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PERIT HIGH

Chapter 6 - Smoke

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Alan hit the ground face-first with a thud. The smell of the freshly cut grass was refreshing and invigorating, and Alan breathed in the aroma: filling his lungs with the summery odours. The wolf could not be happier than at this moment, every single thing was perfect.

A large weight on his back forced some of that air out of his lungs, and Alan could hear and feel the predatory chuckle and paws on his rump, signalling his lover's presence. He managed to roll over onto his back and look up at his boyfriend, resplendent in the sunlight - an absolute vision of masculine beauty.

Jesse smiled down at the wolf with an intimate, loving look that communicated his happiness in living this moment to its fullest.

"Hey little wolfy." Jesse cooed as he lent down over Alan, his body supported by those strong arms holding him mere inches from Alan's own. Alan could feel the heat radiating from his mate's gorgeous body and it soaked through his fur like a steamy hot shower. The leopard didn't even have to do anything to turn him on, but Alan knew his kitty loved showing off for him.

"You're_way_ too sexy, you know that?" Alan remarked, staring longingly into Jesse's jade green eyes. There were no words Alan knew to describe how much he loved Jesse.

"Aww shucks, pup." Jesse blushed and scratched the back of his neck. Alan was about to ask what he wanted to do but was taken by surprise when Jesse dived into a passionate kiss with him, locking his lips with Alan's and gently brushing his tongue against the wolf's teeth. The intimate exchange electrified Alan's senses and Jesse's scent set them ablaze. He would never forget any detail about this moment.

"Alan, I am going to count down from five and when I reach one, you will be back in my consulting room and fully awake." came Doctor Smoke's monotonic voice in his mind.

Five.

Jesse's smile still shone down on him. He could clearly smell the grass and Jesse's scent. He didn't want it to end, but knew he had no control over the countdown.

Four.

Alan could feel Jesse's weight lift off his chest.

Three.

The afternoon sun blinded him as Jesse's shadow moved aside.

Two.

He now smelled books and hint of spicy cologne. His vision was completely obscured by the sun's glare.

One.

He opened his eyes and sat upright, not feeling drowsy in the slightest from the dreamlike state.

He looked at the therapist, not sure how to interpret Doctor Smoke's neutral gaze. There was no indication on his scaly face that he was judgemental or sympathetic - it was a truly impervious expression. Alan's gaze darted around the room nervously, not sure if he should be meeting the dragon's stare directly.

Doctor Smoke, or Michael as he had introduced himself, was a jet black dragon who oozed cold intelligence and a calculating, meticulous demeanour underneath the professional exterior. His impressive physical presence was typical for his species, but dressed as he was in a reserved grey suit he gave the impression of trying to disguise his musculature under edged, greyscale clothes. The draconic male scratched at a clipboard with his pen, then glanced up to Alan over his sharp-edged spectacles. Alan felt very uncomfortable at being visually dissected like this, but tried his best to mask his discomfiture with a bored look.

"So did that help?" Alan asked, his self-consciousness receding as the psychiatrist tilted his head back to face the wolf properly.

"Well Alan, it is important before I can start any kind of therapy to assess your mental state. It gives me a more complete picture of you as an independent individual." Smoke seemed to always choose his words precisely and carefully, enunciating every syllable with clinical precision. "What this exercise told me is that you have a number of issues that need to be addressed with therapeutic hypnosis and possibly medication. It sounds far more terrible than the truth of it, and I do not think you should feel worried about it so long as you are in therapy."

Alan gulped down his feelings and nodded, trusting the dragon's professional opinion. He darted his gaze to the floor to avoid Smoke's penetrating stare.

"So, what happens now?" he eventually asked, struggling in the awkward silence. The constant analysing gaze of the dragon prevented him from relaxing properly. Wasn't a psychologist's office supposed to put patients at ease?

Smoke eventually responded "Now I continue to assess your mental state and determine the best course of action. The suggestive state you were under helped me to determine what the problem is but I must know the origin and nature of those psychological wounds before I can help you heal."

The dragon's voice remained even and his expression unreadable as he explained all this to the young wolf. Alan shuffled uncomfortably in the leather couch and gave Doctor Smoke a questioning look.

The dragon recognised Alan's confusion and responded "I would like you to recount how you met Jesse. In your own words, please." Smoke sat back in his chair, maintaining his analytical stare on the wolf.

"Um... Well..." Alan started.

***

I first met Jesse in the second grade. He and Noah always sat next to the Drake boys at the back of the classroom. I already knew Harry and Ben and they introduced me to Jesse, Noah, and eventually Gary. I'd like to think our gaydars were very well attuned from a young age and that's how we all found each other. The six of us were inseparable from the moment we grouped together. Even at that age, there was something different about Jesse - to me it felt like the others were great friends but with Jesse there was another component to the attraction that I couldn't describe.

When I was old enough, I figured out that component was sexual attraction and I realised Jesse was my first crush. He wouldn't be my only or last crush, but he would always hold his own special place in my heart... even if he didn't want to.

As we all grew into young men, our sexual desires became more apparent and all of us were dating and having flings with other boys by age 16. I lost my virginity to a gentle and kind doberman, but I didn't connect with him like I did with Jesse. I bided my time, waited for Jesse to be single. Jesse himself had grown into the most beautiful male I've ever seen and to this day I still measure all potential mates against him. Most are found wanting. Last summer my chance finally reared its head: he broke up with the panther he'd been with for a few weeks and I pounced on the opportunity.

It was a windy spring afternoon. I remember watching pollen float in the breeze as I sat on the grass by the sports grounds. Jesse had just finished rugby practice and was strutting off the oval beside Noah, and I could make out every detail of his torso through his sweaty shirt. Noah was equally drenched in sweat, but I was only paying attention to the leopard. I watched in silence as he pulled his glasses out of his bag and placed them neatly on his face, despite heavily panting. It was like a bolt of lightning when he looked at me through the lenses: his gorgeous green eyes were locked right onto mine and I could see the complex blend of emotions swirling behind them. I felt sorry for him, I really did - he had gone through four guys in the last two months and it looked like it was taking its toll on him.

He finally reached me after an agonisingly long walk that was the biggest tease of the week for me. He stood over me and boy did I feel small. I'm not a tall wolf, but I'm not small either; maybe because I was sitting he looked taller but nonetheless he towered over me like a magnificent marble column carved in just the right way to make my private parts stir. I could've spent all day just watching him, but I knew my chance would come and go if I didn't act. I gave him my cutest smile, trying to look innocent and unassuming.

"Hey Jesse, Noah. What's up?" I asked, staring up at the muscular guys.

"Not much, little wolfy." Jesse replied with a devilish grin. I could never tell if that was just how he smiled or if there were naughty thoughts swirling in that head.

Noah shuffled aside and turned, like he wasn't planning on staying "Well, I gotta run. Gary's waiting at the car. See you two later."

The bull trudged off, leaving Jesse and I to an awkward silence... well, it was awkward for me. Jesse didn't seem to mind just looking at me with that vague, reserved smirk on his lips.

"Walk with me?" he finally asked, holding out a paw for me. I took it in my own and hauled myself off my rear with his help. There was a brief moment where we stood just a little too close to each other: I could feel his breath on my muzzle and it intoxicated me. I wrestled control of my body back from the sensation and followed his lead as he began to walk toward the campus buildings and the car park.

I fidgeted with my paws, fingers interlocking as I wracked my brain for something clever to say that would get us talking. Nothing came to mind immediately so I looked to Jesse, who was already watching me intently.

"So... uh... what are you doing tonight?" I asked, immediately wishing I could scoop those words back into my mouth. Jesse smiled coyly and snorted a short chuckle before responding.

"I was planning on just chilling out with Zane, but it sounds like you've got more interesting plans. Care to share?" he responded with that stupid sexy smile.

"Oh well, um... no? Not really... I wasn't-" I started but was swiftly cut off by Jesse's derisive laughter.

"Chill, Al. I'm just messing with you. I mean if you want to hang out tonight that'd be cool. I'm not fussed... well I ... you know what I mean." Jesse's confident tone wavered for a moment as he fumbled for the right phrase. I couldn't help but cough out the briefest of giggles in response.

"I know what you mean, Jesse."

In that moment he looked at me differently than I'd ever seen before. I guess I didn't recognise the look of love on his face because he'd never shown it in front of me before. Maybe he'd never given that look before, I don't know. It was that look that let me know I stood a chance of being with him.

That night he came over to my house and we talked for hours. I felt so safe and reassured when I looked into his eyes; it was like he projected this calming aura through them. I remember it was exactly ten minutes past eight when I steered the conversation in the direction I wanted.

"How are you doing? You know... after Steve?" I asked, trying to be delicate but direct.

"Uh," his body language switched from entertained to reminiscent instantly. "you know, I'm actually not that bad. I think we both knew it wasn't really working out. I guess we're just not right for each other." His eyes conveyed the earnest acceptance echoed in his voice "Thanks for asking, by the way. It felt like I needed to actually say that."

"Hey, I'm just glad you're taking it so well. I'd be pretty messed up if I was in your position." I brushed off the appreciative sentiment, thinking he was just saying that.

"Alan." He said in a serious tone, forcing my wandering gaze back up to meet his. "I'm really glad you invited me over tonight. You're a really great friend for being so concerned about how I'm feeling. I..." he stopped himself for some reason, darting his gaze to his feet. I was reeling from being unexpectedly exposed to this vulnerable side of my friend.

Instinctively I reached for his paw, tenderly gripping it as I cocked my head to the side - trying to communicate my curiosity. He looked back up to me and I could see the swirling chaos of emotions behind those normally resolute jade eyes. What he did next I did not see coming, despite all my hopes.

It was almost like a dream; he leant over to me, his lips only the shortest of distances from my own. I couldn't believe it - he was offering himself so freely, so openly to me. If I hadn't been so eager and inexperienced, I would have savoured the moment; as it was, I seized the moment and pushed my lips into his with zeal.

To be honest, that was my first truly passionate kiss: I'd kissed plenty of guys before, sure, but Jesse was the first to kiss me like it truly meant something, you know? Our kiss was simply amazing - I had no control at all over my movements: I lashed his tongue with my own, I groped and caressed every part of him I could reach. He responded in kind to every physical attention I paid him with matching fervour.

Our making out lasted for what felt like only a few moments but must have been much longer - I remember being surprised when I looked at the clock on my phone afterward. Neither of us wanted to stop that feeling, but eventually we managed to break muzzles to just stare into each other's eyes. I broke the silence, wanting to formalise what had just happened.

"Jes, will you be my boyfriend?"

***

The glazed look on Alan's face slipped away as he finished recounting the important details of how he 'met' his ex-lover. Smoke blinked once and made a brief note on his clipboard, showing no emotion to his patient. The silence in the room was palatable, almost too much for Alan to bear.

"Could you please say something?" Alan pleaded with the therapist.

"I do not think any input I could give you at this point would ease your discomfort. What can you tell me about the circumstances that lead to the dissolution of your relationship?" Smoke was not yet ready to give any thoughts or advice on the wolf's situation, but his understanding of the situation grew by the second.

"You mean, like..."

"Yes. As much detail as you feel necessary, Alan."

The wolf fidgeted with his paws and pursed his lips. He wanted to help the therapist understand his situation as best as he could, but also didn't want to think too much about those events. Alan supposed that if he gave vague answers they would inevitably lead to more direct and probing questions: something that would probably make him even more uncomfortable. He weighed his options and drew in a breath, deciding to get it over with.

***

It was a Friday night. There was a party at my house - a lot of furs turned up and it was actually a really fun night. I remember I had had a few drinks - I wasn't plastered or anything like that, just very socially lubricated. I think we were celebrating some kind of sporting victory, probably Noah's rugby team's win or something like that.

Jesse was beautiful as ever despite his drunken behaviour, and I remember seeing such joy in his eyes. I could tell he was really happy with his situation at that moment, contented with every aspect of his life.

One guy I didn't recognise, a rabbit - I think his name was Bobby or something like that, came over to me when Jesse was busy singing along with some of the jock types.

"Hey, stud. Seems like such a waste to be sitting by yourself when others are having so much fun." he said to me in an unmistakably seductive tone.

I brushed off the come-on at first "Oh I'm happy to just watch my boyfriend have fun."

My not-so-subtle hint didn't stop his advances. If anything, his efforts were spurred on by my resistance. "Well if he's allowed to have a bit of fun, why aren't you? Don't you deserve to enjoy yourself a little?"

The stink of his sex coupled with the sensual pleading tone in his voice was slowly wearing against my self-control. As he was talking, he somehow managed to get a paw on my chest without my realising and before I even recognised I was being touched, he was running fingers over my nipples and down my abdomen... It was evident he was no stranger to the seduction game.

"Hey I'm flattered by the advances, buddy - but as I said, I've got a boyfriend. I don't think he'd appreciate you moving in on his territory."

He laughed, much to my surprise. It was a derisive giggle if I'd ever heard one. He retorted "If you're just 'his territory' then I pity you; I don't go for scraps. Besides, he's having fun without you and he wouldn't even notice you're gone for a little while. If you really don't think you deserve to be treated like the sexy wolf you are, I'll go."

I should've said "I'm his and he's mine." I should've shoved that slut out of my space and ran to my lover. I should've asked Noah to kick that bunny's arse to the curb and be rid of him. I should've done all these things and spent the rest of an amazing night with my loving mate.

But I didn't.

Something in his words resonated with me. It was a subconscious decision to use the word 'territory' and I was suddenly wondering if there was truth to his words that I was a possession of Jesse's - just a scrap of male meat for him to play with when he felt like it. At the time, I completely forgot about the way Jesse always respected me and did treat me like an independent fur capable of making his own choices. I only saw the words 'territory' and 'scraps' and was motivated to do something to change those words.

I took that bunny back to my bedroom and fucked him hard and raw, just how he wanted it. That shameless cock-whore couldn't be more pleased with himself that I was giving him such a brutal, bestial fucking. He moaned and quivered from my pounding in a way that would turn even the straightest guy into a wild animal.

I was on top of him, hammering my cock into his bent-over form with reckless abandon and as my knot swelled to press against his wanton tail hole I felt a distant recognition of what I was doing: I was corrupting and betraying the trust between Jesse and me. The real problem, though, was that I liked it. It made me feel powerful, in control. I was the centre of attention: the alpha wolf with a harem of bitches to fuck.

My debauched behaviour and thoughts at that point truly disgust me now, but at the time it was exactly the drug I needed... no, I wanted. Being in that kind of position of control was ... I don't even know the word for it - more than addictive.

I didn't hear the door open as I neared my climax, but presumably Jesse had noticed my absence. As I popped my knot into that rabbit's begging hole I felt that euphoric wave rush from my loins all over my body and I came hard into the bunny, his own orgasm causing his tailstar to clamp down on my cock and lock it in. I completely emptied my balls into that tail, much to his pleasure. When I came back down from that orgasmic rush, I turned my head and my entire world shattered.

The sight of Jesse standing in the doorway with that horrified look on his face instantly broke whatever spell I was under. If there was no music pumping throughout the house, I might've actually heard his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. It was all in motion and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

In the blink of an eye he was gone, running away to get however much distance he could from me. I was tied with the bunny so there was no chance I could chase Jesse. I was forced to kneel there in the aftermath of my shameful, disgusting choices.

Once free of that lapine defiler, I hurriedly dressed and ran outside; searching for the leopard whose heart I had just broken. Words can't really do justice to how bad I felt, my guilt and self-loathing was beyond anything I could imagine.

I spotted him walking down the street, shoulders heaving and sobs audible from the fifty metres I was away from him. I jogged to catch up to the feline; I wanted to comfort him, console him. I knew there was no way I would be able to do that, but I had to try anyway.

"Jesse!" I called after him. He looked back, eyes filled with tears. Even at that distance I could feel the hurt his eyes showed.

"FUCK OFF YOU ARSEHOLE!" he screamed at me. Each syllable was a shotgun blast to my fragile feelings. I knew I deserved no better, but that didn't make it hurt any less to see the male that was my everything in such pain and lash out at me.

I recognised the signs that he was experiencing a panic attack: his breathing was uneven and shallow and his fingers were trembling. I knew I had to do something despite how he must have felt toward me at the time.

As I got close enough I tried to reach my arm around him to give him some support, but he pulled away and kept walking faster to make distance between us, despite his difficulty breathing.

I tried to talk him down, knowing he would resist.

"Kitty, slow down, breathe. Let me help you." I implored with every bit of persuasiveness I could muster. I was truly terrified that he may stop breathing at all.

"STOP. DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME. I WOULD RATHER LET THIS THING KILL ME." he fumed at me between splutters and gasps. I stopped, taken aback at exactly what his words meant. As I processed the sentence I could feel my heart being slowly crushed with a vice.

"Kitty... I-" I started but he cut me off before I could even try persuading him.

"I AM NOT YOUR KITTY." he half-hissed, half-growled at me. I was surprised he managed to say that without choking on his own voice.

***

"And that's pretty much the moment we formally broke up." Alan concluded. He breathed a sigh of relief, surprised at how cathartic it was to physically talk about it. His body language relaxed a bit, which did not go unnoticed by Smoke.

"How do you feel, Alan? Now that you have explicitly spoken about those events?" the dragon asked, still without emotion or any indication of his own thoughts about his patient.

"I dunno, it feels... good I guess. A relief. Like-" Alan slowly formed the words, choosing each one carefully to reflect his feelings.

"Like you now have had a chance to cement exactly how you perceive your role in those events?" Smoke finished for him, appearing to know the answer to his own question before he even asked it.

"Yeah. I now know where I stand and exactly what I owe. What do I do about it though?" the wolf asked his therapist, not with a pleading puppy-like expression, but as an honest and mindful young male who simply asked a mentor for advice.

"We will leave that for our next session. Today's session is over but I will say I am pleased with your willingness to face your own internal conflicts." Smoke's response was enigmatic as always, not revealing any unnecessary truths about himself.

Alan farewelled his therapist and left to pay his bill and go home. As he settled the bill with the labrador receptionist he forced himself to ask the question that had bugged him the whole morning.

"Is Doctor Smoke always that... clinical?"

The lab gave a faint smile, evidently not a stranger to that question. "Yes, and that's what makes him so good."

The answer was direct and simple, but triggered even more questions in Alan's mind. He refrained from asking those questions for now, but made the mental note to one day find out what the secret was that they seemed to know at this place.

Alan slipped his gloves back on and left the psychiatrist's office with a chill nipping at his skin. He was pretty sure the chill was not from the morning air.

***

Will wiped a single bead of sweat from his brow and looked at the result of his handiwork: all the equipment the band needed to practice was laid out in the basement and most of the furniture from last night was packed away or moved to the other side of the room. Will wasn't sure if he should be nervous about his first time practicing with Jesse's band; he certainly felt a twinge of anxiety about if his skill matched the other band members', but they wouldn't grill him for it... would they?

Waking up that morning had been quite pleasant, to Will's surprise. He assumed any kind of drunken hook-up would be automatically awkward the morning after; even more so considering it was Zane, Jesse's brother, whom he had screwed. That objectively should've made it extremely awkward... but waking up next to Zane felt very comfortable and natural.

He was probably torturing himself needlessly over the fact that it was Jesse's brother he had yiffed. Jesse probably wouldn't care or would be fine with it, but there was still that niggling scenario in the back of his mind where Jesse wasn't okay with Will yiffing his brother. That terrified Will - he didn't want to lose any of his new friends over something as trivial as a hook-up, or at all for that matter. Will pushed the thought from his mind and sat down on a couch to rest and observe the room.

Harry was adjusting the cymbal stands to his liking and loudly complaining about the effort needed to set it all up.

"It's your own fault for having a huge set of instruments!" Jesse chided the otter. The leopard was leaning against a wall with a coffee in his paws, the enticing aroma circulating around the room. Will wished he'd asked for one but was otherwise occupied at the time. Zane had made sure of that.

"You don't know how hard it is to not reply to that with innuendo, bro." Harry replied, eliciting a giggle from everyone in the room. "Anyway, where's Zane?" he wondered aloud, giving words to Jesse, Tyler, and Will's thoughts.

Will stood and moved to find the leopard, or at least go to where he guessed Zane would be. Once upstairs, Will craned his neck around the corner to see Zane in the kitchen busily pouring a drink for himself, back turned to the voyeur who now wore a mischievous grin.

Will silently stepped into the kitchen and crept up on the unsuspecting leopard, his gaze fixed on the feline's round buttocks. Those curves were hypnotic - he couldn't look away even if he wanted to. Zane's spotted tail swished back and forth over each cheek enticingly, almost encouragingly. Zane's butt was almost within reach: Will's fingers were outstretched as he leaned in to the grope. He could almost feel the denim in his hands already.

"You're so cute when you stare at my arse." Zane said and Will could hear the smile that was certainly upon the leopard's face. He froze for a moment; he had been caught so should he try to pretend he was doing something else?

Sensing the stallion's hesitance, Zane kept watching him in the window's reflection and swayed his hips teasingly.

"Don't you hold out on me now, just as I'm enjoying myself. You know you want to grab it." He encouraged the equine.

Will need no more encouragement and immediately squeezed the feline's buttocks in his hands, savouring the feeling of the juicy meat he held. Zane's buttocks were, in Will's opinion, the perfect amount of tight muscle complemented by the right amount of softness. If there was a nicer butt out there, Will hadn't seen it yet.

Zane let out a soft encouraging moan as Will pressed his stirring erection into the leopard's clothed rear, grinding while keeping his hands firmly on Zane's hips.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you? To stick your huge dick in there?" Zane asked rhetorically. "Too bad, that's gonna have to wait until another time when we have several hours and a few litres of lube to spare!" he shot in a playful tone before Will could seize the moment to honestly answer.

The horse snapped out of his rutting fantasy and looked up at Zane's face with a hopeful expression on his own. "You want a next time?" he asked, dropping the overconfident tone normally present in his voice.

Zane smiled "Of course! I'm not gonna let a hunk like you get away so easily!"

He turned his body around to engage more fully in the conversation, pulling the stallion in for a more intimate exchange. He slipped his arms around Will's taut waist and linked his paws together behind Will's back before continuing in a hushed voice.

"I really enjoyed last night, but I enjoyed this morning more." Zane confessed to the beautiful stallion.

Will felt a strange sensation in his chest, like he was being lifted up and then pushed down in water - a kind of buoyancy that also hastened his heart rate. He was glad to hear Zane say that, because he had really loved waking up to that beautiful scene in the morning: Zane was splayed out over the covers with a paw on Will's torso and a peaceful, contented look on his face.

"I loved it too... and if you want, I'd like to make that a normal thing."

"Like, more than 'again'? Are you asking me...?" Zane was caught off-guard for once, a situation Will found as surprising as it was amusing. Will considered his response briefly, although subconsciously he had made his mind up minutes ago.

"Yeah, Zane. Will you go out with me?" Will asked in earnest, staring into the leopard's viridian eyes for a response. Those eyes were darker & bluer than Jesse's and hinted at a soft & caring nature; Will hoped he wasn't wrong about that.

Zane was speechless. Will was not only stunningly hot, but actually wanted something more than a casual fuck. With him! Zane could feel his blushing but do nothing about it, a helpless victim to his own embarrassment.

Oh god, how do I not say yes? He's so fucking perfect! Screw Jesse, he's my 'friend' now.

"I know I said I like 'em pretty and silent but seriously buddy, do I get an answer?" Will asked, his overconfident exterior reflexively coming out as he braced for the possible 'no'.

Will's insistence snapped Zane out of his internal monologue.

"Are you kidding? How could I say no to you? YES!" the leopard finally replied, pressing his body into Will's and holding him tightly. Somehow this response felt more sincere than if he had just kissed the stallion.

Will hugged the leopard back, immensely relieved and elated at his answer. He didn't say anything - he knew he needed no words to convey how he felt right now.

"We might need to go back downstairs before Jack starts asking for his ticket to be refunded." Zane joked, reluctantly releasing his grip on the golden stallion - his golden stallion.

The two males left the kitchen and headed back downstairs to give their first practise session a go. When they both entered the basement, Jesse immediately gave the two a curious look - asking with his eyes what took them so long. Zane gave his brother a small amused smile and picked up his guitar. Jesse dismissed his curiosity and turned to his mate, who had been pretty silent in the conversation.

"Everything okay, Ty?"

The husky blinked and met Jesse's gaze with a reassuring smile "Yeah, I'm glad last night was fun. I really want to thank you for understanding my reservations about drinking and stuff. I think you've successfully banished those fears!"

Tyler knew Jesse had taken extra care to check regularly that he was comfortable and still having fun throughout the evening. It was an adorable gesture, and Tyler really did appreciate his lover doing that for him.

"If I didn't know any better, I would've said last night you're an alcoholic, the way you smashed us all out with that iron liver of yours!" Jesse chuckled.

"I suppose I did, didn't I?" Tyler smiled. "Maybe you're just a cheap drunk!" he teased, and giggled at the mock offended expression Jesse showed him.

Jesse opened his mouth to retort, but was cut short by Harry's shout that silenced the room.

"ALRIGHT, LET'S GET THIS SESSION STARTED. BOYS: FRONT AND CENTER."

Jesse and Zane chuckled and rolled their eyes, leading Tyler and Will respectively to their setups. Earlier that morning, they had all agreed to treat this session like a pretend concert for their friends. They had brainstormed a few songs to try that they all knew, the first of which they had unanimously agreed to play first: 'Raise Your Glass' by Pink.

Tyler and Jesse had set up their microphones back-to-back, both preferring to half-watch each other as they sung. The two lovers took their places on the "stage" - the side of the basement behind a line of cables and speakers - and performed a few warm-up vocal exercises while Will and Zane tuned their guitars. Within a few minutes the band was ready to play, and Harry counted them in with his drumsticks - if he wasn't so focused Jesse would have rolled his eyes again at the cliched behaviour of his friend.

The band's friends happily watched and listened as Zane strummed the first few bars of the song. Noah and Gary sat entwined with each other, relaxed and enjoying the mood of the song. Next to them, Ben was bouncing in his seat, reservedly dancing to the beat with a grin plastered across his maw. Jack sat on the floor cross-legged like a schoolkid giving his full attention to the band, his eyes wide with wonder and excitement. Cole was sitting quietly next to Ben, not sure if he should attempt to seem with Ben or not.

Jesse sung first, confidently hitting every note with his charismatic smooth timbre "Right, right, turn off the lights, we gonna lose our minds tonight..."

"What's the deal, yo?" Tyler finished for him, the husky's melodic and vibrant voice carrying a slightly feminine quality that distinguished the two singer's voices. It was incredibly difficult for everyone listening to tell if they had already practised their duet or if they were improvising expertly.

Jack couldn't help bust crack a smile at how well Jesse and Tyler vocally complemented each other and their body language entertained & surprised him - they may as well be on a real stage right now, the way they masterfully played off each other. Jack expected nothing less than a matching degree of skill and artistry from Harry and Zane, and was pleased to see Will was no different. The sound they made, while true to the original song, was undeniably theirs - the style Jack knew from their previous performances was definitely still there and was augmented by the two new additions to the band. He would never have guessed that the band needed these two specific furs to round off their sound, but was extremely glad to hear the difference they made to the performance.

When they reached the chorus, their audience couldn't resist singing along. "So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways!" they chanted, captivated by the energy the band gave off. Their performance was by no means perfect, but it was because they took every mistake in stride that it was easy to not notice the errors.

"All my underdogs!" Tyler and Jesse sung to their audience, waving and grinning at the accompaniment the audience provided.

"We will never be, never be anything but loud and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks!" the two sung in enchanting harmony; the words had an unsubtle meaning for every guy there and the singers knew it - giving winks and grins to everyone with their onstage personalities.

Will was having a lot more fun than he expected; this song was relatively easy to play and it was great to watch the others get into the song as much has he was. For Will, the song came to an end far too quickly and he guessed Zane and Harry felt the same way. Once they played their last notes and the room was only filled with claps and cheers from their five spectators, harry piped up yet again and asked "So what do you guys wanna play now, or do we need a quick break?"

Zane was the first to reply "Yeah, I need a drink. Gimme a couple of minutes."

"Didn't you just get a drink?" Jesse challenged his brother, one eyebrow raised seemingly already in disbelief of whatever answer Zane came up with. Will couldn't help but smirk at Zane's predicament.

The older leopard's toothy grin waned slightly as he struggled to think of an immediate response to the question, suddenly feeling very nervous about where this conversation was headed. It wasn't that he was ashamed to be very attracted to Will, quite the opposite in fact, but he was nervous about Jesse's reaction to the news. Zane knew his brother too well, but even after seventeen years of knowing him, his little brother's sensitivities still occasionally surprised him. Zane desperately wanted this to not be one of those moments.

He brushed off the challenge with a dismissive, nonchalant expression.

"Guy's gotta drink when he's thirsty, right?" Zane stated, fairly certain he had avoided further questions for now. With his relief internalised, Zane placed his unplugged guitar on a stand and went back upstairs.

Will hid his amused expression underneath a veil of cheeriness, excitedly congratulating his band-mates. "That was hella awesome, dudes! Are we the best or what?"

Harry couldn't resist echoing the prideful sentiment "Hell yeah, we rocked that! Nice job, guys!"

Jesse and Tyler grinned and nodded, then turned to their audience. "What did you guys think?"

"You were awesome!"

"When are you playing for the school?"

"Seriously impressive!"

"Amazing!"

Jack said nothing, simply beaming at the musicians. He felt as though they already knew his response - gushing with fanboy squeals - so he simply gave them the widest smile he could muster.

Cole's smile faded briefly and he asked "Come to think of it, doesn't Alan Larson hang out with you guys? Where is he? I didn't think he'd miss this opportunity."

Ben fielded the question before anyone else said something foolish. "Oh, he couldn't make it this weekend. He said he had a few things that needed doing." He answered tactfully. He and the others knew exactly where Alan was and what he was doing this weekend, but for the sake of their friend's privacy they agreed to not talk about it and risk spreading nasty rumours. Ben felt especially protective of his best friend in Alan's current state: vulnerable and in need of help. The otter wondered when Alan would be able to tell him about his sessions and progress... it was probably wrong to want details about private stuff like that. Ben resigned himself to the plan of simply asking the wolf if he was happy with his sessions when he got the chance.

Jesse didn't know what to think or feel about the situation with Alan. On one paw, his long-time friend was not well - he wanted him to get the help he needed without feeling weird for it. It was crippling to see Alan in such a state, though Jesse suspected Ben was probably feeling worse about it. On the other paw, Alan brought this upon himself. He was the one that made the decision to cheat on Jesse and very effectively and deeply hurt him. He was not about to forgive Alan for that simply because the wolf hurt himself in the process. The conflict between sympathy and blame weighed heavily on the leopard. To top it all off, he hated himself for feeling so conflicted and spending so much time thinking about Alan when all he wanted to do was think about Tyler.

He probably thinks I'm not over the bastard or something.

Jesse wanted so badly to reassure Tyler that he was over Alan, but wouldn't saying that make him appear to be thinking too much about it, and therefore evidently not over Alan?

He sighed inwardly and looked to Tyler, the beautiful husky already watching him with a curious look. It wasn't accusatory or mean-spirited in any way; it was a simple and honest question without needing to be said. Jesse could practically hear Tyler asking him "Are you okay?"

God, he's so wonderful. He doesn't even care about that. He's happy to just ... love me. He's so perfect.

He gave Tyler a warm smile that made the husky's tail wag with glee. Tyler returned a bigger smile and tilted his head - a sight almost too adorable for Jesse to bear. He curbed the desire to grab the husky and give him the biggest cuddle he could; he didn't want to get all lovey-dovey in front of Cole and Jack. He didn't care about doing so in front of Ben, Gary, Noah, Harry, and Will - he was extremely comfortable around them and knew exactly how they'd react. He also didn't want to initiate too many PDAs in his brother's presence to give him things to tease Jesse about. Zane's bare paws striking the stairs as he approached was more than enough of a wake-up for Jesse to start thinking of what they could play next.

Zane walked into the basement and looked to Will first, even before he checked if he was being observed. Even dressed as he was in the baggy clothes he had donned that morning, Will looked like a professional underwear model: all of his proportions, all of his curves and edges and bulges were textbook examples of masculine beauty. Zane couldn't help inwardly sighing at how many exes he could make jealous with that body.

His gaze eventually wandered from the sexy horse across to his guitar, a Gibson SG that was possibly one of his most prized possessions. Sure he'd had one or two accidents with it, taking little nicks out of the high-gloss mahogany body, but those marks were reminders of how much fun he had playing with Harry and Jesse. Zane smiled, memories passing through his mind of all the gigs they had played and the hours upon hours of practising they dragged themselves through to be as good as they were. He was happy for the additions to their band and he knew they would be better for it, but there was a subtle aftertaste of melancholy to his nostalgia trip - things would never be like they used to. It would never again be 'the three of them against the world'.

Zane snapped out of his bittersweet memory montage when he noticed Jesse was once again staring at him, this time looking impatient.

"Hey, are we gonna play something?" the younger leopard asked. "Your fingers aren't sore already, are they?" Jesse followed up with a faintly concerned look.

"Yeah, nah I'm good. Just remembering the good times. Did you pick something?" Zane responded.

Jesse turned to Will, whose posture stiffened when he realised he was under scrutiny. His chance to admire the thickly built leopard's body was sadly over, and he drawled "Y'all wanna play something a bit more rock 'n' roll? I wanted to go with The Heavy's 'What Makes a Good Man?'"

Harry grinned from behind his fortress of percussive instruments and gave a "Whoo!" in agreement.

Zane gave them a humouring smile.

Of course the drummer and bass player would enjoy that song. Well at least it's not 'Seven Nation Army'.

The yellow-and-chestnut feline sighed and nodded, looking to the singers. "Tyler, you okay with taking backing vocals on this one? Jesse's probably got the more appropriate voice for this song." He asked the husky.

Tyler nodded and smirked at Jesse "Think you can handle this one, mister manly singer?"

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Reckon you can keep up with me?" Jesse joined the banter with a conspiratorial grin of his own.

"Ha! I'll do more than that, honey. Prepare to be upstaged!" Tyler mockingly challenged, clearly enjoying his stage persona to the extreme. Jesse chuckled and turned to address their audience as Will and Zane fiddled with compression, distortion, and overdrive pedals to get the right sound out of their instruments.

"Who here knows 'What Makes a Good Man?'" the leopard asked.

Not missing a beat, Ben called out "A huge dick!" and was rewarded with some giggles and many groans at the joke. Cole snorted with an amused smile curling his ursine lips. If he was modest about that sort of thing, he would have blushed.

Jesse considered his response briefly "Ben's mind lives in the gutter, doesn't it?"

Harry cackled at the retort, glad he didn't say that even though he had an identical thought to his twin.

Noah chipped in "Do we need to clap or something?"

Jesse bared teeth in a grin. "Yeah but don't worry, Tyler and I will help you guys out!"

"It ain't rocket science!" Will called from behind Jesse, who simply nodded and looked back to see if the guys were ready. Harry gave him a thumbs-up and Will & Zane nodded their confidence with their pedal settings.

Harry kicked off the song with a simple rhythm true to the original song. After a few bars, Will strummed the first notes, loving the sound of his fingers sliding over the fretboard as he executed the legato intro riff.

"Ain't nothing wrong with this chemistry. Ain't nothing wrong with this place for me..." Jesse moaned into the microphone, expertly emulating the funk-style vocals for which the song was written. Tyler smiled, knowing his competitive banter was driving Jesse to perform even better. He knew it would take a lot of concentration to match Jesse's intonation and style, but felt confident he could pull it off. He psyched himself up as Jesse stomped out the chorus.

"... to tell me now," the leopard sung to Tyler, squarely facing the husky and holding steady eye contact with him.

"Tell me now!" Tyler echoed back, meeting the gaze and barely controlling a playful grin.

"and show me how,"

"Show me how!"

"to understand,"

"Understand!"

"what makes a-"

"Good man!" Tyler realised how infectious Jesse's energy was as he belted his lines in reply. The leopard was clearly an experienced performer and knew how to engage his audience.

As they continued the song, Will and Harry clearly having a lot of fun playing their parts, their audience caught on to the lyrics and clapped when Tyler clapped - thoroughly enjoying their private concert.

When the song was over, the band received yet more glowing adoration for the performance. Jesse grinned at his lover, who seemed very self-satisfied. Tyler was trying his best to mask the wonder and awe he felt for Jesse's versatility and mastery of stagecraft. If Tyler could be even half as good as that...

He deserves way better than me. He's so talented and charismatic and... well... gorgeous.

Zane gave Will a cute smile, which melted the equine's heart. It was obvious to Will that Zane had enjoyed the song more than he expected, and his gesture of thanks was more than sufficient for Will. It felt good to make the leopard happy. Will wasn't used to someone being genuinely thankful for things he did; the stallion supposed it was probably because he'd never tried to make a serious emotional connection to someone before. Will felt more comfortable with Zane than he ever had with previous flings. It was a comfort that didn't judge, didn't presume, just simply was. A tentative, self-conscious smile parted Will's lips as he allowed himself to be swept up by Zane's exuberant joy.

Like a hawk finding a field mouse scurrying for cover, Harry noticed the silent exchange between Will and Zane and was instantly intrigued. He continued to watch as something occurred between the two musicians - something he couldn't identify.

Chemistry?

He would've laughed at the idea if he weren't confronted with the evidence before him. After all, these two were so independent, extroverted, and confident: total tops who were the type to sweep romantic feelings under a rug. Yet there they were, bare before each other. Harry couldn't think of a witty comment befitting such an ironic scene before him. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh god, get a room you two!" he exclaimed loudly.

Jesse and Tyler turned reflexively to retaliate at the comment.

"We're not even kissing each other!" Jesse said defensively.

"Not you two!" Harry said, realising the confusion. "Those two."

Jesse was truly lost for Harry's meaning until he looked to his brother, bright yellow fur almost orange over his cheeks - Zane's blushing was a completely alien thing to think, let alone see. Jesse's jaw dropped as he processed the guilty look on Zane's face. The older leopard's tail was pointed straight down and perfectly still, a sign of his embarrassment.

"Zane... what?" Jesse spoke as his mind struggled to make sense of the situation.

Zane's maw opened to deliver an explanation, but Will cut him off. The palomino stallion looked Jesse straight in the eye and spoke in the most matter-of-fact tone he could summon.

"Jesse, Your brother and I are gonna try dating. That okay with you?"

The silence that fell over the room was akin to a thick cloud of smoke billowing out from Will's words and engulfing the room. For a fleeting moment, Will could swear that silence was a tangible thing as it shrouded the basement of the Jarvis residence.

When that pause subsided, Jesse felt his words leave his maw before he knew he'd formed them.

"You what."

***

Doctor Smoke glanced at his bespoke Armin Strom watch and mentally heaved a sigh. The day was over and it was time he stopped being the psychiatrist. He walked out of his office to the reception area.

"Thank you, Wendy. I will lock up." he said to his frankly overweight receptionist. He managed a small, tight smile as the labrador packed up her personal effects and waddled out the front door. Smoke twisted the brass latch, locking the door and exhaled his polite demeanour. He strode to the staircase that led upstairs to his apartment, stretching out every muscle and ligament that he could and finding some remote pleasure in cracking his cervical joints. Every little pop his neck produced as he twisted his scaled head to each side served to release a stress he built up over the day.

His mind wandered to the lupine pup he had begun to treat that morning. It was unbelievable to him how sensitive some furs were and how warranted his pity was for them.

Fucking faggot. He's rejected once and has a breakdown because of it? Pathetic. If he were my son, I would've smothered him in his sleep when he was an infant and be rid of the embarrassment.

Smoke loosened his tie and made for his bathroom once reaching the top of the stairs. Examining his appearance in the mirror, he continued his internal monologue. Every scale on the dragon's body was immaculately polished, just as he had made them in the morning. His reptilian eyes were finally allowed to show emotion for the day, but all they showed was disgust.

The dragon satisfied himself there was no need for any grooming that night and proceeded to undress. As he laid the linen fabrics of his suit carefully on the counter, he shuddered - feeling exposed with the thought of what patients like the Larson pup did to unclothed gentlemen. It turned his stomach. He tied a bath robe tight over himself and left for his bedroom.

Smoke laid in bed, grappling with how to handle the Larson pup. He treated a few other patients with similar... tastes and while he had no difficulty compartmentalising his personal beliefs on the matter of their sexual appetites, there was something unique to the wolf's case.

What he recognised in the Larson pup was not the individual psychological issues that presented themselves during his therapy, nor was it the clichéd story he told. Rather, what he saw in Alan was... an opportunity. A chance to test not only his skill at manipulating others, but to also test his ideas about alternative therapy regimes.

A disturbingly wicked smile parted Smoke's lips to reveal brilliantly white and deadly sharp teeth. It was dangerous aspects of the dragon other than those teeth that Alan should be worried about.

/////////

Perit High continues in Chapter 7: Zephyrs

Jesse and Tyler make plans for a first date but Jesse finds difficulty making the time for it, needing to order himself and his time better. Alan and Ben catch up privately to talk, the two friends both long overdue for such an exchange. Zane attends an interview for a tutoring position at Perit High and surprises his brother with a visit.