Fighting and Bonding

He was already sitting down when she got to the cafeteria, with a tray containing only one entree, side, and drink. There was a large sketchbook on the table beside him. Sarahi blinked, and hurried through the line as quick as she could, herself. "You didn't wait for me?" the Sha'khari asked as she sat down.

"Nayeli's on my case about it," the Rabbit rolled his eyes, digging in to his baked potato. His hood was pulled up, and a little forward on the right side, angled so you'd have to be sitting on her side to see him. "Besides, you don't need a bodyguard anymore, so you don't--"

"Give me your lunch-card," she interrupted, holding out her hand to him.

Oro quirked a brow at her. "Say what?"

She dipped a brow back at him, and dipped her voice in a mock-masculine octave and pretended to be threatening, "I said 'give me your lunch-card', shrimp!"

He actually cringed, and she cracked into giggles. "Oh gods forgotten, anything you want, just don't do that again," he growled, reaching into his pocket and tossing the little plastic rectangle at her, "You'd be terrible at being a bully."

"Thanks," she answered, sliding the card off the table and into her pocket, "But now you have an excuse. Wait for me tomorrow."

Oro blinked at her, eying the empty spot where his card had landed. "Did you seriously just--?"

"Hi!" Nayeli greeted them as she approached, setting her tray down to Sarahi's left. As soon as her hands were free, she put her arms around Sarahi's shoulders and hugged her tight.

The Sha'khari blushed at the affection, and blinked in surprise. "Uh...what...?"

Nayeli released her and slid onto the stool beside her. "He told us what he did," the Lioness explained, "I was afraid we might not see you for a while. It's pretty big of you to come back today."

"It's...I...well, no," Sarahi admitted, looking down at her tray, "Honestly, I'm a little put out that you got here ahead of me," she frowned at Oro, "It still hurts, and I want to chew you out, but I wanted that tray piled up high first...so you'd know..." She gave up, and forcibly cleared the tremble out of her voice, focusing her eyes on Nayeli instead and continuing more softly, "I was afraid of the same thing, actually. I should have seen what he was up to, and not--"

"Don't say it," Oro warned, pointing his fork at her and completely ignoring what she'd attempted to say, to all appearances, "If you do, I'll give you a set to match." He turned his head then, pulling back the side of his hood so she could clearly see the four long, angry red lines running across the right side of his face, and the little mostly-transparent threads holding them shut. "They're gonna be great when they scar over. This is what happens to people who fuck with you. Remember it. Point it out, if you have to. I'll be happy to model."

Sarahi cringed, but nodded her head. Nayeli nodded hers, too. "I hate to say it, but he's kind of right. Not that you ever should have been picked on in the first place...but now you know you don't have to take it. Even if you don't go that far," she nodded at Oro, "I've seen what you two get up to these days. You can handle it. Heh...and now I have to stop being so hard on him. I'd say he got what he's had coming for a while, and my warnings have all been validated."

"Yeah, yeah," the Rabbit growled, clearly having not learned any kind of lesson in that regard. Picking up the sketchbook from beside him, he passed it to Sarahi. "These are yours," he told her, and she carefully took it, seeing some loose, wrinkled papers tucked under the front cover. She gasped in surprise when she flipped it open to see what they were. "I picked up what I could," the Rabbit explained, not looking at her now, "Some pieces blew away before I could catch them. I know they're all wrecked anyway, but...maybe you can use them for reference to redraw them or something."

He'd taped them back together as well as he was able, and left his textbooks sitting on them overnight in the hopes they would flatten back out. They had, mostly, but they'd never be that crisp, smooth page again. Some of them had red stains, where his face had dripped on them. Still, he'd recovered most of the drawings he'd ripped out, minus one or two. Sarahi flipped through them briefly, looking a little disappointed at something. "...The one of you eating?"

Oro just shrugged. She nodded her understanding, and set the book down by her legs. Sarahi was still mad at him, a little, but didn't have the heart to voice it anymore. She also still blamed herself, a little, for losing her self control, though she knew he had deliberately pushed her to that point. Mostly she was glad to find that they all felt more-or-less the same about it, and would continue to be the friends each of them had come to know and love.

Even so, she was a little surprised when Oro came jogging up behind her that afternoon, just as she'd got out of the school lot on her way home, having resolved herself to the fact that she didn't need his protection anymore and therefor should expect to walk herself home now. She was twice as surprised to see him carrying what looked like a large bundle of jeans. "What the fuck?" he grumbled, catching up to her, "Too good to wait for me now that you don't need me?"

Sarahi shook her head quickly, her face blank with surprise. "No! I just...it's so far out of your way...I didn't think you'd want to anymore." It wasn't even a mentoring day. He had absolutely no reason to be going this direction besides a now unnecessary routine.

"Yeah, well, you got no fucking clue what I want, so don't make assumptions," he grunted, taking his usual position just a little ahead of her. With a nod, she fell in beside him, and he staggered his step for half a second to plant his foot in time to her back left leg. She had no idea why he liked matching her step like that, but he'd been doing it practically from the first day. She found it comforting now.

"So, what's that?" she waited until they were around the bend from the school to ask, pointing to the roll of cloth on his shoulder.

Oro gave it a sideways look, like he was debating whether he should tell her or not. "Well...the sketchbook's what you were due, just as a matter of restitution, but I thought I should get you a gift to go with the apology. I'm still sort of cheating, though," he grumbled to himself, not looking at her as they walked, "It took so fucking long to finish I just decided to hang on to it until Deep White, but you deserve something, so..."

Sarahi paused, tilting her head as her suspicion grew...and with it, her smile. "Oro, are those my...?" He looked embarrassed. It was adorable. Oro pulled his hood forward more over his face as Sarahi fell back in step, her face beaming with excitement. "I'm trying them on when we get home. Don't leave."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all gushy," he huffed, "It's still my handiwork, mostly. Mrs. Hope did help tidy it up at the end, though. Made sure the legs are even and the seams are all smooth and stuff. If it needs any more adjusting, she said to just let her know."

"...Still made from other boys' pants?" she quirked a brow with a sly smile.

"No!" he growled, "I told you that was a prototype. I got new denim fresh from the craft store for this," he assured her, patting the bundle on his shoulder. She giggled, but nodded to indicate she believed him...and was grateful. As soon as they got through her front door, she tossed her backpack on the floor of the entry hall and snatched the bundle out of his hands, dashing up the stairs to her room with it.

It took her a while to come back down. He had given some hard thought as to why other pants (and her panties) were uncomfortable, and tried to come up with a way to avoid that. The result still looked like a blanket when she unrolled it, with four long flaps at each corner, and a zipper on each of them. It kind of reminded her of an animal-skin rug, if any animal she knew of had blue skin. After a few minutes, she figured out the idea was to drape it over her back, like her skirts, then zip each leg individually. That way there was no sliding to rub her fur the wrong direction, and she could smooth it out as she went, if needed. A fifth zipper along the full length of the underside closed it up all the way from her tail to her upper waist. That part was a little awkward to reach...but she could honestly say she was pleased with the result. She looked a little odd to herself, looking in the mirror, but that was mostly because she wasn't used to seeing herself in clothes with four distinct legs. Even the fit was nice. Mrs. Hope must have been taking notes whenever Sarahi was visiting.

"Oro, these are wonderful!" she cheered, trotting down the stairs into the living-room. The Rabbit was sitting on the couch, along with her mother, when she came prancing in.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Swordbright smiled when she did a little turn-around, "That is nice! I'm surprised, young man," the older Lioness complimented him. Oro didn't look particularly proud of her praise, but nodded in acknowledgment. Sarahi grinned, and bent forward to plant her hands on the floor and kick her back legs up to the ceiling, holding them there in a Sha'khari equivalent of a hand-stand (admittedly much easier than most people's). She could never do this before without her skirt falling down all over her head. Her mother laughed. "Alright, sweetie, not even boys like a showoff."

Oro quirked a brow at her. "Have you ever met a boy?"

Sarahi almost fell on her face, bursting into giggles, and quickly rocked back onto her usual four feet before her mother could respond. "They're great!" she beamed, "Will you be mad if I get someone to make a few more from the design? I know you worked hard on these, but you'd probably rather use that time for something besides making the other two or three that I'd like to have."

"Fu--oot no!" he barely caught himself, across the couch from her mom, "My hand got so many cramps just making that one. I'm not in the fashion business, so make 'em someone else's headache."

Mrs. Swordbright frowned at him, even if she was sympathetic to the effort it took to make clothes completely from scratch by hand, but Sarahi just nodded. "I didn't think so." She surprised him then, by trotting over and giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you."

"Yeah, you're welcome," he grunted, trying not to look embarrassed, "You make 'em look better than I expected. Anyway, I'm out of here. Gotta go home and show Mrs. Hope I didn't do anything to reopen these today," he pointed to the marks on the side of his face, gathering up his bookbag and headed for the door. Sarahi gave him a goodbye wave and a smile and let him go at that.

Life fell once again into comfortable routine, at least for Sarahi and Oro. Nayeli's circle of friends outside of them grew a little smaller, as some of her classmates became anxious about how much time she spent with "those two" (despite one of them being her foster-brother, so kind of hard to get away from), and worried she might soon turn violent, too. Nayeli thanked them for being honest, and for showing their true character. She didn't miss them as much as she expected. She and Sarahi continued their weekend runs, and occasionally went shopping together. Nayeli even tried to include her in get-togethers with her other friends...but while everyone made sure to be polite, it was always clear to Sarahi that they were never quite comfortable with her "figure". They tried too hard, either to be positive about it or ignore it. She didn't blame them too much, but she didn't care to spend her time in company like that. Nayeli was rather disappointed. Not a week went by that the Lioness did not get together with the Sha'khari at least once, for talking, walking, or a movie. Like Oro, she seemed to find it easy to accept Sarahi's "condition" as just another fact of life, to be accommodated without any more need for remark than being unusually tall might merit.

The season turned cold. Winter break was coming up soon. Gym classes moved indoors. Sarahi had always had a kind of love-hate relationship with this subject. She was a good runner, a decent jumper, and a good swimmer. A climber...she was not. Period. And Coach was the sort that demanded a note from her parents before he would exempt her from trying to climb the rope to the bell, despite the obvious futility of expecting her to drag her entire back half up it with nothing but her arms. It was also the one subject where it was absolutely mandatory that she wear pants or shorts. Between the hideous look of her necessarily baggy sweatpants and the way the clingy fabric dragged her fur in all the wrong ways like it had a malicious will, she was understandably uncomfortable for the entire class.

That was a large part of why she was paying more attention to the locker-room doors than the indoor volley ball game she was supposed to be playing. Sarahi had to adjust herself after practically every exchange, and tried to be as discrete as possible about it by turning her tail away from the other students each time she did, which left her rump and her top facing the locker-rooms briefly. So she saw when Kreig poked his head out the door and made a kind of half-whistle at some of the other guys. A Bull, Stag, Ram, and Wolf joined the Panther, slipping into the locker-room even though class was in session. Coach was too busy reffing the girls' game to notice, and Sarahi didn't think much of it herself, to be honest. She just thought it curious.

As she turned her attention back to the game, she realized she hadn't been paying attention and missed the whistle. She knew this, because a girl on the opposite side of the net was already in mid-air, and the only thing Sarahi could see besides her was the quickly approaching ball...just before it hammered her right in the nose. The Sha'khari squeaked and staggered back, cupping her hands over her stinging muzzle. Her palms were red when she lifted them away.

"Where's your head, Sarahi?" Coach barked, but quickly took note of the red trickle eking from her nose, "Alright, go wash up. Come back when it stops," was all he told her, gesturing toward the locker-rooms. Relieved for any excuse to not spend another minute on this floor, she quickly trotted off, silently grateful for the accident, sting and all.

A dull thud coming from the boys's side startled her just as she got to the door. It was followed by a very familiar, "Fuck you!"

"I don't swing that way," one of them answered with a smug chuckle as the group of strong, athletic jocks surrounded him. Ram was already bleeding from his nose, and his left eye was going to swell and turn black soon, but he and Panther had Oro's arms firmly in their grip and were (barely) keeping him pinned against the back wall. "Caught you red-handed this time, didn't we? You little thief..."

"Oh yeah," Oro grunted, wiggling the fingers of his empty hands before he balled them up into fists again, "I almost got away with a whole boatload of air. Wasn't even yours, so what do you care?"

"It wasn't air you made off with when I had to spend a whole day in my gym shorts," the Wolf snarled, stepping up to give Oro a firm upper-cut into the ribs.

The Rabbit winced, but kept right on grinning. "Those ratty things didn't have any knees left anyway," Oro pointed out, "I just saved you the trouble of tossing 'em. Or is 'reclaimed trash' the fashion fad this year?"

Wolf drew back for another hit, this time to the face, but was interrupted by a shout behind him: "Let him go!" Sarahi's front paws drove the Stag, nearest the door, all the way to the ground when she landed on him, and he barely avoided busting his chin on the concrete as she continued over his prone body. Oro took advantage of the surprise to kick off the wall behind him, wrenching free of the two holding his wrists. They joined up in the center of the room while the jocks collected their wits, standing hip-to-haunches and circling with fists up and defiance in their eyes, daring any of them to step within reach.

"Who the Hell hit you?" he growled, noticing her already bloody nose.

"Nina," she chuckled, "We can thank her later. You good?"

He laughed, making the Stag flinch just by twitching his fist in the guy's general direction. "Enough to kick these tail-holes."

Sarahi wished she felt as confident as he sounded. The Bull she was trying hard to intimidate was having none of it. He snorted practically in her face. "Look, I don't know whether you're his girlfriend or his handler these days," the hefty teenager grunted, "But either way...you're in the wrong bathroom, girl." He turned a little to one side and gestured toward the door, offering to let her walk back out the way she'd come in. Just her. Just this once.

The Sha'khari gnashed her teeth. "Oro," she said softly, "I need a favor." He grunted quizzically, but didn't take his eyes off the Wolf at her back, who was just itching for an opportunity. Sarahi slowly rose up to her full height, spreading her front paws and baring her claws as she balanced on her back legs. From here, she could look down even on the Bull. "...Make me comfortable."

His teeth flashed. One hand slid down her back without even looking behind him, hooking into her gym shorts as soon as his fingers found the waistband and yanking them down over her tail. The other boys' eyes went wide, and mouths too. Sarahi smiled smugly, coming back down on her front paws with a heavy thump to show off her weight. "...And they're bigger than yours," she growled at the Bull.

Now he looked intimidated. "Don't let 'em grab my tail," Sarahi muttered over her shoulder, gathering herself up to pounce, "I hate that."

"Don't let 'em grab my hood," Oro answered, his eyes grown wild with excitement and his grin showing way too many teeth, "I hate that." She sprang. He kicked.

The ruckus that followed drew the attention of the entire gym, forcing Coach to abandon his post as referee for more pressing concerns. His whistle split the air and echoed painfully in the locker-room before he'd quite passed through the door, freezing all the occupants in place...and fell out of his mouth at the scene inside: Roric, the Bull, was trying to pry one of his horns free of the locker it had skewered. Layton, the Wolf, was curled up in a corner covering his nose and insisting repeatedly that he was sorry for something. Lenny, the Ram, was nowhere to be seen (they would find him later hiding in the showers). Coach was just in time to watch Krieg topple over Sarahi's back to slam his head into the lockers behind her. Oro still had his leg stuck out from kicking the Panther, and Sarahi looked undecided about whether or not she should let go of Gary's antlers quite yet, as she kept his face nearly kissing the floor by resting the weight of her upper torso on them...

Sarahi thought it was more than a little unfair that the jocks got to give their side of the story first, but kept quiet as she and Oro sat side-by-side in the front office, waiting for the principal to see them. She was strangely happy, despite having never been in this kind of trouble before. She figured it was the adrenaline still in her system, but all she could think about was that she had won her first fight. A real one. She wouldn't admit it out loud...but she could suddenly see why Oro always seemed so excited about it.

The Rabbit, by contrast, was sitting quietly in the chair to her left, head bowed and eyes closed with his arms crossed over his chest, pretending to be asleep. He was nervous, though. She could feel the tension in him right through his shoulder, pressed against hers as she tried to keep clear of the door. He was probably worried about what he was going to tell Nayeli and Mrs. Hope this time.

The quiet was starting to bother her. The soft ticking of the clock on the wall sounded like a metallic gong. The secretary's typing was like gunshots. Sarahi started to hum, just to break the tension being built by the hush. It started as a hum...but soon she'd picked a song, and began softly reciting the lines. She started to sway just a little bit, rocking against Oro and making him quirk an annoyed brow at her.

"Why ya shakin'? We're a dynasty in the makin'. We're the royalty, now we're breakin' down the enemy, so move over...," she leaned into him again, and paused with an expectant look.

Oro rolled his eyes, and laid his head against the wall...then quietly picked up the end of the line, "For the soldiers!"

Sarahi smiled. "Take a swing, I can take a hit..."

"If we die it's fine, we live for this," Oro finished, both of them smiling now and rising in volume little by little with each word.

The Sha'khari put her arm around his shoulders, and he did the same, as they jumped into the chorus together: "We're gonna stand on top with our hands in the sky! Gonna raise our cup to the stadium lights! For the gloooryy! We do it for the gloooryy! We're celebratin' with the city tonight! Hear that home-town cheer, it's the ultimate high! For the glooryy--!"

They were interrupted by the principal's door swinging open, and the five jocks marching out with sour looks on their faces. Sarahi swallowed, her courage deflated a little, as they passed by her, though none of them so much as looked her in the eye on the way out. She and Oro sat there for another few minutes, suffering the dour glare of the secretary for their little musical number, before the principal called their names.

Oro lead the way in, taking one of the seats on the near side of the wide desk like he knew which one was his favorite. On the other side, it was hard to tell if the overweight Badger who was their principal was awake or asleep behind those narrow eyes. He asked Sarahi to close the door, though, and she reluctantly obliged. "I'm giving you both two days suspension," he informed them matter-of-factly as the door clicked shut, "Your teachers will provide you with make-up work when you get back, for those of you who care about your grades." That one was clearly directed at Oro. "I've already called your parents. They're on their way to pick you up."

Sarahi's mouth fell open. "That...that's not fair! You didn't even ask for our side of the story!"

Surprisingly, the old Badger just nodded, an act that made his chin bob up and down on his chest. "That's very true, but I know better than to believe a word that one says," he nodded to Oro, "And I don't think you actually want to argue with the story I've already been given."

He was about to say more, but Sarahi interrupted by slamming her fist down on his desk, "Why does everyone always assume Oro is lying?!" she shouted, "I know he gets in fights a lot, I know he used to be a bully, but--!"

A tap on her shoulder cut her off. Oro was shaking his head while giving her a hard look, trying to silently tell her she should shut her mouth before she got in worse trouble. Sarahi grit her teeth, hating that he was so willing to go along with it even more than the false accusations.

But the principal seemed inclined to humor her. "Alright, young lady, let's compare stories: According to those boys, Oro has been stealing other boys' pants for the last several months, so they've started sending someone into the lockers every quarter hour or so to be on watch and call out if the boy showed up. Today they caught him hiding above the lockers after class began, and trapped him. They had every intention of beating him black and blue, until he wouldn't dare show his face in the gymnasium again...but no sooner than they started, you charged to his rescue, in the wrong locker-room, and joined him in fighting them. You won, soundly. Would you like to contest anything I've said so far?"

She wanted to. She really did. But there was...surprisingly...nothing to contend. "Er...no," she admitted, eyes cast down to the floor, "That sounds about right."

The old Badger nodded again. "Now, I have complaints about those missing pants going all the way back to spring, so I know they aren't making that up. But even if they have a reason to be angry...only a very petty one, mind...it doesn't in the least justify setting an ambush or resorting to fists. This boy has a record of trouble-making a mile long, but you, Ms. Swordbright, have never caused your teachers a lick of trouble for as long as you've been attending school in this county. I have no reason to expect you would do something so rash if you did not genuinely believe you were on the right side of it. Taking all that into account, those boys, and you two, will all be suspended for two days, complete make-up work if you desire, and write an apology letter to Mr. Highgrass for the damage to the lockers. Does that still sound unfair?"

Sarahi shook her head...but Oro chuckled. "They gave it to you straight, eh? Didn't see that coming."

The principal's eyebrows dipped sternly, but he didn't argue. "There is one detail I would like confirmed before your parents get here," he added, leaning forward in his chair to rest his hands together on top of the wide desk. "Ms. Swordbright, did you or did you not tell Oro to take off your pants?"

Her face turned bright red. The thought of that bunch of boys repeating the intimate details of that moment made her stomach churn just a little...but she nodded slowly. The principal didn't seem pleased with the non-committal answer.

"Again, Ms. Swordbright, just to be clear: Those boys didn't do it," he pointed at the door, "And that boy didn't do it," he pointed at Oro, "Except after your explicit instruction. Is that correct?"

"...Yes," she answered firmly this time, though through clenched teeth. It was embarrassing to say it, but she understood why it was so important to be clear about that detail. If anyone had touched her before that...or if it hadn't been at her request...actually, she realized they were all walking a fine line on some very serious charges regardless of the details. In retrospect, she regretted putting everyone in that position, though it had felt necessary at the time. "They get in the way, so I--"

The old principal put his hand up and shook his head quickly. "I don't need details if you're not naming a culprit. I just want it to be clear. If you need to talk to me about it later, or to the school counselor, please do not hesitate. Now, please wait quietly in the hall until your parents arrive."

Oro hopped right out of his seat and headed straight for the door. Sarahi followed, red-faced and a little stunned at how short and straight-forward it had been. "Um...is it...always like that?" she whispered to Oro once they were back into the main office, headed for the hall.

"Yeah," the Rabbit nodded, "Mr. Barkfur's pretty alright. Sharp, but he can still only work with what people tell him...and he gets told loads of crap about me."

Sarahi was about to remark on the injustice of that when her eyes met the Bull's. All five boys were sitting or standing in various spots around the entry hall, waiting for their parents just like Sarahi and Oro. The Sha'khari suddenly felt very trapped, and backed into the nearest corner, managing to keep her fists down but watching warily for any of them to make a move.

Oro gave her a glance over his shoulder...and chuckled. "Relax," he told her, "They aren't going to make trouble right outside the principal's office. Sure, like most of us guys, they got caught thinking with their dicks today," he grinned at each of them in turn, "But all in all, they're not bad kids."

Roric snorted. "Last thing I expected to hear from you," he grunted.

"Heh...and I didn't expect you to tell the old codger the truth," the Rabbit admitted, "That honesty didn't get you out of punishment, though, did it?"

"No," the Bull admitted, though he didn't seem surprised or particularly perturbed, either.

"Yeah," Oro nodded, strolling over to him and...offering his hand. "Next time, just pin it on me. I don't have a good name left to protect, so it doesn't matter what I say anyway. But I appreciate the thought."

The Bull ignored the hand. "I wouldn't expect a guy like you to understand 'integrity'."

The Rabbit chuckled, grinning like he'd just won another fight. "You're probably right. But you just proved my point. So thanks." He turned to lean casually against the wall right beside Layton (who gave him wary looks over his bandaged nose), as they all waited for their parents to arrive and collect them.

Mrs. Swordbright, unsurprisingly, was the first to arrive. And she was livid. As often as she'd frowned in disapproval or rolled her eyes in exasperation, Oro had never seen her genuinely angry before. Her glare forced all the jocks to turn their faces away, and even Sarahi seemed to shrink a little, keeping her eyes on the floor. The heat generated by the clash between her eyes and Oro's threatened to set something on fire. The Lioness crossed the small hall quickly, her heels echoing in the tense air with each step.

Despite her fury, she was gentle in lifting her daughter's chin, giving her face a brief inspection. "I'm fine, Mom," Sarahi muttered quietly, "Couple of bruises at worst."

Though relieved to hear that, Mrs. Swordbright's mood was not much improved by it. Not at all, in fact. She did her daughter the courtesy of holding her tongue on everything she wanted to say until they were well out of hearing of the other students. For the moment, she simply took Sarahi's hand and walked out of the building in a silent fury.

Lenny and Krieg went next, rather less quietly as their mothers berated them for fighting in school, then Mrs. Hope arrived. She strolled in, calm and casual, already dressed for work later (in which she cut quite a figure). Unlike the previous three, she was smiling and relaxed, and gave the other boys in the hall a friendly wave as she passed. "Wait right there," she told Oro, holding out a finger to him as she turned to enter the office.

After a few minutes, she stepped back into the hall, and took a quick look around at the remaining students. She winced at the sight of Layton's nose. "Ooo...did he do that?" she nodded at Oro...and was surprised to see the Wolf shake his head. "Sarahi? Well! I hope you'll remember that, if you ever get miffed with your girlfriend," the Lioness winked, causing Layton to blush (even though Oro was pretty sure he didn't have a girlfriend), then strolled over to lean against the wall beside the Rabbit.

"Hi, Mrs. Hope," the Rabbit muttered after an uncomfortable moment.

"Hello, dear," she smiled, then resumed waiting silently.

Her seemingly good mood appeared to bother Oro more than being yelled at might have. "Uh...are you--?" he began, but she put her finger over his lips.

"Not here," she told him, still smiling warmly, "We'll talk in the car. Just wait a little longer." Nayeli came walking quickly down the neighboring hall just as she finished, carrying her backpack and copies of classwork from the class she would miss later. "Hello, dear," Mrs. Hope greeted the girl with a wave, "Sorry to cut your day short, but since I'm here I thought you might appreciate riding for once."

"That's fine," Nayeli smiled, "I didn't have a meet this afternoon, so I'm glad to go home early."

"That's good. Let's go, then," her mother coaxed them both toward the door, "You boys have a nice day, and remember to be polite to the girls," she waved to the other students still waiting, leaving them all a little slack-jawed. Oro muttered something about not being on the clock, but she just scratched his head behind the ears, causing him to walk faster for a couple of steps to get out of her reach.

It was Friday when Sarahi and Oro saw each other again, sitting down to lunch like usual, and Nayeli rolling her eyes at how high the Rabbit's plate was piled, like usual. "Welcome back! I missed you guys," the Lioness smiled as she sat down with them.

Oro arched a brow at her. "You see me every evening. You talk my ear off about your day."

"I can still miss you at lunch," she shrugged, smiling at Sarahi, "So, how bad was it?"

Sarahi chuckled, and finished swallowing the bite she'd already taken from her taco before answering. "Not as bad as I expected. You were right," she commended Oro, "They really went for the ribs a lot. The wrong ribs, on top of that. I thought for sure I'd at least get a busted lip or something."

"Eh, they're not bad kids," Oro shrugged, unsurprised, "It's hard for a good kid to fight a girl. You deduct points in your own head if you hit these," he waved over his face...then over his chest. Nayeli frowned. "What? It's only true if you're respectful to the point of being stupid, so don't complain."

"Not that I'm not glad you weren't hurt," Nayeli clarified, "But I meant with your parents. I know I'd be way more scared of Mom when I got home than anyone I slugged in a fight."

Sarahi tilted her head, as if not understanding the question. "Sorry," she said after a quiet moment, "I'm trying to imagine your mother being mad. I just can't seem to do it."

"Ya dan't wanna," Oro muttered, working to swallow the entire half of an apple in his mouth, "She only yells when she's happy. When she's quiet is when you should be worried . And I have a hard time believing you've ever been a target of it," he stared at Nayeli.

His foster-sister giggled. "There's a reason I'm a good girl now," she winked.

"...Okay," he nodded after a moment, "That I can believe." Sarahi giggled at them. Oro turned back to her. "Before that...thank you. I didn't get a chance to say it on Tuesday. I..." He paused for a moment, considering his words...which surprised the girls, honestly, as he usually had no trouble speaking his mind about anything. "I usually fight with my back in a corner," he explained slowly, "That means both that no one can attack it, and that I can't back out. Not that I would. But...having that freedom of movement was great. Better than you felt being bottomless, probably."

"Oro!" they both hissed at once, Sarahi going red in the cheeks. "Don't just announce that in the cafeteria!" the Sha'khari begged in a softer tone, "I do have some modesty left, you know."

"Sorry," he grunted, clearly anything but, "My point is: thanks for having my back. That was new." He pointed his milk carton at her nose. "But don't do it again. I can handle a few jocks in a locker-room, even if I 'lose', so don't get familiar with the principal's office on my account."

"No chance," she came back, "Friends don't abandon friends, especially in a tight spot. We weren't even friends when you came to my rescue."

Nayeli smiled, nodding her head to the Sha'khari. "I hear what you're saying, Oro...and it's sweet...but I have to agree with her. So if you don't want her getting into fights...or me, if I happen to be closer at hand...stop getting into fights. Best plan. Okay?"

He gnashed his teeth. "Great. Who's got my back when you two gang up on me?" he rolled his eyes, downing his milk in a gulp.

Sarahi giggled at that. "Guess that's one fight you just have to accept losing." She and Nayeli quietly fist-bumped on the other side of the table. "What were you doing in the locker-room, though?" the Sha'khari couldn't resist asking, "I'm sorry, but for a minute I actually believed them when they said they caught you stealing something. It wasn't your gym period, was it?"

The Rabbit shook his head. "Nah. I skip classes in there sometimes. Not many people notice a little black-clad ball curled up in the corner on top of the lockers, taking a nap. And some of those that do don't want to point it out, in case it's just a shadow playing tricks on them...or that shadow turns out to be really pissed the next day." Both girls just nodded sagely. That made sense, for him at least. "Krieg spotted me, probably because he was looking, and called the other guys in before I woke up. They never would have pinned me down, otherwise," he insisted.

Sarahi grinned, but didn't contest it. He was probably right. She'd seen first-hand now how quick the Rabbit could be, both on his feet and with his fists, and how unconventional he was in a fight. To say nothing of the surprising strength he was hiding somewhere in those wiry arms. He'd outright rammed Roric into that locker to trap his horns, and kicked the hooves out from under Gary so Sarahi could climb on his antlers.

"Thanks," she nodded, "I feel better, then. I really wanted to believe you were innocent, but I couldn't dismiss that you might have been up to something. I'd still do it again, though," she assured him. Not that Oro needed a promise like that. Though as grumpy as ever, he was genuinely surprised and grateful that she'd done it in the first place. Ideally, there wouldn't be a "next time" of any kind. "So...back to your question," the Sha'khari wagged a finger at Nayeli, "It wasn't...no, I take that back, it was pretty bad. I mean, they didn't try to tell me I can't sit with you at lunch anymore, but they absolutely forbid me from calling him during our suspension...and you, by extension. I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't mad or ignoring you."

The Lioness shrugged. "I figured. I didn't take it personally."

"Thank you. Um...I got chewed out pretty good, obviously, mostly by Mom. Dad was a little quieter about it, and I think I convinced him that I'm not going to get into a habit of this, but he was still pretty unhappy. Oh...and Oro, he noticed you didn't come for your mentoring hour on Wednesday, and even he said that was for the best, but he did want me to tell you not to miss tomorrow," she cringed a little as she relayed the message, "I know he's not your dad..." Oro's ear twitched in overt annoyance at the obvious statement, "But you should probably expect to get an earful like it anyway. And not stick around after he dismisses you."

Oro scoffed, "I get an earful from that guy every day. What else is new?" he shrugged.

Sarahi bit her lip, letting him reassure himself that he could take what was coming. And he probably could. But Sarahi knew Oro had yet to experience her father being genuinely angry. She would probably know everything that was said (by her dad, at any rate) from inside the house. "Well, in his eyes, you got his little girl hurt, or almost did, so..." She almost added 'you know how dads are', but reconsidered in time to stop herself. It occurred to her then that she didn't actually know if Oro had ever known a father. He was a foster, and he liked his foster-family, but Mrs. Hope was single...and he didn't talk about his parents. Ever. Granted, she hadn't come out and asked about them, figuring he'd share what he felt like sharing when he felt it...but now that she thought about it, the Rabbit had been tight-lipped as a bear trap on the subject, even when he might have said something about his own experiences. She decided she would have to ask directly...later. And probably alone.

"Anyway," the Sha'khari let the warning stand as it was, "How about you? What's it like being lectured by Nayeli's mom?"

He thumped his head on the empty tray in front of him, groaning into the table. "Ugh...I have never seen anything like it. She just...stared at me, basically. I told her what went down. I told her I didn't rope you into it, and you weren't hurt...much. I even pointed out the other guys came out of it with less than they get from playing their sports-balls. She just. Kept. Staring. Like she was waiting for me to say one particular thing I hadn't got to yet, until I ran out of stuff to tell her, and I still felt like shit. It was creepy!"

Sarahi quirked a brow, and Nayeli giggled and nodded her sympathy. "...And then?" the Sha'khari prompted.

"She made me wash the dishes and told me to stop skipping classes," he huffed.

Nayeli nodded again. "She believed you, Oro. You weren't being punished for fighting back. You were punished for skipping class. Heh...she also made him do every example problem in his math book and answer every question in his social studies book while he was out. I had to check it when I got home and decide whether he'd made enough progress to convince me he hadn't gone running around town during the day."

"All of which just makes me want to skip classes even more," he groaned as Sarahi grinned.

As if to deliberately torment him, the bell rang at that moment, and the girls quickly swallowed their last few bites and put their trays away. Nayeli snagged Oro's for him as he left it on the table, rolling her eyes at his continued little acts of defiance.

He joined Sarahi for their regular afternoon walk after the bell rang. "Can I ask you something personal?" the Sha'khari began gently as they got around the bend away from the school, "I won't push for an answer, if you don't want to, but I'm curious."

"Asking never hurt anybody," the Rabbit shrugged, "I can't refuse until I hear it anyway."

"What are your parents like? Your real parents," she asked softly, "Do you miss them?"

His ear twitched. Several times. He shot her a dubious look out of the corner of his eye, and she thought for a moment he was going to ignore her completely, as he didn't answer for a while. "...Far as I can tell," he started softly, at last, "Dad's a dead-beat too lazy even to die. He mooched off Mom with sweet words and a charming smile, while the bills piled up and the eviction warnings started rolling in. Mom couldn't make it waiting tables, and couldn't take him chastising her for expecting him to be a decent person, so they split when we got tossed out. Apparently, though...she couldn't take that, either. Started spending more time being high than sober. Damn near loaned me out in exchange for her fix a time or two, but I was already more trouble than the drugs were worth by then."

She regretted asking. Oh how she regretted it. In her head, she knew there was no way his thoughts were as clear and calm as his voice. He was remembering nights in seedy apartments, seeing and hearing more than a child that age should know existed in the world. He was asking where his Dad had gone, and where Mommy was taking him next. Sarahi was shocked he hadn't tossed his signature phrase at her and just kept walking. She bit her lip, wondering how best to apologize for bringing that up.

"I miss 'em every damn day." The Sha'khari nearly fell on her face, frozen in shock with two paws in the air and whipping her eyes to him so fast her head swam. "I want to say, 'Look at me, Dad! I could take you now!'" he punched his fist into his palm, "And 'Hey, Mom, I'm doing fine by myself! It's not that hard if you just fucking stand up! Didn't even need any drugs to do it...,'" he sighed, losing some of the venom in his voice. "Eh...still have some work to do before that one's entirely honest, I guess. Still, I'm better off than she is now...probably."

Well...she had asked, and that was definitely an Oro-ish answer. "You'll make it," she said quietly, trying to be reassuring. "I believe in you. Mrs. Hope and Nayeli, too. Heck, even my parents are rooting for you, though I know it doesn't always sound that way."

"Or ever," he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I got supports now. Don't get gushy," he sighed, "It's a fucked up world, and I'm a fucked up part of it. But even I can still see my parents were the exception, not the rule. It just pisses me off they didn't try a little harder...and you know how I get when I'm pissed off."

She nodded heartily. "Well, we'll keep dragging you back onto the straight and narrow, and do our best to clean up your manners, then," she chuckled, nudging his hips with her leonine shoulders, "You just keep walking. You'll show them someday."

"Right," he nodded, reaching out an arm to put around her shoulders, holding her close to his side despite having to walk a little awkwardly to avoid tangling their feet, "Thanks."

Sarahi felt her cheeks burning at the unexpected gesture of affection. She tried not to overreact to it, but couldn't help smiling as her eyes fell on the sidewalk ahead of them. He felt extra warm in the cool autumn air. Sarahi even thought he smelled nice.

She was distracted from the sudden onrush of embarrassing thoughts when she started to turn down her street, and that arm around her shoulders kept her walking straight passed it. "Um...Oro...?"

"You don't live down that street," he growled, "Not today." Pulling his other hand out of the pocket of his hoodie, he held it out in front of her belly as if to show her something. But the palm was empty of everything except his thumb. He flexed the other four fingers meaningfully. Sarahi gave him a quizzical look, not understanding. "At least, they probably don't know that, or they would have waited along the route instead of tailing us," he elaborated in an even softer voice.

A ball of ice formed in her stomach, and she fought the urge to look over her shoulder. "S-seriously?" she hissed quietly, "Who? Why?"

Oro shrugged, putting his hand back in his pocket. "The Prong-horn might be Lenny's older brother getting even for him. Maybe they're just some jerks who like the look of your skirt. There's a few of those in every town, even this backwater dump. Maybe I'm off my rocker," he added comfortingly. But he obviously didn't think that was the case, for much the same reason he didn't think they knew where she lived. They decidedly weren't teenagers, let alone from their school, and it was the first time Oro remembered bumping into them along the route to her house. "We'll find out in a minute. Take a right up there, like we're going to the convenience store."

She leaned her head over to press her ear against his head, disguising her affirming nod as another gesture of affection. They continued up the road, taking a right down the street toward the nearest gas station to her house. If they continued a couple more blocks down this street, they would end up on the main strip, surrounded by tourists, venue employees, and law enforcement all over the place. "If they close the gap before they come around the corner, they're definitely on us. They have to make a move before we get to the strip."

He'd barely finished explaining it before the quartet rounded the corner, significantly closer than they'd been when Oro and Sarahi had made the turn around that building. "Okay," the Rabbit grunted, suddenly looking less smug and more serious than she'd seen him in a long time. "This is no locker-room fight. On the other side of the station, turn right down the alley. As soon as your tail is out of sight, run."

Sarahi took a deep breath, feeling like her heart was going to crack her ribs with how hard it was pounding, and once more nodded. Their trackers were steadily closing the gap now, and even Sarahi could hear the clip-clop of one set of hooves. Apparently they also thought that alley would be ideal for their purposes, but that would require them to reach the pair before they passed it, having no idea they planned to turn down it themselves. "Fuck," Oro hissed, his sharp ears noting the increased pace, "Too late. Go now," he pushed her forward, taking off right on her heels. They were almost to the alley already when one of their trackers swore, and four sets of feet began a sprint behind them. "Go!" Oro commanded again, abandoning any pretense of subterfuge.

But as they passed by a dumpster sitting just beyond the mouth of the alley, he reached up to swat a worn-out leather glove off the handle of a baseball bat stuck up in the corner and yanked it out. Sarahi, almost at the other end of the alley already, hesitated as the Rabbit tucked up on the far side of the dumpster as soon as he reached it. "Go!" he hissed again, seeing her pause but trying not to give away his position...and Sarahi realized from the grit of his teeth and two-handed grip he had on the bat that he was using her as bait. Not to escape, but to get a decisive first-strike. He would hold them here, so she could run.

The Sha'khari felt something harden inside her. She gave him a brief nod, then set all four paws to the pavement with all she had. Their attackers rounded the corner into the alley just in time to see her skirt and tail disappear around the other corner. "You, you, go around!" one of the attackers barked, "Cut them off!"

Oro grinned savagely, and wished them the best of luck in his head. Her legs had been ruled an unfair advantage and were the reason why she wasn't allowed on the track team. These jerks would never catch her. Especially when...

A foot appeared in his view, just passed the edge of the dumpster. He swung the bat upward, more like a golf club, and felt it connect with a satisfying smack. The Dog took two more strides before his body realized it wasn't receiving instructions anymore and skidded to a stop right on his broken jaw. There was a not-so-remote possibility Oro had just flat-out killed him...but the Rabbit didn't have time to be concerned about that. The Tiger that had been following him had good nerves and good reflexes. He flinched, but reached out as he did, and managed to seize Oro's arm below the raised bat.

"Fuck off!" Oro snarled, sacrificing his grip with that arm to let his other swing a hard blow down at the Tiger's knee. The attacker lifted his leg and turned just enough to take the hit on his calf instead...still painful, but rather less effective. And that turn carried his fist into Oro's eye. Oro answered by continuing the general arc of his first swing, pulling it in close to pass between their bodies and knock the elbow holding his trapped arm. The Tiger swore as his entire lower arm went tingly, and his grip weakened enough for Oro to wrench free.

The Rabbit grit his teeth again and firmed up his grip on his bat as the Tiger reached for his own back pocket, understanding things were about to get ugly...

A shadow rose up behind the Rabbit, spreading clawed paws like a wrathful angel. This time, the Tiger was too surprised to intercept Sarahi as she pounced clear over Oro and landed hard on his attacker's chest, driving him to the ground with her weight. She danced away while he was still on his back, and Oro broke the arm that drew the knife before he could bring it to bear. "I told you to run!" the Rabbit barked as both teenagers started sprinting for the now-clear end of the alley, back the way they had come from.

"I am!" she snapped back, keeping her pace slow enough for him to get even with her before grabbing the back of his hoodie and dragging him against her animal side, "But not without you!"

"Fucking...!" he swore instinctively, almost tripped by her attempts to get him on her back. With a little hop, he turned and seated himself just behind her lower shoulders, both legs to one side, and grabbed the back of her jacket in the best grip he could get without choking her, "Okay! Go!Go!"

The Prong-horn rounded the corner she'd returned from, swore at the scene in the alley, and snatched up half of a broken brick to throw. Oro batted it out of the air with a sneer. "Yeah, you try that again, mother-fu--!!"

He nearly dropped his weapon as they cleared the mouth of the alley and Sarahi shifted into high gear, leaning into the turn and taking off down the street away from both the strip and her house. "Holy fuck!" the Rabbit on her back swore in genuine surprise, his arm reaching under hers now and all the way across to her opposite shoulder, holding him tight against her back in an effort to keep his seat.

"Scared of a little wind?" she flashed him a toothy grin over her shoulder, "You ride like a girl."

"I'll buy some fucking lessons off you, then," he growled, less than amused, but gaining confidence (and better balance) the longer he held his seat. Behind them, he was relieved to see the last two attackers weren't even attempting to give chase. Sarahi would have left them in the dust anyway.

It was about then that he realized he was sitting on bare fur. "What happened?" he grunted, nudging a heel against her side to indicate her missing clothing.

"Eh...well...you said they might be after my skirt, so I figured I'd just let Mr. Prong-horn have it," she chuckled, trying not to turn self-conscious now, "I run faster without it, after all."

"Hell yeah, you do," Oro nodded, grinning now, as she raced down several more blocks before turning down another side-street. Oro slid off her back as she slowed her pace, breathing hard now, and patted her bestial shoulders. "Thanks. Really," he told her quietly, his grin gone again, "That's twice you've charged in to save my bacon, all in the same week."

Sarahi nodded, but then shrugged her shoulders. "You'd have done the same. I know it. You were going to fight them alone just so I'd have a chance to escape," she reminded him, letting him know she had not missed that little gesture, "And you probably didn't need me, anyway...but I just couldn't leave you like that." She was trying to head off his pride, figuring he'd insist that she should have run and he could have handled it.

So she was surprised to find him shaking his head, thumping his bat thoughtfully on his shoulders. "The Tiger with the knife? I could probably take him, but it'd be touch-and-go. Weapons are bad news," he waved a little circle with his own, "Mr. Prong-horn, though, could take a hit right between the eyes with this and not even blink. If that Jackel joined either of them, nevermind all three, I'd have to get really inventive, or they'd have to be really merciful, and I'm not banking either of those would have happened." He took a quick breath, and blew it out firmly. "I was in serious trouble there. And you seriously saved me. Thank you." He waved the bat between them then, like an over-sized pointer. "I think you and I need to have a heart-to-heart. Let's take the long way home."

Sarahi felt a warm glow rolling through her body. It wasn't just her cheeks burning this time, and she was fairly sure it wasn't the adrenaline, either. But she shook her head slowly. "I would love to, but, uh...," she reached back to pat her other half, "I'm not really comfortable wandering around like this. And I'm going to get cold...like, real soon," she gave an embarrassed, apologetic grin.

Oro opened his mouth, and she could already imagine the gist of the first thing that was going to come out of it. But he stopped himself, shook his own head...and pulled his hoodie over it, dropping the bat to get his arms free. "Here," he offered, stepping up beside her and draping it over her haunches. Then he knelt down on one knee and started to reach under her.

"Oh, no, that's okay!" she assured him quickly, pulling away a little, "I can...just..."

His expression said that he absolutely could not...would not...take her protests seriously right now. Even she had to admit she didn't expect him to do anything rude...intentionally...she was just embarrassed at what he might notice...or encounter. But Sarahi didn't shy away again when he scooted closer and put his cheek up against her side to reach the sleeve hanging on the far side of her haunches, tying them loosely but securely under her belly. She felt the back of his arm brush against...it...twice...turning her whole face and neck red. But he did a marvelous job of pretending not to notice.

"Okay," he nodded, getting back to his feet with just a modest tee-shirt above his jeans, "Not the long way, then. But not back that way. We're going to pick a different route to take from the school for a while, too."

Sarahi nodded as he picked up his bat and they started walking further down the street she'd randomly turned onto. "So that was really more than you could handle, huh?" she asked gently as they started off, "Never thought I'd hear you say that. We were really lucky you found a weapon, too, then."

"I'm proud, not stupid," Oro spat, back to being Oro again, "Dead men count on their luck. Survivors plan ahead."

She blinked at that. "Wait...you mean you knew the bat was there? I thought you just had sharp eyes."

"I do, thanks," he rolled them, "But yeah, I knew it. I put it there. I've got a dozen or so spread around my usual haunts, just in case. I collect 'em the day before the garbage gets picked up, then plant them around again."

Sarahi stared at him like he'd grown a second head. That warm, fuzzy feeling was gone. She had been reminded that, even if he was her friend, he kept things close to the chest...and there was a lot she didn't know about his life. She'd only found out ten minutes ago what he thought of his parents. "Oro...can I ask what you do when you're not over at my house? Nayeli's mentioned several times that you're rarely at home until late..." On days that he didn't have mentoring, or even after he left her place on those days, if Mrs. Hope didn't specifically say she needed to see him about something, it wasn't unusual for him to come home well after dark, and sometimes well after midnight. Those nights had worried Nayeli more than once, and she'd admitted as much to the Sha'khari. If they were about to have a "heart-to-heart"...this seemed as good a time as any to come out and ask it.

"Mrrr...well...," he seemed to think hard about how to answer that...or if he should answer, "That's changed a bit over the years. I probably started getting into fights all the time because I'm always fucking angry. But now I get into them more because I fucking. Like. Fighting." He hammered the post of a random mailbox briefly, emphasizing each word with his bat. "And that makes me angry because I need to stop. It's really getting hard on Mrs. Hope, and Nayeli. I can't make her late for work again," he sighed in exasperation.

"So...you used to just go out looking for fights? With other delinquents?" she asked in what she hoped was a jovial tone, thinking the idea of some kind of high-school fight club was ridiculous, but somehow finding it more believable now that she knew him better.

"Gah, I wish," he grunted, "You'd think there'd be more dicks like me, just listening to the news. But I think there's an assumption there that's just wrong. Everyone takes it as given that there are more crimes that never get seen or reported than do. Maybe there are, or used to be. Hell if I know. But what if it's not true?" he looked around with a frown. "We just let one slide without even mentioning the police, so I guess that's a mark against me. But from what I've seen...I kind of think most trouble-makers get put down in short order. More shit gets cleaned up than the paranoid public will believe. Instead of five or six jerks like me in every school, you'll be lucky to find five or six in a county."

She had to chuckle at that. "Knowing you like I do now: I don't think there are five or six 'jerks like you' in the world."

He waved the bat in her general direction. "Flattery is shit. I'll take it from you, but try not to sling too much. Anyway, where was I?"

"What you do with your days," she reminded him, rolling her eyes at his usual twist on her sentiments.

"Right," he nodded, back on track, "I guess what I'm saying is...lately, I've been looking for a fight worth having. Or something to do with myself besides fighting, which is all I know I'm good for. I can't stay at home, or I just annoy Nayeli and Mrs. Hope and get in everyone's way--"

"I don't think that's true," Sarahi interjected, "I know it's not true when you're at my place, and Nayeli has never so much as hinted at it."

"Sure, fine then," he huffed, "But I just...can't. I get antsy. Or bored. And they both make me angry."

She tried to give him an encouraging smile, but couldn't help the bit of worry that crept in with it. "You really have a lot of that, huh?"

"Fuck yeah," the Rabbit sighed, thumping his own shoulder with the bat again. "And I hate that you have to see it. And I hate that Nayeli sees it. And I hate that Mrs. Hope sees it." And by 'hate' he meant each instance made him more angry, naturally. A vicious, self-reinforcing cycle that could erupt in violence at any time. He thumped his own back a couple more times, then surprised her by flipping the bat over in his hand and offering her the grip. "Now you. Why the fuck do you put up with me? And none of that 'friends do that for friends' crap. I've seen friendships wrecked for less than I've said to you."

She gave him a slight frown, thinking he hadn't really given the meat of the answer to her question...but she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, and believe there just wasn't anything more substantial to tell. Maybe he just walked around town being pissed off until he was so tired he felt safe to go home, knowing he didn't have the energy to do more than sleep. Accepting the bat, she tucked it under one arm as they walked, and she thought about her own answer.

"...I don't know if I can be as honest as you, Oro," she admitted up front, "I get too tangled up in my emotions...embarrassed, or ashamed, or afraid. I care what people think of my reasons, and my motives...even you. And you never seem to think anything good."

He snorted. "It'd be damned hard to make me think bad about you at this point. You planning to slit my throat when we get back to your place? Honestly, I could be okay with that."

"That kind of attitude is exactly what I mean," she huffed, "Like you're daring me to test you, or waiting for the boot to drop, or something sinister or manipulative. I can't always tell if you're brushing me off, taking me seriously, or raising your guard. And I don't want to give you bad impressions."

Oro ground his teeth briefly. "All I'm saying," he made himself answer in a calm tone, "Is I deserve some shit, and I know it, and you don't make a lot. So it's okay to lay some on me. I am taking you seriously here. I can't help what you feel, but I'm not going to rub your face in it, whatever you say. Okay? Now shoot."

She huffed again, this time just to blow the stress out, and hugged herself as she fought the steadily growing chill even through her jacket. "...I'm afraid you'll laugh if I say I like you, or tell me to get lost. It'd be insulting to say I'm just repaying your kindness--"

"Fucking right," he chuckled, "My language alone keeps me in perpetual debt to your--." She arched a brow at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Go on."

Sarahi nodded, drifting a little closer to him. "The short version is that I like you. I like to think I have lots of reasons to, from coming to my rescue to pushing me to stand up for myself, and even teaching me to fight. Oh, and mouthing off so much that I never feel bad for shooting mine back," she chuckled, "I always kind of thought that was a sign of trouble in friendship, but not with you. Mmm...actually, that may be the most important part. A lot of things I think are trouble between friends just...aren't, with you. You make it feel safe. So while, for example, I don't like you...reaching," she twirled a finger at the hoodie over her tail, "I'm not actually afraid if you do. You make me feel safe." Her cheeks were red again. She could feel it, but ignored it, and breathed a softer sigh of relief at having said the hard part out loud. "Um...I never had real friends before, so it's not unreasonable to suspect that I'm just really scared of losing one...and I'm sure you'll have no trouble thinking of other selfish reasons I could have for wanting to hang out with you, stay close, and be friends. But even if all the worst reasons are true...they're still all reasons I like you, and want to hang out with you, and stay close, and be friends. Does it have to be altruistic?"

"Fuck no," he answered, maybe a little too quickly for her liking, "I hardly believe in the stuff anymore. No one likes anyone they don't get something from. But that's not necessarily bad. I get someone to watch my back, and talk smack with me, and fill my belly. You get someone to keep you company on the way home, back you up when you're scared, and completely ignore your embarrassment when you're 'comfortable'," he jerked his thumb back at her tail, "None of that sounds bad, even to me. If there's a 'right kind' of selfish, I'd say that's about as close as it gets."

Sarahi nodded again, smiling now, and nudged his hips with her lower shoulders again. "Thank you. So in exchange for all that...yes, I think a little rough-housing and smack talk are well worth it. I could even put up with a little more, if you wanted."

He blew a long, thoughtful exhale at that. "What I want...is to want to tell you to get lost. I know I bring a lot of trouble on myself, but that being said...I bring a lot of trouble on myself. There's no reason for you to get caught up in it. I don't like getting other people caught up in it. But I'm having trouble stopping, and all of you are so damn quick to step in and...be friends. I get worried. And angry."

"And angry," she said in unison with him, giggling a little at how predictable that part had become. "Well, I don't know if I can help that much. I'm not going to get lost, for example. So if it won't break your heart for me to make it worse, it won't break my will for you to be angry with me. Can you live with that?"

"Can you?" he quirked a brow with a smug smile. Sarahi giggled and nodded.

They were at her house now, and had been standing in her yard for much of that last exchange. Her rump was definitely cold, despite the hoodie doing its best to blanket her. And while he hadn't spoken one word of complaint, she could see the subtle tremors running through his arms and shoulders as he stood there in the autumn night unarmored, both in body and heart. "Good night, Oro," she told him gently, sincerely, "Go get warm."

The Rabbit nodded, and strolled off toward the sidewalk...for once, not even looking angry. "See you in the morning," he waved over his shoulder, and Sarahi went into the house...where her mother promptly erupted in a fit of concern and indignation at how late she'd come home, and her state of undress when she did.