Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Kid! Come over here for a sec!”

“Ugh, what now?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself!”

Legosi sighed. “Sorry, Jack. Boss calling. Again.”

“‘S fine. You know how he is,” said Jack with a small smile. “Could do without the yelling though.”

Another shout boomed from the office, “I can hear you!” 

Jack shuddered, almost dropping the glass he was cleaning. He would've gotten more than just yelling if that thing fell and shattered, and he was having none of that, no thank you. “S-sorry, sir! Won’t happen again!”

Legosi chuckled. “Don’t underestimate those panda ears. You know how sharp he is.”

“Yeah, yeah. I bet he’s listening in right now.”

“Anyway, sorry to leave you alone, but you heard him.”

“Not your fault,” said Jack. He shrugged. “And it’s been a slow night, so no biggie.”

"Alright." He patted the top of the labrador's head and rubbed it playfully, resulting in both of their tails wagging. “Be back soon.” Legosi waved a little goodbye as he went into the office, leaving the labrador alone in the bar. 

Tail still wagging slowly, Jack's gaze went from the office's door to the glass in his hand, meeting his reflection on it. He put it away after wiping it clean and looked around the empty bar. It was small, sure, but comfy. And the relaxing jazz music in the background added to that. 

He still couldn’t believe this bar was still up, considering the number of customers it gets. Was boss doing something else and using the bar as a front or something?

The labrador chuckled. It wouldn’t surprise him if that was the case. This place was somewhat hidden despite being in the heart of the city, deep within the alleyways. Heck, He didn’t even know it existed until Legosi told him about it and helped him secure a job here.

Too deep in his thoughts, Jack didn’t notice a male deer walking in and sitting on one of the barstools across him. He sat in silence for a few moments before deciding to break it, waving his hand to get the labrador’s attention, “Hello? Can I get some service here?”

The animal's presence finally registered in Jack's mind, snapping him out of his thoughts. “O-oh, sorry!” He put on a friendly smile and bowed his head slightly. “Welcome to Thirsty Panda, what can I get you?”

“Any recommendation? Don’t really want anything specific right now.”

“Oh." Jack squinted and inspected the deer's face, stroking his chin. "Looking at you I'd offer Manhattan, but how about an Old Fashioned? Something simple on the sweeter side might be best for you. 'Specially after a long day of work.”

The deer snorted. “Does it show?”

“You sound quite hoarse. Not to mention those eyes of yours. Are you getting enough sleep?” asked Jack, a tinge of worry in his voice.

“Enough to get through the day, at least” He chuckled. ”Alright, I’ll take your suggestion. Give me an Old Fashioned.”

Jack nodded and immediately went to work. With practiced ease, he finished and served it within the next minute. He put the glass down and slid it over towards the other animal.

“Here you go, mister…”

“Louis,” said the deer as he accepted the glass. “And thanks.”

“Just doing my job.”

Louis hummed. He took a sip of his drink. The familiar smooth and sweet taste on his tongue finally allowed him to loosen up. He relaxed his shoulder and sunk more into his seat. Putting the glass back down, he released a content sigh. 

Louis looked around the bar, only realising now that he was the only other animal here beside the labrador. “Empty bar you got here, bartender.”

“Just call me Jack,” he said, the friendly smile still on his face. “And yeah, slow night tonight. Sorry if you were looking for other animals to talk with.”

“Don’t be. I like the quiet.” Louis leaned forward on his elbows, resting his chin on his hand. “Though I doubt that’s good for business.”

Jack snorted. “You can say that again. We do have regulars, but it still gets quiet from time to time.”

“Hm.” Louis took another sip. He crossed his legs, shifting into a more comfortable position on his seat. “No co-worker to keep you company?”

“Oh, there is. Legosi works here too. He’s just busy with boss right now.” Jack cocked his head sideways toward the office.

“Boss, huh. I’m guessing they’re a panda?”

“Did the name 'Thirsty Panda' gave it away?”

Louis let out a small laugh. “You guessed it.”  

In the middle of their chatter, the sudden sound of something vibrating interrupted them. It was coming from Louis’s pocket. He fished out his phone and saw a notification for a new message.   

“Oh, it’s Haru,” he said to himself. His fingers flew across the phone’s keyboard, typing out a reply.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Haru? Haru the dwarf rabbit?”

“Yeah. She’s the one that recommended this place actually,” Louis placed his phone down on the bar, face down, “said it fits my taste or something.”

“Well, I hope it does.”

A small smile appeared on Louis’s face. “Oh, don’t worry. She’s right. It’s a nice place, albeit a little hidden. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have even known about this place.”

Jack’s tail wagged idly, the deer’s compliment filling him with a bit of joy. “Heh, then I’m glad she told you. Could use some new faces around here.”

“Eh, sometimes new doesn’t always mean good. You don’t know what kind of animal those new faces could be like,” said Louis. He raised his glass towards his mouth, drinking more of the cocktail.

Jack leaned forward, resting his arm on the bar. “I mean, if they’re as pleasant as you, then I wouldn’t mind a bit.”

Louis paused as he put the glass down. His mouth turned into a playful smirk. Still leaning on the bar himself, he moved just a tiny bit forward to get closer to the labrador. “Why, thank you. You’re a quite pleasant animal yourself, Jack. Especially to the eyes.”

Jack beamed, oblivious to the deer's approach, only thinking that it was just a compliment and nothing more. His tail wagged with excitement behind him.

Faint steps approached from the entrance of the bar. Picking up the noise, Jack straightened up. He bowed slightly as an animal entered. “Welcome to Thirsty Pand- Oh.”

Curious, Louis turned on his seat and looked at who it was. “Ah." It was a female dwarf rabbit, and she was scratching the back of her head. "You’re finally here," said Louis.

“Ehehe… sorry. Got stuck in traffic.” Haru smiled awkwardly. She walked over and sat next to the deer on one of the higher barstool designed for small animals. “Hope you weren’t too bored waiting for me.”

Louis shook his head. “I wasn’t, thankfully. Jack helped pass the time.”

“Is that so?” Haru glanced at Jack. “Sorry you had to keep him company.”

“‘S fine,” said Jack. “He wasn’t too bad.” 

Louis’s mouth curled down to a frown. “What does that mean?” 

“Nothing,” Jack answered, giggling along with Haru. 

They talked into the evening, filling the previously quiet bar with their lively chatters. They vented about what happened in their day, jabbing at each other here and there. New drinks for Louis and Haru were served along the way. The two grew lighter and looser, and so did the mood.  

“Ughh, I wish Sunday would just come already…” The rabbit's words were slurred. The bar felt cold on her cheek as she planted her face on it. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “I don’t think drowning yourself in booze would help.”

“It’ll pass the time faster.”

“And give you a hangover.”

Haru pouted. “I can handle this much.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Louis pulled the left sleeve of his shirt down to look at his watch, sighing when he finally got a good look. “It’s getting late.”

“Leaving?” asked Haru.

He nodded. 

“Then lemme come with! You came with your car, right?” 

Louis snorted. “Freeloader.”  

“I don’t hear a no.”

He chuckled. “Alright, fine.” He looked at Jack and met his eyes, smiling. “It’s been fun. Have a good night, Jack.”

Jack smiled back. “Be careful you two. And please come again.”

The walk to Louis’s car was silent. Their jacket fought off the cold night air. On the way there, Haru was watching the deer closely, inspecting his face for any change of expression. Louis just let it happen, neither annoyed nor bothered. He was used to her weird antics. 

“You’re going to hit something if you don’t watch where you’re going,” said Louis.

Haru stroked her chin, still keeping her eyes on Louis. “I won’t. Hopefully.” Few more seconds passed before she finally stopped. Now facing forward, she gave Louis a side-eye glance. “So… what do you think?”

Louis raised an eyebrow. He asked back, “Think of what?”

“The bar.”

"Ah." Louis looked up in thought. “It was nice, I guess.”

“Oh, come on. That’s it?”

“Yes. Did you expect me to say something else?”

“Of course!” she exclaimed. “You were enjoying your time there. Way more than in other places I recommended.”

“And?” 

“I’m trying to find out why.” 

So that was why she was eyeing him so much.

“Was it the drink?’ asked Haru.

Louis shrugged. “Probably. Surprisingly tasted better than the ones in those fancy-looking places.”

“Hmm...” Haru didn’t seem convinced. “Nah, it’s something else… Was it Jack? You looked weirdly happy when he smiled at you before leaving.”

Louis paused mid-step. It wasn't for long, but it was still noticeable. He cleared his throat and continued walking. “You’re looking too much into it.”

“Ah, okay. So it is Jack. I guess you eyeing him wasn't just my imagination then.”

Louis grumbled. The curse of having a sharp friend struck yet again.

“Though I didn’t know you were into dogs.”

He crossed his arms. “It’s nothing like that.” 

“Uh-huh, sure."

They went quiet, Louis still on the defensive while Haru just stared with a knowing smirk. He couldn't ignore her even if he wanted to. Turning his head around just made her rush over to where he was facing then. 

And there was still a car trip waiting ahead of them, meaning more time of enduring this. 

He broke.

Louis groaned. “Fine, I'll talk." 

"Yes!"

He sighed. "Something about him just… pulled me in. I dunno.” He gestured vaguely with his hand as if to visualize what he was describing. “I just felt relaxed around him. It might just be the bar, but he definitely played a part too. And, well, before I knew it I just... started paying more attention to him. That's all, really.”

They arrived at the deer’s car as he finished talking. He walked over to the driver’s seat while Haru went over to the seat on the other side. From where he was standing, Louis could only see the rabbit’s ear. 

“Dogs do do that,” said Haru. “Sociable, friendly, and all that jazz. So I can see why you felt that.”

“I guess so.”  

Haru's tone was playful when she spoke again, “Though my gut’s telling me this one’s a special case.” 

Louis’s hand paused as he was about to get his keys. “...Meaning?”

“Let's just say this will be interesting."

Louis sighed. “If you say so. But like I said, you’re looking way too much into this.”

He said that, but he did try a small move on Jack once. Though any hope of having a fun night tonight shattered when the labrador just smiled. He probably didn't even notice when the deer inched closer.

Louis sighed. He even dared to hold out a tiny bit of hope that something more could manifest. He looked down, a pained look took over his face for a moment. "...it'll fail anyway."

"What did you say?"

Louis shook his head. "No, nothing. Let's get going." He pressed the button on his keys, unlocking his car. Haru opened the door and jumped in the moment she heard the beeping from his car. 

“Ahh, finally, warmth!”

Louis followed suit and hopped in. Seat belts now on and secure, he drove them into the roads of the city.

Chapter Text

The night road was devoid of any cars except Louis’s as he rode through the streets. Only now and then did he see other vehicles on his way home. 

With the help of the car’s GPS, he was using a different route, trying to see if he could cut commute time to and from work.  

His car drew to a halt when he approached a red traffic light at an intersection. He started tapping his finger on the driving wheel, but being impatient wouldn't make the light go green faster no matter how much he wanted it to, so he waited.

He leaned back on his seat and sighed. “I really need a hot shower... ”

With nothing to do, he decided to observe the area he was in.

"Huh?"

 Despite never using this route, some of the buildings were familiar to him. The red one, and that one with the weird roof… he saw them before, he was sure of it. Weird.

It took a few more moments before he realized why that was the case.

“Thirsty panda.” 

The bar. It was nearby. His last visit was a week ago, so it hasn’t been too long. No wonder the area felt somewhat familiar. Maybe he could… 

Louis stroked his chin. He looked at his watch. It still wasn't too late into the night, and he was pretty free for tomorrow.

The traffic light turned green. 

His lips curled up into a smile as he stepped on the gas and turned right instead of going straight forward, now going off route from what the GPS was showing.

“A little warm-me-up doesn’t sound too bad.”

After parking his car, Louis walked down the alleyway to where the bar was, hands in pockets to give himself a little bit of warmth. He recalled his last visit to the bar and remembered about the labrador bartender there.

Each step now made him feel lighter at the promise of meeting him again. He had a good experience last time, hopefully that’d stay the same for this one too.

He had to search for a while before he could finally find the place. He heard some chatter from inside as he walked in and saw four animals grouped up together. 

All of them were male. One was a wolf in a uniform, standing behind the counter. Probably the other bartender here, Louis guessed. Across him was a coyote sitting on the barstool, his arm hung around a hyena’s neck beside him. And the last of the group was…

“-Oh! Louis!” 

Jack.

“Sorry guys, go on without me,” said Jack to the group. He walked over to Louis who sat down a few seats away from the others. “Welcome! Hopefully you weren’t standing there for long.”

“No worries, I just got here.” He glanced at the three animals Jack left behind. “Your friends? And that Legosi you said last week?”  

“Mhm. The coyote’s Durham and the hyena’s called Miguno,” said Jack, a small smile on his face. “Though usually Collot and Voss come too.” He planted both of his palms on the bar. “Anyway, what’re you here for tonight?” 

Louis looked down at the menu that was provided for each seat on the bar. His eyes stopped on one of the items. “Ah, so you do have Irish Coffee.” 

“Oh? Looking to warm yourself up?”

“It has been surprisingly cold lately.”

“Heh, it has. Maybe winter’s coming sooner this year.” Jack lifted his palms and put them on his hip. “So that’s your order?”

Louis nodded.

“Coming right up.”

And Jack went to work. He prepped the boiling water and poured some of it into a glass to warm it up, pouring the rest into the cafetière for the coffee. As he waited for it to get ready and toasty, he began preparing the cream.

He took the spring from the strainer and put it into the shaker tin to act as a whip, and along with it, Jack poured in the cream. Next, the shaking. He shook the shaker tins just enough so the cream inside would hold its shape.

Though unintentional, he gave the deer quite the show with all the shaking he was doing. Louis didn't make it known that he was taking in the sight of course.

With everything done, Jack disposed of the water in the glass into the sink. He poured the coffee into the now hot glass. And naturally, he couldn't forget about the Irish whiskey. Last was the cream, and… finished.

Jack served the drink on a plate and put it in front of Louis, adding in some extras into the deer’s order.

“One Irish Coffee with a side of shortbread for our deer.” 

“Shortbread?”

Jack smiled. “Consider them extras.”

“Oh, well, thank you." Louis took one of the said breadsticks and took a bite. He was actually feeling quite peckish. Good move from the labrador, he must admit. “I ought to tip you better later.”

Jack scoffed. “Oh, no need. It’s just two bite-sized snacks. Legosi brought them cause he gets hungry easily, and I just thought it’d go well with your order.”

Louis took another bite, finishing the bite-sized snack. He swallowed and spoke, “Alright, but extra service still won’t go unpaid in my eyes.”

“Oh c'mon. Any chance of changing that to a no?”

With a playful smile, Louis leaned forward on his arms. “You can try,” he teased. 

That earned a chuckle from Jack. "Guess I should add stubbornness into the list, then."

Louis hummed, amused. He held the handle of his glass and brought it towards his mouth, finally getting a taste of the drink he's been waiting for.

The taste was what he’d expect, the usual brew of morning coffee combined with the smooth taste of the whiskey. And all of that was filtered through the layer of whipped cream. He could already feel himself being enveloped in warmth as the hot drink took away the cold of the night.

He let out a content sigh as he put the glass down. Giggles came from the labrador soon after. 

Louis didn't mind hearing it - it was pleasing to his ears, in fact - but he wanted to know the reason behind it, so he raised an eyebrow at him as if to ask that question.

Jack took notice. He answered once his giggling fit ended, "Cream looks great on you."

Oh.

He looked down at his mouth and yep, white spots right above it. He was handed a tissue by Jack. He used them immediately to wipe the cream decorating his muzzle.

"In case you need more." Jack handed him a few more tissues, meeting Louis's eyes as he received them. Only now did he notice the dark circle under the deer's eyes. “God, you look worse than last time."

"I look great, what are you talking about?"

Jack couldn’t help but snort at that one. “Yes, you look gorgeous, but I meant your eyes. Again. Maybe take a break? Or are you that busy?”

Gorgeous he said. So casually too. Louis took a mental note of that. 

Now, back to the question.

"Busy, but that’s natural.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Natural? What do you do that being at the brink of exhaustion every day's normal?”

"Oh, it's not that bad. I'm only at 'the brink of exhaustion' at the ends of busy weeks, really. Like now."

"You say that, but it's been two times I saw you like this. One more and I'd just assume that's your default state."

"I guess you're not wrong." Louis seemed to hesitate for a moment. "But you can't really say no to being busy when you're the CEO of a big company."

Now that Jack wasn't expecting. 

“Wait, really? CEO?” 

Louis nodded. 

"Well, that explains it." Jack stroked his chin for a moment. "Wild guess, but, Horns Conglomerate?"

"The one and only."

Jack examined him closer, looking him up and down. “Wow. You’re pretty young for a CEO. Since when? How?”

“Soon after High School," he said, looking up in thought to remember more details. "So when I was around… 18 or 19. And about the how…” He took a deep breath. “My father passed away and made me the heir.”

“...Oh” Great. You overstepped Jack. Way to go. “I’m sorry I asked.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

They went silent. And not the good kind of silent either, it was the heavy one. Both of them wanted to break it.

Jack fidgeted as he stood, trying to think up anything that could hopefully fix the mood. 

He couldn't.

A deep sigh came from Louis. He took a sip of his drink. Crossing his legs, he rested an arm on the bar while his other hand still held his glass, and broke the silence. 

"Changing the subject, care to give a deer some tips on not being 'at the brink of exhaustion'? You seem to be good at spotting the problem, but how about fixing it?"

Jack blinked. "H-huh? W-well, uh, lemme think," he stammered. His chest felt lighter as his fear of Louis just getting up and leaving didn't come true. He tried to gather himself together. "Well, the obvious one would be to get enough sleep."

"I try," Louis joked.

Jack could feel his body relaxing again. “I don’t think going to bars late at night would help with that."

Louis snorted. “I only go when I have time to spare. And going here helps me unwind, especially with you serving, so it helps.”

Jack’s tail wagged - as it always does even if he only got small praises - and joy welled up within him. "Glad I could help." He didn't know why, but something about receiving compliments from this deer specifically made him feel… something.

Moments later, Jack pondered, looking up in thought. "The next tip, well," he looked at Louis hesitantly and met his gaze, “I might be wrong, but you have other animals to take care some part of your work, right?”

“I do.” 

“Then couldn’t they help lighten your load? I feel like you're the type to just hog up all the work for yourself.”

“Why wouldn't I?" he said in a tone as if what he was saying was the obvious. "I want to make sure things run smoothly. I won’t know if that will happen when I let others take over.”

“It will if they’re someone you trust and know're competent.”

Louis crossed his arms. “They can still fail, it happened before. Only if I do it myself I can be sure of everything.”

"It happened before?" Jack furrowed his brows, stroking his chin as he processed his words. "How much control did you give them?"

Louis looked as if he was offended and tried to object, but no words came out of his mouth. He tried to think up something, anything. 

Nothing.

Jack sighed. "You probably took over again not even five minutes later, didn't you?"

Defeated, Louis could only nod.

Jack crossed his arms as his suspicion was proved correct. “Do you do everything? Even going to every sales meeting, presentation and such?” 

“...Yes.”

“No wonder,” he said, shaking his head. “It might not be my place to say this, but maybe try trusting them more. From what I know, CEOs have a team to make the other decisions that’s not as important as yours. Your job is to lead them and make clear strategies and recruit the right people for that team.

“And I’m sure your company is self-sufficient and could run well enough without you if you’re a great CEO, so you could take things slow.” 

Jack took a breather. He let out an awkward laugh once he realized what he was saying, and rubbed his nape. “But this is coming from a bartender who just reads this stuff in his free time, so please take it with a grain of salt.”

“...No.” Louis sighed, dragging his palm across his face. “You made some great points. Like you said, I do need a break. Maybe I can see how things go if I try slowing down for a bit.”

Jack beamed, and his tail wagged behind him left and right. This was one of his favorite parts of being a bartender. Getting to know his patrons as they visit again and again, helping them deal with anything in their life, even if only in little ways.

Made dealing with the annoying ones worth it. Damn zebra. He swore he could still find those confettis here and there even now.

It was an hour later into the night. Other animals came in and went, but Louis stayed. Either to chat more with Jack or to just enjoy the bar's relaxing atmosphere. 

“Oi, Jack!” 

A call from someone came from behind Louis. Curious, the deer glanced behind him and was met with a hyena and a coyote. Miguno - the hyena - was waving at Jack.

“We’ll be leaving now. It’s been a good night, thanks!”

The coyote beside him seemed to disagree. “Good night my ass, we didn’t get free drinks. Didn’t even give us a friend discount.” 

“Oh shut it, Durry,” said Miguno. “You're the one that wanted to go here.”

“Pfft, You shut it.”

“Make me.”

Durham’s mouth curled into a playful smirk. “Gladly.”

Miguno couldn't get another word in as Durham closed his eyes and stepped closer.

Durham leaned forward quickly - but not so quick he’d butt head with Miguno - and planted a chaste kiss on his mouth. He pulled back with a smug smile on his face.

“Well, aren’t you quiet now?”

It took a moment for Miguno to register what happened. Once he did, he let out a small laugh and cupped Durham’s cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. “You...”

Durham met his gaze and smiled, putting one of his hands on top of the hand that was on his cheek.

Their moment was cut short by a loud clap from Legosi who was now standing next to them. “Alright, you can continue this outside. Don't want you two going all out like last time."

Durham pouted. “Party pooper.”

“Heh, he's right though. C’mon Durry, let’s not bother them anymore now.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for tonight, Jack, Legosi.”

Miguno captured the coyote’s hand with his. They waved goodbye before exiting together.

The bar grew quiet again, the only sound in it being the relaxing music playing in the background. Jack was the first to break the silence. 

“Jeez, those two can’t hold off from each other.”

"I know right?" said Legosi as he went back to his spot.

Louis took another sip from his drink, wiping his mouth again afterward. “I honestly didn’t expect things to go that way.”

Jack tilted his head. “Hm?”

“I meant I didn’t expect them to be so…” Louis gestured vaguely with his hands, “open.”

"Is that weird to you?"

Louis shook his head. "No. Just not used to it, that's all. Since other animals could be… you know."

“Yeah, I get it.” Jack rested his arms on the bar. “But this is a safe place for them. And really, almost everyone here is pretty weird in a way, so they don’t even stand out that much.”

"Oh? What do you mean by that?”

Jack pointed at Legosi. "That guy’s dating Haru.”

Louis blinked. "So he’s the wolf she was talking about.”

“Mhm.” Jack nodded. He continued talking, putting up a finger for each point, “Then there’s a pig taxidermist, a tiger in a relationship with two sheep, a bear writer pretending to be a rabbit… all kinds of animals come here.”

“Eccentric.”

“Right?”

A chance, Louis noticed. Maybe he could try again, bounce back from last week's attempt.

“And you? Are you part of that 'almost everyone'?”

Jack rubbed his nape, letting out a small laugh. “Yeah, I guess." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I’m the same as Miguno and Durham.”

“Oh."

If that was the case, then he must be. But Louis needed to make sure.

"So you’re into…”  

“Dudes, yeah."

Louis hummed. “Is that so.”

Jack watched as Louis looked down as if he was contemplating something. “Planning to use that new information?” he asked, meaning it as a joke.

Louis's mouth curled up into a small smile. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged in response. "Just curious."

"I see."

"..."

Jack waited, but nothing more came from him. He asked again, "So, uh, your answer?"

"Perhaps."

“Perhaps?” 

“You heard it,” said Louis, relishing the confused look on the labrador’s face, “but it depends if you want me to.”

Wait. Wait wait wait. What was he getting at?

Louis stood up before Jack could get a word in. “Though I’d love to talk more, it’s time for me to go. Lots of stuff still needs finishing.” He grumbled. “And E-mails to sort through, blegh.”

And of course he’s leaving now. Leave him with that thought lingering unanswered in his mind why don’t you? 

“See you, Jack,” he waved a small goodbye, “and good night.” 

Chapter Text

Ah, Monday. Gotta love 'em. One of the two days where Jack could have a somewhat normal morning schedule instead of waking up at 1 PM. The other was Sunday, but he used that to catch up on sleep more than anything really. He needed it.

Especially after two consecutive days - or more appropriately nights - of long shifts, every week.

Jack turned left to follow the park’s path and continued his jogging.

He always liked feeling the wind against his fur, so he wore shorts and whatever plain T-shirt he had at the time every time he jogged. Today it was white.

The path continued to the right. The trees alongside it gave Jack shade from the morning sun.

Much to his disappointment, Legosi had plans for this morning, so he had to jog alone for today. Though doing this alone allowed him to just zone out and think about anything instead of talking. And so he let his mind wander to wherever

It decided to go to Louis. 

Of course, how could he ever forget such a handsome animal? His last interaction with him certainly didn't let him do so.

"Perhaps."

He recalled those words. It was the first time Jack ever felt wanted, desired by someone. The idea of someone such as Louis wanting him was unbelievable. And he wasn’t just handsome, he’s been nothing but pleasant, and charming to a fault. Jack couldn’t resist.

He shook his head, his face slightly flushed. Good thing not many animals were at the park.

"I'm so hopeless…"

Jack finished his last lap around the park. He swiped an arm on his forehead and looked down at his watch. "Six-thirty… time to head back."

It was convenient his apartment - which he was sharing with Legosi - was close to the park. Made it easy for him to go there by foot. And so he did.

At least, that was what he tried to do.

He was going through his usual route home. Go pass the bakery, turn right by the cafe and that blue building, and then left at the intersection, and voila! Home sweet home.

But the last turn…

The deer who said "Perhaps", leaving him all flustered. The deer who had made his heart race just a few moments ago. Louis.

Jack didn't expect to run into him there, and by that he meant literally. 

Jack was on his rear, both hands behind him so he wouldn't fall flat on his back when fell. He looked up to see Louis looking down at him, extending his hand to help him up.

"You alright?" 

Jack accepted his help and grabbed his hand, pushing down the thought of how warm it was and that it was giving him a fuzzy feeling. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"I have to say, I didn't expect seeing you here." Louis eyed Jack, savoring the feeling of the labrador's hand in his as he pulled him up. He appreciated all the exposed golden fur his attire usually covered when bartending. "I assume you were jogging?"

Jack hummed. He rubbed his head, tidying his ruffled up fur. "Just on my way home actually. What're you doing? You look ready to work."

"Grabbing some coffee. Well, going to, anyway. I'm still on my way there." 

"Coffee?"

Louis nodded. "I have some time before work, so I usually get some before starting."

"I see." Jack gave a small, playful smile. "Black?"

Louis snorted. "Yes, I'm basic. Shut up."

Jack let out a small laugh. "Nothing wrong with that." He put a hand on his hip, stroking his chin."Just a guess, but are you going to Lion's Den?"

"Sure am." Louis smiled. "Those fancy ones don't even compare."

Lion's Den was the cafe Jack passed by on the way here. It wasn't terribly big. He never went there, but he's been hearing good things.

Jack pondered for a moment before asking , “Do they serve tea?” 

“Oh, they do And they actually serve good tea.”

Jack nodded, making up his mind. "Mind if I come with?" he asked.

Louis blinked. "To Lion's Den?"

"Mhm." Jack patted his right pocket. "I have the money. And I've been wanting to try that place out anyway, so doing it with you sounds perfect."

Louis's mouth curled up to a smirk. "Perfect with me, you say? Are you asking me out on a date, dear bartender?"

Heat rose up Jack's cheeks. He rubbed his nape and averted his gaze. This deer was too much, but Jack could bite back. "That- that wasn't what I meant…"

Louis's smirk faltered.

"...Buuut that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Jack finished with a shy smile.

Louis huffed, ashamed of himself for falling for that. And that smile… that damn smile of his was way too adorable. Louis willed the flush approaching his face away and crossed his arms. "And here I thought you were going to say no."

Jack chuckled. "To you? Never," he joked.

"Consider me flattered," said Louis. He started walking and beckoned to Jack with his head. "Now come on, let's not dawdle around anymore."

They arrived at the outside of the cafe. Jack had passed by it so many times now, but this would be the first time he’d go in it. A gruff voice greeted them when they entered.

“Welc- Ah, Louis! The usual?”

Louis nodded. “Mhm.”

Jack glanced around the inside of the cafe. A few animals were there. Chairs and tables filled the room, most of them wooden, giving the place a home-y feeling. There was even a bookshelf filled with a wide array of books, free for others to borrow and read while they were here.

“And who’s this? Rare for you to come with someone.”

“He’s Jack,” said Louis, cocking his head towards Jack, “a friend of mine.”

Jack looked at the animal who was talking. He was a lion in glasses, wearing your usual barista uniform. Jack bowed slightly and put on a friendly smile. 

The lion’s eyes went from Jack to Louis a few times, and he grinned. “A friend huh? Somehow I doubt it.”

“Ibuki, please.”

He chuckled. “I'm just saying.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “We’ll be sitting over there, by the window. You go order your thing, Jack.”

Jack nodded and walked over to the counter where the lion - apparently called Ibuki - was manning. He looked up at the blackboard listing their menu. His eyes stopped at one of the items. “White tea?”

“That’s your order?”

Jack shrugged. “Sure, why not. Didn’t expect you to have that to be honest.”

Ibuki grinned. “Thanks.” He glanced behind Jack to see Louis. The deer was watching the labrador, not even making any attempt to hide it. Ibuki met Jack’s gaze. “So, Louis’s friend huh? interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“Most of the time I see Louis with someone, it’s either for business,” Ibuki leaned forward on his arms, “or for... 'business'.”

Jack’s cheek reddened slightly, and his tail wagged involuntarily. He certainly didn’t fit the former, so that could only mean…

Ibuki laughed heartily. “Just messing with you.” He readjusted his glasses. “I'll go work on your orders. Go ahead and sit with the kid, I’m sure he’s been waiting for you.”

Of course the lion was teasing him. With a huff, Jack walked towards the table Louis sat at. The deer was looking down at his phone.

"Hope you weren't bored waiting," said Jack as he sat down.

Louis looked up from his phone. Jack's appearance seemed to have perked him up, evident from the small smile now on his face. “Took a while. Had a hard time ordering?”

“No," Jack shook his head, "just talked for a bit."

Louis hummed. He straightened up and put his phone away on the table. He rested his chin on his hand as he leaned forward on his elbows. 

A deer in a full suit and a labrador in a T-shirt and shorts. Must be a pretty interesting sight.

Louis said, “It’s a nice surprise running into you again.”

“Oh same here. Thought I’d be serving you drinks again next time we see each other.” Jack chuckled. "But it's nice talking to you like this, feels more casual."

“There’s no bar between us now either.”

A faint blush crept up Jack's face. “I prefer that, to be honest.”

“Is that so?” Louis crossed his leg. "Are you saying we should meet more outside the bar?"

Jack let out a nervous huff and gave him a coy smile. "Perhaps."

Ibuki arrived at their table, carrying their drinks on a serving plate. He served them their order one by one. "The usual black coffee for our deer.” He placed the cup in front of Louis. Next, he reached for Jack's next and placed it in front of him. “And white tea for Mr. labrador.”

Jack raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. “A flower?”

“Louis told me to. Said it was as beautiful as you.”

Oh my.

“L-Louis?” His eyes widened as he looked at Louis. He pointed at himself. “For me?”

Louis was hiding his face behind his two hands. "I hate you," he mumbled, his voice muffled.

Ibuki laughed. He waved them goodbye and left. “Try not to have too much fun, you two.”

The chat's been pleasant. Delightful, even. 

It's been a while since Louis could just have fun like this. Sure, he had "fun" before, but not in this way. Different from other animals he's been with before. 

At least lately anyway.

"Thankfully, my dad didn't find out about it," said Jack. He chuckled. "Even then, I came out to him and mom a week later. So much for that, I guess."

And Louis didn't hate this, he was liking it. Way more than he'd like to admit.

Any more and this was going to become dangerous.

"Anyway, enough about me. I wanna hear about you." Jack leaned forward, his legs swinging under the table. "First of all, I've noticed you don't look as tired anymore."

But right now… right now he'd just go with the flow.

“Are you going to check up on my health every time we meet?" asked Louis jokingly, earning an eye roll from the labrador. "But yes, I've been getting enough sleep lately.”

“Good to hear!" Jack beamed, his tail wagging behind him. "Took me a while to do that when I first started out.”

“I'm guessing you mean when you started bartending?”

Jack nodded. “Safe to say my normal sleeping schedule got wrecked into oblivion." He sighed. "That’s what you get for working all night, I guess.”

“How late do you get off work anyway?”

Jack crossed his arms and looked up in thought. “Usually around three in the morning. But then again, I still need to do some cleaning before going home, so a bit later than that.”

"I see." Louis took a sip from his coffee. “From? When do you start?"

Jack was doing the same. He set down his cup and put up all five of his fingers. “PM.”

"Jeez. At least I'm not the only one with sleeping problems anymore."

"Hey, I've actually fixed mine, thank you very much."

Louis snorted. "Fine, fine. You go and be in the healthy sleeping schedule group over there, while I'll just slowly die over here."

"I didn't say I don't want you here with me," said Jack, drinking the rest of his tea.

Louis paused. He chuckled. "Take out the context and…" he mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

"No, nothing." Louis shook his head. He shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. "I'm curious though, why bartending? You seem like a bright animal, so I'm surprised you're doing this of all things."

Jack shrugged. "Honestly, I just ran into it."

"I don't think you can run into a job. It's not a physical thing, you know."

"I wasn't being literal, you ass."

Louis let out a small laugh. He motioned for Jack to continue.

Jack took a deep breath. "Long story short, I… I didn't know what I wanted to do, even though I had options. In the end I picked the safe one and just went through the motions." 

"The motions?"

"High school and college," said Jack. "All I could remember other than the time with my friends was just studying. Even went to 'special' classes since I was so smart," he finished his last part in a bitter tone.

Jack looked down at his reflection in his drink. "Hated it honestly. Felt like the years just slipped through my fingers."

Louis fidgeted. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know whether to joke to lighten the mood, to say something comforting, or to just stay quiet.

He opted for the second option. "I, uh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine." Jack let out a deep sigh. "Sorry I soured the mood. And I haven't even answered your question yet, huh?"

Louis nodded.

"Sorry, again. I'll keep it short," said Jack. "Anyway, so Legosi was already working at the bar for a while and thought I would like it. And since Gouhin - that's the boss by the way - gives on the job training, I just thought 'Why not?'"

"So here you are," said Louis.

Jack hummed. "I liked it, pay surprisingly well too. And my parents didn't mind either. If anything, I should be grateful." His mouth turned to a frown as he played with his empty cup of tea. "But sometimes… sometimes I still can't help but think about where I could be if I had put my mind into something."

Louis groaned inwardly. He wanted to comfort this poor labrador so much. Something inside him was just telling him to not let this animal even frown, so he tried again. 

"But you're happy," said Louis. "Granted, I've only met you twice, but you seem to be having a great time whenever I see you at the bar."

A warm smile appeared on Jack's face. "I am. Not always of course, but yeah. I am."

"Good. And it's from your own choice too."

Louis's last sentiment felt heavy, and Jack could tell why. 

Jack's mouth curled down into a frown. He couldn't even imagine being in Louis's shoes, not having any other option than to become what he was now. "Right. Sorry."

"Don't be. And it's not that bad. Sure, the first few months running the damn company was hell on earth, but I managed."

"Managed doesn't sound that great, to be honest."

Louis snorted. "It's getting better. You're making it better."

"O-oh, I, uh…" Jack scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'm not doing anything though."

"Just talking to you like this helps, Jack. Really, I mean it."

"You're exaggerating."

"Just take the complime-"

Louis's phone on the table rang and vibrated. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

A muffled voice came from the other end of the call, it sounded like it was in a hurry.

Louis stood up, his state read panicked all over. "Wait are you-?" He looked at his watch and his eyes widened in shock. "Holy shit. I- sorry, I'm coming right away." He hung up.

"W-what's wrong?" asked Jack as he stood up, ready to help if it was an emergency.

"I fucking forgot I had work." Tidying himself up, Louis met his gaze. "Sorry, but duty calls."

How could he forget? Did talking to Jack really make him forget about everything else? 

Jack's tail drooped. "Oh…" His hands dropped to his side in the same fashion. "See you later then."

Louis couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, aren't you disappointed to see me go?" he asked rhetorically.

"Not my fault you're nice to be with," huffed Jack, a slight blush decorating his cheeks.

"Cute." Last check up done, Louis bid farewell before hurrying out the cafe. "See you!"

Jack watched him as he left. The deer made a quick stop at the counter, probably to pay the lion. 

Ibuki approached Jack's table moments later. "Well would you look at that, he actually forgot about his job for a moment," he said. "Nice job."

"Uh… I don't think that's a good thing."

"For him it is. Guy can be a workaholic sometimes." 

Jack reached for his wallet in his shorts. Ibuki noticed and put a hand up, waving it as if to say 'no need'.

"The kid already paid your portion when he went out."

Jack's hand faltered from his pocket. He chuckled. "Of course he did."

Chapter Text

“I see you two have been getting closer lately.”

“What? With who?”

Legosi chuckled. “Sorry, that came out of nowhere.” He put the cheese into the shopping basket he was carrying. He and Jack started walking down the aisle, searching for their next item on the list. “What I meant was you and Louis.”

“Oh.” Jack looked up in thought, recalling his past interactions with the deer. “Yeah, I guess we have.”

Two weeks had passed since their accidental bump turned coffee talk. Since then, Louis's been visiting the bar more and more often. At first still only on weekends, but now he even came on weekdays. And every time, he would make a beeline towards the labrador.

Their talk remained casual, but lately Jack felt as if there was… something else whenever they chatted. 

“Your fur looks quite soft, you know. Wouldn’t mind running my hand through them.”

“Have I told you I have a particular soft spot for canines?”

“I always have a good time talking to you. Makes me wonder if I could have more fun with you doing something else as well.” 

“Fuck me. Or you.”

-Okay. That last one didn’t happen, but Jack swore that Louis was basically saying that to him. He wasn’t so blind he wouldn’t notice.

And Jack was playing along. He didn’t know where he was going with Louis honestly, but he certainly wasn’t hating any of it.

“You okay?” asked Legosi. “Your face’s getting red. Are you getting a fever?”

His friend’s question snapped Jack out of his thoughts. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “No, I’m fine. Just thinking about things.”

“Things?” Legosi repeated. “As in him?”

Heat rose up Jack’s cheek. “N-no! I wasn’t thinking about Louis at all!"

Legosi’s mouth curled up into a smirk. “Louis? I didn’t say anything about Louis.”

“Wh-?” Jack groaned. He threw a light punch at the wolf’s shoulder, knowing it wouldn't actually hurt him. “Screw you.”

Legosi let out a small laugh. “You’re the one that fell for it.”

“Just shut up will you,” said Jack, pouting. He pointed upwards at a group of items on the high shelf. “And grab that ketchup. I can’t reach it.”  

Legosi did as he was told and put it in the basket. With the last item obtained, they made their way toward the cashier. None were empty, so the two went to the one with the shortest line. Even then, it was still six animals long, half of which had full baskets just like the wolf and labrador.

Fantastic.

The two groaned in sync, both realizing that going to the supermarket at 2 PM, on Sunday, was not a good idea. Not like they could go earlier anyway since they were sleeping up till noon. But still.

As they waited, moving forward in the line every few minutes, Jack noticed Legosi glancing at him again and again. He feigned ignorance and crossed his arms, looking forward. Maybe his friend wanted to say something but was working up his nerves.

Only after the seventh glance did Jack finally pointed out his behavior. “Alright, what is it?”

“O-oh, uh,” Legosi rubbed his nape, “I just wanted to ask...”

Jack raised an eyebrow, prompting the wolf to continue.

Legosi's hand fell to his side, now done nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re actually interested? Like, in a serious way, I mean. With Louis."

Jack averted his gaze to the floor. It could happen. There was interest from both sides. Louis was an interesting animal, sure. Hot, charming, witty. And from what he found out yesterday, quite caring and was genuinely fun to spend time with.

In some ways, he could relate to the deer, even if the problems they faced might have been the opposite, one having options while the other didn't. A part of him just wanted to get to know more of this way-too-charming of a deer, even if it was just about something small like if he preferred vanilla over chocolate.

"Maybe," said Jack.

Legosi gave a small smile. “Cool, cool. Go for it.” He put his hand on Jack’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring grip. “You helped me with Haru - and everything else in my life, really - so come to me if you need anything, okay?”

Jack couldn’t help but smile back. “Alright. Thanks, Legosi. I mean it.” 

It was finally their turn to pay. Both of them carried the groceries - one bag each - and got out of the store. The place wasn't far from their apartment, so they decided to walk there, just like they did when going here today.

The trip was uneventful. The two canines filled their walk home with small talk. What Legosi was up to with Haru, what to have for dinner and breakfast for tomorrow and all that.  

Halfway to their destination, Legosi stopped mid-step as he turned around a corner. 

“-Ah.” Jack was behind him and almost bumped into him. "Why did you suddenly stop?"

"I-I uh, I think I forgot I had to do something," stuttered Legosi. He handed the grocery bags he was carrying to Jack. “Sorry, but can you take this with you?"

Jack blinked. It wasn’t uncommon for his friend to forget something, he could be quite the scatterbrain, but this one time seemed different. 

He took the bags, now carrying one in each hand. “Sure? What did you forget anyway?"

"Sorry, no time to explain!" Legosi walked backward from where they came from. He turned around and broke into a jog, glancing back one last time. "Good luck!" he yelled before disappearing from Jack’s sight. 

“Good luck?" repeated Jack. He continued to make his way to his destination, turning around the corner where Legosi stopped at. He was looking down at the ground as he walked. "Why good luc-?”

“-Jack?” a voice called out from in front of the labrador.

Jack blinked. He looked forward, and froze when he saw who it was. A deer. A male deer with those oh-so-glorious antlers. 

“Fancy seeing you here," said Louis, a small smile on his face.

Jack didn’t know whether to thank or to kill that damn wolf, but maybe he should settle for the former. He sighed with a smile. “Yeah. Nice to see you too, Louis.”

Louis's gaze went down to the two plastic bags Jack was carrying. They were filled with food and other kinds of household items. “Grocery shopping?”

“Mhm. Fresh from the market.” 

"Looks a bit heavy. Can you carry those?"

Jack shrugged. "It’s only two, I’ll manage."

Looking at the ground, Louis rubbed his chin as if he was pondering about something. His eyes met Jack’s a few moments later. "You’re going home, right? Which way is it?"

"I am.” Jack didn’t know why Louis was asking, but gave an answer anyway, cocking his head towards where his apartment was. “It’s over there. Remember Lion’s Den? It’s near that.” 

Louis nodded. "Alright." He reached out and grabbed one of the bags in Jack's hand. He walked towards where Jack cocked his head before and beckoned him to follow. “Let’s go.”

Jack watched in silence, not fully understanding what Louis was doing. "...Wait, what're you doing?"

Louis raised an eyebrow, his expression showing as if he was surprised by the question. "Helping you? What else would I be doing?"

"But aren't you going somewhere?"

Louis shook his head. "No, not really. I'm just walking around."

"Oh." Jack wasn’t done yet. “But is it okay? I don’t want to bother you. And you don’t have to, I can-”

“-Jack, I’m helping because I want to. It’s fine.” He sighed. “Now come on, my arms are getting tired already."

Jack fidgeted. "Really?"

Louis rolled his eyes. "Really."

Jack gave a hesitant nod. "Alright," he said as he walked up next to Louis. God, he needed to work on his accepting-help department.

And so they made their way there. Louis was right next to Jack, their arms gracing each other from time to time. Neither of them minded the closeness. Louis took a mental note of that.

"So you said you were just walking around?" asked Jack.

"Mhm."

"Huh. Since when did you have the time for that? In the middle of the day no less."

"About that…" Louis averted his gaze, looking slightly flustered. 

That look. It was so hard to take the deer off guard, to make him even slightly flustered. Only a few times did Jack ever get to see him like that. And not going to lie, he had committed those looks to memory. Now he added this one to the collection as well.

"...My secretary kicked me out."

“They- they can do that?"

Louis shrugged. "Apparently. I could've called it off, but I did just let it happen so…"

"Wait, so you let it happen? But why?" asked Jack. 

"Well, I've been trying to give your advice a try. You know, taking things slow and such. That's why I've been able to go to your bar on weekdays.” The flustered look on his face was now gone as he talked, and Jack missed it already. Though Jack didn’t show his disappointment and let Louis continue talking. 

"I told them about your advice before, and they actually agreed, but also said I wasn’t doing a good enough job at it.” Louis started imitating a high pitched voice, making gestures such as pointing with his hands even though they were full with groceries. “‘Slow down my ass, you’re still overworking yourself! Just look at you, I even set your today free of meetings!’"

Jack giggled. “Sounds like nice animals.”

Louis sighed and smiled. “They are. I really have to thank them."

"Cause you got to relax?"

"Yeah.” Louis met his eyes, his face softening. “Also because I got to see you again.” 

Jack’s tail started to wag. “Give them my thanks as well.”

“Heh. Happy to see me?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

Louis let out an amused hum.

The labrador’s tail wagged faster. 

A drop of water landed on Jack's snout. “Huh?” He looked up, and saw dark clouds covering up the sky. Immediately, he felt more water dripping onto his face. He groaned. "Oh come on." A sigh came from the animal beside him. Seemed like they shared the same sentiment.

“I don't suppose you bought any umbrellas?” asked Louis as he lifted up his bag.

Jack chuckled. “If I did I would’ve brought it out by now.”

"Then let's hurry." 

Jack nodded. And without any more pauses, they ran, hoping they could outrun the approaching rain. Jack gritted his teeth. If only they weren't carrying these damn bags.

By the minute, the light rain turned heavy. The goal was right there, Jack could see the building. Just a few more meters away.

They arrived at the front of the building, drenched from head to toe. 

The place wasn’t anything fancy. It was like any of your average apartment buildings with brick walls. They climbed up the short flight of stairs, and Jack pushed the front door with his shoulder. The two finally got out of the rain, albeit a bit too late as they were already wet all over.

Great.

Jack was already looking forward to a hot shower. A wet dog didn’t necessarily give a pleasant smell after all.

"Shelter, finally,” said Jack, sighing in relief. 

Louis huffed. "Fuck. There go my clothes for the day. Just got it cleaned too."

"C'mon, we can dry up at my place." He beckoned to Louis. 

With there being zero elevators in the building, they walked up the stairs, water dripping off of them as they got higher and higher. 

Louis’s breath grew heavy, opposite to Jack’s. He never hated stairs this much until now. 

They took a break midway.

Louis bent down and rested his hands on his knees. “Really *huff* starting to regret not adding exercise into my schedule…”

“We did run just a few minutes ago.”

“Still, you’re doing okay...”

“Yeah,” Jack rubbed his nape, “but it’s not really fair since I have time to put in some workout and exercises.” 

Now that intrigued Louis. Working out? If that was true, then he could only imagine the view he’d find under there.

Louis stood up, hands on his hips, his breath steadier than before. “Well, that explains it.”

“Mhm. Legosi pulled me into it. Plus standing and walking around all night long bartending calls for a fit body.” Jack walked over to Louis. "Still need a bit more rest?"

Louis's gaze went to the floor, a small frown now adorning his face. Shame filled him ever so slightly. Not even being able to climb upstairs, he must look pathetic.

“Oh come on, stop looking so defeated.”

Louis blinked. “What?”

Jack pointed at Louis, a frown on his face. “You.” He let his arm fall down to his side. “Jeez, I would’ve just given you a piggyback ride if you’re going to act like this.”

Louis could already imagine how it’d feel to be on the labrador’s back. All soft and warm probably. “Doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea,” he said with a smile. 

“Maybe I’ll give you one if we ever have to get up lots of stairs again for whatever reasons,” said Jack. "But again, don't look so defeated. We ran, and my place's on the sixth floor. It's normal for you to get tired."

Louis sighed. "I guess."

Jack rolled his eyes.

A couple more minutes passed before they continued up the stairs. Jack took the bag Louis was carrying so he could have it easier. The deer refused at first, not wanting to seem weak, but relented soon after.

Rarely did Louis ever let go of his pride, but Jack managed to make him do so. Louis had started opening up to Jack after talking to him regularly for some time now, so maybe that was why.

Shit, Louis cursed at himself. He's been getting too comfortable. He just wanted this to be fun.

The two finally arrived at the front door of Jack’s apartment. 701 was written on the plate next to it. The sight of their destination finally within reach eased them.

"Here it is.” Jack lifted his arm towards his back pocket but stopped midway. “Ah, right. Louis, a little help here?”

“Yeah?”

Jack turned around and leaned his rear out slightly at Louis. “My hands full. Can you get the key for me? They’re in the right pocket.”

The deer couldn’t help but stare as he got an eyeful of the sight in front him.

With no response from Louis, Jack frowned and did a slight wiggle. “Hurry up will you? I really wanna get into that hot shower right about now. And I doubt you don't want to too.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

Jack raised an eyebrow. What kind of question was that? "Doing what?” he asked.

"Oh." Louis shook his head. “Nevermind, forget I asked.”

So the labrador wasn’t tantalizing him with that amazing ass of his. It wasn’t in his character to do so anyway from what he knew of Jack. 

He quickly reached into the pocket, fighting the urge to keep his hand there just for a few more seconds. He soon felt something cold like metal and pulled it out. "Here it is."

Louis opened the door as Jack's hands were full.

And with that, they entered Jack’s apartment. The labrador put his bags to a nearby table. Finally were his hands free again.

Louis took off his shoes and looked around the inside of the apartment.

Modest looking place, he got to say. 

From the entrance, he could see the kitchen to the left of him. And to its right was a living room, a sofa in the middle of it with a TV sitting on top of a table across said sofa, separated by a low table between them. A couple of potted plants sat in the corners, shelves, and tables. 

To Louis's right was a wall with three doors. Bathroom and bedrooms, Louis presumed.

The place was nothing compared to where Louis lived, but he couldn’t help to like it. It felt comfortable, cozy. Completely different from his place which was all grand and extravagant. 

"Nice place. You live here alone?”

“No, Legosi lives here too,” answered Jack as he took off his shoes, “but admire the place later. First, towels.” He went into one of the rooms to the right, coming out not too long after with two towels. “Catch!”

Louis could hardly react as his face was met with a towel. “Oof!” He pulled it off - Thankful that it didn’t get caught in his antlers - and smirked. “Playing rough are we?”

“Sorry, just wanted to get dry as fast as possible,” said Jack as he dried himself off. He cocked his head towards the room he was just in. “The shower’s over there if you wanna take one.”

“You sure?”

“I’m not going to have you be all soaked and not let you shower. Who do you think I am?”

Louis chuckled. “Alright, alright. Just thought maybe you wanted to go first. You are the owner.”

“Guests come first in my place, so go ahead.”

Louis nodded and smiled. “Thanks.” He made his way to the bathroom, towel now in his hand instead of on his face. He entered and closed the door behind him, leaving the labrador alone for the time being. 

Jack watched as he disappeared into the bathroom. He was done drying himself and left the towel on top of his head. 

Now that it was quiet and he had a moment's rest, his mind decided it was the right time to run again. 

He had a hot deer right here in his place, alone. The rain didn’t seem like letting up anytime soon. Said deer was taking a shower, and he could hear the water running. 

Naturally, without asking, Jack’s mind provided him with how that glorious view would look like. That slender body, those soft brown fur, those strong majestic antlers... the steam from the hot shower covering up his body, yet leaving enough exposed to get his imagination running.

Jack’s face was a whole ‘nother shade of red now. He shook his head and grabbed the remote on the sofa. He turned on the TV with trembling fingers, more so for background noise rather than for watching. He needed a distraction.

Jack took a deep breath. He crossed his arms, tapping his foot. Another thing to distract himself… 

“Ah, I know.” 

He went to the kitchen and started preparing instant coffee for Louis, towel still hanging off his head. He made tea as well for himself of course.

Distraction, distraction. No naked deer, no siree.

Coffee and tea were done. With nothing else to do and two cups of hot drinks in his hand, Jack went to the sofa. He sat down on the floor in front of it - He was not going to wet the sofa, ew - and watched the TV. He put one of the cups at the table before him for Louis to take.

“Ah~” 

Hot tea, the sound of rain coming from the outside… perfect. All he needed was hot water dripping down his face from the shower and this would be heaven on earth.

Minutes passed, and Jack heard a click from directly behind him. “Ah, he’s done.” He stood up and turned around. 

And was met with a half-naked Louis. All that effort to calm himself down went out the window as Jack’s gaze involuntarily went down. The towel was wrapped around his lower area suspiciously low, being held up by one arm. 

Of course, Louis noticed. He smirked. "Doing okay there?"

Jack gulped, his open hands now gripping his shirt. “S-somewhat.” 

Louis chuckled. He turned around and closed the door he came from, swaying his hip ever so slightly in the process. “Do you have any clothes I could borrow? As you know, mine isn’t really in wearing condition right now."

Jack couldn’t look away. Louis was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he? 

"S-sure, just- just let me get them first,” stuttered Jack. He hurried into his room which was next to the bathroom.

Jack took deep breaths as he searched for clothes fitting for Louis’s size. This was too much.

Louis was a deer, so a T-shirt would probably just get caught in his antlers. And he was a bit taller than Jack, so he decided a button-up shirt he hasn’t grown into just yet would do. Same with the pants, so he got a pair of jeans to spare. Jeans because Louis would probably have to wear this to home if his clothes didn't dry up by the time the rain stops. 

He couldn’t help but feel like he was forgetting about something. Then it clicked. 

Underwears. Oh dear lord.

He grabbed a random freshly washed boxer briefs. He didn’t want to put too much thought into which one would fit Louis best. But subconsciously, he did think the one he picked would look best on Louis. A simple and plain black boxer briefs, fitting just right around his-

Jack shook his head. So much for not putting thought into it.

He let out huff before stepping out of his room, the clothes neatly folded in his hands. Jack glanced around to find Louis. “...of course,” he breathed out.

Louis was watching the TV, leaning on top of the sofa. Which meant his glorious ass was free to look at for whoever was there. 

Torture, pure torture for the poor labrador.

“Louis,” Jack called. 

“Hm?” Louis glanced at Jack, a small playful smile on his face. 

“Here, this will keep you warm.”

Louis lit up as he saw what Jack was holding. “Ah, thanks.” He walked over and received the clothes. And for the whateverth time of the day, their arms made brief contact. “Though I was hoping you’ll keep me warm. A much better alternative than these clothes, I would say.”

Louis looked up at Jack to see for any reaction and found that he was looking away, a blush all the way up from his neck to his face. 

“Will you take me up on that offer?” asked Louis.

Jack gulped. He was facing Louis, but his eyes were looking at everything but him. “I-I…” He shook his head. “There’s coffee on the table for you. I’m taking a shower. Go watch TV or something,” he said, almost unintelligible due to how fast he spoke. 

Jack made a beeline towards the bathroom, eyes locked to the floor until he entered. He leaned back against the door.

Every moment he got to be away from Louis was severely needed by Jack. Not because he wanted to be away, he needed to get himself under control. Never has he been so glad to be wearing pants that could hide his excitement as much as now.

He knew what he was feeling wasn’t hunger. Dogs were bred to not be like that, to not eat meat. At least there was a positive to him being a dog now.

He ran his palm across his face and sighed. He could handle casual flirting, but this was a lot more than that.

The hot shower helped, really helped. 

His mind was cleared, his body was relaxed, everything was better. And the time he got to himself allowed him to calm down.

Jack already had a change of clothes ready in the bathroom, so he didn’t have to go outside half-naked like Louis. Though maybe he should as a form of repayment. He doubted the deer wouldn’t enjoy it.

“Agh, shut it, you horny bastard.” Jack huffed. He put on his clothes, a shirt and short pants, talking to himself all the while, “Good animal. Great even. But I wanna get to know him more if we’re going to go that far...”

He finished changing. He walked out, and was immediately met with Louis standing in front of him. He had put on the clothes Jack gave him. 

Jack couldn’t get a word out before Louis put a hand on his chest and gave a light push. His back hit the wall. 

“Four weeks now, a month in total, and today especially,” said Louis in a low voice. “I’ve been putting up all these invitations, and you haven’t taken any of them, you know?”

Louis pinned him against the wall, one hand on the wall next to Jack’s head while the other pulling up his chin slightly so they faced each other eye to eye.

“L-Louis?”

“Do you not want me? Or do you just need that one final push?” Louis ran a thumb under Jack’s mouth as if to test the labrador. “If you don't, then I’ll pretend this never happened. We can go back to being patron and bartender. Just say which one. I’m done dancing around.” 

“I…” Jack swallowed. The deer’s touch sent heat all over his body. He could feel the desire welling up in him. “I do.”

Louis smiled smugly as if he had finally won something he’s been chasing for a long time. He leaned forward, planning to meet Jack’s lips with his after so long wanting to, but was stopped by Jack holding him back by his shoulders.

“But not like this-"

Jack was going to speak more, but the sound of the front door unlocking stopped him. He could hear a voice calling out. Legosi’s voice.

“I’m home."

Shuffling could be heard before Legosi called out again. "Jack? where ar-”

It didn't take long for Legosi to find them as they were straight ahead from the entrance, only a few meters away from him. Louis was looking at the wolf, his expression clearly saying he didn’t appreciate the intrusion.

“Oh.” 

Legosi's gaze went back and forth between Jack and Louis as his cheeks flushed. He backed away slowly, grabbing the shoes he just took off, and opened the door leading outside. “I-I, I’ll just stay over at Zaguan tonight. So uh, you can- you can continue what you were… oh god.” He was sweating bullets. “Just- just don’t- uh, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed as he closed the entrance door. 

“...”

The two animals looked at the door in silence. The silence soon turned awkward. 

Louis looked back at Jack, meeting his gaze, and asked, his tone stern. Yet Jack could hear a bit of hurt in his voice.

“What do you mean ‘not like this?'”

Chapter Text

“First, I just wanna say you are great, and I do want you.” Jack took a deep breath. He could see this was confusing Louis. The deer's arms fell to his side, no longer pinning him to the wall. “But I can’t help and feel things are moving too quickly.”

“Quickly?” repeated Louis, surprise in his tone. He scoffed. “We’ve been playing around for a month. To my standards that's chaste.”

“For you maybe, but...” Closing his eyes, Jack sighed. “Okay, maybe this is a better way to say it.” He met Louis’s eyes again. “I feel like you just want to keep things casual.”

Louis paused. “What do you mean?”

“Keep things fun. Meet up, have sex, but nothing more. You’re pushing this so you can establish that before things develop even further.”

Louis's brows furrowed. “That’s quite a lot of assuming you're doing,” he said, crossing his arms.

"Louis, I've been with a few men too. There's a reason why I stopped you. I did this once, and I felt empty after it."

"And you lump me in with them?"

“Am I wrong?”

“I-” Louis’s gaze faltered. He let out a deep sigh as he dragged his palm over his face. “I knew this was going to get dangerous…”

Jack stayed quiet.

Louis continued talking, “Are you- is it a relationship that you want?”

“Is that such a bad idea?”

Louis’s gaze went to the floor as he processed what was happening.

Disappointed, Jack frowned. This was about the reaction he expected. “Look. So far, you’re ticking all the right boxes for me, Louis. I'd rather get to know you better than diving headfirst into… that .” His expression softened. “But I won’t push If you don’t want to. Forcing you into it is the last thing I wanna do.”

Louis shook his head. “No, it’s just…” He groaned, frustrated. “First, we were just flirting, then somewhere along the line I started having fun just talking to you, just being with you. Now, you want an actual relationship…” 

This feeling made Louis afraid, but he couldn't deny it. 

“And a part of me actually wants it.”

A ray of hope, Jack saw. He gave a small smile. “Just a part?” he joked. They needed something to lighten up a bit.

Louis snorted. “Okay, maybe slightly more than that.”

He took a deep breath. Slowly, Louis pieced together what he wanted to say. "I like you, Jack. More than I should. More than what I think is safe." He stepped backward towards the back of the sofa and sat on top of it. "I'm- I'm just hesitant about taking that step. Sex is simple, fun. But what you, and now I, want can get… complicated."

Jack leaned back onto the wall behind him, crossing his arms. "Why's that?"

This was weird. 

Louis was never the type to open up like this, let alone to someone he’d only known for a month. But something in Jack just made him calm, soothed. Made him feel like he could trust him wholeheartedly. He found his mouth already moving again without realizing it. 

“Emotions,” he said. “Get hurt enough and you start closing yourself off."

Jack's mouth curled down into a frown. The tone in which Louis said that was neutral, matter-of-factly. And though it was only for short moment of time, he didn't miss the brief, pained look in the deer’s eyes.

Of course, someone in Louis's shoes had power, money. A lot of animals would want that. And he didn't doubt that they've tried getting it through bed or false and shallow romance, making what was once his theirs.

Jack took a step forward and took one of Louis's hands in his, rubbing its back with his thumb, trying to provide any way of comfort. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking at the hand he was holding.

“It’s not your fault,” said Louis, his voice soft. He let Jack hold his hand as he liked the feeling.

"I know, just..." Jack paused, trying to find the right words, "just know I'm here to listen if you want to talk."

Warm. If Louis had to say what he was feeling, that'd be it. Something inside him was telling him to just hold him tight, to never let go of this animal before him.

Somehow, something as simple as a few strings of words, and a hand tenderly holding his, felt more intimate than what more intense things Louis'd done with other animals. 

Perhaps… perhaps he could try it. Let his guard down with Jack. Just one more time. And if it backfire- no.

I do want you.

You. That 'you' was genuine, Louis could tell. No hidden meaning was hiding behind it. 

Louis let out a small sigh with a smile. "You make it hard to resist you, you know that?"

The thumb stroking his hand's back stopped, and Jack let go of his hand. He looked up at Louis, surprised. "W-what?"

"I trust you, Jack." He reached back for the retreating hand with one of his own, Jack's fingers twitching in response once he got it. "Let's get complicated."

Jack's tail wagged. Only now did he realize he was holding Louis's hand. How did he do it so casually before?

A blush creeping up his face, Jack fidgeted nervously. Never did he think he’d get this far. "Does- does that mean…"

Louis couldn't help but chuckle as he witnessed the adorable display before him. "Yes, it does."

"I-I see," breathed Jack. He giggled as his tail wagged faster. "I see."

The two met each other's eyes, wearing a small smile on their face. Neither of them were saying anything. The only sounds in the room were the rain pattering on the windows and the light swooshes of Jack's tail as it wagged left and right.

Louis was the first to break the silence. "So are we going to just stare at each other or…?"

"We can, if you want to," joked Jack. That earned a chuckle from the deer.

"I think I have a better idea," said Louis. He pulled Jack toward him by the hand he was holding. Now, their faces were mere centimeters away from each other. "With your permission, of course."

With Louis still sitting and Jack standing, Jack was looking down slightly so their eyes could meet. He cupped Louis's cheek with his free hand. 

"That, we can do."

They both leaned forward. It was tender, chaste, but oh so sweet. Louis could settle with just this, if he was being perfectly honest. More of this, and he'd definitely fall for the labrador. 

Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

They broke apart, silently staring into each other before meeting the other's lips again, only now more eager. Jack circled his arms around Louis's neck while Louis's hands rested on Jack's side, both pulling the other closer to themselves.

The connection Jack had felt with Louis became even stronger now. His entire body felt warm all over, and his heart started beating faster by the second. He wished this feeling would never stop.

But he started to have a hard time breathing, so he pulled away, panting slightly. "You're… wow. Just wow."

A grin crept up Louis's face. "Thank you. Though you need to get better at kissing."

Jack chuckled, breathless. "Sorry for not having practiced much beforehand."

"Oh, that's fine. I'm right here if you want to improve."

"Show off."

Arms still around Louis's neck, Jack went in for a hug, burying his snout under the crook of his neck. He just wanted to stay close, even for a little while longer.

Taken aback, Louis froze. He responded after a few moment, wrapping his arms around Jack's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. Apparently, labradors made for a good hugging partner. Or maybe it was Jack specifically.

They took comfort in each other's warmth. Neither of them wanted to let go, to separate and stop this moment they were having.

Louis's stomach growled.

"..."

"Pft-"

He heard Jack trying to hold in a laugh, his upper body shaking in his arms as he tried to do so.

Great. Couldn't pick a better time to get hungry now, could you? Fucking- aghhhh!

"Shut it," ordered Louis, but his flushed cheeks betrayed his stern tone.

Jack pulled back from the hug, still stifling a laugh. "Hungry?"

"No."

"You are."

"Am not. What's your proof that I'm hungry, anyway?"

Jack let out a small laugh. "Alright, big guy. Whatever you say." He let go of Louis and stood up straight. He walked towards the kitchen. "I'll just prepare myself some food then. Don't come crying to me for your portion."

Louis crossed his arms. "Go ahead. I won't be doing that anyway-"

It growled again, this time louder than before. Even from the kitchen, Jack could hear it.

Fuck.

"Still a no?" asked Jack.

"...I am."

Apparently, there were some herbivore food ready in the fridge. Jack said it was Legosi's since Haru sometimes came over to visit. And now Louis was added to the list, especially if he was planning to visit again regularly.

Of course, Jack said that last part with a playful wink, only meaning it as banter.

Sure, maybe he'd do just that. He could fit in a surprise visit or two in his schedule. The time he’d be able to spend with Jack would be worth it.

The sounds of food sizzling filled the apartment. Jack was the one cooking, but he wanted to help. He didn't want to just sit around waiting.

So he did just that, forgetting the fact he never had placed even a foot in the kitchen before in his life.

“Over there.”

“Which one?"

“What do you mean which one? It's salt, you ought to know what that is.”

“Alright, alright. Here.”

“...Louis. That’s sugar, not salt.”

“Wh- How was I supposed to know? The container looks the same!”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe you could take a pinch and taste it? Just a thought.”

“Maybe you should just label it.”

“C’mon, how can you not tell which one’s sugar and which one’s salt?” 

“Oh Shut it, you. You’re no master chef either. Don't talk down to me.”

“Knowing how you are in the kitchen now, I think I am. At least compared to you."

"You didn't just-"

"-Shush. I don't wanna mess this up.”

“It already looks messy. Just look at that thing, I can tell it won’t taste good."

“You haven’t even tasted it yet!”

Turned out he was wrong. It was good, amazing even. It's been a long while since he had a home-cooked meal. 

Sure, it wasn’t grand or extraordinary, especially compared to what he usually got at the manor made by highly trained cooks. Yet this one somehow tasted better.

Maybe Jack truly was a master chef, or maybe the ingredients were extra fresh and of high quality. Perhaps he added some secret spices. 

Or maybe it was Jack's company that made the food tastier.

He had a feeling it was the last one. Though he certainly didn't mind that fact, that was for sure.

What he did mind was the smug look on Jack's face at the moment. He deserved to be wearing that look, sure, but still.

“Where’s my ‘This is delicious. I was wrong. I’m sorry I made fun of you’?”

“It’s not.”

“Says the deer while gobbling down the ‘not delicious’ food.”

“Because it isn’t. Stop staring. Stop it.”

“...”

“Alright, fine. It’s good. Jeez, was just messing with you.”

“Pfft. You just didn’t want to admit you were wrong.”

“Now you’re teasing?”

"No rules saying I can't do it."

They finished their late lunch.

From the apartment’s window, they could see the rain was finally showing some sign of stopping. Both of them wished it would've lasted longer, even if only for another minute or two.

"I guess I'll be going now," said Louis. In his hands were the clothes he wore when getting here, still drenched, only a little drier compared to before. He'd have to wear Jack's clothes to home for today.

The labrador’s scent on the clothes comforted Louis, somehow. That was a pleasant bonus.

“Yeah.” Jack was behind Louis, seeing Louis off. “Be careful."

An idea popped up in Louis's head before he opened the entrance door. He smirked as he turned to face Jack, hanging the clothes in his hands away on a nearby chair. "Before I leave..."

"Hm? Did you forget… something..." he trailed off as Louis put a hand on his chest.

Jack could feel his heart beat faster, his breath quickening, as he felt Louis's hand trail upwards at a slow pace. From his chest to his neck, reaching all the way up to the back of his head. Louis rested his hand there.

Tangling his fingers in those golden furs, Louis tugged lightly, exposing Jack's throat to him. "Just to add some fun for the next few days," whispered Louis before leaning in.

Jack could feel Louis's warm breath against his fur. He gasped when he felt Louis nip his neck, just above where his bar uniform's collar would rest. Next he felt small, light kisses on the same spot he nipped him.

Louis pulled away and let go of his head, meeting Jack's gaze with the same smirk he had on before. He felt pleased, seeing the state Jack was in because of him.

Jack touched the spot, his face red as he tried to process the implications of the deer's action.

Marked. He marked him. For a moment, he felt like he was prey.

"Well, goodbye for now, Jack."

He left, leaving Jack alone to his thoughts. Jack looked down at where Louis had marked him. From the looks of it, it wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. 

Chapter Text

"Back."

Legosi's ears perked up as he heard Jack's voice. He turned his head toward the back entrance. "Welcome back."

Walking inside, Jack looked over to Legosi. He was serving an animal. A male lion. He looked oddly familiar.

"Oh." The lion perked up. A small smile adorned his face. "It's you! Jack, was it?"

It clicked inside Jack's head. The lion from Lion's Den! 

Jack nodded, answering his smile with his own. "Yeah." His tail wagged idly. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Same here," said Ibuki.

Jack walked over to Legosi and patted the wolf's shoulder. "Your turn. Have a nice break."

Legosi nodded. He glanced at Ibuki. "It was nice talking to you."

Ibuki hummed in response. He and Jack watched as Legosi went out the back. The labrador walked over so he stood across Ibuki on the other side of the bar.

"Enjoying the place?"

"Been having a good time, so definitely." Ibuki's eyes went down to Jack's neck, and his mouth curled up into a smirk. "Seems like you had a good time too."

Jack blinked, confused at first. He followed Ibuki's gaze and it clicked. His mouth made an 'oh' form.

Laughter came from Ibuki. "I won't push. You had a good time, and that's all I need to know." He leaned forward on his elbows, smirking. "Though I do have an idea of who it might be."

"I'm sure you do," joked Jack. He sighed. "I thought it'd disappear after a week…"

"Why not just pop up your collar?"

Jack shrugged. "Feels weird. Like I'm trying to look cool or naughty or something." He let out a short huff. "But enough about that, your glass's empty. Want something else to drink?"

He nodded. "Same one will do."

"And that is…?"

"Oh, right. That Legosi served the last one." Ibuki chuckled. "It's Negroni."

Jack smiled and went to work on the drink. 

First thing first, the orange. Jack grabbed one and cut the rind of it, longer and thicker than usual. Perhaps the lion would like a longer twist, Jack thought. 

Next he poured all the needed ingredients into the mixing glass and filled it to the brim with ice, giving it a little stir with the bar spoon once everything was in. The sound of ice being stirred around filled both his and Ibuki’s ears.

He finished and began pouring it through a strainer into a prepared chilled glass with ice. With the drink done, he took the orange twist he cut and folded it over the glass, releasing all the lovely orange oils over the surface, twisting and putting it in the glass afterward.

There we go.

"A Negroni for our barista."

"Thanks," said Ibuki before taking a sip of the drink.

It was strong. The bitter taste hit him immediately, but the sweetness of it complimented it as well, making a perfect balance. Bittersweet, just as he liked it.

Ibuki let out a satisfied sigh, and Jack swelled with pride. He thought he even heard a content purr coming from the lion. Huh… Could lions purr?

“Might have to visit this place again."

Jack snapped out of his thoughts. “I’ll be waiting," he answered with a smile.

“You won’t be waiting for long.”

The two talked for a moment before Jack went and served new animals coming in. A busy night, it seemed like. 

The sound of animals chattering filled the bar, in the background was a song playing to sooth the mood with its tunes. 

Midway through serving, Legosi came back from his break and helped the labrador. Orders came in and were delivered. 

Things finally calmed down and Jack was able to check up on Ibuki. He sighed in relief as he walked over to the lion. “Need anything else?” asked Jack.

Ibuki shook his head. “Last one for tonight,” he said as he swirled his glass. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. “So, I said I wasn’t going to push, but…”

Jack tilted his head. “But?” 

“I just wanna say I hope it’ll go well.” Ibuki’s mouth curled up into a soft smile. “You know, between the two of you. The kid could benefit from having someone like you.”

“Oh.” Jack's tail wagged. He expected the usual teasing from Ibuki, but got this instead. A welcomed surprise. “Well, uh, thanks. Really."

Ibuki’s smile turned into a grin. “Just spreading some positivity,” he said before finishing the rest of his drink. His folded sleeves got dragged up his arm slightly.

Jack squinted as he noticed the strange black ink on Ibuki’s arm. Didn’t see that before. Probably hidden by his sleeves, Jack guessed. 

It looked like some sort of wiggly lines. Near it was some writing, though Jack couldn’t read it unless he got closer.

“Is that… a tattoo?” asked Jack, pointing at Ibuki's arm. “Never seen anything like it before.”

Ibuki raised his eyebrows in surprise. He gulped the drink left in his mouth. “...I guess you can say that,” he said, putting down his drink. He looked at his arm and pulled down his sleeves. “It’s… let’s just say this one’s different .”

Jack sensed weight behind those words. He quickly squashed down his sense of curiosity and nodded. He was a bartender. "Sorry I asked.”

Ibuki smiled. “You didn’t know.” He stood up and straightened his coat. “Thanks for the night.”

Jack bowed his head. “Please come again.”

"Will do." Ibuki perked up as he remembered something. "Oh, and tell the kid not to give one so high up the neck, will you?"

Jack chuckled. "I think he did that on purpose."

"Ah, never mind then." Ibuki waved goodbye. "Have a good night, Mr. Bartender."

Jack nodded with a smile before Ibuki exited the bar. 

Louis: Sorry. Busy again this week

Louis: Probably can only meet up again next Tuesday

Jack: Aw 

Jack: It’s okay. Text and calls are still open, right?

Jack: And I hope things go well over there ( •w•)

“So patient…” said Louis as he typed his reply. “And here I am, all antsy because of it.”

Louis: Open

Louis: And thanks

Jack: Expect some later then :3

Jack: And don’t overwork yourself! >:(

Louis: Yes dear

Jack: *Deer

Louis snorted. Tension left his body, and his shoulder loosened. Even after a few months of being with this labrador, he never failed to cheer him up with just one or two words.  

Louis: That goes for you too

Jack: That's why I'm taking a break rn :p

Louis: Good

Louis: I'm going back to work. See you next week, deer

Jack: *Deer

Jack: Oh, you already did it

Jack: Nvm xp

Jack: My break's ending too. See you too :)

Louis sighed. “Next week can’t come soon enough…"

"Did you say something, master Louis?"

Louis shook his head. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"...If you say so," said Yuta. The sheep went back to sweeping the office's floor.

Louis turned off his phone and put it back on his desk, going back to his computer. 

His vision blurred as he saw the screen. He blinked twice to regain focus. If this wasn’t a sign he was going to need glasses, then he didn’t know what is. 

He wondered if Jack would like how he looked with glasses.

Louis smiled.

The labrador would look cute in one too, now that he thought about it.

Wait, no, he was working. Save those thoughts for later.

Louis's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed out the document, not putting much thought into it. The process became automatic due to how much he'd done this.

The grandfather clock tick-tocked in the background, being the only other noise in the room other than his typing and Yuta's cleaning.

Louis stifled a yawn. How long has he been up again? He looked at the time on the bottom right of the computer's screen.

Oh.

He grimaced. Yeah, he needed to stop and sleep. It'd be impossible to wake up early if he stopped any later. Unless he didn't mind being half dead inside tomorrow, that is. Which he did.

Okay, just like Jack said. Don't overwork. 

Louis glanced back at the clock. 

Kinda too late for that, though. Whoops.

After doing a quick proofread, Louis saved the work he’s done and turned off his computer. It felt like a weight was finally taken off his shoulders. He stretched his hand high above his head- 

"-Ah!"

Oh god, that was a crack. Louis rubbed his back. It didn't hurt that much, but that was definitely not a good sign.

“Yep. That’s enough for tonight." He stood up slowly.

"Have a good night, master Louis," said Yuta, bowing.

Louis hummed. "You too. And again, please drop the master. Just Louis is fine."

"I'm sorry," said Yuta. He smiled sheepishly. "I'll try, mast- I mean Louis."

Louis chuckled. "Do try harder. If not, I'll be the one calling you master till you do."

"Eh? Y-you can't do that!"

"Then call me Louis, master Yuta ."

Yuta huffed. He frowned, but the corner of his mouth still curled up ever so slightly. "Alright." Sighing, he bowed again. "Have a good night, Louis."

A soft smile adorned Louis's face. "Good night."

Yuta watched as Louis exited the office. He breathed out a long breath as soon as the deer closed the door.

"He's really gotten soft," said Yuta to no one. "Wonder if something happened…"He pondered for a moment before shrugging and going back to cleaning.

The hallway was empty as Louis walked down it.

He wished the place was smaller, if he was being honest. The spotless red carpet, the chandeliers… All these needlessly extravagant things he could do without. But he couldn't really just sell off the manor willy nilly either, so he'd deal with it for now.

Something like Jack's apartment would be perfect. 

Louis snorted. And here he was thinking about that labrador again. It was nice, being able to think about other things other than work. Louis just wished he could do more than just think about him right now.

He turned around the corner. He saw the door to his room, all the way down the hallway. On the walls were pictures of the previous owner of the Horns Conglomerate. All were deers, of course, and were shot in the same style. Rigid and stiff. Louis’s was nowhere to be found.

He didn't want to be on that wall.

He stopped walking when he reached one picture in particular. It was another big one, proudly hanging along with the others. He took a step closer towards it. On the frame was written the name "Oguma". His father.

Louis's brows furrowed. 

Growing up rich had its perks, sure. Having all this luxury certainly made his life easier.

But he couldn't help to resent the animal who made him take this role, making him endure so much stress even from when he was so little. A kid could only handle so much trying to be perfect at everything, to not show any weakness so others couldn’t take advantage of it.

Louis let out a sigh. A heavy one. "Better here than be a piece of meat…" he mumbled. He looked up at the picture again. "So thanks for that, I guess."

Seconds passed before he tore his eyes off the picture. He started walking again and entered his bedroom. He didn't know why he felt sentimental tonight. He was doing better now. 

The company was doing fine, even if he wasn't taking full control of it now. And he was working on the other parts, slowly. With the help of Jack for that one, of course. 

The labrador was peeling away at him, taking off his mask in a slow and steady pace. He had ways in making him feel safe, assuring him he could just be himself around him.

Louis let out a small laugh. "He's living rent free in my mind..."

Ah, rain. Jack found it nice, really. Often did he find himself just looking out the window as rain poured down the city, covering himself up in warm blankets while sipping something hot. In some cases, it was Legosi instead of blankets. He always loved snuggles, and his friend certainly gave good ones. All in all, he loved the rainy weather.

But it was a different matter entirely when he was in the middle of it.

“What is it with us getting caught in the rain?!”

“You tell me.” Louis pressed the button on his car keys. It beeped in response, and the sounds of the car’s doors unlocking could be heard. “Get in.”

Jack jumped into the passenger's seat and closed the door. Louis got in from the opposite side and sat behind the steering wheel. The rain outside intensified as the two caught their breath.

Jack groaned. "God. First the shopping trip, next when after we went to the movies, and now- ugh." He leaned back into his seat with a huff. "You don’t have spare clothes, do you?”

“No," answered Louis. “No towels or blankets eithe- shit, my phone!”

"We left them here. They're safe."

"Oh. Yeah. Whoops." Louis breathed out a relieved sigh. No wet phones today, thankfully. "Is yours full yet?"

Jack shook his head. "Still off." He crossed his arms, his brows furrowed. "This is wonderful. All this on my day-off. All this after we planned the trip for days- no, weeks !"

The deer shrugged. “At least we’re not completely drenched."

“Yeah, but our walk’s ruined.” Jack sank deeper into his seat, looking out the front window. 

They were in a small, open parking lot, surrounded by trees and grass. The place was devoid of any other vehicles and animals other than them.

“Was looking forward to the view at the top too…”

“We can still drive up the hill,” said Louis as he pointed upward. “There's a road for vehicles we can take.”

“I know,” Jack frowned, “But we didn’t make the trip just to drive… ‘s nice just being next to you, walking, talking whatever.” 

Louis chuckled. “You mean like right now?”

“Heh. I guess. But I don’t see our legs moving.” Thumping came from Jack's side. He glanced at Louis and saw him moving his legs up and down as if he was walking on the spot. That earned a small laugh out of him. “Okay, I don’t see us walking .”

“ You’re not walking.”

Jack rolled his eyes, wearing a fond smile. “Walking up the hill, I mean.”

Louis clicked his tongue. “Darn.”

“Nice try, though.”

They grew quiet and watched as the rain poured down. The sound of rain showering the ground outside and the car’s window, the trees and their leaves rustled by the wind, all made for a pleasing music to their ears. 

Louis had to fight the urge from falling asleep. He glanced sideways and saw Jack watching the outside with a content look. Seemed like the labrador was enjoying the moment despite what he said before.

Louis then looked at the back seat. It wasn’t too cramped, spacious enough to fit two animals lying down. Perfect. 

Moments like this usually lead to one thing, but maybe not with Jack. The deer wanted to do something new, different.

“Jack."

“Hm?” Jack turned his head away from the window and met Louis’s gaze.

"I have an idea."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"

Louis just smiled in response. He got up from his seat and climbed to the back of the car. He sat down on the back seat, patting the empty spot next to him.

"...What're you planning?" asked Jack, confusion clear on his face 

"Just come here."

"Alright…" Jack began climbing to the back as well. Louis captured his wrist as he was midway through and pulled him. "Lou-? W-whoa!"

Balance lost, Jack landed roughly, right onto Louis's lap. He recollected himself. He opened his eyes and looked down, his cheeks becoming red as he met Louis's gaze and his smirk. 

Louis was leaning his head back to avoid having his antler be all up Jack's face. One of his hands was on Jack's side while the other held his wrist.

"U-uh… Louis?"

"Yes?" he asked in a playful tone.

"What- what're you doing?"

Louis's smirk grew wider. He lowered his voice into a whisper, "What do you want me to do?"

Jack's cheek heated up even more. He felt as if steams were coming out his ears. "Y-you I-"

Oh, this would never grow old. Such an amusing sight, Louis couldn't help but laugh. "Aren't you adorable as always?" He booped Jack's nose with his finger. 

This deer, this damn deer and his bravado. Jack let out a huff through his nose, his mouth curling down to a frown. "You done now?"

Louis's laugh died down. "Yes," he said.

Jack sighed in relief. Even if he felt relief, he must admit he loved the thrill Louis gave whenever he did something like this. The way he carried himself with such confidence was alluring.

"Not getting off me, I see."

Crap.

"I-I was just going to!" Jack lifted himself off of Louis. He sat down next to him hurriedly, letting out a quick breath. "So was this what you were planning?"

Louis shook his head. "Just thought I could tease you for a bit."

"Why, thank you. I'm sure you found it amusing."

"I did. And you enjoyed it, don't lie," joked Louis, earning a pout from Jack. "But anyway, what I wanted to do was…" He shifted in his seat so he was leaning on the door. He opened up his arms as if inviting Jack in. "This."

Jack's eyes widened in interest. His tail began wagging as he slowly realized what Louis was offering.

Louis's hand lowered. "No?" 

He liked Jack's hug from before. He wasn't used to being intimate like this… maybe he was doing this wrong-

Jack shook his head, maybe too eagerly, but he didn't care. He rushed forward and jumped into Louis' arms, his back to his chest, earning a quiet 'oof' from him.

It took a moment before Louis wrapped his arms around him, probably taken by surprise by Jack's sudden jump at him. 

Jack smiled as he felt Louis resting his head on top of his. 

"This feels amazing," said Louis.

"Mm," hummed Jack in agreement. He pushed his head up slightly. He closed his eyes, loving the physical contact they were having.

An idea popped up in Louis's head. He found out about this before when he was reading up about canines. He slid his hand onto Jack's stomach. He hesitated for a moment, but he started rubbing it gently.

"Mmgh." Jack's tail wagged faster. His body heated up, he was warm all over.

Louis continued his rubbing, pleased with the positive response from Jack. He wished he could feel the fur under the shirt Jack was wearing, but this'd have to do for now.

"L-Louis…"

"Hm?"

"...higher."

Louis paused his hand. He dragged his hand upwards, now on Jack's chest, and started rubbing again gently. "Here?"

Jack released a content sigh. This was addicting. He’d give anything to keep this moment going forever.

"I'd take that as a yes."

Jack could only answer with a smile before revelling in the comforting feeling Louis gave him. 

Sorry, Legosi. Seemed like he found his new favorite snuggler for the rain. 

"We're almost there."

"Aw…"

"I'll visit the bar tomorrow night,” said Louis as he steered the car to the right.

Jack perked up, his tail swishing left and right thanks to the promise. 

Louis snuck a glance at him. Never would he stop getting amused seeing the labrador like this. Too adorable for that to ever happen.

Jack’s apartment building came into view, its front being lit up by the street lamps on the sidewalk. Louis slowed his car to a halt and parked in front of it. A sigh came from the animal beside him. 

“Want me to stay over?” asked Louis.

“Wh- no! I mean- yes, but like, uh-”

Louis chuckled. “Maybe some other time then.”

Jack calmed down and gave a sheepish nod. “Y-yeah.” He looked at the building from the front window, then at Louis. “Well, uh, thanks for today.”

"I should be the one saying that," said Louis, giving a soft smile.

They met each other’s gaze, and it felt like time slowed to a halt. This deer… Jack couldn’t help it. His gaze fell downward to his mouth. He wanted to feel those soft and warm lips again. He leaned forward quickly, his heart racing faster the closer he got to him. And-

“Ouch!”

“Ow!”

Louis rubbed his nose. It stung from Jack’s own nose bumping into it. “Couldn’t hold back, could you? Ow…”

“S-sorry…” Jack was doing the same thing, rubbing the pain away from his nose.

Louis couldn’t help but laugh. “Didn’t even tilt your head.”

“I-I was just-”

Louis shut him up with a kiss. Jack let out a surprised gasp, but immediately answered with fervor. It was quick, but passionate. Jack rested his hand behind Louis’s head, pulling him deeper into the kiss. 

Louis pulled back, his fur ruffled thanks to Jack’s wandering hands. “That’s how you do it.”

Jack punched Louis by the shoulder playfully, grinning. “One day I’ll show you.” That earned a chuckle from the deer. 

"Well, see you later," said Jack as he opened his door. He waved a little goodbye before exiting the car. He walked towards the building's entrance but stopped midway as he heard a car’s door opening. He turned around and was met with Louis approaching him.

"I'll walk you up there."

Jack blinked. "Oh." A few more moments to be with him. His tail was already wagging at the thought. "Sure."

They entered the building.

With them not running here beforehand, Louis could finally walk up the flight of stairs with no problem. Ha! Take that, you damn stairs! Louis one, stairs zero. 

Wait, stairs? A vague memory popped up in Louis's head. 

The deer stopped midway up the stairs. “Hey, Jack.”

Jack paused and looked at Louis beside him. “Yeah?”

“Didn't you say something about this before?”

Jack tilted his head. “I did?”

Louis nodded. He looked up in thought, trying to remember what it was. “You said you were going to give me a piggyback ride, didn’t you?”

“What? When did I-” It clicked. Realization hit Jack as he recalled their last time here. “Oh.”

“So you remembered.” Louis smirked. Hell yeah. “Show me your back.”

“Really?”

“You’re the one that offered me it.”

“Oh my god… fine.” Jack turned around and crouched. "Get on."

Louis looked around first to see if there were any animals. None. He didn’t hear nor sense anyone around either. 

Perfect.

He didn’t hesitate to get on the labrador’s back, wrapping his arms around Jack’s neck while Jack held up his legs. Louis couldn’t erase the gleeful grin on his face. “Holy shit, you’re actually doing this. This is great!”

Jack huffed as he stood up. The weight on his back was heavier than he thought, but he could manage until they arrived at his apartment. “You’re awfully eager about this.”

“I’ve never gotten a ride on someone’s back, of course I would. And it’s yours.”

Jack blushed slightly at the last comment. 

Apparently Louis had this childish side too. Jack frowned as he tried to find out why. Perhaps he never got to let loose when he was younger. 

Shaking his head, Jack snapped out of his thoughts. No need to dwell on that for now. 

They - or in this case, Jack - continued his way up the stairs. Louis’s weight on him was comforting in a way. And feeling him pressed up against him felt amazing. Maybe he should offer more piggybacks from now on.

Louis was enjoying the ride, closing his eyes as he rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

Unfortunately, they finally arrived at the sixth floor. Even by walking as slow as a snail, Jack felt like their trip wasn't long enough.

"You can get down now."

"No. We're still not at your door."

"Are you serious?”

“I’m never not serious.”

This deer.... Jack approached his apartment's door down the hallway. He let go of one of Louis’s legs once he reached it - causing Louis to hold it up himself - and fished his pocket for his key when-

"-Oh?"

His phone rang. It was a call.

Jack pulled out his hand and dug into another pocket, taking out his phone and answering the call. “Hello?”

A feminine voice came through the call. “Hey, dear. Doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Jack, a small smile on his face. “Why the question?”

“I tried calling earlier, but it didn’t connect. Did something happen?”

“Oh, yeah. My phone died. Sorry about that, mom.”

Louis opened his eyes. “Mom?” he repeated. 

Jack nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh, are you with someone?”

“O-oh, uh yeah. I’m with Louis right now.”

The voice became ecstatic. “Really? Sorry if I’m bothering with your date, dear.”

Flush crept up Jack's cheeks. “I-It’s not a date!”

Louis gasped. “Not a date? You wound me,” he said. He would’ve grasped his heart too if he could for added dramatic effect. 

“A-alright, it is,” stuttered Jack. “But you’re not helping!”

Giggles came from the phone. “Aren’t you two having fun? I’ll just call again later. Have fun~”

“Wai-! She hung up.” Jack sighed. He placed his phone back and pulled out his key. “Thanks, Louis.”

“My pleasure," joked Louis. “So, told your parents about me?”

Jack hummed as he unlocked the door. “Said I’m going out with a nice deer.”

“Only nice? Not handsome or charming? I feel betrayed.”  

“I’ll drop you,” said Jack matter-of-factly.

“I dare you.”

Without a word, Jack walked back to the stairs. He turned so he was facing away from the steps. 

Louis felt his gut twisting as he saw the hellish pain he’d feel waiting below him. “You wouldn’t,” he said, his tone now shaky. 

Jack loosened his grip on Louis’s other leg. 

“You cheeky basta-!” Louis immediately tightened his arms around the labrador’s neck. Nervous sweat rolled down his forehead. “Holy Fuck. Okay, You win.”

Jack smirked, swelling with pride. He caught the deer off-guard for once. “Turned out I would, huh?”

“Just put me down now. Please.”

Jack chuckled. “Will do.”

Chapter Text

The quiet, relaxing atmosphere of the bar was something Louis had grown accustomed to. It could get bustling from time to time, sure, but he welcomed it. It made for a nice change of pace.

But for tonight, it seemed to be the former of the two.

“Welcome to Thirsty Panda," a voice greeted him.

Louis glanced at the bar, expecting to see his favorite labrador again.

It was the wolf standing there instead.

It wasn’t the first time Legosi served him instead of Jack. He was pleasant to talk to, if a bit quiet. Not the end of the world. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed that it wasn't Jack instead.

Louis sat down across from the wolf.

“Where’s Jack?” 

“At the back,” answered Legosi, cocking his head towards the back door. “He’s taking his break. Looked a bit more tired than usual, so I told him to take a long one.”

Louis hummed.

“It won't be that long. Don’t worry.”

Louis rolled his eyes. Was this wolf teasing him? 

“I’m patient.” 

Legosi’s eyes widened slightly. “Really?” he asked. 

Wow, this wolf really was teasing him.

“Yes, really,” said Louis. He could wait. He lived through the years before he met Jack just fine. This much he could handle. 

“If you say so.” Legosi shrugged. He gave a small smirk. “But your tapping foot is saying otherwise.”

Shit.

A blush crept up Louis’s cheeks. “Shut it.”

Legosi let out a small laugh. “I’m just saying what I see.” He planted both his palms on the bar, now wearing a wolf-like grin. “Anyway, anything you want to order? Or would you rather wait for our labrador?”

Louis balled his fist. This damn wolf. Since when was he so cheeky? Does he- ugh. Fine, he won.

“…I’ll wait. For Jack.”

Legosi nodded. “Hold on till then,” he said before walking away.

He just had to put that in there, didn’t he?

Louis huffed. He pulled out his phone and turned it on. Leaning forward on his elbows, he started browsing. 

He could only hope Legosi was being truthful about Jack coming soon, cause he was already growing impatient by the minute.

Lo-and-behold, Legosi was right. 

Jack emerged from the back. Louis visibly perked up from seeing him again. His bored, where-the-hell-is-my-favorite-someone frown was replaced with an excited smile he couldn’t contain. 

Jack did the same when he saw the deer.

“Louis!”

Louis’s did a brief wave. “Hey.”

Jack jogged towards him, little wobbles in his steps. “Thought you weren’t coming today,” he said as he stood across the bar from Louis.

“I thought it’d be a nice surprise visit.” Louis saw glimpses of Jack’s tail wagging behind him. He chuckled. “And I think it’s working quite well.”

Jack giggled. He put both hands on his hips. “So, what’s your order tonight, dear customer?”

Louis leaned further forward, eyes half lidded and wearing a playful smirk. “How about you surprise me, mister bartender?”

“If you’re looking for a kiss,” Jack booped Louis’s nose with his finger, ”that can come later.”

“Not even a quick one?”

Jack shook his head.

Louis sighed. Seemed like he had to wait. 

“Alright. An Old Fashioned would do for now, then.” 

“Coming right- a- a-” Jack quickly pulled out a tissue from his pocket and put it up against his nose. “Achoo!” 

Louis blinked. That tiny sneeze was adorable. Truly, he was blessed to be given the opportunity to hear it. 

But he shouldn’t be thinking about that now. 

“You okay?" asked Louis.

Jack nodded weakly.

Louis scanned Jack’s face. It was weirdly red, and his eyes looked tired. His entire body gave off an exhausted-beyond-belief aura.  

“‘S fine." Jack balled up the tissue and threw it into a nearby trash can. “Just a little dust up my nose’s all.”

“...If you say so.” 

Guess that was just a regular sneeze.

As if. 

Louis observed as Jack turned around and worked on his drink. His usual trained, smooth movements were gone, now replaced with sluggish ones. He was hunched over slightly, as if struggling to keep himself up. 

And Louis recalled the labrador’s wobbly steps when he first came back from his break.

“You’re sick, aren’t you?”

Jack’s tail stood up stiff. It drooped, curling between his legs as Jack composed himself. 

“N-no.”

Louis sighed. “Jack, come on.”

“I’m fine." Jack continued to make the deer’s order. “Just- I just didn’t get enough sleep."

Jack might be facing away from Louis, but he only needed to hear the labrador's voice to tell it was a lie. 

Louis’s tone became stern. “ Jack . ” 

“And the bar’s not busy tonight. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Jack.”

Jack finished the drink. With a thud, he placed down the glass onto the bar in front of the deer, some of its content spilling. 

“Your order,” he said, his tone curt, dismissive. He grabbed a piece of cloth and wiped the bar clean. “Sorry.”

Louis didn’t pay any attention to it. He stood up from his stool. 

“Jack,” he met the labrador’s eyes, his voice now soft rather than stern like before, “be honest with me.”

Jack seemed to hesitate. His gaze went to the floor.

“...Fine, you’re right," he said. His breathing was getting heavy as if he was having trouble breathing. "But what if I am?"

Louis narrowed his eyes in confusion. “What do you mean, what if you are?" 

It was quite late into the night, so Jack must've been working for a while. He was pushing himself, Louis concluded. Holding it all in as he worked. That wouldn't surprise him if that was the case.

"You need to rest."

“It’s not that bad." Jack smiled it off. "I can get through tonight and rest later.”

“You clearly can’t.”

Jack gritted his teeth.

"I'm fi-"

“-Jack. You’re sluggish, your face’s red, your breathing’s heavy, and your legs are wobbling even more now.”

“And like I said, I can get through."

"If you're thinking you can get through the night cause you held up till now, stop."

Jack frowned. Seemed like Louis hit the mark.

“Just enjoy the night and stop worrying about me, please.”

“Wh- please?" 

This was getting ridiculous. Enjoy the night? While he was struggling to even stand? Not in a hundred years. 

"I’m sure your boss’ll let you leave early. I'll convince him if I have to. And one less employee won't be fatal with how empty the bar is tonight."

Heck, he had the money if he needed to spend them. Whatever to convince that boss of his. 

"And then I can drive you home," finished Louis.

"Thank you, Louis," said Jack. He was smiling, but he wasn't even looking at him in the eye anymore. "But you don't have to bother. You didn't come here to take care of me."

“Are you kidding me?”

Jack shook his head. He winced in pain. Shaking his head must've hurt. 

“N-no," stuttered Jack, rubbing his forehead to ease the pain. "You came here to relax, so… so go ahead and enjoy the drink."

How could he say that while looking like that? From the few months Louis had spent with him, he knew the labrador had troubles accepting help, but this was on a whole nother level. 

Louis reached out with one of his hands. “You-"

“-The other customers are waiting. I'll come back to you later, Louis.” 

Jack turned around and walked away. The hand reaching out to him stayed still, its only company being the chilly night air. 

Louis could only watch silently as Jack went away. 

There weren't any other customers in the bar other than the deer.

Louis groaned as he sat back down. He dragged his palm across his face. “As if I could just drink and relax..” he mumbled, looking at his glass. He lost all want to even drink it. 

He glanced sideways at the door leading to the office. Of course he was going to enter that room and convince that panda boss. 

He caught a glimpse of him once, one of the strongest looking animals he ever saw. As if that was going to stop him though.

"Jack?” 

Louis’s ears perked up as he heard Legosi’s concerned voice. He heard him speak up again.

"Whoa, you look sick. You oka-?”

“-I’m fine.”

Louis turned on his stool to see where they were talking, which was behind the bar, quiet far away from him.

Jack looked to be doing even worse. He was leaning one arm on the wall, using it as support to keep standing.

Legosi groaned. “Oh c’mon, you can’t be doing this again. You gotta-”

The wolf couldn't finish before Jack fell onto his knees. He fell behind the bar, disappearing from Louis’s view.

“Shit,” breathed Legosi. He crouched down, now out of Louis's sight as well.

Fuck.

Louis's heart sank. He jumped off the stool and ran over to where they were, getting to the other side of the bar through the side. 

Legosi was kneeling before Jack.

Louis crouched down beside them as Legosi put his hand on Jack’s forehead. Louis looked back and forth between the wolf and the labrador. 

“Is- Is he okay?"

“He’s fine,” said Legosi. His hand fell back to his side. “He's got a fever, a high one. Nothing a good night's rest and some medicine won't fix.”

Louis nodded, breathing out in relief. "That's good to hear."

Jack stayed silent, his gaze locked on the floor. Meeting the worried gaze of these two was the last thing he wanted. 

A sigh came from Legosi as he stood up. “How did I not notice this again...” he mumbled. He took a quick glance around the bar. It was still empty. “Sit still. I’ll tell him so you can go home.”

Legosi took off and entered the office, leaving the two alone.

The silence in the car was suffocating. 

Jack was curled up on the passenger seat looking out the side window while Louis drove, occasionally glancing at the labrador.

Louis thought about playing a song, but that’d probably make things worse. Damn it, if only that Legosi could come as well. This drive would’ve been more bearable.

“...ry” 

Louis blinked. That was Jack's voice. He perked up his ears and saw Jack opening his mouth again from the corner of his eye.

"...Sorry." Jack's voice was barely above a whisper. "I really messed up. I'm sorry."

If only he wasn't driving, Louis would've been right next to Jack, comforting him. 

"You can make it up by resting," he said as he drove around the corner. 

The apartment building came into view. Louis slowed the car to a stop in front of it. 

“Can you still walk?” asked Louis, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Jack was doing the same. He rolled his eyes. “I’m not that sick.”

“ Can you? You fell at the bar.”

Jack fought the urge to say no. Instead, he nodded. “Yeah," he said as he got out of the car.

Yeah right. Louis didn't buy it one bit. He walked over to Jack's side, taking his arm and putting it around his shoulders. “Lean on me," he said.

“But-”

“Just do it. I’m not frail.”

“...okay.”

The way there wasn't too grueling, even if they had to take a few breaks on their way up for Jack to rest. And on each break, Louis waited patiently for Jack to catch his breath.

They arrived.

“Louis, here’s the key.”

Louis unlocked and opened the door, meeting the familiar sight of Jack's apartment. Heh, familiar. It's gotten that far.

"Careful," said Louis as they entered.

Jack lifted his arms from Louis's shoulders. "I'm fine from here.."

Louis held back a frown. Maybe this time Jack was right. "Don't push yourself."

"I won't." 

Jack walked over to the sofa and lay down, letting out a long and heavy breath. It was a relief to be able to finally lie down.

“At least lie down on the bed.”

“Later. Tired."

Louis rolled his eyes with a smile. He walked over to a nearby cabinet and opened it. "Where do you keep them?” he asked.

"Keep what?"

"Medicine."

“Oh." With some struggle, Jack sat up. "I think I'd be fine without them."

"Maybe. But I'd rather make sure."

Jack sighed. "I guess." He planted his feet on the floor, ready to stand up. "I can get it mysel-”

"-Lie down," said Louis. He was already onto the next drawer. "Now where is it?"

“...There, in that box. On that shelf.”

Louis went to where Jack pointed at. It was on a shelf above. He had to stretch to reach it. 

Damn it, he hated being reminded of his height. He wasn't short, but his height was nothing special either. At least he was still taller than Jack. He'd take that win.

"...Why're you smiling?" asked Jack.

Louis shook his head. "Nothing," he said as he grabbed a pill and placed the box back. He grabbed a glass of water before walking over to Jack. "Here."

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Louis sat down next to him. He had to admit, despite Jack being sick, he loved spending quiet moments with him like this.

"You're smiling again."

"I'm not."

Jack rolled his eyes with a smile. He took the pill and gulped it down with water.

Louis placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, rubbing it gently. The labrador visibly relaxed, his eyes closed and his tail idly wagged. 

Louis couldn't help but smile. 

"Feeling better?"

"I just took them."

Louis shrugged. "Fair."

Jack yawned, a small tear forming in the corner of his eyes.

“Wanna head in?” asked Louis.

Jack nodded. He took it upon himself and leaned into Louis, circling his arm again over his shoulders.

Louis paused. That was a first. He didn't expect for Jack to make the first move to rely on him.

"Louis?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry, just blanked out."

They stood up and began making their way to Jack's bedroom.

Jack let out a long, tired sigh. “God, being sick sucks ass. Fucking hell...”

Did he just...?

Louis snorted. He couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"W-what's so funny? Don't tell me you enjoy my suffering. Please. I'm not into that."

"Not that. It's just- it's the first time I heard you swear. Just didn't expect it."

Jack made an 'oh' face. Seemed like he understood. "Surprised I don't do it more often honestly," he said to himself.

"Eh, better to keep that pure image of yours."

Jack chuckled. "I'm not as innocent as you think, y'know."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I'd rather not."

Louis smirked. "Ah, so you'll show me instead then. I see."

"Wh- no!" Jack's cheeks reddened, even more than it was before from the fever. He averted his gaze, mumbling, "...but soon. Maybe."

Well then, safe to say Louis was intrigued. Something to keep in mind for later.

They continued their walk to the room and made it to Jack's bed. Jack flopped down onto it. Face first, of course.

It would've been heaven if his clothes weren't soaked with sweat. Jack groaned as he reluctantly sat up on the bed. 

“Hey, uh, Louis?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you get out for a bit?" asked Jack, pinching and pulling the collar of his shirt to communicate what he wanted to do.

“Oh, you can do that right now," said Louis nonchalantly.

A blush crept up Jack's cheeks. “Well, it’s a bit, you know, stripping down while you’re here is…”

"Come on, I'd say it's fair game I get some eye candy too," scoffed Louis. "Especially after you saw me in a towel that one time."

Jack's blush grew. He looked down and furrowed his brows as if he was deep in thought. 

Louis chuckled. Was he seriously considering it? Cute.

“Oh, I’m just teasing," he said. He walked outside the room, stopping at the doorway for a moment. “Want some tea? I can make some while waiting”

Jack snapped out of his thoughts. 

“Y-You don’t have to-” He stopped mid-sentence. Lightly, he shook his head as if to shake himself out of something, and he gave a small smile as he met Louis's gaze. “...Sure. Thanks.”

Louis answered the smile with his own and nodded. Seemed like Jack was taking small steps.

He made his way to the kitchen.

Now, tea making. He wasn't too familiar with the kitchen in this place - nor his own kitchen, in all honesty - but that wasn't going to stop him.

Where was the sugar again? Ah, right, that container.

Jack got out of his clothes. Finally, it was uncomfortable as all hell being in those. He would've showered as well if he wasn't so tired.

He breathed out a heavy sigh as he lay back down on his bed. 

He was so stupid. Why did he force himself? He knew he was sick the moment he woke up today. He ended up bothering everyone again, now with Louis added into the mix.

Louis…

Louis was taking care of him, currently busy in the kitchen. 

God, he must have used up all his luck to have the deer visit the bar that night. What else could explain how he met such a wonderful animal? Who knew that their first meeting that night would spiral into this?

"I don't deserve him…"

"..."

Jack grimaced. "No, don't think like that."

Even if that was the case, then he'd have to improve himself so it wouldn't be so anymore.

Jack sighed again. Louis was taking a surprisingly long time to make that tea. Did something-

*Klang*

"Ah, shit!"

*Bang*

"Agh! Who the hell put that there?!"

Ah, okay. That was why.

Jack sat up. He didn't know what else Louis would break if things continued, so better act now.

"Doing okay?" asked Jack, increasing his voice so Louis could hear.

"I'm fine! Just stay put- oh fuck-"

*Slam* *Splash*

Okay. Jack must hurry. He might not have a kitchen anymore at this rate.

He stood up from the bed, but before he could get out his room, Louis entered. Well, ‘stumbled in’ would've been a better way to describe it. 

He had a cup in his hand, a steaming cup of tea. He seemed surprised when he saw Jack was up and about.

"Why are you up? Sit down."

"I was gonna help," answered Jack. "Since, well, you were having trouble."

Louis huffed. "I can handle myself in the kitchen, thank you very much."

Jack held back his tongue. No point in witty retorts for now. The deer was going out of his way to do this for him. He sat back down as Louis handed him the cup.

"Careful, it's hot."

"Like you?"

Louis snorted. "I'm hotter," he said with full confidence.

Jack let out a small laugh. Couldn't say he was wrong, really. 

He held the cup with both hands, staring at his reflection for a moment. The fact that Louis made this for him made him feel warmer than the actual heat coming from it.

"It won't kill you."

Jack chuckled. "Just admiring it," he said before taking a sip. He was going to savor this.

It tasted salty. Awfully salty. 

Jack let it linger in his mouth to make sure. That was a mistake. He wanted to spit it out, he must. 

He took a quick glance at Louis. The deer was sitting next to him now. 

"Good? Thought you want it sweet, so I added a lot of sugar."

Oh Lordy Lord. No, he couldn't do it. He didn't have the heart to. 

"..."

He resigned to his fate and swallowed.

"Louis…" 

"Hm?"

“Did you, uh, did you mix it up?”

"...huh?"

Jack let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry, but It tastes, well... salty. So I thought you-"

Louis quickly snatched the cup from Jack's hand. His face was burning red from embarrassment. "I'll make a new one," he said as he hurried out the room, whispering every curse that ever existed under his breath.

Jack shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.

The chuckle grew into laughter.

"Stop laughing!" 

He couldn't stop. His stomach hurt. He wasn't even making any noises at this point. 

Okay, ow. Now it was getting painful. He was running out of breath.

Jack took a deep breath. He managed to calm down. His mouth curled upwards involuntarily, but he held back. 

"Thank you."

Jack dropped onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Small, quiet laughs escaped out of him here and there.

He let his hands sprawl beside him and closed his eyes. They were getting too heavy to keep open.

Louis finished wiping the floor. Fuck, that was way too much spilled water. And his leg still hurt from accidentally kicking that damn stool. 

Anyway, he had some tea to give to a certain someone, so enough wiping. He put away the piece of cloth and grabbed the cup of tea.

He made triple sure it was sugar this time around. It was embarrassing enough the two times he mixed them up before.

Louis went back to Jack's room. His ears perked up once he was close. There was light snoring.

He peeked his head inside, and his heart melted. Jack was on his side, all curled up and deep in his sleep.

"Of course, the time I get it right he's out cold…"

He put the cup on the bedside cabinet. There was a stool, so he grabbed it and moved it next to the bed near the wall.

He sat down and leaned back. 

Damn it, the labrador looked so peaceful, he couldn't help but sit down and watch.

He let out a long sigh. He leaned back even more. Tiredness began to catch up to him.

Maybe closing his eyes for a bit wouldn't hurt.

"I'm home."

"..."

No answers. Figures. It was five in the morning. But the lights were on, did Jack forget to turn them off?

Legosi shrugged. Maybe so. He bent down and took off his shoes. He paused when he was about to put them away.

“Hm?”

There was another pair next to Jack’s, one he didn’t recognize. It smelt like Louis. He didn’t leave?

Legosi slowly made his way inside. The sofa was empty. Weird. Did they sleep together?

Only one way to find out.

The door to Jack’s room was slightly ajar. Legosi put a hand on it and pushed it open, enough to peek his head through.

Jack was lying on his bed, tucked in his blanket, sleeping soundly. Next to him, sitting on the stool and leaning on the wall with his head down was…

“There he is.”

Legosi made sure he didn’t make any noise as he got closer to Louis.

Oh wow, he was pretty. Gorgeous, even. Legosi never got to see him up close like this. No wonder Jack fell for him.

Okay, enough admiring his face.

He tapped Louis on his shoulder. That didn’t wake him up. He tapped again with more force. “Louis,” he whispered.

That seemed to stir him up. Good.

Louis opened his eyes slowly. He didn’t seem happy being woken up, that was for sure. Bad. Hope he wasn’t too mad.

Legosi put a finger up his own mouth. Louis seemed confused before realization hit him. Slowly, the deer stood up, and the two made their way out of the room.

Louis squinted his eyes. The light outside the room blinded him, but only for a moment. He recovered and crossed his arms. Was he still mad?

“So? I assume you woke me up for a reason.”

Yup, he sounded mad.

Legosi averted his gaze and rubbed his nape. “Y-yeah.” He pointed a finger at his room. “You can sleep in my room.”

Louis blinked. He didn’t expect the offer; it seemed like.

“Really?” he asked. “You’re offering me your bed?”

Legosi nodded. “I can use the sofa. And I know it’s already five, but I thought maybe you still want to sleep... or something.”

Louis stroked his chin. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's five already…" he mumbled to himself.

Legosi watched silently. What was the deer thinking?

Louis sighed. "Though I'd love to stay longer, I have work in the morning, so… yeah."

Oh.

"It's fine," said Legosi. "Leaving now?"

Louis nodded. "Let me get my stuff real quick," he said as he went back to Jack's room.

It took a while before Louis came back out. Was he doing something else? He seemed happy when he exited the room.

Legosi shrugged it off. Wasn't his business. 

He bid Louis farewell, receiving a 'thank you' from the deer before he left, leaving him alone with the sleeping labrador.  

Guess he wasn't sleeping on the sofa then.

Chapter Text

Damp, uncomfortable, body weak and weary. What a way to start the morning.

“Ugh…”

Jack sat up from his bed. His back was wet with sweat and so was the spot where he was lying on. He was sure his fur was all disheveled too, no mirrors needed to confirm it.

“What time is it?” he mumbled.

It was dark. He rubbed his tired eyes and glanced around for a moment, recognizing the place as his own room. The small clock on his bedside table showed it was four in the afternoon.

“Oh…”

Wow, he passed out for a long time. Damn. Wait, four in the afternoon?

“Oh shit!”

Work was in an hour! How long did he sleep for? Why didn’t Legosi wake him up?! 

Jack jumped off his bed and rushed out his room. Empty. No one was in the living room. “Is he in his room?”

He walked over to Legosi’s room and opened the door. The light was off, but he didn’t need to turn it on to know that no wolf was there. The only living thing in it was Legosi’s pet, a beetle.

“Hey there, Kabu. Sorry to wake you up.”

The beetle didn’t seem to respond to his greeting, staying completely still in his little cage. Rude.

"Not talkative today, are we?” huffed Jack. He closed the door with a sigh and came back to the living room. “...Oh?”

There was a small note taped on the front door. Something was written on it, though it was quite hard to read because of the messy handwriting.

Couldn’t wake you up, but it’s fime fine. You shouldn’t work today anyway. I’ll tell Gouhin Gohin Gouhin that you're still sick.

Also, Louis stayed with you. All night. He couldn’t stay afterwards though. Said he needed to work. Say thanks to him, yeah?

P.S. Made you food for breakfast and/or lunch (Depends on when you wake up haha). It’s on the table. loue Love you. :)

- Legosi the grey wolf

“Never fixed that messy handwriting, did he? Jeez.” Jack took the note off the door and re-read it over, wearing a fond smile all the while. The smiley face was incredibly smudgy, probably due to too much erasing. Legosi must’ve tried his best to draw it. “...Love you too, you dork.”

And Louis stayed all night? Jack’s heart fluttered when he read that part. The deer didn’t need to, but he went and did it anyway. 

“Alright,” Jack folded the note and put it away, “I’ll rest.”

First, a change of clothes. He went back to his room to grab them. He needed to get out of this one filled with a full night’s worth of sweat. Yuck. 

“Hm?”

There was a piece of folded paper on the bedside table, next to the clock.

“Huh, didn’t notice that before,” he said, picking it up. He unfolded the paper. “Another note?”

Take a rest if you read this, will you? Even if you feel better today. It’s a personal request from your deer. 

Also, nice sleeping face. Real cute. Maybe I can see it while we share the bed next time, after a fun time? ;)

(if you want, of course)

Jack quickly folded back the paper. His face grew hot and his tail wagged. “And just from some words on a paper…” he said to no one. He put it back on the table and went back to grabbing a change of clothes.

“...”

He had to admit, his mind has wandered to... there, lately. He’s been growing more and more comfortable with Louis. From light petting to cuddling from the deer, he loved them all. And as time passed, the idea of getting more intimate with him popped up here and there. Surely, Louis was waiting for it too.

“Maybe…”

After changing, Jack walked out the room and to the kitchen. The pleasant smell of cooked food filled his nose as he got closer. Legosi cooked, so he expected egg sandwiches. It was surprising when he found his favorite meal on the table instead.

That wolf was too much. 

Jack sat down on the sofa and ate. Delicious! Seemed like Legosi's been applying all the skills he taught him. Jack's chest swelled with pride. Nothing interesting was playing on TV to accompany the great food though. 

His phone buzzed, and the screen lit up. A new message from Louis. Jack reached over and picked up his phone from the table.

Louis : You up?

Jack snickered as he typed his reply.

Jack  : No

Jack  : Still sleeping

Louis : I see. I’ll wait till you wake up then

Jack let out a small laugh. And then Louis’s status went from online to offline . 

Oh.

Jack  : Waor

Jack  : Wait

Jack  : Am awake

Jack  : Louis please ;-;

Louis : That was quick

Jack  : Shut >:(

Jack  : I was just joking. Didn’t actually expect you to go offline

Louis : I know. Can’t tell I was too?

Louis : Anyway, I wanted to ask, do you like to celebrate things small or big? 

Jack paused to think. Didn’t expect to be asked that out of the blue, but it didn’t take long for him to come up with an answer.

Jack  : Small, I guess

Jack  : I like keeping things casual. Why? 

Louis : No reason, just wanted to know. Thanks

Was something special coming up? Dread soon filled Jack’s mind as he typed his message, fingers growing shaky.

Jack  : Has it been a year already??

Louis : A year since what?

Jack  : Since we started seeing each other 

Jack  : Please don’t tell me I forgot :(

Jack  : I probably did 

Jack  : Sorry

Louis was typing. It took a while, and as each second passed by, the more suffocated Jack felt.

Louis  : No, it hasn’t Jack. It almost is, but not yet. Calm down, you’re fine

Louis  : It’s February. You know, the special month. So I just thought I’d ask you that question first before planning anything too big

Louis  : Now it’s not a surprise anymore though

Louis  : And besides, even if it was our anniversary, I’m completely fine spending it doing nothing as long as I’m with you. No celebration needed. 

Louis : I’m just feeling special for this one

Oh.

Jack’s shoulder felt lighter, the dreadful feeling dissipating and now replaced with warmth. 

Jack  : Can I call?

Louis : Now?

Jack  : Yes

Louis : I’m free for a bit, sure. What for?

Jack didn’t reply. He quickly exited the messaging app and called his number. Not even three rings later, the call was accepted. 

“Hey, did you want to tell me something?”

“Yeah,” said Jack, his voice soft. “Love you.”

A pause. It was quiet from Louis's side for a moment.

“O-oh.”

There was another long pause before Louis spoke again. He sounded flustered, yet Jack could sense the smile on the deer’s voice as he heard his voice.

“Me too, Jack... Love you too.” 

And that set Jack’s tail into maximum overdrive. If only Louis was here before him right now, ready for him to hug with all his might.

“Was that all you wanted to say?”

“Mhm.” Jack nodded, even though Louis wasn’t able to see him doing so. 

“Well, I’m glad you did. Though it’s going to be hard keeping this smile off during the meeting now.”

Jack chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

A small laugh came from the phone.

“I better get going now. That meeting starts in five minutes.”

Jack’s tail stopped wagging. He knew the call was going to be short, but it didn’t help soften the blow.

Another laugh came from the deer.

“I can already hear the disappointment from here.”

“Was my tail really that loud?”

“Somewhat, but I don’t need that to tell- oh. Sorry, have to go. Call you again later.”

The call ended. The screen of his phone showed the call was no longer than two minutes. Jack put down the phone with a sigh, if only he could add at least thirty more minutes into that number.

“February...” He glanced at the calendar on the fridge The 14th was still a week away. “Maybe I can make some.“

The half-eaten food on the table was left untouched as Jack stared into the ceiling. Delving deeper into his thought, he crossed his arms.

He’s made chocolate before during highschool, usually for his canine (plus one hyena) roommates to share on valentine. Of course, using alternatives like carob so they could actually eat it.

It wasn’t too hard. All he needed were the ingredients and a recipe, one he got that he'd be set. His tail wagged idly as he planned all of this out. No need for a complicated one, just tiny heart-shaped pieces would be enough. They could share it together!

Jack’s cheek flushed. He was going to make chocolate for a special someone than for a friend this time around. The thought made him all giddy, like talking to a crush in highschool all over again. 

“Can I try one?”

“No.”

“C’mon Jack, just one? Please? You always make them so delicious.”

Jack sighed. “Just not these ones. We can eat the leftovers,” he said as he pointed at a plate. On it were oddly shaped chocolates. “Or I guess failed attempts would be more appropriate.”

Legosi’s tail wagged idly. He eagerly leaned forward on his seat and took one of the said chocolates. It resembled a heart, at least he thought it was supposed to be a heart. Appearances aside, it still tasted great. Legosi could cook, but his skill was nothing compared to his best friend's.

“It’s good,” mumbled Legosi, mouth still full. His hand was already on the way to get another. “Oh wow.” He brought the one he grabbed up in front of his face, inspecting it closer. “An antler? Thought you wanted to keep it simple?”

“...I got carried away.”

Legosi chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“Sure hope so.” Jack finished wrapping the box for Louis. Though the chocolates insides were more varied than intended, the box containing them was nothing special. Just a brown box tied with strings.

“What’s that for?”

Jack tilted his head, confused as to what the wolf meant. 

Legosi pointed at the small square piece of paper attached to the box. “That.”

“Oh. A note.”

Legosi hummed in response. 

The wolf’s tail has been wagging more and more as he ate, a good sign that he did good making the chocolates, Jack guessed. He couldn’t help but smile with pride. He could only imagine the look on Louis as he enjoyed his homemade chocolates. 

“You know, I didn’t expect you to take me to a drive-in theatre.”

Oh. Shit.

“You don’t like it?” asked Louis.

Jack shook his head. “I do, was just unexpected.”

Louis breathed a sigh of relief. Confidence as he was with his choice of going here, the sudden question gave him a sliver of doubt. 

“Where did you think I was going to take you to?” 

Jack shrugged in response. “Dunno,” he said as he grabbed a fistful of popcorn from the bucket sitting in between them. “You did say it was a surprise.”

“Well, you wanted small and casual, so I thought we could go here.” 

Louis shifted on his seat, leaning back a bit more. Couldn’t go too far though because of these damn antlers. He swore he’s been wanting them shed more than not. Though Jack said he liked them, that they made him look majestic, powerful. Maybe it'd be better for them to not shed just yet. 

Louis sighed. “Not that romantic, huh?”

“Alone in a car with you while watching a romance? Plus, the star’s pretty tonight. That’s nothing but romantic to me.”

Louis smiled. Good. Seemed like he made the right choice.

“Though I guess I can make it romantic if you don’t think it is…” mumbled Jack as he dug through his bag beside him.

“Oh?”

Out of everything he thought about what Jack meant, a tiny box was the last thing he expected. He was a tad disappointed, if he was being honest. His mind had wondered briefly if what the labrador meant by ‘make it romantic’ was going to be something more… exciting.

Didn’t mean he wasn’t happy about this gift he just received.

“What’s this?” he asked as he accepted the box. Though he did ask, he already knew the answer as soon as he caught a whiff of the sweet smell coming from it. He couldn't hold himself back as his mouth curled up into a smile.

Jack rolled his eyes, smiling as well. “Do you really have to ask? Today’s the 14th of February.”

Louis chuckled. He began unpacking the box, first by undoing the strings keeping it closed tight. “Hm? A note?” he asked, holding a square piece of folded paper attached to one of the strings.

Jack nodded, his cheeks slightly red. He seemed flustered. As to why, Louis didn’t know. 

“Read it later though," said Jack, avoiding making eye contact with Louis. "When we go back."

“...okay.”

That just piqued Louis's curiosity even more, but he held back and put the note in his pocket. 

With the box now free of its wrapping, he opened the lid. What greeted him were neatly placed chocolates of varying shapes, from hearts to antlers to cute little dog paws. 

He held one up to look at it more closely. 

“Did you make these?”

Jack let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. They’re not the greatest, been a while since I made these. But I hope you'll enjoy them.”

“I tasted your cooking before, Jack, and you did great. I’m sure it's the same this time too,” he said, resulting in a happier looking labrador. Louis looked down at the box again. “There’s so many… maybe we can eat them together?”

Jack chuckled. “That was actually my plan from the start.”

“Of course,” joked Louis.

No wonder there were so many. They were in tiny bite-sized pieces, sure, but any more and all of it could’ve lasted him for more than a week if eaten sparingly. 

“Well?” Louis placed the box on the dashboard, smiling all the while. “Popcorn’s out, so let’s enjoy it.”

“Heh, sure.”

As Jack went to grab one, Louis leaned to his side and pecked his cheek, earning a surprised and bashful look from Jack. Louis cupped Jack’s cheek, stroking it with his thumb.

“Thank you,” said Louis. “I’m real lucky to have met you.”

Jack met Louis’s gaze and let out a nervous huff. “I should be the one saying that.” 

They shared a kiss, a brief one. It was lovely. They gazed into each other's eyes as they broke apart. The look they gave each other afterward told neither was satisfied, so they kissed again. And again. Each time with more passion and desire than before. Louis felt he could never get enough of this labrador.

Their breathing grew heavy as tongues started to get involved. Louis’s hands lowered from Jack’s cheek to the top of Jack’s shirt, gripping and pulling him closer. 

He was ready to climb over to Jack’s seat, but much to his disappointment, Jack pulled back. It was evident he still wanted more, so why? 

“Why did you stop?”

Jack looked down, out of breath, his cheeks hot. “If we’re going to continue… not here.”

Oh.

Louis took a deep breath and nodded, not saying another word.  

Louis basically forgot all about the movie, he was dancing on cloud nine. The same probably applied to Jack, Louis guessed, as they kept finding each other glancing over again and again.

First, he was having an enjoyable time with his lover. Next, he received such an amazing gift that he actually felt a twinge of regret for not giving one himself, inviting Jack here didn’t feel enough. Then that happened, with the promise for more later tonight. He then ate the chocolate, and it was like heaven in his mouth. And somewhere down the line, his hand was on Jack’s, and neither of them hadn't moved an inch since then.

This was one of the best nights Louis had ever experienced. He absolutely needed to start planning to repay Jack. This labrador deserved so much back.

“Ah, it ended,” said Jack.

Louis didn’t even notice the movie had reached its end. It went by like a blur. 

Jack seemed to want to say something, but decided not to when he looked down at their joined hands. Instead, he leaned back in his seat and watched the credits roll. Perhaps Jack wanted to savor the quiet moment they were having.

Louis’s hands tightened around Jack’s.

If that was the case, then they shared the same thought.

“The credit’s done,” Jack said.

“I know.”

The two sat still. Other cars in the vicinity started driving away, one by one. They were the last one there. It was Jack who finally spoke up.

“Are we gonna just stay here till tomorrow?”

Louis snorted. “If that’s what you want, sure.”

“As nice as that sounds, I prefer a bed than a car’s seat, so let’s not.”

Their hands finally parted, and both already missed the contact. Each found themselves wishing that time would just stop and let them enjoy this peace.

Louis was about to start the car when he remembered the note in his pocket. He pulled it out. “Forgot about this…” he mumbled as he unfolded it.

To answer the note you gave me when I was sick :

Yes, yes you can.  

“Louis? What’re yo- oh.” 

Silence. Neither of them said a word as Louis digested what he just read. 

“So, uh…” Jack laughed nervously. “You read it.”

Louis looked up from the note to Jack. The labrador had an awkward grin on, his face red.

“So…” started Jack. He didn't continue.

The corner of Louis’s mouth curled upwards, but he kept quiet. He started up the car and put on his seatbelt. Finally, he took a quick glance at Jack and spoke, “Your place?”

And the tail went flying into a yellow blur.

“Legosi’s home.”

Louis stepped on the gas pedal. “My place then.”