Hidden Hearts

06 - Is This A Hang Out Or A Date?

Josh

I'm not gonna lie, I found it cute how Max was just so nervous trying to ask me whether I wanted to hang out with him or not. I swear, you'd think he was asking me out with how nervous he was, especially how he stuttered a bit.

But, no matter, I didn't want to embarrass him when he was attempting so I just kept quiet about it and accepted. It's been a long time since I got to really hang out with him, even though before were only short talks after school before he decided to head home. Still, this is now an opportunity to properly hang out with him and get to know him as more than just an acquaintance. Before he would talk to me about small stuff like school and homework. Things that were just common ground for students.

He never seemed to want to speak about himself or anything else for that matter. He always seemed sad whenever I brought up the topic about himself so I had refrained myself from asking him further afterwards.

This time though, I don't know if he would be open to talking about himself. Still, he had already given me the time and place of where we would meet up.

Around lunchtime at a café near the college. It's a rather tame choice but then again, what was I expecting? A lavish restaurant with expensive liquor and food? Yeah, I'd rather the café than that.

It was a bit past 12 when I arrived and to no surprise, it was pretty easy to distinguish the wolf from the crowd, what with him being, well, big. I simply walked over, got his attention and sat down across from his, just in time for a waiter to write down our orders.

I ordered a ham sandwich and an iced tea while Max had chosen a generic beef burger and a coffee to go with it. As the waiter had taken our order, he left to hand it to the chef that was busy preparing the other orders that seemed to have piled. It seems we'll be here for a while since we decided to come in at lunchtime.

I look over to him as I see him twiddling his thumbs and looking down at them.

"So, Josh. What was your childhood like?", he asked.

A strange question to ask first but I don't argue it.

"Well, mine was rather boring. I lived with my parents and little siblings before I moved to here. As for the childhood aspect, I was a pretty lonely kid. I wanted to make friends but it didn't seem anyone wanted to be friends. So, I ended up really just playing around with my siblings. Nothing much changed in high school either. Though, I always wanted to make friends with this other lonely kid but I never had the courage to ask."

"Oh, uh. May I ask who that kid was?"

I giggle at him. "Well, I'm pretty sure sooner or later, you'll find out. How about your childhood?"

"Oh, uh, my childhood. it was, I mean, I...good. No! I, er..."

"Jesus, calm down! You're gonna have a heart attack. It's fine if you don't want to tell me, you know."

He smiles, though embarrassment and fear clung onto it.

"Hehe, sorry. I...just don't like talking about it."

"It's fine. How about I answer any more questions you have."

"Oh. Hmm. What inspired you to take up track?", he asks, the fear from before dissipating from him.

"It's not really what but rather who. And to answer that question, that same kid I wanted to be friends with inspired me to take up track."

"You're really not gonna tell me who they are?"

I shake my head. Although I did want to tell him, I found it much funnier  if he found out by himself. He lets out a huff as he goes silent. Not out of anger but rather trying to think of new questions.

"Er, any hobbies besides running?"

"Okay, don't laugh."

"I won't."

"Well, besides running, I also like to...sing."

"Are you good at it?"

"I don't know. Maybe? I don't really have anyone to help me assess that."

"How about music? What genre do you like?"

'I like a bit of everything but I guess my favourite would be metal."

"Hmm, I like techno and synthwave more."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I like the sounds", he says this with a pout which made him look cute.

I let him sort himself out before he continued with his questions. It seemed to continue for a bit of time before finally, our meals had arrived. By now, he knew a lot more about me then I would have known about him.

All I knew is that he liked steak rare, he likes techno and synthwave, he doesn't have a green thumb and that he has a childhood he doesn't want to speak about. All in all, a fruitful QnA session for him, not so much for me. As we started to dig in, I started to have a thought.

If I were a girl instead of a guy, other furs would have probably misinterpret this hang out as a date. It's not really subtle with how some of the café patrons had looked over to us. I don't doubt some had decided to eavesdrop on our little conversation, not like the conversation was that private. Still, no one has the common decency to allow someone a private conversation it seems. Thinking about it more, if I were a girl, furs would probably bombard me, trying to ask if we were dating and asking about details to inappropriate to discuss to someone that I would barely know.

I guess, for him, dating would be quite the struggle with girls constantly pushing each other over trying to get his attention. I shudder at the thought of what they would do to me if Max and I would ever date. I would guess they would be less than thrilled to know their object of desire was taken by a guy.

But still, I can't assume he's gay or bisexual or pansexual. Whoever he dates is his choice, as long as it is within the boundaries of consent and legality.

As we both finish, I notice from the corner of my eyes some girls from the college sitting at a table in the middle of the café. They seemed to shoot a jealous look as they saw me hanging out with Max, no doubt fantasising it was them in my place.

"Hey, Josh?"

I look towards Max who instead of looking down at his plate, looked directly at me.

"Do you want to hang out in my room?"

Huh, I didn't think he would want me, too. But, if he's asking me then he's probably comfortable enough around me to let me be in his room. He might not be a feral but instincts are still there, even if it's suppressed by our genetical evolution.

"Sure, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You ready to go?"

"Yep, all done."

We both stand up and head to the cashier. Despite my protests, Max had decided to pay for both our meals and stubbornly refused to accept my money when I wanted to pay him back. Well, even if I don't end up fulfilling my fantasies, at least I'll have a good friend by my side