His Little Fox(Kirishima x reader)

39

"Ugh."

I flop down on the flat stone.

"This isn't working. I can't turn into a fox quickly enough."

"Perhaps you should focus on working on that," Ectoplasm suggests.

I sit up. "Maybe, but we've spent a few days on this already. I'm running out of time."

Ectoplasm nods. "Very well then. Your senses won't help much in a fight. In fact, I think they'll get in the way. At least until you master that substitute for sight you mentioned earlier."

I dial all my senses back down to normal, human levels. My base zero. I can feel my ears returning to their natural shape. My eyes nad nose do too.

"You can change your facial features," Ectoplasm says. "What about other fox features?"

"I can grow a tail. I haven't really ever tried anything else on it's own."

"What about teeth? Or claws? Foxes have those."

I pause. I push myself back into a standing position. I've never tried that before. "Fennec foxes have retractable claws. I'm not a fennec though."

"They don't have to be retractable."

They would be retractable though, if I'm growing them... No. I'm just growing them. Just like I do with my ears. I frown. With my ears though, I'm focusing on the senses and the physical change comes later. 

I spend a long time trying to figure out how to change my nails into fox claws. Focusing on the sense of my fingers doesn't work. It's not touch that I'm changing. I want a weapon, not a sense. 

I collapsed into bed that night. I only have four more days before classes begin again. Everyone else is figuring out their ultimate moves and thriving, except for a few rare cases. I flop over. This is so frustrating.

"Got it! I got it!"

My nails had grown much thicker and rounder. They were longer too, with pointed tips that curved down just a little bit. They sure didn't look pretty. I wonder what would happen if I had acrylics on. 

"How did you do it?" Ectoplasm asked. 

"I've been focusing on senses for my eyes and ears and nose, so I was trying to focus on the sense of touch for my fingers. That obviously wasn't working. I tried the muscles around the my fingers next. That's what I do for my tail and that didn't work either."

"So what was it?"

"The nails themselves." I laughed. "It's so obvious."

"Sometimes the most complex problems are simple in hindsight."

"Teeth next."

"You don't want to practice with your claws first?"

"We've only got two days left. I'm thinking I figure this out and we can get two birds with one stone."

It only took another hour or so for me to figure out how to get my teeth to grow right. They all grew a bit longer, stronger, and more pointed, but the canines stood out. Just like a fox.

For the rest of the afternoon, I attacked Ectoplasm, getting used to clawing and biting. It felt very weird at first. It was embarrassing to snarl at someone and change mouth-first. Thankfully, I mostly got over it eventually.

I'd definitely be needing even more costume improvements now. I went down the support course again to ask for some durable gloves that could support long claws but also account for them not always being there. 

As for my teeth. I settled on something similar to Kirishima's face design for his costume. I couldn't have a mask or anything to get in the way of my teeth, but I did want something to help reinforce my bite. The result was a sleek, comfortable sort of brace over my upper cheeks and nose. 

"How's it coming along?" Midnight came up and asked me on the final day of training. "Do you have a special move yet?"

"I do."

"Alright then. Show me."

I grew my teeth and claws out and charged at Ectoplasm's double. We changed some quick blows and I got a good bite in before we broke apart.

"Very good," Midnight says. Her smiles creep me out. "Have you tried changing your body while in the middle of a fight?"

"Yeah, I've tried changing into a fox but I'm too slow."

"I meant have you tried smaller things. Like lengthening your claws."

"I haven't."

"That might give you an edge of surprise in the future. Do you have a name for this move?"

I paused. "No. I don't."

Mightnight tapped her chin. "You could go with something simple and call it Beast Mode. Or maybe Fox Attack. Remember, it should be memorable and easy to call out." She starts walking away. "Or maybe Vixen's Anger. Like a Vixen attacking?"

"Canine Style?" I glanced at Ectoplasm.

He nodded. "I like it."

I nodded as well, then closed my eyes, trying to sense the people moving around me. I was getting better at it. Slowly though, and I wasn't good enough yet to call it an ultimate move, but it was on its way. 

That night, I snuck out of the dorm building late at night. I was tired physically, but I couldn't get my mind to slow down. Back home, sleeping outside had always helped. There was just something about the quiet night that helped. The birds didn't care about my problems. The bugs didn't either. Or even the stars so far away. So why should I care? There was so much more going on around me.

I couldn't get caught sneaking back into the building in the morning. A fox would just be put outside again. And if I did it in human form... well...

It'd be fine though. As long as I wake up early enough. 

The front door opened behind me. I turned around, nervous. It's fine though, I tell myself. Whoever it was probably won't notice a little fox standing off to the side. 

It's Kirishima. Well shoot. 

If he just stayed on the path though, or in the light. Maybe he just wanted a breath of fresh air. But he's got a balcony like the rest of us. 

Kirishima walked down the path a little ways, but he got far enough that the light was less blinding and looked around. He saw me. He smiled.

"Hey there, little guy." He started walking towards me.

I tried to back up. Kirishima stopped short.

"No, don't be scared. I'm not gonna hurt you or anything."

Well I didn't want to make him feel bad. I'd just stay here. 

Kirishima put his hands on his hips. "I haven't seen you in a minute, buddy. Are you following me? Came with me all the way to UA?"

Ah, that sucked. It did look like the little fox was following him. Hopefully he wouldn't get suspicious of his fox-quirked neighbor and classmate.

Kirishima crouched down and held out his hand for me. Noo, I didn't want to go over there. I'll just... I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I'd just stay here. I couldn't let him see me too well. Not that he hadn't already. 

Kirishima edged closer. Nope. That was too much. I ran off into the bushes. I hide under one of them. These were nice, but they didn't have the little hollows underneath them that my bushes had. It was cramped and some of the twig branches stuck into me. 

I lay still though. I didn't want him to find me again. I'd just stay here until he left.