FSE

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Well, this is it, the last chapter. I'm pretty sad this series is over, but ecstatic that I finally finished another story series. That brings my tally up to two now XD. I hope you enjoy this, and I really appreciate all of you who have read this series from the beginning. :) Thanks again!

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"Baby," Mitch held Chris tighter to his chest, "It's going to be ok."

It was Mitch's last day in the house, the last shower he and Chris took together. Chris had this dream all the time, he didn't mind. It was the only dream of his that he wished would never end. Chris sighed and steeled himself for the words that came next.

"I'll be home in six months," Mitch continued, his paws softly rubbing the back of the human's head, "Then I'll be home forever."

Chris sniffled into the Wolf's fur. The warm shower water spattering off of his back muffled the sound of his quiet sobs.

"Promise," Chris pulled back and looked up at his husband, "Promise that you'll come home to me."

Mitch smiled and kissed the human's forehead.

"I promise," Mitch replied, "I'll never go anywhere without you, or our children again."

Chris smiled and wiped his eyes.

"God Mitch," Chris sighed happily, "Our family is going to be amazing."

The Wolf rocked his mate slowly in his arms. Mitch's tail started to wag, and a large smile spread across his face.

"Yeah," Mitch began, "I'll finally have someone who I can love as much as I love you."

"We'll start looking as soon as you get back," Chris chuckled, "You're already the perfect husband, so I'm positive that you'll be a perfect father."

"I'm looking forward to it," Mitch pressed his forehead to the human's, "I love you so much."

Chris smiled and closed his eyes as the Wolf leaned in for a kiss.

"I love you too."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chris woke up from that dream the same way he did with all of the others he had about Mitch, with tears streaking his face and sobs erupting from his throat. This time, there was something different. Chris shot up, his eyes opening and spouting tears like every morning, but was quickly wrapped into the warm furred arms of someone else.

"Shh," Brutus held Chris close, "It's ok."

Chris cried into Brutus's chest for a solid five minutes. The Dalmatian whined and gently rubbed over the human's bare torso. Chris had lost weight since the death of Mitch, and looked like he hadn't had a decent night of sleep for months. His ribs were barely showing under his pale skin, and his complexion looked paler than usual. When the sobs finally stopped, Chris pulled back from the Dalmatian's embrace.

"It's not Monday already is it?" Chris wiped his eyes, "Did I sleep in?"

Brutus shook his head.

"Only a little," Brutus began, "I let myself in. You still keep your key in the same crummy lawn decoration that you used at school."

"Mitch hated that gnome," Chris chuckled and got lost in his own thoughts for a moment, "I'm sorry you had to see that. I know you didn't fly all this way just to watch me act like this."

"No," Brutus put his paw on Chris's hand, "It's alright. Were you having a bad dream?"

"It was a good dream," Chris sighed and squeezed the Dalmatian's paw, "If it were one of the bad ones I'd still be crying."

"Was it about him? About Mitch?" Brutus asked, "How long have you been having these?"

Chris rubbed his arm.

"Since I first saw the tape a year ago," Chris shuddered, "That's when they started."

Brutus raised an eyebrow.

"The tape?" Brutus asked, "What do you mean?"

Chris sighed. He spent the whole week getting ready for this. The human knew that he'd have to open up. Now was better than later.

"Mitch was killed June 16th of last year," Chris began, "The army base he was teaching prospective officers at was attacked by religious extremists two weeks prior. They took hostages, and Mitch was one of them. They executed him and filmed it to send a message."

"You watched that," Brutus whined and put his arms around Chris, "Why Chris?"

"His last words were directed to me," Chris replied, "I made them show me. I wanted to see him say them. It didn't seem right to have it told to me by some total stranger. Someone who wouldn't understand. Anyways, his last words were, "Chris, I love you so much and-."

"And what?" Brutus asked.

"They shot him before he could say any more," Chris nodded and looked way from Brutus, tears welling up in his eyes again, "When he found out he was going to the Philippines, I was so relieved. I thought that kind of thing didn't happen over there. I thought he'd have a very uneventful six months, and then he and I would be together for the rest of our lives. I guess I was wrong."

Brutus sighed and nuzzled Chris's cheek.

"Why didn't you tell anyone until now?" Brutus asked, "We would have all been at your side in a heartbeat. Me, Max, all of your friends from school. We would have helped you through this. "

"I didn't want anyone to see him like that," Chris sighed, "I knew how much it hurt me. I wanted everyone to think he was still alive, to keep on living in blissful ignorance."

"It's selfless of you, but very unhealthy," Brutus began, "It's healthy to grieve. Not just for you, but for everybody else around you. It's natural."

Brutus rubbed Chris's shoulders.

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" Brutus continued, "No wonder you've been having nightmares Chris. This is a lot to deal with alone. "

Chris shook his head.

"You're here," Chris began, "The fact that someone outside of my family still cares about me will do me wonders. I'm sure I'll start doing better as soon as I get out of this bed."

Brutus sighed and nodded.

"Make yourself at home," Chris continued, "Do you want a shower?"

"I already took one," Brutus chuckled, "You may have slept in a lot."

"I'm going to take one," Chris replied, "Did you see your present on the table?"

"Present?" Brutus's ears perked up, "You didn't have to get me a present."

Chris got up from the bed and walked out into the hall.

"Just open it up," Chris began as he stumbled down the hall into his bathroom, "I'll be out in a bit to help you with it."

Chris got into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He got into the shower and sighed. He hated this shower now that Mitch was gone, it seemed one size too big. Chris turned on the water and did what he needed to do as quickly as possible. He put on his lazy clothes, a baggy green tee-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, and walked out into the kitchen.

Brutus was sitting at one of the two dining room chairs at the table. He was holding a medical syringe in his paw, worry etched onto his face. He turned to face Chris when he walked out.

"Are you trying to tell me something Chris?" Brutus asked, "Are you doing drugs or something?"

Chris shook his head and stood beside the Dalmatian.

"No," Chris began, "You're holding the cure to FHIV in your paws."

Brutus nearly dropped the syringe. His eyes welled up with tears, and he brought a paw up to cover his mouth. Chris smiled and put a hand on the Dog's shoulder.

"That's what I was working on," Chris continued, "The cure for your strain is the first one we made and got approved by the FDA. We're just waiting to get the cures for more strains before we put it on the market."

"Y-you," Brutus sniffled, "You cured it?"

"Yeah," Chris smiled as Brutus kissed the human's hand, "We did."

"T-that's amazing," Brutus pressed his cheek against the back of Chris's hand, "The doctors told me I'd die before they cured it."

"They were wrong," Chris replied, tenderly rubbing Brutus's cheek, "Do you want it?"

"I don't know," Brutus began, "Is it wrong of me to take it?"

"I don't think so," Chris rubbed the Dog's neck, "It's not going to be long now. Soon everyone who needs it will get it."

"I think I'd like it," Brutus replied, "How?"

Chris reached down and took the syringe out of the Dalmatian's paw.

"Oh crap is it a shot?" Brutus whined, "I hate those."

Chris chuckled.

"It's just one shot," Chris began, "One shot and then you're cured."

"That sounds too good to be true," Brutus replied as Chris started getting his supplies ready, "Hell, it takes 12 medications to keep the virus from going gangbusters and killing me dead."

"It's complicated," Chris called over from the kitchen counter, "But trust me, it works."

"Ok," Brutus took a deep breath, "I trust you."

Chris knelt down beside the Dalmatian and lifted up the back of the Dog's shirt. He put some rubbing alcohol on Brutus's lower back. The Dalmatian took another deep breath and held it in.

"Just relax," Chris began, "It's only going to hurt for a little bit."

"Will there be any side effects?" Brutus asked, "Do you have any training to do this at all?"

"Well," Chris flicked the air bubbles out of the syringe, "You'll be sore for a couple of days, and yes, I learned how to do this."

Brutus chuckled.

"Ok," Brutus began, "Let's get it over with."

Chris nodded and injected Brutus with the cure. Brutus yipped and bit his lip as Chris did the deed quickly. The human stood up and set the needle on the counter.

"I'll have to take this to the biohazard disposal at work," Chris began, "I'll do that tomorrow."

Brutus rubbed his back and groaned.

"It's pretty damn sore already," Brutus whined, "Is that normal?"

"Yeah," Chris sighed, "I'm sorry Brutus. I tried to get it as close to your kidneys as possible without stabbing you in them. It'll be over in a couple of days."

Brutus got up and walked over to Chris. He hugged the human tightly to him, his chin resting on top of the human's head. With a happy sigh, Brutus tightened his arms around Chris's upper body, and pulled Chris's back into the front of his tee-shirt. The human tensed up, not quite sure how to react. The Dalmatian picked it up, but didn't care.

"Thank you," Brutus kissed the human's cheek, "Thank you so much Chris."

Chris relaxed, enjoying the feeling of having someone close to him again. The human turned around and hugged Brutus back.

"Can we stay like this for a while?" Chris sighed, "Please, you don't know how lonely I've been."

"Chris," Brutus nodded and held the human tighter, "God I wish I knew."

"It's ok," Chris smiled and closed his eyes, "You're here now."

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6 days later

It was Brutus's last night in town, and the pair had made the most out of it. They went out to one of the fanciest restaurants in town, and had great food, great entertainment, and most importantly, a great time. Chris and Brutus walked into Chris's house, laughing as they did. Brutus looked over Chris as they entered, grinning from ear to ear.

Chris had become a totally different person during the short time Brutus had been there. It was like his arrival started some process inside of Chris's mind. Something that let him know that it was finally time to move on. He was happy, and smiled and laughed again. Something the human hadn't done for way too long. Chris smiled and looked back at Brutus.

"I suppose you want to go to bed," Chris began, "You've got another long day of flying ahead."

"I'm not ready for bed yet," Brutus replied, "Want to have a glass of wine first?"

"I'd love to," Chris smiled, "I'll meet you in the living room."

Chris practically bounced into the kitchen. The Dalmatian chuckled and sat down on the human's purple loveseat. Chris walked into the living room holding two glasses of Riesling and sat down beside the Dalmatian. Brutus took his glass and sipped it. Chris slowly became more comfortable with being closer to the Dalmatian, something that Brutus really appreciated.

"So," Brutus took another sip of his wine, "Want to put on some music?"

"Sure," Chris walked up to his audio system, "What are you in the mood for?"

"I don't know," Brutus chuckled, "The stuff we listened to when we were young and stupid. The usual nostalgic stuff young old people like us listen to."

"We aren't old," Chris chuckled, "Hell we're only 26."

"We are so old," Brutus rolled his eyes, "It's not even funny."

Chris chuckled as he pulled out his cell phone and pressed a few buttons. He plugged the phone in and stood back. Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud started to play quietly through his very nice speakers. Brutus smiled and set his wine down. Chris looked up at the Dalmatian, his eyes widening as Brutus walked up to him and extended a paw.

"Can I have this dance?" Brutus asked.

Chris blushed and sheepishly held his hand out to the Dalmatian. With a huge smile, Brutus pulled the human close, and started swaying with him to the beat. Brutus sang along quietly as Chris rested his head against the Dog's shoulders. Brutus sighed happily and closed his eyes, waltzing with Chris around the living room. Close to the end of the song, Brutus accidentally pressed Chris against the loveseat and knocked him backwards.

With a surprised yelp, Brutus tumbled on top of the human. The pair shared a laugh, only stopping when their eyes met. Chris blushed hard and leaned up to kiss the Dalmatian softly on the lips. Almost as soon as he started, Chris pulled away.

"That was out of line," Chris cleared his throat, "I'm sorry Brutus."

Brutus smiled.

"That wasn't out of line," Brutus tenderly stroked Chris's cheek, "You know I never stopped loving you right?"

Chris looked away.

"How?" Chris sighed, "I left you for someone else Brutus. How could you still love me?"

"Because you made up for it," Brutus chuckled and licked the human's cheek, "You were my best friend in college. I can't believe you didn't know, I told you all the time."

"Really?" Chris asked, "I don't remember you ever saying you loved me."

Brutus laughed.

"Chris, there are thousands of ways to tell someone you love them," Brutus replied, "Every time I told you to be careful, to not drink too much, to be happy. I showed you that I still cared, that I still loved you."

"I don't know what to say Brutus," Chris blushed, "Is it wrong that I still thought about you? About what our life could have been if I didn't choose Mitch?"

Brutus sat up and Chris followed suit.

"I don't think it's wrong," Brutus began, "You were happy with Mitch weren't you?"

"So happy," Chris sighed and wrapped himself in his arms, 'So happy."

"Then it wasn't wrong at all," Brutus continued, "You were a faithful husband, a good husband. Everyone has thoughts like that."

Chris smiled.

"Besides," Brutus smiled and rubbed the human's cheek again, "Our lives aren't over yet. The best years of our lives are still ahead of us. Honestly, I still want to share them with you"

"Do you want to get back together?" Chris asked, his jaw dropping, "Really?"

Brutus traced a finger down the human's arm.

"I'd be lying if I said no," Brutus began, "That's not why came here, but, I've wanted it since we broke up. That's why I really haven't talked to you guys since the wedding. I couldn't let go."

"It's not too soon is it?" Chris asked, "Is it wrong to want to move on?"

"You can't be sad and depressed forever," Brutus began, "Just ask yourself what Mitch would want."

"He'd want me to be happy," Chris replied after a short pause, "Can we?"

Brutus leaned in and kissed Chris softly. The human shed a few tears as he kissed back, the liquid rolling down his cheeks and wetting the Dog's muzzle.

"Are you ok?" Brutus pressed his forehead against Chris's, "We don't have to do this yet."

Chris shook his head.

"It's not you," Chris replied, "It's just been so long since I've been close to someone like this. I didn't know how much I missed this."

Brutus nuzzled the human before locking lips with him again. Chris returned the kiss, his breath catching as the Dalmatian rubbed over his neck and shoulders. With a quiet moan, Chris got into Brutus's lap, deepening the kiss with a quiet moan. The Dalmatian moved his paws lower and started rubbing Chris's back under his shirt.

"It's been a long time for me too," Brutus murred and started to kiss the human's neck, "Fuck, I've been wanting this for so long."

Chris moaned and panted as the Dalmatian started to nibble over his collarbone. His paws roamed into Chris's pants and started squeezing and groping the human's rear.

"A-ah mmnh Brutus," Chris bit his lip and ground back against the Dog's paws.

"Why don't we take this into the bedroom?" Brutus chuckled, "I want to make love to you Chris."

Chris shuddered and moaned as the Dog slid a finger against his hole. Brutus started kissing him again, with tongue. The human cried out into Brutus's mouth and returned the kiss. The Dalmatian stood up and walked Chris into the bedroom, still maintaining their makeout session.

"Let's get these clothes off," Brutus murred as he laid the two of them on the bed, "You look better without them."

Chris blushed as the Dalmatian got off of him and stood at the foot of the bed. He slowly pulled off his shirt, showing off his still muscular and beautiful upper body. Chris blushed and quickly shed his shirt, fully aware that he wasn't as toned as before. Brutus kept stripping, showing off more and more of his delicious body.

"What are you doing?" Brutus asked as Chris hurriedly stripped naked and hid all but his head under the covers.

"I got naked," Chris blushed, "Aren't you coming in with me?"

Brutus crossed his arms.

"Get out of there," Brutus began, "Let me see you."

Chris hesitated for a moment and slowly got out from under the covers. He stood by the side of the bed, his head held up proudly. He was still pretty skinny, although he was starting to look healthier.

"I'm sorry," Chris rubbed his arm, "I know I'm not hot anymore."

Brutus shook his head and walked up to Chris.

"You're beautiful to me," Brutus gently lifted Chris's chin and kissed the human, "That's all that matters."

Chris blushed.

"You still look as amazing as the night I first met you," Chris smiled, "Remember that?"

Brutus chuckled and nodded.

"I remember wanting to make you mine right then and there," Brutus began, "It's a pity we didn't. I would have rocked your world."

"That doesn't mean you can't do it tonight," Chris blushed hard, "I have thick walls."

"What if I want people to hear?" Brutus chuckled and rubbed over the human's neck, "What then?"

"Then I'll be extra loud," Chris blushed and got back on the bed, laying his naked body on top of the covers, "Sound good to you?"

Brutus chuckled and got back on top of the human.

"What am I allowed to do?" Brutus murred, "Is there anything off the table?"

Chris shook his head and blushed.

"Good," Brutus murred and started stroking the human's semi-erect cock, "Cause I want to make up for all the years I missed."

Brutus bent down and took Chris's now hard cock into his muzzle. The human closed his eyes and moaned loudly, his hands moving down to rub over the top of the Dalmatian's head. Chris cried out in pleasure as Brutus started bobbing his head over his cock.

"I-I want to suck yours too," Chris blushed.

Brutus pulled back with a slurp and reoriented himself, laying on top of the human and putting his erect member in Chris's face. The Dalmatian returned to sucking on Chris's cock with a slutty moan. The human blushed hard and started kissing over the canine's member. Brutus smirked and moved his attention lower, giving the human's balls a couple licks and suckles before stretching down to nuzzle into his taint.

Chris pulled back from the Dog's crimson cock as Brutus's tongue moved out to tease his hole. The Dalmatian chuckled and gave the human's rump a few more kisses.

"What's the point of this position if you aren't going to handle your end?" Brutus chuckled.

Chris shuddered and moaned as the Dalmatian gave his entrance another sloppy lick. Brutus murred and moved back to his original position, getting in between the human's spread legs. Chris blushed.

"I'm sorry," Chris began, "You aren't going to stop are you?"

Brutus chuckled and teasingly ran a claw over the human's navel.

"Maybe I will," Brutus murred, "And maybe I won't. What do I get if I keep going?"

Chris thought for a moment.

"Shower sex when we wake up," Chris replied, "And I'll take you out to breakfast on the way to the airport."

"Hmm," Brutus chuckled, "You also have to come visit me in Maine at the nearest opportunity."

Chris blushed and nodded.

"It's a deal," He shivered and murred as Brutus lifted his hips and brought his wonderfully wet and warm tongue back to his hole.

The Dalmatian took his time, giving Chris one of the best rimjobs of his life. The human bit his lip as Brutus's tongue slowly snaked inside of him, his paw stroking faster and harder over his throbbing member. Chris gasped and arched his back, his fingers gripping the sheets underneath him. With a murr and a lewd slurp, Brutus pulled back and looked up at the human.

"Mind if I move on to the third act?" Brutus asked.

"Only if you promise it's as good as the second," Chris stuck out his tongue, "You didn't say you were an English teacher."

Brutus murred and moved his hips in between Chris's legs. The Dalmatian murred and started kissing over Chris's pale, smooth chest, as one of his paws moved down to lift up one of Chris's thighs. Brutus shifted his hips, positioning his rock hard cock at Chris's entrance.

"You ready for me?" Brutus asked.

"G-give me a second," Chris blushed and closed his eyes, "I'm a little nervous."

Brutus gave the human a series of kisses over his cheeks and lips. Chris wrapped his arms around the Dalmatian, holding him close.

"Y-you can put it in now," Chris began, "Just go slow. It's been a while."

"You sure," Brutus nuzzled, "There's no hurry Chris, we've got all night."

Chris blushed hard.

"Not if I want to go more than once," Chris replied, "I'm ready Brutus. Don't worry about me."

Brutus sighed.

"Well that makes me worry about you," Brutus moved his paw from the human's thigh and stroked his cheek, "Are you thinking about Mitch?"

Chris sighed and nodded.

"It's ok Chris," Brutus nuzzled the human's cheek, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's not really fair to you Brutus," Chris began, "I'm not sure if I'll ever fully be with you the way you want me to be."

"Sure you will," Brutus kissed Chris's forehead, "It'll just take time. Do you want my advice?"

Chris kissed the Dalmatian's cheek.

"Just do this tonight," Brutus began, "You'll thank yourself for it in the future. Just let go for one night."

"He wouldn't be mad at me?" Chris asked.

"You've been alone long enough Chris," Brutus sighed, "If he loved you, he'd want more for you than to spend the rest of your life alone and unhappy."

"Yeah," Chris sighed, "He and I had this conversation before he left for the first time. That's basically what he told me."

"Then it's your choice," Brutus began, "I won't be mad at you if you say no."

"I want to Brutus," Chris smiled and kissed the Dalmatian's nose, "We can."

"Ok," Brutus's paw went back down to lift Chris's thigh, "You think you're ready for me?"

Chris nodded.

"I am a good bottom you know," Chris chuckled and blushed, "We should be good to go."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Brutus lined himself up, pushing himself up from the human as he did so, "Well, here goes."

Brutus pressed forward with a quiet grunt, inserting his tip into Chris's tight ass. Chris bit his lip, immediately regretting the bold statement he made earlier. Brutus stopped and gently rubbed the human's thigh.

"You are really damn tight," Brutus murred and brought his free paw up to Chris's cheek, "You need a few."

Chris nodded and shifted his hips.

"It's been awhile," Chris blushed and looked down at Brutus's cock, "You're still pretty big."

"It's been awhile since I've heard that," Brutus smirked, "I appreciate the compliment."

Brutus laid still on top of Chris for a few more moments. He pressed forward, his tail wagging at the cry of pleasure that escaped Chris's mouth. Brutus murred and moved his paw up to caress the human's lips and cheeks, letting a finger slip into Chris's mouth. The human suckled on it, moaning again as Brutus kept pressing himself into the human.

Brutus whimpered in pleasure. This had been the first time he had been able to have any kind of sexual contact with someone without having to worry about his illness and without having to use a condom. The sensations were ten times more amazing. It had been awhile since sex had been this special for the Dalmatian. Now he could truly claim the beautiful man underneath him.

"Can I get started Chris?" Brutus pulled his finger back from the human's mouth with a pop.

Chris murred and nodded, his hands reaching up to hold the Dog's broad shoulders. Brutus lowered his body down onto the human, trying to maximize the contact between them. Chris shakily moaned as Brutus slowly started moving his hips, his fingers gripping the Dog's short fur as the canine slowly made love to him. The pair kissed, their lips locking as they moved passionately against each other.

"Brutus," Chris whined and gripped the Dog's shoulders, "I'm already close."

The Dalmatian murred and lifted the human's arms above his head. Chris blushed hard, his toes curling as the Dog kept up his slow and passionate pace and started to barrage Chris's neck with kisses and nibbles. Moan after moan leapt from Chris's lips, steadily crescendoing as Chris came closer and closer to his breaking point. Brutus bit down on the human's shoulder and orgasm hit Chris like a freight train.

He shuddered and moaned as the powerful sensations coursed over his body and left his muscles trembling. The human cried out again, cumming hard over his and Brutus's stomachs. With a chuckle, the Dalmatian moved up and started to softly kiss Chris on the lips. The human murred and squirmed on the bed underneath Brutus.

"D-don't stop," Chris whined out in pleasure, "I don't want this to end."

Brutus responded with a deeper kiss and more intense motions of his hips. He moved faster, taking a much more vigorous pace. Chris kept moaning, the frequency of the incredibly sexy sounds following the trend of the Dalmatian's pace. Each passionate cry of pleasure spurred the Dalmatian on, made him want to fully breed the sexy creature underneath him.

Brutus kissed Chris again, his tongue thrusting into Chris's mouth with reckless abandon. His thrusting became more arrhythmic, and his knot swelled angrily on the rim of Chris's hole. The human wrapped his legs around the Dalmatian's hips, urging him to do it, to tie him. Brutus growled and maintained the kiss, his paws moving down from the human's wrists to hold up his slender hips.

Chris moaned and cried out as Brutus put the full force of his weight into his thrusts. The Dalmatian howled in ecstasy as his knot finally squeezed into the human's tightness. Brutus fell forward, overwhelmed by the sensations of flooding the insides of the one he loved with his essence. The human held him tightly, gasping and moaning as he rode out his second orgasm.

The pair lay together silently. Brutus slowly rubbed over Chris's body and rolled over onto his back. Chris blushed and nuzzled into the Dalmatian's chest when he got situated.

"That was so amazing Brutus," Chris blushed and kissed the Dalmatian's cheek, "I haven't felt that good in a long time."

"That's a shame," Brutus rubbed Chris's back, "I'm glad I could have helped."

Chris sighed and closed his eyes.

"So what happens now?" Chris asked, "What happens when you go back home?"

"Well," Brutus chuckled, "We find a way to see each other again, and again, and again, until it works out in a way that lets us be together forever."

Chris smiled.

"That sounds wonderful," Chris began, "Are you really ready for all of that?"

"I think so," Brutus held Chris's hand, "I was ready from the second I met you."

"It's going to be very hard saying goodbye to you Brutus," Chris sighed and kissed the Dalmatian's paw, "You've really helped me a lot."

"Don't think of this as a goodbye," Brutus kissed Chris gently on the forehead, "Think of it as more of a see you later."

"See you later," Chris smiled, "I like that."

Brutus's chuckled and patted the human on the rump.

"Now I should get some sleep," Brutus began, "I've got a long flight ahead of me tomorrow."

"Ok," Chris yawned and cuddled up to the Dalmatian's chest, "I'll see you in the morning. Good night Brutus."

"You're damn right you will," Brutus chuckled and got comfortable, "Good night sweetheart."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3 years later

Things progressed very rapidly for Chris and Brutus after that visit. After a year of quick visits and very long skype sessions. The pair moved in together into a small house in Portland, Oregon. After Chris's team won a Nobel Prize for finding the cure for FHIV, he was able to get a job anywhere in the country. The pair settled on Portland, where Brutus found another school to teach in, and Chris got a job as the head of a local biochemical research lab.

The pair recently got engaged, and were earnestly planning their wedding. Their friends and family now knew about them, and were very supportive. They all found out about what happened to Mitch, had their own grieving processes, and quickly came out in support of the human. After all, a couple of years was more than long enough.

Chris was cleaning the house, getting ready for their new arrival. Chris and Brutus knew they were going to get married, so as soon as they got the house squared away, they began the adoption process. Finally, the time had come. In one week, their new son, a headstrong 10 year old human named Matthew, would join their household. Brutus walked in and chuckled.

"I don't think I've ever seen you up this early on a Sunday," Brutus smirked and hung up his coat, "Matthew's not going to mind if the house is a little dirty hon."

Chris huffed and set down his duster.

"I know what it's like to be in his shoes Brutus," Chris began, "I know what it's like to dream about a perfect, clean home."

"Our home is perfect. We've made it that way," Brutus held Chris from behind, "Cleaning the house from top to bottom every week isn't going to change that."

Chris sighed and rubbed Brutus's arm.

"I just want it to be perfect, in every way," Chris replied, "I want all of his dreams to come true the moment he walks through our front door."

Brutus rested his chin on top of the human's head and slowly rocked the pair back and forth.

"We'll make them come true," Brutus began, "Not all at once, but one way or another. Don't worry about that."

Chris nodded.

"I'm happy you haven't been getting mad at me," Chris replied, "I've been kind of obnoxious lately."

"I think it's really sweet," Brutus chuckled and nuzzled his mate, "It shows that you really care."

"Of course I care," Chris turned and kissed Brutus on the nose, "I think it's time I took a little break. I've been working on the house since you went to work."

Brutus licked Chris's cheek.

"You should take a shower," Brutus stood back from the human, "You're all dusty."

"Ok," Chris replied, "What about after that?"

Brutus rubbed his chin and thought hard for a few moments. With a large grin, he held up a finger.

"How about sex?" Brutus asked, "That's something we can do."

"I swear that's all you ever think about," Chris rolled his eyes, "There's got to be something else you want to do."

"Strip Twister?" Brutus chuckled and stuck out his tongue, "Or we could do that fun little board game you picked up at the sex shop."

Chris blushed hard. For their three year anniversary, Chris bought the pair a sexual board game. You'd roll dice and draw cards to determine what the player would do. The first person who came, lost. Chris shook his head.

"Let me shower first ok?" Chris kissed the Dog's cheek, "Then we can figure out what to do."

Brutus nodded and kissed Chris back. The human walked into the bathroom with a smile. He closed the door behind him and, whistling while he did it, stripped naked and turned the shower on. The human stepped into the shower and sighed happily, taking more than a few moments to relax and enjoy the warmth. He started to clean himself up, washing his hair and body slowly and carefully.

He closed his eyes. He could easily stay in here for the rest of the day. There was a knock on the door, stirring Chris out of his warm shower thoughts. Brutus never knocked, which meant that there was someone else in the house.

"Dad?" A child's voice asked, "How much longer are you going to be in the shower?"

Chris stammered and poked his head out of the shower curtain.

"M-Matthew?" Chris turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, "Is that you?"

Matthew chuckled.

"Who else would be calling you Dad?" Matthew began, "Come out here. Grandma and Grandpa are out here too. They drove me here."

Chris raced to dry off and get dressed. He ran out of the door, straight into Brutus's chest. The Dalmatian chuckled and held the human tightly.

"Where is he?" Chris asked, "Why did my parents pick up our son?"

Brutus smiled.

"I wanted to surprise you," Brutus began, "They all did."

"Well, it worked, "Chris chuckled, "Where is he now?"

"Playing in the backyard with Ariana and Dario," Brutus chuckled, "We'll all get together once Thomas and Barry get here."

Chris blinked.

"Thomas and Barry are coming?" Chris asked, "I thought they were always too busy to spend time with us."

"They found out we were adopting and wanted to come over," Brutus began, "Your whole family is here. I think they're staying in the neighborhood for a couple of weeks at least. They haven't told me all of their plans yet."

"What about your family?" Chris asked, "Aren't they coming?"

Brutus shook his head and kissed Chris's forehead.

"They're in Italy right now," Brutus replied, "I was thinking we could go and see them when they got back. Make it our first family vacation."

Chris smiled and nodded. The Dalmatian put a paw on his shoulders and led him out into the living room, where Chris's parents sat. The two Foxes were greyer and looked older, but still had much of the energy and spunk that their younger selves had. His mother jumped up from her armchair and hugged him tightly.

"Oh my boy," Sarah smiled, "Your father and I are so proud of you."

"We're so proud of both of you," Daniel slowly got up from his chair and limped forward to shake the Dalmatian's paw, "Starting a family is a wonderful thing. You two will be great, I just know it."

Daniel had started to come down with rheumatoid arthritis a few years ago. Now, he was supposed to use a cane to walk, but rarely did. He was proud, and wanted to be as independent as possible for as long as he could. Brutus smiled and shook his future father in law's paw before helping him back over to the arm chair.

"Thank you Brutus," Daniel sat down with a groan, "I didn't think it would get this bad so soon."

"I know," Brutus began, "Just sit there for a while."

Chris looked over his mother's shoulder and smiled as he watched his new son playing with his younger brother and sister. The 10 year old had medium length brown hair, was average height, and was a little on the chunky side. The human sighed happily and pulled away from his mother. The pair sat down, Chris on the loveseat, and his mother back in her pink armchair. Brutus sat beside his fiancé, his paw reaching out to hold Chris's slender hand.

"So," Sarah put her paws in her lap, "How's the wedding planning coming along?"

Chris smiled and nuzzled up to Brutus as the Dalmatian squeezed his paw.

"We're still thinking of doing it on the coast," Brutus chuckled and beamed as the human wrapped his arms around the Dalmatian, "We're still planning on the middle of August, before school starts."

"Ok," Sarah nodded, "Are you planning it yourselves?"

Brutus shook his head.

"My mom's best friend from high school is a wedding planner," Brutus chuckled, "She agreed to do it for free. I've seen some of her plans. It's going to be beautiful."

"Is the reception going to be there too?" Daniel piped up, "Or are you going to do something closer to home for all of the old farts who don't travel so good anymore."

"Yeah Dad," Chris smiled, "We were going to do a small gathering back where we went to college. That way all of our friends from school could come. That's pretty close to both of our families."

"Speaking of friends," Sarah chuckled, "How's Max doing?"

"Great," Chris nodded, "He just tied the knot with his new husband. They still live up in Montana, but spend their winters down in Argentina."

"Lovely," Daniel began before grumbling and looking down at his watch, "Sarah, what's keeping Thomas?"

"Thomas should be here soon," Sarah began, "He had to pick something up before he came over."

"What?" Chris asked, "What was it?"

Daniel chuckled.

"You've gone and spoiled the surprise dear," Daniel began, "Chris wasn't supposed to know about that."

"He's a big boy now," Sarah scoffed, "He can know what it is."

"Wait for the rest of the family to get here," Daniel chuckled and shook his head, "The kids are going to think it's awesome too."

"Family huh," Brutus whispered into Chris's ear, "I really like the sound of that."

Chris smiled and enjoyed being close to his mate's warm body. He stayed quiet, even as the conversation quietly went on around him. He maintained his silence, even as Thomas and Barry walked in with their two year old daughter, a Fox named Abagail. They were a family now, in all senses of the word.

The kids ran in from outside, sitting in front of Chris and Brutus. Matthew turned to smile at the human, before turning his attention to the large box that Barry and Thomas brought in.

"I do too," Chris nuzzled up to his mate with a happy sigh, "I do too."

At that moment, it didn't really matter what was in the box. Chris had all he wanted. The human kissed Brutus's cheek and squeezed the Dalmatian's paw tightly. All was right in his life, and all would be right, until the end of his days.