Good Enough Chapter 18
#19 of Good Enough
Working through a small block. Sorry is this chapter's not up to par.
Chapter Eighteen--Ready Or Not
As they pulled back up to the house, it was just barely past eleven o'clock, but Damien was still on cloud nine, having spent the ride snuggling in the backseat with his now-boyfriend. Ozzy and Anna sat in the front, occasionally remarking about the "hearts" that floated around their heads and more than once complained about the thumping sound of Damien's tail.
"So," Damien asked, "does this mean I get to cuddle with you tonight?"
"That depends; you want your parents to find out?" Thomas replied.
Damien shrugged. "Well, worst case scenario, they'll be a bit surprised."
"No, the worst case scenario is that they'll be pissed," Ozzy said. "But how could they? After all, there's hardly anyone I can think of whose more masculine than Tommy. Anybody should be honored to know that their kid's getting dicked by--"
Thomas kicked the driver's side chair, momentarily forgetting that the car was his. Ozzy still laughed but Damien could see that Anna looked just as mortified by the statement as he felt. As the car came to a stop, Ozzy turned it off, smiling back at them.
"You two look cute together."
Anna looked back, looking saddened. Damien felt a pang of guilt, looking at her weak smile. "You really do."
"Just be sure you don't bruise him too badly when you're plowing him," Ozzy laughed. This time, Anna slapped him and he whimpered. "Hey! That hurt!"
"Good! That's disgusting!" Anna shouted.
"No, it's life. People have sex. Sex is normal and good."
"But I don't want to know about someone else's--AHH!"
She screamed and Damien didn't even flinch. He glanced out the window, not surprised to see Nathan pressing his nose against the glass. He smiled at creepy grin and Damien rubbed his forehead, annoyed by these antics. He opened the door and stepped out.
"Can you grow up?" he demanded.
"I'm already taller than you'll ever be, short-stack," Nathan said, patting Damien's head. Damien out a small growl as he slapped Nathan's paw away. Then, Nathan wrapped his arm around Damien. "We're going to go up to my room. It's time we have 'the talk'."
"'The talk'?" Damien repeated. His eyes grew wide and he pulled away, ears flattened against his head. "No! No! No! Not having that talk with you!"
"You don't got a choice!" Nathan answered. He lifted Damien up onto his shoulders, ignoring his little brother's protests as he turned to face Thomas, who was scowling. "You'll have your fucktoy back in a few minutes."
"He's not a fucktoy! And you shouldn't treat your little brother like that!" Thomas yelled.
"Tommy, I'll meet you downstairs," Damien sighed. "Just... wait up for me?"
Tommy sighed, clearly disliking the idea. "Okay, if you're okay with this."
"I don't have a choice."
Being dropped onto Nathan's bed was uncomfortable and Damien just barely caught himself before he fell onto the floor. Nathan wasn't looking at him, instead preoccupied with looking for something. He scoured his desk, then his dresser, murmuring to himself.
"So, what's this talk about?" Damien wondered.
"You and the panther really doing this dating thing?" Nathan questioned. "Or is this just a joke."
"No, it's real and please don't tell Mom and Dad!"
"Not a real relationship if you're keeping it secret," Nathan remarked. "They'll find out eventually." He pulled a plastic bag out of his dresser. "Here we go! Just some stuff I always keep on hand." He tossed the bag to Damien, who just barely caught it. "Consider this my way of saying 'I approve'."
"What is this stuff? Is this..." Damien pulled a bottle and his face burned with embarrassment, despite Nathan's wide, snarky grin. "Message oil? And... Oh my God, is this lube?"
"It's yours now," Nathan said.
Damien looked at the bag. "And rubbers?"
"You can't be my brother if you're this freaked out," Nathan remarked. "Look, regardless of where you stick your dick or who sticks theirs in you--"
"Shut up!" Damien hissed. "Please! I don't want to have this conversation with you!" He stood up, setting the bag down on the bed, but Nathan blocked the door, shaking his head. "Come on, let me leave. I want to go be with Tommy."
"You will, but let me say this," Nathan said. "I'm not going to give you the whole spill about sex, but just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want you catching anything."
"I promise, but can you not bring this up again?"
Nathan pulled Damien into a close hug. "I promise. But let me say this now before you go back downstairs. I'm happy for you and I'm proud of you. Love you, bro."
Damien was positive his fur was turning bright pink in his embarrassment. "I love you too."
"Ugh, feel like I need to wash my mouth out with soap. Get lost," Nathan said, pulling away with a grin. "And take your sex stuff with you."
As Damien entered the living room, he expected to see Ozzy and Thomas readying for bed, probably chatting to each other, but he was surprised to see Ozzy just lying on the couch, playing chess on his phone. Ozzy looked over briefly and smiled.
"So, how's it feel to be Thomas's new beau?" Ozzy questioned.
"Please keep it down," Damien insisted. "Doesn't anyone know how to keep a secret? Speaking of which, you told him everything! What happened to keeping your mouth closed?"
"If I didn't, he wouldn't have opened up to you," Ozzy said. "You gave me the ammo, I fired the gun and now, everyone's happy."
"But you--"
A voice in Damien's ear made him stop, sending a shiver down his spine as he felt the warm breath against his neck. "You're louder than him," Thomas whispered.
"You shouldn't do that," Ozzy said, bursting into unrestrained laughter as he saw the look on Damien's face, heard that weak whimper-like sound that escaped from the husky. "You'll give him wet dreams." Damien threw the only thing in his grip, which was the bag that Nathan had given him. Ozzy caught it and flitted through its contents, his grin widening as he did so. "Hoping to get lucky tonight? Good grief, there's enough lube in here for the whole football team."
"Shut up!" Damien yelled.
Thomas laughed and Damien couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to give himself physically to the panther he'd given himself to emotionally.
"Gonna take him for a test drive?" Ozzy asked. "Should I bunk with Nate tonight?"
"No, we're not going to do that tonight," Thomas said. "Gentlemen never fuck on a first date."
It was just past noon on Friday and Damien was beginning to panic. He stared at his reflection in the mirror before shaking his head, shrugging off his clothes and tossing them haphazardly towards the bed, just barely missing throwing them on Nathan who was eating an apple and reading a magazine.
"You know," Nathan said distractedly, "you're over-thinking this."
"How do you know?" Damien wondered as he searched for the third outfit of the morning. He had just barely pulled on the shirt before taking it off and throwing it aside. "I can't find anything to wear."
"Dude, it's not a first date and you're already rooming with him," Nathan remarked. "But you've got yourself so worked up over this that you don't even remember that much."
"You're supposed to help me look my best for this," Damien griped. "You're not helping."
"What do you want me to do? It's your fault you like to dress like some goth-emo reject," Nathan remarked. "Try something not black. And Damien, unless you're planning on getting some tail tonight, quit worrying about the drawers. He's not going to see them."
For a moment, Damien wasn't sure what he meant until he looked down. He hadn't only changed his shirt and pants, but his underwear several times. Perhaps Nathan was right--he was thinking too hard. Damien hurriedly pulled on another outfit and looked at himself. No, this didn't look exactly as he wanted either, but perhaps this was the best look for him with his limited selection to choose from.
There was a knock on his bedroom door and Ozzy's voice rang out. "Hey, your Prince Charming isn't here, but Thomas is ready to go!"
Damien chortled slightly and retrieved his wallet from the dresser. Nathan stood up and pulled something from his pocket. Without warning, he sprayed it once, twice on opposite sides of Damien's neck. The cold liquid made Damien recoil in surprise and he wheeled around to see Nathan holding a bottle of cologne.
"Just making sure you smell good, dude. Good luck. And make sure he wears a condom."
"How do you know I won't be on top?"
Nathan's eyes went wide. "Oh! My baby bro's got some balls."
"Please never say that again," Damien begged, unable to stop himself from cringing. He stepped out into the hallway where Ozzy stood, smiling down at him. "What's got you so happy?"
"Nothing. Although, I got something for you," Ozzy said. He handed him a folded piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"A how-to guide on romancing panthers," Ozzy said with a wink. "Trust me. He'll love to hear this and do this stuff."
The ride to the theater had been enjoyable, and Damien found himself eager to listen to Thomas speak. The conversation had drifted from football (with Damien complimenting Thomas's athleticism) to music (with Thomas eagerly complimenting Damien's talent) to food and TV. When they arrived, Thomas switched off the car and stepped out, letting out a lazy yawn as he stretched. Damien spared an extra second to covert glance at the instructions that Ozzy had given him. Yes, he had complimented Thomas on being fit. Yes, he had called him funny. Yes, he had chosen a good movie. Well, 'good' being relative. They had purchased their tickets for a horror flick that Damien was sure would be awful--he'd yet to come across a good horror movie.
"You coming?" Thomas asked and Damien nodded as he got out of the car. Thomas offered his arm and Damien looked at him in surprise. "What?"
"Thought you wanted to keep this a secret," Damien noted.
"I do, but people don't know us here. Isn't that why we came all the way out here?"
Damien tried to think of an argument, but Thomas had a point. They had chosen a theater on the other side of town where they were pretty much guaranteed to be unrecognized by anyone. When he failed to accept the gesture, Thomas reached for his paw, holding it in his own. Damien allowed himself to be walked up to the theater by Thomas and, once they had their tickets in the lobby, he smiled when Thomas kissed his forehead.
"I'll get our seats," Thomas said. "You get the popcorn?"
"I don't really like popcorn," Damien chuckled.
"Then nachos," Thomas stated. Damien nodded.
Damien watched him walk off into the auditorium and smiled to himself as he got in line for concessions. It had taken a moment for a snide voice to reach his ears and he felt his entire body tighten with fear as he heard the voice around him.
"Fucking faggot..."
For a moment, he wanted to think that they weren't talking about him, but he knew that they were. As far as he could see, there were other homosexual couples in the theater. And to make matters worse, he was alone now. He didn't dare glance over his shoulder to see who had spoken. He simply wanted to get the nachos and drinks and rejoin his boyfriend.
Boyfriend. That singular word kept him calmer. His boyfriend was nearby, even if he was just out of view. Yet the fear didn't abate.
With the food in hand and just barely balancing the two drinks, Damien started to make his way towards the auditorium. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spiteful glare, a hateful stare from a jackal whom he didn't know but was gray in the face and fur. He saw those lips move and that slur uttered, but he didn't listen. He didn't want hear it.
Then he felt something hit his leg and he barely managed to catch himself before falling. He paused for a moment to ensure he was okay before turning to glare at the jackal who was chuckling snidely to himself.
"Watch your step, faggot," the jackal jeered.
Damien looked away and walked as fast as he could to the auditorium.
"What's wrong?" Thomas asked as Damien joined him.
"Huh?"
"You look upset," Thomas noted. "What happened?"
"It's nothing," Damien answered with a shake of his head. "Just some stuff I heard."
"What stuff?" Thomas demanded, rising.
"Come on, just drop it," Damien insisted. "Let's just enjoy the movie. It's supposed to be a date." Thomas frowned, but sank back down into the chair. Damien sat down and slid the cups into the holders, flashing a smile at Thomas did not smile back. "Please smile," Damien insisted. "It's really awkward when you don't."
"Well, then tell me what happened," Thomas said. "I'm not going to drop this until you tell me."
"The movie's about to start," Damien said warningly. "It's not polite to--" Thomas's eyes narrowed even more and Damien sighed. "Just somebody saying stuff in the lobby. Just... I heard them call us faggots and it just kind of got to me."
"Well, as long as they're only talking," Thomas grumbled. "I'm sorry you heard that, but better words than punches. Are you going to be okay?"
Damien nodded. "Yeah, just a bit of hurt feelings," he confirm, ignoring the discomfort in his leg where the jackal had kicked. Thomas didn't need to know that.
Two and a half hours later, Damien was holding a menu in a Japanese restaurant, peering over it to steal glances at Thomas, who was surveying the sushi menu that the waitress had brought over. Just beyond sight of Thomas, hidden by the menu, Damien peered over the suggestions that Ozzy had handed over to him. Scary movie, check. Cuddling in theater, check. Going for sushi, check.
Make sure you compliment him, make him feel attractive and strong. Here's what you can say
"So," Damien ventured hesitantly, "how long did it take you to get so strong and buff?"
Damien winced as the words tumbled out. Thomas looked up at him with a strange look and Damien hurriedly lifted the menu to hide his face. Thomas reached over, lowering the menu with a raised eyebrow. Damien looked away, too embarrassed to speak as he felt Ozzy's paper slide through his fingertips.
"'How to Romance a Panther'?" Thomas read and he began to laugh heartily. "Oh my God, have you been following a script?" He looked at it again. "Wait a minute. This is Ozzy's handwriting. You've been taking advice from Ozzy?"
"Well, he does know you better than me," Damien remarked. "I figured he'd have some good advice."
"You don't need his advice," Thomas stated. "I enjoyed being with you on our first date. Why would our second be any different?"
"Well, I want you to keep liking me."
"The reason I agreed to date you is because I like you," Thomas assured him. He reached forward, touching Damien's fingertips. "So just be you."
"Is that enough?"
"More than enough."
"So, you really like sushi?"
Thomas chortled. "Yeah. It's one of my favorite foods. But I"--he looked away shyly--"can't use chopsticks."
Damien giggled. "How can like sushi but can't use chopsticks?"
"Never had to learn. Always had a fork."
"Well," Damien remarked, reaching over. He snatched the fork away from Thomas's side, moving it beyond Thomas's reach. "You're going to learn today. I'll make it my personal duty to teach you the proper way to use chopsticks."
It was just past sundown when they pulled up to the house, parking just out front. Damien smiled at Thomas, who grinned back, stretching as he leaned his seat backwards a bit.
"So, did you enjoy yourself?" Thomas wondered.
"Yeah, but are we just going to end it here?" Damien asked. His mind was starting to race as he began to process exactly what was going through his head.
"Want to end it with a kiss?"
"Well, actually, I was thinking of... something... a little more?" Damien offered, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap.
"More as in...?" Thomas questioned suspiciously. Damien looked at him and could see the understanding on his face. He was looking for confirmation.
Was he really about to do this? Damien's shaky paw reached out and touched Thomas's knee, rubbing slightly as he leaned over the armrest to give Thomas another kiss. Thomas kissed him back, and Damien's mind began to surge. His paw on Thomas's knee began to move upwards, up the thigh and towards Thomas's crotch.
Then Thomas's seat slid backward and Damien felt himself pulled into Thomas's lap. His eyes were wide, his ears perked upward and his tail wagging strangely, though continuously hitting the steering wheel. His paws rested on Thomas's chest and he could feel the musculature beneath the tank top Thomas was wearing. And Thomas was chortling as he looked at him.
"That face you're making," Thomas laughed.
"What about it?"
"It just screams that you don't know what you're doing," Thomas stated, his paw reaching around to cup Damien's rear. His fingers teased the base of his tail and Damien trembled at the touch, biting back a moan. "You sure you want to do this? If we keep going, we might do something we'll regret later."
Damien nodded shyly and his fingers lowered from Thomas's chest, reaching down to Thomas's belt. He could hear the belt clinking as he fumbled with the buckle, unlatching it after a few seconds of awkward hesitation. His fingers hooked onto the waistband of Thomas's briefs, but Thomas stopped him, his eyes narrowing.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? You look terrified," Thomas noted.
"Yeah... I think I'm--"
"No, not 'you think'. Are you alright with this?" Thomas demanded. Damien nodded, though his ears flattened against his head. He started to pull at Thomas's underwear once more, but Thomas gripped his wrist. "No, you're not ready for this. You're way too scared about this."
"I'm not scared!"
"Yes, you are!" Thomas said severely and Damien looked away. "Hey, now, look at me." Thomas grabbed Damien's chin gently, turning him back to face him. "It's okay to not be ready. I just don't want you to feel like you have to if you're not okay with it." He kissed the tip of Damien's nose. "You're still cute."
Damien smiled. "You're still playing with my tail..."
Thomas chortled. "Sorry."
"So, when do you think I'll be ready?" Damien wondered.
"Preferably, when your dad's not parked within fifteen miles of where we are," Thomas chortled, pointing. Damien looked over his shoulder and felt his embarrassment spike as he saw his father's car in the driveway.
"He said he was working late tonight! I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize," Thomas assured him. "But I say we end tonight without risking someone interrupting our"--he lightly tapped Damien's nose--"moment."
"So how do we want to end this date?"
"This'll do."
And he leaned forward.