Locking me in your room isn't going to stop me from eventually escaping.
The people were due back at any moment, making Fox antsy. He didn't want them to find anything, and especially not anyone. He'd left his family and that was that. He didn't need them back in his life. He had an unwanted roof over his head and the occasional pancakes.
He expected a response to his thought back from Noah, but there was only silence. Guess he didn't hear me. His friend had gone to work, but was also due back at any time.
I'm going to scratch up your door if you don't let me out. I'll pee on it, too.
More silence.
Stalking in a circle, Fox looked around the dark room for the thousandth time. His heart was racing as his tongue lolled out of his mouth from stress panting. The sound of the front door opening a few moments later had his ears perking up abruptly right as he'd started chewing on the edge of Noah's thick blanket.
"Good afternoon, sorry things took a while," an unwanted familiar voice said from down the hall. The sound was so muffled by the distance and door that Fox had to walk over and press his ear against the wood to be able to hear it decently.
There were a few words muffled in response as the group seemed to take seats at the table.
"The DNA came back a match."
Of course it did. I know who I was, but that's not me anymore.
"I was able to get in contact with his brother, though he can't come out until Saturday. He's very eager to finally see Adam after so long," the man said with hope and excitement in his voice that Fox mirrored with dismay and disgust. The last person he wanted to see was one of his siblings.
There were a few muffled cheers before the door opened again and Fox recognized Henry's footsteps entering the house.
"I was right, he was that kid!" Noah exclaimed with excitement.
Was. Key word.
Fox listened as Henry set down his heavy bag and keys, then hurried to join them at the table. "That's great to hear. So, are they coming to get him?"
"Not until the weekend. We'll just keep him here until then, I guess," Noah replied before the other man spoke. "I believe it would be best if I took him back with me, that way his brother can come see him as soon as he arrives."
What?
"Are you sure? He can be a handful. I really don't mind watching him for a couple more days," Noah said, a bit of unease in his voice that Fox shared. He might not be happy with Noah or his friend right then, but he didn't want to be forced to go anywhere else, either.
Fox turned and hopped up onto Noah's bed, then began digging his way beneath the covers. He also was beginning to not feel all that great, but that was no surprise considering the amount of stress he was under at that moment.
I don't want to go. Noah, Mr. Vegetarian, don't make me go.
He got no response, again, from either man.
"I don't live too far away from your agency. I think it should be fine if he stays here. He doesn't seem to like people that much and it's taken me a while to get him to trust me... kind of."
There was a short pause before the other man started speaking again, but Henry quickly cut him off. "I think that we should just ask him. He can understand us just fine and is able to nod or shake his head when asked questions. Shouldn't it be up to him to decide where he feels most comfortable? We're already forcing him to do something he clearly doesn't want to, at least we can give him that option?"
Did I mention that I love you, you awesome vegetarian?
A faint chuckle swam through his mind as Henry finally seemed to hear him. Veterinarian. I like meat as much as the next guy.
Fox snorted beneath the blankets.
I can see that. Lay off my person.
A few emotions ran through his mind from the man, but he couldn't really pinpoint them specifically.
You want him? Maybe we can make a deal?
Fox bristled and nibbled at the blanket beneath him.
No deal.
The talking suddenly paused in the other room before he heard Noah's voice in his thoughts.
What deal?
Don't you dare, Henry replied hurriedly, making Fox smirk.
What you offering, vegetarian?
There was confused silence from both men for a moment before Henry replied.
What do you want?
Pancakes.
Fox could feel Noah about to respond when the person who had come by started talking again.
Simple pleasures. Deal. I'll make you pancakes.
Swishing his tail against the sheets, Fox started to try and dig his way out of the blankets, but his paws weren't working quite right.
I... am I broken?
"Well, gentlemen, I suppose that we will just ask Adam what he'd like to do, then. Can you lead me to where he is, please?" the visitor asked as the sound of chairs scooting back from the table sounds at the same time.
Oh no.
He wasn't worried about the men in general, but his body was suddenly not working right, and that was never a good thing when living outside. There were always predators watching and waiting for an opportunity. Even people could become problems if he couldn't get away from them, so when he heard footsteps heading toward the bedroom door, he growled quietly and tried to get himself to move.
Don't come in.
The door handle rattled for a second before it stopped.
Why not?
Unable to find a valid reason, Fox whimpered.
I'm not decent.
There was an audible laugh in response on the other side from Henry as the door handle turned.
You're never decent, you brat. You lick your balls right on the couch next to us.
Noah's face appeared first and Fox quickly growled out a warning. To his surprise, Noah seemed shocked even before the grumble, which had Fox hesitantly quieting. When the man pursed his lips and glanced behind himself, then quickly left the room and shut the door, Fox tilted his head.
What happened?
His head actually felt a bit heavy, too, which had never happened before. Maybe he really was getting sick.
Are you okay, Fox?
The worry in Noah's thought had Fox's own confusion growing.
I can't move my paws. I can't—His thought paused as he finally looked down... only to see fingers, not paws and toes.
What? How?
Leaning down hesitantly, Fox sniffed at the fingers, his fingers. After bumping them with his nose a few times, he stuck his tongue out and licked one, then scowled. He hadn't changed into a human since before he'd run away. How had he been forced to do so now?
"He wasn't happy to see us coming in, I think he wants some time to think about the situation. Perhaps come back tomorrow when he's a little more calm? Or give us a call ahead of time?" Noah said outside the door.
Fox didn't think that there was going to be a calm button for his current issue. He stared, wide-eyed, at his fingers as he fought to simply flex them. It had been so long since he had been a human that his body didn't even remember how to move.
"Alright, I have some things to do tomorrow morning but I can stop by in the evening. I'll let you know when I'm heading here?" the visiting man said.
Henry was the one to reply. "Sure, that works. We will expect your call tomorrow."
The two said their goodbyes, but then what Fox thought would happen, did. Noah was at the bedroom door in less than a minute, his nervous energy mixing with his own unease made his stomach turn.
"Fox, hun, I'm going to come in, okay?" he called through the door, making Fox return his words with a growl that sounded much less threatening than his fox's normal warnings.
Go away!
There was a pause before Henry replied through the door.
"We can't go away, Adam. You are sending both of us such strong feelings of fear. You'll be okay with us, even as a human," he said quietly, clearly trying but failing to ease Fox's nerves.
When Fox didn't respond the door slowly creaked open. He growled again at that point, but it didn't deter Noah from slipping inside. He left the door slightly ajar, but thankfully Henry didn't follow him in. When their eyes met Fox tried to raise his hackles, but he didn't have any. His ears also wouldn't pin against his head. So, instead, he hunched under the blankets more, but made sure that he was able to see the man as he carefully approached the bed. He never stopped growling, but Noah didn't hesitate. When he was finally close enough, he sat down on the edge and offered a smile that just elicited a louder grumble.
"Can you talk in your human form, Fox?"
Fox didn't even try to. He wanted nothing to do with his human self. It was something from his past that was supposed to stay buried beneath his skin. He had no idea why it was suddenly out, but he wanted it gone.
"That's odd."
Henry's comment from the door had Fox splitting his attention between the two men. He wasn't really sure what was interesting. He found nothing about his current situation any kind of interesting.
"I don't know why I didn't realize this a lot sooner, but you need to not get any closer for now," Henry said as he leaned against the doorjamb.
Fox agreed with the not getting closer part. Noah didn't seem to like the idea as much, though.
"He's a reverse shifter, Noah. I guess their official name is Rever, but it pretty much stands for reverse."
Noah's brows furrowed as he looked at his friend. "What the heck is that?"
Henry took a step into the room so that he could lean back against the wall and cross his arms over his chest. "It means, that instead of his human self wanting to maintain control, it is perfectly okay with, and likely very comfortable with allowing its animal to call the majority of the shots."
Lifting an eyebrow, Noah looked back at Fox, who had quieted while listening to Henry. As soon as their eyes met again he lifted his upper lip and growled.
"So... we have to teach him how to let his human be out more?" Noah asked, clearly confused.
Fox would have been confused, too, if he'd cared. Sure, he knew he had a human side, he had let it control him for eight years. That had been where he'd drawn the line, and honestly, he felt much more comfortable as he was now compared to how he'd been then.
Henry shook his head as Fox lowered his chin to his uncomfortable fingers. His head was just too heavy to hold up.
"No, he will always be more comfortable as Fox, not Adam."
Noah frowned and, unwisely, reached toward Fox.
"Don't do that. You heard what I just told you. He'll bite and it will be completely your fault," Henry said as he walked over and grabbed Noah's wrist, making him retract his arm. "I'll call and talk with the social worker who was just here and discuss this. I don't think that we should be forcing him to reunite with people he felt uneasy around enough to run away from before."
Sighing, Noah stood up, but wouldn't stop staring at Fox.
"I feel like he would just try to put him into a rehab facility or something."
Henry nodded and gently pulled Noah toward the door. "You're right. Even though revers are a proven thing, most people don't believe that there isn't a way to change them." He looked over to Fox and offered a small smile. "We'll leave you be for now. I have pancakes to make, so me and Noah will be in the kitchen, okay?"
Fox grumbled quietly and began licking his fingers as if he were grooming his fur. It felt odd, but he needed to do something to take his mind off of all the stress. He had no doubt that he would be back in his true form soon... but until then, he would just block the rest of the world out.