FSE

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Act 3

Jackson slumped over his computer desk, waiting with the other classmates inside the language lab classroom. He held a ball point pen with his right paw to take notes, while the other paw secretly scrolled and reviewed messages on his cellphone. The cellphone was hidden under the desk, away from any prying eyes as he occasionally glanced over at it.

"Hey are you busy tonight?" Kevin's message popped up on his screen.

This was uncharacteristic behavior from Kevin as he never texted Jackson during his classes. The lion seemed anxious for a response as his telegram profile still showed him to be online. Jackson carefully glides his thumb over the screen to send his response.

"After class I should be free. What's up?" Jackson responded.

After Kevin had reviewed the message, Jackson's phone buzzed and displayed another message, "I really need to see you tonight. Do you think you can drive to Azusa for dinner?"

Jackson texted back, "It should only be an hour drive or so. Something happened?"

Jackson waited patiently as he looked over at his phone. Kevin saw the message and the icon showed him typing up a response. Though a few minutes have passed before he finally sent a short message, "I'll explain it more once you come over. Let me know when you're on your way. Here's the address for the restaurant."

"Alright, should be out in a few minutes," Jackson replied before he put the phone to sleep.

At first, Jackson was unsure what to make of the messages. Kevin used to always send messages with vast amounts of detail attached to them. However, he seemed restless today. Jackson had figured Kevin simply needed to see him to talk about something important. He wondered if perhaps Kevin had found another job and wanted to share the news in person. Either way, Jackson felt as though Kevin needed to share whatever was on his mind in person.

Jackson noted how their relationship had deepened and grown over the last few months. While they occasionally talked over on Telegram and Skype video chat, they had not seen in each other in person for the past few weeks. Whenever Jackson had his days off from school and work, Kevin had to work overtime for the company's next game project, and had almost used up his paid vacation days for the entire year. For Kevin, every day there seemed to be new problems with the production of the project. The delays caused longer work schedules which were almost too much to handle for him. As for Jackson, he had to attend several extracurricular activities in order to pass the sign language classes. Many of the activities involved volunteer work that were deaf owned or ran. Every weekend, he either help set up events at a nearby deaf school or complete errands for deaf businesses. The two had seemed to constantly miss each other at every turn. Though today, Jackson had only one more class left before his vacation.

The clock inside the classroom continued to count down the minutes. The heavy set grizzly bear professor sat at his desk quietly. He was reviewing their video assignments the students had submitted to him earlier in the day. Each student was required to share an elaborate five to seven minute story about their personal experiences in the deaf community. The students had to incorporate certain aspects of ASL such as fingerspelling, facial grammar, depicting verbs, and the use of time tenses. Every student had film their finals in class with the provided webcam on their desk top computers. Once they finished, they forwarded the video file to their professors for grading. While the professor sat at his desk and watched, the class was given an assignment to do a self-evaluation on their video projects. Jackson had already finished his assignment and sat anxiously in his large roller chair. He looked around to see how the other students held up. Most had shown signs of nervousness as though they might have failed. One female dark blue house cat tried to cover her face as a few tears rolled down her cheek. Only a select few from the front row had shown no sign of nervousness, as if they had known they would passed the class. Jackson's fluffy husky tail gently wagged under the desk once the time was 5:00pm.

The grizzly bear professor stood in front of the class as he lifted his paws to sign, "Alright everyone, I'll collect all of your self-reflections and post your grades later tonight. You all have a great winter break!"

A sense of relief filled the room as the students collectively stood up from their chairs to hand in their self-evaluations. Jackson impatiently waited in the long line of students. The massive elephant creature in front of him blocked his view of the clock which made time feel slower. Once the elephant student turned in his paper, Jackson was finally next. After he handed in the paper, the professor motioned him over to his desk.

"I wanted to say, you have really improved over this fall. I'm impressed and amazed at how fast you've developed in this class!" The grizzly bear professor signed with a joyous smile.

Jackson's ears folded in embarrassment, "Thank you, I've been signing with my deaf boyfriend for the past few months. We sign to each other whenever possible."

The grizzly bear nodded, "That's good! Having a deaf partner will help you tremendously with your signing skills! Have you thought about becoming an interpreter?"

Jackson affirmed his question, "Yes, I have. Though I know this college doesn't offer a program for such training,"

"You're right. Not here, but in Northridge they have a marvelous interpreting program. You should consider transferring over. I think you would benefit more over there. I can even send off a letter of recommendation," The professor softly patted his shoulder.

"My academic counselor suggested the same thing years ago. I've already applied for transfer months ago! I'm expecting a letter in a few days," Jackson smiled widely.

"Great, I'm sure you'll be accepted with your grades. Anyway, have a nice winter break!" The professor nodded before he returned to his desk.

Jackson withheld his excitement as he headed toward the nearest exit. Though once outside, he pumped his furry fist in the air for self-satisfaction. To have received such high praise from his professor made him feel accomplished. While he walked toward the parking garage, Jackson took out his cell phone. His furry paw pad scrolled through his contacts until he found his father's phone number.

He texted his father, "I'm going to see a friend in Azusa tonight."

Before he managed to reach the parking garage he received a reply, "Alright, be sure to tell your mother too."

Jackson rolled his eyes in annoyance as he forward the same message to his mother's phone number. His mother response was faster than he anticipated.

She replied, "What's your friend's name?"

Jackson entered into the large parking complex as he circumvented several large predator students who passed by, "His name is Kevin Davis, he's a deaf friend of mine that's been helping me with school."

"How about the car? Can it handle the long drive? And did you take it to the shop like I asked you this week?"

"Yes mom, I paid it off and still have enough left over for the rest of the month."

Jackson continued to walk toward his parked car as his mother replied, "Alright, thank you very much for that. Promise me you'll be safe tonight, alright?"

Jackson finally arrived to his dark blue sedan and smiled, "I promise. Love you mom."

Jackson climbed into his dark blue sedan and wiggled happily in his seat while he drove. To have gained the approval from his parents made him feel more comfortable about going. His small dark blue sedan expertly swerved and weaved in and out of traffic. Jackson knew when to avoid the heavy rush hour traffic, so he took to the streets. Though as he drove, he often had to pull over when ambulances and police cars drove by. Even when there was a green light, Jackson had to slam on his breaks to avoid the emergency vehicles that sped by recklessly.

Jackson thought about what he wanted to say to Kevin once he arrived. He initially planned to share the news with Kevin about his professor's comments. Once Jackson had avoided the heavy rush hour traffic, he merged onto the freeway for the rest of his trip. The drive felt relatively short for him as the destination was only an hour away. Jackson found a space to park and pulled up near the entrance of the café. He stepped out of the car, closed the door, and looked over his vehicle. After some expensive upgrades, Jackson had used most of his money to fix up his car. With a new coat of dark blue paint, the suspensions repaired, the interior refurbished, the dents pulled out from the car, and the engine rebuilt the sedan looked slightly new. He was proud to drive around in it and smiled to himself.

A cold wind blew passed him that sent a chill down his spine. Jackson gripped his black sweater as his paws hid in the pockets. From the outside, Jackson's blue eyes was able to peer through the large glass windows. He spotted the tall lion slumped over one of the large tables. Kevin sat alone in a booth against one of the windows. His paws fidgeted on the table as he waited anxiously. He had a stern look of contemplation as he picked up his coffee mug and took a long sip.

Jackson walked inside as he pushed passed the heavy large glass doors. The café was small in size with the walls decorated in Americana apparel. Jackson calmly walked over to Kevin's table and greeted him. Kevin's expression brightened up as his emerald green eyes gazed into Jackson's. Kevin stood up to hug him, the lion's long fuzzy arms gently caressed Jackson's backside. Jackson wagged his tail with joy, the warm hug having made the canine's heart race. The warm feeling of the lion's fluffy body made Jackson relaxed in his arms. They both shared a small intimate kiss before the two sat at opposite ends of the table. Jackson briefly looked over at the menu before he turned his attention to Kevin.

"How are you? It's been a while since we last saw he each other," Jackson signed as Kevin looked up to him.

"Not good honestly. Seeing you here is the only thing that made me happy all day. I really needed to see you. I've had an awful day today," Kevin replied.

Jackson was taken aback, he had never seen Kevin look extremely upset. The lion had large bags under his eye lids with his mane slightly matted. A few of his whiskers were bent out of shape as Kevin's paws rubbed against his muzzle with worry. The lion's formal clothes were loosened up to help him relax in his seat. His tie was left loose with the top button on his dress shirt left undone. Kevin's beautiful emerald eyes were also bloodshot as they struggled to stay awake. The lion's forehead was also wrinkled with stress. To Jackson, Kevin looked like a nervous wreck.

"What happened?" Jackson asked.

"I had an interview today with an Asian Gaming Company. I don't want to say the name because it's too humiliating. I thought it be a good idea to bring two interpreters along for my interview and not bring my tablet. But that was just a giant mistake!"

"What did they do?" Jackson asked with a puzzled expression.

"Before the interview started I used the restroom and left the two interpreters alone for a few minutes. Then I returned to do the interview. Before we even start the woman interpreter already began to have a conversation with my employer. She did that without signing to me what was being said. I had no idea what they were talking about and she distracted them from starting the interview for 30 minutes. That pissed me off!" Kevin signed before he took a giant gulp of his coffee.

Jackson waited patiently for him to finish his drink before he continued, "After I finished the interview I thought everything went well. That was until the male interpreter told me what happened when I went to the restroom. Apparently, the female interpreter talked to one of the Human Resources employees while I was gone. She told them that if they didn't accommodate for my special needs that I would have the right to sue them."

Jackson was completely shocked by the news, "What the fuck was she thinking?"

"Clearly, she wasn't. Thanks to her now I'll never get the job!" Kevin signed with anger.

Jackson interjected, "Wait, you don't know that. If the interview went well maybe they'll still consider you."

Kevin gave an angry look as he signed, "You think after the stunt she pulled they'll consider me? I'm sure HR told the interviewers what happened. They'll just see me as a liability more than an asset. What's worse is that the company might warn other companies about hiring me. All because of that stupid fucking bitch's fault! I'll make damn sure she'll never work as a license interpreter ever again!"

Jackson shifted in his seat, he felt uncomfortable by Kevin's justified outburst of anger. Jackson tried to come up with a reply, "I'm sorry that happened to you. That was pretty stupid of the interpreter to do that."

Kevin scoffs as he signed, "All I wanted was just two reliable interpreters. That's it. Not for one of them to virtue signal and make a fool of me on my behalf!"

"Kevin, you have every right to be upset. I understand that. But there will always be other gaming companies to work for," Jackson said as he tried to be supportive.

"Even with my skills, most companies will only see me as a hindrance for my so called 'handicap' and not bother to work with me. I've used up many of my company vacation days going to these interviews. And that stupid fucking bitch wasted my last one for the year," Kevin slumped over as his paw covered his forehead.

"Still, I think you don't give yourself enough credit. If the interview went well, then I'm sure you'll still be up for consideration," Jackson gently petted his fuzzy forearm.

Kevin let out a heavy sigh of sorrow as the two were interrupted by a waitress. The doe waitress clicked her pen, "Would you boys like anything else to drink?"

Kevin looked to Jackson to know what she said. Jackson repeated the question to Kevin as he quickly glanced over the menu. He looked back to Jackson, "Tell her I'm alright. Order whatever you want."

"He's fine and I'll take a milkshake," Jackson told the waitress while he signed to Kevin his response.

"No problem honey, be back in a few," She said in a charming sweet tone.

She left the two alone once more as Kevin started to sign once again, "Jackson, I apologize for my outburst. It's just extremely frustrating going to these interviews without a call back from one of them. I'm still in negotiations with my current employer about the terms of my contract and absence. I just want to find a secured job position before I leave Firestorm Studios for good. I know I asked a lot for you to come over here on such short notice. I didn't mean to just complain and annoy you, I've just had a really awful day and needed to spend time with someone face to face. I'm really happy you came."

Jackson's canine ears perked up, "It's okay, you never annoy me. You're in a tough spot right now and I would've felt the same way. You have every right to be upset about what happened today. But you're extremely bright, I'm sure you'll find work soon."

The waitress returned with Jackson's order before she left the two alone again. Jackson drank his milkshake as Kevin brought his paws up to sign.

"Yeah, I'll figure something out. I've already filed a complaint with the interpreting agency and plan to submit a formal complaint in person next week. So anything happened with you recently? You had a final this week correct?" Kevin asked with one paw as the other held his coffee mug.

"Yeah, I feel like I passed the final. My professor told me that I should consider transferring to a school in Northridge for their interpreting program," Jackson smiled before he took a few sips of his milkshake.

"Really, that's very impressive. You have been growing as a signer for the last few months," Kevin complemented.

"You think so too? I mean I have better comprehension skills but I feel like my signing could always use more work," Jackson replied.

"Of course, you're not as skilled as a native user. But ever since we started dating, your paws stopped shaking whenever you sign and you have good sentence structures. Plus, I appreciated that you haven't avoided eye contact with me whenever we speak," Kevin continued.

"Thanks, I just want to the best boyfriend I can be," Jackson shyly smiled.

"And that's what I really enjoy about you the most. Maybe soon I should introduce you to my deaf friends. Though be careful, they're not the type to slow down even when you ask nicely," Kevin teased.

Jackson gulped, "Right, I'll be more than happy to meet some of them."

"Yeah, we'll see. Also, I want to ask you another huge favor," Kevin finished his coffee.

"What's that?" Jackson replied as he finished his milkshake.

Kevin nudged and rubbed his furry arm, a bit nervous at first. He finally asked, "Would you like to come to my place to spend the night? Maybe, have sex with me? It'll help me feel better."

The idea of the two of them together in such an intimate matter had already made Jackson aroused. Jackson briefly reminisced about the last encounter they had in Kevin's car. Yet, they haven't fully gone all the way that night. Jackson was tempted with the offer as he really wanted to seek physical closeness with Kevin. But there was another emotion of uncertainty that grew within the husky. Jackson didn't plan to have intercourse that night and felt as though he wasn't properly ready yet. After a long day at work in the morning and then college after, he didn't have time to shower and clean himself up. Not to mention that he didn't say anything about staying overnight to his parents. The two would easily trust Kevin, but he knew his parents weren't complete idiots either.

After some thought Jackson lifted his paws up, "I would really want to. But can I first check with my parents to see if they'll let me sleep over?"

Kevin chuckled, "Sure go ahead. You do make a good son, checking in with your folks."

Jackson nodded and quickly picked up his phone to message the both of them with the same question. The first to respond was his father which of course, he said to ask his mother about it. His mother was the last to text him. She replied, "Alright, but please come home before noon. You have house work to do."

Jackson's ears perked up with excitement to have his parents' consent. He turned his attention back at Kevin, "They said it's alright. I can sleep over at your place."

Kevin grinned, "Great, I'll cover the bill. And I'll message you the address to my place."

Jackson received Kevin's home address as the two stood up from their seats. Kevin went up to pay for their drinks before the two departed from the café. Jackson input the directions in his phone which showed Kevin's house to be ten minutes away. As Jackson drove off, many thoughts had filled his mind about what might happen.

"I hope I'll do okay for Kevin. I don't need to use the restroom right now so that's good. But I definitely need a shower before we do anything. Would he do me while I'm in the shower or after? Could I even handle someone like him? How can I tell him to stop if I'm not facing him?" Jackson's mind raced rapidly with dirty thoughts.

His erection had slowly softened as he was the first to reach the location. From the outside, Kevin lived in a small modest one story household in a safe looking cul-de-sac neighborhood. He had a medium size grassy front yard with a concreate walk path that led to his front door. The streets were relatively cleaned with no graffiti, excessive amounts of trash, or potholes in the road. Instead the streets were well maintained as a few children were outside playing basketball in the small cul-de-sac. Many of the surrounding houses were home to young families and their sedans had filled many of the drive ways. A few families had already set up Christmas decorations and lights throughout the neighborhood. Jackson looked around to see natural beauty had surrounded the houses with snowcapped mountains that loomed from the North East.

Kevin had later arrived in his luxury car and pulled into the drive way. He gave Jackson a friendly nod before the two of them reached the front door. Kevin unlocked the main doors and let Jackson walk inside first. The lights were automatically turned on as the house was set up with motion sensors. The two had arrived in the main living room with soft luxury couches formed in a semi-circle that faced towards the kitchen on the left side of the house and the TV on opposite side.

"Wow you own this place?" Jackson asked Kevin.

"No, just renting it for now. Never know when I might need to move again," Kevin chuckled as he took of his shoes.

Besides the main foundation, Jackson noticed that there were hardly any walls and narrow hall ways inside the home. Instead, the space inside Kevin's house had vast amounts of opened space. The color of the walls and furniture were naturalistic white cream. The walls were decorated with iconic artwork from deaf artists that spanned from across the globe. Many of the artwork on display were pieces that came straight from Jackson's deaf history text book. For most of the art, the subject was mainly centered on the paws and eyes of a particular deaf animal. Though one art piece that stuck out at him the most was that of a large cell shaded painting. It had a lion's eye with a large spinning earth globe in place of the iris. Jackson looked forward and spotted the carpeted living room had a spacious couch and large flat screen TV. Connected to the TV was a large PC monitor and other various gaming consoles were hooked up to it. The small kitchen close by had a basic stove, stainless steel fridge, granite counters, cupboards, and a modest size dining table. On the right side beside the TV, there was a large hallway that could lead to other possible rooms.

Kevin turned right and started to head down the main hallway toward his master bedroom. He beckoned Jackson to follow with his lion tail. Jackson nodded followed close behind. There were two doors on each side with one door in the center of the hall way. Kevin opened the door in the middle to reveal his master bedroom. Jackson looked around to see that everything was in orderly fashion. Kevin's bed sat in the middle of the room and was pristinely made with another large TV set up across from it. The dressers were naturalistic varnish wood that were pushed up against the corners of the room. Many of the decorations inside the bedroom were sculptures that also emphasized animal paws. To the husky's left, there was a small opening that lead to the master bathroom. From where he stood, the husky could spot a large bathtub and glass shower inside. Jackson sat on the bed and watched Kevin start to undress from his formal clothes. He felt a little embarrassed to watch his boyfriend undress so casually in front of him. With the dress shirt taken off, Jackson was able to see more of the lion's slender figure, and Kevin's short fur allowed Jackson to notice more details about his lean body; such as a faint outline of his abs. Before Kevin continued, he started to sign at Jackson.

"Would you like to take a shower before I do? I think it's better if we clean ourselves up before any fun happens," Kevin asked.

Jackson's ears folded shyly as he responded, "I was thinking we could shower together? If that's okay?"

Kevin gave a sly grin, "Great idea. I'll get the shower ready. Just come join me once you're ready."

Jackson nodded as he watched Kevin slide his belt and slacks off as he stood only in his tight briefs. Kevin turned around and bent over to pick up his clothes, his firm buttocks fully exposed. Jackson's arousal could no longer be contained, his blue eyes fixated on the lion's figure as Kevin finally stripped naked. Without another word, Kevin walked toward the restroom as Jackson could hear that the shower started to run. Steam had slowly build up inside the bathroom as the hot water collided with the metal plate drain to create steam. Jackson stripped naked and looked over himself. Despite the long fur that covered his figure, he was a bit dissatisfied with himself. Even with the physical labor from work, he still had a line of fat along his midsection and waist. Not to mention, his stomach was also slightly swollen from fat. Still, Jackson did recognize and admire a few aspects of his body. The muscular pectorals, hips, buttocks, and legs were something he could appreciate about himself. Jackson was still nervous, his arousal still stood tall as he walked inside the bathroom and marveled at how expansive it was. On the left side laid a large white bathtub that could fit more than two large creatures at a time. The tub resembled more of a Jacuzzi rather than a normal bathtub. To the right were dual sink cabinets with a large vanity mirror that hung in the center of the two. Straight ahead was a massive clear glass shower with a marble flooring and a metal drain. Kevin had already entered the shower, his fur slicked down from the steamy hot water.

Kevin glanced over at Jackson and chuckled. He found Jackson to be adorable with his shyness and modesty despite the massive erection the canine had. Jackson clearly showed his arousal and attraction for him. Kevin beckoned the husky over with one finger and slowly shifted to make room inside the shower. Jackson nodded as he climbed into the shower and the steam engulfed the both of them. The husky's multicolored grey and beige fur had slick down from the hot water. Kevin slowly closed the distance between them as both of his arms wrapped around Jackson's waist. Jackson's tailed raised with delight as the two shared an intimate kiss. Jackson slightly opened his mouth so that their tongues would intertwine to taste one another. Jackson's breathing became heavy as they continued to kiss, his arousal had reached its peak.

Kevin looked down and noticed Jackson's human circumcised penis. While he had much more girth to his human shaped foreskin penis than his partner, Jackson was slightly longer by few inches. Kevin grinned as he reached over to grab a nearby bar of soap and began to wash the husky. From Jackson's fluffy head fur to the base of his tail, Kevin had spared no inch as he cleaned the canine. Kevin paid detailed attention to Jackson's rump as his soapy lion paws cleaned in between Jackson's large muscular buttocks and taint. Jackson stood still and let the lion wash him; to have been repeatedly groped by Kevin only made him more sexually frustrated. His length wanted release as Kevin finished washing him. Jackson scrubbed the soap away from his fur and felt freshly cleaned.

Jackson received the bar of soap from Kevin and started to wash the lion as well. The husky's small curious paws eagerly washed away at the lion's fur coat. Jackson's large canine claws dug into the lion's fur coat and he scratched and soothed the skin underneath the fur with his soapy paws. To Kevin, it was as if all the stress and worry had physically washed away from his body. The lion chuckled to himself as he watched Jackson gently grope and stroke the thick lion penis in his paws. Pre cum had already oozed from Kevin's forskin tip.

Once they were both fully cleaned up, Kevin turned the shower water off. He opened the glass door and let the heavy steam escape into the rest of the bathroom. Jackson shook out his fur coat which got rid of most of the water. The two stepped out and toweled themselves off before they entered the bedroom. Jackson gently laid on top of the soft mattress as he watched Kevin dig through his drawers. After a few seconds, Kevin pulled out a large condom and small bottle of silicone based lube. Kevin climbed onto the bed as Jackson laid on his backside. Jackson spread his legs out to expose himself for Kevin. Kevin smiled warmly as he poured a thin coat of lube on his fingers' paw pads. With his fingers sticky with warm lube, Kevin reached down and slowly penetrated Jackson's entrance.

Jackson let out a sharp huff as an intense burning sensation spread throughout his anal cavity. Kevin carefully studied Jackson's facial expression to make sure he was gentle with his partner. After a few seconds passed, Jackson's inner walls relaxed as the lion's fingers slowly penetrated further inside him. The burning sensation was still present, however another sensation had overtaken Jackson. The sensation of arousal was much different than before, which made Jackson spread his legs wider for Kevin. After a few minutes, Jackson brought his head up to meet the gaze of Kevin's eyes. Kevin nodded and slowly slide both of his fingers out. He ripped the condom wrapper off with his feline teeth and slide the thin condom sleeve over his erection.

With an extra amount of lube coated on his penis, Kevin loomed over Jackson and gently nudged the husky's entrance with his thick tip. Kevin gradually slid himself inside Jackson's anal cavity. Jackson took deep breaths and relaxed himself, and he allowed Kevin to slide all the way inside as the burning sensation calmed down. The pressure of feeling full was an addictive sensation for Jackson. Kevin gradually thrust his hips in and out of Jackson as he started to gain momentum and speed. The bed underneath them shook as a few audible moans escaped Jackson's muzzle. Kevin kept his gaze locked on Jackson's face, he loved the facial expression his partner had. With Jackson's eyes closed, a smile formed across his canine muzzle. Kevin's long furry arms balanced themselves on the mattress as he used his strength to slam into Jackson.

Jackson's eyes shot wide open as Kevin became rougher with his humps. While there was slight discomfort from Kevin's thick penis, the arousal within Jackson had overtaken most of his senses. Jackson's long penis proactively drooled and spilled pre cum all over his stomach as Kevin thrusted faster. The lion's length pulsed rapidly as an orgasm fast approached. Kevin panted heavily with his lion tongue flopped out of the side of his mouth. Suddenly his foreskin penis started to gush thick viscous amounts of cum into the condom, and the lion sighed heavily with content. Throughout the orgasm, Kevin continued to slam into Jackson which made him moan louder. Jackson reached down to stroke his long length as he couldn't resist the urge to cum anymore. After a few minutes, Jackson threw his head back into the mattress as his penis sprayed long strands of cum across his body. The husky's chest and belly were covered in thick strands of heavy seed.

The sight and smell of Jackson's seed only increased Kevin's arousal. Kevin grit his teeth as he continued to roughly pound into Jackson with his tip repeatedly slamming into the sensitive prostate. Throughout Jackson's orgasm, his anal cavity would clamp and squeeze onto Kevin's penis which contributed more to his orgasm.

Jackson felt his arousal gradually become soft as time passed. Kevin felt his penis had also softened and he slide himself out from Jackson. He looked down and marveled at how relatively clean the overall experience was. The condom was still soaked in lube as the tip had ballooned from the thick amount of cum produced. Even with the condom on, Kevin was deeply satisfied by the overall experience and took the used condom off. He dumped it in a nearby trash can and picked up a small cleaned towel from the bathroom. Kevin walked over to Jackson and carefully cleaned the husky's seed off from his fur coat. Jackson continued to pant to catch his breath, he relaxed in the large king size bed. Jackson appreciated the kind gesture as he sat up to passionately kiss Kevin. Kevin climbed onto bed and returned the kiss as the two calmly settled in the large bed.

"You feel alright?" Kevin signed with one paw as they broke away from the kiss.

"Yes, I feel amazing," Jackson happily exclaimed.

"I feel the same way. That was the best sex I've had in months!" Kevin complemented as he laid beside Jackson.

Jackson nodded and simply held to Kevin as the two rested. Jackson noticed how much better Kevin seemed physically and emotionally. Kevin's faced was calmed and relaxed as his green eyes shimmered with delight. To Jackson, Kevin seemed completely refreshed as if today's bad interview had never happened. Though for Jackson, his blue eyes became heavy with exhaustion. After such a long day from his work in the morning and school in the afternoon, Jackson was mentally and physically exhausted. Before Jackson knew it, he had fallen asleep in the lion's arms. Kevin looked down on Jackson's sleeping face, he loved how defenseless and adorable Jackson looked asleep in his arms. Kevin carefully climbed out from the bed to turn off the lights and activate the alarm. Once he finished, Kevin crawled back into bed and spooned Jackson with a loving embrace. He gave one last long kiss before the two drifted off into a deep slumber.

Act 4

The next morning Jackson awoke from his deep slumber. The faint sunlight had illuminated the large bedroom. He stretched out his long furry legs and arms as the muscles crackled and popped. He sat up in the mattress and looked around. He glanced over to see Kevin still fast asleep with the covers concealed most of his body. Jackson climbed out of bed to stretch further as he looked around for his clothes. He picked up his clothes and shook the wrinkles out from them before he got dressed. Once finished, Jackson gently sat beside Kevin and nudged the lion to wake up.

Kevin yawned and looked up to see Jackson was already dressed. Kevin brought his paws up, "Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, my parents need me home before noon. I have house work to do," Jackson explained.

Kevin stretched out his furry arms and yawned as he sat up, "Alright, thanks for spending the night with me. It was great."

Jackson's tail wagged, "And thank you for letting me stay over."

Kevin seemed more awake as his green eyes brighten up, "Oh before I forget, do you still want to hang out with my deaf friends? I would really be happy if you met them. I was thinking of doing it tonight before I go back to work."

Jackson answered without hesitation, "Sure, any idea when and where I'll met them?"

"Probably later tonight, I need to make a few video calls and messages to see how everyone's doing. I'm sure they'll want to meet my future personal interpreter and boyfriend," Kevin chuckled.

"Boyfriend yes, future interpreter we'll see. It's not guaranteed I'll be accepted yet," Jackson's ears perked up.

"Don't worry, they'll accept you. I know they will," Kevin's tail swayed.

"Thanks. Say can I ask you one favor?" Jackson tiled his head.

"Sure, what is it?" Kevin asked.

"Can you drive out to my area to visit me more often? It would really help with the gas and mileage on my car," Jackson smiled.

"No problem. I wouldn't mind visiting you more often. Have you told your parents about me?" Kevin asked.

Jackson chuckled and looked away nervously for a bit before he responded, "Not yet, but if you want me to I will!"

Kevin sticks his tongue out and teased, "You probably should. Are you embarrassed about having a deaf boyfriend?"

"No, but I am embarrassed about what my parents might ask you. They don't know much about deaf or gay culture, so you'll probably will be bombarded with a lot of stupid questions," Jackson replied.

"Ah, I don't care. So long as they treat you right I will be nice to them. I love you!" Kevin leaned in to gently kiss him.

Jackson sighed happily as he prolongs the kiss for a while. After they separate, Jackson replied, "I love you too! I'll see you later."

Jackson waved goodbye to Kevin as he headed out the bedroom door. After he explored the house for a bit, Jackson found the front door and headed outside. The chilly morning air blew in his face as he stood outside. The husky watched as young parents got into their sedans and headed to work. Jackson climbed into his sedan and followed the traffic to the nearest freeway. Whenever he was stopped at a stop light, Jackson briefly checked his phone to review the messages from last night. He received an email about his direct deposit from work and his recent grades that were posted. With a few taps on the screen, Kevin pulled up his grade sheet to see he had received all A's for the fall semester. A sigh of relief escaped his muzzle as he could no longer worry about the results of his grades. Other than that there was a few tweets from the creatures he followed online, and no one directly message him yet. Jackson drove back home and soon arrived in his neighborhood. It was 11:00am when he spotted the house from a few blocks away. As he pulled into the small drive way he noticed the mail man who went door to door to deliver mail. The greyhound mailman had soon approached his house with a handful of mail in his paws.

Jackson intercepted the mailman and waved, "I'll take the mail Mr. Garrison."

Mr. Garrison smiled and recognized him, "Alright, tell the Mr. and Mrs. I said hello."

The greyhound handed the husky the mail before he made his way to the next house. Jackson walked through the front door while he reviewed over the mail. Most were common household bills but a few were important looking letters with one address from Northridge. Jackson settled down most of the mail in the office room before he sat on the living room couch. He opened a few that concerned his application for scholarships and grants. A rush of excitement filled the husky as he quickly opened the envelopes to see his results. To his slight disappointment all of them came with a rejection. Jackson knew competition would be tough as thousands of other students with similar background also competed for those same funds.

The last letter concerned the application for his transfer which he had anticipated for weeks over. Jackson's tail wagged as his sharp claws expertly slashed open the letter. He pulled the letter out with his blue eyes scanned every detail of the letter. The initial first few sentences of the letter made it sound promising as he continue to read. However, his tail froze and his muzzle expression soured as he continued to read. The letter stated his rejection for admission to the university: he was considered a non-local applicant and needed a higher GPA. That term puzzled him the most as he contemplated what "non-local applicant" meant. Though before he could look anything up he heard footsteps that came from upstairs. Jackson's father came down the stairs in his usual bathrobe as he loudly yawned. The chubby silver husky glanced over and notice his son with a few open letters on his lap.

"Morning son, did your transfer go through yet?" He yawned.

Jackson felt a cold sweat run down his body, unsure what to say in the exact moment. Jackson was left silent for a few seconds before he came up with a response, "Not yet, these were my application statues for the grants and scholarships. Sadly those were declined."

Jackson's father gave a sympathetic look before he headed toward the kitchen that connected to the living room, "Ah, that's a shame. But thankfully your mother was smart enough to prepare for this."

"How so?" Jackson looked over to ask.

Jackson's father searched through the cupboards as he began to prepare his morning coffee as he spoke with a deep voice, "She convinced me to start a savings account just for your schooling years ago. Originally we planned to surprise you with it on your 21'st birthday, but I guess we'll have to use it sooner than we imagined. There's about a few thousand dollars in the account. It's not much, but it will help a little."

"Oh, thanks! You guys are the best you know that?" Jackson tried to mask his guilt with a warm happy tone.

"Don't mention it, cub." Jackson father replied as he started the coffee maker.

"Mom still at work?" Jackson asked.

"Yep, won't be back till the afternoon. You know the drill. Do the dishes, sweep the kitchen, mop floors, and take out the trash. I'll vacuum and do the yardwork." Jackson's father said as he cleaned his favorite white coffee mug.

"I'll get to it right away, sir." Jackson stood up and collected the letters in his paws.

Jackson's father nodded and watched his son collect the letters as he jogged upstairs. Jackson hid the letters under his bed with the exception of the rejection letter. He copied it on his printer's scanner and uploaded it onto his computer before he headed back downstairs. Throughout the afternoon as he cleaned, Jackson's mind raced with worry about the letter. He still was stumped over the non-local explanation in the letter. From his memory, none of his counselors and advisers ever mentioned a university ever having that policy. As he cleaned, Jackson recalled how the counselors all adamantly told him that so long as he applied within the state that most universities would accept him. Jackson did have a high GPA so he assumed it might have been some sort of miscommunication with the counselors or the university itself.

Jackson swiftly swept and mopped the kitchen floor as he spotted his father in the backyard, who was on all fours as he pulled weeds from the garden; but Jackson didn't have to worry about his father tracking dirt into the kitchen as he always used the side door. Once he finished all his house work, he cleaned himself up and got onto his computer. Jackson obtained the photocopied image of the rejection letter on his computer and sent it to his counselor's email address. He knew his academic counselor was still on campus for one more day before winter break. After he sent the email, Jackson grabbed his phone and brought up the counselor's number to call.

After a few seconds of silence, the counselor on the other end answered with a deep voice, "Mr. Truman, how are you? How did you do on your final exams?"

Jackson smiled as his counselor always used his surname. Even after three years, the counselor still insisted on using it. Jackson acknowledged him, "Mr. Brown, it's good to hear from you. My finals went well, thank you for asking. Are you very busy at the moment?"

Mr. Brown chuckled, "Just about to head to lunch but I am in no rush. My schedule tends to lighten up once the school year rounds out to a close. Is there something you need?"

"Yes actually, mind if we discuss something real quick?" Jackson suggested.

"Of course, what is on your mind?" Mr. Brown asked with a hearty voice.

Jackson dig gripped the letter in one paw as he held the phone with the other, "Remember the University you referred me to? I took all the classes you recommended and maintained a GPA of a 3.5 but yet I've received this rejection letter. I sent it to your email. Can you take a look and help explain what 'non-local' means?"

"Alright, let me pull it up on my computer," The boar counselor put the office phone down. Jackson can overhear the clicks from the keyboard and mouse from his office.

Mr. Brown turned his attention back at the husky as he put him on speaker, "This is the first time I've seen something like this from the university. I'm not even sure what 'non-local applicant' even means, you live in the state. That should've been enough! I can assure you, to my recollection they had never implemented this policy before, not even from last year!"

Jackson nodded, "That was what I was thinking as well. Do you know any way I can find out more what's going on with the campus?"

On the other end of the line the boar flipped through several business cards, "Let me put you on hold and make a quick call to a colleague of mine."

Jackson waited patiently on the other end of the line. A few minutes had passed as the husky continued to scan over the letter to see if he missed something significant. Mr. Brown returned to Jackson on the phone, "Hello, Mr. Truman? Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm still here. What did you find out?" Jackson sat on his bed.

There was a long awkward pause on the other end of the line before Mr. Brown spoke, "I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid this was something unavoidable. What happened was the university itself has received an overwhelming amount of applicants from this state alone. They only have enough space for a couple of hundred students this year. The staff deemed it necessary to only accept students who live in the LA county area for the foreseeable future."

Jackson responded, "Not even from San Bernardino County?"

Mr. Brown sighed heavily, "Not even from here. I'm afraid not even special circumstances such as a higher GPA or recommendation letter's would have helped anyway. I apologize for the miscalculation."

Jackson froze in his seat, his heart raced with worry as it seemed to be a fruitless effort. Mr. Brown continued, "Listen, have you consider changing your major and applying to a different university? With your grades, I'm sure any local university would accept you."

Jackson said with a slightly shaky voice, "Not really, I've sunk so many years into this and planned my entire college life around this! That school was the only one with a BA interpreting program."

Mr. Brown said in a calm voice, "Well, if not perhaps you can consider an out of state school. Let me refer to you a list of names you can go research online for."

Jackson bit his lower lip before he spoke, "Mr. Brown, I don't know if I can afford an out of state university. I didn't get any scholarships or grants you recommended me. I don't have much money right now."

Mr. Brown replied, "Then let me write down some trusted government loan centers you can contact."

"Mr. Brown please, I don't want to take out student loans. It will hinder any chance of success if I rack up thousands of dollars in student debt. Is there no other school in this state that has an interpreting program?" Jackson pressed him.

After another few seconds of pure silence a recollection hit Mr. Brown, "There is one college. In Riverside they do have an Associates interpreting program. But you're close to max out those college units. If you exceed the maximum time frame allowed for your AA program, the financial aid office will penalize you. Still, it's another resource you can consider if you don't wish to change your major."

Jackson said in a depressed tone as he looked down, "Thank you Mr. Brown. I appreciate your help."

The boar shifted in his office chair on the other end of the line, "Mr. Truman, I apologize again for only referring you to one university like that. It was a failure on my part as an academic counselor, I should've considered other avenues. Listen, whatever you consider next in your future you should be proud of yourself! You've received good grades and amazing notes from your professors. And you'll have enough units to graduate this spring!"

Jackson nodded, "You're right. Anyway, I need to get going. Thank you for all your help."

Mr. Brown tried to sound upbeat, "Very well, have a nice winter break. I'll send you the list of universities and loan center names to your email address anyway."

Jackson hung up the phone and threw it against the bed in frustration. In a brief moment of fury, he crumbled up the rejection letter and slammed his fist against his nearby study desk. He then sat onto the edge of his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"Fuck!" Jackson yelled out loud.

His tear ducts began to swell as he face palmed with worry. Jackson then shook his head and rubbed his eye lids before he regained his composure. Jackson heard a pop up message echo inside his bedroom. The phone beeped repeatedly as a few messages popped up on his phone screen. Jackson grabbed the phone to quickly read the messages.

They all came from Kevin as the messages read, "Hey handsome. A few of my friends happen to be free tonight. Want to come hang out with us tonight for some food and drinks?"

Jackson didn't give a response as he thought about his future first. He considered a few realistic possibilities that relied on as little money as possible. The first was to simply declare a common major like English and apply to a local university. There he could still receive financial aid and the only concerns would be the school supplies and text books. The second possibility was to transfer to the Riverside to enroll in their interpreting program, then transfer to a local public university. The second option had potential for expensive out of pocket cost, but it would bring him one step closer to his goal.

Either way, Jackson had those two options to consider over his winter break. He decided to keep the news from his parents for a while, least until he was able to figure out a plan that would benefit all of them. Jackson continued to contemplate about the implications of his decisions. Especially with how it will affect his family and Kevin. While the two had barely known each other for a few months, Jackson couldn't help but have strong feelings for Kevin. He also knew with Kevin's personal turmoil with finding work that he didn't want to resort to begging money from him. The idea just didn't sit well with him as Kevin has already done so much to help out with his academic goals.

Jackson heard someone pull into the drive way. His canine ears pointed up as he heard someone had shut a car door. Jackson peered through his window to see that his mother's silver truck was parked out on the drive way. Jackson also spotted his father as the heavy set husky trimmed the hedges out in the front yard. Jackson headed downstairs toward the office where he dropped off the mail and spotted his mother already at work. She surrounded herself with piles of paper work and still wore her grocery store uniform. The female husky sat at her office chair with the computer in front of her and the stacks of bills surrounded the chair.

Jackson's mother put her reading glasses aside and turned her chair to smile, "Hey sweetheart. Thanks for coming home to clean like I asked."

Jackson said, "It's no trouble, are you going through the bills?"

"Yeah, mortgage has taken a heavy dent at our savings again. But, because you help pay for the car maintenance and buy your necessities' you have saved your father and I a massive headache. So I appreciate everything that you do. In fact, will you be home tonight? I wanted to have a family dinner," She said sweetly.

Jackson rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Actually, I was thinking about going out to hang out with some friends tonight. Mind if we do it tomorrow?"

She gave a look of disapproval, "Honey, you know your father has an appointment at the VA hospital that night. And who are you hanging out with? This is the second time this week you're going out."

"I'm hanging out with Kevin again. I was just planning to celebrate the end of my finals with him," Jackson told her.

She folded her arms, "I understand that you want to relax with your friends but you got to be careful about the mileage you're putting on the car. Plus I don't like it when you're always on the road, you could get in an accident."

"You're right about the mileage, I'll be more careful about that. But I'm a safe driver, honestly!" Jackson rubbed the back of his head.

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's the other drivers I can't trust. Maybe at some point you can also convince your friends to come hang out over here in the Inland Empire. There's plenty of fun things to do," She suggested with a warm smile.

Jackson chuckled as he joked, "Like getting shot and mugged?"

His mother pretended to frown, "Jackson, you know there are plenty of perfectly safe places to spend the night at. Don't joke about that kind of stuff, you'll give me a heart attack."

Jackson laughed and smiled, "Alright, I won't joke about that kind of stuff. And I already asked for him come out and see me. Anyway, I'll let you know when I'm going out. I'll be home all day tomorrow, promise."

"You better!" The female husky smiled before she turned her chair back at the computer.

Jackson turned back and headed upstairs to his bedroom. He sat on his mattress and picked up his phone. Jackson replied to Kevin that he would like to join them to eat and drink tonight. Kevin responded swiftly with the address and time to show up. Jackson laid back in his bed, his mind still filled with worry and doubt. He didn't want to become a bigger burden on his parents. For the time being, his concern was just to quell his worries and enjoy the night with his boyfriend. He looked over his clock and saw that it was already 4:00pm with the schedule meeting time at around 8:00pm.

Act 5

Jackson waited outside the seafood restaurant where the group was scheduled to meet. The restaurant was popular for serving a wide variety of fresh sea food from the coast line. The local shark and dolphin population were essential for their expertise in fishing which supplied the restaurant. The place was too full to wait inside without the rest of the party so he was politely asked to wait outside for the rest of his group to show up. The only creatures that stood outside where the ones that took a long smoke break. On occasion a few would ask him for a lighter which he didn't carry. The sun had already set as the stars filled the night sky. The time was 8:30pm and Jackson didn't see any signs of Kevin or his friends anywhere. No one around him was signing as the line for tables started to get longer. Jackson constantly checked over his phone for any response. He already texted Kevin that he arrived, but the statues of the message was shown to be unread.

The constant cigarette smoke and weird smells that lingered in the air started to annoy Jackson. Another 15 minutes passed by as he continued to stand outside the restaurant. No matter how much he checked his phone, the messages were still unread on Kevin's side. Jackson looked out and watched the cars the drove by. He had hoped to spot Kevin's black luxury sedan pull into the mall complex. Though before Jackson had lost all hope, he finally received a message. However, the text came from an unknown number which puzzled him.

Jackson opened the message, "Hello this is Jennifer. Kevin gave me your phone number to tell you that we'll be here in 10 minutes. Sorry for the delay."

Jackson let out a soft sigh of relief to finally receive a response. The husky saw a herd of creatures exit out the restaurant as the staff clear and cleaned multiple tables. The line that formed in the restaurant shorten as more creatures were seated. Jackson looked out onto the road and spotted Kevin's car. His tail wagged with excitement as Kevin's car approached the restaurant parking. The car parked near the entrance as multiple creatures climbed out. Kevin climbed out first, wearing a stylish long sleeve blue dress shirt with black slacks and loafers. The lion looked impeccably sharp for the occasion. Other than Kevin, three more individuals followed close to him. The first was a female black and grey spotted hyena that wore a V-neck grey blouse with a black skirt and heels. The tallest in the group was a male reddish brown kangaroo as he wore a black graphic t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. The last creature Jackson saw was a medium size muscular green crocodile with a white tank top with black shorts and sneakers.

As a group, they all signed to each other while they walked. Once they approached Jackson, Kevin walked up to him fast and held the husky tightly.

The two shared a light kiss with each other before Kevin brought his paws up to sign, "Sorry for the wait, I know I said 8:00pm but my friends took a while to get ready."

"I was getting worried. Anyway glad you made it. So who are your friends?" Jackson smiled.

Kevin introduced them all, "These are my deaf friends. The hyena is Jennifer, we've been childhood friends for many years. We met and attended the same deaf school. The kangaroo is Oliver, he's visiting from Australia. His main language is Auslan but I've been teaching him ASL for a few years. And the crocodile is Conner, he's from Louisiana."

"It's good to see you all, I'm Jackson. By the way Kevin, what's Aulsan?" The husky looked over to Kevin.

"Aulsan is Australian Sign Language. It's completely different from American Sign Language," Kevin replied.

"Ah, I see. Is it like that for all other countries?" Jackson pondered.

"Most of the time yes. Even English speaking countries like Australia, Britain, Ireland, and New Zealand they all have their unique native deaf sign languages. Except for Canada, they use either American Sign Language or French Sign Language."

"I had no idea. How interesting! Anyway, I'm just happy to finally meet you all," Jackson said to the group.

"Good to meet Kevin's boyfriend finally. He's talked a lot about you. I've seen many pictures of you two on Facebook! You sure are a cutie!" Jennifer complemented.

Jackson's ears flattened from the comment and he nodded. Oliver gave Jackson a firm paw shake and side hug before he signed, "Good to meet you buddy. You are a handsome little pup. I can see why Kevin likes you."

"Thanks. So how did you and Kevin meet?" Jackson asked as the group headed inside the restaurant.

"In 2010; I met him at Comic Con in San Diego. Actually, it's also where I met Conner and Jennifer. I saw them together signing with Kevin and I decided to hang out with them for the event," Oliver explained.

"Okay, but how did you communicate with them? I thought Auslan was different from ASL?" Jackson asked as one of the waiters escorts the group to a booth.

"It is, but we mainly used gesturing for the first day. If we needed to be specific I just wrote it out in text. But for most of the convention we got our intentions across through gestures. As the days went on, we also picked up each other's sign language to better understand one another. After the convention, I got all of their contact information and stayed in touch ever since," Oliver smiled as the group arrived at their closed booth.

Oliver pulled out his cell phone and quickly scanned through his photo albums. He turned his phone screen to show Jackson a group photo of the three friends. While Conner and Kevin wore comic book inspire graphic t-shirts and jeans, Jennifer had cosplayed as Lara Croft from the video game Tomb Raider. She was fully committed to the part, down to the finest details such as the iconic duel 9mm pistols from the video games.

"That's amazing! Do you travel often?" Jackson wagged his tail.

"Yes, I travel the world to meet new deaf creatures. I happened to be in LA for a project when Kevin texted me and offer to come hang out. As for my work, it consists of making deaf entertainment for audiences across the globe. Maybe after tonight I'll show you some of my work?" Oliver suggested.

Jackson nodded as they all settled in their seats. Jackson sat next to Kevin as the others sat around the circular table.

A cheetah waitress arrived and handed out their menus, "Hello and welcome, what can I start you off with tonight?"

The grouped looked over at Jackson to see if he would interpret what the waitress said. Jackson repeated the question to the group as they nodded and looked over the menu. Jackson noticed that the waitress suddenly had become stiff and anxious once she realized almost everyone was deaf. Conner, Jennifer, Kevin, and Oliver pointed out what they wanted on the drink menu as the cheetah waitress wrote down the orders carefully. She also checked the ID's for those that ordered alcoholic drinks. When it came to Jackson, he ordered a small soda.

After the waitress finished writing she asked, "Will this be paid separately or all together?"

Again, the grouped looked over at Jackson as he repeated the question to the best of his abilities. Before anyone else could respond Kevin signs, "Don't worry everyone. It's all on me tonight. You all came here on short notice and for that this will be my treat!"

They all smiled and nodded as Jackson told the waitress, "Kevin here will pay for all of us."

"Great, I'll come back with your drinks shortly," The cheetah waitress smiled as she rushed towards the kitchen.

The waitress left the group alone as Conner started to chuckle and signed, "Did you see her shaking in her shoes when she noticed we were deaf? We're only deaf, we're not that scary."

Oliver smiled as he replied, "Yeah, pretty funny how hearing creatures act so nervously around us. They probably think we're mentally ill for not being able to speak."

Jennifer laughed and turned her attention towards Jackson, "Jackson, how come all hearing creatures have to act so scared and nervous around deaf creatures?"

Jackson raised his eye brows a bit, unsure if he should give a playful or serious answer. Jackson decided to try for both with his reply, "I can only speak for myself. But from my personal experience, most people I talk to don't like silence and long pauses. For me, when someone speaks to me in a different language it gets awkward once they realized I can't understand them. What ends up happening is I just try to get away from the situation as I can't help them."

They all nodded as Conner signed, "That's a shame. There are other ways to interact with people other than using spoken language."

"Oh, I know. But before taking sign language classes I wasn't taught any other ways of communication besides spoken English and writing. I didn't even know what sign language was until I got into high school," Jackson said.

"That seems to be common. It's a shame most hearing creatures are still ignorant about the language. One time, I was nearly killed because of a misunderstanding," Conner replied.

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked with a curious expression.

Conner lifted his shirt to reveal his scaly chest. In the center of his chest was several large bullet wound scars that were located just above his heart. The scars appeared to be years old to Jackson.

Conner put his shirt down, "A few years ago, I was out visiting family in Compton. I was chatting with some of my family members outside near a restaurant. We had planned to go inside to eat for dinner. Before we could get inside a large black van pulled out near the entrance and shot at me multiple times. Later, when I woke up in the hospital a few officers told me what they think happened. The hearing creatures that shot me thought I was throwing up gang signs at them. That's at least what the officer believed happened."

Jackson sighed heavily and gave an expression of disbelief, "How awful! Did the police ever caught the guys who shot you?"

"No, the police are still investigating the incident. Though I highly doubt they'll be caught. Maybe if they knew I was using ASL they wouldn't have shot me," Conner shrugged.

"Yeah, hearing creatures can be the worst sometimes. You should join me at the shooting range soon, I'll teach you how to defend yourself," Jennifer suggested to Conner.

"I'm still a little nervous about firing a gun. Maybe sometime next week before I fly back home," Conner signed with hesitance.

"My offer still stands in case you change your mind. Till then, I can act as your personal body guard," Jennifer carefully opened her small purse and flashed her revolver. She closed up her purse softly, nudging his shoulder playfully.

Conner chuckled and nodded as he turned his attention to Kevin, "So Kevin, how did you and Jackson meet?"

Kevin sat up in his chair, "I met him at a house party. After some talking, Jackson thought it was cool that I was deaf and told me he knew sign language. I thought that was pretty cute and decided to see if that was true. After a few dates, eventually I grew a fondness for my sweet puppy!"

Jackson wagged his tail under the table from the praise received.

"Your boyfriend sure is a keeper. I imagine a different hearing creature would've given you the whole, 'Oh I'm sorry that you're deaf. Life must be so hard for you,' kind of routine," Jennifer laughed.

Kevin shook his head, "Yeah I still get that often from other hearing creatures. But never once did Jackson try to pity and comfort me about my deafness. I already started to like him after the first few minutes, even if at that time his signing was a bit slow."

Conner commented, "I imagine Jackson must've been such a novice when you first met him. College students always act so shy and nervous around new deaf creatures."

Jackson responded, "For me, I was nervous because I didn't want to look like a bumbling idiot in front of Kevin. It's not easy picking up a second language later in life."

Oliver interjected, "Sorry to break it to you, but that's been that way for us our entire lives. English is a second language for many deaf creatures. Plus it's such a needlessly complicated language with the many rules and exceptions. It wasn't until I learned sign language was I able to pick up English. Sign language just makes everything so simple and not convoluted."

Jackson shook his head, "Yeah you're right, I'm a native user of English and even I still have problems understanding all the rules and exceptions."

Jennifer smiled, "That's something we can all agree on!"

The group nodded to each other as the cheetah waitress returned with a handful of drinks. Everyone had ordered different variations of alcoholic drinks except for Jackson who had the standard soda. Conner received a Mint Julep, Jennifer had a Cosmopolitan, Oliver ordered a tall frosted glass of beer, and Kevin requested Neat Bourbon.

The waitress smiled warmly and acted calmer around them as she asked, "So would you all like to start off with an appetizer?"

Kevin looked over to Jackson again as he tried to repeat the question. Though Jackson didn't know how to sign "appetizer" and simply resorted to fingerspelling out the entire word for Kevin to fully understand. Kevin nodded and pointed at the menu for their order. The waitress nodded and wrote down the order before she departed. Though before the waitress entered the kitchen, Jackson notice the cheetah that started to type on her cell phone. He then turned his attention back at Kevin who still sat next to him.

"I ordered the sampler platter. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it," Kevin told all of them.

The platter had a wide range of foods to choose from. From fresh mozzarella sticks, to deep fried jalapeno poppers, and nachos which seemed enough to satisfy a large group of hungry animals. Jackson decided to glance over the menu and found what to order. A classic fish and chips were something he was desperately craving to eat for a while. Within a few minutes the waitress returned to deliver the large platter of food and took everyone's orders for their full course meals.

The cheetah waitress spoke, "Alright, I'll put in your order right away," She set her notepad aside and lift her paws up to sign nervously, "Also, my name is J-a-d-y and it's nice to meet all of you."

Everyone's eyes glowed brightly as they gave her a friendly smile. The group watched her disappear back into the kitchen to deliver their order. Kevin was the first to say something, "That was very cute. She's going to get a big tip for that."

Everyone nodded and agreed as they started to grab their plates and pick apart the appetizer. Jackson relaxed in his seat as he ate with everyone else. The great food and alcohol had loosened everyone up. While Kevin was content with one drink, the rest ordered multiple drinks from the bar. Once everyone had finished their appetizers the waitress returned to quickly clear out and clean the table. She then brought out the rest of their meals which were different variations of sea food. The cheetah had memorized what everyone had ordered down to the smallest exact detail. Jackson had already started to eat his fried fish and chip once he was served. The rest of the group took their phones out to take pictures of their meals before they started to eat.

Jackson would casually watch the others hold small side conversations while they ate. Nothing important or in depth but just how their meals tasted. Conner and Oliver took turns taste testing each others' food as Jennifer finished off her drink before she ate her meal. While they ate, Jackson felt Kevin's long lion tail slowly intertwine with his. The husky couldn't help but gently nudge and scoot closer to his feline companion; he felt special and beloved by his lion. For a brief few minutes, Kevin's worries and doubts from the morning had almost vanished from him.

"Say Kevin, any plans on where to find your next job interview?" Jennifer asked him from across the table.

"Not yet, I've exhausted most of my resources for the last few months and still haven't received a call back. And after the terrible interview yesterday, I think I might not find another job by the time my current project is finished," Kevin told her.

"Why not just start your own independent gaming company? Have you thought about that?" Oliver questioned.

"Of course, but I'm not sure where I could start? I could make all the artwork for my first game by myself but I don't know anything about complex computer coding or sound design. I would have to find talented individuals that live close by. Not only that but they would have to be willing to communicate with me through ASL or written English," Kevin explain.

"You know, I do have a few deaf friends in LA that recently graduated from their universities. I know at least one is a specialist when it comes to computer coding for games and he's currently in school. I can give you all of their contact information and see where that would take you," Oliver suggested.

Kevin nodded, "Thanks, I would appreciate that. Even if I gather a small team together, I would have to set up a Kickstarter for capital and income to get the ball rolling. I also have to consider: where our base of operations would be? There's no way we get an office in LA, the lease would be too expensive."

Jackson nudged the lion to get his attention, "Why not Riverside? I've seen lots of empty office buildings that are up for lease. It would be less expensive than going into LA."

Jennifer smiled widely, "That's a perfect idea! Not to mention there's a large native deaf population that lives there! You would be right near our old school!"

"That would be an ideal location. To start my own game company would be great! I'll think it over later and see what I can come up with," Kevin commented.

Kevin finished his meal and picked up his paws to sign again, "Also, did you all know Jackson is going to get accepted into Northridge after he graduates this spring? He wants to be an interpreter."

Conner lifted his scaly hands up as they moved at a sluggish pace from all the booze he drank, "Really! How adorable, is he going to be your personal little interpreter wherever you go?"

"Maybe, either way I'm proud of him. I know he'll get far with this career, once he gets accepted and graduates in the spring. I'm going to throw a big party just for him," Kevin looked over and smiled at Jackson.

Jackson looked down a bit and he munched on his French fries. He still felt a small pain of guilt for not telling Kevin and his parents about his rejection letter. His canine ears started to get hot with nervousness as Jackson swallowed his last bit of food.

He let out a deep breath and decided to tell Kevin the truth, "Actually, I received a rejection letter from that school today. They denied me because I don't live in the LA county area and they'll only take undergraduates from there. Sorry to disappoint."

The fork in Kevin's paw dropped and clanged against his dinner plate, and his eyes widened with shock. Everyone else in the table gave an uncomfortable expression after they received the news. Jackson bit his lower lip nervously as he awaited for a response.

Oliver was the first to start the conversation again, "Sorry that you didn't get accepted. What do you plan to do now?"

Jackson slumped over, "I don't know, I still want to become an interpreter. But I don't know what I should do? My parents can barely afford to keep our house so I don't know if I could stay any longer. I just want to finish school, get a high paying job, and move out as soon as possible. But no matter what I choose, it will take a while."

"Seemed like you two had a bad streak lately," Jennifer commented.

Kevin softly rubbed Jackson's lap before he leaned in to give his cheek a kiss. After the sweet kiss Kevin signed, "Would you want to discuss it now or later in private?"

Jackson looked over to him, "Later in private, for now I just want to enjoy tonight with you and your friends here."

"Alright, well would you like anything else to eat or drink? It's still my treat," Kevin offered.

"Why not let him have try some booze? A small amount won't hurt. Plus we should celebrate his graduation for spring tonight," Oliver suggested.

"I don't know, he drove here by himself and he's still underage," Kevin told him.

"Say Jackson, how old are you?" Oliver turned his attention towards him.

"I'm 20," Jackson replied.

"Oh he'll be fine. I started drinking when I was 16 and I turned out okay," Oliver chuckled.

"Other than a few missing back molars and getting a tattoo on your pelvis, you did come out okay," Conner joked.

"That was supposed to have be a private story," Oliver signed and he covered his eyes with his folded ears, embarrassed.

Jackson chuckled as he looked over to Kevin. Kevin glanced at drink menu for a moment before he asked, "Have you ever tried any booze before?"

"Never. I have no idea what it would taste like," Jackson replied.

Kevin nodded as the waitress returns to clear the empty plates from the table. She asked, "Anything else you would all like to have?"

After Jackson repeated the question, Kevin pointed at the drink menu and the cheetah checked his ID again before she wrote down the order and took the plates away.

"What did you get me?" Jackson asked.

"I got you a beer tasting sampler. It has different variations of their most popular beer and ales. It will give you an idea of what you might like," Kevin signed before he nuzzled him.

"Thanks, I'm excited to try!" Jackson wagged his tail.

The waitress returned with the row of drinks and handed it to Kevin before she left. Once the waitress was out of sight, Kevin passed the drink platter over to Jackson. There were five different variations of beer that were poured in small glasses. The first one was a dark brew that had the aroma of chocolate. Jennifer had already taken her phone out and started to film. Before Kevin could sign, Jackson took the first glass and dunked the glass back to swallow all the beer in one swift gulp. The dark brew washed over his tongue as he swallowed and his first impression of the drink was disgust. His lips retracted back and stuck his tongue out in revulsion from the extremely bitter taste of the beer. Jackson's muzzled cringed at the taste as he felt the booze travel down his throat. He coughed and pounded his chest as the slight burning sensation also traveled down his throat.

The group laughed at Jackson's response as Kevin signed, "Slow down, you don't need to drink it down all at once. You're supposed to taste it."

Jackson shook his head, "That was disgusting! Why would anyone drink this stuff, it's so bitter,"

"Oh stop complaining. It wasn't that bad," Oliver teased.

"I'm serious it was extremely bitter. I felt like I was drinking chocolate flavored cough syrup," Jackson told him.

"If you don't like it then I'll have the rest," Oliver told him as he leaned over to grab his plate.

Jennifer continue to hold the cellphone with one paw as the other swatted Oliver's paw away from the drinks, "That isn't for you!"

"I was kidding, I wasn't going to take it," Oliver laughed.

Jackson still tasted the chocolate flavor on his tongue as the bitterness subsided. The next small glass had an amber color as he took up the small glass. He leaned his head back and took a few heavy gulps from the glass. While there was still that same bitterness this flavor had more of a kick to it. It tasted hoppy in his canine mouth, the sensation was as if he was eating bitter pop rock candy. He finished the second glass and started to feel warm.

"I guess the second one is okay," Jackson licked his lips.

He tried the other two which had a quite interesting taste. The two were different variations of the same sour flavor as one had a stronger kick to it. Jackson enjoyed the sour taste from both of the drinks as he was able to swallow and not cringe at the bitterness. Lastly, he picked up a small glass of beer which had a dark red color to it. He took a drink from the glass and really enjoyed the taste. The drink was a heavy apple cider which had a mix of sour, sweetness, and slight bitterness.

Jackson licked his lips, "I love the last one! That one's my favorite!"

Kevin chuckled, "So you like ciders then. Good to know, you enjoyed it?"

He nodded happily, "Yeah, I feel so much more relaxed now."

"Good, glad I can help you relax. Though I think that's enough drinks for one night," Kevin rubbed his backside.

Jackson hiccupped as the back of his neck and ears became warm. The husky tugged on his shirt collar before he relaxed back in his cushioned seat.

Jackson brought his paws up as they moved at a sluggish pace, "You know, I can understand why people like to drink booze!"

Oliver chuckled, "Don't tell me you are buzzed? You only had five small glasses of beer that only amounts to one normal pint!"

"Keep in mind, he's a canine. They are more sensitive when it comes to alcohol," Kevin explained.

"Next time when he's 21 we should have him drink more," Oliver signed and chugged down the rest of his third tall glass of beer.

Hours passed as the group continued to drink and chat with one another. The other patrons would come in and out of the restaurant as the group stayed at the booth. Kevin made sure to have Jackson drink plenty of water so that he could sober up for the drive home. The waitress had returned with their receipt and Kevin paid for it all on his card. After he left a hefty tip for the waitress, the group slightly stumbled outside. Most of the cars had disappeared from the parking lot as midnight rolled around. The mall was closed as the only place open was still the seafood restaurant. Jackson notice that Kevin had seemed to sober up quickly compared to the rest of his friends. The other three still stumbled around and acted silly as they were still heavily buzzed from their multiple drinks. Though none of them were reckless with their behavior as they simply joked and laughed with one another.

Kevin waved to get his deaf friends attention, "Can you all stay here for a bit. I want to talk with Jackson in private."

They all nodded as Kevin nudged Jackson to follow him to the parking lot. Jackson stayed close behind as they got into the luxury car and Kevin drove off into the large parking garage. The car had faced away from the group of deaf friends as they were out of their line of sight.

Kevin turned the car engine off and gently nuzzled Jackson, "Did you have fun tonight?"

Jackson nodded, "Yes, I did have a great night with you. Your friends are pretty nice."

"Yeah, so will you be alright tonight?" Kevin smiled.

"I'll be fine, really! I just got to work this out on my own," Jackson tried to hide his overwhelming disappointment and sadness with a smile.

"You know I'm proud of you right? The fact you're graduating this spring is a huge accomplishment."

"But an Associate's degree is not enough for a good paying job! I didn't even tell my parents about my rejection letter. I felt too ashamed. Without the transfer, I feel like a failed my parents, myself, and you," Jackson admitted.

"I don't understand, how so?"

"My parents never had the chance to go to college. My father married my mother after high school and he joined the Marines. Afterwards, they both worked their asses off their entire lives to support me. And you provided me everything from academic help to paying for my food and gas. Yet, I have little to show for it! I get denied to a prestigious university and all for what? Just because I wasn't rich enough to attend school in an overpriced area like LA? I feel like I'm just wasting everyone's time! No matter what I do, something will always go horribly wrong!" Jackson turned away and sniffled as a few tears rolled down his cheek.

Kevin gently turned Jackson's head with one paw as he caressed his muzzle and wiped the tears away. He leaned in and gave the husky a small peck on the lips before he signed, "I know it must've been hard to get rejected like that. But you aren't wasting anyone's time. If you were just sitting on your parents couch doing nothing then yeah you would be. But you're not, you've took up a part time job and will graduate soon. Not many creatures would've got this far at your age, myself included. Let me ask you, do you remember when I said college didn't work out for me and I was nearly homeless?"

Jackson nodded as he rubbed his muzzle, "I remember. I've seen your older artwork online when you attended college. You were still an amazing artist back then. What happened that made you decide to quiet?"

Kevin shifted in his seat, "It was in a similar situation you were in. Like you, all my life my teachers and counselors recommended I attend a university instead of an art school. I was a child prodigy when it came to the arts and I always followed their advice. Even though I was great with Art and English, I was lacking when it came to other subjects like Mathematics and the Sciences. I've encountered many roadblocks in my life and I had to make a choice. Whether to continue with my academic counselor's advice to retake the classes and receive more student debt; or go on my own direction and submit my art portfolio to Firestorm Studios."

"But in the end it all worked out for you! You knew what to do when you were stuck!" Jackson said.

"In retrospect yes. However, it was still a huge risk what I did. An overwhelming amount of creatures that drop out don't become very financially successful in their lifetime. It's especially worse for deaf creatures like me. When I dropped out from school and moved out from my parents place to join Firestorm Studios, it still took me many years to pay off the student loans. Even when I had the job to follow my passions and dreams, there was always a risk I could get overwhelmed with work and student loan debt. My coworkers viewed me as a diversity hire and always tried to sabotage my position. I was mainly isolated and alone the first few years at the company. But I didn't give up, I persisted through despite all the challenges I faced, even now."

"Is that something I should do? Just stop listening to other creatures and make my own path?" Jackson asked as he rubbed his eye lids.

"That's something you'll have to decide on your own. But just know this, you don't need to be an interpreter to be my boyfriend. You're an extremely bright individual. I know you can figure this out on your own."

"Even if I do figure this out, I won't be able to financially help out much. I just wish I could do more to help you," Jackson sighed deeply.

"You've helped me a lot. You've always been by my side when I needed you the most. Even with the stress of work and job hunting, every time I see you it motivates me to keep going. Unlike most creatures I've met throughout my life, I can see potential when it comes to building a future with you," Kevin admitted.

Jackson chuckled and calmed down, "I'm happy you feel that way. But still, I feel like there's not many options left. I could either transfer to a nearby college for their interpreting program then a university. Or just go straight to a local university and get my BA in something else. Those are the only two options I have that won't cripple me with huge debt."

"But those are not the only inexpensive options you have!" Kevin smiled.

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked.

"You have a degree in communication right? Why not help me build an indie game company? You can be our communications and social media manager since you have a degree in communications," Kevin suggested.

Jackson was taken aback by the offer, "Are you serious about it? Sure I do have a degree but I don't have any practical experience."

"So what? I don't have any practical experience when it comes to managing an entire company. But that won't deter me from considering it. I have experience when it comes to managing a team and following a production schedule. If I do decide to start up a gaming company, I think your skills with communication and social media could help us advertise our company and products. It's another choice you can consider. You're not limited by just two choices," Kevin pointed out.

Jackson's tail slowly sways near his feet, "You're right. That's definitely another path I can consider! Can I think about it before I give my answer?"

Kevin nodded, "Of course, I be a little worried if you decided without much thought! Anyway, I'll let you know what I decided as well. Just think it over your winter break."

Jackson nodded and leaned in to give Kevin a heartfelt kiss. The husky's paws gently caressed Kevin's sides as the two shared an intimate kiss with one another. After the kiss, Jackson pulled back and stared into Kevin's green emerald eyes. Kevin looked back to see his friends were still in front of the restaurant. They were taking selfies with one another as they waited for the two to finish their conversation.

"You feel alright tonight?" Kevin asked one last time.

Jackson nodded and gave a genuine warm smile, "Much better!"

Kevin sighed happily and kissed Jackson's forehead, "Good, though let me leave you in a great mood!"

Jackson raised an eye brow before Kevin leaned over to lightly rub the husky's pant leg. Jackson ears folded as his arousal started to grow within his underwear. He quickly looked back at the rear tinted windshield to see Kevin's friends continued to hold conversation without them. Kevin looked back as well to see his friends were still preoccupied with their conversation.

"Want me to suck you off again?" Jackson licked his lips.

Kevin shook his head, "You don't need to. I just always wanted to taste you first."

Jackson's tail wagged faster as he spread his legs out wider for Kevin. Kevin's paw unzipped his pants to reveal the husky's large bulge. Jackson stayed in place as Kevin bent over as his muzzle was inches away from the massive bulge. Kevin pulled Jackson's underwear down to expose the husky's long circumcised length as it flopped onto his muzzle. Jackson leaned back as Kevin's wrapped his lips around the tip first, his muzzle started to accommodate more of the husky's penis. Kevin's muzzle expertly bobbed in a smooth steady motion. With his lips curled over the sharp lion teeth, Jackson's length sporadically drooled thin strands of pre cum into the lion's muzzle. Jackson body shivered as he marveled at his lion lover, amazed at Kevin's skillful tongue worked. Kevin kept his eyes closed, the warm lion mouth eagerly suckled all over Jackson's penis.

The slurped noises that came from Kevin's muzzle served to heighten Jackson's arousal. Jackson felt the lion's warm drool dripped from his ball sack as a small puddle formed around his underwear. Every nerve in Jackson's length fired with intense pleasure as the tip became swollen from his hyper aroused state. It was obvious by Kevin's expert performance that he had done this before. The lion throat would slightly bulge from the long length that traveled downwards. The lack of a gag reflex allowed Kevin to fully engulf Jackson's length in his muzzle. Kevin's long slightly rough textured smooth tongue coiled and glided along the ends of Jackson's penis. Jackson gently caressed Kevin's head fur, his fingers combed into the lion's soft fluffy mane. When Kevin felt his lovers paw pet him, his lips eagerly smiled around Jackson's penis.

A few minutes have passed, Kevin continued with enthusiasm. Jackson wiggled and shifted in the car seat as his climax came closer. Jackson's firm rump flexed along with the other muscles in his lower legs as the climax was unavoidable. The husky's feet paws curled as a sharp inhale from Jackson signaled the long awaited orgasm. Jackson shudder as wave after wave of warm seed began to pool in Kevin's mouth. Kevin paused for a moment as he swallowed large amounts of Jackson's cum. He continued to suckle and bobbed his head throughout Jackson's orgasm. The husky's feet paws clenched for a while until the orgasm was over. Jackson panted hotly as Kevin slide his muzzle off the thick length.

Kevin leaned forward to passionately kiss Jackson as the two held onto each other for a few minutes. Jackson thoroughly enjoyed the kiss from Kevin despite the tangy taste of his own seed. Jackson pulled away from the kiss as a thin string of saliva connected their lips. He reached down to pull his underwear and pants back up.

Kevin cleaned himself up with some spared tissues as he turned on the car's engine. He rolled down the windows to let the slight musk smell air out from the car.

Jackson rubbed Kevin's pant leg to see if he would still like to be sucked off next.

Kevin smiled and kiss his forehead before he signed, "I need to go pick up my friends and drop them off. Though we'll continue this at my place later. I promise."

Kevin gave Jackson a wink as he cleared his throat a bit.

Jackson replied, "Okay, thank you for a wonderful night! I'm very satisfied now!" Jackson wiggled in his seat.

Kevin smiled and put the car in reverse. He exited from the parking garage and parked next to his group of friends outside the restaurant. Jackson looked down at his phone and saw it was already 1:00am. Kevin grabbed a small spray bottle and directly sprayed around the interior of the car as Jackson got out. Jackson went up to the group and told them that he needed to go home. They still tried and insisted that he stay and chat. But Jackson knew that if he did stay, he would be stuck there for another hour. Jackson politely declined their offer. Everyone nodded and each of them gave their warm goodbyes. Jennifer shook his paw and gave him a side hug. As for Oliver, he leaned down to give him a massive bear hug. He lifted up Jackson by several inches as Oliver held him in his strong arms. After Oliver had set Jackson down, Conner gave him a warm friendly handshake. Lastly, Jackson walked over to Kevin and gave him small kiss on his lips. Kevin growled with approval and held him close. Kevin's large paws gave Jackson's rump a firm quick grope before the two broke away.

Jackson chuckled as he spotted a slight erection grow in Kevin's formal slacks. Kevin gave Jackson a sly wink before he turned his attention back at his friends. Jackson walked over to his car to start the engine. Jackson gave one last wave at Kevin before he pulled out from the restaurant parking and headed towards the nearest exit. Jackson's mind was still preoccupied with thought about his potential future. But after the conversation with Kevin, he felt a sudden rush of newfound confidence. While the future was still uncertain, Jackson was determined not to give up and submit to life's circumstances. Even if more massive road blocks continue to persist, with Kevin by his side he wouldn't have to face them alone.