Curtis groaned and rolled over in bed. His head pounded as he rubbed his eyes. It was too bright in the room, but it would take too much effort to close the blinds. Was this a hangover? He'd only had one beer the night before. ...OK maybe a couple. And maybe a taste of tequila, though it made him gag. Once he and Ollie had really gotten into it, they'd danced for a while and alcohol helped to quiet his thoughts; they seemed to pester him less and less as the night went on.
He was amazed he'd gotten so into the music. He'd have to find out who the artist was. Growing up, he really only ever listened to classical music or movie soundtracks. Nothing with lyrics, really. It just hadn't appealed to him. Plus, orchestral music was 'sophisticated'--more important. And that was probably the first party he had actually been to. He'd always politely turned down any invitations, not that there were many to speak of. Too busy with extra-curriculars so he could get into a good college. No time for nonsense.
Not that it helped.
After leaving the party, he and Ollie wandered the Quad and just talked. Both tipsy, they fell into comfortable conversation and didn't realize how late it was until the sky started to lighten. Parents, Family, Life, School, Dreams...nothing was off the table. Apparently Ollie was pretty into Track and Field in High School, preferring Long Distance (he still held his school's record for 5K). He was the youngest of four boys and wanted to study Sports Medicine. He was even on the Student Government as Secretary, though it was just because his friend had run for President. Of course he would have been popular in High School. He was so god damn likeable, with that cute drawl and the way his dimples showed when he was excited about something...
Curtis had been initially guarded, but bolstered by Ollie and the drink, soon found himself sharing things he'd never told anyone before. About how he'd hidden his rejection letter from Harvard from his parents, how he only really claimed Political Science as his major because it sounded important, or the first time he realized he was gay.
He winced, regretting some of the intimate details of his life that he'd shared. He hoped he hadn't shared too much. Ollie was probably just too nice to excuse himself. And yet, he hadn't given that impression at all.
Even so, it's not like you have an actual chance with him. He's perfect and you're, well. You.
Oh no. Did Curtis have a crush? He whined, the sound coming out a little higher pitched than he'd meant it to. Ugh, it was so goddamn bright in his room. He sighed and covered his eyes with his hands, forcing himself out of bed to quickly pull the blinds. The darkened room was much more habitable as he walked to the mirror. He hadn't checked on his ears after getting back to his room last night because...
Oh God. You fucking moron.
He must've blocked it out. Though NOW it was burned into his memory. After returning to their dorms, Ollie had given him a look that set his heart aflutter. "I'm happy I ran into you, Curt. You're the fuckin' best." He wasn't even sure if he heard it right, but the euphoria he felt in the moment! Unfamiliar bliss to the point that it was like his expressive ears hadn't been enough to properly share the emotion as he felt his shorts rip. Embarrassed and certain that he had accidentally caught his pocket on the doorknob, he ducked into his room without saying anything further and dove under his covers.
Cussing himself under his breath and feeling his ears flatten on his head in response, he decided to distract himself with his changes. He'd felt his new ears a couple of times over the course of the night, and Ollie had demanded to touch them as well--That was an experience, strangely intimate and...arousing--but he had no idea what they looked like. Sure enough, there they were poking out of his hair. They featured soft black and white fur, with a light touch of tan on the edges and came to points, but flopped over lazily. The black and white fur had also started to bleed into his hair proper. He was so entranced he didn't even bother to look at his cowlick.
He met his own gaze, prepared to humble himself with his own judgment, but was surprised once again. Instead of two piercing pools of blue, one of them had turned the deep color of coffee. Ollie loved coffee. His left eye remained blue, though the icy color had softened to a sky blue. It reminded him of the lyrics that had stuck with him last night.
Look at the sky, I'm still here.
And instead of the cold comfort of judgment, he found himself momentarily lost in his reflection. His new ears and eyes suited him. And from the way Ollie had gone on about them, he liked them too.
He said I was the fuckin' best.
Curtis did something he couldn't ever remember doing: he smiled at his reflection. Despite his best efforts, he allowed himself a moment to feel happy. Overall it had been a fantastic night--better than he ever would have imagined. And he couldn't wait to see that dumb, sweet sheep guy again...
A truly foreign sensation overtook him as he felt a light breeze behind him. His happiness had extended past his body, content to manifest as his new tail wagged through the hole it had ripped in his shorts. He laughed a clear, jubilant laugh as he saw it dart back and forth behind him, a blur of black and white fur. It felt strangely right and it matched his mood at the moment as he thought of Ollie. He wondered if it was as soft as his ears were as he tried to catch it in a hand, still not used to the appendage. He couldn't stop wagging it out of his grip as he spun, trying to take hold of it. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice as the door opened.
"...and he's chasing his tail. Dogs are all the same, I swear."
Curtis froze and looked up in shock at the anthropomorphic cat. He had bright orange fur with darker stripes scattered throughout, and cocked a yellow eye at him as he leaned against the door frame. His long orange tail, tipped with long white fur flicked lazily behind him. He wore a green hoodie with CVU spelled in large gold lettering, loose khaki pants, and an amused expression. It made sense why he arrived late, since he was already completely changed. Maybe he already lived on this side of the valley.
His tail stopped wagging finally as he straightened and tried his best to look like he hadn't just been caught acting like the dog he was clearly becoming. His ear flicked with embarrassment, though it lacked the cold sting the emotion usually brought with it. He tried to distract the cat with an introduction.
"Uh, hi! I'm Curtis. ...Are you my roommate?" He held out a hand, which the cat ignored.
"Seems like it. Schroeder. Call me 'Shro'--everyone does." The cat shrugged his shoulders and slipped past Curtis on the way to his bed before tossing his backpack unceremoniously on top of it. "You don't snore, do you?"
"I don't think so...?"
"I don't actually care. I'm a heavy sleeper. Just try not to drool on my shit." Curtis wasn't sure if the cat was fucking with him or not as he continued to stare at him under heavy lids.
Curtis was saved from the awkward moment by a knocking at the open door. He turned to see Ollie peeking his head in with a grin that was clearly missing teeth on the sides--likely another change towards sheep-hood, "Hey Curt! Oh, is this your new roommate?"
Shro waved half-heartedly from his bed.
"Yes. He just got here." Curtis was so excited to see Ollie again he didn't realize he was wagging until he felt his tail hitting the hanging fabric of his shorts. He blushed, and his hangover seemed to abate.
"Goddamn! Do I see a tail!?" Ollie jogged into the room excitedly, and Curtis noticed that his dark hair was fading and looking a bit thicker. He nodded bashfully.
"Yeah, it must've come in last night..."
"It's cute." Ollie grinned. "Suits you." Curtis wagged a bit harder as he smiled.
Shro groaned. "I'm not stoned enough for this." He reached for his bag.
Instead of feeling embarrassed, Curtis chuckled. "And it looks like you got a new smile?"
Ollie nodded and opened his mouth to show off his teeth. "I kept wakin up. I had to keep spittin 'em out. Crazy, right? Actually, I was just on my way upstairs. I met a guy who's doin a sorta photo project and I'm modelin for him. You should come!"
Curtis hesitated, but Ollie's excitement was contagious.
...
"Ok. Let me change my clothes real quick." He gestured to the rip in his pants. "But afterwards I need to go pick up my textbooks. I'll be right out, OK?"
"Don't keep me waitin! I'll guard the door. Bye, Curt's Roomie." He waved and closed the door.
Shro fleered at him as he finished rolling something in his paws. "Puppy love already. Put a sock or something on the doorknob so I don't walk in on you two fucking, yeah?"
Curtis started to turn red as his tail threatened to start wagging again at the thought. "I thought weed wasn't allowed on campus," he shot back as he stepped into a new pair of shorts. He was so distracted that he didn't even think to consider that normally he would have never changed his clothes in front of someone else. Even yesterday he would have ducked into the closet or something.
"Catnip. It's medical." Shro looked smug as he pulled out his lighter.
"Cya later, Shro." Curtis laughed and headed to the door.