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Chapter Seven: Russ

Russ stood on the balcony of Camilla's apartment, the night cold and foreboding. He leant over the rail and was shocked to discover that he couldn't see the ground, only a half-solid inky blackness. He felt as if he were swaying and had to pull himself back from the edge.

He was aware of the wolf, Dom, being next to him before he saw on him. He turned to face him and caught the white gleam of the wolf's teeth in the dark.

'You left Alec alone, then?' the wolf asked, his tone both accusatory and bemused.

_'No, I didn't - he's inside talking to Cam...' _

Russ had been so sure that Alec was inside, but when he turned and sought him with his eyes, he realised that the apartment was completely empty and in darkness. He was alone with the wolf.

_ 'You lied,' the wolf snapped, drawing his attention back. 'You said you loved him.' The wolf's muzzle spread into a grin of obvious enjoyment as Russ cried out in protest,_

'I do! I do love him!'

'You promised to look after him,' the wolf continued, his voice growing louder, 'but you didn't. He hates you now. HE HATES YOU...'

'NO!'

_Russ lunged at the wolf, but in that moment he somehow found himself on a stage. Stumbling forward, he only just prevented himself from toppling over, conscious of how ridiculous he must look to the animals in the audience. _

At the front of the stage stood Camilla. She was acting out the final scene of Un Enfant Terrible, _the play he and Alec had seen together, wielding the knife close to her chest. _

In his gut, Russ felt that something was wrong. It seemed so obvious when he realised that the knife was real, and Camilla didn't know.

As she raised the blade above her head he cried out to stop her, but the words died on his lips. He rushed forward and reached out a paw in a desperate attempt to save her. But the arm he grasped was covered, not in fluffy white cat fur, but in the coarser black and white tangle of a dog's fur, and Alec was cowering away from him, a terrified look in his eyes...

He awoke with a start, stiff from having fallen asleep in one of the low wicker chairs in the hotel bar, still clutching an unfinished drink in his paw. He set the glass down on the coffee table in front of him and rubbed his eyes with the balls of his paws, trying to force the nightmare's final, horrendous image from his mind. He was aware of the bartender eyeing him from where he stood cleaning glasses - a shaggy spaniel-cross who looked grungy despite his smart crimson uniform.

Russ pulled out his phone to check the time; it was gone two AM. He was surprised to see that he had a text, which had arrived only a few minutes ago. The phone display listed 'arsehole' as the sender - a pseudonym for his best friend Sam, the cheetah. He opened the message.

_ Hey my main dawg! How's your romantic weekend away going? I just got in from a night out and I'm inexplicably sober...feeling nosy so thought I'd text on the off chance you were up x_

Russ pondered whether he should reply and realised that he would quite like someone to open up to right now.

_ I'm not too good friend...me and Alec have had a row :-(; I'm feeling pretty cut up about it x_

He hit 'send' and a short paused followed before his phone lit up with a new message.

Oh, shit dude...what happened? Is he with you now?

Russ weighed up in his mind how much he could be bothered to tell Sam.

_ It's a long story. And no, he's up in the room. I'm in the bar._

A slightly longer pause.

_ I see. Well listen dude...whatever it is, you gotta go up to the room and sort it. I know you must be feeling pretty shit, but it's not gonna get any better until you have it out. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. _

Russ had to think for a while before he could bring himself to type what he really wanted to ask.

What if he won't to see me?

The reply was almost instant.

_ Then you wait outside the door and refuse to go away until will. You gotta let him know you care and that this is just a falling out like every couple has, and not something bigger - which I know it isn't because you and Al were made for each other dude! So get up there and get to it. _

Russ laughed in spite of how he was feeling, his nerve bolstered by Sam's straight-talk. For all his faults, Sam was a really good friend.

_ Alright, I will. Thanks for the advice. But, since when did you get so sensitive? _

Sam's answer:

_ Lol, any1 could see what a kind, sensitive soul I am just by hanging out with me ;-). But seriously, how do you think I've managed to hang on to my lynx for so long? When they need us, we gotta be there for them dude. Now hop to!_

Russ realised the bartender was probably waiting for him to leave and he drained the last of his drink, then stood and crossed to the bar to deposit his empty glass. 'Time for bed, I think,' he said to the bartender by way of conversation.

The spaniel nodded, wishing him 'Goodnight sir,' as he took the glass and disappeared behind a door marked Staff only.

Russ made his way across reception to the hotel's grand staircase and began to ascend the stairs, his heart heavy with trepidation. A thunderstorm of fear rained down doubts and questions in his mind: Alec had taken the only room key with him, so if he had locked the door, Russ wouldn't be able to get in - and if he could get in, what kind of state would Alec be in? Would he have sat up, waiting for him, confident that Russ would follow him and make things better between them? If he had, had Russ left it too late? He hadn't meant to fall asleep - perhaps Alec would have as well? Should he wake him if he had? Probably be best to let him sleep.

You gotta be there for him, he thought, turning Sam's advice into a mantra to compel him to keep going.

As he rounded the twist in the stairs he considered that, if awake, Alec might still be too angry to let him in - after all, he had never seen him so upset. But no, he didn't think that was likely; Alec would want to have it out with him. If he knew Alec the way he thought he did, he'd want them to be reconciled just as much as Russ did, who was pining for his mate and in a state of anguish because something - he wasn't even sure what - had come between them.

But what if Alec had been unable to sleep at all, and had left the hotel? It was perfectly conceivable that he could have slipped past the bar unnoticed by Russ, even whilst Russ had been awake, and it was exactly the kind of thing Alec would do: go out looking for solace in the night. That was what he had been doing when Russ had walked past him on that bench looking out to sea those few months ago.

By the time he reached the door to their room, Russ' heart was pounding in his chest. He willed himself to knock but couldn't bring himself to do it, knowing that to knock was to begin. He wanted to make up with Alec more than anything, but the prospect of another row made his stomach churn.

With a jolt of surprise he realised that the door was not in fact closed, but kept ajar by the latch, which had been left on to prevent it shutting into the frame.

This means Alec expected me to come up...and he made sure I'd be able to get in, Russ thought. He paused to draw courage and pushed against the door. It opened with a squeal, and he stepped inside.

The room was dark, the only light coming from outside through the sliding door - open - that lead on to the balcony, the white, floor-length curtains gently undulating in the breeze that wafted into the room. A quick glance at the bed told Russ that Alec wasn't there. That meant he was on the balcony.

He flicked the latch to allow the door to close properly and crossed the room, grabbing the throw blanket from on top of the bed and wrapping it around his shoulders to keep himself warm as he stepped over the runner for the sliding door and out into the cold night.

For the briefest of seconds he saw Alec standing at the far side of the balcony, dressed only in a t-shirt and jeans, his foot-paws bare, staring out over a city that seemed strangely empty, populated only by lights as small as candle flames. Then, Alec turned to face him.

'Al,' Russ began, but stopped when Alec shivered, as if by disturbing his silent vigil Russ had made him suddenly conscious of how cold it was. The soft wind flattened Alec's t-shirt against his torso as if to emphasize the point.

Without thinking about it, Russ crossed the balcony, twisting the blanket from around his shoulders as he moved and then wrapping it around Alec's small frame.

Alec bristled but didn't remove it. Russ took a step back.

'Al, I -'

'- I'm cold, Rusky,' Alec said a quiet voice, his expression was unreadable: what did he mean? Russ thought he knew. He took a gamble and closed the distance between them once again, enfolding Alec in his arms to warm him up. Then, after a minute or two, he took Alec by the paw and led him to one of the two balcony chairs, sitting himself down and then pulling Alec gently onto his knee.

Alec loosened the blanket from around himself to cover them both more effectively. His paw brushed against Russ' as Russ took one corner and tucked it behind him. Alec pressed against Russ' chest so that they were sharing body-heat and rested his head on Russ' shoulder, and Russ freed a paw from in amongst the blanket and began stroking Alec's hair. He had done the right thing.

'I'm really sorry, Al,' He said, scratching Alec's ear gently. Alec looked up at him with bright, sad eyes. 'I...tell me what happened; I feel like I don't even know.'

Alec's lips parted, and he drew in a breath. 'That leopard who shouted down at us, I was watching him the whole time. There was something about him that set my teeth on edge; I was really worried he'd try to hurt you. After he swore at you, I saw him reach into his pocket, and then there was something silvery in his hand...and I thought it was a knife.'

A swarm of different emotions marshalled in Russ' stomach and swept as one mass up through his torso and into his heart: guilt at not letting Alec tell him this earlier; relief that Alec had not been trying to impress him by acting tough; pride in his mate for standing up to someone he'd thought was armed and, most of all, love for the funny little collie sat on his knee who had been prepared to take on a knife-wielding (or so he'd thought) animal for his sake.

He broke into a smile, which became a broad grin, and then a laugh. 'You daft pup!' he said, ruffling Alec's hair. 'It was his phone!'

'I know,' Alec said sheepishly. 'I realised when I got up to the room - and that was why you were angry, because you thought I'd hit him to try and impress you or something. I wanted to come down, but...' he motioned to his eyes, and Russ realised that he had been crying.

'Oh, Tiny.' He hugged Alec tight, saying what he needed to without words. 'This is my fault - I should have listened to you when you tried to explain yourself. Can you forgive me for being such a stupid dog?'

Alec looked him straight in the eyes. 'You're never a stupid dog,' he said, full of sincerity, and before Russ knew it he had leant in and brought their lips together. He closed his eyes as they kissed, softly and for a long time. When they broke apart, Alec rested his head on Russ' chest, and the husky once again resumed scratching his ears.

'Are we...good?' Russ asked.

'Yeah,' Alec answered him. 'We're good.'

'Good, because it's been a god-awful few hours since we fell out,' Russ said, joking to lighten the mood.

'Same here,' said Alec. 'You know, the reason I went for that leopard is because I really don't know what I'd do without you, if anything ever happened to you.'

Russ felt tears welling up behind his eyes. He inhaled gently through his nose and they passed.

'Don't worry; I'm not planning on going anywhere, Tiny.'

* * *

He didn't know how long it was before they went to bed, him holding Alec tight in his arms under the covers, but he knew that they sat like that for a long time: two figures wrapped in a blanket on a small balcony, standing out amidst the sprawling mass of the city as they were blessed by the soft light of the ever-watchful stars.

* * * * *

Chapter 8: Russ and Alec

A couple of weeks later, back at University, the two of them lay together under Russ' bedcovers, naked and facing each other, each resting a cheek on his own pillow with their paws clasped between them. Their chests, exposed above the duvet, rose and fell in time.

'Are you sure you're ready?' Russ asked, at once tentative and eager.

Alec felt nervous, but not afraid. He nodded. 'I really want this, Rusky.'

Russ unclasped his paw from Alec's and reached over to the bedside cabinet. He took a small bottle from the drawer and manoeuvred himself to the foot of the bed.

Alec bent his legs at the knee and shifted so that he was comfortable. He spread them so that Russ could move up in between them.

Russ stroked Alec's shaft - already hard - with his paw, then pushed down on the lid of the bottle and lubricated his index and middle digits. He circled Alec's hole with the lightest of touches; then pressed his first two digits to it; then inside, to the first knuckle.

Alec reached down and started stroking his own shaft, ecstatic at the feeling of gentle invasion and yearning for what was to come. Russ had played with him like this a lot recently, but tonight was different: it was only a taste of things to come, not the main event. As Russ pressed his digits further inside him, Alec dragged his palm down over his shaft, giving a soft moan when Russ' final knuckle slid inside and the palm of his upturned paw pressed against Alec's ballsack.

With his free paw, Russ lubricated his own shaft, sliding his digits up and down to coat it. He withdrew the digits of his other paw sharply causing Alec to gasp, then moved right up to him, bumping their crotches together with a jolt of pleasure. 'You sexy little pup,' he said to Alec, who gave him a deliciously mischievous smile.

He aligned the tip of his shaft with Alec's hole, then leant over him and kissed him gently. As they kissed, he slowly, every-so-slowly, eased his shaft inside Alec, thrilling at the tight pleasure that enveloped it, pleasure that increased with every inch of him that Alec took. He stopped when he met resistance and Alec whimpered with some new pain, pulling back from the kiss.

'Did I hurt you?' Russ asked.

'No, but I think that's as much of you as I can take this time.'

Russ stroked Alec's cheek, then straightened up, pushing his crotch ever-so-slightly forward as he did so.

Alec braced himself. 'Have me, Russ.'

Russ began to thrust inside him, gently and slowly. After he had got used to the sensation, Alec started to push back, matching his mate's thrusts with equal force. When Russ got faster, so did Alec.

Everything Russ did, Alec returned: the increasing speed and strength of his thrusts; his rapid panting; his moans of pleasure - pleasure that neither of them had felt before as they mated with each other fully for the first time.

Russ clenched his jaw as the pleasure mounted inside him, thrilling at the sight of Alec masturbating as he took him. He knew he was close, trying to hold himself back but consumed by the repeated wave of ecstasy that surged through him with every thrust. It wouldn't have mattered if it had been otherwise, but he was in almost to the base of his shaft, despite having had to stop short. And he loved it.

Alec made a noise - a moan followed by a deep intake of breath - and he emptied his seed, which arced onto his torso and chest, touching Russ' stomach above him. The sight of Alec climaxing was devastatingly hot, and it gave Russ such a thrill that he too came, filling Alec with his seed, feeling more strong and primal than he ever had before.

He gave a few more thrusts for good measure until the last of his seed had pulsed out of him and he was completely dry. The two of them looked at each other and he laughed because he was so happy. Alec joined him, giggling and blushing.

He eased himself out from Alec as smoothly as he could, though afterwards he found himself shaking a little.

At the sight of his mate trembling, Alec reached up and pulled Russ down on top of him into a cuddle, then rolled them both over so that they were once again on their sides, face-to-face. He pulled the duvet up over them to keep Russ warm, cupping his chin and stroking Russ' cheek with his thumb.

'Are you okay, Rusky?'

'I'm good. That was really, really hot.'

'It was.' Alec smiled coyly.

When their panting had lessened, Alec turned away and Russ nuzzled up to him, wrapping his arms around him and drawing his knees up to interlock with Alec's own. Alec pressed his paw on top of Russ' (which rested against his chest) before deciding that Russ wasn't quite close enough and pulling Russ' free arm even tighter around him.

'Rusky, we just mated,' he said, still a little breathless. He couldn't stop smiling now.

'Yes we did,' Russ returned, his breath warm on Alec's neck. Alec's smile spread into a broad grin. 'This means you're mine forever,' Russ said.

Alec glanced back at him. 'I think we both know it's you who belongs to me.'

'Oh, is that so, puppy?'

'It certainly is,' said Alec, turning away again and closing his eyes as he lay on the pillow. Russ settled his muzzle against Alec's neck, just below his cheek.

'I love you, Alec,' he said, closing his eyes.

Alec squeezed his paw. 'I love you too, Russ.'

In that moment, they knew that they were perfect for each other; but they had known that already. They were well and truly in love, and they had known that too. So in a way, nothing had changed; but at the same time, this marked the beginning in the next chapter of their life together: a full and absolute declaration of their love, and a whole new kind of intimacy.

END