FSE

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Dark, looming clouds huddle overhead as the old Spanish sailing ship carefully maneuvers it's way into the marina and to an open dock large enough for the vessel. Seagulls squawking away, flee the dock as the group comes down the docking ramp and makes their way to the docking station to pay for the night.

Jason and Nick eye the gruff looking dock attendant as Jason's parents pay the fee and give the bear some information.

"Ok kids, you've got an hour to be back here before we lock up the boat for the night." Jason's father says as they make their way up the walkway of the marina and onto the main strip of the small fishing town they arrived at.

"We will!" Says Jason as he grabs Nick's hand and practically drags him along down the wood walkway. Jason's parents shake their heads and walk into a small bar nearby.

"Where are we going?" Nick asks as he catches up with Jason's pace and both walk side-by-side, Jason letting go of Nick's hand.

"To spend this of course!" Jason says as he holds up a couple twenty dollar bills. Nick's eyes widen.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Don't worry about it!" Jason says, faking an innocent smile. Nick glares at him.

"Jason.." He says, sternly as they come to a crosswalk and stop to wait for the late night traffic to go by. Jason laughs as he pockets the money.

"Its from my 'have a good time' fund. I did a bunch of work for a neighbor over the last couple summers and saved a lot of it up for this trip." They finally get the flickery 'OK' from the crosswalk sign and proceed across the worn and partially cracked road.

"I'm just glad I have someone to share it with!" Jason beams as they stop in front of a shop. It takes a moment for Nick to realize where they were as he hides his blush away from Jason and looks into the window of the shop. His eyes widen as he sees the shopkeeper handing an ice cream cone over to a small otter girl.

"Ice cream!" Nick almost yells out as his ears perk up and he jumps up and down a little. Jason chuckles.

"You want some?" Nick looks back over at the jet black feline, a smile beaming across his muzzle.

"Yes! Chocolate!" Nick says as he walks up to the door and pulls it open for the little girl and her mother as they exit the shop. The mother smiles at the two and continues on her way, messy little girl face in tow.

The two friends walk up to the counter as the ice cream shop keeper, a darker wolf in his twenties, finishes cleaning up some of the ice cream scoops.

"Hey guys! What can I get ya?" He says with a smile.

"A big scoop of chocolate!" Nick blurts out but then folds his ears and covers his mouth afterwards.

"Sorry. Yeah, chocolate please." Both Jason and the shopkeeper laugh making Nick blush even harder.

The shopkeeper scoops up the big hunk of chocolate ice cream and plops it into a nice chocolate dipped cone for Nick upon his request. Jason then gets his, a big scoop of some strange rum flavored ice cream. Nick makes a funny face.

"Rum?" He asks, looking at Jason's ice cream as the feline takes a big lick of it. Jason nods.

"Yep, there isn't actually any rum in it.. just kind of has the taste with a bit of lime." Jason says as he pays for the ice cream and the two make their way out of the shop. Nick makes another funny face and sticks out his tongue.

"Hey, I'm a pirate so I might as well play the part as much as I can anyway... no matter how creamy.." Jason says as he takes another big lick of the slowly shrinking blob of minty blue looking ice cream. "Mmm.. or delicious it might be." He says, Nick bursting into laughter.

The two happen upon a small beach front park as they walk down the dimly lit sidewalk and eat their ice cream. Jason insists that they go check it out so they both make their way down the old, worn wood steps and step out onto the sand. There appeared to be nobody there at that time of night and Nick didn't remember seeing any sign that informed of a closing time or anything of the sort. He suddenly gets a bit nervous about being out on the beach at night with strange shadows around them coming from various docks and beached driftwood around them.

"Umm.. should we be down here? It looks like it might be closed." Nick says nervously as he stops in the sand a few steps or so from the stairs they had come down. Jason looks back at him as he hops up onto a log.

"Come on! Where's your sense of adventure?" Says the jet black panther who almost disappears into the darkness itself save for his eyes, the white shirt he is wearing and the minty colored ice cream he is licking. Hesitantly, Nick follows Jason as he walks down a little farther toward the shore.

The two stop at a particularly large log beached on it's side in the sand. Jason slips down the other side and sits down with his back against it as he continues eating his ice cream. Nick does the same and the two sit there and enjoy their snack as they watch the waves slowly get bigger and the stars get covered by the angry looking clouds.

"Gonna rain soon." Says Jason before he takes the last slurp of his ice cream and crunches the cone. Nick nods as he finishes his off as well. The wind picks up more and blows past the two, Nick shivering in it's wake. Jason notices and scoots closer to lend some of his warmth. Nick looks over and smiles at Jason, a little bit of a blush in his cheeks.

As the waves begin to crash onto shore, another gust of wind howls along the beach and along the side of the log, pushing Nick a little farther against Jason's side. As he curls himself up a little more, Nick suddenly jolts as an arm drapes over his shoulders. He glances over at Jason who is just smiling and watching the waves with his arm around Nick's shoulders. The warmth lures him in farther and Nick cuddles up against Jason's side and rests his head on the feline's shoulder.

Moments pass before Nick takes another leap of faith and slips a leg over and sits himself in Jason's lap, once again taking up the warm embrace that calmed him down earlier that day. Without hesitation, Jason wraps his arms around his friend and nuzzles the little wolf's headfur as Nick nuzzles into his neck.

In such a dark and secluded spot, Nick's inhibitions begin to slowly melt away as he presses himself closer to Jason both to get farther away from the cold nipping at them as well as get closer to the panther's scent that drives such powerful feelings in the wolf. The feline's gentle but encouraging touch pushes him further and Nick nuzzles the side of Jason's face, getting a light purr in return.

Somewhere between another nuzzle and readjusting himself in Jason's lap, Nick's lips brush against Jason's and he loses himself momentarily. Bringing his head back far enough to press his lips more fully against Jason's, Nick suddenly freezes when the feline does the same. Jason took in a somewhat sharp breath but held steady, unsure of the wolf's intentions.

The two sat, eyes closed and lips pressed slightly against each other for a moment before Nick finally pulled away enough to breathe and open his eyes. He is met by Jason's golden eyes looking back at him with the same unsure but curious look as his own. The handsome smile that cracked across Jason's face was enough encouragement for Nick and he pressed his lips back against the feline's again, this time with more contact as the two opened their maws a little farther and began exploring the sensation of their first kiss together. The moment started off awkwardly as they were unsure really what they were doing other than what they've seen from others before.

Slowly, they worked their way deeper into a passionate kiss. Nick lets slip a little moan into Jason's mouth as the feline runs his paws up Nick's back and holds him closer, tilting his head to further mesh their maws together. Sudden thunder and a lighting strike overhead makes the two jump a little but remain lip locked together. Moments later, as they reposition to change head positions, heavy droplets of rain begin to fall around and on them. Hesitantly, they finally pull apart as the rain surges harder and begins to drip around their panting and wet lips.

They both open their eyes again as they part and look at each other's panting, elated faces until they both break out into giggling and hug each other.

"We should probably get back to the boat." Jason finally says as they part again.

"Yeah... kind of getting soaked now." Says Nick as he stands up and backs away to allow Jason to stand.

They both walk back up the old worn wood steps and down the street toward the marina in a somewhat awkward silence except for the building static of the rain falling around them. Jason suddenly stops midway. Nick turns to him a few steps ahead and stops as well.

"What?" The wolf asks, a bit nervous now.

"Go ahead... I gotta go get something." Jason says as he turns to look behind him for something.

"What?" Nick asks, turning fully toward the feline now.

"Don't worry about it. Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute. Trust me." Jason says with that damn handsome smile on his face again before he turns and sort of jogs off down the boarded walkway. Nick sighs as he watches him disappear around a corner.

"Great... now I'm alone." Nick mutters as he turns and continues back to the marina.

The feeling of some pending doom or lurking shadow behind him along with the steadily building rainfall shortens Nick's walk to the docks; water splashing at each step as he rounds the last corner and slows to a fast walk down the hill. The big, gruff dock attendant bear watches him suspiciously from the window of the little building he sat in as Nick walks past and down the dock to the ship. Upon stepping on deck, Nick doesn't see Jason's parents around at all. He heads down to the mess hall below deck and peers around.

"Huh... must still be out." He says to himself and turns toward the hallway leading to the bow of the ship and his and Jason's room. As he passes the threshold of the mess hall and the hallway, he suddenly hears a thumping sound coming from the stern. Stopping in his tracks, Nick perks his ears and listens. At first he hears nothing and was about to continue towards his room when he hears another thump followed by something cracking. His fur stands on end as he slowly turns around to face the other hallway across the mess hall leading to the stern of the ship and Jason's parent's room.

"Hello?" Nick says, his voice cracking a little. There is another thump and then the door to Jason's parent's bedroom opens. Instead of Jason's father or mother coming out, a dark furred fox steps out with a duffle bag in hand and a crowbar in the other. They both freeze and look at each other. Almost the entire length of the ship and the mess hall separates them but Nick could have swore that he smelled the fox's breath on his face as he watches the burglar's chest begin to rise and fall with his quickened breathing.

'Get out!' The words scream in Nick's head, snapping him back to reality and shoving him towards the stairs to the main deck. Somewhere in the mad dash for the nook leading to the stairs, Nick hears the thump and clang as the fox drops both the bag and the crowbar and dashes after him. Not a moment after Nick leaps onto the steps, the fox crashes into the wall just behind him in a failed attempt to catch the wolf. Steps blur as the wolf ascends as fast as physics will allow him though, however, not fast enough as the fox, very nimbly, leaps up and grapples Nick's ankle just as the wolf spills out onto the deck.

"H-h-HELP!" Nick manages to force through his hyperventillating just before the fox unceremoniously jerks him back below deck and practically tosses the poor wolf down the stairs before turning and latching the door to freedom shut.

The fox almost stumbles down the stairs himself as Nick is trying to get back to his feet while holding his ribs which had taken a hard hit against the solid wood stairs. With trembling hands, the fox jerks Nick to his feet and picks him up before slamming him against the wall behind him.

"I-if you make another s-sound I'll k-kill you!" The fox stutters through his gritting teeth as adrenaline washes through his body. Nick struggles against the larger male. He finally looks up at his captor's face and stops struggling. It wasn't the threat that stopped him but the look in the fox's eyes. Nick didn't see the menacing death stare he felt in the burglar's words. Instead, he saw fear and uncertainty.

Feeling that his guise had been shattered, the fox drops Nick and drags him by his collar towards the room he had come out of. Nick struggles and growls the whole way. With a kick, the fox opens the door again and steps inside with Nick still struggling behind him. Walking up to a piled mess in the middle of the room, the fox picks up a sash that he had pulled out of Jason's mother's dresser and forces Nick to his feet.

"Not another sound!" The fox growls as he forces the sash around Nick's head, stuffing part of it into the poor wolf's mouth and then tying it uncomfortably tight. He then drags him to the bed and uses a belt from the pile of clothes and things he had pulled out of the dressers to tie the wolf's arms behind him and to one of the bedposts.

Satisfied that the bindings would at least prevent the wolf from following him as he escapes, the fox turns and starts walking out of the room. As he passes the dresser, he stops and glares at something on it. From Nick's position on the floor, he couldn't see exactly what the fox was staring at until he reached out and picked up a picture from the dresser top and held it up. It was a picture of Jason and his parents at a beach. With a growl, the fox tosses it to the floor and stomps on it, breaking the glass protecting the picture and storms off into the hallway to retrieve the bag and crowbar.

While Nick struggles in the captain's quarters, the fox quietly makes his way up the steps to the deck and listens against the door for a moment for any signs of investigation from the wolf's outburst. Very slowly, he opens the latch and creeps the door open a few inches. Hearing nothing, he opens it the rest of the way and quickly slinks over to the boarding ramp. As soon as he sets foot on the ramp he freezes as Jason steps onto it from below. As adrenaline begins to coarse through the fox's body again, the feeling of deja vu comes as they both look at each other. Jason's expression quickly turns from confusion to anger as he sees the duffle bag and crowbar in the fox's hands. He bares his teeth and flex's his claws out.

Before Jason had a chance to bolt up the ramp at the fox, a large arm suddenly pokes out of the darkness behind the burglar and slams down onto the top of his head, knocking him out cold and dropping him to the deck. The large dock attendant bear appears out of the darkness glaring down at the unconscious fox before looking down at Jason.

"I've called the police. They'll be here soon. Your friend went inside but hasn't come back out." The bear relays to Jason in his gruff voice. The look on Jason's face turns to utter horror as he bolts up the ramp and tries to go below deck before the bear stops him. Jason tries to push himself past the bear's arm but the larger male holds him back.

"Hold on! I don't know how many there might be. Let me go first." He says as he steps in front of Jason and opens the door leading below deck. Squeezing his large frame through the entryway, the bear makes his way down the steps with Jason close behind him. Sickening silence meets them as they reach the mess hall. Jason's ears suddenly perk up as the sound of a muffled cry and some shuffling echoes from down the hall towards his parent's room.

"Wait!" the bear yells after Jason as he bolts past him and down the hall towards the sound. Bursting through the doorway, Jason stops when he sees Nick tied up on the bedpost. They both look at each other for a moment before Jason jogs over and kneels next to his friend. The bear walks into the room as Jason is furiously removing the bindings. As soon as Nick is free they both embrace each other tightly. Nick begins crying into Jason's shoulder.

"I'm going to check the rest of the ship." The attendant says as he squeezes himself through the doorway again and begins going through the rooms.

"I'm so sorry... I s-should have n-never left you a-alone..." Jason begins to stutter as adrenaline continues to pump through his body and he tries to force back crying of his own while he holds his still sobbing friend.

---

Nick holds onto the cup of hot cocoa that Jason's mother made him as Jason wraps the heavy blanket the police gave him tighter around his friend, hugging him from the side. The rain had let up to just a mist for the moment. Out of hearing range from the two, Jason's parents are talking with the police and the dock attendant as they all stand on the deck of the sailboat.

"I don't know.. we've never seen him before." Jason's mother responds to the police detective.

"Why do you think we might know him?" Her husband chimes in as he holds his wife. The detective, a badger, holds up a piece of paper in a plastic bag.

"Well, everything about this seemed to be a textbook burglary... except this." Jason's parents look at the paper.

"It's our ship name and our radio call sign... where did he.." Jason's father trails off looking at his wife who shrugs. He looks back to the badger and hands him the evidence bag.

"Do you know if you have any enemies... anyone that might have a motive to do this?"

The couple look at each other.

"No... nobody." Says Jason's mother as they look back at the badger.

"Well we'll see what comes from interrogation. Until then, be careful."

After profusely thanking the dock attendant for his heroic act, Jason's parent's whisk the two friends back into the boat after the police gave it the all clear one more time. The two go straight to their room as Jason's parents go about the boat securing every window and door.

"They said they are going to keep an officer at the docks for the night.." Jason says, trying to comfort Nick as they sit on the bottom bunk in the silence of their lantern lit room.

"Hey kids, we've locked everything up. Don't worry, we're all safe. Try to get some rest." Jason's mom says, poking her head in the door.

"Ok, good night mom." Jason says, looking up at his mother with a weak smile.

"Good night. Nick, honey, you can call your mother tomorrow if you want. We understand if you want to go home."

Nick sniffles a little.

"No.. no it's ok. I'm ok. I don't want her worrying." Jason's mother nods as she closes the door. Jason gets up and locks the latch shut after she leaves and then sits back down next to Nick.

"We should get some sleep..." The feline finally says after hugging Nick again and then standing to climb up to the top bunk. He is stopped by Nick as the wolf reaches out and grabs his wrist. Jason steps back down and sits next to his friend again.

"What, what is it?"

"I..."

"It's ok. You're safe, don't worry."

"I just. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"You won't. I'm in here with you. I won't let anything happen."

"No.. I mean..."

Jason finally realizes what Nick is trying to say as he looks into the wolf's pleading, bloodshot eyes.

"Ok."

The two scoot onto the bottom bunk and Jason pulls the covers over them. Nick curls up towards the panther who embraces him and nuzzles the top of the wolf's head between his fuzzy ears. Breathing deeply, Nick finally relaxes as Jason's scent fills his nose and the feline's soft purring lulls him to sleep.