FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Yeah. A lot of words, I know. Still, it's finished. The second and final chapter of all work and no play. I don't often write out sex scenes in a narrative, so I apologise now if it lacks in quality. I also apologise if the story takes too long to get to the point. Still, no sense in delaying you any longer. Here's Part Two, hope you enjoy it.

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All of a sudden the office seemed more foreboding than ever before; prior to his meeting with Tony it was merely nothing more than a place he went to for a means to support himself and get completely bored to the brink of insanity. Now Gary found he dreaded going back, because he knew Tony would be in there and he didn't want to risk embarrassing himself somehow or letting slip his confused feelings for the bull. He woke up that morning with another raging hard on, distant memories of a dream he'd had involving the white-on-brown bull lingering on the edges of his mind, that cheerful smile lasting longest of all. He was grateful a hard on was all he had, anything else and he knew his heterosexuality would have been most certainly doomed. Although, all things considered, it may already be.

Not wanting to draw attention to himself, Gary walked briskly into the lobby of the office building, keeping his eyes down towards his black, recently polished hooves that clacked against the shining marble floor as he did so and headed towards the elevator. The wooden panel doors slid open and he slipped inside, occupying a small corner and doing his best to look inconspicuous. One would think a large furre like a bull would have difficulty with such a task, but Gary seemed to manage well enough and for the most part he was ignored. At one point the doors slid open and Gary thought he could see Tony leaning against a water cooler, but then he realised that Tony didn't have breasts nor was he at least fifty years old. Breathing a sigh of relief that passed unheard, the bull waited until he reached his floor before stepping out and heading towards his cubicle. Sitting himself down, he leaned back in his swivel chair and switched on his computer, which greeted him with a cheery jingle and the Microsoft Windows logo before his desktop flicked on. Just seconds later, he was busy with work and for the first time in his life within the office he was grateful for the mind-numbing effects it had on him.

In the background he was faintly aware of someone playing a radio, the latest release of X-Factor winner Johnny Rays filling the room, to which someone shouted for that shit to be turned off, otherwise it'd be taking a rather short flight out the window. Not liking the glitzy, cheesy song contest, Gary was inclined to agree with the angry voice and was pleased when the song cut out after a slightly muffled mutter of protest. His eyes turned to various parts of his cubicle, which during his earlier days he had done his best to personalise with framed pictures, small posters and the odd knick-knack his mother would send him. It had been a while since he'd last cleaned out his notice board, as it still had a picture he swore he removed ages ago, accompanied by memos, small notes and a crayon drawing of him his four year-old niece had presented to the amused bull during last year's family reunion. Pulling the photo off its tack, Gary took a moment to look at it, not really recognising the two figures in it any more, before flicking it into his dustbin regretfully and returning to his work.

In a bizarre twist of fate that proved his university lecturer's theory that the Universe ran on irony, Gary found he was enjoying being lost in the endless paper work, surrounded by the clack and ringing of phones, the murmur of voices, the tapping of keyboards and the rustling of papers. After the drama that unfolded inside his head yesterday, to have his thoughts muted was a welcome relief that he wasn't going to waste. Adding to his newfound sense of enjoyment, his black-hole in tray was actually looking rather empty after a while of work too and this actually made Gary smile. At last! After all the shit yesterday he needed a break from this ever-growing pile of compressed wood chippings! All he needed now was a pay rise and a promotion and he was sorted.

Deciding he could pause for ten minutes and let his aching fingers rest, Gary leaned back in his seat and rested his head against the back wall of his cubicle, careful not to tear the fabric on it with his horntips. He looked to the crayon drawing, which showed Gary as he would look if he was green with purple horns, thin stick arms with three fingers, beady half-dot, half-dash eyes and a lopsided smile that took up half his head. He had to admit, the picture did bear a surprising likeness to him when looked at in a certain way, especially after a few cans of something alcoholic. The paper was starting to get a little tatty unfortunately, after numerous occasions when the tack holding the picture up came loose and the drawing fell to the floor where it'd be trodden on and screwed up by Gary's heavy hooves. He wondered whether he should take it down and store it away back in his flat for safe keeping...Gary closed his eyes, ears flicking to the noises that surrounded him and slowly he sat back up, leaned over his desk and got back to work.

A few hours later and it was time for his coffee break, so he made his usual saunter over to the coffee machine, whereupon he inserted a couple of coins, hit a button and watched as a polyethylene cup fell into existence before dark, steaming coffee was squirted inside. After a clunk that signified the addition of milk into the mix below, the stream finally ended and Gary carefully picked up his piping hot drink before heading back over to his desk. Or at least he began to. Noting a couple of others hanging around the water cooler, Gary decided to try and get into the social circles of the workplace a little and sidled into the sidelines, trying to get invited into the conversation somehow. The group consisted of a raccoon, a rabbit, two wolves and a strange half-dragon, half-fox creature that left Gary questioning all he knew about biological law. Having just walked in on the conversation he was a little lost as to the topic of the conversation, then he gradually picked up on the fact they were talking about Louise, the secretary who worked in the lobby. But then he should have guessed by the hand gestures, nudges, winks and childish schoolboy chuckling that they were talking about "Tit Wank" Louise, as she was sometimes called by the more boisterous of the office lot.

How she got the name was a very easily solved mystery, since it seemed the story was as freely distributed amongst the staff as the flu. Apparently, after one too many sherries at a Christmas bash not long after she first started working at the office, Louise was seduced by one of the older members of staff and taken into his office. Unfortunately, he forgot to lock the door behind him, as the bloke who shared that office with him walked into them doing rather adult acts on the desk. Thus, the name Tit Wank Louise was born. Of course no one said it to her face; it was a rather black memory for her and she seemed intent on forgetting as quickly as she could.

Gary tried his best to find an opening in which he could at least drop a comment, something that might lend him credibility and a degree of respect, even a slight chuckle from the others, but it was difficult. As soon as he thought he'd found one, someone would cut across him before he could speak and the bull was left silent once more. Eventually the clock turned against him as it usually did, so he gloomily headed back to his cubicle, finished his coffee and got back to work.

Soon Gary lost himself once more in the catatonic state of work in the office and soon he became distantly aware of the things going on around him, even if they were not of any immediate importance. Behind him, Jennifer was talking to her mother on her phone about the price of petrol these days, before him Fred was leaning over the top of his cubicle so he could talk to the worker next to him. Across from him, Kyle was talking to Tony...ofuckshitbollocks! Tony!

Resisting the urge to wince and make a fool of himself, Gary quickly got up from his cubicle and sneaked passed the bull whilst he was distracted by Kyle, heading towards the toilets and entering a cubicle. After he pulled the toilet seat and lid down, Gary sat on it and held his head in his hands. The images of Tony entered his mind again more vivid than ever before, despite his best efforts, and Gary groaned softly. Perhaps it would be best to just give in; it's not like he's got much street cred to ruin regardless and he was sure Tony would understand if Gary ever came clean about his feelings. This was met by opposition by parts of him that remained heterosexual, denying vehemently that he needed to just give in and accept it. Didn't he have a choice? Shouldn't he be able to decide who and what he likes to fuck? This was bullshit; he didn't want to be gay!

"And now," muttered Gary under his breath. "I have a raging debate in my head. Jesus bleeding Christ...what am I going to do?"

It would have been nice to know what caused it too. He'd met countless other blokes in his time and not one of them set off Gary like Tony did yesterday, not one of them did he picture naked and masturbating, nor dream about when he went to sleep. Why did Tony? There must be something else...there must be. An idea came to mind about talking about it to someone. Not Tony; he wasn't certain how he'd take it. He knew Tony was straight since he had apparently broken up with a girlfriend recently after a six month relationship. The thing was, everyone seemed to have strong opinions on the matter. There were straight furres who said that homosexuality was dangerous and needed to be stamped out, and then on the other side of the chasm there were a couple of gay furres he'd met who went out saying that all males were essentially gay. They just hadn't come out yet. He needed to speak to someone on neither side, or maybe just reach a conclusion himself. A sigh escaped him, and Gary finally stood and left the toilets, deciding to head back to his desk and get some work finished. Tony had left at that point, so Gary didn't have to do any dodging, ducking and weaving a la The Matrix to get back to his seat. Closing his eyes for a moment or two, sliding down in his seat until his hooves were sticking out from the other end of his desk, Gary remained still and tried to clear his thoughts before continuing his work.

There was no sign of Tony for the rest of the day and when the time came to get ready to leave, Gary thought he had managed to avoid the bull for the day. However he was unexpectedly delayed when he found he couldn't find his wallet, which had slipped out of his coat pocket during the day and he had spent the better half of the next hour searching for it. As a sign of his short-sightedness, bad memory and probably his intelligence too, he suddenly found it under a pile of papers by his desk and fumed at himself as he made his way to the elevator. It was eerie seeing the office this deserted, with only a few cleaners down the corridors with a mop and bucket and a few others in offices either because they hadn't finished yet or were doing overtime. On the plus side, he should have the elevator to himself today, so no claustrophobia today. He pressed the call button for the elevator, seeing on the dial above the doors that it was currently on the floor above him. After barely a minute the doors slid open and Gary gulped. Standing there, a bored expression on his face was Tony. And God damn it, he gave Gary that smile of his when he saw him. At once a ship load of vomiting butterflies was let loose in his stomach.

"Hey Gary," he said. "Going down?"

"Uh...yeah," he muttered, walking into the lift and standing on the opposite side of the cube.

Tony pressed a button and the doors slid shut, leaving the two alone.

Shit. Just shit. Of all the hundreds of workers in this building, he had to get on the lift with the one who triggered his identity crisis and give him unwanted hard-ons. With Tony barely an arm's length away and the smell of his musk, rich and heavy and masculine, filling the confined space of the lift, Gary was finding it very difficult to keep his cool. The cheesy elevator music wasn't helping either. He tried to keep himself under control; if he got excited in here then Tony would probably be able to smell it. Gary kept his eyes on the dial, filling his mind with as many boring and mundane things as possible, although for some reason it seemed to be taking its time. Knowing his luck, the lift would break down and he'd be stuck in here with the bull for an indefinite period. But that wouldn't happen, would it?

"So, I'll pick you up tomorrow evening say...quarter to six?" Tony said. "It gives you an hour at least to get ready. "

"Yeah, sure."

"It'll be nice to get to know you a little better."

"Uh-huh."

"You don't seem to talk to many people in the office."

"I know."

Tony paused and gave Gary a curious look.

Gary's stomach was still doing gymnastics (he always suspected he had some Chinese in him...) and he was trying to keep the Tony in his mind with his clothes on and awkward questions out of his head. Since when was it ever his business to know the size of Tony's package?

"Okay then..." Tony said softly.

The lift finally slowed to a stop and with a cheerful ding the doors slid open once more, letting Tony and Gary get off. The two were silent, and Gary couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty at ignoring Tony like this; he didn't really deserve it. They walked across the empty lobby and into the street, where the cold winter air, the honk and hum of traffic, the cooing of pigeons and general buzz of the city greeted them. Tony put his hands into his pockets and looked to Gary, the smile reappearing. God Gary loved that smile. He blinked at this thought and cursed in his head. God he hated that smile. Gesturing towards the Queen Jane, Tony said,

"Fancy a pint? I'll pay."

Gary wanted to. He really did. He wanted go into the Queen Jane, have a Fosters or a Carlsberg and enjoy himself with a good guy, whether he had the hots for him or not. But he didn't want to risk it. There was too much chance of him exposing himself and then there would be the awkward questions, the ridicule and the slow downward spiral that would be his self-esteem. So he shook his head and looked to the floor.

"Um...I'd love to, Tony, but I'm really tired and I just want to get home. If that's okay with you."

"Oh...of course; that's fine mate," Tony said, sounding a little disappointed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

"Remember, I'll pick you up at a quarter to six."

"Cool."

"I'll call if there are any problems."

"Okay then."

"Right...well. Take care, Gary."

Gary gave a small smile and nodded his head. Tony turned around and walked off down the street, and Gary found he wished he'd been a little more talkative. Wished he'd at least tried to make conversation. Wished he hadn't pushed Tony away because of the way he felt. Sighing and feeling more confused than ever, Gary made for the bus stop once more and once again went through the mental debate.

***

Not long after coming home, Gary had spent some time looking up homosexuality and coming out on the internet, trying to find advice there. It was all mostly the same, more than a few websites that were written by Christian fundamentalists and telling him he was a sodomite nose diving into hell, some scientific and sociological essays written by scholars with stupid names, a less than helpful Wikipedia article and a few websites written by the LGB encouraging him to be truthful with himself and come out of the closet. But the fact was, he didn't want to just give in, throw up his arms and declare "I like blokes!" before prancing off into a rainbow sunset magically at peace with himself. One, he knew it didn't work like that. Two, there was still a part of him that liked being heterosexual. And three, what's wrong with wanting to be straight? Again; didn't he have a choice in the matter? Does he HAVE to be gay? The bull snorted as he stared at the screen, re-reading the advice given. Perhaps he didn't have a choice after all...certainly it seemed that way at the moment. Despite his protests to the contrary he still found himself growing increasingly attracted to Tony. And not just Tony any more, Gary noted that he was starting to notice other males in general more as well. It was puberty all fucking over again, when he walked up to his mum asking why his wee-wee went all funny whenever he watched Bay Watch or why he had extra fur in places where there weren't any before. With a defeated groan, he got up decided to order a take away for tea, maybe watch some television to take his mind of things.

Television. Gary had never really been a fan of television even when he was little. When he was a calf, Gary was more inclined to go outside to play football, climb trees, explore the "woods" near the back of his house (in reality it was just a large clump of bushes and small trees, but Gary had always thought of it as a wood) or visit the pond and feed ducks. Now it was just so fake. Even documentaries and reality TV had a feeling of construction and planning behind them, a sense that couldn't be removed so long as the camera was present and someone was commenting on it. He watched it occasionally though, especially when he found those rare episodes he actually enjoyed. Stretched out on the sofa, an Indian take away laying half-eaten on the floor with a bottle of Pepsi Max, the bull stared blankly at the plasma screen as a sci-fi film about time travel and how fun it would be if we gave the Romans 21st century technology, like guns or atomic weaponry. He couldn't believe he liked this, but he did. Of course he had to look away when a brief gladiator scene came on, not really trusting himself with it at this point, but otherwise he rarely took his eyes off of the screen.

Other matters were playing havoc in his head, the most prominent being the dinner tomorrow. Even before he started straying into Queer Country he would have been nervous, having not eaten out like this for years. Gary sighed; boy did he really need to get himself a life. Clothing was already out of the way, in any case, the bull having picked out a blue shirt, a pair of black trousers and a gold link bracelet. Hung up on the handle of his wardrobe, Gary only really needed to make sure his fur was combed, his hooves polished and his horns waxed before Tony got there the next evening. Gary briefly closed his eyes and sank a little further into the soft recesses of the couch, watching as lupine Romans happily massacred a Celtic village with AK-47's and bazookas. That was going to be awkward too, he'd best try to be friendly to Tony at least and try not to let his feelings come up too much. It was nice of him to invite Gary to a meal with his friends, especially since the two didn't really know each other, and at the end of the day he was a nice guy. Being nasty to him was like kicking a child in the gnads and stealing his lunch money.

Eventually the film ended, the protagonists suddenly realising that Romans with guns is probably not the brightest of ideas, after which they blew up the Imperial Palace in Rome before buggering off back to LA, leaving Antiquity in shambles. Remaining where he was for a few minutes, watching a few of the stupid commercials that screamed at the bull to buy their products, visit their countries or give money to their charities, Gary eventually got up. He stretched, groaned and then yawned before picking up the remnants of the takeaway by his hooves, dumping it in the bin and heading to the shower. Maybe it was because he was becoming more settled with the idea of his attraction to the other bovine, but the images of Tony became less imposing and Gary less objecting to them. He still wasn't giving in, it was still too soon to just accept it, but it was becoming harder to deny it. He started to wash, leaning against the cold, tiled wall as he did so, trying to figure out what caused it anyway.

Perhaps it was always there, he thought glumly and not for the first time, hiding under his skin out of sight and out of mind. He didn't appreciate it doing that, why couldn't it have surfaced sooner when he was younger? At least it would have given him more time to adjust and settle into the thing before he started picking up girls in the university bar. His horns scrapped against the wall slightly as he lathered soap under his armpits, around his chest and about his crotch, head sagging. Perhaps he should come clean with himself. Certainly it seemed like the most obvious course and the websites earlier were probably right when they said keeping it bottled up and denying would likely be unhealthy. Stubbornly, something in his head still screamed in protest.

***

That night, as Gary tossed and turned in his bed, Joan was the invader of his dreams, her shining eyes and dark hair goading him and confusing him further. He was standing in the office, sterile white light shining through the windows, and she was wearing a white gown with a circlet of silver in her hair. Eyes were shining, hair was flowing, the woman was spinning on the spot in some sort of dance, and her arms were outstretched and gracefully following her movements.

Gary didn't know why, but there was also a giant floating pineapple in the background, but he ignored that for now. Puzzling on the deeper aspects of his subconscious could wait until later.

Slowly Joan stopped and looked to him. Her mouth twitched into a coy grin and her pale limbs stretched out toward him, but when the bull tried to approach he found her further away than before. Always he would stop after several attempts and express his frustration to her, but the woman would just smile and gesture for him to come closer. It was like trying walk up Mount Everest in rollerskates.

Slowly Joan drifted further and further away until Gary was left alone, in a dark room where he could hear strange voices whispering things to him that he didn't want to hear. A soft laugh echoed amongst them.

Joan. Are you against me too?

***

The next day went very much as it did before, with Gary working from 9:00 until 4:35, according to the clock on his computer, with no sight from Tony that day. As usual it was slow and boring and sent his mind into a deep snooze, something he was grateful for since it kept his mind clear and certain thoughts out of his consciousness. The in tray was for the first time starting to empty, leaving Gary really worried in case it was some sort of sign for change. He didn't believe in God, but unless he was just being paranoid because of the Tony situation then something was definitely trying to tell him something. This was further implied when one of the office staff on his floor, a dinosaur (literally) who had been working there since the early 70's at least when the company first started, suddenly announced his retirement, which worried Gary even further. He did his best to let work distract him from these thoughts and before long Gary was once again on his way back home, not too sure whether he should be dreading the meal or looking forward to it. He didn't really no why Tony had invited him in the first place. Pity probably. Or maybe he wanted another friend in his social circle, in which case Gary probably should be grateful that Tony had spoken to him out of anyone else. The bull twiddled a pen between his forefinger and thumb, rocking it so that both ends rapidly tapped the table, looking above the current paper he was supposed to be working on and toward the other end of the room.

He did like Tony. He still wasn't clear whether he liked the romantic aspect, but he did like the bull in question as a person. Tony had never done anything to offend him, he's friendly, he's open and he's actually taken an interest in Gary's well being and seems to want to help him meet people. That was nice, especially since no one else showed that much interest in him these days. He appreciated the meal too. Perhaps having the meal with Tony might help him put his thoughts straight as well, stop him from moping and worrying about himself. For obvious reasons, the emo lifestyle didn't really suit him. As soon as it once again turned to the hour in which he needed to leave, Gary did so slowly and thoughtfully. The debate in his head had cooled for now, but it seemed as soon as Gary began to lean towards one side the other produced a more compelling argument and pulled him back.

As he road the bus home, sitting next to a youth listening to loud, manufactured gangsta rap on his iPod, Gary wondered if he'd ever really come to a conclusion. Perhaps he should just go celibate and be done with it. A moment's consideration of a life without sex, any sex, quickly revoked that idea. When the bus pulled up at the stop near his flat, Gary quickly departed and headed back inside, a quick glance at his watch telling him he had about forty minutes to get ready. Stripping as soon as he got through the door, gathering up his dirty clothes into a ball and tossing it toward the washing machine, Gary took a quick ten minutes in the shower, before brushing his teeth, sorting his fur out and other such necessities. When that was done he changed into the clothes he had prepared, trying hard not to crease them too much before spraying on some deodorant, polishing his hooves and smoothing and waxing his horns. Almost as soon as the horn wax was away, the doorbell went and Gary winced since he knew that would be Tony.

Moving to the door, Gary undid the locks and catches and opened it. Lo and behold there the bull stood, looking drop dead gorgeous as well. Gary nearly gulped, but managed to save himself by smiling and nodding his head, to which Tony replied in kind.

"Hello Gary," he said cheerfully. "Ready to go then?"

With a nod, Gary reached for his wallet and closed the door behind him, locking it and turning to face the bull from work. He was dressed rather casually, in a white jumper with jeans and a chain about his neck, an amulet or something, but since it disappeared into his top Gary couldn't tell what it was. The smell of his deodorant, mixed with some of his musk, wafted up Gary's nostrils and he couldn't deny that he liked that smell. There was a moment of silence before Tony took the lead, heading down the stairs since the elevator was out of order and talking to Gary about how difficult parking was. Gary agreed, the parking was awful; sometimes he'd even find cars in his usual residential spot, something that irked him considerably. Upon reaching the cold evening air, Gary immediately regretted not bringing a jacket, but apparently the car wasn't too far and after a walk down past the Memorial Gardens they found it; a silver Ford Escape Hybrid. Deftly opening the locks remotely, Tony climbed into the driver's seat, Gary following suit into the passenger's side.

"Nice car," he said. Judging by the new car smell that hung about him it can't have been that old either.

"Thanks," Tony replied, starting the engine and pulling out into the road. "I wanted a big car after I tried cramming seven people into my last five-seater. Not a pretty sight; one guy had to sit between someone's legs in the passenger seat."

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Gary asked.

"Hence my new car. Anyway Gary, I've told my friends you were coming and they're interested in meeting you. And luckily for you, there weren't as many as we originally planned, so there's only going to be four or five of us in all."

"That's fine," replied Gary, somewhat uneasy at the thought of having a meal with people he's only just meeting. "Anything I should know about?"

"Well Cassandra is a neo-Nazi, John used to be Jane and Robert is actually a goldfish that we bring around for fun, so he won't be talking much."

Gary looked at Tony, unsure of how to respond to this

The bull chuckled and gave Gary a playful soft punch to the arm. "I was kidding, quite poorly at that. Nah, just be yourself and you should be all right, mate."

"Okay then..." Gary said, not being able to keep the nerves from his voice.

"Don't worry, Gaz, you'll do fine. You're a good bloke."

A warm flush filled Gary's cheeks, making him immensely grateful for his dark fur and the lack of light about the car. He said little else, looking instead out of the car window as the scenery rushed passed, finding the drone of the engine, the sounds of other vehicles zooming past and the trundle of the wheels on the tarmac below oddly relaxing. After a while Tony switched on the radio, searching the channels briefly until he found a station he was apparently satisfied with, letting the radio blast out the latest pop songs and radio ads. Gary leaned back in his seat, trying to keep himself from looking at Tony too much in case he noticed and asked questions that Gary honestly didn't think he could answer. Dimly aware that they had left the city-centre, the buildings grew noticeably smaller and the roads narrower, only the occasional block of flats or office building adding any sense of height. Everything looked rather unfamiliar, whether this was because it was dark or that he had never been down this way, Gary could not tell. Driving down the road for a few more minutes, the car eventually came to a large, posh-looking restaurant, with a large neon sign declaring the restaurant to be Giovanni's and a number of Italian flags flying from the windows.

Gary got out of the car as soon as the engine stopped and stepped once more into the cold, his fur standing up on end to try and keep him better insulated, waiting for Tony to get moving so he could enter the presumably warmer building. Tony took his time, but soon climbed out of the car as well, locked it and together he and Gary went into Giovanni's. Out of a childish sense of humour, Gary kept looking around to see if he could spot any Italian gangsters. Whether or not it was the meeting place of the local Mafia, the restaurant was certainly warm and expensive looking, coloured with rich reds, browns, oranges and greens. The smell of garlic, thick and heady, assailed Gary's senses and he could hear the clatter of cutlery and the murmur of conversation over a radio playing traditional Italian music. A lion in a smart, black suit checked their names against the reservation register, before leading them towards a small table near a scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa where a young deer was already sat, drinking red wine and looking around with a vague look on her muzzle. The doe smiled as the two bulls approached and immediately stood.

"Tony!" she said with a smile and a soft Irish trill, hugging the bull and kissing him on the cheek. "It's been too long, how have you been doing?"

Gary realised he felt jealous as the deer hugged Tony and made a mental note to kick himself later.

The white and brown bull grinned and kissed her back, before stepping away and nodding his head. "I've been good, Cassandra, thanks for asking. You're looking great by the way."

The doe blushed and turned her attention to Gary. "Thanks. So is this that friend you've been telling me about then?"

He gave her a small smile and a small wave. "Hullo."

"Yeah, this is Gary, Cass. Gary, this is Cassandra. She was in my Maths class as well."

"Dorks that we are," Cassandra said with a cheesy grin before hugging Gary as well.

It felt odd somehow, yet also familiar. The doe had a rather lighter frame that what he was used to, but to feel a female body close to him again brought back old memories and reaffirmed his heterosexual side a little. It wasn't really as helpful as he would have liked. "Robert's here too, Tony; he's just in the bathroom."

"The goldfish?" Gary asked before he could stop himself.

Cassandra frowned at him and at once the bull wish he kept his mouth shut. Tony chuckled a little however and raised a hand. "Just a joke we had on the way here. It seems we're both bad at them."

"Huh," Cassandra said, shaking her head. "Must be a bull thing."

"Maybe. Ah, here's Robert now..."

Not ten minutes later when the rest of Tony's friends arrived, the meal proper got itself started, Gary having decided to order himself some spaghetti and meatballs, which struck him as being about as Italian as you can get.

It wasn't long before he actually to enjoy himself as well, usually just talking when he was spoken to but otherwise simply listening to the others as they joked amongst themselves and discussed their university years. It made Gary wonder where his old friends had gotten to since he last saw them...he hoped they were doing well at least. Deciding he may as well make the most of the night, Gary tried to talk a little by himself as well. It started off poorly, the bull often letting himself sink into the background when he tried to speak but eventually he got to it, offering his opinions on certain topics and making the odd joke. A few of them even got laughs, which shocked him completely. It felt good doing this. Really good. He missed that feeling.

As the night progressed, he also got to know Tony a little better as well, which he liked. He caught himself looking too much at the other bovine once or twice, but otherwise he was pleased to see he behaved himself. Conversation soon turned into a brief debate, something Gary took quite an active part in, largely about world affairs and other importantly useless topics. At the end of it, Gary believed to have gained himself quite a good name and was actually being spoken to directly and included in the group. Acceptance, another good feeling. Especially now.

Unfortunately all things had to come to an end and the meal eventually trailed off at about ten to eight, Robert being the first to leave (definitely a wolf rather than a goldfish) and then Cassandra. It turned out the last two wished to remain for a while and have something else, so Gary and Tony left their part of the bill on the table with Robert and Cassandra's before heading back to the car. The wine had been rather rich, and also shockingly cheap, so Gary was feeling a little merry when he walked back with Tony. Since he was driving, the other bull had wisely kept off the wine and stuck with soft drinks and juice although he didn't look especially happy about that.

"Next time you can pick me up Gaz," he said as he buckled his seat belt, started the engine and drove out onto the deserted road. "Then I can drink as much as I'd like."

"Sure..." Gary said. His mind felt a little hazy and wrapped in cotton wool, but otherwise he was on top of the world. The meal actually went off without a hitch, something he really wasn't expecting and it seemed everyone received him rather well, which was even more of a surprise. Tony drummed his hands on the steering wheel as he paused briefly to look both ways before turning down a road and heading towards Main Street.

"Fancy coming over to my house for a beer, Gary?" he asked, a question that would have made the bull nervous had he been a little more sober. As it was, the drink and full stomach had made him rather mellow.

"Sure..." he said, shrugging.

With a nod, Tony pulled into the next T-junction and began a slow drive down the road. Gary was vaguely aware of scenery rushing past him behind the window. That had been good wine and coupled with the meal, he found himself to be very relaxed. The seat of the car seemed rather comfortable and Tony had turned the heating up to just the right temperature, so the bull found he was nodding off in places. Better not fall asleep in Tony's car; it probably wasn't the most polite thing to do. Even if he was somewhat sleepy, which would likely pass once his meal had digested a bit, Gary would rather keep to some level of good manners. The drive didn't seem to take very long at all, Tony finally stopping at a townhouse and pulling up in the drive. The house seemed quite modest, only a single story and probably only having the one bedroom.

Nerves soon kicked in again after Gary stepped out of the car and woke up a little. He was now going into Tony's house. Perhaps it wasn't too late to change his mind before he suddenly found himself out of his depth...

Tony locked the car and then went to the front door, Gary lingering on the driveway for a bit until Tony gave him an expectant look. It seemed he couldn't just walk out now; it'd look suspicious. At best, Gary would seem a little immature. At worst, Tony would figure out something is wrong and begin to wonder what that would be. Like a child wandering into the attic, which was dark and apparently had a monster living in it, Gary walked up the path and into the house. As he somewhat expected, the house smelled of Tony. There were other smells lingering in the air, such as past meals, air fresheners and the general "other person's house" smell he always got when visiting a friend's home. The rooms were dark, but in the hall he thought he could see a small stand with a phone on it, the kitchen straight ahead and several other doors that were closed.

"Okay now where's the light...? Ah, here." There was a click and a bare energy saving light bulb flicked on, somewhat dim to begin with. "Okay then Gary, the living room is through that door Make yourself at home and I'll grab some drinks. Do you like cider? I've got some other things as well I think if you don't."

"Cider's fine," Gary said, not wanting to be too much trouble.

Tony nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, whilst Gary walked into the living room and had a quick look around.

Unlike the sparse hallway, which seemed rather bare and cold, the living room was rather warm and inviting looking, the walls being covered with deep red wall paper and wooden panelling, a blue sofa with matching armchairs and a Persian-style rug over an uncovered wooden floor. Tony could see a small, square TV in the corner, with a DVD player, satellite box and a PS3 connected to it. On the wall there was a large painting of a ranch, most likely in America judging by the landscape, in which a large herd of horses were running off somewhere in the foreground. It was a little untidy, with magazines, paper and the odd book scattered in places on the floor, but otherwise it was quite a nice room and Gary spent some time examining the painting after he had sat down. Tony returned a short while afterwards, an eight pack of Strongbow cider in his hand. Noticing Gary's fascination with the picture, he grinned and handed Gary a can.

"Like it, eh?"

"Yeah," Gary said. "Looks really nice."

"It was something my grandmother painted, she came from Utah originally. I think it was the ranch she grew up on."

Gary nodded his head slowly, before looking down to his cider and opening it, the can hissing as the gasses escaped. Tony sat down next to him and leaned back on the sofa, taking a long drink from his cider. Sighing contently, the bull looked to Gary and grinned. Once again an uncomfortable feeling of heat fell upon Gary's face as he blushed, his stomach squirming and his mind was becoming fluctuated with a long line of confused thoughts and shameful feelings. Tony seemed to notice this, his head tilting slightly.

"You okay?" he said. "You seem a little...I don't know. Tense. Like you think I'm going to shout at you or something."

"I'm fine," Gary lied. "It's just...I'm not used to being in someone else's house." That was a bit more truthful.

"Not one for socialising, huh?"

Gary nodded and had some cider. The tangy taste of fermented apples moistened his mouth, which had suddenly gone dry. He could feel the warmth from Tony's body and smell of him was stronger now. Again he wished he'd had said no back at the restaurant car park when Tony asked him round for a drink, wished he cancelled the dinner, wished Tony never even looked at him back in the bar.

"Any reason why?" Tony was persistent, Gary had to give him that.

"I can't usually find the time these days...work's hard and everything. Or it seems to be. There's always something to do and talking to other people...it sort of gets pushed out of the way."

Tony looked incredulous. "You can't find time to talk to other people? It's not exactly a huge undertaking, Gary." He paused and rubbed the underside of his muzzle. "Not unless I talk too much...anyway. That's horseshit; no amount of work can keep you from talking to other people. I see you all the time, Gaz. You're always on the computer, by yourself, not so much as looking at anyone else."

Gary winced and looked to his hooves. "Sorry?" he tried.

"Pffft. Sorry wasn't really what I was looking for, Gaz. Still, you do know that you can always come and talk to me you know?"

Gary nodded slowly.

"Good," Tony said as though satisfied. "Don't feel shy or embarrassed; I don bite." Tony was silent for a while, time he used to drink some more of his drink. Gary followed suit. The other bull's tone wasn't really angry or condescending, but Gary still got the impression he was being lectured to a little.

"So, why did you talk to me in the Jane?" Gary asked. The question only just came to mind, but it was one he felt he should ask. "Was it just because I didn't talk at work?"

"Partially," Tony conceded, looking at Gary directly. "Since I never get to talk to you at work, I figured I'd try at the Jane. Plus you seemed lonely; I figured some company might do you good. Don't take offense, Gary, but I sort of feel sorry for you. You're a great guy from what I've seen, but you're always by yourself and always silent. Plus you've got this sadness about you."

Gary perked his ears. That was new. "Sadness?"

"Yeah. Not very noticeable, but it's there. Like you're mourning something. What's wrong?"

Now he definitely wish he turned down the drinks. He didn't need this. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong," he muttered, turning his head away and slouching over, elbows on knees.

A soft snort came from Tony, and he leaned forward slowly until he was roughly level with Gary's head.

He could see the individual strands of fur on his muzzle, how they crisscrossed his face, and the long eyelashes on Tony's brown eyes. Very faintly, so faint Gary could barely feel it, his arm was tickled by Tony's breath as he breathed.

"Come on," Tony said softly. "You can tell me."

Gary had a lot of things he wanted to tell Tony. A lot. He didn't think he was ready though. Not yet...

Tony apparently sensed his reluctance because he leaned closer and said quietly, "Look if you don't want to tell me that's fine. I won't force you. But as I said, don't feel afraid about coming to talk to me either."

Gary remained silent. Partially because he didn't want to say anything that he might regret later but also because images of him and Tony were currently flooding his minds eye. Silence once again fell upon the pair, drinking their cider in somewhat self-consciously; Tony because he apparently respected the other's decision to remain silent and Gary because his brain had become a temporary distributor of tailor made gay porn. It was a wonder Tony hadn't noticed his growing erection, despite Gary's best efforts to distract himself from it before he was rumbled. Eventually conversation started up again, Tony asking Gary whether he'd been to New Jutland before, a province someway to the north-east. From there, the conversation inevitably turned to football, since that was where the majority of Christiana's matches took place. The conversation couldn't have come at a better time, it distracted Gary sufficiently enough that he could actually look at Tony without having to think of chairs.

The night wore on, the clock on the DVD player eventually blinking 2313 hours, and Gary and Tony had been drinking through all that time. Cider was not usually Gary's drink of choice, he preferred a good solid lager to cider any day of the week, month and year. But it was certainly doing its job on him, the bull eventually finding he was swaying slightly on his seat and slurring his words a little as he spoke. It was silly really. He giggled ridiculously at the slightest joke, even if it was about as funny as Mother Teresa's funeral, and whenever he stood so he could go to the bathroom he kept walking into the door instead of opening it. Tony seemed to be holding his drink quite well in comparison, although his eyes seemed a little unfocused at times and he had a little trouble speaking. Every ten minutes or so Tony would glance at the clock and remark how he should probably be getting Gary back home soon, but then the two would forget about it. Plus, Gary wasn't sure he wanted to leave. As Gary returned from his bathroom break and sat down on the sofa, Tony slipped his arm around his neck and pulled him closer in a warm hug. Being that close to the bull he'd been trying hard not to masturbate over sobered Gary considerably.

"You know..." Tony said, raising a finger and grinning toothily. "You're a really great guy, Gaz. Really great. You've definitely got to come...got to come have a drink with me and my mates. I think you'd fit right in..."

Gary smiled a little, but otherwise remained silent. The lump in his throat had returned and he became acutely away of how tight his trousers were in the crotch area, not knowing whether he could keep his excitement secret. He didn't think he could take it any more. He'd rather come clean than just get discovered. Plucking up his courage, Gary looked firmly at the bull and said, stammering slightly,

"I like you Tony."

A wide grin spread across Tony's muzzle and he squeezed Gary against him gently. "Awww. I like you too, Gaz," he said.

"No, I mean...oh Christ...I mean...I like you. I mean really like you." Gary's voice cracked as he spoke, trying hard to keep himself from going silent. He needed to get it off his chest quickly, before it became too deeply imbedded and started gnawing at him from the inside out. The lump had grown bigger and he felt so hot he was surprised he wasn't burning, his eyes firmly on the floor as he spoke.

Tony, much to Gary's worry, was silent for a while. Telling Tony that was a bad idea, Gary knew it. Now he was probably going to get freaked out, shout a little and probably file a restraining order all of which will shoot Gary's recovering social life to pieces and leave him back where he was before the meeting at the Jane. He waited, ears flat, whilst Tony just stared. Then the bull smiled and nodded his head.

"You haven't told anyone else about it, have you?" he said softly.

Gary shook his head. "No...you're not mad are you?"

This was answered by a casual shrug. "Well, I am bi aren't I?"

Looking up dumbstruck at the bull, Gary's mind tried to make this sudden revelation click. "Yer wot?" he said.

Tony grinned. "Didn't I mention it? I guess not, it's not something I actually advertise, you know. But yes, I'm bisexual."

Bisexual. Tony McFerrin was bisexual. He couldn't believe it. Although, in all honesty, he wasn't sure what to disbelieve; Tony's bisexuality, that he never mentioned it before when it would have been really helpful to know or the fact that the world seemed to be conspiring against him in an attempt to get him to come out. It was getting a little too much for Gary now.

"Oh God..." he muttered, resting his head in his hands and closing his eyes.

Tony tightened the hug slightly, apparently out of concern. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Gary said at first, before sighing and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know...everything. No offense, Tony, but I wish you never spoke to me in that bar. Ever since you did I've had nothing but grief over this..."

"Over what?"

"This! My sexuality! Before you spoke to me I was quite happy knowing...gah, thinking I was straight! Now I don't know what to think. It's like everything has been trying to get me to come out, to admit I like other males!"

Adopting a soothing tone of voice that Gary couldn't help but find somewhat patronizing, although he knew Tony had nothing but good intentions, the other bull asked softly, "And do you like other males?"

"I don't know..." Gary muttered dismally. "That's the point. I don't know what to think any more. I think I like them; quite frankly I've been getting more and more attracted to them...it's just..."

Without another word, Tony nodded. All signs of being drunk had apparently faded, and whilst Tony seemed a little unsteady he spoke with a strange clarity. Gary too felt as though all alcohol had been flushed from his system. Eventually Tony removed his arm and looked at Gary, seeming unsure of what to say.

"Look..." he said softly. "I know it's hard. Trust me; I went through all this too. Although you were a lot quicker in telling someone about it; I took several years before admitting it to a friend of mine. And I didn't tell my crush until another couple of years after that. So if anything you're being better with this than I am. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are and who you like."

"I was sort of hoping it was just some sort of man-crush..." Gary said. "Something I'd get over in a few weeks, but it doesn't seem that way."

"It could be a man-crush," Tony suggested diplomatically. "I've known plenty of straight guys who admitted there was someone they wouldn't mind dating if they were gay or girls. Just so long as you don't bottle it up and let it bother you too much." Tony leaned in a little and lowered his voice. "And speaking honestly, I don't think you'll have trouble with girls or guys, Gaz."

Gary thought about it slowly. He nodded his head, taking Tony's words into account. "Thanks...I just don't know if I want to...you know. Sleep with men."

Slowly, almost as if he wasn't sure he should, Tony's hand rested on Gary's knee. "That's entirely up to you," he said softly. "So it turns out you like girls after all? That's great, tried and true. Like guys? Again, that's great; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Like both? Even better, come out with me some night and we'll have a girl between us. It'll be fun. Just don't let anyone influence you on that. It's your decision and yours alone, I won't try to tell you what to think."

Gary looked to Tony and smiled softly. "Thanks..." he said again.

There was a moment's pause, where no one said anything for a while. Then Gary leaned in slightly and, somewhat gingerly, gave Tony a light kiss on the lips. They were soft against his and Gary could taste the cider they were drinking earlier, along with a very strong hint of Tony. There was another moment's pause as Gary pulled away, before Tony bridged the gap this time and this time left himself there, kissing Gary with much gusto. Gary closed his eyes and held the kiss for a while, seeing what it was like and how it differed from kissing a female. In all honesty, the fact he was kissing a male seemed to be making him much more excited than usual. His heart hammered in his chest, his palms felt sweaty and he was conscious of just how heavily he was breathing; it was like he had just run a marathon. And all the while, between his legs, his sheath was really starting to swell and grow warm, the tip of his member pressing against his boxers.

For a while they kissed whilst sitting a fair distance away, about a few inches, but gradually Tony linked his arms about Gary's waist and pulled him in close. That was odd, the feel of Tony's body and arms. It was strangely firm, thick and muscular yet at the same time satisfying and appealing. Although Gary was used to having much slimmer frames against him, occasionally getting a girl with a rather athletic build, he had to admit he quite liked having a stronger body for a change. Tony deepened the kiss a little and leaned forward, pressing Gary down against the sofa and firmly, yet gently and slowly, laying the bull on his back whilst Tony lay on top of him. The smell of Tony's musk was getting stronger and Gary could feel his tongue gently push and try to worm its way into his maw. Dithering only for a second, Gary let it in and suckled on the muscle. God he wanted this...he'd wanted it for a while now. Not just Tony but also having someone, anyone, to cuddle and kiss again, which was something he hadn't had in years...

Shifting his legs so that Gary's were in between his own, Tony pressed his crotch against Gary's and gently grinded. The feel of the other bull's groin against his own, a strong warmth emanating from it, made Gary murr a little with pleasure, his semi-erect bullhood quickly regaining its firmness. A hand moved up under his shirt as Tony began feeling his chest, thick fingers softly digging into his pectorals and massaging his erect nipples teasingly. He loved that feeling and gave a rather sharp buck of his hips into those of the other bovine's. Tony chuckled in his throat and quickly broke the kiss.

"Heh, eager aren't you?" he said softly, the hand coming to stroke Gary's muzzle.

Gary gave a weak grin, nuzzling into the hand gently as it rubbed his face. Gods he loved this...he wish he'd known Tony was bi sooner. Then perhaps he could have avoided the whole avoidance malarkey.

Tony kissed his lips softly again before suddenly sitting up, Gary between his legs, and soon he began undoing the buttons on Gary's shirt. The bull in question watched silently, not moving except for the rapid rising and falling of his chest, and feeling somewhat uncertain. Did he want to go down this road yet? Kissing was fine, but if Tony wanted what he think he wanted... Tony quickly took his shirt off as well, exposing his body to Gary's inspection and it had to be said that if Gary had been aroused before hand then he was rock solid now. Across his chest and down his stomach, disappearing into his pants was a large splodge of white fur, muscles showing under it. He kept the pants on for now, his hands going back to stroking Gary's front, making him writhe a little on the sofa.

Muscled chest thus exposed, Tony leaned forward and kissed Gary again, before slowly trailing downwards from there, licking and kissing (and occasionally nibbling, something that made Gary squirm and groan in pleasure) until his came to his chest. It was then that some small voice in his head declared that it wasn't too sure it liked where this was heading. It still wasn't too late to back out now...Tony might be a little let down but it didn't seem likely he would anything against him... A long, rough tongue slowly dragged itself down from Gary's chest and between his abs, the feeling making his meat throb and pulse almost painfully. The thought of backing out quickly died away as a loud, lustful snort left his nostrils. With painful slowness, almost as if Tony was teasing him somehow, the soft lips of Tony's muzzle reached his navel, where he dug his tongue into Gary's belly button briefly, a soft murr coming from his as he did so. A satisfied grin spread across Gary's face; at least he wasn't the only one having fun here.

Whilst Gary was distracted by Tony nuzzling and liking his front, the other bull's hands had been rather busy unbuckling Gary's belt and pulling his trousers down his thighs, Gary only responding by gently lifting his hips so that the offending piece of clothing could be pulled off more easily. Left in his boxers, his arousal being very obvious now and a dark stain clearly visible on the peak of it, his strong musk mingling with that he could smell coming from Tony, Gary felt thick fingers bury themselves into the hem and slowly tug them down. Cool air met the warm flesh of his erect member, the feel of fabric moving against the sensitive organ, and then the warm breath coming from Tony's nostrils blowing against it, nearly set Gary off there and then. He was acutely aware of this building sensation at the very base of his shaft, not really remembering ever having it come about not three seconds after having his pants removed. A soft groan came from him; if Tony moved too much he may end up blowing his load there and then...

However it wasn't to be, Tony just lay there for a while, his hand stroking Gary's stomach and occasionally dropping to rub his inner thigh, watching the gasping bovine intently, probably waiting for Gary to calm down a bit. This was confirmed when he winked at Gary and gave him that smile.

"I love virgins," he said softly, as his hands continued to keep Gary stimulated as his urge to orgasm slowly faded.

Gary snorted indignantly. "I'm not a virgin, thanks."

"Oh? Slept with males before then, have you?"

"No, but I've..."

"Then to me you're a virgin," Tony said. "You've had sex, I know that, but not with a male. It's sort of like having sex for the first time all over again."

He was about to protest, saying that he didn't buy that one bit, but it was then that Tony lowered his head and ran his tongue along Gary's shaft. That silenced any protest he had in mind, his head tilting back as he bit his lower lip.

Oh fuck... Gary thought as Tony's rough, bovine tongue ran along his meat. Oh fuck that feels good...

It was magic. He'd had his cock licked before but even so, there was something about this that made it different to the others. Regardless of his previous sentiment it seemed Tony was right, he felt like he was doing this for the first time again. As soon as Tony finally took Gary's member into his mouth, Gary was surprised he didn't orgasm right there and then. God...it felt awesome...Tony wasted no time in taking as much of Gary's fourteen inches into his maw, only a few inches remaining outside and these were gripped by the bull and stroked in his fist. The soft, velvety warmth of his wet maw would have made Gary curl his toes, if he had any, and he gripped the couch beneath him tightly, the material straining slightly between his fingers. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling nothing but Tony's maw sealed tightly around his thick, pulsing bullhood, sucking strongly on it and slowly bobbing his head. It didn't take long until Gary felt the need to orgasm again, the strong tingling sensation of his cum building up at the base of his shaft, his bulky ball sack pulling itself to the base of his sheath. He fought the urge relentless, trying hard to keep himself from cumming for as long as he could, not wanting to orgasm too soon.

It was King Knut all over again, however. In spite of his best efforts, Gary gritted his teeth and snorted lustfully, loosing control and thrusting his hips roughly into Tony's maw, grunting and cursing under his breath. Tony took it in his stride, gently gripping Gary's thighs and holding them still with his firm grip and bobbed his head. It was then that Gary filled the bull's mouth his hot, thick bull jizz.

"Fuuuuuck..." Gary cried out, trying hard to slam his hips against Tony's mouth, feeling his balls empty themselves into the bull's willing maw.

Not a single drop of his seed escaped from the other bull's lips; Tony was actually moaning softly grinding against the sofa. Even after Gary had stopped ejaculating, he continued to suckle and play with Gary's hard member, as though he wanted to make up for the rather brief session he was offered.

Himself, Gary lay on the sofa, gasping and releasing his grip on the sofa slightly. Sweat gleamed on his fur and his legs, which had coiled upwards not long before he orgasmed, slowly extended once more somewhat lazily, the bull basking in the delicious post-cum afterglow. In this state, he watched Tony continue to suckle on him, murring softly and closing his eyes as Tony dug his tongue into the piss slit, his muzzle moving up and down slowly over his slick meat. Cautiously he stretched out a hand, leaning over to stroke Tony behind the ears. Strangely, his first encounter of this sort with another male felt...brilliant. He couldn't describe it, even if it did take much shorter than he otherwise would have liked...perhaps he'll get used to it in time. Tony was marvellous as well, he didn't push Gary into anything, he was friendly and actually made Gary feel much better about the whole gay/bi thing...couldn't have done it with a better guy.

Tony nuzzled into the hand and finally pulling off Gary's cock briefly, crawling forward a few paces and pressing his lips against Gary's in a firm, passionate kiss. On his lips he could still taste his seed, the taste of it mingled with Tony making him shiver slightly. He had to admit, he tasted good; salty yet sweet at the same time. He wondered what Tony tasted like, the thoughts of doing to the sexy bull who just gave him great head what he just did now being especially appealing.

After a few moments Tony broke off and grinned. "Mmm, damn you tasted good...but anyway. How was your first time with a bloke then, eh?"

"Amazing," Gary said, still stroking Tony behind the ears. "Just...amazing.."

"I'm pleased you liked it..." Tony trailed off, taking Gary's hand and slowly guiding it slowly towards Tony's groin, before clasping the hand against it firmly. Beneath the trousers and the boxers, Gary could feel the raging hard-on between Tony's muscled thighs. The grin widened and Tony kissed Gary's lips once more. "However, there's still me to see to yet."

Gary felt the bull's genitals, tentatively squeezing them gently and smiling as he heard Tony moan. He returned the kiss and pulled Tony down with him as he settled on the couch.

He could grow to like this...