Chapter 47: Lowering the guard

Kiran found Remi the same way he always did lately, by walking the quieter trails until the fennec appeared out of nowhere, silent as a shadow.

Remi was perched on a fallen log this time, one knee drawn up, checking something on a small device strapped to his wrist. The tactical gear was the same as before: dark, practical, form-fitting enough that Kiran’s eyes still lingered a little too long on the lean lines of his body. Those oversized ears flicked toward the sound of approaching paws long before Kiran was close enough to speak.

“You’re getting predictable,” Remi said without looking up.

Kiran grinned and hopped up onto the log beside him, tail curling behind him for balance. “Or maybe you’re just that good at noticing me. I’ll take the compliment either way.”

Remi finally glanced over, the corner of his muzzle twitching in what might have been the ghost of a smile. “I patrol this stretch every day. Lir covers the higher ground. He likes the trees. Prefers to stay invisible.”

“Sniper leopard,” Kiran said, nodding. “I’ve heard the stories. Guy can put a round through a bottle cap at three hundred yards or something ridiculous.”

“Four hundred,” Remi corrected quietly. “And he doesn’t miss. He’s never far. If something happens out here, he’s already watching.”

Kiran tilted his head, studying the fennec’s profile. “You two work well together. It’s smart. One of you in the open, one of you in the shadows. Most packs don’t coordinate that cleanly.”

Remi’s ears twitched at the praise, though he tried to hide it by looking back down at his device. “We do what works.”

They walked for a while after that, conversation drifting between resistance movements, recent sightings, and the strange quiet that had settled over the territory since the last panther attack. Remi was still reserved, but he talked more now. Kiran had a way of filling silences without demanding answers, and little by little the fennec seemed to relax into it.

Eventually the trail dipped and the sound of running water reached them. Remi led the way without explanation, slipping between a stand of young pines until they emerged into a small rocky clearing. A miniature waterfall spilled over a low ledge into a clear, cold pool no bigger than a large bath. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in bright shafts, turning the water a sparkling green-blue.

“One of my favorite spots,” Remi admitted, already toeing off his boots. “Quiet. Hard to approach without being heard.”

Kiran’s ears perked. “Oh, we’re swimming?”

“If you want.”

They ended up sitting on the smooth, sun-warmed rocks at the edge of the pool with their feet dangling in the water, the coolness flowing through their fur. Kiran kicked lazily, watching the little waves he made. After a long stretch of comfortable quiet, he glanced sideways at the fennec.

“So ... about the other day.”

Remi’s ears went flat for half a second before he forced them upright again. “What about it.”

“You’ve never had a blowjob.”

It wasn’t a question. Remi’s silence confirmed it.

Kiran leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky through the leaves. “I could change that for you. Right now. No pressure. No expectations. Just ... me wanting to.”

Remi let out a short, startled laugh. “You’re ridiculous. What a thing to want out here, and with a fox you barely know.”

“I’m serious.”

The laugh faded. Remi stared at the water for a long time. “No.”

Kiran didn’t push. He just shrugged and smiled like it was no big deal. They sat there a while longer, feet swirling the cold water, until the heat of the day made the idea of the pool too tempting to ignore.