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"What do you mean, lay off?" There was that excessively loud voice again, and Jake winced at it. Though the sentiment behind it was almost as much the cause of his reservation as the volume.

"Just what I said. Lay off." It wasn't exactly how he wanted to break this, but he'd been pushed enough already by them, and he'd sort of snapped. Now he had to pay the piper, and what would happen would happen.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Cayden growled only slightly less loudly. "You're quitting on us?"

Jake shot him a look. "It's not all about you, you know. I made it clear: I'm not pushing Lyle. I'm not going to try to get him to put out for me, or anyone else. He wants to say no, that's his decision, and I'm respecting it."

Benji was staring at him like he had sprouted a second head. "You...realize how you sound, right? You're saying a FOX doesn't want sex and you're not going to change his mind. When you have all the tools right at your disposal, and all you'd need to do is just...stick it in and he'd be singing a different tune-"

"He'd be singing to the cops and having me thrown in jail for rape, is what he'd be doing. And you know what? I'd rather not. There are plenty of other ways I can get laid. I don't need to be forcing myself on people."

His change in attitude wasn't going over very well with those three. He had unfortunately predicted that - it was clear they were more upset about him not getting action from Lyle that he had ever been. Or maybe it was something else they were upset about...

Jerome glowered at him and got in his face. "This is bullshit, man. You promised us fox tail. You can't promise fox tail and not deliver."

And there it was. "Get your fox tail somewhere else. Gotta be dozens of willing foxes at the club tonight."

"I don't just want those. I want the fox you promised us."

"Well, tough. You're not getting him. And I suggest you fucking get used to it, because that's not changing any time soon." Jake folded his arms and looked Jerome square in the eye, trying not to reveal how anxious he was to have the big cow having a cow in his face.

Jerome looked for all the world like he was about to escalate it rather than get used to it, but Xander thankfully stepped in. "Is all this really necessary? You have sex at least twice a week already, we can't get you to shut up about it. You're not missing out on anything."

"Man, you don't even get it," griped Cayden. "Fox ass is just BETTER. Sure, it's not like other sex is BAD, but you get a slutty pheno like a fox or an otter or a rabbit, they're just made to get dicked, and you can FEEL it. Maybe if your dick ever felt anything other than the inside of your slit you'd understand."

"I have two, thank you, and they're apparently quite comfortable where they are."

"Fuckin' hell, why do you get two dicks when you never even use one?" grumbled Cayden. "Maybe Jake's about to join you, apparently he doesn't want to use his either."

"Hey, I had a romp with a mink last weekend. And my dry spell before last month you KNOW was due to my episode."

"Yeah? Maybe you wouldn't've gotten depressed if you'd fucked a fox."

"You know it doesn't fuckin' work that way!"

"Cool it, guys, they're not gonna let us in if we're yelling." Benji got them settled down as they reached the front of the line. The doorman was indeed giving them a once-over, as if concerned they were going to be troublemakers, but eventually let them inside. A good thing, in Jake's eyes, as he wasn't sure he wanted to be on his own with three bitter friends ready to take shots at him. Maybe Xander would stick up for him but he didn't want to put the monitor at risk, either.

He did enjoy going clubbing with his friends, it was usually freeing to cut loose and just do the whole bump and grind thing. Too much of it too quickly could get overwhelming, but on a weekend night after he'd been away a while it really hit the spot. It was a bit harder to do tonight with the cloud hanging over them, but once he broke off from them he did start getting lost in the music and the motion. There was a heavy beat that he could swear he could feel in his chest, making his heart thump in time to the dance...especially when they started playing one of his favorite club songs, a fast-paced electronic beast that lit him up like almost nothing else. Funny, he couldn't STAND the song when trying to listen to it in a quiet environment, it felt completely wrong, but here? Oh, he never got tired of it...

He wasn't the only one, apparently, as his moves starting matching up with a reptilian guest that seemed to be getting right in sync with him. He was a smaller and lither reptile, an anole probably, but he used that frame to great effect, whipping around and lashing himself almost violently around. It looked almost out of control, but the way that tail just grazed against Jake suggested otherwise...they exchanged a brief look, and the reptile winked at him, making him grin and blush a tiny bit. He made no move to pull away, staying within range and rocking and turning with the anole, his own rhythm not quite as polished but still pretty solid and in sync with the newcomer's. It wasn't often that this happened, he wasn't exactly one of the most impressive dancers at most places they went to (though better than any of the others, at least - Benji was the only one who had rhythm), but he'd always envied when he saw a pair of strangers get into that groove together. Now he was getting to live that out, and it was as fun as he imagined it to be.

That fun felt like it ended way too quickly, as most fun did. The song faded out and transitioned to a new one, with a beat that didn't resonate with Jake quite so much...but he was still pretty exhilarated from it all, and still grinning widely at the anole. There was definitely a moment between them, and he was wondering if it was merely remain a moment or would become something more. It certainly would have been fun to see if he could move like that in bed...

But before he could approach, he caught something in the corner of his vision. Jerome and Cayden, near the bar, getting rather close to a rabbit that didn't look very comfortable with their proximity. The rabbit had a lean frame, on the taller side, before the ears probably about as tall as Jake, and light brown fur and was definitely dressed light in a t-shirt and tight shorts, hardly unusual for a club, but not especially provocatively - Jake had seen far more audacious outfits in his outings before, so he had a feeling that that wasn't what the rabbit was after. But Jerome and Cayden didn't seem to think the same way...and he had a feeling they weren't interested in a no. And no one seemed to be coming to his defense...

Before he knew it, he was on his way over there, hoping he was misreading the situation. It was loud in the club, so he had to get pretty close to hear what was going on, but it was as bad as he had feared.

"C'mon, bitch, we just wanna have some fun with you." Jerome was definitely sounding aggressive, and without even the excuse of alcohol behind it - Jake knew it took a good bit before the bull got drunk, they hadn't been there long enough to really addle him.

"I said I'm not interested," the rabbit replied defensively, with clear anxiety behind it.

"The fuck you ain't. What're you even doing here if you don't wanna get laid? Especially in that get-up?" Cayden's snarl was surprisingly vicious, he could be forward but rarely did he act that threatening.

"Can't a guy go out to the club for other reasons?"

"Not a rabbit. That puffy tail wants to be raised, so hop to it."

"No! Go away! I don't want either of you thugs anywhere near me!"

Jerome's eyes narrowed at the rabbit, who took a slight step away, though the bar was right at his back so it wasn't very far. "Does it sound like were ASKING, slut?"

That was more than enough reason for Jake to intervene. "Hey! He said no."

Immediately Jerome and Cayden turned to him, and if looks could kill he'd be dead twice. "Mind your own business!" the wolverine yelled, a bit more forcefully than Jake expected. "We're just trying to get laid, you got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do. He said he wasn't interested. That means he doesn't want to have sex with you, in case you forgot that."

"Well, maybe we wanna fuckin' prove him wrong!" bellowed Jerome with his typical excessive volume, drawing more eyes to the confrontation. "Once he gots a nice feel for our cocks he'll regret ever trying to shoo us away! So fuck off already and let us have our fun!"

Jake steeled himself; both of the two were bigger than he was, Jerome especially was a mountain compared to him, and he knew he couldn't handle them in a fight. But he had to stand his ground. "You can't just say that like you have the right to tell him what he does and doesn't want. It's wrong to force anyone."

"What a fucking pill you are lately!" snapped Cayden. "Just because you can't get laid with your fucking fox roommate everyone has to be a virgin now and pass up easy sex?"

"It's not easy sex if you're trying to force them into it! I'm not going to just sit by and let you try to harass him or even rape him-"

"YOU CAN'T FUCKING RAPE FOXES AND RABBITS! THEY WANT IT JUST BY BEING THERE!"

The music stopped with a screech as essentially the entire club was rocked by that monstrous yell Jerome let out. Hundreds of people in there and you could hear a pin drop, untold dozens of eyes staring at the center of the brouhaha, mostly at Jerome who had gone visibly red under his thin fur. Jake heard footsteps behind him, which turned out to be Benji and Xander racing up. "What's going on?" Benji asked nervously, clearly skittish as the faces the bull and wolverine were wearing.

"...Forget it. Night's ruined thanks to this fucking tightass. We're leaving." Jerome shot one more dark look at Jake. "I'd better not see you again tonight or I might not be able to hold myself back." He turned in his heel after that ominous threat and stomped off, closely followed by Cayden. Benji hustled after, still confused and telling them to wait up.

Xander held back at bit, looking between Jake and the rabbit who was gripping the counter, exhaling like he hadn't breathed in an hour. "...Should I presume this was over what I think it was over?"

Sighing, Jake nodded. "You can probably guess from what he said."

"That's what I thought. I'll try to talk to them...I don't know what's gotten into them lately."

Jake had a nasty feeling that he did...for one thing, they were making more of their true colors known under pressure. But more than that, he was pretty sure they were trying to push him into agreement so he would act against Lyle in their interests. It wasn't just about what he thought of foxes, it was about what they wanted out of HIM. At this point he wondered if there was any hope for the friendship... "Don't...martyr yourself over it. If they're not open to talking, then...just let it go. If it's a matter of them or...well, you know what I'm gonna throw my weight behind."

"Fair enough. For what it's worth, I approve. I'd stay to support you for that, but they're kind of my ride..."

"It's fine, I understand. Just try to keep them from, uh...you know."

"I'll do what I can, hopefully that will have killed the mood." The monitor nodded and hurried off to try to catch up. The music was starting up again, and people getting back into their usual routine after the unexpected interruption. For them, it was probably just an unusual blip that would pass by unnoticed...

With another sigh, Jake stepped over to the counter, where the rabbit seemed to be composing himself somewhat. Taking a seat, he ordered a stiff drink, then turned to the lapine. "They didn't do anything more than talk, did they?"

"No, they didn't...thank you. That drink is totally on me. No buts, it's the least I can do for you."

"I guess I'd be hard pressed to turn that down. Sorry about them...I'm Jake, and they, well, were my friends, that may not be the right thing to call them anymore."

"Gylles. That was kingly of you...I rarely get anyone willing to step in when guys get aggressive. Though, I'm sorry if it created some friction between you..."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. They've been getting more and more on my case lately...there was already a lot of tension tonight because I told them my roommate was off limits. They weren't that happy about that."

"Geez. Did I hear them say it was a fox? And you're actually sticking up for him? You want a second drink? Or half the bar?"

Jake smiled weakly. "Don't go thinking I'm a saint, I wasn't much better than them until a few months ago. I mean, I didn't, uh, ever force anyone...that I know of...but I didn't have a great attitude."

"That's a big turnaround, though. You don't have to be a saint, an ally is just as coveted among us. Especially one that's seen the other side pretty thoroughly, it's rare to get a convert." Two drinks arrived, and Gylles slid Jake's over to him while taking the other himself. "Have you had to head them off from your roommate as well?"

"Not them...yet. But there's been an encounter or two that I've had to watch out for him. He...doesn't get out that much, and I think it's a lot because of that problem. I'm trying to help him get a little more comfortable, but I'm busy a lot, too, so...yeah."

Gylles nodded in understanding. "Some of us are total shut-ins because we don't want to be taken by force. And even that doesn't always help." He took a deep swig of his drink and sighed. "There are times that I WISH I was the slut everyone says and had no reservations about getting banged by anyone...feels like it would be easier. Heck, even some rabbits look at me odd."

"Why so?" asked Jake.

"Largely because I'm not that much into sex in general...I mean, I'll have it sometimes, and it's not like I don't enjoy it, but some rabbits act like if you're not banging three times a day you're not living life. Granted, that's not everyone, it's not like I'm the only bunny who can go without for a few weeks and not shrivel up...but there's a few out there. Doesn't really help with the stereotypes, sadly."

"Yeah...but just because there are some who fit doesn't mean they should assume everyone does. I mean, I kinda had to get it shoved in my face, but I get the picture, there's slutty and not-slutty in pretty much every pheno. Kinda doesn't make much sense that a few get stuck with the label all broadly and shit."

"Not much we can do about it now, I guess." The rabbit slugged down his drink faster than Jake would have expected - he was clearly no novice there. "Except try to fight against the people who think that they have a right to our bodies just because we happen to be in the same space. What idiot thinks that just being a rabbit means automatic consent? Even the ones that get around a ton would want to say yes or no!"

"I dunno..." Jake shook his head. "They never used to say things like that. Just happy getting around like always, having their fun with whoever they wanted...there were always the 'desirable' ones, of course, no prizes for guessing who they were. But they didn't seem like they were ever, you know, that pushy or demanding. Last few months, though...since I stopped trying to push my roomie, they started getting more aggressive. I'm starting to wonder if they're not trying to prove a point to me..."

Gylles looked at him oddly. "You think they're...trying to tell you that you should rape him?"

"Hell, how else should I take it? This whole 'you can't rape foxes' thing came out of the blue during that whole thing. Heck, even when I was being kind of an ass to him, I was telling them I wasn't going to force him into anything or let them do that...maybe it came out because of that. Ugh..."

"You sure you don't want another?"

"No. When I'm stressed, I overdrink, and I really shouldn't overdrink, better to stop it before I lose my sense of that. You feel free, though."

"Nah. I think I'm not feeling this place at the moment. Even if they're gone, they weren't the first people I men with boundary issues. Feels like I need to come back on a night with nicer vibes. If you don't mind, though..." Gylles slid a piece of paper over to Jake, with a phone number scrawled on it with pen. "Don't feel obligated, but, it'd be kinda nice to hang out with someone who's not trying to get in my pants all the time. Not that you're not attractive, but wolves aren't usually 'safe,' you know?"

Jake nodded; he could see how that might be just as appealing as a partner for the night, if not more. "I'll hang onto it, thanks. Stay safe out there."

"Heh, I've gotten familiar with it, I know a few tricks. Thanks again." Gylles hopped off his seat and made his exit. Jake watched him leave, sighing a bit and finishing his drink. The idea of leaving sounded right to him, too. He HAD been having fun, until those jerks managed to wreck it, he doubted he'd be able to properly get in the mood before it got too late for him to stay out anyway.

Just as he was about to stand up, though, he felt something wrap around his arm. Turning, he almost bumped snouts with a scaly face. "You made an awfully quick exit, stranger...I hope you're not planning another."

"Ah...erm, sorry about that. Wasn't you, I promise, my, uh, buddies were...well, causing trouble-"

"I saw." The anole learned on him more, sneaking a hand under his shirt. "Nothing hotter than chivalry, you know. I'm Aiki, and I'd hate to part ways without one more chance to make some nice moves together..."

Jake felt both heat and a grin rise on his face. Well, maybe he COULD get in the mood for some moves of some kind...

---

It didn't take long for Jake to get the sense that this was going to be all sorts of new for him. The choice of venue was the first sign.

As eager as he was, Jake wasn't about to make the same mistake twice and bring Aiki back to Lyle's place. Even if he could probably have called Lyle, giving the fox some space from that sort of thing was the more honorable thing to do, plus Lyle didn't know Aiki and probably wouldn't be sure about him. Heck, Jake didn't know him either, apart from that lizard could really dance. Aiki's place wasn't an option either - he turned out to be a student from overseas, and his host family probably wouldn't have appreciated a total stranger making noise for them all night. But the anole wasn't about to let that dampen things, apparently - he was practically dragging Jake to their destination, making the wolf wonder where he had in mind that he was so familiar with.

He would probably never have guessed the park.

Jake was used to some out-of-doors activity from his times at the High Tail, but the alleyway was at least somewhat sheltered, prying eyes could peer in but it was pretty dark at night. Never had he been so bold as to do it right out in the open like this - they weren't even hidden by any trees, the only thing they had was the darkness of the night and their distance from the road. Other than that, they were right out on the grass...Jake wasn't even sure this was legal, in fact he rather suspected it might not be.

That wasn't stopping him now, though.

His clothes were off in a flash, and Jake was immediately grateful that it was a pretty steamy night - he didn't feel even slightly cold in the buff out there. He wasn't sure if it would be the same for Aiki, who didn't have the added benefit of fur, but if the anole was bothered he didn't show it, he shed those tight clothes like they had wasps in them. Jake was able to get a nice full view of that lithe, whiplike body that always seemed to move with an unnatural grace, smooth and swaying motions that were almost hypnotizing. He would gladly have been zonked by them, if he wasn't already.

Aiki was several inches shorter than Jake, but with a long tongue like his, he seemed to have no problem drawing Jake in for a deep kiss. It was unexpectedly passionate, Jake wasn't quite as familiar with kissing as he was with other forms of intimate interaction, but he didn't fight it, letting Aiki take the lead and show him how it was done. And clearly there was no part of the anole that wasn't an exquisite dancer, the way that tongue spun around in his muzzle and wrapped around his tongue, working him expertly and filling his mouth with a light, pleasant taste. Aiki was almost wrapping around him now, arms holding Jake close and tail coiling around his leg, rubbing against him and getting them both worked up a little bit more. Jake could feel the reptile's wet slit stroking against his sheath, coaxing his cock out quite effectively.

Aiki finally pulled away from the kiss, though he kept his tongue wrapped tightly around Jake's for a bit as he did, causing their tongues to drag together a while before finally separating. "You're fun to kiss with...I like your thick canine tongue, it's more fun than the short ones."

"Aheh...you'd know better than I would. That was something else..."

"You're cute when you're flustered. I'd like to try something else in my mouth...would you like the same?"

Jake nodded quickly, and then immediately found himself pushed onto his back on the grass. Aiki had moved quite quickly, carrying him down so that he was on top of Jake, grinning salaciously. This was well out of Jake's usual zone, usually he was the one in charge, but Aiki had a way about him that made him seem very naturally in control...it was oddly exciting.

The lizard turned around, and Jake was given an offer of two - twin cocks slick and wet as they jut out of that slit. They were fairly thin but rather long, and a pretty uniform girth from tip to base. He wasn't sure he could properly work both of them at once, but his mouth could easily handle one...just as he was about to start, he was interrupted by a surge of bliss from his own gonads as Aiki went down on him eagerly. That long tongue coiled around his cock and massaged it while the wet heat of the anole's mouth enveloped a good deal of him. Either he was incredibly experienced or incredibly bold or both, Jake had never had such an enthusiastic start to a blowjob before.

And he sure didn't want to disappoint on his end...scrambling to catch up, he opened wide and took one of those thin shafts into his maw, slurping and sucking on it to try to match the intensity of what he was getting, moaning at the lovely light taste of the anole. He wasn't as experienced with this - he'd given blowjobs before, but not as many as he'd gotten - but he wasn't going to let himself leave this sexy scaly twink disappointed. His tongue wasn't as flexible but could still cover a lot of area with his licks and slurps, his teeth could gently rub against the flesh with practiced pressure to avoid any actual discomfort, and he gave a lot of attention to the tip of Aiki's tool, which he suspected (rightly if the moans were any indication) was a touch more sensitive. And he wasn't leaving the other unattended either - his hand was stroking the other half of the anole's endowment, with a fingertip diving into the slit here and there to provide another bit of delight.

He still wasn't sure if he was giving as good as he was getting, but he wasn't sure he'd ever gotten anything like this before. Whatever tricks he had, Aiki clearly had more - his mouth and throat were excellent, he was fighting to avoid bucking into that heavenly maw. Aiki would slide his tongue all over, then switch to a few deep bobs to give the wolf a tight passage to massage him, even ticking his sheath and balls when he went all the way down. His nutsack also got a bit of tickling from the short claws on the anole's finger, which trailed around down to his taint and back up around his sheath. A couple times it teased going lower before drawing back up, making Jake wonder if he was planning to go inside his rear...that was something the wolf hadn't done yet, he'd always been on the other end and hadn't even gotten a finger up there before. If this was going to be the first time...well, he was hoping he wouldn't be too nervous to at least try it...

But it didn't get quite that far. Aiki pulled off just as Jake was starting to feel that tingle, and he found the anole's twins swiftly removed from his own grasp. Once again Aiki swung around on top of him, meeting him face to face again and delving into a quick kiss, smearing their tongues together and mixing their tastes...Jake vaguely recognized the flavor of his own pre, something he'd tried a few times just out of curiosity. That combined with the taste of anole somehow seemed better than on its own.

As Aiki pulled away, Jake could feel the anole's rear rubbing against his dick teasingly. "You're quite tasty...I could spend all night licking you, but I promised my hosts I'd be back by half after midnight. So I hope you'll forgive me if I jump to the final act."

"Forgiven, for sure," Jake managed to get out a bit breathlessly.

With a smile and a flirty flick of his tongue, Aiki lifted himself and pushed back and down, sliding himself against Jake's cock teasingly. It felt like it would slip inside, the tip pushing against the lizard's tight tailhole, but then a slight shift caused it to slip out and rub against his body instead. Jake couldn't help but arch his back, trying to get it shifted for the next rub, unused to having so little say in the way things went down...Aiki clearly knew what he wanted and how to get it. After a few misses to get Jake properly worked up, Aiki slid the tip against his pucker again and this time pushed down harder, spreading himself on Jake's cock and getting a long moan out of the wolf. Those warm insides hugged him beautifully, rubbing him with every movement the anole made, and he was making quite a few of them.

Up and down Aiki went, not leaving any room for Jake to do all that much, not that he needed to. The anole's tail curled around his thigh again, the tip tickling Jake's nutsack and making him get even louder, almost forgetting that they were in the open air and anyone could hear them. Then again, it wasn't like Aiki was being silent either, loud hissing moans and cries of bliss wresting themselves from the anole's lungs. It seemed like an enormous workout to Jake to be riding him like this, but Aiki never seemed to flag, keeping up a brisk pace that felt like Jake going close to all out when he was the one in the lead. With those thin hands resting on his chest, he felt almost pinned, even if he could probably have tossed Aiki with one motion he was far from trying. There was something fun about this, he didn't know what it was exactly but he certainly had no complaints.

Neither did his cock, which was throbbing fairly quickly into the treatment. Between the grinding and the sucking and all the little touches and the fact that he hadn't actually had sex or masturbated since the last weekend with the mink, Jake was pretty much at the limit of his staying power. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to last long enough to knot at this rate...if that was even going to happen with Aiki in that position, maybe that was part of the reason he didn't. But he didn't want to leave the anole wanting even if he couldn't hold out...it took some effort to break free from the pleasure haze, but he powered through it, clearing his head enough to direct his hand to the leaky staves jutting from Aiki's slit, trying to work both of them at once with one hand, not the easiest thing to do as he quickly found out but he kept at it. He tried clenching the two together, which was a bit of a handful, and went to work with quick, forceful strokes, trying to rub a finger in between and toy with the slit with his pinky when he could.

Just as he felt like he was about to lose it, Aiki gripped his chest and powerfully sank down on him, making them both cry out as he managed to pop that knot inside his star. That was well beyond too much for Jake, who hit his release right then and there, soaking the anole's insides with a pretty robust offering, each pulse feeling immensely satisfying after all that buildup. He kept trying to work Aiki's poles through that disorienting rush, not sure if he was doing a good job or not...but then he felt a pulsing through them, and sure enough the sticky whiteness of the lizard splashed onto his fur, coating his chest and stomach with wet streaks. He managed to tilt them up just enough to let a bit of that seed splash into his muzzle, though the rest couldn't quite make it there; just a little bit of that flavor was all he could manage then, but it was quite satisfying nonetheless.

Finally the two of them were spent, and Aiki flopped forward onto Jake, heedless of the mess he was getting onto himself. "Mmm...that was fantastic..."

"Y-yeah, I'd say...wow..." Jake managed to get out, though his head was still slightly spinning. "Newer had someone that, uh...driven before..."

"Hehe, I surprise a lot of guys that way." One of Aiki's hands rubbed down his sides. "I like you a lot...it's too bad I'm headed back home in a couple days, otherwise I'd want to do a lot more with you. But I'm glad I could make at least one good memory with you, if nothing else...better than nothing at all."

Jake certainly agreed - he'd remember this one long after they parted ways, for sure. All in all, he was definitely going to call this night a win...so long as his knot went down before a cop came around.

---

It was a beautiful day outside. Lyle was contemplating enjoying it.

Great weather maybe on occasion found him out at the private pool in the backyard, and that was about as much as he let himself get out into the open under normal circumstances. After all, pretty much anything else required being around people, and that was too scary. He had considered camping, but that was a bit TOO disconnected - he wanted to be able to talk with people remotely, at least, to keep himself from being too eaten up by loneliness. But close quarters with strangers? He'd pass every time.

But that had started to change recently. Though his trip with Jake to the beach hadn't been the most comfortable experience, it had stirred something in him...he found himself wanting a bit more freedom from his fears, to be able to enjoy himself out and about. And he didn't want to have to lean on Jake every time he wanted to do so...even if he was more comfortable with the wolf around. And that was something he never thought he'd be imagining five months ago. So he was going to take the next step today: he was going to walk around the block.

Well, no one said he had to leap right in.

It wasn't that big a thing, but it felt big. Even if he knew that the danger was small...it wasn't like there were a ton of people around, at midday many of them were at work, and the block he lived on wasn't exactly teeming with people even at the worst time. But still, he had that nervousness that came with feeling vulnerable...maybe that would start to recede if he actually pushed back a little bit. And if it did...who knew what could happen next? Maybe he could walk TWO blocks...though, that might be pushing it.

A sudden ring on his phone made him jump. That was pretty unusual - he rarely got phone calls from numbers he didn't recognize. Usually when he did, they were spam calls, but he still answered them in case they might be from a hospital or something and had some kind of message about his family. So he tapped the screen and hoped it wouldn't be a waste of his time. "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, before a deep, grating voice burst through. "I'm gonna fuck you, foxy."

Lyle's breath caught in his throat as cold terror rushed through him. He couldn't speak to respond, even if he could his mind wasn't about to come up with a good response.

"I'm gonna rip your pants off and pound that tight tailhole like nature intended. I'm gonna make my cum slosh in your muzzle as you drink it down. I'm gonna break you into the proper slut you should be. You'll never spend another minute doing anything but begging for cock like a good little fox bitch-"

Somehow, someway, Lyle found the wherewithal to hang up. His phone dropped from his hand onto the carpet as he staggered to the couch, shaking...he barely made it to sitting down before breaking into sobs. All thoughts of enjoying the lovely weather were gone now...

---

"That's crazy! I can't believe someone would call you and say stuff like that!"

Lyle nodded miserably. "It was awful...he sounded so mean and aggressive. I don't even know who it was...or how they got my number..."

Jake was in a quiet fury. He'd come home to Lyle curled up on the couch, looking like someone had screamed at him for hours. And even that might have been preferable to what he was told HAD happened. "I know better than to think someone was just playing a prank on you. You're sure you didn't recognize the voice?"

"Y-yeah...I'd know if it was one I knew...though I guess they could have been twisting it or something..."

"Yeah, they could have..." And it bothered Jake for more than just the content of it, because it was absolutely something he could have seen Jerome or Cayden doing as payback for what they saw as an unfair denial. But he'd never given them the fox's number...he didn't even know it by heart himself, it was in his phone but he'd never looked at the number since plugging it in. And if they figured out how to get it, then the trouble could just be starting.

"And I was feeling so good, too...I was even gonna go for a walk. Outside, I mean, around the block. But...I just...I can't even think about anything like that now, it's, it just scares me. Ohhh..."

"You were gonna go for a walk?"

"Y-yeah...I guess I was...feeling adventurous, I dunno. I guess it sounds pretty pathetic, but I was looking forward to it, I was gonna be actually out on my own..."

Jake thought for a moment, then stood up. "Let's go do it."

Lyle did a double take. "What?! But...but..."

"Don't worry. I'll go with you and make sure nothing happens. We'll make it a quick jaunt, enough to get you some fresh air and do what you wanted to do."

"But...what if-"

Jake put a finger to Lyle's muzzle, quieting him. "They feed off of the power they have over you, even if they can't touch you. They want to make you miserable until you do what they want just to get them to back off. The best thing you can do is not let them force you into a corner. And if someone does decide to give you shit, that's why I'm here...I may not be a big shot but it seems people don't like to mess with a wolf."

Lyle looked indescribably nervous, but with a shaky nod, he stood up as well. "Okay...we'll...let's go..."

---

It certainly wasn't anything like he'd planned, but it seemed he was still going to get his excursion. And all in all...it wasn't too bad.

To say Lyle was on edge would be an understatement. The fox was jumpy at any unfamiliar and unexpected sound, and whenever one came up he was almost jumping into Jake for protection, at least until the sound was sourced and identified. And any time they passed someone on the sidewalk, he was clinging to the wolf nervously, trying not to be too obvious about his staring at them until they went away and probably failing miserably. He got a couple of looks he didn't like, but they weren't looks of lust or aggression at least.

It was a bit embarrassing to be constantly hanging off of Jake, and might have given some people the wrong impression. But at this point he wanted the security first, and what other people thought didn't matter so much...just so long as Jake didn't get that wrong impression. He didn't seem to be, though, and Lyle was so thankful for that. He was doing his best to set Lyle at ease, making a little more contact than usual, and for once Lyle was more appreciative of that; he didn't typically feel good about people touching him, but Jake seemed to have that proper touch to make it work.

Towards the end of the walk, he was relaxing a little bit at least. He was still keeping a very close pace to Jake, but not quite hanging off of him the way he had been. The fact that every threat was quickly proven to be only in his head helped, all those little sounds were not really anything to worry about. It wasn't easy getting himself to relax, even knowing that they weren't really anything to fear. But at least he wasn't so reactive to them...that was a step in the right direction, right?

As they reached home again, that was when Lyle felt true relief. Once in the safety and comfort of his familiar, secure surroundings, he could breath a sigh of relief. "Phew...I...I made it..."

"See? Not so bad." Jake's voice was trying to sound encouraging, but there was a slight sting to Lyle's ego. Jake could have done this any time he wanted, could have done far more than this any time he wanted...it hardly felt like an accomplishment to do something a normal person could do without even giving it a second thought. But he swallowed that down; Jake had been nice enough to help and didn't deserve to be a target for his insecurities.

"I guess not...sorry if I spent too much time grabbing onto you..."

"You needed something to help, I'm just glad I could. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow if you need to. Heck, we could even go two blocks!"

"Ah...let's not get crazy here..." Lyle tried to make it sound joking, rather than the very sincere way he felt. "But, uh...thanks, really...I was...I guess it helped a little bit. But...I still feel worried..."

Jake nodded. "I guess it's hard to get over a threat like that. I guess...try to put it out of your mind, whoever they were, they were probably trying to just f...mess with you, make you nervous, without actually intending to do anything."

"Yeah...I hope so..." If only Lyle could convince himself as securely as Jake seemed to be.

---

Jake had figured that that would be the end of it, or at least that things would go back to relative normalcy. He wouldn't blame Lyle for remaining nervous for a while, but life would go on, and he'd forget about it with no damage done.

How quickly he was proven wrong.

It had taken all of an hour and a half for Jake to get a call at work the next day from the frantic fox, begging for him to come home. He was convinced that someone was about to come under assault by the mysterious caller, and being alone was too dangerous. Jake could only get him to calm down by promising to come back and stay there with him, and though he flirted briefly with the idea that that would settle him, but the way Lyle had sounded...it was the same fear that had gripped him after the call when he'd found the fox huddled on the couch. He couldn't just ignore that.

With Daimon's blessing, Jake took to working from home for the next several work days. Just his presence there helped settle Lyle down somewhat, but he could still sense the tension in the fox - whatever had spooked him had spooked him good. He eventually got Lyle to confess to having a nightmare the night after the call, which had rattled him badly and led to the panic; even though he recognized that it wasn't real, he said he couldn't stop himself from how he felt. As someone who knew what it was like to have no control over how he felt, Jake could sympathize, and said he'd try to help.

"Help" turned out to be different from what he would have anticipated.

Whenever he wasn't on the clock, asleep, or in the bathroom, Lyle was pretty much draped all over him. He stuck close by for meals, or when they played games or watched TV, and he seemed to have lost his shyness about touching or holding Jake. His anxiety was such that he even went along with Jake when the wolf was running errands, rather than sticking at home like he almost always did, and that was where he was especially clingy, almost never letting go of Jake and nearly tackling him if anything surprised him. It got them some strange looks, but thankfully no one made a fuss over it - Jake wasn't really sure what he would have said if they did.

He was starting to get some ideas for how to settle Lyle down over this, though. He seemed to react well if Jake squeezed his hand. He settled down faster if Jake had an arm around him, almost protectively. A touch to the shoulder or the back of his neck also seemed therapeutic. If he kept his voice soft and reassuring, those spikes of panic tended to be less intense. Jake figured these all out through the little cues, the relaxing of his facial muscles, the slowing of his breath, the release of the tension in his limbs, the movements of his ears...all those things that he had practiced somewhat with Benji years ago, the cheetah had anxiety issues as well and he'd spent a good bit of time around him picking up on all the signals of his neuroses flaring up and calming down.

After the first few days, Lyle started to relax in earnest. It was gradual, but be became a bit more talkative again, less prone to leaping into him, and less intensely reactive to the presence of others. To call him truly relaxed would have been a gross exaggeration, but the acute anxiety was fading away. The outings felt a little more casual, and even though Lyle seemed like he wasn't terrified to be alone, he still seemed to want to be out with Jake - maybe wanting to get a little more at ease with that in general. Easy enough to tell him the real reason he'd had the freak-out, revealing he'd omitted a detail initially...it didn't matter much at this point, though, Jake just wanted Lyle to be at ease again, and things were going well.

The less Jake had to focus on Lyle's reactions, though, the more he became aware of his own. The worry he had when he saw Lyle in distress. The warm pleasantness when Jake leaned against him. The desire to comfort him and see him happy. His mind being on him even when they weren't right next to each other, wondering how he was doing and how he was feeling.

Shit...I think I'm falling for him.

It was one of those subtle realizations that had a lot of impact. He'd spent a lot of time on flings, having a good time with other people and reveling in lustful satiation...but he'd never had a long-term thing before. Not a boyfriend, not even really dates. Between how hard he had to work in school, his psychological condition, and the disarray he'd found himself in after his mother's passing, he'd never really been in the position to even try to find something like that. Sex was easy, relationships weren't. These kinds of feelings were new to him, something he wasn't sure he knew how to fully process, but unquestionably they were there, there was no way to deny that.

Of course, that presented its own set of problems.

After his early attitude towards Lyle, he knew he couldn't say anything about this to him. The way he'd acted had probably fouled up any chance of anything like that...even if it hadn't, though, he couldn't bring it up, couldn't risk freaking the fox out when he knew he was in a perpetually vulnerable state. Jake needed to maintain the sense of emotional distance, even as he found himself wanting something closer. After all, if Lyle's happiness was what mattered to him, trying to break that boundary that the fox clearly needed would serve to only undermine that.

Which meant he'd have to figure out how to NOT end up pining for the fox. Another thing he had no experience with. Now he sort of wished the anole had stuck around, that seemed like someone he could have bonded with in that way instead...though, if everything else had gone down the same way, would he have found himself thinking of Lyle while with Aiki? He wasn't sure, things were too nebulous in his head.

Jake didn't let on a breath of this to Lyle, doing his best to keep the fox from even suspecting there was inner turmoil. Helping him came first, and he was bound and determined not to screw it up.

---

A source of comfort. A source of protection. A source of ease, relaxation, even maybe a hint of confidence. Lyle never thought another person could be this for him - he was convinced every other person out there would only bring him the opposite of those things. But Jake was proving him wrong.

What he'd told Jake was true - he'd had a nightmare that night, about something happening to him that he didn't want, as well as something that had happened that he didn't want to talk about, but pretty much every nightmare he had devolved into that eventually. And it had left him feeling pretty wrung out that morning...which was when he got the second call. The same voice, the same harassing threats, and Lyle sort of snapped. Panic like he hadn't felt in years tore at him, and nothing he tried to think about or do could break him from it. He didn't know what he would have done if Jake hadn't come back to settle him down...but he felt too embarrassed to admit he'd gotten another call and answered it, it felt like foolishness not to think that what had happened once could happen again.

But Jake deserved to know, and he finally mustered up the courage to admit it. And Jake, far from being upset, tried to help him out. They checked the number and Lyle took it to memory, though Jake warned him that it could be a spoofing service so he would want to be careful about any calls he got that weren't from known sources. He helped Lyle train some stock responses that would hopefully interrupt the caller or get him to back away under threat of legal action. They did a reverse number look-up to see if there was a source they could trace it to, though that came up empty. It didn't take away what had happened, but just doing something about it felt...powerful, in a way.

Now he sort of understood what Jake was trying to do with the walk around the block. It wasn't just about getting away from it, it was about not hiding away under the threat. Lyle basically only had that as his go-to - withdraw, escape, avoid. His entire life revolved around that, and that was what he thought his only recourse was. But that...never had him feeling strong. It had him feeling safe, perhaps, but not comfortable, not capable. Jake's methods, even if they didn't totally work out, felt like actual measures taken against his enemies.

Still not enough to get him heading out on his own. But...well, small steps. And they certainly helped settle him down after those calls - he got two more, but didn't answer either one, and the caller avoided leaving a traceable voice mail. It felt like a minor victory, a blow against the people who tried to harass him...that helped him recover from the ugly event that much faster.

And it was putting Jake in an ever better light...the wolf had gone from threat and nuisance to a godsend. Lyle wasn't sure how to repay him for all the help he was getting...though, maybe it was just penance from before, making up for the stress he'd originally caused. If that was the case, though, Lyle was starting to feel they were more than even after he'd helped strip away that vile panic. From his previous state of never feeling like he could rely on anyone for anything, he was starting to come around to the idea that an ally was a big difference. And if one was good...maybe more would be even better.

If only he knew how to find them...

---

"I gotta say, I didn't think I'd ever actually like shopping in a store." Lyle set his keys and phone on the table, along with the bag of odds and ends he'd picked up from the local department store. "Big building, plenty of places where you could be snatched up and no one would notice...but it's awfully nice to actually be able to look at what you're getting before you buy it."

"I prefer it to online," said Jake. "At least, when it's something I can find. There's a whole lot of goods that are just a lot easier to get online, where virtually anything's available. But it's nice to know you're definitely getting the right size light bulb, for example."

"Yeah...uh, Jake? Thank you...for all your help these past, uh, couple weeks." Lyle was flushing a bit, glad his fur hid most of it. "It really means a lot to me...I know it kind of put you out, and I'm sorry that I disrupted your, uh, routine so much. But you've been such a huge help...and, I think I'm good to be on my own again here."

Jake smiled warmly. "I'm glad I was able to help. Don't worry about it, sometimes it's nice to have a break from the office for a bit. You can let me know anytime if you're having other issues, I'll do what I can to try to help you through them, but I'm glad to know you're feeling a lot better now."

"Yeah, I owe you for that...don't let me forget that. I'm gonna go get these bulbs changed." Lyle took a box from the bag on the table and headed towards the bathroom. Jake felt a nice pleasantness inside him...true, it would be kind of a shame that he'd have to go back to his usual and spend less time with the fox, but it was for the best anyway, he wouldn't have as much risk of his feelings starting to get in the way. And it was gratifying that he could have such a positive effect on Lyle...maybe there was hope for him getting the confidence to get out more after all.

He jumped a bit when he heard a phone buzz on the table. It took a moment for him to realize his own was still in his pocket...he looked over to see Lyle's phone on the table, the screen lit up. Stepping over, he saw it was listed as an unknown number...on a hunch, he snatched it up, and gave a breath into the receiver.

"That eager to be my slutty bitch, foxy boy?"

Hunch validated. And Jake recognized the voice instantly - one he hadn't heard in a good while, and wouldn't have really cared if he hadn't heard again, but which gave him a pretty good idea what had happened. "I don't think he's interested, badger boy."

There was sputtering over the other end. "Wh-th-wh-who is this?"

"Someone who knows you enough, Arek."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Clearly Arek didn't know enough about him - then again, the badger had always been blinded by the sun that he thought shone out his asshole. "Oh, you don't remember me? I'm taking that as a compliment. You gonna tell me who put you up to this?"

"Hey, fuck off. I'm not doing anything. They just asked me to call this number and skeeve the guy out a bit. What's it to you?"

"Actually, you're making terroristic threats over the phone. That's a felony. I heard you didn't have a very good time in prison last time...or maybe you did and that's why you're trying to go back?"

"Wh...hey now..." Suddenly Arek's voice became very nervous. "I'm not looking for any trouble here...I didn't think..."

"Not surprising. Next call to this number and the police get involved. THEY will know where to find you. Got it?"

There was no answer, and the phone went dead. But that was fine - the message had been sent, and Jake was pretty sure that would put an end to it. Arek had always been a coward at heart...he hadn't said anything about who arranged things, but Jake was pretty sure he knew anyway, he had connections with one 'friend' more than any of the rest of them. And a few warnings about the legal consequences would probably put him in line as well...at least for the time being, who knew how long it would hold. Jake set the phone back down, hoping that Lyle wouldn't get too upset at him for his impromptu intervention...maybe an assurance that he'd warded the guy off would be apology enough.