A/N: A bit late of an update, struggles with website and life overall. This chapter was inspired by TommySamash's artwork in DA.
Guest;
"Yeah, Ellen can be quite a charming person when Durham feels like talking his mouth out. :P Thankfully the chapter was decent somewhat."
nadillaandlaprasthefireandice;
"Yeah, I have to make his personality with what I can get, which isn't much, but it's easier to build it up when there's not much to it."
Guest(2);
"He did? I will take a look later on then. Thanks."
LzMan;
"Why? The teasing build up character! Just like getting beat up makes you stronger or something like that. :)"
Tommy423;
"Yep, these two have a long road of teasing to go yet. :P"
Elias8807;
"I don't think the equine vision applies here, their eyes are centered forward, even in the case of equines. The more human look took away some of that characteristics. Yep, you will see tons of these two later on, the story might change slightly, but I won't deviate that much from the original. Perhaps."
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"It's late... why isn't he back yet?"
"He's a wolf. He likes being out late anyway. Have you tried calling him?"
"Yeah, but the call just ends up dead. I think his phone is off."
"Weird, should we ask someone? Maybe they've seen him go out?"
"Why would he? We have a curfew, if he doesn't get back before midnight..."
"Still, we should tell someone. One of the supervisors at least."
"I know."
Durham calmly watched as his roommates were gathered up, looks of concern and anxiety mixed in their eyes (except for Collot) as they debate the situation of the missing Legosi. The coyote was well aware that there was nothing they could do at the moment, the event would have to play out until next day, then he would look to see what has become of the wolf. He wasn't going to be a fool and tell them what Legosi was up to, it would only turn the situation into chaos, and Jack into a sorry mess of stress. Although he did messaged his father about the situation. It was not a thrilling conversation.
Initially he's father had been shocked to learn of a kidnapping that was not reported by anyone, which surprised Durham. How there were people that knew but did nothing about it? Surely Legosi didn't find about it on his own. That shock turned into cold fury once he learned that Legosi ran off to save the girl from no other than the Shishigumi. The texting ended there only for his father to call him personally to chastise him for letting the wolf go. Durham should've know better than tell his father that he gave him the gun. It wasn't often that Durham heard his own father calling him a fucking idiot, it wasn't the best feeling in the world for sure.
Anger aside, his father did instruct him to lay low and don't mention this event to anyone, if Legosi doesn't show up in the next day he would lead a search team, providing that Legosi's phone could be tracked to an extent. The coyote asked him if the schools should be getting reinforced security, since he didn't think parents would be happy if their children could be simply kidnapped or worse. His father hesitated to answer, he wasn't sure what to do in that regard, especially since none of the schools never made such requirement. They never felt compelled to since most institutions decided to have their students segregated.
He did ask about Ellen though, to which Durham was more than happy to talk about. His excitement over the phone has left his father more at ease, for he was starting to soften up to the idea of him dating an Herbivore, not that he really had any qualms, although they both knew that the matriarch of the family could have different opinions. He did suggest for Durham to invite Ellen home, see if they could work that issue out of the way. The coyote was hesitant at first, but agreed to talk with the zebra about that idea.
"Just try to stay out of trouble. I don't need to be stressing over you too, I think your mother has the right to be worried, don't confirm her fears by doing something irrational. Take care... son."
Durham sighed as he reminded of his parting words before the call ended. It really didn't feel fair to be advised of caution, he was well aware of what to do, it couldn't be helped if trouble ended up shoving at his face. True, his suspension of the Sports club was partially his fault, but since when he should get punished for having an opinion? Fuck the school for not bothering to check facts.
His roommates where still debating what was the best course of action to take. He was about to go there and try to abate their conversation, but his phone started ringing. He jumped, not expecting a call this late. Checking the ID it surprised him to see that it was Ellen calling him.
"Hey, just wanted to check on you." She started, her voice barely audible, most likely due her trying to keep it low due her sleeping roommates. "Is... Legosi back?"
"Not yet. We will wait until morning, if he's not back by then. Well, dad has already planned something ahead."
"You talked with him about it?" She asked, surprised and somewhat happy. "Of course, who better than the police to solve this issue."
He did not dare to question that logic.
"So, huh, yeah. Say... I kinda was wondering if, well, not really a big deal, just..."
"What?" Ellen was surprised at how much the coyote was fumbling his words around, which was very unusual of him.
"Do you... wanna visit my parents next week?" He asked, feeling a lump in his throat. He wasn't even sure why the idea of Ellen going to this house was getting him so worked up.
He did ask his father his opinion on that idea through text messaging. His reply was of concern, saying that he didn't mind, but that Durham would need to heed towards his mother some sort of warning.
Durham was actually dreading such encounter, a feeling that was not new to him, since the notion of such visit has been on his mind for few weeks. He wasn't sure what to expect from his mother, either a positive or negative outlook were both equally concerning. A negative outlook was understandable, but he did not want to have that issue on top of many others he would be facing by dating and Herbivore. A positive outlook would be deceitful at best, for he wasn't sure that his mother showing any kind of appreciation towards the zebra would be genuine or not.
"Of course! I wanna know who's he poor soul that had to endure you for so many years." Ellen replied cheekily, Durham chuckled at her optimism.
"Yeah, I imagined you would. Just... don't be worried if my mother seems reluctant towards you. It's a first of me dating someone, and an Herbivore on top of that."
"You... are worried that she's not going to like it, aren't you?" Ellen asked, fully aware of what had the coyote troubled.
"Well, yeah, I am. No point denying it, you know how it is." He said, feeling a bit disheartened at the admission. "I can understand your folks being worried, but mine? We actually had an incident..."
Durham let his words hang, feeling no desire to continue that topic any further. Ellen understood the pause, she awkwardly remained silent, wondering what she could say to change the conversation to a lighter topic.
The coyote let his gaze wander back to his roommates, watching as they kept addressing Legosi's disappearance. Jack being the most distressed about the situation, but even now Durham could tell he was handling himself with more maturity than one would expect. Shiira has made such an impact on the labrador's personality that the coyote was having a hard time trying to understand this new Jack. Whatever happened in their last encounter seemed to spark a sudden change in his behavior, to the point that Jack wasn't letting himself abate so easily by Herbivore animosity. There was a new look of determination in his eyes, almost as if he was bent on fighting through whatever came at him, no matter the odds. It was so instantaneous and different, the others were struggling to grasp this kind of change, as it came from one day to the other.
"Durham, are you still there?" Ellen's voice called, breaking him from his stupor. He blinked, realizing that he left her hanging on the call for too long.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, just... wondering about some stuff. No worries." He explained, although she didn't seem to believe him. Her tone changed, from serious to more sympathetic.
"Hey, wanna hang out tomorrow? Just the two of us. Near the gym should be less crowded." She suggested. Her invitation surprised him, he didn't expect her to be seeking privacy so soon in regards to their relationship. He smiled despite the anxiety he felt.
"Sure, sounds like a plan. We can discuss more about this tomorrow. Night Ellen." He replied, adding a touch of affection to his words. The zebra giggled at his attempt of sounding romantic.
"You can keep calling me Stripes, I kinda like it." She replied, sounding humored. "I wonder if you ever going to tell me why your mother calls you Straw."
"Eh, maybe one day. I promise."
"I will make sure you remember then, goodnight... Straw."
Durham chuckled as he close the call, his thoughts wandering off to whatever activities they both would be sharing in the next day.
'For once being called Straw doesn't bother me as much. Only her would be able to say it and make me feel good about it. Hmmm, we haven't really even kissed yet. Should I-'
"Durham!"
The coyote swore under his breath, jumping a bit at having his name shouted. His eyes turned towards the responsible for disrupting his thoughts.
"The hell do you want? Does it look like I can do anything about what happened with Legosi?" He shot back, sounding appropriately annoyed. Jack blinked, surprised by how testy the Durham reacted.
"Actually I was going to ask about your day with Ellen." He explained carefully, not wanting to upset the coyote any further. Durham winced, feeling bad for snapping so quickly. He realized that Collot, Voss and Miguno were also watching him, all of them sharing the same curious expressions.
"Wasn't aware we were filling reports on our dates. I already have enough of sharing by cleaning the damn shower drain, the more you want from me?" Durham asked, looking back at the group. Most of them shrugged, but Collot was unabated.
"Oh, come on! Give us some details! Surely dating an Herbivore has to provide some interesting stuff!" The sheppard insisted, looking far too interested for his own good. Durham snorted, but relented on giving them something under the pressure of several curious stares.
"What kind of details? There's not much I can offer, we barely started dating."
"Well, how do you feel about Ellen after these few weeks with her? What's different on her regarding other Herbivores?" Miguno asked, something about the way he spoke made Durham pause.
Miguno and Durham were pretty close in terms of friendship, something akin to what Jack and Legosi were to each other but, ever since he started to chase after Ellen, Miguno faded in the background of his relationships. The coyote wasn't even sure why Miguno was their roommate to this day, for the fact that he wasn't even a canine. It showed how the school struggled to keep things in check more carefully. It was painfully noticeable that Miguno was disappointed that Durham kept him in the dark about his relationship with Ellen, a fact that wasn't made less hurtful due the fact that Jack knew way more about it than Miguno did.
"I ought to tell you anyway, I own you that much, since I never mentioned anything about her. Sorry about that." Durham apologized, a regretful look on his face and he glanced at the hyena. Miguno sighed, seemingly unsure of how to react to the apology.
"I mean, I guess I understand. You were so worried about her, that everyone else kinda became a second thing. Still, you could've told me too. Jack knew about it way more than any of us."
Durham nodded quietly, fully aware of the fault he committed towards his good friend. He felt bad for not giving the others much of a second thought, but now that Ellen and him finally hooked up, and it was not much of a secret anyways, there was no reason to be avoiding them for so long.
"Say, why don't we get go talk about our girls then?" The coyote suggested, looking smug all of sudden.
"Our girls?" Jack asked, looking confused for a moment, until he realized what was being implied. "Wait!"
"Nuhuh! You have to spill the beans about Shiira too! Otherwise I'm not saying anything."
Jack looked absolutely mortified, feeling the burning stares of the other roommates on his very soul. He groaned pitifully.
"Fiiiine, but no inappropriate jokes!" He demanded, looking irritated all of sudden. His reaction surprised everyone.
"Woah, chill Jack! What did we do?" Voss asked, glancing at the much taller canine in wonder. "It ain't like you to snap at people."
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." Jack replied back, looking positively embarrassed by the small outburst. "It's just... I was out with Shiira earlier today, and... we talked. A lot."
"About what?" Durham inquired, looking very interested by whatever she could've shared, but the glare that Jack sent his way was enough of an answer. "I'm starting to think that it wasn't the most thrilling talk."
"Yeah, you got that right." Jack muttered, his view becoming unfocused as he remembered the event.
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4 hours ago...
"So, now that we finally have some time for ourselves, there's a few things I wanted to talk about with you. If that's fine of course."
"N-No! Of course it's fine! I- huh- I just don't know if this is the best place for having a private talk."
"Maybe not, but Fujiwara has a nice discount for coffee at this hour of the day. I wouldn't pass it up for nothing."
"You're a coffee addict? N-not that it's a bad thing! I just don't usually drink coffee that much, mostly just tea."
"Yet, you ordered noddle soup for both of us, despite having nothing to do with coffee."
"I'm trying!"
Shiira laughed uproariously, not caring that it sounded very unladylike. Jack was going through one of his nervous fits whenever she did something that he considered intimate. Not that it was the case, except for her choice of using more revealing pieces of clothing. She's been stuck in the school's uniform for ages, alternating at times with the gym's uniforms that were provided to club members. She loathed the clothes, and tennis, with a passion. It was an immense relief to be put on a short skirt, less plain and boring shirts (combined with a blouse), and sandals. She felt so much more at ease and lighter when using such clothing, but even such choices were followed by anxiety and worry. She had enough unwelcoming past experiences in her life, so much that shielding her body away from unwanted view had become a norm. She only choose to use lighter clothing to turn Jack into a nervous wreck, it added to the entertainment of the early evening, that and the fact that she trusted him well enough to know he wouldn't take any sort of advantage from it.
Speaking of clothing, Shiira was surprised that Jack wasn't really sporting anything fancy, just a plain white shirt and the usual jeans. His choices of social clothing were rather... simple. Not that she thought it was anything bad, but it spokes volumes that he wasn't the type to go out anywhere, much less to catch the attention of anyone. She ought to address that in the future, the labrador could use a more refined wardrobe.
"So, what is that you wanted to talk about?" Jack asked, glancing around Fujiwara's establishment. It was mostly empty for the current hour, with the exception of Fujiwara himself and an old couple of flamingos. The experienced pair was busy talking among themselves, their words indecipherable at the present distance. Shiira's grin grew tense.
"Well, I'm kinda wondering if it's fine for us to be seeing each other. Especially since you mentioned there's a girl you're trying to impress for the Meteorite Festival after all."
Jack nearly chocked on his noodles, gasping for air as he forced the food down his throat. Shiira patiently waited for him to recover from the sudden shock.
"O-Oh, t-that... huh! I... well, the truth is... uhhh..." He hesitated, unsure if this was the appropriate time to bring the truth up.
"You better be honest with me, otherwise I'm walking out if I ever feel you're making up excuses." She warned, not wanting to take her chances with another potential relationship disappointment.
Jack's panic subsided, realizing that there was no way around it but to be truthful. He sighed.
"Well, to be honest. I... there's no other girl. I made that up, with help of Durham of course." He added with a chuckle. Shiira huffed.
"So you were lying to me this whole time." She said with a tone of finality that scared the canine.
"What? No! I mean, it's... there's no other girl, because... that girl was you."
Shiira stared, her mouth hanging open but words failed her. She knew Jack always seemed suspicious regarding the whole learning to dance act. Yet, she gave him the benefit of doubt, but it was clear he was hiding something, and she was decided on finding out who was this mysterious girl that the labrador could be so interested in to go to such embarrassing lengths, considering how socially awkward Jack is regarding females. After all this time, to find out she was the one he has been crushing on, came off as a great and unexpected surprise.
"Jack." Shiira paused, unsure if she should take his words for granted or not. "Are you sure I'm the kind of girl you want to get involved with?" Jack regarded her with confusion, a frown on his face that was rather rare to see.
"What do you mean? Is this some sort of insecurity because we are different?" He asked rather seriously. Shiira couldn't help but feel somewhat elated that he didn't care in the slightest that she isn't a canine.
"No, not at all. It's... maybe you should know more about me, before deciding if I'm worth the trouble. It's... I've come from bad places, I don't want my previous life to get in the way of how you feel about me." Shiira replied, a look of anxiety on her that Jack picked on right away. He place his hand over hers, a look of sympathy and weariness on his face.
"Whatever you feel you can tell me, don't be afraid to do so. I... I may not know much about the bad things that life throw at us from time to time, but... you're the one of the few people I would trust on telling me the truth about it. I may not like it, yet I would be honored if you decided to share that burden with me."
Shiira felt a lump in her throat, his words taking a tool in her emotions that she didn't expect. It was such a sweet and incredible thing for him to say, fully aware that he was being honest and meant it. It was moments like these that she saw the amazing person Jack could potentially be, a much needed partner that she longed for so many years. She knew that if she kept this conversation going there would be some strong revelations to be shared, but the canine proved himself to be worth of that knowledge.
"Right, so where do I start?" Shiira said, feeling her voice failing her for a second. Jack gripped her hand more firmly, a gesture she appreciated immensely. "I had a rather unconventional childhood. I never knew my father and my mother was a drug addict."
Jack blinked, his idea of unconventional hadn't even cut close to what she revealed, but it didn't sound as bad as he feared.
"So, since she came short of money for her drugs, she sold me for a good amount to a group of misfits."
The labrador went stiff, his eyes bulging out, staring agape at the absurdity of what has been pronounced. Shiira didn't notice, for her eyes were focused intently on the wooden table.
"I spent few years under their care, it was... uneventful to say the least, but not as bad one would think. Yet, they gave me away to the owner of a night club when I was ten. A debt they owned to him or something, so I was placed under his care until... well, I was of age to attract the eyes of a more mature audience."
Jack didn't say a word. He didn't move, he didn't dare to breath. His brain had shut down, for all he could do was listen in shell shocked silence.
"Naturally I had to comply with it, it was the only way I was going to get feed. Also, I never was educated on how... inappropriate it was for a girl at that age to be doing such things. I... well, I guess I didn't know any better. Even so, I actually found some sort of way to cope though it, since I loved dancing. Yes, the dances were with not the most innocents of intents, but... I always felt at ease while dancing, it made me feel lighter, more alive and disconnected from the world somewhat. It was different from anything I have done in my short life until that point. I didn't have to worry about impressing customers too, heh, it was rather easy since my body was far too developed, even for a girl in her fourteens."
The attempt at making humor out of it fell incredibly flat, to the point it made the canine frown.
"You were just a kid." Jack muttered, his own voice unrecognizable for him. Shiira didn't hear it, for the memories clouded everything else around her.
"So I wasn't doing that bad, getting things done and even some nice tips. Of course that it wouldn't be the case once I reached a more mature state, then I would be 'required' to prove our costumers a more... personal approach." The cheetah paused, a look of absolute disgust on her face that Jack found perfectly justifiable. "Yet, I was saved from that fate, that for whatever reason one of the teachers on this school chanced upon me when visiting the club. It was sheer luck that he was there with a friend, he saw me and noticed that I had an uncanny talent for acting and dancing. The Drama club wasn't faring very well at that time, they needed to find someone to hold it together until they could find more members. I was... rescued is not really the word. I would say, taken back to a more civilized place. The teacher and his friend came to know of my age and the illegality of my presence there. They spoke to the owner about it, he... wasn't happy with being forced to let me go, but with the threat of the police on his neck he really didn't have a choice."
Shiira sighed, looking up but avoiding the labrador's stare, her face filled with contempt and sorrow.
"Yeah, kinda of crazy if you think about it. I've been in this school for longer than anyone, desperately trying to catch up on the education I lacked for so many years. I have nothing but eternal gratitude for what this school has done for me. Before you ask, no, I don't have foster parents or anything of the sort. I've been living here ever since. I do hope to get a decent job and finally be able to move on to a house of my own. I..."
Shiira paused, she felt the surge of emotions overwhelm her. Thinking back on how horrible her life used to be was difficult, but to see how far she has come ever since, to the point of having a dignifying future. It was mind-blowing and heartbreaking somewhat. She looked back at Jack, wondering how he was faring by hearing all the things she said.
Jack was there, he was still with her, he didn't ran away from the horrors she shared with him. No, he was still there.
Hugging her as if his life depended on it.
She blinked, confused as to when did he get this close to her, without her even noticing. Has her mind been so wrapped up by her memories that she failed to perceive anything on the present time? This closeness, this warmth his smooth fur brought to her, it was something she has been sorely missing. She awkwardly tried to move her arms around him, but she struggled to go past his bear hug.
"Jack..."
"Don't... you... don't say anymore. Please."
"..."
He sighed, sounding incredibly exhausted and conflicted. Yet, he never let her go, despite the awkward glance that Fujiwara was sending them from far away, but nothing at that moment could've fazed the labrador.
"Shiira." He started, sounding breathless."I will never betray your trust. I promise you. No matter what."
"What are you-
"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
She gasped. A look of complete disbelief on her face, unsure if she heard it right. Despite all the things she revealed to him, the obscenities that she endured, he still wanted to be with her?! Not even Tao knew nearly enough of what she just told Jack, and even then the panther had been hesitant.
"But... don't you think I'm some filthy whore?" She asked, feeling her eyes starting to stung, not daring to hope he was actually going to accept her for the way she was raised as. Jack growled lowly, something that was shocking to hear coming from him.
"Never dare to think of yourself like that again. You are nothing of the sort. You... are beautiful, smart and... the most impressive girl I've ever seen. I don't say that I don't care of what you've been before, but that was someone you never wanted to be, that much I can understand. Please... give yourself a chance to be who you truly are, without being afraid of who you once were. I do not want you to be like this, hiding under a persona you are not."
Shiira choked, feeling the tears flowing freely for the first time in many months, for she rarely allowed herself to display this much emotion. She spent so many years hiding under her strong personality, deeply ashamed of the things she did in her past, but Jack wasn't having it. He wanted her to open up, with more than just words. She could tell he was shocked, but something else awoke in the canine, a feeling she could not truly identify.
"Come on now." He said, feeling the sudden wetness on his shoulder. "Let's finish up here and get back to school. We can talk more on the way back. I'm sure there's a lot to be said till then. Also, I'm paying."
She chuckled, a mix of tears and a chortled laugh that made the labrador more at ease.
"Then you better do it quick. Fujiwara has been giving us weird looks for few minutes now."
"Oh, I guess so."
"Jack?"
"What?"
"Are you gonna pay or keep hugging me?"
"I can wait."