Off The Field: Chapter Eight
#8 of Off The Field Story Series
Chapter Eight of Off The Field series! This chapter marks something special because this is where Kris had ended writing the series and gave it up. So this means that the continuation of the series after this chapter will be 100% my work. I'm a little nervous about it, but I do like how I have everything fall together in the end, and I hope you guys will enjoy it too! As always, rate, comment, and fave!
There is an early cold October wind sweeping through the town of Xavier. The Leaves have turned wonderful shades of red, yellow, and orange. It's pretty, I will admit, but the cold wind and dropping temperatures really reminds me of the approaching winter season. I glance at the arctic fox walking next to me, his bright blue eyes reflecting the brilliant colors of autumn and the evening golden sunlight. His winter coat is already starting to grow in, which is just another reminder of winter's approach. I really hate winter.
"It's so pretty." Rhy comments as he kicks a pile of leaves on the sidewalk.
"It is now, until the snow starts piling up." I grumble in reply.
"What's wrong with snow?" Rhy asks with an amused sideways glance.
"Everything. It's cold, wet, piles up everywhere-"
"I love snow." Rhy interrupts with a small smile.
"Well you're an arctic fox. Of course you love snow." I snort.
"Well some wolves like snow."
"Well this wolf doesn't."
"Whatever. Hey, what are you planning to do for Thanksgiving break?" Rhy asks as his tail swishes against mine.
Oh shit, I completely forgot about Thanksgiving break. It's still a long time away, but my parents had already called me and asked if I was coming home to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family.
"Probably going to my parents." I reply as I pull my coat tighter against the autumn chill. "What about you?"
"Same." Rhy replies, then adds, "Although I was wondering if you'd want to spend some of your vacation with me and my family."
"Really? I thought you didn't get along too well with your parents?" I ask in surprise.
"I used too, but now that they know I'm dating The Kale Milenski, they tend to be more interested in my life."
"What? You told them about us?"
Rhy smirked. "Well of course I did. Don't worry though, I told them you're not out yet. Anyways, it's not like as if they're going to tell anyone either."
"Gee thanks." I mutter.
Rhy sighs as he rolls his eyes. "Okay stud, what's wrong with telling my parent's about my boyfriend?"
"Oh nothing, just the fact that my boyfriend went ahead and told his parents about his boyfriend without asking me how I felt about that." I snap back.
"Well it had to happen sometime."
"You didn't even mention it to me though!"
"And if I did, you would've freaked out and fretted over it for several days, and then you wouldn't be able to focus on football or school."
I try to think of a smart retort but nothing comes to mind. Damn fox, he knows exactly what to say to keep my mouth shut.
"I'm not asking you to make a decision right this very moment. Thanksgiving break is still a long ways away, so you have plenty of time to give it some thought." Rhy continues as he locks eyes with me.
"Fine. I'll think about it." I mutter.
Rhy nods but I can tell he's a little upset by the way his ears are pulled back slightly.
"So what's for dinner tonight?" I ask, hoping to change the subject.
"Well it's your turn to buy tonight stud. I bought last night." Rhy replies as he hops over a pile of leaves.
"Fine. What are you in the mood for?"
Rhy looks up thoughtfully. "Something...with rice."
"Be more specific."
Rhy sighs. "Chinese food, Kale. I'm in the mood for Chinese food."
I ignore Rhy's sudden bitter mood as we make our way back to the dorms. I order Chinese food as Rhy steps into the bathroom to take a shower. He didn't bother asking me if I wanted to join him so I know he's pissed at me, but I really don't want to explain to him why I really don't want to spend some of my Thanksgiving break with his family. Seems pretty self-explanatory to me, but obviously not to Rhy.
The phone suddenly rings and I snap out of my thoughts to answer it.
"Hey Kale! What's up man?" Dev asks from the other end of the phone.
"Not much man. Rhy and I just ordered dinner." I reply as I sit down on the bed and cradle my cellphone against my ear.
"Okay sweet. So you're at your dorm?"
"Yes."
"Can I stop over real quick? I have to tell you something important."
"Uh sure. Hey, why did you call if you're just a few rooms away?" I ask.
"That doesn't matter. I'll be over soon."
Before I'm able to reply, Dev hangs up. I remain sitting on my bed after I hang the phone up. Rhy steps out of the bathroom wearing nothing, his fur still damp with water. He smells really nice though.
Dev tends to have this way of just barging into a room without even knocking. Sure enough, the door swings open with a loud bang and Dev just walks in as if it's his own dorm.
"Hey dude! You'll never guess what-" He stops talking as he stares at Rhy. His ears flatten against his head as he realizes what he just walked in on. "I...uh...this is a bad time, isn't it?"
Before I'm able to say anything, Rhy smiles and leans against the doorframe. "Well hey there sexy. You come around here often?"
Dev stifles a laugh and elbows me in the ribs.
"Go put some fucking clothes on!" I hiss as I stand up and push him back into the bathroom. I turn back around to face Dev. "I-uh-s-sorry about that." I stammer as I rub the back of my neck. "You know Rhy...he can be such a pain in the ass sometimes."
"I believe it's the other way around, stud." Rhy comments from behind the bathroom door.
Dev gives up trying to hold in his laughter and lets it out loudly as I pound a fist into the door, letting Rhy know that I want him to shut his mouth.
"Okay, stop laughing. What did you want to tell me?" I ask as I fold my arms across my chest.
"It's about the playoffs." Dev replies, his tail twitching in excitement behind him.
My ears perk up. "What about the playoffs?"
"Dude, we're going to fucking Grovetown for our first game!" Dev exclaims.
"What? Are you serious?" I ask in excitement.
"Of course I'm serious!" Dev replies as he claps a paw onto my shoulder.
A quiet knock suddenly comes from the other side of the bathroom door, followed by Rhy's voice. "I'm dressed now Kale. May I come out now?"
I get up off of the door and allow Rhy to come out, his ears slightly folded down as he steps out of the bathroom.
"Well I'll let you two alone now." Dev says as he smiles. "Have a good night Rhy! I'll see you tomorrow at practice Kale?"
"Count on it." I reply as I wave the panther goodbye.
As soon as Dev leaves, I turn to face Rhy, who is sitting on his bed with his ears folded down and a remorseful look on his face. He knows he's going to hear it from me and he tries to look as pitiful and cute as he can. Sometimes it works and I do have to admit, he looks so damn cute when he gets like this.
"What the fuck was that about?" I growl.
Rhy's ears flatten even more against his head. "I don't know. I just felt like having some fun. It's just funny how you tend to get all worked up."
"The hell it is! Is that what you're going to do when I come over to your parents? Embarrass me in front of them?"
Rhy smiles slightly as he crosses his arms. "So you are planning on going?"
"What? No! I told you, I'll think about it!" I exclaim in frustration.
"Fine, fine. Calm down Kale. I was just kidding around." Rhy replies as he waves a paw at me.
It seriously pisses me off how he tends to think everything is a game.
"Yeah, whatever." I grumble as I sit down beside him on the bed.
Rhy scoots closer to me and sets his white paw on the zipper of my jeans. My mind is too angry at him to do anything, but my cock tends to think differently.
"Let me help you take your mind off some things." Rhy whispers as he begins to unbutton my pants.
"I can undress myself, you know." I mutter as I push his paws away.
Rhy's ears twitch slightly, but he doesn't push any farther. My anger soon subsides after dinner and I soon find myself pressed up against Rhy in bed. He had just finished riding me and I'm basking in the afterglow.
"You still mad at me?" Rhy asks as he draws lazy circles in the fur on my chest with his finger.
I sigh as I rub my paw through his fur. "No. I just wish...you'd take things a little bit more seriously sometimes, like not embarrass me in front of my friends."
"But it was Dev though." Rhy replies as he rests his paw on my sticky sheath. "He knows about us."
"I know. It's just...weird." I reply as I move my paw down to his perfect rump.
"Okay, I won't do it again sweetie." Rhy whispers as he nuzzles me.
I smile and give the arctic fox a kiss, which he gladly returns. "Thank you. I appreciate that." I reply.
Rhy goes silent for a while, long enough for me to believe that he fell asleep. I'm about to doze off when he whispers, "So you'll be traveling quite a bit now, I'm guessing?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" I ask sleepily.
"Playoffs. Grovetown is pretty far away."
I blink in the darkness as I rub Rhy's fur. "You heard us talking?"
I feel Rhy nod. "Yes."
He's right. I will be traveling a lot now.
"And I'm guessing that I won't be able to go with you?"
I stare into the darkness as I continue rubbing my paw through Rhy's fur. "I don't know."
I don't have the heart to tell him that I won't be able to take him. The team is already suspicious about Rhy. What would they think if I brought him with me to the playoffs?
I end up thinking about it so much that I find it hard to fall asleep, despite how tired my body feels. Any night with Rhy next to me, I have no trouble falling asleep, but this night I toss and turn restlessly. Rhy is sleeping soundly next to me, his chest rising and falling steadily. I stare at him and wish I could do more for him. I find myself wishing that it wasn't so hard to keep our relationship a secret. I really do want to take him along with me, but the constant reminder of me coming out is still an ache in the back of my mind.
This is when I start thinking dangerously. Sometimes I wonder how easy my life would be right now if I had fallen in love with a cute female. Instead, I've fallen for another guy...a cute and wonderful guy, who makes my heart ache when we aren't together for even the smallest amount of time. I just wish it wasn't so hard. I guess we just don't choose who to fall in love with. All my life I believed that I would find a nice female wolf and end up marrying her and living a happy and normal life. Me falling in love with Rhy just goes to show how unpredictable but absolutely beautiful love can be. Sometimes things just don't fit nicely and neatly into your life, and I tend to lose sight of that sometimes, but when I look into Rhy's eyes I'm reminded that he's the one perfect piece that completes my life, and nothing can replace that one important piece.
Practice is absolutely horrible the next day, but that's only because we're preparing for playoffs. Well, that, and the fact that I didn't get that much sleep last night. My mind is still tumbling over the decision of going to Rhy's parents for some of my break, and whether if there was a way for me to bring the fox with me during my playoff games without rousing any suspicion from the team. I'm so focused on these conflicts that I end up not paying any attention and end up screwing up all of the plays. I get sacked three times and throw two incomplete and sloppy passes to the wide receiver. Coach storms over to me on my fourth botched play, his tail thrashing back and forth angrily.
"Head! In! The! Game!" Coach shouts angrily at me. I remain silent and clear my head. This time I get the play right.
Practice ends and I quickly leave the field without saying a word to coach. I know he's furious at my performance, especially since we're off to the playoffs. I don't make any contact with the rest of the team as I enter the locker room and strip down for a much needed shower.
"What the hell is wrong Kale?" Simmons asks as he cleans the dirt out of his spotted fur. "You've never thrown so many bad passes to me."
"Sorry." I mutter as I wash the dirt out of my own fur. "I just wasn't paying attention."
"Well you better start paying attention. I don't want you throwing passes like that during the game." Simmons comments.
"Piss off." I growl as I turn the water off and step out of the shower.
Simmons just snorts and returns to scrubbing his fur. I quickly get dressed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt and step out into the chilly autumn air.
"Hey Kale! Wait up!" Dev yells after me.
I stop walking and let the panther catch up to me.
"Hey man, what's going on today? Something on your mind?" Dev asks as he shoulders his duffel bag.
"Nothing." I mutter. "Just stressed."
"About what? Family? School? Playoffs?" He glances around and lowers his voice to a whisper. "Rhy?"
"How about all of the above?" I sigh.
"You want to talk about it?"
I'm about to dismiss the panther but then I realize that Dev is the only one I can really talk to about my problems.
"Sure. Anywhere private?" I ask.
"My dorm? Roommate's not there." Dev replies with a shrug.
I do end up following Dev back to his dorm. Rhy's drama practice doesn't end until eight tonight so I have plenty of time to talk to Dev before I have to go pick him up.
"So what's up?" Dev asks as we step into his dorm.
"Stuff." I sigh as I collapse onto his bed. "I really want Rhy to be able to come to my playoff games with me."
Dev grimaces and nods. "Kale, just warning you dude, the team's already a little suspicious about you and-"
"Yeah, yeah. I know that Dev." I interrupt. "It's just that...he really wants to go and watch me, and I really don't want to leave him back here alone."
"Have you tried explaining to him about the risk if he does come along?" Dev asks as he takes a soda from the mini fridge and cracks it open.
"Yes. He says he understands, but I can tell he's really disappointed." I sigh as I stare at my paws in my lap. "I just wish there was some way he could come along without anyone knowing."
Dev's ears suddenly perk up. "Maybe there is!"
I watch Dev rummage around in his duffel bag for a few seconds until he pulls out a white envelope. He tosses it to me and I catch it in my paws.
"What is this?" I ask curiously as I inspect the envelope.
"Plane tickets! To every city where our playoff games are held!" Dev replies with a smile.
"What? How did you manage to get these?" I ask in disbelief as I pull the stack of tickets out and file through them.
"I managed to get them for free when I told coach that my father wanted to show up at every game. My father and coach are really good friends so he managed to get these for my dad."
"I don't want to take these if they're for your dad though." I reply as I stuff the tickets back into the envelope.
Dev waves a paw at me. "Don't worry about it. I found out that my dad gets free flights through his job."
My eyes light up again. "So...you really want me to have these?"
Dev nods and gives me a wide smile. "It would insult me if you didn't take those, Kale."
"Thanks so much man!" I exclaim as I stuff the envelope into my pocket.
Dev grins proudly. "See? What would you possibly do without me?"
"I'd probably be passing all of my classes." I chuckle.
"Hey! Be nice." Dev playfully growls.
I chuckle again as I stand up and give Dev a slap on the back as I leave, my paw already dialing Rhy's number. He doesn't answer, even though his play practice just ended. I glance at the time on my phone. I'm too excited to wait for him in our dorm, so I make my way down to the auditorium, a happy skip in my steps.
"So you're buying me plane tickets?" Rhy asks with a sigh and a sideways glance. "Kale, I don't like you spending your money on me."
I decided to keep the fact that Dev gave the tickets to me a secret and tell Rhy over dinner. I decided to order pizza tonight, and now we're cuddled up on my bed.
"I actually didn't buy these." I reply as I take a bite of pepperoni pizza. "Dev gave me these.
Rhy's ears twitch slightly as he chews thoughtfully. "And what about the hotel?"
"You can sleep in my room. I'm already rooming with Dev in every hotel and he won't mind."
"That means we won't be able to do anything though, unless Dev doesn't mind watching." Rhy replies dryly.
"We'll find time." I say as I wrap my arms around his slender body and pull him in close against me. "Christ Rhy, just be happy that you're going with me and things are actually working out! Just relax!"
"I can't relax when I know you're still going to be spending money on me." Rhy says as he rests his head against my chest.
"Stop it mister. Right Now." I command as I nibble his pointy ears.
"Fine! Fine! I will! Just stop!" Rhy giggles as he squirms away from me.
For as second we both stare into each other's eyes. His white paws move up underneath my shirt and begin to stroke my fur. I slip my paw underneath the waistband of his sweatpants and begin to slip them down over his toned hips. His muzzle presses up against mine, and that's when the world and all of its problems fade away.
I'm not so sure how long we were at it, but when my eyes flutter open from the light of the television, the digital clock next to the bed reads one in the morning. My paw is sticky from Rhy's climax and the fur on my chest is dry and matted. Rhy is sleeping soundly next to me, his one paw still resting on my sheath. I smile and gently lift his paw off. Rhy's eyes flutter open.
"Hey there." I whisper as I give him a quick kiss on the nose. "You want to go clean up?"
Rhy yawns and nods with a sleepy smile. I pick him up in my arms and carry him into the bathroom. I set the fox down on the toilet as I start the shower up.
"What time is it?" Rhy asks as he yawns again.
"One in the morning." I reply as I test the water with my paw. "We must've been at it for a while."
"Considering how sore I am, I agree." Rhy says with a soft smile.
"Sorry. Was I too rough?"
"No, it's just...been awhile."
We both step into the shower and take turns lathering up each other's fur with soap. Rhy ends up taking his time on certain parts of me, and we end up getting all hot and bothered again. I end up fucking him again, this time pressed against the shower wall. We end up getting messy again and quickly clean ourselves again.
"That's the good thing about doing it in the shower." Rhy comments as he sits on the edge of the bed and dries his fur. "Soap makes everything move easier, and it's easy clean-up."
"Very true." I chuckle as I lay down on the bed.
Rhy lies down next to me and presses his naked body against mine.
"Have you given any more thought on coming over to my parents?" Rhy asks after a few minutes of silence pass by.
I'm about to protest and tell Rhy that I really don't want to think about it, but then I remember how he's willing to come to my playoffs. I know he absolutely hates it when I spend money on him and when I put my football career at risk, but he's willing to put that discomfort aside just to make me happy. Maybe that's what I need to do. Maybe I just need to put my discomfort of being introduced to Rhy's parents as his boyfriend aside to make Rhy happy.
"I have." I finally reply with a smile. "I will go."
Despite the darkness, I can still see Rhy's blue eyes shimmer brilliantly.
"Really?" He whispers.
"Sure, why not?" I reply with a grin.
Rhy gives me a wide smile and licks my nose. "You sure Kale? I don't want to pressure you into something you're not comfortable with."
"You're not pressuring me into anything." I reply. "And it's my decision."
Rhy smiles and kisses me gently.
"I love you. So much." He whispers.
"I love you too Rhy. I whisper back as I press my muzzle against his.
Rhy melts into the kiss, and I pull Rhy up on top of me, our naked bodies pressed up against each other. We soon fall asleep with our paws interlocked with each other's.
It's a cold day, but I'm way too excited to care about the chilling temperatures. The airport is looming into view from the bus window, which causes my tail to twitch in excitement. Dev is sitting next to me, his iPod blaring some kind of rock music. The entire bus is rowdy with the whole football team. Everyone is pumped up for playoffs.
As soon as we arrive at the airport, we all grab our luggage and pile off the bus. I can hardly stand still as we go through security, get our luggage checked, and all the other airport crap we have to go through. Our flight is right on time and we have twenty minutes to kill. Some of the guys go wandering off in search of greasy airport food. I decide to just sit in one of the chairs and relax. I glance up at the boarding flight schedule and look at the flight directly below ours. Rhy will be boarding that flight in exactly four hours. The thought of him flying by himself worries me a little, but I reassure myself that he is more than capable to take care of himself. If my football career ends up going further than this, I'll have to get used to leaving Rhy alone. I really can't be with him all the time anyways.
Twenty minutes fly by, and I soon find myself wedged between Dev and Chase on the plane. Chase looks at me sheepishly as I try to make myself fit in the tight seating arrangement.
"Seriously, they buy us a five-star hotel, but they couldn't get us some first-class tickets?" Dev mutters as he shifts his enormous arms on the tiny arm rests.
"At least you have an aisle seat. I can't even move." I mutter in reply. "No offense guys."
"You want to switch?" Chase asks.
I decline the wolf's offer with a wave of my paw and end up turning to my own iPod for relief. I stick the earbuds in and crank up the volume so I don't have to listen to the noise on the plane. Unfortunately I'm soon interrupted by Dev tapping on my muzzle.
"Can I help you?" I growl.
"Dude, can I have your peanuts?"
I throw the bag of peanuts at Dev and close my eyes again. I end up dozing off for most of the flight. I wake up to the sound of the pilot announcing that we've arrived in Groveton, which elicits an eruption of claps and hoots from the football team.
I really hate flying.
Everything seems to happen so fast. From the airport, we all board separate taxis. Dev and I jump into he same one, where it transports us to the Groveton Golden Hotel. On the way there, we take in all of the city life and the giant skyscrapers that tower over us. Dev keeps an eye out for any promising clubs or bars. As soon as we step into the luxurious hotel, we waste no time at grabbing our room keys and riding the elevators up to the fourth floor.
"Holy shit Kale! Can you believe this?" Dev asks as he opens the door to our suite. "Mini bar, flatscreen TV, two giant beds!"
I chuckle as Dev collapses onto one of the beds. "It's like a giant cloud dude! I call this bed!"
"Go ahead." I reply as I set my luggage down. "Rhy and I get the other one."
"Hey, not to be awkward or anything, but you guys aren't planning to...well...you know...do it?" He asks.
"What? Oh fuck no!" I reply. "We're not gonna bother you dude."
"Oh okay. Good. I'm happy for you and Rhy, but I really don't want to watch or hear you guys drill each other in the ass."
"Dude! Don't say stuff like that!" I shout at him, my facing growing hot.
Dev chuckles. "Sorry man. I couldn't resist."
I snort. "When is the team dinner?"
"Not for another six hours. When's Rhy's flight supposed to come in?" Dev asks.
"In about three hours."
Three hours to kill until I head back to the airport. That shouldn't be too hard with Dev here. We end up sampling all of the liquor from the mini bar, and soon end up watching football. We point out our favorite players and laugh at the botched plays from the opposing team. I suddenly realize how much I miss these times, hanging out with Dev and watching some football.. Sure, I do that with Rhy, but this is completely different.
Three hours pass by quickly, and I soon bid Dev farewell and leave the hotel. I catch a taxi and tell the badger who's driving to take me to the airport.
"Sure thing sir! And sorry if I mistake you for someone else, but are you Kale Milenski?" The badger asks as he starts driving.
"Um...yes, that's me." I reply as my ears fold down slightly.
"Wow! The Kale Milenski! In my own cab! I can't believe this! I'm such a huge fan of you!"
I smile and stare out the window as I hear the badger ramble on about my football accomplishments and skills. Then I begin to wonder if I would lose this kind of attention if I came out. Most likely I will.
I arrive at the airport in fifteen minutes and pay the badger with a generous tip, which he greatly accepts with much appreciation. Smiling, I make my way into the airport and sit down near the gate. I can already imagine the fox walking through the gates with those bright blue eyes and sly smile. Forty minutes later, I find myself pacing back and forth nervously. Rhy's flight has landed, but I don't see him yet. I try searching for him in the crowd but I don't see any arctic foxes. I begin to panic. Did he make the flight? Did something happen? I frantically flip my phone open and dial his number.
"Hey there."
I whirl around to find Rhy standing in front of me, dressed in a tight yellow polo and a pair of blue jeans. My heart leaps at the sight of him and I almost end up hugging him right there.
"How was the flight?" I ask as I manage to compose myself.
"It was okay. Aside from the crying pups in front of me, it was bearable."
"Well that's good. Here, I'll take your bags." I say as I take the duffel bag from Rhy. "Wait until you see our room though. It's wonderful."
"I believe it." Rhy replies with a twitch of his ears.
We walk out of the airport and hail a taxi, surprisingly the same one with the badger. Rhy glances at me in amusement as the badger chatters away about me again. I just shrug and smile.
We barely make it into the hotel room before Rhy wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a kiss. My eyes go wide with surprise, but I soon end up melting into the kiss. Dev, of course, happens to walk out of the bathroom right at this special moment.
"Well then...hello to you too Rhy." Dev says with a grin.
Rhy just smiles back as I try to hide the boner in my pants.
"No fucking while I'm in the room though. Kissing is fine." Dev says as he crosses his arms.
"I know. Kale gave me the talk already." Rhy replies as he theatrically rolls his eyes.
Dev nods and grins as he walks over to the door. "Well I'm going out with some of the other guys. You two have fun." He says with a wink as he closes the door.
It seriously takes me a few seconds for my mind to register what Dev had said. Rhy's a little faster.
"Well come on stud. He's not in the room." Rhy says as he strips out of his clothes.
I smile as I watch his naked body tease me. I begin to take off my shirt as I walk over to our bed.
He does have a point.