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The sun was already high when Theo awoke. Not his usual, cheerful self, he greeted the day with a grim expression on his muzzle.

Getting up with a sigh, he walked to the bathroom before getting dressed for breakfast. The dining hall was practically empty by then, and despite Clara's presence he went to sit alone. She joined him shortly after.

"The last time you acted like this was exactly a year ago !" she said, placing her tray on the table in front of the husky.

"No need to remind me." He said listlessly, while spreading butter on his toast.

Clara sent a message to Sacha. As expected, we're in the dining room.

Hold him, I'm not far away.

Clara smiled at the quick response. "Sooo... what are you going to do ?" Clara asked Theo, fixing him with an intense stare.

"I'm not coming. I don't want to cause any problems today."

"He's not going to like it. Are you sure about that ?"

"I told you exactly what William did ! I can no longer pretend..." He trailed off, clenching his fists.

Clara looked over as Sacha entered the big room. "Theo, I'm not asking you to come for him, but for Lucas !" The husky turned around when he heard the tiger's grave voice behind his back.

"I should have known you were coming." Theo rose to face him. "Listen, I know what this day means to you, but... I can't, and I don't want them to see me like that if it happens again."

"They ? You think more about Leo, do you ?"

"What are you talking about ?"

"Clara and I noticed that you've been spending a lot more time with him in the last few weeks. You're different with him, quieter, more-"

"Okay, stop your bullshit." Theo yelled, abruptly cutting off Sacha. "I just appreciate his company !"

"You're afraid of him and what he's capable of, aren't you ?"

"Sacha! Stop it! You don't know what you're talking about !"

"You still remember Camille and Alex, don't you ?"

"Sacha, please stop..." Clara said softly, uncomfortably.

"I forbid you to talk about them !" Theo yelled, tears in his eyes.

"Okay, maybe I'm going a little too far. Sorry. I still hope you're here tonight."

"I don't know !" Theo huffed angrily, picking up the tray with his uneaten breakfast.

"You should at least finish, you have a game later." Clara said, worry in her voice.

"I'm not hungry anymore..." he grumbled, dropping his tray on the conveyor before leaving the dining hall.

Clara fixed her gaze on Sacha. "I don't think that was necessary. You know very well his reaction when someone mentions them."

"Don't think I like to do that. But sometimes it can be beneficial to be reminded of memories, even if they're painful." he explained, self-consciously scratching his neck.

"And what do you have in mind ?" she asked, unconvinced.

"It's been several years now that he denies his own feelings because he's afraid of William and what he might say and do. I'm hoping he'll stop denying them."

"What feelings are you talking about ?"

"His feelings for Leo."

"That's a hasty conclusion, he's just spending more time with him and they're working together."

"Trust me, it's not the first time he's acted like this."

"If you say so, but I'm not okay with your methods ! It's too rough..."

"Clara, you know I would never hurt him."

"I know... Do you think it'll be okay between them tonight if he does come ?" Clara whispered, worry creasing her muzzle.

"That will depend on William."

---

Theo had the ball in his hands, dribbling past the defensive players, his vision starting to blur slightly. He fired towards the opposing goal, the ball bouncing off a post before leaving the field.

In the stands of the gymnasium, Leo's tail was a blur, as he cheered for Theo every time he had the ball. At his side, Clara seemed more worried, having noticed Theo's energy flagging since the beginning of the match. Clara also noticed Leo's jubilation when Theo had the ball.

After another thirty minutes, the referee whistled the end of the match, Theo's team winning 23 to 17.

The stands slowly emptied as both teams entered their respective locker rooms. Leo and Clara left the stands, smiling at Theo before he disappeared into the locker room. On their way out, they went to a bench near the gymnasium to wait for him, the panther frantically kicking the ground with her foot, which got the wolf's attention.

"Is there a problem ?" Leo asked.

"Oh yes there's a problem ! He's going to hear from me, you can believe that !" She muttered.

"What did he do ?" The wolf asked, worried.

"Nothing serious, don't worry about it." she smiled toothily. "You know, it wasn't very polite to cheer for Theo's team only when he had the ball." She smirked.

"But he's the one I wanted to encourage..." The wolf's ears clamped to his head, as he realized what he had said.

"Oh !" She pretended to be astonished. "So, he's the one you're cheering for !?"

The wolf thought frantically for a reply, before being gently shoved by the panther who seemed impatient for an answer.

"Hey, you okay ?"

"What !?" He jumped slightly. "No! I mean, yes, I'm fine ! But no, there is nothing between us. He's...a friend." He stammered, embarrassed.

"I never asked you if there was anything between you." she chuckled. "So, he's just a friend ?"

Leo looked away immediately. "Yes, just a friend. "

"Well... if he's just a friend, then I don't have to imagine things."

"You're imagining things ? What things !?" Leo asked in a panic.

Clara was more than a little amused. "Yes ! A little wolf in the arms of a big dog would be extremely cute. But, since it's just a friend..." Clara said, pretending to be disappointed.

Leo's ears turned red. "M-Maybe you're right." He said in a low voice, pretty sure Clara knew he had a crush on Theo, even though she hadn't said it explicitly.

"You agree with me !?" She said with excitement.

"I said maybe..."

She chuckled by rubbing Leo's head before looking straight ahead. "Oh ! Look who's coming." Clara sang to Leo.

Leo raised his head to see Theo walking toward them waving. The wolf answered the husky in the same way...with a big smile...and wagging his tail.

"Just a friend." She said once more, laughing softly, making him blush even more.

"Looks like I've missed something. What's this all about ?" Theo asked.

"I think you have a secret admirer."

"Oh, really ? And who is it ?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

"It's not really important." Leo offered. "I'm sure he'll end up letting you know." He said scratching his neck.

"He ? You know who he is ?" Theo asked as Clara laughing at Leo's clumsiness.

"Uuuh, no. It's just... It's a masculine name in French... I used He automatically."

Theo looked quizzically at Clara, who shrugged her shoulders.

She took the opportunity to cast an accusatory look at Theo. "Well, let's go to the campus café. Someone needs to eat something..." she growled.

Theo looked sheepish. Leo looked lost at the strange conversation.

At the café, Theo ordered a green tea with four cookies, a coffee for Leo, and a hot chocolate for Clara. "So Leo, did you like the game ?" He asked, sitting at the first open table.

Sitting right next to the husky, Leo said brightly. "Yes. It made me want to start playing tennis again."

"So, what are you waiting for, little wolf ?"

"You know very well why I can't Clara."

"A-bullshit !" Aaron's 'sneeze' came from a few yards away, as he approached with his muffin and milk. He sat next to Clara, right in front of Leo, grinning at him.

"What are you doing here ?" Leo asked, astonished. "We were supposed to meet at Sacha's house tonight."

"I was bored alone at home." He shrugged. "But that's not the point. If you really want to, you should be able to re-train your shoulder on your own with a little time."

"Aaron isn't wrong." Said Theo, putting a hand on Leo's shoulder. "I'm sure Sacha could even help you with that." He continued, looking to Clara, who nodded in confirmation.

"I don't know, I'm afraid I'm going to hurt it again."

"You really need to learn to trust yourself more Leo." Aaron sighed.

"If you don't want to ask Sacha yourself tonight, I'll do it for you !" Clara said encouragingly.

"Okay." Leo finally agrees.

"You never explained to us why you couldn't get your shoulder treated." Theo said gently.

The wolf looked at Aaron, who nodded. "I'm going to have to start from the beginning then. I never knew my biological parents and I was placed in an orphanage shortly after I was born. I was quickly adopted by a French couple. At the time I was living in Finland and that's how I arrived in France. When I got back to primary school, they started to realize the money and the responsibilities of having to care for a child and started neglecting me, to the point of doing just the bare minimum for me. But that's also when I met Chris." He paused.

"My parents refused to pay for my rehabilitation classes, claiming that I had already cost them quite a lot of money. When I told Chris, he asked his parents to step in and do something. Because his father had a good relationship at work, he brought in child protection services, and they took away my parents' adoption certification. Chris' parents re-adopted me right after."

"Fucking bastards, that's totally irresponsible !" Clara spat, unconsciously raising her voice.

"Clara, it doesn't matter. I don't blame them."

"You don't blame them ? Do you realize what they did ?!"

"Yes, I know. But if it hadn't been for them, I would never have met Chris and I probably wouldn't be here today." He smiles as he looked Clara in the eye. "And they never hurt me directly."

"You've made a lot of progress in two months." Theo smiled at him.

"What do you mean by that ?"

"Remember the first day ? You were almost ashamed to talk about it."

"That's right. Someone helped me with that."

Aaron deliberately coughed.

"Aaron helped me with that." The wolf repeated, smiling at the fox.

"I didn't know you were so close." Clara added, driven by her insatiable curiosity.

"I immediately understood what he had been through when I saw him the first time, so I wanted to help him." Aaron explained.

Leo's ears began to splay, as he dipped his chin in embarrassment. "You can stop there... "

"Why ? You're really cute when you blush like that." Clara said, giggling, making Leo groan and blush even more.

The husky rubbed the wolf's head with his hand. "She's not wrong." He said, teasing.

"Is that true ?"

"I don't usually lie." Said Theo. Suddenly, he could feel Clara staring holes in him.

Leo swallowed his coffee in one gulp before speaking again. "Do you know exactly what Sacha wants to celebrate ? He told me something about a birthday but nothing more."

"It's Lucas' birthday today." Clara said simply.

"Who's he ?"

"His old best friend."

"You mean he's the one...?"

"It's his way of not forgetting it."

"And do you know who's going to be there tonight ?"

"We, my boyfriend, friends from his old high school and-"

"William !" Theo interrupted, punching the table and trembling.

"William ?" Asked Leo. "I've heard that name a couple of times."

"Sacha's cousin. He looks a lot like him but has a scar on his left eye. He's selfish and manipulative, so no matter what he tells you don't play into his game. His only goal is to fuck with as many people as possible and does not back down from anything to get there." Fumed Theo.

Leo's eyes widened at the husky's outburst. "A tiger that looks like Sacha ? His room is between mine and Chris's. What do you mean by all that ?" He was worried he would anger his friend, but he had to know.

"He only thinks about his cock. He tried with Clara before he found out that she was already in a relationship and several times with me."

Leo remained silent.

"Don't worry little wolf, if he tries with you, I will defend you !" Clara says enthusiastically.

"Um, thank you, Clara," Leo chuckled lightly.

Towards the beginning of the evening, two cars pulled in front of a house with a large garden. Leo, Theo, Chris, and Clara emerged from the first and Aaron from the second. They were greeted at the curb by Sacha, who guided them to the door.

"I'm glad you came." Sacha smiled at Theo.

"Is he here ?" Theo tersely asked Sacha on the way.

"Yes, he's arrived just before you." Sacha turned to him. "Theo, if he ever... Just... Try to control yourself."

Theo sighed. "I'll do my best, but I can't promise you anything."

"I'm counting on you." the tiger said, smiling.

"What are you talking about ?" Chris asked right behind them.

"William asked me to have sex with him and... Forget it, it's none of your business !" Theo said, clenching his fists.

Everyone stopped, and stared at him, astonished by his reaction. Only Sacha and Clara had seen him like this before.

"Sorry." the husky said, uncomfortably shifting on his footpaws, his tail between his legs, and his ears askew. He glanced at Leo, surprised that the wolf was smiling at him as if he understood him perfectly.

They eventually entered and headed into the main room where all the guests were assembled. Sacha introduced Leo, Chris and Aaron to his old friends and a moment later another tiger walked towards them. Leo could see Theo discreetly clenching a fist behind him.

"Hey, calm down. I'm sure it's going to be okay." he said quietly, instinctively placing his hand on the husky's fist. His gesture had a calming effect on Theo.

"Yes, you're right." He smiled at the wolf. "Um, you can let go of my hand now." he chuckled softly.

"Uh, oh, uh, yes. Sorry." He let go of his hand just as the tiger arrived.

"Well, hello !" William said, leering at them.

"Hello William." Theo answered flatly.

"Aw, you seem happy to see me," the tiger smirked, turning to the wolf and the shiba. "And you must be Leo and Chris, delighted to meet you." He said, offering a paw to each in turn. "And you are... Hmm. I don't know. I'm not interested in foxes. They're too fragile." He continued to leer at the new arrivals like fresh meat.

Aaron simply snarled in response, mindful of what Theo had said earlier.

"Something tells me you already knew us. I've seen you in the corridors of the dorm." Chris answered, frowning, but accepted his hand.

"Actually yes. Our rooms are not far from each other and I have already seen you come out of Leo's. " He continued to smile, seeming oblivious to Theo's scowl.

"Weeell... I'm going to see to my other guests." Sacha headed to another group giving William an elbow as he left.

"Oh that's right, I almost forgot." William suddenly said, snapping his fingers once Sacha was far enough away. "I heard you talk about it in your room several weeks ago. I heard that one of you is gay. Now there's no shame in that you know, you don't need to hide it like you do." He said looking at Chris and Leo.

"What are you playing at here ?!" Theo blurted out impulsively, raising his voice, and approached the tiger with clenched fists, which startled everyone but William.

"It's all good, sweet puppy." William stared unblinking at the husky, daring him to continue.

Theo growled at the feline before regaining control and backing up.

"You're-" Leo began softly.

"I don't know where you got this information." Chris interrupted, putting an arm in front of Leo. "But none of us are !"

"Chris, please..." Leo touched his arm to try to calm him down, feeling the tension rising between the two.

"Leave it, I'll take care of it." Chris simply smiled at him. Leo nodded.

"Oh, really ? Room 254 is Leo's, yet, I saw you come out several times." William turned to the shiba in triumph.

Chris shook his head. "No, it's Aaron's."

"Aaron ? So he'd be the gay one ? And who is he ?" The tiger asked, licking his lips.

"It's me !" Aaron replied, waving to the tiger cheekily, quickly picking up on Chris' lead.

"Strange, I've never seen you in the dorms."

"Maybe if you were more interested in fragile species you would have noticed me !" Aaron said brightly, striking an alluring pose.

"Hum... Pretty lie." Huffed William, snubbing the fox. "I'll eventually find out who it really is." He said, as he turned and walked away, his tail swaying lazily behind him.

Leo huffed once William was out of earshot.

"Sorry Aaron, I had no other idea."

"Don't worry, I figured." He grinned.

Clara's suspicions about Leo's affections were confirmed by the strange encounter, but Theo's anger and tension prevented him from even following the conversation.

"I need to drink something, I'll be back." And with that, Theo disappeared to the buffet line before anyone could even respond.

"I'll meet up with you a little later. Don't do anything stupid !" Clara smiled at her friends and walked towards a retriever who took her in his arms, leaving Chris, Leo and Aaron alone.

"He's rather cute." Aaron said, looking at the dog that appeared to be Clara's boyfriend.

"But I know another dog much cuter." Whispered Leo under his breath, worried about Theo's attitude.

"You don't have to flatter me like that," Chris laughed from behind, reminding them that he was still there.

"Sorry..." Leo said embarrassed.

"I'll leave you to yourselves, so you can continue to debate about the cutest dog, even if I've already won !" Chris winked, walking away as Leo grew quiet.

"Well, let's keep going !" encouraged Aaron.

"There's no point." Leo shrugged. "Theo already won the contest by a wide margin."

Aaron grinned before suddenly turning his head, eyes wide open.

"What's wrong ?" Leo turned to follow the fox's gaze. And there, among the rest of the furs, was a silvery wolf.

"I found him a competitor!" sighed Aaron.

"He's a wolf, not a dog."

"He's like us, he's a canid ! So it counts."

"Right... But I refuse to admit that someone cuter than Theo exists !"

"Come on, a little competition." the fox said playfully.

"Okay, let's raise our hands to find out if Theo is the cutest of the two." Leo said, already raising one of his hands, and quickly grabbing one of Aaron's to raise it, too. "You see ! When you're being honest, you admit that it is my husky who wins and not your wolf. "

"YOUR husky ?" Aaron began, but stopped abruptly as he heard Theo's voice behind them. He looked over to a stunned Leo and burst out laughing.

"I'll let you explain yourself to each other. I have to go and get some information." Aaron gave Leo a friendly pat on the back and a discreet wink before heading for the silver wolf.

Theo already knew that Aaron was gay; he had told them all the first day he met the husky, Clara, and Sacha, and they had not rejected him. But Leo was still not ready to talk to him directly about it. He needed to be more confident in himself and to know a little more about Theo. But with what the husky just heard, he was certain that he probably had guessed.

Know more about Theo ? No, you don't need that. That's just an excuse for not telling him. Leo's ears fell as he winced at his inner voice. Scared. He was simply scared. He was scared of his reaction if he confessed his feelings to him now.

"You... You're already back ?" He asked to change the subject quickly.

"I was just going to have a drink." He shrugged. "What did you mean just now ?" He crossed his arms.

Leo remained silent for a few seconds which seemed to him to be an eternity, desperately looking for a way out of this situation. "Nothing. I just said that without thinking about it." He said without any conviction as his ears fell and his tail limp behind him.

"Okay." Theo simply said to him, rubbing a paw over his head, letting it drop.

Leo moved his head back and looked the husky in the eye for a moment. "Is that all ?" He said.

At least that was what Leo wanted to say to him, but he didn't want to make things worse. Why was Theo reacting so simply ? He clearly suspected something, so there must be an explanation for his acceptance of Leo's lame answer. After all, he knew very little about Theo's past.

Sacha had to know more about him. He would have to ask him. But how ?

They were later joined by Clara, who introduced her boyfriend Isaac to Leo. Later, Leo noticed Sacha alone in the kitchen, so he excused himself to go to the bathroom, so he could escape and talk to the tiger alone.

"Do you need anything, Leo ?" Sacha asked, as the wolf stood stock still in front of him, not even his tail moving.

"Um, I'd like to ask you something."

"OK. I'm listening."

"Is there a more private place ?" He asked, scratching the floor with a paw.

Sacha arched an intrigued eyebrow and motioned to the back terrace with his head. "No one will disturb us outside."

Leo nodded and followed him. Sacha sat. "Well, what's on your mind ?"

Leo sat and looked up to the clear black sky, a cool breeze blowing through his fur. "When we met, I told you I played tennis. And you said you thought it was strange that I couldn't do it anymore because of my shoulder."

"Mmm. Hm. I remember."

"Could you help me with it ? I don't know how to do it on my own and I'd like to start playing again."

"It may be long and painful at first, are you aware of that ?"

Leo nodded.

"Okay. I'll think about it." He said, crossing his arms.

"Thank you."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about ? We didn't need to come here for that."

"No, there's something else." The wolf put his fingertips together. "You've known Theo a long time, haven't you?"

"Several years, yes. I met him in college. We lived in the same city before."

Leo related their encounter with William and Theo's aggressive reaction.

"Hmm... I could explain it to you, but it is not my place to do so. Have you ever heard of Camille and Alex ?"

"No."

"Then try to ask him about them or ask him about what William did to him. But no matter what you ask, do it discreetly." He looked Leo with a serious face.

"Why discreetly ?"

"It's a sensitive subject for him, but I'm sure he'll be willing to talk to you about it."

"What makes you think that ?"

"I'm afraid it's up to you to find that out." He smiled at him as he rose from the chair to go back inside. "Ah, one last thing Leo, avoid William at all costs. He's not a good person."

"But, he's your cousin. What's he doing here tonight, then ?"

"He and Lucas got along well. But he's changed a lot since he's been gone, and not in good."

They were suddenly interrupted by cries from within. Sacha rushed inside to see what was going on, followed closely by Leo. Once inside, they saw Theo and William face to face. William smirked when he saw Leo, as Clara, Aaron, and Chris tried to pull Theo back, to no avail.

"Go ahead ! Say it !" William said provocatively.

"Grrrr, I hate you all, whether you're bi or gay ! ALL OF IT !" Theo yelled as he stormed out of the house, slamming the door and heading for his car.

Theo's last words rang long and loud in Leo's head and he slowly exited to the garden. Clara and Chris followed him shortly afterwards and found him sitting on a bench.

"Let me talk to him." Clara said calmly.

"Are you sure ? I'm used to talking to him when he's like this."

"Yes, don't worry. I know he has a crush on Theo. Trust your Princess." She chuckled gently to relax the atmosphere.

"How do you know that ?" He looked at her, his eyes wide open, his tail out straight behind him.

"Just observe him when he is in the presence of Theo. He doesn't hide it very well."

Chris let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You're not wrong about that... Okay, Princess. Go on !" He smiled at her as she turned back to the wolf.

The lupine sat on the bench with his legs pulled up towards himself looking at the sky, not even noticing when Clara sat right next to him.

"Are you okay, little wolf ?" She asked him, putting a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Yes, thank you." He smiled as he lowered his head. "What he said..." he sighed.

"What he said doesn't make any sense. Aaron never hid his orientation and Theo didn't reject him or run away."

"That's true." The wolf said, dejected.

"You've spent a lot of time with him recently."

He nodded. "We got closer this last month, but it's for the end-of-year work."

"Are you sure ? Each time I saw you it wasn't for work."

"Ok, it's not just for work. We do a lot of things together." He smiled and could feel his heart warm up thinking about how close he had felt to the handsome husky.

"I ask you one more time, little wolf." She smiled at him and quickly put her arm behind his back and drew him close to her before hugging him, her head resting on his. "Are you sure he's just a friend ?"

"I... I don't know." He replied hesitantly as she hugged him tighter.

"Leo, you have to tell him." She paused. "Otherwise, it may eat away at you much longer than you think."

'Leo ?' She only called him by his name when she was being serious.

"What do you mean ?"

She placed a hand under his chin lifting his muzzle to smile at him. "I know you... That you have feelings for Theo."

"Did Chris tell you ?" He asked plaintively.

"Not really, I had an idea since the day I met you. You should have seen yourself hypnotized by his eyes. You were adorable."

"So you don't care ?"

"I care about you little wolf. Being gay, bi, straight or anything else ? That means nothing. We are what we are, and you're yourself, okay ? I won't abandon you."

"Clara... Thanks." Leo's eyes were wet as he lay his head on Clara's shoulder, enjoying her comforting hug.

They sat like that for several minutes when Clara pointed at a shooting star. "Look, we should make a wish." Clara smiled down at Leo.

"You still believe in that ?"

"Of course, that's how I met Isaac."

"In that case..." He giggled softly and closed his eyes before reopening them soon after.

"Come on, tell me what you wished for ?!"

"Isn't the goal to keep it secret so that it can become true ?"

"Come ooooon, I want to knooooow." She whined childishly, before taking a more serious tone. "I command you to tell your Princess !"

"Okay, I asked to be in his arms one day." he said dreamily. "What about you ?"

She smiled, as she squeezed him again. "That your wish would come true as soon as possible."