Trials: Chapter VI
ATTENTION!! :3
Please note: This story contains more-homosexual referenced material. There is not any sexual content, but if you don't like two teenage furs in close proximity, then you have been warned. This chapter also contains small detail to diapers/protective undergarments. If you don't like that, then the above applies as well!
VI - Assimilation
"Oh son of a--!" Jason yelled, knocking over a glass of milk onto the floor. He cursed and bent to clean up the white fluid seeping across the black floor of the kitchen. He'd been in a noticeably different mood lately. Clumsy and worn-out looking.
"Jason..." I said, about to kneel to help him. "Since when were you such a klutz?" He looked up to me; forcing a grin.
"Yeah. I dunno. Get out of here; you shouldn't be on the floor anyway. I'll get this cleaned up myself." He replied.
I rubbed my head; not wanting to argue or upset him, so I left him alone and went to the den where the television was flickering with the scene of a killer chasing a half naked fox in the woods. She screamed and looked behind her; and the camera flipped and showed the crazed bear barreling after her.
"She'll trip.." I mumbled, and moments later she did. She rolled to face her pursuer; who stood over her before cleaving her with a butcher knife. "Always the same.." I mumbled, unamused. Jason sat beside me, and set another glass of milk on the coffee table. "Thanks."
"Watch your feet in the kitchen.. especially around the sink. Might be some glass left." He informed opening his portfolio and sighing to blow off pressure; the same way I do when I'm settling in to relax. "Oh.. Alex may be here later today. Is that okay with you?" He asked between shading a block of his strip.
"Yeah. Sure. He hasn't been to our house yet; has he?" I asked to confirm my thoughts. He shook his head.
"Dunno when yet; but we may have him over for dinner."
For a while; the sound of sizzling steaks and bubbling soups and casseroles and exited talking was all that either of us heard. The otter host of the cooking show was going into detail about marinating meat and the good amount out lemon and pepper to use; and about how long each pound of meat should have in the mix per part. I had in fact eaten the exact course he was detailing; and it was quite good. I got bored of that and eventually shut the TV off.
Alex got to our place around three; and the two of us went upstairs to mess around until whatever Jason was making was done; As soon as I shut my door; Alex turned to me and apologized, probably thinking that I considered what happened was his fault. I stood firm and told him the only fault was my mouth; and he relaxed and even smiled a little at that. The two of us; after catching up on events in my life and what happened to Sal and his lackeys, decided to play the PS3 for a while. I became bored of Little Big Planet and let him take the system over; so I watched him play Final Fantasy for an hour or so until we became engrossed in chat about Chocobo's and how much the game had changed since Cloud's earth shattering debut.
"The change from Final Fantasy six and seven was so awesome" He said excitedly. "Now look at how thirteen and twelve are different!"
"Yeah. The ATB system is a lot better.. but I don't like how the game is so streamlined. I miss the open endedness of it. Gran Pulse is pretty open, but it doesn't have much for storyline progression like twelve did. Remember how the missions on it were?"
"Yeah.. That was something. I do like the Crystarium though." he said; defeating another Long Gui. Long Gui are the strongest non boss enemies in the game but are really simple if your party has high enough development. "Have you beaten Vercinigoterix yet?" he added, referring to possibly the hardest boss in the entire game.
"Nah. I'm working on Hope's Saboteur role first. I've tried it though." I answered as he began the mission to defeat the monstrous C'eith. His endeavor lasted about twenty minutes before his party leader fell; ending the battle. He saved and quit; then shut the system off.
"Geez I hate that thing" He laughed, to which I nodded in agreement.
"Dinner is done guys." Said a voice from the door. We followed Jason downstairs to the kitchen where an enormous pizza and plate of fried chicken sat steaming. The three of us ate most of the pizza and all but two pieces of chicken.
I helped Jason clean up the table and part of the dishes before he shooed me away. I found Alex sitting at the foot of the stairs. "Hey. You don't need to wait up for me. Make yourself at home" I said. He smiled and took off upstairs with an "Okay".
When I was sure he was upstairs; I returned to Jason and asked whether or not he would allow Alex to stay the night. He shrugged. "Hey; I don't care. You'll have to ask his mom first though, shouldn't you? .. Ah, I'll call her in a bit.. don't worry about it. I'll be up later on with a yes or no okay? Now; out of my laboratory!"
I laughed and said "Okay, cool. Thanks Jason." and headed back upstairs.
".... May produce hail and strong winds; stay inside until the winds die down and try to be away from windows. Heavy lightning has also been reported to be associated with the cell. We'll keep you updated on this system as it develops through the night." Warned the storm-alert radio by my computer as I entered and shut the door. "Hey, uhm; where is your restroom at?" asked Alex eagerly.
"Oh! Sorry; mine is right through that door. There's another one downstairs too. I don't mind you using mine though." I said, gesturing to each's direction.
He nodded and bolted into mine, closing the door softly as possible in his rush. I took the opportunity to change into a night shirt and shorts; and turned on the TV on to check the radar on the weather channel. The radio alert seemed to do it no justice; as the color coded map showed purple and orange blobs scattered all along the west portion of Alvenia and parts of Nieore, the western province; which really situated to the north-west of Alvenia. Though the radar reported the storm system sweeping into Alvenia's northern parts, the radio alert announced it would hit most of the province's central area. I growled and changed the channel as the door to my bathroom creaked shut.
"Heh.. Uh, sorry bout that." He said. He moved toward his bag that he'd brought and wrote something.
"Hey; want to mess around on the computer a while?" I asked, just as Jason knocked on the door. I got up and turned it on; then opened the door to let him in. "Oh.. hi Jason?" I greeted; wondering why he'd knocked.
"Hey kids." He joked. "Mrs. Matthews says Alexander can stay the night if he wanted. I told her he's welcome to any time he wants to stay." He seemed to know something that Alex and I didn't.
"... she.. she did?" said Alex, looking away from the dim screen of the computer. Jason nodded. "That she did." He smiled warmly; and before Alex said his next line; Jason answered the question Alex might have started to ask. "she said if you wanted to stay she would bring your clothes and anything else you wanted over." Jason winked an eye as he finished.
"Oh.. okay.. well.. um.. Can.. I guess so." Alex said, seeming relaxed. I of course was at a loss on anything exchanged between them with the wink. Jason called to confirm and Alex went downstairs to wait for her, while he and I moved things around and made the room a bit more suited for two people.
"Hey. Lewis; I know you aren't too territorial about your stuff anyway; but be sure to let him feel welcome to use our things." he whispered as I shoved my bed further against the wall.
"I know. I don't care if he uses anything in here. I already told him where the bathrooms are and that he can use the computer or whatever."
He nodded. "Oh, and you be careful. Be sure to take care of that bandage." He said; indicating the one covering the wound from Sal's claws on my stomach.
I laughed a little. Alex tapped on the door from outside. "Hey Jason..? My mom wants you. She's outside."
"Alright, need any help with your stuff?" He replied, opening the door and following Alex back downstairs.
I took the time to examine my nose; which by now only slightly bothered me if I messed with it. The stitches were gone; and now the only reminder of an incident was a faint white line on the side. I wondered if it would ever fade out; and if not, if there were likely some ointment out there to make scars disappear; along with those that promised to make bristled fur a thing of the past, or those that would dye your fur for six months. Banging sounds from the stairs brought me back to current events; and I saw the white ears of a fox making his way up with a black suitcase and backpack.
"Here.. let me get that." Jason said. A black-furred arm reached out to take the luggage. Alex hurried up the stairs the remainder of the way.
"Thanks." He said, smiling with a light red tinge underlying his cheeks. His tail was making wavy movements through the air as he stood otherwise perfectly still. Jason made his way to the top and into my room, and with an enthused sigh he set the suitcase down by the door to my closet. The bag; he handed to Alex.
"No problem bud. Alright. Here's the game plan. Both of you are teenagers; so I don't expect you to be in bed and asleep at ten, but at least try to keep the noise down after then. No dancing for rain or playing football in the bathtub, you know what I mean.. anyway," He chuckled, "Should you need me, I'll be downstairs until around 10:30 working. Alex; you don't have to; but if you like you can take a shower whenever. Let's see.. And uhm.. try not to be a five star chef tonight should you guys need a snack," he said, nodding toward me. "and I think that's it?"
Alex nodded and confirmed his understanding, then looked around as if he expected someone to give him a contract to sign. Jason let us be, and I told Alex about Jason's job; which he knew most of already. He decided to take a shower, so I showed him to the shower and helped him set the water (which is very hard to adjust to a fine setting). "Oh, uhm; I forgot my shampoo and stuff... can I use yours?" He asked before I let him be.
"Yup. Use whatever you want. I personally like the stuff in the grey bottle. Just a pea-drop and you're in an ocean of suds; so go easy on the amount. I had enough suds to bathe 800 homeless bears twice when I used a pawful of I once."
"Heh, okay, thanks." He said. I turned and left the bathroom and pulled the door to. The radio alert for the storm update went off in it's pre-recorded voice, now announcing the tornado watch being extended to one AM. I checked the time; 7:43. I went to the window where the dark night was illuminated by sporadic flashes of light. There was not any sign of thunder yet; which mean the lightning was to far away for the sound to travel to me, or that it was only heat lightning. I sighed and decided to change the bandage; so I dragged the contents of a bag that said "RX" in the common prescription style out and set them on my bed. Changing the bandage wasn't too difficult besides the fact that there was an ugly, shaven patch of red tender skin that I had forgotten about, and I decided to prod at before cleaning out the area, and neither action felt like a bed of daisy's and rosebuds. Alex returned as I was putting away the supplies; and wondered where he could put his dirty clothes. I got another basket and set it by my dirty clothes; just to keep his from getting lost in mine.
"That stuff you let me use is awesome" he said. "What is it?"
"I dunno. Some non-prescription sensitive skin shampoo Jason gets in the city. He always brings a giant bottle home and just refills our smaller ones when they get low."
"Okay." He said, smiling. "It smells good too. I hope I didn't make a mess of your bathroom. It looked better before I was in there."
"Don't worry 'bout it. I'll clean up in a bit; you can mess around while I do that. Shouldn't take long."
He nodded and got back on the computer, watching videos from a group I emailed him about. The bathroom smelled of powder, though I saw none; nor did I even know I had any. I dried the floor a bit more and got the showerhead to stop dripping by letting it flow through the spout. Something I noticed was the absence of fur inside the shower. Whenever Jason or I take a shower; some fur usually ends up in the catch built into the drain. I wondered if it had to do with species, since Alex was a fox, maybe his fur didn't shed as much when wet.
When I finished, he was watching the episode I had watched the night before. He chuckled occasionally, and his tail swayed around along with his glee.
"Greatest episode ever, am I right?" I laughed with him as it ended.
"Right? Do I even want to know what Cory did to make her so mad!?" He said. "Ugh, once a week releases can be so teasing. I wanna see what happens!"
"I bet Natasha wins the nacho supreme challenge. That otter can eat!" I guessed. Alex jumped as the radio screeched another update, telling the residents of some area in Fye to bunker down in case of tornadic events until some time twenty minutes from now.
".. about thirty three grallals away, with 40 GPH windspeeds, please take cover and stay tuned. This warning will expire at 8:40 tonight. Beeeeeeeeeep! "
"Huh. I guess the storm did move north.." I said.
Alex looked to me. "Is that storm anywhere near here? I mean, the trail of it?" I shrugged and checked the map, which showed a considerably smaller blob about ten miles from our location. "No, well; yes, but that portion isn't as violent as that bit there - I pointed - in Fye." His ears flattened some. "Why? Something the matter?"
"Oh.. I just... I don't like storms much. I kinda freak out in them. " He said, as if it were a crime.
"Oh, thats okay. Nothing wrong with being afraid of something you can't control or predict easily. Is there anything I might be able to do to help out?" I asked.
He shrugged and continued clicking through news about upcoming game releases, watching various videos and debates a few comedy clips from popular movies or shows. He eventually closed out the browser and stretched, the words "I'm done" lost in a yawn. We decided to watch a horror movie. After starting it I went downstairs for a bowl of chips, and returned to find him sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.
"Hey" I said, shutting the door as a window shattered on the movie. "Got some chips and some sodas. By the way, you can sit on my bed if you want... I wont make you sit down there."
He looked up at me and smiled, "Ok." then climbed onto the bed as I did. I had already pulled the heavy cover down, and I got under it as I became more comfortable. Alex turned out to be as horror-move savvy as I am; and we both sat betting on what stupid move the main characters would make next. We had drained our drinks and most of the chips by the time the movie was finished. I gave him control of what to watch next on TV while I went to throw away our trash; and I put a blanket over Jason, who had once again fallen asleep doodling. I returned to Alex to find him writing in a notebook again. He put it away, while I shut the blinds and bedroom door.
"Anything good on?" I asked, heading back toward the bed.
"Uhm.. got a Mythbusters marathon, some cheesy movies on the Sci Fi channel, and a movie I've never heard of on the "Chiller" channel. I don't think we get that one at my house." He informed me. "Its on that right now"
"Alright" I said, ears perking to the sound of distant thunder.
'He must not have heard it.' I mused; noticing his attention on the opening sequence.
***
Alex and I were both watching the movie on Chiller in awe. Neither of us had seen the movie before, which depicted a madman injecting a disease into people that he abducted. The disease caused a horrible illness that freak--mutated and began a contagious pandemic across the nation, the government unable to stop its progress. Near the climax of the movie, a group of tribesmen were found that seemed immune to the disfiguring plague, though the mutated beings roaming the place made the reconnaissance mission a suspenseful voyage that seemed the solution to the story. By now Alex had apparently heard the thunder outside, since every now and then he would wince. The movie ended leaving both of us wanting more, and as the credits rolled I went online to discover that a sequel was showing in theaters some time this year.
I once again got into bed. It was raining very heavily outside and Alex appeared as though he were shivering; and the temperature outside had indeed dropped.
"Hey.. get under the blankets or whatever Alex. You want a pair of pajama pants instead of those shorts?" He nodded, and I pointed to where my nightwear was at. He ran into the bathroom and changed, then came back out and let out a small squeak as a loud bang of thunder rumbled through the house.
"Better." He said as he pulled the blankets over himself. He was still shaking somewhat; but now It was probably from anxiety. He lay quiet for a long while; while I watched a stand-up act by a tiger dressed in a colorful dragon costume on a comedy channel. I fought sleep off for a good while; though as it always does, it won the battle.
***
I was jerked out of sleep by loud crashes of thunder and whistling wind. Between incidents of thunder, I was sure I could hear Alex whimpering into the pillow. I raised up on my elbow and tapped him lightly. He twitched and shuddered, letting out a shaky "Yeah?" in lone response. I sighed, unsure what to do to help calm him; so I just rubbed his shoulder gently.
"You okay? Have you slept at all tonight?"
"Mh-mm." He said. "I can't.."
I felt bad for him. I relaxed again and lay my head back on the pillow, leaving my other paw to rub his shoulder again. He seemed to relax some, until the break in thunder stopped and another brilliant flash was met with a retort of superheated air crashing together. My ears twitched from the suddenness of it; while Alex nearly jumped out of his fur. I stopped rubbing his shoulder and instead put my arm around him, regretting it almost immediately and wondering when he'd leap from the bed and pound me in the muzzle. He didn't though; in the winding decrescendo of the air's turmoil, I heard him let loose a relaxed sigh nearly matching the fading chaos. I shivered and closed my eyes, wanting sleep to return to me. Alex shifted around, rolling to face me. In the dark I could see him hesitate for a moment before he moved closer and pushed his nose under my chin. And like that, with my arm over his back protectively and his shivering body huddled against mine, he fell asleep within minutes. The pattering of the rain outside soothed my senses, and though I couldn't smell it over Alex's proximity, it lulled me to sleep.
The motion of Alex shifting around roused me from sleep. I felt something brush against my chest, and then a puff of air through my fur in the same general area before another moment of movement. I opened my eyes to see his black nose pointed upward at my own head; nearly the same as I fell asleep last night; only now I wasn't quite hugging him as I was. The appearance of him sleeping brought me to smile. Though I attempted to deny it; I found myself wondering how long he would remain sleeping. After a while though; I began making small movements to rouse him; since I had to pee like crazy and he would have to move for me to get up. I shifted my knee to meet his opposite leg, pushing a bit and slid down, trying to lift him off a little. No response. I waited a few moments to formulate my next plan; which consisted of an excessively loud groan and huff directed to his face. I seemed to wake up when sudden different smells hit me; so I did both. This time he shifted his head upward, his nose pointed to the wall behind us. I waited. And waited. Until finally he moved again, opening his muzzle in a wide yawn. He rolled to his side so he was facing away from me and no longer had physical contact with my body. He didn't move any further, so I assumed he'd drifted back to sleep.
I took the opportunity to use the bathroom and check my bandage, which was fine until I needed to shower later on. I went to check on Alex again, noticing he was uncovered and probably cold (I was, and I had longer fur). I noticed a blueish fabric poking out of the pair of pajama pants he wore.
'Guess he has bladder issues then?" I thought, remembering his urgency last night and unwillingness to be in less than outerwear within my sight. I covered him and closed the blind to block out more sunlight, then made my way downstairs. Jason had emigrated from the couch and put his work materials away since he had to submit some things today, as well as restock on some things he'd ran out of. (Namely a working sharpener and a four hundred page sketchbook he already had at least three of) I decided to kick the heat on. The storm must have brought in a huge cold front, since the difference between this morning's temperatures and the previous was a pair of shorts and t-shirt; and now jeans and a medium jacket.
I noticed a note attached to the coffee table, addressed to me.
"Lewis; Depending in what time your crazy teenage body wakes up this morning; I'm either already gone or still asleep. If nothing is on the coffee table when you read this, I'm in the city at my publisher's office submitting some work that I had to make up. I'll pick up some food and stuff on my way back; I should be home no later than two.
P.S :: Cover me up at night again and I'll be sure to make spaghetti for a whole week!"
I laughed and shook my head, tossing the note in the trash before heading back upstairs to find Alex staring up at the ceiling. When he noticed me coming, his ears folded back.
I thought it best not to mention the previous night, since he and I; noticeably, were embarrassed. I instead asked if he was hungry.
"Not really." He said, "Not right now at least."
He continued to look in the opposite direction. I though about the possible protection he might've been wearing and wondered how to let him know I wasn't going to tease him over it; so I instead suggested I would leave the room when he wanted to change. "I'll take the trash out downstairs or something. If it's empty I'll make a mess and clean that up instead." He smirked a little, scratching at his neck.
"Ok. Can I get a shower...?"
"Yep. Go for it. Need any clothes or whatever? There should be towels and all that in there. Or you can take the fur drier for a spin." I suggested. "You'll look like a ball of cotton until you brush your fur though."
"I know, I used one at a hotel once when I was on vacation. Yours is a bit nicer than theirs though. And I brought some with me."
_ _ I got up and messed with my computer, then ran downstairs to get a "drink". I waited a few minutes, then went back upstairs. Alex had retreated to the bathroom.
I felt bad for him. I was surprised he even wanted to stay given the situation of him wearing a pullup, or whatever it had been; I would definitely have not taken that leap so soon. I made up the bed some and got out a change of clothes so I could shower after Alex and turned the TV on as an invitation for him to play the PS3 or watch TV while I was showering. I heard the water shut off, then a small clunking sound as the lock on the bathroom door was retracted.
"Uhm.." started a black nose peeking though the small space the door opened. "Could I have my backpack?"
I picked it up and reached around the side of the door until he grabbed it and shut the door again. It opened again a short time later, and out came a perfectly groomed white fox. Nearly the same as the one I saw at school so many weeks ago; though now his fur had a peculiar luster to it.
"Bet you feel better." I chirped, blasting at enemies in Ratchet and Clank with a weapon that resembled an enormous toad that belched blasts of air.
"Uhm.. Yeah." He said. He hadn't yet passed me yet, which meant he still stood by the bed and bathroom door. I didn't look his direction as a sign of respect. He seemed to make himself busy, though without speaking or moving still. I sighed; deciding to try to let him relax some. "Alex; you don't need to be ashamed of it. I'm not going to make fun of you or anything."
I heard him shuffle his feet. I know he felt trapped, but unless I went through with it he would probably hate me. I hated myself for bringing the subject up ssoon as I spoke.
"I smelled powder in the bathroom last night after you were out, and I saw this morning after I got up. The blankets weren't on you when I went to cover you back up I noticed part of something was poking out of your pants. I thought they may have been wings at first. Or maybe fins." I smiled. He shuffled closer to me, still not saying anything. It was obviously a touchy subject, especially for him since he was the focal point. I looked to the side as I fell off a moving platform.
"Still buds?" He asked quetly.
I nodded. "Well duh. Why would a pull-up stop me from being friends with a cool kid? I mean; dude. You're a white fox. A Fyian one at that! That's pretty rockin."
He walked closer and hugged me suddenly, becoming emotional. I wanted to punch myself since I felt bad for upsetting him. He set his nose into my shoulder, leaving me wondering what else to do but hug him until he got over the bump.
"I guess it is.. but you're a wolf with a fox tail. That is cool." he said in a shaky, teary eyed voice; although with a faint smile. "I have nighttime accidents." He looked down, continuing. "My bladder is underdeveloped or something.. I dunno why. I think the doctors aren't telling me the real reason... I wore a nightie because I didn't want to have anything happen here. I guess I'm glad I did.. cause I wasn't expecting to have a panic attack and wind up in your bed either."
"Well. As long as you're here, you don't need to be ashamed of yourself or things you can't help. Really. " I said, patting his shoulder reassuringly.
"Does that mean future sleepovers?" He said, smiling. "I had.. am having; fun. Better than sitting at home staring at my computer or sleeping."
"Sure. Just because we're teenagers doesn't' mean we won't have fun." I chimed, patting his back. "Now then. What do you say we partner up and take on some dudes on that game you brought?"