FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

No More Excuses copyright 2011 comidacomida

Four days of evading the media had begun to take its toll. Even with the support of his coworkers during the day and Tanner at night, Paul had trouble sleeping, and even more trouble going through the motions of the day. The emails kept coming in, albeit, at a slower pace. It was Wednesday, at least, he was pretty sure it was Wednesday, and he sat staring at the latest batch of emails blankly. Paul wasn't sure how long he gazed numbly at the screen, but he didn't stop until there was a courteous "ahem" at the entrance to his cubicle.

"Good afternoon, Mr Miller." TeeSee greeted him casually.

"Oh... uh... hi." Paul responded, then did a double-take, "Afternoon?"

"One thirty... yep." the husky nodded, "That counts as afternoon last time I checked."

"I missed lunch..." Paul explained, "...again."

"Sounds like they have you running." the Dog nodded, leaning against the cubicle wall, "Big project?"

"Heh..." Paul offered a single blurted chuckle, spirit hardly in it, "yea... what with the whole news thing and all." and he froze, slowly raising his eyes to meet the husky's gaze, "Wait..."

"Hmm?" TeeSee replied, "What?"

"You're not..." Paul shook his head, "Never mind... I'm just getting jumpy. The whole news thing and all."

TeeSee nodded sympathetically, "Having my personal life on the news wouldn't really appeal to me either."

"But it's a LIE!" Paul countered, raising his voice as he started to rise from his chair. He stopped mid-standing and slowly lowered himself back down, "...sorry." he spoke, looking to the floor.

"It's okay... I understand." the tech replied. He moved just inside the cubicle and he lowered his voice, "I've met some Leashers before, and they're okay people... met some Burb Dogs too. I don't judge people based on stuff like that, but I know I'd probably flip my lid if someone went on the air and said I was a Burb Dog... so don't beat yourself up about it."

Paul paused for a moment to digest what the husky had said. There were numerous times when the human had been tearing himself up inside fighting with inner demons about why he was so angry about being called a Leasher. He knew there wasn't anything wrong with being one, not that he WAS one... but the thought of someone trying to push him into a group or sectionalize him... and that was it-- TeeSee had given his feelings credence. "Hmm..." Paul finally spoke up, "I think you'd probably handle being in my shoes better than me."

TeeSee laughed, but it wasn't a reproachful one; Paul could tell that the Dog was laughing at what he said and not him personally. "You couldn't pay me enough, Mr Miller... but I certainly respect you for taking it so well."

"Taking it well?" Paul asked, almost laughing himself, "If you think THIS is 'taking it well' I'd hate to hear what you think would be 'taking it poorly'." both of them shared a laugh. As things fell quiet between them, Paul glanced back to his computer screen, then to the tech, "So... why'd you stop by? Not to tell me I'm a personal hero of yours or something, is it?" he offered with an attempt at humor.

TeeSee wagged supportively, "Well... you are, but no... I'm trying to restrain my 'inner fan boy' at being in the presence of such a celebrity because I'm on the clock." the husky smiled, "I just had to check on something."

"Go ahead." Paul nodded.

The husky pulled out a clipboard, and glanced at it, "Do you know a Dog by the name of Tan Paw Jr?"

Paul fell out of his seat in response; it was going to be another long day.

* * * * * *

"And he asked me for a reference." Paul explained, sitting in the break room with Tanner on the phone.

"Really?" his boyfriend asked. Paul could tell by his voice that he was wagging.

"Yea..." the human nodded, though he knew Tanner wouldn't be able to see it, "I told him you were lazy and prone to acts of kleptomania."

"Did you now?" he could hear the smile in the Dog's tone.

"Mmm-hmm... he said that you sounded like just the kind of intern they were looking for and that you'd make a great patsy for the upcoming white-collar crime spree they had planned." Paul actually managed a smile at the silly humor of it.

"As long as they give me a cut, I guess I could do that." Tanner responded, "of course, you'd have to promise you'd wait for me to get out of jail..."

"To heck with that!" Paul answered with a laugh, "The moment you get locked up I'm heading out and hitting the clubs to look for--" the words got stuck in his mouth as Miranda entered the lunch room, "Gotta go." Paul added quickly and he hung up.

"Hey, Dakota." Miranda smiled, crossing the distance between them before she helped herself to a seat, "Late lunch, huh?"

Paul nodded, stowing his cell, "Yea... the darn emails keep coming."

"Well, then I'm happy to be the bearer of good news--" Miranda began.

"Dakota! You're off email duty!" Candy announced, coming into the break room with a skip in her step. Paul's gaze went from the upbeat beagle to a suddenly-seething Asian coworker.

"Damn it, Candy!" Miranda exploded out of her seat and turned to face the Dog, "Can't you see we were talking?!?"

Candy came to a stop and paused, "I... just wanted to congratulate Paul on handling everything so well."

"Good. You did that." Miranda noted with a scowl, "I wanted to be the one to tell him... after all, I've done the most at helping out so far." she put her hands on her hips.

"Oh... sorry." Candy's ears drooped.

"It's fine." Miranda noted tightly, "Done?"

The beagle nodded, "Yea... I guess I'll see you both at the party tonight?"

"Party?" Paul asked.

"God DAMN IT, CANDY! OUT! OUT! NOW! OUT! GO!" Miranda motioned her out of the break room. The Dog let out a faint yelp, and quickly exited.

"Party?" Paul repeated as Miranda sat down once more.

"Right." Miranda let out a sigh, "It sounds like AHB is giving us Thursday off with pay because of the great work everyone did on the AHB commercial, and they're staying closed on Friday to compensate for working Sunday... no overtime and all that." she rubbed her forehead, "Damn it... I wanted to surprise you with the party-thing."

"What 'party-thing'?" Paul asked. starting to feel just a little nervous.

"That Eizenzahn guy from Mein Hund saw the ad and liked it so much he sent a bonus for the AHB staff... apparently we're all going to a night club he rented out for us to celebrate our work." Miranda noted, brushing her bangs out of her face, "If Mein Hund is going to be this free with their money all the time I hope Aimes keeps em happy."

Paul felt his pulse increase though he couldn't figure out why. A faint tingle in the back of his neck told him that whatever Eizenzahn had planned that there was more to it than was readily visible-- it seemed lately that the Doberman's personal touch on things always seemed to have that little "something extra".

"Anyway, since you're off of email detail you can come to the opening presentation of the Mein Hund ad... the whole office gets to see it before it goes off to the tv stations." Miranda grabbed his wrist with both hands and pulled him up, "Everyone's waiting for you."

"For me?" Paul asked, "Why?"

"Because, Dakota... you're the photographer." Miranda noted, "Duh!"

"But I didn't do anything..." Paul argued, "I spent all my time answering emails."

"Pfft." Miranda rolled her eyes as she brought him to the cutting and matting room, "Before that... the clip you sent to Eizenzahn is the one we used."

"The clip I--" Paul would have frozen in place if Miranda hadn't been tugging on his arm.

"Yea. Pure genius, I'd say." Miranda added, "Basic video... made it look real amateur. It was a nice touch for the theme." she smiled back at him, and he didn't have a chance to respond as she pulled him into the work room, which was doubling as a screening room. The two of them entered just as the ad was coming to a close, but Paul didn't really need to see it to know what it was.

Paul watched as Casey, who had been dancing in his underwear, slowly turned to look toward the camera and an expression of complete surprise slid across the Dalmatian's muzzle. The screen faded to black and the phrase "Get spotted in Mein Hund." appeared. That also faded to black and the lights came on. Everyone was looking at Paul; he felt his face turn what must have been an unbelievably unachievable shade of red. He felt like he was going to pass out with embarrassment... and then the applause began.

It was impossible for Paul to make sense of the rest of the meeting. People were congratulating him and slapping him on the back and calling it pure genius. Ben had some words of encouragement to give to him but, at the same time, also reminded him that he worked for AHB and that he should get any more out-of-the-studio work approved through Mr Aimes or Mr Burke.

"Impropriety isn't a good thing to be accused of, Dakota," Ben had said, "Better play it safe before they think you might switch employers." Paul remembered saying something affirmative to the suggestion before getting pulled away from everyone by Miranda.

"You're going to outshine everyone here before you know it." she said, walking with him down the hall away from the gathering.

"I... I'm not trying to." he answered truthfully, not knowing what else to say.

"Which makes it all the more amazing." she smiled, coming to a stop once they were a good distance from the cutting and matting room, "Paul... I need to be honest with you."

"Aren't you always?" he asked; it was the first thing that came to mind.

"I mean REALLY honest." she stated.

"Uh... okay." he responded.

"I'm your guardian angel here, Paul." she announced, "People aren't always going to be on your side. When you start outdoing others they start getting petty... like Mateo."

"But he--" Paul began, about to remind her just WHY he threw his tantrum. If she hadn't removed his name from the work--

"No buts, Paul." she interrupted, "You have to trust me on this." Miranda announced, approaching closer. Paul backed up until his back was against the wall, "You're a really nice guy. You don't know how to handle the corporate world... so I'm going to be your guardian angel."

"...why?" he squeaked.

"Because you need one." she smiled, moving even closer. She placed her hands against the wall on either side of his head.

"I mean..." he swallowed hesitantly, "You should be worried about your own career. You're not intimidated by me?"

Miranda laughed, "Watching you squirm like you are right now? What's to be afraid of?" she smiled, "No... I know you aren't a threat, Paul... I'm a realist, remember?"

"Then... why help me?" he asked.

"I thought that'd be obvious by now." she drew closer, going up to her tip toes so she could reach his mouth with hers.

"Ahem." a throat was cleared in the hall, and Miranda quickly withdrew.

"Anyway, nice chat, Dakota... congratulations again." she announced, and made her way quickly down the hall past Ray, who stood off to the side, "Hey, Ray." she added, passing by the retriever, who cleared his throat again.

"Everything okay, Dakota?" Ray asked, glancing back toward Miranda, "She wasn't strong-arming you or anything, was she?"

Paul shook his head numbly, "No..." he looked back to the Dog, "she was about to kiss me."

"Should I have not interrupted?" the retriever inquired, tail wagging, a wide grin splitting his muzzle.

"Yes... god yes." Paul nodded, "I think I would have rather been strong-armed."

Ray gave a belly-laugh in response at that, "Intimidating either way?" he asked, tail wagging as the two walked down the hall together back toward Paul's cubicle.

"Yea... she's... crazy." Paul nodded.

"Crazy about you, apparently." the Dog noted.

"Don't remind me." the human sighed.

"Someone has to." Ray countered, his voice getting a little more serious tone, "Eventually you two are going to have to have a talk."

"That's not going to end well." Paul stated.

"It'll only get worse the longer you wait." the Dog pointed out.

"I know... I know..." Paul sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Worry about it later... just not MUCH later." Ray pointed out, clasping a paw on the human's shoulder, "Tonight should be fun."

"I'm worried about tonight, to be honest." Paul countered.

"Worried? Why? It's a party, Paul." Ray smiled.

"Because Eizenzahn is funding it." the human noted honestly.

"Heh." Ray smirked, "Now THAT Dog is intimidating, I'll give you that... but he seems to like you plenty."

"Believe me... it only makes it worse." Paul pointed out, stepping into his cubicle.

"Well..." Ray acknowledged from the entrance with a smile, "the only thing you have to worry about tonight is if you can't sing."

"Can't sing?" Paul asked, freezing as he reached for his jacket, "Why does that matter?"

"Didn't you hear?" the retriever inquired, "We're meeting up at a karaoke bar."

"Son of a--"

* * * * * *

Paul had only been in a karaoke bar one other time in his life, and it was one he'd rather have forgotten. He wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that the only people in the bar aside from the staff were his coworkers and their guests. On one hand, singing in front of random strangers was a bad thing... but at least they didn't know him or have to work with him. Singing in front of coworkers, on the other hand, meant that they might go easier on him... or else torment him until the end of time.

"Alright, AHB..." noted the DJ, a short bulldog with cropped ears and a pair of over sized headphones, "Welcome to the B-Sharp Bar, a place where everyone can be sharp." Paul would have smiled at the horrible humor if not for the deep-seated dread at that thought that he might be expected to sing. "I'm your DJ for this evening-- everyone calls me Scratch." the Dog spoke over the music that was already playing... what sounded like a wordless version of 'Celebration'.

"We're gonna get things started off in just a bit.." he continued, "but first, let's get everyone settled. Drinks are covered tonight so have a blast but all you designated drivers better remember that safety and sobriety go hand-in-paw." and, with that, he went back to loading a music set while everyone continued to mingle.

"Dakota! Hey, Dakota!" candy caught his attention by waving to him. Eager for any kind of distraction, he went over to meet with the beagle.

"Hey Candy." Paul smiled, pausing when he saw the Dachshund at her side.

"Oh... right." she smiled, looking to the second Dog, "Willy, this is the photographer I've been telling you about. Paul Miller, this is my boyfriend, Will-Be-Great."

"Candy's told me a lot about you, Paul." the Dachshund extended a paw. Paul accepted the paw and gave it a firm shake, and was just about to speak up with Casey interjected.

"Don't believe all of it... he's not THAT bad." the Dalmatian noted with a wink.

"And Casey." Candy added with a giggle, "He's the 'talent' from Mein Hund. Casey, this is my boyfriend, Willy."

"Well... nice to meet you too." Willy added, offering another shake.

"Got yourself quite a catch there, Willy." Casey responded with a smile, "You can bet that everyone in the office is jealous of you." Willy chuckled at that and Candy blushed. "You'll have to excuse me... I need to steal Paul for a minute."

"I'm not sure whether to be thankful or worried." Paul spoke to the Dalmatian once they were away.

"Both, probably." Casey responded, tail wagging, "You know how everyone was supposed to bring a guest?"

"Yea." Paul nodded.

"You didn't bring Tanner." Casey stated.

"I know..." Paul acknowledged, "it didn't seem prudent... not after everything that--" Paul paused as Casey brought him to a table where another Dog was seated. The human recognized the German Shepherd from behind.

"I might have brought him as MY guest." the Dalmatian offered. Paul could have had any number of colorful things to say but, at that point, the DJ picked up the mic and the events began.

"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dogs and Bitches... I'm referring to the female Dogs here, sir, not your wife." the DJ joked, and a series of laughter went up through the crowd, "We're gonna play a fun game tonight to get things started. I'm going to need some volunteers to play a karaoke game called the Wheel of the Ages." the Bulldog began to peer through the crowd, "Come on, folks... I know that SOME of you must sing... if I don't get any volunteers then I start picking folks at random, and you probably know better than me that some of your coworkers shouldn't be anywhere near a mic."

Two minutes passed as Paul felt his heart beating against his chest. The bulldog began pulling volunteers up to the stage as hands or paws were raised into the air. The human finally let out his held breath when the DJ found six volunteers and called it good. "Alright folks, that's enough participation for round one. If you really want to embarrass yourself you can wait until later... and maybe another few dozen drinks so none of us will remember you in the morning." another series of laughs followed.

The DJ began explaining the basics of the way the Wheel of the Ages worked. Each singer would spin a wheel the bulldog had behind his station. The wheel was divided into 6 categories: 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, current, and wild card. Whichever category the wheel landed on was the decade the singer had to choose from. If it landed on wild card then the singer could choose any song they wanted. "So I hope some of you are ready for some disco because you never know when someone'll land on the 70's." the bulldog finished and, without further ado, the first singer was up... and it was one of the mail clerks... Paul didn't know his name.

The first singer got 80's and, after several moments of uncertainty, elected to sing "Every Breath You Take". He did a relatively decent job of it too, and the DJ pointed it out, "Wow! Not a bad start for the night. If all of you folks are as talented as he is I might actually take these headphones off without fear of damage to my ears."

The second singer was actually Wally. Standing on the stage completely without fear, the Dachshund spun the wheel and wound up with the wild card space. He spoke quietly with the DJ, who laughed and nodded, "Alright!" the Bulldog announced, "It looks like we have a song selection." and he loaded it up.

"I figured I'd look for something to dedicated to my lovely lady, Sweeter-Than-Candy." Wally noted, pointing her out in the audience. Everyone applauded and laughed. The laughter only grew when "Candy Girl" by New Edition came on. Wally did NOT do a good job with it... but everyone clapped along anyway. Paul felt embarrassed just by listening, but was all the more glad he hadn't been called up on stage. The song came to a close and the Dachshund was applauded vigorously, and he got a kiss from the beagle when he took a seat.

"Alright... not really much to say about that one, so we'll just move on to someone with some talent." the DJ noted and motioned for the next person in line to take their turn. It was Sam, one of the lighting techs for AHB. He spun the wheel and got 90s, and selected "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers, and did an acceptable job of it. He got a polite round of applauds and took a bow, vacating the stage for the next singer... Miranda.

Smiling to everyone, she offered a playful curtsy and spun the wheel, which landed on 80's. Without batting an eye, Miranda directed the DJ on a song-- Paul couldn't hear the music choice considering the noise in the bar, but, as she looked right at him when it began, he realized that there was no way it would mean anything good. Once he heard her start to sing "Girls Just Want Have Fun" he knew that he was right. Somehow he managed to survive the song... the three drinks he'd downed probably helped.

As the song came to a close, the audience applauded her and she took a bow, maintaining her place on stage for several more moments until the next individual in line, Casey, had spun the wheel. Paul was focused on Miranda and hadn't seen what the result of the spin was. When Miranda finally vacated the stage Casey took her place and winked inconspicuously down at him; he didn't feel much better than when Miranda was there.

Paul realized he didn't recognize the song at first as the introductory chords were played. He hadn't had the opportunity to listen to the radio much, helping him realize that Casey must have spun the wheel for a new song selection. It had a fast beat to it with a bit of a bounce, and the Dalmatian was bobbing along in time with it. Paul didn't have the time to continue contemplating it as Casey started singing.

"Right. Right. Turn off the light. We're gonna lose our minds tonight. What's the deal-y-o? I love when it's all too much. 5 am turn the radio up. Where's the rock and roll? Party crasher, panty snatcher. Call me up if you a gangsta. Don't be fancy, just get dance-y. Why so serious?" and, with that, the music picked up with percussion and Casey jumped into the air, coming down in time with the next stanza.

"So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways. All my underdogs. We will never, never be anything but loud and nitty gritty dirty little freaks. Won't you come on and come on and raise your glass, just come on and come on and raise your glass." by that time the majority of the folks in the bar were out of their seat, holding their drinks up toward the stage, moving their bodies in time with the song; Paul surprised himself by being one of them.

By the time the song came to a close, Casey was singing to a standing ovation with a large collection of the office party dancing along. He received a huge set of applause and people whistled and cheered. Paul lost track of all of the happenings as the Dalmatian was helped off the stage by a man Paul did not recognize and the two went to talk aside as the karaoke continued. Paul's attention was not on the rest of the singers, however, as he focused on the man in the suit speaking with Casey. His friend's body language was unreadable as the two conversed, but, once the man let Casey go, the Dalmatian came over immediately, tail wagging a mile a minute.

"Paul!" Casey shouted above the music; one of the other office workers was rocking out to "Livin on a Prayer". It was impossible for Paul to hear what the Dalmatian had to say, so he stood up to go join him away from the stage. The Dalmatian had to catch him.

"Oh... right... I was drinking." Paul said, but the words were lost to the bar. Casey helped move him until they found a quiet booth. "So..." Paul noted, looking at the empty glass he held in his hand, "What did you say?"

"I was offered a singing contract!" Casey blurted out, tail repeatedly striking the booth seat.

Paul joined in on his laughter, but it came to a sudden halt, "How?" he inquired, feeling that little ice cold tingle run up his spine even through the haze of alcohol.

"I guess the talent scout just happened to be here tonight." Casey shrugged, apparently not sharing the same eerie feeling, "Lucky, huh?"

Paul nodded, "Lucky... yea."

Casey leaned forward, "Hey... may want to slow down on the drinks... you're looking a bit pale." and he nosed Paul's forehead.

Paul slid his empty glass away on the table, "Yea... good idea." he smiled, and Casey went back to join the others. The human pulled his cell phone out and flipped through his contact list, pulling a specific one out of the bunch, and he composed a text.

--CASEY GOT A SINGING CONTRACT. WERE YOU EXPECTING THAT?--

He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

--SINGING MODELS GET MORE ATTENTION. WE HAVE ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE. I LOOK AFTER MY INVESTMENTS.--

It was enough of a confirmation for Paul to see that Eizenzahn had expected nothing less. There were many things Paul wanted to do after receiving the text... scream; shout; cry; beat his head against the table... but, in the end, all he could do was laugh.

* * * * * *

The ride home was not much quieter than the club at first. Casey sat in the front seat, belting out the lyrics to the songs on the radio while Paul and Tanner sat in the back smiling at one another. The dalmatian occasionally shot a glance back at the two of them in the rear view, a smile on his muzzle as well even though he hadn't been drinking.

"Thanks for being the designated driver, Casey." Paul offered as the car turned off the freeway. He burped, tasting the final drink he'd consumed; it was the first time he had ever tried an A.M.F.

"Hey, no problem, man... it's the least I could do after the week you had." the Dalmatian acknowledged, stopping at a red light.

"After the week we've ALL had." Tanner smirked, the tip of his tail beating against the side panel of the car, "I got that internship with Harrison Pacific, by the way." he patted Paul's leg.

"Yea, well to be honest, it's been crazy for everyone, but I think I probably came out of it ahead." the Dalmatian laughed, "I mean... me? A SINGER?" he shook his head, "I never saw it happening."

"Well, I'm just glad we had a chance to get out and stop focusing on all the crazy stuff." Paul noted, glancing at a little tuft of fur sticking out between Tanner's shirt and jeans. He slowly reached out a hand and slid his fingers across the crease; it got his boyfriend's attention immediately.

"What?" Tanner asked, glancing toward the human, tail wagging more.

"I've always liked your fur." Paul smiled, glancing across the seat at the German Shepherd.

Tanner burst into laughter at that, "Where'd that come from?" he asked, eyes gleaming with humor.

"Probably the same place this did." the human explained, leaning across the distance to press his lips to the startled Dog's muzzle. Tanner didn't take long in letting the surprise pass and he quickly returned it. The Dog's breath came out as a quick gasp as Paul's tongue slid its way through the Shepherd's black lips.

"I think I like that place." Tanner murmured as their lips separated, and he quickly leaned further toward Paul to renew it. Paul tensed up for only a second before throwing Casey from his mind-- it had been over a week since he saw this side of Tanner, and it was something he sorely missed. His fingers went from toying with an errant tuft of fur to sliding fully up under the Dog's shirt. The German Shepherd broke the kiss with a groan as Paul drew his fingernails through his lover's chest fur.

"Paul..." Tanner moaned, one of his paws sliding behind the human's head to caress the back of his neck. He nuzzled underneath the young man's chin and pressed his nose to Paul's throat, nibbling his way to just under the collar of his shirt.

Neither noticed the engine turn off, but once Casey cleared his throat he managed to catch the attention of both passengers, "We're... here." the Dalmatian announced, adjusting his crotch through his pants, "You can keep going if you want though."

Paul could feel his face flush, half in embarrassment and half in arousal; he saw the inside of Tanner's ears redden as well, "Oh..." the young man noted after a moment, "right... uh... sorry." he chuckled nervously and opened the door. He didn't miss the sigh from Tanner, still sitting in the back seat. A few seconds of trepidation preceded his next words, which managed to work their way through his hesitation regardless, "Bedroom?" he asked his lover.

"GOD yes!" Tanner agreed decisively, and actually fell out of the door in his eagerness once he got it open.

Casey helped Tanner up, laughing the whole time, "You two go ahead... I'm gonna clean out my car." Paul was not too drunk to miss the hesitant downcast tone to the Dalmatian's voice-- the human realized at that moment that the Dog was caught in the uncomfortable limbo between embarrassment and courtesy.

"You don't have to." Paul offered, walking around the car to rest a hand on the Dalmatian's shoulder, "It's your house too." The unspoken words were just as powerful as the spoken ones-- Paul had finally gotten over his discomfort... hopefully. Ears drooped slightly, Casey nodded, offering a faint smile, and followed Paul back to the condo's already-open door. Tanner disappeared down the hall ahead of them. Paul chuckled to himself, stepping into the building, but Casey reached out and grabbed hold of his wrist.

"Paul... wait." the Dalmatian spoke softly, but the tone was strong enough to cut immediately through the human's faint drunken haze.

"What's up?" Paul asked, looking down at Casey's paw around his wrist before looking up into the Dalmatian's hesitant eyes. He was unready for the kiss. The paw gripping his arm loosened slowly and, for a moment, the human was uncertain what to do. Casey's velvety muzzle brushed softly across his lips and then slowly pulled away. The Dog's eyes slowly opened before meeting his, and Casey quickly looked away, his tail tucking.

Paul took several moments trying to formulate something to say before coming up with "What was that for?"

"For being you." Casey noted after a long pause, drooped ears visibly red.

The human smiled and slowly leaned forward, sliding a hand across Casey's shoulder as the other wrapped around the Dog's waist. Paul pulled him closer and his lips met the Dalmatian's muzzle for a second time that night. A faint whimper escaped Casey's muzzle as his right hind-paw started scraping at the ground spasmodically. As the kiss ended, the young man slowly released Casey, who remained motionless, body shaking faintly as his black and white tail cleaved the air from side to side as if there was no tomorrow. Casey's eyes were closed as if trying to keep the moment frozen in his mind, "And that was for being you." Paul smiled, and headed inside.

Paul walked down the hall in the direction Tanner disappeared, Casey following like a puppy at his heels. The two of them walked right into Paul and Tanner's bedroom. The door to the adjacent bathroom was closed with light coming through the crack at the base of the door. Paul took a seat on the bed and looked back to Casey.

"I did find a really good song earlier today that made me think of you." the Dalmatian announced, sitting on the bed beside him.

"Oh?" Paul questioned, "Why didn't you sing it earlier at the karaoke bar?" he smiled.

"Because..." Casey replied with a sigh, slowly standing up, "It's more of a personal song for you."

"Personal?" Paul questioned.

"yea..." the Dog nodded, "kind of an acknowledgement of sorts."

"An acknowledgement" the human inquired, "of what?"

Casey cleared his throat, "For me being under foot... for causing stress... all that kinda thing."

"You don't cause THAT much stress." Paul smiled sympathetically.

Casey nodded with a bitter-sweet smile, "Well... nonetheless, I just wanted to let you know that I don't want to do that to you and that I realize that I need to keep looking for a human to call mine instead of obsessing over you." he announced, and closed his eyes, beginning to nod his head in time with a beat. Paul didn't respond, listening instead, not quite sure what to think.

"I'm not surprised. Not everything lasts. I've broken my heart so many times I stopped keepin' track. Talked myself in. Talked myself out. Get all worked up and I let myself down. I tried so very hard not to lose it. I came up with a million excuses. I thought I thought of every possibility... and I know some day that it'll all turn out. You'll make me work so we can work to work it out. And I promise you kid that I'll give so much more than I get-- I just haven't met you yet."

Casey sang with a bitter-sweet smile, bobbing to the beat of an unheard song. The Dalmatian moved his weight from one hind-paw to the other, dancing along with his a capella performance, "I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck. wherever you are, whenever it's right, you'll come out of nowhere and into my life. I know we can be so amazing and baby your love is gonna change me and though I can't see every single possibility..." he winked at Paul and the human smiled at the private performance and Casey continued, "and I know some day that it'll all turn out. You'll make me work so we can work to work it out. And I promise you kid that I'll give so much more than I get-- I just haven't met you yet."

Paul's smile slowly relaxed as he listened to the Dalmatian serenade him. Casey's eyes gazed into his own, a faint sadness visible within the faint glaze of tears, and only then did Paul realize the significance of what the Dog sang, "They say all's fair in love and war. But I won't need to fight it. I'll get it right and we'll be united. And I know that we can be so amazing. And being in your life is gonna change me. And though I can't see every single possibility..."

Casey sat down on the bed beside Paul, and a tear slipped from the Dog's eye to wet his cheek, "but someday I know some day that it'll all turn out. And I'll work to work it out. Promise you kid, I'll give more than I get... then I get... then I get... yea..." the Dog looked down into his paws, "I just haven't met you yet..." and the Dog's muzzle closed with an audible click from his teeth.

"Casey..." Paul started

"Paul..." Casey spoke at the same time, but didn't pause as the human did, "I know that there's been a lot of tension around here lately... and I'm sorry." he continued gazing at his paws, "I didn't want to cause any trouble, and I know you aren't used to the way that Dogs do things." he looked up slowly, "Tanner and I... well... neither of us knew how you'd take to having another Dog in the house and I'm starting to think that it might not have--" he didn't get to finish the sentence as Paul silenced him with a kiss.

"I mean..." Casey slowly pulled away, "What I was trying to say was--"

"That you care more about me as a friend than as a potential lay?" Paul asked.

Casey paused at that, "Wow..." he sat there for a moment before smiling sheepishly, "You're a little more perceptive when you're drunk... either that, or more willing to call it like you see it."

Paul smiled, "You're a good Dog, Casey... I think sometimes I'm just a little too sober to appreciate it." The comment made the Dalmatian laugh, but Paul was not done. He slid a little closer and rested a hand on the Dog's thigh, "Casey... I've known you for awhile now, but I don't think I ever really got a chance to KNOW you like I have these past few weeks."

Casey looked over at him sheepishly, tail beating the mattress nervously, "Is... that a good thing... or a bad thing?"

Paul nodded, "A very good thing." he said, laughing as he spoke, "You're more than you let on, you know." The Dalmatian nodded, but said nothing, so Paul continued, "The Dog you pretend to be... not so much appeal..."

"I--" Casey interjected, but Paul steamrolled right over him.

"But the REAL you..." he grinned, "very sexy."

"About god damn time." Tanner's voice spoke up from the bathroom doorway. The German Shepherd stood on the threshold between rooms, completely naked, a faint hint of pink poking out of his full sheath. Both Paul and Casey glanced toward him, but Casey was the first to speak up.

"Go away, Tan Paw... I'm in love with your human."

"Pfft." Paul rolled his eyes, "He's not going anywhere, spotty-butt."

Casey took a second to assess the situation, eyes going from Paul to Tanner then back to Paul. A faint whimper escaped the Dalmatian. The human could judge the very moment Casey came to a conclusion. Casey began to stand up, his tail just starting to tuck but Paul quickly reached out a hand and grabbed him by the wrist; the Dalmatian had come to the wrong conclusion, "You're not going anywhere either." the human stated. Both Dogs grinned so wide their tongues lolled out of their muzzles.

Casey leaned toward Paul and licked the side of his face while Tanner navigated his way around the bed. Paul let out a breath as his boyfriend sat beside him, and four sets of paws pulled his shirt off. The human's teeth chattered, not because of the cold, but because of the excitement of the situation. They were silenced, however, when two tongues found their ways to his lips and he found both of the Dogs' muzzles pressed against his mouth.

It was a strange sensation as he felt both Tanner and Casey's tongues meet in his mouth but the novelty didn't even give him a moment to pause as he was lowered to his back. Casey broke off the three-way, leaving his mouth entirely to Tanner. Paul moaned, raising his hands up to caress either side of his lover's muzzle even as one of the Shepherd's paws gently cradled the back of his head, the other one rubbing his chest.

Paul took in a deep breath through his nose as he felt Casey's paws on his groin, undoing the button and unzipping him. Tanner pulled away slowly, eyes meeting his, "You alright?" he asked softly. The Dalmatian unzipped Paul and slowly pulled his pants down past his knees.

Paul smiled after a second, eyelids feeling heavy as a giddy shiver shot through him, "Just fine..." he grinned, and renewed the kiss. He moaned against his boyfriend's tongue in his mouth as an eager muzzle engulfed his erection. Tanner chuckled, ending their kiss as he pulled away. Paul ran his fingers through the fur on the back of the Shepherd's head as Tanner leaned down and began to nibble his way across the human's chest; Paul gasped as Tanner lightly grazed one of his nipples with his teeth.

Casey slowly removed his muzzle from Paul's shaft, "You're perfect..." the Dalmatian whispered against the human's groin, hot breath only exciting him more. Paul felt himself blush at the compliment, glancing toward the Dalmatian, who paused in his ministrations, adjusting himself through his jeans. With gentle pressure, Paul sat Tanner back, leaving both Dogs staring at him.

"Hold on... just a minute." the human spoke evenly, setting his feet on the floor so he could kick off his jeans, which had bunched up around his ankles.

"Better?" Casey asked, tail moving vigorously, paw still in his own jeans.

"Not quite." Paul smiled, standing up, using the Dalmatian's shoulder for balance.

"What?" Casey inquired, and suddenly realized the answer to his own question as Paul slid his hands up underneath the Dog's shirt, fingers plying their way across his muscular form, pushing the shirt higher and higher until Casey raised his arms, and Paul pulled it all the way off.

Paul pulled the Dalmatian even closer, kissing him on the muzzle and Casey melted at the touch. When the human's hands found their way to the button securing the jeans above Casey's tail, the Dalmatian's entire body shivered. Paul felt Tanner's paws on his back, and the German Shepherd's muzzle began to nibble at the base of his neck. Losing himself in the moment, Paul moaned, pulling Casey tightly to him. The Dalmatian responded by folding his arms around the human, squeezing him in return even as Tanner's paws caressed him from the other side.

The human broke the kiss with Casey, resting his head on the Dalmatian's shoulder, and he could hear the sound of the Dogs' muzzles meeting above him. Slowly lowering himself, Paul slid down between the two Dogs' bodies until he felt a slick line of Tanner's excitement left in a trail on his upper back, but he didn't stop until he had access to the front of Casey's jeans; they were already wet with anticipation. Paul unbuttoned the three buttons keeping it closed and slid his hand inside; Casey wasn't wearing underwear and the Dalmatian let out a high pitched whining moan as his flesh emerged completely from its sheath at the first touch.

"Oh god, Paul..." Casey moaned, and he slowly disengaged from Tanner. The German Shepherd sat back on the bed, giving room for Paul to stand. The human glanced back at his boyfriend, who looked back, very pleased if the grin on his muzzle was any clue and very excited if the stiff flesh between his legs was any indication. Paul looked back to Casey, who was staring at him with all of the intensity of a starving man watching a feast being set. The Dalmatian's legs were shaky and his tail was moving so quickly that it was losing its tempo due to its spasms.

"Come here, silly Dog." Paul noted to the Dalmatian, who quickly complied. Paul eased Casey down to sit on the bed beside Tanner, "I don't want you falling over yet." he grinned. Tanner grinned as well, scooting closer before standing up, moving behind Paul to embrace him.

"Feels like we've been here before." Casey offered from his position in front of Paul. The human blushed, remembering exactly what the Dalmatian referred to.

"I'm not answering the phone this time." Paul promised, reaching down to rub either of Casey's ears. The Dalmatian made the job easier as he brought his muzzle to Paul's groin again, and the human let out a hot breath, exhaling as his flesh disappeared between the Dog's lips. He tensed, almost having forgotten Tanner, who reminded the human of his presence by lightly biting his shoulder, and a moment later Paul felt the Dog's hot member, dribbling with excitement slide against the cleft between his legs.

Paul widened his stance, gently running his fingers around Casey's ears as Tanner held him from behind with one paw, the other sliding down between their bodies to guide his flesh into Paul. The human went up to his tip toes as his lover slid several inches into him, "Oh god..." Paul repeated Casey's earlier statement, and leaned forward, one hand still holding the back of the Dalmatian's head while the other touched the bed.

Tanner opened his muzzle, moaning out an "ohhhh... you're... oh, Paul... I've missed this so much..." Paul felt a shiver run through him as he pushed back against Tanner, his toes tingling at the sensations of his lover's flesh inside him.

Casey slowly withdrew his muzzle from Paul's member, licking his way up the human's exposed abdomen, "Paul..." the Dalmatian spoke quietly, slowly moving to roll over.

Paul moved his hand from Casey's ear to his shoulder, stopping the movement, "No... stay on your back." he directed, and the Dog complied. One of Tanner's paws made it Paul's hip as the human flattened his palm against the Dalmatian's stomach. Paul gasped as the Shepherd pushed forward with his groin even as he guided Paul further back with his paw. A drop of fluid escaped Paul and dribbled down to land on Casey's groin.

"Paul..." Casey shivered, "I'm gonna... lose it..." the Dalmatian promised, entire body convulsing.

"Sshhh...." Paul whispered, rubbing the Dog's stomach before sliding his hand further up to lightly grasp Casey's collar. The moment his fingers tightened their grip around the cord, Paul guided his own member up beneath Casey's tail, which the Dalmatian obediently pulled sideways. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. The Dalmatian, mute with excitement, gurgled and nodded, saliva leaking from his muzzle as the wild look in his eyes said everything.

Tanner pushed his hips forward from behind and Paul felt the shepherd slide even further into him. He used the motion to push his own hips against Casey, pulling on the Dalmatian's collar with his other hand, and every one of his muscles went rigid as he felt himself slowly engulfed by the Dog's tight opening. Casey's entire body convulsed, and Paul felt the Dog's tail hole spasm around his flesh as the Dalmatian whimpered and groaned, jet after let of fluid ejecting from his pulsing member.

Paul kept hold of the Dog's collar but used his spare hand to encircle Casey's rock-hard-knot, and squeeze. The Dalmatian let out a combination of a moan and a squeal... the likes of which Paul had never heard before, but there was no confusion as to the reason for the sound-- the Dog was very pleased with the treatment.

"Don't... don't stop, Paul..." Casey whimpered, and slowly crossed his legs around behind the human, pulling him even more fully into his body; it was Paul's turn to moan and when Tanner pulled him up to a standing position, Paul's hips were thrust fully against Casey's. The Dalmatian let out a yelp, but it was not one of pain. Casey shivered against Paul, who let out a yelp of his own as Tanner buried himself inside Paul up to the knot.

Paul groaned, pushing himself back against Tanner, feeling at the same time his flesh inside Casey drawing back out. The human almost lost himself in the movements as Tanner thrust forward, causing his own hips to shove back into Casey. The Dalmatian murmured his enjoyment, eyes now closed as the Dog's relaxing shaft changed its mind and began to firm once again; his knot didn't even have a chance to soften.

"Oh, Paul..." Tanner murmured from behind him, "I'm addicted to you..."

Paul smiled at that, having only rarely ever heard Tanner use that line before he did. The human pushed Casey further onto the bed and moved himself after the Dalmatian, forcing Tanner to follow suit. Even in the lust-filled haze it didn't take much for Tanner to pick up on the hint. Paul felt the German Shepherd climb up onto the bed behind him, placing his knees on the mattress just behind the human's. Paul knew what was coming next, but had no objections.

Leaning fully over Casey, Paul thrusted powerfully into the Dalmatian and, just as Tanner thrusted forward, the human pushed back against the shepherd. Paul and Tanner both let out an exclamation at the same time as Tanner's knot slipped into Paul's body. Casey looked up at Paul from beneath him, a smile on his muzzle, "Addicted?"

"I'm just not the same unless I have some Tanner in me." Paul blushed even as he said it, unable to believe that he could manage the vulgar humor. He realized, however, considering the situation, that it was hardly a big deal. The thoughts left his mind however as Casey pulled him down for a kiss. Both of Paul's hands went to the mattress and the shift in position gave Tanner an even better field of motion.

Paul moaned into Casey's muzzle as Tanner increased the speed of his movements. The pressure from the Shepherd's knot within him tugging and pushing was quickly wearing down the human's endurance and the still spasming insides of the Dalmatian gripping his shaft didn't help much. Casey's legs were still wrapped tightly around his abdomen and the Dalmatian was beginning to clench and unclench his thighs, working his hips against Paul's groin more insistently.

"Paul... I think... I'm... again..." Casey's eyes closed again as the Dog's paws clamped down on the human's forearms. Paul heard Tanner's breath coming out ragged in his ear and the Shepherd grunted out, "Al-most..." Paul closed his eyes as he felt his own floodgates give way and he shut his eyes tightly as his body was washed clean of all the tension... all of the frustration... all of the inhibitions. He felt Tanner release the results of a week of celibacy even as Casey took everything that Paul gave to him.

A powerful warmth flow over him, more than just the combined heat of his lover's fluids inside him, or the feel of his own release trickling out of Casey's opening. The warmth was more than the feel of the Dalmatian beneath him or the exhausted shepherd atop him... it was from somewhere deep inside that suddenly realized that he was far better off than he thought. With that thought and surrounded by fur, Paul smiled with every fiber in his being.

* * * * * *

Paul's eyes opened gradually but they were even slower to focus. He lay in his bed under the covers, warm all over, head still aching faintly from the alcohol, but spinning even more from the dream. He gazed at the ceiling, feeling a little shiver pass through him at the memory of it. The whole thing had felt so real... Tanner inside him and Casey around him, the three joined in the throes of carnal ecstasy. It seemed strange for him to feel so calm about it-- less than a year previous he had been practically chewing his nails off as he thought about the dream he had with just Casey. Suddenly, two Dogs at once didn't seem to be such a big deal.

It was a good dream-- he was able to truly be honest to himself about that. Paul didn't know what would really have happened if he had Casey and Tanner alone in a room like that, but it seemed strange that the idea was not as appalling as it had once been. Little shivers tickled his body at the memory of the dream... so life-like... so real. He realized that it made sense, of course... it HAD been awhile since he had the chance to be with Tanner, so why wouldn't his body look for a more fanciful release?

Of course it would have had to have been a dream, he reasoned with himself; nothing ever turned out as well in real life as that had for him. Paul dwelled on the vivid images of the dream for several long seconds, reminiscing. It had seemed so real and, he had to admit, he hadn't felt as embarrassed or as awkward as he thought he would have. A passing thought of possibly considering it for real was quickly banished by his more logical mind.

Letting out a content sigh, Paul smiled to himself then paused-- he suddenly realized he was naked. The human knew he had been drunk the prior night... not TOO drunk, but apparently drunk enough to have forgotten when his boyfriend had undressed him. Closing his eyes once again, Paul snuggled into the furred form next to him, feeling the bare fur against his naked body. "mmm..." he whispered softly into his lover's ear, "this is nice."

The Dog next to him shifted, sliding back against Paul with a soft "mrr" in reply. Paul pulled him close so that they were spooning, his chest to his lover's back. Paul brushed his face through the fur on the Dog's neck, eyes still closed so he could enjoy the soft musky scent. He reveled in the peace and quiet, actively enjoying his morning. He even gave himself permission to fall asleep again with his beloved Dog in his arms.

He let out another sigh once he realized that, like all the other times he tried to sleep in his body wasn't going to have any of it. Releasing a faint groan, Paul let out an even deeper sigh, "I hate not being able to sleep in." He buried his face even deeper in the scruff and groaned his dismay audibly.

A furred arm slipped around his abdomen from behind and a warm breath tickled the back of his neck, "Nothing wrong with just laying in bed." Tanner's voice accompanied the breath, "You don't have to sleep to enjoy relaxing." the German Shepherd licked the nape of his neck, but Paul was suddenly more focused on the furred form in his arms. Opening his eyes, the human had to reboot his brain as his vision absorbed the white fur with black dots along with a green collar taking up his field of view.

"I..." Paul paused, finding it difficult to locate the right words, "Last night... that... that wasn't a dream." he sputtered.

Casey spasmed in Paul's arms with stifled laughter, "Speak for yourself." the Dalmatian's tail picked up speed beneath the blankets, "That was a fucking dream come true."