1 : Obscured
Scilius was enjoying himself in the shower, letting hot water run down his scales. The small remains of his waxy shedding skin started drifting off as he scrubbed his scales. His eyes, arms, legs, and even crotch were now, finally, covered not in dead grey skin, but instead in his normal shining green scales. After scenting himself with soap, he sat down on the porcelain, stretching himself out, and thinking. He had plenty of time before he needed to be dressed, so, he spent some of his time trying to imagine what Elliot would look like.
She had a beautiful voice and nearly golden eyes, and the softest lips he had ever had the pleasure to know. There must have been an equally gorgeous silver face to match. What would she be wearing? He had only seen her wearing her normal blue and white unisex school uniform through his blurry eyes, not very revealing. He had been able to tell that she had a slim body under her neck. What would she look like wearing a dress? Wearing less than that?
He looked down at himself laying in the shower. Cutting out bread had only afforded him about three pounds weight loss. He could have done worse, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried with his fresh eyesight, see any apparent difference. It's alright though. She certainly didn't seem like she would mind at all. In fact, she seemed all to eager to send off her adopted brother, Cecil, and kiss him in the abandoned staircase at school just the day before. And then, inviting him to go see a movie tonight. There's no doubt that she wouldn't mind a few pounds.
He was almost shaking with excitement. Tonight was going to be so great. He'd be alone in that dark theater with her for almost three hours, watching some lame horror movie. He wondered if she was accustomed to get scared by horror movies. Then he could save the day by holder her hand, or her shoulder, or her waist. All of the above? Maybe they would touch tails behind the seats, wrapping and rubbing. He always liked having someone touch his tail. It was one of the more enigmatic pleasures he'd felt with her. Then, he and her would kiss again. Those sweet lips of hers against his for another time. Maybe he'd go deeper.Spelunking. It's going to be such an amazing night.
That might be a bit fantastical for someone as cynical as him. He knew in his heart it couldn't be that great, but, he still couldn't keep his tail from waving, and couldn't keep his mind from believing in the wonderful scaly goddess that had been hiding behind his blurry vision.
Having stepped out the shower and dried, he defaulted onto the bed in his room before he remembered to check his phone. A missed call and a text message. When he inspected further he confirmed that they were both from Elliot.I'm not late, am I? The clock read [5:49], he had plenty of time. He opened up his inbox to read the text.
"[I just remembered that you can read now. Imagine that.]"
Scilius read it in her voice. And, when he did so, it almost made him feel hungry to listen to her talk. The idea of the missed call started to bother him. His only chance to hear her voice until Seven. It'd be a long hour. So he sent to her, hopefully:
"[Yes, very much I can. Although, my thumbs aren't as nimble as my tongue. Call?]"
It wasn't a very true sentiment, Scilius couldn't say anything nearly as well as he could write it. But, he wasn't going to outright beg for her voice. Or, he'd at least wait until it was his last resort to do so.Oh, his phone was buzzing.
"You spend the majority of your time silent, but then you say pseudo-poetic things like that."
"Hey, Elliot," he was almost laughing at her sweet humor and even more so being enchanted by her sweet raspy voice.
"So what are you doing, a mere hour before we are set to see a movie?"
He looked down at himself on the bed.Not wearing any clothes. He wasn't going to mention that. At any time, he could throw the pants and nice shirt he had waiting by the side of his bed on and be ready to go. Don't forget to add overly strong cologne to the scales on his neck.
"Just laying around." He grinned at his obfuscation. He wasn't lying.
"Ahh okay. So, you're driving right."
"Yeah, I - uh - well my mom is." He heard laughing from the other side of the line. Even when it's mocking him her voice still makes him feel warm. "I haven't yet a license." He stuck his tongue out at no one.
Scilius couldn't remember the last time his tail had danced this much without even his conscious command. He eagerly had the phone pressed to his slightly horned head, feeling a desire that he thought he could honestly compare to that of a drug addict.I need my fix.
"Scealy," his mom called out to him. At first, Scilius thought it might have come from Elliot, but even his contemptuous mom's motherly voice couldn't compare.
"I think that's your mom calling you," she accused him.
Before Scilius could protest, his door crept open, and a short proboscis popped in.
"Scealy it's - Scilius! You're not dressed!"
Scilius jumped and tried to cover himself with sheets. Then, he focused on the phone in his claw, and rushed to end the call. Before he could silence it, he heard faintly his companion saying from the other line:
"Wait, you aren't What , Scilius?"
He beamed at his mom with his citrus eyes, now almost glowing red.
"You could knock!"
"I've seen it since you popped out of me. Why aren't you ready?"
"I'm almost." His mom had moved back behind the door to give him privacy but kept talking while Scilius pulled on his fresh pair of black jeans.
"You're movie's for seven, right?"
"Seven thirty, we're supposed to be there for seven."
"You got twenty minutes, and we still have to pick this girl up."
"She's two blocks down." He could almost feel his mom rolling her eyes at him.
"I'll be in the car."
He checked himself in the mirror. His white tee-shirt tucked into his jeans and an unbuttoned button-up over it. He made sure to smell himself, and when he was satisfied, headed out to meet his mom.
Instead of going to sit in the passenger seat, he went to the driver's side and tapped on the window. He gave her a pleasant smile, and she opened the door into him.
"You're not driving with her in the car."
"I just mean to her house."
She looked at him for a few seconds and stepped out to let him slip behind the wheel. He adjusted his seat while she took a spot next to him.
"You have your permit with you, right?"
"Yes."
She made him check his mirrors before letting him start the car. Once he did, he backed up carefully, looking around the street as he rolled out the driveway. Once moving forward, he, and his mom, relaxed much more.
"So, how come I haven't met this girl?"
"You weren't home."
Scilius was actually glad that his mom wasn't there to bother him and Elliot while they hung out on his bed. He hadn't told his mom much about Elliot, though. That being said, his mom may have known almost as much about Elliot as he did.She doesn't know what Elliot tastes like, though.
"Bad planning on your part, I should have the right to embarrass you in front of all your possible future wives. It's only fair, you drew on my walls."
He pretended to be focusing on the road, but every word she said hit him clearly.
"You said she's a scale right. Haven't seen many here since we moved. You know, I won't mind if you date a fur, right? I'll only love my grandchildren slightly less."
She has a twisted sense of humor. He was disappointed in himself thinking that he wanted to laugh. He was glad to see Elliot's two story house ahead. Now, mom can stop talking.
He tried to pull up on the curb, until his mom made him aware that he had missed. He had to try two more times before making it properly on the elevated concrete slabs. Scilius got out while his mom took his place, and he nearly skipped to the door.
He eagerly clawed the doorbell. Waiting for the beautiful snout behind the voice to open up the door. He tried to keep his tail still as he saw a shadow come up behind a blurred decorative window. Out stepped a red furred figure that leaned on the wall as he approached Scilius.
Scilius dropped his shoulders in disappointment. It's just Cecil. The taller fox had a much sterner look than Scilius had expected. He certainly fits the protective bigger (if not necessarily older) brother role. Still, Scilius knows Cecil could just as easily be sent away by his sister.
"I'm here for Elliot."
"Elliot, your friend's here!" He called out behind him, almost ignoring Scilius completely.
Cecil walked back into the house, without another word. Scilius heard an inaudible shout and a few footsteps, like they were coming from a staircase.
Scilius built suspense in himself again as he heard each step come closer to the slightly ajar front door. A silver claw, with beautiful nails, Scilius noticed, clamped the edge of it, and started to swing open. Revealing the silver-tailed figure dressed in blue jeans and a green shirt.
I... The Golden eyes Scilius had remembered staring at had become clear, and were accentuated with a thicker brow than would be expected. Don't... The soft snout he remembered nuzzling with his own now looked more robust, with a wide and sharp chin. Believe... Elliot carried the smell of a strong musk as opposed to a flowery perfume, a lot like the cologne he had put on. The body he had thought would hide under the fizzled school uniform had not been shapely with his preconceived pear and or apple shape, but instead, with a flat chest, thin hips, and a familiar lack of room in the space inside the jeans.
"Elliot?" He mumbled.
"Hey Scilly," he told him, his voice still sounding as effeminate as Scilius remembered. The one thing that didn't change.
"H - how are you?" He didn't sound too excited.
"I'm great. You ready?"
"... I - oh, yeah." Scilius had still been staring at his jawline in disbelief. //Elliot is a...
"The green car?"
"Yeah..."Elliot... "You're last name is Aisle, right?"
"Yep, like a grocery." He laughed, opening the car door and jumping into the far side, giving Scilius the nearer seat.
Elliot Aisle... E. Aisle. The one other scale that existed in my class. The one whom I never heard talking, the one who sat in the back of the class, the one whom I never saw during lunch. The one who all the furs complained set the curve in Algebra II. "That damn Aisle kid."
He wanted to groan. The stupid name tags. He'd known his name if they actually had it on the stupid name tags.
Scilius became aware of the taste of Elliot's lips that he had committed to memory as he stepped into the back seat with him. He was too distracted thinking to notice the very strange look his mom had been giving him while starting the car. If he did, he might not have wanted to return it anyway.
"So... your name is..."
"Elliot, and you're Miss Montag?"
She was intrigued by the answer she got, and was surprised to be addressed properly as a "Miss."
"You could just call me Sheila, dear."
"Okay," Elliot smiled, "are you going to be watching with us."
"Nah, Scilius must be getting too old to be watching movies with his mom-my." His mom was, of course, going to make him look like a fool no matter what. "Now he's going to see movies with little girlies instead."
Elliot laughed, but with the mention of girlies, quickly caught a short look and clawed something into his phone.
"So," his mom continued, "Are you two meeting girls there? You both certainly have enough cologne on."
"Yeah," Elliot smiled, now with a playful grin on his snout. Scilius just felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"[Are you out, yet?]"
"[No.]" He replied.
What else was he supposed to say, certainly not yes. Five minutes ago he wasn't aware that he would even have the option to be 'out.'
"[Me either, except to Cecil.]"
"Are you two texting each other? You're one foot apart."
"No, we're texting the girlies." He almost giggled when he said it, and gave Scilius a tap on his tail with his.Elliot likes my mom, he might be the first.
"Now, these girlies have piercings right? Is their fur dyed black, or are they scales?"
"Oh no, we're not messing around with those plain old scales. And, yes, piercings in their navels, with short skirts that have skulls." Elliot and his mom both roared with laughter, and Scilius got another text:
"[She's awesome!]"
Finally, the car stopped in front of a small in-mall theater, and Scilius took the first step on solid ground he could get. Elliot followed, but not before saying goodbye.
"Be safe," she waved off, and Scilius thought she might have been making insinuations about condoms.
When she drove off, Elliot looked at him, with an expectant grin and his arms out.
"What, no hug?" Scilius obliged with a little recalcitrance.
"I don't think you're mom would mind, you know, she seems Liberal."
Liberal isn't the right word, Scilius would say Cynical. And, she probably wouldn't care, she'd just switch around her pronouns when making her little jokes.At least she can't 'boyies,' but she might just try.
"Yeah. She's just too evocative to come out to."
Wait, no. I don't need to come out. I'm not in. It's just... She - he - put me in this... situation. I wouldn't be in this position if he hadn't hunted me down and... affected me.
Scilius remembered all the times he had gone to sleep thinking about Elliot. Dreams about him even. Laying awake at home in the fog of blindness and lusting for his voice alone. He'd even gone home and thought about how great that first kiss with him was. Even now with the smell of the musk in his nostrils he couldn't help but be fond of the memories he thought he had with a girl.
"You're not out to your parents?" He felt the need to ask, having nothing else floating through his head, aside from the taste of what he now knew was male still lingering in his memory.
"No."With that voice you'd think they expected it.
"Are they not as Liberal." He lowered his voice while they were buying tickets.
"No, it's just... I'm already the odd one out in my family. Mom's a nurse, dad's a civil engineer, Cecil's going to med-school, and I'm the adopted gay scale who wants to draw. You should see the looks I get a family parties from my cousins. Some of them used to think I was just a friend of Cecil's who was just always hanging out with him, for years."
Scilius stopped. He was under the impression that Cecil was the adopted one. He had never seen Elliot's parents. Now that he thought of it, Elliot was quick to understand how he dodged questions about his father. Maybe Elliot understood more about him than he thought.
But, then they can be good friends. Math, nerd, science buddies who talk and totally don't judge on sexuality, that'd be fine. He'd just say something. Then he thought,Something? Oh, you see, I thought you were a chick, but like, your utter lack of udders has swayed my mind, be gone you. That'd go over great. But, he can't just keep dating him, no way.
Scilius noticed even now Elliot was casually trying to lock claws with him and tap tails. He'd just move slightly out of the way, and pretend he wasn't doing it on purpose.
"What do you drink?"
"Diet Coke," Scilius answered before he fully returned from his thoughts. Elliot had went ahead and ordered one drink with a large popcorn. "Oh, you can get whatever kind you want, my mom left me plenty." Please don't make me share a drink with you.
"I like diet." Elliot patted the very flat space of his stomach. Scilius, vehemently wanted to argue, but he couldn't. Something restrained his vocal chords. Something forced him to let Elliot order just one drink for them to share. As they left the concessions, Scilius was able to, only with Elliot's back turned, grab a second straw.
Scilius followed him up into the theater, where, of course, he picked a solitary spot on the top row. When he sat down, Scilius couldn't feel an arm-rest on Elliot's side. His stomach turned over. Elliot had lifted up the arm rest. Scilius was hoping that she'd get scared and cuddle with him. He hoped she would, not he. Jump scares and suspense, that'd be enough to send a gay scale into his arms, wouldn't it?
Silence filled the theater, and then the sounds of the opening of a cheap horror flick. Scilius had already been clawing at the popcorn they were sharing, avoiding Elliot's claw as he did so, until he dried his mouth with salt and the remnants of kernels. By second nature, he reached for the cup-holder on his side, to find nothing.Oh right, where is it.
He looked at Elliot, and saw the only source of hydration on the farthest side of him.You did that on purpose. You know where that could've been most efficiently placed, in the arm rest that was supposed to be between us. He tried reaching in the most inconspicuous way he could, and managed to wrap his claws around the plastic cup, but before he could run back to home, two warm silver claws caught his arm.
"Where d'ya think you're going." He whispered to Scilius.
"D- drink?" Elliot let go long enough for Scilius to bring the cup to his snout. He remembered his extra straw and reached into his pocket, but Elliot was looking at him.How'd he feel if I just blatantly said "I don't want to drink after your nasty-ass" by taking out a straw that I had in my pocket? He brought Elliot's straw to his maw instead.
He knew it wasn't real, but he could taste him on the straw, and even worse, he felt the same flutter he had in his chest, warming him.Why am I still feeling this? He instinctively put the cup back on his side, now with the straw in his pocket sitting idle and worthless.
The movie progressed and Elliot scooted closer and closer to fill the gap between the un-separated seats. When Scilius thought Elliot had gone as far as he would go, he had been surprised. Elliot leaned over his lap to reach the straw of the drink cup with his snout, not even lifting the cup the slightest out of the holder, and, while doing so, he put a claw around Scilius' back. Before Scilius could even react, Elliot layed back and threw Scilius' arm over his shoulder.
As Scilius squirmed Elliot locked himself in place.
"Are you nervous," Elliot asked. He looked around and added, "There's only three or four other furs in here, they don't know us."
Scilius tried to voice what the actual problem was. I'm not gay. Your genitalia does not properly into mine. But, he didn't. "Yeah."
He couldn't help but feel warm with Elliot clinging to his waist like that. The sensation was enough to make his jeans uncomfortable. Stop that.
With every silent and drawn out scene, Scilius would hear Elliot's heart beat. With every jump scare, Elliot would squeeze him, and even gasp a little. Scilius was starting to lose feeling in the arm that was pressed against the seat by the weight of his companion's shoulders.
When the credits finally rolled, and a few furs idly stumbled down the steps, Elliot just looked up at Scilius, expectantly. When Scilius gave nothing, Elliot decided to speak.
"Your scales look really nice. Worth the blindness, definitely." He giggled at Scilius.
"Th- thanks." Scilius had a pretty good idea of what Elliot was waiting for. Elliot turned at checked down the rows of seats.
"No one's in here." He said.
"No, they aren't."What else am I supposed to say? He didn't want to flirt with him, but there was something enticing about those golden eyes that flashed in the dark.
"Fine," Elliot finally told Scilius breathily after a few awkward seconds, and he moved up toward his snout.
Scilius tried to back away, but while looking into his eyes he saw Elliot - the female Elliot he had seen through his shedding eyes and kissed on the staircase - and he leaned in too. With his eyes closed, Elliots lips felt just as soft and tasted just as sweet. He found himself feeling butterflies deep within the pit of his sternum, and strangely, found himself holding Elliot tighter. He was pressing his lips as far behind Elliot's as he could, without realizing it.
"You're good at that, Scilly."
When Scilius understood what that compliment had meant, he felt a little embarrassed. I just...
"Thanks?"
Elliot gave him one last peck on the snout when a fur with a dustpan walked up the stairs.
"I think we have to go now." He frowned at him.
Elliot was finishing off the drink, when she offered a sip to Scilius, who accepted it.What difference does it make now.
"Your mom's coming soon right?"
"Yeah."
"Got any excuse we could use to hang out longer?"
What? Longer? This has been the most frightening and confusing two hours of my life, and you want longer?
"Don't know."
He looked at Elliot's smile. He has never seen him frown, but he could imagine the one thing he could say to wipe the grin off his snout. Elliot didn't look like he'd take rejection so well, especially after Scilius had been the most eager of partners just three hours ago on the phone.
"I could sleep over." Elliot said with an overenthusiastic tone.
Those words ate at Scilius' ears.Oh no.
"No - I mean, are you sure you'd want to?"
"Yes, you got the heated bed, right?"
He remembered telling Elliot all about his bed, even himself suggesting for him to stay over, when he still thought Elliot was a girl.Why did I do that. He tried, so desperately, to make an excuse, but Elliot had a new-found source of power over Scilius: those golden eyes with think black slits that always had the most appealing glare.
"I - guess it's fine." Scilius mumbled. No!
"Great," he saw the green car coming down the curb, "she's here!" He sounded too excited.
Elliot had leapt into the car and Scilius' mom started before he had even taken his seat.
"So, how was the movie?"
"Not very good," Elliot said, "but we liked it a lot," with a knowing look given to Scilius.
Scilius thought Elliot might have been a little to obvious, but his mom was none the wiser.
"U-huh, those girls with daddy issues sure make the show."
Scilius wondered if his mom actually got along with adults. There's no way self respecting elders would want to associate with such vulgar a companion, and his mom would never associate with them. His mother had started driving closer to the street Elliot lived on, but he stopped her.
"Actually, Sheila, could I stay over tonight? My parents are cool with it." Scilius didn't recall Elliot texting his parents.
"I guess it's all right. I don't have any dinner though."
"That's fine. But I'll still have to try your cooking one day."
His mom looked flattered, blushing and everything.I'm sure she'd love a little suck up like Elliot hanging around the house more often. He gets along with her pretty well. He's already taking the relationship seriously enough to bother with my family relations, then. I'd hate to tell him that I'm not that in to it, because he sure is.
Scilius' mom felt it necessary to give Elliot an official tour of his house, as opposed to the doorway to bedroom tour Scilius had offered. When all was said and done, Elliot let Sheila retire to the livingroom with her crime dramas, and dragged Scilius along into his room.
"The weather's been so cold, lately."
"You're only here for my bed right?" Scilius couldn't help but find it funny when Elliot plopped down onto his bed and flipped on the switch without needing to be given directions.
"I'm here," he came up from flipping the switch, "for you, Scilly." He gave Scilius this stoplight smile, with so much lascivious intent bundled into just the curve of his snout.
Scilius trudged just a little and plopped down onto his bed with him. Elliot laid his head next to Scilius' and grabbed his claw. Then, his tail stretched to wrap around Scilius.' Scilius was unnerved by how much of the old Elliot he could see, feel rather, in her claw and tail.
Elliot was rubbing the back of Scilius' claw with his nail. Up and down. Scilius couldn't not notice the movement. The bed was baking into his back through his double shirts. He wasn't saying anything.
"Are you okay?" Elliot asked.
"I'm fine. Tired, I guess." Exhausted, emotionally and physically.
"Me too. How're your scales?"
"Like the old ones."
"Yeah, you look just as cute as you did before you were shedding."He knew me before I was shedding? Elliot tugged on his claw, making him turn his snout.
"Yes?" Scilius asked.
"Wan'na call it a night?"Since the first minute.
"Yeah."
He was relieved, thinking he could sleep and put this entire night behind him.Just one more awkward encounter with a "girl" to forget about. He'd just have to sleep it all off. He slipped off his shoes, socks, and button-up, and was going to stop at that, leaving on his white shirt and jeans. Elliot had gotten a different impression.
He had immediately pulled off his only shirt and started dropping his pants to reveal white boxer pants, and Scilius was caught in the spectacle. Elliot was fit snugly into his scales, most of his thin muscles pressing out boldly. When he turned around, Scilius jerked his head away and blushed, realizing he was staring at each strangely rational curvature of his body, especially around his legs and tail.
"You can look," he laughed.
Scilius didn't feel much more audacious, but turned back to Elliot. Elliot moved closer to him.
"C - can I see you... shirtless?"
"No, I -" Scilius got another look into Elliot's golden eyes, which dropped hearing his answer.
"But you're alright with talking to me on the phone naked?" He teased Scilius.
Scilius blushed heavily, and so did Elliot. He was hoping that his mother wouldn't have gotten through the line. Again, those eyes were looking at him.
"I, well, I guess I don't mind taking it off." Elliot's tail waved vibrantly.
Scilius lifted his shirt from his body, slowly, but not for effect, but rather out of nervousness. Elliot couldn't tell the difference. Scilius held his arms down limp once shirtless, leaving his slightly buldged stomach visible. He slid his pants off quickly and folded his legs. He knew sleeping in jeans would be uncomfortable, but he still felt very shy.
"You're cute," Elliot old him.
"You too," Scilius replied mechanically.
Elliot danced his way to the light switch and set the room to blackness, the green walls just barely maintaining a fraction of their color. Elliot jumped onto the bed next to Scilius and threw a cover over the both of them. Scilius reclined himself like a lever down onto the pillow, only to be seized by Elliot, holding on to him. Elliot gave him a peck on the snout, and, when he gave Scilius a smiling look, pulled him into a longer smooch.
"I've always wanted to do this." He told Scilius, pressing his head into the crook of Scilius' neck.
With a few minutes of silence, feeling the combined heating of the bed and partnership and almost letting Elliot drift into sleep, Scilius spoke up.
"How'd you learn you were gay?" Elliot tightened his grip around Scilius. He'd only asked so that he could have some kind of reference for himself.
"When... I noticed that I didn't quite grasp the proper concept of Truth or Dare."
"What does that -"
"I dared some fur to kiss me, a guy, and it... Leading up to that point, I just thought I was a really good br- best friend. Then, I dun'no. Awkwardly uncertain late nights on the internet followed for a while until I caught on."
Scilius wasn't sure whether to take what he was hearing with humor or pity.The kind of emotional turmoil that might have followed my poor El - I mean poor Elliot in that situation must have been dreadful.
"When did you figure it out."
Scilius took the time to actually realize that that was a question he was asking of himself. Every time he imagined him he knew Elliot had more between his legs than he had intended to ever find. But, he still felt the aura of female Elliot lingering around, enough so that he noticed his own arms were wrapped tightly against Elliot too, even suaying idly, rubbing into the scales of his naked back.
"five hours ago."
Elliot laughed and wished him goodnight. He didn't know Scilius was being serious.