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Mike let out a quiet sigh. "I told you this was a bad idea."

They'd finally found their destination -- the tavern they'd seen last night from their carriage. Standing at a fork in the road, outside the city... But as it turned out, not quite far enough outside. What with the handful of armed guards, standing around the entrance.

Guards who were now looking in their direction, up the road, straightening from their slouches, hands going to their weapons... one went inside.

He heard Evals swallow. "Think... think we should run for it?"

Mike looked at the dog, and found his own courage. "No. Plan B, remember? We've got the papers. Just... come on. We can't stop here."

Evals nodded, visibly steeling himself, and followed him on. Towards the guards. They stayed on alert, but seemed content to let the two keidran come to them.

Good. That was good. Mike kept looking at them as he got closer, trying to figure out if any of them had been at the docks yesterday. That would make things easier, because then they might actually believe the story they'd come up with. But the guards were all wearing those helmets of theirs, and he couldn't tell. The one that had gone inside -- or another, no way to be sure there either -- came back out, followed by two more. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike thought he saw a flash of white on the second story balcony, but when he looked there was nobody there.

There were seven guards now, waiting for them, well armed and armored. Mike raised his voice when he was still a little too far out, to make sure to get the first word. "Hello, sirs! Is this the Riftwall Tavern?"

Some of them looked at each other, but nobody immediately answered. Mike and Evals came to a stop less than ten feet away from them. And waited. Mike looked at the tavern sign, confirming that yup, he sure didn't know how to read the text. Not that he needed to, to know this was the place. He glanced at Evals while he was at it. The dog was letting himself be scared, which was good. Mike wasn't trying to play it cool, either. Guards liked it when they made you afraid. You just didn't want to seem guilty, too.

And, well, they weren't. Even if that was weird to think about.

One of the guards spoke to another, as if they weren't even there. "Well, they sure aren't any escaped wolves. Just take them in, I guess? Let the captain worry about where they came from."

Mike cleared his throat, even more nervous. This was the risky bit. "Ah, um, we're from the Legacy Estate. As of yesterday. Our old master sold us after his ship burned down in the harbor."

"Sold... to the Gr-- to the Duke?"

"Ah, yes. I think that is one of his titles."

The guard sighed the sigh of someone out of their paygrade. "Great. Just great. I love it when things get political."

A new voice, from the entrance. "A fox and a brown dog... you must be Mike and Evals, yes? The seneschal said you'd be coming."

Roselyn had what? But that thought got lost when Mike turned to look, and found a keidran unlike any he had seen before, standing just outside the door. 'Snow leopard', Flora had said, and now he knew what that meant. Long, fluffy fur, white and shades of bluish gray, scattered with black markings, mostly spots like Kat's but also some stripes and other patterns; on her face, down her collar, around the tip of her tail... and that tail! He'd had no idea tails could be that big. Her hair was as black as her markings, and done up in a style he'd never seen, pushed back along her head in thick bands, the ends of which hung behind her neck. She was wearing some kind of a leather corset, with her chest floof spilling out over it, and a black skirt that was split down the sides.

He looked at her face again. Feline, definitely, lips curved in a slight smile, attention switching between him and Evals, an expectant look of amusement in her clear blue eyes. Once again Mike found himself clearing his throat, this time with a bit of a blush at how he must've gaped. "And you must be Mrs. Adira?"

"Just Adira will do. You're here for the wine, yes?"

Were they? "Ah, yes."

"Do come in." She turned to the guards. "Unless there's some problem? I believe your captain met these two yesterday, in case you need to clear anything up."

The guard who loved politics hesitated for a moment, then waved them in. "Very well. But don't go wandering off. I'll see if I can get the captain to come by and sort this out."

Mike bowed to the man. Never hurt to be polite. "Thank you, sir."

The guard waved him away again, and Mike went. Evals was already trailing Adira in, the dog's tail wagging, and Mike grinned, shaking his head. And here he'd been worried this might have soured Evals' mood.

Adira guided the two of them through the common room -- populated by some civilians and another handful of guards, who looked up, curious, but not curious enough to second guess whoever had handled matters outside -- and into the back, to a small room that could maybe been some sort of a private cabinet but felt more lived in than that. A table with three chairs, and another, cozier chair in the corner, with some sewing on it... yeah, this wasn't a public space.

Adira nodded towards the table. "Have a seat. I'll be right with you."

She disappeared out another door into a corridor, and Mike and Evals stood there for a moment, looking at each other, before taking their seats.

Evals gestured after her, almost disbelieving. "Did you -- she's gorgeous."

Mike grinned at his friend. "I'm not gonna argue with you. Or your tail."

The dog grabbed at his still-wagging tail. "Aww, crap. Do you think she--?"

"Uh-huh."

"Damn. But, I mean..."

Mike smiled. "Like I said, I'm not gonna argue."

"Right, right. So..." Evals grew more serious "how do you think she--?"

Hearing something, Mike raised a finger to his lips. "I think she's coming back."

Adira entered the room again, carrying a small crate that she put down on the table. "Here you are, some White Wolf Wine for the estate stocks." She flashed a smile. "Your alibi. You are going back to the estate, yes?"

Mike and Evals looked at each other. "Ah... yeah. It's not like we've figured out where else to go yet. And for sure if we need to. You really helped us out there."

Adira nodded. "You can thank Roselyn for that. She let me know you might be coming."

Mike and Evals shared another moment, this time mostly confusion.

Adira smiled at the two of them. "She may not seem like the warmest person, but she looks out for her charges. And they say she doesn't miss much that happens up there."

"Well, uh... clearly. So, we're fetching some wine. Got it. Do we need to pay for it?"

The snow leopard shook her heard. "It's on the tab. And now..." she pulled out a pen and a notebook from somewhere, and gave them both that smile again. "What can I get you?"

Oh! Mike fished out a few coins from his pocket. "What's this good for?"

Adira looked at the coins, a smile playing at her lips. "First time having money, huh?"

Mike grinned. "Yeah! Of my own, at least. How'd you know?"

The snow leopard smiled warmly. "I've seen that look before. And that's enough to get you your pick of anything I've got to sell. But as much as I'd like giving you the business, I'm going to have to rein you in a bit." She nodded towards the common room. "Wouldn't exactly look right if someone got nosy and found you two having a feast."

"Ah, yeah, I see. Then... what would you recommend?"

Adira tapped at her muzzle with the pen. "Well, some keidran ale shouldn't be a problem, though maybe not the topline stuff. And as for food... how's chicken sound?"

"Lovely! Right?"

Evals nodded. "Yeah, chicken is good."

Adira took the order down. "Roasted? Raw? Running around?"

Mike laughed. "Roasted, please. We're used to human-style."

"Not a bad pick at all. Hmm... I've got some done that's cold, and I've got more cooking if you'd like it hot. Would take a bit, but..."

... but they were stuck here waiting anyway. Mike and Evals shared another look, then nodded. "Yeah, hot is good."

"Okay. And tell you what..." Adira jotted down one last note, then stowed the notepad and pen, making them disappear somewhere in her corset-vest. "I'll throw in some strips of bacon. How's that sound?"

Mike offered up his money again with a smile. "Yes, please."

Evals cleared his throat. He also had a few coins out. "Um... I'm buying." He looked at Mike. "Y'know, my idea and all. So I wanted to thank you for going along with it."

Mike just nodded. That... meant a lot, actually. "Thanks. I'll... get the next one, huh?"

Evals grinned at him. "Yeah, sure."

Adira took one of the coins Evals was offering, and away it went into some obscure pocket. She looked at both of them, and Mike was pretty sure Evals' tail was wagging again. But she sighed. "I wish these were better times. I'd be happy to show you boys around town, maybe help you get settled into your new lives. Edinmire isn't... a bad place, really. Not normally. But right now..."

What do you say, to something like that? "Thank you, Adira. That's very kind. But we'll figure something out."

She smiled again. "I'm sure you will. Just keep looking out for each other. That's where it all starts."

Mike... got it, he thought. That was how people came together, wasn't it? By helping each other... in a way, that was how they'd gotten their freedom, too. By looking out for people... even people that they'd rather have left behind. Not that it had been quite that rosy. They'd been free, and then they'd almost lost it again. But if they'd taken the ship... at best they would have been escaped slaves during a war. Now they were free keidran pretending to be slaves, because that made them more free.

But really, they had been free. Their first free choice had been to stay and wait. And that had led here.

When you were free to make your own choices, those choices mattered. Mike smiled at the snow leopard. "We will. Thank you again."

"My pleasure. It'll be a while for the food, so please just relax while you wait. I'm sure you had quite the walk."

Adira left, and Evals looked after her, no matter that she'd closed the door behind her. He sighed. "She's really quite something, huh?"

Mike laughed softly. "Again. Not going to argue."

"What do you figure she meant, about 'that's where it all starts'? You seemed like you got it."

"I think I did, yeah. Basically... that's how you can find a place for yourself. Look at what you can do for people, and what people can do for you. Y'know?"

"Like, a job?"

"Well, yeah, that's part of it. I guess..." Mike frowned. "Hmm. I guess money is like a general form of it? We did something valuable, and they gave us money, and we can use that money to get something valuable from someone we haven't even met before, because the money sort of... represents that first thing we did. And I guess that's how it has to be, because otherwise people would always have to find favors to trade. And that only works if both need something from the other. But I think what she really meant..."

"Yeah?"

"I think it was something like, if we're looking out for each other, than that means we're the sort of people who can fit in like that."

"Huh. Okay. I guess I can see that." Evals looked thoughtful. "Then... do you think we should maybe spend some more time with Flora and the others? I mean, now that we're not..."

"I... don't know. They're all kind of a..." Mike stopped. He'd been about to say 'kind of a big deal', and, well, yeah, they were, but... was he just not used to thinking of himself as being somebody? "I think... I think if it weren't for the war, staying in Edinmire would be exactly what I'd want to do. And I think they're different, so..." His dreams were mostly pretty small, and he was okay with that. "What... about you? Do you still want to go back to the dogs?"

Evals scratched at the back of his head. "I'm not sure. I mean, if it wasn't for the war, I think I'd be willing to at least give this place a chance, y'know? If that's what you wanted to do. And if it didn't work out, then I'd still want you to come with me. But... I guess I don't really know if that would work either. It was so long ago... and anyway. There's the war. We can't really do either of those things, can we."

"Yeah. Maybe... maybe you're right about talking to the others. Maybe there would be something there."

Evals grimaced. "Count me out if it means going with Eric, though. I think I'd rather stay at the estate at that point. Try to wait out the war. Hope for the best."

"You think they'd have us?"

"Hey, you heard Adira. Apparently old Roselyn has a soft spot for us."

Mike smiled. "Well, maybe. Work for room and board? In a place like that? Wouldn't be too bad at all."

"And maybe a few coins. Yeah."

The door opened slowly, revealing a tray with two glasses floating at about table height, that turned out to be carried by a very young snow leopard girl practically hiding behind it.

Mike smiled at her. "For us? Thank you."

She slid the tray onto the table, then half-ducked under it, peeking at him past the crate of wine. "Mom said to bring you some water while you wait."

"That was very kind of her. I'm Mike."

"Evals."

She looked at Evals when he gave his name, and Mike had to smile at how they both almost seemed as wary as the other. The dog always had been kind of awkward with kids. After a moment, the snow leopard looked back at Mike. "I'm Maeve."

"Ah, I thought so! Flora told us about you."

Her ears perked up, and she rose just a bit higher above the crate. "You know Miss Flora?"

"Yup, we sure do. We've been traveling with her for a while now."

Maeve seemed to take this in for a moment, so Mike took his glass from the tray and took a sip, shortly followed by Evals. As soon as the tray was clear, the young snow leopard took it and disappeared from the room, with just the flash of her tail trailing out the door.

Mike and Evals looked at each other, but before they had time to say anything, she was back at the doorway, peeking at them around the door. "Can you tell me about her?"

Mike raised his eyebrows at Evals, and the dog sighed, then shook his head and smiled. Mike turned back to Maeve, smiling. "Well, there was the time she wanted to fight the entire basitin army..."

Mike was still telling Maeve about Flora's exploits, the young snow leopard now sitting across from him, listening with rapt attention, when Adira walked in bearing two plates that immediately drew his and Evals' attention. She set the plates down in front of them, then gave her daughter a mock-stern look and tousled her hair. "So this is where my server went."

"They were telling me about Flora."

"Ah." Adira kissed Maeve on the top of her head. "Well, time for them to eat and you to get back to work. It's busy today."

"Yes, Mommy."

Maeve disappeared in another flash of her tail, and Adira turned to the two of them with a smile. "Dig in, boys. I'll have your ale for you in a moment."

"Thank you."

"Thanks!"

They didn't waste any time. Both their stomachs had started growling the moment they'd caught the scent of their meals, and the taste delivered. The chicken was juicy and delicious, and wonderfully seasoned, and the bacon was perfection. And the ale, which Adira quickly brought, was fine -- a little on the weak side, but Mike got that. It wouldn't do anyone any good for the two of them to get drunk. But strong or not, he had no complaints about the taste, and it went really well with the meat. And it did still give him a pleasant little buzz, too.

After he was done eating, Mike leaned back with a satisfied sigh, a hand on his stomach. He looked at Evals, the dog finished with the meal proper but still gnawing on a bone. Mike smiled. "Evals?"

The dog looked at him, returning the smile. "Yeah?"

"Thanks. That was the best meal of my life."

"Well, hey." Evals grinned. "Gotta look out for my buddy, right?"

"... Thanks."

"You said that already, didn't you?"

Mike grinned. "Guess I did, huh."

There was a lull in the conversation, and Mike just relaxed for a moment, listening to the muffled noises coming from the main part of the tavern. Adira had said it was a busy day, and that's what it sounded like, too. The snow leopards had to have their hands full.

"Evals?"

"Yeah?"

"How about helping out while we wait?"

The dog made a face. "Serving humans?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but... helping Adira." Evals clearly liked that thought better. Mike smiled. "We kinda owe her, too."

"Well, when you put it like that..." The dog scratched at his chin. "Might as well, right?"

"Right."

And so they took their plates and mugs and went to find the kitchen, which really wasn't hard. It was deserted when they found it, the food cooking unattended, but Adira came in from another door almost as soon as they did. "Oh, hey boys. Sorry I couldn't get to you, but we're having a bit of a day. You can put those in the sink."

They put their dishes in to soak, to some clatter from already-submerged plates. Mike smiled when he realized that there was a stepping stool next to the counter, so Maeve could reach, too. Server and dishwasher, then. "Actually, we were wondering if there was anything we could do to help."

Adira looked at them, and Mike thought there was something new in her expression. They weren't customers, now. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I couldn't use the help... And it would be worth some coin right about now."

Mike hadn't even thought about that, but... yeah, sure. "Well, if you think so."

The snow leopard shook her head, smiling. "Know your way around a kitchen?"

"Ship's cook, ma'am." She didn't seem terribly impressed, but Mike just grinned. "For a small crew. Including my old master, sometimes."

Evals spoke up. "And he likes his food, too. Mike knows his stuff." The dog shot him a grin. "I never had any complaints, either."

Mike grinned back. "Yeah, you did. You just weren't serious about them."

Adira nodded. "Well, we'll see about that. And you, Evals?"

The dog scratched at the back of his head. "Well, he did most of the cooking. But I can back him up some. And do the dishes. That sort of thing."

"Very well; you're hired. Now, pay attention..."

And she walked them through what she had cooking, and how she wanted the kitchen to run. Mike got the hang of it fine, though he did have to double check on some recipes. For the first while, Adira taste tasted everything he made, but pretty soon they had the kitchen mostly to themselves.

"So..." Evals was leaning against the counter during a lull. "Our big outing..."

"Yeah?"

"First day as free keidran..."

Well, officially unofficially, maybe, but Mike wasn't going to quibble. He smiled. "Yeah?"

"And we end up working."

Mike grinned. "Yeah, but... this is us doing this."

Evals smiled at that. "Yeah. I guess it is."

And so they worked, bantering on and occasionally telling Maeve more Flora stories when she snuck into the kitchen -- or maybe more likely, when Adira let her linger there for a while. Eventually, the captain of the guard did make it by, looking somewhat harried, and waved them off as something not worth worrying about, muttering under his breath about the day he'd been having. Adira convinced him to have a seat and get something to eat, on the house, before he went on with his day; which he took her up on, ordering a steak, well-done, with ketchup on the side, once again showing that no good deed goes unpunished. Or, as Evals put it, that the guard clearly doesn't care about crimes against meat, which got a chuckle out of Adira and Mike both.

At that point, they were basically free to go, but...

"Might as well see the day out, right?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

And before they knew it, it was already getting late in the evening. Maeve's bedtime came -- "Good night, Mr. Mike, Mr. Evals," followed by a shared 'We're misters now?' moment -- and then the next thing they knew, Adira was already closing the place up.

Time passes quickly when you keep busy.

"Okay, boys, that's the last of 'em. Good work today." The snow leopard counted out a small handful of coins for both of them. "I assume you want an even split. If not, you can sort it out amongst yourselves."

Mike hefted the coins in his hand. There was a pleasant weight to them. "This is good."

Evals scratched at the back of his head. "I mean, you probably deserve..."

"Shush. We're a team, yeah?"

The dog grinned. "Well, I'm not gonna argue with that, am I?"

Adira nodded. "That's what I thought. So, will you two be heading back tonight? It is pretty late, and I'd be happy to put you up for the night."

Mike looked at her, clinking the coins in his hand and narrowing his eyes. "And how much would that be?"

Adira laughed. "No charge. It's my gratitude for your helping out today."

"But... you paid us."

She smiled. "Yeah, and that's for the work. The gratitude is for deciding to help."

"Ah." That... made sense. "Then..." Mike looked at Evals, and both nodded. "We'd be happy to stay."

"In that case, I've got one more deal for you. Clean up the main room so I don't have to, and I'll cook us all up a proper dinner."

Evals grinned. "You've got yourself a deal."

The main room didn't look too bad off; some scraps and spills, and the furniture had been jostled around, but it was pretty close to good. Shouldn't take that long... Mike was just about to get started, when Evals stopped him short and sat him down in a chair.

"You just take it easy. I had plenty of time for breaks all day. Your turn now."

"Well, I... guess I'm not gonna argue."

"Good."

Evals got to work with some gusto, first wiping down the tables and getting them back in row, then lifting up the chairs to clear the floor. Mike hadn't seen him that eager to work... maybe ever. It was nice seeing him so enthusiastic, and... he was doing it for Mike's sake, too, at least in part. So yeah, he really wasn't going to argue. Especially when Evals got so into it that, when he needed to free up the chair he'd put Mike in, the dog just lifted him up and sat him down on the counter instead, leaving him there with his heart beating a little faster. And then when he started mopping the floor, he took his shirt off, which didn't really... help...

"Hmm."

Mike turned his head at the sound, finding Adira leaning against the doorframe, looking straight at him, smiling. The sound had been pitched low enough that Evals, halfway across the room and facing away, hadn't heard. Mike blushed, and tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. She'd clearly seen straight through him.

The snow leopard stepped around him to the bar, and spoke softly. "Don't worry about it. He is cute."

Mike let out a sigh of relief.

Adira smiled at him again, and leaned closer to whisper into his ear. "Of course, so are you."

This time, he blushed right clear to his ears, suddenly very aware of the snow leopard's nearness. Her scent.

She pulled away again, then looked at him, amused but not unkind, and nodded. She turned away for a moment to pour a drink, then handed it to him, still smiling. "For the blush."

Mike took it. It was just half a finger's width at the bottom of a tiny glass, but it smelled very strong. Adira gave him a nod, so... he drank it down. One gulp of liquid fire, the motion of his swallowing turning straight into all of his fur bristling in a wave. He looked at Adira, tears in his eyes, but managed not to cough, instead exhaling slowly.

It was strong, yes. But it wasn't basitin rum.

Adira grinned at him, and Mike thought she maybe actually looked a little impressed as well. She raised the bottle and her eyebrows in one question, and Mike shook his head. Adira nodded, amused. "And wise, too." Then she turned to look at Evals, now almost at the far end of the room, and raised her voice. "I see I have a real sea dog in my tavern."

Evals turned to look at them, and Mike could see the small moment of hesitation before he decided to roll with it, blushing a bit with his bluster. "Aye, ma'am. About done swabbing this deck, too."

"Come have a drink, then. This stuff'll put some hair on your chest." A beat, a smile. "Though I see you've got that covered." Now the dog did blush, and Mike was glad for the excuse of the alcohol for his own flushedness. Evals hastily went to get his shirt, and Adira once again leaned closer to Mike to whisper. "Aww. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

Evals, fully clothed again, reached the bar. "Mike? You okay?"

He coughed, and gestured with his glass, smiling. "It's pretty strong stuff."

"Well, in that case, hit me up, barkeep."

Adira handed him a glass -- about the same amount Mike had gotten -- and Evals shot it back, much to the same reaction Mike had had.

Once he had it under control, the dog cleared his throat, and shook his head. "Woof."

Mike laughed, and patted him on the shoulder. The warm buzz of the alcohol made it the simplest thing in the world.

Adira smiled at them both. "Come on, boys. Time to eat."

She'd set the table for them in that private room again, and while Mike had certainly had no complaints about the food the first time, she'd clearly gone the extra mile now. There was some chicken again, and bacon too, but less, because this time pride of place went to good, honest steak -- generous slabs of meat, seared just right to seal in the flavor, but any rarer and they would have mooed. So juicy, and so, so good. And of course, there was ale -- Mike actually wasn't sure if it was the same stuff, or something a little stronger this time; his head was buzzing enough from the shot that he couldn't tell. But it was good, like the rest of it, and that was that.

They talked some as they ate, and more after, still nursing their drinks when the food was just a fond memory. Mike and Evals shared some of their life stories, and talked about the places they'd been, the ports they'd seen. Some of what it was like to be on the seas. Adira didn't talk about herself as much, but she told them a lot about what it was like to be a free keidran in Edinmire, and what she knew wider about the human lands. And the tiger lands, too, which sounded pretty scary and alien to Mike. Evals seemed a bit intrigued, though, so... maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Eventually, Adira cleared the table and disappeared for a while -- rebuffing offers of help with "No, no, you're my guests now" -- leaving Mike and Evals to talk over what she'd told them, before the snow leopard emerged again with coffee and dessert. Some kind of... frozen confectionary? Whatever it was, it was good.

And so was the coffee. Mike thought it was a little late for it, but, well... he wasn't going to refuse, was he? And -- he smiled to himself -- if he wanted to have a late night, that was his business, now.

The coffee both brought him back to full wakefulness, and cut the last of the buzzing of the alcohol, but he still found himself more relaxed than he'd been earlier in the day. The same seemed to go for Evals as well; the dog was talking pretty naturally with Adira now, even though his tail still had a tendency to give a little wag whenever she looked at him. Mike just smiled at that. It certainly wasn't lost on Adira what kind of effect she had on the dog -- Mike had the feeling there wasn't a lot that was lost on Adira -- but there seemed to be no harm in it. And Adira never called any attention to what she had figured out, so Mike found himself growing more and more comfortable with her knowing his secret. He even started to wonder if he could find an opportunity to talk to her about it alone. Maybe ask for some advice.

When they'd all finished their coffees, Adira stood up, smiling. "Okay, let's get you boys settled in." They followed her, of course -- up to the second floor and down a corridor. She stopped at a door, but raised a finger to her lips, and spoke quietly. "I'm just going to check on Maeve first."

They nodded, and she opened the door, softly, before slipping in to the room and closing it again behind herself, equally gently.

Evals looked at Mike. "Uh, why--" he remembered to whisper "--why's she checking on her first?"

"I think..." The out of place coffee, and now this. What she'd said about Evals being cute... and him, too. Mike suddenly found his heart beating faster. "I think she might have, uh... plans for us."

The dog's eyes went wide. "You mean...?"

"Yeah. I mean, why else would she...?"

"But then... which one? I mean, it's gotta be you, right? I've had my foot in my mouth half the day."

"I think maybe--"

The door opened again, Adira slipping back out of the room, and the corridor filled with awkward silence. But the snow leopard just smiled and led the way, and Mike and Evals followed, glancing awkwardly at each other about every other step. They almost walked right into Adira when she stopped again, at another door.

She looked at them, her hand on the handle, and smiled. "This is it."

Mike glanced at Evals again, without meaning to, and found Evals looking back, before they both forced their eyes forward again. The snow leopard opened the door, eyes twinkling with amusement, and stepped in, into relative darkness.

They followed, and she lit a lamp, revealing what felt like a pretty typical guest room; a desk and a chair, a dresser, a wardrobe, a four-poster bed... just the one, but it was wider than two singles.

Adira smiled at them again. "I hope you boys don't mind sharing."

"N-no."

"That's, uh, fine."

The smile widened. "Good. And now that that's settled..."

"Y-yeah?"

"I thought you two might like a few more pointers on being free keidran." The snow leopard's hands went to her vest, almost idly, and she started loosening it. "Am I wrong?"

Two perfectly synchronized gulps.

She laughed, shaking her head. "I didn't think I was. But try to relax a bit, would you? This isn't a hostage situation."

Mike's hand went to the back of his neck, and he glanced at Evals again -- he couldn't help it, dammit! -- and found the dog mirroring him, a perfect spiral of mutual awkwardness and embarrassment and umms and errs.

There was an amused sigh from Adira, and the next thing Mike knew he was being pulled against her, one of the snow leopard's arms around his neck. The other had caught Evals, and she'd pulled both of them into a hug, side by side. Adira was almost as tall as the dog, so Mike's muzzle was pressed against her neck, into long, soft, sweetly scented fur. The snow leopard's arm settled lower on his back, pulling him even closer, and now he felt Adira's body all along his chest -- and Evals at his side, as the snow leopard held them both close.

She was -- they were -- so warm. Slowly, he could feel himself unwinding, and let his arm fall where it may, around Adira, and a small moment later, his other around Evals' back. He could feel the dog's arm slide into place around the snow leopard, right above his own... and then the other, burning a streak across Mike's back, completing their embrace. His world filled with their shared body heat.

Adira spoke softly. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

Mike smiled against her. "Yeah."

He could feel the motion of Evals' nod.

"That's what it's all about." Adira rubbed her muzzle against theirs. "Feeling good. There's nothing to be scared of."

"Um, well..." Mike cleared his throat. "I mean, I haven't really ever..."

Evals sounded a little gruff. "Yeah, uh... me... me either."

Mike could both feel and hear Adira's smile. "No. Really? I never would have guessed." Mike laughed quietly, and Adira continued. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. There's a first time for everything. We'll just have to make it a good one."

The snow leopard's hand moved lower still, until it grazed his tail -- and then her fingers followed his spine, pushing down, teasing at the base of his tail through the opening in his clothes. Adira pulled him closer still, right against her thigh and hip, and Mike's breath caught. He felt her do the same to Evals, the dog squirming under her touch, and Mike realized it was because he was hard, and now grinding right up against the snow leopard -- and it was the thought of that, as much as Adira's touch, that pulled the same reaction from Mike; a slow, shivering surge to hardness, hot flesh pressing against the snow leopard side. with nothing but their clothes in between.

Adira chuckled. "Now that's the kind of tenseness I like."

They stayed like that for a moment longer, Adira giving them both a few short squeezes against her, prompting them to shift their hips and push even closer -- but then she loosened her hold and slowly pulled back. Their embrace unravelled, and she looked at them both, still smiling.

And continued to undress, slowly unlacing her vest...

It was a compelling sight, but when Adira switched her attention to Evals, Mike found himself stealing a glance at the dog -- only to see him completely enraptured, blushing as brightly as Mike felt he himself must be, his eyes glued to the snow leopard.

And Mike stole a glance lower, too, though he didn't mean to, to the considerable bulge in the dog's pants, straining against the fabric. Mike quickly looked back to Adira, guilty, and found her already looking at him again, with that same kind smile. "It's okay," she said to him, and he wanted to believe her.

The vest slid off, baring her chest, leaving her naked from the waist up, and Mike heard Evals sigh. She had spots all up her sides, but her belly was all white, trailing up to her chest where her full, heavy breasts were still mostly obscured by the sheer volume of her chest floof, leaving only the underside clearly visible.

They were keidran. Nudity wasn't that big a deal. But there was still thrill in something previously hidden being revealed.

She did something with her hands, and the skirt dropped, pooling around her ankles. Mike's eyes traced their way back up her legs, to the shorter fur between her thighs, and a hint of pink amidst the white as she shifted her stance, slowly moving her weight from one leg to the other.

Evals sighed again.

"Time for the first lesson."

Adira turned, and Mike was mesmerized by how her tail flowed as part of her movements, step by step as she walked over to the bed. Another smooth turn, and she sat down on the edge, facing them, her tail cascading to the floor by her side.

She smiled up at them, and slowly spread her legs. "Get those muzzles closer."

Mike could actually hear Evals wag, and feel the wind of it, and only then see it as the dog moved forward, following Adira's gestures. Evals went down to his knees in front of her, tail still wagging furiously.

And then her twinkling eyes turned to him. "You too, Mike."

He went, conscious not to crowd Evals, but also unable not to as Adira guided him down, beckoning him closer until they both had their muzzles almost between her knees, their attention exactly where she wanted it.

"That's more like it. Now..." She placed a hand right between her legs, spreading herself, and giving them an even better look.

They both swallowed, and watched, mesmerized, as Adira began to touch herself, running her fingers across her exposed folds. As she did, Mike became increasingly aware of a new scent on the air, like a heat yet not, being stirred up by those fingers. The fur of her groin grew more and more damp, Adira slowly coaxing that liquid arousal from herself until Mike could practically taste it.

And then she moved that hand again, the middle three fingers heavy with her essence, out into the air between them, closer, closer... Mike hesitated for a heartbeat, damping down the impulse, but Evals went for it, nuzzling up to her hand, eager tongue lapping at her fingers.

"That's it..." Adira said, guiding his muzzle between her legs, "just follow your instincts..."

Evals did, his nose pressing up against her, the intensity of the scent he took in making the dog shudder before he angled his muzzle a bit higher, long tongue dragging out across her in hungry laps, then pushing against her, digging its way inside...

Adira let out a low, almost purring sound, then turned her eyes once more to Mike, extending her hand again, this time directly at him. He hesitated again, and she gave him a moment, stopping inches from his muzzle. Slowly, closing his eyes and probably blushing up to his ears, Mike nuzzled forward, his nose easily finding his target, then flaring as he pressed it up against the flat of her finger, inhaling her scent; and before he knew it, his tongue was darting between her fingers, chasing more of that, bringing it back for him to taste -- and he realized it wasn't just Adira he was tasting, it was Evals, too.

He swallowed again and opened his eyes, looking at Adira, once again feeling exposed.

She just smiled at him, and nudged him closer by his muzzle. "You too. Don't be shy, now."

Mike's throat went dry. Evals was still very much there -- but Adira guided him, and he didn't resist, nuzzling first against the inside of her thigh, then inwards... and right into Evals. The dog clearly didn't want to relinquish his spot, but he angled away to one side, letting Mike get that much closer, and press his tongue against slick flesh, made even slicker by the dog's attentions, and to taste her from the source, sending more than one jolt through him.

Evals hadn't gone anywhere, and tongue met tongue at their common goal, once, twice, three times -- until Mike pulled himself away, afraid of what he'd do if he remained.

Curiously, he could feel Evals draw away as well, but Mike didn't look at him, and stayed panting against Adira's hip. He could feel the snow leopard's hand on his head, stroking his hair, making him shiver.

"I guess that's a little too crowded, huh. Then, how about this..." Adira nudged Mike, and he pulled back to look. The snow leopard moved her hand back between her legs, two fingers dipping lightly inside of her folds before she traced them upward, to the very top. She shivered as she pushed at herself, exposing a little nub of flesh. "This is a very important place. So Mike, how about you bring your muzzle here..." Mike did, running his tongue over Adira's fingers and the little nub, and felt the snow leopard shudder. "That's it, gentle, gentle, you don't have to touch it directly..."

Adira pulled her fingers back, and Mike stayed there, carefully teasing at the place that seemed to have such a profound effect. The snow leopard leaned back on her elbows, and then pushed her hips forward, a little nearer the edge of the bed, and Mike, getting the idea, shifted to the side a little more, giving Evals more space to work with. The dog dove right in, muzzle flush against Adira's folds once more, head tilted a little to the side so his nose pressed into the side of Adira's groin rather then getting in Mike's way. Their muzzles still rubbed together a little -- there wasn't enough space for it to be otherwise -- and that made Mike's stomach flutter in ways that had nothing to do with where his tongue was, but he was able to keep it under control and focus on Adira.

She was giving them little pointers at the start, guiding them in what they were doing, but she soon grew silent, advice giving way to low panting moans as they either no longer needed it, or they'd gotten close enough that it just didn't matter. Her shudders, too, were growing stronger by the minute, and before long Mike could feel her hips begin to twitch and tremble under him. He pushed harder, making her squirm more, then pulled back, pushed harder again--

Her hips rose up, bucking against his muzzle, pushing him back and forcing Evals to tilt his head up to stay on target. Mike pushed back, and with a drawn-out moan she seized up, tense against them for a handful of fluttering heartbeats before her hips bucked again, stronger, once, twice -- Mike felt a gush of liquid against the side of his muzzle -- and then collapsed back down on the bed, followed by the rest of the snow leopard, trembling and panting, breasts heaving with the hungry breaths she drew in.

Mike heard Evals swallow, loud, and looked at him. The liquid Mike had felt, the dog had born the brunt of, and his chin and muzzle were dripping with it. Even the front of his shirt was wet. Evals was panting for breath as well, but he grinned at Mike. "I think... I think we did good."

For a moment, Mike forgot to think at all. He leaned closer and licked the side of the dog's muzzle, then did it again, and only then caught himself and pulled back, his heart tight in his chest.

Evals gave him one look and laughed. "Hey, don't worry about it, Buddy. The scent gets to you."

"Y-yeah."

The dog laughed again. "Hey, I said don't worry about it." And Evals leaned close in turn, giving Mike's drenched cheek a lick. "See? No big deal."

Mike wasn't sure how he stopped himself from kissing the dog right then and there, but somehow he did.

Evals looked concerned, now. "You okay?"

"Don't... don't worry about it." Mike forced a smile, then found something to make it real. "And yeah, I think we did good."

Adira let out a long, contended sigh, still flat on her back. "I'll say. We might have to do that again at some point. But now..."

She pushed her upper body off the bed with her arms, then shifted her legs, moving her feet into their laps. One foot rested on Mike's upper thigh, the other clear between Evals' legs, so her ankle and calf were rubbing against his bulge. Mike looked away, blushing.

Adira smiled at them both. "... I think there's something else you're eager to try. Which one of you would like to go first?"

Evals cleared his throat. "Um, uh... Mike? Do you want to?"

Mike looked at him, surprised. Was that out of concern? That thought made the smile come easier. "No, I... I think it should be you."

The dog grinned. "Well, uh, if you're sure..."

He'd started wagging again. Mike laughed. "Yeah. Go for it."

Adira nudged Evals with her foot. "Well then. Lose the clothes, sailor."

Evals stood up, and wasted no time in pulling off his shirt, once again revealing his broad chest. The pants he was a bit more hesitant with, but Adira smiled him encouragement, and, blushing and looking away, he undid his belt and the clasp for his tail, then pulled on his waistband to, um, free himself.

Mike tried not to stare, sharing his friend's blush if for different reasons, but his eyes kept darting back as Evals worked his pants lower. Mike had seen him naked before, sure, but not while the dog was... hard... and...

Mike... liked what he saw. Not that that was a surprise to him, at this point, but it had been something to wonder about, before he knew. And now he did, as his eyes once again stole a glance. He was pretty sure the dog was bigger than him, and his knot looked imposing, especially since, if he was like Mike, it wasn't at full size yet. Though, given how slick he was with his own pre, maybe it was close. He'd certainly been getting worked up...

Mike found himself adjusting the fit of his own pants, then stood up, a little awkward, as he realized he was kinda between the two of them.

Adira shifted herself further into the bed, so she was now fully on it, then spread her legs and curled a finger at Evals. The dog followed eagerly, getting on the bed on his hands and knees, making his way over to her, then over her, and then apparently getting a little confused about what to do next.

The snow leopard was ready for it. "Back up a little more... good, then lean your weight on one arm to free a hand, and use that to guide yourself..."

Mike sat down on the side of the bed, so he could see better.

For the lesson.

Obviously.

It was purely for educational purposes... as he watched Evals press his tapered tip down low on Adira's stomach, then pull back just a little bit more, leaving a trail of pre, finding her opening... the tip lodged in, but he let go too soon and slipped out again as he shifted his weight. On the second attempt, he held on for longer, keeping himself steady as he started to sink into her, inch by inch, Adira spreading around his girth.

"Now bring that arm forward too -- careful not to slip out -- and then slowly push your knees farther back, or spread them, and then just push forward with your hips..."

Evals sank into her, all the way down to his knot, it looked like, though at this point Mike no longer had a good view. He was on top of her, their bodies close together, then closer still as Adira wrapped her arms around the dog's back, pulling him down to settle on top of her.

Evals was low on his elbows, his muzzle hanging next to Adira's, a look of awe on his face. "Gods, you feel good."

Adira let out a long, satisfied sigh. "Right back at you, sailor. You can try moving now, but start slow."

Evals pulled back, just an inch or two, just enough to grant Mike a mesmerizing glimpse, then sunk back into her with a sigh. Again, and again, and again, slowly working himself into a rhythm. The way his buttocks clenched with every thrust was just... a little distracting.

Mike tore his eyes away, and found Adira looking at him. She stuck out her tongue, and Mike shook his head, suppressing a laugh. He felt like something had changed in her, after that first 'lesson,' like she was more relaxed now. And, well, no wonder.

He was glad he'd been part of that. And not just for his own sake.

The snow leopard waved him closer, and, curious, he came, getting down on the bed from the side, at an angle so his legs wouldn't dangle off. Adira pressed her muzzle close to Evals', then did something Mike didn't quite catch -- lick him on the ear, maybe? -- that drew a reaction, the dog straightening up on his elbows to look down at her, his hips coming to a stop for the moment.

Adira smiled at Evals. "Next lesson. Lift yourself up a little more, and then bend down a bit..." The snow leopard guided him, one hand on his shoulder, and Evals quickly got the idea, nuzzling for one of her breasts. And then her other hand found Mike's muzzle, and brought him in...

He nuzzled at her side, below the curve of her breast, made tighter by her being on her back; then higher, soft becoming softer as his nose pressed against that shape, yielding, shifting... Mike played with those sensations for a few moments, gently pushing against her, muzzle and tongue; then ventured higher still, into her cloud of chest floof, nuzzling in search of a nipple, finding it when his nose bumped into something hard and firm in that sea of soft.

Well, that felt a little familiar... he darted out his tongue, giving the stiff nub of flesh a lick, then another, pushing it around with his tongue. The contrast of soft to hard, that nice feeling of weight, of resistance against his tongue, heavy but pliable...

Adira stroked his neck with her fingers, and rumbled under him. "Mmm... that's nice. You boys do learn quick... Evals, let's see what those hips can do."

Mike could feel the dog start to move again, right next to him, his thrusts carrying through to Adira, making it a little harder to stay centered on her nipple. Mike captured it in his mouth, lips forming a seal, suckling to keep it from escaping.

"Ah... you can nip as well, if you're careful. Don't assume everyone will like it, but..."

But she did, as Mike found out when he -- and maybe Evals as well? -- tried, capturing the base of her nipple with his teeth, letting the movements of their bodies change into little tugs, then teasing the tip with his tongue, and listening to Adira mrrow.

Mike gave it a few more licks, deciding that was what he liked doing the best, and came up for air, moving his hand to her nipple so he wouldn't lose track of it. And that proved interesting as well, as he found that fingers could do just as well as tongue, at teasing that stiff nub, slick with his saliva.

From this new vantage point near her chest, Mike found he could once again see their joining, see the dog's knot time and again pull back only to push forward again. Mike became very aware of his own erection once more, trapped under him and against the mattress, his knot digging into his groin. He shifted his weight more to one side to relieve the pressure, and even the way he rubbed against the bed was enough to make him shiver. He gave his hips a few short bucks, matching the dog's rhythm, trying to imagine what it could feel like.

He couldn't, not really. But watching Evals, he got some idea. The dog was starting to pick up speed, and his movements were getting less smooth. He'd slid off Adira's breast as well, his muzzle lowered against her shoulder, tongue hanging out, eyes closed, his breath coming in pants. There was a look of sheer pleasure on his face, pleasure and need, as he tried to work his hips faster and faster.

And then, with a sharp groan, he pushed against Adira, hard, his knot beginning to spread her -- but not entering, as the thrust failed, his hips jerking uncontrollably against her. A look of utmost release came over his muzzle, lips curling into the widest smile Mike had ever seen on him, before he collapsed entirely, buried in her, his knot swelling even more against her opening, impossibly wide and throbbing out the slow rhythm of his release.

It went on for a long time.

The dog gulped for breath. "That... that was..."

Adira kissed him on the cheek, and stroked his neck. "Shh."

Mike smiled at them both, then, on impulse, pressed a kiss on Adira's cheek, surprising the snow leopard. He didn't say anything, just kept smiling at her. It was pure gratitude. He'd gotten to see something he never would have otherwise.

Eventually, she let out a quiet laugh and pulled him into her chest floof, stroking his neck with her thumb. "You really are good boys."

Evals was starting to get his breathing under control. "Sorry I got a little carried away. It just felt..."

Adira laughed again, softly. "Don't worry about it. I'll take it as a compliment."

"But, uh, I don't think it was... as good for you as it was for me."

"It's good of you to notice, but like I said, don't worry about it. Patience comes later."

"You mean...?"

Another laugh. "Well... maybe. But maybe Mike would like to try, first."

Mike pulled himself out of her chest floof to look at her, and found himself blushing. "You... you don't have to for my sake."

A smile. "How about for my sake?"

The blush went up to his ears. "Well, I am... curious..."

"Good." Her eyes sparkled. "Curiosity is good."

"Yeah, Buddy." Evals roused himself, pushing up on one elbow to turn his head and look at Mike, still with that smile on his face. "You don't wanna miss out on this. Trust me."

Mike grinned. "Well, I'm not gonna argue."

Definitely not, with the dog looking like that.

Evals rolled off Adira, into a sprawl on the other side of her, still catching his breath a little, chest rising and falling in a less than calm rhythm.

Yeah, Mike wanted some of what he'd been having. He made to sit up, but Adira stopped him. "Different lesson." There was that smile again. "Lay back."

Mike did, slowly settling down on his back, righting himself in the bed. It was Adira who sat up, taking a moment to stretch -- Mike caught a glimpse of a pink nipple as she did -- before turning to Mike and straddling him, her knees by his sides, her weight coming to rest on his thighs.

And then, both of her hands were trailing down his stomach, coming to the bulge in his pants... sizing him up through the fabric, making his breath catch. It was the first time he'd felt another's touch there, at least with that kind of intent, and it turned out it made all the difference. She cupped his knot, squeezing him gently, and he throbbed against her fingers, new pre squirting into his pants, making them into even more of a mess than they already must have been.

Adira smiled at him, and spoke softly. "Through the clothes can be nice too. But that's not the lesson this time..." She unbuckled his belt, then reached a hand under him to release his tail, before hiking down his pants just enough to free him from their confines, pushing down on top of the fabric to keep him from getting caught in his waistband. Mike sighed as the pressure was finally relieved, and he felt the cooler air of the room on his aching member. The snow leopard stopped for a moment, considering, then pulled his pants further down, and lifted up her hips, freeing his legs. Mike got the idea, and together they got him the rest of the way out of his pants, Mike finally kicking them off only for them to stubbornly stay wrapped around one of his ankles.

As Adira's weight settled back on his thighs, something told him that wouldn't be a problem. The snow leopard looked at him, and then Mike could once again feel her touch, only this time, there was nothing in between; just the bare touch of her fingers on his flesh, slowly trailing up to his tip -- and then the other hand down to his knot, only the softest caress while she slowly rubbed at his tip, making him shiver. Another throb, another spurt of pre, right into those tender fingers -- and then she lifted her hand, bringing it to her mouth, tasting him, then slowly licking her fingers clean, all the while looking down at him, her other hand teasing at his knot.

Mike swallowed, sighed, swallowed again, throbbing in her hand.

"You taste good." Adira smiled. "Makes me want to eat you up. But..." she lifted her hips, and pushed her knees forward. One hand held him steady, and Mike's breath caught as his tip found her opening, a slick, tight heat enveloping his first inch -- and then that breath released, coming out between a groan and a sigh as she slowly slid down, squeezing down his length until her lips kissed his knot. She leaned forward, the shifting of her weight around him making him shiver, some of his pre joining her slickness, deep inside her. Adira kissed him on the forehead. "... I think this is what you want."

Mike let out a sigh. "Gods."

The snow leopard smiled down at him, eyes twinkling. "Now for the lesson. I could ride you, of course..." and she demonstrated, pulling off, then pushing back down, making him sputter "... but if I'm leaning forward like this, then you can thrust up as well. Just put your hands on my hips..."

Mike did, burying his fingers in the long fur, finding a good hold. Adira moved with the pressure of his hands, and leaning forward she'd left a few inches at his base free, inches that his hips could reach up to fill, until his knot once again pressed against her -- and under the guidance of his hands, she pressed back down against it, creating a feeling unlike any other, as she slowly began to spread around him, making him want to buck even harder, to put all his strength into pushing it in--

He backed off, afraid of the intensity of the impulse, panting.

"Just take it slow. If you can last a bit longer, it'll feel even better..."

Mike swallowed. That was... hard to imagine, but he believed her. He started very slow, and didn't push with his knot, working in the rest of his shaft but stopping short.

And gods, even that was...

Even better, Adira started to move her hips as well, and they made a rhythm together, and in some ineffable way her part in it made it even better. And her face -- seeing the pleasure he was feeling also reflected there, that this was a thing they were doing together, that they were both a part of -- he had thought her beautiful before, but in that moment, she was more.

She was panting softly now, meeting his hips -- and now she pushed a little lower, grinding against his knot, causing him to shudder and break his rhythm. Adira pushed her hips back, pinning him against the mattress once more, more and more of her weight coming down on him, once again starting to spread around him--

She looked at him, panting "Just... just a little longer," and Mike understood that this wasn't just for him. He was so, so close, teetering, but somehow he held on, for just a moment, then another, heartbeats becoming an eternity as she grinded down on his knot, rocking her hips in tiny little motions, slowly, so slowly, sinking deeper--

Until with a jerk, it was in, her hips flush with his, and all of Mike's awareness came to focus on the sensations of her on his knot, squeezing down as she continued to rock her hips, tugging on him -- he felt his knot surge even more, getting thicker than ever before, and heard a little gasp from Adira, felt her clench even harder, uncontrollably -- and then the last shreds of his own control were blown away, hips trying to buck under her weight, fingers digging into her hips, trying to pull her closer, even his legs jerking as he began to unload, his entire body clenching to push out that first, heavy, drawn-out jet, deep inside her, answered by yet another clench on his knot, and all along his pulsing member, making him jerk again, and again, and again...

He'd thought he'd known what an orgasm was.

Now he did.

Adira was smiling down at him, a wide smile, honest, disheveled, beautiful. "That's it... let it all out..."

Was he still not...

He wasn't. One of Adira's arms was reaching down behind her, fingers gently massaging his spent balls, still slowly clenching and unclenching under her touch.

With a breath, Mike let all the tension go out of him, settling against the mattress, sinking into it. Another breath, and the last of his throbs subsided, leaving behind a profound stillness. His eyes wanted to close, the exhaustion washing over him in a wave, but that would have meant not looking at Adira anymore, and that just wouldn't do. He smiled up at her -- realized he'd already been smiling -- and a twinkle in her eyes answered him.

"Hey, Buddy." Mike turned his head to look. Evals was propped up on one elbow next to him, less than an arm's reach away, grinning happily at him. "Isn't that just the best thing you've ever felt?"

He was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. Mike reached out for the dog's free hand, on the bed between them. He put his own hand on top of it, curling his fingers around Evals'. "Yeah... pretty much."

The dog laughed, taking Mike's hand in turn, in something like a handshake. "To our first times, huh?"

It felt so good to have Evals touch him, even if it was something as simple as clasping his hand. Mike let out a happy little sigh. "Yeah."

He looked at the dog for a moment longer, drinking in that feeling, then turned away before it got too much. Before the urge to kiss him got too strong to resist.

He... didn't let go of Evals' hand, though.

Adira was smiling down at them, because of course she was.

Mike laughed. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She raised her eyebrows, amused. "It is its own reward." She laid a hand on top of theirs. "All of it."

Mike just looked at her, trying to wordlessly tell her that he was grateful for her support, but... it just wasn't going to happen.

Adira looked at him for a long moment, then sighed and shook her head.

The smile didn't go anywhere, though.

She let go of their hands, and that made Mike self-conscious enough to finally let go as well, though he didn't move his hand far. Adira, meanwhile, had brought both of hers to low on Mike's stomach, sneaking them under his shirt, then planting them down as close to his hips as she could, the touch making his heart beat faster. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths -- and then Mike's eyes fluttered closed with the sensations as she started to pull off him. His knot had gone down enough, but it felt like a near thing, and the slow tug before it came free made his breath catch and his fur bristle. And the slick pull-out after, her sliding off the rest of his still-hard shaft, dripping with their combined mess. He could feel it soaking into his fur, low on his stomach, and trickling down to his sack, making him shiver.

He let out a long sigh, then opened his eyes again in surprise as Adira pressed a kiss to his cheek, lingering there for a moment. But before he could think of how to respond, she was moving again, backing off down his body on her hands and knees, until she was between his legs...

And then he bristled again, as she ducked her head lower, and gave him a lick, tongue first coming in contact with his aching knot, then slowly pulling up the full length of his underside... then going back to the base, a little to the side, and doing it again. There was a... texture... to her tongue, a slight roughness, that really made him squirm as she cleaned up his sensitive member, lick by slow lick, and especially when that tongue curled around the base of his knot.

When it was done, Mike lay back, gulping for breath. The touch had been... intense... but he already found himself missing it.

Adira placed one last kiss on his well-polished knot, not exactly smaller for her treatment and now aching in more ways than one. She looked at him past her handiwork, smiling. "Why do I get the feeling you could go again?"

Mike laughed. "I think maybe I could. That was incredible."

Evals' tail was thwapping a rhythm against the mattress. Adira looked at the dog, and laughed softly. "And with this one, there's no question."

It was only expected to look, right? And indeed, there was no question that Evals was ready to go. Mike found he could still blush.

"So... maybe it's time for that lesson in patience."

Adira stood up from the bed, and Mike thought her movements weren't quite as graceful as what he'd gotten used to from her. Taking his knot might have taken a toll on her. He resolved to be careful with it in the future... not that he knew when or how or where it would come up. Still, the snow leopard found her stance, and stretched, shaking her muscles loose, then let out a satisfied sigh, shooting him an amused glance. Even if it had been trying, Mike didn't think she had any regrets.

"Mike, could you get up? And Evals, I'd like you in the middle of the bed..."

Hmm? Well, neither of them had an objection. Mike slid his legs out of the bed -- his pants finally falling free of his ankle as he did -- and got up, taking it slow to make sure he was steady on his feet. He was. He did still stretch, though, to try and get his body more awake. Or -- he blushed as Adira eyed him -- to get the rest of his body more awake. The initial crash of tiredness had receded, but in any other situation he would still have been eager to get to sleep.

Just... not in this one.

The snow leopard walked over to the dresser and rummaged around for a moment, humming to herself, before returning with a few strips of cloth and a small, opaque glass bottle. She set the bottle down on the bed-stand, then turned to Evals, straightening up one of the strips of cloth to show him. "What I'd like to do is tie you to the bed posts." She smiled. "Just a bit of fun, and to help you... take it easy. Is that okay?"

"Uh... sure, I guess?"

"Okay. Let me know if it starts feeling like a bad idea. Sometimes you don't know before you try."

Adira got to work, having Evals extend an arm toward one of the bed posts, then securing him to it by the wrist. His arm wasn't stretched taut or anything; there was a bit of give to it, and Mike thought he probably could have gotten out of it -- shred the cloth with his claws, if nothing else. He shared a look with the dog, and knew they were both remembering the time Evals had been tied up against the mast of the ship. And maybe that was why there was that much give. There was no way Adira knew about it, of course, but, well... it wasn't exactly hard to guess, was it, that a former slave might have less than pleasant memories of being restrained.

But... that was that, and this... was something else. It was a damper on both their moods -- in more than one way -- but Mike could see Evals shrugging it off with a sigh. He wasn't going to let that ruin whatever the snow leopard had in mind.

And maybe that was another lesson in itself, Mike realized. Take something bad, and make something better with it. Or at least mix it up with some good...

Adira finished tying up both of the dog's arms, and Mike could see her taking both him and Evals in before nodding to herself, thoughtful. "I'll leave your legs free." He leaned closer to Evals, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling. "I'll trust you to behave."

That set the dog's tail wagging again, and more than that. Mike laughed quietly to himself. The snow leopard really knew how to read him.

"But in exchange..." Adira sat down on the bed, next to Evals, holding another cloth strip. "I'd like to blindfold you. Any objections?"

Mike and Evals shared another look, and this time he was pretty sure the dog was just purely thrilled with the idea. Evals nodded at her, grinning, and she got to work, wrapping the cloth around his head, covering up his eyes.

"Is that comfortable?"

The dog nodded, then also shifted his arms, testing the bindings before letting himself relax again. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Good. Now, just one more thing..." The snow leopard leaned in close, and whispered something right in the dog's ear, quietly enough that Mike didn't catch it.

Whatever it was, it certainly got a reaction; Evals tensed, and turned his head to look at her, never mind that he couldn't see. He opened his mouth, didn't quite say anything, then closed it again.

"Do you understand?"

The dog nodded again, slowly, then settled back down, still a little tense to Mike's eye.

Adira kissed him on the forehead. "Good boy."

That got a little wag from Evals, and Mike covered his mouth to keep from laughing. He'd have to find a time to remind the dog about that. Probably many, many times.

The snow leopard got off the bed, picking up the bottle she'd left on the bedstand before coming over to Mike. She pressed a finger to her lips, then pulled him along until they both stood near the foot of the bed, Evals spread-eagled before them.

She put her finger on his lips, now, then leaned in close to whisper. "Here's your chance."

Mike looked at her, incredulous, and if not for her finger would have had words.

"Trust me." Her voice was soft, on top of being quiet, and so was her expression. "I'll stop you if you need to be stopped."

Mike looked at Evals, hapless on the bed, still hard, ready, waiting for Adira's touch. Adira's. Not his.

She smiled. "You can't tell me you don't want a taste."

He blushed. Of course he wanted to... to touch the dog, in all the ways. To give Evals what Adira had given him, and more. But..

Mike swallowed. How could it be okay? She'd whispered something to him. What had she said? Was it about this? What would make it okay?

He could have asked her, but he realized he didn't want to know. He should have, he knew he should have, but he wanted to trust her instead. Because maybe looking into it would make the chance disappear.

And he wanted that chance to be real, like he'd never wanted anything before in his life.

Adira smiled at him, gentle. Her breath tickled at his ear. "Trust me. He won't hate you."

Mike looked at her, desperate to believe. "You promise?"

"I promise."

There was something about her look that let him convince himself that there was something there. Something more than just his hopes and dreams. Slowly, he nodded, then exhaled, and looked at Evals. Waiting. "What... what do I do?"

"What you want. But start with your tongue."

The decision made, Mike didn't let himself second-guess it. There was enough room at the foot of the bed for him to get down on the edge with his knees, and then get down on his hands or elbows and lean forward between the dog's legs, nudging his tail out of the way. Adira came with him, sitting down on the bed by his side, but staying a bit back.

Mike felt the blush come over him as he fully realized what he was doing, his muzzle now mere inches from the dog's cock, glistening in front of him, knot half-full over his heavy sack. And the scents...

He closed his eyes as his nose drew ever closer, the area heavy with both Evals' and Adira's scents; the dog's in a way he'd never quite smelled before, arousal strong under his usual aroma. His scent drew Mike lower, and he found himself pressing his nose against that sack, inhaling to really drink it in, Evals squirming under the touch in a way that only served to make the contact more complete.

Ah, but he'd been supposed to start with his tongue... Mike opened his mouth, tongue pushing out to join his nose against that short fur, drawing up it, finding one of the dog's heavy testicles and rolling it around. A second time. A third, before retreating back to his mouth, so he could swallow back that taste and scent, only to find he wanted more.

The dog's squirming had turned into shuddering, and Mike could feel him twitch, feel the clench of it travel up under his tongue, and hear a long drawn out "Ohhhhhhhh...."

He liked the sound of that.

Leaning closer, drawing higher, his nose now pressed against the dog's knot, startlingly hot, giving a throb under the contact, the scents subtly different on skin versus fur. The tastes, too, as his tongue soon followed, and he started to clean up the residue of Evals' and Adira's joining, tangy and savory all at once. He remembered what Adira had done and replicated it, broad tongue pushing down, curling to cup the dog's shaft, pulling a long drag up his underside all the way to the tapered tip, where he found the new taste of fresh pre waiting for him. He swallowed it down with the rest.

Only then did he open his eyes, looking out over the dog's stomach and chest to his face, muzzle pointed to one side, parted with low pants, his tongue lolling out.

Mike smiled, heart fluttering with the shaky joy of it all, and looked back to Adira, at his side. She returned the smile, and leaned close to press a kiss to his cheek and a whisper in his ear. "And here I thought I'd need to give you tips."

He blushed all anew, and if he could have returned the kiss from his position, he would have. But Adira pulled back again, and Mike turned back to his task, nuzzling back to that throbbing knot only to draw his tongue up again, this time angled to the side. When he got back to the tip, he carefully drew it into his muzzle -- just the first inch or so, to start, but that was enough to draw a happy groan from the dog, and to reward him with some more pre that he carefully lapped up.

And so it went, Mike alternating between licking the dog's knot and shaft clean until it was just his base taste that remained, and experimenting with taking him into his muzzle, at first working on more depth, then after he felt himself about to gag, content to just suckle on the tapered tip. Occasionally he would bob deeper, pushing his tongue against the underside to feel the dog throb with every new little spurt of pre that he drew out, then drank down. Evals behaved, mostly -- Mike smiling to himself about the 'good boy' comment when he thought of it -- but sometimes his hips got away from him a little, especially when Mike was focusing heavily on his knot, curling his tongue around it and giving it little tugs. That could set the dog's hips bucking, grinding against his muzzle, until he got himself under control again, and Mike switched back to the tip to collect the prize of his excitement. He loved staying right there, too, tongue slowly milking the tip for more, watching the pleasure of his touch play out on Evals' face, and the dog's breathing turn more and more to panting.

Did he know who it was doing this?

Even if he did, would Mike ever get the chance again? Or was the magic of the moment in the blindfold, and Adira? Was Evals imagining her, even if he knew it was him?

Mike didn't know. But, at least for the moment, this was all real.

Adira put a hand on his back, and he turned his head to look, the dog letting out a sigh at the loss of contact. The snow leopard leaned in to whisper, a glint in her eyes. "Do you want to try sitting on it?"

Mike swallowed. Did he? Yes... yes, he did. He nodded, blushing.

Adira showed him that little bottle she had, then uncorked it, pressed her index finger against it, turned it upside down for a moment, then corked it again. She rubbed her thumb and index finger together as a demonstration, and Mike could see that the bottle contained some kind of oil or otherwise very slick substance.

She whispered again. "This will help. I'll prepare you."

... "How?"

Adira waggled her fingers again and grinned.

Mike blushed crimson. But... after a moment, he nodded.

The snow leopard grew a bit more somber. "A word of warning. This may hurt. But if it does, give it some time. Remind yourself that it's there because you want it there. But if you want me to stop, just signal."

He nodded again, and Adira shifted nearer to his rear, fiddling with the bottle. Mike raised his tail in anticipation, and soon felt two very slick fingers probing at his entrance, slowly spreading the oil into his flesh. The contact felt startling, but... good as well. Pleasant.

Evals shifted under him, and Mike looked at the dog, still hard, with some fresh pre coating his tip... He was getting restless with the lack of contact, but not complaining. Mike smiled to himself again, then brought out his tongue to give Evals some more love, licking him clean, the dog sighing happily at his touch.

Mike took the tip into his muzzle, then pushed a little deeper, near to where the dog's shaft was at its girthiest. Even working it into his mouth took some doing. Could it really fit under his tail? What would that feel like?

Adira started pushing in, just the tip of one finger, and Mike tensed reflexively -- then relaxed, loosening his sphincter, letting her push deeper. But there was another muscle behind the first one, that he'd never really realized was there, and that one resisted the pressure. He tried to relax, but didn't know how to. The snow leopard rubbed at him slowly, oil-coated fingers tracing his contours... and then pushed in again at the center, insistent, slowly working her finger in past the resistance.

It did hurt, and Mike pulled off Evals so he could grit his teeth and let his head hang low, eyes closed as he fought the pain. Or maybe it wasn't even pain, exactly... more of a hard discomfort, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He remembered Adira's words, and steeled himself to wait it out. He could put up with this for a few minutes if he had to. She was doing this because he wanted it, and he could stop it at any time. But he wasn't going to. He was going to give it time. The snow leopard had buried that one finger well and truly in, and had stopped moving. It was just there, and it wasn't doing him any harm. He just needed to...

As of its own volition, his muzzle had once again found its way to Evals' sack, and he pressed his nose in, taking deep breaths of the dog's musk. That gave him something else to focus on, and slowly, the discomfort faded -- not disappearing completely, but becoming a lot easier to handle. He swallowed, and let out a breath of relief.

After a few more moments, Adira slowly pulled the finger out -- and that did feel good. But then, he thought to himself, that was something his body was used to doing.

And then there were two fingers, pushing in, and the discomfort was back -- but not as bad as it had been initially, and when she stopped again, buried up to her knuckles, it started fading faster. She started moving her fingers -- rotating them, or spreading them apart, slowly, gently pushing against those stubborn muscles of his, plying them to relax, stretching him... Mike breathed deep of Evals as she worked, nuzzling at the dog, occasionally bringing out his tongue to tumble those balls, feeling their weight, or to curl around his sack, giving it little tugs. There were some sudden, sharp moments of discomfort as something in him decided that it didn't want Adira in him anymore, but he stubbornly refused to listen, and one by one they passed, growing less frequent... until, somewhere in there, those muscles finally seemed to get the message that this was okay.

Okay, and more than okay. As the discomfort and the alienness of it faded, Mike realized it did actually feel good, after a fashion. Like the pain, it was a different kind of good than he'd ever felt before. Or maybe like a very peculiar sort of massage...

Adira withdrew her fingers again, only for them to quickly return, and Mike could feel more of that oil being worked into and inside him, slicking him up more and more. She began pumping her fingers in and out, slowly speeding up, and it made him squirm... but not in a bad way. Finally, she curled her fingers, pushing down against his insides on his front side, until she hit a spot that made Mike jump, in more ways than one. It was like she was... like she was pushing against the root of his dick, from behind and below. She rubbed at him slowly, making him shudder and shiver and tingle, his breath catching -- and then pressed with more force, making his dick twitch and throb and jump under him, dripping pre freely onto the mattress below, leaving him gasping for breath, his nose buried in the side of the dog's sack.

And then her fingers were gone, leaving him feeling both relieved and empty. He caught his breath, then lifted himself up, and turned to look. She was beckoning for him to come closer, and so he shifted, sitting up on his haunches by her side. She leaned close to whisper. "Not everybody likes being touched there, but it's a good spot to know about." She grinned, eyes twinkling. "And something tells me you did like it."

Mike laughed soundlessly. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." He licked the side of her muzzle, not quite a true kiss, but close. "Thank you."

She looked at him for a moment, a smile playing at her lips. "You..." She shook her head. "I think you're ready now. But." She put a finger -- a non-oily one -- against his nose. "Don't try to take the knot. You're not ready for that."

He nodded. He hadn't been intending to.

"I mean it. Don't get carried away."

He nodded again, slower. "Okay."

She returned the nod. "When you've had your fill, just reach behind you and grab his knot." She grinned. "If he lasts that long."

Mike returned the grin. "Okay. Thanks."

Adira gave him the little bottle. "You should slick him up with this, too. It'll help." She smiled.. "And it'll make him wonder what's coming."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

"Stretch your legs, if you feel like you might need it."

He did, now that she mentioned it. He slid off the bed, and stood up, suddenly aware of the slickness under his tail in a new way, and a slight ache inside that only grew as he took a few steps.

But it didn't dissuade him. Far from it.

When he felt ready, he got on the bed again on his knees, shuffling up between the dog's legs with the bottle in one hand. He did as he'd seen Adira do, dipping out some of the liquid against a fingertip, smearing it, feeling the slickness... a little seemed to go a long way. He added a bit more, then handed the bottle back to the snow leopard, who took it with a nod. Mike brought his slicked hand to the dog's tip, which jumped under his touch, then kept twitching under his fingers as he slowly started to spread a coating of the substance, massaging it into the hot flesh, squeezing gently to make sure.

Evals let out a happy little groan, and Mike realized that this, too, was something he'd like to do if he got a chance. Just... jerk him off. Maybe use both hands, one to stroke his shaft and rub his tip, the other to play with his knot, until he made a mess on his chest...

Mike shook himself loose from mental images of doing just that, then leaning down to lick him clean, and then following the trail of cum up his stomach to kiss the dog, and then Evals maybe...

Would he ever get that chance?

He didn't know, but he had this one, and the dog was well and truly ready for him. He wiped his hand on his shirt, then moved his knees past Eval's hips, close by his sides, the dog wriggling under him in anticipation.

Mike could have leaned right down and kissed him, but... as easy as it would have been, he couldn't do that, not by surprise, not with the blindfold.

So instead, he reached behind himself, finding the dog's cock, guiding it with his fingers as he moved back... and nestled the tip under his tail, the touch of flesh on flesh both hot and electric. He pushed back more, and felt the dog throb against him, depositing some pre right against his already slick pucker. Mike found the right angle, and the tapered tip lodged in, starting to spread that heat into and inside him...

He pushed down, taking a good two inches in one go, spreading him more than Adira ever had, before stopping, gulping for breath. It was intense, but... in some ways, it was easier. The dog's shaft didn't have the roughness of the fingers, or the irregular shape. It stretched him neatly, kissing his rim all along its tight shape, and it _squeezed_into him, a more yielding hardness, easier to handle.

He pushed deeper, another inch, two... deeper than the fingers had gone, into new territory, new sensations, new resistance as it reached less lubricated places, the friction different, tugging on his insides, making him squirm.

He halted there again, unsure if he could take more, but also realizing that he had taken the dog's girth. There was still more to go until the knot, but the widest part of the shaft was already inside him, stretching him but... welcome.

Very welcome. Mike lifted off, until just the first inch or two were in him, then pushed back down, working that part of the shaft into himself, over and over again, relishing the sensation of being stretched. Under him, the dog was once again breathing harder, and Mike could feel every throb and twitch he gave, tight against the ring of his pucker.

Mike pushed deeper again, past where he'd gotten, to more resistance, more filling, more everything, his eyes drawing closed at the intensity of the sensations as he worked the dog's shaft deeper and deeper into himself, at times coming to a stop that took his breath away, before backing off, trying again, wriggling his hips... then sliding lower again with a gasp, his own cock throbbing in the open air above Evals' stomach, leaking pre that trailed down his underside, or dripped into the dog's fur.

Until finally, he felt the hot impossibility of the dog's knot kiss his rim, giving a heavy throb at the contact, even that little twitch putting more pressure on their joining, making Mike bite his lip and clench, drawing a long groan from Evals, making him throb even harder...

The dog was already so big inside him, so hot and hard and impossible, and to contain him was a delicious strain -- and yet, he wanted the knot, wanted to know what that would feel like, pushing even deeper, tying them, trapping them together -- and pushing against that place inside of him that Adira had touched.

Yes, he wanted it, like he wanted the dog to love him back, and he didn't know which made him feel more vulnerable; his presence in him, or his presence under him.

But it wasn't the time, even if Adira hadn't warned him, even if he hadn't heeded the warning. It was another line he couldn't cross unless... unless Evals wanted it, too.

So he pulled off again, a little, and now it was the last few inches he worked into himself, over and over, eyes closed, gasping for breath, toes and tail curling with the intensity of being filled so far, so deep, so completely. And for a wonder, the dog still behaved, staying still and letting Mike ride him, with only an occasional small twitch of his hips pushing back when Mike grinded down on his knot, clenching on his base, making both of them shudder with need.

There were limits to how much Mike could take, on this his first try, and he found them, wearing himself out on the dog's cock, taking his chance until he could take no more. They were both panting by the time he stayed his hips, coming to rest against the dog's knot again, now ready to end it.

He shifted his weight, moving one hand behind himself, reaching down... and watched Evals as his fingers found the dog's knot, wrapped around the base of it, and gave it a loving squeeze -- and it filled under his hand, growing even bigger as the dog let out a long groan, hips twitching under him, pressing up... Mike lifted himself off his knot, just an inch, and the dog's hips followed, pressing up into him, making him shudder anew at the intensity of it. A few short pumps, shaking him to the core -- and then the dog settled back down on the bed, with Mike following, his rim once again kissing that knot, feeling the twitch and throb of every long jet that shot up, pulsing along that length.

He massaged the dog's knot as he spent himself, panting pleasure slowly giving way to sweet relief.

And Mike had done that.

This was something he wouldn't forget, no matter what.

Evals relaxed under him, drawing a shaky breath and turning it into a deep, contented sigh. He licked his lips, and swallowed. "That... that was amazing."

Mike wanted to reply, but... how? But Adira was already in action, going to untie one of the dog's arms. As soon as it was free, Evals tried to do something about the blindfold, but he couldn't quite figure out how to get it loose. But the snow leopard soon had his other arm free as well, and then he had no trouble, unwrapping the blindfold...

Evals looked at him, and the dog's smile did wonders for Mike's heart. "Mike. It was you."

He nodded, bubbly with relief. "Yeah. You knew?"

"Yeah. Or, I mean. I was almost sure."

"And you're not... disappointed?"

Evals laughed. "Buddy, I'm... I'm not going to argue with how that felt. I mean, I wouldn't have been unhappy to see Adira, either, but... no, I'm not disappointed. I... wanted it to be you."

"But, you never..."

"Mike... c'mere?" Evals extended his arms, and Mike didn't have to think twice; he leaned forward and into Evals' embrace, sighing with the sensations as the dog shifted inside him. Evals pulled him down, Mike's muzzle sliding over his shoulder, and they both became very aware of Mike's erection pushing against his stomach and ribs. "Oh, wow, Buddy. I should've realized..."

And then Mike squirmed in a whole new way, as one of Eval's arms fell away from around him, to make its way between them instead, finding his shaft, squeezing around it, giving it a few experimental strokes, then trailing down towards the base, exploring his knot, quickly having it throbbing with the dog's every touch.

"You like that?"

"Y-yeah. Please don't stop..."

Evals hooked his thumb and forefinger around the base of Mike's shaft, the other three fingers curling around his knot. Evals angled him down, pushing his tip more firmly against the dog's, then started giving him little tugs.

It didn't even take half a minute before he got what they both wanted, Evals' touch driving him crazy until his knot swelled, and he clenched -- all of him clenched, as the dog's tight grunt, matching his own, could testify -- erupting onto Evals' chest, hips jerking feebly, thrusting into the dog's hand and pulling on it in turn, and working Evals's shaft inside him, an even tighter fit with his throes.

When it faded, he collapsed against the dog, just about melting into his chest. After a moment, Evals' hands went down to Mike's rump, and he pulled up on him, to get him off his shaft... Mike tried to help, but didn't accomplish a great deal, his hips and legs more than a little shaky with... more than one thing. But the dog got it done, pulling up on him until his tip popped free, trailing a slick line down Mike's sack to fall past and plop down on Evals' stomach. The dog settled Mike back down against him, lower on his body this time, muzzle resting high on his chest... and there were those arms again, encircling him, workign their way under his shirt, the touch of fur on fur so precious.

And now he did melt.

Mike let out a long, happy sigh.

Evals chuckled. "Yeah."

Off to the side, Adira cleared her throat, making Mike laugh. He could practically hear her smile, too. "I trust my guests are now comfortable, so I will bid you good night."

Mike turned his head to look at her. "Won't you stay?"

She looked at him for a moment, her expression very soft. She shook her head, laughing. "You... you are dangerous. But no, I won't stay. I have a bath to take, and an early morning tomorrow, and I think you two have some talking to do."

They probably did, at that. "Okay, if you're sure." He smiled at her. "Some other time?"

She laughed again, but she did get on the bed, if only so she could lean over and give them both a kiss on the cheek. "Perhaps. Good night, boys. And sweet dreams."

"Good night, Adira."

"Sweet dreams."

She put out the lamp before she left, casting the room in relative darkness.

Mike let out another happy little sigh, feeling the dog's chest rise and fall with his breathing, listening to his heartbeat... and those arms idly stroking his back. Sweet dreams? This was better than any dream.

"Evals?"

"Yeah?"

Mike grinned to himself with the setup. "You were really well-behaved."

"I didn't want to hurt you!"

And the joke slipped away from him, into the fuzzy warmth of those words. "... Thank you."

The dog laughed. "And the lesson was patience, too. Oh, man. I didn't even think of that. But I sure did learn..."

Mike laughed as well. "What did she say to you? When she put the blindfold on."

"Oh, that." Evals chuckled. "She said, 'It's going to be Mike. If you want it to stop, say "I thought your tongue would be raspier than that."'"

Mike laughed again. "She's so..."

"Yeah."

He smiled. ".. and you didn't want it to stop."

"Yeah. I mean, I was thinking about it, but then I felt you, and... Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"... Yeah." And he did know that. "But I thought it was like family."

"I guess that's what I thought too. I never realized that this was an..."

Here, Mike roused himself, straddling the dog once again so he could lean down, the low light still enough to see where Evals' muzzle was, and to meet it with his own.

One of the dog's hands found his cheek, then made its way around to the back of his head, pulling him deeper into the kiss.