Chapter Text
Legosi made a full stop once he was face to face with the double wooden doors. Their dedication to complete opaqueness prevented nosy animals from looking in, but that definitely compounded on his current issue.
He tugged his bag closer to him and pulled at the soft, maroon material of his turtleneck sweater. A small part of him was trying to convince him that turning around and walking away was a definite possibility. No laws of physics would prevent him from doing that. In half an hour he could be back home, curled up in bed without a worry in the world.
Naturally, such thoughts were shaken from his mind. He sure as hell didn't spend all of those years getting his degree for nothing. He had to push through. Not just for himself.
With a deep breath and rediscovered resolve, the wolf pushed through the doors, albeit a bit roughly. The animals seated in the lecture hall jumped up, the herbivores more so, naturally. Legosi quickly realized his mistake, immediately adopting a non-threatening position as he spoke softly.
"Good morning, everyone," he offered with a small wave. Nobody responded. His eyes flicked ahead of him to a desk, and he quickly strode over to it and set his bag down, depositing the contents in the same motion since he apparently forgot to strap it closed. He played it off as intentional, quickly organizing his materials as he stole quick glances at the animals in front of him.
It wasn't a large class, but by no means was it small, either. They were seated in the standard fare, with carnivores up front and herbivores in the back. Regardless of their position, Legosi could read all of their expressions clearly. They all seemed confused, curious, and even a bit judgemental. On the herbivore side they were, of course, at least a little bit frightened.
Legosi understood that he warranted all of these reactions. Here was their professor, barely older than any of the students there. On top of that, he was a large carnivore (a hybrid, no less, although most people never could put their finger on the reason for his distinct look) teaching a subject usually pursued by herbivores or, at the very least, small breed carnivores. A hulking wolf handling small, delicate creatures was always something that'd turn an eye to him, and he knew this.
Perhaps this was the reason he steered into a teaching career instead of one at an insectarium like he originally wanted. Of course this was still a goal of his in the future, but while studying he had the inspiration to share his knowledge with others after his fiancé suggested it. Legosi smiled as the buck crossed his mind. He put up with all of his spiels about beetles and butterflies and arachnids like a champ, even when Legosi quickly figured out he would always pay attention to Legosi and not the subject at hand.
Louis had been his fiancé for five years now, and would be that way indefinitely until a marriage between them could be legal. Legosi didn't particularly mind. As long as they were together he didn't care what their relationship was called.
A student cleared their throat, forcing Legosi to realize that time was still marching on as he spaced out. He recovered, countering with a small cough of his own as he turned around and reached for a dry erase marker. He procured a purple one and wrote "Professor Legosi" on the whiteboard with semi-messy handwriting. He paused for a moment before addressing his audience.
"Well, welcome to the class! I'm Professor Legosi, and if you love insects as much as...as I do you'll have a good time learning here!"
Silence, before a lazy-looking otter piped up. "Naw, we're all just here for easy credits!"
Soft laughter permeated the room, and Legosi let out a polite one of his own. "I-I suppose that's true, but I'll do my best to make this class interesting and fun! Entymology is a passion of mine and I hope...I hope to-"
The doors burst open once again, causing everyone in the room, including Legosi, to jump up. A handsome stag strode confidently in, wearing a suit and sunglasses and holding a brown paper bag.
The whispers from the students quieted quickly as Louis set the bag on the desk.
"You forgot your lunch, so I stopped by on my way to work. I gave you some extra rice."
Legosi found an instant blush adorning his face, a side effect he fell victim to whenever his beloved was in the same room. "Oh, W-well thank you, Louis! I totally forgot..."
"I know." Louis reached a calming hand up to the wolf's fuzzy cheek, stroking softly. Before Legosi could realize there was a room full of animals watching them, Louis tip toed up to plant a kiss on his cheek before making his way out the door.
"You guys are going to have a wonderful semester with him, I promise!" Louis called out before he disappeared out the door, just as quickly as he came.
It didn't take long for the room to erupt into a cacophony of hoots, hollers, and whistles. It was no use fighting it, so Legosi resigned himself to sitting down at his chair and covering his face, all the while with a smile on his face and his tail wagging behind him.