Chapter 62 - The Scent of a Dance
In the coming days, everyone began to prepare for the upcoming dance to celebrate the New Year. The whole school and social media was abuzz with it. This was going to be the best dance the school had yet, so far. It was very hyped up. Legosi and Louis took another shopping trip to the city and bought some stuff and Louis told him he got a special surprise that he couldn't see until he was wearing his tux. Louis had gotten a right ear piercing while they were in the city, as well.
Legosi was helping to set up for the dance with the rest of the drama club's stage crew. He was distracted, though. It had already been a week, but his mind was still on that morning when he and Louis had gotten...really serious. When they woke up, they were too embarrassed to talk about it directly. He wanted to tell Louis that he thought he could forego the muzzle, since they had done something so risky without it safely, but he couldn't bring himself to.
He froze carrying a stack of wood, blushing as he thought about each subsequent night the deer had spent...preparing him. They didn't do anything close to that morning, usually with just Louis working with him. Sometimes Legosi would finish, sometimes not. It was exhilarating, though, knowing they were getting closer and closer to this thing actually happening.
"Beep beep! Move it!" Fudge the red panda chimed behind the wolf.
"O-oh, sorry!"
Dom came behind him. "Can you believe the dance is so close? Everyone's been so excited!"
Fudge blew a raspberry. "Yeah, maybe you guys are. Date-havers."
Kai came up behind him. "Yeah, I know. It's just gonna be a normie-fest."
Kibi looked at them. "Bleh, whatever! While you two are being sappy romantics, we'll actually be having fun.
Legosi looked down at the anteater curiously. "Oh? What are you going to be doing?"
"Attempting to dance, obviously!"
Dom turned his head to Legosi after shaking it. "How have you and Louis been preparing?"
Legosi's heart skipped a beat. No, no of course not. He's not asking about that. "Well, yesterday we went into town and bought our tuxes. Louis still has money, after all. We dance sometimes, too."
"How was the city?"
"Uh, the usual?" Legosi finally moved forward with the wood, bringing it over to where they were building a small arch, which was almost complete. "We went out clothes shopping, and then got some dinner."
Dom smiled. "I wish Kai and I could do that."
"H-hey!" Kai puffed his cheeks out at the bird.
"I respect your wishes, Kai, but I have wishes too..."
"L-lemme think about it!" The mongoose stormed off.
Legosi turned to Dom, talking quietly. "What's that all about?"
Dom sighed. "I don't really know. He just refuses to go into the city." He frowned. "I really want to go on a date there, like you and Louis."
"Hmm. Maybe I could talk to him. Louis used to be afraid of going to the city. Kai might have a reason he doesn't want to talk about."
"Maybe," Dom smiled. "I am totally going to slow dance with my boyfriend tonight!"
Legosi grinned. "Louis and I have been doing that, but also some quicker ones! And last time I didn't even step on his feet!"
"Great job!" the bird chirped.
Kibi crossed his arms. "I'm just hoping for actual good music and not the stuff that released this year."
Fudge nodded. "I'm not going to dance, but I do want to go for the music."
Legosi looked over at the arch they had constructed. It included a myriad of animal features on it, both carnivore and herbivore. It was their idea to solidify the idea of unity and love between species going into the new year.
Dom looked up at all the golden stars hanging from the ceiling. "Geez, this is more stars than we see in the actual sky."
Louis had wanted to see a sky full of stars, one day.
Legosi looked up, remembering that night. Back then it was so hard to get Louis to open up. Looking at the stars reminded him of how far he had come.
Dom sighed, dreamily. "It's going to be a magical night, I think. Have you seen what Louis is wearing yet?" They were a bit distracted from work.
Legosi shook his head. "He tried it on but didn't show me, so I did the same. We haven't seen each other..." Legosi looked off to the side. "Isn't...isn't that what they do at weddings?"
"Oh, it is!" The bird nodded. "I think Kai would explode if I ever proposed."
"He...explodes a lot."
The bird got a good laugh out of that one. "We're working on it!"
"Say, have you heard from Pina or Bill yet? I haven't seen Bill, and whenever I text Pina about the two of them, he just responds with a winky face."
"Don't get me started on those two," Dom rolled his eyes.
"Oh? What happened?" Legosi asked. He actually felt a little worried.
"They don't seem like they're dating at club, right?" The two were very good at hiding it
Legosi nodded. "It's almost like nothing happened, but they...they had...they..." Legosi swallowed, looking at Dom in embarrassment. He still couldn't believe it.
"All that tension must buildup because they do it every day. Probably after curfew."
Legosi gawked in disbelief. "WH...WHAT!?"
"Woah! Calm down, Legosi!"
"H-how did you find that out?", Legosi managed to ask a bit more quietly.
"Pina gushed to me after club. He went into detail..."
Legosi's ears drew back. "Wow..." How could they just do it like that so easily? Didn't they have fears?
"Are you okay?"
"Just...me and Louis have been through so much...been dating for months...and we still haven't..."
"Still?!"
Legosi nodded. "We're...really really close, I think, but there's still fear, I feel."
Dom put a hand on his arm. "If you aren't ready, don't do it. It could be dangerous...It might be dangerous anyway. Do you think Bill got a muzzle?"
"I don't know. I don't want to ask." Legosi looked awkwardly at the peafowl. "Have you and Kai...um..." He thought he knew the answer anyway.
"Definitely not. Kai is asexual, so...Yeah. Plus, with me being a bird and all..."
"But he's very loving."
"You just never see it."
"O-oh!" Well that was a lot of information dropped at once. "Well, I'm glad you're happy."
"Me too. I love him, but I haven't told him yet. We might have to move slower than you and Louis, if I'm being honest."
"You haven't told him you love him?"
"No, he would think it was too early."
"Wow." Legosi rubbed his arm. Three gay carniherbi couples, including Louis and himself, and they all were so different from each other. And neither one was more correct than the other...
"Hey sluts! Quit yappin' and help!" Kai shouted out. They both apologized and got back to it.
The drama club finished up their work around lunch time, after which they ate together in the cafeteria and went their separate ways. Legosi made his way back to his and Louis' place.
Legosi hadn't come home yet. It was already almost time for the dance. Louis was staring at himself in the mirror, looking at his face and tying a black tie. He was wearing his tux. His eyes moved to the eyepatch that covered his left eye. He found himself loving it more each day. It was becoming a part if him. His eye shifted to the earring on his right ear, smiling. It was a confirmation of who he was and he was proud of it, too. He wondered what Legosi would like tonight. They hadn't seen what one another looked like, yet. Tonight's the night...I need to tell him. He grinned more. It could all happen today. He looked to the bag he had placed in this sink. Only one more thing to add.
Legosi swung his arms and hips in a carefree manner as he approached his home. He and Louis's relationship had been going so smoothly, with no fights since that big one. He felt giddy, thinking about the progress in bed, as well. He added a bit of a flourish to the secret knock before opening up.
Louis was still in the bathroom, but his ears perked when he heard the door open. "Legosi?" He was still adding his little surprise.
"Louis!" Legosi slipped his shoes off and started to shed his tracksuit.
"I'm in the bathroom getting ready! How was setup?"
"It went really well, I think." Legosi thought about what Dom had told him. "Also, Dom told me that Pina and Bill have been having sex every night since game night."
Louis stopped, staring at his reflection. He saw the lips move but it didn't feel like it was his. "Oh."
"Haha, yeah I felt the same way. I don't know how they do it. I mean, not like that. Y-you know what I mean!" Legosi was down to his underwear now.
"Yeah! I get it! They're just...different!" So why do I feel jealous?
Legosi had showered that morning, so he was still fresh for the dance. He pulled out the tux he had bought yesterday, starting to put it on.
Louis frowned. "There's no issue with taking our time, Legosi."
"I know. And we've been preparing now, and we've been doing well."
"Surprised you let me do it at least once a day." Tell him, Louis. It's time.
"W-well, it feels good. And it's...it feels better each time." He wagged his tail.
"I enjoy doing it, that's for sure!"
Legosi blushed. He reached for the purple bowtie Louis had chosen for him, tying it on.
Louis sighed. The will to tell his mate he was ready drifted away. "I'm ready!"
"O-oh! I bet you look amazing!"
"I'll wait until you're ready!"
Legosi, not having a mirror, wasn't sure. He tried to get a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the TV, but it was too dark. "Uh, ready?"
Louis took a breath then opened the bathroom door, coming out from behind the wall. There he was, wearing a full suit and dress shoes. His earring had been changed to a star and he wore little golden hanging star decorations strewn across his antlers, dangling down. He had a black tie and a white dress shirt, but the biggest thing he wore was his a shy smile. He felt so vulnerable and delicate for some reason. The thoughts running through his mind wouldn't leave him alone. Would he shed this entire suit tonight and finally lose himself in his boyfriend?
Legosi was awestruck by the deer that had just stepped before him. He hadn't felt like this since the first time he saw him naked. His eyes were wide and his mouth was dry. His tail started wagging wildly behind him. He himself looked rather plain, other than the unique color of his bowtie. His fur had gotten messed up when he slipped on his outfit.
Louis blushed. "Legosi."
"...Louis." There were stars in his eyes. He walked forward, observing all the jewelry that he wore. "I...I want to hold you and never let you go...but I don't want to mess up your outfit."
Louis smiled the softest, warmest smile the animal had ever seen. "Never let me go, anyway."
The wolf reached up, touching the stars that hung from his antlers delicately. They swung with the gentlest touch. He looked down at himself, chuckling. "I...seem a bit plain, huh?"
"You are beautifully dashing, Legosi." He smiled. "Oh! I got you something."
"Hm?"
Legosi looked around nervously. Wait...already?
Louis smiled. "I saw this and I knew it was perfect for you." Held the box up. "I didn't know whether to spend that much money, but..."
Legosi just stared at it.
The deer opened it and inside was a golden beetle pin. "It's um...Real gold, too..."
Legosi gasped softly, holding a hand up to his mouth. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" He spoke in that effeminate way he adopted when he was particularly excited. He took it out and turned it over in his hands. "How...thank you!"
Louis blushed. "Let me put it on you."
Legosi held it out in his palm for Louis to grab. "How...how much money do you have?"
He shrugged, taking the beetle pin and pinning it to Legosi's lapel. "Let's worry about that later. It's time go show everyone Lougosi."
Legosi blinked. "Lou...gosi." He giggled, before his ears perked up. "Oh, I should brush my fur before we go."
"Oh, definitely. I'll be waiting here." He smiled, looking at the pin again. It was going to be a magical night, he could feel it.
Legosi looked at himself in the mirror. He remembered when he used to avoid doing so. He used to hate the way he was. Too tall, too strong, too intimidating. Now he stood with his head up tall, smile on his face, and a boyfriend who loved him. All of him. AND gave him a super stylish beetle pin. He couldn't stop looking at it. He took his brush and quickly ran it over his head and cheeks, his usual routine.
Louis waited, looking at whatever on his phone. He was just distracting himself. He was giddy, to say the least. It was their night. Nothing was going to ruin it.
Legosi emerged, fur now softer and fluffier. He smiled, showing his fangs slightly.
The deer looked up. "Welcome back. You ready?"
The wolf nodded. "Let's start a new year together!"