Foxxtrot chapter 6

A rushed feeling bolted through his heart as he lay next to her in the small den occupied with five. Kanso Tensed up every time she made a move, his heart pounded faster and stronger with each second that passed. He inhaled her sweet scent, she smelt strongly of fresh spring grass with mildew dappled on each blade. His brown nose moved along her shoulder blades and found itself burried among her dark-pink ribbon. A smile creased among his long, normally blank, face.  The other bodies began to move, quickly, he lay his head back down onto his paws , glaring back as the other members left the den, leaving more cold air then warmth. Kanso looked back to her, her long ears, beautiful in every way he could think possible, her sleek, white ,fur, soft as snow, but warm as the summer sun. Her tail, full with flowing  streaks of silver-white. His heart began to beat faster. He twiched his left ear, torn bitterly from previous scars, towards the entrance of the den , no one was coming, it was just him and Ear-tips.
   Ear-tips twitched her large, elegant ears swiftly. She lifted her head and glanced longingly towards  Kanso, she couldn’t help but smile. “Good morning,” her voice was soft and gentle, like ther ripple of silk in the wind. Kanso felt hot under his pelt he turned away from her beautiful eyes and gazed at the lonley, boring, and plain, earth. “G-good morning eartips,” He gave a smug look at rose to his paws. He extended his forelegs and arched his flanks, releasing a much needed stretch. He Yawned widly, showing his sharp canines that encircled his top and lower jaw. Ear-tips, to, rose to her paws, and streched and gave a big yawn. She stood straight and ruffled her fur to fluff out the long winter coat that clung heavily to her.  Kanso tensed up again, what was this feeling that kept nagging at his heart,he thought to himself.  ‘She’s no more then a friend, no more then that.’ But even so, the long, tingling sensation stuck to his skin.
The day was barley beginning, the sun had yet to rise and the air was bitterly cold. Kanso sniffed deeply,inhailing the morning air. “Hm, today will be a bit warmer then usual, don’t you agree, Ear-tips?” She smiled and wagged her tail softly, “yes well, wouldn’t it be best if we waited to find that out when the sun rose?” she smiled childishly. Kanso couldn’t help but smile back in return ,then he shook himself vigorously. He mummbled irritably to himself , “what am I doing!”  He lifted his head to the sky and studied the fading stars, and the dissapearing moon that began to hide behind small puffs of clouds. The feeling still lingerend, but he had to do something then just stand here and look like a fool, “E-Ear-tips, would you…like to look at the sky while the stars are still lingering on in the night sky?” He felt like an idiot for asking such a childish question, but he was surprised at her answer, “Of course, that sounds wonderful!” She wagged her tail wildly, then crouched down in the playing pose, her fore paws extended and her rump raised high in the air, “Wanna race?” She smirked, he sneered back. “You’re on!” He crouched down into the same pose, angling his body to increase the amount of force he would press back on his hind paws. The bolted wildly, tearing the earth with their rough claws and nipping at eachother as they carried on to their place to watch the fading morning sky.”

* * *

Kanso came to a complete hault, his paws scrapping against the round pebbles that lay around in bunches. He breathed in and studied his surroundings. A large set of rocks jutted out of the earth and rose at an angle, making it the perfect place to nap on, and could fit two foxes of any size. Their were many trees surrounding this area, but not  around the jagged rock, they were perfectly hidden and could romp and play to their hearts content. Ear-tips smiled and glanced to Kanso, “You know, this was were me and Natus first meet when we were kits.” Kanso winced at his name, he hated Natsu with every fiber of his bieng, a low snarl rummbled in his chest. “Ear-tips….do you still care about that sick bastard!” He stopped and bowed his head appologetically, “I-im sorry for such a sick reaction, it’s just, you know i-I, He hurt you ear-tips, how am I supposed to react?” Ear-tips sighed and forced a smile, “You’re a very good friend kanso, I’m not going to make you change because of something that happened in the past, you’ll always be my friend.” Those words seem to sting him like a thoushand bees in the heart.  “right,I’m just protecting you, that’s what friends do.”
He had to change the mood  and quick, “So lets finish that race with a bit of a tussel neh?” He wagged his tail but only slightly. She tackled him and the tussel went on for quite some time.
* * *

Finally, the sun had appreared and gleamed weakly in the cold, morning sky.  Kanso and Ear-tips made it back to camp after their exciting tussles and hide and seek games. Kanso bowed his head to each member but never said anything, and only acknowledged his other members by twitching an ear or flicking his eyes to said member. The camp was bustling, and the commotion was finally underway, foxes with places to go, things to do, pups to train, prey to hunt, and so much more it was suprising that the camp was still holding together.  Sagome was giving the order and kankumatsu was sending out kuro , Odd-nose, and sanzo to be messangers for future rituals for combatanats and protectors, to help rank the pups higher with each day. There was so much going on, it was hard to understand if it was busy or if it was a normal day.
Kanso kept his nose to the air, scenting for any thing that seemed out of the ordinary. He noticed a few dens that needed repairing, but nothing out of the ordinary. A  strong scent overwhelmed his nostrils, his fur bristled along his spine and neck, and instintivly, he unsheathed his claws and dug bitterly into the earth. “so Ear-tips, how’s it goin babe,” It was natsu. His red pelt glistned and remind kanso of the disgusting color of blood, Natsu’s black markings shone a light gray in the dim sunlight and made his leather collar illuminate. Ear-tips stepped back, “Oh I’ve been ok, I heard you and Yatasari were now mates” She forced a painful smile. Natsu nodded, “yes well, shes a very sweet girl, wouldn’t trade her for the world. To bad it still can’t be you.” He sneered, as if he had set a plan in motion, “yes well….things change like the seasons change, I suppose.” She frowned, then forced the smile again. Natsu pressed against her and sniffed her fur softly, “hm, been around kanso I see, you enjoying your time with him I pressume?” Kanso’s tailed fluffed out to twice its size. “Well, Natsu-Kun, wouldn’t it be in in your best interest to help out around the tribe camp, everyone is, me and kanso were just about to---“ kanso stepped infront of Ear-tips and curled his lips forward, and his shoulders arched. “Natsu, you heard her, beat it.” Natsu stared and pierced his dark green eyes. “No, I don’t think I will, she doesn’t belong to you, we’re just having a friendly little conversation.” Kanso arched even more, “Friendly conversation my ass, I can smell the pain coming off of her, so back the fuck off now.” Ear-tips cringed and tucked her tail under, “Kanso you don’t have to do this, natsu’s right, we’re just talking.” Kanso glared at him, his hatred had doubled, “Back off, low scum,” He took a heavy paw step forward, “or I’ll make you go.” He rose his tail , balancing himself, aiming for were to strike.
“That a challenge, outcast!”
                “As hell , it is!”
At first, there was an akward silence, the whole tribe grew quite, waiting for the first blow, maybe it was just a bluff, but kanso was no fool, he wasn’t joking, he was ready to do what he had to to protect his dear ‘friend’. Kanso broke the silence with a vicious snarl, he tore across the dusty earth and lunged himself towards natsu, grabbing aimlessly at fur and skin, scrapping and bitting, all in blind rage. Natsu also released a fierce cry, grabbing Kanso by the tail and ripping at his fur bitterly. The blood splattered the eart, dappling like raindrops.  Kanso tore apart from natsu and spat out the foul blood of his enemy. The Tribe looked on, all excited to see the victor, ear-tips trembled in fear, yatasari joined her, confused as to what it was that was going on. Kanso stood his ground, the blood pumped quickly in his heart, the had to take out natsu, he had to leave his message that ear-tips may not be his now, but she would be.
Natsu snarled, “what are you trying to prove out cast! I don’t want her, I have something better, something much more beautiful then that ugly mutt.” That did it. Kanso felt he had no more control, he bolted. His instincts saught natsu as prey, only to kill. Kanso headbutted natsu square one in the muzzle, knocking him to the ground. Blood sprayed from natsu’s mouth, kanso wasn’t done yet, He clamped his jaws tightly around natsu’s throat, he reffused to let go. He snarled, the blood dying his teeeth crimson. Natsu howled in great pain. Yatasari burst out into a loud yip “NATSU”, She pushed her way throught the tribe and tore across the sandy earth, clawing wildly at kanso and falling back once natsu was released. She trotted over to him, her body was shaking and her eyes were glazed with concern. She toppled over, laying her head lightly on his muzzle. “Natsu, natsu it’ll be ok, I’m here now, I’m here.” She licked him and glacned up hatefully to Kanso. “you’ve proved your point, now leave us.” She pricked her ears and called for sanzo. Kanso turned his back, he had ruined it either way, Ear-tips was afraid of him, he could smell the fear on her. He trotted off. Many members congragulated him, many just gave future advice. That didn’t matter, he did what a friend would have done.
   No, he did what a mate would have done. He felt lonely, without her by his side, he felt like a huge burden, he always had been, he had always been an outcast. He looked to the sky, the glazed look making his eyes sweel with water. He looked down, he just wanted to protecte her. He pricked his ears, then glanced back, there stood Ear-tips, still as beautiful as snow, still lingering with the scent of spring grass and mildew. She was still her, but something was different, was it her fur? Her ribbon, her scent, her ears? No, it wasn’t any of that, it was her eyes. She gazed at him, a frown on her face, but her eyes did not display sorrow. “Kanso, Kanso,” she nuzzled his back softly, his shock overwhelming him.
“Kanso, why, were just friends, right?” kanso looked her in the eyes, yes they spoke it loud and clear, she was in love with him, deeply, madly ,truly, he had done what instinct told him. “Well, my mind says one thing, but…but my heart says another. My mind thinks, you are a friend, but my heart wants me to be so much more.” He looked at the paws that were soaked in natsu’s blood. “I-I want to be so much more, but, that’s why I’ll fight for you, I swear I won’t let anything happen to you. I will always portect you, no matter if you hate me, even then, I will still protect you.” He smiled weakly, hiding his bloody paws under his tail ,and glancing to the sky so he didn’t show his fangs to her. Was that the feeling he felt earlier? Was it love, or was it just instinct. Ear-tips glanced to the sky with him, “I always wondered why you only smiled only around me.” That was it, the answer, it wasn’t instinct. And it wasn’t him either, It was her all along.