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Drex rushed around his room, throwing various items into a large duffel bag. He wasn't pressed for time, he was in panic mode. He couldn't calm his nerves about this weekend. The otter had told Jason he would come out to his parents, but he was really starting to have second thoughts as that day got closer.

"Why did I even invite him? What was I thinking?" the otter said aloud before suddenly realizing what had just come out of his mouth. He let out a deep sigh and tried to relax. "You know why," he said to himself.

He did know why. Drex loved the wolf. He knew that his life wouldn't be complete without Jason. He would do anything for him. Even if it meant risking his parent's approval.

I am who I am and they should accept me for that, he thought to himself. The thought was enough to calm him a little. He went back to packing, at a much slower pace.

Once he had finished packing his bag, the otter gave himself a quick look in the mirror. His amber eyes looked himself over. His dark brown fur that covered most of his body was well groomed. It blended smoothly into a lighter shade of brown around his face and muzzle, moving down his neck. Happy with his appearance, he headed for the door, his bag in hand.

Drex walked outside his room to the empty dorm. Colin had already left with Sarah to her parent's house a few hours away. The otter really wished he had his best friend to talk to. He could really use the tiger's support.

Just then, Drex saw a small note on the coffee table in front of the couch. He opened it up and it was a small letter from Coiln.

Merry Christmas Drex. I hope everything goes well with your parents. They love you and I'm sure they'll be just fine with what you have to tell them.

--Colin

Drex couldn't help but smile. He could hug the tiger. His words brightened the otter's mood. Maybe everything will be alright after all, he thought to himself. Now in a much better mood, the otter headed for the door.

A quick drive and Drex was nearing Jason's house. As he turned the corner, he saw his wolf waiting on the front porch, his suitcase at his side. The otter pulled into the driveway and unlocked the doors.

As Jason got in, he let out a relieved sigh and said, "Man it's nice in here. I was freezin my butt off!"

Drex laughed and said, "Hey, no one told you to wait outside in the cold."

"I was excited," the wolf said with a shrug.

The otter let out another laugh and hugged Jason tight. "Missed ya hun," he said.

"Missed you too babe," Jason said before returning the hug with a kiss to the otter's cheek.

With that, they were on their way to Hillsbury, the otter's home town, for a weekend he would not soon forget.

The three hour drive to Hillsbury was quite a scenic drive, especially in the winter. Although the snow made the roads a bit dangerous, it also made them quite beautiful. The dense pines were covered in a blanket of pure white snow.

Occasionally, the road would go onto a hill over the trees. There, the beauty was only enhanced even further. The day Drex picked to drive was perfect. There were only a few clouds in the sky and the sun shined brightly onto the dense forest canopy that seemed to stretch on forever.

Jason looked out the window and marveled at the beauty of it. "You know, I think I'm gunna paint a scene like this. It's really awesome," the wolf said as he looked over to Drex.

The otter grinned, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'd like to see that," he admitted.

"Maybe it could have us in it. You know, maybe cuddling, enjoying the view. What ya think?" Jason asked sheepishly.

Drex looked over at the wolf for a moment, his smile bright. "That sounds perfect hun."

As the pair got closer to Hillsbury, Drex began to get more and more nervous. They were only twenty minutes outside of town and the otter was visibly shaking.

"You alright?" Jason asked worriedly.

Drex let out a sigh and said, "Honestly, not really. I'm really nervous about my parents meeting you. Also you meeting them. Not to mention my brother. I hope he doesn't act too annoying around you. Plus there's the whole coming out to them. I know I said I would tell them, and I will, but I'm just worried about how they'll react."

Jason considered all of this for a moment then said, "Drex, you're an amazing person, and I know your parents had a part in making you who you are today. You don't have to worry, I'm sure we'll get along just fine." He paused for a moment then continued, "About you coming out. I was really nervous when I came out to my family. I've never felt so nervous before in my life. I know what you're going through hun. I've been there myself. But you have one advantage that I didn't. You have me. Someone who loves you and is there for you to help you get through this."

Drex couldn't help but smile. It calmed him, if only a little, to hear Jason's caring words. "Thanks. I love you," the otter said as he extended a paw and rested it on his mate's.

"Any time," Jason said simply as he leaned over and kissed Drex's cheek.

The twenty minutes passed quickly. Much faster than Drex would have liked. Still he was starting to get a bit excited as well. He would get to see his family again, something he hadn't done since he moved out to Braxton and started attending college at Portswort University.

Hillsbury was a much larger city than Braxton. Still not a huge city by any means, but easily twice the size of the small town the otter now called home. Drex knew his way around and was heading toward his parent's house.

The city was a bit more industrial than Braxton, but did have its more secluded areas. Drex turned down a road that was lined with trees. Eventually he came to a gravel road and turned onto it. A short drive down the road led the pair to a large gate with a wall that stretched out into the woods and out of sight.

"Woah," Jason said as he looked at the gate.

Drex blushed a little. He never really told Jason just how well off his family was. The wolf never really asked about such details either, so the subject rarely came up. Also the otter didn't like to show off his family's wealth. He didn't want people to take advantage of him for some money.

Drex didn't say anything and just pulled out a small remote that looked like a garage door opener. When the otter pushed the button the gate hummed to life and opened for the pair. They drove inside and the gate closed behind them. Drex couldn't help but feel trapped and was really starting to wonder what he'd gotten himself into.

They drove up the road a little further until they reached a clearing. Jason looked at the house in front of him wide eyed.

Drex's house was nothing short of amazing. It was a large three story, Victorian style home. Panels of painted white wood covered the walls all the way up to the black roof top. Light blue, wooden exterior shutters rested on either side of various windows on the home. There was a large patio deck out front that lead to the front door of the house with rocking chairs and a table.

The yard was well decorated and very well maintained. The bushes were trimmed and perfectly placed all throughout the yard. A large fountain was the center point of the driveway which circled around it. Christmas lights decorated the house and yard. Chirstmas was definitely something Drex's family loved to celebrate.

There were three luxurious cars sitting outside in the drive. Drex knew they belonged to his parents and his brother.

"Wow," Jason said simply. "Why didn't you tell me your house was so cool?"

"I...I guess I just don't like to tell people about this kind of stuff. I'd rather make my own mark and do my own thing with as little help from my family as I can," Drex admitted.

"I can understand that," the wolf said and gave Drex's paw a squeeze.

The pair found a spot to park and got out of the car. Just then, a female otter came out of the house and ran down the drive. She looked a lot like Drex. The family resemblance was uncanny. She had the same dark brown and light brown fur pattern. The largest difference, aside from her feminine body was her light blue eyes.

"My baby!" she said holding Drex close.

Drex's face was beet red. Mostly from embarrassment, but partly from his mother's crushing embrace. Finally the otter was able to free himself from her grip.

"Hey mom," he said simply. He looked down at the ground not wanting to look over at the wolf who was probably grinning wide by now.

Just then, Drex's mom looked over at Jason. "Oh how rude of me. I'm Drex's mother. You can call me Debra. You must be Jason. Drex has told me so much about you," she said with a warm smile.

"I hope it wasn't anything bad," Jason said jokingly. "Nice to meet you Debra. Thanks for having me."

"Of course. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask. I've made up two rooms for the both of you. Drex, you'll be in your old room. Show Jason to the guest room down the hall," Debra said. With that she led the pair inside the house.

The inside was even more amazing than the outside. The floor was a beautiful, dark hard wood that was well polished. The white walls had pictures of various family memories hung up on them. As they passed the dining room, Jason saw the table that could easily sit ten people. The table had a bouquet of flowers in the center of its rectangular shape.

There was a Christmas tree decorated with all sorts of lights and ornaments in another room a bit further down the hall. Presents were packed under the tree.

"You boys head upstairs, I'll go let your dad and brother know you're here," Drex's mom said and walked down a hall toward the back of the house.

"We're up here," Drex said. He lead Jason up a flight of stairs to the second floor of the house. Once up there, Drex set his bags down by a door and said, "This is my room, your room is over here."

The pair walked to another door and Drex opened it. Inside was a luxurious bed that Jason couldn't wait to sit on. So the wolf set his bags down and did just that.

Drex closed the door and sat next to his wolf. "Sorry we can't share a room. I couldn't really think of a good reason for you to stay with me when we have so much space," the otter said.

Jason just warped an arm around his mate and held him close. "It's ok hun. I figured this would probably be the case so don't worry about it."

"Well, I guess we'd better go make an appearance. One thing you should know about my brother. He likes to joke...a lot. He does stand up comedy even. His act is actually fairly well known around here. So if he bashes you, or me, which he will, just take it as a joke. He's harmless really," Drex tried to sound reassuring.

Jason gave the otter a bit of a squeeze. "You worry too much hun. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself you know," he said and gave the otter's ear a playful nibble.

Drex let out a light moan. "You tease."

Jason just grinned and stood up. "Shall we?"

The pair walked down the stairs and Drex guided Jason to where he knew his family was, in the backyard.

The backyard, much like the front, was well kept and beautiful. It didn't snow nearly as much in Hillsbury as it did in Portsworth, but there were small patches here and there. There were trees in various areas all over the yard. The large brick wall surrounded the yard, covered in vines to blend in a bit better. Bushes cut to look like various animal shapes were lined up along one side of the wall. Evergreens were scattered out throughout. A large swimming pool with a diving board and rock waterfall sat in one corner of the yard. An inviting hot tub sat next to the pool. Jason really wanted an excuse to get into that this weekend, especially with a certain otter.

A wide gazebo sat in the middle of the yard. Inside were three otters sitting on chairs talking to one another. Drex swallowed loudly and walked over to them. Jason followed closely behind.

The three otter looked over at the pair and all stood up. Drex's mom, dad, and brother stood in front of the pair. Drex's dad was the first to approach. He had similar features to Drex, but the resemblance wasn't nearly as apparent as it was with his mom. He was taller than Drex and more built. He had a well toned upper body and it worked well for him. His fur, a darker tone than Drex's, was one solid dark brown color. The only exception was a patch of lighter brown fur on his muzzle that ended just past his chin. His eyes were the one thing he and Drex had in common. They both shared the same amber colored eyes.

He gave Drex a warm hug and said, "Hey Drex. How was your drive?"

The otter hugged his dad back and said, "It was good. Went smooth."

With that his father turned his attention to Jason. "You must be Jason. I'm Drex's dad. You can call me Eric." he said warmly and extended a paw.

Jason took the paw into his own. He tried to match the otter's firm grip. "It's nice to meet you," the wolf said with a smile.

Just then Drex's brother walked over to the pair. He was a bit shorter than Drex and somewhat stocky. He had a small belly but he handled himself well enough. His features were a mash up between his mom and his dad. He had the same dark brown fur as his dad but the light brown fur of his mom. He had his dad's fur pattern, with only the light brown patch on his muzzle. Yet he had his mother's light blue eyes.

The otter grinned and looked at Jason. "So this is you're new boyfriend eh Drex?" the otter said teasingly.

Drex just sighed and said, "Good to see you too Mark."

"Aww, come on bro, don't tell me that small town sapped your sense of humor," Mark said playfully.

"I see your ego is still about as big as your belly," Drex retorted.

"Ohh, he's still go it!" Mark replied with a laugh.

Jason couldn't help but laugh a little at the exchange. He'd never seen Drex trash talk somebody. He found it strangely cute.

"The name's Mark. Hope you've been keepin my lil bro outa trouble," Mark said with a crooked grin.

"Oh I try my best. Between the crazy parties and the gang initiation anyway," Jason replied hopping he wasn't being too edgy.

Mark laughed and patted Jason on the shoulder and said, "You're alright bro."

Jason let out a sigh, happy to have been accepted by the family thus far. He hoped that at least if the family liked him, Drex coming out to his parents wouldn't be too much of an issue.

They all sat down onto chairs in the gazebo, enjoying the chilled winter air. Drex's mom was the first to break the silence. "Aunt Becky and Grandpa will be here tomorrow morning," she said happily.

Drex let out a bit of a gasp and played it off as a yawn. He looked over at Jason and the wolf instantly knew something was wrong.

"I uhh...need to use the restroom, could you show me where that is Drex?" the wolf said, thinking up the first thing that came to mind.

"Yeah, sure," the otter replied, he didn't need any convincing.

As they walked toward the house Jason said, "What's wrong? You looked about like you were gunna pass out."

"My grandpa is coming. I didn't think he would come. He lives like six states away. He hasn't come to a Christmas in years," the otter's nervous tone was obvious in his voice.

"Why is that such a bad thing?" Jason asked.

"My grandpa is old fashioned and very religious. He will definitely make it an issue if I come out while he's here. I...I don't know if I can do this hun. I'm sorry," Drex said, on the verge of tears.

Jason looked around and quickly pulled the otter into a hug. "Look Drex, if this isn't the right time, you really don't have to do this. I think it's something you'll have to get out of the way eventually, but it doesn't have to be right now," the wolf said soothingly.

Drex relaxed a little bit. "You mean, you wouldn't be mad at me if I didn't do it this weekend?" the otter asked.

"Of course not. I love you and that's not something that's going to change because you're not ready yet. Take you time hun. We'll get through this together," Jason said.

Drex wanted to cry, laugh, hug the wolf, and kiss him all at the same time. Instead he chose to just hold him close and remain silent for a moment.

"You ready to get back out there? Let's just enjoy the weekend," Jason said.

"Yeah, sounds good," Drex replied.

They both headed back outside to Drex's family. The otter was far less stressed out now. Just two more days and Christmas would be here. He just enjoyed the time he had with his family, and his secret love.

Drex awoke the next day to find that he had slept in longer than he intended. The clock read "10:24 AM" as he slowly slid out of bed.

After getting dressed he walked over to Jason's room and found it empty. The otter began to look around for the wolf. To his surprise he found Jason in the kitchen with Drex's mom. He was chopping potatoes and throwing them into a bowl.

"Oh morning sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Drex's mom asked as she busied herself with the eggs in the frying pan.

"I umm, yeah, I slept good," the otter said.

"Jason is quite the cook. He told me he helps him mom out in the kitchen all the time. Hopefully that will rub off on you some day," she said with a laugh.

"Lets hope not," Drex teased.

Debra slid a fried egg onto a plate, then added some fried potatoes and a piece of ham. "Here you go dear," she said and handed the plate to Drex.

The otter took the plate into the dining room and sat in the chair he had used for years. It felt so strange, yet so comforting to be in his old home again. It felt like it was so long ago that he left, when in reality it hadn't even been a year yet.

He ate his food in silence until Jason came into the room with a plate of his own. His serving was much larger than Drex's. The otter looked at the plate, a twinge of jealousy in his eyes.

Jason saw the look and laughed. "Apparently helpers get a bigger serving. At least that's what your mom says," he said.

They ate their breakfast side by side, not really thinking about the closeness. There were plenty of empty seats, but this was just normal to them by now.

Just then, Mark walked into the room and just looked at them. He laughed and said, "Aww so cute." With that he simply walked away.

Jason looked at Drex for a moment before laughing a little himself. "Guess it is a bit strange for two friends to be so close," the wolf said and offered to slide over one seat.

Before Jason could move though, Drex grabbed the wolf's paw. "Let him think what he wants. I want you beside me," the otter said shyly.

Jason blushed. It meant a lot to him that his otter wanted him there like that, regardless of what his brother thought. The pair spent the rest of their meal side by side.

When they were finished with breakfast, they both decided to head outside and sit at the gazebo. Drex admitted that was one of the things he missed most about his home. Being able to relax there and take in the view. It helped calm him and gave him inspiration for his writing.

Jason had brought along a sketch book and was drawing something inside of it. It wasn't often that the wolf drew outside. It was a nice change of pace, even if it was a bit chilly.

"What are you drawing?" Drex asked curiously.

A smile cracked across Jason's face. "You," he said simply.

"Why me?" the otter asked teasingly.

"Because as amazing as the scenery is out here, it's not nearly as awesome as you. This made Drex blush. "Especially when you do that," Jason added. "Don't worry though, I'm adding the background as well," he said with a smirk.

Drex tried not to pounce the wolf. He would so love to just give him a kiss right now. Unfortunately, that would have to wait until a more private moment.

"So. I have a question for you," Jason said.

Drex looked over at the wolf. He couldn't read Jason's expression. "What's up?" he asked.

"That hot tub is catching my eye. Think we could maybe use that later tonight?" Jason asked, a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Wait...wah?" Drex said. He was caught totally off guard by this. After he regained his composure he asked, "And what exactly would you like to do in there?"

Jason laughed and said, "It'd just be nice to relax in. Honest. It would just be...I dunno...romantic." The wolf blushed a little.

Drex's heart melted and he couldn't help but give in. "Alright," he said, "but only to relax. I'm sorry, but I definitely wouldn't want my parents to find out that way."

"Deal," Jason said, and he went back to his drawing.

About twenty minutes passed and Jason said, "Done with that sketch, wanna see?"

Drex agreed and looked at the picture. He was blown away by the level of detail. It was like looking at himself in the mirror. His features were captured perfectly and the background was like a photograph taken at that very moment.

"What you got there?" Mark said loudly behind the pair. They both jumped and turned around quickly.

"Don't do that!" Drex shouted.

Jason held back Drex who looked about ready to punch his brother's lights out.

"Sorry, sorry," Mark said with a grin. "So what are you two lookin at?"

Jason looked over at Drex who nodded, then let him see the picture.

"Woah, that's actually really good. Although you totally made my brother way more good looking than he really is," Mark said as he poked Drex in the ribs. "Anyway Aunt Becky and Grandpa are here. You should probably go say hey to them."

"Alright, I guess we should make an appearance," Drex said.

The three of them walked toward the house. Once inside, they could hear people talking in the living room. They walked inside the large room with two big couches in the middle with a huge flat screen TV in front of them.

On one of the couches sat the two otters that were Drex's aunt and grandfather. On the other were Drex's parents. His aunt looked almost identical to Drex's mom. They could have been twins. Jason tried to look over her features so he could hopefully tell them apart later, to no avail.

Drex's grandpa, on the other hand couldn't have been any more different from the other otters. He had light brown, almost grey fur. There were no distinguishing coloration differences. He had a gut on him, but aside from that was slightly muscular. His cold, green eyes started at the pair as they walked in.

"Who's this pup?" Drex's grandpa asked.

Drex's mom cleared her throat and said, "Dad, this is Jason. He's spending Christmas with us."

Drex's grandpa looked Jason over. "Well, good to meet ya then I suppose," he said then went and looked at Drex. "Now look at you all grown up. What's it been five, six years? Give your grandpa a hug."

Drex did as he said and walked over to his grandpa, hugging him. Then he turned to his aunt. "Hey Aunt Becky," Drex said and hugged her as well.

"Drex, it's been too long. How's school been treating you?" Aunt Becky asked.

The otter relayed all that had happened throughout his school year so far. Leaving out details such as his run in with Shawn at the club. He told them all about Mr. Johnson and how great of a help he's been so far.

By now, Drex's grandpa was asleep on the couch. His aunt listened intently to all the otter had to say.

"That's wonderful dear," she said, then turned her attention to Jason. "So how did you two meet?"

Jason told her the story of how they met. How Drex offered him a ride home and how they became friends from there. It was strange to call Drex a friend. They basically skipped that part, now that the wolf thought about it. You could say they're friends now, but they're so much more than that.

Night came as the family sat and caught up. It really had been too long since they'd last seen each other. There was so much to tell that it occupied a good portion of their afternoon.

"Debra, do you think you could show me to my room? The flight down here was long and exhausting. As you can tell from grandpa," she said as she looked over at the man snoozing away on the couch.

"Of course," Drex's mom said. With that, everyone decided it was time to head to bed.

Drex walked over to his dad and said, "Hey dad, is the spa working? I wouldn't mind relaxing in there before bed if that's cool."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, it works fine, just be sure to shut off the jets if you decide to use them. The timer is broken so you gotta do it manually."

"Alright, have a good night," the otter said as casually as he could. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was glad his dad hadn't asked any questions about it.

Everyone went upstairs into their separate rooms. Drex and Jason went to their rooms and changed into some swim trunks. Once changed, they both headed downstairs and outside. Each with a towel in hand.

As they walked toward the spa, Jason said, "I ever tell you how cute you look in swim trunks?"

Drex laughed and blushed. "No, can't say that you have. You're not so bad lookin yourself," the otter replied.

They approached the hot tub and set their towels down near by. Drex walked over to a dial and looked at Jason.

"You want the jets on?" the otter asked.

"Sure, sounds good," Jason replied.

Drex turned the knob and walked back over to the wolf. The hot tub sprang to life as the jets turned on, causing the water to bubble and ripple all over. They both slowly climbed in, gradually getting use to the heat of the spa.

Once inside, Jason sat down on the seat in the water. He rested his head on the edge. Drex got in too, sitting a bit closer to Jason than was necessary. He leaned his head back on the edge as well.

Jason looked up into the sky, seeing all the stars. Drex's family lived far enough away from the major parts of Hillsbury that the stars had no trouble shining brightly down upon the pair.

"See, told ya this would be romantic," the wolf said and slid his paw onto Drex's.

Drex turned his paw around and gave the wolf's a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, you're definitely right. I really needed this. Thanks hun," the otter said.

"Anytime handsome," Jason replied.

They sat in silence, holding hands, enjoying the view. The stars twinkled in the sky in a seemingly random pattern.

Eventually Drex got a bit more comfortable, certain that no one would be awake anymore. He leaned his head onto Jason's shoulder. The wolf didn't say anything, he just rested his own head on top of his otter's.

"Thanks for being so supportive of me all the time. I don't know how I could put up with all of this without you here," Drex admitted.

Jason chuckled, "It's not so bad here. Your family is nice. I've really been enjoying myself. Plus, I get to spend Christmas with you. I could think of far worse things."

Drex lifted his head and looked at Jason. He looked into the wolf's eyes. The caring eyes that he felt he could be lost in forever. "I love you," he said simply and kissed the wolf.

Jason was a bit surprised, but didn't resist. He kissed the otter back, one paw sliding up to his mate's cheek, the otter still holding the otter's paw. Maybe it was the silence of the night, but it seemed like the entire world had stopped to allow them all the time they needed for this moment. Their lips pressed together, tongues gently massaging one another's.

Before long Jason's neck was getting a bit cramped and he decided to change positions. He stood up and put his knees on either side of the otter's legs. He sat down on top of his mate's lap, his arms loosely hanging off the otter's shoulders. Drex looked up at Jason and smiled, a light blush on his cheeks.

"You know. You really are cute when you blush like that," Jason said grinning.

Before the otter could reply, Jason gently pressed his lips against his lover's. Jason moaned gently as Drex slid a paw over the wolf's chest. Drex could feel his member poking at his swim trunks, and his wolf's back side. It begged to be released from it's confines.

Jason slid a paw down the otter's chest, slowly moving toward Drex's swim trunks. He found the tie and began to loosen it.

"Things are gettin a little steamy out here, and it ain't from the hot tub." A voice said from the side.

Jason bolted off of Drex faster than anyone would have thought possible. He and the otter both looked up in unison at the voice.

Mark looked back at them both, a grin on his face. "Couldn't sleep," the otter replied simply.

Jason saw the horrified look on Drex's face. It was like a deer in the headlights and the wolf had no idea what to do to comfort him. This was his idea. He knew Drex didn't want anyone to find out this weekend and he screwed it up.

Before anyone could say another word, Jason got out of the spa, grabbed a towel and headed for the house. "I'm sorry," he said to Drex as he left.

"Hey wait!" Mark called after him, but Jason was long gone.

Drex sat there dumbfounded. He had just been caught making out with his "friend" by his brother. The one person he knew couldn't resist to make fun of Drex for any reason.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Mark said. "I didn't think he'd react like that."

Drex couldn't believe what he'd just heard. No smart jokes, no making fun of him or mocking him. A genuine apology.

Mark noticed and said, "What? You think I can't have a serious side? Come on bro, it's not like I didn't have my suspicions about this. The way you're always with each other, how you look at him. Hell, he even drew a picture of you. If someone that was just my friend did that, I'd honestly be kinda freaked out."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, this stuff doesn't matter to me. You're my lil bro, I just wanted to be sure I guess. Believe it or not, I'm a bit protective of you," Mark said.

"You mean...you don't hate me?" Drex asked shyly.

"What? Of course not. Don't think I'll ease up on the jokes, but that's all they are bro. You really love this wolf don't you?" Mark asked.

"Well...yeah, I really do. I was even thinking of telling everyone this weekend. Until grandpa showed anyway," Drex admitted.

"Ah yeah, I could definitely see that throwing a wrench in that plan," Mark laughed.

Mark stretched and said, "Well, guess I'd better go take care of this little debacle I caused. Head on up to your room, I think you'll have a visitor soon."

"But..." Drex was cut off.

"No buts, I'll take care of it. Let you big bro handle this one," Mark said as he walked toward the house.

"Th...thanks," Drex replied.

Mark simply waved back at the otter as he walked on.

Jason sat in his room. He had no clue what to do. He was freaking out just thinking about what he'd just done. Not only did he screw up big time, he left Drex out there, alone.

"That was so stupid," he said to himself.

Just then, there was a knock on his door and then it slowly started to open.

"Drex, I'm so sorry..." Jason stopped when he saw Mark walk into the room. "Oh. What do you want?" the wolf asked coldly.

"Relax alright? I just want to talk," Mark replied.

Jason motioned for him to come into the room. "I'm an idiot. He probably hates me by now," the wolf said.

"Actually, from what I can tell, he's pretty crazy about you. Why did you leave?" Mark asked.

"Because he didn't want you guys to know. That dumb hot tub was my idea. I didn't expect things to go as far as they did. Then you came and, I dunno, I just freaked out. I left him there. What kind of boyfriend am I?"

"Look, I'm sorry I freaked you out. This is something I've sort of suspected for a while. I guess I just sort of wanted to confirm it. I handled the situation badly. Still, my brother loves you. The reason I came up here is I want to have one of those good ol' big brother chats," Mark admitted.

"Do you love my brother?" the otter asked.

"With all my heart," Jason replied, not even having to think about the answer.

"Then I want you to promise me that the next time something like this comes up, you'll be strong enough to stay by his side. If I see you run away like that again, and see that hurt look on my brother's face again, you'll have me to deal with," Mark's tone had changed to a far more serious one than Jason had ever heard.

"I...I promise. It won't happen again. It was stupid to do what I did and I won't let it happen again," Jason replied. The conviction in his tone, even surprised himself.

"Well then, you should probably go over there and patch things up with him. Are we cool?" Mark asked and held out a paw.

"Yeah, we're cool. Thanks Mark," Jason said and shook the otter's paw.

"Oh, and if your apology happens to take all night, I'll cover for ya," Mark said in his usual, joking tone.

Jason couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, thanks," he said simply and stood up to leave the room.

Jason walked the small stretch that lead to Drex's room. He quietly knocked on the door. From inside he heard a low, "Come in."

Jason walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He looked the otter in the eyes and said, "I'm so sorry tha..." He was cut off as the otter walked over to him and kissed him deeply.

Once they broke their kiss Drex said, "It wasn't your fault. If I remember correctly I'm the one that started kissing you."

"Well, yeah, but it was my idea to go to the hot tub. Also I'm sorry I ran away, I promise you that will never happen again. Besides, if it does, your brother will hunt me down," Jason said with a half smile.

"He didn't..." Drex replied, trying to hold back a grin.

"Yep, gave me the big brother speech. But you know, he's right. Loving you means not leaving when the going gets tough. I screwed up and I won't let it happen again," the wolf said.

"Then I guess we'll both make that promise. I love you so much and I promise that so long as you're with me, whatever it is, we'll face it together," the otter replied.

"Agreed," Jason said.

"Now I'm really tired. How bout we lay down?" Drex asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Jason replied with a laugh.

The pair stripped their wet swim trunks and slid into Drex's bed. Jason cuddled up behind the otter, holding him close. He never wanted to hold the otter as badly as he did now.

Drex snuggled in close and said, "Night hun. Love ya."

Jason kissed the back of the otter's head and said, "Love you too."

A quiet knock on Drex's door awoke the pair. "Hey love birds, it's time to get up. If you'd rather mom and dad not find you two in there, I'd suggest Jason head out to his own room.

Reluctantly the pair awoke and Jason stood up. He put his swimming trunks back on, still damp from the night before. He opened the door, looked out into the hallway and found it empty. The wolf hurried off into his own room to change.

It was Christmas morning, and the house was alive with holiday spirit. After a quick shower and change of clothes, both Jason and Drex went downstairs. Christmas music was playing and the family of otters were talking to one another in the living room. The Christmas tree's light were lit up, the different colored lights reflected off the various ornaments on the tree.

As Jason and Drex came into the living room, the family turned their attention to the pair.

"There you two are," Drex's mom said, "I thought you'd never wake up. Hurry over, it's time to start opening presents."

Opening presents with Drex's family was always a unique experience. It's the one time that no one is arguing. No one is stressing about work or school. It's a time when everyone is just having a genuine good time.

Gifts were always handed out one at a time. They each had their time to say who the gift was from, open it, show it to everyone, and thank the person that gave it to them. This process took a while and so it usually took a good while before all the gifts would be given out.

Drex got his gift from his aunt. He opened the wrapping to see it was a book. Drex knew exactly what it was and said, "Woah, this a first edition. How did you find this?"

His aunt just smiled and said, "It wasn't easy, let me tell you."

"Thanks Aunt Becky," Drex said. The appreciation for the book was only shared between the two as the rest of the family was lost in why the otter would find a book so fascinating.

"This one's big. It's from...Jason?" Debra said, "It's for all of us."

The family looked over at the wolf. Even Drex had no idea that Jason had gotten his family a gift. The rectangular shaped present was easily three feet wide and two feet tall.

"Well now, that's a surprise. If we'd have known you got us something, we would have returned the favor," Drex's dad said.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. You're letting me spend Christmas here, remember? I'm grateful for that and I thought this would be a good way to show my appreciation," Jason said with a smile.

Drex said in a low tone, "You sneak, how did you manage to get that in there without me noticing?"

Jason just grinned and said, "I have my ways."

"I guess I'll do the honors," Drex's mom said and began to open the present.

It was a beautiful painting frame with gold edging. At least, that's what the family could see. All but Drex's mom, that is. She smiled warmly and turned it around.

Inside the frame was a large painting. It was a landscape of the city of Braxton from a bird's eye view. The snow covered trees surrounded the small town that was alive with cars and people of all species. The level of detail was beyond anything Drex had ever seen. He wasn't even sure a photograph could capture the life of the city as well as this painting did.

"I thought maybe you'd like to see what we get to see every day. Maybe feel a bit closer to Drex with it. Or something like that," the wolf said sheepishly.

This was the first time Drex had ever seen Jason concerned that someone wouldn't like his work. The usually confident wolf looked extremely vulnerable.

The otter family was stunned at first, not saying anything. They all seemed to be almost captivated by the picture in front of them.

Drex's dad was the first to break the silence. "That's really amazing. You actually made this?"

"Man, that's insane, that must've taken forever!" Mark added.

Jason let out a relieved sigh, obviously happy that they liked his gift. He smiled and said, "Yeah, it took me a while. I really wanted to capture the...spirit I guess you could say. It's the town I've lived in all my life and I find it to be the most amazing place on earth."

"It's beautiful Jason. What a thoughtful gift. I think this will be perfect on the mantle of the fireplace," Debra said.

Jason was stunned. He'd seen the piece that was already on the mantle and knew that it wasn't a cheap painting by any means. "Are you sure?" the wolf asked?

She just smiled warmly and said, "Of course, this has far more meaning than some piece we picked up at an auction."

Jason was honored, he didn't think the family would appreciate the gift as much as they did. He was fighting back tears.

Drex knew that what Jason had just done was incredibly brave. He knew the wolf would have been crushed if his family hadn't approved of the piece. He wasn't sure where it came from but he built up the courage to stand up.

Jason looked over at Drex confused.

The otter just looked at him and smiled. Then said, "I have something to tell you all." His palms were sweating, his knees were shaking, he was nervous but determined to carry out his decision.

The family looked at Drex. They knew he wasn't the type for speeches and this was very out of character for him. Jason knew though. He knew what the otter planned to say and stood up too.

"I want you all to know that Jason is not just my friend. I've been dating him almost as long as I've been going to school. I'm in love with him. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm gay."