Fangs Or Tails?

P R O L O G U E

Here we gooo!

A loud and sharp knock on the door tore the young boy's attention away from the music he was absorbed in moments before. He paused the song currently playing, removing the earphones from one ear and spinning around in the chair to face the entrance to his bedroom. Only to be faced with the sight of a familiar figure leaning against the door, the knuckles of his right hand hovering over the flimsy wooden surface.

"Hey, little Toby. You got a minute?"

Toby quirked a brow at that, a confused smile tugging at his lips. "Uh, sure? Why are you even asking? Just come in already." The same smile turned down when the person didn't return it, striding into the room and heavily seating himself on the rickety bed. It groaned and sagged underneath his weight.

Seconds trickled by, and the only thing he did was to mindlessly draw out a coin to start tossing in the air. Catching it each time it fell without error. Toby marveled at the constant flawless movement as he always did, before remembering that this person had wanted to talk to him. "K? You needed something?"

"Huh? Oh, right," K said quietly, as if he'd been distracted by his thoughts. Toby was used to the way he seemed to tune out the world when he got into flipping his coin. It was a given by then. He finally looked up to offer Toby a gentle smile, fist clenched around his trinket. "I just... wanted to give you something."

That piqued his curiosity. It was rare that Toby received gifts, considering the financial state of his family, the reaction was natural. "What is it?"

He seemed to hesitate, but one look into Toby's eyes had his mind resolving, his own filling with fondness. He let the emotion rule his actions, smiling a bit wider and flattening his hand, palm facing upwards to Toby.

"If something were to happen to me... I want you to have this."

Toby's eyes widened at what laid on his palm, glinting innocently under the occasionally flickering light. "But that's your lucky coin! You always carry it with you! I can't possibly take that!" He'd never even held the coin before, and now he was expected to simply accept it? Little Toby's mind was baffled at the sudden turn in events.

Grasping Toby's hand, K deposited his most treasured possession on to it. "It helped me cope when things got tough and stressful. I'm hoping that it'll do the same for you if the need arises." Despite his confusion, Toby was eager to finally see the coin up close. He turned it around in his hands the minute he put it there, his fingers caressing the intricate designs. On one side, there was a picture of the front half of a wolf, baring its fangs. On the other, what seemed like the back end of the same wolf, tail curled over its spine. He imagined that the two sides of the coin completed the picture.

Toby was awed at the amount of work put in to it, feeling the ridges of the wolf's fur under his fingers. It was a carved masterpiece, but that was it. There was nothing special about it other than that.

"It's amazing, but, what good would it do?" Toby said incredulously, his mind struggling to comprehend the person's vagueness. K merely smiled cryptically, not saying a single word to clue him in. "It's not even a real coin, how can a piece of metal junk help me?"

He yanked on his earlobe, causing Toby to yelp. "There's more to life than what's on the surface, kiddo, you'd do well to remember that. Besides, this coin will be there to guide you when I'm not, so please, promise me that you'll always have it on you." He ended his spiel in an audible plea. Toby's eyebrows knitted together, rubbing the carvings of the coin between his thumb and finger.

"Why are you talking as if you're dying?"

"We're all going to die someday, little Toby, I just like to plan ahead," he gave him a reassuring smile, then suddenly reached out to ruffle his decently brushed hair. "K!" Toby let out a groan of annoyance, he hated having his hair messed up.

"Now, do you promise?"

"You're weird," Toby decided. He shrugged, not denying or admitting the accusation. "Fine, I promise." K sighed in relief, but tensed up when he continued to speak.

"But you said I can only have it when you're gone, so... keep it, I won't be needing it anytime soon." Toby tossed the coin back to him, who looked startled yet managed to catch it reflexively. A pained smile spread over his tired face, clutching the precious metal once more.

"I'll keep it safe for you, till then," K declared, a determined glint in his eyes.

A/N

Soooo, what did you think?? Are you in suspense? Wanting to know who this mysterious K is? And whyy the coin is so important? Well, there's gonna be a lot to unpack over this journey so, be prepared!

-RL-

❤💖❤