In Your Arms (Part 2)
#2 of New Series
The second installment to my second series In Your Arms.
Okay people hello! It is I, your Kiwi Gryphon! The story below is part two of In Your Arms, hope you enjoy!
PS: Please rate comment watch favourite :P It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside!
Characters (c) Doc All Brands in this short story are used only to furthur enhance it
Part two
Unlike most people, I found the start of the rest of my life surprisingly lame .Majority would think that graduating from University was a "highlight" of their life and that it would be a moment that they would never forget. For me, however, this was not the case. As I woke to the last day of University, all I could feel was dread. Strong beads of rain hammered down on our small, decrepit flat making me sink even further into my sheets. I sighed and using a talon-like paw, rubbed my face before swinging my brown furred, powerful legs to the side of the bed and stood up yawning loudly, stretching the cramped muscles in my back. I pulled the grubby curtains aside and stared out into the depressing street, my keen, green, eagle eyes tracking the sheets of rain that pattered heavily on the road. I sighed and pulled my body away from the window and into the kitchen where my best friend, the cheetah, Jack was sipping a mug off coffee with a look of excitement etched on his face. Along with the muscly cheetah was his incredibly good-looking cousin Shane who's white leopard fur was all over the place. I eyed my hot crush before averting my gaze to Jack who was already looking at me, a twinkle in his eye. He winked and I blushed before stealing his coffee and draining it with a single gulp. Jack knew that I was gay and that I fancied his cousin who decided to extend his stay with us from a week to a month because he enjoyed being around us. It was nice having Shane around; it was great having a new person to talk to and especially excellent for someone to help us with our staggering rent. I knew that it was silly for me to be feeling negative on a day like today but I couldn't help it- after today I would have to face the fact that Shane would be leaving us and going back to Australia. To a place where I couldn't follow. It's daft, I know but I couldn't help it. I was in love with someone I shouldn't be in love with- I had fallen for a straight guy.
Jack shrugged as I placed the empty mug back into his empty paw before quietly whispered into my ear, "you know he's leaving tomorrow right? It's now or never Scott. Why don't you just ask him and see what he says! You're never going to see him again anyway." The last sentence hit home and I winced, glancing away. Asking him if he were gay was a bad idea- we both knew that he was straight and if I asked said question he would only get creeped out. I'd rather him to still like me, even though it was possible that I was never going to see him again. I shook my head and left the grotty apartment kitchen and made my way back to my small room and grabbed my Jan Sport bag that was in my closet before shoving on my rain jacket, careful to slot my wings through the slashes I made in the back of it.
Because of the horrible weather, the major graduation had to be held in the 'Aotea' centre which was located smack bang in the middle of Queens street. The 2$ analogue clock on the wall read 10:15 and I calculated how much time I had left to the ceremony. Great, three hours to kill. I sighed heavily and using a claw, slid open the grimy windows and leapt out, snapping open my wings as I did so and expertly glided to the mucky tar seal three stories below. I landed smoothly and glanced around trying to find my way. After thought, I decided to visit my favourite café down by the Viaduct so I could have a tasty hot drink to help me mull over my confused feelings. So that's what I did. Once more I unfurled my coffee coloured wings and, with a running start, jumped and started flapping evenly, steadily rising into the air until I was just level with the highest buildings before swearing, remembering that I left my flying permit on my bed side table in the apartment. Damn. A few years back the government introduced any winged citizen had to have a flying permit for them to freely fly around town. It was pretty much the same as a driving license without the car. I cursed quietly and shivered, not enjoying the cold winds and the horrid Auckland rain. A few minutes later, with my eagle vision, I spotted the overpriced, waterfront takeout and began to descend slowly until I hit the tarmac outside the café, this time with more force. Damn weather. I shook off the excess water as much as I could before unpeeling the soggy raincoat from my body and taking a seat in the warm, sweet smelling restaurant. I ordered a large flat white and a huge blue berry muffin and waited patiently, twiddling my thumbs, as my order was processed. As I sat there and day dreamed (I couldn't start think properly until my digestive system was clogged with caffeine) I noticed a familiar face in the corner of the shop, tucked away in one of those large couch seat things. A wry grin flickered on my face as I stood up, picked up my order number (97) and, swiftly dodging other patrons with my ninja skills, made my way over to the couch and sat down next to Shane. "How did you get here so quickly?" I asked, curiosity etched on my face. He looked and me and winked before taking a sip from his hot drink. "You're not the only one who can fly you know." My eyes widened in disbelief, "You can fly!?" He rolled his ocean blue eyes, "No of course I can't fly you knob." He playfully punched my shoulder and I laughed, slightly embarrassed for being fooled so easily. "I took the bus just after you woke up. I've been coming here regularly once you and Jack took me here a few weeks back." I nodded and accepted the plate of food from a short, sexy looking vixen who winked at me before strutted off back into the kitchen in the back.
Shane whistled and slapped a hand on my back, "phew, she's got a nice ass! I think she's into you Scott." I glared at him and took my plate noticing a small slip of paper between the muffin and the polystyrene cup. Intrigued I unfolded it and with unnecessary mirth read it out loud so Shane could hear. "Call me, 555 1375." What was I going to tell her, that I was gay? I chuckled softly. "You should so go for her man! God I wish she'd have given ME her number!" He sounded desperate and I laughed louder. "Here have it" I explained, "She's not my type anyway." "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" He explained and I sniggered. "No, definitely not." I was about to explain my type of person to Shane when suddenly my iPhone rang. Shrugging, I pulled it out of my pocket and answered the call from my mum. "Good luck for graduation Scott!" Chirped my mum, her voice excitable as ever. "We'll be there to see you. I hope everything goes well. 'And afterwards, your father and I have a surprise for you!" My eyes lit up. I've always loved surprises. "Awesome, can't you tell me now?" "No, not yet. I'll leave you guessing! But anyway I have to go, I need to get ready for the ceremony! Have fun won't you?" And with that she ended the call, leaving me curious about what this surprise was.
For the rest of the hour, Shane and I chatted away, drinking copious amounts of coffee and numerous bagels along with them. It was lots of fun and once again I felt the bond between us two and it made my heartache even more. I just wanted his soft, smooth fur against me, I wanted him to cuddle with me at nights and to help me with everyday struggles. Was it too much to ask? I had fallen in love with his beautiful sea blue eyes and his huge arms that I could snuggle up to in bed. He didn't have the best physique but that didn't worry me- who said you had to have a six pack to be hot? Eventually we had to leave the small slice of heaven and start to worry about events ahead. Graduation was in one hour and we both had to look our best. Shane wasn't graduating (obviously because he didn't go to our Uni) but he promised that he would come so that meant we had to double time (both of us taking the scummy Auckland bus system) back to our small, junk filled flat and shove on our formal tuxedos. Mine was a rich black colour that I thought made me look like a secret agent (childish I know) while Shanes was a smooth greyish colour that worked brilliantly with his white fur. Smiling, we met Jack in the foyer of the Aotea centre which was beginning to fill up with graduating furs and their families and frowned as we noticed him struggling to tie up his tie. With a sigh I helped him do it up before observing my surroundings feeling somewhat claustrophobic. The large, stone floored foyer was densely packed with many different people who were all dressed in their best clothing. I noticed a few friendly faces such as Kath, the quirky, vertically challenged beaver and the technology freak kangaroo Anna that accompanied her. They both smiled at me and I gave a small grin and a nod before diverting my attention back to Jack as Shane had just left to go through the visitor's entrance into the hall. "You ready?" I asked Jack, pulling him out of his seat and giving him a light punch on the arm, "We're graduating! Its new territory for us!"
He beamed at me, "Yeah man! We're officially adults! We're going to get fat and become daily commuters! Fun!" I laughed at his overuse of sarcasm. "it's not going to be all bad. I mean we can both find partners and settle down to create a family you know? It's going to be great." He glanced up at me with his hazel brown eyes. "Speaking of partners, how you doing with Shane? Still have a crush on him?" I bit down on my lip and looked around to see if there were any suspecting eavesdroppers before answering, "It's not a crush Jack. It's more than that! I... I think he's the one." I blushed as I said the last sentence and looked away, embarrassed. "Hey" The muscly, awesome, most epic best friend I could ever have, cheater said, "look at me. I'm not sure if he's gay or anything but he's leaving soon. I forgot when, but soon. You should ask him. You have nothing to lose Scott. You're a smart, headstrong gryphon." I rubbed my strong green eye and sighed. "Perhaps your right. I'm not sure." He was about to reply but was interrupted by a loud, booming voice yelling, "Graduates make your way into the stage and locate your seats! We organised this pretty damn well earlier so don't mess up!" I grinned at a few of my friends around me and slotted myself behind Jack and in front of a slightly smelly walrus before ambling slowly into the enormous hall, single file. All seats facing the stage were completely full, right up to the top floor. This made me nervous and I curled my fists, sweating slightly. I found my seat and listened intently. The first hour or so were just speeches from fellow students and a few high executive people that were INCREDIBLY boring so which I ignored. Then on, the graduation actually began. From that moment it actually hit me - my time at school, my time of learning was over and I was free to do whatever I wanted. Whatever I wanted. I felt giddy inside as I thought about that and I almost laughed out loud. The Business and Information adviser stood up at the podium in a smart suit and began reading out names of the students to come up and receive their graduation certificates. My name was long to come so I began to day dream and closed my eyes singing a few songs in my head. As Jack went up I cheered with the rest of the crowd and winked at him as he looked my way. He laughed and walked off the other side of the stage and around, back to his seat. A few minutes later they reached the 'M's' and I snapped myself out of my day dream and sat on the edge of my seat nervous. I fiddled with my suit cuffs and my tie and waited anxiously until they finally called out, "Millen, Scott." Eyes wide I stood up and briskly walked to the front of the stage, my eyes scanning for Shane in the crowd. I spotted him in one of the front seats and I smiled broadly before shaking the executives hand, grabbing an envelope with my name on it and walking back to my seat. It was over. Now, to start the rest of my life.
It was after the ceremony and I was sitting on one of the benches outside the EVENT cinemas with Jack and Shane who congratulated me (with a hug!!!!), eating a small strap of liquorice. My mind was on the surprise my parents were planning on giving me and I was eyeing the crowd trying to find them. I noticed them making their way towards me in the distance so I stood up and smiled a large smile before hugging both my shorter mum and my bulky dad as they congratulated me. "Well done Scott!" My dad proclaimed in his rough voice, "we knew you had it in you!" I beamed and hugged them even tighter before changing the subject to the one at hand. "So" I stated, my tongue hanging out, "what's this surprise of yours then? Mum, Dad?" They both laughed and looked at each other. My dad nodded to my mum and she bent down and rummaged around in her large, leopard patterned handbag, pulling out a key from one of the outer pockets. She threw it lightly to me and I caught it with an open palm, looking at it inquisitively. "You bought me a car?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow. "Not quite Scott, think bigger." My dad winked at me and I gasped. "You bought me a boat?!" "Nope, even bigger." My mum urged me on, glancing at the equally curious expressions on Jack and Scott's face. Then it dawned on me and I clutched the tiny, metal key shocked. "You got me a house!?" They laughed. "It's a small two roomer that we found on the market. Just built last year or something like that. We checked it out last week, seems quite good so we bought it as a graduation present." I began chuckling with glee. A house! Wow. I leant forward and hugged them tightly once more, my paws wrapping around their wings. "How could you have afforded this?" It was my mum who answered that. "Well, we kind of won second division lotto last week. A few million, so we decided to buy you something!" I gaped. "You won several million dollars and your telling this to me now!?" "yeah, cause we were afraid you'd react like you are now." I shook my head, still sniggering. "Wow, so I can just like, move in? Damn it, I want to go see it!" "Yeah, we can take you there now if you-" My dad was interrupted by Jack who stepped up into the conversation. "I know Scott would like to see it and all but, as he has clearly forgotten, we have the graduation party to attend to soon so maybe later." The graduation party! I had completely forgotten about it. I frowned, "yeah, unfortunately, the house will have to wait." I nodded at both of my parents, thanking them once more before leaving with my two friends back to the apartment to get changed out of our formal tuxes.
It was half an hour later and Jack and I were waiting impatiently in the main room of our pasty flat waiting for the snow leopard to finish getting changed. Jack was pacing uncomfortably around the room in a plain white t-shirt while I was sitting on one of our fat green couches, sipping a warm mug of coffee. I had carefully selected what to wear earlier on so when I got home with the others I was able to throw on the clothing I had sprawled on my bed. Last week I had gone shopping with Shane at Hallensteins in the local Sylvia park and for this special occasion, I had picked out white denim three quarters, a black under shirt and a button-able blue and black checked jacket thing. For a whole outfit, ninety bucks wasn't much. A few minutes later, out of his room, came out Shane who was casually wearing a black and white striped shirt that was unbuttoned, showing his furry white chest, a navy blue pair of denim shorts like mine and to top it all off expensive aviators that reflected everything in sight. I rubbed my eyes in shock. This was unreal. How could anyone be this good looking! I met eyes with Jack and he instantly knew by my reaction how I felt about Shane. He looked absolutely God like. His handsome face looked amazing behind the glasses and he seemed so natural wearing an un buttoned shirt for everyone to see. I didn't want to do anything more than to curl up to him and rub my face against his amazing, snow white fur. "So...err.... Shall we go then?" Shane looked my way and I quickly turned away from his gaze, not wanting to meet his eyes just in case he saw me staring at him. I cleared my throat and nodded. "Let's go."
As this was an official event, it was held in a local storage warehouse out in the back of New Market, hidden away from the city. It was around seven o'clock when we arrived and the large sun had just touched the horizon, spewing rich colours across the evening sky, red being the most dominant. The car park around the large warehouse was packed with cars and vehicles. With them were burly security guards to prevent and mischief from occurring. Through the large windows of the rickety building were bright flashing lights which immediately told us that the party had indeed already started. Winking, I patted both felines on back and made my way, through the double doors into the hot, sweaty room full of graduated furs like myself, dancing and talking to others. Inside, I was immediately hit by the smell of sweat, drugs and alcohols, making me grin in delight- these smells were definitely the ones I had missed. In the centre of the building was the dance floor which was cloaked by a strobe light and was packed to the rafters with crazy, drunk furs. To the left were snacks and drinks where I went over to, to see what they were serving. On the right were just a few chairs and tables where tired furs could rest after partying too hard. After only being there for a few seconds I had already noticed several people that I knew, some of which I gave a casual wave to, others to which I just nodded. I picked up a small snack of olives and crackers and took a seat where I could overlook the whole thing. I burst out laughing as I saw Anna at the front in front of a Mac Book Pro, DJing. It definitely suited her. Jack and Shane immediately mingled into the dance floor and I had a sudden itch to follow them and somehow dance with Shane. I finished my snack and considered doing so but resisted. I was a terrible dancer and I would only mess up. For a few minutes I just sat there, enjoying myself until I was interrupted by a friendly face asking for a dance. I smiled, "Sure I'll dance with you Kath." The short beaver was wearing a black leather jacket and a matching short skirt that I bought her for her last birthday. We rushed to the dance floor and were instantly plunged into a massive, confusing array. I closed my eyes and let the powerful, overruling adrenaline take over as I tried my best to stay in the time with the heavy dubstep that was booming from the speakers. Ghosts N Stuff. Good song. There was no room at all but I was fine with that - I was mainly focused on not stepping on anyone's foot. Who's ever heard of a clumsy gryphon? I opened my eyes but the quickly closed them again, almost blinded by the strobe light that had just activated changing the mood to something feral and wild. The music changed to something even quicker and the dancing intensified and I found myself enjoying myself. My mood had definitely changed from the one that I had at the start of the day. Surprisingly Anna and I found ourselves at the centre of the stage, next too Jack who was dancing with a tall, black panther wearing clothing that hardly covered her body. My head screamed 'slut!' making me almost laugh out loud. Shane was there also but I couldn't see his dance partner. Without thinking I ditched my female friend and slipped through the crowd until I was behind Shane who turned out to be dancing with a border collie that I knew from my classes. I started dancing up against him, close enough so it was intimate yet far enough that he wouldn't realise what I was doing. Even in the mass of smells I could strongly smell his sexy natural musk which aroused me quite a bit, exciting my dick. Gritting my teeth I ignored it. I danced for around half an hour and then made my way down to a seat in the corner breathing heavily. Graduation parties were certainly demanding. I was surprised to see Shane making his way towards me, holding two bottles of beers and a platter of food. Smiling I pulled out another chair for him to sit down before taking the beer and a small morsel from the plate. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked happily after I thanked him. Sweat covered his face and I knew he was having a great time. "Yeah man! Everything's fantastic! How'd you find Rachel? The border collie?" I replied then asked, grinning at him, resisting an urge to kiss him on the cheek. He laughed and took a large swig from the green bottle of Heinekens before replying. "She asked for my number but I said that I was leaving tomorrow to go back to Australia and that I would never see her again. You should have seen the look on her face! She looked angry and just stormed off." I wasn't sure if I should laugh or be sympathetic. "Oh yeah, your leaving tomorrow right?" He nodded, "flights at 2 o'clock in the morning. I promised my parents that I would leave this party in around 45 minutes to get packed and go." My body filled with dread and a small tear sprung to my eye. Thankfully we were both sweating so it wasn't obvious. Him! Leaving! My dream crush. More than that. My one true love, leaving to go back to another country, where I would never see him again. It was too much to bear. I struggled to remain calm and collected. "Hey, it's been nice having you around man. I've really enjoyed it." "Yeah Scott, me too. Something new you know? I've kind of fallen in love New Zealand" 'Oh god, I've fallen in love with you!' I thought desperately. "Yeah, it's a nice country. Well, we should probably meet up in the future or something, it's been epic." He sighed sheepishly. "Yeah if I have enough money or anything. But hey, I'm not going to waste these last few minutes at the party talking man! Let's get back to the dancing!" He finished his beer, placed it on the table and stood up waiting for me. I followed suit and trailed him into the centre of the stage again. Before I could stop myself I asked him, "could I have this dance with you?" I frowned and cursed. Me and my fat mouth. He smirked and winked at me like I did at him earlier before nodding and grabbing my arm and taking me to the heart of the dancing. Grinning like a child I felt my heart momentarily fill up. However at that moment the fast Pendulum song ended and was replaced with a soft, smooth song. I met eyes with him and we both blushed, me thinking that he would back out. Well, this amazing, twenty five year old snow leopard was full of surprises. He shook his head in disbelief but took my hand and wrapped his other hand around my waist until we were close, my lips almost touching his. It was highly erotic. I gasped in joy and intertwined our paws together. Shit. I still couldn't dance. To my absolutely shock Shane still continued dancing with me even after five minutes when I became tired and rested my head on his shoulder, taking in his strong scent. He just shrugged and continuously rocking back and forth. Over his shoulder I spotted Jack in the corner, making out with the panther while giving me a thumb up. Smirking evilly I turned with Shane and with my talon like paw, gave him a strong finger. Shane saw that and rolled his eyes. Eventually the soft song ended and I peeled myself apart from the amazing Snow Leopard, staring into his eyes. "Uh, thanks for that" I mumbled to him and ambled over to the chair that we were sitting before. I thought I would be happy and content with the dance but all I felt at the moment was an over powering sense of dread that chilled my heart to the core. He was leaving and there was nothing I could do about it. This time I couldn't stop myself. Hot tears leaked from my earthy green eyes and dribbled down my brown, furry cheeks to the floor where a small puddle formed on the concrete floor. What was I going to do now? Find someone new? How? I was hopeless at everything! I felt really pessimistic about myself at that moment. I snatched up two unopened beers from the table near me and opened both of them, chugging down their contents like it was water. My plan was to get drunk. Really drunk- that means I could leave my problems till tomorrow. Anyway, the alcohol was free. Oh I was going to miss him. His snowy fur and his rich blue eyes were like a drug to me and his quirky personality kept me going in the morning. He was the perfect one for me- a catch of a life time. One that was about to slip away. I sniffed and using an arm, wiped away all the tears from my face. What was I going to do?
Minutes passed and all I did was sat there like a blithering idiot. A few furs (I didn't look at their faces) waddled over to me and asked me to dance with them but I rudely declined, moping. I knew I was being a bastard, but at that moment, I didn't care. Why didn't I say something to him about how I felt towards him earlier? He was here a month yet I didn't do anything. All I did was put things off. I'm useless at this stuff. And yet, the party continued which made me feel any worse. Wasn't anyone aware how much I was hurting? The dance floor was still filled with energy of raving furs having a good time and the food table was still full of food however majority of the beer had been drunk. I sighed, why did I even bother coming? Shaking my head I stood up and staggered through the heavy metal doors till I got out side before sitting down on a small hill twenty metres away from the building. The slight breeze and the amazing stars that painted the sky calmed me down a bit and I was able to collect my thoughts. I snapped open my eagle wings and let the wind rush through them as I stretched my muscles to prevent cramp. It was at the moment however when my favourite snow leopard exited the building also and stumbled across the car park towards the bus stop not one hundred metres away. Taking my chance I stood up and using the wind to my aid, glided towards him, nimbly dodging a flash car that was carelessly parked. "Shane" I murmured quietly, catching up to him. He whirled around, his reflective aviators lopsided. "Hey Scott, I'm just leaving to go back to the apartment now. Gotta' pack my gear up." I swallowed, tears coming back to my eyes once more, "you be safe in Australia alright?" He laughed, "Yeah man, I'll be fine. Why are you so worried?" He teased me and lightly punched my shoulder. I gave a weak smile."Heh, just thought I'd say something." He nodded and held out his hand. The same hand that I had held not so long before. I grasped it firmly and shook once before letting it go and shoving my hands in my pockets. "Guess this is it I suppose." He mumbled. "Yeah I think so. Well it's been fun" "It was a great experience. Good luck for the future Scott." He smiled my favourite smile, turned around and began walking away, leaving me standing in the cold. Just before he was out of sight I grabbed my wits and blurted out, "Shane!" He looked back, an inquisitive expression on his face. "Yeah?" Biting my lip I jogged up to him and pulled him in a tight bear, hug my arms completely wrapping around him. He hesitantly replied and hugged me back. "I've got something to tell you" I whispered softly in his white, triangular ears. "Yeah?" he repeated. I squeezed him even tighter and inhaled in his glorious musk before continuing, "I'm gay and I love you." Just to make sure he heard, I said it again. "I am gay and I am in love with you." He pulled out of the hug and I expected the worst - him running away. This did not happen however; instead he gave me a smug look. "I know, Jack told me a few days after I arrived here." My eyes widened, "That bastard! He told you!?" He chuckled at my reaction before answering. "Yeah, but he only said you only had a crush on me, not love me." Looking worried I replied, "You were just a crush then, but you grew on me. I really, really like you Shane. I just thought you'd like to know." He patted me on the shoulder and continued walking off towards the bus stop in the distance. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. He didn't care! Yes he wasn't staying here for me. But it showed that he loved me for who I was, not just the superficial me that showed on top. I grinned, feeling a whole lot better than earlier. I was about to walk off back to the party when I remembered something. "Shane! One more thing!" I yelled loudly, this time not bothering running up to him. "What is it Scott?" He feigned annoyance and I chortled. "You never told me why you even came here in the first place!" He burst out laughing and began walking away into the fog that shrouded the busy city. "It was because I told them I was gay!" I blinked and staggered like I was hit. "Do you like me!?" "Yes I do!" No way. No FUCKING way. Why didn't I tell him I was gay when I met him!? Holy shit. He was gay too. All along and I had no idea at all. All this time wasted! Bloody hell! I sat down on the cool tarmac, my head spinning. He was gay, yet he was leaving me to another country. Why didn't I do anything earlier? Then a thought came to my head. I had just finished university! I was free to do what I wanted. Anything at all! I could just pack up and go and live in Australia with him! I could just grab some money from my parents, I mean they did just win lotto. No. They just bought me a house, I couldn't just leave that. Then it hit me. "I'll come and find you!" I called into the haze, unsure if he heard me or not. "I'll come and find you" I repeated it to myself once more softly.
Never had I felt so content.
Yeah okay i kind of got a bit hectic at the end and didn't know how to finish it :P Anyway, hope you enjoyed!