Clang!
Felix's eyes snapped open.
'…What was that?'
He lay on his bed, listening, but the house was all quiet.
Was it just his imagination? Or a dream? He had been so on edge that…
Thud!
Felix instantly held his breath. This time, he had heard it clearly. There was some strange noise, and it was coming from within the house.
Shhhh… Thud!
Felix's mind was running wild, his heartbeat getting fast and his breathing shallow as he thought of all possible scenarios. It could be a thief, or something simple, like a mouse. Could mice make so much noise? There weren't any in the pack house, so Felix didn't know.
Right, the pack…
Anxious almost out of his mind, Felix hesitantly sniffed the air, and instantly relaxed a peg. Whoever or whatever was making that noise, it was no wolf. So, not Jared, or anyone from the pack.
A soft, relieved sigh escaped Felix's lungs. As long as he wasn't caught, it was alright.
Quietly, he pulled off the blanket and slipped out of bed, tiptoeing toward the source of the noise. It seemed to be coming from the pantry… He glanced inside through the keyhole.
And what he saw, almost made him chuckle. The half-empty potato bag on the lower shelf was fumbling around, a furry red tail sticking out.
So it was just a fox. What were all those nerves for?
Of course, while Felix was glad it was just a fox, it didn't mean he was going to just let it go. He swung the door open and barged in, grabbing the fox by its tail before it had a chance to dodge.
"What do we have here?" He smiled, changing his grip from the tail to the back of the fox's neck, as he lifted the startled animal up to his eye level. "Hungry for my food, huh? Decided to treat yourself?"
The fox whined out loud, throwing its paws around, not at all happy about being caught.
But it only made Felix want to tease him more. He stretched his lips in a wicked grin, and whispered, "Should I eat you? You stole my food, so I definitely should eat you, right?"
The fox whimpered in response, curling within itself, as it stared at Felix sadly with its piercing blue eyes.
It was really beautiful, with healthy red fur and a soft, fluffy tail. Pretty large for a fox, but for Felix, who was a wolf shifter, it still seemed like such a tiny, adorable creature.
"Aaaah!" Felix brandished his fangs…
And buried his face in the soft fur.
"You smell so nice… I really should eat you, shouldn't I?" he murmured, causing the fox to whimper even louder, as it struggled in Felix's grasp.
But how could it possibly win with Felix? All its efforts only made the Omega chuckle into the soft, warm, fragrant fur.
The fox truly smelled nice. Not at all like a wild fox would. Its scent was still musky, but clean, without being skunky, and it carried notes of jasmine. Felix couldn't help but want to take another whiff…
"Whimper…" The fox's cries grew softer and softer. It had long stopped struggling, either accepting its fate or enjoying the cuddling, Felix didn't know. But he had no intention to torment it so much, and even less to eat it, so he cradled the fox in his arms, and walked over to the front door.
"There, there. I'll let you off tonight." He carefully put the fox down on the tiny wooden porch, still full of holes, and shut the door.
He barely walked away a few steps, before he heard scratching coming from the outside.
"What?" He swung the door open, and looked down on the fox, arching his brows. "Do you want to be eaten by me after all?"
The fox didn't answer. Obviously. It just whimpered some more.
"…Sigh." Felix leaned against the door frame. "I'm really going to eat you if you keep that up. So, stop scratching my door."
There were already so many repairs that he had to get done, he didn't need to add a damaged door.
The fox blinked slowly, staring at Felix… And then, it walked right back in, its tail brushing over Felix's legs on the way.
"You…" Felix was about to say something, but gave up, shaking his head as he closed the door. While he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about this unexpected housemate, he was too sleepy and tired to deal with the fox. Besides, there must have been another entrance it could sneak through back in, otherwise how could it end up in his pantry? It definitely wasn't in the house earlier on…
"Just don't touch my food," he muttered, as he threw himself on the bed. "I can't afford to…"
He never got to finish saying what exactly was it that he couldn't afford, because as soon as his head hit the pillow, he drifted off to sleep.
***
"Settling in? Or just passing by?"
Felix lifted his head slightly, taking a glance at the waiter standing by his table, and instantly pulling his hoodie further down his face as he reflected upon his actions. The waiter was a shifter, Felix could tell by the smell, so no amount of caution was too much.
Still, not wanting to be TOO rude - he wasn't looking for friends, but he didn't want to make enemies either! - he muttered, "Settling in for now."
"Nice! And how do you like the town so far?" The waiter didn't pick up the clue - or simply ignored it - and continued chatting Felix up.
"…It's alright. Quiet. Peaceful." Felix stirred his drink, hesitating for a moment, before adding, "Only that finding a job has been… challenging."
"Oh, yeah, there aren't many opportunities around here, are there?" The waiter laughed, throwing the cloth over his shoulder. "Is there anything specific you're looking for?"
Felix shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. As long as it pays the bills."
"What do you say about working here then?"
"Here?" Taken aback by the sudden… question? Offer? Felix couldn't help but look up at the waiter again. "As in this restaurant?"
"Yeah! We have an empty spot, as one of the waiters left last month!"
Work at a restaurant… To be fair, Felix didn't like the idea. Not because he had anything against the job. Except that it was a customer-facing role. Everyone who came by, whether the locals or wanderers passing through the town, would be able to see his face! Thus increasing the risk of him getting recognized significantly…
As if guessing his thoughts, the waiter added, "You can also work part time in the kitchen. Probably. I would need to confirm with the boss though."
In the kitchen…
Felix bit on his lip.
Now that seemed better. He couldn't afford to be too picky, or he'd never get any jobs. And while he still had some cash left, he didn't want to burn through it all… He needed to keep some for emergencies. And it wouldn't last him forever anyway. So maybe he should give it a shot…
There was still one major issue though.
"I don't have any ID," Felix reluctantly admitted. "Or any documents for that matter…"
He might not have had a job outside the pack before, but even he knew that getting a job, a legal job, required some sort of identification!
The waiter was silent. So silent that Felix started to get anxious. Should he have stayed quiet? Not having any ID could, no, for certain would, make him appear more suspicious! He slowly lifted his head, throwing the waiter a furtive glance…
And had to blink a few times.
Because the waiter's shoulders were shaking, as he tried to hold back a laugh.
"Seriously, what do you think this place is?"