Author's note:

Date chapter! :D

Chapter 26: Something New with Someone Blue

"So, I ran up to the guy and rammed the butt of my spear into his balls!"

"By Cerinia's love! That was a bit much, don't you think?"

"What else was I supposed to do? He was swinging a knife around and screaming like a lunatic! It was either that or use the other end."

"Still, Sabre… His balls!"

"I swear, the guy was messed up on something strong. He was broadcasting all kinds of weird visions. I seriously thought I was standing in some demon realm fighting a hundred-foot-tall bread monster!"

"Did you just say bread monster?!"

"His hallucination. Not mine."

"So, what did you do then?"

"Well, after dragging him through hordes of angry fire spirits, we finally made it back here and threw the guy into a cell. As soon as he wakes up, we'll find out what he was taking and where he got it from. Hopefully, the healers can help him kick the habit before he hurts someone."

"Gods above… Glad our patrol was nothing like that, eh Fox?"

"Huh?" Snapped out of his thoughts, Fox stared blankly at Hiumart. The indigo tod sat next to him across from Sabre in the barracks' breakroom. Both men shook their heads at Fox.

"Unbelievable!" Sabre threw up his hands. "I relive that horrifying ordeal by telling you about my day, and you can't be bothered to pay attention!"

"Sorry," Fox mumbled half-heartedly.

"Do you have something better on your mind than Sabre's groin-jabbing adventures?" Hiumart smirked.

Fox stared into the tea mug in his hand. Dark green liquid rolled inside as he questioned the wisdom of answering. "Kind of…" he started. "I've been thinking about things between me and Krystal."

"Wow. He's got it bad for her," Sabre snickered.

"Thinking in a good way or bad way?" Hiumart offered more sympathy. "You're giving off jumbled emotions."

"That's what they feel like," Fox sighed. "It's been a while since we first kissed." Sabre pretended to retch violently, stoking Fox's ire.

"Piss off!" he glowered. Sabre straightened in his seat, grinning unabashed. Fox took a breath to calm down. "We've spent a few times doing small things together since then, but it feels like we're still in the same place as we were that night."

"And?" Hiumart prompted.

"I feel like I should be taking the next step with Krystal. Start dating properly." Fox ran a hand across his face. "But I don't even know where to start. Things are different here on Cerinia than my world."

Sabre then beat a proud fist into his chest. "Well, I don't quite get what you see in Krystal; but as an expert in love, I have the perfect…"

"Oh, no you don't!" Fox quickly cut him off. "I don't want to hear another word out of you! Especially if you're having one of your 'ideas.'"

Wounded, Sabre's ears drooped. "What?! Why not?"

"Remember when you told me to break into that building last month? Because you said there were kids being held there against their will? All without telling me that the place was actually a schoolhouse?!"

"But those kids were there against their will!" Sabre whined.

"You made me look like a bloody idiot!" Fox snapped.

"I can't believe you're still mad about that. At least the kids had a fun time, didn't they?"

"You are extremely lucky that the teachers and Thalse were so understanding about the whole thing! I could have lost my job, you know?!" Fox was thankful that Krystal understood as well when she heard about the incident. God, that was so embarrassing!

Sabre rubbed his face, frowning. "Yeah, I know. I still feel tender from that black eye you gave me afterwards."

"I can't believe you waited four whole hours before you sucker punched him," Hiumart cracked a grin.

"How else was I going to get him back? He would have seen it coming if I planned it," Fox shrugged. The second that Sabre had dropped his guard after a few cups of post-work wine that night, Fox simply went and slugged him. "My point is: there's no way in hell I'm trusting another one of your ideas, Sabre. Especially when Krystal might get caught up in some stupid prank."

"Do you really think I'm crazy enough to piss both of you off at the same time for a laugh?"

Fox's glare remained unyielding. "Still not taking the chance."

Hiumart cut their standoff short. "Maybe I can suggest something?" he offered.

Fox looked away from Sabre. "Go for it."

"When Sheld and I started courting, I took her out to this restaurant that serves food from the southern regions. After that, we went for a walk along the river. Sheld loved every minute of it."

Interesting… Fox's brow raised. "Do you think Krystal would like that?"

Hiumart shrugged. "You and Sabre know her better than I do."

"Who doesn't love food?" Sabre contributed. He finished his tea. "I wouldn't stress about it, Fox. Despite the fact your head's so full of nonsense that you don't even know the basics of courting, Krystal adores you. She'll be happy enough with dining out if it means spending time with you."

Fox leaned back in his chair. He glowered at Sabre appraisingly. "I'm trying to decide whether to thank you or smack you."

"You could do both. I'll hold him down this time," Hiumart grinned.

Sabre glared at him. "You must think you're really funny, don't you?"

"Funnier than you," Hiumart replied.

As Sabre heatedly defended his ego, Fox tuned him out and seriously considered Hiumart's suggestion. Dinner followed by a scenic walk was a good idea on both this world and Fox's. He should spend a little time looking for a place that Krystal would like. Coming up with a plan became easier now that he had some direction.

He was looking forward to this.

Everything was in place a few nights later. Fox found a restaurant near the river that served Krystal's favourite style of food. He reserved a table for the two of them. He bathed in the afternoon and ironed his best clothes. Whenever Fox went over the plan in his head, every detail he could think of was covered. He was fully prepared for tonight.

And he was still nervous as all hell.

The walk to Krystal's house felt more terrifying than a march into battle. At least in battle, Fox knew he could handle anything an opposing army threw at him. This situation, however, was different, as he wasn't marching towards an enemy. He was marching to meet Krystal's family.

Thalse and Nomar both knew and liked Fox from back when he was living with them. But this time he wasn't a wounded guest trying to find his feet in a strange, new world. Tonight, he was their daughter's new boyfriend. Fox still didn't know how they felt about that. He had barely seen Thalse at the barracks all week.

The house came into view too soon for Fox. His imagination started to run wild. Memories of those old family sitcoms that his mother used to watch floated in Fox's mind. He, the neat and handsome, if not visibly nervous, boy, would knock on the front door. Thalse, playing the standoffish father, would greet him with a stern frown that bordered on disapproving. They'd then stare off and make uncomfortable small talk until Krystal arrived as the bubbly girlfriend raring to go. Thalse's last threatening words to Fox would be to 'have his daughter home by nine.'

Fox knew he was being stupid. Thalse wouldn't be that bad. That didn't stop the dreadful fantasies though. Fox then remembered that the household of telepaths would inevitably sense him getting cold feet. He needed to get in, get out with Krystal fast, and focus entirely on having a good time with her. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Fox knocked with determined knuckles.

The door opened to reveal Thalse behind it. Fox barely kept himself from flinching. He offered the best easy smile he could muster in the moment. "Hi, Thalse."

"Good evening, Fox." Something unsettled Fox about the cool expression that Thalse wore. This was not like him at all.

"Is… Krystal ready to go…?" Fox felt himself getting smaller. A presence reached into his mind.

"I'll just be a moment," Krystal called in a rush. He caught a glimpse of her reflection braiding the last beads into her hair.

"She'll be down in her own time," Thalse replied to Fox with crossed arms. Fox's tail curled between his legs.

"Sure… Of course…" This was not going the way that Fox had hoped it would. He tried to think of some means to diffuse the tension. Yet nothing came to mind. Fox could only stand nervously under Thalse's silent gaze. Did he really have a problem with him dating his daughter?

Salvation came when Fox heard hurried footsteps from the staircase. Krystal then appeared behind her father, pushing past him. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said quickly.

A fur cloak hung over her shoulders. Under it, Krystal wore a white gown with green trimmings. The sleeveless dress covered her fully from the neck to her knees. A gust of wind tore at the lower half, spreading the slits along her thighs cut for free movement. Fox's stare lifted to Krystal's face. Her hair was washed, brushed, and luminous in the lamp light. He caught her eyes admiring him with the same awe.

"You look beautiful," Fox said simply.

Krystal blushed. "Thank you. You look very handsome." Fox's heart fluttered a little faster.

"Shall we go?" he suggested, eager to get away from Thalse's looming stare as quickly as possible. Krystal stepped forward and placed her hands atop Fox's arm.

"Yes. Let's," she smiled. Fox grinned. He turned his back to the house and led Krystal away.

"Fox," Thalse called, demanding him to stop. He waved a finger at Fox. "Have my daughter home by nine," he growled in rough Papetoonish.

Fox's fur and tail all stood on end. He stared with his mouth agape at Thalse, trying to figure out how to respond. After a few terrible moments, Thalse broke into a grin. His shoulders shook from suppressing laughter. "You two enjoy yourselves tonight," he then said in Cerinian. He closed the door behind him before either of the young foxes could speak.

Krystal looked to Fox in confusion. "What was that about?"

Fox stared blankly at the door for a short while longer. His teeth gnashed as he turned away with a quiet growl. "Nothing. I'm pretty sure that your dad just pulled my leg."

Krystal did not understand, yet she didn't speak another word about it as they walked further down the street. Fox decided to put everything that just happened behind him. He was going to make this a pleasant evening for Krystal, and he wasn't about to let her father's twisted sense of humour get in the way of that.

As soon as Thalse closed the door, he felt bewilderment from his bond mate. Nomar watched him from the kitchen. The knife in her hand hung over the half-chopped vegetables in front of her. "Do you have any idea what you just said to Fox?" she asked.

Thalse had fought against laughing aloud outside. Now a fit of chuckles heaved openly through his chest. "Not a clue," he grinned.

Nomar rolled her eyes at him. Annoyance and disapproval rippled from her. "You should not have been reading his mind like that."

"The tod's so anxious, I could feel it from around the corner," Thalse snickered. "How could I resist taking a peek?"

His wife shook her head. "You are such a mischief maker," she chided.

"Maybe. But you love me for it." To prove his point, Thalse wrapped his arms around her middle from behind. Nomar immediately nestled her cheek against his. Affection fed from her into him.

"I hope those two have a good time," she murmured.

"As do I. It's about time they started courting. I'd have thought they'd have gotten to this point months ago."

"I'm quite sure that I was the one who realised Krystal and Fox were smitten with each other. You simply agreed with my observation."

"Is that so?" Thalse looked back and shrugged. Between wives and husbands, it was a hazy ordeal to recall which thoughts belonged to who. His side of their mind then turned forward. "Do you believe it's right of us to encourage this?"

Nomar abandoned her dinner preparations to twist in Thalse's arms. She cupped both palms around his face. "You're worried that if Fox leaves our world, Krystal will go with him."

"More now than ever before," Thalse sighed.

A bittersweet harmony hummed between them. Nomar touched her brow to Thalse's. "There will be plenty of time to talk this over before it comes to pass. But for now, let's allow our daughter to enjoy the happiness she has found. The decision is Krystal's alone to make."

Thalse combed his fingers through Nomar's hair. "I know. And you are right. I still see Krystal as our little girl even though she's a woman grown. I'm plagued by worries that it's too soon to let her go."

"There's a name for your condition," Nomar smirked. "It's called being a father."

He loved her wit. "Is it life-threatening?" Thalse chuckled.

"Only if you upset Krystal by trying to hold onto her forever. The best cure for it is to accept her choices and support them."

"A bitter medicine, to be sure."

"It will be alright." Nomar kissed his nose. "But focusing on tonight, we have the house all to ourselves. We could do anything we'd like; you know."

Thalse's ears perked. A series of visions flowed from Nomar that caused his blood to surge. "Oh… Those are fine ideas. Where should we start?"

"With finishing dinner," Nomar answered, returning to her chopping board. "We don't have all night. So, if you wouldn't mind helping me, we can get it out of the way quickly."

Her thoughts were as clear as though they were his own. Thalse shifted to the stove so he could begin cooking the ingredients that Nomar prepared. "As you wish, my love."

Hundreds of little spirits buzzed within Krystal's veins. Her tail couldn't stop wagging the entire time that she and Fox walked. She had been excited for tonight ever since he suggested that they dine out together. Just the two of them. In public. A giddy, perpetual smile stretched across Krystal's muzzle.

Her arm wrapped around Fox's. He held his opposite hand over her wrist. His grip was guiding but gentle and reserved. Krystal snuck a glance at Fox. His physical expression was composed, yet she felt his thoughts jittering inside his head. She refrained from prying too deep. They weren't at the stage where Fox might offer her free entry into his mind. This was all still so new to them. Though it was for that same reason that Krystal wanted to explore everything quickly and thoroughly. She blamed her nerves for her earnest.

One thought that Krystal was dying to read was where Fox planned on taking her. "No peeking," he had smirked at her. The desire to know and the thrill of the surprise teetered on a scale that refused to balance. For now, Krystal quelled her impatience by focusing on the present moment. This steady stroll with Fox, side by side, felt too wonderful to rush.

Tantalising aromas soon teased Krystal's nose. Fox finally steered her into a restaurant with red curtains draped over its entrance. The kitchen sizzled and clamoured as it filled the air with complex flavours. Krystal's pleasure reached a new plateau. She knew this place well. Several of the restaurant's signature dishes used fish caught from the nearest coastal village. Transporting the meat made it more expensive than the local freshwater fish, but many perceived its greater size, abundance, and distinct taste as worth the cost. Fox had made an excellent choice.

A redhaired waitress greeted them at the door. "We have a reservation for two," Fox told her cheerfully. She glanced at their intertwined arms. Krystal picked up a fleeting rise of envy from her. The vixen smiled as she led them to their table. Along the way, Krystal indulged in the pride that it was her arm in arm with this handsome tod and no other woman.

The spell broke when Fox pulled himself free. As Krystal took her seat, she became surprised that he sat across from her. Not beside her… Away from her… A pit opened slowly in Krystal's stomach. Fox smiled at her for several seconds. His expression then fell to become more akin to hers.

"Krystal? Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. It was a trivial thing. She shouldn't let it bother her. "It's nothing," she replied, masking a shadow of disappointment. Krystal focused on Fox's face, choosing to ignore how the distance between them made her feel, as well as the fact that his outfit lacked the slightest trace of green. There was enough of it in his eyes, she consoled herself.

Krystal could feel them examining her. Fox's mind churned as it refused to accept her answer. She appreciated his concern and effort, at least. His gaze then shifted towards the other patrons around them. It returned to hers worriedly. "Is there something I'm not doing right?"

That was when it clicked for Krystal. She had come here expecting to eat with Fox side by side, close to one another like all the other couples present were. However, that was something that Cerinians did. With Fox's foreign culture, he wouldn't necessarily know that! His behaviour was driven by what he believed was normal. Krystal could have slapped herself for not realising that sooner.

"No! Fox, everything is fine!" she quickly reassured him. Krystal withdrew into herself as she weighed whether she should share how she felt or not. "It's just… Would you mind sitting next to me instead?"

"Would you prefer that?" Krystal nodded.

He remained confused, but Fox stood up to move to the cushion at Krystal's right. Smiling briefly to her, he looked again to the other couples. He then noticed that all of them sat with their shoulders almost touching. Understanding spiked in him.

"Is this how couples are supposed to sit?" he asked. Krystal nodded again, eliciting a soft curse under Fox's breath. "Sorry, Krystal. I didn't realise."

"Please don't worry about it," she consoled him. "It's just nicer this way." Fox relaxed. "Is courting different where you come from?"

"In this way, at least," he said, wearing a nervous smile. "When couples go out to eat like this, they sometimes sit on opposite sides of the table. That way both people can see each other while they talk."

Oh! So, that was why Fox did that. "That sounds romantic," Krystal said.

"I guess it's different here since your powers let you feel closer to people than your eyes can. Right?"

"That's one reason. But here, couples also sit next to each other so we can do this." Krystal finished off by laying her tail over Fox's. The gentle brush caused his heart to race. Hers thumped a little faster as well. It was common for close friends to briefly touch tails at times. However, this prolonged contact was a form of intimacy that went beyond most friendships. For a moment, all that Krystal could think of was Fox, her fluttering chest, and the physical sensation between them.

They were pulled from their trance as the waitress returned for their orders. Neither Krystal nor Fox had spared a single second to look over the menu yet. Embarrassed, they busily selected a dish each to share. As soon as the scarlet vixen left, Fox returned his full attention to Krystal.

"So," he grinned, "are there any other courting customs that I should be aware of?"

Krystal smirked. "Now that you mention it; it's traditional for coupled foxes to wear something green on their bodies. That tells people that you've found someone who you love, so they'll know not to pursue you."

Fox's eyes snapped wide open. "Wait! Is that why you've never let me wear green?"

"Until now, yes. Now you can wear it as much as you'd like."

He clawed his scalp, snarling in dismay. "I wish you had told me that a lot sooner! It's my favourite colour! No wonder people kept asking if I was seeing someone!"

Krystal laughed. "At least we can say you kept yourself unavailable for me."

Fox sagged as he glanced down at his best white-and-red shirt. "Urgh! And of all the days I chose not to wear green." He turned to her and his ears flattened. "Please tell me I'm not making you look bad with how I'm dressed."

"Back in my grandparents' day, it might have looked like I had unrequited feelings for you. But it's no longer that much of an issue." Fox sighed in relief. "It would be nice if you did wear something green from now on though. It doesn't have to be everything you wear. Just my braids are enough to show people that my heart belongs to someone." Krystal lifted a strand of beads on her fringe.

"I'll keep that in mind next time," Fox promised.

They continued to talk about the different ways that their peoples approached love until their food arrived. On Krystal's side, she had chosen shellfish boiled in a lime cream with sweet fruit. Fox requested eba meat fried with a crusty, golden coat glazed in a dark sauce. Between them sat a large bowl of fried rice. Fox immediately went for one of the eba pieces.

"I tell you: No matter where you go in the galaxy, you'll always find a sapient race who's invented deep-fried food. Cerinia is no exception." Fox took a modest bite. His taste buds sang to him.

Krystal smirked. "Is our version better than what you'd find back home?" she challenged.

"No contest. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat fried chicken again unless it's drenched in teriyaki sauce."

"Is that what it tastes like to you?" Krystal eyed the morsel in his fingers.

"It's pretty close."

She pushed the other dish towards him. "And what about this delkele?"

Fox placed a spoonful in his mouth. He assessed its flavour before swallowing. "I can safely say that I've never had anything like that back home," Fox shook his head. "Then again, I haven't been everywhere in the Lylat System."

"We could explore together. Try and find something similar there."

Fox grinned. "We could. We'll probably gain a few pounds by the time we find it though."

"I can think of a few ways to keep us fit. A little one-on-one each day would work. You might even master your spear technique that way."

Krystal blinked as Fox's thoughts raced in shock. He blushed profusely as his mind then suddenly went blank. Krystal suspected that she might have said something that he interpreted as more suggestive than she intended. Whoopsie. At least Fox looked cute when he was flustered.

Fox knew that Krystal meant sparring. Of course, she did! Unfortunately, her phrasing combined with their closeness caused his thoughts to go rogue. As soon as the lewd fantasies featuring Krystal started, Fox's brain ordered a full lockdown. Not a single idea was allowed in or out, including any for how he should respond.

Helplessly, Fox saw that Krystal was trying not to smile. "Fox? Is everything okay?"

"Yes! No. Everything's fine!" he gushed. "Spears! Yes! That sounds like fun."

Now Krystal snickered, failing miserably to control herself. Fox almost threw his head into his hands. He continued to make himself look more like an idiot with each passing minute. This date was going downhill fast.

At least the food was good enough to put further conversation on hold. Fox chose the fried eba for its familiarity. Krystal's delkele, though, was most unusual. The juices from the boiled fruit gave the meat and sauce a mild, tangy flavour. He couldn't compare it to anything he had ever eaten anywhere in the Lylat System. Still, it was good food; and he and Krystal enjoyed every bite until their plates were picked clean.

Krystal shuffled closer and turned Fox's head towards her. His brain short-circuited again when she started licking his muzzle. "Umm… Krystal? What are you doing?" he asked in a voice too high in pitch.

"You have sauce on your mouth," she explained, not moving away until she cleaned him thoroughly. Krystal then looked him in the eye and smiled. "There's no need to feel embarrassed, Fox. All the other couples are doing the same thing."

Fox looked around, expecting to see startled stares pointed their way. Instead, most people's attentions were on their partners. Tongues wiped across dirtied lips at almost every other table. Even a couple of mothers cleaned their youngest kits' faces where families had finished eating. Fox felt more than a little bit uncomfortable about it all.

"Do couples not clean each other where you're from?" Krystal asked.

Fox shook his head. "Not like this, at least." If Krystal had done what she had in a high-end restaurant on Corneria, tabloids all over would have quickly made a scandal out of it.

Krystal's ears fell. "Did… you not like that?"

Fox froze. The last thing that he wanted was to hurt her feelings. "It's fine," he partly lied. "It's just… not something I'm used to. I wasn't expecting you to do that in front of everyone here."

"But you've seen Mama and Papa clean each other many times before."

"Yeah! But they did it in their own home, so I didn't feel like I could say anything about it. That doesn't mean that it wasn't uncomfortable to watch." He squirmed. "It's not exactly… appropriate… to do that in public where I'm from."

"Oh…" Krystal's response sounded painfully small. She withdrew her tail and curled it around herself. Fox missed their contact immediately. He regretted upsetting her. "I'm sorry," she said.

"No. Don't worry about it." Fox sighed. "I should be sorry. You're just doing what's normal to you. But I really don't know how I'm supposed to behave all the time. A lot of this… isn't what I'm used to."

An unpleasant silence fell between them. Krystal shuffled in her seat. "You don't have to, but… If you want… you could clean my face too." Her eyes only met his briefly. "I'd like it if you did."

Carefully, Fox considered it. This was far beyond his comfort zone, mostly because licking someone's face had carnal connotations in his culture. However, this wasn't his world or his culture. It was Krystal's. The rules were different here, and it wasn't fair on her for Fox to not even attempt to learn them. His goal for tonight was to make Krystal happy. Maybe for her sake, he should at least try things her way. It wouldn't be that bad, right? It was just a tongue on a mouth. What harm could it do?

Fox leaned closer to Krystal. She watched him without blinking. Her tail uncurled from her middle as she leaned towards Fox. Centimetres apart, Fox glanced at the other patrons. So far, none of them were paying him any mind. He finally decided to hell with it and brushed his tongue over a mess of crumbs stuck to Krystal's whiskers.

One lick was done. That went along well enough. Fox gave another glance and found that he still wasn't being watched by shocked patrons. Krystal sat motionless as Fox continued to wipe her lips. All the while, he sent firm warnings to his crotch to knock off what was going on down there. This was not leading to what it thought this was. He was just grooming Krystal. That was how he now chose to view this.

Fox pulled away and inspected Krystal's pristine face. "There," he said. "All clean."

"Thank you," she smiled. As swift as lightning, Krystal reached in and kissed Fox on the nose. Her tail laid down over his again. "That feels much better."

Fox blushed madly, lost in her soft, blue gaze. "You're welcome."

After dinner, Fox moved onto phase two of his evening plans. Arms intertwined, he led Krystal along the river. Bioluminescent zul flowers grew across the shore. In addition to making a lovely sight, their vivid, purple glow also marked the water's edge, minimising the danger that someone might fall in at night and drown. Krystal seemed to appreciate their first appeal. She gazed upon them while allowing Fox to guide her wherever he pleased.

"They're beautiful," she remarked.

"Second to you," Fox replied. He felt her spine straighten in surprise as a new blush set his head on fire. The line just popped out naturally. Cheesy as it sounded, it was at least true.

Krystal looked at him with wide eyes. She bumped her tail lightly against his and smiled. "Charmer."

They walked and talked about nothing important for a few more minutes. A little game started to see who could flirt the other into a speechless mess. Sweet words; small touches; an implanted vision or two that gave Krystal an unfair advantage. Fox folded without a snowball's chance in hell.

"I'm curious," Krystal said when she finally decided to show him mercy. "If we were on Corneria, how would this night have gone?"

"More or less the same," Fox pondered. "Except we might have been able to see the stars and moon over us."

"You always make me jealous when you talk about the sky."

"Sorry." He nuzzled her cheek. "But back on Corneria, I'd have known about more options we'd have had for our first date."

"Oh? Such as?"

"Well… A lot of couples would have gone to the movies. You know how I told you about television? Think of that but much bigger. We'd have sat next to each other and shared a bucket of popcorn. Maybe a soda too."

"That sounds nice."

"Another idea would have been to go dancing at a nightclub. I've never really cared for those sorts of places though. They're loud, crowded, and you stand in a dark room with lights flashing all around. It's horrible to deal with if you have sensitive ears and night vision."

"A pity," Krystal pouted briefly. "It might not be the same, but we do have some activities in Kezamat that are like that. I'd like to dance at the Yanfwet Festival with you at the end of the year. And each week there's always a play that we could watch at the theatre."

Fox smiled. "Those would be great ideas. We should go see a play one day soon."

Krystal hugged his arm tighter. "I'd love that."

At that moment, they began approaching their neighbourhood. It saddened Fox that his time with Krystal was growing short. "I guess it's almost time to call it a night," he sighed.

"We don't have to," Krystal replied. "We could spend a little more time at your place, if you'd like."

Fox became giddy and nervous all at once. "What about your parents? Won't they be expecting you home soon?"

Krystal scoffed with a shake of her head. "Oh, please. I might live with them, but I'm not a kit anymore. They don't control where I go or who I spend my time with." She then looked Fox in the eye in a manner that made his knees turn weak. "So, shall we?"

Fox's heart pounded a million times a minute. "How could I say no?" he grinned.

Had he planned for things to go this way, Fox would have spared some time to tidy up his house. The cushions were strewn haphazardly across the living room floor where he had left them. The floor hadn't been swept in over a week. Dishes remained on the drying rack beside the sink, waiting to be put away. And to top it all off, Fox had yet to prepare the fireplace for tonight. That became his top priority as Krystal made herself comfortable.

A breathy whoosh rose from the kindling once it caught. Fox coaxed the embers into a strong flame until he was satisfied it would give off enough heat. He set his tools aside and settled beside Krystal in front of the furnace. His hands found hers on their own. His eyes locked with her stunning, blue ones. Krystal sidled closer to Fox so that their pelts were touching. She leaned in first to kiss him softly on the side of his muzzle.

He returned it. Fervently, he returned her affections so that Krystal let out a sigh of contented bliss. They each twisted into a tender embrace. Fox's arms roamed up and down Krystal's back. Hers wrapped over his shoulders, around his neck. Their kisses became longer and varied. Gentle smooches, doting licks, and deep, passionate sealings of lips.

Fox felt Krystal's hands move onto either side of his chest. She pushed him onto his back. He stared in surprise and aroused anticipation as Krystal hovered over him. The smile she wore shone with serene love. It glistened in her eyes and carried over into her touch as she stroked his cheek. She lowered onto Fox, and his lips parted to receive her once again. Their next kiss lasted for only precious seconds before Krystal pulled away again. She then brought her nose to Fox's neck and sniffed him.

A dose of ecstasy carried Fox away as Krystal's breath tickled beneath his jawbone. As this happened, he pressed her nose into her shoulder. They laid there in near silence, devoting all their efforts into learning each other's scent. On Krystal's fingers, Fox could smell the herbal fragrance left from the medicines she prepared at the shrine. It mixed with her natural musk and the flowery oils that she rubbed into her fur, crafting a wonderful aroma that Fox committed to memory. He soon pulled Krystal's lips back onto his own, kissing her with all the burning desire in his heart.

Once they each had their fill, Krystal laid atop of Fox's chest. His arms closed around her. His body became a pillow for her to embrace. As Fox combed through her silken hair, he gazed upon Krystal unaware of their surroundings fading into obscurity. He caught her eyes again and felt his heart swell. Nothing else mattered in this moment. Only her, here with him.

Over the last year and a half, Fox always remained conscious about Krystal's telepathy. He worried over how much of his thoughts she could hear without meaning to and fretted over how she might feel about them. Krystal was, without question, a beauty who stood upon her own pedestal. No other woman could hold a candle to her. Her kind yet brave heart lured Fox like a beacon. Afraid that she'd be repulsed by them, Fox learned to police his thoughts so that he would only view Krystal with the respect that she deserved. As a result, he blinded himself to the possibility that Krystal might not just accept his true feelings but reciprocate them as well.

What a fool he was to waste so much time. Fox wondered what his life would have been like if he had acted sooner. That did not matter now though. He found joy with Krystal in his arms. And judging by the way that she nuzzled his chest, she felt it as well. Content, Fox closed his eyes and soothed himself with the gentle sound of Krystal's resting breaths.

End note:

FYI, I did not intend for Fox and Krystal to have sex in this chapter. So, no horny. *Bonk!*