Fox (mxm) (Rever series 1)

Fox 21

I hope he hadn't been late because of me. 

It was an odd thought to him, but he felt like he meant it. 

When the plate of pancakes abruptly appeared in front of him, Fox reacted on instinct. Without thinking, he lunged upward, catching cigarette man's jaw right before he could fumble backwards onto the floor. 

I...

Fox withdrew back into the blankets as best he could, which wasn't very well considering most of them had already fallen around his waist. 

He watched silently as cigarette man sat up and wiped the tiny bit of blood from his nip off of his chin. 

"I should have seen that coming. You did warn me plenty of times and you seemed distracted when I approached," he said with a kind smile. 

Fox hunched farther back and eventually lied down, no longer feeling like he quite deserved the pancakes, even though he didn't feel like he was really in the wrong. 

I feel weird. 

"Do you know how long they have had him around for?" the man's friend asked, drawing the guy's attention over his shoulder toward him. 

"No idea. I didn't ask since it wasn't really my business." 

His friend nodded and came over to sit beside him. While Fox was tolerant of cigarette man's presence, he had no idea who the new man was or what his intentions were, so he did give off a nervous warning growl again. 

Your eyes are just unnerving. 

"I think he can tell what I am, Amo," the new man said with a tilt of his head that made Fox tilt his own in the opposite direction. 

Fox bared his teeth again, confused. 

"I can tell that you're eager to see his reaction. Go on, already," cigarette man said, gesturing for his friend to leave the room with a nod toward the hallway he'd gone down to get the blankets earlier. 

After a few moments of hesitation his friend got up and disappeared down the corridor. Fox kept his attention on the hall until the man reappeared a few minutes later, but...

No way. 

Seemingly of its own accord, Fox's body shifted. His paws carried him right up to the other fox without a single thought for the boundaries he'd just set with the two men. The tip of his tail flicked repeatedly in curious excitement as he circled the mostly-black fox with mixed silver ears. 

You're a fox! 

He nudged his nose nearly into the other animal's mouth before darting behind it to sniff his butt, then along his thick coat. 

I haven't met another fox shifter in years! I can't believe you're a fox!

He whined as the other fox started walking toward cigarette man, but Fox wasn't deterred. Following, he continued his attentions, trying his best to take in the animal's scent as he continuously circled it with uncontrollable excitement. 

I'm a fox, too!

Fox returned to the animal's backside to continue his assessment when he heard a low warning growl. 

Oh, okay. Got it. No more butt! 

He immediately redirected back to the fox's face and nudged his nose just about everywhere and anywhere he could in his exuberance. Another warning growl soon met his ears, followed by a flash of teeth, but he was too excited to heed the clear signals to calm down.