Brotherly Love: Chapter 6

Story by Kalan on SoFurry

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#24 of A New Venture

Kierlan finds his troubles and his worries are starting to grow worse as thinks about Siber and Grant. With his mind turned towards the differences of his body compared to his twins, he finds a confidant in the steady Richter. A confidant and perhaps something more.


Kierlan stood at the door with a grin on his face as he watched the car disappear with his fathers in it. He caught Artemis' smile and his own lips curved up. He knew that Skarlath had been eager to go to the islands and away from the dreary weather they had been having lately. It had been the topic of nearly every conversation at the dinner table. The complaints about the storms, the winds, the cold weather that punctuated the warmer weather had nearly been memorized by all of them. The tawny lion flicked his tail with relief at being able to have some peace as well as the smug knowledge that they were finally old enough to be trusted on their own.

He stepped into the foyer and stretched out lazily. His back arched cracked while he reached his arms up high over his head before dropping back down. He could remember when they'd been younger they'd all gone on family vacations. Artemis always knew the best places to take them, though they had always been somewhat educational in nature. It felt good that his fathers would have time together to relax and enjoy their company rather then try to maintain a schedule for a group of rowdy boys. They'd given up a lot raising them and it was time they had their chance to enjoy life too and the fact that he knew he could have the house to himself elevated his spirits.

He wasn't going to throw a party, though it was tempting to do something he wasn't supposed too. He didn't have enough friends to have a decent party for one and for another he already had plans for his art class. The end of the year art show was coming up and he was supposed to create a piece to display. He could work on it in his room, but he'd long ago realized that the acrylic paint let off fumes that made him feel dizzy. He could work in the dining room where the windows could be opened up wide enough that the fumes wouldn't linger long enough to make him dizzy. He could also work as long as he wanted into the night! It put him in far better spirits as he sprinted up the stairs at full speed.

"Oy! Watch it, Kierlan!!" Grant and he nearly slammed together as the pale feline was on his way downstairs. The smaller lion jerked to one side to let his brother pass.

"Sorry!" He grinned and flashed his fangs, "Our Dads are gone, we have the house to ourself."

Grant stopped and his dark amber eyes looked worried rather than elated. "They are? I didn't hear them go."

Kierlan snorted softly, "You wouldn't have. I heard the noises coming out of your room. I bet Artemis was going to say goodbye, but thought better of it after all that panting."

Grant's cheeks colored and his twin felt a surge of smugness at the embarrassment. Sometimes it was completely worth it to get the upper hand on his more charismatic brother. The embarrassment though seemed tinged with something else as the pale feline shifted his head down to glance towards the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, well, at least we didn't get walked in on. I'm going to grab some water for us so we can go back to studying."

Kierlan opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but his brother took the escape by bolting down the stairs. He leapt over the bottom three stairs with a twist that sent him running towards the kitchen. The tawny form stayed perched on the stairs and mulled chasing after him and demanding to know what was up, but finally shrugged it off. Siber and Grant had been more touchy lately and it made him wonder if they were having issues as a couple. If they were having problems it was probably better to let his brother approach him with it rather then pushing his way into the thick of things. He wanted to be there as a shoulder to lean on, not a mediator in couple troubles.

He gave himself a final shake before turning back to the stairs and finished running up them in a rush. He could hear the sound of Siber in Grant's room, but the door was closed so he didn't have to poke his head in. The sounds that he had caught earlier had made him distinctly uncomfortable. Seeing couples around had started to make things more and more awkward for him. It was a sharp reminder of the lack he had in his life and what he truly wanted. Wanted and couldn't have. With a sigh and pushed into his room to start gathering up his art supplies. He always had his art at least.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Richter blinked himself awake slowly as he pushed the covers off himself. He had vague memories of Skarlath talking with him about how they were heading out. He was never the best when he was half asleep, but he'd managed to give his fathers hugs and mumbled that he hoped they would have a fun time. It wasn't until he had spent several minutes staring at the ceiling and protesting his state of wakefulness that he came entirely awake. He growled and pushed his covers off with a huge yawn and scratched his chest. He hadn't meant to nap for so long, but he was exhausted. He'd been nearly breaking himself at practice lately and it was showing in the amount of food he ate, sleep he needed and the vague soreness in his hardened muscles.

He worked out and practiced more because he had no other choice. He needed to bring himself up to par for his team's sake and his own. It also kept him busy. Being busy was important. His mind continued to slip towards the thoughts of what he'd done with his brother. They had been awkward with each other ever since and it made him feel guilty, but at the same time pleased with what had happened. The emotions were so tangled up together that he'd finally avoided Grant entirely. Whenever they were around each other he felt a stab of subdued passion and possessiveness that was out of character for him. It was confusing and thrilling, but Grant was obviously trying to keep it under wraps and refused to discuss it.

The colt rubbed his broad nose and reached over to flick the lights back on in his room before opening the door. His shorts clung around the curve of his hips and he pulled them up as a flash of gold went past his door. He blinked for a moment and tilted his head to watch Kierlan quick step it down the hall and into his own room. His back was stiff and Richter sighed softly. That was another worry. Kierlan was becoming more and more closed off. He was lucky to see his brother once a day and sometimes he went days without seeing more than a tail tip. Kier had always been the quiet and shy sort, but this went to a whole new level. The problem of his brother was a welcome distraction as his sensitive nose tasted the muted scents of passion on the air. Obviously Siber and Grant had made up, and Kier was offering him a welcome distraction.

The big dark stallion slipped down the hall and found the tawny lion's bedroom door open and the lean muscled form gathering paints together in short jerking movements. Despite the obvious agitation, his younger brother was careful not to throw the tubes roughly into the worn box, but it looked like he wanted too. There was something raw and painful in the lines of his face and Richter paused with his ears back. Even as he watched he saw Kier close his eyes as he drew in a breath and sighed it out. It was obvious he was trying to count to ten.

"What's wrong?" He rumbled and winced as Kierlan jerked his head up and looked startled.

The younger golden lion gave his head a shake. "Nothing, sorry. I was just thinking about what I'm going to do for my final."

The wane smile didn't reach the pained eyes, but the jerky movements of the hands were replaced with a more careful placements of his precious paint. Richter flipped his tail against his haunches and stepped into the room and closed the door softly. "Kier... You can't tell me nothing is wrong. What happened? Did you argue with Artemis?"

~ ~ * ~ ~

Kierlan tried to lower his eyes so that he could concentrate on gathering up the paints. It was hard to keep his mind on what he was supposed to be doing when the large dark colt dwarfed him and made his room seem smaller. He would have been fine normally, but the scent of passion was subtly on the air. And now he was staring at the colt who was wearing nothing more than a pair of loose athletic shorts. The material was loose around his powerful upper thighs, but it was tight and outlined other places that were far more interesting. He could see the slight bulge against his inner thighs and lower belly. The muscles flexed slightly and he tore his eyes away to try and calm himself down.

The young lion was frustrated and angry all in one. He wanted to snap at someone, anyone. Grant and Siber were obviously having problems and he knew that when it went south Grant would cry on his shoulder. It had happened in the past, it would happen again. He didn't want to be the strong one while his sibling got over a break up. What he wanted was a chance at happiness that was being offered to his twin! He'd deal with the upset, heart ache and pain if he could only experience the highs as well. His stomach felt knotted and sick as he threw his brushes into the box and kept his eyes away from his brother and thought how to answer the question.

He finally sighed and went for omission and partial honesty. "I'm just feeling lonely is all. We have the house to ourselves all weekend, and I know you'll have some of the team over and Grant will have his friends over. I don't have many people I'd invite over."

Richter moved and dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed rather then making a move to leave. "Well, you know our friends love seeing you too. They're you're friends as well, you just spend too much time locked up here in your room."

"I know." Kierlan picked up the filled box and heaved a sigh. "I'm just being silly, alright? I'm gonna go set up the dining room and start to work on my art. Maybe we can have people over later and have a get together."

The lion leaned back and gave a grin over towards his brother and tried to make sure that it reached his eyes. It must have worked because he watched Richter's mobile lips quirk up in an answering grin. Then it went all the hell. He heard a soft moan through the walls and the telltale noise of the bed scraping against the wall that adjoined his own. It was something he'd heard a hundred times since they'd grown up together and Grant had started dating, but he didn't need it at the moment. He closed his eyes and straightened his back before making a line towards the door. He'd go downstairs and disappear into his art. It always made him feel better.

Kierlan made it three steps before a muscled dark arm slipped around his waist and stopped him. He tried to push past it, but the arm pulled him backwards until he found his back bumping against the broadness of his brother's chest. The powerful arms encircled him firmly, but tenderly as he tried to swallow the desire to snap at him and tell him to let him go. "Oh Kier..."

~ ~ * ~ ~

At first Richter thought that it was likely true that Kierlan was feeling unhappy that he didn't have any personal friends to invite over to the house. It wasn't the first time that his younger brother had been unhappy that he had a hard time making friends. The colt made a note to ensure that he was more a part of any group that came to the house to prove to him that they shared many of the same friends. But then he had heard Grant and Siber in the next room and watched the carefully composed face crumple. The eyes had darkened and Kierlan's face had set into lines of upset and almost anguish as he made the steps into a bolt for the door.

The colt didn't think, he just knew that the look of hurt on his brother's face wasn't something he could turn away from. He caught the golden waist and stepped behind him so that he could hug him in close. The thickness of the mane tickled against his broad soft nose and he nuzzled down against it lightly while his arms cradled the form tenderly. Kierlan tensed up, but didn't push through towards the door as the horse squeezed him in close and tight. He could feel the relatively leaner line of the back pressed against him while he nuzzled down into the thick mane. It only took a few minutes before the form relaxed back against him. Only the tail that lashed back and forth against his legs let him know that the lion wasn't calm.

Finally the muffled voice came out, "I hate feeling like this. It's not their fault, but sometimes I even get angry at them."

Richter rubbed his large soft nose against the curve of his brother's cheek, "Why haven't you talked to us, Kier? You know we'd both be happy to help you."

"I don't need you to find me a pity date." His normal relaxed and mild brother snapped back, but the last word came slightly choked.

"Pity date? Have you seen yourself? You're handsome, well mannered, warm, kind, and most anyone would be happy to drag you on a date. I know that you've been asked by several people, but you turned them down." He furrowed his brow slightly. "If you were lonely and interested, why did you turn them away?"

The lion stiffened slightly and what relaxation he had been able to coax into the warm body flowed away. He stroked his fingers along the curve of the belly and trailed up to trace in circles around the chest. He wanted to try and take away that automatic reaction so that he could find out what was causing the reaction. He was far taller than his younger brother and his body heavier built. His arms drew him in closer and turned him around so that he could free a hand to tilt the chin up. His eyes softened while he leaned in and let his lips gently touch his younger siblings muzzle in a fraternal caress.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Kierlan let his muzzle be tilted upwards with a touch of the thick nailed finger and his body tensed up as Richter leaned in to kiss him. His brother's lips were soft and thick as they pressed against his own. The lion did his best to relax himself again, but the kiss lingered against his own lips. The very tip of the soft tongue slipped out as his brother traced a swift wet line along his bottom lip. He nearly jerked his head back, but one of the dark hands moved up to twine the thick fingers into his mane and pulled him in closer almost as if Richter wanted him to react to the touch.

The tawny lion tilted his head to one side and let out a breath as his tongue slipped out and gave a gentle caress against the colt's muzzle. It wasn't the first time they'd kissed, but this time seemed softer as the tip of the tongue brushed against his. He tried to behave, he tried to keep his touch one of innocence rather than letting himself give in to the warmth that was rising in his stomach. He wanted to push into the kiss, he wanted to plunge his tongue between the soft dark lips and meld against the strength of the muscled body that pushed against him. The need was poignant enough that it nearly hurt as he moved his paws up to cup against either side of his brother's back.

He didn't know what he would have done, but Richter let out a throaty rumble before his tongue pushed forward and flickered into his muzzle. The caress was soft and gentle, but probing as it traced deeper and the hands massaged their way up along his back. The thick digits kneaded against the tense muscles and he let himself press forward as his own tongue slipped along the colt's. Kierlan squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the warm potential of the jock's body rubbing against his own. His tail lashed back and forth as he was unable to control his responses to that welcome touch. He could feel his heart speeding up as he moved his paws upwards towards the curve of the shoulders.

The lion didn't realize how worked up he was until the hips shifted in closer to him and the large thick tipped fingers moved down to his curved rump. The finger tips curled inwards and pulled him forward so that he was intimately pressed against his brother. The curve of his hip slipped up close until he could feel the fact he was reacting to the touch of the male body with more than just his pounding heart. He'd managed to slip free of his sheath and he was pressed up tight against the muscled upper thigh. His tip and the first few inches of his cock was strained against the denim of his pants and, from the way Richter went still, he wasn't the only one who realized that he was getting aroused at the gentle touches.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Richter meant to kiss Kierlan gently to chase away the pain that he could see lurking behind the gentle eyes. He'd meant for it to just linger there for a few moments before pulling away and seeing him smile, but it developed into something more. The feel of the soft whiskers against his lips and the lean muscled body pressed against him made him recall Grant with an almost painful intimacy. His arms knew the feline shape resting against him and his fingers knew the curve of the rump cheeks. They were so similar to his other brother's that he deepened his kiss into something far more intimate. His soft tongue flickered outwards to catch against the warmth of the feline tongue.

Things spiraled out of control rapidly as he muffled a soft rumble deep in his throat. He drew in a shivering breath as his fingers trailed up higher to massage against the shoulder blades before tracing back down to the curve of the rump. His thick hoof like fingers squeezed against the soft globes and kneaded against the muscles as Kierlan pressed more intimately against him. The lion was smaller by several feet, but that didn't stop him from feeling the line of the warm body pressed against his own. The curve of the hips brushed along his upper leg and when he squeezed against the rump cheeks he felt something else entirely. The line of the stiff jeans was ruined with a lump that ground against him.

Kierlan's form went tense and stiff against him, and likely he would have pulled away, but Richter kept his hands against the muscled rump cheeks. He let his lips slip away from the tawny muzzle and looked down at the embarrassed expression on the lion's face. Kierlan tilted his head away almost immediately and tried to jerk backwards, but the colt held him in place. He didn't let the golden form move away, instead he pulled him closer and shifted his grip until he teasingly rolled his hips up against the other's belly.

"Richter..." Kierlan's voice sounded choked and he pulled back against the grip again. "Just lemme go, I'm sorry I didn't mean to react like that..."

The dark stallion lowered his head and teasingly shifted his grip to pull the lion up more firmly against him. "React like that?" He could feel himself trapped just behind the thin fabric of his boxers. "It's okay, Kier, I don't mind. I'd be... a little crazy not to think you were attractive."

He expected his brother to stutter or to look upset or horrified, but instead the color seemed to drain from his features. "I'm not attractive, I'm a freak."

~ ~ * ~ ~

Kierlan spoke the words bitterly and without thinking about it as he stared down at himself. He was a freak. Being told he was attractive didn't stop the fact that what was hidden beneath his clothing wasn't like anything anyone else had. It marked him as different. No one who was born from a hybrid pairing ever was born that way. They were always born fully of one species even if they did have strange colors or markings from the other parent. It was the way of the world or, at least that's how it was supposed to work. He'd never heard of anyone who had characteristics like he did, not even on porn websites where having a unique shape was considered attractive to some.

"What?" Richter's voice became sharp and the hips that had been rolled against him drew back. "You are NOT a freak, who on earth would tell you something like that?"

The lion tilted his head down, "No one HAS to tell me I'm a freak, Richter, I just am." The bitterness in his voice made him wince, but he couldn't take the words back.

The colt didn't look as if he believed it. "You are no more a freak then I am, and if I find out who put that idea in your head..." His voice deepened into a purring growl as he trailed off with the threat.

Kierlan licked his lips and pulled back, though he had to struggle past the broad dark arms. "No one had too, I'm just... wrong. Parts of me are wrong." He shrugged one shoulder and tried not to let the tears fall that were blurring his vision. "You and Grant are perfect the way you are, I wasn't born right. I'm not attractive. Anyone with their right mind would laugh at me if they saw..."

The colt's dark eyes met his own as one broad hand forced his gaze up again. There was anger there, but also worry. "Kierlan, please, you're not wrong. Did you mean that you're not white like Grant? I love that you're tawny-gold, you're beautiful." He leaned forward and gently kissed the soft furred forehead. "Why on earth would you think you weren't just because you look a bit different? Hell, look at me? I'm nothing like you and Grant, but that doesn't make me a freak."

Kierlan felt the tears threatening to fall down while he drew in a breath and turned his head to one side. He didn't want to cry. He wasn't going to cry. It wasn't Richter's fault that he didn't understand and he didn't want to talk about it. The fact that he was so close to experiencing what he had dreamed of didn't help matters in the least bit. The colt wouldn't understand. He couldn't understand. How could he possibly know what it was like to grow up and realize that one of the most important parts of being male wasn't quite right? He could have had lovers many times, but he didn't want to see the look of revulsion or, worse, mocking laughter when they saw what was hidden beneath his pants.

He let out a sharp bitter laugh, "It's not my fur color, alright? It's.. something else. Just lemme alone. It's not important."

~ ~ * ~ ~

Richter wanted to force Kierlan to meet his eyes again, but the lion was pulled away and seemed to concentrate on staring at the wall. He could see his brother's eyes showing a glitter of tears. What was so wrong that Kierlan had started to think of himself as a freak? He could only try and guess at what it might be, but he hit the wrong guess as he felt his brother pulling backwards. He had to release him or else risk bruising him, but it hurt him to watch the tawny lion turn away entirely. He saw the shoulders shiver with an attempt to stop the tears.

The colt moved his hand up to brush against the curve of the male shoulder. "Kierlan, please, it really is important. What do you think is wrong with you? Just tell me."

His brother ducked away from his touch, "I said let it go, alright? I shouldn't have said anything about it."

Richter pinned his ears back at the aggressive tone and snorted, "If you don't tell me, I'm still going to find out. I'm not going to let you go around thinking you're a freak, got it?"

He expected the lion to storm out, or snap at him or even break down, but instead Kierlan turned and glared at him. His eyes were slightly wild as he stared at the colt and finally gave himself a shake, "Fine, fine you want to see? Fine." His brother let out a choked laugh. "Not like I haven't gotten used to it."

~ ~ * ~ ~

Kierlan wanted to yell at his brother for demanding to see what was wrong, he wanted to be angry, but all he felt was tired and depressed. He didn't want to show why he was ashamed of himself, he didn't want to explain why he knew he was a freak, but he had to. He licked his lips as he faced the colt who gave him an injured look at the way he snapped and stepped back. He knew he shouldn't have acted like that, but he didn't seem to have a firm grip on his tongue. He swallowed and gestured to the bed with one paw as he moved his other to nervously tug at the edge of his shirt.

"Just, sit down okay." He tried to lick his lips, but his mouth felt dry with nervous fear. "And don't tell anyone about this."

Richter gave him a pained look, but the large muscled colt moved to sit on the edge of the bed, "You know I wouldn't tell anyone."

The tawny lion gave a nervous bob of his head before moving his hands down to unhook the button of his pants. His arousal had faded away with his emotions so the denim was loose rather than uncomfortably tight. He kept his eyes looking at the ground rather than at his brother, it was easier not to look at the big colt. He didn't want to think about what he was going to do or the look that might appear on his brother's face. It was better just to get it over with and then Richter wouldn't bring up the fact he didn't try to date.

He didn't look up at his brother as he slipped his pants down enough that his smooth golden sheath came into view. It had been long enough that his shaft had pulled back into it's sheath while his pants fell down nearly to his knees. He glanced over and saw Richter still sitting on the bed as he drew in a steadying breath and moved his hand down. He didn't think he could get worked up now, but thankfully that didn't matter. Not with how he was built. He simply slipped his fingers down to pull around the edges of the pouch and wriggled it downwards. The pull was aided by push of the shaft that started to edge outwards beneath his touches.

It slowly started to slip into the light. The tip was tapered and looked normal. The barbs were still held closed to the red flesh, though they started to rise as he leaned backwards slightly. He knew that he wasn't impressive when compared to a horse, but he was large for a lion. Even though he wasn't aroused and hard the girth was thick enough that he was positive he'd make most feline's blanch at taking him. The thickness only grew as he tensed himself up and tugged the sheath all the way down until the thick bulb at the base popped free.

It wasn't massive, but he knew from experience that when he orgasmed it would nearly triple in size. For now it was just rounding of the base that was unmiskably canine rather then feline. He moved his hands away and tilted his head slightly to one side so that he was left exposed. He heard the colt draw in a swift hissing breath as he obviously saw what the problem was. "I'm not like other people. I've never even heard of someone who was built like this. I'm a freak. Something messed up when I was born."

Kierlan kept his ears flattened down against his head as he just let Richter look his fill. His face was hot with an embarrassed flush. He'd never exposed himself like this to anyone and he didn't think he could feel any worse, but knowing that Richter was probably disgusted as his hybrid cock made him want to crawl under a rock. What was he thinking? That he was some sort of mutant? Tears started to blur his vision as he moved down to grab the loose edges of his pants. He shouldn't have told Richter, he should have just kept his mouth shut. Even if his brother wasn't disgusted, he'd pity him which was even worse.

"Just go, Rich, I think I'm just going to take a nap." He tried to make his voice normal, but he heard the crack in it as the bed shifted beneath Richter's weight.

He didn't know what he would have said past that. He tried to open his lips to say something, but shut them as he pulled his pants up and partially over his exposed length. He went to button them when a large black hand pulled his paws away gently. The feather light touch spread his pants open before the warm palm rested along the bare length of him. The soft caress stroked downwards and inched the pants down until gentle fingers wrapped over the thickest point of his knot and gave it a squeeze. The touch was so gentle, so sensual, that Kierlan couldn't stop himself. He let out a soft cry and moved his hands up to press against the colt's broad chest. His head lifted up to meet a pair of soft dark eyes as his brother leaned down to almost touch him muzzle to muzzle.

"I don't think you're a freak, Kierlan." The thick soft lips brushed against the lion's gently. "Let me show you that you're not a freak."