Garret Reid checked his phone one final time.
Yes, that was the right café.
He opened the door and scanned the premises. It wasn't long until he spotted Stefan. The possum still hadn't noticed the wolf, wiping his brow after what Garret assumed was fatigue after an intense work day, so the canine took the opportunity to pick a table quietly.
He looked aside nonchalantly, but a very small gasp indicated that Stefan noticed him. Footsteps followed.
"Good afternoon, client I've never met before" Stefan said, and Garret could pratically imagine the cheeky smile on his lips.
The wolf turned and his good eye met the two good ones of the person he cared most. He was indeed smiling, but there were so many more emotions behind those chocolate puddles he called irises: longing, relief, affection beyond the pale.
"Good afternoon, barista" Garret winked, "I'll have a vanilla latte. And your number."
"Oh, mister, I'm afraid I'm already engaged. Long distance, but still faithful."
Garret snorted.
"I sure would hope so."
Discretly, their lips met. It was a small mutual peck, but both poured as much love and affection as they could into each other's lips. It'd been three months since they last kissed, and the longing was as physical as the flesh and bone in their snouts.
Soon after, Stefan returned with Garret's latte. The wolf watched his boyfriend attend other people, before his shift ended.
***
Garret opened another door, this time to Stefan's apartment.
The two were frenching passionately, hugging frantically, so both the opening and closing of the door felt like earthquakes. Neither said anything coherently, breathing and gasping between kisses, two beings desperately wanting to become one. Finally, they broke their kissing frenzy enough to just gaze into each other wordlessly.
And Stefan's stomach grunmbled.
"Busy day, uh?" Garret said.
"I cooked us some goulash yesterday" Stefan said, "Let me just heat it up."
As he walked towards the kitchen he took off his jacket, revealing a rather simple white wifebeater. He wiggled his butt, winking at Garret.
"Make yourself comfortable."
In response, Garret dropped all clothes aside from his own simpleblack shirt and underwear.
***
"How could she? She's only human."
"Damn, what a finale!" Stefan said.
Both were sitting on the couch, plates on their crouch as they ate while binging Inside Job.
"Such a great series" Stefan said, "Such a shame they cancelled it."
"How do you think the series would end if it wasn't cancelled?" Garret asked.
"Honestly I have no idea. They have all the conspiracy classics, but they play with them so it's pretty hard to predict."
Garret eye Stefan's laptop, a file open with notes as if this was a college course.
"Wanna watch something else?" Garret suggested.
"Well, there's this new show replacing all the cancellations at HBO Max" Stefan said, grabbing the remote, "Wanna give it a shot? It also has mysteries allegedly."
"That's your thing, not mine" Garret said, sticking out his tongue playfully.
"Nah, I know you get intringued easily too" Stefan said, putting his plate aside and pecking Garret's cheek.
Cuddling together, they changed the channel.
***
"Oh no, I hallucinate because I have daddy issues. Gross!"
"And that's enough of that!" Stefan said, shutting the tv down.
"God that was awful" Garret said.
"And they couldn't even keep the mystery, every episode was a filler with teenage drama" Stefan said.
He laid on Garret's side, white and black shirts clashing.
"Can't believe Infinity Train and Pantheon were gutted and this shit got two seasons" Stefan pouted.
"Eh, the fans will bring those back love" Garret said, nuzzling Stefan's head.
"Hope so. I miss those shows already."
"More than you missed me?"
Stefan paused for a moment, then smirked.
"Yes."
"Bitch" Garret replied.
"You'd love to make me your bitch, wouldn't you stud?"
The two kissed, and the shirts fell on the floor.
***
Garret rested his head on Stefan's naked chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was a sound he missed every day since they last laid together, on his flat in Edinburgh.
"I love you" he muttered.
"Love you too, babe" Stefan said, his paw caressing Garret's hair.
"It's been too damn long" Garret said, "Wish we could live together."
"We blew all our money in the Sylvia" Stefan sighed, "And for nothing, it seems."
Garret raised his head, staring at Stefan's eyes. The opossum smiled back, but there was a clear sadness in his gaze, and the wolf wondered if he should tread carefully.
"How you're holding up?"
Stefan sniffed.
"He'd be proud of us" he replied, "Well, maybe going 'I told you so' after we watched Velma."
Garret laughed, and Stefan laughed too. But it died quietly.
"I don't want you to leave" Stefan said, sniffing a bit, "I'm saving up for a visa, so we can be together."
"Nah, I should be the one coming here" Garret said, "Scotland has it's charm, but I could use a change of pace."
"Y-you'd stay here with me?"
"Yeah, just gotta find a sparky job and we're good to go."
Stefan kissed Garret, and the two laid together, embracing until sleep overtook them.
