FSE

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It was like clockwork. The young dalmatian walked through those gym doors, wife beater and jeans clinging to his muscular form, at 4:23 PM... just like every other day. And just like every other day, he made his way over to the powerful german shepherd who'd been his friend since the fourth grade, who'd already been working out for a half hour. The gym was a hangout for the local gay furry crowd, and these two were here all the time. The Shep, so the story goes, already had someone to go home to, but beyond all reason that dal was still lonely. There was no way he couldn't find someone, he was the epitome of youthful beauty. His fur was pure white, dotted here and there with small, black splotches, and his eyes were that particular shade of ice blue that only graces one dog in a hundred, a nod to the species' shared lupine heritage."Hey, Jimmy," the spotted dog mumbled out, seeming... far away today.

"Hey, Dave... you OK, kid?" The shep had stopped his workout to greet his buddy, and was taken aback by his distant tone.

"Yeah... no... I screwed up!" that dal plopped down on the bench next to his old friend, rubbing his eyes. "Here... I better start from the beginning."

-*-

"You'd think it'd be brighter with so much fire..." I think it every single time. In a year of working the job, I've never gotten over how damn dark a fire is. The thoughts were quickly shaken out of my head as I fought through the inky blackness. There were still people lost in here, and I was bound and determined not to leave a single soul behind. I know better than to shout, even if I hadn't been wearing my mask and air supply, the thickness of the smoke and the crackling of rending timber would have drowned out even a beagle's howl. So, with little more than my ax and a determined mind, I drove forward, always forward, hoping against hope it wasn't too late.

"Help! Over here, help!" Beyond all reason, I heard a cry above the din of the building dying, and hurriedly rushed to investigate. As I arrived, my trained eyes took in the situation. An elderly feline, coughing and shaking, laid oh-so-small in the arms of a massive young horse. The equine's eyes were red with irritation, his fur blackened by the smoke. "We're gonna get you out of here, Mrs. Carter. This young gentleman's your escort." he rumbled, his voice deep and commanding. It was the kind of sound that made you reflexively act, not even bothering to ask why. Without another word, I eased the old girl onto my shoulders, still watching the bigger male. "Just go, I'm right behind you!" and without another word, I obeyed. It was strange, I'd never been ordered around like that by a complete stranger... but it was like the most natural thing I've ever done. Anyway, I busted my way out of there and handed the old cat over to the EMTs, and I was just about to take my gear off when I noticed something. Horsey was nowhere to be found. I knew what I had to do, and without a second thought I dove back in.

"Leeds, that place is gonna blow! Get out of there!" I heard my buddies crackle over on the mask's radio... city threw us an extra few bucks so we can stay in touch while we're on the job. I wasn't going to be turned away. I'd spent a year with a perfect record, and there's no way that horse was going without a fight. Luckily, the big guy's all sorts of tough, so he made it almost all the way to the door before the smoke finally got to him, and I didn't have to do much lugging to get him up and out. Not a moment too soon, either, because as soon as I got him clear, the place blew like a firecracker as the flames finished gutting and began full-on destroying. I looked over at my equine passenger to check on him... and I realized he wasn't breathing. Immediately, I went into "rescue mode" and put him down, ripping off my mask and helmet to give him mouth-to-mouth. Stop looking at me like that, I know all about how dangerous it is. I panicked. This guy had just risked his life to save someone who, for all I knew, was a complete stranger to him. So I quickly started pumping air into the poor guy's lungs, and it wasn't long before the coughing came and he was back among the living. As his eyes fluttered open, he smiled up at me.

"Damn," he said, "I was sure I survived... wonderful welcome you've got here in Heaven, though."

I smirked down at him, shaking my head. "You're not dead yet, horsey, but you came close. Make sure the EMTs check you out before you go." As I stood up, I felt him grab my wrist... even in his weakened state, he could have easily overpowered me. You know how horses are. Well, either way, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down gently, fishing in his pocket before pulling out a small business card, blackened around the edges but still very, VERY nice. He stuck it in one of the pockets of my jacket and smiled before standing up more than a little shakily.

"I could use someone as dedicated as you. Come see me sometime." With that very cryptic message, he made his way over to the ambulances and got to work getting checked out.

-*-

"So, let me get this straight... just make sure I'm still picking up what you're laying down." James put out his paw flat, and started counting on his fingers. "You busted into a burning building, saved an old lady, busted BACK into that burning building, saved a hunky horse, and breathed life back into him?"

"Well..." David stammered, rubbing the back of his head. "When you put it that way, it does sound kind of unlikely."

"Kind of unlikely." James shook his head. "I needs me some proof, boyo. The card. Cough it up." A brown and black paw extended toward the spotted dog... and was soon graced with the presence of a very, VERY nice business card. "Oh... oh wow... this is... wait, Arrow Industries?"

"Mm-hmm," David intoned, staring off into nowhere dejectedly.

"Christopher Fletcher's Arrow Industries?"

"Mm-hmm."

"... Christopher Fletcher, gay bachelor about town and multi-millionaire?"

David let out a long, pained sigh. "Mm-hmm."

"So, Chris Fletcher is interested in you, I'm not seeing the 'Help me, Jimmy, I screwed up' part just yet."

"Just wait," the spotty dog whimpered. "There's more."

-*-

So, the next day, I went to his office to see what he wanted from me. I had the day off from the firehouse and I thought that anything involving that big hunk of horse couldn't hurt, right? So I made my way to the top of the glass-and-steel tower that stands in the middle of The Zoo, The Arrow Building, and walked up to a desk helmed by a cute, if somewhat haughty-seeming white cat. I remember the name on her placard, "Layla Carter." Sometimes I envy cats... even their names are fancy!

"Do you have an appointment, sir?" she purred out with practiced ease. If girls were my thing, that purr was designed to melt me where I stood. Regardless of my orientation, I still felt rather nervous in the center of that temple to capitalism.

"Uh... hi... I'm, uh... David Leeds? I'm here to see Mr. Fletcher." My words were a hasty stammer as I tried to fight back the nervous shakes.

"Hm... well, I don't have a Leeds on the books for today..." Her eyes glanced through the planner on her desk, green eyes tracing the lines of the page silently. My nervousness only got worse as she checked and re-checked, to the point where I almost screamed when her intercom buzzed to life.

"Ms. Carter? Is Mr. Leeds here yet?" His deep, baritone voice threatened to blow the speaker out with each rumbling word.

"There is a Mr. David Leeds, but he doesn't seem-"

"Send him in, please, Ms. Carter. And hold my calls. This is the young man I was telling you about, the one that saved my life after the fire last night." The speaker died as abruptly as it sprang to life, and the cat gave me a wan smile.

"Mr. Fletcher will see you now."

As I nodded to her and passed through the double doors that led into his office, a sense of overwhelming awe washed over me. The room was palatial, a monument to capitalistic opulence, and at the far end the horse stood against a wall made of glass, facing out on our little section of the city. It was intimidating to say the least... but them when the guy turned around and smiled at me? Everything was OK again. Without the interference of the smoke I could easily see his fine, chestnut brown fur, tapering into a black muzzle. Deep, introspective orbs of chocolate rested below his brow. He was dressed well, in a smart, masterfully tailored suit that fit him like a second skin, accentuating his amazingly powerful frame. "Mr. Leeds, please, sit down. May I call you David?" His voice still had that captivating ability to force me to act, and in a moment I was sitting in a soft, cushy leather chair.

"Uhh... yeah, that's fine... how do you know my name?" I was taken aback by his familiarity with me... our encounter hadn't included introductions.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I asked one of your firefighter friends. I hope you don't mind, I was just... so captivated by you." He smiled winningly at me, stepping to the side of his desk and leaning on it a little. You know how most horses are just big and brutish? The way this guy moved was like an ice skater. He just glided over the ground with a grace that went against any preconceived notion you could draw from looking at him. "I'm going to get right to the point. I want you."

"Wha-what?!" I was stunned... I mean, forward much?

"Don't misunderstand. You're strong, capable, and more than a little reckless... and there are a lot of people who are out to hurt me these days. I need someone who would be able to keep up with me and keep me safe."

"Mr... Mr. Fletcher, I don't understand. I'm not a bodyguard, I'm a fireman. I wouldn't know the first thing about keeping someone safe when someone else is trying to hurt them. Besides... wouldn't you want someone who's... you know... bigger?"

He walked over to me, shaking his head and tossing his well-cropped mane back and forth a little. "To be totally honest, I don't really need a bodyguard," he said as he circled behind my chair casually, and I couldn't pull my eyes off of him to save my life. "What I'm more in the market for is a companion. I don't like being alone, David. So, what do you say?" Those strong hands laid on my shoulder. "Care to take me up on my offer, or do you need some more persuading?"

I easily shrugged him off and glared back at him, standing up. "Mr. Fletcher, what do you think I am?!" My anger was a rising column of lava in my core as I burned him down with my eyes. "You think I'm just some desperate toy off the streets? You don't know a thing about me, and you're pulling this sort of thing? I'm sorry, Mr. Fletcher, but whatever you're selling, I'm not buying!" With that, I turned to leave, and I heard something I never thought I would as I did.

"Please," he said. "Please don't go." I turned to look at him, shocked at what I was hearing... and I saw not the image of Chris Fletcher we all see in the tabloids and on TV, the strong, confident tycoon who owns everything he wants and could have anything else with a phone call and a smile. What I saw was a lonely man. A lonely man who'd been isolated by necessity, who had to temper any emotion with paranoid self-interest... how many guys would have jumped at that chance? To be his little trophy boy, to live in wealth and contentment forever. "I'm sorry, David... I didn't mean to offend you... I just..."

"You just assumed." I snapped back... but I stepped toward him anyway, smiling. "And I'm sorry too, because I just assumed." I had to pick my words carefully... he was laying it all out there. "I can't say I'm not interested in you, Chris..." I realized I was calling him by his first name for the first time all day. "I'm just not going to be your call boy. I'm worth more than that."

He nodded, drawing himself back up to his full height. "I appreciate that." He was once again, for all the world to see, the powerful, intimidating creature we all know. He held his hand out to me, and I took it, shaking it firmly. "I'd love to have you on my staff, but I'd be doing us both a disservice." He softened again, his cocky smirk replaced by an all-too-charming, boyish smile. "Would... would it be all right if I called you sometime?"

I nodded at his question, letting go of his hand. "I'd like that, Chris... I really would."

-*-

"So..." James shook his head, trying to sort everything out. "You saved the life of the hottest and most eligible gay guy in town, he offered you a cushy job which would see you by his side at all times, and all the benefits that go along with that... and you turned him down to keep running into burning buildings."

"Yes... I'm so stupid!" David cried out, whimpering a little bit at the end. "I could have had everything, and I threw it away 'cause I was self-righteous."

"Joe and Mary would have killed you, you know that."

"Mom and Dad are going to kill me for not giving them a litter of grandpuppies to spoil rotten anyway, I'm pretty sure being a trophy wife wouldn't have changed much... I'm just going to go, I'm not in the mood to work out today. Tell Danny I said 'Hi,' OK? " The dal was about to leave when a perky human brunette in a pink halter top and black lycra shorts walked up to him.

"Hey... are you, um..." She looked at the note in her hand briefly. "David Leeds?"

"Uh... yeah, that's me. Why?" Puppy was intrigued, and his ears raising up clearly showed that.

"There's a guy with a limo waiting for you, dude. It seems kinda important, you probably shouldn't keep him waiting anymore. Take care!" With that, she sped off to the aerobics room.

"A limo?" Dave thought, looking out the big glass doors of the gym... and sure enough, there was a big, stretch limo, a tall figure in a tuxedo, cap, and white gloves standing by the back door. David gathered his bag up and walked out the door. "Can I help you?"

"Mr. Fletcher sent me, sir. He told me to take you wherever you want, and also to tell you he'd like to see you tonight, for dinner." The big creature's voice was familiar... but he couldn't exactly place it.

"I don't know about this..." Dave stepped back a little.

"Sir, I assure you, there's nothing untoward about this. My employer sent me with strict orders to listen to whatever you say. If you just want a ride back to your apartment, then I'll gladly take you... but I'd really like you to think about Mr. Fletcher's offer. He's just... I shouldn't say."

"He's what?"

"Well, sir, he can't stop talking about you. I drive him everywhere he goes, so I listen to him go on and on about the dalmatian he met, and this past week since he saw you last it's been even worse. He's hurting terribly, sir, I'd like to ask you to go see him, if you would please."

David didn't know what to do... on the one hand, James had a point. His parents had raised him strict Roman Catholic, and even being gay didn't get him out of the whole "no ding-ding without the wedding ring" clause of that upbringing. On the other hand... the horse was amazing. He was at once cocky and innocent, intelligent without being boring, and all the things the dal looked for in a date. "... All right. Can I change first?"

"Whatever you like, sir. I'm at your disposal."

David quickly dashed back into the gym and hit the locker room, changing from his workout gear to a pair of tight, well-worn jeans and a dark green polo shirt. In a few moments, he returned to the limo and stepped inside as the driver held it open for him. He still hadn't gotten a good look at the driver's face, even when the big male was helping him into the car. As the driver slipped behind the wheel and drove off, the glass divide fell and the driver leaned back a little. "So... I heard the story about you and the boss... is that true? You pulled him out of a burning building?"

"Oh, it's not as dramatic as all that... he's the real hero of that story, I was just doing my job. He had pulled an old lady out of that building and risked his neck to make sure she got out, no gear or anything."

"You're just being modest, sir." The guy's voice was deep... and it was very, very familiar, but Dave had no idea where he'd heard it from. "The way I heard it, the boss would have been 'One Horse - Extra Crispy' without you."

"Hey, do I know you from somewhere? Like... were you ever on TV or the radio or something?" David leaned forward, trying to get closer to the speaker.

"Hm? Uh, no, no. Just an... uh... everyday Joe." The driver cleared his throat and returned to focusing on the road... was that nervousness in his voice? "So, uh... do... do you like him? The boss, I mean."

"Well... he's nice, and he's got a lot of good qualities. And handsome as the day is long." David smirked, he'd figured it out.

"Re-really? 'Cause... well... I always thought his snout was a little too long."

"Nah, I like how he looks. And those shoulders, mm. Good and broad, I like big guys."

David watched the driver sit up, seeming to grow larger in his seat. "Well, I have always thought that he had a good build."

"But the best part about him... the absolute best part, is his scent."

The driver was silent for a long time. "I... uh... hehe..."

"Did you really think you could get past this nose for long? I'd been trying to place you since I got in here, and the air fresheners didn't help. Chris, this is some crazy stunt."

"I had to get you alone, Dave. I wanted to show you something." The limo slowed to a stop on a cliff overlooking Bay City. "We're here." Chris got out of the car and opened the door for his date, smiling as he helped him out of the car.

"What are we doing here, Chris? I thought we were going to dinner."

"We are. I brought it along... I hope you like French, because André refused to make anything else for us. What I brought you here for is to show you... this." The big horse wrapped an arm around the dog's shoulders and gestured toward the city... a sea of shimmering fire as the setting sun reflected off of the towering glass spires that made up its center. As that giant ball of fire dipped lower, the sea beyond the harbor awoke in a shining symphony of color... and it was as if the world was putting on a show for just the two of them.

"I... oh God, Chris..."

"I want to make us last, David. You captivate me. Whatever you want, whatever you need... I want to be yours, as long as you'll have me."

The dalmatian answered by pulling close against the big horse and meeting his lips in a fevered, passionate kiss. As they embraced, the sun slowly went to sleep and the city rose to life, lights flickering on everywhere, a sea of stars below the unified forms of the young lovers.