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Crisp was awake, but he was having a lie in. It was a Saturday, so why should he be up early? Cairo was up and about already. He'd probably gone down to the gym or something. Crisp wasn't sure whether his master had always been this keen on fitness or if he was inspired by the events of the past few days. Call him shallow, but he did like that his master was making such an effort to look good. Perhaps he should try to find time to exercise regularly too.

Crisp's grey ears perked up as he heard voices talking rather loudly. One was the dark, smooth voice of his master, but the other was harder to identify. It was slow and slightly strained, almost a rasp, like that of someone who was very old. The latch of the door clicked as the otter unlocked it. Crisp pulled his blankets up farther, covering his bare chest and head. After last weekend, he had felt comfortable enough to sleep in his drawers around Cairo, but if someone else was with his master... that was a different story.

"Give me a sec," said Cairo, addressing a hooded figure over his shoulder. "I just need to grab a scroll or two. I have something that you might interest you." Crisp caught the blue, rune covered robe of a Sentinel over the top of his blanket pile. It was that same black panther that investigated him last month. Cold, steel grey eyes glinted from under the hood, habitually searching what he could see of his master's living quarters for anything suspect. The cat's eyes lingered on the heap of green covers on the couch that was Crisp's bed. The wolf shuddered slightly.

Cairo spent only a minute fishing through his desk. He exited the room, returning to the hall to continue his discussion with the panther. The otter shut the door, but his long black tail was still in the door frame, keeping it ajar. Crisp was unsure if this was accidental or not.

"I'm surprised you don't know much about wind, Hyperion," said Cairo, rustling his scrolls. "For someone in your line of work, I'd think it would be quite useful."

"What do you mean?" rasped the cat.

"Well, your job is to capture renegades alive, isn't it? That's a big part of being a sentinel."

"Indeed it is."

"Well, wind is wonderful for non-lethal combat. You can buffet foes around, disorient them, addle their brains, pull them closer to you when they try to run, disarm them. It's all about ingenuity. Besides, if you get frustrated you can just sling a lightning bolt at them."

"Telekinesis can do all of those things," said the sentinel, his words slow and deliberate. "It seems like a lot of extra study for a lot of overlap. And I have ice spells if I need to kill a renegade."

"True, true," said Cairo, his voice bouncing with the glee of someone who was about to share a particularly juicy secret. "But telekinesis has one big flaw. It's direct magic. It directly affects the subject, meaning they can ward themselves from it with relative ease. Wind on the other hand, is indirect. You're controlling the wind, not a fur. The wind can't ward itself, and anyone caught in the slipstream can't do anything about it either. It's like getting caught in a river current."

"Really? There's no way to counter that?"

"There is, but it's harder to do and not many people think about it. But I had something else to show you. Take a look at this rune."

There was a rustle of parchment as the sentinel examined what Cairo had shown him. "hrmmm... it looks like a feedback rune. What's so special about it?"

"Well, it's modified. Look closely at the inscription."

There was a short pause. "I don't recognize these symbols. What does it do?"

Cairo chuckled a little. "It's something my apprentice whipped up. Normally feedback runes are confined to force energy when they are activated, but the pup somehow mixed in a pyromancy. It's quite inventive."

"Really now?" asked the cat, examining Cairo's scroll. "I've never heard of modifying a feedback spell like that. How'd he figure out how to mix the symbols?"

"Ward runes. He's got a talent for runes in general. The pup puts them on all his clothes so that he doesn't burn them. I started doing it too when he started teaching me."

There was a note of surprise in the panther's voice. "He's teaching you?"

"Indeed. That's part of the reason I took him on. Hardly anyone in this tower knows anything about pyromancies. In a year or two he could apply for a mentoring position, I think."

"It seems to me you are quite fond of him."

There was a pause. "You are mistaken. He's just a student to me. I mean, he's a decent teacher, but the boy is certainly quite a project. His temper still needs work, and his progress is slow. He's still unable to cast spells without runes. I'm not really sure if he'll ever get off them. He's turned into quite the time sink, that's for sure. We'll just have to see where this goes. If he manages to learn to control his temper I'll be able to get my room back."

Crisp looked away from the door. He was completely taken aback by the harshness in Cairo's tone. He slipped under the covers again, apparently unnoticed by the otter. Those harsh words had stung him, more so because of how out of nowhere Cairo's remarks had felt to Crisp. Crisp gave a small start as Cairo began speaking again, still with a hint of steel in his voice. "Need anything else?"

The panther shook his dark head. "I'm good. Thanks for the tip on wind magic. I should really brush up if what you're saying is true."

"See you Thursday?"

"Yeah," growled the panther, slightly absentmindedly, as the cat had already begun to examine Cairo's scrolls. He was still holding the rune Crisp had made. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of blue-white light, a crackling noise, and a loud, rushing gale that carried the scent of scorched fur. Crisp sat bolt upright, his eyes wide and ears perked. Through the crack of the door he could see the panther's cold grey eyes under his hood, wider than saucers in astonishment.

Hyperion growled, baring his bright white teeth. "What the hell are you trying to pull, smart ass?"

"I couldn't resist," said Cairo with a mischievous smile, his dark silver face now dirtied with soot. "I thought you'd like a practical demonstration of that rune I gave you."

"I assume you're not burned to a crisp because you warded your clothes?" grumbled Hyperion, still visibly annoyed with Cairo's little prank.

"It's a habit you get into when you are sharing living space with a powerful and volatile pyromancer. See you." The door to Cairo's room shut with a sharp click, punctuated by a half-sigh-half-growl as Crisp turned on the couch. "You up, pup? Heh... well, considering I set off a bomb on our front door I'd be surprised if you weren't." The otter chuckled, but Crisp remained silent. "Let's try and do a short lesson today. You were making pretty good progress on mind magic."

Crisp nodded but harrumphed as he got dressed. "He didn't seem so encouraging when he thought I wasn't listening." The wolf sullenly pulled on his enchanted shoes. He felt like he was experiencing deja vu. Just like the day he had blown up the practice field, Crisp was wondering whether his private tutoring was more like private imprisonment. It was the first time in weeks that he had felt like this. He absently scratched at his enchanted shoes while he dressed.

Crisp gave out a small sigh. It was an interesting sensation, like a red hot stone had sunk into his stomach, simultaneously weighing him down and kindling a burst of anger that had only recently began to simmer beneath him. "What will we be doing, sir?"

"I want you to try a control spell again," said Cairo, fishing through his desk again. "But no runes this time. I think you're getting close to a breakthrough."

"Yeah, right," grumbled Crisp inside his head. Aloud he said, "If that's your plan. The water jug again?"

Cairo nodded as he placed the jug on a table. "It's the same theory as with runes, but you need to use your own brain as the medium now. I think you can do it."

Crisp nodded wordlessly. Closing his eyes, he attempted to summon up his personal energy that catalyzed the magic. The warm, electric thrill of energy coursed through his body, subtly raising the the fur on his arms. Carefully, deliberately, Crisp coaxed the energy to the brink of a spell, and tried to manifest, not the usual fire magic he preferred, but instead a forceful, almost domineering command. "Pick up the jug. Pick up the jug. Pick. Up. THE JUG!!"

Nothing. Not even a spark. Crisp growled. He didn't expect himself to succeed, but just because he expected to fail didn't make it less frustrating. He felt spent, as though he had actually cast the spell, even though the water jug had remained untouched after seven attempts. Gritting his teeth, Crisp looked up at the otter. "Did you feel anything, master?"

Cairo paused, pondering his answer. "Well... no. I don't know why your magic isn't manifesting. I could tell you've been using your magical energy. As for why you can't catalyze a spell... I don't know why you're getting so stumped. I'm sure I can get you off runes, but as for how... just keep trying for now pup. Sometimes it's just a matter of work."

Crisp bit the inside of lip. Cairo's tone was encouraging enough, but it just felt empty now. He wasn't sure what to make about it. Was his master lying to him? Why would he? Did he think that he was too fragile to take criticism? Did he-

"Hey, earth to pup," said Cairo, snapping Crisp out of his revery. "Let's try again. We need to keep going."

Crisp frowned again, crossing his arms and looking away from Cairo. "Is it even worth it?"

"Yes," said the otter, steel in his voice. "Once more at least. Focus, convince me. I am a flame for you to coax into doing your bidding. Just try again."

A rumbling growl escaped Crisp's muzzle shortly before an incantation. He didn't enunciate as clearly this time, too focused on trying to make Cairo pick up the jug. Suddenly, there was a spark inside his own head, colored pink in his mind's eye. The spark grew into a flame, the flame an inferno, and suddenly, a rush of energy exploded out of Crisp's mind. There was an ear-splitting roar as Cairo was engulfed in fire, no longer crimson, but instead, for some reason, a scorching pink.

There was rush of wind as Cairo whisked the flames away, his eyes wide in shock despite being untouched by the fire. "Well... that was unexpected."

"Why was it pink?" asked Crisp, his nose picking up the scent of singed fur.

"I think pink is the color of progress," said Cairo with a smile. "Different magic has a habit of manifesting in certain colors. Mind magic tends to be white, pink, or sometimes grey. So, perhaps a different school is trying to break through the fireballs. Do you want to call it a day? We can get lunch if you like."

Crisp frowned, looking away from his master. "I'd rather go alone today. Can I leave the tower today?"

"I don't see why not," said Cairo with a shrug. "You can leave. I want you back before the evening. I want to take some more pyromancy lessons from you."

"OK," said Crisp his tone neutral. Wordlessly, he donned his white and red jacket as well as his gloves before briskly walking out the door, trying to keep his demeanor casual. Cairo was occupying himself with some essays some of his more advanced classes had written, taking out a green pen to edit his student's work.

A dark cloud brewed over Crisp as he slouched through the city, paws deep in his pockets and a frown on his muzzle. He just couldn't figure his master out right now. Ever since Cairo had rescued him he had been kind to him, Sure when they first started living together he had been firm, setting up ground rules, including enchanting his shoes. It had all been to keep him safe, to stop him from getting thrown out, but still... was it all just a facade?

Crisp paused his train of thought as he looked up to find himself in front of Kin Sushi, a favorite haunt of his before a few weeks ago. He did sure keep me up in his room a lot, thought Crisp as he pushed through the double doors. Why was that? Was it damage control like he said, or were there things he didn't want me to hear? Things that he said, perhaps?"

Crisp's train of thought was interrupted as he ordered the Gold Dragon Sushi, a favorite of his. It came quickly, despite it being lunch time on a Saturday. Expertly breaking and twirling his chopsticks, Crisp tucked into his fish, wrapped in sweetened seaweed, soft rice, and topped with a mango. The spiced tuna with the mango was a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy, and the dish didn't last long. He continued to brood as he ate. "Even if it was a facade, an act, why would he want to keep me around? Why would he continue to treat me like an apprentice if I was a lost cause to him?"

"You know why," said a dark voice in the back of his head. "Because he wanted to fuck you. You're a piece of ass to him. And you're not his only piece of ass. He set up a date with that panther. You're just there for him to fuck when he's horny. He doesn't actually like you."

Leaving cash on the table for a tip and the bill, Crisp left, wandering away towards Mystery Cat, a book store that he frequented. Not looking where he was going, the wolf continued to brood. "That night together... it felt like it meant something. He sure was patient with me. He taught me when I told him I was a virgin. And the way he kissed me..." That night had felt special. "But what if Cairo only did that so that I'd want to come back for more?"

A twitch in his pants brought the wolf to his sense, suddenly aware of a half pitched tent in his pants. Crisp swore internally, thanking the gods that the section he was in was abandoned. Now even his own dick was taunting him. The wolf didn't want to admit it, but even if Cairo actually thought he was a lost cause, even if he was only leading him on for some ass on the side, a not small part of Crisp was willing to put up with the facade if that meant he could revisit his master's bed again. Just the thought of the unclothed otter, swathed in the folds of his green bedspread, inviting Crisp to give him a squeeze mad the wolf's own member contract in anticipation. Surprisingly, Crisp felt his shoes squeeze his paws at the same time, as if in sympathy. The wolf looked down at crimson sneakers, his fancy red manacles that his master made for him. He let out a noise halfway between a snarl and a groan.

Crisp shook his head, attempting to clear it as he perused the mystery section, looking for a book that could catch his eye. He spent a good time looking, but he couldn't remember any of the titles he had read. His own thoughts were keeping him too busy. Crisp couldn't deny that he was attracted to his master. But right now the feelings didn't seem to be mutual for Cairo, at least not beyond base, physical attraction.

With a light hum and an emerald glow that contrasted with the bright red of the canvas, Crisp felt his sneakers twinge as well as an instinctual urge to return to the tower. Cairo must be calling him back. He checked his watch. It was rather late. Slightly reluctantly, he placed the book he had been holding back onto the shelf at random before leaving.

Pyromancy lessons. That was the other thing that Cairo was after, it seems. At least he was good at that, despite what anyone else may or may not have said. He frowned. Perhaps... that was an idea... Quickly, he began to formulate a new lesson plan, determined to prove himself this time.

Cairo spoke as Crisp returned to their room. "You feeling any better pup?" The wolf responded with a noncommittal grunt. "I'd like to continue with pyromancies. Perhaps I can get another brain wave while you teach me."

"Mmhmm. I have an idea or two. Can we book the training ground?"

"No one ever uses it on a Saturday," said Cairo. He whipped his phone out of a pocket in his green longcoat. "I can book it from here." there were two minutes silence as Cairo's thumbs tapped away at his screen. "Thought so. We can go now if we want. What's your plan, pup?"

"I want to spar. Pyromancies only. I want to assess what you can do outside of a tutoring setting."

"You think I can do that, pup?"

"Yes. You know how to combust, you know to direct the fire, and you know how to kindle your flames for a bigger display. That's the important parts of fighting with fire."

"Are we just going to use ward runes to stop ourselves from burning to cinders?"

"I had a different idea," said Crisp, sitting at the desk and pulling out his rune brush. Swiftly and expertly, he drew what look like an aegis rune, but different. It was swirled in pattern, the shield like pattern distorted like a spiral.

Cairo peered over his shoulder. "Absorption runes?"

"Yeah," said Crisp. "Same rules as fencing. Three hits and you're done. Each rune will save you from one hit from a pyromancy, regardless of it's strength. I'm making enough so that we can have a couple of bouts if we want."

"I see. I'll still change into my rune shirt as back up."

"Good idea," said Crisp absently as he finished his eighth rune. "I'm almost done. Change quickly."

Ten minutes later, the two were down stairs, back at the same place where their strange relationship again. The evening was late but clear, a crisp, gentle autumn breeze rippling at their fur. The training ground was bathed in the ghost of a sunset. Crisp gritted his teeth. Here he was going to show his master exactly what he could do. They bowed. Crisp counted down. "3... 2... 1... GO!"

Cairo was fastest. There was the rushing sound of conjured fire, brightening the dusky field. A jet of yellow flame arced from Cairo's palm, racing towards Crisp at lightning speed. Crisp sidestepped the narrow stream of fire, snapping his fingers to light a spark in his own palm. He held his palms a few inches apart to conjure a larger fireball between them. He threw it, not directly at Cairo, but to the otter's right, which was Cairo's preferred direction to dodge in fencing. Unfortunately he was too obvious, and Cairo stood stock still as the fire blast only rippled his dark fur.

Cairo returned fire, again using only a short, thin stream, narrowly missing as Crisp ducked, the stream of energy flying through a crook in his elbow. Crisp slashed his arm through the air, releasing a thin wave of red flame that swept at Cairo's ankles. There was a blue glow as one of the three absorption runes activated. Crisp was up by one.

Cairo wasn't one to be put off by a single score, and kicked out, trying to trip Crisp. His attack wasn't effective, as Crisp had expected something a trick from Cairo. It actually made Crisp smile. If his master was resorting to an underhanded attack like that already it meant that he was pressured. Not so hot now that he was out of his element, now was he?

Crisp backstepped, crossing his arms across his chest before slashing them through the air, sending two waves of flame in an X pattern. Cairo was forced to flatten himself to the ground to not get hit. Crisp moved closer, his clawed hands closed in a fist as readied a combustion spell, poised to strike his master as he attempted to get off the ground. But Cairo didn't try to stand, instead using his own combustion spell to release a cloud of flames at the feet of the wolf. There was a flash of blue as Crisp lost a rune.

Cairo flipped onto his feat in one fluid motion, using his thick black tail to balance himself. As he stood he shot a jet of fire at Crisp, forcing him to back off before the wolf could counter attack. Frustrated at his own mistake, Crisp shot five streams of fire in rapid succession, flicking a finger against his palm as he shot each jet. Cairo was too fast, ducking and weaving past the fire with a whirl of his coat. The wolf was able to keep the pressure up on his master, as Cairo didn't have enough time to take more than a pot shot or two.

Crisp's focus was razor sharp as he watched Cairo's movements, still firing jets of flame at him as fast as he could. If he could just get his master into a corner...Crisp decided to try something more complex, making a complex hand gesture before summoning a wave of red fire to his left and sweeping it across the field with a full body motion. It looked to Crisp as though Cairo would be swept up in his spell, but at the last minute the otter stepped backwards. As the torrent of red flame obscured Crisp's vision, a sharp jet of yellow pierced the spell and broke one of the wolf's runes. Through the roar of the flames, Crisp actually heard his master laugh.

Crisp ground his teeth in frustration. His master was taunting him now? No. Cairo wouldn't best him here. Not with pyromancies. The wolf was determined to be better than his master at something. He actually howled as he threw one, two, three wide fireballs, slightly sloppily in his temper. Still, the wide spread of the spells left Cairo with nowhere to go.

Cairo began to move about the battlefield, trying to flank Crisp, but the wolf decided to end this now. Backing up, he slammed his fists into his chests and took a great breath, swelling his chest and angling his arms out so his elbows were at his hips but his forearms spread wide, his fingers curled in a claw formation. He let out a great exhalation, and from his muzzle he released a cloud of black ash, enveloping his master in a choking fog. His master covered his eyes before his dark form was concealed by the spell.

Crisp smiled as he heard the otter spluttering. Using the time his spell had bought, Crisp made three distinct formations with his hand, his fingers touching different parts of his wrist as fire enveloped his paws. Rushing into the cloud he had conjured, he crouched and slapped his palms against the ground. Large red lines emanated from his palms and shot outward, the light scything through the ash cloud until over half the training field was covered in a bright red rune. There was an earth shaking rumble as Crisp roared the incantation over the din: "Bolganone!"

The earth shook as pillars of flame, each one reaching more than five meters in height, erupted around the field. Crisp couldn't control exactly where the pillars appeared in the field, but if you summoned enough... Searing waves of heat washed over crisp as a flash of blue cut through the red and black of his spells. Panting savagely, Crisp stood up as Cairo cleared away the ash cloud with a swirl of his cloak.

The otter was smiling wryly. "What was that? I thought we were doing fire magic only."

"Ash cloud is a pyromancy," said Crisp, curtly. "I developed it myself."

Cairo's eyes widened in surprise, and perhaps awe, but that only made Crisp fume. Apparently his master had a hard time believing he could have made his own spell. Cairo spoke again, pointing at the circles of singed ground where the fire pillars had burnt. "And what was that spell?"

"Eruption," said Crisp, still panting from his exertion. "It's one of the hardest spells to learn. It's also hard to control."

Cairo chuckled, his hands in his pockets. "You had to bust out the big guns? Couldn't let me win, eh pup?"

"No, I couldn't," spat Crisp. "You can't be better than me at everything."

"What do you mean, pup?"

"Don't act dumb," scowled the wolf, crossing his arms. "Don't act like I don't know what you say when you think I'm not listening."

Cairo's face darkened. "Let's talk upstairs. Let's keep it private." Crisp nodded mutely as they tramped back into the tower. They didn't talk for the entire journey up the stairs, up the elevator, or down the halls into Cairo's chambers. The otter let them in and shut the door. "All right, pup," said Cairo, frowning as he sat on the side of his vivid green bedspread. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Crisp sat on the couch, his arms crossed, his brow furrowed. "It's... nothing really."

"Bullshit."

The wolf turned his head away from Cairo, tightening up his body even more. "It's nothing important. I don't want to talk about it now."

"Bullshit," repeated Cairo. "Let it out, or you'll just explode again."

"Oh, so that's what this is," snapped Crisp. "Damage control? You don't really care. You just want to make sure I don't incinerate anything."

Cairo's ice blue eyes widened. He spoke slowly, but firmly, trying to maintain an air of calm. "What are you talking about? I don't understand where you're going. What's this about, Crisp? Please, just tell me."

More than anything else, it was Cairo's use of his name that kept Crisp in check. He uncoiled a bit on the couch, moving his hands from his side to his lap. He looked down, frowning still. "I heard everything you said this morning. With that sentinel."

"Oh," said Cairo, his face relaxing as he gave a slight chuckle. "Oh. It's just that?"

That laugh was a mistake. The small burst of relief only kindled Crisp's frustration. "Why are you laughing?! Is it funny that you were talking down on me when you thought I wasn't listening?" Cairo opened his mouth to reply but was too slow to quench Crisp's tirade. "Is it funny that you called me a lost cause? Is it funny that you think I'll be stuck on runes forever? And less than a week after you bed me you ask another male out on a date?! Is it-"

There was a literal clap of thunder as Cairo smacked his palms together. The resulting explosion of sound echoed throughout the room, leaving a harsh, persistent ring in Crisp's sensitive ears. Cairo spoke loudly and forcefully, determined to stop Crisp before he got started again. "Listen to me, pup. You can rant and rave all you like once you answer me ONE question." There was a pause as Crisp, still slightly shell-shocked, slowly nodded his head in assent. "Tell me, Crisp: are teachers allowed to lay their students?"

"What?"

Cairo repeated himself. "Are teachers allowed to have sex with their students?" Crisp slowly shook his head. Cairo nodded. Quickly, he moved next to Crisp on the couch, laying a heavy, black hand on top of one of Crisp's fluffy grey ones. "Listen to me, Crisp. Do you have ANY idea how precarious our situations are right now?"

"You told me about how I'm on probation, but-"

"Well I'M under scrutiny too," said Cairo, not breaking eye contact with Crisp now. "There's never been a precedent to your situation, pup. No apprentice has really shared living quarters with their teacher before, like we are. Especially not an apprentice on probation. You understand?"

Crisp nodded. "But why are you on probation too?"

Cairo tried to smile, but it ended up turning into a sort of an awkward grimace. "When I saved your skin it drew a lot of suspicious eyes. You know better than I do that you have a pretty bad reputation here. I raised a lot of eyebrows when I fought so hard to keep you here, especially after you demolished the training field."

"I knew that," said Crisp, curious as to why Cairo was repeating himself so much.

"Well, there's more too," said Cairo, this time managing a small, slightly wry smile. "It's not that big of a secret that I'm gay, at least among the teachers. Hell, I've dated one or two of them not so long ago. A couple furs claimed that I was taking you under my wing because they thought I just wanted a piece of you. I swore it was only academic, for your own well being, that it had nothing to do with my own, more base desires. Turns out I was wrong in that department."

Crisp spoke quickly, feeling crestfallen now as well as angry. "Am I just a piece of ass to you, then? I heard you set up a date with that panther."

Cairo shook his head, thankfully not smiling now. "Hyperion has a _wife._He was in my class ever since we were apprentices, and we were and _are_good friends. That's all."

"Oh," said Crisp, looking away from Cairo again. "I... god I feel stupid."

Slowly, a bit tentatively, the otter placed an arm across the shoulders of the wolf, gently gripping the fur on Crisp's shoulders in strong, webbed paws. "Well, this is my fault to be honest. I should have been open with you the moment we woke up Friday morning. I thought you'd understand, but I should have been plainer. It's just... I can't act too like I'm too fond of you in public, Crisp. I have to act like you're just a student to me. We really can't afford more investigations. Neither of us want more prying eyes on us than we've already got."

This time, Crisp laughed, a weak, half-chuckle that was more like a shaky exhalation of a pent up breath. "Hehe... now that you've said all this it seems so obvious. I really am an idiot for not picking up on this." There was a brief pause before Crisp spoke again. "So all those thing you said to that panther were-"

Cairo cut Crisp off before the wolf could finish. "Crisp, listen to me. I think you're incredibly talented. I think you're intelligent, ambitious, bright, inventive, and I'd be a goddamn liar if I said you weren't good in bed. If we both give it our all we can get you off runes, and I promise you that I'll do the best I can to help you get there. If you could just get a hold of even two other schools of magic you could teach here."

Instinctively, Crisp rested his head on Cairo's shoulder. "You think so?"

"I know so. You're already teaching here. You're teaching me. The only thing holding you back is the school's rules about qualifications. I think you'd be an excellent instructor."

"Thank you, master."

"You don't need to thank me. I just want to see you succeed. It's just a shame other furs just see you a maniac when they look at you. There's so much more to you than that." Cairo paused to tousle Crisp's headfur "You know, there's another benefit to being a instructor here."

"What's that, sir?"

"I'd be able to take you out on a date."

"But didn't you say-"

"I said teachers can't lay their students. But dating a colleague? There aren't any rules against that." Cairo gently took Crisp's muzzle in one hand, turning it so that he could bring their lips closer together, although they didn't touch. Crisp accepted the invitation and finished the kiss.

"That would be nice," said Crisp as he broke apart. He looked down again. "I feel like an idiot still. I shouldn't have exploded like that."

"No, you shouldn't have," said Cairo frankly. "But this never would have happened if I had been honest with you. So let's forget about this. Put it behind us."

"Thank you, master." Crisp yawned widely, actually feeling his jaw crack. Regardless of his explosion, he had used a lot of spell energy today. It was only ten but he was still feeling beat.

Cairo must have been thinking the same thing. Getting up, he went to his door and clicked the lock with a flick of a clawed finger. He hung up his dark green coat as he spoke to Crisp again. "If you'd like to, pup, you can sleep with me tonight."

"Really? Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all. No one will bother us tonight."

Crisp stood up, shaking his shoulders so that he could dislodge his arms from the sleeves. "That'd be nice, master." The two changed quickly, and soon Crisp found himself laying on top of Cairo's silver chest. Slowly, he ran a hand across the side of his master's body, where his black and silver coat met. He still couldn't decide whether he liked the smooth metallic fur better than the sturdy dark fur. His toes wriggled happily inside of his red sneakers. "Thank you, master."

Cairo fished his strong, thick tail from under his body so that he could gently run it along one of Crisp's legs. Gently, he pressed his lips against Crisp's forehead. "You're a cute pup, you know that, Crisp?"

The wolf let out a small laugh, snaking his arms around the otter's chest so he could grip him a bit tighter. They nuzzled each other before Crisp rested his head beneath the otter's chin. "Goodnight, Cairo.."