The Bandleader: Adagio

Story by BossTom on SoFurry

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#2 of The Bandleader


"What the hell do you mean I have to do it again?" Damon groaned and slapped the side of his fake plane's cockpit, "Why can't you just tone down the gore with CGI?"

The Dalmatian was strapped into a very realistic looking cockpit and sitting in front of a green screen. The first time he filmed this scene, where Lieutenant Jacob O'Donnell is shot and killed while flying his fighter over the sands of Libya, it went off without a hitch. He was fit with a large squib and killed in a gloriously bloody impact. The executive producer, a real family man, wasn't satisfied. It was too bloody, he said, not subtle enough to fit his vision.

The director, a middle aged woman, put her head in her hands and sighed. Moira Thorpe was unusual compared to the directors that Damon usually worked for. She was not meticulous, and was in favor of letting movie moments happen naturally. This was great for producers who didn't have the slightest clue as far as how they wanted their movie to be. For those who wanted otherwise, it meant loads of tedious reshoots and pick-ups.

"Mitchell doesn't want the squib hit at all," Moira replied, "He wants it to be CGI. To make it look more striking, since we don't have the bloody shot, more bullets are going to hit you. That means we need a bigger reaction."

Damon groaned again.

"There's only so many ways I can flail around while I'm buckled into this goddamn chair," The Dalmatian sighed and turned his attention to the stoic faced man in a suit standing behind Moira, "Well, what the hell do you want me to do?"

Mitchell walked forward, his fingers stroking his chin, and looked over the cockpit. Damon fought the urge to cuss out the producer. The human looked up at the Dalmatian and snapped his fingers.

"It's not dignified enough," Mitchell clapped his hands, "Can I give you my idea Damon?"

The Dalmatian rolled his eyes.

"If it gets me out of this goddamn plane sooner," Damon sighed and rubbed his face, "Go ahead."

"The first bullet hits him right in the chest," Mitchel put his hands up like a camera viewfinder, "Then the movie cuts to the shot of the bloodstained cockpit with bullets going into it. We cut back to the pilot, riddled with bullets, slumped forward over his controls. After that, the whole thing goes as it's already shot."

Damon groaned.

"So what we already have?" Damon shook his head, "Moira get me down from here, I think we're finished."

Moira shook her head.

"We need one impact shot from you," Moira replied, "If that's the way he wants it, we just need one sudden reaction. A cry of pain and a little tremor should do it nicely."

Damon nodded.

"Just one take correct?" Damon asked, "I know there's only so many ways that I can do that."

Moira nodded.

"Thank you for your patience Damon," The director sighed, "Is there anything you need before we start?"

"If this is my last shot," Damon began, "Then yeah I don't need anything."

Moira pulled out a little black book from a small duffle bag hooked onto the back of her chair and read over it. She put it back into the bag and nodded.

"That's it for today," Moira replied, "That's it until you come in for more pick-ups on Monday."

The Dalmatian beamed. A long weekend was just what he needed. His thoughts wandered to Douglas and he felt himself getting excited for a completely different reason. Maybe, if the Dog played his cards right, he could see the human more than once this weekend. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the camera moved into position beside his cockpit. Damon cleared his mind and cleared his emotions. It was his death scene, he had no cause to be this jovial.

"Filming in three, two," Moira held up a finger and put it down to symbolize the countdown running out, "Action."

Damon looked resolutely out the window, his paws firmly grasping his joystick. He jerked and grunted in pain as an imaginary bullet tore through the back of the cockpit and blasted through the front of his chest. He trembled and slowly fell forward, his head falling into the control panel with a quiet thud. The director looked over at Mitchell, who gave the woman a thumbs up.

"That'll do it Damon," Moira began, "Thank you again. I know it was a bit troublesome."

Damon nodded and pulled off his helmet. He climbed out of the cockpit and stretched. The Dalmatian had been in the cramped space for over two hours, and was very stiff and sore. He looked up and saw Douglas standing up against the wall of the studio. Damon smiled widely and wagged his tail furiously as he approached the human. Douglas looked very nervous, but managed to return the Dalmatian's smile.

"So," Damon chuckled, "You didn't see my little outburst back there did you?"

Douglas shook his head.

"Just the tail end of it," Douglas replied, "This really isn't as glamorous as I thought it would be."

Damon sighed and nodded.

"You're right there," Damon began, "But it's the only cheap way to touch up the movie. They can't fly us out to Tunisia for stupid crap like this."

Douglas perked up.

"That sounds pretty cool," Douglas smiled, "How was that?"

Damon put a paw on the human's shoulder. Douglas blushed and recoiled before looking around to check if anyone saw. Damon noticed the human's nervousness and moved his paw away.

"Come with me to my dressing room," Damon smiled, "I'll tell you all about it."

Damon led the human through the movie studio to the large room they had given the Dalmatian. The Dog held the door open for Douglas and closed it behind him. Douglas was a new man as soon as the two of them were alone. The human relaxed and sat down in one of the Dalmatian's comfy chairs. The Dalmatian chuckled and stood in front of him.

"Tunisia was awesome," Damon began as he stripped the uniform off, "I've always found the desert to be beautiful."

Damon smirked as he saw Douglas ogling his shirtless torso. Luckily for Douglas, the human had caught the actor in a particularly naughty mood. The dog bent down to remove the pants of his uniform, giving the human a view of his bright orange jockstrap. His gaze lingered as the Dalmatian slowly pulled the pants down to reveal his firm, muscled rump. Douglas stood up from the chair and moved a bit closer to the Dalmatian.

"I," Douglas gulped, "Really appreciate this?"

"Appreciate what?" Damon asked innocently as he turned around and gave the human a view of his bulge.

"This," Douglas bit his lip, "I know how you feel."

Damon whimpered a bit.

"It's ok," Douglas chuckled and looked away, "I'm really familiar with Furs. You have a language all your own and often, you don't realize it."

Damon nodded.

"What was I saying?" Damon asked as he finished stripping without ceremony, "I'm just curious."

The human smirked.

"You knew I was watching you, and that I found you attractive, I knew you could smell that in the air," Douglas began, "You were daring me. You wanted me to make a move."

Damon nodded and stood in front of the human. Douglas did his best to maintain eye contact, but couldn't help but look over the Dalmatian's strapping body again. Damon leaned back against the counter and gestured for the human to come closer with a finger.

"I don't know Damon," Douglas sighed, "I don't want to screw this up."

Damon chuckled.

"If you know Furs so well, then you know that this kind of thing is normal," Damon began, "Why go through the exploratory phase of discovering whether or not someone is a good match for you before having sex, when you can tell at your first meeting?"

Douglas shook his head.

"It's more complicated than that," Douglas replied, "I know how furs are. That's why I can't."

The door opened suddenly and Douglas immediately reverted back to the skittish human from earlier. Martin, a young blond man, walked into the dressing room with a blush. Douglas rubbed the back of his neck and looked awkwardly at the floor.

"Dude you should put some pants on," Douglas began, "Not everyone wants to see your drawers."

Damon quickly realized what was going on. He put on his street clothes, a pair of black jeans and a turquoise jacket with a white undershirt. The Dalmatian looked up at the intern and sighed.

"Martin," Damon shook his head, "What was so important that required you to barge into my dressing room without asking?"

Martin blushed hard and looked away from the Dalmatian.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kane," Martin began, "The studio asked if you were almost done. They're going to be closing up soon."

"Thank you Martin, I'm almost finished," Damon chuckled, "Next time, knock. The next celebrity you deal with may not be as patient."

Martin practically sprinted out of the dressing room. Damon shook his head and put his wallet, keys, and phone back into his pants pockets. Douglas rubbed his arm and looked very ashamed of himself. The Dalmatian walked forward and put a paw on the human's shoulder.

"It's ok if you're in the closet Douglas," Damon began, "I'm very patient."

Douglas practically whined.

"That's what they all say," Douglas replied, "It's never true though. They just push and push, and when you don't move fast enough they kick you aside like last week's garbage."

"Douglas," Damon sighed, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Douglas hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

"I've said too much already," The human replied, "I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Damon shook his head.

"You aren't wasting my time at all," Damon began, "It's ok to have secrets. Hell, my entire public persona is based off of secrets. My only hope is that as I get to know you better that we'll share some of them."

"You actually want to get to know me better?" Douglas beamed, "For real."

Damon chuckled and smiled. The human's happiness was contagious.

"Of course I do," The Dalmatian replied, "Why would I have asked you to meet me here if I didn't?"

Douglas blushed and nodded. True to his word, the Dalmatian was being very patient. The human sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry I'm being so neurotic," The human began, "It's been a while since I've been out on anything remotely close to a date."

Damon smirked.

"So let's make it one to remember," Damon replied, "Let's go out."

Douglas blinked and rubbed his arm.

"Damon I'm flattered, really I am," Douglas began, "I really don't think I'm ready to do something like that though."

Damon thought for a moment.

"My place?" Damon asked, "I could cook you lunch and see where things take us from there."

"Are you sure?" Douglas replied, "I don't want to be a bother."

"We could do something bigger," Damon thought for a second and beamed, "How about a long weekend on the Maine coast? I hear it's lovely this time of year."

Douglas snorted and chuckled.

"It sounds like a dream," Douglas began, "Even if you weren't kidding, I've got work and a cat to take care of."

"Who said I was kidding?" Damon smirked, "I love doing stuff like that. If you and I do end up seeing each other more, expect a lot more offers like that. Some more serious than others."

Douglas blushed and rubbed his arm.

"I'm not sure I'm worth all of that," Douglas looked down, "Who wants to travel with someone who isn't comfortable holding hands in public?"

Damon sighed.

"I think you're worth it," Damon chuckled, "Every guy deserves to be pampered every now and then."

"I do appreciate it," Douglas replied, "But I'm booked pretty solidly for the next month."

Damon smirked and waved a paw dismissively.

"Nonsense," Damon began, "I'm sure they'd do just fine without you."

Douglas blushed hard.

"I don't like to boast," Douglas shuffled his feet, "But there's a reason all of ads we put out just have my name."

"Sounds like a story," Damon smiled, "Want to tell me on the way to my place?"

Douglas chuckled.

"Sounds like a deal."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Damon drove away from the studio slowly in an attempt to let Douglas calm down. Damon totally forgot about the swarms of paparazzi that tended to congregate in front of the studio. If Douglas had played it cool, it was likely that they would have left him alone. That wasn't the case, the second the cameras started flashing, the human tried to hide from them. Now, some moron on some equally moronic celebrity news show was probably going to spread both of their faces all over tabloid news.

"I should have warned you," Damon sighed, "I feel so stupid."

Douglas took a deep breath and shook his head.

"No," Douglas began, "I'm just on high alert. It probably isn't good for me if I'm seen with you."

Damon blinked.

"Why?" Damon asked, "I'm not that hard to be around, am I?"

Douglas shook his head.

"I'm really, really in the closet," Douglas sighed, "I mean, no one knows, except for you, a couple of friends, and my ex-boyfriend. The only reason you do is because you actually went back after my show and left a good impression, normally when people do that I just lose their number."

"It looks like I need to get some background," Damon chuckled and stopped at a busy intersection, "You owe me a story about the band, and an explanation of your ex. You tell me one, and I'll tell you something about me in return."

Douglas blushed.

"Well," Douglas sighed, "I suppose I should talk about my ex. That explains a lot about me."

Damon nodded.

"When I was in high school, I dated this Beagle named Robert," Douglas sighed, "He and I weren't really popular. He was a theatre hound, and I was a band geek. We met up at a sporting event that our more popular friends forced us to go to, and boom, we clicked."

"I'm listening," Damon turned left, "Keep going."

"We dated through high school and college," Douglas chuckled, "He came out his senior year of college, and I couldn't. Things got bad between us. Until, he got a job, as a television actor here in LA."

Damon blinked.

"Wait," The Dalmatian began, "Are you from Kansas City?"

"Yeah," Douglas sighed, "Do you know him?"

Damon growled.

"Yeah, he's the arrogant prick who stars in that new supernatural horror show on HBO," Damon shook his head, "I really don't like him."

Douglas rubbed his arm.

"We thought that if we moved here," Douglas sighed, "That I'd be able to come to terms with myself and be the boyfriend Robert thought he deserved. We moved into my current apartment, I didn't move fast enough, and he dumped me."

Damon growled.

"I hate him even more now," Damon shook his head, "I'm sorry Douglas. That's terrible."

Douglas nodded.

"That's why I didn't want to get involved with you at first," Douglas began, "I thought you all were like that."

The Dalmatian chuckled and turned onto the highway.

"We aren't," Damon began, "What about your family? Do they have something to do with why you aren't able to come to terms with being gay?"

Douglas made a buzzer sound and shook his head.

"Nope," Douglas chuckled, "I told you my story. Now it's your turn."

Damon groaned.

"I've got to make you promise me something before I tell you anything," The Dog began, "You can't tell anyone any of my secrets."

Douglas chuckled.

"I can understand," Douglas replied, "Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me."

The Dalmatian turned onto the side road that led to his house.

"Perfect," Damon smiled and stopped at a stop sign, "Lay it on me."

Douglas thought for a moment and chuckled.

"You're not going to lie right?" Douglas asked.

"Never," Damon gasped in mock outrage, "I will tell the truth. I swear on my Oscar nomination."

Douglas smiled.

"Ok," Douglas asked, "How old are you?"

Damon grinned.

"Guess," The Dalmatian stuck out his tongue and looked at the human, "How old do you think I am?"

Douglas rolled his eyes.

"I don't know," Douglas chuckled, "I don't know how to tell. 30?"

"Close, 33," Damon turned into his gated driveway, "How old are you?"

Damon waved at his Latino security guard who promptly opened the gate for the Dog. The Dalmatian slowly drove up to his large house. It had a pool and patio in the front, three floors, and a large garage. Douglas gasped as they drove into the spacious garage and parked. There were four more cars in there, each more fancy than the last.

"You didn't answer my question," Damon chuckled, "How old are you?"

"I just turned 26," Douglas gasped and looked around, "This place is huge."

The Dalmatian chuckled and turned off his car.

"Wait until you see the rest of the house," Damon smiled, "I plan on giving you the grand tour."

Douglas smiled and waited as Damon got out of the car and walked around to get Douglas's door. The Dalmatian opened it for him and extended a paw. Douglas blushed and took it. Damon chuckled and helped the human out of the car.

"You seem a bit hot and cold when it comes to me touching you," Damon chuckled, "Any reason?"

Douglas blushed.

"Nerves mostly," Douglas began, "I may have a few issues, with urm, intimacy."

Damon gently traced the human's face and neck with his fingers.

"Why?" Damon asked, smiled as Douglas blushed and moved a bit closer to him, "Did something happen that I should know about?"

Douglas shook his head.

"I think it's just my upbringing," Douglas chuckled, "If I tell you do I get to ask another question?"

Damon nodded.

"My family was very conservative," Douglas rubbed the back of his neck, "That's the main reason I haven't been ok with coming out. I'm not religious or anything now, but the whole "don't have sex before marriage" thing was kinda drilled into my head."

Damon pulled the human into a hug.

"Have you," Damon rubbed Douglas's back, "Done it?"

The human nodded.

"And I felt guilty after every time," Douglas sighed and hung his head, "I'm sure that's a deal breaker for you."

Damon scoffed and shook his head.

"If we get there," Damon lifted the human's head up with a finger on his chin, "We'll cross that bridge in the future. Until then, you just let me know if I make you uncomfortable."

Douglas smiled.

"I should let you show me around," The human took the Dog's paw and kissed it softly before lowering it, "I'd love to see your house."

Damon wagged his tail and led Douglas up a couple of stairs to a wooden door. The Dalmatian ushered Douglas inside and walked in after him. They took off their shoes and set them gently to the side. Douglas looked up and gasped as he saw a large four legged dog standing in the hallway. It looked like a burlier version of a Doberman with a dappled black coat, and had a large scar down the side of his muzzle. Damon gasped and knelt down.

"Tyson!" Damon said happily as the dog ran towards him, "Daddy missed you so much!"

The dog tackled the Dalmatian and knocked him on his back. Tyson covered Damon's face and neck with licks, and kept licking, even as Damon exclaimed in disgust and pushed the dog off of him. Tyson looked up at Douglas and stood perfectly still, his eyes not moving. After a few moments, Tyson moved forward, wagged his cropped tail, and nuzzled the human's hand. Damon watched with wide eyes as Douglas pet his dog.

"He actually likes you," Damon gasped as he stood up, "That's incredible."

Douglas giggled as the dog licked his hand and walked off.

"Why?" Douglas asked.

"Well, he's a rescue dog," Damon sighed, "I was doing a commercial for the ASPCA, and met him at one of the local animal shelters. They rescued him from a dogfighting ring. Since then, he really hasn't liked humans at all. Especially men. He tolerates the guy who cleans the house on Fridays, but just barely."

Douglas shook his head.

"I can never understand how someone could do something like that to another living being," Douglas sighed, "I'm glad he got a second chance with you."

Damon nodded.

"Shall I show you around?" Damon asked, "Or just give you a general overview."

"I'd love to be shown around," Douglas chuckled and rubbed his stomach, "But my stomach says otherwise."

"Fair enough," Damon took the human's hand again and led him upstairs, "On the level we were just on was my recreation stuff. There's a workout room, theater room, and lounge. Along with some storage. Next floor, which is where I'm taking you now, is kitchen, living room, office, that sort of thing."

Damon ushered the human into his living room.

"Above us is bedrooms, bathrooms, and more storage," Damon chuckled, "Hopefully you'll spend more time here and see it all."

The Dalmatian led the human through his very well decorated living room and into the kitchen. The motif here was stone. Stone top counters, stone floors, even a sculpted marble bar. Damon chuckled and sat the human down at it.

"Can I mix you a drink?" Damon asked.

"No thank you," Douglas chuckled, "I'm not supposed to drink."

Damon chuckled.

"Alright," Damon began, "How about some iced tea then?"

Douglas thought for a moment.

"That should be fine," Douglas replied, "What kinds do you got?"

Damon shrugged.

"Green, black," Damon began, "A lot of different kinds."

"How about green with honey?" Douglas replied, "That sounds yummy."

Damon whistled idly as he fixed the human his drink. It had been awhile since the Dalmatian had a guy over, or anyone over for that matter. It got lonely being the only person living in the house. Having someone else, if only for a brief time, made the house seem more alive. Douglas sighed happily and rested his elbows on the counter as he watched the Dog work. Damon slid the drink over to the human and smirked.

Douglas sighed happily and took a sip from his tea. Damon echoed the sigh, and looked back at the human.

"So," Damon began, "Do you have a show tonight?"

Douglas smiled and shook his head.

"No," Douglas replied and took a sip from his drink, "We had another wedding tonight, but the bride bailed."

Damon blushed hard. There was something on the tip of his tongue that he just couldn't say. This was one of the rare moments where the Dalmatian found himself speechless. Douglas blushed too.

"What is it?" Douglas asked, "Damon, what's going on?"

"I," Damon rubbed his arm, "I want you to spend the night tonight."

Douglas didn't react.

"I know it's soon," Damon whined, "I just, I don't want to spend another night alone. I like you a lot Douglas."

Douglas blushed.

"I feel the same," Douglas sighed, "I'm just scared."

Damon reached over the counter and held Douglas's hand.

"Why?" Damon asked, "I'm not going to stop wanting to see you just because you're still in the closet."

Douglas shook his head.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Douglas began, "I'm worried you'll get attached to me and that I won't be worth it. I don't want to fall in love again and be told it's going to be that way forever, and then have the rug yanked out from under me."

Damon nodded.

"I'm worried about the same thing," Damon sighed, "If you do stay here tonight, it doesn't have to mean anything. It can just be two guys spending time with each other. If something does end up happening, we'll deal with it when it comes time to."

Douglas blushed.

"You say that like you expect something to happen," Douglas replied, "Will it?"

Damon shrugged.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want for it to happen," Damon began, "But it doesn't have to."

Douglas sighed.

"If it does," Douglas rubbed his arm and looked down, "It won't be a regular thing right? I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Damon fought the urge to shudder as he felt the fear of rejection creeping up in his mind. Now, he realized just how depressed and lonely he was. He fought to be above the lifestyle his occupation created. In doing that, he made himself someone he truly wasn't. Now, in his kitchen, the actor's true self was fighting to come out. The one that doubted, the one that worried, the one that knew who he really was before coming to Hollywood.

"I-I," Damon adjusted his collar and cleared his throat, "F-forget I brought it up."

Douglas got up and hugged the Dog tightly. Damon shivered and hugged Douglas back.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Douglas asked.

"Just this," Damon began.

Damon pulled back and planted a gentle kiss on Douglas's lips. The human tensed up and pulled away.

"I-I should go," Douglas began, "I don't think I can do this."

Damon whined and backed away from the human. He was shaken. It had been a long time since he had committed such an overt display of personal weakness.

"Look," Douglas sighed, "I'm not mad. I'm just not ready ok."

Damon nodded.

"I'll text you ok," Douglas began, "I'm sorry things didn't work out."

"O-ok," Damon took a deep breath, "Thank you Douglas. I'm sorry for being so forward."

Douglas nodded and walked out the door, leaving his hardly drunk tea on the counter. The Dalmatian slumped down to the floor with a drawn out, pitiful whine, defeated and confused.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Later that night

"I don't know Mark," Douglas sighed and sipped his Shirley Temple, "Did I do the right thing?"

As soon as Douglas left the Dalmatian's house, he called Mark. Mark was a Cat who played the bass in the band. The two of them were the ones who started the band, Douglas was the face, but Mark ran it. Mark was one of the best friends Douglas had ever had, and was one of the four people who knew Douglas was gay. He was straight, but a good guy.

"I think you both are acting like children," Mark scoffed and sipped his bourbon, "Stop wasting time worrying about what might happen. Just do it."

Douglas sighed.

"I don't think I can Mark," Douglas began, "He's a great guy, but I just don't think I'm ready."

Mark shook his head.

"So you're just going to give up?" The Cat shook his head, "This guy is clearly into you. He's not going to do what Robert did."

Douglas sighed and finished his drink.

"Speaking of Robert," Douglas grumbled and looked over to where the Beagle was sitting, "Did we have to come to the Cashmere? I told you Robert always comes here."

Mark shrugged.

"He's got good taste," Mark began, "Besides, I get free drinks here, and I'm broke."

Douglas groaned as Robert looked up from the bar and saw him. A cocky smirk crossed the Beagle's muzzle and he downed his drink. Douglas's ex-boyfriend swaggered over, and stopped just behind the human's chair.

"Douglas," Robert looked over the Cat and scoffed, "Since when have you been into pussy?"

Mark scoffed as he watched Douglas shut down.

"Ever since he got tired of your baby dick," Mark gulped his drink down, "Don't you have anything better to do short stack."

Robert growled. He had been sensitive about his lower than average height since elementary school.

"No," Robert chuckled, "Guys like you wouldn't date a guy like Douglas."

"Yeah, you're right," Mark rolled his eyes, "My wife might take offense if I went around seeing other guys."

Robert shook his head.

"Just stop guys," Douglas sighed and put his head in his hands, "Please."

Robert scoffed.

"No," Robert crossed his arms, "I've had a lot to drink, and I don't want to take any shit from anyone."

"Then why did you go and start shit?" Mark replied, "You had no reason to come over here."

Robert puffed out his chest.

"Well what are you going to do about it?" Robert growled.

Mark rolled his eyes.

"Hey Douglas," Mark began, "Why don't you invite your new guy out?"

Douglas blushed as Robert looked at him with a huff. The Dog only had the wind taken out of his sails for a moment. It took his booze-addled brain a few more moments to come up with a suitable comeback. The human blushed, pulled out his phone, and, after wordlessly being egged on by the Cat, called Damon up.

Damon answered, in much more chipper spirits than the human had left him.

"Hello Douglas," The human could practically hear the Dog's smile through the phone, "What's up?"

"Can you come to the Cashmere?" Douglas asked, "You aren't too busy right?"

"Sure, I'm in the neighborhood," Damon replied after a brief pause, "I thought you couldn't drink. Is there something going on."

Douglas sighed.

"Yeah," The human began, then added after Robert moved a short distance away, "Please hurry. My ex is here and he won't leave my friend and me alone."

"Ok," Damon replied after a growl, "Wait for me outside, if he follows you, I'll put him in his place."

Douglas nodded and hung up the phone.

"Let's head outside," Douglas began, "He's coming to pick us up."

Mark grumbled under his breath and put on his coat. Douglas followed suit and walked out of the club. Robert looked up from the twinky Fennec Fox shaking his ass in front of him and chuckled. He excused himself for a moment and followed the pair. Meanwhile, Damon pulled up to the front of the club in his Jaguar and blew the human a kiss. Mark squeaked and ran up to it.

"Holy shit Douglas!" Mark began, "You didn't tell me you were seeing Damon Kane!"

Douglas blushed.

"It's not like it's serious," Douglas replied, "We barely had one date."

Mark practically giggled like a school girl.

"It's an honor to meet you Mr. Kane," Mark practically punched the car as he extended his paw for a handshake, "I'm Mark Wheelan. I play in the band with Douglas."

Damon chuckled politely and quickly shook the Cat's hand.

"Can we hurry guys?" Damon shrunk down a little as people started to notice him, "I don't want to cause a scene."

"HEY!" Robert drunkenly roared as he stumbled out of the front door, "Who do you think you are punk?!"

Damon groaned. Mark and Douglas shared a look and got into the back of Dog's car. The Dalmatian watched, stoically, as Robert stumbled towards them. It was clear that the liquor he had been consuming was now truly affecting him. With a lurch, he leaned forward and stuck his head into the car. His eyes went wide as he recognized the Dalmatian. His surprise only lasted for a few moments, and then the cocky asshole from inside the club came back out.

"Douglas," Robert laughed, "How did an emotionally stunted little shit like you get with a celebrity like Damon Kane?"

The Dalmatian growled.

"Get off of my fucking car Robert," Damon Kane began, "Not being able to keep a relationship for more than a month at a time does not give you an excuse to be an asshole."

From the corner of Damon's eye he saw a wall of cell phones, no doubt recording this for the Internet. Robert growled and clenched his fists. The bouncer, a huge, buff Kangaroo, came over and put his hand on the Beagle's shoulder.

"Everything alright here?" The Aussie asked.

Damon smiled amiably and nodded.

"Yes," He began, "Robert was just leaving. Weren't you Robert?"

The Beagle grumbled and backed away. He knew he was beat. Damon nodded his head and pulled away from the club. Douglas sighed and leaned forward to kiss the Dalmatian on the cheek.

"Thank you Damon," Douglas began, "Robert can be a real asshole."

Mark shook his head.

"Why?" Mark asked, "You guys haven't dated for three years. I thought you never even saw him."

Douglas rubbed his arm.

"Whenever he gets dumped," Douglas sighed, "He gives me a call, and I well, console him."

Damon gripped the wheel tightly.

"Why?" Mark scoffed, "That can't be good for you."

Douglas sighed.

"It lets me pretend that things aren't so screwed up in my life," Douglas replied, "I mean, I get to go out on some dates. Sleep in a nice bed in a nice house. It was worth it."

"Not anymore," Damon began, "You've got me now."

Douglas nodded.

"It's 10 o' clock," Damon stopped at a red light and looked back at the human, "Do you want me to take you home?"

Mark and Douglas nodded.

"We're in the same building," Mark began, "We're in Riverside, La Sierra Hills."

Douglas reached forward and put the address into the Jaguar's GPS. The only sounds on the 45 minute drive to the building were the robotic directions issued by the vaguely feminine voice on the GPS. It was a comfortable silence, one well used by Douglas to think over Damon pulled into a large parking lot and parked beside a white junker.

"Thank you for the ride Damon," Mark yawned and got out of the car, "I hope I see more of you."

Damon chuckled.

"You'll see me on Tuesday," Damon replied, "I'll be down at the Velvet."

Mark smiled and waved before walking back into the apartment. Damon and Douglas sat in the car for a little bit, neither sure what to say.

"Hey," Douglas finally broke the silence, "I'm sorry for what happened earlier today. I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did."

Damon looked back at the human and smiled.

"No," Damon began, "It's ok. You don't have to push yourself for me. I can wait."

The human shook his head.

"I want to," Douglas sighed, "I've spent too long being afraid. I want to just live. If that means having sex with guys I like, great. If that means starting to date someone, great. I just want to be happy."

Damon blushed a little.

"That's good," Damon replied, "I feel the same."

"We can try another date right?" Douglas asked, "I'll try not to be an idiot and screw it up this time."

"You aren't an idiot Douglas," The Dalmatian replied, "Of course we can do another date. Did you have something in mind?"

Douglas looked down and blushed.

"No," Douglas began, "I was going to ask if you wanted to come in."

"I do," Damon's tail wagged furiously, "I really do."

"Well," Douglas got out of the Dalmatian's car, "Let's go then."

Damon looked around the parking lot nervously.

"Should I, uh," Damon chuckled, "Be worried about my car?"

Douglas shook his head.

"Just lock it," Douglas replied, "It'll be ok."

The Dalmatian stepped out of the car and locked it. Douglas smiled and extended a hand. Hesitantly, the Dog took the hand with a shaky paw and blushed.

"It's not as nice as your place," Douglas started walking towards the stairs that led to his apartment, "But it has all the necessities."

Damon looked over the human as he walked and smiled.

"I think it's got all I need."