Chapter Text
It was late when Aether picked Lumine up from her work shift at the library. The streetlights had all come on and were casting a soft glow as she got into the car they shared. She leaned her head back against the seat before rubbing her eyes wearily. Aether just patted her on the arm, looking just as tired as his twin.
“Long shift at the library tonight?” He asked her sympathetically.
She just nodded and put on her seatbelt, sitting up a bit after she had rested a moment. “You don’t look like your day was any easier.”
“Nope. Had a lot of animals to give vaccines to today.”
With that, he shrugged and backed out of the empty parking lot, starting the trip back to their apartment further into town. Along the way, Lumine almost started nodding off, her head slumped against her window. She opened her eyes and sat up straighter as she felt Aether slow down and pull into the Good Hunter, a fast food restaurant with a drive thru.
He grinned at her. “What do you want? It’s my treat.”
She perked up instantly. “I want a burger. No tomato though, or onion.” She made a face which made him laugh.
“You’re so picky, but fine. Anything for my dear sister.” That earned him a punch on the arm.
Still, he did as she asked, getting the same but with extra pickles and all of the vegetables for himself. Instead of staying parked and eating there in their vehicle, Aether opted to take them to their favorite little spot. It was a bit out of the way and at the top of a large hill in the forest, but it had become ritual for the twins to go enjoy their meals under a starry sky not marred or dimmed by the city’s light or pollution.
Lumine and Aether traded stories about their day to keep themselves alert and actively awake on the drive out into the forest. Lumine was in the middle of telling a riveting story about how one of the other employees at the library had mistakingly placed some of the mythology books in the wrong section thanks to a computer error when she noticed Aether slowing down.
There was a vehicle parked on the side of the road ahead with no caution lights on. Something in Lumine’s gut told her that something was off, and Aether apparently felt the same as her because he slowed down even more and switched off his high beams.
"Do you think anyone's in there?" He whispered, as if the vehicle would be able to hear them.
Lumine opened her mouth to respond as they approached, but she stopped when the car suddenly peeled off, tires screeching as it disappeared down the road without even slowing down as it took the curves ahead. It hadn't had a license plate or any identifying features besides being black and a car. Neither of the twins were well-versed in car language, so being able to tell what model car it was was off the table completely.
They both looked at each other and then back at where the car had been. Lumine's sharp eyes caught what looked like something moving a bit farther off the side of the road. She straightened up more as her eyes adjusted.
"Ae, pull over."
She was out of the car before it had completely stopped, and she rushed over to the side where she had seen it. Aether was about to yell at her for jumping out of a moving vehicle but was stopped by the strangled cry she let out. His heart pounded in his chest as he also rushed over, worried his twin had gotten hurt by something.
"Get my jacket out of the car and bring it to me, quick!" Her tone was firm as she knelt on the ground.
Aether did as he was told, the command of Lumine’s voice letting him know that she was dead serious. The jacket was white, had a soft fur collar, and had cost Lumine a big chunk of her spending money earlier that year. She wore it everywhere, but all of that was cast aside as soon as Aether handed it to her.
She immediately wrapped something up in it and slowly got up, her arms holding the large bundle. When she turned to Aether, the light from the car caught her, and he gasped. Large red blotches were already seeping into the white cloth, permanently staining it.
"Lu, what the hell is that?" As if in response, there was a soft whine that came from the bundle. "It's alive?!" His voice shot up an octave momentarily.
She gave him an exasperated look. "Well, I wouldn't wrap something dead in my favorite jacket, now would I?" She was tense, and he knew she didn't mean to be snappy at him.
Lumine walked back to the car, clutching the bundle carefully in her arms and refused to answer any of the questions Aether threw her way, her only thought about saving the animal wrapped in her arms. Finally Aether got over his baffled state and switched into business mode like his sister had.
He helped her into the car, watching as she cradled the bundle gently in her arms. Blood covered her hands and had bled through the fabric of her jacket and was staining the clothes she wore. Aether switched on the interior light in the car after he hopped in, and both twins got a good look at what Lumine had found.
It was a fox, its copper fur dirty and matted, with blood from several wounds across it. All in all, it was a mess.
Aether cursed under his breath. "It was just lying like that beside where the car had been?”
He almost missed the slight shake of Lumine’s head. "He was in a garbage bag." Her voice broke on the last couple of words, her shoulders shaking as she let out a sob for the little creature.
Aether just started the car, his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white with tension. He drove carefully as they made their way back to town, making sure he didn't jostle the fox in Lumine’s arms.
Luckily for them, Aether worked as a vet tech, so he was very knowledgeable about how to treat animals, but unluckily for them, the animal hospital was operating on limited hours and was closed until the next morning. Still, the fox was lucky it had been the twins who came along at the right time because Aether still had enough medical supplies stored at their apartment to at least stabilize the poor thing until they could take it to the animal hospital. Lumine murmured softly to the small creature in a soothing tone to try and keep it calm. It occasionally whined softly in response but otherwise didn't move.
Neither twin said it, but they were both worried about the same thing: that they were too late to save it.
As soon as they pulled into the driveway of the duplex they lived in, Aether jumped out of the car after putting it in park and went around to Lumine’s side, opening her door so she could focus on carrying the animal in her arms. They made it inside where Aerher swiped everything off of their kitchen island, and Lumine gently set the bundle down on it. Aether turned on the overhead lights and brought over an extra lamp as Lumine slowly and carefully unwrapped her jacket from around the fox. Both twins inhaled sharply at what they saw.
The fox was covered in cuts, and its fur matted and dirty, much more than what they had seen in the low light of the car. It breathed very lightly, its eyes shut tight in pain. "Ae…" Lumine whispered, her voice threatening to break again.
He shook his head and gently examined the fox, pausing when he was done.”Go get me the kit in my room under the bed. I’ll do what I can and then make a call to see if we can bring him by the hospital tonight as a favor. It’ll be expensive though.”
Lumine mutely did as he said, her tears threatening to spill over at any moment. She stood near the table, lightly brushing the fox’s head with her fingertips. He leaned into her touch, softly whining when she stopped. After a tense few minutes, Aether had managed to stem most of the bleeding and do a quick evaluation.
“Nothing appears to be broken, but he looks like he was tortured. There are several deep cuts that were probably made with a knife, from what I can see.” He looked up at his twin. “Can you carry him to the car again? I’ll grab some towels and then meet you out there. We’re getting into the hospital whether they want us to or not.”
They did not.
The next few hours went by in a blue for Lumine. They loaded up the fox, and Aether drove carefully back out to the animal hospital where he worked. It was locked and shut down for the night, but Aether had a key and let himself and Lumine in, effectively risking his job for the small creature. They made their way to the back where the examination rooms were located.
Lumine gently set the bundled fox on the table for x-rays and interior scans, unwrapping him carefully. It only took a moment until Aether let out a sigh of relief. “No broken bones or internal injuries, it looks like” he explained to his sister. “I think it’s just the surface wounds. We probably should have taken him here to start off, huh.”
They both shared a laugh at how they had panicked but were interrupted when the fox whined softly. Instantly, Lumine was by his side, gently brushing her fingertips across the top of his head, one of the only spots not marred with cuts. The fox leaned into her hand and stopped whining.
Aether tutted softly. “Lu, it’s a wild animal, not a dog.”
She just scoffed and gently scooped the fox back up, turning to her brother. “Can he stay with us until he’s better?” She gave her twin the best pleading look she could manage, which was extremely successful considering the fact that blood stained her clothes and hands, making her look pitiful.
Aether just sighed and nodded after a moment.”I guess we can keep an eye on him tonight. Go ahead and get in the car. I’ll be there in a sec after I grab some stuff.”
Lumine did as he told, buckling herself in and then looking softly at the bundle in her lap. To her surprise, glittering blue stared back at her. The fox had opened his eyes, and he regarded her quietly with the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. Did foxes even normally have blue eyes? She couldn’t remember ever seeing pictures of one with them that color. Still, she just smiled.
“Hi there, cutie.” He whined softly when she moved her hand away, nudging his hand under it and nuzzling against her. “Feeling a bit better now that you’re warm and the bleeding has stopped?”
A yip was what he offered in answer. His nose started wiggling as he scented the air, and he turned to look at Lumine expectantly. She arched an eyebrow at him and then smiled again, “Are you hungry?”
She dug around beside her seat until she retrieved the previously forgotten fast food bag. Pulling out her burger, she broke off a small piece of the meat patty, suddenly glad she hadn’t gotten onion since it was toxic to canines. The fox in her arms poked his nose closer and gently took the piece of meat out of her hand, careful to not nip her hand in the process.
She giggled as he licked her palm and looked up at her for more. She obliged, whispering to him after he finished another piece. “It’ll be our little secret, alright. Aether would probably yell at me if he knew I just fed you that.”
As if he was summoned, Aether suddenly opened the driver’s side door and got in, leaning his head back on his seat.”I’m exhausted.”
Lumine just giggled and turned towards him slightly. “Well, this should cheer you up. Look.”
He opened his eyes and looked at her, eyes widening as he caught sight of the blue eyes of the fox staring back at him. He sat up straighter, leaning forward. “What? How? Its injuries… it shouldn’t have woken up yet, not at least for a few hours! Lumine, we gotta get him in a crate.”
The fox’s ears folded back as if he understood, and he nuzzled closer into Lumine’s arms, shooting an almost smug look at Aether. The male twin let out a exasperated sign and just shook his head. “Alright, fine. But you’re going into the crate as soon as we get home, you got that?”
The fox didn’t dignify him with a response, instead snuggling into Lumine’s lap and promptly falling asleep.
The drive back was much more relaxed than the drive over, and for obvious reason. Aether was still wary of the wild animal in Lumine’s arms, while she was cooing and softly petting its ears. Once in their duplex driveway, Lumine carried the sleeping fox back inside. Aether made her place him in the crate in his room so he wouldn’t escape or injure anyone.
The fox definitely didn’t like being in the crate, because he immediately stood up on wobbly legs and started pawing at the door, even going as far as biting the crate bars. Aether just turned and looked at Lumine.”See? It is a wild animal, Lumine. Not a pet.”
She just huffed. “I’d be unhappy locked up in a crate too. Especially if my fur was all dirty. Can I give him a bath? Please.” She begged her brother, giving him the large doe eyes once more.
He just sighed and unlocked the crate before walking to the door. “Fine. I’ll start the water, but you’re bathing him. Should probably change out of those bloody clothes too.”
Lumine looked down as if she had just realized that she was covered in the fox’s blood. The fox in question pushed the crate door open with his nose and slowly made his way to Lumine and nuzzled his face against her leg. She reached down and scooped him up into her arms, earning a grumble from Aether. She just looked at him.
“I think he was a pet. ‘Cause look how friendly he is.” The fox licked her cheek as if to illustrate the point further, earning a giggle from her.
Aether had begun to suspect the same thing, so he just nodded. “I’m in agreement with you. I’ll get the pet shampoo and water ready now. Go ahead and bring him to the bathtub.”
Lumine cheered and walked with her new friend to the bathroom and gently began to rinse off the fox, using a cloth to wipe the blood off his fur without submerging more than his feet in the water. The fox seemed to understand what she was doing and dutifully let her clean his fur until it almost shined.
“Wait…” she parted his fur where she was sure a gash had been before but was almost sealed over already. She looked up to Aether, but he was just leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. “Never mind.”
She was tempted to look at the fox’s other wounds but didn’t in the end, just concerning herself with getting him clean. Lumine wanted to use the blow dryer to fully dry him so he wasn’t chilled in the cool air of the apartment, but she suspected that he probably wouldn’t react well to the sound of the blow dryer. Instead, she towel-dried him for several minutes until she could run a hand through his fur without it coming back damp.
“There ya go. That feels much better, doesn’t it?” She got a yip in response, waking Aether from where he had been dozing off. He walked over and whistled lowly
“Wow. It looks like a completely different fox.” Despite his warnings, he too decided to reach down and try to pet him, but the fox leapt over his outstretched hand and hid behind Lumine who gained a smug expression.
“Maybe if you’d stop calling him an it, he would let you pet him,” she said with a smug expression on her face before she scooped the ginger animal up into her arms once more.
She walked back into Aether’s room and gently put the fox in the crate. He tried to immediately come back out, and it took everything in her to not scoop him back into her arms and take him to bed with her. Aether just shook his head and tosses a blanket over the top of the crate with a small amount of the bottom not covered. The fox did NOT like that, and he started yipping and being a generally loud menace, at least, until Lumine told him she’d be back first thing in the morning and asked him to behave.
He shut up almost immediately, making her cast a curious expression to Aether. “It’s almost like he can understand us.”
“Don’t be silly, Lu. He’s an animal.”
With that, the twins separated, with Aether turning off his light and climbing into bed, while Lumine went to take a hot shower and wash the fox’s blood off her.
Once she was finished, she curled up under the blankets and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes. She pondered over the day’s events and worried about how the fox was doing in Aether’s room, but soon sleep claimed her as well.
In Aether’s room, something tugged the blanket off of the crate and unlocked it from the inside. The occupant, now free, padded to the door. The shadow he cast on the wall shifted and twisted, growing larger and larger and distorted until it was definitely no longer a fox but now something larger.
Aether’s door slowly opened, and the not-a-fox padded down the hallway, guided by scent, until he stood at Lumine’s bedroom door. Slowly, a very human hand, albeit with long and sharp nails, reached for the doorknob and unlocked it.
He walked into the room and stood at the foot of her bed, gazing down at the sleeping girl. A long fox tail swished back and forth before the silhouette of the fox-but-also-a-man shifted once more into a fox. He then crawled under the blankets and snuggled under Lumine’s arm, resting his head on her hand. The girl immediately pulled him closer like he was a stuffed animal, and the fox let out a content sigh, icy blue eyes staring into the darkness.