Crossdressing Compromise

Story by Skip Lyons on SoFurry

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Thrad has a plan to dress his mate up in slutty clothes and fuck him. They hit a small snag, but they work through it, and now the night shows more promise than ever.


Voyeurism was one area of relative kink where Silver and Thrad hadn't explored. Aside from occasionally fooling around in a car (the night they shared with Dominic came to mind), that was about as adventurous as they got. The fantasy of it all was one thing. But neither of them were especially keen on getting kicked out of an establishment. Thrad in particular was loathe to imagine actually forcing their sexuality on some stranger who might pass by them. The idea of getting caught was one thing. But the real world implications were another.

Another area they hadn't explored was crossdressing, although it should have been a natural territory for them to explore. Silver had admitted that all of his pants came from the girls section, and all of the shirts he wore regularly did as well. That last one was an easy tell. His shirts always hugged his form quite nicely. His outfits were universally towards the cute end of the spectrum, and some days he would dress more girly than on others. But that really only meant that he'd wear shirts which were perhaps more pink than on other days. He didn't wear frills or anything like that. He just genuinely preferred the way the clothes fit. He didn't have any irregularities or insecurities where his gender was concerned. He just dressed according to his tastes, that was all.

But with his wardrobe being (technically) primarily female, it should have been natural for them to get him a skirt or two. But Silver had never expressed interest in that sort of thing, and neither had Thrad. The both of them were extraordinarily homosexually inclined. So dressing as a girl was, in some regards, a step in the wrong direction.

That is, until the two of them became an item. And while nothing in specific between them had exactly changed (since they were effectively an item already, just without the title of "mate" applied to it), there were a few noteworthy mental shifts. They could get more freely intimate with more license. This went for helping each other with various emotional difficulties, yes. But more importantly, it let them explore a few deeper sexual things as well.

For instance, something which had been on Thrad's mind for some time now was the prospect of investigating crossdressing. But there just hadn't been a delicate way to handle it. He didn't want to drop a ton of money on new clothes if Silver wouldn't be into the idea of dressing up. Not to mention the money aspect in the first place. When you dote upon your boyfriend, that is not only fine, but encouraged. But doting upon a boy who comes over to fuck once a week, that got into squicky territory for him. The second he started that behavior up was the second it felt more like he was buying Silver's attentions. Or, put more simply, it would have felt like he was paying for sex. Hard pass on that.

But now that they were together, Thrad felt like he could take Silver shopping and make an event out of it. The two rarely went out in their whole history together, for a few reasons. It was hard to avoid looking like an item in public. And while they were unspoken about their relationship it was just easier to stay at home and avoid the question all together. Plus, the simply nature of going out and experiencing the world together was bound to bring people closer together. That, also, was a territory they danced awkwardly around. They wasted a lot of time avoiding the question of being together, when everyone would have been better off had they just made that leap months earlier.

But now the question of their status had been resolved, and neither of them had been happier for it. They still got some extremely suspect looks in public, but more people were accepting of it than you might think. Nothing needed to be inherently wrong with a massive, comparatively old bull holding hands and being sweet with a tiny, questionably aged house cat. The biggest problem was that Silver was young anyway, but he looked even younger than he was. That caused some problems between them. Thrad was just excited for the day they could go to a bar together, and stare the man (or woman) down who carded his mate. Yeah, that's right. He's twenty-one. Step off.

At any rate, these were the factors which stopped them from shopping for skirts and dresses together. Aside, of course, from Silver needing to be on board with the idea.

"You really want to go shopping for girl clothes with me?" "You already wear girl clothes. I just thought it'd be fun to take it a step further."

Silver thought about that for a second.

"That's fair. I don't know how into the idea I am, but I'm willing to try it if it's something you're into. Actually shopping though, I don't know about that." "Don't you like the idea of being caught?"

Silver had to think about that one as well. Thrad just waited, and smiled a mischievous smile. He knew he had his kitten dead to rights. Silver was (no pun intended) a slut when it came to expanding sexual horizons. If you added a sexual tint to just about any activity, he'd be on board. In that, it was surprising he wasn't more on board with crossdressing, since sex was guaranteed to follow. But then, sex was guaranteed with them anyway. So adding a new element to that just didn't seem to have the automatic allure that it used to.

But getting caught shopping for girl clothes by a stranger in public? It wasn't explicitly sexual. But the intent would be well known. It would be humiliating for him. Thrad knew it, and Silver knew it. And humiliation turned Silver on something fierce. It was why he occasionally wore a buttplug in public. He sometimes went to work in his chastity cage, just because he felt like it. He relished the thought that he was doing something sexual right in front of strangers around him, and they hadn't a clue about it. This was a similar idea. It just wasn't as explicitly sexual, but it was more visible. And therefore a more dangerous prospect. A more tasty one as well.

"... fine." Silver said. "You don't have to-" "Yeah, I do hon, and you know it. You got me."

Thrad expanded his mischievous smile. It seemed like Silver tended to win more of their mental/emotional tug-of-wars. The kid was smart. Not that Thrad wasn't, of course. But Silver tended to be right, and not just because he inhabited the stereotypical "feminine" role of a relationship. Nobody could ever be more right by sheer virtue of their station. It just happened to have worked out that way. So Thrad was happy that he ended up on top this time.

"I figured we might go to a few thrift stores?" Thrad said. "I figured that they're the places least likely to require a clothes check-in. So you could just walk in to try things on, instead of-" "I need to try them on?" "Sure. How else will we know if they fit?" "I dunno, buy them blind? I don't want to wear girl clothes in public." "You already do." "You know what I mean, Thrad. Even in a dressing room, I'm not comfortable trying on skirts and dresses at a store."

Thrad frowned a little at that, but chose not to press the issue. It would still be fun to shop together. But he had been looking forward to knowing that Silver was dressing up right at the store, even if they couldn't be together while he was doing it.

"I know my size pretty well." Silver amended. "I do shop in the girl section all the time, after all. I guarantee I can pick out some good fits." "You're sure?" "Oh yeah. I know when a dress would be too busty for it to look good on me. And skirts are sort of hard to mess up. I'm really small. So even going by girl sizes, I'll just have to get something small. Besides, I know my general pants size. The skirts shouldn't be too far off from that." "Okay then. I trust you. It's my treat, by the way." "I know it is." Silver said with a smile. "It was your idea, after all. Now come on horn-bull, let's get me some girl clothes."

That was how things usually went with Silver. He could become as nervous as anyone else could. But those times were few and far between. And during his time with Thrad they seemed fewer by the day. It was more typical for Silver to embrace a new situation head on, opposed to getting nervous or scared about it. Thrad was sure at least some of it was a brave face. But Silver genuinely enjoyed acting on a decided way forward. If you knew what you wanted to do, and you have the avenue to get it done - then it was time to get moving. Whether that was going to work, or embracing interpersonal conflict - or going to the store to buy dresses and skirts for your mate's benefit.

In the car Silver was contentedly looking out the window, lost in thought. Thrad knew not to press him at times like that. He didn't have a heavy energy or anything. He was just lost in thought, is all. Thrad was a little lost in thought as well, but they were horny thoughts. The sooner they got to shopping the sooner they got home, and the sooner-

Just as Thrad had suspected (and hoped) would happen, Silver slid his hand across Thrad's thigh, and reached for his crotch. That happened roughly ninety percent of the time they went anywhere. They were horny creatures, after all. Their relationship was basically founded on sex. So it wasn't surprising that sex followed them wherever they went.

"I figured you were horny." Silver said. And sure enough, as Silver felt his way around Thrad's groin, he found that Thrad was rocking a partial chub. These past few months Thrad's sex drive seemed to have picked up even more, which was saying something. He typically required more build-up, and didn't pop boners a quarter as easily (or a quarter as often) as Silver did. That was likely owing to their age, to be certain. But more than that, Thrad was typically just a little more sexually consistent than Silver was. When Silver got sex in his mind, it was like his dick took over from there. Rather, his ass took over from there, since his dick didn't typically factor into their play all that much. That was more due to Silver's insistence than anything else.

And that sure made it challenging to drive. Silver kept an aloof air about him while he continued to feel Thrad up. He traced a claw along the bulge in Thrad's pants. And Thrad began to grow more, which constrained his dick a little uncomfortably. And still Silver just kept feeling him up, and rubbing, and teasing.

"I was thinking that we might as well go to a nicer store, if you're not planning on trying anything on anyway. I'd rather get you some new things. If that's alright with you?"

It was hard to talk with Silver working his hand across his constrained dick. Part of him wanted to move that wandering hand away. There would be plenty of time for sexy business when they got home. But then, why couldn't they entertain a little sexy business here and now? Silver seemed to have a similar idea, because his attention was now more focused on Thrad's bulge than it was being lost in thought.

"I'd like that." Silver said, almost noncommittally. "That's kind of you." "Of course. I'm happy too-" Then Thrad cut himself off with an unexpected moan. He hadn't noticed Silver undo his fly until the cat had slid a hand into his jeans to get a better hold of his cock. "What was that?" He asked. Damn him. He had that smug, playful tone in his voice.

This was the sort of game which Silver so often won at. He knew how to play Thrad like a fiddle. They knew how to play each other, really. But Silver typically ended up with the upper hand.

"I said-" Thrad tried to come back with some sort of response. He wanted to power through it, and ignore Silver's advance. It would have been his own move in their little sexual game which Silver had just begun. But just as he tried to speak Silver found his cock head and lightly scritched at it. Silver had worked through Thrad's jeans, but he still had to rub through the fabric of Thrad's briefs. So just the tiniest amount of claw pressured against his dick had the perfect effect.

"Oh yeah?" Silver said, again with that smug, playful voice. But Thrad didn't mind. This was how so many of their drives went lately. And Thrad knew what universally followed, and he wasn't disappointed now. Silver undid his seatbelt and reached both hands to Thrad's crotch. He undid Thrad's jeans entirely and slid them down, freeing Thrad's cock and balls. Thrad adjusted in his seat to give Silver a better angle at his junk. Then he casually kept an eye on the road, and focused on driving. He would have to take the long way to the mall, that was for sure.

Silver's playful tone of voice was lost then. He would have had a hard time speaking with Thrad's dick in his mouth, which it now was. And he was feeling up Thrad's balls with a free hand. The other was stroking Thrad's cock up and down in time with his bobbing head across Thrad's upper dick. Silver didn't usually deepthroat him from the passenger seat, which was for the better. It was hard enough to drive with Silver's attentions on him. Deepthroating would have been another beast entirely. But Silver knew how to work a cock in his mouth brilliantly. He didn't have to deepthroat Thrad to get him nice and riled up.

Nobody could make Thrad cum like Silver could. It had taken them quite a while for Silver to learn all of the right spots, but by now he knew them well. Depending on the night it could take Thrad perhaps thirty minutes to cum. Sometimes an hour or more. It made for nice, long fuck sessions, which was to everyone's benefits. And it was a good thing stamina was one of Thrad's finer traits, because he could fuck his way through an orgasm, and just keep on going to the next one. This was doubly good, because it meant he could keep up with his insatiable kitten.

But Thrad had never been with a partner so talented or dedicated as his current mate. If Silver was going down on your cock, that was the only thing he was doing. He didn't seem to have any other thoughts or wants. His every focus was on his moves and motions on your dick. He paid attention to breathing patterns, and shifts in body, and maybe to the pulsing of the dick itself. The cat had tremendous sex sense, to put things lightly. So he knew how to feather Thrad on the verge of orgasm expertly. Similarly, he knew how to push Thrad over that edge with a casual ease.

He was working his way toward that now. So Thrad just had to keep his eye on the road, and work to push aside the building sensations coming from his crotch. He didn't have to try and relax to let the orgasm happen. And he didn't have to try and force his participation to help it come along. It was just a matter of time until Silver got him to cum, so all Thrad had to do was drive and let the rest happen. But it was getting awfully difficult to drive. Especially when he had already been pent up about getting Silver into a skirt, just because he wanted to see his kitten all dressed up for him. So the attentions he was getting on his cock right now were especially effective to him.

Silver knew Thrad was close. So he held the bull's head in his mouth and started to flick at his urethra ever so lightly. And he started to massage Thrad's balls just a little more firmly. It was only a mild pressure, and again, Silver knew how to ride Thrad's every sexual line perfectly well. He bordered a tiny bit towards pain, but mainly kept his pressure and ball-handling at exactly the right level. And he started to work on Thrad's cock with his other hand. And he was trailing his fingers along it while also working the shaft with his palm. Then he bobbed a little bit on the cock head, and took it a little deeper, and worked his way slowly back up. All the while his other motions kept up, and Thrad's breathing picked up which kept the kitten going at exactly the same pace as he was. And Thrad started to grunt while keeping his eyes perfectly on the road. And he kept both hands exactly on the steering wheel. He was being a First Class driver, an upstanding citizen and making highly responsible driving decisions.

And he was cumming as well.

Silver took in his cock deeper now, and dutifully swallowed every drop of cum. As per usual Thrad came quite a bit. He always did, whether they had had a long, slow buildup, or if it was a quick blowjob in the car like now. Silver had to swallow a few times as Thrad came just to make sure no cum flowed out of his mouth. Then Thrad was done, and he was panting and sighing a bit, because damn that cat was good at what he did. And Silver stayed on his cock just a bit, and made sure to milk Thrad entirely dry. And when every drop of cum was gone he left Thrad's dick and made a show of wiping his mouth clean.

"Thanks for that." Silver said. And he meant it. He loved cum, and giving a blowjob that he might receive it was as fulfilling for him as it was for Thrad. Possibly Silver enjoyed it even more than Thrad did, given how often Silver went down on him.

"Any time." Thrad said easily. That was another game they played. Receiving and/or giving a blowjob in the car was a fairly heightened sexual thing to do. But they played it off like it was no big deal. Like they might as well have been listening to a song on the radio or so. But instead they had just done on of their favorite activities, and a kinky one at that. And they were both satisfied and pleased by it. It made the rest of the drive all too short. Thrad would have been happy to drive for another hour or two just in the interest of getting another one of those famous blowjobs.

It was just one of the great multitude of reasons that he was glad Silver was his mate. And being with Silver honestly made Thrad feel more validated than perhaps at any other time in his life. Whenever Thrad came Silver was so incredibly grateful. It was a sense of validation. And a long time ago Thrad had taught himself away from seeking validation through others, especially through sex. So it was a bit of a drug to be able to do something good for Silver, so frequently, and with such ease. At this point it seemed like Silver almost needed Thrad's cum, more than simply wanting it. And that worked out nicely, because it so happened that Thrad had a lot of cum.

They were a perfect pair.

Thrad had tried to return the favor by feeling Silver up in the car, but that was a more challenging endeavor. Rubbing at Silver's crotch never did it for him. But a line or two traced along his ass and he'd become putty in your hands. But Silver was sitting on his ass, of course, so he just wasn't as easily teased in the car as Thrad was. Another reason Thrad was unsuccessful was that they got to the mall in all too good of time. Again, Thrad would have been happy to drive for hours more.

But then he remembered that they were shopping for clothes for Silver, which was a greater objective than just getting his rocks off again. They would have time for that tonight. A lot of time. And this would be fun. Just, a different sort of fun. And it really was important to round out any relationship with more things than just sex, sex, and more sex. Silver had a mind toward that as well, because he hopped out of the car just about as soon as it had parked. Thrad saw his mate's tail thwip as he got out. At first reading a feline's tail signs was a mystery to him. But by now Thrad knew that thwip well, and he was glad to see it. It was Silver's happy thwip. Not a sexual one, or a contented one. He was just happy. It made Thrad glad he could take his mate shopping. He might do it more frequently, seeing how happy it made Silver look.

"You seem happy." Thrad said as he got out of the car. It was an obvious remark to make, but Thrad felt he needed to make it all the same. "I am." Silver said simply.

His back was turned to Thrad, but Thrad could see his smile all the same. The kitten got quite energized once they hit the parking lot. It occurred to Thrad that going out shopping really was a special treat for him. But Thrad suspected that having fresh cum in his belly had something to do with his mood as well. Silver was always elated after sex. Although he professed to enjoy wherever it was that Thrad came (which was most typically in him, but occasionally on him as well), Silver enjoyed eating his cum most of all.

"How did I taste?" Thrad asked. "Excellent, as usual. The smoothies have been helping a lot."

That was one of Silver's earlier suggestions once they had gone official. He hadn't felt it was his place to make suggestions to Thrad's diet while they weren't official. And he had always professed to enjoy Thrad's cum, even when they had first gotten together. Thrad had tended to eat healthy anyway. Not by virtue of specifically trying. But he never cared much for fried foods, or other typical delicacies such as pizza and soda, or beer. According to Silver's expertise in the area, that already went a long way to cum's consistency and taste. But a diet of fruit apparently made it taste all the better.

"I'm glad." Thrad said. And it was clear that his cum really had helped to elevate Silver's mood.

But the kit really did seem just, genuinely happy to be out and about. He took Thrad's hand eagerly and nearly dragged him through the lot. That had Thrad realizing that Silver probably didn't get to go shopping all that much, if ever. Thrad knew his mate didn't have a lot of disposable income. Certainly he could have, if Silver chose to work more hours at his sandwich shop. But Silver led a comfortable enough life. He made enough to pay rent and have food at home, and that was enough for him. Silver valued his free time more than he valued a bigger paycheck, and Thrad couldn't really complain at that. It meant they had more time to spend together, and recently they'd been taking every chance they got. One thing was for sure, now that they were official they were spending much more time together than just their usual Thursday nights. It was a change they both embraced with open arms.

So while it had been Thrad's idea for them to go out together, Thrad took a back seat for now and let Silver lead the way. Silver hit the directory instantly, then dragged Thrad away without saying where they were going first. Thrad had the impression that they would end up going basically everywhere, and for a moment he was concerned for his wallet. He hoped he hadn't opened a Pandora's box by bringing his mate here. But he'd just lay down the line at some point, because he wasn't well off enough to just buy anything and everything his mate had eyes for. But Thrad knew that it was going to be hard saying no to a happy kit like that.

But Silver didn't ask for anything in their first few stores. Thrad was grateful of that, because it meant he didn't have to say no. Mainly his mate seemed happy to just be window shopping around, and Thrad followed him perfectly patiently. He was happy to, really. In a way it seemed like Silver was in his natural element, even though Thrad would venture he hadn't been to the mall many times at all.

But while they were shopping Thrad had to specifically try to ignore the looks they were getting. He remembered why they didn't typically go out very much, and he knew it was a hangup he'd have to get over sooner or later. There was no way these people around him didn't know they were together. It was telegraphed in the way Silver looked at him, and in the way Thrad looked back. And if that wasn't enough than holding hands got the point across loud and clear. Silver didn't care for what others thought one bit. That was evident enough from the way he dressed. He looked specifically gay, which was something Silver happily leaned into. It was one of the many things Thrad enjoyed about his mate. Silver knew who he was, and just went for it. Thrad wished he could have had that sense of himself when he was Silver's age.

But Thrad had a much harder time getting over people's looks. He was aware he looked the part of a sugar daddy. He didn't like the image that gave him. Thrad worked hard not to reduce anybody to a mere image of the person they were on the inside. He never generalized a particular species to their stereotype, and he never robbed a cashier or food worker of their individuality. To Thrad, nobody deserved to be put into such a simple box as that. But not everybody held that as a virtue. And he just knew that these people all looked at him like a sugar daddy, and worse, they might look at him like he was a predatory one.

It wouldn't have been a hard conclusion to come to. A young, attractive, gay boy, holding hands with a much older (and comically larger) man. Thrad hated the idea that people might assume he was taking advantage of Silver, or buying his affection, or worse of all that he had groomed the cat for horrible, selfish desires. The thought had bothered him while they were first walking through the mall. But as they lingered in shop after shop, the looks seemed to be getting worse. And Thrad was sure that some of that was in his head. But some of it must have been real, too. He didn't know where the reality of those looks ended, and his inside exaggeration of them began, but in any case the looks were too many for his comfort.

It was impossible for Silver not to pick up on that, and after their third store he suggested they go to the food court. But Silver wasn't actually hungry, which he made known once they got there. He just wanted to sit and talk for a sec. His mood had specifically shifted. Thrad had a much harder time pinpointing what people were feeling than Silver did. The cat could snipe out someone's mood from a mile away. And he could guess with a near perfect accuracy what was on their mind. It was uncanny as hell. But, through his mate, Thrad had started to develop a sense of his own. He could sense Silver, at least. So he knew it wasn't fair to say that Silver's mood had soured. He wasn't in a bad head space. Maybe a concerned one? Or a straight-forward one if nothing else.

"What's up?" Silver asked the moment they sat down. But Thrad really didn't want to go through the song and dance. Silver knew perfectly well what was up. "You already know." "We can't help what people think of us." "I know. But it's still hard." "I get that."

Thrad could tell that Silver wanted to say more, but chose not to. Silver wanted to argue for their right to display their relationship, and even to show a certain level of public affection. And Silver was right in that, and he knew he was. But Thrad's reservations were completely valid, which Silver understood as well. People were giving them looks. And while Silver could work past that with an aloof ease, Thrad just couldn't seem to power through it. And he could never be faulted for that, even though it was an unfortunate circumstance.

They were at a sort of impasse, and neither of them knew what to do about it. Silver didn't want to keep shopping together if Thrad was uncomfortable with it, which was a shame because Silver had been so enjoying their time together for the first couple of stores. But Thrad couldn't force himself to feel differently, and it wouldn't have been right for him to try.

"Go shopping without me?" Thrad asked, although he knew that would be a fruitless idea to bring up. And sure enough, Silver instantly shook his head no. "Not likely." He said. "It's only fun if you come with me."

Thrad knew that was a bit of a lie, but he didn't call him out on it. He knew Silver was enjoying himself a lot. And Silver would be able to continue to enjoy himself, even if Thrad wasn't around. Maybe not as much. But he could still have a good time all the same.

"I can give you an allowance of sorts? Buy whatever you'd like?" "It's not the same." "Buy some pretty things to surprise me with at home?"

That one gave Silver pause. Thrad held his breath, hoping that that one would work.

"... I can." Silver said, slowly. "But I'd still like to address what's going on first?" "I don't think there's much we can address about it, hon." "We're going to have to, sooner or later." "I know. But maybe not right now?"

That one was a gamble. He knew that Silver would respect him if he said he didn't want to talk about it. But similarly, Silver knew that his mate would respect that he wanted to talk about it now, instead of putting the talk off. So they reached another impasse. And they were both getting frustrated by it, because they both knew there wasn't an easy way out of it, and there wasn't any particular way for either of them to win. If such a thing could be won in the first place.

But their fun activity together was starting to sour now. Thrad recalled the happy kitten he'd been with only moments ago. It didn't take too much thought for him to see a way out. It would be a band-aid put on a much larger problem, to be sure. But sex perked his cat up something fierce. As did shopping. He just had to steer them back in that direction.

"We'll compromise." Thrad began. "Halfway happy." Silver said it flatly, and with a certain distaste. Compromise was hard for him, since if everyone was halfway happy, that also meant everyone was halfway sad, or worse, mad.

But now he was being a little petulant. Thrad hated when their difference in life experience came between them. But something which came from age was knowing how to move through an unfortunate circumstance, and make the best of things. For even if there was a way, in theory, for a situation to work out perfectly - that just didn't happen very often in the real world. And at a certain point people had to learn not just to accept that, but to be genuinely okay with it. Life didn't hand you perfect cards. And dwelling on that was a fruitless thing to do. Especially when it was something so arguably simple as going shopping at the mall.

Thrad worked to bring himself down, because he knew he had just spiked. For him to know that compromise was the best (if not the only) way forward, and for his mate to scoff so instantly at that, was frustrating to say the least. He knew he had just made Silver feel bad for no reason at all, because the kit's ears were folded down and he looked reproached.

"Sorry." He said. "I can't always help it." "I know you can't." Thrad said. "I can't always help it either. I'm not upset." "I know. I feel bad, but I'll get better soon." "I know you will. I love you." "I love you too."

Then Silver just had to simmer for a moment before coming back to center. For that matter, so did Thrad. They had such a great relationship in so many ways, and it had only gotten better once they had made themselves official. But that certainly brought about its own set of challenges, that was sure.

True to his word, it didn't take long for Silver to take a few deep, steeling breaths, and get back to being more himself. It must have been hard for him, trying to keep pace with a man who had double the life experience on him. But he did the best he could, and he did a damned fine job of it, too. Sure, he had tons of youthful energy. But aside from his boyish looks (and his tiny body, and the way he chose to dress, etc) you'd never guess he was only twenty. Lord knows Thrad had met loads of adults who were far more childish and petty than Silver ever was. Sometimes Thrad couldn't help but to imaging that maybe if Silver were a little older, and if Thrad were a little younger, that they really would be the perfect couple.

But that was a remarkably negative thought. What they had was great. It just required some navigation, and they were still new to it. And Thrad had a lot of opportunity to grow as well. He could learn an awful lot from his youthful mate. Namely, it would do him a lot of good to learn more about how to let go of what other people thought of him, and his relationship, and everything else, really.

But those were all thoughts for another time. It was a problem which did need to be addressed sooner or later. But he couldn't very well tell Silver to put it on the back burner but then keep dwelling on it himself. If they were going to be "halfway happy" then they were in it together. So Thrad took some steeling breaths of his own, and soon they were nearly right back where they started. They were in a food court in a mall, happy to be spending time together, and happy to be doing something new. They had hit a snag, is all. But they'd work through it. They always did.

"So, then. What did you have in mind?" Silver asked. Any thoughts of disdain for compromise were missing from his voice. "We'll split it." Thrad said. "I was prepared to drop maybe about $100 on you today - don't scoff at that, I'm serious." "That's a lot, Thrad." "And I love you, and you're my mate, and you're very sexy and I want to do something nice for you. Will you let me do this nice thing for you?"

Thrad said it firmly, because he wanted to shut that objection down right away. And he said it in a tactful way. He had taken the dollar amount out of the equation, and reduced it to doing something nice for his mate. Silver would never rob anyone of their freedom in any capacity. Emotional freedom in particular. After all, who was he to tell someone whether they could or could not do something nice for the person they loved?

"Okay. You win." He said. "I didn't win. I just want to spend some money on you, that's all." "Right. Sorry I said it like that. I'm just not used to it, is all. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice." "Just nice?" Thrad asked, with a bit of tease in his voice. "You were pretty excited about it a minute ago." "Fine," Silver said, returning that teasing tone. "It's very nice. Thank you for bringing me shopping, I really appreciate it. Even if I get moody sometimes." "I get moody too hon, it's okay." "I know it is. So what's the idea?" "Well, I have a hard time shopping together right now." Thrad began. He had to work hard to stop himself from grimacing at that. It was true, and they both knew it. So speaking it plainly didn't have to be a big deal. But it still hurt to say it out loud like that. "But I still want to take you shopping. So let's split the difference, and go shopping anyway. We both get $50, and we have to pick out items which are sexy for you to wear for me at home." "That's... a great idea, actually. I mean, it isn't-" "Really sexy." Thrad said. He had interrupted his mate, because he was about to bring up again that it was a disappointment they couldn't shop together. So he was doing to drive in that not only would this work, but that it would work out really well. "As in, get me hard immediately and make me fuck you over the couch in your slutty skirt, sexy." "Thrad!" Silver hissed.

That was another element to Thrad's plan. He had said it plainly enough that they could definitely be heard by anyone within regular speaking range. He didn't make a point to say it loudly or anything. But if it helped to get Silver on board, he would happily telegraph his intentions to furiously fuck his crossdressing mate to a couple of strangers in the food court at the local mall. It was an easy sacrifice to make, really.

"What?" Thrad asked. "Afraid of letting people know that-" "I get it." Silver said. It came out sharply, and in a hushed voice. "I'm your baby girl slut, who's going to dress up nice and slutty for daddy, and take his big fat cock in my ass later tonight. Good enough?"

Thrad beamed.

"Good enough, kitten. Come here."

Then Silver leaned in as though for a kiss, which was nice in its own right. It was just what they needed to set things on track, and it was another element to their compromise. Silver deserved to have a mate who could take him out in public. Who he could be mates with in front of other people, and not be ashamed of that. And it was still kind of a lot for Thrad to be kissing his much younger boyfriend in brazen public like this. But it was an isolated area, with just a few strangers in the food court in the mall. It was PDA, but it was somewhat contained. And maybe that still counted as halfway happy. But Silver got the kiss he deserved (and the kiss which Thrad wanted to give him, really), and Thrad got to keep the majority of eyes off him. But even then, there was a certain allure to shocking anybody who happened to be looking at them by casually, and rightfully, kissing his mate on the mouth. So long as he wasn't doing it in front of the entire mall.

It was baby steps, for the both of them. And that was progress, even if it didn't feel like much.

Except, Thrad didn't kiss his mate. Silver had leaned in, and Thrad leaned in too, as though for a kiss. But instead he playfully licked Silver on the nose. Silver recoiled and his face got scrunched up. He liked getting good and messy in the privacy of their own home. But he took a lot of pride in his appearance while out and about. He was vain that way, which he would admit too, and which Thrad found charming. Silver did, after all, look dynamite while they were out together. But then, he also looked dynamite when he was naked and covered in sweat, lube, and cum.

So licking his mate was unexpected, a little playful, and a little daring. And it was just as intimate as a kiss, but it had a lasting effect because now Silver's fur was a little ruffed up. And best of all, he was a little flustered by it. Thrad could tell that his mate wanted to be upset or indignant, but then also worried about what people were thinking right now (because kissing an older man didn't bother him at all, but god forbid his face fur look out of order). And all of this culminated into a particular sensation of being overwhelmed - and they both started laughing about it.

Then Thrad reached across the table and brought his mate in for a proper kiss. It was a lingering kiss, and he used more tongue than was strictly necessary. If there wasn't a table between them Thrad would have gone for a strong grope to the crotch or ass as well. But his would have to do, and it had more than the desired effect. When they broke their kiss Silver was back in perfectly high spirits. Probably higher than he was before, because that was far more a show of affection than holding hands earlier had been. He would happily give up shopping with his mate in a casual way if it meant being with him more intensely in a more isolated space.

Then Thrad stood and fished for his wallet. As he did so he looked around the food court brazenly. Sure enough, they had gathered a handful of onlookers. There were one or two people looking at them with specific intent, and more than a few people who were pointedly, and awkwardly, not looking in their direction. And Thrad just eyed them down in all of his massive, wall-of-muscle, the-fuck-you-gonna-do-about-it glory. If he was going to be with Silver in public, and make the show of meeting his mate halfway, then he was going to do it with everything he had. And he dared a single one of these people to do a thing about it, or even to think a thing about it. Because if they did, they would have to answer to him.

And not a single person, in the food court or in the mall as a whole, would want to fuck with Thrad.

Thrad fished $60 from his wallet (because he only had twenties), and convinced Silver to take it all. It didn't take too much convincing, because Silver had already agreed to $50. And all things considered, he didn't protest very hard at the idea of taking an extra $10 to spend on clothes. Then Thrad pulled his mate in for a close hug, and kissed him again, and Silver's tail was doing its happy thwip again (but this time it had a tiny bit of a horny swish as well). And Thrad still held his mate and again dared anybody nearby to say, or even think, a single fucking thing.

He was happy to announce that not a single person was looking their way, or even trying to awkwardly avoid their gaze. The threat of a massive bull boring down on them had clearly been threat enough.

Then they went their separate ways, and agreed on a rotation of stores so they wouldn't overlap and make things awkward again. Plus, then the clothes they bought would definitely be a surprise when they got back to Thrad's place. Then their day was perfectly back on track. In fact, it was arguably better off than it was before. Thrad got the idea, as he watched Silver traipse off with his tail swishing behind him, that they were both much more than just halfway happy.