Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves - K.A. Merikan Page 0,68
help him put them on. “If I had a boyfriend, hiding who I am would have become… impossible.”
“Right. The knot.” Radek sniggered, but stilled when Yev encouraged him to put his foot into one of the legs. “I… You don’t have to help this much. I probably should figure it out myself.” But the way the hairs on his forearms, bristled from distress, told Yev a different story.
Yev let the boxers settle on Radek’s hips, and while they were baggier on him than on Olek, it was still a decent enough fit.
“It’s okay. We’ll figure this out,” Yev said and showed him the socks.
Radek stood on one foot to allow Yev put one on him, and it hit Yev that any of his brothers or cousins would have sooner died in a ditch than allowed this. But he liked the ease with which Radek accepted his help.
“I just… It’s been a month, but it actually feels really sudden. There’s all these things I didn’t have to do with my hands when I was Ember.”
“Give yourself time. I’m not going anywhere yet,” Yev told him and pulled the sweatpants up Radek’s legs. It was clear Radek’s were longer than Olek’s, which resulted with uncovered ankles, but the fabric tie at the waist helped Yev adjust the fit around his waist at least.
He shouldn’t have thought of a human as a pet, but he couldn’t help comparing this moment to brushing Ember’s fur. Should he brush Radek’s hair like he used to do for Ember?
“Thank you,” Radek said when Yev helped him put on a T-shirt. “I know deep down that I have to face this. It’s not gonna go away just because I want it to.” He rubbed his eyes with the collar of the T-shirt. Was he… crying?
It had been so much easier to deal with Ember’s sulking. Hesitating, Yev froze with his hands still on the hem of the T-shirt. “Do you… want me to do something? What do you like to eat? You know, other than the yolks,” he attempted to joke.
“Just hug me!” Radek whined as more tears filled his eyes.
Yev choked on the air in his throat but pulled Radek in, and while Radek’s weakness made him uncomfortable, the sense of being the only one capable of offering him comfort gave Yev a sense of peace, as if he had all the necessary tools to deal with this project.
“It’ll be fine.” It was just a phrase, but he meant it.
Radek shivered in his arms, uttering with little sobs, but each subsequent breath he took was calmer, which in turn made Yev relax.
Minutes must have passed, but Radek finally spoke. “You didn’t let me have sugar when I was a fox. Can I have some now? My granddad used to make me this mix when I was little. Just egg yolks and sugar.”
Yev snorted and rubbed away Radek’s tears. “You want me to feed you kogel-mogel? That’s your greatest desire after a whole month in the body of a fox? Pretty low maintenance.”
“You can add a pinch of cinnamon.”
“Haute cuisine,” Yev said and helped Radek put on a hoodie that had soft fluff on the inside. It somehow felt appropriate to cushion him. Radek didn’t protest when Yev zipped him up.
He rummaged through the cabinet, finding a pair of guest slippers that should fit his foxy boy, and with the outfit completed, led Radek to the kitchen.
“You didn’t tell me yet how it happened. How did you end up in the snares?” he asked, even though just thinking about the steel teeth cutting into poor Ember’s flesh made his anger flare.
Radek sighed and leaned his elbows on the table, looking adorable with red hair falling to his shoulders from under the hood. “It’s kinda your fault really,” he said but winked at Yev when he frowned. “The day we had that argument, and I came over with the mouse, and then you said I was being a shit for owning the fox farm… You were right. I’ve never actually been there. My mom wouldn’t let me, and as time passed I was no longer interested. I didn’t visit the place even after my dad died and I technically inherited the business. I think deep down I knew it wouldn’t fill me with joy to see what was going on there.
“So when you pointed it out, I got so angry. I wanted to prove to myself that you were wrong. I drove to the farm and went to