FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

An Unusual Family Uncannily Connected

(October 11th)

C. L. Sibirskaia: soldier, leader, explorer...and junior-high-school busy work.

To say that most of the world had never heard of the husky would be an understatement to say the least. MOST of the world hadn't even heard of the city that bore his name. Comparatively, statistically, almost NO ONE knew of the old dog himself.

And those who did, by in large, weren't academics, or scholars, or history majors and their professors...though more than a few of those knew of him as well. No, the vast majority were those special, select, chosen few...

...who attended public school in Sibirskaia.

It was in junior high school, in Sibirskaia, when the phrase "social studies" was first replaced with words like "geography" and "history." And among the first bits of history taught was that of their state: of its founding, its founders, its eventual secession, its defeat, its reconstruction, and then of the less exciting century-and-a-half since. But there was always one short week amidst it all, which was set aside for a much more focused topic: the history of their town itself.

And with the history of Sibirskaia came the history of its namesake: of his military career, his discoveries, his public service, and of every other highlight of his life...that is, save for the controversial and buried topic of exactly why he was the LAST of the Sibirskaia line.

But despite the week of seventh grade dedicated to his life, he was no more to any Sibirskaia's students, in the end, than simply the old soldier for whom their town was named. After all, of what concern was some long dead, colonial husky to a twenty-first century teenager? Especially when they had so much more important matters to occupy their minds: boys, girls, friends, exams, peer pressure, parental pressure, raging hormones, various pop culture happenings...

...or divorce?

And today, in the twilight of a cool October evening, one such teenager, Elliot Masters, sat amidst a sea of boxes, concerned about exactly that, and that alone. Divorce. For the last six days, in fact, it had been the only concern to cross the young husky's mind. Boys, school, and his usual media interests were now the least of his worries...let alone some two-year-old, forgotten history lesson.

But at the moment, at least, he wasn't crying. That was a feat in of itself, today. But truthfully, it wasn't thanks to any brightened mood, or even an indifferent acceptance of the paw he'd been dealt. Truthfully, he'd simply spent the last week crying himself into exhaustion. There were no tears left to give...and little left to feel, apart from numb.

But at least he wasn't crying. His father would be proud.

He sat there on his uncle's living room floor in frozen silence, his back against a box and his tail curled up through his legs, as life buzzed around him: two other huskies, two rabbits, and a tiger shuffling about and talking...making room to walk and to live amid the cardboard maze. He, though, simply stared. He stared down at his paws, one gripping a chain -- its dog tag dangling beneath -- and the other holding an old, framed photograph.

Behind the glass was a captured moment: a memory from the better part of a decade before. Behind the glass, tourists and costumed characters struck awkward and unintentional poses, captured mid-stride...theme park rides were caught and frozen in motion...and a very young husky smiled and laughed, muzzle forever agape in innocent joy, as he was held up in his mother's arms.

Today, though, the better part of a decade later, he simply sat in a sea of boxes...and stared.

While his eyes were on the photo, though, another pair was on him: those of a tiger, Hunter Thurman, who was hoping today, just as he had for the past six, for any way to console his young boyfriend. Hugs, kisses, and comforting words had only gone so far...

...so perhaps what the dog really needed was a distraction. And so Hunter turned from the scene and stepped the few feet away into the kitchen.

There, the rabbit who may as well have been his adopted father, Stanley Jones, stood speaking with Elliot's father, Kristoff. The tiger hesitated to interrupt...but what he didn't realize was that the adults -- trapped here, in their uncomfortable efforts at making small talk -- more than welcomed the disruption.

"Kris?" the tiger began uneasily, "Uhm, Mr. Masters?"

Kris offered his son's boyfriend only a short chuckle, "Like I've told you before: you can call me Kris."

"Right, sorry," the cat nodded and moved along with a breath. "I know there's still a lot of unpacking to do, but...Elliot is...uhm..." he trailed off with a hum, simply turning his head to look back at his lover, now half hidden behind a wall of cardboard.

And Kristoff followed the tiger's eye. But just like he didn't need to see his son's cardboard obstructed paws to know what was in them, he also didn't need to hear anything more to know exactly what Hunter meant by 'Elliot is,' "...Yeah."

Hunter turned back to the elder dog, "So, uhm...would it be okay if me and him went out? Grabbed something to eat? Saw a movie? Anything to get his mind off of all this?"

The husky immediately shook his head, "I don't know if that..."

But the rabbit to his side interrupted him, "That sounds like a great idea, Hunter!" Stanley smiled, immediately producing his wallet and a few folded bills, "We're not unpacking any of this stuff tonight, anyway. We've worked enough."

With a shy, shallow nod, Hunter took the money, but his eyes went right back to Kris, staring in wide, hopeful silence.

"Go on," Kristoff sighed. "Have fun."

And the tiger beamed an elated smile, "Thank you, Kris!"

He turned and rushed back to the living room, but not without great consideration of just how to tackle the next few moments. Should he approach the husky gently? Speak to him in hushed tones and comforting coos? Ask him if he was in any sort of mood to actually enjoy a night on the town?

No. This was meant to be a distraction: meant to take the dog's mind OFF of the last week of his life. Treating him with velvet gloves would only remind him of the situation: only remind him that there was a REASON to treat him in such a way...

No: it was best to approach this with a smile and with excitement! It was best to act like this was any other day...or at least any other day BEFORE the events of the previous weekend...

"My, oh my!" Hunter mewled lasciviously, teeth bared, as he stopped alongside his seated husky. "I didn't know you were such a cutie!" he added, looking down at the picture of a much younger Elliot.

And his boyfriend turned his eyes up, with an obviously strained smile...but a smile nonetheless, "and I didn't know you were such a pedophile."

With a conspicuous and deliberate glance toward the room into which William had last disappeared, Hunter argued, "Well, it's not like it would bother you if I was."

And with that, Elliot blushed and grinned...his first genuine grin today.

And there it was! A smile! It was working. "Come on! Get up!" the tiger wasted no time -- not about to miss his opportunity -- and tugged his canine lover up by that paw still gripping his necklace.

"Huh? What?" although he was confused, Ell put up no resistance and let himself get dragged to his feet.

"We're going out!"

"But..." the dog looked around the cluttered apartment, "...but we're not-"

"Done? Sure we are." Carefully, gently, and respectfully -- but without actually bothering to ask -- Hunter pulled the framed photograph from his lover's paw and set it aside on a box. "Nothing's getting unpacked tonight, and our assorted dads and uncles wanted some guy time, alone, away from..." he pointed limply at Elliot and himself, "...the kids." And although that wasn't quite the truth of the matter, neither he nor his boyfriend knew just how true it WOULD be, in only a few hours. "So Stan pawed over a bit of cash...I'm gonna' grab his keys...and he and your dad are letting us have a night out on the town!"

"Like...like a date?"

"Well if you've gotta' be all gay about it..." the tiger gripped his lover's now empty paw and tugged again, "Come on!"

~

Six days ago, for the briefest of moments, Elliot's life was everything he'd ever dreamt it should be: alone in the safety of his room, awash in his afterglow, and wrapped his tiger's strong, loving, orange arms...

But, of course, it wasn't to last. And soon enough, he and his tiger were racing madly about, stuffing themselves into recently shed clothes, and gathering everything they needed for their escape...and for their rescue. In their frenzy, neither boy bothered, even, to tidy the mess they were leaving behind, or to switch off even a single burning light...and in fact, it was some small miracle that the back door was even closed behind them.

The day he'd dreaded -- the day his father and uncle had warned him of -- had finally come. His mother had found out...and she was on her way home. But luckily, his uncle William was on HIS way, as well, and in lieu of risking Robyn getting to them first, he'd called the boys and set them on their evacuation. And so by the time she'd arrived to her empty home, Robyn's son was climbing into his uncle's car at a dark residential corner, blocks away.

The night ahead was nothing short of a mad dash. Elliot, Hunter, William, and Aaron arrived at a restaurant a town away, mere moments shy of the police's departure. And, there, they picked Kristoff up, and were off again...but none of them had yet discussed what should come next.

Ell and Kris couldn't exactly go home: not tonight and not with her waiting there. And wherever they went, Hunter couldn't go with them. Certainly, Robyn would soon paint him as the vicious predator who'd raped her son, and they had to get him as far away as they could -- and as quickly as possible -- for his own safety. But luckily, not all of this would be left up to William.

They did have at least one other fur to turn to for help.

And so, as a cell phone was passed back and forth between Aaron and Hunter, the quintet crept back into Sibirskaia and to the padded booth of an old run down fast food joint, where they would soon rendezvous with Doctor Stanley Jones.

He didn't show himself before the police -- searching now for Robyn's 'kidnapped son' -- had long since come and gone, but he DID show: show and whisk Hunter away to the safety of his grandmother's home.

Elliot had barely said his goodbyes before he, his father, his uncle, and Aaron were on the road once more...had barely settled into his seat in the car before he and his father were out again, sneaking like thieves through their own darkened driveway to take back THEIR car...had barely escaped in that car before he was standing in a hotel lobby...and had barely heard his room number before they were settling in for the night.

...And it had never hurt so badly to cry.

But it wasn't because of his mother, or of his fears of what was to come. These were the things which brought his tears to bear, but what made them hurt was the fact that his father...his father had been so proud.

As they settled into their room, Elliot sat along the edge of the bed in silence, and his father joined him. He could tell that the older husky wanted to speak, but that he just hadn't the words to give. When they finally came, though...they were of pride.

He was so proud, he told his son, that he'd been so very strong. Throughout the whole night -- his mother, the police, saying goodbye to Hunter, and everything else -- he hadn't cried. He was so proud that his son was dealing with everything with such strength and maturity.

But he was wrong. The night had been a mad dash. Elliot had barely had a moment to breathe and to take it all in, let alone to cry. Strength had nothing to do with it. And when he opened his muzzle to respond, to thank his father, to say anything at all...the tears finally came. And they didn't hurt because of the night behind him or of the days ahead; they hurt because his father had been so proud.

And even as the older dog pulled him to his chest...he felt only that he was letting his father down.

These tears, though, it turned out, were only the first of many to come over the next six days: tears when he next spoke to his mother and she tore him down, tears when he first heard the word 'divorce' pass his parents' lips, tears as Hunter consoled him in the darkest and most private corners of the school...

...and tears as he packed his things, only to unload them, again, into his crowded, new home.

But now, six days since he'd fallen asleep like a cub in his father's arms, even those most recent tears were only a memory, forgotten in the fleeting distraction at paw, and replaced by clenched eyes, panting breaths, and stifled moans.

Today, six days past finding comfort in his father's touch, Elliot found something entirely different -- yet altogether the same -- in Hunter's...

The tiger had pulled the car to a stop, this Friday evening, beneath a tree at the darkest edge of a downtown parking lot...a lot only a short walk's distance from diners, shops, a theatre, and even William's former job, if they were so inclined...but a corner of that lot far enough from all of those things that they might hopefully avoid prying eyes.

And there, in the fragile, exposed, and altogether imaginary privacy of Stanley's car, Hunter's paw had snaked itself into Elliot's lap. It had dug its way past his belt and zipper, and pulled his soon engorged and twitching member free of its cotton prison. And the dog in the passenger seat had only put up a token protest before melting under his lover's touch...

...in which he found the comfort and the distraction silently promised by this evening on the town.

Soon, the cat was leaning across the center console, muzzle buried in his husky's neck as he teased and tortured him...gentle caresses, pulsating grasps, and minuscule nips. And amidst such torment, even Elliot's most recent tears were forgotten, lost to the distraction at paw: to his boyfriend's breath, his touch, and to his own restrained, panting moans.

Elliot's eyes soon fluttered closed as Hunter leaned farther down. And by the time the cat's lips and rough tongue grazed his most sensitive flesh, those eyes were clenched tight. The world was replaced with an all encompassing black...and that touch, those lips, and their shared labored breaths were all that was left.

At least, that is, until his new pitch black world flashed, flooding a bright, aching red.

Light!

From outside the car, a light hit his eyes, bright enough to shine through his lids, trading his comforting darkness for an unforgiving blood red. And no sooner had this light bled through than came the sound.

Clack! Clack! Two taps. Sharp. Metal against glass.

Hunter was up, away, and back in his seat -- Elliot's cock slapping wetly against his own shirt -- before the husky could even open his eyes. And when he did, he was met with the harsh yellow light of a flashlight just beyond his passenger window.

"Fuck!" Elliot yelped as he quickly fumbled about, fighting against both his clothes and his still latched seatbelt to hide his shame.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" and beside him -- having pulled himself free only moments before -- Hunter was struggling to do quite the same...though without the hindrance of the seatbelt.

"Roll down your window," a voice came from beyond the car, more exasperated than angry, and almost mocking...but more importantly, it came from the driver's side, not the passenger's where the flashlight lingered still in the air.

There was more than one.

Hunter obeyed immediately, too frightened to do anything else. But he jerked his paw away just as quickly, before the window had moved even more than an inch, as he was startled by a second, barking order, louder and sterner than before: "No-no! Both of them."

Elliot clumsily reached for his own switch, then, as well -- forgetting that Hunter could roll down both windows from his side -- and in moments, the cool night air rushed through the car as the flashlight was clicked off. The husky sat, too afraid to speak, and could only assume the same of the silent tiger to his left...but before their eyes could even adjust to the returned dark, their interlopers broke the silence for them.

"You know..." came the first voice, from the driver's side, softer and more friendly than they'd expected, "You two should REALLY be more careful about where you do this sort of thing!"

The boys turned to look, to see the face of a fox taking shape in the darkness, but before they could place it, a second voice chimed in, "Yeah! Next time, we could actually be the police!"

Elliot only squinted, still studying the fox, but Hunter's head spun back on the sound of the second voice, where he found the face of a raccoon in the passenger window of their car. And it was a raccoon he knew! "Mr. Callaway?"

And Elliot, only a second behind, recognized the fox as well: "Mr. Hammond?"

Their unexpected guests weren't the police, or local security...they were their teachers!

And Mr. Hammond only laughed at his bewildered students, "Well at least it looks like my little talk, a couple of weeks back, did you two some good."

"Wh-what are you...?" Hunter stammered to speak...

...but behind him, Mr. Callaway's whispered voice cut him short, "Psst! Hey, Elliot. You're still showin' a little bit, there..."

Quickly, Elliot reached down, wrenching himself and forcing his still exposed tip back into his hastily fastened pants, as Mr. Hammond protested...

"Really James?" The fox at the driver's side window playfully chided the raccoon, "You couldn't keep your muzzle shut? What if I was enjoying the view?"

And Elliot's cheeks began to burn, "Did he just say he was enjoying the view?"

"Well we can't exactly bring him with us, if his dick's hanging out," Mr. Callaway argued.

"What?" Hunter held up a paw to stop them, but was quite directly ignored.

"Why not?" Mr. Hammond contended, "It wouldn't be the first time someone's had their dick out at the Bacchanalian."

And so Hunter tried again, "Wait..." but to no avail...

"True..." the raccoon conceded the fact, "but a fourteen-year-old? And there with his teachers?"

"Hey!" the tiger finally screamed, forcing the two adults to take notice. And they did: both stopping and turning their eyes on him, as he continued, "What the HELL is going on?"

"And where are you talking about bringing us?" Elliot joined in.

"Apparently the...Bacchanalian?" Hunter repeated the foreign word. "But what's the Bacchanalian?"

And the husky added: "And what makes you think we'd go with you, anyway?"

After a long moment of silence, Mr. Callaway was the first to answer, "These are all valid questions..."

"...and, if you'd like," Mr. Hammond concluded, "We could answer them over dinner."

"Dinner?" Despite himself, Elliot's ears perked up at the word. No matter the situation, this was always the one thing that could catch his attention:

"Free food!" The elder raccoon smiled and leaned against the passenger door...

...as the fox mimicked his motion on the driver's side, "So what do you say, kitty? Ever been on a double date?"

Hunter's eyes shot open wide. "A double..." he paused, motioning a finger questioningly, back and forth between his two teachers, "...date?"

Mr. Callaway just nodded, ignoring the actual question the boy was obviously asking, "Well, it's a lot better plan than us leaving you two alone! Clearly, you can't be trusted to keep yourselves out of trouble."

"So come on, now, boys!" Without waiting for any form of consent or agreement, Mr. Hammond slipped a paw into the window, and opened the still-locked-door from the inside. Apparently, the decision was made. "What'say we introduce you to Jeff?"

"Who's Jeff?"

~

'Jeff' used to be Jeffery Anderson.

To be fair, legally, he still WAS. The young gray cat and his masters -- or his lovers, or his fathers, or whatever they were -- hadn't quite worked out how to legitimize their situation...how to go about any legal form of adoption, or open and honest enrollment in even home-school, let alone a real one. But as far as they were concerned, those were all just formalities, hurdles to jump before the world would acknowledge what they already knew...

...he was Jeffery Hammond.

And tonight, young Mr. Hammond found himself sitting in a large, plush, semi-circle booth at a local café...or perhaps more of a local bar; it was really hard to say. The Bacchanalian generally defied normal classifications...

To the cat's left was his savior, his master, and his soon-to-be-namesake, Scott Hammond...and beyond the fox was James Callaway: a raccoon whom, only two weeks ago, Jeffery would have never believed he'd consider a second -- or technically a third -- father figure, as well.

But they were old news...

Tonight, it was the boys bookending their seating arrangement who drew the cat's attention: his stolen glances, his flaring nostrils, and his perked ears. To his right was Elliot, a husky roughly his own age, who'd met his glances with more than a few awkward smiles. He was close enough to smell...and it was a scent similar enough to Scott's to be comforting, and distinct enough to be alluring. And on the opposite end was Hunter: a slightly older tiger who was far friendlier with his returned glances, but also far too to distant to smell...

That distance, of course, was Scott's doing: forcibly keeping the husky and tiger apart in the hope of -- as he'd said -- 'making sure they behaved themselves.'

For the most part, Elliot kept quiet. Clearly, he wasn't much of a social butterfly, and Jeffery could relate. But Hunter on the other hand...

"So, seriously," the tiger repeated himself in a nearly demanding tone, "How long were you to watching us, out there?"

Quite a while, actually. And amid much whispered discussion concerning just how to approach the situation...including more than one half-serious-joke about joining in. That was the truth of the matter, anyway, but Jeffery knew his masters would downplay it considerably.

"Not long," as Scott offered the expected comforting lie, Jeff found himself reigning in a laugh. "Just long enough to decide how best to go about stopping you."

And James agreed, "It didn't take us long to suss it out, either. At first, Scott suggested just interrupting you and sending you back home." No, he didn't! What he suggested was bringing them back to THEIR home, and to their bed. But, again, Jeff kept the facts to himself, certain that this was something a teacher shouldn't be admitting to one of his students. "But then I said it might be better if we kept an eye on you and bought you some dinner."

"That and maybe play the role of mentors for the night," Scott added, "Y'know: try to offer up a few pointers on discretion?"

That part, at least, was true, and Jeffery smiled: smiled both at his masters' tendency to rush to the aid of children in danger, and at his reinforced assumption that they were motivated to do so more by their dicks than their hearts...

...but, just as they had with him, at least they were hiding it well.

"Uhm..." Elliot finally spoke up, nervously eying the smaller, smiling cat to his left, "H-how much did Jeff see?"

"Nothing," Scott reassured the husky with a smile, "He was in the car."

Jeff fought back to urge to blurt out 'you're calling that huge knot of his nothing!?' And instead, he just nodded and flashed Elliot a smile...a smile which he immediately realized was far too wide to be believable. And he expected, then, for the dog to grin back nervously when he caught the lie. He expected a blush and an averted gaze...or at worst, an angry bark, accusing them of not telling him the truth.

But instead, Elliot just nodded weakly, shoulders slumped and head down, with a meek and muted: "Right...thanks."

Something was wrong.

Jeff had assumed the dog's silence was just a symptom of shyness. Hunter was obviously the more boisterous and outgoing of the two, and Elliot was just being bashful around so many new furs. But he was wrong. Elliot wasn't just shy. He was quiet because he was sad...

And Jeffery wasn't the only one who took notice, either. James had too. "Are you okay, Elliot?"

For a moment, the husky was almost startled, "What? No, I'm..." Jeffery watched as the dog's face shifted, not quite forming a smile, but something much closer to one than before, "I mean: yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" And now Scott leaned in to check on the boy, as well, "If you're uncomfortable with what we saw..."

"No," Elliot shook his head, "no, it's not that."

And so James offered a guess of his own: "Just a little weird hanging out with your teachers, like this?"

"No." The husky sighed and sat straighter in his seat before finally offering an answer: "If...if anything, it's this place. I feel like...like I'm somewhere I shouldn't be."

Jeffery knew a lie when he heard one, especially if it was about something like this. He'd lied, himself, too often to not spot someone else's. That's not to say, necessarily, that the dog's fear wasn't valid -- wasn't, in some small way, true. But it WASN'T why Elliot looked so sad. Judging from the laughter soon coming from the fox behind him, though...his fathers, at least, were fooled.

And as Scott laughed, James comforted the boy's fears: "Yeah...your first time in a gay joint can feel a little bit like that. Like you don't belong, or like you're...doing something bad just to be here. But don't worry: you'll get used to it."

"No. No, I meant literally," Elliot clarified. "I LITTERALLY feel like I'm not supposed to be here. Like I'm gonna' get caught and kicked out at any second..."

And then, even Hunter stepped in to comfort him, "Relax, Ell. No one's caught us, yet." But surely HE knew that something else was bothering the dog, right? Was the tiger just as fooled as everyone else? Or was he just helping to sell the lie?

"Caught you?" Folding a single ear in confusion, James looked back and forth between the two, "What are you talking about?"

"Uhm..." Hunter answered for them both, "Well, I mean...it IS a gay bar."

"Yeah," Scott agreed...

...and James amended, "kind of."

"But you don't have to be twenty-one to come in," the elder fox explained.

"I mean:" James added, "you didn't notice anybody checking IDs at the door, did you?"

"Oh," Elliot offered an embarrassed grin, but, still, Jeff could see that it was all just part of the act. "I uhm...I guess I just kind of assumed. Like you said: I'm new to this."

The others may have bought the lie, but Jeffery knew better.

Something else was upsetting the husky. And so the cat ran through their night in his head, searching for anything that might have left Elliot so very sad. If it wasn't simple bashfulness, or the Bacchanalian itself, or the strangeness of being out with his teachers, or even being caught, like he was, in the parking lot...then what was left?

And that was when Jeff had an irrational fear of his own. Maybe it was him! The cat was the only thing left, after all; he HAD to be the problem. Of course, even as he thought it, he knew it was absurd. Obviously, something much worse was weighing on Elliot's mind, but it didn't stop the thoughts from coming:

Jeffery hadn't said a word since they'd sat down, letting everyone else handle the conversation. And he'd been staring at Elliot nearly non-stop. He'd just sat there this whole time, in silence, just staring and...and sniffing! How creepy must he have looked? And the poor dog was forced to sit by him and put up with it, this whole time!

So finally, the cat spoke, hoping, in vain, to make Elliot more comfortable. But all he could think to say was to repeat his fathers' assurances: "Really! It's okay. I kind of felt the same way when they first brought me here, but no one's ever tried to kick me out, either. And I've seen kids here younger than us, too!"

Before Elliot could respond, though, a new voice interrupted them: "A LOT younger! We even have high chairs and booster seats!" And the collective eyes of the five furs turned to meet a new fox stopped alongside their table. A fox who looked every bit the part of a Bacchanalian employee: pierced ears, dyed fur, and clothes that left SOME of his body to the imagination, but none of his sexuality. And with a paw on his hip he continued, "The big naked Bacchus painting not withstanding" he flicked a finger toward the nude, golden jackal on the wall, "this is technically a family establishment. I've just gotta' check your IDs if you start ordering drinks."

"Hey Nikki," James sighed through some mix of playfulness and annoyance...

...as the flamboyant fox growled back flirtatiously, "Hey James..."

"I swear:" Scott complained, "they give you our table on purpose."

"Only 'cause I request it!" Nikki admitted shamelessly. "But can you really blame me for wanting to see the old 'coon?"

"Old 'coon?" Hunter interjected, first looking at their waiter, and then at James, "Does he mean that...you and him were...?"

But it was Scott who answered for them, "My boy's got a thing for foxes, I guess."

The whole time, though, Elliot just stared, eyes glued to the tightly clothed fox. Or more expressly: glued to the well outlined bulge less than a foot from his face...

Nikki clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers in front of the husky's nose, drawing his attention farther north, "Eyes up top, kiddo! What's underneath there isn't for you." He smirked, though, tilting his head as he appraised the boy, "At least not for another...what? Four years?"

Elliot shook his head absently, "...three and a half."

"Hey!" Hunter cut in, "Try not to sound so eager!"

And Nikki, as always, just giggled at the trouble he'd managed to cause, before moving right along with his actual job: "So, what can I get for you boys?"

One by one, the group ordered. Elliot went first: modest and cheap, clearly uncomfortable with taking advantage of his hosts' hospitality. And then Jeff followed: his favorite, the same thing he got every time, and a good deal more expensive than the husky's. Scott and James, though, outdid them both: two of the most expensive items on the menu, alongside two appetizers to share with the boys. Jeff did smile, though, when only James ordered alcohol. And finally, came Hunter: stammering, rushed, and confused, as he hadn't bothered looking at the menu before Nikki's arrival...

Once the tiger finally settled on something, though -- something so large, that Nikki, James, and Scott all doubted he could finish it -- the colorful fox turned and was on his way, leaving the party to themselves.

And immediately, the group was assaulted by the sound of Hunter's fingers drumming the table in excitement, "Okay! I can't stand it anymore. I have way too many questions!"

"Questions?" James asked with a friendly smile...

...as Scott leaned in on his elbow, "About what?"

"The two of you! What else?" Hunter mocked them with an exaggerated shrug. "I mean, I always wondered if I had any gay teachers -- hell, I wondered about the two of you SPECIFICALLY -- but I always just assumed that I was being...hopelessly optimistic."

Scott recoiled and sat up straight, again, "And why are you so sure we're gay?"

"Seriously?" the tiger scoffed. "You called this a double date, and then brought us HERE!"

"So? We could be bisexual."

"But you're not."

"No, we're not," Scott admitted through narrowed eyes. "I just didn't like the presumptuousness."

And between the two, James just laughed, "Well, what do you wanna' know, Hunter?"

"Well first, like...are you two a couple, or are you just out on a date?" Hunter tapped the table as he mulled over some of the details, aloud, "You still have different last names, so I doubt there was some overseas marriage that we don't know about..."

"No..." James shook his head, "No overseas marriage, yet."

Again, Scott recoiled, "Yet?"

But the raccoon ignored him, "We ARE a couple. But we've only officially been together for like...two weeks."

"And apparently marriage is already on the table," his boyfriend muttered.

"Hush!"

"This is just so damned cool!" Hunter drummed the table again, and continued, "So, what about Jeff? Obviously he's not related to either of you. So, where does he fit in? Is he like your adopted son or something?"

"Yes, actually," Scott nodded.

And at that, Elliot's curiosity finally got the better of his mood, and the otherwise silent husky joined in, "How?"

"Hmmm?" the elder fox turned to face him, eyebrows raised.

"I didn't think gay adoption was legal in this state," Elliot explained.

"It's not. But single parent adoption is."

"Yeah," James concurred. "Jeffery was around before me. He's all Scott's." And with a smile, he patted the little nearly-black cat on the shoulder, "Best case scenario, maybe I can hope to be the step-dad some day."

And Scott threw up his paws, "There goes that marriage talk, again!"

Outwardly, Jeffery laughed at his would-be-fathers' banter, and smiled warmly at the raccoon's paw on his shoulder. Inside, though, he was silently contradicting their every word. He was no one's adopted son; he was, in fact, their live-in pet. There'd been no adoption -- single-parent, gay, or otherwise -- and if James wanted so badly to be the boy's step father, he was already as much that, as Scott was his ADOPTIVE father.

Not that he minded the lies. Not that he objected to the fantasy of this new family. It was, at this point, in fact, everything that he wanted. But still...it was amusing to hear the lies they had to tell, to hide the quite-illegal truth.

"But why haven't we ever seen him around school?" Hunter continued his questioning. "Isn't he about Elliot's age?"

And this time, it was Jeff who answered, eager to join in on the lie...and on constructing his fantasy life: "I uhm...well, that's because I go to a private school, a town over."

And on cue, Scott twitched and smiled just a hair too wide to be natural. Somehow, he didn't approve of this part of the lie. Whether it was a dangerous lie, a difficult one to uphold, or simply one which caught the fox off guard, Jeffery couldn't be sure...but he was disgruntled, either way.

"Private school?" Hunter repeated in surprise. "You can afford that? On a teacher's salary?"

Scott's slightly-exaggerated-smile remained, as he slowly replied, "No, actually, I can't. It's, uhm...it's family money."

Luckily for the fox, Hunter immediately changed the subject. "Look: I'm sorry about all the questions. I'm just..." he took a breath as he considered how to explain, "I barely even know any other gay TEENAGERS! It's just me, Elliot, and this other friend we have, named Mic. And I'm not even sure if Mic counts. But now I'm finding out that two of my TECHERS are gay! And I just-"

"Don't worry," Scott cut the boy's rambling short, "We know the feeling. We were both gay teenagers once, too."

And James nodded in agreement, "So if there's anything you wanna' know...we're an open book."

At that Hunter's eyebrows arched, as he bore his teeth through a wicked smile, "...anything?"

"Anything," James, though, met him, smile for smile.

And Jeffery, this time, couldn't restrain at least a small chuckle, remembering the raccoon's student-centered-fantasies, and confirming for himself, yet again, that his newest master's friendliness always had ulterior motives.

"Okay." With a mischievous waggling of his brows, the tiger accepted his teacher's challenge: "You ever done anything at the school? Classrooms? Restrooms? Teacher's lounge?" And Jeffery had to admit that he wondered the same.

"No..." James eyed the fox to his side, "...but it's not for a lack of trying."

"You really should, y'know," Hunter suggested. "I mean: we have!"

"Hunter!" Elliot reflexively yelped.

"What? We have," the tiger argued, "and they just caught us doing it in a car. I doubt they're surprised." And with that, he turned back to the raccoon, pointing for emphasis as he added: "Locker room showers are particularly fun, by the way."

"Oh?" James perked up at the idea. "I'll try to keep that in mind!"

Scott, though, just laughed it off dismissively, "Don't get your hopes up, 'coon."

"And why are you so sure I'd be doing it with you? Hell, I bet I could rope Coach Martin in without much of a fight."

"Coach Martin?" Hunter leaned in at the sound of the name. "Is he...?"

And James looked genuinely surprised at the question, "What? You haven't noticed how his eyes roam? And besides...why else would somebody take a job where they get to watch a bunch of boys undress and shower every day?"

"Interesting..."

Jeffery considered cutting in, there: to ask if this Coach Martin was particularly attractive; to ask if Hunter had ever noticed him lingering around the showers a bit too long; and to ask if he seemed especially close to any ONE student or athlete, in particular...

But first, the young cat scanned their booth, curious as to what Scott and Elliot thought of the subject at hand, and too shy to show much interest if they weren't, as well. Scott, of course, was interested, and even amused by both James's antics and Hunter's curiosity, but he did his best to hide it all behind a smug show of indifference toward such childish behavior.

Elliot, on the other hand, seemed nearly to have not heard the conversation at all. Just as before, he remained detached and thoroughly disengaged with everything going on around him. Again, his frown had crept back onto his face, and his eyes lingered thoughtfully, lost in the patters on the table-top before him...

And Jeff just couldn't take it anymore. His questions for Hunter and James -- whatever they had been -- could wait. There was something wrong with Elliot...and if no one else would step in to help him, then it was up to Jeffery!

Before he could say a word to the dog, though, Nikki reappeared at their table to hand out their drinks...only to rush off, again, just as quickly, to attend to his work this busy Friday night. All around the booth, the furs sipped their first sips -- James in particular, letting out a long, contented sigh after his -- but Elliot, again, was the exception, simply stirring his drink with his straw, in silence.

And so, as behind him, James and Hunter began, again -- "No, seriously. Is this just a hunch about Coach Martin, or do you have some...inside information?" -- Jeffery leaned in toward the husky, his voice gentle and hushed...

"Hey...Elliot?"

At once, the dog's head snapped up, "Yeah?" and he put on the smallest of smiles: an obvious attempt to appear happier than he really was.

"I uhm...I know you don't really know me or anything, but..." Jeff began hesitantly, not really accustomed to being in this position, "but if you wanna' talk about whatever's bothering you, I'd be happy to listen. You...you kinda' look like you might need a friend."

"What? No," Elliot shook his head, as if the very idea were ridiculous. "Like I told Mr. Callaway: I'm fine."

"Then why aren't you smiling?"

"I am!" he chirped, plastering, for proof, an even larger smile on his muzzle.

"Yeah..." the cat timidly corrected him: "but only when you know we're looking..."

"Look, Jeff...it's really nothing." Elliot looked away, again absently stirring his drink, but this time, actually taking a sip. "Like I said before: this is all just a little weird to me. I'm not so good around new people, I've never been to a place like this before, and...add to that what happened outside in the parking lot..."

"Right...and that's a good reason to be nervous and uncomfortable. I would be too," Jeffery agreed. "But that's not what this is. I know that look on your face. A, uhm...a lot of bad stuff happened to me recently, and I...well, I had that same look. Often," he glanced around and leaned in closer, to whisper as if sharing a secret, "...and especially when I thought no one was looking. You're not nervous, Elliot. You're sad, and...and you're alone."

The husky forced a dismissive laugh, "I'm not alone. There are five of us here!"

"That's not what I mean. I mean-"

"I know...I know what you mean," he conceded with a more serious sigh: his first show of honesty. "But you're still wrong, either way. I have Hunter, and I have my dad...and, for that matter, me and my dad JUST moved in with my uncle and this rabbit like, earlier today..."

"Then no: you don't know what I mean," Jeff shook his head in confidence. "It doesn't matter how many people are around you: the three of us...your boyfriend...your family..." he listed them off on his fingers. "If you're not talking to anyone, then you're still alone."

"Well, you're a little sure of yourself!" Elliot snapped, apparently offended by the cat's assumptions. "You just met me, Jeff. You don't know whether I'm talking to them about it or not."

The cat, though, only paid mind to a single word: "It?"

And at that, Elliot's brow pinched and his eyes narrowed: his previous look of offense given way to one of actual anger. As he opened his mouth to speak, though -- certainly to tell the other boy to back off and leave him alone -- Jeffery stopped him:

"I'm sorry! Sorry. I didn't mean to...to offend you or...or to upset..." the cat stammered and withdrew, never having intended to upset the dog. In the hopes of minimizing the damage, though, he did his best to offer an explanation: "I just...you were sitting here being quiet, you know? And I felt bad. I know...I know that when I was dealing with my stuff, that I wasn't talking to Scott about it, either, and...and, well, I should have been. It would have made everything a lot better, a lot quicker but I just..." he stopped, realizing he was getting off track. "And I dunno, I was just worried you might be doing the same thing, and-"

All at once, though, his rambling was interrupted -- mercifully -- by a chorus of laughter from the other end of the table. To this point, Jeffery and Elliot had been too preocupied with their own conversation to pay any mind to James and Hunter's...but the roar of laughter proved to be a bit more inescapable.

Jeff at least used the distraction, though, to get himself back on track: "Look. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so pushy. I just thought you might need a friend. And I don't really have any friends of my own, either, so...so, I just thought that..." he shook his head, "Look: I'm sorry. Forget it."

"No," the husky slumped, letting out a long, shameful sigh. "No: I'M sorry. You didn't do anything bad, Jeff. There's nothing wrong with reaching out. I'm just...I'm a little touchy, right now," he admitted. He changed the subject, immediately, though, instead of giving the other boy a chance to dwell on his honesty: "But, uhm...what do you mean you don't have any friends?"

Jeffery wouldn't be distracted so easily, however...and he met the dog's friendly turn with a hopeful smile. "Answer for an answer?"

"Hmm?"

"You, uhm..." he smirked as he chose a most appropriate metaphor: "You show me yours, and I'll show you mine?"

And to that, Elliot managed a genuine -- albeit small -- smile. "That's almost how Hunter and I got started."

"I'll be in good company, then," the cat smiled back.

In the silence that followed -- or what would have been silence both in a quieter locale, and without James and Hunter's conversation a foot away -- Elliot's smile, once again, faded. Instead of stirring his drink, he only tilted the straw back and forth, now, watching it tap the sides of his glass as he mustered the courage to speak. "My, uhm..." he began hesitantly at first, but after a moment, drew in a breath and just said his peace, as matter-of-factly as possible: "My parents are getting a divorce. And it's my fault."

Without thinking, Jeffery met the husky's honesty in the worst possible way: a raised eyebrow and a scoff. "Seriously?"

"Wow," the dog's brow furrowed and he sunk away. "Way to make me regret opening up."

But Jeff was quick to explain himself, "No! No. Sorry. I just meant that..." he held up his paws in submission as he went on, "I'm sorry you're going through that, but...your fault? That sounds a little after school special'y, doesn't it? I mean, doesn't everyone think it's their fault when their parents get a divorce?"

Apparently the explanation was adequate, and Elliot relaxed, nodding to the question, "If you believe the kids on TV, yeah." He followed it up, though, with a shrug, "But they're usually not right."

"And you are?" the cat asked.

"The thing is..." Elliot was clearly struggling to tell his story -- to be honest with the strange new cat -- and it was only becoming more and more difficult with every new detail. With some stammering, though, he soldiered on: "I don't know whether it's religious or...or just how she was raised? Maybe it's both. But my mom, she really hates gay people. Like...like all the worst stuff you hear said about us on TV? She believes all of it. And last week..." he took a deep breath as he came upon his 'punch line,' as it were, "last week she found out about me and Hunter..."

Jeff's muzzle opened to speak, but he said nothing. He wanted to say something -- he wanted to have something to say -- but he didn't know what. He had an inkling or two as to where the dog's story might go from there, but the subject was one he had no experience with. He'd only been gay -- or as gay as he was -- for a few weeks, and in that short time, he'd only had any actual contact with three furs. Not that he hadn't had his share of troubles, of course...but homophobia was definitely not one of them.

"She, uhm..." as the husky continued, his lip began to quiver, and the first hints of tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, "She called me things. She said things to me that...that...Jeffery, they would have hurt coming out of a stranger's mouth! But...but she's my mom! She compared it to...to drug addiction, and murder..." He had to stop to take another deep, shaking breath, his tears now wetting the fur under his eyes. But still, he went on, "She talked about gays like we were...were psychopaths and rapists! I heard...when she didn't know I was listening, I even heard her recommending chemical castration!"

"For you!?" Jeffery interjected in alarm.

"No," Elliot waved his paws, sniffling as he clarified: "Not...not me in particular, just like all of us in general." He paused again to compose himself and get back to the point at paw: "But I just...I never knew she could be so..." he clenched his jaw to steady himself. "They warned me...but I always thought when she found out...she'd..." and finally, with clasped paws and a final trickle of tears, he stopped...unable to go on.

Instinctively, the cat shifted closer and extended a bold, comforting paw, lightly gripping the husky's shoulder. Although the circumstances were admittedly very different, he couldn't help but be reminded of his own mother's drunken rants...and of the thoughts that accompanied them. How could she say something like this to her own son? Isn't she supposed to love me? If SHE can't -- my own mother -- then how could anyone?

And Elliot didn't need to say a word. Jeff knew that every single thought had crossed his mind as well...

However, there was still one thing he didn't know. And, though his comforting paw never moved, his curiosity outweighed his impulse to nurture, "But...but divorce? What happened? Did your father stand up to her?"

"More than that," Elliot answered with an odd laugh: dark but proud. "He already knew!" The dog looked, for a moment, to Hunter -- still engrossed in his own conversation -- and then back at Jeffery. "My dad was helping me hide it from her, and he even helped me and Hunter have some...alone time. And when she found out about THAT..."

"So, wait..." Jeff held up a paw to stop the other boy, so he could repeat and verify what he'd just heard. "You're telling me that your dad found out you were gay...and he wasn't just okay with it, but he protected you from your mom? And then when she found out about it and blew up...he LEFT her for it?"

Elliot smiled wryly, "Round about?"

The cat laughed aloud, "You realize that you have like, the most amazing father ever, right?"

And behind him, on cue, Scott coughed audibly...

...causing Jeffery to rephrase himself slightly, "The SECOND most amazing father ever."

"Yeah..." Elliot agreed, only to look right back down at the table, "And then I thanked him for it, by ruining his marriage."

"Oh, Elliot, come on! You know that's not true," Jeff argued, "Your mom ruined their marriage, not you. And -- just from what little you've told me about them -- I doubt they were very happy together, anyway."

"But at least they were making it work, until I..."

"Until you gave your dad a reason to get the hell out of there!" the cat interrupted him fervently. He might not have understood homophobia, but he very much understood the need to escape. "Trust me. If anything, you did him a favor."

"I'm sorry, Jeff..." Elliot rolled his eyes, "I just can't look at my parent's divorce as a good thing."

And this was yet one more emotion Jeffery just couldn't relate to. He had lost sleep DREAMING of his own parents getting divorced...and of his father going away. But Elliot's situation, of course, was different. "Okay, sure. Maybe not. But you that doesn't mean you should blame yourself, either!"

The husky nodded sadly, quietly agreeing with at least that much, "I just...I just miss how things used to be, y'know? I miss my old life." And with another breath, he distilled it all down to its simplest point: "I miss my mom."

And that, more than anything, was something Jeff could relate to, "Yeah. Me too."

"Hmm?" Elliot looked back up, finally.

"Well, I, uhm..." the cat DID promise to share, after all. So what better time than now? "I didn't just end up on the street by accident, you know."

"On the street?"

Immediately, Jeffery could almost feel Scott's eyes turning upon him. He already knew the fox was listening in, and he certainly wouldn't approve of his kitten undermining their lie. So, as best he could manage, he tried to fix his mistake. "Or you know: the system. I should have said 'in the system.'"

"Right," The husky nodded, much to the cat's relief.

And, so, he continued, now, with his own tale. "See: my dad...my real dad that is..." he paused as well, only just now realizing how few people he'd actually told, "...he was a drunk. He was violent, and abusive..." he stammered to correct himself: "N-not like, sexually, or anything: just physically." And immediately, he took issue with his own choice of words. Just?

"Just?"

"You know what I meant," he waved off the dog's near-clairvoyant question, and then continued along. "The point is: it was...it was a really scary place to live. I never knew what would set him off, I never saw it coming...and it even got to the point that school was like my...my shelter. I looked forward to class just because it was the only place I felt safe."

It had only been a few months since he'd left -- and only a fraction of that time was spent with Scott -- but he already felt so far from his old life, and so secure in the new...that he was actually surprised how much the telling still stung.

He looked down as he continued, "But the worst part was that...my mother didn't protect me from him. She just...kinda' let it happen." He drew in his own soothing breath, though he remained far calmer than Elliot had been. "She would let him beat her -- and beat me -- and then she'd just drink herself to sleep. And then later, she would forgive him. She'd forget it, keep him around, and let it happen all over again!" he felt his paw clench involuntarily, not realizing until it did, just how angry he still really was. "But even with all of that, I still remember how much different she was when I was little...back when she still cared about me, still took care of me, and I was still...her baby." On the sound of the word, he looked back to Elliot, and when their eyes met, he saw a look of nostalgia in the dog's eyes: a look that told the cat he felt exactly the same. "But, that's all over, now..."

"Yeah," Elliot nodded, "I know what you mean."

"And then, even now that I'm gone, when we talk on the phone...she yells at me, and blames me for him being angrier and more violent. Like me leaving made him worse!" Jeff shook his head, as much in disgust with her as with himself, because, "Still, though...no matter what...I still wish I could go back."

"You wish she'd be like she was when you were little, again," the husky added for them both...

...and the cat concluded, "I wish she still loved me."

"But...but hey!" Elliot tried, again, to put on a brave, happy face, "You've got Mr. Hammond, now! I'm not sure what you think about having a gay dad, but...but at least you have a parent who cares about you, right?"

Jeffery caught the subtext.

He heard the secret question hidden behind what the dog had said. He knew, albeit subtly, that Elliot was asking: 'Are you gay?' And he also understood that the husky was trying to make him feel better. But the cat was too preoccupied with making his point to either answer the question...or to accept the comfort. "Well, so do you. You have your dad...your REAL dad!"

And, following suit, instead of accepting Jeff's attempt at comfort, Elliot got defensive: "Yeah, but I've just got the one. Whether they're your real dads or not, you have two! Or, at least...I get the feeling that James counts..."

"He does. He does," the cat confirmed before turning defensive as well, "but, I still lost BOTH of my real parents! You still at least have ONE of yours..."

"And you have two parents who CHOSE you! Isn't that better?"

Suddenly, though this time with a deep groan, Scott interrupted them again. "Are you two really competing to see who has it worse?"

Jeffery shrunk and looked to Elliot with a humiliated grin, "...are we?"

And the husky nodded with an embarrassed smile of his own, "A little."

"Well, why don't you just call it a draw?" Scott proposed...

...but Elliot only quipped back: "But, where's the fun in that?"

For a moment, Jeff almost beamed. A joke! Elliot was joking! Had he really already managed to cheer him up? Even just a little?

But, unfortunately, he wasn't afforded long to dwell on his success. First, he had to deal with Scott. Only just now did he realize that the poor fox had been sitting there, hearing his son, his pet, and his former boyfriend talk about their life together as if it were some giant disappointment...and as if he would have much preferred Elliot's.

"Actually..." he turned from Elliot to look up at Scott, "I think I may have been hurting his feelings." And without an ounce of outward shame -- despite the internal concern over just how it might look to Elliot -- he leaned up and placed a single kiss on the elder fox's cheek, "Sorry, Dad."

Dad. It was new. It wasn't the first time he'd called him that, but it was one of the very few, and it was definitely the first time in range of so many ears. And Scott smiled as widely as the kitten could ever remember. He liked it. Jeffery could see it painted across his face. He was as just as surprised by it as his 'son' was, but he really did like it.

He liked the idea of being a father...Jeffery's father.

They both had plenty of time to deal with that, later, though. Right now, Jeff had a husky to tend to, and he turned back to him with a continued grin, "Anyway, look: I wasn't trying to say my life was worse than yours. I was actually, uhm...I was kind of saying the opposite."

Elliot raised an eyebrow at that, "That yours is better?"

"Well, no. I guess I wasn't saying that either," the cat scratched idly at his ear. "I was just trying to point out that...that even though so many things have been so bad, I DO still have things to be happy about. I'm happier with Scott than I ever would have been with my real parents. I have him and James, now, I'm taken care of, and I never EVER have to be afraid to go home, anymore." He glanced at Scott again, the fox still smiling, and then back to Elliot, "What I'm saying is...it's better to look at what we got, than what we lost."

"Like two adopted parents who choose to have you in their lives because they love you? Who gave you a chance at a happy life..." Elliot cracked a playful smirk, "...and who care enough to put you through private school!"

And Jeffery turned that right back on the husky: "Or a father who loves you so much he put you before his own marriage? Who turned his whole life upside down to protect you and take care of you?"

He wasn't sure whether or not he should go on. He could explain that that was exactly the opposite of his mother, who had stayed with his father no matter the consequences to her son. But before he even began, he realized that such talk would only come across like more of their earlier competitiveness than anything else. And besides, it wasn't needed. Already, Elliot had a genuinely cheerful smile across his muzzle.

Jeffery had done his job.

And in the silence left in the space where their conversation had been, James and Hunter's bled through...

"Your grandmother, huh?" James asked the tiger, and Jeffery turned to watch them and listen in, "See: for me it was an aunt...but I know how that shit can be, either way."

"So, your parents bailed, too?" Hunter asked.

"No," the raccoon shook his head, "They, uhm...they had an accident."

"Oh. I-I'm sorry," Hunter shrunk away, clearly afraid that he'd said something wrong...

...but James was quick to wave a paw, "No-no, don't be. You didn't know, and it's ancient history, now, anyway. The point is just that: I know what it's like to not have much family around. I've got a brother and some nephews, but that's about it. So I get that it can be kinda' hard."

"Oh. No. It's cool. I do okay," the tiger smiled and shrugged. "My grandmother takes really good care of me."

"Yeah..." James shot him a knowing glance, "It's still not the same, though."

"...no. Not quite."

Jeffery turned away from them and looked back at Elliot, just in time to see the husky doing the same. Apparently, they were BOTH listening in.

"See?" Jeff motioned in James & Hunter's direction. "Everybody needs someone to talk to, sometimes. Even adults and big scary tigers!"

And Elliot just chuckled, "So I see."

"Just don't try to deal with everything, by yourself, Elliot. You don't have to be alone." The cat started listing off those the dog had to turn to, "You've got your dad and Hunter..."

"...and my uncle, and Aaron, and Stan...." Elliot continued the list. "And judging by tonight, Mr. Hammond & Mr. Callaway, too."

And, timidly, Jeffery added one more name: "...and me?"

"And you," the husky nodded with a smile.

"So we're...we're friends, then?" immediately, Jeff realized how childish the question sounded, but it was too late to take it back.

Elliot, though, didn't seem to notice at all, and simply reached out, mimicking his new friend's earlier affectionate paw, "We are." And then he leaned back with a curious hum, "But you know...you never did tell me why you don't already HAVE any friends."

"Well, I just don't ever really see anyone, you know?" the cat answered without thinking. "It's hard to have friends if I don't ever have the chance to meet any."

"Wait...what? What about when you're at school?"

And Jeffery froze up. He'd forgotten his lie. He'd been so caught up in everything else, that he'd answered truthfully! He needed to fix it. But what would he say? What SHOULD he say? How could he lie himself back out of this?

"I think he meant before that," Scott cut in once more, rushing to the rescue as always. "Back when he was in the system, he never had an opportunity to really get to know anyone. You know: because everybody came and went so fast?" He pointed over his shoulder, at nothing in particular, "And then the last family he had, before me, was really...weird. Super religious, homeschooler types. And, sure:" he put a paw on his 'son's' shoulder, "he's finally got the chance to make friends now, but I haven't had him enrolled in this school long enough for him to really do so!"

"Yeah," Jeff nodded like mad. "That's what I meant. Sorry."

And Elliot sat up straighter in pride, "Well we may not go to the same school, but at least you have me and Hunter, now!" Apparently he bought the lie...or just didn't care enough to parse it. "And trust me...Hunter is a great friend to have!"

Jeffery opened his mouth, his response already planned. He would start with a very sexually charged 'I'll bet he is!' And then segway from that into heavy innuendo and hints, to confirm Elliot's suspicions that yes, he was indeed bisexual...or at least bait him enough that he would finally just flat out ask.

But before the first syllable left his muzzle, a tray clicked loudly against the floor beside them, and the cheery, high pitched voice of their colorful, vulpine waiter assaulted their ears once more...

"Okay boys! Remind me who had what..."

~

Some while later, their bellies full and their night drawing to a close, Hunter, James, and Scott stood alongside the fox's car, as the raccoon patted the younger tiger, their student, on the back...

"And if you ever need somebody to talk to, please look me up. I know how lonely it can feel sometimes, to be the only kid without parents." James shrugged and wavered a paw, "...even with your grandmother and Stan there for you."

"Thanks a lot Mr. Callaway. I doubt I'll need it...but thank you." Hunter smiled, and turned toward Scott as James stepped away, "And you, too, Mr. Hammond! Tonight ended up being a lot more fun than I thought it was gonna' be." He pointed in the direction of the distant café, "The Bacchanalian is awesome!"

"You're very welcome Hunter," Scott nodded with a smile of his own.

"But you know," James added, "After tonight, I'm pretty sure you can start calling us Scott and James."

The fox to his side, though, let out a huff, "Not at school, he can't!"

"Yeah," Hunter smirked, "I hear there are lots of things you don't do at school, Scott." He paused as James stifled a laugh, and then he offered his teachers a final friendly nod and a wave, "Anyway, Elliot and I probably need to get back home. Thanks again, though."

"Any time, Hunter!" James waved back as Hunter turned and strolled away...

...and near-immediately, after the tiger was only barely out of earshot, Scott spoke up again, obviously mocking James, but in a high pitched, cooing voice not at all like the raccoon's: "Any time! Look me up whenever you want. You can call me James. I'm sorry your father left, but if you ask nicely, I could be your daddy..."

"Hey! I only said most of that," James snapped back, but just as quickly flashed a taunting smirk, "Is somebody a little jealous?"

"Of course not! Why would I be jealous of you -- of all people -- fawning after a student?" The fox's sarcasm was thick. "Especially not after all the fantasies you've told me about..."

"Please. You're not jealous because I was paying too much attention to him." James turned and poked his boyfriend in the chest, "You're jealous because HE wasn't paying ENOUGH attention to YOU!"

"Like you know so much."

"Mm-hmm..." the raccoon rolled his eyes. "The point is: you already have a kitten. It's my turn, now."

And Scott was aghast! Or rather, his face twisted into a cartoonish caricature of such, "But I share mine!"

"And you think I wouldn't?"

"...you'd better."

Meanwhile, as Hunter drew upon them, Elliot and Jeffery stood alone, speaking alongside the tiger's car...

"We REALLY need to hang out, again, sometime!" Jeff chirped, tightly holding on to BOTH of Elliot's paws and nearly bouncing with excitement. "It's been way too long since I've had a friend."

"Sure thing, Jeff!" the husky laughed, finding the other boy's excitement entertaining...and admittedly cute. "I only have a few friends, myself, and you're welcome to be one of them," he paused to amend himself: "Just watch out for Mic, though. I can never tell what he's up to."

"I'll keep that in mind!" Jeffery nodded. "Get a hold of me whenever you want to, okay? I'm sure that James already gave Hunter ALL of our numbers!" And with that, he dived forward, arms quickly encircling the dog in a tight, swaying hug...a hug which went on just a little longer than it should have, accompanied all the while by conspicuously heavy breaths.

Finally, though, the cat let go of his new friend and ran off, just in time to pass by and wave at Hunter...

...who had just barely stopped by Elliot, himself, before he asked: "Was it my imagination, or was Jeffery hitting on you, just now?"

"I..." Elliot just blinked, "I think he sniffed me."

And moments later, back by Scott's car, the kitten was bouncing again...

"Please, please, please??" he begged. "I know we've gotta' be careful and everything, because of all the stuff we have to hide...but it couldn't hurt to let them visit us just a little bit, right?" And he stopped to assure his 'father': "I promise I'll wear clothes!"

James, of course, looked very pleased with the idea of two gay students hanging around, but Scott simply narrowed his eyes accusingly at their kitten, "You know, I think you just have a thing for knots."

"Well...well, yeah!" the boy admitted and explained: "Thanks to YOU! Plus...didn't you SEE it?" he added with a wide, sweeping gesture of his paws: an exaggerated pantomime of Elliot's...size.

And Scott just sighed, "You're no better than James."

~

There we go! Sibirskaia continues!

* This particular chapter (and the rest of Sibirskaia) was written entirely by yours truly: Oloroso Rhone! But it was based on characters and story lines I created jointly with my friend Phil Anthro Pist

If you'd like to go say hi to Phil, he's got an account on here at http://phil-anthro-pist.sofurry.com/ *

Welcome back Scott, Jeffery, and James!

The cast of A Warm Bed has now made their Sibirskaia debut! And it looks like they're making friends already. James & Hunter...Elliot & Jeff...and good on Jeff for helping to put a smile back on Elliot's face. He needed it.

And now the landscape is set for Sibirskaia! Elliot and Kris are moved in with Will & Aaron. Stan's sexuality is being challeneged. The divorce looms on the horizon. And Scott, James, and Jeff have become a part of the lives of the Masters' clan!

But what comes next? What hurdles will they face in the divorce? How long can the Hammond/Callaway clan hide the truth about Jeffery from their new friends? What will become of William and Aaron's respective writing careers?

...and most importantly...will Hunter and Elliot get home in time to interrupt their dads' & uncles' foursome?

SIDE NOTE: Yeah, I know this chapter was CRAZY long in comparison to most of my stuff. But don't worry, I'll probably overcompensate for that by making Chapter 3 really short XD

Anyway, thanks for reading!

I welcome any feedback! Comment or PM me here, or email me at theottercoon[at]gmail.com See you around for the next 28 chapters of Sibirskaia!