Chapter 2: Okay, Campers, Rise and Shine, and Don't Forget Your Booties 'Cause It's Coooooold Out There Today. -Radio D.J. #1

The next morning Jason awoke to the sound of a door slamming somewhere out in the hall. His vision slowly came into focus as he blinked his eyes. The wolf turned his head and looked over at Bryan who was still soundly asleep.

Jason briefly considered waking the rabbit up but decided against it. Partially because it was still early, but mostly because Jason was still debating on how he wanted to deal with the situation from last night. He wasn't ready for a potentially awkward conversation. Not first thing in the morning. Not ever, if he had a choice.

Jason sat up and took in a deep breath as he stretched. His scent had started to settle throughout the room, mixing with the other smells. Bryan's scent was already over everything, which made sense. The rabbit had been in the room a lot longer than Jason.

Jason wrinkled his nose. There was also another smell that lingered in the air. It was unmistakably rabbit but also more lewd in nature. It was a salty tangy scent. Jason's mind flashed back to the events of the previous night. The way the rabbit had tried to hide his moans as his body flexed and writhed. Jason shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. He made a conscious effort to ignore those thoughts entirely. It was far too early to be thinking about those types of things.

As quietly as he could, Jason got up and dressed himself. His first stop was going to be the student cafeteria for breakfast. Jason had a big day ahead of him, and he was already starving. He'd get some food, get through the day, and then figure out what to do about his roommate situation. Afterall, why do now--- when you can do then. That was very much Jason's motto.

The wolf snuck out of his dorm room and gently closed the door behind him. Walking down the hall, Jason turned a corner and then descended a stairwell to get to the student cafeteria on the first floor. It wasn't very crowded this early and Jason made his way through the line at the counter quickly. He loaded up a tray full of mostly eggs and bacon, paid, and then plopped down on an empty bench.

It didn't take long before a few familiar faces spotted him. Others quickly joined him at his table with their own trays. They were a boisterous mix of predator species. Among the group was Derek, a muscular tiger who was the football team's quarterback, Mike, a stocky brown bear who played defense, and Jessica, a spunky cat cheerleader who kept trying to show off how her new push-up bra accentuated her breasts.

“So where'd old Willow stick you after kicking you out Fields?" Derek asked between bites of his breakfast, his striped tail swishing in the air behind him with amusement.

'Fields' had been the nickname the team had given their 'star' athlete, Jason, during orientation. Jason didn't really mind, as far as nicknames went - it wasn't a bad one and a little hazing was to be expected.

“Huh, Oh- on second," Jason responded as he chewed his food," With some rabbit—Bryan or something."

“Wait." Jessica chimed in, leaning forward on her elbows, “They stuck you with the gay rabbit?"

Jason turned towards her with a look of confusion. His fork stopped midair between his tray and his mouth. “What?"

"Oh shit- Mrs.Willow stuck you with the gay rabbit?" Derek repeated with a laugh. "Man, that's hilarious! I heard his last roommate freaked when the guy made a pass at him."

Mike let out a rumbling chuckle as well. "Better watch out Jessica, looks like you got some competition."

Jessica rolled her eyes as the other two kept laughing and Jason sat there confused. The wolf didn't like where the conversation was going. Jason grew quiet as his ears folded back.

“Look man," Mike started as he patted Jason on the back. “Don't sweat it. We can talk to Coach and get you transferred. Just ignore him and don't give em' anything he can report you on."

“Report?" Jason said, still sounding uncertain.

"Oh yeah, he and his last roommate got into this huge fight. Mrs. Willow had to break it up and everything. It just happened. They, like- expelled his old roommate for, like- a hate crime or something." Jessica said, excitedly sharing the gossip as she ran a paw though her long hair.

Jason had just put a scoop of eggs into his mouth and nearly choked. The previous day's events flashed in his mind. The old raccoon making him change rooms so suddenly, Bryan's odd behavior, the rabbits' nighttime activities. All of it made sense now!

The rabbit had to be some kind of gay deviant pervert stalker who targeted young men that the old raccoon was using as bait to try and get Jason expelled. It was all so obvious.

“No they didn't," Derek said, rolling his eyes. “You can't get expelled for just one fight. That's not how expulsion works."

Maybe a gay deviant pervert stalker was a bit of a stretch? Jason thought.

“Oh yes it is! Zero tolerance policy. It's in the student handbook and everything." Jessica insisted.

Okay, maybe it could still be possible? Another part of Jason's mind argued.

“That's not for gays- that's for like endangered species, sexual harassment, and shit. Besides, they wouldn't expel someone on the first week of school without a review board meeting, Duh." Derek shot back.

Okay, well so much for that theory. Jason didn't know what to think anymore.

Jessica narrowed her eyes at the tiger," And how would you know that, Derek…"

Derek narrowed his eyes back at the cat," Maybe you should actually read the student handbook…"

Mike rolled his eyes as the two continued to argue. The brown bear took another bite of his breakfast sandwich before looking back over at Jason. "I wouldn't worry about it Fields. Like I said, just talk to Coach after practice. He can pull some strings. Until then, just ignore him."

“Yeah?" Jason said, sounding uncertain before collecting himself. “Yeah – you know what, you're right. Maybe Coach can get me my old room back?"

“Yeah," Jessica echoed, suddenly no longer interested in her fight with Derek, “Then you'd have a whole room to yourself," she purred, her shoulders swaying slightly.

“You'd like that wouldn't ya? A little Ah, Ah, Ahhhwooooooo!" Derek let out an exaggerated howl that drew stares from nearby tables.

"Gods, you're such a pig," Jessica scoffed, but her smile remained.

The conversation slowly shifted back to practice that evening but Jason was barely paying any attention. Instead, his mind was replaying his conversation with Bryan yesterday. Jason suddenly began seeing every interaction in a new light. How had he not noticed any of it before? The way Bryan's ears had flushed and how he fidgeted while they talked. Then there was the way the rabbit had looked at him while he undressed for bed. If Bryan had been a girl, the signs would have been obvious.

Did that mean that Bryan had been checking him out? Was Bryan thinking about him last night when he… The more Jason thought about it, the more his confusion deepened, and the more unsettled he became. It was all too much to process at once. He didn't like feeling this way, especially when it was about something completely out of his control. His fingers tightened around his fork, and his jaw clenched.

Before the wolf knew it, his confusion turned into something sharper—anger. Jason hadn't expected it, but there it was, hot and real, flooding through him. It was a much more straightforward feeling. It wasn't the nagging uncertainty he'd been trying to suppress, but something he could act on. He and Bryan were going to have that talk, sooner rather than later.

For now, though, he had to push those feelings aside. Jason couldn't let everyone at the table see him upset. The last thing he needed was to be known as a hot head. Jason just needed to get his mind off of it. He tried to focus his attention back on the conversation happening at the table.

"Hey, guys- why's this place called Hawkins Hall?" Derek asked randomly, jumping to another subject.

Mike paused between taking a bite of his food, "What?"

Derek pointed over to a placard on the wall," Says right there - Named In Honor of Jim Hawkins."

Jessica let out a scoff, "They name all the school buildings after famous people dumbass."

Derek looked offended," And what- that's supposed to be obvious?"

The two devolved into name calling again, as Mike continued to eat his breakfast. It was easy for Jason to tell that the arguing and teasing were all in good humor. The group was exactly what Jason expected. Derek, Mike, and Jessica were all straightforward, and that was comforting. Jason knew exactly where he stood with them, how to act around them.

That feeling was vastly different from how he felt about Bryan. The rabbit was an unknown, and that made Jason rather uncomfortable. Which was why- despite Jason's attempts to focus on the conversation around him- a certain rabbit kept running through the wolf's mind.

Jason only managed to go another twenty or so minutes before he finally excused himself. He had to go grab his bags and head to class. If he waited any longer, he was going to be late for his first lecture. But as Jason went to leave, the group immediately began to tease him. Jason shook most of it off, but Derek just had to get in one last parting shot.

“You best rush back upstairs to your boyfriend then," Derek said, voice full of mock sincerity, as Jason gathered up his tray.

Jason's ears twitched. He had heard this, or a similar joke dozens of times. It was typical locker room banter. But this time it hit Jason in a way he wasn't prepared for. The words stung more than they should have, especially considering how off everything felt already. Jason could feel his irritation flare up, but he quickly fought it down. He couldn't let Derek see him riled up. That would only give the tiger more ammunition.

Jason's mind raced for a way to regain control of the situation. He could punch Derek, but that'd probably start a fight. He could ignore the tiger, but then the tiger's comments would go unchallenged. Neither of those options seemed like a good choice. This left the wolf no other choice but to improvise.

Thinking quickly, Jason flipped Derek the bird with a casual smirk. Jaosn showed little to no sign of being bothered by the tiger's antics despite his inner turmoil.

“It's not my fault everyone wants a piece of this," Jason said with exaggerated swagger.

Then he shot Jessica a wink, just to throw in a little extra flair. The cat smiled and glanced away, and Jason couldn't help but feel a brief surge of pride at his performance. Derek, also noticing Jessica's reaction, let out another ridiculous mock howl, which only made Jessica blush even harder.

Jason chuckled, rolling his eyes at the whole group. It felt good to joke around, to distract himself for a moment. But as he walked away, the wolf's laughter quickly died in his throat. Even though he had managed to talk himself out of the situation, Jason still very much wanted to punch something.

As he left the cafeteria, Jason tossed his tray into the trash bin and headed toward the stairwell. The wolf made it back up to the second floor, walked up to his dorm room, then paused. Should he talk with Bryan now? Or should he still wait until tonight? That was the question on Jason's mind.

The revelation about his roommate being gay had been unexpected. Jason didn't consider himself homophobic—he'd never been the type to judge anyone for their preferences—not after what had happened with his family. He just didn't want Bryan to get any ideas and he didn't want to deal with the rumor mill.

This whole situation felt strangely personal. It felt like too much to handle this early. Dammit! Why was he stuck with this gay nerd? He didn't want to be tangled up in this. He didn't want to have to figure it out. He just wanted it all to go away. Why couldn't people just leave him alone?

As he debated with himself, Jason began to lose his composure. His confusion fueled anger rose like a tidal wave and threatened to drown out every other thought.

Jason quickly became fed up with standing out in the hallway. Now wasn't the time for this. He needed to get to class. Jason shoved his dorm room door open, marched inside, and then pushed the door closed behind him. Bryan was still asleep on the bed and was curled up into a ball. The rabbit's fur was messy, his tail half-covered by the blankets.

Jason said loudly as he walked across the room and grabbed his backpack and football bag. As Jason grabbed his textbooks off the floor, he paused and turned toward Byran once again. Jason looked down at the time on his phone, then at his textbook, then back at Bryan. Jason huffed.

"Yo Bunny Boy. Wake up." Jason said as he walked over toward the door.

Bryan jolted awake at Jason's voice, his ears shooting straight up as the rabbit scrambled to gather himself. "Wha-what?" Bryan said aloud as he rapidly blinked his eyes and focused on Jason. As Bryan looked Jason up and down, the memories of last night came flooding back into Bryan's mind. The thoughts made the rabbits cheeks flush slightly before he could regain his composure.

"Shit, what time is it?" Bryan said as he fumbled for his glasses, nearly knocking them off his nightstand.

Jason checked his phone again. "7:43" Jason said under his breath as he hiked his backpack up on his shoulder.

Bryan went to stand up but his blanket was tangled around his legs. It caused the rabbit to tumble out of his bed and onto the floor. Jason watched as Bryan bolted back up onto his feet as he scrambled to check his own phone. The rabbit's eyes going wide in panic at what he saw. “Shit- shit,shit,shit!"

Bryan leapt out of his covers and rushed over to the closet. Where he hastily grabbed clothes out of a small dresser in a panic. "I can't be late for Lit!"

In his rush, Bryan didn't notice how his shirt had ridden up, exposing a strip of cream-colored fur along his stomach. Nor did he realize how his pajamas had slipped down, sitting low on his hips, held in place only by his fluffy tail. Jason noticed all of it—the soft, exposed fur on Bryan's midsection, the way his clothes hung on him.

Jason's eyes lingered for a moment longer than he intended before he quickly glanced away. He felt a strange knot tighten in his stomach, but he wasn't sure what to make of it. All the talk about his gay roommate combined with seeing Bryan in this disheveled state only added to the confusion. Confusion that turned into another fresh wave of frustration that swept over Jason. Screw waiting, they were going to have their talk right then, right there.

Bryan's tail twitched anxiously as he continued to gather his things. The rabbit tried not to make eye contact with his roommate. Please don't let him have heard anything last night. That was so stupid. Bryan thought to himself, his body full of nervous energy. And please don't let him have heard those rumors yet. Dammit, how could I have forgotten to set my alarm!

“Thanks for... uh, waking me," Bryan managed to mutter, his usual sarcasm gone, replaced by a hint of embarrassment. If Jason hadn't of woken him up, who knew how long Bryan would have slept for. It had been a difficult past couple of days for the rabbit. Bryan guessed he was more tired than he felt.

All of that was thoughts for later though. Bryan needed to focus on getting ready for class. He grabbed his shower bag and towel, planning to take the quickest shower of his life. Then Bryan went to step past Jason but the wolf moved in front of him, blocking the door. Bryan paused and looked up, his expression confused and a little startled. There was a deep scowl plastered across the Jason's face.

“Yeah–look. We need to talk," Jason said, his voice low but firm.

Bryan's heart sank upon hearing Jason's words. The rabbit instantly dreaded where the conversation was headed. Jason's tone and body language filled Bryan with a gnawing sense of unease. Bryan's breath hitched, and for a moment, he couldn't move as he processed the situation.

Jason, on the other paw, realized immediately that something felt off. He was supposed to be standing up for himself. So why did it feel like he was being an asshole? Jason was upset, sure, but it wasn't his intention to come off as a bully. He just wanted to set things straight. Make sure Bryan knew exactly where they stood with each other.

But Jason's words had come out more harshly than he had intended. Now the wolf didn't know how to back down. Jason wasn't even sure what exactly he wanted to say. He had acted on impulse. His mind was racing, but nothing seemed to make sense. So instead of trying to make it deescalate the situation, Jason blurted out the first thing that came to him.

“Look, I'm not going to bunk up with a fucking fairy. I'm not like that alright," Jason said, his voice still rough. It felt like the words just spilled out of him as if they had a life of their own.

The wolf crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to look confident, trying to convince himself that this was the right thing to do. “So I don't want you to get any funny ideas and hitting on me. Got it?"

Jason felt a brief sense of satisfaction. He'd said what he needed to say, laid it out on the table. No more beating around the bush. It felt decisive, direct. But as the words hung in the air, he could see the effect they had on Bryan. And that's when the sense of satisfaction started to feel a little… hollow.

Bryan stood frozen, his ears dropping instantly as if the life had drained out of him. His body tensed, a mix of shock and pain flickering across his face. Bryan's shower bag slipped from his trembling paws, scattering its contents across the floor. The sound of it crashing against the ground echoed in the otherwise quiet room. Bryan's previous flustered state evaporated, replaced by something much darker. A mixture of fear, hurt, anger, and shame twisted together, forming a bitter laugh that escaped his lips.

“Wow," Bryan said, his voice tight with emotion, “Just… wow. Did your little jock friends fill you in on all the juicy gossip over breakfast? Must have been quite the conversation."

Bryan bent down to gather his things. His movements were sharp, angry, and filled with frustration. The rabbit wasn't just picking up his scattered items; he was trying to reclaim some control over the situation, something that was slipping through his fingers with every passing second.

“You could say that." Jason mumbled.

Bryan stood up again, his posture rigid, as his eyes met Jason's. The rabbit's glare was defiant, filled with anger.

“Well, don't worry, big guy. I wasn't planning on jumping your bones or anything," Bryan spat out, words laced with venom. “And for the record, I wasn't 'hitting on' my last roommate. He was an asshole who went through my private stuff and made assumptions. Kind of like you right now!"

Jason felt his pulse quicken, and the anger that had been simmering underneath his skin flared up again. “Oh yeah? Is that why you got him expelled!?" Jason shot back, his voice rising, matching the intensity in Bryan's tone.

Bryan blinked in disbelief. Unbelievable, he thought. The wolf couldn't possibly be serious. Was that really what people were saying about him? That was just… idiotic. His mind struggled to process the implications of Jason's words.

“What!?" Bryan yelled back, the surprise evident in his voice. “That's so dumb! What, are you stupid? No one was expelled! He was already transferring to another campus, and—no! You know what, forget it—you've obviously made up your mind already."

Bryan's nose twitched rapidly, a sign of his distress that he couldn't control. The feeling of being cornered and misunderstood was starting to overwhelm him despite his outward defiance. "So, if you'll excuse me, I have class. Wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable with my 'fairy' presence any longer than necessary," Bryan said resentfully, the sarcasm dripping from his words.

Don't cry. Don't you dare cry in front of him, Bryan pleaded with himself desperately as he fought to hold himself together. The last thing he wanted was to show any more vulnerability in front of Jason. Bryan didn't want to give the wolf the satisfaction.

Jason snarled, ready to say something more, but the words stuck in his throat. He realized that he wasn't sure what to say anymore. His previous confidence was gone, replaced by a feeling of deep discomfort. He felt awkward and uncertain. The exact feelings Jason had been trying to avoid. It also wasn't helping that Bryan looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

The hurt in Bryan's eyes reminded Jason of unpleasant memories. As Jason stood there, fists clenched, he caught sight of his reflection in the rabbit's gaze as Bryan tried to stand his ground. Something in Jason softened as he saw the look on his own face. He remembered the last time he had seen his brother. The fight between him and his mom. His mom had had the same look on that day. The day his pack had become smaller.

Jason unclenched his fists and stepped aside, giving Bryan space. Bryan didn't wait around. The rabbit rushed past Jason, his small frame practically vibrating with tension. As soon as he was in the hallway, Bryan's composure shattered. His ears lay flat against his head and his eyes welled up with tears that he refused to let fall.

For a brief moment, Jason thought about going after Bryan. Part of the wolf wanted to apologize. Another part of him thought it served the rabbit right. Jason growled at himself in frustration, before turning and kicking his bed frame. The wolf kicked it harder than he intended and the frame loudly slammed against the wall. The sound echoed out and down the hallway. Instead of feeling any relief from the outburst, all the wolf felt was a painful throb in his foot.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Bryan thought as he practically ran to the male communal bathroom. He clutched his toiletry supplies tightly in his paws. What did you expect? That he'd be different?

From down the hall, the sound of something slamming against the wall from their room made Bryan flinch. The rabbit tried to ignore it, barely making it into the bathroom and an empty shower stall before the first sob escaped his lips. He couldn't hold it in anymore. Bryan turned the shower faucet on, pushing it as hot as it would go. The loud hiss of steaming water helped to mask his tears as he tried to pull himself together.

"Get it together, Bryan," he whispered to himself, pressing his forehead against the cool tile. "You've dealt with this before. It's fine. It's all fine."

Just need to get through this semester, the rabbit thought, scrubbing his fur more roughly than necessary. Then I can request a single room. No more roommates. No more... this. But even as Bryan tried to convince himself, the memory of Jason's snarl, the disgust in his voice, played on repeat in his mind. Each repetition cutting a little deeper, hurting a little more.

Back in the hall, Jason's foot continued to throb as he headed for class. The pain wasn't the only thing bothering the wolf. He had let Derek's comment get under his skin. Then the conversation with Bryan hadn't gone anything like how Jason had wanted it to. Now the rabbit was probably going to report him for harassment. It wasn't even eight AM yet and Jason's entire day, if not semester, felt ruined.

The wolf's mood did not improve as the day wore on. Most of the Jason's classes were still reviewing orientation materials and he struggled to take notes. Jason's first class lecture was a blur, nothing but words and diagrams that didn't make sense to him. The teacher's voice was just background noise. All he could picture was the hurt look in Bryan's eyes. A pressure in the wolf's chest made his throat tight and gnawed at him every time he thought about it. The day seemed to drag on at an agonizingly slow pace. Each minute stretching out like an eternity.

By the time his second class ended, Jason realized he didn't remember anything that had been covered. He wasn't sure what the class had even been about. He only had one more scheduled class left for the day, football. Just the thought of being out on the field was enough to give him a momentary sense of relief. He desperately needed a good workout to clear his mind and burn off some of the stress that he had been accumulating. Then he'd talk to Coach, get his old room back, and not have to deal with the 'Bryan' situation. Then everything would go back to normal. That thought alone put a bounce into his step as he adjusted his bag and quickened his pace.

Meanwhile, across campus, Bryan's day had only continued to spiral after his morning confrontation with Jason. Bryan barely made it through his first lecture, his usual precise notes scattered with watermarks from tears he couldn't quite hold back. During the break between classes, he overheard whispers and snickers. The rabbit feared the rumors about him were already spreading.

In his History class, Bryan tried to focus on the syllabus review, but his mind kept replaying Jason's words: "I'm not going to bunk up with a fucking fairy." The rabbit's ears remained drooped, a visible sign of his distress that only drew more unwanted attention as people around him gave him space. Bryan hated feeling this way. He felt awkward, vulnerable , and exposed.

Things were supposed to be different in college but this felt like high school all over again. His senior year had been a nightmare. As soon as Bryan had let slip to one of his 'friends' that he was gay, his friend had exposed him in front of the entire school. Then his parents had been notified. It was not how Bryan had wanted to come out.

Now, in his first week of college, it felt like events were repeating. His first roommate had gone through all his belongings and then freaked out when he found a pride flag. Bryan hadn't even wanted to bring it, but his dad had given it to him as a sort of peace offering. Luckily Mrs.Ringtail had put an end to his last roommate's tantrum. However, the damage had already been done. He was forced out again and was now the trending gossip of campus.

To make matters worse, his new roommate was also a jerk. A jerk that he had thought of while masturbating. Which was the fault of his naturally high libido, but also incredibly embarrassing. The rabbit didn't understand why this was happening to him. Was he being punished?

By lunch, Bryan couldn't bring himself to face the crowded cafeteria. He found a quiet spot behind the library and ate alone, picking at his salad while typing out an email to Mrs. Ringtail requesting a room transfer. His paws hesitated as he tried to type out the reason for his request, making frequent errors that he had to correct multiple times.

My roommate is a giant asshole. Bryan deleted that one. I'm gay and feel like I am being bullied. Bryan deleted that one as well. I don't think our philosophies align as we have alternate goals regarding the attraction of the opposite gender. Bryan let out a frustrated groan as he deleted that one. My roommate and I do not see eye to eye and are not compatible. He hit send, spelling errors and all.

Bryan packed up his laptop and began walking to his final class. He took the long way around campus to avoid as many people as he could. The rabbit was walking around the tree area next to the student parking when he was intercepted by a muscled tiger who was flanked by two other bucks. They were obviously on their way to football practice. A practice that took place on the field right next to the stadium and student parking.

“Shit, shit shit shit." Bryan cursed under his breath as the tiger and the two bucks spotted him.

“Hey check this out," the tiger said as he tapped one of the buck's shoulders." Fairy two o'clock."

One of the bucks snorted. Bryan quickened his pace and put his head down but the tiger started to jog over to him.

“Hey! Hold up Rabbit." The tiger said as the other two bucks started after him.

Bryan started speed walking faster, almost breaking out into a run but he wasn't fast enough. The tiger jogged in front of him and blocked his path. Bryan glanced up and tried to step around the menacing tiger in front of him but the football player held his paw up.

“Woah there. We're just going to have a little chat alright." The Tiger said with a toothy grin as the other two bucks caught up with them. The tiger's tail swished menacingly as the three of them surrounded the much smaller rabbit.

“Look, I need to get to class," Bryan said softly as he tightened his grip on his backpack.

The tiger and the bucks exchanged glances.

“And you will. But first, we're going to chat alright?" The tiger said again, clearly not asking a question despite his tone.

Bryan didn't respond, instead shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“I said alright." The tiger repeated in a harsher voice, as he stepped forward and forcibly pushed Bryan backwards.

The rabbit stumbled back a few steps before he steadied himself. Bryan glared back defiantly at the tiger in front of him.

“Look, why don't you dumbasses just leave me alone." Bryan shot back at the tiger and the two bucks.

The tiger looked amused as one of the bucks chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

“Get a load of this guy." The tiger said laughing. “Tough guy thinks he can talk to us like that."

“I would say I'm scared but frankly, I am just impressed you can use five letter words," Bryan said.

The smile disappeared off of the tiger's face, replaced with a snarl.

"Think you're so smart, you little fairy. You know I was just going to give you a talkin' too for making our star player uncomfortable. But now… now you've done it," Derek sneered, shoving Bryan again, but this time hard enough to knock the rabbit off his feet. "Maybe you need to learn your place."

Bryan landed hard on his backpack and his textbooks spilled out onto the grass around him, his nose twitching rapidly with fear, but he still managed to muster some defiance. "I didn't do anything wrong," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Just like high school all over again, Bryan thought, as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Jason exited the lecture hall and took a deep breath of fresh outdoor air. The sun felt good on his fur after being cooped up all day. Some of the weight he had been under earlier seemingly lifting away. He was actually starting to go entire periods of time without thinking about…

The unmistakable sound of someone falling and papers fluttering about caught Jason's attention and his ears shot up. He looked around and quickly spotted the cause of the commotion. Off in the distance toward the stadium, Bryan was surrounded by Derek and two of the other players from his team.

“Shit, shit shit shit," Jason muttered under his breath as he looked for anyone else around. His eyes briefly locked with another student next to him, a fox who had also exited the lecture hall at the same time. The fox's eyes darted away as the guy quickly turned and hurriedly walked in the opposite direction.

“Shit," Jason said one more time as he looked back over at Bryan and Derek. Derek taking an ominous step forward. He didn't have any more time to think, he had to do something.

"HEY!" Jason shouted as he ran over to the group.

“Hey! Cut it out!" He shouted again, as Derek and the others turned their heads to look at him.

Jason covered the distance in a matter of seconds, not even getting out of breath from the brief sprint. The wolf threw his bags down and stepped between Derek and Bryan who was still lying on the ground.

Jason put his paw on Derek's chest and kept the tiger from moving any closer to the rabbit. Derek stopped, surprised at the bizarre turn of events.

"Cut it out man, not cool," Jason said as he tried to de-escalate the situation.

While he and Derek were the same height, the tiger had a good 30 or 40 pounds more muscle on Jason, and the tiger looked pissed. Jason tried to think quickly before things got even further out of control.

"If the coach catches you guys beating up a fairy out here, it's all our asses. So, knock. It. Off!"

The two bucks took a step back and looked at one another, one nodding to the other. Derek also paused. The school year was just starting and no one wanted to be benched or worse, thrown off the team. Bryan's ears had perked up at Jason's voice but quickly dropped again at his choice of words. The rabbit tried to curl up into a ball and make himself as small as possible while the predators faced off.

"Whatever man," Derek sneered, backing off slightly. "Just looking out for you. I was just gonna talk, until this little asshole decided to be a smartass." The tiger gestured dismissively at Bryan.

"I can look out for myself," Jason growled, standing his ground despite being in a different weight class than the tiger. "Now back off before someone gets the wrong idea."

The group slowly dispersed. Derek looked at Jason, narrowing his eyes before shooting one last threatening look at Bryan. Then the tiger scoffed and walked away.

Bryan remained frozen on the ground, his heart pounding so hard that he was certain Jason could probably hear it. Bryan flinched as he felt a paw reach down, grab his shoulder, and lift him.

“Hey, hey… Look they're gone alright." Jason tried to say in a soothing tone.

Bryan glanced around and found that it was just indeed him and Jason crouched down in the grass. The rabbit swatted away Jason's paw and pushed the wolf away. Well, he tried to push the wolf away, but all that happened was that Bryan pushed himself backward.

“I'm not some gay damsel in distress you have to protect, I can handle myself.", Bryan said bitterly, as he started to gather his scattered belongings with shaking paws.

“Unreal… you know you could just say thank you," Jason said, taken aback by Bryan's unexpected outburst.

"Ha, thank you? I didn't ask for your help," the rabbit scowled, unable to look Jason in the eyes.

"Yeah, well... you're welcome anyway," Jason replied in the same harsh tone Bryan had used.

Bryan picked up and hugged his books tight against his chest, his ears still drooping. "Right. Thanks for protecting your reputation by not letting them beat up the 'fairy' where someone might see."

“God, why are you like this?" Jason said, clearly frustrated.

Bryan gave Jason a harsh look.

“No." Jason said, clearly getting more angry by the second," You know what I meant. You keep spouting off and someone is going to kick your ass, and then you know what! It'll somehow be my fault because I'm stuck with you as a damn roommate!"

Bryan's glare turned into a look of disgust as the rabbit turned and started to march away. Bryan took a few steps and then paused, his voice barely above a whisper. "You know what's funny? For a moment there, I actually thought you were standing up for me because you weren't an asshole. My mistake."

Bryan fought to contain another outburst as he hurried away, leaving Jason standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face. As Bryan hurried off, Jason snarled and clenched his fists in frustration.

“Whatever," the wolf muttered under his breath as he turned back towards the football field.

He didn't know how to deal with Bryan right now and if he stayed out any longer then he would be late for practice. Jason grabbed his bags off the ground and jogged off towards the field.

Practice that evening was exhausting. Coach Martinez had a reputation for being a real hardass. A reputation that Jason discovered was more than justified. Jason couldn't remember the last time he had drilled that hard, and it was only their second practice. But even though he was exhausted and his muscles were starting to ache, Jason was finally starting to feel like himself.

The drills gave him an outlet that he could pour all his frustrations into. On the field he could finally just focus on one thing, doing his job. A job that he was actually pretty good at it.

Several of his teammates gave him nods through their drills. Coach complimented him on good passes while critiquing his shortcomings. The cheerleaders who were practicing on the sidelines kept stealing glances his way. Even though he was exhausted Jason loved every minute of it. So much so that Jason was disappointed when it was time to wrap up.

His mind drifted back to Bryan and his dorm situation. As everyone was heading into the locker room, Jason swung by Coach's office and knocked on the open door frame. Coach Martinez was talking with another freshman starter, a Lab that Jason vaguely recalled from orientation. Both of them stopped and looked over at Jason as he knocked.

“Hey Coach, got a minute or?" Jason said as he looked between the two other men.

Coach Martinez nodded as he set his clipboard down on his desk," Whilmeton, yeah of course. Just one second." The cougar said as he turned his attention back to the lab, “Hit the showers Jackson, we'll talk more on Friday."

The lab nodded and said, “ Yes Coach." before the canine walked out of the office past Jason, both guys turning sideways so that the lab could pass through the doorway.

“What you need Whilmeton?" The coach said, causing Jason to stand a little straighter.

“I wanted to talk about my rooming situation, Sir."

Coach Martinez let out a sigh and as he looked Jason over. “ Look, Whilmeton, I get it. Some of the other guys already talked with me about your situation."

Jason shifted uncomfortably as he listened.

“But you're going to have to deal with it for the time being. I called over and spoke to the dorm manager. There are no other available rooms."

Jason's hopes for an easy solution were instantly crushed. The coach's message was clear - this wasn't a problem he could quickly run away from.

Coach Martinez noticed Jason's reaction. "Don't get tied up over this Whilmeton. Room's open up as students drop. Give it a few weeks and I can work with you on getting transferred. And if that little fa…if another student makes you uncomfortable or makes a pass at you or anything. You come to me and we'll deal with it. Sexual harassment is an expellable offense, okay? No one messes with my players. We're a team here - that means we got each other's back."

“Yes Coach," Jason replied, clearly still dejected.

Coach Martinez walked up to Jason and patted the wolf on his shoulder, “ Hit the showers, and good work out there today." The cougar said as he walked back out into the locker room where he shouted at a group of guys who were horse playing around.

Jason went back to his locker and grabbed his bags. He decided to just shower back at the dorms. A few guys slapped his shoulders on the way out and he shot them a fake grin and thumbs up as he headed out. He would need to find a way for his roommate situation to work with Bryan, whether he liked it or not. At Least for a few weeks if Coach Martinez was to be believed.

Now that Jason had to deal with returning and dealing with Bryan his mood quickly began to sour again. The rabbit's mere existence was infuriating. He should have let Derek knock some sense into the guy, Jason thought as he gnashed his teeth.

What did Bryan even do to piss you off? Jason stopped in his tracks as some part of him asked that question in his mind. What would Tim say if he saw you acting like this? That same tiny part of Jason asked as well. The wolf's ears fell flat against his head and his tail drooped. What would his brother say? They haven't spoken in so long.

Jason's anger once again turned into shame as the wolf's shoulders slumped. In retrospect, Jason knew he had acted like a jerk. The wolf let his teammates' prejudices influence his behavior instead of forming his own opinions. But Bryan's behavior last night also hadn't helped.

The memory of Bryan's scattered belongings on the ground and his quiet "I didn't ask for your help" flashed through Jason's mind and the wolf felt even more ashamed. Maybe I should just talk to him, Jason thought as he took his time walking back to the student dorms. That was the harder path but felt like the right thing to do.

Thankfully when he got back to his dorm room, Bryan wasn't in there. The room was exactly like he had left it this morning. He spotted the shirt he wore yesterday in the middle of the floor and kicked it into the closet on top of his clothes bag.

Jason threw his book and football bags down on the floor and grabbed a pair of fresh boxers from his pile of clothes in the closet. Then he riffled through one of the boxes he had brought in the day before and grabbed his toiletry bag and a towel, before setting out to wash off. The hot water and steam felt great against his aching muscles and the lavender soap washed away the sweaty musk he had built up during practice.

Jason spent longer in the showers than he normally did. Partly because he still felt grimy, mostly because he was avoiding going back to his room. Eventually, the wolf turned off the water and dried himself off the best he could in one of the drying rooms.

As the wolf headed back towards his room he rubbed his headfur with his towel. He was still a little damp as he walked down the hallway in his boxers. When he reaches his door Jason draped his towel over his shoulders. Then he reached out toward the doorknob and hesitated. "Whatever", Jason muttered to himself. He would have to deal with this sooner or later anyways.

As Jason walked into his dormroom he spotted Bryan sitting across the room on the rabbit's bed. Jason paused and an awkward silence filled the room as neither of the two spoke. Bryan looked up from his laptop with a harsh glare as Jason entered. But the rabbit's eyes quickly darted away at the sight of the damp wolf in just boxers. Bryan's nose twitched as he tried to focus on his screen, but his eyes kept glancing back at Jason's muscular form.

The awkward tension continued to slowly build in the air as Jason turned and started putting his toiletry bag away.

"I can leave if you need to change. Wouldn't want your football lackeys getting the wrong idea about us," Bryan said with a hint of venom to his voice. The rabbit had already started to gather his things and shove them into his book bag.

Jason let out a sigh as he walked over and sat on his bed facing Bryan.

"No... that's alright."

Bryan paused feeling slightly awkward as he waited for Jason to say something else. It took a few moments but Jason eventually spoke up again.

"Look. I'm sorry about the earlier Bunny B- Bryan. I'm sorry for being a jerk and I'm sorry those assholes were- assholes."

Jason looked and felt uncomfortable as he spoke, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Bryan's ears perked up slightly at the unexpected apology and his glare softened slightly. The rabbit put his book bag back on the ground and sat back on his bed.

"Thanks, I guess," Bryan said softly, before he added with a hint of his usual sarcasm, "though I'm pretty sure this is the first time someone's apologized to me while practically naked."

He risked a glance at Jason, noting the wolf's uncomfortable posture.

"Look, I get it. Nobody wants the gay roommate drama. Believe me, I don't either. But I'm not going to hit on you or anything. I just... want to get through this semester."

And try not to think about how you look right now, Bryan added mentally, his ears burning slightly at the thought despite himself.

"If it helps, I already requested a room transfer," Bryan continued, his voice getting quieter. "Though apparently there aren't any other options right now."

"Yeah I was told the same thing," Jason said.

The two shared a dejected look between the both of them.

"Guess you'll just have to enjoy the eye candy then Bunny Boy" Jason continued teasingly as he flexed his arms and chest from across the room, trying to lighten the mood.

Bryan's eyes narrowed.

Jason stopped showboating and instead crossed his arms in front of his chest." Sorry." the wolf muttered," Force of habit."

Is he actually flirting with me? No, he's probably just mocking me, Bryan thought, giving Jason the cold shoulder by turning slightly away.

“Relax," Jason said," I was just making a joke."

"Well it's not very funny," Bryan finally managed, his voice a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty. "This isn't a joke to me."

“I know," Jason said softly.

“Do you?' Bryan replied with a tense edge to his voice. “ Because all I wanted was to be left alone and mind my own business. I didn't want to deal with that shit from my last roommate and I definitely didn't want to deal with it from you or your friends."

Bryan surprised himself with just how forthcoming he was, but if he didn't say what he felt now, he wasn't sure he ever would.

“Hey!" Jason said defensively," I didn't ask for this either alright? It was all kind of sprung on me."

“Sprung on you? Imagine how I feel."

“Well, you could have said something earlier," Jason said.

Bryan rolled his eyes," oh yeah. Let me think. Hi, my name's Bryan - I like reading, long walks on the beach— oh and by the way, I'm gay. Please don't do what everyone has done so far and freak out on me."

Jason cringed slightly," Okay- fair, but I wouldn't have freaked."

Right, this coming from the guy who spent all morning gossiping about your gay roommate- then came right up here to tell me off. Yeah okay…"

Jason continued to deflate at Bryan's words.

The wolf hesitated. " No... it wasn't like that. I mean I was caught a little off guard. And after the bate session last night, I just overreacted alright."

Bryan froze, his ears pinned flat against his head and his nose stopping mid-twitch. The fight quickly left him as the color drained from his face as he realized what Jason just said.

"You... you were awake?" Bryan whispered, mortification evident in his voice. His paws gripped his laptop so tightly that his knuckles turned white beneath his fur.

Oh gods, oh gods, he heard everything, Bryan thought, panic rising in his chest. His breathing became rapid and shallow as the reality of the situation hit him.

The rabbit's natural fight-or-flight response kicked in, his body tensing as if ready to bolt from the room. His eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at Jason, scanning for an escape route like prey cornered by a predator.

"I... I should go," Bryan managed to squeak out, his voice barely audible.

Jason quickly realized he said too much and jumped to his feet, covering the ground between them in a few paces.

The wolf held his paws up in front of him.

"Shit man, sorry look. No - don't go. It's cool alright. I mean not cool cool. But it's alright, look see..."

Jason tried his best to project calm. The wolf's sudden movement startled Bryan, causing the rabbit to flinch and press himself against the wall. His eyes widened, darting between Jason's face and the door, his body tense and ready to bolt.

"It's... it's alright?" Bryan repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. His ears remained flat against his head, a clear sign of his distress. "You heard... and you're not freaking out?"

The rabbit's nose continued to twitch rapidly, his breathing still quick and shallow. He clutched his laptop like a shield between him and the all too close wolf in front of him.

"I don't understand," Bryan continued, confusion evident in his voice. "This morning, you... and now..." He trails off, unable to form coherent thoughts as he tried to process the sudden shift in Jason's behavior.

Is this some kind of trick? Bryan wondered, his instincts screaming at him to run.

Jason sat down on Bryan's bed awkwardly as he tried to not get too close to the rabbit, clearly uncertain of what he should say.

"I mean, yeah this morning after breakfast I did freak a little. But really, afterward, I just felt like a jerk for what I said. And I mean really I'm kind of flattered... if you were thinking about me and all." Jason waved his paws nervously, " not that you were. But if you were, you know.. spanking it to me then that's like a compliment right?"

Jason was floundering and trying to dig himself out. " So, then you're…. welcome?"

Bryan stared at Jason in disbelief, his ears twitching despite his confused embarrassment. He tried to process Jason's rambling attempt at... was that acceptance? Humor?

"Did you just... thank me for masturbating to thoughts of you?" Bryan asked incredulously, a hint of his usual sarcasm returning. His cheeks burned hot beneath his fur, but he couldn't help but notice how flustered the usually confident wolf appeared.

“Yeeee-ahshhh? I guess…"Jason hesitantly responded. "Look man, I'm trying here. Meet me in the middle."

Okay, there is no way that's not flirting. Part of Bryan thought, while another part of him screamed shut up, shut up, shut up. The rabbit was still pressed against the wall but no longer looking ready to bolt. The tension in the room shifted from uncomfortable to something else entirely.

"You are really awkward at this whole apologizing thing," Bryan finally said, allowing himself a small smile despite his lingering embarrassment. The rabbit couldn't help but find the entire situation they were both in hilarious.

"Heh, yeah well you beat it to your roommate, so we're both awkward alright."Jason shot back with a seemingly genuine smile.

"I... what?" Bryan stammered, completely thrown off by Jason and the conversation. Bryan's usual sarcastic shield failed him as he stared at Jason's semi-nude body, before quickly looking away, his ears burning hot. Bryan bit his lip as he processed Jason's unexpected openness. For once, Bryan was the one who didn't know what to say.

"The point is, I'd like us to be cool." Jason continued in a more serious tone. "Tomorrow I'll talk with the guys and get them to back off. I dunno, I'll come up with something. They just took things a bit too far. Then we can figure this out," the wolf said as he pointed between the two of them, “until one of us can get transferred. So cool?"

Bryan's ears perked up. He still felt uneasy about their situation but this was an olive branch he could live with. It was certainly better than the alternative of him hiding and sleeping in the library.

"Cool? Yeah, we can be cool," Bryan said, finally relaxing slightly. "Though maybe we should establish some boundaries first. Like warning each other before stripping down to our boxers."

Bryan managed a small smile, some of his usual sass returning. "And maybe you could stop flexing every time you want to make a point. It's very distracting."

And definitely not helping my situation, Bryan added mentally to himself. At this rate, the smell of lavender-infused damp wolf musk was going to become a core memory for the rabbit.

"Yeah, no- and deprive the world of all this, I don't think so." Jason flexed his chest.

Bryan went to glare at Jason again, but this time caught himself instead suppressing a small laugh.

"Anyways glad we could clear this up," Jason said as he held out his paw.

Bryan rolled his eyes as Jason continued to show off. The rabbit couldn't help but match Jason's smile as he reached out and shook the wolf's offered paw.

"Well I guess it's a start," Bryan agreed, trying to ignore how small his paw felt in Jason's larger one. "Though maybe we should also establish a schedule for... um... private time. To avoid any more awkward situations."

And to prevent me from getting caught again, Bryan thought.

"Yeah, we'll figure something out," Jason said as he got up and went back over to his side of the room.

Bryan watched Jason walk away, his ears twitching with uncertainty at the wolf's ambiguous response.

"Right..." Bryan said slowly, his nose twitching as he tried to read Jason's body language. "Because that won't be awkward at all."

Jason stretched back out on top of his bed, reaching up and grabbing his headphones and slipping them onto his head.

“Besides if ya gotta, ya know. Rub one out before then. Just don't do it while I'm around. Or wait till I'm in the shower or something."

Like I could actually do anything with you right there after last night, Bryan thought, his ears not stopping their seemingly perpetual burning at the mere thought.

“You think maybe?" Bryan went to say before Jason interrupted him, holding up two fingers for Bryan to see.

“Rule 2 Bunny Boy," Jason said as he dropped his paw and pointed to the headphones on his head. Then he turned onto his side, facing the wall, and away from Bryan.

Bryan sat there with his mouth open, uncertain of what to do next. After a few minutes in silence, he heard a soft snore come from Jason's side of the room.

Yeah, I don't believe that snore for a second, Bryan thought to himself. But instead of calling the wolf out, Bryan turned off his lamp and stretched out on his bed. Occasionally the rabbit would look over at the toned back of Jason across the room. After the second or third time, a familiar stirring sensation began to radiate from his crotch.

Really! No. Not again, Bryan thought to himself as he quietly groaned in frustration.