Last Minute Jitters
#48 of Hockey Hunk Season 5
It's party time!
Cover(t) art today is of course by Frosted_Fur - thank you, dude! Drawing from the equally awesome original by
kensukethecat - you're an inspiration!
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Hehhey, people, and welcome to the Hockey Hunk!
I'm sure you can guess by the title that something grand is going to happen over the next few chapters, and I do hope that you will enjoy what is the culmination of a rather interesting season so far! I'm also trying something a little bit different here, so follow me carefully. *chuckle*
This does not mean that the season is over yet, not by any means, we've got some way to go yet before this season is over...and before the next season, indeed. I have some great plans for the rest of the season and upcoming storylines, too, so I am quite confident in saying that The Hockey Hunk is still vibrant, lively, and ready to keep the drama coming in the future as well. As for what's coming up next...well, it'd be spoilers if I told you yet! I do hope that you will keep tuning in, for this story is far from over. Still a lot more stories to tell.
As always, remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to read and enjoy as well! I look forward to reading your feedback, and I hope you will leave a lot of it, too.
Have a nice read, everyone!
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Cobb
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"There's no way we'll be able to eat all this, Cobb," my brother took it to himself to complain while he observed the kitchen counter, by now quite well and happily stocked with all the food I had painstakingly created over the past two days, and now being put on display, at least everything that was good to serve cold, the warm foods would be heated soon enough, and the frozen goodies were still waiting in Victor's inadequately sized freezer. I'd even had to buy some ice cubes from the nearby supermarket and kept them now in a portable cooler!
"Well, you should know that running out of food is the worst nightmare of anyone hosting a party," I replied, as I folded my arms over my chest and gave my towel-clad brother a long look, flicking my ears, too.
"So we could always order a pizza if a few plates of goodies weren't enough," he replied, rubbing one paw over his muzzle while the other held his towel up. Did it look like he'd put up a belly recently? Didn't look like the nice musclegut that looked at me from the mirror whenever I gave a look at that handsome bastard who'd look back.
Murr, girls!
I shrugged and threw my arms high over my head.
"What would all your gay friends think of such blasphemy?" I shook my head while I adjusted some of the Saran wrap covering the bowl of green salad, next to the potato salad.
"That's not the point," he harrumphed. "It's still a bit much."
"I can always make doggie bags for everyone!" I smiled defiantly. "As well as the gift bags..."
"Gift bags?" Victor sounded suspicious.
"I did show you!" I pouted. "I told you I was getting some stuff from The Venus Pearl Day Spa, which I must say is a lovely establishment with very polite service, and great deals on some exclusive fur care products."
Victor grumbled.
"I'm not sure how much furs like Tate are going to appreciate getting a bottle of shampoo from you ," I noted.
I smiled big.
"Rory gave both of us some shampoo as a gift," I retaliated, well aware of the fact, "and it's lovely! I washed my balls with it just this morning!"
Victor's eyes widened before shaking his head, quickly.
"Well Rory will love it, I'm sure," I said, not caring for my brother's constant party-pooping antics. "As long as you make sure he won't get interested in my balls!"
Rory
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My tail was practically tying itself into a knot between my legs while I sat on the sat on the bus and held my phone in my paws, which just about "plink"-ed with a new message.
SO WHY DO YOU THINK IM ANXIOUS?
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Yeah, why wouldn't I think he wasn't going to be anxious?
My Peter was difficult enough to get out of his apartment under normal circumstances, let alone to come to a party filled with Cobb's inevitable unfortunate remarks, a possibly nervous Victor, a nervous army fox with Cobb sex issues, me....best not to even go there...and Peter...and...if it really wasn't possible to make things more complicated..
...The Right Honorable Nicholas Faye Jr., who had jumped at the opportunity, upon having the invitation passed on by Peter, to "of course I would be delighted to get to know the gay population again after such a long absence! And I don't think I have heard of these Holden brothers, I am sure I will have a splendid time!"
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I DON'T KNOW, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY!
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My thumbs worked quickly, and then the message was sent.
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Oh well...at least that's how Peter had imitated his speech, and maybe...uhhh...well, maybe it'd be good for Nicholas at least, considering that his recent incident might've just as well made him become agoraphobic, too, and I didn't need another one in my circle of acquaintances, I was quite determined of that. Whether I liked the idea of the flamboyant lion coming in...as Peter's date? - no, that was probably just that strange nagging part of me saying it, Peter didn't mention anything like that, Cobb had indeed told us to invite anyone we knew or wanted to come to the party, so he was just doing his duty to fill in the ranks. Whether I was sure that having Nicholas meet Victor, or Cobb, for that matter, was a good idea...well, if it pleased Peter to have Nicholas around, even to get some kind of perverse pleasure from watching Nicholas be involved in Operation Cobb's Plan to Make Tate Happy , (aka the Manhattan Project) as Victor had put it...
Plink.
I WOULD NOT MISS THIS FOR THE WORLD.
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Hmm. Maybe Peter was amused by Cobb in some strange way that I couldn't appreciate fully. Perhaps my own relationship with the Dobie bro was too complex for me to fully enjoy the inevitable sitcom moments that would happen whenever Cobb was around. I just couldn't even imagine what awaited me...Victor had mentioned the vast amounts of food and a rainbow flag draped over the living room wall...but you never knew. Apparently Cobb had banned Victor from going into Cobb's room, because there were SURPRISES! there...and just what kind...
AS LONG AS YOU'RE SURE
Hmm...
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I clutched my phone and hoped that it'd be alright. Kinda nervous, too. First time I'd be involved in something where I'd be likely regarded as Victor's...something...someone. That'd be new. That'd be interesting. To see how we worked as a team...duo...two guys...who might hold paws, maybe? Or tell an embarrassing joke about each other, or who'd just stand close to each other and maybe have a chat together with our heads close or...well...yeah, what else could two furs do together in public? There'd be a lot of furs there who knew me, and fewer furs who knew Victor...would that mean I'd be in something of a control of the situation, or rather, did that mean that it was a liability, that I was the one who'd have to dodge more questions from the furs who knew me...Peter...Nicholas...
Oh well.
Beep.
I'M A BIG BOY NOW.
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Hmm. That was the acerbic humor rising its head again, I could see. Maybe that was his way of coping with things, of seeing me going out with someone else. Maybe it was a good sign that he could say something like that, that he wasn't just hiding another layer of pain somewhere underneath there.
As long as Peter would be fine.
Victor
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"Well now if you excuse me," Cobb told me as he removed his apron and tossed it onto the armchair nearby, "I think I'll have a quick shower before everyone comes. Everything is ready now anyway, so..."
"Sure," I grumbled, not sure if I really needed to give a permission for what he was saying in such a grandiose manner. "I'm gonna change, too."
"Well you better, this isn't a naked party, no matter if everyone would love that, ha!" Cobb laughed to himself while heading into the guest room.
Damn. Why did he have to think that
I glanced around the living room, which bore some resemblance to my usual man-cave but had now undergone Cobb's idea of a gay makeover, despite my objections. There was a huge rainbow flag almost covering one wall, he'd thrown a piece of thin red cloth over the floor lamp so that it cast a red, looming light instead of the normal one...he'd played with the dimming switch anyway, to make things look dark and cozy, in his mind, and even though I'd told him that it really wasn't necessary, he had also put on a couple of posters that looked like they were out of underwear catalogues, with furs in boxers or briefs posing and showing off...well...nice...bulges and butts in the black and white photos. Just why the hell Cobb had chosen those and just why the hell did I let him put them on...I just thought that letting him have something made it easier to stop him from doing other things, such as making this into a fancy dress party, which he almost did.
Apparently I was going to be playing Mini-Me to his Doctor Evil.
Good heavens.
I heard water starting to run, and decided I might as well go to my own room and change, while my mind wondered on the fact of just where had my brother obtained posters of semi-clad underwear models. Maybe he'd been even excited enough so as not to feel embarrassed at being seen purchasing homoerotic imaginary.
It wasn't a long walk to my room, and once I checked my phone whether there were any new incoming calls or messages from Rory or anyone else, I set onto the job of choosing something to wear. So maybe I should have started on this a bit earlier, but I already had a full day at work and rest of the time had been spent dodging Cobb's mad questions about gay "lifestyle" and him making me help him cook.
"Are the terms butch and femme used between guys too? Because I'm not sure if Rory is femme enough...can two butches be a couple?"
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Sigh.
Hmm...yes. I opened a couple of drawers and the closet, and peered into what I had on the offer. Nothing flashy there...just...my clothes. My stuff.
Now what to put on to impress a bunch of stranger and to convince Rory, and to a lesser degree, Cobb, and...well...there was Tate to think about, too, since this would be the first time we'd meet and talk with him...knowing.
I suppose my clothes wouldn't have to have anything to do with that. I'd just put on something comfortable, like I'd do anyway, whatever the occasion, and not be bothered with Cobb's demands that I would have to look " casual but stylish."
Right. What did he know about that, anyway?
I tossed my towel off and chose a pair of boxers first, which snapped onto my waist with comforting pressure. Next some socks...black...deodorant...that meant having to go to the bathroom. The mirror was a bit steamy and I had to wipe it, to reveal my image on it. The small rug in front of the sink was damp and soon my socks were wet, too.
"Damn," I muttered, and watched myself mutter, too.
Well, hello, Victor...what are you doing here?
I brushed my paw through my headfurs and stared at myself a bit, hoping what I saw was something that was agreeable. Furs seemed clean and shiny...head furs to be dealt with...body was in...at least ok condition...I'd really need to do a bit more gym to get back into the exact shape I preferred myself to be in. I just needed a little bit more definition...and then I'd be back to being my usual self. Cobb's cooking had certainly gone to the hips...at least Rory didn't mind.
I patted my butt and decided that it was okay for now, and wandered back to the bedroom to keep choosing my clothes. My paws felt a bit damp still, but I didn't feel like changing the socks. I'd just put on some leather shoes and that'd be it. Nice enough. They'd dry before I'd need to do that. It wasn't that wet. Just...damp.
Hmm...jeans or black pants...or maybe those old brown ones...they were comfortable...I got the hunch that I wanted to be comfortable, what's with so much food available. I'd probably be unable to resist the temptation to eat all too much of it, too.
Jeans, black or brown...something to go together with my blue shirt. I definitely wanted to wear my blue shirt, since it was the nicest I could think of for this occasion, and Cobb probably wouldn't object to it. Rory'd complimented it, too.
Pants...pants...pants...
I just wanted everything to go well. I didn't expect Cobb to cause any massive drama, but you never knew. Maybe he'd make someone angry...
And so many of Rory's friends coming...Peter and...what was the name...Nicholas...right, the guy who'd almost gotten gay bashed some time back, according to Rory. Damn. You'd think nothing like that happened here anymore, we were in New York state for God's sake...you'd think it would spill over here or something, the acceptance. Maybe that was wishful thinking. There were assholes everywhere. Kids this time, apparently. Just teenagers picking on a grown man.
Harrumph. If anyone ever came to speak shit to me or try anything with me...let them come.
Fuckers.
Pants...black...hmm...guess it had to be the black ones.
Tate
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I hate lying to Marker. The guy's quite sensitive, and knowing I'm keeping a lot of stuff from him, especially as of recent wasn't very nice. What could you do, anyway?
Didn't really want him to get involved in this stuff, though. Maybe he wouldn't start walking with his ass against the wall while he was in my vicinity, but there was still the chance that he wouldn't much appreciate to know that his roomie of several months was a tail-lifter. We'd never talked about it, besides the odd point and laugh on some bad TV we happened to catch...nothing serious. Nothing to really tell what he thought about it. I wasn't going to ask any time soon, either.
I was just going to see my friends again, this time armed with lots of Imodium and good spirits, I told Marker, after the last time's disaster with Cobb's sandwich and my stomach's reaction to it.
Gah.
Worst guest ever.
Worst friend ever.
Wonder he even asked me to come back. Guess he really believed when I said I was sorry. Or maybe he did have some kind of a weird sense of being apologetic to me, too, and wanting to do a favor for me by setting up this weird meeting. There'd be a lot of furs there, he said...including Victor and his boyfriend.
Damn. Talk about an opportunity to flaunt their normalcy and happiness to the face of someone who never got it. Someone who just never had the chance to, never met the right furs, and never had anyone tell me the right things, ever.
Could I even learn, anymore?
My stomach churned a little.
And the old lady sitting on the other side of the aisle on the bus was looking weirdly at me and my crutch and the stiff angle of my knee.
Typical.
Victor
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I bet Rory would be here soon...or maybe some of the other guests would come sooner...though Rory had promised to be here a bit earlier, to help set up, he said. Kind of him, that.
"VICTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"
Groan.
"YEAH?" I yelled.
"COME GIVE ME A PAAAAAW!!!
I'd just about managed to button my shirt and tugged on the sleeves and the collars to make sure it was neat enough, and there weren't damp patches under my arms, or anything, or...anything, really. The pants were fitting, too, which was good, considering I was sure my waistline had ballooned recently because of so much red meat and butter and cream. My poor coronary arteries were in need of flushing after all this.
"ALRIGHT!" I responded, not sure what was going on there, as I wandered from my bedroom, through the blatantly rainbow-themed living room and over to the room to the guest room, which I knocked.
"YOU DECENT IN THERE?" I asked.
"IN THE BATHROOM, WEARING PANTS SO NO NEED TO WORRY!" I heard his reply.
I pushed the door open and entered the room, unsurprised by its chaotic appearance. Cobb did clean it twice a week but that wasn't enough to stop him from making a total mess out of it in the space of only a few days. There were clothes scattered everywhere, mysterious bags that weren't there before for as much as I was aware of, magazines...a lot of strange stuff alright. The bathroom door was open and the light was on and since it wasn't a really big room, I could see him standing there, in front of the sink...
"Cobb..."
I just gawked.
He was wearing leather pants. I mean...real, tight leather pants that hugged his ass and rode so that there was a hole on the back for his tail to poke out.
And that wasn't even the strangest part.
"Oh there you are," my brother sounded fussy and demanding, "I need your help with this, I've no idea how this works!"
He waved the little stick-like item on his paw, and I just...stared.
"Is that eyeliner?" I gasped, unable to say anything else.
"You're the gay, you should know these kinds of things!" he declared.
I grunted, puffing out my cheeks and feeling my ears flatten.
"I have NEVER worn any makeup in my LIFE, Cobb!" I growled. "What the hell are you doing?"
My brother gave me a defensive look before shrugging and turning his head so that he was staring at himself on the mirror over the sink instead of watching me make faces.
"Well since you didn't like us to have a fancy dress party, we have to have a themed dress party instead, then," Cobb started while he fumbled with the stick of eyeliner in his fingers.
"We...what?"
"There's a bag on the bed with the accessories, I got them today," he noted. "I've got five caps and five boas, so you must pick either one, so that there'll be enough for everyone. Fastest can have both if they like."
I started to get the feeling that I no longer understood a word he was saying.
"Cobb...what?"
He'd got the tube open and was holding it now close to his eye, peering at his reflection and...and...taking aim.
"For fuck's sake..."
I just...this couldn't be happening. I did a heel turn and stormed into the room to seek out any suspicious bags. There was indeed one on the bed, a big black plastic bag that seemed to be bulging with stuff.
I took a deep breath before I dared to push my paw into the plastic bag, and then I felt something ticklish my fingers curled around, and once I pulled it out, more and more of the item emerged until it was definitely to be identified as a pink feather boa.
"What..."
I tried again, and this time got a purple one. My next digging move unearthed a cheap plastic black cap that had been made to look like a Village People leather fetish cap, all shiny and...well, it did lack the scent and the weight, but I didn't want Cobb to know I knew what a kinky leather cap really felt or smelled like.
I clutched it like mad and almost tore it, probably, as I turned towards him. Now his left eye looked like he was trying to dress up as Captain Jack Sparrow. It was a bit smudgy, but...indeed.
"COBB!"
His paw flinched and he painted an extra stripe over the side of his muzzle. I could see flashing teeth, and a frustrated grumble arose from his chest.
"Well look at what you made me do now! And I don't have any makeup remover! What am I gonna do now?"
Rory
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I SHALL BE PERFECTLY FINE ROWREEH
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Yes, Peter, but were you really fine? It was so difficult to know nowadays...so many things were happening so quick to both of us that it was really hard to keep up. Funny how life almost seemed to come to a standstill sometimes and on other times it just kept running away from you like -
My phone beeped with another message, and I wondered whether that was Peter telling me that he'd ordered the taxi to turn back instead of coming to the party. A flick of my thumb told me that it wasn't from Peter, but it was from Victor instead. Hmm.
COBB OUT OF CONTROL
PREPARE FOR ANYTHING
DON'T KNOW EVEN
WHAT TO SAY ANYMORE
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Well, damn.
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Thank you for reading my story! I hope you had a fun time, and I look forward to seeing your comments, and hope that you'll tune in on Monday for further Cobb-like adventures :P
Ta ta,
Cheerio!