FSE

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Core's manager causes his life to spin out of control.

Core's Opportunity--Chapter 6

By Zmeydros (aka Lucien Quinn)

Once Core's back in his apartment, his mind goes back to his kiss with Millie. He growls and clenches his fist when he starts feeling himself get aroused again. This is torture! It's not her fault, he's the one that agreed to meet her. As the conflict within him rages once again, a tear falls down his cheek.

He lies on the couch feeling aroused, frustrated, and lost. Whimpering from the angst he feels, his resolve solidifies into a heavy boulder of will. Fuck this. From this moment forward, he's not going to whimper or feel sorry for himself. Millie is not the way to the future he wants. A mate or coupling of any kind may be outside of his ability to withstand. He just isn't ready to deal with his inner demons and no amount of sadness or rage will fix that.

When his mind goes back to Millie calling the locksmith, he growls and grabs his homework. He forces himself to work on math problems. Each time Millie comes back into his mind, he resists. Eventually, he's doing homework and not thinking about her at all.

After three weeks of his conscious effort to forget about Millie and her crew, he has stopped thinking about them almost completely. Millie's crew is so polite when they are in the coffee shop that he treats them like any other customer. The only difference is that Victoria manages to get a short hug every night she's there before she leaves.

He finds himself looking forward to hugging her each night she's there and somehow manages to ignore his attraction to her. In fact he nearly manages to ignore sex altogether. Whenever he feels aroused at home, he just plays Minecraft or does homework, and when he's at work he just cleans something and thinks about what he wants to do when he gets home.

This all leads him to become obsessed with Minecraft and actually be ahead on his studies. He hasn't even spent much time with his friends. If someone were to look at the way he spent his days and nights, they might say that he had no life, but he doesn't mind because he feels safe. Well, he feels safe until near the end of the third week.

Three weeks and three days after he started ignoring his sexual side, he is lying on his couch staring at the ceiling while listening to some soap opera he doesn't even know the name of. He doesn't feel like doing anything. It's scorching hot outside, he's burnt out on Minecraft, he's done with the couple other computer games he could afford and he's ahead in both of his summer classes.

What's the point of his life? He can't really share it with anyone, he hates his job, he doesn't want people to see his apartment full of mismatched half-broken furniture and he can't even go outside. Fall is still over a month away. He's sick of hanging out with his friends and listening to them talk about sex and their girlfriends. He doesn't feel like doing anything. Not even eating or watching TV. He looks at the clock knowing it's nearly time to go to work.

He's got a six-til-close shift tonight and it's 5:38 in the evening. Getting off the couch, he straightens his work clothes that he put on out of boredom over an hour ago. He walks up to the door and puts on his shoes and then walks out of his apartment and locks the door.

The time until he walks into the coffee shop passes without him noticing. When he walks into work, he hears the co-worker that he's supposed to relieve say something he doesn't pay attention. After his co-worker leaves, he realizes he didn't even know which co-worker it was. Nothing seems worth paying attention to.

Hours of his shift pass with him staring blankly when he's not required to do something. He briefly notices Victoria hugging him and then he goes back to staring off into the distance while feeling empty. Just a couple minutes after she leaves, he hears a car pull up and turns to look outside. It's his boss's red Pontiac Grand Prix.

He immediately starts cleaning and getting ready to close the store. By the time Rudy gets to the door, he's cleaned four tables. When his boss gets inside, he acts like he didn't even notice him enter and continues cleaning tables. He's so busy not looking at his boss that he doesn't notice him walk up behind him. While Core is bent over a table, reaching across it to clean the opposite side, he hears a noise he's never heard Rudy make: a soft murr.

A chill runs down Core's spine that causes his tail to curl. He desperately hopes that he's imagining what he just heard as he wipes the last corner. Maybe someone other than Rudy walked up behind him, maybe Victoria came back or something. It sounded a lot like Rudy's raspy voice making a sound that he was hoping to never hear Rudy make, though. Slowly, he stands up and looks behind him. When he see's that it's Rudy, his tail curls even more.

Rudy takes the cleaning rag out of Core's hand and dips it in the bucket of table wash mixture. He slowly wrings it out while smiling at Core. "I've been watching you these last few months. You've been focused and very good with our customers. I'll get the shop ready for close, you just make yourself your favorite drink and have it for free while you wait for me to finish."

Something about this situation has Core wanting to run for his life. Rudy has either been replaced by an alien who really likes him or--he shivers unable to finish the thought. He can't even put into words what he's thinking because he's not sure what Rudy's intentions are. All he knows is that he feels like something terrible is about to happen. He better make some sort of excuse to get out of here... "It's great that you came in early, but I should really use that time to study for a quiz I have tomorrow."

A frown appears on Rudy's face for a tiny fraction of a second before it twists into a sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh, please stay, I have something wonderful planned." He points to a brown paper grocery bag he set near the counter. "I promise you'll like it."

The feeling that this is all wrong causes Core's heart to race. "Can't it wait until I don't have a quiz the next day?"

"Get your f--drink and wait." Rudy says sharply before putting on his terrible smile again. "Trust me, you'll like it."

The phrase "trust me" coming from Rudy is like the phrase "more taxes, please" coming from the mouth of a corporate spokesperson. Seeing the intensity in Rudy's eyes, Core decides that crossing him would be a very bad idea right now. Core needs this job and who knows, maybe Rudy has actually decided to be nice to him for a change.

Core obediently walks behind the counter and starts making an orange smoothie. One thing he likes about working here is that the orange smoothies taste almost like ones from Orange Julius. He watches Rudy work while he makes his drink. Rudy's pudgy body moves with surprising quickness as he cleans the rest of the tables.

When Core's done making his drink, he sees that Rudy has finished the last table and is walking up toward the front. He looks at Core and smiles after he's behind the counter. "Looks like you already cleaned the espresso machine. I'll just wipe off the counter and then we can talk."

Core looks at the espresso machine blankly, realizing that he must have cleaned it while he was zoned out. He doesn't say anything to Rudy and tries hard to enjoy his drink despite the very odd vibes he's getting from Rudy. It's odd that Rudy didn't mention cleaning the bathrooms or mopping the floor around the counter. Maybe he's not going to make him wait through all that, and do it after he lets Core leave?

As Rudy finishes, his smile gets bigger and bigger. He must really be looking forward to whatever he's got planned. Rudy washes his hands and then dries them before going over to his bag and pulling out some candles. "I'll do the rest of the cleanup and let you go after we're done."

Finishing his drink, Core watches in almost complete disbelief as Rudy sets six candles on the counter and lights them. When Rudy pulls out two goblets and dims the lights, Core's tail goes between his legs and his ears fold down. As Rudy pulls out a bottle of Champagne, Core starts moving toward the door.

Rudy looks at him and frowns. "Don't be nervous; this is going to be the best night of your life."

The best night of Rudy's life, maybe. This is wrong. The fact that Core cannot afford to lose this job is the only thing keeping him in the shop. "So, what are the candles for?"

"Mood lighting, my dear employee. I planned a romantic evening just for us." Rudy says, smiling creepily, showing his dark yellow, cavity-infested teeth.

"R-romantic?" Core can barely say the word.

Rudy nods. "Yep, my boyfriend of three years dumped me about a month ago and I've been interested in your hot ass ever since you started working here. I've seen you eyeing attractive men from time to time, so I know you swing the same way I do." He pours two glasses of champaign.

The smell of alcohol causes Core's nose to wrinkle. Rudy must have lost his mind. They are over twenty years apart in age and he hates being in the same room as Rudy. He has no idea what to say. When he even tries to think about the concept of him and Rudy being intimate, his stomach turns.

Handing a half-full glass to Core, Rudy says, "You've seemed a bit nervous and depressed lately; I figure you could use a good screw and I'm very good at being a top." Rudy's paw reaches for the button above Core's tail.

Core immediately steps to the side and sets down his glass. "No," is all Core can manage to say.

"I was hoping you wouldn't turn me down right away." Rudy's creepy smile gets a lot smaller and then turns into a confident grin. "Guess I'll have to try a different angle... You can't survive without this job, can you?"

Fear freezes Core in place. How can he do this to him? What has he done to deserve this? Threatening his job to get him to accept unwanted sex? Rage starts to thaw Core out. "That's illegal."

Rudy deftly reaches into Core's pocket and before Can grab his arm, he pulls Core's keys out. Looking even more confident than before, Rudy says, "So is giving someone a key to the front door. I noticed that 'ACE' isn't embossed on your new key the last time I stayed with you till close."

"But, I didn't give anyone a key." Core says quietly.

"You expect the judge to just believe you?" Rudy shakes his head. "Planning a break-in is a serious offense."

"But I'm not! I broke it off in the door and had to get a locksmith. I have witnesses!" Core almost yells.

"Do you have the money to get a lawyer as good as my friend who went to Princeton?" A chuckle comes from Rudy. "I know you don't because I'm the one who pays you. Don't ever forget that."

With his eyes bulging and his breaths coming in short pants, Core feels dizzy. A memory of Rudy's friend comes into mind. A tall lion who dresses like he's going to a board meeting every day. Core remembers Rudy bragging about how that lion helped him start his business. It's not a bluff. Core doesn't know any lawyers and he has no idea how to represent himself in court.

"So, let's make a deal. I won't file charges, if you don't." Rudy waits for Core to say something, and nods when Core stays silent. "Good, I see you understand your situation. Now, you have two choices." Rudy unbuttons his pants. "I think you know what they are."

As one of Rudy's hands grabs Core's ass, Core fills with rage. He grits his teeth so hard that they crunch against each other. Get fired, or get fucked and end up giving his secret away to Rudy. Core growls and grabs his glass of champagne before sending its contents at Rudy's face. "Fuck you and this job!"

While Rudy sputters, he grabs his keys out of Rudy's paw and runs toward the door. Just before he leaves the shop, he stops and gets the coffee shop key off his key ring.

"You'll come CRAWLING back like the submissive bitch you are! You can't survive without this job!" Rudy points with a pudgy finger while his face is twisted with rage.

"I'd rather be homeless than work for you!" Core throws the key at Rudy and is out the door before the key hits the ground. He drives home, barely able to see through his tears. Fucking Rudy, now he's got to look for a job in when he was technically fired and he can't use Rudy as a reference.

When Core gets home, he collapses onto his couch and cries as he thinks about how hard it was to get the job he just had. If he had known what Rudy was really like, he might have kept looking. Rudy, the fat, raunchy, and seemingly friendly ferret. He was so kind in the interview and Core was so in need of a job that he overlooked Rudy's other qualities. Some people are just too good at putting on a false face.

When he's all cried out, he just feels depressed and tired. He slowly gets ready for bed and then falls asleep just after his head hits the pillow. The next morning, he starts his job search. He's lucky that he's ahead in his classes because he can put all his energy into finding a job.

A month passes and in that time his rent, car insurance, internet, cellphone and electric bills become due. Paying his rent, phone bill, and car insurance leaves him with six dollars and seventy-seven cents to his name. Car repairs due to him hitting a bad pothole already drained most of his savings this summer. He even sold a bunch of his stuff to pay for some of the bills.

It's a Tuesday and he's sitting in his unbearably hot apartment holding his electric bill. The entire day was spent outside going from business to business filling out applications. After being in the sun all day and feeling like he was being cooked alive, he has come home to his oven-like third floor apartment. This is the first day he's spent without power and it's the hottest yet this month. No matter how much he stares at his electric bill, he cannot think of a way to get it paid.

He hasn't been able to pay for his gym visits, but he hasn't had enough food, so at least he's still skinny. Being skinny doesn't help when he has no air conditioning during a seemingly endless heat wave. He lost power at noon yesterday and he slept terribly in the heat.

His arctic heritage gives him a beautiful coat, but during the summer, he feels like he's been cursed. Cursed would describe his current situation very well, actually. Even though he's called back to check on the jobs he applied for, none of them have returned his calls. It doesn't help that he couldn't budget any money for laundry. The money he still has must go toward buying food to supplement what he's been picking up at the food shelf, and some toothpaste.

He starts panting once again in the heat; his worrying about his financial situation is all it took to make the heat that much more unbearable. His paws shake as he looks at the electric bill. Then tears form at the corners of his eyes. Just as he starts to cry once again, something unexpected happens. Rage explodes within him, causing his paws to tighten and his lips to curl back.

"FUCK THIS!" He tears the bill in half. He's cried more than enough, he's had more than his fair share of pain. Hasn't he had enough suffering for one lifetime? Growling, he tips his coffee table over, sending the DVD cases, that no one wanted to buy off of Craigslist, flying into the TV stand that no longer has a TV on it.

He punches the couch and then tips over an end table. After that, he doesn't feel any better. Looking around the room, his eyes zero in on his white flaking bookshelf. Oh how much he hates cleaning up after it. Walking over to the bookshelf, he balls up a fist, feeling his nails poke painfully at his paw pads. He's so mad that he almost doesn't notice the heat.

His heart pounds in his ears as he picks up speed and kicks the bookshelf. The cheap wood cracks easily and the whole shelf topples, sending books everywhere. Something behind the bookshelf catches his eyes--Millie's business card. He picks it up and prepares to tear it. She did him no good in the end, even her helping him with the locksmith. It's too bad he found this card because he almost forgot about her completely.

As he starts to rip it in half, he feels a pain in his chest. Anxiety so powerful that he can't even move. He can see her face, her beautiful body, the way she walked. He can hear her deep sultry voice and smell her... She could save him. Her offer is probably still good. Stripping in an air conditioned building has to be better than being unemployed and in this crock pot of an apartment. He looks at his dirty clothes. No one would want him now. He's just fooling himself.

Once again he tries to tear the card, and once again he fails. This is his one chance. All she can say is no. He has nothing to lose.

Putting Millie's card in his pocket, he grabs his keys and heads out the door. When he's in his car, he starts it up and frowns at the fact that he's running on empty. He hopes he can make it there on this tank because if this doesn't work, he needs every last bit of money he has.

He arrives at the club and the moment he gets out of his car, he sees someone he never wanted to see again. Rudy is out front smoking a cigar. He tries to ignore Rudy as he walks up to the door. That fat ferret won't stop him from going in.

Before he can even talk to the bouncer, Rudy walks up to him. "I have a proposition for you. Looks like you need a good proposition about now. Not even sure they'll let you in there looking like that."

Core's fear about how dirty his clothes are hits him with full force and his ears fold down. Maybe Rudy is going to make it up to him somehow. Maybe he doesn't have to get Millie's help. "What is it?"

Rudy walks toward the side of the building motioning for Core to follow him. When they're around the corner, Rudy puffs on his cigar and says, "I'll give you two hundred dollars if you let me fuck you and I'll give you your job back with higher pay."

"Not interested." Core turns to leave. He feels like he's just drifting above the ground. His eyes are half-open, his mind is numb. Why did he even follow Rudy?

"Are you sure? Why are you here anyway? Is this the last place in the city that you haven't applied to?" Rudy sees the pained expression on Core's face and pokes him in the side. "I'm right aren't I?" He laughs menacingly. "You think they'll even let you in the building looking like that? I don't think you're their type anyway."

Words fail Core. Would Millie even recognize him? His fur is matted from him running out of shampoo, his shirt has a brown spot on it, his pants have a tomato stain. Could he even work with other strippers? He's never even had sex; would he even last a week?

"Tell you what, I'll make you a better deal. I've been saving up for a vacation to Arizona, but I think you could use the money more than I. How about you let me fuck you just this one time for two thousand dollars? I'll make you part-time assistant manager so you have plenty of money to go to school with." Rudy pats his own crotch. "Once you've tried Rudy out, you might be back for seconds free of charge. I promise it will feel really good."

A chill runs down Core's spine. Two thousand dollars? Now? He could pay for classes and books with that. This may be the best his life has to offer him. This may be his one chance to turn things around. No one other than this ferret would be attracted to him now. Even with all these things going in Rudy's favor, he can't bring himself to say yes.

Seeing the inner struggle in Core, Rudy grabs his arm gently and starts bringing him to the back of the club. "It's an attractive deal isn't it?" Rudy doesn't even look at Core as he drags him.

Indecision is tearing Core's incredibly tired mind apart. He wants to go in and try his chances with Millie, but he has no confidence that it will do any good. What Rudy's offering him could fix everything. Core's mind snaps back to the present when he realizes he's holding onto a light post while Rudy is reaching around and unbuttoning his pants.

He tries to think of something to say that would cause Rudy to stop, but words keep drifting out of his grasp. Core feels like falling over and sleeping on the pavement. This club is in a low spot closer to the sea shore and the air is actually cool enough that he feels like he could sleep.

An alarm in Core's head goes off when Rudy starts pulling down Core's boxers. He looks back to see Rudy's average cock at full mast. It's something he never wanted to see, but it is the first real live cock he's ever seen besides his own. What Rudy says next causes Core to feel so wrong that he wakes up.

"Lean forward and lift your tail out of the way so space ship Rudy can dock in your backside. Two thousand big ones, here you cum." Rudy steps forward.

"NO!" Core stands straight up putting his tail between his legs, just realizing how much he doesn't want to do this.

Rudy's surprise quickly turns to anger and he grabs Core around the waist, trying to find Core's ass with his throbbing meat.

When Core feels Rudy's cock brush against his tail hole, Core's ears fold back and he growls. Rudy thrusts and misses Core's ass, brushing against his pussy lips. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Core grabs at Rudy's hands trying to get them to let go. Suddenly, Core hears a thwack and feels Rudy go limp.

The ferret falls to the ground, bleeding from his mouth. When Core looks back, he sees the horse that's one of Millie's employees. The horse says, "Are you okay?"

Looking down at Rudy, Core sees two teeth lying next to him. That horse threw one hell of a punch. "I don't know..." Core can't decide to laugh or cry. He's so relieved to have been rescued and so scared at the same time. He ends up doing a little of both.

The Clydesdale helps Core back into his clothes and then lifts him off the ground. Core looks up at him through his tears. "Thank you." He feels like he's being carried by some demigod of strength or something. This Clydesdale's arms are enormous.

He looks down at Core. "Don't mention it."

The air conditioning hits Core like a wave of bliss. He starts feeling better within seconds and his mind clears. He smiles up at his rescuer and then shakes when a flash of what Rudy was trying to do comes into his mind.

"It's okay, you're safe now." The Clydesdale holds Core a bit tighter.

Core feels really cold. It feels similar to the cold rush he got outside. Something is odd about this feeling. Core shivers. "I'm cold."

The horse looks down at him. "Hmm? Wow, you're actually shivering."

Core hears Millie's voice as he starts to shiver even more. "He's shivering?"

"Yah, he's shaking like a furred vibrator." The horse laughs. "Whoops. Always in the gutter."

"Set him on the couch." Millie's voice is full of concern.

"Sure." The horse sets him down.

"Can I have a blanket?" Core says between chattering teeth.

Millie's eyes widen before she turns to the horse. "Call 911. Tell them he has heat stroke."

"Heat stroke? He said he was cold." The horse says.

She frowns at the horse. "Heat stroke is funny like that. Now go."

The horse nods and pulls out his cell phone before stepping into the hallway.

Core feels so tired and cold that he can barely keep track of what's going on. He's not even sure who they are concerned about. Everything seems so confusing. "This couch is so soft..." he says to no one in particular.

"Core, stay with me, don't..." Millie's voice sounds hollow.

Time passes, but Core is in a deep daze and can hardly keep track of what's going on. His stomach feels really upset. People arrive that look like firemen, but Core can't see a fire. They lift him off the couch and he feels like he's floating as they carry him to the fire truck. Other things happen that he can't make sense of.

He wakes up on a hospital bed with an IV in his arm. Millie is asleep with her head lying on his bed as she sits in a chair. Why is he in a hospital, and when did he change into a hospital gown? He blushes when he thinks about what the nurses saw when they dressed him. It's bad enough when he goes in for a check-up.

Rolling onto his side, he lies on the arm that doesn't have an IV in it. His back is sore from lying in the same position so long.

A few seconds later, Millie wakes up and stares at him. It seems as though her mind is trying to catch up to the fact that she's awake. Suddenly, she blinks and grabs Core's paw. "I was so worried about you. They said you had the worst case of heat stroke they've seen all summer. They had trouble getting your body temperature down."

"Really? I remember being cold and sleepy." Before that... Core's stomach lurches when he remembers the sensation of Rudy's cock touching his pussy lips.

"You feeling okay?" she asks when she sees the discomfort on Core's face.

"I have a bit of a headache, but I think I'm okay." The headache is nothing compared to the pain he feels as he thinks about what Rudy did.

"I didn't let the nurses dress you, so don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I had to tell them that I'm your girlfriend." Millie folds her ears down, seeming to be unsure if she should have brought it up.

Core relaxes a bit. Good, he doesn't have to worry about the nurses looking at him funny or anything. Mille as his girlfriend? He feels nervous and happy at the same time. No, she doesn't want to be tied down. It's still a pleasant thought, though. "Thank you." He gives her hand a squeeze.

"So why were you at the club?" Her ears perk up in interest.

"I was going to take you up on your offer. I ran out of options." Core decides that honesty is best right now.

"I'm a last resort?" Millie frowns.

Shaking his head, Core says, "After all you've tried to do for me, I--" He pauses, unsure of how to end that sentence. "Yes, you were a last resort, but only because I was afraid of your job offer."

She smiles softly. "I wish you didn't have to get to that point before you came to me, but I can't let that bother me. You're here now." Millie kisses his paw. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he says as a tear falls down his cheek. The kindness on her face is so beautiful.

A question Core should have asked a long time ago pops into his mind. "Why do you want to help me so much?"

"Because you are as kind as me, I knew the moment I met you that you deserve kindness in return. You are also the most beautiful person I've ever seen and I couldn't bear to see you get hurt." She wipes the tear from his eye. "You don't need to cry anymore, I'll take care of you."

More tears fall down Core's cheeks. "But why did you offer me a position as a stripper and not just some other job at the club?"

Her face becomes serious. "If I offered you one of those other jobs, I'd be wasting your talent and I would be letting you hide from the world. When I met you, I found out that you are playful, sexual and kinky. I knew you used magic on your cock the moment I was near you. Dragons can sense these things. It broke my heart when I found out that you were ashamed of that part of yourself."

At this very moment, Millie is making more sense to him than she ever has. She saw potential and she wanted to see it get released. All this time he's been hiding his sexual side when that's what some people want to see. Well, most people don't want to see it. "But herms are--"

"Wonderful," she adds.

"Lots of people don't like--"

"Fuck 'em," she says with a toothy grin. "I think it's tragic when herms hide their gender because it's as if the people that discriminate against herms are winning by making herms afraid to live as themseves." Her voice trails off as she looks at Core's fluffy spotted tail.

Core looks away. They're winning? More like he's letting them win. He's been keeping his gender a secret all his life. He's put "male" as his gender on every piece of paperwork he's ever filed. The world has one less herm. How many other herms are living this way? The other option is living as a herm... His ears fold down as a bit of his fear returns. Letting others know his true self and not having to keep secrets--it's terrifying and wonderful at the same time. "I never thought about it that way."

She squeezes his paw. "Do you have any friends that know your secret?"

"No." Core thinks about a girl in his high school history class. He talked with her after class a few times and had a lot of fun with her. One day she told him that she actually liked herms. After that, he was more shy around her. She could have probably been his first girlfriend, but his secret was in the way. He sighs.

"That's enough about other people. Would you mind staying at my place until I can get you moved into my apartment complex?" Millie smiles. "I've got a brand new energy-efficient air conditioner and a guest room."

"Your apartment complex?" His eyes widen.

She nods. "Yeah, I invested in real estate when I was younger. All my employees have the option of staying at my complex and most of them have taken me up on it. It's one of the only buildings I own. I sold most of the other stuff so that I could start my club."

"Did the housing crash hurt you?" He asks.

"Not that much, actually." A smirk appears on her face. "I've actually been buying up properties now that they're dirt cheap. I also bought BP stock when it crashed and when I sold it I made a 30% return."

"You're good with money." Core realizes he doesn't really know if he's good with investments and such because he's never had enough money to do that stuff.

"I work hard at it..." Her ears perk up as if she just remembered something. "Did you answer my question as to whether you were okay with staying at my place?"

He forgot she even asked that question. Stay at her place? Can they control themselves when they're in the same apartment? Does he want them to control themselves? He's already agreed to work at her club and she's been very patient with him. The truth is he really doesn't want to be alone anymore after all the shit he's been through. If something happens between them, he can feel good that he didn't rush into it and he held his lust at bay longer than almost anyone could possibly be expected to.

She leans in and waves her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Maybe you staying with me is a bit too forward. I didn't mean to--"

When she leans in, he sees her eyes staring into his and his head moves toward hers. Before she can finish her sentence, he presses his lips to hers. It just seems like the right thing to do. Her beauty and kindness have saved him from his nightmare. For the first time in over a year, he has hope for his future.

As they kiss tenderly, he moves his paw to her shoulder and hugs her as best he can even though he has an IV in his arm. She seems to understand what his body wants and wraps her arms around him. Her embrace is comforting and pure. Even after the kiss ends, she holds him and rocks him ever so slightly.

He feels safe, he can't even remember the last time he felt this way. Tears fall down his cheeks, tears of joy. Having someone help him in this way is something he'd never ask for, but he'd be a fool to turn it down when it's offered. Without Millie, he might be dead from heat stroke, or he might be Rudy's date--a fate worse than death.

A couple minutes later, Millie says. "I'm going to assume that that was a 'yes.'"

"Yep." He gives her a squeeze and then lets go. He points at his IV. "After we get this thing out of my arm, would you mind stopping by my place so I can pick up a couple things?"

"Sure, I cleared my schedule for the next day." Getting out of her chair, she stands up and stretches. "I'm going to go hunt down a nurse so we can get out of here."

"Wait, I think I can just press a button or something." He looks around the bed and sees the TV controller/call button hanging on the bed rail behind him. He rolls onto his back and presses the call button. A small bing occurs and a light starts blinking near his bed.

The nurse is a slim meerkat with a shy smile on her face. "Everything okay?" She seems to like something about Millie a lot because she takes the time to look the voluptuous red dragon over twice after she speaks.

"Am I free to go now that I'm awake?" he says.

She brings up his chart on the computer. "I'll have to get a doctor to make sure you're okay, but I think you should be able to leave soon." The meerkat looks at Millie again before leaving.

Millie licks her lips and the nurse squeaks softly before covering her mouth and walking away. "I wonder if she's one of my patrons or something."

Core smiles. "Or you're just too beautiful to ignore."

Millie kisses his cheek and then hugs him. "Such a sweet fox."

He just lies in her embrace until the doctor arrives. The doctor is a female rabbit with a tawny coat and deep blue eyes. She has curly copper-colored hair that looks beautiful, but hard to comb.

She pushes some of her hair out of the way and twitches an ear before saying, "Hi, I'm Doctor Gillford. Let me check your chart and your vitals and we'll have you out of here in no time."

Core just looks at Millie throughout the checkup, basking in a warm safe feeling he's had ever since he woke up to see her lying next to him. He's finally starting to come to terms with her offer and the fact that she likes him. He's still a bit scared of being up on stage and showing people his secret, but it's definitely more appealing than the life he was leading until now.

The doctor brings him out of his reverie when she says, "The nurse will be back to remove the IV and then you can go."

"Thanks," he says absentmindedly. He's starting to feel tired again... Looking at the clock, he sees that it's well past one in the morning. It's been a long day.

"Is there anything you'd like us to get on the way home? Are you hungry or anything?" Millie asks.

He blurts out, "An Orange Julius," without even having to think about it. Nothing helps him feel like he's back in the swing of things like one of those.

"I don't think they're open at this time of night, but I could go to the store and get the stuff to make one at my house," Millie says.

"Really? You know how to make them?" His ears perk up. A friend who can make them? That's almost too awesome for words.

"Yeah, remember how I guessed what was in the smoothie you gave me?" She tilts her head slightly.

"Oh, right. That was impressive." He smiles at her remembering that night. Then he blushes heavily as he remembers her touching his cock. It felt amazing.

The nurse arrives just as Millie is about to say something. "It might sting a little when I remove the IV."

Millie leans toward Core and says, "Mind if I distract you?"

"Nope." Core looks into her eyes as she leans in and starts kissing him. She murrs as she presses her tongue into his mouth and he blushes as he realizes that the nurse is seeing all this. He pushes his long canine tongue into her mouth as heat builds in his crotch. Then, as he's thinking about whether the nurse will see his bulge, he feels the needle slide out. He barely even notices it because of Millie's tongue's antics.

When they part lips, Core looks at the nurse, feeling a bit embarrassed. The pineappley smell of her arousal mixed with his musky one and Millie's tangy one is very appealing. The nurse's eyes are fixed on Millie for a moment before she realizes that her hand is very close to her crotch and moves it. "You can remove that bandage in an hour or so. If it starts bleeding, put pressure on it until it stops. Call 911 if you feel dizzy or unusually weak. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I think we're okay," Millie says.

Core nods.

The nurse gives Millie one last glance before she leaves. Millie pulls Core's clothes out of a bag and then pulls the curtain of his emergency room closed. She hands him his clothes. "I'd like to watch if you don't mind."

"It's nothing you haven't seen before." Core takes off his gown and tosses it to the side. He blushes when he sees that his cock tip is poking out of his sheath. Millie smiles as he bends over with his ass facing her and lifts his tail out of the way to put his boxers on. It kills the moment when he realizes he's putting on pretty dirty clothes.

"We're going to pick you up some clothes on the way too. I'd just let you be naked the whole way if I could, though." Millie licks her lips.

He chuckles. "I don't doubt it." He puts on the rest of his clothes and then heads with Millie out of the hospital and to her car.