Exposure - Chapter Three

Story by Tank Jaeger on SoFurry

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#3 of Exposure


"Hold it right there," Dox said, aiming his new studio lights at Jason.

"Tilt your head down just a bit...Now to the left."

"You know," Jason said, trying his best not to fidget, "I thought this was going to be easy, but its not!"

"There's a reason professional models make the big bucks, " Dox said, distractedly, "it's hard work. And you don't even have to do it in six inch heels!"

"I'm never going to do anything in six inch heels," Jason said, grimacing. "You know, I used to be afraid that if I liked guys, I'd have to dress up like a woman."

Dox looked up from the viewfinder of his cameras, then shook his head and went back to work. "Sorry," he said, "just can't picture that." Clicking the shutter several times, he finally caught an image he knew he'd be happy with. "Aaannnddd... We're done!" He announced, triumphantly.

Jason loosened the collar of the dress shirt that he'd asked his mother to iron for today, and rolled the cuffs of his shirt back before levering himself off of the hard steel stool he'd been sitting on for the past forty five minutes.

"Hold it!" Dox said, excitedly, "get back on that stool again, if you don't mind. Just for a second this time," he promised. Jason sighed and grumbled deep in his chest, but he complied.

"Now," Dox said, holding the camera up to his eye, "Get off the stool the same way you did just now, but slowly."

Jason duplicated his movements almost exactly, and as soon as he began to move, Dox began to fire off a series of shots in rapid succession. Twenty frames later, he stopped shooting and let the camera's memory card catch up. "Fantastic!" he said, "If what shows up in the big screen is anything like what I was seeing through the viewfinder, that's going to be one hell of a good shot!"

"Keep shooting." The look that Jason gave Dox was sultry and playful, and Dox was more than happy to go along with him, wherever this was heading. Through the viewfinder, Dox watched as Jason slowly unbuttoned his shirt, his strong hands plucking the buttons loose with almost delicate grace. Then he was removing his shirt, stretching his arms backwards to free them of his shirt's sleeves.

Hands grasped at the belt, unclasping it with slow, methodical determination. It slipped free of its loops one... by... one... and for a moment, he held it in both hands like one might hold a leather whip. With a dull clank, the end with the metal buckle hit the ground.

His hands had travelled to the button of his pants when Dox stopped him. "Pick up your belt. Unbuckle your pants, but don't unzip them." Jason complied, favoring Dox with a tolerant grin. "Now," Dox continued, "take off your undershirt. Slowly." Jason did as Dox asked, slowly removing his white cotton tee shirt as Dox smoothly panned around him with the camera, shooting from varying angles.

"Unzip your pants about two inches. I want to see your underwear, but just barely." Jason might have started this little seduction, but now Dox was the one in control. They were in his domain now. Camera to his eye, the brown Lab shot frame after frame of the most handsome man in his school stripping his clothes off.

"Put your thumbs in your waistband and pull them down an inch or so. You want me to see what you have, but you're not slutty about it. You're hungry, but not slutty."

*click* *click*

"Slouch a little at the hip now. Put that hip towards me."

*click* *click*

Now kick off your shoes and stand there in your socks."

Jason obeyed without hesitation. This wasn't what he'd planned, but he liked that Dox was firmly in control. He liked it a lot! His little brown lab was playing the Alpha role here, and Jason found himself becoming aroused.

"Put your left hand in your pocket. That's it, that's good...."

*click*

"Now pull your hand out of your pocket and put it on the front of your pants."

*click* *click*

"Spread your legs another few inches and give yourself a little squeeze, babe."

*click* *click* *click* *click* *click*

"Oh yeah, that's it. Rub it a little bit."

*click*

"Lean your head back slightly. You're enjoying this."

*click*

"Now, don't move." Dox stood up and walked slowly toward Jason, whose hand was still on his pants, but now it was grasping his huge hard-on. Putting his hands on either side of Jason's trim waist, Dox gave him a gentle squeeze and pulled him closer. "You're a natural at this."

Jason grinned down at him, removing his hand from his pants and putting his arms around Dox. "Thanks, Babe," he said, grinding his hips slowly against the smaller dog, "I'm learning a lot tonight." His tone told Dox that he wasn't just talking about photography.

His hands moved up and down Dox's back, finally coming to rest just above the base of his tail, to give a good scritch. Dox moaned and put the side of his face against Jason's chest.

Arms strong from long hours in the gym and on the field pulled Dox close, pressing their bodies together in the most welcoming, inviting hug Dox had ever experienced. And then, when things could seemingly get no better, Jason's beltless, half-unzipped pants fell off.

"Whoops!" he laughed, not moving to pull them up. "Guess you should have told me to zip them back up, huh?"

"Yeah," Dox said, grinning wickedly up at him, "It's all my fault. I like you with your pants off."

Without releasing Dox, Jason stepped out of his pants and kicked them towards the edge of the room. "Now what are we going to do?" he asked. "Your family's out of town for the weekend, I'm standing here nearly naked, and you're still holding your camera."

"Oh, God, I am, aren't I?" Dox said, breaking loose from Jason and setting his camera on a nearby table. "It's just such an extension of my arm, I don't tend to think about it anymore." Then he turned and saw Jason, standing there in his underwear under the studio lights, and his breath caught in his throat.

"My God," he said, his voice a ragged whisper, "you're beautiful." Dox didn't even think about picking up his camera and trying to capture what he was seeing. He'd been doing this long enough to realize that what made Jason truly beautiful wasn't able to be captured, it had to be experienced.

"Not as beautiful as you," Jason said, slowly walking to Dox and gathering him up. "You've got what really counts, babe." And Dox heard a hint of something completely unexpected in Jason's voice. Envy.

Strong hands pulled at his shirt, lifting it up over his head before he could object. The next thing he knew, he was pressed belly to belly with his number 88. "Are you cold?" Jason asked, "You're shivering."

Dox laughed under his breath. "Not cold, just nervous."

"Why?" Jason asked, gently swaying their bodies back and forth in a silent dance.

"This is just all so new. I want to do it right, but I don't know how."

Jason smiled down at him. "For something so important, it seems like they'd give you a rulebook, doesn't it?"

"At least pass out a pamphlet in health class," Dox agreed. "Something."

"Maybe that's the good thing about not knowing the rules," Jason said, "you can't mess it up if neither one of you knows what you're doing!" Slowly he leaned over and brushed Dox's lips with his own. The rumbling deep inside Dox's chest told Jason that he'd made the right move. He broke the kiss and looked down hopefully. "So you're sure they're gone for the whole weekend?

"Yep." Dox said, happily. "This conference was the best thing they could have done for me."

"So do you want to... You know," Jason said, blushing, "fool around?"

Dox tried to look scandalized, but he couldn't manage to hide his happy response. If nothing else, the enthusiastic wagging of his tail would have given him away. He finally just gave up trying. "Hell yes!"

Jason turned Dox around to face the door leading from his garage into the house, and possessively put his right hand into Dox's back pocket as they walked toward his room. Dox snuggled into the crook of his Shepherd's arm, enjoying the feeling of being this close to him. "So you've never done anything with another guy?" he asked Jason.

"Nope. You were the first."

Dox's lay down on his bed and pulled Jason down next to him. "I hate to have to sound ignorant about all this, but do you have any idea how this is supposed to work?"

"Well," Jason said, gently rubbing Dox's ears, "I think before anything else happens, you should probably take the rest of your clothes off."

Dox laughed, "Yeah, I suppose." but still, he hesitated. Looking up into Jason's beautiful blue eyes, he admitted, "I'm shy about that, I guess."

"You weren't shy about it the other night," Jason teased, "You just popped right out of those pants. At least," he amended, "part of you did." Reaching down, he gave Dox's thickening cock a healthy squeeze through his pants.

Dox's eyes half-closed, and he let out a rough moan of pleasure. "Now, take those pants off," Jason ordered, his voice quiet but firm.

Dox complied, awkwardly pulling off his pants and tossing them onto the floor. "Underwear, too," Jason said. "I swear, I'm gonna get you comfortable being naked around me."

"Why is your underwear still on, then?" Dox asked, arching an eyebrow before reaching down and pulling Jason's underwear off his body. His own followed, and he hopped back onto the bed next to Jason, their bodies grinding together as their tongues danced once again between their mouths.

Dox's fur was so soft, Jason thought. And he was so eager! Warm and desirable... Jason's tongue probed inside his partner's mouth, exploring and experimenting like they hadn't had time to do in their previous encounter. He was so wrapped up in their kiss that he hadn't even realized that his eyes had closed. They snapped open when Dox's hands traveled down his back and gave his rump a firm squeeze. But then they slowly shut themselves again as he allowed himself to trust his partner and just enjoy the new sensations.

Dox had never held a man like this before. Their time spent together the previous weekend felt spontaneous and rushed. It was wonderful, but how much can you let yourself go when your partner's parents are in the next room? This time, they were free to go slowly and be a little more adventurous. He began to knead his partner's firm ass, and felt Jason's surprise through their kiss. He didn't want to go to fast, and was about to stop when he heard Jason give a little moaning whine, then relax into him. He liked it!

Dox's paws roamed over the round muscles of Jason's backside, memorizing every curvaceous detail. When his fingers lightly brushed the jock's tailhole, something unexpected happened - Jason's breath caught and he ground his sheathed erection into Dox's crotch provocatively. Did that mean... Dox moved his fingers back and began to trace circles around Jason's hole, occasionally putting pressure on the very center, and Jason began to groan.

Dox wasn't as completely ignorant as he let on - the internet was a wonderful thing - and he broke the kiss for something else. Something better. His hands on Jason's hips, he rolled him over and jammed his nose deep inside his partner's backside. "Woah!" Jason exclaimed, arching his back in surprise, "Your nose is cold!" But all protests stopped dead in their tracks when Dox's limber tongue pushed inside him. It's hard to protest when you're moaning in pleasure.

Agile and strong, Dox's tongue probed his partner with instinctive skill. He knew very little about technique, but what he lacked in experience he made up for in enthusiasm. He lapped around Jason's hole, rasping his rough tongue over its surface for a while, then dipped inside him and tickled his insides. Jason was a clean man, and to his surprise, Dox found that although the smell of his partner was dark and musky, it was not unpleasant in the least. It wasn't like, "Oh, chocolate!", it was more like the smell of strength and protection, of heat and hard work. And by the sounds he was making, Jason was loving every minute of what Dox was doing to him

Levering his ass up in the air so Dox could have better access, Jason writhed on the bed, his long, muscular legs unconsciously working back and forth underneath him. "If Jason's getting off this hard with my tongue inside him," Dox said to himself, "I wonder how much he'd enjoy something bigger?"

Keeping Jason in place with one hand on his back, Dox got on his knees behind Jason and aimed his thick cock where his tongue had been just moments before. He'd felt how tight Jason was so he tried his best to go slowly, but the heat and tight wetness of his partner made that difficult. Thankfully, Jason was hungry for what Dox was feeding him. With a groan of pleasure he pressed himself backwards, impaling himself and pushing Dox deep inside him until the hard flesh of his knot bumped against Jason's backside.

"Oh, God," Jason cried, gathering the sheets in his fists.

"Do I need to stop?" Dox asked, concerned.

"Oh, Jesus, no!" Jason said, "Keep going!" His hand pushed underneath him and Dox felt his fingertips probing their union, feeling Dox sliding in and out of him with machine-like rhythm.

Dox's breathing was coming in fast gasps now. He'd never experienced anything like this before, and he knew he wouldn't last long, especially with a big stud like Jason bouncing up and down on his cock.

Jason moved his hand and started stroking his own erection, spurts of pre making a juicy mess underneath them. Sure, Dox was cute and smart and kind, and Jason thought he might even love him, but he had absolutely no idea that he'd be such an aggressive animal in bed! Every pleasurable nerve in his body was on fire, and he could feel his balls churning with his load. When Dox grabbed Jason's hips and started pounding into his ass, it pushed Jason over the edge. With a howl of passion, Jason shot thick ropes of hot semen first into his fist, then all over Dox's bed.

When Jason howled his release, Dox could hold back no longer. Pushing himself as deeply inside Jason as possible, he groaned and felt his own cock shoot his load inside his boyfriend. Three, four, five times more he pulled nearly all the way out, then slammed himself back inside his partner's ass, breeding him without mercy. "Mine," he muttered in the afterglow, rubbing his fingers through the hair on Jason's back as he felt sanity slowly return to him. He gave the thick tail pressed up against his belly a playful tug at the base. "Mine."

Jason's orgasm was, by far, the most powerful he'd ever had in his life, and it took a good five minutes of just laying there in a puddle of his own goo before his senses began to return to him. "Holy shit, Dox," he panted, "that was amazing."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Dox said, dreamily.

As Jason became more aware, he realized that Dox was still inside him. Shrunken a bit, but still there, making him feel full in a way he never had before. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. Having another man inside him, having Dox inside him, made him feel good.

In a way this was disquieting, because he always imagined that he'd be the one on top. He was a big strapping guy, a star on the football team, and to find out that all this time, he had a bitch inside him waiting to come out. He didn't like to think about that.

Slowly, Dox began to pull out of him, and before he realized it, Jason was empty, alone inside his own skin again. He knew it was impossible, but he wished that Dox could stay inside him forever. He heard Dox toweling himself clean, then felt his hands on his side, rolling him over onto his back.

"Son of a gun! I thought you shot big last time! This is... this is awesome!" The puddle of fluids that Jason had generated was impressive for any species, and that he'd been laying in it for some minutes meant that his fur was a little the worse for wear. "Let's get you into the shower, stud."

Warming up the spray, Dox leaned up against the towel rack while Jason, finally soft again, relieved himself in the toilet. It was a common moment, but to Dox it seemed special. It was the declining moments of an epic event for them. Neither of them were virgins anymore, and he had been the one on top! He felt accomplished.

Stepping into the tub, he held the curtain back for Jason, who climbed in behind him. Calmed by the rush of endorphins, they slowly lathered each other up, taking special to make sure each other's sexual equipment was especially clean. But in the end it was all just fooling around, for their lovemaking had left them satisfied.

Dox had to work for a while at getting all the semi-dried semen out of Jason's chest and belly fur, but it all eventually came clean. He even treated Jason to the conditioning rinse he used on his own hair, making his fur extra soft and fluffy.

Taking turns in the fur drying cabinet, they emerged fresh and clean, ready to attack some dinner. "Dang it," Dox complained, digging around in the freezer. "Mom never has anything good in here, like frozen pizza or anything."

"Huh," Jason said, "my mom's the queen of frozen pizza. We've probably got ten in our freezer."

"Lucky you," Dox remarked, still digging. "Hey, score! I found some... I think it's lasagna. Let's heat it up and find out." In spite of the fact that his mother occasionally drove him nuts with her frugality and her non-stop, wall-to-wall practicality, he had to admit that she was a pretty darned good cook. He just wished she'd label her frozen leftovers better.

Dox put the frozen rectangle onto a plate and popped it into the microwave. He got a couple of drinks for them and they went into the living room to watch some TV while the food heated. Jason grabbed the remote and found a football game, using the opportunity to explain the basics of the game to Dox.

In spite of his lifelong antipathy towards organized sports, Dox found himself becoming interested. As the game progressed, Jason excitedly explained the different positions, and what each man could and couldn't do on the field. Except for the fact that there were ten times as many rules, it seemed very much like chess to Dox. Each man moved in proscribed ways, with the eventual goal being to make it to the other side of the field, while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Somehow he didn't think that Jason would see the similarity, so he stayed quiet about it.

Even once Dox had served the food, Jason continued his running commentary, telling about the team's players, which college or previous team they'd come from, how long they'd been with their current team, and all other manner of useless information, stopping only during the commercials to put food in his mouth.

"You sure love this game, don't you?" Dox said, looking at Jason staring raptly at the screen.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Jason admitted, "Ever since I can remember, I've played. My dad took me to games when I was little, and some of my earliest memories are of him holding me in his lap at the game, explaining it to me like I'm explaining it to you."

"I'm a little big to be holding in your lap, but thanks anyway," Dox grinned. "I wish I had anything like that in my life, anything that I'd done for as long as I can remember. Some people have football, some have church, and some have hunting or another sport. Me... " he trailed off, thinking. "It just seems like one day I woke up, and here I was. Is that weird?"

Jason put his plate on the coffee table and climbed up on the couch with Dox, laying far back in the cushions so Dox could snuggle up in front of him. "Maybe. But maybe not. If it makes you you, then I'm all for it." He belched softly, kissed Dox on the top of his head, and continued their lesson. "Now that guy there, the big one on the left? He's a nose tackle..."

After the game ended, and Dox's head felt like it was about to burst from so much new information about football that he felt compelled to remember, if only for Jason's sake, Dox flipped over on the couch to face his boyfriend. Nuzzling his head underneath Jason's chin, Dox asked, "You don't really have to leave tonight, do you? Can you just call your dad and ask him to stay over?" He motioned to the empty house. "Opportunities like this won't come along very often."

Jason hugged him close, and realized that he had no desire to leave the warmth of Dox's arms. "I have a better idea." He stretched out an arm to the end table where he'd left his phone and dialed his mothe'rs digits. "Hey mom!" Listen, I'm over at my friend Dox's house. Yeah, dad met him last weekend."

He looked over at Dox, but the phone was still up to his ear, so Dox stayed silent. "Yeah, well, I need you to run interference with dad for me. I thought I was going to Marcy's party tonight, but now I'd really rather not. Right," he said, relief in his voice, "riiiight. I just need a break. Okay mom. Okay. Is it okay if I spend the night? Yeah, it's just me and Dox and a pile of movies." His face split into a huge grin "Thanks, mom. You're the best!" Flipping his phone closed, he turned it off and put out back on the end table. "Done!" He told Dox, triumphantly. "My mom can be pretty cool sometimes." He gathered Dox back into his arms as he laid back down on the couch and explained, "My mom and my dad are completely different. I can tell my mom anything."

"So you can stay?" Dox asked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice.

"Looks like it," Jason said, pulling Dox back down onto the couch with him. "So what do we do now?"

The two pooled their resources and ordered a large pizza, then ate it while watching some brainless action flick involving two detectives, a monkey, and roughly a ton of C-4 explosive. "I could get to like this," Jason murred as he stroked Dox's arm. "it's relaxing to have a day off every now and then."

"You about ready for bed?" Dox asked, pulling at Jason's chest fur.

"Jeez, it's only ten on a Saturday night!" Jason protested. "Let's go out!"

"Won't they all be closing about now?" Dox asked, confused.

Jason laughed. "At ten? Hardly. They're just now getting started. Come on, we don't have to stay long. Just thirty minutes, so I can show you."

"Okay," Dox said, "but this is exactly what my parents would never think to tell me not to do when they're out of town, because they think there's no way I'd ever do it."

"Maybe not on your own," Jason said, "but that was before I came here to corrupt you."

Jason helped Dox pick out something suitable, then gave a good look to his own attire. His T-shirt and cargo shorts were okay, but when combined with the white dress shirt he'd been wearing in his portrait, they made a great combination.

Roaring downtown in Jason's Camaro, it was only about twenty minutes before they were walking up to the front door of Sphinx, one of the city's hot spots. "There's no way in hell I'm getting in there," Dox protested, "I'm only seventeen!"

"You worry too much, puppy," Jason said, putting a hand on Dox's back. "Watch and learn." He guided Dox to the front of a long line of people and waved a hand at the bouncer to get his attention.

"Whatchou want, numma eighty-eight?" the huge crocodile said. Jason wasn't wearing his letter jacket, so Dox assumed that they knew each other. The croc spoke with a Cajun accent as thick as gumbo, but Jason had no trouble understanding him.

"Is Clarkie working tonight?" he asked,

The croc nodded and pointed a thick, reptilian finger toward the back of the building. "I'll let him know you be here, you."

"Thanks, Dom. You're the best!" Jason gave the croc's huge paw a quick handshake, and Dox barely noticed the green credit slip that changed hands.

"It's good to have connections," Jason said, pulling him around the corner of the building. "My cousin works here, and he lets us in the back entrance."

They hadn't waited at the painted metal door for five minutes before a small shepherd opened the door for them. "Hey, Clarkie! Jason said. "I'm just showing my friend here around. We won't be staying long."

"Well, Jeez," Clarkie said, shutting the door behind them as they entered the small back pantry, "You might as well have a drink while you're here. If you're in, you're in."

Clarkie gave Dox a quick once-over before telling him, "Dude, we don't let just anyone in here. If you're going to be on premises, at least pretend to be twenty one." The two cousins gave each other a fast hug and a clap on the back, then Clarkie left with a quick comment in Jason's direction. "School him, huh? I gotta get back to work."

"Will do, Clarkie. Thanks!" Turning to Dox, he said, "Okay, this is going to be a quick run, but he's right - if the place happens to get busted when we're in here, it's gonna be a mess, so throw your chest out, keep your eyes glued to something in the distance, and for the love of God, do not jamb your hands in your pockets. Nothing says "I'm underage and insecure" like walking around with your hands stuck in your pockets. Ready?"

Dox stood tall, gave Jason a disinterested look, and hooked a thumb in the corner of his pocket. "You tell me," he said, angling his chin upwards slightly.

"Great!" Jason said, giving Dox an enchanting grin. "Looking good!" He opened the door, walked boldly onto the main floor and headed straight to the bar. "Two Crown and Cokes, please," he yelled over the loud music.

The vixen behind the bar smiled at him. "Hey, Jason! How are you tonight?"

"Doing good, Maggie! How's business?"

She turned around and waved at the crowd with the crown-shaped bottle in her hand. "Booming! Everyone's having a great time tonight! You bring any of the guys with you?"

"Naw, just my friend Dox." He watched as she did a five second pour into each glass, nearly filling each one with premium whiskey.

"Is Dox a he or a she?" she asked, pouring just enough Coke into each glass to give some color to the drinks.

"He."

Maggie put two paper coasters on the bar and set the drinks on top. "So he's a he, but he's not one of the guys, huh?" She gave him a sly, sideways look that hinted that she knew more than she possibly could. "Interesting."

Jason said nothing, but held his wallet up.

"Ten bucks," she said, looking way too disinterested. "You never buy premiums for your buddies, you know."

Then she looked at Jason directly and said, in a tone of voice almost lost in the noise of the club, "Be careful, okay?"

Jason nodded slightly and smiled at her. "Thanks, Maggie." He put down fifteen, picked up his drinks and moved back to where Dox stood. Handing him a drink, Jason leaned over and spoke in his ear. "You ever drink?"

"Not really," Dox said, taking a small from his drink. "This isn't bad," he smiled at Jason, "I think I like it."

"Well, go slow on that!" Jason said, putting a fingertip on the rim of Dox's glass and gently tipping back to level. "sip, don't drink." Bumping Dox's arm with his elbow, he said, "Let's walk."

Dox followed him closely on a stroll around the club, watching what was going on around him with fascination. He tried to be discreet about it, but discreetly walking through a disco where he wasn't even supposed to be, holding a drink he wasn't old enough to have, wasn't the easiest thing for him to do.

Jason suddenly stopped and pulled Dox next to him. "Why don't you walk in front, so I can watch you?"

Dox gulped. It was hard enough acting nonchalant when he was following Jason, but he had no idea what the layout of the club was. He could have just as easily have led them into a blind corner, and that would look really stupid, wouldn't it?

Jason sensed his unease, and leaned down to talk into his floppy brown ear. He couldn't help but notice that it smelled faintly of cloves. "It's okay, pup. I'll be right behind you. Nobody in here's going to hurt you, and you can't get in trouble with me here, okay?"

His reassurance was all Dox needed. The Lab nodded, and slowly pulled out of the spot he'd parked his feet in. Jason followed close behind, watching him move and giving him suggestions as they went. "Remember, shoulders wide, back straight, stay loose." "When someone passes you, don't stare at their eyes. Look over their shoulders. You're bored, but there's something absolutely fascinating on the wall behind them."

Within a few minutes, Jason's comments had gone from being helpful criticisms to praise, and Dox was feeling pretty good about his "cover". Then something at the front of the club caught his eye. He pointed them out to Jason. "Why are those four men standing near the entrance like that? They're not moving, they're not drinking, they're just sort of staring at the crowd?"

Jason took one look at them and leaned over to Dox. "We're leaving. Now." Without hurrying, the two young dogs made their way over to the side closet through which they entered the club. They were just slipping inside when the music stopped and an unfamiliar voice rang out over the PA system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse the interruption while we turn up the lights for the next few minutes. Please have your I.D.'s out and ready for inspection. Thank you."

"It's a beverage commission raid!" said Jason, quietly pushing open the back door and letting them out into the alley. "We got out of there just in time!"

Walking quickly to the car, Jason asked, "How did you recognize them?"

"I didn't," Dox said, "I just thought they looked out of place."

"Huh," Jason said, "It's kinda like you told me about photography - notice what's different."

"Maybe," Dox said. "I think we were just very lucky." His voice trembled from the adrenalin rush.

"You okay?" Jason said, a little concerned for his friend.

"I guess," the other replied. "I'm not used to stuff like that."

"You did great, Dox!" Jason reassured him. "By the time we left, you were walking the bar like an old pro. Nobody would have thought anything odd about seeing you there. And," he went on, boosting his friend's confidence even more, "if you hadn't spotted those agents, the club would have been in a hell of a lot of trouble right now for letting us in." He triggered his remote control, flashing his car's parking lights in the crowded lot.

"You know what, Jase?" Dox said, waiting on his side of the car for Jason to walk around to the driver's door, "You're a bad influence." After settling into the deeply contoured seat, he looked over and finished, "I think I like that."

"Good, 'cause there's lots more where that came from, puppy!" As he turned the key and brought the musclecar to life, Jason looked right back at Dox and favored him with a wicked grin.

Dox grinned and leaned back, allowing himself to be consumed with feelings of completion. Leaning back and relaxing into the leather seat, he thought about where his life was going. He had a hot boyfriend, he'd just had his first drink, he'd just gone clubbing... Well, he'd almost gone clubbing... Was this what the rest of his life was going to be like, he wondered? If so, then the pain of his early years was worth it. Completely.

"Hey, wake up, puppy," Jason gave his arm a squeeze. "We're home."

Dox opened his eyes groggily and smiled at the first love of his life. "God, I love the sound of that. Home."

"Let's get you inside," Jason said, helping Dox out of the car. The smaller dog faltered a little, trying to put the key into the lock and missing a time or two. "Are you tipsy from one drink?" Jason shook his head and chuckled softly to himself. "That's so damned cute."

Walking upstairs, Jason carefully steered Dox to his bedroom and helped him take off his clothes. Dox snuggled up in bed, and after a few minutes spent checking the doors and windows, Jason joined him. Curling up behind him, nesting their bodies together like spoons in a drawer.

Lying beside him, watching his partner sleep, Jason listened to Dox make sleepy noises in his arms. For the first time in his life, watching protectively over the guy he hoped one day to make his mate, he felt like a man.

How odd it was, how ironic, that he felt that way the same day he'd had his ass pounded by another male. And yet there was not the slightest doubt in his mind that he would have walked through fire to protect this softly snoring creature he held in his arms.

So what did that mean, really? To have been taken by another guy? All his life he'd imagined that he would be the one on top. It was a big shock to discover that he was capable not only of allowing another man to top him, but that he would enjoy it so tremendously, that he would have craved it as it happened. What did that say about him as a man?

Jason blew his breath out softly, feeling mild frustration at his own lack of understanding. He felt stupid for not being able to wrap his mind around this, and Dox wasn't going to waste his time partnering up with a stupid jock.

Was he going to have to be a bride? Everyone would laugh at him for being the bitch in the relationship, everyone would know that he took it up the tailhole. Bitches don't play college ball, he told himself, much less go pro. Whatever happened, though, he wasn't letting go of Dox. Stroking the sleeping Lab's velvety soft fur as he succumbed to sleep, he knew he'd found the one thing in life more important to him than football. He'd found love.

Jason woke the next morning to sun streaming in through the open window. The cool breeze played over his face, ruffling his fur. It took him a quick second to piece together where he was - Dox's bedroom, parents gone, sleepover... but no Dox.

Poking his nose up, he thought he smelled the heavenly combination of coffee and bacon wafting through the air. Jason couldn't remember getting up with a smile since... well... ever. The grin on his face was unprecedented, but not unwelcome. He felt fantastic.

Walking into the kitchen, Jason found Dox there slaving away over breakfast. Looking over at the stove, he could see that Dox had been making pancakes. It all smelled great, but Jason couldn't remember the kitchen looking nearly as disheveled when his mom made pancakes. It seemed pretty obvious that Dox usually ate cold cereal for breakfast.

"Hey!" he said, brightly. "Whatcha cooking?"

Dox, holding a spoon coated with batter, crossed the short distance between them and gave Jason a quick kiss on the nose. "Pancakes. I know they're traditionally supposed to be round, but mine are shaped kinda like Texas."

"Don't matter," Jason said, smiling down at Dox's eager face. "I'll bet they're still gonna taste great." He would have gladly eaten dirt with a spoon if it would keep that trusting, hopeful smile on Dox's face. Fortunately he didn't have to, because the pancakes were pretty good!

The bacon was overcooked and the coffee was ambitiously strong, but he ate them without complaint. The fact that Dox had made them for him made him feel cared for. And wasn't that the most important thing in a relationship? He'd grabbed the brass ring, and was holding onto it no matter what. Even, he thought, if it meant taking it from behind twice a day.

Or, a smile crossing his face, three or four times a day...