Chapter 8
It wasn’t until later that Shoto realized how exhausted he was, the tinge of pain resting in his lower abdomen making him groan out as he rolled over onto his stomach to free his tails of the restraint the bed provided. He felt surprisingly fine with himself considering he just had sex with a human.. he usually felt like death itself afterwards. He hated that feeling… but maybe he wouldn’t have to feel like that now. Now that inasa was around.
He found himself drifting off with a rumbling stomach, tails flicking and seeming to engulf him as his form shifted and collapsed into the form of the smaller fox that inasa was more familiar with. He almost preferred that to the larger dog, it was easier to restrain Shoto for his usual medications and other applications he had to help him with. Now that he had revealed his human form though, maybe it was easier for him to be more independent. Maybe he was finally getting the hang of… readjusting.
Inasa figured that whatever happened in shoto’s past related to him somehow, but they had only shared a few words in the time that Shoto was human. His grammar and vocabulary needed work, obviously.. it had been years since he would be considered up to date. He felt bad for a moment, but it faded as he gazed upon the sleeping form on the futon. Chest rising and falling steadily as large ears twitched, a sudden rush of embarrassment rushing over him a second later.
That hadn’t been… beastiality? Had it? Shoto was technically human, right? Besides the tails and ears.. it was close enough. He had to tell himself that. He would never admit to having sex with an animal.
He tried to push the thought out of his head, slipping on his clothes and lying down next to shotos small form in the bed. The warmth of his silky soft fur pressing against his chest and the heat of his breath making him feel at ease, as if this was how it was supposed to be.
After that night, inasa didn’t see shotos human form very often. Maybe he’d stumble upon him when he arrived home early to discover him searching through drawers or rummaging through the fridge that he finally figured out how to open. He seemed hungry all the time, but whatever human food he found appealing would end up on the floor later for inasa to step in I’m the middle of the night. It wasn’t anything unusual, the medications koda prescribed mentioning some upset stomachs and such that would cause that. He never bugged him about it, assuming that he’d just get a snap or some form of chastise for making him take those god awful medications.
Shoto himself felt rather fine, but the hollowness in his stomach always left him with a craving for food or something to chew on. He often found himself gnawing on bag straps or anything rough that would satisfy his urge to consume… but the strings and such never agreed with his stomach, so he’d awake in the middle of the night feeling dizzy and sick until he found himself regurgitating everything he’d eaten— including pills and everything inasa made him take. Part of him was happy that stuff was no longer In his system, but he figured out soon that he shouldn’t eat things that weren’t… food. So he stuck to the food that inasa fed him in bowls with the occasional raw meat or whatever. He enjoyed it when that was included, it made his everlasting hunger cease fire a few hours. He wished he knew how to tell him he preferred that, but his human form was so hard to maintain… and he feared what would happen if he revealed himself to him again.
So he remained in the smaller form for awhile, the little girl soon discovering him as a new pet that he as a simple figment of her imagination. That’s what they had to tell her parents, considering that no pets were allowed in their building… especially dogs. Maybe the occasional cat or something, but dogs— or foxes, in shoto’s case— we’re definitely forbidden.
Whenever it was just the three of them home, Shoto and Mimi would play. It was mainly the two chasing each other down the short hall as Mimi laughed and screamed in excitement as Shoto nipped at her heals.. it became a routine for them. Inasa woukd pick her up from school and bring her home and Shoto would slowly sneak out from his hiding spot and they’d play for hours upon hours until one got tired and fell asleep. It was usually Mimi, Shoto being left to his own devices as he usually sniffed around the apartment for food or something to chew on.
Around a month after they settled into this schedule, the sun setting on a cooler evening as the seasons finally decided to shift. It was fall in most of the world, but up there in the mountains it was just… cold. The trees were too tropical to turn colors and it wouldn’t usually get below 40. It was moderately nice.. it reminded inasa of his childhood. He missed those days.. almost. He wanted them back.
For now, he pushed the thought out of his head as he watched the blond haired little girl run back and forth at his feet where they were propped up on the couch. He was tired after work that day, so Shoto had take over rather quickly after he fed the little monster.
They ran back and forth, mimi’s high pitched screams and laughter rather loud in his ears as he laughed as she slipped and slid across the wooden floor. Shoto drifted around the corner too, all of them laughing as his claws scratched over the floor.
The next morning he left early for the gym, having a part time job just to waste time was something he enjoyed but… he also hated it. He worked most of his life and now he was left with nothing to do, so he simply just helped out his fellow townsfolk who looked to better themselves.
He was fine for most Of the day, leaving Shoto home alone as per usual. He was scavenging again, bare feet pressed against the cold tile floor as he duffles through the fridge with multiple items in his arms. He only did this so he could transport the materials easier, holding some jerky in his mouth as he chewed on the rough dried meat.
Though to his surprise, the front door suddenly unlocked and swung open, two people rushing in. Camie and seiji where nearly on top of each other, Shoto giving a Yelp of surprise before he shifted to his smaller form yet again, the food in his arms and such landing on the floor with a splat or clang.. depending on what it was.
The two newcomers detached from each other at the sound, seiji walking over to crouch down with a sigh. “What the fuck? I’m starting to think there’s a squatter in ohr apartment and not rats.” He muttered, holding up a half eaten yogurt cup.
Shoto his under the cabinets, watching their feet as Camie made her way over. “That’s impossible. This place is small enough as it is, we wouldn’t be so clueless as to what it was if it was a human.” She broke into a small laugh, snaking a hand up her husbands thigh. “Unless it’s a ghost… probably watching us right now.” She whispered, seiji giving a rigid grumble before they were entangled with one another again, Camie shoving herself into his lap as they thudded against the cabinet Shoto was underneath. He panicked, letting out a Yelp and making a run for it. His nails slid across the floor, Camie breaking into a scream as she saw the blur of movement.
“Fuck!! It is a rat!!” She screamed, standing up and grabbing the broom to chase after Shoto as he made a bolt for the door of Inasa’s room. It landed a hit on him twice before he escaped into the safety of the few inches under the futon, which was nearly cleaned up along with the rest of the room.
The woman followed him in though, looking around as her heals tapped against the floor. “My god! We do have rats!!” She squealed, “where’d it go!? It’s huge, we have to get it out before inasa comes back. He’ll stop taking care of Mimi for free if we leave a rat in his room!!”
The mans voice sounded deep compared to hers, thuds echoing across the floor as Shoto watched him get down on his knees to look under the futon. His eyes met with shoto’s nearly immediately, his hand suddenly reaching out for Shoto in a terrifying grasp for his scruff.
He yelled out in terror, snapping and clawing at his arm and not landing any of it. He howled as he was brought up, nerves leaving him to curl helplessly into a ball as he was held by the scruff. His tail was curled up over his feet, white and reddish brown hair spitting him all over. Thank god he thought to conceal himself rather well in his panic.
“This isn’t a fucking rat, Camie.” Seiji said, Shoto examining him over. “It’s some kind of fox pup… I’m sure Yoarashi dragged it in this morning and didn’t secure the bathroom tight enough.” He scoffed, looking over at his wife. “Do you still have that kennel from when we had Bernie?”
She nodded, rushing off as seiji held his shaking form. He wanted to shift into a bigger one and ever him off, but he didn’t want wall have the power to. Without any souls for months, he was starting to feel the tinges of starvation. He couldn’t communicate that though… not yet. He was probably fine.
It wasn’t long before he was thrown in a foul smelling kennel with holes in the sides and a metal front, being set on the counter as the two resumed their activities from before.. and Shoto had to listen. he wasn’t interesting in sex, not for himself at least. Being hungry made his energy levels plummet, and now that he hadn’t eaten anything since early that morning.. it was definitely worse.