FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Heart of an Animal

Child of the Moon

Things don't turn up, they must be turned up.

--Unknown

It was always easy to tell when winter was coming. Not a day past the first of November and the town had already had six flurries under its belt, yet not a single snowflake lasted longer than a second against lingering autumn winds, leaving nothing behind but soggy roads and icy sidewalks. Each deep breath brought in a crisp, invigorating rush of chilly air to the lungs, returned to the wind in a plume of pure white smoke. The distinct spice of burning leaves and the rustling cacophony of shedding tree branches came from all directions. An unusually bright sun burned high in the cloudless sky, its much-needed heat lost to frigid seasonal temperatures shifting the earth into another hibernation cycle. Businesses were quiet and streets barely congested, as if the people themselves were affected by the transition, lulled into a sense of tranquility. It all bled together into something refreshing and robust yet ancient as time itself.

So, naturally, Ogami Yugo was bored out of his mind.

Normally, he loved late autumn. Everything was in perfect harmony. The scent in the air always got his blood pumping, mingling with the inspiriting cold into a potent cocktail of energy. He felt like he could take on anything with the sheer amount of raw strength brewing up inside him. Yet despite it all, there wasn't a single damn thing to do. Not even the smallest, little task. For weeks, Yugo had done little more than wait idly by and hope for something interesting to happen while those precious daylight hours wasted away.

“God, I hate this," he grumbled under his breath, kicking a small pebble into the nearby grass across from him. Yugo had been sitting on the same park bench for nearly three hours now, continually racking his brain to find some way to pass the time. With the defeat of the Zoanthrope Liberation Front, the organization responsible for several terrorist attacks against humans and Zoanthropes alike, the city had been quiet for months on end. No battles to be fought, no enemies to be beaten to pulp, not one teeny tiny crisis to be averted. Things had never been so calm. Even the local boxing tournament was off-season, leaving Yugo deprived of his official pastime until the start of next year.

_Man, I know all this peace stuff is great, sure, but I'm gonna lose my mind if I don't see some action soon… _

Yugo sighed exasperatedly, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head, legs crossed impatiently. He had to resort to physical training and working odd jobs to keep himself preoccupied lately. But training only took a few hours out of the day and the work never lasted for very long, so those didn't do much good to keep him busy. Hanging out with friends turned out to be his only real outlet, mainly Alice and Kenji.

Ah, Alice. His better half. After the ZLF went down in flames, Alice and Yugo had become somewhat of a couple. A small, hyperactive young woman, Alice had beautiful violet hair and a gentle face. Not to mention plenty of nice curves, soft skin, a luscious smell and flawless attributes. She was a catch, the kind of girl most guys could only dream of. But honestly, what Yugo liked most about her was her attitude. She was spunky and kind-hearted, not a single mean bone in her concentrated little frame. Yugo loved being around her, even if he felt sappy admitting it.

They had run into each other a few times previous while dealing with the Tylon Corporation, the company responsible for the creation of Zoanthropes in order to build their own personal bestial army, but the turning point in their relationship came when they reunited at the hospital where Alice worked, after that nimrod scientist lizard Busuzima kidnapped Kenji and injured Yugo in the ordeal. Coincidentally, Alice was the assigned nurse on desk duty that day. Against her advice, Yugo ignored medical attention and immediately went in pursuit. He didn't have time to wait around; he had to find Kenji before god knows what might have happened to him. But Alice followed him every step of the way, right to the end when Shenlong was dethroned from power and the ZLF crumbled. All she wanted to do was help him by bandaging him up and mending his wounds… It was such a sweet gesture, not to mention an incredibly brave one. Although once everything was over, she became so motherly in treating him, it made him nauseous… In a nice sort of way, that is.

Once healing process had ended, they got to know each other better. Then they actually started going steady, which was great accomplishment for Yugo, who never had a good, solid relationship with someone before.

Plus there were… other good points to mention about Alice. Yugo never would've guessed it, but despite her innocent ways and kind demeanor, Alice was incredible in the sack. Yugo remembered their first time fondly. It happened naturally. She actually made the first move. That was a new one for Yugo, used to play the romantically proactive Casanova-type role, but he wasn't about to complain about her eagerness to get the ball rolling. And he was so thankfully he didn't.

She had a libido much like her Zoanthropic rabbit form, giving her the ability to ride hard all night long without so much as breaking a sweat. Her sex drive was on par with Yugo's, something he didn't think was possible before. When most would call it quits after the first or second round, Alice would go on for three more. He was nearly dead by the time it was all over, but it was so worth it. Plus, her being a nurse, she knew just how to take care of him afterward. He admired her more than he ever could, or would, say. She was definitely a keeper.

But as much as Yugo enjoyed spending time with Alice, sometimes he just needed some guy-time at the bar and kick his feet up for awhile. That's where Kenji came in, Yugo's 14-year-old adopted little brother.

Despite not being related by blood, the kid was like kin to Yugo, and considering what Kenji been through in his short life, he really needed a family. Kenji had amnesia when Yugo first found him in the remnants of a destroyed Tylon building. He seemed so lost, unable to speak or do much else besides stand there and stare blankly into space. But in Yugo's custody, Kenji began to regain some semblance of a healthy, normal life. He even started to “develop his own unique personality," as Alice once put it, becoming a gentle if rather shy young man.

That was until the ZLF got involved, and brainwashed him into being a mind-controlled attacker. At least, that's what Yugo thought happened to him. Bizarrely enough, it turned out that the tyke was actually an assassin for Tylon before he lost his memory, and somehow that rat-bastard Busuzima reverted him back to his original state as a mercenary named Bakuryu. Lucky, Yugo was able to snap Kenji out of his induced trance and they escaped the ZLF HQ before it burned to the ground. Kenji went right back to his normal self after it was over. But, holy shit, that whole scenario was pure insanity. Yugo still had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. The fact that Kenji was actually once a trained killer, a hitman, for god's sake! Truth really was stranger than fiction sometimes… Now Yugo and Kenji were closer than ever, like real brothers, and that would never change. Also it was always a riot to get the kid drunk and watch him sing karaoke.

Right about now, Yugo wanted nothing more than to see either of his two favorite people, but unfortunately, they had their own matters to contend with, leaving Yugo all by his lonesome. Alice had been out of town for some kind of nursing seminar which she was required to attend in order to retain her medical license. She gave him a phone call every other day, but it still wasn't the same as having her by his side. Gone for only a few weeks so far and Yugo already missed her dearly, though he kind of wanted to smack himself for acting so mushy about it.

And Kenji? Well, lately he had been cooped up with his recently-acquired lovebird, Uriko, pretty much all day, every day. But actually, Yugo approved of the kid's decision to spend more time with his girlfriend, figuring it was best for his mental health after everything he'd been through. It seemed to be working, too. Kenji and Uriko had fallen madly in love, like one of those cutesy anime high-school crushes come to life. Ugh… Yugo could practically see the tiny heart-shaped cartoon bubbles floating around the two whenever he saw them.

Although Yugo hated to admit it, but it stung a little that Kenji would choose to be around Uriko instead of his brother. But what could he do? Kenji was growing up, much too fast for Yugo's liking if he wanted to be completely honest, and one day he was going to have to let him lead his own life. Yugo exhaled through his nose sharply, teeth gritting resolutely. Regardless, whenever that time came, Kenji would always be his little brother and Yugo would always have his back. Kenji's happiness meant the world to Yugo, even if it did leave him to his own devices on occasion. Being bored was a small price to pay for that.

Yugo sighed, staring up at the clear blue sky above him. There was one thing left he had yet to do, but it wasn't something he particularly looked forward to. He still had to finalize the establishment of a non-government organization aimed at restoring and aiding Zoanthrope/Human relations in the wake of the ZLF. It was called the World of Co-Existence, or the WOC for short. It was announced, planned, and had even been in the news several times, yet Yugo hesitated to fully embrace his role as chairman. He wasn't exactly a politician. Hell, he hated politics, and it was no secret how inept he was at handling things diplomatically. But after his escapades against Tylon and the ZLF became known to the masses, Yugo became something of a minor celebrity, with many lauding his bravery and courage. When Yugo was rumored to run the WOC, people on both sides of the fence flocked to the idea, and very adamantly encouraged him to make it a reality.

For the first time ever, Yugo really felt important, valuable to society. So many were looking to him to lead the charge, like this great service he offered would finally change things for the better. Of course, he agreed to do it. How could he not? But being a leader came with a lot of responsibilities. It was a lot of work that, frankly, Yugo didn't know if he was cut out for. He headed a few rallies after the ZLF went kaput and those seemed to have gone over well enough to give him some confidence in his leadership abilities. But still, he wasn't quite ready yet to take the bull by the horns and take the WOC mainstream, the gravity of it all weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Yet Alan Gado believed in him. Resident Zoanthrope advocate and politcal savant, Gado claimed that Yugo was the best and only candidate for such a position. He didn't speak lightly either. Yugo recalled how proud the old man sounded when he told him that. The guy practically raised Yugo after his family fell apart, so although Yugo would never say it out loud, it meant a great deal to him that Gado was in his corner. Even when Yugo confided to him his doubts, Gado told him that when the time was right to step up to the plate, Yugo would know it in his heart. And he was right. While Yugo never lost sight of the fact that people were counting on him, and he vowed never to let them down, but he just needed time to figure himself out and make his effort, and all WOC supporters' effort, worth it.

In the meantime, Yugo tried finding full-time work to help get his act together, but Gado saw to it that all his needs were taken care of. Free house, free food, free TV, you name it… Yugo detested being handed money like that, but it was a harsh truth fact that Yugo didn't exactly thrive in public workplaces. Once, he punched a man square in the face who made a rather distasteful comment about the large X-shaped scar resting between Yugo's eyes. Needless to say, job prospects in the retail sector were pretty much off the table, and prize money from the boxing tournaments only got him so far. But it wasn't just the money issue that bothered Yugo so much. He could take care of himself; he proved that time and time again, but the way Gado was constantly hovering over him and ensuring he didn't have to worry, that really pushed the his buttons. He was a grown-ass man, he didn't need to be coddled like that.

Yet in the back of his mind, Yugo knew Gado behaved that way because he felt responsible for him. Yugo's father, Yuji, died when he was a child, murdered by Tylon. Gado and Yuji were close allies, brothers in arms during the war. Gado tried to rescue Yuji from Tylon's clutches, but he didn't make it in time. In revenge, Gado destroyed Tylon from the ground up, though it did little to ease his guilt.

After the funeral, Gado decided to take Yugo under his wing and raise him in honor of his late friend. He did the best he could in that regard, helping guide teenage Yugo through life, but it was still awkward at times, even after so many years. Yugo never blamed Gado for what happened, but Gado could never replace his father, though sometimes he wished it were possible. How his dad died… he didn't even want to think about it.

That's enough reminiscing.

Yugo stood up and stretched, joints popping from inactivity. He glanced around the park. It was still empty except for a few pigeons roaming the sidewalks and the occasional airplane rumbling overhead. No human life to be seen. Where the hell was everyone, anyways? Somebody had to be doing something interesting somewhere. He had to get moving, burn off some of this energy or else he'd be up all night again. He began an easy stroll down the walking path, loose dead leaves crunching under the soles of his sneakers. As he walked, the late afternoon sun continued to shine down on him, keeping him nice and warm despite the cold air. It was almost spiteful, such a perfect autumn day already coming to an end. He still had this increasing urge to run and jump and fight from his stored up vigor, but unless it was for something worthwhile, he knew it was a waste of time. This sucked.

When Yugo reached the end of the path, he felt a familiar electronic rumble inside his jacket. His cell phone, set to vibrate, went off in his coat pocket. He quickly pulled it out, and then mentally reprimanded himself for doing it so eagerly. It was just a call after all, mostly likely Alice doing her regular check-up. Without bothering to read the number, he accepted the call and held the phone to his ear.

“Hello?" he asked impassively.

“Good afternoon, Yugo. Are you doing well?"

Yugo's spine stiffened. Gado was on the other end of the line. A welcome change of pace, but Yugo tried not to let his voice express it.

“I'm okay, I guess. What's up?"

“Are you dressed properly?"

Yugo paused, glancing down at his attire. “Gray hoodie, last year's boxing championship t-shirt, red jeans, gym shoes…"

“Hmm. Would you like to grab something to eat then? Maybe we could meet at The Pounds?"

“Uh… Sure, why not. Got nothing better to do here. Something going on?"

“I'll tell you over dinner. Around six work for you? I'll see you there."

Gado hung up before Yugo could agree on the time, not that it really mattered, given that was all he had on his hands lately. Usually, Yugo didn't enjoy dining out with Gado, the older man sometimes getting a bit too nosy and opinionated for Yugo's taste. But this evening, he actually looked forward to the meal. The chance to talk to someone, even if it was Gado, was an opportunity to kill some of the boredom, if only for just a few hours.

Yugo placed the phone back in his pocket, mentally calculating the time it would take to reach the restaurant. The Pounds was one of Gado's regular hang-outs, so Yugo had been there enough times to know how long it took to get there by any means. He didn't have a car, so that left him the choice of using the bus, a cab, or walking. Walking was out of the question as it would have taken far too long and it was pain in the ass to deal with the crosswalks at rush hour. He didn't want to waste money on a cab, and he'd arrive too early. Yugo didn't like showing up early to anything, especially with matters regarding Gado. The last thing Yugo wanted to do was put forth the idea that he needed help in any way. Gado would give his usual long-winded speech on how things in life work or how good things come to those who wait, or some other kind of philosophical, Feng-Shui inspired crap that he'd heard from the old coot a million times before. Then he'd just offer to buy Yugo a car, which Yugo would flat-out refuse. He didn't have the patience for that today. So the bus it was, again. Yugo breathed out a puff of billowy steam, walking towards the bus stop on the corner with his hands in his pockets.

Whatever Gado wanted to talk about, it seemed slightly more important than usual. He spoke to Yugo in a mildly business-like tone of voice, part serious, part casual. He only talked like that when he had ulterior motives in mind. Maybe Gado needed his assistance for once? Yugo hoped that was the case. It'd be nice to be preoccupied with anything at this point. But something still told Yugo that this meeting would be different. Perhaps it was just his pessimistic attitude getting to him, but it just didn't feel the norm. Yugo shrugged it off. He liked trouble anyways, so if it was bad news, it just meant some bonus activity for awhile. Yugo could hear the bus rounding the corner of the block and heading his way, right on time. He smiled to himself. The day was turning out better than he thought.

“More coffee, dear?"

“Yes, ma'am. Do you have the time, Ms. Pounds?"

The rotund, elderly woman checked her watch. “It's 6:15. Are you expecting somebody?"

Gado grinned back to her and nodded. Ms. Pounds refilled his cup with a cheery smile.

“Is it that young man, the one with the stern face and the glasses who always says such nice things about the food? Or is it the one who wears sunglasses indoors? Oh, you know such interesting people, Alan." She then proceeded to dust off her red apron, fix her old-style round-rimmed glasses so they sat more comfortably on the bridge of her nose, and dab at her white hair bun to check its condition, all done with her free hand that wasn't holding the pot of coffee.

“No, no, I'm expecting someone else today, though he is late, as usual."

“Oh, you must mean Yugo then! He's a troublemaker, that one. Remember when he socked that gentleman in the kisser?"

“I'll make sure he behaves, ma'am, I assure you."

Ms. Pounds let out an anxious sigh and patted the big man's shoulder. “I'm sorry, honey. I just worry sometimes. I swear, it would have been the end of this place if that man had sued, but after you talked to him, he changed his mind right away."

Gado placed his large mitt over Ms. Pounds' hand comfortingly, completely dwarfing the delicate, well-worn appendage with its size.

“I would never let anything happen to you, your family, or this restaurant, Ms. Pounds. Yugo's a handful, but he's got a good heart. Maybe one day he'll slip up and show you that side of himself. But in his defense, the person he hit did make fun of his scar. He takes things like that personally. I did once, too, before I grew up a little. Yugo has more of that to do yet."

Ms. Pounds chuckled sympathetically. “My son is the same way. We all have our phases when we we're young."

Gado nodded with a wide grin. “Right you are, ma'am. He should be here soon enough knowing him."

“Alright then. Well, if you need anything, don't be afraid to flag me down, okay?"

“I'm never afraid of anything, Ms. Pounds."

“So my son tells me!"

Ms. Pounds scurried off to attend to some idling patrons a few tables away. Gado exhaled slowly, running his fingers through his blond, spiky hair. Yugo never was exactly keen on being punctual. In fact, as far back as he could remember, Yugo had always been that way. Why, Gado never really knew. Unless it was to a fight, only then would he show up early. Gado guessed it stemmed from Yugo's need to handle things on his own. True lone wolf sort of behavior. Fitting, given Yugo's beast form. But whatever the case, it was bothersome to say the least.

A chill went through Gado's body as the entrance door opened and shut with the exit of a former patron, a blast of frigid evening air rushing over to his table to blow away the steam rising from his coffee mug. Gado rubbed his wide upper arms to start some friction. Lord, it was freezing outside. In an attempt to look casual and not too business-like for Yugo's sake, he dressed a bit less formally, opting for a long-sleeved, green sweater with tan slacks. He brought a light jacket instead of a heavier coat, something he really regretted at the moment, but it was a necessary sacrifice. If Gado bundled up too warmly, it would signal to Yugo that their talk was important enough for him to risk braving the weather, potentially tipping him off.

He had to discretely inform Yugo of some certain gossip before it naturally traveled too far down the grapevine and reached the brash man's ears. Yugo was a fighter at heart and jumped at every opportunity to put his dukes up, so Gado decided to set up a meeting under the guise of a regular dinner. He chose this restaurant specifically, hoping it would discourage Yugo from reacting too harshly to the news. Yugo didn't always respect Gado, but he sure as hell respected the Pounds' and their diner. Yugo confessed to Gado in a moment of “weakness," as Yugo later called it, that he was horribly ashamed that he struck that admittedly rude customer a few weeks back, worried that he might have upset the elderly owners more than anything else. So Gado gambled that if he told Yugo what was happening in a place he'd be less likely to cause a stir, and spoke to him in a disarming, fatherly manner, the night wouldn't end with Yugo losing his cool and hunting down a old enemy.

Since the fall of the ZLF, it became essential for Gado to keep Zoanthrope troubles out of the public eye and off TV screens. Racial tensions were still high, and even though the ZLF was no longer a threat, the idea of another similar attack was still greatly feared by the public. A riot could occur if anything negative involving Zoanthropes hit the airwaves. Such as a full-on Zoanthrope-on-Zoanthrope battle in the middle of the street. Yugo had a short wick, and Gado knew that what was going to happen was not a matter of if, but when. That is, unless Gado could snuff out the flame before it ever reached that wick. Or at the very least, guide the impending explosion it in the right direction.

Jingle-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding…

The little bells above the entrance door chimed, breaking Gado out of his reverie. It was Yugo, the spry man's clean scent wafting over to Gado's nose before a sneaker-clad foot even touched the linoleum floor. Another brisk gust blew over Gado, forcing the muscled man to repress a shiver. Yugo was dressed just like he said he was, certainly not proper garb for such a chilly night really, but Yugo always had a strong resistance to cold. Gado wondered if Yugo could withstand such bitter temperatures because he was wolf Zoanthrope, much like how Gado lavished in hot weather as he was a lion Zoanthrope. Inwardly, Gado envied Yugo in that regard. He so hated being cold.

Yugo strode right up to Gado's booth and took the bench seat across from him. He wore a vaguely curious look on his face, cheeks lightly flushed red by the wind and his short brown hair disheveled by the wind. He gave the large man a solidly haughty grin, typical for him. He obviously suspected Gado had something planned, but Gado knew Yugo wasn't about to pass up a free meal. Yugo quickly snatched a menu off the paper place mat before him, casually leafing through it. Gado sighed quietly. Classic Yugo. Not even a hello.

“Hungry, I take it?"

“Haven't eaten all day, I'm starving, man."

Gado grinned back and nodded at him, ignoring the impertinent remark and waving Ms. Pounds over. She wasted no time in coming over, quickly jotting down their orders as soon as she reached tableside. Yugo got himself a cheeseburger, fully loaded, just the way he liked it. Gado ordered the same with an extra meat patty and bacon. Then she was off to the kitchen like lightning, menus in hand. Yugo folded his arms on the tabletop, leaning forward.

“So, what's the occasion?" he asked bluntly.

“Nothing too important, just thought I'd check in on you. Did you find work yet?"

“No…"

“Ah, I see. You haven't found anything or you're not looking?"

“Are you going somewhere with this?"

Gado laughed, shaking his head in mild defeat. “There's no fooling you is there?"

“From you, no," Yugo glanced downward, idly picking at the paper mat. “But to be honest, I'm going insane. Jobs don't suit me and everyone's out of town. I've been bored as hell."

“Life can't be all fun and games, Yugo, you know that."

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Christ, do you always have to be so preachy with me?"

“Until something sticks in your thick head, of course I do."

Yugo smiled, perhaps impressed Gado had some wit in him tonight. Looking somewhat reassured, Yugo relaxed some, allowing the two to exchange small talk. Gado prattled on about current political business and the fallout of the ZLF fiasco, recent news and how Jenny was. Yugo didn't add much to the conversation, not enough happening lately for him to speak of. The food arrived promptly and they ate quietly.

Gado, as usual, finished long before Yugo did. Yugo once told Gado that he ate like a frigging real life lion. Then suggested perhaps it was because he had a giant mouth to go along with his giant body. Gado saw Yugo hide a snicker behind his upheld burger, likely remembering by his old joke and still greatly amused by it.

In the meantime, Gado watched Yugo closely, studying him with a keen eye. Yugo seemed to be at ease, for now. He decided to wait until Yugo finished his meal, make small talk again, and then gently broach the subject. Admittedly, it was a weak plan, but it would have to do. There was little alternative, unfortunately…

“Good stuff, isn't it?" Gado finally said.

Yugo nodded, swallowing his last mouthful of food. “Mm-hmm. Always is."

“It's nice to know places like this still exist in this city. With all the major corporations moving in, little mom-and-pop shops like this one get swept away in their wake. We're losing a lot of what makes this city a unique place to live… Someday, even this special place will be gone, lost to history. It's such a tragedy, and most people don't even know it."

Yugo glanced up from his plate and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Gado, then wiped the remaining grease from his lips with his napkin. He leaned back into his seat, a sudden look of distaste on his face as he tossed the used napkin onto his plate.

“Okay, Gado. I appreciate the grub, but I think you should tell me what's really going on now."

“Hm?" Gado asked, taken aback. Surely he hadn't been found out so quickly…

“You always get nostalgic when you've got something on your mind you, so spill it. What's going on?"

So much for the subtle approach… The jig was up. Yugo wanted the truth, and given the way the youth was staring him down, he wasn't about to tolerate any bullshit. Gado sighed in surrender and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and interlacing his fingers. He gave Yugo a stern and parentally-serious look.

“Yugo, we both know you're a bit… easily agitated, especially now with you being unemployed and with few means to work off your energy. And recently I've come across some information that you might not take very well."

Yugo looked more interested than annoyed now, his eyes brightening with child-like attention. Good, at least now Gado had him listening, but he doubted his serious approach was working. Perhaps Yugo thought he could finally get some action out of the news, a chance at some exciting new work or a problem that would require using his fists, it didn't matter which. Undeterred, Gado continued.

“You probably would've heard about it on your own, one way or another, but I think its best it came from me."

Yugo quickly grew impatient. “Well, what is it then? Just tell me already before I die of old age."

_Okay, here we go… _

“It's about Shenlong. He's back."

?

Yugo stared at Gado with a blank expression, then an exhilarated smile craved its way into his face. “He's alive? And here, in the city?" he asked, unable to hide the dangerous glee in his voice.

Gado nodded with a grim hum. “He's been here for some time."

“Where?" Yugo immediately asked, his body tensing up and brow furrowing with determination, a fire sparking within his dark brown eyes.

Gado released a gruff sound at Yugo's reaction. “He'd been staying at a few different places. But a few days ago, he made contact with Long."

Now Yugo appeared puzzled. “Long?" he asked, then shock flashed across his face. “They fought?!" Yugo braced his hands on the table angrily. “Are you telling me Shenlong killed him?"

“No!" Gado replied sharply, immediately wincing at how inadvertently loud he was, and then leaned forward to speak more confidently. “No. Long is fine. What I called you here for was to tell you is the two of them have called a truce. And that, with Long's blessing, Shenlong will be staying at his apartment until he can afford his own place. They've settled on being roommates for awhile."

Yugo couldn't look more dumbfounded. “Wha— truce? Roommates?!"

Yugo's voice hiked, and Gado gestured to the irate young man to keep it down by hovering his giant hands over the table and patting downward. “Listen to me," Gado said calmly. “You know his actions weren't his own. Busuzima is to blame. Shenlong is a changed man now. He's repenting for his ways. Long forgives him, as does Uriko. Please don't make a fuss over this…"

Yugo recoiled as if he'd been punched in the stomach. His hands shot up, open palmed, halting Gado from saying another word. “Stop!" Yugo barked. “You can't be serious! There's no way someone like Shenlong can be redeemed! Have you forgotten all the heinous shit he did?! He led the ZLF! He helped kidnap Kenji, Alan!"

“Of course not!" Gado insisted, grimacing when Yugo called him my his first name. Yugo only used it when he was upset, and right at that moment, the young man couldn't be more distressed. “But everyone deserves a second chance. Even someone such as him. I'm asking you, please, respect their wishes. And mine. Let him be."

It was like watching the numbers counting down on a time bomb. Yugo's face grew red and his pupils dilated, jaw going slack as his breath came to a dead stop in his lungs. The corner of his eye twitched, and the timer ran out.

“WHAT THE LIVING F—" Yugo began to shout but stopped himself short, somehow still remembering where he was and how he was supposed to act. Gado flinched at the outburst and threw his hands up defensively, something he almost never did. Yugo glanced around in a panic. Everyone else in the diner just about jumped out of their skin, all heads turning their way and startled murmurs quickly filling the crowded space. Yugo smiled awkwardly at them in a way he hoped looked disarming and apologetic, then turned his attention back to Gado, hunching forward aggressively across the table. “FFFuuuccck are you talking abouuut?!" he growled through clenched teeth.

“Calm down, Yugo." Gado hastily whispered back. “I know it's strange but—"

“Strange?!" Yugo balked. “Strange is snow in May, or a mix up at the drive-through. Not this! Are you positive? Are you absolutely sure? And for that matter, why didn't you tell me Shenlong was in town sooner? Christ, forget it— how the hell do you even know all this?"

Gado paused at that last question. “…It's a long story. But this is happening, Yugo. Shenlong is not causing trouble anymore, Long will make sure of it. Everything is going to work out fine."

“Do you even hear what you're saying?!" Yugo's voice was rising again. “He's lying, Alan! Shenlong must have done something to Long, just like he did to Kenji! He's a—"

Gado's fist pounded the table, the dishes on top leaping into the air from the impact. _ “Yugo, listen to me and be quiet." _ Gado's voice boomed and his threatening glare locked unwaveringly onto Yugo's wild, auburn counterparts. Now it was Yugo's turn to flinch, the thunderous intensity of Gado's demand hitting him like a slap in the face. The older man looked deadly serious, a petrifying icy glow radiating behind his remaining blue eye. The color drained from Yugo's face and a cold sweat swept over him. He was brave, but he never dared to mess with Gado when he was like this. It was a frightening sight to any man, one that commanded nothing but absolute and complete cooperation.

“Yugo, I'm not going to say this twice," Gado said, never losing his grave tone. “This is Long's and Shenlong's choice, and we will respect it. You will not start any trouble with them. This city is already scared to death of another Zoanthrope uprising and a fight between any of you can set off a chain-reaction that could cause more damage than you can possibly realize. Now you will keep yourself under control, or else you will have me to deal with. And believe me, you do not want that. Do you understand?"

Yugo didn't respond, continuing gaze ahead at Gado in a stupor.

“Do. You. Understand. Me," Gado repeated, enunciating each word like a hammer hitting a nail on the head.

Snapped out of his trance, Yugo nodded quickly, his lips moving but no words forming.

Abruptly, Gado stood up from his booth, making Yugo jump in his seat. He never took his sight off Yugo, who refused meet his eye in return, meekly looking aside as the older man grabbed his jacket from his seat and calmly made his way alongside the table. A large hand gripped the corner of the table and Gado leaned down to speak closely into Yugo's ear, the shrinking man leaning away to keep some distance. Gado essentially had him backed into a corner.

“I'm not kidding here, Yugo. Think about the consequences. If not for you, then for the innocent people that will be hurt as the result of your actions. Not everyone can defend themselves like you or I can. Not everyone is made to fight." Gado righted himself, put his jacket on, and patted Yugo's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. This time, Yugo didn't flinch.

“Do this for me, Yugo," Gado said, his voice back to it's normal, baritone self. “I paid for the bill. Go home and get some rest. I'll see you in a few days, and I hope to hear good news about your employment status by then. Be good." And with that, Gado headed for the exit, leaving a bewildered, ego-bruised Yugo to stew in his booth, the bells signaling Gado's exit a final twist of the knife in his gut. Yugo's hands balled into fists as the diner soon reverted back to its usual noisy self, the show apparently over.

“You okay there, kiddo? You sure got a talking to there," a voice next to Yugo said. It was Ms. Pounds.

“I'm… Yeah," Yugo replied, raspy due to a suddenly dry throat.

“Well, I'm sure he's just having a bad day. Don't worry over it. Is there anything else I can get you?"

“Huh? Oh. No, I'm good, thank you. I-I should probably go."

Yugo got up from his seat, and as calmly as he could, walked out the entrance door. Ms. Pounds shrugged, plucking the pencil from behind her ear before going back to taking orders.

Outside, Yugo seethed… He couldn't believe it. How in the hell did this happen? An avalanche of a headache threatened to bear down on him if he even considered trying to contemplate everything at once. What Gado told him was just out of this world, completely absurd, impossible... He immediately doubted the legitimacy of the whole situation. Something was off. There was no way this was as clean-cut as Gado put it. A spark of intrigue clicked in Yugo's brain and the cogs beginning to turn.

Shenlong had to have done something to Long, that much he was certain of. But what? Yugo leaned against a light pole and tapped his foot, thinking deeply, then recalled what happened with Kenji. Brainwashing… Yes… That was the only logical explanation. Yugo knew that had to be it. What else could it be? Shenlong must have some kind of plan for Long, some cruel plot, but the monk was too strong-willed for Shenlong to handle conventionally, so he took a more insidious route, appropriate for a man like him. Since he couldn't get through to Long with his fists, he would do it by other underhanded means. Made sense…

But still, something didn't add up. Long was wise and a trained combatant, not even close to what could be described as foolish. So how could he have possibly fallen into the snare? As strange as Long's ways were sometimes, Yugo simply couldn't envision him forgiving Shenlong so readily, no matter how righteous and noble his demeanor was. Perhaps Gado got the facts wrong… Yugo never did get an answer as to how Gado knew what he knew. A piece of the puzzle was missing, something that could explain everything, and it pissed Yugo off to no end that he couldn't grasp what that was.

Mysteries aside, Yugo knew one thing for sure. He needed to do something about all this, and he already knew what his next move should be. It was his only recourse. If he wanted answers, he'd have to go get them straight from the tiger's mouth, so to speak. Yugo had to find Long and ask him about it face to face, despite Gado's warning. Yugo knew where Long's apartment was; Alice once told him the address, so it was a good place to start. He had do go there. Call it impulse or ambition, whatever. He couldn't have stopped himself even if he tried. He had to know the truth, prove the validity of his theories, and if necessary, take Shenlong out of picture. Yugo had seen enough of the evil clone's insanity. Everyone had. Yugo's knuckles crackled as his fists tightened.

“Fuck it," Yugo muttered spitefully. A tiny cluster of snow landed on Yugo's hand, and he glanced up into the newly-formed night sky. Overcast and heavy, a storm was brewing. “Sorry, Gado. But if you can't do this, I have no choice. Thanks for the talk, old timer." Then, flipping up his hood, Yugo began to jog down the street in the direction of the nearest bus stop. It was about time that psycho bastard got what was coming to him.

In record time, Yugo had made it downtown where Long's apartment complex was located. He even ran between stops to save time, catching earlier buses he otherwise would have missed if he walked. He already developed a basic plan of attack while on the move. Firstly, he would go to Long's place and see if either he or Shenlong were there. If Long was there alone, Yugo would ask him personally what the deal was. Nicely, of course. Last thing Yugo needed was a fight with someone he actually tolerated. And if Shenlong was there alone, Yugo was going to beat the facts out of him. Simple, but effective. At the very least, if neither of them were there, he could just wait until one of them showed up. Not like he would have much else to do at the time. But if both men present, well, Yugo wasn't sure what he'd to do then. He hadn't thought that far ahead, honestly. He figured he'd wing it, a strategy that never failed him before.

Gado was going to be pissed about all this, but at the moment, Yugo couldn't care less. Something reeked about this, and he was dead set to figure out what, no matter the cost. Since the old man was so worried about a public brawl, Yugo figured Long's little in-house gym was the perfect location for a private one. Out of sight, out of mind. Property damage aside, that is. Long was probably insured anyways. Long seemed to the type to have insurance on everything, always one to dot his Is and cross his Ts.

Yugo didn't much remember entering the lobby, or ignoring the desk clerk, or even getting into the elevator to ride up to the 19th floor. He was so focused on his task that nothing could break his concentration. He paced back and forth in the lift, muscles burning with anticipation. Silently, he prayed his brainwashing theory was true. He needed a fight. Shenlong was a bad guy, a sociopath and a narcissist. People like don't change, right? It was in their blood. Yet, Gado's words still lingered in the back of his mind, stoking his curiosity. Was there even the remotest chance Shenlong had changed for the better? After all, Long had gone through the same thing years ago. He did some horrible things as well, but he repented and made up for it by doing good by all. Hell, he even became a monk, completely shedding his former self for a brighter future. Maybe Shenlong could have done the same…?

Yugo sneered and immediately dismissed the idea. He'd seen first hand what Shenlong was capable of. All he ever did was plot and deceive, taking sadistic pleasure in the suffering of the innocent. Just like what he did to Kenji… No, Shenlong was a monster by any other name. Yugo had to do what was right here, even if it risked drawing the Long's ire. They weren't exactly friends, Yugo believing the monk to be the most uptight, straightlaced hermit in history. But Yugo did respect him. Long was a dignified fighter and a honest man above all else. But Shenlong couldn't be allowed meddle in the lives others. Never again. Anger flared within Yugo, and he slammed a fist into his open palm, grinding his knuckles. He clenched his jaw so tightly, he could almost taste the coppery tinge of blood in his mouth.

The elevator doors slid aside, revealing a spacious and rather luxuriously decorated red-carpeted hallway, adorned with oriental vases and antique chandeliers hanging from a high ceiling. The residents' doors were spread far apart on either side of the hall, characteristic for high-class buildings like this one. The apartments, or lofts, or whatever they were called, were the some of best in town. It was like having an entire house inside of a giant skyscraper. Downtown only had the best, no matter what it was. Even the water tasted better.

Yugo marched forward, continuing down the hall and counting the address numbers until he came to the one he was looking for…

Room 1909, this is it. No turning back now, champ. Yugo rolled his neck, loosening himself up and clearing his throat. He raised a hand to knock on the door. That's when he heard it.

Paf! Paf! Thump! “Ha!" Smack-Paf!

Yugo froze. He knew that sound, all too familiar to any boxer's ears. Someone was practicing on a punching bag. A ecstatic chill ran down Yugo's spine and his face lit up in absolute delight. Why? Because Yugo knew for a fact that Long almost never practiced on a punching bag. Long preferred to use one of those spinning wooden coat rack-looking things to train on. So that meant Long wasn't the one in the gym, leaving only one other possible candidate. It had to be Shenlong. Oh, this was too perfect!

Grinning wildly, Yugo quickly pulled his gloves from the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, slipping them on one at a time. They glided onto his hands, black leather tightening around them, tingling from the familiar power infused within. He felt like a warrior donning his weapons before going into battle. It psyched him up, heart racing and adrenaline flowing. Yugo tapped his fists together knuckle to knuckle and grunted in satisfaction. Time to do this. Readily, he grasped the door handle and slowly turned the knob. The door opened without so much as a creak. Shenlong had left it unlocked, probably figuring that only Long would ever drop in. He was in for a surprise…

_Showtime! _

Yugo slipped through the doorway, careful not too let in too much light or make too much noise to alert his soon-to-be opponent, and quietly closed the door behind him, locking it. It was dark inside, the only light source a dull glow emitting from a hallway to the right of the entrance. The sounds were coming from the last room at the end of said hall, most likely the gym. He took a step forward, then abruptly stopped. As tempting as it was to simply stampede down the corridor and barge in on his soon-to-be adversary, even Yugo knew the smart play would be to do a little recon first.

So Yugo squinted and scanned the darkness. Having better than normal night-vision due to his lupine half, he attempted to get a better idea of the layout of the apartment. The spacious kitchen was to the left as was another unlit hallway, likely leading to the bedrooms, and a spacious living room directly across from the front door. There was a staircase leading to the upstairs situated on the far side of the living room, crossing in front of the large open windows which gave a stunning view of the city skyline. It was deathly silent up there, as was anyplace not in the direction of the gym, so Yugo had to guess Long wasn't here asleep somewhere, as he definitely would've smelled him or heard him breathing.

The place was immaculate, aside from the massive military-style boots on the floor, piled along with a black muscle shirt and backpack by the sofa. No way Long wore shoes like that; they looked like steel-toed lethal weapons. Now, Yugo was more than certain than ever Shenlong was here. Stealthily, and with a stupidly giddy smile on his face, Yugo crept his way down the hall, hugging along the wall until he came upon the gym's entrance. Yugo could see a few mirrors mounted on the walls, reflecting slivers of someone smacking away at something inside.

Cautiously, Yugo peeked around the corner of the door frame, and sure enough, there he was. Shirtless and in a pair of black jeans, Shenlong looked so focused on the bag that even if Yugo had kicked in the front door, he doubted the vagabond would've even noticed.

This was it. He could wait no longer. Yugo stepped around the corner and into the gym, eyes locked onto Shenlong's weaving form.

“What have you done to Long?" Yugo demanded, his tone unmistakably dire and solid as steel.

Shenlong jumped and missed his next punch on the bag, startled from having his concentration broken so bluntly. He spun around, confusion rife upon his sweat-beaded face, but his surprise quickly faded when he recognized who it was. For a split second, Yugo thought he might have confused Long for Shenlong, unable to tell which one stood before him without a clear indicator. But when the man grinned at him, that same devilish grin that Yugo remembered from that final day at the ZLF headquarters, he knew he had the right version. It was so uncanny how alike they looked. Granted, he was a clone of Long, but still, Shenlong was like the yin to the virtuous monk's yang, polar opposites wrapped in the same skin. It was just… creepy. Shenlong ran a hand through his short-cut, dark brown hair, the sweat slicking it back into thousands of gleaming spikes. He carried himself with arrogance, displaying that sickeningly brash smirk, like he was the best of the best. Yugo grit his teeth in detest.

“Well, well! This is a surprise! I haven't seen you in awhile. Come to see Long?"

“No," Yugo replied. “I came to see you."

Shenlong almost looked flattered. “Oh?" he asked with obvious delight in his voice. “Now, why would you come to see me?"

“I want answers! Tell me what did!" Yugo shouted this time, making Shenlong's grin widen even more as he put the pieces together.

“Oh, I get it now. So I take it you've heard about our arrangement, huh?"

“That's right. So what's your plan this time?"

“Plan?" Shenlong asked, apparently genuinely confused about that one. “What plan?"

“I know you, Shenlong. You've got something up your sleeve. Long would never—"

“Never what?" the larger man's voice had deepened drastically. “Forgive someone such as me?"

Yugo's eyes flashed dangerously. “You son of a bitch, tell me what you've done!"

“Really…? You stupid kid, I haven't done anything. Is it so far-fetched for you to believe we have made peace?"

“I'd believe it if you weren't part of it!"

“Oh-ho-ho! Big man talking." Shenlong waved his hand dismissively and then brushed some of stray sweat off of his brow with his forearm. “Don't play games with me, kid. You didn't come here all laced up for the bout just for some kind of self-righteous cause you felt the need to carry out. You came here to take a swing at me, isn't that right."

Yugo was quiet, simply glaring at Shenlong with all the hate he could possibly muster, his fists balling so tight that the leather against his knuckles creaked.

“Perhaps you came here to kill me instead." Shenlong mused. When he got no response, Shenlong bellowed a laugh. He extended his arms, open-palmed, as he slowly, tauntingly strode towards Yugo, his grin eerily pleased despite his clearly carefree demeanor.

“Or…" he continued, coming to a stop mere feet away from Yugo. “Maybe you're just itching to settle the score. Does it still sting knowing I got the better of you, that I could just waltz into your life and steal whatever, or whoever, I wanted? Like I did to your little brother? What's his name again? Kenji was it?"

“You have no right to speak his name!" Yugo yelled, taking an aggressive step forward and raising a fist at the clone.

“Strike a nerve, did I?" Shenlong's grin deepened into a dark, gleeful leer, wiggling the fingers out his outstretched hands mockingly. “You know, if I wanted to, I could do it again. Snatch him right back up. I might even take that cute little girl of his while I'm at it. No, wait, I got a better idea. How about instead of them…" Then the large man leaned toward Yugo, almost like an contemptuous bow, and licked his lips with a perverse hum.

His next words rolled off his tongue as if he lavished over every single syllable. “I take your sweet, delicious Alice."

Yugo immediately hauled back and swung his fist wide. Shenlong easily stepped aside, and Yugo carelessly stumbled into the room. He swiftly spun around to face Shenlong, fists at the ready and feet firmly placed, literally fuming with rage. The young man was puffing so furiously, his breaths sounded like ragged grunts, clenched teeth bared and face red with fury. Shenlong merely smiled back at Yugo, perhaps a bit amused by his spirit.

Yet despite his rage, Yugo couldn't resist smiling himself. This is the moment Yugo had been waiting for, a true duel, and with a worthy adversary for once. If there was one thing Yugo could count on Shenlong for, it was that the clone could hit like a pro and take the hits just as well. Their impending battle was destined to be one for the books, and Yugo was going to enjoy every second of it. Beating this fucker within an inch of his life was going to feel like reaching nirvana. Shenlong winked at Yugo, beckoning him forward with inward waves of his fingers.

“Come on," he goaded. Yugo needed no further encouragement. He dashed forward, lining up a left hook to Shenlong's side. Again, Shenlong merely side-stepped around punch, effectively dodging the attack. Yugo stopped two short steps beyond his missed opponent, and then threw a blind backhand to where Shenlong should have been standing, only for his fist to meet air. Shenlong had ducked under the attack, leaving Yugo wide open. But instead of a punch, kick, or even a tiny jab, Shenlong grabbed Yugo's ankles and yanked his feet out from under him. Yugo slammed onto his back against the matted floor, the sound of the thud echoing loudly in the confined room. It didn't hurt physically, but the amused chuckle that reached Yugo's ears dealt a vicious blow to his pride.

Yugo hastily got back onto his feet, and saw Shenlong leaning against the gym doorway, arms folded in disappointment. He chortled at Yugo, and amazingly Yugo's face got even redder than it was before. It was a wonder that steam wasn't whistling out of his ears. Shenlong wasn't just humiliating him, he was toying with him, like a cat would a ball of string. This wasn't a game to Yugo; he wasn't playing around, but so far all he had done is make a complete ass out of himself. Yugo grumbled wrathfully, bristling. Then a sudden, brilliant plan formulated in his head.

“What's the matter, dipshit?" Yugo spat. “Afraid to throw a punch?"

Shenlong chuckled again, louder this time, and stepped away from the door frame.

“I only throw punches when I feel my opponent is worth it. You fight like an idiot."

“Okay, now it's on, asshole! Show me what you've got!" Yugo pulled his hooded sweatshirt over his head in a huff, then whipped it down at his feet in anger. Shenlong rolled his eyes, approaching Yugo with a nonchalant gait, just like Yugo expected him to.

“Listen, why don't you go home?" Shenlong drawled boringly. “Come back when you got something better, because what you got right now ain't enough. I bet I could beat you to a pulp with one hand tied behind—"

Now!

Yugo kicked the discarded sweatshirt at his feet into Shenlong's face, a flash of mild confusion flashing over the overzealous clone's face before the garment smacked into it. It was a perfect bullseye, the sweatshirt completely wrapping around the man's head.

“Wha—?!" Shenlong surprised shout was muffled. It was a dirty, but effective tactic. Shenlong was temporarily blinded, and now it was his turn to be left open to attack. Yugo leapt forward, grasped Shenlong by his cotton-covered head, and yanked his opponent's upper body down. In a flash, Yugo brought his knee up and rammed it right into Shenlong's gut, knocking a satisfying cry of shock out of him. Yugo didn't stop there. The boxer wrapped one arm around the hunched-over Shenlong's neck in a headlock as his other hand grasped onto the back of his belt, and then pummeled the man's stomach with a flurry of knee strikes. One, two, three, four, five, six— the sound of Shenlong's anguished grunts and Yugo's knee bashing into bare skin rapid and brutal. It felt sweetly gratifying putting some hurt into the cocky bastard, Yugo proving he wasn't an adversary to be reckoned with. But it wasn't enough. Yugo craved more— more violence, faster, bloodier!

Yugo harshly jostled Shenlong's body to keep him disoriented, slightly unraveling the hoodie from around his head. Yugo jerked his leg backwards, and then with a forward swing, his kneecap crashed into Shenlong's face. The familiar noise of a bone cracking against bone was music to Yugo's ears.

“Yeah!" Yugo shouted in triumph, then brought his knee up again for another hit— but this time Yugo felt a set of hands catch his thigh and lock it down in a death grip.

Uh-oh. Before Yugo could react, Shenlong threw Yugo's incoming leg aside, making Yugo to fumble his hold on Shenlong. It was forceful enough to spin Yugo into a quick, off-kilter, 180-degree turn. Then Yugo was shoved in the back, and he stumbled forward a few feet before coming to an unsteady stop. Something whiffed past Yugo's head in a gray blur, hitting the wall ahead of him before falling to the ground in a heap. It was his sweatshirt, with what appeared to be fresh tears ripped into the fabric.

A chill ran down Yugo's spine, and he turned in an instant, but he was not fast enough to avoid the blur of indigo and black charging at him. A furry, clawed hand clasped around Yugo's throat and squeezed with the crushing pressure of a vise, strangling him as he was lifted off the ground and into the air by his neck.

What Yugo saw next was a sight he had seen once before, back at the ZLF headquarters. Just like remembering a bad dream. Shenlong's rage-filled face was shifting, a blunt muzzle pushing from his lower face as fangs grew from his jaws, lips curled in a ferocious snarl. Already well into his beast phase, his body was sprouting dark, dusk-blue fur, sliced by fine black stripes, elegant and royal in appearance, despite the person who wore them. His muscle mass nearly doubled, torso and chest broadening greatly as limbs expanded and flared. The lower half of the changing man's jeans shredding apart in a burst of black denim confetti, ankles elongating into an animal design. Piercing crimson eyes glared up at him with a look of absolute spite, fur spreading down his skin of his face like a ripple through water as his head completely morphed into his trademark tiger-shape. His long feline tail lashed aggressively behind him, accenting the beast-man's contempt for his captured prey.

The paw-like hand around Yugo's throat squeezed, and he could feel the pinpricks of the tiger's claws digging into his skin. Yugo gagged, hands desperately grasping at Shenlong's furred wrist while his dangling feet kicked wildly. His throat was being crushed, and it didn't take long for his lungs to burn for oxygen, vision becoming a haze of painful red as his pulse pounded in his ears, face contorted with excruciation.

Any fighter with half a brain would have surrendered by that point. Being strangled to death by a fully transformed tiger Zoanthrope would've been the end of 99% of all other fights. But Yugo wasn't scared, not even a little bit. If anything, Yugo was pissed off even more now. No way was he going to let Shenlong take him down so easily like some common lower-rung thug. Yet here he was, strung up like a convict from a noose, his legs wiggling pathetically. It was another deep blow to his ego, looking weak, and by the hands of a bastard like Shenlong no less. Defiantly, Yugo glared down at Shenlong, unflinchingly meeting the indigo tiger's lustrous ruby eyes head on. The former ZLF boss wasn't invincible; Yugo defeated him battle once before, and tonight he was going to claim that victory once again.

Shenlong growled, deep and feral, his thin, ebony lips curling back farther to expose viscous fangs chattering for blood. His mitt tightened around Yugo's neck, determined to wring the defiance out of him. A small proud smile creased the corner Yugo's mouth. He was getting to Shenlong, making him angry, and in equal measure, reckless. For instance, Shenlong was too focused on wielding his strength over Yugo, showboating in a way. After having many bouts in the ring, Yugo knew bragging when he saw it. Rookie boxers or super powered Zoanthropes, they were all the same. Yugo had a knack for using it to his advantage, playing into his opponent's ego, let them get overconfident, then when they least expect it, put the hurt on 'em— as Yugo was about to prove right now.

Before Shenlong knew it, a sneaker-clad foot slammed directly under the chin, teeth crashing together in a bone-jarring clack. Yugo was more flexible than he looked. He performed a near perfect frontal axe kick, practically doing vertical splits while suspending midair. The tiger-man was immediately dazed and his grip slackened. Yugo had to move fast— if he didn't break free in the next moment, Shenlong would simply sink his claws into his jugular and that would be the end of him. He brought up his other leg while the leg he attacked with dropped down, planted his shoe directly into Shenlong's sternum, and pushed!

The beast-man lost his hold, and Yugo sprung back with the momentum into a graceful reverse flip, soaring through the air in an arc until he landing onto the mats below feet-first. Coughing, Yugo instantly dropped down to one knee and rubbed at his sore neck. He didn't feel any tackiness around where Shenlong's fingers dug into his flesh, meaning he got away with the claws drawing any blood. Still, he was winded, throat raw and tender; it'd take a few seconds to recover. His eyes went to Shenlong, and found the tiger nursing his jaw with a massive paw-hand, rotating the ache out of the joints. He still seemed disoriented, crimson eyes lolling and flattened-back rounded ears flicking irritably. Then he shook the stars out his eyes and snarled, glaring daggers at the crouching man a few feet away.

Breathing heavily, Yugo stood back up and raised his fists, ready for tiger-Shenlong to rush him. The beast-man grunted loudly, clearly vexed, but to Yugo surprise, relaxed his posture, head canted to the side as if impressed. Shenlong merely watched the man, studying him with his red eyes. Yugo couldn't hide his confusion. If he were in Shenlong's shoes, he would've charged ahead ten seconds ago. It was the smart move. Shenlong had the increased strength and endurance due to his beast form; he should have used it to his advantage. What was he waiting for?

“C'mon," Yugo rasped, beckoning the tiger with inward waves of his closed fists. “You had your chance to come at me when I was down. Let's go."

“What's the point?" Shenlong lamented, his voice much deeper and more gravelly in his tiger form. “What kind of fight would this be if I did. I'd be a coward."

Yugo gave Shenlong a hard, cynical look. “That never stopped you before," he retorted frigidly. “You… I don't know what your scheme is this time, but someone has to do the something about it. I'm going to stop you."

Shenlong rolled his head back and sighed, sounding more like an exhausted growl given his current state. “You really believe I'm here to do harm to Long? What do I have to do to convince you that I'm not that guy anymore? I learned my lesson. Yeah, I've done some bad, terrible shit. And yeah, and I do regret it. Every single day I look in the mirror I regret it, so I don't need you to remind me. We all have our burdens to bear. Even you, Yugo."

Yugo sneered, tempted to spit on the floor in contempt. “You know nothing about me," he snapped.

“Oh, I believe I know a thing or two about you," Shenlong replied with a mirthful cat-grin

“Like what? How good of an imprint my shoe makes on your pretty face?"

Now Shenlong exposed all his sharp teeth a full, haughty smile. “Other than that, you lack self-control and are disrespectful. Who asked you to poke your nose into Long's affairs? Him and me, we buried the hatchet, no strings attached. It's none your business how either of us lives our lives. I apologized to Long, and he has decided to forgive my past. It's as simple as that."

“Well I can't," Yugo bristled. Yet… the way Shenlong spoke, his tone of voice… it did seem like he was being sincere. For a split second, Yugo actually considered Shenlong might actually be telling the truth. It certainly felt like wasn't battling the same person as before either. Deep down, Yugo knew what Gado said was true. Even scoundrels deserve a second chance. But he couldn't just forgive him so easily as he said Long had. Not after everything he had done… Yugo huffed a grunt, glancing aside in thought. If Shenlong really meant what he said, then he was going to have to earn his forgiveness.

“Not yet," Yugo said with uncanny certainty. “You want me to let bygones be bygones, prove it and fight me with honor."

Shenlong narrowed his eyes divisively. Yugo figured if the clone was anything like Long at all, Shenlong would bow out, showing he's a different person than before. But in the same token, he also knew Shenlong wasn't the kind of guy to back down from from a fight, and this time would be no exception. The tiger eyed the boxer up and down, boldly exhaling a sharp breath through his feline nose. At that moment, both of them could see there no chance of walking away from this peacefully.

“Your funeral," Shenlong resigned with dignity. “Do your worst."

Yugo nodded curtly, then with a face wrought with determination, began a steady walk towards the tiger. Shenlong held his ground as he let Yugo close the distance, preparing himself, every muscle flexing under his striped pelt. Step by step, the young man encroached upon the waiting beast-man, tension growing thicker the closer he got. Then once the two were in striking distance, Yugo lashed out with a quick lower jab at the tiger's stomach. Boxing techniques 101: work the areas already softened up and it'll take more out of one's opponent. Unfortunately, Shenlong must have studied from the same book, as he tightened his gut and the blow landed with little pain. He retaliated by smacking Yugo upside his head with an open palm, knocking Yugo to one side like a cat swatting a ball on a string.

Yugo stumbled, and before he could right himself, heard the distinct sound of air being cut mere inches away from his nose. Shenlong's claws slashed downward through the front of Yugo's t-shirt, slicing four straight vertical tears into the cotton fabric, the shrill rip loud in the spacious room. Yugo cried out in surprise and quickly found his footing, instinctively brushing a hand over the front of his newly ventilated garb to check his condition, keeping his eyes on the feline aggressor. He felt no blood or cuts stinging, only cool air filtering through the newly formed holes on his shirt. He was lucky this time, a hair's breadth closer and Yugo could've been split open like a Thanksgiving turkey. Just like that one time years before…

Yugo dared to take a glance down, and sure enough, he saw a hint of the scars etched into his skin through the ribbons of shirt. There were three of them, still mostly hidden under the rest of the garment, were evenly spaced, carving over his right shoulder, diagonally dragging downward across his chest until they tapered off just under the bottom left side of his ribcage. Claw marks from a strike that almost killed him. Just the sight of them brought back the pain. It took a long time to heal from those wounds, months of recovery… and when he did, he had those things to remind him of how he failed, how weak he was. He vowed never to let such a thing happen again. Certainly never— ever— to a guy like Shenlong.

Yugo's brow knit in anger and he immediately threw his fists back up into a guard stance, ready at a distance and feet actively dancing in place. He locked down the tiger with a hard glare that screamed, _Bring it! _

A half-grin curled at the corner of Shenlong's muzzle at the challenge, and he lunged forward, taking another swipe at Yugo's head, missing when the boxer pitched his upper body back. The beast-man promptly followed up with a waist high kick, which Yugo blocked by raising his leg and deflecting the incoming limb with his his shin, then struck out with a series of claw-filled swings of his paw-like mitts, each one dodged or knocked aside. With a frustrated snarl, Shenlong threw his leg out in a powerful frontal kick, putting all his weight behind the movement. Yugo sidestepped the attack and the tiger-man rushed by him like a faltering giant. Yugo took the opening to swing an uppercut at Shenlong's gut, but the feline hopped back out of range. It was surprising how someone so big and bulky as a beast-mode Zoanthrope could move with such agility.

Back to a face-to-face showdown, Yugo opted to keep the pressure on, but this time with a strategy in mind. Yugo made a deliberately wide, greatly telegraphed side-punch aimed at the beast-man's upper body. Shenlong raised a broad hand to catch the blow, but inches away from making contact with Shenlong's paw-obstructed ribs, Yugo recoiled. Then in the blink of an eye, a fist from the opposite direction flew in and crashed into the tiger's muzzle, the force of the impact sending him staggering backwards. Shenlong had failed to notice his adversary had been reeling back his other arm, distracted by the initial attack, and fell victim to the most notorious and effective boxing move ever conceived. The classic fake-out, a favorite of Yugo's.

Watching the tiger-man teeter and groan, knuckles freshly aching from the punch, thrilled to the core by the heat of battle— This is what Yugo had been yearning for. Yugo couldn't resist grinning from ear-to-ear. He felt so alive. Coming here tonight was definitely the right call.

A trickle of blood streamed from the corner of Shenlong's mouth, running over black lips and under his chin. The tiger growled, the sound a strange mix of soreness with professed approval, then wiped the red from his fur with the pad of his thumb. With a sly smirk, a tongue snaked out of his striped muzzle and greedily licked the tip of his digit clean. Now it was his turn to grin, smug and full of teeth, a glimmer in the tiger's ruby eyes.

“Not bad," Shenlong complimented. “But you're still not good enough, kid."

“Watch who you're calling 'kid'!" Yugo shouted, and quickly closed the distance, charging up for a straight jab at Shenlong's smirking mug. But before he could land the hit, something touched Yugo's ankle, breaking his concentration. In his confusion, the rash boxer glanced down, and saw a blue and black tail tapping his sneaker. Then Yugo realized his mistake. He'd gotten so hyper-fixated on his target, something as simple as that was enough to distract him. This was Shenlong's own version of the fake-out.

Before Yugo could defend himself, a massive leg blasted into his side in a devastating kick, so powerful that it sent the youth sailing a good ten feet away and crashing into the base of the punching bag, the heavy sack swing back and forth from the collision. Yugo quickly rolled onto his knees, and with an aggravated grunt, pounded a fist into the matted floor and leapt to his feet, then sprinted at the azure tiger at full speed. Shenlong had just enough time to take another claw-bared swipe at the careening man, snagging only a bit of shirt before getting harpooned at the midsection. Even with all the beast-man's added weight, it did little to keep his feet on the ground. In a tangled mass, the two tumbled end over end until Shenlong became pinned onto his under Yugo, the enraged man's knees digging into the supine tiger's pelvis and forcing his legs down. Yugo immediately starting to rain down punches onto the Shenlong's chest and head.

He got a few clean hits in before Shenlong was able to cover his face with his forearms, the boxer's fists flying in such a frenzy that it was near impossible to do much else, regulating him to try and defect the incoming blows. Yugo was running purely off of adrenaline and instinct at this point, the tiger getting smacked around like the punching bag he had used earlier. Yugo knew even someone as powerful and strong as Shenlong had his limits. There was always a point when pain tolerance inevitably gave away and the hits would really begin to leave a mark. Yugo was trained to deliver punches that could potentially knock a person unconscious in one blow, so Shenlong's ability to block out the pain likely didn't last more than a minute.

Shenlong roared in fury and agony, fanged mouth open in a constant angry hiss and his crimson eyes freakishly wide behind their protective arms as each swipe he tried to deal to Yugo got batted away like a bothersome fly. Then Shenlong let his defenses drop, and parted his forearms to snap his jaws at Yugo. The razor-sharp fangs just barely missed the man's face, making him lurch back to avoid them, inadvertently freeing the tiger's pinned legs.

Suddenly, Shenlong grabbed Yugo by his torn shirt, ensnaring his fingers into the fabric. Yugo glanced down and realized what was happening, but it was far too late to do anything about it. In one quick motion, Shenlong yanked his legs out from under Yugo, brought his knees up to his chest, and slammed both feet into Yugo's body, launching the man across the room with a traumatized squall. Wherever Yugo landed, it wasn't the on the soft matted floor, the sound of him crashing into something hard and breakable in the distance resounding deafeningly in the room.

Panting and out of breath, Shenlong lay there on his back, arms aching from the pummeling they received. Rolling onto his side with a pained grunt, he took his time forcing himself to sit up. In his hand, he saw pieces of Yugo's gray shirt still clutched between his claws, and with a disdainful click of his tongue, tossed the shreds aside. He glanced around in search of his adversary, and in the general area of where Yugo should have landed, a large human-size hole was punched clean through the wall into the next room, only darkness to be seen inside. Below that, a small table was demolished into a pile of splintered wood, crushed under the weight of the crumbling chunks of plaster.

Shenlong winced. “Long's gonna kill me…" He peered deeper into the void of the hole, but in the rubble, there was no Yugo. Where did he—

A ferocious, primal growl filled the air— directly behind Shenlong. The tiger's ears folded back and he sighed heavily “Oh-kay…" he muttered, knowing exactly what would happen next.

Yugo plowed head-first into the sitting Shenlong's back, bowling him forward with cry of shock. In one second, Shenlong was sprawled out on his stomach, and in the next, he was yanked onto his feet by his scalp fur.

There, he came face to face with a raging-mad, snarling wolf-Yugo. He had almost completely transformed. Within deadly range of Shenlong's face, Yugo's fierce canine muzzle was finishing elongating from Yugo's face, sleek and pointed, the pale skin of a human faded into a dark, slate shade, silvery fur spreading out over the extension like a rolling tide of gray smoke. Once-pink ebony lips curled in a frightening display, fangs to rival even Shenlong's gleaming in the soft light of the gym, jaws trembling with a hoarse growl. Piercing glowing yellow eyes with pupils as tiny as pinholes stared directly into his opponents crimson equivalents, drilling holes deep into the core of Shenlong's soul, the ancient wildness in them unmatched. His ears had moved up from the sides of his head, stretched out in a sharp triangular shape and currently were pinned back against his newly-formed canine skull, reflecting his current mood clearly.

Shenlong didn't get to see much more. A flying knee kick rammed into the tiger's gut with a dozen times more strength than before, the tiger's entire body lurching into the air from the sheer force of the impact. When Shenlong doubled over from the hit, Yugo's grasped the pelt of Shenlong's back with his freshly-clawed hands, and heaved the tiger a good ten feet across the room. Shenlong crashed hard onto his chest, rolling with the momentum until he came to a stop on his side upon the mats.

Gasping for air and clutching his abdomen, now Shenlong could see Yugo in his full, lupine glory. Yugo's weight and muscle density skyrocketed but still retained a lean brawler's figure, taut and wiry under the peppery-toned pelt. What was left of Yugo's outfit was left split and torn, the remains of his shirt, ripped from collar to bottom, clung to his shoulders like a raggedy jacket and red-dyed jeans shredded below the knee, sneakers burst apart from the inside out when his new canine paw-feet grew too big for them to contain. Same went for the gloves that once covered his now widened paw-like hands, popped like balloons with only the wristbands left clinging on. His claws gleamed, and though not as deadly as Shenlong's, were still nothing to contend with. Where as a tiger had sharpness, a wolf had speed, and those claws could certainly do some damage if the wielder wanted them to.

The wolf-man's body was covered in a rich coat of ashy gray and white fur, looking soft and elegant, gentle even, laid down over his frame protectively, yet not thick enough so hide the ripples of corded muscle. But the color was… unnerving, so say the least. That particular shade of gray was specific to a animal that preyed on mankind for centuries, maybe even millennium. It was ingrained in human DNA to be wary of such a color and to avoid it at all cost, or else face the wrath of nature in its purest form.

But the most notable thing about Yugo's Zoanthropic state, was his scar. That “X" right between his eyes, carried over from his human form. It added greatly to the wolf's imposing visage, but more importantly, it was distinct to Yugo. There were many wolf Zoanthropes out there, but only one with that mark. It was iconic. Yugo's badge of victory over strife and past suffering. Shenlong always had a modicum of envy about Yugo in that regard. Yugo was a real survivor, and was respected for it. But as much he'd like to lay there and admire his adversary, Shenlong had more pressing matters to attend to.

“I guess we can't call this a draw?" Shenlong asked, though he got an answer when the wolf darted toward him, and a clawed canine foot collided with his face, knocking the tiger onto his back. Wolf-Yugo stood over his downed opponent victoriously, the azure tiger lying down in a daze. He knew Shenlong couldn't take much more, but being a firm believer in good sportsmanship, he couldn't bring himself to finish him off in such a state. Rather reluctantly, Yugo stepped back, allowing Shenlong to roll to onto his side, push himself up onto his knees, then finally stand on wobbly legs. Despite being on the losing end of the battle, Shenlong wore a dopey, oddly happy grin. He looked sort of… relieved?

Yugo brushed it off and grinned back, still able to expressing smugness even with his canine snout. That last kick must have taken a lot out of Shenlong, the big cat swaying like puppet on strings, held up only by pure determination as his head swiveling listlessly. All it took was a little more work and fight was over. Yugo breathed a huff of pride, then clapped a paw-hand over Shenlong's shoulder to hold him steady and unhurriedly reared a fist back for one more, likely final, strike upon his adversary. He was going to enjoy this…

Then Shenlong reached out and grabbed Yugo by his shoulders, his dazed facade suddenly vanishing. The blue tiger grinned furtively, as if to say, Gotcha! The wolf gasped in surprise and froze in place. The realization of his mistake set in horrifically fast. Shenlong had played possum, tricking the wolf into lowering his guard.

Grasping the clothing around Yugo's shoulders, Shenlong lurched forward and headbutted him directly on the snout. The wolf yelped in the piercingly loud way all canines did and staggered backwards. His eyes watered, blurring his vision as stinging pain radiated down his face as vertigo set in. He nursed his black, wet canine nose, whining. How could he have been so stupid!? Shenlong now had every opportunity to mop the floor with him now.

But to his surprise, no attack came. Confused, Yugo blinked his eyes clear, and saw Shenlong standing just a few feet away, loosening a wrist with a few shakes of his hand. He looked more annoyed than anything else, as if he wasn't really invested in the fight anymore. “All right," he stated in a fed-up sort of way. “It's time we stop messing around."

If Yugo still had the ability to do so in his current state, he would have paled. Messing around? He was holding back this whole time?!

For the first time, Yugo began to doubt whether or not it was a good idea to start this fight. Could he have underestimated Shenlong that much? The wolf narrowed his eyes spitefully at the tiger across from him. Shenlong held his hands up, open-palmed in surrender, then walked calmly over to where Yugo stood. The tiger didn't appear to be gearing up for anything, but due to that admittedly grand fake-out he just pulled on Yugo, he decided it was best to keep his guard up. Yugo held up a fist in warning with the free hand that wasn't cradling his stinging nose as Shenlong came to a stop less than a inch away from the wolf's outstretched hand. He was too close for Yugo's comfort, and for a split second, Yugo considered shoving him back, but for some reason he didn't. He wanted to see what the tiger had up his sleeve this time.

Shenlong let his hands drop down tiredly, paws swinging listlessly at his sides. “Look, Yugo," he said wearily. “Let's cut to the chase and quit this pointless squabbling."

“What're you—?!" Yugo started, voice deep like Shenlong's but more gravelly, but realizing he sounded nasally from holding his sore nose, quickly released it. “The hell you mean 'squabbling'? What do you think we've been doing all night, playing games?"

“Perhaps," Shenlong replied, his amused grin sharply becoming devious. “But I like to call it foreplay."

Confusion washed over Yugo's canine face, making him cant his head aside like a puppy. Huh? His befuddlement granted Shenlong a few precious seconds to do what he had in mind. It was all he needed.

The blue tiger swiftly side-stepped Yugo's extended arm, stepped forward, and reaching down with one of his paw-like hands, cupped Yugo's groin in his palm.

At first, the wolf had no immediate reaction as his mind short circuited. Only a millisecond later, when he felt another squeeze, did Yugo finally come to his senses and realized Shenlong was doing exactly what he thought he was. The results were just as one would expect. The wolf slapped the feline's paw away with an almost girlish squeal and leapt away from the groping hand as if it were on fire.

“What the FUCK!?" Yugo practically screamed.

Shenlong shot the frantic lupine a sly grin. “You're packing, my man."

Yugo's eyes were as wide as they could be. “I-I'm… what?" he faltered, aghast. “You just grabbed me down there!"

Shenlong rolled his eyes at such childish wording. “Yes, I did," he replied, his tone completely blase. “And you liked it."

Yugo blinked at Shenlong with his glowing yellow eyes, and then snarled fiercely. “I did not! What is wrong with you?!" Yugo barked, attempting to sound angry, but instead coming off more rattled than anything else. He just got felt up in the middle of a fight! And not just by any regular man— no, not a man— by a psychopathic Zoanthrope in beast form. A fucking tiger! It was such an insane thing to even comprehend, a thought that never would've crossed Yugo's mind in a million years!

“Can you guess how I know you liked it?" Shenlong spoke, breaking through Yugo's panic. The wolf's ears flattened back, too bewildered to respond, so the tiger decided to explain further. “It moved in my hand, Yugo."

Yugo swallowed the lump in his throat, the gravity of his words sinking in. He couldn't deny it. He did feel a twinge of pleasure when Shenlong touched him between his legs. Secretly, Yugo enjoyed fighting more than most others. It got him riled up in ways he couldn't even begin to describe, and since changing into his wolf half, Yugo had been rocking a hard-on like he hadn't had in a long time. But it wasn't from due to Shenlong himself, it was just a natural, unconscious reaction, his body acting on its own. Right? That's what must have happened. That is what happened. It had to be.

“I can smell your need Yugo. It's all over you like cologne. Tell me, when is the last time you got laid? Weeks? Months?" Shenlong teased.

The wolf-man grimaced, curling a lip to bare his fangs in distaste before turning his head and refusing to meet the Shenlong's crimson gaze. Three weeks and five days to be precise, Yugo lamented. Almost a whole month without sex.

The tiger guffawed, causing Yugo's canine ears to swivel back at the haughty sound. “No need to be ashamed. We've all been there, wolf-boy," Shenlong mockingly consoled him.

Yugo dared to leer at Shenlong, and found the feline smiling back at him like a shark, obviously proud of being correct. _Wolf-boy? You fucker… _

“So what?" Yugo snarled back. “It's not like you're… wait…" The wolf's nose itched, and it wasn't from the blood drying in his nostrils. Yugo remembered that canines had an impeccable sense of smell, many times more powerful than a human being. This entire time he didn't even realize… he was picking up something. Definitely Shenlong's scent, but richer. Tangy. Desiring… “You're getting off on this?" Yugo gawped.

Shenlong's chuckled. “Maybe I am. You're really a looker in this state."

Yugo startled. “Are you crazy?! We could never fool around as— Wait, what am I saying?! Why am I even indulging you? Just because I reacted when you… did that me, doesn't mean I'm interested in you. Definitely not as a tiger! Zoanthropes can't do stuff like that in beast mode, it's too dangerous!"

Shenlong huffed, a little offended. “I consider myself quite dashing in this form, thank you very much. And for your information, Zoanthropes can have sex in beast mode. Me and Long have done it plenty of times."

Yugo's expression went blank. “…What'd you just say?"

Shenlong tilted his head. “You telling me you didn't know?"

“You… and Long…"

“Yes yes, keep going, you almost got it."

“…that's why you're here… so you both…" Realization struck Yugo like a sledgehammer to the face. “You're a couple."

Shenlong looked a bit miffed, cat-ears folded back defensively. “We're not a couple, we just fuck around sometimes. Well, more often than just sometimes to be honest, but do you see why I told you to mind your own business now?

“Oh my god…" Yugo groaned so loudly it almost sounded like a wail and he awkwardly hid his face, eyes covered but his muzzle still sticking out. “I am so stupid."

“Well, you're right about that," Shenlong grumbled and glanced down at his jeans, sighing at their ruined state. “I gotta stop doing this…"

“Wait!" Yugo blurted, dropping his hands so quickly it startled the distracted tiger, neon eyes wide in intrigue. “If you and Long are dating, why are you putting the moves on me?"

“I told you, we're not dating. We're free to sleep with whoever we want. And you, Yugo-the-moron-wolf, are pretty hot regardless of how dense you can be."

“Oh… thank you, I guess?" Yugo rubbed the back of his head bashfully, then looked down at his feet. “I'm sorry…"

“As you should be," Shenlong huffed. “I don't get why you're so pent up, anyways. I thought that Alice girl would've taken better care of you."

Yugo snapped to attention. “Shut up," he growled. The tiger was walking on thin ice bringing her up again, but as per usual, he kept right on talking.

“I mean, he is a rabbit Zoanthrope right? You know what they say about those critters. Legendary sex drive," Shenlong said with a bawdy wink, making the wolf sneer.

“Stop…" Yugo warned.

“So it is true," Shenlong smiled broadly, flashing his fangs and teeth. “C'mon, gimme some of the details."

“I said SHUT UP!" Yugo bellowed, stomping his foot to accent his threat, anger quickly boiling over.

Shenlong shrugged indifferently. “Eh, you can tell me later. But are you two exclusive? If not, I bet she'd love me."

That was it. Yugo was going to kill him. With a howl of fury, the wolf charged at Shenlong, swinging a arcing punch at the offending tiger. Shenlong dodged it with a sidestep and a pleased grin sliced into his feline mug. Then Yugo swung again at him, and again— three, four, even five more times, all of which Shenlong avoided with ease. The wolf snarled in frustration, his vision clouding over with a red blur and teeth clenching so tightly that his jaw ached. Each wild punch he threw missed by a mile, and the tiger danced around him with lighthearted nimbleness.

Somehow during the lupine's kamikaze attack, Shenlong had managed to slip behind Yugo and hooked a single claw into one of back belt loops of his jeans. With a hard yank to the side, he spun the wolf into an awkward spiral. Yugo stumbled, a cry of surprise slipping past his wolfish muzzle as he fought to regain his balance.

Then a blue-furred hand slapped Yugo on the backside. Yugo yelped, thrown even more off-kilter by the playful tap until he tripped over his own feet and fell face-first into the matted floor below. Frantically Yugo jumped to his feet, spinning around and yellow eyes feverishly darting about, searching for anything that even remotely resembled an indigo tiger. At this point, his anger had been completely replaced by undiluted panic, a rapid adrenaline crash dropping hard upon his fatigued, suddenly rickety body. His muscles burned with exhaustion, pointed ears glowing red-hot as his pulse pounded in his head. Having regained at least a fraction of some stability, the huffing and puffing wolf-man managed to calm down and control his breathing, but that was a tall order.

Out of nowhere, a silky finger trailed over the rim of a canine ear from behind. Yugo jumped, barely choking out a yowl as he swiped a backhand at where Shenlong should have been standing behind him, but met nothing but air. “Fuck!" Yugo shouted. Summarily, he found Shenlong standing just far enough away to avoid the strike. This was becoming too much! If had been a window in the room, Yugo would've considered taking a swan dive to the streets below, anything to escape from Shenlong. The wolf snarled in aggravation.

“Knock it off, man, I'm serious!" Yugo demanded, a clawed finger jabbed in the direction of the culprit a few feet away. The tiger, unfazed, waggled his spread fingers, claws extended, and Yugo noticed the smile on that felines muzzle differed slightly from his usual smugness. One of those “I know something you don't know", smart-assed grins he wore like a glove. It instantly made Yugo blood chill. Shenlong had done something, more than what he had already done so far. What though, Yugo had no idea, and that unknown factor sent a spike of anxiety through his chest like a nail through a two-by-four.

_Clunk! _

Thip-tap-tap-tap…

Yugo's sensitive canine ears perked up. That unfamiliar sound came from the ground at his feet. Yugo glanced down impulsively, and spotted two objects laying between his gray canine paws. One, a small rectangular black thing outlined with a shiny metal, and next to that, another smaller round thing about the size of a nickel. He did not immediately recognize them at first, but when he focused a bit more closely, his jaw creaked open and the smallest squeak of a gasp came out. There at his feet rested the buckle of his belt. It had been cut off, the leather strap at either end sliced neatly in two with the hook still locked into place through the punched hole. Beside it laid the button to the top of his jeans, also cleanly severed.

Yugo stared down at them with wide, golden eyes for what felt like an eternity squeezed into a few brief seconds. Then he felt his jeans beginning to sag down his hips due to the lack of tension, and reality slapped him in the face. He made a bizarre, awkward cry and his hands immediately grasped the hem of his jeans to halt their descent. Thankfully, there wasn't much need to do so, as the expanded muscle of his thighs were taut against the denim and managed to prevent the pants from falling much further. Yet, to Yugo's dismay, the band of his red boxers peeked over the top of the jeans for the world to see.

Yugo quickly looked at Shenlong, who displayed his index and ring finger and scissored them together tauntingly. Then he brought the same two fingers up to the front of his muzzle and lashed his tongue between them, mimicking the legs of a person. Yugo couldn't look more mortified. Shenlong cackled at the wolf's reaction as a a bushy lupine-gray tail curled uncharacteristically between his legs.

“You perverted freak!" Yugo blurted out.

“I know. Isn't this fun?" Shenlong joked back, immensely satisfied. Then the tiger's expression shifted to a determined, almost thirsting look. Shenlong walked towards Yugo in a leisurely gait, never taking his eyes of the wolf before him. Yugo wanted to bolt from the room the second saw his fellow beast-man face, but his legs wouldn't listen to his mind's frantic commands. The wolf let go of his jeans with one hand and raised it defensively, then began uncontrollably backing away from the ever advancing Shenlong.

“Stay back, Shenlong," Yugo warned, though his voice quivered with dread. The threat didn't slow Shenlong's stride, the tiger still approaching steadily and Yugo still slinking away while holding together the gap in the front of his pants. Then his back met a solid wall behind him, and primal fear raced through him like a cornered animal. He had to move—fast— but he couldn't, the tiger's ruby glare holding him in place, leaving him unable to do more than watch in captivated trepidation as Shenlong encroached upon him. “Don't—"

Shenlong rushed forward and suddenly closed the gap between them, slamming his palms into the wall on either side of the wolf's head. Yugo flinched, shrinking back, ears folding and snout tilting downward. Shenlong chuckled in delight, his blunt striped muzzle mere centimeters away from Yugo's sleeker, canine version. The tiger's hot breath, heavy and humid, wafted over the wolf's black nose, chilling the damp appendage. Shenlong inhaled the clean, earthy scent of the lupine, and rumbled vigorously, broad chest vibrating. All the while, Yugo couldn't take his eyes of Shenlong's. He'd never seen such a hypnotic shade of red…

“S-Shenlong—" the wolf eked out.

“Call me Shen," Shenlong murmured, or to be more precise, purred into Yugo's ear.

“…Shen" Yugo acknowledged. “I-I told you, I'm not interested."

“Is that so?" Shenlong let his hands slide down the wall on either side of the wolf until they found Yugo's shoulders, his large cat-like mitts covering them completely. His fingers arbitrarily slid down, brushing along the Yugo's exposed upper arms, claw-tipped azure digits combing through the thick fur. To Yugo, it seemed Shenlong was sampling the texture of his pelt, and judging by the pleased smile grin plastered all over the tiger's feline muzzle, he certainly enjoyed the softness he felt. It was little comfort to Yugo, his biceps tensing greatly upon contact. Then Shenlong's smiled widened, displaying all of his pearly fangs, and growled in approval. “I don't believe you," he rumbled furtively, inhaling deeply to indulge in another whiff of Yugo's unique smell, peppered with fear.

Yugo lost his nerve. With a quick thrust of his hand, Yugo grabbed one of Shenlong's wrists and twisted it to the side, quickly swooping behind the tiger and locking it behind his back. With a shove he slammed the tiger chest-first into the wall in front of them. Shenlong went without a struggle, almost seeming to willingly go along the movement. His trademark over-confident smirk never lagged during the swift turn-around. He grunted in pleasure as Yugo pressed his body against Shenlong's back, his weight pinning the tiger against the wall firmly.

“Enough!" Yugo shouted. But in the process, he inadvertently leaned his head too far over Shenlong's shoulder. In return, Shenlong gave the side of Yugo's muzzle a long, wet lick. The wolf instantly let go of the tiger and began frantically wiping off the saliva left by Shenlong's rough tongue.

Shenlong spun around, grabbed Yugo by the throat and swung the wolf around just like Yugo had done to him, slamming him hard into a mounted mirrored beside them this time, the polished glass rattling loudly in its frame. The wolf's yellow eyes went wide in shock as Shenlong lifted him off the ground effortlessly, the canine's clawed toes just barely touching the matted floor below. Yet, despite the desperate state he got himself into, Yugo still looked defiant, refusing to allow Shenlong see the intense fear coursing through him. Doggedly, Yugo met Shenlong's stern gaze with a rebellious glare. Like two glowing full moons, valiant and bold, Yugo said with that mere look “Do you worst."

Shenlong expression softened, and the smugness left his grin. Then to Yugo's surprise, he slackened his grip around the wolf's throat and lowered the wolf-man until his feet were firmly planted onto the matted floor. Shenlong released Yugo and gave his shoulder a simple parting pat, and then took a few steps back with placid hum, like he appreciated what had just happened. Yugo didn't understand, his face clearly displaying his confusion as he rubbed his neck. Shenlong could have beaten him senseless by now, but instead chose mercy. Shenlong had never shown mercy before… For some strange reason Yugo felt at ease in the presence of the feline now, like something inexplicable had changed in the air.

“Why…? You had me dead to rights. You could've killed me if you wanted," Yugo asked in astonishment.

Shenlong gave him a stoic glance, and then humbly half-smiled. “I admire wolves, Yugo," Shenlong replied sincerely. “I always have. No matter how harsh the conditions, they remain noble and steadfast. Loyal to those they care about, fighting to the very end and never back down. Just like you. You really are a true wolf, Yugo."

The tiger had an almost envious undertone to his voice, and he raised a clawed hand to brush a thumb over the gray lupine's cheek-fur delicately, yet lavishly so. Yugo didn't know how to respond, simply letting Shenlong do as he wanted. Could this be another trick? Possibly… but internally, Yugo felt no malice in his words or his touch. Shenlong always had a brash, ignorant demeanor about him. It was part of who he was, always had been since Yugo first met him. But the way he spoke just then sounded sincere. And the way he was acting, touching his face… This wasn't the Shenlong Yugo remembered anymore. Was this what Gado meant by saying Shenlong had changed…?

Yugo was at a loss of words. He felt so bewildered in this foreign territory he had run head-long into. Shenlong smiled, amused by Yugo's speechless expression. “You're never afraid, Yugo. All that fear before? That wasn't like you. What you felt wasn't what you think it was."

Yugo canted his head again in that puzzled puppy manner, so Shenlong continued. “I think what you were worried about was losing control and letting loose the beast. But you see, that's what I want, Yugo." His hand drifted down Yugo's cheek to the front of Yugo's destroyed shirt, feeling the tears in the cotton cloth he had put there. Then, the tiger moved his muzzle forward to the side of the wolf's head, and this time, Yugo didn't flinch, air merely catching in his throat as Shenlong's words flowed into his ear.

“I want you to unleash yourself upon me. A little harmless fun, just between us guys," Shenlong's seductive whisper sent a chill down Yugo's spine, warm, soothing breath breezing into his canine ear. “No one will ever know..."

Then Shenlong stepped back suddenly, arms outstretched. “But," he said benevolently with a curt bow. “I'll respect whatever choice you make."

Yugo breathed in deeply now that his personal space had been given back. It was official, Shenlong was a different man now, and or the better this time. Maybe a little more romantic than he expected, but still… what should he say after being put on the spot like this? He could simply decline and be done with it, yet… he couldn't just rule out Shenlong's offer so readily. And it wasn't like he hadn't done stuff with dudes before.

A few times, after training or a particularly good match, things would get… heated in the boxing center's shower room. Turns out some guys enjoyed on taking the hits as much as Yugo enjoyed delivering them. Plus, Yugo was kind of seen as a bad boy in the ring, and that got him plenty of attention. He had run the whole gambit of sexual escapades due to that role, outside of being the submissive one of a pair, or group as it sometimes turned out. But that had been some time ago now, and since then he hadn't fooled around with anyone outside of Alice.

Alice… Yugo shouldn't even be considering such things due to their relationship, but thinking back, they never really discussed if sex outside the two of them was ever an option. There was no reason to, honestly. Yugo had never been so completely satisfied in a person before her, never wanting to seek extra company to spice things up. Same thing for her, she told him. Yet, since she went out of town, during one of their many phone calls, Yugo could have sworn Alice might have hinted once or twice that she was okay with him finding some relief in her absence. Maybe it was all in his head, but she did allude to Yugo that he should do what he had to do to “keep himself happy," and that she knew he was “was having a hard time sleeping alone at night." But Alice didn't meant it that way… did she?

No one will ever know.

Shenlong's words kept echoing in his head, sounding more and more appealing as the words burrowed deeper into his mind. From the moment Shenlong told him about what he and Long had been up to, Yugo couldn't stop wondering what it must've been like for them that first night, what Long had felt under the indigo tiger's hands. Now Shenlong was giving him a chance to see for himself, a once in a lifetime offer. Even the concept of sex in beast form wasn't bothering him anymore, suddenly becoming this new exciting territory for him to explore. The temptation was becoming overwhelming. He yearned so much to touch and to be touched, to quell that growing ache he had been carrying for days and days. It was maddening. Yugo had to experience it. He had to do this.

“It will stay between us…?" Yugo asked softly, and the tiger-man nodded with a toothy, possibly expectant smile.

“Of course," he purr-rumbled. “So, what do you say?"

Yugo took a deep breath, then locked his brilliant amber eyes with Shenlong's crimson opposites, the blue feline's gaze filled with desire and anticipation. And with that, his mind was made. It was the time to show Shenlong what this wolf was made of.

“If we do this, we do it my way," Yugo said, the steel of his voice reflected in his sober expression.

Shenlong clapped his hands together in celebration, looking more pleased than Yugo had ever seen him before. “That's the Yugo I want to see!" he proudly bellowed, and then with a rather eager leer, swiftly closed the gap between them. He slid his large paws behind Yugo's back and pressed against the emboldened wolf, who in turn rested his clawed hands upon the tiger's jean-covered hips. Yugo felt the unfamiliar yet warm sensation of fur meshing against his own. God, he could feel Shenlong's heart thundering within that broad, handsome chest… Yugo was glad Shenlong made the first move, mostly because he wasn't sure how to make an approach. At least that's what he told himself. It wasn't like he was worried or anything…

Shenlong rumbled a bit of laughter. “Still nervous?" he asked knowingly, and Yugo glanced away, red-hot ears plastered back. “Don't be. It's just a fling, after all. Just do to me as you would to your kindly little Alice and you'll be just fine."

Yugo glowered. “Don't bring her up," he ordered, and Shenlong's grin became adoring.

“Aww. So easy to antagonize, so full of vigor," Shenlong's muzzle moved to Yugo's, just shy of touching. “Such easy prey…"

Yugo sneered defiantly, baring a single fang. I'll show you easy prey.

The wolf lowered his hands from the tiger's hips, wrapped them over the his demin-clad rear and pulled the fellow beast-man's crotch to his own. Shenlong let out a surprised sound and instinctively pressed his pelvis forward into the wolf's groin, their concealed goods now flush to one another, red denim against black denim. The feline's paws gripped Yugo's waist, holding tight as his rounded cat-ears flattened back in unusual coyness.

“Who's nervous now?" Yugo riposted. Shenlong shot back an impressed half-grin, ears quickly unfolding and flicking as if to say touche. Then the tiger glanced down to their flush torsos and leaned back a bit to give himself some room. His azure paws drifted from Yugo's midriff to the wolf's exposed front, claw-less fingers slipping past the torn opening of the shirt and touching his gray-furred chest. Yugo held back a gasp as the hands splayed over the rock hard slabs of his pectorals, blue and black-striped digits gradually furrowing through the velveteen fur. With an approving exhale, Shenlong kneaded the strong muscles, sensing the power teeming within them.

“Very nice," Shenlong purred. A thumb bumped over a hidden nub on Yugo's chest, and the wolf couldn't contain a flinch escaping him, a little twinge of pleasure jolting through him. Shenlong clearly noticed it, his fanged grin somehow becoming more haughty than ever, but seemed content to move on. Claws extended, he ran his fingers down the lupine's firm belly, nails acting like tines on a comb, leisurely tippling over stacked abdominals. They moved lower towards the navel before swerving apart to the wolf's sides, raking into the thicker, more coarse pelt there until touching the elastic waistband of Yugo's exposed boxers before resolving to rest on his counterpart's hips.

Yugo gave up trying to remain stoic and shuddered, his mind no longer clouded by trepidation. It felt like electric fire had traveled from the tiger's fingertips into his fur, spreading out through his skin and zapping him with strange pangs of pleasure he never felt before as the warm tingly sensation ebbed in his blood.

“Whoa…" Yugo murmured.

“You liked that, huh?" Shenlong asked, clearly amused.

“I-It's so… is it because I'm in wolf form now that it feels this good?"

“Oh yes. It's all those new hair follicles. They…" Shenlong raised a hand to run a finger over Yugo's brow, and the young wolf's eyes lidded pleasantly. “Increase the senses."

“I… see that now," Yugo said, jaws creaking open to let a little more air in.

“It only gets better from there," Shenlong rumbled, his voice oozing with desire. Then boldly, the tiger's hands slid from Yugo's hips to his ass, giving the firm globes a solid squeeze through the jeans. Yugo didn't shy away, but instead let himself to be tugged forward, his package pressing harder into Shenlong's. The heat radiating from the hidden curvature of the tiger's rigid maleness was sweltering, their bulges fitting neatly alongside one another. Shenlong growled deeply in approval, greedily kneading his paws into the wolf's ass, but Yugo's grimaced despite how amazing it felt.

“I can't believe I'm doing this," Yugo admitted, nose pointed down, and Shenlong chortled.

“I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner with an ass like this. Mighty fine." Shenlong said, giving the taut glutes another complimentary squeeze. Yugo grit his teeth, heart thumping and pointed inner ears flushing scarlet. A spike of inward panic rushed over him, and he was overcome with the need to to say something, anything, to take his mind off how fast things were going. So, stupidly, he blurted out the first thing that popped into his head.

“What about you and Long?" Yugo asked, then immediately cringed at his own question. Smooth, dumbass, real smooth…

Shenlong rumbled absentmindedly, clearly not wanting to be pulled away from exploring new-found territory, but conceded none the less.

“Well…" he said, bringing a hand up to stroke his chin, eyes up in mock thought. “Me and Long, we get along pretty well. We keep each other busy. But Long happens to be… a bit romantic at times. He enjoys roses and wine and candle-lit dinners, with a lovely roll between the sheets for dessert. Which I'm always down for, but…" He relinquished a paw from Yugo's rear and brought it before Yugo's face, then with purposeful slowness, ran an index claw along the side of the wolf's cheek to the front of his muzzle until the claw-tip tipped over the bottom lip. “Every so often, I need pizza and beer. You know what I'm saying?"

“Uh…" Yugo didn't want to say he didn't, but… well, he didn't. Shenlong, likely figuring as much, filled him in.

“In other words, Long and I, we have sex. But sometimes, I need to get fucked." Shenlong rumbled so loudly on that last word, Yugo could literally see the tiger-man's throat quiver, and he gave the wolf a look that was absolutely deviant. “I need a man like that sometimes, one that will throw me down, rip my clothes off and fuck my brains out until I black out." The sapphire tiger paused to ogled Yugo up and down with a predatory gaze, crimson eyes glazed over with wild fervor. “Someone like you, Yugo. When we first went head to head at ZLF, it was a true battle. No bullshit, no bells and whistles, just bare-knuckle fighting until one of us dropped. I put two and two together. If you fuck like you fight, you're perfect for what I need."

Now, Yugo got it. “You're telling me all you want is rough sex?"

“Yep, pretty much. I don't want you to go shoe shopping with me, I want you to ruin me. I need you to scratch that itch, Yugo. So please… don't make me beg."

Yugo was actually pretty flattered. Granted, all Shenlong wanted from him was sex, but that's all Yugo wanted as well. Here, his one-time enemy, the biggest of the bad, almost grovelling to have him bang him to hell and back. Honestly, it was one of the hottest goddamn things he'd ever seen. No way he was letting this moment slip through his fingers.

“You know I still hate you," Yugo stated with a half-grin.

“Good. Use that anger later. Now shut up and let's break some fucking ice."

And with that, Shenlong leaned forward and kissed Yugo upon his sleek muzzle, the wolf's golden, moon-struck eyes flying open. It happened fast and was surprisingly gentle, but no less stunning. The tiger's lips were so warm and soft… Yugo gasped in surprise, a taste of the large tiger wafting over the canine's maw. Shenlong seized his chance. The tiger pried the wolf's muzzle apart with his jaws, turned his head, and sealed his mouth over Yugo's, the feline's flat, bristly tongue flooding inside.

Yugo didn't hesitate to return the favor, his hands cradling the tiger's striped neck as his lengthier, smoother tongue met the tiger's. Shenlong moaned loudly into the kiss, thrilled by Yugo's eagerness, and his paws curled around Yugo's head to pull him close, crimson eyes closing blissfully.

At first, it was a little awkward for Yugo, their bestial muzzles interlocking with their odd shapes and different yet unique structures, but he remained undeterred. Shenlong wanted this as bad as he did, and Yugo was never one to disappoint, especially when it came to romantic endeavors. The wolf broke the kiss suddenly and licked his lips, then turned his head and approached at a new angle, this time possessively clamping his muzzle wholly over Shenlong's shorter extension. His tongue flowed forth and into the smaller cavern, feasting ravenously

The tiger allowed his mouth be taken, and soon their lips and jaws moved as a synchronized organism, wet smacks freely emitting from their conjoined muzzles. Yugo pressed ahead and Shenlong leaned back in kind, powerful striped paws shifting from Yugo head to embrace the wolf's shoulders, claws popping free and snagging into the remains of his shirt. The tiger was suddenly struggling to keep pace with Yugo, the wolf's probing tongue filling up Shenlong's mouth to taste everything within while his own fought valiantly against the rampaging muscle for supremacy.

As the rough feline tongue dueled with his own, a familiar switch within Yugo's mind flipped on, and he drifted into a warm and cozy state. He was awestruck at how natural this felt in their beast forms. He even enjoyed the rough texture of the feline's tongue, finding it oddly soothing as his own softer version washed over it. He moaned back into the tunnel of the feline's maw, sliding his tongue in deeper, lapping and dancing over fang and tooth alike. As if on their own accord, the wolf's clawed hands slunk away from Shenlong's head and dropped low to the tiger's backside, and just like Shenlong did to him, groped the plump glutes with newfound greed.

Shenlong surged from the touch, then separated himself from the kiss with a lusty growl. “That's what I'm talking about," he uttered, then leaned in once again. Yugo did the same, but this time, right as their lips were about to meet, the wolf's muzzle dipped low, sneaking under Shenlong's chin. Yugo's jaws parted and his tongue darted out, brushing a long, sweet line over the tiger's Adam's apple and jugular. Shenlong head tilted back in glee, letting the wolf-man lave over his throat. The wolf lingered for only a moment, then withdrew from the tiger's neck to face his paramour.

Yugo's look was feral. Hungry. His pupils had shrunk into tiny black dots and yellow irises shined with neon brilliance. The canine licked his chops and growled enthusiastically, breathing deep and solidly, chest puffing out with each intake. Shenlong's giddy face reflected how he felt about the change in him

“You feeling good now?" the tiger asked mirthfully.

“Fuck, yes," Yugo replied with strikingly different tone.

“Well, then." Shenlong announced, placing an index finger square in the center of Yugo's chest. “Let's get you warmed up."

With a firm push of said finger, Yugo went back into the wall behind him. He went along with it voluntarily, his impish smirk matching Shenlong's and watching like a hawk as the tiger closed the gap between them until their damp noses were only an inch away. He released a lusty growl, the abysmal red of the his eyes literally glimmering with passion. Then, after giving a cursory glance downward, he cupped the straining bulge between the wolf's legs with his padded palm, giving it a long, drawn out squeeze. Yugo exhaled sharply, his imprisoned cock pulsing in the tiger's hand so greatly the zipper of his jeans began to undo itself with a few teeth popping open at the top.

“Eager puppy, I see," Shenlong teased, feeling the weight in his hand stir.

“If I'm a puppy, then you're a kitten, Shen," Yugo retorted.

“Oh man, this is going to be fun," Shenlong chortled. Then without another word, he dropped to his knees in front of Yugo, his mitt never leaving the wolf's crotch. He lifted his head to see Yugo's luminous gold eyes aimed down at him rapt in attention, his excited expression mirroring the tiger's. Shenlong licked his lips lewd for him before focusing on his target. His other hand joined the first, fingers tracing along the contours of Yugo's erection hidden behind the fabric, then sneaked between Yugo's legs to slide up the inside of his thighs to the junction between the legs. The majestic azure beast proceeded to massage the area where the wolf's balls were certainly trapped, placing a stroke or two to the sensitive taint behind them.

Yugo bit his lip briefly before his mouth simply fell ajar. Shenlong knew just how and where to touch, quickly making the wolf's jeans a cramped place to be. Soon, things could start to get a little more than uncomfortable if the situation wasn't remedied, fast.

Luckily for Yugo, Shenlong had the very thing in mind. Moving his muzzle close to the wolf's straining crotch, Shenlong parted the zipper flap with a couple well-placed claw tips, then with the zipper in clear view, hooked the pull tab with his teeth and slowly dragged it down. The ratcheting sound of the zipper's undoing grew louder as the denim flaps peeled away, revealing the red boxers bit by bit until it was all the way down. Yugo's erection tented forth against the fabric, almost tapping Shenlong on the nose as it sprung out. The gray wolf sighed in relief, finally freed, but down below, Shenlong's crimson eyes couldn't be any wider.

“Damn, Yugo, this thing should be registered as a lethal weapon," Shenlong praised, voice coarse with veneration. Then with unprecedented urgency, Shenlong grasped the rim of Yugo's jeans from either side and tugged at them until he they loosened. Once he could fit two fingers into the edges of the waistband of the underwear, he immediately began shimmying both of the bothersome apparels down until they piled around Yugo's impressive clawed feet.

Yugo's cock bounced forth, bobbing up and down like a diving board after a swan dive.

“Wow," Yugo said softly, gawking down at… well, himself. This was the first time he'd ever been naked in wolf form, and the epiphany of never considering how he might look dawned on him. From what he could tell, there were some changes but most of him looked the same, so it wasn't completely foreign to him, but it still felt very new. He was bigger now, thicker and longer, which was pretty great. Surprisingly, he wasn't even fully hard yet, and if he had to guess, so far he was a good eight inches and perhaps an inch and a quarter thick. The shaft looked normal, and the tip at the end kept it's shape, but was now more… pointy? That was a little odd, but he kind of expected some weirdness. It made sense that if his body went through such a drastic change such as transforming into a half-man half-wolf killing machine, not everything below deck was going remain exactly human. Actually, he liked how it looked, like it could slide down a throat or hole with ease, a cock that was designed to fuck.

The rest of him had changed notably as well. The pubic hair above the base of his cock was still existent too, but it turned into this white tuft of fur from the usual black wiry hair, and looked much softer and lush as well. Not a bad touch. And lastly were the balls, which are covered in a fine sheen of white fur, not much unlike the white fur along his belly but not as thick. That would've been handy for the cold weather lately. Too bad he couldn't change specific parts of himself instead of having to choose between states.

But the most drastic change of all was at the base of his shaft. There was this…swelling, maybe the size of a tennis ball. There was no pain in that area, so it wasn't an injury. He wasn't quite sure what it was…

“Is it… supposed to look like that?" he asked Shenlong, who continued to stare at the cock before him for several more captivated moments before finally, and rather slowly, looking up, his eyes shiny as crystals.

“Huh…?" he replied, clearly in another universe.

“Uh, my thing… It looks different."

“Wait, what?" Shenlong asked in befuddlement, shaking the haziness out of his mind, “You've never seen your cock while in while in beast form before?" he asked incredulously.

“No?"

Shenlong let out a snort of laughter, shaking his head. “Yugo," he deadpanned. “Every Zoanthrope, and I do mean every Zoanthrope, has checked themselves out at some point. Or at the very least thought about it."

“Well, I admit I might've wondered in passing, but I didn't expect myself to change like… this."

Shenlong scoffed, but opted to smile at the wolf. “Everyone's is unique. Even mine. Trust me, you got a nice one here," he complimented. The tiger trailed a unclawed finger along the underside of his length from head to bulb, then without further ado wrapped a hand firmly around the shaft and gave the hardening wolf-flesh a hearty stroke. “Kinda like opening a Christmas gift: a surprise in every package."

Yugo shivered at the touch. Shenlong's paw-like hand was so soft with its cushioned pads and satiny fur, yet underneath it all, Yugo could sense its potential strength, a small aspect of danger that made the whole act even spicier. Shenlong rumbled in approval, pumping the pulse-throbbing appendage a few more times in appraisal before letting go, eying the endowment before him. He shot Yugo a sly glance and grin, then craned his head forward. His ebony lips skimmed across the head of Yugo's cock ever so briefly, stealing breathless sound from the wolf above, before they parted and the tip slid smoothly into his jaws.

Yugo felt himself drift across Shenlong's warm tongue, the sapphire tiger taking him in little by little until his shaft disappeared from sight and the entire length filled his mouth, those saliva-slick lips tenderly kissing the knot of flesh at the base. With a gulp, Shenlong swallowed Yugo's cock down into his throat, taking any remaining air in his maw with it and sealing his muzzle around his maleness, enveloping it in a hot, steamy chamber of tightness. Yugo just about fainted at the touch. Shenlong was right about increased sensations in beast mode, and it certainly seemed to apply to his dick too. It felt ten times more intense than anything he had ever experienced before. His mind was melting already…

“Oh god…" Yugo breathed quietly, sinking into the wall behind him. Shenlong chuckled around the cock deep in his throat, sending tickling vibrations down the flesh. Then, as if to make Yugo suffer, Shenlong leaned back to let the cock slide out of his muzzle until just the tip of the head remained between his lips, then in an agonizingly slow return, slurped the thing back in. Yugo shuddered and spread his thighs wider, jutting his hips out. Shenlong, seeing that as being given the green light, set to work, slathering his bristled tongue about the thick, pulsing lance as if it were the most delicious candy ever. The skilled muscle mapped out every vein and tender spot, brushing along the reddened, searing skin with its rough-yet-supple texture, painting it with a generous coating of saliva while taking in its uniquely wild favor, making the wolf squirm with each lashing.

Yugo was enraptured by the display down below, hypnotized by the tiger's blue striped head moving back and forth over his raging hard on, leaving a fresh wet sheen of spit on his engorged flesh in his wake. The wolf quickly became breathless, heart racing faster than he could handle and his pulse pounding in his hot, pointed ears, claws digging into the drywall behind him. He mentally cursed himself. They had just gotten started and he was already buckling under the attention. He really had been too pent up. Either that or Shenlong had enough practice applying that expert tongue of his to know just how to bring a man to his knees. No wonder Long kept him around. For once, Yugo was envious of the monk, and he smirked through his grimace. Finally, Shenlong had a skill he could brag about that wasn't ego-inflated bullshit. And just as that thought occurred to Yugo, Shenlong cupped the wolf's balls in his palm and rolled the twin orbs around, tugging on them with precision.

Yugo snarled and thumped his head against the wall behind him, eyes screwed shut, lips raised to bare gleaming teeth in a fearsome display. He began to overheat, his sliced shirt becoming more and more of a nuisance to him as his chest heaved, breaths rushing through clenched fangs in sharp hisses. Then a moan slipped out, and after that dam was breached, he couldn't stop the rest from pouring out.

Shenlong, incited by the sounds the wolf was making, picked up the pace. Pursing his lips as best as he could with a feline muzzle, his mouth descended upon the stiff cock he worshiped, sharp incisors neatly mirrored on either side of the impressive length. He kissed the ball of flesh at the base over and over, but whenever the tiger tried to press the knot into his mouth, it simply would not slip inside. Shenlong huffed an irritated breath through his nose, blowing hot steam over Yugo's pubic fur, and he scooted his knees closer to the wolf's broad feet, paws wrapping around his calves. He pushed his muzzle down hard on the knot, grunting, and Yugo could see determination wrinkling the tiger's brow. Shenlong's intentions were clear: he wanted all of that dick, and he was going to get it no matter what.

The tiger retreated off Yugo's cock until just the tip remained nestled between his blunt front teeth and took a deep breath through his mouth. Then opening his jaws a wide, preparing himself, Shenlong moved forward in one slow, unyielding drop, and he deep-throated the entire length, the bulge of flesh barely fitting in his mouth. With the glans and shaft wedged snuggly in his throat, Shenlong closed his jaws gradually, fangs fitting neatly behind the knot and sealing the lump inside.

Then the tiger swallowed, and Yugo's shrill, almost dog-like whine penetrated the air. Shenlong cradled the underside of the pulsing rod with his tongue, nursing on it within the confines of his maw, before opening back up and unsheathing the shaft from his throat. He sat back on his haunches, and Yugo's cock slid free until the head sat cozily upon his barbed tongue in the center of the azure tiger's gaping maw. Shenlong panted heavily, humid breath washing over the spit-shined flesh, red eyes half-lidded in a daze. Then, jaws held agape, he rolled his tongue back in an undulating wave, carrying the maleness with it to the back of his throat and gulped it down once again, feeding in the bulb at the base until it rested comfortably inside the enclosure of his maw. He kept his mouth wide and began to bob his head on Yugo's cock, the whole thing, knot and all, entering and exiting his mouth with ease, cock-bulge smacking onto his tongue like a baseball in a catcher's mitt. Wet, salacious sounds filled the room, moist clicks of cock entering gullet and flesh-muffled moans music to the wolf's tingling ears. A trickle of saliva ran down Shenlong's white-furred chin, only to be smeared onto the wolf's balls when he buried his nose in the white thatch of hair above his dick.

Oh fuck! Oh fuck-oh fuck-oh fuck!

Yugo couldn't stand it anymore, he couldn't stop himself. His gray-furred hands landed atop the tiger's broad, striped head, fingers curling into the blue and black fur tightly. There was a surprised muffle from down below, then Yugo harshly yanked Shenlong's head into his groin, forcing his dick completely into his throat. The gullet spasmed around his cock, and the wolf snarled like a beast, rocking his hips against the tiger's muzzle, knot on the verge of joining the rest of the shaft inside the tight esophagus. Shenlong's hand grappled with Yugo's thighs, pawing at them, claws sinking in but doing next to nothing to slow the lupine's thrusts, his ruby eyes wide in shock.

Yugo harshly tugged Shenlong's head off his cock, then rammed his skull back into his crotch, burying his shaft in the tiger's muzzle again. And again, and again, and again, until his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Squelching, gargling sounds bubbled up from the feline's mouth, and his hands fell away from the wolf's legs, swaying uselessly from his slack shoulders, head thrashed back and forth like a rag doll in the wolf's grasp. Yugo continued to hump forward at a fever pitch, overloaded with maddening lust, mind screaming at him to drive deeper, to claim this bitch as his own, a mere sliver away from turning into a unchained creature. He was so close…

But when he heard Shenlong release a loud, desperate gag, it snapped him back to his senses, and he hurriedly shoved the beast-man off him, yanking his raging maleness free of the tiger's vice-like throat.

Shenlong fell onto his backside, coughing hoarsely. Yugo felt lightheaded as blood returned to his brain, but once the dizziness passed, anger replaced it. He let himself lose control. How stupid could he be, letting his wild side out like that? He was incredibly lucky the cat's teeth didn't nick something vital on the way out, but besides that, he nearly choked Shenlong to death with his dick. He could have killed him. Anger went to shame, then to worry as he saw Shenlong gasping and hacking, rolling about on the matted floor. He was about to go to the beast-man's side to check on him… but then he noticed it. Between the tiger's open legs, the outline of Shenlong's trapped erection was more noticeable than ever before, straining so hard against its denim prison it looked like it was about to rip through. And when Yugo peered closer at Shenlong's feline face, he saw nothing but pure ecstasy upon it, smile broad as can be and foamy saliva dripping from his lips, crimson eyes watery but laden with joy. He enjoyed that. He wanted Yugo to use him like a fuck toy, to sate his feral desires like an animal. It was so obscene, so… so… _fucking hot. _

Shenlong eventually caught his breath, sitting by in stupor, dumbly happy grin clear to see, and Yugo narrowed his eyes. Well then, if that's the case…

“Not done yet," Yugo growled down at the tiger. Shenlong glanced up at the wolf, still rubbing the rawness out of his throat. Yugo had his hands on his knees, bent over, clawed fingers splayed and twitching. Panting, his tongue hung out of his muzzle much like a real wolf, saliva dripping to the floor below and tail wagging furiously behind him. His cock never went soft in the slightest, jutting proudly from his hips and bobbing in the air with his heartbeat.

Shenlong wiped his chin clean of spittle, then regained his bawdily arrogant smirk. Oh yeah, he wanted more. As he started rise from his sitting position, Yugo snarled sharply at him in threat, and the tiger stopped dead in his tracks. The wolf righted himself, a dominating aura swirling around him, and he walked toward Shenlong as if he were downed prey, stepping out of the clothes around his ankles as if they were never there. Yugo's yellow, lupine eyes bore down on the beast-man with intent, the pupils narrowed to pin-points, teeming with raw, untamed lust. If this was what Shenlong wanted, then he was going to get it like he wouldn't believe.

Yugo grabbed the collar of his ruined shirt and ripped it from his body like it was made of tissue paper, its shredded remains floating to the floor in his wake.

“You are _fucking mine!" _ Yugo roared, saliva flicking from his fangs as they violently gnashed at the tiger.

Shenlong's ears flipped back and his eyes went wide as dinner plates as they beheld the terrifying spectacle, realizing, for the first time in his life, that he bit off more than he could chew. Shenlong's face twitched, like something instinctual clicked on within his brain, and every molecule in his being screamed at him to run! The tiger scrambled to his feet, but in the next second, Yugo threw the scraps of cloth clutched in his fists aside and dove at Shenlong. The wolf crashed into him from behind and they both hit the floor, Yugo landing on Shenlong's back and pinning him down. Shenlong immediately began to struggle, but when a gray-furred hand wrapped around his nape, squeezing with unparalleled strength, he froze.

Yugo's body pressed heavily on him, completely overtaking the tiger and flattening him against the matted flooring. Yugo let go of the tiger's neck and clamped both hands over Shenlong's shoulders, pushing him down hard. He suddenly dropped his chest between Shenlong's shoulder blades, knocking the air from his lungs, and lowered his muzzle to the side of the feline's face. An intense gust of humid breath billowed against Shenlong's cheek, followed by an earth-trembling growl that reverberated through the tiger's back all the way to the ribs of his front. Shenlong gasped and quaked in cold sweat under the wolf's crushing weight, but his voice quivered with excitement.

The wolf shifted his lower body, straddling the tiger's thighs with his knees, then promptly rammed his pelvis into Shenlong's pert, jean-clad ass, his tapered erection riding up between the covered cheeks. Yugo ground his hips against him, sliding his impressive cock through the clothed valley, tip dribbling precum so liberally that the wetness seeped through the denim into the elegant blue and black striped fur underneath.

“You want this?" the wolf rumbled into a round, feline ear.

“I-I do…" was the meager reply, provoking a fierce snap of the lupine's jaws, and he jammed his cock into the trembling ass below in punishment.

“Louder!" Yugo demanded at the prone tiger.

“Yes! I want this! Please!" Shenlong begged, his entire frame shuddering as if confessing so readily made him the peak on the spot, sexual anxiety melting into steam all at once.

The wolf shoved himself off the tiger, rearing almost completely off his paramour and backed up until his knees were on either side of the feline's cat-like feet. Then just as fast, he grabbed Shenlong by the hip and flipped the stunned beast onto his back.

“Get these fucking things off," Yugo growled between clenched teeth, gray clawed hands grasping the belt above the fly Shenlong's jeans. Yugo ruthlessly jerked the tiger's around by his waist as the wolf's lust-addled mind focused solely on removing the annoying leather blockade from his path.

For his part, Shenlong didn't resist, the dizzyingly rapid shift from being on his knees blowing the wolf-man one second to being throttled around on his back left him too dazed to respond any other way, but the dopey grin plastered all over his stripy muzzle said it all.

Finally the belt latch snapped, and Yugo whipped the thing from around Shenlong's hips with a crack in the air, sending it flying across the room. Unfortunately for him, the jeans were still tight upon the tiger's hips due to the transformation, and his stupid clawed fingers fumbled with the button at the top. With a frustrated growl, Yugo bent over and bit down on the button, jerking his head side to side like a dog with a chew toy.

SHRIP!

The button, along with the upper portion of Shenlong's pants, tore away, the chunk of fabric and metal clamped between the wolf's jaws quickly spit onto the floor beside him. Not missing a beat, Yugo grasped both of the damaged crotch flaps and brutally pulled them apart, the zipper shattering in a shower of brass. As he suspected, Shenlong didn't have anything on under those jeans, so as soon as it could, his once-constrained erection sprung forth, flopping back onto the tiger's cream-colored belly with a thump. Yugo ignored it for the time being and continued to hurriedly peel the rest of useless garment down Shenlong's thick thighs until they came off over his paw-feet, the tiger's legs weakly raising to aid in the process.

Now, completely exposed to the lupine's hungry eyes, Yugo eagerly drank in the sight of his quarry. Shenlong, in all his blue and black-striped glory, placidly lounged before him, his large paw-hands relaxed at his sides and impressive erection tapping his navel as it rose and fell with the pace of his strong heartbeat.

Shenlong was right, every Zoanthrope's maleness in beast-form was different, and not unpleasantly so in this case. His cock had a generous thickness and a healthy color, rock hard with a good length. It looked mostly normal, although there appeared to be tiny bumps behind the crown and over the top of the slightly tapered head. Yugo might have pondered a little more about what they were for, but in his current state, there was little use running a scientific thought past his lust-fogged mind.

Shenlong watched him with dreamy, scarlet eyes, shimmering like rubies while his long banded tail swished across the floor like a striped serpent, white fuzzy tip lazily curling and slapping against the ground in anticipation. He knew he looked good, and Yugo was drinking in that tall glass of water like he was dying of dehydration.

Upon the cat's body, vividly striking stripes were laid into the royal blue pelt, embedded like rivers of dark, lines upon lines of black only ending at a white fringe bordering the abdomen and pectorals, inner throat and legs. Soft, snowy white fur resided on his chest and belly, also covering his groin and ran down the insides of his invitingly spread thighs. It even enrobed his full, weighty ballsac and downward along the taint.

And when it came to musculature, Shenlong was stacked more than Yugo realized. The cat-man was built like a tank, definitely broader in the chest and hips and Yugo was, and his fur did little to hide how vividly the outline of his muscles stood out. He radiated power. Internally, Yugo was thankful that in his wolf form he had the body density and speed to stand toe-to-toe with such a creature, otherwise the feline beast-man could've crushed him underfoot like a grape earlier…

Just viewing Tiger-Shenlong in this new light was akin to viewing an absolute epitome of bestial strength and regal beauty. With his well-toned and ruggedly handsome body, wanting aura oozing off of him, all sprawled out for the wolf's enjoyment— it was one of the sexiest things Yugo had ever laid eyes on.

Unconsciously, Yugo licked his sharp gray muzzle, fanged mouth watering and amber eyes shining. He wanted the tiger— to touch, taste, and feel this man completely. What must have been only a few seconds to observe Shenlong in this state had felt like ages to the poor wolf, and he was on the brink of letting his animal side take the reigns again, the need to fulfill his desires spiraling out of his control.

“Would you like a taste of what Long's been savoring?" Shenlong purred deeply, Yugo's triangular ears perking up. “You want me so bad… I'm like fruit waiting to be plucked from a branch. All you have to do is—"

Yugo lunged forward with lightning speed, a hand grabbing Shenlong's digitigrade ankle and yanking the feline across the matted floor and closer to him, a surprised yelp leaping out of the tiger's throat. Yugo crawled over his foe like a hunter lording over his catch, the dribbling tip of his cock glancing over Shenlong's balls on his way up until both their malenesses were atop of one another, precum drooling over searing flesh below yearning for stimuli.

The wolf hovered over Shenlong, their noses almost touching, before the gray muzzle dipped under his chin and fangs nibbled along his soft throat, the tiger tilting his head back in and eyes closing blissfully in return, lips parting in a silent sigh. Yugo's tongue snaked out, and a swept a path over the Shenlong's neck and along his chiseled jawline—

Then in a flash, Yugo hopped to his feet, reached down and literally hauled Shenlong up by the wrists, pulling the tiger-man upright as if he weighted no more than a feather. Shenlong swayed as vertigo quickly set in, but sobered up when he saw how dire Yugo looked, the wolf breathing hard through his open mouth and hands trembling around his wrists.

“I'm gonna fuck you here if you don't take me someplace better," the desperate wolf warned. Shenlong shed his daze in an instant, and spurred by desire, reached out, wrapped a paw behind Yugo's neck, and pulled him into another passionate kiss, one to show how much he needed the wolf before breaking it sharply.

“Follow me," Shenlong breathed against his partner's lips, then turned bolted for the gym entrance. Yugo's hunting instincts kicked into gear and he darted after the sapphire feline leading the way. His eyes locked onto Shenlong as he barreled ahead at full speed, Yugo hot on his heels and shadowing every move the tiger made. Shenlong vaulted over the sofa, and the wolf's kept up with him even while he was airborne, their feet landing softly behind one another upon touchdown. Down the hall they went, past an open room which Yugo only caught a glimpse of. Likely Long's room, judging by the sparse interior and ginormous bed within.

Shenlong came to a halt at the next room and all but threw the door open, shattering the handle out of the frame to clatter to the carpeted floor. Shenlong didn't seem to notice or care as he rushed inside; neither did Yugo. A quick sniff of the air told Yugo knew this was Shenlong's personal bedroom. His musky scent was everywhere, and the decor matched his style. It was clean for the most part, aside from a few empty takeout boxes and worn clothes scattered about, furnished with only a weight-lifting bench with accompanying bar and circle plate sets stacked nearby and a leather jacket and motorcycle helmet hung up on the coat rack. But the bed, one just as large as Long's… oh, what a glorious sight to see, if only for a second.

Before Yugo even came to a full stop, Shenlong had already dove into the plush top of the bed, performing a forward roll that sent loose pillows and blankets flying. But halfway through the maneuver he inadvertently got tangled up in the sheets and wound up flopping into the middle of the mattress as a wrapped-up ball of blue fur. After a bit of struggle, Shenlong managed to remove the fabric from his face with an annoyed huff, but once his eyes settled his on Yugo again, he went as still as a statue. Yugo's eyes were glowing in the dark, like night lights in the dimness of the room, focused squarely on the tiger, enrapturing the him with their brilliant moon-like glare as the imposing beast crawled up onto the bed with him. A gray-furred hand threw the bed sheet that had ensnared Shenlong over his back, floating to the ground behind the wolf like a falling curtain.

Yugo closed in swiftly, golden eyes shimmering even brighter. Shenlong couldn't look away, not even when a hand clamped onto his ankle, or another grasp the calf of his opposite leg, the glow rooting him to the spot. Only when both the wolf's hands spread the tiger's legs apart was Shenlong able to shake off the bewilderment.

He hardly made a sound as Yugo hefted the striped legs into the air until they were fully outstretched wide in a V-shape, high enough to lift Shenlong's hips off the bed. The tiger's tail looped under Yugo's arms and around his chest and the wolf scooted his knees forward until they wedged under Shenlong's raised upper back. The feline's rear end came to rest against Yugo's chest, , making Shenlong become nearly inverted, striped kneecaps almost touched his rapidly flicking, rounded ears and ass straight up in the air and exposed. The look on Shenlong's face was priceless, eyes wide and jaws parted in astonishment. Yugo laughed through his nose. Shenlong was more flexible than he expected. Must be because he's a cat beast-man. Good. He was going to need it.

“Hold 'em," Yugo ordered, and without question Shenlong hooked his hands under his knees, staying in his near upside down position.

There, just a few inches away, exposed to Yugo's mercy, was Shenlong's tensing pucker, pink and tender, eager to be claimed.

“You're gonna…?" Shenlong asked, awestruck, before Yugo cut him off.

“Yep," he said with a expectant lick of his chops. Yugo knew what he was doing, he and Alice had done this to each other plenty of times. She seemed to get off on it pretty hard compared to him, so it was fair to say he had lot of practice in this field. Though he'd never done it to another guy before. How different could it be? But one thing he was sure of, this kitty looked good enough to eat…

His clawed hands encircled the tiger's striped waist, holding his hips up like a chalice, and after nosing the base of the striped tail aside, unleashed his long, dripping tongue from his muzzle and give the opening a wide, saliva-rich lick. Shenlong's reaction was immediate. The tiger's tail puffed out and his entire frame rocked with a jolt of pleasure, toes splaying out on his weakly kicking feet. The feline beast-man made a sound new to Yugo's ears. Was it a mew, or a coo? Either one, Shenlong's cock showed how much he appreciated that first taste, pulsing and loosing a jet of pre from the tapered tip to spatter down his belly due to its slant. Yugo felt the viscous fluid roll over his fingers to wade through the soft, white-furred valleys of his abs to pool at the divot below his sternum.

A grin curled at the edge of Yugo's parted jaws, proud and haughty. He had the cat at his mercy, trembling under his touch and begging him for more. Such sweet revenge for how that blowjob made him squirm so easily earlier. Now, he was his turn, and he was going show Shenlong what he was made off.

The wolf's jaws fell open and that talented tongue of his broadly slathered and slithered about the pinkish hole, slicking down the satiny flesh with a shine of fresh, warm spittle. He savored Shenlong's heady flavor, clean and pleasant with a hint of men's cologne and wood smoke. Body wash most likely. Very nice. The wolf's mouth watered, saliva dripping directly from his maw onto the soft white fuzz of the perineum, and he began to lap at the spot like a dog drinking from a bowl, wet slurps and squishing slaps of tongue against skin filtering down to the panting tiger below. He just tasted so good.

“Not even Long does this…" Shenlong murmured softly, drifting awayto some far away place as pleasure besieged him. Yugo chortled at the tiger's words, not slowing his attack.

The slippery muscle danced, undulating like waves on the ocean as it laved over contacting flesh, remorselessly bearing down on the clenching ring. Soon the whole region was nothing more than a spit-soaked valley of dampened white fuzz and brushed-pink skin, thoroughly coated and gleaming. But Yugo was far from done. There was one spot he had left to conquer. The wolf leaned his head forward, passing over the tiger's hole and taint, and set his luminous sight on the hanging set of heavy balls. But even with his elongated snout, he was just out of reach of the loose-skinned orbs. Good thing he had such a long taster to make up for that. The canine's tongue darted out and swiped over the dangling sac, getting a feel for their weight, and the tiger's thick striped thighs spread as far as they could go. This time, Shenlong moaned, his voice so fraught with desire that Yugo's own cock throbbed against his lover's blue-furred back, pre spurting out and seeping into the elegant pelt.

The nimble muscle stretched out and curled under the pouch, then hauled the heavy, soft-furred eggs up into his waiting mouth, lips sealing around them greedily. Shenlong's flavor was even richer here, sweetened with the salt of sweat, and they were so warm that Yugo could almost feel the seed brewing inside them. Yugo moaned around the flesh and tugged the balls deeper inside his maw, rolling them about on his tongue, bathing them one by one until each gleamed like polished gems.

Yugo glanced down at Shenlong, and saw the tiger biting his bottom lip, upper fang sticking out and eyes squeezed shut, breathing steady but strong, sweat beading his brow like dew. The big cat was on a razor's edge, teetering on the edge of orgasm. So Yugo justly swallowed a gulp around the balls, and the tiger's jaws popped in a gasp. The lupine smirk around the flesh captured in his mouth. He loved watching Shenlong struggle to not to cum right on the spot, and just viewing the lust-bound beast sent a spike of searing heat into the wolf's heart…

With a heavenly sigh, Yugo let the saliva-slick sac fall from his maw and watched it swing down to smack the tiger's inverted shaft, rewarding him with another streak of pre that arced into Shenlong's gaping mouth. Without hesitation, the tiger swallowed it down, then went right back to moaning in unadulterated passion. The wolf's cock lurched hard.

Damn, Shen. Keep acting like that and I'm gonna blow before we get to the good stuff. Gotta speed this up.

Yugo's eyes closed and took a breath, tightened his grip on Shenlong's waist, then dug his muzzle back in to the tiger's trembling opening. He pressed his lip flush to the quivering ring in a lewd kiss and stabbed his tongue out in a flurry of penetrating laps, the organ sinking in without much resistance. The tiger yowled, writhing as his claws popped out from the fingertips wrapped under his knees. His sphincter clenched hard upon the invading muscle, but did little to keep the invading muscle at bay. It delved inside a ways, drenching the constricting tunnel, before retreating and worming its way back in again and again. Soon Yugo established a rhythm, and then mercilessly began to fuck the tiger with his tongue, intently and generously oiling the tunnel.

He worked the area with renewed gusto, burrowing in relentlessly as hot, dripping saliva cascaded from the wolf's mouth and down the probing appendage to aid loosening and lubricating the gateway. Any tension left in Shenlong's body melted under his attention, and the snake-like tongue was free to move without impedance. It plunged in and out, over and over, broad strokes dealt all around the cloying passage, tugs and stretches unforgiving.

Then at last Yugo withdrew, tongue slurped back into its home for a brief rest. He glanced down at the Shenlong again. The feline beast-man was broken, reduced to a mewling, quaking wreck, red-irised eyes rolled back into his skull and the happiest smile carved into his open-muzzled, tongue-lolled face.

Yugo smirked victoriously at the sight, then, one hand at a time, let go of Shenlong's waist to take hold of the tiger's calves hanging above his shoulders. He began to slowly ease backwards, and Shenlong shaking hands released his knees to limply flop to his sides, content to let Yugo unfold his body, groaning in both relief and reluctance. Yugo shuffled back until he could safely lay the stupefied tiger's legs down flat, then he backed off entirely, observing his handiwork. Shenlong was barely able to raise his head from everything he experienced, and Yugo was surprised he hadn't cum yet by how obliterated he looked. Yet he could tell the big cat still wanted more, his stripy legs still spread wide, presenting his freshly glistened opening to his lupine lover, still yearning to be filled. Yugo had never seen a man so ready to be fucked before. Perfect time for the final bout.

Yugo grasped Shenlong's animal-like ankles and carefully turned them to one side, his legs following suit until the rest of the tiger's body rolled over. Now on his stomach, Shenlong made a drunken, confused sound. “Uhn? Wh…" he muttered weakly. Yugo huffed through his nose. This cat needed a wake-up call.

So, Yugo parted the supine beast's legs, knelling between them, and wrapped his clawed hands around the blue-furred waist, fingers sneaking between the tiger's belly and bare mattress to get a firm hold. Then, in one sharp tug, the wolf hauled Shenlong's pelvis up off the bed, so high that the feline's legs swung down under him and locked into place, bent at the knees to prop his hips up and effectively hiking his ass up in the air

Shenlong jerked to attention, rope-like tail shooting up as straight at an arrow as his head swung around to look back at Yugo with startled, red eyes rife with confusion. But when he saw what the wolf was up to, his smile beamed. The wolf's face was rife with determined concentration, fat cock in hand, dripping tip aimed between his striped cheeks. Yugo scooted closer and nudged against the creamy, softly-fuzzed balls, stray droplets of pre pattering upon the tiger's throbbing maleness below.

Shenlong urgently pushed himself up onto his hands. Now, the two of them were positioned in a very familiar way.

“Ooh," Shenlong purred. “Doggy style, huh? How appropriate."

Yugo leered at him and tugged the tiger's tail aside. “Sh'up," he chided, then eagerly lined up his hips with Shenlong's, wedging his searing lance snugly within the white-furred crease of Shenlong's ass until the knot at the base bumped against his dampened ballsac.

He drew back briefly to give himself some space, his cock dropping down into his clawed hand. Yugo rubbed his glans into the tiger's silken perineum, the pointed tip furrowing through the soft fur of his taint and riding upwards until it nicked his saliva-shined pucker. Shenlong's shivered at the touch and his stiff tail sagged, snaking down to curl lazily around Yugo's waist, a little rapturous smile creeping over his handsome muzzle. He tugged the wolf closer with the rope-like appendage, urging him on, and Yugo slyly smiled back at him, saying with a nod to ready himself.

Then using his thumb, pressed the head of his cock against the tiger's yielding ring, but as it began to make its way in, every muscle in Shenlong body tensed up at once, entrance hesitantly going taut again.

“Jesus, you're big! Easy, easy easy ea SSYYY—!"

Yugo was not as hesitant. With a soft pop, his cock sunk through the clenching ring and submerged into Shenlong ass, sighed in relief as he basked the the warmth of the tiger's body. His instincts took over, because in the next second, before Shenlong had time to adjust, the wolf unceremoniously drove his hips forward and plunged the rest of the shaft inside until his knot thudded against the stretched ring. Shenlong threw his head back with a sharp cry and arched his back, stunned ruby eyes wide at the sudden invasion.

“O-Oh, fuck!" Shenlong shuddered, claws hooking into the mattress below and shredding through the bedding down into the cottony fluff inside. The wolf's lips rose in passionate snarl. The tiger's insides were as velvety as warm butter around his maleness, sucking him in with a vise-like grip.

He felt the tunnel ripple as it attempted to adjust to his thickness, flesh warping and staggering. It must have been quite awhile since Shenlong had taken anyone so well girthed, but Yugo was too dead set on the task at hand to notice Shenlong's predicament. He switched his hands to surround the tiger's hips, holding the big cat still for what was coming, then reeled his hips back, sliding out for a fleeting moment before slamming back in, that thick bulb at the base crashing into the tender ring once again.

Shenlong hissed between clenched teeth when the magnificent cock plowed through his insides, and he tensed his muscular frame to stop his body from quivering. Already, Yugo could feel the tunnel relaxing around his cock as it waded deeper into the tiger, filling him out, discomfort replaced by the familiar tightness of someone ready to be fucked. Yugo felt a twinge in his loins, then abruptly pulled out, almost completely withdrawing his cock from the feline's passage, then rammed back in even harder. The cat beast-man yowled, his once strong arms trembling briefly before giving out from under him and his striped head thudding into the mattress with a moan, hips held up only by the wolf's powerful grasp.

God, he was tight. Tighter than Alice, tighter than anything he'd ever felt before in his entire life. Shenlong's tunnel was a constant clenching vacuum, tugging on his sensitive cock like it wanted to suck him down to the deepest of depths, knot and all. It was incredible. Yugo needed more.

He brought a leg up and planted his canine foot-paw beside Shenlong's ribcage, knee bent at ninety-degrees, giving him the added leverage to push as much as he could pull— an advantage he was going to use to its fullest. Again, Yugo withdrew and thrust back in, hips crashing forth with a loud smack. Shenlong lurched forward from the impact and took a deep, rattling breath, letting it out in the most submissive moan Yugo had ever heard.

The sound made warmth flow through the lupine, heat swarming his face and ears and oozing down into the pit of his belly. There, a fire ignited inside him. This wasn't just sex Yugo was experiencing anymore. It was something greater. He felt like he was back in the ring about to deliver a TKO in the final round. The same rush, the same thrill. Only here, he wasn't just defeating Shenlong, he was claiming him, making him his. Exerting that kind of power over his fellow beast-man by fucking him, in wolf-form no less, made his blood surge. This was true victory! And he was going to take his well-earned prize.

Yugo reared back and slammed back in, the start of a volley of punishing thrusts, squeezing his cock into that exquisitely tight hole repeatedly. Shenlong's body rocked with the wolf's unyielding strokes, gray-furred hips colliding against the perfectly round curvature of the tiger's blue and black striped ass relentlessly. Full, heavy balls slapped into his softly-furred taint like a speed bag while just above the wolf's knot strained to bury itself in the cloying silken grip of Shenlong's body. Yugo could feel the feline's racing pulse thrum against his shaft and breath hitch from the inside, firm belly spasming under his fingers. There was a soft thump as the tiger's cock leapt and smacked his furry abdomen, the enduring spire raging hard as ever during the fucking spree.

Everything moved in slow-motion, sensations growing so much sweeter with each pound upon the tiger's ass. Shenlong's cock leapt with the flow of their bodies, swinging to and fro between his quaking, striped thighs, sending thin streams of clear fluid arcing back from the tip of his maleness, drizzling about wildly and seeping into Yugo's inner leg fur.

Just like the fable, Yugo began to huff and puff, the hair on his chest rapidly growing moist with sweat and forming under his hands where they gripped Shenlong's hips. He looked down, watching the toned flesh on the tiger's pliant ass ripple under the stripy fur when their pelvises bumped, and without thinking, unable to resist, the wolf raised a hand and gave a swat to a blue-furred ass cheek, stealing another sharp gasp from the squirming beast.

“Oh, fuck… Oh, yesss," Shenlong rasped, and Yugo couldn't help but smirk ear to ear, proudly growling deep in his chest. Shenlong wasn't kidding when he liked it rough, and good thing for him, Yugo loved to dish it out just as much. He doubled down on hammering himself into the moaning feline, bringing up his other leg like the first to the opposite side of Shenlong's middle and hunching over his arched back, looming over him as he proceeding to pummel ahead at full speed.

Lost in pure bliss, Shenlong rubbed his cheek languidly against the bed, his striped, blue muzzle agape, ragged gasps rushing by his sleek ebony lips and whistling past sharp fangs. A barbed tongue wetted ebon lips as a smile of absolute contentment curled over his face.

Yugo gazed down at the lines of the tiger's back fur below, watching the muscles underneath roil and unfurl under the pelt, blue as the ocean at night, slices of black melding together and threading apart. It was mesmerizing… His mouth watered. Without slowing down his fucking, Yugo's head lowered and nosed the small of Shenlong's back, smelling along his spine up to his nape, draping his gray form over the feline. The wolf's jaws parted, and he bit down on the tiger's neck. Shenlong cried out in a high-pitched wail and threw his head back, fangs bared in the joyous scream. A striped paw-hand reach back and clapped over Yugo's skull, pressing him into the bite.

Yugo's eyes flashed, and with a ferocious snarl, tightened his jaws on the striped scruff and reared back. Shenlong yelped as the wolf yanked the tiger up by his nape and straightened him upright, resulting both beast-men kneeling with the feline's back pressed flat to the canine's front, cock still speared within him and clawed hands still on his striped hips. Yugo spit out the mouthful of fur and quickly jutted his snout over Shenlong's shoulder to line his head up alongside the tiger's, lip curled in warning. Stay put, it said, and Shenlong obeyed.

The wolf's arms wrapped around the beast-man and ran his paws across the vast expanse of Shenlong's white-furred chest, claws raking through the soft, sweat-damp pelt, fingers spreading out over taut pectorals. They traveled through the fur, a single nail nicking over a hardened nub now visible due to its pertness. Between thumb and forefinger, Yugo found the nipple he had missed, and pinched.

The tiger instantly began to rumble out a massive purr, letting out few a shameless gasps in between mewls of longing. He pushed his ass back into the wolf's lap, and Yugo swiped his lengthy tongue along a striped cheek in return. Now pressed as close to Shenlong's as he could possibly could be, his hands began to roam again, moving from chest to belly, or more precisely, that luscious abdomen.

If there was anything Yugo admired about Shenlong, it was those abs. Hard as stone, perfect in shape, and sleek as marble. His hands caressed them, and they trembled under his touch, the tiger sucking in a sharp breath and letting it out in a massive sigh. Yugo huffed a blast of hot air into Shenlong's open mouth from the side, then let his hands fall lower.

Claw tips drifted through the ultra-soft thatch of snowy pubic fur on the way down before gathering up his untouched cock and balls, sac still damp and always satiny. Yugo gave the shaft a tug and the nuts a jostle, and Shenlong moaned in a unabashedly unmanly way, sounding more like a squeak than a cry. Yugo continued to dote upon the bits, appraising them, feeling their weight and virility, making the tiger shudder.

Then the hand tending to the balls retracted to join the other on the shaft, stroking together in time. One fist twisted one way while the second went in the other, and he was rewarded with a river of pre cum rolling over his fingers, seeping between them and soaking onto his palms. He polished the sizzling flesh into a glossy sheen with each waxing movement, wringing a steady drip of the clear fluid from the slit at the tip.

Suddenly, Yugo let go, Shenlong whining in lamentation the moment the act ended, but melted like candle wax as his attention was drawn back to Yugo's hands traveling up to his belly and chest again. Paw-padded hands, slick with his pre, smeared the tiger's own sticky essence over his front, oiling his stony front down in a pure hedonistic display. Then once his hands were cleaned of juices, one went higher, moving up to the tiger's creamy throat, claw-tips briskly tracing over his white-furred gullet and vulnerable jugulars while the other arm hugged around the chest.

He cradled the tiger's throat in his palm and Shenlong murmured something Yugo couldn't discern, but it what he had to say mattered little to him. The wolf-man extended two fingers from the hand at the Shenlong's's throat and pushed them into the tiger's mouth, the feline's lips instantly sealing around them and coiling his sandpaper textured tongue between them, sampling a faint taste of himself. The beast-man made a delighted sound around the digits, wantonly lapping over them, and Yugo responded by extracting and reinserting them into Shenlong's blunt muzzle, padded feelers repeatedly gliding over those black, glossy lips and suckling depths as he fucked the tiger's mouth with his fingers.

Suddenly, the corner of Yugo's eye twitched, and he withdrew his fingers from the tiger's mouth, sticky webs of saliva bridging ebony lips to clawtips. The wolf's arms tightened around Shenlong, holding him close, and he began to hump into that sculpted ass at a lightning pace, grinding his hips into the curved muscles as if they were a cushion. Shenlong let out a high pitched moan and rocked his hips back upon Yugo's cock while Yugo concentrated on timing his thrusts, pulling back whenever the tiger's ass lifted out of his lap to draw out the space between their conjoined lower halves and maximize the impact of gray hips into striped glutes.

Yugo's focus was interrupted when Shenlong's plopped his hand atop the wolf's skull, declawed fingertips sinking into the shaggy gray scalp and his striped arm curling around his head to hold Yugo close to his black and blue shoulder, bicep flexing into his cheek. He paused his reverse thrusts, opting instead to grind his ass back into Yugo's lap in a a sultry dance, while at the same time the tiger's free hand sought Yugo's hand, still clutching at his chest. He grasped Yugo's wrist and pulled his paw down to place it over his belly.

“I can feel you, man," he cooed, and Yugo quickly found out what Shenlong meant. He felt the abs under his palm bulging out from the inside, his tapered cock pushing the taut belly in time with his thrusts. Yugo's jaw dropped. Had he gotten even bigger since he started fucking Shenlong? Was that even possible? He became light-headed at how powerfully erotic it was to feel that under his fingers, his senses spiking to another level.

His pointed ears were suddenly able to hone in on every sound the azure tiger made, how loudly their bodies clapped as they pounded together. Even the soft squish of his bulb-like knot jamming into the tiger's tender, ringed gateway, followed by the crackling peel of shaft flesh exiting the hole. His nerves felt like they were on fire, and his nose was swarmed with their combined scent he hadn't noticed before. By smell alone he was also able to tell Shenlong was pleasuring himself, the sound of his fist pumping his raw cock clear as the toll of a bell, tempting him. A gravelly growl bubbled up from the depths of Yugo's chest.

In a flash, Yugo grabbed both the tiger's wrists, snatching Shenlong's hands away from his clamping over his skull and jerking himself off, then wrapped both of his gray-furred arms around the beast-man in a massive reverse bear hug, pinning the striped limbs to the tiger's sides. Before Shenlong could utter a word of surprise, Yugo hilted himself inside his ass with a thrust so hard, the beast-man's knees were lifted off the bed, very nearly pushing that bulb of flesh into him.

Then they were falling backwards. Shenlong's legs kicked out ahead of him, tail shooting out between his legs like a bullet and arms still bound as the wolf picked up his entire body and pulled him down with him, taking to stunned tiger along for the ride. Yugo landed flat on his back and bent his legs at the knee, spreading them apart before the tiger even fully came to rest on his thickly-furred front. A second later and Shenlong collided with Yugo's chest back-first, a huff of breath escaping him in a shocked grunt. Yugo's muzzle was suddenly beside his head and blowing hot breath straight into Shenlong's cheek, making the big cat's whiskers twitch.

To Yugo's surprise, he wasn't even winded from the impact, nor from nearly suplexing a giant tiger-man. But what surprised him more was the pop he heard, and felt, when Shenlong's striped rump settled into his lap, right where his cock was embedded in his ass. There was a sudden relief of pressure over his dick and a wave of euphoria washed over Yugo in a tidal wave.

That thing at the base of his cock had just made a new home inside Shenlong's ass.

The azure tiger threw his head back and _ ROARED _ in a way Yugo had never witnessed, his striped skull thumping to Yugo's shoulder alongside the wolf's cheek. Yugo's ears rang with the intense blare of the tiger's bellow, but his mind barely registered it. Something in his brain kicked into overdrive, and all he could think about was breeding this creature stuck to his cock. He had to fill him up, take him, claim this bitch as his — it was his life's sole mission now.

The wolf swung his hips into the mattress under his rear, depressing the springs, and the knot popped out. Shenlong's blistering cry dried up in his throat into a mere squeal. When the springs inside the bed inevitably pushed his pelvis back up, the knot popped right back in, the battered ring of Shenlong's ass swallowing it whole. But upon this entry, the flesh seemed much more receptive to it. In fact, the way his tunnel sucked that fat cock back in felt desperate, like the feline beast-man desired to have it inside him more than anything else, welcoming it back.

Yugo growled in unrefined passion, then began to fuck Shenlong in earnest, his lower body almost a blur as he railed him with a speed and strength that no normal man was capable of. The tiger started screaming out moans out like a rampant whore, and not giving a damn how it looked, his world narrowed down to that thick slab of meat punching through his guts like a piston. He was at the mercy of the wolf, his bent knees fit loosely over the top of his ravisher's the only thing keeping him in place as his body was tossed around like a wet sack of fur from the rhythm of his ass getting plundered. Over and over, the tip of Yugo's cock bashed into that sweet spot within the beast's canal, and Shenlong hitched a cry every time it was struck, ass clenching down in a ripple upon the wolf's shaft.

Yugo groaned deeply into the dense fur of Shenlong's banded shoulder, arms squeezing tighter around the feline, then lifted his head to take a glancing down Shenlong's front. That lump in his white, fuzzy belly was still lurching steadily in time with his thrusts and the tiger's hard cock was bouncing about from the jostling of his hips, flesh so red it looked almost painful. Yugo eyes shifted to Shenlong's face and saw the tiger was beyond fucked stupid, crimson eyes rolled back into his head and mouth babbling slurred curses and pleas between desperate moans, a giant rambling mess of mussed fur.

Heat raced through Yugo's loins, and the wolf grit his teeth. He was going to come soon and come hard, the urge bearing down on him like a train with no brakes nearing a hairpin turn. He growled sharply, and by some miracle managed to break through to Shenlong's lust-fueled daze to gain his attention, the tiger's head turning to gaze at him with glassy rubies for eyes, pupils blown like a overgrown pet feline high on catnip. He gave the feline a nod of warning, and Shenlong, with the biggest smile he'd ever given the wolf before, rabidly nodded back.

“Do it…" he rasped, begging him.

Yugo squeezed his eyes shut and interlocked his wrists, then threw his hips up so high, his whole lower body lifted from the bed, clawed toe tips the only thing below the waist still touching the bedsheets. His furry pelvis slammed hard into Shenlong's battered ass, the tiger's entire body jerking up from the impact, and the bulb of flesh at the base of Yugo's cock sunk in a final time, going in the deepest it had that night. Shenlong threw himself back against the wolf below him to line their bodies up like an arched double decker bridge, clamping his ass tightly on Yugo's cock.

“F-Fuck!" Shenlong cried out again and writhed in the wolf's arms, trembling from whiskers to toes, then his orgasm crashed down on him like lightning. His feline cock pulsed, spasmed, and released at last, a bolt of cum erupting from the tip with enough force to launch the stream clear over both beast's head. The following barrage of tiger semen came out rapid fire, gushes of the thick white fluid pelting Shenlong on the chin and showering down upon his heaving chest, quickly drenching his front down in a layer of thick cum.

Plp-plp-plap, pearly rain cascaded over them. Yugo's arms and hands were caught in the crossfire, painted in lines of stickiness that seeped through the fur all the way down to his skin. An errant rope of the stuff even laced across Yugo's face, furrowing a path into his cheek fur. And when the smell of pure Shenlong, rich and potent, reached his nose, the wolf's growl was earthshaking.

“Mineee~!" Yugo snarled, constricting his arms so tightly around Shenlong that his bones creaked. His canine cock throbbed, the knotted base flaring out and locking him inside the tiger's infinitely taut passage, then his orgasm crashed over him like a tsunami. Yugo's hips humped forward in carnal instinct as he unloaded within Shenlong, filling him to the brim in seconds and showing no signs of stopping.

With nowhere else for the torrent to go, Shenlong's belly quickly expanded with a round, cum-filled bump, one which would've barely been noticeable under the sea of white fuzz covering the tiger's stomach, but as the tiger's cum soaked his stacked abs down in a sheet of shiny goo, Yugo could see it as clear as day. Never before had he cum this much, for anyone, and Shenlong was taking all of it. If it were Alice in his place instead… Yugo let out a shuddering moan just imagining it.

For a full minute, their orgasms continued to overwhelm both beasts, euphoria assailing their systems as the flow of cum finally ebbed. Then Shenlong went limp, lain out over Yugo's front, panting so hard Yugo thought the tiger might pass out. Yugo considered asking Shenlong how he was feeling, but was distracted when he felt a sudden wetness as the edges of his midriff and he looked down his side. Thin rivulets of tiger seed were running down Shenlong's sides, criss-crossed over his stripes and dripping down onto the border his gray-furred abdomen, dollops of the creamy stuff flung around from their clashing bodies.

Yugo gawped at the sight, then realized he forget he still had the tiger in a bear hug. So he relaxed his arms and uncoiled them from around Shenlong, the half-dead beast's once-pinned arms falling aside listlessly. Testingly, Yugo flicked Shenlong's wrist, finding no reaction, and for a moment, was concerned maybe he'd worked the big cat over too hard…

He looked over Shenlong shoulder to check the tiger's face, but found it turned away from him, then took a glanced and down the beast-man's front, and what he saw was one of the hottest things he'd ever laid eyes on. Below the belly bump in his abs, the cat's dick had softened back into a sated state, cum leaking out steadily as it wallowed in a white pool of his emissions, the entirety of the tiger's white furred chest and stomach coated in a glistening sheen like icing on a cake, light reflecting over the soaked muscles as he breathed. The trophy image of the tiger's cum-strewn body draped over him would be forever enshrined his memory.

But as much as he would have liked to behold the glory of his efforts forever, he was beginning to strain under heavy weight of the tiger-man pressing down on him. The wolf grunted and placed both hands on Shenlong's shoulders, grimacing in discomfort. Carefully he slid Shenlong off his chest, the sweat between their forms making the process easy, but Shenlong's hips stayed put. The unyielding ring of his ass was still clamped around his cock, and with that bulb holding him in place, Yugo couldn't pull out. He was stuck.

Yugo shifted his hips as Shenlong's upper half came to rest beside to him, trying in vain to dislodge his dick from the tiger's clenching recesses. The pressure remaining around Yugo's cock was immense, refusing to ease even as he felt his cock calm and deflate, his spearing flesh still twitching with his heartbeat as wave after wave of tingling, blissful afterglow coursed through his racing bloodstream. It felt like heaven being tied to someone this intimately, like this was what he was born to do, but knew Shenlong wouldn't appreciate it as much as he did. So with a huff, he reached down and placed both clawed hands on the tiger's hips, then with a mighty push, shoved down as he reared his pelvis back.

Like a cork, Yugo popped free, and a sea of frothy wolf seed spilled out like foam from of a champaign bottle. Cum splashed out onto his groin and empty balls in a deluge of white goo, painting the area down like glaze on a pastry. Yugo sighed in divine relief, finally feeling Shenlong waist and legs slip off his body to flop to next to his, the weakening fountain of leaking semen going with him.

Shenlong settled into the bed with a groan, and Yugo let his hands drop back over his head to the mattress above him, muscles burning for pleasantly after the rigorous workout. He glanced at the tiger next to him. Shenlong lay in the bedding in a daze, staring up at the ceiling and breathing as if he ran a marathon in a hurricane with how his fur was matted all over and drenched to the skin.

Moments passed, both beasts said nothing, panting as their overworked frames slowly cooled. Yugo swallowed the dryness out of his throat, croaking out a few nonsensical noises before regaining the ability to speak.

“So… was it good for you?" Yugo ribbed in a rumble, and Shenlong huffed an exasperated grunt, tail flicking tiredly.

“Fffucker, you broke my ass…." he mumbled like a drunk coming off a bender. He winced and rolled onto his belly to take the pressure of his rear, burying his face in the bedding.

Yugo interlaced his fingers behind his head nonchalantly, bushy tail wagging proudly. “Well, that is what you wanted."

“Yeah, but…" Shenlong grumbled. “I think you may have ruined all other men for me. At least when it comes to being topped."

Yugo snorted and waved a hand dismissively. “You're welcome."

Shenlong breathed into a spot in the sheets that hasn't been soiled in some way by their lovemaking. “You're still a punk, though."

Yugo sneered at the prone tiger. “Do you enjoy making me want to kill you, Shenlong?"

The azure tiger raised his head and shot him a smirk. “It worked to get you to fuck me. So yes, I do. And you can call me Shen, don't forget. You earned it."

Yugo relented with a sigh. “Alright, Shen. Still kinda wanna kick your ass though."

Shenlong pushed himself up, shoulders and neck bones creaking. “You did more than kick my ass tonight…" Then a look of concern crossed the tiger's face, and he glanced at something past Yugo. The wolf followed his line of sight to the clock on the wall. It was close to midnight. “Long should be home soon," he said.

Yugo smirked. “What, worried he might catch us in the act?" he teased.

“No, but we did put a big hole in his wall earlier…"

All the smugness left Yugo pretty quickly then. “Oh. I forgot about that."

They showered separately, though Shenlong did offer to share. Yugo declined, deciding to rest a little longer before forcing himself to rejoin the living. Shenlong emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later and reentered the bedroom, back in human form and without so much a towel around his waist. As Shenlong shook the remaining water out of his dark brown hair, Yugo eyed the naked man up and down, too worn out to bother being stealthy about it. With his tanned skin still shiny with moisture and sharply defined muscles gleamed like polished marble, he looked just as sleek and stunning as a human as he did as a tiger.

Shenlong man eyed the wolf right back, his pleased grin clearly telling what he thought of the beast-man lying in his bed, then gestured at the open door behind him. “All yours, hot stuff," he said, strolling over to the dresser. As Yugo watched the him rifled through the draws, he was reminded of an unfortunate fact, and he glanced down at his disheveled state with a rueful frown.

“Uh, Shen…?" Yugo prodded, sitting up.

Shenlong glanced over at him. “Hmm?" he asked, slipping a black t-shirt over his still damp head.

“I, uh… kinda need something to wear. My gear is trashed." Yugo rubbed the back of his head, ears folded back sheepishly.

“Way ahead of you," Shenlong said, then after digging back in the drawer, pulled out a pair of tan-colored pants. He tossed them to the wolf who snagged them from the air. “Homemade and transformation ready. Long sewed that pair up just last night."

Yugo examined the garment in his hands, noticing the discreet flap in the seat. Was this for a tail to exit out of? The stitch-work was excellent. “Long made these?" Yugo asked, impressed.

“Yup," Shenlong replied, pulling on a loose pair of pajama shorts. “He's been churning out tons of these things since I asked for a set. I think he's planning to donate them to Zoanthrope relief organizations."

Relief organizations. Like the one Yugo was due to run, The WOC… He stared at the clothing in his hands, rubbing the thin fabric between his paw-padded fingers, lost in thought.

“Alrighty then," Shenlong declared, snapping Yugo to attention. “Get cleaned up. I gotta see if I can salvage this bed or if I need to take the couch tonight. First door on the right, hurry up. I'll leave some other stuff outside for you to wear. I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight."

“Oh! R-Right." Yugo said and promptly began to shuffle his way off the bed. Shenlong yanked a pair of socks from dresser and shut the drawer with his hip as he turned, finding a safe spot on the bed to sit and put them on. Yugo reached the edge of the mattress and quickly rose to his feet, then he nearly fell over, suddenly feeling a turtle that had been flipped over on its shell, but he steadied himself by bracing a hand on the wall. Once Yugo get his legs under control, he tried to act casual and brush off how goofy he must have looked: a big werewolf-looking creature wobbling around like a toddler on their first walk. Shenlong saw plenty though, his lips curled in half-smirk as he watched from the corner of his eye. Yugo shook his head at him, warning him not to say a word. Shenlong seemed to oblige, donning his socks and standing with a stretch as the wolf-man waddled past him. As Yugo reached the doorway, he felt a hand on his gray-furred shoulder.

“Hey," Shenlong said, and Yugo turned to face him. Without a word, Shenlong, with his eyes pleasantly lidded, took the wolf's narrow chin between his thumb and forefinger, leaned in, and pressed his lips against the wolf's. Yugo's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull away, letting the man kiss him sweetly before parting with a soft click of their lips. Shenlong opened his eyes and smiled at the dumbstruck wolf.

“I had fun tonight, Yugo. Anytime you want to relieve some of that stress of yours, feel free to hit me up," he said, the warmth of his tone making the insides of the wolf's ears redden. “Now git." He swatted Yugo on his bare, furry ass, nearly making him yelp as he was ushered out into the hall. Shenlong disappeared back into the bedroom, the sounds of sheets being ruffled following soon after. After a brief pause, Yugo awkwardly made his way towards to the bathroom.

“What is my life…?" he muttered.

Yugo started his shower in wolf-form, transforming back mid way through. He figured with how much jizz was mucking up his fur, it was best to carry all that stuff in with him instead of messing up the rather expensive looking tiled floor. He took his time, letting the hot water work the soreness from his muscles, and exited about twenty minutes later. After dressing in his new pants, which he found remarkably comfortable, Yugo checked outside the door, loosing a wall of steam behind him. Like Shenlong said, there was some clothes at his feet, consisting an oversized t-shirt bearing the logo of a heavy metal band Yugo had never heard of, a long pair of socks, and what looked like a set of slippers. Not the warmest of outfits, but beggars can't be choosers. The cold didn't bother him much anyway.

Yugo poked his nose into the bedroom, seeing only ruined sheets waded up on a mattress full of tears and holes. No Shenlong here, but the sound of a faux laugh track from a sitcom rerun chattering down the hall from the direction on the living room was a good indicator of where he likely was. Sure enough, when entered the open space, lit up by the glow of the television, he found the big man he was looking for passed out on the sofa, sprawled out with his feet on the coffee table, snoring like an ox.

Yugo shook his head but smiled regardless. Maybe Long's nobility was rubbing off on his clone, but his manners sure weren't. He sneaked back into the gym and located his gray hoodie, boxers and the remains of his ruined jeans, gathering them up along with his wallet and keys. He also picked up his shredded shirt, discreetly disposing of both it and the jeans in a waste bin he found in the kitchen. There wasn't much else left to do now besides take his leave, which he did promptly, sneaking out and quietly closing entrance door behind him, then began a quick trot for the elevators. He wanted to be somewhere else when Long came home and found that huge hole punched into his wall.

He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor, slipping the hoodie on and stuffing his hands into his pockets with a sigh. What a wild night. He was still in a daze from it all. Never in a million years would he have expected such a thing to happen to him, but now that it had, he wasn't sure if he should feel exhilarated or ashamed. He knew he would have to tell Alice, regardless of the outcome. He could never lie to her, especially about something as monumental as this. It would make sense for her to be upset, as she should be. But to what degree, he didn't know yet, and that thought began to weight heavily upon him. Should to tell her everything next timer she called, or would that be too impersonal? How was he supposed to go about it? He hated being this out of his inept… Yugo grunted and tapped his toe irritably. He was tired. A good night's rest would clear his mind. He'd know what do in the morning. If he didn't freeze to death on the way home first.

The double doors opened and Yugo stepped out, still deep in thought, only to accidentally bump into an expertly dressed man waiting to enter. Yugo made to apologize to the person, then realized the man had glasses and deep green eyes. Very, very familiar green eyes. Yugo paled.

“L-Long?" Yugo gawped.

“Yugo," Long replied, cordial as always, a smile ready on his lips. He didn't look surprised to see him. “Come to visit Shenlong, have you?" he asked in an oddly mirthful tone.

Yugo babbled like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, pointing this way and that as he desperately tried to explain his presence, but luckily for him, before he could descend into a full on panic attack, Long held up a hand to quell the young man's nerves. “Calm yourself, Yugo. I expected you here."

Yugo paused his ramblings, then his head tilted in his typical confused puppy manner. “You… you did?" he asked softly, and Long nodded.

“Of course. Why do you think I asked Gado to tell you not to come here? Because I knew you would show up if he told you not to."

Realization crashed over Yugo in a wave. “This was a set up? You wanted me to fight Shenlong?"

Long's smile widened. “Fight, yes. But I think perhaps more happened than just that." Long glanced down at Yugo's attire, and when Yugo realized why, he almost crossed his legs like an embarrassed school girl. He was wearing those handmade pants, meaning he technically was doing a walk of shame right now. Yugo's face flushed red

“What?! NO! We never— I-I don't know what you're talking about, we just threw hands! Nothing else, I swear!" Yugo flailed, and again Long held up a hand.

“Relax. Our plan was to help you vent some of that excess energy you have been accumulating over the past few weeks. I figured a good tussle might do the trick, but this works as well." Long's eyes playfully narrowed. “He's quite enjoyable, isn't he."

Yugo would've been more bowled over by Long talking so casually about fucking, but something else stood out above all else. Yugo swallowed the lump in his throat. “Our plan?" he asked in a voice just above a whisper, and Long nodded.

“Alice about your predicament told me a few nights ago. She said, and I quote, 'My poor Yugo is going stir-crazy without me.' She was worried about you and asked for my assistance. You see, she knows about Shenlong and myself, and what we've been up to."

“…Are you serious?"

“Yes, very. Alice and I often talk on the phone. You should know by now she contacts everyone to ensure our health is up to standard," Long admonished him. Actually, Yugo did know about Alice's habit of keeping tabs on everyone in their friends circle, he just didn't expect it to extend to allies as well.

“So… you just told her that you and Shen were… you know, fooling around?"

“I did. She was quite thrilled. Especially when I told her of our escapades in beast form."

Yugo's head reeled. “And she told you to trick me into getting _laid?" _

“Yes. Or at the very least fight away your anxiety. She also made a friendly wager with me as well."

“Do… Do I want to know?"

“I think you do. We both felt it was likely you and Shen would end up having sex, but she was betting, or dare I say hoping, you two would get to business as beast-men. I wasn't so sure myself. So tell me, which was it, human or wolf form? I'm curious."

Yugo was stunned into silence. He could only nod, at a loss for a better way to reply to such a question. Long hummed to himself, unable to decipher the response.

“Perhaps you can tell me later. Though I have a feeling I know which option you preferred," he quipped knowingly.

“Hey, you and Shen did it that way!" Yugo retorted defensively, paused, then closed his eyes when he realized how stupid he was. He played right into Long's hand.

“Well, that wasn't so hard to admit now was it?" Long said with a smirk that Yugo was used to seeing by now, just not on his particular version of the man. “I have to admit it is quite amazing to experience. Alice will be delighted. She told me she had been wanting to broach the subject with you, but wasn't sure how. I suggested we expose you to the idea by tossing you into the deep end of the pool and see if you could swim."

“Oh my god," Yugo covered his face with his hands. “Was Shenlong in on this too?"

“No, he wasn't. If I had told him, his ego would have gone to his head. Your meeting would have been less genuine as well."

Yugo let his hands drop. “We could have killed each other!" he blurted out.

“It would not have come to that. Shenlong is not that kind of person anymore," Long said with certainty.

“Then I could have killed him then!"

“That wouldn't have happened either. You're better than that. You would never kill a man in cold blood, even with a history like you and Shenlong had."

Yugo sighed heavily and braced his forearm against the outer frame of the elevator, resting his forehead against it. He needed a nap. Long allowed Yugo to collect himself, then placed a hand on Yugo shoulder to urge him to face him. Yugo did so, reluctantly, and stood there indifferently before the monk like a truant high school student before a disappointed teacher, too exhausted to really be upset about anything anymore.

“I heard about this World of Co-Existence organization you've joined," Long said out of the blue, and Yugo looked at him with surprise. Alice probably told him about that too. “I think you would be a fine leader for it, Yugo. You're more caring than you give yourself credit for. That's the type of man we need in such a position of power. Our kind would benefit greatly for it."

Yugo averted his eyes sheepishly, genuinely flattered, then smiled at the man wittily. “Did Alice tell you to say that?" he asked kindly.

“No," Long replied simply, returning the smile warmly. “Those are just my thoughts on the matter." Long then glanced at Yugo's hands with a curious knit of his brow. “What are those?" he asked.

Yugo blinked and glanced down his arm, and he noticed the bands of his MMA gloves were still around his wrists, remnants from when his transformation burst them open. He didn't even notice they were there. “Oh. Just what's left of my old gloves," he said, peeling the elastic bracelets off and stuffing them into his pocket. Long hummed in thought.

“Hmm. Would you like me to design a pair that would be more adaptable for you? If you don't mind waiting until I have the right materials, that is."

Yugo, at first a little caught off guard by the random offering, nodded gratefully. “Yeah, uh, that'd… That'd be great actually."

Long bowed curtly. “I will get right on it. Now if you don't mind…" he gestured for Yugo to step aside. Yugo dumbly looked at Long's extended hand, then at the elevator, and then nearly jumped out of the way when he realized what Long was asking, bowing back a few times bashfully while tapping the open-door button for him. The doors promptly slid apart, and as Long was about to step into the lift, he glanced at his fellow Zoanthrope with a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Do come by again, Yugo. I'm sure Shenlong, and myself, would enjoy having your company once more." Long said with a sly undertone, then entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor, the doors closing soon after to hide his grinning face.

Yugo stared at the place Long had been standing, blinking the shock from his mind. Did Long just ask…? What the fuck… There was only so much his brain he could handle in one day. He was going to hail a cab, shell out the cash to get home, and sleep until noon. First thing tomorrow, he was going to give Alice a call. They had plenty to discuss.

“Shenlong."

“Snrk! Whe-what… oh, it's you. Want the sofa?"

“Why is there a Yugo-sized hole in my wall?"

“… Eh-heh… well, about that…"