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“Saving Face Pt. 2"

by Amadeus Wolfpaw

Nate couldn't concentrate as he stuffed his backpack into the locker. The students bustled around him and scurried to get home. They eagerly chatted about their plans for the night's prom. The sound buzzed in his ears like tinnitus. His nose furrowed as he imagined himself up on stage, accepting the crown of prom king along his queen. Such news would spread like a virus through the lower classman. Nate was a shoo-in for king, and all the upper classman knew it. He pictured himself up on that stage, blinded by the heat of the lights as hundreds of envious eyes devoured him. He saw a crowd of faceless peers, bodies without shape, until one such persona shimmered in the dark auditorium. As he fixated it on them, he recognized their face.

“Nate!" Derrek said, and flopped his big paw on Nate's shoulder. The elkhound flinched and spun around; his mouth hung open on one side. When he saw the rottweiler, his terror turned to annoyance.

“Dammit, Derrek! Don't fuckin' do 'at, dude. Ya scared uh shit outta me."

“Sorry, didn't mean to," he said and slinked his backpack over his shoulder. “I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come over tonight?"

“Tonight?" Nate asked. “But tonight's uh dance. Ain't ya goin'?"

Derrek shrugged and looked away. “I'll pop in, but I ain't staying for the whole thing. Ain't got a date anyway."

“'At sucks. Ah'm goin' wit Alysha, but ah doubt ah'll be 'ere long myself."

“Oh, ho," Derrek sneered, “finally gonna make it official?"

The light bulbs buzzed over the dogs' heads. Sneaker squeaks bounced through the halls as they moved away from the lockers and made for the parking lot. As they walked, Nate looked straight ahead. His heart sputtered in his chest.

“There ain't nothin' tuh official, ya dick. Ah don't think uh 'er like 'at. Never did."

“Shit, my bad," the rottweiler chortled. “Well, if that's the case, maybe we can do something afterwards?"

“Let me guess," Nate said, “Ya dad's outta town again? Workin' late? At uh coworker's house?" Derrek laughed.

“Nah, nothing like that. I was thinking we could go out tonight. You know, like we did after the last time we," Nate glared at him, “or maybe the time before that? Hard to say. It's honestly been too many to count."

Nate rolled his eyes. “It 'us the second tuh last time. And ah told ya, one-time thin'."

“That's what you said after the first time we," Nate stopped and scowled at Derrek. His cheeks flushed as his tail shriveled. Derrek turned to him. Their eyes locked. Derrek could see Nate's nostrils dilate. “Right," the rottweiler sighed, “it's still a secret, yeah?"

“And it'ul stay 'at way," Nate looked around for any eavesdroppers. “Wut we do aftah school stays 'tween us. For all 'ey know," Nate's pinkie twitched, “we jist friends."

Derrek's shoulders fell, he ushered Nate and they walked. As they exited the building, Derrek looked around the parking lot. Nate saw his head swivel and asked him for what he was looking.

“My car. I drove today, but I can't quite remember where I parked. It's around here somewhere, though." He looked down at Nate. “You want a ride?"

“Very funny," said Nate.

“What?"

“Ne'ermind," he scoffed. “C'mon, let's jist go."

They moseyed around the school parking lot until they found Derrek's car in a corner spot. They piled in, and Derrek started the route to Nate's place. Nate didn't speak to Derrek the way there, and so to alleviate the silence, Derrek turned on the radio. The white noise conflicted with Nate's inner monologue. His mind returned to the previous sexual encounter they had, and the one before that, and the one before that, and all they'd done following that first time. He'd carried on this charade for months, meeting up with Derrek after school at either of their houses, typically Derrek's, and then getting busy with what little alone time they possessed. This happened at least twice a week, it had almost become routine. Nate also remember the lone time Derrek had to pass because of other obligations, and his stomach dropped. His forehead heated up, and he'd felt as though he'd been slighted. That same feeling returned. His fingers started digging to the chair as Derrek sped down the road. His breath steadied, but he kept his eyes fixated before him. He wouldn't look Derrek in the eyes.

Trees scrolled by, houses, farmsteads, and rolling hills of corn. They rounded a corner and turned onto a gravel road which quickly opened into a small grove with a quaint colonial home nested in the center. Derrek pulled up to the splintered staircase leading to the front door. The car hummed as he thrust the stick into park and turned to Nate.

“Well, home sweet home." Nate didn't respond, nor did he move. “Nate?"

The elkhound slouched in his seat for a moment before sitting up. He blinked a few times and sighed. He turned to Derrek with a wrinkled smirk. “Derrek, we gotta stop 'is."

“Uh, what?"

“'Is!" He gestured between them. “Ah can't do it no more. It's…it's not workin' out like ah thought it 'uld." Nate turned away, careful not to glance at Derrek. He heard the rottweiler say,

“But you like it when we…why would you want to,"

“Ah just do, 'kay? Ah don't owe ya an explanation. Get over it. 'Is done."

A meek silence filled the car. Nate could feel Derrek's breath slam against his arm. He couldn't see him, but he felt the rottweiler's eyes penetrate him. He heard Derrek huff, and the soft thud of paws grasp the steering wheel.

“Well, if you want to. I guess that's that. Was fun while it lasted. Guess we ain't friends no more either, huh?"

The rickety door shrieked as Nate flung it open. His eyes swelled. Light poured into the dark car. “We kin still be friends, but ah ain't fuckin' with ya no more." Nate stepped out of the car, but held the door open as he looked back at Derrek.

“Alrighty. If that's what you want. See you tonight." Derrek looked at him straight, the same greedy smile plastered on his face from that first night.

Nate scoffed. “Fuck ya," and he walked off. He placed a paw on the stairway banister as he heard Derrek call out,

“Not anymore!" followed by a heresy of laughter.

Nate hated Derrek's laugh, particularly when it came his expense. He turned around to flip off the rottweiler, but he'd already pulled far enough back that the car had turned around and was heading off the lot. Nate grumbled to himself. His paw tightened around the rail.

His chest felt heavier than before. His ears drooped and his tail, which had once flailed, quieted down. Nate walked up the stairs, but his feet were glued to each wooden step. His heart sped up, and he thought back to all the things Derrek had done that pissed him off. His dopey smile, his obnoxious laugh, the way he embraced Nate in his arms like some kind of helpless infant. Nate's cheeks burned as the memories vaulted through his mind. He snarled as he gripped the doorknob. He stopped short of twisting it.

Nate told himself, “No more," and that it would never bother him again. It did little to steel his nerves, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose as he pushed the door in and stepped inside the dark house to get dressed.

…

The rickety wheels of Nate's rust bucket screeched as he pulled into Alysha's driveway. The sky bled overhead, and he watched as they snapped photos in their front lawn. He momentarily wondered if he'd ruin them, but he had little time to contemplate before he saw a golden lab scurry towards his car and exclaimed, “Nate! Nate! Come take some pictured with us, we were just about to head out."

Nate parked, stepped out of the car, and greeted Alysha with a hug. Around her lawn, he saw some classmates and their presumed dates. He knew their names, but upon seeing them, he couldn't quite remember them. His tux ruffled under his clothes as he adjusted the collar while he maintained his gait. He strolled across the lawn, nodded to his fellow students, and firmly shook an older lab's hand. “Good to see you, Nate," said Alysha's father.

“Ya as well, sir."

“You be good to her tonight, you hear? I gots me a gun hidin' away in my room if you try anythin'." The other adults around laughed. Nate grit his teeth and smiled. His ears flared as he nodded.

“Ya don't got nuthin' to worry 'bout, sir. Ah'll treat 'er right."

“Splendid. You'll have her home by-" his voice trailed off.

Around him, Nate heard people clamor. They assumed awry poses, donned wide grins, and bore all their fangs. He heard laughter, and it was punctuated with declarations of love and adoration. He could hear many of Alysha's friends complimenting each other's looks, about their beautiful gowns, and how lucky each of them were to have dates. He heard a few of the guys chuckle under their breath. They spoke about their dates in a similar manner, with a few remarks that they'd finally score that night, as per tradition. Nate grumbled under his breath before Alysha took his paw and pulled him towards her.

“C'mon, Nate! My mom wants a picture of us." Nate complied. He put his paw on Alysha's waist, under the piercing eye of her father, and smiled. His toothed expression must've stuck out horribly, because after the first flash the lab that held the camera yelled,

“Nate! Smile for me. For real, please. It's prom, you're gonna have the time of your life tonight!"

Nate grinned one more time. He stared at the circular lens focused on him. It engulfed his field of view and gave him tunnel vision. In it, he saw himself grin. His ears were down, and his paw was clamped firmly on Alysha's hip. He could feel her smile burn into his side. He stiffened, locked onto her and blinked. The camera flashed. The lab that held the camera frowned, then showed the image to her partner. They shrugged their shoulders. “Good enough," they declared. Alysha scrambled over to her parents, then softly demanded to see the photos. She looked at them and giggled. She looked at her folks and said,

“Don't worry about Nate. He's always grumpy. He's really a nice guy, though."

This continued for a few minutes. Nate stood there on the verdant lawn, practically straddled the hips of the girls and boys with which he'd been asked to pose. He grinned faintly, but the consensus was that he looked to be growling in each photo. They teased him about it until the parents announced that it was time for them to leave for the school. Nate gave both Alysha's folks one more handshake and they piled into his jalopy with Alysha in the passenger's side. He put the car in reverse and backed out; he then drove into the darkening purple grove down the road, around the corner, towards the school.

On a particularly dim segment of road, the white light of Alysha's phone illuminated the car. She flipped through the candids she and her friends had taken and often asked Nate what he'd thought, which angle worked the best, which she should frame, all while he kept his eyes on the road. He wasn't traveling fast, but between driving and Alysha's questions, he began to think.

His mind journeyed outside the car. He thought back to the joy saturating his mood minutes before. He watched them interact from the outside looking in, and the intensity in his chest returned. He clasped the steering wheel and smirked. A scoff escaped his lips as his cheeks flushed. A thought entered his mind.

“Nate?" asked the golden lab.

“Huh, wut's up?"

“I thought you said something."

“Nah, just thinkin' 'bout somethin'. Don't worry 'bout it."

“Are you sure? You seemed kinda antsy back there for pictures. Is something bothering you?"

The elkhound rolled his eyes, “Nah, everythin' 's fine."

“Nate, I…"

“What?" Nate snapped and turned to her, “Ya lookin' fer an-"

Derrek sat there. He looked at Nate with that dopey, closed mouth grin. Nate froze. His eyes refused to move as the rottweiler snickered. The elkhound tried to say something, but his words escaped. His eyes vibrated as he attempted to understand what happened, but his mind raced faster than the car. The white light lingered in the front seat and Derrek's face glowed. Nate's cheeks flared, his palms moistened, and his tail writhed in his seat. He couldn't take his eyes off Derrek. His heart pounded in his chest, up through his throat, and landed in his mouth. The blood coursing through his ears throbbed. His tongue shrank and his maw dried as he muttered, “D-De,"

“Nate!" Alysha yelled. She tore him back to reality. “Nate. Are you okay? You zoned out for a second there."

He quickly looked around. He was still on that same dark road, Alysha on her phone, zipping along under the speed limit. His entire body boiled. He looked away from her. The lab's panicked expression made his stomach implode.

“Yea," he grumbled. His ears fell. “Ah'm 'ight."

“Uh, okay. Just, don't zone out on me again while driving, okay?"

“Yea, 'kay," he replied.

After the car was parked, Nate strolled to Alysha's side and popped the door. She stepped out and smiled, curled her elbow towards him and winked. Nate rolled his eyes and locked his elbow around hers as they walked to the gymnasium. Alysha squealed as she heard music come from behind the metal doors. Two adults were at the door. They took tickets and ushered students inside. The pair stood in line for a while as Alysha chatted to Nate's ear about what she wanted to do inside. She'd mentioned something about food before Nate felt his ear buzz.

He looked around. H swore he felt someone watch him. Nate scanned the area. Nothing. All the surrounding students babbled about other things. There was so much noise in his ear he couldn't make out what they said. His stomach turned, and his lips chapped. He licked them and they sparkled in the neon lights radiating from the gym. They arrived at the front door. He handed the usher the tickets and they strolled inside. He looked over his shoulder once more, not knowing for what to look. Again, nothing.

Once inside, they looked around for Alysha's friends. They found them and quickly ran to the buffet table and grabbed plates. She asked Nate if he wanted anything, but the elkhound waved and said he wasn't hungry. They tried to dance, but Nate bobbed and shifted like an elderly woman with nerve damage. His movements had no heart, no vigor, and no joy. Alysha noticed. She placed a paw on his shoulder and guided him off the dancefloor. She asked him repeatedly what was going on, but each time he refused to answer. He just grinned, bore his glittering teeth and told her to have fun.

After an hour, Nate grew tired of pictures. The more flashes struck his eyes the more he felt blind. Each one robbed his sight a little more, and by the time the official photographer had shown up he was no longer in the mood. He posed one last time with Alysha and put his arm over her shoulder and grinned. The camerawoman instructed him to reposition his arm around her waist, and he did. His chest collapsed as a result. A pesky tickle emerged in his stomach the longer he stood in place, with the bright lights attacking him. Soon Alysha left Nate at the table to dance with her friends. Some of their dates tried to make conversation with him, about Alysha, about their own dates, about future plans, all kinds of stuff. Each time they spoke, Nate's cheeks warmed. His vision blurred and he couldn't focus. He rubbed his temples as he hunched over the table, staring at the half-eaten plate of food. He nibbled on it, but each bite stuffed him. He yawned and looked around the room. He caught a few people staring at him, but noticed they were pointing between himself and Alysha. Nate had been engaged in this spectacle long enough to assume the meaning. He spoke quietly to the other boys at the table, and carefully redirected the conversation to themselves and their dates. He barely spoke a sentence to them.

Around nine o' clock, the principal came over the loudspeaker. The DJ hushed the volume of the music, and they all hear the overseer say, “Alright, everyone. Hope you've been having fun," Nate shifted in his chair. “Before things get too crazy, we have a little announcement we want to make."

Before Nate could tune out the principal's voice, Alysha came running up to him and pulled his arm. “C'mon, c'mon, c'mon Nate! We gotta head over to the stage!"

“Wut?" said Nate. “Why? Why'da we gotta,"

“Let's go, now!" she said. Her words bounced as much as she did. She hauled Nate out of his chair and momentarily stunned Nate with her strength. She anchored him across the dancefloor and nearly left scorch marks in the waxed floorboards. She stopped short of the stairs leading onto the stage. “This is it, this is the moment," she gushed. She stepped onto the stairs and Nate followed. As he did, he felt two eyes paralyze him. He stopped, looked around, but still couldn't see anyone. He knew someone was watching him, he felt it burning in his gut, but the lights were dim and the bleed from the stage lights shrouded his peripherals. He felt Alysha tug his arm one more time as she pulled him up the stairs. Her smile was warm, as it had been all night, but Nate couldn't look at her without nausea. He shimmied, fidgeted with his tucked shirt and Windsor knot. He gulped, and rivulets of sweating poked out of his head. He looked to his side. There stood Alysha, as did the entire rest of the senior class in a kaleidoscopic mass of colors and shapes.

Thrown up Jell-O, that's what Nate thought the dancefloor looked like from the stage. The mishmash of colors and shapes sickened him. The lights were too bright too, he thought. His suit was hot and weighed him down as he stood with Alysha hung on his arm. She danced in place, swaying her hips like the weight on a grandfather clock. Their swish annoyed him. His eyes narrowed at his on-stage principal. They spoke into the mic with a merry tone. Nate rolled his eyes as they drudged through their speech about love, kinship, and friends. Alysha gushed at some of the sappier segments. The lab cooed, at which point Nate looked over at her and said,

“Hey, d'ya gotta bounce 'round like 'at?"

“Sorry, Nate," the golden lab said. “I'm just so excited, plus I think," she continued, but Nate stopped listening as soon as the word king left her maw.

All the sound around Nate muffled. What was once crisp became fuzzy and inaudible. He looked down, and his vision warped, like a distant vista on a hot day. He wiped his head, moistening it with sweat, then noticed his paw shook. Its wobble would've challenged an unbalanced top. He fixated on it, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt Alysha pull him forward. Her shrill voice cut through the distorted sound engulfing him. He lunged forward, and nearly fell, but he staggered on-stage and fell prey to the blinding spotlight.

The heat demolished him under his tux. The yellow light stabbed him. He covered his eyes as Alysha eagerly grabbed the mic from their principal. He heard her speak, but he couldn't make out what she said. She grasped it with both paws and ardently yipped at the senior class. His sight returned, and he could begin to make out the shapes of his classmates in the audience. He couldn't see their faces. He couldn't tell if it was the light, or their proximity to the stage, but he couldn't make out a single face. They stood before him an alien mass of dark cutouts; each one looked exactly like the one next to it. In confusion, Nate saw two figures in his peripheral vision walking up to him and Alysha. In their arms they carried two objects. They placed one on Alysha's head. Nate felt weight on his own thereafter. Soon, Nate could see the wriggling shape of Alysha handing him a different object. He looked down at it, reached out and grabbed the microphone. He held it up to his mouth, certainly to speak. He hadn't prepared a speech, nor any thanks for the object placed upon his head. His mind emptied.

As he turned to the audience, his throat trying to spew words, he saw a single face come into focus. In the back, with a greedy smirk, he saw Derrek. The rottweiler bore a toothy smile, watching with predatory eyes as Nate struggled to speak. Nate's eyes stuck to him, watching him stare as the elkhound stood on the stage. Nate attempted to say something, but his mouth didn't comply. He stared out into the audience, hooked onto that one familiar face. His fingers trembled and his ears folded.

Derrek blinked, then turned around and walked away. Nate's eyes engorged.

The once black mass of faceless bodies returned. He strived to reach out, but his arm didn't obey. He stood on the stage with strangers, watched by strangers. The hot lights, the heavy suit, the slicing eyes of his peers, the weight of his crown, even the silence consuming him as the auditorium waited for him to speak. Beyond that, the noise that filled the room prior, the colorful dresses, the food, the cars, the smiles on everyone else's faces, even the many flashes of the cameras around him. He hated it. He hated it all.

His chest shrunk, and his eyes leaked as his head fell. His sight came back into focus. The corners of his eyes smudged with water, and he started to giggle. The puzzling silence filling the room shattered. He looked up, the crowd possessed their faces again. They all stared at him, waiting motionlessly. He turned to Alysha and his superior. He threw a smile at them.

“Nate, are you,"

“Sorry, Aly," he said as he handed her the mic and reached upwards. “But ah don't think ah want this damn thin' no more." He took off the crown as a collective gasp echoed through the room. “'Ere," and he handed it to the principal. “Ah'll catch ya later." Nate walked off stage. He could hear the pristine murmur of his classmates. Their voices, shortly before opaque, now rung clearly in his ear. He smirked, then scoffed as he opened paraded down the steps and entered the crowd. He felt the gaze of the entire room. It passed through him, as if he'd been invisible. He strode to the hallway door and threw it open. He passed through it and broke their line of sight.

He scurried through several more doors. As he passed through each, his step hastened. By the time he'd passed through the third door, he jogged. He hurried down the hall, turned a corner and threw open the door that led from the hallway to the gym locker room. He ran through, sweating through his suit and barged into the area with the pool. Across the way, he saw the rottweiler walk through towards the gate on the precipice of the parking lot. Derrek heard the sound of the door and turned to look. The elkhound was gasped, sweat stains visible around his neck and pits. The rottweiler turned to him and placed his paws in his pockets. Nate slowed to a walk. He turned around the corner of the pool and watched Derrek stride towards him. They met halfway, about three feet apart. Derrek tilted his head, his eyes locked on Nate. The elkhound wanted to look away. Derrek's eyes stabbed him deeper than the entire senior class'. Instead, he met his gaze. His fist clenched and his tail congealed. A small breeze swept over them as the pastel blue light of the pool illuminated their faces.

“Congrats," said Derrek. “You're officially prom king."

“Yea," sputtered Nate, “guess ah am."

“You don't sound too excited."

“At's 'cause ah ain't."

“Why's that?" asked Derrek.

Nate fidgeted. He blinked and puffed as he tried to speak. “Derrek," the rottweiler focused on him. His paws unfolded from his pockets. “Ah don't care."

Derrek's ears perked up. He stepped closer to Nate. “Huh? Don't care? About what?"

“Nothin', I s'pose. Least not no more. Uh lights, uh music, all uh dancin' n' food. Ah jist don't care fer it 'ight now. Pisses me 'uff." Derrek frowned.

“And why's that?"

“'Cause it don't matter no more." He looked at Derrek. His posture upright, his body contrapposto. His ears folded forward and his chest steadily rose and fell. He didn't appear distressed. Those brown eyes ripped right through him. “They ain't wut ah want."

“Oh," said Derrek. “Then what do you,"

“Ya gonna make me say it, asshat?" blurted Nate. Derrek chuckled.

“I thought you wanted to end things? Why the change of heart? Won't they,"

“Yea, probably. 'Ey'll talk. Word spreads quick 'tween them. But ah don't give a shit." Nate could see the confusion breeding on Derrek's face. Nate took a step closer. He couldn't bring himself to hold out his arm. Yet. “It 'us only ya. Up 'ere."

“What?"

“Ah couldn't see no one else. Weird as 'at sounds. When ah had uh mic in hand, ah looked out over 'em, but uh only face ah saw was 'urs. It made me feel," he snorted, “better. But then ah saw ya turn around and…" he looked at Derrek. The rottweiler watched Nate, unblinking as he stammered over his words. “Ah dunno, 'kay! It wasn't so good. Ah felt like, like…"

“Nate," muttered Derrek. Nate gazed at him. The rottweiler took a step forward and grabbed his arms. Before Nate had a chance to response, he saw a malicious grin materialize on Derrek's face. Nate's eyes widened. The ground escaped them.

Derrek clenched Nate in his arms as he threw them sideways. Nate hollered, but it ceased as his face submerged. The splash rattled the quiet lot, enriching it with the sound of pompous laughter. Derrek held his head above the water, thrashing at it with directionless fervor. He threw it around him, and his tail smacked the surface as he watched Nate hover around under the surface. Nate breached the veil, and water flew in Derrek's face. The salty tang of the water grazed his tongue and he pushed a wave back at the elkhound. Nate's ears flared, and he could feel heat collect inside them. He stomped towards the edge of the pool as Derrek's thunderous laughter filled the area. Nate grabbed onto the side, but Derrek appeared behind him and held his wrist. Derrek pushed him out of the pool and onto his back. Derrek climbed on top of him, his facing dangling above Nate. Their suits dripped like a midnight shower, several drops nearly struck Nate in the eyes.

“Ya asshole! Was 'at necessary?"

“Yup," said Derrek. He leaned down and pushed his lips against Nate's. Nate flinched for a moment, but soon a warm ease overtook him. He laid back and let the rottweiler push him into the cement. Their mouths were soaked, his lips tasted of chlorine, but Nate didn't care. The elkhound reached up and grabbed Derrek's head, pulled him in and sucked on his lips. Derrek retreated briefly, gasped and lunged back. He attacked Nate with his tongue, coating his inner maw with his pink dagger. Nate moaned, then fought back the intruder with a French kiss. Nate felt his heart pound, and he could hear Derrek's over the sloshing water. He pushed back, wrapping Derrek's mouth with his, embracing him on the drenched pavement.

A white light cracked Nate's eye. It pierced his lit and drew his attention. Nate broke the kiss and looked to his right. Derrek saw Nate pull away and looked too. On the far right side of the pool, near the door where Nate had come one minutes earlier, Alysha stood watching. Her eyes puffed, and her mouth hung lower than the bottom of a well. Nate froze, but not from fear.

Nate and Derrek scrambled to their feet, poising themselves towards her as she approached them. Nate whimpered, and Derrek couldn't look away from him. He watched Nate loosen his tie, his mouth teetered between opened and closed. He tried to speak, but by the time Alysha reached them, all that escaped was, “A-Alysha, ah-"

“So that's why." The two dogs froze, but Alysha giggled. “I was worried about you, you know. Guess you were fine after all. Though I must admit," she looked at Derrek. He waved, a meek smile painted his face. “I did not see this coming."

“What? That ah'm a fag?"

“That you liked Derrek," she said to Nate. “I figured if anyone, you'd have it for Marcus. I definitely caught you staring a few times."

“Wait," Nate piped, “Ya saw 'at?" The lab snickered. Nate's eyes widened.

“Of course, everyone noticed. You've gotten pretty shameless about it in the last few months," she turned to Derrek, “I suppose you had something to do with that, huh?" Nate's face conflagrated.

“Guilty," Derrek smirked, “guess you got me." The elkhound's arms shook, his fingers whitened with pressure.

“Well, as long as you're happy. If you wanted to go with Derrek, you really should've said so. Gees, I wish I'd said something sooner," she pointed a Nate. “He's been miserable all night." She and Derrek laughed. “Anyway, do you guys wanna come back in? Well," she looked them over, “I guess after you go home and change. You know the after prom starts about,"

“Wait!" the silver dog yelled, “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Four eyes locked on him. “Are ya tellin' me 'at ya don't care? Like, at all?"

Alysha stared at him, then she shook her head. “Nope. Makes no difference to me. Can't speak for everyone else, but I imagine if someone cared, they'd have said so by now. And I haven't heard anything."

Nate petrified. Derrek placed a paw on his shoulder, it stiffened. He could feel the heat drain from Nate's body as Alysha's words sunk in. “Nate?" said Derrek.

“All 'is time," Nate's voice trembled. “No one gave uh shit? Was ah really uh only one?"

“Nate," Derrek tried to say, but Alysha skipped over to him and grabbed a paw. Nate looked at her, his eyes on the brink of falling.

“Nate, it makes no difference to me. And frankly, it shouldn't matter even if anyone did care. That's their issue. All that matters is that being with Derrek makes you happy. He does make you happy, right?"

Nate looked at Derrek. He scaled the rottweiler's big, shimmery eyes. The light of the pool made them glow. It bounced off his massive shoulders, down his sculpted arms and across his chest. He could see the silhouette, but what truly hypnotized him was his grin. Derrek, upon Alysha's words, relaxed and had returned his paws to his pocket. He stood with his back to the pool, as if inviting Nate to tackle him back in. The hunk gazed at Nate, awaiting his answer, but his posture and demeanor preceded the elkhound's reply. Nate beamed; a breathy laugh blurted from him.

“Yea, fuck," he said, “'e does."

“Then I'm happy for you," and she smiled too. Derrek joined them and took a step forward holding out his phone to Alysha. She saw it and looked up at him.

“How about a picture?" He turned to Nate. “For the happy couple." Alysha gleamed and took the phone from his paw. Derrek turned to Nate, and before he could protest, the rottweiler scooped him up in both arms. He pecked him on the cheek, summoning what blood Nate remained in his cheek. Alysha called for them to smile, and they both looked to the phone as a last white flash momentarily blinded them.

Alysha sent the photo to herself, returned Derrek's phone, and made them promise to come to the after party. Nate watched her run off back towards the main hall. When she passed through the door, he looked over at Derrek. His face was down, clearly inspecting the image. “Hey, Derrek," he said.

“Yeah?"

“Is 'ur dad home?" the elkhound said. Nate grinned. Derrek smirked.

“You kidding? It's prom. We're doing this right."

…

The key slid effortlessly into the lock, and the quick click sound it made bounced through the motel room. Derrek stepped inside first and flipped the light switch, Nate followed. Nate started to unbutton his blazer, at which point Derrek came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. Nate chuckled, and pried them off.

“Easy, 'e gots tuh wash off. Still smell 'ike pool water. No thanks to ya," and the rottweiler snickered.

The pressure of the shower was minimal, but it was enough to allow each dog to thoroughly scrub themselves. Within half an hour, each had entirely removed the scent of chlorine from their fur. Derrek stepped out of the bathroom, his fur matted, to see Nate sitting on the bed. Neither had gotten dressed.

Derrek watched as Nate stared at him from the corner of the satin covered sheets. He eyed him, scanning him from head to paw. Nate smiled, and sat back on the bed. His freshly washed fur glistened in the orange lamp light. It struck his eyes in a way that made Derrek huff, and he dropped the towel onto the thinly carpeted floor. He waltzed over to Nate, staring at the elkhound in his exposure. The silver doggo presented his body to Derrek. He skulked onto the bed, resting his bum on the corner and spread his legs. Derrek accepted the invitation and leaned down. He placed a paw on Nate's thigh and brushed it, titillating Nate. The elkhound shuddered then giggled. Derrek looked up as he rubbed Nate's leg.

“Lookin' mighty fine, Nate," said the rottweiler. He pushed further. His maw hung precariously close to Nate's flaccid member. The elkhound recoiled from the anticipation.

“Ah'm 'bout tuh look even better. Git to it, ya dick."

Derrek sneered. He softly lunged at Nate, bypassing his groin and attacking his lips. He pushed him on the bed, his body weighed heavily on Nate's. He pressed forcibly. Their eyes closed. Nate surrendered, letting his body fall back and letting his left paw flop to the bed. Derrek grasped it, squeezing it tightly as their lips jostled inches away. Between smacks, Nate gasped. He repressed the weight from Derrek's chest and wrapped his right arm around his neck. He pressed back, leeched onto his mouth as they kissed. Derrek growled. It echoed from his throat into Nate's. His chest puffed and his thighs stiffened. He could feel it.

Derrek pulled away and presented his torso to Nate. At his crotch stood an engorged erection. Like a pink sword it faced Nate, but the elkhound smirked. He trailed his sight from Derrek's weapon to his pecks, then his shoulders, then his eyes.

“If ya think ah'ma startin' this time, ya'd be crazy. How 'bout ya give me sum sugah?" Derrek weaved his paw through Nate's fur, down his waist and to Nate's overly attentive schlong. He felt the heat emanating from Nate's groin; it drew him in like bait on a fishhook. He bent down. His paw he massaged the ridges of Nate's member with his lips. He slide along the contours and stabbed at them with his tongue. The ridges glided across the imperfections effortlessly. Nate's groan cracked the stillness. A once silent room oozed with noise.

Nate bit his lip. He looked down, trying to hold his body up as he watched Derrek service his crotch. “Ah, Derrek…" he mumbled. He reached forward, trying to grasp the rotty's head, but the sensation and the strain of holding himself up caused him to topple. Derrek felt the shift and looked up. He saw a red-faced dog. Nate covered one eye and grinned. After an exchange of chuckles, Derrek moved higher up. He positioned his maw over Nate and eyed him for approval. Nate stared at him with his uncovered eye. “What ya waitin' fer? Suck it already."

The rottweiler sunk down, engulfing the elkhound's dick in his mouth. He grazed the outer skin with his tongue, making it sparkle in the dim lighting of the room. Nate let the feeling overtake him. It tingled with a sensation he didn't know. The world melted away, and his only focus was the feeling stimulating his groin. He didn't attempt to look. Instead, he wanted to feel the pleasure brought to him by Derrek. For his own part, Derrek bobbed gently at first. He slid up and down, twirling his tongue around Nate's member like a popsicle. He savored the fluids leaking from it, and the mixture created a gloss on his lips. He bounced, moving in sync with the light rocking that had overtaken Nate's hips. His moans filled the air, which inspired Derrek to get more aggressive. He slurped Nate, pushing his maw down farther to the point he could feel Nate's head thumping against the back of his throat. The bulge in his neck swelled, so he eased up and tried again. Taking it slow, he swallowed it, breaching the point of no return and taking all of Nate. The elkhound's jaw dangled open; his one exposed eye closed. He dug his claws into the bed sheets so tightly they ripped. The tightness of Derrek's throat startled him, but the walls caressing his member sent shivers through his blood. He convulsed, fighting not to violently thrust into Derrek further. The feeling made him quiver, like he'd been trapped in the cold. A helpless wail escaped him, and with rivulets of pre seeping from him, Derrek retreated and cleaned his maw of the excessive fluids.

“Whew," he said, his voice gargling from the residual liquid, “I think that's the deepest I've gone. You like that, babe?"

“Y-Yea, ah," his ears perked up. “Wait, whad'ya call me?"

Derrek smiled, he moved away from Nate's loins and up to his face. He hung over the elkhound's face and said with unblinking eyes,

“I said, did you like that, babe?"

He whispered the last word. They locked eyes. Nate uncovered his eye and stared at Derrek. The waning light in the room illuminated their faces. The elkhound, momentarily frozen in the ethereal sincerity of the moment, exhaled. He placed a paw on Derrek's neck and coiled his left arm around his torso, across his back, and onto his shoulders.

“Say 'at again."

“Babe,"

“Again,"

“Do you like that, babe?"

Nate gasped as Derrek launched his tongue across Nate's neck. The sound of his voice made his chest buzz and his ears flush. Nate latched on as though he'd entered roller coaster.

“Yea," he muttered. “Ah like it," he burrowed into Derrek's shoulder, a frail word flew from his maw, “…babe."

They resumed kissing. The fire from before exploded into an inferno. Derrek flipped Nate over and massaged his back with his paws. He could feel Nate's skin stretching with the motion of his fingers. Nate's tail wriggled. Derrek flew across the elkhound back, eliciting from Nate a groan and shudder with each successive motion. As Derrek made his way further down, the shaking grew stronger. By the time Derrek reached Nate's ass, the poor elkhound had yielded completely to the rotty. Derrek cupped Nate's cheeks in his paws. He kneaded them like dough, squishing them in his paws and pressing his thumbs near the entrance. Nate groaned; sparks flew through him as Derrek prodded at his crack. Nate looked back; he saw Derrek licking his chops. It was at that moment Nate was glad he'd thoroughly rinsed. He closed his eyes as he prepared for the inevitable.

Nate hear the airy slurping of Derrek's mouth. His fingers emerged from his paw shiny with mucus. He positioned them near to Nate's gapping ass, and with a swift motion he inserted the first finger. The suddenness caught Nate by surprised. He keeled over as his body fought the urge to resist. Derrek could feel his body tighten, and so he stopped until he felt the muscles relax. As they did, he pushed further. His finger reached the first knuckle when Nate's meager whimpers escalated into groans. Derrek heard this sign and inserted a second finger. Nate could feel his ass being pried open, taking in more as Derrek filled the empty space. His eyes rolled back, and the fiery tingling sensation in his spine all but incinerated him. He pushed against the bed, fighting not for control, but support. As Derrek pushed deeper, Nate could feel his own throbbing erection, still greasy with Derrek's spit rubbing against the comforter. He thought the parallel to their first time at Derrek's house was amusing, but he was brought back to the present as Derrek reached the knuckle. He grazed the spot, a sudden jolt reverberated through Nate. His jaw collapsed, and his eyelids slammed shut.

A resounding wail bounced off the walls of the motel room. Nate's teeth sank into this lower lip as Derrek poked at his prostate. His fat fingers irritated it, making it pump with the same gentleness of a heartbeat. Nate summoned what willpower of his remained and cried,

“Derrek!"

The exclamation startled the rottweiler. He retreated from Nate's ass and held him by the hips with his paws. “Nate? You alright? Was I too rough?"

Nate spun around, his waist struggling to stay sill. He flopped on his side and looked back at Derrek with hazy eyes. “Nah, it felt amazin'," he giggled, “like always. But," he said looking down at the bed. Derrek waited in anticipation. “Ah kinda wanna try somethin' diff'rent."

Derrek raised a brow, waiting for Nate to sit up. His shoulders slumped over, and he looked up at Derrek with innocent eyes. Derrek saw him shift in place, but he couldn't tell if Nate was recoiling from the dive into his ass, or if it was discomfort from what he was about to ask. Nate looked away, and his ears folded. His cheeks, once burning pink, now summoned a vivid scarlet. His pupils dilated, and Derrek watched his tail happily bounce behind him.

“Kin ah, uh," he mumbled, “…k-kin ah be on top 'is time?" Derrek blinked, silence returned to the room. “Ah mean, 'is 'ight if ya don't wanna, but ah was just thinkin', ya know,"

“Haha!"

Nate's snapped back as he looked at Derrek. The rottweiler laughter so hard his eyes glistening with tears. He wiped them away with his paw and stared at Nate. He reached out a paw and placed it on the elkhound's leg.

“Course! You can top me. You know how, right?" He asked Nate. The grayish canine winched, and his shoulders turned inward as he became to twiddle his fingers.

“Kinda. Ah mean, ah seen ya do it buncha times."

Derrek puffed. “Works for me," he leaned in, “but if I say stop," one paw caressed his chin.

“Yea, yea, stop. Ah git it."

“Alrighty, then,"

Before Nate could think of a response, Derrek had flipped over and exposed his huge ass to Nate. Nate had been distracted; his heart thudded so loudly in his chest than he hadn't seen the rottweiler spin around. Nate ogled the rotty's huge, lustrous cheeks. They glowed in the dingy light, beckoning Nate towards them. He'd seen them plenty of times, but never before had they appeared so alluring. As Nate stared, he heard Derrek's voice pipe,

“Have at me, then."

And so Nate set to work.

He took a moment to settle his nerves, and then inched towards Derrek's rear. He tried to take the large dog's cheeks into his paws, but they wouldn't fit. He barely scooped the uppermost mounds before they overflowed from his paws. They were bouncier than Nate had anticipated. As he squeezed, they slipped out and sprung up like gelatin. Nate, fixating his eyes and narrowing his brow, sat up and leaned in. He started by moistening his fingers. He sucked them, loud enough for Derrek to hear. The rottweiler buried his face into the bed sheets, each sucking noise striked his ears. Once Nate deemed his fingers sufficiently damp, he ran them along the stretch of Derrek's crack. He grazed an indentation, and Derrek shuddered. He'd found it.

Nate started with a single finger. He pried apart the rottweiler's cheeks and exposed Derrek's tailhole to the light. Once he saw it, Nate felt a rock form in is stomach, he momentarily froze, daunted by the cavernous entrance before him. It was massive, larger than he'd expected. His maw bent and uncertainty traveled through him. He shook his head in a feeble attempt to regain his composure. He pressed against the opening first with his knuckle, from which Derrek puckered. He lurched forward, his shoulders tensed, but Nate didn't hear him say to stop. Inspired, Nate uncurled his finger and pressed into Derrek with the pad of his index finger. Derrek groaned immediately; his head pressed further into the sheets as his ass rose with his hips. Nate pushed harder, digging in his finger down to the first knuckle, then the second. He couldn't find the beauty spot, however. He searched around for it, rubbing the inner walls of Derrek's ass with his one finger while trying to find the golden ticket. As he lashed his finger, Derrek's groans transformed to pants. The movement inside him, undirected and amorphous, cracked his nerves. His shoulders locked up, and his voice escaped him. All that remained were short, huffy gasps as Nate explored his inner reaches.

Nate pulled out his finger, aligned it with a second and burrowed back inside using two. They pressed harder, more forcefully, and Derrek growled. He grit his teeth as the sudden intrusion first pained him, then swung back to pleasure. His grip on the edge of the bed loosened as he tucked his ass up, leaning down onto Nate's fingers in an effort to assist him. Nate responded in kind. He grappled Derrek's ass and plunged deep inside, pushing down all the way to the base of his finger. The rottweiler grunted, the exhaled with an exasperated sigh. Nate saw a smile creep onto his face. He'd found it.

Derrek giggled, and Nate pulled his fingers out. The elkhound patted Derrek's ass, then took his own erection into his own paw and massaged it. He slide his paw up and down the shaft, as though he were masturbating. Derrek heard the soft whips of spit spreading across Nate's dick, and once he saw Nate in the act, he bent backwards. He picked his hips up and supported his weight on his knees. He nearly shoved his ass in Nate's crotch, all while still clinging to the edge of the bed. He looked back and smiled; Nate saw him. The look in his eyes let Nate know that he wanted to watch, so Nate obliged.

Nate moved into position. He sat upright, climbing to his knees, and aligned himself with Derrek's back door. He grabbed his tip and pressed it against the entrance, and Derrek flinched. Nate looked up, watching for Derrek to approve. The rottweiler, glowing brightly under his black and tawny fur, motioned to proceed. With that, Nate grabbed Derrek's hip with his left paw, and used his right one to guide his member inside Derrek.

It had been some time since Derrek had been the bottom, so the feeling of a puffy dick worming its way into his ass came as a surprise. He'd forgotten how uncomfortable it was at first. Nate's head pushed in about an inch, crawling past the length his finger reached with startling speed. Derrek muffled his groan while fighting the feeling in his stomach to buck. He pushed back, sliding further down on Nate as the elkhound moved his hips forward. The tight encasement around Nate's dick caught him by surprise as well. The heat and slimy feeling stimulated his innards. The sensation was vastly different from his own paw. Nate, once he checked that he'd successfully entered Derrek, moved his paw from his member to Derrek's other hip. He grasped the rotty's love handle and steadily pushed further. As he pushed, Derrek's groans dispersed. In their wake came moans. His floppy ears bent back, and he bore his fangs whilst digging his head into his corner of the bed.

Nate could hear him growling in his throat. “Err, fuck," he grumbled. Nate was briefly concerned that Derrek was in pain, but a slow breath alleviated that concern. Nate pressed on, pushing deeper with care until the large bulbs of Derrek's ass smacked him in the groin. Derrek had taken Nate to the base.

With that, Nate moved one of his paws from Derrek's hip to his back. He was too short to reach his shoulder. The elkhound leaned forward and angled himself in such a way that with each thrust, he'd be pressing downwards into Derrek rather than forward. It was something he'd enjoyed when done to him. As he did, the tip of his protrusion seeped. Nate could feel the trace amount of fluids dribbling from his head and smearing around inside Derrek. For his own part, the feeling invigorated Derrek. The movement of Nate shifting around inside the depths of his ass fired wave after wave of different sensations, each more educational than the last. Derrek remained still and Nate positioned himself, letting the electrifying bursts coming from within to completely stun him. Nate felt Derrek relax. His paws massaged Derrek's back. Only the sound of their stabilized sighs punctured the air.

Nate pulled out about an inch, then slowly pressed back inside. Derrek groaned, and his eyes slapped shut. Nate couldn't resist the urge to repeat. The heat enveloped his cock and welcomed it back. He pulled back, this time farther, and pushed back into Derrek with an increased amount of force. With some repetition, Nate established a continuous rocking. Each time he pulled his member out of Derrek only long enough to give the rottweiler time to anticipation the surge about to attack him. Once he'd thrust back in, only their moans escaped their bridge. Nate smiled, and he repeated this motion several more times, each one getting progressively bolder. He pulled out, waited, and them pressed hard back into Derrek. Sometimes, he did it sooner than Derrek expected, and other times he waited, letting the tension build. He loved the way Derrek's impatient ass contorted around his cock's head as he waited to be slammed once again.

Derrek's paws held onto the edge of the bed, trembling as they struggled to stay in place. Derrek's tongue unfurled, tasting the lemony fabric on the sheets as Nate plowed him. He heard Nate grunt, guttural and low. It raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

“Ugh, fuck yeah, Nate…oh," he moaned as Nate repeated his thrusts. “N-Nate," the rotty said, letting Nate slide out of him, teetering on the brink of shoving it back inside. “Do it, d-do it, Nate, fuck me like you mean it,"

Nate crashed into Derrek. The noise that escaped the larger doggo transcended a moan. It was more like a shriek. The sudden pain of Nate's invasion mixed with the pleasure of having his walls brushed utterly melted his spine. His paws were sweaty, and his fur matted under the increasing moisture seeping from his skin. He rocked in rhythm with Nate, jerking back with each successive thrust. A smile plastered his face, and Nate could hear him snorting with a tame laughter.

The elkhound pressed harder, riding the ridges of Derrek's ass as he rocked his hips forwards and back. The heat overtook him, filling him up groin first and spreading through his body. Nate could feel Derrek's ass loosening, as each thrust became easier. He slid in more effortlessly, which in turn made Derrek moan louder. Nate barged in, barreling through Derrek with the same outburst of energy as a collapsed star. He fastened his paws on Derrek's thighs and humped him furiously. Derrek's gasps could barely keep up with the movement he felt ramming him again and again. The slamming of his cheeks combined with Nate's pants as he pumped Derrek created a euphoric symphony; the ambiance of which slapped both their ears and drove them crazy. Nate's heartrate jumped, and his thrusts became more violent. He pushed into Derrek, digging in as far as he could go. An all too familiar welling crept up on him, and with heavy lids his mouth dropped.

“D-Derrek, ah…er," he grunted, his tongue sagged from his maw, “ah, ah think ah'm gonna,"

Derrek bucked, pushed back against Nate as he barked. He shook his ass, shimmying it down to Nate's base and looked back at his over his shoulder. Only desire burned in his watering eyes. “Do it! Fuckin' do it!" and he slumped over. His body gave out as he keeled over the corner of the bed. Nate pounded, letting the feeling build. He grew stronger, his loins tightened, and with a final smash into the far reaches of Derrek, the feeling seized him.

The rotty yammered inaudibly as the heat from Nate's eruption clogged his ass. He bit his lip, almost drawing blood from the pressure. Nate grasped Derrek's thighs so securely his fingers left imprints. He held on while his body recoiled from the burst, convulsing every few seconds as his seed spilled into the rottweiler. He flopped onto Derrek's back, wedging his dick just a bit further into Derrek as he felt the aftermath of his orgasm begin. The swell originating from his groin receded, and a warm, relaxing surge spread quickly through his body. His legs suddenly felt wobbly, and he leaned on Derrek as his strength waned. Derrek reached up, his paw shaking, grasping the silver dog's head. He cupped it and chuckled as Nate burrowed his head into his back.

“Damn, Nate,"

Nate laughed as best he could. Derrek could feel Nate's lips moving across his back. The elkhound hadn't the power to move hold his head up.

“How d'ya like 'at, ya dick? Betcha ne'er been fucked like 'at."

Derrek snorted. “Nope. Ain't never been treated like that," he said shifting his position. He reared up, letting the limp Nate fall onto the bed on his back. His cock slid out of Derrek and flopped across his chest. It had already become flaccid. Derrek turned over, reaching an arm around Nate's waist, and pulled him in. Nate let an arm drape over his face. Derrek could tell he was quietly wheezing under his breath. “But I liked it," he said. “We should switch more often from now on."

Nate nodded, and grumbled, “Yea, ah'd like 'at." He looked over to Derrek, and saw his still throbbing erection. His ear twitched. “Hey, Derrek, d'ya blow yet?"

The rotty looked down, took his cock in one paw, and looked back at Nate. “I could, if you'll let me?" Nate nodded.

Derrek, woozy as he was from getting his ass gapped, stood up. He positioned himself over Nate, the end of his dick only an itch above the elkhound's face. Derrek sneered, and Nate removed his arm from his face as he panted and looked up. “Open up," and Nate complied and closed his eyes.

With that, Derrek began to systematically throttle himself. He started with the head, pinching it, and massaging the shaft. He grazed the lining of his veins, stimulating the blood flow and causing his largely ignored piece to stand at attention. It stiffened, bulging from Derrek's body like a fifth limb. He jostled it, tossing it around his glossy paw. Nick panted, his tongue stuck out with his mouth agape ready for Derrek's load. The rotty fapped harder; he leaned in, placed a paw on the bed and slid his paw furiously along himself. He teased the head, running his fingers meticulously around the opening. It startled him. The jolt it released started an exponential tightening in Derrek's loins. His thighs locked, and his base swelled. He bit his lip and thrust his dick over Nate's mouth. The elkhound whimpered, and the surge consumed Derrek.

The first blast hit Nate on the forehead. It fired from Derrek and drizzled onto his scalp and down his neck. The heat stabbed Nate. The next shot landed on his nose. The pungent smell of Derrek's ooze hit Nate like a gut punch. It slammed him harder than any physical blow, but the smell hardly complimented the taste. As Nate leaned his head back, some drops flew from Derrek and landed on his tongue. They slid back across it and down his throat, carving slimy trails around the contours of his smooth concave tongue. The salty flavor burrowed into his buds as the next shot coated his lips and dripped down into his gums and onto his teeth. After that, the Derrek's next shot dribbled. It seeped from him as Derrek clamped on his shaft and squeezed. A sigh vacated him, and the sound of thick drops pelleted the carpet floor. Nate moaned, his motor controls failing as he laid on the bed, his maw wet with Derrek's essence. He flipped his tongue, licking a small bit from his nose. He swallowed. His eyes half opened, and he smiled before chuckling.

Derrek faltered onto the bed next to Nate. He used what little strength he still possessed to pull himself against the far end of the bed. He rearranged the pillows to support his back then fell against the headboard. He sat up, his arms draped across his chest and smiling. His dick receded as he joined Nate's laughter.

“Whew…damn, Nate," he said, his eyes already closed. “That was intense. Best sex I think we've ever had."

“Yea, ah agree. Damn good, fer sure," Nate sat up, the jizz on his neck climbing down his neck and saturating his fur. He wiped it off with his left arm, smearing it into the sheets as he climbed towards Derrek. He stared at the rottweiler briefly, then he fell heat congregate in his cheeks. “Hey, uh, Derrek," he sputtered, “C-Can we, uh," Derrek poked an eye open and watched him. The elkhound's tail flailed like an unearthed worm. “Can ah, ah mean," and he turned away from the slumped doggo.

“Yeah?" asked Derrek, half smiling.

“Can we," Nate's ears bent back. A moment passed, his tail settled, and he exhaled, his chest sinking as a sheepish sulk adorned his face. “Can we please snuggle fer uh bit?"

Derrek's smile spread to his whole face. He untangled his droopy arms and held an outstretched paw to Nate. The elkhound's ears raised once he saw it. He took it, and Derrek pulled him in. He huddled up next Derrek. The smell of their drying fluids tainting the air, but neither noticed. The lousy white light from the bathroom illuminated them as Derrek put his arm around Nate's waist and pulled him in. He looked over to Nate. Nate looked back; he held his breath.

“I'd love to snuggle with you, babe. As much as you want." Nate felt Derrek's thick arms envelope him. He dug into Nate's shoulder and laid there. Nate's heartbeat steadied, and his rosy cheeks vanished as his own smile appeared. He nuzzled Derrek, nestling into his embrace. He lay his head on the pillow, only itches from the rotty's face. As exhaustion took over, one word fled his maw.

“Cool," and they fell asleep, interlocked in each other's arms as their loud snores colonized the air.