Mama Fox

<Zuri>

“What type of person doesn’t even know how to make a basic meal!” (Z)

Was she allergic to being useful?

Searching the kitchen pantry, Zuri frowned at the meagre selection. It was a disheartening reminder of his current predicament. Gone were the high-end, speciality ingredients he was accustomed to. Instead, the shelves filled to the brim with the local garbage: produce so fresh it still clung to the damp earth, flour so old that it looked like clumped clay, and cuts of meat so salted that death itself won’t dare bite.

Zuri pinched the bridge of his nose.

He might get sick and die if he dared to eat any of this trash.

“So! What are you making for us today?” (C)

An excited voice called to Zuri as he assessed the pantry in dismay.

Closing its doors, he turned and scowled at the cause of this disaster.

“…And why would I cook for you?” (Z)

“Because I can’t?” (C)

A goofy smile was given to Zuri.

“Get out of my house.” (Z)

Zuri closed the distance between them and began a furious attempt to shove Cleodora out of the house. He was completely fed up with her nonsense for today. Counting the incident in the morning, the events down at the village, and the crappy ingredients he was given, Zuri was beyond his current limit of her. But, of course and unfortunately, his desire to get rid of her won’t be granted so easily. Being the hero, he simply couldn’t get her out by trying to shove her out of the house. Their difference in raw strength wouldn’t allow such a thing.

Cleodora didn’t budge an inch.

She merely gazed down at his admittedly pathetic attempt.

“What’s wrong, my love?” (C)

The sincerity that laced that voice nearly sent Zuri over the edge.

Did she really not know, or was she just messing with him yet again!?

“I couldn’t tell you.” (Z)

With the sarcastic reply, he gave one more useless shove before walking back to the pantry.

He needed to figure out his own meal and somehow quell his own long-standing hunger.

‘Hmm’

…Maybe if he used his own fire, he could make something edible out of the meat?

“My love.” (C)

Once more, Zuri felt his feet abruptly lose their connection with the earth.

He was in the princess carry.

He shouldn’t have turned his back.

“For the love of all that is good! Put me down, immediately!” (Z)

Zuri's lamentations fell on deaf ears as he found himself carried around the house.

They walked around for a bit until Cleodora arrived at the sitting room accessible by the front door.

She sat on the couch, exhaled, then turned and smiled at Zuri.

“I’m ready to listen. Tell me what’s wrong!” (C)

‘…Is she being serious?’

Again, he wasn’t able to discern the truth.

“I said I couldn’t tell you. Why don’t you take a great, big, spectacular guess, Miss Hero?” (Z)

So, he went for the safe answer.

In times like these, it was best to keep your cards to your chest.

“No, thank you! Guessing is not really my thing. Plus, I would like to hear it directly from you.” (C)

“Me? I don’t have a thing of note to say.” (Z)

“It’s okay. If you don’t have anything to say now, we can wait until you do.” (C)

A silence descended between the two.

Short-lived, it was promptly destroyed when a soft hum filled the air.

“Put me down.” (Z)

Cleodora stopped humming, opened her eyes, and smiled a great, big smile at Zuri.

“Ah, do you have something to say now?” (C)

“No.” (Z)

“Alrighty.” (C)

The humming resumed as Cleodora proceeded to go about in her merry way.

Zuri sat uncomfortably in her lap as he tried his level best to endure this little game of hers.

Escaping her grasp was impossible, yet yielding to her demands was entirely unacceptable.

But, eventually, after what felt like an hour passing, he came to yield.

Being close to her for this long was just too much.

“Oh, fine then! I have something to say.” (Z)

“Lovely, let’s hear it!” (C)

“I hate you.” (Z)

Zuri expected the statement he said to have some effect—

“Hmm.” (C)

–but when Cleodora idly acknowledged it, he doubled down.

“I hate that I’m married to you.” (Z)

Cleodora nodded.

Zuri wasn’t finished though.

“I hate your goofy personality, idiot face, and the unserious nature with which you go about everything.” (Z)

“Ah?” (C)

‘Hmph!’

“I hate the fact that you wasted all our money and refused to tell me why. I hate the fact that you did that knowing you don’t have a job.” (Z)

“Right.” (C)

“I hate this stupid village you brought me to and the dumb villagers as well. I hate their shitty food, poor manners and smelliness.” (Z)

“Understood.” (C)

This exchange continued for a while.

Like a real, long while.

Zuri’s voice grew hoarse, and, at some point, tears started flowing.

They weren’t tears of sadness… They were…they were tears of anger!

"I-I hate the fact that you took me away from my family..." (Z)

He swallowed back a choked sob.

"You could’ve gotten anything you wanted, anything at all, but you chose to ruin my life." (Z)

Zuri’s whole body felt completely drained of energy.

Reminiscing about the last couple of terrible days had left him a special kind of empty.

Strangely though, he felt the slightest, tiniest bit better.

“Are you feeling better?” (C)

“No, not at all.” (Z)

“Do you want to continue?” (C)

Zuri paused.

“…No.” (Z)

He had humiliated himself enough for one day.

Resting his body against Cleodora, Zuri passively watched his tears rolling down unimpeded.

‘Well… this is certainly a new low’

It’s been a hot minute since he felt miserable enough to cry.

He’d been hoping to leave such feelings in his last life.

“You look so pretty when you cry… you know?” (C)

…Pretending not to hear the cheesy one-liner, Zuri averted his gaze in the other direction.

Putting the moves on a crying person was just… There were no words to describe it, really.

“But I don’t want you to cry.” (C)

Smack

A sudden, quick kiss landed on Zuri’s cheek.

His head snapped to Cleodora.

Looking up at her, he struggled to see her face as fiery, red hair blocked his view.

“…W-Why?” (Z)

His question was ignored as three more kisses were given.

Smack Smack Smack

Each slowly climbing down to his neck.

Zuri squirmed in position, unable to free himself.

Exhausted, the usual threats didn’t fly as quickly or as powerfully as he wanted them to.

“…Y-You fool. Stop that at—” (Z)

Smooch

An invasive, direct kiss to the mouth silenced him.

Unlike before, when she pulled away fast, she lingered in the kiss.

Pushing her tongue deeper while simultaneously embracing Zuri tighter.

“I love you so much.” (C)

A warm smile danced upon Cleodora’s face as she pulled away.

At a loss for words, Zuri blankly stared at her.

Grumble

His stomach sounded.

“Looks like someone is hungry, hehe?” (C)

Cleodora lifted Zuri up, took him to one of the rooms, and tucked him into one of the beds.

“Rest for a little while now. I’m going to pick some… more suitable ingredients for you to cook something.” (C)

She then gave a light laugh.

“Of course, on the condition you make me a little something as well, huh?” (C)

With a departing kiss to the forehead, Cleodora walked out the door.

Under the sheets, Zuri curled in on himself.

One thought coming to mind before he drifted off to sleep.

‘…So gross’