So Felix got himself a job. Working in the kitchen, behind the scenes. For now, only for a trial period…
Well, to be fair, the whole job was only 'for now'. With his pregnancy, and then the baby, he wouldn't be able to keep it for long. But, at least he had some income now, and extra time to figure out what to do next without stressing too much.
"Lex, right?" The shifter from earlier walked into the kitchen, where Felix was trying to familiarize himself with all the recipes. "I'm Eden, looking forward to working with you!"
'Lex' was how Felix decided to introduce himself. He couldn't exactly use his real name, not really, but he didn't want to abandon it either… It was the name his mother had picked for him, and while Felix couldn't say it brought him much luck, he liked it nevertheless. Thus, he chose the nickname no one but his mother knew, but still derived from his real name.
"Hm. Same," Felix muttered, lowering his head. Here, in the kitchen, he was forced to take off his hood… And while only employees could see him, the employees were still people, after all! Eden was even a shifter. A rogue, since he was living in Silverfall rather than in a pack, but shifter nonetheless. And therefore a potential threat…
And he was still observing Felix now, leaning against the counter.
"You don't need to be so guarded, you know," Eden eventually said, breaking the silence. "You're not the only runaway here."
"I, I'm not. I'm not a runaway." Felix lowered his head even further. "I just… have a social anxiety."
"…Is that so?" Eden stared at Felix for a moment longer. And then, he turned away with a shrug of his shoulders, and went over to the fridge, took out a can of soda, and opened it with a loud hiss. "Well, if you say so."
Felix exhaled softly with relief.
But then, Eden added casually, "Because if you were, I was going to advise you to change how you behave. Acting so anxious and shifty only makes you look more suspicious. As if you have a lot to hide. A lot to lose…"
Felix's fingers, that were flipping through the recipes, momentarily paused.
He didn't think about that. He was so focused on trying to hide his face, that he failed to consider that the more you are trying to hide something, the more others are bound to get curious…
Perhaps he was truly doing himself a disfavor by acting so secretive. Not that he was going to drop his guard… But maybe it really would be better for him to hold his head up high, and appear confident?
He lifted his head slightly, giving Eden a surreptitious glance.
Still, he couldn't just change his behavior now, so suddenly. It would only end up confirming that he was indeed a runaway. And, no matter how well-intentioned Eden might have appeared, Felix couldn't trust him just yet.
So, he remained quiet, familiarizing himself with his new job. Luckily, all the dishes served in Crossroads - that's how the bistro was called - were fairly simple. And, while Felix was by no means a five-star chef, the cooking experience he had should be sufficient to survive at work.
A few hours later, he returned home, carrying bags full of groceries, meat, and fresh produce. As much as he wanted to save up on the living costs, he had to eat properly, he was pregnant, after all! He opened the front door, holding the bags in one hand…
And right from the entrance, he was welcomed by the red fox.
"You're here again?" Felix asked, lifting his brows.
But the fox only gave him a glance, and moved on to sniff the bags.
"Hey, that's not for you!" Felix instantly lifted the bags high up, before the fox had a chance to try to steal anything. While after that first night, it hasn't taken any of Felix's food again…
It was still coming in. For some reason, it really seemed to like Felix's place. Felix put him out of the door every day when leaving the house, and every day when he returned, the fox was somehow again inside.
After a few times, he had grown to accept it. There wasn't much he could do about it anyway, as he still hadn't found a hole it was squeezing in through.
Now as well, he only let out a sigh, shaking his head, and moved on to the kitchen to organize all of his groceries. If the fox wanted to hang around him, then so be it. Out of everyone around, the fox was hardly a threat, so as long as it didn't break anything or steal the food, Felix wouldn't bother dealing with it.
He cooked himself a dinner, cleaned another part of the house - although he had been working on it every day since he moved in, there was still a lot of work to be done! - and once he was done with it, and saw that it was still early, he grabbed needles, yarn, and his new phone (that is, an old, used phone he bought in town) to look up instructions online, and started knitting.
…Or rather, trying to knit. Because the scarf he was making was truly hideous. Well, he was still a beginner, so it was to be expected, and as far as he was concerned, it was fine as long as it provided warmth…
But he could never hope to sell such abomination. And that was his plan - to make handiworks and sell them in town. It was something he could do even during advanced pregnancy, and then when nursing his baby, as it didn't require him to go out much…
Well, knitting was only one of the options, so it was fine if it didn't work out. Maybe he should try pottery next?
He worked until it was late at night, and his head started dropping, his eyelids getting unbearably heavy. Stifling a yawn, he tossed this crime on the art of knitting he had created onto the desk, and dragged himself to the bed, falling flat on his face.
The fox jumped onto the bed after him, snuggling himself to Felix's side. It was soft and warm, and quite comfortable… Felix turned over to his side, wrapping his arms around the fox and pulling it closer.
Perhaps if he got the fox's scent all over himself, it would cover up his own. He'd definitely feel much safer if it did…
He soon fell asleep with the fox pressed to his chest. Completely unaware that on the other side of the town, a luxurious car pulled over, stopping in front of the only hotel in Silverfall. The door slowly opened, and a tall, well-built man, dressed in a black fancy suit stepped out, his polished leather shoes shining in the moonlight almost as much as his dark hair.
"Silverfall, huh?" he muttered under his nose, his voice low and velvety. "Let's get it over with."