V.  in the doghouse

Aya was in deep thought as he sat on the couch of the Schwartz living room, every now and then his tails and nose would twitch. He was trying to change his form. He had resolved to tell Crawford about the sordid mess but had turned into a fox before he could wake the latter up. Now he was concentrating real hard trying to get back to that form.

I wished I had the time to ask Iraka-san on how to transform…

He was so deep in thought that he jumped a little when he heard a screechy, unfamiliar voice near the door.

"Kawaii! Can I play with him, Nagi."

"I don't know about that Tot-chan, Crawford and Schuldich would have my hide if something happened to Ayan-chan." Nagi said in the background.

It figures it's the Schrient girl, the one Nagi's dating. So she survived.

"Pretty please. I'll be careful…"

Uh…oh…I hope he doesn't. He does…

Nagi probably gave in because the next instant Aya found himself being swooped up into the air with his hind legs dangling ungracefully under the girl's arm. He inhaled and smelled a fruity-floral scent and his eyes and nose started to water.

I hate colognes. Can't anyone wear something hypoallergenic to kitsune?

"We're going to play dress up with Rabbi-chan." The girl cooed at him, looking at him with dire purpose. Tot proceeded to put a doll-baby cap on his head pushing his ears back which made him yip that was painful. Then got a baby shirt to put on his forepaws.

Crawford, Nagi, Schuldich, anyone please help me!

Aya began to yip desperately and struggle in the blue-haired girl's death grip.

"Now, now--Ayan-chan, be a good fox." The girl said as she put on shorts on to his hind legs and tail. With a burst of movement, Aya finally got loose from the crazy girl and ran like never before in his short furry life. He stumbled a little on the baby doll clothes but managed to get into Crawford's room and under the bed. Once safe, he began to use snout and paw to get rid of the clothes. Tot peeped with big empty eyes at the edge of the bed, waiting no doubt for her new "playmate" to come out.

Not on your life…When I get in my real form, I'm going to give a piece of my mind to Nagi for that indignity.

Aya cowered under the bed waiting for the girl to go up and leave.

She's scary.

***

"Where's Ayan?" Crawford asked Nagi as he came into the living room, frowning at absence of the fox. The red fox always met him with a glad little bark when he came home, wagging his little tails even, well just a little, as much wagging as Ayan allowed them to. It was sweet. And Crawford was absurdly proud that he was the only one given this much of a greeting by Ayan.

Not that I should be so unhappy that he didn't greet me so. I'm getting too attached to him as it is…

"Ayan's under your bed." Nagi shouted, busy on his desktop computer in his room.

Huh that's not right…

Crawford went in to his room to kneel down and peer into the darkness under his bed.

"Ayan-chan, I'm home." Crawford barely said the words when he found his arms filled with trembling fox that was desperately snuggling into him.

"Nagi what did you do to Ayan?" Crawford asked as he brought the little red bundle to the living room.

"Don't worry Ayan, I won’t let anything hurt you."

"Ummm."

"What did you do to Ayan, he's still trembling…" Crawford accused Nagi as he put down the fox who had recovered enough to walk on its own.

"I-let-Tot-play-with-him."

"You let your deranged girlfriend play with Ayan-chan!" Crawford said, exploding as Ayan looked around the hallway cautiously before going to his litter box.

"Well, she said, she'd be careful"

"Evidently, she wasn't careful enough. The next time don't let that lunatic in. Why you date with her when you can do better is beyond me!" Crawford stormed off into the hallway to call for the usual take out.

***

Nagi held his breath as Crawford spoke to him in the iciest tone he'd ever heard from the man. He wondered if the precog was going to "discipline" Nagi as he did Schuldich, that is by trying to beat on him.

He is certainly attached to Ayan-chan. I've never seen him in such a roaring snit…even in battle.

"Another order of tuna sashimi in addition to the usual…"

At that, Nagi sighed. Crawford was concentrating on comforting the little fox with a fishy treat. The fox loved raw fish in hot sauce that would make any other creature including Nagi flinch at the blistering bite.

"I always told you that that Schrient brat was scary, look at how she terrorized the kawaii monster." Schuldich teased as he leaned on Nagi's doorframe.

Oh great, Schuldich' brand of harassment…

***

Crawford sighed as the fox finally settled down on his lap as he fed it the fish dipped in soy sauce and wasabe like he never had done since the little fox had been incapacitated. He really didn't like seeing Ayan so frightened. It made feel him extremely protective. But then, the little fox was so affectionate and loving towards him that he couldn't help feel affection back.

It's no wonder that I dream of Ayan. I do lo-- No, I'm not thinking of that. It's perverse--it's sick. It'll probably scare him away from you too…

Crawford ran through his fingers over the soft fur, soothingly, it aroused not so innocent feelings in him that made him shiver. He resolved to find a lover to relieve his lust at the soonest possible moment.

This has to stop…

***

Aya was toying with the little meat pieces on his little doggie bowl, wondering what happened to Crawford. There wasn't a mission or a business meeting but the American was nowhere in sight. It wasn't like the anal-retentive precog to be so out late when it's not business. Aya was worried.

"Ayan's not eating. Do you think he's getting sick?" Nagi's wafted down from where he was sitting.

"Nah, I think he's just worried of Crawford. Or at least as worried as a small furry animal can be." Schuldich said, there was a thoughtful quality to his voice as if he was trying very hard to read someone's mind.

I remember he can't read my mind very well in this form… One of the advantages of my situation, except that I want them to understand I'm sentient now…

"Don't worry, little Ayan-chan. Crawford just went out for some fun, he will be back soon." Schuldich said as he knelt to put himself at eye-level with Aya.

"Went out for some fun"…he couldn't mean…

Aya choked on a piece of meat at the thought.

"Um, Nagi, do you know the Heimlich Maneuver on a small animal?"

***

An hour later, Aya ran up to Crawford to greet him with his usual bark of welcome. But this time, he sniffed at the American first and stopped short. An alien musk was on the man, permeating precog's suit from within.

Schuldich is right…he went out to have some "fun", sexual fun, to be exact…I didn't quite believe it. Why would he when he has me for company? Every night…Am I that unsatisfactory a lover that he should take another? Besides doesn't he lo--Now be fair, he doesn't know that you're real…Even so…

Aya knew that he didn't have the right to feel the hot hurt that welled up to fill his little heart but he couldn't help it. He glared up at Crawford and turned tail to walk stiffly to Schuldich' room to make a cute little face up at the German.

Can I sleep with you tonight, Schuldich-san?

"It seemed that your little wife's miffed at you tonight, Crawford." Schuldich guffawed as he allowed Aya to snuggle up to him in the bed. He no longer wore the cologne that Aya found offensive since Crawford had told him not to, yesterday when it became obvious to the American that that was why Aya was always sneezing.

***

: What's wrong with Ayan? : Crawford asked Schuldich mentally.

: I think he doesn't like the smell of a stranger on you or maybe he's like a small child. He knows enough that you might have found a new mate and wonders if you're going to abandon him. At least that's the initial impression I'm getting. He's very, very hard to read because he thinks kind of strange. : Schuldich smirked. He had a fair idea what Crawford was thinking after catching the latter's discomfort over the "little wife" bit.

Caught you, so you have been fantasizing about furry sex… I never thought you hadn't it you, Braddy-boy, tsk, tsk, real kinky looking at the size differential between Ayan and you! Goes to show it's the quiet ones you really have to watch out for… So this little thing really is your wife, in a way and you don't like having him sleeping with the house slut. Hehehe.

: Is that all? Maybe I should reassure him that I'm not leaving him. :

: You could try that but even if Ayan is intelligent for an animal there are some things that he can't comprehend. What your trying to do might be going outside his comprehension. : In spite of Schuldich' amusement at the situation, he could find it in his heart to pity Crawford who was trying so hard to find a way to get the fox back into his bed without giving something inappropriate away.

This one's to even up the score about the "Youji thing" several times over…

: I still have to try. :

: It's your ball. Though I can't understand why you want to do that. :

Brad tried to pick up the fox off the bed where it was lying sensually luxuriating in the feeling of emerald silk spread on velvet fur. The fox wriggled away from his hands several times and even gave a mighty twist when he managed to hold it for long.

"Ayan…" Crawford said, crooning sweet nonsense to the kitsune trying to coax it. Ayan just twirled his tails into the precog's face and settled back into the bed. Exasperated, the American finally gave up and left.

This is going to be interesting…

***

Crawford woke up irritable. Tonight was the second night Ayan had slept with Schuldich. He had tried unsuccessfully to get the fox to come back to him. The first night alone after an unsatisfactory sexual encounter with a red head in a motel, he had dreamed that his faceless lover standing over him with reproach in his purple eyes. Then Schuldich appearing, smirking as the foxy redhead walked off with him. The same dream came to him tonight but this time his imagination had tortured him with sexual images when he awoke in the middle of it. He decided that enough was enough. If this continued he'd be useless in missions. It was just an hour before predawn if he was quiet he could sneak into Schuldich' room to take Ayan out into his. He really missed the comforting furry presence.

Who are you kidding? You just want him back in your bed so that you can enjoy your illicit fantasies of him… Well, at least, I'm not Schuldich who will take advantage of the poor animal. Hah, Schuldich has his Weiß kitten he's hardly going to have sex fantasies with the little fox in them. He's safer with Schuldich…but I want him back!

Crawford went stealthily over to Schuldich' door to open it slowly with the master key that he had. Carefully staying out of the doorway. His caution was rewarded when Schuldich came out of the room in a rush after a long moment.

"Crawford, what the fuck? You gave me a scare." Schuldich said in a harsh whisper.

"I want the fox back." Crawford said in the same volume.

"Huh, you're obsessed." Schuldich said, eyes sleepy but alert.

"Are you arguing with me?"

"Not in this early in the a.m. I'm not. Let's talk in a decent hour of the morning. Ayan's stayed with me this long, he might as well stay till morning."

"No I want him back in my bed, now, ASAP."

"What bug's gotten in your bonnet? Okay, okay, take him out." Schuldich lead Crawford over to his silk-sheeted bed where the fox seemed to be blissfully stretched out, sleeping.

***

Aya woke up when Schuldich shifted out to stand by the doorway that opened to the dimly lit hallway. He watched as Crawford and Schuldich argued in whispers about him with an eye barely open. He heard them reach a grudging agreement and approach the bed, he closed his eyes feigning sleep.

You think you can just get me back by just yanking me into your bed, you're sorely mistaken.

Just as soon as Aya heard Crawford get up on the bed to reach him, Aya rose up and jumped off the bed and scooted under it.

"Ayan!" Crawford's muffled exclamation came in startlingly loud from above. Soon he saw the American peering at the side of the bed at him.

"Hey Ayan! You're husband's already on his hands and knees begging you to come home."

"Schuldich!"

"Well it's true, isn't it? Besides I can't get any beauty sleep while you two have your lover's quarrel in my room. How about your own room?" Schuldich asked cattily.

"Schuldich!" From the tone of Crawford, he seemed overwhelmed by embarrassment.

That settled it despite the fact that Aya was annoyed with Crawford at the moment, he couldn't let Schuldich pick on his lo--

I wasn't going to think that but I guess he is in a way. And I do lo--what am I saying, he's a member of the Schwartz!

***

Aya had gotten out from under the bed to yap a couple of yaps at Schuldich before sitting down twitching his nose and tail in thought, looking mighty cute as he did so. Though not for long for Crawford swoop on the fox while he was exposed on the floor.

"You know I sometimes think that that fox is more than he seems…like right now. I'm almost positive he was trying to think some things through." Schuldich said, thoughtfully probing along the edges of the fox' mind.

"Ummm…" Crawford said as he was crooning and patting a squirming and yapping Ayan and only half-listening.

"Yohoo! Earth to Crawford."

"Huh." Crawford said as Ayan took advantage of his distraction and wiggled out of his grip to try and scoot under the bed again. The precog managed barely to block the way in.

"Uh, don't look now, Crawford but something's happening to the kawaii monster."

It was true something was happening, a black smoky glow surrounded Ayan engulfing him. Without a thought for consequences, Crawford jumped into the mess to take Ayan out of it only to be covered by the mist. Schuldich wondered if he should jump in too just as everything cleared and what was revealed made him almost faint with surprise.

***

Aya was in mid-yap, scolding Crawford in his kit voice venting his annoyance when suddenly he felt strange. He didn't stop however and continued to yap, thinking it was his imagination. Then he felt Crawford's arms close around him and wondered what was the American up to now.

"And furthermore…" Hey that's my voice…my human voice… Aya fell silent in surprise and he wasn't the only one. The sudden quiet echoed across the room. Then it was broken.

"What's the racket all a--a--"

What a time for Nagi-kun to check out what's been happening around here…

***

"…About?" Nagi finally finished his statement. The racket of thundering feet and loud voices coming from Schuldich' room had awakened him so he decided to investigate. What he found was startling but then being still somewhat sleepy, it had not filtered into his consciousness so had not rendered him speechless as it did the other occupants in the room.

Sitting on the floor was a very naked Abyssinian very human except for foxy ears and foxy tails and on his lap was Crawford whose arms were wrapped around him.

"I know that there must be some rational explanation for this. So tell me in the morning, ne?" Nagi said, fairly radiating embarrassment that no one needed to look to know that he must be blushing like a beet. He then beat a hasty retreat to his room and slammed the door behind him.

***

"Shit, the kid's been hanging around you too long, Crawford. He's starting to sound like you. So what is this all about?" Schuldich finally said, being the first to get out of his surprise or maybe surprise wasn't the word for what the precog was feeling.

I bet he thinks he died and got into heaven or something… His lover's human or at least humanoid and he still gets the fur in the form of those tails…

Schuldich thought with extreme amusement as Crawford froze in place.

"Hn." Aya said, glaring at Schuldich. He didn't like his situation made fun of in this manner.

"Fujimiya, how nice of you to drop by."

"It was not my intention to amuse, I assure you."

Crawford was still sitting dumbly on Aya's lap, eyes glazed over.

For once the great Oracle is at a loss for words…it goes to show that it does happen to the best of us sometimes…no one's infallible…

***

"Crawford…we need to talk…" Aya said worriedly as the precog begun rouse out of his daze, nuzzling at him.

"I think Crawford's not interested in talking, kid." Schuldich said guffawing even more, he was positively rolling on the floor with mirth.

"Crawford?" Aya asked again, wondering what was wrong with the precog.

He should be surprised about this development and not so happy to see me…he should be asking questions, at the very least be worried. He should be concerned about our relationship or be upset. He should…

"Talk later, call me Brad." Crawford said proceeding to trail kisses down Aya's chest.

"What's wrong with you?" Aya asked, the American's odd behavior was starting to alarm him.

"Ummm, Crawford could you take that elsewhere unless you want to make it a threesome." Schuldich leered.

"Don't even think of it, Schuldich!" Crawford said in a muffled growl as he started to go lower and lower.

"What's wrong with Crawford? Schuldich help me here…" Aya said uneasily turning to the only source of help in the room, moving a little away from Crawford's groping.

"Why should I? Don't you like Crawford that way, your jealousy while you were Ayan-chan certainly seems to indicate so. Or do you remember being Ayan at all?" Schuldich said still chortling under his breath.

"That's not the point. Crawford's not behaving the way he should. Something is wrong here."

"I said call me Brad! And stop speaking to Schuldich!" Crawford growled again, this time there was a rumbling menace of accusation in his voice. He didn't like Aya's distancing tactics at all.

"No, Cr--Brad, I haven't been 'with' anyone but you."  Aya said in a tone meant to reassure.

"Don't look at me, kid. This isn't my doing."

"Just check him out then."  Aya said giving the annoying telepath a death glare.

"Schuldich!" Crawford was definitely pissed off as he stood up and turned, advancing on the German in rage.

"Brad." Aya said when it was obvious that the man was out of control.

Crawford turned to Aya, forgetting Schuldich.

: Probe him now! : Aya sent to the telepath as he turned to run, tails waving unintentionally seductively behind him.

"I get it now. You want to play hard to get." Crawford said, starting after the Weiß redhead.

: Aa. : Schuldich replied in the same way.

: Ummm, kid, he seems to be out of it with lust. Go along with him or be dragged. As a matter of curiosity, were you actually sleeping with him in this form before? : Schuldich said after a while.

: I think so. : Aya said in a breathy reply as he allowed Crawford to corner him in their dubiously shared bed.

***

: You think so? : Schuldich asked a moment later when there seems to be no answer forthcoming.

: I know I'll probably regret telling this to you… But I didn't know I could shift out of fox form…or I would have tried…uh…to get home to the Koneko much harder. It seemed like a weird wet dream…but I found out otherwise when I woke in the middle of it…Shifted back to fox form though before I could wake up Crawford to talk. : Aya's "voice" was uneven and coming in spurts whatever Crawford was doing to him it was disrupting his concentration.

Disrupting his concentration might be the understatement of the year, the man must be fucking his brains out…judging from those auras coming with his mental message…woohoo, didn't think Crawford had it in him…

: Why not? Don't you like our company? :

: You like Ayan-chan, not Aya the Abyssinian. :

: Well if you're the furball then we could make room for you. Judging from Crawfish's reaction, we'll need to. Wait'll I tell Youji about this! :

: Do that and I'll tell him about you and me sleeping together. :

: We didn't! Did we? : Schuldich felt a sudden near panic at this.

Youji'll kill me, if Crawford doesn't get to me first…and I wouldn't know what's more painful.

: Not in the making love sort of sense…no.:

: Thank goodness. What are you going to do about Crawfish? :

: I try to talk to him in the morning...using pen and paper if I have to. :

: Good idea. :

Good God, Crawford and Aya, together… This situation is so surreal!

Schuldich laughed quietly to sleep in his bed, blessedly alone at last.

~TBC~

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