The Foxes Den

"mmm'eard you..." Kanade's eyes were bleary, and her movements sluggish, as she attempted to grab at Hokkyo. At least, that's what they were pretty sure she was trying to do, though her arms didn't seem to be wanting to follow her brains instruction.

"Come oooon~!" Hokkyo pawed at Kanade again, wriggling close enough to start peppering kisses over her cheeks and nose, "There's snoooow! Lets gooooo!"

"S'early, Hokkyo," Kanade at least sounded a little more awake, and her movements were a little more steady as she attempted to remove them from covering her face in affection.

"I know, but there's snow!" Hokkyo pointed out, starting to shift the kisses to Kanade's hands. Which, granted, was mostly because they somewhat wanted to start licking and they knew that Kanade did not appreciate that habit. "C'mon, please? I promise, I'll make you cocoa when we come back inside, and soup, and I'll go buy you extra instant noodles too, please, please!?"

"Okay, okay," Kanade flopped onto her back, giving Hokkyo a gentle shove. Hokkyo held themself back for a moment, which gave them the chance to see that Kanade was sitting up. Quick as a flash, they dove from the bed, burrowing through the laundry pile to pull out their own jeans and hoody, although they struggled getting the clothes on as their hands wouldn't stay hands in their excitement. Which was causing problems with the button and zip on their jeans. In between fighting with their own clothing, Hokkyo threw clothes over towards Kanade, knowing that Kanade actually needed to wrap up warm to go out in the snow. "Why do I have three pairs of pants?" Kanade asked, voice still thick with sleep.

"So you don't get cold~!" Hokkyo said, finally managing to get the button on their jeans done up.

"You are not wearing three pairs of pants,"

" 'de..." Hokkyo raised a half paw half hand and motioned to the very prominent fluffy ears that were situated upon their head, flicking them for extra emphasis.

"..." the silence brought an affectionately amused snort out of Hokkyo, before they returned to digging up a spare pair of boots. They might not feel it, but they were pretty sure their usual sandals would draw unneeded attention if they wore them outside in the snow.

Once fully dressed, Hokkyo moved to kiss Kanade's head, far calmer than their earlier peppered affection, and hummed. "I'll go heat some porridge in a mug for you, so you can still have breakfast. But outside~! Snow picnic breakfast! Make sure you put on a coat over your hoody, because if you get sick, 'fuyu is gonna kill us both."

"Mmhmm," Kanade tilted her head to catch Hokkyo's lips, causing their near constant movement to cease for a brief moment as they leaned into the kiss. The stillness did not last long, as Hokkyo drew back, their tail swishing excitedly.

It took another half an hour to finish up making breakfast, and Hokkyo making sure that Kanade was indeed wearing enough layers, before they finally stepped outside of the building and out into the snow. Almost immediately, Hokkyo dropped down into the snow that lay where there was normally a patch of grass, arms and legs spread wide to swing back and forth, before standing and grinning.

"Snow angel~!" they declared, turning to see Kanade smiling her little smile as she held the mug full of porridge. Tail swishing, and glad that the streets seemed mostly empty with the time of day and amount of snow, Hokkyo turned their attention back to the nearby drifts.

Their brow furrowed as they worked, starting with building a mound, and then starting to burrow into it, hollowing it out carefully. Hokkyo didn't know how they knew how to do these things. Perhaps they were things that they'd once done often. Or perhaps they were skills from their transformation. They had no way of knowing, and not wanting to ruin their own mood, they pushed those thoughts aside as they worked.

"What are you building?" Hokkyo jumped as they realised Kanade was crouched next to them.

"Den," Hokkyo explained, suring up the hole that they'd made for entry. "It'll be warm inside, so we can sit in here and enjoy the snow."

"Need help?"

"Only if you're wearing gloves." Hokkyo heard Kanade sigh and straighten, and they went back to work. Yes, they knew their hands were unprotected, but the snow gave no bite to their skin. It felt no different to touching spring grass. And that, Hokkyo knew for sure, was a side effect of their time spent in the void space. They couldn't allow any harm to come to Kanade, or Mafuyu. So they felt no guilt about rejecting Kanade's attempts at help.

At least, they'd thought it was a rejection. But again they jumped as Kanade's hands, now clad in gloves, invaded their line of sight, copying their actions to sure up the entrance. Hokkyo grinned, and their tail wagged slightly, brushing against Kanade, as they worked together.

Neither of them spoke as they worked, even when Hokkyo wriggled their way into the Den to expand it more. The only break in the silence was Kanade quietly humming. Slowly, the den took proper form.

Hokkyo decided it was done, once it was big enough for both of them to fit in and sit comfortably. Without thinking about the fact that they only wore a tank top beneath, Hokkyo pulled off their hoody, setting it atop the snow on the floor, patting it gently.

"Here. Now we can watch people go by," Hokkyo encouraged, waiting until Kanade was sat before settling next to her, resting their head on her shoulder.

"I do not know where you get your energy," Kanade said, an arm resting around Hokkyo's lower back.

"Me neither~!" Hokkyo admitted with a chuckle.

"Are you certain you're not cold?" came the next question, after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Certain," Hokkyo assured Kanade, "there's something about me that repels the cold. Like I've always got my fur, even when I haven't," Hokkyo hummed, tuneless, for a second. "It's strange, but helpful for fun in the snow. And it means I can be the dashing chivalrous knight that gives you my coat to sit on."

"Knight?"

"Well, you do have the hair of a princess," Hokkyo pointed out, using one hand to brush strands of said hair out of Kanade's face, "and I would definitely fight a dragon for you, if I had to."

"Dragons aren't real," Kanade pointed out, and Hokkyo snorted, wiggling their ears again.

" 'de, you're sat in a fox den with an arctic fox creature that used to be human."

"Yes, but you're real. I can see you, and touch you, and talk to you. I've never seen a Dragon, or heard about anyone that really has."

"I could probably find a SEKAI with one in, if I went looking again. I visited all sorts, before I landed in yours and 'fuyu's." Hokkyo suggested, thinking back through some of the fantastical places they'd seen. And some of the beautifully mundane ones, too.

"I don't think SEKAI's can count either," Kanade's hand was mindless as it stroked over Hokkyo's side, bringing pleasant shivers through the almost human. "They're built of feelings. They're real, but not reality."

"How philosophical," Hokkyo hummed again, resting a little more against Kanade, "Okay, so not dragons, but I'll fight an army for you. They're definitely real."

"You're definitely ridiculous," Kanade countered, shuffling a little closer, "but thank you."

As the seconds turned to minutes, Hokkyo got comfortable against Kanade, quickly checking through less than subtle affection that she wasn't cold before they got settled, and closed their eyes. Now that their eagerness over the snow had worn off, their body was reminding them how little sleep they'd actually had the night before.

Before they realised it, Mafuyu was crouched before the entrance to the den, curious eyebrow raised as she shook at their shoulders.

"Why are you both asleep in the snow? You'll get sick."

"I won't," Hokkyo said, yawning and rubbing at their eyes, "and I made sure Kanade was warm," Kanade makes some noises that might have been attempts at words, which is what truly clued Hokkyo into the fact that she'd fallen asleep too, even though Mafuyu had very clearly said 'both of you'.

"Come inside," Mafuyu said, instead of challenging Hokkyo's assertions, "and whatever you promised Kanade to get her out here, you'd better provide," Hokkyo grinned, adjusting to help Kanade free of the den and grab their hoody.

"Cocoa, and soup. And to buy her more noodles later."

"How early did you wake up?" Mafuyu asked, as the three of them made back towards the building. Hokkyo chuckled, knowing that their large promise had given away the nuisance that they'd been that morning.

"Too early." Kanade answered, yawning widely behind her hand. Hokkyo laughed louder, shrugging by way of answer, and tying their slightly damp hoody around their waist.

"It was worth it~!"

Banner credit - @/saradika-graphics

Look we are an arctic fox for a reason and that reason is we don't feel the cold pretty much at all, so of course our S/Is also don't feel the cold (&, y'know, Hokkyo is an arctic fox in the physical!) (Also am I writing this to distract myself from the fact that I get to just be on edge and worried for a week while I wait for an appointment? Yes. Yes I am. Is it working? No, not really.)

Writing Tag List - @cosmic----luka, @maricoffeebeansized, @trepans-apprentice, @drinking-with-cupid

"Oh no! What's wrong?" Despite being in two sets of headphones, Mizuki's worry was loud enough that it caused Hokkyo to crack an eye open from the volume.

"Something with their chest," Kanade said, even as Hokkyo uncurled from beneath the blankets. "They'll be okay, they just need to rest,"

"Heeeeyyyyy Mizuki~!" Hokkyo nuzzled into Kanade's neck, which left their face near enough to the mic that they could speak.

"You're meant to be resting," even as Kanade pointed it out, she could hear Mafuyu standing from her own seat. So she made no move to actually try and remove Hokkyo from around her.

"This is restful," Hokkyo tried to argue. They could hear voices, muffled, through Kanade's headphones and had to assume it was Ena complaining about their interruption. They liked hearing her complain about them. It was part of their friendship. And it felt normal. Which is what they wanted right now, given most of their time was spent coughing and feeling miserable.

"No, it is not," Hokkyo let out a squealing noise as Mafuyu lifted them from their feet, and they scrabbled slightly, trying to grab at Kanade's hoody. Kanade unpicked their fingers, but turned to smile at them, which soothed the ache of the physical rejection. "You are supposed to be resting. In the bed. Where it is warm." Mafuyu's voice was firm, even though it never lost the gentle edge. Her grip on Hokkyo shifted, so she could hold them to her chest and carry her back the two steps towards the bed.

"But you're workiiiing!" Hokkyo whined, before having to stop to cough, whimpering pathetically.

"We are. And you can go back to disrupting that once you're able to hold a conversation without coughing."

"But Mafuyuuuuu!" Again, the whining triggered a coughing fit, leaving Hokkyo with no defence as Mafuyu set them on the bed and began wrapping them in blankets again.

"Do not argue with me." Hokkyo pouted at Mafuyu, although the expression vanished as Mafuyu gave a gentle scratch to one of their ears. "I'm going to make us all tea. Kanade, call?"

"Will do," Kanade nodded, not looking away from her screen. Now pouting again, Hokkyo waited until Mafuyu was out of the room before shuffling towards the edge of the bed, still wrapped in the blankets at least.

"Kanade?"

"What?"

"Can I listen?" Hakkyo heard Kanade sigh, but brightened as Kanade extended the headphones towards them. They reached out to take them, faffing for a moment to get them to fit over their fluffy ears, before nodding once they were situated.

"Hey Hokkyo~!" Mizuki's voice sounded before Kanade could hit play on what she'd been working on.

"Hey Mizuki!" Hokkyo grinned, coughing lightly into their shoulder, "causing trouble?"

"Shouldn't that be my line? But always~!"

"Too much," Ena chimed in, "and you sound like shit, Hokkyokugitsune."

"Missed you too, Enananan." Hokkyo rolled their eyes, but the fond smile on their face made it more than clear how much they appreciated Ena's sharp comment.

"Ready?" Kanade's voice was slightly muffled, but Hokkyo was quick to nod. The music started, and Hokkyo closed their eyes, feeling the way the notes reverberated through their chest. There was something about Kanade's music, it resonated deep in them. Almost like it was tickling at the memories they'd lost. As it faded out into simply drum beats, Hokkyo opened their eyes again, offering Kanade their biggest smile.

"Beautiful," they said, pulling off the headphones and offering them back.

"Are you flirting again?" Mafuyu asked, insisting a mug of tea upon Hokkyo.

"Never without you," Hokkyo promised with a wink, holding the mug to their chest, feeling the warmth seep through their skin and into their chest. They could hear Kanade trying to hide a laugh behind her hand, and felt the warmth spread further.

Slowly, Hokkyo shifted again, setting the mug aside and pulling Mafuyu's rolling chair over so it stood right next to the bed, so they could rest their head on her lap while she worked. She didn't say anything, but Hokkyo heard her fiddling with the mechanisms to stop the chair rolling away.

Maybe they should have drank their tea first, but Hokkyo decided that didn't matter. What mattered was being close with the people they loved, right now. As they once again drifted towards sleep, their body fighting against itself, but their mind at peace.

Dividers Credit @/bernardbendystraws

Totally didn't write this because I currently have Bronchitis and am feeling shit, noooo, how dare you accuse me of such a thing!

Writing Tag List: @cosmic----luka, @maricoffeebeansized, @trepans-apprentice, @drinking-with-cupid