>>58143581
“This’s gonna sound real weird…” You began.
>”Can’t be weirder than anything this past month.” Hal assured you.
>Rather than using the handrails, the zoroark scurried upstairs on all fours.
>You followed, content with skipping every other step.
>But the staircase was spacious enough and the ceiling high enough you considered leaping straight to the top.
>”What is it?”
>At the top, the fox rose to two feet again.
“Does your son smell?”
>You sniffed the air again.
>The house smelled of boiled cabbage, an undertone of motor oil, and human.
>”Used to.” Hal answered, chuckling.
>Used to indeed.
>The smell grew the closer you got to the zorua’s room.
>”I washed the bedsheets after we turned.” Hal said, leading you further into the room. “Didn’t really help.”
>When you changed, you noticed the strong scent of what used to be you.
>It took days to get familiar with it.
>It reminded you of swapping cars.
>The new ‘cario smell was different and mixed with the old you in your house.
>This room, however, was not like yours.
“No, I mean, does he have a new scent?” You clarified.
“Like, a zorua smell.”
>You hadn’t noticed the lack of it since you met Hal.
>Beneath the fresh, alpine shampoo, Hal had no odor.
>And if your hunch was correct…
>”Nope.” Hal said, shaking his head. “Like a fawn. Scentless.”
>”Hard as heck finding him around the house.”
>”Can you believe I considered getting a cat collar for him?”
>You paused opening the door, raising an eyebrow.
>”He was quiet, okay?”
>”Needed a jingle bell on him!”
>You held off from cracking any jokes.
>Considering he escaped, that bell would’ve been a good idea.
>Harry’s room stank of youth.
>And Hal was right, it was distinctly human.
>There wasn’t a whiff of pokémon scent.
>The bedroom was painted deep blue.
>Harry’s bed had matching plaid bedsheets.
>It seemed the zorua tugged and yanked them into a rounded nest for sleeping.
>Extra gray hairs in the divot confirmed it.