The Choice: Chapter 2

Story by Narune Watercrest on SoFurry

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Finally the second chapter is done! ^.=.^ I'm so sorry for the huge delay, but I've been focusing more on making Let's Play videos and improving my photography skills. I will begin working on chapter 3 right away so it will not take as long to complete this one. This chapter has lots of teasing and characterization, I want my readers to know more about each of the major players in this story. Hope everyone enjoys!


Michael awoke suddenly as he heard the apartment door slam shut, his mind jumping back to processing his surroundings. From what he could tell he had passed out in Jesse's recliner completely naked save for a towel wrapped very loosely around his waist. The nimble shark launched himself from the recliner, desperately searching for anything he could use to cover himself in case Jesse brought back company. He scanned the living room and spotted a rather large pillow laying in the dead center of their couch, nabbing it without a second thought and pressing it over his exposed groin. Not more than a few moments after he had done so, Jesse and Kaelus walked into the room holding armfuls of grocery bags. The shark froze in place, staring at both of them as they stared back. Jesse gave an amused grin while the dragon quickly averted his gaze from the naked shark, his long ears twitching erratically. All three stood in place for a few moments longer before Jesse cleared his throat, attempting to deflate the tension.

"Damn Mics, no need to be so shy around us. Its not like you have something to hide that we haven't seen before," he said, giving a suggestive wink. Both Michael's and Kaelus' eyes widened at the statement.

"Umm....when has Kael ever seen me naked?!" asked Michael worriedly, afraid that he might have done something brainless last night. The dragon rubbed the back of his neck and walked over to the kitchen, setting down the bags and starting to sort through them.

Jesse chuckled and plopped right down onto the couch right near Michael, dropping his bags and kicking back, placing his feet on their coffee table as he responded, "When he watched me fuck the slut out of you last night."

An audible smash sounded as Kaellus dropped a large container of peanut butter, the undamaged jar rolling out into the living room with the scowling dragon right behind it. "Goddamnit Jesse; why did you have to tell him?"

Michael blinked rapidly, unsure if he had fallen asleep and was having an embarrassing nightmare. He gulped and sat down, his legs shaking unsteadily and an uneasy nausea setting over him. That was not the way he had envisioned revealing himself to Kael. Jesse gave perhaps the smuggest smirk of his life and reached over to pat the shark on the shoulder.

"And the best part is...he totally emptied his big dragon balls," said the fox in a melodramatic tone, dragging out the word "big" to suit the juicy morsel of information he had just dropped.

The shark's cheeks turned visibly red and he pulled his legs up to the clutched pillow, curling up in an upright position with his tail tucked behind him. He uttered not a sound and Jesse began to wonder if he had gone a step too far. The low growl of Kaellus confirmed that he had. The fox shook his head and got up, walking over to their room to retrieve some clothes for the little shark. The dragon sighed deeply and grabbed a chair from the kitchen table, setting it down near Michael and adopting a cross-legged posture upon it. He saw the shark's eyes flick towards him, catching a glimpse of the curiosity that lay behind those enchanting green orbs. Michael lessened his hold on the pillow, lifting his head up slightly, still careful to avoid eye contact with his crush. Every instinct he had was telling him to curl up and spend the rest of the night silent, but his interest was gnawing at the back of his mind with rabid abandon. He wanted to know...no, had to know if Kael had any interest in him. He was about to speak his mind when Kaellus spoke first.

"I had to stop several assholes from trying to take you home; you were too drunk to make any kind of sensible judgments about those courting you. They were coming to you for all the wrong reasons."

Michael shifted a bit, slowly relaxing his tense muscles and looking directly at the dragon, asking "So you were being my hero for the evening? Making sure no one took advantage of little twinky me?"

Kaellus leaned back and placed his feet on the floor, tilting his head back and wondering what was taking Jesse so long to fetch simple clothes. "I guess you could say that. You drive guys wild when you are around alcohol. Do you remember that party Tunre had at his place a few months ago? You gave him and three of his other friends lap dances because someone dared you to."

Michael nearly burst out laughing as all the details flooded back to him, grinning toothily as he remembered the buzz about it the next day at college and the ensuing bitch fight he had with Tunre's girlfriend. That had been a fun week.

"Three of those guys had erections afterwards, and I remember how they were leering at you for weeks after that. Hell Michael, two of those guys are now with other twinkish males," Kael continued, scooting the chair closer to his friend, "You know how to bring the fire of passion out in others. You are sensual and sexual in all of the right ways and there are so many people out there who want to take advantage of that quality you have."

Michael smiled and replied, "No one has ever put that so eloquently before, they usually just call me a slut and call it a day." He turned his head and eyed Jesse standing in the hallway with his much needed clothing, rolling his eyes as he realized the fox was cultivating the perfect atmosphere for he and Kaellus to open up to each other. "My clothes please Jesse, if you would."

A bundled ball of clothes flew across the room and landed right in Michael's lap, containing everything he needed to make himself decent amongst his friends. The shark sighed as he unraveled everything, spotting all the wrinkles in the fabric.

"Maybe next time just hand them to me, eh?" suggested Michael as he began laying everything out along his lap.

Jesse grinned, sinking down on his knees as he leaned against the wall, folding his arms and sticking his tongue out. "Just shut up and get your little girly ass dressed so you two can finish your little talk and we can figure out the rest of our evening."

"Since Kael has already seen me naked then I guess I can get dressed right here," said Michael as he rose up, setting the pillow aside and starting to dress himself.

Kaellus's eyes widened as he gazed upon the fully naked form of Michael, his breath caught in his chest. He remembered little of the previous night, but one thing he'd never forget was how great the little shark looked like bent over. That couldn't compare to this, he was seeing his friend in a different light this time. He watched intently as the shark slipped on his colorful knee-high socks first, then his unbelievably tight thong, then his form-fitting shorts and finally his white t-shirt with a logo he couldn't quite remember the meaning of. His heart was pounding in his chest, his grip tightening on the edges of his seat. He noticed too late that Michael had been looking at him the entire time.

"See something you like?" teased the shark, laying on his side now, legs curled under him.

Kaellus gulped and shook his head, knowing he couldn't give an excuse this time for his behavior. Michael's beauty was something he'd never seen before in other males, something sensuous and barely restrained. A super nova of passion was exactly how the dragon would describe Michael; the type of individual who could turn heads wherever he went. He excused himself and left the living room quickly, walking into the bathroom and closing the door. He could hear both of them giggling as Michael dressed himself, no doubt proud that he managed to get him to stare for so long. Kaellus pushed those thoughts from his mind, instead focusing on the joyous occasion he had experienced a mere two hours earlier. Thinking of Leneara did little to calm his already fast beating heart, but he could not help himself. Some part of him felt like this was something that was meant to happen, even though his logical side deducted it was all pure coincidence. Removing his cell phone from his pocket, he double tapped the screen and saw he had a new message from her. Coincidence indeed, he thought.

"Hey there Kael, I was just wondering when you wanted to get together. Tomorrow would be great for me but it is really all up to you. I really don't want to intrude on your personal life, its just so great to be in contact with you again! Respond soon hun, I'll be waiting." The words he read brought a warm smile to his face as memories long buried resurfaced. He pressed his back against the door and slid down onto his backside slowly, his wings pressed tightly between him and the door. It had been so long since he'd seen her, since he'd touched her. He closed his eyes, lost in his pleasant reverie as tears rolled down his cheeks, his memories coming back in exquisite detail.

He thought to the first time he'd seen her in middle school, how he would blush and watch her curiously from afar. Never good with girls, Kaellus had elected to be more of a recluse or nerd in the eyes of his classmates. Often ridiculed and bullied by his peers, he had begun to develop an overwhelming drive to prove wrong anyone who had said he was destined for failure. As he progressed in age the dragon's personality and behavior altered more and more, attaining a natural charisma and steely confidence that most thought to be utterly beyond him. High school was where they really hit it off, where the attraction and interest had become mutual between them. He remembered the first time they went out on a date; he'd taken her to some sappy love flick and she decided to ditch it for a classic horror movie less than a half hour in back at her place. That first date had changed everything for him, for it was the first time he'd ever been with another female. One minute they were watching a group running from some horribly mutated beast, then the next they were furiously making out. A few moments later and the clothes started coming off, then the undergarments, and then Kael had his first taste of a female. His senses told her she would reciprocate if he kept moving forward, dipping his muzzle between her spread legs and sampling her succulent sex. It didn't take long before they had reversed positions and she was bobbing her head up and down in his lap, the dragon recalling how powerfully he was shivering and gasping. He was embarrassed by how fast he came from her suckling, more a cause of his own nervousness than her own skill. She told him she didn't mind, and that she even enjoyed the taste of his cum. It took him a minute to slip on the condom he had managed to procure from a friend just in case things turned physical on the date. The first position they tried was cowgirl, with Leneara bucking on top of him as he held her hips steady. Both of the lovers reached their peak quickly, crying out in tandem as sheer pleasure and stimulation took them over the edge. He pulled her down and buried his face in her chest, a powerful jolt of white hot pleasure surging through his loins. Afterward they laid there together, panting softly and enjoying the warmth of the others body, neither participant willing to move and dispel the shared languor. They had both slept so peacefully that night, in all honesty it was the best sleep Kaellus had ever gotten. They had kept their little night a secret from their prospective peers, instead meeting back up subsequent evenings and trying new things each time. After a while they began holding hands in public, attracting the admiration of onlookers and jealousy of once potential suitors. Throughout high school their love grew, shaping into something extraordinary as they went into their senior year. They were subsequently elected the king and queen of the senior prom, sharing the spotlight as they danced the night away under a sea of stars. In the coming months there were rumors of a possible marriage proposal at the upcoming graduation ceremony. The rumor orginated from Kael's friend Orii, whom heard it directly from Kaellus himself after he caught the dragon outside staring at a magnificent ring held squarely in his palm at lunch time. No other explanation would do, so he told him the truth. More importantly, he had told Orii to keep his mouth shut and not tell a soul, but that worked out as badly as he thought it would. Not that he could really blame his avian friend, it was such terrific news. It didn't take long before some of his other friends approached him and broached the subject, but he was always careful to only tell them so much about his plans, choosing to confide fully in only his closest of companions.

He had received the ring from his father shortly after he confessed his desire to wed her in private. To his credit, the other dragon had simply smiled and nodded thoughtfully. Most parents would have freaked out after hearing their child's plans to wed their sweet heart right after graduation, his father was not the usual case. His father had taken to Leneara right after they had met, though he had a feeling his reasons were less than innocent. During his childhood his father had drilled into him the importance of family and settling down, more conservative ideals that did not entirely sit well with his son. Kaellus had never blamed his old man for trying to keep him on a straight and strict path; losing his wife during childbirth had instilled in him an obsessive need to ensure his offspring would prosper and succeed. Kael supposed that was the wishes of every parent rearing their young; to see them go farther than they possibly could. His father wanted him to be happy, and he knew nothing would bring his son more joy than to be with this girl. The ring was his mother's wedding ring, kept safe and secluded in the same velvet box that his father had presented it to her in. The ring was composed of 24 carat gold, silver flecks inlaid down the length of both curves with a single gleaming ruby set in the center. It was a breathtaking piece of work, one that his father ensured was made to his exact specifications with no room for error or blemish. Kaellus knew that Leneara would cry when he presented it to her, and he suspected he would join her. Nothing could go wrong, everything would be perfect for what was coming. This would be their time, the start of a wonderful life together. It was the beginning of momentous heart break.

Kaellus was disturbed from his reverie as a hard knock sounded on the door, grumbling as he lifted himself up. He opened the door and tilted his head as Michael stood in front of him, a quizzical look on his face. "Yes?" he asked.

"Umm, if you're done do you think I could get in here for a few minutes?" The shark rubbed the back of his neck, feeling that he had intruded upon some moment his friend was having.

The dragon nodded his head and chuckled lightly, leaning against the doorway. "Oh yes, I'm so sorry. Go right in hun!" He moved aside and let Michael through, catching a glimpse of the puzzlement on his face as they passed. How was he going to tell Michael about his meeting with his ex? Was he even obligated to?

The dragon sighed and walked off back towards the kitchen, unsure of how to approach the subject with his dear friend. Jesse eyed him as he walked out into the living room, the fox sensed the dragon's frustration lying just beneath the surface. Kaellus glanced at him before proceeding to scrounge inside the refrigerator for food.

"Have you even told him that you're girlfriend doesn't exist yet?" asked Jesse, sitting cross legged on a recliner.

The question made Kaellus smirk momentarily before his facial features assumed a more neutral appearance. "That was such a stupid thing of me to say to him. Why the hell did I even say it in the first place?"

The fox shrugged and leaned back, gripping the handle on the side of the chair to extend the leg rest. "Maybe because you were afraid of the emotions he was causing you to feel at the time and you made up any excuse that would get him to stop?"

"Why the fuck did you have to be a Psych major? Sometimes its unnerving to have you pick my brain on the spot like this," remarked the dragon as he prepared a simple meat and cheese sandwich. The fox was very adamant about prying answers from him when he started digging.

"Is that untrue then?"

This one question caused Kael to drop what he was doing, slowly turning around to regard his inquisitive friend. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But why?" pressed Jesse.

"Because I just don't. I don't think most people enjoy being psycho-analyzed while making food," retorted Kael as he retrieved a beer from a compartment at the bottom of the fridge. With little effort he snapped the cap off with a claw and took a long swig of the brownish liquid, sighing as the bottle left his lips. He took one last look at his friend before resuming his food preparation.

The fox sighed audibly and conceded without a word, knowing that the dragon was still deluding himself. He would revisit this topic later, but under better conditions he thought to himself.

Michael looked at himself in the mirror once again and realized he was starting to form an unusual habit of this practice. Lately with Kael's increased interest he had become more self-conscious than ever before. He had made it his drive to ensure his body was as attractive as possible while still considering the possibility that nothing would happen between them again. Still, something had happened the other night and he cursed himself for his inability to remember the specifics. Jesse had such delight in holding that over him, the shark knew he'd have to get back at the cunning fox later for that. As it stood right now, he and Kaellus were in an awkward position. Sexual actions had occurred while the dragon had watched, and only Jesse seemed interested in discussing it.

"Of course he'd brag about fucking me," the shark said under his breath with a smile. The fox had always been too sure of himself when they first met. Michael had to repeatedly bring him back down to Earth and keep him grounded, but it never seemed to work. Jesse had an indomitable spirit and troublesome arrogance to go with it and, for better or worse, would forge his path through life with those characteristics. Despite his know-it-all attitude and over-eagerness to study the psyche of everyone he knew; Jesse was dependable and as brutally honest as he could be since their break up. Michael smiled as the irony settled in, both the fox and the shark keeping each other in check.

Kaellus on the other hand was needlessly deceptive about his life and relationships. It took a monumental amount of verbal prying to get the dragon to loosen his tongue and admit anything about himself that might be considered embarrassing or eye-raising in the slightest. Michael figured that unhealthy nature might have stemmed from his early childhood around his father, likely thinking his problems would only serve to burden his father further in his busy life. To cope with his bottled up emotions he began lying about aspects of his life that others would have deemed inconsequential or superficial. A defensive mechanism adapted because he thought his problems were not good enough to share with others. The thought was depressing; someone could live that long without opening up to another person. Still, Michael and Jesse had been able to change him for the better. While that shyness and hesitation still remained to an irritating degree, Kaellus was more receptive to talking about his emotions and daily life. And yet they still couldn't get him to admit he liked males, even though it was so painfully obvious.

Michael sighed and splashed some water across his muzzle, enjoying the cool sensation against his rough skin. He still had to go meet this new guy his mother was with, and he hoped as hard as he could that this one would not be an asshole. The sound of sudden laughing brought a smile to his face, knowing that he'd have the best possible company until then. He took a towel and dried his skin before stepping out and proceeding into the living room. There he found Kaellus and Jesse with their limbs locked and twisted together, struggling and giggling.

"Please tell your fluffy boy toy that I don't like being tickled!"

"Don't care, I'm gonna make you smile you big brooding dragon!

The shark placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, "What am I going to do with you two?"