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Seriously, Amir thought, how the hell do people meet each other?

He was sitting in a chair in the Foxed Page, a bookstore in the Riverwalk district of the city of Gateway, a new Elthia Jones mystery lying forgotten in his lap. Across the Mystery and Science Fiction room of the sprawling indie bookstore, a vixen he'd come to recognize over the past two months was chatting animatedly with a well-dressed red fox he'd only seen this past week. Somehow, mysteriously, the two of them had formed a connection.

The Foxed Page certainly had a comfortable, intimate atmosphere that Amir thought would be conducive to hooking up, which is why he'd taken to spending every afternoon there. The old townhouse had been barely modified, leaving the staircases up to the second and third floors still narrow; the shelves of books faced overstuffed couches that were perfect for squeezing into the corners of. Sitting with his tail curled around his knees, Amir felt like he was visiting someone's grandmother--an interesting grandmother, engaging, who would make you cookies and loan you books and wink at you and your boyfriend, not the kind who would put plastic on all the furniture and eye you suspiciously when you looked too long at any of her possessions and make you and your boyfriend sit on separate chairs.

What's more, The Foxed Page shared space with Under Grounds, a coffee shop that had weak coffee but excellent masala chai, and they let you take the chai up into the bookstore. The store and coffee shop also had an eclectic, fascinating clientele--mostly foxes, which made him feel a little more relaxed. More than half the time he spent in the store, he only pretended to read a book while he watched the chubby red fox scan the poetry section and stop with a gasp at one of the new releases, or the stocky arctic fox who stood leaning against the literature section reading the back of every book on the shelf at his eye level, or the vixen, the one who'd just met someone, perusing the travel section with audible sniffs of condescension.

If there had been bookstores like this back home, he might not have--definitely would not have--spent so much time in bars there. So although he knew how to hit on a cute guy in a bar, he really had no idea how to approach someone in a bookstore. He just knew that the chances of meeting someone he'd want to get to know were way better here than at home, and better in a bookstore than at a bar.

Craning his neck, he could see the vixen and her tod in the travel section, where she was showing him some books without a single condescending sniff. He caught snatches of their conversation: "love to go sometime..." "...beautiful place, the people were so nice..."

Amir took refuge from his might-as-well-not-be-heated apartment (the landlord seemed to think that fennec fur was just as good as red fox fur, even though Amir's winter coat was half as thick as the reds he knew) in the couches of The Foxed Page often enough that the regulars had had plenty of time to recognize him as one of their own. The chubby red fox who liked poetry was there almost every day Amir was, and there was an arctic fox whose jewelry was as ostentatious as his aloof attitude. But none of them showed any interest in getting to know Amir better. He knew how to buy a guy a drink in a bar, a tenuous connection that usually lasted only until both of them had come, but here, he was lost. How the hell did people make things last? He had contemplated running down to the coffee shop to buy a coffee for the more interesting guys, but he didn't know how to ask them what they wanted, and since he himself didn't like Under Grounds' coffee, it didn't seem worth the risk. Lion Christ, he'd tell himself after letting each opportunity slip by, it's not like you moved to Gateway just to meet someone, right? Right?

As the newly-happy couple left, Amir sat back in his couch. Maybe he should try answering some of the personal ads in the alternative paper. He didn't want to be that desperate, but it was that or the bars; nothing else was working. There were ten or eleven other students in his grad school cohort--all, so far as he could determine, either straight or asexual.

When he'd moved to the city to work toward an advanced degree, he'd resolved that he was going to grow up, that he didn't want to spend his whole life in one-night stands as an infrequent diversion from his tired paw. But this whole "hang out where people you'd be interested in would hang out" thing clearly wasn't working out for him. Or maybe he was just so horny right now that he was feeling more desperate than usual. Either way, it felt like it would take some kind of divine intervention to get him a date, much less a boyfriend.

All right, he told himself. Give the mystery another chapter and then hit a bar on the way home. At least get a drink. And if there's a cute guy there...especially if he's a fox...maybe just once.

Before he could even open his book, though, his large ears pricked up. He had become familiar with the low humming of one particular red fox, who'd only been coming to the bookstore for a couple weeks, and who intrigued Amir more than any of the other patrons. For one thing, this fox wore tight jeans and an open vest--he must leave his overcoat at the counter. Unlike most of the patrons of the bookstore, he was tightly muscled and almost hyperactive, bouncing on his feet even when standing still. His tail twitched when it wasn't swishing, and his ears flicked constantly around, as though he were paranoid someone was sneaking up on him. But the few times Amir had seen his expression, he'd never looked scared or worried. He always wore a faint smile, as if he'd just come from or were just going to see a lover and was cherishing the memory or the anticipation.

And, most intriguing of all, his taste in books seemed to vary wildly from one day to the next. Juvenile fantasy gave way to Social Psychology, which was replaced by a hard-boiled crime thriller. Amir was an avid reader, but even he hadn't bounced between so many genres so quickly.

Well, to be honest, the most intriguing features of the fox were the tight, rounded curves under his tail, and the flowing way that tail arched and swung behind him. Just from looking at it, Amir had no doubt that that tail had been lifted many times, and the more he thought about it, especially today, the more glad he was that he had a book concealing his lap.

This time, a book of Sudoku puzzles dangled loosely beside that sweetly rounded rear. Amir let his gaze linger. Definitely was going to need at least a paw tonight. Might be better than a bar, actually. If he tried to pick up someone, as frustrated as he felt now, it'd not be very good. If only he could just walk up to this fox and say, "hey, can I get you a coffee?"

Don't kid yourself, he told himself glumly. The fox would look him over and say, "thanks, but I'm set." He'd leave, and Amir wouldn't even have the daydreams about him anymore. They were such nice daydreams, too, he didn't want to give them up. He watched the fox's rear swing from side to side, the long red tail flowing behind it, almost mesmerizing...and then the fox turned his head and looked right back at him.

Amir felt his large ears flush. He folded them down and buried his nose in the thriller, trying to pick up the flow of the text again, but as the police lieutenant in his text talked about the grisly crime scene, all Amir saw was the red fox's clear golden eyes, the little fang at the edge of his muzzle, the slight curve of his smile. God, staring in a public bookstore like a horny little fag who hadn't even had an ear-nibble in months. What was wrong with him?

Maybe, he thought, what was wrong with him was that he was a horny little fag who hadn't even had an ear-nibble in months. That thought was swiftly followed by another brief daydream about the red fox's slender muzzle in his large ear, tongue licking up the edge, sharp teeth nibbling at the skin. He could almost feel the warm breath ruffling the short fur, his whole body tingling as it did. He knew fairly well what the red would smell like; he imagined that musk thicker in his nostrils, the nose pushing gently deeper against his inner ear...

Any hope he had of getting further in his book was gone. Time to go home, or at least down to the coffee shop. His chai had run out half an hour ago, anyway.

"That's a pretty good book," someone said softly right next to him, right into the soft fur of his left ear.

He almost jumped out of the couch. Turning, he saw the red fox bending over, paws on his knees so his muzzle was at Amir's ear level. He was grinning a cocky grin, and Amir could just see the swish of his tail behind him. He'd come around the other way, through the poetry room and around to the doorway behind the couch. "You surprised me," Amir said, composing himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The red straightened and pointed at the book. "I saw you reading it. I was reading it last week."

Amir nodded. "It's pretty good. I mean, so far," he said. The guy was just standing there, still grinning, so Amir took a breath and a chance. "My name's Amir," he said.

"You look like an 'Amir,'" the red said. "I don't see many fennecs this far north."

Amir brought his ears up. "I just moved here. For school."

The fox raised an eyebrow. "Pinewood?"

"Graduate school," Amir clarified.

"Ah, that makes more sense." The red sat on the corner of the couch. "I'm Hayward, but my friends just call me "Hay."

"Hay?"

"As in, 'hey you.'" He chuckled, and extended a paw. "It's a pleasure to meet'cha, Amir. Welcome to Gateway." As Amir shook, he went on. "How do you like it so far?"

"It's cold." Amir grinned. "Sorry, but it is."

"No argument." Hayward leaned back slightly, letting the left edge of his vest fall away from his bare chest. The sleek fur in muscular lines distracted Amir for a moment. "Usually we only get a couple cold snaps like this a winter. You get used to it. You from the southwest?"

Amir nodded. "Viyajo. It's about two hours south of Chevali."

"I know a guy in Chevali," Hayward said. "Never been there myself."

"Did you grow up here?"

Hayward started to answer, then looked around the bookstore. "You need more tea? Want to head down to the café?"

They sat at a table together in the café talking for another hour. It was impossible to guess Hayward's age, and Amir didn't ask; the red fox had no grey on his muzzle or ears, and hadn't started to thicken around the middle. He could've been anywhere between twenty and thirty-five. His black-furred fingers tapped his coffee cup as he talked, or his foot tapped the floor, or his ears flicked around like radar dishes, or all three at the same time. He took his coffee with caramel syrup and extra milk, and when Amir'd said that it wasn't really coffee any more then, he'd said, "that's the idea." He talked easily and fluidly on any number of topics, and half his stories included the phrase, "Oh, I know someone who..." He knew the owners of the café and the bookstore; he knew a professor at Pinewood College; he knew a wolf who played on the Gateway hockey team; and he knew two of the tenors in the Gay League Chorus.

Amir perked up his ears at that. Hayward saw, and grinned. "You didn't really doubt, did you?" he said, leaving just a little tongue showing at the tip of his muzzle.

"Not really." Amir still hadn't figured out why the lively red fox was interested in him, but the length of time they'd spent talking emboldened him. He looked around out of habit, but none of the large vulpine ears in the café were turned their way. "I figured it would be too much of a tragedy to waste that body on vixens."

The moment he said it, he cursed himself for using a bar line on this fox. But Hayward laughed, looking pleased, and Amir's sense of the fragility of the moment passed. "And I knew from the way you were looking at me."

Amir folded his ears down. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I wouldn't dress like this if I didn't want to be appreciated." He leaned a little closer. "So, you moved up here on your own? No boyfriend waiting in Viyajo?"

"God, no." Amir snorted. "The guys in Viyajo are basically cretins. There's exactly one gay bar and the most eligible guy there is..." He stopped, hardly able to believe what he'd been about to say.

"Is...?"

"Uh...no offense, but I just met you." Amir felt his ears flushing again. He stuck his muzzle in his cup and sipped some chai.

Hayward said, "Hey," and when Amir looked up, the red fox was grinning. "You don't have to. But I'll tell you about this skunk I picked up one time at a bar. He was half-drunk and insisted we go back to his place. Which turned out to be a hotel room at one of the seediest places in Dellwood--that's the town about two miles that way, and picking the seediest hotel in Dellwood is like picking the filthiest stall in a train station men's room. And then it wasn't even his hotel room."

"So what'd you do?"

Hayward's voice was almost a purr. "Well, we fucked in the hallway."

Amir nearly spit tea back into his cup. He coughed and sputtered. "You didn't!"

"It was three in the morning and it didn't take that long. And half the lights were out anyway."

"Did anyone...I mean, did you..."

"Get caught? Nah. Well, I didn't. I got a good lay and then pulled up my pants and left him snoring on the carpet."

Amir stared. Who was this fox? "Seriously."

Hayward traced his fingers over his bare chest. "Cross my heart." He leaned forward again. "So, knowing that, would you be interested in having some dinner?"

Amir squinted. "Is that your worst story?"

"Honey," Hayward said, "it isn't even in the top ten."

"Well, then, how can I say no?" Amir grinned.

+-+

Hayward gave him directions to a Mediterranean place two blocks over, and a time three hours away, enough for Amir to go home and stare at his closet for half an hour, wondering what he could wear to his first date in a new city. He settled for a nice collared shirt, and his best pair of slacks, which also had the advantage of being fairly thin and good for groping, should the evening progress that far. Which, when he thought about it, wasn't in much more doubt than Hayward's preferences.

It still worried him that an obviously outgoing, confident fox would hit on a bookish fennec curled up in a couch in a bookstore. Especially after the story of the skunk in the hotel. But Hayward was undeniably interested in him, and Amir was damn sure going to find out why. Maybe he wasn't boyfriend material--Amir spent an anxious minute wondering how he would deal with Hayward's flirtiness if he were a boyfriend--but Amir knew couples that were odder than he and Hayward would make. So he'd keep an open mind, and, if it came to it, muzzle.

He shivered his way back to the restaurant, getting there five minutes early. He wasn't surprised to see Hayward already sitting at a small table against the wall, sipping from a glass of water, wearing the same open vest and tight jeans, a body-length navy blue coat slung over the back of his chair. The surprise was that he wasn't alone: a tall swift fox sat across the table, talking with him.

Amir's heart sank. Maybe Hayward was the kind of guy who made a bunch of dates in case one didn't show up, and it was first-come, first-served. He'd known Hayward was too outgoing and popular a guy to really be interested in him.

Or, he thought, nudging himself mentally, maybe the swift fox was just a friend Hayward had run into. He knew a lot of people, after all. So maybe he was just killing time until Amir showed up. But should he just walk over there?

He didn't have to make the decision. Hayward spotted him and raised a paw, calling across the restaurant, "Amir!"

Tail wagging, reassured, Amir padded between the small tables and other diners and made his way to Hayward's table. The red fox waved him to the third chair as the swift fox stood, revealing cotton slacks to go with his blue collared shirt and brown vest. "Amir," Hayward said, "this is Fin. Sorry--Ruffin."

"Fin is fine." The swift fox had a deeper voice than either Amir or Hayward. He held out a dusty-brown paw with black streaks on the back. Amir shook it, and as he sat down, so did Fin.

Amir looked uncertainly at Hayward, who smiled back. "Fin's a friend of mine from the community theater. Much Ado About Nothing, last summer. I saw him outside and it turned out he wasn't doing anything for dinner. I figured it'd be good for you to meet a few more people. Amir's just moved up here from near Chevali," he said to Fin.

Fin asked him how he liked it, so Amir said something automatic about the weather while he struggled to understand what was going on. Granted, he hadn't been on many dates, but he'd been on a few, and he knew that by and large, one didn't invite third parties along. "Oh...city planning," he said, when Fin asked what he was studying.

"Ah, Pinewood's good for that," Fin said, and it turned out he knew an architect in downtown Gateway who'd gotten his degree from Pinewood. And after that, Amir asked about the play Fin was currently in, as they all chewed warm pita bread with hummus. Fin had a lot of entertaining stories about actors, which Amir could sympathize with from his English classes, although Fin's stories were a bit dirtier. Hayward seemed perfectly happy telling even dirtier stories about Fin, and it was Fin who was more interested in Amir's Habitat for the Homeless work. By the time the fragrant, spiced chicken arrived for the main course, Amir was having a little trouble remembering exactly who he was on the date with.

Until he caught a look from Hayward. Glancing to his right, he saw the red fox's tail flicking back and forth. Fin was trying to flag down a waiter to get a dessert order, and Hayward slid Amir a sly wink. When Fin looked back, Hayward coughed and stood up. "I'm going to hit the head," he said. "Be right back."

"Sure." Fin turned to talk to the waiter, a tall coyote in a gold-trimmed white vest.

Hayward's tail brushed Amir's leg as he walked away. Amir glanced up and saw the other jerk his muzzle in an unmistakable "follow me" gesture.

Really? Amir glanced back at Fin, who was asking the waiter whether the baklava had walnuts. Amir was intrigued that he liked baklava, but the invitation of Hayward's swinging tail and hips, luring him to the back of the restaurant, was too compelling to ignore. "I'm just gonna...I'll be right back," he said, standing. Fin nodded and waved as he walked quickly after Hayward.

In the narrow hallway at the back of the restaurant, the familiar thick scents of air freshener covered the smell of the restrooms, but also any of Hayward's scent. The flimsy wooden doors were both shut. He reached for the handle of the Males' just as the door cracked open and a golden eye peered out at him. "Coming?" Hayward sang softly.

A moment later, Amir was being shoved back against the locked door, Hayward's long muzzle licking at his shorter one, the black-furred paws sliding down his sides. Amir stiffened--in more ways than one--and Hayward pulled back, straightening and looking down. "This okay?" he asked with a sparkle in his eye.

"Uh." Amir breathed in the red fox's scent, the closeness of him overwhelming the air freshener now, and nodded against his chest ruff. "Yeah, just...surprised me..."

"Good," Hayward said, and Amir wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he barely had time to wonder before an insistent muzzle was pressing back at his, warm breath along his whiskers and then over his cheekruff. Amir, not used to this kind of forwardness, but figuring it was only polite to take advantage of the implicit permission, wrapped his paws around Hayward's waist and pulled the slender fox closer to him. Hayward was excited too; he could feel that against his stomach even as his own arousal pressed against the red fox's thigh.

"Every fennec I've ever met," Hayward breathed, his lips just an inch from the soft fluff in Amir's ear, "likes his ears played with." He moved his nose up the inside of Amir's ear, breathing warmly and then, and then, just the barest tickle of a tongue along the fur.

Amir shuddered and closed his eyes, aware that his ear was trembling and that he was making some kind of soft squeaking sound, but unable to control any of it. "Mmm," Hayward breathed again, resting his muzzle against Amir's head with his nose just inside the cone of the ear, "I guess I have a trend."

His paw slid between them to cup Amir's sheath through the thin pants. "A definite trend," the red fox said, fingers rubbing agilely up the hard ridge.

Oh God, Amir thought, I'm going to get jerked off in a public bathroom again. He whimpered, but the only thing he could make himself do was to drop his paws to Hayward's rear, cupping and squeezing it and dimly registering through the haze of ear and sheath fondling that it was just as tight and perfect to touch as it was to look at, that the jeans were soft and supple, and that the muscles beneath them were anything but.

Hayward tensed his thighs at Amir's touch, grinding his body into the smaller fennec's. His muzzle kept playing along Amir's right ear, now giving bolder licks down into the depths of the ear that turned Amir's grasp on the fox's rear into desperate clutches just to keep himself upright. He squeaked louder, into a moan.

With a little tongue-flick, Hayward pulled his muzzle back. He looked down, golden eyes glinting, and teased Amir's sheath with a small dance of his fingers before removing that, too. "Maybe we should move this somewhere more private."

"Ah. Huh." Amir forced himself to nod, bracing himself against the thin wooden door until his legs recovered some strength. Now that his ears weren't full of tongue, he became aware of other sounds, people moving in the hallway outside.

"You ready to go back?"

Amir glanced down. He swallowed. "Maybe...a minute."

"You got it." Hayward touched Amir's nose with his finger and went over to the sink. He ran the water. "Need to use the...?" He jerked his head toward the urinal.

It would help if he did. Might make him presentable sooner. "Nah," Amir said, trying to think about the least sexy things he could. It didn't help to have Hayward's rear and tail waving in front of him. At least the person outside was courteous enough not to try the door. Perversely, the proximity just made him more excited.

Hayward turned around. "Ready yet?" He glanced down and grinned. "Okay, time for plan B, then. Stay behind me, 'kay?"

They strolled out of the bathroom together, Hayward in front, his bushy tail up against Amir's crotch. From behind the other fox, Amir had a great view not only of the wide-eyed expression of the lion in the narrow hallway, but also of Hayward's saucy smirk that made the lion narrow his eyes as he pushed past them into the small rest room.

At the table, Amir scooted into his chair. Fortunately, Fin had gotten his baklava and didn't look up until Amir was safely seated, a napkin over his lap. "Hopefully the date isn't over," the swift fox said after swallowing.

Folding his ears down over a hot flushing sensation was becoming more and more familiar for Amir. Hayward grinned, unfazed. "Oh, it's just getting started," he said. "I was thinking we should head off from here."

Fin scooped the last of the baklava onto his fork and into his muzzle. Amir nodded at it. "Walnuts?"

"Mm." Fin nodded.

"So," Hayward said across the table to Fin, "your place okay?"

Amir stared at him. Then Fin said, "Sure," and Amir stared at him.

"Don't be so worried," Hayward said to him, putting a paw on his knee under the table. "If you want to just go home, you can."

Maybe Fin had a spare room. Maybe Hayward just meant that they would go to Fin's place and Fin would go somewhere else. As weird as that sounded, nothing would surprise Amir anymore. And what else would he do? He was rock-hard, still, from being with Hayward in the bathroom, and his right ear was cool with the dampness of a tongue whose touch still tingled in his memory. He could always go home to his frigid apartment and jerk off. "No, I'm okay."

+-+

Fin's apartment, a short drive away, had real ceiling lights and a gleaming white kitchen, and it smelled like fresh-baked bread. It was a bit chilly, but nothing like Amir's place. The swift fox took their coats and hung them up in the closet while Hayward took Amir's paw and pulled him to the long futon-couch in front of the TV. "What's on TiVo?" Hayward called across the living room, already thumbing the remote.

"Does it matter?" Fin called back.

"What do you watch?" Hayward asked Amir as the screen came up.

Amir had the sense of being part of a play where nobody had given him a script. "I don't really watch a lot of TV," he said. "Mostly, like, CSI or Law and Order."

"Cops'n'courts," Fin said from the kitchen. "I don't record 'em, because there's always one on. You guys want a drink? Amir, you like wine?"

"Open that zin you got the other day," Hayward called.

"Sure, I like wine. Zin's great." Amir watched the shows go by on TiVo, and then his concentration was jolted slightly when Hayward rested a paw on his thigh. "I like, ah, Bearly Brothers too."

Fin said something about the writer of that show having come over from Mousetrap, which Amir only vaguely heard, because Hayward was teasing his fingers all along the inside of his thigh. "Sounds good to me," Hayward said, right into Amir's left ear.

Amir tensed up, especially when Fin came over. The dusk-colored fox stared down at them for a moment, a glass of wine in each paw, but just as Amir's hot self-consciousness was about to boil over, Fin set both glasses on the coffee table in front of them. "That's a good episode," he said, plopping down into the corner of the couch on the other side of Hayward. "Or you could just put on the music channel."

"I like to have things going on," Hayward said, starting the show and sliding his paw up to Amir's stomach.

The fennec shivered, not sure what to do, but Fin didn't seem to mind. Maybe he'd...go in the other room when things got further? He couldn't just sit there and let Hayward do all the groping, or the red fox would think he wasn't interested, so he dropped his paw on Hayward's muscular thigh and ran it up and down.

Hayward grinned and leaned toward him again. The fennec's large left ear had only a moment to twitch in anticipation before Hayward had pinned it to the couch, nuzzling it much as he had the other in the bathroom. He brushed the short fur of his muzzle along the inside, his breath warm against the fur, then progressed to short licks of his tongue, all the while leaning further over so that eventually, Amir's paw was forced away from his thigh and up to his fluffy white chest.

Amir ended up curled back into the corner of the futon, the armrest pressed against his tail and back, trying not to make squeaky whimpers as Hayward started licking further into his ear. It would probably be rude to start getting all...getting all...his paw gripped Hayward's chest and side, almost pulling the other fox onto him, the licking around his ear sending tingles all through him--no, not tingles, that would be like calling Lake Kasamee a puddle. They were more like electric currents. He loved having his ears licked, but God, what Hayward was doing was in a whole different league, the fox's tongue flicking switch after switch connected directly to his sheath.

Fin, completely blocked from Amir's view by Hayward's chest, chuckled softly. Amir had momentarily forgotten whose apartment he was in, the scent of the swift fox having faded to a background odor behind Hayward's strong scent right in his nose. "Oh," he panted, twisting his head slightly. "Should, uh..."

Hayward stopped in his licking, pulling his head back. He was now almost on all fours on the couch, facing Amir with a smile. "Don't worry. Fin's got plenty to occupy him."

Amir had meant to ask whether they should move to a room, or something else that would involve not making out in the same room as their host, but he took Hayward's assurance at face value. Apparently Fin was okay watching sitcoms while a couple friends--acquaintances, at least--groped and teased each other next to him, and rubbed their paws into their sheaths, as Hayward had now started to do. "Okay," he panted, angling his hips into the red fox's fingers.

"Good," Hayward said, and brought those fingers up. Almost before the fennec could say anything, his pants were open and slender fingers were diving inside, pausing only briefly at his boxers before finding the opening and pulling his shaft through it.

Amir just gave a little squeak. That first contact, someone else's fingers right there on your cock, always made him shiver and think about what was ahead. This time, what he mostly thought was whether Fin were watching, but he still couldn't see what the swift fox was doing. All he could see was the edge of the couch and the floor, where Fin's feet had been resting but were no longer. He squirmed around, rubbing his paw down Hayward's exposed stomach, trying to ignore all the social conventions he'd spent twenty-three years learning, that said that you don't pull out your cock in the apartment of someone you've just met unless he's the one pulling it out. At least, he thought, he needed to give Hayward something back. (And then he wouldn't be the only one exposed.)

But his short arms couldn't quite reach all the way. He squirmed down a bit, pushing his fingers through the soft white fur over Hayward's tight stomach, while the red fox's fingerpads teased up and up his shaft. He got his paw further down, expecting any moment to encounter soft denim, but there was nothing but fur. And then, abruptly, fingers.

For a flash, he thought Hayward was pawing himself. But the black fingers stroking Amir's erection were Hayward's, and the red fox was supporting himself with the other arm, his open vest hanging down. Amir looked up into sparkling golden eyes. "I told you Fin had something to occupy him," the fox said.

Fin's fingers brushed Amir's, and then grasped them gently and pulled them forward, wrapping them around a large, thick shaft. "Here," the deep voice rumbled, "if you'd like to hold on to this for a minute..."

Amir wrapped his fingers around it and saw Hayward's smile curve wider, the tip of his tongue protruding from between his lips. "Big," Amir murmured, circling it and then teasing up and down. It was warm, too, very warm. The tip was already dripping, letting Amir slicken it with each stroke.

"That's why I don't top," Hayward said, winking, his muzzle hanging open.

"Oh, is that why?" Fin said from behind him.

"Mmf." Hayward's eyes closed, then opened to look down at Amir with a wink. "There may be...other reasons."

Over his shoulder, Amir saw Fin's dusty grey muzzle come into view. The swift fox's paw, slick with something else, touched his again. "Other reasons, he says," he grinned. "Just one big reason, I says." Hayward's eyes narrowed and unfocused, his paw coming to rest on Amir's shaft, his whole body tight. Fin's eyes flicked downward. "And here it comes."

Amir watched, fascinated. He could see everything in Hayward's expression: the slight upward jerk of his muzzle at the touch under his tail, the bracing, clenched teeth in the wide smile, and then the lifted muzzle, jaw dropping to let the tongue loll out. When he let out a soft whine through his nostrils, a long, slow, happy sound, Amir thought it was like hearing the slide of Fin's cock into the other fox. He got a big smile on his own face, and felt his tail wag against the couch.

It was oddly reassuring to know that Fin was part of this and not just an awkward spectator, overwhelming Amir's own awkwardness. He'd always thought if he ever did participate in a threesome, it would be with two good friends, or a boyfriend and an ex, and they would talk about it beforehand. He hadn't ever figured he would get roped into one without knowing it. Nor that he would be okay with it so quickly. But Hayward's calm confidence was contagious.

Also, it was pretty easy to be okay with things when you were getting a nice handjob--a better than nice handjob, now that Hayward was stroking again, his body swaying in time with Fin's thrusts. And then Hayward lifted his paw. He grinned down, his eyes still slightly unfocused as his body bumped back and forth. "That's...reason number one," he panted, "and now...reason number two..."

He pushed Amir away along the couch, forcing the fennec's paw off his cock. Before Amir could protest, Hayward's head had dipped between his legs. "Ohh," he panted, and leaned back as the red fox lapped at his stiffness. A moment later, Hayward's lips parted and took Amir into his muzzle, all the way in.

The couch trembled in time with Fin's thrusts, Hayward's muzzle slurping down and up in the same rhythm. Amir's tail was too light to make much noise, but it wagged erratically as his body shivered, one paw coming to rest on Hayward's nicely muscled arm, the other gripping the fabric of the couch. He caught Fin's eye; the swift fox thrust forward, biting his lip, but when he saw Amir looking at him, he gave him a grin and a raised eyebrow.

That right there was a moment. That Fin could stop, even balls-deep in the red fox, and make sure Amir was okay--that was special. Most other times he'd gone right from "nice to meet you" to "get your pants off," they both just went at it, and felt awkward after. Amir had the feeling that Fin wouldn't normally be a one-night-stand kind of fox, and even though he himself was, out of necessity, he liked the idea that Fin wouldn't be. Feeling more at ease, he grinned back, and Fin winked at him.

Then Hayward leaned against the couch back for support, and reached up to brush fingers along Amir's ears, and the fennec just closed his eyes and let the sensations wash through him, no longer trying to restrain his squeaks of pleasure. Neither of the other foxes was making a noise--well, Hayward had his muzzle otherwise occupied, and Fin was panting heavily, which kind of counted. Any self-consciousness that remained about his squeaks vanished as Hayward's tongue slid along the hot length of his shaft, the sparks and shivers from that meeting the waves of delight from the caresses of his ears somewhere around his throat, generating louder and louder noises.

His paws clutched more tightly at Hayward and at the couch as his feet kicked, his body tensing. Hayward's tongue washed up, his lips sliding around, and Amir's shaft trembled under the attention. It had been months since anyone had had him in their muzzle, weeks since anyone'd even pawed him off, and the excitement pushed him faster and faster toward a climax. He wanted to ask Hayward if it was okay to come in his muzzle, because he didn't think he had much time to stop at this point, but his throat wasn't really available for words, so he just squeezed the red fox's arm and put more urgency into his squeaking moans.

Hayward didn't break his rhythm, though he did respond with a couple deep moans of his own, their vibrations reverberating through Amir's erection and sac. Amir took that as permission and let himself go, the licking pushing him over the edge. He arched his back, hips thrusting up into Hayward's muzzle, moaning in his climax. He felt himself spurting onto the red fox's tongue, felt Hayward's lips tighten around him and suck harder, and the world spun dizzily around for that time until Amir settled back to earth, panting happily, scrunched up in a corner of the couch.

"Mmm." Hayward kept his head down, his muzzle still locked around Amir's shaft, and now Amir had a better view of the red fox's tail swept to one side, Fin with one paw on Hayward's side and the other arm working hard out of sight, below the russet-furred back. The swift fox was leaning over now, his muzzle just a few feet from Amir's, eyes closed, still biting his lip, his moans coming faster. He forced a moan out through his nose, then another, louder, and then he slammed Hayward's body forward, almost on top of Amir.

Amir held Hayward's arm as Fin kept thrusting forward, a series of hard motions, and then let out a long breath, trembling just a little. His arm kept working, as Hayward's arm slid from Amir's ear down to his shoulder, holding him in return. The red fox's eyes closed, his breath warm on Amir's stomach, tongue gently flicking against the fennec's trapped shaft as Hayward rocked back and forth with his own motion for the first time.

When Hayward came, it was just as obvious as when Fin had first entered him. His body bucked and shuddered, though he kept his head perfectly still, and his breaths came hot and fast into Amir's fur. The already-sharp scent of musk grew stronger, and then Hayward lifted his head and smiled a dreamy smile, his eyes rapt, as though there were some gorgeous person just over Amir's shoulder. The look gave Amir a small shiver, and then Hayward's eyes focused on the fennec. He licked his lips, his nostrils flaring as though smelling Amir for the first time. "You're sweet," he said softly.

Amir giggled, warm with his climax still, only his shaft chilly and wet now that it was exposed. Hayward opened his muzzle to say something else, but then he stiffened and his ears flicked up. Behind him, Fin was removing his paw and scooting backwards. "Oh," Hayward sighed, "they feel almost as good going out as going in. You think?"

"Uh, I guess." Amir looked away at the TV, which was still showing whatever they'd put on twenty minutes ago.

"Aw, sweetie, we're all hanging out together." Hayward brushed the edge of Amir's ear. "No need to be embarrassed."

The glow of climax was fading, leaving behind the awkward reality of sitting on the couch half-naked with two guys he barely knew, the smell of come thick in the air. But if Amir pulled his pants up right away, that might make them feel awkward, too. He'd rarely been with anyone who wanted to hang out after sex. Usually it was uncomfortable good-byes, or rolling over to go to sleep. He nodded to Hayward and willed himself to relax.

"I'm gonna clean up," Fin said, getting up. "Be right back."

Amir couldn't help looking when the swift fox got up. He saw with some relief that the swift fox's glistening shaft was about the same size as his. So not everyone in Gateway was amazingly hung. A flash of wondering what that shaft would feel like under his tail passed quickly, with a small tingle.

Hayward settled onto the couch again, his own impressive erection still mostly out. "Sorry," he said, scooting next to Amir, "but it's a little wet over there."

"It's okay," Amir said.

Hayward put a paw on his knee. "I know this is a bit weird," he said. "But trust me. Fin's a really good guy."

"I like him." Amir squirmed away from Hayward. This wasn't how one-night-stands were supposed to end.

Lion Christ, he thought to himself, loosen up. This was what he'd wanted, wasn't it? Just because he wouldn't have thought he'd start with sex and then move on to the getting-to-know-them was no reason for him not to take advantage of the opportunity. So it felt weird--so what? It was weird, this whole situation. But hell, picking up guys in bars wasn't weird, and that didn't work at all. He thought about Fin's look, the raised eyebrow. Maybe it was time to give weird a try.

He sighed and settled against the red fox, and felt the tremor of his tail wagging. "I knew you would," Hayward said. He picked up his wine glass and took a deep drink. "You guys hit it off at dinner."

"I guess." Amir squinted at him. "You were asking me out, right?"

Red foxes could do sly grins like nobody else. Hayward said, "Of course, dear. But I have a lot of friends, and as Fin pointed out, two is better than one."

"But three is not better than two," Fin said, coming back with a towel in his paw. He'd taken his pants completely off, though he had pulled his boxers up. Amir could still see the outline of his sheath through them, and a damp spot where he was still leaking.

"Nowhere to put the third," Hayward agreed, putting down the wine and scooting closer to Amir as Fin wiped up the couch. He gave the fennec a peck on the muzzle and got up. "I'm gonna clean up myself. Want me to take that in to the bathroom?"

He held out his paw. Fin nodded and dropped the towel into it, then plopped himself down at the other end of the couch. "So," he said, "your first 'Hay Date.' What'd ya think?"

Now Amir pulled his pants up, tucking his damp shaft away. "Oh, it was fun," he said.

"God, the first time he did that to me, I wanted to slap him."

Amir looked at Fin, eyes wide. The swift fox was facing the TV, though his ears were cupped toward the fennec. "You've done this before?"

"A few times. Whenever Hay thinks he's met someone I'll like."

"Oh." Amir glanced at the damp spot on the couch. "Were you ever in the middle?"

Fin laughed, shortly. "You think Hay would let someone else take center stage?"

Amir grinned. "You've never done this without him?"

"I wouldn't know how. Hayward's...special." He smoothed his whiskers back, still seeming to watch TV. "If you want to do it without him, it won't be with me."

"Oh, no!" Amir flattened his ears back. "I just...one-on-one's enough for me. This was fun, but..."

"Not all the time. I'm with ya." Fin gave Amir a quick glance.

Amir nodded. He glanced back toward the bathroom, but the door was still closed. "It was weird...hey, thanks for checking on me."

Fin tilted his muzzle, then gave him a 'no problem' wave. "Hay can be a bit pushy. I wanted to make sure you were okay before we got everything all sticky."

"Yeah, it just all happened so fast. But it was fun," Amir said again.

"Hay's pretty good at checking people out before he brings 'em into this." Fin jerked his head back toward the bathroom. "If you'd freaked out about getting felt up in the bathroom at the restaurant, he wouldn't have brought you back here."

Amir 's ears flushed. He dipped his muzzle. "What if we hadn't gotten along at dinner?"

"Same thing." Fin shrugged. "He likes his three-ways, but he likes to keep his friends, too."

Somehow, that put the whole weird episode into perspective. The awkwardness retreated, leaving him just sitting on a couch with a new acquaintance, talking about a mutual friend. "That's good to know."

"Oh, all dressed already." Hayward put on a mock pout, coming back from the bathroom. "Such a pity. Listen, boys, there's this terrific party starting, um, let me see, an hour ago. Shim's going to be there," he said to Fin, "and there'll be dancing and karaoke. What do you say?"

Amir hesitated. Fin chuckled. "I think I've had enough fun for one night."

"Okay." Hayward held his paw out to Amir. "Want to come with me? Or I can drop you off at home. Or you can stay here with Fin."

Amir glanced at Fin, and smiled. "Shouldn't Fin offer that?"

Hayward showed no signs of embarrassment. "Oh, he doesn't mind. I mean, look what we just did on his couch. He's a good host."

"If it's okay," Amir said, looking at Fin, "I wouldn't mind sticking around a bit. My apartment's not really..."

"Close?"

"Heated."

Fin smiled. "Gotcha. Sure, if you want. I've got some movies and microwave popcorn."

"Sounds awesome."

Hayward rolled his eyes. "Sounds boring. But you boys enjoy. I'll catch up with you at the bookstore," he said to Amir, and then turned to Fin. "And you...whenever."

"Thanks for the date," Amir said, getting up to shake paws, but Hayward pulled him into a hug.

"Anytime. You're fun. And loud." When Amir folded his burning ears down, Hayward kissed his nose. "Oh, silly. You should hear me when I don't have my muzzle full. It's epic."

He let go and crossed to Fin, who just brushed muzzles, and then Hayward was gone, with a bounce and a wave and a jaunty wag of his tail.

"Whew." Fin yawned, and started to pick up the wine glasses. Amir apologized for not having touched his, but Fin didn't seem to mind. "I always feel drained after an evening with Hay, and it's not even ten. Movies are over there if you want to pick one while I make popcorn."

Amir dropped to his knees to look through the stack, while Fin walked to the kitchen. From there, the swift fox called, "Uh, do you want, um, tea or something? I usually make a chai for myself. I've got Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe...coffee or pop, too, if you want."

"Chai's great." Amir pored over the collection, tail wagging, but he didn't think it mattered what they watched. As weird as it had been, he was sure he'd never have met Fin if not for Hayward. And Hayward was a character, definitely a strange fellow, probably not boyfriend material (though part of Amir wondered what it would be like to slide under that tail, or even to have that big cock work inside him). But Fin here was a quiet fox, who liked movies and books and chai, who was a little embarrassed at what they'd gone through, and whom Amir had already seen naked.

It wasn't a relationship, but, Amir thought, it was a better start than he'd had in years. He'd be sleeping alone tonight, almost for sure (almost), but he'd for darn sure get Fin's number. From Fin's movies, he selected 'Company'--perhaps a bit obvious, but it was what was on his mind. Besides, back in Viyajo, he'd been the only one who liked it. It was nice to think that here, he wasn't alone any more.