FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

2012, c. Grey K.

"Neva."

The conversationally voiced name was easy enough to ignore with the subdued humming of the machinery and the almost respiration-like breathing of the air-circulation system. The feline who sat hunched over a dismantled palm-scanner merely let an ear, slightly over-large, with a black tuft at the tip flick momentarily toward its source before resuming his task.

"Neva!"

Both ears flickered that time, but the stocky feline didn't look up again. He jumped, yelping like he'd been scalded and promptly sliced open the pad of his thick thumb with the laser cutter in his other broad paw as someone gripped his shoulder. The feminine paw on his shoulder was yanked back, the source of the voice sounding horrified, "Oh Zeft wept, Zallie, I'm so sorry!"

The short, thick, wincing feline finally turned in his seat, giving a scathing look to the tall, willowy female vulpine who'd touched his shoulder, "Shit Sella, warn a male, would you?"

"I'm sorry! I thought you were Neva! You both look so much alike from the back..."

The silvery-blue furred vulpine was still wincing as she looked at the bright crimson droplets littering the table as Zallan squeezed the base of his thumb, gazing at her balefully with his enormous greenish yellow eyes, "Sella, this is a med clinic, isn't it? Mind getting me a tissue knitter?"

The slender fox shook her head, her formerly glazed blue eyes snapping back into focus as she tore her eyes from the bleeding cut, "S-sure Zal, one minute..."

The stocky feline wondered for the thousandth time why in the 7 Hells a telepathic species that locked up at the sight of blood and at any pain they sensed within 30 meters had ever been hired to work in a medical clinic of all places. Most Saelicans didn't even like to consume non-synthesized flesh, which had never been alive before being constructed from organic molecules rather than naturally farmed or cloned meat. He sighed as he sucked on the end of his thick thumb, looking at his slightly over-large, short and thick fingered paws with their short, dense coating of reddish-beige fur. Zallan's paws looked big and clumsy, with his thick fingers, but he was capable of taking almost anything apart and putting it back together again with his eyes closed. As Sella came hustling back with the small dermal regenerator he sighed softly, leaning the small of his back into the edge of the table on which he'd spread the diagnostic tool.

The vulpine started to hand the oblong unit to the stocky feline when he rumbled, still squeezing his thumb, "You're a nurse Sel... Would you mind?"

Sella looked like someone had trodden on her toes, wincing, "Technically I just work the admission desk, but let me see it."

"Thanks."

The smirking feline offered his still slowly leaking thumb to the vulpine that switched on the medical tool and played the purple-white beam over the gash in the feline's flesh. The stinging stopped almost immediately, followed by that familiar itching buzz in his skin that Zallan was so familiar with. As an engineer he'd suffered countless abrasions, scratched, lacerations and burns to his hands, arms and other less conspicuous places, but the only scars he carried weren't easily seen. As she tended to the faintly frowning feline Sella smiled, "I'm so sorry Zal... You and Neva look almost identical from the back; I think it's the hair-style. Those Ibren layered styles have gotten popular."

Zallan smirked softly, "Neev talked me into getting my hair styled... I think he did it on purpose knowing Neva had the same style."

"Neev likes his little jokes..."

Sella smiled faintly as she worked, hearing the gruff rumble that built in the feline's wide chest, "I'd like to stuff his head into a recycler. It's mostly empty air anyway, who'd know the difference."

The Zeegan orderly had a habit of playing subtle practical jokes on his co-workers. For all their other excesses of personality the Zeegan sense of humor was surprisingly subtle. Sella thumbed off the tissue knitter, examining the now healed cut with her nurse's eye, "There, all better. And Neev isn't so bad. Once you get to know him, and work past his... unique aspects."

"I don't want to get to know him Sel. I'm perfectly happy not knowing him. He's tried flirting with me in the past. I wanted to break his wings."

The slender vulpine frowned, the wash of aggression from the stocky feline making her fur prickle. She tipped her muzzle gently, "It's almost time for mid-cycle break, why don't we go get something to drink at the synth unit?"

She saw the stocky male's already pronounced chest swell to protest, holding up her silver gloved paws, "Please. I'm asking as a friend. Let me make it up to you by buying you a cup of tea."

Zallan's angular feline face tensed for a moment before softening. Everything about the younger male was all angles and dense flesh, despite his height. Zallan was barely 1.6 meters high, just over five and a half foot-lengths from the tips of his tufted ears to his long, broad, thick toed feet. His particular species of feline was known for being short, stocky, almost as broad as they were tall and incredibly dense for their mass. They were used to a high gravity environment, their bones and musculature being almost twice as dense as someone their height from any other species. The feline's soft, thick pelt of ruddy, sandy brown fur was handsome. It had a light dusting of mottled spots and black and white highlights on his tall, tufted ears, face and other, less publicly visible places. Zallan's broad form was heavily muscled, barely contained by his plain dark blue work coveralls, a quirk of his genetics instead of a busy exercise schedule, not that he didn't keep himself busy. As he reached only up to the vulpine's nose when he stood from his seat, his bright eyes were level with her ample cleavage. He considered Sella's breasts momentarily before grunting and turning toward the portion of the building that held the dining area.

The almost too brief to notice flash of interest the stocky feline had shown in her breasts struck Sella as a good sign. She fell into step behind and to one side of him, watching in amusement as the stocky feline's abbreviated tail, less than a foot long, dotted with spots and tipped in black twitched a bit as he walked. Zallan grunted as he walked, his weight resting on the wide, solid balls of his foot-paws, "Quit staring at my ass Sel, it'd never work."

The break-room was empty as they entered. The small tables where the staff took their meals at break-times or lounged when there wasn't much work to attend to stood almost too close together for the feline's tastes. He hitched his hips into one of the softly padded chairs as Sella slid her card through the slot of the synthesizer and placed their orders. The machine hummed, giving a clank that made Zallan's ears perk, "Guess I'll have to take a look at that too by week-end."

"Well, you do keep this place running Zallie."

The vulpine sat the steaming mug of dark green tea in front of the feline before folding herself into the chair next to his, "Don't know what we'd do without you. We know how to knit flesh and bone and to a degree synthetic flesh, but the machines in the clinic need you and D'vin and Calin to keep running."

"Don't kiss my ass Sella. I'm still not interested in fucking you."

Sella winced, the feline's jumbled emotions washing over her for a moment before she adjusted herself to block them out, "I didn't suggest we should date Zal."

"I don't think I'd like a telepath anyway. I'd never have a thought to myself. Besides, you Saelicans bond for life and you need another telepath to keep sane, so I'd end up being... what's that term Richard uses? A "third wheel"..?"

Zallan's scowling face pinched more, "Besides, I think I'm finished with females... At least for now."

Sella sighed, gingerly laying her paw over the feline's large one, feeling him flinch for an instant, but he didn't pull away, "Zallan... It's been a year now."

"So?"

The stout male's voice was deeper than usual, but still just as gruff as ever. Sella squeezed his paw softly, "Zal... It's been a year. I think-..."

"You think what Sella? It's been a year since my mate became a greasy smear across the inside surface of a shuttle cabin so I should get on with my life?"

The burst of seething bitterness, anger and sorrow that hit the vulpine between her eyes like a spike of ice made her paw spasm like a vice around Zallan's making him chuckle humorlessly, "Sorry. Did that sting a bit?"

Sella gritted her teeth, not removing her fingers from the feline's, raising her eyes to Zallan's intense ones, "You've been holding all of that back for a year now. Have you even mourned properly Zal?"

"How can you mourn when there's no body Sella? What didn't break up when the plasma diverter destabilized in orbit was promptly vaporized by the massive explosion, if I remember the inquest report properly?"

"This isn't what Xelik would have wanted."

The sound of his deceased mate's name made Zallan flinch for an instant, but his handsome face sank back into neutrality again as he inhaled and exhaled deeply, "I sincerely doubt Xelik would have wanted much of anything that's happened since his death."

"You don't know that Zal. Xelik loved you, otherwise he'd have never asked you to be his husband and proxy. He left you almost everything in the event of his death, his parents agreed over the protests of-..."

The vulpine was cut off by the snap of the feline's voice, "Don't say her name!"

Sella sighed gently, "She was angry too Zallan, she was just as upset by Xelik's death as you are. You two coul-..."

Zallan hissed loudly, baring his short, but sharp fangs, "Amae hated me Sella. She always loathed the fact that Xelik chose me of all people as his proxy."

"Why?"

The vulpine absently adjusted her dark blue-gray hair, still gripping the feline's paw, feeling the volatile roil of emotions pushing at her like a spiking headache. Zallan rumbled, not a friendly or annoyed sound that time, merely one of loathing, "You know how my people are. They're obsessed with caste. With status. With your position in life... I'm only a lowly maintenance engineer. Xelik was the first son of the Regent of the biggest Province on the southern continent back home. She was the daughter of a diplomatic ambassador. Their pairing was supposed to increase her status, but when Xelik chose a commoner as his husband and proxy, she was livid."

Zallan swirled his tea, watching it ripple in its mug, "The only time she even deigned to be in the same room with me was when she was in season and because it was necessary for me to copulate with her first before Xelik could finish the job."

Sella nodded softly, her grasp of how complicated Tal'aini husbandry growing by the moment as she probed, "So half of Xelik's kittens are yours, aren't they?"

Zallan uttered a snorting laugh, completely mirthless, "Amae had 5 kittens, 3 were genotyped to Xelik, 2 to me."

"So Xelik's offspring went to his parents, who were thankful enough to you to grant you Xelik's estate with his approval in the event of his death."

"Oh yes... That just enraged Amae even more, so she took the other two kittens and went back to her home Province and took another husband."

Sella felt a cold sensation build in her stomach at the overwhelming sense of loss that was emanating from the feline, "So... They're still-..."

Zallan shook his head, "No. I was bonded to Xelik, as his equal, but Amae refused to take me as a husband within our bond-group. So despite the fact they're my genetic off-spring under Regency law I have no legal claim to them as we were never bonded. She took a new bond-mate so they're Amae's and her new husbands. I'll probably never see them again."

Zallan's paws clenched and unclenched against the table-top as his entire frame seemed to creak with the tension vibrating through him. Sella wiped at her face gently as her overwhelming desire to simply enfold the stocky feline in her arms nearly took her from her seat, "Zall..."

"It's fine Sel... I never even saw them, other than once or twice. I didn't have... much time to bond with them."

The feline's overbite eyes were strained, but sincere as he squeezed the vulpine's paw back, affectionately for the first time in almost a year, "It's alright... I... I miss Xelik more than anything else. I walk through the little house we should have shared, look at the little flower garden he'd always wanted, but I planted for him after I'd moved in, and I feel like I'm missing a limb."

Zallan's tufted ears were tucked as he uttered a shuddery sigh, "I never sleep well with my bed empty. I always keep thinking of him. You know how gentle he was, you know how beautiful he was. He didn't care his family was rich, he didn't care they wanted him to procreate with some bitch who was only looking to increase her status, he didn't even care I was some mid-level worker in a little hospital clinic. He only cared about us being happy. He really never even liked Amae anyway."

The feline uttered a strangled chuckle, "He always joked he was glad I was the one born the breeder between us, so he only had to couple with her the once. Confidentially I don't think he'd have been able to finish the job if I hadn't been on his back while he was doing his duty to his family."

Sella nodded softly, "You were the alpha breeder, Xelik always liked males better."

"And it drove Amae insane."

Zallan shook his head, leaning back in his chair, feeling it creak under his weight. Sella smiled gingerly, rubbing the feline's paw, "Zallan... You need to stop living in the past. You need to move on. Xelik wouldn't want you to languish like this. He'd want you to be happy, and live your life."

Zallan clenched and unclenched his jaw, licking his lips lightly as he shrugged, his internal conflict washing across Sella's perceptions as she tried not to push too hard, "Maybe you're right."

He sighed, turning his head on his stout neck and feeling the muscles crackle and pop, "Maybe I've been too hard on myself. I certainly haven't been much good for anything for the past year. I've barely been focusing on anything but my job, I've been ignoring everyone."

"Everyone's been worried. You weren't exactly... gregarious before, and we know that's not your people's way, but you've almost been a shut-in for months."

"I'm sorry. I should have... been more open. I've been keeping myself too shut-up. I've been afraid of... I guess I've been afraid of insulting Xelik's memory. We were bonded for almost 5 years."

Sella twitched her long, blue-tinged tail, "You've been cloistered away. Away from your friends, away from everyone and everything. Everyone's noticed. It's not a large clinic. Even Dr. Parin has asked."

"Even Parin? I must have been up my own ass beyond belief. He would barely notice a thermal grenade ticking under his nose unless it had a cold."

Sella nodded, giggling gently, "Yeah, his skull is harder than permocite, but even he's been asking if you could use a mood elevator. But he was browsing the data-base on narcotic anesthetics at the time, so I don't know if I'd acquiesce to him medicating you."

Zallan snorted softly, the sound choking in his throat as he realized it was the first time he'd laughed in genuine amusement in almost a year. Sella smiled gingerly as she squeezed the handsome feline's paw, her perceptions of him still humming through her mind shifting almost musically. Being a telepathic and empathic species the Saelicans were used to the constant, low level drone of everyone around them, their thoughts, emotions, needs always permeating them. The stocky Tal'aini had been a deeply dark, turbulent eddy in her perceptions for a year, but the dense knot of his mind was easing, even as they sat. She thought she felt the subsumed guilt and loathing shifting, being shuffled along with more positive, almost happier feelings. The slender vulpine relaxed even farther as she felt Zallan's massive paw shift beneath hers, gripping it and squeezing.

The high gravity male could have crushed her delicate paw but she had noticed that those digits fully capable of bending duranite were always so gentle. The stocky male's paws looked more like the paws of a brawler or a security magistrate, but the nimble gentleness they held was more suited to a musician or a surgeon or what his job actually was, fixing delicate machinery. Sella had tried more than once to convince the prickly feline to take up a musical instrument, but he'd always refused, his ears turning bright pink. As Zallan squeezed her paw the vulpine saw the grim intensity that had graced his visage and striking neon green eyes slowly fading, but she knew he had to be given time to recover. The stocky feline had taken the first step, but the slim female knew he couldn't be pushed or he'd revert back to his people's natural trait of putting up their defenses and digging in to be as immovable as their world's gravitational field normally held others.

Zallan sat at his accustomed work-table in the back section of the administrative office of the medical clinic. He was busily polishing his tools, tucking each one back into his kit as he cleaned them. The stocky feline was watching the bustle of the clinic during the latter half of its day shift, watching the cerulean clad nurses and orderlies go about their business; followed by the occasional wan looking patient in for treatment. Their trade was mostly in-patient, transitory injuries and seldom anything more serious than a burn or a congenital condition. A few of the on-staff doctors flitted through, recognizable by their thigh length coats of darker blue. A few had stopped to make congenial small-talk, each one seeming relieved that the stocky feline was coming more and more back to himself with each passing day. It had been almost a month since Sella had coaxed the Tal'aini from his morbid funk, and each day he was a little more gregarious.

Zallan felt a presence behind him before he perked his ears, looking over his shoulder before they could touch him. Ravan looked sheepish as he lowered his paws back down. The tall, lean J'ralan nurse smiled shyly as he giggled, "Aww... I was hoping to surprise you."

Zallan grunted, scowling, but with a softening around his eyes that made the spotted feline know he hadn't upset the stockier male, "The last time someone snuck up on me, I almost sliced off my thumb with a laser cutter."

Ravan smiled impishly, "Parin could have sewn it back on for you. Maybe to your forehead?"

Zallan chuckled softly, shaking his head, "Maybe to your crotch, add another inch?"

He knew he'd scored a point when the insides of the spotted feline's ears went pink. Ravan shook his long-haired head, "I thought you liked it."

"I did. But it was just the once."

"More's the pity."

The pretty J'rali male giggled again softly, shifting his feet in a way that made Zallan know Ravan wanted to ask him something personal. The stocky male tipped his broad head, "What is it Ravie? Whenever you're almost dancing on the spot you want to ask something you're sure someone might say "no" to."

He shook his head, "That's why you always lose at cards."

The spotted feline bit his lip, stilling his feet as he tucked his tail a bit, "I'm sorry. I've always been... more energetic than my people seem to think a male should..."

"Not your fault. You're half Vakari, so you've got the looks of a J'rali and the hyperactivity of a Vakari. What's on your mind?"

Ravan twirled a lock of his blonde hair around his finger, "I... was wondering if you'd like to have a drink...? After work? Tomorrow maybe?"

The Tal'aini male rumbled softly, looking to Ravan's clear, jade green gaze, "You want to socialize?"

Ravan shifted his feet again, his long, spotted tail coiling and uncoiling slowly as he smiled shyly at the shorter, stockier male, "Well, Sella said... That you were feeling better. So... I-I thought maybe you'd like to have a drink as friends?"

The pretty male's face was hopeful as he stroked his long-fingered paws together, "We were friends before Xe-..."

He faltered his expression pinching as he gazed warily at Zallan who held up his broad paws softly, "It's alright Rav. You can say Xelik's name... It's ok."

Zallan inhaled and exhaled, making his already ample pectorals strain his coveralls, "We're still friends Ravan. We never stopped being friends, but things have been difficult for me. I'm sorry, I've not been a good friend for the past year, have I?"

"It's ok Zallie... I understood."

The blonde feline smiled, "We all did."

Zallan nodded, smiling gently at the younger male, his lime-green eyes suddenly focusing on a flash of mauve that caught his attention. Ravan turned his gaze to where Zallan was suddenly looking, seeing the brightly colored jumpsuit amongst the subdued blues of the rest of the staff. Zallan's bright eyes widened as he looked at the person wearing the flowery colored suit, "Who's that?"

Ravan gazed at the tall, almost skinny young male wearing the reddish-purple jumpsuit, "Oh, that's Lioz, haven't you met him yet?"

Zallan shook his head, his bright eyes watching the pale skinned humanoid that was passing a large data pad to one of the blue coated doctors, "Is he new?"

Ravan perked his black-backed ears, giggling, "We hired him about 2 weeks ago... I'm surprised you haven't met him yet."

Zallan stretched his back idly, his dense musculature creaking softly, "I was out week before last, Zilarian flu, remember? No one wanted me within 5 meters."

"Ohh, I forgot you were sick for a week and a half. No wonder you haven't met Lio yet. He spends a lot of his time down in the archive. He works with the filing system. He doesn't come out of the sublevel much, I think he's shy."

Zallan's bright green eyes gazed at the younger humanoid male, his nose wrinkling as he took in his exotic features, "What... species is he?"

From their oblique angle the tall, skinny humanoid was facing them at a 2/3rd angle. The younger male had pale, almost mocha colored skin, with a darker, ruddy pink flush to it that matched his almost waist-length reddish blonde hair. Lioz's ears were long and pointed, almost the length of an outstretched paw, coming to delicate, tapering tips that were lined with a soft, pale downy fuzz. His features were almost elfin in their delicateness, with pouting lips, high cheek-bones and large, almond shaped violet eyes that nearly matched his jumpsuit. A course of overlapping ridges lined his nose from its tip to his forehead where they diverged into a pronounced ridge over each of his brows. Zallan's eyes were caught by the darker, almost golden-red spots that dotted the younger male's skin from his temples, down the side of his jaw and each side of his throat, spreading to encompass the nape of his neck before vanishing down into the collar of his suit.

Ravan giggled gently at the look of rapt attention on Zallan's face, "He's human."

Zallan blinked, his ears turning completely forward as his bright eyes widened, "Richard is human... Round ears, no fur, no spots, no cranial ridges. Lioz can't just be human."

"There are other species of human in the galaxy you know Zal! He is human, but it's complicated. I've read his medical file, but you know I can't tell you what's in it... Why don't I... introduce you? We could all go out for a drink!"

Ravan smiled brightly, seizing the sputtering Tal'aini's arm before he could protest and tugging the extraordinarily heavy male toward where the bright suited male was just beginning to turn away from them, "Lioz!"

The long-eared male startled softly at the J'ralan's call, turning on the spot as if he were being cornered. Zallan watched in fascination at those long, pointed ears twitched, flaring out. They weren't as motile as a morphic species' were, but they were certainly more animated than a normal human's were. Lioz' wide violet eyes took in the spotted feline and the wide, massive, albeit short feline next to him. Zallan's acid-green eyes caught Lioz's attention immediately, as he paused where he was, almost looking frightened. Zallan didn't need to be empathic to see or sense that the tall, slender humanoid was somewhat skittish, girding himself to be as gentle as possible, not wishing to scare him. The stocky feline felt an intense curiosity at the long-eared human, and a tiny pulse of something that moved through his dense body that he recognized after so long as attraction.

Lioz's tall, slender form was alluring to the short male as he watched how the younger male held himself and moved. Lioz's motions were elegant and gentle, but with a definite nervous energy, probably from being presented with someone he didn't know. Zallan allowed Ravan to pull him closer to the coy humanoid as the J'ralan giggled disarmingly, "Hi Lioz."

The long-haired male struggled not to tuck his long-fingered hands into his pockets, "H-H-Hi Ravan... And...?"

Lioz's question hung in the air as he looked shyly at the stocky, stoic-faced feline of a race he'd only glimpsed in passing. Ravan smiled as charmingly as he could, indicating Zallan with his paw, "Lioz, I don't think you've met Zallan yet?"

Lioz shook his long-maned head, making his strawberry blonde hair dance in a way that made Zallan's stomach do a funny little squirm. He looked the stocky feline, who actually stood more than a head shorter than himself up and down slowly, his pink-tinged skin flushing darker as he lifted his violet eyes to Zallan's and tentatively extended his hand, back-up with his fingers down, "H-Hullo... Pleased to meet you. What d-do you do here?"

Lioz noticed the wide-chested feline's jumpsuit was a much darker color than anyone else's, his mobile ears twitching softly as he nearly felt the Tal'aini's gaze brushing up and down him. He blushed, the diffusion of color much more noticeable on him than on any other human or morphic species, causing his ruddy tan skin to flush darker, making his swirling spots stand out. Zallan smiled, gently, his massive paw taking the human's smaller, delicate one, "I work in diagnostic maintenance."

The stocky feline lifted the younger male's hand to his nose, inhaling deeply, noting with another flutter behind his breastbone that Lioz's scent was sweet, floral and laced with a sharper spike of something almost like cinnamon. Before he could help himself Zallan's tongue flickered out and brushed Lioz's smooth skin, making the younger male inhale in surprise and snatch his hand back. The stocky feline's ears burned as he stuttered, "I-I-I'm sorry... I..."

Ravan giggled helplessly as the flush of Lioz's skin went down-right ruddy, but the blushing human merely shook his head with a series of tiny jerks, "No...! It... It just tickled, I'm sorry... I always forget feline tongues are a little textured..."

Lioz's ears were flared almost straight out from his head, slightly stiff at the tips as he gazed at the stocky feline. He licked his lips, noting he could scent the handsome male's arousal with his sense of smell as it was much sharper than a normal humans. The scent of the Tal'aini male and his posture, paired with his own skin's giving him away made the lanky human stutter softly, "It-it's really nice to m-meet you, but I-..."

Ravan smiled as he brushed effortlessly through the human's attempt to escape, his own nose catching the exchange between Zallan and Lioz well enough, "I wanted to introduce you to Zal, and he and I were going to go out tomorrow night after shift for a drink, would you like to come with us?"

Lioz's skin paled sharply, making the ruddy flush turn into a diffused swirl across his face and neck, his nerves jangling softly as he felt torn, but found his gaze flowing on reflex to the short, handsome feline, "N-no one's asked me out-... Socially! Socially before. I think that would be nice, thank-you..."

As if in an afterthought the tall, slender male added softly, "I haven't made many friends since I moved to the province... That... That would be fun."

Zallan thought privately that the painfully shy younger male had probably never had many friends, but he kept this to himself, allowing Ravan to nod and grin broadly, "Well, we'll see you tomorrow then, ok?"

"O-o-of course... Thank-you."

Lioz threw another look toward Zallan before he stuttered out another thank-you and made a hasty retreat back the way he'd originally come to where Zallan knew the lift access to the wandering archive vault beneath the complex stood. Ravan pitched his voice low as they both watched Lioz walk away, "Poor thing. I don't think he has any friends. He's so shy..."

The J'ralan giggled loudly, nudging Zallan in the side, which at his height meant elbowing his chest, "He likes you. I could smell it."

"Yah..."

Zallan's distracted grunt and nod made it clear his thoughts were elsewhere as he still gazed after the tall, slender humanoid. Ravan heaved a sigh, his muzzle wrinkling as he leaned against the almost immovable stocky form next to him, "Oh well, so much for why I was gonna ask you out for drinks."

Zallan perked his ears, his bright eyes sliding side-long, not having really heard the Vakari, "Hmm?"

He jumped as he felt Ravan's paw on his ass, the spotted male licking his tufted ear playfully, "I said so much for why I was going to ask you to go out with me. I think you'd rather have him currently."

To the spotted male's amazement, the Tal'aini's posture didn't stiffen with his usual gruff dismissal of such playful teasing. Ravan squeaked as he felt Zallan's massive paw goose him, his muzzle dropping open as the older male rumbled, "Maybe, but couldn't I have both?"

"Good Gods, he does arouse you doesn't he? Normally if I flirted with you like this at work you'd swat my paws. You are getting better."

"Perhaps."

Ravan giggled, leaning against the shorter male more, purring, "Good. I missed you."

Zallan flicked his eyes to the chronometer on his small, rounded comm unit, checking the time as he settled farther into the dense, soft lounge next to the small rounded table at which he sat. A glass of pale amber liquid already sat in front of him, brought to him by the smiling black and white Metaran server. The bubbling ale was relaxing him, making him less nervous at the prospect of seeing Lioz again. For the past day and a half he had been engaged in a lively and at times raging argument with himself over whether Xelik would bless him attempting to engage in a relationship, either social or more, with someone new. Half of a dozen of his co-workers and friends had attempted to sway him toward following his heart, opening himself up again. Sella had practically demanded it, not wanting him to sink back into the black malaise of self pity.

The flashes of various colored pelts around him and the low, ambient lighting of the tavern was soothing. He glanced up at the swish and clack of the doors admitted a familiar, tall, slender form, dressed in a simple tunic and breeches of pale dusky reddish violet and a striking silvery gray. Lioz's long, beautiful hair was braided down his back, held with a tiny, jeweled clip at the end. He had a small pouch attached to his hip, but other than that he had nothing else to distract him. The young human's violet eyes wandered for a moment before picking out the distinct lime-green gaze staring at him from the corner booth. Lioz hastened his steps, almost as if he were afraid of pursuit, coming to within arm's length of the table before he came to a stand-still, looking down at Zallan with nervous tension crackling in his gaze.

The younger male glanced back over his shoulder, seeing the roaming server coming his way and stiffened, making Zallan shift, patting the deeply padded lounge bench, "Please, sit."

"T-thank-you."

Lioz sat with a shove of his hips, immediately attempting to make himself as unnoticed as possible in the half-filled tavern. Zallan smiled, the expression coming more naturally once more each time he did it again, "I'm glad you came. I don't know where Ravan is. He's sometimes a little late."

Lioz nodded softly, holding himself slightly stiffly as he looked at the wide feline male, opening and closing his hands against the table-top, "I... Don't think he's coming."

Zallan perked a tufted ear, looking to the younger male, "What makes you say that?"

Lioz fished in his pouch, bringing out his multi-function comm and unfurling the text display, "Uh... He sent me a message about 5 minutes ago; it just says "Sorry, and have fun."."

Zallan sat up straighter on the bench, his muzzle wrinkling softly, making Lioz's ears flare slightly before the Tal'aini uttered a rumbling chuckle, "That little shit."

Lioz's violet eyes widened as his gracefully ridged brow arched, "What do you mean?"

"He's ditched on us. He wants us to be alone together without him in the way."

Zallan shrugged softly, watching Lioz roll his comm back up and place it back in his pouch. The younger male looked conflicted, his violet eyes scanning Zallan's brilliant acid-green gaze, "W-Why?"

Zallan sucked on one of his fangs thoughtfully, "Because he thinks we should spend some time together."

Lioz leaned toward the densely muscled feline despite himself, "Why?"

Zallan sighed gently, smiling, "Because he believes despite the fact we just met, we like one another, and should be presented the opportunity to perhaps get closer to one another without distraction."

Lioz's expressive ears and skin both flushed as one as he looked to the handsome feline. The younger male licked his lips, stammering softly, "He... He thinks we should have sex."

Zallan blinked at the slender male's words, inwardly smirking to himself as he leaned toward the skittish human, "Do you want to?"

The result of the feline's words couldn't have been more spectacular if he'd shoved a live power conduit up Lioz's rump as the younger male seemed to spasm on the spot, his ruddy skin going through so many shades of pink and red before settling on something that looked almost like a sunburn. Zallan chuckled, the deep, rumbling sound of amusement making Lioz calm a bit, realizing the older male had been half joking. Zallan smiled warmly, feeling a slight rush of amused heat tingle down his spine as he looked at the younger male, "Relax... I'm not going to eat you. I'll buy you a drink and we can talk about having sex?"

Lioz surprised Zallan by actually giggling and hiding his face with his delicate hand. Zallan blinked in surprise as he reached out and took the younger male's hand in his paw, gazing for the first time at the tips of his fingers, "You... have claws."

Lioz allowed the feline to hold him gently, but seemed to curl in on himself a bit, his skin mottling with paler and darker patches, almost matching his spots. He bit his lip self-consciously, "You... You must have noticed by n-now that I'm... different."

Zallan looked in curiosity at the small, slightly curved talon-like claws that Lioz had rather than the flat, rounded nails humans normally had on their fingers. He nodded, "Yes. I've never seen a human of your species before."

Lioz's skin went darker again, blotching as the younger male hunched his shoulders protectively. Zallan rubbed a thick thumb over the back of Lioz's hand, "It's ok. If you don't want to talk about it..."

The red haired male shook his head, "It's... alright."

He smiled wanly, feeling Zallan's smooth, soft fur brushing his skin. With his free hand Lioz pushed the long sleeve of his tunic back to his elbow, exposing his forearm to Zallan whose own ears perked. Where humans normally had fine, short, sparse hairs lining their skin as opposed to a coat of fur Lioz had a coating of pinkish-blonde fur-like fuzz identical to that which lined the edges of his ears. He looked shyly at the feline who was still rubbing his hand, "I'm Talaran, human Talaran..."

Zallan gaped for a moment, "I've seen Talarans. They look just like Terran humans except for-..."

Lioz pointed to his face, "Except for the nose ridges... I know."

They both startled softly as the smiling Metaran server stopped at their table, leaning over and congenially offering a menu to Lioz who blushed at the black and white male's almost non-existent clothing and ordered something sweet for himself. As the skunk-like male swept away the younger male cleared his throat and continued, "When, when I was little, I was infected with Ibolan syndrome. It's not normally lethal, but there were complications. The doctors had to perform gene therapy on me, and being Ibolan is a retrovirus it has D.N.A. encoding from every person it's infected before. So the gene therapy worked, but as a result, my genome was re-written with traits from the members of the species that had been infected by that strain before."

Lioz seemed unburdened as he looked to Zallan, waiting for the inevitable. The short, thick feline mulled the younger male's words over, rubbing his nose thoughtfully as he did so, "So that's... Why you have traits from, half a dozen different species?"

"Eight, actually. Including the partial camouflage reflex from the Kerillian but... I can't control it, as you've seen."

Zallan couldn't help himself, "Any T'kantis blood in there?"

Lioz's skin flushed crimson, but he giggled, shaking his head, "No, sorry... My... genitals are just human, I'm afraid."

"Well, a male can dream, can't he?"

Lioz giggled again, stiffening as he felt himself relaxing emotionally and mentally around the, surprised that the sensation felt good. He felt more relaxed sitting with the stocky feline than he had in a long while. He was enjoying himself slipping into a zone of comfort his shy nature seldom allowed him to allow. He didn't even jump when the smiling, half-naked Metaran brought his drink that Zallan took one look at and wrinkled his nose, "You're going to drink that? It looks like plasma coolant."

Lioz shrugged softly, taking a sip of the vivid blue concoction and smiling softly, "It's actually not too bad, but it's quite sweet."

"Kind of like you."

Zallan's words were out of his muzzle before he could stop them, groaning softly as Lioz's skin was set off into a fresh radiating pattern of pink, "I'm sorry. That was so trite."

The younger male smiled shyly, giving his shoulders a tiny twitch, "I... I kind of liked it... I've never really..."

"Let anyone get close? Afraid, as you've got physical traits of almost a dozen species that you're not actually related to, you don't belong with either humans or anthropomorphic species? You feel like you used to be fully human, but now you're not fully anything."

Zallan looked to the younger male, stroking his fuzz lined arm gently, "You're just you."

Lioz looked to the blunt-featured feline's thick paw stroking his arm, then into Zallan's bright eyes before he cleared his throat, his skin going through several swift color changes. The thick-set feline was immensely amused by the younger male's skin's dazzling displays of pigmentation, but painfully aware of Lioz's bashful confusion as to the social cues hemming him in. Lioz clenched and relaxed his hand, taking a deep breath, trying to make the frenzied swirl of his complexion steady. He seized on the next thought that popped into his head, trying to avoid looking Zallan in the eye, "S-Sella and Ravan sa-said that you... haven't been very social in a long time. They were worried about you, after-..."

The slender male trailed off, waiting. Zallan heaved a sigh, taking a pull out of his mug before he nodded, "After my bond-mate died. Yes."

Lioz looked stricken, his skin fading to almost albino white as he looked to the stocky feline, "I'm... I'm sorry. How long were you... bonded?"

"Almost half a decade."

Lioz's ears drooped as he touched the massive feline's arm gently, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright."

Zallan found himself smiling gently, his features softening as he felt the younger male's delicate touch. That slow, languid, rolling sensation that made its way through his thoughts and body made him glad Sella wasn't within a kilometer as he looked at the slender human's exotic mixture of features with a keen eye. The feeling of Lioz's long, tapering fingers stroking his arm and paw were pleasant. Zallan cleared his throat with a tiny rumble, making Lioz's ears twitch almost comically, "It's in the past... My mate wouldn't have wanted me to pine away in mourning for the rest of my life. He was beautiful, vibrant, loving, affectionate... Everything I'd ever valued, and he was taken away. I suppose I've been waiting for a sign that it's alright to let him go."

"What sort of sign?"

Zallan lied through his teeth as he smiled at the slender human, "No idea, really."

He shrugged his wide shoulders, flexing his thick, heavily muscled arms and paws, feeling Lioz's hand tighten gently around his forearm. The younger male's skin gave him away again as Zallan chuckled, "It's not a gift of physique from physical exertion. My people are from a high gravity world. Most species find even just standing and walking around on Ta'lit physically exhausting."

Lioz made a funny clicking sound as he nodded, "Your people must have a lot of... stamina."

The long-eared male stiffened as he realized his words, his ear twitching as he uttered a strained giggle, "I'm... sorry."

"Again, it's alright. I won't say we don't."

Zallan grinned slightly, his lopsided smile striking Lioz as charming, if slightly intimidating from someone the feline's size, even taking his height into consideration. The slim human shifted gently, running his blunted nails through the feline's thick pelt, "Would... you like to do this again, sometime?"

Lioz felt his stomach shift a bit with nerves, wondering if the stocky feline had thus-far been simply humoring him for the sake of being polite. The rippling waves of discordant color that coruscated over the slim male's skin made it obvious he was nervous, so Zallan, feeling surprisingly relaxed about the decision that came almost instantly, "Yes, yes, I think I would."

Zallan hummed tunelessly to himself as he sat reading a thick data pad, scanning a long list of biological data that was outlined on the visual display. He'd asked Dr. Parin specifically for physiological data regarding the some half-dozen plus species from which Lioz possessed traits. The house was quiet around him, but the round, deep sashed window next to his lounge chair allowed the breeze and the subdued noises of the avians flitting about through the garden in to his ears. He sat up as the door-chime went off twice in quick succession, making him smile for no apparent reason, a sensation he was steadily becoming accustomed to again. The lounge creaked as the Tal'aini male heaved his dense body to his feet, his bare foot-pads feeling the coolness of the rippled tiles lining the floor beneath him. As he ventured from the round sitting room to the entry-way hall that led to the primary door the feline spoke, "Come in."

His words triggered the house's computer interface, unlocking the sliding, oval-shaped door and allowing it to roll smooth to one side, revealing a blushing Lioz standing on the smooth stone porch outside. The slender human's arms were bulging with plas bags as he stood, gazing with his usual shy smile at Zallan, "Hi..."

The short feline chuckled softly, "Hi. Have you been shopping?"

Lioz's smooth skin rippled with pink as he bit his lip cutely and nodded with a tiny bob of his head, "I-I thought, you might... Like to have dinner. As we're both off today and y-y-you said I could come visit you when-ever I liked..."

Zallan nodded; his broad head tipping as he looked at the bags hanging from Lioz's hands, offering his own paws, "I did, and we are, and I would. You can cook? I usually just use the synth."

Lioz tentatively handed a few of the sacks over to the broad, smiling feline, blushing darker as he nodded, "I like to cook, sometimes... I thought you might like... if I made you dinner. You took me out to eat l-last time."

Zallan rumbled affectionately, "Well, it was my treat, but you didn't have to buy so much. There's enough to feed 5 here, from the look of it."

Lioz smiled softly, "Well... Well, Dr. Parin said that Tal'aini need a more calorically rich diet to maintain proper body weight and bone density. That in a lower gravity environment your people are in constant danger of muscle atrophy and osteoporosis if you don't eat enough..."

Zallan chuckled, striding through the compact, but comfortable house to the small, but serviceable kitchen unit near the back-exit to the rear patio. He had added the kitchen almost as an after-thought, an indulgence to both his engineering skills and as a tribute to Xelik who had dabbled with the almost extinct fine art of cooking. Most people seldom bothered with the manual preparation of food with automatic dispensers and synthesis units available to do the work for them in a bare percentage of the time. Lioz smiled, a gesture he was becoming more comfortable with, feeling the still novel rush of affection for the short, stout feline he had finding himself spending more and more time with as the weeks progressed. He laid his burdens on the smooth, artificial stone countertops as he looked nervously at Zallan, "The meat is cloned, I'm afraid, but the produce is fresh..."

"I've honestly never been able to tell the difference between cloned fleshes and naturally grown. My people's senses of taste aren't as sensitive as some."

Zallan heaved himself onto the thick, wide stool that sat on the opposite side of the half-wall on which the countertop and heating plate were located. He watched with interest as Lioz pulled wrapped bundles from the plas sacks, then fed the thin membranous bags into the nearby recycler slot. The poly wrapped meat and produce looked and smelled good, the pink and white marbled flesh and the white, golden and red vegetables and roots. Lioz blushed gently as he looked about himself, "Do you have a heating pan and utensils?"

"In the third drawer and second cabinet over there beneath the chiller."

"Thank-you."

The tall, slender human set to work, rolling the long sleeves of his shirt up past his elbows; the rosy dark pink garment matching his loose, deep red pants. Zallan noted the pair of soft gel material sandals on Lioz's feet were a pearly, almost see-through silvery-white. The slender human's shoes never ceased to amuse the broad feline, to whom foot-wear was an almost impossibility. His long, oddly canted feet, with their narrow heels and massively wide arch and toes would have never fit into a pair of boots or shoes and he highly doubted any cobbler could have jury-rigged a covering for his foot-paws if they'd wanted to. Lioz's slender, almost delicate feet however looked perfectly at home in their feminine coverings, although he usually slipped into his bare feet once he was relaxed enough. Zallan had discovered to his great amusement that the shy human was incredibly ticklish, in several spots, his feet being one of them.

Lioz looked up from where he rummaged through the drawers, "Zallan, you don't seem to have any knives..."

The broad feline perked his ears, "Well, that could complicate things... Do you think a laser cutter on fine setting would do the job?"

"Uh... Probably? I suppose it would cut down the cooking time and sear the food nicely."

Zallan chuckled, levering himself to his feet and striding from the kitchen to his small work-shop off one side of the house. Lioz gave himself a mental shake as he found himself watching the Tal'aini's broad, densely muscled back as Zallan padded away, his eyes wandering down to where the feline's abbreviated tail was bobbing back and forth gently. His skin gave a spectacular rippling pink flush as he watched the rounded outline of Zallan's rump flexing through his snug relaxing pants. Lioz had noted that Zallan didn't have the usual morphic affectation of being as close to nude as possible when not working and in his own home. The Tal'aini had explained that working around sparks, metal shavings and things like oil, coolant and grease at times in his off-hours was uncomfortable in the nude. The massive feline usually made a concession to comfort by wearing only a pair of snug, but soft breeches and a sleeveless shirt with a sharply plunging neckline.

As the feline fetched the appropriate tool, Lioz slid his feet from his soft, stretchy sandals, tucking them beneath the small, rounded meal table. He jumped softly as he felt Zallan brush against him from behind, the feline's warm breath caressing the side of his neck as the feline tipped his blunt muzzle up, "I'm back. Making yourself comfortable?"

For being so broad and heavily muscled the Tal'aini was capable of moving extremely silently. As Lioz turned suddenly, finding himself front-to-front with the densely muscled older male. As he stood almost a head and a half taller than the Tal'aini Zallan's nose reached his breast-bone. Even with their discrepancy in height Lioz found himself shivering gently, the feline's bright, lime-green eyes looking up into his own. Lioz licked his lips, Zallan's proximity making his normally lightly tanned skin erupt into swirls of reddish pink. He gently lifted his delicate hands, laying them gently on the handsome feline's broad, jutting chest on reflex, feeling it rise and fall slowly and evenly beneath his fingers. Zallan rumbled deeply in amusement, making Lioz's fingers vibrate, "I brought you the proper tool for the situation."

The deliberate enunciation of the sentence made the slender younger male's skin go darker as Lioz chewed his lip silently. The long-eared male slowly ran his fingers through the thick ruffle of cream colored fur on Zallan's upper chest. The gently fixed expression on the younger male's face as he ran his long, slender fingers through Zallan's chest-fur was enthralled, feeling the strength and warmth of the Tal'aini's body. His skin's pattern shifted from the chaotic rippling and blotching to a mellow tan, the solid color nicely matching his ruddy hair. As Lioz gazed at the broad feline's thick pelt his scalp tingled, making them both startle as the hybrid male's skin suddenly shifted to match Zallan's cream hued patch of fur. Lioz uttered a startled sound, his concentration breaking and making his skin resolve into the swiftly shifting patterns of pink and tan, "OH! O-o-oh... I've never been able to control my pigmentation like that..."

Zallan chuckled, lifting a broad, thick paw and running it tenderly across the tip of Lioz's chin, "Seems you just need to focus properly. Perhaps we can explore it fully... later."

The smiling feline ran his blunt finger-tips across Lioz's cheek, making the younger male tip his head. He held up the slender, pen-like device in his other paw, "Now, have you ever used a plaser before?"

"N-n-no..."

Lioz shook his head, making his long ears twitch softly, "Could you, show me Zallan?"

Zallan nodded, his bright green eyes glancing up into Lioz's vivid violet ones, "Here, come stand here with me."

Zallan gently guided the taller male in front of him next to the counter-top, helping him to lay out the polished polymer slab on which to place the meat and vegetables to slice. He stood behind and slightly to one side of Lioz, making the younger male's ears flush as he felt the feline's broad, muscular form brushing against his back. Zallan carefully inserted the long, pen-shaped cutter into Lioz's fingers, showing him how to hold the slim device, "Ok, hold it like that, like a stylus. I've got it set to safety release, so if you let go of the activator, it'll turn itself off. Now, use your thumb to adjust the beam to its lowest setting, twist it a bit there to narrow the focus all the way. Good."

Zallan gently wrapped his large paw around Lioz's slim hand, helping him to hold the tool securely, "Now, just squeeze the pressure plate there under your fingers to turn it on..."

As the feline lightly tightened his paw around Lioz's hand to show him how much pressure it would take to trigger the cutter the sleek, rounded emitter at its tip lit up with its familiar bluish-white beam, barely visible on its lowest, narrowest setting. As they shifted a thick slab of the marbled pink flesh to the cutting surface Zallan guided Lioz's hand, "Just touch it there, and move in slow, gentle strokes, as you squeeze. I'm sure you've done that before, haven't you?"

The playful tone of the feline's voice made Lioz giggle gently, shaking his head, "Not really. Other than with myself..."

Zallan laughed gently, shaking his head, "I find that hard to believe. A pretty young male like you hasn't had any practice?"

Lioz's skin erupted into it's ruddy dance as he shook his head, shivering almost imperceptibly against the dense wall of Zallan's chest and belly, "I-I'm not pretty..."

"Of course you are. You're very pretty Lio."

The younger male shook his head, focusing on slowly slicing the thick slab of meat into pieces, a faint sizzle and the waft of cooking marking the passage of the focused beam of light, "N-n-no... Zal... I'm not pretty."

The stocky feline growled softly, the gruff edge of his voice sliding up a notch into his smooth, almost gravelly tenor, "You are if I say you are. I've thought you were beautiful since I first saw you."

Lioz glanced back for an instant, his expression hesitant as he tried to focus on not slicing his fingers open, "You... did?"

"I do."

"I'm not..."

The slender male's ears flickered, drooping a bit till Zallan released his hold around his hand, letting the cutter switch off. Zallan laid a broad paw on Lioz's hip, feeling the younger male give a shivering twitch at the touch, "You are pretty Lio. Why would I lie?"

"You're just... trying to make me feel better, aren't you?"

Zallan shook his head, gripping the younger male's hip more firmly, feeling the hour-glass flare of his body, "Well yes, of course. But I like you Lio; and I think you're beautiful. Now, let's finish this, yes?"

"Ah-alright..."

Zallan smiled as he felt the younger male stand a little straighter against him, Lioz's long, pointed ears standing pertly upright. Before the feline could switch the cutter back on Lioz glanced back, "Zallan?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank-you... I... I think you're very handsome."

As his skin flushed darker red Lioz nibbled his own lip, laying his hand on the feline's strong paw on his hip, squeezing it. He surprised Zallan as he gently shifted his lower body, pressing the firm, rounded outline of his hips against the feline's abdomen for an instant before he pulled away a bare increment and squeezed down on the cutter again. Zallan's posture stiffened, his chest flaring with a rumble at the subtle body language that passed between them for an instant before he cleared his throat, adjusting his paw around Lioz's hand. As Lioz tipped his head, focusing on the task at hand Zallan leaned against him, surprising the human in return as he placed a gentle kiss on the side of the younger male's throat. The stocky feline chuckled as he felt the younger male stiffen for a moment, his skin bursting into a cascade of color so deep it was almost purple. They were silent as they resumed slicing the slabs of meat and produce till Lioz was practiced enough with the laser cutter to hold it by himself, swiftly paring through the fresh vegetables and roots till they were in piles of small, round slices.

Lioz handed the cutter back to Zallan, smiling shyly as he placed the wide, shallow alloy pan over the heating plate, switching the induction coil beneath it on. When the pan had heated through Lioz began placing the slices of meat into it, hearing the sharp, hissing sizzle as they began to cook. Zallan inhaled deeply, watching the younger male curiously, "That smells wonderful."

"Do you have any spices?"

Zallan perked his tufted ears, glancing to one of the overhead cabinets, "You know, I think my brother gave me a rack of Tiganian spices as a house-warming present. Let me get them for you."

When the stocky feline brought back the matte metal rack of cylindrical canisters Lioz browsed through them, nodding with a brighter smile than Zallan had seen on him yet, "These should be good, and I'm going to need a plate, please..."

Zallan nodded, pulling out a small stack of hard polymer plates and placing them onto the countertop next to the cooking unit. Lioz nodded his thanks and began transferring the delicately cooked slices of meat onto one of them, tipping the mixture of roots and vegetables into the pan with the juices of the vacated meat, stirring it all together. As he watched Lioz work Zallan rubbed his nose, "You know, I think I have a bottle of Springberry wine in the chiller."

"What color?"

"Purple."

Lioz nodded, smiling, "I think that would work."

Zallan chuckled, shifting around the younger male, brushing up against him slowly as he made his way to the chilling unit, sliding it open and pulling out the bottle of deep, almost royal purple wine, "It's fairly young. Should be fairly sweet yet."

Zallan used the cutting laser to simply slice the neck of the bottle off cleanly, pulling out a pair of wide drinking glasses as he arranged a pair of plates and cutlery for the pair of them on the short, round table. He smiled, "It certainly smells good. The synth unit never produces that wonderful scent."

Zallan laughed gently as the meal progressed, watching the patches of color rise in Lioz's cheeks and ears as they worked their way through the deep plum colored wine. As they ate they chatted amiably, the younger male's hand resting on Zallan's paw between instances of lifting his glass. The feline chuckled, "You're a lightweight. Remind me to never give you any Tal'aini whiskey. It'd kill you."

Lioz blushed harder, squeezing the feline's paw, "Well, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were trying to get me drunk."

"Why would I do that?"

Zallan perked his ears, smirking at the delicately featured younger male. Lioz giggled softly, wiping his lips, "I don't know... So you can have your way with me?"

"I have to get you drunk to do that Lio?"

The younger male flushed more, shrugging as he chewed another forkful of his food, glancing coyly at the handsome feline, "You'd want to have your way with me?"

Zallan laughed in his rumbling huff, "Are you trying to seduce me Lio?"

"Is it working?"

"Well, we're having such a nice evening. You want to turn it into a staying-the-night proposition? This is our what? 8th date?"

Lioz blushed sharply as he looked to the feline with his vivid violet eyes, "You've been considering the times we've spent together dates?"

"Well, haven't you?"

The younger male looked pensive as Zallan shrugged his massive shoulders, "We've known one another almost 3 months now? We tend to see one another almost every day at work, and we've spent time together off-hours at least once a week. Haven't you liked the time we've been spending with one another?"

"Y-yes... I have. I guess I didn't think that we were dating..."

Zallan chuckled, "You haven't entertained any romantic or intimate thoughts about it for the past few weeks?"

The high pink blush in the younger male's ears and cheeks made an answer academic. The slim human fingered his fork idly as he glanced to the broad feline, "I have... Often."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want... to push."

Lioz shifted in his deep seat a bit, the chairs were obviously designed for the Tal'aini's wide, strong hips instead of his own, but all the furniture was thickly padded. Most of the furniture in the feline's home dwarfed the slender human, so it was slightly comical to see him perched in the wide, deep seats, which were obviously designed for someone shorter than he. By mutual consent they spent more time at Zallan's home rather than Lioz's small, but comfortable apartment in a block not too far by the automated tram system. The first time the Tal'aini had visited the younger male at his own home he had collapsed one of Lioz's chairs with a resounding crunch of crumpling polyalloy. The thud had shaken the floor and making his downstairs neighbor come sprinting up from the lift, much to all of their mutual amusement once the situation was explained. Lioz had invested in several self-adjusting, inflatable cushion seats, but they had come to the mutual conclusion that the feline's own furniture was better suited to both their needs.

Their mismatched appearance had caused some amusement amongst their co-workers, but the consensus was that they made a cute couple, according to Ravan who could always be counted upon to provide up to date gossip. The slim Vakari had apologized profusely to both of them after stranding them together at their initial meeting, but had said he thought it best. Zallan rubbed his chin with the non-business end of his fork, scratching thoughtfully, "Because of my sullen, morbid, self-pitying wallowing?"

Lioz's ears perked as he glanced to the wide-bodied feline, rasping his lower lip with his teeth gingerly, "Because I like you... Because you lost a lot in your life and it'll never get completely better, but I hope I can help... You've been nicer to me than a lot of people, you don't care how I look, and me being shy doesn't bother you. You've never made me feel intimidated, or tried to take advantage of me, so... I didn't want to put too much pressure on you."

Zallan nodded, smiling, "I like you too. So what do you want to do for our next date?"

The feline grinned teasingly, watching Lioz's skin flutter through deeper reds and tans at the word "date", knowing the romantic connotations were amusingly flustering the younger male. Lioz stared into space out the window as he thought, finally grinning slightly, "Do you want to go to the space-port? I hear they have a gigantic amusement center and a big bar..."

The younger male blushed again, "I hear the bar even has dancers."

Zallan laughed softly, "Strippers, eh?"

Lioz looked confused till the feline shrugged. Zallan inclined his head softly, looking amused, "That's what Richard always calls them. I guess it's a Terran term for erotic dancers. The ones on their world wear clothes and take them off as they dance."

"Why don't they just start off nude? Seems like it would save time..."

Zallan chuckled good naturedly, shrugging again, "I don't know. Sometimes the Terran humans seem a little weird."

Lioz nodded softly, "I've never really spent much time around other... humans... Even my own people. I was raised by Adanii."

Zallan blinked, "I didn't know that. I knew you'd never mentioned your family before. What happened to-..."

The feline stopped himself; afraid of making the already extraordinarily shy younger male feel awkward, but Lioz twitched his ears gently, shrugging. The human's skin pattern shifted only slightly, a lighter buff colored tan, "I was born on a colony world near the Adanii border. When the war came... Well, Yaini II was very close to the edge of one of the Dead Sectors."

Zallan's fur prickled at the younger male's words. "Dead Sectors" was the colloquial term for those star systems that had been ravaged by the massive war against the Dracht. The insectoid, gestalt-minded species had stripped dozens of systems of anything they could eat, mine or reconfigure to suit their needs, including people, of all races and species. Lioz cleared his throat softly, "Yaini got hit by a colony hive. Most of the population of the outpost was evacuated by the Adanii who took all the survivors they could find back into their own space and closed their borders; then they destroyed the colony hive from orbit."

The younger male's skin had paled in degrees, "I never found out what happened to my biological parents. But Inaio, Lika and Dar'a have always been good to me. They already had 12 offspring, but they offered to take me and a few of the other orphaned children in. So I have lots of adopted brothers and sisters..."

The younger male smiled warmly, "We keep in touch. So the family gatherings are always somewhat... hectic..."

"It sounds like."

"It's always been alright. A mother, two fathers and nearly a dozen and a half siblings, so things tend to be a little disorganized, but I try to keep in touch with everyone."

Lioz giggled softly before blurting, "You'd have a gigantic family if we-... I mean..."

The younger male hid his burning face behind his hand, his ears going almost purple as he hiccupped, "I mean... I..."

Zallan chuckled gently, stroking the younger male's hand, "I know what you mean Lio. It would... It would be nice."

Lioz's violet gaze was slightly moist as he squeezed the feline's paw, "Sella told me... About your k-kittens... So I..."

"It's alright. Honestly. Besides, I don't think you and I could have any kittens anyway. It'd be hard as hell to get you pregnant."

Lioz giggled harder after he recovered his breath from almost choking on a sip of his wine, rubbing his fingers between Zallan's. He glanced aside as he shrugged, "You... could try..."

Zallan chuckled, sensing the younger male's coy embarrassment behind the offer, "Oh, eventually."

Lioz nodded, grinning slightly, showing his blunt white teeth, "Eventually..."

Zallan adjusted his tool belt as he walked through the clinic toward the outer-most office, glancing behind and to either side as he walked. The last thing he wanted was for Neev or Ravan to show up behind his back and tag along. He thumbed the oval panel next to the door, waiting till he heard, "Enter."

The door slid away, allowing him to pass through the portal that was almost too narrow for his wide frame. It had always slightly annoyed him that the doors to the doctor's personal offices were always so narrow and nearly always rectangular. His own people's architecture of low, wide, round doors was so much more aesthetically pleasant, stronger and more accommodating to people of all variety of species, unless they were quite tall. He coughed delicately, "Excuse me Dr. Parin, I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No. Please come in Zallan. Actually I've been expecting you."

Zallan's peridot colored eyes widened a fraction as he entered the doctor's office, the slightly small, immaculately clean space wasn't terribly cramped, but to those prone to bouts of claustrophobia, it wouldn't be a welcoming place. Dr. Parin gestured to the pair of seats standing before his kidney shaped desk of molded black plas. Zallan eyed the pieces of furniture suspiciously till the feline physician uttered a tiny sound of amusement, "They're rated to hold up to 180 kilos before it might be too much on their structural integrity. Lioz told me about the chair incident."

Zallan grinned sheepishly as he lowered himself gingerly into one of the molded polyalloy chairs, hearing it creak, but staying solidly beneath him. The chairs were too tall for his enjoyment, without enough padding, but thankfully they were wide enough to accommodate his hips. He looked to the doctor seated across the desk from him. Parin was handsome, if severe looking. He was tall, angular looking, almost as slender as a J'ralan, but with a build more similar to a Vakari, sans the width of the chest. The taller feline's pelt and hair were both coal black, matching his dusky gray nose and lips and his intense eyes were a bright silver. Parin's feline features were rather sharp, but his slight smile indicated a friendliness beneath his hawkish countenance, "I had expected you sooner, but I'm pleased to see you nonetheless."

"Thank-you Doctor."

"Oh, call me Parin, please Zallan. I know this isn't a business visit, at least not entirely."

The dark feline smiled a little more broadly, leaning against the polished face of his desk, "I'm glad to see you've been coming back to yourself the past few months. I daresay our young Lioz has had no small part to play in it, eh?"

"Yes, I'm glad you hired him, honestly."

Parin chuckled gently, nodding, "I am as well. Just as with your affinity for tools he has an almost photographic memory. The records have never been so well ordered. The nursing staff has been singing his praises in just the few short months since we took him on as well."

He leaned in closer, "Lioz came in for a health screening yesterday, and seemed quite interested in my input on Ibolan syndrome."

The feline doctor rubbed his onyx furred chin lightly as he gazed at Zallan, "I'm positive he's told you about his genetic difficulties that have stemmed from his contact with that particular micro-organism. He has a very interesting case-study, that's partly another reason why I hired him. The local medical school has shown an interest in asking him to participate in a few of their papers and studies on viral studies and various species."

Zallan nodded pleasantly, "He's told me, which is why he has traits and features from several different species, most of them non-human."

"Yes. He was particularly interested in whether or not there was a chance he might still be a carrier of the disease. It would seem he does not wish to take any chance of accidentally passing it off to any felines he might come into contact with."

The doctor's silver eyes twinkled merrily as he gazed at Zallan, "I take it you and he have not had any sexual interaction yet?"

"None so far. At least nothing one would call sexual."

"Oh well, flirting doesn't count and Ibolan syndrome isn't transmissible via saliva. He contracted it via a mistyped blood transfusion, as I comprehend it, shortly after the Dracht attacked his home world."

Parin scratched his ears idly, "Ibolan isn't normally life-threatening so there wasn't a screening procedure in place for it then, but the problem has since been solved with wide-range biofilter sweeps of any organic matters for transfusion or transplantation."

The doctor's smile tilted slightly, "From his line of questioning and both your visits, I take it you're contemplating coitus. Normally the risk of transmission of the neutralized viral RNA is negligible but a non-zero sum risk is still a non-zero sum risk so I took the liberty of synthesizing an inoculation for you anticipating your visit for a health screening yourself."

Parin stood, languidly flexing his long spine, "Shall we?"

"Yes, thank-you."

The raven haired feline smiled, "And you needn't worry, I see no reason to fuel the rumor mill behind your visits. Though this is a small clinic, Ravan has already been taking wagers on when you and Lioz would be engaging in consummation."

"Oh, I'll bet he has."

Zallan sighed softly, shrugging, "But it's in his people's nature to be entirely too inquisitive about the proclivities of others when they're not involved themselves."

"So I've noticed."

Parin slid open the stasis unit against the wall, extracting an ampoule and slotting into the dermal injector seated on a tray next to the synthesizer. The ebony furred feline delicately lifted Zallan's chin, pressing the business end of the sprayer against the side of the broad feline's throat and triggering it with a hiss. Other than a slight sensation of pressure against his skin Zallan didn't feel anything. Parin rubbed the injection site absently, "You may feel a little under the weather while your body adjusts to the antigen, but I think you should feel fine by the time the end of the week comes around. I take it that's when you'll be seeing Lioz again."

Zallan nodded, smiling, "Yes. He wants to go to the space-port. Evidently they have a fairly large entertainment arcade."

Parin nodded, "Well, he is still a fairly young male, I believe you're almost 13 years his senior?"

The dusky furred feline paused, chuckling wryly, "Even if you don't look it. But as your people are unusually long-lived for a high gravity species, you don't normally show signs of middle age till you're into the century mark and you're not even half way there."

"Yes. My great grand-sire lived to be 220."

Parin nodded, then smiled, "And might I recommend the arcade's bar; the dancers featured at the bar's lounge are quite nice. You know they feature one of the only Laslurian dancers within 100 light-years. They've got a good Allevan ale as well."

Zallan's jaw loosened at the coal furred feline's words. As long as he'd known the rather aloof physician he'd always seemed nearly asexual. Parin chuckled softly, "Well, I don't live here as a doctor 26 hours a day. I assure you; the sterile medical demeanor does come off at night just like any other uniform."

Zallan laughed softly, feeling a new respect for the severe looking feline doctor as he nodded, "I'm glad. I'd hate to think you were so clinically detached all the time."

The teasing smile on the Tal'aini's muzzle made Parin chuckle gently, shaking his head as he picked up the medical scanner sitting on the tray next to the dermal injector, "Would you mind taking off your utility belt and emptying anything metallic or energy generating from your pockets please Zallan?"

"You don't want me to strip off?"

Parin chuckled, "You can if that's easier for you, but I'm perfectly capable of scanning through your clothes."

Zallan twitched his ears thoughtfully before he unclasped the tab at the neck of his uniform, unsealing his pocket and pouch laden coverall to the waist. He unclipped his utility belt, draping it over the back of the nearby chair and then shucked his work outfit to his feet. The belled cuffs allowed him to step nimbly out of his coveralls completely to stand before the doctor almost completely nude. Zallan's natural composure didn't flinch as Parin looked at the item of clothing cladding the heavily muscled feline's hips, "What are those?"

Zallan shrugged in a perfunctory way, looking down at the deep green brief style underwear that were snugged about his wide hips, masking his crotch and rump from casual view, "A human piece of clothing that Lioz gave me as a gift. They seem to be a form of human lingerie. He said they "accentuate my masculine features" and wears something similar himself, though his are much more feminine and much more revealing."

The bridge of Parin's muzzle wrinkled softly as he examined the snug, formfitting garment of a glossy material that cupped the stocky feline's crotch and hugged the outline of his broad rump, "They certainly are exotic, if frivolous. I wouldn't wear them too often though; they seem to be constricting your testicles."

"I had noticed. But he says that the looser fitting garments are not as visually pleasing."

Zallan shrugged as he stood with his thick arms held loosely at his sides. He watched passively as Parin ran the compact scanning tool across his body in wide, sweeping arcs, consulting the hand-held monitor as he worked. The dark pelted feline read the tumble of diagnostic information, highlighting a few choice tidbits at his leisure as the scanner in his other paw hummed sedately, its green light passing over Zallan's spotted pelt, "Everything seems to be in order, for the most part. No glaring issues, though I would recommend you increase your daily caloric intake by another third, you're showing a slight loss of density in your new inner osteocyte growth and your blood sugar is slightly diminished. It shouldn't be so low this close to mid-break."

"That sounds reasonable."

Zallan nodded, his foreshortened tail giving a slight twitch, "If I might make a request Parin?"

"Please."

The Tal'aini rubbed his broad chest idly, scratching his thick pelt, "As Lioz and I are planning on taking in the space dock, could I request an anti-nausea patch? You're aware of how sensitive my people are to localized gravity and the gravity generators aboard most interstellar ships and orbital habitats are usually horribly out of synch, even if it's within minimum specification."

The dark pelted doctor chuckled softly, nodding, "Yes, I know how prone your people are to space sickness, and I believe Lioz has never experienced a translocation cycle before either, so it may be best if I send several with you."

"Thank-you."

"You're welcome."

The taller feline smirked gently, "And you can put your clothing back on Zallan. I'm finished scanning, and gawking."

Parin smiled at the dull flush of Zallan's ears, turning to fiddle with the menu on the synthesis unit, "I hope Lioz realizes how lucky he is. Your people are so delightfully sturdy looking, all that muscle. You could probably lift me over your head without much effort."

Zallan rumbled gently as he resealed his coverall, "Thank-you. My only hope is that I don't accidentally harm Lio. He's quite slender."

Parin smiled softly, his muzzle tweaking, "I'm positive you'll do fine. Humans are more resilient than most might think. He's probably just as sturdy as Ravan, just be gentle."

The darker feline patted Zallan's thick shoulder, leaning in conspiratorially, "As Lioz is quite punctual in his biweekly screenings to compensate for the... eccentricities in his metabolisms, I've gotten to build quite an extensive database on him. From all the empirical data I've amassed, he would seem to still be a virgin."

"He has... indicated as much, to be honest."

Zallan's blush deepened as Parin handed him a small poly sheath containing several of the sublingual anti-nausea patches, "Thank-you Parin."

"My pleasure. Good luck Zallan."

The softly grinning doctor nodded to the shorter feline as Zallan retreated from the office, still faintly warm around the ears.

Lioz fidgeted restively as he looked out of the bubble-like upper canopy of the tram carriage in which they rode to the transport platform. As the automated tram car was normally built for two he was seated securely in Zallan's broad lap, painfully aware of the older male's rippled form beneath him. Their travel satchels were stowed beneath the bench seat as the lighted console at the front of the cabin showed their impending destination. He squeaked softly in surprise as Zallan's large paws settled on his hips gently, the feline's rumbling voice sounding vaguely amused and exasperated at the same time, "Please don't move your hips like that Lio, sweet. You tend to wriggle your hips when you're seated and anxious, but currently, that might make me uncomfortable."

The slender younger male's ears rippled pink as he nodded softly, "Sorry Zal... I'll try not to rub my ass into your crotch..."

"Well, never say never, but perhaps in public would not be appropriate, as I will need to stand shortly and those scanners see everything."

"Sorry..."

The human leaned back onto the warm embrace of the broad-bodied feline, relaxing as he felt Zallan's thick arms encircle his waist gently, hugging him, rather than stifling his movement. Lioz made a tiny sound of contentment, nestling back into the feline's solid, warm body till Zallan cleared his throat. He froze, uttering a tiny giggle, "Sorry! I... was just comfy..."

Zallan rumbled, smirking gently, despite he knew the younger male could never see the expression as his muzzle only reached high enough on the seated human's back to let him rest his nose against Lioz's shoulder, "Don't get too "comfy", we're about to arrive."

The stately glass and metal building of the transport hub rose out of the tidy looking park that surrounded it. The wide, wandering pathways that led into and out of the transit station entered the building from all 4 sides, including the path that led down to the black-topped avenue where their tram carriage slowed to a stop, the canopy popping open and sliding back as it lifted. Lioz carefully climbed from Zallan's lap, accepting the two pieces of luggage from his feline companion. He grunted as Zallan let go of his own satchel, its weight dragging him half over, "OOF! Uh.. Zal, what's in here? Permacrete?"

The feline scrabbled to his feet, then out of the car, taking his travel satchel from Lioz's trembling arm, "Sorry Lio. I forgot my own strength."

The younger male's long, pointed ears flicked, but he nodded, looking at the double storied building somewhat apprehensively. Zallan fished in the pocket of his reasonably loose tunic, handing Lioz one of the patched Parin had given him, "Here, put this under your tongue..."

Lioz looked at the postage-stamp sized medicine patch, "What is it?"

"You're never gone through a transloc before, right?"

"N-n-no... I was under the impression it was perfectly safe..."

Lioz's skin paled, showing his sudden rush of anxiety till Zallan stroked his chin gently. The feline rumbled soothingly, "The technology is centuries old, but it's been known to cause spontaneous nausea in those who've never done it before. Much like drinking too much."

Zallan slipped one of the tabs beneath his own tongue, stifling the wince at the burst of astringent medicinal flavor that filled his muzzle, "See? Just something from Dr. Parin."

"Why would you need one?"

Zallan rumbled a little deeper, "My species does not do well in artificial gravity."

He shrugged, "We're quite sensitive to grav fluctuations."

"I'd have never thought that. Perhaps once we're settled you can adjust the artificial gravity to make you more comfortable..."

Zallan chuckled, "If I were to adjust the gravity to make me comfortable little one, you would collapse under your own weight..."

He took both their satchels in his massive paws, "We can just hope they have good engineers."

The transit hub was antiseptically clean, almost unnervingly sterile, like a surgical theatre. The wait was short to go through the oval shaped scanners, manned by males of a variety of species each carrying the same obligingly neutral expression. The scanners didn't register as either Zallan or Lioz ventured through them, so they were allowed to progress to the second stage of the transit process. The short stretch of corridor with sensor plates lining the walls and ceiling met them. Lioz eyed the bioscanners warily, fishing in his pocket for a small, oblong fob of black plas and silver metal as he allowed Zallan to pass through first. He sighed, "We may be a moment."

As soon as Lioz strode through the floor to ceiling scanning palettes a loud hum filled the air and a blue light flickered on above their heads. As if on cue Lioz tucked his ears softly and extended the small data device to the blue-dressed J'ralan male who came toward them from out of nowhere. The smiling, spotted feline gave no outward sign that anything was wrong, merely looking in polite puzzlement at the rounded fob that Lioz thrust at him with redder flushing skin and oddly stiff ears. Lioz grunted, shaking the fob harder, till Zallan cleared his throat, "His medical records... It's a slightly sensitive subject."

The look of dawning comprehension on the friendly looking med-tech's face as he took the small device and pressed it to his medical scanner was soon smoothed over as the text scrolled across the display. The J'ralan nodded crisply, extending the data module back as Lioz snatched it from his paw like a snake striking, startling both felines, "I'm sorry Sir. Please go right ahead."

Zallan as Lioz made a faint noise of disgusted impatience. The chagrinned med-tech winced, "I'll... have these forwarded up to the station Sir... I apologize for the inconvenience..."

Zallan's acid-green eyes widened as Lioz uttered a surprisingly feline hissing sound and simply stalked away, leaving the older male to stammer at the J'ralan and then dash to catch up. Lioz's hunched shoulders and paled complexion eased softly when he felt Zallan's paw on the nape of his neck. The human rubbed fitfully at his eyes as they passed into the third and last staging area of the transit station. They took the chamber nearest themselves, as the lines were negligible. The large, rounded dais on the opposite side of the chamber was lit a soothing blue-white, making the white fur on the transit technician almost shimmer. She directed them to the pad, smiling gently, "Just step onto the pad please. If you could stand at least half a meter from one another and don't fidget too much while I calibrate the stream."

Lioz swallowed, his stomach fluttering as the sterile chamber chose that exact moment to remind him of the hospitals of his youth. The fluttering of panic that threatened to make him dizzy made him utter a tiny whimper as the tech gave them a tiny smile, operating the controls like a musician tuning their instrument, "Alright. We're calibrated. Receiving pad is ready. Stand-by, and have a pleasant holiday sirs. In 3... 2... 1..."

As the technician reached 1 the chamber was filled with the soft, humming whine of machinery and the rounded transloc pad around them wavered into a hazy mirage. Lioz felt his body abruptly attempt to go in 1000 different directions at once as his entire frame buzzed with static, his hair frizzing comically. As his vision dimmed the sucking void of quantum space took him and then deposited him onto an almost identical pad in less time than it took to take another breath. The human staggered as his vision cleared once more into the solid outlines of his own dimension and Zallan's steadying paw was around his arm gently. A short vulpine was waving a medical scanner in Lioz's direction as he breathed desperately through his nose, attempting to keep his stomach from attempting to escape out his mouth. Zallan rubbed the younger male's back slowly as Lioz hiccupped wretchedly, "It's ok... It'll pass. You'll barely even notice next time. I promise."

Lioz's voice gurgled softly as he let Zallan take his weight, "I... think I prefer shuttles..."

"You'll be fine."

Zallan waved the med-tech off before the vulpine could start asking questions as the female was obviously eyeing the readings she was getting from Lioz dubiously, "He's fine. His first jump."

The vulpine nodded. She inched off as the massively broad feline led Lioz gingerly away, smiling convincingly, "You know what they say; First time you get drunk, first time you travel faster than the speed of light and first time you go through a transloc pad."

By the time Zallan had walked Lioz out into the wide corridor and down a section the younger male's deathly pale and slightly green skin had flushed to its normal ruddy tan. Lioz shook his head, making his long, delicate ears flop comically, "I'm alright... I feel better..."

Zallan nodded, rubbing the younger male's nape softly, "Why don't we go see about our accommodations?"

"Yea... It might be nice... to sit, just for a moment, perhaps."

"And something to drink."

"I'm fine... Really Zal..."

"I know. But you were just transported almost 800 kilometers almost instantaneously, nearly straight up."

Lioz felt that giddy swooping sensation in the pit of his stomach again as he leaned against Zallan's steadying, rock-solid form, "I was, wasn't I?"

The younger male giggled softly, his excitement slowly rolling over his anxiety and nausea once more. He had never really experienced a real holiday before, much less in such extravagant surroundings. Zallan had insisted on defraying the younger male's expenses, booking them the transit time, accommodations and offering to pay for most of their food and entertainment, making Lioz stammer and blush. The surprisingly wide, plush corridors looked more like those in an expensive hotel than an orbital space station. Zallan chuckled softly as Lioz looked around them, "Falto Anir Station is privately owned. It's mostly for the tourist and private industry rather than governmental or Spacey business. So lots of gilding and deep carpeting, and I heard there's a Shadai-shar embassy on-board and a Kalli'tan sect of the pleasure faith."

Lioz blushed softly as he slowly wrapped his arms around Zallan's own thick one, "All this hedonism... We might get bored?"

"I don't think so."

Zallan smirked gently, feeling Lioz squeeze his arm warmly, "I think we could keep one another amused."

The human giggled softly, "I thought that's one of the reasons why we agreed to come here together."

Zallan nodded, "It is. I wanted to come with you, or else Ravan might have offered, and then where would I be?"

"Still in the same place."

The taller male smirked, his pouting lips tweaking as he surprised Zallan by ducking his head and kissing the feline directly on his muzzle. As they came to a stop in the middle of the corridor, Lioz's lips pushing at his own distracted the feline to the curious looks of the dozen or so other bodies passing them. The amused glances a few of them cast at the ludicrously mismatched males was completely lost as Zallan kissed Lioz back. He allowed the outrageously public display of affection to last for just a moment longer till he felt Lioz's tongue push at his teeth, then pulled back gently. He gave the younger male a gentle nip on his lower lip, "Time enough for that soon, I think."

"Sorry... I guess I'm just excited?"

"To be here or to be losing your virginity?"

Lioz's skin went almost purple but he kept his stride next to Zallan, shrugging softly, "Can't it be both?"

The giggling younger male gasped as they passed a floor to ceiling port. Zallan grunted as the human forgot to let go of his arm before dragging both of them to the massive, reinforced window, looking out onto the incredible vista before them. The glittering field of stars was visible in the distance beyond the massive space-station, with the limb of the teal and jade green world below. The bright coin of golden light in the far distance cast an amber-white tinged glow through Lioz's already strawberry blonde hair. As he gripped Zallan's paw the human laid his other delicate hand against the thick plate of transparent crystallized polymer alloy, "It's beautiful."

Zallan felt an abrupt fit of pique that was almost out of character with his normally somewhat gruff demeanor, "But you haven't even seen it yet."

Lioz's gasping giggle made the feline grin as the human elbowed him gently in the side, "Now who's horny?"

Zallan's chest swelled even more as he rumbled, "Hey, I used to have two spouses. Getting laid wasn't exactly hard."

"You said your female mate-..."

Lioz trailed off as the feline's teasing grin made him smirk hard, "You're teasing me..."

"Only a little; currently."

Lioz squeezed the feline's paw, "You've been getting more playful in the past few months... I think it's good for you."

"I think it's good for both of us."

Zallan sighed gently, a pleasant, warm sensation resting in his torso as he rubbed Lioz's hand. He hadn't felt that comfortable, pleasing feeling in a long while, not since Xelik had died. He had idly wondered if he was doomed to ever feel any happy contentment ever again, till he had met the slightly shy human male. As they followed the gentle curve of the corridor, they consulted the brightly colored maps of the public concourse areas of the station. There were half a dozen hotels of varying size, price and luxury on the station and Zallan had picked what he gauged to be the second best of them after consulting various sources and brochures on the subject. He hadn't felt the need to splurge for the most lavish of the accommodations, but settled for the better of the two hotels in the second tier of luxury. Their hotel was also, by pleasant coincidence one of the two closest to the main promenade of the almost 3 kilometer wide station, which had also affected his decision.

The immense front entrance to their hotel was framed in bright silvery alloy, with a surprisingly demure sign. Lioz gazed at the expansive, highly polished wooden counter-top that comprised the check-in and registration desk with wide eyes. He watched the transaction between Zallan and the male cheerfully taking the feline's credits and passing over a pair of thin metal wafers. The black and white furred male standing behind the counter bowed them toward the lift to the second level with a "Please enjoy your stay.". The lift to the individual suites was a small, cylindrical affair barely large enough for both of them. Lioz didn't mind being slightly pressed against Zallan's warm frame as he ran his long fingers through the older male's thick, soft fur, playing with the black tufts of fur tipping his ears. With a giggle Lioz slipped himself around behind Zallan who perked his ears before he grunted in surprise as the slender younger male hopped onto his shoulders with a surprisingly deft spring for the confines of the lift.

The lift came to a halt, the doors opening as Zallan actually blushed, feeling Lioz seated securely upon his nape, straddling his thick neck with his long, lean thighs. The massively broad feline barely even felt Lioz's weight pushing down on him as he strode from the lift, smirking up at the wildly grinning face looking down at him, "Comfortable?"

"Mmm-hmm! Do you even feel me up here?"

"Of course, but having your weight on my shoulders is barely equivalent to the gravity on my homeworld. I could carry you around all day."

"You're so strong..."

Lioz blushed, his skin flashing pink as he gripped the older male around the neck securely, but gently, rubbing his muzzle sedately. He giggled, "I think our room is that way..."

"I am your conveyance now?"

Lioz blushed harder as Zallan strode down the corridor, "I've kind of wanted to do this, or ask you to do this since I met you. I knew you were strong... You're not even straining with me up here riding you..."

"Give it time. I may strain a bit if you end up riding me harder..."

Zallan laughed gently, his rumbling making Lioz's calves vibrate as the younger male gave the broad feline's neck a squeeze between his thighs, "Don't talk dirty while I'm up here or I might poke you in the back of the head."

"Yes, well, I think this is our room, might want to duck."

Lioz uttered a shrill gasp as Zallan swiped one of the silver keys across the door to their suite and the portal rolled aside for them. He slumped down over Zallan's broad skull as the older male stumped teasingly into the suite, making Lioz's ears brush the upper frame of the door. The younger male ooo-ed at the plush accommodations around them, taking them in with his wide violet eyes, the room was a demure; not terribly ostentatious, but plush, a deep blue color, with lighter blue, almost violet and dark silver highlights and accents. The furniture was thickly padded, highly polished and all soft, organic angles, nothing sharp to jar the eyes. There was a table and chairs, a synthesis module and a chilling unit on one end of the suite, a multi-lounge with a low, oblong table that had a holo-unit resting atop it in the center and on the opposite end of the room there sat a magnificent bed. The wide, deep, rounded bed was draped with silk and satin of deep purple and blue, looking large enough to sleep at least 3 if not 4 comfortably. Another holo-emitter was jutting from the ceiling above the bed, and between lounge and bed another oblong door led off to the washing chamber.

"Pity there's no window."

Lioz grinned around at the room, "This is so nice though!"

"Windows are expensive on a space-station Lio my sweet."

Lioz giggled as Zallan placed their bags on the multi-lounge and padded to the bed, then swung himself around. The older male glanced up, "Ready?"

"AI!"

Lioz had barely a second to clutch himself around Zallan's neck before the massively muscled feline let himself topple backward onto the deep, cushioned bed. Zallan was impressed as the wide, thickly padded bed merely creaked lightly beneath him and the deck beneath it didn't even shiver. Lioz giggled loudly as he released his hold on the older male, relaxing into a spread-eagled sprawl on the bed. The human male smiled, "This is nice..."

The soft, slippery bedclothes caressed him, the thick mattress conforming to his weight. Lioz wriggled himself around, levering off his sandals, tossing them across the room to skid to a halt beneath the dining table. The young human lifted his shoulders and hips long enough to peel his clinging mauve shirt away from his body, throwing it away with a flip of his wrist. Zallan rolled onto his elbow as he felt the mattress shift with Lioz's squirming. His acid-green eyes widened as he was just in time to watch Lioz contort himself into a half-curl, unbuttoning his dusty rose colored breeches and wriggle his hips to free himself of them, flinging them away as well. The younger male was left sprawling naked save for a pair of bright red panties that clung to his hips, rump and crotch like a second skin. Zallan swallowed, watching the slender male's smooth body unveiled before his eyes, slowly relax back into the cool, smooth bedclothes, "Lioz?"

"Mmm?"

The younger male's eyes were closed as he relaxed, smiling blissfully. Zallan licked his lips lightly, "Is there a reason you just stripped almost naked?"

"I wanted to feel the bedclothes on my skin, and I was warm. Do I need a reason?"

Lioz opened his brilliant violet eyes, looking down to the feline, flexing his back and hips idly, making his wonderfully slender; almost skinny body shift. Zallan rumbled softly, his ears pinking as he had never seen the younger male in merely his underwear before, studying his slim body. Lioz's slender form was femininely curved, with an hourglass shape between his under-arms and his thighs; his waist narrow and his hips wide. His chest held just a hint of definition; with a pair of darker pink, pert nipples on either side of his pectorals. Lioz's belly was flat and smooth, showing a tiny indentation from where his chest slowly rose and fell down to his pelvis where his hips were hidden by his low cut panties. The human's arms and legs were long and slim, sporting the fine coating of fuzzy fur-like hair that Zallan knew he possessed instead of his kind's usual body-hair. The rest of his body was completely smooth and naked.

As he saw Zallan's bright lime-green gaze on him Lioz flushed a darker tan, rubbing a long-fingered hand down across his chest and belly, "I... did a little grooming for you, knowing you seem to be curious about me being so smooth... I think I missed a spot though, my-... fur grows back so fast..."

Lioz rubbed a finger down the sparse line of short, downy fuzz that stretched from just below his navel to the waistband of his panties, "I wish I could just have it all lasered off. But the all over hair removal treatments are so expensive."

"I'll... pay for it, if you truly do wish it done."

Zallan grunted softly as he gazed at the younger male's almost naked, mostly smooth, furless body. Lioz flushed deeper, almost red as he shook his head, "I couldn't let you pay for that Zal... It's just a little vanity... I can't let you spend 80 thousand creds on me for just that when I can just shave it all off once a week."

The strong feline stroked his paw down Lioz's calf, still gazing with an almost wistful longing at the human's slender, naked body, "It's a small price to pay to make you feel better about yourself. Do you prefer to be smooth like that? Even on your arms and legs?"

Lioz shrugged gently against the bedclothes, "It... It would help me l-look more human..."

"Well, we do work at a medical clinic."

Lioz shifted himself, looking at the feline male, propped on his side on the bed. He tipped his head, "You're being fairly relaxed, this is the first time you've let me take my clothes off around you."

Zallan rumbled gently, "I have been endeavoring to court you as I would one of my own people. This means a respectful distance, till both parties agree the time is right."

"You haven't even wanted to see me naked?"

"I didn't say that. I have desired to see you without your clothing, but I know most humans don't feel secure naked."

"You haven't wanted to push me... You've treated me very well. But don't you think it's time Zallan?"

Lioz smiled gently, shifting around till he was laying almost pressed against the broad, wide-torsoed feline. The older male rumbled deeper in his chest, running his broad, thick-fingered paws over Lioz's back and nape, threading his digits through the human's strawberry blonde hair. As they lay against one another, gently kissing each other's faces and throats the feline shifted slowly. He inhaled and exhaled in response to the tiny tingles of heat running through him. Lioz's slender body was giving off the fragrant pheromones that Zallan had scented before when the younger male was feeling aroused. Zallan arched his thick spine as he felt Lioz's hands rubbing over his clothed chest, caressing his dense pectorals, "Don't you feel overdressed?"

The broad feline grunted as he felt Lioz's fingers sneaking down the hard wash-board ridge of his belly. He smirked softly, "I think I'm overdressed for a bath. Then perhaps we cold take in an early dinner, a little entertainment, and then see where things go."

Lioz pressed himself lightly against the large feline's dense frame, shivering at the touch of Zallan's thick fingers rubbing down his spine. He arched his hips back, feeling Zallan's strong paw stroke his ass, squeezing it gently. The younger male grunted, smirking, "You're going to drag this out as long as possible, just to torment me, aren't you?"

"This is called courtship. My people engage in it. You should play harder to get."

The playful tone in the feline's voice made Lioz pout, prodding Zallan's chest, "You've got your paws on my ass... I know you can smell me. But you're still going to let me keep my panties on, aren't you?"

"If you wish to bathe with them on, it would seem silly, but I won't stop you."

The feline grinned, his sharp fangs showing as Lioz smirked hard. The slender human shifted, running his long-fingered hand down and gripping the front of Zallan's loose pants, making him inhale. Lioz toyed with the short, thick, heavy outline of the feline's dense sheath, "Two can tease you know."

Zallan rumbled, his hips canting as Lioz teased his body, not attempting to remove the younger male's hand, but keeping his muscles as relaxed as possible, delaying a response to Lioz's questing fingers. He licked the tender tip of one of the human's pointed ears, making him shiver, "You're familiar with feline anatomy, aren't you?"

Lioz nodded, a little hesitantly, "Yes..."

"Well, I don't wish to overwhelm you."

"I've... played with a couple... before."

Lioz felt the slowly stirring outline of Zallan's cock, squeezing it, marveling at the density of his idly stiffening shaft. Concealed behind two layers of clothing the feline's length was merely a slowly distending lump, making his crotch tent. Zallan rumbled gently, "Vakari and J'rali, of that size?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Were they breeders?"

Lioz's ears flared a bit as he looked to Zallan, "Aren't... all males breeders, potentially?"

Zallan shrugged as best as he could laying on his side, "There are a few minor differences."

He smiled, nibbling Lioz's chin, "I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Oh stop teasing me you bastard..."

Lioz smirked gently, kissing Zallan harder, giving him a harder squeeze. He nipped the feline's lip softly, "Show me. Please. I want to see."

Zallan chuckled gently, "You're not to be deterred so easily, I see..."

Lioz nodded, nuzzling into the feline slowly, "We've been seeing one another for over 3 months now. We've gotten to know one another, we've fooled around a little, but you've never let me see you naked, other than briefly. We've never even slept together, other than the occasional nap on your lounge."

The younger male pressed his face against Zallan's, nuzzling into him. He had found it easy to fall into other species' social and intimate interactions growing up in a family of non-humans. Lioz nibbled the junction of Zallan's thick neck, smiling as he felt the feline's broad, slightly rough tongue snake along his ear, "Courting is one thing, teasing me mercilessly once I've made my intentions known is another."

The younger male swiftly tried another, sneakier tactic, "Don't you want me as well?"

Zallan swelled with a rumble, cracking open a lime-green eye as he lifted his paw and brought it down on Lioz's pleasantly rounded ass, "Don't you even try to guilt me... That's a cheap trick, and I don't want our first time to start out like that Lio."

"Well, it was worth a shot?"

The younger male grinned sheepishly, inhaling as Zallan lifted his paw and ran his blunt fingers over the tiny, overlapping ridges of his nose and forehead. He shivered, the sensation of Zallan's warm finger-pads rubbing his sensitive nose ridges making his ears tingle, "Mmm, I see you've been doing your homework..."

"I had heard the cartilage ridges on the Talaran nose are quite sensitive."

"That's why if you're ever in a fight with a Talaran; punch him in the nose. It feels about the same as someone kicking you in the crotch."

"How would you know that?"

Lioz giggled, "I grew up with over a dozen siblings, remember? Some of them wanted to test how tough a human was."

The slender human flushed, "And some wanted to assert their dominance..."

Zallan's ears perked, making the black tufts at their tips wobble comically, "No mounting behavior, I hope."

Lioz blushed deeper, "Once or twice, but just a little playful neck biting. Mom put a stop to it pretty quick."

"No brotherly love, eh?"

The feline blinked as Lioz squirmed softly, going almost plum colored, his bright green eyes widened, "You..?"

Lioz buried his beet colored face into the feline's shoulder, "Just a couple times... With one of my older siblings, well, we weren't even genetically related. He was adopted too... No penetration, I am a virgin, I promise..."

"Dr. Parin attested to as much."

Lioz squeaked as he lifted his bright violet eyes to Zallan's, "Parin?"

"He'd mentioned you telling him you were a virgin, and had mentioned he'd never seen any signs of coitus in any of your medical scans."

"They can... detect things like that in med scans?"

Lioz's eyes were wider than Zallan had ever seen, making him chuckle, "Of course. They can detect the abrasions and tissue contusions as well as genetic residue at times."

Lioz squirmed softly, "I never thought of Parin as... a medical voyeur."

"Well, he's male, in the prime of his life, intact and you're quite pretty."

"Well, for a genetically muddled human."

Zallan smirked gently, "You're cute. I think you have a wonderful body, and a very pretty face."

It was Lioz's turn to smirk lopsidedly, "Yet you don't want to-..."

"I never said I didn't Lio."

"So show me..."

Zallan laughed, "I need to disrobe anyway to bathe. If I take my clothing off for that length of time, will it satisfy you?"

Lioz tipped his head, making his ears flex and twitch gently, "I'll be satisfied when I'm no longer a virgin Zall..."

The broad feline opened his muzzle, the closed it again, still gently rubbing Lioz's forehead and then ears. The younger male tweaked his lips, "I know... You're still worried about taking another-... Lover."

Zallan's thick fingers rubbed the younger male's brow slowly, his muzzle still wrinkled across the bridge of his nose, "And... I don't want to risk hurting you."

"Hurting me?"

Lioz's ears flared as he tipped his head, looking to the stocky feline, who nodded, "Yes Lio. I'm shorter than you are by a bit, but I'm twice as broad as you and I'm 3 times your mass. By sheer weight alone I could seriously hurt you."

"So could a full grown T'kantis. So could a cargo crate. I'm tougher than you think!"

Zallan's acid-green eyes shifted to the mostly pink clothing scattered about, making Lioz stifle a giggle, "Alright, I'm more durable than you think... wise ass."

"I'm always afraid of mating outside my own species. My people are very strong, very dense, and usually quite large, and I don't mean our lacking in vertical height little one."

"I like big."

"You're a virgin, you can't know if you like big or not."

Lioz rolled his eyes, "I know I like playing with big."

"Playing with big, and having big up your ass are two entirely different propositions my sweet."

Lioz huffed, prodding the feline gently, "Fine, keep being difficult. But I doubt my medical file mentioned the fact that my esophagus was scarred when I had Ibolan syndrome, did Parin mention that?"

"No... Why would he?"

Lioz grinned at the baffled looking feline, licking his nose, "So it means I no longer have a gag reflex."

The younger male allowed that to sink in as he kissed Zallan, then scooted to the edge of the wide bed, "Weren't you going to bathe?"

Zallan rumbled softly, "Oh, now that was a cheap shot."

"You said you wished to wait."

The complete reversal of the younger male's attitude made Zallan ponder whether to laugh or to bite him. Part of the stocky feline felt bad for not simply acquiescing to the younger male's advances. But since he had decided to court the human male, and in turn allow the younger Lioz to court him back Zallan had automatically fallen back into his people's style of testing the waters and taking things one step at a time. He had known of Lioz's interest in him sexually, but hadn't given in to many felines' lead-with-the-loins cavalier attitude on purpose. He wanted to allow their emotional attachment to one another to prosper first before dedicating himself to someone new. As he stood, levering his broad form to his massive feet Lioz let loose with a fresh volley, "Zallan... Do you love me?"

The Tal'aini promptly tripped over his own feet and staggered into the multi-lounge, seating himself with a loud exhalation of breath, "OOF! W-w-what?!"

The Tal'aini's eyes were wide, his pupils contracted to nearly pinpoints in the vivid green of his irises, his fur stood slightly puffed along his strong arms. Lioz jolted to his feet, still naked save for his underwear, his skin flushing almost ghost white again, "I'm sorry! I never should have asked..."

The younger male's self confidence evaporated; he hunched his shoulders, looking extraordinarily vulnerable as he bent down to retrieve his discarded shirt. Zallan's reaction to his question as if someone had pulled a stunner on him had thrown the human completely off his somewhat cocky sensual stride, "I'm sorry. It was stupid, I knew it was much too soon to ask you dumb questions like that to satisfy my own dumb self-esteem..."

Lioz struggled to turn his shirt right-side in once again, succeeding in getting tangled up in it. He jumped as Zallan laid his paw on his shoulder, almost jerking away from the broad feline. Zallan gingerly took the shirt from the younger male, seeing the glimmer of Lioz's violet eyes, "It wasn't stupid..."

"Of course it was! I know I can never take the place of your old mate Zallan, I know I-..."

"Lioz, hush..."

"But Zallan..."

"Lio, shush..."

Zallan pulled the younger male up, comically raising him to stand taller than his own height. Ignoring the fact that the younger human was still almost naked he enfolded Lioz against his broad chest. The difference in their heights made him feel ludicrous once more, but his width made up for the human's vertical advantage on him. He could feel the human's body shivering and twitching gently beneath his paws, Lioz's emotional overload making him as nervous as when they'd first met. Zallan rested his paws on Lioz's hips, holding him tightly, "Lio... I like you. I'm very fond of you, honestly. I'm very very fond of you; I've come to enjoy our time together very much. That's something I thought I'd never feel again after Xelik's death. We've gotten very close I think, and I do appreciate that, and you, and what you've done for me."

He felt the trembling traveling along Lioz's skin slowing, looking into the human male's giant violet eyes, "I don't know if I love you Lio-..."

Zallan felt the younger male tense again, holding up his paw, "BUT, I'd like to. If you'd like to try."

He felt Lioz relax slowly once more, smiling softly, "You'll have to forgive me Lio. It may take me a longer length of time to be able to love you completely. But... It can't be helped. Do you understand?"

Lioz bobbed his head, "Yes... I do. It'll take time."

The younger male was slowly recovering, feeling the older male stroke his back and nape. He sighed and leaned into Zallan's solid frame, "I'm sorry, it was still stupid of me to ask."

"It's alright. Sometimes these inter-species relationships can be complex. Ours has even more complications..."

"Lots of my brothers and sisters have mates of different species. I'm sure they'll be bursting with advice, if we want it."

"Oh, I'm sure."

Zallan gently kissed the younger male before stepping back, slowly pulling his sleeveless shirt over his head and tossing it at Lioz. The younger male startled as the black shirt 4 sizes too large for him landed almost over his head, stifling a giggle as the tension in the room was dissipated swiftly. Zallan unsealed the tab of his breeches, pulling them open and letting them slump down around his toes. Lioz smiled warmly, "I see you've gotten to like my present."

"I think I prefer this pair. The color is nicer and they're less... restrictive."

Zallan glanced down at the pair of briefs Lioz had given him after the feline had opined that the other pairs were too restrictive around the base of his tail. The tight briefs were something Zallan had heard Lioz call a "jock-strap", normally used in human athletic activities. This had piqued some interest in the recreational activities of humans as the crotch-hugging pair of underwear had no back panel, merely a pair of straps that held them in place against the rump and the thick waist-band in the posterior. The charcoal colored briefs were flattering against the feline's thick fur, not getting bound up against his stubby tail as the waistband sat high enough that his tail-base sat below it. Lioz blushed, smiling at the feline who was now undressed to the same state he was; admiring Zallan's immensely broad, sculpted form.

"You know if ancient human sculptors had had bipedal felines around back then, I think we'd see more interesting statues in museums. You already look like someone chiseled you from marble."

Lioz gazed at Zallan's short, but thick form; everything about the handsome feline was thick, dense and masculine, with his broad skull, thick neck, broad shoulders and massive chest. His arms were thickly cabled, with his immense paws and their deft fingers. His broad waist and hips leading down to his heavily muscled legs, with their almost digitigrade calves and feet were gorgeous. Zallan's handsome almost mocha sandy fur with its mottled spots over his back, shoulders and across his rump, tail and legs as well as down his arms was thick and inviting. His throat, chest, belly and the inside of his thighs was a pale off-white, almost cream colored, dotted here and there with highlights of black as at the ends of his tail and ears. Zallan smirked at the younger male, reaching back and untying the thong of polymer that held his severely plaited braid intact, letting his sandy blond hair unravel itself as it liked. He eyed the younger male, and then hooked his blunt thumbs into the waistband of the briefs cladding his crotch, slipping them off to stand nude next to the multi-lounge.

His bright green gaze appraised the giggling human, "Happy now?"

"Nope!"

Lioz's cheerful mood was back as he shrugged, coyly slipping out of his own briefs and tossing them to join Zallan's. He bit his lip as he stepped toward the feline, "Want to take a bath together?"

Zallan rumbled gently as he touched the younger male's chest, "You're going to attempt to rub my sheath again, aren't you?"

"Of course."

Zallan stiffened as he felt Lioz's fingers skate down the hard ridge of his belly and glide into the juncture of his thick thighs, rubbing the off-white fur there, just below his testicles. The feline rumbled, gazing at the human's now completely naked body; his eyes resting on Lioz's sex, his flaccid cock, its tip hidden by his foreskin and his smoothly groomed sac beneath. Lioz smirked, "Now you're checking me out. You want to fuck me, why not admit it?"

"Because it's fun to watch you try to seduce me."

Zallan smirked, not reacting as he felt Lioz's hand slide up less than demurely and grip his thick sheath. Lioz giggled, "Everything on you is thick and heavy Zal... It's amazing."

The feline uttered his rumbling chuckle, "I just find it amusing how your sex points down when it's flaccid."

"Well, yes. Being we don't have sheaths to nurse-maid our cocks when they're not hard."

The long-eared human smirked impishly, "Still, beats being a Metaran. No external genitals period."

"I've never quite gotten used to that. Could be worse still, species like Letrexans don't reproduce sexually at all. Asexual fission. Or the Lirau; as they're technically plants they just stand around and release pollen till one of their group-mates extrudes a seed-pod."

"Al-Bodan, all hermaphrodites, complicated..."

Lioz giggled at their jest, "Da'riil, 3 genders and they reproduce mainly by cloning. Where's the fun in that?"

"Well, that reduces chromosome damage."

The feline walked pressed against Lioz who was still giggling breathlessly, "Are you going to let go of that long enough to bathe?"

"Oh, I don't know. Might just lead you around by it the whole time we're here. Or synthesize a little leash for it. It'd be cute."

"Who's the alpha male around here, eh?"

Lioz smirked, "I dunno... An alpha male would have taken the ass someone wiggled at them."

The human stiffened, uttering a tiny shriek as Zallan leaned against him for an instant, "OW! Hey, no biting unless you're initiating foreplay!"

"Not all felines bite and claw one another to intimate they'd like to engage in copulation, you know."

As the washing chamber door rolled aside Lioz smirked, "Then you'll have to synthesize me the guide-book on how Tal'aini advertise the fact they'd like to fuck, cause you've given me absolutely no hints."

"Oh, you'll know."

Lioz wrinkled his nose, making the ridges lining his face deeper, "You keep saying that... But the whole time we've been dating you've never once showed a bit of pink around me. I was beginning to think you don't find me desirable."

"Oh, but I do."

Zallan smiled as he stroked Lioz's back and patted the curve of his rump, "My people just don't... advertise our lusts so freely as some other felines."

Lioz licked his lips pensively, "Like some humans do as well?"

"At times, I suppose."

Zallan used his blunt fingers to key in the wash-room controls as he stroked Lioz's smoothly curved back-side slowly, "You humans are normally a subdued people in comparison to some species."

He looked to the tub with a bit of disdain, "Perhaps I should lodge a complaint. I'd never fit in there comfortably with you as well. At least the shower is roomy."

"Will we be needing a whole lot of room?"

Lioz giggled softly over the rising hiss of the shower.

Lioz wobbled a little on his feet as Zallan's strong paw gripped his hip, steadying the younger male gently, "Easy... I think you've had too much to drink."

"Yu-you wanted me to try that Tal'aini ale, it was really strong!"

Lioz giggled, smothering a tiny hiccup. He stood; slightly mesmerized by the brightly flashing blue, green and purple lights that still blinked in the bar they'd just exited. He raised his hand and waved at a few of the brightly smiling, and completely nude males that sashayed past the open portal and grinned at him, several of which he recognized as having spent time in both he and Zallan's laps, or vice-versa with himself, in the previous two hours. The human grinned to Zallan, "Parin was right about this place. That Laslurian was so beautiful."

He laughed softly, rubbing Zallan's chest, "He certainly managed to get a lot of currency out of you, I might add."

"Well, he did spend almost an hour with us. It would seem he's on good terms with Parin, was pleased to entertain his co-workers."

Lioz's giggle intensified, "Yeah, and what about the other random males, eh? And where you got those gold slips, I'll never know."

"I know from experience a lot of these independent establishments prefer to do business in hard currency."

The feline smirked, "You did wonder why my carry case was so heavy."

Zallan felt Lioz's slender body grazing against him as he continued to steady the younger male, "And as for the gold, my homeworld is extremely renowned for its mineral, gemstone and heavy metal mining. As it is such a dense, large planet, it carries veins of precious substances that have been mined and worked for thousands of years. My people are famous for their artisan tendencies; stone-masons, metal workers, we make extraordinarily fine jewelry and cutting implements that are almost as exact as a plaser. So getting small supplies of metals or gemstones from family back home isn't difficult."

The stocky feline rumbled softly, "In my youth I spent time as an apprentice metal-worker. But I found the heat and blunt instruments bothersome; I had more skill for finer detail work."

Lioz nodded, his hands rubbing through Zallan's thick pelt absently, "That's why you took up being an engineer, I can understand."

He blushed, "I do wish you'd stop spending so much money on me, though..."

The slender male was dressed in a loose, fold-over style wrap of silk, patterned in bright whorls of mauve, violet and pink, his favorite colors. Lioz's long, pointed ears sported a pair of shining golden hoops through his ear-lobes on each side of his head; Zallan having paid to have the younger male's ears pierced. The feline rumbled, "But the earrings and the robe look absolutely lovely on you... And I have more money than I can spend on myself, why not help others, or make them happy."

Lioz leaned into Zallan's dense side, "I suppose. And are you going to tell me what's in those packages you had sent back to our room?"

"You'll find out. Have you had fun?"

"I think I have, thank-you, and this is just our first day here. Two more to go."

"Yes. So Lio, did you wish to go back to the room, or engage in more diversions in the entertainment arcade? Something to eat? I think we should abstain from any further alcohol for the time being, however..."

Lioz grinned, "Well, we didn't look at the programs available on the "restricted" list of the holo-arcade. Did you want to go back?"

"I think we could look at pornographic holo-vids back in our room, if we wished. Do we need total immersion for the same impact? The ones in the arcade are merely solid light projections, after all."

"They're programmed to act, interact and react as if they were real... It might be interesting to see before we leave."

"Perhaps tomorrow?"

Lioz nodded, grinning as he ran his fingers through Zallan's long, sandy blond hair, twirling it around his digits as they walked. As they passed through the roomy corridors Lioz's gait steadied out, his metabolism catching up to the alcohol drifting through his system. The younger male had an accelerated metabolism thanks to his genetic contamination, which he often bemoaned as the obstacle to him being anything other than slender verging on skinny. Since he had spent most of his primary meals in the presence of the Tal'aini, whose nearly heroic caloric intake tended to result in large quantities of food being prepared and consumed, the younger male had gained a little weight. Zallan had espoused the fact that the bit of extra padding around Lioz's rump, thighs and chest accentuated his figure nicely. The older feline was already familiar with humans' proclivities toward cloying candy or desserts that were much too sweet for his tastes, but had taken the liberty of laying in some assorted snacks for Lioz at his house.

As he keyed the door to their suite Zallan saw the packages that had been delivered at their behest, along with Lioz's clothes that he had been wearing when they'd ventured into the tailor's shop, as well as some new ones they'd both picked out. Zallan smiled as the door shut behind them, "Why don't we get comfortable? You can try out that shirt you selected."

Lioz giggled, "It's not a shirt Zal; it's a piece of lingerie."

"I will have to adjust to leaning the difference between pieces of clothing. Most of my wardrobe is merely utilitarian."

"I'd noticed."

Lioz smirked, slowly shedding the gossamer-like robe, draping it over the back of the nearest chair before opening the packages embossed in gold and purple from the tailors. He set about unwrapping the negligee he had selected; aware of Zallan's eyes on him as he'd specifically neglected to put on underwear before dressing to go out. He pulled on the knee-length, loose, shirt of nearly transparent silk-like cloth. It was a demure deep purple, with a plunging neck-line, specifically made for a female, but looking pleasant enough as it showed a goodly percentage of the younger male's chest between his nipples. The wide sleeves dropped to half-way down his forearms, leaving plenty of room. The shimmering, pearlescent material sent a shifting pattern of rainbow glimmers across the night-shirt as Lioz moved. He grinned at Zallan, "So, how do I look?"

"Beautiful. But you realize I can see right through the material, right?"

"That's the point, silly cat."

"Enticement?"

Lioz settled his backside onto the back of the multi-lounge, wrinkling his nose softly, "Boy, you really haven't spent a lot of time around females or more feminine people, have you? That's the point of revealing clothing Zallie, enticement, titillation, stimulation."

As he removed his loose, low-slung breeches and wrap-around sleeveless shirt the feline perked his ears. He gazed down at the jock-strap, a deep emerald one, around his hips, "That is the point of these as well? You find them... enticing?"

"Very. With your body, all those muscles, I think you're woefully unaware of your own masculinity Zallan."

Lioz grinned, "I mean with how muscular you are and with how form-fitting most of your uniforms tend to be, whenever you're at work they don't leave a whole lot to the imagination. You had to know lots of people like to watch you work just for that didn't you?"

The feline perked his ears, "My uniforms? They're a little tighter than I'd normally like, but that simply springs from the fact that I find it difficult to find clothing that I can wear at the local clothing purveyors. What is that phrase Richard taught me...? I find it difficult to buy clothing "off the rack", so they tend to be tight."

Zallan's ears abruptly turned crimson as Lioz's implication sunk in, "You... You mean when I sometimes find a crowd behind me if I'm working on a console, it's because..."

Lioz giggled loudly, "It's because you fill out a uniform and you've got a really nice ass, and if you're not wearing underwear you can see your sheath right through them most days."

The feline opened and closed his muzzle several times, rubbing his chin, "Remind me to... Expand my wardrobe when we get home."

"Why? It's fun to watch you bend, flex and move around in a tight coverall when you're fixing something. You might want to watch out though, in some areas the security monitors have a zoom function and Ravan's known to hang-out near their office."

Zallan's ears burned darker as he nodded, "Yes. I recall the furor the one day Neev was discovered rutting someone in the out-patient ward's surgical bay on the night-shift."

Lioz shifted on the multi-lounge, letting his legs fall apart more naturally. He gazed at the feline who stood next to the table, opening the case. Zallan rummaged through the contents as Lioz craned his neck to look, "I had the liberty of having these ordered..."

"What?"

"From that one small shop near the second level lifts."

Lioz giggled gently, "You mean the sex shop?"

The human's ears perked comically as Zallan began placing the contents of the box on the table, several of them making Lioz's smooth skin flush deeply. Zallan smiled, "They carried a wide range of stimulants and pheromone increasers, as well as a rather dazzling array of aides and toys. I hope you don't mind me taking the liberty."

Lioz stood, gazing at the handful of phallic shaped object of varying lengths and widths, what looked like a cylindrical tube of clear, gel-like material and several rings of varying diameter made of elastic polymer. Several short, slim bottles of what looked like oil were in a compartmentalized rack, along with several blister packages of oblong capsules and a disposable dermal injector with a trio of vials were next. The final object Zallan pulled from the case made Lioz's skin burst with deep red ripples; the feline placed a pair of soft polymer restraint cuffs. The feline grinned softly, "Well, you did say you had a particular fantasy involving these, a vibrating massage unit and a bottle of skin oil that one time, but they're optional, I think."

"You're teasing me again, you feline bastard..."

Lioz smacked the broad male across the shoulder, "You bought what looks like half a sex shop just to tease me..."

Zallan rumbled, chuckling, "Oh, I believe we shall definitely be needing some of these; as you're a virgin."

He held up the largest of the polymer sex toys just to watch Lioz's ears and skin redden. The long, thick dildo was an oversized replica of a typical feline penis, complete with soft, gel polymer barbs ringing its glans. The toy was much larger than the average feline cock, unless you discounted members of the K'han and Azlen races, certainly much larger than his own penis, but he'd bought the largest feline phallus available just to tease Lioz. Zallan looked through the bottles of massage, body and fur oils, glancing at their scents and a few of them that had enhanced properties. One warmed against the skin, another cooled, another held a mixture of enhanced pheromones from several different species. Zallan had also ordered a tube of anesthetic cream that could also double as lubricant if necessary. Lioz blushed as he switched on one of the vibrating toys, letting it shiver between his fingers.

Zallan rubbed a little of the analgesic infused cream between his fingers, feeling the slippery smoothness of it before he turned to Lioz, "I need you to bend over and raise your... negligee for me Lio."

"Wh-what?"

The feline grinned, "I need you to bend over and raise the hem of your negligee for my sweetness. Or you can remove it; it would be a shame to stain it as you just got it."

"A-a-alright..."

Lioz slowly tugged the shimmering night-shirt back over his head, draping it nearby, standing naked before Zallan with a slow exhale. His stomach was tingling with nerves as he slowly leaned over the back of the chair next to him, his back turned to the handsome feline. He shivered as he felt Zallan's paw glide down his smooth back, uttering a tiny gasp as the feline's fingers delved into the cleft of his exposed backside. Lioz voiced an almost imperceptible moan as Zallan's thick fingers spread his rump, exposing the virgin entrance to his body. He shivered, trying not to jerk his hips back and forth as he felt Zallan's strong fingers slowly spread the thick, slightly oily cream against the tight ring of muscle marking the entry to his ass. The feline uttered a soothing rumble, rubbing the analgesic laced lubricant over Lioz's tender skin, "You need to apply this at least 15 minutes before intercourse. It has a tiny bit of numbing agent in it."

Lioz gripped the chair beneath his hands, biting his lip as he felt Zallan's strong fingers rubbing harder. He gasped, panting gently, his slender body heaving as the strong tingles of pleasure tingling along his spine and belly. The young male had explored his own body, at length, but the pleasure of his own stimulatory wanderings paled to the sensation of someone else's touch on his skin. The human's violet eyes went wide as he felt Zallan's probing finger slowly press against the entrance to his body, stifling a tiny whimper, "Za-Zallan..."

"Yes?"

"Be... Be gentle..."

"I'm always gentle with you, am I not?"

The pressure eased as Zallan stopped rubbing his finger directly against his back-entrance, but the feline's strong digits stroked up and down the cleft of his ass, caressing behind his balls. The older male rumbled softly, "I've often read that humans find it pleasurable if someone rubs here..."

The feline placed the tip of his thumb directly behind Lioz's balls, pressing gently on the soft, smooth expanse of sensitive skin there, rubbing in a slow circle. Lioz stiffened, moaning in an undertone as his body rippled with tingles, his crotch tightening as his muscles contracted a bit. Lioz bit his lip harder his body flushing, suffusing with darker color in alternating hues and intensities. Zallan idly wondered what the younger male's reflexive chameleon-like skin would look like on orgasm as he continued to gently stimulate Lioz. The younger male panted softly, the tender skin where the feline had rubbed the slick lubricant tingling and warming gently. He gripped the spongy chair cushion tighter, arching his lean back as Zallan's fingers gently stroked down between his thighs, caressing his dangling sac and giving it a tiny squeeze.

Lioz moaned, feeling the Tal'aini's strong fingers kneading his balls, his body giving into the natural reaction. He bit his lip as his cock stiffened in record time, the pale pink flesh straining as his foreskin pulled back all the way. Lioz whimpered in his throat as he felt Zallan's other paw roaming over his back, still slowly kneading his smooth, hairless sac. The urge to reach for his own maleness was almost overpowering, by this point in his masturbatory sessions he was usually stroking himself tightly, but he fought the urge, letting Zallan continue to touch him with a tentative gentleness. Lioz stifled a gasp as Zallan tugged a little harder on his balls, "Z-Z-Zal..."

The older male was caught up with the sensation of Lioz's naked, smooth skin under his paws, feeling the human's sensitive balls shifting and moving in his grip. Human genitals tended to be more motile than most morphic species, even without their added features. For what humans lacked in barbs, knots, or other interesting features, their smooth, blunt, genitals made up for by being reasonably low-impact and easily stimulated. The alternating ruddy and pale flashes that danced across the younger male's skin was amusing, making his swirling, mottled spots stand out. Lioz stiffened as he suddenly felt Zallan's heavy, naked body pressed against him. He uttered a gentle sound as Zallan's hot breath washed over his shoulder, the vocalization turning into a groan swiftly with the touch of the feline's tongue to his throat.

Lioz's bright violet eyes slitted as Zallan's hot, wide, textured tongue lapped over his throat, then felt the scrape of the Tal'aini's short, but sharp fangs. Lioz pried his fingers out of the divots they were pressing into the polymer padding of the chair, slowly turning to meet the older male's body and pushing against him. He gasped as the lowest, deepest, most aggressive growl he had ever heard from Zallan washed over him just before the sharp sting of the bite erupted against his throat. Lioz felt a split-second's moment of primal panic spring up his spine, almost succeeding in softening his breath-taking erection. The unreal sensation of having the older, larger, much stronger predatory being gripping his throat in his vice-like jaws, made the deeply buried fight-or-flight instincts of his primate ancestors jangle through his nerves before he shoved them down hard, righting himself.

Lioz pushed himself into the moment, allowing Zallan's thick, muscle cabled arms and paws grip him tightly, letting his head tip to one side. With a bestial growl of approval Zallan moved his head a fraction of an inch, pushing his muzzle deeper against Lioz's slender throat as he adjusted his grip. He opened his jaws wider, letting his fangs press into the younger, shivering male's soft, smooth skin with abandon, leaving a series of welts. Lioz was uttering shuddery pants as Zallan overpowered his slender body, holding him with his incredibly strong jaws, asserting his dominance unmistakably. The shuddering younger male went almost limp, his ass resting against the edge of the table bolted to the deck, shifting himself against Zallan till his throat and torso were completely exposed to the feline. He shivered anew as he felt Zallan's strong paw run down his chest and belly, raking his tender skin gently with his mercifully blunted claw-tips.

With a rumble Zallan opened his muzzle, still holding Lioz tightly, passionately in his bulky arms, licking the younger male's now red-marked throat. He could feel the trembling lust in Lioz's slim body as the human lay limply against him, looking up at him with his half-closed violet eyes. Lioz panted, regaining his breath, "I-I-Is that how your people lay claim to a new mate?"

"Not always, but I thought you might appreciate a little theatricality..."

Zallan chuckled as Lioz moved against him and the human's now painfully taut cock prodded him, "And from the feel of it, you did."

"Y-y-yes..."

As Lioz was half sprawled across the table holding the sex toys, having scattered most of them as they pressed against one another Zallan lifted him, resting Lioz's tingling rump onto the cold table, making him shrill softly. Zallan grinned lopsidedly as he saw Lioz's gorgeously erect cock, brushing it languidly with a finger. He picked up one of the stretchy elastic rings, deftly stretching it with his fingers and slipping it down around the human's prick. Lioz moaned as Zallan snugged the cock-ring around the base of his length; the polymer tightening gently till his entire maleness was flushed pink, diamond-hard. The younger male swallowed as Zallan dipped his head, nuzzling into his chest, crying out as the feline's broad tongue flicked his pecs, then his nipples, making them perk. He gripped the feline's massively broad skull, shuddering as Zallan's sharp teeth nipped tenderly at his nipples, tugging them and sucking softly.

Lioz groaned as Zallan rubbed his cock slowly, still sucking and biting gently at his almost achingly hard nipples, "UH! Never figured you for a breast male..."

"I like a lot of things."

Zallan grinned, "Like you seem to like having your nipples sucked."

The feline stood straighter once more, making Lioz gasp as he caught sight of the older male's body fully for the first time, "Oh my Gods Zal..."

"Didn't you want to see that so badly earlier my sweet?"

Lioz uttered a tiny whimper, that trembling wash of heat in his belly making his skin break into its swirls of pink and red. Zallan rumbled, shifting his hips, his body fully erect, pushed free of its sheath to jut from his pelvis. While the feline's erect cock wasn't as massive as some species could be, it was still intimidating in its own right. Matching the Tal'aini's stature; his prick was heavy and amazingly thick, almost the same diameter as one of the bottles holding the scented skin oil resting on the table. Though it was only the length of Lioz's from wrist to fingertips, plus a bit, it was almost the thickness of the slender human's wrist. The rumbling feline's tip was tapering, almost spade-shaped, leading to his girthy shaft, with its ring of tiny, rubber-like barbs flaring back-ward toward his hips. Zallan's hanging balls were also much larger than Lioz had ever seen for a feline, each nearly the size of a racquetball albeit ovoid in shape, in their velvet furred sac.

Lioz almost tripped over his own feet, stumbling against the table as his violet gaze was fixed on the feline's immensely thick cock that was glistening gently over its own tip, drooling warm, clear fluid. Zallan sounded almost amused as he scooped up a double-pawfull of the sexual items on the table and took them to the stand next to the bed, "See why I said I was fearful of hurting you, if we went about intimacy too exuberantly?"

"Ye-yes..."

Lioz stood dumbly near the table as Zallan folded himself onto the wide, deep bed. The handsome feline chuckled, his deep, rumbling tenor sounding like the ripple of water through a stream-bed, "Lioz? Are you going to stand there all night?"

The younger male jumped as though something had stung his hip, crossing the suit in a series of slightly mincing steps that made Zallan laugh harder. Lioz tucked his ears softly, rubbing his rump, "I'm sorry, my... my ass feels funny..."

"That means the lubrication is working my sweet."

"D-d-do you think it will be enough?"

"There are other things that can help."

Zallan smiled and drew the younger male toward him, feeling him trembling with nerves. He rubbed Lioz's nape and back soothingly as he slowly lay back on the wide bed, tugging the younger male against him warmly. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, rumbling loudly as he felt Lioz's nimble fingers roam down across his ridged belly and touch his fully swollen length. Lioz licked Zallan's lips gently, kissing him and feeling the broad-chested feline kiss and nibble back. Zallan smiled, running his paws all over the younger, slender male's smooth body with abandon, caressing his rounded ass and between his thighs, "Do you like it, now that you've seen it?"

Lioz nodded, blushing coyly as he swallowed; Zallan's swollen prick felt massive in his hand. The feline's cock was tight, smooth and heavy; with an odd denseness that wasn't unpleasant, it didn't have as much spongy give to his questing fingers as anyone else's ever had. Zallan's maleness was diamond-hard, straining at his fingers, holding that heat and steady, thudding twitch, matching the feline's strong heart-beat. He stroked Zallan's cock experimentally, feeling it react to his touches, dribbling more, getting his fingers slick with the feline's pre-seed. Lioz looked at the small, almost rubbery barbs ringing the ridge of the older male's glans where it met his shaft, watching them flex, flaring and relaxing as he stroked. He rubbed the tiny barbs, hearing Zallan groan louder, realizing that the small nubs of flesh weren't as menacing as they looked.

The older male's acid-green eyes rolled slightly as Lioz's tentative touches traveled up and down his cock. He growled softly, reaching with some satisfaction and fondling Lioz's nicely rounded, heart-shaped ass; something he had, despite purposefully postponing the moment they were engaging in, passionately craved. The absence of anything sexual in his life had frustrated the feline male; by their very nature coitus was a large part of most humanoid species' lives, and his period of celibacy had grated on him. He licked Lioz's ears, "You may handle it a little more... energetically. I can promise it won't break."

Lioz blushed harder, looking to the feline's massive paws, "Mine might..."

"I will endeavor not to twist it off and gnaw on it. You humans and your assumptions about us talking animals..."

Zallan chuckled, the tiny indignant grunt from the long-eared human paired with an almost rough squeeze to his balls being incurred as pay-back before Lioz began stroking him harder, with a tighter grip. The feline rubbed a finger between Lioz's buttocks once more, making him inhale stridently and wriggle his hips, "Mmm, have you undergone any gene-therapy toward your... sexual function Lio?"

The younger male was brought from his blissful manipulation of the older male's cock long enough to shake his head, making his pointed ears gently drag across Zallan's muzzle, "No... They were afraid to tinker with my base-code any further when I hit puberty. Although my semen production is larger than a normal Talaran's and my refractory period is quite short naturally, they assumed it was a side-effect of another set of random genes the virus spliced into me."

"I'm guessing that was a fun trip to the doctors."

Zallan teased, making Lioz's skin shift like a mood-ring once more, the younger male twitching his head, "Reclined on a cold exam table with electro-stim rectal probe against ones prostate and two nurses hovering over you is not a sexual experience. It's an exercise in seeing how much embarrassment your cock can overcome to make sure your sexual function isn't impaired by the almost dozen bits of alien D.N.A. inserted randomly into your genome... Trust me."

"At least they were thorough?"

Lioz smirked as he nipped Zallan's lip, "The one orderly about my age offering to fuck me to see if anything was damaged was over-the-top."

"I guess he liked humans. Although your ass would be a temptation..."

Zallan grinned as he reached, picking up one of the water-proof polymer vibrators and pressing it into the cleft of Lioz's ass. The slender male stiffened as the dildo began vibrating as soon as it made contact with his body-heat. He groaned, and then jumped gently as the dermal injector Zallan had picked up in his other paw triggered against his shoulder. The feline smiled, "There, that should pick up the slack. Now... Come here..."

Lioz looked puzzled as Zallan laid back completely on the bed, gripping him by one side of his hips and guiding him, "Here, turn around and lift your one leg over my head, I believe the one holo-vid I watched called this "69-ing. Richard was familiar with it."

Lioz blushed, shivering as he maneuvered his tall, slender form, straddling Zallan's broad skull till his crotch was suspended above the handsome feline's muzzle. From this vantage Zallan's thick cock jutted up at him, almost touching his chin. With their difference in height the human had to arch his spin slightly to align them both up properly. He almost gasped, shuddering as Zallan took advantage of their position to pull his hips downward and the older male's slightly rough tongue touched the tip of his cock. Lioz arched, uttering a tiny whine as his thighs clamped down on either side of Zallan's broad skull, deafening him to anything but the rush of his own blood in his ears. The electric touch of the feline's textured tongue against his length was almost over-stimulating, making his crotch tense with breath-taking speed.

Lioz moaned, panting as Zallan insinuated his fingers into the gap between the human's thighs and his skull, easing the younger male's vice-like grip on his head, pulling his muzzle back a bit, "You're a bit pent up, aren't you little one?"

"Soh-sorry... I-I-I..."

"Shh... Just keep going."

Lioz nodded, shivering gently as he shifted his hips, letting his own slim, sleek cock dip down once more, probing between Zallan's soft lips and slipping his glans into the feline's muzzle. He groaned at the warm, wet slippery embrace of Zallan's muzzle, trying not to simply shove his cock into the older male's maw. Lioz gazed down at the thick, heavy spike of feline flesh beckoning him from Zallan's sculpted lower body, leaning down and tentatively licking the tapering tip. He felt the feline's massive frame twitch, gripping Zallan's cock around its thick base and licking it harder. The Tal'aini's musk was sharp and slightly astringent, the slippery pre-cum drooling from Zallan's glans was salty and while not bitter, had a savory taste as it swiftly coated Lioz's tongue and lips. Lioz whimpered as Zallan's muzzle squeezed his achingly tight cock, the ring around the base of his length doing nothing to alleviate the pressure as he let his feminine hips move slightly. He let his sleek cock slip up and down against the textured expanse of Zallan's tongue and felt the almost imperceptible scrape of his fangs.

The human stiffened as he felt Zallan slip a finger into the cleft of his ass once more and press against the entrance to his body, testing for the efficacy of the numbing lubrication. There was no pain, merely the sense of pressure as Zallan pressed a bit harder, slowly rubbing and applying more pressure against the virginally tight entrance of the younger male's body. Lioz gasped as the muscular ring guarding the entrance to his body abruptly acceded to the feline's thick finger and Zallan's strong digit was within him. The younger male shuddered, his eyes wide, the motion of his body inadvertently pushing his face down against the feline prick jutting up at him, leaving a smear of Zallan's pre-seed. The foreign sensation of Zallan's fingers inside him made Lioz shudder and clench, the gently stroking of his inner walls making electric tingles flow through his belly and hips.

The gentle heaving and shuddering of Lioz's body as Zallan rubbed his fingertip over the small, raised, intimately sensitive bump of flesh on the inside of the human's body was intoxicating. Zallan probed deeper, rubbing Lioz's pleasure button harder, making the younger male's cock stiffen more, dribbling copious amounts of his salty, slightly sweet pre-cum. The feline suckled on Lioz's slim cock harder, continuing his caressing of the human's prostate, knowing his orgasm might not be long in peaking. The uneven motion of Lioz's mouth against Zallan's thick cock signaled his distraction, his head swamped by the sensation of the feline's muzzle surrounding his prick and the older male's thick finger within him bringing his virgin body close to cumming far quicker than he had anticipated. Lioz was lost in the sensation of his slim body bucking and grinding down against his muscular feline lover, his violet eyes squeezed shut as he panted and gasped, still gripping Zallan's thick cock almost too tightly. The younger male could feel the hot, slick length of the feline's length grinding and sliding against his face with abandon, leaving his skin slick and sticky with pre-cum as he only barely succeeded in licking or sucking that throbbing length in short stretches.

Zallan allowed the human to simply distractedly lap and suckle at his cock, not forcing the younger male to take his length deeper into his mouth for fear of Lioz's jaws tensing when he finally did climax. The uncoordinated humping and trembling of the younger male's hips and ass let Zallan know Lioz was quickly approaching his limit. He sucked on his younger lover's slim cock harder, letting it thrust and twitch as he rubbed his finger more forcefully back and forth across Lioz's internal trigger. He felt Lioz's hands go tight on his cock, wincing inwardly as Lioz's skin flushed into spectacular swirls of pale ruddy pink and white, the younger male moaning shrilly, "Zuh-Zal...! Gonna!"

The broad feline tasted, smelled and felt Lioz's orgasm peak, the human's slim body convulsing as his cock twitching wildly between his lips before it erupted into warm, slippery bolts of semen. Zallan grunted as Lioz's seed spurted into his muzzle, swallowing the warmth and milking the younger male slowly, letting his orgasm peak languidly and taper off. The slim human shuddered, his eyes rolling up as his balls let loose into the older male's muzzle, making his entire body tingle with liquid fire for a moment before he slowly relaxed. Lioz groaned, panting against Zallan's now twitching prick, feeling the feline's pre-cum oozing down his cheek. His orgasm had aroused the older male almost to the point of bursting himself, his cock thudding tightly against the line of spots that ran down the side of Lioz's face and throat.

As he recovered Lioz shivered, grinding his hips gently, feeling Zallan's finger still keeping his virgin ass loosened. He gasped gently, "Ohh... That was good..."

As his head cleared, leaving him tingling with afterglow he slowly slid the feline's thick length against his face, pulling his head back and wrapping his lips around the wide tip, "Now you..."

Zallan grunted, growling loudly as Lioz's mouth engulfed the tip of his achingly twitching prick. He had kept his need in check till his younger lover had cum, but the lust that boiled through his cock raged back to the surface. The heavily muscled feline's body twitched, making his already deeply ridged stomach flex into something almost resembling a topographical map. His pelvis jerked forward several inches before he caught himself, growling as the need to thrust was almost achingly painful. Lioz gingerly drew his face back, giggling gently, "Remember, no gag reflex..."

The younger male took the feline's tight balls, almost too large to fit in his hand, into his grip and rolled them as he dragged his tongue slowly over the flexing barbs ringing Zallan's glans, "So you can thrust, but let me breathe... ok?"

The older male's groaning rumble of thanks, paired with the tight, twitching fluttering of his muscles made Lioz blush; his skin flashing through several shades of red. He could practically feel the desire radiating off of the Tal'aini, his stomach roiling as he realized the older male's lust was centered on him. He dipped his head, pushing his strawberry blond hair away as he wrapped his lips around the barbed tip of the feline's cock, swirling his tongue around it. He could feel those flexing nubs of flesh rake his lips and tongue as he bobbed his head. Lioz grunted in surprise as he felt one of Zallan's massive paws settle on the back of his skull, holding him gently as the feline's broad hips shifted slowly. He forced his tension to relax, allowing the older male to thrust that massive prick into his mouth, sucking on it as hard as was possible. Zallan was making sounds the young human had never dreamed might emanate from his mild mannered older lover. The growling, rumbling, huffing exhalations and almost savage grunts coming from the Tal'aini made it clear he hadn't indulged in his lusts in a while.

Lioz panted softly through his nose as he sucked, his saliva running freely over Zallan's thick cock, wetting the feline's large, tight balls. The feline's strong hips bucked, slipping his length deeper into Lioz's mouth, the younger male felt a wash of heat run through his belly as he felt those soft barbs raking and rubbing the inside of his mouth, spreading the taste of Zallan's pre-seed. As the younger male relaxed, the feline bucked harder, thrusting his length tentatively at first. Even with the almost bestial rutting pleasure washing over him the feline was still painfully afraid of hurting Lioz. The younger male's mouth was almost over-stuffed, but he was handling the thickness of the feline's cock well as it pushed into the top of his throat. Zallan groaned loudly, his cock giving a pronounced jerk as his barbed glans slipped into Lioz's throat. The younger male's throat squeezed around his prick, making him shiver, his peak rushing forward as he bucked his hips.

Lioz panted through his nose harder, timing it with the swiftly degrading bucking thrusts of Zallan's hips. The human's own prick had sprung back to its full length as he allowed Zallan's maleness to plow into his mouth. Zallan's body heaved, shuddering as his balls went achingly tight in Lioz's hand and his cock erupted down the younger male's throat, flooding his mouth with warm, milky feline semen. The human's skin went pale as his violet eyes went wide with the sensation of Zallan's bursting climax pumping out his slipper silk. He swallowed on reflex, feeling that heat sliding into his belly, a few drips sneaking out past his lips and dribbling down over Zallan's crotch, matting his fur. The low, deep yowl that Zallan had uttered as he climaxed was still ringing in Lioz's long, pointed ears as he swallowed wildly, just succeeding in making Zallan's cock simply pump more jizz into the younger male's mouth.

Lioz panted around Zallan's thick glans still clasped between his lips as it continued to thud before relaxing and softening slightly. He gripped the base of the feline's prick, stroking it, milking it and allowing the older male's musk to fill his nose and mouth. Lioz's face, throat and chest were slick and sticky with saliva and semen and Zallan's crotch was sodden as they both panted against one another. Lioz pushed himself over, rolling off of Zallan to flop onto his back on the bed, gasping softly as he swallowed; his slightly punished throat hitching a bit, "Uhh..."

He stiffened softly as Zallan, who hadn't moved since his climax had slammed through him shifted, growling in a low tone. The feline's cock had hardly flagged, still standing proudly, slippery with mingled fluids. The older male rolled himself and shifted, coming up against Lioz, his dense; sweat dampened body pushing against the panting human. Lioz moaned as he felt Zallan's strong paws caress and grip him, the feline rumbling, "We should do this while I am still... slick."

Lioz squirmed, swallowing hard, feeling Zallan's strong paws grip his hips as the feline male insinuated himself between his slender body and the bed, pressing against his back. He gasped at the sensation of the older male's thick, slippery, almost scorching warm maleness slip into the cleft of his ass. As they lay on their sides against the deep mattress Lioz whimpered softly as Zallan's strong paws pulled him back into the dense, sharply ridged expanse of his chest and belly. He could feel the older male's hot breath washing down his back as Zallan's thick cock probed into the cleft of his rump. The human squeaked, hastily reaching behind himself and grabbing the base of Zallan's eagerly seeking length, adjusting its angle, "Zall! Slow... G-g-go slow..."

At the shivering human's gasping whimper the feline male slowed down, rumbling deeply in his chest as he reined his lust to a slow boil. He felt the warm, tender spot that he sought, allowing Lioz to guide his cock. The slender younger male bit his lip as he arched his hips and back, bending slightly at the waist and pushing his ass back toward Zallan. Lioz gasped at the sensation of pressure building against the entrance of his body, a soft spike of discomfort skittering up his back, making his skin blanch almost albino white. Lioz cried out at the same time as Zallan uttered a guttural growl, the soft barbed tip of his cock entering the slim male's virgin ass with a tiny pop. Lioz gripped the feline's cock almost like a vice, making him grunt in discomfort, slowly pulling the younger male's fingers from his shaft. He pressed both of them flush together, relishing the extraordinary tightness of Lioz's body.

Lioz's wide violet eyes rolled up a bit, his hands gripping the bedclothes as he was absorbed in the sensation of Zallan's massively thick, smooth maleness entering his body an inch at a time. He squirmed his hips, making his smooth, heart-shaped ass grind back and forth against Zallan's crotch, moaning as the last few inches of the feline's diamond hard spear of flesh slid into him to the root. The growling feline was immersed in bliss as Lioz's warm, smooth body clenched wildly around his cock, squeezing him. The fluttering and shifting of the younger male's muscles milked his length from its barbed tip to its thick base, making him shudder, groaning into Lioz's shoulder. Lioz shivered, panting gently, "Uh..! I-I-Is that... normal?"

Zallan perked his ears, his acid-green eyes rolling open as he slowly pulled Lioz against his ridged belly and proud chest, "Is what my love?"

Lioz's smooth skin blushed as he tried not to squirm against the massive feline, those nagging tingles of pressure and discomfort still making him unsure, "I feel... I feel f-full... Like I'm being st-stretched."

Zallan sounded amused as he circled his thickly cabled arms around Lioz's middle, caressing his flat belly, "Well, technically my cock is stretching you out, loosening your ass, so we can mate."

"Oh... Yeah..."

Lioz giggled absently, then gasped, making Zallan freeze just as he was moving his hips, "What??"

The long-eared male shivered, rubbing at his lower belly where the sensation of discomfort had speared sharply for an instant, "S-s-s-sorry... That just felt weird..."

Zallan purred into the younger male's throat, "Just relax... You'll get used to how it feels."

Lioz nodded, then gasped again as Zallan's wide hips moved, he stiffened as tingles erupted through his thighs and belly, "UH!"

Zallan rumbled deeper, adjusting his hips and slowly pressing deeper, making Lioz whimper in pleasure instead of discomfort as the blunt tip of his cock moved back and forth. Lioz could feel the feline's barbed tip stroking against his inner walls rubbing gently. He moaned loudly; the heat and tingles washing through his belly sparking through him from ears to toes as Zallan's prick skidded across his prostate. The slender human's own prick twitched, fully hard again, digging a sticky furrow in the bedclothes as the two moved against one another. Zallan could feel the muscular contractions of Lioz's body growing steady and purposeful as he bucked his hips, drawing his thick length half-way from Lioz's body, and then thrusting it back in with a gentle grunt. His younger lover's skin burst into a shifting pattern of almost baby pink as he moaned loudly, "UH! D-d-do that again..."

Zallan grinned, growling as he pulled his hips back once more, this time only leaving the wider flare of his barb ringed glans within Lioz's body before he thrust back in, slightly harder and faster. Lioz shuddered; his toes curling as his legs gave a jerk against his feline lover's, moaning out loud. The younger male's body gave a series of fluttering jerks; his cock thudding dangerously as he nearly lost his wad, panting against Zallan. The older male groaned at the tight, squeezing muscular clenches around him, humping against Lioz as he licked over the younger male's throat and shoulder, tasting salt and musk. He bared his fangs, biting down at the juncture of Lioz's throat, making the slender human shudder and clench down tighter. The slim human grunted, his body shivering and bucking on reflex against the massive feline, "Ha-harder..."

The feline relinquished his throat long enough to rumble, "Are you sure?"

Lioz growled softly, reaching back and gripping the older male's hip, struggling to pull them forward, "Just fuck me harder! I'm sorry you didn't do this sooner, it feels good..."

Zallan chuckled, licking Lioz's soft skin as he squeezed his younger lover's slim form, rubbing a paw over his flat belly, feeling his painfully taut cock, "Well, I'm sorry we waited as well, but this more than makes up for it."

The rumbling feline resumed his hold on Lioz's throat, not squeezing, just gripping him with his sharp fangs, running his thick fingers over the tender expanse of the younger male's cock. Lioz gasped and shuddered, pushing his cock into Zallan's paw as he ground his ass back and forth against his crotch. Zallan pumped the human's sleek length as he thrust his hips harder and deeper, meeting Lioz's smooth ass with a bang of their furred and hairless skin. As their thrusts escalated harder, quicker and deeper against one another Zallan hoped he wouldn't leave any bruises on his young lover's tender flesh. He growled, his balls tightening, stroking Lioz harder and tighter, making the younger male's body ripple and clench around him breathtakingly. Zallan huffed, his hot breath making Lioz's skin flush, fangs bringing out pink welts as he arched hard, blowing right over the edge without warning.

Lioz gasped, feeling the thudding length of feline prick within him suddenly jerk wildly before his body was filling with heat. His expressive eyes went wide, rolling slowly as he was taken with the sensation of the pulses of hot, slick feline essence flooding him. Zallan's hips were grinding and banging against him as the massive feline sought to bury his load as deeply as possible, making his spasming cock grind against Lioz's pleasure button. They both moaned as the humping jerks of Zallan's hips and the tightness of his strong paw made the human orgasm again, the first bolt of his white seed landing halfway across the bed as Lioz nearly screamed in pleasure. The young male shivered from the tips of his delicately pointed ears to his toes, his body clenching like a fist around the feline prick buried within him. His skin went through a dazzling series of bloom-like shifts before it settled on a pale reddish tan, almost matching his hair.

Zallan panted hard, his heavy body settling against Lioz's slim frame as he continued milking his younger lover, his paw sticky with the human's lust. He released Lioz's cock only when the younger male was gasping and squirming, running his semen, slick paw across the human's smooth chest and belly slowly. As they panted against one another Lioz groaned, squirming softly, his slender body tingling with warm afterglow. As his feminine hips moved he tugged at the older male's thick cock, making him grunt, his slightly softening length jumping back to full stiffness. As the feline rumbled Lioz giggled breathlessly, "Oh, I get the feeling this could go on all night..."

Zallan nodded, licking and kissing slowly over Lioz's throat and shoulder, holding him gently, "Do you wish to try a more... advanced position?"

"S-so soon?"

"Yes."

Lioz's delicately pointed ears flushed, but he nodded gently, shivering, "You... You'll have to-..."

"I know... Just relax..."

Zallan licked Lioz's shoulder, pulling away from him gently, making the younger male moan as that thick feline cock was slowly slipped from his body. As the barbed tip passed through the muscular ring of his back-door Lioz shuddered, uttering a shrill sound. He flushed as he felt a warm trickle between his buttocks; Zallan's feline seed leaking from him. He clenched his muscles, staunching the flow as the older male gave a chuckling rumble, "Oops..."

"Well, we can request fresh sheets..."

Zallan settled onto his back, gripping his younger lover's arm, "Shift around my love... Scoot a bit and straddle my hips."

The feline guided the deeply flushing younger male around onto his haunches, pulling him atop himself and allowing Lioz to straddle his broad hips. The Tal'aini's cock was still rock-hard, dribbling slowly as Lioz seated himself astride Zallan's hips, blushing as he felt that hot prick against his ass once more. Zallan pulled Lioz's shoulders down, bringing them almost chest to chest as he guided the human's hips, "Now back a bit... More... Lift a bit... And there..."

The feline hissed in pleasure, hearing Lioz gasp again as his still loosened, semen slick back-passage was spread open once again to the tip of Zallan's thrusting cock. Lioz groaned as he slipped down that thick feline cock, his violet eyes widening as his own weight pulled him down on it. The penetration was even deeper with the slim human's weight seating him completely down on the feline's cock. Lioz shivered, resting his hands on Zallan's broad, heavily muscled chest, leaning down into the feline with a tiny moan. The rumbling feline smiled blissfully, making Lioz giggle, "I get the sensation that now you've taken my virginity that big cat prick of yours is going to be inside me as much as possible."

"Your tone would indicate you don't find the prospect daunting any longer."

Lioz shook his head, rubbing the hard ridge of muscle lining his older lover's belly, letting his hands caress up over the broad, dense expanse of his pectorals, "It... feels good. I'm glad... I'm glad it was you. That was my first."

Zallan rumbled, rubbing his paws over Lioz's slender chest and belly, "Xelik said the same thing."

Lioz perked his long ears, "Oh... He-.. He was a virgin as well?"

"Yes."

The human giggled softly, arching his back to press his chest into Zallan's strong paws, moaning softly as the smiling feline tugged at his nipples gently. He blushed, moving his hips slowly, just gently shifting them back and forth, feeling Zallan's thick cock stiffen within him, "Are... Are you?"

Zallan perked an ear, looking to his younger lover, "What do you-..? Oh..."

The broad male chuckled, watching Lioz flush darkly, smirking, "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Well, it was just an idle thought."

"We'll see."

Lioz giggled, grinning softly as he leaned, arching his lean form down and kissing the rumbling feline. He made a tiny noise of pleasure as Zallan's broad tongue flicked against his own, allowing the feline's slightly rough appendage to explore his mouth as he moved his hips harder. The younger male teasingly squeezed Zallan's dense pectorals, rubbing his fingertips across the feline's hard nipples, feeling the older male arch his back and thrust his chest out. With his rounded ass grinding wantonly down into Zallan's hips Lioz clenched softly, shivering as he felt the feline's barbed glans skating across his inner walls. Zallan slowly stroked his younger lover's smooth skin, rumbling softly and licking his lips, "I... think I like you smooth. Would you reconsider me paying for the laser treatments?"

Lioz flushed, kissing deeper into Zallan's muzzle and down over his throat, arching himself to keep his hips moving, "I... Don't want you to spend so much on me... Zallan... Really."

"But I want to. And perhaps Parin can get us a discount. I've worked at the clinic for a decade."

Lioz splayed his long fingers in the older male's thick chest-fur, licking Zallan's chin, "Oh... Alright... Thank-you."

"You don't have to have it all taken off permanently. Some of it's quite cute."

The feline ran a finger through the tiny ruffle of sparse fuzz running down his younger lover's lower belly, teasingly touching his cock as he slowly moved his hips beneath Lioz's weight. The human pressed his hands against the feline's chest, "Mmm, let me..."

Lioz slowly straightened himself upright, still gripping the broad feline's chest, clasping Zallan's strong thighs between his own and using the leverage to move himself. The slender male's body tingled as he jerked his hips, making Zallan's thick cock move within him, tugging at it by the base as he started to thrust slowly and deeply. Lioz used his own weight, impaling himself on the massive feline prick stretching out pleasantly. The feeling of Zallan's length within him was comfortable, pleasurable, Lioz was surprised how easily he had taken to the sensation of Zallan within his body. The pretty male built his motions up slowly, grinding and thrusting himself up and down on the massive feline's cock. Zallan groaned; gripping Lioz's feminine hips as his younger lover bucked and bounced in his lap, riding his thick cock harder. As Lioz jolted against him, driving that magnificent ass down onto the thudding feline prick, spearing himself on it, he shivered, slowly learning how to clench and relax his internal muscles to grip and squeeze Zallan.

The massive feline uttered a low growl, "You're learning quickly... That feels good."

Zallan panted, his broad chest riding and falling faster as his balls tightened, arching his hips to make his length drive in deeper, angling them to allow his barbed tip to skid against Lioz's internal trigger. Lioz leaned back, moaning loudly as his motion made that thick, barbed tip rub directly into his prostate. The stimulation within him was making the younger male's own length dribble over Zallan's ridged belly. Lioz groaned, shivering harder as Zallan pressed a paw down over his cock, trapping his sleek length against the dense, softly furred washboard of his abs. The younger male thrust his cock between Zallan's stomach and paw, letting it rub against the ridge of his belly, moaning as his own lower belly was tingling harder, the heat flowing through his thighs. As he bucked into the feline's paw he ground his hips hard, clenching down tightly around Zallan's thick cock, tugging at it. Lioz panted, "Are... you gonna cum in me again?"

"Yesss...!"

Zallan rumbled as he rubbed his living-leather paw-pads harder up and down against Lioz's dribbling cock, bucking his broad hips deeper and quicker as his body tensed. Lioz panted, raising and lowering himself in hard, jolting thrusts, grinding his feminine hips almost viciously as he squeezed the feline's pecs, "Then let me have it!"

The bare-toothed snarl of passion gracing the slender humans face filled the panting feline with a rush of heated affection. He grunted, bringing his strong paw up and giving Lioz a gentle spank on his grinding ass, pairing it with a savage upward jerk of his hips. His younger lover uttered a loud moan as the pulsing feline cock within him impaled him to the hilt, erupting into a fresh series of spurting heat. Lioz groaned, bucking his hips wildly as he spurred Zallan with his heels like a bucking bronco, watching the handsome feline's acid-green eyes slide up in his skull. He uttered a rasping pant as the seemingly insensate feline's paw suddenly closed on his own tight cock and started to stroke it in smooth jerks.

The younger male's muscles clenched and relaxed tighter and quicker as he simply relented to the heat building in his belly and slammed his cock into Zallan's paw with a soft yowl of his own lust. Zallan blinked, closing his eyes as his younger lover's semen spurted far enough to hit his muzzle, the rest dappling his heaving chest and belly. He stroked Lioz tight and slow as they both relaxed till his younger lover's hips were grinding and squirming with protest. Lioz slowly lowered himself down against Zallan, uttering a contented sigh as he kisses the older male, feeling his rough tongue stroke his lips. Zallan draped his damp arms over the slender human's back, holding him close as his own length softened appreciably after his climax. The ache of exertion was making his muscles, however dense they were protest as he basked in the afterglow, relishing Lioz's slim weight resting atop him.

Lioz murmured gently, running his long fingers over Zallan's face, oblivious to their sticky coating, giggling at the fact that both of them were completely filthy with sweat and mingled fluids. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, nuzzling into his feline lover, "S-s-so this is what sex smells like... I like it."

The humid tackiness of their sweat, mingled with the scent of rutting and the pheromones of lust hanging in the air made the suite reek of copulation. The sharp, heady tang and almost sea-salt sweetness of their freshly spilled seed was pleasant, making Lioz giggle gently, "I think I could get used to this."

He ran a hand gently over Zallan's broad, strong-featured face, rubbing his muzzle, feeling his feline lover's tongue dancing around his fingers, "Now that you've... claimed me as yours, I think you won't be holding out on me again eh?"

The younger male's playful tone made Zallan chuckle, still slightly out of breath as he rumbled, giving Lioz's rounded ass a gentle squeeze, "Do you see yourself as mine now?"

The violet eyed human shrugged softly, kissing along Zallan's throat and chest, giggling as he ran his tongue through the stray drops of his own seed glistening in the feline's thick coat, "You said your people tend to think a bit more exclusively than a lot of feline species do. I assumed this meant I'm yours and you're mine now, till further notice."

Zallan chuckled again, stroking Lioz's ample hips, "We're not quite so stringent or stingy at that, but we do like to keep our coupling low-key and without having to plan space arrangements and schedules in our beds."

"I think I can live with it. Not like I engaged in sex all that freely up till now, obviously."

The twinkle in the younger male's eye was bright, "So, was it all you were hoping for? My virgin ass?"

The broad feline rumbled consideringly, his massive chest expanding and contracting, making Lioz giggle as the motion shifted him up and down several inches, "You were magnificent for your first time. Once you were past your nerves, I think you enjoyed yourself as much as I did."

"I think so."

Zallan smirked, "So was I everything you were hoping for?"

Lioz rolled his violet eyes softly, his ears shifting along with his skin-tone. He nudged Zallan, kissing him again, "Your cock is still stuffed up my ass. If I didn't like it, I doubt I'd still be sitting on it?"

"Indeed. Just try not to wriggle unless you want more feline cream."

Lioz giggled harder, "I'll try not to. I think we should take a breather anyway, perhaps a wash, and some food... I'm suddenly ravenous."

"Exertion will do that to you, with your metabolism."

Zallan stretched luxuriously, hearing his dense muscles crackle, "I believe I could eat as well."

Lioz looked to where his older feline lover was stretched out on a massive, self-adjusting lounge, basking in the gentle massaging of the pair of paws dancing across his broad form, "You look... comfortable."

Zallan cracked a lime-green eye, grinning softly at his slender lover, "So do you."

Lioz giggled as he shrugged, his vision briefly obscured by a field of bright silvery-white fur coated in mottled rosette spots of black and charcoal gray. The human blushed brightly as a fresh drink was pressed into his hand and a rump that rivaled his own was pressed back into his lap. The owner of the magnificent, heart-shaped, femininely wide ass purred demurely as he swung around, settling himself into the tall, slender human's lap as they sat in the wide, soft chair. The short, slender Laslurian, looking for all the world like a Terran snow leopard had waist-length snow white hair, bundled into delicate plaits and bundles, tied with tiny golden clasps and silk thongs. His bright, lemon yellow eyes were warm and sensual, with an intensity not normally known in his habitually shy, withdrawn people.

The spotted feline was as slender as Lioz, but with a slim muscularity borne of years of dancing and motion, lending a measure of rangy litheness to his feminine shape. The Laslurian's small, rounded ears were adorned with shining gems, matching the bracelets around his wrists and ankles as well as the cuff tucked around the base of his tail. Other than the shining jewelry the only other articles of "clothing" on the slender feline's body were soft silk ribbons wound around his arms and legs and a soft sash of velvet that encircled his narrow waist that held a jingling pouch for collecting tips. A handful of Zallan's gold strips were already held in the pouch, another handful having gone to each of the handsome males engaged in massaging the massive feline stretched out beneath their paws.

A beautiful Metaran male, several inches taller than the Tal'aini himself, slightly stocky, with his shimmering black and white fur and massive tail was tending Zallan's shoulders and nape. The skunk-like male's shock of white hair, much shorter than anyone else's held a few strands of black, but the Metaran still moved with the lithe grace of a teenaged male. The black and white male was completely nude save for a sash draped across his chest from one shoulder, holding his own pouch. The brilliant snow colored patches across his forehead, chest and down between his thighs exposed. The other male tending to Zallan's massive foot-paws and densely cabled thighs was a Saelican; the willowy looking vulpine having a coat of deep, almost blood red fur, with flowing chestnut locks and small patches of black and white marking his lean body.

The fox's tip pouch was tucked into an elastic band around his upper arm, paired with the chain of golden links around his waist from which dangled a smooth ring that was held around the base of his sheath. The trio of naked males was grinning expansively, tending to the pair of lovers' every whim as they relaxed in the small, but plush private lounge off of the bar's main hub. The lounge offered a spectacular view, other than its employees, with a mammoth, floor to ceiling window that looked out into space. The view varied with the time of day or night, showing either the planet below, or out into the depths of the planetary system's outer reaches. Hanging in the distance were two of the planet's three moons, one small and silver, the other larger and sand colored, pock-marked with tiny craters. Lioz could see the network of tunnels connecting the round, star-shaped eco-domes of the cities that dotted the larger of the two moons.

The slender human shifted beneath the smiling Laslurian, whose immensely long, thick, tufted tail flickered gently, brushing Lioz's ankles and calves, "The view is beautiful. We should come here again soon."

The spotted feline giggled softly, looking to the slim human, "Were you referring to the window, or myself?"

Lioz flushed, his skin rippling with color, making the spotted feline grin in amusement, running his nimble fingers over the human's bare chest. He ran his hand through the incredibly thick, soft rosette dappled fur lining the Laslurian's side, hearing him purr, "Both?"

Lioz smiled, "Why don't you ever purr Zal?"

"He doesn't? Shame on him."

The Laslurian giggled, gazing at the handsome older male as Zallan shrugged, "It's never come up?"

"A feline who never purrs... That's a shame."

The black and white Metaran chuckled as he kneaded Zallan's nape, making the feline chuckle, "Perhaps one needs to stroke the right spots to make him purr."

Lioz giggled, "I don't know, I stroked most of his spots last night and didn't hear him purr once, a lot of growling though."

"Oh dear. The feline growls of lust. Those can be fun too though."

The grinning vulpine ran one of his paws over Zallan's thick thigh, feeling the dense muscles. He glanced to where the Laslurian was seated comfortably in Lioz's lap, "You should try Zallan for a bit as well Daxin. These muscles..."

The spotted feline grinned, "I'm comfortable where I am Rilo."

The Metaran chuckled, "You know Dax, he likes males his own size."

"Is that so bad Sil?"

Daxin purred seductively, running his paws over Lioz's slender, furless form, making him blush and shift slowly, "He's so cute. I like humans."

"I... I can tell."

Lioz smiled, biting his lip as he tried not to move too much against the slim, spotted feline, making Daxin giggle. The lithe feline ran a finger over the strap of soft silken material that rested over Lioz's hip; the human was wearing a pair of his pink panties, despite the fact that everyone else in the room was completely naked. Daxin grinned, "Why don't you take these off? You'd be more comfortable."

Lioz shifted, clearing his throat softly as Zallan chuckled, "Lio... Dax has been hinting that he wishes you to mount him for an hour now. I'm positive he doesn't extend that particular courtesy to everyone. Why not relax as he asks?"

The beautiful Laslurian nodded, smiling brightly, leaning in and licking Lioz's chin softly, running his long-fingered paws over the human's chest, "Yes, why don't you?"

Daxin hooked a finger into the waist of the snug panties, giving them a gentle tug as he glanced toward Zallan, "If someone's mate gives their approval so willingly, why not allow in the indulgence?"

Zallan chuckled as Rilo settled into his own naked lap, rubbing the vulpine's arms as they stroked his broad chest, "We may not be back here for some months. You may as well indulge yourself freely whilst we're here my sweet."

Lioz giggled softly, looking to the bright-eyed feline sitting eagerly in his lap, his ears moving slightly, "You... You won't tell Parin, will you?"

Daxin giggled, shaking his snow-haired head as he leaned in, kissing Lioz's chest, "No, I won't tell Parin. I promise."

The Laslurian raised his nimble paw, smiling at the blushing human who nodded, "Thank-you."

Daxin laughed gently, shifting himself and slipping from the chair to sit easily on his haunches, licking his lips idly as he looked to Lioz, "So will you indulge both of us before your mate changes his mind?"

Lioz's skin flushed as he felt the 4 pairs of bright eyes on him, not the least of which being Zallan's amused acid-green gaze. He giggled softly, lifting his shoulders in a shrug, looking to the Laslurian, "You really want to? Not just because Zallan is paying you handsomely?"

"I wish to, your lover's generosity is merely a pleasant bonus."

Daxin smiled, arching his back to make the blue tinged light of the lounge accentuate his slender body. Lioz licked his lips, shifting and lifting his hips obligingly as he looked to the beautiful spotted feline, "Alright."

The spotted male looked immensely pleased as he hooked his long fingers into the waistband of the human's underwear and pulled them down and away, tossing them away with a flick of his wrist. Lioz's arousal was immediately evident, presented before him instead of merely digging into his hip or rump, making Daxin smile and wink across at Zallan, "Thank-you for letting me borrow your lover Zallan. This should be fun."

Zallan uttered a rumbling chuckle, "Well, I did wish him to enjoy himself whilst on holiday and it would appear he'll be able to count another first-time to his tally for this week-end."

Lioz blushed almost purple again, the color diffusing through his ears and cheeks, making his spots almost seem to swirl, "Zallan!"

Daxin giggled softly, slowly standing again and seating himself into the humans lap again, feeling the smooth warmth pressing against him freely and without obstruction, "I'll be gentle... I can show you what to do, don't worry."

Lioz nodded, his body twitching against the slender Laslurian as he uttered a soft moan, feeling Daxin's warm paws caressing him. He looked to Zallan who was grinning softly, "Why do I get the feeling you're planning on enjoying yourself as well while watching me and Daxin?"

The broad feline rumbled, "Oh perhaps, oh perhaps. We'll see won't we?"

Zallan chuckled, "You said you wished to come see the dancers, now they wish to see you. It's fair, I think. So don't make Daxin beg."

Lioz swallowed, running his hands up and down over the beautiful spotted male's lithe form, feeling it responding to his touches, "Wouldn't dream of it. All in all, this week's end has been the best of my life."

Daxin giggled, "Well, let's see if we can improve on perfection!"

Lioz mirrored the feline's laugh, nodding, slowly relaxing as he pressed himself into Daxin's embrace, "Should be fun to try. Just have to ignore those three over there staring like lechers."

Daxin winked one of his lemon-yellow eyes, "Let them stare. Makes it more fun for us."

Lioz's response was muffled by the feline's muzzle, making him blush as he responded in kind, just nodding softly.

Fin