The Anniversary

"You are worse than a boy," Johanna remarked idly as she scrolled through her phone, pulling Dane and Gemini's attention away from the television briefly. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon in early spring, and the trio were enjoying it lounging around the apartment in their underwear, watching movies. Johanna was laid on her belly across the other pair, her hips in Gemini's lap and her tummy on Dane's, watching her phone as much as the movie.

It took Gemini a moment to realize her hands had begun walking across the Dalmatian's bottom, playfully poking the soft swell and trailing along the edges of the baby-blue boyshorts she was wearing below a long, white tanktop, and that she was probably the source of the comment. "Sorry," the Doberman grinned, patting the pestered posterior, "You're just so touchably soft. Want me to stop?"

"No," came the casual reply, and Johanna hiked her hips briefly to encourage her to continue, "I wear them so you'll do stuff like that. It's just remarkable how easily you take to it, when the actual boy can hardly be bribed into it."

Dane winced a little at the barb, running his fingers over her back. He'd come to understand by now that when his sister laid over his lap like this, she was looking to be touched. It was her subtle way of requesting it. But some old habits die hard...and sometimes he liked to still play innocent. At least he was actually letting his hands rest on her back now, whereas once he would have avoided her as completely as possible in this state of dress. Of course, back then he would have been wearing a good deal more than a set of striped boxers as well. "If you want me to fondle something less innocent," he advised her with a soft pat, "You should lie on your back." As they currently were, her breasts were fairly well sheltered underneath her, beside his thigh.

His sister responded by immediately rolling onto her back, never taking eyes off her phone, and hooking one leg over the back of the couch so that Gemini could continue to tease her tush or her tummy, whichever she preferred. The Doberman grinned, finding it cute how much the female Dalmatian adored idle petting, even if she didn't seem to respond to it much. Dane just rolled his eyes with an understanding smile, laying one hand lightly on his sister's breast and giving it a gentle squeeze to satisfy her. Gemini slid her fingers inside the leg of the Dalmatian's boyshorts, shamelessly squeezing the soft buttocks inside.

"So, I was having a thought," the Doberman confessed as if such things didn't happen to her often, "About our anniversary next month. There's a present I'd like to give you," she poked Johanna's tummy with her free hand for clarity, "But it's the kind I think I ought to ask permission before bringing."

That got both Dalmatian's attention, even diverting Johanna's eyes away from her phone for a moment. "What do you have in mind that you'd want permission for?" It had to be asked, in light of the knowledge that two of the three sex-toys Johanna owned had been surprise gifts from the Doberman, no forewarning needed.

"Ares," Gemi answered casually, like she was suggesting a not-too-uncommon brand of chocolate, "I'd like to invite him to the cabin with us...and maybe make him your boyfriend. Kind of like you did with me and Dane. He never leaves the camper lately, so it's impossible for him to meet anyone, and...well, I get the impression he's getting lonely, with me being over here so much. He was really glad when we invited him to your birthday parties, and Deep White and New Year. He was super hyped that you started streaming with him, Dane. Plus I think he's already developing an eye for you, honeypot."

Both of the Dalmatians looked at her for a moment like she'd grown a second head. That wasn't so unusual from Johanna, but Dane was clearly genuinely surprised...and maybe more than a little dubious. "Not to sound greedy...but I'm a little reluctant to add anyone else to our group. I feel like the fewer people know about...us...the better," he said, nodding meaningfully toward his sister.

Gemini nodded empathetically. "And I totally understand, but that's why I think this might be a good thing for us...you, specifically," she poked Johanna's belly again, "As well as him. We can all go out on the town together more often and just call it a double-date. Most people around here know how I am. If I tease my brother a bit from under your arm, it'll give Johanna cover to flirt with you, and everyone will just assume I'm rubbing off on her," the Doberman winked. Oddly, and maybe a little frighteningly, the siblings could both see that as believable, at least to a degree. "And...you know...we'd all be in the same boat, sharing one big naughty secret. It'd be nice not having to watch my tongue when I go home."

Johanna just shrugged, returning her eyes to her phone. "I've got nothing against your brother. He's always been nice, if a little competitive. But I don't particularly want anyone besides Dane, so I'll defer to him on this one. You have to convince him."

She managed to keep it off her face, but Gemini figured that was the harder bridge already crossed. Dane looked a little betrayed by his sister already...and then turned to find his girlfriend giving him her very best puppy-eyes and sneakily creeping fingers along Johanna's side toward his boxers...

He caught her hand with a sigh. "I have two conditions," he declared, but was cut of from explaining them by a delighted squeal. Johanna was almost flung off the couch as Gemini leaned over to grab him around the neck and pull him into a tight hug, peppering the side of his face with kisses.

"So," Johanna remarked before he'd even peeled his girlfriend off his neck, "You guys have a dog, right?"

"You remembered?" Gemini paused her kissing, genuinely surprised.

"It wasn't that long since I visited you," Johanna nodded, "He was a pretty pup. There's a pet-friendly vacancy with the same rental group, so bring him, too. I just switched our reservations."

"Oo! Come here, you!" the Doberman released her boyfriend and somehow managed to prostrate herself on top of the other female without dumping them both in the floor. Boarding in Three-Peaks tended to be expensive, being a tourist town, and especially for people living on donations. Johanna had just saved them a substantial fee almost without thinking about it.

And, not for the first or last time, Dane was a little frightened by the extend of his sister's awareness and speed in adapting...

The setting sun had just touched the horizon one cloudless Friday evening when a rugged, old, red pickup came bouncing up the rough gravel road to the rental cabin with Ares behind the wheel and Gemini bouncing in the passenger seat way more than the terrain actually necessitated. Dane was sitting on the front porch with his feet propped up on the rail, waiting to greet them.

"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it," the Dalmatian winked as he came off the porch to help with their luggage. Gemini giggled as she bounced out of the seat and practically flopped in his arms, giving him a kiss in falling.

"Sorry we're late," she apologized, tail wagging triple-time, "G.D. was stubborn about his walkies before we left, and it's a long drive so I was worried about skipping it."

"G.D.?" Dane quirked a brow.

"Good Dog," Ares barked from the back of the truck as he let the tailgate down, so that said dog could hop out of the bed. A heavy mountain-dog thudded onto the grass, looking all around with great interest at the surrounding woods. Dane was a little surprised by the size of the thing, wondering how they ever kept it on a leash. Despite its interest in the surroundings, though, it stood dutifully by Ares' heels as he dragged two duffel bags out of the truck bed...one of which he immediately dropped into Dane's arms. "Thanks for inviting us," the large Doberman chuckled, "Especially me. That one's hers, by the way."

"You guys are late," Johanna remarked, coming out the front door onto the porch, "Dinner's about to get cold." She was dressed in loose fitting denims, with a flannel shirt tied in a knot beneath her breasts, deceptively looking every bit the country girl...if you ignored the smart-phone in her hand.

Ares whistled appreciatively. "And sorry for it," he remarked, giving her a quick hug with one arm before taking his bag on into the cabin. Dane followed with Gemini's, while the female Doberman set up bowls and bedding for G.D. on the front porch and clipped him to a leash that looked woefully inadequate to restrain the weighty beast.

"So," Ares broke the silence a little later as they were all wrapping up on their bowls of beef stew, thoughtfully prepared by Johanna, "Not that it matters much to me, but what's the occasion? You guys don't usually invite me out unless there's a birthday or holiday or something, and it's usually to your apartment," the Doberman observed.

"...Gemi didn't tell you?" Dane asked, as both he and Johanna glanced at Gemini, who was smiling around the spoon in her mouth trying her best to look innocent.

"It's our anniversary," she explained casually, finally taking the spoon out of her mouth, "I wanted it to be a surprise." Whether that part of the explanation was offered to him or to them was anybody's guess.

Ares dropped his spoon into his bowl with a frown. "Did she seriously invite me to a lovers' getaway?" he growled, looking a bit put out with his sister's...indiscretion.

"Uh...no, that's not exactly it," Dane started to explain a little hesitantly, not quite sure how he was going to break their intentions if Gemini hadn't given him some hints ahead of time.

"Well, fortunately, I think I can fix that pretty quick," Ares declared with a sigh, as if he hadn't heard Dane, and surprised them all by getting to his feet. For a moment it looked like he was about to head for the door, but he stopped beside Johanna just as she was reaching for his arm to stop him. Taking the hand she'd presented, Ares fixed her eyes with his in a determined look. "Be my girlfriend."

Everything stopped. Johanna looked at him blankly, then at her brother and Gemini...who were likewise passing glances around, as if trying to figure out who was really playing the game here. Ares ignored them all.

"I know it's a little awkward," he admitted, shooting a glare at his sister, "But I've been thinking about this for a while now, and this is as good a time as any to put it out there. Seeing as my sister is already wuffing your brother and you, I figured you might at least be open to completing that little sibling-swap. You seem like a pretty fine girl to me. Will you give me a chance to prove I'm as good a guy to you?"

She blinked up at him a couple of times...then closed her eyes and squeezed his hand once before pulling him back in the direction of his chair, across the table from her. "It's convenient that you asked that. We wanted you to come with us this weekend to talk about exactly that. Gemi was going to propose it if you didn't...though I thought she'd at least hint at it for you before now."

The female Doberman smiled and spread her hands with a shrug. "I was going to do it when I handed out presents. Had a little speech prepared and everything," she tried hard to convince them, though she was mostly giving proud looks to her brother, who had inadvertently wrecked the whole plan by making his own move.

Ares arched a brow, looking at each of them one by one, dubiously. "Does...that mean you're saying yes?"

"Probably," the female Dalmatian said noncommittally, "But there are a few details you need to be aware of before I give a definite answer. My brother calls the shots here, so I'm going to let him explain while we go get ready," she nodded meaningfully to Gemini as she got up from the table.

"Oh!" the Doberman beamed excitedly, "We're still going to do the thing?!" Johanna nodded again, waving for her to follow as the Dalmatian made her way into the hall, and Gemi happily went skittering after her...leaving behind a still-dubious looking Ares and a very nervous Dane.

"I am confused," the Doberman declared, looking more irritated than oblivious as he waited for some explanation from Dane.

The male Dalmatian swallowed his nerves and took a deep breath. Ares was an old friend, despite his naturally intimidating presence. Dane was fairly sure he wouldn't just smash someone's face without hearing them out...probably. "First, what she just said is as close to a bald-faced lie as you'll ever hear from her. Just likes to let me pretend to have some control over her. Second...the truth of the matter is that I'm in bed with both of our sisters, and have been since the day we started going out." He said it quickly, with his eyes closed, though at least he managed not to cringe as he did so. When Ares did not immediately punch him, or smash one of the chairs, Dane opened his eyes to find the Doberman resting his chin on his fist, patiently if not-exactly-happily waiting for a more complete explanation. That was a good sign, in Dane's opinion. So he went on to explain, in very broad strokes, how their relationship had gotten started and what the nature of it now was.

"So what exactly is going on here today?" the Doberman asked, jerking a thumb toward the back rooms, where the girls had disappeared to, as soon as Dane finished talking. Dane's phone chimed to announce a text before he could answer. The Dalmatian didn't even have to look at it.

"They're ready for us," Dane told him quietly, a little more confident now that he'd confessed the worst of the affair to the larger male and still possessed all his teeth. "Uh...it's kind of an initiation. And entirely my idea. Like I said before, you can punch me for it, and I won't blame you. But before that, if you want to date my sister, you have to follow me." Getting up from their chairs, he lead Ares to the large bedroom at the end of the hall, which contained a full king-sized bed. Stepping just through the door, he motioned for Ares to follow...quickly.

Reclining in the middle of the bed, propped up on a handful of pillows and leaning back against the headboard with her hands behind her head, was Gemini. Naked. Her glossy wet muffin was fully exposed as she spread her thighs and crossed her ankles. She glanced at her brother as he entered, eyes half-lidded and tongue lolling from between her lips. Her panties had been used to loosely...very loosely...tie her hands to the headboard behind her, though she held them in place as much as they held her.

Beside her, Johanna sat in a similar state, knees curled up with her elbows resting on them, looking at something on her phone as always. Her position conveniently covered anything a bathing suit wouldn't show, while still leaving it abundantly obvious she was stark naked. She didn't seem to mind. The Dalmatian also glanced at Ares as he entered, closed whatever app she'd been staring at, and set the phone face-down on the night-stand...exposing her pert breasts carelessly as she did so.

"What the wuff is this?" Ares asked in a soft growl.

"Not part of the plan," Johanna admitted, seemingly as an apology to Dane rather than in answer to Ares, pointing to the make-shift bonds around Gemini's wrists, "But she wouldn't stop touching herself."

"I'm sorry," the female Doberman whined, "I've just been looking forward to this all week! I got excited. Very."

Johanna nodded, as if that should have been expected, and focused her attention on Ares. "So I'm hoping brother explained that we're a pretty tight group here. All of us. If you want to be in it, we want you neck-deep in it. So, for your initiation, you're going to lick your sister."

Gemi nodded wordlessly, already very aroused and looking quite eager. Ares arched a brow, looking from Gemini to Johanna to Dane...then back to Johanna. "Just to be sure I've got this straight: I lick Gemi, and you'll agree to be my girl?"

"No," Johanna correcting, flashing Dane a look as though she was surprised he'd missed such a crucial detail, "Dane is the focal point in these relationships, always. You lick your sister to climax, and then you can be his boyfriend. I'm just a fringe benefit." She tilted her head from side to side, as if making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, herself. "There's not much difference, though, for any practical purpose. Gemi certainly isn't shy about making out with me, and I do enjoy physical affection. I only have three rules when it comes to sex...but you can hear about those after you've satisfied your sister."

"Oh, please, Ares," Gemini panted, squirming in place and clenching her panties in her hands, "I am dying over here!"

Ares had gone from looking annoyed...to slightly impressed. He smirked at his sister's begging. "Take it easy, you nymphomaniac," he sighed, stepping over to the center of the bed, "You guys sure do play hard-ball." He leaned forward on his hands, between her spread knees, closing his eyes as he made himself comfortable on his stomach.

Dane's mouth fell open in shock at the change in demeanor. Johanna just kept watching with her head tilted, as if she half expected this and half suspected he might still back out. Gemini chewed her lip with an embarrassed but elated smile, and tried to resist clamping her legs around his head and dragging him into her muffin. Her tail would have been providing drum-roll if it wasn't pinned to the mattress underneath her.

Ares pressed his nose in between Gemini's legs, reaching out with his tongue to run it along the outer fur of her lips, then carefully slid it between them. He dipped low, to swirl it once in her entrance, slurping up a good taste of her juices, then swept broadly up through the channel of her vulva and across her pearl.

Gemini squealed, throwing one leg over his back, and howled at the ceiling as a flow of liquid euphoria washed against his chin. Ares blinked in surprise. So did Johanna and Dane. "You...uh...always finish this fast?" the larger Doberman asked, his lips still pressed into her muffin.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...," she sighed blissfully several times as she all but melted against the pillows, "Too much anticipation...like I've been wet for days..."

Nudging her leg off and standing up, Ares looked at her like he wasn't quite sure he believed it...but had a hard time arguing with the sheer volume of fluid he had to wipe from his chin. While he cleaned that up on his sleeve, Johanna scooted over to settle herself between Gemini's still-spread thighs, using the other girl as a back-rest and matching her legs to the Doberman's. "Well, I expected that to take a little longer...and you to be more worked up, probably...but you've earned your prize," she declared as she held her arms out to him invitingly, "Welcome to the love-triangle."

Ares smirked as he finished wiping his chin. "Doesn't that make it a square?" He gave a quick glance in Dane's direction, but the other male in the room was just leaning against the wall with an amused smile and arms crossed over his chest...and a pretty obvious bulge in his pants. "Would a little privacy be too much to ask?"

"No," Johanna tilted her head, "But he'll be disappointed. Dane's been looking forward to seeing a bone in my muffin ever since we arranged this weekend."

That was...mostly false, but Dane wasn't going to call her out on it. He certainly wasn't about to object to seeing the deed, given how often he'd already wuffed Ares' sister, and with Johanna watching as often as not. They'd all gotten comfortable enough with each other that privacy wasn't really a concern anymore...but they hadn't started that way, he would admit. If anything, it was Johanna who wanted him to witness her being taken by another male for the first time...and probably just to make him eager to roll her over and take his turn on her other side.

Ares considered for a moment, running his fingers roughly through his short hair...then pulled his shirt over his head. "Do you all use that euphemism?" he asked with a smirk as he began undoing his belt.

"Yep!" his sister announced happily, "I'm contagious!" She had released her grip on her panties and moved her hands around to cup Johanna's breasts, lifting and offering them to her brother as his shorts fell around his ankles. Apparently he shared his sister's habit of going without underwear. Johanna kept her eyes on his face and the invitation of her arms open, but Gemini happily took her first shameless eyefull of her brother's...masculine equipment. And the loll of her tongue said she very much liked what she saw.

Ares crawled onto the bed, letting Johanna wrap her arms around his shoulders as he came, and accepted one of the nipples his sister offered to his lips. Giving it a surprisingly gentle kiss, the Doberman moved his cheek to nuzzle against Johanna's in a remarkably tender imitation of his sister's affections. "You'd better tell me those rules of yours now," he warned softly into her ear, "Before I break one right in front of your brother."

The female Dalmatian nodded and kissed his cheek, scooting down to get more comfortably beneath him before resting her knees on his hips. "First, keep your bone away from my tail," she said sternly, even as she encouraged him with her heels to go ahead and slide it into her warm, moist muffin. "That's the only place my brother can wuff me...so only he's allowed to wuff me there," she explained, taking a firmer grip on his shoulders as he eased his tip into her. By the feel of it, he might be larger than Dane in this regard, too, though Johanna refused to compare mental measurements right now.

"Makes sense," the Doberman nodded against her shoulder, sending a happy chill down his sister's spine as his muzzle caressed the side of her breast in the process. Having already committed to incest with her, and knowing there were probably much more explicit moments to come, he wasn't being shy about any further touches. "And second?"

"Keep your tongue away from his tail," Johanna continued, "That act has...significance for us. I want to keep it special and exclusive."

Ares looked up questioningly at his sister, who just shook her head with a smile. "Uh...sounds easy enough," he admitted, sinking a little lower into her, "What about wuffing his tail? Any rules about that?" Ares glanced over once more to the Dalmatian leaning on the wall, now openly massaging his own bone through his pants. The question alone made Dane's ears perk up nervously, and his face turn pink.

Johanna chewed her lip gently and clutched Ares' shoulders as his girth began to stretch her, but ran one hand down his back to press down on his hips, encouraging him to continue all the way down to his knot, so long as he was comfortable. "That falls under the last rule," she sighed, as he paused with his knot at her door to let her get acclimated to his thickness up to that point, "Brother calls the shots. If he wants sex, he has sex. If he wants to join us, he joins us. No questions asked. Wuff his tail if he allows it. Offer yours if he wants it. I don't honestly know his tastes when it comes to males, and I suspect he's never really thought about it, either. You'll have to figure that out together."

"Oh, wuff, I am going to cum again if you keep talking like that," moaned Gemini, subtly grinding her muffin against Johanna's back, still wet from her first climax and swiftly working up for a second.

Ares chuckled, working his hips in and out of her now, getting her good and slick and warm for his knot. "Does he want to join...now?" the Doberman flashed a grin every bit as sly as his sister's, nodding in the general direction of his own upturned tail as it prepared to drive into the Dalmatian's sister.

Dane swallowed a nervous lump. "I feel impolite just watching your first go at your new girlfriend..."

"Boyfriend's sister," the large Doberman corrected, remembering Johanna had been very clear about the arrangement. She cooed appreciatively under him, and kissed his throat and chest in approval.

"...Right," Dane nodded, a little thrown by how easily and thoroughly the other male had accepted that, "So...I'm not going to interrupt. We've got a whole weekend ahead of us to...explore." His speech slowed as Ares bore down on her, and they both grit their teeth until his knot slipped through her entrance with a soft squishing sound.

Johanna blinked her eyes open as it settled inside. "Oh wow...that is much easier on this side," she remarked, apparently genuinely surprised. Ares just sighed in relief as the pressure evened out, enveloping his entire length in a cozy tightness that was already setting his balls to tingling and building the pressure behind his engulfed knot.

"Heh...should I be insulted?" the Doberman chided, shifting his weight onto one hand to seize her breast with the other, bracing himself roughly on her as he began rocking back and forth inside her.

"Mmm...no," Johanna promised, making no complaint about the way he handled her, "It's just that in my tail I'm so used to that being a rough transition. In comparison, this was...actually pretty pleasant," she assured him, planting another kiss on his neck and hugging herself to him as he rocked her.

"Mmph...yep," squeaked Gemini, seizing up under Johanna's back, "...there it is!" For only the second time since they'd started dating, Gemini managed not to howl as she climaxed...though only by clamping her lips on one of Johanna's ears to muffle herself. Even then, it was a rather loud, ecstatic whine.

The bite caused Johanna to wince, but she quickly waved a hand to stop her brother as he began to say something in concern. "Let her be," the female Dalmatian assured him, "I'm fine." She returned to laying kisses on Ares' chest and throat and chin, noting that he had set his jaw and gone quiet as he neared his own climax. Dane had opened his pants by now, to relieve some of the pressure on his throbbing bone as he watched his sister getting sandwiched between the pair of dark-furred siblings, all grinding together in the throes or near-throes of ecstasy...and suddenly feeling a little left out.

Ares growled, long and low and loud, pressing the Dalmatian under him fiercely into the bed and holding her there. It took a moment for Dane to realize the other male had climaxed, and this was his method of holding back the howl of pleasure. The whole bed twitched just a little with each pulse, and Johanna grit her teeth against the pressure on her one breast, hugging his hips with her thighs and welcoming every drop he poured into her.

With a sudden gasp, Ares released his grip all at once, almost jumping away from her, though he had the presence of mind not to yank his knot out so suddenly with no warning. "Oh, wuff, I'm sorry!" he said sincerely as he let go of Johanna's abused breast. "I stopped thinking when...I..."

She nodded in understanding, massaging her own breast and relaxing her thighs as he noted the fountain of milk pouring out from around his knot between her legs, a little impressed even if he did do it himself. He was a very pent-up boy. Behind her back, Gemini rolled her eyes. "Boys," she giggled, reaching down to slide a finger between her friend's labia and press it gently around her pearl. Johanna tipped her head back, sharing a grateful kiss with the female Doberman, before Ares felt her walls clamp tight around his pulsing bone, nearly sending him into a second orgasm.

They were a red-cheeked, sighing, contented mess by the time it was done. Ares carefully spread the lips of her sex just enough to break the seal and relieve the pressure before gently pulling himself out. All in all, Johanna decided the shaft was thicker, but Dane had the thicker knot.

That thought made her glance over at her brother, and smile at the sight. His eyes were closed and his mouth open, his weight resting firmly against the wall, while he squeezed one hand around his bone, just holding it still. He didn't seem to be trying to finish himself...more like choke off a finish.

Following her eyes, Ares chuckled and strode over to the trembling Dalmatian. "Didn't want to go it alone, 'boyfriend'?" he asked aloud, causing Dane to blink his eyes open. The Doberman crossed his arms, frowning down at the slightly smaller Dalmatian for a moment, tapping a finger on his elbow. "...Well?"

It took another second for Dane to catch on. Through the throb in his loins and flush in his cheeks, he grit his teeth and put on his best tough-guy face, then planted a hand on top of Ares' head and pushed down...hard. Even Ares looked a little surprised as he dropped on his knees...then chuckled. "Yes, sir..." Leaning forward with mouth wide open, he swallowed the quivering length of male-bits in front of him in a single go. He was rougher than the girls...wider, too...but a tongue was a tongue, and this one had the almost unfair advantage of knowing exactly where a male was most sensitive and least tender.

"No more...please, no more," cooed Gemini breathlessly, rocking against Johanna's back with a wistful smile as she watched her brother go down on her boyfriend, "I can't recover fast enough."

Dane clenched his teeth, grabbing Ares' ears in his fists as his loins exploded. Ares stopped sucking and tipped his head back, letting the thick milk pool on his tongue between swallows, as if to prove his willingness to perform in his new position.

"Oh...wuff...Ares," Dane looked almost ashamed and a little apologetic as he let go of the Doberman's ears, "I'm--"

"Save it," the larger male cut him off, still kneeling in front of his softening bone after the euphoric wave had passed, "If I'm not going to punch you after all that, this is probably the least of what I owe you. So...am I in?"

Dane shook his head in disbelief. "Wuff, you were in way before that. Uh...how was it?"

"More bitter than I expected," the Doberman admitted with a slight grimace.

"Hey," Gemini whimpered, "If you don't like it, give it to me! I could drink that with every meal."

Ares looked over his shoulder at his sister with a dubious furrow in his brow. "She is...excessive, isn't she?"

Dane nodded. "Always. It's part of her charm." The boys both shared a chuckle at that, then the girls reluctantly climbed off the bed and found their pajamas...or at least their underwear. Ares kicked his clothes into a corner and went to fetch his bag from the other, smaller bedroom, where he'd been expecting to sleep. He returned in a soft set of plaid pants. Dane likewise exchanged his clothes for a comfy set of sleeping shorts and a plain tee-shirt. Then they all convened in the living room, where the imitation fireplace was already lit and Gemini was teasing Johanna's feet on the couch, a handful of little boxes on the coffee table in front of them.

"Happy anniversary!" the female Doberman cheered as Dane joined them, inviting him to sit on her other side while she scooted a little closer to Johanna. He sat where he was directed, and his girlfriend immediately seized the first box, decorated in pink with white polka-dots. "Johanna, this one's for you."

The female Dalmatian set aside her phone, taking the box into her lap and lifting off the fitted lid. "This is...an armband?" She pulled out what looked like a thin cuff of pink leather with three straps threaded through rings around it. It did indeed look like it could go around her arm, taking up most of the space from wrist to elbow, except that a fourth strap at the back seemed positioned to hook around...her elbow? The design didn't quite make sense.

Gemini giggled. "Clooose. A muzzle. So Dane can do that thing you like more easily."

"Oh," Johanna tilted her head...then seemed to remember what she was referring to. "Ooh. And these?" she reached under the little cloth the muzzle had been sitting on to fish out what was underneath. What she pulled out looked like two pairs of thickly padded cuffs joined at the center of their chains in a small 'X'.

Her friend just shrugged. "I couldn't find the muzzle by itself, so those are part of the package. Hog-tie cuffs. Heh...it was supposed to be your gag gift before I proposed for brother...who totally stole my thunder!" she looked at him in mock accusation.

The larger Doberman just shrugged. "Guess you should have told me the plan ahead of time."

"Were we supposed to do a gag gift, too?" Johanna looked at Dane in apparent concern, "I just got her these." The Dalmatian handed her a smaller box decorated in plain brown paper and twine, like an arts-and-crafts project. Gemini opened it to find four bottles of various scented oils. "For those home-made lotions and creams you make," Johanna added, though by the way Gemini's face lit up she already knew exactly what she would use them for...and nearly strangled the other female with enthusiasm as she hugged her.

Dane chuckled at the pair, pushing his gift over in front of Gemini. Nothing as fancy as his sister's gift, nor as exotic as Gemini's...but he hoped she would like the little heart-shaped locket decorated with devil horns and a spade tail. It contained one of the pictures all three of them had made at the amusement park on his birthday...one of the cute, more-or-less normal ones. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she immediately put it on...then seemed a little embarrassed to hand him her gift to him.

The little black-and-red cardboard tube held a little black-and-red plastic tube with a very large strawberry printed on one side...and nothing else. "Uh...jelly?"

"Yeeaaah," she said slowly, "Not the kind you pair with peanut butter, though. It is flavored. I thought it might make things a little nicer when...you know..." She nodded her head in Johanna's direction. "But it could also come in handy when...you know..." Then she nodded in Ares' direction.

Her brother pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sensing a theme here," he groaned. If it weren't for the fact that they had also invited him to their Deep White celebration, and he remembered her getting some genuinely thoughtful gifts for the occasion, he would have been concerned that her presents were always of a very one-track nature.

"I'm sorry," Gemi said, genuinely, "I was out of cute ideas. Guys don't get hyped up over jewelry and clothes like girls do, so--"

Dane kissed her lips to cut off the needless apology. "You do lots of nice, cute things for me all the time. I'll make good use of this," he promised, tapping the tube against her nose gently, "Maybe even use some on you." She nuzzled him gratefully...then Dane turned to her brother. "No offense, but we weren't really sure what to get for you..."

Ares shrugged. "It's not my anniversary. Not yet. The invitation was pretty good," he smiled, "The surprise was...well, surprising, but even better."

"Sure, but I've got one more idea. If I actually do 'call the shots' in any way around here, then you will refer to her as your girlfriend," he declared, looking pointedly at his sister, "And she will answer to the title. None of this 'boyfriend's sister' stuff."

Johanna blinked at him, her tail subtly wagging twice, and nodded. "Yes, brother."

"Now," he added more softly, patting Gemi's leg beside him, "I don't know about anyone else, but I've been a bundle of nerves most of the day, and now I'm beat. Are you ready for bed, sweetness?"

"As long as by 'bed' you don't mean 'sleep'," the female Doberman nodded, her tail already set to wagging. He winced briefly, as he did mean sleep...but the expectant look he was getting from Johanna as well said there was still a fair bit of night left ahead of them...and that was before he noticed Ares giving him a devilish grin...