After a long trek back across the dirt path, Kitsune finally saw the town again. The silhouettes of a handful of people were visible to her. 'Are those... The people I've met? How long have they been waiting here?' She wondered, picking up the pace.
Shirley was the first one to notice her. Letting out a gasp, she ran towards the redhead. "Darlin'!" She exclaimed, running forward and nearly crushing the girl in a tight hug.
Adres walked over, smiling a little. "Welcome back, kiddo." They greeted.
"Oh, sugar, we were so worried! You didn't come back last night, and we thought you were hurt- or worse!! Are you ok?" Shirley fretted over her, examining her for any injuries.
"Breathe, Shirley, she's fine. I don't even see a scratch on her." Adres patted the woman on the back.
"You survived an entire night with him..." Norman said in surprise, to which Charon flicked his head.
"What Norman MEANS to say is... We're glad you're ok." He stated.
"Miss Kitsune! Miss Kitsune!"
Tony and Paige came running over, hugging the woman's legs. "What was it like in there? Was it really spooky?!" Tony asked.
"How did you get away?!" Paige asked as well, stars in her eyes.
Kitsune giggled a bit, patting their heads. "He let me go. He's actually a lot nicer than he comes off to be." She stated.
"Wait, he? Who? Christopher?" Choochoo asked, to which Kitsune nodded.
"Yeah- he found me asleep in a closet, and put me in a guest room." She explained, deciding to leave out the supposed 'game' of Cat and Mouse for the time being.
"...Huh..." Was all Adres could respond with.
"That's... really surprising... I never would've expected him to be like that.." Shirley stated.
"And he didn't hurt you? At all?" Rose asked.
"No, not at all. Aside from carrying me to the guest room, and lifting my chin with his finger, he never really initiated any touches." Kitsune explained, praying the faint blush on her face would go unnoticed by her friends.
Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky.
"...Darlin'? Are you alright? Your cheeks are red." Shirley asked.
Kitsune squeaked, covering her face. "Y-Yeah! I'm ok!" She stuttered.
"Oh my god, do you have a crush on him? You do, don't you." Norman asked, although it sounded more like a statement.
"Uhhhhhhh..." Kitsune hesitated. "...Maybe." She muttered, fidgeting with her fingers.
"He's really pretty, and he never tried to hurt me- plus he's actually really nice to me. Also, I honestly felt really safe near him, and-" Shirley chuckled, patting the girl on the head to get her to calm down from her frantic defending.
"Breathe, hun. It's ok. We're not gonna judge you." Shirley assured her, rubbing her shoulder. "We're just glad you're ok. As long as you stay careful, and you're sure he means no harm to you, we support your decision." She said.
Kitsune looked up at her in surprise. She didn't remember the last time someone supported something she wanted to do, not even her own family. It was at this moment that she decided that this town, and these people...
Was the best family she could've asked for.
With a smile, she wrapped her arms around Shirley, hugging her. "Awww.." Shirley cooed, hugging her back. After a moment, they seperated. "Oh, darling, have you eaten yet?" The blonde woman asked.
Kitsune hesitated a moment. She had completely forgotten about the snacks in her bag, and hadn't eaten any of it. Before she could say anything, her stomach growled- quite loudly at that. Shirley chuckled, grabbing her hand. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you some food." She stated.
Following the woman, Kitsune couldn't help but smile. It felt nice to be surrounded by people that cared about her. She even had a plan. She intended to hang out in the town for the rest of the day, and the next day, she'd visit Chris again. Maybe even get him a gift of some kind.
She was very excited to see him again.