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3.

I didn't make it home until afternoon. Jody wanted to drive me, but his bright red convertible would seriously stand out. I wasn't ready for questions from other furs yet. I was having enough trouble find answers to the ones I had without adding more.

On the bus I realized I'd lost my keys. I hope I'd left them at Jody's, otherwise I'd probably be looking at a lecture on responsibility from my dad. I got off the bus early, jogging through the woods that bounded most of the homes around here. I'd played in these fallow property hedges since I was a pup and I could make it through the close trees and uneven ground with my eyes closed.

Keeping to the edge, I ran across our backyard and up the stone patio. Under a suspiciously plastic looking rock, I picked up the spare key. I never understood the reasoning behind keeping the spare in the fake rock. Was it that it looked so obvious a thief would just shake his head and say nah, too easy before moving on to a more challenging target?

The house was quiet. My parents were out doing whatever they do, Trent had all but moved in with his boyfriend, and Wes was probably at the park playing basketball. I snuck up to my room without seeing any of the other furs living here. There was no note on my door, nor on my computer when I got in.

No one even noticed I was gone last night.

I put a chair against my door and collapsed on my bed. The smell of beer was still on me. I should probably shower and change. I think I'd made a date for tonight.

A smile spread across my face. I was actually excited. Sure, I'd been on a few dates before, but they were usually group things and they never really went beyond a first date. Not to mention how I'd spend the hours, sometimes days, leading up to them in a state of stomach churning fear.

But not this time.

***

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. It looked like I'd been run over by a truck. "Never again," I told the reflection. My reflection just started smiling back. He knew it had been worth it.

I threw my clothes into the hamper and pulled my bottle of two-in-one shampoo and soap off the shelf. My hands wandered in their lathering, force of habit had them lingering at my stiffening cock. I closed my eyes and let the spray of hot water run over my face.

I hesitated. What if I imagined Jody? Of course I had to try it. I tried to imagine what he'd look like in the shower with me. Naked, his wet fur plastered flat enough to accentuate every fluid move of his petite form as he closed in on me.

My fist pumped fast and hard. Imaginary Jody walked through the steam, his hips swaying like he was walking a tightrope, graceful and determined.

"Ffffuck," I breathed out, still jerking away.

Imaginary Jody threw his arms around me like the real Jody had done so many times before, only in my fantasy Jody pulled me lower, kissing me with the same ferocity he put into everything else he did. Our bodies pressed together, I could feel every inch of hot wet fennec pressing-

"Fucking hell!" I gasped. Strings of my white sticky seed splattered against the marble tiling. "Fucking hell."

My legs felt weak, but every other screaming urge had been silenced for a time. Even my headache seemed to fade. That moment of clarity made one thing abundantly clear. I was sexually attracted to Jody. Very sexually attracted.

***

Laying over my bed in just a towel, I let my damp fur air dry. Images of what I'd just pictured Jody doing were so real it felt like it really happened. I could feel my dick twitch against the soft fabric of the towel. If I kept thinking about this, my body would demand another round. Thankfully a distraction presented itself. The staccato slaps of a basketball being dribbled signaled Wes was home.

I was the youngest of my siblings but Wes was only a couple years older. I guess that means we should have connected better, but I have a hard time getting close to anyone. It's not his fault that he didn't understand me. We're still family, but I never felt I could confide in him like I wished I could.

It's ok. I didn't need to talk, I needed to get my mind off sex.

I dug through my dresser, tossing clothes onto my bed. A mix of annoyance and guilt ate at me. The clothes were washed, folded and put away by the housekeepers my parents employed. My dad made a convincing argument that he was doing something socially responsible by offering employment to low skilled furs, giving them a better wage than they'd find elsewhere while letting them gain experience and a good reference. He told me it was better than him just putting the money in a bank like some sort of miser. And, I have to admit, the housekeepers were always treated well.

It needled me that I couldn't get as upset at the arrangement as much as I wanted to. The best I could do was leave sticky notes telling them they didn't have to fold and put away my laundry. Those notes were always ignored.

"Where is it?" I mumbled. In another second I was going to have to dump the drawer on my bed.

Ah. Found it. My favorite shirt. A vintage Fuck Rifles tee. I don't normally pay attention to the clothes I wear, but finding this at the thrift shop I go to was really cool. Not only are the Fuck Rifles the greatest punk band ever, I always have good luck when I wear that shirt. And I could use all the help I could get today.

***

It was warm out. Not as bad as you'd expect at the end of summer, but enough to leave Wes drenched after spending the morning on the court. I wrinkled my nose as I got closer.

"What up, Alex," he shouted while spinning around me dribbling his basketball.

I shrugged. "Wanna play some video games?"

"Yeah." He threw the ball at the hoop set up next to the garage, amazingly making it from what had to be close to the equivalent of a half-court away. Wes pumped his fist and we went inside to laze on the couch and race pixelated motorbikes.

I've come to accept that my small talk skills were lacking. But I wish other furs would get over it. But they always saw the silence as something awkward that needed to be filled in with inane chattering.

"So, you got plans this evening?" Wes asked.

I jerked up on the wireless remote, transitioning it into a shrug as effortlessly as the motorbike on the big screen landed a jump. "I guess. I'm going out later."

"Shit. Not breaking into construction yards again?"

"No." It was one time. And since joining up with Mores and the others, I haven't done anything like deflating truck tires or padlocking gates, no matter how justified I thought it.

"Well I've got me a date with Shannon. Guaranteed pussy tonight."

"What happened to Vivian?" I didn't really care, but I thought he was in a long term relationship with the wolfess he brought to dinner last Sunday.

"Yeah, her. Who did I say?"

"Shannon." I watched his bike spin out as I took the lead.

"I meant Viv. Fuck. I need to stop doing that. You want some free dating advice?"

No.

"Never mix up your girl's name. She already thinks I'm cheating. Hell, get that name tattooed on you if you're serious." His bike hit a power up and he howled with undue excitement as he rocketed back into first.

"Are you?" I asked.

"Fuck no! What kind of a role model would I be if I cheated on her? Not that I don't have the opportunity every day. I'm pure fuckin' alpha male. Bitches can't resist."

I would have rolled my eyes, but we were racing over a narrow bridge. "No, you cavedweller, I mean are you serious about her."

For once Wes wasn't quick with an answer. "Yeah. I am. I'm getting very serious." We raced in silence for a few minutes before Wes felt the need to keep talking. "I'm not sure if I'm gonna go pro, but I think I want to get mated before that comes up. It's like, I don't want to have to wonder if a chick's with me for the fame or not. Viv might be the one for me."

Damn it. Don't confide in me. I have enough problems. "Oh."

"Yeah. Pretty serious."

Wes finished first and I got to listen to his cheers while the next track loaded. Fun. Against my better judgement, I kept the conversation going. "Where are you taking her?"

"I dunno. Probably grab some burgers. She's not fancy. One of the many qualities I like about her."

I smiled. Jody was pretty fancy. But for some reason his embracing of our disposable consumer culture didn't bother me as much as I would have thought. Weird.

***

An hour later and Wes had to leave. Around that time I got a call from Jody. He said he was on his way. I ran upstairs to my room. Halfway through using enough body spray to fumigate a house, I started to feel a bit silly. I didn't want this to just be about scoring. Jody was a fur I could really connect with and I wanted to see where that could go.

I put the cap back on the can and headed outside to air out. As I reached to open the front door I heard keys slid into the lock. The door opened and Trent jumped with a screech.

"Alex! Don't lurk. Fuckin' scared the hell out of me."

Mick was with him, laughing. "That's what you get for always sneaking up on me."

Trent jabbed him in the ribs and wrapped his arms around the dragon's waist. "But you look so adorable when I surprise you."

I turned away before I had to see them start kissing. Unfortunately, I couldn't plug my ears without looking like a prude and had to endure the squelchy wet noises they made.

"Is Wes around?" Trent asked after his brief makeout session.

I shook my head, backing up as the two lovebirds entered. "He left half an hour ago."

"Dang. I was hoping I could use the big oaf. That's ok, you can help." Trent sniffed the air.

"I'm going out."

"It'll only take an hour. "I need some help moving some things over to Mick's place." Trent took another sniff and before I tell him I had no intention of helping him move right now, his face lit up. "Oh my God. You've got a date."

"Wha-"

"Why else would you be using that stupid spray? You know it doesn't work like it shows in the commercials, right?" He turned to Mick who looked almost as uncomfortable as I was starting to feel. "My little brother's growing up," he mimed a tear of joy.

"I'm not going on a-"

"Tell me you have protection. Here," he reached for his wallet, pulling out three condom packets.

"Trent!" Mick looked aghast. "Boundaries. We talked about this. I'm sorry, Alex. I really should keep him on a leash."

"Promise, promises," Trent laughed.

Mick gave him a stern look while I tried desperately to banish that mental image.

"Sorry, Alex," Trent begrudgingly apologized.

"It's not a date." It was, but I liked to keep my personal affairs to myself. "I- I'm just going to the mall... to take pictures of health code violations. To get them shut down before they can destroy anymore wildlife." Yeah. That sounds like something I'd do.

"Oh," Trent sounded disappointed. To tell you the truth, so was I. Why should I care what he thinks of me and Jody? "Well, as long as it's nothing too important, could you please give me a hand loading some things into Mick's car? I promise it won't take long."

"I don't-" My ears pricked, so did Trent's. A second later Mick also looked at the door. A car pulled in the drive, the engine revved once and shut off. Damn it. Not yet.

The doorbell rang. Trent waved off a doe poking her head out from the den. "Got it, Lucey," he shouted as he opened the door.

"Trent?"

"Jody? What are you doing here?"

Jody was quick to recover from the surprise. "I was visiting my folks and saw Mick's car."

"Hard to miss," Trent laughed. "Good timing, though. I need your trunk."

I think we all expected Jody to play off the obvious double entendre, but he just nodded.

"I'm moving some stuff over to Mick's and now that you're here we don't need to make two trips." Trent took Jody's willingness as a given, and under the circumstances I guess that made sense. He took Mick's hand and started for the stairs.

Jody looked at me. "I thought he has a job."

I shrugged. Why should I have to know his schedule?

Jody scratched his chin. "Not a problem. Come with me and I'll figure something out."

I trusted Jody. Anyone else and I would have put this off. "Ok."

Jody grinned, blinking his big eyes to flutter his long lashes at me. Definitely attractive. His fluffy tail swung with every step he took, showing off the designer jeans so snug it was hard to believe they weren't spandex. My eyes were glued to his firm, tight ass as he wiggled it more than he had to as he bound up the stairs. He glance over his shoulder and I nearly tripped trying to act like I wasn't just ogling him.

"Nice shirt by the way."

My brain had stopped working and I had to check what he was talking about. Oh yeah. My lucky shirt. Good work, lucky shirt. "You... like the Fuck Rifles?"

"Hells yes," he chirped.

We got to Trent's room. His door, plastered with a big Caution Keep Out sign that the housekeepers did respect, was wide open. Mick stood just inside the doorway, hand to his mouth, shaking his head.

"It's not that bad," Trent huffed.

His room was covered in clothes and discarded takeout boxes. He avoided as many family meals as he could since being forced back home. He backed up to his nightstand, casually knocking over a bottle of lube when he thought no one was looking.

Jody slipped past Mick. "Alright. Let's get going. We're burning daylight."

"Thank you, Jody," Trent said, still slightly indignant over Mick's reaction to the disaster area he called his room. "See, I told you. You're the only one who thinks I'm messy."

"No," Jody corrected him, "I think you're a total slob, but I've gotten used to it."

"Thanks, Jody," Trent huffed again.

I stepped in as Trent started passing out plastic bags he intended to fill with clothes.

"Oh, Alex. I think we're good. You can hit the mall now."

"No he can't!" Jody yelped. We all looked at him. "Because... I... " his devious mind moves fast, "I just gave myself a manicure. See," he flashed his hand too fast for anyone to inspect closely, "clear nail polish and everything. Still wet. Can't do heavy lifting. Right? Right."

Trent cocked his head, matching the angle Jody's was at. "You are sooo helpful. You know that?" He turned to me. "I'm buying pizza. Would that be enough to tempt you into helping? Pleeease?"

I knew that tone. He expected me to argue. "Sure."

Trent was stunned for a moment. "Great. You and Mick can start with the weights." Trent waved his hand at a pile of dirty laundry and discarded food containers that I might have complained weren't being recycled if it wasn't possible that Trent was attempting some sort of indoor composting experiment. He pulled a sweater away to reveal a set of free weights he got for a birthday gift four or five years ago. I've never once seen him use them.

***

Three trips to Mick's rusted out car and I had the last of Trent's unused exercise equipment stored. Mick was taking a breather, looking through some of the clothes Trent and Jody were packing.

The dragon couldn't resist making friendly jabs at my brother. "How is it that you have shoes that cost more than a month's rent, but all your work clothes come from discount super stores that even my destitute self would feel embarrassed shopping at?"

"Responsibility," Trent groaned. "I'm still cut off, so I basically get a room and food. Everything else I have to pay for. And I can think of millions of better ways to spend my money than on boring things like shirts to impress the idiots I work with. Present company excluded."

He filled two bulging trash bags with clothes, clean and dirty, and it barely made a dent in the mess. A neat-freak like Mick was going to love living with Trent. I somehow ended up lugging the clothes out to Jody's car while Trent ate a slice of pizza he found - much to the dragon's distress - and tried to convince the others that it was perfectly fine.

Jody's convertible didn't have a back seat so I was stuck holding a window planter full of pungent green herbs on the ride out to Mick's. I'd never been there and neither had Jody. He saved the location in his GPS to his favorites list, assuming he'd be spending a lot of time there.

"Hell of a first date, eh?" Jody laughed nervously as he fiddled with his car's stereo. "I had a much better evening planned than tiptoeing around Trent and helping him move."

"It's ok."

"No it isn't," he sighed and I was worried he was about to get all emotional, not sure I was capable of comforting him while holding thirty pounds of dirt and plants. "If I wasn't such a pussy I wouldn't have waited this long in the first place."

"Oh." How clueless was I? When this thing with Jody start?

"Here," Jody smiled, "I think you'll like this." He found what he was looking for on the car's music menu and tapped a button.

The raw energy of the untuned electric guitar bled into the frustrated rhythm of snare drums. I recognized the Fuck Rifle's song from the first cord before the raging screams of the lead singer proclaimed anarchy. Damn, Jody knew how to get to me.

***

For a few blocks we followed Mick until his car began belching a black cloud of something. It smelled too much like plastic to be oil or gas... Either way, Jody wanted to impress me with his driving skills. He shifted gears and the tires squealed as he pulled past Mick and Trent.

"Quick, Alex, moon them!" We laughed as they were left in the rearview.

It turns out there was no point in rushing to Mick's place. Neither of us had keys to it and Jody saw a homeless yak pushing a grocery cart stuffed with cans.

"We can't stop here," he grumbled. "I don't like the way that yak was eyeing my rims."

"What's he going to do, recycle them?" This soft classism of his was something I was going to have to work on.

"That sounds unlikely," he conceded, "but furs like us can never be too cautious."

I looked at him sharply. "What do you mean, 'furs like us'?" I was nowhere near ready to be labeled as anything yet.

Jody's big bejeweled ears folded back. "I just meant the kind of furs who roll into the wrong parts of town in an imported convertible that costs more than some of these buildings. I- I didn't mean you were-"

"It's alright. Sorry. I'm just..." I took a deep breath, almost sneezing at sent of one of the peppery herbs in my lap. "Let's just see how things go, ok?"

He nodded sadly and I hated myself for not knowing. It wasn't fair to Jody. Why would he even want to be with a wolf like me?

The car stopped at a red light and Jody gasped. "See! A gang. I told you this area was unsafe."

"Those are pup scouts. They're selling cookies."

Jody squinted. "Oh. I assumed those were gang colors, not uniform. I love pup scout cookies."

He pulled the car over and flagged down the scouts to buy a box of mint cookies. He smiled and offered me some. He ate two, telling me about his system of only eating a cookie after he does a good deed. One for helping Trent move and one for helping the youth build character.

We circled the block eight times before Mick and Trent got there. The dragon's apartment was nice, considering Jody's assumption of him living in constant threat of pup scouts carjacking him. We didn't stay long, just enough time for Jody to take selfies with us. Mick wouldn't stop apologizing for the imagined mess and Jody subtly pointed out they weren't that far from his place where he had alcohol to toast Trent and Mick's love.

I felt strangely guilty going back to Jody's, like I was returning to the scene of a crime. Not because I was ashamed of anything, but I really thought the next time I'd be here was to, you know, take this experiment to the next level. Yet here I was, too much of a coward to tell Trent this was supposed to be me and Jody's night.

"Wow," Mick whistled.

Jody blushed. "It's a little big for one fennec, but maybe one day I'll have someone to share it with."

I pretended to take in the abstract art prints Jody had hanging around the living room. Technically I was taking them in for the first time because last night I'd been too drunk to see much of anything. More importantly, I had an excuse to hide my face in case I was blushing too. Was this a painting of a barn or two furs having sex? I do not get modern art.

"I'm sure you'll find yourself a great guy," Trent said. "Then we could double date!"

He continued to enthusiastically list all the fun couples activities they could all go on. Canoeing, dances, trivia contest, his list was impressively long. Less than twenty-four hours and I was a third wheel already. This had to be some kind of a fucking record.

"You need to hurry up and get yourself someone," Trent laughed, oblivious to what was right in front of him.

Jody nervously joined in the laugh. "We... we can still do some of that stuff. I'll just bring a friend. Like Alex."

I turned around, dropping my concern over whether I was looking at a painting of porn or a landscape. Trent wasn't smiling.

"I told you that's not funny. Only I'm allowed to tease my brother."

Had this come up before? I tried to read Jody's expression. I should have spoken up right then. Insist I not be talked about in the third person, I was right there.

"Trent..." Jody sighed, "what do you want on you pizza?"

I couldn't very well get upset when I didn't even stand up for myself. It's not that Trent was doing anything wrong. He was just being protective. It's not a bad quality, one I like to think I shared, but there was a difference being protective of the environment and being protective of a grown fur who can make his own decisions.

At some point we'd have to give Trent all the facts. But first I wanted to find out what those facts were, and that was something only me and Jody could figure out. Maybe a few weeks. Then I would tell Trent everything he needed to hear. When Jody and I were ready for his tantrum. Not before.

The two friends bickered over the pizza details. "Don't get it from Olyrea's. It's never that good," Jody whined.

"Well I'm not paying for one of those hipster fish and yam pizzas you made me try that one time."

"You said you liked it!" Jody's high pitched accusation was hard to take serious.

Across the room Mick stood, awkwardly looking at the paintings like I'd been. He was slowly making his way towards where I was standing. He seemed like a cool dragon last Sunday when he stood up for Trent. I'd been too shy to make much of an effort to get to know him, but it looks like I'd have some time now.

My typical greeting to furs I didn't know was to stand near them and hope they made first contact. After a few minutes it worked.

"Hi. Alex, right?" The dragon offered me his hand.

I nodded and shook his hand.

"Thanks for helping us move."

"No problem."

He shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Is that a barn with a nipple, or am I looking at a fur with livestock living in her nethers?"

I snickered. "I think it's-"

"What do you want on the pizza?" Trent interrupted.

Mick said pepperoni. I shrugged. "Whatever."

Trent rolled his eyes but Jody smiled and took the phone from him. "You trust me, right, Alex?"

Of course I did.

"Large thin crust, extra crispy, with pineapple and mango and feta cheese." He passed Trent's phone back. "You're gonna love it. It's got this whole tropical-meets-Mediterranean vibe. And I've got some grapes in the fridge," he smacked his lips.

It wasn't the best first date, but it was shaping up to be more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Good company I could talk to and a relaxing environment I could feel comfortable in, and Jody made the pizza sound delicious. Hell, maybe this was the best date I've ever been on. That's kind of sad.

We sat around in Jody's living room on his overstuffed pleather furniture, talking about nothing important, when the doorbell chimed. Trent jumped up to buzz the pizza fur in. Jody hopped into the kitchen to get the drinks. I laid back, reclining over the arm of the couch and resting a fluffy pillow on my stomach. Completely content.

"Four pina coladas?" Jody shouted from the other room.

"Three," Trent said as he closed the door. "Alex isn't old enough and I don't want you roofieing him."

He said it with a smile but I still cringed. Judging from the lack of a witty comeback, so did Jody.

Trent set the two boxes on the coffee table, opening them to reveal a standard pepperoni and the one me and Jody were splitting. The diced fruit and bright white cheese contrasted with the ruby points of sauce bubbling through. How that fennec was able to make even a pizza look flamboyant was pretty impressive. I smiled at the glowing pizza, wondering if it would taste as good as it looks.

Jody came out of the kitchen with a tray of colorful drinks and one tall glass of clear liquid. "It's carbonated coconut water," he gave me a lopsided smile, "tropical, but still within officer Trent's law." He gave my brother a look of mock-disapproval. "You used to be cool, dude. You changed."

"Ooh," Jody said, "almost forgot." He zipped back into the kitchen.

Trent picked up his drink and sipped it. "He means well," he said to me. "Don't let his enthusiasm bother you."

"He's not bothering me." Take the hint, bro. I stayed laying on the couch, afraid if I sat up I'd get into an embarrassing family squabble that I didn't want Jody or Mick to witness.

Jody returned. He leaned over the back of the couch I was on. "Try this!"

A bundle of grapes dangle above me. Anger was as good as courage and rather than taking the grapes I opened my mouth. Propping an arm behind my head I glanced smugly at Trent.

Jody froze. "Heh-heh," he tittered anxiously. He was staring at Trent. I cleared my throat and watched his attention snap back to me. He lowered the grapes. I plucked one with my lips.

"Mmm." They were good. Juicy and sweet.

"They're, they're imported," Jody said softly looking down at me. His eyes were half lidded and the corners of his pointy muzzle were curled up.

Trent burst into laughter, startling us. Not the reaction I would have expected.

"Damn it, Alex. I just got done scolding Jody about teasing you. Don't tell me I'm going to have to keep an eye on both of you now." He laughed again and slapped his knee. "You're hilarious."

Fuckin' hysterical, I rolled my eyes and sat up, waving Jody away. We would just have to wait until Trent and Mick leave.

"Stop messing around and eat before the pizza gets cold."

"Give me a second," Jody stood there leaning on the back of the couch like he just ran a mile. I suddenly felt guilty. I did kind of tease him just to make Trent uncomfortable. And to top it off I couldn't even apologize until I knew if Jody and I had anything. And I did want it to be something. If I wanted a purely physical relationship I would have hooked up with the vixen at the kegger... or stayed home and watched porn.

Oddly enough, it was Mick who I think started to pick up on Jody and me first. He pecked at his pizza, a look of deep concentration creasing his brow. You could have assumed he was doing some introspection, but he would glance at me and Jody when ever he thought we weren't looking.

"Good?" Jody asked after composing himself and curling into the chair to the side of the couch.

Part of me wanted to ask him to sit next to me, to see how it felt. But he was talking about the pizza. "Yes. Very good."

"Yeah. It's got that balanced contrast of flavors and textures."

Mick cleared his throat. "I guess we'll be leaving in a few. We should do this again sometime though."

Trent spoke with a mouthful of pizza. "Wha th hur-ee?" He swallowed, "Jody's got WebFlicks. We can watch that one about the cop infiltrating that underground fighting circuit. Ooor," he winked at me, "we could make Alex really uncomfortable and put on Naughty Foxes Need Discipline 9: Trespassers Will Be Stuffed on Sight."

"Trent," Mick shook his head.

"The foxes wander onto a top secret military base and need to be taught a lesson."

"Trent!"

"Only joking around" he looked at Jody, "see, I'm allowed to do that." He gave the fennec a warning wag of the finger.

"All the same," Mick said, "we've got work tomorrow, and there are some things I want to get done-"

"He's talking about me," Trent said proudly.

That was another image I did not want to picture.

"Alright," Trent relented under Mick's hard look. "Let me charge my phone while we eat. It's almost dead and if we have to drive Alex back, I don't want it to die."

Wait, I'm not leaving. "I can catch a bus."

"No," Trent smiled, "it's the least I can have Mick do for helping me move." He jumped up and started searching his pockets. "Charger's still in your room?" he asked Jody.

"Yup. The cord might have fallen behind the nightstand."

Trent left us and Mick started to drum his fingers on his knee. "I don't us want to be any more of an imposition," he said to me.

"Then let me take the bus."

The dragon nodded slowly, glancing at Jody. His eyebrows arched. "I... I have to ask, and don't take this the wrong way, but are you two-"

"JODY!" Trent roared from the other room. "I'm going to kill you!"

My eyes went wide. He found my missing keys.