Burdens [Furry BxB]

Chapter 41 - The Haze

There sat Roger, in his room. Were he asked to describe the journey back from school, he would not have been capable. He could hardly remember much of it if any of it ever did allow itself the chance to collect.

He was beside the wolf and they worked on the work previously assigned. It was really just the fox helping the wolf, as he had already finished with it. They sat close once again, enjoying each other's company as best they could without it being within the realm of the fox's fantasy.

His mind was still fogged. He could not think clearly and sometimes it took him a moment to answer the wolf's question if there ever was a question. There was a stern expression across Hunter's face. He had noticed that something was off, as well.

He was not tired. He suspected that he might be, but he closed his eyes for a moment and realized that his mind was much more active than usual. It was the opposite of being tired. He felt energetic, yet lethargic. He did not want to move around, but he was antsy. Anxious.

The wolf placed an arm around him, brought him close and gave him a hug. He inquired as to what was wrong.

For a moment, it cleared the fog. There the fox sat in clarity and looked at the wolf, dumbfounded. He was unable to respond or react, merely stare at his newfound lucidity, but it was short-lived. The fog began to return.

"I don't know," he told the wolf. "Just kind of been out of it today."

Hunter nodded. He sat for a moment, silent, but then told the fox, "I talked to her today."

The mental proceedings seemed to halt in the fox's head. He once again looked at the wolf with the same confused expression, but he came into understand just what the wolf had meant. "You... you didn't have to," he managed to say.

The wolf smiled sheepishly. "Well, I did."

Roger nodded slowly. He realized the wolf's arm was still around him and he blushed lightly. It felt like the picture was coming into focus, but what was it? He did not know. Instead, he asked, "So... what did you say?"

Hunter smiled. "Well, I told her about what a great guy you are and that you've been helping me this whole time and that she should get to know you."

"Is that all?" the fox asked. "What did she say to it?"

"She said she would try," Hunter responded.

Roger sighed. "Well, I guess it's better than nothing. Thank you."

Hunter seemed a bit sad, but he did not say anything in reference to it. Rather, he looked away and leaned on the fox and began to thumb through his textbooks. Roger rested his head against him in response.

He knew what the wolf was thinking, though. He said, "It's alright, Hunter. I'm going to keep being your friend, no matter what, okay?"

He heard the wolf's tail scrape on fabric behind them. He felt somewhat warmer, and they continued to study.

It was tedious and uneventful as far as what the fox would have liked instead. He did not mind; it gave him a moment to think. She would try, is what the wolf told him. He said he had told her good things, but what had he really said? Maybe in time he would learn of it, be it from Mary or from Hunter.

He did not mind the dullness of the day. It was refreshing in a sense, compared to the worry he had been feeling. He still felt anxious, but he was still unsure of what. He did know, however, that feeling the wolf near him eased it a little, but not enough to fully rid him of it.

It took him for what seemed hours to bring it up to the wolf. He expressed the turmoil he felt in various words, and for a while, the wolf had a blank look, as if in lack of understanding. However when he finished, the expression on the wolf changed, not to anything that the fox expected, but to genuine understanding.

"I know how you feel," the wolf said. "It's the same for me."

Roger quirked his head at the response. "You've been anxious, too? What for?"

Hunter looked at the floor. "Well, I just keep thinking... that you'll move on."

"Move on? Where to? From where?" the fox asked. He knew from where, but he needed the wolf to say it so that his response could be accurate.

"Well," the wolf responded, "just from me, I guess. I'm boring to be around and I'm not that smart and I'm sure there are a bunch of things wrong with me, and...."

The fox cut him off. "Hey, stop that. Those thoughts have no place here, okay? You're a great guy and you're fun and you're working diligently. You'll be fine with your classes, with time. For everything else, you just have to be more confident, okay?"

"I don't know, Roger. I just... don't." Hunter looked away and adopted a defeated stance. Roger sighed.

"Well, here. What's your opinion of me, then? Since you don't think so highly of yourself." The fox put a paw on the wolf's shoulder.

Hunter thought for a moment and then said, "Well, you're a good guy, and you're really smart and good with all this stuff, and you know a bunch of stuff others don't. And you've been so nice to me when you don't really need to be...."

"Well, if I'm so smart and I know so much..." the fox began. The wolf looked at him and he continued, "then when I say you're a good guy and there's nothing wrong with you, just take my word for it. I'm not going to just 'move on,' it would be a mistake to do so."

The wolf nodded slowly. "I guess." He seemed unconvinced but acquiesced.

Roger thought for a moment of how to ease the wolf's tensions. He got an idea, and then said to the wolf, "I would never leave my best friend behind, okay?"

Hunter's ears perked and he turned his head to see if what the fox said was a joke.

He ascertained it was not and gave a smile, wagging his tail behind him.

A few words by the fox could improve the situation so, but he did not lie.