My sleep wasn't particularly easy. There was a lot of stuff that weighed heavily on my mind. Some of it was the puzzlement over the engagement to Keru and the desire to figure out why it had been arranged. Some of it was some attraction to Keru, though it wasn't something I could fully admit as Keru and I didn't even know each other before we had met. Some of it was the concern that came from what Keru had told me. That the wedding was part of something that couldn't be good. At the same time, Keru had also said she was determined to find out exactly what they were planning, which only created more issues that would have to be figured out later. I tossed and turned as my mind raced from thought to thought.
"Gah!" I gasped as I sat up and found the bed empty.
I then gave a slight sigh, figuring that Keru's agreement had been a trick to get me to go to sleep and she left on her own. On some level, there was some relief, as I was afraid of what might happen if we found out exactly what Keru's parents had planned, but on the other hand there was a great deal of disappointment. From what Keru had told me at our short reception, there was a lot about her that I did like. Even with her inhuman features, her triangular ears, her vulpine muzzle, her blue fur, and two fox tails, she was rather beautiful. She seemed interested in many of the same things that I was interested in. It made me realize that I did want to have a relationship with her, even if it only amounted to platonic love rather than romantic love. That meant I couldn't let her go alone against something that could easily kill her, even though there was nothing I could really do if something like that happened.
"Maybe... maybe she didn't care," I sighed and stood up, straightening my boxers as I did so.
I then went to the bathroom that was in the hallway between my bedroom and the bedroom that served as a guest bedroom, though I'd honestly never had any overnight guests before. I sighed and lifted up my shirt and began going through my normal morning routine. The surprise wedding had occurred on a Sunday, which had been odd, as I hadn't thought the mayor performed that ceremony as authorized by both the state I lived in and the city's own powers granted to the mayor on Sundays and that such a union had to be arranged to be on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I privately supposed that Keru's parents had messed with more than just my parents... though I couldn't shake some feeling that they were involved in whatever scheme to some extent. Of course, since Keru left, it's not like I had much choice. I still had work to get ready for.
I finished getting dressed and then made my way to my kitchen and began making a breakfast. I just got some eggs cooking when my phone rang. Normally I didn't answer it, but something drove me to pick up the phone and I was surprised by who was on the other end of the line.
"Hey there Rick, how's my favorite game programmer?"
It was my boss! I was surprised by it. He was a good employer and was quite generous, but things with the wedding had been so unexpected that I'd never had any time to ask for time off. It was why I was getting ready to go in, and I didn't expect a call from him.
"Boss..." I gasped, using the word in a way that was more like a nickname than an actual title.
"No need to get excited," my boss answered, "though I would have thought that would be impossible for you today...."
I heard him give a chuckle on the other end of the line.
"Boss...?" I asked.
"Man... you didn't tell me you were going to get hitched!" my boss then commented, "I didn't even know you were dating..."
"Well, I... uh..." I began trying to find someway to explain how I'd been suddenly engaged to a two-tailed Kitsune.
"She came in about ten minutes ago... and man..." my boss continued and I then heard him give a wolf-whistle, "the rack she has... her legs... her hips... you are one lucky man, you know that?"
I didn't know how to answer that, as Keru wasn't there at the moment.
"You two must have been at it all night long!" my boss laughed, not even giving me time to answer.
"Come on boss... things were quiet last night," I said to him, sort of embarrassed by the behavior, but then, some of the newspapers criticized the company I worked for as a glorified fraternity.
"So... you're saving yourself up for your honeymoon, then?" my boss replied, "Very well. Your new wife explained to me that it was sudden and she wanted a honeymoon... and well... you and your team are doing okay with the last Trench Assault game... so I agreed to give you six weeks paid vacation. Have fun!"
"Boss!" I began, as if to try and ask a question, and I only found the line dead. He'd hung up. I then jumped when I heard a new voice.
"A rather charming man your employer," came Keru's voice.
I turned to see her standing in the doorway in a human guise. She was wearing jeans and a shirt and two belts, but I could still see her tails behind her.
"You came back..." I said slowly.
"You wished to help, and I agreed," Keru answered, "I thus had to come back... but I also know that your responsibilities and took steps to make sure that you are not left without a home while we are away."
I watched as she then began to rub her butt, "though you owe me BIG TIME for your boss's hands."
"Sorry," I said slowly, "I guess you could say he never left college."
Keru nodded, "So... is breakfast ready?"
"Breakfast!" I jumped, and rushed back into the kitchen. I then gave a defeated sigh as the eggs I had cooking burned while I was on the phone. "If you want some, I'll cook you a different plate of eggs, Keru."
"I am fine," Keru answered.
I made a mental note to myself that burned eggs tasted lousy. When I finally got the last bite down, I looked to Keru.
"So... where are we going?" I asked.
"Finding the truth will only be on the dimensional plane where Kitsune typically live," Keru answered, "in my parents palace..."
"You mean asking them directly?" I asked.
"You could try, but you wouldn't get any straight answers," Keru replied, "what we will have to do is akin to the Englishman running around with the Asian woman..."
"Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu... the latest take on Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson?" I asked.
"Yes... detective work and observing things," Keru answered, "Though you will also likely have to follow my parents rules."
"I can manage," I assured her, "I trust there isn't a lot of bowing and scrapping..."
"Only to those more powerful than you, which for you would be every Kitsune you meet, apart from me as we are married," Keru answered.