Keep Enemies Close (REWRITE)

Paper Wings and Static Mind

His back seemed to creak as if his spine was made of old door hinges in need of oil. Fox McCloud, esteemed fighter pilot for the elite StarFox, was sitting in the middle of a small café, head down and hood up in embarrassment.

Every cell in Fox's body was telling him to run. Run and get away from this ridiculous mistake that he had gotten himself into. Even just thinking of the events that led up to this moment made his face heat up even more.

"Well well well Fox! Where do you hide your balls?!" Yeah, that was Wolf O'Donnell alright. His response to Fox's date proposal was surprisingly very positive, albeit in a very crude way. They had just been fighting in hand to hand combat, both previously managing to disarm the other. However, when Wolf was going in for a high knee strike to Fox's abdomen, the ship entered a meteor belt. As the ship lurched to dodge the giant space boulders, Wolf was pitched directly on top of Fox. McCloud's wrists were pinned by Wolf in the lupine's attempt to stabilize himself on the wall, bringing them to somewhat of an intimate position. Needless to say, Fox had felt very vulnerable (but not in a bad way he noted).

His stupid smile... He didn't like to admit it, but Fox has had this massive crush on Wolf for a long time. Something about the way his emerald eyes gleam and teeth sparkle when he smiles. Even more, Fox hated to admit that he had been starting to enjoy his battles with Wolf, solely because it meant he got to be around the charming lupine.

A sudden memory almost made Fox squeak, the embarrassment of it catching him off guard. Once during an air-fight with the Wolf, because he was so desperate to see his rival, Fox faked being downed just to force Wolf to come confront him in person. Speaking of which..

Sheepishly, Fox peeked out from his hoodie and glanced around the cafe. It's 15 minutes past when Wolf was supposed to get here and Fox was starting to get anxious. There was no way he was getting stood up, was there? His knees bounced restlessly as his eyes scanned the room.

It wasn't that big of an establishment, just a small, locally owned shop that Fox liked to go to whenever he was in the system. The owner was a sweet old sheep who claims to have been running the cafe for over 20 years and she always makes sure to have a fresh pot made for Fox whenever he stops in. Truth be told, Fox didn't even really like coffee, but Ruth (that was her name) somehow manages to make it in a way that makes him consider it as possibly one of his favorite beverages.

Fox absentmindedly stirred his latte, his mood quickly declining as the minutes continued to tick by. Perhaps Wolf had thought it was a joke? But he seemed so serious when he agreed. He even let Fox go after the whole pinning debacle and almost acted genuinely excited. His tail was wagging for crying out loud!

...O-oh fuck... Was Fox seriously crying? A tear ran down from his eye, dripping from the tip of his nose onto the table next to his cup. The sting in his eyes wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried to stop thinking about it. A weird mix of anger, disappointment, and sadness filled his stomach like hot coals. Why did he even care? Wolf was his enemy and the idea that he would consider liking Fox was just an absurd notion in all aspects.

Just as he was getting up to leave, a very frazzled lupine burst through the doors. Frantically he looked around the room, his eyes meeting Fox's (who must have had the stupidest look on his face at that moment) and smiled sheepishly. Glancing around, Wolf ducked his head low in embarrassment realizing the disruption he caused and prowled over to Fox's table. His cheeks were flushed (Fox dared to hope it was in excitement rather than just embarrassment) and his tail wagged subtly.

A few moments of silence stretched into an unbreakable barrier between them, neither knowing how to start due to the unfamiliarity between them. Fox hadn't thought about it until now, but he realized he didn't actually know much of anything about Wolf as a person. On top of that, he was trying to process the sudden change in emotions, tinges of the disappointment still lingering over, even though Wolf was there in front of him.

Looking Wolf up and down, it took almost everything Fox had to not burst out laughing. The poor thing looked like he had let a toddler dress him; a Hawaiian button up under a black vest and black skinny jeans, topped off with some olive green sneakers. Feeling Fox's eyes on him, Wolf squirmed a little, the blush creeping along his cheeks, becoming more pronounced.

"I-I didn't know what to wear. I know a c-cafe is generally casual, but I also didn't want to-to look like I, uh, d-didn't care o-or-" The poor guy could barely get a full coherent thought out he was so flustered.

Still though, that let loose trillions of tickling, paper thin wings fluttering in Fox's stomach. Wolf was late because he didn't know what to wear?! McCloud had never really expected to be describing Wolf as thoughtful or... well really anything good. He was just so used to the lupine's arrogant boasting. Better aim this, bigger ship that, it was like all he ever did as they fought. But here, right now? Its all washed away like delicate drawings in sand on a beach. This person in front of Fox right now? This was a whole new person. A person that when Fox looked into those twinkling gem eyes he longed- no, yearned to explore the depth of this new character. Eyes are the mirror to the soul and Fox was starting to believe Wolf might actually have one.

"S-so yeah, sorry again for being so late. Doesn't help that I had to fuel up on the way here too, haha!" Wolf was still rambling, cheeks flush and a sheepish smile begging for forgiveness. An embarrassed squeal found its path forcefully blocked as Fox realized he had literally just gotten lost in Wolf's eyes, and had not gathered a word of what the wolf had just said. Trying to not seem suspicious, Fox yawned a little, giving Wolf a small smile and a thumbs up.

"It's all cool dude, life happens," Fox pauses and takes a sip of his lukewarm latte. "U-um... so..." Another silence seemed to stack itself in between them, piling on more and more. How could nothing be so imposing? The empty air full of undecided and blank questions, not having form or even having comprehensible meaning towered over them both, coiling around their throats. What do you say? How do you say it? This should be easy to overcome, they weren't strangers after all. Right?

Fox's mind couldn't help but wander back to those realizations before. He really didn't know who Wolf O'Donnell was. What is behind those beautiful eyes? What terrible secrets? What tender hopes? Unconsciously, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Fox's hand lifted from the table and found its resting place on Wolf's cheek. This feeling was consuming Fox. He had gotten a glimpse of the unknown being the sat in front of him, and he was overcome with the need to peer deep into it. For years, he had known Wolf. For years they had squabbles and they fought constantly. Yet here he was, across the table and the feeling was more akin to sitting with a complete stranger rather than an old rival.

A long drawn out whine snapped Fox back to reality, realization of his actions forcing air into his lungs in a sharp gasp. Wolf's blush was no longer subtle and his face was in complete shock. If Fox hadn't been so horrified, it would've been a comical moment.

Fox tipped back in his chair, face pointed straight up towards the ceiling, and pulled his hood taunt over his face as he attempted to collect the racing thoughts bouncing off the walls in his head. Smell the roses, blow out the candle. Inhale five, count five, exhale five, count five. Box breathing was a grounding technique Fox had used a lot back in piloting school and it turns out it was also very effective at warding off panic attacks. Slowly, creeping into the peripherals of his thoughts was a glimpse of clarity among the frantic buzzing that was overwhelming him. He focused on it until he felt it took up more space than the scrambling static, then lowered his gaze again to meet Wolf's.

Fox hadn't realized, but Wolf had gently grabbed his hand, holding it delicately as if it were glass. Concern was plastered over Wolf's face, and he seemed uncertain what he should be doing. At that moment, a fire lit inside Fox's heart. It was tiny and fragile, but it was there, burning white hot. Fox smiled at Wolf and put his own hand over the canine's, his thumb brushing it soothingly, trying to let Wolf know it was alright. All of this was so much more than anything Fox could ever fathom, yet it was the best thing that could have happened. This little fire, whether it be love or otherwise, was a precious gift and Fox planned on cherishing till it was a roaring blaze.

/ᐠ .ᆺ. ᐟ\