Snakey It's Cold Outside

The Slithering Teaser & the Teased Tsundere pt. 3

     "Sooo, when are you guys going out?," Agent Fox asked abruptly.

     In a quick instant, Agent Doom accidentally dropped the bag of grapes she was grasping in her talons while mid-flying. She cursed under her breath when the tiny bits of fruit rolled all over the place on the ground. Joy tried covering her flushed face in embarrassment when shoppers looked over and stared at the mess in both curiosity, and confusion. Doom groaned in slight irritation.

     "Urrrg!! Damn it!!" The female crow glided down, and tried picking up some of the scattered fruit balls. A certain, ruffled, grey wolf knelt down to help alongside her.

     "Geez, these are the second items you dropped ever since we got here in the store," Mr. Wolf pointed out. "Maybe you should try lessening your load next time, and let me and Ellen do the work?" Wolf suggested.

     Doom roughly grabbed one of the grapes Mr. Wolf held out in his paw. She shoved it in the bag. "I think I'll be alright, thank you very much for that . . . ," Joy thanked, even though the way her words grumbled through her gritted teeth, clearly gave way that her negative aura was arising again. Wolf cast his gaze down.

     "He's only trying to help, Doom," Fox said sensibly.

     "Oh really? You think I don't know that, Foxy?! Try noticing some microscopic details next time, will ya?," Doom spat irritably. However, she immediately regretted spitting out her brief anger when she noticed Ellen's green eyes, always bright and true, dimmed a little bit.

||Few Minutes Later||

     "Joy, what is it that's bothering you? Please tell me," Agent Fox implored. Right now, she and Doom were currently in a mechanic tool aisle. Mr. Wolf had wondered off to a different aisle earlier to catch up with Snake. Ever since the four friends had entered the grocery store to pick a few items earlier, the one thing Ellen has noticed about Doom, is that she's been showing a lot more of a negative attitude than normal.

     Sure, she always said a few sarcastic retorts here and there, but they never really sounded like she was on the verge of being angry or irritated. This time though, it seemed like smoke has been fuming out of her ears (or ear holes) ever since they stepped out on the parking lot, and this honestly made Agent Fox worried for her friend.

Agent Doom dropped a few capacitors in the cart that she needed. She looked up at her concerned friend, the same wave of guilt that weighed down on her, got the best of her once again. Her gaze softened as she sighed. "Look, Fox, I . . . I'm sorry for the way I acted towards you and Wolf earlier, okay? It's just . . . There's a lot that's been going on in my mind lately."

"Oh really?," Fox gently replied, one of her eyebrows raised up. "Like what, Doom? What kinda thoughts have been running through your head?"

     Instant thoughts about a certain reptile immediately appeared in her head, living rent free. Doom blushed as a glossy warp of mental slideshow images of Snake every time they alone together played: His smile, his stupid singing, his abrupt cracking jokes, his flirting, his cheap taste in music, his sarcasm, and . . . the way that little flash in his eyes would sparkle when he was only around her—

     "EARTH TO DOOM!!"

     "HUH?!?!" The unexpected sound of Ellen's voice, instantly prodded Doom's imaginative daydreams out of her head. "I-I'm sorry, what?! What do ya, say?!" Her talons nearly slipped from the front part of the shopping cart, her dark feathers erected upright in shock, she blushed a bright rosy red. She desperately hoped Fox hadn't picked up what she put down, but unfortunately for her though, Ellen was already smirking at her.

     "Aaahh, okay, I get it now . . . ," Agent Fox said, steadily nodding her head.

     Doom's breath hitched in her throat for a moment. She thought she wouldn't be able to speak until she muttered, "What? What do you get?"

     Oh dear god, please don't say what I think you're going to say . . .

     Agent Doom thought in her head pleadingly.

     To her dismay however, Fox slyly crossed her arms, and leaned her slim torso against the shelf fueled up with power tools. In a cool manner, she commented, "You like, Snake don't you?"

     Damn it . . .

     Agent Doom blinked. Her beak went dry. Not wanting too give in to her honesty that easy though, the girl crow just snorted. "Yeah, of course I do. Why wouldn't I? We're good friends, Fox. He's . . . ," Joy wanted to say something she found admirable about him, but shrugged instead. "I don't know . . ." She flew up too a top shelf, and pretended to examine the graduated cylinders and tuning forks. She hoped to steer away this conversation . . . even though deep down, she knows her vixen friend well enough to know she's not gonna drop their subject that easily.

     Fox sighed. "Doom, I know that look well. I've seen it many times before in my life: You get flustered when confronted about what personal thoughts go on in your head." She gave a soft smile. "Especially if those thoughts involve something to do with . . . you know, a potential significant other . . ." The anthropomorphic vixen smirked at the last bit of her sentence.

     Doom scoffed. "Oh yeah? And what's make you think I'm the only who does that, and not tons of other people?," Joy remarked. She tossed a tuning fork into the cart by one of her talons.

     "Joy."

     The anthro crow quickly stopped what she was doing, and gazed at Ellen, who no longer smiled at her in a teasing way. Normally, Doom would get annoyed whenever someone or even anyone referred to her by real name (Well, for the exception of Snake), but the way Fox is looking at her right now with such a warm, apologetic, sensitive expression, told her something that Fox might give out some decent advice.

     "Look, I know you're probably not gonna want to hear this, I wouldn't either if I were you, but . . . considering the frequent amount of times I've caught you and Snake hanging with each other before, and the way you two playfully flirt all the time. I just wanna say this . . . ," Fox explained tranquility.  "Talk too him."

Edit: Alright, I know I haven't updated yet, so this is what I've wanted to throw out. Also, I'm sorry if this didn't had any romantic stuff, or not as much of our good'ole Mr. Snake in this chapter, but a part of me wanted to write a little bit about another character's perspective regarding Snake and Doom's relationship, so yeah! I hope you have a great day, and stay healthy dear reader! See ya next time with our wonderful, feathery tsundere! 😄