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Chapter 5 "Close Friends and Distant Relatives"

The weeks passed quickly as spring turned to summer. The two roommates had grown so comfortable with each other that Max rarely thought twice about walking around in her underwear, or less, so long as Aiden kept his hands to himself. For his part, Aiden rarely complained about it. While it was usually awkward and unexpected, the show was too good to pass up. And he didn't care if she kept her hands to herself; hugs were becoming commonplace.

Today Aiden was given a special treat when Max emerged from her room wrapped in nothing but a towel, a short one at that. The fox would have taken the time to watch her mill about before her shower, but his focus was on his work, which was piling up.

"Well you look busy." Max commented, leaning over next to him and butting her nose, and bust, into his work. "Finally working on that novel, or just writing into Penthouse about your latest late night fling?"

Aiden winced at that. The one nighter with that mysterious tigress hadn't been the last, with Aiden seeing a decent amount of action for a single guy. The thing was, he never went to the bar intending to get laid. These women just found him and next thing he knew, he was in their beds.

"It's just some schoolwork." He grumbled, ignoring her teasing and cleavage. "We're getting close to the end of the semester, and I've got a few papers, due. Not to mention the exams I have to study for, and exams I have to create for the classes I'm teaching." He let out a sigh. "Point is, I've got a lot to do."

"Ick. Makes me glad I never went to college. I was never one for tests and papers."

"It's a rewarding experience, and the hard work pays off in the end."

"If you say so." Max shrugged, dismissing the notion. "Oh, I picked up this cute shower radio yesterday. You don't mind if I set it up, right?"

"No, go ahead." Aiden was already lost in his work again, the perfect time to ask him for permission for almost anything. He could care less about a shower radio with a term paper staring him in the face.

It was good enough for Max, who disappeared into the bathroom, practically giggling. Aiden ignored the sounds that followed, issuing forth from the slightly ajar bathroom door, as Max tried to get the radio set up. She evidently got it going, because soon the sound of music and running water filled the room. Admittedly, the music proved calming for Aiden, helping him to focus on his paper without stressing out. He fell into a productive zone until the enticing sounds of Beyonce filled the room. That alone wasn't enough to distract him, but another voice quickly joined in, singing along and filling the air with a warm, sweet melody that Aiden couldn't ignore. It was Max, singing along with the radio in perfect harmony. He had heard her sing before, once or twice. Usually when she was in the shower or distracted by something, not realizing he was listening. And though Aiden had never said anything to her before, he thought she was great at it.

Suddenly, as he stared at his schoolwork, a thought came to mind. The college he attended had a pretty good school for music and theatre. "I bet she could get in without even really trying." He mused as he listened to her angelic voice. "She really could be doing something more artistic and fulfilling than stripping with a voice like that, that's for sure."

The water stopped but the music continued, as Max sang along to the next song as she dried off. Aiden took this as a queue to focus back on his work, not wanting to look like he was just sitting around listening to her sing. It might come across as a little creepy.. Besides, he couldn't let this distract him anymore. The damn paper wasn't going to write itself.

A few songs and some blow drying later, the music stopped and Max emerged, humming a tune and again wearing nothing but a towel. Not thinking twice about it, she retrieved a drink and a magazine and sat across from Aiden, occupying herself while she let her hair and fur finish drying.

Aiden tried to focus on his work, but the questions were nagging at him now. He had to know, and the conversation would provide a good distraction from his boring paper. "I didn't know you could sing." He commented, trying to sound casual, like some off-hand comment as he continued his work.

"Anyone can sing." She answered just as casually, not even looking up from her magazine.

"Maybe, but few people can sing as well as you. I thought it was the radio at first."

Max looked up at that, her face feeling a bit flush. She tried to shrug it off. "It's not a big deal. I just like to sing in the shower sometimes. A lot of people do it."

"Yeah, but with a little training, I bet you could do it professionally. Be part of a big chorus or something."

Max just stared off into the distance, imagining herself performing for an audience on a big stage. Everyone watching her for her voice instead of just her body. "Well, I did once consider a career in the theater. Performing in musicals and operas."

"Why didn't you pursue it? I bet you would have done well, just based off what I've heard."

"Why?" A cloud of sadness crossed Max's face as memories long forgotten returned, but she quickly tried to shut them out. "I didn't have time for it. It wasn't important."

"Not important?" Aiden asked disbelievingly. "It seems like it was important to you. You must have had some free time to at least try, right?"

"No!" She suddenly snapped, slamming the magazine on the table and giving Aiden a scare. "I didn't have the time for it, okay? Just drop it!"

"Okay, I'm sorry." Aiden backed off quickly. He had never seen her get so angry before. 'Alright, the singing topic is off limits.' He decided, burying his nose in his work. The last thing he wanted to do was aggravate the normally cheery skunk any further.

And Max was certainly aggravated, but not at Aiden. She didn't want to think about the past, and focus more on the present. With a sigh she got up and disappeared into her room to find some proper clothes to wear, and try to straighten out her thoughts.

Aiden winced as she slammed the door shut. He had no idea what he had said to piss her off, but he still felt guilty about it. All he could assume was that bringing up her past was a bad idea. "Come to think of it, I don't know anything about her life before she moved here." He realized, thinking out loud. "Maybe she had a bad childhood, or no childhood, too busy dealing with a neglectful foster parent, just trying to get by and stay out of trouble." That depressing, if ridiculously over exaggerated scenario left Aiden feeling like a real dick. He had to apologize to her more properly, the poor girl, and maybe offer her a second chance at fulfilling her dreams. He resolved to at least try, though very carefully.

Max returned, fully dressed, a few minutes later. She had spent some of the time venting quietly, and the rest of it locking all those memories back up, where she wouldn't have to deal with them and she could just be her normal, cheery self.

Aiden stopped her at the bottom of the stairs. "Look, I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean to cause you any strife or turmoil."

"Aiden, it's okay. Don't worry about it." She skirted past him, not wanting to think about it anymore.

But Aiden didn't catch the hint. "I meant what I said earlier, about singing professionally. The school I go to,FivePawCommunity College, they offer a pretty good program for performing arts. If you're interested, you could always give it a shot."

Max sighed, not really thinking it over. She was so sick and tired of the go-to-college arguments. "Thanks but, I've never liked writing research papers and excessive homework."

"It wouldn't be that much work."

Max gave him a skeptical look, glancing at all the books and papers he had stacked on the table.

"You can't use my workload as an example." He countered. "I'm a language arts major working on getting a masters degree. My whole curriculum is writing. If you signed up for singing or theater, you would have much lighter homework. Maybe one or two math and science classes, but other than that it would all be about performing."

"Aiden, I'm just not interested in going back to school. I'm not good with schoolwork and studying and all that. Plus, I'm happy with my life, and with what I'm doing. I've got job security with potential for advancement, and I enjoy it. So, thanks for the offer, but I'm just not interested." She took a stern stance, ready to continue defending her life choices once again.

But to her surprise Aiden just shrugged. "Alright then. I just thought I'd put it out there." And without another word on the subject, he returned to his work.

"That's it?" She asked, unable to hide her disbelief. "You're not gonna try and convince me otherwise? Like how a college degree will somehow make my life so much better or something? That's what everyone else always tries to tell me."

"If you don't want to go, you don't want to go." Aiden reasoned. "College is only fun and rewarding if it's something you want, not if you're being forced into it." He shrugged again, returning to his work.

She wasn't expecting that response, and the shock left her speechless. Few people actually respected her opinion on the matter, simply assuming she was lazy or an idiot, or both. But not Aiden; he accepted her decision and left it at that, as if he actually valued her opinion and feelings. It was unexpected, and Max found it quite endearing.

She was about to genuinely thank him when the lyrics of "Beauty and the Beast" filled the air. the skunk quickly grabbed her cellphone, and with a glance at the display was again in a sour mood. "What does she want?" She muttered, answering the phone. "Hello Mom. How are you?"

Aiden's ears perked a bit at that, unable to not overhear. Max almost never talked about her parents, and now her mother calls from out of the blue. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but a part of him couldn't help it. It was certainly more interesting than a term paper on the writing methods of Herman Melville.

"Yeah, I know I haven't called in a while." Max continued, twirling her hair around a finger. "I've just been really busy with work and stuff." She went quiet, listening nervously as she tugged on her silvery hair. "Yeah, I'd love to see you guys, of course...Dinner, tonight? Well, I have to work tonight...I guess we could do an early dinner...Yes I really want to see you, it's just kinda last minute and all. Will Daddy be coming?" Her tail dropped clear to the floor at whatever response her mother gave. "You don't have to come here. We can meet at...Okay...If he insists I guess...Sure, see you in a little while...Love you too. Bye." She hung up and her chin fell to her ample bosom. "Dammit, I don't want to deal with this today."

"Problem?" Aiden tried to make it look like he had been working the whole time.

"Sorry Aiden, but my parents are coming over in a little bit. Probably trying to catch me off guard, hoping to find my life in shambles and that I can't live on my own, and convince me to move back in with them."

"That seems a bit harsh."

"You don't know my dad."

"Well, how about I cook then? I'll make a fantastic dinner that will just blow them away."

"No!" Max quickly interjected. "Thanks, but I'll take them out somewhere. I want them in and out of here as quickly as possible."

Aiden gave her a confused, almost pained and insulted look in reply, his ears dropping a bit, and instantly leaving Max feeling guilty.

"Listen Aiden, don't take it personally. It's just, my dad is kind of old-fashioned. He won't approve of me living with a guy, even if we're just friends. Plus he'll probably criticize everything about this apartment and the way I'm living my life. I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean you should have to deal with it." She sighed, hoping Aiden would buy all this spontaneous bullshit. "I think it'll just be easier this way, okay?"

"Well, you know him better than I do, obviously." Aiden relented after just a moment of thought. "And I can't really afford any more distractions from this stupid paper. Let me at least help you tidy this place up a bit, though."

"Thank you." Max bowed slightly, glad that he wasn't questioning her motives. She hadn't been untruthful, but she had left some of her fears out. The last thing she wanted to do was talk in depth with anyone about her father.

"Dammit." She muttered, looking over her outfit; a low-cut top and jeans. "Now I have to change, too." Clearly aggravated by it all, she made her way back up to her room.

She returned sometime later wearing a simple, and much more conservative dress. Aiden tried to help tidy up, but Max kept fussing over everything and redoing everything he did, noticeably flustered by her parents spontaneity, Aiden soon decided it was better to just stay out of her way and keep his mouth shut.

It was about an hour before her parents arrived, Max fretting about every little thing the entire time. it was as much a relief as it was a headache when the finally knocked on the door. "Mom, Dad, so good to see you!" She did her best to sound enthusiastic for how much she was dreading this.

"Oh Maxine, come here and let me look at you. Give your mother a kiss." Her mother, a slightly short and rotund woman, took Max in her arms and kissed her on the cheek. "You really should call more often. I know you're busy but you can find the time to talk to your mother every now and again. You look thin. Are you eating enough? You never eat enough."

"I'm fine, Mom, I'm eating plenty." Max defended, though a smile had crept across her face. "And I'll try to call more often, I promise." She then turned to her father, a short, stern looking gentleman. "Hi Daddy. It's good to see you."

Her father didn't respond right away, looking around the apartment as if trying to find something. "Well, it's not as bad as I expected." When his gaze fell on Aiden, disappointment crossed his face. "You're already living with a man?"

"Oh, yes. Mom, Dad, this is Aiden, my roommate. Aiden, these are my parents; Reginald and Sofia Douglas."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you both." Aiden offered a hand to the grumpy looking man, but he only got a cold glance in return. Max's mother was a tad kinder, offering a hesitant handshake in return.

"Well now that we've all met, we should get going." Max chuckled nervously, already grabbing her purse. "We don't want to be rushed through dinner, do we?"

"Well why don't we just eat here?"Sofiaoffered. "Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

"Oh no!" Max quickly refused. "I was going to treat you both to a nice dinner at The River View. Plus Aiden has a lot of work to do, and I don't want to distract him."

"The River View? Oh no that's much to expensive..."

"I can afford it, Mom. What kind of daughter would I be if I couldn't take my wonderful parents out to diner somewhere nice, anyway?" She put on a big, fake smile, trying to sound as genuine as possible.

"Well, if you insist." Her mother sighed. "But I don't see why you always have to go all out like this for us."

"You never do." Max muttered under her breath, guiding her parents out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow Aiden, goodnight!"

As the name suggests, The River View is a five star restaurant with a fantastic view of a local river. This fine dining establishment specializes in fresh seafood and quality cut steaks. It's the perfect place to take anyone when you want to get on their good side, assuming you can afford it.

Max was just hoping she could keep her father in a good mood. He was usually easier to deal with when distracted by surf n' turf. Of course she hadn't counted on the long wait of silence at the table while their food was being prepared. Her father said nothing, and wouldn't even look at her, and Max had no idea what to say to break the tension.

Luckily her mother did it for her. "Well that Aiden fellow seems nice. How did you two meet?"

"Oh, he was actually already living there when I moved in. It's actually kinda funny if you think about it. Like the plot to a bad sitcom." She tried to laugh it off, but neither of her parents seemed amused.

"So, you moved in with a total stranger? Why didn't you move into an empty apartment?"

"If was the only open room, Mom. And all the other places with openings were either out of my price range or total holes. I didn't have any other options, so I took it. Besides, Aiden is a really nice guy, and very respectful of my privacy."

"And I bet you had no problems with it." Her father finally chimed in, disdain hanging heavy on his words.

"Well the landlord took some money off the down payment because of it. And it's a really nice place at a very convenient location. I just couldn't pass it up."

"I'm sure, considering it came with a guy to sleep with."

"Dad!" Max cried out, drawing some attention from other guests. She quickly calmed down, not wanting to disrupt things in the restaurant. "I am not sleeping with Aiden, Dad. I spend every night in my own room, alone."

"So you say, but the situation is rife with temptation."

Max was about to cry out again in frustration, but the arrival of the waiter with their food kept her calm. She waited until he had left before quietly defending herself. "Dad, I swear to you that I am not sleeping with Aiden. We have never even slept in the same room. I don't even want to sleep with him. We're just roommates, maybe even friends, but that's it."

Her father looked at her sternly as he cut into his filet mignon, but Max didn't back down, giving him a hard look in return. She knew she couldn't back down, couldn't show any weakness, or he'd never believe her.

Her father eventually relented, turning his attention towards his lobster. "Of course, if you had actually gone to college, you could have an apartment twice that size all to yourself."

"Dad..." Max groaned, starting to loose her appetite for her mahi mahi. She knew this was coming, but was hoping it could at least wait until after the entrée.

"If you had just done better in high school you could have gone to a good ivy league school, like Harvard or Yale. You could be working on getting a law degree or doctorate of some kind, while still working with an undergrad degree and making a descent salary."

"Yes Dad, I know." She sighed, rolling her eyes. She had heard this speech so many times before she had grown tired of arguing against it.

"You could have done better in high school of course, but you only graduated with what, a B minus? And no real extracurricular activities, either. Looks terrible on an application."

"You wouldn't let me have any extracurriculars remember? You wanted me to spend all of my free time studying."

"If you had gotten better grades and wanted to do something more worthwhile, I would have considered letting you do it."

Max could only sigh in response. She knew she wouldn't win this argument, she never did. She had learned long ago that it was just easier to ignore his stubbornness, or else they'd end up in a heated argument that would only end in tears.

Her father accepted the victory smugly, and the rest of the dinner was rather quiet, save for a few attempts at peaceful conversation from her mother, though Max wasn't really in the mood for talking anymore.

She was glad when dinner was over and the check arrived, finally seeing freedom from her awkward hell. Sadly it was not to be, as her father moved to grab the check from her. "No, Dad. I told you I was treating you both to this."

"There's no way you can afford this on a waitresses salary." He countered, obviously displeased with her career path.

"You'd be surprised at how much I make." She replied, pulling out enough cash to pay the check and leave a nice tip.

"Maxine!" Her mother gasped. "You must have been saving up for a long time to make that much money. Are you sure you want to spend that much on us?"

"It's fine, Mom. My customers are really good tippers, and I make more than you probably think."

"The only way you could make that much money is by selling drugs. Are you selling drugs to get by, Maxine."

"Dad, I am not selling drugs! I don't even do drugs."

"Then you must be selling something else." He glared at her sternly. "You must be selling your body for money."

"What!? Daddy, you can't think that!"

"Whores make a lot of money, selling themselves to whoever pays the most."

"Oh, my poor baby, forced to sell her body on the streets to dirty old men."

"Mom! I'm not doing that!" Max turned her attention to her father, her glare hard but hinting of sorrow. "Daddy, I'm not a prostitute, I promise. I just make good money at my job. I'm not doing anything illegal."

Her father didn't seem to believe it, but didn't press the issue. Max slumped back into her chair, thoroughly depressed and exhausted from the whole affair. She was thankful to be out of the restaurant, declining a ride to work from her parents in favor of the bus. Aside from not wanting them to know about where she really works, she didn't want to spend anymore time with her loving parents. At least at work she could clear her head and enjoy herself without feeling like a total failure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was aboutnine o'clockin the evening when Aiden walked into his favorite bar. In a mind drained daze he walked up to the bar and sat in the closest stool, a blank stare on his face.

"What'll it be, Aiden?" The bartender, a middle aged brown squirrel named Horace, came over and asked. "You want your usual?"

"Not today, Horace. I don't want to get drunk. I just need to clear my head a bit. Just a beer today."

He soon became lost in thought, nursing his beer as he tried not to think about his research paper. His mind was so zoned out that he didn't even notice the young lady sit down next to him until she spoke.

"Hi Aiden. I didn't think I'd see you here."

"Oh, hi Cheryl." Aiden offered a smile to the girl as his mind returned to reality. "What brings you here?...Are you even old enough to be here?"

"I turned twenty-one four months ago, thank you very much. And I'll have a beer, too. You'll pay, right Aiden? You are a gentleman after all."

"What?" He started to argue, but her playful grin changed his mind. "Yeah, alright, but just one round."

"Thanks Aiden. you really are as kind as Maxi says." She chuckled at Aiden's surprised look. "Though I still think you're way cuter than she gives you credit for."

"Cute?" Aiden stuttered, blushing a bit and unsure what to say. He awkwardly returned to his beer, but his obvious flustered state only made Cheryl chuckle more.

"Well, uh, what are you doing here anyway?" Aiden asked, wanting to change the subject. "I don't think I've ever seen you in here before."

"Well I was here with some friends, but they kinda ditched me. Guess they wanted to go somewhere more lively. All they want to do is dance and party."

"And you don't?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, I love to party. But I had kinda a long day and sometimes a girl just need a quiet place to chill." She grinned at Aiden. "I'd heard you like to come here too, so I thought I'd give the place a try."

"Yeah I like the ambiance here." Aiden gazed about the bar. "It's kind of dark, but calm and quiet. A great place to relax and clear one's head. I always come here when I'm frustrated or having trouble with writers block."

"Or looking to score a little booty?"

Aiden nearly choked on his beer with that, which had Cheryl laughing hysterically. "I'm sorry." She managed to sputter out. "Maxi told me how popular you've been lately."

"Oh did she?" Aiden seems less amused by it all as he tried to clean up the small mess he had made. "I didn't know my life was of public interest."

"Hey, I thought guys bragged about their bedroom conquests. Most people would kill to get the kind of action you're getting."

Aiden just shrugged in response. "The thing is, I'm not really trying to get it. The women are picking me up, not the other way around."

"And that's a problem?"

Aiden just shrugged again, indifferent to the whole thing. Without a word he knocked back what was left of his beer and tossed some bills on the counter. "I should get back. You sticking around?"

"I have to. Those friends that ditched me were also my ride. I'll just have to wait for them or catch a cab."

"Well I can give you a lift home if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I'm not ready to go home yet. I'm not even buzzed, y'know. It's still too early."

"If you don't want to be alone, you can come back to my place. Not that I should talk, but it's never fun to drink alone."

Cheryl gave him a wide grin. "Why Aiden, are you trying to pick me up?" The fox's incoherent stuttering had her laughing again. "Relax, I'm just teasing you." With a smirk she chugged the last of her beer and stood. "Alright, I'll chill with you. After all, as Maxi's best friend it's my duty to check out the guy she's living with."

"Wow, I still can't believe how great this place is." Cheryl said as she sat down on the couch. "How much does an apartment like this run you?"

"It's fifteen hundred a month, including utilities. Oh, and we have our own washer and dryer. You want a drink?"

"Well that doesn't sound like such a bad deal, especially when split in half. And yes, I'd love a drink." She looked around the apartment, at all the video games, college style posters, and all the other things around the room that screamed 'bachelor pad'. "It's like Maxi doesn't even live here. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to redecorate or anything."

"She has mentioned giving the place a women's touch before but she hasn't tried anything yet." Aiden handed Cheryl a glass as he sat next to her. "Not that I'd mind, as long as she didn't replace ALL my stuff."

"Oh I doubt she'd do that. Say, what is this; coke and whiskey or something?"

"Rum actually. It's not too strong is it?"

"Are you kidding? It's perfect. So, do you like living with Maxi? Does she annoy the crap outta you, or are the boobs worth it all?"

"Actually we seem to get along pretty well. Though we don't really see each other all that much. She's usually leaving for work shortly after I get home. And when we are here at the same time it's...interesting."

"I bet." Cheryl chuckled. "Does she still like to walk around naked? I've always loved that about her."

"Not really. She usually keeps covered up in at least a towel, thankfully."

"That's too bad." She muttered, sipping her drink and looking about the room some more. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed the small stacked of books and papers on the dining table. "Damn, is that all for your novel or something? I had no idea being a writer involved so much work."

"Oh that? No, that's for my term paper and other school work." Aiden sighed, sinking deeper into the couch. "I really should be working on it, but I think my brain is spent for the day."

"That's a lot of work just to be a writer. You really need to do all that just to write books?"

"Well it is helpful, but mostly it's to further advance my career as a teacher."

"Still seems like a lot of work; teaching, being a student and writing all at the same time. You must really like what you do to handle it all."

Aiden shrugged. "The teaching part's alright, but mostly it's just to pay the bills until I get published. Being a novelist is what I really aspire for." Aiden's face suddenly got very serious as he gripped his glass. "To have my stories, my visions printed on page for all to read. Someday I hope that my stories will be able to reach, touch and even inspire other people to harness their own creativity and make their own dreams a reality, the way the stories I read growing up, and continue to read now, have done for me." His gaze was straight ahead as he spoke, his eyes wide with yearning and desire. "I don't really expect to be as famous as Tolkien, Crichton or Patterson, but if I can reach just a few people with my words and get them to follow their dreams, then I'll be satisfied."

"Wow." Was all Cheryl could respond with. She found herself hanging on to his every word, inexplicable drawn in by his energy. When he spoke about writing like this, she noticed that his eyes sparkled, and his feelings were contagious. 'He's not just cute and smart, but so dedicated and determined and...exciting.' The torgi thought as she leaned against Aiden. "I think it's amazing that you not only have a goal in life, but that you're trying to make it happen. You're really courageous, Aiden."

"Courageous? Me?"

"Yeah. Most people never even try to follow their dreams, or just give up when it gets too hard." She leaned in closer, gazing into the fox's blue eyes. "But not you. You're doing everything you can to make your dreams come true. It's inspiring and...enticing."

"I gue-Mmm!" Aiden was interrupted as Cheryl pressed her lips against his, kissing him deeply, riding off the passion she felt from him.

'Dammit, what am I doing?' She asked herself as she wrapped her arms around Aiden's neck. 'This has got to break some sort of friend code, making out with my best friend's roommate. But god he's so hot, and so passionate. Well, she said she wasn't going to sleep with him, so I guess he's fair game, right? Right. I mean, it's not like I came here planning to sleep with him or anything. If it happens, it just happens.'

Suddenly Aiden pulled back, breaking the kiss and pushing Cheryl off. "What was that all about?"

"I'm sorry Aiden. I couldn't help it. I was just so moved by what you said and how you said it. Plus I love people who are doing what they want to do, fulfilling their goals and all that. It's weird, but I find that really attractive."

"But what about Max? I don't-"

"I don't think she'll mind...I think." Cheryl hopped up and sat in Aiden's lap, wrapping her arms around him. "I know I don't. So there should be no problem with just some harmless kissing, right?"

"Well I guess bu-Mmm!" Once again her lips were pressed against his, her rough tongue working it's way into his muzzle without resistance. She pressed her body against his, grinding her hips against his lap, waiting to feel that tell-tale bump to start poking her butt.

"Oh Aiden." Cheryl moaned, breaking the kiss and nuzzling into his neck. "You were so exciting and passionate before. I want to feel that. Fill me with your passion."

"You make that sounds really dirty." Aiden chuckled, placing his hands on her waist. "I'm not sure what you want though."

"You're kinda naive, aren't you?" Cheryl sighed, sitting up in Aiden's lap. "I want you."

"Why me all of a sudden?"

I-I dunno." She admitted, slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt. "I mean, I thought you were pretty cute to begin with, but when you were talking about writing earlier, you just sounded so...wonderful. It really got me going." She leaned back in, running her hands over his bare chest. "Why does it matter? Do you not find me attractive or something?"

"No, no not at all. This just seems kind of sudden."

"That's just the kind of girl I am, Aiden." She purred, slipping the fox's shirt from his shoulders and leaning in close again. "I'm just very impulsive." She emphasized the point by gently biting into Aiden's neck.

Aiden gasped but didn't pull away. He instead leaned into the bite, holding Cheryl closer, running his hands up her shirt and across her back. "That's better." She whispered, licking the nape of his neck. Aiden shivered as the torgi's cat like tongue ran through his fur. He brought a hand down to pinch the base of her tail, which brought a moan to Cheryl's lips. "Oh Aiden. Maybe we should take this someplace a bit more comfortable."

"That sounds like a good idea. There's plenty of space in my bed, if that's what you have in mind."

"I like the way you think." Cheryl giggled, hopping off his lap. "Hurry up now, and I'll help you take care of that." She pointed at the obvious bulge in his pants with a wink, then was off towards Aiden's bedroom.

"What am I doing?" Aiden muttered, grabbing his shirt and making his way towards the loft stairs. "Am I really about to sleep with Max's best friend? Maybe this isn't such a good idea." He stopped outside his bedroom door and took a deep breath. "Maybe it would be better to call this off. I'm sure Cheryl will understand."

"Took you long enough." Cheryl purred as Aiden stepped into the room, and he quickly forgot all about backing out. Cheryl was sitting on the edge of his bed waiting for him, though her shirt was sitting nearby on the floor. "What are you staring at?" She teased, thrusting her perky breasts out with a giggle.

Forgetting any doubts or second thoughts he had, Aiden made his way to the bed. As soon as he sat down Cheryl was on top of him, their lips practically glued together, her small yet firm breasts pressed against his chest. The fox ran his fingers over the woman's back before reaching down and grabbing her well formed ass. Cheryl moaned in response, leaving a trail of kisses and licks all along Aiden's neck.

"Oh Cheryl, the feels really good." He pressed his body against hers, thrusting his hips slightly and holding her tight." Uhn, ow! Something's poking me. Do you have something in your pocket?"

"Um, sorta?" She sat up, straddling his waist and the first thing Aiden noticed was the bulge in her shorts.

"Cheryl, is that what I think it is?"

"Confession time." She sighed, climbing off the bed. "Just don't freak out okay? This isn't really a big deal." In one quick movement she dropped her shorts and panties to the floor, standing at full attention for Aiden.

Aiden just stared at her for a minute, taking in the roughly five inch long penis attached to her body. It throbbed slightly as a small drip of precum formed at the tip. "You're a tranny? I had no idea."

"I'm not a tranny!" She huffed, somewhat insulted by the notion "I am a natural born hermaphrodite, thank you very much." Aiden didn't respond, and she noticed the fox was still staring at her dick. "It's not a problem, is it?"

"Huh? Oh no, not really." Aiden looked the hybrid up and down, taking in the whole package. "Actually, I think it looks right on you. It's really pretty cute."

"Cute?" Cheryl whined, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"Yeah, it looks really good. You look really...attractive." He placed his hands on her hips and brought his muzzle close to her balls, inhaling deeply, though he didn't know why he was so particularly interested in her dick. "It smells kinda good, too. I think I know what to do with this."

Cheryl gasped as Aiden dragged his tongue up along her dick. He grabbed the base and angled it forward, suckling on the tip as he did his best to emulate from all the blow jobs he had gotten in the past. He had never imagined himself giving one before, but something about doing it here and now just seemed right to him. He had to try, at least. Keeping her tip in his mouth he swirled his tongue around the head, and Cheryl's moans told him he was doing something right. Encouraged, though not sure why he was enjoying it so much, Aiden took the plunge, taking her full length in his muzzle. The feel of her smooth, hot flesh against his tongue, and the taste of her precum in his mouth just felt so good, and so arousing. He didn't want to stop.

"Aiden, damn watch the teeth." Cheryl's hips and tail twitched as she placed a supporting hand on his head. "You're doing pretty good though. Have you ever done this before?"

"Mo." Aiden mumbled around her dick, trying not to bite her as he continued to suck and lick, a hand fondling her soft balls. He was getting into this more than he ever expected he would.

"Aiden, don't talk with your mouth full." She giggled, placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back. "And while it's sweet that you'd do that for me, it's not what I want."

But...well what do you want?"

Cheryl smirked, kneeling before Aiden and grabbing his pants. "I want this, stupid." She teased, undoing his zipper and pulling his pants off. "Hot damn..." She muttered, taken by surprise by the nearly eight inches of fox meat she had unleashed. "I had no idea you were so big. So much bigger...than me."

"What was that?"

"Oh! Nothing." Cheryl shrugged it off, trying not to be discouraged. "Now, let's party." Smirking playfully she pushed Aiden onto his back and climbed on top of him. "No pressure, but it's been a while since I've slept with a man, so I hope you don't disappoint."

"Oh yeah, no pressure." Aiden chucked, but he grew a little concerned when Cheryl grabbed his dick and started rubbing the tip against her warm, wet pussy. "Um, shouldn't we use a condom or something?"

"Won't be a problem, babe." Cheryl winked. "Just trust me and enjoy the ride." With a smirk she lined everything up and slowly descended onto Aiden's dick. "Damn, it's really thick too. Hope I can get it all in." Taking a deep breath she continued to press on, lowering herself inch by inch.

"It's okay if it doesn't fit." Aiden grunted, placing his hands on her thighs and trying not to make any sudden thrusts. "Damn, you're really tight. You feel really good, Cheryl."

"That's sweet but shuddup." Cheryl grunted, focusing on taking as much of Aiden as she could. She was able to get about six inches in when Aiden hit the back of her pussy. "Damn...still, feels nice to be this full."

Wanting to milk the feeling, she slowly set her hips into motion, rocking back and forth a bit before lifting herself up, then slowly dropping back down on Aiden's shaft. "Uh, oh damn. No wonder you've been getting so much action lately."

"It's not my fault." Aiden grunted, rubbing his hands over her thighs and hips. "And you're not so bad yourself; a nice, tight, velvety fit. And your fur is so soft and fine."

"Again, that's sweet but shuddup." She stuck her tongue out, riding Aiden's dick at a steady, even rate, her juices coating the length of his shaft as precum dripped from the tip of hers. "Words are great, but only if you can prove it with action."

"Speaking of action, didn't someone say something about experiencing my passion?"

"Yeah, wh-WHOA!" Cheryl yelped as Aiden suddenly bucked his hips, causing her to fall on top of him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and planted his paws on the bed. "Let's see just how passionate we can get."

"Oh Aiden, now that's what I'm talkin' about." Letting out a sensual growl she grabbed on to the fox's shoulders and gently bit into his neck. Aiden grunted and moaned in response, firmly grabbing Cheryl's ass and letting his hips get to work. Cheryl cried out as Aiden suddenly pistoned deep into the herm's pussy, pushing deep against her with every thrust. "Oh god Aiden yes! Just like that! Fuck my pussy, oh fuck me!"

Aiden didn't need to be told twice. Gritting his teeth and letting out a low growl he wrapped his arms tight against his new lover, squeezing her ass and thrusting harder and deeper than before. He could feel her hot, wet pussy tightening around almost every inch of his dick as he tried to go as deep as possible.

Cheryl thrust right back, rocking her entire body on top of his as she kissed and bit at his neck and shoulders, moaning and crying out in ecstasy. She let out a particularly loud yelp as Aiden gave a massive thrust, getting another inch in and lifting her up about a foot. Crying out with a mix of purring and growling she wrapped her arms around Aiden's head, burying his muzzle against her boobs, which only encouraged him to trust even harder.

"Oh god." Aiden muttered from within the torgi's cleavage. "Cheryl, I- I'm gonna cum!"

"Not yet!" She managed to sit up, riding him deeply as he continued to buck. A part of her wanted to let him, wanted to feel him fill her up. But she knew she couldn't risk it. Besides, another part of her wanted to finish off another way.

"Sit tight, baby." She let out a cry as she lifted off of him, nearly loosing it herself at the sensation of nearly seven inches of fox cock being pulled out all at once. Keeping her cool, she sat between the fox's legs and slapped her dick against his. "Let's cum together, babe." She purred, wrapping her hands around both cocks and stroking as she trust her hips and rubbed her dick against Aiden's

Aiden gritted his teeth and growled as his hips moved on their own. The feel of Cheryl's hard, smooth dick rubbing against his own was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and it was taking all he had to not blow his load before her. "I can't take much more of this. I'm gonna cum!"

"Me too!" She thrust faster, her eyes rolling up in her head. "Yeah, oh yeah! Fuck!"

With one last thrust from the both of them, two streams of cum shot through the air. Aiden's chest was soon covered in strings of fox and torgi semen. They continued to thrust, Cheryl crying out with each stream she fired as Aiden grunted and growled, grasping the bed sheets as his body was rocked with an unbelievable orgasm.

He was gasping for breath, lost in the mixed smell of their fluids, when Cheryl finally collapsed on top of him, snuggling into his now sticky chest, not that she cared about getting cum in her fur.

"Oh Aiden, you were fantastic." She purred, nuzzling into his neck. "Don't tell Maxi, but I think you're the best I've ever had."

Aiden sighed, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "You were pretty amazing, yourself. That thing you did at the end was...interesting."

"You seemed to like it at the time." She giggled, swirling a finger through the mix of cum in his fur and giving it a taste. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were gay. Hey, is it alright if I spend the night with you?"

"Yeah, might as well." He hugged her tightly, though her words were now nagging at him. Gay? No way...but he did enjoy it, and the blowjob. He shook the thoughts away, trying to focus on the moment. "There's plenty of room in bed for the both of us."

"That sounds like an open invitation." She giggled, burying her face in his soft neck. "You really are a sweet guy. If I'm not careful, I just might fall in love with you."

And while they both chuckled at the notion, a part of Cheryl was genuinely concerned. Meanwhile Aiden's thoughts drifted back to his earlier actions, slightly concerned by the pleasure he received from sucking on someone else's dick. 'Oh well' they both decided; it was something to worry about another day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max's eyes fluttered opened as the morning sun shone in through her bedroom window. She sat up with a yawn, blinking lazily as her brain slowly woke up. 'It's a new day' she thought as she climbed out of bed and stretched. 'Won't have to deal with my parents for a while. I can just focus on being me.' She smiled at that thought, looking out her window at the beautiful view of the nearby city. "Yeah, today's gonna be a good day."

"Morning Aiden!" She called out cheerily as she came out of her room, smelling breakfast cooking already. She did a bit of a double take when she saw Cheryl sitting at the dining table. "Oh, hey girl. When did you get here?"

"Oh aboutten o'clock...last night." Cheryl grinned over her coffee mug.

"Really well...wait, last night? You were here all night?"

"Yep. Aiden and I spent some time together last night, talking and getting to know each other better."

"You're just in time for breakfast, Max." Aiden smiled, bring some plates over to the table. "Hope you like bacon and eggs."

"Yeah, that's fine." Max stared at the fox suspiciously, then turned her gaze towards Cheryl, who had already started eating. "What did you two do last night?"

Cheryl simply shrugged as she munched a piece of bacon. "We just talked, had a couple drinks, stuff like that."

Max's stare clearly indicated that she didn't believe that was the whole story. "You and I are having a little chat after breakfast."

"Okay." Cheryl smiled innocently, though her drooping ears belied her confidence.

Breakfast was quiet, with Max's gaze darting between the oblivious Aiden and the increasingly nervous Cheryl. The hybrid tried to delay the inevitable for as long as she could, but eventually her plate was clean, and Max grabbed her arm before she could sneak away. "Thanks for breakfast, Aiden. But now it's time for a little girl talk. C'mon Cheryl."

"Okay, ow! Maxi not so hard. I'm coming already." Cheryl tried to keep up as Max practically dragged her up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door behind them.

"This won't end well, I bet." Aiden muttered as he began cleaning up the dishes.

"You slept with Aiden, didn't you?" Max accused Cheryl the moment the door was closed. "What d'you do; hunt him down at the bar or something?"

"What? No!" Cheryl countered, feeling a bit insulted. "I mean, yes we met at the bar, but that was just a coincidence. And then he's the one that invited me back here. I never intended to sleep with him."

"But you did sleep with him."

"Well...yes. But it just kinda happened on it's own, okay? We were just talking and then-"

"One thing led to another?" Max asked, a skeptical look on her face.

"I swear it's true! If you had heard the way he talked last night, you would have fallen for him too." Cheryl argued, her gaze drifting off to memories of the night before. "He had such confidence and energy, I just couldn't help myself." She turned to Max with a wide grin. "And F.Y.I., it was fantastic."

"Cheryl! I don't need to know that!"

"Well he was. The guy is seriously hung like a horse or something, and he really knows what he's doing. But then he's also a total sweetheart, like he doesn't know how good he really is." She sat down on Max's bed, remembering the night before rather fondly. "We talked and snuggled for like an hour afterwards, and he never bragged or boasted once. Aiden would make a great boyfriend."

"No!" Max was quick to interrupt. "No way are you dating Aiden."

"Why Maxi, is that a hint of jealousy I'm detecting?" Cheryl giggled slyly.

Max just glared at her in response, doing her best to ignore the flush of heat in her cheeks.

"Is it really a big deal?" Cheryl asked, getting up and giving the skunk a hug. "Unless you're interested in dating him, or me, it shouldn't be a problem. I mean, it's not like I'm trying to date your brother or something."

"Yeah, I guess." Max somberly replied, hugging her friend in return. "I just don't want things to get weird."

"If it makes you feel better, I won't ask him out or anything. Last night will just be a one time thing. Though, if he asks me out, I don't think I could say no."

"I guess that's fair." Max conceded. After all, she didn't have any intention of dating the guy. He was just her roommate. It would be like two friends dating each other.

"Listen, I should get home before my parents start to worry. We'll talk more later though, I promise. I'll call you, babe." And with another hug and a kiss, she left the room and made her way downstairs, giving Aiden a similar farewell before heading out.

Max just sat on the edge of her bed, trying to sort everything out. She didn't want Cheryl to be just another one of Aiden's one night stands. But the thought of them dating still bothered her a bit, though she wasn't sure why. "Like a brother..." she muttered, grabbing the old teddy bear she always kept on her bed and hugging it to her chest. "Maybe he is a little bit like...a big brother." But she quickly shook the emerging thoughts from her head, placing the bear back on her pillow. "Dammit, as if yesterday wasn't bad enough."

Trying not to think about it, she made her way back down stairs, stopping just long enough to watch Aiden as he washed the dishes. The fox glanced over his shoulder and offered Max a friendly smile, which only made the blood rush to her cheeks. She glared at him in return. "If you hurt her, or if things get weird around here, I swear I'll..." Not really sure what to say, she left it at that, storming into the bathroom to shower.

Aiden could only sigh. "Well, I guess it could have gone worse."