It had been eight months since Kate's death. Eight months since the moat important wolf of Humphrey's life had passed.
"Ugh" Humphrey groaned as he woke up in his apartment. Today would mark a year since they started dating.
A tear fell down his eye as he looked at the wall paper on his phone. It was him and Kate sharing a kiss on their second date.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop you from being shot." Humphrey thought to himself as he began to put his phone on charge again.
"Welp, time to get the day started." He thought to himself as he started walking towards the closet. He couldn't find anything that "fit" his style so he just put on some jeans and a white t-shirt that said, "Tough love".
Suddenly, he got a text from Garth.
"Hey Coyote, want to hang out?" The text said. Coyote was something that Garth called Humphrey, it was something that symbolized their friendship. Anytime they didn't say each other's nickname, it usually meant something was wrong.
"Yea sure Garth." He responded. "Shit!" He thought as soon he realized his mistake.
"Ok great." Garth responded. "Sounds like you have something on you're mind. Meet me and Lily at the lake and we will cheer you up BIG TIME!" The text explained.
"Ok Barf" Humphrey responded.
AT THE LAKE
"Thanks guys. Really, I needed this." Humphrey said.
"No problem. Hey why don't you tell us what's on you're mind now because later, we'll be so fucking wasted it won't even matter what you said."
"Shut up Garth, if he wants to tell us what's wrong he will. If there is something wrong then we help him." Lily said glaring at the alpha.
"Ok you got me there. Fire away coyote, that's if you want to." Garth responded.
"It's nothing really. It would've been Kate and I's eight ceremony." Humphrey explained.
"I miss her also. We all do." Lily explained.
"I just wish that I could someone love and they love me back just as much as Kate did" Humphrey said as tears came down one by one.
"You're staring at him!" Garth thought to himself. He didn't want to say it out loud because he didn't know Humphrey's 'personal' preference.
"Here, have a drink. Maybe that'll help make you feel better. Kate wouldn't want to see you like this and neither do we." Lily said as she threw Humphrey a beer.
"Again, thank you guys." Humphrey said as he drunk the beer.
"Actually, be thankful that the cashier didn't see us." Garth said nervously laughing.
"You're an idiot. I was wondering why you wanted me to talk to the cashier." Lily said as she punched Garth in the arm softly.
"Ya know, you two would make a great couple." Humphrey said after burping.
"First off, I don't think you should be saying that if you really knew me. Second, excuse you!" Garth joked.
'Alright Barf, but I'm serious though." Humphrey responded drunkily.
"I know you were serious. That's why I said what I said." Garth said taking a sip of the stolen beer.
"I'm heading home, let me know when the wedding is." Humphrey said stumbling while trying to stand up.
Lily got up and ran after. "You aren't going anywhere. Not like this!" She said tackling him. "We've been worried about you." She said starting to cry a little.
"GET OFF ME!" Humphrey yelled pushing lily off and walking towards his truck.
"YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'VE TRIED AND TRIED TO HELP BUT YOU KEEP PUSHING US AWAY! YOU KEEP PUSHING ME AWAY! I'M DONE TRYING TO HELP YOU'RE SORRY ASS!" Garth yelled throwing his bottle at the ground.
"WELL GUESS WHAT? I DON'T NEED YOU! I DON'T NEED ANYONE!" Humphrey said climbing in to his truck and driving away.
"FINE!" Garth said before he sat back down and cried.
"Don't worry, he'll come ar-"
"No he won't lily. I know it and you know it. It's been like this for too long and there is no saving him. Not anymore."
"Look. He just needs some more time." Lilly said trying to calm him down. "We'll pull through this. We always do."
Immediately, Garth started crying.
"I-I just can't stand to see stand this. Why couldn't I just stayed in the parking lot with her. Ya know, maybe stop her from being killed." Garth said as a tear dropped to the grown.
Lily pulled him into a hug as she to, began to cry. "Stop crying. The last thing we need right now is to blame ourselves. The only thing got now is each other because no one else is going to have our backs. That's why we must stay strong for Humphrey because I know he'd do the same for us."
"Thanks Lily." Garth replied as he put down the beer bottle.
"Lilly," Garth said. "There's something I need to tell you. You can't tell anyone unless I say so."
"What is it?" Lilly asked staring into Garth's eyes.
"I'm gay. Don't worry, I'm still the same Garth that you used to play with when Humphrey was too busy gawking at Kate when you had a crush oh him. I'm no different tha-"
"Garth j-just stop. I'm glad that you admitted it. I want you to feel like you can be who you really are around us. Around me. I don't think of you any different. I mean hell, we've been friends for what, about 8 or 9 years now? Look, the point is, I still love and support you no matter what." lilly said as she wrapped her muscular friend in a tight hug.
"You really mean that?" Garth responded as he hugged back while tearing up.
"Well of course I do. Now I can finally talk about guys with someone who isn't my mom!" Lilly joked.
"What's wrong with talking about with you're mom?" The big alpha asked.
"Well too start off, she kinda found out about my little crush on Humphrey and then decided to talk about the birds and the bees. I mean she got into the nitty gritty and it was just too much. Especially me at that age." She explained.
"Don't worry. My dad used to point out all the pretty girls, or at least the girls that were up to his standards if you know what I mean." Garth said as he began to look off into the thick forest. "Look, that's not all that I've been hiding."
"What else were you hiding?" Lilly asked.
"I think I-I'm in love with Humphrey..."
"So that's why you've so worried about him lately, isn't it?" The white wolf asked.
"Yes. No. I don't know. I've only had these feelings ever since *she* died. I've been feeling the need to ya know, protect him. At least more now than ever before." Garth said as his began well up again as he started to explain.
"I'm so sorry-"
Don't worry. I'll grow out of it. I hope so."
"Well I'm not gonna tell you to go for it because I don't if he feels the same. But I will tell you to be careful. What ever happens, I'll have you're back.
A FEW DAYS
Garth woke up with the text from a clearly drunk Humphrey.
"Hey Barfy-boy. I want you to make me the happiest wolf ever." The text said.
"Looks like a Coyote is drunk. Where are you?" Garth said as he pressed send."
"If I tell you, you'll be pissed"
Humphrey knew exactly where he was: Kate's grave.
"Ok. I'll be right there." Garth replied.
Garth decided to put on a Panic At The Disco hoodie and some blue jeans. Ya know something usual, especially since he's just picking up a friend. Not going to a funeral.
"Wassup Coyote?" Garth as he sat down next to Humphrey who was staring at Kate's grave with a drink in his hand.
"Hi Barf." Humphrey said as he took a swig of his drink
"Ya know, they say it's disrespectful to drink in front of someone's grave." Garth said trying to start conversation.
"Well you should know that I really don't care too much about what others say." The grey wolf said as he put the bottle down.
"Come on we're going somewhere special. To get Kate off you're mind." Garth said as he stood up and hung out his hand for Humphrey to grab.
"Where are we going?"
"I told you we were going somewhere spe-" Garth said Humphrey abruptly met his.
The kiss. It was like Heaven on Earth. Garth knew it was wrong to enjoy a kiss from someone who's drunk. Especially if they are you're best friend and their ex left them.
Humphrey jumped back as soon as he realized what he just did.
"What are you doing you fag?" Humphrey said with a disgusted.
"Why are you calling me a fag? You kissed me first!" Garth responded.
"Well I wasn't thinking clearly! I didn't know you were gonna accept it anyways!" Humphrey said as his voice became quiet.
"You wanna know something? These past few months I've felt like I actually loved you. That you were perfect for me! In fact I still love you now, what I dumbass I am to be in love with a straight guy who likes to get drunk just because his girl friend died. You wanna know the funny part? I thought you would love me too." Garth said as his heart started pump faster.
"Garth, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know you felt that way about me." Humphrey said as he realized what Garth just said.
"Neither did I until a few months ago." Garth responded trying to calm down. "Now come on, we're going to the beach. We're going to tell Lilly that we're going on a cruise. Not even she knows it. I've been secretly planning this for the past few months." Garth explained as he got in the car with Humphrey following behind.
AT LILLY'S HOUSE
"Now wait here as I go knock on the door." Garth said getting out of the car.
"Hello, anyone in there. It's Garth, we need to talk?" Garth said after he knocked on the door."
'Be right there!" Lilly yelled as she ran to the door. "Sorry. I was in my room watching T.V."
"No worries. Get in the car, we're going on a cruise. Before you even ask, yes I've already paid for it. I've been planning this ever since Kate died." Garth explained.
"Ok. Lemme get packed." Lilly said as she motioned for the Garth and Humphrey to come in.
"Ok. Do you need us to help you pack anything?" Humphrey asked.
"Not unless you wanna see my 'toys' that I got from the store." Lilly responded.
"Wait you actually have those?" Garth asked chuckling. No one would expect her to have those things.
"Go ahead laugh you're head off. Ha-ha-ha." Lilly said sarcasticly.
A FEW HOURS LATER
"Alright everything is packed and ready to go." Garth said ah he put all the supplies (clothes, towels, toothe brushes. Ya know, everyday stuff)
"Yep. We're already." Humphrey said as he shut he finished putting the last of his clothes in the trunk.
"Alright. Oh wait, I forgot to mention, the cruise is private to us. No one else can get on it." Garth said as he put the car in drive.
"Nope. But I'm glad you decided to tell us before I texted my friends to meet us there." Lilly said as she logged out of her messaging app.
"Well I guess thing the only thing we have to do next is forget about the struggles. Oh and not get drunk." Humphrey said as he began to stare Garth who was completely oblivious and had his eyes on the mirror as he began to back on to the road."
Suddenly Garth saw Lilly motioning her head towards Humphrey who was still looking at him.
"Well hello there." Garth said as he blushed turned to Humphrey.
"Oh um, sorry about that." Humphrey said as abruptly looked downwards. Only this time, it was he who was blushing.
"It's fine. I kinda liked it actually. Never really had someone other than Lilly to pay that much attention to me.
Lilly didn't respond but Garth knew what she was thinking. That's why he did it. It's something like, "Really Garth? Did you have to say that in front of my childhood crush?" Or maybe it be, "Well fuck you too Garth." She didn't need to say it in order for Garth to know how she felt about it.
"What's the name of the place?" Humphrey asked pulling out his phone. "I figured we'd need it since you were driving."
"Looks like someone's got jokes now. The place is called Jasper Park's International Cruise." Garth said as kept his eyes on the road.
"Ok got it. Looks like we should be there in about 3 hours. 3 1/2 to 4 hours if you included bathroom breaks and getting some food." Humphrey said as he finished pulling up the destination.
"Looks like we're going to have some fun the next few days. But before then, I need to get some sleep." Lilly said as she laid down.
"You do that, Barf and I are gonna talk about comic books and sports like we usually do." Humphrey said as he leaned his head on Garth's shoulders.
Garth didn't know if Humphrey didn't particularly know if Humphrey was trying to give out hints or if he was just laying his head down not konwing where or what it was it leaning on. All he knew was that he wouldn't trade this moment for the anything.