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Author's Note: It took a while, but here it is! Please comment!

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Fursona High SchoolÂ

Chapter 5

Making a Choice

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"We're just teenagers; can we really say we ‘love' each other?" Tom asked the husky next to him. They both sat on the couch in Anthony's house, holding paws and each other.

"Love is the perfect word for us. I have strong feelings for you that go beyond a normal friendship. We may not be as experienced as adults who do love, but the feeling is the same," responded Anthony.

"How can you be so sure?" The fox asked. Tom wasn't trying to discourage the husky, instead trying to trap Anthony in his loop of never-ending questions. Anthony caught onto the fox's game and decided to go along with it.

"I never get tired of telling you, Tommy," The husky grinned as the fox growled at the name, "I've been in love with you for a very long time. I had to hold myself back everyday just so I wouldn't rape you in the middle of the hallway at school."

"That does sound like a long time," Tom said after laughing. He felt the husky squeeze his hand in agreement.

The fox shifted a little, sitting closer and leaning on the husky; something he now enjoyed doing. Anthony also started his newly developed habit: nibbling on the fox's ear. He gently ground it between his lips, grinning, knowing it drove the fox crazy from the way he trembled. The husky stopped once Tom had whimpered in surrender.

During their weekend together, Anthony had learned some of Tom's sweet spots and he had been exploiting them repeatedly. Tom hadn't learned many of the husky's, but he could still find a way to tease him.

"When did those feelings start?" The fox continued.

"I can't really say they started. They were always there. I never gave the feelings a name until now." Anthony responded. Tom gave a small laugh.

"Its like you read my mind. It's always been the same for me."

It was Monday afternoon and they would be going to school the next day. Their weekend had held out through heavy storm clouds without a single ray of the sun to peak. They had been hoping the sky would clear up so they could enjoy their last day together outdoors. Unfortunately, the dark clouds had unleashed their wrath upon the city and had forced the two lovers to take refuge in Anthony's house.

Tom and the husky had gone to the movies on Saturday. They had watched a horror movie, the only reason being that Anthony wanted the fox to grab onto him whenever the killer would jump out of the shadows. His plan had worked out perfectly, although they had gotten a few questioning glances from other moviegoers.

Sunday they had gone out to their local mall: The Fur's Crowd. It was the place where any fur could go to hang out and do anything.Â

Well, almost anything.

Anthony had refrained from holding the fox's hand, although he had managed to sneak some all-too-friendly hugs here and there. They had eaten at the food court and wandered through the mall aimlessly. Tom knew they hadn't really gone to buy anything, but just to enjoy each other's company. Then Sunday ended too abruptly for the couple's liking.

The sudden ringing of a grandfather clock filled the living room, bringing the fox back to from his thoughts. He looked at Anthony and found the same look of dismay on his face. It was seven o clock.

"Its time for you to go home, huh?" the husky asked. They both rose from the sofa and looked at each other.

"You know I'd stay longer, but my parents..." Tom trailed off. The husky opened his arms and pulled him into a warm embrace.

"I understand," Anthony assured. He held the fox for as long he could. The husky ruffled his head fur a little to comfort Tom. He could feel the fox breathing lightly, their heartbeats almost audible in the silence.

Reluctantly, they parted from each other, instantly missing each other's warmth. Â

"Let's go then. I don't want my dad to suspect something," Tom said as he grabbed the husky's paw. The exited the house and walked towards Anthony's truck. They quickly entered the truck and Tom slid across the smooth leather seat next to Anthony.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Tom asked innocently.Â

"Not at all, as long as you put your seat belt on, and..." The husky slipped his arm around the fox's waist, "I can hold you along the way."

The drive was oddly quiet as they proceeded to the fox's house, though it wasn't as awkward as it had been on Friday. The car skidded to a stop in front of Tom's house minutes later.

"I had a great time this weekend," the fox said to Anthony, offering a smile to consolidate the husky.Â

"I did too," the husky replied, their first night suddenly flashing into his mind.

It would be hard for both of them to be apart now that they loved each other. They knew they wouldn't be able to sleep together like they had this weekend, and hopefully they could make some kind of plan to see each other more often, other than at school.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course. I love you too," the husky replied. He placed his paw on Tom's own.

The fox was still a little nervous about conveying his brand new love in public, especially at the risk of being caught, but he had resolved in getting over his irrational fear. He leaned up, kissing Anthony warmly. They held the kiss for a long while.

Then they parted, having found a small comfort for the night. Tom squeezed the husky's paw before leaving the vehicle. He watched it drive down the block before turning the corner and leaving his sight.Â

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~~

Tom slept soundly in his bed. He began to awake, his dreams merging with reality as he felt the warm lips of his lover press against his own. He murred into the kiss before opening his eyes. The fox watched Anthony pull away from the kiss, a big grin stuck on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Tom yawned as the husky pulled him out of the bed.

"I came to take to you to school, remember?" Anthony leaned down for a second kiss, but the fox stopped him.

"Wait, what if my parents walk in?" he asked in a worried tone. They tended to prolong the kisses they shared, along with blocking out everything around them. Anthony gently removed the fox's paws from between them and placed them at his side. Tom regained the feeling of security the husky always seemed to give off as their lips met again.

"Your parents went to work. They let me in before they left." Anthony said as the parted, but the fox's nature wouldn't take that simple answer.

"Did they suspect anything? What did they say? What if-" Anthony placed a finger on his lips.

"Ssh, you worry too much." Tom looked into his deep blue eyes. He could always find comfort by looking into them, and his lips cracked into a smile.

"I can't help but worry. Even a little bit."

"I know. Now hurry up and get dressed before we're late for school." The husky ushered the giggling fox to the bathroom.Â

~~

Tom found himself walking to biology class, alone and nervous as he felt almost every eye in the hallway on him. He looked down at the tiled floor as he walked, fear slowly creeping through him. He pressed his notebook closer to himself. Did they know about what happened?

When Anthony and Tom had arrived at school, the odd feeling of being watched overcame the fox. The moment the two lovers had gone their separate ways, it seemed the watchful eyes had increased in numbers. The hallway seemed to be filled with tangible tension. When Tom passed a group of furs, they would begin to whisper and point in his direction, though he pretended not to notice. He could feel the cold breath of fear running down his back. There was only one thing they could be talking about.

Despite that, Tom tried to remain sane. He partially convinced himself that he was just being a little paranoid.Â

They were probably talking about the football game on Thursday. After all, it was the semifinals and they had a good chance of making it to state. The season had been long and the team had toughed it out.Â

It could also be the fact that there was only a month of school left, and who wouldn't be excited for summer break?, despite the barrage of tests the students would receive beforehand. Lost in thought, the fox failed to notice a large figure step into his path. He bumped his head into the stranger, and mumbled a small apology before walking around. That had been his plan, but a hand shot out and blocked his path. He looked up at the face of an equine, a football player from the jersey he wore.

"Where do you think you're going, queer? Tom's eyes widened as he stepped back.

"W-what are you talking about?" Although he was bad at conflict, he wouldn't cave in on the first blow. Tom had expected someone would approach him like this, but he hadn't been able to come up with a good way to deal with it. One look at the horse, and he knew a fistfight would be one sided.

"You know damn well, you queero fox." The horse cracked his knuckles, obviously not in the mood to argue. Tom now noticed a crowd of students had formed around them, and all of them seemed eager for a fight. Tom held his notebook closer to him, a flimsy shield between him and the daunting horse. Tom was afraid, the same way he had felt when telling Anthony of his secret love for him. His legs were frozen in place and he couldn't find the courage to look anyone in the eye. No one could possibly come to his rescue.

"I-I don't know what you mean. You obviously have the wrong fox." Tom's voice was cracked and unsteady. It mirrored his lack of confidence.

The horse smirked, amused by the fox's attempts to deny the truth. He lifted a hand, signaling to someone in the crowd. A white tiger emerged seconds later, proudly carrying a laptop beneath his arm. He opened it and after a few clicks, activated a full screen video. It played back that fateful night, the fox and wolf talking in the bedroom. It showed how close they had come to kissing, and how the furson holding the camera had fallen forward. The video ended with a frozen screen of static.Â

The stinging truth was unmistakable.

"There, you see? This video proves that this fox is a fag. A dirty, cock sucking, cumhungry fag. And everyone here knows how much I hate fags." He emphasized hate with a threatening step towards the fox. Tom took a step back, bumping into the tiger that had stealthily moved behind him.

"Ah ah ah, little fox isn't going anywhere." He mocked, grabbing the fox roughly and restraining him, forcing him to face the equine. Tom looked at the horse, wide eyes full of fear. This was it, the first beating of his life.Â

He watched as the fist rose slightly, than fell faster as it propelled towards his abdomen. The fox let out a pained yelp as it forced the air out of his lungs. Tears clouded his eyes as they scrunched shut, and before he had any time to recover, another well aimed punch smashed into his jaw. The force was strong enough to wrench him out of the tigers grip and throw him onto the hard floor. Tom landed with a thud, gasping as his lungs were finally able to inhale air. He could taste the blood from his lip, and he could feel the tears blinding and stinging his eyes. The fox still held back any sobs. He was humiliated enough as it was and he would try to maintain any shred of dignity left. His arms trembled as he lifted himself up, but a hard kick to his ribs sent him sprawled onto his back with a grunt. The same hand that had put him on the floor grabbed his shirt and lifted him off the floor, raising him to face level with the horse. Tom opened his eyes, his blurry vision still perceiving the cruel smile on the equine.

"Get ready for the knock out punch, you faggety fox," the horse threatened. Tom jerked down a bit, realizing that the horse was holding him up with a single hand, the other rearing up into the declared punch. Tom closed his eyes, his heart pounding as he braced himself.

The smacking of bone rang out clearly, followed by the heavy thud of a body colliding against the floor. Tom slumped down, surprised that he was still conscience. He looked up; leveled to him was the ever still tail of Anthony, who stood protectively over him. The husky's face was contorted in rage as he glared down at the fallen equine. The horse wobbled onto his feet, all the while rubbing his bruised face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" yelled Anthony, growling as his fur bristled out. The horse kept his distance, doubt flashing in his eyes for a second. His voice quivered as he responded.

"Teaching this fag a lesson. What's it to you?" Tom watched Anthony clench his fists angrily. The fox could tell Anthony was holding himself back.

"Tom happens to be my best friend. You think I'll just stand here and let you push him around?" The equine gave a nervous laugh.

"You should know that your ‘friend' happens to be a cock sucking fag." Tom flinched at the words. The horse had hit the nail in the head. He looked around and noticed that people had seen his reaction. Anthony said nothing, and Tom feel tears start to build in his eyes. Neither of them was denying the horse.

This was the moment where Anthony had to decide. If he defended Tom, rumors would go around that Anthony was probably gay too. Tom didn't want Anthony to go through something similar to what was happening now.

"You can't prove that Tom did anything like that." Anthony finally said as he turned to the fox. If Tom were someone else, he would have believed the husky. Their eyes remained locked the whole time Anthony pulled the fox up on his feet. It seemed the entire crowd watched their paws, which had never separated even after Tom was standing.

"If anyone else here has a problem with Tom, come out and say it now." The crowd continued to watch, but no one stepped out or said anything. Anthony, slightly satisfied, turned back to the horse.

"If you or anyone else ever give Tom any trouble again, I promise you it'll be the last thing you do," Anthony threatened coldly. Tom watched the horse quickly turn and run out through the thinning crowd. Everyone was leaving and Tom watched them go, wondering what they could possibly be thinking.

Anthony squeezed his paw, which the fox realized he had been holding the whole time. Instead of looking at the husky, Tom looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry Anthony..." He whispered.

"For what?" The husky questioned, cupping the fox's chin.

"I couldn't defend myself. I'm weak." Tom's head was lifted up, but he still avoided looking into the husky's eyes.

"You're not weak...please look at me." The fox's gazed drifted to Anthony's eyes. Concern was apparent in the blue pools, along with the love he had grown to adore and the trust he could not deny. "Tom, you are the last person I would consider weak. You were strong enough to come out to me, when I was the one that wanted to come out to you. You were strong enough to cry and not be afraid. From what I know, you're even stronger than me."

"You really think so?" The fox questioned, rubbing out the wetness under his eyes.

"Yes, and besides, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have been here sooner to stop this whole ordeal."Â

"Thanks Anthon-" At that moment a stinging pain throbbed through his skull, causing him to whimper loudly. He closed his eyes in pain, and he heard a loud ringing in his ears.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Tom shook his head, clutching it with his paws. "Come on; let's get you to the nurse's office."

Tom nodded and let Anthony guide him to the nurse. They got there faster than Tom thought, and soon they had him lying on a bed.

"What happened to him?" The nurse asked. She didn't seem too worried and Tom found some comfort in her tone. Anthony explained what he knew. The whole time Tom had not opened his eyes, and when he did the sharp light made his head hurt even more. He heard some cabinets being opened, bottles being shaken, and then felt something press against his lips.

"Swallow this." Tom heard Anthony say. He swallowed a ball shaped pill, happy that Anthony hadn't left him.Â

"Alright, that's all I can do for his headache. As for his bruises, just don't make them bigger." The nurse laughed at the joke. Anthony gave a small chuckle as well.

"Is that it?" asked Anthony.Â

"Yes. You should be getting to class." The nurse said.

"I...Uh, can I stay here and watch Tom for you?" asked the husky, a bit of urgency in his voice. The nurse couldn't really argue with him, and Tom assumed she nodded because she left the room quietly. The room was silent for a minute. Tom felt the bed creak, and he heard Anthony sigh.

"How are you holding?" The husky asked him. Tom smiled; he was sure the husky was watching his face.Â

"The pill is starting to work. I'm feeling a lot better, mostly ‘cause you're here." Anthony laughed.

"I'm here because I love you. You're here because you got hurt on my account." Tom frowned a little.

"Are you still blaming yourself? I told you I'll be okay. The only reason I am okay is because you rescued me," Tom assured him. The bed creaked some more, and Tom could feel Anthony leaning over him. He felt the husky's warm lips press against his own. The familiar euphoric tingle ran through his body until Anthony pulled away from the kiss. He let out a whine of disappointment.

"No more kissing. Do you want people to find out we're together?"

"Yes," replied Tom innocently. Anthony ruffled his head fur.

"You are so adorable in bed," murred the husky as he kissed the fox's cheek.Â

"You better not do anything..." Tom warned.Â

"I won't. It's too public here. Besides..." The fox yelp as his foxhood was squeezed through his jeans, "I know this is all mine. Right?"

"Both of ours, if you don't mind." Tom smiled at hearing Anthony's laugh. The sudden urge to see him overcame the fox, and he opened his eyes slightly. The light didn't hurt him, and he opened his eyes fully, looking into the husky's blue eyes.Â

"I see someone missed me. Is your headache gone?"

"Not completely, but I'm feeling better now than I was a minute ago."

Anthony smiled. Tom found himself remembering the smile, when it once meant they were just best friends. He knew the smile meant a lot more now.

The class bell suddenly rang, causing both furs to look up.

"Its time to go home, huh?" said the fox, watching Anthony stand up and stretch.

"No, I have football practice." The husky replied. Tom looked down a bit. Anthony noticed the fox's sudden bleak mood. "Don't worry Tom. You wait here and when practice is over I can take you home."

"Okay..."Tom blushed as the husky leaned down to give him a small kiss before proceeding out the door with a smile. The fox sighed as he lay back on the bed.

The fox wasn't worried if Anthony would come back for him or not. He knew he would. What he was actually worried about is if Anthony would run into any trouble himself, considering that he nearly floored a fellow football player. Worse yet, they would probably be waiting for him at practice.

Tom bit his lip in frustration. The only thing he could do now was wait for the husky to return.

~~

A sore Anthony walked back alone to the locker rooms. Football practice had not been good. He couldn't recall the last time he had been tackled so many times; maybe he never had.Most of the players knew by now that Anthony had protected a fag. What most of them hadn't been told was that it was his best friend Tom. Even if they had known this, athletes at Fursona High were known to be...anti-homosexual.

Intensely Anti-homosexual.

Last year Anthony had witnessed first hand one of the most brutal beatings in his life. One of the football players, a Doberman senior by the name of Kyle, had bumped into an openly gay skunk in the halls. Of course, he would have injured him anyway, but Kyle used that as an excuse to threaten the poor skunk. Details aside, Kyle went home, leaving behind the skunk with seven broken ribs, one broken leg, and both broken arms. It seemed that everyone there would remember the moment forever.

Anthony shuddered, imaging what could have happened if he hadn't been there to stop the horse. He couldn't help but place the blame on Mike.

The husky stopped in the middle of the hallway, slapping his own forehead. Somehow Mike had managed to avoid him all day. Anthony had wanted to talk with the wolf earlier, hoping he could prevent the disaster that had occurred earlier. Practice was the only time he had actually seen Mike, but it had slipped his mind since Tom was the main theme in his head. He quickened his pace, determined to catch the wolf in the locker room.

Upon entering, he noticed that most of the players had already left. Those who hadn't left were finished showering and were already getting ready to leave. He scanned the room quickly, finding no gray wolf in sight. Anthony strode to his locker in the far corner, receiving angry glares from the people who he once considered friends. Surprisingly enough, everyone in the room got up at the same time, walking out in a synchronized way Anthony could have sworn they practiced.

Now he felt completely alone. His ears drooped as he stripped off his shirt. He had lost most of his friends, the ones that knew about his little ordeal anyway. It wasn't like this would stay quiet for long. Anthony unbuckled his pants, tucking in his tail and shuffling out of them. He didn't mind losing his popularity. It had never mattered that much anyway. Everything wasn't all bad, right?

The husky's tail began to wag as a certain lovable fox slipped into his mind. Tom's love was absolutely worth it.

"Can I talk with you?" Anthony nearly jumped out of his fur as he whipped around, coming face to face with an uneasy Mike. Anger began to seethe out of him, but the husky had promised himself he wouldn't throttle the wolf, yet.

"No, I need to talk to you." The husky made sure to add that extra harshness to his voice. Mike visibly flinched,but held his ground.

"Please, I just want to-"

"Do you know what you're little video did to Tom?!" Anthony yelled, taking a menacing step towards Mike, who in turn took a step back. Mike's ears were flat against his head as he said in a near whisper:

"I'm sorry." The husky took a deep breath, clearing out some of the anger he felt. For the amount of time Anthony had known Mike, he knew that it was a genuine apology.

Anthony still held some anger boiling within him, and he released it all in a punch that dented the locker it was flung at. They stood there for seconds, wondering what to say to each other. Mike broke the silence.

"It wasn't my fault. I never planned for this to happen." Anthony stayed silent. This worried the wolf. "Do you believe me?"

"I'm not sure what to believe." This didn't make the wolf feel any better. Anthony noticed the look of hopelessness Mike wore. He felt a little guilty for yelling at the wolf. Mike had obviously been beating himself up for what happened to Tom.

"Okay, look," The wolf's ears perked up, "If you explain to me what happened at the party, I'll be willing to believe you. And be honest." Mike nodded.

The wolf explained that he had taken Tom out of the rain, and escorted him up to his room for a change of clothes. The fox had changed and they had sat in Mike's bed. That was when Tom had noticed the embarrassing stain on his shirt. The wolf had stripped out of his clothes, and Mike admitted that he had caught the fox staring.The wolf took a deep breath.

"I then figured that Tom was, err...gay. He liked guys." Anthony felt a little amazed that a person Tom hadn't had much contact with could have read him so easily. "And that was when I felt the urge to...kiss him."

That moment froze in the husky's head. What if they had kissed? Would Tom be in love with Mike and not him? He couldn't bare the thought of never being able to kiss the fox, never being able to hold him. It could have been possible, and Anthony thanked his lucky stars it had turned out otherwise.

"Then what?" Anthony asked.

"That was when two of our ‘team mates' burst into the room. I had no idea they were even in my closet and before I could even react, Tom had run out of the room. I could have stayed and stopped those two and taken the video, but...I wanted to comfort Tom. I ran after him. I found him fallen at the stairs."

"That's when I showed up, wondering where Tom had been the whole time." Anthony spoke half to himself, half to the wolf. Mike gave a hopeful smile.

"Do you believe me now?"

"I believe you, but I could have never guessed you were gay." Mike nodded. The wolf was relieved now that Anthony believed him, but blushed at the husky's comment.

"...How is he? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's more than okay. Plus I need to thank you." The wolf tipped his muzzle in confusion.

"Why?"

"Despite all the bad things, if all this hadn't happened, Tom and I wouldn't be together." He watched the wolf visibly freeze and he felt slightly guilty for breaking it to him. Anthony would be hurt to if he couldn't be with the one he loved. Unfortunately, fate had placed the three of them together, with Anthony and Mike in love with Tom. Only one of them could have Tom, and it was clear that Anthony would be that one.

"Oh..." was the wolf's response before turning his back to the husky. "It's nice to love, and be loved, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry it couldn't have turned out better," Anthony felt bad for the wolf. All previous enmity he felt for Mike vanished, instead replaced with a feeling of kinship. They both loved the same person. He placed a paw on the wolf's shoulder. "I have no doubt that you'll find someone out there."

Mike turned around, smiling at the husky. Before Anthony could react, the wolf threw himself onto him, pushing him back against the lockers. Anthony was about to fight back when warm lips suddenly touched his own. His body refused to move, and he stood there stunned as he locked a passionate kiss with Mike.

His tail began to wag on its own accord, his breathing turned heavier. The thickening in his crotch caused him to blush. Anthony's heart pounded in his chest. Sudden guilt washed over him as he felt the familiar feelings only Tom had been able to give him rush into his system. This can't be happening he thought desperately, realizing that he had closed his eyes and was murring contently.

It was happening, and way too fast for the husky. With some physical and mental effort, he pushed the enamored wolf away. The kiss had left him tired, and he sunk down until his butt hit the floor. Anthony looked up with confusion at the wolf.

"What was that for?" the husky panted. Anthony wasn't sure what else to say. He wasn't mad, but he didn't approve of the wolf's actions.

Mike moved closer and leaned down, their faces only inches from each other. Anthony could see the lust in the wolf's eyes. Maybe it was desire, but Anthony could tell it was the beginning of love. The wolf leaned closer for another kiss, but Anthony stopped him in time.

"Mike, don't do this. I'm in love with Tom. You'll only hurt yourself if you fall in love with me." Mike attempted another surprise kiss, but once again was held back. The wolf looked into Anthony's eyes, whispering in a pleading, almost desperate voice:

"I need someone to love. I've been alone for too long. Anthony, please, I need you." The wolf's confession tugged at the husky's heart.

"Mike, I love Tom. I like you...but Tom and I are together. I can't leave him. I don't want to leave him." The wolf's eyes started to water. Mike moved closer, using more force than before.

"I'll do anything, please! I have money; I'll buy you anything you want! I'll pay you! Please, just come with me!" Mike lunged at the startled husky, pinning him onto his back. He began to attack the husky with kisses, slightly tearing his clothes in the process. Anthony, frightened, tried to pry the wolf off him, but found that even with his strength could only push the wolf slightly.

"Stop!!" Anthony's cry stopped the wolf, causing him to quickly move off. Mike began to cry, turning his head in shame. Anthony stared at the wolf, trying to think of what to do.

Too many things were happening, and he couldn't think of a solution. Should he run, in case Mike would do something more drastic? Would comforting him be better?

The wolf sobbed into his paws, looking up when he felt a paw on his shoulder. He was afraid to turn; he'd thrown himself like a maniac onto one of his friends, and he didn't even know why. How could he ever be forgiven after that?

"Mike...its okay." Mike's eyes widened. He turned to look at him. The husky smiled unsurely, although the wolf didn't blame him. Embarrassment was the only thing he felt as he stammered

"I'm such an idiot! God, I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! I-I should just go-"

"No." The wolf had risen, already turning towards the exit when the husky repeated his answer. "No, Mike. I can't leave a friend in pain. If anything, I should help you." Mike brushed away the wetness in his eyes, turning to Anthony.

"Y-you will?"

"Yes. But first, I need to tell you something, something Tom doesn't know..."

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