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Eoin McCracken's superlative canine nose was usually the first and best sensor to changes in his immediate environment; many was the morning when scents from the kitchen of the Spenser Manse would wake him slowly to new treats for a new day. This particular morning, however, this particular new day at the start of this new year, his waking was not due to a change so much as to a desire to appreciate what was already there. His nose was well aware of a combination of musky scents that included his own, the special saltiness of a certain_shimofuri-tora_ brindled Akita of whose musk he had become very fond, and the intricate dark scent of a tenderly affectionate golden otter whose musk was new and no less fascinating. Waking to the accumulated scent was more pleasing than he could have imagined, and better still, imagination could for a change take second chair to memory.

The Saluki had experienced a few instances of sharing multiple partners simultaneously during his years of sexual self-discovery (if an orgy could be considered four or more, he'd even experienced one of those), but they were more about physical stimulation than anything else. Mind you, that can be fun, but it's rather the emotional equivalent of a meringue cookie -- insubstantial and, after you've enjoyed it, you have a strange sensation that you've actually had nothing at all. This instance was much different. It was no less physical, but it held a sweetness of emotion that was part of why his nose had awakened him. Smells that you like, for whatever reason, are smells that make waking up a good thing. For some, it's the aroma of coffee or breakfast foods; for Eoin, especially this morning, this was a far more tasty offering.

Letting his eyes open a little, he found the room lit but softly by sunlight peeking around the closed curtains. It seemed to him that it was being reflected off of the gentle snows that remained after last night's flurries, and it cast a glow that was somehow invigorating, seeming as it did to indicate clear skies. He noticed that the ceiling above him was strewn with sound-baffling bits that homebuilders sometimes called "popcorn," but that it also had just the merest traces of something like glitter -- nothing at all garish, just the few silvery and golden specs here and there that caught the new light from outside. It was, he thought, like that little rhyme that he had heard from somewhere: "All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust."

He felt a slight movement to his left, found that Zachary had rolled over toward Jerry somewhere in the night, and that the Akita seemed to be renewing that comfort in his morning doze. It made Eoin smile softly. The permutations from last night were many, and each of the three had been brought to more than one ecstatic moment through the course of hours. The best of it all was the conversations that arose so spontaneously in the pauses between. Jokes about the grad students teaching (or perhaps corrupting) the undergrad were plentiful, and Zachary took them and everything else in stride. The least experienced of the three, the Akita had nonetheless been enthusiastic and sweetly caring throughout. He had confided to Eoin many things over the past few days, not the least of which being his wish to discover how he would feel about "giving back to Jerry," as he had put it. He gave that and more, and he had been able to say to the otter what he had said to the saluki, and he meant every word of it.

Eoin was loathe to wake the two of them, but he was getting a bodily signal that he thought he should pay attention to. Ever so gently, he lifted the covers and eased himself to his right. He had almost made a clean escape when he heard Zachary whisper, "You okay?"

"Bladder," he whispered back, grinning. He jutted his chin toward Jerry. "Keep him warm for us."

The Akita grinned back and winked.

A long way indeed, he thought, and padded quietly to the bathroom.

After closing the door behind him, he thought better of standing before the font and seated himself instead. For one thing, it was quieter, and for another, his own plumbing was still sensitive after all of last night's happy entertainment. He felt himself shiver once from ears to toes, smiling as he did so. An interesting benefit of being male, perhaps? A topic for another time. He finished his task, was happy to discover that the toilet was of the low water consumption variety (for liquids, a lift instead of a press; conserved water and was quiet into the bargain), then considered, briefly, having a wash. His forepaws had brushed against his nether flesh, refreshing the release of aromas from below, renewing the pleasurable stimulation to his nostrils and his gleefully primitive hindbrain. It seemed a shame to disturb such a smorgasbord of scent, at least until he learned what might be on the menu for breakfast.

He opened the door softly, surprised to see Zachary standing there. The Akita kissed him warmly and quickly, then grinned. "Power of suggestion."

Eoin chuckled softly and let the other dog into the Necessary. He noticed Jerry still in bed, propping himself on one elbow and playfully patting the bed with his free forepaw. The saluki needed no further prompting, sliding almost directly into the golden otter's embrace for a good morning kiss.

"Happy New Year, Eoin."

"Happiest in a long time. You need...?"

"I know how much otters are supposed to love playing in the water, but this definition of 'watersports' isn't one I'm familiar with." He grinned and made a great show of rubbing himself on the saluki's chest and belly as he "clumsily" crawled over him to get toward the bathroom. A lot of_Excuse me_ and Oh so sorry and My aren't I clumsy were exchanged between the two before Jerry finally left the bed and traded places with Zachary. The Akita returned to cuddle up with a happily-chuckling Eoin while they waited for their host to return.

"Happy New Year."

"Very happy, sweet lover." The saluki looked into the undergrad's dark, soft eyes, smiling softly. "How are you, Zachary?"

In answer, the handsome young male leaned over and kissed Eoin with a depth and warmth that made the grad student think that there might be (to use the Benedict-stretched definition of the Cockney term) crumpet for breakfast. Drawing back gently, he was gratified to see that the dark-furred pup looked very slightly winded. "I'm good, Eoin. I feel really good. Thank you." He turned then to the softly padding pawsteps of the otter as he was returning to bed. "Thank you too, Jerry."

Not one to miss a proper opportunity, Jerry made a space for himself on the bed to sit on, then kissed Zachary quite warmly indeed. Eoin found himself smiling, watching the two of them kiss with such familiarity and mutual interest after only a single night. He wasn't sure if it were fair to think that it was he who had helped the Akita liberate himself from his fear-filled celibacy, since the first experience actually had been with Jerry in the basement loo of the library... not all that long ago, surprisingly. The saluki didn't mind thinking of the otter as being Zachary's first, for any number of reasons. It was more important to think about the freedom and affection that the pup was sharing with both of them. This was a lot more than meringue.

When the kiss broke, the three of them arranged themselves in a warm pile, and the quiet conversation began again as it had throughout their time together. Eoin had told the others about the three guests that Cole and Guy were entertaining up at the main house, and Jerry wryly wondered what sort of breakfast they might be having. Ears back and ducking his chin a little, Zachary admitted the he wasn't sure he was ready for that much breakfast. Eoin and Jerry laughed softly, the saluki noticing that the younger pup wasn't too terribly bothered by the idea but simply not ready for it. There may yet be more healing to do, but it was clear that the athlete had grown to accept himself rapidly. So rapidly, in fact, that a few more jokes about breakfast led to what Eoin liked to remember later as a magnificent encore to an equally magnificent night.

A good ninety minutes, a dozen or so intricately woven positions (otters, like slender salukis, are wonderfully slinky creatures), and three astonishingly juicy climaxes later, the trio of young males cuddled up together once more and let themselves bask in a shared afterglow that, for his part at least, Eoin could not easily compare to any others he had experienced. Zachary had dared himself all night long, trying a few new things that he discovered quickly were exciting and pleasurable for him. During the conversations of the past few days, the Akita had not been stingy with details of his first encounter with Jerry; he not only was able to enjoy again receiving the otter's technique for helping his knot to deflate that day, he took the chance to apply himself first to Jerry and then to Eoin. Neither grad student had anything the slightest bit negative to report about the experience, and Zachary seemed particularly pleased with the grunts, moans, yips, squeals, chitters, and general writhing that he had caused his two lovers to make. The trio had ultimately melded themselves into quite a vocal daisy chain that Eoin had not before experienced and hoped, most fervently, that he would get to experience again, repeatedly.

As for other noises, there in the morning's afterglow, no one took offense at the tummy gurgles that Eoin produced, although it did cause a significant amount of giggling among them. "There's another country heard from!" Jerry announced.

"Greetings from the Department of the Interior!" Eoin patted his firm belly, and his two lovers took that as their cue to rub it gently as if for good luck or perhaps in hope of soothing the noisy beast. The saluki kissed them tenderly on their muzzles. "The one thing I wish we had, that's in that orgy room up at the house, is a nice large garden-style tub for the three of us to bathe in together. That, I think, would be the perfect capstone to the best New Year's Eve I've ever spent."

In agreement, the other two kissed his cheeks at the same time, then took advantage of the closeness to kiss one another again. Eoin found himself licking happily at their sweetly busy muzzles, thinking that could be a very good sign.

"I have an idea," he continued, after the kissing had subsided. "I can check online, but I think The Extra Credit will be open at this point -- what, nearly ten? Good hot coffee and fresh croissants seems like a great combination. What do you think?"

Even before he had finished speaking, his lovers had begun making_oooooo_sounds of approval. "I'm sorry that it's kind of a one-butt tub," the otter jested, "but the good news is that the wall blowers work well, and I've got enough towels for guests. Who wants first?"

"I'll volunteer," the saluki raised a paw. He grinned again. "I'm sure you two can find something to do for a few minutes."

All laughed as Eoin found himself the gleeful victim of a pair of well-wielded pillows. He was told where to find towels, and off he went.

The geyser for this apartment must have been well up to specs; hot water flowed quickly, with a minimum of waiting time. The saluki bathed well, luxuriating in Jerry's choice of fur shampoo. Short-furred species, such as the otter, usually didn't spend the money on anything beyond basic fur care; it simply wasn't necessary, as a rule. Although he would have liked to have run some of his own special conditioner through his fur, this 2-in-1 combination was pretty good stuff. With only a touch of regret, he washed off the musk he had collected so diligently, musing wryly that perhaps he could start anew on a future occasion. He let himself be thorough but quick. His sheath was happily sensitive, but he was not so crazed that he couldn't enjoy the idea of actual food for breakfast as much as other forms of sausage.

As he toweled off in front of the wall dryers (set to a low heat and low fan, to avoid too much tangling), he found himself realizing just how quickly he had become comfortable with the idea of being Zachary's lover, and now Jerry's as well. The notion of spending another night with both of them -- tonight, if at all possible -- had already crossed his mind. Had he gotten Benedict out of his system that quickly? He smirked at the joke that came to his mind:When you've had a dragon that deep into you, it's gonna take a while to get him back out again. He most certainly hadn't "gotten over" Benedict, and he wasn't sure yet that he wanted to; he had, however, discovered that he himself was still quite lovable. And if he was right, he might have helped Zachary heal a little, and perhaps even Jerry as well.

As he stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door to keep the moist warm air in, Zachary met him with a kiss. "Jerry says he's got an extra brush, if we need touching up."

"Always carry one in my pack." He returned the Akita's brief kiss, smiling. "We'll groom while Jerry's in."

"At least I won't have to undo any plaits."

Eoin was able to chuckle at that now, and Zachary stepped in for his shower. Jerry sat on his bed, leaning up against his bookcase headboard, still stripped to the fur, still smiling. "Thank you, Eoin."

"Thank you too, Jerry. That may have been the best night of my life so far."

"You're welcome," the otter smiled, "although I meant, thank you for what you've done for Zachary."

The dog looked briefly at the closed bathroom door, then back to his host. "Jerry, the question that I want to ask is damned impertinent, and I suppose I'll blame it on being around Benedict too much. You can tell me to bugger off, if you want. It's just that... well, I get a feeling when I look at you and Zachary kiss." He smiled again. "Not all of it is in my crotch! The emotion just feels strong to me, and I'm wondering if I'm right."

"Are you asking my intentions toward the young male who's been your lover for the past several days and nights?"

"Well, if you put it that way...!"

"Eoin, the way I'd put it is, he's asked me much the same thing." The otter took the saluki's forepaw into his own. "I don't know quite what it is, but I'm quite taken by the pup. I'd like to find out where that might go." He sighed softly. "I've had a lot to think about these past few months. We all know about Bobby Harris by this time, and I'd have staked my oath that he was straight. I'd have said the same of Zachary, and I seem to be just as wrong. It's made me realize that maybe I shouldn't be playing around with young males the way I have been."

"You mean, at the glory hole?"

"More like with their lives." Jerry looked into Eoin's eyes, and the young dog felt an intensity that he'd not seen there before. "I might be able to believe that I helped Bobby Harris, but I almost caused a lot of hurt for Zachary. Don't get me wrong; this isn't about my feeling sorry for him. It's about seeing him as he really is. Maybe... maybe like you did."

Eoin found himself nodding, his tail sketching a slow wag behind him. "We told you all of it, I think, including our battle on the morning after Thanksgiving. I started getting to know him a little later that day, when he drew the picture of... well, me, sort of, although I think it was someone else really." The saluki sighed softly. "It was Boxing Day when... well, yes, long story short, I started really seeing him. He's sort of... Have you ever seen that mini-series,The Lost Room? The place where objects are changed somehow, made to do almost magical things, and people use or misuse them, and everything really needs to be returned to that room, so that they don't get back out again?"

"Sounds wild." Jerry smiled again as he glanced at the bathroom door. The wall blowers had come on. "How is that room like Zachary?"

Why is a raven like a writing desk, the saluki thought in passing; life seemed best described in riddles. "There's a sense -- to me, at least -- that there's something lost about him. He doesn't need locking up somewhere, never to return; nothing like that. It's more like part of him is lost, and maybe what he's finding now is better." He put a forepaw to the golden otter's shoulder. "Be good to him, for all our sakes."

"Are you going somewhere?"

"No, not like that. I just mean..." Eoin sighed and faced up to his feelings. "I can't get Benedict out of my heart. I'm not ready to give up on him. Mind you, he would never try to tell me that I couldn't ever be with either of you again, or anyone else, come to that; neither of us ever would put a limit on love, neither who nor how. If I really can get him back, though, that relationship would be the primary one for me... and for him too, I would hope. I'd be with him more than with either of you, living with him, maybe even making a life with him, if he'll allow it. If he wants it. Wants me." The white-furred pup paused, then took up his thoughts. "If my sense of you two is correct, I think you might end up spending a lot of time together. And I think you'll both be better for it."

The wall blowers fell quiet as Jerry leaned in for another kiss. Pulling back, he cupped a webbed forepaw to the saluki's cheek. "From your lips to the gods' ears," he whispered, then rose and padded to the bathroom door as Zachary stepped out.

"Great water heater!" he grinned, again kissing Jerry warmly. "I think I saved you some."

Jerry chuckled and went into the bathroom as Zachary approached the bed. Eoin waved the brush in the air and indicated a space on the bed next to him. "Siddown, handsome," he grinned. "No waiting at this beauty parlor!"

The Akita smiled and sat on the bed as the saluki positioned himself behind him. Before beginning the brushing, Eoin took a moment to wrap his arms around the younger dog and lean in to nibble at his neck for a moment. He was gratified to hear the happy whines arising from the pup's elongated throat. "Keep that up, and we'll need another shower."

"Tempting." Eoin kissed the back of the athlete's head, then began his proper work, brushing out his luxurious fur. The silky feel of it against his pads as he smoothed it after brushing was no less sensuous now than it was when they were making love all through last night and this morning. It was something he'd grown very fond of over the past few days; even when their cuddling wasn't sexual, Eoin kept wanting to touch him, caress him. Grooming him every day could become a very happy chore for someone. He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice if he'd wanted to. "I asked Jerry a question that I think the two of you talked about when I was in the shower."

Zachary turned his head to get a better look at his furstylist. "Eoin, are you okay with that? I mean... whatever 'that' is, it's not like Jerry and I know either..."

Gently, teasingly, the grin on his face only growing larger, the grad student used both forepaws to turn the pup's head to face front as he began his brushing again. "I want both of you to be happy, and more than that, I thoroughly expect to be invited back for as many repeat performances as you two can stand. And that is a definite, even if I do find myself back with Benedict." He paused, brushing smoothly down Zachary's back. "Would you want to be exclusive with Jerry?"

"So much, so fast." The younger dog sighed, considering. "Is it okay to say that I don't know?"

"Yes. Perfectly okay. I hate to tell you this, my handsome young lover, but there's no rulebook for this. We're all making it up as we go. I can tell you of my experience, and Jerry can tell you of his. For what it's worth, I think you're a wonderful dog who I've grown to love very much during our time together. I welcome you in my life, in whatever way we want to be to each other. I've known Jerry longer, but not as a lover until last night."

"How do I compare?"

Eoin stopped his brushing and shifted to move in front of the Akita. He took the athlete's face tenderly into both his forepaws, looked him in the eyes, and spoke softly. "You don't. You're Zachary, and he's Jerry, and I loved every moment of this time we've shared. Neither is better or worse than the other. I can like something in particular that Jerry does, like that chittering noise he makes when I tease his balls with my tongue..." He grinned at the smile and rising blush on Zachary's face. "...and I was totally in thrall to you after you tongued my tailhole so well... Bonus points for daring to try, and yet more for doing so well."

With a gentle laugh, he took the Akita into his arms and kissed him long and deeply. Breaking the kiss slowly, he said, "The greatest line I ever heard in a movie? 'I love who I love.' For some, that means one lover, for all their lives; for others, it means being respectfully passionate to all those who you share a bed with, singly or in combinations. You have to discover what's right for you. I will still love you even if we never share a bed again. I confess, I hope that we do, and often...!"

Zachary initiated this kiss this time, then took the brush into his forepaw and signaled Eoin to sit down. As the saluki felt his head and back fur being softly groomed, he heard the smile in the younger dog's voice. "Not gonna make it easy, are ya?" A brief chuckle. "I don't know that I have anything to compare this to. I don't want to play the 'sad, pathetic orphan' card, but I really don't have a lot of experience with love. I don't think I really even used the word much in all these years. Not a word that a lot of jocks use, maybe. Or just dumb males in any situation."

"You're far from being a 'dumb male.' Look at all you've made happen, all you've discovered. It's tough to face up to emotions, Zachary. It's tough to learn how."

The grad student felt a warm muzzle nuzzling his neck. "You're a great teacher."

"I love grading your homework."

So it was that Jerry had to ask his two laughing guests just what the joke was.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Clean, dry, and (reluctantly) dressed, the trio gathered around Jerry's computer to verify that, yes, the Extra Credit was indeed open. Smiling in expectation, they readied to face the bright clear day when a somewhat generic ring tone sounded. Forepaws went to phones to see whose it might be, and Eoin won that particular lottery, not recognizing the number.

"Hello?"

"Eoin?" the warm voice spoke. "It's Nelson Williamson."

The saluki felt an ice spear go through his stomach. "Dean Williamson?" He saw the sudden, concerned look on his lovers' faces. "Is it Benedict? Is he all right?"

The voice on the other end paused before saying, "Eoin... I think it's time for you to come home."