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Chapter 7 - Trials and Tribulations

The world spun around me as we walked. If not for Tri I'm certain I would've fallen face first onto the paved street. I could hear other voices near me, familiar voices talking.

"Is he all right?" It sounded like Shu.

"He is bleeding," another voice--Xing's--added.

"Relax, my friends," an even more familiar voice responded. "He is drunk and got into a bar fight. I will take a look at him in my shop and be certain to make sure he gets home. Please, go back and enjoy your evening."

"Please fetch us if there is something we can do, Tri. We will be at the pub until later this evening." That was Lau.

I heard their steps change direction and looked up at Tri, grinning. "So what were you doing there, swooping into the fight like a knight in shining armor?"

Tri grinned down at me as we rounded a corner. "Believe it or not, I was checking in on you. I wanted to see if the job I had helped you get was a good fit. Clearly it was."

"And what makes you say that?" I said louder than it needed to be.

"Well, you're drunk and got into a bar fight. I swear you are living up to your English stereotypes."

I pretended to be offended. "First of all...mean! Second of all...that is not English, that is Irish...I think--what I am not. I've never even been to Ireland."

A gentle laughter followed. "Forgive me, I should apologize for the racial generalization. The joke was just too good to pass up. I meant no offense."

"Uh-huh," I narrowed my eyes at the marble fox. "You, sir, have offended me!"

Tri stopped in front of a door. I heard him pull out a set of keys and start to unlock it. He let us in and closed the door behind us.

All at once I was assaulted with foreign smells. Spices and herbs, wood from places I had never been. I felt like I had stepped into another world. When Tri lit some of the lanterns, I got a better look at things. It was items from China, or the Orient, as far as I could tell.

"What...what is this place?" I said in not so quiet awe.

"This is my shop. I sell a plethora of oriental items here. From herbs and spices for cooking and medicine to traditional furniture and cookware. You name it, I would have it."

"Business good?"

"I have rather eclectic clientele, actually. The people from China buy a lot more of the common items. It's the more well-off clients of the city that come looking for elegant items to decorate their homes. So yes, business is generally good. Slowed down as we've had a slower influx of immigrants, but..."

"This place feels like I'm walking into a bit of China...I think. I've never been."

Tri laughed a bit and pulled out a stool, motioning for me to sit down. "Come, let me get a look at those wounds. I know a bit of first aid."

"But I want to see what's over there!" I glanced around like a kit lost in a candy store. It seemed like everything in the room beckoned for my attention all at once.

"Once I have a look at you I'll give you a tour of the shop. Now sit like a good patient."

"Ugh. You're worse than Siro, I swear." I pouted while I sat on the stool...or I tried to at least. I ended up slipping and nearly falling off the damned thing. Tri had to grab and right me.

"I'm not sure if you being this dizzy is from the alcohol or the head injury. If you had a concussion..."

"Oh, with my luck it's both! Clearly."

Tri vanished behind a counter. When he came back, he held a satchel bag in his hands and placed it down next to me. I mostly came in and out while he treated me, checking my head and making sure I wasn't, you know, brain-damaged or something. He then used what I would consider the most painful rubbing alcohol that money could buy. After the ordeal was over, he wrapped my head in a bandage for good measure.

However, to capstone his treatment, he brought me a cup of warm tea that tasted like nothing I had ever tasted before. My ears were perked up as I looked into the liquid, then at Tri.

"It's called leung cha, medicinal but also good. There's some honey in it, too." Tri looked over my face once more. "It's what a lot of Chinese children get when they aren't feeling well."

"And here I thought my people were the ones who had the monopoly on tea. I have to admit it's really hard finding good tea here in America. Not that I had good tea in London, but it was a lot easier to sneak a cup."

"Give it time and I'm sure it'll become more popular." After he watched me take a few sips of the warming liquid, he asked, "Are you feeling better?"

I shook my head a few times to check. No heavy pounding, no dizziness, and only one marble fox in sight.

"I don't see three of you anymore if that's what you're asking about. And my headache is now a dull roar instead of someone nailing a railroad spike into my eyeballs."

That earned me a quiet chuckle from Tri. "Good. That means you're on your way to feeling better. When you feel up to it, we'll walk you back home and get you right to bed."

"You sound like Sister Catherine," I grumbled.

"Who?"

"She was the nun who watched me when I was little. She would put us kids to bed early whenever we were sick or cut our knees, or something silly like that. Always fussing at us to be warm and get bedrest even if we only had the sniffles."

"Sounds like she cared about you."

I shrugged and scowled. "She was probably just trying to avoid a corpse in the church."

Memories that I had locked up deep inside my head came trickling out like a rivulet. I did not like living there in the church. It felt so long ago now. I had been so small that my hat didn't even fit on my head--it just fell down and covered my eyes. I grew into it eventually though.

Tri frowned. "That's not like you. You're generally more optimistic than that."

"Blame the headache," I said. Then, with a slow smile and a nod, I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, bad habits. I used to be very depressed and said things like that. At the time I didn't think people could just be nice for the sake of being nice. I was certain someone was always out trying to get something from the other person. Take advantage of them whenever they can."

"What changed?"

"I made friends." I looked into my mostly empty tea cup. "I saw people who wanted to help me just because they liked me. I thought only kids were like that. At first I didn't know how to respond, since I was scared that if they saw who I really was..."

"That's the wonderful thing about friendship, Simon. They like you for who you are, not just the good parts of you. That's why I like you."

Tri's words made me smile a little. I looked up at him. "Thanks. I like you, too. You do a lot for people. You're a good person."

"I wouldn't go that far," the marble fox said softly, moving closer to sit next to me so our hips were touching. "I try to be good, but sometimes you need to do things you aren't proud of."

"That doesn't make you a bad person, Tristan."

"So you believe someone who does bad things can also be a good person?"

"Well, yeah." I cleared my throat and held his gaze. "I won't pretend to know a lot about the orient, but...that."

I pointed to a circle on the wall. It was half black and half white in a swirling pattern with two large dots of the opposite color in them.

"It's the whole thing, but it's white and black. You can't have one without the other. So yeah, you can be a good person and do bad things. What matters...at least what I think matters, is what you intend. Do you want to hurt people? Help people? Will your actions have a net gain? Stuff like that."

I finished my tea and stared at the circle which I would come to know as the yin yang symbol. It reminded me of Rut and Fiz. In a lot of ways they were one man--together they were incredible but they didn't do well when they were apart. They needed one another on a level that I think transcended family and love. It was a need deep down and they both knew it.

Somehow, as weird as this sounds, I felt like I was also being pulled into that complicated web of emotions between them. I still longed for them, but not in the way I think I would long for a lover -- I just felt complete with them around.

I also felt that way around Tristan.

The marble fox observed me curiously. "You are...far more complex than you appear, Simon. And very kind." Tri stared into my eyes. "I knew you were a good person, but your heart is gentle."

"Yup," I laughed and put my tea cup down. "My friends say it's the reason why I can't throw a punch--I'm too gentle."

I was turning my head to say something but was caught off guard by a muzzle pushed against my own. Warm lips that tasted of tea were against my own and my eyes, wide, saw that they belonged to the other fox.

Tristan was kissing me.

For a moment I thought about pulling back. I was not that man anymore, the kind of man who just fell into another person's bed. I almost broke the kiss merely because I had something to prove, but I realized I hadn't been the one to seek this out...and I genuinely was thrilled.

My mind, firing rapidly, was silenced as those warm lips gently pried mine apart and our tongues touched. All at once I felt my groin ache as I got hard. Tri's tongue was so tender and tasted of herbs and sweetness. His scent! I could smell him now, so close, the scent of rosewater. I turned more on the stool, hand coming up and touching his thigh as we kissed.

My hat fell off and to the floor, and I felt Tri gently grab my arm and slowly start to tug me to my feet. My fingers moved up his chest and felt for the first just how much muscle this man had. He pushed me, gently, against the wall near the back room as I worked my fingers into the buttons of his shirt and vest. I tugged his tie loose and let it fall to the floor. With a soft moan he pushed us into the darkened room and my back came into contact against some crates.

I don't know how he did it but my shirt was open when I felt the wood push against the small of my back. My suspenders hung down near my legs and I pushed harder against him, my own hands sliding up and under his shirt, yanking his shirt off with a hungry eagerness. The shirt discarded and the muscular body under my fingers, I slid up over his pectorals and then held his head with both my hands. The kissing became hungrier, more passionate, more needy.

I realized now how much I was attracted to Tri. I had tried not to think about it. After all, assuming his being homosexual was a big gamble, but it was clear that he at least found me appealing. It was like swimming and finally having the ability to breathe underwater.

His hands were shaking as he undid my pants. They fell to the floor and I was naked, my erection pushing against him. Either he was nervous or so excited that he could barely contain himself. He clearly had experience, but maybe it had been awhile?

Naked, I broke the kiss and looked at the marble fox with a grin. He stared at me, surprised, as I quickly got down onto my knees.

"Simon, I--" He did not get to finish his sentence. I had his pants open and tugged down. A moment later, his cock was in my muzzle, long and warm, as I accommodated him nicely.

Almost instantly I felt his pre hit my tongue and was flooded with his taste and saltiness. He had not done this in a long time, I could tell. That was fine. I didn't care. He tasted wonderful.

I looked up at his face with one open eye and saw Tri lean his head back against the container. I heard him moan as he placed one hand on the back of my head, holding me steady. I bobbed and sucked on him, lapping at his pre as it poured forth, not daring to let a single drop go to waste.

Tri reached for something on the shelf above him. A glass phial. Oil. Tri had also not been the most coordinated in getting it as several bottles fell around us. But none shattered, thankfully.

The stock room was not the most romantic of places, but it was definitely a room of lust. The sound of my lips bobbing up and down on his erection. The wetness as he popped out of my muzzle sometimes and I assaulted his head with relentless licking. With the technique that I learned from plenty of practice back at the Arc, I made Tri into a man without the ability to talk, reducing him to merely grunt and moan softly as I pleasured him. I reached up and took the glass phial from his hand.

Still bobbing my head and suckling on his flesh, I let him go and applied some oil onto my fingers and under my tail. I could smell its spice and knew it was probably not meant for this, but it was going to do in a pinch.

I passed the phial back to Tri and winked at him. I pulled my head off his cock and gathered up some of our clothes to make the wooden floor less uncomfortable. I lay back and bent one knee, one hand tucked behind my head while the other gripped my own cock and stroked. I thumbed a bead of precum from its tip and brought it to my muzzle, licking it up while I watched Tri oogle me.

He fell to his knees and was between my legs in a hurry. He was breathing hard, eager, his chest heaving up and down as he just stared. He seemed to remember to undo the bottle and apply oil to his flesh, which he did and then tossed the glass aside like it was worthless. That bottle had looked fancy...but we all did silly things in the throes of pleasure.

The marble fox hovered over me, both hands now on either side of my head as he took me in, swallowing. "Been...awhile," he said, and then he sat up and grabbed my legs, pulling me closer.

"It's okay," I responded. "Just relax. There's no need to hurry." I tried to keep calm, but calm I was not. I wanted him in me and I couldn't believe how much I felt an ache for him. I hadn't felt this aroused in a long time, not since that unforgettable night I had spent with the twins. I swallowed hard and lifted my legs, hooking a knee over his shoulder while the other spread and loosely curled around his waist.

Tri jumped when his bare flesh touched my opening, and he looked down. He licked his lips and nodded, as if giving himself a pep talk, and gripped himself at the base. I held my breath and relaxed as I felt the man push forward against my ring, which parted for him.

When Tri felt some resistance, he did exactly what I was expecting him to do and pushed harder, firmer, and he overcompensated. He slipped from just his tip all the way to his root in one heavy thrust. Normally I would have needed some prep work for that kind of entrance, but I admittedly liked the ache it created. I arched my back and cried out, quickly covering my hand against my muzzle as I felt his cock buried deep within me.

Tri was holding his breath, trying not to move. I could feel him pulsing inside. He was focused on not hitting his peak so quickly. Finally he exhaled and he looked down at me, nuzzling my knee and thigh.

"You're so warm..." he managed to say in between his gasps.

"Uh huh," was all I could say. My hand was still holding my own cock, and I let Tri simply enjoy the moment. He was no virgin, so he didn't need to savor the moment too long.

Soon he pulled back and began to thrust.

We were both needy, aroused, and just drawn to each other. I could feel Tri tremble above me as he buried his inches into me again and again and again. I watched his torso flex and his back arch as he felt pleasure from our joining. He ran his hands up and down my legs, holding me, caressing my balls, my stomach, and joining me in stroking my cock. I let him feel it rub against his fingers and he whined, clenching his teeth as he muttered something, a mantra, for control.

I learned that Tri could be a beast when he wanted to. When his self control started to slip and pleasure became the only thing on his mind, Tri's body flexed, his fur stood on end and he actually looked bigger than he did a moment ago. He leaned forward, his hands no longer stroking me but holding me tightly at the waist, pumping into me.

He did not hurt me, not in a way that was bad. There was still the man who was always in some kind of control under his passion, and he moved his body in ways he knew how. He knew how to hit that spot inside me that always made me arch my back in pleasure, and he made sure to hit it as often as he could. He was still a generous and fun lover, even if he looked like a hungry beast of a man with eyes half lidded and breaths panting out.

I don't know how long it was before we both climaxed. I felt Tri tense up. He gritted his teeth as he pulled me so close that I ached. I felt his cock jump inside me, spasming as he came, spurting his hot, warm seed deep into my body. I gasped as it happened and was surprised at just how much the man had to give. It was so much that I felt some of it trickle out of me and onto the floor.

My own climax came moments later. The shock of how much seed was filling me was enough to hit all of my pleasure points. My hand, stroking over my cock, worked eagerly until I erupted. Tri would later say that I came so hard that I hit the ceiling. I think he was just being hyperbolic. But I do know that it was a wonderful release with someone I realized I liked a lot. I felt the hot ropes fall onto my chest and stomach, coating my fur in spots as my testicles clenched up and clung to me, emptying their contents.

Tri panted and then collapsed forward, resting on his elbows as he leaned over me, our noses mere inches apart. Our fur was damp with sweat as we both heaved a euphoric sigh of post-orgasmic relief. Then, we just looked at one another, trying to process what we had just done. Neither of us regretted it, but it had been a powerful moment.

Tri's chest moved up and down as he breathed like he had finished running a long and arduous race. "Gods, Simon..."

I swallowed, licked my parched lips, and then leaned my head up to slowly caress the marble fox's lips and chin with it. "I think we should have more of whatever you put in that tea."

Either that, or I needed to get in bar fights more often.