Oh Nookie~

Chapter 4- I Solemnly Swear to you Nookie

"What are you running from Nookie?" The question pouded through Tom's skull like a jackhammer. 

"Who else could I be running from you damn fox!" he shouted. The boys gasped, Tom instantly felt guilty.

"Boys wait I'm sorry," Tom said, the two boys slowly backing up as he tried to reach for them, "You have to understand please."

"Please, don't yell uncle Tom," Tommy had tears in his eyes. If Tom was yelling, it was indication something bad was about to happen.

"We're sorry uncle Tom," Timmy sniffled, "We won't do it again. We're really really sorry!"

"Hey boys come here," he reached out and hugged the boys tightly, "It's not your fault, it's mine. I'm sorry boys."

"If I may-" Redd tried to speak up.

"What you 'may' do is leave," Tom snarled, "I think you've done enough." Redd didn't even argue, he felt that he wasn't helping.

"Uncle Tom," Tommy spoke up, "Why don't you like us?"

"What?" Tom was astounded by what he heard, brushing the top of the sniffling tanuki's head, "Now where'd you get a silly idea like that?"

"Everytime we were together, you weren't happy," Tommy explained, "You went straight to work when you dropped us off at home, and when you came in to the store, you yelled at the fox."

"We didn't know he was bad," Timmy picked up, "He was being so nice, promising we didn't owe him anything, even when we tried to pay him."

"He said that he was your friend," Tommy said.

"He said it was all his fault," Timmy continued.

"What am I doing?" Tom thought aloud, "Gosh boys, I'm being such a dummy today. But I promise I don't hate you, and it's not your faults at all. I think you're old enough to make a decision about Redd on your own. You can tell me later if you trust him or not, I won't stop you."

"Thank you uncle Tom," the boys said in unison.

"In the meantime, Isabelle still might be serious about that raman."

As Tom left the store, he could have slumped against a nearby wall set out for decorative purposes (and as Isabelle believed, to anguish the resident service production time management) but he kept walking. If he gave up, the boys would give up.

"Nookie!" that familiar voice stopped him in his tracks, but for what reason, he didn't know, "Sorry, Mr. Nook. I- Look, I want to apologize. I really don't want to cause trouble."

"What the hell am I even doing anymore?" Tom was starting to feel the exhaustion get to him as he turned to Redd, "I keep trying to chase you away. I've seen what your own paws can do! Yet, I can't get rid of you. Why the hell am I still trying?"

"Woah Nooki- Mr. Nook. You're starting to sound like one of those characters right before they go crazy in some cheesy poem," Redd warned. He suddenly seemed to notice something and gripped Tom's face, looking him dead in his cold, exhausted eyes, "Woah Nookie, those bags could carry my groceries. What happened?"

"I just can't do it anymore," Tom seemed to fall forward in exhaustion. Redd caught him, moving him to lean against the impossibly straight cliff, "Everything I do is either too much or not enough. All because of you."

"Hey Nookie- Mr. Nook it's okay," Redd tried to reassure him, "Just tell me what's happening, okay?"

"I haven't been home in forever," he seemed to be talking to the wind, which was somehow carrying a present. The resident rep was chasing it down with a slingshot, "The boys have been on their own for so long and the first time I surprised them with a visit, I scared them. And I can't even properly apologize because I still have work. It's just...so much. I don't think I can take it anymore."