“Eh, you ever wondered how Tom and Max get along so well?"

In front of him, Vilkas looked at him strangely. The husky then put his drink down and asked him, “Seriously, what's up with you and sudden deep questions?"

Kevin only shrugged before drinking his orange juice empty.

Vilkas gave a grunt, then stood up. “I'm gonna get another juice and go to the bathroom. You want too?"

“Get me one more."

“Sure."

Watching the husky walk away, Kevin leant back on the chair and looked around. He was back in Barrowisle now, and while there was nothing that made him feel uncomfortable here, he kind of wished he were still in Westeravne. Aside from that problem with Octo, he really felt like there was nothing to bother him there. The summer holiday felt too short.

Now, he was back with responsibilities. While on the surface he felt closer to Octo, deep down he could tell that there was unease between them. Looking at their relationship, he felt dismayed at himself. Comparing people wasn't good, he remembered Octo telling him that, but whenever he looked at Tom, he was reminded of just how… peaceful his relationship with Max was.

Really, he didn't understand why Octo became so angry about him and Tom buying a phone together. He made it clear that while he was thankful that the panther offered to buy him a phone, he told him it wasn't necessary and that he would buy it by himself. When he remembered that Tom knew things about tech stuff, he asked for his help. If it weren't for Tom, he would either still have no phone right now or bought a bad one he would regret later.

Admittedly, this one was rather too expensive for him, but Tom said this should last up to 5 years if he were being careful with it, so maybe it was 300 euros well-spent.

When Octo found out about that, the panther made such a big deal over it, saying that Kevin did not trust him and whatnot. That really annoyed him, then made him angry. He was an adult and he could make his own decisions. He didn't want to be a burden to the panther.

Thankfully, they made up afterwards. However, they never talked about it since, even after they returned to Barrowisle. Kevin was rather apprehensive about it and Octo didn't seem to want to talk about it, so he let it be swept under the rug. Yet, now he felt unease, like their usual display of affections felt rather superficial.

Shaking his head, Kevin gave a low growl to clear his head. A waiter was walking towards his table, so he faked a smile.

“Two glasses of orange juice?"

“Yeah, thanks."

The waiter put the glass on his table, then walked away.

Idly sipping the juice, the wolf closed his eyes. It seemed like some of Tom's and Octo's careful attitudes began to rub off on him. Not that he minded, though. He knew he needed it.

“I forgot to bring my towel, eugh." Vilkas said from behind him, then sat back down on his chair. “I wasn't expecting to take a dump here, fuck."

Kevin mrf'ed, noticing the husky's slightly damp backside. Thankfully, the husky's pants were dark grey. “I rarely bring my towel out. You're the weirdo who carries it everywhere."

“Can't be too prepared." Vilkas drank his juice. “But yeah, anyway, about that question, you want me to give you the brutal truth or do you want me to sugar-coat it?"

“Eh, fuck you. Who do you take me for?"

“Okay, sure." Vilkas shrugged, then put his glass down and leant forward on the table.  “Well, I'm really sure Tom and Max get along so well because neither are hotheads and stubborn arseholes, so they can actually be honest with each other and talk about stuff openly."

That… Kevin stared at Vilkas, brows furrowed. He knew Vilkas could be blunt when he wanted to but shite that actually hurt. “Jeez, dude, you make it sound like me and Octo are the bad guys here."

The husky just shrugged. “Because you are. I don't know about Octo but I've had my share of your stubbornness to know." Vilkas rolled his eyes. “I remember one day when Tom came to the bar with Max when you weren't there. I can tell that Max was kinda uncomfortable to be there, but instead of saying 'it's fine', Max actually said to Tom that he was uncomfortable. You know what Tom did?" Vilkas paused. “He helped him fit in, even making small talks with Jeremy when I was away. No wonder they get along very well."

Kevin sipped his juice.

“Like, seriously. I don't know about you two, but really, and I'm gonna be honest here, I don't really think you're boyfriend material, at least with that attitude. Octo is being very patient with you, you know. Like, the way you kept ruffling my fur during the summer holiday? Octo was annoyed, angry even, and really, I felt bad for him. I can't believe he even wanted to be your boyfriend."

Putting his glass down, Kevin couldn't help but feel rather offended at that. He knew he was an arsehole but from the way Vilkas put it, he sounded like he was the one who made his relationship with Octo so bad. “Vil, you have a grudge at me or something?" He asked the husky, fur bristling and ears down to show his anger. “You know you can just fight me whenever you want, right? I throw good punches, too."

“No, I'm just answering your question." Vilkas didn't look bothered. In fact, he shrugged rather nonchalantly, one ear twitching without care. “And you just demonstrated that you are a stubborn arsehole who can't accept people's opinions." Kevin opened his mouth to retort, but the husky continued. “And no, before you get angry at me, this is what talking openly is."

Still staring at the husky, Kevin could feel his anger rising even higher. However, he felt… he felt angry at himself now. Vilkas was right.

“You know, you still have Octo. Go talk to him." Vilkas said again, smiling, though the smile looked rather bitter.

Kevin finally looked away. Tail waving in agitation, he almost slammed his glass onto the table. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. Vilkas was right, and he hated that Vilkas was right.

This brought unpleasant memories.

“Fuck, dude, you really don't need to put me as the villain." He accepted defeat, though his tone was still angry.

Vilkas only drank his juice again. Behind him, Kevin could see that his tail was wagging. “Eh, that's the best way to knock some sense into you."

“Well, fuck you."

“Fuck you too."

They then went quiet. Vilkas took his phone and replied to messages, whereas Kevin took the time to lean back on the chair and cross his arms. Vilkas was right, both for what he said and how he said it, and his feelings were right, too. Their display of affections didn't only seem superficial, they were superficial. He looked back at the last few days. He stayed at Octo's place, but they didn't really do much together other than, well, having sex. Actually, looking back at his relationship, they really felt more like friends with benefits rather than boyfriends.

Kevin gave a big sigh. Fuck, why was dating so difficult?

Tail waving in anxiety, he looked around. The café was rather empty. This café became his usual hangout spot shortly after graduation. It was about a 10-minute walk near his flat, and although Kevin didn't go here alone often, at least it was easily accessible and rather cheap.

That made him think… maybe he could invite Octo here. As rich as the panther was, he never had problems with going to places with… er, less class.

Taking another deep breath, Kevin leant forward on the table. Maybe it really was about time he opened himself up and trusted more people. With Tom, even though they trusted each other, they still had the mutual understanding to not share too much. They were still only a temporary pack, after all. Kevin had no problems with that, and frankly, wasn't sure if he wanted them to be closer.

With Octo, though, he should trust the panther even more than he trusted Tom because they were boyfriends. Compared to Tom and Max—and while he knew he should actually not compare people, he couldn't help himself—his relationship with Octo wasn't close enough.

Taking the glass, he took a gulp. Vilkas was curiously staring at him. Kevin just put the glass back down and gave a low growl before wiping his mouth. That only made the husky give a mrf. He knew the husky well enough to tell that Vilkas wanted him to think about what they just talked about. Times like these, he was reminded that Vilkas was also a rich dude with a lot of unwritten rules and indirect communications, including how to speak with silence.

Kevin was in no mood for that right now, though. “Let's just go home."

“Eh? You sure? It's barely 17."

He finished his juice and piled his plates together. “So what? You have work, you can bugger off."

“Sure, sure." Vilkas followed him along, finishing his juice and piling his own plates together. Kevin left him to do that, walking to the cashier and paying for his food, jacket in his hand.

When he was waiting for the husky to pay for his food, his phone beeped with a new message. Kevin picked it up. Tom Barrowisle: “Kev Kev are you free now? Let's go to the mall or an eathouse"

He furrowed his brows. “Sure dude. What's the occasion tho?"

Tom Barrowisle: “Smh let's just meet up and chat"

Tom Barrowisle: “Okay actually I just got my overtime bonus this month xD so cmon it'll be my treat"

That made him smile. “Nice lol when do you wanna go"

Tom Barrowisle: “How about right now? I just got off work and am in the metro rn"

Wait, right now? He just ate with Vilkas, well, he only had snacks. Vilkas was the one who wanted to come here and eat. “Right now right now?"

Tom Barrowisle: “Yeah right now right now :v Let's meet at Legerville station"

“Let's go." Vilkas put his hand on his shoulder and pulled him to walk.

Kevin only let him do so, still typing a reply. “Uhh sure sure. Gimme half an hour"

Tom Barrowisle: “Well well"

Kevin pocketed his phone. He wasn't really in a mood to hang out with anyone right now, but well, Tom might be able to help his mood go back up, unlike the husky beside him right now who was walking carefreely as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb on him. He held back a growl, putting his hands in his pockets.

Thankfully, Vilkas took a left turn to the nearest bus stop. They parted, with the husky giving his shoulder a punch and telling him that there were no hard feelings, but Kevin was still angry. He only replied, “Yeah, yeah, now go help Jeremy in the bar. Tell them I'm gonna go on a date with my boyfriend or something." He meant that as a joke, but, well, who knew, maybe he really was going on a date later tonight.

Now alone, he took a right turn and walked to the nearest tram stop at the end of the street. There was a direct line from here to the Legerville Station. That should give him time to calm down.

The Legerville Station was always packed at this hour. Kevin walked inside, keeping his tail close to his legs as he looked around for Tom. The grey wolf said he was on the platform. His height being an advantage, Kevin waited near the gates as he looked for Tom. It was rather difficult given Tom's common fur colour, though.

Taking his phone out, he sent a message, “I'm near the info board". It was immediately read.

A few moments later, Tom walked out the gate. Kevin gave a smile as he gave him a fist bump. “'Sup wolfy." Even seeing Tom was enough to help him put his anger down enough not to keep being an arsehole.

“Well, well." Tom smiled back at him.

“¿Tu amigo?" Someone behind him said.

Kevin looked up. A bull was standing behind him, a friendly smile on his face.

“Sí." Tom said. “Kevin, here's Alejandro, a bartender whose pub I come to often. Lex, here's Kevin, a packmate of mine."

They shook hands. “Kevin."

“Alejandro, but people usually call me Lex."

“Lex, then."

“Oh yeah, Lucas is joining us later."

Kevin put his hand on the wolf's shoulder. “No problems with me."

“Eh, sí, ¿pués qué pasó?" Tom asked the bull. Now with most of the passengers already outside, the station was rather empty. He knew it wouldn't be long before it got packed again, though. Kevin gently pushed the smaller wolf's back and walked towards the entrance. Spanish, he noticed. Nothing weird. He now kind of wished he understood Spanish, though.

“Él murió sobre la mesa, por supuesto." The bull laughed. “Michaela y los tipos me preguntaron, '¿Ay dios mas sólo lo dejaremos allá? ¿Debemos llamar un Over?' Sólo les dije, 'Mas ¿por qué? Dejadlo allá. Alguien va a cogerlo de todos modos.'"

Tom laughed along. That somehow made Kevin chuckle. “Qué pobre. ¿Alguien lo cogió luego? Porque a mí me parecía que tenía un proble—¡mierda!"

A lion shoved Tom's shoulder rather roughly, almost making him stumble. Kevin's ears straightened as his eyes widened in surprise. That lion then looked down at them and growled. “You're in South Iceland. Speak English."

The anger Kevin was holding back suddenly rose up and exploded with full force. Without thinking, he quickly walked forward with his fur bristling and teeth bared. He then gripped the lion's shirt, pulled him close, and growled at him. “Þú er in Súþísland. Sprek Súþíslensj."

“Kevin, what?! Let him go!"

Kevin growled again. “Ef þú kans Súþíslenj nat spreken, fok av nu!" He pushed the lion away, but he didn't stop growling. “Wes 'ne rasiste knap awisted óþer!" He shouted as the lion scrambled outside. Still staring at the exit, Kevin noticed the gentle pull Tom did on his hand. He turned down to the grey wolf, still growling, but Tom didn't flinch.

Realising that he was making a scene, Kevin closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. He heard Alejandro talking to the security guard and saw that Tom was holding his lower arm. He pulled his arm to tell him to let his hand go, but Tom didn't let go, so Kevin just gave a big sigh and gripped the smaller wolf's hand tightly, starting to walk away.

Fuck, he lost control of his anger.

Everything sounded too loud now, and he appreciated that Tom didn't say anything to him as they walked outside. Alejandro put his hand on his shoulder, making him look at the bull. “Hey, I'll be going now." Kevin only gave a weak mrf.

“The heck was that, Kev?" Tom asked him when they were walking away from the station.

Kevin grunted, his fur finally coming down. He let go of Tom's hand and crossed his arms. “No one does that to you in front of me while being a racist fuckface."

“Yeah but I don't think that was necessary. It's okay."

“Well, I do." The anger came back again, but he quelled it down. “Fuck 'em. Now let's just forget about that." He forced a deep breath. “Nu sjål'm we gáen hwar?"

Notes:

“Eh, sí, ¿pués qué pasó?" = “Eh, yeah, then what happened?"

“Él murió sobre la mesa, por supuesto. Michaela y los chicos me preguntaron, '¿Ay dios mas sólo lo dejaremos allá? ¿Debemos llamar un Over?' Sólo les dije, 'Mas ¿por qué? Dejadlo allá. Alguien va a cogerlo de todos modos.'" = “He passed out on the table, of course. Michaela and the guys asked me, 'Oh my god are we just gonna leave him there? Should we call an Over?' I only told them, 'Eh why should we? Leave him there. Someone's gonna take him away anyway."

“Qué pobre. ¿Alguien lo cogió luego? Porque a mí me parecía que tenía un proble—¡mierda!" = “Poor thing. Did anyone take him afterwards? Because it sounds like he had a proble—shite!"

“Þú er in Súþísland. Sprek Súþíslensj." = “You are in South Iceland. Speak South Icelandic."

“Ef þú kans Súþíslenj nat spreken, fok av nu! Wes 'ne rasiste knap awisted óþer!" = “If you can't speak South Icelandic, then fuck off! Be a racist dickhead somewhere else!"

“Nu sjål'm we gáen hwar?" = “So where are we gonna go?"