3.0 A Disturbance or 'Lost and Found'
Alright so, The story you probably all thought was lost, has been brought back! :D
I had an urge to write some teenaged stuff, and so I did.
if somebody can help me figure out how to properly indent things on Yiffstar, that'd be super, because when I use spaces it ignores them, and I can't use the indents that Word gives me. I am not all that HTML-savvy so any help at all would be really appreciated.
Aside from that: If you need a bit of recap: So far, Cam and Nex have been getting along great, and have even been naked with eachother! O.O but they haven't had sex yet so I suppose all is not well in your worlds :(.
If you don't remember the first two chapters, you should definitely read them right now, because this will mean nothing to you unless you do.
Warning: May contain nuts. Rubbing on nuts. Because there are gay furs in this story. So if you don't like gay, you don't want sexy, or you're under 18, then you should probably turn around. I'm not gonna be able to stop you if you keep going, and I shouldn't have to put a warning on my story, but if you've made it this far, chances are you're gonna keep going. Do so at your own peril, I accept no liability.
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3.0
A Disturbance or "Lost and Found"
Fallen Heiro: I really need to talk to you.
I blinked at the screen for a few moments and looked back at Nex. "Do you want me to be here?" he asked, and he wrapped his arms around me. I felt warm and safe, but I was worried why my ex, the guy who broke my heart, would be trying to reach me.
"Wouldn't have it any other way..." I gave my reply, and gently kissed his cheek. And so it began. My typing was regular but there was a noticable tension in the keystrokes, at least I thought it was noticable.
Cameron: What's wrong?
Fallen Heiro: Everything; I need a place to stay for a while, I'll explain when I get there but is it alright?
I glanced at Nex, and he nodded and hugged me tighter. "Even if he hurt you; you guys are still friends, right? Gotta' be there for your friends."
I nodded at his sound advice, and began to type again; this time a bit more erratically. I was nervous, almost flustered. My fingers seemed to fly across the keys almost faster than my mind could keep up.
Cameron: I'd have to check with dad, obviously. You know we just moved right?
A couple moments passed where there was nothing; but then I saw the status bar change to tell me that he was typing. I was somewhat aggravated now, and I turned and hugged Nex; pulling him closeâ€"almost into my lap.
He brushed his nose against my cheek and spoke softly as he asked; "Are you alright?" brushing a paw against my back. The new-message sound pinged and I turned my attention back to the computer monitor that my chat windows were on.
Fallen Heiro: Yeah... I know... I just really need to see you Blue. Things have been going downhill the past couple days.
Seeing the name Blue made me freeze. It was a sort of pet name that Heiro had given me; partly because of my eyesâ€"okay entirely because of my eyes, because frankly I despise the colour.
Nex lifted me off of the seat and sat down; pulling me into his lap. He nuzzled my shoulder and said nothing else, silently reassuring me. It felt nice; and were I not preoccupied I would have readily told him that.
Cameron: Well all right, I'll ask him but I can't make any promises. He knows what you did to me, Heiro.
I had a pet name for him too, but I was loath to use it under the circumstances. The fact that I stated his name directly probably served as a cold slap of reality.
Fallen Heiro: Well; hurry please... I don't know how safe I am here...
I just shrugged and stepped up out of Nex' arms. "Time to be the friend he doesn't deserve..." I said in a voice I can only imagine was dripping with distaste. I just left the room and walked down the stairs, my hand riding the railing.
I walked into the living room and saw dad sitting on the couch, talking to Nex' mom. "...and the bottle just sprayed everywhere. I told her not to open it but she just wouldn't listen. She was sticky for hours, till we went to the lake to swim."
I smiled a bit, remembering the trip dad was talking about. "That was up in Rock Lake wasn't it?" I asked him, slipping out from around the boxes that were still five feet high.
"No, no. Mew lake, but still in Algonquin, must have been five years ago? What's up?" he corrected, then asked, warm smile on me from both of them.
"My computer's up and going... did you know we have internet already?" I asked with a grin.
"Ah? You didn't come down just for that though," he said, knowing me well. I just sagged a bit and shook my head. Slowly, Nex' mom stood and slipped out of the room.
"Just need to use the wash..." she said softly, a cover for letting me and dad talk.
"What is it, bud?" he asked, and I told him.
"Heiro just asked if we'd put him up for awhile... something about not feeling safe. He's... I told him I'd ask you so if you don't think he should-" I tried, but he cut me off.
"Cameron. Do you think he deserves our help?" he asked.
I thought long and hard about that one, hearing through the floor the sound of rapid tacktacktacking from the keyboard. 'Dammit Nexus...' I thought, sighing quietly aloud.
"Everyone deserves a chance... sure he hurt me but he also did so much for me before that..." I replied, looking my dad in the eyes. I was being honest too, Heiro stuck by me through everything that people threw at me.
"Okay then. But if he even touches you while he's here, he's getting his body parts reorganized..." dad threatened, and I nodded quickly. He never threatened, and he was pretty big for a fox.
"Th-thank you dad..." I said quietly. I think deep down I may have still had feelings for that ringtail, and I'm pretty sure dad could tell. I took one last look at him and turned to rush up the stairs and to my room where all manner of hell could be breaking loose. The moment I got over the top stair I knew what was happening in my room, and Nex had a far too pleased look on his face for my liking. I hurried over to the computer and he looked up, before standing from his seat.
I read what he'd said and looked up at him with an almost angry look, more disappointed than anything. "What the hell?" I managed to keep from yelling, locking my eyes with his bright green ones.
And he deflated, almost to the point where he looked pitiful. He seemed to only just now realize what he'd done and his eyes widened a little. "Oh... crap man I'm... shit..." he stammered, and bolted from my room before I could say anything else.
I still reached instinctively, trying to hold him back, as I watched his tailtip disappear past the doorframe. I shook my head and just sat back in the chair with a sigh, settling my fingers on the keys again.
He had posted messages warning Heiro that he 'wasn't going to hurt me again' and to 'stay away from Cam'. I felt my eyes starting to well up a little as I typed.
Cameron: Dad said it would be okay.
Fallen Heiro: Who the hell was that?
I sighed and watched Nex wade through the snow beyond the window, he was pretty quick through it too. As the first few tears slipped from my eyes, I realised something. It was official, I was in love. Nex had already hurt me by trying to protect me, and I'd only known him a day.
Cameron: That was Nex; he's a guy I met yesterday, pretty cool.
Cameron: I think you might like him.
Traditional Cam sarcasm, as dad would say.
Fallen Heiro: I hate him already... -_-
--
When I woke up the next morning; Nex was sitting in a chair backwards, facing me. He was asleep, but I knew he had been watching over me at some point in the night. That thought just made me smile a bit.
Heiro would be coming out this coming weekend; and it being Thursday already, that gave me only two days to prepare. Oh joy, I thought, I never liked Thursdays. It was likely the fact that they were one day off from Fridays; but still firmly in the middle of the week.
I hauled myself out of bed and walked, in my boxers, over to him. I ran a paw along his cheek and he split his eyes quietly, glancing up at me. He looked so sad, sullen; like he had made a big mistake. He just looked up at me as though he were asking me for mercy.
I tipped him out of his chair and snickered; he'd get no such mercy from me. "Up, get in the shower. You reek like man," I said sternly, and he seemed to be more than willing to split the atom to comply. I watched him stumble out and I just shook my head quietly; I remember thinking ‘he's adorable when he's being ordered around.'
I myself had a shower to take, but with Nex in the one on this floor andâ€"my alarm clock decided it would cut off my thoughts. Great, six-fifteen already, I consciously thought that the roads should have been clear enough for school as I turned off the clock and snuck into the bathroom after Nex.
I don't remember what compelled me to do it; or why it felt so right; but I decided to throw caution to the wind and I tossed off my boxers to join him. He didn't notice me, at least not apparently, as I slipped in behind him; past the blue-grey shower curtain. It wasn't until I wrapped my arms around his waist that I began to have second thoughts about this whole idea.
He yelped and squirmed away a bit, as though afraid of me. I readily let him go and looked innocent; standing nude before him under the spray of water that I just realized was chill as the seventh; that's dungeon-talk for brutally cold.
He just eyed me up and down and backed himself against the wall. I felt the water warm up a bit and he grinned at me as he advanced. I held my paws, palms out, to either side and he gladly took them in his own and laid a lusty kiss to my neck. I barely felt the gurgle of pleasure escape my throat as he pressed me against the wall at my back. We just stayed like that; him kissing and nipping at my neck as I writhed quietly in bliss, for what felt like hours and like seconds all at once.
Suddenly, something that felt burning hot brushed against my sheath and I glanced down to see Nex's dark-skinned member brushing against my most private of areas. Needless to say, I gasped. This was followed by a drawn-out but somewhat stifled moan as I felt my own cock begin to harden.
"N-nex..." I managed to stumble past my lips; my eyes barely managed to catch his, it was so hard to keep them open against what I was feeling, but I caught him and lost track of time in his eyes.
His reply seemed muffled and distant; "Cam?" he asked, and pressed a bit closer with a quiet moan of his own. He wanted me, and I wanted to give myself to him. I growled and tried to use my weight to force him against the wall opposite the curtain, the grey ceramic causing a chill to flow through my body as I left it.
It was my turn to tease and nip, nibble and kiss, lick and grind. I drew no quarter in my tending to his wants; my growing erection rubbing wantonly against his as I pinned his paws above his head. With my teeth I gently pricked his flesh through that thick chestnut fur and lapped at his neck quietly.
"C-cam..." he quivered as he stammered my name. It felt so good to be here, and I grinned as I replied.
I just kept nipping quietly, my eyes closed as the water soaked my fur. A mouthful of wet fur sucks, but it was still Nex I was biting on. He squirmed under every touch, as my hands stroked his chest. His eyes rolled back as my tongue found his Adam's apple. His breaths cut short as my claws found his tummy and just moments before I gave him a heart attack he yelped like I'd hurt him and grabbed at my paws.
I just pulled back and looked into his eyes, frightened that maybe I had hurt him as he watched my face. "S-sorry... Cam..." he apologized, and looked down at me like he thought I was going to hit him. Even though I knew he was taller; he looked so small and alone.
I shook my head and just held him quietly, arousal forgotten and shrinking as we embraced closely. "Don't be sorry..." I told him as my left paw found it's way to his low back, claws dragging gently through the fur. "What... happened?" I asked afterward.
"I..." he started, but he looked away and sighed. "I'll... tell you tonight. I'll make this up to you tonight too... if you want," he assured, and slipped out of my grasp and out of the shower.
I stood there quietly for an awkward moment in the stream of water. Nex had been the one to initiate the act, but had I overstepped myself by pinning him? ‘I hope he's okay...' I told myself as I finished scrubbing in the shower. While Nex didn't probably manage to shampoo his entire form, I lathered and rinsed clean by 6:45.
After quickly towelling off and combing out my fur it was already ten to seven and I did a quick dash to my room; tossed on the first outfit that caught my eye; and was downstairs in a heartbeat. Silver dress shirt, black slacks, and a burnt-orange t-shirt.
I got to the main floor to see Nex slipping out the front door. That upset me a bit; I had intended to walk with him. I didn't even bother to eat as I threw on my coat and boots, grabbed my wallet and chased after him with my backpack barely over my shoulder.
I didn't see him; I figured he might have already been around the corner. I still didn't see him there. I just hurried to school, hoping I'd see him on the stage; to no such luck. Oreo and James were talking about some sci-fi thing; Mark was sitting and reading, and Kirk was talking art with Mat. I walked up and sat silently off by myself on stage, separating from the group to wait.
The black-and-white cat broke off his conversation at some point and had moved beside me, kneeling and looking at me quietly. Had his tail not flicked into view I wouldn't have noticed him; why is it cats have a way of just appearing?
Oreo smiled and tilted his head, "What's up, C-Man? Missing Nexie?" he asked; and somehow he managed to keep a straightâ€"or more appropriately, firmly crookedâ€"face. I fidgeted slightly and looked away. "He called me this morning; said he was calling from your place. Don't worry bud, he'll be here," reassured the cat, and I looked up at him again.
I'm sure I must have sounded like a complete and total fool as I followed-up, but there was no other way to ask really. "Was he... I mean, did he sound okay?"
Oreo's usual light and whimsical mood seemed to shift several shades darker as he fixed me with a serious look. It wasn't one of those ‘this is your fault, you know' glares; more like one of those ‘you let me worry about that' type of gazes, but his reply was anything but vengeful. "He sounded upset; said he felt like he'd hurt you. If I was ad libertus to tell you anything else I would. I hate seein' a cutie frown," he flirted.
I flushed and smiled, shaking my head at him. "Are you flirting with me, kitty-cat?" I asked with a chuckle. I remember my tail was flicking back and forth at this point and I snickered as he replied.
With a sway of his hips he began to walk back to the other side of the ramparts. "Perhaps I was, and you liked it so stop complaining," he said, tail swishing high as he walked.
I had a pair of husky-eyes staring over the top of a book at me and when I looked over they quickly retreated back to the text on the page. ‘Was heâ€"couldn't be...' I told myself, chuckling quietly still as I sat and relaxed.
I had gotten to the school at around 7:30, jogging most of the way through the snow. I had another half-hour until classes started but I still saw nothing of Nex. I caught sight of some dark-chestnut fur and glanced over; seeing a border collie withâ€"I was mistakenâ€"black fur wander past and sit with his friends off to the left of centre stage.
I was beginning to worry again, and I'm certain somebody noticed because after ten full minutes of fidgeting nervously I saw a pair of blue-green eyes surrounded by a mane of silver-grey fur. "You okay man?" came the husky's voice, and I quietly thanked the stars for the distraction.
"Uhh... Yeah I'm okay; Mark right?" I answered him. He seemed nice enough, maybe a bit quiet but still kind. I thought, ‘Cute too, with that form-fitting T-shirt showing off those sexy abs and the loose jeans hiding what would surely be a perfectâ€"no, no, no; I'm so not falling for the good-looker, not again.' N-not that Nex isn't good looking its jusâ€"back to the important part.
He smirked a bit and sat down, nearly on his heels, with his knees to his chest. ‘A conservative type, shy but not embarrassed easily; wary of making new friends and perfectly aware of himself,' I thought, looking him over a bit.
"Yeah, that's me. You waitin' for Nex?" he asked, that disarming smile of his causing me to spill perhaps more than I should have.
"Yeah; he ran out on me this morning and I think he thinks he hurt me," I replied, blushing immediately as the husky chuckled a bit. He seemed to be aware of much more than he let on.
"Yeah, that's Nex alright. He really is a great guy, but he's always worried that he's hurting somebody. I sometimes worry that if it weren't for his friends he might kill himself, because he doesn't have anybody to worry about y'know? Kinda like... he lives just to help everyone he can; I think that's how he'd put it," the husky rambled.
I blushed a bit and smiled softly. "You two are good friends then?" I asked, quickly forgetting that the subject of conversation was the reason I was worried.
"You could say that. He's fun to be around and we've done our share of experimenting together," he smirked and brushed a paw through his hair. The look on his face seemed to justify the tone in his voice.
"Experimenting?" I asked, curious as to the full meaning behind that.
"You know, substances and the like. Before you ask; yes, I know he's biâ€"maybe even gayâ€"and I've kissed him before so it's no big deal. Hell, you'd be hard-pressed to find any group of five teens at this school who don't have at least one gay or bi member amongst them; closeted or not." After he divulged this piece of information he smirked ever so slightly and added, "Welcome to VCI Arts and Athletics, a place to question your sexuality and strengthen your eyes and your body. My name is Mark and I'll be your guide."
I chuckled quietly and relaxed a little more; he was good at calming people down. I glanced up at the clock anxiously again, and he waved a hand in front of my sight.
"Ay! None of that now; I said calm down and I'll be damned if Nex's new crush has an aneurysm!" he scolded, smirking. "He'll be here, don't you worry. Classes are about to start, so you'll likely see him at lunch," he reassured.
"We... have math together first period," I said with a bit of a sigh to my voice. Then rang the bell, that irritating bell that deafened students who were bound to their schedules.
"Well, you'll see him as soon as he wants you to see him; don't fret about it," snickered the Siberian as he turned round and headed out of the Cafeteria. "I'll see you at lunch, fox-lad," he called over his shoulder.
I didn't reply, instead blistering off to math class at three steps a second.
The day ticked by agonizingly. I asked the 'group' and not one of them said they knew where he was, none of them had seen him. I was at a loss now as to what to do. Heiro would be coming down the day after next and I needed Nex there to keep me from falling back into something I didn't want to do.
‘He's probably at home by now,' I reasoned after last bell rang, grabbing up my stuff as I began to walk through the halls. The hike back home was worse than the jog to school, because the snow had melted a little. There was murky brown slush everywhere, a side-effect of city life.
--
"Heya Cam; how was your day?" smirked dad from behind that pile of boxes. This time they weren't stacked as high, maybe to my chest. I started to wonder how they could have been that high to begin with.
"It was okay; have you seen Nex around anywhere?" I asked; I probably looked like a helpless kitten asking him that too. Judging from the look he gave me, sympathetic and helpless, I figure he would have agreed with me.
He shook his head and I felt my heart sink, now even more worried about Nex. I barely knew the fox, but I already felt so attached to him; if I lost him at that moment, I don't know what I'd have done.
"He didn't go to school today?" dad asked, and I shook my head immediately.
"It's not like he's gonna have trouble graduating if he misses a day... but I'm... he bolted this morning and I'm worried it was because I did something," I divulged, my heart sinking further as I say on the sectional. The elder fox just watched me with his all-knowing look and shook his head.
"I'm not his mom, not my place to punish him for skipping," dad said, truthfully as he put a socked foot up on the couch and seated himself on the arm. It's a family habit, we have this tendency to sit in awkward or strange locations or positions.
With my hands between my thighs, just leaning forward, I was aware of my own body for the first time since sitting down. I looked up at him and he continued to speak. "You're obviously worried; so... does he have a cell?" he asked me.
I perked an ear and scrabbled through my pants to grab my wallet. Tugging out my schedule I turned it over to read the partly bled numbers. The snow had apparently wet the ink through my wallet but they were still pretty clear. I slipped my own cell from my pocket. Dad had bought me a bright blue Samsung for my birthday last year and I hated it, but I used it a lot so I wasn't complaining.
I ticked in the numbers and hit send, hoping for my own sake that he picked up the phone.
No luck though, either he couldn't get to it or- "He's probably hurt somewhere, maybe somebody picked him up off the street or something!" I yelped. My heart started to race and I felt the sting of tears in the corner of my eyes. I just stared down at the phone as it went through Nex' voicemail, sliding it closed as dad's hand ruffled my hair.
"Kiddo he's fine, he's lived in this city all his life. And besides that, he can take care of himself," he told me, and I calmed down a lot. He was right. He was always right, dad's have a way of getting to the point and knowing things without having known them. Like a sixth sense... a dad-sense that told them when things would be okay. At least my dad seemed to. I leaned over and hugged his leg, nuzzling his knee a bit.
"Thanks..." I sighed. I felt stupid, overreacting like I did, but it wasn't exactly surprising behaviour from me.
"You always jump to the worst conclusion..." he said, rubbing behind one of my ears. "So, Heiro will be here like... an hour more than tomorrow... Are we putting him on the couch down here or across the hall from you?"
"D-down here..." I sorta hiccupped. I didn't like the idea that that 'coon would be in my house again, but I didn't exactly have much of an option. "I don't want him closer to me than Nex is... and I get the feeling he'll be wanting the room across from me," I explained.
Dad nodded in that way only a dad can and laughed a bit. "For all you know, Nex could have just gone home to get some stuff... Hey! Here's an idea, why don't you and Chandra go down to the house and see? If that boy IS getting things, I'm sure he'd like a little help getting them back here," he suggested.
I calmed down a bit and for a short while I just looked up at him with a bit of a confused look. In short order I realized he'd just told me to go find him, and I chuckled. "I love you dad," I said with a bit of a grin. There's that 'Dad's sixth-sense' again. He always knows.
"She went by earlier to get some clothes, I think she wants to get her bed in tonight so she doesn't have to go home late to sleep," he said, rubbing my ears again. "She's been taking calls since she got back though, she's been in my study for hours."
"I'm on it dad!" I said, standing up. I felt better, not quite good, but good enough to smile. I just walked through the house as Dad picked up one of the boxes and started off to his own room.
It'll always amaze me how fast dad can rearrange, or in this case arrange, a room. He has a knack for setting things up in just the right order so that it all works right and the study was no exception.
With his glass and what looked like cast-iron desk already in place, making it's L shape so it was more of a cubicle than a desk, he'd already attached his own two monitor setup to the wall. A calendar, a bulletin board, and a small TV were in the corner of the room beside the door, and across the desk, so he could distract himself occasionally. The far wall had thick venetians over the window, and I'm sure he swiped some of the fixtures from our old place because everything already seemed to match.
Mrs. Castor, or Chandra as I'd learned her name was, was sitting facing away from me with the phone practically attached to her ear. She looked like she belonged there, and it was a scary thought. It was like... have you ever had the feeling that something was exactly where it belonged, no question about it. Like it was where it was for the sole reason that it should be there? That's the feeling I got when I looked at her in that desk.
I knocked lightly on the door, my thick fur cushioning my knuckles from the rap-pa-pap pap that issued.
"Can you hold on a second, I'm getting another call throu- Yes I know this is the fifth time but I'm not at the office right now... what? Well alright, then. I'll put it in for you, for certain. No worries. Bye." I waited as she finished her call, knowing it impolite to interrupt. But aside from that first knock which was to let her know I was here, I hadn't said a word.
She hung the phone up and turned to look at me, her features seeming to brighten up. "Oh! Hi Cameron. How was your day?" she asked as she looked at me. She was wearing a dark turtleneck again but I couldn't really see her legs through the lattice of iron.
"It was okay. Dad wanted me to help you get some things from home? Said something about a bed..." I told her, smiling weakly because I knew that wasn't why I wanted to go.
"Oh, certainly. Go get your boots on, I just have to call the office and tell them to stop forwarding calls," the chestnut fox smiled at me, picking up the phone.
I turned and stepped back into the living room, stepping into my boots and throwing my scarf around me. It was more out of habit than anything, but I remember getting yelled at for not wearing it. 'You don't even look like you're trying, it's making me wanna smack you,' Ten had said. I giggled at the memory, but that very winter he'd given me this black and white checkered scarf that I'd wear whenever I wasn't going to school. At least during the winter.
I stood at the door and looked around at the progress dad had made. Already there were pictures up from family vacations, my school photos set that dad had been building it since I had started school. There were also a few pictures of Nex' family up too, which was understandable. The bottom floor was a bit of a communal area and I could see Nex' mom wanting to put up a few.
It was starting to feel like a home, and I was getting attached to this big house. Not like the townhouse we'd left wasn't still what I thought of as home, but even still I was beginning to love this new place more and more. 'Especially since Nex is moving in...' I remember thinking. 'Man... I really have it hard for him...'
His mom walked in, grabbing her coat and slipping into her own boots. Dainty little things, she had really small feet. It's not like I was paying huge attention to them, but I take in details like that. Nex, on the other hand, had massive feet. Well, they were preportional, but Nex was pretty tall and I think he was still growing. Chandra was an inch shorter than I was though.
I just followed her out to the pickup and walked around to the other side. I tried the handle and she laughed a bit. "Oh! Sorry Cam. The door's been finicky lately. Lemmie get it from the inside."
She slid into the seat and leaned across, pulling the latch and pushing on the door. I had it after that, and I slipped into the worn out Toyota, the seat groaning as I settled into it. "On it's last legs?" I asked, "Or... wheels?"
"What? Oh, nah. It's actually really sturdy, keepin' her in good shape too. She'll last another year," Nex' mom said, turning the key before shifting out of park. She moved the stick-shift to reverse and we were on our way.
I didn't get to pay a lot of attention to the scenery, because all the way we were talking.
"How are you adjusting?" she asked, she seemed so concerned.
"I'm okay," I replied, smiling at her as she kept her eyes on the road. "Nex and his friends have been really kind, especially Mark and 'Rio." I told her honestly.
"Heh, yeah. Those two would give their left foot to help somebody out, I think."
"Nex has been really great too," I added, unnecessarily. He had, though; he was right there when I needed somebody most, and I'm glad for it.
"So I hear we're getting another youngin' around? What's the deal there?" she asked. She seemed so informal. As we turned onto the 'spoke', or the main road closest to our neighbourhood, I considered telling her everything.
"Heiro is a friend from my old town. He wouldn't tell me why he needed my help, but... he sounded like he was afraid he'd be jumped if he didn't come up here. He's arriving by train on Saturday. He's coming all the way from the other side of Quebec, I think," I spouted, rambling out useless information in the hopes that it'd buy time that I wouldn't have to talk about something important.
"Well that's good of you. The way your dad was talking, it sounds like this Heiro kid caused you a bit of trouble. You in a fight or something?"
"I... guess you could say that," I answered, trying to figure out how to lie without actually lying. "He let somebody get between us, and sent a bit of a hurtful letter."
There was a silence in the cab at that point, and I just closed my eyes as if to brace against the question I was so certain was about to come. "Did Nex tell you he wasn't going to school today? I got a call just after they let out, from that stupid automated system of theirs."
"N-no. He didn't, actually dad thinks he might have gone home to get some things."
"Weird... Here, try calling him," she said, pulling out her own silvery cell. She, without looking, speed-dialled his number and if I turned it away now she'd be the one talking to him.
"Okay, thanks," I said, accepting the phone and putting it to my ear.
'One,'
'Two,'
'Th-' "Hi mum, what's up?" he answered. My breathing hitched, he sounded okay but there was an edge to his voice that was unmistakable. I could practically feel that he was a little less than okay.
"H-hi Nex. You mom handed me her phone. We're getting worried about you," I said. It was true for me, I don't know how true it was for Chandra though.
"O-oh... Hi Cam. Hey, can you tell Mom to come pick me up? I'm like... two blocks away from our place and I really don't want to carry this box all the way to yours."
I laughed a bit, Dad's sixth-sense strikes again. "We're already on the way. Dad had a feeling you'd have gone home to get some stuff. What street are you on?"
"Nevermind, I see him," his mom said, pointing across my side at the walk. Nex just stood there with this heavy-looking parcel in his hands and his phone against his green-jacketed shoulder.
I got out once we stopped, closing Chandra's phone and pocketing it as I offered to take the box. Grudgingly, and with an uncomfortable look on his face, the fox gave up the box. He pulled his phone out of his ear and closed it, walking over to the back door to the cab and holding it open so I could slide the box into it.
"Could you sit back there, Cam?" his mom asked, and I nodded, sliding up into the seat as I pulled the belt across my chest. Nex just gave me the most embarassed look I could ever see, knowing he was about to get chewed out as he closed the door and stepped slowly up into the Cab. He closed the door and we were off again.
"I'll spare your dignity, this time; Arcturus. But I want to talk to you when we get back to Carter's. I think I can handle the bed, though, if you boys want to take apart that room of his," she said, more to me.
I nodded, but realizing that she couldn't hear my head from the back seat I spoke up, "I-I'd really like if I could get Nex moved in across from me by this weekend. I'm sure he and I could meet my friend at the station and bring him home by ourselves which would free you and dad up to come by and get more of your things." I said, the logic of it seeming so sound.
"I like it, we should get the beds tonight though at the very least. I hear we're expecting freezing rain for most of tomorrow evening and there's no way we could keep the mattresses dry."
I nodded again, and sounded in the affirmative as I looked at the back of Nex' head. The fox just kept looking out the window, and even though I couldn't see his face, he literally 'felt' tense to me.
The beaten old truck turned the corner and we drove down the street until we came to a bungalow style house. The siding seemed to be peeling and the roof needed a little work but it was by no stretch a 'fixer upper'. It looked bad but it was more of an uncared for look, not a barely holding together look.
The lawn was covered in thick snow, obviously, and the lone tree in front looked deader than it should have. As we pulled into the driveway I found out why. A lightning bolt must have split it during the summer, but I don't think Nex' mom had the means to get it taken care of. The gravel beneath the snow of the driveway crunched a little, and we could clearly see where Nex had dug with the haphazardly placed snowshovel up to the front door.
I unbuckled myself and slid over to the driver side, opening the cab door and stepping down into the thick packing snow. They say native Canadians have something like a hundred different words for snow. I've always wanted to learn some of those, they were my roots after all, but Dad didn't know and I wasn't in that big of a rush to find out.
As the three of us made our way up the steps, Nex to my rear and his mother in front, I felt a hand on my shoulder squeezing lightly and turned my head to see the fox smile weakly, apologetically.
I offered a sincere smile back, honestly I was glad he was okay. I just stepped through the doorway and into the building, assailed with the scent of Nex and his mother.
There were light spots on the wall where I knew those pictures used to hang, in the grime of living left by neglect, most likely since Nex' mother must have had to work so often to provide. The pictures that were left however showed Nex at early ages. I kicked the snow off of my boots on the step, which I quickly learned had begun to crack from years of southern Ontarian winters, and kicked my boots off completely just inside the door.
I walked slowly through the house as the others took off their coats. The air was chilly in here, Nex' mother must have turned the heat off at some point and Nex hadn't turned it back on. The red carpet I walked on was flattened and dark in the middle from being well used, but towards the edges I saw the brighter colour it had once been. The dark walls were panelled with what looked like wood but was obviously textured panelling of some kind. It was a muted dull brown and looked as though it was attempting to be fake wood.
To my left just inside the door I saw plush, thick carpet and a few pieces of furniature aimed at a television, a cramped room but it would certainly work as a living room. There was room enough to stretch and get by. Right before me was a hallway, but the square of a 'room' I had entered had a door leading to a tiled room that had a beaded curtain hanging over the door just to the right of the hall. The hum of a refrigerator was coming from that direction so I didn't bother asking, knowing full well that it was the kitchen. I walked down the hallway a ways and at the end of it was the bathroom, another door to the kitchen greeting me on my right.
As I made my way toward the bathroom, I looked at the photographs, and I stopped slowly as I found one of Nex when he looked around my age. He was standing in front of VCI and it looked like it was his first day. He was -not- smiling, but he didn't exactly look upset either. Curiously though, the picture also contained his mother. 'Must have gotten another parent or maybe a student to take it...'
I just smiled at it and looked back at the pair. Nex was talking to his mom in hushed tones as I called back. "Why don't you two talk here. I'll go try and sort through the room?"
Chandra looked up and nodded, and Nex gave me a bit of a helpless look before he said. "First room past the bathroom. If there's any gitch laying around just kick it outta the way."
I nodded and walked down the hall, hearing a "I'll send him in in a couple minutes," from his mother as I turned the knob of the 'teenage roadmapped' door.
You know the stereotypical teenager's door? Plastered with warnings to stay away and you're almost afraid to open the door in case something's alive? That was Nex' bedroom door to a T. But the inside was neater than I had expected.
The carpet was a ruddy brown goldish colour. I don't really know how to describe it, but it was strangely textured. The walls were covered in more of that fake wood panelling that I'd come to associate with the decor, but Nex had managed to cover them with posters and wall hangings. A Canadian flag hung over the window, the room was barely wide enough to contain it even when it wasn't stretched out fully, drooping a lot in the middle.
I recognized a Great Big Sea poster, I liked them too. There were also some bands I didn't know. In the corner, atop his dresser, was a small Television and beside that was a tall white obelisk of sleek technology. The slightly pale green made me immediately aware of it's makers, and I just stared at it a bit.
Besides the console, I saw the bed, sheeted with deep purple and blanketed in black. It was steel, and looked almost military issue in the frame. It was a single, but understandably so. There was barely enough space in here for what was there. In lieu of a computer, there was a stack of games a foot high, each boxed with green and further proof of the manufacturer.
I walked slowly into the room and felt cloth well up around my toes, chuckling as I looked down. "There's gitch!" I yelled out, not like it really mattered, and bent down to pick them up.
They were just simple plaid boxers, totally inconspicuous among the rest of the room. I threw them into the corner and took one big breath in, inhaling everything I could about the room.
The smell of sweat, of the lack of bathing. Body odour I didn't mind at all, mind you. It smelled like Nex, but more primal, and I was pleased to drink it in. My eyes closed, I sat on the bed and just swam in the smells. That woodsy urban smell that was ingrained into his fur was everywhere, and I knew I smelled other things too.
There was a faint aroma of male arousal in these sheets, and as I looked down at them, I noticed I was actually sitting in a discoloured spot. I laughed and laid out on the bed, trying to imagine what it was like for him to live here. Trying to imagine I was him.
He was all over the pillow too.
I must have lay there for well-on fifteen minutes, and I was most certainly lost in thought, because no sooner had I noticed him, than he was already on top of me.
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, grabbing at my wrists as I put them out to try and fend off some attack. But that attack hadn't come, and instead it was the fox just pinning me to his bed and smiling down at me.
"Christ!" I breathed, my heart racing from fright as I stared up at him. "I almost wet myself!" I exclaimed. I was trying to sound angry, but from the look I got it was more indignant than anything. He seemed almost pleased by my response.
"Sorry, Cammie," he said, leaning down to kiss the tip of my nose before he slid off of me. I just lay there a moment, catching my heart as I watched him saunter across the room with a mischevious look on his face. Quickly he set about sorting through his dresser.
All of his clothes were just a little too big. Or a little too small. Nothing in his dresser seemed to actually be able to fit him properly as he started loading up a box. 'Where did he get that...' I asked myself, then noticed the tiny closet door was open and several boxes were piled up inside.
"What... were you planning to run away?" I asked, sitting up on the bed.
Nex just turned his head and chuckled quietly. "Mom said we should keep them after we moved in. In case we had to move suddenly." he told me, but something about the way he said it made me pretty certain there was more.
I just watched him pack the box for a few minutes; folding the flaps over so they locked shut before grabbing another box and setting to work again in the silence. "So... why didn't you come to school today?" I asked him, and I watched the muscles in his back tense up even through the too-small, still-loose shirt.
"It's not your fault, Cam..." he said, after a long silence. He started to continue packing as I sat and watched. "It's... just a bad memory."
I nodded quietly, and looked around the room, before I stood up and started to undo the bedding, folding the teen-soiled sheets up and stuffing them into the two pillowcases that wrapped his barely-holding-together pillow.
I wasn't going to push him on it... I had a feeling he'd tell me when I needed to know. So we simply took apart the bedroom and packed as much as we thought the cab could handle.
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So yeah: It's turning into a dramatic story! O.O Oh my god it burns!
I'd like some criticism, I'd like some flames. I'd really like it if you guys would give me negative feedback if you had any. Authors NEED your feedback to get better, (Well, they need some sort of feedback) and I'd really like to get better.
Which is why Yiffstar is so great, so why don't you guys comment please :D
Thank you!
~WAF