Last Resort: Chapter 3

Story by Birdpup on SoFurry

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Chapter 3! Ayyy.

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Joey awoke to the groggy feeling of floating. His head rolled and he snorted through his nose, momentarily startled by the loud noise. His head bolted upright and he realised why he had the odd feeling. He stared down at himself and was a little surprised at what he saw.

He was suspended in a harness that had him up off the floor, with his legs firmly strapped in and his arms positioned behind him. A flat piece of leather cradled his back and head, and he scanned over his figure to spot the crusty stains across his stomach and sheath. His nose wrinkled when he saw the pink panties on his person, and he reached up to his neck, feeling the thickness of what appeared to be a collar.

He knew what it was, of course. Ever night now, he was getting weird trances that put him into a sex-driven stupor, making him putty in his boyfriend's hands. They had only really started to get their relationship a try for one day, and the poor Fox was already being used well and good by his lover. Part of him remembered why this came about, and he felt his blood boil at the situation. He was angry at Taro and Rhys, but the Kitsune less-so, and for different reasons.

He cast his gaze to his left, spotting the kitsune snoozing in his bed, with the thick sheets draped effortlessly over his slumbering form. Taro was laying flat on his front, his tail-tip occasionally wiggling it's way out of the bed-covers, only to sneak back in again. Joey felt a little chilly and he wriggled, attempting to get himself out of the harness. It was proving futile: he couldn't quite reach the straps on his legs, and he felt awkwardly full and uncomfortable.

Slowly, his hands descended down and he felt the thick base of a plug in his ass. It felt rubbery to the touch, and his mind recognised it as a pretty standard butt-plug. He knew Taro owned a few, and it looked as if he had one on. Joey wriggled for a moment and tugged at it, trying to loosen his muscles to remove it from his person. He winced a bit and, with a satisfying 'pop', the plug slipped out of his ass.

He immediately felt the feeling of leaking, and he knew he must have been used particularly well over the entire night, which is why he probably felt so tired. He sighed and rolled his head back, his ears twisting and listening to the faint dripping sounds of fluids oozing from his ass and dribbling down his tail to drip on the floor. He'd have to get out of this to have a shower: it was the only way to get clean.

"Taro," He mumbled at first, before turning his head in the Kitsune's direction. "Taro. Taro!"

He spoke with a little more urgency each time until, finally, the Kitsune groaned in his sleep. Taro rolled over onto his back and his eyes slowly peeked open to spot the floundering, wriggling Fox in the hardness. A smile played upon Taro's lips for a split second, before he slowly sat up. A hand went to the back of his head and he scratched himself idly, looking Joey over with a sickening grin.

"Good morning to you to, sweetheart." He sported a gaze that Joey considered to be 'bedroom' eyes, that lidded expression bringing a sharp grimace to Joey's face. He scowled, and that only made Taro grin wider.

"Get me out of this thing." He demanded, and the Kitsune swept himself to his feet, circling his trapped little Fox for a moment, stroking along his chest. Joey cast his gaze down to the hand, spotting the tenting erection in his boyfriend's boxers out the corner of his eye.

"What, not even a good morning kiss?" Taro asked with a smirk, and Joey scowled with a bit more intensity, if that were even possible.

"After you get me out of this." He repeated, emphasising he wanted out so he could wash out the uncomfortable feeling that was leaking down his tail. It was going to take a while to wash that out.

"Fine, fine." Taro was, at least, being nice. He pulled the straps apart and unhinged the Fox's legs from the harness, before grasping his arms. He pulled him hard, and with a bit of difficulty, Joey finally managed to find himself back on his feet. Immediately, his knees wobbled and he leant against Taro for balance.

"You okay?" A flash of concern swept across Taro's cocky demeanour, feeling momentarily panicked that he might have injured Joey over the course of their lewd midnight encounters. They had done a good number of things: some that Taro wouldn't care to immediately admit to doing. Joey might found out though, in time.

"Yeah, just a bit shaky. God knows what you did to me last night." Joey smirked a little and straightened himself up, his hands planted firmly on Taro's chest. The Kitsune's hands were on his sides, and it felt...oddly comforting.

"I'm going to get have a shower. I'm leaking." Joey remarked, and Taro's glanced down to the butt-plug lying on the floor, coating in all manner of seminal fluids. He grinned a little to himself, before planting a kiss atop Joey's head.

"I'll make breakfast, or something." He suggested, and backed up, stepping out of the room. Joey smiled a little as he watched him go, feeling a tingling in his stomach. It was an odd feeling, but he felt happy, in a way. He waddled his way out of the room, stepping into the hallway and crossing the short distance towards the bathroom.

Turning on the water, he stepped underneath the shower head and sighed as he felt the warming water hitting his fur, washing away all of his worries for a short moment, giving him a brief reprieve. He closed his eyes and felt nothing but the sensations of the water running down his body, warming his skin. It was soothing: he didn't have to worry about anything whilst he was here. It was nothing but him and the water.

But soon enough, he felt another sensation. A pair of warm, powerful hands slipped around his sides and moved along towards his stomach, stroking along his slightly crusty belly fur. A small groan escaped Joey's mouth as he leant back, feeling the athletic chest pressing up into his shoulder blades from behind.

"...Mind if I join you?" He heard Taro's sultry voice in his head, and a small sigh escaped Joey's mouth. His ears twisted to the sounds, and his breath hitched in his throat as he felt the slight sharpness of his lover's teeth against the tip of his ear.

"S...Sure." He responded quietly, feeling a tingling in his stomach. Admittedly, he wasn't sure if the relationship was a good idea. A part of him wondered if he was even gay at all, or maybe even just bisexual. But, he couldn't deny what his body was feeling: already, the pink tip of his cock was sliding out of his sheath, and he knew that, deep down, he was enjoying this. Yet, part of him didn't want to believe it, either. But the sensations and the overwhelming desire to mate and fuck clouded over his own worries in that moment, and he could think of nothing else but Taro's body positioned over him.

"Someone's getting excited already." Taro remarked after a moment, and Joey felt the hand trailing down to his sheath, squeezing the cock housed inside. The Fox groaned again as the cock pushed it's way out of it's housing, twitching and pulsing into life from the stimulation. He heard Taro groan as well and felt the hot, thick appendage sliding up against his ass. They both wanted it, that much was clear.

Joey didn't respond to Taro, nor did he have to. The Kitsune knew what he wanted, and it was evident he was going to take it. A hand slipped down to Joey's jump and, in a swift movement, his leg was cocked up. Joey was pushed up against the tiled walls of the bathroom, and he already felt Taro's thick appendage prodding and poking, trying to find his sweet spot. The tapered end of his cock eventually met with the entrance, and he pushed, sinking himself deep into Joey's backside. The Fox let out a soft sigh as Taro groaned into his ear, the two of them overwhelmed with the throes of passion.

Joey might deny, or even doubt that he might be gay, but he couldn't lie to himself: anal felt amazing. He had never falt much pain when receiving, and he chalked that down to his nightly treatment that he had been recieving all this time. All he could feel was the sweet, sickly sensation of being full and the spiking pleasure of Taro's cock pushing against his prostate. The two quickly got worked up, and Taro wrapped an arm around his lover, beginning in at a steady rhythm.

There was no words between them. The only sounds they made were the hot, animalistic grunts amidst their passion, huffing and panting into one-another's ear. The sounds were mixed with the thick, wet squelching of the cock pumping itself in and out of Joey's particularly used asshole, and the running water that ran down their naked bodies. Taro forced himself up against Joey's back, reminding the pair of them of the pink tattoo plastered across Joey's back. Joey knew where he belonged now, and Taro had no intention of letting him go.

It didn't take them long. Taro bucked and huffed, his knot pressing and pushing against Joey's backside as he tried desperately to fit himself inside, but Joey was consciously aware of time, and he knew how long Taro took to deflated. He clamped down and squeezed periodically in the hopes he might be able to get Taro to cum before he tied himself, but such an effort was futile. Taro let out a growl of desire as his fingers dug into Joey's skin, and in a swift, powerful thrust, the knot popped it's way inside. Joey let out a sickening groan and closed his eyes, his tongue lolling from his mouth. As much as he would have preferred not to remain stuck for the next 30 minutes, he couldn't deny that the feeling of the knot stretching his entrance was rather exhilarating.

Taro let out a sigh of pleasure, pressing his mouth down against the Fox as he emptied himself into his lover. Thick spurts of cum shot up into Joey's insides, coating his inner walls in the thick, sticky seed that swilled around with the seed already still inside him. Joey huffed, his cheeks flushed and his breath heavy as he leant up against the wall, the feeling of fullness swimming throughout his body.

"Mmh. I love you." Taro muttered quietly, kissing down into his neck. Joey felt a tingling in his stomach, yet he couldn't find himself bringing up the words in response. He didn't know how he felt: was it love, or just a lust, or even an addiction to Taro himself? He couldn't be certain, but it appeared as if Taro didn't really seem to care in that moment, revelling in the sensations and kissing along his lover's neck for the time being.

They were forced to stay like that, for the time being. Taro often took a while to deflate, which meant they had all the time in the world to discuss things. Taro ran his hands over Joey's body and cleaned him thoroughly, making sure his tail and stomach were washed from crusty fluid sand other heinous juices. Joey was thankful that for: after an early morning romp, he felt a lot more tired than before. He leant himself up against the tiled wall and yawned sleepily.

"So, you heading in today?" Taro asked, lathering soap into Joey's back, tracing his fingers over the still slightly stinging Tattoo imprinted beneath the Fox's fur. Joey shrugged in response, feeling a knot twisting in his stomach at the thought of returning to class. Part of it was leaving Taro: he felt as if he couldn't, and wanted to stay with him at every waking moment. But another part of him remember Alexa, the 'girl of his dreams' that now seemed like such a distant memory, and Rhys, what he considered to be his best friend who had betrayed him in the most vile way possible. Part of him wanted to never be near them, but he knew he had to face it now, before it was too late. Rhys had to know that he'd almost fucked Joey's life up, else the Fox may never find the words to say how he feels. He had to take advantage of his rage, whilst he can.

"I have to go see Rhys," He decided, and Taro looked momentarily puzzled. "About the...you know. The Hypnosis stuff. I need to speak to him and sort it out."

"What're you going to say?" Taro probed the question, knowing it was a sensitive subject. He saw the way Joey looked at him, occasionally. Taro had felt guilty for taking advantage of him, and he knew it'd be a long process before he'd be forgiven. Taro didn't want to worsen that with insensitive comments.

"A lot of things, I guess," Joey muttered in response, his tone steely. "But he needs to know what he did was wrong."

"Right. Of course." He snuck his arms around Joey's body and felt the Fox stiffen briefly, before he relaxed. Taro was in the clear, and he knew it. He was lucky: he could tell that Joey really care for him, and it was that level of need and desire that kept them together for the time being, until Joey could get over the betrayal. Even still, Taro knew he had to make up for it, and he had a plan to do so.

"How about you and I do something nice tonight? Go out to dinner?" Taro suggested to the Fox, and Joey felt a tingling in his stomach again. Admittedly, it did sound nice. He glanced back at the Kitsune and saw his grinning, cocky expression.

"Sure." Joey agreed wholeheartedly, and Taro looked pleased. He pulled his hips back and there was a wet 'pop' as his knot finally dislodged from Joey's insides, leaving him slightly gaping and oozing seed. The Fox quickly cleaned himself up as best as possible, before the two finally stepped out of the shower and adjourned through into the living room for breakfast.

Of course, Taro had had no time to cook, but that didn't bother Joey at all. He helped himself to some bread and made toast in between chugs of energy drink to keep him awake. He had to psyche himself up to face Rhys, but he refused to get drunk and do it. There was no need for dutch courage: this was a delicate matter, and he needed to be sober to see it through.

Taro lounged on the couch with a beer in hand as he watched the TV, glancing over to his lower as he got dressed. Joey hadn't bothered so much about privacy for the time being, and Taro was greeted to a fun show of Joey pulled on his underwear, tucking it firmly around his balls and sheath. The Kitsune watched with a burning intensity as Joey slipped on the rest of his clothes, from his baggy jeans to the tight-fitting long sleeve shirt over his average frame. He eventually pulled on his coat and tugged his beanie over his head to keep himself warm.

"I'm off, then." He began, turning to the Kitsune and smiling down at his rather cocky gaze. The Kitsune was openly groping himself, and Joey rolled his eyes. As much as he would have loved to take part in round 2, he knew he had things to go first.

"I'll be back in an hour or so, probably." He said to him, and Taro nodded in response, still tugging his knotted member.

"Can you pick up some snacks on the way back? Something nice." He grinned a little bit and batted his eyelids, and Joey scowled a little.

"Yeah yeah." He said, before a small smile crept upon his face. He suddenly felt a little shy, and cast his gaze away. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, stepping through and shutting it behind him.

Rhys's dorm wasn't far from his own, though it were on the other side of the campus, albeit not far from the main University building. Joey felt a trembling in his stomach that told him this was now or never, yet he couldn't help but feel nervous. Even still, he told himself this needed to be done: if he let it rest, then Rhys might never know the damage he's caused.

Joey trudged through the cold and hugged his coat tight around his body. It was getting colder and colder now as they moved into the winter time. Christmas was almost around the corner, and Joey didn't even know what he was doing for the christmas period. His parents would want him to come down and visit, and he normally would have, but he knew he needed to keep up with his appointments at Opti Co. He didn't even know why he kept attending, but part of him dreaded not coming back each time. He felt as if there would be dire consequences if he didn't, yet he didn't know where such fantasies came from.

Joey made his way across the campus, past the vast University building and the small café sitting not too far away from it, until he was in deeper towards the other end of the campus itself. He spotted the towering Dorm hall where Rhys's apartment was, and he made a beeline for it, worming past other students. It was a busy day for most, and he knew a number of people would be out and about. Slowly, he ascended the stairs up to the 3rd floor, and down the carpeted hallway.

He was here. He stopped outside of Rhys's apartment door and felt a dreaded feeling forming in the pit of his gut. He felt his skin prickling and the rage bubbling up inside him. He wasn't the kind of person to lose his temper, but he feared he might. He didn't want to have to go overboard, if he could help it. Slowly, he raised his hand to knock on the door.

Before he could, the door swung open. Rhys was stepping through it and stopped in his tracks when he saw Joey standing before him, almost bumping into him in the process. He looked momentarily startled and smoothed himself over, re-adjusting his scarf as he looked down at the slightly shorter Fox. His face twisted into an expression of confusion, and Joey's gaze lowered as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. The two fell into an awkward silence for a moment as Rhys found himself unable to find the words to ask what Joey was doing here, amongst his own confusement. Joey himself couldn't quite find the words to say what he felt, either.

"Uh...Hey, Joey," Rhys was the first to speak, and he tried to look as casual and as pleasant as possible, despite their previous falling out. "I hadn't seen you for a while. You okay?"

"...Why did you do it?" Joey eventually asked for a brief moment of silence, and Rhys looked momentarily confused. Joey snapped his gaze up to the wolf's face, and he could see the fear flash in Rhys's eyes. He knew the wolf knew what he was talking about.

"I don't know what yo--" Rhys began, but abruptly stopped when Joey let out a small growl of frustration.

"You know exactly what I mean," Joey's voice tremored as he tried to keep his anger to a minimum. "That stupid fucking hypnotherapy treatment. I know what it is. I know what it does."

The two fell into a silence again as the tension hung thick in the air. The realisation set in Rhys's bones, followed by an impending dread and a deep guilt. He lowered his own head, hanging it like a dog. Joey looked down as well, momentarily seeing Rhys's tail poking towards the Fox from between his legs. The Wolf was scared.

"L-Look, Joey, I didn't know, okay?" Rhys wasn't sure what he could do to make it better, but he wanted to try. "I just...I signed you up so you could..."

"Could what? Turn gay for you? Turn into your little bitch?" Joey felt the rage bubbling again, and his words were barely contained to a low volume. Already, people were starting to stare. Rhys knew it, and he put a hand on Joey's shoulder.

"Can we go inside and talk?" Rhys asked quietly, and Joey paused to see a number of people staring at them. He silently nodded and the two stepped into Rhys's apartment.

Joey had been here before. It was a lot less spacious than Taro's own, and he was cramped down into a single, one-bedroom place. The main room itself was sizeable, but that was only because it had to house all of the necessitires into one room. The kitchenette was on the far right, and a small door leading into a cramped private bathroom was facing him on the oppoisite end of the wall. A neatly made bed sat in the corner, and a TV sat not too far away from it. But none of that really mattered now: Joey paced as he tried to find the words.

"So let me get this straight," He began, still seething with fury. "You signed me up for experimental couples counselling treatment because you thought it would make me more receptive into having sex with you? But you didn't look up the details behind it so you didn't know it all happened at night? How fucking stupid are you?"

"...That's about the gist of it, yes." Rhys hung his head, knowing he'd done wrong. He had to hold his hands up to this: there was no way around it.

"You...I just don't get it. What the fuck were you thinking?!" Joey exclaimed. "You betrayed me. Betrayed my trust, lied to my face!"

"I know. I know, trust me, and I'd do anything to change it. I would." Rhys begged, feeling like he was going to blubber at any moment. Rhys was a bit of an emotional soul, even if he looked steely on the outside. He didn't know what to say, but he wanted to make it right.

"And now I'm...I'm in a relationship with Taro. Because I...I think I love him." Joey's eyes widened, and Rhys looked surprised as well. They stared at one-another, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"But no," Joey shook his head and continued. "I actually like it. I like him. In a way, I should thank you, but I can never forgive you. Ever."

"Joey, I'm sorry. Please." Rhys didn't know what to do. He was losing his friend, and he knew he'd be losing him forever. This was all his fault, and he knew that, but he was beginning to see that there was no going back from this.

"I can change it. I can! The doctor could try and reverse it, he could..." Rhys trailed off as he tried to think of a solution, but he stopped when he saw Joey shake his head.

"No," The Fox insisted. "I'm...happy the way I am now. It's changed me a lot, and maybe not all for the better, but I think it's good. In a way."

Slowly, the Fox made his way towards the door as Rhys stared on in confusement. It was evident that Joey had come here to lay it into him, but it actually hadn't turned out all bad. In fact, Joey looked pleased, as if he'd closed a chapter in his life and he could move on. The wolf's nose wrinkled and he knew that Joey was never going to speak to him again. His heart ached for the Fox, but there was nothing he could do.

"Oh, by the way," Joey began, turning towards the Wolf and watching his confused expression again. "Fuck you."

With that, Joey swung open the door and stepped through, shutting it firmly behind him. He felt his hands trembling in his pockets and he curled them into fists to keep them steady. He was glad it was over. Lowering his head, he trudged back through the dorm and out into the cold night air. He had someone to go home to, after all.

Rhys, meanwhile, stood in the middle of his apartment with a look of utter disbelief plastered on his face. Joey had, essentially, ditched him and never wanted to speak to him again. Of course the Fox was angry, yet he seemed oddly calm at the same time, as if he knew such a thing were inevitable. The tone he used and the way he said it made it evidently clear that this was the last time they might ever speak.

Slowly, the Wolf slumped down into the couch as the realisation of it all settled in. He had done this. He had just wanted to make Joey a little more receptive to his advances, perhaps even enjoy them. He'd fantasised daily about having the Fox for himself, the way he might quiver under his gentle touch. But now, none of that was going to happen. His yearning for the Fox had been his entire undoing, and now the two were more estranged than ever, all thanks to him.

The tears came now. He felt them bubbling up into his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. He pressed his head into his hands as he heart wrenched. His gut ached with unbridled frustration and guilt. He sat like that for a while, knowing he was late for his lecture, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be left alone to drown in his sorrow and the pain he caused.

After a while, he found the tears stemming, and the negative feelings sinking down into the pit of his stomach. He felt better, slightly, but he knew that wouldn't make up for anything. He slowly got to his feet and wiped his eyes, pulling his sleeve back to check his watch. He didn't have to work today, but it was already way past the time to attend his lecture. He'd just have to get some food from the nearby store and come back home for the day.

He stepped out of his apartment and trudged down the street with a pitiful look upon his face. He felt pathetic, and presumably looked it, too. His head hung low and his tail lay still, draping down without much motion to it. He felt miserable, and nothing could change that. He walked down the slightly icy path towards the University's courtyard and spotted the café sitting to his right. He remembered when he and Joey used to go there after every lecture. It was where it had all began, too. A sigh escaped his lips as he slowly made his way towards it. He could, at least, get a coffee, for old time's sake.

As he walked, he heard someone cry out in surprise. His head snapped to the left and he spotted a short Snow Leopard slip on the icy path, falling hard on their back with a sharp cry of pain. Immediately, Rhys went to their aid, crouching down beside their strewn books and collecting them up quickly.

"Are you alright?" He asked, and the Snow Leopard nodded in response with a small smile.

"Heh. My knight in shining armor, huh?" The feline mused, and the joke brought a smile to both their lips. They paused for a moment, before Rhys slowly helped the feline to his feet.

"It's pretty icy over here. You sure you're okay?" Rhys probed again, crouching down again to collect up the feline's books, holding them out to him.

"Y...Yeah, yeah. I just wasn't paying attention. I'm still a little half-asleep." The Snow Leopard replied, and a smile tugged at the corner of Rhys's mouth. The guy was cute.

"Well, why don't we get a bite to eat, then? My treat." He suggested, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the café.

"A knight, and chivalrous!" The feline seemed quite pleased, a grin spreading across his face. "I'd love to. I'm Kasem."

The feline held out a hand for the wolf to shake, and for a moment, Rhys paused. He knew this feline. Not by face, of course, but by name. He was Taro's boyfriend, though Joey seemed to think different. He quickly put two and two together in his head and realised that Taro had dumped the poor feline in exchange for the Fox. Slowly, he brung out his hand and shook the feline's own.

"Rhys." He introduced himself in kind, and saw Kasem's eyes light up in response.

"Oh! You're Joey's friend." He seemed to understand, and chuckled, looking rather amused. "Small world."

The two stepped towards the café amidst a bundle of different topics of conversation, particularly about courses and how their life was going. Rhys attempted to steer clear of any talks about Taro: he knew a break-up could be a little hard on someone. He got the impression Kasem was a bit fragile.

"So," Kasem began as they sat down at a table, with sandwiches set before them, as well as a cup of coffee. "You look a bit troubled yourself. What's up?"

Rhys frowned and wondered how the feline knew that, exactly. Then he remembered that Kasem was studying Psychology, and probably knew tell-tale signs to do with body language and tone.

"Got me, did you?" Rhys scoffed, looking down at his cup of coffee and brooding over it a little. "Just...someone I wanted to be with doesn't feel the same way, and it's my fault."

"Aww, hun, don't feel bad!" Kasem patted a hand onto Rhys's own, and the two met in a brief gaze. "Plenty of fish in the sea, right? You'll be fine."

"R...Right." Rhys nodded in agreement and cast his gaze down again, feeling the colour rise to his cheeks. He felt, well, a little shy. This was a rare occurrence for him, but he chalked it down to the cute feline sitting in front of him. Kasem seemed to notice he was a little nervous, and tried to help him relax.

"Hey, tell you what. Why don't we go out partying tonight, huh? Loosen up a little, relax with some fellow...well, people inclined your way, maybe you'll meet a nice guy or two." He suggested. Rhys frowned and muddled it over in his mind for a brief second. It didn't seem like an inherently bad idea, but then, he was never a fan of one-night stands. But who said he had to really get into bed with someone anyway?

"...Sure. Why not?" He grinned back at the Feline, who looked positively pleased. Kasem clapped his hands together in glee.

"Great! I know a really awesome place down-town that I used to go to when I was cruising. They have a bunch of different people hanging around there from time to time. It's a great gay bar."

"Awesome." A smile tugged at the corner of Rhys's mouth, and Kasem beamed back at him. For the first time in a while, Kasem was feeling a lot happier. His break-up with Taro had just about destroyed him, but it was good to loosen up with a like-minded gay guy who appeared just as casual as he was. Plus, he couldn't deny that the Wolf's taller-than-average figure was rather alluring. He was a little keen to see what was underneath.

"It's settled, then. How does...about 8 sound? We can just meet up here and head off." He suggested, and Rhys nodded in response. The two grinned at one-another as they made plans, before digging into his food.

The rest of the day was uneventful for most parties involved. After Joey's fight with Rhys, the Fox had returned home to his boyfriend and told him what happened. Taro helped console the Fox by cuddling up with him on the couch, and the two enjoyed each other's company in a number of different ways through the rest of the day, amidst other food and drink. Rhys, on the other hand, had a date to prepare for, and he was struggling to decide what to wear. Kasem had probably picked out his own clothes already, but Rhys was always nervous about first dates. He couldn't decided between a loose, long-sleeve shirt or just a simple T-Shirt, and eventually gave up in frustration, deciding to come to it later.

The time was drawing near. By the time it was 8pm, Rhys was standing out in the cold, dark night by the closed café, dressed in reasonably lavish clothing for his standards. Underneath his long black coat was a long-sleeve shirt with the buttons undone, along with a pair of jeans. He probably looked particularly 'out of date' in regards to fashion, but he thought he looked okay. He spotted Kasem soon approaching from the side, and he waved over to him in greeting.

"All ready to go?" Kasem asked as they approached, a wide smile on his face. Rhys couldn't quite see what the Feline was wearing, but it must be pretty good. The two began to make their way across towards the bus stop, and hopped on.

"So what's thie place called, anyway?" Rhys asked with a nervous tremor in his voice. Kasem noticed he wasn't very confident, and patted his leg, encouraging him.

"Knotties," The feline giggled. "Don't ask me, that's just what they named it."

"...Right." A smile tugged at Rhys's lips. His immature side found the name rather funny, but he didn't want to appear like some schoolboy in front of his 'date'. They sat in silence on the way there after that, unsure what to say to one-another, before they hopped off the bus and headed down the road.

The first thing that Rhys saw with the giant neon outline of a massive knotted penis above the club itself, and he felt himself cringe at the sight of it. Kasem glanced over to his face and laughed at the look he was giving, hooking an arm around his own and pulling him along.

They showed their IDs to the doorman and stepped into the thumping din of club music, with bright lights left, right, and center and drunken furred creatures hanging about almost everywhere. A number of them were already kissing one-another over at the seats to their right, but Kasem instead made a beeline for the bar, pulling the Wolf along with him. They had deposited their coats with the doorman, and were thankful for that: the inside of the club was warm. Incredibly warm.

Kasem outright ordered the pair of them a floozy, brightly-coloured cocktail that was served in what appeared to be something similar to a cheap wine glass, and he raised it up towards the Wolf. They clinked the glasses together and downed them. Kasem was clearly a bit of a party-goer, as the drink stung the wolf's mouth and made him cough rather violently.

"Jesus. What the hell was in that?" The wolf asked over the thumping music, watching Kasem's grin.

"Whiskey, a couple of spirits, some vodka, and a squeeze of lemon!" Kasem replied to him, and Rhys's eyes widened. He hadn't had much drink in his entire life, and this was an entirely new experience for him. He hadn't even had much to eat today, either. He gulped nervously, and Kasem grinned at him again, pulling him over towards the dance-floor.

Though the Snow Leopard had given the impression that tonight was about finding new guys to talk to and being around the right sort of people, Rhys was beginning to get the impression that Kasem had other ideas in mind besides flirting with other guys. As they stepped out amongst the dancing crowd, it became fairly evident that Kasem wanted Rhys, and not much else. The feline grinded up against him on the dance-floor, and Rhys couldn't help but feel flattered in response. He'd never really had someone openly flirt with him before, and that made it all the more interesting.

Soon enough, Rhys began to reciprocate the advances with some of his own. His hands descended across the feline's dancing over and stroked along his hips. Kasem was...well, beautiful. He had a slightly curvy figure and a tucked-in stomach, and he was wearing a tight-fitting T-Shirt and a pair of tight jeans, giving him a particularly boyish look. Rhys felt the desire bubbling up in his system, and the room swam along with the music. He was drunk, and he knew it.

"Hey." Kasem spoke to him above the roar of the beats, and Rhys stared down at him, blinking hard to try and focus. Kasem frowned at him and realised he was utterly plastered, slowly leading him back across the dancefloor and out into the cold.

It was freezing outside, and they'd barely been in there an hour. But the cold air was helping somewhat, and the swimming sensation in Rhys's head soon began to fade. He hunched over a little to try and recuperate himself, and Kasem patted his head, giggling to himself a little bit.

"Jesus, Rhys, you're a lightweight." Kasem seemed amused by this, as if he were taking away the innocence of a delicate flower. Rhys glanced up at the Feline and grinned over at him, and the two erupted into a fit of giggles. Kasem couldn't deny he was a little buzzed himself, but at least he knew how to handle his drink.

Slowly, the wolf straightened himself up and took a deep breath, turning towards the feline with a lewd look plastered across his face. Kasem grinned at up him, knowing exactly what that look meant.

"God you're beautiful." The wolf murmured, running his hands across the other's hips. Kasem glanced about and coaxed the wolf onwards with a finger, stepping away from him and heading off down the road. The wolf staggered behind him, panting a little bit. He felt as if he was in heat. He didn't even know if he'd remember all this by the morning. Kasem lead him a good portion down the street, before he ducked to the left, heading into an alleyway. Rhys soon followed after him, the pair of them sheltered from the streetlights, standing in the dark.

Rhys, at first, didn't quite know what was going on, nor could he see very well. But it all became relatively clear when he felt Kasem's hands on his chest, pushing him backwards until he was leaning up against the wall. The hands slowly descended down his body until the wolf felt Kasem's fingers pulling at his jeans and unbuttoning them.

"O-Oh shit. Oh shit..." Rhys muttered to himself, beginning to pant again as he felt the outline of Kasem's mouth trailing across the front of his underwear, pressing firmly along his sheath. The wolf groaned to himself and rolled his head back, pushing his hips up a little against the mouth. The lips were soon replaxed with a dexterous hand, that pumped and squeezed his sheath rather eagerly inside of his underwear, turning Rhys into a quickly panting mess, his hips thrusting and bucking with animalistic intent.

"Down boy. Down." Kasem ordered, and Rhys froze, submissively responding. He never thought he'd not be the one taking the lead, especially for his first time, but the thought of it sent tingles down his spine. He felt the cool night air begin to hit the skin on his sheath, and he knew that Kasem had pulled down his underwear. Soon, the coolness searched his legs and finally his ankles, as he quickly realised he was bottomless, nude to whoever might have seen them.

Soon, Rhys felt Kasem's warm lips wrapping around the tapered end of his member. Rhys was already poking out a good number of inches, and soon enough, his member grew and grew. Kasem's lips pursed and suckled around the tip of his cock, encouraging a few healthy dribbles of pre-cum to leak from Rhys's member. The mildly-drunken Wolf let out a hot, lustful groan as he rolled his hips up against the Feline's mouth. Kasem bowed his head a little as he took more and more of the wolf's cock into his warm mouth, making the virgin canine tremble from the overwhelming sensations.

"Oh god..." Rhys muttered quietly, stroking Kasem's head and playing with his ears as he thrust and humped his hips into the feline's mouth, sloppily pulling his hips back and thrusting hard, the cock poking at the back of Kasem's throat. The feline tried his best to take in as much as possible, though he wasn't the best as giving oral. He stroked the canine's hips as he reached down to the base, feeling the swollen knot pulsing and throbbing beneath his touch. He knew Rhys was ready. Slowly, he pulled his head back.

"Alright, boy. Now sit." He demanded, and Rhys's submissive side was eager to comply. He slowly slid down the wall, scraping the back of his shirt with brick dust and dirt as he moved lower and lower until, finally, his rump planted itself on the cold, dampness of the floor below. He sat there with his legs spread, his cock eagerly twitching against his stomach. Kasem slowly clambered towards him and straddled his body, and Rhys sported a little of utter delight, lolling his tongue and panting heavily.

"Good boy. Good boy..." Kasem teased him a little bit as he leant his head down, kissing the top of Rhys's forehead. The feline slowly shifted and worked his clothes, slipping his jeans over his rump, just enough to exposing the tight hole between his cheeks. He lowered himself a little bit and Rhys growled slightly as the feline of his tapered end slipping between Kasem's cheeks. He closed his eyes and quivered in pleasure as the feeling of his tapered end prodding up against the needy pucker clouded his senses.

"Yes..." He began, curling his toes in pleasure as he reached up, stroking along Kasem's hips. He slid his hands up and down until, finally, one hand moved across, groping at the front of the feline's crotch. Kasem sighed from his touch, leaning his hips forward against the groping hand.

"You're so fucking hot." Rhys slurred, tugging down the front of Kasem's underwear until the barbed member throbbed into view, leaking pre-cum that dribbled down onto Rhys's stomach. The wolf wrapped his hand around the barbed member and felt the barbs flaring under his digits. Slowly, he worked his fingers up and down, and Kasem was momentarily caught up in all the pleasure. A hot groan escaped his lips and the Feline leant forwards, breathing heavily from the sensations around his cock.

"Oh, Rhys..." The feline groaned a little bit and closed his eyes, bucking and thrusting his hips against the wolf's hand. He quivered a little bit, gentle kneading and rocking his hips against the jerking hand, before he eventually gave the Wolf some attention. He lowered his rump and the tip of Rhys's cock speared his ass again. There was a moment of pause, before the feline slowly sunk down onto his lover's member.

Rhys let out a hot gasp and his fingers tightened on Kasem's hips, and he planted his feet on the ground. A restrained growl escaped his throat and he rolled his hips up, sinking his member deeper and deeper as the feline lowered his body. Kasem was surprised; Rhys had a nice, thick cock, and it fit snugly inside him with a little bit of discomfort. He'd have to get used to the wolf's member for next time. There would definitely be a next time.

The two of them soon began into a steady rhythm. Despite Rhys's slight drunken-ness, he was surprisingly well co-ordinated. His hips thrust and humped up against Kasem's backside as his hand pumped and groped along the barbed member in front of him. Tiny dribbled of pre-cum rolled down the Wolf's fingers as he jerked off his lover faster and faster, Kasem's pants soon turning into hot, quiet moans of pleasure.

"Don't stop, don't..." Kasem begged, but he knew he had all the control. His hands were planted firmly on the Wolf's shoulders as Rhys pounded up into the tight backside, filling the air with the wet slaps of his knot slapping against the furred rump. Rhys knew he was close, and he knew he wouldn't have lasted long; Kasem's insides were like velvet, and he was still just a virgin. Well, not anymore.

"C-Cumming..." Rhys forced the word out as he clamped his teeth down, a moan of utter delight escaping his throat. He suddenly lost the energy to thrust as he tried to hold the orgasm in as much as possible, knowing that he had yet to knot. He pulled Kasem down and tried to force him to tie, but his knot had swelled too much. The feline groaned out and huffed in frustration as well, trying to loosen himself as best as he could, but he was unable to make it fit.

"Shit..." Rhys grumbled a little, but the orgasm was still intense. Thick spurts of cum erupted from the end of his member and coasted the feline's inner walls in thick, gooey pumps. Each pump was met with an insctintual thrust, and a hot, lewd groan escaped his lips every so often. Kasem huffed and panted, feeling the warm spreading throughout his body as the hand still furiously jerked his barbed member, making him quiver in utter delight.

"P-Please..." Kasem begged, leaning forwards and planting a few kisses on Rhys's head as he felt his orgasm approaching. He groaned and huffed in ecstasy until, finally, it hit him. He jutted his hips forward slightly and a string of cum spurted from his member, splattering across the front of Rhys's shirt. It was soon met with another, and then another. He emptied himself into the canine, splattering the front of his body with string after string of fluids.

"Oh my god. You're amazing." Rhys slurred again with a big, goofy grin on his face. Cum seeped out of Kasem's backside and dribbled down his knot, leaking onto his balls and then onto the floor below. The wolf chuckled pleasantly and stroked along Kasem's hips as the Feline sat there for a moment, staring down at the slightly drunk wolf.

"Mmh. I know." Kasem felt his ego swell a couple of inches, before he stroked a hand along the poor wolf's head. He patted him gently and slowly raised himself up, letting out a grunt of pleasure as the cock slid it's way out of his backside. He pulled up his jeans and looked remarkably acceptable again in an instant. Rhys, on the other hand, didn't look so good in comparison. His shirt was stained with semen, after all.

"You're a mess," Kasem remarked. "Get dressed and stay here. I'll get our coats."

The snow leopard slipped out of the alleyway and left the drunken Wolf on the floor. Rhys slowly pulled his jeans back up and tried to brush himself off as best as he could, despite the mess. Kasem didn't take long, returning moments later with their coats. Rhys slipped into his and Kasem made sure to pull the coat over his chest, to cover up his stained shirt.

"There. All better," The feline beamed and leant forwards, pressing into the Wolf and stroking along his chest. "Mmh. Now...how about we go back to mine?"

"O-Okay." Rhys grinned awkwardly in response, his heart quickening at the thought of more...well, more fun! They headed across the road and hopped on the bus, heading back towards the dorms. Rhys was feeling elated: the worries of days before were a thing of the past, and he felt as if he could move forward with his life. With Kasem, in fact. He was sure he might be jumping the gun a little bit.

--

Three weeks had passed since that whirlwind day. Joey had refused to speak with Rhys since that day, and he'd grown more and more attached to Taro more than ever. What had first been an unbridled attraction that could have been considered to be lust had felt as if it had grown into full-blown love. He felt a little shier around his lover and Taro capitalised on his feelings by making sure he knew his place.

In the past 3 weeks they had been together, and two of them had spent most of their time together. Joey hadn't attended his lectures, but he'd kept on top of his work, able to learn the curriculum and study his degree from the comfort of their apartment. Taro had insisted upon buying all of Joey's clothes, and what had been a simple wardrobe of basic, average wear had become a wardrobe filled with tight-fitting clothes that some would have considered girly. Joey had noticed that the majority of them were designer, and although he'd never been big on fashion, he was considerably flattered. His only complaint would have been that all of his underwear was replaced with frilly pink panties that made it difficult to keep his junk hidden.

It hadn't stopped there. To match the tattoo plastered across his back, Taro had insisted upon piercings to show off his ownership over the Fox a lot more visibly. Of course, Taro had worded it slightly better, and Joey had reluctantly agreed. He had a bead piercing in his right ear near the tip. Joey had refused to go further than that, and he deemed this more than worthy of showing just who he was with. It wasn't as if he was going to get hit on, but Taro appeared a little...well, possessive.

Rhys, on the other hand, had slowly begun to get on with his life. He got into a relationship with Kasem, and the two of them had begun to hit it off quite remarkably. They shared similar interests, despite their differnet courses. They swapped stories about their friends and Rhys began to learn a little more about Taro as time went on, resenting the Kitsune more and more with each passing day. It was further cemented by his own jealousy, albeit it wasn't as strong as it used to be. Part of him was worried for his friend, but he knew that Joey would never accept his help and advice after what he'd done. The fox had made his bed, so he had to lie in it. Besides, he had insisted that he was happy. What kind of person would Rhys be to deny him that?

Christmas was drawing closer and closer, and Joey had begun to broach the subject of visiting his relatives with Taro. The Kitsune was particularly clear that he wasn't a fan of celebrating Christmas, and that he wasn't a fan of his own family. Joey could tell that Taro was a little sore about the subject, but he knew that his parents would be upset if he didn't attend. Even so, he called up his parents and broke the news to them that he would be staying on the University campus for the holidays, with his boyfriend. His parents were, momentarily, surprised and saddened at the same time. They didn't even know their son was gay, after all. Joey had to tell them, embarrassingly, that he'd gotten into a relationship not too long ago and that he was quite happy with his life, and for them not to worry. He gave them a less-than-cheery farewell, and that was that.

But he wasn't prepared for what came next.

It was approximately 9am, on the 20th of December. The doorbell was ringing incessantly, and Joey was slowly pulled out of his sleeping stupor. He rolled his head and raised it, trying to move his body to go and answer the door. As he did, he felt his legs bound, and he groggily scanned his head down. He was in the harness once more, with a pair of frilly panties dangling off his ankle, and splatters of dried cum over his stomach. His nose wrinkled and struggled, trying to roll out of it. He teetered to the left and the balance in the entire harness faltered. He suddenly spun upside down, landing roughly on his shoulders. He was tangled up within the harness still, but now he was upside down, in a compromising position.

"Taro. Taro, the door!" Joey called out particularly sharply as he reached up to try and undo the straps that firmly held his ankles, but he just wasn't flexible enough. Taro let out a groan in response and rolled around in his bed, mumbling something about having '5 more minutes'.

"Taro, wake the fuck up!" Joey blurted out, and Taro bolted upright, taken by surprise. His wide, fleeting eyes scanned down to Joey, and he paused. A smile spread across his face and he snorter, covering his mouth.

"Shut up," Joey retorted, feeling the colour rise to his cheeks. "Go answer the door."

"Alright, alright." Taro giggled to himself. He stood up and slipped on his dressing gown, before leaning over Joey and pulling at one of the straps. It undid with ease and his ankle was dislodged from it's grip, leaving him dangling by a single ankle. Joey grumbled as Taro left the room, trying his best to worm his way out of the thing.

The Kitsune smoothed down his pink fur as he crossed the living room towards the front door, giving the room a quick sweep to make sure no compromising toys or clothes were laying around. He and Joey had had a bit of a fun with cosplay. Taro distinctly remembered a dress from Game of Thrones in there somewhere. With a smirk, he unlocked the door and swung it open.

Standing there was the biggest congregation of foxes he could have ever seen. There were at least 10 of them, of varying sizes and shapes, all with happy, smiling faces. Taro slowly looked them up and down, and they fell into an awkward silence.

"...Can I...help you?" Taro began, probing them for information before he even thought of letting them in. He wasn't a racist: but 10 people didn't show up on someone's doorstep for nothing, after all.

"Does someone by the name of Joey live here?" The female at the front of the group, slender and pretty, asked the question first. She was standing next to a stockily-built and overweight Fox to her left, who bore a smile, but was clearly a little tired.

"Uh...yeah. I'll just go get him." Taro sounded wary and took a step back, smiling briefly, before he closed the door on them. He briskly walked across the room and back towards the bedroom, bursting into the room. Joey appeared to still be trying to get himself out of the harness, unable to reach for the last strap.

"Someone's here for you. Well, more than someone. Like, 10 of them. And they're all foxes." Taro tugged at the strap, and Joey fell in a heap on the floor, his breathing heavy. His eyes darted up to Taro's panicked and worried face, and slowly, the realisation dawned on him.

"Oh no." He muttered, bolting upright. He delved into the nearby drawer and scooped out a pair of underwear, growling in frustration when all he could find was pink panties. Regardless, he slipped them on, and then pulled on some tight-fitting jeans.

"Who're they?" Taro asked quietly, barely above a whisper, as if they had super hearing. Joey snapped his gaze towards him and paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"My family."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Taro relaxed completely. He smoothed his fur back and a wide grin spread across his face. He looked almost a little pleased. Joey was practically the opposite. He knew what his parents were like. Sure, he love them, but they would be judgemental and overreact a lot.

"I get to meet your folks, huh? Awesome." Taro retreated to the wardrobe to get some clothes on. He had to make a good impression, after all. Joey quickly tugged on a T-Shirt and sweater, roughly adjusting it on his body before he wordlessly left the room. He quickly crossed the room to the door, and paused to take a deep breath. He finally opened the door.

He was greeted to a chorus of cheers and an eruption of laughter when his parents saw him. They came forwards and gave him hugs, his mother planting kisses on his cheek. Joey absently reached up and fumbled with the piercing atop his head nervously as his family made their way inside and settles themselves in the living room without even asking.

There were quite a few of them. Firstly, there was his Mother and Father, Donna and George, who both dressed like they wee still in the 80s, with checkered shirts and long summer dresses, even in the winter. Then there was his Uncle, Bradley, who was the epitome of a gangster stereotype. He was brooding and aggressive, but a sweetheart deep down. He had brung his children, or rather, Joey's cousins: Phillip, Rodney, and Neil. They were triplets and looked practically identical, each of them only 8 years old. Then there was also his younger brother, Andrew, who was only 13 by now, and currently going through the typical teenager phase.

It didn't end there. There was also his Grandparents, Dorris and Henry, and his great-aunt, Julia. There were 9 of them, and they were taking up almost every available seat in the living room, accommodating themselves and, worst of all, looking at him intently.

"So how are you?" His father was the first to ask, and Joey shrugged, slowly closing the door behind them. He hated being put on the spot, and his family was notorious for it. All eyes were on him to provide a suitable answer, and he had none to offer.

"Uh, okay, I guess. Studies are going fine." He replied, with his hands in his pockets. "Uh...anyone want a drink?"

"I'll have some tea, please." His Grandmother asked with a warm smile, but no-one else piped up. He slowly nodded and headed through into the small kitchenette in the corner of the room, putting the kettle on. As he did so, Taro finally came out of their shared bedroom, dressed reasonably lavishly in a grey sweater and a pair of smart jeans. He knew how to put on a good impression, at least.

"Hello! You must be Joey's family." Taro greeted himself to them and they murmured. He shook their hands in turn, greeting himself to them all, even to the kids. Joey watched from the back, apprehensive. He wasn't sure how they would react to his boyfriend. He knew word got around their family fast, so he knew they would know who he was.

"Ah, you're the man our Son is infatuated with, then?" Joey mother sounded momentarily jealous, and Joey cringed. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I can see where Joey gets his looks." Taro was buttering her up, but the line was so cliché that Joey was surprised the whole room didn't cringe. He sighed as he poured out a cup of tea for his granmother and took it over to her in a mug, handing it over to her.

"So, what're you all doing here?" Joey asked with a frown. That was the question: he couldn't think of any reason why they would come all the way down to London. They lived up in Manchester, after all.

"Well, you said you weren't coming up to Manchest for Christmas, and your mother, bless her heart, couldn't stand the thought of you not being with us. So we've come to you!" His father explained it rather concisely, and Joey was, momentarily, in shock. Taro looked pleased for some reason and Joey shot him a look of pure surprise. Why on earth would Taro be happy about this? Joey's family could be loud, demanding, boisterous, and there was 3 8 year old children here as well.

"W-Well," Joey began, smoothing himself over. "Where're you going to be staying?"

"There's a hotel not far from the University campus that we've booked for a week. It's perfect!" His father beamed, and his Mother looked teary-eyed. Joey couldn't deny that their reasons for coming were genuine, but part of him was dreading the entire thing.

"Plus," The uncle chimed in with a gruff, deep voice. "London has some great shops. We're bound to get amazing Christmas presents whilst we're here."

"Well. Where're we going to celebrate? We're a little cramped here." Joey pointed out, gesturing to the room around them. There was a moment of silence as they mulled over that thought, for just a moment.

"They can have it here, it's fine. We can decorate." Taro chimed in, and Joey stared over at him with a baffled expression. The kitsune shot him a particularly cheeky grin, and there was a murmur of pleased sounds that quickly filled the room.

"Excellent!" Joey's father beamed happily, getting to his feet. "We'll let you decorate, then. We're going to go and do a little bit of shopping. Your mother and I will be over a little later. Maybe we can...catch up?"

"...Sure, Dad." Joey lowered his gaze for a moment. He knew what that meant. In his family, 'catching up' was code for a serious, stern talk. And his father's tone and the look on his face told him that it was something to do with him, more than anything else. He stared down at the floor for a moment before he lead them towards the door, pulling it open.

"See you guys later." He said to them, bidding farewell to his family as they went. His Grandmother thanked him for the tea, and he gave her a brief hug in farewell. They filed out of the apartment, and Joey slowly closed the door behind them, a sigh escaping his lips.

"They seem nice." Taro chimed, and Joey shot him a look. The Kitsune held his hands up in surrender and Joey groaned, crossing the room and flopping down onto the sofa.

"Ugh, this is a nightmare." He grumbled, putting his hands over his eyes and letting out an audible groan of frustration.

"Why? They don't seem that bad, just a little loud." Taro frowned.

"Christmas is always stressful for my family. They're all loud and demanding, and they're all coming here for Christmas. It's not going to be pleasant. Every year there's at least 1 argument from someone." Joey grumbled again and Taro put an arm around him, squeezing him affectionately.

"Shh. It'll be okay. I'll manage all the decorating, alright? You should just relax. What do you parents want to talk about, anyway?" Taro probed with a worried expression. He certainly didn't like seeing his boyfriend down.

"I don't know, but I know it's to do with me. They're probably not happy that they've had to come all this way. They can be a little two-faced like that sometimes." Joey grumbled.

"You should be happy they're here. At least yours care enough to show up." Taro curtly replied and looked a little sore on the subject. Joey knew enough about Taro's family to know they weren't around at all, and that all he really got from them was a card. Then it finally dawned on him why the Kitsune was so happy. With Joey, he now finally had a family of his own and one that cared enough about him to pay attention. It all made sense. Joey felt a small knot forming in the pit of his stomach. He was being an ass, and he knew it.

"Hey," He began, leaning into his lover. "I'm sorry. You're right, I should be happy that they're here. I haven't seen them in a year."

Taro was silent for a moment as they cuddled one-another, before he slowly tilted his head, planting a small kiss atop the Fox's head. He nosed into him, and Joey shifted around, a shy smile spreading across his lips.

"Aren't we meant to be going to get decorations?" Joey reminded him, and Taro let out a small growl in response.

"I'm sure it can wait an hour." He remarked in response, leaning into his lover. His hands delver under Joey's sweater and stroked along his stomach fur, feeling the slight crustiness of it. They hadn't had time to shower when Joey's family had shown up, after all.

The Fox leant out a small moan as Taro's hands firmly pushed against him, pressing him down on his side into the sofa. His hands grapsed the hem of Joey's sweater and shirt, pulling the pair of them over his head at the same time, leaving his lower topless. His mouth descended down to the Fox's neck and planted kiss after kiss across his skin, leaving the young Fox to quiver under his older lover.

"A-A bit frisky this morning, aren't you?" Joey asked casually, though his voice was shaky and his heart pounded in his chest. He felt anything but casual in that moment, and he felt Taro's hands on the waistline of his jeans, slowly shimmying them down the Fox's hips. They were soon on his knees, and Taro leant back enough to pull the jeans completely off his body, leaving the shy Fox in the nude.

"You're beautiful." Taro murmured, and Joey fidgeted shyly, getting more and more embarrassed. But it was clear he was enjoying himself, as the tip of his member starting to poke out from his sheath, swelling and pulsing, just from his lover's gaze. Slowly, Taro leant down and flipped the Fox down onto his front, pressing him against the sofa. He unbuttoned his own jeans and pushed himself down against the naked Fox, kissing along his neck and stroking along his boyish curves.

Joey let out a hot gasp of surprise as he felt a digit prodding against his pucker, slipping it's way inside. His muscles tensed and squeezed around the finger as it slid back and forth. Taro tested the tightness of his lover before his finaly finally withdrew, considering it suitable enough. His hands firmly spread the Fox's cheeks as he angled the tip of his knotted member down. H was only half-hard at the moment, but it was steadily growing, and it wouldn't be long before he was fully hard. He smeared his tapered end against the entrance before he slowly stuffed the end of his cock down into the firm ass.

"Mmh, Taro...!" Joey cried out, his cheeks flushed and his breathing heavy as the Kitsune pressed down into his lover, shoving his cock further and further into the Fox's tight asshole. Taro leant down, growling lustfully into Joey's ear, making the Fox shudder.

"Mh. What would your parents think, huh?" Taro asked with a sharp thrust of his hips, causing Joey to gasp. "Knowing that I fuck their son on the couch where they sat?"

Joey felt his cheeks burn at the revelation, and he let out a whimpering groan of pleasure as Taro started up into a steady rhythm. The Kitsune thrust and pounded down into his lover, listening to his gasps and shudders of pleasure as the member slid in and out of his rump. The room was soon filled with the wet slaps of his knot ramming down against the furred behind, coupled with the harsh, pleasured moans that came from the Fox's mouth.

The two soon became drenched in sweat. Taro leant down and smeared their bodies together, their sweat mingling with one-another. Joey's breath came out in hot, heavy pants as he felt his lover's chest pressing down against him. They writhed and squirmed against one-another, with Taro panting into his boyfriend's ear.

"Hnn. I love you, Joey." Taro groaned out, his moaning restrained and mixed in with growls of pure, unbridled passion. He thrust harder and faster down into his lover, his knot kneading against the sensitive entrance as he felt the muscles beginning to give way. After a sharp, powerful thrust, his knot slipped inside. He wasn't quite on the edge yet, but it was easy to get there.

Joey's muscles clamped down around the thick, bulbous knot, and Taro tugged his hips back, stimulation himself as his cock twitched inside his lover's behind. He huffed and scrunched his eyes up, his teeth gritted as he kneaded his member into the warm, velvety flesh of his lover's insides. Joey's own cock was pulsing powerfully against the couch, and his eyes lidded over as he enjoyed the sensations of pleasure and the feeling of fullness swimming around his body.

"Almost there...!" Taro groaned out as he pushed his hips back and forth, feeling the pressure in his groin building and building. Finally, it burst. He threw his head back and let out a sigh of pleasure as thick spurts of cum shot down into the Fox's body, string after string coating his velvety insides. He shuddered hard as his fingers dug into the warm flesh of the Fox's ass, and his toes curled in utter ecstasy.

"Mmh...never gets old." Taro sighed out, and Joey openly cringed at the cheesy line, groaning into his arms.

"Do you have to sound so cliché?" He asked, and he heard Taro chuckle in response.

"If it makes you squirm like that, yes." He planted a kiss on the back of his lover's neck, before relaxing upon him, nestled close to his body. They cuddled together for a while, enjoying one-another's company, their hands roaming over each other. It wasn't as if they could do anything else: Taro was firmly tied, and he wasn't going to be able to dislodge himself for a little while.

Half an hour went by rather quickly, and Taro was quick to unhinge himself so that they could get to work. They had all of the day to shop for decorations before they had to dress up the entire house and make sure it was covered, head to toe, in christmas lights and decorations. It wasn't just them they were decorating for now, and Joey had insisted it had to be perfect. They enjoyed a brief, slightly sexual shared shower, before they were finally dressed and out the door.

"I'm thinking a tree, at the very least, with tinsel and baubles, and lametta." Joey chimed in as they walked down the road, near enough hand in hand with one-another.

"What's Lametta?" Taro wrinkled his nose, and Joey looked up at him in surprise.

"You haven't heard of it? It's like, these long strands of stuff that you drape over the tree. It's really nice." He explained loosely, and Taro imagined string on a Christmas tree.

"Huh...I'll trust your judgement." He nudged the Fox and put an arm around him. Joey instinctively leant into his lover as they walked, heading out of the University campus and onto the bus. Neither of them had a car, so this would have to do.

They headed through into the packed city centre, and into London's main shopping mall, where the entire place was decked with their own Christmas decorations. Joey didn't often go here: the crowded shopping centre tended to make him nervous, but it was a lot easier being with someone. Taro seemed to have a particularly good idea of where to go as well, as they headed through from the main area into the smaller shops near the back. They got a sizeable tree from Wilkinsons, as well as a number of different decorations that took up at least 3 large bags in size. Taro was kind enough to carry the tree.

"I didn't think we'd need this much." Joey remarked, lugging the three bags through the shopping centre, with Taro waltzing along beisde him.

"We can spare no expense when it comes to your parents. I want to put on a good first impression, too!" Taro beamed, getting way too much into the spirit of Christmas for Joey's liking. He knew why, so he wasn't going to say anything about it.

The ride back was torture. Like themselves, most poeple had bags hanging off their arms, so they had to sqush into seats next to strangers who also had a monumental amount of shopping bags with them. The bus was filled with the rustling of plastic bags and the crinkling of paper until, finally, they stopped outside the University and hopped off.

"Glad that's over. I hate shopping." Joey grumbled, adjusting his grip o nthe bags as they walked.

"It's not that bad," Taro mused. "At least we got plenty for the holidays!"

"And where are we going to store it all when it's done?" The fox pointed out, and there was a moment of pause.

"Well," He began. "You don't use your room anymore, so that works, right?"

"...Yeah, I guess." The fox agreed quietly. They wandered back rather slowly, taking care not to tire themselves out. They still had plenty of decorating to go, after all. They finally made it back to the dorm, and Taro slipped the key into the lock, letting the pair of them in.

"What time is it?" Joey sighed out, dumping the bags near the door and beginning to retrieve various things from it.

"Noon," The Kitsune replied. "We've got about 6 hours until your parents get here. We'll get it done easily."

"Yeah. Just remember I have my appointment at 5." The Fox pointed out. With that, they set to work.

The first was the tree, and Taro looked altogether too excited to begin working on it. They cleaned out some space and made room for it in the corner of the room, and Joey left Taro to put it up whilst he got himself a drink. The Kitsune happened to be pretty good at reading instructions, even if he appeared predominantly lazy. It was done within a couple of minutes, and the two of them began decorating it with various colours of tinsel and baubles.

"So this is lametta?" Taro picked up what appeared to be a thin strand of shiny material, and Joey took it from him, draping it over the tree.

"Like that." Joey pointed out, and did the same with a number of other strips.

"Oh. Right, I get it." Taro mused, and the two of them tried it out together. It wasn't exactly a bonding experience, but at least they were getting some work done.

"I'll start on the lights." Taro pitched in. "You can finish off the tree, if you want."

"Sure, sure." Joey didn't mind decorating the tree: it was one of the things that he was good at. Taro moved over towards the middle of the room and grabbed a chair from the side of the room, pulling it towards the center. He hopped up onto the chair and reached up, using some pins to hang out some lights onto the ceiling. They were ones he'd picked out: multi-coloured. He insisted upon wrapping tinsel around them as well, thinking it would look stunning. Joey had commended his idea of course.

"Psst. Hey. Joey." Taro smirked to himself as he got an idea. He slowly unbuttoned himself as Joey draped the final bit of tinsel over the tree. By the time Joey turned around, he was greeted to the sight of his boyfriend's sheath. He stared for a moment, his eyes flicking up and down his form, from the pants around his ankles to the pink tip sticking out of his sheath.

"You're just the right height, see?" Taro teased, jostling his member with a few fingers to make his joke particularly evident. Joey shot his boyfriend a look for a moment, before he slowly made his way towards him. He stood in front of him with his hands on his hips.

"Are you trying to hint that you want something?" Joey asked, and he could already feel his cheeks burning. He found himself mere inches from his lover's member, and watched it grow before his nose, twitching and pulsing into life. He could even see a bead of pre-cum drooling off the end already. Taro thrust his hips forward for a moment, and the cock bobbed up and down.

"Maybe. Why, are you offering?" Taro teased a little further and Joey began to look a little embarrassed. Slowly, he reached up and wrapped his hand around the Kitsune's length, giving it a firm squeeze. Taro let out a sigh of pleasure and closed his eyes, and Joey slowly pressed his lips forward.

His tongue rolled and wormed around the tapered end for a moment, before it slid along the underside. The cock slowly slid into his mouth, grinding up against the roof of his mouth, all the way to the back of his throat. He slowly began to bob his head back and forth as a hand trailed down to his lover's balls, rolling them around in his fingers. Taro planted a hand on Joey's head and stroked his fur as he was lovingly pleasure, tugging Joey a little further down his cock, until his lips were reaching the knot.

Joey let out a sigh through his nose and pulled back, beginning to bob and slather at a particularly fast pace. His fingers groped and fondled the hanging balls as his tongue slid back and forth, occasionally squirming around to taste inch after inch of his lover's member. Taro's tail wagged happily behind him as he closed his eyes, rolling his head back. His cock twitched in his boyfriend's mouth, spurting a number of strings of pre-cum into the back of his throat. Joey was eager to gulp the nectar down.

"That's it." Taro murmured, reaching another hand to his lover's head. He gripped him a little bit and slowly stroked his ears. The bobbing was soon met with the thrusting of Taro's hips, his balls swinging a little as his tail wagging frantically.

"Almost...almost...!" Taro closed his eyes and let the sensations take over. He humped and thrust eagerly, his cock pulsing and twitching in Joey's mouth as his knot swelled at the base. He shuddered and clenched his hands at Joey's head for a moment before he suddenly orgasmed, shooting strings of cum into the Fox's mouth. Joey closed his eyes and gulped down what he could, some of it dribbling out of his mouth.

"Hnn..." Taro was overwhelmed with pleasure and he sighed in bliss, pulled his hips back a little bit and emptying his balls into his lover's mouth. Trickles of cum oozed onto Joey's tongue and the Fox scooped them up, gulping them down with a pleasant smile. He rolled his head back and Taro panted, looking down at him with a cheeky grin.

"You did good." He patted Joey's head and treated him like some animal, and the Fox scowled embarrassingly in response, wiping his mouth.

"I-I know," He retorted. "Now, come on. We haven't got long."

The two fell into a pleasant conversation as they worked. Taro was diligent in his work, lining the ceiling and some of the walls in lights, wrapping tinsel around them to give them a truly festive look, before he began hanging up the hanging decorations as well, various folded-out things that looked like Christmas trees and holly. Joey moved across the room, setting out some ornaments here and there as well as hanging tinsel around the kitchen. Taro resisted the urge to bend his boyfriend over the counter and have his way with him.

Before they knew it, the night was drawing in. Joey realised the time and knew he had to get going, and he quickly got his coat on. Wishing his boyfriend a quick farewell, he quickly left to make way for his appointment.

The apartment was deadly quiet without him, but Taro wasn't alone for long. As he was putting the finishing touches on the decorations throughout the house and plugging in the Christmas lights, the doorbell rang. His nose wrinkled, wondering who it could be at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. He headed towards the door, making sure he looked decent before opening the door.

He was surprised to find Joey's parents standing there, nervously smiling at him. He blinked slowly, and realised they must have come early.

"Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Clarke. We weren't expecting you for another hour...Joey's away on an appointment."

"Oh," The father replied, and the two visibly relaxed for a moment. "Is it alright if we wait for him?"

"Of course. Come in." Taro stepped to the side, and the two made their way inside.

"Wow. You did all this whilst we were gone?" The mother was taken aback at first at the sheer amount of festivities assaulting her senses, before she eventually moved to the couch. She looked pleased. Taro tried not to mention that he had fucked her son on that very couch mere hours ago.

"That we did. We wanted to make sure it looked festive. Mainly for the kids, of course," Taro assured them, and they grinned back at him in response. "Can I get either of you anything?"

"No, no, we're fine." The father assured them, and his wife didn't counteract his claim. Taro nodded, taking a can of cola from the fridge and moving over to sit in the armchair that sat facing the couch and the TV at the same time.

"So..." Joey's father cleared his throat, unsure what to say. Taro was at a bit of a loss as well, sipping his drink. It was a little awkward for the pair of them: Taro wanted to set a good impression, and the parents were cautiously aware that hey knew he was fucking their son. He could only imagine how that made them feel.

"We...uh, we didn't even know our son was gay." The mother said after a moment with an awkward smile. Therere was another awkward moment of silence.

"Uh...yeah. It surprised all of us." Taro replied nervously, not letting on the circumstances behind his change of orientation.

"Well, he seems quite committed to you, at least," This Mother mused, lowering her gaze. "You'll take care of him, wont you?"

"Of course!" Taro beamed and his tail wagged a little behind him. He felt as if he were getting their blessing, but neither of them looked too pleased about their son's change in orientation. He could understand why: they might want grandchildren, after all.

"So, where're the rest of your family at the moment?" Taro asked out of curiosity, and their glanced at each other.

"The Hotel. Andrew didn't want to see his brother." The father soured a little and Taro faltered.

"Is something the matter?" Taro asked cautiously, and noticed the two were looking a little bit uncomfortable.

"I should apologise on my youngest son's behalf. He...doesn't like gay people very much," George wrinkled his snout. "I don't know why, but he's always been so hateful."

"Don't worry. I wont take it personally. I'm sure Joey wont, either." Taro was quick to assure them.

"Good. Thank you," The mother looked thankful, as if she was worried she might offend him. "So...how did you and Joey meet, if I might ask?"

"Bit of a weird story, admittedly. I met him on the Open Day last year and he said he was coming to study Graphic Design, but that he was looking for a place," Taro began, grinning a bit to himself. "So I offered him a place to stay with me for a while so he wouldn't feel stressed, and it kind of stuck."

"And how did you come to...?" The father asked as leisurely as possible, gesturing vaguely with his hand. Taro caught on pretty quick.

"Oh, that was...well, we just clicked. There's not much else to it." He shrugged, and the parents exchanged a glance.

"You don't take drugs, do you?" George asked rather suddenly, and his wife slapped his arm. He faltered and lowered his head.

"Sorry." He muttered. Taro scoffed and shook his head.

"Mr. Clarke. Trust me, I am not on drugs." He assured them, but he knew it wouldn't do much for their spirits. He just hoped they would come to trust him a little more in time. He felt a little bit crestfallen: he was hoping the entire thing would be easy and that they would all get along, and he'd be welcomed into the family, but Joey was right, in a way. His parents were rather judgemental, but he knew they were just looking out for their son. Taro secretly wished his parents might do the same for him, but he knew they never would.

Just then, the door swung open and Joey stepped in through the front door and closed it behind him. At first, he hadn't noticed the trio. As he turned, he spotted them and stopped in his tracks, staring at the three of them.

"Oh. You're early." He sounded mildly surprised, pulling his scarf from his neck and hanging it up on the hook by the door as he slipped off his coat.

"We were just getting to know Taro a little better. He's a very nice man." His mother smiled and looked over at the Kitsune, who grinned happily in response. Joey wasn't sure if he'd ever seen him so pleased.

"I'm flattered, Mrs. Clarke. Truly." He replied, and the Fox rolled his eyes a little bit.

"So, you two wanted to talk?" Joey asked him, stuffing his hands in his pockets again. A brief silence set of the four of them, before the father eventually spoke.

"Taro. Could you give us a minute?" He asked the Kitsune, who faltered, looking momentarily confused. Slowly, he nodded and got to his feet. He headed through into the hallway and into his room, leaving the three of them on their own for a moment so that they could talk. Joey's father gestured to the seat, and Joey took it.

"...Don't think we haven't noticed a rather...stark change in you, Joey. You used to be...well..." George clearly knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't want to sound offensive when he said it.

"You can say it, Dad. Just say it." Joey curly replied, already aware of the track of conversation they were having. His mother was looking down at her hands, trying to wash them of all responsibility, but it was clear she felt the same as well.

"You used to be...'normal'. Now you've...you've got a piercing! And we could see the tattoo on your back, though we have no idea what it is...and these clothes?" George looked strained, and slowly shook his head. "We just don't want you to make the wrong decisions in life, or to...be controlled."

"...Is this really what the two of you think?" He frowned and stared at the pair of them, and they cast a glance at one-another, before Joey's father slowly nodded. Joey leant back in his seat and put a hand to his forehead, smoothing his naturally auburn fur back.

"I'm not making the wrong decisions." He insisted. "I'm still keeping up to date with my degree."

"...That's the thing. We got an email from your professor: he says you haven't been in for a month." The mother chimed in quietly, too scared to rail it into him. She didn't know what kind of reaction it might garner in response.

"So? I'm still studying. I'm handing in my assignments as well." Joey was beginning to get a little annoyed. It was none of their business. In the back of his mind, he knew they simply cared, yet he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"Just...please remember that there are things more important than a relationship." His father urged, trying to be as kind as possible. "This degree...it can change your life. A relationship? It can affect you, but it's not the beginning and the end of everything."

"It's not like you're an exact source of wisdom." Joey spat out with a certain degree of venom, and the two of them faltered. Of course, it had never really been spoken about, but Joey had no qualms in bringing it up.

When Joey was younger, around 6, his parents had broken up for a brief time and got divorced. It had been 10 years, ferried between homes and hearing expletive after expletive about the other party before the two reconciled their differences and, eventually, got back together again when Joey was 16. They weren't the model relationship, but he knew that the divorce had wrecked the pair of them in various ways, leaving his childhood a little fragmented.

"T...That's not fair, Joseph," His mother replied, looking a little offended herself. "And you know it isn't."

Joey held his hands up in surrender and leant back in his seat, seething with rage. He had no idea what to say to them, but he knew how he felt.

"At the end of the day," He began. "It's my life. Not yours. I've made my bed and I should lie in it. I'm happy. Isn't that enough?"

"Yes. It is. Of course," His father lowered his head. "I just...I want you to be sure, son. We're worried for you."

"I'm fine. I'm not in some drug ring or being abused or held against my will. Taro is good to me. He's what I need." Joey assured them with a rather angry expression, and they got the gist. Whether they wanted to agree with him or not, there was no use arguing. He wasn't going to budge, and he was happy where he was. All they could do was leave the door open, in the event it didn't quite go to plan in the future and he needed someone to fall back on. They let the matter rest.

"In other news...there's something else important to discuss as well." George looked even more miserable about tihs conversation than the previous one, and Joey's face brushed with concern at their expressions.

"What is it?" Joey asked, sitting forwards. As annoyed as he was at them, he cared still.

"Your Grandmother," He began. "She was diagnosed 3 months ago with Alzheimer's Disease."

Joey sat there for a moment as the thought settled in. He knew what it was, and he knew how bad it could be. It gave elderly people dimensia: specifically confusion and a lot of other horrible symptoms to do with the brain.

"So she's going to get worse?" Joey asked quietly, and his parents nodded in response. "...How long do they estimate?"

"About 5 months, until it's at it's worst," George replied. "After that...she'll have to go into a home. This'll be the last Christmas she'll remember for a while."

"...Shit." Joey put a hand to his head and didn't quite know what to think about it all. His parents didn't know what to say either. After a moment, Joey got to his feet and made his way over to them, and they sat together in a tightly-packed, three-body hug, cuddling one-another. Joey felt safe between them.

After that, it was time for them to leave. Joey let them go, knowing they had their own things to attend to, just like him. The next 4 or 5 days were chocked full of festivities. Not only did Joey have to shop with Taro to get presents for everyone, but he also had to spend a couple of days babysitting his brother and cousins, who did not find his and Taro's apartment all that exciting either. Nevertheless, the 4 days zipped by without much break in-between. Joey felt more run-down than ever, and he blamed Taro's midnight lewd antics for that. He seemed to wake up every day in that harness.

It was 8am on Christmas day morning when the doorbell rang, and for once, Joey found himself in his best, feeling remarkably refreshed. The air was filled with the smell of sweet and savoury foods, and he crawled out of bed, finding that Taro wasn't in it. His nose wrinkled in confusion, but didn't have to wait long to realise what was happening. He heard a chorus of cheers and laughing from the living room and realised his boyfriend was already up and making breakfast, and notably had invited his entire family inside to cuddle around the tree. Joey quickly pulled on his clothes and made sure he looked presentable before he stepped out into the living room.

The place was packed. Taro had bought a couple of spare chairs to use, and all of them were taken up. The children, including his 'homophobic' brother, sat on the floor huddled around the tree, and Joey quietly noted that the presents lining around the bottom of the tree were a lot more in quantity than he remember last night. He looked over to Taro, who shot him a happy grin. The fox paused for a moment and stared at his boyfriend, dressed in a Christmas sweater, with an apron around his waist and a frying pan in his hand. He'd laid out an entire platter of sweets and cakes on a table, and Joey smelt the scent of a cooking chicken in the oven. He felt his stomach do a flip. This was perfect.

Taro was practically flowing, and Joey could see it. They all moved around towards the tree after a while and Joey wished them a happy Christmas as they got down to their present-opening. The children got all sorts of gifts and presents from Joey and Taro combined, from video games to even consoles. Joey and Taro had chipped together to get them a PS4, which they had not stopped talking about for the past few days. It was lucky that their father didn't get them one. Almost everyone got what they wanted, and even Taro got a few presents from the family as well, though it was clear they were a little rushed. Still, it was obvious that Taro was genuinely touched, and perhaps even a little tearful.

The present-opening soon moved into general festivities, and Joey's father turned the TV onto the music channels, and Christmas songs blared throughout the house. They were, in essence, having something akin to a Christmas party, with Taro as their main host. Joey guessed he'd spent all night preparing for this day, chalking all of his efforts to the various baked goods and near-perfectly cooked roast sitting in the oven. Of course, there was little they could do in the way of a table to sit around, but Taro at least gave them a plate each to eat off of, and had another fold-up table for the cousins to sit at and eat so they didn't get it everywhere.

The day was alarmingly hectic, but it was almost magical, in a sense. Joey felt elated to be around his family, and the worries and arguments of yesterday were washed away in Christmas festivities. It was all down to Taro, and Joey felt more for him on that day than any other. He was everything that Joey could wish for, and his heart swelled to twice it's normal size for the rest of the day.

It was around the afternoon that everyone was relaxing around the television. The kids were almost falling asleep, though Andrew was firmly focused on his 3DS. Joey heard the doorbell rang and looked over at Taro with a confused expression. He slowly got to his feet and headed towards the door, pulling it open.

The person standing there surprised it. It was Kasem, dressed head to toe in winter clothing that kept him firmly warm. He looked a little sad, but smiled when he saw Joey answer the door. Taro stepped into view, and Kasem made an effort not to look at him.

"Kasem," Taro sounded surprised, stepping closer and standing next to Joey. "What're you doing here? I thought that you'd be at your parents."

"I had to come. Um...you'd probably forgotten, but you gave your family my address for all their letters," Kasem began, keeping his gaze away from Taro, as if it were too painful to look at him. "Here."

He raised his hand, showing Taro a white envolope firmly in his grip. Slowly, Taro reached out and took it, turning it over to read and handwriting. Joey watched his boyfriend visibly pale when he saw the letter and he gulped.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked quietly. He glanced to Kasem, who just shook his head.

"Good seeing you two." Kasem muttered, feeling a stinging of pain in his stomach. Kasem was with Rhys now, but the break-up still hurt. Joey assumed Rhys probably knew that. He'd heard through the grapevine that they were together, and he hoped they made each other happy in their own way. He looked back at Taro, who stared down at the envolope, lost in his stare. He couldn't bring a single word to his lips, as if he was unable.

"Taro. Talk to me." Joey urged, and Taro shook his head.

"Just...give me a minute." He muttered, heading back Joey and out the door. He strode off down the hallway, and out of the dorm altogether, and Joey looked utterly confused. He held a finger up to his family for them to give him a moment, and he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

He stepped out into the cold of the outside and hugged himself tightly. It was snowing, and the coldness set in his bones and on his fur at the same time. He glanced to his left and right and tried to find where Taro was. He wandered a little and finally heard something. It sounded like sobbing.

He moved around to the side of the building and poked his head around the corner. Taro was crouching down by the floor with a hand over his eyes, and his other hand holding the letter in his hand. Joey frowned and slowly made his way towards him.

"...Taro. What's the matter?" Joey crouched down and put a hand on the Kitsune's shoulder, and Taro wordlessly handed over the letter to him, wiping his eyes.

Joey scanned over the letter and got the gist very quickly. It was from Taro's parents, quite obviously, but the details weren't to do with Taro, nor with them. The letter very professionally detailed that Taro's nanny had passed away in a car accident a week ago. Joey read on, reading that a plane ticket had been with the letter so that Taro could attend the funeral and 'stop this pitiful game of cat and mouse'. It was signed by his father.

"Oh god. Taro, I'm...I'm so sorry." Joey mumbled. Nothing could make this right, and it was no-one's fault. Joey put an arm around Taro and pulled him closer, and the Kitsune leant into him, pressing his head into the Fox's shoulder. He sobbed into Joey's sweater for a good long while as they cuddled in the snow. For a while, it was just them, dealing with the grief. Even Joey felt a little teary-eyed, and he didn't even know the woman.

Eventually, the tears stopped, but it was clear that Taro was beaten up about the entire ordeal. He wiped ihs eyes and lowered his head, still crouched down. His hands gingerly held Joey's own, but he couldn't find the words to say anything.

"...Are you going to the funeral?" Joey asked him quietly, and Taro slowly nodded.

"I don't want to fucking see them. But I need to pay my respects," He muttered darkly, and Joey understood, watching at Taro raised his head. "Can you come? Please?"

"Of course. I want to be there for you." Joey smiled affectionately, and he leant forwards, kissing Taro on the forehead.

"...I love you." Taro muttered, slowly getting to his feet. Joey did the same, and he tugged the Fox towards him. They met in another kiss again, their lips pressing together as their chests pressed against one-another. Joey practically melted under his touch.

"I love you too." Joey responded breathlessly, a smile tugging on his lips. "...Let's head back inside, okay? They're waiting."

"Let's just stay out here a little longer." Taro suggested, and the Fox slowly nodded.

The kitsune turned them around, and pressed his lover up against the wall. Their lips met again as they kissed in the snow. Nothing but them, together. Joey couldn't be happier.