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The Cohen Clover

Mason & Lark E

copyright comidacomida 2024

Having lived in the northern hemisphere on Land Earth, and having spent most of his time on Water Earth in the northern hemisphere, it had taken Mason by surprise so many weeks after he'd arrived on St Paul Island when fall gave way to Summer rather than Winter. He knew enough about the southern hemisphere to realize that the end-of-year holidays took place during the Summer, but it still felt weird every time he and Lark went outside from within a festive, temperature-controlled installation and into the warm coastal island weather.

His thoughts wandered to the beautiful sunrise that morning that he and his companion got to share. They were due to meet with Dr. Cohen and Mason had trouble sleeping, so he had that memory to comfort him as he sat in the small waiting room outside the administrative wing of the base. Fortunately he didn't have to wait long, which was fortunate, since Lark was back at their apartment by himself. Mason trusted him, but he also knew that Lark got antsy when left alone for too long.

Dr Cohen, as usual, was completey casual. Standing to greet Mason, the physicist gestured to a pair of padded armchairs; the good doctor had gotten rid of his desk since Mason's last visit. Taking a seat, the young man fidgeted, resting his palms on his knees before going to cross his arms, before finally crossing his legs at the ankles instead and resting his hands in his laps, fingers interlaced. "Good morning, Dr Cohen."

Taking a seat, the greeting was waved away dismissively. "Oh please, Mason; Nathan is just fine, thank you."

Mason offered his best impression of a calm smile. "Oh. Right. Good morning, Nathan."

The older man reached over to his book shelf and popped open a miniature fridge he kept there, taking out a caraf of orange juice. "Fruit juice? It's fresh."

Accepting the offered glass, Mason took a sip to give himself something to concentrate on aside from the meeting; it was assessment day. "So... about my review..."

Nathan cracked a wry grin. "Straight to business then?"

Despite the good natured humor evident in the expression and tone, Mason, nevertheless felt embarrassed at the comment. "Well... Lark is waiting for me back at our apartment, and he doesn't like to be alone."

Leaning forward, the Director's grin turned into a genuine smile. "I am so very pleased that he has so clearly taken to you. Everything I hear about his progress is nothing short of astounding."

Mason nodded, sitting up a little straighter; he was much more comfortable 'talking shop' with the Director than casual social interaction. "Definitely! His arm has completely healed at this point, and he's using it as if it had never been damaged."

Nathan winked. "I meant socially and educationally, but I'm also pleased to hear that his recovery is going well."

The young man found himself blushing again. "Oh... right. Yes. Lark is doing amazingly well and he's as eager as any standard Programme recruit I've ever met-- maybe even more eager. He's even pushing me to teach faster sometimes!"

Nathan's follow up chuckle was easy to join in on; there were some things that Mason was very proud of accomplishing, and having a junior student who was so eager to learn, and so driven to succeed at it made his job easier... most of the time. Unsurprisingly, the Director's next comment pulled the discussion right into the 'occasionally' period. "I understand he is still somewhat sensitive about pronunciation."

'Somewhat sensitive' was an understatement, but Mason attempted to downplay his partner's frustration. "He's doing significantly better, but a few sounds still give him trouble. He's figured out how to enunciate almost everything but 'm'."

Dr Cohen nodded thoughtfully; Mason had known the man long enough to realize that, although the Director didn't have a notepad or tablet with him, their discussion was definitely being tracked by Nathan's amazing mind. He focused on how astounding Nathan Cohen was just long enough for the Director to ask a question that completely blindsided him. "I read your report on the Rorsk-slash-Uhnyl social relationships among the Stewards..."

Mason's response was far more timid than he'd planned. "Y-yes, Sir?"

The older man took off his glasses and pulled a piece of cloth out of his shirt pocket. Looking down at them as he cleaned them, Nathan's next question was even more off-balancing. "And it is safe to say that the two of you share such an arrangement?"

Having approached the study of Steward sociology with an all-in devotion, Mason hadn't considered just how presenting that knowledge would make things look to someone so capable of reading between the lines. He knew, of course, that 'fraternization' within the Unity Programme was not unheard of and, in fact, the Programme seemed to take that in stride, but he still felt a little like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Unwilling to lie, Mason jumped straight into it. "Yes, sir."

The next ten minutes were spent discussing generalities of their relationship without getting into too much detail. He was honest and open about their friendship as well as the intimacy, both physical and emotional. Mason explained the importance of closeness among the Stewards and how, unlike the Seekers, the tribal Oolau built up personal, filial, and tribal bonds more than subscribing to the civic and municipal relationships common among the settled people of the Stewards. The young man concluded with a personal statement. "Since Lark spends little to no time with anyone here except for me, I'm his... well..."

Nathan smiled. "His everything."

Mason found himself smiling at the sympathetic way in which the Director spoke the words. "He's giving learning his all-- and I'm giving him my all. To be honest, Sir, I really like being this close to Lark. He's... he's amazing."

The older man nodded, putting his glasses back on. "And, based on your understanding of Oolau, Seeker AND Steward, do you think that Lark feels the same way?"

It wasn't the first time Mason had considered the question since he thought about it often; it was the first time someone else raised it though. "To be honest? I don't know, Doct-- Nathan. He seems to care about me, and he's admittedly less obliging and submissive than what he tells me an Uhnil is supposed to be but, then again, I suppose I'm not as overbearing and controlling as a Rorsk ought to be."

Nathan's smile returned again, albeit, a little more reserved. "So you're not exactly Rorsk and Uhnyl?"

Mason shrugged. "I think it was a comfortable way for him to start? I dunno, to be honest. I-- I mean, I'm still his teacher and he's still my student. I'm the master and he's the apprentice so, maybe? But it's different too. We teach each other. We both learn. I... I'm not sure what it is... but I..." he felt himself begin to blush. "...but I like it."

The Director nodded. "And what about Lark? How does Lark feel about all of this?"

The young man fidgeted, lacing his fingers together again before parting his hands and rubbing his palms on either of his legs. "I'm not really sure. He... he SEEMS happy."

Cocking his head to the side ever-so-slightly, Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should ask him."

It was an obvious statement and, as far as scholastics went, it was an obvious suggestion, but it was anything but an easy ask considering the interpersonal nature of the relationship that Mason and Lark had cultivated. Still, the Director had a point, and Mason couldn't fault him for it. "True... y-yes. Right."

After that statement Nathan immediately shifted gears and moved things right back into a more official and impersonal direction, making things much easier for Mason to address. They briefly discussed Lark's progress on Land Earth comprehension, basic knowledge of geography and introduction to geopolitics. Mason confirmed that Lark was simultaneously learning English, French and Spanish. The Oolau was especially interested in reading, and did so whenever he had a chance; the Wolf had a great interest in physical sciences and especially enjoyed reading sociology and philosophy books, though he still needed some help with more complicated words.

As the reporting slowly wound down, Nathan finally picked up a data pad from its place on the book shelf; the Director almost never used data pads, and it caught Mason's attention immediately. Even as he deftly began to drag his fingers across the screen, Nathan spoke. "Well, based on the successes you've reported, and the obvious eagerness Lark has to learn, I believe our next step will be to begin the slow integration into the base population."

Mason thought he caught everything Nathan was saying, but when it all added up, the young man thought he may have misheard; was the Director suggesting that Lark finally be given free reign. "Sir?"

Nathan offered a smile. "I think Lark may be an excellent candidate to join the Unity Programme officially."

Although it was what the two had been working towards, Mason had no idea that the goal was so close to being achieved. His brain went blank after that and he was on autopilot as Nathan worked through some of the logistics with him. Mason coasted through the rest of the meeting, silently screaming inside at the amazing news, tempered only by the knowledge that, after the new year, Lark would have a cognitive, scholastic, and applied test to confirm his place in the Programme; after that, Mason would also become a formal instructor. The young man very nearly fainted.

* * * * *

As usual, Lark was quick to gauge the 'why' of events around him. "He chose to tell you this tonight because it would be a good holiday present?"

Mason didn't agree. "He told me today because you've worked so hard and you deserve it!"

Although it was technically Christmas Eve, and Lark had been learning about presents, the Human was quite sure that his Oolau companion was connecting dots that didn't exist. The Wolf, however, didn't relent. "He could have spoken with you at any time. He scheduled this meeting for today; I think this is a Christnas gift."

Mason was willing to split the difference. "Presents are usually given without limitations or requirements, Lark. Maybe he scheduled it as an early Christmas present, sure... but we've worked really hard; you deserve this."

The Wolf took a seat opposite him at the table. "You have also worked hard, Nason. You deserve this as well."

Smiling, Mason went to the kitchen to get some cups, which he filled with water, and then returned to the table to join his companion. "Fine... WE deserve this... but there's still the testing we'll be doing, which means we can't stop working to improve... okay?"

Lark's tail began wagging through the open back of the chair. "Ah'awoo."

The Oolau slid a pack of flash cards over to Mason. Glancing down at them, the Human quirked an eyebrow. "Pronunciation, huh?"

The Wolf offered a succinct, severe head nod, following it up with a statement spoken with conviction. "If I am going to be in the Unity Progranne I want to speak right."

Mason smirked. "You're geting a lot better with your 'P's."

Lark snorted. "I want to be better with everything... I should start speaking English all the time now." And, as if to reaffirm his decision, the Wolf switched out of his native tongue, changing to English. "I an ready to start when you are, Nason."

Looking down at the collection of cards in his hands, Mason realized that they were the ones he'd been using to teach Lark about holidays; it was thematically suitable for the time of the year. Considering how much the Oolau was interested in sociology it made sense and, doubly-considering Christmas was less than 12 hours away, he relented, and they got straight into the lesson. Mason flipped the first card, revealing a snowflake. Lark didn't hesitate. "Snow."

Smiling, Mason turned over the next one, showing a family sitting in a living room together, lounging and doing various recreational tasks. The Wolf went for it. "Thaycation."

The Human nodded. "Vacation. Good. Try the 'V' sound again.

It took Lark three tries but eventually he managed it. "Vay-cation."

Mason nodded. "Excellent! One more time."

The Wolf's tail beat out a steady rhythm, hitting either of the two bars holding the back-support up on the back of his chair. "Vacation."

It was a small victory, but they were able to celebrate it. The next card, however, included Lark's most hated enemy. The card was 'Christmas'.

Lark's brow furrowed. "Christnus. Christnas.... NNNnas. Christnas."

Mason was as patient as always. "Try again."

Lark, as usual, became frustated before too long. "Christnas. Christnas. Christnnnnnas."

It was becoming apparent that, as their lessons progressed, the Oolau's displeasure in himself was growing so the Human set the course work aside. "Let's not worry about pronunciations for now. I'd like to spend some time focusing on the sociological side of the Human western culture holiday season."

The Wolf just grumbled, obviously grumpy at his continued inability. "Like Christnas..."

Mason tried not to smile. "Yes, Lark... like Christmas. Or Hanukkah. Try that one."

Lark stared at him, clearly enunciating the word. "Hanukkah. That one is easy."

The Human didn't relent. "Kwanza?"

The Wolf continued staring, practically challenging him with the response. "Kwanza."

The young man decided to go in for the kill. "Bodhi Day."

Lark flicked an ear. Although he still spoke in English, the Oolau's tone grew a little more accusatory. "You know I cannot say that, Nason."

Mason stared right back. "Bodhi Day."

The Wolf grumbled. "Dodhi Day."

"Yule."

Despite the fact that Lark was wearing a frown, Mason heard the tell-tale give away of his tail thwapping against the backing of his chair. "Yule."

The Human continued. "Boxing Day."

Lark's tail picked up. "Ha! That is a trick! Doxing Day is not a real Holiday, Nason! Garret said that Doxing Day isn't celedrated in Anerica."

He appreciated his student analyzing his instruction, and he anticipated an objection of the sort-- ever since Garret had started taking an interest in proving some guidance to Lark there were occasional incorrect bits of information involved. "It isn't recognized as an official holiday in the Untied States, but 'America' is a lot more than just the USA... there's also Canada in North America, and there's Central and South America-- which include a LOT more countries. Do you think some of THEM might celebrate Boxing Day as an official holiday?"

The Wolf's belligerent statement obviously identified that he didn't believe it. "No. None of then celedrate Doxing Day."

Mason smirked. "I'm sure King George would be unhappy to hear that part of the Commonwealth decided to retire such a long-standing tradition."

As usual, Lark changed the topic, sliding one of his side-thoughts to the forefront. "Hunans have so nany nations... Oolau only have two."

The young man knew that Lark was right, of course, presuming the Seekers and the Stewards could be called 'nations', but that wasn't helpful to his lesson in the moment. "Would you like to review the different countries of the Americas?"

The Oolau snorted. "Yes, Nason... we should review the Anerica countries."

The next two hours were spent doing just that. They'd originally started with flash cards after dinner so it was plenty late at night by the time Lark had become too frustrated, meaning that, as Mason was concluding the spelling and pronunciation of Chile, midnight had come and gone. He decided to conclude things on a high note. "You did really well tonight, Lark... you got almost all of them."

Lark offered a succinct nod of his head; the Oolau was learning more Human non-verbal gestures and he took to them quickly. "Nost of then were easy to say... Not nany Dees or Ens or Fees."

Mason had spent enough time with the Wolf to hear things clearly. "We'll continue to work on your B's, M's, and P's, Lark. You'll get them eventually."

Letting out a long sigh, Lark stood up, stepping away from the table before arching his back, leaning backwards in his usually limber manner; Mason heard two distinct pops. The Wolf's tail began languidly wagging left to right once again. "You are a good teacher, Nason. Just continue teaching and I will continue learning."

The human smiled. "Deal."

Both of them retreated to the bathroom so they could get ready for bed. Mason started brushing his teeth while Lark did his nightly ritual, doffing his clothes before urinating. He ultimately stepped up beside the Human as they had started doing regularly. Lark met his gaze in the mirror, the Wolf's ears reddening ever so slightly, and he leaned to the side, bumping Mason. Smiling, Mason bumped him back, causing the Oolau's tail to start wagging.

Finishing up with brushing, Mason headed back toward the living room; he wasn't the least bit surprised when Lark latched onto his hand with his paw, following after him. The two had grown even closer in the past weeks and, rather than the livingroom, they continued onward to Mason's bedroom. Clamoring up onto the bed, the Human smiled as his companion climbed up after him, laying his large body down against the young man's. Lark carefully chose his words in English. "I worked hard tonight, Nason."

Mason smiled. "Yes... you did."

The Wolf grinned, tail wagging against the mattress as he leaned even closer. "Will you sleef naked with ne tonight?"

The Human leaned up and licked the Oolau's nose. "I suppose so... but I'm not even in bed yet."

Lark let out a soft growl; a nose lick was always a great way to rile him up. The Wolf's next words were spoken carefully and deliberately in English. "Cone here and take your clothes off, Nason."

Smirking, Mason began to slowly do so. "Well... I know a certain Uhnyl who is getting uppity with his Rorsk. Maybe I--"

The massive Wolf silenced him with a kiss; Lark was getting a lot better with them. Choosing to celebrate his companion's initiative, Mason let the Wolf have his way and he began undressing. It wasn't fast enough, however, and Lark started helping. That continued until they were both completely naked. Smiling, the Human announced "It's less than an hour 'til midnight... that means Christmas is right around the corner, Lark. Are you sure you don't want to wait to unwrap me?"

Eyes gleaming in the darkness, the Wolf gazed down at him, ears quirked up. "It is close enough. Nerry Christnas."

Grinning mischievously, Mason slid his hand down the Oolau's muscular frame, fingers slipping through abdominal fur and grazing past pubic fur until he cupped Lark's generously sized sac, caressing it gently. "Merry Christmas, Lark."

As expected, his fingers made all the difference. "Mmmmmmerrry Christmmmas... Mmmason."

Having taken initiative over the situation, Mason leaned over, kissing his companion on his furred shoulder, but the Oolau, not to be outdone, turned to him and bent over so muzzle could touch mouth. Lark's thin, black lips were not made for kissing, but the young Wolf was more than willing to give it his best try; as had become the norm, he eventually transitioned to licking and, before long, his tongue ended up in the Human's mouth.

Lark pulled Mason even closer, paw on the Human's hip while the other one crossed the young man's arm to find its way to Mason's groin, enveloping his erection and testicles entirely before rubbing against the Human's member with a paw pad. Almost losing himself to the sensation, he ended up moaning into his companion's muzzle, and the sound was consumed almost as greedily as Lark's tongue lapped at the back of his throat. Mason had become used to getting overpowered and, despite being the "Rorsk in the relationship" he had to admit that he liked the usually meek and reserved Wolf taking charge-- he liked it a lot.

Ever since their first night of intimacy, the two had taken to exploring their physical relationship further. It was someone hesitant and 'polite' at first but, as soon as Mason started to feel a little more free with what he touched where on Lark, and the Wolf took that as permission to do likewise, there was a much freer sensation of being close, both emotionally and physically. Mason was starting to understand his roommate's body even more, better able to read what was going on with Lark as his erection began to spurt precum, or the way the ridges and grooves of the furless flesh firmed up as he drew nearer to his release.

Suddenly realizing just how quickly Lark was reaching that threshhold, the Human eased up on his stimulation. Having spent the last three nights obsessively preparing for the meeting with Dr Cohen, the two hadn't really gotten up to anything, and it was obvious that Lark was a little pent up; it was all the more evident when the Wolf let out a frustrated growl and began thrusting up into the Human's stalled grasp even while grinding his own paw against Mason's sensitive member; the young man wasn't far off himself, but he wasn't ready-- not at that moment, at least.

Pulling away, Mason gestured with a motion of his hand, reinforcing it with a simple statement in English. "Lay back on the bed."

Rather than demand answers or object to the lack of continued mutual masturbation, Lark did as directed, though the faintest sound of a soft, plantive whine accompanied the compliance. Mason smiled, gently patting his companion on his thigh. "It's alright, Lark... I have a feeling you'll enjoy this a lot."

Letting out a long, shaky breath, Lark slid one of his arms behind his head to prop it up, the other gingerly scratching at his furred belly. "Ah'awoo."

As Mason climbed up to join Lark on the bed the Wolf obediently raised his legs and pulled his tail to the side, quite obviously expecting the Human to mount him, but the young man took gentle hold of one of the Oolau's legs and brought it back to the mattress. "I had something else in mind, Lark... do you mind?"

Although the quizzical gaze from the Wolf also held what looked like a hint of impatience, the Oolau responded calmly and complacently. "Ah'awoo."

Gently caressing either of his roommate's thighs, Mason settled himself on the mattress between the Wolf's legs, sliding his hands further up until they were on both sides of Lark's hips, then ran his fingers through the Oolau's thick abdomen fur, followed up by his sternum, and back down his belly; Lark's leg twitched several times, almost threatening to kick. Although Mason's heart was beating in his chest and his erection ached with reserved restraint, he had to know something for certain. "Lark?"

The Wolf's eyes glimmered in the dim light of the bedroom. "Nason?"

Mason felt his cheeks tingle in a blush. "I... like you a lot."

Lark's head rotated slightly, cocking to the side like a four legged dog's. "That... is a good thing. I like you too, Nason."

The Human swallowed a faint tightness in his throat as his chest constricted with his next statement. "As... a Rorsk?"

The Oolau blinked, ears up as he gazed down his body at the Human between his legs. "Yes. Dut also as a herson, and a friend. Why?"

Mason was pleased to hear the statement, and he gently began to draw his hands inward, fingers trailing slowly through Lark's groin fur before one slid down to cup the Wolf's furred sac, the other going to gingerly toy at Lark's mostly withdrawn sheath. "I... just don't want to think that you're only letting me touch you because I'm your Rorsk."

A soft, rumbling laugh emerged from deep within the Wolf's chest. "If I did not want you touching ne, Nason, you would not de touching ne. Even if I said yes dut did not nean it, I know you would not do it."

The Human was further encouraged. "Good... I like touching you, but I'd hate myself if I knew you didn't like--"

The Wolf growled with a little more force, a smile on his muzzle. "I do like it. I like it a lot, Nason... dut I do not like it when you nake ne wait."

Blushing again, and feeling a little silly about interrupting their intimacy just to reassure his own hesitation, Mason just nodded, going back to coddling his companion's privates before sliding his hand up and down the twitching, eager pole in his grasp. "Oh... right."

Lark released a pleased rumble. "Yes... that is good... very good, Mmmason..."

It was quite likely that the Wolf didn't realize in the moment that he'd once again said Mason's name correctly, but the Human didn't miss it. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself... I like this too."

The Oolau licked his muzzle, gazing hungrily at the Human. "You can mmmount mmme... if you want... or just keef doing this... I like this a lot."

Smiling, Mason shook his head slowly. "I... want to try something else tonight, if you're okay with it, I mean."

The Wolf slowly laid his head back down and, gazing toward the ceiling, let out a content sigh. "I trust you, Mmmmason... we can do anything, as long as it is together."

There was something so relaxed and casual about Lark most of the time, and it brought Mason no small amount of comfort. The Wolf rarely reacted in any strong way, even in the case of surprises. The moment Mason's lips slipped down around the Oolou's erection, however, Lark's response was immediate as his hips all but shot forward and a wordless howl of elation cut through the relative silence of the room. It wasn't a howl of completion; it was one hinting that they were just getting started.