A Doe in Buck's Clothing (Louis x Reader)

10: Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast

The summer break flew by. You hadn't expected to enjoy yourself so much in a yakuza hideout with a strange herbivore, but when it was time for you to return to your dorm, you had feelings you didn't want to be honest about.

"I will miss living here with you." You admitted as you stroked the bare chest of the deer in bed with you.

"I might be able to get you excused from a night of truancy here or there, but not a year of it." Louis rubbed your mane as he relaxed beside you. His stomach growled.

"You're getting so thin, Louis." You poked his rib cage. "Shall I sneak in some snacks?"

At the very word, his stomach growled again.

"I'm... afraid you might need to." He rolled his eyes at his own weakness. "You have the best of both worlds when it comes to food. Eating the meat doesn't make you sick like me, but you also don't have to partake in such barbarism."

"Well... If I'm being honest,"

"As you must."

"As I must; eating this much meat every day is making me sick too. Morally, of course, but physically I'm only supposed to eat some protein. And I've never eaten real meat. So it's a real shock to my system." Gazing up at the ceiling, you tried to lean into your feelings. "I don't want to go back."

"Established already. Continue."

"I don't want to see them."

"...I'll make an excuse for it this time, if only to help you. Why not? You have no real qualms with them. They just make you uncomfortable."

"And is that not enough to want to avoid them?"

"It is if you were more powerful. But for now, no. You have no reason to avoid them. It would be crass."

"Yes, I'm deeply concerned about being crass." You flicked his snout and he buried it into your neck.

"I'm concerned about you." Louis admitted. "Not for that situation; you'll be fine. But spending this time with me... I feel it takes away from what you should be doing."

"And what is that?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Developing relationships that can last."

"Ah."

There was a silent agreement between you and Louis that this was no kind of relationship. Yes, Louis cared about you deeply and yes, you cared about him, but he had other obligations.

"Perhaps if I were meant to stay as head of the Shishigumi and that alone... things could be different. Trust me, YN, I would put some effort into it. But I'm my father's son. And I'm expected to continue the lineage."

"And not simply in a biological way, I'm assuming."

"That's correct. They need to be a red deer of upperclass standing. In fact, I'm already engaged."

"...Yeah, I heard."

And for the first time ever, you heard him utter the words, "I'm sorry, YN."