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seungkwanslowqualityenglish · 9 months

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Fox's Fate

✿ Synopsis: Befriending a small fox leads to a life changing turn of events, not only for you, but also for him. The fox being a kitsune, and he becomes just as attached to you, as you are to him. Not everything is what it seems, but does it really matter, after all you are happier now than you were before.

✿ Who: Takayama Riki / Taki (&Team) & Gender Neutral Reader ✿ Word Count: 8408 Words ✿ Genre: Angst/Fluff ✿ Warnings: Explicit language, arson, amnesia, murder, car accident, and identity theft. ✿ Request: No ✿ Enjoy.

Feet hit the harsh rocks, he ran through the darkened alleyway, the yelling fading behind him, the footsteps that followed him eventually stopping. The shop owner had not taken well to the orange and white creature rifling through his trash cans, he was only on the search for food. Usually the large fluffy tail of his was enough to distract people, they would become enamored by the fluffy thing, letting the fox get away with whatever it was he wanted to do. This person however was not having that, yelling and screaming at the small fox, running him off with anger, repeatedly crying out that he will not have vermin in his dumpster. Deciding it was enough of the city for today, he found himself nearing the outskirts of town. No longer were there businesses lining the streets, instead it was houses, family houses at that. Finding himself in the garden of a house, he had no idea eyes were on him, they were observing the small hungry fox. Within the house was a person quickly searching what do foxes eat on their phone, before starting to pile up some food on the plate, for the poor animal. Moments later the person comes out of their house, offering a small white porcelain plate abound with leftover freshly cooked meats and a variety of fresh sweet berries. Unaccustomed to the kindness of others, the fox kept his distance, only going over to the plate once the human was back within their house. The person watching through the window as the small orange and white creature devoured the food, it was much hungrier than one would have thought. The food was gone in a matter of minutes, the fox finding its way back into the garden, falling asleep amongst the flowers.

As the morning came, the fox was surprised to see another plate sat out, more meat and berries. This became a common routine for the homeowner and the fox. It took a month before he felt comfortable entering the person’s home. They had shown him nothing but kindness, and he felt grateful for that. Eating freshly cooked meats they gave him, while they were eating their own dinner, and feasting upon bowls of freshly picked berries, became a daily routine. It was odd to the homeowner, the fox was basically like a pet to them at this point. It would join them for breakfast and dinner, curling up in their lap as they watched the television after dinner, and would allow them to pet it like a dog or cat would. The fox had grown close to the homeowner, enjoying his position as a pet for them, since it kept him warm, full, and loved. No longer was he roughing it on the streets begging for a meal, he had someone that was keeping him fed and clean.

Riki had gotten accustomed to this, he had been a fox for so many years he had lost count. He once was counting down the days until he would reach 100, being able to shift into a human form, being able to fully enjoy the human parts of life. But, years ago that countdown stopped, he shifted from loving life and wanting to be a human, to just struggling to get by. At one point he was no longer seen as a joy and blessing in his community, instead being seen as a problem, a vermin, something to get rid of. That was until he found them, they cared for him in a way he had missed for years. Seeing him as another being, not just a problem rifling through their trash cans. He enjoyed laying in their arms, the food they would give him, and despite how embarrassing it was, he did not mind them when they would groom him, commenting how much better he smelled after using the various products on him. He had not only grown to like this treatment, but found himself liking them as well.

Despite how hard he tried to behave, he had a habit of stealing little things from the neighbors and bringing them to your house, like a thank you. He knew enough about humans to know you would not like for him to bring you a dead bird or rat, like a cat would; but he saw no problem in stealing flowers from the neighbors garden, or maybe a discarded necklace he found in the park. These little things became a normal thing, the small gifts from the little fox were the highlights of your day most of the time. Little things like shiny rocks and flowers became normal things for you to see in the small fox’s mouth. You were thankful that he felt thankful for how you treated him, but even without these small gifts, you would have still fed and cared for the sweet little fox. He was so domesticated, you felt that he was a pet someone had abandoned.

This continued for some time, until one day Riki felt some odd feeling, while on his usual walk through the forest to your home, he felt this unimaginable pain. Only then did it hit him what it was, he had aged for a hundred years, he was able to shift into a human form finally, something he once counted down the days for felt like an inconvenience how, since how were you to love him outside of his fox form. Many kitsune would love to have this chance, however, Riki just ignored it, instead deciding to stay in his fox form for now, since the only person he knew enough about to shift into would be you. Continuing his regular routine, being nothing more than a little pet to you.

This was until one day when he came back home from a walk, seeing an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway, an unfamiliar scent was picked up easily. That was the first day in months that you did not come when he scratched at the door, there was no food outside for him, nor had you left the window open for him. Jumping up onto the windowsill, he gazed into the living room, seeing another figure other than just yourself. He growled slightly as he realized the other scent was another man, he could not hear what was being said, but he hated the look of joy upon your face as the other man held you in his arms. The anger was interrupted as the window caught the man’s attention, unable to hear what was being said, he knew it was not good, especially as he watched you grasp the man’s arm, simply making him sit back down. The door opened quickly after that, a bowl of berries was in your hand, and he heard you start to comment to the other man.

“Calm the fuck down Taki, it’s just a little fox, I feed it every night, it was just staring in wondering where it’s dinner was,” you yelled out to your boyfriend who was sitting on your sofa. Taki had been gone for almost five months at that point, his job sending him out of the country for a multiple month contract, luckily however he was back. He did not seem to like your little fox visitor, and you just hoped he would not do anything to the sweet little fox that you loved so dearly. “I’m sorry sweetie, you’ll have to sleep outside tonight, he doesn’t really like the idea of a wild animal in the house,” you told the gentle fox, petting it as it bumped your hand with its head.

It took not even a minute of you being away for Taki to reach his limit, getting up and coming to the door to force you back inside the house. “Let the damn animal starve, if it can’t find food out in nature, just let it go hungry, it’s not your fault it can’t hunt like a normal animal can.” Taki yelled out, glaring at the small fox in distaste. “It’s going to bring fleas and ticks around, probably has disease too, we should scare it off, that would be best.” He said, wanting the dumb animal to be away from him.

With a gasp, you turned to look at your boyfriend, shocked at the words from his mouth. “It’s just a sweet little fox, I think it used to be someone’s pet. There is no need to talk about it so rudely and harshly, it’s just a sweet little fox.” You attempted to defend the little animal, as you remained petting its soft fur. Taki was always a bit abrasive, it always had to be his way or no way, things were how he wanted them to be or things just did not get done, you had shocked yourself by standing up for the small fox, but it was just an innocent animal, and Taki’s anger was unfounded.

“Whatever, quit petting it, go wash your hands, and join me on the sofa again. The movie is playing, and I don’t like missing too much of it since you had to come out here to deal with that stupid little animal.” Taki said, before returning back into the house, closing the front door with a slam, scaring both yourself and the small little fox with his anger. Taki had decided that if the fox was there in the morning, he would scare it off, the last thing you needed was to get some disease from a wild fox. Laying back on the sofa, he started to complain again, this time at how long it was taking you to rejoin him on the sofa.

Petting the little fox one last time, you softly sighed at Taki’s anger. You were accustomed to this, he always had to have everything his way, and you knew he would not be happy until the fox was no longer a problem. “I’m sorry little one, enjoy your berries,” you told the small animal, before starting your way back in, “You may want to make sure you aren’t here in the morning, I don’t think Taki will like it if he sees you again.” Slipped past your lips, wishing the small fox would understand you, since the last thing you wanted is for Taki to scare off your little friend. He had scared off most of your real friends, and now was trying to scare off your animal friend. Rejoining him on the sofa, you ignored all the complaints and grumbles coming from him, just hoping his anger would subside for the rest of the night.

The little fox, Riki, hated the way the man, Taki he believes you said, spoke to you. Someone as wonderful as you deserved someone just as wonderful, not an asshole like him. It was not his fault the insecure man felt threatened by an animal, and it angered him how he so easily yelled at you. Complaining about how long it took to resume the movie, and about how the fox should just be left to die. As he enjoyed the berries, he just wished he could do something to help you, to get you away from this man. Hearing your warning, he made sure he was gone from your property after eating the berries, knowing that you would not have said it unless it was a serious thing. Which, seeing how Taki reacted upon seeing him at the window, you knew it was absolutely a serious thing.

The routine changed after that day. No longer were days spent in their house, enjoying breakfast and dinner with them. Instead, Riki would get a handful of berries, and luckily the occasional piece of meat, hidden within the trees just behind the backdoor of the house. Despite Taki’s hatred of the small animal, you continued to feed the poor fox, but tried your best to make sure Taki never saw it. Riki however would often hear Taki’s complaining, the man looking around for the fox, wanting to fully scare it off, knowing you still fed it regularly, and he did not like that.

Riki grew to hate Taki, how he treated you, how he treated him, and just everything. Yelling became a regular occurance from your house at night, usually Taki yelling at you for little things. It started with him yelling at you since he claimed you did not cook enough food for dinner, blaming it on your daily time spent feeding that fox. Then it escalated, him yelling at you for not doing all of his laundry by the time he returned home, despite the fact you worked as well, he expected you to do everything at home as well. It was then over you not cleaning the whole house, Riki could hear his yelling, screaming about the filth in the house, and how he could not be with someone who does not know how to keep things clean. Despite his desire to protect you, Riki stayed back, not wanting to make anything worse.

The day that made him decide to do something was when he saw Taki raise a hand to you, he had been yelling at you, reminding you how he could easily replace you, how he many others on his roster, that he could have another by the time he gets home, while you were just sitting here crying. Taki had anger issues, he would scream and he would yell, but he never once hit you until that day. Easily backhanding you with such force, you landed on the floor, hand holding your face in shock, unable to even scream or cry in this situation. Taki ended up storming out the house, yelling that it was over, but not before he openly disclosed that he had no qualms about hooking up with others while he was on the work trip abroad, reminding you that he never felt you were exclusive, you were nothing but a toy for him.

Riki wanted to rush into your house as Taki opened the door, but instead the imposing male stood in front of the closed door, a short laugh being heard, as he stared at the fox. A foot met the side of Riki’s fox figure, Taki muttering about the stupid animal before he started to leave. Taki however did not get far, seeing the little pet house that you had bought for the fox, he quickly grabbed the fox. Riki was too weak from the kick to fight back as Taki picked him up, but he tried his hardest, wiggling in his grasp, wanting to escape and run into the house to where you were. However, he was unable to, his small body being forced into a small box that had been bed for many nights while sleeping outside. As Taki went to lock the door, to completely trap the small fox inside the pet carrier, something stopped him. It was a shiny object, Riki felt his heart drop as Taki’s hand clutched the item, shoving it into his pocket, before proceeding to lock the carrier. Taki then left, taking the kitsune ball with him.

A seething hatred filled his body, watching Taki walking off to his vehicle with his kitsune ball, the idiot having no idea of what he just did, what he just took, what he just caused. Immediately Riki cried out, the pain from the kick finally fully hitting him, as he cried out in pain. By then you were already outside, about to start chasing after Taki, he was all you knew, having been with him for so long, you did not know what else to do. But, hearing the cries of an animal, you found yourself looking around, terrified that Taki had finally made true on his promise and threats, all the times he said he would kill that stupid fox. Luckily you found him, locked in the pet carrier, quickly opening it, you had no time to look at the fox, as he took off running. As the only other thing in your life ran away from you, you felt your heart start to crumble, Taki had scared off all your friends, all your family, and now your little animal friend as well.

As badly as Riki wanted to stay and be with you, he had to get his kitsune ball back one way or another. Hatred and the desire for revenge filled his being, wanting nothing more than to get his kitsune ball back whether it left Taki dead or alive. He was quick to trace the scent of the cheating abusive bastard you once called your boyfriend, Riki wanted nothing more than to kill the man, but he could tell you genuinely loved him. His anger drove him all the way to outside Taki’s house, it was the middle of the night, and he was unsure of what to do as he found himself on the doorstep of the man’s house.

Taki was quick to get to the door, thinking it was the girl he had texted on his drive over, but instead his video alert was alarming him of the stupid little fox on his doorstep. Opening the door, a laugh left his lips, seeing the fox he had once locked up in the pet carrier now on his doorstep. Taki had forgotten all about what he had stolen, until he reached to put his hands in his pockets, planning to kick the door closed on the small little fox’s head. A laugh slipped past his lips, removing the ball from his pocket with a smirk, “Oh, is this what you came for,” he sneered, starting to squeeze the small glowing golden white ball in his hand, attempting to break it.

Riki felt this rush through his body, a feeling he had never felt before, he found himself gaining height. Going from being eye level with Taki’s calves, to staring the man in the eye. Riki had shifted himself into Taki without meaning to, but it seemed to have taken Taki back enough that he dropped the kitsune ball, as he stepped back with haste. Taki’s back hit the floor as he started trying to get away, screams attempting to slip out of his mouth, but nothing came. This time it was laughing leaving Riki’s mouth, quickly picking up the glowing ball, before he started to walk closer to the man on the floor. “Oh, this is, but I also came for this,” he said, reaching down, watching as felt the power coursing through his body, he grabbed Taki’s leg, watching as it spontaneously erupted into flames. Riki had never used his magic, never seeing a reason in it, but for you, he would use it however often as he needed to.

Taki froze, falling to the ground as he watched the fox turning into a man, not just any man, but himself. Screams begged to escape his body, but no noise came out of his mouth, instead he hit the ground, trying to crawl away. Unable to get away, he stared in terror as he set himself on fire. This had to be some sort of fever dream, there were not two of him in the world, and the fire came out of nowhere. It was like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs, his whole body erupting in burning violent flames, but his screams met deaf ears, no noise coming from his vocal cords, despite how loudly he screamed and cried.

Riki felt such joy watching as the flames easily took over Taki’s frame. He would not bother you again, no longer would Taki get to enjoy inflicting such pain on you, if it does not bring joy let it go, and here Riki was letting Taki go. A laugh fell from his lips, watching as Taki tried to roll around, trying to get the flames to stop, the shock on his face was evident, as Riki had stolen his voice along with his looks. His joy overwhelmed him as he watched the last of the flames finally die down, leaving nothing remaining of Taki other than some charred clothing remains. His joy however did not last, as a random dinging caught his attention, a phone you had called many times, he read the screen quickly, seeing a message saying ‘on my way’ from someone Taki had named side chick number six, whatever a side chick was. But, as he stood there, something hit him, someone was on their way to see Taki, real Taki, not Riki Taki, maybe it was because he was new to using his magic and all, but he was unable to stop it when everything around him just erupted into flames. He found himself shifting back into fox form, quickly running from the house. Riki did not make it far however, he was hit by a car just outside the house, immediately shifting back into his Taki form from the impact. He watched as the entire house caught on fire, it was up in flames, he only got to enjoy the sight of the second story of the house collapsing into the flames, before all he saw was black.

You were sitting in your room when you got the call, it had been almost an hour since Taki had left and your little fox friend had run away from you. The call was from an unknown number, but answered it regardless, quickly being greeted with an unknown male voice, asking if they were calling the right number, before revealing it was the hospital. “What do you mean he was hit by a car?” You all but screamed into the phone, Taki and you might have been arguing that night, but you did not want him to get hit by a car. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” You told the receptionist, quickly throwing on your shoes and a jacket, before finding your way to the hospital.

He may have been a horrible boyfriend, but you loved him despite everything he did, and you were distraught when you heard the news. You wanted to get back at him, but him being hit by a car was never what you wanted. You wanted him to maybe feel bad about cheating on you, not to be almost killed by a car. Arriving at the hospital, you were quickly ushered into his room, seeing not only a police officer but a fire inspector in the room as well. They were quick to catch you up on what happened, his house caught on fire, he ran from the fire, he got hit by a car, he passed out, and the driver of the car was apparently someone he had invited over to his house that night.

Despite the anger that came from knowing he was actively trying to hookup with someone that was not you, you could not stop feeling the pain and sorrow you felt for the man laying out on the bed. You loved him, you would never not love him, even if he did not always love you. Quickly you found yourself taking his hand, clutching it as tightly as you could, tears falling from your eyes as you wanted nothing more than for him to awake. You would apologize for being a bad significant other, you would apologize for making him mad, you would do anything to make him happy, you would do anything he asked you to as you had so many times before. Taki relied on that, leaving you and then waiting until you came crawling back begging for him.

Riki had no idea what happened, but he felt a sharp feeling in his arms, something holding down his wrist as well. Immediately, he recognized he was not in his fox form, instead in human form, Taki’s form. A small soft hand held his hand in theirs, teardrops making his arm wet, he knew the hands were yours based on your scent. He fought the mind fog for almost an hour, just hearing your sobs, your pleas for him to be okay, to wake up, to forgive you. Riki knew these cries were for Taki, not him, but he wished it was for him. Riki knew nothing of being human, Riki knew nothing of being in love, Riki knew nothing of being loved, Riki knew nothing of any of it, but he knew he would never had treated you how Taki did, he knew that the way he felt for you was as close to love as he would ever feel, until he truly learned what love was.

As Taki opened his eyes, you found yourself gasping, clinging yourself onto his body, lips immediately making contact with his lips. It was odd as Taki did not kiss you back, instead just sitting there frozen, unsure of what to do. Moving back, you looked in his eyes, seeing nothing but confusion on his face. Quickly the doctor was called, not even an hour later, the doctor told you the diagnosis. “You believe he has amnesia?” The diagnosis was like a slap to the face, it explained why he was so frozen earlier, probably not remembering you at all. “So he remembers how to talk and read, but nothing else. Retrograde amnesia?” You easily repeated the doctor, listening to everything he tells you, how to care for him, how to attempt to get his memory to return and everything.

Riki felt odd, everyone referring to him as Taki felt out of place, but for all intents and purposes, he was now Taki, god knows what would happen to him if he revealed what had really happened to Taki. Despite how much he loved the feeling of your hands holding his, it hurt him that you were only doing so thinking he was Taki, but at this point, he had no choice but to be Taki. After everyone left, he felt lost, he did not know what to do, it was hard being in a new body, let alone also having a whole new identity. He could only guess the doctor was telling you everything as some random girl entered the room, quick to rush over and hug him, not even noticing as he froze.

As she started to cry, Riki realized this must have been the person the message earlier was from, what was it, side chick number six. He moved away from her grasp as she cried out, “Oh Taki, I’m so glad you’re alive. I was so afraid I had killed you, I was coming over like you asked me to, I didn’t think I’d hit you.” She cried out, trying to come to terms with what happened. She tried to hug him again, but Riki raised his hands, pushing her away, not wanting whoever this was to be on him, let alone touch him.

“I don’t know who you are, but please leave me alone,” He said, watching as the girl’s face immediately dropped. She was devastated by his words, but he felt no pain for her. She was only number six of who knows how many people Taki had been cheating on his amazing girlfriend with. He had such an amazing person who loved him with all their heart, but instead he was out there sleeping with anyone who would allow him to do so. Riki however, knew that Taki from now on would not be doing that, he would blame it on the traumatic head injury or something, but Taki would no longer be doing that, he would be honest and cherish what he had, like Riki knows he would.

The girl started to cry even harder, Riki did not even know her name, and he honestly did not care. “What do you mean? Taki it’s me? We’ve been dating for a while, you don’t remember me?” She cried out, becoming more and more outraged as she cried, becoming louder and louder. Riki luckily did not have to do anything as a nurse burst into the room, removing the girl from his room, before adding her to a list of people not allowed to visit, after Riki expressed how distressed her presence made him.

You had watched the whole scene, it was odd, Taki would oftentimes brag about how easily he could replace you, but here he was rejecting the girl he had invited over to do just that. It felt odd, but you reminded yourself that it was just the amnesia talking, he would probably go right back to it once he healed and had his memory back. Entering his room again, you found yourself sitting beside his bed, taking his hands in yours once more. “Do you remember who I am?” Being all you asked, watching as he shook his head, it hurt, but you knew you had bigger issues than him not remembering who you are. Telling him your name, you were quick to let him know, “I’m your partner, we’ve been together for years.”

Riki could do nothing but play stupid, knowing that while he might have Taki’s looks and voice, he did not have his memories, and would instead be unable to know anything you might ask him. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, watching how the hurt masked your eyes, knowing that the thought of your boyfriend not recognizing you must have hurt. “But I want to remember,” he added, hoping that it might make everything a bit better for you.

Despite the fact you would not admit it, hearing his words made your heart swell a bit. Taki was never one to really care about much, but you could only guess the brain injury had changed him, hopefully it made him a better man, but you knew that was a bad thing to think, especially given the situation. “I’ll try to help you remember,” you told him, yet, it hurt so badly when you thought about it. You would help him regain his memory, just for him to probably revert to how he was just before the accident. You would help him regain his memory, just for him to go back to reminding you how easily he could replace, bragging about his roster, and reminding you that he did not do exclusivity. He would more than likely go back to cheating on you when mad, claiming it was your fault for running him into the arms of another, and making you genuinely believe it was your fault, since he was being so generous with you, and you treated him like that.

Riki felt feelings he had never felt before as you clutched at his hands, his arms, holding them to your chest, gentle kisses on his hand, soothing him almost. The pain in your eyes told him how much you regret the words you just said, seeing how Taki treated you, he understood why. The relationship was so bad, but you were in love with Taki, and he knew that, which is why he would always get away with whatever it was he wanted to do, you would always forgive him and believe him when he twisted it to make it your fault. Riki knew that you deserve someone better, someone that would love you back with their whole heart, not just someone who only loves you when it is convenient for them. The pain in your eyes made him decide to be just that, you would never have to worry about him getting mad and storming out claiming he is going to go sleep with another, you would never have to worry about him hitting you in anger, and you would never have to worry about the pain Taki brought every time he came around.

Riki wanted nothing more than to let you know who he really was, but he knew you would not believe him. What was he to say, I am the fox you used to feed and cuddle with every night and I sorta killed your abusive asshole of a boyfriend, that would get him put in jail or worse. Despite how much he knew Taki had hurt you, he also had to admit to himself that pretending to be Taki was for the best at this moment in time, since that was who you thought he was. You thought he was Taki, just Taki with some minor brain damage, after all he had been hit by a car. Being Taki may not be what he wanted, but he was sure he would never treat you the way the real Taki would have, since you deserve better.

As the doctor’s cleared Taki to leave, you were quick to get him to your house, seeing how his own had burned down, an electrical fire is what the fire and police said. It was odd seeing him so demure, so confused, almost innocent, he was unsure of what he was doing, unsure of what to do, and unsure of everything, just waiting for you to tell him what he needed to do. Once he was seated on the sofa, you decided to do your best to help him start remembering little things, getting out a scrapbook full of photos from when you first started dating.

There was once a happy phase with Taki, romantic candlelit dinners, moonlight picnics, walks under the stars, and matching couple outfits. But, that phase faded into controlling behavior, if you made him mad he would start to yell, he would start to blame you for everything, which it was your fault, you were the one who made him mad. Those romantic dates started to end, instead he simply had home dates with you instead, claiming you did not deserve anything too extravagant or opulent, since you would just end up pissing him off anyways and would embarrass him if he did take you. The lack of romance then translated to him picking up others, claiming you were not making him fully happy, he deserved this, if you could not satisfy him fully, he deserved the ability to be with others who would, and that is exactly what he would do. Honestly, at some point Taki had fallen out of love with you, but he would not have admitted it, nor would he break up with you. Taki would never let you be the victim, he had to be the victim, if you were to break up, you had to end it with him, never the other way around. He needed to be able to turn it into a sad story for himself, claim the love of his life and significant other for the past five years broke his heart with such ease, he would have slandered your public image, making sure that you were never happy again. He deserved happiness, he would be damned if you kept him from that, but you only deserve happiness if it was with him.

Opening the book, you found yourself seated next to Taki, staring at the first page, you questioned how to go about this. Despite your brain telling you to tell him everything, you decided to only mention the happy moments, the good parts, thinking maybe he will not ever remember that he was once an abusive horrible asshole of a boyfriend. He would be mad at you once he did remember, but he would also be mad at you regardless of whether you told him about those moments or not, so instead you decided to focus on the lovely moments. “This was from our first date,” was how it started, “you took me out to a picnic, it was so sweet. You made all my favorite foods and snacks, and we ended up talking for hours upon hours. You were such a gentleman, listening to me go on and on about everything, even once the night came, we continued talking.”

Riki stared at the photos on the page, seeing sweet photos of yourself and Taki, you were enamored with Taki, and once Taki was in love with you as well. He felt his heart ache slightly, staring at the picture in which Taki’s lips were on your own. Staring at the photos, he felt a sense of pride, a sense of joy. He knew how Taki ended up, how he treated you all these years later, how horrible he was. He felt joy that you would never have to go through that treatment again, he would never treat you like Taki would, he would never lay a finger on you like Taki would, you were precious and he would treat you as such. He felt pride that he would make you feel this way again, he would never see the fear or pain in your eyes again, he would make you remember the days when you were lovesick and thought you had found your forever, he would be your forever.

Seeing his gaze catching a photo on the page, you ran your fingers along the photo, remembering that day. “That was the day we had our first kiss. You had bought me a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers, but told me I was the most beautiful flower of all. I remember you taking me out to a restaurant and us having a candlelit dinner, it was so romantic, we then took a midnight walk. By the end of the walk, neither of us wanted to go home, but you knew we needed to. You brought me to my door, we talked for almost twenty minutes just standing there, until you finally acted and kissed me. I’m lucky my doorbell camera caught it, otherwise I wouldn’t have this photo for that memory.”

Riki nodded, but he knew none of these moments, and he never would remember them. In that moment he cursed how shifting into a human did not give you their memories, but he also did not want those memories, he would never want first hand account memories of hitting you or anything. He gazed at the photos with confusion, not a singular memory coming up with any of the photos, obviously since he was not the real Taki. He was nothing more than an imposter, and he only hoped you would not catch onto that.

Gazing at his face, the look in his eyes told you everything you needed to know. “You don’t remember, do you?” You questioned him, your heart dropping as he shook his head. It was a long shot, but you had hope, hope he would remember, hope that things would go back to how they once were. But, instead fate had another plan in mind it seems. But, you would not give up on him, you would continue trying, you would make him remember it one way or another.

That is how days started, you showing him videos and photos, seeing if anything sparked a memory, but nothing ever did. He could not even remember how to do little things like using the toaster and making a sandwich, it was like his mind was just blank, an empty canvas ready to be used. The doctors offered nothing except comments about how the damage might be much worse than they thought, offering the advice that maybe making new memories would be better than reviving old ones, since it seems he has no problem remembering things that happen now.

This was how the two of you ended up where you are now, sitting together on a picnic blanket, surrounded by little snacks and drinks. If he could not remember your first date, you would recreate your first date for him. Words were not being passed between the two of you, Taki himself did not know what he liked, so there was nothing much for him to talk about, yet, it did not bother you. Oddly, it felt comfortable, he sat listening to you intently, as the two of you shared this space. Somehow the two of you ended up laying down, gazing up at the stars, your head on his chest, as you pointed out different constellations to him.

Riki was absolutely enamored with you, how gentle you were with him, how kind you were. He knew nothing much other than speech, and you were so calm explaining things to him, even things he felt you thought he should know. He just enjoyed being around you, he might never be able to do everything Taki could do, but he did not mind that when it was you teaching him how to do it. He felt joy when he overheard the doctor’s call, make new memories rather than focus on reviving old ones, just what he was hoping would happen, he wanted to make you feel joy and love you never felt with the real Taki, and this is how he would do so.

He knew nothing much to share with you, but he loved just listening to you talk, he would do that for hours, just hearing you ramble about things that interested you was his favorite thing. The date you planned for the two of you, he enjoyed, knowing it was a recreation of your first date, but he also knew it would have a drastically different ending. Somehow he ended up laying down on the thick blanket, staring up at the sky. He often observed the stars, but being with you made them all shine brighter, you made them even more stunning, but their beauty could not compete with your beauty. His arm found its way around your waist as you pointed out star formations to him, explaining them and telling him the names of them. He nodded, listening passionately to each word you said, his hand easily finding its way to your hair, simply petting it as you laid there.

Explaining the constellations to Taki, it was silent, except for the sounds of your voice, and his occasional voice of agreement and acknowledgement. It was odd feeling his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him, Taki would have never done that, he was not one to be touchy with you, it was only ever on his terms. It was odd, you enjoyed it, the feeling of his arm holding you close to his chest, almost like he was afraid you would blow away with the gentle breeze that was blowing through. It was only when you felt the hand petting your hair gently, that you felt a feeling you had not felt in long, love. At that moment, all words fell silent, you started up at Taki, feeling the love that you thought had faded for him so long again. “Taki,” you softly muttered upon seeing him staring at you as well.

Riki had been observing your face the entire time you spoke, each word from your mouth captivated him, you could have been just saying random words, and he still would have been captivated. You were the moon and he was tide, you were pulling and pushing him with movement and words from your lips. He could not stop himself from staring at those lips, wondering what they would feel like against his own. You had mentioned before that the first kiss did not happen until almost a month into dating, but that was old Taki, this was new and improved Taki, and new and improved Taki honestly felt no need to wait. Leaning down, he quickly captured your lips. It was an odd feeling, but he liked it, and he wanted to do it more.

Kissing Taki was not on your list of things to happen today, but you welcomed it. His lips felt different than before, they were not rough or harsh, he was not dominating the kiss, nor was he trying to force his tongue into your mouth as he usually would. The kiss was gentle, it honestly made you fall in love with him all over again. A gentleness you had not felt in so long, it was welcoming to your heart, making you feel like you did once with him, filling your stomach with butterflies and your mind with thoughts of what might happen this time, how different it will be, how happy you may be.

Riki was unsure what he was doing, but it just felt right. His lips locked with yours, he mimicked your movement, giving you back what you gave him. His hand dropped from your head, going to your waist, pulling you on his chest completely. To any onlooker, it was a sweet couple sharing a soft moment, to him it was a sign of what he would be getting for the rest of his life, since after tasting how sweet your lips tasted, feeling how soft your lips are, and realizing how easily you fit in next to him, he never planned on letting you go. He would never let you go and he was sure you would never let him go. This time Taki would be a perfect gentleman, he would be just what you needed in your life, and Riki would make sure of it. Finally parting his lips from yours, he could do nothing more than just staring at you, “Beautiful, so beautiful,” he muttered, his lips pressing gentle kisses to your forehead, as the date came to an end.

Taki was different, so different, each date was so much better than the first ones. You were not sure what it was, but it had to be the car accident, changing him into a whole new person practically. Loyalty was the first word in this Taki’s vocabulary. Love was the second word. And perfection was the third, since that is what you were to him. No longer did fear stay in your eyes when you gazed at him. No longer did you fear he would storm out bragging he had a date with another girl. No longer did you fear he would hit you in anger. No longer did those feelings of inadequacy mar your mind. To this Taki you were perfect, you were amazing, and he would never find anyone that he would ever love more than you.

A part of your mind wanted you to admit that maybe Taki was not Taki after all, but it could not be that. It was just that the car accident brought something out in him that you never saw, something that made him a man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. Creating new memories was the best decision, replacing all those cold and harsh memories you had with Taki previously, with sweet and warm ones with Taki now.

Taki was a fast learner, you quickly had him learn how to be self sufficient around the house, to the point that he refused to let you help around the house. He was unable to work or anything outside of the house, due to the memory loss, so he felt it was only right to help around the house. It was odd, seeing him so easily take the role of what one would call a house husband, but it was appreciated. Previously Taki would have expected you to do everything on your own, he would not lift a single finger to help you, but Taki now would not let you lift a single finger to do it.

For the first time in years, you felt loved, each day falling in love more and more with Taki. He was finally being the man of your dreams, the man you always fantasized about, the man that would love you for who you were for the rest of your life. No longer did his kisses feel forced, no longer did the love feel absent, no longer did you feel as though your life was on eggshells around him. He always made sure you felt loved, reminded you that you were loved, and loved you like he felt you deserved to be loved.

Riki had taken to everything you taught him quickly, doing all the little tasks around the house for you while you were at work. Nothing ever needed to be mentioned twice, since he felt it was the least he could do for you taking such good care of him. Need the lawn mowed, he did it immediately after figuring out how to work the lawn mower once you went to work. The laundry needs to be done, no need to ask, he has already started it, even going as far as to sort the darks and colors. Riki was unsure who he was at this point, but all he did know is that whoever he was, he was loved by you. He loved you, you returned his love, and that was all he cared about.

It was a day he had finished all the chores early, he even had dinner in the oven waiting for you to return from work, when you caught him by the mirror in the bedroom. He did not hear you enter, nor did he notice you come into the house. You watched as he just stared at himself in the mirror, confusion did not mar his face, nor did anger, or any other identifiable emotion.

Staring at his appearance in the mirror, Riki was unsure where he began and Taki ended, he was unsure if Riki even existed any longer except for in his mind. Yet, feeling your arms wrap around his waist, he finally noticed you were home, and your lips softly littering his neck with gentle kisses, muttering sweet words of praise and love. He honestly found himself not caring, as far as anyone knew now he was Taki. As long as you loved Taki, he would be Taki, he was Taki, he is Taki; Riki no longer exists, since as long as he has you within his arms, he has no desire to be back in his fox form again. Moving his arm, he quickly switched your positions, moving you from where you stood behind him. Rubbing his nose against yours, he gently kissed your lips, before he picked you up with ease, feeling your arms wrapping around his neck. “I love you Taki,” your voice attempted to say, before it was enveloped by his lips against yours. He found himself smiling into the kiss as your words were cut out by the moans coming from his actions.

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