Tutoring

Story by Victor Dachs on SoFurry

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#4 of Trials

This story takes place between the events of "Secrets" and "Scars". I know I said I was done with Scott and Trey, and I am. This is the start of Brian and Grant :) Enjoy!


"Hey, Brian!" The jaguar walking toward Brian yelled. "What's up?"

Brian sighed as Zed stopped next to him. "Going to fucking tutoring. I swear, I feel so dumb doing this."

Zed laughed as he slapped Brian on the back. "Ha! You've made it a couple years without it, so I'd say you've done pretty well." Brian glared at the jaguar. Zed played opposite him on the football team, and was Brian's best friend in college. Brian couldn't help but admire the jaguar's body, and probably would have tried to sleep with him if the cat wasn't painfully straight.

"Compared to who?" Brian snapped. He really did feel stupid having to get help with school. His dads never did.

"The rest of the team, of course! What are you getting tutored in?" Zed smiled. He always had a playful smile on his face. It seemed he didn't really take anything seriously - except football.

"Physics." Brian shrugged. He took the class to fulfill a science elective requirement - something he was starting to regret.

Zed's eyes widened. "Hot damn! No wonder you need tutoring! Wouldn't catch me dead in a physics class."

"They wouldn't let you in a physics class, Zed." Brian rolled his eyes. "You need more math than basic two-plus-two. That's a bit out of your league."

"Ha! Fucker." Zed punched Brian in the arm, laughing. "So, gonna take anyone to Kyle's party next week?"

"Depends." Brian shrugged. "You still pretending you don't want my cock?" He teased, flashing Zed a sly grin.

"Har har. What happened to that Brick guy?" Zed was the only guy on the team that actually talked with Brian about his relationships. All the others took a 'cool if that's your thing, but don't involve me' approach to Brian being gay.

"First of all he was a complete closet case. Didn't want to ruin his 'man' status, whatever the fuck that means. Also, he was a lousy lay. I've had more fun with inanimate objects."

Zed doubled over laughing. "Damn, man. You have the worst luck with guys."

"Tell me about it." Brian stopped at the physics tutoring room. "Well, here I am. I'll catch you at practice."

"Aight." Zed ran off down the hallway.

Brian opened the door and walked into the room. There was a small grouping of tables at one end with computers, and a few with nothing on them at all. Chairs were placed around each in a half hazard configuration that belied how much this room was used for actual tutoring. In one of these chairs sat a badger that seemed to be around Brian's age. He was a little bit chubby - not really Brian's type - but he did have a really cute face. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

The badger looked up from the laptop in front of him. "You here for tutoring?"

Brian nodded, still embarrassed. "Yeah. That obvious?"

The badger shrugged and stood. "The only people that walk in here looking that lost are here for tutoring. The physics department is small; we all pretty much know each other. I'm Grant. I'm the tutor this hour." He reached out his paw.

Brian grasped the paw with his own. "I'm Brian."

"There you go." Grant smiled at the wolf as he reviewed his completed problem. "Once you get the concept, it's pretty much 'plug and chug.'"

Brian sighed. "The hardest part is figuring out which equation I need to use." This was the second week that the wolf came in to see Grant for tutoring. He had to admit, Brian wasn't the greatest at physics, but he was a sight better than most of the people who came in for tutoring.

"Just figure out what you have and what you need, and pick out the one that helps you." Grant smiled up at Brian. The wolf smiled back. He couldn't deny that he liked the wolf. What chubby, nerdy gay guy wouldn't want a night with a big stud football player like Brian? He had those thick arms that Grant just wished were wrapped around him. It was impossible, he knew, but it was a nice fantasy. He wondered just what it would be like to kiss that hot piece of wolf.

"So, Grant, mind if I get your number?"

Grant froze. "Uh, you want my number?"

Brian chuckled. "So I can see when you're available for tutoring. You're helping me a lot, so I want to make sure I'll be able to catch you when you're here."

"Uh, sure." The pair traded numbers. He hoped he didn't hesitate enough to give Brian suspicions. Most of the people in the physics department knew he was gay, but he didn't want to risk it with a football player. He had had bad experiences with sports jocks in high school, and even though that was a couple years ago, it still affected him.

Once they parted ways, Grant looked at the clock and decided it was time to head home. He thought more about the wolf as he walked home, playing the fantasy over and over in his head. He'd tell the wolf that he wanted him, and they'd kiss. They'd go to Brian's place - Grant had a roommate, which could get awkward - and make passionate, unbridled love.

Grant almost laughed at himself. The flaws in his fantasy making the whole thing ridiculously comedic. First of all, Brian wasn't gay. Secondly - if he was - Grant was an out of shape nerd; like that pairing would ever happen. Finally, that fantasy was like something ripped out of a cheesy sex novel. He should just go home and jack off a few times to get rid of this tension. He hadn't had sex in months, and even then, it wasn't great.

Grant sighed as he got into his car. He really needed to get a damn boyfriend already and stop waiting for the perfect guy.

Brian walked down the hall toward the physics tutoring room with a smile on his face. The day prior pretty much confirmed his suspicions. The way Grant responded to asking for his number made Brian sure that the badger was gay. The slight scent of arousal he picked up didn't hurt, either. He loved having a canine nose. He didn't know exactly what attracted him to the badger, but he just felt it. He genuinely liked the guy for who he was, and wanted him.

Grant smiled at him when he walked through the door. "Hey, Brian! Didn't expect you here today."

Brian smiled back. "Yeah, well. I was in the building and knew you were about to get done with your hour of tutoring, so I was wondering if you wanted to go get some lunch."

Grant paused for a second. "Uh, sure, why not. Let me get my bag."

Brian waited as the badger went to grab his backpack. He changed his mind about the badger's body. He wasn't as muscular as any of the other guys Brian dated, but for some reason he just wanted to hug him. He looked cuddly, and Brian liked that. Grant was completely oblivious to the fact that Brian was checking him out, which made him smile.

"So I was wondering." Brian said as they finally started their way to the cafeteria. "What is your major?"

"Oh, just Physics. You?"

Brian chuckled. "Just Physics, eh? I'm doing Criminal Justice. What are you thinking about doing with physics?"

Grant shrugged. "Probably teach, but I'm open to things."

"Ah, teaching is good." Brian nodded. "Both my dads are teachers."

Grant stopped in his tracks, looking at Brian with a strange look on his face. "Both dads?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I forget that trips people up. My parents are a gay couple." Brian chuckled. He had grown so used to having two dads that he never thought about how strange that was to other people.

"Wow. That's cool, I guess." Grant paused for a moment, looking as if processing the information. Brian knew what question would come next. It always did.

"Just go ahead and ask." He chuckled.

Grant looked down, abashed. "A-are you...?"

Brian folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at the badger. "So you think that since I have gay parents, that makes me gay?" He teased.

"N-No!" Grant put his paws up in defense, wide-eyed. Brian couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst out laughing.

"I'm just messin' with ya, man. Yeah I'm gay. It's why they adopted me."

Brian didn't think the badger's eyes could have gotten any wider. He couldn't figure out why it was so shocking, since he was pretty sure the badger was gay as well. Maybe he didn't expect a football player to be openly gay or something.

"Oh." Grant finally said once he was able to talk, even though the shock was still on his face. "Yeah, uh. Me too."

Brian nodded. "I figured. I have to say..." Brian looked Grant up and down. "You are pretty hot, too." He smiled.

"Uhm..." Brian could almost see the short-circuit in the badger's head. "Hold that thought."

Brian watched as Grant ran off back into the physics building. He had no idea what just happened. It almost felt like he broke the poor badger. Now he was just confused.

Grant slumped in one of the chairs in the physics room, which he was glad was empty. He didn't know why he ran. The fantasy he'd been running through his head was pretty much coming true - aside from the cheesy romance novel aspect - and he panicked. He was never good at getting hit on, especially from really hot guys like Brian. Well, come to think about it, he'd never been hit on by a really hot guy like Brian before. He had no idea how to handle someone thinking he was hot - if that really was what the wolf thought. So far, the only sexual encounters he'd had were just moments of messing around with friends of his, and he had never had a real boyfriend.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat. Grant jumped, startled, and looked up to see Brian leaning against the doorway.

"Sorry." Grant mumbled, no idea what to say.

"Want to talk about it?" The wolf casually walked up to take a seat next to Grant.

"I... That's never happened before." Grant instinctively cast his gaze back down to the floor.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone saying I was hot." He replied softly. He was embarrassed by it; by the whole situation. He didn't want to look Brian in the eye.

"I'm sorry." Grant felt a paw land on his shoulder. The touch was soft, but it sent a current through him. He wanted to shy away and lean into the touch at the same time. "I did mean it, though."

Grant finally looked up to the wolf, his gray eyes staring sympathetically back at him. "Really?"

Brian nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Honestly, I don't know why, but I do." The wolf looked away, seeming almost shy, which Grant couldn't believe. "In the past I've always gone for big muscled guys, but for some reason I look at you and see something better." Brian shrugged, looking back at Grant. "I don't know, maybe my tastes are changing, but I do find you very attractive. The fact that you're not an asshole like every other guy I've dated definitely turns the tables in your favor as well." He chuckled.

Grant felt his cheeks heat up. He couldn't believe his ears. "Well, to tell you the truth..." He cleared his throat, gathering the courage to finish what he was saying. "You're the hottest guy I've ever seen. Like, you're exactly the type that I wanted but could never get."

Brian smiled warmly at Grant. He could get lost in that smile, to quote a cliché. The wolf really was beautiful, and to think, he was gay and wanted Grant. It was beyond amazing to him.

"Well, I wouldn't say never." The wolf leaned in and kissed Grant on the cheek, sending shocks through his entire body. "But before I can say for sure, I'd like to have at least one date." He chuckled. "Call me old fashioned, but how's dinner and a movie sound?"

"Wonderful."

Grant paced in his dorm room, nervously waiting for Brian to pick him up. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, feeling like it would explode any minute. He couldn't remember ever being this nervous about anything before, but he had never really had a date of this... caliber. He wore a pair of nice jeans and a polo shirt - not really dressed up, but not sloppy either. He hoped the wolf wouldn't take him somewhere too fancy. It seemed like he paced for hours, almost afraid that his steps would wear a trench in the floor. He almost jumped out of his fur when his phone finally rang.

Grant stared at the phone for one unbelieving second before answering. "Hello?"

"Hey. I'm here." The wolf's deep voice answered.

"Alright, I'll be right down."

Hanging up the phone, his nerves settled somewhat. He was slightly afraid that the whole thing had been a ruse just to mess with him. But no, Brian showed up. As he walked out of his room and into the elevator, he began to get nervous again. This time, it was all for the date ahead. He couldn't help but worry that Brian wouldn't like him after the date. It was an often encountered occurrence with Grant, much to the detriment of his self-esteem. As he exited the building, he scanned around the parking lot until he saw the wolf smiling at him from inside a red truck. It looked new, something he wasn't expecting from a student.

"You ready?" Brian asked as Grant neared the truck.

"Sure." He replied, stepping into the passenger side and sitting on the leather interior. "Nice truck."

"Thanks, my dads got it for me last year." The wolf was smiling at him again, which made Grant even more nervous.

"Uh, cool." Grant couldn't help the slight tremble in his voice. He swore at himself silently.

"No need to be nervous, man." The wolf put his paw on Grant's leg, causing him to jump slightly. "It's just a date."

"Sorry." Grant looked down, abashed. "I... Well I haven't been on a date in years, so it's kinda new."

"Ah, well, just sit back and enjoy. I just want to get to know ya better; that's all this is."

Grant nodded as the wolf drove out of the parking lot. He tried to relax, but he couldn't help but think about trying not to mess this up, that a lot was on the line. There was a lot on the line, in fact. If everything went right, he could possibly land a guy that was far out of his league in his mind. He tried to remind himself that being so nervous might actually mess things up as well, but just that thought made him even more nervous.

They arrived at a small diner right outside of the university area. Grant had never been here before, but he had heard about it. It was a small local place that a lot of students went to when they felt like having something more upscale than the fast food offered on campus. It wasn't really fancy, but nice for a college budget. They took their seats at a small booth and Grant looked over the menu. They had a lot of good deli sandwiches, as well as some burgers, but he knew they were better known for their sandwiches.

Grant ordered a reuben, which by coincidence, Brian also ordered. The wolf just looked at him and smiled as the waitress, an older squirrel, took their menus.

"Good choice on the reuben. It's my favorite here."

"Thanks. I haven't had one in a while, so I thought it would be nice."

"So, tell me about yourself."

Grant took a sip of his water while he thought of where to start. "Well, there's not really much to tell. I'm working on my physics degree, as you know, and that takes up a lot of my time. I like playing some games, I guess. I'm not really much of a gamer, but I enjoy some. Most of my free time I listen to music or watch TV. I'm kind of a couch potato, I guess. I do cook, though. I guess that's something interesting." He shrugged. He was never really good at talking about himself. It always felt awkward to him for some reason.

Brian nodded, still smiling. "What about your family? You see them much?"

Grant looked down at the table. He'd hoped to avoid this. "No." He shook his head. "I... don't really have one. My dad died when I was three or four, and my mom died last year."

Grant looked up to see the wolf's smile fade instantly, and his eyes go wide. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"

"No, it's okay. You couldn't have known. Anyway, my mom wasn't really close to the rest of the family, so I've pretty much been on my own. I'm pretty much living off of her will money." It hurt to talk about it, even if a little less than before. "So, what about you?"

Grant leaned back as their waitress gave them their sandwiches, and listen as the wolf told his story in between bites. He told him the story of his adoption, which shocked Grant. He couldn't imagine not being wanted by his parents, and the fact that his teachers cared so much seems like a one in a million chance. It seemed crazy to Grant that one of the wolf's dads was also a gay football player, now a coach. Grant didn't really follow football much, but he had never really heard about any gay ones. Now in one week he's met one, and learned about another.

"I feel really lucky, honestly. It hasn't been long, but I already love them like they were my real parents." The wolf finished the story. "Aside from all that, I'm just working on a Criminal Justice degree. I hope to be able to play pro football, but it's not really a necessity."

Grant nodded. "That would be cool, though. Lots of money, too."

"Oh yeah." Brian smiled. "My dads still have all the savings from my dad's football career. They were smart; they invested most of it, and just take the interest. It's why two teachers can afford to buy their son a new truck." He laughed.

Grant chuckled. "I was actually kinda wondering about that." Grant finally felt at ease with the wolf, having shared that laugh. It was almost like all of his nerves melted away at that moment. He smiled back at Brian, whose smile widened even more than before.

"Good to see you're enjoying yourself finally."

"I really am. Thanks, Brian."

They finished their meals and headed over to the theater. Brian picked out an action movie, and Grant didn't really care about what they watched. He couldn't remember much about it, though. When they got seated, Brian reached over and grabbed Grant's paw, holding it in his. Holding on to the wolf's paw sent shivers down his spine, and he had trouble focusing on the film.

Brian smiled at the badger as they got into his truck. It had been a nice date; much more classic than his others, but he felt that Grant enjoyed it. He set his paw on the badger's leg and rubbed.

"I had a great time." Brian said.

"Me too." Grant smiled back.

Brian stared into Grant's eyes, admiring his cute face. He couldn't wait anymore. He leaned in, claiming the badger's muzzle in a deep kiss. Grant made a soft surprised sound, but then melted into it. Their tongues met, Brian savoring the taste of the badger. He broke the kiss, staring back into Grant's eyes.

"Wow." Grant breathed. "You're good at that."

Brian glanced down, noticing the very pronounced bulge in the badger's pants. "Seems you enjoyed it."

Grant looked down and covered himself. "Sorry." He looked abashed.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." Brian smiled at the bashfulness. "Ya know, we don't have to end the date if you don't want."

Grant looked at him, shocked. "You want to..."

Brian nodded. "Only if you want to. I don't want to force you or anything."

"I... I think I do."

"Mmm great. My place fine?" Brian smiled and moved his paw up the badger's leg, brushing lightly against his crotch.

Grant gasped at the contact. "God yes."

As Brian drove off toward his apartment, he found it difficult to keep the speed limit. The badger may have been more vocal about it, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want it just as bad. All through the movie, he thought about what Grant would look like without his clothes. He couldn't remember the last time he was this excited about sex. He wondered if the badger's different body type played a part in the excitement. It was something new to Brian, having never been with anyone that wasn't muscular, but he knew there was something more to the excitement that he couldn't place.

"Here we are." Brian smiled at Grant as he pulled into the parking lot. He lived in a small complex; all the buildings only had two floors. The badger smiled back before opening the door and stepping out of the truck.

Brian nearly rushed to the door, anticipation driving his every step. Why was he so excited? He unlocked the door, opening it to let Grant through. Brian was glad he had cleaned earlier, even though he wasn't anticipating bringing the badger here. It was a fleeting thought, though, as Grant turned to face him as he closed the door.

"Nice place."

"Thanks. I'll have to give you the grand tour later." Brian smiled back. "Right now, I really just want to show you the bedroom."

Grant chuckled. "Sounds great to me."

Brian ran a paw down the badger's arm, feeling the fur against his pads. He grasped Grant's paw and led him quickly to the room, where the two came together in a deep kiss. Brian pressed his body into Grant's, running his paws down the badger's back. His earlier assessment proved correct; he was really nice to hug. He brought his paws up to Grant's front, slipping them under his shirt, lifting it as he ran his paws through Grant's fur. It was so soft and felt great on his paws. Brian felt Grant's paws start to mimic his, gliding over his abs and tracing the lines of his muscles. Grant pulled back, breaking the kiss, and tugged on Brian's shirt. Brian lifted his arms and let the badger lift the shirt over his head, after which, he looked Brian up and down.

"Wow." He breathed as he ran his paws through Brian's chest.

"Thanks." Brian smiled. "Let's see what you have to offer."

"Definitely not anything as nice as that." Grant sounded somewhat embarrassed.

"Let me be the judge of that." Brian smiled as he leaned in to take off the badger's shirt.

Brian took in the sight of the shirtless badger, gazing over every inch of his torso. He wasn't quite big enough for his belly to roll or anything, and he wasn't flabby at all. It was a solid build, and Brian thought it quite hot, actually. He traced his paws over the lines of the badger's markings where gray became nearly white. Being a fairly solid gray wolf, Brian felt somewhat jealous of anyone with distinct markings. With those black stripes over his eyes and head, and the gray becoming white on his front, Grant managed to be striking without necessarily being colorful.

"Mmm. The judge likes what he sees." Brian smiled up at the badger reassuringly. "You shouldn't sell yourself so short."

Grant looked as if his cheeks were on fire. "I'm glad you like it."

As a response, Brian moved his paws down to Grant's belt, unbuckling it deftly and quickly unfastening his pants. "Let's see what else I'll like."

He stared into Grant's eyes as he hooked his paws under the waistband of the badger's pants and boxers, and slid them down together, meeting resistance at Grant's hardness. Once he managed to slide the pants past it, he looked down to see the thickest cock he had ever seen.

"Holy fuck!" Brian couldn't keep the shock off his face. The badger's cock was dark in color - almost black - and was probably on the low end of average in length, but it was as thick as Brian's wrist. He wrapped his paw around the member, and couldn't even get close to completely enclosing the girth. He started to stroke while still staring at it in disbelief. "Very impressive."

"Uh... Thanks." Grant obviously wasn't used to these kinds of compliments, Brian figured. He wondered why. He certainly thought Grant was quite sexy.

Brian leaned in and gave Grant a quick kiss before moving his paws to his own pants. The pressure on his growing erection had become uncomfortable, and he wanted more than anything to be naked with this hot badger in front of him. He slid his pants down, the revealing of his own cock drawing Grant's gaze down. Brian was quite a bit longer than Grant, but not nearly as thick. He leaned in and pressed their cocks together with his paw, pink against dark gray. He relished the feeling of the badger's member against his as he stroked the pair. Grant let out a soft moan at the new sensations, eliciting a smile from Brian. He reached his paw down to cup the badger's balls as he knelt. Looking up, he saw Grant's somewhat surprised expression as he licked the badger's erection from base to tip. He inhaled the thick scent of Grant's cock before sliding it into his muzzle.

Grant moaned loudly at the attention, even though Brian couldn't open his maw wide enough to fit it all. He sucked at the badger's cock hungrily, relishing the taste and scent. He couldn't help but think how hot Grant was to him, and how odd it was that he'd never before thought a chubby male could be attractive. It was new to him, but he didn't care. All he cared about at the moment was the badger in front of him and the thick cock in his mouth. Grant's moaning began to be accompanied by slight tremors, giving Brian the impression that he was close. He didn't want it to end, so he slid the member out of his mouth and stood.

"Mmm. You taste good." Brian smiled as he licked his lips.

Grant was panting. "Fuck, you're good at that." The badger looked back at Brian, and he could see something in Grant's eyes that just... clicked.

Grant leaned in quickly, claiming Brian's mouth in a kiss as he felt the badger's paw grasp his cock and start to stroke forcefully. Brian found himself being led to the edge of the bed, and he didn't complain as he was pushed softly to lie on it. The badger's mouth left his, and quickly slid around Brian's erection, sucking it with abandon. Brian arched his back at the contact, moaning as Grant's muzzle slid up and down his member. He felt the badger's paw caress his balls, rubbing in a counterpoint to the motion on his cock. Brian could hear his moans grow louder, the ecstasy of the attention sending tremors all through his body. He couldn't remember ever being with anyone this good at oral.

After a while, Brian started to involuntarily thrust up into Grant's muzzle as pleasure ran across him in waves. He knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer like this, but he didn't care. Almost as if reading his thoughts, the badger stopped, lifting his head to look at Brian.

"Lube?" Grant asked.

"Nightstand drawer." Brian could barely formulate any other words as the badger quickly grabbed a small tube out of the drawer and poured a bit of the gel in his paw. Brian quietly hoped that Grant was a bottom. He enjoyed bottoming himself, but he doubted he would be able to take something that thick without a lot of practice. He wanted to say something, but in his state he knew that no matter what, he wouldn't be able to complain.

Luckily for Brian, Grant reached over and spread the lube on his pink cock, coating it thoroughly. Brian's member twitched in anticipation as the badger straddled him, turning to apply the lube under his tail. Grant leaned up to kiss Brian as he gripped Brian's cock, and slowly brought it inside him. Brian arched back, breaking the kiss and gasping in pleasure as the badger's warm tightness enclosed his cock. He could have sworn he saw stars as instinct gripped him, forcing him to grab the badger's hips and thrust forcefully into the warmth.

The pair's moaning grew louder and louder as Grant rode Brian's cock. He grasped the badger's cock, which bounced on Brian's belly and began to stroke. He ignored the pain of the heavy badger slamming down into his hips with each thrust, as pleasure dominated any feeling of pain. He felt his knot grow closer and closer to its full size, hitting the edge of the badger's anus repeatedly. His body cried out for him to tie with Grant, but he didn't know if the badger would be able to or even want to. He didn't get the chance to ask when Grant shifted his weight all the way down, forcing Brian's knot to pop inside. Brian's body convulsed as he howled at the pressure, pushing him over the edge. He couldn't help but grip the badger's cock tight as he gushed inside him, causing Grant to let out a loud grunt and spray his seed onto Brian's chest.

They panted hard together as their movement slowed, Grant leaning in to give Brian a lingering kiss. Afterwards, they found themselves staring into each other's eyes as they waited for Brian's knot to go down.

"Fuck that was hot." Brian said between heavy breaths.

"Yeah. You feel great." Grant smiled; the most relaxed he'd been the entire date.

"Mmm. You feel wonderful." Brian let his paws roam the badger's stomach and chest as he sat up. "And you look great, too."

Grant looked bashful. "Thanks."

"I mean it."

Grant nodded, starting to mimic Brian's rubbing with his own paws, tracing around Brian's muscles. "I like your muscles. Never been with a muscular guy before."

Brian chuckled. "Well you can get with me any time you want. I'll tell you what, though; you got one of the biggest and nicest cocks I've ever seen - even in porn." He smiled as he brought his paw to caress the rapidly-softening member. Even growing soft, it was thicker than Brian's. "I'm not a size queen by any means, but it's beautiful."

Grant gave Brian that bashful look again, as if he didn't know what to do with that. "I dunno. I've always found it almost a curse. I'd like to be able to top sometimes, and I doubt many people could take it."

Brian smiled at him and brought his paw up to brush the side of the badger's face. "Well, it'd take a bit of practice, but I'd love to try."

Grant looked back in shock. "Really?"

"Of course. I love it both ways."

Grant smiled at him warmly, like he had given him something he desperately wanted. Maybe he did, in fact. They stayed in that position, rubbing each other softly, as they came down. Brian finally felt his knot go down enough that he could pull out and Grant lifted off of him, eliciting a groan and a jerk from Brian as he slid past his sensitive tip.

"We should probably grab a shower before I have to go." Grant said as he settled next to Brian, still caressing his chest.

"You know, you don't have to go. In fact, I'd really like it if you stayed the night."

Grant looked at him with a surprised look on his face. "Seriously?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. I had a great time today, even excluding the sex. I really hope we can make this more than a one-time thing."

Grant smiled. "Yeah. Me too."

Brian leaned in and locked his muzzle to the badger's, kissing him for what seemed like an eternity. Every time they touched was like an electric shock to Brian. It was so much better than what he'd had before, and he wanted more and more. He wanted to lie with him and cuddle. He wanted to wake up to that face. He didn't know why, but he wanted Grant completely.

"We should probably still take a shower."

Grant rubbed the arm draped over him as he started to wake. Even after a week, he still somewhat expected to wake up in his own bed and have this all be a dream. He couldn't believe that a hot, muscular football player would even be slightly interested in him. But here he was, in Brian's bed, with the wolf's arm holding him. It wasn't even just the fact that Brian was an Adonis of a wolf that made Grant feel so lucky; it was also how caring and genuine he was. It was like Brian made a point to counteract his feelings of inadequacy - which came up a lot, unfortunately - and make him feel worthwhile. It was amazing how, with just a touch, the wolf could make him feel like he belonged, like this was where he was meant to be. He knew a week was unusually short for an emotional attachment of this magnitude to develop, but he could sense that Brian felt the same. He didn't know what Brian saw in him, honestly, but he couldn't be happier that it happened.

Brian groaned behind him as the wolf started his slow journey to wakefulness. Grant shifted and turned to face Brian, draping his arm around him and rubbing the wolf's bare rear. They had tried to change positions the night before - Grant on top - and it wasn't very successful. He just hoped he didn't hurt Brian too badly. Sometimes he really hated being so thick.

"Mmf. Be careful down there." Brian said groggily.

"Still sore?"

"A bit. Not as bad, though." The wolf opened his eyes to meet Grant's and started to run his paw up his chest.

"Sorry."

"Oh, shush. I can deal with some pain. I'm gonna get that thing inside me eventually. Count on it." Brian reached down and softly caressed Grant's cock, which was erect as per usual in the morning.

Grant pulled in close to the wolf and claimed his muzzle in a kiss. He loved the feeling of being pressed against Brian, how the wolf's fur felt against his, how the warmth of his cock felt against his own. He loved the taste of Brian's tongue and how eager the wolf was to kiss him. He loved everything about being with the wolf; it was intoxicating.

"Mmm. It sure is great to wake up to you." Brian said as they parted muzzles.

Grant smiled. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing."

"I swear," Brian stared into Grant's eyes, "sometimes I think I'll wake up and this'll all be a dream."

The mirror reflection of his own thoughts surprised Grant. "Really? If it's anyone's dream, it's mine. You could get any guy you wanted and you know it."

"Well it's not about who I could get. It's about who I did get. I'm just glad to have gotten you."

"Hmm." Grant smiled, teasing the wolf. "You seem to be quite smitten with someone you've only known for a week."

Brian chuckled. "I could say the same thing about you. It can't be bad if it goes both ways."

"I guess not." Grant gave the wolf a quick kiss on the nose and reached around to grab the bottle of lube from the nightstand. Brian let out a soft moan and started to rub his erect cock against Grant's in anticipation. "Now let's wake you up properly."

After their post-coital shower, Brian cooked up a simple breakfast for the two of them - eggs and bacon. They ate in relative silence, each just enjoying the other's presence. Grant leaned against the wolf after they finished, nuzzling Brian's bare chest.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Grant asked as Brian reached around him, pulling him close.

"Well, you finished all your weekend homework last night, right?"

Grant nodded. "Yep. Didn't have much this time, luckily."

"So I guess nothing until the party, which you still haven't told me if you're going to go to or not." Brian poked him in the side.

"I don't know, that's why I haven't told you."

"What are you worried about? It's just a party."

"Yeah, but they're your friends, not mine. I won't know anyone there."

"You'll know Zed, you met him."

"For all of five minutes." Grant was stalling. He didn't want to admit that he was petrified of meeting Brian's friends and trying to fit in with them, which he knew he probably wouldn't. He didn't want to think of what would happen if none of Brian's friends could accept him.

"Anyway, I won't even know everyone there. A lot of people go to these things. Plus, I want to show you off." Grant could almost see the grin on the wolf's face even though he wasn't looking at him.

"Oh, really? How good is showing off the fat nerd going to be for you?"

"You're not fat. Quit saying that."

"I'm a nerd."

"So? Most of the guys there will be impressed that you're a physics major."

Grant sighed.

"So what's the real reason?"

There it is. The big question. "It's just... I don't want you to leave me because I can't get along with your friends."

Brian shifted, pushing Grant up to look at him face to face. "You think I'd break up with you just because some guys I know don't like you? If I cared about them liking who I'm dating, I wouldn't be gay. The only guy that I'm close enough friends with that I'd listen to what he had to say about the subject is Zed, and he doesn't really care about anything. Also, he likes you."

"Yeah, but..." Grant knew this was an uphill battle. No matter what he said, he knew he'd probably be going. As much as he was scared of losing him due to the friends, he was even more scared of not doing something that the wolf wanted to do. He didn't want to jeopardize his crazy luck by being too worried to go to a party. "Fine. I'll go."

"Great." Brian pulled Grant back in close and hugged him. "You'll have a great time. I promise."

Brian smiled at Grant reassuringly as he rang the doorbell to Kyle's house. The badger had been nervous about the party all day. Brian could somewhat understand what Grant was feeling; he himself wondered if he'd be able to get along with Grant's friends, but he still wanted to meet them. He held on to the badger's paw as the door opened to reveal a lean tiger.

Kyle's parents were quite wealthy, hence why he had a house to himself as a college student. He didn't really flaunt it aside from the house parties, though. He was the quarterback on the football team, which earned him quite the status at school. College definitely wasn't a big popularity contest like high school, but people like Kyle were just always known.

"Hey, Brian! You made it!" The tiger beamed, obviously already a few drinks in.

"Wouldn't miss it, man." Brian reached out and shook paws with the tiger, who pulled him into a quick one-arm hug.

"Awesome, man. Who's this?" Kyle turned to Grant.

"This is my boyfriend, Grant."

"Oh, cool! Bring it in, yo!" Kyle opened his arms wide and hugged a very surprised and confused Grant. Brian changed his previous guess of a few drinks in; the tiger was drunk. Kyle never really had a problem with Brian and any of his other boyfriends, but he definitely never hugged them.

They followed the tiger into the house, and Brian scanned the mass of people to find Zed. He knew the jaguar would be here already - he was never late to a party, and he never left early. Grant had already met Zed, so he knew he would be more comfortable talking to him at first. He finally spotted the jaguar talking to two of the linebackers on the team, Derron and Trent. Derron was a large badger that played middle linebacker, and Trent, a hulking bull, played strong-side. They were two of the biggest guys on the team, but despite their occasionally intimidating size, were probably the nicest. It seemed to Brian as a pretty great group to get Grant socializing with, especially with the fact that he and Derron were both badgers. That species familiarity should help. Brian navigated through the crowd to the trio, towing Grant behind him by the paw.

"Hey guys."

"Hey! What's up, Brian?" Trent bellowed.

"Not much, I wanted you guys to meet my boyfriend. This is Grant." He brought Grant up to stand beside him on his left next to Zed. "Grant, this is Derron and Trent. You already know Zed." He pointed each guy out as he spoke, and Zed had already greeted Grant with a pat on the back.

"Nice to meet ya." Derron said as he reached out to shake Grant's paw. "Good to see that Brian finally came to his senses and got with a badger. I've always told him we're the best in bed. Am I right?"

"Uh, I guess..." Grant timidly shook the other badger's paw, and afterward moved to shake the bull's.

"Don't listen to him, man." Trent laughed as he shook Grant's paw. "Derron's nothing but a ball of hormones. So how'd you meet Brian?"

Grant looked at Brian briefly, as if to ask for guidance, but Brian just nodded for him to go ahead. He could handle himself, surely. "Well, I met him when he came in for tutoring."

"Ha! Like something out of a cheesy sex novel, 'cept you're a tutor instead of a teacher." Derron laughed as Trent jabbed him in the ribs reproachfully. Sometimes the way the two acted around each other paired with the fact that they were always together reminded Brian of a married couple. Sometimes he wondered about them, but then he thought that since he had already come out on the team, any other guys that were gay would too, right?

"Shut up, Derron. That's cool, though. What subject do you tutor?"

"Physics." Grant smiled, seeming to somewhat relax around the playful joking between Derron and Trent.

"Woah, man. Smarter than me." Trent smiled back. "That's pretty awesome, though. I'm actually pretty jealous of smart guys like you."

"Really?" Grant looked taken aback. "I've always wished I was more muscular and played sports or something. You guys always seem to have the most fun."

"Sure," Trent smiled, "in high school and college. Maybe a few of us will play pro, but what happens if we don't make it?" His smile faded. "I mean, sure we got our majors, but it's like all this practice could be for nothing, ya know?"

"Now it's my turn to tell you not to listen to him." Derron reached his arm out in front of the bull as if to physically cut into the conversation. "He's getting all nervous because he's almost a senior, and he doesn't think he'll do well after." He turned to face Trent. "Which we all know is pointless thinking, because he'll do great and he will get drafted."

"You don't know that." Trent turned to look at the badger. "It's a pretty slim chance, really. What happens if I don't?"

"Then you'll go to law school and become a hot shot lawyer. We've already talked about that."

Brian glanced at Grant and Zed, who were both smiling, entertained at the turn in the conversation. Not getting drafted was always an innate worry with most everyone on the team, but he had never seen Trent get so worked up about it before. He wondered if the drink in his paw or any prior had to do with it. That thought reminded him that his paws were void of such.

"Hey, Grant." He turned to the badger. "I'm gonna go get a beer. You want one?"

Grant shook his head. "No thanks. I'll drive." The badger held out his paw expectantly.

"What? I'm not gonna drink that much." Brian protested. Grant just held the same position, staring at him with his paw outstretched. "Ugh. Fine." He relented and fished through his pocket for his keys, handing them to Grant. The badger smiled with satisfaction, stuffing the keys in his own pocket.

Brian shook his head, smiling, as he ducked out of the group. He had driven home from many parties a bit buzzed and never had a problem, but he couldn't really fault Grant for wanting to be safe and responsible. He was drastically different from all the other boyfriends he'd had, who would just join him in the drinking festivities. Maybe it was a good thing that Grant was different. Maybe that's why he liked him so much.

He walked up to one of the kegs, grabbing a cup from the counter and filling it with beer. He was proud of how Grant was doing so far. He seemed to really get along with Derron and Trent, which was good since they were probably the only other guys he spent time with from the team aside from Zed. They were great guys.

"So, I see you got a new beau." A familiar voice spoke from behind Brian. He turned and came face to face with a lion about the same build as Brian.

"Oh, hi Brick. Yeah." Just great. He was hoping the lion wouldn't come.

"So you just dump me for that fatty?"

"Christ, Brick, we broke up a month ago."

"We didn't break up, you did."

"Semantics. We're no longer a couple." Brian knew Brick was hurt from the breakup, but those things happened sometimes. The lion was mostly a jerk, though, so Brian didn't really feel bad about it.

"You think that fatass over there is gonna be better than me?" Brick smiled mockingly.

"Oh, he already is. First of all, he's not ashamed of who he is and secondly, he's so much better in bed." Brian felt almost satisfied as the smile faded from the lion's face. "You want to know the real reason I broke it off with you? I couldn't stand having to have this 'secret affair' thing that you insisted on and even then, it wasn't exciting. I'm not gonna waste my time going around in secret when I can get better sex from a blow-up doll." He was surprised Brick was bringing all this up in public, but there weren't many people standing around where they were, so maybe he was just waiting to isolate Brian.

"You son of a bitch." Brick was on the verge of growling. "I'm ten times the man that nerd could ever be. I'll have to make sure you remember that."

"You do anything of the sort to me or Grant, and I'll make sure everyone knows you like to take it up the ass daily." Brian called the lion's bluff. He didn't put it past Brick to try to pick a fight with him or Grant, but he knew he wouldn't risk outing himself. He truly was a complete closet case.

The lion stared at him in disbelief and anger, looking as if he would explode any second. Luckily, Brick just turned around and stormed off the other way. Good riddance. That was the issue a lot of times when dating the hyper-masculine jock type. A lot of them - not all, but a lot - had some crazy idea that they were entitled to whatever and whoever they wanted. Guys like Brick were especially bad, guys that felt like they had to prove themselves as more manly to counteract the fact that they were gay. Looking back, Brian wondered what he ever saw in that lion. Sure, he was physically attractive, but get any deeper than that and the guy was just an ass.

Brian rolled his eyes at the retreating lion and walked back to where Grant was still talking to Derron, Trent, and Zed. Well, he was mostly listening since the topic seemed to be on football at the moment. Still, Brian could almost see the discussion about plays and previous games being filed away in the badger's head. Even though Grant had never been very interested in football, it seemed he wanted to build some form of interest or knowledge, even if only for Brian's sake. Now this was what a good boyfriend was. Someone who would try to understand your interests even if they're not necessarily mutual. Someone who cared enough to put forth the effort required in a relationship.

After the party, which went great after the run-in with Brick, Grant drove them back to Brian's apartment. Brian didn't feel like he was buzzed really at all, but Grant insisted since he didn't have anything. As much as it sucked to be denied his driving privilege, Brian couldn't help but admire the fact that it showed how much Grant actually cared. He couldn't help but smile when he looked at the badger in the driver's seat.

"So," Grant said, breaking the silence during the drive, "I thought you said there weren't any other gay guys on the team."

"There aren't."

"You must be blind then." Grant smiled, raising an eyebrow at Brian.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Derron and Trent are definitely a couple." He chuckled.

"What? No, they're just good friends. They argue like a couple sometimes, but they grew up together. It happens that way a lot of times." Brian had sometimes wondered, of course, but there was no reason to really believe they were gay.

"I'm not talking about the conversation. It's in their body language and how they look at each other. Most of the time when someone looks at someone else like they do, there's a kiss imminent."

"How would you know? You couldn't pick up that I was gay when we met."

Grant shrugged. "I can't pick up on individuals, but that's usually hard anyway unless they're flamboyant. With couples, it's a lot easier."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Ask them about it and see for yourself."

Brian laughed. "If it's true, and they're keeping in the closet or something, I doubt they'd tell me if I just asked."

Grant just shrugged once more. "It's worth a shot."

Brian walked out of the burger place in the university center and started scanning the tables for Derron and Trent. He had texted them earlier to see if they wanted to get lunch with him, and Derron had said that they had already sat to eat. He had an ulterior motive for the lunch, too, having decided that he would ask them about Grant's suspicions and hopefully put them to rest. He spotted the muscular badger sitting next to the bull and waving at him from a table off to the side. Brian smiled and walked up to take the seat across from the pair.

"Hey, man." Derron, always the more vocal of the pair, greeted him as he sat. "How's it going?"

"Alright. Just got out of British Lit." He smiled as he started to eat his burger, which was bland as always.

"Ugh. I hated that class. Too much reading." The badger smiled.

"I don't mind it. It's kinda cool, I think. Middle English sounds like something out of a fantasy movie." He chuckled, wondering how to approach the subject he came here to discuss. He couldn't think of any good segue to a question like that, so he just decided to get it over with. "So, I have a question for you guys."

"Shoot."

"Um... There's no great way to ask this, but are you two gay?"

"What? No!" Trent finally spoke, looking shocked that he would ask something like that.

Derron's smile just faded, and he turned to face the bull. "Trent, it's Brian." He turned back to face Brian. "I'm tired of this. Yes, I'm gay, he's bi, and we're a couple."

"Derron!" Trent hissed.

"What?" The badger raised his arms in protest. "It's Brian, and like I said, I'm tired of this shit."

"I..." Trent looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I need to go to the bathroom." He got up suddenly, walking toward the restrooms.

"Trent!" Derron called after the bull, but having had seemingly no effect, he just shook his head and turned back to face Brian. "Great, now I probably won't get sex for a month. Sorry about that. So how'd you figure it out?"

Brian tried to compose his lingering shock. He wasn't expecting Grant to be right. "I didn't. Grant did."

Derron chuckled. "Well he is smart."

"Yeah... Why didn't you tell anyone? I mean... You know nobody would care, why hide it?" Brian was still trying to wrap his mind around the two hulking guys being a gay couple.

Derron shrugged. "It wasn't really my call. I was already out in high school before we got together. I went back in the closet for him. He wasn't ready. Luckily no one from our school came over here, so it was easy to pull off."

"Wow. How do you do it? I couldn't stand having to hide like that. It's one of the reasons I broke it off with Brick. He was so ashamed of it."

"Well, can you believe I'm in love?"

"Woah, now." Brian smiled wryly bringing his paw up. "I can believe that you're gay, but that's pushing it."

"Ass." Derron looked at him flatly. "Seriously, I am. We've been together for four years now. I wouldn't have put up with it if I didn't know I loved him. Anyway, he's not ashamed at all, I don't think. He's more just scared of what will happen. It's irrational, since he knows nobody cares about you being gay, but it's still a fear of his."

"But you're tired of hiding? Is that what you meant before?"

"Well, yeah, at least to someone like you. I'd rather be completely out, but I want at least one person that we can be a couple around. Who better than a fellow gay football player? He just didn't want to force someone else to keep the secret, to hear him tell it."

"I guess I can understand that... Don't worry, though, it's not my place to out you."

"Oh, I know. Honestly I'm glad you know, even more so than just having someone to be ourselves around. Hopefully it'll help him to come out. I'm not gonna rush it, but it's just so tiring."

"How did you two get together, if he was closeted the whole time?"

"Well, like I said, I was out. We had already been friends, and one time when we were hanging out he confessed that he thought I was hot. We had the hottest sex in existence, and the rest is history." Derron chuckled. "Speaking of, how is Grant in bed?"

Brian smiled. "Well badgers are the best, right?"

"Of course! He hung?" The badger winked, smiling.

"Dear God, if you only knew. Not long, but as thick as my wrist." Brian almost felt flustered just picturing Grant's cock in his head.

"Fuck! I take it you top, then?" He laughed.

Brian chuckled along with the badger. "Mostly. I'm working my way up to taking it."

"Shit, I don't even think I could take something that big, and I bottom most of the time."

Brian laughed loudly. "Oh God, the idea of you getting fucked is hilarious."

"Shut up. It's hot, is what it is. Besides," Derron chuckled, "it's just as hilarious thinking of you taking the equivalent of an arm up there."

"I'd like to see you try it, it's harder than you think." Brian glared at the badger.

"I don't want to! Sounds painful. I wouldn't mind seeing that tool, though." Derron winked back.

"Gotta get through me first."

"Oh, I've seen that. Not bad, but kinda boring."

"Fuck you, man." Brian chuckled. "Grant likes it, and that's all I care about."

"Aw, is the little wolfy in love?"

"Like you have any room to judge. You just told me you're in love with Trent. Besides, it's too early to tell."

Derron nodded. "Well speaking of, I believe I need to go collect my better half. I'll catch you later." The badger stood, grabbing his tray.

"Alright. Hey, why don't you two come over for dinner this weekend? Since the secret's out, might as well take advantage of it and spend time with friends as a couple."

"Sounds awesome. I'll talk Trent into it. See ya!" Brian watched as the badger left. It was still hard to think of them as gay. His mind drifted back to another badger, one smart enough to see what no one else did, who could probably use the company of a certain wolf.

"Damn, that was good." Derron said as Grant took away his plate.

"Thanks." He beamed. He liked cooking for other people, and loved it when they found it good. He had to say, he liked hanging out with Derron and Trent. They were awesome guys, and the fact that they were gay helped.

"Thanks for letting us eat it." The other badger smiled back. Grant couldn't help but think about how cute Derron was. Not as hot as Brian, of course, but that big build did hold a bit of intrigue for Grant.

"Yes, thank you very much." Trent said, echoing his partner. The bull didn't say much during dinner, but he figured that aside from the anomalous occasion at the party when they met, he was pretty introverted.

"You're welcome. I love to cook for people, so you're welcome to dinner anytime."

"Hey, the invitations are my job." Brian butted in. "It's my apartment after all."

"Ah, yes, but I bought the food." Grant winked at the wolf.

"So you're just gonna invite people over to my place even if I don't want company?"

"Yep. That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Hope you don't have plans for the next month." Grant smiled as he set the dishes in the sink. He walked over to the wolf and sat in his lap facing him and straddling his legs.

"I guess we'll have to move all our sex till after--" Grant pulled Brian into a kiss before he could say any more.

"We're still here, you know." Derron chuckled from behind Grant.

Brian broke the kiss and leaned to look at Derron around Grant. "Oh, I know. No one's stopping you from making out." He winked, smiling.

"I never said you were. Just didn't want to make you two jealous." Grant turned to see the badger smiling slyly.

"Oh, come on. We're so much hotter than you two." Brian said in challenge.

"Oh, really?" Derron hopped off his chair and landed in Trent's lap. The bull looked shocked as the badger pulled him into a deep kiss, grabbing his horns and grinding against Trent. It seemed to last forever, and Grant couldn't keep an amused smile off his face. It seemed jocks were always competing about something.

"Goddamn, Derron. I think you're crossing over into rape, there." Brian chuckled.

The badger broke the kiss, leaving Trent breathing hard, and turned to Brian. "Well he didn't seem to put up much of a fight."

"I hate you, Derron." Trent said after catching his breath.

"Aw, come on, babe. You know you love me." Derron smiled at the bull, rubbing his chest.

"Not when it seems you're dead set on getting us hard in front of other people."

Brian and Grant both laughed. "Damn, how pent up are you?" Brian asked as he laughed. "It's just a kiss."

"First of all," Derron explained, "it wasn't just a kiss. Secondly, I just got off the couch last night because of that lunch fiasco, no thanks to you."

"Hey, don't blame me!" Brian laughed. "You didn't have to tell me."

"And if you don't get off me and stop giving them a show, you'll be on the couch tonight." Trent interjected, which got Derron to sit in his own seat quicker than Brian had ever seen the badger move. "Thank you, hon." The bull straightened himself and smiled at Brian and Grant. "It's so easy to get him to do what I want.

Grant and Brian joined in the laughter again as Derron looked back dejectedly. Grant stood from his seat on the wolf's lap. "Come on, let's watch a movie or something."

"Sounds good to me." Brian agreed.

The four of them moved into the den, and Grant picked out a random DVD to start. After he slid the disc in the player, he went to join Brian on the couch. As he lay against the wolf, he couldn't help but notice the other pair on the loveseat. Derron was leaning against Trent, and had pulled the bull's arm around him, holding on to his paw. It was almost strange to Grant. Separate, there was no way that he would even slightly expect them to be a couple, but together it seemed ridiculous to think otherwise. They certainly made for a very cute couple, and Grant could only hope to achieve something like that someday. Maybe even with Brian.

Derron eyed Trent as they undressed for bed. They left Brian's apartment soon after the movie, and found themselves too tired to stay up much longer. He walked up to the now nude bull and ran his hands through his chest fur.

"So what do you say?"

"Huh?" Trent looked at him bewildered.

"Oh, you know, something like 'I had a great time going out as a couple tonight'? Or 'Thanks for telling Brian, because being out around people is fun'? Or 'I'm sorry for blowing up at you Monday and making you sleep on the couch'? Something like that?"

"Okay." The bull chuckled. "Fine. I had a great time tonight, and I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

"There you go." Derron hoped that this would finally allow them to be out, now that someone knew and didn't care. "Now do you see that it's not a big deal?"

"I guess... I mean... Like you said, it's Brian. He's gay, too. Of course he'd be alright with it."

Derron sighed. "Come on, you can't tell me that being an actual couple around other people wasn't a nice feeling."

"It was. It's just... I still don't know if I'm ready for all that attention, ya know?" Trent gave the same argument every time. He was never ready. It put a sour feeling in Derron's stomach, replacing the happiness he was feeling after Brian's. He thought that tonight would have helped. He was so tired of hiding.

"Attention? Brian's out to everyone, and he has a boyfriend. Nobody really cares."

"I know, but it's Brian. He's been out since he first got here."

"Christ, it doesn't matter when he came out. Nobody cares if you're gay or not." Derron found himself getting slightly angry at the bull, which was exactly the opposite of how he wanted to be right now.

"Derron, it's... I don't know why, but it's hard for me to think about coming out."

"Hard for you?" Derron couldn't help it. He felt his temper rise, felt all the bottled up grief from over the past years build up inside. "You think it's hard for you? Goddammit, Trent, have you ever tried to see things from my point of view? Do you think it's easy for me to be with you in public and not hold your hand, or kiss you even while we're in the car?" Derron raised his voice. "Do you think it's easy for me to hide our relationship when we're out with friends? Or how about when were home? Do you know how hard it is to be hanging around all of our friends back home, who know I'm gay, and I have to tell them that I'm single even though my boyfriend is sitting right goddamn next to me? Or not being able to tell my mom that I've found the guy I want to spend the whole fucking rest of my life with, even though you eat at her table every time we visit?" Derron began to yell. "Fuck that, what about when I tore my ACL freshman year, huh? Do you know how hard it was to be in such excruciating pain, worrying about if I'll be able to play football again, and my own fucking boyfriend won't come see me because of how it could possibly look? Everyone expected you to be there anyway! Fuck, all I wanted was to see you! But no, you were so fucking absorbed in your irrational fear! I've kept all this shit to myself, over four goddamn years of hurting because my own boyfriend doesn't want to acknowledge me outside the fucking bedroom!"

"I'm sorry, goddammit! I'm sorry!" Trent yelled back before pushing away from Derron and running into the other room.

Derron sighed, instantly regretting having yelled at Trent. He never meant to tell him all that stuff. He didn't want the bull to be burdened with how much it hurt him. It just... came out. He was hoping Trent would be able to deal with coming out, and Derron could just forget the past; never bring it up. It was too late now. He walked out of the bedroom to find the bull sitting on the couch, head buried in his paws. He felt bad for yelling at him. Even dealing with all the hurt he felt from hiding, he couldn't bear the thought of hurting Trent.

"I'm sorry, hon. I shouldn't have yelled, or told you all that."

"No." Trent replied, head still buried in his paws. "You shouldn't have held it back. You're right. I've fucked everything up. I've been so worried about coming out, and I've hurt you in the process."

"Oh, come on." Derron sat next to the bull and rubbed his back. "You haven't fucked everything up."

Trent looked up. "I love you; I don't want to hurt you at all! But it seems that's all I've been doing. It's a fucking miracle you're still with me. Why stay after all that? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I stay because despite all the times it's hurt, against all reasoning, I'm madly in love with you. I didn't tell you because I wanted you to come to terms on your own. I didn't want to burden you with anything that would force you to do something you didn't want to."

"And you just let me force you into something you didn't want... I've been such an asshole to you."

"You didn't know."

"But I should have. I should have paid attention to how you felt. I should have thought about what you were going through. I'm a shitty boyfriend."

"Only a little." Derron smiled. "No boyfriend is ever going to be perfect, but you're mine and I love you, imperfections and all."

Trent smiled back weakly. "You're being too nice. I would have kicked my ass and left long ago."

"Well it's a good thing you're not dating yourself. It'd be too much like junior high, anyway." Derron smiled as he finally got a chuckle from the bull.

"I love you Derron, you know that, right?"

"I know, hon. I love you too."

Trent turned to face Derron and suddenly tackled him, slamming him into the couch cushions as he claimed Derron's mouth with a forceful kiss. Derron moaned as he felt the bull shift on top of him, grinding their sheaths together. It was almost suffocating, having nearly three hundred pounds of solid muscle on top of him, but he didn't care in the slightest. He moved his paws down the bull's back and grabbed on to Trent's ass, pulling the bull in tight. Their quickly-growing erections rubbed against each other, eliciting loud moans from each. Trent reached in between them and caressed Derron's balls as they thrust into each other. He felt the paw travel further down, and Derron instinctively lifted his legs around the bull as Trent teased his ass with a finger.

"Oh, fuck!" Derron broke the kiss and reared back at the attention. After over a week without sex, he wanted it badly. "Fuck me. Please."

"Mmm. I'll get the lube." Trent started to lift himself from the couch.

"No!" Derron reached up and grabbed the bull, stopping him. "Forget the lube. I want you in me now." A part of Derron's brain suggested against it, but that part lost to the overwhelming need to get fucked by his bull.

In response, Trent smiled, reaching a paw up and spitting in it. He saw the motion of the bull slicking up his cock, and he lifted his legs higher on Trent's body. He couldn't stifle the shudder that came unbidden as the bull leaned in and pressed himself into Derron, that familiar member filling him as Trent began to thrust into him. He groaned loudly at the roughness due to a lack of lube, but he couldn't stop himself from pushing back, taking every inch of the bull's long shaft. Trent huffed as he began to pound forcefully at Derron's ass, dominating him with fervor. All the pleasantries of slow lovemaking that the pair usually engaged in were tossed aside, replaced with the raw passion of rough fucking. Derron moaned in a mix of pleasure and pain, driving him to his limits. He reveled in the change of roles for him; the tough linebacker, built for slamming people to the ground, being controlled and taken advantage of. He found himself at the mercy of the larger bull on top of him pinning him to the couch, and he loved every second of it. The pain and pleasure combined into one, reaching a crescendo as the bull reared back, bellowing loudly and filling Derron with his seed.

Trent gave him a few final thrusts before pulling out, and quickly repositioned himself to take Derron's cock in his mouth. The pleasure-pain of before lost out to pure pleasure as the bull sucked him, driving him quickly to the edge. Trent reached down, rubbing Derron's used ass before slipping a finger inside. The sensation, reminding him instantly of the cock that just left him, pushed him over. He thrust hard into the bull's mouth, emptying himself into the eagerly awaiting throat. He looked down, watching the bull lick his dark cock clean, and smiled.

"Damn. You haven't fucked me like that in years." He shuddered as Trent gave his shaft one last lick before leaning up and kissing him. He could taste himself on the bull's tongue as they kissed, shifting into a more upright position. "If you do that too often, I won't--"

"I'll do it." The bull cut him off.

"Huh?"

Trent looked into his eyes. "I'll come out."

Derron's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're more important to me than anything, and I don't want to keep hurting you or risk losing you."

Derron smiled warmly at the bull. "Well, if you didn't want to keep hurting me, you should have slowed down."

"How could I?" Trent chuckled. "Every time I tried to pull back, you pulled me in. You were hurting yourself, hon. Besides, you loved it."

"I guess I did at that. You sure about coming out?"

"No. I'm not, but I'm going to do it anyway."

Derron couldn't help but beam at the bull. Finally, all the hiding would be over. He could live openly again and show off how lucky they were to have each other. Now they would really be a couple. "I love you so much, Trent."

"I love you too, my badger." They kissed as Derron celebrated inside, excited about starting the rest of their life together.

Brian paused as he started the dishwasher, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel after having cleaned up from dinner. He couldn't believe how much had changed in only a few short months. Derron and Trent had finally come out, and nothing bad happened. They started to come over to Brian's every weekend. Grant's dinners started to become a regular thing. Even outside of that, Brian found himself hanging around them more than he did even with Zed. He was still good friends with the jaguar, but not as close as they were merely months ago. It was like his entire life had changed. Friends redefined, a stable boyfriend... It was more, though. It was almost like he had found a different place in life. A different purpose. A lot of things were the same - football, college, his apartment - but they had a different feel about them. It was like using a color filter on a light. Everything stays the same, but they change in appearance; you see different things about them. Just one simple thing can change everything, and Brian knew exactly what that thing was in his case.

"So... You coming to bed any time soon?"

There he was; Brian's catalyst for change. The badger stood nude at the kitchen doorway with a sly smile, leaning against the frame. A simple thing, an unassuming badger that turned Brian's world upside down. It was because of him that Derron and Trent became a happy, open couple. It was because of him that Brian saw more to life than parties and football. Looking at him, anyone else would just see a badger, some unimportant nerdy guy that wouldn't be worth their time to talk to. Brian saw him for what he really was: A force. A life-changing force of nature wrapped in the fur of a badger, the most important thing in Brian's life as it was currently defined, the basis of that definition, the root of the word itself. He walked up to that force, ran his paws through the badger's arm fur, and planted a short kiss on his muzzle. There was only one thing to say when face-to-face with a force of this magnitude.

"I love you."

Grant's eyes went wide and the sly smile disappeared. It was amazing how powerful three short words could be, especially the first time they're said. It was the first time Brian had ever said those three words to anyone that wasn't family, and the recipient of those words knew that well. Brian had always thought it would be hard to say those words to someone, but it wasn't. It seemed as natural to him as breathing. They were true.

The badger's eyes began to seem wetter, the full weight and substantiality of the words not lost to him. "I have been waiting so long to hear you say that. I love you too, Brian."

The badger seized him in a deep, passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around Grant, holding him close. This was his meaning now. This was his purpose.

This was his true beginning.