A winter in Yetinburg ch.8

	I wake up with a mumble, my two pointy ears twitching as I hear some noise elsewhere. I'm not awake to think of it as more than the sound of running water while I open my eyes and look at the clock on the small table beside the bed, yawning despite it being rather late getting up. For now my thoughts are still muddled, figuring out the dream that I've halfway forgotten already. I get up out of bed with a small groan, shivering from the cold floor before I stretch my body up. My three tails are full of static but I ignore it as I gather a sweater, a pair of pants, and some fresh underwear together to go have a morning shower. Still in my pajama pants and one size too large t-shirt, I open the unlocked door of my room and wander to the bathroom with eyes half open. Opening the bathroom door, I find something that does wake me up and widen my eyes.
	Sebastian has just stepped out of the shower, lean muscles showing as he dries himself off with his towel. I'm stuck staring, unable to look away even when he notices and frowns. Sebastian covers his nude waist with the towel and moves over, gently pushing me outside the door before closing it shut behind.
	"I'll be done in a minute Sonia, remember to knock." He scolds me with a gentle tone. I'm not really listening as I keep standing there, as if I were a doe caught in some headlights. Eventually I come back to my senses and shake my head to try and get the image out of my head, but it keeps sticking with me. I didn't know he had quite so much muscle on him.
	I don't have to wait long before the door opens, Sebastian now dressed in his usual thick sweater and warm pants. He moves by and down the stairs without saying anything as I watch him, not a word. Things have already been awkward for the last six days, and this wasn't helping out. Might have been worth it, I catch myself thinking before shaking my head another time to get rid of the thought.
	I spend more time in the shower than I need, the hot water never seems to run out here. That or Sebastian takes cold showers. But my thoughts keep wandering, and I have to keep shaking them away from the man of the house as I let the hot water run down my body. It doesn't last long. The thoughts return, and I find my hands wandering on myself after a while. I'm almost thankful when the hot water actually runs out and stops me, forcing me to stop the flow before grabbing a towel to dry off.
	After a long date with the hair-drier I step out of the bathroom with my fresh clothes on. Light feet carry me downstairs where I can smell the pig livers cooking. Somehow the constant stabbing hunger isn't hurting quite as much anymore. It's still there, but there are more distractions to me to dull it. I can't help notice Sebastian's smell all around the house now, and I'm able to tell where he is with intuition when I'm actually fully awake. Stepping into the kitchen I see Sebastian at the stove where I expect him to be, the simmering livers getting put on a plate now that he sees that I'm there. I sit down in my spot as the plate is moved in front of me, but I'm not able to thank Sebastian before he's retreated out of the kitchen. Feeling dejected, I eat the two livers alone. When I'm done with the delicious breakfast I get my plate into the sink before peeking out into the living room to where Sebastian is. He's sitting in his chair watching one of the television shows on dvd we still have from Catherine. The position he's in makes me remember how I first saw him all the time, stabbing at my chest as my mind starts making me think that time will come back without reason to it.
	I try not to worry about it as I step out, not finding myself able to settle down. I move from place to place, leaning on the couch and taking some cookies and candy from the bowls on the coffee table from Christmas to nibble on for a bit. Eventually I lean on the back of Sebastian's chair, calming down a little before he makes a rather fake coughing noise. I back off, pacing a bit more before giving up on my own thoughts. Moving to the door, I get dressed in my winter clothes to head next door.
	"I'm going to Catherine's for a bit! I'll be back later!" I call to Sebastian, getting him to look over and nod at me before he goes back to the show. It's better than nothing.
	I head outside and almost run to Catherine's door, slipping a bit on the ice on the sidewalk partway there before I settle for walking the rest of the way. I reach the door and give the doorbell a ring, waiting for Catherine to come answer it with impatience while I play with the zipper of my coat. I drop my hands when the door opens, ears perking up when I have to look up at the one that answered. The blonde bearded man standing there is large, almost taking up the entire doorway. He's thick and sturdy, like he were made of rock. I'm doubting that I could lift the man even with my odd strength, but he breaks the moment of stunned silence.
	"Who're you?" He asks gruffly, not seeming to be impressed by the disturbance. "What do you want? If you're from that group asking for donations I asked you to stop coming by here."
	I take a few seconds longer to respond, stuttering as I remain intimidated by the goliath. "I-I'm here to s-see Catherine! I'm f-from next door. S-sonia."
	He scowls a bit. Well, a bit more. But he moves out of the doorway to let me in. I step inside quick before he closes the door, moving off with heavy footsteps in some bizarrely fluffy slippers to head back into the living room. As I'm taking off my jacket, I hear him call out to Catherine that I was there. Much lighter footsteps approach quick as they can go. Catherine steps around the corner from the hallway and rushes over to me, smile stuck on her face.
	"Good morning Sonia! How are you doing?" She asks, giving me a hug before I can respond. She lets go after a second, but it seems to calm my nerves down nonetheless. "I hope that Charles didn't scare you too much. He can be a bit rough on people, but he means well." She tries to assure me as I take off my snow boots and jacket.
	"Just a little, I didn't expect someone that big like a lumberjack to appear at your door." I admit, peeking into their living room to see him watching the morning news. A blonde haired kikimora wearing a sweater and jeans is laying on the couch playing on her phone, being no older than fifteen from her looks. She sees my ears poking out and gets up off the seat, moving over to greet me.
	"Hey there! You're Sonia, right?" She asks, looking behind me at my tails. I get a bit nervous from her staring and nod. She looks back at my face with her green eyes, the same as her father. "I'm Sarah. Your tails are a lot fluffier than I expected, can I try brushing them?" She asks.
	"I... guess, but I came here to speak with Catherine." I admit, Catherine smiling as she takes my hand to lead me away from the entrance. I look around the home as I'm taken into the hallway, being guided to what is obviously Sarah's room. I don't mind, as the unpleasant male smell disappears when I get inside and get seated on the bed with Catherine sitting beside me. Sarah rushes in with a brand new brush to get onto the bed behind me, making me worry why she was so prepared to brush my tail before Catherine speaks.
	"It's about Sebastian, right? I saw you two playing around in the snow on christmas, did something happen? You haven't gone outside in almost a week, I bet you were having all sorts of fun inside~ Tell me all about it!" She requests with excitement and a bounce on the bed, making me feel a tad uncomfortable. It doesn't help that Sarah has begun to brush a tail, thankfully with some practiced skill.
	"N-no! Nothing happened inside! Well, I did walk in on him in the sh-shower this morning but that was it." I admit, Catherine giggling.
	"Just that, really? But haven't you two been getting more intimate lately?" Catherine asks, making my face burn up a bit from the thought entering my head.
	"Yeah, you've been living there for about two months. By now you've had to have had sex." Sarah chips in, the bluntness of it not helping me.
	"No! I mean, I kissed him but he told me he wasn't ready or something like that and now he's avoiding me!" I explain, getting it out fast so I can hide my face in embarrassment. Catherine just giggles at me and rubs my back.
	"So, it wasn't a rejection then?"
	I take a moment to think, before lifting my face out of my hands as my ears stick up straight. I look at Catherine, the kikimora just smiling back.
	"No... I guess it wasn't."
	"Then you need to put pressure on him! But in a subtle way. Lucky for you, that's an old kikimora family legacy!" Catherine states matter-of-factually with a raised finger. "We can teach you all the tricks you need to help tempt him into accepting your advances."
	"Wait, I'm not saying- I mean, he's nice and all but-"
	"But you just reacted so happy when you realized you weren't rejected." Catherine teases, making my face flush red once more. I look down at my lap, not wanting to look right at them as I am now.
	"Well, no... but I'm still figuring out what he means to me. I mean, I enjoy his presence. His scent. He keeps invading my thoughts. Even... bad thoughts."
	"Sounds like love to me." Sarah chirps from behind, reminding me of the brush on my tail. The awkward sensation isn't helping me. I stammer and try to babble out a response, but nothing coherent comes out until the end.
	"-can't be sure about that!"
	"Nonsense, I've been in love before and it was a lot like that! It's only going to get worse, in a good way." Catherine tries to comfort me, rubbing my back with her hand as I play with my own fingers to ease my own nerves. "Pretty soon the lewd dreams will start. And you'll find yourself stealing his used clothing to use while 'easing your tension'. Think such naughty thoughts you might think yourself dirtier for them."
	"Th-that does sound worse. But can't I stop that?" I ask, almost pleading with Catherine. She smiles and pats my back, removing her hand to lay it on her lap.
	"I doubt it, unless you stop liking him. It's hard to forget about someone you start to love, and painful to let go."
	"That... sounds unpleasant."
	"It is, of course. But people recover. Some faster than others. Now then, do you want to know the secrets of the kikimora? We started out primarily as maids you know!" She titters, standing up to go to the door. She closes it tight, and moves back to hear my answer. I have to give it some thought, but eventually nod to agree to it.
	"Alright, then lets begin the lesson!"
	The pair talk for what feels like hours, filling my head with detailed instructions on setting up awkward situations to tempt men with. Things that look like accidents to varying degrees, tips for finding out what sorts of things a specific man likes. How to drive a man mad with lust, or how to make them simmer for weeks before letting them boil. My head is swimming by the end of it, and I hope that I have at least some of it memorized by the time Catherine realizes it's almost noon.
	"Oh my, we lost track of time! Well, that's about a fifth of what you need to know, so start with that. Sebastian probably won't need much more than the basics as long as you're careful about being subtle." The motherly kikimora finishes the lesson, moving to the door to open it up and leave. Sarah is still brushing my tails, more running her fingers through the fur than getting it tidy after so long tending to them.
	"Uhm... why do you like my tails so much?" I finally manage to ask Sarah, looking back at the teenage kikimora.
	"Who doesn't like touching fluffy tails? This is my first chance to, most girls at school thing it's pretty weird. I mean, I can't brush mine. It's too feathery." Sarah replies with honest words on a happy face. "They're all wolf girls though, so I guess they just want to act tough or something. That seems to be in right now."
	"I see..."
	"You'd probably fit in really well though, those teeth really make you look tough! Not even any of them have that many sharp teeth!"
	I frown at the mention of the teeth, but let the comment pass by. I just let Sarah have her way with my tails for now, despite the mild discomfort it brings about letting someone touch the three gold trophies. Before long Catherine is calling that lunch is ready, so I stand up and leave the room with Sarah following behind to see just what she made in such a short amount of time. She's gotten together some simple grilled sandwiches, having cooked them on their kitchen's flat-top grill. It doesn't tease my nose quite as much, and I realize it's due to the lack of meat. I sit down at their island-counter anyways, jumping when Charles sits down beside me. I can almost feel myself sweating from nervousness already, and end up scooting away from him after a few seconds. He isn't particularly smelly, but I can't stand his scent for some reason.
	"Honey, you're making Sonia nervous! You shouldn't stress her out." Catherine scolds the much larger man, putting his sandwich down in front of him before waving me over to the seat at the far end of the kitchen's island counter. I get up and move over there, leaving Sarah between me and the overly large man. She sits down in the seat I was in previously once all the plates of hot sandwiches are served, scooting right up next to Charles. He gives her a kiss on the head and puts an arm around her, using his free hand to eat his sandwich while Catherine gains a warm smile and nibbles on hers. I can't help but stare with jealousy, not even realizing I am doing so until Charles looks at me with a small frown. I snap out of it and take a big bite of my own food, chewing it carefully so I don't need to be the first to speak.
	"So, that's Sonia? Might be too good for that bum." Charles scowls, the insult to Sebastian making me flinch.
	"Sweetie, be nice." Catherine frowns, somehow getting the lumberjack-sized man to look soft with an apology kiss to the kikimora's forehead. He looks back at me after, waiting till I swallow to speak again.
	"You don't have a job yet, do you?"
	"No, I have... that condition, and it's not fully treated. Or taken care of. I mean... it'd be hard to get a job with it." I manage to mumble out, too intimidated by his size to speak at my normal volume. I'm not sure how the two dainty kikimoras can handle it. I decide to change the subject around before he can bother me too much. "What do you do?"
	"Teacher. Physical education and anatomy. They tend to overlap a lot more than you expect." Charles answers, keeping it short. I had hoped for something longer, so I don't ask any extra questions. He speaks up again though. "We're having a new years party here tonight. You can stay if you like."
	"I invited her already dear, but what do you say? If you want to stay at home, that would be fine too." Catherine smiles. "It'll probably be noisy here tonight, so be ready to stay up anyways."
	Charles scowls at Catherine's comment, but drinks some water to hide it. I have to consider the options, and getting away from Sebastian to sort my thoughts out seems like a good idea at the moment.
	"I'll stay, and help set up anything you might need. How big of a party is it going to be?" I ask, Catherine pondering it over for a moment.
	"Well, if everyone turns up it'll be around fifty. But they tend to move between a few different parties, so we'll only have about twenty at a time to worry about. The ones with kids will likely stay here." She estimates, smiling over at me. "And you don't need to worry about anything, you're a guest! Grab a beer, get some snacks, and socialize!"
	"I'm... not big on beer." I frown at the thought of smelling that stench again.
	"That's alright. The kids will be going into Sarah's room to play games, you can help babysit the younger ones if you want." Catherine suggests next, looking at Sarah and giving some sort of hand signal. The younger kikimora passes my empty plate over to the mother, Catherine putting mine under her own plate to worry about later.
	"Well, I'll figure it out when it's happening. It shouldn't get too bad." I smile. "I'm not sure how good I am with kids."

	Four hours later, and I'm really wishing I hadn't volunteered to babysit. I have a group of three young yeti hugging one of my tails each while napping, ages four to five. There is a nine year old yuki-warashii in traditional clothing sitting on the bed beside me while her and the many other older yeti children play the kart racing game with Sarah, trading off between races. All of us are competing for room in the kikimora's space, the sound of the adults chatting amidst mild background music coming from the living room and kitchen where the mild stench of alcohol permeates the air. I kind of want to get a glass of water or something but I don't dare move after finally getting the three yeti children on my tails to stop hugging my body in nervousness.
	"Are you sure you don't want to play Sonia?" Sarah asks, looking sideways at me when the current race finishes with one of the yeti cheering and running off to get some more of the non-alcoholic punch that is where the adults are.
	"That's okay, I'm fine watching." I reassure her, letting one of the kids take the controller instead. It's easier to keep them behaved when they're occupied after all. The yeti comes back with her punch, returning to her spot to sit down and sip at the drink.
	"You haven't played any all night... Well, I'll leave you alone. Want something to drink?" Sarah asks, looking at the three napping kids. I nod as she gets up, walking out of the room. She has to move around someone coming in, and I see a familiar black haired fox step into view before giving me a small frown. I stare back, knowing Utagi doesn't mean anything by it. My eyes wander down to the shorter single tailed kitsune she's holding hands with, a miniature version of her wearing a pretty black dress and a bead necklace staring back at me with eyes full of wonder and a fresh bob-cut.
	"Just call me if you need me sweetie." Utagi instructs her daughter, the nine year old kitsune nodding. She scampers in as soon as she's let go, eyes locked on me the whole time. She only glances away to see what game is being played, but seems more interested in my number of tails and eyes. Utagi watches for a moment before being called away, having trouble leaving her child there even as Sarah comes back with my water and some punch for herself. I take the glass from her and drink half of it right away, feeling even more uncomfortable with the little fox staring at me.
	"I'm Ulani! Who're you?" The black haired kitsune giggles, getting onto the bed to sit down on my free side. "You have lotsa tails!"
	I'm surprised at how direct she is, but she is just a kid. "I'm Sonia. For my age I do have a lot of tails, but in the big cities you can see people with even more tails than me." I humor her, glad for the adorable distraction.
	"Really?! Have you ever seen someone with nine tails?!" She asks, getting excited just from the thought.
	I hesitate. The only person I've seen with nine tails is my mother. I don't want to talk about her, so I shake my head no and lie.
	"No, never that many. The principal at my high school had five though."
	"That's a whole whole lots! I wish I had that many..."
	"It's a lot of work keeping them groomed. You'll shed a lot with this many, but I bet you'll get the hang of it by that time."
	"You think so?"
	"Well, I've gotten the hang of these... mostly ,and I'm only twenty-two."
	"Can I get them that fast?"
	"No... but it sounds like you may get your second at around seventy like your mother did."
	She whines and pouts, forgetting about it as she keeps staring at me. The pout goes away when she moves herself onto my lap. I'm too surprised to stop her, the young kitsune's grin dissolving any other complaint I have as her small tail pats the bed beside my lap.
	"I always wanted a big sister! Can you be my big sister?" Ulani asks, not able to look up at my directly due to how she's sitting. I can feel her head pushing up on my chin though, her ears tickling my cheeks. I put my arms around her, hands resting on her lap as she takes my fingers to look at my claws. I can't say I don't feel some enjoyment of having the little one so close.
	"For tonight at least, or as long as your mom stays here." I agree, making the tail pat the bed even faster as she squeals a bit in glee and bounces on my lap.
	"Thanks big sis!"
	I drink the rest of the water and set the glass aside as the excited kitsune child stays seated on my lap. She has her turn at the games but stays where she is the whole time, only leaving to use the bathroom once before returning right to her warm seat. I'm a bit envious of her ability to get to the bathroom, the yeti children on my tails aren't letting go anytime soon. At least until dinner is ready. Almost seeming to read my thoughts, Catherine peeks in. She giggles at the entrapment I'm in before speaking up over the noise.
	"We're just about to order food, what do you girls want?" Catherine asks, asking the whole room. Somehow she picks up everything that the kids start calling to her while I fold my ears back to deal with the noise, it not lasting too long as the kids go back to their game. I lift my ears and remove the squint from my face, Catherine still looking at me.
	"Uhm... as long as there is meat I'll be happy, really." I answer.
	Catherine nods, moving away as I hear some more chattering about a 'handsome boy' in the living room. I ignore it for the most part, Ulani looking up at me again as I keep my arms in a light hold around her.
	"You must really like meat if you got those sharp teeth!" She comments, grabbing the attention of some of the other kids. I notice, but try to play it off.
	"I was just born with them. Who doesn't like meat though?"
	"I like fruit a bit more." The little blue-skinned yuki-warashi comments, not having a controller in her hands at the moment. "Can I see your teeth?"
	A few other sets of eyes are staring at me, forcing me to admit defeat before the begging eyes. I give them a big toothy grin, making a few of them gasp in surprise. Closing my mouth, I take in the reaction. They're more full of nervous wonder than fear, I can somehow tell that much.
	"You're a pretty odd kinda kitsune! You've got claws, sharp teeth, and smell kinda different than mom. I haven't met any other kitsunes though." Ulani smiles, eyes turning away from me when someone comes by the open doorway. I follow their gaze, seeing a frowning ten year old boy having his little suit getting straightened out by a fussing mother. He looks up at her and mentions that it's all girls, the mother gently pushing him in with some encouragement so she can have him out of her hair. Spots are cleared out for him and he's nearly pulled into a group hug by the yeti girls, to his dismay. I leave him be, he's not going to hate me for leaving him there when he's older. It seems Sarah has the same idea, and Ulani is content being on my lap instead of bothering him.
	"I am a pretty odd kitsune. If you smell someone else like me, you should be careful around them. Alright?" I ask Ulani, giving her a quick squeeze. This confuses her and makes her try to look up at me again, only putting pressure on my chin again.
	"Why? Are you a bad kind of kitsune?" Ulani asks, innocence almost biting at me.
	"Well... some of us are bad, though I haven't met any others like me either." I lie, omitting my mother. "I can't say they're all bad, I'm not after all. I am a good kitsune, aren't I little sis?"
	Ulani bounces in my lap a bit, giggling at what I called her. It makes me smile too, the little one answering afterwards. "You're a really good kitsune big sis!"
	I smile, giving her another squeeze before looking at the poor boy trapped among four younger yeti kids, forced to play the kart racing game as player one. There does seem to be a lack of boys around, but I don't think too hard about it. They probably just are staying home, to avoid this sort of thing. Can't say I blame them.
	"Where do you live big sis? Around here?" Ulani asks, grabbing my attention again. It takes a moment for me to respond, I see her mother slip back out of view after checking on her little girl from the corner of my eye.
	"I live in the house just next door. We can't go visit there though, we need to stay here."
	"That's no fun, why can't we?!"
	"Because your mother is here, and she wouldn't let you. Besides, there isn't a lot else to do over there besides watch movies and there aren't any for kids there." I inform her, Ulani pausing for a moment.
	"You mean like those movies that daddy and mommy watch when I go to bed?"
	I freeze up. I don't know how I should answer that. Maybe I'm assuming too much about what her parents are doing, but it sounds awfully suggestive. Feeling pressed for the answer, I stammer out a simple "N-not exactly." before she follows up with more questions. "More like movies you can't see in a theater until you're thirteen."
	"Okay..." Ulani finally admits defeat, pouting as she leans back into me like I'm some sort of chair. It isn't very hard to stay still, but I'm glad when an adult comes in to pick up one of the yeti toddlers off one of my three tails. Not much else gets said between us while we wait for the food to arrive, Sarah keeping the kids patient when they start asking where it is. Finally, the first round of food gets to the door. I can smell it right away, but it doesn't get my mouth watering as much as Sebastian's cooking even when the kid's share is brought in for us. Almost as if I can tell that there are little bits of bad things in the mix, to help preserve the fries and chicken. I still take my share, though it takes effort to convince Ulani to get off my lap so I don't get crumbs in her hair.
	Things keep going peacefully like this for a short while, the younger ones being taken away to head home after dinner so they can get to sleep, older kids and teens starting to come into the space to make it even more cramped. I'm still the oldest one in the room the whole time, but when there are less kids to watch I'm left with wandering thoughts. It eventually leads back to Sebastian, of course. Was I really in love with him? Or was it something else? I hope it's love, and not something worse. I don't trust what I am, even if I have to live with it. As my mind wanders, I almost don't notice some commotion by the door. My ears can pick it up even over the sound of the party, attracting my attention when I think I hear a familiar voice there.
	Standing up, I wander out and look at what is going on. It's attracted the attention of several other people who are watching through the window as best they can, voices coming from the other side of the door. Somehow my ears can tell one of them is Sebastian, and the other is Charles. I recall Catherine saying the two didn't get along anymore, and nervously move over to the door to press my ear on it to try and listen to what they're saying. I can't make out words, but Charles sounds very upset about something while Sebastian is trying to reason with him.
	"What's going on?" Catherine asks in a whisper, walking up beside me while trying not to draw too much more attention.
	"Sebastian and Charles are... talking, to put it nicely." I answer, keeping one ear to the door. "Why did Sebastian come over here anyways?"
	"I did invite him, maybe he actually took me up on the offer. Let me out, I'll talk with Charles." Catherine requests. I take my ear off the door and move out of the way, Catherine throwing on a jacket and slipping outside to referee the heated conversation. I peek through the crack in the door, keeping it only open enough to see and hear what is actually going on. Catherine tries to calm her big, muscled husband down while Sebastian keeps apologizing. It isn't helping Charles' mood at all. He loses his temper, and takes a swing at Sebastian. My focus sharpens when I see black bearded Sebastian fall from the strike on the ice, Catherine trying to pull the large man away to no avail. My claws clench when Charles lunges for the already downed opponent, Sebastian too dizzy from a knock to the head to fight back as the blonde bearded one pins him down with his body weight. My blood boils when I see more strikes fly out, Sebastian blocking them as best he can with his arms but not having the same strength as Charles does. Catherine keeps trying to pull her husband off of Charles, but is too weak for it. I throw the door open, rushing out despite the sharp cold on my feet and straight the scene. Not more than a few seconds must have passed before I've reached grabbed Charles by one of his arms and used all my strength to throw him over myself, right onto the same icy walkway that he pinned my Sebastian to, but a bit closer to the door. The wind is knocked out of him, and the surprise has him unable to get up while his mind and body process just what happened.
	I pant for breath as I get my own feel back for reality, more than a few shocked faces watching from the window. Catherine is tending to Charles, seeing if he is alright after the rather violent flip. I remember why I rushed out there, and turn to look at Sebastian. He's just as surprised as anyone else, staring at me with wide eyes. One at least, the other is already swelling up. His lip has been cut and he surely has other bruises on his face. I frown and ignore the biting cold getting through my sweater, moving over to him to try to help him up. He doesn't resist, calming down himself as I help him walk back home in silence with his arm over my shoulder. Only once we get through the front door does he speak, waiting till it's closed and locked behind us.
	"You didn't need to help back there."
	I frown and move over to him, taking his jacket off myself to hang it up. "I did because I wanted to. I couldn't stand by while that happened, no matter what you said to him in the past."
	"But you don't now what I said." He frowns, hissing a bit as he touches his face. I nearly pull him towards the bathroom in my worry. He's headed there anyways, and keeps pace as best as he can while I rush him. Sitting him on the toilet seat with a bit of coercing, I open the cabinet and look for whatever the medical supplies are.
	"I can take care of it myself Sonia. Just get the bag from under the sink with the red cross on it." Sebastian instructs. I find it in a few moments and hand it to him, frowning when I try to think of how I can actually help. He looks at himself in the mirror, and applies some sort of cream to the cut lip before closing it.
	"That's it? I could have done that."
	"Yes, but I didn't want you to." He frowns, standing up to walk past me and find some ice for the bruises.
	"But I wanted to help you." I frown, following him back down the stairs to the kitchen.
	"Why do you want to help me?" He asks. I don't let his tone get to me due to the circumstances.
	"Because I'm worried about you!" I declare, trying to put on a strong face as he looks back at me from the freezer. He looks between me and it, something about my tense form and honest words getting to him. He takes out a blue ice pack to put on his face, trying to respond but unable to. He moves away, but I grab his shirt and keep a tight hold of it. He looks back, but I don't have the nerve to say anything else. I let go, letting him return to his chair to nurse his wounds. A tinge of guilt enters my mix of emotions, knowing that he probably came over to get me after missing dinner. I stand there, trying to figure out what to do next.
	"You didn't make dinner yet?" I ask, Sebastian taking a moment to answer me.
	"No, not yet. I thought you'd be home for it." He answers. It doesn't help my guilt, but I distract myself by starting to get it together myself. The clattering, movement, and sizzling doesn't get Sebastian up off of his seat. It's better if he rests anyways. Soon enough I have dinner made for him, and carry it out in a bowl so he can eat it while sitting where he is. I sit down on the couch as near to him as I can without intruding in his space, hardly noticing the television show he is watching. Sebastian eats the food slow, not saying anything to me either. I decide to break the silence after a short time.
	"Is it good? I didn't add too much sauce?"
	"No, it's good. Really good."
	I smile, glad that he's sounding better already. And enjoying my cooking. I stand up and move behind him, taking the ice pack and putting it on his eye while he eats. Sebastian pauses, but keeps eating as I tend to him as best as I can. It helps me feel content, washing away a bit of my stress. He seems a bit on edge about it though, so I decide to talk and help him a bit.
	"Catherine's friend Utagi seems to think I smell odd. So does her daughter. Maybe kumiho smell different than kitsune." I mention. For some reason calling myself that name isn't as hard as it used to be. "Ulani is pretty cute though. She didn't seem to mind it. Sat on my lap for two hours." I pause to see if he wants me to continue, not seeing any reaction from him. It's better than a bad reaction at least. Changing the subject may be in order though.
	"Just because you're not ready to move on... doesn't mean you need to avoid  me at home." I tell him in a somber tone, turning the ice pack over as I lean on the back of his chair. "I mean, I don't even know why I kissed you for sure. I think I know, but I'm not willing to bet on it just yet. But it's bothering me."
	He sighs, taking the ice pack with his own hand to stand up. I can only see half his face as he turns to look at me. I stand up off the back of the chair and wait for what he has to say. He struggles with the words, but I stay patient. He tries to speak, but he's holding himself back. Letting out a sigh of defeat, he almost heads away before the phone in his pocket rings. He takes it out and moves into the trophy room with it, only answering it then. I wait outside with a frown on my face, Sebastian emerging after a couple of short minutes.
	"That was work?" I ask, and he nods.
	"Yes, but it won't be anything to worry about tonight. Will need me in a few says." Sebastian answers. He stares at me for a moment before sighing and moving past.
	"You've been leaving my door unlocked at night." I mention, stopping him at the door to the kitchen. He looks back and smiles, chuckling a bit.
	"I trust you. I know it's stupid but, I trust you."
	The answer satisfies my worries, letting my body relax and release it's tension. I move over to him and give him a tight hug on impulse, but this time he returns it. I keep the hug going for a bit, but Sebastian starts to pat my shoulders after letting go of me. He pries me away before I come back to my senses, patting my head as I grumble.
	"I told you not to do that."
	"I like doing it though."
	I grumble a bit more, frowning up at him.
	"Well, it's not that bad I guess." I mumble back. "Go take a cold shower! You probably have other bruises on you from the fall!"
	Sebastian chuckles but nods, moving away and taking his sweater off to toss into the laundry room before heading up the stairs. I can't really complain about the view, but I do see some bruises on his back. He injures easy, maybe from all the drinking the past few years.
	"Can you put the laundry in?!" He calls to me from upstairs, snapping me out of my thoughts.
	"Yeah, I'll do them!" I call, moving straight to the laundry room to do so. I start putting the clothing into the washer before coming to the sweater he had tossed. I glance behind me, hearing the shower starting upstairs. Feeling safe, I bring it up towards my face to take a long smell of it, but halfway through I hear a knock at the door. It makes me jump and drop the garment, looking back with wide eyes before another series of knocks came soon after the first set. With a sigh I move on over to where the noise is coming from, shivering when I open the door.
	Standing there is Catherine, and Ulani. As soon as I'm in view, both of them nearly tackle me to the floor. I manage to keep my balance, Catherine letting go first and hanging the jacket I left at her place on a hook.
	"I'm really sorry for Charles! I didn't think he'd get so violent! All I thought would happen would be him having a beer with Sebastian and forgetting about all that trouble, but I was wrong. I'm so so sorry." Catherine nearly pleads, as if trying to ask for my forgiveness.
	"But you should apologize to Sebastian, I'm not the one that was being attacked." I frown.
	"I suppose you're right." Catherine admits, sighing as she calms down. She has to pull Ulani off of me, the little kitsune whining from the tug but putting my snow boots by the door. "But he's your man. Right?" Catherine asks with a smile. I flinch a bit, avoiding her face before looking back at her.
	"Not yet, at least. He needs to move on first." I mumble, looking down at Ulani with a smile. She's clearly been upset and worried, but her eyes aren't red. "You don't worry about me, I just threw someone over twice my weight over my head. I'll be fine." I joke, patting her head to make her smile.
	"Okay, but that was kinda cool. I didn't see it, but that big guy didn't know what happened to him!" Ulani giggled with delight. I see Utagi over their shoulders on the sidewalk when I actually look, keeping an eye on her daughter.
	"He's okay, isn't he?" I inquire, not wanting to feel guilty for hurting him despite what was going on.
	"Charles will be fine, besides his pride. I still need to give him a stern scolding, but that will need to wait till he's sober so it can actually sink in." Catherine huffs, crossing her arms. I chuckle a bit, but shiver again from the hot air escaping. Catherine takes the hint and pats the young kitsune's head, guiding her away from the door. "Take care, and have a happy new year." She smiles back at me. I wave to the both, closing the door behind them.
	With that taken care of, I stop off by the fire to add some more wood to it before heading back to what I was doing. The shower stops and cuts off my intention, and I'm forced to toss the sweater into a nearby basket before starting the machine up. It makes a tiny bit of a racket when it starts but settles into it's job after the short complaint. I hear Sebastian leave the bathroom and head to his own bedroom to get some clothing on, leaving me wondering when I can squirrel the sweater away for my own purposes. Seeing it as suspicious if I'm hanging around the washer and dryer, I move into the living room to plop onto the couch and act innocent.
	Sebastian walks in smelling cleaner and in a clean set of his usual attire, sitting down in his own chair to begin watching his show. I relax in my seat, waiting for my chance to do it inconspicuously. I forget about it soon enough, happier to laze around on the couch and wait for the clock to cross over to the new years with Sebastian. We watch some comedy sitcoms with new episodes just for the night. Then a movie to really pass the time away. It's finished off with a live feed of some 'year in review' show hosted by an angel and a devil, each playing the stereotypical parts. I'm yawning despite the antics, not used to staying up so long. I'm nodding off, but force myself to stay awake somehow.
	"You can go to bed if you want. You won't miss much." Sebastian suggests, looking over at my lazy form laying all over the couch, looking ready to go to sleep right there. I give him a yawn back, thinking about it as I check the time on the screen. Still thirty minutes to go, more or less.
	"That sounds good... I'll just get up there." I mumble, standing up and wobbling away through the kitchen. "Goodnight Sebastian..."
	"Sleep well Sonia."
	I pause just before the stairs, looking towards the laundry room. It hasn't been touched since I put a load in earlier, and my sleepy mind guides me to retrieve the sweater. With the prize in tow I move up the stairs and to my room, closing the door behind me before stripping my clothes off. Nude, I slip into my bed with the sweater and hold it up to my nose to breath in the wonderful scent while I drift off to deep sleep, thoughts going through my day and giving me thoughts of family. It'd be nice to have a daughter like Ulani, I think. I almost question the thoughts, but my sleep-deprived mind doesn't have the energy as thoughts turn to dreams. Dreams of Sebastian, family, and daughters.