FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

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…Week Fourteen…

Tyson anxiously checked the living room clock, his anxiety unalleviated by the spicy aroma drifting from the kitchen. They promised they wouldn’t be late. He checked his phone out of habit but remembered he’d done a clean sweep of his apps and chat logs. Best not to have evidence on hand if things went sideways. The Arcanine covertly checked his reflection in his camera, afraid that his disquiet had crept onto his face. I was never good at lying to her... One way or another this would be over tonight. Tyson jumped when the front door scraped open.

“We’re here,” Elan called from the mudroom as he kicked off his shoes.

“Good timing,” exhaled Tyson. He appraised the three before Aideen got a chance to step away from the kitchen. Calig and Owyn were looking well put together in black slacks and button downs, but Elan was looking distinctly… comfy. He was swamped in an oversized Flynt U hoodie and had a matching drawstring backpack swinging on one shoulder. The garish crimson was a departure from his usual flirty, form-fitting style, but the demure “boyfriend sweater” may have been a ruse disarm Aideen. He held his hands in the pockets in a would-be-casual slouch. Guess we won’t need to worry about making her believe he’s actually pregnant. Small miracles I guess. He ushered them inside and remembered to smile like he didn't know why his son was here in the first place. “Go on, don’t keep her waiting.”

“You were almost late! Come in and help me finish dinner.” Aideen's call from the kitchen interrupted the four's dawdling. Together they crossed threshold. Aideen was in the middle of her modern kitchen, all warm hardwoods and granite countertops. The Ninetales was still dressed for the office: blue skirted suit with pressed creases sharp enough to draw blood. She expertly flipped the contents of a wok with one hand over the stove that glowed golden with her fire.

Elan and Calig knew the routine and jumped to action without asking. They gathered materials to set the table, pour waters, and set up a plating area. Owyn glanced from Elan to Tyson to Aideen and back again, clearly on the back foot. “Uhhhh, what should I do?”

Aideen looked over her shoulder, and Tyson felt his hackles raise as the other Arcanine was brought eye-to-eye with the look that could see through solid lead. Tyson glanced away, doing his best to act like nothing was wrong. But to his relief Owyn seemed equal to whatever Aideen was dishing out tonight.

“So you’re the boys' new friend?" Aideen used her best hostess voice but Tyson detected a sharp hint of skepticism underneath. "Well, welcome. It’s Owyn, right? Elan told me. And you can call me Aideen here. The same goes for Tyson. Do you mind getting the rice ready?”

Owyn nodded gratefully before busying himself with the steaming rice cooker. He rooted around in the cupboards for a large ramekin without offering explanation. Once he procured the small bowl he scooped the rice until it was packed tight, then tapped it over a plate so that it fell in the very center as a packed cake. “Oh, uh, sorry,” said Owyn as Aideen gave him that appraising look again. “I, uh, I did time behind the line for a bit. I do that kinda stuff out of habit now.”

Aideen’s tails fritzed and her eyes darted from Owyn to Elan to Tyson in a green flash. “DID TIME?!”

“Chill out, Mom.” Elan rolled his eyes. “Can't you tell he's joking. You can ask Dad to break out the cuffs when the three of us are gone.”

“I think he’s just done kitchen work, lovely,” said Tyson placatingly but he shot Elan a warning glare. He hoped Aideen didn’t read too much into that… it wouldn’t do to have her start asking why Elan knew that particular detail of their marriage.

“Oh, right, ehr, I knew that,” said Aideen, trying to hide the flush in her cheeks behind her spoon.

Tyson tried not to look too interested as he watched his wife portion out bell peppers and beef over the rice. He didn't want to draw attention to her uncharacteristic lapse in poise. He had no idea if such a stumble boded good or ill. With everyone’s plate full they sat around the dining room table. It sat eight but somehow looked comically undersized with Owyn there. Elan tucked in immediately, but the others ate slowly while the silence swirled between them like miasma.

“So, boys, how’s school?” said Aideen. She picked up a single bell pepper with her chopsticks and eyed it shrewdly before biting. Tyson allowed himself a nervous glance to his son. Elan’s face was neutral, but his eyes were alert. Good. Stay on your toes, kiddo. There was a pause as they all chewed. Elan and Cal knew better than to talk with their mouths full.

“Midterms are over,” said Calig helpfully. “It was down to the wire a bit at the end. I’ve basically doubled my photography portfolio in three months. I thought everything I shot and edited in my senior year had me ahead of the game but anything I wanted to keep had to be touched up to reflect what I've learned this semester.”

“Sounds rough. What about you, Elan? Did you get through okay?” said Tyson sympathetically. He was stalling, and he knew it, but there wasn’t much he could do right now except lob a few softballs and hope it set a good tone.

“I, uh, I underestimated the scope of my project,” said Elan, sheepishly. “I kinda doubled the number of costumes I’d need to make to complete the assignment. Prof liked my effort, though! He was nice enough to give me an extension.”

“Don’t make a habit of it,” said Aideen coolly. “But it’s good that you stood out from the crowd. I hope you learned something about being overly ambitious.”

“Yeah,” said Elan, squirming under his mother’s gaze. Silence in the air. More chewing. Tyson watched as Aideen considered her food but he could see her eyes coming to rest on Owyn, who very unhelpfully hadn’t volunteered any details about his schooling. Tyson felt his heart sink into his stomach. Playtime is over.

“Owyn, you must be a senior. Did you take a gap year or,” Aideen trailed off in a would-be-casual way. Her conversational tone was belied by a hounding probe that could not be refused. Tyson had seen her do this exactly once, on a dinner meeting with a big account. She might as well have pinned his wrist to the table with a knife. Poor kid.

“Well, uh, I’m a grad student,” said Owyn nervously. It would’ve been funny to watch the big ‘Arc quiver under her gaze if the stakes tonight weren’t so high. The firedog bought himself some time by chewing his dinner, but Aideen’s focus was undeterred. “I’m studying to be a personal trainer, so that means I need more than a bachelor’s in kinesiology. I spent some time doing other work and training gigs on the side, but I need a proper degree if I want to do more than just independent coaching.”

“Interesting,” said Aideen, lingering over the word so that everyone could feel the ambient temperature drop by at least five degrees. “Does your field work with undergrads a lot then?”

Owyn’s umber mane stood on its end. Tyson knew that loook: the firedog smelled blood in the water. His blood. Owyn jerked his gaze to Elan and Calig beside him, desperate for an assist, but Cal shook his head. Tyson daren’t intervene and Owyn knew better than to look to him for help. The only thing left was Elan.

The Ninetales swallowed his most recent bite. He’d put away more than half of his bell peppers and beef already. He looked to Cal on his right, Owyn on his left, and finally huffed indignantly. “We’re dating, Mom. We met at the gym and. Now. We’re. Dating.”

Aideen’s eyebrows rose. That's a bold move, Kiddo, I hope to Arceus it pays off. Tyson tried to keep his rising sense of alarm from reaching his face. He reached for the part of himself where kept his rank and badge, but before he could muster so much as a “Hey now, you better watch your tone, kiddo” Aideen had pounced.

“Just how old are you, Owyn?” The question sounded so innocuous if not for Aideen's barely-contained growl. Her icy gaze whipped to Calig, diminishing the dark-type to the runty Houndour he had been before his junior year. “I’m surprised you’re okay with this, Calig. I suppose it’s nice that you’re still friends with Elan, bu—”

“Oh, I’m still datin’ Cal,” said Elan as he finished cleaning his plate. “Is there any more left?”

“I’ll get you some,” said Owyn as he scooted his chair back from the table.

“No, you stay.” It was not a request. “Dearest, will you grab Elan another plate?”

“Ehr, yes, Lovely,” said Tyson awkwardly. From the kitchen he could still see and hear everything. Once he was safely behind Aideen he looked at Elan and mouthed you’re in danger. His breath caught in his chest and he tried to quell any outward displays of anxiety as he added more rice, steak, and peppers to Elan’s plate. He didn’t bother with Owyn’s ramekin trick to make it look neat.

“Mom, it’s okay to date multiple people, you know,” said Elan, but his sass had left him. Good. At least he knows how to listen to me still. The ‘Nines placed both of his palms face up on the table and the other boys both took them. Elan’s hand looked comically small in Owyn’s, but the larger firedog’s touch was noticeably tender. “We’re queer, Mom. The rules are made up and the points don't matter. Especially for us. And at the end of the day me and Cal and Owyn are all consenting adults happily dating each other.”

Aideen opened her mouth to speak and then seemed to reconsider. She brought her fork to her mouth instead and seemed to linger over a particularly chewy chunk of steak. Tyson stepped in. He had a part to play here just as much as the boys. “Elan, how old is Owyn actually?”

“I’m twenty six,” shrugged Owyn, answering for Elan. There was an obstinacy behind the casual declaration of his age. Dammit I told him not to dig in his heels.

“Elan, do you really think that’s appropriate? I mean, Arceus, he’s almost seven years older than you! That’s nearly a third your age!” Aideen's tone lacked its authoritative blaze, much to Tyson's surprise. Motherly guilt wasn’t a tool in her arsenal she frequently used. Please let that be a good sign. Tyson placed the extra portion in front of Elan before returning to his seat next to his wife.

Elan sighed and shared a look with both Cal and Owyn. But it was the Arcanine who spoke. “You’re right, and normally I wouldn’t stick around a bunch of freshman, but this isn’t exactly normal circumstances.”

“Normal circumstances?! What in the world are your 'normal circumstances' anyway? Need I remind you you're admitting to dating kids who aren’t even in their twenties?!” Aideen’s nostrils flare dangerously in the face of Owyn's vaguery. Tyson saw gold flicker at the corner of her mouth and tensed. Elan recognized danger too: he opened his mouth to attempt to mitigate but Aideen slashed her hand through the air. “I know what you’re going to say, Elan. You’re legally an adult, but you’re still a college freshman. This man shouldn’t be putting his hands anywhere near you!”

Tyson and Elan shared a look. Words had become useless faster than either had planned. Forced into a corner, Elan did the only thing he could: he scooted back in his chair, stood, and unzipped his oversize hoodie. “Mom, I’m pregnant. And I don’t know who the father is.” He stood there and let Aideen stare at him in silence for what felt like minutes before finally returning to his seat.

“I— wha— Elan— is this some sort of—” Aideen was too busy picking her jaw off the dinner table to finish the sentence. Her eyes were zeroed in on Elan’s belly, bare beneath a strategically short crop top. Tyson bit his tongue but allowed himself a dim flame of hope. He couldn’t remember the last time Aideen was lost for words. He wanted to encourage Elan but was paralyzed by fear he'd let something slip to Aideen.

Cal knew his cue, thankfully, and stepped into the silence. “The binder, hon. Remember?”

Elan nodded and withdrew a pink three-ring binder from his backpack. He opened it to the first page and slid it across the table so Aideen and Tyson could both read. The diagrams that Doctor Larson had shown them all those weeks ago took up a full page next to a pamphlet about vestigial wombs. Aideen tore it from the folder pocket and read at lightning speed. “This looks… So this isn’t some elaborate joke you and Calig cooked up.”

“No, Mom,” said Elan. “It’s real.”

“We did the math with Doctor Larson when we first found out. It’s either me or Owyn,” said Calig.

“And that’s why I’m sticking around,” said Owyn. There was a steeliness to his voice, and he leaned in protectively over Elan. “I’m not exactly proud of the mess I made of things, but Elan chose to go through with everything so I’m doing my best to help him along the way.”

“Wait, you’re keeping them,” said Aideen, every follicle of her tails on end . “You can’t! You— but— School! Your future?! You can’t want to be a parent now?! Right?”

Tyson laid a hand on his wife’s and rumbled softly. “Let them finish, Lovely.” Aideen breathed in through her nose and began running one of her tails through her hands so the fur returned to its silken smoothness.

Elan flipped the pages of the binder with a tail of his own. He riffled passed the tab that had his medical information to the back. In one of the folder pockets was a picture of Felicity and Milo, looking well dressed, friendly, and distinctly normal at a friend's wedding or similar well-to-do function. On the opposite page was the first page of the contract detailing the surrogacy and the adoption. Tyson squeezed Aideen’s hand again, trying to keep her grounded, but his thoughts bored into Elan. C’mon Kiddo, show her you’ve got this.

“I know I’m not gonna be a good dad, at least not right now,” said Elan, soft but firm as he nudged the binder closer to Aideen. “But the doctor said terminations are pretty dangerous for cases like mine. He's a specialist and helped me figure out a prenatal care plan. After that I found a couple that can’t have kids. They wanna adopt and they’re gonna cover my healthcare and everything. It’s all in the binder.”

The entire room held their breath. Tyson was initially preoccupied with trying to look like he was reading too, but Aideen yanked the binder away. A tail pulled her reading glasses from her suit pocket as she read the thing, cover to cover, with all of her professional expertise. The men gathered ‘round the dinner table could only watch, plates forgotten in front of them as Aideen flipped through page after page after page. Her voice became more incredulous with each rustle of paper, but there were no longer flames licking the corners of her muzzle. “Elan you’re— you really are doing all these prenatal visits? And the contract?! Who wrote this? It’s… good. It’s almost perfect… You really—”

“I think he’s done everything he possibly could, Aideen,” said Tyson, softly. “How could he have known this could happen?”

Aideen blustered for a moment, but her gaze was fixed on Tyson. Does she know? Or have I just committed a mutiny? Tyson’s blue eyes were reflected in Aideen’s green, but for once he just couldn’t get a read on his wife. Finally, Aideen turned back to the boys across from her. “I—this is real, then— and you’re really going through with this Elan, I— we can support you through this too. We will support you— Y-You don’t need to do all this on your own anymore.” Tyson noticed Aideen’s gaze lingering shrewdly on Owyn. Evidently Owyn did too.

"What's that supposed to mean, Aideen?" said Owyn with ill-concealed venom. Tyson scrambled to find a way to signal to the boys to get back on track but couldn't think of anything while he was sitting so close to his wife.

"Nothing," said Aideen in a would-be calm voice. "I appreciate your effort to be in Elan's life since you got the news, but he never should have burdened yo—"

"Listen, I'm sure the 'concerned mom' routine works on Elan and Calig but you're gonna have to try a different tactic on me," glowered Owyn.

Aideen almost flinched, but even small shows of weakness were rare from her. "I'm not trying anything, I ju— You must have your own plans. Is looking after two college freshman really that important to you?"

"Maybe I don't want to be a deadbeat. Ever thought of that?" retorted Owyn. Tyson abandoned any plans at covert communication. He had been overtaken by the urge to dive for cover.

"But you said yourself that they might not be?" said Aideen, pressing heedlessly onward.

"Might, Aideen, might," growled Owyn, umber sparks licking at the corners of his muzzle. "Would you have rather I left Elan high and dry while he scrambled to find a landing pad for the little runts?"

"But you said you found par—"

"Aideen, we spent our entire first semester looking," said Calig. Tyson could practically see his corded arms tensing as he tried to reel Owyn back in. "Owyn had no idea when or if we'd figure out the adoption situation."

"And it just so happened that we found out we liked each other's company when he came over to help," Elan said earnestly.

"So he's been coming to your apartment too?" asked Aideen, disconcertingly shrill.

"Of course he is. I told you, we're dating" Elan said, beleaguered. "At first he'd come over to help us sort things out. You know, find an adoptive couple who'd take us. But then it sorta changed into just hanging out around each other."

"Aideen, I know this is a lot at once," Cal said diplomatically. "Owyn's really nice to be around. He takes Elan to doctors appointments. He's been cooking for us so that Elan is hitting all his prenatal nutritional goals. We wouldn't let him stay around with us if we thought he was sketchy."

"And who said you're a good judge of that?" Aideen snapped. Calig recoiled and so did Tyson. The 'Arc couldn't remembered the last time she'd lost her temper with Cal like that. "What on earth made you two think it was a good idea to get involved with som—"

"Someone like me?" interjected Owyn with a sneer. He put down his water glass with enough force to rattle the silverware.

"Yes, Owyn, someone like you. The way Elan and Calig talk it sounds like you practically live in their apartment_,_" accused Aideen. Cal and Elan shared a guilty glance that did not go unnoticed by Aideen.

"So he is living with you! I should call your campus and tell them there's an unauthori—"

"Don't, Mom," begged Elan, a little frantically.

"Look at this from my perspective, Elan," said Aideen, raising her voice a half-step.

"You didn't care that me and Cal moved in together," said Elan, arms crossed over his thin chest.

"Owyn and Cal aren't the same and you know it," snapped Aideen. "You and Cal were together for years. You can't have known this man for more than a month before you let him under your roof. You have no idea what he's cap—"

"What I'm capable of? What I'm capable of? That's rich," glowered Owyn. "I know what you think you see when you look at me. Why don't you say what you're too afraid to, Aideen?"

"What, dare I ask, do I see when I look at you, then?" hissed Aideen, deadly quiet.

Arceus, we're fully off the rails now. Tyson realized he'd poised his hands over his ears, just like the gun exercises they did back in his navy days. He pointedly put them flat on the table cloth but thankfully no one was paying him any attention. All eyes were on Owyn and Aideen. The vixen's indignant glare was reflected across the table with the ferocity of a flash over. Cal and Elan had withdrawn, unable to withstand the daggers thrown from Aideen's eyes.

"I'm not stupid, Aideen. You see a big, creepy older man who's swooped in and stolen your son's innocence. Hate to break it to you, honey, but you've got things all backwards." Owyn didn't raise his voice but he doled out his words with the force of a punch.

"What in the world does that even mean?" said Aideen, affronted. She spoke deliberately, struggling to maintain her composure. Tyson was the only person besides herself who recognized just how much Owyn's words had unsettled her. "Damn it, don't you see what this looks like? You're a stranger at my family dinner table, claiming that you're dating my son and his long-term boyfriend at the same time? And I'm supposed to be okay with this? To act like it's normal? Who are you, Owyn?"

Elan hesitantly re-entered the fray. "I told you, Mom, we met at the gym, remem—"

"Stop," Owyn interjected. His volume walked a knife-edge, threatening to shout with every syllable. "If mommy dearest wants my cards on the table, I'll lay'em all down.

"Tell me then," snarled Aideen. Her fingers hand curled around her chopsticks like a shiv.

Owyn met the challenge with a joyless sneer. "We met on a hookup app, Aideen."

"Owyn, really?! You don't gotta go into tho- EEK! -" Elan's protestations were interrupted by a bout of quickening. He curled up in his chair, clutching at the slight slope of his womb under his hoodie. Calig and Owyn leapt into action before Aideen or Tyson could leave their seats. They laid a hand protectively on either shoulder and murmured something that Tyson couldn't hear across the table. Elan mumbled something back and shook his head and Owyn passed him a glass of water.

"Let's try and to keep our voices down. It's bad for Elan and the kits," Calig said pointedly. Owyn accepted the admonishment with a huff and, thankfully, so did Aideen.

Tyson realized a second too late he was staring at Cal and wiped his face clean. His wife had grown to see Cal as part of the family in the nearly four years the and Elan had been together, but he hadn't expected she'd let herself be scolded by him. Small blessings. Let's not look gift Ponytas in the mouth right this second, shall we?

"You were saying," Aideen said, resorting to a dogged chill since she could no longer raise her voice.

"Why are we even playing coy about this? It's not like Elan's wearing the evidence between his hips or nothin'?" sighed Owyn. Elan buried his face in his hood at the remark and Owyn reached to pat his shoulder apologetically. "So, yeah, Aideen, Elan messaged me on a hookup app, to do things you do on a hookup app. And then weeks later I get a message from someone I never expected to hear from again to tell me I might be a dad. It's not like I was pleased or anything, but them's the breaks."

"But... they're nineteen," said Aideen fretfully.

"I thought you'd been around the block a bit more than that," Owyn shook his head wearily. "Hate to break it to you but specifics like that aren't exactly high on the list of conversations that goes on in those places. I always check to make sure the people messaging me are consenting adults and whether you like it or not Elan and Calig both are."

"But then why are you here? If it was a hookup you don't owe Elan anything," said Aideen.

"Y'know how I told you the 'concerned parent' schtick doesn't work on me? Maybe that's the reason why I don't wanna be a deadbeat, even on accident," shrugged Owyn. "How was I supposed to know that they'd even find adoptive parents? What if we looked for all nine months and then the kits would have no place to go?"

"But Elan, why didn't you come to us first? We could have helped. You didn't need to do this on your own," beseeched Aideen.

"Because he was trying to stop this fromhappening, Aideen," said Calig, an arm outstretched to protect both Elan and Owyn on either side.

_"_Cal's right," said Elan, looking harrowed. "I know this is a lot for you all at once, Mom. It was a lot for me too. But I didn't tell you because I wanted to make it less scary for you. I wanted to show you that I could get the situation under control and that you wouldn't have to fuss over me."

"Elan, I'm your mother! Why wouldn't I fuss?" sighed Aideen.

"I think this has turned into a bit more than a fuss," said Tyson. He tentatively put a hand on his wife's arm. She was still taught as drawn wire.

"I— It's jus— If he's not keeping the kits..." blustered Aideen, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

Elan's chair scraped as he moved next to Owyn. The 'Arc was so tall he could remain seated when Elan nuzzled against his mane. "Is it really that hard to believe the three of us love each other?"

Calig surprised everyone by reaching across the table and putting his hand on Aideen's. "I get it, Aideen. He's, like, seven feet tall and looks like he could crush Elan with one hand. But Owyn's not half as scary as your making him out to be. You gave me a chance, didn't you?" He flashed Aideen a toothy smile, the same Giritina-may-care grin worn by the runty Houndour when he first crossed their doorstep. Aideen smiled despite herself, and Tyson knew she was remembering how Cal was swamped in that too-big battle jacket, covered head-to-toe in rivets and punk patches.

"I-I... fine," Aideen deflated. "But Owyn, don't give the boys a cent if they ask you for money. They can come to me or Tyson if they need emergency funds. We meant it when we said we'd support him."

“_Thanks Mom,” he said. _Thank Arceus Elan had the sense to look abashed. The 'Nines returned to his seat. He huffed a gout of green flame over his fork after letting his plate sit for so long. When he finished chewing, he sent a tail to coil around both Owyn and Calig’s arms. “You know, Owyn’s not normally the type I’d go for, but I do actually like him. He's been good to me and Cal since we got stuck in this mess together. Don’t try to convince me to dump him.”

“Elan what makes you think I’d say something like that,” blustered Aideen. “Eat, Elan! I can’t believe you’re eating for four now!”

“Yeah, it’s pretty wild,” said Elan sheepishly. “Hey, Mom, can we meet for lunch sometime? There’s some stuff I wanna ask you about, you know… just us.”

The night resolved into an uneasy détente that lost tension through dessert. Tyson made a feeble attempt at bringing out a deck of cards, but the tradition of euchre after dinner seemed foolishly optimistic. Maybe that’s for the best. It took Aideen a while to adjust to Cal back in the day. At least Owyn had enough sense to offer to help with the dishes. Once Aideen waved the boys out the door Tyson grabbed the french press and began to put hot water on.

“No coffee tonight, Dearest. It is not that kind of night.” Aideen’s sudden reappearance in the kitchen made Tyson jump. She had a bottle in her hands and two glasses. There was a drag to her voice that made his ears stand on alert. She poured the red wine for each of them and Tyson’s nose filled with smokey tannins and stone fruit. He took his glass and followed Aideen to the living room. She slumped into the easy chair, so he decided to perch on one of the arm rests instead of taking the couch. Aideen took a heavy swig of wine but did trill softly when Tyson rubbed her shoulders. “Ty, why does he tell you all his secrets first?”

Tyson sat stunned. Of all the questions he’d prepared for… “I think you overestimate how many secrets Elan tells me, Aideen.” He did his best to sound consoling, but it came out more like a whing.

“You knew about him and Cal for months, didn't you?” said Aideen. To Tyson’s alarm she didn’t sound annoyed or accusatory, but despondent. “And you clearly helped him prepare for… all this. Why does he trust you so much more than me? Am I doing something wrong?”

“You’re not doing anything wrong,” said Tyson immediately. He huffed a tiny tongue of blue flame as rubbed at his wife’s shoulder. “I think I’m just unlucky. Or very lucky, I’m not sure which.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have I ever told you how I found out Cal and Elan were together?”

“No?”

“I walked in on Elan with his snout between Cal’s legs,” said Tyson conspiratorially.

Aideen gagged on her wine and forced herself to swallow. “Wait, that’s how you found out?!”

“Yup. I was scheduled wrong that day. Thought I was working a double but ended up going home early. I heard a noise in the den when I got through the door and BAM! There they were: clothes-off on the carpet.”

“Is that why there’s a weird spot on the rug in there," grumbled Aideen. She poured herself a second glass and drained half of it in a single swig.

“No, that was me,” said Tyson as his ears wilted a little. “I spilled a beer there a few years ago. Cleaned it up best I could but I had hoped you wouldn’t notice.”

“Bad dog,” Aideen scoffed. She flicked Tyson playfully on the nose. Her mirth was short lived as she returned her attention to the wine swirling in her glass. “So if you knew, why didn’t you give him the talk?”

Tyson sighed. “I did, Aideen, but I didn’t think that, well... I didn’t think that was ever on the table! But I sat down with him a few days later. Told him that we loved him, that he could tell us he liked boys when he was ready. Bought him some condoms and told him to be safe.”

“Wish he’d used them,” said Aideen darkly.

Tyson sighed and rubbed her shoulders a little harder. “I think he does, unless it’s with his steady partners. He’d have had no idea that this could ever happen, same as us. Be fair to the kid.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” grumbled Aideen, finishing her wine. “But that talk you gave him back in the day… was that why he told you first?”

“No,” said Tyson, but then he hesitated. This was his part to play now. The lie. Don’t act like you’ve not gotten any practice lying to your wife. “I overheard him and Cal talking about things at the health center one day. Just on my rounds, you know? I tried to act like I didn’t hear, but he knew I knew. So later that night I texted him after my shift and he called me up to spill the beans.”

“But he told you to keep it quiet from me.” It wasn’t a question.

“Of course he did, Lovely,” said Tyson sympathetically. “He literally stepped his foot out our door and a month later his whole life is upside down. He was terrified he’d ruined his future. He didn’t know shit about shit when it came to adoption or surrogacy or even how to find a specialist doctor when this happened. But he wanted to show you he could fix his own messes.”

“So how much did you help him with?” said Aideen. She contemplated a third glass but instead picked up the binder that Elan had left with her and paged through it. “Doctors, insurance, all the adoption papers… forty thousand dollars?!”

“That was all the kiddo for the most part,” said Tyson, welcoming his return to the truth. “I was there for moral support when I could manage and I did a background check on the couple who were interested in adopting from him. But he did all the legwork and asked all the hard questions. He even told me how he confronted Owyn and convinced him to help out since it was likely he was the father.”

“Did you talk to him about that too? About seeing lots of people at once,” said Aideen. There was a sudden force to her curiosity, and Tyson's stomach plummeted.

Am I gonna cock this up after they'd all escaped dinner unscathed?! Fuck!

“It uh… it sorta came with the territory. He was upset and I think he couldn't stop himself from rambling. He was a little ashamed, actually, that he didn’t know who the father was.” Tyson felt a surge of relief in him as he saw Aideen’s zero in on her son’s emotional state rather than Tyson’s intimate knowledge of Elan’s sex life. “He insisted that it wasn't cheating. He was clear that him and Cal weren't ashamed about the sleeping around part.”

“Does it bug you that he’s acting like… like a bit of a… a slut?” Aideen’s last words were whispered.

“I think he’d thank you for the compliment if he heard you say that!” Tyson’s booming bark of a laugh lit up their dusky living room. Aideen cocked her head and he pat her gently on the shoulder. “These kids are in a different world from us, Aideen. I think the smartest thing the Kiddo said tonight was ‘the rules are all made up.’ And they are consenting adults. If they’re both happy with the arrangements I don’t think it’s a problem. Honestly he’s taken all this in his stride. I’m a little proud of the kit, actually.”

“I sure hope it doesn’t go to his head. He was sassy with us today.” Aideen’s tail swished pleasantly, but she was still frowning. “I just don’t want him to try to do this again. I don’t want him to see that money and think he can drop out or—”

“Just wait until he has to pop them out,” said Tyson.

Aideen winced sympathetically. "I hadn't even thought about that part. I, uh... let's put a pin in that for tonight."

“I think that’ll influence his decisions for the future pretty good." A ghost of a smile crept on Tyson's face. "And as for talking back, well, maybe I’ll remind him we’re still his mom and pop when he’s not in front of his boyfriends.”

Aideen snorted and they sat comfortably together for a while. She placed a hand over her abdomen and hummed softly. “Tyson, do you regret that I got my tubes tied after Elan?”

Tyson blinked, nonplussed. “It’s not really my job to have an opinion on your body, Lovely. The only time I care to comment on that subject is anytime you’re looking especially beautiful.”

“Oh you stop it, I’m being serious,” scoffed Aideen. She punched Tyson in the thigh. “Do you ever wish Elan could’ve gotten a little sibling?”

Tyson shrugged. “When, though? There was never a good time for another. Hell, there was never really that good a time for Elan. I’m just happy the kiddo’s turning out okay, you know?”

“I suppose you’re right. You think we did a good job with him?” Aideen said. There was a pleading to her voice, the kind that made Tyson feel like he was a kid back in confessional.

“I think we did a great job. Despite where he is right now, he’s happy. His grades are up and he has two partners who care a lot about him.” Tyson saw that Aideen was going to protest and he pushed gently ahead. “I'm not exactly enthused that he’s involved with Owyn, Lovely. But I’ve also talked with him a bit more and I absolutely would’ve chased him off if I thought he wasn’t genuinely trying to help Elan through all this.”

“I wasn’t— I’ll take your word for it dearest. Maybe he’ll grow on me too… It’s just… I don’t like to think about that giant man and my little kit. I…” Aideen trailed off, frowning.

“C’mon, Aideen, how many times did your ‘ol man threaten to shoot me when I came off base to visit,” said Tyson, warm and nostalgic. He finished his own wine and put his glass to rest next to the bottle on the coffee table.

“I can’t believe in nearly three years he only blew one hole in the wall,” said Aideen, somewhere between wistful and bitter. “Guess Elan wasn’t much different from us in college, huh?”

“Guess not,” Tyson grinned wryly.

“Speaking of,” said Aideen with a sudden purr to her. “What do you think Elan meant when he told you to put the handcuffs away?”

“Haven’t the foggiest, Lovely,” said Tyson with a squeeze of her shoulder. He slid his hand down to his wife’s blouse and teased her breast.

“Meet you upstairs. And put on your uniform,” winked Aideen.

“Yes ma’am,” said Tyson, tail wagging. He slid off the couch and went to the basement gym where he’d left his work bag. He pulled on the blues and then, after some hesitation, affixed the ostentatious brass badge to his chest. He trotted up to the master bedroom but Aideen was busy touching up. He sprawled atop the dark amber bedspread and nested his head in his hands, content to listen to the bustle coming from behind the bathroom door. The sliding door rumbled open and his ears perked.

“Oh officer, I swear I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Aideen in her most seductive trill. She moved with a swerve so that a very particular green dress swished over curves that she’d worked meticulously to maintain for the nearly thirty years they’d been together. She had accentuated the vibrant dress with smoky eyes and lipstick. The flecks of gold glimmered on her cheeks added a sparkle to the black.

“You better think fast, little girl,” growled Tyson, tail going into overdrive beneath his conspicuously tented uniform. “You’re coming into the station with me unless we… work something out.”

“Oh, that's cute,” said Aideen. She slowly crawled up the bed, tails swishing. Her hands glided over the Arcanine’s thighs so that a finger might tease his bulge. Tyson leaned back into the bed, his arms still behind his head as he reflected the hunger in Aideen’s eyes back at her. She was close now. Her hands raked over the firedogs flexing musculature. The scent of sweet ginger and peaches were overwhelmed Tyson’s sensitive canine nose! “We’re not going anywhere, _ officer _.”

Tyson felt metal, made warm from Aideen's hands, fasten around his wrists with a click. A chain rattled against a slat in the headboard. He jangled it experimentally, head tilted as he let out a quizzical “Awroo?”

Aideen’s whiskers tickled one of Tyson’s ears. “Do you like it, Dearest?”

“You’re blowing my _ mind, _ Lovely. Safeword is ‘diploma.’”

“So… Officer Ardor, still think you’re bringing me in?” whispered Aideen. Her gold-flecked nails tore at the buttons on his uniform with such ferocity that Tyson heard one of them plink against the bedpost. The cream fluff of Tyson’s mane sprung free followed by the chiseled black fur of his abs. Tyson's quip was forced back into his throat by Aideen's kiss. He tasted her sultry heat, the embrace of sweet and spice, and when the ‘Nines pulled back for breath a bridge of saliva hung heavy between their lips.

"Shoulda called for backup," panted Tyson.

“Don't tempt me," simpered Aideen. "So, officer, what kind of heat does your department let you pack? Just got a little popgun stuck in that holster of yours?”

“That’s cute,” grunted Tyson, only aware of the tightness between his legs when his wife mentioned it. “You think I’m only cleared for standard-issue, don’t you?”

“Show me then,” purred Aideen, wetting her lips. She tugged at the denim and boxers underneath, freeing Tyson’s burgeoning sheath. The musk of grass and sulfur mingled with the peaches in the air. Red flesh glistened in the low light as his wife’s lips dipped low.

Tyson’s grunts were much less dignified than when he was with Elan. Machismo never counted for much with Aideen anyway, especially not with her center tail swishing back and forth in time with her bobbing head. He plumped out of his sheath and into his wife’s hungry embrace. “Oh man, you must get up to - PANT - a loooot of nonsense to be this good, little girl.”

Aideen let Tyson fall from her mouth with a giggle. He was fully out of his sheath but not completely hard, so that he laid wet and heavy over her snout. “Whaaaateeeever do you mean, officer.” She licked her lips and came back in from the side, working up and down the shaft till Tyson’s knot began to form.

“So, ya like my magnum little girl?” huffed Tyson. He flexed his wrists against the cuffs, grateful the voluminous fuzz on his wrists kept them from being uncomfortable. Arceus! She knew how to push his buttons! He was already fighting the urge to buck his hips. "Didn't your Daddy ever tell you not to play with guns?"

"My Daddy taught me how to fucking shoot, " Aideen snarled. She curled a fist around the base of Tyson's cock where his sheath met his knot. He mewled and spattered her wrist with his precum. She dragged a single finger over the wet spot on her fur and brought it to her lips. When she tasted him, she winked and flashed him a fangy smile.

"Yes, ma'am," huffed Tyson.

“Keep your safety on, Captain, I’m not close to finished with you,” purred Aideen. She sqeezed him again and the cuffs jangled. “You’re done when I say you’re done and you cum when I say you cum.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tyson gulped, his voice meek.

Aideen slung herself low slithered up her husband’s body. Her tails tugged at his uniform with a recklessness that left seems popped. His clothes were strewn about him in a nest of fabric, his own abundant fluff, and his wife's caressing tails. Then she straddled him and all Tyson could see was the green of her dress. “Hope you’re thirsty, officer.”

"Thirsty, huh?" Tyson was an inch away from her… The green of the dress had faded from age so that it was becoming translucent, but that was part of the appeal. The black lace of her panties had already darkened. She was so plump, fragrant, abundant with that flame that first caught his eye so long ago. The 'Arc licked his lips. He tried to lean closer, but couldn’t. For the first time the cuffs actually made him feel restrained. He growled, barely coherent! “I’m parched, miss…”

Slender hands laid upon his cheek. A golden spark skipped over cream-colored fingers and stripes of black and orange. And then the ‘Arcs muzzle was flung forward, blessedly under the hem of the dress, held against her tender flesh by a ferocious grip. The black lace was a feeble barrier and did nothing to stop Tyson’s tongue from dragging over the outline of her spade. The pattern in the fabric grated against his tongue, against her flesh, a delicate texture that made the ‘Nines shudder with every stroke.

A quaver, a crackle, a jolt of sculpted hips. That fruited scent washed over Tyson when rivulets of Aideen’s pleasure trickled down his nose. Her taste was abundant on his tongue but it did nothing to slake his thirst, as if every second he wasn’t servicing her left him in desolation! Her fist clenched his mane, pressing him closer, closer, closer! Her ecstasy rained over them both as a shower of shining embers with every shudder and exhalation. “Goooooood… good booooy…”

Tyson’s face, still crumpled between Aideen’s legs, broke into a crooked smile. His tail was tried to wag but was swamped in the tangle of Aideen’s nest. He worked his tongue this way and that, and then lunged against his restraints with a force that jolted the bed. Aideen curled over Tyson, her breasts pressing softly against the top of his head as she scrabbled to keep claim to her throne. Tyson had what he wanted: he'd hooked one of his fangson the thin strap of her thong. He wrenched so fibrous lace no longer stood between greedy tongue and heaving lips.

“Those were expensive, mongrel. You’ll pay for that,” snarled Aideen, but her swishing tails belied her excitement. “Keep going!”

Tyson obliged, dipping between his Lovely’s legs again and again. He caressed the outer ridges of her spade whenever he scented so much of a drop escaping them. When he'd exhausted her nectar he’d plunge deep into her, ravenous, rapturous! Aideen’s tails slithered around the arms still chained to the bed and over his crotch, swathing him in her silken web. He was close! Fuck he was so CLOSE! Every twitch bounced his cock in the open air, striping his wife's back with his precum. His balls ached with every tug against his taint. “S-so close, Lovey!”

“Did I say ‘cum,’ officer?” growled Aideen, fangs shining, voice thrilling as Tyson danced like one of her golden sparks in her palm.

“N-no m-mistress,” panted Tyson, ravishing her between every word and breath.

“That’s what I fuckin’ thought! I want you ripe and needy so the whooooole precinct sees the pups I fucked out of you!” Aideen pushed away from Tyson. The blaze behind her eyes forced a howl from the firedog's heaving chest; a warbling croon to the winter moon. It was a call of worship, of supplication, of the inadiquacy of words and their feeble attempts to describe the fire his wife lit within him. Her muzzle dipped to meet his. She sought to taste herself on his lips, on his thrashing tongue.

“Now… you’re going to be a father, officer!”

Tyson’s breath caught in his chest before he could so much as beg. He knew this embrace, this warmth. Its familiarity made it no less exquisite. Perhaps some years ago that wasn’t true, but since… everything… there was nothing quite like her. There would never be anything like her. Aideen lowered herself over him and he fought against his own jolting muscles so that he would not unseat her. He was twitching-pulsing inside of her, against her walls, his knot pushing insistently against the outer edge of her cookie aching for the tie! “Miss- PANT! -m-mistress I’m begging you!”

“_ Don’t you dare _ ! I want every _ drop _ of you, officer,” snarled Aideen. She rolled her hips, rising, falling, grinding! Her pussy clamored at her husband’s cock, drinking of him just as he had of her. Spasms disrupted her relentless tempo, but Aideen gritt her teeth and clung tighter to Tyson’s mane. Nothing as powerless as carnal instinct would deprive her of what was rightfully hers. Tyson was reduced to writhing and groaning beneath her. They both teetered over the precipice.

“I want twins! I want triplets! I want a whole damned litter out of you so the whole precinct knows you knocked up some poor little girl!” Aideen’s words washed over him, the only thing they could cling to in their struggle to delay the inevitable.

“FUCK! Y-YES MISTRE-FU-FUUUUUUUUCK!” Tyson’s toes curled so tight his toeclaws caught on the fabric!

“CUM, DOG! KNOCK ME UP YOU FUCKING PI-AAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHH!” Aideen sank over Tyson's knot, her updo of alabaster falling about her shoulders! Her silken embrace flexed in time with the throb that ran up cock. Aideen clawed over her abdomen, leaving wisps of gold in the furrows of fur and green fabric. Her palms pressed into the bulge in her abdomen where Tyson’s cocktip throbbed underneath! Every flex, every pulse, every heavy spurt that filled her insides was shared between them! Their bedroom gave way to a rising fire that away all perception, even time, and left them entwined in incandecence.

Tyson blinked without seeing. Nothing before him but verdant fields and alabaster fur. He yearned to reach out and caress the pillowey breasts that were smushed against him but was foiled by the cuffs. He settled for a kiss, shaky but soothing and ever so tender. He felt something warmer than even his wife and slosh swollen against his abs. His cock twitched violently inside her and he felt that warmth between them grow infinitesimally heavier. Tyson’s tail resumed wagging, swishing languidly as if he were worn out after a double shift.

“Ho-hoooooly shit, Lovely,” murmured the Arcanine. He tried to squint Aideen into focus but that only made his head spin even worse.

“What’ll the boys back at HQ say when they see me full of your kits, huh?” Aideen maintained her sultry purr even through her ragged breathing. She blew a puff of air from her snout so that the locks strewn over her face no longer obstructed her view. She blinked from beneath the tangle, her smile was more brilliant than any flame.

“Slap my ass in the locker room, maybe?” said Tyson with a cocksure glimmer in his blue eyes. “Maybe ask me for some ‘help’ when their wife starts hounding them to have another kid.”

It was this that finally made Aideen break the scene. “Wha- oh fuck that’s criminally hot! I— I mean, uh…”

"If being your stud is a crime, take me to jail," winked Tyson.

“That’s not bad, right? I’m not being too much?” Aideen trailed off, recoiling from her own excitement. One of her tailtips fiddled with the wedding band on Tyson’s finger.

Unable to cradle her cheek, Tyson kissed his wife on the lips. He got a mouthful of hair and he resisted the instinct to spit. He didn't want to ruin the moment. “You’re never too much for me, Lovely.”

"Love you, Dearest.”

“Love you too… You were amazing, sweet.”

They sighed, bound together by the pleasure still pulsing sleepily between their legs. Their heartbeats thumped against the other's chest, their breaths had into sync without either realizing it. Tyson’s afterglow was disturbed by a pinching cramp in his arm. A thought struggled to penetrate the afterglow.

“Aideen, Lovely… when you borrowed my cuffs, did you take the key off my belt?”

“I, uh, what key?” said Aideen guiltily. Tyson sighed resignedly. Aideen shifted to dismount him, but the knot insisted she make other plans. She flopped back over him and nuzzled him apologetically. “Sorry, love.”

“Nothin’ to worry ‘bout, hon. Just grab me a Tylenol when you do come back, okay?”