by Kyell Gold
“Over the music, you mean?”
Samaki nodded. “Yeah, music’s goin’ and you hear scratchings under the buttons.” He panted. “You wanna give it a try?”
“Is there a setting for `blind and deaf ‘?”
Samaki laughed. “I’ll put it on training mode.”
“Well...okay.” Kory didn’t want to look clumsy in front of Samaki, but he didn’t want to reject the fox’s offer, either. He walked up to the pad where the fox was selecting a training mode, and said, “I’m gonna suck at this.” Should he take his shirt off? He wasn’t in as good shape as Samaki. He hesitated, then left it on.
“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Samaki said. “Just have fun.” He showed Kory the controls and padded back to the couch to collapse.
The animated fox showed Kory the basic moves and let Kory practice them, then gave him a choice of training songs. Kory picked one, and the fox clapped his paws and said, “Let’s pounce!”
The first mouse danced out slowly, and as he got under one of the buttons, the fox said, “Now, POUNCE!” Kory got both paws on the pad, and the mouse squeaked and disappeared. Another came out, and he slipped, but caught it on the second pad. By the end of the song, he felt more confident, and when he was done, the animated fox on screen and black fox on the couch clapped together. Kory saw from the stats that he’d gotten 27 of 30 mice.
“Not bad for my first time,” he said, delighted that he hadn’t embarrassed himself.
“Pretty good,” Samaki said. “Do another?”
“Nah. I’m gonna quit while I’m ahead.” Kory chuckled. “It’s fun, though.”
“Yeah.” The black fox eyed the screen. “Mind if I do one more?”
“Go ahead.” Kory enjoyed watching Samaki jump around, tail flowing behind him, springing fluidly back and forth around the pad. His decision colored everything in a new light. It was okay to stare at Samaki’s arms and wonder how the fluffy chest would feel. It felt dangerous in an exciting way, wrong only in that they would be in trouble if they got caught. His fur tingled as his gaze traveled downward to the fox’s tail, the firm lines of his rear and legs underneath it. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. He kept his eyes up, on Samaki’s back and arms, while the fox finished the song.
“Sorry,” Samaki said as he slipped his shirt back on. “That’s the only video game we have.”
“It’s okay,” Kory said. “We don’t have to play anything.”
“Great.” The black fox wagged his tail and grinned. “Let me put on some music. Some quieter music.”
Kory sat on the couch, curling his tail around beside his leg. He was starting to get nervous again, because he knew Samaki would sit down in a minute and the kitchen was right there, the door still open to it. He didn’t feel private enough to be comfortable, but he felt like he wanted to talk to Samaki, at least try to reverse some of the image he’d presented the previous weekend. That would be hard with his mother still cleaning up upstairs. She could probably hear them as well as he could hear her. Better, with her larger ears.
Samaki plopped down beside him as the room filled with quiet classical music. “One of my dad’s,” he said. “Just wanted something kinda quiet.” His tail came to rest between the two of them, resting on top of the otter’s tail. Kory twitched his tail against the soft fur, his heart beating a little faster.
“That’s nice,” he said. “I know nothing about classical.”
“It’s Bach.” Samaki shrugged and grinned. “That’s about all the more I know.”
“It’s nice,” Kory repeated. “So do you usually come down here to talk on the phone?”
“Nah. Reception sucks. I sit in the bedroom, up on my loft.”
“It’s pretty up there. I like your house a lot.” He laughed. “You know what I just realized?”
Samaki grinned. “What?”
“Your family reminds me of the Weasleys.”
Samaki laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Kasim likes to pretend he’s Ron. Ajani likes Fred and George, but I won’t play them with him.”
Kory dropped his paw in what he hoped was a casual manner and let it rest on Samaki’s tail just below the white tip. It twitched below him but didn’t move otherwise. He sighed inwardly at the soft fur tickling up against his webbing. “How was that test you had yesterday?”
For a while, they talked school, and then the cubs came in and climbed all over the couch and Mariatu fell asleep in Samaki’s lap. Kory removed his paw from Samaki’s tail, then, and fortunately it wasn’t much longer until Mrs. Roden came in to collect the cubs for bed.
Putting his paw on the fox’s tail was easier the second time he did it, and again Samaki didn’t make any indication that he’d noticed. The conversation stayed away from relationships, but they talked about movies, books, and school, and though Kory had been tensely thinking about his mother’s impending call when Mrs. Roden came in to collect the cubs, he was so lost in the conversation that he was surprised when Mrs. Roden came back, her ears down but not flat, a phone in her paws.
“Kory? Your mother’s on the phone. She says your brother isn’t back yet and she can’t come pick you up.”
He got up and walked over, feeling tense again. “If you need to stay here,” Mrs. Roden said, “we can work it out.”
He nodded and said, “Thanks,” picking up the phone. “Hi, Mom.”
“Oh, Kory, Nicky’s not answering his phone and he was supposed to be back. I’m sorry, I don’t want to leave in case he’s hurt.”
“Mom, I’m sure he’s okay.” Guilt flushed his neck. “He’s got a key.”
“But why isn’t he answering his phone? Nicky always answers his phone.”
“Maybe he’s not getting good reception. I’m sure he’s okay.”
“God willing, Kory,” she said, “but I just don’t feel comfortable leaving. Listen, Mrs. Roden said you can stay there overnight. Will that be all right, sweetie? I’m sorry.”
That was what he’d wanted. His plan had worked to perfection, and now that it had, he hesitated about accepting it. With Samaki sharing his room, it would be hard for them to get any time alone, and the worry in his mother’s tone gnawed at him. “I guess.”
“If you don’t want to, then I’ll call you a cab and you can take that home. I don’t want you taking a bus at this hour.”
“No, no, that’s okay. I’ll stay here, and I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Yes. I’ll be there at nine. Can you put Cynthia back on? Mrs. Roden, I mean.”
“Sure, Mom. And don’t worry. I’m sure Nick’s fine.”
“God bless, Kory.”
He handed the phone to the waiting vixen. “She wants to talk to you again.”
“Okay.” Mrs. Roden smiled encouragingly. “I’m sure he’s okay, Kory. He probably just turned off the phone or something.”
Kory nodded, and went back to the couch. “Samaki,” Mrs. Roden called as she took the phone. “Can you figure out somewhere for Kory to sleep? He’ll be staying with us tonight.”
Samaki’s ears were straight up as Kory sat beside him. “Sure,” he said. As his mother went back into the kitchen, he grinned widely at the otter, violet eyes sparkling. “Change of plans?”
“My brother’s late getting home and won’t answer his phone.” Kory sagged back against the couch, still feeling a little guilty. “Mom was really upset.”
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Samaki’s smile faded, but not completely. He put an arm around Kory’s shoulder.
Kory leaned back automatically. “Do you have an extra bed somewhere? I don’t wanna kick Kasim or Ajani out of bed.”
“How about this?” Samaki gestured with his free arm to the couch. “I’ve fallen asleep down here a couple times. It’s not bad.”
“Yeah, that’d be fine,” Kory said. “Too bad there’s not another couch.” His heart raced.
“Oh, I’ll bring some blankets down and sleep on the floor. Actually, if you wanna help, I can drag
the futon mattress down, but I don’t need to.” The fox grinned at him. “I wouldn’t leave you down here by yourself.”
“Cool.” Kory finally realized that the paw on his shoulder was a response to his paw on the fox’s tail, upping the ante. He started to get nervous again, which confused him because he hadn’t been nervous when the fox put a paw on his shoulder, only when he started thinking about it.
Maybe you shouldn’t do so much thinking.
Hey, he thought sharply. What did I say?
Sorry.
“Well,” he said, getting up. “Let’s go get that mattress.”
They had no trouble getting the mattress down both flights of stairs, though maneuvering it through the kitchen was a little tricky. By the time they got it down, Mrs. Roden was bustling in with bedsheets for both the couch and futon. “Now don’t stay up too late,” she said.
“Just `til Dad gets home?” Samaki said. “I want Kory to meet him.”
“Sure. I’ll send him down.” She kissed him on the cheek. “If I’m too sleepy to come down too, you both have a good night.” She gave Kory a hug too.
He was surprised at first, but it was easy to hug back and smile. “Thanks, Mrs. Roden.”
They made the beds, and then Samaki picked up something else from the pile his mother had brought. “Heh. She brought you a spare pair of my pajamas,” the fox said. “If you want.”
He didn’t really want to sleep in his clothes. “Oh, I.sure.” As soon as the words were out, he was worried about putting on something of Samaki’s. Well, it was too late, he’d said it already.
“I’m gonna go upstairs to brush and put on my pajamas. Back in a bit.”
Kory watched the fox’s tail wag as he disappeared into the kitchen. He took his time changing, half-hoping that Samaki would come back and catch him half-undressed. But the fox, for whatever reason, was not back quickly enough, and Kory lost his nerve, pulling the pajama bottoms on and then stripping his shirt off. He remained shirtless, trying to fluff his fur up so his lack of muscles wouldn’t be as noticeable. Besides, he wasn’t sure Samaki’s pajama top would fit him. The pants were snug, and long; he rolled up the hems so he wouldn’t be stepping all over them.
Samaki came in with two cookies in his paws. “Shh,” he said. “We’re not supposed to take these, but Mom’s upstairs.” He gave Kory a sly grin and one of the cookies.
It was chocolate chip, and delicious. “Didn’t you just brush your teeth?” Kory asked.
“Mmmyeah, but these were too good to pass up.” Samaki’s grin was speckled with chocolate.
“Mm. No kidding.” He licked the cookie crumbs from his muzzle. Samaki lay back on his elbows, also shirtless and looking pretty comfortable.well, looking pretty, too, his jet-black fur framing the white patch on his chest, a curl of white poking up from the waistband of his pajamas. Kory felt himself stirring in response, and that made him confused again. How was he supposed to try anything without climbing down into the fox’s bed? He wasn’t ready for that, not yet.
So he stayed on the couch and talked, trying not to wonder whether the fox was wearing anything under his pajama bottoms. Around 11:30, they heard footsteps on the stairs, and a deep vulpine voice said, “Samaki?”
“Dad!” The fox jumped to his feet and padded to the doorway as a tall fox emerged from the kitchen. He wore blue overalls, a Dragons baseball hat, and a tired smile. Like most of the rest of his family, his fur was russet red, though Kory thought he saw darker fur on the back of Mr. Roden’s neck when the fox turned to greet his son. The otter got to his feet too, now wishing he’d kept his shirt on, but Mr. Roden didn’t seem to care.
He and Samaki hugged, and Samaki said, “This is Kory, my friend from across town.”
“The one from the pool, right? Nice to meet you,” Mr. Roden said, holding out a paw.
Kory shook his paw, trying to match the firmness of his grip. “Good to meet you, too.”
Though he looked tired, Samaki’s father stayed to talk for a few more minutes before saying good-night. He turned off the light, leaving them alone in the dark.
No room in the house is quite as dark as a dark basement. Kory felt the darkness surrounding him like a soft black fox, but with no white patches to lighten the inky gloom. After a few seconds, he looked over and saw the faintest gleam of white a few feet away from him. Samaki’s chest.
The fox rustled under his covers. Kory closed his eyes, willing himself to have the courage to reach down. He got his paw partway there, then drew it back. The fox’s scent was strong. He was just a few feet away, wearing only pajamas. The white patch he could see made him think of the other one he couldn’t, and his body took that memory and ran with it, until he had to press his muzzle into the couch, and now there was no question of reaching out to the fox, because Samaki would be able to tell just from his trembling what he was thinking of.
And yet.it wasn’t like the nights he’d lain awake at home. The presence of the fox made him confused, but also made him happy in a way he couldn’t quite figure out. He only was aware of that when the thought came that if he’d told his mother the truth, he would be at home in his bed and not lying here staring into the darkness and thinking about the white patch at the center of it. His reaction to that thought was strong and somewhat surprising: he rejected it as soon as he thought of it. He hated the confusion, but not the situation. Like the red pepper on the vegetables, it was new, different, and a little painful, but he was not sorry to experience it.
After a time, he became aware of Samaki’s soft, even breathing. The fox was asleep, and he’d missed his chance. That didn’t make the tension in his body-in one specific part of his body-go away, but it did remove the confusion somewhat. He fell asleep on his stomach, tail draped over the side of the couch.
He woke slowly to a touch on his paw. Gradually, he realized that he was still on his stomach, lying on the edge of the sofa with his arm hanging down onto the floor, paw pads up. On top of his paw, another warm paw rested. He cracked an eye open.
The darkness was less absolute than it had been the previous night, the open door to the kitchen a ghostly grey. Samaki lay immobile at the edge of his futon, a well of darkness in the room, neither his chest patch nor his tail tip visible. A curl of black snaked its way towards the couch, ending with his paw resting on Kory’s. Kory watched him, not believing that the fox was actually asleep, but he was breathing slowly and Kory could see no eyeshine.
The otter stayed where he was, watching the fox’s shape, enjoying the contact. The moment stretched on in a bubble in time, insulated by the stillness and darkness of the early morning. Time outside might be moving normally, but in the rec room, the warmth between their paws held them apart from the rest of the world.
Samaki stirred. The paw touching Kory’s moved minutely, and then he saw the gleam of an eye looking into his. Eventually, time began to move again. “Kory?” Samaki whispered.
“Yeah,” he whispered back.
“Morning.”
The otter smiled. “Good morning,” he said.
“What time is it?”
“Don’t know. My cell phone’s down there.”
The paw lifted from his. He saw the light of a phone reflected in the fox’s eyes. “Seven-thirty.”
Kory nodded, leaving his paw where it was. “My mom’ll be here at nine,” he said. “Maybe we should move your futon back upstairs.”
Samaki put his paw back onto the otter’s, left it motionless. “We have a little time,” he said. “Mom’ll probably start breakfast around eight.” They continued whispering, their voices as soft as the touch between their paws.
“Okay.” Kory was happy to let the moment go on. This was nice, this was safe, and he didn’t mind when the fox’s paw rubbed his gently.
“You sleep okay?”
“Yeah. I had a funny dream.” He paused and then decided it was harmless, he might as well tell it. “I dreamed I was a fox, in a pool full of other foxes. I didn’t see you any
where. I was just swimming around, but when I got out of the water, my fur and tail were still dry. I ordered some kind of candy bar at the snack stand, but they were out. So I went with some other foxes to play checkers.”
“Were you a black fox or red fox? Or white fox?”
“I don’t remember. I was just a fox.”
“You’d make a good fox, I think.”
Kory wondered whether Samaki could see his smile. Probably. Foxes had terrific night vision. “I’m too heavy,” he said.
“I mean, you have the right spirit.”
“I certainly don’t have the right fur,” Kory said jokingly, but he was thrilled at the compliment, or what he thought was a compliment.
“Try taking care of it in the morning,” Samaki said. “I’ll have to brush it before your mom gets here. Does yours get all matted and going every which way?”
“Not really,” Kory said. “Too short and thick.”
The fox’s fingers rubbed the back of his paw. “I like that, though. Easier to take care of.”
Kory nodded, remaining quiet. He was aware of the minutes ticking by; now that the small contact he’d hoped for had been made, selfishly he didn’t want it to end. We held paws before, he told himself, realizing that two friends rubbing paws was not exactly normal.
Though I did put my paw on his tail. And he put his arm around me. Kind of. But that was all casual. He noticed with some surprise that the rubbing of the fox’s fingers was very nice indeed, making his tail twitch and provoking other responses in him that he didn’t know could be elicited just from paws. Amazed at himself, he tried to hold his tail still, with little success. Jenny had never gotten this kind of reaction from him, just from brushing him like that.
“I guess we should get ready,” Samaki said finally, his paw resting still on Kory’s again. Kory gave it a squeeze, stronger than he’d meant to at first, and Samaki squeezed back tightly.
“All right,” Kory said.
The light seemed much brighter and harsher than it had been the previous night. He blinked and shielded his eyes from it.