Chapter Text
>*DING*
>you're up; it's another delivery.
>last one for tonight.
>the destination? Millstone apartment complex.
>off-campus student housing, a good three miles away from the pizza joint you work at.
>you've been there plenty of times before, but that hasn't made the trip any easier on your legs.
>the entire ride there is uphill, about a 15% grade.
>why did your electric motor have to shit itself the week that summer started?
>you involuntarily clench your teeth as you load the pizza box onto the back of your bike.
>fuck this job man.
>your mind ruminates in anger as you slowly pedal to your destination.
>what are you even doing with your life?
>you've been stuck working at this shitty place since you moved out here for college.
>you only got this job to keep yourself off the street, promised yourself that it'd be a temporary thing.
>yet here you are, two years later and still getting worked to the bone, barely making rent each month.
>and to think that this is one of the better paying jobs in this town. at least, when you get lucky with tips.
>speaking of tips, the asshole who ordered this pizza better tip real fucking good considering the amount of sweat you've shed delivering this damn pizza.
>you finally round the hill you've been climbing for the last 20 minutes.
>the apartment complex comes into view.
>you ride up to the stairwell before pausing to catch your breath.
>of course this dude is on the third floor
>why would anything be easy today?
>after a minute of panting, you muster the strength to get up off your bicycle and slowly climb up the stairs.
>you finally made it.
>*KNOCK KNOCK*
>half a minute passes. your hand reaches up to knock again, but the door slowly creaks open before your fist can make contact.
>a thin male cheetah in sweatpants and a stained t-shirt appears from within the darkened apartment
>he almost looks... familiar?
>humans are notoriously bad at differentiating between anthros, and you're no exception.
>but still, some reptilian remnant in your brain recognized him, if only for a moment.
>his words break you out of your stupor
>"shit man, sorry for making you wait. how much do I owe you?"
>you look down at the receipt taped onto the box before flipping it over to face him.
"18 dollars and 55 cents"
>he pats his pockets for a second before looking away.
>"yeah give me a sec, gotta get my wallet"
>he steps away from the doorframe, letting you see into the rest of the apartment.
>it's pitch black, save for the light coming in from the doorframe and the flatscreen at the opposite end of the room.
>wait a second, is that Homo Erectus? HAHAHA holy shit, that faggy ass visual novel?! this dude is really spending his Friday night playing that?
>your friends bought you a copy years ago as an April fools joke.
>I mean, sure you might've played through it all the way. just to see what the all hubbub was about, of course.
>nope, no boners popped at all during the entire span of that 10 hour long game. no sir-ee. you're as straight as an arrow!
>your eyes break away from the TV screen in sham- errr due to lack of interest. yeah, that's why.
>you look around the rest of the apartment.
>not much else is visible, save for near the door.
>oh hey, cool bike.
>wait wait wait. is that...?
>your mind connects the dots.
>it's fucking Qaylo. it's his bike. no wonder you recognized him!
>you both went to Crossroads High during your senior year.
>after Ranchview burned to the ground, you got transferred over to Crossroads until you could graduate.
>all things considered, it was a pretty shitty year at a shitty school.
>fights every damn day, drama that gives most telenovelas a run for their money.
>your friends got transferred elsewhere, so you were left to fend for yourself.
>you never made any new ones.
>everyone else already had their cliques, and graduation was just a couple of months away.
>you weren't all that social to begin with, so it wasn't surprising that you transformed into a full fledged hermit.
>Qaylo though, he was an exception.
>not many people at Crossroads biked like you did.
>so when he approached you in your first couple of days there, you two naturally hit it off.
>sure, he was a little... fruity? but beggars can't be choosers, so you took the little social interaction you could get.
>you saw him riding around town after school pretty often. he always waved when he saw you, and you always waved back.
>it was those little moments that kept you sane those first few weeks.
>so when you stopped seeing Qaylo biking around town, when he stopped dropping by to shoot the shit, you couldn't help but be a bit bummed out.
>you'd only known him for less that a month, so it didn't sting for long, but you still wondered about him every once in a while.
>still, you haven't seen anyone from Crossroads since you graduated. could it really be him? what are the chances that you two could meet all the way out here?
>ahh fuck it, no reason not to ask. can't hurt, right?
>you hear footsteps from within the apartment, approaching the still-open door.
>the cheetah comes back into view, wallet and cash in hand.
>you look over his face one more time before speaking. yep, that has to be him.
"hey uhh, weird question, but are you Qaylo?"
>his gaze shoot up from the pizza in your hands to your face. he squints for a second before his eyes widen once more.
>"Anon? from Crossroads high? holy shit man, what are you doing here?"
"delivering your pizza, what else would I be doing here?"
>you chuckle at your joke. razor smooth, Anon, razor smooth.
>"no like; you know what I mean!" he chirps out in frustration, eliciting another snicker from you.
"oh yeah, I got accepted into YSU. they were the only ones who offered me any scholarships, so here I came."
>"really? I've never seen you around on campus. what are you majoring in?"
"comp-sci. or was, at least. before I dropped out."
>he frowns a bit.
>"damn."
>silence hangs in the air for a moment. you two stare at each other awkwardly.
"so uhh, you still bike around a lot?"
>he quickly glances back towards his bicycle.
>"oh that? yeah I brought her over when I moved here but I haven't ridden in... years, I think? most of the time, I just take the bus."
"you're missing out man, there's plenty of nice places to ride around here. shit, they even got bike lanes downtown."
"we should ride together some time! get you back in the saddle, so to speak."
>the words escape your mouth before you realize what you're saying.
>being out here, your shitty job, your shitty life. it must be getting to you if you're inviting near strangers out on bike rides.
>his hand moves to scratch the back of his neck.
>he answers before you can backtrack.
>"I dunno man, I gotta replace her tires, replace the chain, get everything oiled up..."
>oh thank god, he's giving you an out.
"no worries man, maybe some other time."
>you hand him the pizza box. no reason to drag this out any longer, lest you embarrass yourself further.
>he takes the pizza with one hand and gives you the cash with the other.
>"keep the change. thanks Anon, I'll see you around."
"thanks Qaylo, enjoy the pizza."
>you hear a faint "yeah, you too" as you walk away from the door and towards the stairwell.
>looking down at the cash, you count your spoils
>a $10, a $5, and four $1s.
>that cheap fuck gave you $19. a 45¢ tip.
>you stop in your tracks.
>maybe you should go back to his door, give him a piece of your mind. that scrawny little faggot thinks he can get away with...
>...
>ahh fuck it. it's Friday night and you've got an easy ride ahead of you.
>no point in wasting more time on this when the weekend is calling.
>you set off, back down the hill you climbed just minutes ago.
>the rushing wind wicks away the sweat clinging onto your body.
>and yet, as you speed towards home, you can't help but think about that cheetah boy.
>sure, he might not tip much. or like, at all.
>but a small part of you still hopes that this won't be the last time that you see him.
>another Friday in the four hour life.
>you can really feel the pull of the weekend.
>just 15 minutes and you'll be able to clock out for the day.
>hide in the bathroom, avoid your manager's piercing gaze, and you'll be able to dodge getting tied up with any actual work.
>fuck those pizzas, they can deliver themselves.
>you've had enough of biking around for one day.
>the door to the bathroom opens. you hear footsteps quickly approaching your stall.
>*RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE*
>someone is vigorously shaking the stall door.
>damnit. busted.
>"ANON I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"
>you spin the toilet paper roll around before flushing the toilet.
>opening the stall door, you're greeted by your manager, arms crossed and brows furrowed.
>well, are they really furrowed or not? it's hard to tell with her resting bitch-face.
>do snakes even have eyebrows?
>"what the fuck are you doing in here? you've had an order waiting for you for the past 10 minutes."
"uhh sorry about that, think I go-"
>"I don't give a shit. wash your hands and get out there."
"sorry ma'am, I'll get r-"
>"unless you feel like coming in tomorrow? because that's exactly what's going to happen if you don't stop gawking at me and start moving your worthless ass."
>you speedwalk to the sink and wash your hands in record time.
>before you realize it, you're out the door, pizza box in hand.
>as you're packing the box onto the back of your bike, you glance at the receipt to see the destination.
>it's Qaylo's place.
>fuck. should've gotten that motor fixed last weekend.
>the ride up is no easier this time than it was the week before.
>you try to pace yourself as best you can, lest you be forced to do the walk of shame.
>pushing your bike by hand would be a massive insult to your pride as a cyclist, you'd never forgive yourself.
>you finally round the hill, the corners of your vision fading as you pull up in front of his apartment.
>there's no time to wait. this is your last delivery for the night, better to get it over with now.
>you grab the pizza and slowly climb up the stairs. you walk to Qaylo's door and raise your hand to knock on it.
>but it swings opens before you can make contact.
>"hey Anon!" the chipper cheetah greets you.
"sorry for-"
>*PANT*
"the wait..."
>*PANT*
>he grabs the pizza out of your hands and heads back inside, leaving the door open.
>you step backwards and lean on the railing, closing your eyes before taking the chance to catch your breath.
>after a minute, Qaylo's voice opens them once more. he's standing outside the apartment, arm outstretched with your cash in hand.
>"here, you can keep the change."
>you reach out and take the money from his hand, muttering out a "thanks".
>he continues to speak.
>"you remember what you said last week? I got my bike fixed up and the weather today is really nice. still up for a ride?"
>the offer you made last week had completely left your mind. after all, you never expected him to actually take you up on it.
>and after working all day today? there's nothing you'd like to do more than rush home and collapse on the floor.
>your muscles are currently in the process of melting, and all you're doing right now is standing still.
>surely you can weasel your way out of this?
"uhh yeah, about that. sorry man, I don't think I can do that today. I've been working since 8 this morning and-"
>the cheetah's expression changes in a split second. his smile disappears, his ears fold flat against his head.
>his tail practically falls to the ground.
>look at what you fucking did.
>this poor kitten...
>"ohokaysorryididntknowitsokaywecandoitsomeotherday"
>you got his hopes up and then immediately spit in his face. you're a monster.
>only now do you realize that he's already wearing shorts and a cycling jersey.
>he was waiting for you, wasn't he?
>and were his eyes always this big and wet??
>well, you can't just leave him here like this.
>and it's not like you have anything else planned for the night.
>maybe a short bike ride together wouldn't hurt.
"alright alright, chill man, I'll do it. just give me a minute, I had to ride all the way up 13th Street to get here."
>"r-really?"
>he looks up from the ground, back to you.
>you mumble out an "uh huh" before slumping down against the railing.
>his ears perk back up.
>"okay great! i'll need a minute to get my bike downstairs, but let me know whenever you're ready."
>he turns around and steps back into the apartment.
>being seated gives you an excellent view of his rear.
>damn, nice ass.
>his long, spindly legs perfectly complement his petite, rotund cheeks. small, but shaped juuuuuust right.
>the raised tail, playfully swinging from side to side; his wide hips and thin waist accentuated all the more by his tight clothing.
>if you didn't know better, you'd think that you were staring at the backside of a rather gifted female cheetah.
>woah Anon, the fuck are you thinking? this is Qaylo man. this isn't your style, you don't swing like that.
>you look away before your half chub can stiffen anymore, electing to stare at the cityscape around you rather than at the lust provoking cheetah directly in front of you.
>the city...
>oh yeah, where are you two even gonna bike to?
>the nature of your job has forced you to become quite familiar with this part of town.
>there's a couple of good routes that you two could take.
>maybe continue up 13th to city hall? should have a good view of the city as the sun sets.
>nah, you've had enough of hill climbing for today.
>maybe towards Hawthorne Park?
>it's in the direction of your apartment and there's an easy paved trail through it.
>good burger place right at the end. a local one.
>scenery's nice too, especially during this part of the year.
>nothing else is coming to mind, though you aren't thinking all that hard.
>kinda hard to do when you haven't eaten all day.
>you head down the stairs.
"hey Qaylo, you ready to go?"
>he's bent over, adjusting something on his bike.
>dont stare at it dont stare at it dont stare at it.
>"yep, just had to adjust some things. it's been forever since I've gotten on this thing."
"got it. you fine with me leading the way? i know a good place we can go to."
>he stands up, turning to face you.
>"sure thing!"
>you mount your bike. he follows suit.
>the ride to the park is pretty easy.
>mostly flat, some downhill here and there.
>it's pretty busy, so you two are forced to ride single file rather than side by side.
>you in front, Qaylo in the back.
>not the best for conversation, but you two make do with the downtime you get at each red light.
>it's a bit one-sided at first; you yap about your bike and all the upgrades you've made over the years.
>he listens intently, his big brown eyes stare deeply into yours.
>you move on from that to video games, movies, anime.
>that gets his attention.
>you two shoot the shit about the games you've been playing.
>turns out that you guys both play a lot of the same stuff.
>shooters, JRPGS, even some visual novels.
>wait, visual novels? like the one he was playing last week?
>oh yeah, you're definitely asking about that.
>you stop at an intersection.
"sooo... not to be nosy or anything, but were you playing Homo Erectus last Friday? I saw the pause screen for it on your TV."
>"wha?!"
>his head jerks to face you, eyes wide. you chuckle.
"hey man, it's chill. I won't judge you if you're gay or anything."
>he snarls.
>"hey I am NOT GAY! I was only playing because uhh.. well my friends dared me to."
"uh-huh. suuuuuure..."
>"wait a minute, why do you even recognize that pause screen?"
>oops
"uhh, light's green!"
>you speed off before he can push the issue further.
>you reach the park.
>the sidewalk gives way to a proper, paved trail, wide enough for Qaylo to pull up next to you.
>you both pause for a moment.
>"is this where you wanted to go?"
"not quite, there's a burger place at the end of this path."
>"really? burgers? I just ordered a pizza dude."
"trust me, that shitty pizza can wait. these burgers are like nothing you've ever had before."
>he sighs, rolling his eyes.
>"fine, but hurry up, will you? you ride too damn slow."
>he speeds past you.
>oh no, you're not taking that from this little twink.
>you're the alpha cyclist here.
>you rush after him, quickly closing the distance.
>passing with ease, he returns to his place behind you.
>where he belongs.
>but he's having none of it.
>he speeds up and passes you once more, not holding anything back now.
>oh it's on.
>you pedal as fast as you can, eventually squeezing past him.
>you two are neck and neck for almost a minute, speeding through the park at record pace.
>eventually you round the final curve before it appears.
>oh fuck, you completely forgot about this.
>it's a hill. a very steep hill. 40% grade maybe?
>the last push before this trail ends and the sidewalk begins once more.
>the climb starts, your speed drops.
>drop one gear.
>slower still.
>down another.
>your legs are burning up now.
>Qaylo finally passes you, the distance between you two starts to increase.
>you're struggling to go fast enough to keep yourself upright.
>your legs are on fire, stiffening more and more with each passing second.
>vision fading, you wobble from side to side.
>you take one last look up the hill.
>Qaylo's already reached the top. he's parked up there, watching your plight with amusement.
>your vision turns to static. the sound of wind rustling leaves replaced with ringing.
>you wobble a little too far and veer off the pavement and into the grass.
>it's the last straw.
>you flop over sideways.
>when you come to, Qaylo is kneeling next to you. he's shaking your shoulder.
>fuck, you're never gonna live this down.
>you can barely make out what he's saying through the ringing in your ears.
>"ANON! can you hear me!? are you okay?"
>you mumble in acknowledgement.
>"should I call an ambulance? that fall looked pretty rough..."
>you shake your head.
"Imm... fine..."
>you try to sit up.
>Qaylo's hand stays on your shoulder, ready to stabilize your body should you pass out again.
>you survey the damage.
>your bike is up on its stand next to you. probably Qaylo's doing.
>it looks like the fall itself didn't hurt you too bad.
>a couple of scratches here, bruises there, but nothing too serious. grass must've cushioned the fall.
>"you were out for a good minute there, thought I might have to start doing CPR or something."
>the ringing subsides, your vision is clearing.
>you try to stand, but your numb legs are having none of it.
>"need a hand?"
>he stands up and reaches out with his arm. you grab it, he helps pull you up.
"thanks."
>you stumble around, every step sends a jolt of pain through your body.
>"you sure you're ready to go? maybe you should rest for a minute"
>you look up the hill, then back towards the bottom.
>damn, you barely even made it halfway. there's no way you're gonna pedal up there.
"yeah, gonna take it slow for now. work really tired me out today."
>you start pushing your bike up the hill. Qaylo follows suit, walking beside you
>"sorry for rushing ahead like that."
>his mumbling is barely audible.
>"I never meant to hurt you. it's like every time I get on this damn..."
>he trails off, talking more to himself rather than to you.
>damn, if he isn't good at tugging at your heartstrings.
>you scooch over a bit and give him a pat on the back.
"relax man, it isn't your fault. I got too cocky and ate a little shit. nothing worth beating yourself up over."
>he looks up at you, a faint smile visible on his face.
>"thanks Anon. it's just that..."
>his gaze moves directly in front of you two, towards the setting sun.
>"ahh fuck it. it doesn't matter. let's just go get those burgers, I'm starving."
>you finally make it to the burger joint.
>unsurprisingly, it's packed.
>the drive-through queue snakes through the repurposed parking lot.
>for some unholy reason, this place stopped doing dine-in last year, so your only choice is to get in line with the rest of the waiting cars.
>"these burgers better be worth it. I think all these exhaust fumes are gonna take at least a year off my life."
>Qaylo fidgets with his handlebars as you two wait.
"trust me dude, you'll never be able to eat one of those shitty McDingus burgers after you've tried one of these."
>he rolls his eyes.
>the line starts moving faster. looks like the next shift came in.
>just in time too, it's starting to get dark.
>you make it to the intercom, it's finally time to order.
>"uhh, what should I get? I've never been here before."
"dude, there's like 5 things on the menu. just pick something."
>the speaker crackles to life.
>"welcome to Let-Me-Out, what can I get you today?"
"I'll have a quadruple with onions and extra tomato, shlumperdik style, and well done cheese fries with extra salt. to-go."
>there's a moment of silence before the voice speaks once more.
>"will that be all sir?"
"yeah th- wait!"
>you nudge Qaylo
>"uhhhhhhhhh"
>he stares at the menu.
>"I'll uhh.. I'll have whatever he's having?"
>"so two quadruples with onions and extra tomatoes, shlumperdik style, and two well done cheese fries with extra salt?"
>Qaylo looks at you expectantly.
"yep, that's right."
>"okay that'll be $19.39, please pay at the first window."
>*click*
>"I don't think any of that was on the menu Anon. what the fuck does slumber-dick style even mean?"
>you chuckle.
"have patience, my apprentice. you'll understand soon enough..."
>burgers acquired.
>you two sit on the curb before looking inside the bag.
>it's heavenly.
>two burger buns, four burger patties, four slices of melted cheese, three slices of tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, all lathered in a ridiculous amount of mystery sauce.
>you grab one of the burgers and dig in.
>Qaylo looks on in scarcely disguised disgust.
>you swallow before speaking.
"try it dude, it's amazing."
>several drops of sauce fall from your face onto the pavement.
>he looks into the bag and carefully reaches for the other burger.
>despite his best efforts, sauce drenches his fingers as soon as he touches it.
>he sniffs the burger before taking a small bite.
>followed by a much larger bite.
>and another, and another...
>the burgers are gone in seconds. the fries don't last much longer.
>sauce and melted cheese drops are scattered among the pavement.
>"holy shit, you were right. that was amazing!"
>he licks his fingers clean.
"damn straight."
>you lay down on the sidewalk and stare into the sky.
>it's quiet out, save for the sounds of cicadas filling the air.
"you know, we should do this more often. it's been forever since I hung out with someone."
>"pffft, you're only saying that because I paid for your burger."
>you shrug.
"I dunno, I wouldn't mind making this a regular thing. you wouldn't even have to buy me dinner next time."
>he chuckles.
>"yeah right..."
>you sit up.
"nah, I'm serious. you got your phone on you? lemme give you my number."
>he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. it takes him a minute to unlock his phone and pull up his contacts. he hands the phone to you.
>woah, there's like 3 people in here.
>you add a new entry with your phone number before returning the device.
"well, it's been fun, but I gotta head home before it gets dark."
>you stand up.
>he remains seated, staring at his phone.
"hit me up whenever you feel like it. I'm free most weekends."
>you get on your bike. he looks up
>"thanks Anon, I'll see you around."
>you give him a little wave before turning away and heading off.