Sibirskaia: Casualties of War Part 4
Casualties of War Asylum
(December 15th)
Early Sunday morning, James Callaway sank into an unfamiliar couch with a sigh. In the raccoon's paw sat a thick paper cup, steaming from the tea inside. Earl Grey: something Scott had turned him onto in recent weeks. Though, of course, Scott would have preferred to make it himself, and to sweeten it far less.
But...baby steps.
"So," James began after a cautious sip, "how's Jeff doing?"
In a nearby chair sat his host and the owner of the plush couch currently swallowing him whole. Stanly Jones. "He has only been there for one night..." the rabbit answered, "...but I assume he is doing well."
"You just assume?"
"He and I have not spoken today," he answered. "Hunter called first thing this morning, though, and I suspect he would have told me if there were any problems."
"So Hunter stayed the night with him, then?" James assumed.
"Of course," Stan confirmed. "Jeffery requested it. But, regardless, I would never have left the boy there, all alone, on his first night."
The raccoon smirked from behind his tea, waggling his eyebrows, "And I'm sure that was Hunter's only motivation to stay..."
"...and Jeffery's only motivation to ask?" Stan returned the look.
"Touché," James chuckled, setting aside his tea after another sip. "Well...on to business then?"
"Yes," his host nodded. "Everything has been prepared. Your first interview is lined up. As is mine. And though I have yet to convince the Masters that it is in their best interest to do the same, I may have made...promises to that effect, to various outlets."
"Promises? Are you sure you can deliver?"
"No. But I am sure Aaron can."
"Fair enough."
"You must understand, though, James," the rabbit continued, in a gentle but foreboding tone. "This will be taxing. This entire town will soon become a circus."
"How so?" James asked.
"I have set these things in motion. I have considerable influence in this small county, but I can only do so much," Stan explained. "I have friends, though, who can do far more. And for this to reach the heights it must, I have had to relinquish the reins to them."
"And," the raccoon wondered, "who exactly are these friends?"
"Advocates. Lawyers. Lobbyists. Special interests."
"Like GLAAD? The HRC?"
"Members of such groups will be involved, but not at the forefront. We will undoubtedly need some of them as mouthpieces for the cameras...but my friends will, as best they can manage, remain behind the scenes." Stan leaned back in his own chair, a loose fist under his chin, "We cannot let this become the campaign of a civil rights organization. It would never escape the brand. We need it to be about our children, my brother, the Masters..." He narrowed down his point: "the narrative must remain focused upon those involved and directly affected."
James nodded along, before asking: "So then...if not you -- or even us -- who's in charge now?"
"A kangaroo. He used to live here in Sibirskaia, in fact: one of Aaron, Kristoff, and William's old friends." Gingerly, the rabbit stood, approaching a small table and lamp in the corner of the room, "He is employed by one of these organizations, now, and is very familiar with handling these sort of matters."
"Did he..." James watched him curiously, as the conversation continued, "...did he ask to take on this assignment because he's got a personal stake in it?"
"That, or perhaps they thought it best to send someone familiar with the area and the players involved." Stan shrugged, "I did not ask," before lifting a thin stack of papers from the table and turning back to his guest.
"When'll he be here?"
"He is flying in tomorrow."
"And I assume we should be there to greet him?"
"No. I feel it best that Kristoff handle this."
The raccoon arched a brow in surprise, "And he's agreed to that?"
"Oh, no," Stan smirked, as he stepped over toward the couch. "He demanded it, actually."
"Really?"
"For now, this is what you need to know," he answered, as he pawed over the small stapled stack of papers. "I will forward this information in an email as well. To you, to Scott, and to William and Kristoff. But, personally, I always like to have a hard copy on paw."
A list of dates covered the pages. Dates. Contact informations. Names of news stations, magazines, websites, anchors, and programs. And along with each one, one of a pawful of more familiar names: James Callaway, Scott Hammond, Stanly Jones, William & Kristoff Masters, Hunter Thurman...
This was it. Every scheduled interview and television appearance. The war, scheduled out to the day and the hour. The next month of their lives, dedicated to this and this alone. One fact, though...one fact above all else caught the raccoon's attention. And slowly, he lifted his eyes from the page.
"These names. These stations. I was expecting..." he stammered and shook his head. "I mean: these...these aren't local news affiliates."
"Some are."
"But-"
"But not all," Stan acknowledged. "As I said: there are certain heights we must reach. You can thank our Kangaroo friend and the others, when they get here." He crossed his arms, with a deservedly smug smile, as he added: "And on that note: from here on, we will still speak and we will coordinate...but starting tomorrow, you will be going to him for information and direction."
"Well...it is his job, after all."
~
"...they didn't just talk, hun," Hunter clarified. "Mic left them alone together."
And his husky's eyes widened, "Alone, alone? Like...no supervision?"
"None," Hunter confirmed...
...but Elliot remained in disbelief, "And...Brandon didn't...?"
"Not a damn thing!" the tiger answered from behind the wheel of his car. "From what I'm told: they even hugged!"
"No. No fuckin' way," Elliot turned as far as his seatbelt would allow, to face his lover. "Brandon? Brandon hugged a gay guy."
"Well...I think Jeff's bi."
"And? So's Mic, but he punched him in the face over it!" he reminded the cat. "What the hell is going on, Hunter?"
"Mic won't tell me," his lover shrugged. "He says it's personal, and that if Brandon or Jeff wanna' tell me what this shit is all about, they will. But obviously, I don't talk to Brandon. And I haven't asked Jeff, yet, cause...y'know: kind of an awkward thing to bring up."
"Yeah."
"But you're right," Hunter agreed. "It's an insane fuckin' turn around. Especially considering the scene he made at the school board-"
"-and what he did to Mic afterwards," the husky added.
"Yeah, but Mic swears things are different now," Hunter contended. "He even says Brandon wants to see us. Wants to talk."
At that, Elliot shrunk back into his seat, a nervous tremor bleeding through in his voice, "I...I don't know if..."
"I know. It's okay. I told Mic that all three of us -- maybe even four or five, with Jeff and Donald -- need to get together and talk about this, first." The tiger huffed, "I'm not letting you anywhere near that violent psychopath before we get some more answers."
"Thanks, hun."
"Don't mention it."
As silence slowly began to fill the cab of his car, Hunter blinked and shook his head: maintaining his best efforts to keep his drooping eyes glued to the road before him. At this ungodly hour, though, it was no simple task. And as if to punctuate the fact, his muzzle spread wide: breaking the temporary silence of the cab in a loud, toothy, and almost cartoonish yawn.
"Tired?" Elliot asked.
"Extremely."
"Sorry, hun."
"Oh, it's not just your fault. I just got kept up real late last night," Hunter blinked and shook his head once more, before plastering on a smile. "And besides, it's more than worth it, if it keeps you from having to deal with your mom."
"Yeah..." the husky averted his eyes and rubbed his shoulder, "...except it doesn't, anymore."
"No?"
"No. She got wise to the plan," he sighed. "She started waking up earlier, so she can still hassle me on the way out the door."
"Well it was a nice plan while it lasted, I guess," Hunter shrugged...
...and his boyfriend did the same, "And at least we get to sleep in more, now."
The tiger gently pressed the brake, slowing the car along the old country highway. The turn was approaching: the old dirt and gravel road to his grandmother's farm. On reflex he flicked on his blinker, even though no one was around to see the signal, and in moments the car rumbled and shook as it left the smooth stability of asphalt, and traded it for a rough and rocky dirt road.
"Okay," Hunter spoke up. "Now that we're here, I think I should warn you: I have a little surprise."
"Oh?" Elliot perked his ears. "What kinda' surprise?"
"Don't worry, you'll see," the cat winked. "It's waiting inside."
They drew upon the old house slowly as always: on a path not built for speed. The car came to a stop, doors unlocked, seatbelts unlatched, doors opened and closed, and in seconds Hunter was leading his husky through the screen door of the old farm house.
The tiger flicked on the lights, and turned to his boyfriend. His muzzle split, preparing for his segue into the 'surprise,' but before he could begin, a tired chirp rang out from behind him.
"Elliot!"
Hunter turned back to see Jeffery, every inch of his gray fur nude and on display, stretching himself awake at the mouth of the hallway. He had intended to bring Elliot to where Jeff slept, and to suggest a particularly 'friendly' way to wake his up. But it seemed he was already awake.
So this would have to do.
"H-hey...Jeff," Elliot responded, eyes scanning the naked boy. "What're you doing here?
"Hunter didn't tell you?" Jeff asked as he padded over...
...and Hunter answered: "I wanted it to be a surprise."
With a bashful little smile, the gray cat looked down at his bare frame. "And damned if I didn't make it a good one," he chuckled, curling his tail around in front of himself in a futile attempt to hide his sheath.
Blinking, Elliot spoke only a single word: a clear plea for some sort of explanation. "Hunter?"
"Okay!" the tiger spun to face his boyfriend, clapping his paws together as he began to recount the tale. "So you know all about his arrangement with Scott and James. Well, after the school board meeting, they're under investigation. Which means they can't keep letting a runaway hang around their house."
"Scott's house," Jeff corrected him.
"Scott's house," Hunter repeated. "Pet or not, just letting him live there is dangerous."
And Elliot nodded in understanding, "Kidnapping...harboring..."
"Right," his lover smiled. "So they went running all over town asking your dad and Stan if he could stay with them, and in the meantime, they even had him spend a few nights with me, Donald, and Mic last week."
"But then Hunter reminded us about this place!" Jeff interjected...
...and the tiger concluded, "So, as of last night, he's officially living here!"
"Alone?" Elliot asked.
"Oh no," Hunter shook his head. "I stayed the night with him, last night. And I'm sure we can find ways for Mic, Donald, Viri, or even you to stay with him from time to time, too."
"Even if we can't tell the others what's really going on," Jeff amended...
...and the larger cat nodded, "Right."
"But hey!" Jeff abruptly changed the subject: "I uhm...I should probably go take a shower. I'm a little...gross...at the moment. I'll be back soon, though!"
Jeffery's tail uncurled, revealing his sheath again for only the briefest of moments before he turned on his heel and burst back toward the hallway. His little dash, though, was short lived. And after only a few long strides, he skidded and stumbled to a stop.
"Shit! I almost forgot." He twirled back and ran again, this time directly to Elliot.
The husky recoiled as he was suddenly rushed by the cat, but it was too late. Jeff's little gray arms wrapped tight around him in a sudden hug, and Elliot had no choice but to return the gesture. The confusion on his face was clear, though, especially when the boy planted a quick and unexpected kiss on his cheek.
"Your dad told me to say that he misses you," Jeff finally explained. "He and Will send their love."
And, with that, he broke the hug and dashed away once more, disappearing into the hallway and leaving Elliot behind, with a paw on his cheek and a bittersweet smile on his lips.
Hunter didn't speak. He let his lover absorb the message: the vicarious kiss from his father. Somewhere deeper in the house, a shower lurched to life, and the buzzing white noise of falling water echoed into the living room. But save for that, the tiger allowed the silence to linger. Allowed his husky this moment of reflection, as his longing little smile slowly faded away.
His white paw fell from his cheek. His smile gave way to a blank and contemplative stare. And Elliot blinked as he turned his eyes to Hunter. "You stayed the night with him," he noted, a shift in the subject at paw. "And you mentioned earlier that you were kept up late, too. So, I guess something happened between you two?"
And Hunter answered through a shameless little laugh: "Why do you think he needs a shower?"
But, on cue, Elliot's eyelids drooped. His shoulders fell, his gaze shifted to the old wooden floor, and chest deflated with a sigh. And Hunter immediately regretted his flippant response.
"Elliot?" he began softly. "You're...you're not mad are you?"
The husky, though, looked up again with a start, and quickly shook his head, "What? No! No sweetheart. I'm not mad at you." He smirked, "After everything me and Donald have done without you? I mean, in the school showers, alone! What kind of ass would I be if I got mad at you for THIS?"
"Maybe. But you can't help how you feel," Hunter pressed on. "If it hurt your feelings, I-"
"No," Elliot interrupted. "I'm not hurt. Maybe a little caught off guard, finding out this way...but I'll be okay."
"You 'will' be okay?" the tiger repeated. "Which means you're not okay, right now."
"Wha-no! Just. It's okay. I'm okay," his boyfriend stammered nervously. "Don't worry about it."
"No. I'm not gonna' play that game. Something's wrong." And with a breath, Hunter asked: "Should I have said something last night? A text, or-"
"No. I'm telling you. You haven't done anything wrong," despite his assurances, though, the husky's smile was weakening by the second. "I'm just...thinking. That's all."
"Thinking." Again, Hunter pointedly repeated his boyfriend's words. Thinking. With another breath and a sigh, he walked deeper into the room where he took a seat on the old couch. Silently, he turned his eyes back to Elliot, and gently patted the cushion beside him, beckoning the little dog as he bid: "I'd kinda like to know about what."
And Elliot followed along, slowly sinking down into the couch. But he didn't say a word. He simply hung his head and wrung his paws, as Hunter looked on...
"You know you can talk to me, Elliot," the tiger gently pushed along. "It'll be okay. I promise."
Elliot, though, met his promise with a sad and uncertain smile, "You can't."
"Can't what?"
"Promise."
"Come on Elliot," Hunter was growing impatient, and with it his tone grew ever firmer. "Before Jeff gets back from his shower. Just tell me what's going on."
The husky drew in a long breath, before finally letting out what was on his mind: "We're not really a couple anymore, are we?"
"Of course we are, hun!" Hunter shot back on reflex. "What makes you think we're not?"
And Elliot simply arched an eyebrow with a smirk, "You have to ask?"
"What? Because we're sleeping with other people?" the tiger assumed. "Elliot, we're in an open relationship, remember? And to quote what you said when we started this: the key word is 'relationship.' Sleeping with other people doesn't mean we're not still together."
"Yeah. In theory," Elliot agreed. "But in practice..."
"In practice? You said that our relationship wasn't just about sex. That it was just a part of it." Was. "When you said you wanted this, you said that sharing that one part shouldn't diminish everything else we have."
"And I still believe that." Still.
"Then what's the problem?"
"Everything?" the husky shrugged. "I mean. Think back. Over the whole course of our relationship. Before we even officially got together, you had to deal with the truth about Will, right? And then, we'd barely managed to turn around before..." he paused with a sigh, "...do you know how long we were together before you cheated on me?"
The question stung. They hadn't said that word in months. Cheated. But with a shiver, Hunter answered: "No. I'm not exactly sure."
"Forty days." Elliot explained, "We got together on September 24th, four days after our first date. And you cheated on me on November 3rd."
"You remember the dates," the tiger felt his shoulders drop.
"Of course I do," Elliot confirmed coldly. "And then just a few days later, we made the decision to be open, and to have our first threesome. We had barely even been together a month and a half before I was sucking the dick of the guy you'd cheated on me with."
"But...but that was your idea," Hunter argued. "You wanted-"
"I did!" the husky stopped him. "Don't get me wrong Hunter. I think it would have been a terrible idea for us to stay monogamous. It would have been a disaster," he shook his head, wide eyed at the thought, before switching gears. "Besides, I loved that threesome! It's one of the hottest things I've ever done, even counting everything that's come since. And despite what you two did, Mic has become one of my best friends."
"But...?"
"But it doesn't change the facts," Elliot went on. "We're not really a couple, anymore, Hunter. We've been growing farther and farther apart ever since then. The orgies. All of my alone time with Donald. You and Jeff last night, and probably when he stayed the night with you last week, too. And I..." he paused, steeling himself to add: "Hunter, I got fucked by my dad, and you barely blinked! You supported it!"
For a moment, the tiger let a tense silence linger...before softly reminding his little canine friend: "You said this wasn't about the sex."
"It's not. It's about how casual it's all become. How it's just expected and okay that we spend just as much time in other people's beds as we spend in each other's. Or, well...yours, that is. I guess we can't spend any in mine, right now. But you get the point. We've grown apart." Elliot took the cat's paw, squeezing it with a gentle smile, "I love you. I really do. But I feel more like...like you're my best friend, now. Not my boyfriend."
"We can break off the open relationship anytime you want, Elliot," Hunter offered. "I mean: it's been fun, sure, but we've probably gotten it out of our systems, by now, and-"
But again, the husky cut him short.
"Seriously." He shook his head with a dark little laugh, "Just stop."
And Hunter recoiled, "Stop what?"
"Pretending." Elliot looked him dead in the eye, with a firm and unflinching certainty, "I already know you agree with me. Hell, you agreed with me before I even started. Before you even picked me up this morning. Stop pretending to fight for us. You knew we were over weeks ago."
"I..." the tiger started to argue. On reflex, he wanted to fight. He wanted to tell the little dog he was wrong. He wanted to defend their relationship. But all he could do was sigh, "...how did you know?"
"I didn't. Not really," Elliot shrugged. "At least not until today."
"Today?"
"Hunter, we have had debates about video games where you showed more passion than this!" he explained. "When I gave you back your necklace -- which I have no intention of doing again, by the way -- you were so inconsolable, you were screaming and crying in the middle of a school hallway!" he recounted. "But today? Not even a sniffle."
"I'm sorry, Elliot." Hunter hung his head...
...but the husky simply shook his own with a smile, "Don't be. It's okay. I still love you. And I know you still love me."
"I really do."
"We're just..." he concluded, "I think we're ready to move on."
"But it's my fault," Hunter looked back up, with guilt in his eyes.
"No, Hunter. It's not your fault," Elliot argued. "I'm the one who wanted to have an open relationship, and yeah, maybe that was because you fucked up, but-"
"No," this time the tiger cut him off. "I mean since then. You said...you said this isn't about the sex. It's because we've grown apart. And I...I think I'm the reason why."
"What do you mean?"
"After the open relationship had been going on for a week or so...or, more specifically, right after your night with your dad..." he explained, "I started feeling like you didn't really need me anymore. I even talked to Mic about it. I told him that I felt like me and you were...kinda' doomed. Like everything was already over?" He squeezed the dog's paw, still in his own. "And I wanted to talk to you about it, but I couldn't. You'd just lost your dad. You were living with your mom. And I...I couldn't break your heart in the middle of all that. So, instead, I shoved you off into Donald's arms. I found every way I could to make you happy and to keep you distracted. I didn't want you to have to think about how shitty your home life had become. A-and on my end, I didn't want to think about how little you needed me. So I just threw us into the open relationship." He clenched his eyes shut and hung his head yet again, "And I pushed you away. I didn't mean to. But I did. And I...and I'm so sorry, Elliot."
"You were wrong, y'know?" Elliot managed after a long pause. "I needed you more then, than ever."
"Me?" Hunter asked. "Or all of us?"
"You! Always you. Even right now, it's still you!" Elliot barked back, a burst of passion brighter than either of them had managed during this entire exchange. But just as quickly as it came, it faded away, and he finally let go of his former lover's paw. "But I guess it doesn't matter, anymore, yeah? Damage is done."
"Damage..." the tiger whimpered.
"Hey. None of that. This is nobody's fault, Hunter. Really." Slowly, gently, Elliot leaned against the big cat's shoulder, "It just is what it is."
"I'm still sorry, though," Hunter repeated, once more. "Even if it's not my fault. I'm sorry it's over."
"Yeah. I know," the husky nodded and closed his eyes. "Me too."
Cold metal.
The pads of Elliot's fingers traced the chain. Followed it down to the dog tag lying against his chest. Ran slowly across the engraving. And he sighed. He wanted to believe that he could read it with his fingertips. But he couldn't. He was simply reading from memory...
Hunter & Elliot September 20th
Their first date. Four days before they became a couple on September 24th. Fifteen days before his father let them have their 'first time' together on October 5th. One month and fourteen days before Hunter cheated on him on November 3rd. One month and twenty days before the threesome with Mic on November 9th. Two months and twenty-five days before today. Before it was over.
And, in the end, they hadn't even made it three months.
A gentle kiss lit between his ears. Hunter's nose lingered there, pressed against his scalp. And from behind closed eyes, the husky smiled. He remembered all the times that kiss really meant something. And he let himself pretend -- if only for a moment -- that it still did.
"I'm actually surprised!" Jeff's voice startled the husky...
...and his eyes shot open as he sat back up. He wondered why he hadn't heard the shower shut off. He wondered if his startled reaction made him seem embarrassed. Embarrassed to have been caught cuddling with -- as far as Jeff or anyone else knew, for now -- his boyfriend. And he wondered...if he actually was a little embarrassed.
"I half expected to find you two having sex by the time I got back," Jeff went on, standing there in his underwear with a towel around his neck. "But instead, you're just being all gross and mushy."
"Well what can I say?" Elliot smiled. "We're adorable!" for now, it was easier to simply keep up the act. Everyone would find out soon enough. No need to burden the kitten with the truth, just yet.
"That you are."
"And besides," the dog added, "we couldn't get started without you, could we? I mean. That would just be rude!"
Elliot stood, turning back and offering a paw to the tiger still sitting on the couch. Hunter, at first, simply blinked: wide eyed and confused. And, even though they had been together for less than three months, Elliot had already learned to read him well.
This look? Profound uncertainty. Was Elliot really suggesting a threesome with Jeff? Or was it just playful banter? Did the husky really want this? After their talk, would it be okay? Would it sting? Were they ready to even touch each other like that again, let alone watch one another be with someone else? Would Elliot be upset if he knew that Hunter wanted it, too?
But Elliot knew. He could have taken the time to answer each question here and now, before his former lover ever had the chance to ask them. He could have aired all their dirty laundry right in front of Jeffery, before still dragging the two cats off to the same bed that they undoubtedly shared alone, the night before.
But it was easier to simply nod and smile. To offer a gentle, beckoning flick of the wrist. To take Hunter's paw and guide him to his feet. He didn't have to say a word. Even though they had been together for less than three months, Hunter should have still learned to read him by now.
And the tiger smiled.
So, with his now-ex-boyfriend on his feet, Elliot turned and crossed the room toward Jeffery.
"C'mon kitten!" he chirped, hooking a finger in the waistband of the cat's tight little briefs and tugging him along toward the hallway. "Let's get you dirty, again."
~
Elliot could see Jeffery's sheath swelling behind the white cotton of his briefs.
He remembered the first time he'd seen it. He remembered the perverse pleasure Hunter took in teasing both his boyfriend and the cat. He remembered how the tiger had convinced them to take their little peeks and littler gropes, at a time when both he and Elliot still believed that Scott was an obstacle. He remembered how tense and pent up he'd gotten every time, and how his tiger loved providing his release when they were finally alone.
Today, of course, would be different. Today, Jeff was Elliot's to do with as he pleased. Scott hadn't been an imaginary obstacle for some time. Not since the night he and Hunter had learned the truth. Not since Scott and James had left the boys alone to their own devices in Jeffery's half-constructed basement room.
That was the first night Elliot had ever knotted and tied someone. The first night he had ever fucked someone at all, in fact. And with his tiger right there, cheering him on the whole way.
Perhaps today would provide an encore. After all: Jeff always loved a good knot. And he wanted it, too. Elliot could tell by the way the cat slowly licked his lips, sitting there on the edge of the bed. How his eyes focused right in on Elliot's own bulging briefs as the husky dropped his pants.
"Want it, kitten?" he growled...
...and Jeffery nodded, frantic and hungry.
"Well? On your knees then."
The little cat scrambled off the bed and down to the floor, as Elliot took his place, seated on the edge. The husky didn't say another word. He simply motioned a paw to his throbbing bulge, and Jeff did the rest.
Little gray paws pulled back white cotton and elastic, and a marble red and knotted shaft sprung free. The boy licked his lips and Elliot smiled as a rough little tongue assaulted his most sensitive flesh. Traced his every contour and vein, and tickled every inch of his pulsing knot. The dog moaned and curled his toes. He leaned back on his paws and left the kitten to explore...
...while he turned his eyes to Hunter, who stood watching silently from the doorway.
And again, Elliot remembered. He remembered his father standing in a doorway, catching his son with a muzzle -- and throat -- full of barbed tiger meat. He remembered Scott and James catching them, roles reversed, while Hunter was suckling him in the front seat of Stan's car. And as he saw the smile slowly splitting Hunter's muzzle -- as he was reminded of how much Hunter actually enjoyed watching him play with another guy -- he remembered the first time he'd met Donald: the surprise shower meeting that his tiger had arranged.
Eventually, Jeffery grew bored with all the teasing and licking. Eventually, he took the husky's dick into his mouth, sliding his hungry gray muzzle up and down the shimmering, rigid shaft. Elliot could feel his flesh scraping across that rough tongue -- a feeling he was more than familiar with -- and once, just once, a bit of overzealous bobbing caused the boy's nose to tap the knot, and sent the tip into his throat.
The kitten grew more cautious, then: shallower motions to avoid choking himself on the husky's dick. But Elliot wanted more. He wanted to go deeper. To feel his friend's throat squeezing his shaft. And so he began to thrust. Gently at first, in time with the cat's pistoning head, to test the waters. How deep would Jeff let him go? Would he take it? Would he like it?
And to Elliot's infinite delight, the boy put up no struggle. Soon, every thrust slid his tip deep into his friend's throat, and bumped his knot against his nose. And as the dog's white paws gripped the cat's gray ears...as he began to thrust deeper and deeper into that willing maw...as he unapologetically muzzlefucked his friend...
...he remembered an orange striped head in that same position. He remembered muzzlefucking Hunter in the locker room at school. And he remembered Hunter doing the same to him in the restroom only days later.
At once, Elliot let go, and the little gray cat tumbled backward to the floor. The dog knew he was getting carried away. He had to stop before he knotted his friend's muzzle. And judging from the way Jeffery panted like a dog on the floor, the way he coughed and struggled to catch his breath...Elliot knew he was right to stop. Though, judging from the pre, quickly soaking through the kitten's briefs...he also wasn't wrong to start.
"You okay?" Elliot asked...
...and his friend could only nod, breathlessly.
"Then let me know when you're ready to go again."
Without a word, Jeff sat up and leaned back in. And Elliot laughed softly to himself, amused by the enthusiasm. A part of him wanted to ram himself back into the cat's muzzle and empty his balls down his friend's throat.
But, instead, he stopped the boy with a gentle paw, "Hold on, now." He smiled, "Whatsay we let Hunter join in, too?"
By now, the tiger had left the doorway behind...along as his clothes. And he stood, leaning silently against the wall as he pawed himself, thoroughly enjoying the show. All it took, though, was Elliot patting the bed beside him, and Hunter abandoned his voyeuristic pursuits. His naked orange ass dropped down onto the bed beside his former lover, and suddenly Jeff was face to face with two throbbing, begging cocks.
"Okay, kitten," Elliot winked. "Back to work."
And as the little cat dived back in, Elliot remembered the first time he had been in Jeffery's place, faced with such a daunting and magnificent sight. He remembered Mic's huge spotted shaft against his cheek. He remembered Hunter and Mic taking turns at his muzzle. He remembered being so tired he could barely move. And he remembered how his two best friends painted his face white with cum.
Who knows? Maybe Jeffery would like the same. And it would show up so well on his dark gray fur, too.
Elliot smiled at the imagined sight, as he watched his friend tackle the near-insurmountable task at paw. He watched him switch back and forth between sucking one and then the other. He watched his little paw expertly work whichever one wasn't currently in his muzzle. He watched Hunter tense, and watched how his leg shook as his barbed rod disappeared behind the kitten's lips. He watched the tiger sigh and relax when the boy stopped. And he realized, far too late, just what a fantastic job Jeff was actually doing...
He realized that this wasn't an 'insurmountable' task for him. He realized that unlike when he, himself, had come face to face with Mic and Hunter's groins, that this was definitely not Jeffery's first rodeo. He had been here before, albeit with a fox and a raccoon.
In time, Hunter made the silent decision to move things along. Jeffery had released him from his nursing lips and returned to Elliot, and the tiger took that opportunity to stand up. Jeff barely reacted, simply letting go of Hunter's shaft and focusing all of his attention on Elliot...
...but Elliot watched. He watched Hunter rise and walk around the cat. He watched him tug down Jeffery's briefs from behind. And he watched his head disappear under the cat's gray tail. He was rimming him. He was preparing the boy's hole, so he could fuck him while the kitten sucked Elliot's dick. And Elliot tensed at the thought of it. He imagined an encore of events from just a week ago. He imagined comforting Jeff while Hunter fucked him, just as they'd done with Viri in this very house last week.
But...an encore? Didn't he already have another encore in mind? And this was not it.
Hunter's head rose up from beneath that upturned tail, and his orange paw gripped his dripping shaft. He grinned a toothy grin, as he aimed himself at the little cat's hole. But Elliot stopped him:
"No."
Everyone froze. Jeffery paused his bobbing on Elliot's shaft, but he didn't let it out of his muzzle. And Hunter's grin disappeared as he looked up at the husky, but he still held his shaft only inches from its target.
"No," Elliot repeated. "I wanna' take his tail."
He felt Jeffery shiver at the sound of the words, as he quickly returned to his bobbing. And Elliot imagined himself in the boy's shoes: imagined the thrill of being fought over. Imagined being wanted, like this, by two different guys at once. And he continued...
"I've only ever topped someone once before," he looked down at Jeff, then back up at Hunter, "him, actually. And I wanna' do it again. Besides: he has a thing for knots, and you don't have one."
Hunter's grin returned, "Sure thing pup," as he stood up from behind the smaller cat.
"Okay, enough sucking," Elliot commanded the kitten, in his gentle way. "Let's get you into position."
Jeffery finally let the dog fall from his muzzle, and nodded with a smile. Elliot stood and motioned to the bed, and the boy quickly scurried back onto it.
"All fours," Elliot explained, and the kitten quickly obeyed: head down, tail up, and briefs still pulled down just below his ass. And Elliot licked his lips and climbed onto the bed behind him, as Hunter assured them both:
"Should be plenty lubed. I wasn't shy with my tongue."
"Noted," Elliot answered, as he zeroed in: his arms around his friend's waist, and his tip probing at the base of his tail. "Ready?" he asked, getting only a shy little nod in response.
And it began.
He shifted until he found his target -- still wet with tiger saliva -- and he pressed forward. For the second time in his life, and with the same willing hole, he felt himself sink inside of someone. Jeffery purred and shook. Elliot growled and tensed. And on he pressed, until his knot was pushing against his little friend's ass.
"Scott's a lucky fox," he whispered...
...and he pulled back, ready to begin riding the cat to their hearts' content. But he was stopped by the sudden press of a rough, wet tongue against his hole.
"Hunter?" he jumped. "What are you doing?"
For a few long moments, there was no answer: just the tiger's maw hungrily lapping at and probing his ass. And he let it happen. That rough tongue under his tail: he loved it. He would miss it. And he even began to lightly thrust: forward into Jeffery's tailhole and backward into Hunter's muzzle. Soon, though, the tongue did pull away, and his former lover finally offered an answer.
"Wanna' try somethin' new," he explained, as he rose to his knees behind the husky, and touched his tip to the now wet hole. "Never been in a train before. You two interested?"
In unison the two boys nodded...and the tiger pushed in.
As Elliot felt his hole spread once more, for Hunter...as the weight and pressure pushed him forward, pressing his knot firmly against Jeffery's ass...the husky remembered the first time he ever let his tiger inside. He remembered how he'd whined and yelped as his lover had ravaged him. He remembered Hunter apologizing, despite how the dog had begged him not to stop. He remembered being folded up onto his back while the tiger locked him in a deep kiss. He remembered the first time anyone had cum inside of him. He remembered the shower afterwards...and all the times since...
"Okay," hilted inside, Hunter spoke, drawing him back to the moment at paw. "I think I've got this figured out. Just hold onto Jeff's hips, and let me do the work, okay? While I'm thrusting into you, it should kind of...naturally make you thrust into him, too. At least I think so." He chuckled nervously, "Make sense?"
"Yeah," Elliot nodded, "let's do it."
Slowly, Hunter pulled back, and sure enough, Elliot's hips went right along with him, dragged by the friction of the retraction. As Hunter withdrew from Elliot, Elliot withdrew from Jeff. And, with just their tips left inside, they stopped for only the briefest of moments...
...before Hunter immediately drove forward, again.
In harmony, all three moaned aloud, as a marble red knot slapped against a gray furred ass, and as a tiger hilted himself inside of a husky.
Perfect.
Barbs tickled Elliot's insides, a kitten's quivering hole gripped his shaft, and his fingers dug into soft furred hips. The heat around him was stifling, the scent intoxicating, and the sound of three heartbeats thumping inside of him...a cacophony. The barbs tugged at him as Hunter pulled back again, and he let himself be pulled along. His tip almost slipped free of the little gray cat. And he took a breath, as he allowed himself to be driven forward once again: his knot slamming with all the force of a horny tiger, against Jeffery's hole.
Soon, he would pop inside. It was beyond his control. Hunter pumped in and out of him, again and again, and every thrust sent him deep beneath Jeffery's tail. He let himself become a pendulum. He let Hunter fuck Jeff with HIS canid cock. And he waited. He waited for the thrust finally powerful enough to force him inside. He waited to knot, to tie, and to fill the kitten beneath him. And he wanted to do it himself. He wanted to drive himself home and make that little gray ass his own. His fingers dug deeper and deeper into Jeffery's hips...
...but he restrained himself. He curled his toes and held his breath. And he waited.
Finally.
Pop! He could have sworn it was audible. Even over the tiger growling in his ear...the kitten mewling beneath him...and his own whining howl. He could have sworn he heard the pop.
Elliot's knot locked him inside of the kitten, and he swelled. But Hunter did not stop. The husky throbbed and pumped stream after stream of his seed inside of Jeffery. But Hunter did not stop. The dog collapsed onto his tiny friend's back, as Jeff, too, came...his little thorn filling the briefs that it was still trapped within. But Hunter did not stop.
The tiger rammed again and again, hilting himself inside of Elliot with every thrust, until he finally came: barbs flaring and tapered tip erupting deep inside of his former lover's hole. He pulled away unceremoniously, nearly falling off the bed. And as Elliot felt the tiger's load drip from his hole...he, too, fell, cradling Jeff and tumbling to his side.
His body buzzed. His skin tingled. His head spun, and his vision -- had his eyes been open to see it -- would have blurred. He could barely breathe through the heat, the musk, and the exhaustion. And he basked in the afterglow, here, in this intimate private moment with his best friend, and with the tiger whom he had loved so dearly. Whom he still loved. Whom he always would...
And he remembered.
He remembered his first kiss in the locker room at school. He remembered his first date: the mediocre movie, and the perfect gift. The necklace still 'round his neck, today. He remembered the night they became a couple. He remembered a starry sky, as he laid on the roof of an old car in a field just outside this very house. He remembered the orange arms that held him as he struggled through his parent's divorce. He remembered the orange paw that squeezed his own, so hard it hurt, beside an old tiger's freshly filled grave. He remembered lies to the police. He remembered a fist colliding with the snarling face of a dangerous wolf...
But it felt like it had all happened so long ago. It felt like a dream. It felt like a story he'd told himself: a fantasy he'd never be so lucky to actually live. It felt like a beautiful lie, disguised as an ugly truth. It felt like...
The weight of Hunter's body sank into the bed beside him. A strong orange arm draped itself across both him and Jeff. "So...that was new, huh?" and a breathless whisper tickled his ear. "How'd it feel, Elliot?"
It felt like goodbye.
~
And Sibirskaia continues...
* This particular chapter (and the rest of Sibirskaia) was written entirely by Oloroso Rhone. But it was based on characters and story lines I created jointly with my friend Phil Anthro Pist
If you'd like to go say hi to Phil, he's got an account on here at http://phil-anthro-pist.sofurry.com/ *
Sorry, everyone...
But, hanks for reading! I welcome any feedback. Comment or PM me here, add me on skype, or email me at theottercoon[at]gmail.com
And if you enjoyed this chapter, and want to support my efforts to write more, I welcome any donations you would be willing to give
See you around for the final 4 chapters of Sibirskaia!