A/N: Here it comes... the Sleeping Tanuki arc.
Not sure how much of the TanuKitsune folklore I gonna end up using... but here goes...
"I mean, it may not be a great coincidence that Ace only started regaining his powers or tails right now—"
As soon as the two reached the apartment and closed the door behind them, all of the adrenaline and excitement he felt teasing Buffa and chasing him around the neighbourhood had dissipated. And Ace couldn't help recalling Win's cautionary words to them back at the garage.
Was it the right decision for him to continue to stay by Keiwa's side? What if by being with Keiwa—he's just going to put him in some untold danger? Not that this world still has any remaining traces of the Jyamato... or the DesiGra...
He just didn't like the idea that... if losing most of his powers meant that he was able to keep Keiwa around with him alive; then the likelihood that he could regain back those lost scattered powers would imply that he may end up losing Keiwa all over again. He didn't want that!
"Ace?"
The fox turned around to find Keiwa staring at him curiously.
"What're you doing there?" asked Keiwa again before patting the empty spot on the bed beside him. Ace immediately bound over to join Keiwa on the bed.
.
"What were you looking at?"
Keiwa grinned cheekily at Ace. "I'm looking up things other people do to take care of their pet foxes," he immediately turned to look at Ace. "Did you know that there were other people in other parts of the world who intentionally look up for ways to get some exotic animals as pets? There's even a place in Russia that literally breed foxes to try to domesticate them and sell them off as pets. Or something... I might be misinterpreting what I read here. It stated here that it initially started as an experiment—"
Keiwa quickly shook his head. "Anyway, basically... I'm trying to read up on ways to try to take better care of you as a fox so I dunno... you don't end up getting too fat or something or get ill or don't get exercises often—"
Immediately Ace started to nip Keiwa's ears again as the latter started squealing loudly and rolling frantically all over the bed.
"What did you say again about me—that I'm getting FAT?" Ace asked. as he started assaulting other parts of Keiwa's body to the point that Keiwa ended up laughing and breaking into tears.
"Ah... aah! Stop... haha, Ace... that tickles—"
The fox just laughed at him before stopping and jumping on Keiwa's lap once the latter was able to gather his wits back up again and sit up from his very vulnerable position.
"Well, that's punishment for trying to call me fat!" exclaimed Ace without malice to Keiwa. Keiwa pouted at him.
"Meanie... I can't even tease you this much before you repay it tenfold. That's unfair!"
Ace just cocked his foxy head at him. "What did you mean unfair? I allowed you to molest me as much as you want whenever you felt the need to—!"
Keiwa blinked at that statement before nodding his head. "Ah! That's true—" he said before Ace started licking his face again...
xxx
"Ne, Keiwa—"
Keiwa turned to look at Ace again.
"What did you think about the stuff that Win said earlier? About the reason I could have recovered my powers to the point that I was able to grow a second tail. Because I was with you that I somehow started regaining the power that I'd lost after remaking this world again last time?"
Keiwa just shrugged at the albino fox. "Shouldn't that be good? I mean... wasn't that the reason why you end up reduced to this fox form? Because you used up your powers to revive me, on top of fixing what damage the DGP management had done to this world. Wouldn't it be good news if it turned out that there's something I could do to help you become human again?"
Ace blinked his eyes as Keiwa's words took him aback. But was that really surprising to hear, coming from Keiwa? After all, it was this pure gentleness and kindness from the man that initially pulled him towards liking Keiwa from the start. And it's the reason, why he had grown so frantic at the possibility that Keiwa might lose this kindness in his heart when the man almost fell into his darkness when Sara had been harmed. But still...
Ace leaned his small head on Keiwa's right shoulder as the fox tried to snuggle against the other man's body. Unaware of the turmoil in his heart, Keiwa just wrapped his arm around Ace's small body and hugged him tightly.
"But Keiwa—" Ace barked softly. "—what if, me staying with you was actually bad for you? What if me regaining my powers and tails ended up causing harm to you?"
Keiwa immediately frowned as he lifted Ace up and held the fox in front of him and stared at Ace sternly. "And then what? Are you going to leave me again? Are you going to stay apart and watch me from a distance again and remained a small fox until the end of your life? I don't want that! I refuse! I won't let you leave my side!"
Keiwa placed a gentle kiss on the tip of Ace's mouth before hugging the small fox again. "I was happy to have you with me even before I even remembered anything about you aside from your name. And I thought you were happy to be with me because Tsumuri-san san you were. Or was that another lie you made up again?" He pouted, not like Ace could see that from the angle Keiwa kept him pinned.
"Meanie... I dare you to leave me without saying anything to me. I'll hate you forever if you did that."
The grip Keiwa had on Ace's body started to loosen up as he spoke and Ace took that chance to snuggle against Keiwa again to reassure the other person.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it that way," said Ace again in a series of soft barks and clicks.
.
But between his own happiness and losing Keiwa once more, what other choice can he make?
A/N2: Get prepared for a bit more angst between these two... though I'll try to pace it gently.