The Encounter (Surprise Episode!)
#11 of Free Association
What on earth could a wolf and a raccoon be talking about on a public bench in broad daylight? 1138 words.
That's right, surprise! So, I wrote this little bit, and it didn't seem to fit with anything else, and I wanted to lead up to the next episode a bit, but I didn't want to drag this scene out into a full episode. So, you guys get a special short extra episode this week! Yaaay!
_ Friday. _
"Hey, you," the wolf rumbled, pacing up and taking a seat on the bench beside his raccoony familiar, who was engrossed in his phone.
"Hehe, hi..." Jonathon offered, his fluffy head and stubby, flicky triangular ears poking out cutely from the high collar of his coat. It was chilly, but sitting in the sun (as they were) wasn't too bad, if you had a coat. Almost time to start wearing hats, though; Brad hoped the other male's ears weren't too cold. Those ears were too darn cute, to be cold. Not to mention the nose.
Oh gosh the nose!
It was a shame the raccoon didn't like to kiss in public. Brad was in the mood for some kissing, and he didn't give a damn who saw them. But they were sitting on the edge of the quadrangle and people were passing, going from class to class, and it would be cruel to do anything, after he'd seen the raccoon's nervous post-gay-behavior reaction. The poor guy looked so scared, after that smooch last night; it still made Brad feel bad. He hadn't wanted to be the cause of that.
"How was class?" Jonathon asked; the wolf had just come from his psych class, and would soon head back to work for the afternoon.
"Not bad. Had a quiz."
"How'd you do?"
"All right, I think. There was this one question I wasn't sure on, and I spent a little too long on it, so I kinda rushed through the last couple... but it was mostly stuff I knew, so I'm pretty sure it was okay."
"Hm. Well, I hope so." Jonathon tchked away on his phone, and then clicked the side button and stuck it back in his coat pocket. "You know, if you need help with anything, I'm not a psych major, but I'd love to come help you study." He smiled.
"Heheh. You might just be a distraction," Brad admitted, with a playful smile, "but I'll keep that in mind. Maybe give you some of my english stuff to proofread, I can't grammar worth a damn."
"I can hear that," the raccoon remarked wryly, and Brad flicked his tail against the coon's under the bench.
He wanted to lick his tongue through that fur. Fluffyyyy. Especially the mask. It was so cool, how the raccoon's soft, silvery-brownish fur got lighter and lighter as it neared his eyes... and then, wham. Black. Down the cheeks, and around that narrow, pointy muzzle. Almost white on the sides by the whiskers, gray on top, becoming black in that streak that ran up to his forehead. That fur was made for licking, soft and affectionate and real.
Brad swallowed the saliva that he'd worked up. Hell of a week, this had been.
"So, uh... I was wondering..." he muttered.
"Hm?" The raccoon looked from the dead leaves skittering across the street to the big wolf on the bench next to him.
"...Well, long and short of it. My roommate works weird hours, you remember. And, so, he's working tonight, on the shift from eight to four in the morning. So I was wondering... if, after your english class, you might want to come hang out with me."
Jonathon blinked, and smiled slowly. "Just the two of us?"
"Heheh, yeah." The wolf scratched his neck. When he thought of this (on Wednesday, actually), he'd been kind of nervous; it was hard to judge exactly how the coon boy would react to a proposal with such... implications. He'd almost decided against it; they'd known each other for less than a week, and he really didn't want to seem like some creeper. But, after all, they were boyfriends. He could at least float the idea, right?
"Well..." The raccoon chuckled. "That sounds like fun. Did you... have anything in mind, that we could do?"
"Heh. Just, uh... see what we feel like, I guess..." Brad offered a little smile.
"I think I'd be up for that..." Jonathon murmured, looking at him now. Damn pretty eyes, so dark and shimmering...
"Yay..." Brad rumbled. They were facing each other, and speaking slowly, as though drugged. Their paws were close to each other on the bench. They couldn't kiss, or Jonathon would get scared again.
But Jonathon wanted to kiss him. He could see it.
He wished they could even hold paws. Just... something. Two straight dudes can hold paws, right? That wasn't that weird, just... holdin' paws... two guys, just being friendly and... dammit, why couldn't that be how it worked?
Bradley cleared his throat and looked away, breaking the tense, thick moment they were caught in. He was afraid if he didn't, the raccoon wouldn't be able to help himself, and would do something he would regret an instant later. And then he'd get nervous, and Brad didn't want that.
"I guess I'll meet you after your class, then," he murmured. "And we can... head back to my apartment."
"Okay."
Mmm. Yeah. Gonna lick that fur till it falls out. Nuzzle the muzzle of the fuzzle. Wrap his arms around the short raccoon and hug him until Saturday. That's what they'd do.
His dick also had some ideas to contribute. Brad shifted a little, boxers chafing him oddly.
"All right. I guess I have to get to work..." the wolf rumbled, with a small sigh.
"Okay." Jonathon smiled at him tentatively. "I'll... see you tonight, then..."
"'Kay." Brad stood up, wind tossing his headfur and making his ears flick. "Uh... can I maybe... get a hug?"
Jonathon considered him, grimaced a bit, and then stood. "Oh, all right... just, uh, make it look natural, all right?" he muttered.
"'Course," Brad said cheerfully, wrapping his arms around the coon boy's frame, and stooping a little. Squeeze, quick pat, release. "I'm an expert at the totally non-romantic bear hug," he said quietly.
Jonathon chuckled. "Such remarkable talent. You should get a t-shirt."
"'Free (non-romantic) hugs'? I don't think anyone would want one, from a big scary wuff like me..." Brad rumbled, ears quirking with the joke.
"I'd take 'em all, then," the raccoon replied, playfully.
"Yours aren't free, though, you have to pay me."
"What with?" the raccoon pouted.
"By being cute." Brad grinned. "I've worked up a bit of a debt to you, I see, I'll have to step my game up before you start earning hug interest."
"I already have plenty of interest in them," Jonathon chuckled.
"Heheh. All right, I have to go," the wolf muttered, wishing he could just stay with this guy and tease him all day. "I'll see you tonight."
"Okay. Bye, then." Jonathon gave him a little wave, and a smile.
"See ya." Brad smiled back, and turned with a sigh to begin the trek back to his car.
Damn cute raccoon. This shift was going to be intolerable.
Hmmm, Friday should be interesting indeed! See you guys in a few!