Autumn
Alex ran his hand through his still wet reddish blonde hair as he trudged to class. Fuck, he thought. He didn't mind the class, physics, but hated the fact that it was at eight in the morning. It was his second year of college, and he'd gotten quite used to a late schedule, and having a great professor and fellow students didn't make up for the fact that he could never be a morning person.
He glanced at somebody as he walked. No, not just anybody, a Furre. A tall, anthromorphic wolf. A product of separated and nearly awry natural evolution, they'd come out of hiding about five years ago after secretly making some acquaintances with important humans, and somehow gained citizenship. Of course, the whole thing had turned the U.S. on its head politically and socially. Alex, however, didn't feel very passionate about the issue one way or another, he just looked at the whole thing and laughed at the absurdity of it all. There were about fifty Furres in his college, a small percentage, but very noticeable. They'd applied as regular humans, had the requirements, and were accepted. It was too late for the school to do anything when they moved in.
Alex pushed open the door to the building where his physics lecture took place and walked towards the lecture hall. He glanced at the clock on his cell phone, and realized he was several minutes later than usual. He quickened his pace, finally reaching the large room, and stepped in. Most seats were taken. Closest to him, a seat was vacant, but the occupier of its neighbor made him hesitate. It was a fox, alone except for the people, who were obviously a little uncomfortable, with no choice but to sit next to him. He normally didn't associate with them, not out of principal, but out of custom. Fuck It, he muttered, and sat down next to the vulpine. The fox glanced at him. Alex nodded.
"'Sup," was his hushed, customary, and nonchalant greeting, a blunt rejection of the attitude that other people held towards Furres.
"Hey," the fox nodded back, in the same tone. The professor started speaking. Alex started to copy the free-body diagrams the professor drew on the chalk board into his notes. He couldn't help but notice the fox next to him started to rummage through his book bag, looking for a pen, muttering quiet profanities to himself. Alex pulled an extra from his pocket.
"Hey," he whispered. The fox turned to him, and Alex noticed for the first time his brilliant green eyes. Trying to ignore their piercing effect, he handed him the pen. The fox took it, and he couldn't help but glance at his strange paws, with the furred back and padded palms, the claws at the tips.
"Thanks," whispered the fox, and they continued writing. Fifteen minutes of lecture later, and the professor started to drone into the same material he'd heard last week. Alex stopped writing and sat back, unwilling to copy anything he already knew. The room was a bit cold, but his hooded sweatshirt was warm, and he was exceedingly tired from playing video games into the wee hours of the night. Before he realized it, his eyes grew heavy and he dozed off.
Something poking his elbow awoke him. He jumped, then looked to where he felt the sensation. His non-human neighbor was trying to wake him, his muzzle just hinting at amusement. He glanced around, and blushed when noticing that nearly everybody in the huge lecture was staring at him. The professor smirked.
"I don't mind you sleeping in my class, Mr. Harrington, if you don't mind me embarrassing you." Alex mumbled something. "So, how would we find the position, given this equation?" Alex looked at him semi-pensively, still sleepy, rubbing his eyes.
"Integrate with respect to velocity?" He yawned. The professor raised his eyebrows, surprised. He continued the lecture.
Half an hour later and class was dismissed. Alex gathered his things and walked out the door, trying not to get caught in the throng of people. Making good his escape, he stepped outside. Someone called to him, he turned around. The fox that he had sat next to walked up to him briskly. He became self-conscious, wondering who would see him with this pariah.
"Here," The fox held the pen out to Alex.
"Nah, keep it, I've got plenty."
"Thanks." They walked together, neither intending to associate with one another, but both walking in the same direction. Alex stuck his hands in his sweatshirt's front pockets and hunched over in response to the brisk breeze, watching the autumn leaves that it blew.
"Hey, did I see you at the Halo tournament two weeks ago?" The fox asked Alex, who straightened from his lazy posture and looked at him.
"Probably. Do you play?" The shared interest began to quickly melt the ice caused by the social distance between the Furre and the human.
"Yeah, now and then." Alex held out his hand.
"I'm Alex."
"Luke, it's a pleasure." He took it and shook firmly. Alex hid his curiosity and surprise at the shape and feeling of the paw.
"So, why didn't you play?"
"I dunno, I didn't really know anybody, I felt kind of awkward." Alex thought for a couple of seconds. The notion that hit him was daring and taboo, but he suddenly didn't care.
"I don't have class until noon. What are you doing now?"
"Nothing until eleven."
"Wanna play a couple?"
"Sounds good." Alex lead him to his apartment. He opened the door and let him in, then followed. He briefly tried to get a good look at Luke. He was about an inch shorter than Alex, at around five seven, and probably ten or twenty pounds lighter, at around one fifty or so. He was slender. Alex noticed his large, bushy, funny tail, protruding from his rear. He wondered how he could deal with it, sitting and walking around with it. A snappy dresser, too, it seemed. He wore perfectly fitting jeans, and a red button down shirt over a white undershirt, all wrinkle free and fitting perfectly, contrasting with Alex's slightly baggy and rarely neat get-up. They sat down, turned on the Xbox, and jumped into a couple games. Luke was good, really good. Alex was one of the best in the school, but after a couple of minutes, Luke was ahead of him by several kills. Probably just underestimated him, Alex rationalized. The door opened, and then slammed shut. One of his roommates, Steve, was back from class, a couple minutes later than Alex. He was quiet, almost anti-social, but he had a good sense of humor, and was quite engaging when under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.
"Hey," said Alex.
"What's u----..." He trailed off, in shock at noticing the strange non-human playing Xbox with Alex. Neither one looked away from the TV.
"What's the matter?" Asked Luke, still staring at the TV, fervently flicking the control sticks and smashing buttons. "Why are you stuttering? Is it because you come in here, and there's this damn animal playing your Xbox with your roommate, and you can't possibly comprehend that, can you? Can't accept any type of sentience other than your own? This fucking thing doesn't deserve to be at your school, it's a prestigious university for humans. Gonna try and kill and skin me like the rest of you asshole humans would? Shit." He muttered the last word when Alex killed him with a grenade.
"I, umm..." Laughing a little, Luke paused the game and stood up.
"Relax man, I'm just kidding." He held out his paw. "I'm Luke." Steve took it reluctantly.
"Steve," he mumbled. They shook. After an awkward silence, Steve turned and went upstairs to his room. Luke and Alex continued the game.
"He's a good guy once you get to know him. Great drunk." Alex explained, almost apologetically.
"Yeah, he seems it. I mean, he shook my paw, I wasn't actually expecting that." He grinned and pulled the trigger on the controller. "Hah." Alex's soldier crumpled to the ground, dead. The door swung open. In from class stepped Joe, shy, slightly bitter, but mostly trusting. Despite his demeanor, he was short, which gave him a bit of a complex so that he liked to make decisions, and everyone in the apartment trusted his judgment. If the anarchic group had a leader, it would probably be Joe. He sat down on the couch next to the bean bag chairs that Luke and Alex occupied. This time Alex paused the game.
"Joe, this is Luke. Luke, Joe." Joe looked at Luke with one eyebrow slightly raised, obviously not knowing what to think. Luke turned and grinned.
"Hey, how ya doin'?" He stuck out his paw.
"Umm, alright..." Joe took it awkwardly, Luke gave a firm grip and shake. They went back to their game. Joe got up and went into the kitchen, took a bottle of soda from the fridge, and sat back down, watching the two play for a couple minutes, then grabbing his laptop from his backpack and browsing the internet.
They played for a while longer. Eventually, Luke glanced at his watch.
"Hey dude, I gotta go." He paused the game and stood up. Alex looked at his cell phone. He had no idea they'd been playing for nearly two hours.
"Thanks for having me over. We should play again sometime."
"Yeah, sure. You're pretty good. I'll see you in class tomorrow. Try to remember a pen." Luke grinned. Somehow, he looked really cool. His vulpine jaw and slightly visible fangs formed a handsome visage that outlined his piercing eyes, and it suggested self-esteem. He walked out, bag over his shoulder. Alex heard him say hi to someone. The door swung open again. Mark deposited his books on the coffee table. Mark was the final roommate, a tall, lanky soccer player. He had a nonchalant attitude and a sometimes juvenile sense of humor, but was always flexible, and always understanding.
"Who was that?" He asked, looking back out the window at Luke, who walked briskly to class.
"Luke. He's good at Halo," Alex said, now playing single player.
"Oh." Mark glanced at Joe, who shrugged, as if to say hell if I know where he came from.
Alex strolled upstairs and sat down at his computer, opening his email.
"Who the hell was that?" Steve asked, who was browsing a car forum.
"Luke. Unless I was hallucinating, he introduced himself formally." Alex deleted SPAM.
"Oh. He's a Furre."
"Really? I didn't notice."
"Yeah, well, he's kind of..."
"Friendly? Cool?" Steve frowned. He couldn't describe his feelings, and Alex was twisting his words to make him seem like an asshole, much the same way that Luke had.
"So are you a furry now?" The introduction of Furres had brought into public eye the furry community, even more so than the internet and edgy television. Most people who befriended Furres had to deal with being negatively labeled a furry by narrow-minded ignoramuses.
"Yes. The only reason I talked to him is so that I could have sex with him. Fuck you, Steve." Steve laughed a little at flipping the jesting conversation back against Alex. Alex calmed down and continued.
"Seriously, I know what you mean. It's weird, almost surreal talking to him. I sat next to him in physics, and he asked me if I played Halo on the way out, so we got to talking. If you don't pay attention to the way he looks, he's just like anybody else."
An hour later and Alex went to class, the rest of his day as normal as any.
A week had gone by. Alex and Luke had become fast friends. Alex had found a rare thing in Luke, an openness. Luke had introduced him to a couple other Furres, but none had the same open attitude as Luke. Alex was the type to open up to anyone he liked, always appreciative of somebody who was equally open and humble. Luke had obviously felt like an outcast in the new environment of college, and was just as sharing. There were other Furres, but he didn't want to be just another Furre who associated only with Furres. Sure, Furre culture and community were important to him, but he craved new things. Alex and Luke's personalities clicked, and they formed a bond. They shared fears, interests, and a sick sense of humor.
Alex laughed, finally besting Luke in a Halo match. The clock on the wall read six.
"Alex, dinner's ready, if you ever feel like putting down that stupid video game," Joe called to him, the added insult trying to cover his blushing pride at having cooked three fantastic home made pizzas. Alex turned off the Xbox and started towards the table, where Steve and Mark were already seated. Luke got up and headed towards the door, turning to say goodbye to his friend, trying to hide the forlorn feeling he had at having to leave. Steve, Mark, Joe, and Alex were a tight group, and Luke felt distanced. Alex took a beer from the fridge.
"Luke, want some pizza?" Mark asked. Steve stared at him. Alex hid his surprise. He'd always wanted to invite Luke for dinner, but he never had, fearing his roommates would object to Luke not pitching in towards the grocery bill, or not doing dishes, or not being human, or something. But it seemed not to matter, at least this one time.
"Sure." Luke beamed, obviously thrilled. He turned back from the door, stopping by the fridge, swinging it open.
"Grab a beer, if you like," offered Alex. The rest looked at him. "What? Fuck you guys, I paid for it, he can have some." Luke browsed through their surprisingly tasteful collection, finally settling on a medium lager.
They sat down and ate. The pizza was great, covered with peppers, chicken, different cheeses, and a home made sauce. The five ate greedily.
"Now, pardon me if I'm being an ignorant asshole, here, but would beer and pizza be the normal kind of food for...someone like you?" Joe said around a mouthful of food. Luke swallowed, then glared at him.
"What are you trying to say?" Luke stared right through him with his bright, menacing eyes, his top right lip just starting to curl up.
"A, umm, a fox, or whatever it is that you call..." Joe said nervously. Luke stared intensely, then the edges of his mouth lifted, and he laughed.
"Wow, both you and Steve, you guys are easy to scare."
"Bastard..." Joe said, trying not to laugh.
"Anyway, it's not the kind of thing I normally eat, but I'm guessing it's not the most nutritious thing that a human could pick either, though." There was a little more talk, the ice being broken by Luke's joke. Several minutes later and everyone had finished their beer and pizza. Mark, Joe, Steve, and Alex deposited their plates unceremoniously in the sink and their beer bottles in the trash. Luke followed suit. They each grabbed another beer and made their way to the living room. Steve, Joe, and Mark sat down in recliners and bean bag chairs strewn haphazardly around the room. Alex and Luke took the couch.
"Thanks for the food and drink, guys, I really appreciate it. It's better than what I'd normally eat in the dining hall," Luke reclined in the couch, arm over the side.
"Any time you want, but if this becomes a regular thing, you'll have to throw in on the grocery bill," Alex said lazily, swigging some beer. Everyone was relaxed, they'd had a good meal, and it was Friday. Alex caught a mischievous glance from Mark and Joe, and finally Steve. He looked back at them, then darted his eyes questioningly towards Luke. Joe shrugged. Alex knew that Luke was aware of something going on, but he had the humility not to mention it.
"Should we?" asked Alex.
"Why not?" was Joe's response. He then got up and went up to his room.
"Are you sure we should...with..." Steve cautioned as he tried not to look at Luke, but it was obvious who he was referring to.
"Shut the fuck up, Steve," said Mark. Alex turned to Luke.
"Luke, how do you feel about weed?"
"Nothing against it, but I haven't tried it."
"Would you like to?" Mark invited.
"I dunno if I should..." Luke looked back with caution.
"Listen, Luke, the system of morals that determines that you 'shouldn't' is the same one that labels you an affront to nature." Alex looked at Luke with conviction. He felt strongly about the legalization of marijuana, and he could tell he plucked a string with Luke's feelings about non-human rights. Luke stared back and thought.
"Yeah, sounds good, I guess." Joe came down from his room with a bag of herb and a water pipe. He filled it with some cold water, and packed a bowl. Lighting it and taking a few hits, he coughed a little and passed it to Mark. Mark held the lighter to the bowl, inhaled deeply, and held it in while passing to Steve. Steve did the same as Mark exhaled. Luke took the bowl next, slightly awkwardly, unsure of how to operate it. Alex leaned over.
"No, hold it like this. Now cover this hole with your, ermm, finger. Yeah. Light it, don't burn your fur, now inhale. Inhale. Good, let your finger off, now move the lighter. There you go. Go ahead and take another hit. Feelin' it? You will. Now pass that shit." Alex took the pipe and took a hit, disappointed as the matter in the bowl disappeared.
"Pass me the ganja, Joe, we need to pack another." Alex carefully put the precious green contraband into the bowl. He lit it, and took two hits. Within a couple of seconds, his eyes started to feel a little heavy, and his head became ever so slightly light.
"I don't feel anything." Luke looked at Alex, disappointed and confused. Alex laughed a little at Luke's sad puppy expression.
"You sure? Nothing?" Luke shook his head. "Shit, that's right, it's your first time. You've got a really high tolerance as a virgin."
"Why should the amount of ass I have or haven't gotten have anything to do with this? Oh..." Mark, Joe, and Steve burst into a fit of stupid giggling. Alex looked at the bowl, there was still quite a bit left. He handed it to Luke, who took it, and took another hit, then one final one.
"I still don't feel...Whoa..." Luke placed the pipe on the coffee table around which they were seated. He sat back and looked around. Alex grinned at him.
"You feelin' it now? Yeah..." Alex took the pipe and looked at it, which had been passed around among Steve, Mark and Joe again. There was still a little left. He took the lighter and finished it, the final hit combining with the alcohol and taking him to an incredibly warm, cheery high.
"Mark, how about some ambiance?" Mark smiled, got up, and turned off the lights. Then he walked over to the stereo and turned it on. Alex grinned at Luke and then sat back on the couch. Luke smiled back, snorting a small laugh. They drank their beer, which tasted even better than before. So cold, flavorful, and bubbly, just perfect.
"How do you feel?"
"God, just great. Warm. My fur is, like, standing up. Or something." Everyone giggled a little. Luke looked back at them, his normally brilliant eyes half-opened and slightly blood shot, above a silly grin. He threw his head back and exhaled.
For hours, nobody said a word. They sat, listening to the music, sipping beer. Finally, Mark looked at his watch, and without saying anything, got up and walked upstairs. Steve followed. Alex glanced at his cell phone. Eleven thirty. It would be early for any self-respecting college student to hit the sack, but not after marijuana, alcohol, and lots of food. Joe got up.
"Luke, it was a pleasure smoking with you. Come back next week. Make it a regular thing, though, and you'll have to throw in on the grocery bill." The three laughed a little, and Joe went upstairs.
"So you like this?" Alex asked Luke.
"Definitely. But I'm not sure I wanna rely on it to have fun, if you know what I mean."
"Totally. But every now and again, it's enjoyable." Only after answering did Alex think of the innuendo that could have been in Luke's reply.
"You said your fur was, like standing up," Alex said slowly. "Is that like getting goose bumps?"
"I guess. Here." Luke held his arm out to Alex. He took it, ran a palm over it, feeling the fur.
"Wow...How do you keep it this soft? I'm not trying to be gay or anything, don't get the wrong idea."
"Guilty conscience?" Luke laughed at him a little. "I dunno, it just is. Lemme see your arm." Alex let go of Luke's furred appendage and gave him his forearm.
"No claws, no fur, you humans are fucking weird, man." Alex giggled, then sat back and stared at the ceiling. Luke did the same. They stayed that way for a while.
Eventually, Alex looked over. Luke was now fast asleep, his head against his shoulder, mouth barely open, one fang showing. He smiled in amusement, then sitting back, let himself drift off.
Alex woke. Fond memories of the previous night immediately flooded his mind, the good times, the acceptance, the experimentation. Then he realized where he was, on the couch. Then he realized that he was with Luke, and that Luke was laying against him, practically on top of him. He felt chills as he realized that his hand was in Luke's shirt, which had become unbuttoned, somehow. As the shock hit him, he quickly withdrew his hand from the furry chest, sitting bolt upright. The sleeping fox on top of him started, jumping back, staring at Alex, who was breathing hard. Luke rubbed his eyes.
"What happened?"
"I dunno. Why was my hand on your chest?" He asked his question in a hushed voice.
"I think you liked the feeling. But we were so high, it doesn't mean anything."
"I guess not. I hope not." He looked at Luke without blinking. "Please don't tell anyone about this. Ever." Luke looked back. Alex felt guilty when he saw Luke's eyes, sleepy but as brilliant as ever, the bloodshot gone. They showed just a hint of hurt.
"You know, in Furre culture, that's not a big deal. Physical contact doesn't have to mean anything but friendship." Alex bit his lip, feeling terrible. Luke had become one of his best friends, and he didn't want to change that. In any way.
"Well, I'm not a Furre," Alex said with finality. Luke kept the same expression for a second, then smiled, surprisingly.
"OK. Well, I guess I'll have to get used to you humans and your strange customs." He got up and buttoned his shirt.
"I have homework. See ya later." He smiled again, grabbed his backpack that he had left next to the couch the previous afternoon, and exited. But he didn't turn back to fling Alex that rakish nod and cool grin that he usually did. Alex got up and stood in the middle of the living room. He thought. Had he just offended Luke? The usually spry and confident fox had seemed troubled. He probably did have some homework, but not enough to warrant jumping into it first thing on a Saturday. Had their drug-fueled contact creeped him out? Shaking his head, he went to his room and grabbed a bar of soap and some shampoo, then walked to the bathroom and stepped in. By the silence he observed, his roommates were still asleep. He stripped, throwing his clothes in a pile on the floor, and stepping into the shower. He turned on the water, icy at first, then warm. He let it flow over him, cleansing, rinsing the stale feeling he had when he woke up. But there was a scent, as well, that cut through the soap, and the cologne he wore. An earthy, soft, slightly burnt and warm smell. Luke. Wait, he was smelling him? This was weird. Taking the soap, he scrubbed himself thoroughly, then shampooed twice, until the smell was gone. Good. As he stood and rinsed, he looked down at his cock. The same thing that he did every morning started to play out. There was no discrete place for him the masturbate except for the shower, and it had become as much a part of his routine as washing his face. Taking it, he started to stroke, images of barely legal girls doing degrading things flashing through his head. He started to get into it, stroking faster. Then guilt hit him again. He saw Luke walk out of the door again without looking back. The image stayed with him. Too disturbed to continue, he gave up, got out, dried, and wrapped himself in a towel. He stumbled into his room and put on some clothes. He tried to ignore the fact that his hands were shaking.
"What'd you and Luke do last night after we went to bed?" Asked Steve, who was sitting up in bed, still in his boxers, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Alex turned towards him suddenly, nervously. Why was adrenaline coursing through his veins?
"Passed out on the couch." Steve stared at him with skepticism.
"Where'd he go?"
"He had homework."
"Oh." He paused. "I was wrong about him. He's pretty cool." Steve turned and looked out the window. "I still think you're a furry."
"Shut the fuck up, Steve!" Alex yelled, then widened his eyes, even more surprised at his outburst than Steve. He'd probably woken Mark and Joe up, as well, but they would pass out again soon. Alex gave Steve an apologetic look, kicked his shoes on, and grabbed his cell phone and wallet. He hurriedly got up, walked out, and stepped out the front door. Briskly walking, he took out his cell phone. Ten o'clock, it said. Not too early for a Saturday. He held down the three button, speed dialing Christine. Christine was one of Alex's best friends, he'd met her in high school, and they became a couple. Christine and Alex were disturbingly similar, which eventually lead to their break-up, the passion leaving, being replaced with friendship. They kept in touch even though they went to different colleges. She was one of the few that Alex could be completely open with, like Luke, or at least how he used to be with Luke.
He heard the ringing tone, then Christine picking up.
"What's up, Alex?" Her voice was cheery at hearing from Alex, although a little tired.
"Hey, did I wake you?"
"No, no, not at all..."
"You're a shitty liar."
"Sorry." Christine paused. "So what's going on?"
"This is kind of a fucked up story, so please, believe what I tell you, and try not to interrupt or laugh too much. You know these Furres? I don't know about your school, but there are a few here. There's a fox in my physics class named Luke, and one day we got to talking about Halo..." Without pausing, Alex told the whole thing, from meeting Luke, to constant Halo matches and doing homework together, to the previous night, getting high, and finally Luke walking out, possibly upset.
"Well, this is a weird story, but I don't see how it's fucked up in any way. You becoming good friends with a Furre is really cool and kind of different. I mean, I can see how you might have pissed off Luke a little bit, but you can smooth that over, I'm sure he'll understand. What's actually got you this nervous?"
"Well, here's where it gets fucked up. So after he walks out, I go upstairs and take a shower, and I could smell him on me. I could smell him. So I washed. Then I started to...you know, what guys do, sometimes, a lot..."
"Fuck, Alex, it's too early for phone sex-"
"Shut up. And as I was fantasizing about you being tied up and gagged-"
"-I'm flattered-"
"-Yeah. Anyway, I thought about him. Not anything sexual, just this intense feeling of guilt hit me. And it freaked me out. I couldn't finish. I got out and dried off, then got dressed. Meanwhile Steve wakes up and says that he's decided that Luke's a good guy. Then he jokes that I'm a furry."
"Right..."
"And I flipped out. I screamed at him. I couldn't believe myself. I'm not a violent person, you know that, it's just that something set me off. So I figured something was up with me, something I couldn't figure out. So I called you." There was a long pause.
"You there, Christine?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking..." Another long pause. "Well, you need to talk to Luke. You need to apologize."
"I figured that..."
"That's the first part. But there's more, this seems like a complicated issue. It doesn't seem normal for somebody like Luke to get that miffed at a cultural misunderstanding. Maybe he saw you as a really close friend, and any threat to that, in the form of you getting mad, disturbed him. But I doubt that, it's probably something else. But the real thing here is you. This is so fucked up..."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You're really attached to Luke. You see something in him, whether it's friendship, or...."
"Or what? What is it?"
"And the fact that you have so much attraction, I mean attachment, to someone who's a bit of a social misfit, that scares the hell out of you, because as much as you believe in your own moral superiority, you value your reputation."
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean. You knew before you called me, but you wouldn't let yourself believe it. You know what you need to do. Go talk to him and hash this out before anybody gets hurt, and be honest with yourself about your feelings. Shit, you're breaking up. Gotta go." There was an electronic bloop. Alex looked at his cell phone. Call ended, it said, and at full signal strength. He hadn't broken up. Why couldn't Christine just tell him what she meant?
He looked around. Shit, he thought to himself. He'd started walking while talking, and now he was a half mile from the apartment. He turned around and started pacing back. A few hundred feet from the apartment, he flipped open the cell phone again, and checked the time. Noon. He held down the four button, and the phone dialed Luke. Three rings, no answer. Alex broke into a sweat. And then...
"Hey," Luke answered without particular interest or vigor.
"Hey Luke. I've been trying to do physics, but I can't concentrate. I'm craving some Halo right now. Wanna come over and play a couple?"
"I've got a lot of work. This economics is kicking my ass..."
"Well maybe I can help you. I took that class last year."
"Didn't you get a C in it?"
"Shut up. You coming?" A pause.
"Yeah. Gimme a half hour, I'm gonna get some lunch."
"OK. See ya then."
"See ya." Alex pushed open the front door. Luke's remark about lunch made him hungry. He opened the fridge and took a piece of leftover pizza, a can of soda, and sat down on the couch. He ate, slowly, without much appetite. Steve and Joe came down the stairs.
"We're gonna go see Tony and Rick," Joe said. Tony and Rick were their weed and booze connection, respectively. "Then we're gonna get some groceries. Might get lunch, too, so we won't be back for a couple hours, at least."
"Later." They stepped out. Five minutes later, Mark came down the stairs.
"I'm going to the library. Reading." He walked out the back door. Alex sat, wondering why he felt so nervous. Twenty minutes later, a knock at the door startled him. He opened it and looked at Luke, letting him in. He admired his cool, non-human features, but noted his less enthusiastic attitude. They exchanged greetings. Alex sat down on the couch, Luke did as well, in the same seats they'd had the previous night. The Xbox was on, but Alex did not pick up a controller. In fact, he turned off the TV with the remote. Shaking, fighting a cold sweat, he turned to Luke, who somehow did not seem surprised.
"Listen. Did I say anything this morning that may have...upset you? I didn't mean to act pissy."
"Well, not really. It's forgotten, don't worry about it," Luke responded. His eyes still did not have their customary brightness.
"Good. I'm sorry." He reached over and patted Luke on the shoulder. Luke did the same, but to Alex's surprise, he pulled him into a tight hug. Reluctantly, Alex hugged back, patting him. They parted. Alex smiled and sat back, fighting the fear and guilt he felt.
"Luke, I'm going to ask you a question. I want you to answer with complete honesty, and I want you to know that no matter what you say, I will always be your friend." Luke raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other. Here it goes, Alex thought to himself. He hoped Christine's advice was right. "Are you gay?"
Luke's eyes widened. His jaw quivered. Fear, nervousness, and surprise all played across his face. Finally, after an eternity, he answered.
"Yeah..." He looked away. So did Alex.
"Are you?" Alex looked back to Luke, the question catching him off guard. His expression had changed to one of determination and solid resolve.
"I - I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I've had a few girlfriends, and it was great, the love, the sex. But lately, I've been having these thoughts..."
"What kind? About what?"
"Not sexual, not gay. Just kind of...nervous. Fearful. I can't stop thinking about him. But he's not a normal guy, far from it, the attraction would have to be something other than gay, or at least a little different."
"Who are you talking about?"
"About...you." They stared at each other. Luke's expression had changed to one of complete shock. Alex looked away.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to drag you into my confused issues. If you..." He was cut short as Luke leaned over and put a paw on his chest, shoving him back into the couch, then drew his long, soft, pink tongue up the side of his face. He pulled back, but kept his paw on his chest, looking into Alex's eyes with a different expression, one of honesty, and longing.
"Wha - What are you doing?" Alex gasped, backing up.
"I'm trying to help you decide. If you're gay, or bi." Alex looked back with utter confusion. "What's the matter?" asked Luke.
"I just...didn't think you'd be...interested in me..." Luke looked puzzled.
"Why not?" Luke started to inch closer, started to push on Alex's chest some more.
"Well, I'm a human, I didn't think you'd want to date outside your...species." Luke furrowed his brow. Alex continued, Luke inching closer still. "And, well, look at you. You dress impeccably. You never say the wrong thing. You've got a perfect body, and those eyes. And I'm just kind of...kind of..." Luke came closer still, pushing a little harder. Finally, he shoved Alex into the couch, now practically on top of him, bent close, and licked him again, drawing his tongue from the opening of his shirt, up his neck, and off the tip of his chin. Pulling away slightly, he stared at Alex, the brilliant green eyes looking right through him.
"You think I'm that shallow?" Luke said, faking offense.
"No, I think that I'm that mediocre." They stared at each other. Luke's eyes longed. Suddenly, he bent forward, and their lips met. A small, gentle, lips-only kiss. They pulled away, and Luke bent in for another, but this time, Alex felt something completely unexpected. Luke hungrily pulled him into a French kiss, letting his long tongue slip into his mouth, playing with Alex's. The vulpine ribbon was so soft and gentle, he lost himself, his eyes closing. Their tongues intertwined, and they kissed deeply. He moved his arms from the gripping position he had on the sides of the couch to Luke's back, and he gently stroked him, longing to remove the shirt and run his hands through the soft, warm fur. Slowly, Luke pulled away again.
"There's nobody here," said Alex. Luke sat up, now sitting on Alex's crotch. Both could feel a slight bulge in one another's pants. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, methodically popping each button and letting it drape open, torturously revealing his toned, white, furry chest. He slid off of Alex and stood in the middle of the living room, and then turned, slowly walking towards the stairs, seductively swishing his tail from side to side. Alex got up and followed Luke, came up behind him as they climbed the stairs towards Alex's room. He reached around him and ran a hand through that warm, furry chest, while sticking his nose in Luke's neck and inhaling deeply. Similar feelings to what he'd experienced that morning flooded him, Luke's warm, slightly feral scent, and the soft fur and toned chest. But this time, he put the taboo aside, reasoning that he was only experimenting.
They entered Alex's room, and stood by his bed. Alex reached over and slid Luke's shirt off, throwing it to the floor. Luke reached over, put a paw on Alex's chest, and then to his surprise, shoved him onto his bed. He slowly and predatorily crawled on top of him, his reddish-orange fur and pointed ears giving him a demonic look. He reached down to Alex's waist and pulled up on his hooded sweatshirt and the t-shirt underneath, yanking it up and over his head, throwing it to the floor next to his own shirt. Their chests met, and Luke kissed him with his jet black lips and velvet tongue again, each one hungrily tasting the other. This time, Alex slipped his tongue into Luke's mouth, probing it, feeling the sharp fangs and the smooth lips. Luke pulled away, moving that soft, warm muzzle lower. Slowly, he began to lick at Alex's chest, tracing intricate patterns, circling each nipple and finally teasing them to erectness, the cold, wet nose and warm tongue providing a euphoric contrast. Lower and lower he moved, before finally grabbing the top of Alex's jeans with his mouth and growling, then using a deft combination of his teeth and one paw to unbutton and unzip them. Alex tensed and gasped when he did this, but Luke didn't cause any harm except for a slight tear in the fabric.
There was a momentary pause as Luke got up and quickly jumped out of his own khakis, Alex kicking off his now unbuttoned jeans and sitting on the edge of the bed. Luke stared into Alex's eyes and came closer, slowly, then kneeled, moving his attention to Alex's badly tented boxers. Slowly, torturously, he licked at the fabric until it was wet and warm. Alex moaned, partly out of pleasure, partly out of excruciating desire to have that warm, moist, talented mouth wrapped around his cock without the underwear in the way. As he became lost in the blissful agony, Luke stealthily slid a paw around Alex's ass and grabbed the band of his underwear, pulling them down. Alex happily obliged and slid the underwear off his cock and down his legs. Luke pulled away and pulled his own off, then went back to work. At first, he only rested his lips on the head of Alex's thick, seven inch member, tracing his tongue slowly across the slit, until Alex couldn't stand it any longer and put his hand on the back of Luke's head, pushing him down around it. Alex was treated to an extremely strange sensation as Luke giggled at his impatience around the cock in his mouth. He started to bob his head up and down, caressing Alex in a way he'd never experienced. Alex put his head back and closed his eyes. He'd gotten great head from some girls in the past, but nothing like this. Luke was the first who could ever fit the entire thing in his mouth. He had a long muzzle, but the end of Alex's dick touched the back of his throat, even sliding a little bit past it. The long, soft tongue wrapped around it and provided even more stimulation. All the wet, warm softness contrasted to the fangs he occasionally felt gently nipping at the base.
Alex opened his eyes and looked down. Luke was still busily pleasing him, reaching underneath himself, stroking his own member, which was out of view.
"Wait." Alex bent over and whispered into an ear, stroking the furry head and running his hands through the fur. Luke looked up, licking his lips, looking concerned. Did Alex want to stop? "Your turn." Luke grinned, then stood up, presenting the throbbing cock to Alex.
He stared at the feral organ. He'd seen some pictures of canid penises and had an idea of how the knot worked, but he'd never seen a real one. Luke's dick was a deep red, slightly veiny, the tip chiseled, rather than rounded. Towards the base, it thickened in two bulges that he knew were the beginnings of the knot. Below that it retreated into a furry sheath. Cautiously, he bent forward, and licked the tip, then took as much of it as possible into his mouth. He moved his head up and down, trying not to gag as the tip touched the back of his throat. Luke was quite big, maybe a half inch longer than Alex, not quite as wide, but the knot added considerable girth at the base. As he sucked and licked at the hard, meaty flesh in his mouth, Alex moved one hand underneath it, and began to fondle and roll Luke's furry balls, feeling the velvet fur, feeling their size. He moved the other hand around to Luke's ass cheek, and played with the fur, caressing and stroking it, feeling the muscles beneath it tighten in pleasure. He moved his hand further, feeling the bushy tail, then the warm, furless pucker beneath it. As he continued to suck on the animal cock in his mouth, he slipped a finger into Luke's asshole. It tightened and clenched, the warm muscle reacting to the pleasure of all the stimulation.
"Wait." Alex slid his mouth off of Luke's cock and looked up. Luke looked down mischievously, holding a bottle of lotion that he'd taken from Alex's bedside table. Luke pumped the handle, squirting some into the pad on his paw, then reaching down and rubbing it on Alex's cock, covering it from tip to base, getting it as slick as possible. He handed the lotion to Alex, then crawled onto the bed behind him. He grinned mischievously, on his paws and knees, drawing his tail across Alex's face. Excitement and nervousness coursed through Alex. He turned around, looking at Luke. Luke looked back at him, his ass held at just the right height, his tail swishing about slowly. Alex took some lotion and rubbed his dick with it, then took some more, and gently rubbed it onto Luke's waiting tail hole. He took a little bit more, covered two fingers, and worked them inside. Luke squirmed a bit, arching his head up, closing his eyes. Alex got into position, one hand on Luke's quivering ass cheek, the other gently grasping his tail. He pressed his cock head against Luke's pucker, then slowly slid the head inside. He gasped, trying not to come already. Luke gasped and squirmed a bit.
"You OK?" he asked. Luke nodded. Alex slowly slid more of his cock in, until he was completely inside him. He paused. The feeling was so perfect: Luke's fur in his hands, the tight hole squeezing him, tightening occasionally, Luke's silky interior. He pulled almost all of his cock out, leaving in just the head, then thrust it all back in. Luke gasped, his fur standing up, his hole tightening a bit. Out, and then in, he built up a rhythm, trying his best not to come until Luke was satisfied. He wanted to make it last as long as possible. After a minute of ecstatic thrusting, he stopped, then bent over to Luke's ear, and whispered.
"Wait." He pulled out. "Roll over." Luke rolled over slowly, then lifted his legs, wrapping them around Alex's waist. Alex positioned his cock at Luke's tail hole and slid in, with a little bit less resistance this time, being slightly stretched. He leaned over and put his hands on the bed on either side of Luke, then started his thrusting again. This time, he enjoyed it even more, feeling Luke's throbbing erection rub his stomach, covering it with pre. He watched him close his eyes, moan, and gasp. Quicker and quicker he thrusted, Luke squirming and moaning. Alex couldn't hold out much longer, but neither could Luke, he realized. Luke's breath became short and ragged, Alex watched his tight, furry chest rise and fall quickly. The tingling, warm excitement that he loved so much began to spread through his chest, stomach and groin and he struggled to keep his thrusting rhythm. Luke stopped panting momentarily. Alex made two more quick thrusts before shoving in as far as he could. Luke let out a slow moan as he covered his chest and Alex's stomach with cum, the warm, sticky liquid coming out in six jets, each about a second apart. Alex finally gave in, burying himself in Luke's tightening hole and coming as hard as he ever had. A full five waves of orgasm washed over him, dizzying him, making him close his eyes. Finally, he recovered, then pulled his wilting cock from Luke's ass, watching a bit of cum drip out. Luke was still panting a little bit. Alex rolled over on his side and looked at Luke, who grabbed a towel that was laying next to the bed, wiping his own chest with it.
"Sorry about the mess," he said, then began to lick the sticky liquid off of Alex's stomach and chest. Alex giggled a little at the tickling sensation and tried not to squirm. When he was done, he curled up against Alex, an arm over his chest. Alex smiled and put an arm around his shoulders, gently hugging him, feeling his warm, soft fur. Light streamed through the shades, highlighting Luke's reddish-orange fur and cute outline. At that moment, Alex came to a realization. He had gone far beyond experimentation. Indeed, it was the best sex he had ever had. He looked down at Luke, who had put his chin on Alex's chest and closed his eyes. His warm, sweet breath played across Alex's neck, and he realized how perfect the fox was.
"I love you," He whispered. Luke opened his eyes and looked up at him with surprise. Alex rubbed his back. "Something wrong?"
"No...I only thought you were experimenting."
"It seems the experiment was a success."
"Are you sure it's love? Not friendship?"
"Dead sure." He paused to kiss Luke on his wet nose. "So whattaya say?" Luke stopped staring with surprise and smiled.
"I love you too, Alex." Alex hugged him and looked into his eyes. That twinkling brightness had returned, and it made his heart race. Luke once again closed eyes, snuggled closer, and put his chin on Alex's chest. Alex closed his eyes. Sure, there were thousands of tricky problems to hash out. Who needed to know, or could know about this strange relationship? It would be years before it was accepted by society. But at that moment, Alex couldn't think about it. The only thing that mattered was slipping off to sleep with the warm, furry fox that he knew loved him.