Too Late, Just in Time, Ch 1
Too Late Just In Time Chapter 1 copyright 2005 comidacomida
Nick made several snatches for the towel before his paw connected. It was one thing grabbing a towel that was within view, but trying to get a hold of it around a fogged up shower door without letting too much cold air in was another altogether. Finally on his fourth attempt, Nick managed to get a hold of it. The wolf pulled the towel into the shower with him, shutting the door with a shiver; he always hated the first feel of cold air after a nice hot shower.
He took time to dry his fur, knowing that the drier it was the less he'd have to march around the apartment waiting for the shivers to go away. After a handful of minutes Nick tied off the towel around his waist and climbed out into the cold bathroom air. He patted the counter several times before finding his glasses. Sliding them over the bridge of his muzzle he stopped and let out a sigh; he gazed at himself in the mirror through the steamed up lenses. While a lot of college students his age started switching to contact lenses, Nick still found glasses to be his preference.
Nick was no means spectacular, but he figured he was pleasant enough to look at. A hair beneath six feet, Nick's physique was neither massive nor wire thin, a happy lupine medium of wiry muscle and smooth form. While he couldn't fault himself the lack of a rotweiler physique, he was certainly glad he wasn't like some of the greyhounds he'd seen. He flicked his ears to one side than the other, taking a moment to run a paw down the length of his right one, brushing off some droplets of water out of the fur. Nick gazed into the foggy mirror, then realized he'd have no chance for personal grooming if it remained cloudy.
The wolf snatched the small paw towel off its stand next to the sink. He removed his glasses, wiping them off before returning them to the bridge of his muzzle; he wiped down the mirror as well. The wolf took a moment to gaze at his own reflection in the mirror, light gray fur covering the majority of his body save for the long swath of white running from the underside of his muzzle, down his chest and abdomen. The white fur tucked up neatly between his legs, coloring his sheath and sac the same color as it passed back between his thighs. He just shook his head at the auto-eroticism, a faint peek of pink just starting to show at the tip of his sheath.
Setting the paw towel on the counter, Nick rewrapped the bath towel around his waist just in time for the bathroom door to fly open, assaulting the wolf with a blast of even colder air, sending his tail tucking up between his legs from surprise as much as from the freezing chill. He gave the offending otter a sour look.
"Don't mind me, Nicky, just coming in to get my deodorant." the otter noted, passing right by him to open a drawer near the sink.
"Damn it, Chris, do you ever knock?" Nick replied.
"We've been roomies for four years... you ever remember me knocking?" the otter offered with a sly grin, sliding right out the door and closing it behind him as he left, forestalling any further argument. Nick's tail began to uncurl as he cursed to himself, sifting around in a second drawer near the sink for his own deodorant and some toothpaste when the door opened up again.
"DAMN IT, CHRIS!" Nick roared, throwing the paw towel into the face of the otter, who grinned good-naturedly around it and let it fall to the ground after hanging off his snout for a few seconds comically.
"Geez! Relax big guy... just putting my deodorant away." the otter tossed the stick of deodorant onto the counter. Chris always called him "big guy", a friendly endearment that dripped with the otter's own unique sense of humor. Though Nick was by no means large for a wolf he had enough years of personal fitness classes to help fill him out nicely... certainly not a weight lifter physique but enough firmness to make his muscles visible beneath his fur. Chris, on the other hand, was fairly short for even an otter, and was just starting to gain the slightest bit of a pudgy midsection. "I'll just take care of it later." The otter left his deodorant where it lay on the counter.
Nick rolled his eyes, both of them knowing that the exchange was almost a ritual after so many years as roommates. Chris worked nights and always woke up just in time to rush out and Nick always showered before bed; having one bathroom in the apartment made it very difficult for the two to keep their individual schedules so both learned major lessons about privacy and lack thereof. Nick finally felt his tail start to uncurl from between his legs for the second time, the closing of the front door down the hall being the last thing he needed to calm down.
It wasn't that Chris annoyed him... he just had a certain way of- Nick threw the thoughts out of his mind as he took off his towel and folded it onto the counter. There were some things about Chris that seemed so great. The otter was always smiling- always had a way to cheer him up. The wolf hadn't had many friends as a pup and those he did have didn't make the transition into adulthood as part of his life. Nick stepped into a pair of boxers and picked the discarded paw towel off the floor where Chris had let it drop. One of the reasons Nick had gone to college was to get away from his childhood; he wanted a chance to start fresh.
For all their bickering, play fighting, and occasional bouts of name calling, Chris was Nick's best friend- his only friend. Although they were very different they worked very well as roommates. Nick was finishing up his bachelor's degree while Chris called it quits after an Associate of General Studies. Nick's parents were putting him through college while Chris worked nights to support his half of the rent. Nick liked mellow music while Chris liked metal. Nick wore glasses while Chris wore an eyebrow piercing, three ear piercings, and a tongue stud... among whatever else. The wolf chuckled to himself as he shut off the light in the bathroom; he wore boxers and Chris wore Speedos.
The last comparison wasn't one that Nick had made on purpose... at least, not as far as he knew. Nick was a clean wolf by nature while Chris was neither wolf nor clean. The otter made concessions to keep the communal areas of the apartment presentable but Nick new well enough to stay away from Chris' bedroom. One day, however, it was inescapable; Chris had taken the cordless phone and left it there after departing for work. Nick had retrieved it and was on his way out when he had to step over a pile of dirty clothes- and there they were.
Nick wasn't sure why they had caught his attention, but they had. Although he knew it wasn't right of him, the wolf proceeded to sift through the rest of Chris' laundry, noting nothing but tight fitting undergarments. Never one to believe in racial stereotypes, Nick spent the next two days laughing to himself that the otter actually did wear Speedos, and that it was apparently all he wore. Sometimes he thought about Chris walking around in the apartment but that inevitably lead to other thoughts, and Nick dismissed them.
The wolf wandered into the living room and threw himself down onto the sofa. He let out a deep breath and laid his head against the armrest. Back in high school Nick was one of the lucky nerds: he had a girlfriend. He was still learning about life, and she was more than willing to teach him. The lesson he learned was one he was not ready for, and he never saw it coming. His junior year after prom he and his girlfriend were alone. She wore exactly what most teenage wolves shouldn't wear to prom and she was all too eager to get out of it. He couldn't perform and it was then that he realized he had no interest in her- no interest in females at all. Nick was gay.
His senior year in high school was hell. Going to a small town school it wasn't long before Nick really got the brunt of it... but it was worse at home. Nick's parents had a rocky relationship before he talked to them about his sexuality. He knew that his preference had nothing to do with their eventual split but he knew it didn't help. His father disappeared completely from his life and his mother... she tried to be supportive but he knew that she encouraged him to go to college in order to get him out of the house and keep from dealing with the issues at hand.
So Nick kept to himself. He lived his life at college, spending time learning nothing in particular with no goals to strive towards and no place specifically planned for him to go to next. The wolf knew he couldn't go home; the awkwardness of it would be too much to cope with. If anything Nick never wanted to be back to the place that brought him so much pain; he never wanted to see anyone he recognized again. He wanted to make a new life for himself; he could be anybody he wanted to be.
"So why do I want to keep being a nobody?" he spoke aloud, letting out another sigh. The college had outreach programs for gay and bisexual students. There were enough meeting places, night clubs, and hangouts he could go to in order to meet people or, at the very least, to make friends. He thought about it often enough, always wondering if he was embarrassed about his sexuality, or at least insecure. Sometimes he thought he just didn't want to be recognized... maybe if he didn't deal with it or didn't face it then he could continue to be 'normal'. Why did 'normal' hurt so much? Deep in his mind, however, he knew none of the above was the issue. The problem was that he already did have feelings for someone and he didn't have an interest in finding anyone else.
Nick sat on the sofa staring at the wall for many long minutes, forgetting exactly what time it was or how long he'd been there. Back when Chris was still going to college Nick had talked him into taking a Fitness for Life class... more of a chance to hang out than anything else. He and Chris would do laps around the track, take turns spotting on free weights, and occasionally go a round or two of racket ball, but, although Nick enjoyed seeing Chris every day at class, he enjoyed seeing more of him after class; while Nick would try to admit to himself otherwise, he would sometimes take peeks at Chris while they showered. Nick even smiled remembering the connection he had finally made with the Speedos once he found out, always thinking they were just colorful athletic supporters when he caught glimpses out of the corners of his eye.
Over the course of the term Nick had taken enough glances at Chris in the shower to piece together a decent mosaic of the otter in his mind. Nick could still see the slight curve of Chris' rudder-like tail where it emerged from is rump. He could imagine the lighter hue of fur that traced its way down from under Chris' muzzle, outlining the otter's chest and stomach on its way down to grace his sheath and sac. Nick closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath as he felt his boxers tighten. The wolf clenched his eyes shut, not sure if it was because he wanted his imagination to stop or to keep going. His paw pressed across the firm front of his underwear as his tongue licked the inside of his muzzle and his mind continued.
Chris often wandered around the apartment without a shirt, apparently not knowing how much Nick enjoyed staring at him, the smooth fur along his back, down his arms, or the way that it faded into the lighter fur along his underarms. Four years together and the wolf would not tell him- could not tell him. Nick knew that he could never hope to have any chance with Chris- to come clean would be to lose another friend... a friend that might be more, but couldn't be except in the wolf's mind. Nick knew enough about delusional fantasies to know that real life didn't compute with his dreams- it just couldn't be.
Wiping tears from his eyes, Nick's paw left his boxers. The wolf grabbed the remote for his stereo system and turned it on. He flipped to a random channel, hoping that it would be something- anything to take his mind off of himself and his sorry state of affairs. It did.
"...shot dead at the all-night market on 7th and Queen." was the last half of the announcement and Nick's heart practically stopped; Chris worked at a Fast-Stop on Queen Street.
"Repeat it!" Nick shouted at the stereo, "What in the hell did you say?!?" he rolled off of the sofa and landed with a loud thud on the floor.
"Police are still looking into the robbery and shooting of the store clerk and one customer at the Fast-Stop all-night market. This station will bring you updates as they come in." the dreaded words were repeated and Nick didn't bother getting up from his position on the floor.
"Only one clerk past 9pm..." he whispered hoarsely to himself, "only one clerk... Chris..." in a heartbeat he leapt up. He was in the kitchen in three seconds, had his keys off of the counter before the count of five, and was to the door before ten seconds had elapsed... and the phone rang.
Torn, Nick dropped the keys from his shaky paw and numbly stumbled over to the phone, "H-hello?" he croaked.
"Nick?" the voice on the other end was familiar and it took Nick's hazy, stunned mind a few minutes to register.
"Hello?" Nick repeated again.
"Nick? It's Chris. Were you asleep already?"
The wolf held the phone off to the side as he stumbled to the sink and felt his stomach clench, churning horribly. He vomited.
"You alright Nick?" he heard Chris' voice on the phone.
"Where... are you?" Nick croaked, his brain still too locked up to think.
"Right outside... I'm on my cell." he heard the otter's voice. Nick ran to the door just as Chris opened it. The otter stepped inside and slowly turned around, the door creaking slightly as Chris just started to close it before looking to him. The wolf remained there for only a moment, then threw himself against his roommate, their joined weights shut the door with a slam.
"Hey... Nick... it's past 9... people are gonna complain if-" and the otter went silent as the wolf began crying, hugging him close. "Woah... Nick..." Chris began, tensing up slightly at the sudden move. Nick felt ashamed of his action, almost willing to pause and rethink it, knowing it confused his roommate. The wolf was just about to pull back in embarrassment until the otter's arms circled his shoulders, "Relax... buddy. Hey... what's wrong, Nicky?"
Nick made several false starts in his attempt to speak, eyes and cheek fur wet with tears as he just continued to hug Chris, glasses forgotten, fallen somewhere on the floor. "I... heard on the radio..."
"The shooting?" Chris said gravely with a nod, still holding him, "it happened about ten minutes before I got there. Some poor poodle had her son with her... I think she'll make it, but Jorge..." the otter shook his head, "he was a good guy... it's not every day you meet a coyote you can get along with." Nick felt the otter's eyes on him and he swallowed deeply. "Why you so shook up?"
"I thought it was you." the wolf finally rasped.
"Worried about making rent?" the otter offered, and Nick felt the twitching of Chris' whiskers against his ear, a sign that his roommate was smiling. In part the wolf felt relief that it was so easy to explain... worried about making rent... about losing a friend... but at the same time Nick knew that it couldn't continue like that- he knew HE couldn't continue like that.
"You're my best friend, Chris..." Nick said slowly, "...and I love you." he added in a quiet whisper.
The otter tensed, then was quiet for many moments, continuing to hold him. Nick felt the tears continue to slowly build in his eyes, shivering weakly to think that his roommate, best friend, and object of his affection could move out by the end of the week. The wolf's teeth almost chattered as he realized that no cold wind after a shower could ever compare to the freezing ice he felt that moment in his stomach... but still he managed to speak, "I'm gay... and I love you."
More moments of awkward silence persisted, the wolf shivering in the otter's embrace, neither moving. Nick held his breath, waiting... waiting for some kind of response... any kind of response so he could figure out how he'd get on with his shattered life. A response finally came, "For how long?" Chris asked neutrally.
"Years." replied Nick. The words came to him easier now, but he still felt the dread growing... wondering if he'd have to move again... change his university and escape to a new life... and then Chris started chuckling.
Nick slowly pulled away, looking to the otter- the chuckling grew quickly into a hearty belly-laugh. The wolf's ears slowly slid away from their position plastered against his skull in embarrassment, rising little by little until they were fully up, focused in on Chris, who was still laughing. Nick began to feel his whole face flush and tears return to his eyes; rejection was better than rage, he knew... but it still hurt like hell. He went rigid with surprise when Chris renewed the embrace.
"God, Nicky... I wish you would have said something sooner! I wish I would have said something sooner. "I'm glad you said something now... god." the otter spoke a mile a minute, and began laughing again. Confused, Nick observed the otter, still close to him, still nearby, with no signs of fleeing or attacking. The wolf sat there, still next to his roommate, one ear up, one ear sideways.
"What?" Nick finally asked, swallowing more pangs of embarrassment.
"This." replied the otter, and Nick jumped in surprise as Chris' muzzle touched his own, whiskers flicking together as the otter kissed him. The wolf's head spun momentarily and the next thing Nick knew he was laying on the floor. "I think you just fainted..." said Chris, "that's the cutest thing." the otter grinned wide.
Nick swallowed away more of the embarrassment, a weight slowly coming off of him as he spoke earnestly to Chris about things he never thought would come to light, "You're the best friend I have... the best friend I've ever had. I wanted you to know for the longest time but..." all of the thoughts in his mind and he couldn't find a way to explain them all so he blurted out instead, "I invited you to the fitness class awhile back because..." he squirmed at the admission as he spoke, "I wanted to... see you... in the showers."
The otter grinned even wider, his whiskers vibrating, "We've been roommates forever, Nick, even though it feels like days. I wish you would have said something sooner, but you still got around to it before I did." the otter smirked, "Why do you think I signed up for the class? You weren't the only one who wanted to do some sight seeing." the otter chuckled, softly drawing his half-webbed digits up and down Nick's bare back and then Nick suddenly remembered that he was still only in his boxers, and a new flush came to his face. "I like the view right now too, by the way." Chris quickly added, as if sensing the moment were right to move in for the kill.
Nick squirmed even more at that, quickly disengaging from his roommate's grasp, "This is... too much." he spoke, the words forcing themselves out of his muzzle before he knew whether or not he wanted to say them. Chris slowly stood up behind him. Nick closed his eyes as the otter rested a warm, calm paw on his shoulder.
"Hey... Nicky...?" Chris said softly, slowly turning the wolf around. Nick issued out a noncommittal grunt. He felt a gentle, webbed digit rest itself beneath his chin, and slowly raise his muzzle up until he was gazing into the otter's face, a warm, calming smile on his roommate's muzzle. "I love you too."
Nick remained there stock still, a euphoria slowly filtering in through the entirety of his body, making it feel like he was floating. Chris closed the distance, pulling the wolf's head down so their muzzles could meet in another kiss, and Nick almost melted into the otter's embrace. Both of them chuckling through the kiss, they disengaged much slower.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Nick asked Chris, but, before the answer came, the wolf already guessed what it would be.
"You're my best friend, Nick... I didn't want to ruin that." the otter replied, "Why didn't you ever say any-" and Chris stopped there.
"Same reason." the wolf offered in return.
"You ended up saying something first." the otter offered. Nick, paused at that, looking the otter in the eye. Chris smiled warmly at him, "Thanks for speaking up." the wolf blushed at the thanks, and shivered slightly again, this time not because he was cold. Chris took a step closer, his body resting against the wolf's, paws wrapped around him, gently caressing down his spine. The otter rested his head on Nick's shoulder, kissing softly, nibbling his way across the wolf's neck, and Nick had no control of the soft mrrr that escaped.
Nick felt the soft brush of teeth through his fur, gently grazing the flesh beneath it. His eyes fluttered slightly as he held his roommate close, each breath coming out as a series of sighs and mrrs. Chris held him close, but not so much as to be smothering. The wolf's mind was awash with thoughts, and possibilities, but also with reluctance and confusion. Was he moving too fast? They had been together for years now, even if they hadn't been together and the wolf simply wasn't sure, but with each kiss and caress from Chris he became that much more certain.
"Have you ever-" the otter began, but Nick didn't want for him to finish, shaking his head, too dedicated to being honest now to hold back.
"No... not with anyone." Nick replied softly.
The otter nodded, little ears raising then lowering at the response, and Chris slowly walked him to the sofa, paws still rubbing, muzzle still nibbling... and Nick never stopped feeling the little shivers that hit him everywhere, the front of his boxers wet with excitement. Chris slowly lowered Nick to the couch, paws tracing along his sides, then lightly kneading his abdomen.
The wolf would have slapped himself silly when his leg started kicking, but the otter just smiled, and kissed him on the muzzle again. Nick eagerly accepted the kiss, then suddenly inhaled deeply through his nose as Chris' dexterous, webbed paws slipped into his boxers. The otter smiled through the kiss, and slowly eased back from Nick's muzzle as his paw gently caressed the wolf's length. Nick's back arched slightly, tail kinking near the tip as Chris stroked him, thumb rubbing near the tip as the otter's pinkie slowly caressed the base of Nick's shaft, rubbing his withdrawn sheath and the underside of his hardening knot at the same time.
Nick gasped, another mrr escaping him as he drew in breath. Chris smiled, "Just relax, Nicky..." the otter grinned wide, tongue slightly extended to reveal his tongue stud in one of his signature smirk, "I'll take care of everything."
The wolf's teeth chattered, paws kneading the pillows on the couch beside him, "I..." Nick began, but Chris pressed forward again, kissing him softly, less passionately and more comfortingly.
"If you tell me to stop I'll stop, Nicky. I promise." the otter offered, the softness to his gaze dispelling more and more of Nick's doubt at the moment... and the wolf nodded.
Chris kissed his way back down Nick's throat, muzzle drawing its way through the wolf's smooth, white fur. The otter's skillful paws made Nick's toes curl and paws clench pillows again as webbed digits stroked his wolfhood, slick with Nick's precum. Chris deviated from his downward path slightly, moving over to brush a sandpapery tongue across one of Nick's nipples, eliciting a gasp from the wolf.
Nick had never expected anything like it, feeling his claws almost puncture the cloth on the pillow as Chris continued to stroke his hard, slick shaft. He rolled his head back as a wave of warmth spread through his body, the otter continuing to kiss downward again. The wolf felt his stomach muscles spasm slightly, almost cramping up as Chris' whiskers played across the fur of his abdomen. Nick groaned slightly, pressing his hips forward to abate the cramp... and gasped, eyes going wide as his flesh slid deep into Chris' warm muzzle.
It was all Nick could do to keep from letting out an exclamation as he felt the otter's muzzle close around his flesh, the warmth and slick smoothness of it contrasted by the firm feel of Chris' tongue stud brush along the underside of his shaft. Every muscle in Nick's body went tight as he felt hot tingling race through his groin and he grit his teeth. The otter's whiskers tickled his thigh and his shaft was taken so completely into Chris' muzzle that he felt his roommate's nose against his groin fur, front pointed teeth just touching Nick's knot.
The wolf sank deeper into the sofa, lounging as tension melted within him, even as it grew. Nick shivered and squirmed beneath Chris' ministrations, moaning freely as the otter cupped his furry sac in a webbed paw. The otter wrapped his free arm around Nick's thigh, and the wolf felt the firm weight of Chris' thick tail drape across his left foot. All of his senses alive, Nick felt everything with crystal clear clarity, every movement made by Chris, every convulsion and spasm within his body... and he could not deny that it was complete bliss.
Nick felt his tail twitch, and his muzzle parted to release a faint moan, "Chris?" he gasped, one paw slowly making its way to the top of the otter's head. His roommate slowed, moving to look up. The wolf's body writhed at the halt of the stimulation, a tightness coming to his groin as Chris gazed into his eyes.
"Are you alright, Nicky?" the otter asked, one webbed paw remaining on Nick's sac, the other uncurling from the thigh to reach out and take Nick's free paw. Their fingers interlaced.
"Never been better." Nick mrred. He leaned forward this time to meet Chris' kiss half-way, opening his muzzle as the otter slid his tongue into it. The wolf could taste his own precum in Chris' kiss, exciting him all the more as they held an embrace for a long moment, the kiss trailing off as Nick laid back once more. Chris smiled at him, that humored tongue-out smirk.
"We'll see how much better we can get you." and, with that, his muzzle slipped down over Nick's shaft once more, eliciting a new line of whining moans of pure bliss from the wolf.
"Nick's paws caressed either side of Chris' head, fingers sliding through the otter's bushy head fur, gently gripping the small, rounded ears there. The wolf rode the euphoric waves brought on by the ministrations of his lover, Chris' muzzle working him in ways he would never have expected.
"I..." Nick began, his body beginning to tense up in earnest. He felt the tightness in his groin strengthen and his breath came out shaky. The wolf clenched the webbed paw with his own, and it was clenched back by Chris, a calming "it's okay" from his roommate... and Nick new it was.
He took a deep breath, head lulling backwards as the flood gates opened, and Nick was overwhelmed by the sensations of his orgasm as he released into Chris' muzzle. The otter didn't cease his ministrations, driving Nick forward, onward, and further until the wolf felt strong pulses of heart-racing force tug at his insides, empowering his shaft to release more than it ever had when he had been on his own. Nick bit back a howl of ecstasy as his roommate pushed him further than just over the edge; the wolf felt like his lover gave him wings with which to fly.
The wolf took time to move once his body collapsed back against the couch. Chris remained where he was, on his knees, one paw gently cupping and massaging the wolf's sac, the other's fingers entwined with Nick's, held firm and close. Nick panted, feeling his own heartbeat through his shaft in the tight confines of Chris' muzzle. The otter kept the wolf flesh where it was, no longer working on it, simply letting Nick feel the warmth of the inside of his muzzle.
Finally, however, Chris eventually drew his muzzle from Nick's softening flesh, moving to sit by his side on the sofa, leaning forward wordlessly to kiss him. The wolf accepted the embrace, paw still clasping paw. "Thank you." Nick spoke in a whisper, and he met his lover's lips with his own, being the one to instigate the caressing of tongues this time, tasting his own seed in Chris' muzzle.
"Thank you." Chris replied, breaking the kiss only long enough to get the words out before they met again. Both reclined, lying down together on the sofa, enjoying one another's warmth, both physically and emotionally. They stayed close for a long time, neither interested in anyone or anything else other than what they had in their arms that moment. The moon set and the sun rose without any notice from the two lovers, neither speaking, neither moving, just gazing at one another. Nick had never known such joy... he had never felt so complete.