Authors note:

Late...

Chapter 11: Resolution

...

Uh... What the hell was that? That had to be an accident, right? It had to be a mistake, right? There was no way that Fox...

'Think, Wolf. Think!' Racking his brain for answers he just couldn't find. Recap!

Fox said he loved him. Love? Surely not. What is there he could have seen to love? Had all this been caused over the time span of yesterday, or culminating over a long time? "I thought about this a long time," Long time... Had he been missing the signals all along? Further.

Distinctly remembering it was Fox who started the embrace, his hand laying gently against his side suggestively. Was that part of his plan? Undressing was another mistake of his to add to the roster. 'Fox tried to hide his face from me.' There was an obvious tinge on the vulpine's face at the time, a stammer in his voice. 'He was blushing. Was he shy?' Apparently not shy enough to stop him from undressing. That in itself was an obvious sign that Fox was fine with it, that he liked Wolf.

The vulpine was fine with sharing the bed, too. In the right frame of mind, Wolf wouldn't; yet instead he was the one who offered. But it was Fox who offered for him to stay over in the first place...

It made him feel happy at the time. Not only did he not have to live with that insufferable prick any longer, he also had somewhere to go where they wanted him to be with them; his sister only agreed to let him stay with him out of some sense of obligation, that slight bit of pack mentality lingering in her genes. Was it a mistake to come here?

'No. Just because he likes me doesn't mean I should start thinking like this.'

It was the better choice for the lupine. Not having a good method of getting contacted by the team should there be an emergency, Fox was quite useful in that regard. Plus, he started enjoying the company of the vulpine somewhat. Somewhat... He was basing this off a day where he was drugged up and the one time they went out as a trio.

Except being drugged up only amplified his true feelings, didn't it? Never in his life had he been so open before. Fox had helped him experience new things; activities — which may or may not have been a date to the other, foods, emotions. Not that he loved Fox. He didn't even know what love was. An emotion he'd been devoid of his entire life. Why? He'd tried many different things in his past, all of which ended up in hate. Hated by all. All, but one. Of all people, it had to be Fox, didn't it? His ex-rival turned teammate — turned lover?

He had to consider his options here; ignore the vulpine's feelings for him and never allow anything to come from it, or give him a chance? Perhaps he could reciprocate these feelings? Throwing it all away right now seemed stupid. He'd never know what he was missing, yet he didn't really know what he'd be giving either. Maybe he could observe Fox, study him. Study love. He'd get a chance for a chance.

Is it a fleeting emotion? How fickle was it? He'd nearly killed Fox in the past, yet he was still the only one who would tip his hand to say he felt that way. Could it be that it was strong enough that it could look past that? It didn't seem plausible... How should he be feeling, how was Fox feeling?

'Damn it Wolf. Think!' Further. Dinner.

Fox's tail was wagging the entire time. His breathing slightly laboured, the way he tensed up during their hug. Shouldn't have done that in retrospect. It was clear he was nervous, was it due to inexperience? And then the red hue consistently revealing itself at any and every opportunity.

'Wait, how do I even know that happened? For all I know it could've been a dream.' This sudden revelation gave him an idea of what his plan of action would be for now; prove that was real, and prove Fox's resolve. Just as he had decided on doing so, the door to the room opened, Fox peering in.

"Oh, you're awake. You feeling any better?"

Some parts still hurt when he moved, the deeper cuts which need more time. "Yeah, fine."

Fox exhaled audibly. 'Looks like the drug's wearing off.' he thought with mild disappointment, but shook it off. "That's good." Fox stood awkwardly in the room, staring at the lupine. "Right! I was gonna get a shower." Making his way to a door Wolf somehow hadn't noticed, he walked inside and the sound of a stream of water was all that could be heard.

'Guess I'll hop in after.' He lied back down, head resting against both hands cupped behind, staring at the ceiling. He had to admit, the bed was much comfier than his own, and the room was much better treat too. Though, the distinct scent of the other male filled the room, which was slightly jarring.

After some time, the sound stopped. More time, and the shower room door opened, admitting the vulpine. Wolf moved his head down to look, only to wish he hadn't; Fox stood there completely naked.

"Uh, I'm still here, ya'know." Wolf broke the silence, Fox instantly moving to cover himself.

"Sh-shit! Cover your eyes!" Wolf moved to look back at the roof. "I-I forgot you were here!" he exclaimed, giving a poor excuse.

"How do you forget I'm here? You talked to me just before you went in, too."

"I have a lot on my mind, okay?" 'I'll bet.' Wolf thought cynically."J-just don't look until I'm gone, okay?"

"Didn't intend on it." Wolf stated, which left Fox slightly disappointed once more. Proceeding to dress himself as fast he could, he rushed out of the room meaning Wolf was safe again. How does someone do that on accident? For all I know, that could have been on purpose.

But Fox wouldn't do that, he wasn't the plotting type. Wait, how does he know what type of person Fox is? He shouldn't be trusting him completely. Wolf arose from the bed and made his way to the shower room, noting that there was still a clean, unused towel left.

Meh, it wasn't that big of a deal.

Removing his boxers, he proceeded to wash thoroughly, noticing the fancy brands Fox had at his disposal. Of course Mr. rich boy would be able to afford all this stuff, he thought; on second hand, that was quite a rude thing to think. There's no point in being bitter about any of this, especially about the only person who's cared about him in a long time. He then went on to use said products, wincing when his cuts stung due to the shampoo.

One long wash later, he exited the booth with his sopping wet fur, quickly grabbing the towel on the rack to dry himself. Once he decided it was good enough — there's no way he's getting completely dry with just a towel — he left the room with the towel wrapped around his waist.

'I don't have any clean clothes...' Realising this, he went downstairs in search of Fox. "Hey Fo-"

CRASH!

Huh? The sight of the vulpine in front of him, holding his hands out in an almost comical manner while his feet are surrounded by china made it obvious what the source of the noise was; that, and the blush. 'It's not like you haven't seen me semi-naked before...' He thought with a frown, moving closer to the vulpine. "Wh-why aren't you dressed?" Lowering himself, Fox began to try gather the larger pieces of the plate with his hand.

"I don't have any clean clothes?" He stated as if it was obvious. Well, it was obvious, he'd only just 'moved in' yesterday.

"Oh yeah. In th-" Raising his head to look up at Wolf, he got a slight glance underneath the towel. "G-b... Use some of mine." He stuttered out between coughs, eliciting another sideways frown from the lupine. 'How long is this gonna last?'

Returning to the bedroom, Wolf began to rummage around the looking for something to wear. A gun in his bedside drawer stood out to him, but nothing else was there other than some pictures; he closed the drawer deciding that he shouldn't be nosey. After a short look, he found where his boxers and socks were kept.

Looking at the clothes, they clearly weren't going to fit him, so he tried to chose the largest and baggiest things he could find. Once he was presentable, he returned to the kitchen to be greeted with the smell of... Something.

"What you making?" Asked Wolf, disrupting Fox's concentration.

"Breakfast. You good with bacon and eggs?" He even eats like a rich boy. Or maybe this was normal? He had no clue.

"Sure."

"Great! It'll be done in a few, take a seat while you wait." He nodded his head over to the dining table as an indication. "If you want..." he added, not wanting to seem rude. Wolf took his seat and noticed the TV in the other room was turned on.

"...Mysterious disappearances of... -rneria and other... increased pirate activity around..." It was too quiet to listen to, especially against the sizzling of the eggs, so he decided to ignore it; if it was important Fox would have it turned up louder.

"That doesn't sound too good..." Fox murmured to himself, gaining the lupines attention.

"Hm? I take it that's not normal?"

"No, the last time people started going missing was before the Lylat wars. Though, last time there weren't many pirates."

"Hm, I'm sure it's nothing too serious. People get lost all the time."

"But not missing, Wolf. I can't help but feel this has something to do with Star Wolf." A scowl formed on Wolf's face, sick of them being referred to by his name. "Sorry, I know; it's just that we don't know their team name, and it's an easier way to say it."

"Yeah, but can you not? It's just so..." He looked down with a growl. That's his legacy; he can try leave the past in the past all he wants but it'll always rear it's head back at him to tell him he is a pirate. Trying to change it did nothing either. After joining Star Fox, he was hoping maybe he'd get at least some recognition, yet the only people who trusted him, who acknowledged him, were Fox and Krystal — even though she has been standoffish lately. Maybe it was just Fox... Maybe Wolf was doomed to this treatment for life.

The clanging of a plate landing in front of him cut him out of his internal rant. It looked pretty good, better than anything he could cook. "Sorry, I won't any more." He smiled in earnest, taking his seat at the opposite side of the table. "From now on I'll make sure to call them... Star..."

"Psychopaths?" He let out bitterly, earning a slight chuckle from Fox.

"As tempting as that sounds, I was thinking of going for something a little less... Mouthfull-y?"

"Pirates?" He offered, reminding himself that he was part of that team. Fits it well.

"Sure, I guess." The two began to eat in silence, both unsure about what to say to each other. The clothes Wolf were in constricted him all the more as he sat down, uncomfortably shuffling trying to give himself space.

Fox finished his first, moving to the sink to wash up the plate; he'd have to start taking better care for the house if he had someone else here now. Sitting back at the table, he at the wall behind the lupine in thought, as if he was struggling with something. Finally finishing his food, Wolf made a move to get up, only to be stopped by Fox's hand. "Don't worry, I'll do it." He offered, taking the plate.

Wolf stared at the piece of fluff wagging happily behind the vulpine, sometimes picking up in a fervent pace while also sometimes spontaneously stopping, his ears pinning back slightly. 'Is he ok?'

"Fox?"

"Huh?" And it started up once again.

"Nothing..." 'Am I causing that?' Thinking back, he still hadn't done his litmus test yet, and now he had his plan. Moving to stand beside the vulpine, he looked at him at a sideways glance.

"Oh yeah, we should probably get you some clothes." Fox stated, noting the less than comfortable clothes he was confined in.

"You can just take me home, I'll bring some from there."

"No no, it's fine. I'll pay for it too, my treat." He turned to face him, beaming. 'He's being too nice to me.' Wolf also turned, now face to face with Fox. Wolf bit his lip in consideration, wondering if he should actually go through with it.

'Fuck it.'

Wolf started to close the distance between them slowly, Fox's eyes opening drastically. The vulpine's mouth opened slightly, startled breaths landed against the others muzzle. "W-Wolf?" Just before they touched, Wolf swayed back and away, his legs giving way slightly. "W-wh-what were you..."

Blinking a few times, he straightened his posture up and turned away from Fox. "Sorry, just got a bit light headed there." he feigned, holding a hand up to his head as the beet red fox beside him stood in shock, lip trembling slightly. 'Bingo.' His tail was also a dead giveaway, swishing violently as he tried to sneakily move his hands to stop it.

"A-are you ok? Do you need to lie down?" Concern filled Fox's eyes, despite the anticipation and excitement which was pouring out of him.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

...

"Say, you wanna head out now?" Wolf asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure, let me just grab my things."

'That was a bit harsh of me...'

"It's good to see you're better, I'll come see you later, okay?" Krystal said with a smile as she stood up getting ready to leave.

"Sure thing, Krys. Thanks for coming." He waved her off, leaving the two of them alone again. Katt looked slightly excited to now be alone with him, as he internally groaned. Where to start...

The best thing to do was start from the beginning, right? "So, catch me up kitty. What have I missed?"

"Not much, really" She stated with a hint of spite.

"Doesn't sound like it."

"I don't know what you could possibly mean."

"You not gonna tell me about Wolf?" He inquired, a scowl forming on her visage.

"Who'd ever want to know about that thieving, backstabbing murderer?" 'Backstabbing? Is she just making things up now?'

"I doubt he's as bad as you're making him out to be." Falco scolded.

"What?! You of ALL people should know; they're all the same. Every single one of them." Still stuck up on the past. This was going to prove troublesome.

"I do know, Katt. People never change, at heart they're all the same. But do you actually know what that 'same' is? How can you say that at heart Wolf wasn't good, had some rough times, and ended up as he is today?"

"And how do you know he's not a monster? You're doing an awful lot of preaching without any evidence here." She huffed aggressively, now accusing Falco too. "Remember the Lylat wars? That bastard who fought against us? Who killed our friends? Who was it who killed our family? Rogue Venomians? Bullshit! It was Andross' command, everyone knows it. Wolf fought for that madman, he's just as guilty as them!"

"Now you're just saying irrelevant things. Wolf had nothing to do with that and you know it. At the end of the day, we're mercenaries."

"He's a pirate!" She interrupted pointedly, enforcing this.

"We're mercenaries. We've killed just as many as he has, perhaps even more. He was paid to fight for the other side, just like we were paid by Corneria. I hold no grudge against him for fighting us, nor should you. If anything, Fox should be the one pissed at him, not you."

"Oh yeah, and instead of that he's all lovey-dovey with his precious little Wolf that he's turned against me too." She seethed, clenching her fists. "I thought... If someone could understand me... It would be you." She let out quietly, her rage dissolving into sorrow.

"Look, Katt. I do understand you, trust me. But it's because I understand you that I know what you're saying is wrong. Fox told me earlier, he's sorry for arguing with you so much recently. Can't you two make up?"

"Not while he's siding with Wolf." Her stubbornness showing once again. "He likes him more than me, and I've known him for far longer. Probably more than everyone else too, with how he's been acting recently. Stuck to him completely."

"Who Fox likes is who Fox likes, I have no problem with that. Fox trusts him, so I'll trust him. If he's on our side, I can trust him. During the invasion, he was different too. He had our backs, and he explicitly saved Fox. But you know, he doesn't hate you. The poor sod doesn't have the ability to hate someone." 'Too kind for his own good.'

"Which is why Wolf might be using him! Think about it, why else would they be friends?"

"He's kind, but not stupid either. There's a reason he got top grades in the academy. Smart, talented, everything. He's a natural." He let out some internal jealousy which had formed from his years with the vulpine. Why wouldn't he be jealous? "Fox wouldn't get manipulated easily, he'd see straight through it." Mulling over her words, a grin formed on his face. "Glad to see you're only looking out for him, though."

"Huh?"

"You're arguing with him because you don't want him to get caught up in something bad, aren't you? You don't want him friends with Wolf because of how he is."

"Whatever..." She said, feigning ignorance. He was spot on, not that she would ever admit it. How could she be angry at Fox?

"But let me tell you something. Fox is grown up, too. He won't need you looking out for him all the time, 'kay? It seems like he's found something in Wolf, something that he likes, and that's the reason he sides with him. Maybe you'll find it too, some day?"

"Yeah, right. They're all the same, I'll prove it." She said, determined in her resolve.

"So can you please make up with Fox already? I'm not forcing you to be friends with Wolf, but can you at least be civil with him?" He pleaded.

"I don't see why I should."

"Arguing isn't good for a team, and you know that." Memories of their old team flooded through her, reminding her of their failure. One petty argument leading to the deaths of two of their team, leading the rest to disband. "You've said it already, Fox will side with Wolf. Why be against him? If you're on Fox's side, don't fight with him. God knows how sick I'll get of that." He added jokingly, trying to ease the tension. "And if they do end up being a couple, that's Fox's choice, and I'll support whatever choice he makes."

"Hah, like that'll happen though. I can't see him liking Wolf that much, besides he already has Krystal." She giggled, taking that statement as a joke.

"Yeah, you're right. But ya' get what I'm saying?"

"Fine, if it's for you, then I'll stop..." She said, looking at the floor. That was a start. Silence ensued from the resolution to their conversation, and Katt sat in thought. 'They're all the same.'

...

"You know... I missed you..." She let out meekly, disturbing their moment. "I... You're the first person I've ever trusted. You're like family to me; as sad as that sounds." This again. He knew what was coming, and had formulated his answer long ago. "I've been wondering if... You'd like to give me another chance?"

"Katt, we've been through this. We don't work out as a couple." 'I can't let my freedom go, not for anything.' His harsh words cut through her, yet she showed no signs of weakness. She nodded slowly, realising talking about it any more is futile and would only result in hurting her more.

"I-I think I should go. I'll come visit tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good. Remember what we talked about." She nodded once again, and then made her way out of the room. Letting out a large sigh, he flopped back into his bed and stared at the ceiling. 'Wolf, huh? Who would've guessed.'

"I can't see him liking Wolf that much." - "Yeah, you're right."

He let out a smirk. 'I wouldn't be so sure, kitty.' He'd never seen Fox so confused about someone in his life, so confused in himself. It would be rather amusing, if it weren't for the resulting outcome, or the struggle on the way. Of all people, Wolf. He'd trust him if Fox did, but if anything were to go that far he can't just trust Fox. Katt was going for her proof, and Falco decided to go for his. Proof that Wolf is a good person, good enough for Fox.

"Maaan" he let out quietly as he rolled onto his side, facing out of the window. God only knows how he's feeling right now, what he's struggling with. Falling for the person who's been known for being the cause of his fathers death for years; how cruel fate can be.

That, and how would Krystal react knowing this? It was obvious she wanted Fox, ever since she saw him. Finding himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, what would he choose? He wouldn't want to upset anyone, but this was a road with no good outcome...

'Good luck, Foxy, you'll need it.'

End note:

Finally... Just wondering, I was thinking of adding Katt/Falco's backstory as a one-shot but I wondered if anyone would actually be bothered or if I should just try slowly implement it into this. Let me know if you'd actually be bothered about it, because if not I'll just write it into here.

Thanks for reading!