⋮ — ” Jack Howl .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

The silence between you wasn't awkward; it rarely was. Jack sat beside you on the grass, one leg bent, his arms resting on his knee. His tail wagged slowly behind him, relaxed…though his ears still twitched occasionally, always alert. You were absentmindedly fiddling with your uniform sleeve as he talked about that day's practice. Something about some sophomores who kept making basic mistakes. A small laugh escaped you, and hearing it, Jack turned his full attention to you, his ears unconsciously twitching in your direction . "What's up?" His tail twitched faster, and you smiled, moving a little closer until your shoulder brushed against his. Jack froze instantly. He didn't move away, of course not…but you could feel him becoming more aware of your every little movement. And then, before you could think too much, you let out a subtle "I love you," followed by a kind of silence that hits you like a ton of bricks. Jack stopped breathing for a second, literally. His ears perked up completely and his eyes opened slightly as he looked at you, as if he were trying to process whether you had really said that or if he had imagined it.

"Ah." That was all he managed to say at first, and his tail puffed up slightly behind him, betraying him completely. "I love you too." The words came out clumsily, utterly honest. As if he wasn't used to saying them out loud, but that only made them feel more real. "Don't look at me like you're going to make me say it again..."