FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Viewer Discretion is Advised: This story contains adult furry themes and is not appropriate for viewers under the age of 18. Also if you are not interested in homosexual or furry sex please avoid reading at all as Shatto cannot be held responsible for your traumatization if you read regardless. Shatto owns all rights to the characters, places-names, and the story title. © 2010 Shatto

I certainly hope you enjoy this story. If you have any comments or critiques, please feel free to post them or e-mail me at [[email protected]](%5C)

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That Sunday Evening by Shatto

It was a clear Sunday evening and the sun had just begun to set. Most of the furs in the city of Columbia were resting in anticipation of the next day, which for many would mark the beginning of another long workweek. However this wasn't the case with Daniel Hunter. Sitting on the ledge of the city's highest building, he didn't have much anticipation for the next day at all.

Daniel sniffed and looked down at the growing shadows of the city not really registering anything he saw. An involuntary tear trickled down his muzzle and fell over the side of the building. Crying was something he never did. But he had been doing a lot of it that day. Telling his parents that he was gay had turned out much worse than he had expected. So much so, that he had had to think of some new options. In the end, only one stuck.

The Border Collie scooted a fraction more off the edge, his foot paws dangling over the side. It was no different than the rest of the day. All morning he had felt like he was closer and closer to dropping off the side of a cliff. Slowly he had lowered himself over the side until only one paw was hanging on. And then he had let go all together when he had said the words "I'm gay." Now it was all happening in a more literal sense. But this time he would find peace.

A sudden gust hit Daniel from behind, making him instinctively move back into a more secure position. He closed his eyes whimpering. He didn't want to do this. But what other options where there? According to his father, none. Daniel gritted his teeth and began thinking about earlier that day. According to his father there was nothing left for him in this life. No matter what he did he was a ruined individual, like a Picasso with crayon scribbled all over it. All worth was lost. But still, perhaps to ease his conscience, he said a short mental prayer to some unknown deity.

_ Hey, if someone's listening to me, I really need some help right now. If you could send someone or something that would be awesome... because I can't live alone anymore. I don't know what to do. So yeah..._

Daniel sat there for a few moments waiting, though he didn't know exactly what for. It's not he really believed in anything in particular anyway; especially now. He smirked and wiped the tears from his eyes. "No? Oh well, so much for miracles then." _ _Daniel flexed his arm muscles for the final push, but stopped suddenly. Regardless of the supernatural event that hadn't taken place, that short moment of almost peaceful thought had given his survival instincts the spark they needed.

Scanning the city before him, Daniel's eyes narrowed and he suddenly felt ablaze, his mind racing. If he threw himself off this building right now, then his parents would be correct. By killing himself, he'd be agreeing with them that his life was worthless enough to throw away. But he didn't want to be worthless. He wanted to win. He wanted to show them all how wrong they were. But then the truth reared its ugly head. No matter what he did, chances were that his parents and most of the people he knew would never accept him. Even if he somehow managed to become amazingly wealthy and accomplished, they would still view him as a sinful failure. There was no getting past that point. It's what had brought him here. But now thinking on it he saw that there was another way out. If he truly wished to become a happy individual, he would have to leave almost everything he knew far behind him. He would have to start all over, alone. He would graduate high school and then get into college, working as many jobs as he needed to keep afloat. It was a daunting thought, but he drew courage from that fact that people had managed in worse situations. Many kids his age had never gotten any support from their parents, financial or otherwise. If they could handle it so could he. Hell at the rate he was going he would be graduating top of his class. That would mean scholarships.

With optimistic thoughts racing through his head, Daniel suddenly felt the need to pace. He got up from the ledge, all thoughts of what he had almost done already banished from his head, and he hopped onto the roof. But the moment he landed he saw something that made chills run through his body. A red fox was leaning against the door to the stairwell watching him intently. He was wearing a dark brown suit with a red tie and most interestingly, a white mask that covered the top portion of his face and muzzle. Daniel could tell by the way the suit fell on him that the fox had a very lean and muscular body.

"I'm proud of you Daniel. You've just managed to get through your darkest moment. I give you my word that I'll help you put your life back in order from here."

"Who are you?" Daniel asked looking astonished.

"Who am I?" the fox replied as if not expecting the question. He then scratched the back of his neck as if embarrassed. "Ah but of course, my name is Foci, and I've come to assist you. I suppose you could think of me as your guardian furry." And with that he let go of Daniel's paw and gave a low formal bow.

Daniel looked at him with stunned silence, his mouth slightly ajar. He wasn't sure what to think.

"I'm sorry, is something the matter?" Foci asked anxiously, as if he was afraid he had said something displeasing.

"No I just... um."

"What?"

"Were you just standing here to see if I was going to jump? Were you even going to try to stop me?"

"No. I had to let you save yourself. Those were my orders. I know that sounds morbid but it was important that you made the choice." There was moment of silence between them and the wind picked up momentarily before dying off again. "You did a very brave thing, telling those parents of yours your secret. But in the end you get an "F" for your foresight. Or lack thereof. Honestly Daniel you had ample time to come up with a plan for the worst case scenario so why didn't you? Do you even know where you're going to sleep tonight?"

Daniel hadn't even considered where he would stay the night. But he would think about it later. For now he had to deal with what was in front of him. "What did I tell them exactly? My parents that is." Daniel asked, probing the stranger for his intentions.

"Well, that you're gay."

Daniel bit his lip and did some quick thinking. Is this for real? Was he guessing just now?... But no. His answer was so fast and confident.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Do you think you could take your mask off for me? I just feel weird talking about all these private things with someone whose face I can't even see." There was no feasible reason for this "Foci" to deny his request.

"Daniel I'm afraid I can't do that. As long as I'm with you, you can't see my face. It's a part of the rules."

"Oh I see." Daniel said turning around and walking towards the stairwell. He didn't feel like being manipulated by some creeper with a mask. It had already been a hellish day.

"Where are you going?" the fox asked in bewilderment.

"Not to another rooftop if that's what your afraid of."

Daniel made it to the top floor and was soon in an elevator watching the glowing number get closer and closer to one.

Down on the first floor, behind the reception desk, a young rabbit sat organizing a reservation that had just been made. The guests that had called in had been so rude. She mulled over whether or not to give them one of the bad rooms on the twenty-first floor. But then again, she decided, that would only give them more to whine about later. Suddenly there was a yip and a scream that came from one of the elevator shafts on the other side of the lobby. It was so loud and unexpected that the receptionist was frozen in fear for a second. The doors for the middle elevator opened and a hot border collie came out taking cautious steps backward. He was holding his car key in front of him like it was a knife.

"Get the fuck away from me!"

The receptionist couldn't see who he was shouting at but a second later the collie was out the front door and running down the sidewalk. She looked inside the elevator. There was no one there. She looked at the empty elevator for a few more seconds and then shrugged her shoulders and got back to work. Weirder things had happened. It was a shame though. This guy had been pretty good looking.

Daniel ran down the street trying quickly to reach his parked car. But he stopped in his tracks. The fox, Foci, was already a little ways down the sidewalk. He had a cheesy grin on his masked face and was attempting to greet a passing greyhound. She looked like she could've been an executive or something; rich and all business.

Foci held out his paw energetically. "Why hello there, I'm so glad we could meet. My name's..." But the stranger kept walking without even looking at him. Seemingly desperate, Foci bounded in front her and shouted a loud, "HELLOOOOO!!!" Without even hesitating in her step, the greyhound walked right through him and kept going down the sidewalk. The fox looked dejected for a moment, but then saw Daniel and waved.

Daniel's mind worked at a feverish pace trying to figure out a logical explanation for what was happening. But there was none. Why was he the only one that could see this guy? Had he lost it? Then it dawned on him slowly. That prayer I said earlier on the ledge... he must be... my answer? Daniel walked up to him steadily and calmly. "So I guess you are what you say you are then."

"Yes indeed I am! Don't worry; most of my past clients reacted in a similar fashion. I wouldn't have held it against you if you had bit me or stabbed me with your keys I promise."

"Yeah, I was just...um... surprised."

"I don't doubt it. May I ask why you suddenly stormed off? Is my mask so offensive?"

Daniel looked at the ground feeling stupid. "I don't know, I guess I just thought you were a con; or insane. Either way..."

"It's alright. Your paranoia is completely understandable."

Daniel gulped and felt a bit flustered. "So...how does this work? Do you grant wishes or something?"

"No not quite. I'm your guardian and as such it's my pleasure to protect and advise you in anyway I can. I prefer to guide, not interfere, as you know."

"But can you interfere?" Daniel asked timidly. "You know, if you want?"

"Well I suppose," Foci sighed. " I really hate having to. Though I honestly can't interfere in some ways. It would be breaking the rules." He then added with air quotes. "Nothing like wishes that's for sure."

Daniel tilted his head to the side. "Maybe you can make an exception yeah?"

Foci's face suddenly moved closer to Daniel's. "Wow. I can already tell that you're going to like my brother. And that is not a good sign."

"Who?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter right now. We'll just save all that for later."

"Okay then... so what now?"

"Like I said, I want to help you set your life straight. But let's start small for now; like finding a place for you to stay."

Daniel looked defeated already. "Well... I don't really have very much money, and if even if I decided to move into an apartment somewhere it'll take time to sort everything out."

"Hmmm, yes and you don't even have a job right now do you?"

"No. That'll take some time to figure out too."

"Alright," Foci said in an optimistic tone. "Well let's keep those options in mind for the near future then. In the mean time, we need to narrow down our options for a temporary arrangement. You have a car, that's very good. If push comes to shove, you can definitely use that as a place to sleep."

Daniel nodded glumly.

"Or of course you could find a shelter, there's bound to be plenty here in the city." Foci paused for a moment and then snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered something. "But first of all, are you sure all of your resources have been exhausted? What about a friend?"

Daniel instantly thought about his best friend Tyler James, a rottweiler that was built like a tank but had a heart of gold. Tyler had offered for Daniel to eventually move in with him if he wanted to. Of course Daniel had declined then because he still had his parent's support. After Tyler had dropped from high school a semester early and gotten his GED, he had moved from his parent's house into an apartment as not to be a financial burden on them anymore. He had been working since then as a grocery stocker. Seeing as how Tyler's family had always been relatively close to the poverty line, Daniel had the utmost respect for the decision his friend had made. He wouldn't have had the courage to do it. At least not until today.

"Yeah, my best friend Tyler. I guess he's an option. But if I tell him my parents kicked me out, I'm gonna have to tell him why. I can't ask him for help and lie to him in the process. But the truth is that I'm actually kind of terrified of how he'll react. He's capable of just about anything."

Foci smiled again. "Well I'm glad that you feel the need to be truthful with your friend. Being honest with people will help you figure out who likes you for the real you and who likes you for what they expect you to be."

" Yeah, I guess so." Daniel said looking to the side, thinking about how well the truth had been working so far that day.

"And don't worry, I'll be sitting next to you the entire time. Remember, you have a guardian now."

Daniel breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. "Alright then, let's do it." It's not like he really had anything to lose. And Foci's words had filled him with new confidence.

"Excellent!" Foci beamed.

They walked a little ways down the street and reached Daniel's car. It was a decent looking model and more importantly it was in good running shape. It had taken Daniel three summers to pay it off and boy had it been worth it. As Daniel was about to sit in the front seat, he froze when he noticed that Foci was opening the passenger door himself. Daniel quickly looked up and down the sidewalks and breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that there was no one in the immediate area. After Foci shut the door, Daniel turned to him. "People are going to start staring and pointing if they see doors opening on their own, and that's not the kind of attention I need. Can't you do things more ghost style?"

Foci's ears lowered slightly. "I'm sorry, but I like to be a little more physical sometimes. But I understand. I'll be impeccably discreet when we're in public I promise."

Daniel didn't immediately reply and started the car. He wasn't used to someone being so polite and deferent to him. He felt like it was undeserved, but still; it was nice. "It's ok you can just use your memory erasing powers if anyone gets too suspicious."

"Excuse me, but who said anything about 'memory erasing powers'?" Foci asked incredulously.

"It was just a guess."

"I'm sorry Daniel, but no."

"Oh my God, how boring are you?"

The drive to Tyler's apartment was spent in relative silence. Tyler lived outside the city in the same nearby town that Daniel had lived in until earlier that day. It was a town that was practically run by the church his parents went to and, as a result, had a mainly radical conservative population. It was really no wonder that his parents had reacted the way they had.

Daniel thought about what he would say to Tyler when he arrived and eventually came to the conclusion that thinking about it was only making him more nervous. He would just have to do it by ear. He could have asked Foci for his input, but he really wanted to deal with his friend on his own. From far off Tyler was an intimidating looking guy who wore stern expressions and seemed unhappy. But for those close to him, he was playful, loud, and always smiling. However, as Daniel had learned through their long friendship, Tyler was prone to violent outbursts of anger whenever the right trigger presented itself. And through their past conversations with each other, Daniel had been able to put together that he hated gays. The thought of his friend tearing him to pieces always filled his mind when he thought about coming out to him.

After reaching the apartment, Daniel stood for a few seconds in front of his friend's door trying to organize his raging adrenaline. He looked over at Foci who gave him a thumbs up for encouragement. Gulping his fears back, he pressed the doorbell.

Daniel heard the sound of bounding paw steps inside. The sound faded and then increased again. He suddenly remembered that Tyler liked to be nude when he was alone. He was probably trying to find something to put on.

Sure enough when the door opened, the rottie was in nothing but a pair of black basketball shorts, his fingers still around the elastic band lifting them up. As he did, the material tightened around his bulge, giving a perfect outline of his package. Daniel fought the sudden urge to stare at it and kept his eyes locked on his friend's face.

"Hey, got anything going on tonight?"

"Oh, hey there!" Tyler said excited to see his friend. "Well I have work in a couple hours. They have me scheduled for the evening shift. But we can hang until then."

"Ah... coolness..." Daniel said looking downcast. He would've loved to just hang out.

Tyler immediately sensed there was something going on. "Daniel... are you alright?"

"No, not really. I need to talk to you about something that's super important."

"Okay, let's go inside."

They walked into the cramped apartment's kitchen/living room and sat on the love seat, the room's biggest piece of furniture, both of them looking straight ahead. Foci floated onto the small sofa's armrest next to Daniel, crossing his legs and folding his paws in his lap.

Daniel found that he had suddenly lost all resolve. He wouldn't be able to handle it if Tyler rejected him. He was back on that cliff again. Getting closer and closer to falling. He was going to end up in the abyss.

Daniel began trembling. A warm hand touched his shoulder and he heard in his ear, "You can do it." Confidence rushed through him like a new wind. Even if Tyler kicked him out he would still be okay. It would all work out somehow.

"Sooooooo.... I'm just going to cut to the chase. I'm sorry that I never told you this before. I mean we've been friends for so long but I just.... I don't know. But um, anyway the thing that I'm needing to tell you is that...." Daniel mentally pictured himself on the side of a cliff just about to let go. " I'm..... I'm gay." Daniel closed his eyes. He felt his life go into free fall.

Daniel heard what sounded like a soft growl next to him. He turned and saw that Tyler was laughing softly. "Yeah, " he chuckled as if he had been waiting for this moment. "I thought so."

"Really?"

"Yeah, in all the years I've known you, I've never seen you check out a female. And every girl that you said you liked you never did anything with. Not even a date. I thought maybe you had really high standards or something, but then it occurred to me... I was pretty sure, but you never said anything."

"So then, is this okay with you?"

"You're my best friend and I'll be there for you no matter what. Even if you decide sometime that you're straight, I'll still support you."

Daniel wasn't sure how he felt about that last part but he still he suddenly felt relaxed. He looked over at Foci who was now throwing confetti and dancing in jubilant celebration.

"Though it's probably a good thing you didn't tell me this a couple of years ago when I still went to that church." Tyler said.".... Speaking of which, are you planning on telling your parents?"

"Actually I already did that today." Daniel replied calmly as confetti fell around him.

"You wha- how did they take that?"

"Well they kicked me out and said that they never wanted to see me again. But ," Daniel held up his paw. "They didn't kill me so you have to give them points for that."

"So... they completely cut you off?"

"Pretty much."

Tyler stood up, completely unaware of all the confetti that had collected on his half naked body. "Well at least I'll finally have a roommate. When I'm not with you or Laura it gets freakin boring around here."

Daniel stood up too. "Wait, so you'll let me stay?"

"Well yeah! I mean this was our original plan anyway."

"That's true. I'm going to start looking for a job as soon as possible. I won't become a mooch I swear."

" Well school's just about over so I'll let you slide on rent until summer. Maybe I can hook you up at Nature's Bounty."

" That would be awesome!" Daniel gave Tyler a light hug, but the confetti had disappeared so all he was feeling was Tyler's uncovered fur. Daniel was about to pull back when suddenly Tyler's arms wrapped around him firmly and pulled him closer, as if to show that he didn't feel weird hugging his gay best friend.

Tyler eventually let go and they both sat back down. "So why did you tell your parents? Or did they find you whacking off to gay porn or something."

"No, I just sat them down and told them. We had been fighting so much anyway about religious issues. I don't know. Keeping my sexuality a secret was beginning to kill me. I just sort of... let it out."

"Yeah, that would suck." Tyler said, looking spaced out in thought. "You parents are fuckin psychos. It probably would've been bad no matter when you told them. I think it's good you did it now." His eyes suddenly cleared and he looked at Daniel with a smile. "And I'm really glad you told me."

"So am I." Daniel said, returning the smile.

Daniel and Tyler played video games until Tyler had to leave for work. During that time, Foci pulled out a pocket watch numerous time and looked at with a nervous expression on his face. When Tyler was gone, Daniel laid down on the sofa and sighed a breathe of relief. "I guess it all worked out."

"Yes it did." Foci replied, flashing a glance at his pocket watch with a grimace.

" What's the matter Foci?"

"Well, my time is almost up. I'm going to have to leave soon."

"So what, was this guardian thing just for one evening?" Daniel said with dismay.

"No no no." Foci grabbed Daniel by the shoulders. "We have plenty more to accomplish together. This is only the beginning and I'm very excited about it. But the truth is that I'm not your only guardian."

"There's another guardian? Why do I need two?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair for you to just have me. For everything good, there must be something evil; for every light, a shadow. That fact is especially true for those who possess guardians."

"So does that mean that this other guardian is what, some sort of a...a-"

"A demon yes. And he's my brother-well, my half -brother." Foci said with a tone of utter disdain. "He takes more from his mother, but anyway he's going to appear any second now. And I ask that you remember just one thing. Disregard everything that he says. That's the safest way to deal with him. Otherwise he'll lead you to all sorts of mayhem."

Daniel gave a salute. "Got it. But when will I see you again?"

"My brother and I should have you for half of each day. So, sometime tomorrow I'd think."

"Okay."

On the ground next to Foci, a spark of purplish black fire appeared. The spark suddenly burst into a large flame that reached the ceiling. And out of it stepped a black fox. The fox instantly zeroed in on Daniel. "Ah so this must be the new client." He said in a deep steely voice.

This fox was very different looking than Foci. He wore a mask on the upper part of his face as well, but it was severely cracked in places and looked more like a piece of a skull. His powerfully built body was much more apparent, as he was clothed in a tight tank top and jeans, both black. His fur matched his clothes except for the tip of his tail and a small patch on his chest that were white. Daniel looked down and saw that he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, the claws of his foot paws dug lightly into the carpet.

The fox suddenly turned to Foci and growled coldly. "Shouldn't you be somewhere else?"

Foci retorted angrily. "I will leave when I please. You can't just spawn yourself from the ground and start bossing peo-"

The black fox suddenly raised his right paw and snapped in fingers, causing Foci to poof away in mid sentence. The fox turned back to Daniel. "Sorry about that. My brother and I have a lot of... issues with one another... especially after what happened to our last client. " He frowned for a moment lost in thought.

"I don't think I want to know."

The fox flashed a grin of glistening white fangs and pointed a claw at Daniel. "That's the spirit. Leave the past in the past and live for the present. My name is Faux Pas. But you may call me by any name; it's all the same to me. I'm the bearer of misfortune, and the master of catastrophe. Remember that time all your homework blew away in the wind?"

"Um, yeah."

"That was me. How about that time your mother found that fly in her soup?"

"Yeah..."

"That was me too." Faux Pas suddenly seemed very excited, and his pink tongue lolled out from the side of his mouth. "And the time the president got caught having an affair?"

"That... that was-"

"All me baby. One of my finest works."

"Wow... impressive."

"But don't worry. Since I'm your guardian, I won't do anything of the like to you. But," his eyes glittered again." If you want, you can sick me on whomever you please, anyone who you think deserves a little taste of Hell."

Daniel instantly thought of his parents, but then changed his mind. Despite what they had done, he didn't want to consciously cause them pain. Then wouldn't he be just as bad as them? But then another thought hit him. Gritting his teeth he looked at Faux Pas, "So then, earlier today when I was about to throw myself off that building... was that you too?"

Faux Pas chuckled darkly and got really close to Daniel until he could whisper in his ear. "No, that was all you."

The statement hit Daniel like a physical object, stunning him.

Faux Pas pulled back, crossing his arms. "I just control people's luck. I can't do anything about their stupid choices."

"I see..." Daniel said glumly. But he suddenly remembered something Foci had said earlier and his face changed. "So does that mean that you're the type of guardian that likes to, um, interfere?"

Faux Pas' tongue was out again in a flash. "Yes interfering is my favorite! No wait! Making Foci panic is my favorite. Hmmm..." He stood there a moment considering a crucial choice. "Actually I think both are favorites." He said, sounding proud. "So what is it that you want me to do?"

"Could you give me some money?" Daniel asked half joking.

"I don't have any... but I guess if you wanted I could steal some for you."

"You can do that?"

"Of course, if you want me to. I can steal anything you desire. Food, money, clothes, whatever."

Daniel's imagination took off in an instant. He could have Faux Pas steal enough money for him and Tyler to go to Harvard. Scratch that, he could steal enough money that they would never need to have jobs again!

Within seconds, Faux Pas made all of Daniel's aspirations crumble. "However, Foci will return anything I steal when it's his shift."

"What? Return it? But how can he do that? What if I tell him not to?"

"It doesn't matter. If you tell me to deliberately interfere in you life in any way that's illegal, then he'll interfere to restore balance."

"What if I spend the money or eat the food before he gets here?"

"He'll find a way to undo it somehow. He always does. He's such a killjoy."

Daniel considered it for a moment. It would have been so awesome if he could get whatever he wanted. But then again, without Foci creating some sort of boundary, he probably would have ended up trying to take over the world or something crazy.

Daniel sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'm going to need a little time before I figure out what I can have you do."

"Well okay. Hmmmm... Did Foci tell you that we're invisible to everyone but you?"

"Yeah."

"Did he tell you that we can become seeable if you want us to?"

"No actually he didn't."

"Well, if you want, we can become visible and interact with the real world."

"Why, and have people think a serial killer is stalking me?"

"Nah, people can see our faces. You're the only one that has to see the mask."

"Why!? That's fucking stupid!" Daniel cried, suddenly feeling bogged down by all these random restrictions.

"The mask is symbolic in a way." Faux Pas said quietly. "One of the many rules that we follow as guardians is that we are not allowed to have a sexually physical bond with our clients. It can be a problem." He said without emotion.

Looking over the tight curves of Faux Pas' muscled body, Daniel could see how it could be a real problem. If he was allowed to, he probably could have spent the rest of his life using Faux Pas to fulfill any sexual fantasy he wanted.

"You should be careful if you ever want me visible. People can't help but be tantalized by my... demonic heat."

"Gotcha..." Daniel yawned. It had been a long day filled with a lot of ups and downs and it was all catching up to him very quickly. And he had school tomorrow. Not that couldn't have skipped, but now it was more important than ever for him to maintain his high GPA. He checked his cell phone. It was still early, but he decided that it was time for bed. He got up from the sofa and wandered into Tyler's room where he snatched one the pillows from off the queen-sized bed. He returned to the living room and tossed the pillow on the sofa.

"What, you're going to bed now?" Faux Pas asked in disbelief. "We haven't even done anything fun yet."

"That's okay," Daniel replied lying down. His hind legs dangled over the armrest. " I just figured out something for you to do tomorrow."

"Really? How interesting."

"Yeah, tomorrow morning before your time runs out, I want you to go to my house and take everything that I need and bring it here. My parents will be at work, so they'll assume that I took everything myself while they were away."

"There isn't very much room in this place for any more stuff."

"I know, just bring some essentials: My laptop and printer, some clothes, my bathroom stuff, and maybe a couple of books. Pilfering my belongings back isn't illegal."

"That's true."

"Oh and put it all here in the living room. My friend Tyler will still be asleep."

"Right."

Daniel snuggled into the sofa trying to get comfortable. He looked up at Faux Pas. "So what are you going to do while I'm sleeping?"

"I'll stay here and keep watch over the place."

"I doubt anything's going to happen..."

"It doesn't matter. I'm a guardian, it's what I do."

After hearing that, Daniel felt at peace knowing that this being was looking out for him. "Hey, do you think you could hit the lights for me?"

"Got it."

The apartment was suddenly plunged in darkness.

Awesome.

Hours later, Daniel woke up to the sound of jingling keys and an opening door. Tyler must've just gotten back. The lights were turned on. Daniel decided to pretend like he was still asleep. He was too tired to interact with another living soul right now. Tyler's paw steps moved from the doorway into the living room where they stopped for what seemed like a very long time. Daniel strained to hear any sign of movement without twitching his ears. He must've just been standing there. Daniel blushed. Was he watching him sleep?

Daniel eventually heard the sound of Tyler padding away. The lights were switched off and his bedroom door shut with a quiet click. Immediately, Faux Pas broke into a fit of impish laughter. He sounded as if he was trying to keep it in but couldn't.

"What's so funny?" Daniel whispered.

"Is... is that your friend Tyler?" Faux Pas sputtered.

"...Yeah."

"I want to tell you... do you want me to interfere?"

"Yes, yes interfere away. Tell me."

"Your friend Tyler, he's bi." Faux Pas chuckled. "And... and he has a little crush on you."

Daniel couldn't believe it. There was just no way.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"No, it's the truth. Believe it."

"But how do you know?"

"I have gaydar like it's no one's business."

"Huh..." Daniel muttered feeling dazed. This news would have been perfect, especially now that they were living with each other and everything. All except for the fact that Laura, a white furred cat, was currently Tyler's girlfriend and they had been going strong for about a year now. That made everything very, very complicated. But at least now he knew something that he probably would've never found out on his own. Tyler was bi and attracted to him to some degree. You learn something new every day. Daniel's mind slowly drifted away lulled by fantasies of the relationship he and Tyler could have.

The next day, school went by surprisingly fast for Daniel. It was strange because everyone interacted with him the same way they always did. No one knew that anything had changed in his life. It restored a certain level of normalcy that made Daniel feel at ease. Foci was back at his side again and sat through each class giving polite and silent attention to the instructor even though no could see him anyway. He always sat on the desk next to Daniel in his customary position of having his legs crossed and paws folded. Daniel could only imagine what havoc Faux Pas would've wreaked had he been there. Someone probably would've ended up on fire or something.

The previous night had quickly been pushed out of Daniel's head by more academic thoughts. He had already finished all of his big projects in advance and was basically riding out the rest of the semester. His chances of making Valedictorian had been shot after he had received a B+ in his advanced physics course the previous semester. It had really bothered him and his parents had even called the school to see if anything could be done about it. But, as of now, Daniel didn't care anymore. He was still going to make it near the top of his class and that was enough to be proud of. Foci informed him between classes that now it was time to start planning for the next step: College. He decided that he would start checking university websites later that day. It would soon be time for him to leave this hick gay hating town for good.

When Daniel returned to the apartment, he found that all of his most important possessions had been brought to the living room from his house. Faux Pas had accomplished the feat while Daniel had been in his first class of the morning. He stood there a moment looking at all his stuff scattered around the room. He had been wondering if perhaps this whole Guardian thing had just been in his head. That perhaps he had been driven to insanity. But now he had proof that it was all for real. Plopping himself on the sofa, Daniel grabbed his laptop and started it up.

"So Daniel have you thought about going any college in particular?" Foci asked.

"Not really. But right now, I guess I'm just looking for a decent college that won't drive me into major debt. I'd also like somewhere that's relatively far away from here."

"I suppose community college is out of the question then?"

"Yeah that's for sure. But I'm still going to look for in-state colleges, because I think out of state will be way too expensive."

"You could always get a job."

"I probably will. But... I don't want to work fulltime. Just like it's been in high school, good grades will be my top priority. They'll be my... investment."

"Dude, are you talkin to yourself?"

Daniel looked up with a gasp and saw that Tyler was standing in his bedroom doorway, an expression of curiosity on his face. With a mental face paw Daniel replied, "Uh...maybe." And then he added in mock challenge. " Is that a problem?"

Tyler laughed and sat down next to Daniel. He was wearing only his black silk shorts again. "Nah, I guess not....crazy. So when'd you get your stuff? Did you run into your parents?"

"No I waited until they left for work and made it to school late." Daniel lied easily. It's what he would have done anyway, but he had wanted to give Faux Pas something to do.

"Ah, smaaart. Though I can't believe you even went to school. I would've just skipped."

"School makes a pretty good distraction." Daniel said typing into a word search.

"Yeah that's how work is for me. It makes the day go by faster." Tyler looked over at the laptop screen. "Checking out colleges huh?"

"Yup, it's that time."

"Hmm. I need to start figuring all that out too. Actually I still need to take the ACT."

"Seriously, do it the next time it rolls around. It would suck if you were too late." Daniel had done the ACT twice and gotten the same score each time: 32.

"That would suck... Though I'm actually considering going to community college for the first two years. That way I can keep my position at Nature's Bounty and get my gen eds out of the way. I don't think you need the ACT for community college."

Daniel's heart sank a little. He had always imagined that he and Tyler would go to the same college together. "Well still, you should try to take the ACT," he said weakly, "You might get some good scholarships from it." Though he knew it wasn't likely. Tyler was really smart, but he had never really applied himself academically.

"Yeah, maybe..." Tyler's expression suddenly changed and it seemed as though he was wrestling with how to say something. "So I was thinking, I would feel bad if you have to sleep on this small sofa. You can sleep with me in my bed if you want."

Daniel looked over at Tyler to see if he was joking. It didn't look like he was. This was very unexpected since Tyler was still playing the part of straight friend, but Daniel couldn't help but feel elated. Things could get interesting.

"If you're okay with that, that would be great actually. This sofa was sooo uncomfortable. Though," he said with a paw to the side of his mouth. "You probably shouldn't tell Laura that you're sleeping in the same bed as your gay friend." Daniel laughed but then stopped when he saw Tyler's serious expression.

"I don't plan to. Actually I think that it might be a better idea if she didn't even know that you were gay. I mean, I trust you and everything but I don't think she would understand."

Daniel couldn't help but feel put out. "I'm a pro at being in the closet," he replied. "So it shouldn't be hard to fool her."

"Okay cool, thanks for understanding. Oh and by the way, if you're starving you can have whatever you can find in the kitchen."

Daniel could almost hear the pain in his friend's voice as he made the offer. He probably didn't have the money for any extra food. But even if he had, Daniel would've responded the same way. "No, it's okay really. I can eat the cafeteria and if I'm hungry later I'll pick something up. I still have enough money for that."

Suddenly Tyler's cell phone went off in one his short's pockets cutting off the conversation. "Well hey, there's my girl right now." He reclined into the sofa and answered it.

Daniel took the chance to look over from his screen to check out his friend's powerful legs. His shorts had been pushed up to his thighs and each of his muscles bulged out from underneath his short black and tan fur. Daniel's eyes slowly made it down to Tyler's big calves and foot paws. They were shaped just the way Daniel liked. His cock responded instantly underneath the warm pressure of the laptop.

"Ya... uh-huh." Tyler responded into his cell. His voice suddenly took on a naughty tone. "Yeah I think I could do that. Okay I'll be right over."

Tyler shut his cell and stood from the sofa, giving Daniel a sheepish grin.

"What was all that about?"

"Well Laura's back from school too. I'm going to head to her place and then go straight to work from there."

"Oh okay." Daniel said, watching Tyler as he walked to his bedroom." Have fun."

Tyler's head poked back in through the doorway. "You know I will. Hehe."

Once Tyler had shut the door so he could change, Daniel's eyes narrowed as he became lost in thought. He was starting to get confused. If he hadn't known that Tyler "had feelings" for him, sleeping in the same bed as him wouldn't have been that big of a deal. He would have respected the boundaries and that would've been that. Sure every now and then he took quick glances at Tyler's body, but really a straight guy had no appeal for him. He wanted someone who would return the glances. But since Tyler was bi, he didn't know where the boundaries were.

"Daniel," Foci said, sounding concerned. "Do you really think it's a good idea sharing a bed with him? He has a girlfriend."

Daniel was suddenly reminded of the biggest boundary: Laura. "Well, he asked me to." Daniel whispered in a hiss. "Why should I have said no? It's not like anything's going to happen."

"Well..." Foci said hesitantly, trying to decide whether of not to interfere.

"What, are you going to tell me that he's bi? Faux Pas already told me that last night."

Foci visibly shuddered. "Did he say anything else?"

"Why, is there something else he should have told me?" Daniel asked with a light smile.

"Well... no I- it's just." Foci stammered. "It doesn't matter what my brother says. Don't listen to any of it. I could see him using this situation to make you do something really stupid."

"There is no situation." Daniel said quietly with cool resolution. "Tyler loves Laura and will most likely never even tell me that he's anything other than straight. And with those two facts in place, I'm uninterested in having anything other than a platonic friendship with him."

Foci eyed him with suspicion. "You speak very objectively, but it just seems like you'll be putting yourself in a breeding spot for temptation. Why not just get a sleeping bag or something?"

"I don't want to sleep in a sleeping bag until college."

Tyler exited his room and gave Daniel a quick wave goodbye. "Later!"

"Yeah, see ya!"

After the front door shut Foci groaned in defeat. "I'm just telling you; ignore whatever ideas Faux Pas comes up with. You have the chance to stay here with your best friend until you're back on your feet. Don't let that chance be ruined by a string of whims and bad choices."

"Yeah... I know." Daniel sighed. Now he sort of wished Faux Pas hadn't interfered. In all reality everything would have been simpler. But it didn't matter, because like he had said, there was no situation.

Daniel spent the rest of the evening applying online for different in-state colleges. Since his parents had never really explained the application process to him, he wasn't sure what to do so he asked Foci for assistance. Foci helped him navigate through all the different parts and told him which areas of the financial aid sections he should concern himself with. He felt optimistic after finding that he qualified for many different scholarships. At this rate he might only have to work to pay for gas and insurance. Grades were worth their weight in gold after all. He had found one school that he was particularly interested in: Monticello University. From what he could tell from reviews by former students and pictures on the school's website, the campus was beautiful. It was a private college, but it had a full ride scholarship that Daniel qualified for. It seemed like a good prospect.

Eventually Daniel had exhausted his list of potential schools and the evening faded into night. When his time was up, Foci bowed graciously to Daniel and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. A few seconds later, Faux Pas arrived in a burst of flame. "So did anything interesting happen while I was away?"

"Yes actually." Daniel replied calmly. "Tyler doesn't want me to sleep on the sofa anymore."

"So what, he wants you to join him in his bed?"

"That's right."

The unmasked portion of the black fox's face broke out into a devious grin. "That is interesting."

"Yes it is." Daniel replied nonchalantly

"He has a girlfriend yes?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I have an idea that I've employed many times in the past with strong results."

"Oh god, what?"

"Just give me the word, and I'll give his girlfriend a taste of my... heat." Faux Pas said, running his paws over his sculpted torso. "I can lure her into a typical affair. Then, in the end of it all, you'll have Tyler running to you; for support... and then... love." His pink tongue was out now and panting as he envisioned the results of his plan.

"That sounds terrible!" Daniel stated sounding affronted at the idea. "I'm not going to destroy my best friend's relationship just for the sake of what I want." But even as he said it, Daniel felt a thrill at the idea. The truth was he had always had the sneaking suspicion that Laura was a total whore. This was most likely because she had cheated on Tyler 5 months into their relationship, and he couldn't help but think she was still doing it. Tyler had found out what was going on, but like most people in love, he only wanted to hear her side of the story and had taken her back immediately after she had sworn it would never happen again. And that was why Daniel wouldn't do anything. Tyler was happy with Laura and it wasn't his position to take that happiness away; especially with another affair. Tyler would've been crushed. And yet , what if Laura was already screwing around with someone? Why not have Faux Pas do what he wanted and guarantee that Tyler find out sooner than later. Wouldn't that be for the best? And besides, even if Laura wasn't currently having an affair, if she started one with Faux Pas she would just as much at fault. It would be good for their relationship to end. Daniel looked over at Faux Pas. All he had to do was give him the word. With the combination of Faux Pas' sexy body, and Laura's inclination to be a whore, she and Tyler could be broken up at the end of the week. But then Daniel remembered what Foci had told him earlier. He didn't want to do anything that would be risky; especially on some whim, not when he had just gotten everything stabilized. He decided that for now it would be better to put aside all thoughts of using Faux Pas to interfere with Tyler's love life in any way.

"No Faux Pas, I have a better idea," Daniel's stomach suddenly growled, reinforcing an idea that he had just had. Until he could get a job, the only food he had was whatever he got for lunch in the school cafeteria. But now he was hungry for dinner. "I read somewhere that restaurants and grocery stores throw away a lot of extra food everyday. I want you to go out around town and find some really delicious food that's going to be thrown away and bring it here. That way, I can get something to eat, but Foci won't cry foul, because it'll all be food that was just going to be wasted anyway."

"How's left over food better than a steamy affair?" Faux Pas whined.

"It's better because it's simple. Unlike your plan."

Faux Pas grunted and folded his arms. "Fine then. Food. I'll have to make it interesting somehow. Otherwise I'm going to die of boredom."

"You can't die; you're a demon." Daniel replied, sounding like a parent who's grown tired of their child's complaining.

"Spoilsport." Faux Pas said, disappearing through the wall.

It didn't seem like very much time had passed at all before Faux Pas had returned with a small feast of free food. There was an entire large cheese pizza still in the box, a take out container full of Chinese still hot, a loaf of bread, and a bunch of slightly brown bananas.

"I don't think I need this much." Daniel said with an amazed expression.

"Then throw out what you can't finish. That's what was going to happen to it anyway. I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I just got a little of everything."

Daniel turned to his guardian with a beaming smile. "This is perfect Faux Pas. Thank you very much."

Faux Pas' body language suddenly seemed awkward. In his entire career of being a guardian, he had never been thanked for hardly anything; with the exception of course of the people his clients had told him to fuck. But this small sincere piece of gratitude threw him off and it took a few seconds for him to recover.

"Uh....yeah um, you're welcome." He said, bowing his head slightly.

Daniel finished the night eating way too much food and finishing some of the homework he had. After throwing away the leftovers in the dumpster outside, he returned to the apartment and got ready to sleep. He changed into a pair of silver basketball shorts and put on a white t-shirt and then stood there for a moment in Tyler's bedroom looking at the queen-sized bed. Tyler had splurged and gotten it once he had found out Daniel wouldn't be moving in with him.

Daniel ran a claw down the bed's length. He had decided he would claim the right side. It suddenly felt weird climbing into the bed. It wasn't his bed; it was someone else's. And that someone else would eventually be coming back. Daniel checked the clock on the nightstand. Tyler would be back a little after 4am. Then it would only be a couple hours later until Daniel would have to get ready for school. Daniel felt a little disappointed. What a small window. But still, maybe Tyler's shift would get changed eventually, or perhaps if he were able to get a job at Nature's Bounty they would have the same shift.

Faux Pas followed Daniel's gaze to the clock. "Why is it that you go to bed so early. You're a teenager. I thought all young people were nocturnal creatures."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I actually like being active in the early morning."

"Pffft. All the fun stuff happens at night. That's why I get you from evening to morning. But at this rate you're always going to be asleep."

Daniel was going to reply that maybe that would be for the better, but then at the last second decided to appeal to the demon. "Yeah but I'm going to sleeping with Tyler. You don't think that might be interesting?"

"I don't know, will it?" Faux Pas asked in a sly tone.

"Doubt it." Daniel replied switching off the light and turning in his covers.

In the darkness came a deep sigh. "Yeah... that's what I thought."

The room was still dark when the bedroom door creaked open, waking up Daniel. It didn't take very long before he had thrown off sleep completely and felt alert but he stayed in place with his eyes shut like he was still asleep. He heard Tyler go into the bathroom and then come back out and undress. The covers were suddenly disturbed and Daniel felt the warmness of Tyler's body as he eased into the space next to him. They weren't touching, but due to Tyler's large size there wasn't much extra room. Daniel tried to get to sleep but couldn't. He felt like he couldn't move without disturbing Tyler, who had quickly begun snoring softly. He tried to regulate his breathing but it just made him feel tenser. Eventually he checked the red glowing digits of the clock and saw that it was time to get up anyway. Daniel begrudgingly got out of bed and started his day.

The next few weeks were relatively uneventful. Daniel had tried to ask Foci about the after life and how he had become a guardian, but the fox had refused to answer. "I don't want to spoil the surprise." When he went to Faux Pas he was surprised to find that he was just as uninterested as his brother in giving any details. And then, "How I became a guardian is none of your damn business."

However Daniel did find out that he was perfectly incapable of sleeping while in the same bed as Tyler. He felt on edge being so close to someone that he couldn't touch. One night before shutting the lamp off for bed, Daniel finally decided that he had had enough.

"Faux Pas I'm having issues sleeping with Tyler. The moment he gets beneath the covers I can't relax."

"Yeah I've noticed. You just lay there so boringly. I always think you're going to do something interesting but you don't."

"I've already told you like a thousand times, I don't want to do any thing interesting with Tyler."

"Really? Then why can't you sleep?"

"Because the bed's too freaking small!"

Faux Pas laughed. "That's such a pathetic excuse. Please! You know what I think? You can't sleep because you so desperately want him to do something. Anything. But he doesn't so you just sit there."

"Shut up!" Daniel growled, suddenly angry. But then, an idea suddenly formed in his mind. It would fix his little problem and probably piss Faux Pas off too. All the better. "I need you to do something for me Faux Pas, a little interference."

"Oh really?"

"Can you make it so a person stays asleep all night and doesn't wake up even if they're disturbed?"

"Yes..." Faux Pas replied, liking where this was going.

"Good, then I need you to do that to me. That way Tyler won't wake me up in the morning anymore."

Faux Pas stood there silently for a moment and then burst out, "But whyyyy? What's the point of sharing a bed with that big piece of meat if you're asleep the entire time!?"

"Well if I keep losing sleep, it's going to start impacting my health and wellbeing and shit. As my guardian, you're supposed to protect me from that sort if thing right?

"Yeah, maybe..." Faux Pas seethed.

"Coolness."

"Are you sure? You could end up missing out on some fun."

"You're just sounding desperate now."

Faux Pas gritted his teeth. "Fine then. Have you're damn sleep!" He snapped his fingers and instantly Daniel's eyes lost focus and he slumped over in a restful slumber. Faux Pas stood over him and continued shouting, "Too bad you're asleep now. I was going to tell you a secret. YOUR FRIEND LAYS NEXT TO YOU EVERY NIGHT WITH A RAGING HARD ON! If you had rolled over just once you would have known that! Wait what's that?" he asked mockingly, cupping an ear in Daniel's direction. "Oh that's right, you're not awake because you don't like to have fun." Faux Pas reached over and shut off the room's lamp and continued to fume in the darkness.

Finally Daniel's acceptance letters began arriving in mail. He was pleased when he found out that he had received the full ride scholarship from Monticello University. It had been the college he had leaning towards. The only major problem with it was that it was only about a half hours drive from Columbia though it was technically in a different state. He had wanted to go somewhere further. But on the bright side he would still be able to visit Tyler if he went to community college. Both of his Guardians were equally pleased that Daniel had decided where he was going.

"Yay! I told you that was an excellent institution! And you won't go into debt with that scholarship. It's going to turn out great!"

" Monticello University? Sounds like a shitty museum or something. But still, college is a never ending kaleidoscope of alcohol, sex, and parties and I'm sure this place is no different. We are going to have so much fun when we get there kid!"

Tyler however, seemed startled at his friend's progress. "You've already decided which college you're going to? God I really need to take the ACT..."

The fact that Tyler still hadn't taken the ACT had begun to worry Daniel. He was still holding on to the dream of going to college with his best friend. But it was almost summer and there would only a few more chances to take the test before the new academic year. He prodded Tyler about it as much as he could without becoming annoying. Tyler always assured him that he would take it eventually.

However Daniel's worries for Tyler subsided as everything in his own life continued to fall into place. Spring finally turned into summer and he made everything official with Monticello University, got through graduation without a hitch, and Tyler succeeded in finding him a job at Nature's Bounty as a stocker. He had a really early shift that started at 4 in the morning and ended at 1 in the afternoon. That was the time the truck arrived each day and it was his job to unload it and rotate the merchandise. Tyler's shift had changed from 3 to 11pm, which Daniel couldn't believe at first. It meant that even though they both lived in the same apartment and worked at the same store, they would hardly ever see each other during the week. They even went to the gym at different times. Though they both had weekends off so that was a plus. But regardless of the weird hours, he was elated to have a job period. He quickly started saving for books and a new cell phone. His old one had been deactivated a few weeks after he had left his parent's.

Daniel was in such a good mood that he decided that he no longer wanted Faux Pas' assistance with his sleeping. It felt weird falling into an unnaturally deep sleep each night. He would wake up all at once, feeling completely disoriented. Besides, if he was ever going to find a mate, he was going to have to get used to sleeping in the same bed as another person. One night, he shared all this with Faux Pas.

"So then, you don't want me to put you to sleep anymore?" the demon's grin went ear to ear.

"Yeah, I think I'll fine on my own from now on."

Faux Pas exhaled as if he had been waiting an eternity for a breath of fresh air and had finally gotten it. "At last, now the game can begin."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Daniel demanded. But for the first time he could remember, Faux Pas refused to answer.

It was a warm summer night. Tyler stood outside his apartment and used a claw to sift through his keys until he found the right one. He unlocked the door and stepped into the dark quiet apartment. It had been another long day, but now it was the weekend and it was time to relax. He stepped into the apartment's only bedroom, where he could hear his friend, Daniel, snoring softly. When he came home Daniel was always asleep.

Tyler made his way to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth and stripped off his Nature's Bounty uniform. He stood in front of the mirror nude for a second, looking at his body. He was 290 pounds of pure muscle and proud of it. Though he generally strived to be humble, he couldn't help but love the way that people would stare at him wherever he went. At work, the gas station, a restaurant, it was always the same. There was always at least one person who couldn't keep their eyes off him. And even though Daniel always seemed platonic around him, he couldn't help but wonder if his friend was impressed by his body too.

Tyler returned to the bedroom where he fished his small silky black shorts out of a drawer. After slipping them on, he went over to the bed, where he grabbed the covers and pulled them back gently until they were down to Daniel's thighs. The room's single window was blinded, but Tyler could still see his friend's form in the light that was coming through. If there was something that Daniel seemed completely unaware about it was how good he looked. No he didn't have a heavily muscular build like Tyler, but still, his body was perfectly defined and his soft long fur always gave him a relaxed laid back look. But of course Daniel wasn't so laid back. That's why he never noticed people ogling him, because he was always too busy thinking.

Tyler smiled. Asleep, Daniel was even more unaware of how he looked. The Rottweiler laid down on the bed, with his chest, stomach, and groin already in contact with Daniel's backside. He found the Border Collie's tail and put between their bodies, stroking it softly. In the first few weeks that they had started sharing a bed, Tyler had been nervous about accidentally touching Daniel. But then, he found himself scooting as close as he possibly could hoping that his friend might roll into him, which of course he never did. It's not that he was scared that Daniel would be mad of course, but if Daniel had any suspicions about what he was up to, it would just mess everything up that he had going with Laura. How would he be able to explain it all?

But one night Tyler hadn't been able to help himself. He had slowly inched his leg over Daniel's body until the side of his knee was firmly between his friend's legs. He had felt a rush like never before when he felt the hardening cock against his knee. And the amazing thing was that Daniel didn't wake up. His snoring had continued uninterrupted and Tyler could tell that he wasn't fake sleeping. He discovered in the next few nights that Daniel was a freakishly deep sleeper his snores never wavering. Now, in the present moment, he felt much more confident about what he was doing.

Tyler moved the tail until it was draped over his waist so that he could get his body pressed against Daniel's even more. His right paw slid over Daniel's thigh and down the front of his shorts until he felt a nice lump slide into his pads. He used his fingers and claws to softly feel the outline of Daniel's balls and big cock, which was already hard. He turned his paw palm down and slowly ran it up the length of the member feeling it throb when he reached the head. It was dark and he had no perception of how big the shaft was in inches, but it felt bigger than his own. His paw then moved under Daniel's t-shirt, to his abs and chest, caressing them at first softly but then with more force.

Tyler now had his own hard-on in his tight shorts and was grinding it between Daniel's clothed ass cheeks in an instinctive humping motion. He pressed his muzzle against the back of his neck, deeply inhaling his scent. He didn't know why he was doing this to his best friend. There was no logical reason. He didn't want to think about why; it was too painful of a question. It just all came down to mindless burning instinct.

By this time, Tyler had almost enveloped Daniel's body with his own. He had wrapped his free arm under and around Daniel's torso into an embrace and had one leg under him and the other over. All the while the pace of his humping slowly increased until it was a constant fluid movement. The paw that he had been using to feel Daniel's muscles wavered for a moment and then slipped under the shorts waistband. The awaiting member was hot, throbbing, and covered with pre. He grabbed it with his paw and began rubbing up and down its length using the pre as a lubricant. Tyler began panting. His large body was tense and his mind was lost in a sexual stupor. All of his actions had become automatic and were being pulled into a faster rate by his desire for release. But it wasn't very long at all before Daniel uttered a quiet moan and Tyler found that his paw was being covered in warm liquid. Daniel cumming propelled Tyler into his own climax. He thrust his member into Daniel's clothed ass as hard as he could in synch with each pulse of the orgasm. The sharp sparks of pleasure that he felt made him cry out in a vulnerable way, like he was in pain. The sparks slowly receded and he licked the cum off of his right paw with a satisfied sigh. He turned partway onto his back and his legs and arm loosened. Daniel began sliding off his body but was held partially in place by the cock wedged up his ass cheeks. Tyler's breathing slowed. His mind was overcome by the afterglow and he quickly fell into a deep content sleep.

The next morning Daniel jumped out of bed and took a quick shower. After getting dressed he taped a note to the fridge saying, "Went to bookstore." Faux Pas hovered around his host reflecting his silence. He neither wore a frown nor a smile. He simply looked at Daniel with unblinking gold eyes.

Daniel got into his car and drove to a nearby park. It was a quarter 'til eight on a Saturday and the area was filled with early morning joggers, but it was a large park so he was easily able to find a secluded spot. He sat on top of a picnic table and folded his paws in front of his mouth. "I need to speak to both of you."

"Ah... we don't need to bring him-"

" Both. Please..."

The seriousness in Daniel's voice made Faux Pas pause and then sigh in defeat. "Very well..." He raised his paw and with a snap Foci appeared in a poof of white smoke looking slightly disoriented.

"It's a little early isn't it?" Then he observed at where they were and the expression on Daniel's face. "Uh-oh, is something wrong?"

" You're about to find out." Daniel replied. He then turned to Faux Pas. "So... about last night."

"How did it feel?" the black fox asked unceremoniously.

"It felt... amazing." Just thinking about it made Daniel drift off into a different time and space; a place where Tyler was caressing his body. "However," he added coming back to the present. " I couldn't help but feel a little violated."

"Why's that?" Faux Pas asked ignorantly.

"Because he obviously thought that I was fast asleep. And what's worse... is that I have been fast asleep every night for some time now. Thanks to you." Faux Pas opened his mouth to respond but Daniel cut him off. "How long has he been doing this in my sleep?"

"Oh... a couple weeks or so."

Daniel's face suddenly contorted in a flash of anger, "And why the HELL didn't you tell me?"

Faux Pas crossed his arms over his chest and answered coldly, "Oh but I did tell you. I knew that that rottie was having a hard time restraining himself around you. I told you that if you were asleep you might miss out on some fun. But you didn't listen."

The two of them glared at each other. Foci, who had now put all the pieces together, decided to intervene. " Well there's only one thing to do now."

"What?" They both exclaimed simultaneously.

Foci turned to Daniel. "You have to confront Tyler and tell him you were awake last night. If you want to try to start a relationship with him that's wonderful... but he's going to have to break up with his girlfriend first. And if he doesn't want to, then you need to move back to the sofa and stop thinking about him in that way. You can't let him take advantage of you."

"You're right, I can't." Daniel agreed. "But I don't know how willing he'll be to admit to the world that he's bi. He already knows how coming out worked for me."

"I don't know," Faux Pas muttered." The way he was groping you..."

"That doesn't matter." Foci interjected. "If he can't put all his focus on you then forget about him."

Daniel suddenly stood up on the bench with a look of resolve. "Okay then," he said. "That's what I'm going to do. I'll confront him right now."

Foci gave him a wink and thumbs up. "That's the stuff!" He then turned to Faux Pas. "I think you've done enough for today brother, bye-bye!" He blew a breath at Faux Pas, which made him extinguish like the flame of a blown out birthday candle. "Let's go!"

However when Daniel returned to the apartment, he was alarmed to hear the sound of laughter coming from inside. It was Laura's laughter. "God damn it! What is she doing here?" Daniel sighed. This was the worst thing that could have happened.

"It's okay. You're just going to have to wait until she leaves." Foci reassured him.

"She's such a pain in the ass." Daniel said, unlocking the door and walking in, a fake smile already on his muzzle.

"Hey have fun at the bookstore? You weren't gone that long." Tyler said, greeting him from the sofa. Laura, a white cat, laid next to him resting her head on his lap. He was still wearing just his shorts.

"Eh I was just browsing. I'm actually amazed that you're awake."

Laura flipped her head back on Tyler's lap until she was looking at Daniel upside down with her glassy blue eyes. "I decided to come over and give him... a little morning surprise." She purred. "I think he liked it."

"I think you know I did." Tyler chuckled. He bent over and their lips met for a second.

Daniel felt his stomach drop.

"We were just about to start round two, "Laura continued. "But that would be pretty awkward now. Unless you'd be interested being the guest star in a three way." She said, giving Daniel a sly look.

The room was completely silent until Laura started laughing loudly. "Look at him, he doesn't even know what to say! I was joking. Oh my god, are you blushing?"

Daniel wasn't sure how well a blush could show through his white and black fur, but his face suddenly felt hot. He absolutely hated talking to Laura. He never walked away without feeling embarrassed. She was the kind of person that had a gift for zeroing in on others' insecurities. With Daniel it was that he was a sheltered church kid with no experience with sex. And even though she believed he was straight, most of the stuff she said still bothered him. For some reason though, he always tried to be polite towards her, albeit in a way that was undiscernibly fake. "And here I thought your parents hated the idea of you being at your boyfriend's apartment."

Laura flipped over on Tyler's lap. "They do... when we're alone. But I told them how you're living here now and always around though I actually wasn't sure on your schedule (I thought you were working today, silly me!). And besides, they're pretty much convinced that Tyler isn't the type of guy that would act irresponsibly with their angel."

"Ah..." Daniel wanted to say something sarcastic and biting, but held it in.

Fortunately Tyler saved his friend by offering that they all watch TV. Daniel stole some pillows off of the sofa and laid on the floor. There was a marathon going on that day for a show Daniel and Laura liked and Tyler hadn't seen. Daniel was just relieved that it was a comedy. Watching anything else with Laura and Tyler might have devolved into the lowest level of Hell. But still, after about four episodes, Daniel began to hear the sound of soft kisses and rubbing fabrics from the love seat.

Laura suddenly laughed. "This must be so awkward for Daniel. He's probably not used to being around this sort of thing."

Daniel looked back at them. Laura was still draped over Tyler's lap. They both had that superior look on their faces that couples sometimes have. That look that says: Don't you wish you had this? At that second, Daniel hated both of them; He had just realized that both of the furs on the sofa were whores. How could Tyler feel so comfortable messing with his gay friend and then turn around and be like this with his girlfriend?

A few minutes later Tyler went to the bathroom and Daniel found himself alone with Laura during a commercial break. She didn't lose any time in making things awkward. "You do realize we did it on your bed right?" she said, alluding to the sofa. "Are you going to be able to sleep tonight, now that you know?"

"Probably not..."

Foci, who had been sitting cross-legged in his suit next to Daniel, glared at the white cat on the sofa. He was displeased at how uncomfortable she was making his client.

There was a stretch of silence.

"You know, I honestly don't know how a guy like you doesn't have a girlfriend. You're really good looking."

"Well thanks," he replied. "I've just been too busy for a relationship I guess."

"That's just so strange. Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like, you know, to have a relationship?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh really?" she said with her sly tone. "Then are you like totally turned on by seeing me and Tyler make out then? Admit it, you're a total perv."

"No, I'm honestly not turned on by that." He said flatly.

"Don't lie, you're blushing again."

Daniel didn't reply. He did feel embarrassed, but not for the reason Laura was thinking.

"You shouldn't get so weirded out about physical intimacy and stuff," she continued. "It's really the most natural part of a person. You just need to relax." Laura suddenly wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck, her paws resting over his chest. "See? You're not bursting into flames or anything. Doesn't it feel good to have someone touching you?"

Daniel's fur bristled at her touch. "You shouldn't do that." He said in a calm voice.

Laura slowly let go and laid back on the sofa. " Heehee you're such a good friend. You know, we should hang out more often. Maybe sometime I'll come over during the week and stay for a little while after Tyler goes to work."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? But before Daniel could figure it out, Tyler returned from the bathroom, cutting off the conversation.

A few episodes later, it was Daniel's turn to use the bathroom. But when he came back, the other two were gone and Tyler's bedroom door was closed. He crept up to the door and could here them in the midst of heavy foreplay. He sat on the love seat and turned the TV's volume up. Foci was perched on the armrest and gave Daniel a shoulder massage. "Wasn't that girl something else?" he said in Daniel's ear. "Her boyfriend was in the bathroom for five minutes and she already scheduled a play date with his best friend. You know, it's really a good thing you're gay. She seems to know how to get her way with men."

"Yeah that's for sure..." Daniel replied. The truth was he still felt conflicted inside. He felt the need to help his friend see Laura for who she really was. But he already knew that there was no way to win that battle. Laura would just need to be caught in the act of cheating or never get caught at all. And in the mean time Tyler seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, which was why, on the other paw, Daniel felt like forgetting the previous night altogether. "I think I'm going to be sleeping on the sofa from now on." He said listlessly to Foci.

"That's probably a good idea. Separate yourself from him now, there's no reason to play this game with him."

"Yeah..."

Daniel watched the TV in a daze, not really paying any attention to the show. He had been so excited at the prospect of maybe getting together with Tyler, and he couldn't believe how cruelly his ambitions had been shattered. He was completely lost in thought until hours later when the bedroom door opened again. The two lovers came out looking content. They gave each other a long goodbye kiss and then Laura left. She probably had to be home for dinner.

Tyler and Daniel spent the rest of the evening doing the things they normally did on Saturdays i.e. playing video games, surfing the web and being lazy. Neither one of them brought up the fact that Laura had even been there that day. Eventually, Tyler drifted into his bedroom and Daniel curled up into the sofa. Daniel felt a bit happier now. Foci had left parting with these words. "Don't worry Daniel, just give it some time and you're going to find the other half of you, I guarantee it. He's out there waiting." Tyler had been just one option and not a really good one. But there were plenty of others out there.

Tyler came back out into the living room. "What, are you going to crash out here?"

"Uh yeah, I'm not going to sleep in those dirty sheets."

Tyler laughed. "You realize we did it on the couch too, right?"

"I think I'll be fine right where I'm at."

"Well... okay then." Tyler returned to his bedroom thinking about how he would have to do the laundry the next day.

Faux Pas had been desperate to figure out what had been going on during his absence from the moment he had returned. When Tyler shut his door, the fox began questioning Daniel immediately.

"So you're back on the sofa huh kid, what did you say to him? He did it on the couch too? What did that mean? Tell me!"

Daniel explained how the afternoon had gone but at the end Faux Pas didn't seemed fazed at all. "Well of course he had sex with his girlfriend what did you expect? If you were his boyfriend he would've done the exact same thing with you."

"But I'm not his boyfriend, and I'm pretty sure that's just how it's going to be."

"But you don't know that. You haven't even tried to talk about it with him yet. He's not going to talk because he's nervous about admitting he's attracted to you. Don't you see? If you break the ice on all this everything will change in an instant. You just have to give him a little push in the right direction that's all. I mean, who is this Laura compared to you anyway? You've been his closest friend for years. If you make him choose, it's a guarantee that he'll pick you."

"There's no reason for me to worry about it. He seems pretty happy with the way things are."

"But he might be happier if there were a change. And more importantly, you would be so much happier. You know you love him and his body is amazing!"

"I can find someone else."

"Maybe, but that might be years away. Why not take a chance now while you have guardians to help you?" Faux Pas smiled and laid his ace on the table. "With us-with me , you won't even have to talk in order to get Tyler to choose you."

Daniel felt angry with himself for being interested but he couldn't help himself. "How exactly would that work?"

" Through sex. If you can have sex with him, he'll never go back to Laura. And I can help. One of the best powers of temptation I hold is to stimulate anyone I (or you) wish into a sexual frenzy. I can use any and all the senses to bend a person's will within seconds."

"That sounds a lot like taking the person's will away completely."

"No, it just... gets them in the right mood. Since Tyler can't see me, I would release pheromones into the air. You wouldn't be affected since you're my client."

"I don't think so Faux Pas, this sounds really weird and manipulative."

"You wouldn't have to do anything. You would just lie there in bed, and if he wants to, he'll come to you. You know I can't control people's choices. And if he starts getting physical with you, then you'll know what choice he's made."

"But he'd be doing something he wouldn't do otherwise..."

"Only because his fear is holding him back. The pheromones will just make him feel as comfortable as possible."

Faux Pas words kicked Daniel's imagination into high gear. Just the thought of Tyler being helpless with desire made him hard. And Faux Pas was right. As long as he had his guardians watching over, how bad could things possibly turn out? "Okay... sometime tomorrow ... we'll do it then. I'll talk to him and you can do your weird thing."

"Why not just get it over tonight?"

"Because the picture of him and Laura sitting together on this sofa is still too fresh in my mind."

"Well... okay. But if you're serious about this... then don't tell my brother about it."

Daniel sighed. If there was one major weakness about this whole guardian thing, it was that he could only have one brother at a time. Every time something happened, he would have to explain it to the brother that hadn't been there, and they were always trying to keep each other in the dark. "Fine... I won't tell him."

Faux Pas smiled until almost all of his sharp white fangs were showing. "Excellent."

The next day Daniel kept his promise and didn't mention anything to Foci. Tyler spent the day doing his laundry and then went over to his parent's place to help move some furniture around. At about four in the afternoon, Daniel asked Foci if he wouldn't mind giving Faux Pas an earlier shift that day. "He's just been really moody lately and I'm always asleep during his shift anyway, I mean we've hardly had anytime to connect guardian to- uh, you know, client."

For some reason, Foci found that combination of words agreeable. "You know, I think you're right. You have a strong light inside of you Daniel. You could end up being a really good influence on Faux Pas."

"Wait, you think that Faux Pas can be influenced for the better?" Daniel was astonished at the thought.

"My brother is one of the most powerful demons in existence, but he isn't as evil as he says he is. He became a guardian in order to restrain himself and that's why he's so bored all the time. But you could help him. Just make sure he doesn't influence you."

"Yeah..."

Foci promptly disappeared and was replaced by a gleeful Faux Pas. "Good job. Now that he's gone it should be smooth sailing from here on out. Where's Tyler?"

"He had to move some stuff for his parents, he should be back anytime; he wasn't going to stay there for dinner."

"Alright then, let's move to the bedroom shall we?"

Shortly afterward Tyler returned to the apartment. He was wearing a black tank top with jeans and work boots. Since he was pretty sure he wouldn't be going anywhere else that day, he decided to go change. But upon entering his bedroom, Tyler was surprised to see Daniel lying on his bed with nothing on but his basketball shorts. "We need to talk." He said signaling to the bed. "Why don't you sit for a sec?"

"Umm... okay." The moment Tyler had walked in the door he was hit with an intoxicating smell. The air was heavy with it. He kept breathing deeply and slowly through his nose, but the scent kept subtly changing making him want to inhale it even more. He sat cross-legged on the bed and looked Daniel in the eyes.

"Well I wasn't sure how I was going to say this, but I think I just need to be straightforward. The other night I was totally and completely awake when you came back from work."

It took Tyler a few moments to register what this meant. "You... you were awake... the whole time?...Fuck."

"Well not the whole time, just when you started stroking my tail all the way until the, um end. But then it occurred to me, that this had probably been going on for a while."

Tyler knew he was in deep shit but still gave an inward sigh of relief. It sounded like he really had been asleep all the other times. But still- "Dude I'm so sorry I just..."

"Listen, it's okay." Daniel said with a small smile. "It was just kind of a surprise that's all. Seriously I'm not mad or anything. But I do have a question for you."

"Okay what?" Tyler had begun to feel light headed. He kept getting lost in Daniel's eyes and he didn't know why. Sitting cross-legged was getting uncomfortable so he laid down on his side. Now he was close to Daniel's face. He was completely unaware that his jeans were tented.

Daniel was aware of it, but kept his eyes on Tyler's when he asked. "Would you be okay if I eventually returned the favor? Maybe even if it was just for the sake of revenge?"

"Revenge?..."

"Well yeah, I mean, you had your fun. Maybe I want to get even."

"Maybe... that could work." Tyler had a hard time keeping focus. He almost wanted to close his eyes so that he could focus on the scent, but he was completely transfixed by Daniel and couldn't look away from his body. His eyes flickered up and down his friend's torso. With every second that had passed he'd felt like more and more sexual electricity was coursing through every fiber of his body. And at this point the energy had reached a pleasurably constant buzz. His breathing became deeper and shallower as he became perfectly relaxed.

"You know something?" Daniel smiled at his friend whose mouth was now slightly ajar as his eyes wandered over his body. "I think it could work too." It was time to go in for the kill. He leaned in until his lips met Tyler's. It was the moment of truth; the point of no return. He didn't meet any resistance as his tongue explored the inside of his friend's maw. After a few stunned seconds, Tyler was returning the kiss just as strongly and their saliva covered tongues slid over and around one another. Daniel pushed Tyler onto his back and then pulled away smiling. "Just relax for a second we need to get you out of these clothes." He stood at the end of the bed in front of Tyler's size 14 work boots. He found that with a little pressure they slipped right off. The smell of socked foot paws filled Daniel's nostrils. They smelled dirty and sweaty, but in a good way. He grabbed the socks at the ankles and slid them off. Then he got on top of Tyler and undid his belt and jeans. He loved how, when he pulled the zipper down, it went right down the middle of the big bulge underneath. With that done he went back to the foot of the bed and pulled on the legs of the jeans. Tyler arched his body to get them down from his waist and Daniel was able to pull them off the rest of the way. Now Tyler was just laying there in his boxers and tank top. Daniel laid back on top of him and they resumed kissing, their members now rubbing against each other between the thin fabrics. Tyler took off his tank top himself. Seeing that his upper body was now exposed, Daniel couldn't help himself as he slid down a little ways until his head was against Tyler's chest. He began licking the nipple closest to him, which made Tyler shudder and moan. Tyler's bulge was now lying under Daniel's stomach and he could feel the entire length of the hardened cock against his bare fur. He slowly went further down, worshiping Tyler's muscles all the way. He stayed a little while at abs region. He licked slowly, making the muscles twitch out of sensitivity. Tyler squirmed a little and let out grunt-like gasps. Daniel finally zeroed in on the pubic hair underneath the belly button and made his way down the beckoning treasure trail until he hit fabric and Tyler's bulge was up against his chin.

At this moment, Daniel panicked on the inside. Everything up until now had been automatic, almost like a knee jerk reaction. But the truth was he didn't know where he wanted to go from here. In mid lick, Daniel looked up at his friend's face. The helpless Rottweiler was wearing a tired and content smile. His tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth panting. This was exactly how it was supposed to be, and yet it wasn't.

"Something wrong?" Tyler asked, noticing the break.

The question jarred Daniel back into the swing of things. There was one thing that wasn't going to get away from him now. "No... but I think it's time to take these bad boys off." He said, sliding his thumb claws under boxer's elastic band. Tyler didn't say anything, but arched his midsection again, with Daniel still on top, and slid the boxers off. And there it was. Tyler's throbbing member was completely exposed. Daniel looked at it for a long moment. He had never seen another guy's hard on before.; at least not outside of porn. The sight of it stimulated him more than anything else had up until that point. He gently grabbed the member with his right paw and held it there in his grip, slowly increasing the pressure of the hold. He didn't do this really to pleasure Tyler in anyway as much as he did it just to enjoy feeling the cock. It was so firm and warm. Daniel bent down and gave it a single lick from the base all the way to the tip where he tasted a little pre. He wanted more. He kept licking it slowly. Like the best tasting lollipop in the world, he wanted it to last forever. He opened his mouth wider and let it inside until the head reached the back of his throat. Then he receded until the head was against the tip of his tongue. He repeated this process again and again in a continuous bobbing motion.

Tyler began emitting sharp breaths that sounded a lot more vulnerable than Daniel would've expected from a guy his size. His legs spread out more and he began thrusting in unison with Daniel's dipping motions. "I... I'm... " Tyler couldn't finish what he was going to say. The euphoria of what he was feeling completely eclipsed his mind.

Suddenly, Daniel felt his mouth fill with hot liquid cum. Between the saliva and the new arrival, he almost gagged, but he succeeded in swallowing all of it down as it came. It tasted so salty; so delicious. He finished lapping the rest off and let out a satisfied sigh. He knew he was inexperienced at all this, but for the moment he was king of the fucking world. He looked to the side of the room where Faux Pas was floating and gave him a thumb up. The fox smiled beneath his mask and returned the gesture. "Good job kid. But you're not done yet. Make him yours."

He wasn't done yet? The plan had been pretty vague, but now, in the moment, Daniel didn't know if he really wanted to go that far with Tyler, at least not right now. As he had seen just a day ago, his friend was very committed to another person. And Daniel didn't want to be in a love triangle where Tyler got everything and he only got some of Tyler some of the time. If Daniel fucked Tyler now and Tyler still chose to keep his relationship with Laura, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Better to get the info before tying any knots.

Daniel slid up to Tyler until their faces were close. "Hey there. How'd that feel?"

"Pretty awesome..."

"Cool... so I think we need to talk."

"I thought that's what we were doin'."

Daniel laughed a little. "Yeah, well... it's just time to change subjects for a second. Now that I've gotten my revenge..."

Faux Pas peered over curiously.

"''Kay?"

"You've been physical lately with both Laura and me. Sooo I guess I was just wondering... when you're with me are you cheating on Laura, or are you just not that interested in her?"

Tyler, who was still heavily under the influence of the pheromones, wasn't afraid at all to say how he felt. "Dude... I love Laura... and love you too, you know, as a friend."

"But what does that mean? So you wouldn't be interested in ever having a relationship with me?"

Tyler paused for a moment. His eyes slowly cleared as he got a determined look on his face. "I'm not gay."

Daniel felt his heart withering. "Well if you're into both Laura and me then maybe you're somewhere in between yeah?"

Tyler rolled off the bed slowly and clutched his head like he had a migraine. "I just... don't think so." He put on his boxers and went for the door.

Faux Pas threw his arms in the air in alarm. "No no no! Don't let him leave the bedroom!"

But it was too late Tyler was already gone. Daniel followed and found him sitting on the sofa.

"We're done talking." Tyler growled. Now that he was breathing in the fresh air, his mind was returning to normal. All of the fears that had been numbed away were coming back.

"I don't get it, why is this a huge deal?"

"It is a huge deal and you don't get it. I like you Daniel, I really do. But you can't expect me to just go gay for you. I'm not going to throw away my life like that. I have a family, a girlfriend, and a future. I have responsibilities!"

Daniel was on the verge of crying. "You wouldn't be throwing away your life."

"Yeah I would be. Don't you know how people around here think about gay people? I would lose everything, my job, my respect...."

It was as if Tyler was completely unaware of who he was talking to. "I lost everything, but I'm still okay. I moved on. It doesn't matter what those stupid people think!"

Tyler stood up from the couch and shouted. "Those stupid people are my parents! I can't do what you did. I can't make that choice."

Now Daniel was angry. "I sure as hell hope you're not suggesting that I chose to be gay; that I chose to be disowned. No! I was so religious when I was younger; I hated myself for being gay. But eventually I realized that nothing was ever going to change; that that was just the way things were going to be. I don't know, maybe things are different for you; maybe you do have a choice. But I don't and I'm fine with that."

"Yeah, but don't you get it, you chose to come out! It doesn't matter what my feelings are, I'm not going there. So stop talking about it!"

"No! You think this can just be swept under the rug? That you can just forget about all of it?"

Tyler began getting red beneath his fur. A train wreck was now unavoidable. "I'm telling you, shut UP!"

"This is so stupid! I can't believe how you're-" Without a second's warning, Tyler lunged at Daniel with his teeth bared. I a sudden whirlwind Tyler was hurled across the room, slamming into the side of the love seat with bone crushing force. Faux Pas was standing in front of Daniel in a defensive pose. "That little shit thinks he can mess with my client does he? Daniel just give me the word, and I'll dispose of him properly."

Daniel was standing there in complete shock. He hadn't expected his friend to completely lose it like that. Tears were running freely down his face. "No... no Faux Pas, I think that was more than enough. Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll have some bruises, but he should be fine." The guardian growled.

"It's time to go." Choking down a sob, Daniel put on a shirt and his flip-flops and left the apartment.

It was a clear Sunday evening and the sun had just begun to set. Most of the furs in the city of Columbia were resting in anticipation of the next day, which for many would mark the beginning of another long workweek. However this wasn't the case with Daniel Hunter. Sitting on the ledge of the city's highest building, he didn't have much anticipation for the next day at all.

"I'm not going to jump." Daniel said to the two guardians hovering behind him.

"Well if you do, you're not going to get very far." Faux Pas said with his arms crossed.

"But why come to this place of all places?" Foci asked. "I don't like you sitting on the top of a building when you're feeling like this."

"It just seemed like an appropriate place to think, that's all. It's a nice view."

Foci grabbed Faux Pas by the scruff of the neck dragged him a little ways off. "Is your mask feeling tighter?" He hissed. "Look what you've done. You've succeeded in completely making a mess of everything. He's miserable now."

Faux Pas feared and respected only one person, his brother, but he still tried to smile as he said. "You know how it works, he made the choice, he did what he wanted to do, and I simply provided the means."

"But that's not true. You interfered right from the start in ways that you knew I wouldn't be able to fix. If you hadn't told Daniel about Tyler's feelings, none of this would've happened."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Daniel would never have wanted to share a bed with him if he had still thought he was straight. Don't lie to yourself you know it too. He would have just stayed on that sofa and all of this would have been avoided."

"Yeah well-"

"And another thing, Daniel seemed like he had reached his own conclusion the other night. But then you obviously messed with him until he changed his mind. I can't believe you used the pheromones on his friend!"

"But if it had worked everything would have been perfect!" Faux Pas half shouted in frustration. "It was all so close, I don't even know how it went wrong."

"And yet it did, didn't it? Don't you remember what happened to our last client? At this rate, you're going to be wearing that mask forever!"

Faux Pas looked down and mumbled. "Yeah well I kind of knew that when I first put it on..."

Foci let out a sigh and placed a paw on his brother's shoulder. "Look, I'm always going to be here for you," He said tapping his own mask. "But in the end, you're the only one that can fight you."

"It doesn't matter," Faux Pas muttered under his breath."... I have ruined everything."

There was a sudden noise and the two guardians turned their heads to see Daniel standing there facing them, listening. He walked closer to them and gave them a big hug. They looked at each other for a moment but then returned the hug, Faux Pas seeming a little uncomfortable.

"Everything's going to be just fine. It's time to leave the past in the past." Daniel said.

The three stood there a moment in tight embrace, no longer guardians and client, but close friends.

Suddenly Faux Pas broke away. "I just, eck, all that gushyness was starting to burn, sorry."

Daniel smiled. "Yeah, yeah, well you held out longer than I thought you would."

"Are you still feeling super crummy Daniel?" Foci asked timidly.

"Yeah... but it's not so bad. I'm glad college is starting soon. It's time to leave this place."

"What about Tyler?"

Daniel thought about it for a moment. "I don't blame him losing it. Maybe it was the pheromones or maybe it was just fear. But I'm not going to hold it against him. His fears are his problems. I'm feeling pretty bad for luring him into that position though; but whatever. I guess I'll be sleeping out on the stupid sofa until college. At least, I guess if he even lets me back into the apartment."

"Wait, you're going to go back?" Foci asked in disbelief.

"Regardless of what happened today, Tyler has still been my closest friend for a really long time. If I don't at least try to salvage that friendship, I know that I'll regret it forever."

Foci hugged Daniel again. "That's pretty fantastic. Remember that we'll be there to protect you if he pulls a fast one."

"And to pack your bags if he starts being an ass." Faux Pas added.

"Yeah I think that's why I'm brave enough to go back, because of you two."

"Um hello?" An unfamiliar voice asked from the stairwell.

Daniel turned and saw a brown female rabbit standing in the doorway. It was the hotel's receptionist.

"Sorry," she said. "I saw you walk in earlier and I- well I saw you before so this time I checked to see what floor you were going to... I guess, I was just making sure you weren't up here to do anything drastic."

"No I wasn't. I like the view I guess, and I needed somewhere to think about things."

"I know how that goes." She said with a small smile. "I wish I had a cool place to do that."

"Well hey, why not try this spot out. It would be really close to where you work, yeah?"

She laughed. "Yeah it totally would. But I'm going to be leaving to start college anyway and I don't think I'll be coming back here."

"Oh really, what college?"

"Monticello U."

"Are you serious? I'm starting there this semester too!"

After that, the two of them started a conversation that continued well into the night until they were fast friends. Her name was Molly and wanted to major in athletic training.

"But there's one thing I need to tell you." Daniel said eventually. "I'm gay."

Molly gave a giggle. "It's like you expected me to be pissed 'there's one thing I need to tell you'." She imitated. "I am completely awesome with that. My favorite cousin is gay. Though I am a little disappointed, but that's only because you're pretty cute!"

Daniel smiled. Fate was sort of a weird thing. Even though he guided his life with his own choices there would always be things that caught him by surprise. He looked back at his guardians that were hovering in the moonlight. But at least he knew that if any bad surprises appeared in the near future, he would have help from his guardians and friends.

To be continued...