*Past- Fall 9 years ago

Zero kept working his part time job as the weather began to cool down. He would stop working in the winter but figured it’d be nice to keep it for now; as he liked to spoil Gadget with random gifts sometimes, such as cookies or a new bookmark. 

That was the jackal’s current location while Gadget sat in his room. Reading was a great pass time, but was presently taking a break as he challenged himself to a game of Solitaire, on the verge of beating his fourth game.

A knock was heard at the door.

Confused, Gadget stood before going up to the door and opening it a bit. “Hello?”

“Hi dear.” 

It was one of the staff, Ashley he thinks her name was. She was one of the few staff members who didn’t seem to mind speaking with Gadget, which was probably why she was here. 

“Everyone is requested to come to the lunch room,” she continued, “We have special guests coming today and they requested everyone be present.”

“Okay,” so that’s why, Gadget mused to himself, “Can I bring a book?”

“Sure.”

Nodding, he grabbed the latest novel he’d started reading before following her out of the room, making sure the door was closed tight. The walk wasn’t long as it was just down the hall after a few turns. Entering, most of the kids and teens were already there, talking or playing around. Other staff members were seen trying to handle the ones who felt they needed to run around the room twenty times from all their energy.

Gadget sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon.

After everyone was seated, it wasn’t long before the ‘special guests’ arrived. It shocked everyone to see who had come. Mr. and Mrs. Kola. They were two rabbits who owned a technology company that’s been growing in popularity, especially in recent years. Him and his dad had paid attention to the company back when he was alive and his father held great respect for Mr. Kola. Apparently, he worked hard to get to where he was, building the company from the bottom up, but never would have succeeded without his wife.

As the couple came in, the staff introduced them excitedly. The pair was there to adopt a child, maybe two. Gadget remembered the rumors on how they tried to have children but were unable to, but he hadn’t expected them to adopt, let alone from this orphanage. Now thinking though, the wolf was sure the wife had been born and raised in a nearby town. Maybe that’s why…

Shrugging, he opened his book and began to read while the others either stayed in their groups or hung around the couple hoping to be adopted. Time ticked slowly but the wolf didn’t mind as it meant he got more time to make progress in his book. Some kids left, then more. Gadget hadn’t noticed as he was in the corner and was too engrossed in his novel to catch anything in his surroundings, not until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Looking up from the page, he saw Mrs. Kola smiling down at him.

“Hello,” she greeted, “Mind if I sit with you?”

Stunned, he stuttered, “S-sure.”

Giggles left her as she sat next to him. She then noticed the book title. “Whispering Hollows?”

“Yeah, it’s a mystery novel. It’s very interesting.”

“Oh, I know,” she smiled, “That was one of my favorite books when I was a teenager. I’m a sucker for a good mystery.”

“Me too!”

Laughing again, she replied, “I was just surprised because you seem so young. How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m thirteen, turning fourteen next month.”

“Oh wow, I didn’t realize. You look younger, but still, the fact that you’re able to read that book at such a young age is impressive.”

“I like to read a lot, and challenging novels always keep it interesting.”

“I agree.” 

Just then, Mr. Kola came over to join the two. Giving a huge grin, he greeted, “Hello there.”

Shock again was present on his face as Gadget greeted, “Hello.”

The rabbit then looked to his wife, “Are you about ready dear?”

“Yes, but,” she looked at the wolf boy again, “What’s your name?”

“Gadget.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful name,” she chimed, voice sounding angelic to the canine’s ears. “I guess I should properly introduce myself.”

“I know who you are,” Gadget spoke.

“Hm?” Mr. Kola hummed in question.

“Emily Kola and Nathaniel Kola, or Nate as some called you when you first started.”

“My my,” he whistled, “You really do know about us huh?”

“Some. My dad and I liked to keep up with the latest news on Kola Corp. He respected you both a lot.”

Grinning widely, Nathaniel responded, “I wish I could have met him.”

“He would have liked that.”

Despite the sad memories as Gadget missed his parents dearly, the wolf only smiled at them. The duo then bid their farewells and left. Though Gadget had not gotten to talk with them long and doubted he would ever get to again, he enjoyed the opportunity and knew his dad would be proud that he had the chance to meet them.

After leaving, Gadget grabbed some food for dinner and went back to his room. He opened the door as little as possible in case Zero happened to be there. Quickly, he entered and shut the door before turning to see that the jackal was indeed there; sitting on the window seal, back faced the door as he stared out into the dark night. The moon was covered by clouds as were the stars. Gadget walked up so he would be standing next to him.

“Hi Zero,” he greeted, “How was work?”

The first thing he noticed was a large bruise on the side of his white muzzle. Eyes widened at the mark. Also, the jackal had an unreadable expression as he turned to look at the wolf. Gadget didn’t know what it meant, but it made a knot tie up in his stomach. A gloved hand reached and brushed a tanned cheek, blue and yellow eyes flickering from that simple touch; almost looking a mix of fear and disbelief. But, the wolf wasn’t sure if he read that right.

“Zero?”

Still not answering, the jackal slipped inside and shut the window. Turning towards Gadget’s direction, his eyes seemed to stare behind the wolf rather than at him. The only thing behind him was the door, which Gadget always locked so no one would barge in and accidentally see Zero there. Body turned back towards the window and tightly closed the blinds. Weird, considering the only time it’s closed is when the boys are changing clothes. Usually even at night it was kept open.

“What’s wrong Zero?”

That’s when the jackal finally looked at him, like really looked at him since getting home. The atmosphere felt heavy as Zero continued to stare at him in silence; not answering a single question or word that had been spoken to him.

Then he pounced.

Hitting the floor roughly, glasses flew across the room and a headache started from the harsh impact. 

“Z-zero!? What?...hmph!!”

White lips covered tan hastily, quickly silencing the male below him. Zero’s mouth moved along his, kisses rougher and messier than usual. It wasn’t quite like the first time they made out, but it was similar. Only, this round wasn’t so gentle.

Red gloved hands reached up towards the jackal. Seeing them, both wrists were tightly grabbed and pinned to the floor. A grunt of discomfort left the wolf, and as if sensing it, the grip loosened and instead Zero intertwined his fingers with Gadget’s while still giving intense kisses on the other’s lips.

Pulling away a bit for breath, the ebony teen gazed down at Gadget, eyes filled with, almost fear?... The wolf wasn’t sure what to think of that expression.

Heterochromia eyes closed as the kisses returned. Daring, Zero slipped his tongue into Gadget’s oral cavity, exploring every inch slowly. This caused Gadget to let out a deep throated groan.

“...Zero…”

That name was panted out as the jackal finally removed his lips before placing them on the side of his neck. Small bites and nibbles were given, not hard enough to bruise, despite how rushed and messy they were. Something was definitely wrong, but it was really hard to focus.

Lips were on his once more, quickly making him forget his thoughts. He needed to concentrate, but the kisses, the attention, all felt so good to him...

A few knocks resounded at the door. Both boys blinked, surprise suddenly on their faces. Hastily, Zero was up and out the window. They had a policy that if anyone did come to Gadget’s room, Zero would go outside and wait until he was signaled that it was safe to return. 

Confused, the wolf answered the door to see the same staff member as earlier that day.

“Hi again,” she greeted.

“Hello,” Gadget replied, giving a friendly smile, while trying to push back his worry for Zero so it hopefully wouldn’t show on his face.

“Madam Louise would like to speak with you tomorrow afternoon after lunch.”

“Huh?” Madam Louise was the woman in charge of the orphanage. She handled the expenses and found volunteers to come out to help or donate to the cause of helping the children. “Am I in trouble?”

“Oh no!” She replied while shaking her head, “I won’t tell you everything but it’s good news.”

Raising a brow, the teen in glasses answered, “Okay.”

“I’ll come get you around 1pm so make sure to eat lunch before then.”

A nod was given in reply before she finally left. Shutting and locking the door, a sigh of relief left him. Walking away from the door, he went towards the now open window and saw Zero sitting not far from the window entrance. 

“It’s safe. You can come back in now.”

A nod was given in reply as the jackal quickly jumped back in before shutting the window and curtain once more. The wolf was still nervous but he just quietly stood by Zero, hoping he would open up about whatever was bothering him.

Gadget found himself tackled onto the makeshift bedding, only, instead of kisses like last time, arms wrapped around him tightly in a fierce hug. Even though he had no clue what was wrong, he returned the embrace.

“Zero, what’s wrong? You can talk to me.”

“...” he was quiet for a moment, before answering, “I know I can. I just… don’t want you to worry.”

“What would I be worried about?”

Frowning slightly, he spoke instead, “Don’t go anywhere by yourself for awhile.”

“Huh?”

“Just trust me. I’m scared. What if….” 

Zero’s teeth gritted in frustration. Gadget still didn’t understand, but softly ran his fingers through Zero’s white strands. 

“Don’t worry. I’m right here.” Gadget murmured tenderly, kissing his forehead sweetly. “Let’s get some sleep.”

“...Okay.”

Even though that was said, neither budged from the embrace. Instead, Gadget grabbed hold of a loose blanket and covered it over them. They continued to hug until getting very sleepy. Before falling asleep, Gadget whispered in Zero’s ear.

“I love you.”

The grip around the wolf’s torso tightened slightly, as he quietly answered, “I love you too Gadget. Always. Forever.”

———

The next morning, Gadget woke up to an empty bed besides himself. The other side was cold, meaning Zero left a while ago. Slipping his glasses on, he looked to the wall clock to see it was later morning. Somehow, he hadn’t slept well last night, as worry for the jackal stayed prominent in his mind. Still, he’d managed to sleep at some point considering he had no idea when Zero left.

Not giving it another thought for now, the wolf had an appointment with Madam Louise so he began to get himself ready. He showered, dressed, ate brunch, and brushed his teeth. The rest of the morning flew and before Gadget knew it, it was ten minutes until one. 

A knock was heard at the door. It was the staff member from yesterday, which he had expected. Being ready to go, the teenager followed her to the Madam’s office before being let in. The room gave a calming feeling as pictures and little nik naks were scattered around, making it feel like it was lived in, but not in a messy or uncomfortable way. 

He went towards the desk that Madam Louise sat at before taking a seat in the chair across from her. Madam Louise was a porcupine in her older years. She gave a sweet smile as Gadget sat down. The wolf had never been to her office before and felt a bit nervous, but her smile helped ease that a bit.

“Hello dear,” she greeted, “Gadget right?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Smiling again, Gadget saw her pull out a folder with his name on it. He assumed it was his profile. That made the canine feel more on edge than before. She seemed to sense that as she spoke.

“There’s nothing to worry about. You’re not in trouble,” he let out a sigh of relief which made her chuckle. “I have great news for you actually.”

“Really?” Gadget questioned, remembering the staff member saying the same thing last night.

“Yes,” she nodded, suddenly very enthusiastic, “You’re going to be adopted.”

“...I’m what?”

The Madam gave a small giggle at his astonishment. “You’re going to be adopted.”

“B-by who?!” 

“The Kola couple that came to visit yesterday. It seems Mrs. Kola took quite the liking to you, as did Mr. Kola.”

Gadget’s mouth hung open in surprise. Honestly, with how long he’d been at the orphanage, he hadn’t expected to get adopted, especially at his age. Most people or families look for babies or young children. Preteens and teenagers were the hardest group to get adopted. What shocked him more about the whole thing was that he hadn’t actually talked with them long. Other kids at this orphanage spoke to them longer than he had. They couldn’t possibly know anything about him…

“Why me?” He wanted to know.

Surprise flickered on her face, but it dissolved as quickly as it came. “From what I understand, Mrs Kola felt connected to you in the first minute of talking with you. Mr Kola didn’t get to talk with you as long, but he was interested as well, so I told him more about you and your parents. He seemed to like you as well and genuinely was interested in learning more about you. They both spoke with me after meeting everyone and both decided they wanted to adopt you.”  

Amber eyes were as big as saucers as he asked, “When will I be…?”

“Adopted?” She finished which resulted in a nod, “They will pick you up tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!”

“Yep! Once they made a decision, they didn’t see a point in waiting. The paperwork is already filled out. Everything else like background checks were completed before they came to visit.” Disbelief was sketched onto the wolf’s face. Giving an amused grin, she finished, “Alright you, now go pack. I have a suitcase for you by the door that you can place your belongings in.”

Getting up swiftly, he gave a small bow along with a ‘thank you’, before heading towards the door; not forgetting his suitcase in the process. He quickly made it back to his room. 

Day turned to night. Gadget had everything he needed packed and ready except for anything he might need tomorrow, like an outfit and a toothbrush, and of course the pjs he was currently in along with a set for Zero. Only, Zero was still gone.

Minutes turned to hours. This was the first time since Zero came to stay that Gadget hadn’t seen him for a whole day. Tension settled in his body as he worried about why the jackal wasn’t home yet. Where would he stay after Gadget left? If the wolf doesn’t stay up until he gets here, then he wouldn’t get to tell Zero he was leaving until tomorrow; the day he was leaving.

Would Zero be upset? What was wrong with him last night? Was he okay today? He seemed frightened of something. Guilt seeped in as he sat by the window, waiting for him to return, while questions whirled through his mind. Why didn’t he open up to him?

Eyelids drooped. 

Zero, what’s wrong? 

Come home.

Darkness overtook him.

———

Loud knocks shook the sleep rooted canine awake as he fell over. Eyes wide open, he noticed that he had fallen asleep by the window, and that the bed sheets were untouched. Everything was exactly as it was last night… Zero never came back.

Knocks resounded again, jolting him from his thoughts as he jumped up and rushed over to answer the door. The staff member from yesterday was at his door, and holding a confused expression when seeing him.

“You’re not dressed yet?”

“Huh?” Gadget asked, clearly still in a bit of a daze from sleep.

“The Kola’s are here to get you,” she spoke, that very much waking the wolf up, “It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“What?!” He’s never slept in that late before.

“Are you packed?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness,” she sighed in relief, “Now hurry up and get dressed!”

That was the fastest hour or so of Gadget’s life. He dressed, packed the rest of his belongings, and wrote a quick note explaining what happened before leaving it in the window seal. It was hard to leave without saying goodbye, but he didn’t have a choice. After being set, she led him to the couple that waited outside the entrance for him. While Gadget was nervous, he was also excited.

Getting in the car, his eyes kept looking everywhere the whole time in hopes of seeing Zero one last time, but he never showed as the couple greeted him, as he got into the car after placing his suitcase in the trunk, or when the vehicle drove away from the orphanage and the town. Pain was felt in his chest, but he only smiled, as he always had before, as he always had in front of everyone.

Except for Zero.

Gadget hoped Zero would find his letter, and that they could meet again, someday.

Dear Zero,

A lot has happened in the past couple days. I got adopted! I had hoped to tell you, but I didn’t get to see you. I’m sorry this happened so suddenly. It all went so quickly, I don’t even know what to say or how to respond. 

I got adopted by Mr and Mrs Kola. They own Kola Technologies, mainly known as Kola Corporation. It’s a famous technology company that’s grown a lot, especially in recent years. They live in Metropolis, or near it anyway, so if you’re ever in the city, you should stop by. 

Someday, we’ll find each other, just as we promised before. I know we’ll see each other again. We have to.

I hope things go well with your pack. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye. Please be safe and I hope you can find somewhere to stay.

I love you, and I hope we’ll see each other again soon.

Love, Gadget