Chapter 6: Episode 6: Your Warm Hands

“H-how do you um… P-play this game?” Loukas, at that point, decided to not question how he got here. The fluffy-eared man stood on his desk, arms outstretched in a dramatic pose as he held the smuggest of smiles.

It was his shift, but unfortunately, working was not meant to be.

“How could you not know how this game goes? I'm disappointed in you.” Hide shook his head with shame.

“Huh?”

“It's called The Game," Hide waved his hands for emphasis, "everyone knows how to play it.”

Loukas suspected Hide was lying but was not fully sure.

“The Game is played when I ask any question and you must answer them honestly,” Hide continued, “You then get to ask any question and the loser is whoever that cannot answer. Got it?”

Not feeling he had much of a choice, Loukas sighed, resigned to his fate, “Yeah… I guess um… Who g-goes… first?” he asked.

“First is the best and Second is the worst. Question your favourite colour?”

“Oh um, red,” This seemed suspiciously simple, “Um… M-my turn so hmm… Do um work here?”

It was a genuine question since as far as Loukas knew he had only seen Hide around this area. Never in the halls of the various buildings on campus nor even areas were other maintenance staff congregate.

“As a permeant hire? Nah, I'm just the favourite go-to for tech. I work for myself." Hide said as he sat back down on the desk and puffed his chest with pride.

“So y-you like computers?”

Hide’s eyes sparkled in cute, childlike joy. “Well yes, duh. Of course, I do. I’m a fan of any kind of tech honestly." Loukas realized it was actually Hide's turn to ask the question but as soon as the topic went to machines the man would not stop.

"But computers are my favourite and what I normally work with. They can pretty much do anything. And by anything, I mean anything. Like ever heard of the guy who made his home a smart house with just a laptop and bits of scarp? He's my idol. Oh, one time I was learning Malbolge, I know should learn to leet code for jobs, but I got distracted at the time and-”

Loukas smiled as the man spoke quickly and with such tangible enthusiasm as he gushed over his interest. He was not too sure of the point of this game, but it was adorable how Hide seemed so excited to talk about coding. His little tail wagged faster as he spoke without him, so much as stopping to breathe; smiling all the way.

He had a notable cute smile, of lush lips that curled up agreeing with his eyes full of laughter.

“W-wow. I d-doubt I would know even half of that about um... Coding.” Loukas said as Hide finally stopped to catch his breath, gasping for air.

"Hah..ah,"

"Um... You okay?."

“Urg… You can learn Html …. It's easy… even an infant can learn it,” Hide replied between his gasps for breath.

It honestly reminded Loukas of the time his little brother got very excited over his first horseback riding lesson. Albeit, more… Intense.

But it was a different kind of warmth as Loukas listened to him; it was distinct and stronger.

Would he still smile, when he picked him up from the ground with one hand?

Loukas shoved those creeping thoughts down as he returned Hide’s wide grin with a small smile of his own, “Y-yeah... Maybe, as I'm not v-very smart... S-so I wouldn't know.”

Loukas noticed Hide’s previous cheer turned into a sharp glare that pierced him. Or more accurately, his hand; Hide's tiny tail, no longer wagged.

Hide's relaxed posture was now more akin to a cautious animal, narrow eyes, horns more pointed at him.

Why was he so threatened?

Then Loukas realised the reason. 

He was about to ruffle Hide's fluffy hair out of a friendly instinct before he pulled his hand away from Hide's head.

“Oh... S-sorry,” he sputtered apologetically.

“Yeah, better be or I’ll bite that hand off.”

Loukas felt so damn stupid.

Why did he do that?

It was weird attempting to pet Hide.

Idiot...

Why-

“Urg come one Loulou focus!” Hide snapped his fingers again to bring Loukas out of his deep pit of self-loathing, “Don't go all emo on me. Plus, it's my turn.”

“Oh... yeah..” Loukas muttered as he looked down at his shoes. He wanted to bury his face in his hands and pray that the day ended sooner.

He clutched at his pendant for his safety.

He was sorry…

“How big's your dick?”

Loukas' eyes snapped open as he stared in bewilderment at the shorter man, whose gaze shifted from concern to mocking amusement.

Or it was probably his imagination.

Why would he be concerned for him?

“.... What?”

“I mean proportion wise it would probably be bigger than average, but it could also be tiny. I've known big guys with baby carrots. It was a tragedy.”

Loukas did not know how to respond to such a question except stutter out the first thing on his mind, “Wha-wha I-I what?! Y-you I- you d- shall, You... Y-you, don't ask that!”

He did not care if that counted as a loss. Hide's gaze turned to one of sympathy as he said, “Loulou… Is it secretly a tic-tac? I'm so sorry for your deformity.”

“It's not tiny!”

“Oooh, so it's enormous, right? I knew it,” Hide smirked with triumph as Loukas felt more comfortable sinking into his seat rather than staying on this topic any longer.

“Hey come on, at least you are not lying around moping. I never heard you raise your voice until now. You can shout pretty loud.”

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Loukas covered his mouth and realised what he had just done. Hide rolled his eyes and pulled Loukas' hands away from his mouth.

“Urg no one here, just me and you,” Hide said.

"It doesn't feel that way..."

"Who cares?" Hide's ear twitched. "It's honestly just us. Trust me on this."

 Loukas realised how warm the other man's hands were.

There was an odd contrast between how tiny Hide's hands were and how rough the skin was on the older man’s fingertips.

So small compared to his own bigger clawed palms. If Loukas wanted to, he could hold both of Hide's hands and cover them completely. Yet the man's digits seemed oddly weathered by years of whatever hardship he may have gone through.

What had happened to change someone so small?

“What are you looking at?”

Loukas realised he had been staring and shook his head frantically, “uh. Uh... n-... I”

 “Damn it, you are gonna take forever,” Hide grumbled, seemingly not noticing Loukas’ nervousness. “Your question, dumbass.”

He thought he may have lost this one, but it seemed to not be the case.

“I...” Loukas found his eyes focused on the sight before him.

Two fluffy goat's ears, two horns and a wagging tail.

“Come on, hurry,” Hide huffed as he narrowed his eyes over his now sideways pupils.

“Y-You... You have g-goat e-ears?”

Hide froze as he raised a brow at Loukas, “... Next question”

“B-but I-”

“I said next question, Loulou.”

Loukas bit down on his lip as he muttered, “I’m sorry…”

He saw the little goat-eared man grimace before he averted his eyes and said, “Urg, you're making me feel bad…. To answer, only you can see it. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just…. Special for a human to see it...”

Human…

Loukas could have laughed…

“Um oh... Um... Th-thanks for sharing. Haha.”

Hide shrugged, “Whatever, I'm bored now”

He got to be kidding him.

Hide hopped off the table as Loukas got up and said, “W-wait, I um…. W-would y-you be f-f... Okay with me... G-getting your num... Num... ber?”

That was more difficult than he thought to get that question out of his head.

Hide was not that bad.

 Annoying, yes. However, it would be rude not to at least get a number.

“Heh..”

“Hm?”

“Fine, but if you just want my number for a booty call, there are fewer roundabout ways to go about i-”

“N-no I don’t I would never I-"

“Hehehe,” Hide doubled over in laughter as Loukas felt his blush deepen as he buried himself in that chair.

“Oooh, I was joking, come on laugh.”

“Not funny Hide…”

Why was he so damn flustered by that proposal?

Loukas was embarrassed by his words being twisted, but why did he also feel so...

So disappointed and annoyed?

He looked up again to see Hide’s grin with his phone out.

“I thought you wanted my number.”

Loukas felt he may regret this, however…

The feeling of warmth from Hide’s hand never went away even after the two changed numbers and parted ways.

It never left his fingertips as he curled up in bed and moved the touched hand to his chest.

That night felt so much more lonely.

 

 

 

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