FSE

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"And I seldom feel, the bright relief... it's been the worst day, since yesterday."

"Evan, my main mammal what's up!" The cheetah yelled as Evan skulked into the bar. However the cheetah quickly noticed his friend's disheveled nature "wow... you look like shit. I'll get you a double and we'll talk this one out alright? Can't be too bad of a case." Evan responded by snagging a bottle of Captain Marmot from the display, gingerly setting it on the bar, then slamming his head down on the bar counter, the nearby bowl of peanuts jumping up a little. Cynriel looked around his small bar at the other customers. Various species sat in his custom booths, each suited to a biome, nobody looked as the fox whacked his head, so Cynriel continued. "Blue Suns again?" Cynriel asked as his friend put back his first shot of captain Marmots

"It's worse than a case Cyn..." the fox said as he set the empty shot glass on the counter. Cyn twitched his tail and laid a spotted arm on the counter.

"Is it that Fox girl who you keep seeing at the store? Did you finally ask for her number?" Cyn asked, seeing hurt on his friends face.

"No..." the fox replied, and downed another shot, then another. Cyn stood, stumped

"Well tell me who it is, they obviously don't know what they're missing..." Cyn said filling his friend's glass once again. The fox pounded back the shots like never before. "I hope you aren't on duty tomorrow..." Cyn muttered as he watched his friend drink his misery away. Cyn wished the fox would just up and tell him, but he knew that Evan never told anyone anything unless it was time. Cyn didn't even know about Evan's mom until a few days after it happened. He noticed his friend stand, and waver.

"Woah woah... you are NOT driving home Evan."

"No, car... being shot, no let you drive." Evan slurred, dropping his keys on the counter, muttering about going for a walk before disappearing into the night. Cyn watched his friend leave with a mixture of regret and worry. He'd never seen the fox deliberately get drunk... sure he'd gotten drunk at parties, or for holidays... but never on a weekday... and never over a chick, not to mention, did he say he was shot? Cyn half-heartedly hoped that whatever cruel heartless vixen had broken his friend ended up seducing a rhino, and got herself fucked over, just as bad as she fucked Evan over. Cyn sighed as a skinny lioness came into the bar, his face lit up with it's usual charisma, and he slipped down to her end of the bar, he may feel bad for his friend, but it's no reason to have an empty bed for the night. He was so engrossed in the new girl he never noticed the picture Evan left behind, it was a picture of Evan and a bunny at a police graduation ceremony, both looking happy as can be.

"If there's one thing I have said... Is that the dreams I once had, now lay in bed... As the four winds blow, my wits through the door... It's been the worst day since yesterday"

Luna watched as Evan smirked and walked off to get in line at the "Chili Chomper" food stand, she watched as he stole little glances at her, and she blushed... she'd been fighting over if she should tell him her feelings or not. Then she felt the familiar buzz of her phone. She looked at the unknown number, but answered anyways.

"Hello, this is Officer Praxis" she said

"Hello Luna... It's been quite a long time." as she heard the voice, an icicle of sheer dread stabbed through Luna's heart in an instant as she recognized the voice on the other end of the phone.

"How the hell did you get my number?" She hissed, turning away from the line Evan was in, she didn't need him to see this.

"I have my ways... it came to my attention that you got partnered to a pred... I didn't think my little girl would veer so far off course." The voice said, deep and gravelly.

"I am NOT. Your little girl, you are a monster among mammals, and I never want to hear from you again, got it? If I ever see you, I'll arrest you on charges of stalking and abuse." Luna spat, her heart thudding in her chest, threatening the male over the phone was a dangerous ploy.

"My my... you would drag your job...even your partner into a petty issue? I'm impressed... you haven't left his side all night, I'm beginning to I think there's something more than a working relationship here." The voice replied, mocking her. The ice in Luna's heart spread over her whole body as she whipped her head left and right. Searching for how the mammal knew what she was doing tonight.

"He's nothing but a partner." Luna said, although her voice betrayed her fear.

"Then you wouldn't mind if there were an unfortunate accident...Predator on Night Howlers ransacks city has a lovely ring to it." The voice said once more, sinister, but with all the finality of a guillotine. Luna's heart raced in her chest, she couldn't let Evan get into another situation because of her... he's already been trampled, and shot, while around her... now she was getting him into danger once again.

"So, Luna, looks like you have a choice here. You come after me, and risk your fox friend there. Or you do me a simple favor." The voice said again, practically spitting the word fox

"Are you kidding me? He's nothing more than a fox... a predator... we all know they don't go savage, but he could still rip me apart if he got angry, how could I ever even consider liking a guy like that...You know what, this is over, don't ever contact me again" Luna all but screamed, hoping her voice held the convictions it needed to convince the voice on the other end... she cared far too much about Evan to put him in harm's way because of her past. Luna all but slammed her phone down on the table and turned around...

Standing well within earshot was Evan. She saw the look on his face, and she saw his ears tuck against his head...she saw the joy that was absent from his eyes. She was frozen as he stared at her, the look of betrayal fresh on his face. Willing herself to do something...anything to stop him from getting the wrong idea.

"Evan, I...I can explai--" she spouted. He simply set the two bowls down and put his hands up.

"No...Fluff... you explained pretty clearly... I... I really had hoped that we... I really liked... I trusted you and... nevermind..." he said, and she could swear she heard the hurt in his voice grow deeper with each word. Every word he spoke sent a dagger into her heart, her suspicion was confirmed...he had been as interested in her as she was in him. He turned and walked away,

"Evan... wait... please...don't go." she yelled, but he was already gone. Luna stuffed her phone in her pocket and ran into the crowd yelling his name. She caught a glimpse of red tail and bolted after it, but it was only a deer... she saw a corner of a fox ear, but it was a stall attendant... she looked around for him, the feeling of misery and dread growing in her stomach. She didn't know where he went... she bolted to the car, but it was empty, he had to have walked off. Luna frantically started the car and pulled out of the lot, she had to find him... she drove around Savannah central for an hour, and never saw the fox once. She called him dozens of times, but they all went to voicemail... his phone had to have been off. Clouds had rolled in, and the first drops of rain hit the windshield of the cruiser. The lack of an answer unsettled her as she tossed her phone into the other seat. The rain fell in droves now, and as she turned on to her street ready to give in her phone rang, a call from Clawhauser. She picked up and feigned a normal voice.

"Hey, Clawhauser, what's up?"

"Luna... there's a bit of a problem... patrol just picked up Evan... he seemed like he had a bit too much to drink. They found him on his way home, when they asked him what was wrong he just fell over." Clawhauser said with a hint of sadness.

"Thank God... I mean... I... I'm on my way." Luna slammed the pedal down and hit the lights as she sped towards Evans apartment. When she arrived there was already a squad car out front, with two officers sitting in it. Luna pulled in behind them and ran to the window, holding a flimsy parka over her head.

"Is he inside?" Luna yelled over the noise of the rain

"Yeah, just a heads up...he specifically told us not to let you in... are you sure you want to go up there?" The officer said. Luna's heart dropped into her stomach, and her body grew numb from the cold inside, as well as the pouring rain.

"I owe it to him... whether he wants it or not." Luna said before jogging up the stairs of the entrance, leaving the two cops to question her cryptic message. Luna sprinted down the hallway of the building towards the door of Evan's apartment, she was soaking wet, and in the verge of tears knowing she was most likely the reason Evan went out and got drunk anyways. The sight that welcomed her made her heart sink. Evan's previously pristine button up shirt was wrinkled and soaked, his fur was matted and dirty and stood out in all directions Evan looked down at her and then looked away, shame visible on his face, with his injured arm added to drinking, he couldn't open his door.

"Come to gloat?" He asked, his voice slurred

"No... Evan I came to explain myself." Luna said reaching towards the precariously swinging fox.

"You...explained...everything. You. Don't. Like. Me." Evan said with a hiccup, before falling against the wall. His keys clattered to the ground as Luna cried out his name and rushed to catch the intoxicated fox. Luna tried to shake him awake, but it was evident he was out like a light. Luna grabbed the keys and got the door open, dragging the fox inside and into the bathroom. She stripped him down, getting his soaked clothes off. A tinge of heat came to her cheeks when she had him lying naked on the floor, but it was immediately replaced with shame for putting him in such a terrible situation to begin with. She dug around until she found some clothes for him and she did her best to dress him. The sloshed fox showed no signs of life besides the soft snores and grumbles he let out every now and then Luna had a hell of a time pushing him into his bed. But after she did, he finally seemed peaceful. Her heart still ached in her chest... the poor fox was like this because of her... hot tears began to roll down her cheeks, splashing on the fur of his chest.

"I should've told you I liked you so much sooner... then I could've just explained my father to you... maybe you would've understood then... but instead I messed everything up..." Luna rested her head on his chest, and she let out her bottled emotions onto the drunken fox. Luna's sobs started to die down when the loudest piercing ringing began to sound around the apartment. Luna scrambled out of the bed, seeking the source of the noise, and she dashed into the bathroom, the fox's soaked clothes in a pile, his phone lighting up a pocket. Luna scrambled to pull the phone out, and she tapped the screen, trying to end the call, but the water on the screen made the phone unlock instead, answering the call... however it had already gone to voicemail, and the voice on the other end had no idea.

"Hey... Evan. Where are you man? You stormed out drunker than I've seen you since your twenty-first... and you left behind a picture... you only ever carried a picture of me, your family, and my family... the bunny and you... it's your partner isn't it." There was a heavy sigh and a swear from the other side of the phone. "It's her isn't it? You fell for a bunny... damn... partner too? What am I gonna do with you kid? Whenever you sober up, come to my place okay? That bunny doesn't know what she missed out on man..." Luna listened in fascination and horror... Evan kept a picture of them together... and even more than that... she never realized how much he cared for her. She had imagined it as a simple crush, or maybe even a purely sexual thing... but... how he left, how he sounded...his face... it all made sense to her now. They hadn't talked much through her Academy training, but they still went to dinner after all her big tests. He still helped her move into her new apartment. He still told her stories of being a cop, and he helped her study... he was always right there beside her... and she could never see it. Luna slowly walked back to Evans bed, and she stared at his chest rising and falling... he was peaceful now, she felt a mix of emotions rise in her chest. Finally she picked one and let it run, she sat with her back against the wall and watched over him until her heavy eyelids closed, leaving the rabbit and the fox sleeping soundly, the sloshed fox out in his bed, and the tired rabbit against the wall mere feet away. She resolved to tell him how she felt in the morning, and explain everything...She wasn't going to let him get away, danger or no.

"We find ourselves in the same old mess, singin' drunken lullabies."

Sorry for the shorter chapter, after having so much happen in the last one, I wanted to slow things down a bit. The two songs used in the story are "Worst day since yesterday" and "Drunken Lullabies" both by the band Flogging Molly. I want to take a moment to leave a shout out to the artist Weaver and their comic Sloshed Fox, which this chapter drew inspiration from. Evan and Luna are finally starting to show some character development although not on the level of chemistry Nick and Judy have, they'll get there. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always...

Happy Reading!

-Fallen