Roadie Chapter 11: The Show

Story by Ralan165 on SoFurry

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#12 of Roadie

He's heard her music through media, but never live. Felix gets invited to a gig for his girlfriend's band. But will a small mistake dent their relationship, or does Tiffany just need to talk with him?

This is a long one (the longest in the series I think. Oh boy, why do I do this to myself?) And I wanted to approach something in it about their relationship. Not much direct sex in this one, being a bit more drama focused, but I hope you all enjoy regardless.

Also, Danaume did the new coverart!


She couldn't shake him from her mind. Even as she laid about her bed, scrolling through her laptop for new drum solos to practice or shows to watch, Tiffany had Felix stuck in her thoughts. As her boyfriend, he always lived rent free up there, but today was different. There was no image of the blushing and bashful boy that she wanted to protect, but the confident boi who gladly wore lingerie and heels on stage, and danced privately for her.

The shark gulped, feeling her cock stiffen at the memory moving so vividly in her head. It had been three days since then, three days of her cock straining in private. It strained against her boxers, each little twitch begging for the feeling of her leopard's tight rump or wet mouth. From the heels, to the black lingerie, the piece of clothing that stuck with her more than she expected was that collar and leash. Nothing more than a cheap one for show, but how he twirled that chain and how the cheap nylon webbing rested against his pink and white neckfur.

Opening a new tab, she searched the web for that collar. Any collar really. Results came quickly, from the safer searches for feral pets, to the idea of collars instead of rings for canine lovers, and of course, the more kink related types. Tiffany, despite her love for the feminine boy and the occasional feeling of control through a title or restraints, never considered herself to be into BDSM. She had no desire to see the bums of her lovers glowing red, to take whips, crops, floggers, or even her own hands against their soft bodies. But one thing she did appreciate, even if only at a glance, was the fashion.

It started with the collars, from real to fake leather locked tight or loose around a model. Some with derogatory words or phrases attached, others bare and ready for a small tag to be added on. Black, white, brown, or red, any color she imagined could be designed over them. Each she imagined on Felix, compressing his soft fur only to bulge as she pushed down his throat.

Biting her lips, Tiffany pulled her cock from the slip in her boxers, slowly pumping its rigid mass as she searched deeper. More restraints followed, from cuffs for hands and ankles, harnesses that hugged the body tight, and even leather crosses used for ropeless hogties. She saw her leopard in all of them, his meek and soft body struggling relentlessly as she explored it without mercy. She had cuffs, but nothing extravagant like these. No full head mask to blind and deafen him, no mitts to rob him of his fingers, or sleeves to keep his arms back and tight behind him.

With a shuddered breath, she imagined his whimpering cry as Felix bit into his gag. Helpless before her, his safety in her hands. The shark's hand brushed against his chastity cage, the first symbol of his submittance to her. Holding the keys around her neck tight, she pulled it away and stuffed it inside the lock, unlatching it with a quick turn.

It flopped out, his cute kitty cock with the soft barbs across the shaft. Not even a second out and it already grew hard against the open air. A quick whiff gathered his masculine scent, the only thing some people would consider manly at all of her boyfriend.

But she didn't care about that. No, her precious kitten meant more to her than just some stud, and he saw that now. At least, she imagined it so, placing a smile behind that gag. "That's right, your little Felix is out." Tiffany pulled her cock from her boxers, slowly stimulating it as she whispered her fantasy aloud. "But that's all it is, cutie." Her fingers pulled the plug from her fantasy boyfriend's ass, slowly twisting and straining it to hear him whimper and bite against the gag.

Hands slathered in lube, the tip of her finger circled round his pucker before pushing in. Beyond the opening shiver, her lovable boi kept his relaxation. She knew he would, Felix had been getting better and better at letting her in. He even trained his ass for her, something that she now regretted. How fun it would have been to spread him each day, inch by delicious inch.

Tiffany pushed her cock into the bed when she pictured it entering him. She ground against the mattress, holding the nearest pillow tight. "D-Damn it..." She muttered, slowing but not stopping her thrusts. Felix wasn't some perfect imaginary boyfriend, he was real and in her contacts. If she wanted, she could call him over without a second's notice. Outside of work that is, but she made a point to never call him there.

And yet, like a lovesick teenager, she kept thrusting into the bed, into her fantasy boyfriend's welcoming ass. She wanted that picture to be a reality. The chains, the restrains, the tight collar around his neck. "Fuck...fuck...fuck..." His gagged squeals as she pounded him, the shivering fear as she overpowered him, with the warmth and love she felt from him whenever they embraced.

He wanted all of her. Something no other boy wanted. And in return, she did him, even if it meant letting his cock flop in ignored agony. Her thrusts quickened, the bed shifting against the floor. Not enough now, but she could get there if she were just...a little...harder...

Her bedroom door opened casually, "Yo, Tif, you got a minute?" Vicky, her hyena roommate asked with a raised hand and a wide eyed glare when she realized what she walked into.

"Get out!" Tiffany shouted, nearly falling off the bed but catching herself at the last minute. "Just...Fuck, Vicky?! Can't you knock?"

"Sorry, sorry!" The dreadlocked and skinny yeen covered her gaze with her forearms, "I didn't know you were doing it. I would have figured there would be a sock-"

"Sock's are for guests!" With a heavy sigh, Tiffany grabbed a pillow and covered her crotch. "Just...can you tell me why you came into my room, unannounced, so I can get back to my fantasy?"

The hyena mumbled under her breath, "Like you need one, with that boyfriend of yours." Tiffany leered at her roommate, beaming down with the intent to make her eat those words if she didn't take them back willingly. Cackling nervously, Vicky scratched the back of her head and bowed, "Sorry, sorry. Look I'll let you get back to it, but first I need to tell you something."

"It can't wait five minutes?"

She shook her head, "Nope. We got a gig."

"Oh, so Satan did her job again?" Tiffany smirked, delightfully imagining their manager sneezing at this moment.

Vicky shook her head, "Debbie doesn't...well she doesn't know about this. It's not a big or what some would say, professional gig."

The shark frowned, "What do you mean? This some kind of unpaid show? We're not getting paid in beer tabs are we?"

"Not in beer tabs, or in money. Look, a friend called in a favor, and I figured what's more punk than us playing at a small and local venue to support a dying club?"

"Vicky..." Sighing and with her boner finally gone, Tiffany tossed her pillow aside and sat up straight on the bed. Even sitting down, she looked imposing to the hyena. They may have been the same height, but anyone could see that the shark could snap her roommate like a twig if she wanted to. Rarely did that thought ever occur. "You know I hate to act like the responsible one when it comes to running a fucking band."

"Do you though?" Vicky smiled, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed, "I mean, you break up fights, make sure we're all up whenever we have early practice, remember how each of us like our coffee," She raised a finger with every example, ignoring the shark's frustrated glare and anguished blush. "Face it, Tiff, you're basically the band mom."

"Ok, then as the mom, let me be clear that we shouldn't be doing a show for publicity. We're professionals now. Even if people are calling us sellouts, we need money to afford this roof, just like anyone else. Plus, Satan is going to go ballistic when she finds out. Not if."

"Oh, I know she's gonna find out. But a smart cookie like her will find a way to twist it in all of our favors."

"And the money problem?"

"This is more about paying back a debt. Remember Riley? Yeah, she called in what we owe her for crashing. And I don't like to break promises. Just think of it as practice for when we actually start touring."

Tiffany rolled her eyes at that. They'd been promised a tour ever since they signed on with Wild Records. But more and more excuses piled up, when the simple truth of the matter was that their publishers just weren't sure they'd make much money off of them. The shark knew how hard it was to make it as a musician nowadays, not that she ever wanted something like a damn mansion. "Sure," She said, knowing that she couldn't convince Vicky to say no and she didn't want to hamper the band over this by not performing, "Can I get an extra backstage pass?"

"What for?" Vicky's question was meant with a knowing look. The hyena's mouth formed an O at the realization. "Right, right. Yeah I can totally get you one."

"Good. Now please," Tiffany pointed to the hallway, "Get out." With her roommate gone and her fantasy ruined, the shark laid down on her side. Grabbing her phone, she parsed through her contacts until she saw her cute leopard's name. What was next could come in a text, but she wanted to hear him speak.

"Hey, Tiff," Felix answered after three rings. "Looks like you caught me on break."

"Did I now? What a coincidence." Tiffany smiled, her eyes focusing back to the collars on her laptop. She knew he'd look good in any of them, imagining each one bouncing off his throat as he talked. "Say, I was wondering, how's your weekend looking?"

"If it's to hang out, I can split some stuff. Why?"

She smiled, finding one to add to her online shopping cart, "Well, it looks like Rockjaws is gonna be doing a small gig at a nightclub. It's gonna be low key, probably not too big of a crowd. Want a backstage pass?"

"If I say yes, does that mean I'm giving you mine?"

She giggled, "Oh, Felix. You gave up that privilege a long time ago. And you love it."

***

It certainly wasn't a small crowd.

Felix gripped the pass tightly in his hoodie pocket as he marched across the street, eyeing up and down the line of clubbers waiting while the sun was still up. While not having a twitter, a quick look into the band's name revealed that they were practically trending locally. The pink leopard still found it hard to believe he was dating a rockstar.

"Can you believe we're actually seeing Rockjaws perform?" Murmured a clubgoer in line as Felix nonchalantly walked past. "I've been wanting them to get a solo act since I discovered them!"

"Ugh...can't believe we're dealing with sellouts," muttered another. "I mean, come on. It's bad enough they're pretending to be punk by making music for record companies, but do they really gotta perform here? If these tickets were refundable you know damn well I wouldn't be here."

Those comments and more crawled up his backside. He heard her band play, and while he didn't have a taste for music, Felix considered them to be good. But complainers always had to complain, and it's not like he needed to defend her here.

"So I heard the drummer's a dite." Felix stopped, ears perking up at the comment. He darted his eyes to the right, looking at a trio of bucks dressed in the most frat bro attire he'd ever seen. "Of course, she's the drummer."

"Well duh. Who wants to see a fugly dite on stage?"

"Nah, bro, you seen the pics of her at the gym? She's pretty hot, in an amazon sort of vibe."

The other two looked at their friend with visible disgust. "Dude, what's the point of dating a dick with muscles? You gonna compensate for your lack of gains with hers?"

"Maybe he'd just prefer to be the lady. Take that dite dick up his ass."

"Fuck no! Asshole," The buck punched his chuckling friend in the arm, "It's because of that dick that I ain't even interested. But you two lack vision. I can bet you that there's no better high than making some girl who think she's stronger than you squeal as you fuck them. Any little prancer bimbo can submit, but it takes a true warrior to bring down an amazon."

Balling his fists in anger, Felix glared down the three bucks as if his eyes could burn them. He'd heard people say dumb shit when they were horny, he worked in a stripclub after all. But hearing them casually dismiss his girlfriend like that only caused his blood to boil. One of the bucks noticed, and winked. "Don't worry babe, If you want some of this," he thrusted his hips forward, "I'll meet you inside."

"Fuck," Felix let his voice drop, watching the realization crawl up the frat bro's face, "Off." Giving a middle finger, the pink leopard walked off to the front and flashed his pass. With a solemn nod, the rhino bouncer let him through. He gave one last look to the buck, his jaw still on the floor in disbelief. Once, he would have been disgusted with himself for how people mistook him.

Now? He almost relished it.

The sounds of his footsteps echoed against cracked concrete walls as he made his way inside. He'd never been to this building, but he'd heard of a few clubs there every so often. Nothing that really lasted more than a year or so, but he didn't try to understand how big party clubs worked.

"Hey, buddy." Felix turned around, seeing a muscular wolf in a tight black shirt behind him, straining to carry a leather chair. "Can ya help me with this? It ain't heavy but there's like..." he groaned, trying desperately not to dig his claws into the seat, "There's barely any grip. Come on."

"Sure, sure," Felix grabbed what he could and followed the wolf's directions down the steps. Then he helped carry more furniture up some stairs, then down some stairs, and up and down, over and over, with some heavy lights mixed in for variety. Every time he tried putting a word in, someone called him over, not by name, for help. Eventually, he had to take off his jacket, leaving him standing and helping in tight jeans and an even tighter black shirt.

"Felix?" His tail shot up at her voice. Turning around, he saw Tiffany standing at the top of the stairs, confusion flat on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I...well Henry" He pointed toward the wolf, currently barking out orders and tapping his clipboard, "Needed some help with a chair. Then Betty," He pointed to the cat at the rafters, "Needed some help with the lights, and I was closest. John then needed a pair of extra hands, and..."

"Yo, stop talking with the act and get back to work!" Henry shouted. Felix's fur stood on end, eyes to the floor and blushing. He'd been helping the stage crew this entire time without even realizing it.

Tiffany laughed, hugging her tank top tight before pulling him in for it. "Hey, Henry, I'm gonna be taking my boyfriend back now!" The wolf's from confusion turned to shock in a matter of seconds, along with the rest of the roadies as they watched her carry him off.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so early." Tiffany brushed through his headfur as they wandered back through the nightclub, pushing past doors to reveal how spartan and mundane the building set itself up to be. Fingers traced across grey walls while her boots stepped against concrete floors. More techs and roadies passed by them, each giving a nod to the couple.

"I wanted to beat the line." Not that it mattered. In his defense, Felix hadn't been to many concerts.

"You know your pass can get past that, right?"

The leopard flashed the badge, "Yeah, I figured that when I saw the line. That and..." He paused, thinking back to the three douchebags outside. "Nothing," Felix brushed it to the side, not needing to concern his girlfriend with their attitudes. This was a big day for her, she didn't need extra stress. He smiled, she could use a stress relief instead. "So...how long till the show?"

"Bought a half-hour until everyone starts swarming in. Techies are gonna be picking up the pace soon, so we best clear the hall. Come on," Tiffany's mohawk shook as she angled her head, "Bought time you met the band altogether."

Tiffany tugged his arm tight on their way to the dressing room. He could feel the sweat in her palms, see her chest pumping despite the smile. The leopard knew she performed before, so shouldn't she be used to it? Did he make this more stressful to her. Felix didn't get to ask once they made it. With her arm wrapped around his throat, she pulled him inside, "Ladies, and Conner, I'd like to formally introduce you all to my boyfriend, Felix. Say hi, sweetie."

Three furs stared back at him. A skinny hyena with orange tipped dreadlocks waved to him, cracking a small smile before turning her attention to her phone. If he remembered right, Vicky was Tiffany's roommate, and the band's vocalist. He waved back, but she didn't seem to notice.

"So, this is the pretty boi you've been fuckin?" A surely aussie accent hooked his attention. Two rats with buzzed headfur looked over to him, one wearing tight leather pants and a matching jacket with spikes, the other with a black and white checkered skirt, fishnet stockings for both arms and legs, a mesh top, and heavy combat boots. Blinking, Felix tried to remember which one was Connie and which was Conner, having only met the girl of the twins. He never expected that they'd look so similar. Even twins wanted to make a point to keep themselves different, or at least he assumed as much.

The skirted rat got up from their couch, "Well, I knew you had a thing for cute boys, Tiff. But ain't this a little overkill?" Conner said, voice perfectly selling who was who now. "I mean, seriously, pink fur dye? Can you be any more-"

Connie smacked her brother upside the head, "I already told ya, it's natural. Ya wanker."

Recoiling at the blow, Conner rubbed his head furiously from the shock, "Don't be such a cunt, sis. No one has naturally pink fur. That ain't a natural color."

"It's a mutation," Felix spoke up. The two rats looked at him, each raising a different brow in confusion, "My dad has purple fur as a birth defect. And I got pink fur as a result. It's not uncommon, but it happens."

Squinting with pierced brows, the rat leaned in closer. Too close for comfort as his eyes scanned the leopard's face, the barbell nose piercing twitching as he looked him over. "Hmm...well, guess that explains why she's into ya. Probably make a cute face when she's-" Connie smacked her book upside his head again. "Ow, bitch!"

"Stop being a creep, wanker."

"I'm just confirming what you told me!" He argued, rubbing his head again.

Connie smacked him again, her blushing face twisted in anger, "Then get some fuckin' tact and talk about it in private."

He caught the book this time, "Oh, you wanna talk to me about tact? Miss 'I wanna put him in latex make him squeal? Don't think I don't know about the vacuum bed's you've been lookin up." The leopard felt his cage twitch at the image. Being the son of a dominatrix, he was no stranger to seeing the kind of things they spoke of. Not to mention the few times he'd even snuck a piece of gear or outfit from her workspace to try on when he was younger. His eyes darted back to Tiffany, imagining the tall amazon of a shark dressed in leather straps or a corset with her dick exposed. Crop in hand, brushing the tip under his chin as he kneeled down before her.

He bit his lower lip, letting the pain fight back the pleasure of his barbs scraping against the cage's walls. Tiffany was a top, sure, and they've done a little bondage. But there was no way she'd go that far, especially not with the twins as a reference point.

Connie's face burned red, stomping on her brother's tail. "I'm gonna melt ya fuckin key if ya don't shut up!"

Conner pulled his tail away at the last second, "Yours ain't gonna be safe if ya do," he threatened, petting the pink appendage between his hands.

Tiffany pulled Felix behind her and put her arms between the two rats. "Ok, that's it. Break up your foreplay now. He's my boyfriend, not some cute boy you can just add to your harem of call girls."

"We got a few boys too," Conner argued, brushing the shark's hand off, "At least one who can put your muscles to shame."

"You're still seeing Frank?" his sister asked, arms crossed with a confronting look upon her. "I thought you said he was too much of a bitch to give you what you wanted?"

"I still got him on my contacts. Sometimes it's nice to top a stud so-"

"Shut up!" Tiffany puffed out her chest and tightened her muscles, exposing her strength to the two rat siblings. "We got a show to perform. I'm not about to have you too talk about your fuckbuddies before it. So go back to whatever you were doing, and don't try to flirt with Felix. I'd rather you both not scare him any further." Feeling the lump in his throat grow, Felix wasn't sure if he was more afraid of the brazen rats, or how imposing his girlfriend was.

The leopard was, however, a little turned on by the display. The rats rolled their eyes opposite of one another and returned to their seats. Connie patted the dust off of her book, while her brother kept slipping a guitar pick through his fingers. With a sigh, Tiff turned around and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, casually pulled him along to a seat in the corner. "Sorry about that," She whispered, "The twins can be a little...much."

"You can say creepy, I won't disagree."

She shrugged, "They talk like assholes, but they mean well. And I figured they'd be flirting with you to get a rise out of me."

"Connie didn't do that last time." Though he did remember how the rat tried getting him outfits that were too girly for his liking.

"Connie isn't the instigator. Conner is the loudmouth. That's usually how you can tell them apart. She just doesn't like when her brother tries to one up her."

"And the keys?"

Cradling her head back and forth, Tiffany softly groaned before shaking her head, "I don't want to talk about their sex life. Not something to think about before the show, too much stress."

He saw it past her smiling face, the nerves dancing across her body and making her jitter ever so subtly. Was it worse due to that little tirade from before, or were the cracks just slipping through. "And what about now? Are you stressed?" He asked, curling up beside her.

"I...yeah..." Her hand brushed against his scalp again and again, petting him softly as she sighed. "It's just...even though we had a few days, it all feels so last minute. I was up early, unable to really sleep, so I did sit ups." It wasn't all she did, according to the abs against his face, but he let her continue all the same. "It's not easy being the team mom. Keeping everyone from fighting, making sure we're on time as are the other workers. It's kinda sorta like being a drummer, providing a steady background tempo to give everyone else something to bounce off of. If you do it well enough, nobody really notices."

"People notice," Felix whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist. "There's no way people don't notice the effort you put in. But maybe we should do something about your stress?"

"Aww...that's so sweet of you, honey," She cooed, pinching his right cheek. "But I already got something to do for my stress." Felix didn't let go as she stood up. He steadied himself on his hind legs, but kept his face close to his girlfriend's crotch. Already he felt her cock pulsing inside it, begging for his touch.

He smiled and looked up to her. "I was thinking something...new. If you catch my drift." Even as he said it, his heartbeat shook his core. The anxiety devil screamed into his ear, reminding him of the other bandmates in the room that would be watching if Tiffany said yes. Part of him wanted her to say yes and take him, right there in front of her friends as if his mouth was nothing but a fuckhole for her.

The saner and less lustful part of him figured she'd just take him to another room. From the crooked smile on her face, it looked like she just might. But her eyes, those amber orbs flushed with terror and arousal, told something different.

"I...I..." Darting her head around the room, Tiffany quickly pushed him off and headed to the door. "I need to do a set, guys. Be right back!" The door slammed before Felix could process what happened. Did she just deny a blowjob? He looked to the door, eyes wide in confusion and hopeful that she'd pop back in at any second.

Conner laughed. "Oi, mate. You gonna get off the ground or keep looking like a helpless kitty?" He offered a hand, helping the pink leopard up before playfully punching his shoulder. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, mate, but we rockers are a bit of a superstitious bunch. Can't go messing with tradition. Even if it's a silly one. Hell, I still give in from time to time."

With a blink, he looked back to the window. Conner's hand held his shoulder, "Best not to go after her. She's gotta do her set."

"Her set?"

He nodded, "Yeah. On our first gig she got extremely nervous. Like, whole face going white and panting as if she ran a mile, or I guess ten miles given her love of the gym. She ended up doing a bunch of sit ups for the last half hour before the show started. Considering after that show we actually got some positive push, she's been doing that ever since, even when she ain't nervous."

Felix had seen that behavior in her before. He looked to her roommate to confirm, but she was too busy bobbing her head to her earpods to answer. "But, she always does exercise when she's nervous."

Conner flicked the leopard's ears, "Ya got wax in ya pink ears? I said even when she ain't nervous." Hooking Felix in by the neck, he stretched his other arm out to the rest of the band, "Look, my sis over there reads before every show. Always about musical theory or somethin. Vicky over there listens to The Cranberries on repeat before a show starts," The rat brought his fingers to his forehead, dragged them down his chest then shoulder to shoulder, "Bless Riordan, may she rest in peace." Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a green guitar pick, "And me? I flick this between my fingers. But ya wanna know a secret?" Felix tentatively nodded. "This here is just a regular pick. Not some mystical first pick I had since I was a wee cunt. Lost that thing ages ago, probably in a fit of rage."

"So, why do you flick it? Is the movement lucky?"

"Pfft, luck," He groaned, letting go of the leopard, "Luck has a big say in my life, but I keep it gagged when it comes to playing. I flick it cause it helps kill the nerves, just like your girlfriend and her exercise. It's not like I gotta eat a shepherd's pie before every show."

"What?" Felix's eyes furled at the ridiculous ritual. Conner closed his eyes and nodded confidently. "Yeah, Keith Richard won't perform if he doesn't break the crust before a show. You can look it up," He explained, "Now, I'm not one to badmouth Keith, but if you gotta postpone a show because some security detail ate your fuckin pie, then maybe you need to rethink your ritual."

He didn't know. Would Tiffany think he was trying to sabotage her? He shook his head, of course she wouldn't. Felix had just been more forward as of late, if he had known he wouldn't have done that. The wicked cackle of his personal demon crawled through his ear, "Would you?" It whispered, claws holding his throat tight, "After all, it's not just about getting her off. You get a nice little rush whenever she moans. Nah, this was all about yourself."

"I...I gotta find her." Felix batted Conner's hand and pushed out the door, storming the halls to find his girlfriend, and stave off the merciless voice heckling him from atop his shoulder. The doubts, the anxiety, all flared up at the worst time when he'd been doing so well. Walking turned to running as he moved back and forth between backstage, catching no glimpse of the amazon who held his key, both figurative and oh so literally.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," The speakers played, "Put your hands together for the gang with all the fangs. It's time for the Rockjaws!"

He slumped against the wall. How long had he been running? How did he miss her? The leopard heard the music echoing down the halls. Part of him wallowed in despair, wanting to curl up and die as his personal demon smiled.

Itching to see the bastard frown, Felix got up and pushed himself to the audience. At the very least, he could enjoy his girlfriend's stuff live.

The speakers overcame the roaring crowd. Felix covered his ears as he entered the galla, slowly adjusting to the music until he could nod along with it without worry of rupturing his eardrums. He'd heard it before, through streaming with digital filters. But hearing it in person, the guitar scratching his skin, the base rumbling underneath his body, the high pitched screams of the vocalist bringing his spirit ablaze, and of course, the tempo of the drums that matched his heart.

It was no wonder people wanted to see shows live. Pumping his hands along with others, he cheered and screamed, letting the music drown him and endorphins kick in. Furs of all shapes and sizes cheered, hands in the air or bashing against one another in a mosh pit. Felix saw Tiffany on stage, the shark steadily beating her drums in the back, never stopping for a moment's rest. Her smile singed its way into his mind. Wide and intense, focused and carefree, lost in her element. Envy crept up on him, whispering how he could never make her smile like that.

He brushed it off. He didn't need to make her smile like that, he was sure of it.

"Get the fuck off of me you creeps!" Someone growled, bumping into his shoulder as she passed by. Their legs locked, hooking into one another and careening to the cement floor. Felix stretched his arm out for her on reflex, catching himself with the other as the stranger landed against his. Blue eyes stared back at him, paired with fangs in braces that seemed all too familiar.

"Best watch where ya step, brace face." Felix's skin crawled in rage at the familiar voice. He looked up, seeing the trio of deer bro's standing above them. The middle one wore a loose blue sports jersey, having crossed his arms in confidence as his friends laughed. "Bet you there won't be much traffic in the bathroom."

"You ever been to a concert, dipshit?" Standing up, Felix noted how thin the girl was, perhaps even more than himself. She looked to be a shark, but no shark he'd seen had been so scrawny. She wore a small black tank-top with the pie symbol and a cherry at the front, with tight and dark blue girl's jeans riding up her legs, ending with her feet covered in black sneakers. An ungelled black mohawk with pink highlights hid half of her face, but not the sneer of discontent she showed. "Or did you come here cause you thought chicks would fall for creeps?"

"Well, you fell for me." The deer chuckled, getting a high five from his buddy. Even Felix felt his stomach twist at how poor the joke was. "Oh my god," The leopard groaned, pushing himself up, "If you guys are gonna keep metaphorically sucking each other off, you might as well go to the bathroom and take the next step."

The music didn't stop, but from how the three deer and the thin shark looked at him, it might as well have. One of the bucks nudged his friend, "Dude...it's that trap from before..."

Felix grit his teeth. "Trap? Me? The only trap here is the idea that douchebags like you would even use a condom. Let alone be worth fucking."

"What you fuckin say to me, you little twink?" The buck puffed his chest and stood over Felix, eyes beaming down in burning rage. He should have been scared, and indeed Felix felt his tail curl between his legs. Then the drum solo hit, and his own anger surged. No more standing down, not after so much. "I said you three are at best, someone's drunk mistake," He growled, fighting the urge to show his claws. He didn't need a report of predator violence.

"Is that so? And what makes you any better, fairy?"

"Cause he caught your attention," The shark, no, dogfish girl snickered. The three deer looked to her, each with their brow raised in unison and confusion. She laughed. "Come on. It's clear you guys wanna fuck him. Not our fault you ain't so comfortable with your sexualities yet." She grabbed Felix's shoulder, pulling him in closer, "Tell ya what. Why don't you leave the two of us alone, and you guys can just go back to sucking each other off. Granted, I might be inclined to offer, if I got to keep what I touch." Flashing a smile, the braces did little to hide the sharp fangs lining her mouth. The deer bro's looked at each other, with the jersey one scoffing.

"Fuck this," He said, raising a middle finger to Felix and his newfound companion, "Let's just go find some bitches at the bar or something." They sank back into the crowd, going so deep that Felix lost sight of even their antlers.

A playful smack hit his back, "I bet the one on the right imagines the middle in drag. You can tell from how he stares at him." Felix didn't care to think on it, brushing her hand off. "Hey, sorry I didn't mean to be rude, Mr..." Hand on her chin, her blue eyes looked him up and down. "Wait...have we met? You kind of stand out, but I can't place you."

His feelings were mutual. The braces were a dead giveaway, he'd only seen one sharp wearing them. She snapped her fingers before Felix could answer, "You're the leopard from my history class."

"Well, current history."

"What's so current about the seventies?" She smiled, extending her hand, "Trix, in case you forget it..." Tilting her head, Felix could tell she was waiting for his name. "It's Felix," He said, taking her grip, "Can't say I figured to meet you here."

"Really? Have you seen my outfit dude?" The shark brushed a hand down her body, "I'll admit, I'm not this risque in public, but I got a Rockjaws shirt on as one of my normals."

"You a fan?"

"Is water wet?"

"Does dry ice count?"

"No."

"Well," Felix snapped his fingers, "Damn. I guess you are a fan. Been one long?"

Her eyes lit up with that, "Oh dude, I've been a Rockjaws fan for ages, even before they got their publisher contract. Like, 'Eat My Cherry Pie' was such a huge hit that people modded it into the last Rockstar game. You know how hard it is to mod that shit?" Felix shook his head, not having the head for that sort of stuff. "So what about you?" She asked, "Been a fan for long?"

Looking back at the stage, eyeing his girlfriend, Felix smiled. "A few months, give or take."

"A few months?" Trix pointed to the card hanging from his neck, "Then you must have some serious pull to get a backstage pass." Taking the pass, the leopard blushed, "Well, actually my girlfriend got it for me. Though I'm a bit worried I fucked things up."

"What?" Trix asked, the volume of her voice steadily increasing as the music flared. Felix grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the auditorium, at least far enough so that they could hear each other before repeating himself. "The hell makes you think that?"

"Well she has this routine that I almost ruined."

Trix stared at him with crossed arms, waiting for more information. "So?" She flipped her wrist, "It's just a routine. Big whoop."

"But it's like, really important to her. Like, if it doesn't happen, she can't do her thing right."

"If it's so important that you messing it up ruins the relationship, then it ain't a good relationship. Least that's what I'm hearing. I mean, does she trust you?" Trix asked. He trusted Tiffany, that'd been made clear throughout their relationship. Surely she trusted him. Not that the devil on his shoulder agreed, whispering dread until brushed aside by the dogfish's hand. "Look, Felix, I don't know your girlfriend, but I know that look. Anxiety isn't looking out for you, especially if it's holding ya back. So you better just talk it out with your girlfriend and things will be right as rain. Or whatever, I don't know why that phrase is what it is."

Looking back down the hall where the music echoed off the walls, Felix took a deep breath and nodded. Trix's braces flashed with her smile. "Good. Now let's enjoy some music first. Unless you gotta get your girlfriend now."

"No, she's busy. At least until after the show."

***

By the end of the concert, Felix heard a ringing in his ears that dissipated slowly. Trix invited him with her out for an after show deckfast, what she called dinner and breakfast, but he declined or at least postponed it until he could speak with Tiffany. "Actually, I think you should meet her."

"Sure. Always cool to meet a techie," Trix said as Felix pulled her along backstage. He had to be extra careful with the bouncers given that he only had one pass and didn't want to lose the privileges, but Trix deserved to meet the band after her advice. It was the least we could do.

Her eyes darted back and forth when they reached their door. "Um...Felix, I don't think a techie would be here. That's..." Trix gulped, "That's the...the band..." With a smile and a nod, he knocked on the door. It ripped open, with the skirted rat boy standing in the frame.

"Oi, we asked for no visitors after...Oh, it's you and..." He peered over Felix's shoulder, eyeing out a white faced thin sharkgirl behind him. "Who's ya friend? She got a pass?"

He gulped, "Well no," Felix stammered out, scratching his head to kill the nervous buzz, "But she helped me out so-"

"Bitchin, come on in," Conner stepped aside, letting the two enter in before shouting, "Oi, Tiff, yer pink pussy is here for ya!"

Tiffany carefully but angrily grabbed the rat and pushed him back inside, "Conner I swear to god if you could just be nice for-" She paused at the sight of Felix, or rather the girl behind him. "H-Hey...Felix, who's that?"

"This is Trix," Felix said, now realizing how rude it was to bring a fangirl without permission. "She's a classmate and she helped me deal with some douchebags in the crowd. I figured I'd introduce you..." He turned to Trix, noticing her headlights stare at the taller and muscular shark, "Trix?"

Robotically, Trix raised her hand to Tiffany, "P-P-Patricia is the name. F-Friends c-call me Trixie, I mean Trix, but Patricia is f-fine." The drummer looked to the hand, smiled softly, and shook on it with a tight grip. "Pleasure to meet ya, Trix. You want an autograph or-"

"Yes!" She squeaked, "I-I mean, if you don't mind that is. You rockstars are obviously busy, or at least don't want fans just barging on in and-"

"Hey, Vicky," Tiffany turned her head to the hyena on the couch, "We have a fangirl."'

"Seriously? Fucking A, let her in!" Vicky stepped between them to pull Trix inside, already asking questions and letting the fangirl do the same as Tiffany and Felix watched from a distance. Bringing her fingers to her lips, his girlfriend grabbed a backpack and silently closed the door, leaving the fangirl with the band and the two of them alone outside.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" She asked, her tone growing intensely serious, "I mean, I doubt we have insane fans yet. But if you got caught back here with her and only one backstage pass, you'd be kicked. Hell, I don't even know if I could give you another."

"I know." Felix nodded quickly, "I know. I just, well I talked with her about some issues and I felt I should make up to her for listening."

"Issues? What issues? Did I do something wrong? Wait, is this about earlier?"

"No," Felix said, raising his hands up in defense, "Well, no and yes. You didn't do anything wrong, but it's about earlier with the whole rituals thing." Taking a deep breath, he parsed out the words in his head before they reached his lips, "I didn't know how important they were to you. I thought I was being helpful, but it turns out I might have made things worse and that's the last thing I want to do with you."

She looked him over, her face blank until a small smile curled across it. "Oh, that? Nah I ruined that in the bathroom after you proposed the idea. I mean, you did kind of help bring that up, but it's not like it ruined the show or anything. Honestly, I'm not super against it."

He blinked, "Then why...why did you run off?"

She frowned, letting guilt paint upon her face, "It's just...well I have two reasons. One was that I got something I wanted to share with you, but the idea has been too arousing for me normally. And the other, well..." With a sigh, she embraced his small form, "I don't want us to be only physical, if that makes sense. Like, I love you, Felix. I do. But I don't want my first thought when seeing you to be for fucking, and I don't want that to be your thought with me. Does that make sense?"

It did, and as he embraced her the anxiety devil washed away. "I don't think of you as just someone to fuck me."

"I know." Tiffany's words had a hint of relief. He believed her, but she may have doubted herself. "It's just, being a herm I'm usually just objectified and-"

"Call me out if I ever do. Ok?" He hugged tighter, "I never want you to think I see you as some kind of thing. You're one of the best people in my life." Their embrace lasted for near eternity in their mind's eye, letting their heartbeats sink up. Finally, Felix asked, "So, what was the first thing?"

Blushing, Tiffany let go and sifted through her backpack. "Ever since the dance contest, I thought about your outfit. One thing on it kind of stuck to mind," She pulled a small and black feral dog collar from the bag. "It's not great, like, I couldn't really afford any really good ones. But I figured...well maybe you could..." it shook in her hands, words dying at the edge of her tongue. Felix smiled, taking both the collar and the hand that held it, and pressing it against his bare neck.

"Your place or mine?"

Her amber eyes lit up, "Mine. Yours is too short." Giving a toothy smile, she wrung the collar around his neck, clicking it behind him. He felt it with every breath. It wasn't too tight, nor was it perfectly comfy. Her lips met his before he could answer. "Maybe we can get a good one, one of these days."

"Define good. I'm sure there are leather ones online."

She looped a finger underneath the collar and reeled him in. "Custom, good. Maybe your mom knows someone?"

He nodded, "Yeah. She knows a guy."