He came back with a shampoo for longhaired dogs. In a bag. He might have bitten through the puny beholder otherwise. It was somewhat humiliating to have to prove the human he was clean this way, but their fingers could be useful sometimes.
The balcony door was open, so he did not even need to use the window.
After a longer stretch, he jumped out of the reach of the curious, small human’s hands und landed on the kitchen counter, awaiting the older human’s return.
When it was finally the time, said one called out: ”Matia, I’m done for now!”
So that was the small one’s name, then, she even answered to it by waving at her mom.
“… you!,” the big one said, now staring at the fox.
He blinked slowly at her and picked up the bag, holding it out to her.
With a deep frown, she inspected the inside of the bag: “… shampoo?!”
With an eyeroll, he jumped and took the bag back, walking in the direction of the bathroom.
“You… did you just roll your eyes at me?! You are an animal, what in the hell?!”
Said ‘animal’ waited at the stairs with a flicking tail. Waiting. Impatient and lazy at the same time.
The lady of the house stomped after it then, up the stairs and into a room with a fox waiting in the bathtub, the bag on the floor and the shampoo between his teeth.
“You… you want a bath?!”
The fox snorted. And then nudged the tap.
Water poured down onto his pelt, clinging to his skin.
“… … … you really are a skinny little thing”
The fox lowered his ears and swivelled his tail, but nudged the shampoo in her direction. Begrudgingly.
“… no way are you just a normal fox,” she frowned.
He simply closed his eyes and held still. What else could he do, after all.
“Those ears of yours aren’t that normal, either,” she said and rubbed one between her fingers.
He knew that bat eared foxes were not that common in those areas… but it was still annoying. So he flicked the ear out of her grasp after a few seconds of rubbing. His patience was limited.
“… you’re a really odd fox,” she said, massaging the shampoo into the hair.
The rest of the bath was done in silence. After a thorough rinse, he pulled a towel from the hanger and held it out to her.
“… now it’s wet, fox”
He still rubbed his face in the dry parts.
And she started drying him with an eyeroll.
Afterwards, he felt… better. Cleaner, at least.
That he got brushed afterwards as well was not exactly planned, but if it had to be done…
The woman carried him down and sat on the patio while brushing him. Of course the little o-… Matia came to pet him in a less than pleasant way.
But what could a fox do.
“You really are an odd one”
The fox huffed and curled up in her lap. Enough for today.