Dare strode along to the cafeteria besides Milo, just taking in the sights as he passed through the college. It really wasn't a bad place, even if it could be a little postcard perfect for his tastes. With more of the upperclassmen and teachers moving back onto the campus the human freshmen and transfer students were quickly becoming a minority. He expected to be stared at, or mocked, but all he got was polite smiles and cheery waves. It was almost nauseating. Almost.
Milo tilted his head back and took a deep breath. "The air out here is so clean." He had insisted on bringing his camera with him, which made their trip to the cafeteria take longer than it should have with him pausing to snap shots every once in a while as something caught his eye. Dare couldn't make any sense of it. He'd be trying to get some weird angled shot on a lamppost, and the next moment was laying in the grass making clicking noises at a duck trying to get its attention. A normal duck. Thank god. Dare was having a hard time not smiling at the antics. There was something warming in Milo's constant sunny optimism.
Milo fell back into step with Dare after grabbing a snapshot of some vines on a brick wall. Their hands brushed by accident, but almost on reflex Dare began to twine his fingers with Milo's. Some one laughed nearby and he snatched his hand back, arms going across his chest as he tucked his hands under his arms. He ignored the look of mild hurt Milo cast his way. He was not going to be made to feel guilty. His hair did look good the way it just kind of stuck up and refused to lay flat now. No.. stop that.
As they stepped through the doors, Milo pulled out his phone. "Oh.. Ollie texted. Guess I didn't hear."
"Must have been while you were quacking at the duck." Dare retorted with a mild smirk.
Milo just stuck out his tongue. "Mind if he joins us?" Not that he actually waited for an answer before he was texting back. Dare just shrugged and grabbed a tray. Thwacking Milo in the chest with a second tray as he put away his phone. That might be better, a third might keep him from doing something stupid.
They moved through the line, grabbing breakfast items of choice. Milo loaded up on eggs and toast. Dare eyed the bacon, then looked at his roommate. He couldn't. Waffles and some fruit salad hit his own plate. A few cups of coffee and a card swipe later and they were both seated at a table, big enough for Ollie to join them.
"What's the deal with the camera anyway." Dare asked, eyeing it where it sat close to Milo's hand.
"Um.. Photography major?" Milo said between bites of buttery toast, giving Dare an odd look.
"Other than that. It's like you're in your own little world." Dare bit into a strawberry and his eyes popped. "Holy crap. That is either the best fucking strawberry in the world or something in my mouth has gone haywire."
"Probably getting a stronger sense of smell. I noticed that at dinner yesterday." Milo grinned. "Kind of amazing, huh?" But he was looking at the camera though, head tilted slightly to the side.
"Memories." He said after a moment, and Dare had to take a moment to remember his question. "A few years after my parents died I felt like I was forgetting things about them. How they looked. So, I started taking pictures of the people I lived with so I would remember them. Then it became places and things I wanted to remember, and I guess it just evolved from there. I started watching videos on how to take better shots, and fell in love with the art."
Dare was turn between admiring the passion in Milo's voice and reveling in what seemed like the tangiest piece of kiwi fruit he had ever had on his tongue. "Would you like some time alone with that fruit?" The human turning boar asked after a moment.
Dare blinked then swallowed, sticking his tongue out at Milo. "Fuck you, dude." Milo just smiled that happy smile of his.
They were spared by the sudden arrival of a very exuberant sheep holding a coffee cup. Partial sheep. Sheepish. Dare stared at him. "Cut yourself shaving this morning?" He asked, prodding his own lip and he noticed the split in Ollie's. Another guy with some canine look to him stood a bit behind Ollie, holding his own coffee cup and looking unsure.
"No." He plucked a piece of toast off of Milo's tray and bit into it. "Curtis. This is Milo and Dare. They're harmless. Milo's my barnyard buddy and Dare is more bark than bite." He looked Dare up and down with a squint. "I'm not sure if skunks bark." Ollie reached out to pull Curtis into one of he chairs, giving him a reassuring smile. "Guys, this is Curtis. He can probably bark but ain't got a lick of bite in him. I'm aiming to fix that."
Milo of course hit Curtis with one of those beaming smiles that somehow didn't look threatening at all with two inch long pieces of bone jutting out of his lower jaw. It just looked goofy and sweet. Dare waved.
"Wow.." Milo said, leaning in a little. "Can I get a shot of those eyes? That's awesome."
Curtis' ears flicked back a little as if Milo's sudden interest in his eyes were, well it was a little creepy Dare had to admit. At least he wasn't asking to keep them.
"Um. I guess?" Curtis asked unsure, but agreeing after Ollie gave his hand a light squeeze. But Milo was already brandishing his camera. "Should I smile?"
"Not unless you feel like it." Milo replied. "I prefer genuine. Just relax, look at Ollie ignore me. Perfect." The camera clicked a few times and then he pulled it close to look at his shots. "Just the contrast, that's gonna look amazing when your fur comes in." Curtis' ears laid flat at the compliment, the embarrassment clear on his expression.
"If it makes you feel any better." Dare said in a conspiratorial whisper. "He was harassing a duck earlier. This is just, kind of what he does."
When he looked back. Milo was fending off Ollie who was poking his chest. "You on the juice?"
"Really?! No. I just woke up like this." Milo batted away the offending finger, his own cheeks flushing as it was his turn to be embarrassed.
"Anyway." Ollie continued, munching away at his pilfered toast. "I told Curt here about your project. I think he'd make a cool addition." From the way Curt was looking at Ollie, he might have left that last little tidbit out.
Milo looked back up from his camera with a smile. "Sure, if you're cool with it." He offered to Curtis. "But Dare is next up on the list for photos, he's been avoiding it."
Dare let out a small sniff, then swallowed the waffle he had been chewing on. "Have not. I just, had to take care of something." He glared down at the plate in front of him. Should have grabbed some bacon, stupid pig. Then immediately felt ashamed of that thought. He's been nothing but nice to you, why can't you just let him in. Somewhere else in the cafeteria came a raucous laugh and Dare felt his shoulders hunch. That's why. He was only too happy to stand up and leave when Milo suggested heading back to the dorms. He felt like a coward.