Axel awoke to a ringing in his ears. "Mmh, what...'' Looking around, he saw Isaac snoring gently asleep with his head in the puma's lap. Axel stretched and looked at the clock. 11:32... been out for a couple hours. He glanced back down at the sleeping fox, and stroked the fur around his ears. This is nice. Yeah, I could go for more of this... Axel jumped at the sound of ringing again. "Shit! Where is that coming from?''
The puma saw Isaac's phone on the old coffee table in front of him. He picked it up. Who's calling him this late... Dad?! Crap, it's his parents... Axel tried to shake Isaac awake, but the fox grunted and rolled away from his paw. Axel also saw several missed calls already blinking at the top of the phone. Trembling, he answered the call. "Um... hello, Mr. Talbot, sir, this is Axel Stoneheath, Isaac's... friend. I'm sorry, he fell asleep at my place, I tried to get him up to answer but he's out cold, I'm sorry, I-"
"Slow down, champ, it's okay! We knew he was there, his mom kinda panicked a little when he wasn't home at 10:00 like he usually is. We were worried, but if he's safe, there's no problem. Unless...'' his tone got deadly quiet. "Unless you're picking on him again...''
"N-no! No, sir! I'm done with that, Isaac is great! He's tutoring me, and he's a great cook, and I know he's brilliant, he's in all advanced classes... I-I'm proud that we're friends now!''
"Friends, huh? Well, I'm glad to hear it. I know you're on the football team, maybe you'll rub off on him and get him into a real man's game. Kid can run, but he's terrified of getting hit... Anyway, don't worry about that now. Is it okay if he stays the night at your place? I don't want him driving home at this hour.''
"O-oh, yeah, that's... that's fine. I'll take care of him, don't worry.'' Axel realized he'd been absently petting Isaac with his free paw this whole time, and yanked it back. I'm on the phone with his dad! That's so inappropriate!
"Thanks, sport. Make sure he gets up early enough to come by and get some fresh clothes. And if Isaac finally made a friend, it'd be nice to meet you, too. We'll be here waiting. Tell him we called, please, and don't feel bad about being unable to wake him. He sleeps like a rock.'' Isaac's dad let out a hearty chuckle and hung up the phone.
Well, that could've gone worse... I guess I'm meeting his parents tomorrow. The thought made Axel break out in a cold sweat. He slid out from under Isaac, using his paws to usher the fox's head onto the couch gently. Grabbing a pillow and blanket, he lifted Isaac's head gently, slid the pillow underneath, and draped the blanket on top of the snoozing fox. Axel blushed, rubbed between Isaac's ears again, and headed to his room.
He plugged Isaac's phone in before his own. Then, he sent a text to his mom. "Hey, my friend Isaac is staying over. We stayed up too late, sorry. He's on the couch, so don't panic when you come in. Love you!''
The reply came quickly. "That's okay, I wouldn't want him driving this late. You'll have to get yourselves up in the morning, I'll be late getting in.''
"No problem.'' Axel set an alarm, put his phone on the nightstand beside him, stripped down to his boxers, and tucked himself into bed. Exhausted as he was, he swiftly fell asleep.
...
Zzz...
A shrill beeping woke Axel with a start. He quickly moved to silence his phone, then flopped back into bed. Ugh... I'm never up this early... But I gotta get out of bed. Do it for Isaac... Prying his eyes open again, he groaned as he got up and pulled on a pair of gym shorts. Yawning, he exited his room and went to wake up Isaac.
However, the fox was already up and moving about, digging through the couch cushions. Axel walked up behind him. "Uh, dude? What are you doing?''
Isaac jumped, then turned around, breathing hard. "Geez! You scared the heck out of me... I'm looking for my phone, have you seen it? My parents must be worried sick, I need to call and let them know I'm all right.''
Axel took Isaac's phone from his pocket and handed it over. "Sorry, I was charging it for you overnight. Your parents called last night, and I... kinda answered it, sorry.'' The puma grinned sheepishly. "I told them you fell asleep here, and they asked if you could stay the night, it was late when I finally woke up to their call... And, of course, I was fine with it, so I set you up. We need to leave in a few minutes to get you some clothes; I need to shower real fast, first... Um, you okay?''
Isaac was staring at Axel's chest so hard, that it could have burned a hole into him. "Uh-huh... you're built like a tank, dude, wow...'' The fox shook his head rapidly. "Ah! Sorry, that was... inappropriate. Yeah, go on and shower, I'll sit here and ... wait, I guess.'' Isaac made intense eye contact with Axel, trying not to let his gaze wander south again.''
Axel chuckled. "It's fine, I'm defense, I should be built like a tank. Okay, be ready to go in 15 minutes. Oh, and...'' With a malicious grin, he leaned down and whispered, "...I liked it when you were staring at me...''
Leaving Isaac red as a beet, the puma laughed as he went to his room and picked out clothes for school. Laying out a t-shirt and pair of jeans, he then left to shower. Just to tease Isaac, he walked back out with just a towel on, strutting through the living room on his way to get dressed. The fox looked like he was going to burst, as he struggled not to turn and stare at Axel. Finally, the puma was clothed and ready to go. "Let's head out!'' he chirped.
Isaac glowered at him. "... I hate you.''
"Nah, ya don't.'' Axel playfully ruffled the fox's headfur and pulled him off the couch. The pair walked to Isaac's car and started to drive. Axel had been wondering something, though, and so on their way, he asked, "So... you were, ah, pretty worked up this morning. You've never been like that in the locker room. Hell, you've seen me naked before. What gives?''
Isaac mumbled something under his breath. When Axel cupped a paw to his ear and leaned closer, Isaac sighed, and spoke louder. "I was never in a position where I could actually look before. Remember, you're the only person at school who knows I'm gay. And that happened yesterday! I've been too afraid of having my teeth kicked in to do any ogling, so no, I don't look. I usually change on the other side of the locker room and away from all of you, any time I can help it.''
Axel's lighthearted mood deflated a little bit. "Oh... that's, um... I'm sorry, bud, I guess I forgot that you and I see things differently. I'll try to be better about that.''
Isaac sighed. "That's fine. At least you're trying. I'd be much happier if we could get the rest of your teammates to do that, but I don't think I'll hold my breath.'' He smiled wryly and turned one final corner. "We're coming up on my house, it's at the end of the street here...''
Axel tried not to gawk as Isaac pulled into the driveway of a massive, two-story home. The lawn was well-manicured, and the landscaping was immaculate. Large trees framed the house perfectly and gave it a cozy and inviting feeling. The brick facade circled the bottom half of the first floor, and as they walked in the garage he saw two very pricey cars, things he'd never be able to afford. A green flash lit up his eyes, as he ogled the relative luxury that Isaac lived in. "Dude... you live here?''
"No, I just opened some random person's garage. Yes, I live here!'' Isaac rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mom's probably waiting with breakfast.''
They walked in the door, and Isaac closed the garage behind him. "Mom? Dad? I'm home! And I brought Axel!''
From the living room, a clear, lilting soprano voice called out. "We're in the living room, dear! There are sandwiches on the kitchen counter; eat, then come see us!''
Sure enough, on the counter were two bagel sandwiches, loaded with bacon, a slice of cheddar cheese, and a fried egg on top. Isaac took them to the table nearby and sat, putting one in front of himself and one at the chair next to him. "Come on! Mmm, they're still warm...'' the fox said happily.
Axel sat down. "A-are you sure? I usually don't get to eat breakfast, I can go without-"
Isaac glared and talked around a mouthful of sandwich. "Axel. My mom will kill me if I let you leave this house without eating something. She made it just for you. Enjoy it. And... it'll make me happy if you eat with me, too, okay? Please?''
"I-if you're sure...'' Axel lifted the sandwich and took a surprisingly delicate bite for someone with such a large muzzle. "Mmm!'' Axel immediately started to drool, and it took all his willpower not to cram the rest of the sandwich into his mouth. He continued taking small bites instead, savoring each one for as long as he could before diving in for another, and another. "That... was so good. I don't even remember the last time I had bacon... And the egg was perfect, just runny enough to coat the sandwich without dripping out the sides. Do you... eat like this every morning, Isaac?''
"Pretty much? I mean, usually, I cook for myself in the mornings. Mom and Dad must've taken off work today because they were up late worrying about me, they normally wouldn't be here now.'' Isaac shrugged. "Why do you ask?''
That green flash returned to Axel's vision. "N-no reason. Just, uh, different than my family does it.''
"Oh? What do you usually do, cereal or something?''
Axel looked down at his empty plate. "Um... look, usually I don't eat, okay? I have to make sure Mom and the twins are fed; by the time that's done, there isn't enough left. That's why I eat so much for dinner; the school usually feeds the twins and mom gets a free employee meal at work.''
Isaac's smile fell into a frown. "Well. I'm bringing you breakfast in the mornings, starting tomorrow. I'll pick you up at your house, and drive you to school. You can eat in my car on the way.''
"Really?'' Axel blinked and raised his eyebrows. "You'd do that for me? But wait, no, I wouldn't want to impose...''
"It's no problem. We have plenty, feeding one more person breakfast every day is nothing. If there's anything you like, let me know. We'll get it, and I'll make it for you.''
Tears welled up in the puma's eyes. "Oh... O-okay! Thank you!'' He scrubbed the back of his paw across his eyes and stood up. "We should probably talk to your parents now; you still need to shower and change. We won't have time if we keep talking here.''
"Yeah, you're right.'' Isaac gathered the plates, set them in the sink, and then grabbed Axel's paw. "Come on, big guy.''
The fox led him around the corner into a small sitting room with a loveseat set across from two plush chairs. The chairs were occupied by two older foxes, who resembled Isaac. "Hey Mom, hey Dad. This is Axel, the guy I've been, um... telling you about. Axel, this is my mom and dad.''
The puma cleared his throat nervously. "Ah... hello, Mr. and Mrs. Talbot. Thanks for letting me come over, and thank you very much for breakfast. It was delicious!'' Axel gave his best smile, but he doubted it was compelling given how his heart was pounding and his head was spinning.
Mrs. Talbot spoke up first. "Oh, dears, sit down! Let's chat a few minutes before you go. I hear Isaac's been tutoring you in English? How is that going?''
The puma relaxed a bit. "Oh! It's been great! My grades have never been higher, I'm on track to get that scholarship. I couldn't do it without him, he's a genius.''
Mr. Talbot laughed. "Hah! You can say that again. He really takes after his Mom, I was always the meathead in the family.''
"Oh, hush!'' Mrs. Talbot shoved her husband. They made small talk for a few minutes before the vixen slapped her knees and said, "Now, you boys need to get to school! Isaac, go get ready for a shower. And I'm sure Axel doesn't want to sit here and talk to us all day, why don't you let him sit in your room while you do that?''
Axel opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Isaac. "Sure, mom. That sounds fine. Come on upstairs with me, dude.''
Up the stairs they went, turning the corner and walking down a short hallway. Isaac opened a door at the end. "Well, here's my room!''
Axel marveled at the size of the space. It was easily twice as big as his room at home, and it was tidy and organized, with little labeled shelves and drawers all around. Two large bookshelves flanked the large bed at the back of the room, and a desk with a computer stood next to the door. Four medals hung over the desk, three gold and one silver. "Oh, wow, are those your track medals?''
"Yeah... Dad may not care, but Mom likes to see them, so I keep `em up there.'' Isaac dug around in a dresser, pulling out fresh clothes. "You can lay on the bed if you want, we were up pretty late. I know sometimes just a few extra minutes does wonders.''
"Oh, uh... thanks, bud. Yeah, I might do that.'' Axel sat on the edge of the bed but didn't lie in it yet. "So, thank you, I guess... for, like, everything. You're amazing, you know that? After everything I put you through, to being... I don't know what this is, but this. You're the best friend I've ever had.''
Isaac turned to the puma and smiled ruefully. "And you're my only friend since I started high school. So, maybe I should be thanking you, too.'' He walked over to Axel and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So, y'know... thanks. For caring about me.''
Axel's heart pounded and his face felt hot. This time, he knew why, though. Shit... I think this is more than a crush... I think... I think I... "I... I lo-"
``ISAAC TALBOT, YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE! GO GET IN THAT SHOWER THIS INSTANT!'' Isaac's mother hollered up the stairs.
"Going, mom!'' Isaac hesitated a moment, then turned to Axel. "Hold that thought, or Mom's gonna come up here and murder me. I'll only be a few minutes, then we can head out.''
Isaac left the room, and Axel sat on the bed, nervously rubbing his arm. What do I do now? thought the puma. I could look at my phone... Or... I could snoop around his room... No! What would you even be looking for, anyway... I guess I do wonder what underwear he wears... Hmm... Axel debated whether to snoop in the fox's dresser, but he couldn't work up the courage. Ultimately, he flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. His mind raced, fixated on the image of the petite fox in the shower, fur slicked down with water, showing off his lean, toned frame... The puma took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Now is NOT the time to be getting worked up...
The doorknob rattled, and Axel bolted upright. He heard the fox's voice call out, "Hey, I'm coming in.''
Axel's jaw dropped. Isaac had walked in wearing only a pair of navy blue briefs, carrying the rest of his clothes in his arms. He set them in his desk chair and began to get dressed. ``Sorry you had to wait, I hope I didn't take too long.''
"N-no, not at all... um, you're awfully, ah, confident today.''
Isaac turned to face the puma and slowly pulled his t-shirt over his body. "Eh, you did it to me earlier. Thought I'd see how you'd react if I did the same.'' Before pulling on his pants, the fox walked up to Axel. Putting his hands on the puma's knees, he leaned in and whispered in Axel's ear, "Looks like I'm doing something right, huh?'' Then, he stuck his tongue out at Axel, and continued dressing.
"Uh... buh... wha...?'' Axel babbled, too flustered to form a coherent sentence. Something about the fox was just... intoxicating. Isaac wasn't massive like he was, but he was definitely fit, slender but muscular, with a well-defined chest and the faintest hint of a six-pack. The white fur on his body ran from his chin, down his chest and abs, plunged into his underwear, and spread onto his inner thighs. Axel's paws twitched, as an unfamiliar urge to go beyond cuddling with the fox stirred within him. As Isaac slowly pulled his pants up, the puma realized... He's going so slow... It's on purpose! He's... showing off for me? That's... so hot. Damn. "You're, um... cute. No. You're hot. Damn, how did I never see that before? Really, how has nobody else seen it before? You've never been asked on a date?''
Isaac blushed and snickered. "Oh, well, thank you. You're something else yourself, you're just so... big. Seriously, you're massive, it's why I got so scared of you when you hurt me...'' The fox blanched suddenly. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring that up again. That's not flirty at all...''
"S-so... are you flirting... with me?'' Axel spoke hesitantly, not wanting to read too much into things, but... Please say yes...
``Nooo, I just walked across the whole upstairs in my underwear because I felt like air-drying. Yes, you idiot, I'm flirting with you. Or I'm trying to, anyway... If you can't tell, maybe I should be more obvious...''
``What do you- MMMPTH!''
Isaac pounced on the massive puma, tackling him onto the bed, and swooped in to give him a warm, velvety kiss on the lips. They kissed for a few minutes before the fox let Axel up again. "There. Was that more obvious?'
"Uh-huh...'' Axel was stunned, and a little dizzy. "You... I play football, yanno. I can't believe you knocked me down.''
"Home field advantage? And please don't feel too bad, I surprised you. Heh, if you were expecting it, I probably would've bounced off.'' Isaac stood up. ``Come on, it's time to get to class. I don't wanna be late and get detention again.''
"Oh, okay...'' Axel was disappointed they couldn't spend more time together, but he was happy enough with what had happened so far. He stood up, too, and when Isaac turned around, he took a moment to adjust himself. Whew... that was different...
The drive to school was short and uneventful. The pair spent the time chatting about nothing in particular, just happy to be in each other's company. Axel put a paw on Isaac's knee during the drive, which made Isaac smile and blush bashfully. He left it there for the entire quarter hour it took to get to the school, only withdrawing it with a quick squeeze after they were parked and about to head in.
After homeroom, they went to part ways. Axel turned to Isaac before he left. "Uh, hey, so... what class do you have before lunch?''
"Intro to Calc, why?''
"I, um... I want to meet you for lunch. Is that okay?'' Axel's ears took on a pinkish hue.
"Oh! Yeah, sure, that sounds great! Yeah, I'll wait for you.''
"Cool! Cool... uh, yeah! See you then!'' Axel spun around awkwardly and started to walk away.
Isaac laughed. "Hey, your next class is the other way, dingus!''
Axel flushed with embarrassment but turned around and walked the other way. Classes passed without much to note, and soon, Axel found himself standing outside of Isaac's math class, quivering, his palms sweaty. Why am I so nervous...? It's not like this is a date or anyth- oh no, what if he thinks this is a date?! We can't go on dates at school... but, why couldn't we... just for a day... Axel got swept up in a vision of him holding the fox's delicate paw as they walked down the halls of the school together, nobody daring to say a word for fear of Axel's mighty presence... he was so caught up that for a few minutes, he didn't notice Isaac trying to get his attention.
"Hey!'' Isaac snapped his fingers in front of the puma's face. "You alive in there?''
Axel finally snapped out of it. "Bwuh... Sorry, I was... zoning out.''
"Well, let's go get lunch, then. Everyone else is already gone; look, the hallways are totally empty.''
"Wow... you're right...'' Axel's paw twitched, and he hesitantly reached out to touch Isaac's...
The fox turned around. "C'mon, let's go already! I hope they're serving something good, I'm starving...''
Axel snapped his paw back. "Oh, sure, yeah. Let's... let's go.''
The cafeteria was on the other side of the school, so they had some walking to do. As they turned and passed the gym, Axel stopped. "H-hey, Isaac? Can you, um, wait just a moment?''
Isaac stopped and turned around. The puma was staring at the floor, paws balled up into fists, and sweating visibly. His body was quaking, and Isaac thought he looked like he was going to throw up. "Oh, woah, dude, are you okay? We can sit if you- MMP!''
Axel lunged forward and pressed his lips roughly to Isaac's. The fox was bent backward, supported only by one leg and Axel's paw on his back. He wrapped his wiry arms around the lynx's broad back, and held on tightly, as the kiss went on, and on, and-
"What the FU-"
Axel and Isaac broke apart immediately, whipping around to see who was there. And there, coming out of the gym, was Colt, staring at them with cold eyes, nostrils flaring as he breathed deeply and rapidly. He turned on his heel and stormed back into the gym.
Axel's gut felt twisted up and knotted. The hallway was clear! He thought. What was Colt even doing here?! I have to talk to him... The puma hugged Isaac once more. "I... I gotta talk to Colt. I don't even know what he's thinking right now... But I'll handle this. You get lunch, and I'll meet you in a few minutes.''
"Okay... um. Be safe, please?''
"I will.'' Axel left Isaac in the hallway and walked into the gym. Colt was standing just inside the doors, and jumped when he heard them open.
When he saw the puma, his cold glare returned. "What, you didn't bring your new boyfriend with you?''
"I didn't want you to hurt him. And he's... not my boyfriend. We just-"
"What did he do to you? Huh? How'd he do it?'' Colt's glare turned furious, icy cold replaced with a slowly smoldering rage.
"D-do what? He didn't do anything to me, Colt, I... I just-"
"BULLSHIT!'' Colt slammed his fist into the bleachers next to him. "You ain't never done anything gay before, you were normal, you dated Christie freaking Appleby, for god's sake! She's the perfect woman, and she came to you! And now you're tellin' me that you've got the hots for Isaac Talbot? That scrawny dweeb? What the hell is wrong with you?''
Axel blinked. "I, uh... I'm sorry? I don't know what you want me to say, Colt. I'm still figuring this all out myself, it's... difficult. Please, could you keep this to yourself? I don't want to make a big deal out of this, I just...'' Axel's voice got small... "He... he makes me happy...''
Colt snorted. "Yeah, I'll keep this little mistake a secret. But you gotta stop seeing the nerd. Don't talk to him anymore, except when you're being tutored. My dad's on the school board, I'll get you a new tutor assigned by next Monday. You're gonna have nothing to do with him anymore, you understand?''
"You want me to... what?! You can't ask that of me! I'm not scared, I can beat the shit out of anyone in this school. Including you!'' Axel loomed over the stocky badger. "So tell me, what the fuck are you gonna do about it?''
"I'll tell your mom you were kissing him.''
Axel's blood froze in his veins. He deflated, stepping back a few paces. "Y-you wouldn't... You know what she did to me last time, she'd... she'd...''
"Yeah. I know. You're confused, Ax. It's fine to be confused. But you're not gonna get better this way. You gotta break it off. Now, I don't wanna tell your mom, but I will if I have to. Am I gonna have to?''
Axel swallowed hard, his paws numb. "N-no... I'll stop talking to him...''
"Good man. This'll be for the best, you'll see! C'mon, let's go get lunch.'' Colt patted him on the back and started towards the lunch room.
They got their trays, and as they walked, Isaac waved at Axel, beckoning him over to an otherwise empty table. Colt saw this, and shook his head at the puma, steering him towards the table with several members of the football team. Axel's shoulders drooped, and he slumped in his chair. He couldn't see Isaac from where he was sitting, and all he could think about was how the fox must be feeling... He wouldn't understand why this was happening. I have to find a way to talk to him... I have tutoring tonight, I'll do it then...
Axel barely touched his lunch. By the end of the day, his stomach was tied up in knots. He'd been avoiding Isaac all day, even ignoring him at the last homeroom of the day. Finally, they made it to one of the library's study rooms. As the puma sat down, he put his face into his paws. Isaac let out a growl. "Okay, what the fuck is your problem? I know Colt spooked you, but it's nothing we can't handle together, so why are you shutting me out?''
Axel finally looked up at Isaac, and the fox saw tears streaming down his face. "H-he said... He said I can't see you anymore! He's going to get his dad to assign me a new tutor and everything!'' Axel sniffled, his eyes red and bleary. ``I-I didn't want to, but he... he... he threatened to tell my mom I'd been kissing you if I didn't cut you out of my life completely...'' The puma buried his face in his hands again. "I can't do this again, this is way worse than cuddling, she might actually kill me...''
Axel felt two thin, strong arms wrap around him, and squeeze him tight.
"No. No way in hell am I letting Colt do this to you. To us. I know you're scared right now, but I'm not going away without a damn fight.'' Isaac let go of Axel and started to leave.
"B-but... what about our session? If this is the only way I can see you... please, don't go.''
"I'm sick. I'm going home early. Sorry, you'll have to walk home today.'' Isaac left without another word, not even looking back.
Axel sat in the library, staring blankly at the door where Isaac had left. He had never felt more depressed in his life; everything inside him was telling him to cry, cry, cry, but he couldn't muster up a single tear. It was as if he was so depressed, that he'd lost the ability to form tears. After a long handful of minutes, he picked up his bag, and started walking home.
Axel's head hung despondently as he trudged down the sidewalks. He wasn't in any hurry to get home. What's the point? Isaac's not going to be there... I can't be with him anymore... But I... Damnit, I love him... I love him so much... After almost an hour of walking, Axel turned a corner and looked up to see his house at the end of the block. But there was a car parked in front... a beat-up red sedan, with a fox in the front... Isaac?!
Axel sprinted, rapidly closing the distance between him and the fox he loved. Isaac saw him barreling towards him, and stepped out of the car. Axel swept him into a warm hug. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you, you have no idea!''
"Uhm, well... Hear me out, because... well...'' Isaac took a deep breath. "I... told my parents. I told them everything.''
Axel slowly released Isaac from his arms, staring at him. "W-what do you mean, everything?''
"I told them about the abuse. And I told them that you're gay, or at least questioning, and it isn't safe for you here. I didn't tell them about what we've been doing, that can wait...''
"I asked you not to tell anybody! I can handle that!''
"WELL, I CAN'T!'' Isaac shouted, his clear tenor voice ringing off the nearby houses. "You deserve not to live in fear! You deserve the chance to explore who you are! And even if it's not with me, I'll make damn sure you get to do that in fucking PEACE!'' The fox's chest was heaving, and his eyes were bulging slightly. His arms were locked straight down, and his paws were balled into fists, clenching so tightly that his claws broke the skin, and he bled a little.
Axel noticed him bleeding. "You... you're hurting yourself, calm down... I'm sorry, I'm just scared. I don't know what's going to happen now, I-"
"Come live with me.'' Isaac's eyes snapped to the puma's, and he took one of Axel's paws between his own. "I already talked about it with my parents. You're 18. That means you can leave, and nobody can stop you. Please. Come home with me. We can talk more about this there, but just... come with me.'' The fox pleaded with Axel, eyes wide and shining. Always full of starlight... this fox...
Axel hesitated. "I... I want to... but... Isaac, I can't leave. If I do, who knows what she'll do to the twins? And they need my income from my part-time job; they'll lose the house otherwise, and then they'll be homeless, or worse, the twins'll go into foster care. I can't risk it... not even for you. Unless you can get us all out... I can't do this. I-I'm sorry.''
Isaac's shoulders slumped. "Okay... I guess that makes sense. Damn, I wish there was-" The fox jumped up, eyes brightening. "Of course! I know what we can do! Get you all out, you said, right?''
Axel blinked. "Uh, yeah, me and the twins. Mom can take care of herself; if it were just her, she wouldn't need the house.''
"Keep your phone charged.'' Isaac hugged Axel and got into his car. "I'll call you when I know more.''
"O-okay... Don't do anything crazy, please...''
Isaac looked him dead in the eyes and smiled ruefully. "I already fell in love with my high school bully. I can't get any crazier.'' Then he shut the door and drove away.
I'm getting awfully used to watching him drive off... WAIT. Axel's heart thrummed in his chest. He... he said he fell in love with his... he loves... me? A slow smile spread across the puma's face.
...
..
.
He loves me!
