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--Fen--

Practice was long. By the time I get home I feel like I could collapse at the front door. I trudge my way towards the dining room and hear my mom putting dishes away. She and dad had probably already eaten.

"Fen? Here's your plate."

I hear her call out suddenly and a grin spreads my muzzle. I flick my tail a little and walk into the kitchen to get my food.

"Thanks, Mom." I smile before moving to go back towards the living room.

"Ah, ah. Wait... How was school?" She looks to me again while running a sponge around the surface of one of the dishes.

"It was alright, I..." I hesitate, not certain I want to get into a conversation about Naki yet. "I swam again, today. Sian and I had our normal classes together and then me, him and Ian practiced some at Ian's house. Normal day."

She nods a little, her own tail swaying gracefully behind her. "Ian doesn't abuse micros, does he? You know I don't want you hanging around norms like that even if they don't know." I shake my head quickly. "No no, Ian is great. He'd never hurt one of us even if he knew." It's true... Though, I am lying a bit about him not knowing. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Well, alright." She smiles again. "I know you're almost an adult now... Don't take my worry the wrong way." She looks to me for a moment. "You're responsible, it's just hard to believe you're almost in college. You're not that little pup we could never get to keep his cloaker on anymore." She chuckles.

"Oh? So I can do whatever I want now?" A smile spreads my muzzle.

"Don't press your luck. You're not a pup but you're still my kid. Go eat your food." She smirks.

"I know, Mom..." I can't help but chuckle before I turn to leave the kitchen, walking into the living room to see my dad.

My dad and I'd always had a good relationship with one another. Well, I had a good relationship with both my parents, but my dad and I always manage to get into weird conversations.

"Hey."

I wave a little with a free paw and settle my plate down on a tv table that'd been set up in the room already, likely by my dad when he was eating. He's watching the television rather closely and I realize why when I hear the reporter talking. Another report about the recent discovery of our cloakers. The Prime Minister, a badger named Elijah Natbur, apparently made a speech earlier today reassuring everyone that he and the government were planning to address the problem in a way that would both uphold the security of the nation and avoid another war. The words were... only somewhat reassuring. I shift my muzzle a little and start eating my food. The excitement from the day was still with me so I tried not to let the looming uncertainty bother me. My dad, however, sees me look away.

"It'll be okay, Fen."

I see him smile at me with the usual, all-knowing grin he always gave when I seemed nervous. If there is anything my dad is good at, it's making you feel like he's already a step ahead. Maybe that's why he's always able to comfort me.

"Well, nothing's happened yet. That much is good." I mumble.

"We haven't always been at odds with the norms in the past." He leans back a little, turning the television volume down. "There was a time when we and the norms were allies. It wasn't so long ago, actually." He grins. "I bet you're tired of hearing the stories, aren't you?"

I swallow what I have in my muzzle and shift to peer at him for a moment before giving a chuckle. "History is one of my favorite topics even if the norms couldn't tell the truth about it to save their lives."

"Everyone bends it in their own way.Unlike your mother and I, you get to hear both sides."

I nod a little. "Yea, I guess. I remember the stories you used to tell me about what happened back then. We inhabited the continent first, the giants were welcomed as allies when we saw how much easier it was for them to kill off some of our larger, feral threats without having to sink a lot of resources."

"We knew the landscape, the climate, and what was poisonous or good to eat. They were also impressed with our ability to use poisons and advanced chemical technology to help us take down larger predators and control the feral populations around us." He says, shifting a little to cross his legs in front of him while remaining settled on the couch.

"How long did it last?" I ask.

"Well, a century or so. As the norms continued moving in what used to be protection suddenly began to overrun our population, which had grown substantially since the norms could provide us safety. We also had to begin relying on them for food since they began killing off and harvesting what we used to use for nutrition on their own. There wasn't enough land in the end."

I give a soft nod, shifting my ears down again. "And now we hardly have anything to hold against them."

"Not in a war, no." He laments. "They'll win nine times out of ten in a straight fight, I think. However, these cloakers have done something interesting. Not only does it put us on physically equal grounds but they let us integrate into norm society... and we have, for years. Our Prime Minister is dancing through political hoops, I bet. Perhaps he doesn't care about us much, but he does care about his own re-election. If we have any luck, he is serious about not starting another war."

"What will he do, then?" I ask, my interest only growing.

"No idea." He chuckles, sighing and looking up at the ceiling. "Anything I say is speculation. We can only wait and see... and be careful."

I smile a little at how quickly he swats away his own build-up. Typical of my father. "Yea, well, I hope you're right." I finish my food up in a few more bites and pick my plate up to go settle it in the kitchen.

"Fen?" I hear my dad say.

"Yea?"

"We'll find a way through this just as we did the war. You just worry about college." He smiles. "Alright?"

"Yea, I know dad." I swish my tail and go to put my plate away before heading upstairs to my room.

--

The next day, I enter the pools area and look around for Naki. I don't see anyone at first until his head surfaces and he swims over to the edge of the pool. "Morning, Fen." He pushes off and begins to float on his back, the speedo covering his crotch bulged out well enough that I can't help but stare for a second before my attention snaps back to his face. "Uh I... Good morning..." I rub my head and put my stuff down nearby the pool so that I can slip in as well.

The water is warm, and comfortable. I feel it seeping beneath my fur and pressing against my flesh as I slide further beneath the surface.

"So, uh... when is the championship?" I ask despite knowing the date already. Three days before prom night.

"A few days before prom, on Friday. It's going to be tough..." I can see a little fatigue in his eyes today, probably from all the preparation and stress.

"You'll do fine, you always place pretty well." I try to comfort while searching for other topics. "Where d'you live? I mean... Uh, where'd you grow up? Have any siblings?"

A smiles crosses his tired gaze and he reaches to grab my hand. "Well, let's start swimming first and we can talk while we do." I clasp his paw and smile in return, looking down to admire the webbing between his fingers for a moment just before he pulls a little and I kick to start swimming just as he'd taught me to yesterday. Once he lets go of my paw, I'm off.

"Good, you remember what we went over yesterday." He comments, watching me swim.

He dives beneath the water for a moment before coming up next to me. We swim what he calls 'warm-up laps' but, to me, it's quickly becoming a workout. "I live on the west side of Luckten", he says while we swim. That area is poor, I begin to feel a bit bad for asking but he continues. "I have two brothers and both my parents, we live in a small house on Elder rd. How about you?"

"Well, uh..." I stop swimming as we make it to the other side of the pool, clasping the railing and panting a little bit. He stops next to me and waits for my answer, his breathing calm and steady while I'm panting for air. My mother and father are both in managerial positions and so we rest firmly in the upper-middle class. "East side of Luckten, the polo fields..." I say, trying to sound as if it's no big deal -- it isn't, but knowing that Naki comes from a poorer area makes me a little conscious about it. Moreso than I normally am, at least.

"The polo fields? Nice". I watch for a moment before quickly shoving off to make another lap with him. We continue for a few laps before I can't swim for any longer. "Sorry, I'll watch you swim for a while if that's alright. You, uh, aquatic types make it seem so easy." I chuckle.

He grins at that, but gets out of the water with me "Nah, I could use a break too. I got here a bit early so I've been in the water for a while now."

"Works for me." I look over to him, wanting to lean against him but I hold back the urge. "You seem a bit more tired today than yesterday. Something stressing you out?" I ask.

That wins a slight glance from him and, for a moment, I feel as if I'm being a bit nosey. He sighs a little and gives a slight nod in affirmation. "Yea, well... The championship is coming up and we have to be ready for it. It's my last one, last chance to win a medal. Besides that I..." He seems to hesitate for a moment, bringing his hand up to rub over his head and ear for a moment. "Well, I was dating this girl recently." My heart sinks a little... I figured he's straight, but I guess I didn't want to hear it.

"What happened?" I pry gently.

"We broke up and now I don't really have a date for prom. It's not a big deal, I know, but the parents are going to ask me about it and... my friends are going to ask about it..." He frowns a little. "I just wish people would leave it alone is all, I guess."

"Well, I don't have a date for prom, either." I try to console him a little, giving a pat on his shoulder. "We'll both find someone, we have time right?"

"Heheh, yea, you're right. Nothing to worry about..." He looks at me again, this time with a bit of a softened gaze.

"What?" I grin, wondering why he's staring. "Somethin' on my face I should know about?"

"No, no... I'm kinda curious, though. I saw a picture of you yesterday, it was for the lgbt student union... Not to pry or anything, let me know if I'm, y'know... going too far."

I love the look on his face as he tries to ask me about my orientation; I find myself staring into those black irises of his for a moment before I twist my head to avoid any awkwardness. His hesitance is cute, and part of me wants to lead him on a bit just so I can see him yearn for my reaction a moment longer while the other part of me panics, hoping he won't hate me because of my sexuality. "No, i-it's alright."

I'm not the most 'in the closet' student anyone has ever met. I attend lgbt meetings, I took pictures in the club... Even so, being confronted about it always makes me a little nervous.

"Well, uh. Yea... I'm gay. I guess there's no hiding it." I feel my body slowly relax after finally letting it out. The look he gives me is... hard to read. He seems... excited? He fixes his look quickly, though, and gives a quick nod.

"Neat, do you have a boyfriend or anything? I guess not if you've no prom date either, huh?"

"Heheh, no, no boyfriend." I shake my head, my posture relaxing completely as he reacts positively. "If I don't find a date I'll just hang out with my friends. Our band is playing at prom this year."

"You're in a band? That's awesome! Even if I don't get a date I'll have to come to see you play anyway, I suppose. You're the first person I've ever met in a band."

"I'd love that, definitely." I smile widely.

Naki leans back against his palms and stares out over the water. "Who else is in your band with you?"

"My friends, Sy and Ian. We've known each other for a long time, only recently decided to try playing music together last year. We're hoping the prom gets us a little attention."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. " He starts to stand up from the pool's edge, reaching out towards me to help me up. "You should get to class, though." He looks to the clock, chuckling softly... I only have 3 minutes to be in my seat! "You're going to be in a rush."

I nod quickly and take his hand, getting to my feet with a smile. "Yea, I'll see you tomorrow, right? Same time?"

"Yep. Lookin' forward to it, Fen." He smiles, letting my hand go as I turn to walk back towards the locker-room.

--Naki--

This week has been so tiring. Besides the mornings, when I can swim with Fen, I just try to creep through the day attracting as little attention as possible. Motley and Samson make it a bit easier around lunch time and between classes. I don't know what I'd do without them. To top things off, I still haven't spoken to Lorain and I've had all week. Honestly, I don't want to deal with it at all. I want to finish the championship and coast through the rest of this year without thinking about these dumb issues anymore.

"Naki?" I snap out of my daze and peer into the orange eyes of the slightly shorter wolf. I smile a little. "Sorry, a lot on my mind."

"Heh, you've got an entire week and you're swimming just as well as you've ever swam. I know you won't take the advice but I'll say it anyway: Don't worry." He looks up at the clock and winces. "Damn..."

I chuckle. "Time to go?"

"Yea, exam today so I'd better be on time." He smiles. "Hey, uh... Maybe we can hang out over the weekend a little?"

I start to grin but try to hide it as to not look -too- excited. "Yea! Sounds good. Here, let's exchange phone numbers and we can get in touch?"

I walk to get my phone from the pocket of my shorts and he does the same. We exchange numbers and the wolf flicks his tail behind him quickly, I nearly break out in a grin again but I control it, smiling modestly. "Take care, Fen. See you sometime this weekend."

"Yea, seeya later Naki!" He states.

I watch Fen walk off towards the locker-room, unable to help but stare at the ring he wears, once again, around his tailbase but, once again, brush it off. Maybe I just keep using it as an excuse to stare.

Over the week we've gotten to know quite a bit about one another... At least I'd like to think we have. We both plan to go to the same college, he wants to study physics, we both enjoy video games-- the list goes on. He does have a strange taste in television shows but that only keeps things interesting. Every morning this week I was excited about what we'd talk about that day and I found myself ending my practice sessions early just so we could get a bit more conversation in while sitting on the edge of the pool.

As the door closes I sigh and take a dive into the water again, swimming into the deeper area and gliding through the smooth, cool liquid. It feels nice, and the silence really helps me clear my head. Loraine, prom, the championship, ...Fen. Everything is just weighing on me. Do I actually like Fen that way? The feeling is... confusing. I'd never thought of myself as gay before but, then, why did hearing that he's gay and -free- make me so excited? Besides, I only just met him earlier this week. It's probably just a phase. I brush the thought off and go back to Loraine; I still hadn't talked to her about what Brad had said on Monday... did she really tell everyone about our last night together? And what about prom? Who would I take? If I don't take anyone... what'll everyone think of me? Does it really matter?

My eyes roll and I simply try to quiet my mind again. I'll tackle the issues one by one... starting with Loraine. I kick into gear again and do more laps, straining myself until my lungs burn and I gasp for air. Almost time for my first class, Loraine would be getting out of her first period soon enough. I work my way out of the water and go to the locker-room to dry off. I think of Fen again as soon as I see which locker he'd used. "Guh, I'll be happy when this is all over." I mumble to myself.

Loraine is as confident as ever when I approach her towards the end of her first class. "Hey, Loraine." I wave at her before turning to walk, keeping up with her stride.

"Hey, Naki," She says simply. "What's up?"

I furrow my brow, feeling her to be a little nonchalant... but, perhaps, I should ask her before making assumptions. I tug at her arm to get her off to the side of the hallway. "Hey, just... I have a question. Did you tell Brad about... y'know, what happened?"

The vixen looks around as she walks over to me, keeping her distance; likely to try and not seem too interested in the guy that broke up with her. "No, why?" She mumbles a little.

"Because he knows. I guess he could've just made it up but... I dunno, it's bugging me."

"You may as well just out with it. Who cares what Brad says? He'll say anything to piss you off. And, anyway, it's not a lie."

"What do you mean 'it's not a lie'?" I peer at her, asking despite knowing exactly what she meant.

"Well, you didn't, exactly, react to anything I did. If you liked... women, at all, you'd have at least -reacted- I think." She crosses her arms and looks about the hallway for a moment. "You're gay, right? So who cares?"

I nearly couldn't believe what I was hearing. She'd already concluded that I -must- be gay based on a single night together? "Oh, yea, of course. I'm gay because the impeccably beautiful Loraine couldn't get a rise out of me." I glare at her for a moment.

"Hey, dont' blame me! I'm trying to help you here. So what? You're saying you just don't -like- me? Then why even go out?"

"I..." I grumble a little. Of course I liked her, I thought she was nice, I enjoyed her personality... I just wasn't quite...ready for physical interaction; at least that's what I tell myself as I try to make sense of all of this. "Look, I don't need this kind of pressure right now, alright? Help me do some damage control here or something. I don't need anyone asking me any weird questions, especially not the team. We're close to the championships and I just want them to go smoothly, alright?"

She sighs and nods a little. "Yea, alright, I'll twist the story a bit. But you have to tell me the truth... Are you gay? Yes or no?"

I freeze for a moment only to wonder why I'm even hesitating... Because of Fen? The gay wolf I'd only just met the day before? While the thought had crossed my mind, I wasn't ready to answer this sort of question. "Lor... I don't know, alright? I've been confused ever since that night. I don't know what's going on and... I can't say anything for certain."

She furrows her brow, giving me a skeptical look for a moment. "Does the name Fen ring any bells?"

My heart stops. How did she...? There's no way. "What d'you mean?"

"Well, he's only been talking about you. Rumor has it you two have been swimming together every morning this week... is that true? You're dating that wolf?"

"No! We're not dating. There's nothing between us," I say just a little too loudly as I notice a few students turn their heads to stare at me and Loraine. I lower my voice and take a deep breath. "Look, where did you hear that from?"

"Doesn't matter, you two would make a cute couple." She grins and pushes past me. "Your secret is safe with me, but if you want it stay that way I'd tell that wolf to get his friends to quiet down a bit." With that she's gone and I'm left feeling even worse than when I'd started the conversation. Was Fen -really- spreading rumors about us? And why would he do that? I clench my teeth a little, unable to help but feel anger towards him. I'd definitely be talking to him as soon as I get a chance. Ugh.

I arrive home feeling rather 'meh'. Instead of saying hi to anyone I just rush up to my room and close the door, flopping onto my bed to let out a long sigh. Maybe I'm just taking this too seriously... The championship has me wound up, perhaps. Still, the thought that not only am I gay, but the entire school could possibly find out? Not appealing. I can only imagine what Motley and Samson would say, let alone the rest of the team. And even if that somehow turned out okay I'd have to deal with my parents.

"It's just a phase..." I sigh to myself, closing my eyes and trying to calm my nerves. "Just a phase; he's a nice wolf and I'd just broken up with Loraine. I was looking for companionship and so I kind of fell for him a bit. I'll get over this and find another girl, maybe in college." I find some strength in that notion and manage to sit up. "All I have to do is tell him I'm not interested and let him know that he has to back off. " A voice in my head questions just what he should be backing off on. After all, we both agreed to meet in the morning. This wasn't something he was forcing on me. I grumble at the part of my brain playing devil's advocate. One thing is for certain, I need to tell him that things between us are -strictly- friendship if even that. I'd just met him, after all. I nod my head, resolving to do it when we meet this weekend.

"Naki? Everything okay?" I look to see my dad standing at my door. I smile a little. "Yea, dad, sorry. Rough week is all."

"What happened?" The black-furred otter walks into the room, his large frame causing the floor to shake somewhat as he enters. My dad is the definition of a blue-collar worker, and as such he had a rather powerful build for an otter.

"Loraine and I broke up, the swimming championship is coming up, prom..." I decide not to mention Fen. My parents are religious, I know what they think of homosexuals. Hell, they gave me hard enough of a time for dating Loraine; inter-species breeding may be okay to the public but my church had a few firm things to say about it. Those firm things normally included the terms 'sin and hell'.

"Ahh, she wasn't for you anyway." He waves a paw through the air, smiling. "Foxes are hard to get along with, take it from me. Smart-mouthed and they smell, too. You'll find someone else before long, I'm sure."

I cringe a little. "Yea, thanks dad," I say gently.

"Besides that, you're a great swimmer. You've proven that over and over again. Everything will work out in the end."

"What if my next, uh, relationship isn't with an otter?" I ask him tentatively, searching his eyes for a clue as to how he'll react. There's no point in it, I realize, but I do it anyway.

He shuffles a little on his feet, expression shifting as if he wasn't certain which one he should be giving. "Well... Well, you have to test the water sometimes I guess. It's normal for a boy your age to want to... y'know. I'm tellin' you, though, a nice otter girl will do you the best long term but.... But well, it's your life son. You have to do what you have to do. Your mom and I will be proud of you either way... Tell me before you mom, though, right? Y'know how she gets." He grins.

"Heheh, alright dad."

"Dinner'll be ready in a bit. Wash up and come eat, the traps had a few lively ones in them today."

I nod as he walks out, ignoring the last comment as well as I can. "Alright," I sigh to myself after he's gone. I'd tell Fen that he has to back off then focus on the championship. With any luck, I'll win and it'll be easy for me to find a date to take to prom. That'll keep Motley, Samson, and the rest of the swim team off of my back. Brad might be an issue but nothing will ever fix that. After prom, I can coast by, graduate, find a nice girl over the summer or in college and life would return to normal. Perfect.

--Fen--

"We're almost ready, I think. A couple more practices and we'll have a nice line-up for prom." I pant gently, settling the microphone back in its stand as I try to catch my breath. "Thank god it's Friday. Can't wait to laze all weekend."

"Laze all weekend? You mean hang out with your crush. Five dollars says you choke when you look into that otter's gaze at prom~" Sian grins while I roll my eyes.

"I told you, he's straight," I say defensively, still less-than-happy to have had the fact confirmed by Naki himself. "We talked about it at the swimming pool Tuesday morning. I'm not going to try and 'turn' him or whatever. There'll be other guys," I shoot while Samantha leans back in her chair, still only watching us practice.

"I dunno, I was talking to some of the girls Tuesday morning. Apparently, him and Loraine broke up last weekend... Loraine says she couldn't get him erect."

Everyone is silent for a moment. "Wait, what?" I ask while Ian laughs. "Loraine? Really? Hah, she's smokin' hot, too. Yea, he's definitely not straight Fen."

"Smokin' hot, huh?" Sam peers at Ian, whom quickly stops laughing.

"Uh, er, but not as hot as you are, of course." He jumps down from the stage and moves to sit next to Samantha, who simply grins.

"That's better." She licks his cheek before turning to peer at me again. "What's the harm, anyway? If he says no, then you're back where you started. May as well ask." She shrugs.

I disagree, shaking my head a little at her response. "Because I don't want to end up pissing him off or something. We have a good thing going. I'd rather be friends with him than overstep my boundaries..."

"Dude, you and him are swimming together every morning and he -just- broke up with the hot-- er, second-hottest girl in the school." Ian mumbles. "He's practically inviting you."

"You're both encouraging this?" Sian crosses his arms, peering at Ian and Sam. "Even if Naki -is- gay, what happens when he finds out the -other- secret?"

"Haven't you had norms as partners before, Sy?" I ask, not entirely certain of why I'm questioning his logic. He's right, after all.

"Yea, I have. But those weren't meant to be long-term. One-night only, friends with benefits. You're talking about a long-term relationship. Are you really ready to commit to something that might end with you having to... y'know, expose yourself?"

"What? Are you jealous, Sy?" Ian grins. "Want the wolf for yourself?"

"Oh get off of it... I'm being serious... for once." Sian rubs over his head. "I know it's probably not a big deal, but it's something to consider. Even if this all works out for you... we're still what we are, Fen. There's no telling what might happen. Remember what they always tell us?"

"Run, don't look back." I mumble. "Yea, I know. I think we're getting ahead of ourselves, anyway. Nothing has happened, I probably won't even approach him about it ever. He's a nice guy, I've... accepted that we'll only be friends." It's not entirely true. All week I've been chatting with Naki, getting to know him, finding myself more and more interested despite knowing that he's straight. A small part of me still hopes he might come around somehow.

Everyone quiets down again for a moment before I stand and start to pack my stuff. My mood is mostly ruined, now, anyway. Sian is right... even if he were to decide that he'd give a relationship a shot there's no telling what happens later on down the road with everything that's going on, and I'm not particularly fond of living the rest of my life trying to hide the fact that I'm a micro. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Take care, Fen. Not the end of the world either way," Ian says, and Sam gives a sympathetic look. "There's always a chance, Fen."

"Yea, maybe," I sigh a little, trying to smile some so they wouldn't worry too much.

As I walk out of the garage and put some distance between me and Ian's house, I hear Sian running to catch up with his backpack noisily bouncing against his back. Once he catches up to me, he starts to speak. "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, man. I wanna see you happy, you know that."

"Don't worry, Sy, I'm not mad at you. Kinda mad at myself for even thinking I could do something like this. You're absolutely right, I need to just let this go. I'll find another micro or something before long, I'm sure." It still feels unfair. I'm tempted to just do what Sam said and throw caution to the wind... at least with the part about me liking him. If it turns out he's interested then I could try to pry him for his feelings on the micro population...

"I got your back either way, bro." He grins and holds his paw up. We bump fists and I smile. "Yea, I know. I'll tell you how it goes this weekend, you're about the only person I know who can relate. My parents would freak out if they knew I'd even had the inkling to date a norm."

"You have to be more than a little crazy, yea." He smirks. "I'll see you Monday, though."He turns off towards his house at the intersection where the bus normally picks us up and I give a wave before continuing down the road towards mine.

--Naki--

We agreed to meet at a local coffee shop for a change. A place to sit and chat rather than swimming. It's settled downtown about halfway between where he lives and where I live. Since it's the weekend, the area is rather busy with groups of teenagers or college students that attend the local university laughing or hurrying off to various events.

As soon as I'm inside, the smell relaxes me a little bit; it's a very sweet, flavorful smell as various flavors of coffee tended to have. I take a few more deep breaths and then move to place an order before going to settle next to Fen.

"Hey"

"Heya," he smiles, sipping at his own cup.

"Its been quite a week," I say gently, sighing a little and sitting back in my chair. I don't know how I'm going to lead into telling him what I want to say. It felt like it should be easy before I got here but now that I'm staring into those happy, orange eyes again I can't quite motivate myself to bring the topic up.

"Yea, I bet. Championship is coming up and the Taers have a strong team as usual. You can beat Joe, though. He's fast but he's got no endurance. If you can keep the distance between him and you close then you can beat him in the final stretch."

I blink a few times, then smirk. "Right, I forgot you were one of the few students that follow the sport."

"Yea, how did you think I knew you were the best swimmer in the school?" He chuckles. "I'm a fan, silly."

I blush a little. "That makes sense. At least someone thinks I can do it. I've spent all week telling myself I can't."

"You can. Don't worry, you'll do just fine. What else has you stressed? Or are you just worried about your race?"

"Well..." I rub my neck a bit. "Well, the Loraine thing has me a bit on the edge, too." I shiver a little... it's now or never. "Fen I--"

"Well, I'm certain you'll find another girl," He says gently, shifting his gaze a bit.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, forgetting about what I wanted to tell him. His gaze shifts again and he smiles.

"Oh, yea, I'm fine."

"You're sure?" I blink as an employee walks over and sets my coffee down. I thank her and take a sip before returning my attention to Fen.

"Yea, uh... Just trying to make sure everything is ready for prom. The band has to practice up and we've been working really hard all week. Nothing to worry about."

"What about a date for prom?" I ask and he stares for a moment, seeming to think on something for a while. After a few seconds, he finally just shakes his head. "No, no date yet. Maybe... maybe I'll find someone soon. I still have ten days."

"Yea," I say. "You'll find someone, a great guy I'm sure. Though..." I feel my heart starting to beat more quickly. Best to get it out before I freeze again. I look away from his eyes, staring at my coffee. "Fen, you have to stop spreading rumors about... about us." I say quickly, hardly daring to look up again. I do anyway, and our gazes meet for a moment before his ears lay back against his skull and he begins to comprehend what I just said .

"What do you mean?"

"Loraine told me that you've been spreading rumors." I speak before remembering what Loraine -actually- said. "Err, or your friends. I don't know who, but someone has been talking about us swimming in the mornings. I... I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, y'know?" Now I've done it. He tries to hide it but I can see the pain in those eyes before he turns to look out of the window, ears still pressed to his skull.

"Don't want them to get the wrong idea, huh?" He continues to stare out of the window for a while. "What idea is that?"

"That we're, y'know... That we're dating. We're both males and... you're gay. I don't want people talking about me, I don't need the extra pressure before the championship and I don't want to have to explain things to my parents or friends. Nothing against you; people will make assumptions, though..."

He's silent for a while before one of his hands comes up to rub against his right eye a little, and he looks to me afterwards. His expression has changed, it's neutral now... the warm smile is gone and those eyes simply peer evenly into mine. It's almost enough to make me want to take my words back, but I know I need to do this... I think.

"Yea, I get it." He says simply, working an obviously fake smile onto his muzzle. He shifts a little and drinks a rather large swig of his coffee before looking to me again. "I told my friends that I was happy to meet you. I...I admit, I have a bit of a crush on... you. I told them that I wouldn't pursue it, though, because I found out that you had a girlfriend. I bet Sam is the one that told Loraine about our swimming sessions."

"I'm not mad," I say quickly, mentally grasping at how I might keep him from thinking I hate him or something, because I don't. The more I talk, though, the more I feel I'm giving him that impression. "Just tell her to stop, okay? No more rumors..."

"Yea," He says gently. "I'll tell her. I'll tell Sam to lay off."

"Thanks." I offer a smile but he doesn't smile back. I can hear the last bit of liquid flow from his cup as he tilts it upwards into his muzzle, and the sound of it striking the table when he sets it down rings in my ears.

Finally, he looks towards the door and starts to stand up. "Let's not meet in the morning anymore, either. Don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

I cringe as he speaks those words despite them being exactly what I'd just said. I didn't want to stop meeting him but... He's not wrong. If we keep meeting, it might make this all for naught. People would be suspicious anyway. "R-right." Is all I respond, taking another sip of coffee and feeling a little dizzy to the head.

I don't think I answered that properly, though, when I notice his gaze falter again. The mask he'd put on earlier starts to betray his disappointment. Once more, I've put my foot in my mouth but I'm not brave enough to take it back. I just stare at him in return; adrenaline pumping, panicking, shivering subtly. I'm a wreck even if I manage not to show it.

He starts to walk. "Sorry for the trouble, Naki. Goodluck with the championship. I know you'll do well..." He says before moving towards the door. I sit there for a while longer, sipping my coffee and slowly feeling worse and worse for my words. I'd just driven him away and all he'd done was be nice to me... and for what...?

It takes me a while but, eventually, I stand and throw my empty cup away. I'd done it, everything was over now. I keep telling myself that I'd feel bad about it for a while but, in time, I'd get over it... And so would he.