The moonlight creeping over the edge of the rickety windowsill is enough to see my gear on the lonely wooden chair in the corner of my bedroom. Better that way, turning on these crap lights would just attract unwanted attention. The smooth fabric feels comfortable in my hands as I grab it , fiddling around with it before unfurling it. Can’t believe we still don’t even have a wardrobe or anything; not like we’d need it though, we barely have much more than our night gear and a few simple things from around town. My eyes wander up to the panes of my window, grimacing at the giant space rock staring down at me as I slip off my sleepwear, just a t-shirt and cargo pants. The baggier the better in my mind. I try to avoid looking at my reflection as my gaze wanders. Seeing this unhappy, ugly mug doesn't make me do the job any better. Stepping out of the moonlight once I’m done, I start to slip on my undergarments and pants, dark as can be, for work-related reasons, and though they were tight, they were comfortable at least. Finding them in the women’s section was embarrassing at first, but I can’t argue with results. 

Ugh, I just can’t take my mind off the moon… Nearly full and taunting me. Why would I even feel that way? Ever since the two of us got forced onto the streets before coming here, it’s gone from something hopeful to a dreaded spectre. It makes me furious just thinking about it, but I can’t even tell who there is to be angry at or why. Next comes the socks and, well, they’re barely shoes, but they don’t make a sound and they’re strong enough to protect these oafish feet. How I manage to keep up with Cat with a body like this, I’ll never know, but I’m eternally grateful for it. Finally, my shirt is thrown over my head and I tug it down, reaching below my hips. I reach up to clip in my shoulder and breastplate, then finally step back into the light and looking over myself. I reach over to what remains on the chair: my gloves. I slip them over my dark skin before reaching behind my head and gathering my red hair into a low hanging ponytail. I’d say it was just for the job, but it honestly feels a lot more comfortable like this all the time.

There. It all clings snuggly to my body and feels right. Despite the creakiness of the weathered shack’s wooden floors, I’m able to step away without a sound until I have to creak open the shoddy door. The rest of the house is just as blue as my room is at night, air as still as it can be with all the holes in the wall. God, this place really is decrepit. It’s only been two months since we took a ride over and were generously offered this place by the folks of Railsent Village. They’re still not too fond of us, but it’s safe, it’s quiet, and we’re keeping our noses out of their business. Speaking of keeping noses out of business… Odd that Cat isn’t out yet. Or at least, it would be if they hadn’t been having so much trouble getting up lately. With a quiet sigh, I walk a few steps forward and knock on their door lightly. Any harder and the door might just come falling down, and that is not a rude awakening I want to subject Cat to. A muffled groan makes it through the door before I gently swing it open to find my partner in crime barely managing to throw the covers off, revealing--

“Oh, shit!” I recoil, holding my arms up in front of my eyes before stepping back. I keep forgetting Cat likes to sleep in the nude.

“Mmm…?” they hum groggily, probably smirking as they see me duck around the edge of their door. 

We’ve known each other our entire lives and despite their lack of issues with it, I still get all bothered seeing them bare. They’re so weird sometimes. Then again, we’re weird together. That’s why we’re still together. Not in a relationship or anything, it just...wouldn’t work. Can’t say why, but I’m not comfortable with it, even though I do feel so comfortable around them. 

“Fox…? Oh, crap, is it time…?”

“Past time. C’mon, we’ve gotta make the best of the night.” I somehow avoid stammering. For some reason, thinking about them and our relationship really rattles me, so I try to avoid thinking about it.

“Sorry, sorry, just give me a sec…”

The resounding groan I hear from them as they stand up isn’t too comforting at all. I can hear them slipping on their gear as I speak up suddenly. “You okay? Still having trouble sleeping?”

They respond with a grunt, although that was probably just them putting their outfit on, and I can hear their discomfort as they do so, only to find them walking to my side from around the door frame and standing above me, though their 5’10 stature isn’t that much taller than my 5’8”.

“‘Bout as much trouble as ever…” they mumble. 

Their tired eyes say it all. More than say, they practically beg for a good night’s rest. Their answer doesn’t inspire much hope in me, but I can’t say I feel any differently. Cat’s messy blond hair just barely glides over the back of their neck and over one half of their pale face as they slouch forward, before finding it too much trouble to just stand still and wallow in the thought, turning and walking towards the kitchen. 

“I’m just really not… feeling this place…”

“What, the shack?” I ask, tilting my head as I follow behind them. The tightness of their night gear is a lot more noticeable looking at it from here.... “I mean, that’s what we’re working on, right? Save up enough until the folks here think it’s enough to build a house.”

But they shake their head, turning back to face me as they lean against the kitchen table. “No, Fox, I mean this village. Nobody here likes us, and I don’t think any amount of money will change that. They’re too tightly knit here.”

The explanation doesn’t make me feel any better than I did before I asked, though it was true. 

“What else are we going to do, though?” I walk over to them and pull out a chair from the table, sitting down and looking up at them. “City streets are too rough for us, nowhere will take us in there. We’ve talked about this before.”

“What about Dingeton Town?” they offer, their words taking me by surprise while they fiddle with the hair draped over their eye.

“Your hometown? The abandoned one? What are we supposed to do there, become farmers?” I sound a lot more accusatory than I mean to be, mainly because our situation frustrates me as much as it does my partner.

They grumble sadly and cross their arms. “I’d prefer nobody judging a poor lifestyle we chose over everybody’s judgemental gazes on a life we didn’t even choose…”

Somehow their words ring true with me, but I don’t really get what they’re saying. Instead of ruminating on it, I shake my head, standing up and patting their thigh before making my way over to the kitchen counter. 

“I think I understand how you’re feeling, but right now, the best we can do is try to make a life for ourselves here.” 

Slipping my hand under my… utility belt that has been laying on the counter, hauling it up and throwing it around my waist. The tools inside barely make a sound within its insulated compartments. Cat does the same, wandering over next to me and taking their belt, wrapping it around their high waisted, tight black shorts that match their short sleeved crop top and elbow gloves. They always wear a choker of sorts too, though it beats me why. It doesn’t get in the way of anything, doesn’t make any noise. Looking closer, however, it does compliment their lithe body. Not that that kind of fashion stuff is something I’d really know about too keenly, nor would I be able to pull it off like they do. They’ve always been pretty thin for a guy, but it helps in our line of work, and they look good anyways, so there’s not much point bringing it up.

“Fox?”

“Eh?” I blurt out, hands idly messing around with various parts of my belt before looking more directly at Cat.

“You’re staring…” they note, seeming somewhat embarrassed, even though I should probably be the embarrassed one right about now.

“Sorry! Sorry, I’ve just, uhh, got a lot on my mind” I sputter out, hopping forward before striding towards our front door.

“I wonder just what…” Cat mumbles to themselves before following.

The two of us waste no time making our way to the train station, which just so happened to be the town hall as well. This town is very proud of their rails. At the very least, no one seems to bother us as we take the late night ride into the city. They’re probably happy to see us go and we’re just as happy not being seen as we catch the train just in time. We throw ourselves onto the cushions. Instead of a horn at night, they use flickering lights around the train to indicate it’s on its way and, therefore, we are too