Just A Fox

“Don’t cry. I already told you to not cry.” Jesse coughed scarlet against his handkerchief, as the grip around my hand tightened. I couldn’t stop crying for the love of God.

“Y-you! You twit! You co-complete tw-twit!” I stuttered. “H-how do y-you expect m-me not t-to c-cry! I th-thought you knew m-me b-better!”

“Heh… you have a point.” He muttered closing his eyes. I slapped him on his arm making his shutters fly open. “What?!”

“D-don’t you d-dare fall a-asleep! D-don’t y-you even d-dare!” I yelled, burying my face in the blue sheets.

“Ssh…it’s gonna be fine.” He murmured.

I took a deep breath in and glared at him. “HOW?! How in the hell of this world is it going to be fine?! Can you explain to me how in the hell is this going to be okay?! You don’t know squat!”

“Calm down.” He coughed once again, this time heavier. “Ugh… look princess. This ain’t gonna get any better, no matter how much you yell, scream, or cry.”

I started sobbing.

“Oh God.” He moaned. “Please, please stop cryin’.”

I covered my mouth.

He slowly raised his hand towards mine, pulling it off my lips, and pushing my forehead onto his. Beads of sweat strolled down his face, as I reached up and cleaned them off gently with the tips of my fingers. “Please stop crying.”

“You don’t think I haven’t tried?” I whimpered. “You’re the only thing I have left. There’s no point in going on. I’ll miss you so much. And even now, while you might still be with me I’m reminded each time you cough… each time you moan or cry… I’m reminded that soon enough you’ll be gone.”

“What about me?” He whispered. “Don’t you think I also get somewhat of say? I’ll miss you so much, Dolly. Even while I watch you from up above, I’ll cry every night for not being able to speak to you. To laugh with you. To just be with you. It also hurts me too.”

Tears started strolling once again down my cheeks. “Please don’t leave me. Please.”

“I’m so sorry.” He murmured. He closed his eyes. “You know I love you. I’m sorry I just… can’t.”

“No, no, no, no, no.” I shook his face. “Wake up, please, wake up. C’mon. Don’t joke around with me. Wake up. Wake up! Please, please… please.”

I begged until I lost my voice.

Jesse was gone.



“I didn’t know you smoked snipes now, kitten.”

I yawned, cocking my head up, towards the smooth man who was looking down at me with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow. “I thought that I told you that next time we saw each other would be the day I cut out your manhood, you egg man.”

“You haven’t changed at all huh?” He groaned and sat down next to me. “Where’s that black man you hang with? He’s your friend right?”

I took a drag. “How’d you know he was my friend? I mean, he is black right?”

He scoffed. “You’re a cat. I didn’t expect any less. I’m a cat too. Don’t you think I have negro friends too?”

“Ring-a-ding-ding, baby. That doesn’t make you nor me special. Are you going somewhere with this?” I coughed into my handkerchief, scarlet spattering all over the white color. I frowned, hiding it from Vince before he saw.

“I do. Now this is just all assumption. But,” His daredevil eyes connected with mine. “You came to me for the TB cure because that black friend of yours had TB. Now, I say ‘had’ because he’s most likely dead by now.”

I bit my bottom lip and frowned. “What do you want Vincent? If you came to hurt me then you can call it quits. There’s nothing in me left for you to hurt.”

“I’m not here for that either. I’m here because the day that you left me, I found something out. Something extremely important that I thought you should know. So I went all over the country searching for you. And here you are.” He leaned in closer.

“Just tell me.” I muttered sourly.

“I’m dizzy with a dame.”

I blinked a couple of times, unsure of what I just heard. “Uh… snazzy? What does that have anything to do with me?”

“That dame is you.” He lifted up my chin, pressing his lips against mine.

I pushed him away, quickly scrambling up to my feet. “Are you a complete whack?! Why would you ever believe I would ever, ever in my life fall in love with you?! You’re a twit! An egg man! And I’m just a… a…”

“A fox.” He sighed, standing up. “I didn’t fall in love with you just because you’re a fox. I fell in love with you because… you’re such a fire bomb. You’re passionate. You make me happy.”

I slapped him across the face. “I… I…”

I started coughing violently, falling onto my knees. It all happened suddenly. One minute my shutters were open. And the next… the next I was in the arms of Vincent, shutters closed.



“You have quite the scary face. What’s wrong?” Vincent kissed the top of my head, passing a hand through my dark curls. “Do you need anything?”

“Jesse.” I answered, looking up at Vince. “Get him for me.”

Vince rolled his eyes. “Even in death, that man still wins the heart of my girl. This is cute as a bug’s ear.”

I smiled. “I do need something though.”

“Mm?” He laughed. “Another pally?”

“A kiss.” I muttered. He bent down and kissed me, completely unafraid. His lips were always so soft, so alluring, it made me hungry for more. I knew better though. I placed my hand over his cheeks, brushing against the roughness and kissed each. He grinned, kissing mine back. It had been three months since he found me on the streets. It had been two months and a week since he proposed. It had been a month since we got married.

“If this is all you really wanted you didn’t even have to ask.” He kissed my nose.

“I know.” I pouted. “I’ll just miss it when I’m gone.”

“Shut up.” He ordered, pulling me upwards. “Dance with me.”

“I’m tired.” I moaned, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Ugh… I hate you.”

“You love me.” He smiled, kissing my temple. He swooped me up, carrying me to our bed and putting me gently down. He tucked me in, climbing over from the other side and wrapping his arms around my waist. He held me, pressing his cool forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply in and out.

“I don’t understand how… but I love you.” I laughed, opening my peepers just a bit.

Silence.

His deep, dark eyes connected to mine, but he didn’t say a thing. Instead he buried his face on the crook of my neck. I could feel wetness trickling down, as I passed a hand through his hair. I blinked a couple of times, trying to hold onto my own tears.

I smiled, biting my bottom lip and burying my face in his hair. “Want to know a secret?”

He nodded, kissing my neck. I could hear him holding in breaths, trying to calm himself down.

“I’m glad I didn’t slice you up.” I smiled shortly, tears streaming down my pink cheeks.

He laughed, his body vibrating against mine. “I’m glad you spiced up my drink.”

“I’m glad you got dizzy with a dame.”

“I’m glad I found you.”

I hiccupped a couple of tears out.

He kissed the crook of my neck once again. “I love you.”

I started crying.

“I love you.” He kissed my earlobe.

I closed my eyes.

“I love you.” He kissed my cheek.

I let my head droop to the side.

“I love you.” He kissed my lips.

I was gone.