The Shepherd and the Lion
I haven't forgotten about this collection! I just have had a lot of other things taking up time and attention.
In theory, I could have gone with a more literal interpretation of ‘shepherd’, but I liked this idea better.
OBLIGATORY CONTENT WARNING: This story contains sexual acts between two males, size difference, and predictable stress relief methods.
It was another fine day in Aesop, with the sun shining and birds chirping from the trees. Even better, it was on a weekend, so many people were less occupied than they usually were, meaning the streets were plenty full and bustling with people. On a day like that, it felt like it was almost a requirement to be relaxed and carefree.
Which was why Lazlo had a mission - to get some of that relaxation and carefreeness to someone who both needed and deserved it.
It was a familiar trek for him, had been for a few years now, getting down a road and towards a house he’d been to many times before. It wasn’t a particularly standout building, very plain, almost rustic or old-fashioned in appearance, like it was out of a storybook but existed just to have an indoor setting, and was even a bit on the smaller side compared to most of the ones in Aesop, which wasn’t known for having a lot of excessively large residences. Still, for some people, less space was more comfortable.
He knocked on the door, taking a gander over the wood-paneled outside to make sure it was all in good condition. It might not have been his responsibility, but noticing things like this was all about being a good neighbor, something that was the way to be in Aesop. Kindness was one of those things that helped sustain the magic of this place, and everyone doing their part meant they could all keep enjoying things the way they did.
Soon enough, the door opened, and a human man, somewhat short in stature, looked up at Lazlo with slightly weary eyes. He was among the rare dressed individuals, though his clothes looked like they had been worn a bit too long with as wrinkled as they were. “Oh, hello, Laz. Sorry, I’m not at my best, I wasn’t expecting a visitor today.”
“You never are, Chad. You’d think as often as you get them, you’d be prepared for them by now.” Lazlo patted Chad on the shoulder and stuck his tongue out teasingly. “I came by to see how our shepherd is doing, and to get him away from his duties for a little while.”
“As you always seem to want to do. Don’t you know a shepherd has to always be on the watch?”
“Only when it’s dangerous. And when they have a flock to tend to.”
“The flock doesn’t stop needing attention just because they aren’t in class. There’s a lot of preparation to do.” Chad closed the door behind Lazlo as the lion stepped in, Lazlo looking almost too big for the main room. It was a fairly simply-laid-out house the lion stepped into - a bedroom and bathroom accessible on one side of the main room, a kitchen and den/office room on the other side. Very compartmentalized and organized, very fitting for the type of person Chad was. He liked to be very organized…the problem was the amount of time that took, especially because he wasn’t doing it just for himself, but for many of the school-age children of the town.
Schooling in Aesop was a bit different than most other places, but not at every level. At the higher grades, the core curriculum was more life-skills-oriented, and a lot of teaching was tailored towards individual interests - one didn’t have to take a lot of courses that didn’t really interest them just to fit some arbitrary standard, they could get an early start on things that were more their thing. But the earlier grades were perhaps a bit more similar to the rest of the country, providing the foundations of knowledge that the youth would need to succeed later on. Aesop’s elementary schools were perhaps a little less structured than the norm and less focused on grading performance strictly than providing the assistance needed for those who weren’t getting it quite as quickly, but it still had enough structure that it took time to organize and prepare.
Which was the main reason that Chad was busy. Except it was probably rougher for him than anyone else, because he was both a teacher and the head administrator of Linden Elementary, which meant he both needed to prepare for classes and keep the rest of the school organized as well. And even though things were typically lower-stress and lower-stakes in Aesop, some people were just wired a certain way to be especially fussy about things like this…Chad was certainly one of them, and Lazlo knew he wasn’t one of those who could easily break away from things.
At least, not without a helping paw. “Chad, Chad, Chad…how many times have I told you that things won’t fall apart if you aren’t putting all the pins in all the holes? We all appreciate that you’re invested in the well-being of the young men and women of Aesop, but you’re not doing this alone, and you really don’t have to be doing it the way you’re doing it, either. Have you considered taking on an assistant? There’s probably a fresh graduate or two who’d love to get into education who could gain some valuable experience from helping you.”
Chad sighed. “Maybe…but…it feels like there’s so much to do, and I wonder if they’ll do a good enough job, and…well, I worry that if they don’t then we’ll be failing them, you know?”
Laz put his arm around Chad as he took the human to his bedroom and sat him down on the bed. “You put too much on yourself. That’s why they call you the shepherd, you know? You act like you’re the one who needs to lead the flock all the time, watch over them constantly for any sign of trouble…but here in Aesop, we’re meant to be working together, so that too much burden doesn’t fall on any one person. I know you know this, you’ve been here long enough, but it seems I have to keep reminding you, because if I don’t, you slip back into your norm.”
Chad hung his head a bit. “…Ah, I guess you’re right…guess that’s just what being burned in the past does to you. I told you before, it wasn’t like this back at my last school, things were so chaotic and disorganized and no one was willing to step up except me…it’s hard to accept that it’s not the same here, because I saw what happened when it all fell apart.”
“And that’s one of the reasons you told me you came here, wasn’t it?” Laz reminded him. “Because you needed a place to get away from the stress after it ran you into the ground. But you aren’t getting away from it if you get back into the same mindset. Let others help you. Take an assistant, take two. Even consider relinquishing one or the other task…most administrators aren’t teachers, you know, that’s two full jobs.”
“Maybe you’re right…I just, I worry about losing touch being an administrator without knowing what the teachers are dealing with. But maybe I’d be happier just being back to teaching…but someone has to do the job, you know?”
“Sure, but that someone doesn’t have to be you. You know, maybe you should consider something like Cabbel did, and make it like a teacher’s council thing, so there’s not just one person doing the administrative duties. Then you can be sure that the admins know what the teacher’s going through, because all the teachers are in that role.”
That was something Chad lingered on for a bit. “If they go for it…well, it’s worth thinking about, I guess.”
“Right. And now that I’ve gotten you broken out of your rut, it’s time for you to also think about getting outside and enjoying the sunshine.” Laz pointed out the window. “Days this nice may not be one in a million, but they should be enjoyed all the same, especially when the time is free enough to.”
Chad gave Laz a weak smile. “I did tell myself I needed to cherish the moments more. That was something I couldn’t do back then…thanks, Laz. I really do appreciate how good you are at saving me from myself…I wish I was a little better at doing it on my own.”
“Time, and doing more to break away from it, will help you with that. But that’s what we’re about here, helping each other out.” Laz grinned a bit as his hand grabbed at Chad’s shirt. “And, in this case, I think ‘helping out’ also means helping you out of these clothes and REALLY taking your mind off of work by occupying it with something else.”
“Heh…you want to wear me out before I even get outside?”
“Oh, I’m certain I’ll leave plenty in your tank to still go out and enjoy this fine day. Perhaps leaking a little something to entice someone else to help you relax, too.” Laz pulled Chad’s shirt up and off of him, the human making no protest - Laz was plenty familiar with this routine by now, a chat to help get Chad out of his disordered thinking, and then a good pounding to relax him, usually did the trick to get him back into good spirits. “After all, I need to get back out there myself, too. I love the sunshine, and it’s supposed to be rather sparse the next couple days.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to make sure you don’t have to linger too long on me.” Chad leaned into Laz, lifting himself up as the lion worked his pants down his legs, facilitating his stripping as much as he could without actually doing it himself. There was something enjoyable about letting Laz do that to him, almost like he was letting the city itself pull him into its embrace and mindset, which was the way he wanted it to be…something that got him out of the bad thinking and strain that came with his past experiences, setting him on the right path. At some point, he’d be able to stay there without needing the help.
His own hand went to the lion’s sheath, rubbing it a bit as Laz pulled his pants all the way off, leaving him as naked as his compatriot, perhaps more so considering his lack of fur. “Mmm…I feel more comfortable already. I guess the weather really is meant for bare bodies.”
“Oh, yes, it’s a very good atmosphere for that,” purred Lazlo as he ran his hands over Chad’s body, tweaking his nipples a bit and giving him a bit of a grope in his groin, where the human’s modest length was rising to the occasion. “Maybe we’ll even break you of that bad habit of covering up so often.”
“Pfft. I think that’s a useful habit, considering teaching elementary school is one of those rare times you ARE asked to cover up.”
“Heh, yeah, elementary’s that rare time and place where we’re supposed to keep the hanky-panky to a minimum. But fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that here.” Laz rolled Chad down onto the bed on his back, shifting over him and rubbing his barbed tool against the human’s, getting an amorous moan out of Chad. “Mrr, you sound pretty pent up…would I be correct in thinking you haven’t been getting much action lately?”
“Nnhh…you, ah, might be…”
“Tsk, that certainly won’t do. We’ll have to get you out and properly emptied today. But I’ll be happy to provide the first release.” The way Chad was squirming, just that frotting was potentially enough to achieve that, but the lion had other ideas as he drew his cock down and positioned it right at that waiting rear end. His hold on Chad tightened as he shoved forward, burying his thick cock inside the human and making him cry out in bliss and relief. “Oof, you’re squeezing pretty hard already, you REALLY needed this…”
“Haha…Laz…more, please…”
“Of course.” Laz slipped his hands from Chad’s sides to under him, getting down a little more as he began to thrust into the human, taking it at a measured but energetic pace, working that barbed shaft in and out of Chad. He could feel the human clenching down onto him, making those barbs flex more against his insides and giving Laz a good bolt of ecstasy as well. Chad was always a good lay in Law’s experience, but he seemed especially eager and needy today, and that only made his reactions more intense. And who was Laz not to encourage this? His tongue came out to play, lapping with its rough surface at Chad’s neck and shoulder, getting little shivers out of the human.
Slowly the pace picked up, more encouraged by Chad than pushed by Laz as he started to push back against the lion a little. His fingers were clinging to the covers, his voice quivered as he moaned and cried out, his body squirmed and twisted and clenched down on that cock scouring his insides in the most delicious way. And Laz only encouraged this release of built-up tension as best he could, licking and rubbing and driving in, focusing on nailing the human’s prostate, trying to push that button enough to set Chad off in the best way. He was feeling the tension building himself, not holding much back as he knew Chad wasn’t going to last very long in this state - a quick release was almost inevitable when one was this pent-up.
And that was only reinforced when he heard Chad’s voice break out through his heavy breaths. “L-Laz…I’m…almost there…please…gi-ive it all to me!” That voice was almost desperate, showing how much he really needed that pinnacle, and Laz wasn’t about to deny him. He lifted up a bit and started to pound away hard, going almost double-time as he worked Chad to the limit, as well as himself, growling a little as he felt that pressure increase, his dick leaking madly, making him ram in faster but doing little to smooth the clawing of those barbs whenever he pulled back. And as he got right up to the verge, he delivered the last element, reaching down and locking his jaw onto Chad’s shoulder, holding it tight in a mating bite.
It took only a few seconds from there for everything to cascade. Chad got there first, throwing his arms around Laz and throwing his head back as he cried out in rapture, firing off his spunk right into Lazlo’s fur, making a nice mess between their bodies as it rubbed back and forth. Laz finished just a couple seconds later, ramming in and then humping and grinding with deep growls as he painted the human’s insides deep with his own essence, flowing fast and free and making Chad shiver with the warmth of it as it poured into him. In that moment, everything else was cast aside, only the thrill of climax mattered, and they shared in it, rubbing against each other and reveling in the feeling of their bodies and their fluids, the visceral sensations of sex clearing away everything else.
When they came back to earth, it was as two panting, sweaty figures on a somewhat messy bed, jizz staining the covers as it leaked from Chad and creating a sticky mess along their stomachs. Laz let go of Chad’s shoulder and rolled them over onto their sides, giving himself a break from the exertion without plopping down on the smaller human. “Huff…better?”
“Much…thank you…” panted out the reply. “Mmm…feels so…good to have that…stretch again.”
“Heh…you wouldn’t be missing it…if you let yourself get out a bit more,” Laz chuckled. “Plenty of guys out there…who’d love to take a crack at you. Think I’ll just have to…prove that to you.”
“Mm…well, I’ll, ah…be glad to have it proven, I think…but let’s…not be in too much of a rush, I’m, ah, probably…going to need to regain some energy for that.”
Laz chuckled a bit. “Are you just trying to keep my cock in you as long as possible?”
“…Maybe.”
“Hah! Don’t worry, it’ll be replaced soon enough. I’ll let it go soft, though…then we’ll get you some water and get you out there. You’ll get plenty of wind back by the time we get to the park…and plenty of attention to knock it out of you again.” And Laz had no doubt there’d be plenty of attention to help get Chad taken care of. After all, helping out was the neighborly thing to do, and they all wanted to be neighborly…especially when it was this much fun.