Bound by Blood (Gay Star Fox Fic)

3 - No Towels Onboard

Fox awoke again, in that same bed, after having slept again at the station. While he tried to stay on Cornerian time, day and night never seemed to stay out here in space for so long. The faint glimmer of the starry haze, glowing violet by the illumination of the Lylat star, remained constant, so spacefarers like him could wake and sleep as they needed. He decided to relax for a bit, laying comfortably in these sheets.

Delving his snout into the blankets, he caught an unexpected scent of something like cologne, as well as that twist of musk, which at first made him recoil. He should have expected that, remembering how Wolf told him that he had slept there beforehand, before offering to take the couch while Fox got proper rest. Still getting these covers close, the fox fetched his phone from the small nightstand, and began to load some news up. Corneria was doing well, Aquas was starting to get rebuilt... His texts were clogged, though. He realized he'd neglected to give his teammates an update on what was happening. "Doing fine. Found Wolf; not hostile. Resting with him at the moment," he typed with a single thumb, then sent to a group chat. "Will make my way back soon. All is going according to plan," he finished with, along with a digital sticker of the Star Fox emblem.

Then, he heaved himself out of bed, now in only his boxerbriefs, though he quickly got his pants and tank on, after airing out a bit. He realized that, after that long while in the Arwing, he needed a good shower. That wasn't the only thing that made him think of that, however. Distantly, he heard the running of a shower down the hall, and realized that his former rival acquaintance was probably getting well-washed, too. As much as Wolf may have looked scruffy, it was with these sorts of observations that Wolf purposefully kept this rugged image up, and cared more about his hygiene as a man in hiding than Fox did as a leader figure.

He felt a little underdressed, even after having gotten his clothes on, looking down at himself. He knew, though, that he should take this opportunity to relax. He'd been tense and dreary for all this time, required to react to the best of his attentive abilities to any threat to his team. Fox was certainly happy now, to get this all behind him. All he had to do was head back, and start getting to work. He thought about what he would have to do, as he went out from that bedroom and back into the living room.

The fox had just sat down, when he heard the shower shut off. Figuring that he wanted some warmer water for his shower, and that this took a bit to be made in space, he decided to sit and wait, as he kept checking his phone. A set of footsteps approached, and Fox decided to look up to greet his host now that he was awake.

Instead, he was the one greeted with the sight of a nude Wolf.
"Oop— shit—!" he blushed in embarrassment, looking quickly away.
"...Hm! What is it?" the naked wolf seemed to grunt, his tail swishing as he walked over to the kitchen.
"What do you mean, 'what is it'? I thought you'd get some clothes on, with company over! Jeez...!" the vulpine explained, and looked back over, now that O'Donnell's crotch was behind the counter.
"Don't tell me you ain't used to it—?" Wolf seemed to mock, pouring a cup of coffee, this time a clean one. "No?"
"Hell no! I'm always dressed, especially in someone else's presence!" Fox claimed.
"You've never even showered with your teammates...?" Wolf surprisedly asked, as he walked back out from behind the counter. "Come on. It's bonding. Nothing you haven't seen before!"
"I mean, right, but etiquette, please...!" Fox pleaded, shielding his eyes again. "A towel, at least!"
"There aren't any," Wolf explained.
"Dammit!" Fox huffed.

"Fine, fine. I'll put my pants back on, just for you," O'Donnell rolled his eyes, his grey fur drying off as he strolled back to his room.
The fox sighed in relief. "Very much appreciated."
"But don't get your britches in a twist if I ever decide to air out," Wolf warned, then smiled. "And I'm not a hypocrite, you can do it too."
"Noted," Fox sarcastically said, joining Wolf in eye-rolling. He saw the last of that tail turn the corner, then rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe he really saw that much of Wolf, right then. It was unexpected, and, presently, something he tried to wipe from his mind. Burying his face in his phone again, he looked up some unrelated things, shutting what he just saw out of his head.

Then again, though... why did he care so much about seeing that? It felt pretty different to things he'd seen before. He was still a young fox, sure, who would have barely been out of flight school by now, had he not been fighting. Regardless, he'd laid his eyes on a few things, both straight and gay, here and there. It was nothing... He was bisexual, if even. He would find a great wife, like his father did, and settle down, and, like Wolf teased earlier, probably have a James McCloud III, or a Janet McCloud, he was never one to assume. As much as he now wanted to work with Wolf, he was gonna stay far and away from him, in all sexual means.

Wolf came back out, still shirtless, but in that pair of jeans, and sat next to the fox, chuckling. "Sorry for being so rude," he did have the mind to apologize. "Guess showing off wasn't something you'd appreciate," he then joked.
"You can say that again," Fox agreed, using his typical atonal voice.
"Whatcha doin'?" the wolf inquired.
"Looking through some of my work stuff," Fox explained, showing his phone screen off.
"Aw, hell, take a load off! That's the whole reason I let you stay," O'Donnell grunted.
"I've got to get an idea of what I need to be doing, once I get back," the fox sighed.

"At least use my computer," O'Donnell welcomed. "It's probably easier on the eyes."
"That I might do," McCloud huffed, crossing his legs.
"Hey... Have you been brushing your teeth?" Wolf then groaned. "You have total Arwing breath, being in there for that long. Without even any mints, I'd bet. Come on, I'd think Fox McCloud out of anyone would keep those shiners clean."
"I sure am surprised you do," Fox chuckled.
"Shush," the wolf borked. "It just feels nice. Go do it, now."
"Alright! I was planning on showering, anyhow," the vulpine insisted as he stood, then walked to the bathroom. "But I'm at least taking my clothes with me."
"If ya like wearing 'em wet," Wolf teased.