice. If anything, he was rather friendly. She then looks at Spam in return as his smile never left his face. Vanexa feels a little bit relief as he wasn't snarling like earlier.

"Hmmm, maybe it was my imagination!" Vanexa thought to herself.

Suddenly, Spam stood up and walks over to Fabian.

"Umm, Mr Fabian, can I excuse myself? I'm not feeling really well!" Spam said as he grins at Fabian.

"Alright, but don't take too long!" Fabian says as Spam immediately walks out of the class. His friends all carved a weird expression on their faces as they weren't aware that he was sick, Vanexa especially. She couldn't figure out why he was suddenly not feeling well. Anyways, she just continues to pay attention to the class as she gazes upon the whiteboard with an uninterested expression.

Suddenly, she had the instinct to turn to her side, as she look at Spam's empty desk. Her eyes went wide as she swore she could see deep claw marks running through edge of the table. She knew that Spam always kept his table clean so the marks must be new but who would do it. She then exclaims when she figured out the culprit as she just looks at the classroom door where Spam had just exited.

"Spam..." She thought of him as she knew something was wrong.

The day had gone by and the gang was now hanging out in the theatre room with their teacher Jackie. Zill and Jack was busy lifting some of the equipment to the stage while Kayla was in charge of the layout. Meanwhile, Spam and Vanexa was sitting next to each other as Vanexa was reading her usual book.

However, she couldn't help but turn her face to Spam. He still had his smile but somehow behind his smile, she knew something was wrong. Suddenly, Jackie calls them for a while as the gang gathered in front of her.

"What's cooking cracker Jack's?" Zill asks enthusiastically as he brushes the dusts of his hands.

"Today~ I would like to introduce all of you to our new stagehand!" Jackie said to them.

"Who?" Kayla asks.

"Everyone, meet Fangz! He's new here so please be nice to him!" Jackie tells them in her usual cheerful attitude as Fangz comes into view.

"Hi guys, I'm Fangz!" He introduces himself as he shook his hand with Jack.

"Hello there Fangz, I'm Jack! And this is Zill and his girlfriend Kayla!" Jack introduces them to him.

"Nice to meet you man!" Zill greets as he shook his hand.

"Likewise!" Fangz responded.

"Over there, the purple cat, that's Vanexa and the fox besides her is Spam!" Jack introduces them from afar as Fangz waves his hand at them.

Vanexa took no interest as she just waves her hand once but then she heard a familiar sound. She immediately shot to her side to see Spam with his fangs showing. Drool flowing from his mouth. He suddenly stood up and ran outside the theatre. Vanexa who saw this bit her lip in hesitation as she immediately went to her friends.

Outside, Spam was sweating profusely as his chest was pumping up and down like a piston. His pupil shrunk and it shook, not in fear but in anger. His claws unsheath from his paws as his tail fur starts to spike up. His fangs protruding from his muzzle as drool drips to the floor. Suddenly, he could hear the theatre door being opened from behind him as he could a hear a set of footsteps heading his way.

"Spam, you're okay dude?" Zill asks him in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine!" He answers in an angry tone, his voice almost snarling.

"You sure? I mean we can get you to the nurses office if you want?" Zill asks again.

"I SAID I'M FINE!!!" Spam growls as he turns and his claws reaching for Zill's face. Zill being a little athletic managed to evade it by a hair's breadth. His claw missed him as he turns and grazed the lockers leaving a deep scratch mark along the metallic surface of the lockers. Zill immediately retreats back as Kayla carves a horrified look on her face and hid behind Zill.

Spam continues his snarls as he looks at them. He then laid his eyes upon his friends looking at him with fear. His pupil immediately grew back as he looks at his claws. They were long and sharp like a predator predator's claw, almost like a werewo-

He shook his head as he holds his head in between his paws. Tears started flowing from his eyes as he continues to look at his terrified friend.

"No, no, no..."

He mutters continuously before his sprints away from them leaving them shocked at what happened.

"Spam, wait!" Jack calls out to him but he kept running the opposite direction.

"Zill you're okay?" Kayla asks him as she checks his face.

"I...I'm fine!" Zill pants as he was still shocked by the event that unfolded earlier.

"What's with him?" Zill asks in a concerned voice at them. All of them shook their head as they were also confused by what just happened. Suddenly, they noticed that Vanexa was also gone. All of them immediately knew that she went after him as they immediately went to find them.

Vanexa followed Spam's scent as her nose twitches picking up his trail. As an anthromorphic cat, Vanexa had this ability since she was born but never seemed to use it. She followed his scent until she went up all the way to the rooftop of the academy. She opens the rooftop door revealing an empty space with no one. Suddenly, her ear perked when she picked up the sound of sobbing from somewhere on the roof. The moment she took a step, she saw Spam's tail behind one of the vents on the roof.

She sighs before moving towards him. As she got close, his sobbing suddenly stopped.

"Stop! Don't come any closer! I could hurt you!" Spam sobs from behind the vent.

Vanexa didn't care and just kept moving closer. As she got close to him, she could see his face, wet with tears. It was something neither of them had even seen on Spam. It was the first time she actually saw him crying. She then proceeds to sit next to him and kept silent. She just looks forward as Spam continued to cry besides her.

"Is... Zill okay?" Spam asks her.

"Hmm hmm" Vanexa just nods and hums as an answer. Spam then curls his body even more burying his face deeper in between his knees.

"I'm sorry... I just don't know what came over me!" Spam sobs.

"I really didn't mean to hurt him. I'm a monster!" Spam suddenly cries out.

Vanexa eyes widen at those words.

Monster? Spam was many things but a monster...no.. why would he think that? Vanexa thought in her mind. She looks at his crying state feeling pity for him. She sighs before deciding to open her mouth to help him.

"Spam... what happened?" Vanexa asked. Spam just kept silent and continued hiding his face from her.

"Ever since Fangz showed up, you've been acting strange. At the lockers, inside the class and earlier when... tell me... what's wrong?" Vanexa asks him as she tries to let him open up to her.

Spam just kept quite but his tears stopped. Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at her with a souless expression. A face he never made around them.

"When I was a kit, me and my father used to be the best of friends. We would laugh... cry... smile... together." Spam suddenly explains. Vanexa kept her ears perked at listened closely to him.

"I loved him so much... so so much..." Spam's voice suddenly lowers.

"One day, I was alone, my father went to the forest behind our house, he never told me why..."

"And then I heard him scream... it was so loud... it sounded so painful..." Spam starts to tear up.

"But I still ran into the forest, I tried to find him but it was too late. When I got to him, he laid on the ground... lifeless... his blood pooled around his body, a chunk of his neck bit off"

"I ran to him... And I could see... werewolves... retreating from the bushes... they killed my father... his kind killed my father!!!" He growls at the last part with malice.

"I knelt besides him, his eyes already turned white, his body laid cold... I cried, and I cried and I cried... Suddenly, I could feel his hand, the last bit of warmth touching my cheeks. I looked at him and he muttered one single word before he drew his last breath..."

"Smile..." Spam said softly.

"From that day, everything felt different, but I tried to smile... Everyday, I smiled... and I smiled and I smiled... until he showed up..." Spam said reminding her of when Fangz appeared.

"He seems like a nice guy... but every time I see his face, all I could see was their fangs beared again my father's neck and his screams, it kept coming back, I could hear my father screaming in my nightmares. Every night I woke up, the sound of his screams stayed in my ears until morning and now it's still here... it was so painful..." Spam covers his ears as he starts crying again.

Vanexa couldn't believe her ears or her eyes. The Spam she always thought of to be the brightest person amongst all of them have suffered the darkest moment in his life. How his smile was a façade to all his suffering, how he still have nightmares until now. She could feel his pain when he opens up to her.

Tears start forming in her eyes as even she didn't know what to say to him. She could only join him in his cries.

"I'm sorry..." Vanexa only managed to let those out.

Spam looks at her in suprise as she was also tearing up. Suddenly, he could feel her embracing him, her warm fur giving him as sense of comfort. Spam then hugs her back as both of them stayed in each others embrace for a while.

Vanexa who only read words imprinted on her books could never truly understand the pain of losing a loved one. She knew that whatever she says to comfort him wouldn't work but she understood how Spam trusted her, how he opens himself up for her. She knew that behind his smile was a terrified young kit who saw his father dying in front of him. All she could do was embrace him letting go of her cold demeanor as she tries to be what he is to her... a friend...

"Spam..." She suddenly calls to him as she separates from him.

"I'll always be there for you. All of us will always be there for you! You're not alone!" Vanexa consoles him as she spoke in a soft tone.

At that moment, something overtook her. A feeling of pity and warmth mixed together. It made her close in on him as her face draws closer to his. Suddenly, her lips crash onto his as he was caught by surprise but soon after he closed his eyes as he took her kiss and indulge in it. Her tongue protrudes his mouth as it met his in a dance. Spam eyes widen at the sudden voracity but he didn't make her stop. Soon after, both of them separated as they realised what they had just done, leaving both of them a blushing mess.

"Wow!" Spam said in shock as he looks at her.

"Yeah..." Vanexa said in return. The books definitely didn't prepare her for that.

"I didn't know... you were into me..." Spam said to her.

"Me neither..." Vanexa says to him as she didn't expect it as well.

"Spam... I'll always be there for you! Always!!" Vanexa says to him.

"I love you Vanexa!" Spam confesses to her.

Suddenly, both of them leaned for a kiss before they were caught off guard when a stumbling sound was heard behind them.

Both of them immediately stood up when they saw Jack, Zill and Kayla on top of each other on the ground groaning in pain.

"Owww" Jack groans.

"Ohh, hi there guys!" Zill greets awkwardly.

"Why are you guys here?" Vanexa asks them in shock.

"We came looking for you and Spam of course!" Kayla answers them as she wipes the dust of her leg.

"Wait, how long were you guys here for?" Vanexa asks them.

"Since Spam told about his..." Zill pauses.

"Look, we just didn't want to bother the both of you in your moment!" Zill says as he rubs his head.

Suddenly, Kayla went over to Spam as she holds his hand.

"Spam, I'm sorry for your loss but Vanexa's right. You aren't alone. All of us are here for you! You're our friend!" Kayla spoke to him softly holding his cheeks.

Spam wipes the tears of his eyes.

"Thanks guys!" He says to her.

"Smile!" Kayla said to him reminding him of his father's last words as he carves a smile on his face. A smile of gratefulness for the people he had left in his life. The people he loves. Soon, all of them went to him as they hugged him. Today, Spam knew to not keep his feelings as his friends are there for him. Friends who'll gladly accepts him and those who will comfort him in his dark times. Now he knows that.

As for him and Vanexa, let's say that their love blossoms from behind his smile.

PS: I got this idea but they didn't have a name so it only registered as guest. If you know who you are, could you perhaps PM me to perhaps tell me your username or would you rather just be named guest?