Mama Fox

<Zuri>

It’s been quite some time since Zuri last ‘assisted’ Cleodora.

Watching her slowly strip down until completely nude, he was suddenly reminded of this fact. The toned and muscular body that greeted him was nothing short of impressive, to the point any contrary opinions would be disingenuous. A true testament to its owner’s past dedication. It was easy to forget with how Cleodora often acted, but she was the mighty Hero everyone looked up to. The one who saved the world and led the Salvation Army. Averting his gaze from the sparkling eyes of the kneeling Cleodora, one thought polluted Zuri’s mind. What would people think if they were to see the Hero behaving so pathetically?

“…Where are the items?” (Z)

Ignoring the useless thoughts in his head, Zuri refocused back on the task at hand.

He needed to finish this as quick as possible.

“Uhm, um, b-before we get started, could I make a request?” (C)

Seeing Cleodora so boldly start talking, Zuri frowned.

What request could she possibly be making when he was already doing her a massive favour?

“I was just thinking… c-can we change how we usually do it?”

Change how we usually do it?

What was wrong with how they usually do it? Recalling events after Zuri began earnestly aiding Cleodora, he could confidently say there was nothing wrong with how they usually did it. Binding her down and reliving her was as efficient as it gets. Not to mention, Cleodora herself enjoyed the process quite a bit. The evidence of which was the many, many buckets Zuri had to flush down after their affairs. Sure, there was that one time his sister had walked in on them, but besides that, there was nothing to complain about.

Crossing his arms, Zuri eyed the nervous idiot before him.

Was it because she thought this reward that she was being so daring?

“…What did you have in mind?” (Z)

Nevertheless, he decided to hear her out. If the ask wasn’t too big, then he would just indulge her. It was best to keep the idea of this being a reward alive. A reward triggered by her actions. Conditioning Cleodora to bend to his will in the future would be much easier, not to mention faster, that way.

“W-Well, I'm wondering if it would be okay to go all the—” (C)

“Hell no!” (Z)

‘For crying out loud!’

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Zuri sighed deeply.

Give them an inch and they take a mile.

He shouldn’t be surprised given who it was but the fact she still dared to ask that was beyond aggravating.

“Isn’t three enough for you? I can’t seriously believe you would ask that!” (Z)

“I-I didn’t mean it like that… Just, like, for fun! No baby-making involved!!” (C)

Cleodora paused for a moment before softly muttering,

“T-Today’s a safe day, right?” (C)

How the hell does she know that!

No, stepping back for a moment, did she really just double down on her request!!

Gazing at a nude woman kneeling before him, Zuri pursed his lips. A mere week had passed since he gave birth, a mere week! Yet, this fool was thinking about being fully intimate with him. Sure, his royal lineage and Kitsune blood allowed him to recover quickly, but that didn’t mean he was going to partake in that activity. Zuri had never been one to care for such perverse acts. Not even when this world-class beauty offered him. A fact that was yet to change even after giving birth. The only reason he was doing this was to satisfy Cleodora’s urges before they got out of hand. Nothing more.

“Do I need to remind you of our agreement, idiot?” (Z)

The one that stipulated that they had friends before acting like lovers.

“…No.” (C)

There was no way Zuri was going to be that intimate with a person who wasn’t a proper friend.

Seeing Cleodora fall silent, Zuri thought the matter settled.

“…Let’s get back on track, alright?” (Z)

Turning around, Zuri was about to grab the usual material when a sincere voice called his name.

“Zuzu.” (C)

Cleodora held Zuri’s gaze.

“…What step are we on?” (C)

Startled by the sudden question, Zuri froze.

‘It should be obvious, no?’

After a brief moment spent collecting himself, a simple answer came to Zuri. They still clearly weren’t friends yet. But, despite having this answer at the ready, he couldn’t bring himself to say it, staring into Cleodora’s eyes. The words oddly felt heavy in his tongue. Ripping his gaze away, Zuri fell into thought. Friends were supposed to be people who you shared a close but not too close relation with. If Zuri were to examine his and Cleodora’s relationship, he could confidently state that they didn’t meet those criteria. Cleodora was practically a stranger to Zuri, all things considered. They hadn’t even spoken to each other for years until recently.

…Granted, they did now live together and even slept in the same bed. They also spent the vast majority of their time together: Going on dates, sharing meals and chatting idly. And given that they did have three kids together, claiming they were complete strangers wasn’t entirely true. There was also the fact that Zuri’s family recognised Cleodora as his partner. Marrying them off with a blessing.

‘Wait a second….’

From definition alone, Cleodora undoubtedly shared a close relation with Zuri.

One that surpassed merely being a friend.

Almost at the realm of lovers—

‘No, no, no!’

“Z-Zuri?” (C)

Shaking his head profusely, Zuri quickly chased that thought away.

They weren’t lovers!

To be lovers meant they had to be intimate! Things like kissing and cuddling!!

Zuri had never… never….

“We’re not lovers, okay!?” (Z)

At Zuri’s sudden outburst, Cleodora flinched lightly before forcing a smile.

She then lowered her gaze and chuckled softly to herself.

“Ah… Okay.” (C)

“No! I-I didn’t mean it like… Cleo!” (Z)

Grabbing the face of the disheartened woman, Zuri compelled her eyes to meet his.

It absolutely wouldn’t do to have her like this.

A demotivated Cleodora would greatly impact his life negatively. For as much as Zuri was ashamed to admit it, he did heavily rely on her for just about everything. From helping look after the babies to preparing all the meals they ate, she was the glue that kept the household running on top of being the breadwinner. Plus, though this was a much smaller, insignificant point, Zuri didn’t like to see that happy-go-lucky fool looking so down. Especially when it was over some stupid stuff like this.

“…I-I’m fine with anything so long as it’s not that, alright!” (Z)

With a burning face, Zuri made a declaration.

One that took Cleodora a long, long time to process.

“…Anything?” (C)

In a quiet voice, she asked a rather plain question.

Seeing her shining eyes, Zuri hesitated for a moment before ultimately agreeing.

“…Y-Yes.” (Z)

“Oh, t-that’s nice. Thank you….” (C)

Cleodora’s eye flickered down before anxiously shooting back up instantly.

Following her eyes, Zuri gave a weary smile at the sight that greeted him.

…That damned thing had definitely gotten bigger.