Earned Stripes #1: Warming Up

Story by GranTrofeo on SoFurry

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#1 of Earned Stripes

Hello, and welcome to a new series! This started life as just a character that was supposed to make it into my other story, The Futzler Files, but eventually I realized his inclusion wouldn't really mesh with everything else, so I spun it off into its own thing. It was also an opportunity to try something a little different, with a thrid-person POV, new characters, and a new setting.

NOTE: This chapter includes explicit sexual themes between two consenting adults. You've been warned!

As always with my uploads, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Enjoy!


The bitter cold of late winter bit at Malcolm as he quickly made his way across the parking lot. It was only about forty feet between the tiger's designated parking space and the glowing entrance to his apartment building, but the freezing temperature seemingly warped time to make the distance feel far greater. While food and warmth were noble ends to his trek, the tiger had other motives propelling him toward home.

Fierce gales blew across the complex, not to mention right through the tiger's navy blue nylon jacket as though it wasn't there. Fackin' hell, may as well be crossing the bloody Arctic with all this, Malcolm grumbled internally as he was blasted from head to tail with powdery snow picked up by the incessant wind. The long box tightly tucked under his left arm kept tugging at him as the flat surface was buffeted, quickly becoming a nuisance as it kept catching the wind like a sail.

After what felt like an inordinate amount of time to walk such a short distance, Malcolm was finally greeted by the maroon walled comfort of the main lobby. He brushed himself off at the door and tapped the tips of his dress shoes against the already dampened entry rug. A few other people milled about, typical trips to and from the on-site laundry facilities, pool, or gym, all included in the exorbitant rent each of them paid. The wind howled against the glass entry door behind him, as if it too wanted to be extricated from the cold.

"Evening Mister Winthrop," the front desk clerk called to the latest arrival.

"'Allo Eric," he smiled at the young grizzly bear. "Perfect weather for doing nothing, eh?"

"Absolutely. Except when you've got a seven page poli-sci paper due in three days and barely have the rough draft done, among other mid-term assignments," he groaned.

Malcolm had a deep chuckle as he began making his way toward the elevators. "Well, good luck with all that mate."

Eric gave his thanks and immersed himself once more into his studies. Despite his age and well-to-do appearance, Malcolm had yet to complete any higher education himself. He had his reasons, as he often reassured himself, not least of which was that his current occupation paid well without need for an expensive piece of paper. The reality was that he'd simply become complacent, not really having any dire need to find anything better, though the tiger would never admit it.

However, if it weren't for his educational malaise, the circumstances in which he met the love of his life would've never materialized. The tiger recognized this, and would never trade his partner for a degree and a teaching career, but there was always that nagging feeling of inadequacy over the fact he'd procrastinated on his dreams for so long and failed to follow through on the main reason for him immigrating in the first place.

Malcolm lifted the top half of the box to inspect its contents as the elevator brought him to his desired floor. The bouquet of black roses he'd sought had earned a strange look from the florist when he told them it would be a gift for his boyfriend. He was well aware of how the artificially colored flowers were commonly associated with death, but they were the perfect choice in his mind. There was a little dampness below the wicked stems, but that was to be expected; otherwise, everything was in order. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he closed the box once more, and only had to wait a moment longer before the elevator chimed.

Malcolm's ropey tail swayed rhythmically behind him as he stepped into his apartment. He zipped off his jacket to reveal the plain white polo shirt underneath, one of many he kept as part of his standard work uniform. The tiger's slush packed shoes were slipped off as he padded into the kitchen.

A trim black panther stood by the stove, comfortably dressed in a white tank top and red tartan pajama pants as he idly stirred the contents around; the chrome ring piercing his left ear was the only accessory to his otherwise mundane dress. Malcolm crept closer, being ever the natural predator, and gently rested his large paws on the hips of his fellow feline. The panther's tail brushed against Malcolm's legs before he leaned back into the bulk of the larger tiger and let out an elated purr.

"How are you, Ronnie?"

"Mmmmmh, little tuckered, but good."

Malcolm tilted his muzzle down and pecked Ronnie on the crown of his head.

"Busy day?"

"Same as usual; dumbasses who don't read the policy before trying to make a return, a few rowdy kids, and the usual ebb and flow of customers. Only real highlight was a new cashier failing to show for her second day, but otherwise it was okay."

The tiger's nostrils flared as he caught the scent of the cooking below him.

"What'cha got in there?" Yellowish liquid was being disturbed by Ronnie's wooden spoon, with green and orange chunks floating around in it.

"Just a little cream of broccoli soup. We had a bunch of broccoli left in the fridge, and I thought some soup would be a perfect way to warm up. I was also gonna make hot cocoa, but that doesn't really pair well with anything, so I just cracked open some brandy instead."

"I like your thinking kitty."

Ronnie smirked. "Thought you would. Soup should be done in a few minutes."

The panther stopped his stirring for a moment, which Malcolm seized as an opportunity to slip his paws under Ronnie's loose shirt. He was rewarded with the silky feeling of his lover's carefully groomed furs, as well as the ticklish vibrations of purrs from the panther's chest.

"How is it that you massage people all day, yet still manage to come home with hungry paws?"

Malcolm placed his lips against Ronnie's adorned ear and husked out a response.

"Giving washed up jocks a rub down is business, dear. Copping a feel of your fine features, that's all pleasure."

Ronnie shivered, then gasped as two deft thumbs rubbed against his nipples. The panther threw his head back against Malcolm's chest and panted in sweet, all consuming bliss as he was toyed with. The tiger wasn't mercilessly jamming his digits into his partner's chest, for that would cause more pain than pleasure; rather, he was simply gliding his pads over those sensitive spots, just enough to drive the dark feline wild and leave him breathless. The fleshy hot buttons on his chest weren't the only things hardening on Ronnie's lithe body, and he could tell Malcolm felt much the same way with the large bulge prodding under his tail.

The panther huffed as the teasing paws retreated from their naughty intrusion all too soon, and the cooler air of the apartment replaced the heat of Malcolm's body against his back. Ronnie was about to turn around when his pants were tugged down to his ankles, only being given a fraction of a second to steady himself as a hot breath tickled his exposed pucker. Ten striped fingers worked to spread the two panther buns as Malcolm ran his tongue from taint to tailbase.

"Mmmmfffuuuuhh," Ronnie groaned. Feeling that coarse muscle set his nerves alight nearly brought the feline to his knees. He gripped the marble counter on each side of the stove, spread his legs, and extended every claw on every digit, paw or foot, in order to stay upright and let Malcolm eat him out. His orange companion only became more vigorous, swirling his tongue around that musky tailhole and occasionally changing the pace by spearing inside, much to Ronnie's mewling delight. Malcolm was just grateful that the panther kept his hole spotless at all times for activities like this.

Mind deeply muddled by lust, Ronnie pushed his hips back into Malcolm's face to increase the contact, even going so far as to place a paw on his partner's head to keep the tiger's ministrations right where he wanted them; not that he was planning on stopping, anyway. The crevice was growing messy with tiger spit, giving each pass of Malcolm's tongue a wet slurping noise that only further fed each feline's libido.

"Mmmshshflpmsh," Malcolm growled along with his licks, the vibrations adding further pleasure for his panther, whose body only seemed to beg for more.

*Beeeep* *Beeeep* *Beeeep* *Beeeep*

The timer Ronnie had set for the soup had reached its end, and the loud alarm brought both lovers out of their lust fueled trance for a moment. Ronnie looked down at the pot in front of him, the bright yellow broth steaming hot and ready to eat. He looked back over his shoulder to see Malcolm standing there, offending tongue hanging out of his panting muzzle, emerald eyes glazed, and a notable lump stretching his fly. The furs on the tiger's chin had also become matted with excess saliva from his oral spelunking. Ronnie was an equally hot mess, with his mouth and dick in a drooling competition, along with the number Malcolm's talented tongue had done on his ass.

Malcolm licked his pearly fangs. "Mmm mmm. That was a lovely appetizer, Ronnie. Can't wait for the main course."

Or dessert, I'm sure, the panther mused. Ronnie's face was flush to the point Malcolm could see a hint of crimson on his cheeks.

"M-my pleasure. C-could you grab a ladle and a couple soup b-bowls out for us please?"

"Sure thing sexy."

The striped stud took one last glance at the glistening valley between Ronnie's cheeks before parting with a light squeeze. In the meantime, Ronnie made himself decent again and put his mind back on their meal. Malcolm retrieved the requested items and placed them near the stove. He grabbed the poor panther before he had a chance to start scooping out soup and plastered their lips together, Ronnie quickly joining in on the tonsil hockey as both mapped out the topography of the other's gums. Malcolm purred into the messy kiss as he let Ronnie taste a bit of himself. They continued to feast on their tongues until the panther finally pulled himself off of Malcolm's face with a wet smack.

Ronnie squeezed his tiger's bicep. "Alright ass breath, can we have dinner now? I'm starving."

Malcolm chuckled at his boyfriend's comment. While he'd tried to sound upset, the smile on his lips told the tiger otherwise. "Yeah yeah, sure. Only if I get a free pass to call you 'cock muzzle' later."

"Deal. Now let's eat!"

Soon both were sitting at their small dinner table, each with a steaming bowl of Ronnie's creamy concoction and quarter full snifter of Gouldin brandy. The glossy white table was just large enough for each cat to have his own plate of food, but that suited them perfectly well; it made it all too easy for games of footsie to be idly played while they ate. Their soup didn't last long as both eagerly devoured the rich mixture, sating their hunger and leaving a warm glow in their bellies. Malcolm was sloshing his drink when Ronnie spoke up.

"Say, what've you got in that box babe?" He gestured with his snout toward the cardboard rectangle sitting on the island counter.

"OH!" Malcolm exclaimed, having forgotten about his gift during their impromptu play time. He quickly brought the box over to Ronnie and lifted the flap.

"They reminded me of you, love; dark, beautiful, and proudly eschewing natural convention."

"Malcolm, these are fabulous. Where did you get them?"

"Happened to see them at the store when I stopped to get a few other things. I thought they looked nice, and figured you'd like 'em."

"I love them. Thanks, ya big sexy dreamsicle." Ronnie stood up and pressed his lips against Malcolm's, giving his tiger a tender smooch to show his affection.

"What else did you get from the store?" the panther asked, tilting his head cutely.

"Later," was all Malcolm said, though his cheeky wink gave Ronnie a good idea of what to expect from the mischievous feline.

Ronnie handled what few dishes had been made while Malcolm took charge of digging out a suitable vase for the bouquet. A clear, generic example was pulled from the depths of the hall closet, soon being placed on the living room coffee table as a centerpiece. The dishes were finished soon after, and Ronnie found Malcolm on the couch, watching the snow pelt against the windows while their fireplace crackled with a cozy fire. All the lights were down as the soft orange glow of the flames solely fought against pure darkness.

The dark feline was but an apparition in the dim light as he plopped down next his tiger and nuzzled against his broad, fabric covered chest. Malcolm wrapped a long arm over the smaller cat to lightly stroke a claw along his spine, once more eliciting purrs from his mate. They remained like this for a while, relishing in the warmth provided by both the fire and each other's body, as well as simply enjoying the contact. Not a word was spoken as the blizzard brewed outside.

After the toying he'd endured earlier, Ronnie finally decided it was time to get even. Slowly he trailed his right paw from Malcolm's thigh and under the hem of his polo. The tiger was fully aware of what was going on, but had no intentions of interrupting the wonderful sensation of those warm pads frisking his muscle gut. Ronnie's fingers made their way to the ridge of Malcolm's pecs when the tiger decided to up the ante.

"Hold on a minute," he instructed. Ronnie removed his wandering paw as Malcolm leaned forward, pulling his shirt off and letting it fall to the floor before returning to his previous position.

"Much better."

"Hell yeah," the panther lustfully agreed as he resumed his groping.

Ronnie also got his other paw involved, massaging Malcolm's love handles while the tiger's creamy white bosom was smothered by an eager panther snout. Malcolm had found early on in their relationship that Ronnie was a connoisseur of natural male scents, and was keen to provide for the kinky bastard. Even though Ronnie seemed content sniffing and lapping up the tiger's chest, Malcolm knew what the panther truly craved. He lifted his left arm over his shoulder and tapped his entranced partner on the head.

When Ronnie looked up to see the wide open pit of Malcolm's arm, his brown eyes bulged like saucers. He dove straight in, moving his legs to straddle the tiger's lap and get the best angle possible to enjoy his secret pleasure. Malcolm drew a sharp breath at the cold, wet nose pressing firmly to the intimate spot, quickly joined by the sandpapery drags of a tongue licking up every salty drop of sweat it could.

It had been a peculiar conversation when Ronnie first admitted his fetish to Malcolm. He'd just come home after a particularly full day of massages, with sweat staining his collar and feeling generally more ripe than usual; the fact that Malcolm forgot to apply deodorant that morning hadn't helped matters, either. They had their customary hug when he noticed Ronnie sniffing the air.

"Yeah, I know I reek. I'm jumping in the shower now."

"No! Uh, I mean, it's not...that bad. You don't have to go anywhere else, so you can just shower tomorrow morning...right?"

Malcolm raised a brow. "Is your nose working alright?"

The panther gulped nervously. "Yeah, it's fine. I just...I like the way you smell, okay? I know it's weird, but that's just how I am." He sighed and scratched the back of his head as Malcolm stared at him.

"No wonder you liked doing all those locker room scenes."

"Yeah, perks of the job I guess, heheh."

"What do you like about it?"

"I don't know, it's just so...manly. There's no other way for me to explain it."

"Hmmm," Malcolm's face spread into a grin. "Why don't we see just how much you like my manliness then, kitty cat?"

From then on they'd found that Ronnie was mostly attracted to natural musk put out from Malcolm working his body, with a lack of bathing being more of a turn-off. Letting Ronnie's nose and tongue explore places rarely touched was an experience for both of them, and they'd found a few sweet spots that otherwise may never have been discovered. Malcolm wasn't really in any position to judge either; ass munching was his favorite sexual passtime, and he would've gladly eaten Ronnie out until he was raw had that timer not spoiled the fun. As far as he was concerned, licking an armpit or balls was no less taboo than any of the other things they did.

Back in the moment, Ronnie had fulfilled his depraved fantasy and moved on to suckling Malcolm's tongue for what was far from the first, and certainly not the last, time of the night. Without warning, the tiger slipped down to the cushion of the couch, pulling Ronnie on top of him. Neither cat was disrupted by the position change, with lips and tongues still madly slurping and smacking in their combined lust. Malcolm made his intentions clear by gripping the base of Ronnie's tail, just hard enough to make the shadowy feline yip as Ronnie ground his hips into Malcolm wantonly. Lips finally parted, both felines taking a moment to suck fresh air into their lungs.

Ronnie sat up on his haunches to remove his ruffled shirt, and feverishly slid his pants off to reveal the dark purple pole sprouting between his legs, leaking a healthy amount of clear fluid from the tip. Malcolm watched as the nude panther lowered his head and nuzzled the seam of his pants, ready to burst from the tiger's own arousal. One clear thought managed to make its way through the sexual fog in his brain to remind him of his other gift to Ronnie.

"Hey, wanna see what else I bought ya?" Black paws kept working at the large button on Malcolm's pants as the tiger spoke.

"Hmmmwhat," Ronnie replied, still under the spell of lust.

"Check my ankle pocket."

With clear reluctance, Ronnie reached for the inconspicuous pocket and peeled the Velcro flap back. He felt two long tubes, hard plastic with a satin finish, and pulled them out. A gasp escaped him as he realized what it was; both items were the same pink gradient, with metallic red script reading Ultra Squirt HOT DAMN JAM, and Warming Jelly Lubricant-SLICKS AND HEATS ALL NIGHT GUARANTEED in smaller print below.

"How did you...this shit's super expensive, Malcolm."

"Are you gonna lube up and ride, or get off on my bloody credit card statements?"

Ronnie's jewelry jangled as his ears flattened at the tiger's impatience. He popped the cap on one bottle and squeezed a pink dollop onto his middle pad, using his thumb to spread the slick fluid over his fingers. Already he could feel the special chemicals heating up, and his member throbbed in anticipation for what was soon to come. Ronnie turned around to give Malcolm a show, getting on all fours and lifting his tail, furs still slick from the Aussie tiger's earlier visit. He rubbed his goopy finger along his crack for a moment, making sure to leave nothing dry, before poking his bullseye.

Meanwhile, Malcolm had shucked off his trousers and begun greasing his barbed tool. His paw moved slowly, keeping himself hard but not on the ragged edge of cumming. He was mesmerized by the sight of Ronnie pushing in one, then two, and finally three fingers into his rear, each accompanied by a lewd schlick and high pitched moan from the other end of the couch.

Once Ronnie felt he'd prepped himself as well as he could, he turned to face his tiger. Their eyes feasted on the view, one of a blushing panther with a lithe, well toned body, and the other of a lounging tiger, still muscular, but now with some softer edges. The panther got into position, grabbing the hot member he so badly wanted inside of him, aiming it toward his waiting hole.

Malcolm bit his lip as he anxiously waited to feel the hot tunnel grip around him. Time slowed as Malcolm's tip kissed Ronnie's tailstar, and began to burrough through. The lube ended up being more slippery than either anticipated, and with so much coating both ends, Malcolm was buried inside his boyfriend with only the slightest push.

"MMMEEWWRRRFFF~" Ronnie mewled.

"Ahhhhhfuuck," crooned the tiger.

Ronnie remained still as he let his body get used to the stretch of tiger dick. He also reckoned the jelly had definitely earned its "HOT DAMN" title, because his ass felt like it was on fire with all the artificial heat. He panted through clenched teeth, eyes watering a little at the overwhelming sensations assaulting his body. Malcolm noticed Ronnie's tension and started gently rubbing across his front to get him to calm down, and gradually the panther's breathing evened out. The lube began to cool with the lack of friction, and Ronnie felt brave enough to try getting into a slow rhythm. As soon as he lifted up on Malcolm the heat returned, but wasn't quite as intense as the first time. He decided to push on as the heat subsided to a comfortable warmth, sliding his rear faster as all the previous pain faded to pleasure.

Lube had managed to get in many more places than either cat had intended, including their fur. Malcolm had a spot on his left pec where Ronnie was holding on as he used the tiger's cock like a carnival ride, and Malcolm had smothered Ronnie's belly when he tried soothing him. It'd also left a stain on the cushion nearest their meeting, but that wouldn't be the only unsavory fluid to mark the helpless furniture. Of course, in the heated throes of wild sex, neither cared or even took notice. All Ronnie had on his mind was to empty those hefty tiger nuts slapping his rear, and Malcolm followed the same train of thought as he began thrusting upwards to drive deeper into that sloppy tunnel.

Eventually Ronnie stopped bouncing altogether to let Malcolm take charge, the tiger gripping his partner by the hips as the pace slowed to deep, titillating drives that had Ronnie feeling every barb rake his innards. Their eyes were locked the entire ride, and something sparked at the point of no return. Both leaned forward to meet in the middle, kissing deeply as Malcolm neared his end. Ronnie forced himself down as hard as he could, and used whatever strength his anal muscles had left to milk Malcolm for all he had, while the tiger resorted to shallow humps as pressure built in his loins.

There was no "Oh fuck", "I'm cumming", or even a single syllable cuss uttered. Instead, Malcolm's roar was swallowed by Ronnie's maw as they maintained their lip lock. Ronnie couldn't help but reply with a mewl as he was finally filled with hot, gooey fluid. His own cock throbbed needfully, having gone unattended the entire night, but he was in no rush to get off yet.

Of course, his mind was quickly changed when a slick, warm paw tightly gripped his shaft. He panted as it became an orange blur, Malcolm's bicep flexing with the quick motions. By that point Ronnie had sat up again, watching as Malcolm eagerly jerked him off. The tiger's still-hard cock was crammed against his prostate, and Ronnie knew it was going to be a spectacular finish.

"HaaaAHHHAAAHaaaaooh..."

Unfortunately for Ronnie, the release was so great his eyes were forced shut, causing him to miss the hot ropes splashing right into Malcolm's waiting maw. The spunk kept coming as that magic paw continued sliding to and fro, giving the tiger plenty of new stripes across his belly. When he was fully spent, Ronnie crashed onto Malcolm, the musky seed squishing between their sweaty bodies. The panther rested his head on his mate's shoulder, and both panted heavily from the workout.

"Phew," Malcolm remarked. "That felt fuckin' fantastic."

Ronnie could only nod his head in agreement.

"Gonna *huff* call me Cock Muzzle *huff* now?"

Malcolm didn't have the breath to laugh, and smiled instead.

"Nah. I think I'll just call you *huff* my Kinky Kitty."

"And you're my stinky kitty," Ronnie giggled.

"Yeah but *huff* you like that."

"So do you."

"Touché."

While Malcolm didn't enjoy it for quite the same reasons Ronnie did, he was too tired to argue. The tiger slowly extracted his member from the warm depths of Ronnie, allowing the panther to comfortably lay on his lover. His head fell to Malcolm's chest, tickling the tiger with his long whiskers. Both watched the smoldering flames dance within their stone confinement, unstable light flickering across their combined form. Malcolm languidly ran his paw down Ronnie's back, eventually soothing the panther into peaceful oblivion. He knew that eventually he'd have to stir Ronnie and take their sleep into the bedroom, but there was still plenty of time to enjoy the cuddles. Sleep purrs resonated through Malcolm as Ronnie slumbered, his black tail sometimes flicking about as the panther's mind conjured up pleasant dreams.

It was moments like this that scrubbed away any thoughts Malcolm had about whether his life would've been more fulfilling as an educator. Sure, he wasn't always quite as enthused to leave for work, and often found himself rather jaded by doing the same routine, but with Ronnie here, he was always happy to be home.