Sly Fox (Diane Foxington x Original Character)

Chapter 5 - Calm Before The Storm

Third Person Perspective
Thursday, 14/07/2022
Diane's House, Los Angeles, California, USA

"So, when exactly is the Gala For Goodness?" Swift asked as he and Diane pulled back into her driveway, a large KFC bag on his lap that spread the smell of deep-fried chicken and the colonel's eleven secret herbs and spices throughout the entire car.

"It's next Sunday, but don't worry - you and I don't need to do anything for it. All we have to do is make sure the Bad Guys are on the right track, and that the Gala runs smoothly." Diane responded as she and Swift got out of the car and headed into the house. 

"So we're... hosting the Gala?" Swift asked, to which Diane nodded. "So it's as much of a test of character and shit for me as it is for the Bad Guys, then..."

"Yeah, pretty much. I just hope our words to Wolf changed something in that brain of his because Marmalade doesn't have a lot of time left to turn this around, and even if he does manage to... it's going to be hard to convince the public."

Swift nodded as he put the bag on the table and the two sat down. "I'll remember to get my suit drycleaned, then." He said jokingly, smiling at Diane.

"And I'll put on my best dress - since you're going to the effort, why shouldn't I?" Diane asked in a light manner as she brought two cups and a bottle of drink to the table.

Swift smirked a little, pulling her seat out before taking his own. "Awwh, you know you don't have to get all dressed up just for me, right?"

Diane giggled in response and shook her head, reaching for the bag and serving the fox's food to him before grabbing her own. "Don't get too full of yourself - I'm actually dressing up for Wolf on the night of the Gala!" 

Diane and Swift both laughed for a moment as Swift poured their drinks. With a few deep breaths, they each calmed down.

"Alright, let's eat before this stuff gets any colder," Diane suggested, unwrapping her burger and dumping the chips onto the greasy burger wrapping.

"Amen," Swift responded simply before mirroring Diane's actions and digging into his food.

"Y'know, I would have made some actual food for us if it wasn't so late-" Swift said as he finished his burger, taking a sip of his drink and adorning a confused stare as Diane tried to speak through a mouthful of chips. "I can't understand that."

She nodded and held a paw up as a sign to wait for a moment, swallowed her food, and then spoke. "You can cook? And you didn't tell me?"

"You never asked." He replied simply, smiling at the governor sitting next to him. She pouted and grumbled something unintelligible, which made Swift laugh.

"It's alright-" He started, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "I'll cook for you tomorrow, don't worry that pretty little head of yours."

Diane shot up from her chair and slammed a paw down onto the table, staring down at Swift. "Aha! So you do think I'm pretty!" She shouted triumphantly, pointing at Swift - who laughed in response.

"Now when did I say that?" He asked in a playful manner as he took a sip of his drink.

"In the car, you remember! Right when we were leaving KFC-"

"No, I don't..." Swift avoided looking at Diane so he wouldn't crack up - he was already on the edge of breaking his poker face, and he knew this would be a great laugh later if he got away with it.

"But you- and-"

"I don't remember that." He said, deadpanning her before turning his attention back to the remainder of his chips. "I think you're imagining it, Diane."

"I-" She groaned out and flopped down into her chair. "You're evil, y'know that?" She asked rhetorically, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "You're gaslighting me, and you're a meanie for it."

"This is feeling less and less like you watching over me and more like you just trying to be my friend, y'know?" Swift retorted, looking at her in return with a soft gaze of sorts - one that was calm and relaxed, yet still searched for information from the fox beside him. He was intrigued by her actions while the two were alone, as she didn't seem like this kind of person from her public appearances.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not-" She said, shrugging casually. "Besides, I don't have to be the Governor when I'm at home. I'm just Diane, y'know? A sly fox in her mid 20's, just hangin' out."

Swift nodded in agreement, respecting her separation between her work and home life. "That's a good view to have. Means you can still have friends while maintaining a public image, I guess."

"Is that really what you think this is?" She asked sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him. "Maybe I'm just lulling you into a false sense of security so I can catch you out when you slip up and throw you into a cell." She said, adorning a small smirk as she finished speaking.

"You wouldn't - you like having me around too much. And besides, I'm way too handsome for the slammer. That's why I've got a good record - clean as a whistle and shiny as a first-place medal." He returned the smirk, which had since dropped off Diane's face for a mix of joking frustration and embarrassment.

"Well..." She trailed off, making a circling motion with her paw. "Yeah, I guess. A pretty face like yours would go to waste in a place like jail."

Swift let out the slightest inklings of a stifled laugh, then cleared his throat. "You said it, not me." He said with a sly smile as he stood up and pushed in his chair. "Well, thanks for dinner, dear. Tomorrow night's on me, remember."

With that said, Swift left Diane sitting speechless at the table. 

"Did he just-" She put a paw up to her face as she felt her cheeks start to burn a little. "God fucking damn it, Swift just Clooney'd me and I didn't even realise-"

In his room, Swift was laughing to himself at the stunt that he had pulled back in the dining room. After a moment of revelling in his victory over Diane, he calmed down and looked in the mirror, then did a double finger-guns and winked at himself. 

"Still got it-" He said, finally stripping from the jacket he was wearing and smiling to himself as he flopped down onto the bed. "The full Clooney."

A/N: It's ya boi, Enno, back with another update for you lunatics to enjoy! I've been working a little bit on everything under my care, with the sad exceptions of MDD and CHBM - they're slightly harder cases to work with, but I will get back to them someday. I'm never just going to abandon any of these stories. Regardless, it's great to be back, and... I hope you all enjoyed this quaint little filler chapter.

Burn Bright & Carry On
Enno