Chapter 98 - An Argument About Pancakes

The early morning sun bled through the drawn shades just enough to rouse the wolf from sleep, but not enough to get him to move. Bill's gentle breathing didn't help matters either. He stretched out and yawned, his bones cracking as his head bumped up against Bill's chin.

The tiger was full-on snoring, his head leaned back against the couch with his arm still around Legosi. They only had sex once the previous night, so it was interesting how tired he seemed.

Legosi wondered if he would have to free himself from those arms without him waking and if he even could. Even asleep, the tiger's grip was strong. At least it didn't seem too late, he could probably get away with laying down for a bit more and snuggling before he had to go off to the Shishigumi. That did remind Legosi that they should probably invest in a simple wall clock.

Bill continued to snore as some drool leaked out of the corner of his mouth. He was in dreamland, his mind filled with scenes of he, Legosi, Pina, and Louis just hanging out.

Legosi maneuvered so he was laying on his stomach atop the tiger as he wrapped his arms and legs around him and buried his face in his neck. This whole Shishigumi thing just seemed pointless to him now...

And then Bill's eyes were opening, focusing on the canine. "Oh...hey, Legosi~"

Legosi yawned again. "Mm, morning." He sank deeper, wanting to disappear into his tiger bed.

"Morning. Sorry, I disappointed you last night."

"Mm? What do you mean?" Legosi sighed and rubbed his cheek into the fur below him.

"We only had sex once when I kinda hyped it up."

"Well, I usually only have sex once with Louis. It's what I'm used to. It was really nice, by the way. You're very passionate."

"Am I?"

"I think so. You're more than just a horny tiger." Legosi nuzzled into him.

"I am! I really am!"

Legosi reached up to rub one of his ears, which he knew he liked. "And I feel lucky to be one of the animals you love."

"Oh, god. For some reason that just reminded me of what you need to do today."

"Hm? What? You mean go to the Shishigumi?"

"Yeah. Don't forget, I'm not actually going."

"I know." Legosi brought his hand down to knead at his forehead gently. "I'll be okay," he said, offering a warm and sleepy smile.

"I'm sure you will." He licked between his ears.

"But if I had the choice I'd stay here with you," the wolf sighed. He really loved the feeling of that tongue.

"Yeah, but you need to do what we have to do," Bill responded.

"I guess, even if I'm not sure what it is yet. At least I'll learn to fight better." Legosi held his hands and claws up. "Rawr..."

"Was that an attempt at a fake roar?"

"It's a fake roar, so how can it fail?" Legosi asked with a chuckle. He came in closer. "Rrrrar."

"It just did."

Legosi grumbled. "Louis would think it's funny."

"But I'm Bill."

"Yes, you are." Legosi propped himself up slightly. "So what are you going to do today?"

"I honestly don't know and that's exciting," Bill explained.

"Yeah, that's the best part about dropping out." Legosi twirled a claw into Bill's chest fur. "You'll at least be keeping my grandpa company."

"He is such a great guy..." Bill sighed. "I don't like leaving him alone, to be honest."

"Well, you don't have to anymore. And I can stay over whenever Louis has to go away! Maybe."

"Doesn't he go away a lot?"

"Hasn't recently, but the whole Branded thing is pretty random." Legosi laid back down on his side, squeezing in next to Bill. "Hope he can get away for the festival."

"Don't worry, he will."

A beat of silence passed. "Want anything for breakfast?" Legosi asked.

"No more eggs, please," Bill groaned.

Legosi frowned. "But you loved them..."

"I loved them, yeah, but that doesn't mean I want three egg sandwich meals in a row."

"Hm, maybe just some cereal, then." Legosi shifted up so he could stand, wincing slightly from the prior day's activities.

"Are you good?"

"Y-yeah. You went pretty hard, though."

"I did really hammer you, huh?"

Legosi reached out to rub his rear. "You did..."

Bill kissed him, gingerly. "What if I try and make dinner?"

Legosi cocked his head. "Are you going to stay here all day?"

"I don't think so. Even though it smells like you. Well, it smells like Louis, too."

"Hmm, well I'll text Louis and ask if he's coming home tonight. If not I can come over to grandpa's and you can cook us something." Legosi strolled over to the kitchen nook to grab some of their cereal.

"Another date? You're obsessed with me, huh?"

Legosi looked back. "You'd call that a date? It's just hanging out..."

"Ooh, I like that," Bill said. "'No need to make a big deal out of things, yeah?"

"Of course not. We're both pretty chill. Lowkey. Maybe not the sex, but..." Legosi's ears folded. "I should probably let Sebun know about you, eventually."

"God damn, I'm surprised she didn't come to check on you last night..." Bill said.

"Mmm." Legosi brought the boxes they had out. "So, do you want some bran flakes or something sugary?"

Legosi prepared the healthier bowl for himself and the sugary one for Bill. "A lot of milk or a little?"

"A little. Not really a fan of milk."

"Want some oat milk instead?" the canine offered.

"No thanks, man," Bill said.

Legosi pulled a shot for Bill and a decent amount for himself before coming over with the bowls. "There's juice too if you want it." He sat down next to him and handed him his bowl.

Bill immediately began digging in. "Mmm...gross."

"Yeah, but that's why you like it, right?" Legosi asked with a laugh.

"Fuck, you're right," Bill chuckled, shoving another spoonful of the sugary breakfast into his face.

They ate for a bit before Legosi spoke again. "Have you ever been naked like this before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, naked casually. I guess not, since you've been at Cherryton for so long, and you don't have a private place with Pina, but me and Louis just hang out naked a lot."

"That sounds like the life," Bill sighed. "Yeah, Pina always had to leave if he stayed over and even that was rare."

"Well, here's to getting to that point with you two." Legosi held his bowl up in a mock toast.

"You're so nice," Bill smiled, raising his bowl as well. They clunked them together and finished up their meals.

"So, have you thought about working at Bundle of Bugs?" Legosi queried, turning his head to Bill.

"I actually have," Bill said. "It sounds like a way better plan than going and getting killed maybe."

"Yeah, totally..." Legosi picked up the bowls and brought them to the little bin that they used as a makeshift sink. "Mel-san might have me train you. I might be your boss."

"Not nearly as hot as me being your boss..."

Legosi blushed. "I agree, but Mel-san would fire us if we brought that to work."

"I mean it's hotter with me bossing you around all day, building up the tension, then letting it out after work!"

"Is that some sort of extended roleplay thing?" Legosi asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, building tension up at work and bringing it back home and putting it into the sex? What's that all about?"

"Not really roleplaying if it's our actual roles, baby~" Bill teased.

That word got the wolf's tail wagging again. He came over and sat next to Bill again. "It's still a bit early, and I don't head off until near noon, so, uh, what do you wanna do?"

"Definitely finish this imaginary cereal," Bill said. "Even though I hate it."

"Is that your way of asking for more?"

"Yeah. Okay, but no, don't give me more, actually," Bill said, waving his hands.

"Mhm." Legosi leaned onto Bill and sighed. This tiger was so weird. "I'm not nervous, but I am too. Like, I feel pins and needles, kind of. I don't know. I don't think anything bad will happen today but..."

"Are you gonna make Melon bleed?" Bill questioned, stroking his thigh with his pointer finger.

"It's what he wants...and I don't want to make him mad." Legosi looked down at his claws.

Bill let out a laugh. "Dude! You made my back bleed the first time we went at it!"

"Yeah, but Melon-san isn't going to fuck me, Bill."

"He better not. Yuck."

"Would you be driven into a jealous fury?" Legosi teased with a finger under the cat's chin.

"Ugh, no," Bill scoffed. "How old is he anyway?"

"He's 24. Too young to be a mob boss, I think..."

"How do these animals even get in these positions? Damn." Bill blinked, stroking his chin. "Like, could you imagine if an animal like Louis became the leader of the Shishigumi? No way."

"He killed their old boss and became the new one," Legosi said more casually than he should have.

"Woah," the other carnivore swallowed. "What about Ichi?"

"Did he kill the old leader, too?"

"No, he's the founder of it. He brought them all together."

"Oh, jeez. That means it will be harder to make him let go," Bill said. "It's like his baby."

"Mm." Legosi shifted a bit and leaned into Bill more. "They have to try, still..."

The feline rubbed his lower back. "And I'm sure they will, babe, but right now they need to move carefully. Have you even talked to Louis since yesterday?"

"Oh, no. I didn't want to interrupt his plan with Pina. And...you, uh, were distracting too." Legosi's back arched as it was rubbed and he moaned softly.

Bill smiled at the noise. "Holy shit, do you think they finally did it?"

"Well, that's what Louis was planning, and he usually goes through with his plans. So unless something bad happened..."

"I'm gonna call Pina right now and ask him about it," Bill said, grabbing his phone and, without thinking, calling the sheep.

Legosi tried to swat it away. "Bill! He probably can't answer while he's in there!"

"He's gonna anyway, watch."

And he did. "Mmph, hey Billy. Everythin' alright?" The sheep had clearly just woken up.

"Did you have sex with Louis?" Bill asked, ever the stubborn animal.

Pina's distinctive chuckle was heard on the other end. "Yeeeeup."

"Damn, boy! Tell me everything!"

"Mmm, well first we did our nails and makeup while listening to music. Then we got down to it. I sat on his face a bit before he got those decorations in his antlers again. You know, the ones from the dance? He put them on and fucked me while I was on my back and then finished up while I was sitting on his lap. Oh, and Nori walked in on us."

"WHAT?! HAHAHA!" Bill barked out, laughing. "So, are you swooning over him now? Oh, fuck, he's probably passed out still, huh?"

"Won't be for long if you're shouting like that. And yeah, I just wanna wrap around him and sleep with him all day."

"I'm happy for you. I topped Legosi again pretty hard so he's limping." Bill grinned at the wolf as he said this. "I'm gonna work with him at the bug shop."

"Oh gosssh that's adorable. The two bug boys~"

Legosi leaned in. "Uh, yeah. Hi Pina!"

"Hi Leggy. My man treating you good?"

"Amazing time," Pina hummed, dreamily.

"Tell me about it," Bill said. "Legosi can't stop fawning over how good he is at sex."

"Me and Legosi are starting a Louis fan club," Pina stated. "Members get to have sex with him."

Bill laughed. "Unfair. I'm not his type!"

"You and Louis make a Legosi fan club, then," Pina said, blowing a raspberry afterward.

The tiger groaned. "Fucking sucks you have to be at the tower through the whole thing, though. You literally fucked in a cell."

"Yeah...Still nice, though. Can't wait to do it on a bed."

"You did it on the floor?"

"Well, it's like a mattress on the floor."

"Kind of like our futon?" Legosi asked.

"Yeah kinda. Bed's better still. I want the real Louis experience there."

Bill blew air out of his lips. "The futon is actually a pretty good substitute, to be honest."

"Yeah, well, I want to go back to sleep with Louis before he wakes up. Love ya, Billy."

"I love you, too, Pina. I'm psyched for you. And me, too. I'm not joining the Shishigumi, by the way. I'm taking the way out just like I did with Riz. Stepping back so I don't get killed."

"Woah, you just dropping that at the end there before I say bye? Well, thanks for telling me at least. Now we don't have to be worried about you. Just wish Legosi wouldn't have to go, but they are still a good backup plan."

"I'll be fine, Pina. You go back to sleep," Legosi said.

"Aye aye."

"Blehhh...who's that?" Louis mumbled in the background. Damn.

"Bill and Legosi." Pina's voice was quieter.

Louis smiled. "Oh. Tell them I said hi."

"Hi!" Legosi called out.

The deer's ears perked. "Heyyy...Apologies, I'm rather exhausted today. I summoned my chimera and I just had sex so...I'm guessing those are the reasons."

Legosi's ears perked up. "Oh, you did? What was it like?"

"It was draining, for sure. Everyone was very happy, though, especially Ichi. And the sex...I don't know if I want to say it with Pina laying right here."

"I already told them, boo," Pina chimed.

"Oh, really? I hope good things."

Bill chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. He's already waiting for next time, Lou."

"Yes, hopefully not here, but not complaining if it has to be." Pina cleared his throat. "Anyway, you two, we'll talk to you later."

Bill nudged Legosi. "They just want to be gay together, damn herbivores."

"Guess you just have to be gay with me then," Legosi teased. He turned to the phone. "Bye, Lou. Love you. When do you think you're coming back?"

"Tonight, hopefully. Wouldn't it be nice to just be together? I'm sick of all this in our way."

"Yeah, if they let Pina leave as often as you do..."

Louis sighed. "Oh, shit. I guess that means Ichi is probably going to continue the Chimera training today..."

"God, yeah, he nearly creamed his pants yesterday. That's why we should get as much sleep as possible before he calls for us," Pina explained.

Bill snickered. "Yeah, yeah. Sleep, you two. Love you, Pina Colada."

"Much love, doll~" And the sheep hung up.

Bill looked back to Legosi. "Okay, now what should we do?"

"Try and relax, I suppose." Legosi pushed himself into Bill more, always so needy.

"You trying to tell me something, wolf?"

"Pet me?" he asked, bluntly.

Bill immediately began his petting session, rubbing all over Legosi's face, his ears, and his neck. His fur and cheeks mushed up as his tongue poked out and he sighed happily out his nose and the feline sighed. "Fuck...You're just too cute. How do you do it?"

"Uh, I dunno. Did you always think I was cute?"

"Nope! Not at all!"

"Then I guess it's just your perception that's changed." Legosi blinked a few times. "Speaking of perception...do you remember where I put my glasses?"

"Uh...Nope." The two began scanning the room. "You should definitely try and remember that."

"I haven't had them for that long. I'm not used to it..." Legosi craned his neck to look around, not wanting to leave Bill's comfy embrace.

"We might have to get up, man."

The wolf whined, but he got up anyway, pacing around the room while searching.

"It might be under something," Bill stated, pulling up the blanket from the ground.

Sure enough, they clattered out onto the floor where Legosi scooped them up and inspected them for damage. Deeming them to be unscathed, he put them on.

Bill laughed. "Seriously, be careful or else you're going to be running into things all day."

"Hey, I didn't run into things before getting them! I can still see objects."

"Can you see this?" He shoved his hand into his face.

"Mph, yeah." Legosi sniffed and licked it before pushing his hand away. "So what are you cooking tonight?"

"Cooking? Oh, yeah. What's the opposite of egg sandwiches?"

Legosi blinked and furrowed his brows. "I don't think that's a question that has an answer."

"You're just not trying hard enough," Bill teased. "Honestly, I need to think about it. I suck at cooking."

"Grandpa likes sweets. Try something like that," Legosi suggested.

"Yeah, but for dinner?"

"Sure, why not? It's not like we follow rules."

"Okay, so pancakes, then."

"Oh, sure, that's easy."

"And yet, I know I'll fuck it up somehow," Bill laughed. "Oh, well! That's life."

"Yeah. You can't get better without trying. Can Pina make anything?"

Bill rotated his shoulders and stretched. "Yeah. He knows how to make pudding pretty well."

Legosi's ear flicked. "Just pudding?"

"Vanilla pudding."

"Huh. Well, good for him. Grandpa loves pancakes, though, so you should make those."

"Okay, okay. Any particular kind of pancake?" Bill continued his morning stretches.

"Thick ones." Legosi sat back down on the couch with a bounce.

"Uh...I meant type."

"Like, breakfast ones."

"Are you stupid or something?"

"No? A breakfast pancake." Legosi scowled, slightly.

Bill literally tackled him onto the futon at that. "Is your vision so impaired that you can't even see what I'm fucking saying?"

"What?" Legosi cried as he grabbed at Bill with his arms, ready to tussle. "What else do you need to know?"

"Literally the kind of pancake it is!"

Legosi pushed back against Bill. "A pancake! A breakfast pancake!"

"LEGOSI!" He grabbed his cheeks. "Like blueberry or fucking what?!"

"Plain ones! He likes butter and syrup on them like how you see them in pictures!" Legosi shouted back as he sat up, slightly.

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

"Because that's a topping, not a type of pancake!"

"Yes, it is! How is it a topping if it goes in the pancake?!"

"Butter and syrup go on it, not inside it!" This was a mess.

"Bitch, those are toppings! The fruit and shit go inside the pancake."

"Yeah but then you would have said blueberry pancakes! You just said pancakes!"

"I'm gonna kill you."

"Not if I do first!" Legosi gripped Bill harder and rolled so he was on top of him, using his legs to constrict Bill's legs.

"Oh, you're gonna kill me, huh? Just leave my naked corpse here for Louis to find?"

"Yes!" Legosi brought his jaws down upon the tiger's shoulder, playfully.

"Gahhhh! I'm dyinnnng!" Bill grabbed him to fight back.

Legosi growled and let go to bite again.

"I don't even deserve to die! I'm not dumb!" Bill shouted.

The dog growled and he wrapped his body around him more.

Bill pushed against him. "I'll turn this on you!"

"Do it, big boy!"

"Uuurgh!" Bill pushed harder against him, gaining the upper hand. "Hah!"

Legosi bit down again, forming a vice grip around him to try and prevent him from moving.

"Hey! No fair! You've had a tiny amount of training which makes you better than me!"

"This isn't even something I was taught. I'm just doing it!" Legosi laughed.

Bill playfully whacked him so he could be caught off guard, where he proceeded to push him off and jump on top of him.

"Wagh!" Legosi curled up instinctively to ward off the attack.

"Wait, wait, wait," Bill stopped. "You're just gonna curl up like that?"

"Yeah! It's a battle!" Legosi fired back.

"You would get fucked if you did that in a real fight. And I've seen you in a real fight!"

"Good thing it's not then..." Legosi used the distraction to try and get Bill back down on the ground.

Legosi grunted as he was shoved back down. Bill always would beat him in physical strength, it seemed.

"Ha! Knew it!" Bill smiled. "Also don't worry about Legosi Jr. Every guy gets morning wood."

Legosi blushed as he looked down. "I didn't have that before and you know it."

"Hey, hey! I would have to have looked down there to notice and I am a gentleman," Bill smiled proudly, but fakely.

"Uh-huh, sure." Legosi pushed his big hand into Bill's face.

Bill brought his hand back up and pushed against his face. "Mmrrrph!" Cat noises.

Legosi pushed back. "So...did you like that lapdance yesterday? I didn't really know what I was doing so I felt kind of stupid..."

"I loved it! Holy fuck those panties. I might need to confiscate them."

"Why?"

"Seriously, how am I the smart one?"

"Why would you take them away? They wouldn't fit Pina!"

Bill sighed. "I'm leaving."

Legosi whined. "I told you I'm not good at getting things! Just tell me what you mean!"

"Uh-uh." Bill shook his head. "It ruins the ambiguity."

Legosi covered his face, his fingers underneath the glasses lenses. "Uuugh, Billlll."

"Legooosssiiiii," he whined back.

"And you lying on top of me is making me in the mood!" Legosi whined further.

Bill waggled on him. "Did that help?"

"Mrrrghpgh." Legosi peeked out from between his fingers. "You have, like, a sexual force field around you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bill snorted.

"You're so horny you get others around you horny!"

"I'm not even horny right now, dumbass," the cat lied.

"Y-You're not?" Legosi brought his hands away, sounding mildly offended.

"Uh...no!"

Legosi shifted, slightly. "That's a lie! I can feel it."

"Just because I have a boner doesn't mean anything. It's just cuz' you're touching it."

"Sure." Legosi squirmed again. "Alright then, let me up now."

The tiger moved off of him, sitting back on his butt with his legs slightly bent and only his heels touching the ground.

Legosi sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. Uh, what were we doing before all that?"

"Before what? Oh, before the fighting. We were trying to figure out what to do."

"Yeah, something that isn't fighting or fucking."

"But you were just horny?"

"Yeah! But I don't want to reek of sex in a building full of felines. They'll all know!"

"Newsflash, you already reek of sex," Bill winked.

"Uuuugh." Legosi crawled up onto the couch again. "Guess I needed to shower anyway."

Bill got up and laid across his lap for once, his toned chest muscles against his legs. "Then you'll just smell like wet dog," he joked.

"I'd dry off," Legosi said with an eye roll. "I just hope Melon-san will let me off the hook for not having any new info on the Branded this week."

"Wow, you're really holding up your end of the deal, huh?"

"Not really. I'm just gonna go over there to train and hopefully not get caught up in any of their business. And maybe help Melon-san, if I can...with his personal issues that is."

"What personal issues?" Bill's shoulders dropped. "Legosi, you can't just help gang leaders with their problems."

"But he's clearly troubled! And a hybrid! I feel like I need to do something!"

"It's not your responsibility to do anything! You barely even know him!"

"But if I'm already going to be there, I need to show him someone cares about him!" Legosi argued.

"He has his lions! I'm sure they care about their boss a little..."

"They do...but he can't see it. He refused to believe it when I told him..."

"But Legosi," Bill said. "You don't owe Melon anything. He'd kill you the first chance he gets when you screw up."

Legosi flinched. "I...I don't think so! Plus, if I build up a positive relationship with him then that won't be the case anyway!"

"If you had known Riz killed Tem from the get, would you do the same thing? I know I was kind of doing that during the fight but that was only because I wanted to try and stop it."

"Well, I'm trying to stop him, too." Legosi slumped on the couch. "Anyway, they'll still want to keep me around because of my connection to the Branded. That won't change."

"I'm just saying...be smart about this."

Legosi let out a huff. "Well, apparently I'm stupid, so..."

"I was about to say 'you're either really stupid or a really big risk taker'!"

Legosi brought his legs up to his chest and rested his head on his knees, regarding Bill with a determined gaze. "Just trust me, okay?"

"I don't really got a choice," Bill answered, still sitting. "And even if I did join the Shishigumi, I'm not gonna be Melon's pillow."

"Yeah." Legosi smiled. "Because you're my pillow."

Bill blushed lightly at that. "Heh, you got that right. What is your...actual plan with Melon, though?"

"Just continue to be friendly to him and gain his trust. Get to a point where he values my opinion enough that I might be able to talk him out of things."

"You're both going to try and talk these gangs out of things?" Bill looked at him, skeptically.

"Well, isn't that better than violence?"

"I mean, yeah, anything is...I just don't know if you'll get away with that."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

"You guys are a mess..." Bill mumbled, laying back. "My mess, but a mess nonetheless."

"Well, with any luck it won't be much longer..."

"How many times have you visited the Shishigumi? Once? Yeah, right."

Legosi grumbled. "Well, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing."

"Guess I'm a pessimist," the tiger said. "And yes I did learn that word from a book."

"Proud of you, my little bookworm," Legosi teased.

"More like little boredworm."

"Well, let's do something before I have to leave."