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THE JACUZZI (A WALTER FOX STORY)

by Little Bill

(WARNING: The following story contains sexual activity between humans and sentient alien animals. Please do not read this if you are a minor or are offended by such material. But if neither is the case, enjoy.)

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story follows “The Furry Sex Scandal", “The Furry Sex Scandal: The Aftermath", “Interviewing Frank", "My Second Visit To Frank", “Fox From The Stars", “Jack", “Pit Stop", “Showtime", “Too Lonely", and “The Truth Comes Out".)

This time you are getting a wild escapade, dear reader-one that tops even my fucking Sammy Skunk's anus. And what could that be, you may ask? Remember my human friend with the foot fetish? Yes, the one to whom I gave a foot job, stroking his penis with my feet, while my old Director was using his bathroom? Finally, after two years, I managed to get a visit with him at his home for no less than two days and nights. My dream come true-and undoubtedly his as well!

I have managed to visit him a number of times in the past several years, but this is the first time I got the privilege to visit him for such a length of time-alone, with nobody else around to deal with. I have a busy schedule, dear reader-but so does he. He is a general in the United States military, not long from retirement, and has plenty in the way of duties, and like me, has to travel a lot. Also like me, he is divorced and alone. If I ever intended to stay on Earth for the rest of my life like Sammy Skunk has done, he would be the one I would ask to be my sponsor and I would happily live with him. I have other human friends I am equally bonded to, such as Frank and my former handler at the laboratory, but neither of them could really take me in. Hopefully this friend could, at least after he retires.

Actually, dear reader, I have no serious intentions of staying on Earth for life, at least not at this point. I have been here three and a quarter years, and am not in a rush to leave. My position at PERC, our research center, is such as where I can stay as long as I want, unless I am compelled to leave. So far, I have not been so compelled, though there were times when I had come close, and though I am not ready to stay on Earth all my life, I am in no hurry to leave this world, for exploring an alien world still holds its excitements. Always new things to learn about.

But my job at PERC, as head of the sociology department, has its headaches as well, and I need breaks from that. Finally I got one, and plan to take full advantage of it. I have never stayed so long at any private home on Earth.

Before I go further, dear reader, a word about what happened with Sammy Skunk. I caught him at home alone on my way back to PERC, socialized a bit, and he had finally talked me into having sex with him, or rather had me inseminate his anus, as a way of relieving my lack of sexual outlet. We had thought we could keep it a secret, and that nobody else would ever find out, for though it was consensual sex between two animal-people, Sammy Skunk was now an Earth citizen so technically it was illegal-the Earth authorities specifically banned sexual contact between us animal-people and Earthians, for fear of possibly spreading disease. But as soon as I returned to PERC, Jeremy Wolf, the former psychologist of PERC who became the new Director after the old one left, got suspicious at my delayed return and soon figured out what I had done, and was compelled to bring me to the Earth authorities for judgment. I was quite lucky-both Jeremy and the Earth authorities had been willing to overlook what I had done, and I received no penalties, with the warning I was not to do such a thing again. Of course Jeremy and I had to keep what I had done secret from everybody else, especially our colleagues at PERC. Were they to learn about what I and Sammy had done, I would have been effectively destroyed as a member of PERC and end up an outcast from my colleagues. As it happens, Billy Otter later did find out, but decided to keep it a secret too, for a number of reasons described in that account.

Of course I did pay a visit to Jim and Sammy Skunk as soon as it was convenient to let them know I held no grudge against them; I was as responsible for what happened as they were, and they were relieved that I got into no further trouble. However, during this visit, Sammy Skunk beckoned me into their bedroom, and closed the door after I followed him inside, leaving Jim outside.

“Let me tell you that Jim gave me full permission to be your lover," he told me. “He also promised me never to hit up on you again, and if you want to be alone with me, he'll leave our presence so you won't feel uncomfortable." He paused and added, “As I told you, I got furious with him when he mouth kissed you like he did, and let him know it."

I replied sheepishly, “With my penis up his boyfriend's rectum, I really wasn't in any position to refuse."

“Jim still had no right to do that. We may have an open relationship, but anyone who has sex with one of us is not obligated to have sex with the other, if that person doesn't want to. And it was obvious that Jim was effectively forcing you to mouth kiss him. It would have been fine if you wanted to do it, but I could tell that you didn't. And that got me very upset. I told him off and he got very remorseful about it. I never stay angry at him for long, and we made up, but he got the idea that he did a very bad thing, and he's not going to try to force himself on you or anybody else again."

“Well, I felt that I owed Jim that much-"

“You didn't owe Jim anything!" Sammy replied vehemently. “I initiated our having sex and talked you into it, if nothing else. Even if he was unhappy about it, he had no right to do anything to you!" Sammy added more calmly, “Okay, that time with you was the very first time I ever had sex with anyone without Jim nearby and without his explicit knowledge or consent. And Jim has never had sex with anybody without me around, even though I wouldn't object to it."

“That you know of."

Sammy smiled sardonically. “Do you really think that I wouldn't know if that were the case? I'd be able to smell it even if he were to wash himself afterward. Besides, outside of our jobs, we're rarely apart from each other for any length of time."

“So technically, you have an open relationship, but in essence it's you two and occasionally other people brought in for fun."

“Yes, you're right. So my doing it alone with you was the first time I ever had another lover on my own. I admit I was worried Jim might take exception to it."

“Open but not really open," I replied.

Sammy smiled. “Not quite," he said, and then he put his snout against mine, and stuck his tongue into my mouth. But Sammy looked surprised and disappointed when I pushed him away.

“Didn't you remember what the Earth authorities told us?" I hissed at him. “They forgave us the one time, but they aren't going to let us do it again! And I may have enjoyed fucking your rectum, but not to the point where I'd be willing to ruin my entire career over it!"

“No, no we won't do that again, I understand," Sammy replied hastily. “But I don't require that we have sex. We could just, well, kiss...that's permitted, isn't it? I enjoyed it, and you did."

“Admittedly out of desperation," I confessed. “But if you're under the impression that I've discovered that I'm gay or bisexual, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. I know you really wanted to please me, and you tried your best, but I don't look at you and think that I don't need the sensations only a female can give me. I might cuddle against you like I would with any other animal-person, but really, I'm not looking for a romance with you-or even a casual sex relationship. Besides, there is one other complication."

“What's that?"

I smiled sardonically. “What if I decided that I wanted you for myself and not let Jim have you back?" Then I stopped smiling. “Remember Jack? He may not really be my friend, but I've felt so sorry for him."

“So do I," replied Sammy. Jack was the human who had been a part of Jim's clique of sexual partners, and when Sammy joined with them, Jack was able to have sex with Sammy along with Jim and everybody else...but it was clear from the beginning that Jack wanted Sammy Skunk's love as well as his body. As might be imagined, this caused a situation where there was no choice but to expel Jack from the clique...and even now, he was still in love with Sammy Skunk, despite having had no contact with him. We all pitied him, but there was nothing any of us could do to rectify the situation. In my annual interviews with him, I did cuddle with Jack for a period each time to make him feel better, having felt guilty over having indirectly caused this situation. But beyond that, I had no other contact with him.

“So with that in mind, let's avoid getting too close again. What friends might do, but definitely nothing romantic or sexual. It can only bring trouble for us all."

We left the bedroom and the three of us had a bit of conversation before I left. They were surprised and pleased, however, when I gave them goodbye hugs, which I had avoided doing in the past. And why did I become so friendly with them all of a sudden?

Even though I got into serious trouble because of them, dear reader, Sammy and Jim had no intention of causing that to happen to me. Sammy Skunk may have desired me as a lover or even merely a casual sex partner, but he was genuinely trying to do me a favor by letting me use him to release any pent-up sexual frustrations, as he was willing to let humans who wanted to have sex with an animal-person do so. And Jim was sincere in letting me and his boyfriend become lovers on our own accord without his interference, should I desire it. I cannot say that Sammy Skunk did not succeed in relieving my lack of sexual outlet; he made every effort possible to arouse and satisfy me. And even before that I had visited them enough times to do things like use the bathroom. I had not been grateful enough with them before; it was time that I were.

So that was how things stood since them. I would hug Sammy Skunk and Jim as friends; maybe we could even massage each other, but anything else was off limits. I did let Jeremy Wolf know about all this when I had the opportunity, and he was satisfied.

What presumably did not occur to him, however, was that I would be engaging in very forbidden behavior with the close human friend of mine I mentioned earlier. I did it previously under the original Director, who never learned about it, though he was in the bathroom at my friends house, very sick from whatever illness he had had which caused him severe diarrhea, and he was too preoccupied with that to worry much about what he and my friend might have been doing.

Perhaps, dear reader, you might be thinking that the former Director really did know what was going on in the next room and kept it to himself? You can definitely disregard that idea. He and I did not get along well, and whatever his faults, he never, ever would have let such behavior on my part pass. It was too serious a breach of PERC regulations. He would have had me confined and brought the matter up to the Earth authorities, and they would have never let that pass either, considering who I had done that with. So my secret is safe, unless someone has somehow hacked into all the accounts I have secretly written into here. It is perfectly possible someone might have done it, but if that were the case, there would have been some indication of it among my colleagues. My recordings are kept in a physically secured word processor which has no radio link, and none of my underlings, as far as I know, have even the curiosity, let alone the ability, to hack into it. Why make trouble for themselves? And as for the rest of my PERC colleagues, I have avoided feuding with them, nor do I get any special treatment to make them envious, and they all know I am the last member of PERC who would want the Director's position. I enjoy my own too much.

Of course, I need vacation time like anyone else, and the Director knew how I had become emotionally bonded with my friend the United States Air Force general who was also a furry, for reasons I have explained in the past. I would get to visit him for two whole days, and I knew he would be as excited to see me as I was in seeing him. It was a long trip to his home, and I had to take care not to drive too quickly there in my excitement.

Our meeting was prearranged, almost like a secret mission. I previously described to him which of PERC's cars I would be taking, including the license plate number. When I drove and got to his mansion, his garage door automatically opened, and I drove right in, and I shut off the car and the door closed behind me. The garage had room for several cars, though only one other car besides mine was in it, and it was probably a rental. My friend was not the original owner of the mansion; he had told me that the prior owners were a large family, and he lived alone. However, he was sometimes required to host large parties as part of his position, so all the space he had was not wasted.

He opened the door leading from the garage into the house proper, and I ran inside and practically collided with him, and we embraced tightly. We let go, and he crouched down so I could lick his face, and I did until my tongue got too tired. My other friends did not like my licking them too much, but this one clearly loved it.

We entered the living room, and while the furniture had been rearranged, there was still the large painting of the non-anthropomorphic fox in a natural setting, lying on its side and smiling knowingly, with its legs positioned so the viewer could see all its paw pads. I noted that all the draperies were closed, which did not surprise me. Understandably, it would not necessarily be prudent to advertise the fact that you were hosting a space alien fox-person inside your home for several days.

Excited though I was to see him, I was still worn from the long drive to his place, and I had nothing to eat since leaving PERC. My friend had evidently thought about this fact, for he led me to the kitchen, which was a large, well-equipped space intended to service large numbers of visitors when necessary. On a table, a spread of food had been laid out.

No, it was not a spread of fancy food like caviar or filet mignon. We had previously conversed, and he knew my tastes in cuisine. There was cooked salmon, beef, chicken, pork, some cheeses, various kinds of fruit including grapes (yes, dear reader, insert the “sour grapes" joke here), broccoli, and other vegetables he knew I liked and could eat. None of the food was in spice or sauces; he knew that certain ones could cause me digestive problems. He also had only water; he was aware I could not drink a lot of soft or brewed drinks, and disliked alcohol.

We ate and drank mostly in silence, then we talked about our respective lives since we last communicated. Then he mentioned the Jacuzzi he had in his house, and I asked him what it was.

“It's a large bathtub," he replied, “with water jets that massage you."

“And you're offering the use of it to me?" I inquired.

“It's big enough for several people," he replied, and without speaking further, he led me to it.

The passage was through a hallway to a locker room completely lined with ceramic tile, with storage spaces, a sink, a toilet in an enclosure, and a shower area, and beyond a partition was the Jacuzzi itself, though I noted that it was empty and there was no water in it.

I looked inside it and saw that it was large enough to hold several people-presumably it was used to entertain guests as well. I saw what must have been water jet nozzles and two drains in it, and a ledge wide enough to sit upon all around the interior. Then a thought occurred to me.

“I'm covered with fur," I told my friend. “That might cause problems with clogging the drains."

“What do you do on your world about that?" he replied.

“Shower drains and such have fur filters," I explained. “When we first moved into our PERC facilities, we had to have them installed in our plumbing."

“I know how to clean the drains if it comes to that," said my friend. “But I thought, before we fill it with water..."

I looked and noted that the area was surrounded by windows and a door presumably leading outside, but those were shuttered. I knew we both had foot fetishes, but I wondered...

“Wouldn't we be better off going to the bedroom or somewhere more comfy?"

“I purposely wanted to do it here," he replied. “I have robes and towels, so..."

We went back to the locker room and undressed, and we saw each other completely naked for the first time. No, neither of us were sexually aroused, and in fact we took towels and tied them around our respective waists before returning to the Jacuzzi room. He went in and I followed, and we both sat on the ledges near each another. The ledge was ceramic tile with no cushions, so the towels were less for modesty than to avoid the discomfort of parking one's posterior upon a cold surface.

I turned my body toward him and raised my legs, laying my heels upon his lap. He then put his hands upon my bare feet and started playing with them, rubbing them, then scrunching down and raising my feet up so that they were even with his face, and he kissed them a number of times before he stuck his tongue out and started licking my soles. Waves of pleasure and excitement coursed through me as his wet tongue ran through the thin fur on my soles and then along my large paw pads, before running them along all eight of my toe pads. Then I spread my toes and he wrapped his lips around my rightmost toe and sucked on it, then took it out of his mouth and moved to the neighboring toe and sucked on that, then continued until he had gotten all eight of my toes. I was very excited and felt sexually aroused, and saw through his towel that he was too. But we kept our hands off our genitals for the time being.

He then ran his tongue along the area just beneath my toes, which were my most sensitive areas. The noises of yips and yelps that I was already making grew louder, and I was finding the experience more arousing than intercourse. Finally it was getting to be too exciting, and I pulled my feet away from his face and pushed them beneath his towel.

He opened his towel and I saw his erect penis. No condom like last time; I touched the head of his erect penis with my toes and could feel the precum. I rubbed his penis with my soles but it was only seconds before I could feel a spurt of semen on my paw pads, then another, then several more. His penis stopped spurting, but he rubbed its head along my soles, then along the tops of my feet. If he had hoped to accomplish a second ejaculation, he was not doing so. Not that it mattered; I was going to be sticking around for two days and would give him every chance to have fun with my feet that I could.

But I did not have him cum on my feet just to please him; I too was a foot fetishist and I wanted to have fun with his feet. On my world, we animal-people have a variety of shapes and types of feet, so I did not find it weird to be attracted to human feet. My friend was still playing with my feet and looked rather dismayed when I abruptly pulled them away. I then gave his legs a light kick and pointed to my crotch, and he got the idea.

He then raised his feet to me, and I took them in my hands and massaged them with my fingers, playing with his feet, toes, and calves for a long period. Then I got off the ledge and knelt before him, extending my tongue and licking his calves. My friend seemed surprised, but I was a mischievous person, and deliberately teased him by working my way very slowly down along his ankles, then the tops of his feet, then the edges, then finally his soles. When an animal-person licks the soles of another's feet, it is considered abject grovelling behavior, and I have been guilty of that. But grovelling involves quick desperate strokes of the tongue, and I was licking slowly, using long strokes, so it could only be interpreted as eroticism.

After licking his soles, I finally moved onto his toes, licking between and beneath them. I could not quite bend my lips to suck his toes like he did mine, so instead I nipped them very lightly. My friend tensed up as I did so, perhaps instinctively fearing injury even though I never intended such. Though my doing so was instinctive rather than deliberate, I enjoyed making him slightly nervous over what we were doing. This was after all a highly forbidden activity on both our parts, and I wanted to remind him that I was not a human being. If you want to do this sort of thing with a fox-person, you do it by the fox-person's rules.

Finally I was feeling too much sensation in my genitals to ignore it further. I moved away my own towel and discovered that not only did I have a full erection, but my knot had somehow worked its way out of my sheath without it being touched. I looked at my friend's face to tell him it was time. I then got up and sat back on the ledge and had him put his heels upon my lap. I grabbed my penis and rubbed the tip of it against his soles, then I grabbed my knot in my hands and squeezed it.

Precum shot out of my penis onto his soles, then my actual semen shot out, onto his soles, onto his toes, into the space between them, followed by my postcum. My sexual fluids were more watery but far more plentiful than his, and my friend was shocked at how much came out of me. He might have known it intellectually, but seeing it in front of him was a different matter. I produced so much sexual fluids I literally drenched his feet with them, coating everything from the tips of his toes to his heels.

“Now I realize why you wanted to do this in here," I told him.

My friend said nothing, but his expression was filled with pleasure and perhaps pride for having done this sort of thing with a fox-person, and one who had really wanted to do that yet. And I felt a pride of my own; he was a close friend and I had made his deepest fantasy come true.

But it was more than that, dear reader. My orgasm had faded and I could hear some of my sexual fluids dribble down one of the drains. It is difficult for me to describe, but I was staring fascinated at my friend's feet, completely covered with my sexual fluids. I had never ejaculated on anybody's feet before, and I felt a sort of satisfaction at the sight of what I had done. Was it because it was naughty, or weird, or the culmination of the emotional bond I had with my friend? I remembered, and I was sure he did, of how I was upset when he first runned his penis on my feet without his permission, and how I had bonded with him when I had given him the chance to exploit me in a moment of weakness and he refused, and I could not help but think of Sammy Skunk when Jim and his friends did exploit him in a moment of weakness. My friend's small amount of semen ran down my soles and I enjoyed the sensation, and I was not even homosexual. I liked his semen on my feet but I did not want him to put it in my mouth or anus. It was a moment I wish would last forever, a sort of eroticism that was weird but good, even more than I felt from all my oither sexual experiences.

As much as the mere sight of my friend's feet covered with my ejaculate made me feel pleasure, I realized I was getting stiff sitting and staring like I did, and I realized my friend must have been too, I moved and told him, “Don't worry, there is more where it came from," and he got the idea and climbed out of the jacuzzi to turn it on and let the water in. I climbed out too and we waited for the tub to fill up. It finally did and we went back in.

Once inside, I told him, “There's something you might be interested to hear," And then I told him all about my sexual encounter with Sammy Skunk, and how I got away without penalty.

“So you really are homosexual after all?" replied my friend when I was finished. His tone was not derisive or accusatory; it was a simple inquiry.

“Well, truth be told, no," I responded. “Sammy's anal hole may have been pleasurable, but it was no substitute for a vagina. And I know he wanted me, not out of an emotional bond like he has with Jim, or me with you. As I said in the past, he never had any animal-person lovers before. Only humans."

“So you wanted to correct that problem."

“Not so much that, but I was never really sure if he was genuinely homosexual or was just having sex with males to please the human he had so bonded with. I had to go to that extreme to determine if he really wanted to have sex with another male. It had been something that had bothered me for years. Fortunately Jeremy Wolf and the Earth authorities got the idea and they let me get away without penalty for it. I guess nobody wanted to punish an animal-person for having sex with another animal-person, especially one who has had only sex with humans."

“Nobody else found out about it?"

“Billy Otter did when we came to visit Sammy. But he wasn't going to say anything to anybody after I got by with it unpunished." I smiled. “He admitted that he didn't want to be known as a snitch. Also, if the Director and the Earth authorities weren't going to complain about it, why should he? I doubt anyone else ever found out about it."

“And nobody found out about what we did last time?"

“The old Director did wonder if we did anything together while he was on the toilet, but I obviously didn't say anything to him, why should I? He knew I was bonded to you, but if he knew he had done anything sexual, he could not have let that slide. And if we had done anything sexual, he would have smelled it. Good thing you kept the condom on."

“I kept it on for that very reason. I knew at the time that that was the reason you had me wear one."

“And now we have nobody to disturb us..." Then a thought occurred to me, but my friend smiled as if he read my mind.

“In my position, I obtained anti-bugging equipment and know how to use it," he told me. “I even swept my entire house before you arrived. Of course I found nothing as expected, but there are chances I don't take."

“I understand," I replied. “I remember how I was upset I had been when you rubbed your cock on my feet without my knowledge or consent, but when you thought you lost me I gave you another chance. And when you licked my feet and I got excited from it, rather than take advantage of me, you chose to stop everything and save me from a ruined career. And that was what made me bond to you. And now that I bonded to you..."

“..you wanted us to have foot sex."

“Yes, but only when I knew we could get by with it without risk." I smiled sheepishly. “Okay, there was a bit of risk when we did so last time, with the old Director in your bathroom. I admit I have a penchant for wanting to get away with being naughty."

“Like we did now."

“Like we and my underlings did when we visited the site of the mailbox by Nellis Air Force Range. If anybody at PERC or the Earth authorities found out about it, they said nothing to us. How about you?"

“I didn't hear anything either. But then, who would say anything, and if they did, who would take them seriously? I really did show them real space aliens which the world already knew about. Since you're here, I cannot imagine why those people still are out there. Expecting a new set I suppose?"

“Well, common sense if nothing else would say that since we came here, why not others? But I guess these people were disappointed that we proved to be talking animal-people instead of little green men with radio antennae sticking out of their heads."

“And yet so many more people were pleased to find that animal-people really existed."

“And it became a lot more respectable to be a furry because of that."

“Why do you think I became one?" My friend leaned toward me. “And not only do I have a real animal-person as a friend, but a foot fetishist like me."

“Yes, that sort of thing is laughed at on our world as well as yours, “ I admitted. “In a way it's worse because we wear sandals instead of enclosed shoes most of the time, for obvious reasons."

“And as for the rest of your clothes..."

“Yes, we have more variety of shapes and sizes and tail holes than you humans do, so we cannot just go to a department store and find ready mades, at least not for everyday clothes. We don't even have dress clothes as such, in fact clothes serve as much for identification and modesty as well as protections. We cannot show our genitals or mammary glands, and though reptiles don't have those, females are supposed to cover their abdomens as a matter of principle.

“Yes, I was surprised that your cartoon animal depictions dating from before your learning about us typically had them wear only a few token items of clothing such as a hat or shirt, or maybe fully dressed but going barefoot. I found that idea silly really, unless the idea was that animal characters would only wear clothes when playing a role."

“I guess that is the reason."

“I admit that for feral animal cartoons for children, we too omit the genitals. And sometimes they even pretend to be like us animal-people. But if they do, they usually are full dressed for that kind of role."

“I see."

“And I know a lot of mature furry art deliberately caters to foot fetishists. Yes, we have people with foot fetishism on our world too, me included obviously. When most of us wear sandals instead of enclosed shoes throughout the year, it can be embarrassing."

“But surely you met other foot fetishists among animal-people?"

“Yes, but you are the first person I ever admitted it to. I never admitted it to any of my own find, not even my ex-wife."

“I was wondering about Sammy Skunk..."

“He did have people play with and even ejaculate on his feet, but he said he did not have a foot fetish himself, and he was just playing to their desires. And I don't want to do it with someone who does't also have a fetish. I admitted it to you because I knew even when I met you at the furry convention that you had one."

“And one thing led to another."

I smiled sheepishly. “Even when I let you lick my feet, I never imagined the time would come when we would actually ejaculate on one another's feet like we just did. And I am proud that we went through with it."

“And so did I. You actually looked very happy when you covered my feet with your cum."

“Because I bonded with you and you really wanted it. I love making someone's dream come true."

“And you did."

The warm jacuzzi water made us sweat, and despite this I wanted to be next to him, and I practically leaned on him. He was happy about this, though in this hot water it was starting to get uncomfortable. I told him this, and we got out of the jacuzzi and he shut it off and drained it. We used towels to dry ourselves off, and unlike him I was furry and could not get dry completely with towels. I mentioned this to him, and then he came out with a hair dryer and dried me more completely that way.

“It just occurred to me that I never got the chance to dance with you," said my friend.

I was confused for a moment before I asked, “Like at the furry convention where we first met? When I got too tired and you helped carry me to the enclosure?"

“Yes, exactly!"

Though we had no inhibitions about being naked in front of each other, we decided it would be more appropriate to be wearing clothes for this. I put my regular clothes back on and he went to get the fursuit he had worn to that convention. As he was putting it on, I asked how many furry conventions he had gone to since that one.

“None, unfortunately," he responded. “My schedule hasn't allowed any more. This is the first time I'm putting this on since that day. But you've been to other furry conventions, I've heard."

“Oh, of course," I said. “Of course, our old Director hated them, and I cannot blame him for it after what happened the first time. But we animal-people are wanted there, and some of them are able to pay the Earth authorities the expenses of our going there. We don't really learn much from them, but it's good public relations for us. You Earthians are more accustomed to us nowadays, but there are still those who don't like having us around.

“I wondered about you and Sammy Skunk..."

“We don't necessarily attend the same conventions together, but when we do we make it a point to associate with one another. Mostly for public relationship reasons, of course. He may be a permanent resident, but he too knows there are still Earthians who don't like him, even if they might be too afraid to attack him."

“So," asked my friend, “how do you like going to furry conventions? Or don't you?"

“Believe it or not, I do," I replied. “If nothing else, they are a break from my usual work. I have to travel all the time, talk to and interview all sorts of people, and back at base there's lots of data processing and paperwork to do. So though I have to report what happens afterward, I don't have to make recordings or do professional interviews. I can actually have fun! And any colleagues I bring are already conditioned to being around humans so I doubt any of them are going to run off and engage in any yiffy sex with human furries."

“Wasn't Sammy Skunk..."

“He very badly wanted to go to an alien world, but he was in the mathematics department and was not supposed to go out among humans, and he was very unhappy about that. Since he couldn't see the Earth for himself, he kept asking me how it was like. It got to the point where I begged the Director to have Sammy accompany me on one outing. We thought a furry convention would be ideal, and I warned him about how there were humans who would want him for a sex toy and to stay in the convention hall. I got tired and fell asleep, and I foolishly assumed Sammy would do the same. But Jim and his friends did, and you know the rest."

“But since then..."

“The Director learned his lesson, and he changed the policy and trained everyone at PERC to go out among humans, even if their job did not involve doing so. He had enough time when Sammy Skunk attacked the thug who hurt his sponsor and most of us at PERC were restricted to our base. As for me, I was secretly stationed at the hospital where Jim had had his brain surgery, and Sammy Skunk was held in jail originally until they decided he could be in the hospital too."

“Quite a change of policy."

“You have to realize how it was like for us when the news of Sammy Skunk attacking the thug first came out. You have to realize how we animal-people can really bond. Not just to each other, but, as you Earthians have found out, to your people as well. The Earth authorities were confused as how we were really like. We are non-human space aliens after all, and no animal-person had ever engaged in any serious act of violence before that. Certainly the Earth authorities must have wondered who they had let out among the public. Fortunately you humans deciced that it was a good thing that Sammy Skunk was so willing to defend the human he had bonded with, and you humans became more amenable to us."

“And you..."

“Yes, even though I don't want to stay on Earth for the rest of my life, while I am still here, I have formed such a bond to you. Let someone do you harm, and I will abandon my duties and go after them if I can."

I meant it and he could see that. Eventually he said, “Um, as a member of the military..."

“I was one too, so I understand," I quickly replied. “Just like I did, you deliberately put yourself into harm's way. I suppose if you are killed in battle, I must hold myself and realize you signed up for that sort of thing. But under other circumstances..."

“I appreciate this loyalty to me on your part, but I'd rather you didn't. I trust in the law, and even if you have your instincts..."

“Like the dog attacking the mailman when he comes to the door?"

My friend looked shocked. “You have that on your world too?"

We laughed. “Four-legged dogs, not dog-people."

My friend held out his fursuited hand to me. “Shall we dance?"

He led me to the living room, and turned on a music player, which started to play music similar to what had been played at the original furry convention. We held hands and I did my improvised dance steps to each song, stepping, hopping, kicking, raising arms up and down, bending forward and back, tail-flicking, traveling in a circle, similar to an Earthian traditional folk dance. My friend's fursuit mostly covered him and I wondered how he avoided getting overheated. (Despite his obvious penchant for foxes, his fursuit was not that of a fox.) We kept going and going, until finally we both flopped down on the floor in exhaustion. I could not imagine how he could have gone on for so long wearing his fursuit, but I guess he wore it with the idea that he had worn it at the convention and had been about to dance with me at the furry convention, had I not become too physically exhausted at the time.

We lay on the floor for a while, panting, while various dance tunes kept going on. Then I wondered how it must have felt for him in the fursuit, and I got up partially and saw he still had it on. Worriedly, I went over to him and shook him. He was not asleep, but he looked surprised at my action.

“Are you okay?" I asked.

“Oh yes, just a bit worn out," he replied.

“That fursuit had better come off," I insisted, and he did not resist as I pulled off his headpiece. I then quickly helped him pull off the rest of his outfit, including his underpants. I did look to remind myself that there were no open windows for anyone to see inside. Seemingly confused as to what to do, he went and turned off the music player and led me into his bedroom. I suppose that was to be expected after I just pulled off all his clothing. But he stood around looking confused, not certain as what I wanted to do next.

“Shall we get into the bed?" I asked, and at his replying expression, I quickly added, “No, not for sexual intercourse!"

“No, no, of course not," he replied equally quickly, and he flopped down into it. I took off all of my clothes and slid into bed next to him.

“Just to let you know," I told him, “the bar will forever remain at foot sex."

“Oh, that's exactly what I expected," he replied. “I like foxes, and I like you, but that doesn't mean I want your cock inside me."

“Same here," I said, and added with a smile, “But I'm sure no human lover would ever do this for you."

And what I did was extend my tongue and lick his face-long, slow sensuous licks, and plenty of them. His face was somewhat sweaty from the exertion of previously, but I had less the desire to taste sweat than to taste his essence. I was emotionally bonded to him, and it was him that I was tasting. Maybe you find it weird or disgusting, dear reader, but remember that I am an animal-person and not a human. We animal-people do give each other tongue baths as a sign of affection; it is how we are.

He did not lick my face; humans are not built the same way, and he would not want a mouthful of long fox-person hairs. And after a while, I was tired of licking his face. I then scooched down the bed so that my face was near his feet. No teasing this time, dear reader, I went right down to his soles and slobbered right on them. I licked his feet and ankles all over, and licked between his toes. It was quite an erotic feeling...but I was still too drained from my previous sexual session to be able to cum on his feet again. After a while, I felt a hand grasp my ankle. Duh.

Saying nothing, I scooched back up so that my feet were near his face. Though he might not have wanted to lick thick fur, he was all too happy to lick my paw pads and the thin fur covering the rest of my soles, as well as the tops of my feet and between my toes. His tongue was shorter and drier, but he could lick erotically all the same. Indeed, though I could not get an erection, I was sensually excited all the same. However, he was able to get an erection again. I thought of the large amount of my sexual fluids compared to the small level of his, and wondered if because of that he could recharge more easily. Then again, consider how it was such a rare opportunity to cum on the feet of a fox-person who genuinely wanted him to do so.

His tongue evidently got tired too, for his next move was to have me move so that I was in a sitting position, my feet right up against the tip of his penis. He rubbed is against my soles and paw pads, and it took him a while to cum this time, but his semen finally shot out right onto my paw pads and between my toes. When he was finished he looked rather proud of himself.

“I never managed to be able to ejaculate twice in such a short time before," he breathed.

“You probably never had such an arousing target before," I replied.

Then I realized how egotistical I sounded, but my friend showed no sign of offense. “Yes," he said, “my lifelong dream come true."

Well, if I pleased him so much, that was all I cared about. I then scooched over and lay right next to him, our arms around each other, and I fell into a contented doze.

I must have been more tired than I realized, because I did not wake up again until the next morning, as indicated by the bedroom's alarm clock-and my friend was already out of bed, and from what I could hear, in the bathroom, using the toilet. I waited until he was finished and walking back into the bedroom, then I started to get out of the bed-

-and he ran up to me and held me back. “Last night, remember? Just before we fell asleep..." he began.

Duh. I realized he did not want me to track semen stains onto his carpeting. I looked around for something to wipe my soles clean, but then he actually bodily picked me off the bed, and carried me over into the Jacuzzi area. He was stocky in appearance, but he was stronger than I had realized. I was larger than a four-legged red fox, but smaller than the average human. Still, I was heavier than the average human could carry easily. Setting me down, he said, “And I didn't even marry you."

“I don't understand?" I replied.

My friend was momentarily surprised. “It's a tradition for newly married couples for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold of their bedroom the first time."

“I didn't know that," I told him truthfully.

I may have been on Earth for several years, but I still had only a partial knowledge of Earthian traditions and customs. I quickly washed my feet clean, then positioned myself upon the toilet and emptied myself before washing my hands again. We were both naked, but at the moment I was not interested in doing anything sexual. I was in fact hungry, and evidently so was he, for he picked up a robe and went towards the kitchen. I returned to the bedroom, where I had stored my luggage, and picked out my sleep shorts and put them on before going to the kitchen myself.

My friend was preparing breakfast, and he looked surprised at me, evidently the way I was dressed. “If I come back to PERC with no sign of my having used these, people might wonder," I told him.

“You have a communal laundry, I take it."

“Oh, yes." And I indicated the spot on my shorts where my name was imprinted-my actual name in my own language, not “Walter Fox". “For the record," I added, “on our regular clothes, we have our names imprinted on the interior surfaces."

We engaged in a little more conversation as he prepared breakfast for us. He made omelets for us, and yes, I can eat chicken eggs. He put in pieces of meat and vegetables which I could eat, as well as some cheese, and served fruit on the side. We ate, not talking too much, and after we ate, we elected to move into the living room and sit upon a couch where I could see clearly the big fox painting.

“I didn't have any agenda planned for us," admitted my friend. “I'm not sure what you wanted to do-go out somewhere or something."

“Go out?" I laughed. “A lot of my time is spent going out! To meetings, to conferences, to conventions, to various entertainment venues, to restaurants, to hotels...I'm perfectly happy to spend these two days right here with you!" I threw my arms around him for emphasis. “I spend almost no time being intimate with anybody, and here I am, someone I bonded with! Oh, I love the foot sex, but I'm happy to be with you in any place. I have fond memories of our trip to Nellis Air Force Base!"

“A different kind of pleasure, making fun of those idiot alien watchers!"

“Do people still look for Bigfoot?"

“Guess."

“There are cases of reptiles and sea creatures t5hat can live for centuries. But I don't get the impression that any hominid creature can live for that long."

“And when they find supposed evidence, it's either animal tracks, or someone faking it."

I told him about mythical creatures on my world, and we have equivalents of zombies, vampires, ghosts, and such, as well as supposed creatures such as fire-breathing dragons. And why should we not, dear reader? Multiple cultures on Earth have developed such mythology themselves.

We talked about a number of subjects throughout my visit, interspersed with more dancing, eating, resting, time back in the jacuzzi, and of course foot sex. But I sould mention a few highlights of my visit.

“It seems," my friend told me, “that you have a practice of bonding with people whenever you are in a state of emotional distress."

“That is true," I admitted. “And while you're extremely unusual for a furry, it's not as if I'm awed by the fact that you are a two-star United States Air Force General..." I paused and added, “Well, maybe I am, if for no other reason than someone like you would become a furry, buy and wear a fursuit, go to furry conventions, and so forth. I can never imagine how you could get away with such sort of activity, knowing your social position."

“Could I get into actual legal trouble for being a furry, you're asking? Wearing a fursuit and going to furry conventions?" My friend paused and added, “Let me tell you something. First, I am nearing retirement and have no further ambitions for advancement. I have no family, and I am happy to have you around just for company, even if we didn't have foot sex, though that was of course a wonderful bonus. I was once a test pilot, spending my career on the development of aircraft and spacecraft, and making improvements to them. I'm still strong, but I'm not at the peak of health like I once was. I've basically become a politician and an office worker. I had a lot of ideas on reforming aspects of the Air Force and the space program...and guess how many ideas of mine got through. In case you weren't aware, to become a general or admiral in the United States military of any branch, you have to be approved by the United States Congress. And they want people who don't make waves."

“But you got in."

“Oh, like a lot of people, I played my cards right and thought that if I kept my head low until I got into position as a general, I would be able to shake things up and improve things." He smiled ruefully. “Which other general officers had thought too before reality hit them."

“I notice that you have two stars, which means that you are not the lowest grade of general."

“The reasons for that were a bit complicated. But while two stars are better, it's still not fantastic. Of course, even if I had reached the top tiers of the Air Force, I still would have politicians and rivals to deal with. So I'll be glad when retirement comes."

“And you're doing the furry thing now, while still in office. Is it some sort of rebellious act on your part?"

My friend smiled. “I suppose it is. But I am no threat to anybody in the Air Force, I guess, since I'm ready to depart. Nobody has called me out on my wearing a fursuit or going to furry conventions, and though I don't advertise the fact, I'm sure at least some people must know."

“But if you don't mind my asking, I don't need to know all the details of your military career. But as a general, you did come up through the ranks."

“Yes," he replied, “and in case you were wondering, some people can become generals without ever seeing combat. But I did."

My friend did see combat, though much of his career had to do with test piloting and working in engineering. He then switched the subject. “Say, have you ever met any of the New Age people? The ones who think that space aliens will save us Earthlings?"

I winced. “Have I! I'll take furries who want to sodomize me anytime!"

“They're really that bad?"

“Unfortunately, yes," I replied, and told him of the various unpleasant experiences I had with them.

My friend smiled ruefully. “No, I never expected you animal-people to save us humans from ourselves."

“Our own world is different from yours, but it's just as fucked up as Earth. We've got just as much evil, corruption, folly, and waste as you do. There are people on my world who thought that discovering you humans was going to bring salvation to them."

“I don't get the impression that you thought the same thing."

“Of course not! I was excited with the idea of seeing and interacting with a whole different alien world, but I never got the idea that I was going to visit some utopian paradise. I didn't expect you humans to be better or worse than us, just different. And I was right."

“So what can you say about Earth as opposed to your world?"

“Overall, it's akin to visiting some exotic foreign land like, say, India or China. You must have visited other nations very different from the USA."

“'Join the military, go to interesting lands, meet interesting people,and kill them." replied my friend, “Of course, in actuality-"

“We have the same joke on our world," I piped in. “And yes, war is a matter of what political leaders do. Also what our worlds have in common."

“Of course, it is not impossible for our two worlds to have a fight over something."

“Unless the technical challenge of our worlds being only able to connect for three hours per year can be overcome, as well as the need for the people of both worlds to cooperate in getting people and material through, that shall never be a worry for either of us." I smiled ruefully. “I am not naive enough to think that our two worlds might not have a falling-out over whatever reason. Say, some sort of plague might spread and we might get blamed for it, whether justifiably or not."

“But none has," said my friend. “As much as I enjoyed licking your feet the first time, I wouldn't have dared to do so if I thought I might catch some bad consequences from doing so. I'm a furry, but not an extreme one."

“More than I can say for Sammy's sponsor," I replied sullenly. “What got me was the fact that he and his friends just grabbed and screwed him without ever considering the consequences."

“When you offered me the chance to play with your feet, I assumed you had considered the consequences in your own case."

“Perhaps I was in a state of mind of what you humans call 'letting one's hair down.' Perhaps I was tired of having to be so careful with all the humans I had to deal with. It was in fact your high position in human society that made me decide it would be okay with you."

“I figured that. The second time, when you got so excited when I licked your feet, I was tempted to take advantage of you, thinking I would not see you again after that. But I would have hated myself for doing so."

“I knew that was how you felt. Why do you think I came to bond with you so strongly? I was careless and you could have taken total advantage of me, and you didn't. On an alien world when you can never be sure of what the natives might do to you, what you did made me so happy. And yes, I really have a foot fetish and I wanted to lick your feet as much as you wanted to lick mine. But I dared not do that, not at the time."

“But you deliberately gave me a footjob when you suddenly came that one evening with your old Director when he was sick with diarrhea."

“Why not, when we both wanted it and I thought I could get away with it-with only a closed door separating us from him, who would never have stood for what we did." I smiled ruefully. “I can't help it. I just like to get away with naughty things once in a while. Like I am doing with you. I'm allowed to visit you, but certainly neither of us was supposed to do anything sexual. It would ruin both of us if it came out."

“Which is why you sodomized Sammy Skunk earlier."

I suddenly felt sullen. “It wasn't just because it was a breach of regulations. I had no sexual outlet, and Sammy had cajoled me into doing this for several years. Finally I gave in, thinking I could get away with it. Besides, Sammy Skunk gave me the idea he really wanted me to be his sex partner. After all, prior to that, Sammy Skunk had only humans for sex partners."

“And that was probably why everyone was willing to let you off."

“Certainly it must have been a factor. The Earth authorities at the hearing were all appalled when Sammy admitted that I was the first and only animal-person he had ever had sex with."

“He might have been pulling everyone's leg."

“No," I said sadly. “He wasn't. Another reason I gave into the temptation. When we kissed, he was far more passionate about it than any other animal-person lover I ever had had. That was why I didn't end up feeling ashamed about what I'd done. In fact, just before I came to see you-" And I told him about my meeting with Jim and Sammy Skunk.

“What?" my friend asked is surprise. “Is Sammy Skunk in love with you?"

“I assume he just enjoyed mouth kissing me," I replied. “I certainly don't think his bond with Jim has subsided at all." I smiled and added, “And I don't think he necessarily liked having my knot up his anus. I'm sure he prefers smaller-sized human penises."

“Then why try to hit up on you?"

“Maybe I'm wrong and he did like the knot, or more likely he wants me as a lover out of principle. By having me kiss and sodomize him, he feels a lot less like a freak. But he's an Earth citizen and I'm a visiting alien, so my having sex with him is as illegal as the foot sex that we're having together."

“I assume you don't expect your new Director to find out about us the way he did about you and Sammy Skunk."

“No, because of two things. One, the Director happened to find me barely an hour after Sammy and I had had sex, and the odor of the chemical that was used to hide it all was ironically a dead giveaway, since he was suspicious as to why I had spent so much time with Sammy Skunk before going back to PERC. We've already set a specific schedule for my being with you, and we're sticking with it. Two, I'm not about to stick my penis either in your mouth or up your anus, nor do I want you to do the same to me, however bonded I am to you. The new Director probably wouldn't even conceive of us having foot sex. Speaking of which..." I smiled and added, “Maybe we could spend another session in your Jacuzzi? We don't have one at PERC."

As you might have guessed, dear reader, my desire to go into it was not just because of the water jets. I decided it was simply too risky for my sexual fluids to wind up anywhere in his mansion outside the Jacuzzi area, despite the very small chance anyone might find them or even suspect them. The consequences would have been too much for him. I was certain my friend got the idea when he followed me to the Jacuzzi room.

We took off our clothing and got towels ready as before. When we went inside the dry Jacuzzi, I told my friend, “This time I go first!"

And he lifted his tootsies right up, putting them on my lap. I gave his left foot a thorough finger massage, rubbing every part of it I could touch, then moved to his right foot and did the same. Then I knelt down on the Jacuzzi floor, grabbed hold of his left foot, and gave it a thorough licking, making sure my tongue slid along every portion of his foot and ankle, slowly getting aroused. Then I let it go and grabbed his right foot, using my tongue to taste his essence, not letting one bit of surface area go untouched. I had a good erection by then, my knot not quite all the way out, but I moved my sheath. I held it in as long as I could while I rubbed my penis along his soles, until finally I could wait no longer and squeezed my knot, and shot a great deal of precum, semen, and postcum all over his tootsies, literally coating them. I was exhausted, and had to pant for a bit before I could bring myself back up so I could sit on the shelf and raise my feet and place them on his lap so he could have his way with them.

And his way was to play with them, rub them, knead them, then bring them near his face so he could kiss and then lick them. And his licking managed to excite me, even though I was sexually spent and could not get another erection. I felt him lick each foot along me soles, on my paw pads, on my toes, under my toes, between my toes-I must have made plenty of excited yips. Finally, he moved his towel so I could see his groin and his erect penis. Rather than let him rub against me, I took the active role and took his erection between my toes and rubbed it with them, and it was not too long before white semen spurted onto my soles and toes. It was a mere few spoonfuls compared to the large quantity I produced, and my friend seemed rather embarrassed that he could not coat my feet like I did his.

“I realize we don't have the same physiognomies," I told him. “I know you cannot put out the larger amount of cum that I can, and I didn't expect you to. And I realize that it is a matter of social status among you humans about penis size, the idea that a larger penis is somehow more manly, and that human males insult others by saying that their penis is tiny."

I smiled. “But we animal-people work differently. We have a variety of sizes and shapes of genitalia on both males and females, and the worry isn't about how large or small your genitalia are-it's how compatible it is with your intended sex partner. I was worried when I stuck my penis up Sammy's rectum that it might be too big for him, or that his colon wouldn't be able to contain all the sexual fluids I put out. Fortunately, as I mentioned earlier, he was able to take it all. And as for you, I don't care how much you cum-only that you do. This is a pleasure visit, and I want us to both have as much fun as possible before I have to go back."

I held up my hands. “You enjoyed my footpaws, now it's time for you to enjoy my handpaws."

“You want to stroke me off your hands now?"

“I think both of us are spent sexually for a while," I laughed. “Before we turn on the water, I'd love to give you a massage. Animal-people who are close enough friends do that to each other, and I'd certainly love to rub you."

Instead of our having to clean ourselves off and moving to the bedroom, I opted to take from a nearby stack of towels enough of them to improvise a mat where my friend could lay on his abdomen while I rubbed the back of his neck before moving to his back, then eventually moving to his buttocks and then the backs of his legs. I would have done his feet as well, if it had not been for the mess I had made on them-and besides, I had massaged them enough already earlier. I had him turn over onto his back, but I realized one other anatomical difference between him and myself-he did not care for his abdomen being rubbed.

I indicated for us to switch places, and them he rubbed me much as I did him, though he rubbed my abdomen because I was the type who enjoyed it. His fingers got tired, so we got up, removed all the towels, and filled the Jacuzzi with water, letting the water bubbles massage us this time.

My friend started talking again. “So you read science fiction?"

“Yes, quite a lot. Part of our research on Earthian culture. Also curiosity as to how accurate humans in the past were in predicting the future."

“Hit and miss, as might be expected."

“Same with that on our world. Nobody expected space aliens to be like you humans. Maybe a single species, such as all canids. But we have had no primates ever in our world. So that's why you have a talking fox in front of you."

The rest of our time together, as might be expected, basically repeated what I have already mentioned, in eating, dancing, using the jacuzzi, massaging each other, footplay, and conversation about different things. Finally the morning came when I had to leave him and go back to PERC.

“If I could, I'd keep you here," he said.

“How do you think I feel?" I replied. “I wish I had someone I could come home to every day, who is happy to see me, and I would be happy to see them. And I would be happy just with being with you, even if we didn't dance or have foot sex.

“The only real family I have left on my world is my estranged brother, and there is no guarantee we will ever reconcile if I see him again. As for here on Earth, there are two other people I am also bonded to, but they have their own families and I could not impose on them too much. The nature of PERC is such that I have my underlings, but they are underlings and not personal friends. As for other departmental leaders, I am not close to any of them, partly because I am away so often from PERC base to keep visiting various Earthian localtions and meeting various humans, which has been my job since I started here. And yes, even after years of dong so, it is still exciting for me to be exploring an alien world, which is why I want to stay despite the annoyances I sometimes get. I probably would finding going back to my world a letdown.

“Yes, I do visit with Sammy Skunk and his sponsor when I can, since they are in the city between PERC base and the airport we often use. Despite our having had sex, Sammy isn't my paramour as such. And I don't have the emotional bond with him that I have with you. I'd rather be with you without the sex than with Sammy Skunk with it. And I was not kidding when I said that I had had sex with Sammy Skunk because I wanted that badly to know that he actually enjoyed it rather than doing it because Jim wanted it. It shokced both the Earth authorities and the people at PERC who learned about it, but imagine what it was like to never really be sure for years and finally going to such an extreme."

“You had sex with Sammy Skunk even though you didn't really want to?"

“It wasn't quite like that," I admitted sheepishly. “I admit I had no sexual outlet, and Sammy knew this, so he had offered himself to be my 'bottom', and I assume you know that term."

“I'm not actually homosexual in the usual sense, but I do know the term."

“Not surprised, since so many furries are gay males. I'm not homosexual in the usual sense either, but try living without a sexual outlet for years, and somebody keeps tempting you. Finally I yielded to temptation. This was someone I could tell actually wanted me, not just performing a service. I was tremendously lucky that nobody wanted to punish me when they found out what happened. The Earth authorities realized that Sammy Skunk had only humans as sexual partners before me, and though technically I broke the rules, they could not bring themselves to punish anybody when they learned this. And Jeremy Wolf was the new Director and did not want a scandal to start his term, especially when the Earth authorities were forgiving of what I had done.

“Of course, neither of us would be forgiven for our foot sex with each other, and I know you will keep silent, as I will. I've learned to keep my mouth shut when I can, and I know you will too. Not only for the sake of our respective carers, but because I cannot negate the possibility that I can visit with you again. I may have been a sex partner with Sammy Skunk, but though we became friends, we don't have the emotional bind with each other that he has with Jim, or I with you."

We put on our clothes and I snuggled with him one more time before I had to finally leave. Both Jeremy Wolf and my underlings, as well as Sammy Skunk and Jim, knew of the emotional bond I had with my friend, so they would not be surprised to smell his essence on me. Finally I really had to leave, and tears dripped from my eyes. It was not impossible we would be able to meet again like this, but it took this long before we could arrange this visit. I was unhappy about having to spend the next night in bed alone, and I knwe he felt the same way. How could he not want someone around who was so close to him? But finally, we let each other go and it was time for him to open the garage and let me go.

As I went along the highway to PERC, I made a phone call to Jim and Sammy Skunk. They were quite surprised to hear from me, but of course I was welcome to see them, as they had just finished dinner and had no special plans for the evening. So I made a quick detour to their apartment building.

We greeted each other warmly, and I made it a point to hug them both as friends, though Jim held me longer than was proper-and abruptly released me. (I suspected that Sammy prompted the latter.) We sat down and I told them about having visited my friend...obviously leaving out a few aspects of it. After a brief conversation I made a gesture to Sammy, known only on our world, that I would appreciate a massage from him. Normally only lovers or relatives would ask such a thing, but Sammy got the idea of why I would want it, and he made his own gesture to Jim, one I did not recognize-but Jim suddenly stood and made an excuse before he left the apartment, leaving Sammy and me alone. It was not what I expected, but it was just as well. I moved from my seat to the sofa next to Sammy.

Without either of us speaking, he started massaging my head, neck, and shoulders. I quite enjoyed his fingers the way I did last time, and enjoyed it when he stopped and knelt down to remove my sandals and rub my feet and ankles. Eventually he stopped that, and saw that I had unbuttoned my tunic. He looked momentarily surprised, but wordlessly gave me an abdominal rub as well. Eventually he stopped.

“This was meant as an integrity test, right?" Sammy asked. “To make sure I would touch you so intimately without trying to hit up on you again?"

“Yes," I replied.

“You know that the Director is going to detect my scent all over you," Sammy continued. “Or was that the whole idea? To prove to him that I could be trusted this way?"

I smiled. “Why not? I figured I'd have to do this sooner or later. Not only to prove that you can be trusted, but also that I'm not mad at you for having gotten me into trouble, however unintentionally. That's one less thing the Director will have to worry about. Oh yes, and I enjoyed the massage. After all, once I return to PERC, it's back to the proverbial old grindstone."

“Of course," Sammy said, “I can think of another reason you would want my scent upon you when you report to the Director."

I felt slightly nervous. “What's that?"

“By smelling my scent upon you, the Director won't wonder about anything you and your human friend did together that might be inappropriate."

I laughed. “Remember how quickly and easily he had figured out what we had done together? If he even suspects that my friend and I did anything we shouldn't have, do you think he won't figure it out? I may have bonded to my friend, but we certainly don't have sexual intercourse!" Technically, dear reader, it was true.

“Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Sammy replied hurriedly. “I just wondered how he felt about your bonding so closely with any human, sexually or not."

“I'm sure he's not really happy about it, but that's what happened, and what can he do about it? He had been PERC's psychologist, and I'm sure he knows how I feel. And unlike you, I'm not so bonded to any of my human friends to the point where I don't want to return to my world-even if I have nobody really special at home to go back to."

“In my case, as you know," replied Sammy, “I lived my life without any love whatever from my family, except for my baby sister who died. So I fell in love with a human-maybe out of desperation for love from anybody at all, but love all the same. And he has stayed with me and not deserted me despite the problems he faced afterward."

I said nothing. Years ago, he and Sammy had been attacked by violent thugs, with Jim receiving a near-fatal hit to the head as a result. Jim returned to normal, but despite the trauma he went through, he refused to desert Sammy-and the world knew about it. Jim and Sammy never received any attacks or threats after that. I had to give Jim credit for that-clearly he viewed Sammy as more than a furry sex partner.

“In any case," Sammy continued, “if you and your friend have done anything you feel might displease the Director, I don't need to know about it. If you need me to cover you for anything, I will-within reason. And yes, I'm willing to massage you like I just did, and you don't have to worry about my hitting up on you again. I know we cannot have that kind of relationship." He then turned sullen and added, “And I'm really sorry about having hit upon you over the years and tempting you into doing something that nearly killed your career."

“I forgive you," I replied, sincerely. “But that's the other reason I had you give me the massage. I wanted to put all of that behind us."

The rest of the story was pretty anticlimactic. It was late evening when I returned to the Director, who had been waiting for me, and I told him about my visit with Sammy Skunk and Jim, and he seemed satisfied. I gave him the censored accounting of my visit with my human friend, and he showed no suspicions of my possibility of us doing anything wrong together. He dismissed me, I went to bed, and it was the usual paperwork the next day. ;)