Max opened the door and went inside. Work was tiring, especially today. Fortunately, the commute home was comfortable. He'd never get tired of walking through the quiet, beautiful roads here.
The dog took his scarf off and hung it on the hanger, then put his bag down and sat on the sofa. He opened the buttons of his shirt and took a deep breath. It was past 17, the evening sky illuminating the living room with its soft hue. Autumn was almost over; they should be expecting snow any day.
“Welcome home."
He opened his eyes and saw Tom walking into the living room. “I feel like a truck ran over me."
The wolf chuckled, then put a cup of coffee on the table. “Here. I've also made us dinner." Then, he sat down next to him with his own cup of tea.
“Thanks." Max said and sipped the coffee. It tasted thick, slightly sweet but not much. In fact, he noticed the wolf lately had been making coffee and tea somewhat a bit sweeter. The dog turned to look at the wolf, feeling content and warm. Maybe it was because of the coffee, but whatever. They lived together and he enjoyed being with the wolf.
Now, slowly, he was starting to see the wolf in a different light. Who knew the wolf was a nice companion for him? He was patient, soft, kind, understanding, rough at times, but still soft. Deadly when he wanted to be. Cute when he didn't want to be.
He was thankful.
Even if… if in the end, this did not work out, Max was still happy that he met this grey wolf. This red-eyed, cute-as-hell grey wolf who showed him another, an entirely new side of life. He reached out to the wolf and softly caressed his cheek. The wolf was surprised, but then leant to the touch and his ears went down. Really, he was thankful.
“Mate?"
The dog pulled the wolf closer to him, feeling the warm body, taking in the scent. “Hm?"
“You smell." Tom said playfully but didn't pull away.
“Shush, you told me you enjoy my smell."
The wolf didn't answer, but his ears flattened. Max took the opportunity to pet his head, feeling warm and content with him. “I… I'm glad that we met." Tom said in his hold. “Thank you."
Max let out a soft sigh. “So, looks like I'm officially your 'mate' now."
Tom laughed. “Well, you are. We're now mates."
They didn't say anything after that. Max kept caressing his fur, his cup of coffee next to the wolf's cup of tea on the table. He did not regret anything; he was looking forward to what would the future bring.
Under the sunset, he accepted the fact that they were happy together. This was very unexpected, but not unwelcome. There were still some rough patches to be worked out, but overall, they were thankful.
They were glad, and they were thankful that they met.
That's it, folks! Reaching for the Stars ends here. What do you think? Feel free to comment below!
Also, there's going to be a sequel focusing on Kevin and Octo. It'll be posted next week!
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