The Fox and the Raven

Recovery

---3 weeks later---

The wounds left on Akimi's body have healed. Luckily, no new scars were left behind. Only painful memories. The night terrors became exceedingly more severe. Akimi would wake up screaming a few times a week and thrashing every night. Toshio didn't sleep much but, that was alright with him. He didn't mind if it meant helping the fox.

Tonight, it was screaming.

"AHHHH! AHHHH!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Pale, porcelain hands clawed at the bed sheets aggressively. Long, thin legs kicked. White hair flew through the air as the fox sat up in his bed with fear in his crimson, pink eyes. Tears fell to the mattress.

"Kitsune. Listen to the sound of my voice."

A raven spoke to him with soft kind words filled with patience and love. He rested his head on the fox's shoulder.

This was the third time this week. The motivation to continue, to make it to tomorrow, it was fading from Akimi's soul. 'I can't do this. I tried but, I just can't...' Akimi thought.

Akimi turned to face the voice with tear
ridden eyes. He pet the raven's head once, kissing him.

"Im sorry, Karasu. I- I need to go for a walk..."

'Why? Where?' Toshio thought.

"Do you want me to come with you? Or Nao maybe?"

"No. I want to go alone..."

Akimi's voice sounded empty, dark, and final. Toshio didn't like it.

"I love you, Toshio-san."

"I love you too....Kitsune...." Toshio responded with confusion.

Akimi walked straight out of the room, slowly. Toshio tried to stay in bed to give him his privacy but he just couldn't. He got up, searching outside. He found nothing. The only other place he hadn't checked was the garage.

'Im so sorry, Karasu. I promise, I tried but...I can still feel him. I can't push through it. Its haunting me. Eating me alive.' Akimi thought to himself.

The concrete ground beneath him was cold. The barrel in his mouth tasted metallic and comforting. He closed his eyes, letting a tear fall.

'Take care of our baby Nao...My love.'

Toshio opened the door of the garage to see Akimi sitting on the ground in the middle of the room. He was holding a Glock 17 in his mouth.

Toshio felt his future disappear into nothing. A life that was once filled with love. Filled with a fox. Now empty. He didn't feel welcome on Earth anymore if he had no reason to stay.

"NO! NO, YOU CANT DIE! YOU CANT DIE YOU SELFISH BASTARD!!!" Toshio screamed at the top of his lungs, running as fast as he could.

He lunged at Akimi with reached out arms, fully extended. He clicked the safety latch at the end of the gun with the tip of his finger just as Akimi pulled the trigger.

Toshio waited for a flash of light. For the blood to splatter. He waited for his lover's corpse to hit the ground. To see his once beautiful white hair stained red. For his skin to turn grey and cold. He waited, in shock on the ground. Petrified.

Instead he heard something. A cry of suffering. A cry made by a living person. His person. His beautiful little fox. Followed by the sound of metal hitting the ground.

Toshio cried silently, wrapping his arms around Akimi's entire body frantically.

The fox screamed and cried in Toshio's shoulder, trembling terribly.