Chapter Text
“Is there anyone you are interested in Legoshi?” It was such a simple question but it left the wolf’s head spinning. His eyes felt heavy as he scanned the darkened ceiling above his head hoping that an answer would appear and leave his sleepy head to rest. Through the wood boards above her heard Jack turning over in his sleep, something he wanted to do himself.
Why did you have to ask me that Jack, you know I never think about these things.
He knew why Jack had asked him the question, it was in the heat of the moment, he just needed something, anything to draw the attention away from himself, and the poor wolf got caught in the crosshairs.
Earlier that evening
“Durham, we have to get leaving if we want to make it on time!” Miguno shouted at the bathroom door.
“One sec Migs, I’m almost done!” Durham replied through the door as sounds of brushes and combs rattled around in drawers.
“You guys aren’t going to be out all night, right? It is finals week.” Jack quarried from his top bunk, looking up momentarily from his biology book to make sure the hyena had heard him.
“Relax Jack, like I said before we are just going to check out this performance and then come straight back. We will be back before midnight, and we don’t have to worry about the dorm mother because it is the weekend. Trust me I thought this through.”
Bursting the door open Durham briskly made his way over to his bunk, brush in hand going over the last resilient tuffs of fur, trying his best to get them under control. Pushing his curtain off to the side the coyote started to rummage through the contents of his bunk.
“Whatcha looking for babe?”
“My wallet! I swear I threw it in here after classes ended.” Durham’s muffled voice echoed back from the void of his bunk.
Squinting, the hyena slowly scanned the room from where he stood, his eyes coming to rest on the blurry black square at the edge of the window sill near his boyfriend’s bunk. Smirk creeping onto his face the hyena trotted his way over,
“You know for all the times you say I need to get glasses you sure are really bad at finding things…” Picking up the wallet and swiftly turning to Durham as he poked his head out of the bunk to refute the hyena’s accusation, he took the corner and booped his boyfriend’s adorable nose.
“Just because I’m bad at finding things does not mean you should not get glasses; don’t think I don’t see you squinting at the board in history class.” Durham stated firmly as he snaked his arms around the hyena, “Besides I think you would look very handsome with glasses.” The comment causing the hyena to blush as their bodies got closer.
Leaning in closer and closer they were interrupted with a bark coming from the other side of the room,
“UGH, we get it! You two are in love! Get out of here before you rot our teeth.” Collot lamented from his top bunk, sticking his head out of the curtain previously concealing him.
“Aw, come on Collot just because you have been down on your luck doesn’t mean we should hold back.” Durham shot back, annoyed at the unwanted interruption.
This only earned a low grumble from the dog.
“Woah now, no need to get antsy, come on Durham we have to get going or we might miss the train.”
“Oh shoot, you’re right!” Durham pulled Miguno towards the door.
“Be safe alright!” Jack called out as they opened the door.
“We will!” the duo replied in unison as they promptly shut the door, filling the room with silence as Jack put down his book and turned his head over to the other dog in the room whose face was currently scrunched up against the corner of his frame.
“Are you okay Collot?”
“… Yeah, just feeling kind of crummy. I need to apologize when they get back, just because I’m not doing the best doesn’t mean I should have interrupted them.”
Jack could understand why the dog was feeling so down, his luck with his last two partners were sour ventures. The first becoming obscenely possessive, going as far to track his whereabouts and text him constantly after every class asking him where he was, what he was doing, or who he was with. The second did not end much better which resulted in them getting a whole new door and the animal responsible being suspended and banned from going on the canine floor.
“Maybe I should relax with the eyes, they are just too powerful and attract the wrong crowd.”
“Oh yeah, because it’s definitely the eye’s fault.” A sarcastic voice rose from the bunk below the sheepdog.
“Hey! At least I’m able to get something! I haven’t seen you get any tail.”
“I’ll take that over having someone literally break down the door in tears because for some reason they thought you were cheating on them.” Voss retaliated from below.
“Look it's not my fault they get like that! They all seem so chill until I mention I’m bi and then they think I’m gonna just start serial cheating on them or something, which I never have.”
“It's ok, Collot I’m sure you will have luck eventually, but maybe take a break and relax a bit, okay?” Jack piped in.
“Speaking of that, have you had any interest in anybody in those fancy advanced classes of yours,” Collot smirked, and even though their eyes were covered Jack could feel all of the attention suddenly on him.
“W-what! No, this isn’t about me. Besides I’m there to learn, not look for someone!” Jack squeaked out.
“Aw come on! There has to be at least someone. You know what, I bet it’s that chocolate lab, she seems to be a real catch.” Collot teased.
“Just because Tana is in the same class as me does not mean I like her jeez…”
“Oh, so her name is Tana,” Voss commented from below Collot sticking his head and proportionally big ears out of his curtains.
At this point Jack’s face was burning, this happened so many times with not only his roommates but other animals around the school that Jack would give anything to move on from where the conversation was heading. Looking around the room he spots a blue-gray tail hanging out from below his bunk and he took his shot.
“W-well what about Legoshi! Surely his love life is more interesting than mine!” Jack gestured down below himself to the canine that slowly popped his head out from the blinds at his name being called.
“…What now?” the tired wolf grumbled as he tried to tune into the conversation.
“Is there anyone you are interested in Legoshi?” the Labrador nervously asked from his bunk.
“Uh… no, you know I’m not really interested in that type of stuff Jack.”
“Have you never really thought about it?” Jack pleaded. He knew the answer but he hoped Legoshi could move the conversation somewhere away from the current topic.
“Not really… who would want to be with some creepy wolf anyway?”
Everyone in the room could feel the mood instantly deflate from the previous one. Everyone knew Legoshi had some self-confidence issues, from the way he hunched his back when he walked, to even having some problems eating in public because he felt like he was too scary to others. The boys in 701 tried their best to encourage the wolf but, it was hard.
“Aw come on bud I bet there is someone who likes you!” Collot tried to counteract the wolf’s previous statement.
“It's not like you aren’t conventionally attractive in some ways; do you realize how many people would love to be as lean and fit as you are?” Voss added trying his best to contribute.
“Yeah! And someone has to at least appreciate how careful you are, as soon as people get to know you, they realize how kind you are!” Jack hastily added.
“Thanks guys but, really, I think you are being unrealistic… Do I even deserve to be seen like that?”
Having enough of this, Jack promptly jumped down from his bunk with a thud as he kneeled down to get eye level with Legoshi, taking his hands and cupping the wolf’s fluffy cheeks to make him look at him in the eyes.
“Okay, that’s enough of that. Legoshi when you hear the word partner what comes to your head.” Jack could see the gears turning in the tired wolf’s head.
“Jack… nothing does.” He could see the wolf was not lying but would not let this be the end just yet.
“What about anyone at drama club, there has to be someone there that interests you.”
“Jack, I’m really tired can I just go to sleep.”
Sighing in defeat Jack slowly stood up, “Alright, alright, just maybe try to think of it, you deserve to have someone you like just as much as anyone else.”
“It’s okay if you can’t think of one right now Gosh, I’m sure you will be able to find someone,” Collot commented from above, slowly pulling his head back into the void of his bunk.
“Yeah Legoshi, just give it some time.” Voss finished retracting his head as well.
Pulling his head back into the bunk Legoshi only stared at the wood ceiling above him that creaked as Jack returned to his bunk. Slowly Legoshi absorbed what had been said to him, taking a deep breath as his mind slowly wandered.
It had been way too long now, Legoshi could feel each second pass as he tried to think of anything to answer that question.
Okay Jack is smart, maybe I should try to think of someone in the drama club, I mean it doesn’t mean I would want them but maybe I could get a list of things I like… yeah let’s try that. OK, lets think… Els is nice… but she always seems scared of me, her smile is so fake sometimes. There is Ellen…. Okay nothing there, she is just awful. Sheila is… confident, but she has this weird edge to her when she talks to me, maybe she was just annoyed by me…UGH this is getting nowhere, sure Els is probably the best one I can think of but then again Tem is just as nice if not nicer, and I always like talking to Tem. Sheila’s confidence could never match up to Bill’s, even for how annoying he is I have to give him that. Riz is a million times better the Ellen in terms of being nice to be around, the shared quietness between us when we work together is so much more relaxing than anything else that happens…
Wait what am I even thinking? These are guys! Why am I thinking about guys when I’m supposed to be thinking of a partner…? Maybe, everyone has these thoughts? I mean who could not say Louis was majestic on stage from the way he walks and commands it. Or how nice and open Tem is and how he brightens the room when he walks in with his wool perfectly framing his face. Or how Riz’s stoic nature is calming to the nerves and makes them feel safe.
Everyone thinks that right?
Eventually, exhaustion swallowed up the wolf's consciousness whole as even his spiraling thoughts lost the battle. Even with sleep achieved it did not protect the wolf from an uneasy rest, the question still floating around his dreams as he still searched for his answer.