Chapter 17

After the shelf was finished Jinx pushed his cart into the back room and locked the stock room since it was almost closing.

He went to find Kurono who was still walking around the store. The man was looking at the plush animal toys section.

Jinx raised an eyebrow at the guy as he walked to stand beside him.

“What are you looking at?” Jinx said and found what the man was staring at so intently.

A small stuffed tiger was standing on the shelf, it was plush and had sparkling eyes.

Jinx looked back and forth between the two and sighed as he pulled it off the shelf. He ripped the price tag off and put it in the man's hands before walking away.

Kurono started to follow him.

“What are you doing?”

“You were staring so intently at it that I decided you could have it. No ones tried to buy it in like a year and it's just sitting on the shelf anyways. I can just put it in as shelf damage in the system so I don't get in trouble. The boss never checks the cameras anyways unless something major happens.”

Jinx went behind the counter and typed the upc in the computer, putting it as shelf damage before saving and going to his locker in the back while Kurono stood by the front of the door.

He grabbed his things and set the alarm, pulling Kurono out of the store in the nick of time so the alarm wouldn't be tripped.

Jinx walked down the street and Kurono followed him.

The sky's colors had faded out and grown dark during Jinx’s shift, making him feel a bit anxious to be outside at night. Jinx did not like not being able to see properly, it bothered him immensely.

Kurono seemed to notice his sudden hurried pace and stopped him from being on the verge of about to start sprinting.

Jinx grabbed the arm that had tried to hold onto him and pushed the man to the ground, putting his foot on the mans chest.

“I said not to suddenly touch me before did I not?”

“Yes.” Kurono huffed out, his tiger had been thrown towards the curb by a streetlight.

“And yet you touched me.” Jinx snorted but let him go.

Kurono went to go fetch his tiger and clutched it in his hand as he walked back to Jinx.

“You just seemed to be about to panic so I was worried.”

Jinx rolled his eyes but did not comment as he turned to walk down the street at a forced unhurried pace.

“Why did you seem to be ready to freak out?” Kurono asked after he caught up.

“I was not about to freak out.” Jinx said.

“Then why were you about to run?”

“I was not about to run.” Jinx grumbled in annoyance.

“You totally were.”

Jinx whirled around to look at him.

“Will you shut it!” Jinx hissed.

Kurono held up his hands and his tiger in surrender.

Jinx turned back to walk down the street.

“...Are you feeling any better though?” Kurono asked, matching his pace.

“....I just don't want to get jumped ok.” Jinx growled as he narrowed his eyes towards the building where the man from before had been by the dumpster behind it.

He was hoping the man hadn't heard him yell at Kurono.

“Oh… you mean like getting mugged? You don't have to worry about that while I am here.” Kurono smiled at him.

Jinx just rolled his eyes at the mans craptastic intelligence.

“I mean like guys who are trying to rape my ass!? Literally?!” He both hissed and whispered out after passing the building.

“Ah.” Kurono’s eyes widened.

Jinx turned and stalked away.

Kurono caught up to him.

“I'm sorry.”

Jinx huffed in reply as they walked.

“Is….is it really that bad?”

“Sometimes yes.” Jinx mumbled out.

AUTHOR NOTE: The tiger was inspired by Tigerlilli from my discord channel JOIN DAMN IT