Chapter Text
Once in Avalar lived an arctic fox of good repute. He was about in his 40’s, had never really had a love life and considered himself pretty ordinary. No one in Avalar, though, would think of him as ‘ordinary’. He stood straight, had a good reputation, and was also good at painting. No one in Avalar was as cool as him.
People loved him, and he loved people.
But he was afraid that if the truth about his little “crush” got out, he would not be loved anymore.
+¨~¨+
It was a sunny, but cold day in Avalar. Everyone was outside. Anthony was outside too. He looked like he hadn't been out in three weeks.
Lord, he really needed fresh air. And sleep.
It had been a week since Ripto had arrived, and it's been full hell for everyone in Avalar. Well, almost everyone. Except Anthony Coldfur.
Anthony walks around the Winter Tundra, trying to find something to do. He stumbles upon a crowd. He pushes himself through the sea of people, interested in the commotion.
He arrives in the front, his eyes adjusting to the bright lights. As he turns his gaze back to the spot in the middle, he sees Ripto making a speech of how high and mighty he is and how everyone should bow down to him. Anthony just couldn't focus on the words. He was enchanted. But he knew Ripto didn't care about him any more than he did about any other person in Avalar.
That was until their gaze just locked into each other (cheesy, I know). Ripto looked away and continued his speech, ignoring Anthony. Well, whatever, nevermind, he thought. But he kept staring, in awe. Maybe that’s what Ripto’s attention was piqued by. Why IS Anthony so interested in a guy who literally took over his home?
Anthony pushes people away as he leaves the crowd. He avoids the sun, it’s just a bit too bright today. He drags himself to a rock nearby, sitting on it with a sigh. What’s wrong with him?
Later on, Ripto, as he finished his speech, and all the Avalarian’s walked off, got back up on Gulp’s back, guiding him back to the castle. Crush followed. But as Ripto rode, he saw Anthony laying on the grass behind a rock. “Hey, fox! What are you doing there?” he asks. Anthony looks at Ripto, his vision hazy due to staring at the sky for so long. He takes a moment to process Ripto’s question. “Tired...” he mumbles. Ripto hops off of Gulp and walks to Anthony. He looks down at the fox.
“You know it’s winter, right?” Ripto asks him, glaring. Anthony doesn’t respond. He keeps staring at the sky. Ripto shrugs. “Suit yourself and freeze”, he says before climbing back on Gulp, guiding him home.
When Ripto disappears, Anthony sits up at the speed of light. He flips his head towards where Ripto went. His eyes are wide. Holy shit he talked to me, Anthony thinks. He’s internally panicking. I guess you could call it gay panic.
He stands up and only then realizes how truly cold the ground was. He buttons up his coat properly and heads home. He shivers. He genuinely didn’t even notice how freezing it was.
Anthony arrives home, shoes covered in snow. He throws his coat on the coat rack and heads upstairs to his room, not bothering to take off his shoes calmly, instead yanking them off hastily. He bursts into his room and throws himself on the bed paws and muzzle first. He screams into his pillow like a schoolgirl.
“Groan, why couldn’t I just fall in love with someone normal?!” he whines. He hears his stupid old phone ring and lifts his head up from the pillow. Sighing, he gets up and drags himself to the desk, slumping down on his chair. He picks up the phone shakily. “Hi”, he greets, sounding like it’s 3am and he was woken up by the caller. “Hi, Anthony! Are you free tonight?” Mosu’s voice asks from the other side. Anthony ponders the question. Technically he is and technically he was gonna spend the rest of his day miserably, maybe under a blanket and crying. He hesitates for a moment before hangs up the call without a word.
Anthony sits on his chair, staring at the wall. Why is he like this? And over a king that probably hates him, too. This sucks. This really sucks.