Too Late, Just in Time, Ch 2
Too Late, Just in Time Chapter 2 copyright 2007 comidacomida
Nick yawned, rolling himself off of the sofa and onto the carpet. The impact with the floor was exactly what he needed to convince his body to get moving. As the wolf got to his feet he idly scratched his side, glancing around the living room. It hadn't been a dream; he knew it wasn't. The events of the previous night were still fresh in his mind... still made him tingle all over... but, as he stood there in his boxers, looking at the light seeping through the blinds, he couldn't help but pause. He grabbed his glasses from their place on the end table and slid them on.
The wolf had spent the whole first part of his life trying to second-guess who he was. His days were full of living outside himself, moving beyond the thoughts in his mind and getting past what he knew himself to be. Nick stood there for many long moments, his tail fighting to curl between his legs. "Gay?" he whispered aloud, as if voicing it for the first time was true confirmation. He had known it for years but, with the events of the previous night, the wolf had erased all doubt of anything otherwise. A faint pit of cold emptiness began to fill his stomach, but it, like his doubt, would not last.
"Hmm?" inquired Chris' voice from behind him. The otter's smooth, soft arm fur slid around his sides and webbed paws closed together around the wolf's abdomen. Nick's eyelids drooped as the deep, freezing hole in his gut was warmed over by the touch of his... his...
"Chris?" Nick inquired, suddenly caught in a sense of limbo.
"Yea?" inquired the otter, resting his chin on the wolf's shoulder, long whiskers threatening to make Nick flick his ears as they were tickled.
"What.. are we, exactly?" the wolf questioned. It was awkward but, to Nick's surprise, it didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable as he thought it would. He followed Chris to the sofa where both sat, and the wolf watched the otter, awaiting an answer for the question. Chris looked back at him with a glint in his eye that Nick had come to know as mischief.
"Well... you're a wolf, and Im an otter..."
"That's not what I meant." responded Nick flatly.
"Oh... right." Chris grinned, "So... you're a college student and I'm-" the otter recoiled, taking a punch to the shoulder, "Hey!"
"I mean it, Chris." responded Nick, more firmly this time. He faced the wall again, gazing forward and not towards the otter as confusion and mixed thoughts began to flood his mind.
Chris scooted closer to the wolf and took his paw, speaking calmly, "We're friends... we're roommates..." it wasn't spoken with humor nor in any sense Nick would perceive as a funny tone.
"What I meant was-" the wolf began, but the otter cut him off.
"I know what you meant, Nick, and that's what I'm telling you. We're friends; we're roommates; we're a lot of things." he cocked his head to the side drawing the attention of the wolf again, "You don't have to be just one thing to one person, you know. Just because we're closer than we were before doesn't mean we're different or that we have to suddenly change who or what we are."
It took Nick a few seconds to realize exactly what Chris was saying, but it did make sense. "So I can still punch you in the arm." an inadvertent smile slowly crept to his muzzle after the words escaped. Chris, on the other hand, laughed. "I take that as a yes." the wolf concluded, and hit him again. The otter continued laughing even as he rubbed his shoulder.
"It's like adding another level to who we are, Nicky." responded the otter, standing up off of the couch, "Just because you add a new layer doesn?t mean the others go away... which is a good thing because you're my best friend and it's a lot of trouble finding a new one." and he held a webbed paw out to the wolf to help him stand.
"Got it... so I'm a friend because it's convenient." the wolf retorted, sticking his tongue out in a good humored Chris-type fashion as he took the offered paw and got to his feet, his tail gaining enough energy from the banter to start a half wag. The smile on his muzzle began to slowly seep inward, and he felt the remaining gloom begin to dissipate. That was yet another thing that Nick loved about Chris.
"If you keep taking those debate classes I swear to god I'm going to hit you with your own book bag." vowed the otter, wandering into the kitchen before skidding to a halt, "Damn, Nicky!"
The wolf's tail stopped wagging at that, and he gritted his teeth as the memories from last night returned to him- after he had puked in the sink he didn't have the chance to clean it. "That..." Nick began. The otter turned the faucet on and water cascaded down, doing a decent job of washing away the mess.
"Looked like pizza and who-knows-what-else." responded the otter.
"Sorry..." the wolf noted, sheepishly, "I-"
"You still have a few I-owe-you's to collect from me for all the times I threw up all over the place?" the otter finished the thought for Nick, "At least this is all in one place. You have to start drinking to even things out- no way I'm ever gonna catch up at this pace."
The wolf's tail almost started wagging again, "Well... you were a pretty big partier when you were still in school."
"I can't even guess how I made it to bed sometimes." Chris chortled, turning the water off, his task done.
"You're just lucky I don't drink." answered Nick, "Half the time you didn't make it to bed... I had to practically drag you."
"My hero." smirked Chris, pulling a pan out from under the stove, "So... breakfast?"
"It?s almost ten." responded Nick, glancing at the digital clock on the microwave, "Aren't you going to bed soon?"
"Nah... didn't go to work last night, and Mr. Feldman called and said the shop is closed today on account of... the stuff that happened." the otter let out a breath, gazing towards the ground as some of the mirth dissipated.
"Oh..." said the wolf quietly, remembering the broadcast of the shooting very clearly, "right." He idly slid a paw across the counter as he recalled hearing the news reports and thinking the worst.
"So... I guess I have all day today with you." the otter added quickly, eyes rising back up to look at the wolf.
Nick nodded. The simple declaration made the tip of his tail start to wag, which slowly spread through the rest of it, "Cool."
"Yea. Cool." responded the otter, mimicking Nick's tone, "So bacon and eggs it is." Chris went to the stove and, in no time, was well into cooking with the wolf leaning against the wall, just within the kitchen.
Nick nodded in agreement, rolling his eyes at the parroting of his statement and watched Chris at work. The otter still had his work pants on; they were somewhat ratty, black cloth with a single back pocket. The tail opening in the back looked too small for Chris' thick tail, and Nick did recall Chris complain about it from time to time... something about the store not having otter-friendly uniforms.
Chris wasn't wearing a shirt, allowing Nick to see the softened form of the otter's shoulder blades. Chris was a little too plump to make out his backbone... something Nick could recall seeing only in the showers at the college when the otter bent down or turned just right in the communal stalls. Chris' smooth fur rippled and flowed across him with each movement, as he scrambled the eggs and shifted the bacon around the pan. Nick found it almost mesmerizing as little motes of the overhead kitchen light were reflected off the otter's pelt.
"Like what you see?" Chris asked as he continued preparing breakfast, not even turning around. Nick felt his ears burn as he started to blush.
"Y-yea..." Nick admitted after a minute, almost hesitating in the answer, and not even sure if he should say anything. He saw the otter's whiskers rise up in a hidden grin. Chris turned around, leaning against the counter next to the stove as he looked Nick up and down appraisingly.
"Well you're not bad yourself..." the otter's muzzle perked in a devilish grin, "cute boxers too."
The blushing was even more furious as Nick realized that he was still clad only in his boxers... black cloth covered in a repeating pattern of white cartoon dog bones. The wolf was nearly aghast to realize it, and spent all of three seconds reliving one of those 'naked-in-school' dreams brought to life, before it finally clicked: it didn't matter. The wolf began laughing deeply, from his gut, a guffaw so hearty that Chris joined in. For the second time that day, Nick knew everything was alright, and he really felt deep down that it was true.
The otter returned to his work, speaking over his shoulder, "Well... if you're done with reviewing the floor show, you can go get some forks. Breakfast is almost ready."
Without hesitation, Nick went to the drawer to retrieve a set of forks and bring them to the table that rarely ever saw any use. Not exactly a dining table, the circular slab of fake wood was balanced on three foldable metal legs. It was Chris' table, and Nick didn't know where it came from. It always made the wolf think of the kind of table someone might use for a card night at home with friends.
After setting the forks down on it, Nick made a point to find two chairs from around the living room that would fit at the table. By the time the wolf had both chairs placed, Chris was on his way over with two heaping plates of bacon and eggs with toast and maple syrup. Nick's nose crinkled at that. He knew that some people liked sweet breakfasts and, he would admit, he himself occasionally dipped his sausage links into pancake syrup when he had been eating pancakes, but Chris was the only person he knew who actively put syrup on his eggs whether pancakes were to be had or not.
"What?" asked Chris, astute enough to catch the face Nick made.
"Syrup." Nick stated, making it as much of a question as a comment.
"Yes, syrup." responded the otter, sticking his tongue out, stud and all.
Nick took a seat, picking up a fork in one paw as he slowly rotated his plate with the other, observing the food from each angle, "I just can't believe you eat syrup on your eggs."
"Believe it. I've been doing it forever." Chris answered back, taking a seat at his own chair, "I can?t believe you always do that with your plate."
"Do what?" Nick asked, looking up at the otter.
Chris made a circular motion with a single claw, "You rotate your plate. Any time you sit down to eat I always see you turn your plate around. Do you turn in a circle before you lay down too?" the otter grinned.
Nick cocked his head to the side, pausing for a moment as he considered his own idiosyncrasy. After a second he shrugged with a grin, "I never really thought much about it... I guess it's because I like to figure out where to start and seeing everything from a different angle helps."
"Well, there you go." offered Chris, "My mom always used to burn eggs whenever she made em so my brother and my sister and I always used syrup to cover up the flavor. Now it just seems like the way to eat eggs."
"These eggs aren't burnt." Nick responded neutrally.
"With syrup, you goof, not burning em." responded Chris.
Nick's tail wagged through the opening in the backing of his chair. He smiled as he finished off the last of his bacon. The two ate quietly for a few minutes and, as Nick was coming to the end of his meal, he reached across the way and took the syrup from its place next to Chris. The otter looked up from his meal, pausing mid-bite to watch as Nick squeezed out a small pool of syrup onto his plate.
Nick speared a large piece of egg on his fork and ran it around the plate a few times in the syrup before putting it into his muzzle. Chewing with the careful air of contemplation, Nick swallowed, looking back to the otter who was watching him carefully. "And?" asked Chris.
"Not really my kind of thing." the wolf answered honestly.
"It doesn't have to be." noted the otter, putting his fork down as he scooted his chair closer to Nick, "Kudos for trying it though."
"I guess it's another new thing I've tried because of you." Nick responded, and he felt his ears growing warm again as the many different implications of his statement flowed through his mind. The otter's paw came to rest on his own.
"You still have some syrup there..." noted Chris, and he leaned forward, half-standing, as he licked the side of Nick's muzzle, tongue flicking across the wolf's whiskers, and Nick felt a faint shiver slide down the small of his spine and a tingle run through his groin.
"Um... thanks." Nick responded, grinning sheepishly.
"Any time... glad to." answered the otter, thick tail brushing along the back of the wolf's neck and across his shoulder as Chris collected both plates and brought them to the kitchen. "Anyway, it's the weekend, so you have all day off too. Any plans?"
"I haven't really thought about it that much." admitted Nick, rubbing the back of his head where the otter tail had touched him, "I guess, probably straighten up my room and take out the trash- I might go rent a few videos. What about you?"
"Stay home." noted Chris, setting the plates on the counter.
"Oh? and I'll also do the dishes, I guess." the wolf added pointedly. The otter grinned, taking the dishes back off the counter before putting them into the dishwasher.
"Thanks." Nick added.
"No sweat- I caught the hint." the otter grinned.
Nick stood up from the table. It had been awhile since he actually had a full breakfast. Normally he would have a cup of coffee and maybe buy a muffin at the campus store before heading to class. On a rare occasion he would have a bowl of cereal, but he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a full sized plate of food. When it came to cooking, that was more Chris' department.
"First thing's first, though," Nick spoke up as Chris headed into the living room to turn on the television, "Don't start the dishwasher or anything; I'm going in for a shower."
"Sure thing." the otter called from his place on the sofa, flipping through channels the moment the TV turned on.
Nick let out a deep breath and headed into the hallway, mind still churning with thoughts, though more lightly contemplative than brooding. He went back into his room and grabbed a new pair of boxers out of his dresser before going to the linen closet in the hall to get a towel. He brought both items with him into the bathroom. The towel, he set on the rod next to the shower and he tossed his boxers on the counter next to the sink. The wolf looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments, appraising the slightly redder sheen of color to the insides of his ears, and he just shook his head and rolled his eyes, almost chuckling.
Sliding his boxers off, Nick set them in the corner to be recovered later once he finished his shower. He looked to the mirror again, smoothing out the fur along his neck and down his chest. The wolf slowed his paw as it reached his sternum, pausing before drawing the claws of his first two fingers along his stomach. Nick traced nonexistent lines in the fur, remembering the route Chris' touch took from the previous night. A shiver gripped him as he remembered his roommate's nose brushing against his crotch, and the warmth of the otter's muzzle as it encased his flesh.
The wolf closed his eyes, running his paw across his abdomen, the other fist balling up against his thigh as he squeezed a pawful of fur. He let out a deep breath as he felt his sheath fill, member within enlarging from the memories of the experience. Nick opened his eyes again as he felt the slickness of the tip of his sheath parting, allowing the end of his shaft to peek through. The wolf released his newest breath, which he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Man..." he murmured to himself, brushing the fur along his neck and chest as he made his way to the shower.
Nick pulled the shower curtain aside and put one foot into the basin. The apartment had a shower/bath combo; the stall was actually a tub with a workable spigot, but it also had an alternate shower nozzle, allowing the bather to take a shower instead of a bath. The wolf always preferred a shower to a bath but, as far as he knew, Chris tended to alternate... which seemed only suitable for the otter. Nick turned the faucet on, letting the water run out of the bath spigot until it warmed up; there was nothing the wolf hated more than to get sprayed with cold water.
"Now I guess it?s my turn to enjoy the view." the voice caught Nick by surprise, and he almost yelped, but managed to keep his composure before embarrassing himself with the puppy-like sound.
"Chris!" exclaimed the wolf, wheeling around to face his roommate.
The otter had a huge grin on his muzzle, "What? There wasn't anything on any of the channels... besides; this is a much better show."
"You could have knocked." Nick responded, pausing for a half second when he realized that his tail wasn't curled. Another half second later and Nick remembered that he was naked and yet his tail still wasn't curled.
"You know me and knocking: we don;t always get along." the otter;s tongue poked out of his muzzle in a good humored manner.
Nick simply let out a sigh and turned back around to check the water temperature. He bent into the tub, drawing a paw underneath the flow coming from the bath faucet. The wolf heard the otter move behind him, but he was still unready when the otter's paws gently gripped his shoulders. The wolf tensed for a moment, but Chris' paws applied firm pressure, slowly alternating between thumb and fingers in a way that almost made Nick weak in the knees; he had received massages before, but nothing like what he felt at the paws of his roommate.
"Ohhh..." murmured Nick, one paw still bracing his weight against the wall on the opposite side of the shower stall. The otter continued his ministrations, both paws slowly working their way down the wolf's spine, thumbs on either side of it as his fingers pressed outward along the back of Nick's ribs. The wolf's fur was puffing out in pleasure, "When did you- mmmm... learn how to do that, Chris?"
"Self taught, Nicky." the otter replied, "You don't have to take classes to learn how to do everything." One of his paws gently kneaded the spot right above the wolf's tail, sending a strong line of tingling down either of Nick's legs, but he fought the urge to start kicking.
"So-oohhh... if you're- mmm- self taught... are you a good teacher... or a good- mmmrrrr... student?" Nick smiled as he offered the joke.
"Both." answered the otter, continuing to caress the top of the wolf's tail with one paw. Nick almost leapt off his paws, gasping, when Chris' free paw slid between his legs, cupping his furred sac from behind. "Depends on who I'm teaching, or who's teaching me." Chris replied.
Nick's second paw fell against the wall of the shower next to his first as the wolf faced it squarely, legs parting slightly as he braced himself. Behind him, the otter's paw was palm up, caressing and containing Nick's sac, gently gripping it and softly kneading its contents with his webbed digits. The wolf let out a quiet moan as the otter slid up beside him, gently kissing, then nibbling on an ear. Chris' paw left the base of Nick's tail at that point, slowly wrapping around the wolf's body in a half-embrace.
"I'll never get into the shower at this rate..." Nick spoke, his logical mind trying in futility to offer up some comment not related to the growing tenseness in his groin.
"Then I'll join you." responded the otter, "After all... class is in session."