Forbidden ( a BxB Furry Romance )

Chapter 2

One week later - August 2024

The early morning sunlight trickled in through the window, casting pale light over the room. Silas stirred in his bed, the unfamiliarity of his new surroundings still weighing on him. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, the stillness of the room pressing on him. He glanced at the clock—7:30 AM.

He yawned and stretched, his mind sluggish as the quiet of the dorm made everything feel even more intense. Kael's bed was still untouched, and Silas couldn't help but feel a small pang of unease. Yesterday had been overwhelming for both of them, and though the fox had seemed shy, there was something else there—a distance, something that Silas couldn't quite place.

Silas quickly dressed and made his way to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face, trying to shake off the fogginess. He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, wondering if he was pushing too hard. Maybe Kael wasn't the type to open up easily. But the silence between them, especially last night, had felt... heavier than it should've been.

As Silas returned to the room, he saw Kael still wrapped up in his blankets. His small, white frame barely visible under the covers.

"Kael?" Silas called, his voice tentative.

The fox stirred, his ears twitching slightly, but he didn't respond right away. After a long pause, Kael mumbled, barely audible, "...Yeah... I'm awake..."

Silas hesitated, unsure of how to continue. He knew he should try to break the silence, but something about the way Kael was wrapped in his blankets made it feel... fragile. Like if he said the wrong thing, the barrier between them would only grow thicker.

"We've got orientation soon," Silas said, trying to keep his tone light. "Should probably get ready."

Kael's only response was a faint grunt, and the rustle of sheets as he shifted slightly. The tension in the room hung thick, and Silas felt it crawl up his spine. It was like Kael was barely there, just a presence in the room—physically present, but emotionally distant.

Silas tried again, forcing a light chuckle, though it didn't feel natural. "You know, I'm starting to think the real test of this whole college thing is how many awkward silences we can survive in a single day."

Kael didn't even lift his head. "Yeah..." he muttered, his voice flat, the words hanging between them with little feeling.

Silas frowned, watching him. Something was off, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault. Maybe he had said something wrong yesterday, or maybe Kael was just more guarded than he thought. Either way, there was an unspoken wall between them that neither of them was willing to break down.

They both dressed in silence, Kael moving slowly as though he was trying to hide from the day ahead. His ears were pulled back, his tail held close to his body, almost as though he was trying to make himself smaller. Silas couldn't help but notice how different Kael was in the morning—shy, quiet, distant. It was as if the fox was retreating into himself, and Silas didn't know how to pull him out.

When they left the dorm, the campus was bustling with students heading to their respective orientation spots. Kael stayed a few paces behind Silas, and Silas could feel the distance growing. They walked side by side, but it felt more like they were two strangers walking in parallel, neither quite sure how to bridge the space between them.

"I—uh—I can't really do this, you know?" Kael's voice was almost inaudible, but the words hit Silas harder than he expected. "I'm not... good at talking to people."

The confession hung in the air, and for a second, Silas didn't know how to respond. He had always thought of himself as a decent communicator—he could manage a conversation, make people feel comfortable. But Kael... Kael was different. There was something in the way the fox held himself, as if every word was a calculated risk, as if each interaction was a weight on his shoulders.