Chapter Five: restless night

"A chaotic Mind brings with it one's downfall"

-emperorwolf's shadow

kevin slept peacefully, knowing his friend was nearby, benson slept in the makeshift bed that was an old tissue box filled with a small blanket, which was a hand towel, and miniature pillows made from a balled up pair of new socks, kevin hadn't worn them yet, of course, all on top of a small pillow kevin had stuffed in there to act as benson's matress. kevin had even had the idea to write "ben's bed" on the outside of the box, half meaning it as a joke, half so nobody trashed it.
to tell truth, benson liked the wierd little bed, it showed him just how considerate kevin was to him.
it was comfortable at the very least, not as comfortable as his king-size back home, but it wasn't too bad, considering it's components.

but although benson slept peacefully in both mind and body, kevin's mind was not at rest...

---

(kevin's dreams)

kevin sat around a tiny campfire, surrounded by benson, two little feline girls, one feline guy, and a human male, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves, but kevin did not know them, although they felt strangely familiar...
benson was standing now, gesturing to kevin with both arms and a beaming expression, and although he spoke, kevin only heard mumbling, but it didn't bother him.
benson climbed up onto kevin's knee and took a swig from a bottle of alcohol he held, maybe benson was drunk? maybe that's why he couldn't understand him?
benson gestured something vauge, but understandable, he hoisted benson up and placed him on his nose, where he took a diving stance. turning back to give a thumbs-up to kevin, he said something, it sounded like "saa gud ting you're undrage, yoo get tah deal wiff us being id-yots, ann yoo not gwon lettuce doo an'fing tooo dan'gres!" which was only just barely understandable, and benson dived off kevin's nose, landing safely as kevin caught him in his paws and the others whooped and cheered as benson took a shaky bow, gesturing to kevin to bow too.
so he did.
they whooped and hollered even more, clearly they were all drunk too.
suddenly, without warning, hundereds of soldiers poured out from the trees in front of him, the drunken cohorts screamed as the soldiers pointed all their guns at kevin's head.
he tried to get up and run, but he couldn't move, he tried to scream, but could not.
he could do nothing but wrench his eyes closed as a myriad of bullets were fired...
...but he didn't get hit.
he looked down to see the campfire group looking at him in horror, what had happened?
suddenly a crimson bead fell through his vision, he looked up to see none other than benson perched on his wrist, back to the soldiers, and a saddened expression on his face.
and kevin saw why... but he wished he couldn't...
benson had more holes in him than kevin could count, and red fluid drained from all of them...
"kevin..."benson said weakly "run....RUN! get away from here!" before falling limply from kevin's wrist to the ground with a grotesque SMACK.

kevin screamed.

benson was dead.

---

kevin jolted awake, still screaming...
"kevin? what happened? a nightmare?"

kevin narrowed his gaze to see benson kneeling on his muzzle, quite concerned by the look of it.
kevin was breathing hard and heavily, he must have been crying out, and benson must have clambered out of the bed, ran across the dresser and onto his bed, to see what was wrong, kevin noticed that his covers were all messed up, he must have been moving around like crazy. no wonder benson had proceeded to jump onto his face.
"kevin? kevin, are you alright?" benson asked again, even more concern showing in his body language; flattened ears, tucked tail, and the sheer desparation on his face told kevin everything.

"y-yeah..." kevin managed to say as he caught his breath "...i-i'm fine, it was... just a ... horrible nightmare..."

benson laid a paw upon kevin's forehead and rubbed it slowly "it's okay... you're safe in your bed now, whatever that nightmare was, it can't hurt you here..."

"we were out in the woods... there was a campfire 'you-size' and there were others i didn't recognise too, three cats, two female, one male, and a human guy were with us... you were all drunk and messing around, with me having to watch..."

"were you drunk?"

"i'm underage!"

"so ... 'no' then?"

"right. ...anyway all these soldier guys came out of nowhere, i couldn't move, i couldn't even scream..."

"you were screaming a lot though..."

"noted- but then they all aimed at me, so i closed my eyes and they fired..."

"and... you died?"

"no" kevin said depressively, starting to cry.

"i opened my eyes..."

"yeah..."

"and you'd shielded me... you told me to run, and then you fell down and died..." kevin wept, crying loudly.

benson said nothing, allowing kevin's words to sink in.

"i... saved you...?" benson asked

"well... yeah..," kevin sobbed "...but you died because of it!"

benson braced himself against kevin's crying face, slowly running his arms through the giant german shepherd's fur, and pressed his head to kevin's forehead, trying to comfort him

"hey... it's all okay... look at me kevin. Kevin, look at me." he said, stepping back into the giant's field of view. "do i look dead to you?"

"n-no..."

"am i filled with holes?"

kevin sniffed "no..."

"see? i'm still in one piece and very much alive. you've nothing to be worried about, my friend!"

kevin looked at him, quiet, as tears trickled down his face "Now dry those tears! we can't have you ruining your nice soft fur, now can we?" benson joked

kevin's expression softened "i knew it... you noticed..." kevin said as he chuckled feebly, still crying.

"yeah, well i wont let you tease me about it until we dry these tears. not untill you stop crying. deal?"
kevin wiped an eye "okay..."

benson laughed "can't hear you, speak up, mr. giant!"

kevin focussed "okay!"

benson nodded "good, now wipe your other eye."
he did so.

"thank you ben, you're good at this..."

"can't hear you...~" benson said in a singsong voice

"that was plenty loud!"

"nope, can't hear you; you're not dropping parts of words, like you do when you're happy, not sad or afraid!!"

kevin stared, wide-eyed, at his little friend, but then broke into joyous laughter

"oh! y'mean like this? 'ey ben? i dun' think 'at's very fair!" he bellowed

benson spread his arms "THERE YOU GO! all better!" he laughed "now you're kevin again!"

"pffff! I already WAS me!"

"the kevin i know doesn't cry~" benson sang

"you've only KNOWN me for less than a day!" kevin pointed out, poking at benson with a finger, which benson grabbed onto.
"and yet, i know you so well already~"

"shut up, y' little howler!"

benson gave a funny look "you WANT to hear me howl?"

"no, and you know it!"

"HNNNNG! right in the feelings!" benson dramatically clutched his chest "good sir! how you wound me!" and fell over on kevin's snout.
"quit clowning around, you little circus hound!"

"last i checked, foxes aren't IN the circus~" benson remarked

"could'a fooled me, y' lil' orange clown!"

"ah, my beige and black briend," benson said dramatically "you would be wrong! i am no fool, you see, 'tis you who plays the fool here! as you certainly LOOK the part!" benson pointed at kevin as he sat up, pouring on the drama in bucketloads.

"and you say it as if my colours are bad! you've got a little black and brown on you too!"

"that may be, but MY colouration features Orange, Black, Brown, AND white!"

"so?"

"yours is simply beige/brown and black! mine is much more interesting in comparison!" benson said, hamming it up.

kevin narrowed his gaze "oh? is that true? well then, perhaps something with such 'flair' would be nice as an accessory..." kevin taunted

"wait what?"

"...maybe, a nice fox-necklace... i can see myself wearing something like that..." kevin said ominously

"y- you're joking...aren't you?" benson asked uncertainly, and slightly worried about the answer...

kevin laughed "of course i am! like i told ya' y'r my friend, not m'toy, accessory, or anything else."
benson sighed in relief
"not that you'd make a bad one though..."
benson tensed
"...y'd be a pretty damn great one, actually..." kevin said thoughtfully, to benson's horror, he appeared to actually be considering it as a possibility

"k-kevin... please stop talking..."

"think about it though! we could put you on a nice gold chain, you could do a cute little pose, seriously! people would-"

"i don't like that idea"

kevin ignored him "people would think you looked great, you'd be admired without them ever knowing that you knew! free to bask in admiration...it's a great idea!" kevin finished, a hopeful light in his eyes.

benson stepped back slowly "please tell me you aren't serious, please! you're really freaking me out man..."
"aw~ come on" kevin was making puppy-dog eyes "please? just once or twice at least?"
benson covered his eyes with a paw "you DO realise that those eyes don't work on other canines?"

"pweeese?"

"and now you just look like a moron with a speech impediment." benson said, showing how unimpressed he was.

"awww, you're no fun!" kevin smirked "can't even take a compliment!"

"i'm not into jewlery, much less BEING jewlery." benson said uncomfortably "can we please drop the subject? i'm tired" benson yawned, stretching.
kevin lifted him from his face, and pressed him to his cheek briefly before bringing him to eye level.
"alright... if you're that tired..."

"i am" he yawned again

kevin smiled softly and placed him in the little bed on his dresser.
"sleep well, my little fox friend" kevin told him.

"you sleep well too, big guy." benson replied, and fell asleep.

kevin smiled at the little box (he really would make great jewlery... but he makes for a much better friend.) kevin thought to himself, then settled down to sleep...