Momentary Regrets
#1 of Short Prompts
I joined the Telegram writing group that a few other writers have mentioned, and participated in the 1000 word writing prompt challenge "7 seconds into regretting that decision" (this is just over at 1030 words). The group can be found using this link (https://t.me/joinchat/CPoeZhclggenrOEh0yYwvg).
I'm trying to finish some of the stories I was writing and gave up on. This challenge definitely kick-started my writing again and has helped me sort out my writing style some more.
Feedback always welcome!
"Guys, I got something to tell you."
The loud laughing and boisterous conversation simmered to a silence. All the attention in the room focused on the lithe cheetah sitting in the lazy-boy tucked away in the corner. Casey felt the eyes of his three closest friends settle on the top of his downturned head.
He resisted the urge to glance up. Instead he hunched over and favoured studying the fur on his spotted paws where his nervous could be hidden, except for his ears alternating between flicking upright and flattening, and his ropey tail wrapped tightly around his left leg. His tail tip tapped sporadically against his ankle. Yeah, real subtle.
But fuelled with two beers and the weight of his secret, this was the night to come clean. To finally reveal the truth to his friends and hope they could accept him still. He couldn't handle another six months of nearly blurting it out at any moment. The weight of the unspoken words felt like a physical pressure in the back of his throat trying to claw free in random moments; appropriate or not.
"I'm gay." The words rushed from his muzzle. It was out. No taking them back, no laughing them off as an off-colour joke. For better or for worse he was finally rid of the darkness and doubt lingering in the recesses of his mind.
Now he just had to weather the aftermath and pray his friends were who he thought they were; the sweetest group of furs who could joke and jibe with each other but go out of their way to help when someone needed it.
The seconds ticked by. An eternity with each tick from the analogue clock hanging by a nail on the wall.
Doubt creeped in. Had they heard him? He did speak softly, and the words had left his mouth in a single syllable. Maybe it wasn't too late to laugh it off.
No, he wouldn't succumb to the fear, he couldn't go back to the nervous laughter and awkward attempts at changing the subject whenever the topic of relationships or sex arose.
Five... six... seven...
It had been a mistake. He should have kept his fucking muzzle shut and not disturbed the chaotically peaceful nature of the group.
Casey squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his paws so hard he felt his claws partially extend and dig into his palms. His tail bristled to twice its width, the tapping having stopped in favour of hugging tight down his calf.
"Look, we're fine with it," a voice finally broke the chilly air.
Casey's head shot up and he's emotions nearly broke him at the sight of the sympathy and warm smiles on all his friend's faces.
"You're still the exact same Casey who can burn pasta but bake a cake so delicious it short-circuits my brain," Kane said. The grey wolf was sitting in the middle of a three-seater couch, arms laying atop the backrest.
"Yeah, the same Casey who weighs sixty kilos sopped wet," said Eric. The coyote earned himself an elbow to the ribs from the wolf sitting to his right.
Kane rolled his eyes. "Look, we all support-"
"Yo, can ya suck my dick?"
The occupants of the room turn to Jax with an array of looks ranging from disbelief to incredulous. The unfazed lion leaning against the kitchen table look around the room, confused as to why all the attention was suddenly on him.
"What?" he asked.
Kane stood up an made his way over. Standing before the lion, he thumped him once on the left shoulder, hard.
"Ay, what was that for?" Jax slipped away from the wolf while rubbing his shoulder.
"Dude don't be so inconsiderate," Eric chimed in from the couch, still wincing at the paw massaging near his kidney. "You just asked our just-outed gay friend to suck you off, like, moments after he came out."
"Yeah, so? I ask chicks to go down on me all the time."
"That doesn't make this any better! God, now I know why it's so hard to pick up chicks at bars with you around."
"Can't score if ya never shoot. And it doesn't sound like I've missed yet."
The room turned to regard Casey once more.
"You don't want to suck him off... do you?" Eric asked.
Casey's eyes bounced from person to person. "I mean..." he trailed off, hunching over and covering his face with his paws to hide the flush on his cheeks.
"Oh, fuck yeah. I've been aching for something wet and warm for ages," Jax said.
"Just last week you were bragging about banging that fox chick," Eric said. "Nah fuck that, I've been high and dry for months now so if anyone's getting sucked off, it's me."
"Hell nah, I asked first."
"I'm already hard so get in line."
"Nup `cause I'm already at the front."
Casey heard a scuffle and fast footsteps approaching. He looked up and reeled back in the chair at the sight of his two friends -naked from the waist down- standing in front of him. Eric was right when he said he was already hard, to the point where the slight swelling of his knot was visible. Jax wasn't far behind, his barbed feline flesh quickly slipping from his sheath. The two furs looked down at him pleadingly, hips angled enough that the cheetah could feel the heat of their arousal against his cheeks.
"The two of you can figure out who gets his muzzle first," Kane said. He moved between Eric and Jax, bumping them aside to put himself squarely in front of the cheetah. Casey's eyes trailed down the exposed belly fur of his long-time friend to the hard as steel wolf cock resting against the bridge of his nose. "But I get his tail."
Casey felt his heart flutter. This was sure to change the group's dynamic, but his friends had accepted him more thoroughly than even in his wildest dream. He wanted to laugh or cry or hug them all.
But he didn't do any of those things. No, he opened his muzzle and let his friends feel his appreciation.