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High School Days Chapter 26:

Back to School and Star Crossed Love

By Teiran

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Todd tried to roll over as he began to wake up, but he couldn't. The fox could feel a steady pressure on his chest, pulling him backwards against a warm wall of fur. Todd opened his eyes, his vision fuzzy as he half turned towards the person lying in bed with him, and David's face swam into focus. The kangaroo's eyes were closed tightly as his arm pulled Todd against his broad chest. The fox smiled slowly, turning to face the young man who was holding him. Soft paws pressed against David's chest, and Todd snuggled up against the kangaroo he loved. A deep feeling of contentment and safety washed over the fox as Todd watched David sleep, and a happy smile spread across the fox's face as he breathed in the kangaroo's scent.

David's cheek twitched. The kangaroo's eyes stayed closed, but his face began to twist as he dreamed, his arms beginning to clutch at Todd desperately instead of lovingly. Todd watched as the fear etched lines across David's muzzle as the kangaroo's legs twitched, almost thrashing as his dream turned into a nightmare.

"David," Todd whispered, "David!" he said louder, shaking the other boy until the kangaroo's blue eyes snapped opened and David woke up with a jerk. David blinked, bleary eyes watering as his mind made the transition from being asleep to awake. His eyes focused on Todd, the fox's paws clutching David's shoulders, as they lay under the sheets of Todd's bed together. The larger kangaroo stared at him blankly for a long moment, and then David hugged him, squeezing the fox so fiercely that Todd felt the air rush from his lungs. Todd put his paw against the back of David's head as the kangaroo pressed against him fiercely. "David?" the fox whispered, and his voice was tinged with concern.

"I thought they would stop," David mumbled as he rolled on top of Todd, his eyes closed again as he surrounded the smaller fox with his body. Tears were leaking from his eyes, as he whispered, "I thought being with you would stop them somehow," David began to shake, and Todd hugged the kangaroo back as fiercely as David clung to him. Todd didn't know exactly what haunted David's dreams, but the seeds of those nightmares had been planted at Roosevelt Academy. The two boys held each other, their naked bodies pressed together under the sheets as David trembled, Todd's slim fox form covered by David's broader body as the kangaroo shook. Todd's paws gently stroked the kangaroo's face and ears as he wept without a sound.

They held each other for a long while as the sun began to rise outside. After a while, Todd shifted, pushing his leg against the much bigger kangaroo's. David shifted his weight, letting Todd move freely under him, and he moved so that the fox's slender legs hugged the kangaroo's broad hips. It was a telling example of how the years had changed them both. Before, Todd had been roughly the size as David. Shorter yes, but now the kangaroo's body was broader and stronger than the slender fox's was. His shoulders were wider, his hips too. Todd's legs were thin and elegant, while David's had grown thick with muscle and strong.

Todd's paw ran through the short fur on the top of David's head, and he pressed his muzzle to the side of David's face. David hiccupped, a blush rising in his face as he felt the bushy foxtail wagging between his legs, tickling all his sensitive spots. The two boys watched each other, their eyes locked as David's broad muzzle began rubbing against Todd's slim muzzle, and then down against the white fur on his neck. Todd drew in a slow, rattling breath, his body tensing as David shifted slowly, the kangaroo's whole body moving down slowly and then back up. Todd could feel the kangaroo's growing erection pressing against his own sheathe. The sheets suddenly felt hot around them, and Todd's legs lensed, clutching at David's thighs as the kangaroo kissed him slowly.

The kangaroo began to move against Todd, his hips rolling as he rubbed his penis slowly across the soft fur of Todd's groin. Todd huffed, trembling as the sensation of David's body pressing against his own. The kangaroo was so big now and so strong. The muscular soccer player rubbed himself against his slender lover, his dick now fully hard and grinding against Todd's erection, the fox's soft white belly fur sliding across the kangaroo's courser brown.

That went on for several minutes, the two of them intertwined and panting, before David finally lifted himself up and pushed the covers off them. The broad shouldered kangaroo had a big grin on his face as he reached over and grabbed a bottle of lube off the bedside table. Todd swallowed a bit nervously, but he spread his legs wider, lifting them to expose himself to his lover.

But when David poured the lube out, he spread it across Todd's dick instead of between his cheeks. Todd blinked as David then slicked up his own cock, wondering what he was doing, and but it made sense when the kangaroo's big paw closed around both their erections at once. Todd muffled his gasp with a paw, biting his knuckle so he wouldn't make noise as the kangaroo's paws squeezing his dick against David's larger shaft, which began to slide against him as David thrust.

Todd grinned, and let himself fall back onto the bed as the kangaroo began to roll his hips, sliding their dicks against one another and through his paws. The red fox's toes curled, and he whimpered softly as the feeling of David's dick across his own cock. It felt so good to be touched by someone else, to have David be here with him. Todd felt his chest tightened, his legs spreading wider as the kangaroo picked up the pace. The fox could feel his hole tensing and relaxing, and it felt as if any moment David might decide that his paws weren't enough, shift the angle of his dick, and take Todd. Todd wanted that, but their dicks rubbing together like this also felt so good. Everything felt so good Todd didn't know what he wanted; he just wanted it to keep happening.

David looked down at the fox underneath him, and wondered for a moment if he was still dreaming. This was after all something he had dreamed about, waking up and having Todd be there. The fox's touch, his scent, and his eagerness to be touched all made David want him even more. The kangaroo huffed, his dick twitching as he thrust against the fox underneath him, his dick rubbing against the fox's balls and shaft, tantalizingly close to the warm hole under his tail. David wondered if he should just breed the fox, but that seemed like going too far. Besides, he was getting close as it was. The way Todd's legs gripped was just the same as when he fucked the fox, and that sent a chill up David's spine.

What put David over the edge was the noise Todd made when the fox came. The fox tensed, his body trembling underneath David's, and then he barked once, his own paw muffling the sound as he tensed up and shot a thick wad of cum right past his own head. It splattered across the headboard and all over the fox's chest fluff, the white cum vanishing into the soft white fur of Todd's chest. Only the glob that landed on his cheek was easily visible. The kangaroo squared his shoulders, huffed softly, and began thrusting faster, pushing himself to try and cum along with his lover.

It didn't take more than three seconds before David was cumming too, biting his lip to muffle the moan that escaped him. The big kangaroo's body was completely tense, his muscles bunched in sharp relief under his short fur. Todd's paws brushed across them, admiring the kangaroo's handsome body as he came in total silence. They stared at each other, panting, grinning as they both looked into the other's eyes.

A heavy knocking at the door made them both jump, and David pulled the blankets swiftly up around them so their naked bodies were covered up, but it wouldn't matter. There would be no mistaking what they had been doing, the scent along would give them away, but the door didn't open. "Todd? David?" the voice of Todd's mom called from outside, "Breakfast is almost, so you better hurry. You don't want to be late on your first day back to school."

Todd and David blushed heavily; the embarrassment of being caught coloring their faces as they scrambled out of the bed. Todd wasn't sure he and David were so nervous; his parents knew that he and David were sleeping together. They had to know. For the past week, David had been sleeping in Todd's room, and it was obvious David didn't use the small rollaway bed Todd's parents had placed under the fox's new bed. His parents had to know, but it was still embarrassing to think his mother might have caught them making love.

***

Todd and David took the stairs down two at a time, their paws sounding like thunder in the kitchen as they came down for breakfast. In the kitchen, Mr. Hayes was reading the morning paper like he always did and Todd's mother was cooking pancakes for breakfast. The smell of bacon filled the room and made Todd's tail twitch back and forth, causing the long fluffy fox tail to brush against David's knees. Both boys sat down at the table, which was laid for four, sitting beside each other as Todd's father said "Good morning you two. Sleep well?"

Todd's ears splayed out and he blushed at the knowing look his father gave him over the paper. David just looked away from the older fox's gaze as Todd's mother set a plate of pancakes in front of him. Then she leaned over and kissed Todd on the top of his head as she set a plate of in front of her son.

"So, you ready to go back to school?" Michael Hayes said looking back at his paper. Todd nodded once, picking up a piece of toast and started spreading jam across it so he didn't have to look at his father's smirk. He could feel the blush making his ears burn.

"Yes," David said eventually when it was clear Todd wasn't going to answer. Todd's mother set two glasses of orange juice down in front of the boys and sat down beside her husband to eat her own stack of pancakes.

Todd's father leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek, "Thank you for breakfast dear. Now David," he said, and suddenly the fox's manner became all business. The kangaroo looked up at Mr. Hayes, a flash of worry and determined resentment crossing David's face before being replaced by his normal expression. David didn't like when adults talked to him like that, even if it was someone he trusted like Mr. Hayes, and just the tone of voice put him on his guard. The older fox went on as if he hadn't noticed the look. "You know that you'll have to stay with Mrs. Perez during the week from now on, right?"

David nodded glumly. He had been expecting it really. David knew that the last few days wouldn't last. Living under the same roof as Todd was wonderful, but he hadn't expected it to go on forever. "Yes, though I don't understand why. I'm eighteen, I can make my own decisions, and I want to stay here. Don't you want me to?" For a moment he looked over at Todd, who looked back David. Their eyes met, and then Todd hurriedly took a bite out of his toast so he wouldn't get more embarrassed in front of his parents.

"Yes, we do David." Todd's father folded his paper and looked very seriously at the kangaroo, "But we also care about your future, and that means graduating. The school is being very lenient about the time you've missed, given your situation. You can still stay over on weekends, but we think it's important you go back to staying with Mrs. Perez now that Todd is going back to school. You both need to adjust to a normal schedule again as soon as possible. Mr. Johnson says it will make the process much easier."

"What process?" David snapped the words, because they scared the kangaroo to the crooked tip of his tail. He'd heard one too many adults talk about 'process' and 'adjustments' in the past to hear them without being scared.

Todd's mother saw the fear in David's eyes, and reached a paw over to his, squeezing the kangaroo's paw gently. Her slim black paw squeezed David's larger paw, which was tightened into a fist around his fork. The way she smiled at him settled the kangaroo's racing heart some as she said "We're going to be applying to be your foster guardians in the next few weeks, and it will go smoother if you and Todd are both back at school and living a stable life by the time we file. Things will go much easier that way."

Todd choked on the piece of toast he was eating. The fox coughed heavily, taking a big gulp of juice before sputtering, "What? You're adopting him? Really?" the fox said, happiness filling his words.

Todd's father chuckled at the look of shock on his son's face, a big smile crossing his face. "Oh we can't adopt David. You two don't want to be brothers after all, now do you?" The twinkle in the older fox's eyes made Todd blush hard as he looked over at the kangaroo sitting beside him. "But, we are going to be his guardians. It will give us some legal legs to stand on when dealing with the school or state."

David had gone completely still. The idea that he would be able to live here with Todd for real had nailed him to his seat. "Guardians?" David swallowed heavily, "So you'd be like, my foster parents? For real?"

"We hope so," Todd's father said smoothly, "There's just... a lot of legal hurdles, given what happened at the academy." David's large ears flicked, and he glanced away from the foxes at the table. Todd looked at him, worried, but his father kept talking. "We'll get things worked out, don't worry David. You'd be able to live here until you graduate and can make it on your own, or you can go to college if you want. It might just be community college, but we'll make sure you can go."

David blinked, his eyes watering as he looked across the table at the two older foxes. Todd's father sat there in his business suit, and Todd's mother wore just a simple white blouse, both their faces passive and calm. The only thing David could think to do was ask the one question in his head. "Why? Why would you do this?"

Todd's father just smiled, and Mrs. Hayes patted David's paw again before drawing her paw back, "Oh David sweetie, you're family." She picked up her fork and started to eat. "Why wouldn't we?"

Mr. Hayes's muzzle broke into a grin and he flipped his paper up again, hiding his face as David blinked tears away. Mrs. Hayes just ate her breakfast, looking over her husband's shoulder so the paper too hid her, giving the two boys had a moment of privacy.

David sat there stunned, blinking and wiping his eyes. A few months ago, before Roosevelt had been closed down, he had barely imagined life outside of the military academy he'd been trapped in. He'd lived in that hell for years, and he'd long lost any hope of escaping. He had not even thought about college, or a future beyond searching for Todd.

Tears were running down his face, David looked over at Todd, who was smiling widely, his tail wagging like crazy behind him. Now David was sitting with his lover's family who was talking about his future as if that was something to be looked forward to, rather than dreaded. It was too much for the kangaroo. Todd reached over under the table and slipped his paw into David's, and the kangaroo squeezed back before beginning to eat breakfast with his family.

***

Todd pulled his new shirt over his head, adjusting the long sleeves and straightening his head fur in the mirror. "Are you nervous about going back?" David said, his paw touching the small of Todd's back gently as he stood behind the fox in the bathroom.

"Yah, I am," Todd mumbled, wondering if he should tell David all the reasons why. His stomach churned at the thought of going back to school. Everybody at school would know what he had done by now. That he was gay. That he'd slept with Keith, and then cut his wrists and tried to kill himself. Enough people had visited him in the hospital for the rumors to be all over school by now, and just by wearing long sleeves he would be proving those rumors true.

Not that Todd had much choice about that. He didn't want people to see the scars the glass had left behind. The fur was still growing back on his forearms from where the doctor's had shaved him for the surgery, and it wasn't long enough yet to cover the jagged lines where fur would never grow again.

Maybe it didn't matter if people saw the scars. David had told him that everybody already knew what happened. David hadn't told Todd's parents, but the kangaroo had already gotten into one scuffle on the soccer field over it with an otter. Todd twisted the tip of his tail in his fingers, and wondered if Keith had gotten into any fights now that he'd been outed.

The thought of seeing Keith again made a shiver run down Todd's spine, and his long red tail curled around his left leg. The fox was not looking forward to seeing the wolf again. Todd didn't know what he would say to him. So much had happened, and Todd was going to have to face it all at once. The idea of facing the school, his friends, and especially Keith terrified Todd, but he didn't want to tell David how he felt. David was tense enough about going back to class. He could feel it in the way the kangaroo acted, the way his shoulders always tensed when the subject came up.

"I'm scared about what everyone will say," Todd said finally, his paws nervously smoothing the fur of his tail and then the insides of his wrists. At least in a few weeks, he'd be able to wear short sleeves again, and if he kept the fur on his arms brushed down no one would be able to see the scars.

"I don't think you have to worry. A lot of people visited you in the hospital." David kissed the top of Todd's head, just above the broad triangular ear as he grabbed his toothbrush off the counter. "You have a lot of friends."

"Yes but," Todd fidgeted for a moment, his fingers smoothing the fur of his tail, "not everybody at school is going to understand." What Todd didn't say, what he couldn't tell David, was that it would be the first time Todd had actually spoken to Keith since they had slept together and Todd had tried to kill himself. That frightened the fox in a way he couldn't put into words, especially not to David.

"So? It doesn't matter." David muttered, his eyes fixed on their reflections in the mirror. "Nobody will do anything about it. They haven't had the guts to do anything real to me yet, and I'll be there to make sure nothing happens to you." The kangaroo started to brush his teeth vigorously, and Todd was surprised to see that he really didn't look concerned. Then, the kangaroo's face clouded as he thought about something else. "I'm worried more about seeing the principal. I don't like that he wants to see us together." David muttered and then washed his mouth out, his voice full of suspicion.

Todd watched David for a moment. He wasn't worried about seeing Principal Sanders. The old ram was nice, a bit of a curmudgeon, but friendly in an odd way. He joked around with students he knew and was always polite to those he didn't. The way David had spoken just then had made Todd nervous, but he knew why the kangaroo was worried. "David, Hadenview isn't like Roosevelt," Todd said softly, his paw slipping into David's. "It'll be alright."

David glanced at Todd, "I know, but well," David stopped, and the kangaroo squeezed the fox's paw tightly without saying more. Talking about it wouldn't help anyways. The kangaroo looked down at Todd, their eyes meeting for a moment. "You know things will be alright with Keith too, right?"

Todd squeezed his lover's paw back and smiled weakly, setting his own toothbrush down. The fox brushed his head fur in the mirror a second time, his blue eyes avoiding David's gaze in the mirror. Part of Todd knew that David was right. Everything was going to be alright. The kangaroo was back. He was here, right beside Todd. Everything had to be alright now.

Todd did his best to actually believe that as they finished getting ready for the day, but he still turned his back on David so he wouldn't see his boyfriend's face when it came time to pack his backpack.

***

The morning sunlight glinted off Nick's car as it turned the corner of Kyle's street, the sleek black mustang weaving through the parked cars easily as the wolf drove up to Kyle's house. Only, the tiger wasn't waiting outside for him. Nick frowned, his fingers gripping the wheel a bit tighter. This was not good.

All weekend, Kyle had refused to answer Nick's calls, and after what happened between them Friday night the wolf was beginning to really worry. The look of shock and disgust on Kyle's face just before he ran out of Nick's place had haunted the wolf. Nick honked the horn twice, the signal he always used to alert the tiger he was outside. Nick shifted in the polished leather seats, his chest tightening as he began to breathe heavily. He always drove Kyle to school. If the tiger wasn't coming out of his house, it was because he didn't want to see Nick. A hint of panic began to rise in the wolf's heart as Mrs. Perez twitched the curtain aside to look out the front windows.

Then, the front door opened, and one of the little kids, a cream-colored hare boy, came running out of the house. With a mighty leap he jump and managed to get his arms over the side of the car door, his floppy ears hanging down over his face as he grinned at Nick. "Hey Mr. Wolf! Mom says to say that Kyle took the bus this morning," he blurted out, as if delivering this message was the most important thing in the world.

Nick's finger's tightened on the steering wheel, his whole body tensing. He tried to keep calm, but his fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard the leather cracked under the pressure. It was like the little rabbit had smacked him in the face with a brick. The boy's head turned to the side, his ears falling away from his eyes as he said, "You okay mister?" the hare said quietly, and Nick just nodded.

The hare dropped down and raced back towards the house, where a small badger boy was waiting for him, holding his backpack. Nick looked away from Kyle's house, and blinked his eyes furiously as he drove away, the anger rising in his chest. This isn't fair, the wolf thought as he slammed the gas petal down and drove like a maniac towards the school. He hadn't done anything with Kyle that the tiger didn't want to do. Nick snarled, slamming his paw into the dashboard as he went to school by himself.

***

Alan, unlike Kyle, wasn't taking the bus to school. The rat hated riding the bus, hated it so much that after two weeks of riding it he'd broken down and called Keith for a ride. It had not been easy to call the wolf. Alan and Keith hadn't spoken much since the wolf had come out in the cafeteria that day, not even when Alan saw him at the hospital. It was just so hard being around Keith, especially at the hospital. It made Alan's insides hurt as the conflicting emotions he felt for the wolf fought inside him.

Just like they were now. Alan fidgeted, his weight shifting from paw to paw as he stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the wolf to drive around the corner in his beat up old truck. Alan was shivering, both from the nervous energy that was building up slowly inside him, and from the chill in the air. Alan could have waited inside of course, but he didn't want to deal with his dad this morning. His old man was in a bad state, and he didn't want to have to face his father and Keith on the same day. Alan wasn't sure why his dad was so pissed this morning. Something had happened at the office, something bad, and Alan wanted to avoid having the old rat take his anger out on him by yelling at Alan about the clothes he was wearing.

It had taken a while, but his dad had finally noticed that Alan was wearing brand new designer clothes and had gotten a professional haircut. That had been one hell of a shouting match; with his dad demanding to know how Alan had afforded it all, but Alan had refused to tell him. There was no way Alan was going to tell his dad that a rap artist had bought him all this stuff. Now the older rat was suspicious about everything Alan did. What the old rat thought Alan had done to get the clothes was a mystery. Selling drugs probably, he didn't say exactly, but he had shouted at Alan all weekend about it, and the rat wanted to avoid more of that if he could.

Alan's stomach clenched as he heard the sound of a car drive by. For a moment he'd though it was Keith's truck, and he had tensed all over at the thought of seeing the wolf again. The thought of being alone with Keith as they drove to school made the rat's fur stand on end. He wasn't sure what to think about the wolf anymore. Everything he knew about Keith had been called into question by what happened with Todd. Keith was gay, and Alan had always been the wolf's best friend. Alan could remember chasing after the wolf in grades school, forcing Keith to hang out with him. Alan wasn't sure why he'd done it, he just had. He'd been drawn to the wolf. Alan would have done anything for the wolf, but now? Back then it had been enough that Keith was his best friend. It had been all Alan had wanted. But when the wolf had fallen in love, it had been with Todd, not Alan, and the rat just didn't know what to think about that. Everything was so confusing.

A rumbling sound made Alan turn his head. Keith's truck turned the corner and pulled to a stop beside Alan. The rat walked around the truck and pulled the door open to climb inside. "Hey Keith," Alan said, and the rat had one paw up in the wolf's truck before he stopped and stared at the inside of the wolf's truck.

The cabin of Keith's truck almost sparkled it was so clean. The wolf usually let trash and all sorts of school stuff pile up, and the rat had expected the inside of his truck to be a mess forever. Now the inside of the truck was so clean Alan could have eaten off the floorboards if he wanted to. The smell of disinfectant and upholstery cleaner hung in the air, stinging his eyes as Alan climbed in the truck and shut the door.

Keith was staring straight ahead as Alan buckled his seat belt. "How are you doing?" Alan asked quietly, unsettled by the way the wolf wasn't looking at him.

"I'm alright," Keith said casually as he put the truck into gear and started to drive. "You?" Keith's eyes flicked towards Alan for just a second, before returning to the road.

"I'm doing good." Alan muttered, his gaze shifting to the wolf whenever he thought Keith was watching the road. The wolf was just as nervous as Alan was. The rat could smell the anxiety coming off him. Keith's paw gripped the steering wheel tightly, and he shifted uncomfortably on the clean seat beside Alan. There was something odd about the wolf, and Alan couldn't place what it was. He seemed... smaller somehow. Alan twitched in surprise when he realized what it was. The wolf was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but not the broad shouldered letter jacket he'd earned for playing football.

Alan's mind raced. The wolf was still on the team; Alan knew that. It would have been all over the school if he'd been kicked off the team after coming out. When was the last time he'd seen Keith wear his jacket? Was it a week ago? Two? It was before Todd was in the hospital that was for sure. A horrible thought began to occur to Alan, but his train of thought was derailed.

Keith interrupted the rat's thoughts by clearing his throat and saying, "Alan, are you mad at me?" The wolf glanced over at Alan as the truck began cross the bridge, "It feels like something has changed between us. Until last night you haven't spoken to me for two weeks. Is this about," the wolf hesitated before saying the fox's name, "Todd? Is this about me being gay?" The wolf glanced over at Alan as the truck began cross the bridge. "I just want to know why we haven't talked to me since... I came out," the wolf swallowed and looked away, keeping his eyes on the road.

Alan eyed the wolf cautiously, and thought about what had happened in the last few weeks. It felt like he hardly knew the wolf any more. Everything that had happened with Todd, with their other friends, and then there was all the stuff going on with JD and Shane too. He was going to finally be in a band, and it was going to be a real band too, backed by a real record company.

Everything had been moving so fast the last few weeks that Alan wasn't sure what he thought about any of it anymore. It would have been really nice to have the old Keith back, the Keith who had been his friend for so many years. Alan could feel the anger building up as he thought about just how much he had needed to talk to his old friend in the last two weeks, not this stranger of a wolf who was sitting next to him.

"Yah, I am mad at you," the rat said eventually, "and yes things have changed. Too bad what happened with Todd kind of makes that unimportant, huh?"

Keith's ears splayed backwards and he turned his head towards Alan as the truck left the bridge and entered Hadenview. The wolf's eyes looked hurt for just a second, and then they hardened. "I didn't mean for this to happen you know. I didn't expect Todd would..." Keith swallowed and looked away, his paws tightening on the steering wheel as he came to a stop at a light. "I didn't want Todd to get hurt," the wolf muttered, staring at the road again as he fumed, a growl almost forming in the back of his throat. The way the wolf's ears stayed back and his hackles rose told Alan just how much the comment had hurt the wolf. Alan could smell the wolf's mood change this close to him, and his anxiety turned to anger and shame. Alan sighed and looked down at the clean floor of Keith's truck.

"Look, that didn't," Alan hesitated before saying the words 'come out right', but those words had a meaning that caught in his throat. He settled for, "that's not what I meant. I'm not mad about what Todd did." Alan breathed out slowly, the anger and resentment he'd felt towards Keith starting to rush out of him, leaving sadness in its wake. "I'm mad about what you did."

Keith tensed up, his face going stiff. "I didn't do this to Todd on purpose... I didn't want him to... I love him damn it!" The wolf yelled, and his voice nearly cracked from the anger, shame, and sadness in it.

"I know that!" the rat shouted, "That's the problem! You love him. You chose him," Alan said, emphasizing the last word, his eyes meeting Keith's. The rat stayed very still, his eyes watching the wolf, as he said, "Not me." Silence hung in the cabin for a moment as they pulled away from the light and turned towards the school.

"What? Seriously?" Keith said in total disbelief.

Alan glared at the wolf, "Yes, you idiot mutt. Look, things didn't change two weeks ago, okay? We haven't talked in forever! I haven't seen you, the real you, all year! You started playing football," Alan could see the wolf's hackles rise as he said the word, but the rat pressed on, "and my friend disappeared. You started hanging out with all your new friends, and you ignored me. Nothing I was doing mattered anymore, and then you fell in love with Todd. You chose Todd. After everything else, when you decided to come out, you fell in love with somebody else. Not me. You never chose me anymore. You've forgotten all about me." Alan's voice was low now, and the rat could feel the despair he felt escaping with his words.

Silence hung in the truck for a while, and Alan sighed heavily as he looked away from his friend. "Look, I know I'm being stupid about this. You didn't want Todd to hurt himself," The rat muttered angrily, his paws waving in the air as if he could push everything that had happened away from him. "And it's not like I gave you a reason to suspect I was... well that I might like you. Hell, I don't even know if I do like you that way, it's just," Alan sat there as Keith drove, his paws clenching as they pulled into the school parking lot. His voice was almost breaking now, as he said "I've been your best friend forever, and it feels like this year you've wanted to be with everybody else except me. It just, messed me up okay?"

The truck came to a halt in one of the lower tiers of parking, a good deal away from the school. Keith always parked close in because he got there so early, but today he parked farther out because his paws were shaking too much to keep driving drive. He knew Alan bottled up his emotions, but he had never seen the rat act like this before. Alan got angry; he didn't talk about his feelings like this. It was kind of frightening to see the rat be so open. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you felt abandoned like that," the wolf said quietly.

Silence hung between them. There was just the rumble of the truck's engine and the sounds of people arriving at the school filtering in from outside the truck. Between Keith and Alan, the air was thick with unsaid things. Eventually the wolf couldn't stand the silence and looked over at his friend. "Are you gay too?" Keith asked and his voice almost sounded hopeful for just a second.

"No." Alan said automatically, and then his face twisted up like he was fighting against the words that came out, "Yes. I don't know. Look, it doesn't matter okay? Too much has happened for me to think about... us right now okay?" Alan turned his head away from the wolf, and for a long moment they were quiet together before Alan said, "Maybe we can talk about it later. Just hang out the two of us, like we used too." The truck's engine continued to rumble as they sat in the parked truck together, going nowhere.

"I'd like that," Keith said quietly as he turned off the truck. The wolf sat there for a moment, his keys dangling from his paw. "You know I still love Todd right? I haven't given up on him."

"I know that." Alan said evenly, and he tried to keep any bitterness he felt out of his voice. He did not want to think about Keith and Todd together, especially since they had made love on the seat he was actually sitting on. "But Todd's in love with David. I saw them together."

"So did I," Keith muttered, and Alan could hear the heartbreak in his voice.

"That kangaroo is never going to leave him," Alan whispered.

"Maybe not," Keith muttered, as he opened the door of his truck, grabbed his backpack, and climbed out. The wolf looked right at the rat and his jaw was set as he said, "But I'm not giving up yet." Keith closed the door and started to climb the hill towards the school. Alan watched him go for a long moment before grabbing his own bag and heading to class as well.

***

Todd sat in the lunchroom, shoulders hunched, trying to focus on his food. His mother had made his favorite for his first day back, a grilled chicken and cheese sandwich, but Todd ate it mechanically, trying to block out the crowd moving around him.

He had to force his tail to hang behind his chair naturally, when it kept trying tuck itself between the legs of his chair every time Todd caught someone saying his name as they passed. The fox kept his ears forward, fighting his own instincts to twitch them back and forth to hear what the people talking about him were saying. He wanted to know what people were whispering about him now that he was back, but he forced himself not to listen. It was torture not knowing, but he knew that he wouldn't be able stand hearing the things they said, so he forced himself not to listen. His own mind did a good job of filling in the awful blanks though.

It felt as though the entire lunchroom was watching him, talking about him, and Todd had to fight to stay calm. To keep his ears still and his hackles down, to keep his own paws from rubbing the inside of his arms. The healing cuts seemed too itched under his long sleeved shirt, like something was crawling over them, as if he could feel the eyes of everyone on his skin.

"Hey," a voice huffed, and Todd jumped as someone set his tray down beside him. Alan's whiskers twitched, but the rat didn't flinch when the fox ducked away. "Sorry," the rat said calmly, sitting down beside Todd. "How you holding up?"

Todd sort of shrugged, his tail flicking from one side to the other, curling along the leg between him and the rat. Unconsciously, Todd turned so Alan was at his back, because with the rat there he suddenly felt much less exposed. It also meant that he couldn't quite see the rat's face.

Alan didn't say anything else; he just started eating alongside Todd. As the silence stretched out, Todd fretted and worried what the rat would say, what he was going to do, but Alan didn't say anything. He just ate mechanically like Todd was doing, his own tail flicking so it was alongside the fox's, the tips of their tails touching once and then lying still.

After a few minutes of silence, Todd's racing heart began to slow down. He wished, desperately, that David were there but the kangaroo had a different lunch period than Todd did. It was the stupidest thing... if only they'd eaten lunch at the same time, or been in even one class together... if they had just passed each other in the hall... Todd had to force his tail to stay still as he thought about that. At some point, he and David must have passed each other, right? They must have-

"Hey, stop it," Alan said forcefully as he nudged the fox's elbow with his own.

Todd blinked, his ears lifting slightly as he focused on the rodent. "Huh?"

"Whatever you were just thinking about, stop it. You're being stupid, and just working yourself up," Alan didn't meet Todd's eyes. The rat just took another bite and swallowed as if he didn't even taste his food. "It's no good thinking about it, whatever it was. What's done is done."

Todd's ears flicked back in shame, and he set the uneaten part of sandwich down. "I just..."

"Just... trust me," the rat said quietly. "It's not going to help thinking about it." The rat avoided Todd's eyes, knowing full well how hypocritical it was of him to tell somebody else not to overthink things.

Todd looked like he might say something more, but the arrival of Jeff and James made him clam back up. The twins sat down hesitantly across from Todd and Alan, greeting Alan quietly and looking at the other fox for permission to stay. Todd said nothing, and the rat just nodded at them, so they stayed, not saying anything either as Kevin sat down beside the twins. The Dalmatian glanced around the quiet table, his eyes darting between the three foxes and rat before he began eating in silence too.

The five friends sat there together, not talking or meeting each other's eyes, until a shadow loomed over their little group, and Todd braced himself for what he had been expecting to happen all day. One of the school's jocks had finally decided to confront him and say what everybody in the school had been whispering behind his back, and the fox could already feel his cheeks flushing.

But when he looked over his shoulder, it wasn't one of the football players who had blocked the halogen lights of the lunchroom, but Tony. The massive Jack Russel terrier seemed to cringe when Todd looked up at him, and he almost left before Jeff and James could welcome him eagerly. The huge dog sat down beside Todd, his motions ginger as if he were afraid of breaking something. Jeff and James's eager voices broke the silence that had consumed the little group, and they talked animatedly with the huge dog and Alan about television and homework. Chris even joined them at the table, the stocky leopard sitting on the far side of Tony, in the seat as far away from Kevin as he could get.

As his friends talked, Todd felt his shoulders loosen as he began to relax. With Tony on one side and Alan on the other, what he had been truly dreading could no longer happen. Keith could no longer sit next to him. In fact, the wolf didn't join them for lunch at all, and Todd hatred himself for being relieved that he wouldn't have to face the wolf for another few hours at least. That he would only see him in their final class of the day, where there would be no real chance to talk privately. And since he had to see Principal Sanders after school, maybe he could ask the professor to let him go early...

The cowardice of that thought twisted Todd's stomach, and the red fox realized there was no way he could avoid doing this. He was going to have to talk to Keith and face up to what had happened, and what he had to tell the wolf. It was really the only thing he could do. The fox gently nudged his backpack with one foot, checking that it was still there as he thought about what was inside. He might as well this over with today.

***

Keith had been dreading his final class from the moment he had heard people in the hallways talking about Todd's return to school. That happened pretty quickly, since the fox's reappearance was basically the only thing anybody was talking about in the halls today. Several members of the football team even made a point of talking nastily about the fox being back near Keith's locker before lunch.

Contrary to what he'd said to Alan, that he wasn't going to give up on Todd, Keith had chickened out and eaten his lunch in one of the bathroom stalls to avoid coming face to face with Todd in the cafeteria. He hadn't been able to bring himself to face the fox surrounded by all of their friends and fellow football team members, surrounded by all those students who had seen him break down crying over the fox.

He was going to see the fox soon anyways, because there was no way he could skip his final class which he shared with Todd. If he skipped his last class, Keith would have to skip football practice too, and if he did that then the wolf was certain he'd be kicked off the football team. Coach Riley might not have booted him from the team for being gay, but he would definitely do so if he found out Keith skipped practice because his 'boyfriend' was back in school. Which Keith was certain that's exactly how Tyler would say it when he told Coach Riley why the wolf was missing from the lineup.

So Keith sat in his seat at the back of the classroom, ears flat against his head, watching the door from the corner of his eye as he waited for class to start. Not that Todd had actually ever been his boyfriend. They'd spent one night together... and not even the whole night, just a couple hours together in his truck. The wolf's leg shook, and he had to force it to stop before somebody noticed. Thinking about that night, about how he'd felt after the big game and what being with Todd had felt like was not helping his nerves.

Because every time Keith thought about how Todd's fur had glowed in the moonlight as they made love in his truck, his mind fast forwarded to the way Todd's fur had looked under the harsh hospital lights. The image of Todd's face in ecstasy made him think of the dull, lifeless expression he had worn while in a coma. That was why he'd cleaned his truck so thoroughly that not even a whiff of fox remained. Everything about Todd reminded the wolf that he was why Todd had tried to kill himself.

Keith saw a flash of red fur enter the classroom, and he looked down, unable to actually look at Todd now that he was in the same room. The class passed in a complete blur, Keith's eyes never leaving his desktop. When the bell rang, he tried to force himself to stand up, to follow the fox out of the classroom, or ask him to wait till everybody was gone, anything so that they could talk, but he stayed in his seat, head down when his legs wouldn't work right. Keith sat there, paws shaking on his knees as the hustle of everybody grabbing their bags and leaving died down, and the wolf closed his eyes, nose pressed to the top his desk as he fought with his emotions. He couldn't break down again, not here. Not right before practice. But... he hadn't been able to do it. He couldn't face Todd, he-

"Hey," Todd's soft voice said from right beside him.

Keith jerked his head up blinking, the sob he had been suppressing turning into a hiccup of surprise. Todd was standing right in front of his desk, backpack clutched in front of him like a shield. The wolf tried to stand up, forgot he was sitting in a chair with an attached desk, and fell back into his chair when he almost tripped. Keith collapsed back, still looking up at Todd, whose muzzle twitched slightly at the corners as if he'd tried to smile and failed. "Sorry," the fox said softly in apology for startling him.

Keith stared at Todd, who was the only other person in the room for a long moment, unable to look away from him now they were face to face. The wolf finally forced himself to reply, mumbling, "It's okay."

Todd actually did smile now, a weak smile sure, but it was a smile. The two boys stood there, looking into each other's eyes, as Todd's smile slowly faded. Neither of them seemed to know what to do now and Todd's voice waivered as he said, "But it's not really okay, is it? I ruined everything."

"I... no it's... it's okay." Keith stared at the red fox, willing himself to say something as a silence descended between them. Something witty that would win him back. Something that would make the handsome fox love him again. Anything... as long as Todd stopped looking so sad. Keith's ears slowly dropped from the alert position they'd taken when he'd jumped until they were pressed back against his head. "I still love you," Keith said lamely, unable to think of anything else he could possibly say.

Todd ducked his head, his cheeks flushing as he shuffled his feet. "I don't deserve your... I..." the fox was gaping, struggling to force his words out. He seemed to curl in on himself as he mumbled, "I'm sorry for... what I did. It wasn't because of you Keith. I mean it, I just..." Todd stopped, silence thundering down over them again. Keith had never seen a fox look so bedraggled as Todd did right then, and all he wanted to do was hug his fox again. Slowly, Todd reached into his bag and pulled a blue and gold jacket with Keith's name on it out, holding it out to the wolf. "This is yours," the fox mumbled, unable to look the wolf in the eye.

Keith stared at the outstretched letter jacket. He stared at the blue fabric with its gold trim, unable to breathe. It felt like somebody had just tackled him without pads, hitting him right in the chest with their helmet. The wolf gaped, trying to suck in air to reply. Todd's paw was trembling, and he looked about ready to cry. The wolf could already feel tears running down his own cheeks. If he had been able to breathe, Keith was sure he would be sobbing. His own paws shook like leaves as he reached out and touched the jacket, as if he couldn't believe it was real. Todd didn't let go at first, and Keith didn't take it from him. He didn't want to take it from Todd. After what felt like forever, the wolf finally blubbered out, "Do... do you still love me? You..." Keith's chest heaved, air filling his lungs as his paws trembled on the jacket. "You said you loved me."

Todd's face flinched, but he didn't let go of the jacket or move. He stood there, arms shaking, and then looked over his shoulder as if searching for an answer. Keith looked past Todd, and the wolf's stomach flipped when he saw that David was standing in the doorway, where the red kangaroo was waiting for the fox. What the big marsupial said felt hit Keith worse than any tackle ever had

"Tell him the truth, Todd." David called out, his voice far calmer than either of theirs had been, "The real truth."

Todd turned back to Keith, and their eyes met. "Yes," Todd whispered so softly the wolf could barely hear him. It was a moment of hope, a moment of joy that made Keith's heart leap after weeks of despair, but it died after only a heartbeat when Todd said, "But we can't... I... I'm sorry, Keith." The fox pushed the jacket into the wolf's paws and then Todd let go of it, stumbling back a step and leaning against another chair for support, looking shocked that he'd actually admitted he still loved the wolf.

The sight of Todd backing away sparked something in the wolf, and Keith jumped up. He lunged forward, hugging Todd fiercely as tears poured down his face. Todd's arms came up weakly, and he hugged Keith back gingerly. The fox began crying, his long sleeved shirt pressing into the fur on the wolf's neck as the two boys clung to each other.

Keith held Todd tightly to his chest, crying silently as he held the fox he loved, but couldn't have. Keith knew it now. He could tell by the way Todd cried, the way he shook in the wolf's embrace. He wasn't sure how long they held each other, but it felt like forever before the wolf forced himself to say, "Keep the jacket, Todd. I'm still yours, even if you aren't my fox anymore." Keith's voice was raw, the words forced out instead of more sobs, and before either of them could say anything else the wolf broke the embrace, grabbed his bag, and ran from the room before he lost it completely, leaving Todd holding his jacket

***

David was still out in the hallway waiting for Todd, and when Keith saw him, all his churning emotions turned to a boiling rage, a snarl ripping from his chest. Hackles raised, teeth bared, the wolf lunged towards him, towards the one man he could blame for all this, but the kangaroo stood his ground, arms crossed over his chest and Keith stopped just short of tackling the larger boy.

"If you ever hurt him I'll-"

"If I ever hurt him, I'll kill myself before you even find out," David stared the wolf in the eyes as he said it, and there was nothing but deadly earnest in his voice.

"Don't!" Todd voice broke as he stood in the classroom door, one paw gripping the doorframe for support as he held Keith's jacket to his chest. "Don't you even say something like that, not ever." The fox looked back and forth between the two of them, eyes brimming with tears, "Either of you."

David and Keith looked at the fox, their expressions chagrined. David stepped towards Todd, his broad arms opening towards the crying fox. Keith reached out automatically too, and for just a moment, he thought Todd would come to him... but he didn't. He fell sobbing into David's arms, and it felt like a knife in Keith's heart. The wolf stood there feeling like a fool, his open arms shaking, and was about to turn away when David grabbed Keith's outstretched paw.

The kangaroo hauled him in close, forcing the startled wolf into their hug. Keith's arms closed around Todd from behind, hugging him as the fox sobbed into David's chest. The taller kangaroo looked Keith right in the eyes over the sobbing fox's shoulder. "I will never forget what you did. I owe you everything for reuniting us. For being there for him when he needed someone," David's words were rough, as if he too were on the verge of tears, but his eyes bored into Keith's with an intensity that frightened the wolf. "I owe you everything for this, and I'm sorry."

The wolf blinked, too surprised by that to know what to say. Keith staggered backwards from the pair of them, his paws shaking as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Keith left them standing together, David's arms around the fox he loved, but that he now knew he wouldn't ever have.

Even though it made him even later, Keith stopped to wash his face before going to football practice, staring at himself in the mirror as he cried.