A Woman to be Feared and Loved

Chapter 4: Don't Get Used to It

"Hey boss, I got-" Wally stopped himself as he entered Kitsune's office, a hot cup of coffee in his hand. He had come by to drop it off, as it was about that time in the day again, but paused when he saw the pissed off scowl on the redhead's face as she glared down at some paperwork- a little more intensely than usual.

He felt himself getting a bit anxious. This probably wasn't good. "Uhhmmm.. Are you okay, ma'am?" He asked.

Kitsune snapped her head up to look at him. Her eyes softened ever so slightly when she saw him, but she still looked noticeably irritated. She sighed in agitation, running a hand through her hair. "I'm alright, Walden... The paperwork is just completely fucked up to the point that not even I'm sure how this could've happened. These numbers just don't add up no matter how you look at it!" She groaned in annoyance, burying her face into her hands.

Wally hummed, lightly setting her mug down on the table before picking up some of the papers. "Here, let me take a look..." He softly spoke, reading through the files that got his boss into a tizzy. Immediately, his face fell in disappointment at what he saw. Now he understood what she was so worked up about- the numbers made absolutely zero sense, and they were results for an experiment that occurred three months before he even started working at the factory.

"What the fuck... Good lord, yeah, okay, I can see why you're so angry. I completely understand." Wally remarked, setting the papers back on her desk.

"Thank you, Walden.." Kitsune took a sip of her coffee, setting it down with slight force, but not enough to break it. She let out an agitated sigh, standing up from her chair. "Come on. We're going down to production to figure out what the actual hell they're doing." She abruptly said, exiting the door to her office and moving at a rather startling pace.

Wally jolted slightly, before taking long strides to follow after her. "I-I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but we? I'm going with you?" He asked, as they reached the elevator.

"Well, duh, of course. You are my assistant, after all." Kitsune reminded him, crossing her arms and impatiently tapping her foot on the tile floor as they waited for the elevator to come up to their floor. Once it had arrived, they stepped inside- with Kitsune pressing the button to the second floor.

"T-True." Wally admitted, glancing at her as they rode the elevator. "You're not... going to hurt anyone, are you?" He asked, a bit reluctant. 

"Depends." Kitsune simply replied, as they exited the elevator and started walking to the production room. 

Wally all but literally sweatdropped at that. That usually meant 'About a 99% someone will indeed die' when it came to her. "It depends? On... what exactly, if I may ask?"

"Whoever decides to answer my first question."

"Ohh dear.." Wally quietly sighed, shaking his head as they reached the door- which Kitsune promptly kicked open- most definitely causing the staff inside to jump two feet in the air. 

"Alright- who the actual fuck fudged the numbers up THIS badly?!" She abruptly asked, holding a sheet of paper up. 

The staff all went quiet, glancing at one another. Finally, one guy stood up. "U-Umm, it was me, ma'am..." He confessed. 

Kitsune raised an eyebrow. "You're... one of the new hires, aren't you? Mike, was it?" She asked.

The younger man nodded. "Y-Yes, ma'am.." He replied with hesitance. 

The boss paused for a moment before letting out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in watered down irritation. "...You are very lucky this is your first offense, and you happened to be working in the department where this kinda shit is basically expected..." She grumbled.

"I'll let it slide this time, but you and the others are going to fix this mess. If I don't get the proper paperwork on my desk by three, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?" She snapped. Wally could swear, there was a faint, red glint in her eyes. Did her eyes always do that? Or just on occasions like... this.

If it was the latter, then he considered himself lucky that he was never the one on the receiving end of his boss's wrath.

"Yes, boss." Mike nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"Good." Kitsune looked back at her assistant, sending chills down his spine. "Walden, come on, we're going back to my office." She stated, blunt as a wall.

"Er- yes, boss, of course." Wally nodded, following after her as they exited the room. During the walk back to her office, not a single word was spoken between the two of them. This made Wally a little anxious, as he wasn't sure what she wanted him back in her office for. He fidgeted with the sleeves of his turtleneck for a moment, nervously humming quietly. 

When they reached Kitsune's office, she shut the door behind her- letting out another, exasperated sigh. Wally felt a bit concerned for her now, as this was the most stressed he'd seen her since he first started working here. "Hey.. Kitsune, are you- ah-"

He was cut off as Kitsune suddenly wrapped her arms around him, catching him completely by surprise. He stood still for a moment, completely at a loss for what to do. He hadn't been hugged in years, and the last person he ever expected to hug him was Kitsune. His face was ever so slightly tinted red- from shock or from embarrassment, he honestly wasn't sure. Nonetheless, he hugged back, one of his giant hands resting on her back and the other on her shoulder. He didn't dare touch her waist.

"Um... Not-Not that I mind this, boss, but... what are you doing?" He asked, his voice a bit uneven purely from the fact he genuinely didn't know what to make of this. 

"What's it look like? I'm hugging you."

"I-I can see that, boss, I'm just..." Wally took a breath. "I'm wondering why you're... hugging me."

Kitsune didn't respond for a moment. "Because... I'm stressed. And I always thought you looked like I could trust you not to tell anyone about this..." She looked up at him, looking rather stern. "Which I trust you won't tell anyone about this, right?" She menacingly asked.

Wally couldn't help but chuckle a little, gently rubbing her back -which, even though she wouldn't admit it, Kitsune somewhat melted into the comfort- as he responded. "There's no need to threaten me, boss, I won't tell a soul." He responded.

"Good..." Kitsune sighed, leaning her head against his chest. She looked so at peace- definitely the most peaceful Wally had ever seen her. It was... honestly adorable. "...Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Kitsune." Her assistant responded. "And... If I'm honest... I don't really mind this. I find it... quite pleasant."

Kitsune tensed a little, blushing slightly. She huffed slightly, burying her face into him. "Don't get used to it..." She grumbled.

Wally fought back a laugh. If he didn't think it'd cause her to smack him, he'd call her cute right now. "Oh, don't worry, boss, I absolutely won't." He responded. "Though, I do want to ask... How long do you think you'll want to stay like this?" He asked. 

Kitsune paused, thinking about it. "Mmmm... Five more minutes?" The tone she used sounded more... pleading, almost. Less like a command, and more of a soft request. Wally smiled softly, sitting down as he continued to hold her. He wouldn't admit it, but he was genuinely enjoying the warmth. And he could tell she was enjoying it all the same.

"Of course, boss... Five minutes it is. Whatever you want."