As my death came I felt no fear. I knew he would be waiting for me on the other side. It had been so many years since I had seen that gorgeous face, stared into those beautiful bright green eyes. This release is more than welcome for me.
As my body sinks into the Depths of Lazuli lake I see a bright light shining above. For a moment I do not understand what is happening. I should be dead now, my lungs are full of water. After a few moments I feel an invisible force pulling me to the surface. When I break out of the water I see him.
He is more beautiful than I remember. The same gorgeous face and the same green eyes, but his hair is a corona of platinum and he has broad crystal wings. He reaches out to me and I smile, saying those words we had been accustomed to all those years ago.
“To the secret door?”
His smile is blinding as he responds with certainty, “To the secret door.”
~Dante Drivel
~ Part 3 ~
- Animi City -
- Animi High -
~ 10 years prior to the Events of Bk 1 ~
“Day eight, things aren’t all as bad as I thought they’d be. The entire population of jocks are terrified of me since my run in with Conor, who was undoubtedly the leader of their pack. I can’t help remembering the way that little silver wolf. Danny, had talked to me. How friendly he was. It’s been so long since I’ve had a true friend… I can’t help hoping to see him again, to feel that strange warmth that his closeness brought. It was a feeling I had never felt before. I can’t out my finger on it, but it was good. I can’t help not how handsome he was too. I mean yeah, there are other guys that are more good looking, but I am sure he must be particularly popular with the girls. Or maybe if it weren’t for the h=way he dressed… It’s like he wants to be”
“Hi there Dante, writing again?”
The black wolf slams his journal shut and growls, “What does it look like?”
Danny tilts his head curiously, “Don’t worry, I wasn’t peeking.”
Dante looks up at him and sighs, “Where did you come from?” he asks, exasperated, sounding almost as though he somehow expected no one to approach him in a crowded hall.
The little wolf smiles at him cheerily, “Places.” He quips, plopping down on the bench, “I could ask you the same thing, where does a strange guy like you come from?”
“My mother’s vagina.” Dante mutters, looking wholly irritated.
Danny tilts his head again, looking entirely confused, “What’s that?”
Dante looks at him.
The little wolf blinks his bright green eyes innocently.
“You’re kidding, right?” Dante groans, “Please tell me you are kidding.”
Danny shakes his head slowly.
Dante sighs again, and then begins to laugh raspily.
The other wolf looks concerned by the sound, “Um, are you okay?”
Dante couldn’t help himself. He starts laughing harder, the sound intensifying to something more cough than laugh.
Danny’s eyes widen in a look of horror as the black wolf hunches over, laughing harder than he ever had in his life, loosing himself in the ecstasy of a feeling he had thought long lost. He begins to whimper as Dante’s hysterical laughter gives way to true coughing, “Dante!?” He yelps as the black wolf collapses off the bench, hacking loudly and then curling up in a ball, “Dante!” Danny wails again, pulling him up into a sitting position and grabbing the fringe of his hood.
“No.” Dante rasps between coughs, “Don’t.”
It was too late; the little wolf pulls back the hood and gasps.
Dante winces, awaiting the boys scream of terror, but instead he feels a warm touch on his cheek.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Danny murmurs, stroking Dante’s jawline gently, “What happened?”
Dante whimpers, pulling away, “Don’t look at me.” He stands and rushes towards the door.
Danny jumps up, rushing after him, “Wait, Dante, don’t go!”
The black wolf bursts out of the building, pulling his hood back over his face and rushing into a nearby ally. Danny follows him, and finds him sitting behind a dumpster, sobbing.
“Leave me alone.” He growls, hearing the silver wolfs approach.
Danny, scooches into the space between the dumpster and the wall, grabbing Dante and pulling him into an embrace.
He yelps when he feels the other boy’s arms close around him, “It’s okay.” The little wolf says.
Dante tries to struggle, but the embrace is strangely secure considering Danny’s size. Slowly, his fear and anger departs and he allows himself to fall limp. The little wolf leans up against him, stroking his back gently. As the little wolf strokes him his hood falls again, but this time instead of being afraid he allows himself to enjoy the touch.
“I knew there was pain in you.” Danny continues, “I could feel it in everything you said, in everything you did.” He pulls away from Dante and smiles, “Is that any better?”
Dante stares at him, feeling a strange surge of emotion.
Danny giggles, “You look funny.”
Dante growls, flicking his hood back up, “Why don’t you shut the fuck up!?”
Danny stops laughing immediately, “I’m sorry, I dint mean it that way! It’s just, your expression, it”
“Go AWAY!” Dante shouts, “Leave me alone!”
Danny sighs, staring at him sadly, “I was trying to be nice.”
“You needn’t waste your trying.” Dante growls, “Just go.”
Danny shakes his head, “It looks like you need a friend.”
Dante growls louder, “Why would you care about what I need!?”
“Because I’m nice.” Danny says softly and timidly.
Dante snorts.
“At least most of the time.” He corrects more firmly.
Dante turns and glares at him from beneath his hood, “Be honest, what do you want from me? Who planned this ordeal?”
“What do you mean?”
“Was it your parents?” Dante snarls, “Sick bastards, how could they think they know anything about me.”
Danny whimpers, scooting back a little, “I seriously don’t know what you are talking about.”
Dante shakes his head in disbelief, “Everyone who takes the time to talk to me wants something. Either from me or from my dad. Everyone tries to use me to get to him.”
“Dante I don’t want anything.” Danny whines, “I was just trying to be nice!”
“Why are you talking to me like you know me!?” Dante shouts, “You don’t fucking know me, nobody knows me! You should just fuck off, you weird touchy freak!”
Danny snarls viciously, turning away from him, “I don’t know why, I was just trying to seem cool, I thought you were cool!”
Dante folds his arms, “Who the hell do you need to be cool for?”
Danny glares at him, “This is so stupid, why are you still trying to argue with me?”
Dante shakes his head, “I don’t know what the fuck else to do, I already told you to go away!” He screams furiously, punching the wall, “What the fuck man! Why are you still here! Tell me!”
“You wanna know why I’m here!?” Danny shrieks, turning back to Dante, “It’s because I need a friend too! You saw what those idiots did to me! I’m the laughingstock of the school and now I thought maybe since you saved me we could be friends, but obviously your just as stupid as everyone else!”
Dante stares at him, feeling a strange sort of sadness, and beneath that, some faint spark of hope. It puzzles him, as hope is not a feeling he is well acquainted with, given his history, but somehow, this little wolf makes him feel… hopeful.
As the little wolf turns to storm away he grabs him, “No!”
Danny spins around with a roar, his paw lifted to inflict a wound, but he freezes when their eyes meet. Dante raises his eyebrow at him, looking up at his paw and then back to his face. Feeling more than a little silly Danny lowers his arm, staring the wolf in his eyes.
Dante stares back, panting heavily, “What are you doing to me?” he huffs, “I feel things. That doesn’t fucking happen, are you magic?”
Danny gives him a very concerned look, “No…”
Dante leans forward, sniffing him, and pricking his ears, “You smell fucking delicious.”
Danny squirms, “Um, why did you save me?”
I don’t know, Dante murmurs absently, “I was drawn to you, I felt that you needed protection, plus that guy was a jerk.”
Danny groans, Dante still hasn’t released him, and his grip is growing tighter, “Yeah, you wouldn’t even know the half of it.”
Suddenly, Dante pulls the silver furred wolf close, burying his muzzle in his hair, “I think I do,” he murmurs raspily, his arms trembling, “I know exactly what it feels like.”
Danny whimpers, trying to wiggle out of the bigger wolfs grasp. Dante continues to breathe in his scent, a deep sound of pleasure rumbling in his chest.
“Dante,” he whines anxiously, “Um, are you okay?”
“You smell so good.” Dante rumbles, clinging the small wolf to him, “I think I understand now. It’s like what I imagine they’re supposed to smell like.”
Danny whimpers, “Dante, what are you talking about.”
The black wolf snarls, slamming him against the wall, “Mhhhhh, maybe I got it from him.”
Danny wails, trying his very hardest to struggle free as Dante draws his muzzle out of the wolfs hair and releases him. The little wolf whimpers, trembling and looking up at him with wide, fearful eyes.
“This is so strange.” Dante murmurs, “The way you’re making me feel.”
Danny shakes his head, “All I was trying to do was be nice. I just wanted to make you feel better.”
Dante licks his jaws, his tail thudding softly against the wall, “You’re nice all right.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Danny whimpers, “I thought you were mad at me.”
Dante snarls suddenly, as though instantly overcome by rage, grabbing the smaller wolf and slamming him against the back of the trash can “STOP IT!” he roars, “Whatever you are doing! STOP IT!”
Danny shakes his head, panicking, “What are you talking about!? Let go of me!”
Dante roars, grabbing Danny’s paw and bringing it down to the crotch area of his cowl, and giving him a meaningful look, “What is this?”
Danny feels a prominent ridge against the pad of his paw and his eyes widen with fear, “Oh no, not again.”
“WHAT!?” Dante snarls, “OH NO!? AGAIN!?”
“I’m sorry,” Danny sighs, squirming his way free, “I need to go.”
“WHAT!?” Dante shouts, his outrage only growing, “Why? But YOU!”
“I can’t go through this again.” Danny says, struggling his way out from behind the dumpster.
Dante pulls out behind him, grabbing the other wolf by his wrist, “Go through what? What are you? What is this?”
“I think it’s what I want, but it is also not what I want.” Danny says, wriggling out of his grasp, “I can’t risk it anymore. I can’t screw up anyone’s life.”
“What do you want?” Dante asks.
“You don’t want to know.” The little wolf replies dejectedly.
Dante grabs him again, turning the other wolf to face him, “Maybe I do.”
Danny whimpers, “You’ve been in my dreams. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about you and how you saved me the other day.”
Dante pulls him closer, “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about you too. It’s been so long since someone has talked to me like you do. It’s been so long since someone has made me feel.”
“It’s happening all over again.” Danny sighs under his breath, “Why does this happen?”
Dante pulls the smaller wolf even closer, “Can you explain to me what it feels like to love? I’ve tried before, but it was never like everyone says, it was bland. It was a process.”
Danny whines, trying to pull away, “Look, no! I can’t, I’ve got to go!”
Dante sighs and releases him, “Will you come back?”
Danny looks up at him, with an expression of disbelief, “Uh, why?”
“I want to see you again.” Dante says more softly, “I… I think I can trust you.”
Danny sighs, “Tomorrow, here.”
Dante laughs excitedly, feeling giddy with emotion, “Yes! This is nice! I will see you!”
“Yeah, were gonna have to see if this is real.” Danny says.
Dante tilts his head, “If what is real?”
Danny sighs and starts to walk away.
As the small wolf departs Dante collapses to his knees. What had he just done? He is sure that he just made a complete fool of himself. He had spilt words, and tears. It is so strange to feel again, and the feelings he gets from Danny. That nice little wolf, whit his honesty and curiosity and innocence. It is so strange. Dante growls, knowing that he would not be able to rest until he understood these feelings. This strange warmness, the longing, the desire…
It reminds him of something else from his life. Something he’d rather not think about. Something that invokes a feeling anything but warm, but even so, he feels like this thing with Danny could work. It’s been a long time since he’s had a friend. It would be nice to communicate and be communicated with again.
One thing is for sure.
He must get closer to him...