First Time: Two is Good, Four is Better
#12 of First Time Series
As the Championship continues, the tensions between the four friends finally reaches its peak, and Auren decides to come clean about him and Nate, much to the wolf's apprehension. How will it affect the group of friends?
Read on and find out!
If it weren't for the sounds of chewing and swallowing around the table, breakfast would have been utterly silent as Auren and his companions sat around the small table. Once or twice, Glauron had tried making small talk, but it was only Renfear who managed to answer each time. The silver-toned wolf and dragon beside them were distant and silent, lost in their own thoughts on the events of recent days - and most prominently - what had happened yesterday in the showers.
"Reston said the pressure will be on us today to show a repeat of yesterday's victory," the golden dragon said, giving Auren's leg a gentle rub as he spoke.
Finally managing to bring himself back into focus, the silver drake turned to his boyfriend and offered and small smile. "You'll do fine, hun," he rumbled. "After all, you and Ren are the 'thinkers' out of us."
The morning after Auren and Nate's victory in the first challenge of the Championship, the four friends were getting ready for the second event that would take place today. Only this time, it was looking to be more of an intellectual challenge, rather than physical, meaning it would be Glauron and Renfear's time to shine. Understandably, the two were nervous about representing their school in such a way, but after seeing their partners take to the field yesterday, they had relaxed somewhat.
"Depends what I'm thinking about," the snow wolf grinned, reaching over and causing a distracted Nate to jump slightly as his groin was groped. The two wolves growled automatically to one another as their muzzles touched, voicing their emotions, even though Nate's eyes flicked towards Auren as Ren licked his muzzle.
A small round of chuckles echoed around the table, before Glauron's phone buzzed beside his plate. Checking the message, he sighed, and stood up from his seat. "That's our cue, Ren. Reston wants to see us before the event." The snow wolf opposite him nodded, and gave his boyfriend a last lick on the cheek as they made ready to leave. Auren told them he and Nate would clean up, and Glauron pecked his mate on the cheek as well as he and Renfear headed out the door with a wave.
A few moments later, the silver drake and wolf were alone in the dorm room together, and the silence between them went from uncomfortable to deafening. Finally, Auren sighed and pushed his glass of milk away. "We have to tell them," he said flatly.
"What?" Nate yelped, moving back slightly as if in fear. "No...no way," he mumbled, shaking his head.
"Nate," Auren growled gently. "We can't keep something like this from them. If they find out down the road and learn that we've been lying about it all this time....." He left the sentence hanging, unwilling to actually put it into words.
The silver lighting-wolf whimpered and put his head into his paws on the table. "I...I can't," he whispered. "I can't face Ren and tell him I cheated on him. I just can't."
"Hey, I'm in the same boat here too," the dragon snorted, crossing his arms. "You think I want to see the tears on Glau's face when I tell him I kissed you?" Nate looked up from the table, looking on the verge of tears himself. Auren sighed and scrubbed his face, leaning back. "I think....it would be best to nip this here and now, before too much time passes. Get it done, get it over with."
The wolf looked back at him as if he was about to protest, and then slowly nodded, hearing the truth of Auren's words. Yes, it was going to be hard - nerve wracking even - and he prepared himself for the very likely possibility of hurting their partners. But Auren was right; they needed to confront this now, before Glauron and Ren found out the hard way. "Alright," Nate sighed, sitting up. "We tell them tonight, after the challenge. I don't want this bothering them out there." Auren nodded in agreement, then stood and gathered their paper dishes to dispose of them in the trash bag. As he strode past Nate towards the bedroom however, the wolf reached out and stopped him, a shaky paw on his waist. "Just......tell me one thing," he said quietly. He felt the heat rise to his face underneath his fur, and he almost didn't have the courage to say it. "W-was.....was it-....I mean, do you...?"
A warm paw cupped his cheek, and he looked up to see the gently smiling face of the dragon he cared for. "Yes," Auren whispered, tenderly rubbing the wolf's cheek. Their eyes locked, and the rest of the message was conveyed without speaking, answering the lupine's unvoiced questions. "That's what makes this so hard, Nate."
They stayed like that for a moment, letting the forbidden feelings well up for just one moment, before pulling apart. Auren continued on into the bedroom to get changed and ready to go out and watch their partners' event, but Nate simply sat at the small table and stared at the closed door where his friend had briefly disappeared. Auren's words rang in his ears, and for the tiniest instant, he felt his heart and stomach flutter, now knowing that he wasn't the only one feeling this way for his friend.
"I love you," he whispered softly.
The midday sun was bright and warm as the silver dragon and wolf sat alongside Professor Reston in the large outdoor clearing once again. There was the low roar of hundreds of voices filling the air like before, only this time, Auren and Nate weren't the ones on display for the new challenge.
In the middle of the clearing was what looked like five plexiglass cages all linked together by a single, cylindrical middle. Inside each of the boxes, were the competitors from each team, their brightly colored track suits letting them stand out sharply from the dull wood and plastic of their surroundings. From inside the nearest box, Glauron and Renfear waved at their boyfriends, an identical pair of nervous grins on their faces. Auren and Nate waved back, trying to send looks of warmth and comfort as their partners prepared for their challenge.
Unlike yesterday, today's event was one of more brains than brawn. Inside each team's "cage" were three pedestals, each with a pile of wooden blocks of varying shapes and sizes. The bottom of each pedestal held an enclosed box, where a small key lay. The teams would have to arrange the wooden blocks in the upper part in such a way that there was a perfectly round hole left in the middle of the pedestal, allowing the enclosed box to slide open and reveal the key within. They would then take the key and use it to unlock the next sealed pedestal, in order to solve that puzzle as well. After solving the third puzzle and retrieving the last key, the team would then turn to the middle section of the enclosed cages, where a door with six locks stood. Using the three keys in a random combination, they would have to unlock their door, and climb the central ladder to the top of the interlocked cages. First team to emerge would win.
"Is it wrong to be happy I'm not in there?" Auren rumbled gently, causing Nate to grin.
"I'm with ya, man. I hate puzzles."
Reston just chuckled at here two athletic students. "See boys? I do know you to an extent." The silver-colored duo just laughed, and turned their attention towards the small podium where Dean Grimswald started to address the gathered crowd once more, detailing today's challenge. Even though the lion's booming voice echoed through the clearing and beyond, it just became background noise to the two friends whose thoughts started to drift elsewhere.
Watching Glauron and Ren talk between themselves in the enclosed box, Auren felt a pang of apprehension. The golden drake and snow wolf laughed at a seemingly private joke, Ren's arm around Glau's waist as they psyched themselves up for the challenge. They looked so happy together, and friendly with each other. Considering what was going on between him and Nate, Auren feared that their happy friendships may become very rocky after tonight, and for the briefest moment, he considered forgetting telling them at all. Could he really risk hurting his friends like this?
But then again, he was a dragon, and nobility and honor were a part of his species as much as their scales. To keep something like this hidden out of fear would only shame himself and his friends, something Auren could not live with. No, he reasoned, regardless of outcome, he and Nate had to come clean. It was the right thing to do.
A gentle touch to his paw, and Auren looked down to see his lupine friend's own paw gently slipping into his. Nate's face was a harsh blush, but he never looked downward or embarrassed about it. The feeling of the wolf's gentle paw in his sent a whole new wave of warmth and sensations into Auren's belly, quelling his fears and thoughts. Slowly, he squeezed the paw back, enjoying the hidden moment, as they turned to watch the even begin.
The Dean had finished his speech and prepared his starting gun, all four teams now in their ready positions. The loud BANG echoed through the clearing, and the crowd erupted in cheers again as the brightly-colored competitors jumped to start their challenges.
It was nerve-wracking, being on the outside and watching their friends struggle their way through the puzzles, both Auren and Nate fidgeting in their seats. Their instincts urged them to jump in and help their boyfriends, wanting to be there for them as they slowly progressed through the first puzzle. Auren gripped Nate's paw hard, which was returned, as they sat on the edge of their seats watching.
Rozzaria finished their first puzzle first, sending a roar of cheers though their section of spectators as they grabbed their key and opened their second puzzle. Outback was next, followed by Arcadia, and Nate gripped Auren's paw tighter. The moment Glauron dove his arm into their puzzle and pulled out the little key, both silver companions jumped and roared happily. Just as they set into their second puzzle, Rhodes' Academy team finished their first and moved on, keeping all teams nearly neck-and-neck.
Another painful few minutes passed, the tension growing once again throughout the crowd as all teams worked on their second puzzle. Auren's thick tail twitched repeatedly behind him, smacking into his chair as he sat on edge with Nate, watching. They watched as Ren fumbled with a block inside the pedestal, then grinned as the snow wolf smacked their piece into place, followed by a rapid three more. They were gaining.
The section of students from Outback Academy roared and cheered as the two orange-suited competitors from their school managed to grab their second key. Nate felt his breath catch for a moment, before it joined Auren in a cheer as Glauron and Ren nabbed their second key, pulling over to their third and final puzzle. The snow wolf and golden dragon were now moving quickly and with coordination, acting like a joined entity as they moved together, pulling blocks out and replacing others. The other three teams were finishing their second puzzles as well, getting to their third, keeping the contest very close indeed.
The roar that erupted from the Ivalice section of the bleachers was nearly deafening as Ren reached inside the pedestal for the third key, Auren and Nate now jumping out of their seats and cheering. Having their last key, the snow wolf and Glauron spun to face their six-lock door and began trying all their keys in an effort to open them. Rozzaria was hot on their heels as they too finished the last puzzle and began working on their door.
Even though they could not hear them, Auren and Nate could see every time their partner's opened a lock, a small display above each team's cage showing their locks as they were opened. The cheering only grew louder as each team finished their final puzzles, now a race as to who could open their door the fastest.
When Ren's paw jerked downward suddenly, Auren, Nate and Reston could practically hear the snap as the overeager wolf broke the key in the final lock. Glauron's face became a mask of horror as he and Renfear registered what had happened. In the professor's seating section, Dean Grimswald went a shade paler, and the crowd moaned in agony as the display showed what had happened.
Auren and Nate howled in shock together. "No no no n-wait....what is he doing?!"
Renfear has placed his paw over the jammed lock and closed his eyes, concentration as his lips moved slowly, seeming to whisper to Glauron beside him. The golden drake stiffened, then nodded rapidly as he moved towards the back of the cage. Ren was stock still for an agonizing few moments, even as they other teams worked quickly around them. It was down to the wire, Outback and Rozzaria were on their last lock! It was now or never, and yet Ren just stood there....waiting....waiting....
A loud shout echoed from their cage as Ren jerked back, and with a speed that surprised Auren and the others, Glauron shot forward and rammed himself into the door. A sharp CRACK was heard from inside the cage as the door bashed open, and the screams of the audience tripled in volume. Quick as they could, Renfear and Glauron scrambled through the door and up the ladder, emerging atop the containers as the judges blew their air-horn, signalling the end of the challenge.
Auren and Nate were jumping in place, hugging each other as Reston danced a jig beside them. Dean Grimswald had shot forward to help his students down, slapping their heartily on their backs with his meaty paws. Above the judges' table, a view-screen showed a close-up of what had transpired inside the cage after Ren had broken the key.
Zooming in on the wolf's paw, the door underneath it had started to form ice crystals, slowly spreading and growing thicker as the seconds ticked by. Renfear had used his Ice magic to freeze the lock enough to where it would be brittle, and Glauron had slammed into the door shortly after, breaking the lock to open the door.
Running to their mates, Auren and Nate grabbed their boyfriends in a huge hug each, Auren spinning Glauron around happily as the two wolves shared a quick but heated kiss. Reston jogged up to them and ushered them back to the campus before the crowd got to them, the throngs of cheering students pouring from the bleachers to surround their teams.
The hugs and happy kisses continued all the way back to the dorm room, the four friends laughing and congratulating each other on their second victory. Pushing Auren onto the couch, Glauron straddled his boyfriend's lap eagerly, leaning down to capture the silver dragon's mouth in a deep kiss. Auren moaned happily as Glau's tongue slid along his own, his paws running up and down the leaner frame of his golden-scaled boyfriend. There was a dull thump behind them, along with a few giggles, as they pair of wolves missed the chair and landed on on the floor, even though it didn't interrupt their making out.
For a few minutes, all that was heard was the sounds of tongue and lips mashing together, along with the pleased sounds from all parties involved. Auren growled happily as Glauron's paw rubbed over his bulging jeans, teasing the growing manhood within. Suckling on his boyfriend's tongue, Auren was brought out of his haze as he heard a louder moan from Nate, which brought him out of his happy daze and back into his thoughts of Nate, and what needed to be done here and now.
Parting the kiss with Glauron, he nuzzled the golden snout in front on him. "Glau.....we need to talk," he whispered.
From the floor, Nate shot up with a horrified look. "What?" he yelped. "I...I thought you said at dinner!" The wolf was a shade or two whiter, as Ren rose up beside him with a stoic expression.
"I can't hide this anymore, Nate," the silver dragon growled, easing Glauron into a sitting position beside him. The golden dragon looked at him curiously, and Auren fumbled with his voice in an effort to try and find the words. How was he supposed to start? He wanted to be gentle and careful, but at the same time, didn't want to sound like he was sugar-coating it. Something this serious....he needed to just get it out. "Nate and I kissed in the shower yesterday," he finally just blurted out.
The silver wolf whined and lowered his ears in shame, preparing for the onslaught of harsh words from Renfear and Glauron. The snow wolf turned to his boyfriend. "Is this true, Nate?" he asked slowly. His silver partner just whimpered and nodded, to ashamed to use his words. Glauron and Ren sighed, then turned to each other with knowing looks. Auren and Nate were deathly silent, waiting for the inevitable, looking down at the floor.
It began as an almost-silent chuckle, causing the two silver companions to look up. Glauron and Ren slowly started to smile, the chuckles getting louder, before finally, the pair of them erupted in gleeful laughter. Auren looked scandalized, his eyes darting back and forth between his laughing friends and Nate, the silver wolf just as shocked and worried as him.
Glauron giggled and laughed for a few moments, before wiping his eyes with a paw. "Oh gods....its about time, you two!" Nearby, Ren was still chuckling on the floor, grinning from ear-to-ear.
"I....er.....wha?" Auren fumbled, looking absolutely confused.
"Hun....we've been waiting for this for almost two weeks now," Glauron giggled, cupping his boyfriend's cheek with a gentle paw. "Did you think me and Ren were blind? You think we didn't see all the little signs of what was happening between the four of us?"
"Uh....."
Still chuckling, Glauron got up from the couch and sauntered over to Renfear, who grinned widely. Causing Auren and Nate to yelp in shock, the pair locked muzzles in a heated kiss, Ren's paws pulling Glauron in tightly. As their partners watched, utterly dumbfounded, the two made out for a few moments, before pulling back and grinning at them. "Babe....Glauron and I have seen this coming for a while now," the snow wolf purred to his silver wolf mate.
"I....I don't understand," Nate whimpered. "Are you leaving me for Glauron?"
"No! Never!" the snow wolf howled, laughing, leaning over to kiss Nate just as deeply. The kiss was but mere seconds, but it allowed Glauron to take a deep breath and explain.
Sitting back down next to Auren, he began. "Auren, Ren and I have been watching the four of us for weeks now, and its become apparent that our relationships have changed. What was once two separate bonds, has become something more." His hand reached out to stroke the confused silver dragon's cheek, running his thumb across it lovingly. "You can't tell me you haven't noticed..."
"I...." Auren mumbled, looking down at his lap. Then, he looked over to Nate and felt those forbidden feelings rise again, even as Glauron's words rang true. "No.....I've certainly felt....different this past week."
The golden drake nodded, and went on. "Ren and I have felt it too. We've watched the four of us grow closer and closer....to the point where we crossed the line between two pairs of boyfriends, and started to become four."
"F-four?" Nate stammered.
Ren slipped an arm around his silver-furred partner, holding him close. "I love you, Nate," he purred. "And that will never change. But everything we've all done in recent weeks, shows that maybe the four of us have something special...something that we can all embrace and love."
"You had sex with Ren that weekend I was gone," Glauron chuckled to Auren gently, taking his hand. "Then again after you vored Nate. I mounted Nate that same night, then joined him and Ren for that threesome a few days later." The golden dragon purred and snuggled close to his silver partner. "We wouldn't be so open with just anyone.....so there has to be something special between us four."
The gears in Auren's head began to turn slowly, letting Glauron and Renfear's words sink in. Those two certainly had grown close lately, what with all the playful teasing and touching. And then there was him and Nate....and that brief but heated passion in the shower. "So.....you're saying....the four of us have all become boyfriends?"
"Yes!" Glauron and Renfear yipped happily, grinning widely, making Nate and Auren jump slightly, then grin back at them in turn. "Its not really so surprising, is it?" Glauron asked, nuzzling his mate. "I love you, Auren....and I always will." He turned to look at the pair of wolves holding hands on the floor beside them. "But now...I've let two more guys into my life that I don't want to let go of, and I know you don't either." The slightly smaller dragon shrugged and leaned into his silver partner. "It may not be the norm as far as relationships go....but I don't care. I love you....but I also love our friends."
"So you're...okay with this?" Auren asked softly, making reference to their deep discussion a few weeks back, when he had pledged to be Glauron's mate.
"Yes," the golden dragon purred. "At first I was confused, and maybe a bit scared, but then I looked at it rationally." Nodding to the two wolves, he smiled. "They make me smile as much as you do, and we both know that they are good people. Neither one of us would fight over each other, and we all care about one another equally. When I started to have suspicions, I pulled Ren aside and asked him outright if I was the only one."
"He wasn't," the snow wolf chimed in. Looking over to his oldest friend, he smiled at Auren. "I love you man....we've been together since we were pups, and it was silly to think that, after our little romp the other week, these feelings would just go away." Grinning widely, showing off those handsome fangs, Ren growled playfully to the two dragons. "Like Glauron said, you two make me feel as happy and loved as Nate does....and hell yeah.....I want that." Another sly grin crossed his muzzle. "When you and Nate headed for a shower yesterday bud, Glauron and I had a serious talk about this.....before we started making out for about twenty minutes to see if we were right." A series of chuckles sounded throughout the room.
"So....we four.....are together now?" Nate asked softly, blushing as he finally looked at Auren. "All of us.....are mates?"
"Yep," Ren grinned.
"Yes," Glauron nodded, looking at his friends. "After all we've done together....and these feelings I know we are all bottling inside....it would be silly to deny ourselves this. Besides, do any of us not want to be with the other three?"
"No....I suppose not." Auren was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded his head. "It will be odd at first....but I am willing to go for it." He smiled at Nate, finally letting these hidden feelings and sensations well up. "It will be nice not to have any secrets anymore."
"Not to mention the amazing sex life we're gonna have now," Ren quipped, getting three pairs of eye-rolls directed at him.
"Anyhoo," Glauron rumbled playfully, before getting up and going to Ren. The snow wolf hopped up and slid his arms around Glau's waist, chuckling as they nuzzled snouts. "Now, we are going for a shower, because I am sticky and smell like plastic. You two," he nodded at Nate and Auren. "Can get some dinner together. Its going to be a good night."
The silver pair nodded and smiled, happy to have everything out in the open. What was more; they were thrilled to see that their partners were not only okay with it all, but had been harboring a secret bond of their own. Now it was all out, no more worries, and the four friends had just grown even closer than before.
It was going to be a good night indeed.
Dinner that night was accompanied not by silence, as breakfast had been, but happy laughter and conversation as the four friends dug into two large buckets of chicken in their shared dorm room. On par with their new, four-way relationship, Glauron was playfully sitting in Renfear's lap as they ate, mirroring much the same thing he had done when he and Auren had first gotten together. A week ago, Auren might have had reservations about seeing his boyfriend all over his best friend, but given what had happened a few hours earlier, the silver dragon was smiling as much as the others.
A four-way relationship. Auren had to admit, he had not seen this coming when school started this year. But, as Glauron said, once he started looking at it rationally, it began to make sense. He was in love with Glauron, and the golden drake in love with him. But after getting involved with Ren and Nate so...intimately....was it really so difficult to see the new bonds forged? The fire between the two dragons still burned just as hot, but now, two more flames had joined the raging bonfire of love and passion.
And now....he didn't have to hide his stares at Nate's toned body.
Speaking of, the silver wolf sitting beside him softly slid closer, letting their hands touch once more. Even if all four of them had accepted and agreed upon this new development, Auren and Nate still acted shy about it all. Glauron and Ren, having figured it all out days ago, were perfectly happy now showing affection for one another as well as their original partners.
Then again....that's why those two are the smart ones, Auren chuckled to himself. His hand slipped down to gently take Nate's paw, making the handsome wolf blush just a bit.
Seeing that dinner was basically wrapped up, Glauron nodded across the table to the silver pair. "So, Ren and I had an idea to help transition us into this new relationship."
"Oh?"
Grinning, the golden drake couldn't help but poke fun at the shy jocks that he loved. "Yep. For the next week, Ren and I will share a room, and you two will share the other."
Nate's fur fluffed out a bit as his eyes widened, not quite expecting that. Across from him, Renfear chuckled and rubbed his leg under the table with his own. "Aww, come on Nate. After a week of drooling over Auren's muscles, now you get to sleep with them! You should be stoked!" The silver wolf only blushed harder, even though he and Auren did chuckle and smile.
The paper dishes were gathered and disposed of in the large trash bag, and leftovers put away in the mini-fridge as the four companions got ready to turn in for the night. Reston had told them after today's event that tomorrow they would have a day off, as no challenges were planned, seeing how there was to be two football matches as well as a track and field meet instead. While grateful for the chance to relax and sleep in, the newly-minted foursome also saw this as a chance to get use to their new relationship, and maybe a little fun as well.
Glauron and Renfear disappeared though the door to their bedroom as Auren and Nate silently made their way into their own room, still slightly nervous about actually being together now. The two silver friends stood shyly by the bed for a moment, before the dragon finally chuckled aloud. "Okay...one of us has to take the plunge...so..." Slowly, he started undressing, removing his shirt and jeans, leaving only his tight-fitting boxers on his muscled frame. Grinning, he turned back to Nate, who was standing there with a goofy grin on his face, admiring the dragon's form. "Well? Gonna sleep in your clothes, wuff?"
Growling playfully, Nate followed his friend's lead, and disrobed, until he too was clad only in his boxers, although his were slightly more bulged in the front thanks to his arousal of watching Auren undress. Chuckling, the pair slowly got into bed together, until they were laying beneath the sheets, mere inches from one anothers bare body. "Well.....I'm finally here," Nate sighed, scooting a little closer.
"Mmm?"
"With you," the lupine whispered, letting his paw touch the muscular scaled chest on his friend. The dragon rumbled softly as he traced his toned chest, reaching over to brush the wolf's arm in return. "Here I was....scared about having feelings for you.....and now, it all worked out because our boyfriend's are smarter than we are."
Auren chuckled, and let his claw trace a trail up Nate's arm until he brushed the wolf's face. They stared into one anothers eyes for a brief moment, before moving as one and letting their mouths meet. It was slower and less heated than it had been in the shower, but the moment their mouths touched, the very same fireworks went off, and Auren and Nate kissed happily. Pulling the wolf into his chest, Auren let the broad lupine tongue touch his as they christened their new relationship, Nate purring gently as their groins ground together softly. A few blissful moments later, they parted, and Auren sighed happily, rubbing his snout against his new lupine boyfriend's. "Oh yeah......definitely good." They giggled and kissed again, slightly more aggressive this time, knowing that this was indeed real.
"I love you," Auren rumbled to the wolf, nuzzling his snout.
Nate blinked back a few tears, grinning uncontrollably as the dragon he had been crushing on for weeks said what he had been dreaming of. "I love you too," he whispered happily.
A few more loving kisses later, the pair relaxed back in bed, arms around one another, as they snuggled close and prepared for their first night together. Nate nuzzled up under the silver drake's chin, humming happily, and Auren only pulled him closer. What was once two, was now four....but it was also one.
And they wouldn't trade it for anything.
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Yay! Awesome new relationship!
There were alot of things that contributed to this development, but the most prominent was the real Auren falling in love with the real Nate. I love the pairing between Auren and Glauron, but it was hard not to want to include stuff between him and Nate now as well. And I could never break either pair of boyfriends up - I am a big softy - so this was the solution.
Four guys. One relationship. Lotsa love.
And as Renfear said....one heck of a new sex life :D
Anyway, I guess we'll see how you the readers like it. Either way, this is how it shall be now, so that I can get the story rolling along, and finally stop teasing some more intuitive readers, who are already picking up on the hidden hints that have been in many chapters....alluding to what is to come for our friends.
(*mischievous wink*)
Until next time!