“Okay everyone, be sure to finish the essays by next week. I'll review each one of them."

Taking the words as a cue that the class was finished, Max packed his books into his bag and stood up. The materials today had been quite boring, but the essays were definitely interesting.

Or, as interesting as essays could be.

He walked away, glad that there were no more crowds of people cornering and giving him questions. It had ceased since… when was it? Probably since the midterms a month ago. He didn't have many problems with those who only wanted some photos or signatures, but those who wanted to 'be his friend' by seeking too much attention? Yuck.

Now that they were gone, he was free to hang around after classes. When he had no schedules right after them, though.

By now, he guessed everyone in the class already knew that while he was nice and easy-going with everyone, he had his circle of friends. Aside from the obvious football team members, he was close to Tom, Martin, and several others. He hoped they took that as a cue that he wasn't interested in “being with the cool guys". And he was not, thank you. He didn't care if that elk over there was the mayor's son or that serval over there was a rich businessman's daughter; he was looking for friends, not steps for the social ladder.

He looked at Tom, the grey wolf was on the other side of the row. Usually, they would sit quite close to each other, but Tom came a bit late, and no one wanted to sit right in front of the professor's desk. The wolf looked… fine, maybe. He didn't look tired or happy. How was his encounter with Kevin last Thursday like? Max wanted to ask him on Friday before he went to a match, but their class was dismissed, and they didn't meet at all on the weekend.

Did Kevin do something to him?

Max walked to the wolf, then sat on the table next to him. “Hey, Tom."

Sitting straighter on the chair, Tom reached for his book and closed it. “Oh, hey, Max."

“Where's Martin?"

“Overslept, probably." Tom took his bag and put the book in.

Max leant forward. “So, how did the night go?"

“What night?"

“You know, that night with Kevin," he shrugged.

“Yeah, well, it was just a usual night." Tom turned around and drank from his water bottle.

“Tom, really, what happened?" Max leant closer, grinning a bit. “Did you two, er, what was it, shag? I didn't smell him on you, not that I know how he smells anyway."

“Max, the heck!" Tom shoved him, making Max laugh. The wolf then stood up and waved at his friends.

Max, still laughing, followed him to the hallway.

“We didn't do anything, Max, really."

“What did you do then?" he asked, putting his hand in his thick hoodie pocket. He pushed the door and walked outside with the wolf.

“We just went to the pub and had a few pints." Tom said, putting his coat on. “Well, he beer and I only soda, though. After that, we went home."

“Ohh, interesting." Max's tail wagged.

“Each other's home." Tom zapped his tail against the other's backside. The dog laughed a bit and moved to walk in front of the wolf to avoid more zapping. “Why do you have a mind that dirty I have no idea."

“Still with that 'no alcohol' policy?"

“The heck I want to get drunk near the likes of him."

Max laughed again.

“It's just, it turned out he's a pretty rad lad, well, after I gave him a piece of my mind." Tom chuckled.

“Ooh, scary." The dog pulled his bag tighter. “What piece of mind?"

“Just… well, I was just honest with him and told him what do I think of him, and he did the same."

“Any interesting stuff that he said?" Max asked. The dog looked up and waved at some of his friends passing by. “Oi!"

Tom shrugged. “Well, he said my accent turns him on."

The big dog stopped walking, making Tom run into his back, “Ouch, mate!"

That was… not quite what he expected. Max turned around and looked at the wolf with interest and disbelief. “Seriously, your accent turns him on?"

The wolf rubbed his head. “Yeah."

“When I said you must get a lot of chicks I didn't mean that kind of chick." Max scratched his neck. “I feel kinda guilty."

“No, you're not guilty. Yeah, I know that. Move."

“Oh right." He continued walking in the pathway as Tom turned him around and pushed him.

The wolf then moved to walk next to him. “Actually, yeah, me too. I wasn't expecting that to happen."

“So, what did you do?" the dog asked.

“Whispered some sexual jokes of course. You should've seen his reaction." Tom chuckled a bit. “It's kind of amusing, I mean he's as big as you, and while getting you to laugh like a jerk is easy, getting you horny is another story. Kevin, though, I just whispered some sexual jokes and he's all turned on."

Max guffawed.

“See?"

“I'm flattered with your praise," Max said, trying to imitate the wolf's accent. “But really?! Some gay jokes turn him on?! I would never guess."

“Neither would I." Tom laughed along.

They walked through the entrance to the east canteen. Tom put his bag on one of the empty tables, Max did the same and sat down. He looked over the crowded canteen, kind of wishing to see the red wolf. It would be funny to see him being turned on.

“What're you having?"

Max looked at Tom as he gestured to the kiosks. Oh right, they were here to eat. “I think I'll get some salad. Just a plate wouldn't hurt."

“Drink?"

“Nah, I brought mine."

“Okay, sure." Tom nodded and went away.

The canteen was crowded, maybe because the 08.00 classes had just finished. The next classes wouldn't start until 10.30; good thing they didn't have any classes after this. Mondays were really a bother for making them wake up and be alive at 8.

Max leant forward on the table. He wasn't against it, really; he was used to waking up at 5 or 6 to do some jogging, but afterwards he usually took a nap or, you know, chill out in his dorm before getting ready for classes.

Fridays were the same, but at least they were free afterwards because they didn't have classes on Saturdays.

Max looked up when he noticed Tom was walking towards him, tray in hand. He had a small spring on his steps, which was weird considering how tired had he been in the class.

The dog just chuckled.

“Here." Tom put the tray on their table. “Your salad."

Max accepted the plate. “Thanks." He said, taking his first bite. “What're you having?"

“Fried rice. I didn't get any breakfast this morning."

“Lame." He chuckled. “So, back to Kevin. He's turned on by your accent, really? I found that weird, you know. At least he could be turned on by your voice, but noo, he chose to be turned on by your accent instead as if no one else speaks in that accent."

“I know right." Tom ate his fried rice. “Damn, they didn't put enough salt into this," He looked around. “No salt. Eh, anyway, yeah, not my voice, but my accent. What do you think of my voice anyway?"

The dog shrugged. “It's sounds average, but somehow your voice makes everyone calm and listen. Really, it's so calming."

“Seriously?"

“Seriously. Don't you see the way people pay attention to you while you're doing a presentation? They shut up and listen."

“Really?" Tom chuckled. “I didn't know that."

“I don't know if that's your accent or your voice, but that's a positive thing." Max took a final bite and pushed his plate to the side, then took a gulp from his water bottle. “So, what do you think of my voice?"

“Your voice, er…" Tom looked away and scratched his ear. Max was interested in him this way, the way the other's ear drooped a bit and his tail wiggled was really cute. He looked adorable like this, flustering and looking for the right words.

The shepherd chuckled.

“Do you really have to ask that?"

“Yep."

“Okay, uh, er…" Tom looked at him, his eyes faded brown. Brilliant as usual. “I think it's… how can I say it? It… fits you really well." He said, still flustering.

Max reached out and flicked the other's ear, earning a gasp.

“Okay, okay!" Tom said, almost a squeak.

“What, my voice turns you on?" he grinned.

“It doesn't. But, uh, well, you have a rather deep voice and I kind of like it?"

“Like or like?" Max laughed. Damn, the wolf was too cute like this. He probably should stop or he'd become even redder. “Okay, yeah. I got a deep voice, I know, but there's other people with a deeper voice."

“I know. Your voice is… well, not too deep but still deeper than usual." Tom took a gulp from his drink and sighed. “It sounds friendly and it seems to exude power. Um, yeah."

“Really? I'm impressed." He laughed a bit.

“Yeah, okay, sure." Tom coughed and took several gulps from his drink. “Anyway, I got to go to Mr van de Hoek to ask for Thursday's materials. Don't slack off from your gym."

The dog looked at him and smiled goofily. Tom's face was red, as did his ears. Wasn't that adorable?

He was very fun to rile up.

Maaaybe it would be fun to rile him up a bit more.

“Yeah," Max said, then he took his thick hoodie off, revealing his tight plain black t-shirt. He purposefully flexed a bit and ran his hand over his abs. “These bad boys need to be tamed." He said, grinning.

“Yeah, um, sure they are." Tom just said as he stared at the dog…'s abs, his ears going down.

Max almost laughed, but he continued, this time over his pecs. “I mean, who would want to resist them?"

The wolf turned his head away and finished his meal, then finished his drink as well. His tail wagged even as high as the table. No wonder, the wolf had a pretty long tail.

Max leant forward with an innocent smile, giving the other a good look of his biceps.

Tom shifted on his seat. “Max please, put your hoodie back on," he said while looking away, almost whimpering in agitation.

“Afraid these bad boys might do some damage?" He leered.

The wolf stared at him, those slightly red eyes looked like they tried so hard not to stare at the hunk in front of him, which was difficult, considering that Max was directly in front of him and almost one and a half his size.

Max smiled as innocently as he could, his tail wagging happily behind his back.

“Oh, crap, wow, look at the time." Tom pushed his plate aside. “It's almost 10.30, Mr van de Hoek has a class soon."  He then stood up and took his bag.

This time, Max couldn't hold back his laugh.

“Um, don't… don't forget to go to the gym." Tom said, trying not to blush even more while looking at the dog. “See you later."

“Yeah, later." He smiled at the wolf and did a mock salute, earning even more blushing.

Tom walked away with his ears so flat they were flatter than the tables around them.

Well, that was fun. He wasn't the type to usually go out and wow everyone with his muscles, but occasionally he did just that. He worked hard to get them so of course he had the right to enjoy them.

Some people passed by and nearly squeaked, but he paid them no mind. His mind wasn't too keen on strangers ogling him right now. He didn't want to wow someone with his muscles.

Eh, the heck. He did just that.

He chuckled to himself and pulled his phone out. Chats, nothing interesting. News, not much too. Football news, still with the latest updates from yesterday.

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Max gazed over the canteen. His gym schedule was at 11, he still had time to kill. His eyes looked over the kiosks; the crowd was dispersing, and it was less crowded than before. The classes should have already started by now.

He then caught a certain red fur over the crowd. The owner was looking around, too, and when he met his eyes, he perked up a bit.

Wow, Kevin's here? And alone, nonetheless.

Yeah, shit. He could feel his mood going down already.

The red wolf walked towards him with a drink in his hand. He was in a thick blue jacket. If he were being an asshole, Max would shove his ego up his asshole.

He'd heard about the red wolf before—well, being a sports guy naturally got him to know about other sports guys. He had been hearing news about this basketball ace of the campus who beat last year's nationals around the same time as his own nationals. However, he didn't think that said red wolf was gay, or even dared pick him up.

“Hey, man." Kevin greeted him and smiled good-naturedly at him. The red wolf took his jacket off, exposing his red fur and tight tank top. Tom was right, Kevin was as buff as him. He then sat in front of him on the seat where Tom sat earlier. “You grabbin' lunch?"

“Yeah, just did." Max replied, pointing at his and Tom's empty plates on the tray put aside with his muzzle. He looked at the red wolf right in the eye. “What're you doing here?"

Kevin's ears flicked, and when Max understood that it was in alarm, he added, “You're not having lunch?"

“I did earlier, just wanted to grab some drink." The ears go up again. “All alone, hot stuff?"

“Stop with the pickup lines already." Max narrowed his eyes.

“Eh, sorry. Habit." Kevin said and chuckled. He sounded sincere, so Max let it go. “You alone here?"

“Tom was here earlier." He shrugged.

“Oh."

Oh right he had Kevin right here. “Kev, tell me, what did you two do that night?"

“What night?" the red wolf looked at him while sipping his drink.

“That night." Max's fur bristled just at the thought of saying that, but eugh. “Date night."

“Oh that," Kevin snickered. There was something in that snicker that made Max's insides itch. But it went away as that snicker turned into an actual smile as he looked away. “Nah, we did nothing." There was a dreamy-ish look in the red wolf's eyes, which looked totally out of place for someone like him.

“Really?" Max asked incredulously.

Kevin looked back at him and chuckled. “Really. We met at the library, went down to Harry's, got some booze to drink, then went home."

“I remember the part when you said Tom's accent turns you on."

“Yeah, that. It's kin—wait," He stared at Max, that smile turning into surprise. “How did you know that?! Tom told you?!" he asked as he leant forward, nearly shouting.

This time, Max chuckled and coyly looked at him. “Sure got one secret out, didn't I?"

“Fuck! Don't tell anyone!"

“Jeez, I won't, I won't." He dismissed him with a flick of his hand and a small laugh. “But really, how can his accent turn you on? That should be the seventh wonder of the world. What's next? Bus stop sign turns you on?"

“Yeah haha fuck you." Kevin bit him back.

Max laughed.

“I dunno, really, it just… does."

Max looked at him with a lazy smile on his face.

“Fuck you, man!"

He laughed again as his tail wagged. “Sorry, sorry, you're fun to tease. But seriously, South Icelandic accent turns you on in general or just Tom's?

“Not sure, to be honest. He just sounds hot to me." Kevin slumped on the table with his ears pinned down. “Fuck, why did Tom have to say that?"

“Hey, he's my bud. I would tell him too if you were asking me out and turning out to like my accent." He shrugged. “But don't worry, I can keep secrets."

“Yeah wow that calms the fuck outta me." He kicked the other's foot under the table, making Max laugh a bit.

“Really, I don't like to badmouth people." Max said. “I can keep secrets, don't worry. Like, the fact that the basketball ace of the campus is actually gay and wants to bang me and my buddy."

Kevin looked straight at him, but then let out a sigh and straightened up, his ears still flat. “Okay, I'll do anything for you, just please don't tell that to anyone." He looked around, scanning the crowds. “And please not too loud."

“Anything?"

“Anything."

“If that's the case, then promise me this," Max said.

Tom felt more and more like someone Max could count on. He wasn't saying that he was weak or incapable, but the opposite, Tom took care of him enough to make him start to care about the grey wolf in return. Max wouldn't mind leaning on Tom because he trusted the red wolf. Tom was honest, painfully honest, and straightforward. And the fact that they clicked so quickly like nothing else in the world made him think that the wolf was more than just a friend.

True, there were many things that they hadn't shared between one another, but the mere fact that they managed to get along so well in a short amount of time despite that was remarkable.

“Whatever happens," he said to the red wolf. “don't hurt Thomas."

Kevin gulped as Max stared at him, his face a bit more serious than before. However, Max grinned and extended his arm. “Deal?"

The red wolf looked at the hand, then took it. “Deal." He sighed and slumped back on the table. “Damn, I know he's hard to catch, but that doesn't mean I'll go trash him as soon as I get my hands on him. And now the attraction was slowly going away."

“Going away?"

“Yeah." He scratched his ear. “You know when you feel attracted to someone, act on it and give him or her a go, then that attraction goes away after a day or two, sometimes a week, right?"

Well, yeah, he understood that. Sometimes, he found someone interesting, and whether he chased her or not, the attraction would go away after a few days. There were some exceptions which became his girlfriends, short they might be, but still exceptions. He shrugged, “I think."

“Yeah, it's just like that. The difference is you get off to girls, while I get off to guys—eh, looks like I came out to you when I flirt with Tom in the café." Kevin scratched his head. “We hung out that night and we talked about lots 'o things. Maybe that satisfied my interest to him, but I don't plan on just leaving him alone after this." The wolf smiled. “Tom is... I actually feel comfortable being honest to him."

Max smiled back. “I feel that too. There's just something about him that makes me trust him."

“Me too. I'm surprised he didn't have more friends."

“He doesn't have many, but those who he has, he takes great care of them." The dog said, thoughtful. “That's a novel concept, even for me."

Kevin shrugged, then straightened up and drank his milkshake. “Well, that's basically Tom in a nutshell. I'm surprised you didn't ask me anything more, like a blowjob or a fuck."

Max's face turned from thoughtful to disgusted as quickly as he uttered those words. “Dude, fuck you."

That made Kevin grin. “Seriously, I wouldn't deny that. I even dare to bottom just for you."

“The fuck?! Dude, fuck off!"

“I'm offering you a chance of a lifetime here!" the red wolf said, sounding almost offended. “I don't bottom, so consider it as a reward."

“That's not important! And barely a reward." The dog kicked him under the table with more force than necessary. “Listen closely, I got no problems with gays, but don't pick me up. I don't like it. I'm straight and not interested." He said as a warning for the wolf.

“Yeah, sorry, but…" Kevin leant closer, almost whispering. “But if you change your mind, the offer still stands, okay? Just a quick fuck, no strings attached. And for our sake, don't tell anyone about this."

Sensing honesty there, Max stared at him. There was no joke or condescending tone there, even the red wolf's face was serious. Max looked at him and sighed, “Okay, thanks, but you don't have to do this, you know. I mean, you perfectly know that my opinion on gays aren't exactly the best."

“I know that. I didn't have a good fuck lately, I mean, there's currently only two guys who I'd allow to top me: Tom, if he asks for it, because of course; and you, because you're hot."

“That's not the way to get into my good side, you know." Max snorted.

“I know, and I'm not trying to!" Kevin said, then sighed and slumped back down. “Yeah, look, sorry. I got too carried away." He took a gulp from his drink again. “The point is, if you want a quick fuck, just tell me. No strings attached, no nonsense, no bullshit. I know I sound kinda desperate but… I dunno, maybe I am, I mean, when was the last time you had a fuck?"

“Um, a week ago."

“See? I haven't had one in two months. Stuff kept distracting me." He slumped on the table again. “Just, please think about it. I'll even get myself roped or handcuffed if that's your thing."

“What is wrong with you?!" Max said, now his disgust dissipating. Now he saw a sexually frustrated male in front of him. Well, two months? He must've had a really hard time. “Okay, thanks for the offer." He heard the red wolf whined. “At this rate, I'll be the one to offer you help out of pity."

“Oh, please." He said, muffled by his arms. “Tell anyone who you think would be interested, but don't tell them that I want to bottom, that's exclusive just for you and Tom, and please, please, I fucking beg you to be discreet about it."

“Yeah, yeah, sure. I know, I know." The dog replied. He looked at his beeping phone and saw the clock, it was almost 11. He needed to go to the gym.

He glanced over the wolf, now looking at nothing while still slumping on the table. He did look disturbed.

“How about this," Max said, making the red wolf's eyes turn to look at him. He didn't really want to do this but if Kevin's whine was something to note, then he must be very disturbed. Putting his disgust aside, he said. “I'm going to the gym right now, you tag along, who knows there's a guy who would be willing to get fucked."

“Gym?"

“Yeah, campus gym."

Kevin then sat up again, “Eh, what time is it?"

“Almost 11."

“Fuck, gym! I forgot I got a gym schedule right now!" he stood up. “Fuck, I forgot my bag!"

“Wait, wait. You got a gym schedule today at 11?"

“Yeah. I just moved it last week." Kevin turned to look at him. “You got a schedule now too?"

“Yeah." Max chuckled and stood up, piling up his and Tom's plate on the tray and picked it up. “Turns out we have the same schedule. I'm gonna get there anyway. Where's your bag?"

He swore Kevin blushed a little when he put his hand on his shoulder. Ew. “Back at my dorm. I don't have any classes today."

“I'll wait outside while you get your bag. Just hope that there's someone willing to give himself to ya." He said as he threw his bag over his shoulder.

“Yeah," He said, picking up his jacket and Max's hoodie. “Here."

At Max's hand on the other's back, they walked away from the canteen. Max wished there were someone over there, Kevin looked too distraught.

He didn't think he would bond this quickly with the red wolf. Probably because they had heard about each other and were both jocks so they had several topics to bond on. And really, gay might Kevin be, as long as he didn't push his luck by wooing him, Max would tolerate him.

Tom was right, Kevin was a pretty rad lad after all.

“Wait, dude, my drink."

“Eh, go grab it."