Read KITSUNE (Rough Draft) :: Ch. 6 Pt. 2: Sun

"Jerk," Aki said under her breath. She walked behind Fluffy, noticing the absurdity of the whole situation. A kind of average 28-year-old, single woman, just invited a crazy, kinda handsome, probably single guy, to crash in her spare apartment... Which has all of her equipment for her extracurricular activities scattered all over it! She darted up the remaining stairs and blocked the door, face flushed.

"If you were gonna leave me outside anyway, why have me follow you? Move." Fluffy glared down at the shrimp standing in his way.

"Wait." That's all Aki said before hurriedly pulling her hair into a ponytail, entering the code, and slamming the door in Fluffy's face.

He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. This. This was the reason he avoided humans at all costs. Especially since they thought they were so strong and commanding. But they were frail and fragile creatures with no idea of the world beyond-

The door opened with a quick shwing, interrupting his thoughts. "Done. I'm so sorry about that. It was a mess in there, heh." She scratched the back of her neck nervously. "I wasn't really expecting company."

Fluffy rolled his eyes and pushed past Aki. It was a nice-sized apartment. The entryway was long and had a place for shoes and jackets. The dining room and kitchen were spacious, and a short half-wall divided the area from a possible living space. "Not bad. For a human."

Aki scoffed, "Sorry, your highness. Would you perfer the Outside Palace, where the cost is free and the streets are clean?"

Fluffy clicked his tongue. "I said not bad. I need a place to rest and recover, so I accept the invitation."

"Thank you for gracing my humble abode with your ethereal presence."

"You're welcome."

Aki watched as Fluffy sat in the middle of the living room and closed his eyes. A few moments of silence, then a puzzled whisper. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to concentrate long enough to build my spirit enengy, so if ya don't mind, lady."

Aki was so done with this arrogant fox man. She stomped out of the apartment, slammed the door, and marched into her own, well, her other one. She plopped down on her couch and screamed into a pillow. Why was that jerk so infuriating? She liked him better as a fox. But something about him also excited her. She just couldn't place it. She decided it would be best to go to sleep and deal with it in the morning. After all, no classes meant work. And work meant a certain irritating redhead. And that redhead meant getting as much rest as possible to have the patience to deal with him.

The next morning, Aki didn't feel rested at all. She had fought for comfort all night, but it was nowhere to be found. And here she was, at six in the morning, cool air brushing her face, opening up the convenience store. If she wasn't awake before, she was now. The only solace she could muster was that her 23-year-old headache wouldn't show up to work for another 2 hours. Today was a slow morning, and the usual sweet elderly customers came in to grab their usual items. Aki watched in satisfaction as traffic flowed in and out. This is why she loved her job. The mornings were filled with the quiet laughter and gossip of the neighborhood. And she was able to help and get to know each and every customer. But the quiet didn't last for long. A fiery head of hair burst through the door, grinning from ear to ear, and Aki groaned under her breath. "Bakari-kun."

"G'morning, nee-san!" He cheerfully chirped.

"You're early, Baka-ri." She shifted. "And you should show my patience a little respect. I've had a rough night."

"You always have a rough night when you have to come in."

"Shut up. Your shift isn't for another hour."

He smiled even wider. "I asked the boss for overtime."

Aki squinted her eyes. "Of course you did," she replied dryly. "It's way too early for your shenanigans, so turn down the mischievousness. And that smile. It's vibrating at a frequency my headache can't handle yet. Go be vibrant in the back room for sixty minutes."

She didn't hate him, but the fact that he was always so bright bothered her. He was a grown man who acted like a teenager. Even though she could understand that he wasn't that far removed from those years, she still found his radiance to be a little much at times. Like right now.

He walked past the counter and into the break room. "If the lovely Suzu-sama wishes my presence dismissed, I shall vanish to appease her royal whims!"

Aki glared daggers at him, causing him to shriek and flee further away. She was losing her sanity at an astonishing pace, and it all started with that stupid fox.

Surprisingly, the rest of the morning was fine. No major disturbances, unless you count your co-worker spilling three boxes of rice cakes and apologizing every three seconds as a disturbance. Aki managed to make it to lunch, running on thinning patience and borrowed time. She waddled to the break room, a husk of the husk she was earlier. A nap. That's what she needed. And she took one.

"Aki... Aki... Aki-nee!"

"WHAT, Baka-ri?!"

"There's someone here to see you. And they think I smell funny."

"Well do you?"

"I don't think so."

"Hold on." Aki rubbed her eyes and adjusted her glasses as she stood up and stalked toward the door, but what she saw outside shook the sleep from her body. "Oh. My. Goodness. No, no, no, no, no, no, no."

Hands on the window. Face pressed against the glass. Bright orange hair. Smooth, tan skin. Eye patch. "Fought I shmelled oo eere, whadee!"

Bakari peeked around the corner. "I told youuuuu! He seems fun to play with."

Aki face-palmed. "I'm surrounded by idiots." She pointed to the doors, and Fluffy walked toward them. When they opened, it was like watching a toddler. Back and forth, open and closed. Aki eventually got fed up. "Just walk through the doors, you stupid fox!"

Bakari cocked his head as Fluffy entered. "I totally can see it! Do me next, Aki-nee! What am I? What am I?!"

Fluffy sniffed the air. "I'm surprised you can't tell what you are. You smell like a long history of grief."

"A pain. That's what you are. Both of you!"

"Did he say that I smell depressing? Do I smell depressing?"

Aki rolled her eyes. Headaches were becoming second nature. "Just drop it, Bakari. He's certainly a big ball of joy once you get to know him."

Fluffy snorted. "Don't lie to him. I will hunt him and anyone else down if I deem them to be a threat."

Bakarui seemed to be having the time of his life. "Aki-nee! Let me play, please. You have fun friends."

"He's not my friend. He's my temporary tenant." Both men went silent. If all she had to do to shut them up was introduce them, she should have done that from the beginning. "Bakari, this is Fluffy, who's renting my spare apartment. Fluffy, Bakari. My co-worker with a big sister complex."

"Aki-nee! I do not! I just appreciate you so much. And I want to protect you from stuff like you protected me. And..."

"He really does have a complex." Fluffy leaned in to Bakari's space. There was no doubt about it. Bakari smelled like them, but in a different way. Newer, younger, but just as strong. "What are you?"

Aki stepped in between them. "Fluffy, why are you here? I didn't even tell you I was leaving." I did that on purpose.

Fluffy tilted his head. "I left the apartment to do some scouting, and I caught wind of your scent."

"So you got lost?" Aki deadpanned.

"No. Merely... redirected."

Aki turned away from the stubborn man and back towards the counter, but Fluffy grabbed her wrist. "What?"

"I need to ask y-"

The fiery expression on Bakari's face was no longer one of excitement. It was rage. Even behind that cheesy grin, an unsuspecting bystander could feel the shift. He grabbed Fluffy's wrist and looked at him with crazed eyes. "If you'd be so kind as to keep your mitts off my nee-sama. Only I can touch her. If you must, do so with devotion, not malice." His smile shifted back with his cheery demeanor. "Okay, Mr. Tenant?"

Fluffy's visible eye let off an eerie glow before he let out a heavy sigh. "You're too young to perish by my hand, so I will overlook this... mistake." Both males released the wrists they had been holding.

Aki was so done with all the racket. She gritted her teeth and glared at Fluffy and Bakari. "You're scaring away customers."

They looked around and noticed the store was practically empty, besides the high school students staring at the counter, cowering in the corner. The men stilled as Aki, now fuming, grabbed them both by the collar and dragged them behind the counter. "Deal with this. Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

Customer after customer, product after product. Finally, the day was over. The only obstacle left to overcome was waiting for the night shift employees to come take over. Aki had barely kept herself together. From trying mostly to keep the boys from killing each other, which was resolved by bribing Fluffy with yogurt, to trying to teach the stupid fox how modern currency worked. To say she was exhausted was an understatement.

Ching-cling! As soon as the store bell rang, Aki said her goodbyes and yanked the others out with her. Fluffy cried for his newfound love, and Bakari flushed at his 'nee-san' grabbing his hand. When they were far enough from the convenience store, Aki released them. It was like babysitting two-year-olds! "Even Connor and Juniper don't give me this much trouble-" She was over it.

"Aki-nee! It's late. You should let me walk you home." Bakari chimmed.

"I'll be fine. Fluffy can take me since we're headed in the same direction."

"Awwww. But I really wanted to walk home together, like we used to."

"We did that because you wouldn't take no for an answer."

Fluffy pitched in. "I'm more than cappable."

"No." Icy eyes darted in his direction. "Let me walk with Aki-nee. You alone will never be enough."

"Is that a challenge, boy?"

"We're the same age!"

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Bet. Age on three. 1... 2..."