"Okay then..."Shouki just picks Asher up and carries him to the mattress on the floor. It's kind of old, but comfortable so it works. He lays Asher down before pulling the cover over him and kissing him on the cheek. "Good night then, Asher." He just sits down next to the bed, leaning up against the wall. "I'll be right here if you need me anything. I might be asleep, but just wake me up. I won't mind...though I might not be coherent for a moment." He giggles a bit.

Asher fell asleep for a while before he woke back up. He felt like he had been hit with something heavy when he woke up. It didn't feel like anything relaxing had taken place while he slept. He felt almost as bad as he had when he had fallen asleep and maybe even a little worse than that. "Shouki..." He mumbled as he tried to wake up a bit more than he had been a few seconds ago. He rubbed his eyes and moaned as he stretched out. "Shouki are you awake?" He asked as he rolled over on his side to look at him.

Shouki makes a little grunt like noise before moving to rub his eyes. "Mmm? Yeah?.....Guess so....sleep well?" He yawns a bit. He didn't get to sleep enough, but that's normal enough for him. "You feel better now?" Talking about what Asher found out earlier. Shouki doesn't think he would be able to take that. His parents abandoning him? Sure, he had a chance to live without them, but one of them actually trying to kill him? No way. No way could he have survived that be it physically or emotionally. "I'll work on making this place better..." Random mumble there.

Asher knew that he must have been asleep and he felt sorry for waking him. Shouki had done so much for him the least he could do was let him sleep. "No..." Asher said as he looked down. He didn't feel any better than he had when he had fallen asleep earlier. Asher looked around at the shack and shook his head. "It's okay, you can go back to sleep." Asher said patting the bed beside him since he didn't want Shouki to fall asleep against the wall again. He would have shared with him if he would have asked him to. Asher looked over at him waiting for him to come over and lay with him.

"Mmm...I'm sorry." Shouki is still half asleep. "I'll get better things....more like a home...when I can." He yawns a bit before crawling over there and flopping on the bed. Standing and walking over there wasn't worth it. "I wish things could've gone better." For both of them, in general. No psycho dad for Asher and no abandonment for Shouki though they may not have had met then. But would it have been worth it? "Minus the drama and the bad things....I'm glad you're here." He just snuggles up to Asher. "I don't like being alone here." Or at all for that matter.

"It's okay, it's probably all stress." Asher said as he watched Shouki move to sit beside him. "You don't need fancy things to make a home. It's how you feel in it, right?" Asher asked as he tilted his head. That's what he thought it was and one of the reasons he never really like his home. He never felt like it was his and that he could be himself in it. He had to be how his mother wanted him to be. That was not a home, he thought at least. Asher moved closer to Shouki as well liking the company that he know had. "I didn't like being alone at my home either." Though this was now his home for now. It was hard to think that he had really gotten away that easily it seemed like it shouldn't have worked out that way. "Shouki, thank you." He said as he closed his eyes and leaned into him. He didn't think he had properly thanked him for letting him stay with him and for even being his friend.

[Oh, question. Do you want to do a time jump? or continue at this pace. I was thinking if we did do a time jump maybe either a big jump or somewhat little ones every so often?]

"Yeah...but I don't think it could hurt if I worked on making it better....or something." Shouki agrees with him, but he feels like his place is inadequate. At least for both him and Asher. He just nuzzles into Asher, yawning a bit. "It gets too quiet for me sometimes..." Or a lot of the time. Shouki makes a small questioning noise at the thanks before wrapping himself around Asher. "It's no problem. You're my friend. So this I'll do for you." He kisses his cheek again before settling back into sleep.

(Time jump is fine....just let me know if it's really big or not so big lol)

Asher nuzzled into Shouki once he fell asleep and stayed there. His tail was wagging a bit because he was happy here unlike he had been at his home. Though he didn't want to go back to sleep just yet. He didn't know how he could sleep at this moment. He kept thinking about what had happened and all the things that could be lies. He wanted to know what really happened to him that he was never told. Asher held Shouki close until he too fell asleep for a while. Though he woke up often in a cold sweat from nightmares of his father trying to attack him. He didn't like it and he woke up out of breath and with tears in his eyes. He kept his face pressed to Shouki's chest though.

[Okay, I can do that ^^ I was thinking maybe after we get through their fist meetings and them falling in love then maybe time jumps every once in a while.]

Shouki sleeps well, his tail wrapping itself partially around them both. Well, he sleeps good until Asher's nightmare. He has no idea why but he feels like he should wake up. He rubs his eyes a bit. "Asher, are you okay? Is something wrong?" He asks when he at Asher. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" He wraps his arms around Asher and start rubbing his back a bit. "It'll be okay...it was just a dream....and I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you. I promise." He's got to protect Asher now. He knows this place and Asher doesn't.

(Works for me :3)

Asher kept his face pressed against Shouki's chest. He didn't want to move from there. He didn't even know if he would be able to move without freaking out a bit. Asher shook his head not wanting to really talk about it, but Shouki seemed to have guessed what was wrong. Asher nuzzled his face against Shouki's chest and thought about what to say. "It was a bad dream, but...Something like that really happened." He knew what his father had done he had the scare to prove it too. He didn't like dreaming about it. "I know you will..." Asher said, but it was something he knew he had to deal with on his own in the end. Should could help along the way, but it was Asher's problem. Though he doubted he could get through it alone without Shouki being there when he needed him.

Shouki whines softly as Asher doesn't really answer. He shivers a bit at the nuzzle, but doesn't pull away or anything. "So....it was more of a memory?" He asks softly so Asher can pretend it wasn't asked if he wants to. He holds the other close. It bothers Asher to have that dream/nightmare and so, Shouki doesn't like it. "It isn't real...this time, but if it was.....I'd make sure it didn't happen. I'd protect you." He kisses the top of Asher's head. "And I'll help you if I can...to deal with it. I won't let you be alone." He kind of nuzzles the top of Asher's head. "So you can always come to me."

"I don't think it was a memory, just a...vivid dream." Asher said as he shook his head against Shouki's chest. He didn't feel like it was a memory to him. It was more like his mind wanted to fill in blanks of what happened. It still seemed to be a blur to Asher as to what happened so he really doubted that it was a memory. He truly hoped that the memory of his father attacking him would never come back to him. He would much rather never remember that scene. It was something he knew he could go without knowing. Asher remained silent when Shouki said he would protect him. He didn't know what to say he knew that Shouki was telling the truth. Asher gripped Shouki's shirt he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.

"Well....either way.....I still don't like it." It's been awhile since Shouki has had dreams really. What does he have to dream of until recently? His stall at the market and this shack, nothing else. So he doesn't dream much. Shouki just wraps himself around Asher without thinking. He tucks Asher's head under his chin. "Don't worry about it. It's a dream....so it'll go away...but the real life things? I'll definitely protect you with all I am." He ends up moving a bit to kiss Asher on the top of his head. "So go back to sleep." They still have plenty of time to sleep.

"Thank you..." Asher said as he remained where he was at. He was still tired and he didn't feel good at all. He felt horrible and he just wanted it to go away. He almost regretted being told the things he had been. It wasn't what he was expecting, but he really didn't know what to be expecting. He just didn't think it would be that bad. He didn't think his father had hated him, but it made sense since his ears and tail had shown itself again his father had gotten his hatred back. "Shouki...you're a good friend." He mumbled as he began to fall asleep again. He thought that if every friend was like this, but Shouki would be enough for him. He nuzzled into Shouki and fell asleep.

"It's nothing. I...want to help...and protect you." Now, Shouki has no idea why he feels so protective of Asher....maybe it's because he's a kitsune. Maybe it's something else, like he doesn't want Asher to feel abandoned like he was and did. Or it could be something else all together. He holds Asher close, still wrapped around him kind of. "Well....I'm trying at least." He doesn't know what a good friend is to be honest. He's just happy to ave one...and one that thinks he's a good friend is a bonus. Shouki just rests there for a bit before starting to purr without realizing it. Eventually he falls back asleep as well.

Asher woke up the next day feeling a little better than he had the other day. He squirmed away from the person that had been holding him. He didn't really know where he was, but he got up and stretched and tried to walk around, but he didn't know where things were. He stumbled to the door and opened it and fell outside. He looked up at the area around and it was nothing like his home. He was panicking a bit, but when he looked back and saw Shouki he let out a a sigh of relief. He had forgotten that he had left his home. He moved over to the side of the little shack and looked up at the sky. He didn't want to wake Shouki and he just wanted some fresh air now.

Shouki whines and tries to cling to Asher in his sleep. He doesn't want him to leave. Shouki has problems with feelings of abandonment and while he was sleeping one of those lovely dreams about the past popped up just for fun. He squirms a bit on the bed before rubbing his eyes and reluctantly deciding to get up. Which is when he notices/realizes that Asher is not there. He almost has a panic attack or something until he checks outside and sees him. "Good." He sighs relieved before joining Asher. "Did you sleep better this time?" He has no problems sleeping here, but when he first got here...he did. He focused on the little noises out there way too much.

Asher looked up at Shouki when he came outside to join him. He gave him a little smile as he came to sit next to him. Asher knew he probably had worried a bit when he woke up and he wasn't there, but Asher had wanted to get fresh air when he woke up. He pulled his tail up into his lap and kind of hugged it to him. "Yeah, I did sleep better." He said as he looked out at the woods around him. It was different than the ones near his home. It seems like it was real since the only place that had been real to him had been his home with his parents. He squeezed his tail a bit and then looked over at Shouki. "Did you sleep well?" He asked.

Shouki wraps an arm around Asher, followed by a tail, as he pulls him against him. "Good deal then." He yawns a bit. "Though....that mattress probably does need replacing..." He gets softer as he talks and his ears twitch a bit. "Um....I guess?" Minus that one dream about his family. He did have a sibling, but even she abandoned him. He thought she would've never left him alone like this...even though he was a freak by their standards. He just shakes his head, pushing away those memories. He doesn't need the now, he can make new ones with Asher. He smiles a bit, trying to hide what he was just thinking. "You hungry?" He doesn't have food at the shack....wild animals might come and eat it/him, but he can go get some.

Asher let out a little yelp when Shouki pulled him against him. He hadn't been expecting it and it scared him a bit. He kind of shrunk in on himself for a minute before looking over a Shouki. He gives him a questioning look when he said he guessed. Asher wondered what was wrong, but he didn't want to ask him. Asher looked back out at the woods. "No, not really." He didn't feel hungry though he probably should have. He hadn't eaten since they had left his Grandparents house the day before which was early that morning. Asher pulled his legs up to his chest and placed his chin on them. He had so much running through his mind about yesterday he didn't know what to make of it. He tried to ignore it, but it always seemed to pop up on him.

Shouki whines a bit at Asher's yelp. "Sorry." His ears are now flattened back. "Didn't mean to." He says softly. "I....just had a weird dream." Also know as a memory. He hates those dreams. His brain bringing up things that were buried years ago. He doesn't want to remember that's why it was buried. "....you sure? Cause I can get food. I do have money for that." His ears twitch a bit. He just watches Asher turn into a ball like and whines a bit again. "....you okay?" He's worried about Asher of course. This is completely new for him and different. So he worries.

"It's okay...I just wasn't expecting it." He said looks up at Shouki. He really didn't mean it as in something Shouki had done wrong. He just didn't take it very well apparently. Then again he wasn't feeling exactly normal. He even knew that much of it. "Oh, I'm sorry." Asher said quietly. He hadn't meet to bring it up if it was something that made Shouki uncomfortable. "I just don't feel hungry...We can go, but...I don't want to waste your money if I don't eat much." Asher said to Shouki. He knew he probably wouldn't eat much and he didn't want Shouki to buy him things if he wasn't going to eat it all. He nodded a bit before he said "I'm just a little out of it...It's nothing." He felt like it would probably pass after a while or he hoped it would.

"Okay...." Shouki's ears are still twitching a bit. He didn't mean to scare Asher....or whatever. "It isn't your fault. You were just asking....you didn't cause it or anything...." It's not like Asher could've known what he dreamed about or anything. "Oh....okay then......just wanted to make sure.....just...let me know when you get hungry and we'll get something to eat." From where he doesn't know, but they will. "You sure?...well....if you wanna talk....or whatever....I'm here..." He doesn't want to push Asher or anything....he wants to keep his one friend. "Do you wanna come to the market with me today?" He's not leaving right now, just asking.

"I'll tell you when I am." Asher said with a little smile over at Shouki. He didn't want to make Shouki worry about him. Asher's ears perked up a bit and his tail twitched when Shouki mentioned him going with him to the market. "Can I?" Asher asked him with wide eyes. He didn't really want to stay here alone. He also wanted to go into the market with Shouki to see what he did all the time. He wanted to learn so he could help him. He didn't want Shouki to do all the work and just let him sit back and watch.

"Mmmkay then." Shouki smiles a bit. He wants Asher to tell him because Shouki doesn't always realize when he's hungry until he quits for the day....and his stomach gets angry. "Of course. Besides...I don't want you to be alone here while I'm at the market. It isn't that far, but if something happens, which is unlikely, I might not know or be able to get here quickly enough. And....the market is more interesting and fun than sitting in this shack alone until I come back...agree?" After a pause, "But....you will have to hide the ears and tail...just so we don't scare people away, okay?" He says softly. He isn't ashamed of his ears and Asher shouldn't be of his, but they may scare other people. People who might buy things from them.