Summersong
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story contains scenes that involve sexual activity that takes place between underaged fictional characters. This in no way is meant to condone pederasty or pedophilia. The characters of Alika (Alk) and Schrodi are based on characters played by their creators on the Tapestries furry MUCK. For extended Author's Notes, please click here. Don't be a litterbug at the beach or anywhere else. Pick up after yourself, for crying out loud!
I ask you, is there a more perfectly summery sensation than cruising in a convertible with the top down, the sun and wind streaming through your fur, good music blasting on the stereo, and a beautiful girl by your side? I don't think there is, although at the moment I could definately accept a less-summery sensation as a tradeoff for not hurtling rocket-like down the highway at a velocity that can't be accurately measured by the speedometer. I swear to Pardus, I glanced over at the dash a few seconds ago and the little red needle had passed all the numbers and was lodged on "HOLY SHIT, Y'ALL GONNA DIE."
My girlfriend, Alika, has something of a lead foot. And she finds my fear amusing. "It's so cute the way your knuckles turn whiter the faster I go," she laughs, suddenly changing four lanes at a time.
"Will you please not do stuff like that?" I holler, sinking down into the seat, digging my heels into the floor panel, my grip on the door-handle growing steadily tighter. "You're gonna make me go--"
"What? Grayer?"
"I was gonna say bright white, with yellow stains. But you get the idea." Cars pass by us in a Monet-esque blur. Looking back, they seem to be standing still, frozen in time compared to us. I wonder if it's my own imagination that the cars are darkening in hue, entering blue shift as we approach the speed of light. I can feel my teeth vibrate. That tightness on my leg would be my tail, which has wrapped around it several times and is constricting my own ankle out of fear like a boa constrictor clinging to a log that's going over a waterfall. "Could you slow down maybe a LITTLE?"
"Schrodi, relax," says Alika, grinning as she executes a passing maneuver that would make most Formula 1 racers a little queasy. "I've never gotten a ticket in my life."
"Neither will I, at this rate. Hard to drive when you're dead. You're not even wearing your seatbelt!"
"Just sit back and enjoy the ride...as usual, I have everything under control." Indeed, that smile on her face is certainly familiar. I've never known a girl like Alika before--confident, smart, sexy and sweet; a passionate lover of life. What makes her even more surprising is that, under her clothes and the false curves is a male body; and yet she always exudes a purely feminine vibe. It's not just the clothes and the padding that make her female, it's her entire personality. She's my fearless, vibrant tigress, and I'm her nervous-but-game kitty. "We're making great time! And I want a good spot on the beach. I don't want to have to step over a bunch of families with screaming cubs just to lay down my towel!"
"Okay, I hear you, but could you at least take it a little easier once we take the turn-off to Route 7?"
Almost as soon as I say that, the turn-off to Route 7 looms in the windshield. Before I can say "dammit, we missed the turn!" Alika yanks the steering wheel hard to the right, and then the left, pulling off a four-wheel multi-track drift. The car serpentines down the offramp, leaving a purplish stink cloud of burnt rubber in our wake. I clap both hands over my eyes and begin muttering, "I must not fear, fear is the mind-killer, fear is the little death that brings total obliteration..." I can hear Alika let out a victory yowl.
By the time I open my eyes again, we've just passed the sign that says "Welcome to Bewlay Beach."
The bright summer sun glistens like scattered jewels on the pure blue water, which rushes up to wrap itself around the pale white sand of the beach. There's a strong breeze and no clouds to speak of--it's the perfect day to be at the beach, and we're nice and early; only a scattering of families and sun-lovers have set up in the sand. Alika and I get our things out of the trunk. "Are you sure you won't reconsider?" she asks me, pulling out her bag. "You looked so cute in it last night!"
"Honestly, Alika, I thought about it," I say, tucking my towel under my arm. "And I just don't want to take the risk. I feel like I couldn't hide myself."
"What, are you kidding? The bloomers totally squish you down there! You could hide a zucchini in them if you wanted to."
"That's not th--okay, so that's sort of the point." I chuckle, brushing Alika's long hair out of her eyes. "I appreciate that you bought that swimsuit special for me, and I wanna wear it for you--but not today. As much as I love dressing girly with you, I'm always afraid in the back of my mind I'm going to get found out. It's different when we're at the clubs and stuff, I feel pretty safe there 'cause I know we're in good company. But at the beach?...not so much." I gesture down at my baggy trunks, flip-flops and tank-top. "Today, I just wanna wear guy stuff and relax, and not have to worry about tripping in my heels or my hose running or my lipstick smearing or...having to explain away gender-inappropriate bulges."
Alika shrugs. "Suit yourself, babe. You really don't know what you're missing." My tigress tosses out her long, ash-silver hair, unbuttons her blouse and slides her cut-offs down her lean, muscular legs; revealing her swimsuit--a white one-piece that displays all her curves, cut low in the back, closed at the neck but with a diamond-shaped peek-a-boo cutaway over the stomach. Her breastforms give the illusion of a statuesque bust, and the swimsuit is specially designed to keep them looking as realistic as possible. She curls her long, charcoal-striped tail over one leg in a coquettish manner. "How do I look?"
I let out a low whistle, shaking my head appreciatively. "You are going to turn heads, my love. I'm going to have to beat the guys away with a baseball bat."
Alika stretches and smirks. "Don't be silly! You'll need something bigger than that. Maybe a telephone pole." For a second, she looks unsure. "Um...did I shift? Do I have to..."
"No, no, everything looks fine, looks like it's where it needs to be." Looking her over, I steal a glance at her crotch--its smooth, practically-feminine appearance is certainly pleasing to the eye, but inwardly I shudder, thinking about what she had to go through to make it look that way. "I still can't believe you went the whole nine yards with tape and everything."
She reprimands me with a waggling finger. "Listen, kiddo, don't disrespect my methods. Tucking is an artform. One of these days, you'll be begging me to teach you."
I pull my longish headfur back into my ballcap. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass on that..."
She and I find a nice spot about halfway down the beach, close to the cliffs. We spread our towels on the hot sand and recline together, relaxing in the sun. "So, you gonna do any swimming today?" I ask.
Alika has put on her sunglasses and is spritzing her exposed fur with sunscreen-mist, tilting one long, limber leg up so I can see her toes wiggle. "Maybe. I don't know how well this suit will hold up if I dunk it in the ocean. The manufacturer's notes weren't clear on that. Either way, I'm more of a sun kitty than a surf kitty--I'm here to soak up some rays with my sweetheart, read a trashy crime novel, and gawk at an endless procession of good-looking furs wearing next to nothing. How about you?"
I laugh. "Oh, I probably will get some swimming in later on, I love the ocean. For the moment, though, I think I need to nap off the effects of the drive up. The sun will do me some good..." I lay back for a moment and close my eyes--and suddenly, it's night-time. The warmth of the sun has gone, replaced with darkness and cold. "Uh?" I open my eyes again, only to see that two massive monoliths have landed on the beach, blocking out the sun and casting me into shadow. I blink a couple of times, and the shape of the monoliths have resolved into two massive figures standing over me. One of them says "'sup?"
"Er...hi?" I say, sitting up. The monolith twins are actually a pair of beefy, shirtless guys, frat-boys by the looks of them; a lion and a dobie. And it becomes pretty obvious that they're not actually talking to me.
"Hey baby, what's your name?" says the doberman with an "look-at-me-I'm-hot-shit" head-toss, ostensibly to my girlfriend. "You wanna party?"
She pulls down her sunglasses a tiny bit, resting them lower on her muzzle, flashing those green-on-silver eyes and batting her long, dark lashes. (And she calls ME an incorrigible flirt. Sheesh!) "Alika," she says to the dobie, "and that depends on what kind of party you're having."
He snorts. "The best kind of party! The kind that has you and me in it." I roll my eyes.
The lion speaks up. "Don't mind him, miss, he hasn't had enough to drink yet. My name's Marco, this wild dog is Tarma." He nudges the dobie in the ribs, eliciting a chuckle. "We're getting together a volleyball game a ways down the beach. You wanna come play with us?"
Alika hmms and shrugs. "Sure, sounds like fun. Where's the net set up?"
Marco stabs a thumb behind him. "Over by the pier. We gotta grill going, and my cousin's bringing a keg. What'cha say?"
Alika puts her book down. "I'm not too fond of beer, but I'll come play a couple games. My boyfriend's invited, right?"
The dobie grins. "Sure, that's cool with us. Is he, like, out getting you ice cream or somethin'?"
Marco leans down and gets a look at me. "Hey Alika, I think it's real cool that you brought your little brother out with you. 'Sup little man? You stayin' out of trouble?" He offers his fist to me in some sort of International Asshole Club secret handshake gesture. I just stare at him, not sure what to say.
"Uhm...Marco, this is my boyfriend, Schrodi." Alika sits up and puts her arm around me. I'm embarassed, but vindicated. I look at his proffered fist, then flick my eyes up to the lion. "Hi," I say in a voice that I hope is dripping with venom and sarcasm but which comes out in a dry cough, and all my intonation is lost. I could probably use a soda or something.
Marco straightens up and pulls his hand away. "Oh, hey, uh, hi. Sorry about that, dude." He winces, running his hand through his mane as I hear Tarma cough-mutter "could've fooled me..." Marco smiles, showing off his perfect predator's teeth. (Must have cost his parents a fortune in dental work. That's right, I went there.) "But yeah, he's invited, no problem."
"Good. We'll meet you over there in a few minutes." Marco and Tarma leave, and Alika squeezes my shoulder. "Sorry about that, babe. They don't know you like I do."
"Yeah, they think I'm ten years old," I grumble. "Well, thanks for sticking up for me, anyway..." She stands up and tosses her book back in her bag. "Um. What are you doing?"
Alika rolls her neck and stretches. "I'm gonna go play some volleyball. I've been getting out of shape this summer, a little sweat will do me some good. I'll relax better that way!"
I furrow my brow. "Seriously? First off, those guys are total jerks and I can't believe you're taking them up on their invitation. Secondly, are you sure you can pull that off all that bouncing and stuff? What if you, you know, shift around?"
"Second answer first," said Alika, doing side bends, "I'll probably say something like 'oh whoopsie, my tits fell off. Giggle tee hee.' Hell, I don't know, but if the double-stick tape and the two-hundred-dollar swimsuit doesn't keep them in place, I'm getting my money back. On both. First answer second," she said, picking up her towel and rolling it up, "most guys who aren't you are jerks at least part of the time, especially when they're trying to hit on girls. They're probably perfect gentlemen, and if they aren't, who cares? I'm just going to play volleyball with them, I'm not out to exchange class rings with these guys."
"Fine. Another thing, though--are you saying that having sex with me isn't good exercise?" I tuck my knees in and wrap my hands around my legs, giving her a mock-wounded look. "I'm feeling a little ashamed about that. I figured I at least give you a good workout."
Alika laughs and kneels on my towel, scooting in close and kissing me deeply on the lips. "Mmm! Oh, Schrodi. You're my machine, babe. You know you keep me purring. But we're not having sex today, so a few rounds of v-ball should be the equivalent of a roll in the hay." She stands back up. "You coming? Or do you still want to relax?"
I grumble a bit as I stand. "I suppose I don't have a choice...I should warn you though, I suck at volleyball."
"Oh, come on," she says as we walk towards the pier. "You don't know that for sure. A few months ago, you also didn't know you could dance in heels and a miniskirt. How hard could this be?"
Not ten minutes later, I'm rubbing my face with the back of my hand, trying to swipe the sand out of my face-fur for the third time in a row, having taken a header into the beach trying to spike or punt or swat or whatever it is I'm supposed to do with a Pardus-bedamned volleyball. I'm beginning to hate the beach as much as I hate these guys hitting on my girlfriend.
Well, that's not true. I don't hate them, I don't even know them. I guess that if I were tall, buff, rugged-looking, cocky and self-confident, I'd be hitting on my girlfriend, too--and probably trying to win her away from whatever short, skinny, twerpy, sports-impaired loser had fooled her into liking him. Holy crap, all guys really ARE jerks!
Anyway, I may not hate them, but I do resent them. And I resent the beach for being so freakin' sandy. Stupid sand! I will have my revenge someday...my revenge on sand. It will be sweet.
I get back up and shake it off me, getting back into recieving position, or whatever position I'm supposed to be in to play this dumb sport. Alika's on the other side of the net, and she was right--she's bouncing quite realistically, considering. She seems to be having a pretty good time, laughing and high-fiving her teammates. Her male self is a jock, after all; she's certainly in her element. Well, as long as she's having fun...
Another volley starts, and I watch the ball closely, trying not to get in the way of people who are better than I am, which is everybody. Eventually, inevitably, the ball arcs down towards me, and I put my hands together, ready to serve it up for someone else to spike.
*KA-SPOINK*
Aaaaand I'm on the ground again. I think my arms must have been angled weird, because instead of going straight up, the ball bounced into my face, making me stagger back. And I'm pretty sure somebody tripped or hip-checked me, because I don't remember how I ended up flat on my ass, spread-eagled in the sand.
I don't need to look up to know that everyone's laughing at me, teammates and all. I sigh, inwardly. "At least I'm not wearing a skirt," I mutter to myself. If I were, it'd be up around my armpits by now, showing everybody where I shop for underwear.
After a few seconds, Alika comes jogging up and stands over me, concern in her eyes. "Are you allright, babe?" She offers me her hand, and I take it, grunting a little as she pulls me up. "Yeah, I guess. I'm not very good at this. And I think I'm failing some sort of important boyfriend test."
"Oh, don't think like that," she says, planting a kiss on my stinging forehead. "I'm not dating you for your volleyball skills. C'mon, let's get back to the game." She tugs on my hand.
"No...actually, hon, I think I'm gonna take a walk or something..." I let go of her hand and brush myself off. "Maybe do some swimming, I don't know. You go have a good time."
Alika pouts. "Awwww. Are you sure?"
"Yeah, this is really more your thing than it is mine. Enjoy yourself, I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
I can tell she's not happy with this, but she nods. "Alright. Have fun in the ocean, then."
"I'll try." I give her a little wave and turn around, walking away from the match. I follow the surf for a while, taking off my flip-flops and feeling my feet squish down into the wet sand as my footprints disappear behind me, the waves swallowing them up. I already feel like an idiot for leaving Alika behind with those frat jerks, even though I know she can handle herself. If any one of them said something or tried something, she wouldn't stand for it--and if she felt threatened, I'm well aware that she can defend herself. She's a capable girl.
But what if she were overwhelmed by numbers? What if ALL those guys decided to--no. That's ridiculous. Why am I even thinking that? They're just regular guys out to have a good time, and besides, it's broad daylight in a public place. But even if something like that DID happen, what good would I do by being there? Some of those guys were practically twice my size. Hell, they barely noticed I was playing until I got a faceful of volleyball and fell over.
I mull this over in my head as I walk, and it occurs to me--do I really think Alika could handle herself if one of those guys decided to get rough with her? And if I do, would I feel differently if I knew that, under her swimsuit, Alika was biologically female? This thought eats at me for a while. I've never treated her or thought about her as anything other than a real girl, no matter what. And yet, deep down, there's part of me that knows differently. For a while, I stare at the water as it comes up to wash over my ankles, over and over again.
"This is stupid," I say to myself. Paranoia or no, I really should be back there, staying with her. I'm no good at volleyball, true, but I could at least sit on the sidelines, have a drink and force myself to make small talk with the frat-boys, let her know that I'm there for her and want to be with her. Smile when she catches my eye, cheer for her when she scores a point. Be a male.
But is that really what she wants from me?
I have to make this up to her. I have to show her that I want what she wants. I can be a good, unselfish boyfriend, somebody who will go the extra mile to please her.
I think about her car, and the blue swimsuit I left rolled-up in the backseat. I think about the disappointment in her voice when I said I wouldn't wear it. For a moment, I stand there, unsure, gripped with indecision. Then I grumble "I must be completely out of my mind!..." and head for the parking lot.
The swimsuit that Alika bought for me is the kind you usually see schoolgirls wear in manga. It's a tight, all-covering top that folds over a pair of high-cut trunks, or bloomers. It looks like a one-piece, but really it's two. When I modeled it for her last night, we were both pleased at how it hugged my hips and enhanced my chest, making it seem like I really did have a tiny pair of perky, budding breasts. And the bloomers were so constricting that it flattened me out, nearly to the point where you couldn't tell there was a bulge in them unless you looked very carefully. (Not being endowed like a porn star helps with that, too.) Moving fast so as to keep from chickening out, I reach in and snatch it, making a bee-line for the private changing tents. I bide my time until I'm sure that nobody's looking, and I duck inside.
I can feel a high, vibrating twinge of now-familiar nervousness in my stomach as I strip off my boy clothes and pull on the tight, stretchy dark blue shorts, threading my tail through the slit at the waist. The top goes on easily enough, and I straighten it, brushing out my longish hair and checking my reflection in the little mirror. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, concentrating on bringing out my inner girlishness--the way I walk, the gestures I make, my tone of voice, the way my eyes look, all the things I've learned from Alika over the past few months--everything that makes me more than just a boy in girls' clothing. After a minute or so of concentration, I open my eyes again to see that pretty kitten-girl I've begun to see more and more of lately smiling back at me. I exhale, remembering to keep any hesitation or trepidation from disturbing me, and allowing my nervous energy to fuel my efforts. "Let's go," I say to the kitten in the mirror.
The few times I've been out dressed in public have all been unique experiences. That first day in the mall, when Alika took me shopping for girl clothes; I was with her the whole time, and the mall was mostly empty. Our forays into club life always take place at night, in parts of the city where it isn't completely out of place to see a male wearing a dress. But this was different. This was a performance I was going to have to nail, a masquerade that I could not break. I don't think anybody saw me coming out of the changing tent, at least nobody who saw me going in as a boy, anyway. I walk back over to Alika's car and drop off my stuff. Leaving the parking lot, I felt completely naked and vulnerable, just waiting for someone to look at me a little too closely and spoil my disguise. I take deep breaths and try not to let it bother me. I'm just another girl on the beach, is all. See my feminine walk, the way I switch my hips just a little and curl my tail as it sways back and forth? See the way I tilt my head, the way I carry my hands? No males here, no way...
Mostly, I seem to be going undetected. I'm guessing this is because I'm wearing a very concealing swimsuit, and I don't have statuesque proportions like Alika. I do catch a few appreciative glances from males, who turn their away as soon as I see them looking; pretending that they hadn't noticed me at all. I know that's what they're doing, because I do that all the time when I check out girls in public. It's kind of funny, really; but I'm not interested in having too much eye contact, so I'm happy they're not leering. At least they're not pointing and shouting "THAT CAT'S A FREAK!"
As I walk, I'm trying to think about what will happen when I get back to the pier. Hopefully, Alika will have finished up her game, and she'll be happy to see her "little sister," and we can spend some time together away from those volleyball guys. If not, maybe they won't notice me, or if they do they won't see the same person, and won't realize the difference. If not, then...I'll improvise, I guess. I'll have to work something out. And I'm so deep in thought that I almost don't hear the screams for help.
The high-pitched hollering stops me in my tracks, and I look towards the source--out in the waves, past the safe zone for swimming. It's a kid, looks to be a raccoon, clutching a half-deflated float toy. From the way he's thrashing around, the current is threatening to drag him under. His screech sets my nerves on edge and causes my heart to double-beat. I glance around--am I the only one hearing this? Where's this kid's parents? Where's the lifeguard? Why isn't somebody doing something?
Oh no.
I'm somebody.
I wave my arms in the direction of the distant lifeguard's post--looks like his attention is elsewhere. "HEY!" I yell, trying to keep my voice in a higher register for the sake of believability. "THERE'S A KID! OUT IN THE--" The lifeguard turns my way, he must see me flailing like a maniac. I point at the 'coon kid. "HE'S GONNA--oh, the hell with it!" I don't know why, but suddenly I'm tearing down the beach, sprinting into the water and leaping past the first wave, diving into the swell. Screw being found out, screw the masquerade. I'm not going to let some poor child drown just because I'm too busy pretending to be a girl.
I arc my arms and push through the water, kicking furiously, cresting the smaller swells to suck in breath and get a bead on the kid before diving back in. I may suck at pretty much every sport in the world, but if there's one thing I know how to do, it's swim--and, like Alika said, dance in heels and a miniskirt; but I'm better at swimming, honestly. I notice that the girls' swimsuit is helping me cut through the water a lot faster than my big baggy trunks would have allowed. So, score one for dressing girly at the beach--improved hydrodynamics; in other words, less drag. Oh, the irony.
I'm just about in reach of the kid. He can't be more than six, treading water for all he's worth, clinging to a deflated rubber seahorse. "Hang on, kid!" I shout, paddling over to him. "We're gonna swim back together, okay?"
The kid's terrified and crying. "I'm sorry!" he squeaks out. "I didn't mean to go so far!"
"You're not in trouble, I swear! Just hang on to me, and don't panic!" I reach out to him and hook one arm around his torso, swimming sideways back in the direction of the shore. I'm starting to wish I had taken a rescue swimming course, or that I at least had one of those orange floaty things that whats-her-name always carried on that T&A lifeguard show that airs on the Proggie channel. The kid holds onto me for dear life, whimpering.
I point us in the right direction, pumping my legs and free arm. I can see a little crowd gathering on the shore, and somebody running into the water--the lifeguard, probably; finally getting around to earning his paycheck. I'm beginning to get the feeling that I might have actually done something right for a change when I feel the water go cold, and the sun dims for me for the second time today.
Just out of the corner of my eye, I can see a wall of water swelling up behind us. The undertow is sucking us backwards. We're about to be swallowed up by a massive wave.
I hold on tight to the kid and take a deep breath. "Shit!" I hiss, squeezing my eyes shut.
In a half-second, everything is blue and salt and numbing and crushing and can't breathe can't see tumbling over and over and over and over...I clutch the kid's body to mine, kicking my legs and trying to find the sky, but it's nowhere in sight. I can feel us being dragged down by the current, losing my equilibrium...for some reason, I flash back to my time in school, I think it was third grade, back when the teachers taught us about the Great Wheel and the different gods and their domains. I always hated having to study Sargassan, the god of the sea. Compared to interesting gods like Porom or Pardus, he was a total bore, and a fishfaced loser to boot.
My last thoughts before blacking out are Screw you, Sargassan. Your myth cycle sucks...
Let me tell you a little something about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In the movies, the busty vixen heroine is magically brought back to life by the handsome lifeguard after nearly drowning, and after vixie coughs demurely and clears her throat, she rewards handsome lifeguard dude with a kiss; which is sort of what they were doing anyway. Either that or the dorky hero nearly drowns and is given mouth-to-mouth by the beautiful vixen lifeguard, which is sort of like being kissed by a girl without having to do any work, and thus nearly drowning is portrayed as being totally worth it.
Honestly? All of that is total bullshit.
I'm waking up. I'm on my back, I'm soaking wet and freezing despite the warmth of the sun, feeling as close to dead as I ever want to be. I can barely tell who it is giving me mouth-to-mouth or whether or not they're good-looking, nor do I care. All I know is, there's someone blowing directly into my muzzle and inflating my lungs and I need to puke NOW. NOW NOW NOW. I make a noise like "GLUCK!" and push them away, sitting up and rolling over onto my hands and knees. I can tell there's a crowd around me but this can't wait. I cough up all the saltwater that was filling my lungs and stomach, hunched over for what feels like forever, shivering and spasming. I can hear a few furs go "ewwww! Gross!" Well, screw you too! I just got drowned by a vengeful ocean god, you go through that and see how good YOU look afterwards.
When I'm done emptying my lungs, somebody wraps a towel around me and pulls me up gently by my hands. "Can you walk?" they say, and I want to answer yes, but my legs appear to have been replaced by rubber bands, and I flop forward as soon as I try to stand. I make the effort to try again, but before I can, strong arms lift me up like I weigh nothing at all and hold me close to a broad, warm, fuzzy chest; carrying me towards a little blue shack that must be the lifeguard office.
"Is the kid okay?" I croak.
"He's fine," says a vaguely familiar voice. "You saved his life. But don't be so brave next time. That's my job."
"Oh." My vision gets blurry. "Okay..." I slump back against the warm, fuzzy chest and sort of pass out for a while.
I come to on a little cot under a buzzing flourescent light. My head is pounding like the surf, and it feels a little like my body is still surging and sliding with the waves; as if the undertow has yet to let go of my soul. I sit up and groan, glancing down at myself--I suddenly remember that I'm still in a female swimsuit, and that I'll have to keep up my girly act if I don't want to have to answer a lot of very awkward questions.
"You're awake! Good." Somebody--I presume the lifeguard who brought me here--is sitting at a desk, filling out a form. His back is turned to me. "Feeling alright?"
"Uhngh...sort of," I say, trying to force my voice into a high register. "Still real dizzy."
"Well, you'll need to take it easy for a while before getting back out in the sun. Although I bet you've gotten your fill of swimming today, am I right?"
"Um...am I in trouble?"
"Not at all, miss." I breathe a sigh of relief at the "miss" part. "All I need you to do is sign your name on this incident form indicating that you acted on your own as a Good Samaritan and not as a representative of Bewlay Beach, its staff, or its owners-slash-operators, and you're all set." He swivels around and scoots his chair over to the bed, offering me a pen and a clipboard. "And I'm looking forward to reading what you sign, because then I'll finally know what your name is."
"My name?..." I blink and look up at him.
Husky. Ice-blue eyes. Dark streaks running down his muzzle. A shy, charming smile. Disarmingly tight blue trunks. He nods at me.
My jaw falls open so hard I quite literally have to move it back into position with my hand. It's the valet from the mall, the one who danced with me at the club two weeks ago. "Y-YOU!" I stammer.
He sets the clipboard aside and holds out his hand. "I'm flattered you remember me. I'm Stellar." He glances away shyly, obviously not fond of saying the word. "Um...that's my name. My parents are, uh, hippies. Sorta. And, also, because..." He turns one shoulder to me, showing me the star-shaped marking in his fur. "My friends call me Stel. And you are?..."
I swallow hard, still not believing my eyes. I take his hand and shake it. "S-Schrodi. How did...? I...but...you..." I blink furiously. "How is this possible?"
"A coincidence, I'm guessing," says Stel, grinning broadly. "Though I am happy to see you. After that night at the club, I thought I'd never have the pleasure again."
For a moment, I flash back to that night. Slow-dancing in the husky's arms, feeling so safe and secure and feminine...melting into his kiss...feeling his, uh..."cell phone" digging into my hip...I shake my head and sign the form. "I just...I'm sorry, this has just been such a weird day so far..."
There's a knock at the door. "Oh...hold that thought," says Stel, swiveling back over and peeking out through the blind. "Looks like there's some folks here who want to meet you."
"What?" The door opens and an entire raccoon family swarms in. Mom, Dad, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas, and at least ten kids. Amid happy tears and shouting, I am hugged about three hundred times. It's...a little overwhelming, to say the least. They thank me over and over for saving their little boy, and I'm not really comfortable with all the adulation, but I smile and accept it as best I can. As a coup-de-grace, the overemotional Mom steps forward and gives me a spine-cracking squeeze of appreciation, her eyes watery and muzzle a bit runny. "You're such a brave girl," she burbles to me. "We'll always owe you a debt of gratitude..." She pauses for a minute. "Sweetie, how old are you?"
Oh boy. "I'm--erk--fifteen, ma'am."
"Ohhh." She smiles sweetly and whispers in my ear. "Don't you worry, honey. You'll get 'em someday. Then the boys will come runnin'!" I don't realize what she means until the whole clan has filed back out of the office, leaving me standing there; stunned and a little insulted but internally pleased that my facade hasn't been unraveled. I sit back down on the cot and look at Stel, and I can't help the compulsion to cross my arms over my chest. He snickers and shrugs bemusedly.
"Schrodi?" The door opens again, and I hear a voice I haven't heard in far too long. Alika rushes in and falls to her knees, taking me into her arms, her face drawn and pale. She's bawling, and I feel the tears start to fill my eyes as well. "Baby, I thought I'd lost you!" she sobs. "Don't you ever, ever do anything that stupid again!..."
"I promise I won't," I say, shuddering. I hold her close, suddenly struck by the terrifying thought that, had I not been rescued, I would have died without ever seeing her again. Her touch feels so amazingly good. I can feel my body growing calm, the dizzying push-pull of the ocean losing its power over me.
"You're my whole world," she says, sniffing. "I lose you, I lose everything. For a while, I--"
"It's okay...it's okay, big sis. I promise I'll never leave you like that again."
I hear the door open and close again. Stel has gone, assumedly to give us a few minutes alone. For a long time, she just holds me tight, both of us sobbing, and eventually we both calm down. "You look adorable," she sniff-whispers, easing back on her legs and looking me up and down. "Half-drowned and a little pale, but adorable."
"I just wanted to show you I could be a good boyfriend," I whisper back. "I shouldn't have left you with those guys. I felt so small and pathetic compared to them, and I just..."
Alika runs her fingers through my headfur. "Shh. Don't worry about that. I know you were embarassed to be there, but you should know you're not competing with anybody; especially not those guys." She places her hand against my chest. "Nobody but you would do this for me. Even so, you don't ever have to do something like this just because you think it'll make me happy. I don't love you just because I get to share dressing up with you. That's just a bonus." Alika rests her forehead against mine. "You are a good boyfriend. And a good person. And I love you so much."
"I love you too Alika. Thank you for loving me...I don't know what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you in my life. And..."
"Yes, baby?"
I give her a sheepish wince. "Alika...I really wanna kiss you, but I should brush my teeth first. I sorta, um, hurled. A bunch."
She nodded, backing away a little, her nosepad twitching. "Heh. I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah. You, uh...you need to do that."
"Oh. We have a sink around back for that." Stel stepped back in the room, scribbling something on a clipboard. "We used to just have a bottle of mouthwash, but that's really not enough to clean the taste of ocean-barf out of your throat."
Alika turns back to look at the husky, and I clear my throat. "Alika, this is Stellar. He's the one who saved me from drowning. Stel, this is--"
"VALET BOY!" Alika interrupts me, squealing delightedly, and hurls herself across the room to pounce on the wide-eyed lifeguard, planting kiss after kiss on his cheeks, forehead, muzzle, nose and lips. His clipboard goes flying. "You saved my sweetest's life! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!" Alika purr-rumbles and squeezes him tight.
"I, uh..." Stel's cheeks redden. The husky looks dazed and flustered, unsure what to do with the gratutide-gushing tiger-girl clinging to him. "Um. It's all in a day's work...I, uh, I'm just glad I was able to help...umm..." He struggles to get his bearings. "Listen, my shift is over and my replacement is here. I was wondering if you ladies would like to join me in a little walk along the beach." He looks over to me and nods, smiling. "If you're feeling up to it, of course."
I notice that his bushy, upturned tail is wagging like crazy.
Gray clouds have begun to dominate the sky, and a cool wind from the ocean blows through my fur; but it's still a beautiful day at the beach, considering. Alika and Stel and I walk along the shoreline together, talking and laughing. Mostly, it's Alika and Stel doing the talking and laughing, whereas I'm still a little woozy from the near-drowning thing, and not talking much.
"So I wanna know," Alika is saying, "how is it one day you're doing your valet thing in Layleaux, then another you're here on the beach saving lives? You must have a hell of a commute."
"Not really," says Stel. "I quit my valet job about a month after you saw me at the mall, and I moved here to Bewlay to go to school. Started doing the lifeguard thing in late spring. It's a lot more fun than shucking bags and parking cars, I can tell you that much. Dress code's a lot looser, too."
"Oookaaay, but that doesn't explain how you were back in town two weeks ago that night in the club." She pokes him in the ribs. "Are you stalking us?"
Stel laughs. "No, no! I'd never do anything like that. I was visiting my folks for the weekend, and they go to bed pretty early. Thought I'd take in some nightlife while I was in town, and..."
"Did you know it was drag night when you went?"
"Actually, yeah." Stel smiles at us. "I've been there a few other times for drag night. I'm what you might call, I guess, an enthusiast." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I've found that I have a thing for, uh...beautiful ladies who didn't start out as ladies, if you catch my meaning."
"Oh yeah. We catch it," snickered Alika.
"Hey, listen," I say, walking faster to keep pace with the tall husky and my tall girlfriend and their four exceedingly long legs, "that day, back in the mall. Was I, you know...convincing?"
Stel nods in my direction. "You convinced me, for what it's worth. But, then again, I could tell you were..." He made a vague hand gesture. "I have a pretty good sense for that sort of thing. I can usually pick the crossdressers out of a crowd, even the ones that are completely passable."
"And I was passable? Really? Even up close?"
Stel smiles. "Look, what I saw that day was two beautiful girls with armfuls of bags headed in my direction. All I could think about was how lucky I was to be at work, and how cute you both were. When you saw me staring at you, I was so embarassed...but when you smiled back, my heart skipped a beat."
"Awwww! That's so sweet!" Alika brushes her wind-blown hair out of her face. "I told you you were passable, sweetie. Now that you've got a couple of outside opinions, do you believe me?"
"I guess so, I--" Something cold and wet taps me on the head. "Ngh. Did anybody else feel that?"
A distant rumble of thunder makes us turn our heads towards the ocean. I get a nauseous little twist in my stomach from the sudden onset of déjà vu. Another wall of water is heading my way, this time in the form of a gray curtain of falling rain speeding towards the beach. In seconds, it's on us--the storm hits hard, pelting us and everyone else with huge, heavy raindrops. Alika eeks. "Gah! It's FREEZING!" she says, wrapping her arms around her chest and hunching her head down.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys, I think I pissed off the god of the sea earlier today," I shout, trying to be heard over the thunder as I cover my head with my hands. "My bad. Let's go back to the shack, c'mon!"
Before I can turn to begin running back, Stellar takes my hand and Alika's and pulls us along. "No! This way, I know someplace closer we can get out of the rain! Trust me!" We run along with him, struggling through the heavy wet sand and brushing past irritated sunbathers as we approach a long cliff outcropping. Stel leads us into the rocks, past the cliff face and into a little recessed area, away from the beach itself. We scramble through the rough stones and follow him into a little gap between two large boulders that form an overhang.
It's dark in here, but Stel is already moving forward, leaving Alika and I at the overhang, panting and shivering. "Wait just one second," he says from somewhere in the darkness. "Where did I leave that...ah! Here we go..." Stel flicks on a small portable lamp, illuminating the darkness--he's standing in the center of a stone cave, just large enough for maybe a dozen people to stand comfortably. The floor is lined with cool, clean white sand. "There, this is better than running all the way back to the lifeguard shack, isn't it?"
I cast a suspicious eye on the cave and Stel. "Yeah...it's real cozy, alright..."
He grins at me. "When I started working here, I found this cave one day, and I figured it'd be a good place to come if there was a storm...I even stashed some provisions, just in case! Here," he said, pulling out a duffel bag with towels inside, handing one to Alika and myself. "I'll get a fire going, and we can relax and stay warm until it stops raining."
Alika and brush ourselves dry with the towels. "Seems awful convenient, don't you think?" she asks me conspiratorily, wringing out her headfur and patting it down. "It's almost as if he planned this."
"I agree," I say, running the towel over my legs. "How many girls have you brought to this little love nest, anyway?" I ask Stel.
"You ladies would be the first," he says, dragging out a cache of dry twigs and arranging them in the center of the cave floor. "I know how it looks, believe me. But I'm not interested in being some sort of lech, I just wanna get dry and be comfortable, and help my friends be comfortable too." He looks back at both of us and I swear I feel a tingle shoot right through me as those blue eyes flash in my direction. "I'd like to count you both as my friends, if you'll have me."
Alika makes a noncommital huff. "Get a fire going, valet boy, and we'll talk about it."
Moments later, I'm sitting on a blanket in front of the fire, finally feeling warmth return to my extremities. Alika is sitting to the side of me with her legs stretched out, leaning against me, head resting on my shoulder. For some bizarre reason that I can't really explain, relaxing in a cave with her and staring into a blazing fire feels...right. Like it's something we've been doing together for our entire lives. The feeling of familiarity is helping mellow me out, and I almost want to ask Alika if she feels the same way...I don't know how she'd answer, but the blissed-out smile on her lips makes me think she probably does.
As a matter of fact, the only thing that seems out of place is the husky sitting across from us on the other side of the fire, elbows on his knees, leaning forward with his head in his hands. We've been attempting to keep a conversation going, but either we're all too tired or too hypnotized by the fire or too...whatever...to want to keep talking. Every so often, I glance across the way at Stellar, catching him staring at us with a curious little grin on his face. I can't guess as to what he's thinking--that is to say, I have a few ideas; but if his true intentions are less than honorable, he's certainly not about to make the first move.
I nudge the tiger-girl. "You feeling warmer, hon?"
"Mmmnn." She yawns, that pretty pink tongue curling up just behind her lower teeth. "Yeah. Feels pretty nice in here...I think I could fall asleep."
"Well, don't get too sleepy. You still need to get us home, remember, I still can't drive your car, it's a stick-shift."
Alika snickers. "I think you drive stick pretty goo--" She blinks, and her face grows slack. "Son of a BITCH!" she screeches, standing up, one hand clapping to her forehead.
"Wha--? What is it?" says Stel.
She shakes her hands out in a panicky gesture. "The car! My car! THE TOP IS STILL UP! I gotta...I gotta go!..." She looks around for her bag, and grabs it.
"I'm coming with you!" Stel and I say simultaneously. We glance at each other, then back at her.
"No! No, YOU stay here," she says to me, "you're still resting. And YOU don't know how to get the top up," she says to Stel, "you'll just be in my way!" She grabs a towel and holds it over her head. "I'll be back in a little bit!"
Before I can insist, Alika is out of the cave, running in the driving rain. "Be careful!" I call out after her. A rumble of thunder swallows up my words, and like that, she's gone.
"Do you, uh..." Stel's come closer to me. "Do you think she'll be allright out there?"
I shoot Stel a look. "Alika's a big girl. I'm sure she'll be fine." I grab a dry towel and wrap it around my shoulders, sitting back down.
"Good." He sits next to me, not so close that I want to pull away, but close enough to make me suspicious. "She's a keeper. How long have you two been, ah, together?"
"Since this past winter," I say. "She and I sorta...well...it's a long story. That day you saw us was our first day together."
"Going shopping in the mall together as your first date?" Stel smiles. "Pretty sweet. Was that your first day that you..."
"...dressed up? More or less, yeah. She's been doing it for years, and she sort of opened my mind to the possibilities of cross-dressing."
"So, you don't consider yourself a trans-girl, then?"
I toss a twig into the fire. "Alika is. I'm not. She wants to go through the process someday and become completely female. Me, I consider myself a part-time girl." I flash Stel a weak smile. "I'm happy with the equipment, I don't really want to trade mine in."
"And you support her decision?"
I nod. "Absolutely. It's what she wants to do with her life, and I think she'll be happier that way."
"Soooo...you're not going to miss her, you know...the way she is? Now."
I arch an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"
"Nothing! Nothing, really. Uh...nevermind." Stel looks back at the fire for a moment, then continues on in a voice almost too quiet for me to hear. "So, I uh...I guess you two are pretty serious, then, huh?..."
"...yeeeeaaah. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, I'm just sort of an inquisitive kinda guy." He dithers, visibly nervous. "I just wanna know more about both of you. I mean, I don't make friends too easily, and this is really my first chance to get to know somebody of your, uh..." He pauses. "...persuasion."
I've heard enough. I grumble-sigh and scoot back from him. "Look, Stellar, I can appreciate that I represent some sort of fetish for you. I mean, I can't help but be flattered, I really can't. But you're not going to get me to cheat on my girlfriend with you just because we're alone together in this..." I gesture randomly, looking around me, searching for words. "Romantic...fire-lit...secret beach cave. Of iniquity." I cross my arms over my chest. "And please don't think that I'm not grateful that you saved my life. But Alika is my one true love, and I'm hers. I'm just not that kind of--" My voice catches, and I'm having difficulty finishing my sentence. I eventually mutter out "...girl."
For a second, he just sits there, staring at me, his handsome face crestfallen. I never really knew what they meant by "puppy-dog eyes" before tonight. I slowly begin to realize that this was the equivalent of every "let's just be friends" let-him-down-easy speech I've ever gotten from girls. It always stings so bad, but I never knew how bad it would hurt to see the reaction on the face of the listener. Stel blinks slowly, his mouth moving as if he were about to say something, then he gathers his wits and shakes his head, a quick little focusing motion. "I see," he says quietly. "Heh. What you must think of me," he says, sounding ashamed. "Listen, there's enough firewood to keep the fire going for a couple more hours, at least. Keep the towels and, uh...I'll see you later, okay?" He stands to go.
I reach for him, grab his wrist. "Wait! No. Don't...don't go out there. There's no need. I..." I swallow hard. "I don't want you to go. Please." Stel looks down at me, confusion in his beautiful blue eyes. "Please?" I ask again.
Stel sits again, and I run my hand through my headfur. "I just...this has been one hell of a confusing day. I didn't intend for any of this. I really don't want to hurt your feelings, but...I don't know what else to do here, I've never been in this kind of situation before. I owe you my life, and you know what I won't do...but anything else I can do for you, anything else in the world...name it."
He takes a deep breath and looks deep into my eyes. "Schrodi, all I want is the honest answer to one question."
I nod slowly. "O-okay."
"That night, back in the club," he says. "When we danced. And when we kissed. Did you..." He glances into the fire for a moment, then back in my eyes, the sparkling blue orbs piercing me deep. "Did you feel something? Anything?"
For a second, I get the urge to answer him yeah, I felt something alright--it was about the size and shape of a kielbasa pressed against my upper thigh, and I think I felt it twitch when my tail accidentally brushed against yours but for once I have the good grace to not say something stupid. My eyes flicker to the fire as I try to figure out something to say...but I can't think of anything but the truth. "...yes," I answer him honestly. "I did."
His ears twitch, and I'm sure I see his tailtip dance a little jig. "Really?"
I sigh deeply. "Yeah, I...I did, actually. I did feel something, and...I think about that night. From time to time. How it felt so nice to dance with you...how being in your arms made me feel safe. How I felt like the--" I choke a little, barely believing that I'm able to get the words out--"the only girl on the dancefloor." I haven't blushed this hard since I was back at the mall, feeling feminine clothing cover me for the first time. "But I--"
"I knew it. I knew you felt it too. I saw it in your eyes." A tiny grin graces Stel's lips. He places his hand on mine and I don't move it away--has he been drawing closer to me all this time? "I've danced with other girls on other nights. They were all beautiful, but none of them held me like you did. None of them smiled at me the way you did. It was like..." The fire sparkles in his eyes. "Like we were meant to be dancing together. That night...we fit together so perfectly."
He's moving closer. I can't move away. I...don't want to. Huh?
"You've really never been with a male before, have you?" Stel is closer now. It's like he's towering over me, or I'm growing smaller--I can feel a sensation all over my body, it's like a magnetic pull, the desire to make us fit together again, like we had that night. He doesn't need to hear me answer him, he can see the way I'm trembling. "I just want to know," he says, a soft canine growl smooth as butter; my entire body tingles. "knowing what you know now...would you still have kissed me that night?"
I can feel my mouth move. I'm about to say "yes."
But before I can, our bodies are pressed together, my lips against his, our muzzles meshing softly, deeply. Those strong arms surround me like the stern limbs of an ancient tree; unyielding and determined. Our tongues entwine, he pulls me to him, we are closer than we could have ever been on the dancefloor...I can feel the pulse rushing beneath his soft fur, his body radiating so much heat...my answer rings throughout my entire frame, yes...yes...yes...
I lose all track of time. This could be lasting minutes, hours, days; nothing else matters but this intimate union, the crossing of this penultimate threshold between my boy-self and complete femininity as I submit utterly to Stel's maleness. It isn't until a fork of lightning ignites the sky and brightly illuminates a familiar silouhette on the wall of the cave that we abrubptly push away from each other.
In the entryway to the cave, Alika stands, soaking wet and shivering. Her silver-green eyes, far more piercing than any lightning strike, are locked onto Stel and I. For a moment, none of us move. Finally, Alika steps inside, her face unreadable. "Towel," she grunts. Stel scrambles to get her a dry one while I sit there, feeling a lump the size of a casaba melon form in my throat (not to mention an incriminating and gender-inappropriate bulge pushing out my swimsuit). She takes the towel offered by Stel and dries her headfur with it. "Freakin' freezing rain. I am soaked all the way through to the bone. Feel like I've been keelhauled." Headfur done, she pats herself dry. "Well, since you both asked so nicely, yes, I was able to get the top up. And yes, the inside of my poor lil' car is completely ruined. It'll have to be reupholstered. And I'm gonna have a wet butt driving home." She tosses the towel and crosses her arms. "Speaking of wet butts...either of you care to tell me exactly what was going on in here? Hmm?"
I make a raspy squeak, trying to get out the first word, but Stel stands up, moving to kneel in the sand between me and Alika. "It was me," he says, "my idea. It wasn't her fault at all. I...I've been so lonely since I got here, when I came to Bewlay I moved away from all my friends, and...when Schrodi and I danced together back in the club, I thought maybe there was a spark there, some sort of...anyway, it doesn't matter. Being alone here was just too tempting for me, and I...coerced her into kissing me. That's all it is." He looks down at his knees. "Please don't be angry with Schrodi. I meant no harm. But I was wrong to allow my temptations to get the best of me."
Alika looks almost bemused. She pats Stel on the head, a consescending smirk on her lips. "Okay, puppy, that's enough out of you. Why don't you have a seat over there." She points to a far corner of the cave, and Stel, ears low and tail drooping, complies. Alika kneels in front of me, setting down on her haunches. "Now then, Schro, why don't you tell me what really happened."
"I...but..." I stammer. "We, um...we kissed, and uh..."
"Did I say you could kiss him while I was gone?"
"I, um...no? No, you didn't, but..."
Alika looks me deep in the eyes. "Did you like it?"
I'm feeling about three inches tall right now. "Yes," I squeak.
"Well, that's good, at least." Alika tailflicks, seemingly pleased. "Now, for the serious questions. Schrodi, do you love me?"
I gasp. "With all my heart! More than anything in the world, Alika, I--"
She holds a hand up. "Ah-ah. I'm not done. Schrodi, do you love Doggy McGrabbypaws over there?"
"I...no! I..." I swallow hard. "Alika, you deserve the truth. I don't love him, but...I think I sort of have a crush on him." I glance over at Stel, who looks extremely nervous. "I've never had a crush on a guy before. This is all, you know, it's...new to me."
She nods. "Okay, then. Schrodi, are you going to leave me for him?"
"Alika, I'd never leave you! You're my soulmate, my one true love. I'd never do anything to--"
She clamps a hand over my mouth. "Okay. Stop there before you dig yourself in deeper." She settles back and places her hands on my shoulders. "First and foremost? I don't do jealousy. It's a useless emotion. And hon, I have never doubted your love for me--you having a crush on somebody else doesn't bother me because I know that what we have is far stronger than a crush. Besides all that, I don't mind you having crushes and kissing boys--but I wanna be in the loop! I want you to tell me what you're feeling, I want to be a part of it." She leans forward and noses my forehead. "We've shared our most intimate secrets with each other. I don't ever want that intimacy to stop." Her fingers curl around the back of my neck as she pulls me close, my head against her shoulder. She smells so good, tigerish girl-boy scent mixed with the salt of the ocean and fresh summer rain.
I whimper softly and wrap my arms around her. "I love you so much, Alika. I don't deserve such an amazing girlfriend. Even though you're mostly okay with it, I still feel like such a jerk for...doing what I did. I promise to always tell you when...well, okay, if this ever happens again." I smile meekly. "I kinda doubt it will."
She sighs and licks my cheek. "Well, I suppose this is partially my fault. You and I never talked about acceptable boundaries. You didn't know how I'd react, and we should have discussed this kind of thing beforehand."
"No, it's not your fault at all. I really should have told you how I felt before acting on it. Anyway, I guess we've been too busy dressing up like trollops and having amazing sex to really discuss these things. That sometimes gets in the way."
She rumbles and playfully pokes me in the ribs. "Too right, sweetest. Do you think you might have some reservations about who I can crush on and kiss? Because if you do, I need to know."
I shake my head. "I don't see a reason to put restrictions on your heart if there are no restrictions on mine. I trust you now like I trusted you the day we met."
"Good!" She stands and walks across the cave to where Stel is sitting. "Because you've kissed this boy twice and I haven't even got to kiss him at all. Share and share alike, baby." With a curling flick of her tail, she pounces on Stel and pulls the shocked husky into a passionate kiss. I watch, fascinated, and very quickly I realize something--this must be what she looks like when she's kissing me. I'm surprised at how hot that makes me. By the time she beckons me over with a crooked finger, I'm purring and panting. I want to leap over the fire, but instead I walk around it, switching my hips and curling my tail seductively like Alika taught me, my eyes locked on Stel's. My erection is jutting out from my swimsuit, threatening to pop right out of the waist-gap; and that's just fine with me.
I straddle Stel's outstretched leg and kiss him deeply as my hands caress his chest. He whines softly as Alika and I take turns kissing and licking and fondling our captive husky. Occasionally our lips meet at his muzzle and our tongues slide along each other, Alika's familiar sweetness fueling my desire. Her hand meets mine as it travels down his stomach to pull out the waistband of his trunks, and we do so together, stripping him bare in one swift motion. I gasp and Alika oohs her approval; Stel's cock has got to be nine and a half inches long, and at least three around! The bright red shaft is shiny and slick with pre, and a bulbous knot is forming at the base. I've seen a few canine cocks in my time (I have a porn folder containing nothing but wolf-on-wolf action--hell, who doesnt?) but never this close up, and never this big. Alika and I look at each other and grin. "Now I see what you were talking about," she purrs. "How in the world were you able to slow dance with this huge monster jabbing into you?"
I wink at her. "With mounting enthusiasm." I lean forward and lick the tip of Stel's lovely cock, hearing him moan and tasting his musky, pre-soaked flesh--a sensation I had fantasized about at least once a day since we had danced together. Alika follows my lead and begins to lick and kiss along the thick shaft with me, our tongues and muzzles meeting here and there, both of us mewing and crooning happily as Stel whines and whimpers with pleasure. After a few blissful moments of sharing his cock with Alika, she sits up and nudges me into place--with a happy mewl, I open my muzzle as far as I can and take Stel in deep.
The husky yips, and I can feel his cock throbbing against my tongue. I look up at him, and he meets my gaze; beautiful blue eyes shining, tongue-tip hanging out one side of his muzzle in such a way to make him look even more adorable. Alika is sitting up next to him, leaning against the cave wall. "Mmm. Good girl," she says to me, running a hand through my headfur. She leans in and kisses Stel on the cheek. "She's awfully pretty with a cock in her mouth, isn't she?" Alika smirks, and a happy shiver of pride runs through me as Stel agrees with a panting grunt and a nod. I close my eyes and begin bobbing my head up and down slowly, suckling noisily and concentrating on giving Stel the best blowjob I can, rolling his heavy balls in my hand. I can tell that Alika has moved, but I'm not sure where she is until I feel hands pulling down the bottom half of my swimsuit. I make a little squeak as my rigid hard-on springs free and slaps against my stomach. Her slender hands caress my thighs and rump, pulling apart my cheeks--I feel the familiar sensation of her tongue sliding around the rim of my tailhole, and I cry out; voice muffled by the pound of husky-meat in my mouth. "Let's get this pretty little ass ready," I hear her say as her tongue darts inside my tight ring, one hand caressing my swelling balls. It's all I can do to keep from cumming all over her hand and myself as her long, talented tongue explores my fluttering boi-pussy, leaving me nice and wet. It's a gorgeous feeling. Soon, every nerve ending in my body is aglow with pleasure and anticipation.
I'm expecting a familiar sensation of pressure and intrusion, but nothing comes. I'm wondering what is going on when Alika tugs on my ear, beckoning me up. I whimper a little, feeling a tiny twinge of disappointment as I have to let Stel's thick cock slide out from between my lips. "C'mere," she says, taking both my hands and pulling me to stand, sliding my top off. She turns me around and puts my hands on her shoulders, her own sliding down to my sides, holding me firmly. I feel Stel's big, strong paws grip and squeeze my butt, and my knees buckle as I realize what's coming next. Alika noses me with a little purr as I spread my legs, looking deep into my beloved's eyes and finding nothing but trust and affection there. Together, we lower my body down onto Stel's magnificent cock.
As it slips inside me, I cry out in pleasure-pain; he's bigger than I'm used to--his thick shaft stretches out my insides, and for a moment I don't think I'm going to make it. I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing, allowing the pain to fade and willing my stomach muscles to unclench as I slowly slide down, drawing it deeper and deeper inside me. Finally, Stel's brawny arms wrap around me as the last few inches of him disappear into my tightness, and he growls happily and nibble-licks behind my ear, hugging me tight. Gods, he's so hard...I can feel a victorious throb of pleasure pass through his shaft, and it makes my entire body quiver, making me feel small and feminine in his strong, masculine embrace; a pretty kitten-girl riding the cock of a handsome stud. I mewl joyfully and reach behind my head, pulling his muzzle to mine. We kiss ever so softly as his hand rests on my tummy, caressing the soft fur there.
Stel's hips begin to undulate, and his cock starts to slowly churn inside me...I move with him, my back to his chest, feeling him beginning to fill me with warm spurts of husky precum. His hands wander all over my body, playing with and pinching my nipples, rubbing my legs and thighs, cupping my balls, squeezing and stroking my erection, which jumps in his hand. I nudge his wrist away--it feels wonderful, but if he keeps going like that I'm going to cum right away, and I want this to last as long as possible. I look back and bat my eyes at Stel--he seems to understand, giving my cock a final squeeze before taking his hand off. He brings his fingers to his mouth, licking up a spurt of my pre. "So sweet, kitty," he growls, dipping his muzzle to lick and nip at my neck. The taste of me must insipre him--I feel Stel throb harder inside me as his thrusting increases in speed.
As I moan and mew, bouncing on the husky's lap, I suddenly get a noseful of a familiar scent--Alika's wonderful tiger-musk. I look up to see that she's pulled the crotch of her swimsuit to one side, letting her beautiful boy-parts hang free; her tiger-cock is fully erect, clear droplets drizzling from the tip. She looks down at me and gives me the predatory grin I've come to love, the one that tells me exactly what she wants. I let out an ecstatic moan and pitch myself forward, opening my mouth and swallowing her cock in a single gulp. I suckle and tongue-lash her with abandon, eliciting from Alika the throaty, lustful rumble I crave as strongly as the act itself.
I lose myself in blissful surrender for a while. I don't even notice when Alika kneels and Stel tilts me forward, setting me gently down on all fours as they pump me slowly from both ends. Having my mouth and rump filled at the same time has always been a fantasy of mine, and I can't imagine a more magical way of having that fantasy come true. Gradually, I come to realize that we've achieved a sort of rhythm together--each of us is teasing the other, bringing each other closer and closer to release, then backing off before the point of no return. I cast a glance up at Alika, and the ecstatic look on her face tells me that she knows it too. The way Stel is plowing me--alternating between hard thrusts and gentle, hypnotic strokes--he must be thinking the same thing. None of us want this to end.
We tease and release, tease and release for what seems like years until we reach a point of exhaustion. I have to pull my mouth off of Alika's cock and gasp for breath, which comes out in rough pants and whimpers. She collapses back onto her rear, her rigid cock a vivid pink-purple with veins jutting dramatically out of the skin. Her chest heaves. I feel Stel's arms wrap around me again, gathering me up and pulling me to him, righting me onto his lap once more. His hot, delirious breath steams the fur on my cheek. "Can we...can we just...do this forever?" he pants. "I don't think...I ever wanna stop. This is the greatest day of my life." I mew and turn my head to kiss his nose.
Alika sits up, struggling to catch her breath. "I don't know how much longer I can stand it..." She winks at me. "You're just too good, sweetest. How about you?"
I can't speak. I let out a long whimper and sigh, my cheeks wet from happy tears.
"Wow," says Stel, getting a full view of Alika's cock. "You're so...so beautiful. Gods, you're both so amazing..."
Alika smiles in spite of herself and wraps a hand around the base of her shaft, pointing her cock at Stel. "You like this, huh? You want it?"
I hear Stel suck in a sudden breath. "Oh...gods, yes, yes, please!" He lets out a giddy laugh.
"Have you ever..."
"N-no." I can feel the heat rising from the husky's skin. He must be blushing like crazy. "J-just, uh...tuh...t-toys."
"Ohhh, I see." With a wicked grin, Alika tosses her hair back and kneels before us. "On your back, puppy."
Stel begins to roll backwards, eagerly spreading his legs. "Ngh! Wait, wait--" I say, losing my balance. Delicately, I extricate myself from his grip and slide myself off his cock--a pang of emptiness nearly makes me double over, but I step back over him and face the opposite way, looking Stel in the eyes as I reach for him and gingerly push him back inside me with a sub-vocalized yowl. I settle back down onto his lap and lean forward, giving him a soft kiss. "There. Is this okay?"
The husky murrs and grins up at me. "It's wonderful. Mmmm..." He wiggles a bit as Alika tucks a folded-up towel under his rear to get him in position. One of her hands rests on my back as she dips her fingers into Stel's tailhole, getting him ready. As she does this, I watch his eyes roll up in the back of his head and his lips quiver--his cock throbs inside me like a revving engine.
Now, I can feel something pushing against me, just at the base of my tailhole--Stel's knot, swollen and bulbous. It feels BIG. I grind softly against it, not wanting to set either of us off prematurely. I've always wondered and fantasized about canines and their knots, and having gone this far...I feel a nervous thrill as I lean down and whisper in his ear, "give it to me, Stel."
"Wh-what?" he whispers back, distracted by my girlfriend's talented fingers.
It's hard for me to concentrate too, but I summon up my most feminine voice. "Please, Stel...your knot, it's so big...I want it inside me, baby..."
His throat convulses as he swallows hard. "Don't...don't wanna hurt y-you..."
I lick his cheek and mew softly. "You won't, baby. You'd make us both feel so good." If I wasn't so close to cumming already, just saying this to him would be practically enough to get me there. "I know you want to fill me up all the way. Tie me, Stel," I whisper breathlessly. "Breed me. Mm-make me...make me your bitch."
Four things happen in rapid succession. I hear Alika rumble "here we go!" I feel her push her cock into Stel's waiting pucker. Stel's eyes open wider than dinner plates, and he thrusts HARD into me; giving me his entire knot in a single push. I scream.
The husky's knot feels so huge, like it's wider than my entire body. I can barely believe I took the whole thing...he sinks it into me and locks me tight onto his cock, thrusting hard and fast; gushing hot jets of pre into me. I cry and whimper and gasp with every thrust, meeting his thrusts with my bounces, driving it deeper and deeper, the broad tip slamming against my prostate over and over again, sending sharp sparks of pleasure arcing up my spine...sitting up, I ride Stel's shaft like a pro, while Alika's arms wrap around me from behind as her cock slams into him violently. She growl-pants into my ear, and the only other thing I can hear is the steady "SLAP SLAP SLAP" of her balls spanking against willing, wanting husky-ass. The scent of our musks mingling in the tiny cave is overwhelming.
Alika's claws suddenly sink into my flesh as she lets out a throaty ROAR and slams her cock deep into Stel's rump again and again, pumping a flood of tigercum into his virgin tailhole. Stel's entire body tenses and flexes, and with a mighty thrust and a throaty HOWL he fills me with blast after blast of white-hot husky-seed, filling me to bursting with just a few spurts, with dozens more to go. The feeling of being so filled sends me over the edge, and I shriek as every cell of my body alights as if filled with divine ecstasy. I tilt my head back and wail, a torrent of kittencum erupting from my wildly-spasming cocktip, coating Stel and me in my own sweet-smelling essence as it arcs over both of us. I watch with fascination, wailing girlishly as I shoot harder and farther than I ever have before. I can't ever remember having an orgasm that lasted so long...
By the time I'm done shooting what feels like every last ounce of fluid in my body, I'm reduced to a heaving, shuddering wreck. I collapse, clinging to Stel, whimpering, his knotty cock still tied inside me. He pants roughly, chest fluttering. I can't see too well--my vision is blurred and tears wet my cheeks. With a throat-cracking yowl, Alika rests herself against me, and we slump as one to the side, collapsing onto the cool white sand.
I feel the pull of sleep upon my mind as if the ocean outside were dragging me away with the undertow. The spicy mix of our co-mingled scents hits me like a narcotic, and my thoughts are muddled as my eyelids droop. One last thought bubbles to the surface: does this mean I'm pregnant now?...no, of course not, don't be ridiculous...cross-species pregnancy almost never happens....besides, I just can't see myself being a mother to a litter of...kuppies?...Pittens?...I'm way too young to be...uh...wait... [NO SIGNAL]
I can't tell how long we were asleep, but by the time we awoke, the rain had stopped. As we stumbled out of the cave, stiff and sticky, we fell silent at the awe-inducing sight of an emtpy, rain-swept beach; the sky filled with stars and speckled with wispy remnants of storm clouds, above which a brilliant full moon rose; its light turning the ocean a shimmering silver. The storms must have kept all the beach-goers away--from what we could see, Alika, Stel and I were the only ones left for miles and miles.
We looked at each other for a moment, and laughed. It was obvious that we were all thinking the same thing.
Moments later, we ran naked into the surf (two of us running slightly more gingerly than Alika), plunging in to the cool salty waters. We shimmied and gamboled in the waves, laughing and playing with each other. It was like we belonged there, like we had been born to swim together under a sea of stars. I remembered having almost drowned just hours before, and felt no fear that it would happen again--I forgave the Sargassan for that, realizing that if he hadn't tried to swallow me up in a wave, I would never have met Stel again, Alika and I wouldn't have had the conversation that allowed us to grow closer as a couple, and I would not have had the opportunity to make love with two people about whom I felt so strongly. Maybe he had set this whole thing in motion...it could happen, right?
When we grew tired, we embraced once more together; floating on gentle swells as we held each other tight, talking and touching and sighing. Stel asked us to come back out to the beach at least one more time before the end of summer, and in bikinis instead of our more concealing suits. We made Stel promise in kind that he would come out to Layleaux for a day so that we could spend some time together, getting to know one another better...and to get him into girly clothes for the first time. He blushingly agreed, as long as we promised not to call him "Stella." We considered that to be a reasonable price to pay.
With lingering goodbyes and long hugs for our new husky lover-friend, we staggered out of the sea and left Bewlay Beach; starving and exhausted, but happy. The drive home was long and tiring, not to mention fraught with butt wetness. Still, with the vast, star-drenched night above us and the black ribbon of highway ahead, nothing to be heard but the roar of the engine and the rush of the warm wind whipping through our headfur, everything felt magical. It felt so good to rest my head against Alika's shoulder and close my eyes, knowing when I opened them again, she would still be smiling.
I almost forgot to change into my boy clothes as we neared Layleaux--some circling of the block and careful maneuvering in the back seat got me back into my shorts and tank top in time. I kissed Alika goodnight and stumbled inside, collapsing in bed; still damp with seawater and reeking of the beach. I realized just before drifting off that something else had stuck with me--I could still smell Stel's scent in my fur; musky and rich, so different from Alika's...
It came as no surprise that I dreamt of the sea that night. Endless ocean surrounded me as far as the eye could see, an infinite rolling plain under a dim orange sky. Eventually, three bodies formed out of the surf--Alika, me, and Stellar, curled up together with me in the middle. I immediately noticed that Alika's body had changed, she was now fully female; with round, full breasts, curvy hips and a smooth cleft between her thighs. I was amazed at how beautiful she looked. Stel seemed the same, only taller, muscular, more sharply defined--a man, no longer a boy. But when I tried to look at where I was, I couldn't make out any details. I was blurry, indistinct, a changing shape. What was I? Who was I?
I awoke early in the morning. My parents had already left for work, my brothers all chose to sleep in. I wanted to call Alika and tell her about my dream, but I knew better not to wake a tiger-girl so early. I made myself some tea and sat in the back porch, watching the sun creep up and wondering about my dream.
"What am I?" I wondered. "Am I still just a guy who likes dressing up as a girl sometimes? Am I more of a girl now that I've been with a male? Am I gay, bisexual, or what?" I pondered this for a long time, but I eventually came to realize that I am happier not knowing exactly what I am. Maybe I don't have to know. Maybe I belong to some phase at the midpoint of all those things; some sort of state of being that doesn't have a name. I can be like the nature of water--fluid, ever changing and adapting; like that one famous Progenitor martial artist guy said.
All I know now is that I can't wait to climb back into bed with Alika and hold her and kiss her and tell her how beautiful she is, and how beautiful she's going to be one day. And I can't wait to see Stel again and feel warm and secure in his arms.
Now then, where am I gonna find a bikini in my size?