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Sitting in the locker room of Neon Lights, I looked up from rubbing one of my feet, hearing the opening of the door. In the room with me were two wolves who were picking out what they wanted to wear for the remaining couple hours of their shift, and one of the stage dancers, Mick. I liked Mick, the taller stallion with his dark brown coat and white spots that decorated his body in various places.

Coming into the room then was Crow, the club manager. I stopped my paws where they were, picking my leg up needlessly far as Crow surveyed the locker room. He stood still a moment in his dark red collared shirt and black jeans, hands on his hips as he looked as all over. He glanced at me, then only smirked as he stood there with his slightly hunched posture a permeant disappointed scowl on his face. In truth he was pretty cool club manager.

"Mick," he addressed the stallion, "your off the clock ain't you?"

"Sure am," Mick nodded from his position against the wall, arms folded over his chest. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his jacket tossed over the back of a nearby chair.

Crow grunted at Mick then, giving him a thumbs up. He looked at the two wolves, one of them halfway through pulling on a blue fishnet top. He raised an eyebrow at Crow, who only waved a hand at the pair.

"Slut," one wolf said to the other.

"Fuck you," the wolf in the blue top reached out to push the face of the other one way, his tail flicking behind him.

"What about you Alex?" Crow asked me then, "you about to head out? Or you wanna stay and help the guys close up the bar again? AJ said you did good with it last time."

"Sure, I'll stay," I nodded, rubbing my leg that was still in the air.

"Good," Crow nodded to me then.

As he turned to leave the room I brought my leg down and rested it on the chair I was sitting in in front of one of the mirrors. I looked at the mirror as the dressing room door was shutting closed behind Crow, and the two wolves behind me were going back to getting dressed.

Mick was moving from the wall now, picking up his jacket as he was getting ready to leave.

"Later boys," he held up a strong looking paw to the two wolves.

The one dressing in the blue top had settled on a pair of black shorts to complement his choice of top, and held up a paw to Mick. The other wolf was pulling down his pants, but told Mick to "have a good one," as he was kicking his pants off.

"See you Alex. Oh, AJ told me to tell you he needed to catch you before you left work, earlier tonight," Mick paused, closing one eye.

"Uh," I looked up at the stallion, propping my chin up with my paws, "so go talk to AJ before I leave work?"

"That's it," Mick pointed a finger gun at me, "see you kid."

"Bye stud!" I moved a paw to wave at Mick.

Mick only smiled at me before he was taking his careful but dominate looking steps to a doorway that was on the other side of the dressing room. That would take Mick through the bathroom and showers, where he was probably heading outside via the clubs back door.

"Hey Alex," one of the wolves said my name, "what's it looking like out there?"

"Slowing down," I turned my head to look over my shoulder, leaning down to let my ass hang halfway out of the chair I was in, "why? You still looking to catch some business before we shut it down?"

"If the getting's good yeah," the wolf nodded, adjusting his blue mesh top.

"Go get em' boys," I smiled at them.

The wolf smiled back at me, then started to walk for the dressing room door. I turned back to the mirror I was sitting in front of, then reached up my arms to stretch them. I felt bones pop in my elbows, and the second wolf was adjusting the fit on his black pants as he turned, following after the first one. I didn't recall their names, but they worked the floor like I did.

I could hear the bass of the music from the main floor reverberating off the walls, almost able to feel it in my teeth. I licked my lips then, pushing my chair back some on its rolling wheels. Sure an office chair in a gay club is weird, but who doesn't want their chair to roll around? Shit's fun.

As I was standing up I reached my arms up to stretch them. I knew for a fact that I was going to sleep in tomorrow morning, well past ten which was my preferred time to get out of bed. As I pushed my arms up my elbows popped and I moaned, laughing at myself. I had changed out of my jeans shorts, banana hammock underwear and black tube top almost as soon as I'd gotten back into the dressing room. I dropped my clothes off into the laundry basket, then it was time for a quick shower. I ran the water as hot as I could stand it, then took my time with getting all of the cum out of my fur, and smoothing it out so I didn't have any crazy patches sticking up in wild directions.

Now I smelled like fresh mint like you'd eat from the top of that seriously underrated ice cream from the little place on the corner of the road that a gay club is on. _Oooo ice cream in the beginning of winter in New York! _my brain danced at the thought.

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes at myself then, but was crossing the space of the dressing room as I let my feet drift over the softer-than-you'd-think carpet.

When I came up to my locker I picked through it a moment, looking over the clothes I kept on hand for the club. We did our own laundry, as in if you didn't take all your dirty clothes home Friday night then you'd have to do without your favorite underwear or assless chaps come the next night you worked. As I pulled open my locker, they were like high school lockers with a cute little mirror in them, I poked my fingers through what I had to wear. another tube top? Nah did that already.

I frowned at my own selection then, thinking of the red and orange tank top I knew I had sitting on a hangar back in my apartment that was a block and a half up the road. I only shook my head then, not letting a little thing like a shirt get me down.

"Fucking tank top," I muttered to myself then. Dammit, the tank top had me down.

Clicking my tongue as I pulled a black mesh top from my locker, I turned around when the dressing room door came flying open. Stumbling through the door was James, a tabby cat with amber colored fur and a white chest and paws. He looked at me, his face seeming peaked and a bit pale, then put a paw to his mouth as he was quickly followed into the room by Jake, who looked at me. He only ushered James past the dressing room and into the bathroom.

"Uh, he good?" I called after the pair.

"To much to drink!" James voice came from around the doorway.

As if on cue I heard James retching into a toilet, his voice amplified by the toilet bowl. My ears flattened against my head, but I turned back to my locker. I only had a shirt on now, but as I snatched a pair of green underwear from my locker I gave it a desperate look, then reached out to snag a small bottle of stomach ache medicine that I always had in my locker. I kept stuff for headaches too, and had a box of band-aids along with the medicines. Can you guess who the little bitch is at Neon Lights yet? It's my headache and stomach pained self.

I looked the dressing room over quickly before I snatched an un-opened bottle of water from in front of one of the dressing mirrors. Coming to quickly walk to the back room doorway I skated around in, then went down a short hallway that was lit with fluorescent lights that seemed to bright in that moment. I scrunched up my nose as I smelled the alcohol infused barf that was in which ever toilet James in bent over. Just another step down the hallway and I pushed open the a bathroom door.

Knelt over a toilet was James, with Jake just behind him and rubbing the tabby's back. James was groaning into the toilet, but said,

"Fucking two for one special man..."

Jake let himself chuckle then as he turned to see me. I held out the stomach meds to Jake, who took them with,

"Thanks Alex."

"Aw, Alex saw me puke?!" James voice took on a note of worry.

"No buddy!" I was stepping into my underwear then, a tone getting caught in the waistband. I swore, got them pulled on and then up, and was coming to lean down over James.

Jake was popping off the cap to the medicine, and as I held out the bottle of water to James the tabby cat took it, smiling at it.

"Cold," he mumbled. Man, he was indeed hammered.

I reached out to rub James's back, the tabby purring softly. He uncapped the water and put the bottle to his lips, taking a large drink. He was tipping the bottle back a second later, almost halfway through it already.

"Whoa, hey man slow down, you'll puke that up too," Jake was telling James, "Alex brought you something for your headache, you wanna take it?"

James only grunted as he took a breath from drinking, only a healthy sip of water left in the plastic bottle. I reached out my other paw to flush the toilet, desperately wanting the smell of liquor and vomit to not hang in the air.

James held out his other paw then, setting down the water bottle. Jake shook two pills into his paw, then glanced at me as the water in the toilet tank was refilling.

"Yeah one more," I nodded.

"Yeah he might need it," I nodded back.

Jake held the meds out to James, who licked his lips before tossing the pills into his mouth. His mouth turned almost upside down, but he snatched up the remainder of his water and slurped it down with a large breath.

I sighed then as I squatted down on my haunches, and rubbed James back. The tabby kept purring, which I guess was an alright sigh. I'd never seen James puke before, even when he did get wasted. All of us floor guys have had our nights of toilet puking, that's for sure.

"Dam who's watching the bar?" I looked at Jake then.

"AJ and Mitch," Jake held up a paw, "it's slowing down out there pretty fast, so I make the call to haul this little furball back here."

"Hey!" James turned to scowl at Jake.

I only reached up to rub James head, leaning out my head to gently bump the tabby's. Jake was standing with with a grunt then, and rested a paw on James' back, still rubbing.

"Crow said I could help you guys close up the bar again," I said to Jake.

"Oh hell yeah man," Jake was nodding, "I know Mitch is about to leave so that'll leave you, me, AJ, uh... Ruby and Nico to close this place up tonight. No sweat."

"Everyone else already getting ready to bail?" I asked, thinking of the stage dancers and the floor guys, "I saw Mick leaving when I snuck in here like thirty minutes ago. Did Jade already leave too?"

"That the otter?" Jake asked.

"Jade is the otter. His names Adam by the way."

"Dam he's cool," Jake said wistfully then, "dudes always got those sunglasses on. What a badass..."

"Ok so did the badass leave?" I asked with a smile.

"Yeah he's out," Jake nodded, "and as soon as I can get James here back on his feet I'll have Mitch take him home. That cool with you buddy?"

"Mitch is cool buddy," James was nodding, taking a deep breath, "Ugh. Fuck me."

I was standing up then with a grunt, and pushed my hair off of my forehead. Jake thanked me for the medicine and I told him it was no big deal. After he assured me he and James were alright, I left the bathroom and was back in the dressing room. Now two other furs were in the dressing room, a wolf with brown fur an orange splotch of color on his face, and a deer with shorter antlers, his little black nose perched on his face.

"Yo it's Alex!" said the wolf Nico.

"Hey is James ok?" asked the deer, Ruby. His real name was Smith, but he preferred his club nickname.

"Yeah he'll be ok," I was nodding as I stuck my thumbs into my underwear, "Jake's back there with him."

"Ok, cool," Ruby was leaning back on a small couch that was in the middle of the dressing room.

As I walked over to my locker again I found a pair of black skinny jeans and pulled them up, then reached back to brush at my tail some. I felt a small drop of dried cum and rolled my eyes before letting my tail go, and making to head back out to the floor.

"You closing with us?" Nico asked, looking up from picking at his teeth.

"Yeah, might as well," I was reaching for the dressing room door, "make a little extra money."

"Pff, I earned my take tonight," Ruby said as he was scratching his head, "I got this guy to buy me like four shots back to back and he ended up leaving earlier than he wanted to because he got to drunk."

I laughed then as Ruby was giggling. I waved at the two before I pulled open the dressing room door. The sounds of the bass got louder as soon as I was stepping back onto the floor, and I took a look at the club. The lights were a little brighter, the bass didn't feel as powerful, and there were fewer furs in the club. I looked around a second longer before I started to work my way up to the bar, looking around. The plum colored curtains were drawn around the entrance to the stage, and as I walked past a table a wolf was snoring, a small bead of drool accompanying his slightly open mouth.

"Boy how mays cabs are we calling tonight Alex?" I asked myself.

Getting closer to the bar I walked my usual route from the dressing rooms behind the couches on my right, giving me a good view of the club as a whole. The private rooms to the left should have been almost empty, but we would probably end up drawing straws to find out before to long. I'm not kidding about the straws either, and I've had the luck to find a couple of patrons either mid-fuck or passed out asleep in the private rooms before.

On the furthest side of the club were booths were you went for the "terrible strip club food" if you believed that old troupe. I've had bad strip club food, and Lights isn't the place you go for bad strip club food. I'd love to get paid to say that to new patrons, because there'd be some truth to it.

The couches weren't very occupied, save for three and a half. One patron was stretched out all the way across one couch, an arm over his face as he lay there. I paused behind the couch, reaching out to gently poke his leg. He grunted as he lifted up his arm, a doe with light brown fur, and only gave me a thumbs up. I took my leave in silence as I walked past another couch where a pair of bulls were leaned back, on of them whispering to the other one. The bull on the left chuckled then, his arm around the other one. I peeked at them, and saw the bull on the right had a large, black cock out, the tip of his member pink in color and being stroked by his friend.

I reached out to pass a finger along both of their heads, making the bull who was getting his shaft stroked look up at me. He winked at me, and I waved innocently at him, still heading for the bar. Looking up at the bar then I passed a paw through my hair, my face feeling hot. It was cool in the club, but with all the grinding and dancing and what not you were bound to get hot.

Behind the bar were AJ and Mitch, the later a husky with grey fur along his front, and dark gray fur on most of his arms and his back. He and AJ wore their matching black "staff" t-shirts, and as I came up to the bar I walked around it, slapping a paw onto the counter. Both AJ and Mitch looked up at me, AJ smirking at me. I smiled back at both of them, passing a wolf with orange fur who held a glass of whiskey in a paw. He glanced at me, and I watched his eyes from the corner of my own eyes. He looked me up and down, and I turned around to walk sideways, tapping my naked wrist where you might wear a watch.

"I'm off the clock cutie!" I called to him as I came around the bar.

"Shame!" the wolf was smirking at me.

I bit my bottom lip at him then as I was coming up to the bar and stopped at the side. I stepped up a single step and stepped behind the bar, glancing around at it. Just to the left of the bar, if your behind it, was the kitchen door. I heard a shout from the kitchen then, followed by a howl of laughter. A pot fell and hit the floor a moment later, but you wouldn't have heard it unless you were next to the door like I was. The kitchen of Neon Lights was run by five guys, who all took turns leading the cook line depending on the day of the week. Three dogs and two opossums if I'm remembering right.

Behind the bar then I walked down far enough to reach out to give Mitch a light hit on his shoulder with my fist.

"Whatcha guys need?" I asked as I pushed myself up on the bar.

"Well shit, look at this little cutie huh AJ?" Mitch looked at the doberman, "you closing up with us again?"

"Crow said I could I wanted to," I was picking myself up to sit with one leg over the other one, "you guys just waiting for everyone to leave?"

"More or less," AJ was nodding, cleaning out a beer mug.

As he finished cleaning the mug and stuck it under the bar, Mitch looked at me then pointed a thumb out to the floor.

"After everyone's gone if you wanna start helping us clean off tables that'd be great. I just told those fools in the back," he waved a paw at the kitchen door, "that we're done cooking for the night. If you want anything though you better holler at them now."

"I'm good thanks," I shook my head, "probably snag something on the way home."

"Joey's is open till midnight," Mitch was nodding as he was putting cocktail glass on a rack above the bar, "Good as hell chili cheese fries if you go for that kind of late night grub."

"I'll keep it in mind," I nodded to Mitch.

As Mitch nodded back he turned around to pull more cocktail glasses from the sink that had soapy water in it, and set them out to start drying them off. I picked myself up off the counter then I looked under the bar where the rags were. Finding a clean one I parked myself in front of the sink, pulling out various glass ware and dried them off as I found them. Beer glasses went under the bar, martini and cocktail glasses hung above the bar on wooden racks.

Mitch started to whistle to himself as he cleaned out glasses and put them away. The bass was slowly fading out as time began to drag on, and for a second I paused, one paw cupping the bottom of beer mug. I was almost bored, but I shook my head and laughed at myself as I turned to set the beer glass underneath the bar.

"You want one for the road man?" Mitch was talking to the wolf at the bar.

"Nah, I'm good thanks man," the wolf was pushing the beer glass across the bar to Mitch.

Mitch nodded at the wolf, taking the beer mug with the smallest sip of beer hugging the inside of the frosty glass. The wolf was getting up the leave, I could hear him shuffling behind me, then the sound of velcro pulling apart almost made me jump. I turned around out of curiosity, and watched the wolf lay two twenty dollar bills on the counter. He caught my eye, and silently asked me over with a beckoning "come here" finger.

I raised my eyebrows at him as I set down the glass I'd cleaned out, then leaned on the counter. He pulled out a third twenty dollar bill from his wallet, then reached out to stick in into the top of my tube top, winking at me. I winked back at him, and the wolf stowed his wallet away into the inside of his coat. As he stepped away from the bar, heading for the front door, AJ whistled then.

"Nice one Alex," he said.

"Thanks," I glanced at AJ, smirking.

"Making money even behind the bar," Mitch was nodding, "I should teach you how to make drinks man."

"Ugh, thanks but no thanks," I shook my head, "I'd be bored to tears babysitting drunks at the bar all night. It's hard to look this cute, you know that right?"

As Mitch was laughing I was going back to the sink to fish out whatever glassware was left in the sink. Turning I asked Mitch if I could drain the sink, and in reply he turned to me, nodding. Looking back at the sink I reached in to pull out the drain plug, and the water began to gurgle and swirl its way down the drain. I heard AJ say something to Mitch then, but didn't quite catch it.

Reaching bac into the sink to find another glass, AJ was moving behind me. I scooted myself up to let him by, but he slowed down some, lingering behind me. I felt his breath on my head then, and he leaned down to let his breath brush my ear. I stiffened up some, feeling one of his paws brush the back of my neck.

"You need a ride home tonight?" he asked me then, his voice soft despite the noise around us

I swallowed, feeling my face warm up. AJ was offering to drive me home? The tall, lean as fuck and very muscular doberman doorman who bounced for the club? Yes, I needed a ride home.

"I walked," I turned my face to look at him, "but if your offering then I accept."

"Awesome!" AJ stood up then, patting my back, "whenever your done with the bar just come find me and we'll hit the bricks."

AJ was moving past me then to head out of the bar, and I turned to watch him go. Such a short conversation and my mind was already taking it a few different way. Could I ask him to stay over at my place? Come upstairs to my nice-enough one bedroom apartment and have a cup of coffee with me?

I snickered at myself then, shaking my head. It wouldn't hurt to ask, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. Turning I brought the final glass I could see in the sink upwards to the rack, sliding it into place in front of all the others. Turning back to the sink I took the nozzle to spray out all the leftover soap suds, washing them down the sink.

"I don't remember the bar closing down this easy," I turned to look at Mitch.

"We got lucky tonight, that wolf was the last one to leave. Oh shit almost forgot. That guy who was in here for you earlier uh..." he paused to snap his fingers, "Mark? Mad?"

"Max?" my ears flicked at his name.

"Yeah that guy! He asked me to tell you that he had a good time and he'd think about coming back again. I think he said something about active deployment though."

"Yeah he's a real sweetheart," I was leaning on the bar then, looking out over the club.

Surveying the club then I let my mind briefly wander to Max, and if I would really see him again. Maybe I would. Putting a paw under my chin then I watched AJ moving past the couches, looking around the club. He paused to put his paws on his hips, looking past one table at the asleep wolf who I'd passed by earlier. I watched AJ move closer to the table, then reach out to shake the wolf awake.

The wolf shot up at AJ's touch, and looked around. AJ stepped back, paws going back to his hips. He gestured around the club to the wolf, who rubbed his face with a paw. I watched the wolf stand up and yawn, still rubbing his face. AJ turned with the wolf as the pair began to walk through the club, and AJ flashed me a thumbs up. As I looked around the club again I let out a sigh of relief. Apart from those of us who worked here, and the wolf that AJ was walking to the front door, Neon Lights was now customer and patron free once again.

AJ was coming to pass the first two couches, the wolf who walked in front of him yawned again. I suppose I'd be tired to if I'd fallen asleep in a club for fuck knows how long. I was impressed he'd slept through the winding down bass, but it did have a way of lulling you to sleep if white noise was your thing.

I watched AJ and the wolf until the two of them were walking past the bar and headed for the front door. A second ticked by, maybe it was two, then the fading bass of the club toned way down. It was turned off a second later, and I let out a sigh.

"Thank god now I don't have to yell," Mitch commented.

I was opening my mouth to agree with him, but a rowdy cheer came from the kitchen door then. They came banging open a second later, and all five of the cooks came spilling out onto the club floor in a line. Three of the two dogs were Labradors with yellow fur, their colors so close together you'd think they were a set of twins at first glance. The third dog was a rottweiler with a stubby tail, the rest of which had apparently been lost in a motorcycle accident.

Following right after the hounds were the two opossums, one with gray fur and the other with white. The gray one, his name was Chad, had his arm around the other opossum, who was Derrick if I recall right. Chad and Derrick had been married for about two years, and ended up working at the club together when owning a restaurant hadn't been as glamorous as they first envisioned. The two labs were Jack and Cade, and the rottweiler was Sam.

"Yo, bar man! We are fucking leaving!" Cade was putting a fist to the air.

"Out this beotch!" Chad put up his fist next.

"Until mother fuckin' monday baby!" Sam held his arms out to the empty club, a big grin on his face.

The dogs were almost jogging to the front doors they were walking so fast, with Chad and Derrick coming at a slower pace behind them. I raised a paw to wave them goodbye, and Chad smiled at me. Derrick put a paw to his lips and blew an air kiss to me, which I reached out to catch.

"You better blow me like that as soon as we get home!" Chad was pulling on his partners shoulders.

"You got it baby," Derrick was resting his head on his husbands shoulder.

I watched all the cooks file out of the building, almost all of them having discarded their aprons before exiting the kitchen. Chad wore his favorite dark red ballcap backwards, which seemed a very "him" thing to do. Chad was the ultimate bro, stocky with good muscles, played sports when he was a few years younger, liked his car to sound loud. He was a softie if you knew him well enough, like Derrick did.

As the cooks were leaving, one of the dogs yelled out,

"YO it's fucking AJ! See you later bro!"

I heard a loud high five from around the corner, the dogs whopping as they left through the front doors. AJ stopped to lean against the side of the bar as Chad and Derrick were walking past him.

"See you big man," Chad was nodding to AJ.

"Later love birds," AJ smiled, nodding back.

Chad and Derrick walked past AJ, who was wearing his jacket now as he leaned on the bar. I propped my chin in my paws to look at the doberman, one of my feet reaching up to rub on my calf. He really was a good looking guy, and I really may have had a small crush on him. As long as we came to work and acted professional, Crow had never told any of us that inter-work relationships were off the table.

"Ahhh," Mitch sigh then, turning to lean against the bar, "ok. Bars closed," he put out a finger as he began to count, "everyone who doesn't work here has gone home..." he turned to look at the club floor then nodded, "and the music's shut off. So that just leaves us to clean up the floor and we're good to go. You wanna stick around any longer kid?"

I glanced at Mitch then, who raised an eyebrow at me. I watched him tilt his head, in AJ's direction. I looked at AJ, then back at Mitch. Mitch only smirked at me then, and turned to lean against the bar.

"Hey!" he called out, holding up a paw.

Looking out over the floor I was everyone else who had been in the locker and dressing room. Jake was walking with James, who had his coat on now and was looking a little better than when he'd barged into the back room earlier. Walking behind them was Ruby and Nico. Nico had his jacket on, and Ruby was carrying his brown leather jacket in his arms in front of his chest.

The four of them came to walk up closer to the bar, and Mitch moved around the bar. I went with Mitch, pausing to reach down a flick a set of switches that shut off the lights behind the bar. The lights dimmed then shut off entirely, and Mitch was reaching out to put an arm around James's shoulders.

"You ready to go kid?" Mitch asked him.

"Go home and hit the bed yeah," James was nodding.

Mitch laughed then as Nico and Ruby were tarrying close to the bar, Nico yawning.

"You two wanna help clean the floor off?" Jake asked, but it was more of a statement then a question.

"You got it man," Nico nodded, his tail flicking the bar lazily.

"I'm game!" Ruby's cheery voice chimed in.

"You mister drank to much can follow me out the back door..." Mitch was resting a paw on James' back.

Mitch and James began to head to the back of the club, and as I glanced at AJ, he caught my eye. He smiled and nodded to me, and I let myself blush some. My tail flicked at my ankles, and Ruby, Nico and Jake, and I all said our goodbyes. Mitch and James were walking from the bar, and Nico and Ruby went with Jake off to the left side of the bar, the deer leading the way for the wolf and smaller deer. Ruby was almost like a doe with his quiet and shy demeaner. Cute though I'll give him that.

I took a step from the bar then, and AJ came to walk up next to me. We walked in silence for a few steps as we began to pass the couches. I reached out a paw to trace the smooth black leather, the lights in the club brighter than they had been even an hour ago. AJ cleared his throat then, sticking his paws into his coat. I was sure I could have used the coat as a blanket if I wanted to, he was that much bigger than I was.

AJ and I walked to the back of the club, and went into the dressing room. Mitch and James were already gone, and I headed for my locker to grab my coat. I pulled it out, a black fleece coat with a grey hood, then pulled out a red and purple knitted scarf that was on a hangar. I pulled my coat one, then swung my scarf over my neck and adjusted it, nuzzling into the fabric.

I looked at AJ, who only held a paw out to the nearby back door.

"Ready when you are man," he said.

"Let's go then!" I smiled at me, my cheeks still feeling warm.

AJ and I walked from the dressing room to the back door then, and I pushed it open. A gust of cold wind blew past me, and as I walked into the back parking lot a gentle gust of snow was falling from the sky. That was winter in New York for you, either to much snow to do anything about or not enough to matter. This one looked like it would be a good pile up from the way it was sticking.

"Your like a block and a half up the road right?" AJ asked me as we walked into the parking lot.

"Oh yeah it's not far," I said, "I don't mind walking to work, especially if my car won't start during the winter."

"Yeah I'm like thirty minutes away in downtown. Kinda far to walk with this weather," AJ twirled a paw into the air.

"Ugh right?" I smiled at me, my nose tucking into my scarf.

We walked a few feet more, then were at AJ's car. AJ fiddled out his keys, almost dropping them but recovering, and we were sliding inside. AJ shut his door, I shut mine, and then he was tucking the key into the ignition. _Ask him to stay the night _my brain suggested.

I blushed at the idea, but as AJ's car was coming to life I blurted out,

"D'you wanna stay the nigh?"

AJ turned to look at me, putting a paw on the back of my headrest to back out of his parking spot.

"Do what?" he was smiling at me, "I think your tongue's got frost bite Alex."

I blushed then as I stuck my paws in my lap.

"Would you," I bit my bottom lip, a nervous habit I couldn't kick, "would you wanna crash at my place tonight?" I asked him then.

I turned my head to look out the passenger window then. AJ's car was backing into the parking lot, and I heard the doberman shift gears from reverse into drive. I was kept looking out the window as I felt his paw touch mine. I whipped my head around to look at him, and as AJ was glancing at me he said,

"I think I'd like that."

Oh. My. Fuck. I felt my heart start to melt slightly as AJ's paw let go of mine and he took the steering wheel with both of his paws, his eyes looking forward at the street. I faced myself back forward, leaving my nose tucked into my scarf as AJ was starting to drive. My brain did a summersault, and I let myself sigh quietly, but very contently. I didn't think I'd ever have the courage to ask AJ out on a real date, let alone to crash at my place. I suddenly felt like I needed to enforce why I wanted him to stay over. My brain started to think of an answer, but as I opened my mouth I only settled on,

"You know, since your place is so far. Like thirty minutes, man that's a ways. So why not just stay at mine, since I'm a little closer you know?"

AJ chuckled then as we were starting to drive down the street.

"My answer still stands," AJ took a paw from the steering wheel to reach out to take my chin, stroking it suddenly, "I think I'd like that."

I let myself gasp softly as his finger was rubbing my chin. My tail lightly thumped the car door, and I pushed my paws further into my lap. I wanted to lean over and kiss him in that instant, but I told myself to wait until we were back at my place. I wanted to feel his paws on my face, and feel them rubbing my body as we cuddled on the couch or lay in my bed. I wanted to feel his chest under his shirt, and feel his lips against mine.

With another sigh I leaned my head back in the passenger seat as AJ took his paw from my chin and put it back on the wheel. He sat back in his own seat, seeming to have such a massive amount of confidence that it was infectious.

I couldn't wait until we were at my apartment. I would have to do, but living only fifteen minutes away, I wouldn't have to wait long.