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Late August

The first morning of the fall semester, and I was already running late. I scrambled out of bed 30 minutes after I intended and sprinted into the bathroom through the door on the wall opposite my bed to rinse my facial fur; which was matted from drooling sleeping with my face buried in the pillow. I decided there was no time for breakfast, and I could go without brushing my teeth as I dashed back out into my bedroom.

I yanked open several drawers on the dresser to the left of my bed, and tore out a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a plain navy shirt. I pulled the shirt on quickly and stepped into the dropped shorts and yanked them up. As I buttoned and zipped them I thought about what I needed to grab.

I stuffed my wallet, phone, and keys into the pockets on my shorts, then moved to the desk next to the door to the bathroom, grabbed my laptop, and shoved it into my backpack with a few empty notebooks. I still needed to get my textbooks, but things were usually slow on the first day, so I would deal with that at lunch.

I dashed to the door and pulled it open to find Walt leaning against the opposite wall, a grin of amusement reaching both corners of his muzzle as he considered how rushed I must have looked.

"I see we got up late again."

"You could have knocked. How long have you been standing there anyways?"

"Long enough to hear a chant of "Shit-shit-shit..." I felt myself blush at this, and his eyes got wide with surprise for a moment before he started laughing.

"What?"

Between fits of laughter he managed to choke "Your...cough...muzzle fur turned pink."

I blushed again with surprised embarrassment, and he sank to the floor with laughter. "Now it's cherry red!"

I fought to control the color again, and I realized I'd forgotten something. Since my fur started changing color I'd been carrying a compact mirror so that I could check that I had it under control once in a while. I hurried back into my apartment and grabbed it as Walt recovered, and then closed and walked the door before we were off.

I had to practically jog to keep up with his long strides as we hurried down the street to campus. "I wish you'd move (huff) a little slower," I said.

"And I wish you'd move a little faster," he countered playfully before slowing down a little. "What classes do you have today anyways?"

"Intro to Computer Science 2, Calculus 2, and tryouts for wind ensemble; you?"

"Organic Chemistry and General Mammal Physiology, but they're back to back at 10:00 and 11:00."

"That's good. CS is from 10:00 to 11:15, and then I have a gap until calc. at 1:00. My tryout is at 3:20. We can meet for lunch in Carol Commons and go from there."

"Sounds like a plan. Remember, you should be safe in wide open public areas, but I really doubt that they would resort to attacking you already. Still, my phone will be on; I'm just a speed dial away if it looks like trouble is coming."

"Thank you." I really was grateful that he was doing this; I didn't know what to expect on campus. I certainly wasn't naïve enough to hope things would be no different than last fall semester. No, I'd seen three too many inboxes stuffed with threats to believe that. We were on campus now; walking down one of the wide sidewalks on the main mall. I split off at the Engineering Technology and Computer Science building. "Catch ya later!"

"Have a good class!" I watched Walt sprint to the Science Building directly across the vibrant green grass of the mall before I entered the ever coffee-scented spacious lobby of the ETCS.

Mid-September

The days had settled into a comfortable routine. I walked to campus with Walt each morning, and met him for lunch and, occasionally, dinner. Fall track kept him busy in the afternoons, and I had wind ensemble anyways. I'd made it again this semester. I was only third clarinet, but I was delighted to find that we were playing some beautiful, challenging pieces. This gave me something to practice while Walt was at track, but sometimes I'd walk over to the practice track and sit down on the faded metal bleachers to do some reading or studying while I watched him practice.

It's Friday night, and I'm so bored. I knew some of Walt's friends were dragging him to a party. I don't know why he hangs out with some of the people he does, and I get the impression the feeling is mutual for them.

Regardless, I'm stuck barricaded in my apartment. I hadn't encountered any open hostility yet, but then again I'd been very careful to stay near the crowds when Walt wasn't around. I had gotten looks though, and sometimes I could swear people were stalking me.

'I need a disguise,' I thought. Then I remembered the day I woke up as an otter a week or so. I had been dreaming of Logan. We were swimming in the university's indoor pool like we used to late at night; when no one else was around.

As a typical otter he had tried to be near the water as often as possible. I was surprised he didn't want to be on the swim team, but he at least had a job helping with regular pool maintenance, so he had keys we used to sneak in after-hours.

I had always enjoyed swimming too. I wasn't nearly as good at it as him, but it was the first thing we found we had in common. Life seemed so much slower, calmer in the water.

The water was warm as always, and he was criticizing my technique again. I splashed him in irritation, and when the water cleared he wasn't there anymore.

Then something grabbed my paws and pulled me under. I barely managed to take a breath before my head sank into the water. I closed my eyes as I was dragged down, and listened to the comforting white noise of the water.

I felt him switch to pushing against my chest just before I was pinned to the bottom of the pool. I smiled as I opened my eyes to see Logan bringing his muzzle down to meet mine. We kissed, and I woke up.

I sighed; it had been a comforting dream, but also painful. I knew I would never get to do that again. I got up and padded into the bathroom. I glanced up as I passed the mirror, and almost wet myself as I saw Logan looking back.

I realized that night that I could do more than change fur color, and now at least once a day I stand in front of the mirror and try a few transformations. It's dizzying to look at the mirror while I'm doing it. My fur puffs out and turns into a kaleidoscope for a few moments, and I feel tingling pain all over as my nerves, bones, and everything else shifts around and changes shape. I don't try changing gender, or anything that isn't a mammal, but maybe I will later.

Right then I was thinking of one of my favorites. I closed my eyes, and I pictured it; made myself want to be it, and I felt the change begin. I opened my eyes a few seconds later when the pain stopped. I lifted my right hand from my side to examine it. My hand and forearm were now midnight blue instead of their usual blotchy mix of brown and white.

I walked into the bathroom and observed the mirror. It had worked perfectly; I was now a midnight blue fox with soft, lustrous fur, a very full bushy tail, nicely pointed ears, and mysterious jade green eyes. I grinned with triumph and watched that grin spread to the corners of my muzzle. No one would recognize me.

I knew the location of the party Walt was going to, and I decided to pay a visit.

---

'Why did I let them drag me here?' I thought. Parties always looked fun to me, but when everyone's gyrating and grinding together I'm not sure what to do. Fortunately, Alice didn't really care for them either, but she was also really busy.

We hadn't spent much time together since last spring when we got together. She had an internship at the hospital over the summer, and was still there when she wasn't studying or at tennis practice.

I had actually been thinking more about Aaron lately. We talked at length nearly every day since that meeting on the roof of the Science Building. Before that I had followed him around. I was supposed to protect him, but I wasn't sure how to approach him while he was in grief. Then he gave me no choice but to interfere when he went up to that roof.

We had found a place to ourselves in the forest to experiment with our abilities and discuss our mysterious benefactor. We took the short walk to campus together every morning, and frequently had meals together. I often noticed him watching me at track practice, even though he told me he didn't like to run and found watching almost any sport boring.

I could tell he was feeling better lately, and so was I. No one knew, but I had been feeling really low during the first part of the summer. I had failed to save Logan. I should have been able to reach him in time. I had never expected that night to find the scene I did when I finally found the party in the athletics building.

My adopted dad is a lot like Coach Johnson, so it had been easy to see him as a second father. He even had his own agenda for my future, and I suspect that my own dad would have been delighted to share the reins.

No one knew that I'd actually been invited by the coach, and I had been running really late and didn't know which room it was in. I had almost given up, when I came across a set of wide open doors and looked in to find everyone knocked out; except a shrunken German Shepard clutching a shrunken otter that had a huge gash in his chest that was still pouring blood. He wasn't moving.

Aaron looked deranged with grief that night, and I didn't know what to do other than call for an ambulance and keep an eye on him. I wanted to embrace him; comfort him, but at his size that would have been difficult to do carefully. And he didn't look ready to let go of Logan anytime soon.

It was terrible, but I can't even imagine how Aaron felt. He tries not to talk about Logan much, but I know the distant look he gets in his dark brown eyes when he thinks of him. I often fight the urge to wrap my arms around him as his face takes on an expression of painful need. Would I feel that way if Alice died in my arms? I didn't know, but I have a growing feeling that I wouldn't. Aaron, on the other hand...

But where was this coming from? I know I feel better around Aaron; a little strange, but better. It's easy to open up to him about a lot of things; and he shares a lot of things with me too. Still...but why do I keep going there? He's still grieving his first love. I don't want to scare him off with this. And there's Alice to think about.

Then I was distracted by a flash of dark blue fur. Someone new had arrived, and they entered the mob of dancers after only a brief moment of hesitation, and just started dancing. They clearly didn't know what to do, just like me, but they got involved anyways and just kept trying different things. They didn't seem to care how much they stuck out. And they kept glancing at me. They were drawing some attention from the others too.

It was a fox in jeans and a clean white shirt, but what grabbed your attention was the fur. It was a very dark blue and shined when it caught the light. I decided it had to be a female, and so did one of my friends nearby.

"Dude! She's looking at you. You might as well dance with someone if Alice is too busy to come. And if ya get to do more, well, I won't tell anyone." This came from Jake, a fellow track team member, and notorious with anyone who had ever roomed with him for somehow bringing a girl to bed every night. I scowled at him, and he gave me a shove in the back in response.

The blue fox was indeed watching me, and she gave me an alluring wag of her voluptuous tail as a clear sign to approach before she resumed her random dancing. I easily weaved through the crowd without losing sight of her thanks to my tall, fairly thin frame.

She smiled seductively as I approached, but never said a word. I still didn't know what to do, but I followed her lead and just did whatever came to me. I could swear I knew her musk, and as I looked into her peculiar green eyes I couldn't help feeling that they should be a different color.

We danced spontaneously to the beat. This wasn't like me; I would normally be embarrassed to death to be out in the middle of the floor like this, but she made me feel like no one else mattered. We danced for a while, occasionally managing to achieve the appearance of dancing together instead of just next to each other.

Then she grabbed my right hand with her left and made to leave the crowded area. I followed without hesitation. We didn't stop moving until we were on the street. She paused, and after I saw the hesitation in her dark brown eyes, I took the lead; never letting go of her hand.

She had been moving in the same direction as my apartment, and I guided her for the rest of the short walk there; occasionally glancing back. She seemed to know where this was going, and her breathing was already picking up a little in anticipation. Before I knew it we were at my door. I opened it, and then let her lead the way in as I closed the door behind us.

We let go of each other's hands at last as we finally shifted to wrap our arms around each other (I being careful with my only semi-retractable claws) and kissed for the first time. We were both breathing heavily as we detached to remove our clothes.

I looked over his naked form as he examined mine, and then I grinned wickedly. "Strike three."

He snapped out his lustful trance, with a response of: "What?"

"I like the fur, but I think you look better with your normal eyes, Aaron."

His muzzle acquired a red tint. "How long did you suspect?"

"I should recognize your musk anywhere by now, and turning into a sexy blue fox doesn't change that." With that, I wrapped my arms around Aaron again and started churring. I hadn't been sure what I would do once we got to my apartment, but now that we were here I was.

As I had hoped, he looked up at me and returned the embrace. We kissed again; this time so aggressively that we were trying to eat each other's muzzles. I felt my member leaving its sheath in anticipation, and his starting to press against my upper leg.

I then surprised him by leaning back against the wall by the door, grabbing his bottom, and sliding him up my chest. He figured out what I had planned, and reached behind himself to grab my shaft. I moaned with surprise pleasure at the touch, and then slowly let his him to slide down my abdomen. He guided me into him, and his eyes went wide as he cried out at the newly found pleasure. I growled in return and then tried to eat his muzzle again.

Neither of us lasted long. I might not be able to roar, but I growled deeply as I released my pent up energy along with my load. He responded with his loudest cry yet and I felt his issue splatter my chest fur.

I slid my back slowly down the wall until I was sitting on the floor with him in my lap. I was exhausted, yet euphoric now. He cuddle against me for a few minutes, then carefully lifted himself off my barbed sheath as he got up. He turned and moved toward his clothes, but I got up and grabbed his tail, then used it to pull him backwards to my bedroom.

"You're not going anywhere now. I always wanted a life-sized stuffed fox to sleep with."

"I don't get a choice?" He called playfully back to me as he started cooperating by walking backwards like a marcher.

"No."

We reached the foot of my bed, then I let go of his tail as he turned to face me and we embraced tightly in the darkness. Then I fell backward onto the bed, pulling him with me, and we cooperated to slide up to the pillows without letting go each other totally.

I fell asleep lying on my side, with Aaron's back against my chest and my arms wrapped tightly around his; more content than I could ever remember being.

---

'I bet he's frustrated with me again,' I thought as I left the hospital; late as always. I had been tirelessly focused on the job, studies, and tennis since just after I started dating Walt last spring.

That had been a challenge in and of itself. Cheetahs were considered one of the most challenging catches, and Walt was a skittish introvert to boot.

'I had had to corner him and ask if he wanted to date.' When he accepted I gained new respect among the other tennis girls, but I hadn't had much time to enjoy my trophy.

'Perhaps I should see if he's still awake,' I thought. I decided to head for Walt's apartment instead of going to the one I shared with Lisa, my best friend. I wondered what I should say as I waited for the bus.

I hadn't made any progress with that as the bus approached and pulled to a stop.

"Still working late honey?" The bus driver was a fellow female red fox that I knew well by now. I got on the bus and sat down in the front seat before answering.

"Yes Gloria."

"You need to make more time for yourself, and Walt. You could lose him before you've even had any fun."

"I'm trying. They should be taking on another person to handle these late shifts soon, and I'm stopping by his place tonight."

"Well that's good news for you. How's tennis going?"

"Practice is going well. I'm a little worried about some of the others, but it should be a good fall season."

"That's what I like to hear sugar. Did I tell you that my..."

We continued with our pleasant chat for a while, and then the bus finally got to the stop by Walt's apartment complex. Mine was actually closest to this stop too, so even if I just talked to Walt tonight it would a short walk to my own place.

"Take care, now."

"You too, Gloria."

I took off as the grimy bus doors closed and it drove out of site around a nearby turn. This area was well lit and patrolled, so I was at ease as I walked to Walt's building, climbed the outside staircase to the second level, and finally reached his door. I knocked, and then tried it. The door was unlocked.

I went in, noting the clothes strewn in the entryway, and that the door to his bedroom was open. Walt was usually tidier than this, so I suspected that his friends had managed to get him to drink. I moved quietly to the bedroom to check on him, and found him naked, sound asleep...and clutching a naked, sound asleep fox with a dark colored coat.

He had cheated on me. I decided that I would deal with this later, and quickly left the apartment; locking the door behind me. I barely made it to my own apartment to grab my pillow and shove my muzzle into it before I screamed in frustration and anger. I still woke Lisa.