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Sorry for the long waiting times. Anyway, hope it was worth the wait ;)
Beastars – Into the spotlight
Chapter 2 – Wild, raw and majestic
POV Legoshi
I really wanted to find out how serious he was about this. Finally, we talked about something more-intimate. I wanted to do this since quite a while already, but I would never have had the guts to start it myself. I would have been really worried about what Jack would think of me if I did start it myself, so I wouldn´t even have considered it.
I knew that he cared about me, and I was kind of proud of it ever since, but I could never really tell what really slumbered inside of him. Did he just fool around with me or did he actually mean it?
He just looked at me with big eyes after I asked him if he wanted to talk about it, but it didn´t seem too easy for him to find the right words right now.
"L-Legoshi…" he stuttered, "…I…I just always wondered…"
I thought it would make it a little easier for him if I didn´t stare right back at him, so I looked down onto my claws instead. They grew back just so sharp once again.
Another long moment passed by, and when I finally did look back at him again, he still didn´t know what he wanted to say.
Never before had I seen him this nervous about something. He was the hardest working and also one of the smartest students of the entire school, he always wanted to be the best he could possibly be, and now for the first time in quite a while I caught him really struggling with something. I couldn´t quite hide that I really enjoyed this situation right now.
"Gotta say…you look really quite cute like that…" I chuckled in all honesty.
"Oh shut up!" he shouted childishly, but I couldn´t stop myself from smiling at him. He just crossed his arms with a little sigh.
"You know…" I told him, now being more-serious again, "I´m kinda glad I´m not the only one having his little problems here and th-"
"I don't have problems!" he got even louder hectically, "I…I…why are you saying I…"
"Come on" I tried to calm him down, raising my paws a little, "I was just…"
"I was trying to help you!" he yelled, now really becoming emotional all over sudden "Why would you assume I have probl-"
I was a little surprised by that sudden outburst. I really didn´t want to upset him. I probably didn´t use the right words there, maybe I shouldn´t have said anything at all, but now it happened and explaining how I really meant that wouldn´t help either, he probably figured. But the way I reacted instead surprised myself just as much as it surprised him in the end. It worked out rather effectively though: I got off my matrass quickly, pulled him from his chair onto his feet and simply hugged him tightly, half naked as I was. I didn´t think about it twice, I just did it.
There we stood. I just wrapped my arms around the cream-colored Labrador carefully, trying not to hurt him with my claws, and wouldn´t let him get away from it.
That move shut him up for dead right now and I could literally feel how the tension in his body decreased slowly but surely. His fur was so soft, almost velvety smooth and I immediately had the urge to pet his head with my paws. It was just a nice feeling.
And It seemed like he immediately had forgotten what he wanted to yell at me about. It took him a second to realize what was happening right now, but then he hugged me back tightly instead of pushing me away.
"I´m…" he stuttered low- but somewhat excitedly, "I´m sorry Legoshi."
I just looked into his bright brown eyes from above and nodded with an understanding little smirk.
"I maybe do have problems as well…" he confessed, "I just never wanted anybody to know it…"
"You´re doing so many things right which I don´t" I told him lowly, still rubbing his head with my paws carefully, "And I think it´s okay to have little issues…"
"Yeah?"
"I…I mean you can´t expect yourself to be perfect at everything…"
He nodded a little while still burying his head into the fur on my chest.
"Just tell me about it" I told him once again, "Whatever it is, I could never be mad at you."
He now stared right into my eyes once again.
"I´m…I´m fascinated by wolves…" he told me, "I have been ever since I knew you…"
Now that one I really didn´t expect. I wasn´t quite sure how to reply to that at first. "Wh…what do you mean…fascinated?"
Now he released me from his grip gently and started gesturing with his paws while explaining:
"You know…wolves have been around way longer than all other kinds of dog breeds. And yet they remained so big and strong, so wild and yet…majestic…"
"Wild?" I asked, slightly shocked that he used that word. Was he really thinking that? Were others thinking that too?
"…majestic?"
He nodded slowly. "That moment on stage, when you improvised and got into a real fist-fight with Bill suddenly…" he said lowly, "I really enjoyed seeing you like that. You were not fighting your basic instincts in that moment. In that moment you were just that raw, beautiful wolf you are, not one who was not pretending to be something else…"
"I…what?!" I stuttered.
"Come on, Legoshi" he chuckled softly, "You know it´s true…admit it…it must be kinda cool to be as powerful as a wolf…"
POV Jack
He just remained staring at his claws with an unsure expression and a little shake of his head. His paws were so huge compared to mine. His claws so long and sharp. Even that fascinated me.
"Why…why does everyone keep saying that?" he wondered lowly, "…I mean…yeah it kinda helped me to free Haru from those lions who wanted to eat her, but…"
"Who else keeps saying that?" I wondered.
He remained thinking about that for quite a few moments as well.
"Louie said that…" he told me then, "…I heard it from somebody at the drama club…he said he found it disgusting that I´m trying so hard to hide it."
It surprised me a little to hear that, but didn´t find myself totally disagreeing with the famous red-deer if I was totally honest. I didn't find it disgusting, but I really enjoyed when he was not trying to hide it.
"Did you ever consider he may had a point?" I asked him carefully, "I…I mean…It´s not like you have to be a douche about it, showing off how strong you are and stuff…but at least you could stand proud of who you are and how strong you could be…"
"Hmm…" he mumbled. Then he looked into my eyes again and smiled a little, "…you might be right. Wolves are strong, there is no denying it…"
"I think you´re the strongest one of them all, Legoshi…" I chuckled with a little smile, "And I´m not just saying that because I´m your friend."
He nodded understandingly once again. I wasn´t quite sure if he truly did understand how I meant that, but I was glad I finally told him.
He had taken a seat on his matrass again in the meanwhile, still a little distracted by his thoughts as it seemed.
But then he suddenly smiled at me again. Even his teeth showed a little during that little grin.
"What?" I asked with a little smile, "What´s so funny?"
"You´re still staring at me" he chuckled, "Should I get myself a shirt already?"
I must have been staring at him this whole time. I didn´t even notice. I really was embarrassed about that right now, but there wasn´t really anything I could do to avoid it.
He wasn´t that innocent after all. He just wasn't. But he still did a good job making people believe it. Except for right now, obviously. He still smiled at me in amusement.
Of course I didn´t want him to get a shirt, I think he noticed that already, but he also knew I would feel very uncomfortable saying it loudly.
I just remained sighing at that question from him and waited for him to do something. I was pretty sure he figured for himself what that meant. Luckily he stopped teasing me with that soon.
"…so…if you´re into wolves that much, what do you think about Juno then?" he asked me unexpectedly, and I was even less prepared to answer that question right now. But he seemed to be serious about it. I was kinda glad about that change of topic right now, I was pretty sure he did it on purpose. He wasn´t innocent, but he was a good guy after all.
"I mean…she is a very pretty girl…and her dance performance at the festival of the meteor was really lovely…" I began, "…yeah…I do find her attractive, I´m not gonna lie, she´s nice…but…"
"…but?" he asked with an interested little grin.
"…but…I mean…I´m so way out of her league…I never even considered it…"
"Hey! Who said that?" he asked, apparently not understanding my point of view at all.
"Said what?"
"You being out of her league?" he clarified.
Now that made me hesitate even longer before I answered it. But then I knew how to tell him. I´ve been wanting to tell somebody about this for quite a while, actually.
"Legoshi…" I began lowly, "…they all see me just as some ´cute little Labrador´ who only wants to be good at school…"
"No, I don´t think they do not see you just as …" he wanted to interrupt me.
"You even said it yourself just a minute ago!" I reminded him. That pretty much made him lost for words right now.
"Oh…"
That really had made him quiet suddenly. The truth hit him hard on that one, apparently. He just stared down at his claws in total shame for a little while.
"…I know you have been joking earlier, I know you didn´t mean it like that. But apart from you and very few others, everybody sees me just as ´the adorable little Labrador´ I am." I told him the truth quite plainly, "Most people just talk to me when they need help in classes or something like that. Or when they need a ´best friend´, who listens to them when they cry about their boyfriends or girlfriends…or their crushes…but I rarely get the impression that they see me as a person who has feelings as well…" I sighed, looking right into his eyes once again, "I know it sounds kinda childish, but…"
"No, no!" he stopped me, "It really doesn´t! I know exactly what you mean, I…"
I just looked at him with a curious expression.
"I…I…uh…" he stuttered lowly, "I never noticed that was an issue for you. I feel so sorry I never asked you about it sooner! I hope you can forgive me for being such a…"
I nodded with a little sigh, before I answered: "I never wanted you to ask me about it anyway. I always thought you have enough trouble dealing with your own ´problems´…"
He nodded sad- but understandingly and stared at his claws once again.
"I´m really glad we finally talk about this" he confessed after another short moment of silence.
"It really was time" I agreed, now trying to look a little more cheered-up once again.
Then he really surprised me for a second time tonight.
"That hug felt really nice by the way" he stated with a chummy little smirk, and that lifted my spirit even more right now. I wasn´t quite expecting that from him, but I liked it.
"Wanna do it again?" I asked plainly.
He just nodded with a welcoming smile and waved me over towards his bed once again. He just couldn´t imagine how much I needed this. I needed this since quite a while already, but now the longer I had to wait for it, the happier it made me therefore. This was the best evening for me in quite a long time…
POV Juno
When Els and I finally were done cleaning up the rehearsal-room, it had taken us nearly half an hour, we went out of the building and intended to also get back to our dorms together, but then something really odd happened. We met Bill outside the building and it seemed like he had been waiting for me all this time.
"Juno!" he stopped me right away, "Can I talk to you for a second, please?" he asked me directly, but in a friendly way. Of course I was a little confused at first, but I also was kinda curious what this could possibly be about.
"Y-yes, of course! What is it?"
"Oh just some fine details about our performance…uhm…I´d like to talk to you alone about this, actually…"
Els gave me a quick look asking if I would be fine, but I just nodded with a friendly smile.
"Alright" she said with a polite little chuckle.
"Thanks, Els!" Bill told her with a little smile.
She nodded. "I´m going back to the dorms for now. See you guys later at the party?"
"Will do!" I told her happily, "See you later Els! And thanks for the help again!"
"That´s really no problem" she told me while waving it off with a little smile, "See you later, Bill!"
"See you later!" Bill told her in a friendly way and waved behind her.
She went on her way on her own and we waited for a couple of seconds.
"So…what did you want to talk about?" I asked him when she was out of earshot.
"Just generally about the whole thing. Do you really feel comfortable? …I mean…no offence, you guys are doing pretty good so far, but…you seem a little…distracted from time to time…"
"I…I uh…" I stuttered, "…what do you mean distracted?"
"I mean Romeo" he chuckled dryly "…I do believe you that you´re hopelessly in love with him…but I don't really believe him to be honest…"
"Is that why you´ve been waiting out here for me?" I asked, being a little confused he still went on about this, "Bill, we talked about this, Legoshi keeps that role…"
"I just thought you might want another opinion on this."
"Bill…I know you wanted this role right from the beginning. And now that Louis isn´t here anymore you´re the next best candidate, but…"
"It´s really not about that" he cut me off, "I´m actually quite glad we got so many carnivores on stage in this production, and even in the lead roles. And I already talked to Samou, the next lead role is going to be mine, no matter what. But we´re actors, and we have to be professional on stage!"
"Okay, but why…?"
"I really just want to help okay? I care about you guys, and about our project! I want it to be a success, I want to prove we´re not totally hopeless without Louis!" he explained.
I just looked at him for a couple of moments, but he didn´t pull a funny face or anything. And I actually believed him on that last statement, I wanted it to work without him too.
"I…I still don´t think he feels entirely comfortable" I confessed lowly, "…but I just don´t understand what the big problem is. I´m giving him hints all the time…"
"You gotta encourage him a little more" he told me in all honesty, "I mean…the poor guy is still a virgin…"
"Wait, what? Where do you know that from?"
"Just regular guy talk" he waved it off, "…at least I´m pretty sure he didn´t have sex yet…"
I never thought I had to talk to Bill to get this information, but I was actually quite glad about it at the moment. That was very interesting indeed.
"I mean…" I told him lowly, "…he still seems pretty distant to me. I don´t think he´s really desperate to change that…"
"You think he´ll show up at the party later?" Bill asked curiously, "He´s not part of our Halloween-Improvisation show, but I hope he´s at least coming to watch it…" he explained.
"I´m not quite sure. I hope so…" I said while shrugging my shoulders.
"Tell you what" he said with a motivating little smile, "He´s quite popular already since word spread he´s playing Romeo. I´m going to highlight him a little when he shows up tonight. You know…I Give him a few drinks, introduce him to a few people, make a big number out of him. Just pushing him out of the shadow a little…"
"You think that´ll work?" I asked, seriously having my doubts about this, "Legoshi is not the type to…"
"I know" he waved it off, "Leave that up to me! I know how to activate him, trust me!" he told me with a little wink, "…just make sure to be there for him if he needs you. Oh, and maybe put a drop of this into your fur…"
He pulled something out of his pocket quickly and reached it over to me. It was some sort of thick, red liquid in a very small glass bottle.
"Is this…is this blood?" I asked in total shock.
He put his finger in front of his mouth but then nodded with a tiny little grin. "It´s rabbit blood, I know an old rabbit guy who sells it to carnivores. You know…just to push ourselves a little in time of need…"
"What?!" I asked. The smell of that bottle was so intoxicating it really got me shaking for a second. I had to admit, I secretly enjoyed the smell already.
"Just take a tiny little drop" he told me once again, "I promise, Romeo won´t be able to get his attention off of you!" he told me with a little grin.
"B-Bill, I don´t know this is a good idea…"
"Put it in a glass of water to thin it out or something. Trust me, this will make it work!"
I really wanted to get that bottle out of my sight as quickly as possible, I already wanted to give it back to him, but then I stopped myself just in time. I considered what he said once again and figured that he might be right: Maybe a tiny little bit would just be enough to get his attention. The smell was kind of pleasant to us wolves, it just was.
I still was a little unsure about this, but then I nodded carefully.
"What have I got to lose?" I thought to myself, "Why not give it a try?"
"Alright" he summed it up with a contented little smile, before he went on his way towards the dorms without further ado, "I´m gonna go get changed! Party started half an hour ago already! See ya later, Juno!"
"Y-yeah, see you later!" I yelled after him, putting the little botte into my pocket for now, "Thanks Bill!"
I just remained standing there for another moment, then I headed for the dorms as well.
POV Legoshi
"So…you have been talking to Juno? " I asked him curiously. I had no doubt that was what he was referring to earlier. He was still laying on top of me and cuddling his head into the white fur on my chest.
"…you were asking why I won´t ever have a chance?" he asked back with a little smirk.
I kinda guessed it already but I nodded nevertheless.
"…there is only one guy at this entire school who she wants to get closer to. Someone from the drama-club to be exact, and that someone is you, Legoshi!" he explained with a big grin, just like I had expected it, "…she had seen us walking down the hallway together the other day and figured I knew more about you…" he continued.
I wasn´t really surprised from that answer, but it worried me a little that so many people knew about it by now. Was it really that big of a topic in the meanwhile?
"…so…what did you tell her?" I asked him curiously.
"I was careful with my answers" he told me lowly, "…she wanted to know if I was dating anybody else besides Haru right now, and if you are still dating her at all…"
I just stared at him a little more intensely so he would tell me more already.
"…I said I wasn´t quite sure and that you wouldn´t really talk to me about it…" he explained, looking like he was quite contented with himself there.
I wasn´t quite expecting to hear that exactly, but I was pretty pleased with it as well. That really was a clever answer from him. I could always trust him with things like this. Jack was smart enough not to prattle anything away. He was a real friend, there was no doubt about that. I really felt blessed to have somebody like him in my life.
And it also felt really nice to just lay on my matrass with the soft and cuddly Labrador in my arms right now. Although the whole situation still was a little weird over all, his body felt warm and smooth and very relaxing. His tail was still wagging very slightly and I could tell how much he liked this as well.
We should really do this more often I thought to myself. I hoped he thought the same way.
"What else did she ask you?" I wanted to know after a couple moments of relaxing silence.
"Oh, she asked if you were still a virgin for example…" he explained with an amused chuckle, "Don't worry, I didn´t tell her anything, I just said I don´t know exactly…"
"Why is that so important anyway?" I asked with a little sigh.
"Not quite sure" he chuckled, "But I bet it does make you a million times cooler…" he added ironically.
"Yeah, yeah…" I just sighed with a little smile.
"Are you scared of it?" he suddenly asked me with a big grin.
"I…I don´t know…" I said, "…I…I don't…"
"Come on, Legoshi" he grinned sheepishly, "Talk to me! What is it?"
I just shook my head. His tail began wagging heavily nevertheless, he was really excited for this all over sudden.
"…I´m just confused. I…I mean I would like to find out what it feels like, but I wouldn´t want to do it with just anyone…"
"But when Haru already offered it to you, why didn´t you…?"
I couldn´t really answer him that question right now either. "Just why were these questions so hard to answer? Why did he ask them in the first place? I knew why…but…why?"
"Is it something about your body?" he continued asking with a big grin.
I shook my head to that hectically. "It´s really not…It´s just…"
"Performance shortcomings?" he kept on teasing me.
I just remained sighing once again while shaking my head.
I wasn´t quite sure where all that came from all over sudden. "Maybe it was a way for him to overdo his own insecurities?"
"…no, it´s not that either" I told him with a little smile, "What are you getting at?"
"I don't know" he chuckled happily, "I just like seeing you like this."
"Like what?"
"The big strong wolf so surprisingly vulnerable on the inside" he told me quite bluntly, "Quite beautiful."
I decided to punish the Labrador a little for that comment, grabbed him by his shoulders and lifted him as high above my head as the bunk-bed allowed me too. He was surprisingly light I just noticed. Not as light as Haru, but easily light enough to keep him hovering above me for a little while. Then I just stared into his eyes again.
"Oh my…" he chuckled in excitement, "Legoshi, you really are strong!"
"I have no issues with my body" I told him with a little chuckle but an intriguing look, "It all works totally fine."
He stared at me for a little longer, still not able to stop giggling about it, but I let him have it and enjoyed his happiness. Seeing him happy normally improved my mood quiet a lot as well.
The blood in my arms slowly but surely moved out of them and he was becoming heavier. I carefully laid him back down onto my chest and released my grip on his shoulders. He buried his face into my fur once again, I put my arms back around him and let my head sink down onto my pillow again. I ignored everything else for a minute and just enjoyed it. I couldn't believe how relaxing this was.
POV Jack
I could have laid here the whole night with him. It´s been many years since I felt so cosy and comfortable, and I enjoyed it so much that it was just the two of us right now.
But just like it always was I life, the good things always had to come to an end when you didn´t want them to.
"Oh shit…" Legoshi muttered with a little sigh.
"What is it?"
"It´s past 8 already" he explained his sudden discomfort, "…I promised to join the others at the party tonight…at least for a little while…"
"Oh come on, really?" I asked, "Since when do you like going to parties?"
"I still don't like it" he agreed with another little sigh, "but the drama club does a little improvisation performance and I promised to at least be there and watch it…"
"Okay…" I sighed, as I didn´t want to make him feel too bad about it.
"You want to come too?" he asked, "At least I wouldn´t be so alone then…"
"I´m sorry, Legoshi" I told him while shaking my head slightly, "I´d rather stay here and read my Manga´s…I think you´ll have plenty of company…"
He now looked at me with his sad eyes again, it didn´t really lift my mood though.
"Come on, Jack" he told me while patting my head with his right paw, "…don´t be like that. You´re making me feel bad. I don´t want to go either, but I promised it…"
"I hope you feel bad" I told him with a tiny little smirk, "First getting me all warm and cosy and now leaving me like that?"
"Aww" he chuckled ironically, massaging one of my ears gently, "I think you´re praising it a little too high right now…"
I slowly climbed off of him now, as I sensed that he was serious about get moving towards that party.
"Just letting you know" I told him at this point, "I would have been down to do a few…you know…experiments…with each other…"
Now that made him stop in his tracks for another second. I couldn't quite believe I just told him without thinking about it once again. It just happened out of nowhere. My impatience was just stronger than my sense of judgement apparently.
"R-really?" he asked nervously.
"…y-yeah…you know…just the bros being bros kind of a deal…"
I really was nervous about his reaction, but now I finally said it and he knew about it.
He nodded understandingly, but he wasn´t quite so sure about it I believed. "God that´s such a weird situation!"
"I´m sorry…" he told me with a nervous little smirk, putting one of his paws onto my shoulder as he got off the matrass as well. It seemed like I really went too far with this. Now I felt so weird I almost got sick of it. Was it really that bad what I said? Did I misjudge that so badly? He just looked at me for another moment, but then my heart did a little jump when he added: "…not tonight…" with a nervous but serious little smirk.
I couldn´t help but smile back at him right now. I was so glad and so contented about how that went, a little sigh of relief escaped my mouth.
To get us out of the slightly awkward situation this had created, he immediately went towards his drawer to get himself some clothing for tonight. Then he hurried to get into the bathroom and take a shower.
Boy all that got me excited tonight. I still couldn't stop smiling about it when he came back from the bathroom. He had already put on his casual street closing, grey pants and a nice black shirt, and this really was a rare sight for me since we all had to wear our school uniforms normally, but it suited him well in my opinion. I was staring far too much at him again already, probably, but he wasn´t really bothered.
"Are you sure you don´t want to come to the party?" he asked with an encouraging smile, "Could be quite amusing in the end…and you don't have to stay forever either…" he added.
Although I really considered it once again, I figured I was still by far too messed up by all the thoughts that went through my head right now. For me it has been quite an eventful evening already.
"I´m sorry…" I told him, just like he did earlier, "…not tonight."
He just patted my head with an amused but also understanding little smirk, then he went for the door to the hallway. Soon later I was all alone in our room once again. Just me and my thoughts. Thoughts that would keep me awake quite a while tonight. "What the hell just happened? Did I really just do that?"
I was pretty sure I did. I did it and it was the right thing. I knew I could trust him on this, and I somehow knew I could count on him as well.
This feeling of pure joy and happiness suddenly overcame me once again, and since I was all alone and nobody could see me, I did a little victory dance through the whole room. What a great evening this was. I was so happy. A happy, probably also a bit cute, little Labrador. Tonight, that was all that mattered.
POV Haru
"Are you not going?" my roommate Sally asked me while she closed the curtain of her bed behind her.
"No, thank you, there is literally nobody there who I would want to meet" I answered dryly, "I´ll pass."
"Well, your choice" the squirrel said in that annoying, squeaky, almost a little bitchy tone of hers, "I´ve heard the actors team are doing a little improve session tonight, might be funny to watch…hey, isn´t that wolf boy you hang out with in the drama club as well?"
"So…?" I asked, "His name is Legoshi by the way. And he doesn´t like parties either."
"I´ve heard he´s playing a lead role in the next performance…" she told me dogmatically, "I bet they dragged him to the party as well tonight."
"He´s playing Romeo…" I sighed, "…and that annoying wolf girl Juno play´s his counterpart."
I really wasn't in the best of moods today. Ever since that mongoose visited me to pick up the flowers for the drama-club it was just going downhill with my attitude.
"Oh, those two make such a great couple I think!" she chuckled in excitement, just as unforgiving as ever.
"Yeah, thank you" I sighed.
"Don't tell me you really mean it with that guy!" she laughed, "I think he´s way too dangerous for an animal your size…"
"And even if!" I yelled at her, "Why would that be any of your business?"
"Okay! Girl chill down, okay?!" she said while turning away from me in a sassy way, "Don't go down on me with your issues! Have fun rotting here!"
With that she left the dorm and shut the door behind her, feeling quite confident about herself I assumed.
"Silence. Finally."
Now I was all alone. Again. Just like in the gardening-club, pretty much just like always. At least better than getting bullied constantly.
"Whatever" I muttered, before laying myself down onto my matrass and closing the curtain all the way, "Tomorrow is another day."
Damn, this one was complicated to write. Hope it was worth it though. Next one won´t take so long, I promise!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it a little! I´d be glad for some feedback!
Despite the circumstances, have a nice day! See you soon!
~furr