Novablu
She drew her attention back to Nox, pretending as if nothing had happen in the first place. She could’ve sworn she’d heard a faint growl . . . but she must be imagining things, right? She smiled softly in return to his grin. “I’m glad.” She truly was. He seemed content in this little cabin in the woods, and for some peculiar reason seeing him this happy made her happy in response. She had the uneasy feeling that perhaps she was getting too attached too soon to someone she barely knew. Sure, he’d shown her kindness and happiness, but in her experience people rarely came to her without some ulterior motive. She pushed aside the feeling, a byproduct of years of loneliness, and focused on the present. In this moment, she just wanted to be happy.
“Home…” She wanted to ask him what it was like to have such a place to turn to. Her “homes” tended to be little hovels in the woods, empty and abandoned, and none of them were even remotely as pleasant as this place. But perhaps it was him that made her this happy. He seemed to be contemplating something when she asked him her question, but she couldn’t be sure, and if he wasn’t saying it, she probably shouldn’t ask. That conclusion did nothing to snuff her curiosity, though, and she found herself watching him closely, the small movements he made and the various expressions that passed his face. He was different than her usual company, but that was a good thing, and she found herself hoping that she could keep him around, if only to quench that ache that had been following her since she’d left her home. Just as the silence was beginning to become uncomfortable, he answered her.
She nodded at his description of his family, as if rockstars and goddesses were everyday people she came across often. She didn’t want to intrude too much. She just wanted to stay for a little while longer with this quirky fox she’d just met. “It does get a bit lonely, but I’ve become accustomed to this lifestyle. I usually run into a person or two along the way, and they make for good company, but they never stay with me. They never wanted more than idle chatter, and they kept the loneliness away for a time, until I needed to move onto the next town. I’ve never really had friends, though, I suppose. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to come across someone who will stick around for a few towns before we part ways, but never someone who wanted to travel with me constantly.” Or someone who invited me into their home or cared for me. Nox was a peculiar fox, but it was a pleasant change.
All of the other foxes, not to mention the tiny Pokemon, were never so attached to her that they stuck around. They never asked her personal questions, and she found that as time passed, she found herself sticking with fewer and fewer noodles until she ended up traveling mostly alone. She usually found others’ presences bothersome now, and avoided people like the plague. For some reason, Nox’s presence brought none of these usual feelings of displeasure. He cared about her, and she found herself caring about him, an even more unusual occurrence, in return. What a strange day it had been. Her eyes wandered to the little window by the door, and she was surprised to find that the sun was beginning to set. “It’s getting dark out.” She chewed absentmindedly on her bottom lip. Should she ask? She didn’t like this feeling of dependency, as if her whole being depended on whether or not he would let her stay for a while longer. She couldn’t bring herself to separate herself from him, though, and so she didn’t say anything.
