Reaching for the Stars

Chapter 06: Coffee (and Tea) Break

(Revised 03/08/2022)

Stay safe everyone. Stay at your home. Don't forget to wash your hands.

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The wind was slow, gentle. The trees swayed, giving out their precious leaves to the ground and surrendering themselves to nature. On the table inside a café beside a big tree were a cup of hot green tea and another of hot coffee, with a phone in the corner next to the window.

"I never properly congratulated you for the conference." In front of him, Max sipped his coffee from his cup. He smiled at the wolf. "Congratulations."

Tom smiled back. "There's no need but thank you very much."

They glanced outside. The glass walls allowed them to gaze over the campus park, slowly getting more and more orange as days went by. They had just finished their midterm examinations, and a break was much welcome.

The wolf won the conference just about a week ago, and while the wolf and the dog had plenty of encounters since then, they were very busy because of the midterms. He also bought Mr Beck a pizza. The deer refused it at first because Tom didn't win the first place, but Tom insisted and wanted to say thank you to him, so he accepted it.

"Have the midterms always been this deadly?" he asked as he mulled over the week. He had read too many books, stayed up for too many nights, and typed more reports than he had before. They didn't get any project examination, so they were stuck with papers, both literal and figurative, and there were lots of them.

"Nah, not really." Max chuckled and sipped his black coffee. "Usually they're much, much deadlier."

Tom laughed a little.

He never thought Max would agree to hang out with him, even after knowing his definition of 'hang out'. Glancing over the dog, Max seemed content being here, and Tom was glad of it. Even Martin thought that going to the campus café and getting some drink wasn't worthy of being called 'hanging out'.

"I never thought you'd agree to go here with me just to get a cup of tea and coffee." Tom said.

"It's been a busy week. I'd like some refreshment, too." Max smiled. "I guess we're more compatible with each other than we thought we were."

Compatible with each other.

Every passing day, Tom realised more and more that he had a crush on the German Shepherd. He was exactly his type, bigger than him, muscular, looked kind of scary, yet still gentle, nice, and understanding. He didn't even make fun of him. He really cared for him, and he likes to be so damn hot while doing so.

Tom looked at the dog. Max was looking out the window, so he took the opportunity to appreciate the dog. His eyes were blue, sky blue, in contrast to his brown fur. His inner face had lighter brown fur except for his muzzle, and his ears were big and cute compared to his build.

He was wearing a baggy black t-shirt, his jacket put aside next to the wolf's. Tom could make out his upper pecs over his fur, uncovered by the t-shirt. Even his thick biceps and triceps were full on display despite being covered by the sleeves.

If he dared say, he had just met an angel. Or at least his type of angel.

He took a sip from his cup and looked over the window, not wanting to get caught. It was stupid to wish, he knew that. He often wished that Max were gay, or at least bi, so his pathetic excuse of a self could get a chance at a relationship. It wasn't often he dared open himself so quickly to someone, so was this some sign that he had finally met the one?

Keep dreaming but watch out for the ceiling.

He took another sip and gave a content sigh. The gossip was all over the place, but Max himself had been touchy-feely with him, so he just ignored them. He imagined that if they were really Max's fans, they wouldn't think bad of him. He wasn't taking advantage of the dog, anyway; they were friends with each other, although somehow, he hoped they could be closer...