“Hey. You look terrible,” Kai said.
“Thanks.”
Nico looked wrecked. His hair stuck up in uneven angles, dark circles smudged beneath his eyes. His ears stayed upright anyway, too neat for how exhausted he was, which only made it worse.
“You ready to give up yet?” Kai asked, spreading his notebooks across the desk.
“Almost. I thought he’d go to sleep eventually. I don’t know how my roommate is gaming one hundred percent of the time I’m there.”
Kai flipped his chair backward and leaned on the backrest, balancing an eraser at the edge of Nico’s desk with a fingertip. His own ears drooped lazily.
“I don’t know why you’re being stubborn about it.”
“I don’t want him to win.”
Kai watched him sit there, ears tall and proper the way teachers loved. Especially when they needed a model student to point at when the others waggled their ears too much.
“So this is what you look like when you’re winning.”
Nico flicked the eraser out from under Kai’s finger. It hit him in the chest with a thunk.
“Hey!”
Kai scooped it off the floor and, before he’d even finished standing, tossed it back. Nico swatted it aside. It bounced off another desk just in time for their teacher to snatch it out of the air and scold them. He didn’t give the eraser back.
Kai sighed and plopped back into his seat, still backwards.
“Just stay at my place,” he said. “My mom says you’re fun to feed.”
“Do I look hungry?”
“She says you eat well.”
“Are you trying to make fun of me?”
Kai flicked an ear, amused. “If I wanted to bully you, I’d do more than that.”
“I mean, you already do.”
“Yeah,” Kai said. “I’m working on it.”
“…In which direction?”
Their shared laugh earned them another warning look from the teacher. As the bell rang, Kai finally turned around to face forward in his seat, then twisted back just enough to keep talking.
“So come over after practice.”
“I’ll make sure to eat well in front of her.”
The teacher scolded them again for talking, but Kai still slipped one more line in.
“Do it in front of me too.”
Nico flicked the back of the wolf's ear.
“Hey!” Kai barked.
They both got detention after school.
* * *
|| Skill Activated || [ ? Flash Freeze | "Rapid Local Phase Transition: L→S" ]
Kai snapped ice up under his opponent’s feet—
|| Skill Activated || [ 火 Thermal Burst | "Directed Kinetic Heat Release" ]
and chased it with a burst of fire, heat pressurized enough to send them skidding clean out of bounds. As the flame fizzled, he was already running, head tilted, hands pressed together beside his cheek in a sleep gesture while his team laughed and cheered behind him.
The coach’s voice cut across the court mid-celebration, irritated enough that Kai slowed and glanced over. Nico was crossing the field toward him, a slip of paper in hand. The coach took it, tucked it into his clipboard, and launched into a lecture that Nico endured with a nod at the end before being waved back toward the benches.
Kai jogged over as Nico finished switching into his sports shoes. He approached sheepishly, with one ear drooping lower than the other. “…Sorry I kept talking.”
“It’s okay.”
Nico’s ears stayed perfectly upright, as unreadable as ever.
“Why’d they keep you longer?” Kai asked. He’d been dismissed early, assuming detention went alphabetically, but Nico had shown up almost half an hour later.
“Just some stuff.”
“Was it about your scholarship again?”
“Yeah.”
Nico stood from the bench and ran toward the court. Kai caught him by the shoulder mid-jog.
“Hey, spar with me.”
Nico was more responsive to this, turning to set up and stretch at court side.
The fox cut in first, wind cinching tight around his shoulders as fire snapped forward with it.
|| Skill Activated || [ 水 Water Draw | "Localized Fluid Extraction" ]
Water surged up from the grates lining the court—
|| Skill Activated || [ 火水 Vaporize | "Rapid Area Phase Transition: L→G" ]
flashing to steam under the heat and swallowing the space between them. Nico dodged sideways in a burst of wind, close enough that they nearly made contact. The gale caught Kai across the calves hard enough to knock him off balance. He caught himself on one hand and slid to a stop just out of bounds.
Nico jogged over and offered his hand. Kai took it, let himself be pulled upright, and gave Nico a look that was actively avoided.
A whistle shrieked across the field. Both boys’ ears snapped upright as they turned.
“Yun!” the coach barked. “That was an unacceptable foul. Run laps for the rest of practice.”
“I’m not hurt, though,” Kai shot back, brushing off some singed fur.
“It’s still unacceptable.”
Nico nodded and started jogging the perimeter.
“Hm. I think I’m gonna take it easy after that almost-foul, then,” Kai said, already moving. He ignored whatever else the coach was saying and ran after Nico.
He matched Nico’s pace for a few steps before Nico sped up, which Kai matched again. The chasing cycle repeated every time Kai caught up.
“Am I bothering you?” Kai asked, huffing along the fox.
“You’re okay.”
“Then why do you keep running faster?”
“Because I can.”
They broke into full sprints, somehow instinctively aiming for the same mark as their finish line. Kai pushed into a final burst and tagged the goalpost first. Both boys doubled over, hands on their knees, as they caught their breaths.
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“…You know…”
“…?”
“It doesn’t feel like I won.”
Kai grabbed a water bottle, missed his mouth entirely because he was laughing, and spilled half of it down his chin. Nico nearly choked on his own drink watching it happen. Kai retaliated by aiming the bottle at him, and Nico twisted the stream aside with a flick of wind that puffed Kai’s tail. Another whistle blew. Both sets of ears shot up.
Kai met the coach’s stare and waved him off. “Practice is over anyway. Just let us go home.”
The coach sighed and dismissed them, not without a reminder about not being late next time. Kai rolled his eyes and said they hadn’t chosen it, fully aware Nico was the one the warning was directed at.
* * *
The boys started their walk to Kai’s place, both uncomfortable in their sweat. Their noses were sensitive; they didn’t like smelling like teenage boys either. Normally they would have showered and changed on campus, but staying behind felt awkward with the coach so eager to lecture Nico.
“Ugh, let’s stop at the convenience store,” Kai muttered.
A little bell chimed as they stepped inside.
“Grab some drinks for us. I’m gonna find something,” he shouted over his shoulder as he veered into an aisle.
Among most students, it was a standard life hack: if you stank, you stopped at a convenience store, sprayed yourself down in the aisle with a mild disinfecting air spray, put it back, and left feeling marginally fresher.
Kai grabbed the spray, eager to educate the fox, but slowed as he caught sight of the counter. The clerks were watching the fox’s back while he looked over drinks behind the glass door. One leaned in, murmured something, then wandered over to start rearranging bottles beside him.
Kai followed after the clerk, only to bump into Nico as he rounded the corner, suddenly intercepted by an armful of barley teas and electrolyte drinks. The clerk straightened and smiled as Kai came into view.
They dropped everything at the counter. Nico greeted the cashier with a smile and a small nod. She scanned the items, then looked up at Kai.
“Did you find everything you were looking for?”
“Not really,” Kai said, rolling his eyes as he noticed he was still holding the air freshener. With a sigh, he dropped it among the drinks a little harder than necessary.
“Oh, actually,” he added, spotting a bottle. “I want the blue one.”
He grabbed it and jogged back to the drink case Nico had been at earlier. He scanned the shelves, spotting the bottle on the top rack, where the glass caught the counter at just the right angle.
In the reflection, he could see the cashier, the clerk, and Nico’s ears lifted in polite form as usual.
Kai’s ear flicked as he pulled the drink free and closed the door with a turn of his tail.
Back at the counter, he handed it over and tapped his card. He walked out without acknowledging either clerk’s goodbye. Nico thanked them in a small bow before following him through the jingling door.
“Hey, hold your arms out.”
Nico lifted his arms in a T-pose without questioning why. Kai reached into the bag and sprayed air freshening at him before the two even left the store lot.
“…What?”
“I hate being smelly,” Kai said. “Do it for me too.”
Nico immediately obliged and sprayed, then kept going, coating him with an objectively excessive amount of freshness.
“Hey—”
Kai lunged for the bottle. Nico dodged cleanly and hit him with several more bursts. Recognizing the futility, Kai broke into a sprint down the sidewalk. Nico ran after him, relentless in his determination.
“You must be disinfected.”
“You got everything already!”
Nico kept spraying, and Kai kept dodging unsuccessfully, both of them laughing as they ran all the way home.
* * *
The boys, smelling like mild bleach and sweat, were immediately sent to wash up once they got home.
“Hm. It’s good you two are aligning in growth spurts,” Kai’s mom said as she scanned the pair of freshly showered boys.
Nico had borrowed some of Kai’s clothes, having left his change in the gym locker. She finally allowed them to greet her in small hugs now that they were clean, ruffling their still slightly damp hair.
Kai shook his head, flinging water everywhere as he tried to get his hair back into shape, ears flailing with the motion. Nico, caught by the spray, stuck to his towel. Kai’s mom laughed and told her son to be mindful.
“Mom, can you sign my detention slip?” Kai asked suddenly, trying to avoid a lecture with the element of surprise.
“Huh? What happened?”
“Oh. Nico’s too.”
“Oh.” She hummed. “I think I have an idea, then.” Her gaze slid sideways toward her son.
“We were just talking!”
“Mm.” She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced, then turned to Nico.
Nico nodded.
She nodded back. “Alright. I’ll sign them.”
“Hey! Why didn’t you believe me?”
“Of course I believe you, love.” She smiled and reached out to fluff his hair, clearly enjoying his indignation. "I just like getting Nico’s take too, since it gives me a stronger read on the situation.”
“You only think that because he’s quiet.” Kai shook his ears, backing away from the head pat.
“Am I wrong?”
Kai pouted while his mom laughed. As they ate, she thumbed through the slips.
“Oh? They’re different?”
“I did talk more,” Kai scoffed, pairing it with a scowl to fully express his annoyance.
“Mmm, I see.” Her ears tilted down as she signed them both.
Kai leaned in and snatched the papers the moment she was done, his tail swishing low.
“Why does Nico have a demerit? Mine’s just a warning.”
“I noticed that,” she said, making a small note for herself.
“It could affect his scholarship…” Kai’s ears fell back as he trailed off.
“It’ll probably be a good idea for me to call in and ask.” She pinched her son’s pouting cheek while turning over the slips again.
“…Uhm, you don’t have to…” Nico’s ears stayed upright, even though their redness made it clear he felt painfully awkward.
“She’s calling for mine,” Kai cut in quickly.
“Okay…” Nico accepted his friend’s effort.
His mom leaned her cheek into her hand and patted Nico’s head with a soft sigh. “You’ll be okay, love.”
Nico nodded, upright ears still red.
She smiled sweetly, in a way that felt like she had a lecture brewing. But in the meantime, she sent them off with snacks and homework.
* * *
The boys played video games with their half-finished homework sprawled across the table. Kai leaned forward, locked on the final lap, while Nico drifted around a bend to grab another item box.
“I wish you would just… get mad,” Kai said, thumb loudly working the joystick.
“Why?” Nico asked, tossing a banana behind his cart.
“Because it’s unfair how you’re treated.”
“It’s okay. I think I’m treated pretty well.”
Kai bumped the guardrail. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“The detention thing.”
“Yeah, but more than that.”
“It’s an easy example, though,” Nico said, deftly cutting off another racer.
“Fine. I wish you’d get mad that you got a demerit and I only got a warning for the same thing.”
“I think you’d get treated like that even if it wasn’t me.”
“Yeah, but they take it out on you because they can’t do it to me,” Kai said
“It goes both ways,” Nico replied.
Kai’s character swerved off the track for a second; Nico utilized the chance to catch up. “I’d get treated like this even if it wasn’t you.”
“But it’s worse because of me.”
“Probably, but it’s okay,” Nico assured, catching the drift behind Kai’s rider as he swerved back and forth trying to lose him. “You’re my friend, so I don’t really care,” Nico added.
“…But that’s why I care.” Kai mashed his item button a little too aggressively, firing it straight into nothing.
“I know. And that’s why I don’t get mad at you for this stuff.”
“..." Kai pressed the accelerator, finally losing the rider drifting off of him.
Nico tossed his item. “Don’t worry. You piss me off in other ways.”
“You’ve been pissing me off this whole time.” Kai passed by the rider CPU in first, only to get hit by a shell right before the finish line. His controller rattled violently. “Seriously?!”
“Not my fault,” Nico slid past him while he recovered.
“It is, because you’re annoying!” Kai dropped to fourth.
“Get good, loser.” Nico lifted his hands in celebration as his character finished in third and spun around with a tiny trophy.
Kai pouted as his rider threw a tantrum on the ground from not placing on a podium. “I don’t know why they gave you the scholarship just to treat you like this,” he said with a huff, dropping his controller onto a cushion.
Nico held off on replying immediately for once. His thumb hovered over the controller, no buttons pressed. His eyes drifted to Kai, then back, staying on the results screen.
“…It’s so I can attend,” he said, softer.
Kai’s ear flinched. He knew that; they wouldn’t have met otherwise.
“…I feel like doing something else,” he muttered.
“We didn’t finish the inscription assignment anyway,” Nico reminded.
Kai slumped back, annoyed that studying was somehow the least awkward option they had. He grabbed the remote and flipped to a generic channel, landing on a daytime talk show. A couple sat onstage, one Lycan with black ears and the other tan, not unlike the teens watching.
“Well, that didn’t work,” Nico laughed. Kai’s attempt to change the subject brought them straight back to it.
“I know.” Kai covered his face with a hand, laughing with him.
The show moved into a clip of Ruzen. The hosts gasped as collapsed rooftops, broken stalls, and scorched pavement filled the screen.
Eyes fixed on the footage, Kai asked quietly, “Was it really like that?” His ears lowered the longer the clip played.
“Yeah.” Nico didn’t look up, already writing out an inscription proof.
“You didn’t even look.”
“It sounded the same.”
“….”
Under the studio’s ooing and awing, the clip’s low audio seeped into the room: shrapnel hitting earth, the crackle of embers, scattered screaming and crying, and a thin static that clung over slow panning shots.
“I couldn’t really hear it over the audience,” Kai lied, tail flattening along the couch, curious for Nico’s take.
“The audience is a part of it too,” Nico replied, still moving his pencil along, focused on the assignment.
Kai turned back to the screen, where smoke and broken walls met the crowd’s gasps again, louder this time, until the segment ended in polite applause and broke for commercial.
today a 33yo producer sang covers of songs I like as a magic fox boy for two hours. I've never felt so pandered to before in my life lmao