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Survivor sat at his desk with his head resting on his white-furred arms. The exhaustion from the long week of school had finally caught up to him, and he wanted nothing more than to go home, relax, and maybe take a nap. The fact that his last class was Physics didn’t help with his tiredness, as the teacher rambled on about something boring he didn’t care to remember. He lowered his head further, feeling his eyelids droop, but the sudden blare of the final bell ringing caused him to perk up.
He grabbed his binder, loosely stuffing it in his backpack before exiting the classroom. The hallway buzzed with chatter as slugcats began pouring out of the classes. Survivor made his way toward his locker, hoping to beat the rush and wait for his sister, Monk. They always walked home together after school.
So when he heard Rivulet’s voice instead of Monk’s, Survivor was surprised.
“Hey, Survivor!” Rivulet called from afar, her pace faster than normal as she swerved through the crowd. Survivor spun around and immediately spotted the blue slugcat. Her external gills bobbed up and down as she walked, and her sleek fur reflected some of the fluorescent lights, causing her to stick out among the sea of slugcats. Survivor had known the aquatic slugcat for a while, but they only started talking this semester.
“What’s up?” He asked as he pulled his winter coat on, the inner lining brushing against his fur.
“I was thinking—we should hang out at my place later! You know, play some games, maybe watch a movie? Hunter’ll be there too, and he wanted you to come,” Rivulet finished, bouncing slightly in excitement.
“Wait, really?” Survivor blinked, taken aback. He and Hunter sat at the same table in art class and had occasional conversations, but they usually weren’t more than sharing a shading technique or asking for feedback on a piece.
“Yeah! I told him I was gonna invite you, and he seemed really excited!”
“O-Oh.” Survivor’s voice came out softer than expected, feeling his heart skip a beat. Hunter of all slugcats wanted him to go? And he was excited? Suddenly the idea of going home and napping didn’t sound nearly as enticing. His mind scrambled to form a response, but all he managed to say was, “Yeah, that sounds fun.”
“I’ll text you my address later. Be there at around five o’clock! Oh, I almost forgot—bring Monk too!” And just like that, the blue slugcat dashed away with the same energy she always seemed to have.
Survivor waved goodbye, but she was already long gone by the time he did. As he zipped up his jacket, his thoughts naturally drifted back to Hunter. The image of his red fur and the scar above his right eye slipped into his mind, which he remembers vividly from the countless times he’d caught himself staring longingly. Sure, they weren’t exactly close, but knowing that Hunter was also thinking of him made Survivor feel warm and fuzzy.
No matter how hard he tried to shake it, the feeling wouldn’t go away.
He finished putting on his toque, gloves, and scarf and closed his locker just in time to see Monk approaching from down the hallway. Like him, she was also bundled up in winter gear, the only area her yellow fur poked through was her face. He and Monk had average fur density for a slugcat, but it usually wasn’t enough to insulate them during the colder months.
“Why can’t I just have naturally thick fur…” Monk complained, tugging at her jacket uncomfortably.
“Hey, at least our fur isn’t as thin as Rivulet’s.” Survivor nudged her gently, and they began walking toward one of the school’s exits. “Oh, speaking of Rivulet, she invited me to her house later today. Wanna come?”
“…Did she invite me?” Monk asked timidly.
“Well, she mentioned I bring you. Hunter’s also gonna be there.”
“But… I don’t know either of them very well,” Monk said quietly, her ears drooping from underneath her toque and her head lowering. Survivor recognized that look.
“Hey,” he began, placing a paw on Monk’s shoulder. “You should come. Hunter’s a nice guy, and I think Rivulet would like it if you did.” He tried to reason with her, but she still didn’t seem convinced, her gaze focused on the floor tiles below. “If all else fails, you can just stay with me the whole time. How’s that sound?”
Monk looked at her brother, her tension easing a little as she saw him. “I guess I’ll go…”
Survivor let go of her with one last pat on her back, smiling confidently. He was certain Monk would enjoy herself. She might be shy around new people, but Survivor knew she could chat for hours once she got comfortable. Hopefully, Monk could leave Rivulet’s house tonight with another slugcat to talk to besides her brother.
As they approached the exit, both slugcats stuffed their paws into their jacket pockets in preparation for the cold. Survivor leaned on the handlebar to push the door open, immediately exposing the two to the chilly winter air. The cold found its way through the gaps between his toque and scarf, seeping through his fur and stabbing his skin like tiny needles. He pulled his scarf up and persevered as the two began their walk home.
The only sounds in the quiet suburbs were the faint whistling of the wind and the crunch of snow beneath their feet. Neither of them talked much, instead focusing on walking faster than normal to lessen the time spent outside. With the added incentive of not getting frostbite, the slugcats made it to their home in record time.
Survivor walked up the steps he’d used countless times and hurried inside, quickly closing the door after Monk before the cold air got in. He shook off a few stray snowflakes and slipped out of his winter attire, then glanced at the analog clock on the wall. 3:45. Or maybe 3:50? That clock was usually off by a few minutes; Survivor could never remember if it was fast or slow.
“Be ready in around an hour,” he told Monk. She nodded, and they both went their separate ways until then.
Survivor’s first stop was the kitchen. Determined to grab a quick snack for some much-needed energy, he opened the pantry and skimmed over a few options before settling on a Bluefruit Bar. He tore off the wrapper and snarfed it down in a few bites, then entered his room to empty his backpack. His English assignment sat on top of the pile, practically taunting him. He could work on it, but realistically, what progress would he make in only one hour?
Scanning his room for what to pass the time with, Survivor’s eyes fell on his bed. The covers with his weighted blanket layered on top looked extra warm and cozy.
Maybe a nap wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially after being out in the cold…
No! If he slept now, Survivor would undoubtedly be late to Rivulet’s house, and that meant less time spent with Hunter. His tail started swaying in excitement simply from thinking of him. He wanted you to come. That fact alone had been stuck in his head since Rivulet mentioned it.
Survivor pulled out his phone and checked if she had texted him her address yet. Sure enough, she had, and thankfully her house was within walking distance.
With his phone in his paws, Survivor got distracted and opened one of his many social media apps. He started by checking what was new but ended up scrolling through mind-numbing videos. Before he knew it, the hour had already passed.
Bundled up once more, Survivor and Monk set back out into the cold. The trek to her house wasn’t as far as the school, to both the slugcat’s relief. The bitter wind still nipped his face, but the thought of being with Hunter kept him going. Soon enough, they made it to her street before the cold got too unbearable. Survivor double-checked the house number Rivulet had sent, before walking up her driveway with Monk sticking to his side.
He knocked on the door.
A blur of movement zipped past the front window. After a few seconds, the door swung open to reveal Rivulet, already grinning from ear to ear.
“Yay, you made it! Come on in before you two freeze out there!”
Monk and Survivor stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the house wrap around him comfortably. He glanced around the interior. It was a nice place, similar to their house but more open. Though, Hunter was nowhere to be seen.
“You can put your coats in here,” Rivulet said, opening a closet on her right. “I seriously couldn’t imagine walking in this weather.”
“It’s not that bad,” Monk said, taking off her toque and shaking out her fur. Her ears straightened now that they weren’t being squished.
“Maybe if I had long fur like you guys it wouldn’t be so bad,” Rivulet smiled, then bounced over to ruffle the fur on Monk’s head.
“Wha—hey!” Monk playfully swatted at her paw, but Rivulet’s giggling implied she didn’t plan on stopping.
Survivor huffed in amusement at their antics. “You’re lucky you get to take the bus to school, though.”
“Okay, fair,” Rivulet agreed, finally letting go of Monk. “I guess it evens out.”
Survivor turned back to the closet and finished putting away his winter attire. Monk and Rivulet already seemed comfortable around each other, which was a good start. Now all he needed to do was figure out where—
“Sup, Survivor.” A voice he recognized interrupted Survivor’s thoughts. He looked back, and sure enough, Hunter was there. He leaned against a wall casually, arms crossed and wearing a white hoodie. The house’s soft lighting shined against the edges of his red fur, making him almost glow. He looked hot .
“Sup,” Survivor responded, trying to sound normal, but the second the word left his mouth his brain short-circuited. Was that too casual? Did he sound weird? He certainly felt weird, like batflies were swarming in his stomach. His tail started to sway slightly, but he quickly realized and forced it still before Hunter noticed.
Hunter’s gaze eventually turned away, reminding him that he’d probably been staring for too long. “Who’d you bring?” Hunter asked, eying the yellow slugcat next to Survivor.
“Right—uh, this is my sister, Monk.” Survivor stepped aside, gesturing at Monk.
She responded with a wave and a quiet “Hi.”
“Cool,” Hunter said simply.
“Alright, enough with the introductions! We have some games to play,” Rivulet interrupted, already running off to another room. Hunter pushed off the wall and followed. After a quick glance at each other, Monk and Survivor did too.
They were led to the dining room, where a pile of board and card games sat on the table. Monk and Survivor took a seat next to each other, with Hunter on the other side.
“Would anyone like drinks?” Rivulet called, peeking her head out from the kitchen.
“I’ll have a Significantly Delicious,” said Hunter.
Rivulet nodded, then looked at Survivor. His go-to was usually Five Pebbsi, but maybe he should get the same as Hunter. “I’ll have a… Significantly Delicious too.”
“What?” Monk tilted her head at Survivor. “I thought you didn’t like—”
“Just thought I’d try something new!” Survivor spoke louder than he expected. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment.
Monk shrugged. “I guess I’ll have a Five Pebbsi.”
Rivulet disappeared into the kitchen, then returned holding the cans in her arms. “I have to agree with Monk here. Five Pebbsi is the superior drink,” she said as she handed out the drinks and sat down. She cracked open her can of Five Pebbsi and drank half of it in a single gulp.
Now that Survivor’s blush had died down, he focused on the pile of games. On top of it sat a card game he didn’t recognize. He grabbed it and inspected it closer, reading the name on the front.
“Rainfall? What’s this?” Survivor asked.
“Oh yeah! My family and I used to play that all the time. I doubt I’d remember how to play it now, though,” Rivulet said.
“Huh. Never heard of it.”
The group sifted through the rest of the games, although none of them particularly stood out.
“So… what should we play?” Rivulet asked, looking between the others. Survivor hummed, considering the options once more.
“We could play blackjack,” Hunter suggested and grabbed a deck of standard cards from the pile. “I wouldn’t mind being the dealer.”
“Sure,” Survivor said. Anything for you.
“I wouldn’t have a problem with that,” said Monk.
“Gambling’s always fun! I guess it’s settled then.” Eager to start the game, Rivulet moved to sit next to Monk and Survivor so Hunter would be across from the three. She took the chips from another board game on the table to use for betting and gave everyone 25 each, while Hunter shuffled the cards. The first round started with everyone betting only a few chips. Survivor and Monk ended up winning, but Rivulet wasn’t as lucky.
“Aw, drats. I take back what I said, gambling’s only fun when I win,” Rivulet pouted.
Survivor counted the chips he had won. He put in 5 for the first round, meaning he had 30 chips in total. With his newfound confidence from the win and wanting to impress Hunter, Survivor shoved all of his chips toward the center. “All in,” he said, sneaking a glance at Hunter to see his reaction.
Hunter tilted his head questioningly. “You sure?”
Survivor simply nodded in response. Hunter shrugged, then dealt the cards for the next round. Survivor’s first card was a jack, which was a good start. Unfortunately, all hope was lost when he saw his next card was a four.
“Shoot,” he whispered under his breath. Seeing as Hunter’s face-up card was a ten, he figured his best chance was to take the risk and hit. He tensed as his turn approached. “Hit…?” Survivor said unconfidently. Hunter handed him a card, and to his own devastation, he went over 21.
He watched with his mouth open in shock as Hunter took away all of his chips. Survivor instinctively reached to grab more from his pile until he remembered he had gone all in. He sighed in defeat and then faceplanted onto the table. How could he have been so dumb? Especially in front of Hunter?
A tap on his shoulder made Survivor flinch. He slowly raised his head to see Hunter’s paw outstretched with a handful of chips.
“Wha—?” Survivor blinked.
“Pity chips,” Hunter told him.
Survivor hesitated, then raised his own paw to grab the chips from Hunter. He paused as their fur brushed together, noticing how the whites and reds mixed. The slight contact made his heart race.
So soft… and warm…
He looked up, meeting with Hunter’s beautiful eyes, and saw that he was smiling, prompting Survivor to smile in return. His cheeks also seemed to be a different shade of red than his fur. Is Hunter blushing?
“Are you gonna take them or what?” Monk broke the silence.
Survivor jolted out of his thoughts and swiped the chips. “Oh, right,” he laughed nervously, immediately missing the warmth of Hunter’s paw in his.
“I think you would get fired at a casino if you handed out pity chips, Hunter,” Rivulet smirked. “But I guess we can let it slide.” She waved a paw dismissively.
“Heh, I just don’t want him to sit out and be all disappointed.” Hunter rubbed the back of his neck.
“Thank you,” Survivor whispered to him, causing Hunter’s smile to grow. “You’re my saviour,” he added half-jokingly. Hunter lowered his head and focused on shuffling, but Survivor still caught the way his tail swayed a little too much.
The group played a few more rounds after that. Even with his pity chips Survivor didn’t manage to break even. Rivulet wasn’t too lucky either, having ended with only a few chips, but Monk bet safely and left with more than she started with.
“Wow, it’s already six o’clock!” Rivulet said, glancing at the clock. “Time flies when you’re gambling. I guess I should go make dinner.”
The blue slugcat rose from her chair and disappeared into the kitchen. Monk followed her, leaving him and Hunter at the table. Survivor glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Now would be the perfect time to talk to him, but what would he even say? The idea of being alone with Hunter and sitting in awkward silence tied his stomach up in knots. He quickly got up and followed Monk.
Entering the kitchen, Survivor saw Rivulet rummaging through a cupboard. Monk stood a few steps behind her.
“We should have enough ingredients to make a Grub Casserole,” Rivulet said, pulling out a roasting pan.
“…Maybe I could help?” Monk asked, approaching her from behind. “I help my parents cook sometimes.”
“Sure! Two slugcats are better than one, after all.”
“Can I help too?” Survivor joined the conversation, hoping to find something to do.
Monk spun around and stared at him with narrow eyes. “Hmm… I don’t know. Remember the last time you tried to make Noodlefly Soup?”
“Come on, Monk. It wasn’t that bad.”
“I think the black marks that are still on our stove would prove otherwise,” Monk snickered, covering her mouth with her paw.
“What? Okay, now I have to hear what happened.” Rivulet stopped what she was doing.
“Okay, so basically…” Monk began, but Survivor had already started walking away. He didn’t need to hear the rest of that story. He’d listened to it plenty of times. In his defence, he didn’t even know that burning soup was possible.
Feeling left out, Survivor thought of what to do. Rivulet and Monk would be busy for a while, so maybe being alone with Hunter wouldn’t be a bad idea. That’s what he came here for, right? He checked the dining room table, expecting to see him in his seat, but the red slugcat was nowhere to be seen. He frowned. Where did Hunter go?
Survivor glanced around the house, his tail whipping as he turned, when he spotted a light coming from the end of the hallway that wasn’t on before. Part of him hesitated—maybe Hunter wanted to be alone. But curiosity pulled him forward as he crept towards the light, leading him to a staircase. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he descended into the basement; it was noticeably cooler down here by a few degrees. His footsteps echoed slightly, and Hunter was already looking at him before he reached the bottom, alerted by the sound.
“Survivor? Didn’t expect you to come down here.”
Survivor froze. Was that a bad thing? Did he interrupt something?
Hunter stared blankly at him for a moment, then tilted his head. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Oh, they’re busy making dinner upstairs,” Survivor responded, fidgeting with his paws before stepping down the rest of the stairs. ”I don’t think they want me helping, but that’s probably for the better considering my cooking skills.” He forced a chuckle out. Hunter laughed in return, which calmed his nerves.
The room quickly fell into silence afterwards. Survivor scrambled to think of something to say when he noticed Hunter standing in front of a spear that hung on a wall.
“That’s a cool spear,” Survivor pointed out, trying desperately to end the silence.
“Yeah. I was looking at it before you came down here.” Hunter traced his paw along the handle. “Definitely not as cool as my spear collection, though.”
Survivor’s ears perked up. “You have a spear collection?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. Just a few spears with patterns I’ve engraved into the metal. It’s a bit of a hobby of mine.”
“That’s so cool! You’ll have to show me sometime.”
“Yeah, sometime,” Hunter nodded before sitting on the couch.
“…Do you ever use the spears to hunt?”
“I mean, my name’s Hunter for a reason,” he joked, puffing out his chest, which made Survivor laugh a little. “But yeah, I used to go hunting a lot when I was younger. Not so much anymore, though.”
Survivor joined Hunter on the couch, inching closer. His eyes fell on the scar above his right eye, and curiosity got the better of him. “Is that how you got that scar?” He pointed to it and almost wanted to touch it, but stopped himself at the last second.
Hunter blinked. “Right, I forgot I had that. Can’t believe it still shows after all these years.” Just thinking about the scar must have made it itch, as Hunter briefly stopped to rub his eye. “But I might as well tell you how I got it, since it seems like we don’t have much else to do.”
Survivor huffed, then turned his full attention to him.
“So. I had gone out hunting during the evening in the forest. I told myself I would try hunting a lizard, but I walked for hours, and the only creatures I ever saw were squidcadas or the occasional eggbug, and I didn’t waste my time hunting those,” Hunter began.
Survivor was already fully immersed in the story, his eyes glued to Hunter’s. He could listen to him talk all night.
“As the sun began to set, I decided that maybe today just wasn’t the day for hunting lizards. Disappointed, I turned around to head back, hopefully before the nighttime predators came out. Well, I clearly wasn’t paying enough attention, because you won’t believe what I stumbled across on my way back.”
Survivor tilted his head. “Was it a lizard?”
“Yup,” Hunter sighed, still annoyed at the memory. “Not only that, it was a white one, which was surprisingly rare out there. So obviously it was camouflaged, and I unknowingly walked straight into it. Usually, the things use their long tongues to latch onto prey from a distance, but since I was so close, it just charged me.”
Survivor’s eyes widened in worry; he was on the edge of his seat.
“One of its claws nicked my eye, but thankfully I reacted fast and thrust my spear into the bastard. I was lucky to miss its armoured head and pierce it straight in the throat, and after that I ran off, too afraid to even finish the kill.”
“Wow,” Survivor breathed. “What happened after that?”
Hunter hummed in response before continuing. “Well, I went home to clean the wound, and after I rinsed all the blood off I could see clearly out of that eye again,” he sighed and looked down at himself. “The whole thing was kind of scary, though. Sometimes I wish I had been a little more careful back then.”
Survivor hesitated, then shifted closer to Hunter. “I get what you mean.”
A comforting silence settled over them, one that neither wanted to break. Hunter still had his head lowered, lost in thought. Hesitantly, Survivor reached out and rested a paw on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He felt Hunter flinch at the contact. For a second, Survivor considered pulling away, until an idea popped into his head—one that he somehow let slip before he could stop himself.
“Then again, I think that scar makes you look pretty hot.”
“Wha—?” Hunter’s head shot up, staring at him with wide eyes. “Y-You do?”
Survivor’s heart stopped. Did I really just say that? He was prepared to take it all back until he noticed Hunter’s expression.
The shock had passed, and now the red slugcat’s face was completely flustered. The contrast between his fur and his deepening blush was impossible to miss. A smile slowly crept onto his lips, his tail swayed back and forth slightly behind him, and Survivor could have sworn there was a softness in his eyes that wasn’t there before. Considering the heat radiating from his own face, he imagined he looked just as embarrassed. This time, he didn’t try to hide his blush.
With his arm still on Hunter’s shoulder, Survivor realized they were awfully close to each other. He wasn’t sure what to do. His mind was blank and his heart hammered in his chest. Hunter wasn’t pulling away either—his tail still swayed, slow and uncertain. The next thing he knew, they were absentmindedly leaning closer…
They both froze at the sudden sound of footsteps coming from the stairs.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Survivor recognized Rivulet’s voice, and in an instant, the two jolted apart and tried to look natural. She appeared at the bottom of the stairs a moment later, skipping most of the steps in her excitement.
“Oh? What were you two doing down here?” She asked, her eyes flickering between them.
“Uhm, we were…” Survivor began, trying to find the right words.
“Just chatting.” Hunter finished his sentence.
Rivulet squinted her eyes. “Are you sure that’s all you were—”
“Yes!” They both interrupted at the same time.
“Alright, well… come and get some Grub Casserole when you’re ready,” Rivulet said before turning to run back up the stairs.
That left the two of them alone again. Survivor’s gaze naturally found its way back to Hunter. They stared at each other for a moment longer before Hunter got up from the couch, clearing his throat.
“Well, we should probably go and eat. I’m sure there’ll be more time later for us to… chat.”
Survivor felt the warm feeling return to him. “Sounds good,” he smiled like an idiot.
Following Hunter up the stairs and leaving the basement, Survivor was immediately hit with the savoury smell of supper. The scent grew stronger as he approached the kitchen, where the casserole sat on the stove with some dishes next to it.
He grabbed a plate and some cutlery from the pile, dished himself a serving, and joined the others in the dining room where the games from earlier had been cleared off the table. Monk and Rivulet sat across from each other with their food, staring it down in anticipation like they hadn’t eaten in days. Survivor sat next to Monk, and Hunter made his way to sit next to Rivulet.
“Finally, you guys came. We’ve been waiting forever to dig in,” Rivulet said dramatically, then stuffed her mouth with a forkful of food.
Survivor took a bite as well. As the flavours hit his tongue, his eyes widened and a satisfied hum escaped him. “Wow… this is really good,” he said with his mouth half full.
“It is! Safe to say Monk and I nailed it.” Rivulet raised her paw in the air. Monk quickly reciprocated and high-fived her from across the table.
Survivor lowered his head and continued eating while Monk and Rivulet recounted every step they took to make the dish. He mostly tuned them out, his mind wandering back to the moment he and Hunter had shared in the basement before Rivulet rudely interrupted it. It still left a lingering warmth in his chest, but he shoved the feeling aside and finished his meal. By the time he looked back up at Rivulet’s plate, she was already licking it clean.
“I just realized!” Rivulet spoke suddenly. “We haven’t even decided what movie to watch yet.” She set her plate down before wiping her muzzle with her arm.
“I bet there’s a new episode of Iterator Games out that we could watch,” Hunter suggested.
Survivor spared a glance at Hunter. “Iterator Games? What’s that?”
“You’ve never heard of Iterator Games?” Rivulet perked up, looking betrayed.
Survivor and Monk shared a confused look.
“That has to be a crime! I think I know what we’re watching tonight.”
“Sure,” said Hunter. “I wouldn’t mind watching the first episode again.”
Now that everyone was finished eating and a show was decided on, the slugcats took their dirty dishes to the kitchen. Rivulet emptied a bag of snacks into a bowl and ran to the living room. Survivor and the others followed her at a normal pace. Hunter sat down in an armchair beside the couch, and Survivor picked a spot that was as close to Hunter’s chair as possible. Monk dished herself some snacks and got comfortable while Rivulet grabbed the remote, flipping through the apps on the TV and finding the show.
“You’ll love it. It’s where these robot characters get trapped in a chamber and are forced to solve puzzles, and if they fail to solve it then they get infected with The Rot, which is a cancer that ends in them dying a slow, agonizing death, and it’s all building up to this last puzzle called The Great Problem, where—”
“Wha—spoilers!” Monk interrupted, covering her ears.
“Huh? Oh—right, sorry.” Rivulet scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. ”Just know that it gets good in the later episodes, trust me.”
Survivor sunk into the couch and didn’t bother getting any snacks. He wasn’t too interested in watching the show. If he was being honest, he was much more interested in Hunter.
Once the show started, Survivor pretended to pay attention, but his gaze kept finding its way to Hunter whenever he got the chance. The subtle rise and fall of his shoulders and the way his ears twitched at certain sounds were distracting in a way that Survivor couldn’t explain.
Sometimes, Hunter would turn to look at him as well, which was always awkward. Survivor would quickly shift his focus back to the TV and pretend like he hadn’t been staring at him for the past few minutes. But after a while, it must not have fooled Hunter anymore, as Survivor caught him nod towards the hallway out of the corner of his eye.
Hunter stood up slowly, glancing at the others before nodding towards the hallway again. Survivor got the message. He hesitated before rising from the couch. Rivulet and Monk shot them a look as they snuck away, but they must have been too invested in the show to care.
Survivor followed Hunter down the hall, his heart quickening with every step. The sound of the TV slowly faded as Hunter led him down the stairs and back to the basement. It wasn’t the most secluded place, but it made sense—maybe Hunter didn’t want to go poking around Rivulet’s house. Finally, Hunter turned to him and settled onto the couch, leaving a space beside him.
“I think we have some unfinished business.” His voice was quieter than before.
Survivor swallowed—it felt like his heart was beating out of his chest. He hesitated before sitting down next to Hunter. “Do you mean—?”
He barely had time to think before Hunter shifted closer. Survivor’s eyes flickered down to his lips, then back to his eyes. That was all the confirmation Hunter needed.
Hesitantly, Hunter inched close enough that their fur brushed together and Survivor could feel his breath. His pulse hammered in his ears as they both leaned in, closing the space between them. Their lips pressed together, soft and warm, and Survivor instinctively closed his eyes.
It only lasted a second before they pulled back, staring at each other with wide eyes. The kiss left a tingling sensation on his lips that made him crave more, but at the same time, his face burned. The normally cool air seemed hotter; the basement felt cramped.
Without thinking, Survivor buried his face into Hunter’s chest, trying to hide his embarrassment. Hunter tensed in surprise. “W-Was that too much?”
Survivor’s mind scrambled for words. “It was…” he trailed off, unsure of how to describe it.
“Weird?” Hunter whispered.
“I was gonna say… sudden,” Survivor admitted, his voice muffled by Hunter’s chest. “But… I liked it.”
Hunter released a breath, relaxing his shoulders. Survivor shifted slightly and brushed against Hunter’s hoodie. Despite the fabric, he could still feel the warmth trapped underneath. His nervous energy began to ease and was replaced with something else.
It felt like comfort.
He hesitated before whispering, “Maybe you could… hold me?”
Hunter let out a huff, pausing for a moment, but then complied. He wrapped his strong arms around Survivor, pulling him close.
Survivor melted into the embrace, exhaling softly. “So warm…” he mumbled and couldn’t stop the purr from rising in his throat. Above him, Hunter responded with a purr of his own. He could feel Hunter’s chest rumbling slightly, moving with each breath, and his heartbeat pounding just as fast as his own.
The warmth of it all soothed Survivor’s mind, forcing his heart to relax. Eventually, his craving for more returned. He backed out of Hunter’s hold and looked up at him, smirking. “Wanna… try kissing again?”
Hunter nodded and eagerly leaned in.
This time, when their lips touched, they stayed for longer. It wasn’t perfect—Survivor wasn’t sure where to put his paws, and at one point their noses bumped awkwardly, but the pleasant sensations still made his stomach flutter.
The two leaned back for air, but Survivor still wanted more. He hesitated, studying Hunter’s expression.
Before he could overthink it, Survivor pressed his paws on Hunter’s shoulders and gave a gentle push. He blinked in surprise but let himself fall back onto the couch, his head landing on the cushioned armrest. Survivor hovered above him, their tails absentmindedly coiling together as he leaned in and met Hunter’s lips again. A shaky breath escaped him as he pressed in further, causing Hunter to shudder.
Time seemed to blur—he felt warm and safe in Hunter’s grasp. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but he knew he never wanted it to end.
“That was funny, Surv,” Monk laughed as she nudged the seat next to her, but her elbow touched nothing but air. That’s when she remembered Survivor and Hunter still hadn’t returned from whatever they were doing. “Oh, right.”
“They’ve been gone for a while, haven’t they?” Rivulet said, glancing at the empty seats. A mischievous grin crept onto her face as she grabbed a pillow from the couch. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re… y’know.” She turned away from Monk and pretended to make out lovingly with it.
Monk stared at her blankly. “What?”
“Come on, hasn’t it been obvious? They’ve both had the same, love-struck look on their faces this whole night. I’m pretty sure I walked in on them about to kiss earlier, too.”
Monk scoffed. “Survivor? In love with Hunter? No way. He’s not… he wouldn’t…” She trailed off, her thoughts drifting back to earlier in the night. They were acting strange, sure, but she’d known her brother her whole life. “That’s just… not him,” she shook her head.
“Fine,” Rivulet said, leaning closer and lowering her voice. “If you really don’t believe me, why don’t you go spy on them?”
Monk hesitated, then smirked. It’s not like she would get in trouble anyway. “Alright, deal. But only because I know you’re wrong.”
Survivor’s ear twitched when he swore he could have heard the stairs creak. He disconnected from Hunter, wiping a stray strand of saliva from his mouth, and glanced at the staircase.
A yellow slugcat was peeking through the railing at the top of the stairs, frozen like a rain deer in headlights.
“MONK?!” Survivor yelped, shoving himself off Hunter so fast he nearly tumbled to the floor. He opened his mouth, searching for an excuse. “W-We were just… uh…”
“NEVERMIND, RIV! YOU WERE RIGHT!” Monk clambered up the rest of the stairs on all fours.
Hunter just laughed awkwardly. “How hard is it to get some privacy around here?”
Survivor sighed, rubbing his face with both paws. “I’m never going to live this down.”
“Maybe we should go back upstairs…” Hunter mumbled.
As Survivor walked up the stairs, he took a deep breath and tried to hide his deepening blush. Just act natural, and they won’t even mention it.
His plan lasted about five seconds.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, Monk and Rivulet turned to them, sharing a mischievous grin.
“Ooooh, looks like the lovebirds finally came back,” Rivulet said teasingly.
Survivor plopped down on the couch next to Monk, trying his best to ignore Rivulet. “How much did you see?” He whispered to Monk.
“Enough,” she responded with a cheeky smile.
“Give it up, Survivor. It’s been obvious you guys have been madly in love this whole time,” Rivulet giggled. “You’ve been staring at each other all night. You even asked for the same drink as Hunter earlier, and not to mention the exchange of the pity chips was extremely hard to watch.”
Survivor’s whole face burned. All he wanted was to bury himself in the couch until he couldn’t be seen and never come out. He tried to tune out Rivulet and pretended to be interested in the show. Just as he was finally starting to relax, Monk poked him.
“I still can’t believe that you’re gay.”
“Monk…” Survivor groaned, burying his head in his paws. He was never going to hear the end of it, was he?
Hunter sighed. “Next time, we go to the bathroom. And lock the door.”
After a few more minutes, the teasing finally died down enough that he could focus on the show. Monk handed him a bowl of snacks, which he gratefully took. Even though he missed most of the start, the professional acting and high-quality effects made up for it. It felt like the show was just getting started when the episode ended, and it was time to go.
“We should do this again sometime! Cooking with you was fun,” Rivulet said, handing Monk her coat.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Monk smiled. “I’m sure Survivor and Hunter would love to have more fun, too.”
“Shut up. We’re leaving.” Survivor grabbed Monk’s wrist and practically dragged her out the door.
“Bye! See you at school on Monday!” Rivulet waved goodbye before she was cut off by the door closing.
Hunter said his goodbye, and they walked their separate ways down the street. It was still cold, but the wind had died down now that the sun had set, making the walk slightly more bearable. The streetlights flickered against the dark sky, casting shadows along the snowdrifts.
“Thanks for convincing me to go earlier,” Monk spoke, looking up at him gratefully.
“No problem. I’m glad you had fun,” Survivor responded.
Despite the teasing Survivor had to endure, it was worth it in the end. Monk left Rivulet’s house with a new friend, and Survivor left with… hopefully something more.
The thought left a lingering warmth beneath his fur.