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Hey there, furballs, and welcome to the final story of Fae's Christmas Music-Themed Special, the 2010 edition! I've been hard at work, putting more music-inspired stories together for this year's Chrissie special, all for your enjoyment!

Today's December 25th, 2010! We made it to the end of the Special; huzzah! You've already received the first four stories of the year, and this is at last the continuation of Cameron and Ryan's story from last year in Steer, and the year before in The Sound Of White. As with previous years, the stories are based on the themes or titles of certain pieces of music which I enjoy, and this year I'm also exploring some ideas that I don't normally put into my furry pieces! So enjoy some experimental looks into my writing this year, as well as the tail!

Anyway, I've waffled on plenty, now. Onwards, and enjoy the stories!

• Ol' Saint Fae

Drowning

Cameron had no idea that a month and a half could hold so much promise and so much stress. The tiger sighed as he leaned back against the driver's seat of his car. He drove on automatic, and guided the little blue sedan through the busy streets of his home city while his thoughts wandered. They'd done quite a lot of that relatively recently.

They fixated, as they often did, on Ryan. The lupine would be waiting for him at home, just as he always did. He didn't go out all that much without Cameron in tow. As excited as he'd been to get away from his little mountain-nestled town of Pine Valley, the city intimidated the wolf far too much to simply go wandering around it all by himself. It was an alien environment to one who had spent so much time in a quiet little village, even if he enjoyed every chance he had to explore.

A sigh rolled from Cameron's muzzle as he rounded a corner a little faster than he'd planned, and his head rolled lazily as his eyes flicked between the traffic and the dash. He didn't want Ryan in his head. If anything, Cameron wished he could wipe almost all trace of the wolf from his mind. It wasn't because he minded the company; Ryan was friendly, polite to a fault, and eager to be around him. It was entirely because he knew he couldn't trust himself alone in the wolf's company anymore, and each errant thought only fed the fire.

Two months. Two short months was all it had really been, since he'd first met the ski instructor and artist on a little solitary trip up into the mountains. He was a guy; he knew how his brain and body worked. That he'd found the wolf attractive from the get-go was a given. That his nature had quickly turned that attraction into a mild infatuation was equally easy for the tiger to track. That the wolf was pretty damn into him as well would have normally been a thing to celebrate. In Ryan's case though, it only heaped Cameron into a whole world of trouble.

It'd been about forty very hard days for the feline, since he'd put his footpaw firmly down on the issue of their sexual intimacy. It hadn't been easy at the time, and it'd certainly put a damper on some good news and a great opportunity for the aspiring painter, but Ryan had understood Cameron's intentions. He'd accepted what Cameron had told him, and the rules that had been set. He'd even abided by them flawlessly. To the letter.

The tiger fought the urge to sigh, close his eyes, and slam his forehead down into the steering wheel. The problem had been Cameron himself. He'd thought that if he'd just been firm with Ryan, that things would have been better. That he could ignore his attraction to the wolf, and focus on helping him reach his artistic goals. The reality of it had been the most trying thing in the world for Cameron. Ryan's teasing and flirting hadn't let up in the slightest. Whether the wolf knew it or not, his every move and motion made things harder - quite literally in most cases - for Cameron.

"'Come back with me,' I said," the tiger muttered as he drew the sedan slowly around another corner. "'We'll see if we can get your art noticed,' I said. 'It isn't about how fucking hot you are,' I said! Ugh!" He kept one paw on the wheel as the other lifted to rub over his face. Things were just building up inside the conflicted feline. He knew that they were rushing to a head, that something was going to give, soon. He just didn't have any idea when that was, or what it was going to be.

He managed to keep from beating his head on the wheel again for the remainder of the short, if winding, drive back to his apartment building. He pulled in to the parking lot, all but staggered out of the car, and he took a moment to lean back against the door as he straightened down the black dress pants and white shirt he wore. Cameron took a moment, breathed in deep, before he headed for the elevator. He usually took the stairs, but that wasn't going to work for the exhausted feline that day.

He wasn't the only one who could see how badly Ryan was affecting him, either. One of his coworkers, Leanne, had managed to poke the tiger enough times to make him spill the whole story to her a couple weeks earlier. She'd even advised him to take another week or so off work, despite the couple weeks he'd taken off when he'd first met Ryan, to sort his head out. Certainly, his bosses noticed something was wrong.

And so did Cameron, when he unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed it open. It'd taken some time, but the familiar, 'homey' scents that filled the house had changed, mostly for the better. Gone were the mix of Cameron's scents and those of his cheating ex, Steven, replaced by a mixture of Cameron's and those of his lupine guest. That was the problem: the scents were different. Tiger and wolf were there, yes, but there was something else...

The quick, quiet gasp from one corner of the apartment made Cameron wince, and he sighed quietly to himself as he rubbed at his features again. He knew that sound, and what it meant. He'd heard it a couple times up close and personal. And as he strode through the apartment, Cameron remembered that Ryan had abided by the rules he'd set flawlessly. To the letter.

The gasps began to escalate, moans and grunts coming from what Cameron's twitching ears figured was the apartment's single bedroom. His bedroom. He pulled off his tie and tossed it over the kitchen counter as those sounds became more feverishly pitched; whoever was in there was definitely just about to pop. Cameron put the sounds and the scents out of his mind as best he could, and he pulled open a cupboard to grab a glass for some water while he waited patiently.

He didn't have to wait long. A pair of distinct moans rose up from through the open but out-of-sight door, one of them Ryan's and one of them completely unknown to the tiger. He glanced down at the counter as a quiet grind reached his ears, and he frowned as he caught sight of little grooves cut into the wooden surface by his claws. He quickly sheathed them and folded one of his arms, the other keeping a tight grip on his glass. If things followed the pattern, they wouldn't be in the bedroom for very much longer.

And Cameron was right. No more than two minutes later, a tall and casually-dressed white rabbit stepped out of his bedroom and into sight. The semi-familiar rabbit froze in his tracks and his jaw dropped as Cameron gave a thin smile and a wave of his free paw. The smile remained razor thin but broadened a little as he heard, "You know, I wish you didn't have to leave so quickly every time," come from inside the bedroom, before a black-furred lupine form slipped into view, still completely absent any clothing whatsoever.

Even as Ryan's paws slid around the frozen rabbit's waist, his head popped up and rested on his shoulder. Then he glanced down the hallway, and his brown eyes locked on Cameron's waving form. Were it not covered by fur, the tiger could probably have seen the colour drain from his features. His ears certainly flattened down pretty quick. "Cam. Uh... you're home early."

"Leanne made me head back a little sooner for my plans tonight," he replied. His voice was cool, a little sharper than he'd intended. The wolf wasn't his, after all. He could do whatever he wanted. "Hello again... William, is it?"

When the rabbit jerkily nodded, Cameron hooked a thumb towards the door. He blinked for a moment at the tiger, before he turned and glanced at Ryan. When the wolf also nodded, William hung his head a little and made quickly for it.

Cameron kept silent as the door shut behind the rabbit, and his eyes finally fell on Ryan's form. The wolf was still hard as a rock, knot swollen and unable to pull himself back into his sheath if he tried. He was still naked; it was something he'd taken to doing around the house, even when Cameron was home. The tiger forced himself to look Ryan in the eye as he set his glass down. "So. William again? Still can't take your knot?"

"Now, c'mon Cam, you said-"

"I said that you have someone waiting for you!" the tiger snapped, as everything he'd held back suddenly bubbled to the surface. "Geez, Ryan! This is... what? Third guy I've caught you with in a month? Second time with William?"

"Now, I can explain," Ryan began as he backed up and raised both paws defensively. A flicker of motion caught Cameron's eye; the wolf's tail tucked up firmly between his legs, but it only partially covered his still-swollen shaft. Ryan paused for a moment as the tiger waited expectantly, and he sighed and glanced down after a moment. "Okay, so I can't explain in a way you'd appreciate..."

The tiger moved out from around the counter, arms folded again. "What the hell is going on, Ryan?" he asked, as the wolf backed up again. "What's happened to you? Do you really think that I told you I wasn't sleeping with you because I just don't want to? I've tried to be good to you, here!" He thrust a finger towards the window. "You've got someone waiting back in Pine Valley for you, for fuck's sake! What's Samantha gonna say when you tell her, 'Hey, remember how we said we're open while I'm gone? I took advantage of that everywhere I could!'"

"Don't give me that!" Ryan snapped back, as his hackles began to rise. "She and I have an agreement! We're both allowed to. And you know I've been talking to you about staying here." He growled for a moment before he began to back down. "And if I am, she doesn't have to know."

"Oh, and that makes it all better, doesn't it?" Cameron replied, and it was all he could do to keep the snarl out of his voice. "It's a hair away from cheating on someone, Ryan. If I were Sam, you'd have crossed that line with me already. Repeatedly." His arm dropped back to his side as he pinched the bridge of his muzzle. "Ryan, Sarah hasn't called about the gallery again yet, and it opens in a couple weeks. I don't think she was able to get you in. You can't be thinking about just staying here yet."

The wolf frowned. "But her friend did get me set up with that website, remember?" he countered. "I've even been able to sell a few paintings off it! I tried to offer you rent money, remember? You told me that I should keep it for myself!"

Cameron sighed as he shook his head. "That's not what this is about, and you know it. Look... can you go put some pants on, please? It's distracting."

Instead, Ryan just reached down and took a firm grip on his malehood. "This isn't going down for a while, and you know that well." He strode out of the short hallway and plopped himself down cross-legged on the couch. "And you know it because I 'cheated' on Sam with you, too. You didn't stop me either time, because you wanted it, too."

With a fresh sigh, the tiger walked over to sit down beside Ryan. "Yes, I know. And then I took steps to make sure it wouldn't happen again, both for your sake and for your girlfriend's. Ryan, you're here for your art. You're not here to encourage your bisexuality. I keep telling you that, but you just aren't listening."

"And why can't I do both?" asked Ryan as he turned to fully face the tiger. "Like I said, I've been selling a few paintings from the website. The art stuff is going fine. I have this opportunity here, Cam... it's been years since I've been able to explore this. You won't do it with me, so... I take whatever opportunities I can."

"Whatever oppor... Ryan, this isn't like Pine Valley." The tiger shook his head vigorously. "You remember that limited selection of gay and bi guys in town you mentioned? How you didn't associate with them? 'They're not good,' I think is what you said about them at the time. And why, please, pray tell, are they not good by you?"

That certainly gave the wolf pause. His muzzle opened as if to reply, before he shut it again and hung his head low. It was a good minute before Ryan finally managed to speak again. "Because... they just don't have a standard," he finally admitted. "They just fuck whoever they want, whenever they want, and they don't let themselves get tied down." He looked up again, and met Cameron's gaze evenly. "But what if that's right for someone like me? I mean, what happens if I get into a relationship with someone, and then they want me to only go and be with them? What happens when I start needing the other sex again, like with you and Samantha?"

Cameron just took a few moments to hold the wolf's stare. Finally, he replied, "When I met you, you were a very devoted boyfriend. You loved Samantha. You were in love with Samantha. You may not have been completely happy with your work and your life, but no one ever is. Then I came along, and gave you a taste of something you've missed, and a chance to help out some of that work and life stuff." He nodded towards the bedroom that Ryan and William had emerged from. "And now... now it's like you don't give a shit about Sam anymore."

Ryan didn't reply, and the tiger continued. "Ry? I think I've been plenty good to you so far. I think I've gone out of my way to show you that I care about you, professionally and... well, otherwise. And I've tried to put you, and Sam, ahead of what a few inches of me want." He reached up and placed a paw gently on the wolf's shoulder as Ryan chuckled. "But - and this is coming from someone with a bit more life experience in this department - you're going down a bad path, here. You're losing sight of what's important to you, and you're getting caught up in the heat of the moment. You've gotta get some control here, hon, or you're going to become one of those guys you hated back home."

There was no response from Ryan. Cameron watched the emotions flicker across the lupine's features. It wasn't like he'd not seen those emotions on that face before. It had happened each time that Cameron had caught the wolf sleeping with someone. They'd had the conversation more times than the tiger could really care to count, and that just made the issue so much worse for him. There was nothing for it anymore, and Cameron could almost physically feel his patience with the situation snap. "You can't keep looking thoughtful whenever this stuff comes up. You're going to have to do something about it."

That was enough to bring the wolf's gaze up to meet Cameron's, and the emotions on his face decided to settle on pain. "So, is that what we're doing now, is it?" he quietly asked. "You're going to force me into a decision? That's what you want?"

"Ry? Don't go there." Cameron's eyes narrowed at the suggestion. "We're both adults here, and if you want to pull that shit and misinterpret me deliberately, I'll start treating you like a child." Anger flashed across Ryan's face, but the tiger didn't give it a chance to work his voice. "You do have to make a decision, whether I want you to or not. Now, I like you. I like you a lot. That's why this is just as hard on me as it is on you. So look. You want to leave Sam and stay here? Fine."

The anger drained away from Ryan's features. "Fine?" he cautiously asked.

Cameron nodded once. "Fine. But you're not living in my apartment if that's what you want, 'cause I'm not gonna be responsible for breaking up a happy relationship. And I know-" he added, before Ryan could even open his muzzle, "that it's not perfect. No relationships ever are. She was sure happy with you, and she's a great vixen. She doesn't deserve this kind of shit going on behind her back. So you wanna stay here, get it on with any guy that you take a fancy to? Fine. But you're going to start looking for your own place, and you're going to tell Sam the truth. If you don't, I sure as hell am going to."

Ryan blinked as he frowned over at Cameron. "Now hold on a second-"

"And you're not sleeping with anyone else until you make your damn mind up," Cameron interrupted firmly. A growl he'd not intended slipped into his voice, just enough to coax Ryan's ears back atop his head. The wolf's eyes fixed on his own paws, clasped together over his bare lap. "I'm not fucking kidding. If I catch you sleeping with someone else before you tell me you've made up your mind, this is done. You'll be out of this apartment, and that'll be that." His tone softened as he watched Ryan sink back further into the couch. "I don't want you to go. I've gotten really used to having you around, and... well, I don't know what I'll do when you eventually do leave. But this is a big deal. Does Samantha deserve this kinda treatment? Do you really think she does?"

It took a few moments for the wolf to work up the courage to actually speak. Finally he looked up from his intense study of his paws and shook his head. "No... no, she doesn't. You're right. I just... this is overwhelming. This is everything new again, and it's not easy to help myself. You've been the one doing all the helping, and you're doing more than you promised even with how I've been acting." He glanced away again with a sigh. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

A momentary burst of sympathy shot through Cameron, and he almost reached out to pull the wolf into a hug. He thought better of it at the last minute, and tightly grasped at his own legs instead. He couldn't afford to be comforting in that moment. Ryan needed a wake-up call more than a hug, and the last thing Cameron needed was to wrap his arms around the wolf and then start poking his side through his pants.

Besides, he'd heard Ryan say 'sorry' far too many times already. The wolf was beginning to sound like a broken record, and 'sorry' had lost its meaning. It wasn't nearly enough for Cameron anymore. "That's because I care about you," he finally managed to bring himself to say. "And I like Sam plenty, too. That's why this is just too much, and it's good that you can see that. Don't just say sorry. Do something about it, because I won't believe you next time."

Ryan nodded slowly. "No sleeping with anyone. Not until I've made a decision and committed to it. Right?" He turned to look up, and he met Cameron's eyes for only the briefest moment as the tiger nodded. "Right. Well... I guess I've got some stuff I've got to think about, don't I?"

"I guess you do," Cameron replied as he fought the urge to sigh anew. After all, the wolf shouldn't have to think about it. He knew damn well what the right course of action was, but to simply force Ryan into it wouldn't solve anything. "Look, I'm heading out again tonight. Jason and some of his friends are getting together for drinks and movies at his place. I'd ask if you want to come along, but he's a little wary of people he doesn't know." That was no exaggeration; the coyote was a new employee at work and, while friendly, was shy around unfamiliar people. The sharing of their common sexuality was enough to get his footpaw in the door with Jason, and it had become the basis for their friendship. He'd become a stabilizing element in Cameron's life, able to help the tiger absorb the shocks that Ryan caused him.

With another nod, Ryan stood up. His malehood had mostly deflated during the conversation, and it finished its retreat into the lupine's sheath as he straightened. "Well, that's okay. I might call Sam if it's okay with you, and have a little talk with her while I give all this some thought. I've been sort of avoiding her, and... you're right. That's not right of me. If I'm making this kinda choice, I need to remember what I'm choosing between." He still refused to meet Cameron's gaze.

When the tiger nodded, he watched Ryan head back off towards the bedroom and the phone there. Cameron followed for a moment - and he was sure to keep his eyes off the wolf's toned backside the whole time, for his own sake - before he branched off and headed for the bathroom instead. He needed the shower, and figured that perhaps the hot water and thoughts of the night to come would be enough to clear his head.

He was able to hear Ryan's voice through the bathroom door, quiet and muffled but distinct. It had a lightness to it that he'd not heard since he'd brought Ryan back to the city with him, something he only heard back in Pine Valley when the wolf had spoken to and about Samantha. Cameron felt himself smile, if only a little. It meant that the spark of Ryan's love for his girlfriend was still there, even after everything that had happened. Perhaps, he thought, there was hope for the wolf yet.

On some level, Cameron found himself wishing that Ryan could find himself back with Sam again. He closed his eyes as he slid himself under the hot spray of the shower and turned his attention to himself and the night ahead instead. There was more, after all, about Jason that he was going to see.

Something about the coyote bothered Cameron, even as it teased him. Jason seemed a lot like a shier version of Ryan to the tiger, as he rubbed over his body and worked shampoo into his fur. He wasn't quite as cute as the ski instructor and artist that sat in Cameron's bedroom, but he was close. He was also single, and lacked a lot of the emotional and mental baggage that Ryan had brought with him on the flight over. The tiger couldn't kid himself; there was a definite interest in Jason.

But, even as his thoughts fixated on the other canine, he knew what it was that really bothered him. He was still attracted to Ryan, despite how fucked up their situation was. It wasn't an easy thing for Cameron to work through, to look at Ryan every day and force himself to not spend his time ogling the male he was almost sure he was falling for. That he constantly forced himself not to focus on Ryan didn't slow the process much, although each little outburst of the wolf's repressed side did considerably more damage.

In fact, they were the only things that kept things in check for Cameron. Ryan was still one of the nicest, most interesting people he'd ever met. They'd shared innumerable conversations through the late hours of the night on a broad variety of topics, from the wolf's native art knowledge to the intricacies of the stock market that Cameron occasionally dipped into to the state of the world and politics. He was good company, he was funny, he was hot, and he was eager.

That was the hardest thing about resisting Ryan, about being the 'good guy' for him. If he had told Cameron the truth, he only slept with the other guys because he couldn't sleep with Cameron. The tiger stifled a groan as he rubbed over his face, and he tilted his features up into the spray of the water. If he just gave in, if he just did what Ryan wanted and what he wanted, then he wouldn't have to worry about the wolf going off and doing who-knows-what with who-knows-who. Course, that'd mean he'd instead be cheating on Sam with him instead of Random T. Fox...

And in the end, that was why Cameron knew he couldn't let himself just give in to what his cock and Ryan both demanded. Maybe the other guys couldn't make the distinction, but Cameron's mind was clear. After he'd been cheated on with his last boyfriend, the tiger knew very well that he'd already crossed too many lines with Ryan. He had to cut himself loose, give himself more distance from the confused, vulnerable and begging lupine. And that, he figured, was where Jason came in. Or at least, that's where Cameron hoped Jason could come in. Without a little external help, the feline didn't know how long he'd be able to hold out. The wolf had quickly become a good friend, and he was always happy to hear about what was going on with Cameron's life. It was the kind of support the tiger knew he needed.

He cut the flow of the water to the shower as he reached out and pulled his towel in against him. Cameron didn't know yet how valid that hope of his was, but there was only one good way to find out. The tiger struggled to put thoughts of Ryan out of his head as he began to towel himself off, and even the sound of Ryan's voice on the phone wasn't enough to shake Cameron's efforts. Who knows? he thought to himself as he wrapped the towel around his damp waist and headed off to find some clean clothes, Maybe tonight's just going to go smoothly for a change.

The drive over to Jason's house on the edge of the city didn't carry with it the same sense of dread and foreboding that the drive home from work had. Cameron didn't fight not to slam his head against the steering wheel with frustration at any point, and indeed the thoughts of the night ahead were enough to keep him from being too fussed with the issues that still awaited him back at the apartment.

He'd left Ryan on the phone with Samantha, and the wolf had thrown him a wave when he'd mimed that he was on his way out. Cameron had felt a thankful twinge work through him as he noticed that Ryan had had the decency to throw on a pair of pants at some point during the phone call, even if he was about to have the house to himself. The tiger had sat back against the wall just outside the bedroom and listened in on the call for a moment and, while it didn't sound like Ryan had told her what he'd been up to, he did sound happy to be talking to the distant vixen. It certainly gave strength to the hope Cameron still had for Ryan.

When he'd arrived though, everything had rushed back to the forefront of Cameron's mind. Jason had met him at the door, the grey-ish furred coyote dressed in a pair of shorts and a loose red shirt. He'd smiled warmly and welcomed Cameron inside, but his smile had slipped even as the tiger had stepped through the doorway. "What's wrong?" he'd asked, almost before Cameron had made it properly into the house.

It was one of the more frustrating aspects of Jason that the feline had discovered. He was perceptive to an insane degree, and Cameron had learned it was part of why he was so wary about meeting new people. He always picked up on what was just below the surface, and a lot of people were unnerved by it. When the tiger wanted to just have a quiet night with some friends, drinks and movies, it became less unnerving and more annoying.

When Cameron made it past the coyote, he'd kicked his shoes off and followed Jason off down a short hallway. The others were in the living room; the tiger arrived just a little late, and they'd already gotten started on what sounded like a pretty average action flick. Jason wasn't about to let Cameron go to join them just yet, and he'd led the feline off and into his bedroom.

"Alright," he said quietly as he closed the door behind him. "C'mon. Spill. This was meant to be a fun night, but you've brought some baggage. It's all over your face."

Cameron shrugged slightly as he cocked his head to the side. "I was smiling when you opened the door," he tried.

It wasn't nearly enough. A smirk curled across Jason's face as his green eyes sparkled in the light of the room. "Yeah, and I bet you do a lot of smiling when things aren't going the way you want. You're not fooling me, and you don't bring bad moods into my house. They've got a habit of fucking up a good time. So, out with it. Air it. It's that guy living with you, isn't it? Rrrr... Ryan, right?"

"Caught him with another guy again," the tiger finally admitted as he took a seat on the corner of the waterbed that took up the majority of the room's floor space. "Well, at least it was someone he'd been with before. I just don't know what I'm going to do with him, Jase. I made an ultimatum, laid things down in black and white, and I think I got through to him. But if he keeps acting up, I'm not going to have much choice in the matter. He'll have to go, for his own damn good."

Jason nodded slowly as he sat down beside the feline. "And for your own," he added. "Leanne's worried about you. It's why she let you out early today, and it's why she let me out earlier so I could have you come out here with us. Sure you could have just come later, but I've seen you after a full work day lately." He smirked again. "Not a happy kitty."

There was certainly no doubting that. Cameron knew that the combination of the stresses that had been building up in his life were starting to affect him at work, but he'd not expected that his boss would have picked up on it so readily. It was entirely possible that Jason had let it slip. The tiger wasn't quite sure how he felt about that possibility. "Nice to know she cares, I guess," he muttered as he fixed his gaze firmly on the carpet.

"She's not the only one," replied the coyote with a shrug. "I don't like seeing people upset. Definitely not if they were the first one at the new job to give me a proper welcome." He jabbed his elbow lightly into Cameron's side as he smiled. "You know, I'm starting to think that you're spending way, way too much energy on that mutt. I know you think he's a great guy and all, and who knows? Maybe he really is. But from what you've told me, you've fulfilled your obligation to him. Right?"

Cameron didn't have much of an answer for that. It was true, of course. He'd brought Ryan out for his art. He probably wasn't going to make the gallery that his curator friend Sarah had tried to get him involved in, but her contacts had set him up neatly. He was able to pursue his passion, and it was already netting him more than a few spare bucks. Ryan should have been sent back home at least a week earlier, when Sarah had last called and suggested that the gallery showing wasn't likely to pan out. Finally, as he glanced over at Jason, he nodded once.

The gray canine nodded back. "Well then, it's time to make the hard choices. I know you don't wanna make them, and you don't wanna force him into any actions here. But c'mon, have a look at what you've already done. Out of your own pocket you've brought him across the country, you've put him up for a couple months, and used your resources and connections to help him out of his little rut. How's he repaying you?"

"He's not, really," Cameron replied after a moment. "I wasn't looking for any cash, and he shouldn't-"

"Not what I meant, and you know it," interrupted the coyote gently. "I see how you get when you talk about him. It's a hell of a lot deeper than you give things credit for. You're sitting here and you're all but screaming it out to me. I see it in your eyes. Also," he added as he nodded down at the feline's paws, "you're almost clawing my sheets."

The words immediately jerked Cameron's gaze downwards as well, and he retracted his claws before he pulled his paws back up into his lap. The coyote had been right; he'd been a hair from shredding the soft bed covers. "Guess I see what you mean," he replied with a half-hearted laugh. He looked up, but Jason wasn't laughing.

There wasn't even a smile on the canine's face. His ears twitched back as he shook his head. "I've been here before, you know. A fox I once dated for a little while, about five years ago now. I was young and stupid, and you've got neither excuse now. You're going to tear yourself apart for him, aren't you? You're invested so deep in this that you're not able to pull away anymore."

Cameron chuckled quietly once more as he shook his head, and a genuine smile twitched at his lips. "Ah, now I know you're not perfect. I'm not invested that deeply just yet. I'll admit I could be, yeah, but... he's a taken guy. He's spoken for. I'm not going to do to his girlfriend what Steven did to me." His voice firmed up considerably, and he began to nod along to his words. It wasn't to convince Jason as much as it was to convince himself.

He knew that he wasn't speaking completely truly. Cameron knew very well why he'd not sent Ryan back to Pine Valley yet. It was the same reason he was able to endure the wolf's attempts at sating his need for male contact with the guys he met around town. He'd started to fall for the wolf, whether he liked it or not. What had started as a quick collision on the slopes of a ski resort and an immediate physical attraction had turned into something considerably more in the months since. That Ryan still had Samantha waiting for him back at home was almost irrelevant.

"You're digging yourself a deeper hole there, Cameron," Jason said, and his words pierced the tiger's thoughts enough to bring him back into the present. "Maybe you're not tearing yourself apart yet, but this is affecting you badly. You need to get away from Ryan. Put a little emotional distance between the two of you. Otherwise eventually you're going to slip up, and then where'll things be?"

"Well then, what the hell do you suggest I do?" the tiger asked, as he turned towards Jason. "There's not exactly a line of people waiting for a chance to date me. I sure haven't been getting any in the last couple months, since I made Ryan understand that he can't sleep with me for our own good." He shrugged as he leaned back, and the feline braced against the bed with both paws as he continued to lean. "It's alright if people don't wanna date me. I can deal with that. But it sure as hell doesn't make it easier to get Ryan out of my head when there's no one else for me to focus my attention on."

Cameron started to heave out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes, but the sound instead came out as a squeak as he felt Jason shift beside him. His eyes shot open again in time to see a flash of gray and red as the coyote rolled over and atop the surprised tiger, and those eyes widened considerably as he watched Jason settle himself up and on top of him. "Uh... whatcha doin'?"

"Helping a friend out," came the simply reply from the canine above him. Jason fell silent for a moment as he brought his paws up to pull his shirt up and over his head, and he grinned cheekily down at the still-startled tiger as he reached down to grasp at both of Cameron's paws. "You want someone else to focus on?" he asked as he pulled one of the feline's paws up to rest it on his hip. "Focus on me."

The tiger silently hoped that the fur of his cheeks hid his blush as he tilted his burning ears away from Jason. The coyote was attractive, certainly, but Cameron had not even once actually considered sleeping with him. "Hey now, hold on a second," he quickly said as Jason pulled his other paw up to rest on the coyote's shoulder. "This isn't why I got to know you, you know. I'm your friend, and we don't need to- mmph."

Canine muzzle pressed against his feline one, and he felt Jason's tongue move swiftly after it. It took a second for Cameron to even register that the wolf had kissed him, and it took a good five seconds more for him to realize that he'd begun to press back up into it. He felt himself fall back atop the sheets of Jason's bed, and the water-filled mattress beneath them sloshed quietly beneath Cameron's back as Jason's weight settled down atop him. He only held the kiss a few seconds more before he craned his head back as best he could and broke away, and he sucked in a fresh lungful of air as he fixed his eyes firmly on Jason's. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"I was busy getting ready to kiss you," came the simple reply from Jason, as the coyote shrugged.

"I said that I was your frien- hold on!" Cameron quickly cut himself off that time, as he watched the wolf's grinning features draw closer to silence him with another kiss. "I didn't get to know you all this time so I could get in your pants. I hope that's not why you were getting to know me, either."

Again, Jason shrugged. The concern in Cameron's eyes didn't seem to have fazed him at all. "It's not, but you've explained your philosophy on sex to me before," he replied after a moment as he finally let go of Cameron's paws. Despite that lack of enticement, they didn't shift away from Jason's hips in the slightest. "You don't do anything with your friends, and that's fine. You don't have many friends who'd be open to the idea, anyway. That's not who I am, though. I'm a bit more willing, given the right person, reason and circumstances."

The canine's smile slipped; it became a little less cheeky and a lot more warm. "You're a good guy, Cameron. I like you plenty. You're in a bad way, and I might be able to help you put a little of that distance between you and Ryan. Maybe enough that you can think clearly for a while. And... well, it's hard not to notice the way you look at me." The cheekiness returned in full force to the coyote's face and voice.

"So... this isn't just a spur of the moment thing?" Cameron felt his confusion only intensify as Jason nodded, and a short gasp slipped out of his muzzle as he felt the coyote above him shift back a little to sit down just over the feline's swollen sheath. "I mean, yeah, I guess you've seen how I look at you, but I still didn't mean for us to-"

"Shh," came the quick, quiet response from Jason, and it was enough to silence Cameron immediately. "You keep talking like that, and the others might notice. You're getting a little bit loud." The coyote's grin remained stuck to his face, filled with boyish charm as he leaned back just enough to bring his paws down to Cameron's lap. They dexterously began to work at the tiger's button and zipper as he held Cameron's gaze. "Not that I mind guys being loud, but I'd rather we just keep this between us for the moment."

Cameron nodded slowly as he looks down over the coyote's shirtless body, and he forced himself to hide an appreciative little purr. "And how do you know I'm not going to stop you?" he asked, as he looked back up into those green eyes again.

"You're not stopping me yet," was the immediate reply. Jason slipped his knees smoothly to either side of Cameron's hips as he deftly began to slide the feline's pants down. "And if you've not stopped me just yet, I don't think you're going to." He smiled as he leaned up and forward until his face rested just above Cameron's, and the coyote's smile warmed further. "Tell me to stop?"

His eyes fixed on Jason's, there was nothing the tiger could do. He knew when he was defeated; indeed, he didn't even know if he'd ever fought at all. "Not sure I can," he answered, his voice lowered further. He didn't give Jason a chance to dial up the cheek again, and instead he closed the distance between their muzzles again in a single, smooth motion. His lips met the coyote's and, just in case it was all a mistake or a dream, Cameron wrapped one arm tightly around the canine's middle and drew him in closer.

The kiss deepened as Jason pushed himself right back down against Cameron. One of his paws slipped up to lightly cup the feline's cheek as their tongues met once more, and a soft murr escaped their locked muzzles as the coyote squirmed lightly in Cameron's grasp. His other paw trailed down along the tiger's body for a moment, and it began to ride up underneath the feline's shirt as he lifted his lower half a little higher off the bed.

It wasn't for a few moments later that Cameron realized what Jason had done. His eyes opened and he drew back slightly from the kiss, just enough to see the coyote's rump pushed up higher off the waterbed so that he had enough room to slip his own pants down and off. His eyes were immediately drawn to the coyote's sheath, equally as plumped as his own. A little hint of red peeked out of the rim of that sheath, and the sight of it only coaxed Cameron's pink length up and out. "You've got a plan, don't you?" he asked, as he reached down to lightly stroke a finger over the coyote's crimson tip.

"One for every situation," Jason replied with a grin, once the touch from Cameron's fingertip had let up. He leaned down slowly until he almost laid completely down atop the tiger with a smile. Their firming shafts pressed together, sensitive flesh ground against sensitive flesh as the coyote gave Cameron's cheek a tender little lick. He pulled back a moment later with a triumphant smile, and he shuffled up a little to straddle the tiger's middle as he waggled a little black bottle between two fingers. "This's crucial. Still not gonna tell me to stop?"

The tiger just shook his head, and he watched intently as Jason popped the lid off the little bottle and squeezed some of the clear fluid inside it into his paws. "I've been telling people to stop for far too long," he finally said, though the last word was almost lost to a little moan of pleasure as Jason began to work the lube down and across his shaft. Those slicked fingers were good enough to milk a little drool of pre, and the fluids mixed as Cameron began to purr.

It was clear that Jason had a plan, and the coyote smiled a little more broadly as he shuffled slowly up further along Cameron's body. One of his lube-coated paws shifted to his own shaft, groping and squeezing it free of his sheath as the other ducked briefly under his tail. Moments later, that paw dropped down lower to trail a fingertip across the tiger's length and lift it up towards him. Jason's smile faltered for a moment as he eased himself back, muzzle parted as he slid that slick length of feline malehood between his cheeks.

Cameron humped up lightly with his hips, just enough to tease his tip up and across the coyote's entrance. He smiled as he reached out to gently take both of the canine's hips in his grasp, and that smile only grew as he watched Jason begin to squirm down and back against the tiger's length. A little thread of dominance wound through Cameron, so used to being the guy on the bottom, as he ground himself up along but not into the canine's waiting tailhole. Little whimpers and moans reached him from Jason, and he felt the coyote's malehood press down against his belly as he leaned up lightly.

Then all it took was a quick press from a well-placed gray paw, and Cameron's tease came to an end. That little push drew one upward thrust in with just enough force to catch the tiger's tip against Jason's tailring, and the coyote wasn't willing to waste the opportunity. Before Cameron could even move, the canine straightened up and leaned back in a single motion. He pushed down with a gasp that Cameron shared, as the head of the tiger's length quickly pushed up past that tight ring and into the heat of the coyote's body.

The tiger groaned as he felt his fingers tighten their grip on the coyote's hips. He didn't need to add any of his own strength to Jason's downward push. Instead, he simply leaned back against the bed as the male above him did all the work. Each inch of the tiger's shaft that vanished into Jason's body made the canine twitch a little harder, and each tremble and shake of his body just squeezed down a little tighter around Cameron's length.

A small shot of pre left a trail in Cameron's chest fur as Jason grunted and pushed himself down the rest of the way in a single firm thrust. His malehood pulsed against the tiger's belly as he brought both paws down and in front of himself again, and he rested them on Cameron's shoulders as he wriggled his hips slowly down in the feline's lap. "Still not telling me to stop?" he asked, as he grinned down.

That grin was split by a gasp as Cameron's fingers tightened around Jason's hips. He ground himself up firmly against the coyote's rump, sheath scrunched up before that tight ring of muscle as he felt those inner walls squeeze hotly down around his malehood. "You're the one who said he doesn't think I'm gonna stop him," he replied once the twitching of the canine slowed, and the tingles of pleasure had stopped clenching around his shaft.

"Well, I didn't actually know if you'd go for this," came the reply from above Cameron. The coyote tipped his ears back and shrugged, hiding the burn of his blush from the tiger's sight as he started to slowly work himself up along Cameron's shaft again. "I hoped you would, and I knew you needed to, but I actually thought you'd turn me d- ah!"

He never had a chance to finish before Cameron finally used his grip on the canine's sides. He gave Jason a slow tug back down as he worked his hips up, and the coyote's moans mingled with his own as he sheathed himself fully once again inside the heat of his partner's body. Cameron's claws extended slightly, and they raked slowly through the fur of Jason's sides as he began to guide the coyote slowly up and down along his length.

It was far more encouragement than Jason needed. He shivered in the tiger's grasp as he worked himself up again, and his hips rolled slowly as he rose and fell shallowly along Cameron's length. He tilted his head up as his tail began to wag, a slow twitch back and forth that matched the pace of his ride. A moan slid from between his lips, and it only grew louder as he felt one of Cameron's paws release his hips to run slowly up and over his belly and chest.

The feline's fingers ran through that fur, claws parting it before his digits as he released Jason to his own pace. Cameron hoped his point had been made, as he felt a fresh surge of pleasure rush through his body at a downward push of the coyote's rump. For months he'd been trapped in his own house, forced to stare at the male he wanted with no way to allow himself any pleasure with him whatsoever. That thought only entered into Cameron's head for the briefest moment though, before Ryan was replaced fully with Jason. The way the coyote felt and sounded, the way he tasted and smelled, it was all so different to the male that tormented Cameron each and every day. It wasn't the relief that he'd expected to find, but the feline couldn't help but admit how good it felt to let himself go. Jason had been right. He had needed what the canine had offered.

And so he let himself go more fully. The coyote above him was more than happy to be in charge of Cameron's pleasure, so he gave Jason free reign. He ran his paws up and down over the canine's body, and he watched the coyote's fur fluff out wherever his fingertips had so delicately run. It enticed Jason onwards, and each increasingly needful push downwards of his hips was enough reward for Cameron to continue his tactile exploration of the other male's body. It was a loop, where each action of one fed the pleasure of the other.

Musk filled the room, the scents of males hard at play with one another. Jason's breaths began to come quicker, as short, quiet pants for air as he rode the tiger's shaft with gradually increased vigour. Each downward push of his hips enticed Cameron's upwards, and each thrust was met with just a little more force as the heat of the moment set in and took control. The base of the coyote's shaft swelled larger, and his knot throbbed heavily as it rested atop Cameron's belly. Every push, every squeeze worked that sensitive length through the tiger's soft fur, and it tickled at each inch of Jason's malehood as he moaned heatedly above the tiger.

Cameron joined in, as he gave Jason one particularly hard, deep thrust as the coyote bore down on him again. It made his partner's whole body tremble, sharply enough to be felt through his firmly embedded shaft. The pleasure took a hold of the tiger's muscles; it parted his muzzle and tugged a groan of need from his throat, and it coaxed his hips into greater action. He pumped his legs hard enough to drive himself up with greater speed into Jason's raised body, and found himself rewarded with a fresh spurt of the coyote's pre as it shot up along his body to hit his cheek. Cameron could even feel that pulse clearly, right through his shaft as Jason's body clenched down around him. He knew that the canine wasn't about to last too long, at the rate he was going. The tiger wouldn't last long either, but he wasn't so concerned with that at the moment.

Instead, the heat of the moment overpowered every other thought in Cameron's mind. Every time he felt Jason's body descend and wrap full again around his malehood, he couldn't help but drive his hips up to meet him. Their bodies collided again and again. Ryan was a distant memory, lost beneath a firetide of pleasure that rippled back and forth between tiger and coyote. Care and concern vanished, and the world itself ceased to matter as the pleasure began to peak. Sensation overpowered thought as words melted away to simple, all-expressive moans, the ears of those just beyond the room's walls completely disregarded as the waves of pleasure built upon one another.

Cameron felt his fingers curl as the coyote clenched down harder than he'd felt anyone else before. It tugged Jason's body down closer to him as he yanked the canine by two fistfuls of fur. He silenced their shared moans and whimpers as the waves began to peak and crest, and their tongues met once more as Cameron's whole body began to shudder on the edge of losing control. He didn't stop, and he couldn't slow down. The tiger all but leaped off that edge, surrendered completely to the moment as the pleasure of their joined bodies burst to the fore of his mind.

He felt Jason's canines graze his lips and tongue as cries of shared pleasure were muted and contained by muzzle-bound mouths. Sparks flew across Cameron's mind as existence flashed back through him, and he found his full attention focused on the feel of Jason's body against and around his own. Each twitch and throb of his malehood as his seed spurted into him was met with a fresh, equally constrained grunt from the pleasure-stricken canine above him. Cameron's fingers tightened further as he kept Jason close, unwilling to let go of the coyote's warmth as he rode out each new pulse of intense sensation.

It took a whole minute for the tiger to realize that his body had run dry. It took Jason even longer. Despite the flagging of their orgasms, neither male was interested for even a moment in breaking their kiss. Their tongues pressed against one another as paws roamed over lust-heated bodies, even as the warmth of orgasmic afterglow suffused the pair. It was exactly what Cameron had been missing. It was almost exactly what Ryan had offered him, back when they'd first gotten together in Pine Valley.

Ryan. The thought of the wolf was enough for somewhat dull the pleasant heat that filled Cameron's body, as the reality of the world around him set in again. His kiss eased back and finally off, and he found himself beginning to purr despite the new direction of his thoughts. "Okay," he breathed. "You were right. Needed that."

Jason's eyes slowly opened as he smiled down at Cameron, and he shrugged slowly as he lifted his arms to drape them gently over the feline's shoulders. "Feel a little bit better about things now?" he asked. No sooner were the words out of his muzzle though than he began to frown slightly, and one of his ears tipped to the side along with his head. "What is it? You don't regret this, do you?"

"No!" was Cameron's quick reply, almost more forcefully than he'd intended. The intensity of it brought a grin to Jason's face, as Cameron shook his head. "No, not at all. This was... heh, this was good. Real good. No, I just remembered something. This just kinda reminded me of Ryan, that's all. First time we did anything, I felt a bit like this."

That was enough to sour the coyote's expression somewhat, and Cameron's eyes widened as he quickly continued. "I wasn't thinking about him while we were... you know. That was all you. I mean I felt - feel; I feel - good. After Steven, and now with all the shit going on with Ryan..." He smiled a little more warmly at Jason's softening features. "Guess I didn't think that taking a friend to bed would make me feel the same way. I needed this more than I knew."

The smile finally returned to Jason's face and he nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Bad things happen to you in life, sometimes," he said, as he leaned down to touch his forehead against Cameron's. His smile broadened as he saw through the tiger's fur the flesh of his cheeks begin to redden. "You lose someone you love, your whole life gets thrown about... people are always going to mess with you. Sometimes you've just got to step back, take stock of what you really need for yourself, and just act on it. Might not be the easiest choice in the world to make, but you've got to make it or fall apart completely." His tongue flicked out briefly to lick across the feline's lips. "And I'm glad you made this choice, with me.

Cameron chuckled quietly as he gave a quick lick right back at Jason's muzzle and tongue. "So am I. But I think we should probably get cleaned up a little and head back out there. Maybe the smell's not gonna be too strong. Maybe they won't have heard us."

It was then that both Cameron and Jason heard a quiet little knock on the door, followed by two distinctly different laughs. "It's a bit late for that, guys," came a muffled voice from behind the door.

Jason began to laugh as well, and Cameron shook his head as he leaned down and buried his head in the coyote's chest fur. Embarrassing or not, caught or not, the night was off to a flying start. "Well, let's just get cleaned up enough that we don't offend their delicate noses," he finally said with a smile, as Jason sat up again.

His smile broadened as the canine began to slip up and off Cameron's shaft, and he shook his head with a chuckle. He might not have planned or even really wanted it, but he couldn't deny what had happened. The night had gotten off to a good start, and it was still young.

The rest of that night was considerably more uneventful. Aside from a few pointed comments and friendly ribbing from Jason's friends regarding the two's activities, the focus of the night had remained on absolutely, terribly bad-awesome action movies. After being so thoroughly discovered by the others there for the movies, Jason had been a lot less shy about being snuggled up against Cameron. The two had spent most of the night pressed up against one another, with the coyote leaned into Cameron's side and the tiger's arm around Jason's shoulders. Cameron could almost feel the stress melt out of him.

It had been hard to pull himself away from the others before the night was really done. Jason and his other friends didn't have any work in the morning, but Cameron did. He knew that he had to get back, get an early night before the stress of the outside world just became far too much for him to bear again. He'd gone so far as to give Jason a little kiss on the cheek before he left, though the coyote had turned around in the middle of it and all but stuck his tongue down Cameron's throat... not that the tiger really minded something a little more passionate. Certainly not after what all they'd gotten up to.

Still, it was impossible for the tiger to keep the smile from his muzzle as he made his way up to his apartment. His tail swayed behind him as he walked, and the warmth and mirth of the night kept him going as he walked quietly up to his door, unlocked it, and strode inside.

The smells of the house remained as they had when he'd left. It was that familiar, homey mixture of his own scent and Ryan's, mingled together along with the remaining traces of William's musk from when Cameron had caught the pair earlier. The detection of the rabbit's scent was enough to cast a shadow across the tiger's mind, but he put it aside. He'd had a good night. Half-remembered aromas and the connotations of them could wait until tomorrow at the very least.

Then he heard Ryan's groan. It was the same groan he'd heard many times before. It was the same groan he himself had been able to elicit, back when he'd not been in enough control of his urges. It was a groan of a very happy wolf, in the process of working himself up to an orgasm. Cameron shivered at the sound of it and turned away from the short hall that led to his bedroom. If the lupine hadn't heard him come in as he so often didn't, then the tiger wasn't going to interrupt his alone time.

Then he heard a different moan.

It snapped Cameron's head around, as all the warmth and mirth of the evening vanished. All the good that he felt, everything from the company to the laughably bad action movie dialogue to Jason's warm touch snapped into nothingness at the sound of that new, impassioned voice. Cameron knew the sounds Ryan made during sex, and he'd gotten used to the sounds he made when jerking off by himself, too. The tiger's keen ears knew better; there was someone else in the bedroom with Ryan.

Ordinarily, he'd have waited. Other times, he'd stop and get a drink and listen and wait for the pair to finish. Not that time. Not after the conversation that had been had a mere four hours previous. With the grace and silence that came from feline heritage, Cameron made his way over to the hall and paused briefly at the edge of the bedroom. The door was open. The wolf inside obviously hadn't expected company.

A quick glance inside showed a pair of shifting bodies; black-furred lupine on gray-furred rabbit. From the other times Cameron had caught them at it, he easily identified the tailhole being pounded as that of William; the same rabbit Ryan had been fucking earlier in the day. Frustration snapped and transmuted into anger, though the tiger held his tongue and remained silent as he watched the pair go at it. He waited for just the right moment.

Then he saw his opening. The two, atop the bed and faced away from the door, were on the verge of losing their control. Ryan's hips pumped away vigorously as his moans reached a fever pitch, and Cameron's sheer anger was enough to force away the memories of when the wolf had mounted him in such a manner. He saw Ryan's knot flare and grow, until finally he knew the moment to reveal himself had come. He stepped silently into the room.

And then, just as Ryan pushed forward hard and sank his knot into the rabbit's squeezing backside, he opened his mouth and spoke loudly enough to be heard over the sounds of their rut. "Ryan."

Chaos erupted. Both males twisted their heads - and indeed almost all their bodies - around to view the owner of the voice that interrupted them. Both William and Ryan yelped in surprise as the wolf tumbled away from the rabbit, and his embedded knot pulled William along with him. They became a mess of limbs and fur, panting and writhing as they tried to orient themselves to face the distinctly not-amused face of the tiger in the doorway.

Cameron's anger only flared slightly brighter as he watched William's shaft begin to spurt right across his sheets. His eyes only fixed briefly on the fresh white streaks before he turned his glare back on Ryan, the wolf's ears flat atop his head and his eyes wide with fear. He was busted, and he knew it. "C-Cameron-"

"Not," he bit out, "one... fucking... word. Not one. You neither!" he quickly added, as he snapped at William. The rabbit had opened his mouth, ostensibly to offer some manner of defence, but Cameron was not in the mood to hear any such thing. His voice was cold as ice, flat and sharp as his eyes narrowed. "Not a single god-damn word, unless you're answering my fucking questions! Are we clear?" The two nodded vigorously, even as William's shaft continued to spurt slowly. Cameron might have found it funny, were it not for the liquid rage boiling inside him. "What the fuck, Ryan? We talked about this! We talked about this today! How'd this happen?"

The wolf held Cameron's gaze, completely unable to break his eyes from the enraged stare of the feline. His muzzle worked silently at the air for a moment as he obviously tried to come up with the right words to respond with. "I called Sam," he finally replied, and his voice squeaked once as Cameron folded his arms firmly across his chest. "Then... then I called William. I want to stay."

"And did you happen to tell Sam any of this?" growled Cameron, as he took a single step further into the room. Both Ryan and William cringed, as if afraid to be struck. "What exactly was the nature of your conversation with your girlfriend, Ryan?"

Again, it took a few moments for Ryan to compose himself before he was able to respond. "I... well, I asked her how she was, what she was up to..." He glanced down and away from Cameron, at last breaking the feline's glare. "Told her that I might stay a while longer..."

Shock and disgust wormed its way through Cameron's head as he fought back the urge to try to physically slap some sense into the wolf's brain. Even when he'd caught Steven cheating on him, he'd not felt so much revulsion. "And did you tell her why?" he snarled.

When Ryan just shook his head slowly, Cameron turned away from the wolf and the rabbit. He curled his fingers into a fist and held it up, before he thudded it lightly against the doorframe. "Fucking...dammit¸Ryan! What the hell are you thinking? I told you! I fucking told you, in no uncertain terms, that this shit was over! That we weren't doing this kinda thing anymore! I told you what the consequences would be, didn't I?"

"You told me to make a decision!" Ryan snapped back. The sudden fire in his voice was tinged with anger; without the intensity of Cameron's stare on him, a little boldness had returned to the lupine. "I made it! I want to stay, like I said! I'll tell Sam, I just... I need to be careful." He growled as his nostrils flared. "And don't think I can't smell the sex on you, Cam. Have a little fun with Jason while you were out? One of his friends, maybe? How're you any different here?"

Cameron's jaw dropped before he could compose a proper response. "How's it different? It's different because I'm not cheating on the person I've been with since college, Ryan! It's different because I'm not doing it behind the back of someone who I love... if you even still love her," he added.

The words certainly managed to pierce some of Ryan's anger. "Of course I still love her," he replied. "It's just a messy situation and-"

"You made it a messy situation!" interrupted the tiger, as he spun to face Ryan again. "And I sure as hell didn't help matters, and I plan to tell Sam that when I tell her my own god-damn self." He uncurled his fist and jabbed a single finger at the wolf. Jason's words flashed through his head, and Cameron realized that the coyote had been right.

It might hurt and suck, but he knew what he had to do for his own sake. "You are out. You are not staying in my fucking apartment. Get your things and get out. The moment your cock goes down, you're gone, and I hope you have a fucking plan. And you," he added, as he shifted his finger's point to William, "get out, too. I don't want to see you again."

"I do have a plan," Ryan growled, as he sat himself up higher on the bed. It shifted William too, and the rabbit gasped and fought to keep silent as the lupine's knot tugged his backside about. "I'll stay with Will here until I can get my own place. I'll be able to-"

"Whoa, wait a second," William interrupted, as he turned to Ryan. "You... never said anything like that to me, man. You can't stay with me."

Cameron's muzzle curled into a cold smile as sudden fear washed over Ryan's face. "You... can't?" he asked. His voice was suddenly soft. Concerned.

"No, you can't. I still live with the folks. They don't know I'm... you know. I can't bring someone in to live with me and tell them that it's the guy I'm fucking." The rabbit frowned as he looked away from both Ryan and Cameron. "I'm sorry, man. I just can't."

The tiger tilted his head up and shrugged. "Oh, that's okay," he said, and his voice all but dripped with sarcasm as he glanced back at Ryan. "I'm sure some of the other guys you've slept with will be happy to help you out, right? How about... Tommy, was it?"

"Lives with his daughter," Ryan muttered as his ears drooped. "Wouldn't want someone else around."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind having you around."

But the wolf shook his head. "Charlie only hooked up with me for sex. That's all it ever was."

Cameron adopted a quick, surprised expression. "Oh... but that's all the guys that I know about." He snapped his fingers as he grinned. "Oh, hey! There is one other! There's that tiger who you slept with first! Maybe he'd help you out. Oh, what was his name..."

Ryan began to bristle. "Cam, stop-"

"Cameron! That was it! Cam! Maybe Cam can help you out here." The tiger scowled and snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait... Cam can't help, because Cam tried to help but you went back on your word and fucked him over!" His glare returned in full force as he dropped all the sarcasm. "So let me get this straight here, Ry. You're in a big city. Your only real friend is the one who you decided to go and lie to and whose trust you decided to abuse. The only guy in the whole god-damn city who could help you, who was taking care of you... and you went and betrayed him. That about sum this situation up?"

When the wolf slowly nodded, Cameron turned and stepped back into the hallway again. "So here's what we're going to do then, Ryan. Listen up, and you better fucking listen good." Ryan nodded again, and Cameron paused long enough to make sure that the lupine's full attention was fixed on him. "You've got nowhere to go here. Just me, and you've worn me out. You could spend the money that you've earned from your little art website, and you could hole up in a hotel until it runs dry. I guarantee you're not making enough money to support yourself. Not even Sarah's that good for new talent.

"So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to go out there, boot up my computer, and book you a flight back to Pine Valley. I'm going to book it for a week from now. I'm going to keep you here, in my home and sleeping on my couch, until such a time as your flight leaves." Both of his paws curled into fists as his eyes narrowed again. "And if I catch anyone in this apartment that I did not invite in here personally? You're out of here a little early. You'll get no more help from me." He extended one clenched paw into the bedroom again. "Door key. Now."

Ryan hesitated before he reached over to the small nightstand beside the bed. On it rested a single little key, still shiny from when Cameron had had it cut for the wolf. It let him come and go as he pleased.

When Ryan tossed it over, Cameron snatched it out of the air and stuffed it in one pocket. "Consider this a house arrest of sorts. You don't come, and you don't go except to go to the fucking airport. I'll give you food and a roof over your head for the next week, and I'll even drive you out of here myself. But so help me, if you have one person here that I am not expecting? You're going to find yourself out of here a lot sooner." He smiled thinly, but there was no warmth or joy in the expression. "I'll leave you two to finish up."

"Cam?" The voice was Ryan's, and it wavered as the tiger lifted an eyebrow. The wolf almost looked ready to cry. "I'm sorry... really, I'm sorry..."

The tiger's reply was short, sharp, and devoid of comfort. "Yeah? Say it again and I might believe you." Cameron turned away before either Ryan or William could respond. He shut the door hard behind him, stormed off down the hallway, and he didn't look back.

[Listen to Drowning by Missy Higgins with this Grooveshark link!](%5C)

Drowning lyrics

Maybe I'm just living out the same old stories, in and out,

But you know, that don't make it easier.

Time will fly away with me,

If truth won't stop then let me see,

And tell me I am to believe that you and I should never be again.

I'm drowning.

When the one you leave is the one thing you believe,

You say goodbye when underneath's your one belief,

That love rules all; conquers all.

It's funny how the times that seem unbearable,

Are the ones that you don't ever want to end.

And when your childhood slips away,

You find you face a brand new day,

And you know, it can't be the same again.

'Cause when you leaved, you stayed in my memories.

I'm sayin' goodbye for now, and have a drink for us.

And good luck,

In finding your way.

Clawing out will sometimes seem so far away,

Never knowing if I'll live to see another day.

Never seem to find out what to do,

No one seems to tell you,

'Cause you're drowning.

When the one you live is the one thing you believe,

You say goodbye when underneath's your one belief,

That love rules all; conquers all.

That love rules all,

It conquers all.