“So, we're now a thing." asked Kevin.

“Depends on how you want to see it." replied Octo.

“Are we boyfriends?"

“Are we boyfriends?"

Kevin shrugged.

Octo shrugged back.

“So… what now?"

“You wanna go out with me?"

“Like on a date?"

“Like on a date."

“Fuck yeah."

Kevin laughed, whereas Octo just chuckled.

Leaning back on the sofa, the wolf then gave a content sigh. After that awkward shower session, his confidence was back. Now, he felt… happy, confused, maybe. It felt just like when he got his first boyfriend. There was happiness, warmth, and lust. Octo was tall, handsome, hot, and he was great on the bed. Besides, because he had had relationships with many species and genus, he didn't find it weird to date a panther.

They spent the morning just relaxing and watching the telly. They kept their distance on the sofa, but Kevin felt comfortable with it, even more so because his arse still hurt. Then, a little past midday, Octo told him to dress up before going to the bedroom himself. Kevin followed and grinned at the panther.

Inside the bedroom, Octo was putting a shirt on, one that he was looking forward to taking off later tonight. The tops of his pecs were peeking from the shirt, but before he could enjoy them more, the panther closed the topmost button. He then put a shirt on the bed. “Dress up."

“Don't you want me naked instead?" Kevin leered, taking his pants off.

“I'd like to but we're going out."

“We're going out! That's why you should be naked!"

“We're going outside."

“All the more reason!"

The panther just rolled his eyes. “If I weren't spent from last night, I'd ram you into the bed."

“Is that a challenge?" Kevin grinned and sat on the bed, displaying his nakedness.

Octo turned to him after taking more clothes from the wardrobe. “I don't speak empty promises." He said while crossing his arms, not even seeming bothered by the hunk of a wolf on the bed.

“Ooh! I'm scared!" The wolf waved his tail invitingly, then yelped when more clothes hit his face.

“I think you'd better get a better shampoo. Your fur is really falling out."

He shook his head fondly. Seriously, Octo's self-restraint was as firm as steel sometimes. “Blame my winter fur." He gave a chuckle as he stood up and inspected the clothes.

Octo put something on the bed. “Don't forget to use this deodorant. I have perfumes but they're made for pantherines."

“How 'bout I keep smelling like a sexy wolf so you can keep ramming me into the bed?"

“Oh, so the sexy wolf admitted he liked getting rammed into the bed?"

“This sexy wolf is more than capable of flip-fucking."

Looking at the widely grinning wolf, Octo furrowed his brows, then grunted and put his latex gloves on as he walked outside. “Sex-powered fuckboy."

“Octo, wait up! Ow, shit, your pants are too small!"

When they were fully dressed up—really, the panther had a refined taste in clothing—they went outside. Walking down the stairs and into the street, Kevin couldn't help but notice that some were taking glances at them or outright staring at them. He didn't mind the stares, but well, it was a bit strange. Maybe Octo's clothes indeed fit him more... or maybe Octo really decided to wear those clothes—a tight shirt, a formal suit, and a rather thin coat that really accentuated his build—because he wanted to show off.

Reaching the tram station, they got on a stopping tram and sat down in the back of the tram. It was rather empty; perks of taking public transports at half to 14, he reckoned. Kevin thought it was kind of romantic, just the two of them in the back of the tram with snow falling softly outside. He wanted to sit closer to the hunk beside him, but sadly every time he shifted closer to the panther, he'd be pushed away. Really, the panther looked so handsome in his clothes, and it made the wolf want to hug him close all the way to… “Where are we going again?"

Octo kept looking at his phone. “To a date."

“Yeah but where exactly?"

“Just see."

The wolf gave a mrf and crossed his arms.

Eventually, they reached a stop and Octo told him to get off the tram. Kevin got off the tram and found out that they were near the city centre. Following the panther, Octo led him through the crowd and pointed with his muzzle at a restaurant in the middle of a busy street when it came into view. “We're gonna have lunch."

The wolf looked up as they approached said restaurant; it was one of those expensive restaurants Vilkas and the basketball guys sometimes brought him to when they celebrated victories. Admittedly they were not overly expensive—based on Vilkas' stories he knew there were some restaurants that charged up to over 50 euros for a meal—but they still made him feel out of place. When they were near the entrance, he stopped and nervously crossed his arms, tail waving in nervousness. He was starting to have second thoughts, fearing that he couldn't afford a meal here without sacrificing tomorrow's breakfast and lunch.

The panther looked behind and beckoned him to go inside, not aware of his nervousness. “Come on."

Inside looked nice and cosy. Kevin looked around a bit, admiring the interior of the place. Fully dressed waiters walked here and there, some customers even dressed in expensive clothing. Some weird paintings adorned the walls. Everything seemed to be clean and refined. Not so high class, but still made the restaurants he frequented seem dirty and pale.

When he realised that he was getting left behind, he looked around frantically to look for Octo, then rushed towards the panther when he saw him.

They arrived at a table. He wanted to sit down, but Octo already opened a chair for him. Trying to grin at him, the wolf sat down. However, Octo chuckled a bit and said, “Take off your jacket first."

Right. He took his jacket off and… where should he put it?

Octo took his own coat off, then folded it before hanging it on top of his backrest before sitting. Kevin followed suit, trying to keep his ears up.

He was cautiously looking around when Octo gave him the menu with a smile. “Feel free to order whichever you like."

The wolf took the menu. “Yeah." He looked over the available meals and his eyes widened.

Twenty-four euros for a plate of steak?!

Actually, he didn't understand almost half of the menu. What was a, um… that… thing? Why did they mix chocolate, bread, and meat? How did they make boneless chicken wings? He wasn't even sure what were boneless chicken wings.

Okay, okay, just get the second cheapest one. This risotto only costs fifteen euros.

He closed the menu and put it down, letting out a quiet sigh. Goodbye, tomorrow's food, and possibly the day after too. This risotto must taste like the best one he ever had.

Amidst his looking around, Kevin caught sight of Octo staring at him with flirty eyes and a small smile. He furrowed his brows at the panther and said, “What?"

“Has anyone ever told you just how handsome you actually are?"

Upon hearing that, his ears went straight as he blushed. That was unexpected! He should be the one who threw pickup lines like they weighed nothing, not Octo!

The panther was still staring at him, so he gathered his senses and looked back at him. “Oh, you just noticed?"

“Your ears cannot lie."

“Why do I have to lie, though?" He said with a small, forced laugh to try to sound natural. “I am handsome."

“Excuse me, have you made your order, sirs?"

Kevin almost yelped when a waiter just suddenly appeared next to their table. Octo just laughed it off and gave him his order, while Kevin opened the menu back and tried to find that menu which cost the second cheapest. What was it again? Oh, right, the risotto.

“I'll have a spicy duck soup with a side of mashed potatoes and a serving of garlic bread, please. As for the wine, Kev, would you like red or white wine?"

He looked at the panther frantically. Was there more than just one type of wine? What should he say? Was red wine cheaper than white? “Um… red?"

Octo nodded and turned back to the waiter. “We would like a bottle of red wine, medium-bodied old world. Do you have any recommendations based on our preferences?"

“Well, sir, based on your preferences, I would recommend…"

Kevin only watched them behind the menu. Octo looked natural; he was used to this, wasn't he? Who was he kidding, he should be. The panther was all high class and refined, a contrast to him who could not distinguish between medium-bodied and whatever-else-bodied wine. Now, they were talking about something something year which he didn't understand.

After that, the waiter turned to him. “And you, sir, may I take your order?"

Kevin closed the menu and tried to act natural. “A plate of risotto." After a while, he added, “Please."

“Are you sure, Kev?" Octo asked him, worry on his face.

“That's sweet of you. Yeah, I'm goin' fine." He snickered, trying to seem cheerful.

The panther's eyes didn't leave him as he spoke to the waiter. “As for him, a plate of risotto and medium chicken steak, please. We might have more later before the desserts."

“W-wa—"

“Right away, sirs. Please wait as we prepare your food." Then the waiter went away with a slight bow.

Octo turned to him. “I won't let you have only a plate of risotto, Kev."

He buried his face in his hands. “Come on, Oct! I'm the one who's eating!"

“And I'm the one who's paying. Don't worry."

Kevin looked up in surprise. The panther… was paying? Really? With all the panther ordered it should cost more than fifty euros!

He didn't want to look cheap and stingy in front of the panther, but he simply couldn't. This panther looked like he ate the most expensive meal on the menu for breakfast. He often cooked for himself too, but even his cooking tasted amazing.

Maybe it really wasn't a good idea for him to date Octo.

Octo wiped his face with the napkin. “Sorry. Maybe bringing you here wasn't such a good idea." He let out a sigh. “Don't worry, I'm paying. We're having a date, aren't we? Don't worry."

His arse was so going to be wrecked the next time they did it.

“Kevin?"

At the mention of his name, he looked up. Next to their table, there was Mr Estevez in a business suit. He regretted looking up; why the hell was he here and why the fuck did he call him?! Kevin only nodded at the red panda, then covered his already red face with his hands.

“And Mr Zoccarato. Pleasure to meet you here."

Mr Zoccarato? Did Mr Estevez know Octo? He looked up at them and found the two of them shaking hands with each other as if they had known each other for a long time. They exchanged some jokes, making the wolf wonder if somehow Octo had planned today just to make fun of him.

“Ah, you know Mr Huntington, too, Mr Estevez?"

To be honest, it sounded kind of fancy to hear Octo say his last name out loud, but when he realised that the red panda wasn't supposed to know his last name, he panicked. “O-O-Octo I think the food's here!"

“Oh, really?" The panther looked around, then smiled at him before turning back to the red panda. “Don't be nervous, Kev."

“Yes. We met a couple of times." The red panda said, fortunately leaving the details of their meetings.

The wolf only covered his face with the menu as he realised that his secret might be out soon.

“I think I'll be going. Pleasure to meet you here, Mr Zoccarato, Mr Huntington." said the red panda a few minutes later. “And don't worry, Mr Huntington, you are safe with me. If you want to talk, feel free to contact me directly."

Kevin looked up and saw the red panda smiling softly at him, then nodded and went away. He sighed in relief; as sugar-coated as his words were, he knew Mr Estevez to be a person of his words. The red panda would keep his identity secret, and Kevin planned to talk to him later when he had the chance.

“Business associate." Octo said before he could ask. “He's an associate of the family."

Slumping on the table, Kevin only gave a weak mrf. His lunchtime was going to be a hard one.

An expensive and admittedly delicious lunch whose portion was too small for him with expensive glasses of wine which he couldn't really enjoy because he wondered if he was really fit to be Octo's boyfriend later, they were on their way to Tom's place. The metro was quite packed, but they found a corner where they could sit. Kevin pulled his phone to check the time, then pocketed it back.

After that lunch, he felt… weird. The food really was delicious—though it didn't beat the panther's cooking—and Octo did an admirable job of keeping his mind from slipping away. Even after the food was served, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't really for him. Did Octo not pay for his food, tomorrow he really was going to fast.

Kevin pinched the base of his muzzle. Why was he feeling like a teenager going on their first date, but instead of giddiness, he felt unease? Usually, he was the one in control, teasing or making the other blush. Octo really had a strong presence but calm air around him, so unlike anyone he knew.

Whereas earlier in the morning he was happy that they were going out, now he was worried. Would he be able to keep up? Could he stay and follow the panther's lifestyle? His top-of-the-line phone, his always expensive-looking clothes, the way he acted, the panther always screamed rich boy to him.

The wolf leant back on the seat and closed his eyes, letting out a huge sigh. What the fuck; he was just boyfriends with Octo for eight hours or so and now he was debating whether this was a good idea or not.

Although, like Vilkas, Octo had no problems with hanging out at Chick-er-ed, or getting some cheap duck-and-potatoes to eat, or simply going to a run-down pub or bar with them. Kevin gripped his muzzle; maybe he was mistaken. It was not good to just judge someone based on one occasion. He should try being with the panther first.

He looked outside and stared at the falling snow to clear his mind. There was something unique about metros in Barrowisle. They didn't just go all underground; some lines were placed aboveground or even higher than the ground, making it look like some kind of a metro-train mix. Some aboveground lines were also used by trains with farther routes, and so did some stations.

Almost all corners of the city were accessible by any of the public transportation modes. The personal vehicles commonly used are bicycles and motorcycles, with cars not used as often. Perhaps it owed to the city's relatively small footprint, perhaps to the easy access, cleanliness, and overall great quality of the public transportation. He was glad he only needed to spend less than five euros to get from his flat to the park on the other side of the city in less than 20 minutes using the fast and clean metro. Heck, he could go to Vilkas' place in maybe 5 minutes in the tram, or to Octo's place in maybe 10 minutes.

Wait, no, he should stop thinking about Octo.

Anyway, as for his side job... he hadn't been having many clients lately, which he wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. On one hand, he wasn't sure if he could satisfy them in the way they wanted, but on the other hand, he wasn't sure if the money he had now would be enough until he got his first paycheque. For necessities, he already went shopping for the month so he shouldn't worry about basic stuff. As for the food, though, he should eat more healthily, or he'd risk losing his muscles. It wasn't that meat was expensive—as a canine, that was healthy food for him—but because he shouldn't eat too much fast food and should start cooking proper meals by himself.

The wolf grunted. His cooking skills were next to nothing. He could make a simple steak… if frying a piece of meat could be considered steak, but other than that, well, fast food establishments and frozen food were better. He really needed to learn how to cook some proper food for himself; maybe Octo could teach him since his cooking was so delicious.

Kevin gripped his muzzle and groaned. No, it shouldn't come back to Octo!

…it all came back to the panther, didn't it?

“Come on." Said panther tapped his shoulder, making him look up. He stood up and followed Octo rather unenthusiastically out from the metro, tapping his public transport card at the exit gate.

Outside the station, they took the tram to get to the grey wolf's flat. This time, he opted to just stand. The twilight felt cold, but the snow was more than enough to make the view rather nice. They didn't say anything to each other, which he appreciated. He needed time to sort his thoughts, and before he knew it, his tail was wagging.

When they arrived, they got down. He wanted to walk towards the street, but Octo put his hand on his shoulder and pointed to a minimarket. He shrugged and followed the panther inside.

The panther walked to the self-serve corner and made a cup of coffee. Kevin didn't say anything, only browsing through the coffee and tea section of the store. Maybe he should get one for Tom, but… which one did the grey wolf like? He didn't want a repeat of last time where Max didn't seem to enjoy the coffee he bought for the dog.

Octo asked him, “Kev, would you like a cup of coffee or tea?"

He took a package of tea and inspected it. “Mrf?"

“You'd like coffee or tea?"

Kevin put it back and turned to the panther. “Nah, I'm fine."

“It's okay, Kev." The panther took a package of chocolate and made it. “Or you'd like some chocolate?"

“Nah, dude. I'm fine."

“Well, your choice." He shrugged. “Please get me that green tea one over there."

“Which one?"

“That one. No, next to that. Yeah, that. Tom likes that one."

Kevin looked at the tea package. It seemed… plain, just a simple paper sachet of dried green tea leaves with no additions whatsoever. No sugar, no milk. “Tom likes this?"

“Yeah. He's simple when it comes to tea. He prefers green tea, but he likes anything as long as it's tea." Octo took the package and made it.

Kevin made a mental note of that.

After paying for the beverages, they went outside the store and walked to the grey wolf's flat. Kevin held the paper cup tightly, its warmth a nice contrast to the cold around him. He looked at it, at the steam that was coming out from the small opening on the lid.

He smiled a little; maybe Tom was onto something, saying that tea could help to ease the mind. It even smelled good. Kevin tightened his hold on the paper cup; maybe he should start paying more attention to his friends.

“You've made up with Max, yes?" Octo suddenly asked him when they neared the building.

He looked at the panther. “Yeah. Think you could say that."

“Don't say that. I don't want that Max be uncomfortable." The panther sighed as they went inside the building. “Well, he did seem fine, anyway. Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

The red wolf snorted. “You're not my mom."

“I'm not trying to be."

They took the stairs and arrived at the grey wolf's flat. Kevin gave it a knock, and a few moments later it opened, revealing Tom in casual clothes on the other side along with a good scent. Kevin grinned at the smaller wolf and gave him the tea. “Happy birthday, wolf."

Tom chuckled. “Happy birthday matamu." He accepted the drink. “Thanks, Kev. Hey, Octo."

Octo smiled at Tom. “Buonasera, Tom."

“Come on in! Kok you didn't say you 'ere coming?" He turned to the kitchen. “Max, Octo and Kevin are here!"

“We were just having lunch, then decided why not just visit you? It's been a while since we hung out." Octo took his scarf off.

“Lunch? It's 18 now."

“This big boy took two hours to eat his lunch. Maybe three." Kevin joked as he went inside. The good smell intensified as he went inside. He sat down on the sofa next to Octo, sniffing the air and sighing at the good smell.

The panther rolled his eyes. “Anyway, where's Max?"

“He's making dinner. Would you want some?"

“No wonder it smells so good." Kevin said.

“Ah, no, thank you. I'm still full." Octo politely declined. “Tell him to cook duck properly, though."

Max's head popped out from the kitchen. “I heard that!"

They laughed.

Octo then stood up. “I think I'm going to help Max in the kitchen. Don't finish my chocolate, Kev."

“As if."

The panther left, leaving Kevin with Tom in the living room. Kevin glanced at him and grinned. He shifted on the sofa, making the smaller wolf turn to him. He moved closer to him, slowly, while still grinning at him.

Tom shifted to get away from him. “Kev?"

Kevin wiggled his eyebrows.

Before Tom could get away, he laughed as he pulled him into a hug. His tail wagged happily. Tom struggled a bit, but then gave up and went limp as Kevin ruffled his fluff. “Okay, okay, you had your fun. Now get off."

He just laughed and let him go, though his arm remained on the backrest behind Tom. “Yo, got some watermelon?"

Tom sipped his tea on the table. “Sorry, no."

“Aw, too bad."

They went quiet as they watched the TV. Truthfully, just being close to this grey wolf made him feel at ease, like all his problems were no more and he was free to do anything he wanted.

Before he could enjoy the moment further, Tom asked him. “Why do you want some watermelon?"

Wait. The red wolf looked at him as if he had just grown a second head. “What do you mean why do you want some watermelon?"

“Uh… what?"

Kevin looked at him dead in the eye. “When was the last time you had one?"

Tom shrugged. “Entah, last year, maybe?"

What?!

He gripped Tom's shoulders tight and leant closer to him. “Tom, are you a wolf or not?!"

“Kev, don't seduce Tom!"

They both glanced at the entrance to the kitchen, then back at each other. Kevin released his grip and facepalmed. “Dude, seriously. You should get it. All the wolves I've met got it. And that's not just a joke either." He turned to the smaller wolf. “That's our pride as wolves! Watermelons are what we eat under the full moon!"

“…uhh, okay?"

“Not just okay!"

Tom looked away and chuckled. “Um… I guess. I thought meat is what we eat under the full moon."

“I was just being dramatic."

“Ye, bangsat."

Kevin just shrugged it away and pulled the grey wolf into his arm. “But seriously though, all the wolves I met like watermelons, even I like watermelons. Why don't you like it?"

“Do we like it?" His ears went down. “I mean, yeah, I like it, it tastes good, but I don't think it's a must-have."

“Well, Imma change your mind. Come to my place whenever you want. I'm gonna wolfify you."

Tom laughed. “Are you questioning my wolfiness?"

“You don't like watermelons. That's enough of a red flag for me."

They laughed.

“By the way, you watched Under the Moon on Furflix? You gotta watch it, wolf! It's amazing!"

“Not yet. Still on my watch late—wait, are these Under the Moon references?"

Kevin shrugged.

Octo then came back from the kitchen with two plates of rice. He put them on the table and sat down on another sofa. “Kevin, stop seducing him. Tom, stay away from him."

“Oh really?" Kevin pulled an innocently smiling Tom closer. “Who are you to tell me?"

The panther rolled his eyes. “Oh, right. Tom, would you mind if we stay here for tonight? There's a snowstorm outside and it seemed like it'll last for the night."

“Eh, iya kah?" Tom looked out to the glass door to the balcony. “Too bad. Yeah, it's fine. We have no extra bedroom, though, sorry."

“It's okay. We'll take the sofas."

“Can I sleep with you two?" Kevin chimed in.

“Oct, gimme that." Max then came into the living room. He put the plate of duck he was holding on the table and threw the pillow to a guffawing Kevin. “Octo, fine. You, get the fuck away from Tom before you taint him."

Max woke up to coldness. He yawned and scratched his body as his mind slowly went around. He then stretched a bit and rolled over to lie on his back, but he found Tom hugging him from behind. Max just grunted a bit before moving closer to the grey wolf and pulling the blanket. It was still early in the morning anyway.

Except it wasn't. The sun was already shining through the drapes. Sensitive to light as he was, he couldn't go back to sleep facing the windows like this. He put the wolf's hand away and shifted away to lie on his back, staring at the ceilings to wake his mind. Oof, he needed water and he needed to pee.

The dog sat up and grunted. He took the half-full bottle of water on the nightstand and drank it empty. His ear turned when he heard something from the living room.

Oh, right, Octo and Kevin were staying here last night.

He yawned again. Were those two already up? They sounded like they were talking to each other. He couldn't really make out what were they speaking aside from a deep voice, likely Octo, saying, “Get off!". After he decided to start the day, the shepherd stood up groggily, then opened the door and walked in the small hallway to the living room to get more water in the kitchen.

However, in the living room, he was greeted by a topless with fur dishevelled Kevin straddling a fortunately still dressed Octo on the carpet. They stopped what they were doing and looked at him in surprise.

Wait, what?

His mind went awake, trying to process the sight in front of him. They looked at him in horror.

Wait, what?! Were they… were they going to fuck here?!

Max blinked several times, then took a step back, then turned around and noped out of there as soon as he could. He went back inside the bedroom, climbed on the bed, put Tom's hand back over his waist, and pulled the blanket over them again.

Nope nope nope. He was not going to see two of his friends about to fuck each other.

He could still hear Kevin say, “We could've asked him to join." followed by a loud smack and a groan, presumably Octo hitting the red wolf's head.

“Mhm, Max?" Behind him, Tom shifted and stretched.

“Mmm. Still early, sleep more."

“Mm?"

He yawned. “There's still a snowstorm outside, so cuddle me."

Tom did so, pulling him closer into his arms and making him feel safe from… whatever was going on in the living room.

He might need to wash the sofa. And the carpet. And his mind.

Notes

Ye, bangsat = Eh, what the heck
Iya kah? = Eh, really?