Chapter Text
Truthfully speaking, Lambert was having a very good morning. He’d woken up bright and early, finished the last of his drama assignment, and left home just as Goatfrey was passing their dorm door.
The two chatted about mundane things as they walked, only interrupted once a gentle glimmer caught the sheep’s eye. Reaching down, Lambert found it to be a coin, one the ram then used to buy himself and Goatfrey a breakfast roll to share.
So, again, the day started off great. The sun shone ahead, yet a gentle breeze prevented its rays from being overtly oppressive.
But then the two drew closer to their classes.
Nothing had been amiss at first, with a few passing ‘hello’s being exchanged as the sheep and goat walked to the common room at the midpoint of both their lectures. Soon, however, Lambert found himself face to face with Lacey.
See, Lacey had been a very pretty girl. She’d been a brown, spotted rabbit with a gentle smile and polite disposition. She wore nice clothes and got good grades, from what the sheep knew, anyhow.
But she really hadn’t been Lambert’s type. Why? Well, mostly because she’d been kind of a bitch in private. Although Lambert hadn’t experienced it first hand, he’d known her type and, well, it really hadn’t been for him.
So when she’d confessed out of the blue, all the young ram had to do was delicately let her down. Say he hadn’t been interested.
It was simple, really.
And yet….
“Actually I, ugh,”, Lambert dragged out the sentence, praying to whatever God had been listening that words of wisdom magically came out of their mouth. They’d looked to Goatfrey for help, yet all the goat did was shoot the young ram a shit-eating grin, “I’m dating someone already.”, he’d straight up lied.
“Oh.”, the rabbit sounded out dumbly, blinking in visible confusion.
“Yeah, sorry,”, they’d doubled down, trying to ignore Goatfrey near pissing himself a short distance away, “It’s kinda a new thing for the both of us.”, they’d explained, smiling weakly as to keep up their kind appearances.
“Who is it?”, she’d inevitably asked, making Lambert grimace.
Great.
“Oh you know, just, ugh-“, quick, say they’re from a different school or-, “Narinder?”, Lambert hated how their words were an audible question. The rabbit opposite the sheep blinked, soon furrowing her brows.
“The scary guy from our compulsory English class?”
“Yup,”, the young ram popped the ‘p’, resting a hand atop their hip, “what can I say, I love a good mystery.”, he smiled forcibly, the action genuine from the outside.
Internally, however, Lambert had been screaming in anguish.
——
“You can stop laughing at me now.”, Lambert deadpanned, utterly done with his friend’s endless amusement at the situation.
“Oh you’ve got to be shitting me,”, Goatfrey laughed out, very much still finding the sheep’s predicament the pinnacle of comedy, “Lamby, you’ve got yourself in one hell of a mess.”
“I’m aware,”, the sheep pouted, soon groaning in defeat as they’d leaned back in their chair, arm reaching up as to cover their eyes pitifully. The lecture they had to sit through dragged endlessly, with the ram near sprinting out of the class and right to his dorm. And he’d had such a good start to the day, too, “and it had to be Lacey, too. I’d be surprised if anyone in our year doesn’t already know.”
“Maybe save for Narinder himself,”, the goat’s voice had still been filled with humour, eyes crinkling up happily as they glanced at his friend’s visible despair. “Quite the recluse you’d decided to ‘date’.”, Goatfrey quoted with his fingers, snorting an ugly sound as Lambert whimpered pitifully.
“I’m not even sure why I picked him,”, the sheep mumbled, retracting his arm as to instead stare at the ceiling aimlessly, “I just didn’t want to choose someone she’d know well.”
“I mean- you did succeed.”, the goat shrugged, smile sharp.
“I’m going to die,”, the sheep spoke dramatically, throwing their hands up in defeat, “I’ll die when he challenges me to a battle of honour.”
“Eh, doubt that,”, Goatfrey shrugged, resting his head in his palm, “he wouldn’t want his kittens to see that, or something.”, the goat spoke nonchalantly.
“He has kids?!”, the sheep cried out in anguish, “I’m the fucking worst.”, they’d then whined pitifully, feeling like just about the most vile being to ever exist. Narinder was just a young dad attempting to get an education and good paying job, yet here Lambert was, bulldozing his way into the cat’s peaceful life.
“Eh, relax,”, the goat chuckled mischievously, “who knows? Maybe he’s been looking for company.”
“We’re not actually dating,”, the sheep reminded his friend needlessly, “not to mention he could totally just tell everyone we very much aren’t.”, the ram then pointed out, already anticipating the calls from all his friends asking why he’d lied about something so stupid.
“Hm,”, Goatfrey hummed, smile never once having left his lips, “why don’t you offer him something for keeping appearances, then?”, the goat suggested playfully. Lambert perked up immediately, eyes lightening up in an instant, hope flickering within them.
“That’s a great idea,”, the sheep beamed, yet their sudden enthusiasm perished just as quickly as it had appeared, “but what could I even offer?”
Goatfrey hummed once more, eyes darting thoughtfully.
“Dunno,”, he’d shrugged, “but I’m sure we should seek the cat out first, though.”, the goat then suggested. Lambert sighed, already drained of energy despite it barely being 12:00pm.
“Right,”, they nodded, standing up from their seat, “it’s the least we could do at the moment.”
——
“Dude, congrats!”, Leshy burst into Narinder’s room excitedly, enveloping his brother, who’d been sitting on his bed writing, mind you, into a joyous hug. “It’s about time you got yourself someone new. Glad you’re finally putting yourself out there again.”, the worm continued, his smile bright.
Narinder frowned deeply, swatting his brother away with a quiet hiss.
“What are you talking about?”, the cat questioned, narrowing his crimson eyes as though it’d help him understand his brother’s nonsensical ramblings.
“Ah, dang,”, Leshy sounded out apologetically, raising both of his hands in fake surrender, “was it a secret? Because everyone knows.”
“Knows what, exactly?”, Narinder demanded, dropping the book in his hands onto the bed, completely lost as to whatever antics his sibling has been up to.
“You know,”, the worm frowned, “about you dating Lambert.”
Narinder’s frown only deepened, his expression making it evident he’d been at a complete loss.
Who the fuck was Lambert?