Fox woke up to the sound of a shrill alarm. He looked over at the time. A quarter past seven. The vulpine got up out of his covers, stretching, and yawning. Bill was supposed to come over soon and Fox could talk to him about what happened last night.
Oh, shit.
Fox's mind reeled at the reminder of what had transpired the night before. Wolf had kissed him. He had liked it.
What the fuck.
The vulpine stumbled into the bathroom, looking at his reflection. In his haste to get to bed the night before, he had thrown on a tank top, backwards, and hadn't even bothered to put pants on, sticking with his boxers. He still looked tired, with bags under his eyes. His fur was messed up, as well.
Fox splashed water on his face and decided that he should at least put some pants on before Bill got there. He waltzed back to his closet, and pulled some grey sweats out, putting them on. He looked alright. The vulpine then decided he should get some coffee to wake himself up a bit. That was one thing he did know how to make.
Fox trudged into his kitchen, and grabbed a mug, setting it under the coffee machine. He filled it with water, and added the beans, waiting for it to be ready. It wouldn't be done for a few minutes, so the vulpine sat down at his sofa, turning on the TV. It was about some stupid news story concerning yet another memorial.
Fox ended up zoning out after grabbing his coffee a couple moments later, trying so hard not to think about the kiss. But it really did happen. It was real. And that was what freaked him out the most. He still tried to forget about it, but that didn't work.
The muted sound of pounding on front door made Fox jump with a start. He checked the time on a clock on his wall. Five past eight. The vulpine got up, taking a sip of coffee and walking over to the door. He opened it, and sure enough, Bill Grey was standing there, looking cool in his jacket and jeans.
The canine's eyes widened when he looked at Fox's appearance. "Dude, you're a mess! What happened last night?" Bill asked, concerned.
"Yes, please come in. I'll certainly tell you while the whole building can hear us," Fox said, rolling his eyes and turning around, walking to the well-worn sofa.
"Sorry, Fox. I'm just concerned. Are you alright?" He asked again, sitting next to Fox.
Bill had actually retired from the Cornerian Air Force. He liked flying, but not fighting. So he dropped out, and became a test pilot for Space Dynamics. It had a much better pay, and Bill enjoyed it much more than the Army. It could've been something Fox had done, if he hadn't realized how amazing being a merc was. Now he couldn't leave the apartment without being recognized. How the mighty have fallen.
"No, not really. Let me just start from the beginning," Fox answered, sighing.
"Alright then."
"So a couple nights ago, I was walking through the Legacy Park, and I had sat down at a bench to take a smoke break. A few minutes later, a guy comes up asking for a lighter. I give it to him, and he thanks me. We get talking, and I find out that he is in a similar position to me. Can't go out and about very much without being recognized, but for different reasons. We talk about that, and then he says he has to go. As he was walking away, I was watching his tail, because it looked familiar. It was grey and bushy. That's when I realized it was Wolf O'Donnell who I had just talked with," Fox explained.
"No way! Really?" Bill asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. So I catch up to him, and he said he knew it was me from the get go. Wolf figured that since the Wars were over, we shouldn't hold a grudge against each other. It didn't make sense, since we were just hired to be on different sides. I agreed, and he gave me his number saying we should have a drink sometime," the vulpine continued.
"That sounds mighty romantic, Fox," Bill said sarcastically.
"You've got no idea," Fox replied, sighing.
"Okay… Continue."
"I give him a call when I get home, and we agree to go drinking the next night. That would be last night that we went out. He comes to my place and meets me, then we walk over to a bar. We have a friendly conversation, and I really enjoyed talking with him. He gets drunk, I don't. So I walk him home, and….." Fox trailed off, not sure what to say.
"Yeah? What happened, Fox? Did he try to kill you?" The dog asked, searching the vulpine's eyes for an answer.
"No, no! Nothing like that! Much the opposite, actually. He, uh, he kissed me," Fox said, blushing and grimacing.
Bill was silent for a moment. "Oh. Oh," the canine said with understanding.
"Yeah. And I'm so confused. That's why I asked you to come here. Just don't tell anyone about this. Keep it between us," Fox said, taking another long sip of coffee.
"Alright. Well, erm… Did you like it?"
"I don't know. Well, I didn't exactly pull back, though. I think I did like it. But I'm not-"
"Don't start with that shit, Fox. You haven't even dated a girl, or a guy, for that matter. Not once. And well, if you liked it, maybe you should go with your gut instinct," Bill said.
"Yeah, you're right. I haven't even dated someone to see if I liked girls or guys or whatever. But what if it wasn't anything more than a drunken kiss?" Fox asked, fiddling with his now-empty mug.
"Well, being drunk only causes you to do what immediately comes on your mind, without thinking of consequences. You know, lowered inhibitions and all that. So yeah, I think he really meant to do that. You said he held it, too."
"I guess so. So I should probably go to his place then, huh?" Fox asked sheepishly.
"Yep. It'd be a good idea."
"Alright. Hey, Bill?"
"Yeah?" Bill asked.
"Thanks for coming over, and helping. With this, I mean."
"No problem, Fox."
Bill and Fox started reminiscing about the old days, back before the war, when they were just kids, after then. They swapped stories about each other, and had some good laughs. The vulpine hadn't talked to Bill in such a long time; he forgot how fun the canine was to be around.
"Thanks again for helping, Bill," Fox said.
"You're my best friend; of course I've gotta help you out whenever. Call me when it's all over, Fox?" Bill asked, grinning.
"Course. Now get out of my house," Fox said, smiling and shoving the canine playfully.
"Alright, alright! I'm goin'! Just go get Wolf, man! Show him you care!" Bill called, getting up and leaving the apartment.
"I'll be sure to go for it!"
Fox heard the door close with a muted bang, and he smiled. Bill could really help a guy get through tough times. No wonder they had become such close friends. He had helped Fox get through his father's death, and inspired him to make the new Star Fox team. Of course, he asked Bill to join, but the canine hadn't wanted to, saying the mercenary life wasn't for him. The vulpine got up, and dug through his dirty pile of laundry, grabbing some jeans and a grey tank top. He put them on, and checked the time. About ten. He had spent two hours with Bill.
Fox quickly brushed his fur in the bathroom, and grabbed his coat and sunglasses, putting them on and leaving his home, locking it behind him. The vulpine took the ever familiar process of getting in the elevator, and getting off at ground floor. He ambled off in the direction of Wolf's apartment building, and let instinct take over, following the path to the bar. His thoughts continued to drift toward that kiss as he walked through the busy city streets.
Was that the alcohol talking, or did Wolf honest to God want to kiss him? Well, Wolf could've easily berated or beat him back at the park, but chose not to. And then there was his odd behavior as they went to the bar. The signs all pointed to yes, he did want to kiss the vulpine. That was fine, then. One less obstacle. And well, if Wolf wanted to try, Fox would, as well.
Fox had eventually found his way to the brick apartment building, looking up at it. Taking a breath, he stepped into the lobby. It was quaint, if not a little dirty. The vulpine stepped over to the counter, seeing a tired looking husky sitting at it. She was reading a book, looking bored.
"Hi there. Which room does Wolf O'Donnell live in? I know nobody is supposed to see him, but I need to know where he is," Fox said politely. The husky looked at him with a bored expression.
"I won't ask what kind of buisness you have with him, and I won't tell anyone. I really don't care. Room one thousand two," She replied. That meant the tenth floor, room two.
"Thank you."
Fox walked to the stairwell, seeing that the elevator was out of order. How the hell did Wolf make up to his place being drunk and having to climb stairs, Fox thought. He started the climb to the correct floor.
Finally, the vulpine reached the tenth floor, exiting the stairwell and looking around. He went down the hall marked three hundreds, and looked for Wolf's apartment. He found it at the edge of the hall, on the left side. Three hundred and two. Fox faced the door, and took a deep breath. Showtime.
The vulpine knocked on it, waiting for a response. He heard somebody moving about, muttering, and then a moment later, the door opened, revealing a messy looking Wolf. He was wearing some brown sweats, and an orange t-shirt, with a grey eyepatch. His eye widened at seeing Fox.
"Hey," Fox said.
"Oh, Fox! Uhm…. Hi," Wolf said nervously.
"Can I come in?"
"S- Sure." Wolf moved from the doorway, allowing Fox in. He stepped inside, looking around. The vulpine could see Wolf's living space; it wasn't too big, but definitely clean. Better than Fox's place. He sat on a worn brown sofa, and Wolf sat next to him.
"I came here to talk to you," Fox said.
"Yeah. I know. I figured you'd come here, but not this soon," Wolf replied, scratching the back of his head.
"So…. Do you remember what happened last night?" Fox asked.
"Yeah. All of it," Wolf said, looking away and sighing.
"Ah. Okay."
"Look, Fox. I'm really sorry about what happened, I didn't mean-"
"Did I say that I didn't like it?" Fox asked amusedly, crossing his arms.
"Well, n- no. Not really," Wolf said, smiling and looking away. Fox had never thought that Wolf could become such a stuttering mess.
"I'm not confused about it; I thought it over. I just wanted to know; how long?"
"How long?"
"Yeah. How long have you liked me?"
Wolf sighed, leaning back into the couch. "Well, I'm not sure. Back at Academy, I resented you for bring so damn perfect. Then I envied you, I guess. You still had people who cared about you. My mom left before I could remember her, and my dad died from drug abuse. And during the Lylat Wars, I was annoyed. I was annoyed that someone like you was against me. I didn't understand why we weren't fighting on the same side. It drove me crazy, knowing that I couldn't ever be on your side. I wanted to be with you. I guess then, I kinda realized that I was unconsciously harboring feelings for you," Wolf explained.
"Well that explains quite a bit, then. Thank you," Fox said, smiling.
"Yeah. Well, what are you gonna do? Forget about what happened?" Wolf asked, his ears flattening.
A moment passed in silence. Fox didn't say anything, but he smiled and leaned over to Wolf, kissing the lupine on the cheek.
"That give you an answer, Wolf?" Fox asked, searching the other's eyes.
"I don't know. You may have to do it again; I wasn't clear on the message," Wolf said, grinning and blushing.
Fox chuckled, leaning back over and touching his lips to Wolf's, wrapping his arms around the other's neck. Wolf circled his around Fox's waist, drawing him close, and shoving his tongue in the vulpine's mouth. Fox slid a hand under Wolf's shirt, feeling the muscle beneath. The remained like that for awhile, content in exploring each other. Fox was glad he made that decision. This was quite possibly the greatest thing he had ever experienced. Making out with his ex-rival. He wondered what everyone else would think. Bill would be happy, that's for sure.
Fox broke off, gasping for air and smiling. Wolf was doing the same.
"Oh man, I'm so glad I did that," Fox said, laughing.
"I am too. Christ, Fox, I wish we could've done that sooner. It would've saved quite a bit of pain," Wolf replied, grasping Fox's hand.
"Well, I guess we're kinda a couple now?" Fox asked innocently.
"Yeah, no kidding," Wolf said, chuckling.
"Um, well, do you want to go on a date? A real one?" Fox asked, looking at Wolf.
The lupine's ears perked, his tail wagging. "That sounds great, Fox! Where do you want to go, and when?"
Fox scratched his chin for a moment, thinking. What did people do on dates, and where did they go? When did they go? What did they wear? Well, he had one idea.
"There's this restaurant that I like. Kind of high class, but it's really nice. How about tomorrow night, at seven?" Fox asked, glancing at a digital clock on the coffee table. It read five past twelve. The day sure liked to crawl.
"Sounds good, Fox. Do I need a suit, or something?" Wolf asked.
"No, but wear something nice. A collared shirt and nice jeans, maybe," Fox said.
"I've got that. You want me to meet you at your place?"
"Yeah. I've gotta get going, but I'll see you then?"
"Yep. See you around, Fox," Wolf said, embracing the vulpine for a moment.
Fox smiled, getting up and leaving the apartment. He closed the door, and walked away, grinning madly. The vulpine ran down the stairs shouting in joy. He found someone! Someone he could be happy with! Bill was right after all; it didn't matter who you wanted to be with, as long as they felt the same and you knew you wanted to stay with that person, regardless of gender, or species, for that matter.
Fox walked out of the apartment building, a spring in his step. He had a date with Wolf O'Donnell tomorrow. He just hoped that the paparazzi didn't find him by then. He was lucky that nobody recognized him yet, but it would happen soon.
The walk back to his apartment was slow, with Fox going over everything that had happened in the past few days. Fox ran into his rival, sliced their grudges off, went for a drink, and became boyfriends. Huh. Crazy things could happen in short amounts of time.
About a half hour later, Fox stepped into his apartment, hanging up his coat and setting the sunglasses on a table. A clock read twenty to one. He sunk into a chair, and pulled out his PDA. The vulpine promised Bill he'd tell him what happened.
A moment after dialing his number, Bill finally answered the call.
"Fox?"
"Hey, Bill," Fox said happily.
"Sounds like everything went good. What happened, man?" Bill asked. Fox could hear the grin on the canine's face.
"Well, I went over, and we talked. He did really have an attraction to me, but he really thought I didn't feel the same way. And then….." Fox started.
"Yeah? What did you do? Don't leave me in the dark, here, man!" Bill exclaimed.
"Well, I kissed him. And then we made a date tomorrow!"
"Dude. That's awesome! I'm so proud of you, man! Finally got a date, all right!"
"Thanks, Bill. For coming over. I wouldn't have done that, otherwise. I owe you one," Fox replied, smiling.
"I'll call it in when I want a date, alright?" Bill asked, chuckling.
"I'll be sure to help, then," Fox said dryly.
"But seriously, congrats, man. Really. I'm guessing the crowds will be shocked on Sunday when you pull him outta the limo, huh?" Bill asked, chuckling.
"No kidding. I'm just hoping that people don't see us before then. That'll screw everything up."
"Definitely. Hey, I've got to go, my lunch hour is almost over. If you need to talk, or whatever, just give me a call."
"Alright, see you later, Bill," Fox said, hanging up. He was glad that the other canine was so happy for him. Now he just had to play the waiting game until his date.
