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Kevin Stair and Dr. Humble: A Serial Romance

Part 2

Dr. Herbert Humble's alarm went off. He swore as he turned it off and sat up, putting his feet on the floor. It was Friday, he had no classes. The alarm should have been off. He rubbed his eyes and fumbled around on his nightstand for his glasses.

As much as he wanted to go back to sleep, he was going to get up. There were things to do today, plans and reservations to confirm. Tonight was going to be his first date in seventeen years and he was determined it was going to be good and that meant no lollygagging.

He made his bed. It was a king, an artifact from the bygone days. Before yesterday he would have looked at it in regret, thinking his time had passed. Now he looked at it in anticipation. As long as he didn't screw anything up, the other side would be used again before long.

With his bed tidy, he shucked his satin pajamas and dropped them into the hamper on his way to the bathroom. As he emptied his bladder, he looked in the mirror.

His hair stuck out at odd angles from his pillow, but at least it was all there. His father had started going bald in his thirties and was bald as an egg at forty. How he'd escaped that fate he wasn't sure. He needed a shave, but neither of those things were what he was looking at.

He had to admit he looked good for an overweight over-forty. His belly didn't sag low enough to cover his crotch, his butt still held up and his man boobs didn't make him wish for a bra. His arms and legs were thick and looked like they matched the rest of him. Too many men combined a great big belly with spindly legs; a look he had always thought was ridiculous.

He started to get hard. Soft, all that could be seen of his dick was the uncut head nestled in his fat pubic mound with his balls resting below. Now that he was halfway hard he was more exposed, the head pulling out of his foreskin, though even completely erect it wouldn't be completely bare.

He had examined himself looking for flaws, but now that he had, he decided he was actually pleased with the way he looked. For a man of certain tastes, he was quite a catch if he did say so himself.

Enough back patting, shower time.

He turned on the shower and stepped into the spray. The warm water felt great. He washed his hair, then let the conditioner penetrate as he poured some soap on his loufa and started lathering up. As he finished his torso and moved down to his legs he wished he had someone to do his back.

Visions of Kevin, his fur slicked down by the water and loufa in hand, came unbidden. The thought of his cock hanging under his belly, hard and begging to be touched made his own body mirror the vision. He leaned forward under the water, letting the water carry the soap away, and grasped himself firmly.

As he pulled his foreskin back and forth, he imagined the young bear on his knees, his mouth replacing his hand, hungrily devouring him. His breathing quickened, the pleasure tearing a whimper from his throat. His free hand came up and tweaked his nipple.

His hand stopped moving and his hips took over. He was close. The Kevin in his mind's eye spat out his dick and started stroking it while looking up at Herbert with puppy dog eyes. Then he came. As he spurted his seed across the spigot, he imagined Kevin skillfully catching it in his mouth and swallowing it down.

He slumped against the wall and groaned.

"Kevin Stair, you had better be who I hope you are," he said.

The day sped past for Kevin. After waking up late and finishing the remaining three quarters of the pizza he'd had for dinner the night before, he'd delved into a book. Just after three, he dropped the book and wound through the piles of books that wouldn't fit on his bookshelves towards the bathroom.

A quick shower got him clean. His fur meant he couldn't get dressed until he was completely dry, so he continued to putter around naked, brushing himself completely twice to make sure his fur didn't tangle. There wasn't much chance of it, he didn't have his winter coat yet, but he wanted to be sure. Tonight was his big date with Dr. Humble.

Up to now, his day had been built around keeping it out of his mind. If he dwelt on it he'd become a nervous wreck. Now that that was blown he redoubled his efforts, but it was no use. He tried picking up another book. That lasted about five minutes, he tried tv, music, nothing worked. His mind kept coming back to Dr. Humble.

No, not Dr. Humble, Herbert, Doc. It still felt strange to think of him by his first name. He suddenly realized that even when he was indulging in his sex fantasies he thought of him as Dr. Humble. Weird. Definitely something to work on.

Now time dragged. He watched the clock constantly, waiting for the minutes to tick over. When he was dry he dressed, picking out what he hoped was dressy enough for a date, but casual enough that he didn't feel self-conscious. The last was a lost cause. Nothing on earth would keep him from feeling self-conscious.

They had agreed Herbert would pick him up at five. At four thirty, Kevin left his apartment. He loitered by the front door of his building, acting as doorman to the few people who came in and out. He could smell himself through his deodorant already and he wished he'd thought to put on some cologne. He had to laugh at himself then. He didn't own any cologne.

He was just about to run back upstairs to apply a fresh coat when Dr. Humble appeared.

The professor looked good. He was freshly shaven, his hair neatly combed except for a cowlick in the back that simply refused to be tamed. His wore a smart dull-burgundy sport coat with a black button-down shirt and matching trousers.

Compared to the professor, he felt a little underdressed in his good jeans and striped dress shirt. He was starting to feel a little uncultured. He didn't even own a sport coat. He thrust those feelings aside. What the hell did that matter? If he played his cards right dress code was going to be extremely informal anyway. It's not what you came to the ball wearing, but what you leave in. Or something.

He opened the door.

"Hello," Dr. Humble said, obviously surprised to be faced with his date so suddenly.

"Hi," Kevin said. There was a moment of awkwardness. Despite the fact that they were going out on a date, neither was really sure about the state of their relationship. Would a kiss be appropriate? They had kissed before, but under completely different circumstances, and not in public.

Dr. Humble looked to be about to extend a hand and Kevin decided that that would just not do. He stepped forward and kissed him. Dr. Humble froze in surprise, so it wasn't the most satisfying of kisses, but Kevin was sure he got the message across. In keeping with the general feeling out they were in the middle of he wasn't entirely sure what that message was, but he hoped it was something like, "I want you and I don't care who knows."

"Well, um," Dr. Humble said when the kiss was broken. Kevin grinned. The Literature Professor was so cute when he was flustered. Unlike Kevin, he didn't have a thick pelt to his hide his blush and he had turned quite a pleasant shade of dark pink.

"Shouldn't we get going?" Kevin asked smugly. Dr. Humble nodded.

He led the way to his car, an old Mercedes that had seen better days. Like everything else Dr. Humble owned it was scrupulously clean.

"Why were you waiting in the lobby," he asked as he opened the passenger door for Kevin, "didn't want me seeing your apartment?"

"Pretty much yeah, kind sir," he said as he climbed in. "Where are we going?"

Where they were going was a bowling alley. When Dr. Humble pulled into the parking lot, Kevin said, "Bowling?"

"Why not? We don't really know anything about each other, bowling seemed harmless enough."

"I've never gone bowling before."

"Really? Neither have I. This will be fun."

"We two virgins do walk into the den of iniquity to learn a trade," Kevin said.

"Who said that?"

"I'd like to say it was Oscar Wilde or someone equally as urbane, but I just spouted that off the top of my head."

Inside they rented shoes and a lane and started embarrassing themselves. It took three frames before either of them managed to knock a pin down. Dr. Humble did it, scoring a whopping one point and failed to pick up the spare.

"Thank God this place is empty," Dr. Humble said, "I'm as graceful as a walrus on stilts."

"If you're a walrus on stilts, I'm an elephant doing the backstroke in a wading pool," Kevin said after taking his turn and managing to steal the lead with an impressive six.

"I could watch you lob that ball all day."

"Schadenfreude is not attractive."

"As an English Major, you might want to use your words more carefully. Or at least use a dictionary occasionally," Dr. Humble said.

The mutual embarrassment of failing to play a competitive game stealthily overtook their mutual discomfort with each other. They bantered back and forth with each other, and while Kevin still hadn't mastered the art of thinking of him as Herbert instead of Dr. Humble, most of their previous student-teacher relationship was subsumed into a surprisingly easy friendship.

Their second game went better than their first, Kevin managed to break one hundred and Dr. Humble wasn't too far behind. By then, it was time for food.

Dr. Humble took them to an Italian place called Don Quixote's.

"Tell me about yourself," Dr. Humble said after they ordered.

"You do realize there's a little bit of odor going on over here. I think it was a bad idea to go bowling before dinner."

"Yes, well. This place is open to the public, I'm sure they get all kinds. No avoiding the question."

"It's not fair. I'll completely bare myself to you, but you won't have shared anything. Quid Pro Quo, professor."

"Alright, but you go first."

"Okay. Quick bio. I'm twenty-four, a grad student at William Bell... Doc, this isn't going to work. I can't talk about myself for more than ten seconds without getting bored. I can't subject you to that."

"You won't bore me," Dr. Humble said, reaching across the table and putting his hand on top of Kevin's. The awkwardness that had been dispelled at the bowling alley was creeping back in. The young bear turned his hand over and clasped Dr. Humble's.

"Twenty questions then?"

"When did you first realize you were attracted to me?" Dr. Humble said.

"First day of class, as soon as you walked in. I had to borrow notes on your lecture, I was too busy watching you move. You?"

"The day of the semi finals your first year. You were leaning over your boyfriend at the time's desk, kind of wagging your butt back and forth. When I came to my senses I called the class to order and when you turned around... well, it's the first time I looked at you as a person and not just a student."

"Boyfriend? You mean, Will? We never dated."

"You seemed awful close to me," Doctor Humble said.

"Well, we slept together a couple times, but he couldn't carry a conversation about anything but football. We never got serious."

"I can't do that."

"What, carry on a conversation?"

"No. Casual sex. I know it sounds corny, but to me, sex means more than getting your rocks off in pleasant company. It's completely sharing yourself with someone. If you're don't, you might as well be masturbating."

"I don't think that sounds corny. What kind of music do you like? Most people would peg you for the classical type, but I think... death metal."

Dr. Humble laughed.

"Thank you, I think. Actually, I'm a prog fan."

"Genesis, Yes, or King Crimson?"

"Throw in some Gentle Giant and Rush as well and I'll go to bed with you."

Kevin started patting at his shirt, checking imaginary pockets.

"I don't think I've got any. Damn it!"

Dr Humble groaned.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Pretty much anything released before I was a teen. Classic metal and grunge, mostly, though I'm starting to get more into prog. I get the feeling that's going to accelerate."

"Top or bottom?"

Kevin was taking a drink when that question came out. Following the trend he choked on it, but managed to spit it back into the glass instead of all over the table and Dr. Humble.

"You're making me do that on purpose now, aren't you," he said.

Dr. Humble just smiled.

"Answer the question."

Their food came. They dug in.

"Bottom, I guess, but I think divisions like that are silly and arbitrary. I'd do anything you asked me to," Kevin said.

"So would I."

"When was the last time you had sex?" Their waiter chose just that instant to present them with the check. The three of them froze uncomfortably.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," the waiter said at last, "I'll, uh, leave this here." Then he scurried away.

"May, 1996. It was a one night stand and a mistake."

"You haven't had sex in fourteen years?" Kevin said, louder than he'd intended. They got the attention of every person in the room. Flustered, Dr. Humble fumbled around for his wallet.

"Sorry," Kevin said with better control over his voice, "it's just, fourteen years, wow."

"Well, I had my hand for company."

"You must be so lonely."

"I have friends, colleagues, students. It's not like I've been locked in a room."

"So you haven't missed it, then?"

"I didn't say that."

Dr. Humble left a short stack of bills on the table and stood up. He took his sport coat off his chair and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready?" he said.

"I guess so," Kevin said.

They left the restaurant, but instead of heading for his car, Dr. Humble lead Kevin towards a nearby park. It was closed after dark, but the park was large and hilled and impossible to patrol properly. They walked arm in arm into the darkness.

Herbert felt Kevin extract himself from the crook of his arm. He looked back, confused and disappointed. Kevin took his hand in his own, interlocking their fingers. He felt a shock, like something had passed between them and his heart began to pound. Kevin's other hand pressed into the small of his back, pulling the older man closer. He leaned down and kissed him, their bodies molded together.

Herbert wanted nothing more than to press forward and let himself get lost in Kevin, but he couldn't. The date wasn't over yet. He pulled away from the kiss, but kept a tight hold on Kevin's hand.

"Come on," he said after he caught his breath.

He lead the young bear deep into the park, his ears sharp for the sounds of other couples that might be using the park for a tryst. They encountered none, which Herbert was glad for. The last thing he wanted right now was strange company.

"Look," he said, pointing up at the stars. Kevin followed his finger.

It was a clear night with only a tiny sliver of a moon. The stars were bright against the darkness, the lights of the city were far away.

"I've never been able to remember any constellations, but God, they're pretty, aren't they?" Herbert sank to the ground, pulling Kevin down with him. They sat side by side on the hill, craning their necks to take in as much of the sky at once as they could. Kevin lay on his back to give his neck a rest and Herbert followed suit. The ground was cold, but neither of them seemed to care.

"I come out here sometimes," Herbert said, "when I'm feeling small or lonely. Looking up them, it reminds me that from a distance, everything's small, and that compared to the stars, none of us can possibly be lonely."

Kevin rolled over on top of him and kissed him, hard, like he was trying to suck all that loneliness out of the old boar.

"You don't have to look at the stars anymore," he said.