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SWIM MEET : Issue 2

Copyright 2007 by its author, Hunterwolf

Roan was feeling out of sorts as he stepped outside, towel over his shoulders, speedo tied securely (a fact which remarkable many furs forget to do, resulting in some very embarrassing moments!). The attack and subsequent revelation by the one fur he had lusted after more than any other at Mosshall High, created within the wolf a kind of alchemy. Feelings and emotions waged war against each other, leaving the young wolf unable to complete his ritual.

At first he had been eager to get down to the throbbing in his groin calling attention to itself, but after a few strokes of his paw the recent events began invading his mind, and he played the whole situation over and over again. In the end, unable to sustain his erection, and with a few choice muttered oaths, Roan pulled up his speedo and hefted his towel, making for the swimming pool.

The black stallion was standing at the side of the pool, chatting with the panther competitor from the third house, Coalridge. The panther glanced over at the wolf and nodded a greeting. Gan, too, glanced the wolf's way, and at that gesture Roan's heart began pounding anew, and he wondered if the assembled furs could see his emotions warring with each other, could see him flushed and hesitant, and indeed, he had begun walking slower, trying to put off talking to the stallion as long as possible. An odd reaction, the wolf mused, considering that it seemed his dreams were becoming reality!

But the stallion simply nodded nonchalantly as well and turned his attention back to the feline, as though nothing had happened in the locker rooms. For a moment Roan wondered if it really did happen. Maybe the impact of his head against the floor had rattled a few things and he had hallucinated. Maybe he needed to go see the nurse. Or a doctor. Get checked out. He had hit his head quite hard.

Halfway to the horse and feline a heavy paw fell on his shoulder and the wolf started. Great! Was he going to jump every time a paw met his body? And come to think of it, what was it with paws and his shoulders today? He stopped and turned, meeting the unflinching steely gaze of Coach Madson, gym teacher and swimming coach. The well built grizzly acted as gruff and ill tempered as he looked, but beneath it all he was just a huge teddy bear. Not that he'd admit it, and anyone mentioning anything resembling such a thing would find themselves doing laps around the football field. Twenty laps. That was the coach's favorite number for such a punishment.

"What happened?"

Roan groaned. He'd cleaned himself up as best he could, but his lip was still a bit puffy. Very little remained hidden from the grizzly's eyes, and he himself had been in his fair share of fights, or had to break up such fights between students, so he was well versed in recognising the telltale signs of fight related injuries.

"Uh...would you believe I walked into a door?" Roan quipped, grinning sheepishly.

"No, I wouldn't. Lie to me and you'll be doing twenty."

Roan groaned and sighed. He glanced around, but couldn't see the trio of furs who'd roughed him up anywhere. "It...was nothing. Really. An accident."

"And I'm a large pink hamster, Mr Matthews. I dislike fights between students, especially on school grounds."

"It wasn't a fight, sir," Gan interrupted. "An accident, that's all, and my fault, to be honest. I take full responsibility for Roan's injuries."

The grizzly turned his steely gaze on the horse, who flinched visibly. "Please explain yourself, Mr Auran."

"I wasn't looking where I was flailing and kinda hit Roan, sir. You know I practice martial arts, don't you?" The horse's voice had lost most, if not all, of the bravado and granite that had existed in the locker room. Coach Madson nodded. "Well, sir, as I was saying, I was practicing a few moves and didn't realise Roan had come up behind me and I kinda spun around and hit him."

"Yeah," Roan jumped in. "Like Gan said, sir. It wasn't his fault. Just an accident."

Coach Madson looked at Roan, then back at Gan. "So you hit Mr Matthews, did you?"

"Yes, sir." The horse looked guilty. Roan wondered at the stallion's acting ability. He truly seemed the penitent fur, confessing to a mistake he had made.

The grizzly turned his attention back to Roan. "He hit you by accident and you are ok? Ok to compete, that is."

Roan nodded, not trusting his voice, aware of the desperation in his voice when he'd butted in.

Coach Madson nodded and smiled. "Ok then, as long as you guys are ok with this."

Both furs nodded and smiled, and Gan said, addressing Roan;"Come on. We'd better get to the starting blocks."

As both furs made their way to the pool, Coach Madson's voice, tinged with ice, brought them to a halt. "Tomorrow morning, my office. I'll let you off the hook now, because I don't want to stall the swim meet. Mr Auran, you are lying. Mr Matthews, so are you. While I admire you covering for each other, I dislike being lied to. Tomorrow morning, my office, and I want the truth, or so help me you'll both be in detention for the remainder of your high school career!"

Roan and Gan gulped and shuddered and looked despairingly at each other.

"Oh, boys?"

The wolf and stallion turned around.

Coach Madson was smiling at them, all trace of the ice and steel and gruff exterior banished. "Best of luck to both of you!"

The two swimmers turned back towards the pool. As they approached the panther, Gan said quietly;"Coach is cool. I think we can get out of this without telling the whole story."

Gan nodded, and was about to reply when the panther stepped towards them. "Hey, Roan. What happened?"

The wolf shrugged. "Accident."

"Is that what the coach was talking to you about?"

"Yeah," Roan replied.

"What we should be concerning ourselves with," Gan spoke up, "is the swim meet. Here we stand, the three champions of our houses. I think the race is a bit more important than walking into a door!" The horse laughed. "Let's hope the wuff here continues his run of bad luck. It might be our only chance in this race!"

The panther chuckled. "I think we've got what it takes to kick his ass, Gan."

"Kick his ass? Yeah...you could say that," Gan grinned, and cast Roan a swift wink.

A whistle blew, and Coach Madson came up to them. "To your blocks, boys."

"Good luck, guys," the panther smiled.

"Yup," Gan replied.

"Thanks, Scott," Roan smiled back. "You too."

The furs around the pool were roaring now, shouting words of encouragement to their champions, waving their banners wildly. As Roan stepped onto the starting block, he barely registered any of this, the sun speckled water before his eyes seemingly hypnotic, lulling his senses, allowing his mind to roam free. But this time, his mind wasn't on the race. This time, his mind was on the stallion he was competing against. Competing, not for House Cup, but, if the stallion was true to his word, if the stallion wasn't playing some sick game with him, for something far more sweeter, far more desired.

Roan glanced at the stallion, but Gan's eyes were closes, his muscles tensed, awaiting the whistle. His equine features were set into a mask of sheer concentration, and a muscle twitched under an eye as the horse strained his ears, anxiously awaiting the signal to dive into the water and swim for the prize at the end, Roan himself!

The wolf pondered that, asking himself if he would indeed allow the horse to take him if Gan won. Or would the horse force himself on him, take the prize he believed he was entitled too. Would Gan force him like that? Take him against his will? Fuck him regardless of his willingness? His cock throbbed, and stiffened, silent testimony to the answer that Roan had yet to accept himself. Probably, yes. Very probably, yes, he would give in to the horse!

The whistle blew, and all three were off the blocks, muscles once taught now sprung free, hurling them into the cool water, the renewed cheering at the whistle becoming a muted whisper, barely heard. Water rushed through his fur, and then he was above the surface, the furs shouting, the sound of arms and legs thrashing water, the pounding of his blood. He dared not look and see where Gan was. He had to concentrate, to channel his energy, to conserve it, not waste it all on the first lap. He needed to store some up for that final burst at the end. And the wall was ahead of him and he dove down, rolled, and came up facing the other direction, thrusting off from the wall with his footpaws.

Both arms churning the water, he gulped in lungfuls of air with each rise to the surface, staring straight ahead, seeing the far wall, aiming for it, the shutting his eyes as he plunged under, repeating that again and again until he rose and saw the edge, and prepared himself. Suddenly on his back, the sun bright, forcing him to squint, as he propelled himself backwards, casting swift glances at the lane ropes to orientate himself, keep himself on course. And during one such glance, he noticed Gan was ahead of him, Scott basically tied with the wolf!

He saw the marking on the side of the pool, counted down the strokes and then again the wall was behind him, and the last lap began. He kept his pace steady, took in the other two furs, both of whom had inched ahead of him. Summoning up every last reserve he could find Roan redoubled his efforts, ploughing through the water, his muscles aching. His eyes fixed dead ahead, concentrating not on the chearing that came and went, nor where Gan or Scott were, but on reaching the wall first.

Dammit! I don't want to lose. I want to win. I want Gan. I want to fuck him. I must fuck him. Ride him, make him beg, make him mine!

The throbbing in his crotch began again, becoming a full blown hardon, and Roan gritted his teeth, and pushed on, aware of his erection, aware that he wanted so badly to have the stallion on all fours. The prize, forbidden and seemingly unobtainable all these years, now within his grasp! His eager, rutting grasp!

Somewhere, from far away, oh so far away, the sound of exultant yells, of voices becoming louder and louder. Shouts, screams, cries, cheers, a cacophony of sounds that broke through his reverie, bring him back to blaring reality, The taste of chlorine, the smooth coolness of water seeping through fur, and the brilliant explosion of white light that faded abruptly into blissful darkness.

Roan pulled himself from the pool, arms and legs weak and shaking, suddenly aware of an utter silence. He glanced down and shuddered, the pink tip of his cock peering at him accusingly from the band of his speedo. But the laughter that aught to have followed never came. Roan glanced around, expecting something, anything, but only silence met his ears. He was alone. The furs were gone, as were the staff and Gan and Scott. The sun was shining, but it was muted somehow. He tasted iron. Blood. His nose was bleeding. He groaned and brought his paw to his muzzle, but something held it back, a firm grip, and the sun regained its harsh blaze of light and heat and sound exploded around him and he winced and shut his eyes.

"Roan, can you hear me?"

The wolf opened his eyes slowly, finding concern etched faces staring down at him. Coach Madson, Gan, Scott, Mr Reese, his biology teacher, Ms Parkens, the school nurse, Gan. Gan! He found himself staring back at Gan, committing to memory the worry and apprehension and relief that played so furiously over his face. He grinned, despite himself, and the stallion grinned back.

"He'll be ok. Just a bump on the head and a bloody nose."

"Thank you, Ms Parkens," Coach Madson said.

"Geez, Roan!" Gan smiled. "You gave us all one hell of a scare. You're supposed to stop at the end, not try and plough on through!"

The gathered furs chuckled and Roan blushed, the pieces fitting together. He'd struck the wall with his head, passed out, then been tended to by the furs around him. "So, um, who won?"

Gan chuckled. "Well, I have some good news, and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Give me the bad news first," Roan replied, his eyes fixed on the horse's.

"Well, you won. By mere inches, I might add!"

Roan grinned broadly. He'd done it. He'd won, and with that victory the House Cup would go to Paton House! Then the realisation hit him, hard, and remembered what else that meant. And that brought back to mind his state of arousal just moments ago! Coldness crept over him and he glanced swiftly down, to find that a towel had been draped over him, covering from his upper legs to his stomach.

"Um...why...why is that bad news?" the wolf asked, finally managing to find his tongue once relief had set in.

Gan laughed and stood. "I never said that the bad news was yours!"

"Let's get you on your footpaws, Mr Matthews," Coach Madson said, offering a large paw, which Roan gratefully accepted. As he stood he wobbled a bit, but the bear was there to hold him steady. Belatedly, as he stood, he remembered the towel, and he grasped unthinkingly for it, only to find the coach's hand just above his groin, holding the towel in place. He glanced quickly at the bear, who seemed to realise something and snatched his paw away. Coach Madson looked decidedly...guilty! The ursine looked embarrassed, and coughed and moved away from Roan.

Had the teacher seen his erection? Had he been the one to cover him up? The coach had looked guilty about something, and the way he'd swiftly moved his hand from his groin... Roan glanced over at Gan, but the horse was saying something to Scott, who was nodding and smiling. He turned his attention back to the coach, but the bear was refusing to meet his gaze. Should he approach Coach Madson? Or would it be too uncomfortable for them? As he stood debating with himself, a voice came over the speaker system, announcing the end of the House Games and confirming that Paton House's champion, Roan Matthews, had indeed claimed victory for his house!

At that the whole of Paton House's furs leapt to their footpaws, cheering and shouting. The other two houses were more subdued in their applause, but overall they seemed in good spirits. A bunch of furs charged Roan and hefted him up, and he was carried away on a throng of furry paws. He looked around for Gan, but couldn't find the stallion anywhere. Furs were talking to him, congratulating him, but the only thing on his mind was finding the horse. He kept a grin on his face for his adoring fans, but beneath that he was anxious, dearly wanting to talk to Gan about what had happened in the locker room. Dearly wanting to find out if he meant what he had said about the prize.

As he was swept along in a victory procession around the pool he spotted a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. It was Gan. And he was talking to Coach Madson! The bear was saying something and Gan was looking rather subdued, as though uncomfortable. Was it about his hardon? Or was it about where the coach's paw had been? But then he was carried on towards the locker rooms and deposited gently on terra firma once more, with many paws slapping his back and shoulders in comraderie congratulations.

Beyond the doors, in the corridor, the furs voices were drowned out a little, and they became fainter the further he went towards the locker room. He paused, and turned to face the doors. Gan should be following soon, also to get changed.

Minutes went by and nothing. The furry gathering had moved on and Roan walked back to the doors and looked out, hoping to see the stallion. But asides from a few stragglers, there was nofur to be seen.

Sighing, his heart pounding a bit, and feeling more than a little anxious about Gan, Roan made his way to the locker room. His togbag was still there, but Gan's was gone. Roan bit back a whimper. He'd really been hoping to see the stallion again, to talk to him. But it seemed that the horse had left before him. Hadn't even waited for him. He felt crushed, cheated. Had Gan been toying with him? Where was he? Why hadn't he waited? If...

"Mr Matthews."

Roan started and turned to see Coach Madson in the doorway. "Yes, sir?"

The bear had that look of discomfort again, and wasn't meeting the wolf's gaze. "I...um....have a message from your friend, Mr Auran. He said he was...sorry, that he couldn't stay and congratulate you, but something came up and he had to leave."

"Oh," Roan replied, and he couldn't help but keep the disappointment from seeping out along with the word.

Coach Madson stood there, as though about to say something more, but then the bear turned around.

"Sir?"

The bear stopped. "Yes, Mr Matthews?"

"Um...about...about earlier, sir."

Coach Madson glanced around the corner into the hallway, then closed the door and walked over to Roan, transforming as he moved from the steady, hard, gruff coach into a hesitant and seemingly uncomfortable shell of his former self. His voice, when he spoke, was low;"I...er...was just keeping the towel in place, Roan." The bear was staring intently at a locker. "I wasn't...um...you know...doing anything else. I was...just...keeping the towel up, in case your...er...." The bear fell silent, and Roan could see how embarrassed his coach was looking.

"That's ok, sir. Thank you."

"Mr Auran, when he pulled you out of the water, told me to grab your towel and hand it to him. His voice seemed...urgent, so I complied. When he laid the towel over your...er...legs, I saw...um..."

Roan forced a chuckle, hoping to break the uncomfortable atmosphere that was developing. "Thanks again, sir. I don't know why I reacted like that. Heh."

Coach Madson met Roan's eyes now, and a bit of his former self seemed to be creeping back. "Roa...Mr Matthews. I...that is to say, it is... Look, it's ok if you are...well...into guys more than girls. Really, it is."

"Oh, no, sir. No, I'm not..." Roan paused. He could say it. Coach Madson might believe him. Or he might not. For some reason, he felt it would be wrong to continue with his lie. The bear had covered up an uncomfortable situation, well, helped cover one up, and it seemed wrong, very wrong, to make light of that with a lie. "No, sir, I am. I am...gay."

Coach Madson stared at the wolf, aware of the battle that had just been fought. "It sounds like that's the first time you've said that. Out loud, anyway."

"It...it is, sir." It was Roan's turn to study the lockers around him.

The bear blinked, then stepped forward and placed a paw on his shoulder. Roan looked up into the ursine's amber eyes, and saw warmth, and more, respect. "Thank you, Roan, for that confidence. For the trust you've shown. I....I truly appreciate what you've risked in telling me."

Roan tried to grin, but something inside him had broken at his statement. He had torn down the barriers that had held him back, and the courage that he'd dragged up from inside him suddenly fled, and instead of grinning, as much as he fought it, he started to sob. He growled and spun around, fighting back the tears by clenching his eyes shut, clasping his paws shut, but heavy arms, warm arms, turned him around and pulled him close and engulfed him in tender strength, and Roan returned the embrace and cried, his sobs muffled, his tears soaked up by the coach's shirt. And through it all, he could hear the bear's voice, soothing, saying:"It's ok, cub. It's ok."

It took a few minutes for the wolf to pull himself together, and as he did so he began to feel embarrassed. How could he go around falling apart like that? The Coach must think him to be weak, pathetic. As if reading his thoughts, though, Coach Madson said:"Don't feel bad, Roan. That kind of secret, hiding it, afraid of the consequences, it would be enough to make anyfur break down. Don't think for one moment that it makes you inferior, or weak."

Roan pulled away slowly and nodded, wiping a paw across his eyes. "I guess I never expected to be treated, well, with compassion, with understanding, in coming out. I guess it overwhelmed me."

Coach Madson nodded. "I won't tell anyone, Roan."

Roan chuckled softly. "I know that, sir. But thank you anyway, for saying that."

The bear looked around the locker room. "I'll leave you to get changed, Roan." The bear then turned and made his way towards the doors.

"Gan protected me."

The coach stopped. He turned around again. Roan was sitting, staring at the floor.

"Some furs started harping on at me about being gay. They don't know for sure, I think they suspect. Or maybe not even that. Maybe they just feel like being jerks all the time. Anyway, I didn't feel like playing along and they started getting rough. Gan intervened."

"So that's why you had those bruises."

"Yeah."

"Then I guess you won't have to come to my office tomorrow," the bear smiled. "Pass that message on to Gan, will you?"

Roan nodded. "Yeah, I will. If I see him." There was a wistful note in his voice.

"You like him." It wasn't a question.

Roan nodded.

"He knows?"

Again the wolf nodded. "He is also...gay." The word sounded foreign to him.

Coach Madson smiled. "It'll grow on you. Keep saying it and it'll be just another word. Each time makes it easier to say again."

Roan looked up at the teacher. "Really?" There was an imploring look in his eyes.

The bear nodded. "Trust me."

And suddenly it struck him with the force of a runaway bulldozer, and the wolf actually took a step back, his eyes wide with amazement, with shock. With the sudden revelation things he stared at his coach in amazement. The bear cocked his head a bit to the side and regarded the young wolf quizzically. "Roan?"

"I...I'm sorry, sir. But...either I'm right or...or I'm going to regret this for a long time."

"Right about what?"

Roan walked up to his coach and kept his voice low, so low that only the bear, or any others within a meter of them, could hear. And they were definitely alone in the locker room. "You're gay too."

Fear, anger and surprise flashed through the ursine's eyes, and it was on those that the wolf had focused his undivided attention. What he read as he spoke those words confirmed his deduction.

The bear sighed. "So what gave it away?"

Roan smiled softly. "Well, you said earlier that I shouldn't feel bad about breaking down. And you explained why. And just now you said to trust you about the word "gay" being easier each time you said it. How would you know any of that if, well, you weren't gay yourself?"

"You're a bright wolf, Roan," the coach smiled. Then the smile slid from his face, replaced by a determined look. "Roan, a gay coach is one thing. But a gay coach coaching swimming is quite another. Young male furs in speedos, well, it would look bad."

Roan nodded quickly and said:"Sir, please don't worry. I would never say anything. I won't even tell Gan. It will be between you and me, and I will take this to my grave. And if I screw up or break the rules, then punish me like you would any other fur. I won't hold this as leverage to get better treatment or get away with things."

Coach Madson seemed profoundly relieved, and he smiled broadly. "Thank you." The words were heartfelt.

For several moments a silence existed between them, each coming to terms with the revelations and secrets unbared. It was Roan who broke the silence. "So, um, have you ever, well, fantasized about me?"

The bear looked shocked, then he flushed and looked very sheepish. "Er...well, um, yeah. You? I mean, have you ever...about me?"

Roan chuckled and nodded. "I've fantasized about most of the male staff. You included, sir."

The bear grinned. "Um...assembly is in several minutes, and the prize giving. You should be there. I'll, um, I'll leave. Let you get dressed in peace."

"Sir, wait!"

Coach Madson looked at the young wolf before him, seeing the fur struggling with something, struggling, and then, suddenly, seemingly finding what he was searching for in the confines of his mind.

Coming out to the coach, the strength and freedom it seemed to have imparted upon him, made Roan more courageous, and more foolhardy. Years of keeping his secret hidden, stashed in the depths of his psyche, were coming to a close. He had dared to come out to the coach, dared to ask the bear if he'd fantasized about him. Now he would dare more, test the mettle of his newfound well of foolhardy courage.

"You...you can stay. While I get changed."

The bear blinked.

"It's the least I can do, for what you've done for me today. The towel. The hug. The comfort. You can watch this young male fur get changed. You can watch me as you've no doubt wished you could have watched me...or any other young fur, for the matter." It was true. Coach Madson had never been in the locker room while any of the furs had been changing, or showering. He may be gay. He may have fantasized about the furs in his care. But he had never abused his station and watched what he fantasized about.

The bear shook his head. "Thank you, Roan. But, no. It would be...wrong. I am your teacher. It would break I don't know how many rules and laws."

"Screw the rules, sir," Roan barked. " I'm giving you implicit permission here!"

"Others won't see it that way."

"What others? There is nofur else here." Roan stepped forward and grasped the bear's paws in his. "It's a gift. Please accept it. For me, if not for you."

The bear seemed in two minds, and Roan could clearly see the inner turmoil on the ursine's face, in his eyes. The coach's eyes flickered down to the wolf's crotch, and he swallowed hard. "Roan, are you absolutely sure?"

The wolf grinned and nodded. "Yes, sir. I am."

The bear grinned back. "This is probably a bad idea. But...well...to see in the flesh what I've imagined..." He paused.

"Then it is my pleasure, sir, to show it to you."

And with that the wolf pulled on the drawstring on his speedo, slid his fingers under the waistband, and slid the material down, revealing to his coach what he carried within. And as the speedo was lowered, his cock began to grow, and Roan didn't care. He grinned at his coach, who was staring, mouth agape, eyes wide, at the sight before him. And soon the wolf was standing naked and erect before his coach, proudly displaying what none other had ever seen before. The hard, quivering cock, flanked beneath by a ripe set of dangling furry balls.

His heart was pounding, the blood rushing through him as never before. Thoughts, sinful, forbidden, oh so forbidden, flashed through his head. He needed release, and for several seconds considered offering the bear before him more than just a look. Maybe a touch. A taste. Maybe something more intimate. More private. Something, or rather, someplace, that no other fur had seen, or felt, or entered. He was gazing hungrily at the adult before him, and he realized that the bear was returning that ravenous look. New ground was being forged here, and both furs knew how perilously close they were to losing control, to succumbing to their baser desires, their baser lusts. Even more perilous was that neither seemed to care that they might lose that control!

Roan walked over to the coach, each step stirring his blood, his passions, even more. The adult fur was staring at the teen's crotch as he came closer and closer. Then, when the wolf was a mere couple of inches away, Roan spoke:"So, um, how about letting me see what you've got packed away, sir?"

The bear gulped and raised his paws, taking the wolf's muzzle tenderly in them and smiled gently. "I...I don't think that would be a good idea. If I dropped my pants now I would not be able to control myself. You'd be bent over that bench over there before you'd know what was happening."

"Who said I'd resist?"

The bear started, but recovered swiftly. "Roan, don't tempt me. What you've shown me already is more than I'd dreamed I'd ever get. But wouldn't you rather spend time with Gan?"

At the mention of the horse Roan gasped and stepped backwards, shame etched deeply into his face. He'd forgotten about the stallion. They were supposed to...to what? Fuck? If so, why wasn't the horse here? Why didn't he wait? Was it really meant? The prize? Was the prize real? Were they just words? A game? Roan didn't know, and had begun to doubt ever since he'd found the stallion's belongings gone from the locker room.

He spun around and moved hurriedly for his togbag, snatching up his briefs and jeans and beginning to pull them on. "Geez, you must think I'm a real...slut...or something," Roan barked bitterly.

"No, I don't think that at all."

"But I almost threw myself on you!" Roan added plaintively, pulling on his jeans and zipping them up.

"Youthful passions often don't know patience," the bear said. "Don't beat yourself up over it. We're both in rut here. What we are, and how forbidden and erotic what has transpired here has been, is a recipe for uncontrolled urges."

Roan turned around, still looking abashed. "But you held back."

"Barely, Roan. You have no idea how close I came to...to...," the bear couldn't continue, biting off the last words.

Roan nodded. "I'm...I'm sorry. For..." He couldn't bring himself to continue.

"You think you're a tease?"

The wolf nodded.

"We all are, at heart. Its comes part and parcel of the package." The bear smiled.

"What now?"

"Now we go to assembly."

"No. I...I mean, what about us? About...this? What now?"

The bear stood, silent, pondering, staring at the wolf who was staring back at him. "I am still a teacher, and you are still a student. And we behave as such."

"It won't be the same, sir."

"I know, Roan. I know. We've already trespassed on terrain we should not have, and we cannot go back. We can only go forward."

"I...I would have done more with you." The voice was barely above a whisper.

The ursine blinked, but other than that seemed unruffled. For long seconds they stood, the bear gazing at the wolf and the wolf staring at his footpaws. "I would have enjoyed that. You are right, things will be different between us. We can never go back to being coach and student, but those are masks we will have to wear. The secret we share is our bond, and I would gladly view you as more than a student." The wolf's head shot up but the ursine raised his paws defensively. "What I mean to say is...I would gladly view you as a...friend...more than a student. Someone to...confide in. It's hard, as well you know, bearing this secret alone. Together, it would be easier."

The wolf nodded and pulled on his shirt. He sat and tied his sneakers, and the bear watched him. Once he was fully clothed, he hefted his togbag and slung it over his shoulder. He padded over to the coach and wrapped his arms around the adult's waist, hugging him fiercely. And the bear returned it in kind.

"We should get going," Roan mumbled into the coach's chest.

"Yeah. Let's get moving then."

New ground had been forged, for better or worse. And on that ground, two flames, both timid and sheltered, had flared defiantly, and in those flames each fur had found the mettle of themselves, and the other. A coach and a student had walked into the locker room.

Two friends emerged.

**To Be Continued

More characters, more surprised...and an actual YIFF scene...are on the way. But wait...will it be ROan and Gan who share a bed, or Roan and Coach Madson?!? Or someone else, as yet unknown, waiting in the shadows of this tale? Only one way to find out...

Comments are always welcome, and if you really want to throw something at me...please throw a quarter wrapped in a $20 bill! ^.^**