Prolog: An awful awakening

My name is Xerxes, and I live in a world full of anthropomorphic animals and humans. As a collective of many different anthropomorphic animal races and hybrids, we called ourselves furs. I am an anthropomorphic or anthro for short, fox. I am only twelve years old. My fur is a brilliant silver, and my eyes are blue, and I love brushing my tail, which is long and fluff.

I am a so-called maleherm, meaning I have both parts, and well, my sheath and balls and slightly bigger than most kits my age. I am roughly three feet and nine inches tall. I loved living with my parents. They were the most caring parents you can imagine. We didn't live an extravagant life, but we weren't poor either. My only sibling was my older brother Hector. He is a male anthro fox of nineteen years of age.

I enjoy playing board games like Pawtzee and Checkers. I always enjoyed hanging out with my big brother whenever he came over to visit. He has just got ahold of a more permanent place to live. All of this was just to say it was all going to change.

It was now July, 5th 2008. I was asleep when it happened. The smoke alarms were not going off, but the rooms were filling with carbon monoxide. Me and my parents, were asleep when the deadly gas filled up the house. All I can remember was my parents saying goodnight to me and me falling asleep, and the next moment was me waking up in a hospital. I could hear the beeping of the heart rate monitor. I felt weak, and my breathing was painful. I had a ventilator over my muzzle. My black whiskers splayed to the side of the mask. I looked around, and I began to panic. I saw a nurse and asked, "Where are my parents?". She looked at me solemnly. She didn't reply and asked instead if I was alright. Later I was informed that I was out for four days straight. I was scared and wanted to see my parents. I noticed that the hospital staff were dodging telling me about my parents. They checked in on me regularly. 

That was a week ago and today is July, 16th 2008. The week was a blurred mess in between medical treatments. After the first two days, they took off my ventilator. My breathing was becoming easier and not as painful. A nurse came up to me at two in the evening and told me I would have a visitor. An hour later, Hector entered my room. I could see tears in his eyes. I didn't know why so I asked. It was then that I was told for the first time my parents were dead. I felt cold and trapped in my mind. The world around me vanished, and so did my brother. I was scared, sad, depressed, and in pain, and most of all, I felt empty. I was old enough to understand that people die and what death was. My mind was racing with all these emotions and more, and I was in denial for a few seconds. My mind was shutting down. My older brother grabbed me by the arm and leaned me forward to hug me, snapping me out of my thoughts. He told me it would be best not to think much about it for now. 

My brother took me to his home, our new home after we both signed lots of legal and medical paperwork. It was a two-story house. The outside of the house wasn't anything special. The house was the same bland gray as all the other houses. I was just so mentally tired. I found the room my big brother had set up for me. It had some of all my old toys and games. My brother had gone with some other guys to get my stuff from the old house. I lay down in my bed, thinking about how this all happened. The walls were a sophisticated sunset orange. This whole week for me has been a mess. I was now living two hours away from my parent's home. Thinking of that made me cry. I felt a warm embrace, and my brother told me, "We will get through this together, Xerxes." I fell asleep in his arms as he hugged me. 

Chapter 1: Brotherly bonds
"Xerxes, it's time to get up," I heard my brother call to me. It had been a few days since I moved in with him. I got up out of my bed and put on fresh underwear. I then put on a red shirt and jeans designed for furs. Furs had different clothes than humans as most of us have tails. To compensate for this, we have a hole for our tails in the back of our clothing. This hole has a strap that would get buttoned into place. Hats were also custom-designed for us, but enough explanations for now. I put on some socks and headed downstairs. I found my older brother making bacon and pancakes, my favorites. "Thanks, big bro" I said to Hector with a smile. He hands me the plate after buttering and putting maple syrup on my pancakes. He then supplied me with my utensils, and I greedily ate all of the pancakes. The pancakes were a family recipe, a nice buttermilk one. Before you ask about milk, let me answer it. No, milk is not weird to us. They get it from ferals, not furs. Even anthro cows are ok with it. 

After I ate, he took me around town to show me the city I was now living in. I saw plenty of old brick buildings, and I saw a hydroelectric dam. I marveled at its beauty. I learned the city was called New Mera. I wonder what happened to the first. He drove me around a little further, and I saw the public schools. The city had a few private schools, but it also had a large public school complex. It was as big as a small college campus. My brother told me it accepted kids from kindergarten to twelve. "That explains its size" I said agasp. I knew the school year was coming up. "Well, the city is trying to desegregate its schools as it hasn't done that in the last twenty years. So you will likely go to this school and be the only fox. I hope not, but it is likely," Hector said. 

For a background, humans make up three-fifths of the population of the planet. They easily outnumber any other species. I have interacted with humans before, but not more than two, and they were senior citizens. Furs and humans co-exist even in the same spaces. It wasn't always like this. It only became like this twenty years ago when it was made mandatory for places to try to desegregate. We still generally live apart, but the government wants to change that. Also, don't worry, humans never really badly treated furs, but there was an air of tension. 

The next stop along our ride was an ice cream place. "Let's see... my little brother will have a soft-serve faux chocolate and peanut butter swirl, and I will have a hard serve vanilla" My brother told the human running the shop. The man easily towered over me and also my brother. Humans are scary in that regard, but this one looked so kind and attentive. I asked my brother later, and he said the guy was likely in his late fifties. I should explain faux chocolate, well to us canids, and some others chocolate is deadly poisonous. So humans spent time figuring out how to make the flavor in the lab and produce it as an extract and a powder. Then they would use food dyes and more and make faux chocolate. Humans can't even tell the difference between the real and the fake. "Yes, you remembered!" I said as I was gifted my ice cream. I could feel my tail wagging.

Hector took us home and played a movie. It was nothing special, just one of those cut-and-copy plots. I enjoyed being there with him. I decided to go to my room after the movie ended. As I walked to my room, I saw a picture of our family. I saw our parents in it. I began to remember what had happened, and I tried to push it out of my mind, but I could not. I fell to my knees, not knowing how to deal with these emotions. My brother saw what had happened. He came over put a paw on my shoulder as he turned the picture frame around. He then picked me up and carried me to the couch. He sat with me until I calmed down. "The funeral is coming up. I miss them too. So please don't cry, or I will cry too", Hector said. He began petting my head. It was a normal thing for family members or very close friends to do. He moved his hands to pet my back. I became calmer and said, "Thank you for being there for me, big brother." "That's what being a big brother means" Hector said. Hector put on the tv and had it playing the news. As I watched the news, Hector began cooking dinner.

"The school systems are currently undergoing more training on how to deal with interspecies fights and differences. So to those who are worried don't be the staff will be well trained. All kids will have an equal chance at education. Now on to the weather..." A news reporter said as he walked through a school's hallway. It seems the schools are worried about bullying in between humans and furs. I know I will have to go to a school with humans. I really should talk with my brother about school. 

"Hector, do I have to go to school at New Mera Education Center?" I ask. "Well, we cannot afford to send you to one of the private schools. Are you worried?" Hector asked me. I thought about going to school with humans. "Yes, I am a little bit worried" I said. Hector sighed before saying anything else. "I expected this. Ok, if it's about going to school with humans, don't worry, there are far more respectable ones than bad ones. Also, there will be a no tolerance for bullying. So if you get bullied, tell me and your teachers, Ok, bud?" Hector said. "Yes, that has calmed some of my worries" I told him. "By the way, a lawyer will be here later to read our parent's will. I just want you to prepare yourself. You're not alone. We will get through this together," Hector told me. I watched the news to distract myself from thinking about mom and dad. My brother finished cooking after ten minutes. He made us some chicken and fries. He really does know how to season the chicken. I hope he teaches me someday how to cook. It tasted good, and we both sat down and watched more tv.

An hour later, the lawyer arrived. I won't bother you with the details. So I will only say, me and my older brother have an equal split of our parents' money, but mine is locked in a trust fund account, whatever that is. The account will be managed by my brother. My brother said he would give me an allowance of twenty dollars a week. That was more than my parents had given me weekly. I could get so many games for my Pawtendo Ree. My brother also gets ownership of our childhood home. He decided he would have it looked at to see what caused the gas leak, and discern if it can be fixed. He was thinking of renting it out to a friend for a steady income for himself. I only now realize I don't know what he does for work. "Hector, where do you work?" I ask. Hector tilts his head and lowers himself to eye level with me. I work from home on my computer. I do programming for a big company," Hector said. I wonder what programming means. Will I learn that word this year in English? 

It was only two hours later he put me to bed. He waited until I was asleep, or at least he thought I was. I didn't feel tired at all. I heard my brother get in the upstairs shower. The upstairs bathroom was opposite my room. I could hear him mumbling to himself in a sad hushed tone. The wait was he crying? I tried harder to listen in on him, but all I made out was, "You have to be strong for him." I went to sleep, wondering what he meant and what he was thinking.

Chapter 2: The tribulations of school 
The time was seven in the morning of August, 28th 2008, a Thursday. It was a sunny day, and I was waiting for the bus. "So, how long do we have to wait?" I ask. I looked at my brother as he checked his watch. "Only a little longer," He replied. Earlier in the morning, my brother made sure I had everything I needed for the first day of going to the New Mera Educational center. He was very thorough about it. 

The bus arrived soon after he checked his watch. "Try to make some friends, ok?" Hector said. I approached the yellow bus with the number seventy-four next to the door. My ears were folded back, and my tail was limp as I got on it. I could see I was the first stop. From the fact, I was the only one on it, asides from the driver. I decided to sit near the front of the bus, close to the driver. "Hey, little guy. So you're the fox boy. Xerxes, right?" The bus driver said. I shyly nodded. "Well, my name is Mr. Jenkins. If anyone gives you any trouble, let me know," Mr. Jenkins said. He was a male human. I would hazard a guess thirty years old. "How old are you? I have not met many humans before," I asked. Mr. Jenkins chuckles a little, "I am twenty-seven years old, buddy." He adjusted the mirror above him then he began to drive to the next stop.

A few minutes later, some humans my age got on the bus, all boys. I tried to look small as they walked by me. One spotted me and pointed me out to the group. One of them commented on how young I looked. Because of my shortness and my species, we can sometimes look younger than we are, as we don't get wrinkly like humans as they age. Another of them asked what I was, another, my age. I began to feel uncomfortable, and Mr. Jenkins noticed this and said, "Hey guys, we need to move along, and I think you're bothering him and overloading him with questions." The guys went to the far back of the bus.

I saw more humans get on the bus than I have ever seen in my life. I felt anxious and a little jumpy. It is not a good feeling for us, foxes. Our bladders are weak, a trait we got from our ancestors. Meaning, getting scared, or too anxious, or too excited could result in an accident. My ears were much better than humans. I could hear people talking about me. Some of the girls were calling me cute, and the guys were getting jealous. I focused on hearing the engine as not to continue scaring myself.

"Hey, can we sit with you," someone said. I freaked out for a second, almost pissed myself. I calmed myself and looked up. I saw two sandcats, obviously brother and sister, twins. They were my age, I guessed. Sandcats naturally look young as they never really lose the look, lucky bastards. "Sure, please let me move my tail first" I said. My tail was going along the whole seat. I moved it behind me, and I could feel it rubbing on my back. It reached my neck even. "So it seems like we are the only furs on the bus. What's your name?" The boy asked. "You're going to scare him, Josh" The sister said. That told me that the brother's name was Josh. "Uhmm... m-my name is-is Xerxes" I said. The boy began to pick up on the fact I was shy. "Well, nice to meet you, Xerxes. My name is Josh, and this is my sister Maranda" Josh said. "Nice to meet you" I said. I got to admit their fur looked so fluffy, and I liked the creamy orange color it had. 

I looked down at my bag for the rest of the ride. All three of us knew we were going to be the focus of everyone talking. I don't think the humans knew furs tend to have excellent hearing compared to humans. I don't recommend trying to talk behind a fur's back. We will hear you. "Xerxes, you might want to retract your claws. They are digging into your backpack," Maranda said to me. I didn't notice it, but I must have unsheathed my claws and sunk them into it with all the anxiety I was going through. Curse my foxy genetics. Fun fact we foxes are the only canid to have retractable claws. I am surprised they knew. I will have to ask them about it later.

We got dropped off at the school. I went with everyone to the gymnasium for the assembly. The gymnasium had a bunch of chains set up. The room was quite big. It looked like the floor had been freshly waxed. They spent too long on where the classes were. They could have just shown us a map with the room names. I knew I had to go to Mrs. Warner's English class first. She was to be my homeroom teacher and my pre-algebra teacher. I was in eighth grade as I am twelve years old. They then went on to talk about the no-tolerance policy with interspecies bullying. They also welcomed us to the school. The assembly ended, and I went to my first class of the day pre-algebra. 

I made it to the class earlier than other students and chose to sit in the front. The room had two windows, and the walls were a lavender color. I ended up sitting down on top of some of my books to be at a better height for using my desk. I looked at the teacher, Mrs. Warner. She was a thin, middle-aged human woman. She looked at me with her brown eyes and said, "So you must be Xerxes. My name is Mrs. Warner. I would like to welcome you to our school". "T-thanks m-Mrs. Warner," I said. She saw me look away and must have seen my ears go back. "So you're the shy type. I hope I can get you out of that shell someday," Mrs. Warner said.

The rest of the students entered the classroom. It seems I am the only fur in the class. Mrs. Warner started the introduction to the whole classroom. It was long and boring, this is what you will be taught, this is my name and, this is my email. You get the idea. She passed out the pre-algebra books. Then we were informed to write our names in the book. I followed the directions. She then passed out some paperwork my brother and I would have to sign. 

It was only thirty minutes before we got into a recap of math from the previous year. I could feel the eyes of the other students on me. I felt like I did not belong there. I focused on the recap and lessons. It was then in the middle of the class that I felt something tug on my tail. It hurt, and I couldn't suppress a yip. I swear I could feel the ire of the teacher. I felt my blood go cold. I looked down at my desk. I then curled my tail under my desk. Here I go getting in trouble on my first day of school. 

But I didn't need to worry at all. "Xerxes, are you ok?" Mrs. Warner asks. I finally looked up from my desk and said, "Someone pulled my tail." She looked at the students near me that could have pulled my tail. She then walked through the desks towards us. She asks in a calm voice, "Which one of you pulled his tail?". A few students around me pointed at the boy behind me. I was angry. Pulling someone's tail is a great way to cause a fur or animal a lot of pain. Even to touch one's tail, you should ask! She got the kid to sit in a different seat further from me.

"I guess I need to explain why pulling someone's tail is not ok," Mrs. Warner said before sighing heavily. "Pulling a furs tail is painful. Think of it like this it's like a part of the spine, vertebrae. They are smaller and have a lot of joints. The nerves of the tail run in the middle of the bone. So pulling the tail is you pulling on the joints, thus causing the bones to pinch nerves," She said. She looked at the group of human students as they nodded. "Also, Jeb, don't ever touch a furs tail without permission. Got it?" Mrs. Warner asked the student that pulled my tail. The student just shrank more, "Yes, Mrs. Warner."

During the rest of the class, there were no more incidents. I was glad when class ended. I then went to English class, and there were no problems there either. It was now time for lunch, and I was in the lunchroom. The lunchroom was a nice size, and the floor was tiled white and grey. The wall had a mural depicting a sandwich. I sat down at a round table where no one was sitting. Just as I pulled out the lunch my brother made, Josh and Maranda sat next to me. "So, how did your classes go?" Josh asked. I thought about it and said, "A boy pulled my tail in the middle of pre-algebra. The teacher then went into a lecture on why no one should pull a furs tail. I am surprised they didn't already know." Maranda was listening eagerly, "Well, are you ok?". I responded, "I am ok." 

"So, who made your lunch?" Josh asked me out of the blue. I don't want to tell them my parents are dead. If I have to hear anyone else bring it up, I know I will have a breakdown having to think about it. So I replied with, "My older brother made it for me." This conversation was ok I thought, and I should stop them from asking me more. "How old is your brother?" Maranda asked. Guess it did not work. "He is nineteen," I said. I began to eat even though they tried to ask me more. I didn't want to answer any more questions. I don't blame them after all. We are the only furs here, so we best try to become friends. 

"So, what is your next class?" Maranda asked. Well, I decided that now that I had finished eating, I should answer these talkative felines. "Gym, what do you have?" I ask. "We have gym too. The bell should ring soon," Josh said. We talked for the rest of the lunch period. The bell rang, and the three of us headed off to the gymnasium. We arrived at Mr. Warner's gym class. I wonder, is he the husband of Mrs. Warner? Mr. Warner waited for the rest of the students before handing us some paperwork for our guardians to sign. He then told the kids to get changed. I felt conflicted, as I am not a girl or a boy. Which locker room do I use? Mr. Warner took me to the side before I could ask. Good thing too, I did not want anyone to know. Mr. Warner took me outside of the gymnasium and informed me. I was to use the teacher's bathroom to get changed until they will come up with a long-term solution.

He handed me a key to the bathroom. I entered it and got changed into shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. I then walked back to class and began to hand the key back to Mr. Warner. "Foxy, you can keep the key. Just don't tell my boss, ok?" Mr. Warner said. I walked towards the group as they played around with basketballs when Josh tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, why did you not get changed in the boy's locker room" Josh asked. I knew I had to think fast. "I have my reasons, and they are school approved, ok?" I answered. I saw his tail droop and his ears go back. Josh must have felt like I was upset with him. "Josh, I am not mad at you. I am just not ready to tell you why," I said, now worried I hurt his feelings. The rest of the class was fine, asides from being called skinny and short by the other boys. I didn't know how to handle it, so I did nothing. Our next class was sex ed. Oh boy, this was going to be weird. 

The student's parents were confused at first about why it changed to a lower grade level. Furs tend to develop slightly faster. The true reason was furs can enter heat and rut. Not every fur has a heat cycle but some do. Foxes like me have these cycles. Meaning I will have duel cycles of heat and rut. I don't know when the cycles will start. I hope not anytime soon. 

The class was not anything special. Just a normal introduction to why we were going to be taught about sex, sexually transmitted infections, and also protection. They also said that they will teach about the differences between species just in case. Interspecies marriage and sex were not illegal, just very rare and taboo to a degree. 

The rest of the day was nothing special, and the ride home was uneventful. I got home and showed my brother the paperwork. My brother went through the paperwork with me and explained why I had to sign them with him. He then helped me with my math homework. He never left my side all night. I wonder, was he lonely?

Chapter 2.5: night terrors
Ever since I woke up in that hospital, I have been having nightmares. Every night without fail, I would have them. It was different every time. Sometimes I would dream of waking up back in that hospital to a life where even my brother was dead. Other times I would relive the funeral or the moment my brother told me we lost our parents. I always woke up crying and my bed a mess. The thing is, the nightmares keep getting worse and more vivid. 

It was the night after my first day of school. I dreamt of being back in the hospital again with the ventilator in my muzzle. I could not move in the dream, but I could look forward. I saw my brother on the ground and other people in the building, all struggling to breathe. I was forced in this horrible nightmare to watch my brother and those that saved me die. I woke up roughly at nine, crying. I must have only been asleep for two hours. My brother insisted that I fall asleep early on school nights. I couldn't stand these nightmares anymore. I knew I would not be able to sleep again for the rest of the night.

I got up out of bed in my pajamas. I slowly walked to my brother's door. I needed my big brother, he was the only one in my life that was a constant anymore. I knocked on his door and softly said, "Hector, are you awake?". I heard soft rustling noises of clothing getting put on. I heard soft pawsteps as my brother approached the door. Then my brother opened the door and saw me crying.

He ushered me into his room. The room smelt slightly musky but, I don't have the mental compacity to think about it right now. My brother sat me on the bed. He had the lights off in the room. "What's wrong, brother?" Hector asks me. His voice was dripping with concern. "I keep on having different nightmares where I'd wake up in-in the hospital," told him. I thought about the nightmare some more and said, "I just had a nightmare where I watched everyone die around me because they could not breathe. I was forced to watch you die while I had the respirator on." My brother saw how stressed I was. 

My brother sighed in a way as if to hide some low-level frustration but the softness in his eye never left. He laid me down on the bed as he laid down too. He had me facing him. He then wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I felt a warmth in me grow. I then heard my brother purring. I felt so calm in his arms, and I slowly fell asleep in my brother's arms.

Chapter 3: Making friends
The crisp morning air filled my lungs as I waited for the bus. It was the second day of school. I felt more relaxed than I was on my first day. The bus dispatch had texted my brother to tell us the bus route had changed, meaning I would be the third on it. So I got to enjoy the weather some more as we waited for the bus to arrive. My brother tapped me on the shoulder and pulled me into a hug before letting me get on the bus. I saw Mr. Jenkins at the wheel. He smiled at me as I passed. I noticed there were some human kids of different ages in the back.

I saw Josh and Maranda were sitting in the same spot as yesterday. I approached them and said, "Can I sit with you guys?". Josh patted the spot between him and his sister. I squeezed by Josh and sat between them. It was not hard to do so as they both were shorter and smaller than me. We sat in silence for a minute before Josh asked me, "Was that your brother we saw?". I answered, "Yes, he is. He is nineteen years old. My brother's name is Hector". "Why was he the one waiting with you? Where are your parents?" Maranda asked. I started to cry as that simple question brought me back to the funeral. I know it's not their fault, they didn't know. Josh and Maranda both looked at me while crying. "Did we say something?" Josh asks. I answer, "Please don't mention my parents. They are not with us anymore". "We're sorry" Josh and Maranda told me in unison.

They kept apologizing for a full minute. I told Josh and Maranda that I forgive them many times. "So... what are your favorite colors?" I asked to distract them and myself. They thought about it for a minute. While they were thinking about the question, a few sixteen-year-old humans got on. They were glaring at us as they passed. "Well, I like green, green like the leaves of a rose," Josh said. "I like sunset orange," said Maranda. I decided I should share mine and try to learn about them more, after all, they are kind to me. I told them my favorite color was sky blue.

I talked with them the rest of the way to school. I learned Josh likes playing video games too. They have a Pawtendo Ree too, with a few games. He also plays Super Strike Bros Skirmish. I love playing that game with my brother, but he always beats me. I learned Maranda is a fan of documentaries. I did not expect that.

Nothing interesting happened until lunch. All three of us had just finished lunch when Josh asked if we could spend time together after school and maybe play some video games. I never had anybody ever come over before. I talked to them for a bit. Then I texted my brother to ask if I was allowed to have them over. It took a minute, but he replied with yes. After I told them my brother was ok with it, they called their parents to see if they could visit my house after school. It was while that was happening the bell rang. 

I got home early as something went wrong in the culinary class, and some kids got sick. So the bus had fewer kids on it. Not that I am complaining. I got home and found my brother watching the news on the tv. I sat down on the couch and laid down with my back over my brother's lap and my head on the armrest. My brother moved his hand to rub his hands through my hair. It felt nice as he petted my head. 

Ten minutes later, we heard the doorbell ring. I got to the door, and as I opened it, I heard Josh, "Hey, it's Josh and Maranda." I could feel my tail wagging. I opened the door and gestured for them to enter. I watched as they entered. "Wow, this house is big for only two people," Maranda said. I walked my friends over to the living room. My brother looked over at my friends. A moment later, he said, "So these two must be the sandcats you are friends with, Xerxes. My name is Hector. Nice to meet you, Josh and Maranda." It did take a little bit for Josh and Maranda to get to know my brother, and to become fully comfortable. We all sat down and watched an action movie.

As the movie ended, I learned Maranda loves action movies as she asks for us to play another one. We ended up playing on the Pawtendo REE. I, for once was able to beat someone else at Super Strike Bros Skirmish. I figured out their playstyles quite quickly. I guess this was a skill I developed to try to beat my brother at the game. In the end, I let them win some to be nice, but there was a time Josh beat me for real. I also let them play against my brother. They both lost and then we teamed up and played teams with us three on the same team against him, we won that one. We had a lot of fun before they had to leave. I waved goodbye by the door as they left.

Chapter 4: Support
It was Saturday, August 30th. I had just finished lunch when I heard my brother ask, "Do you have any homework to do?". I did have homework. I was hoping to do it tomorrow. "Yes, I have math homework," I answered. My brother looked over at me and said, "You know I have the weekends off from work. I can help you with your homework." I grabbed my backpack and brought it to the dining table.

Hector sat next to me as I pulled my homework and the pre-algebra book out. I enjoyed having his help with it. I was midway through my math homework when I began to reminisce about how dad had helped me with my homework. I began to miss him all over again and began to tear up. My brother must have heard my whimpers as he put a hand on my shoulder and asked, "Why are you crying, Xerxes? Is it something I did or said?"

"No, I just miss dad so much," I replied. He brought me in for a hug. "I miss them too. I know waking in the hospital and later being told our parents were dead must have hurt. It hurts me too that I couldn't have been there sooner to be by your side," My brother said. We hugged for a while. "You know you can talk to me. There is no need for you to feel alone," my brother said. I looked at him and smiled. "So, why couldn't you have been there sooner?" I asked. My brother pondered it for a second and said, "I was sick and had a fever. You were already having problems breathing. I didn't want to risk making things worse". It made a lot of sense. He didn't want me getting sick while recovering. "Please tell me, what was the worst part of that week?" My brother asked.

"Well, having that ventilator in me was very uncomfortable, but the worst was no one telling me what happened. That made me worried and made it all the more painful when my fears became my reality. I never got to say goodbye," I answered. My brother looked me in the eyes, "If it is any consolation, I never got to say goodbye either. I remember how mom would trim our fur and how dad would play games with us. I also remember how mom would watch movies with us and how dad would cook us our favorite foods. Dad taught me so much about what it meant to be there for another person. He was there when I had my first breakup. He was there to pick me up after I got bullied in school quite badly." It brought back so many good memories. It felt nice to reminisce, but it also hurt as those times are forever over. 

I could tell my brother was not done, "Do you remember the time when dad taught you to play frisbee?" Ah yes, I remeber that. Dad had just got home from school, and I was ten years old at the time, and Hector was only seventeen. My dad was tossing the frisbee back and forth with my brother in the yard. I remember that I was fascinated with the disc floating through the air as the frisbee got thrown from person to person. I remember approaching my dad and asking if I could join. He ended up teaching me how to through it by holding my wrist gently and telling me and guiding my arm for the first throw, and then he watched as I repeated it. My brother sat down next to the tree as he continued to show me how to play frisbee. The funny part of this story was when he was teaching me to catch it, I got distracted, and the frisbee hit the side of my jaw. It was a flimsy plastic frisbee so, it didn't hurt that much. My dad rushed over to me and checked to make sure I was ok. He patted me on the head when he realized I was ok.

"Of course I do, big brother" I told him all I could remember of the story. Hector always liked having me call him big brother. I wonder why sometimes, but maybe he loves how it sounds. We ended up chatting about mom and dad and how great parents they were till it was late at night. I know by now if I slept in my bed, I would have more nightmares as I have been getting nightmares every night. So I asked if I could sleep in my brother's bed with him to start. I got into my pajamas in my room then went and got into bed with my brother. Hector put his arms around me and had me facing him. I could hear his soft breathing, and smell his lemony scented fur. He always did like the more exotic smelling fur conditioners. I slowly fell asleep in his arms. 

Chapter 5: Sex Education
It's the subsequent Monday, and I have just finished gym class. I walked to sex-ed with Josh and Maranda. I was talking with them about our plans for the week. I entered the empty classroom. It turns out all three of us were there first. I didn't really ponder on it at the time. As we got into our chairs, other students were entering the class. It was a minute later that the bell rang, and the teacher closed their laptop. I never really learned her name. 

"Today marks the beginning of your sexual education," The teacher starts. I looked at her. she was wearing a nice flower-pattern blouse and jeans. "I know most of you might have already had 'the talk,' but that is not enough. We will start with human sexual anatomy today, and if we have time, maybe some more," The teacher finishes. I knew from what my parents told me that males and females had different parts. But also that I had both, and they are used to make kits. That is as far they went with "the talk." 

So let's start with the guys. She turned on the projector. She then said, "This is the male genitalia, the penis. This diagram shows what a human's penis looks like. I looked at the image, and it felt weird. It did not look like mine at all. I knew what mine looked like outside of the sheath and stiff. Wait, do humans not have sheaths? I focused more on the image, and no, they don't have sheaths. Almost all furs have sheaths. "This opening at the tip is the urethra. This part is the scrotum, and these are the balls where the testies are," I paid attention to the lesson as it continued. I noticed many boys and girls blushing during this segment.

I learned about how my body produces sperm and egg cells. They said that people with vaginas have a hymen until it gets broken. Also that it would sting during our first time, and maybe even bleed too. I don't know what cells are, but they said that we will learn about cells in biology later. "Now we also have some furs here. You may know about your classmates, Xerxes, Josh, and his sister Maranda. Male furs have different sexual anatomy than humans," The teacher starts up again. I hate being called out like that. I felt the eyes of every student on me and my friends. I felt as my ears turned back. I knew my tail would be limp in my seat. 

I zoned out as the teacher began showing slides about canine and vulpine anatomy. I felt alone and anxious. I could feel even my friend's eyes on me. I snapped out of it when I heard a student ask, "What is that for?" asking about the knot. "Well, most canines have two of these lobes, but vulpines have three. It's a little too complicated to explain what they are to you guys, maybe you will learn it in biology, but this is called the knot. Its purpose is to expand once inside an orifice and become locked inside until the penis becomes flaccid. They evolved this as a way to increase the chance of impregnating their partner," the teacher answers. I swear I almost saw a curious glint in Josh's eye.

I was surprised when I heard Maranda ask the teacher, "Wouldn't knotting hurt for the female?". I could see the gears turning in the teacher's head. The teacher then answers, "Well, the pleasure should outweigh the pain but always use lube when having sex. Now let's talk about the felines over there and let Xerxes come back out of his shell." She must have noticed how uncomfortable I was. 

The teacher pointed to the board to get peoples' attention then said, "Felines have barbs, as you can see here." I looked over at my friends for a second and missed a few sentences from the teacher, I saw Maranda give her brother a wink, and he winked back. I forced my attention back to the board and the teacher. "Before 'someone' asks, the barbs are not sharp or completely stiff and should not hurt too much if you use the proper amount of lube," The teacher finishes. 

It's only a moment before the bell rings. It felt nice when the class was done for the day. I do kind of wonder what sex will feel like. I still wonder what that look in Maranda's eyes was.

Chapter 6: Game Night
(Quick note, this chapter is from Hector's point of view)
It was Thursday morning. I had just woken up and saw a message on my phone, "Hey, the crew wants to get together for game night. Want to host tonight?" It was my friend Rowan who is a wolf. His fur is a majestic shade of white. He has been my friend for as long as I can remember. I never really had him over at my house or my parent's house. I always went over to his parent's house, the same thing with my other friends. 

The only friend of mine who came over to my house was Zoe. Zoe is a raccoon. She was one of my closest friends. When we were younger, Zoe would come over and visit. She was always fond of Xerxes, and he was fond of her. Zoe liked playing big sister. She'd play with him, talk with him, my parents would even have her cubsit Xerxes. Things with Zoe changed when our relationship changed. 

So I told my brother that I would have some friends over before sending him off to school. I prepared for my friends by getting some bags of chips and two-liter bottles of different sodas after I got out of work. I wonder how Xerxes will react? I know he can be shy at times and bold at other times. As I finished cleaning the house, I heard the doorbell ring. I opened the door to see a white-furred wolf. I beckoned him in, "Come in, Rowan." 

Rowan stepped into my house and plopped himself down on the couch, "How's the lil' kit doing?" My friends knew about Xerxes and what happened. They were there to help me move his stuff while I was at the tail end of being sick. I couldn't help but smile, "Well, he will be home in twenty minutes. Xerxes has been adapting better than I thought he would." My friends always asked about Xerxes. Only Zoe knew he was a maleherm the others never even met him. 

Not even five minutes later, Alex and Zoe arrived. Alex is one of the newer of my circle of friends. He is a shy red panda. He is also a bookworm. You can often find the slender red panda with his nose in a book at the library. Alex just needs more confidence. I am the only one in our group that knows he is gay. I learned it because he left a porn tab open in his browser on his laptop when he left for the bathroom once when I was over. It was almost as if it was on purpose as to how do you not notice you have that kind of tab open? 

Zoe was giving me a look like she was undressing me. Zoe probably wanted a quick fuck, except we are not alone. I will say she was my first, and she savors cuddling after. Zoe exercises daily and has a few racks of breasts to play with and enjoy. Her tail is long and fluffy. 

It was around fifteen minutes later that Xerxes got home. I could tell he was intimidated by Rowan. After all, Rowan towered over me and also a good amount of humans. Meaning he was six feet four. Rowan was the tallest of my circle of friends. However, Rowan is a gentle giant. He likes cubs and has siblings of his own that are younger than Xerxes. 

I nudged my brother to sit next to Rowan and Alex. He looked uncomfortable sitting next to the immense wolf. I then heard Rowan say, "Your brother has told us a lot about you. All good things." Rowan goes on to introduce him to Alex, who gives a smile and a wave. Zoe finally sat down on the couch and pulled my little brother into her lap, "I haven't seen you in two years. You've grown a good amount since then." Zoe then ruffles his head fur. I could see Xerxes's ears flick back for a second. My little brother must be embarrassed to hear Zoe swooning over him in front of everyone.

I left them to get to know each other, and I went to get a few board games and card games. I then called them over to the dining room. My dining room was one of the bigger rooms of my house. The dining room walls are a majestic sky blue, and the floor was a grand tigerwood hardwood floor. The table was nine feet long by five feet, a decent size. The dining table was oak, and it was stained and polished. There were two ceiling fans above us, and on the table were a few board games and card games. Noticeably, there were no adult games on it as I didn't want to play them around my brother. 

We sat around the dining room table. Xerxes sat next to me. We decided to play a few rounds of Pawtzee. Pawtzee was Xerxes's favorite game. I was in the lead score-wise, so I purposely made some bad choices to let Xerxes win. I knew he hates losing. The final turn came, Xerxes shook the last of the dice in the plastic cup. He tossed them into the box and got a Pawtzee. "I-I won!" he said triumphantly. I looked over at my excited kit brother. His tail was wagging quite powerfully, and his eyes seemed to glow a nice aqua color. 

I could always get so lost in those gorgeous eyes. My brother was the definition of handsome as he takes good care of himself and his fur. He is shorter than me, and he is the submissive type. I bet, with the correct companion, he could become dominant. I had to stop myself from murring. Fuck, why did my brother have to be so attractive? Hector, listen to yourself. Xerxes is your kit brother! I have known for a while that I was attracted to my brother for so many reasons. But that story is best left for another time. I forced myself to quit gawking. I am Xerxes's brother, his guardian, his only family. I wasn't going to let myself ruin that! 

After a few more rounds of the game, we decided to play on the Pawtendo REE. It had been getting late, and Alex had to go home. So it was just me, Xerxes, Zoe, and Rowan. Xerxes got tired and began to fall asleep with his head in my lap. I let him fall asleep. I turned down the volume of the tv and turned off the lights. He looked so cute with his fluffy fur. His black furred hands were quite cut and reminded most of the gloves humans wear. We furs don't really wear gloves as latex, or any rubber doesn't mix well with our fur. I pet his back as he slept. I then heard Rowan say, "You're quite an exceptional older brother." I have to admit I take pride in being a good older brother. Another hour passed, and it was now just me and Zoe who were awake. Xerxes was still sleeping in my lap. I knew he was a light sleeper meaning any sudden movement could wake him up. 

Zoe almost startled me by saying, "Hector, want to go hang out in your room?" I knew she was probably asking for sex. I could tell I was correct by the way she was undressing me with her eyes. "No, Zoe, nows not a good time. You know, if I stand up, he will wake up, and second, recently Xerxes has been having nightmares, so I have been letting him sleep in my bed with me. So I don't want to smell up the room, he has been taking sex education, so it's only a matter of time before he figures out that kind of smell.

"You got to show me a picture of him snuggling up to you!" Zoe said. I was worried for a second when Xerxes's ears flicked around. "Shush, don't wake him," I told Zoe. I stroked along Xerxes's back. He looks just so precious like this. I pulled out my phone and showed Zoe what she wanted to see. Zoe then asked me, "You said Xerxes has been having nightmares?" I then responded, "Yes, he has been having nightmares related to waking up back in the hospital. His nightmares have been about waking up struggling to breathe with a ventilator on." 

"Poor, kit. It just shows how much it affected him." Zoe replied. I couldn't agree more. I still feel like there is more I could be doing for him. I should read some books on PTSD and trauma so that I can help him. 

A little time passed. Zoe got up and said she had to go. Now it was only me and Xerxes who was left. I tapped on his shoulder to wake him up. I knew if I tried carrying him to my bed, he would have woken up from my movements. He roused up quite tired, but sufficient that I could lead him to my room. I lifted him onto the mattress and laid down next to him with my tail wrapped around him. He quickly fell back unconscious.

I loved him with all my heart. Xerxes is all I have left of my family. He was so small against my body. It was hard not to see him as vulnerable and cute.
Chapter 7: A Stormy day
I had just gotten off the bus. I could feel the wind slowly picking up. My brother saw me and grabbed me by my hand, and walked me back to the house. Finally, inside we sat down on the couch and decided to watch the news. I wasn't fully listening as the dark clouds outside and the slow pitter-patter of the rain starting to come down were making me tired. I didn't even see my brother go around and unplug most of the electronics. I was just that tired. I was about to fall asleep when I heard a loud bang. My brother saw my panic and came to my side and told me it was just a thunderstorm and nothing more. He then turned off the tv.

"With all this wind, it will be a miracle if we don't lose power," Hector told me. I was inclined to agree. I could see the branches swaying in the trees. It wasn't that uncommon for storms of this strength to come by, our old home, and this one is kind of in large flat areas with mountains to the west, south, and north. The ocean was a few miles to the east. Because of the geography of the mountains, the wind flowing down them gets intensified. 

My brother took out a battery-powered electric lantern. He got out a deck of Unus. It was once we started to play that we heard saw another flash of lightning. Then the bang of thunder was mixed with the sound of the power cutting out. I was startled a lot as it had been at least ten minutes without lightning, but it was close and loud too. I actually pissed myself. I could feel the wet clothing sticking to me.

A quick explanation. I can control which of my genitals I pee from except for when I am startled or overexcited. My genitals connect to the same bladder through separate urethras that connect up at a point after the bladder. Also, my species being a silver color morph of the humble anthro red fox, I have a weak bladder. Having a weak bladder is usual across all vulpines and does get better with age. 

My brother looked at me. I knew my ears were back, and I knew my eyes were wide. I decided against eye contact. "Xerxes, it was just lightning and the power going out. No need to be scared," Hector said. I continued looking around the room, trying to find a way to not have to tell my brother that I had peed myself. My brother sniffed the air. Crap, he must smell it. "Xerxes, there is no need to be embarrassed, so let us go get you cleaned up," Hector Said as he waves for me to get up and follow. 

He grabs the lantern and then leads me to the bathroom. It was dark in the house at this point. A moment later, we entered the bathroom. I watched as my brother got out a paper towel. He then asked me to get naked. I felt so embarrassed taking off my wet clothes in front of my brother. "Xerxes, there is no need to be embarrassed. I peed myself at your age too. Our species has a weak bladder but don't worry. You will grow out of it," Hector said. That reassured me. I stepped out of my shorts and underwear. My brother approached me and dabbed at my inner thighs with the paper towel first. He was on eye level with my groin. I had to force myself not to close my legs. He slowly moved the paper towel closer to my groin and my pussy and sheath. He wiped near the lips of pussy and dabbed at my sheath. It felt weird. I think the word for the feeling is "pleasure."

My brother then got out a sanitary wipe. Then he wiped down the previous areas to clean the fur of any remaining urine. He then stood up once he had finished. I looked down to avoid eye contact with him. I then noticed something. There was a bulge in my brother's pants. My brother brought me to my room and got out clean clothing for me. I got changed, then we went back down as the storm continued. We continued our game. I then realized I got a text on my phone. 

It was from Josh. Josh was asking how I was. I texted him back, "The power went out, but we are ok." A moment later, I got a message back, "Yeah, we lost power too, but our parents have a generator." I was jealous of them. I wanted to ask if they wanted to play board games with us. I didn't get the chance. "I have to go as my phone is almost dead," Josh texts me.

I played a few more games with my brother before I got another text, this time from Maranda. "Hey Xerxes, Josh told me you lost power too. My mom has called the power company. They said the power out might take a few days to fix. A few trees fell over a few wired, and a car crashed into a pole. Apparently, the roads are very bad," Maranda said. The first thing that comes to mind is she must be bored. 

My brother then got a robocall from the school. Apparently, they set up a mass robocall to let people know there is no school for the next two days. It seems I will get Tuesday and Wednesday off.

Chapter 8: Emotional Insights
I woke up in the morning, and the power was still out. I saw a text from Josh on my phone Josh was asking if me and my brother would like to visit them as the power had returned in their part of the city. The city is a good mix of suburban areas and dense city areas. So them living closer to one of those densely populated areas makes them a higher priority.

They got their parent's permission. Of course, I want to go see them. I also know my brother doesn't have to work either, no power. I just feel anxious about meeting their parents. So I texted back, "What are your parents like?". It didn't take long for him to reply, "They are nice and caring, no need to feel worried about meeting them. They are eager to meet you too". I wonder why they would be eager to meet me. I remembered they told their parents about me. They must have talked about me more, but I am not an "interesting" person. 

My brother ended up asking about the text. I told him about it, and Hector told me, "Xerxes, you shouldn't feel this nervous about going over to your friend's house." Hector smiled at me, "I know what will help you. I will go there with you." That was enough to make me feel calmer about the idea. You know what? Why am I overthinking this? Of course, I am going to see them!

I texted Josh again, "Hey, I talked with my brother. Are you sure we can come over?". I looked out the living room window as I waited. The road was completely covered in leaves, trash, and debris. My brother noticed me staring out the window at the road. "Don't worry, storms like last night are uncommon. Storms in this area are typically stronger than other places, but that storm was an outlier," Hector explained to me. That was good to hear. 

Then I saw I got a message back, "Yeah, both of you can come over. We are outside, and dad is cooking burgers on the grill." That sounded quite nice. I texted him back that we were coming over. I knew where they lived anyways. It was not a long walk away. 

I began walking down the street with my brother. As we rounded a corner, I could see a power cable down touching the ground, and the pole was broken in half with a car wedged in it. It seems the local power out had been caused by some idiot driving in the storm. I really don't care, I got two days off from it.

It took about seven minutes of walking to get there. As we were approaching the house from the sidewalk, Josh ran over to us. "Xerxes, Hector come on, they are waiting," Josh said as he grips my hand in his. Then he pulls me into their backyard. I could hear my brother chuckling at how energetic Josh was. I looked back, and I could see a smile on his face. 

I was surprised at how nice their backyard was. It has a stone-floored patio and a new grill, and a nice white plastic picket fence. The house was two stories with a nice red sloped roof. I felt sort of jealous, they had such a great house. 

I then felt someone hug me. I turned my head to see Maranda was hugging me from behind. She must have snuck up on me as I was absorbing my surroundings. Luckily I held in my bladder. I really hate that trait. "Hi, Maranda" I said. She looked cute with her sand-colored fur and long whiskers. Her tail is curled upwards, high into the air. She looked quite excited. "Hey, Xerxes, come meet our parents," She said. My brother nodded and grabbed my left hand, Hector must have sensed my anxiety. Maranda lead me first to their dad, who was starting the grill. He was only six inches taller than me. He turned around and saw me and Hector. 

"Oh, you must be Xerxes and Hector. We were expecting you," The sandcat said. He smiled, "Oh, I almost forgot, my name is Jason Dean," Jason said. He was quite a handsome guy, to be honest. "Janet, our guests are here," He called out to his wife. Janet came out of the house and approached us. "Ah, I was expecting Hector to be older" She said eyeing my brother. "Well, I am nineteen, and someone has to provide for my brother. Xerxes, why don't you go play with Josh and Maranda," He smiled back. 

Not even a moment later, Josh pulled me into their house. Josh pulled me into their bedroom. Apparently, Josh and Maranda share a room. He pointed out the Pawtendo REE next to their tv. I sat down, and the Pawtendo REE was set up in between their beds. Maranda sat down on her bed and gestured for both of us to sit next to her. Josh sat on the other side of her as me. She then got up to get the remotes. What I wasn't expecting was for her to kiss Josh as she sat down. I didn't quite know how to feel, but I felt warmth rush to my face and to my loins. They broke off the kiss after a few seconds. Josh pushed Maranda back, looking worried. They then looked at me like they almost forgot I was there. I didn't know what to think about it. I remember back about the knowing looks, them holding hands, and just about everything. I began thinking about what kissing must feel like or what it would feel like to kiss my brother. The thought of him locking his muzzle with mine in a caring and loving way is just making me feel warm and tingly. I actually was enjoying this idea, but I knew that it wasn't fully socially acceptable. What was this feeling called? Oh, right, they said it in sex-ed... it's arousal.

I must have zoned out because Josh snapped his fingers with his finger pads. I blinked, "Uhh... I-I." Josh interrupted, "Please don't tell our parents." I felt slightly offended that he thought I would tell their parents, "I would never." We played a few awkward rounds of some videogames before we got called back outside as the grill was fully set up with burgers grilling inside it. The smell was intoxicating, filling my stomach with hunger. I saw my brother was sitting in a lawn chair chatting up Janet. I decided to go see what they were talking about. Hector spotted me before I could approach him much. "Come over here buddy," Hector called out. I ran over to him, my fluffy silver tail swishing through the air. I sat in a chair next to them. He hands me a water bottle with some lemonade powder dissolved in it. I began to drink the flavored water, when Hector said, "So Janet, how did you meet Jason?" She tells a long and mostly boring story about how they went to the same high school and just hit it off and kept going. It was sweet and all. But, I wasn't fully paying attention as across from me, Josh and Maranda were tossing a frisbee between themselves. I was startled for a second when I felt Hector tap on my shoulder. He must have been trying to get my attention, "huh, what is it, Hector?" He smiles and said, "Come on, let's go get our burgers and eat."

We got to the grill, off to the side were multiple plates of different cheeseburgers. Jason pointed at two plates and said those were for us to take. Josh and Maranda had grabbed theirs. After a minute, everyone sat down around a picnic table. It felt nice to eat like this with friends and with my older brother. It makes me kind of miss my parents more, but I push that to the back of my mind. I cannot let that ruin this moment. I took a bite of the burger, and damn, Jason knows how to cook burgers on the grill. It was nice and juicy but all so flavorful with seasonings, spices, and cheese. "Xerxes, what do you think of my cooking?" Jason asks me. I knew this was a loaded question, but there was no reason to lie, "It's great. I wish I could have this every day." My brother looked at me as if to ask, "Is my cooking bad." When no one was looking, I gave him a little punch to the shoulder. Hector smiled at me as I answered the unasked question. I could see how he was holding in a laugh. I ended up finishing my meal earlier than everyone else as I was hungry. I looked over at my friends, and I only just noticed something, their tongues had bristles. 

After everyone had finished eating, Josh pulled me out into the yard to hand me a ball to play with him. I tossed the ball back to him from ten feet away. As we were throwing it back and forth, I thought back to what happened earlier. I still don't know how I fully feel. I won't judge them as I also find the idea of kissing my brother arousing. The amount of time it took me to figure it out just makes me feel stupid. My brother has been supporting me fully since he took me in after our parents died. He has always been there for me to talk to, he was the one I felt most comfortable with talking to when I learned I was different than most boys. When the nightmares got bad, Hector allowed me to start sleeping in his bed with him. He always spoils me when he can. I know he is my brother, but THIS level of closeness makes me question myself. I can feel something off in my heart, but what is this emotion?

Chapter 9: Friends are priceless
The break from school went by too fast. I was on my way to my small locker when I got suddenly tripped. I turned around to see Jared, the school bully. He is not that tall, but he is fifteen years old and gets away with this type of stuff a lot. His little brother is in my gym class. His little brother's name is Leroy. Leroy is also another bully, but I think it is more of him trying to impress his older brother. I could hear some of the guys around laughing at me. I try my hardest to brush of occurrences like this. It was not the first time I was ever bullied, even at this school alone. 

I have witnessed Leroy picking on Maranda for holding her brother's hand. We know that we can report them to the teachers, but we don't want to do so as it will bring more scrutiny on us by other students. I knew telling my older brother would only mean he would inform the school for me. So I just picked my stuff up and continued with my life. I thought no further about what happened. 

The rest of my morning was good. I learned some stuff in my English class. I kind of wish that subject wasn't so boring to learn. I had forgotten a pair of clothing to change in, but we furs don't sweat, and those that do are rare. The teacher told me it was ok for today. It was the beginning of gym class. I was growing to like this class, today there was an observer from the school board. She was an athletic-looking human woman. I didn't bother to ask her for her name. I notice she watches me and my friends primarily. I guess our fur and other features grab human attention more than human features. 

I decided to do some pre-activity stretches with him. I was just in the right position to see his butt as he stretched down to his feet. I couldn't stop myself from admiring his butt for a few seconds. I had to force my ears from going back and force myself not to twitch my whiskers. I didn't want him to know I did that.

There was a running exercise. I was faster than most in the gym class. I guess my species is just faster, even though we are shorter. After the final lap, I walked over to the bench to the side of the gym, where I put a water bottle down earlier. It felt nice to have water after a quick run. I drank down the rest of the bottle quite fast. As I bent forward to place the bottle down, I felt hands on the hem of my pants. A moment later, I felt pain as my pants and underwear were pulled down, with force breaking the strap above my tail and hurting my tail in the process. Then I felt a shove forward, causing me to flip over the bench with my rear end and my privates on display. The shock of it all caused me to urinate myself. All of this while everyone was looking. I couldn't stop myself from crying as this was embarrassing. 

I then heard Josh coming over. Please, don't let him be disgusted by my extra parts. What I wasn't expecting was him to push the bully with enough force to knock him over. Damn, adrenalin is powerful stuff, isn't it? The next thing I knew, the teacher and the observer rushed over. Maranda and Josh looked shocked but more worried. The teacher sent the observer to go grab something, I couldn't tell what because I was beginning to zone out from humiliation. 

The next thing I knew she was back and dabbed a towel at my crotch, then dropped it to the ground. Then she wrapped another towel around me, must be from the gym locker room showers. "Are you alright?" She asks with concern in her voice. I had to force myself to reply, "My tail hurts from the strap breaking, but I think I will be fine. Thank you". She smiled at me and helped me up. By now, a lot of students were looking at me. Some were even laughing at me. Some were disgusted by me, and a select few looked at me with interest or lust. "Xerxes. Lyra is going to take you to the teacher's break room where you can wait. Josh, Maranda, do you want to give him company and maybe some comfort?" Mr. Warner, my gym teacher said. Josh and Maranda nodded earnestly. 

So she leads us to the teacher's lounge. The room had yellow walls and two windows. It also had a large table probably used for when a meeting needs to happen, and the conference room is unavailable. I sat down on a chair and folded my hands together in my lap. I was still crying, then I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned my head. I could see Josh through the tears in my eyes. I whisked the tears out of my eyes as I looked up at him. My hand brushed against my whiskers in the process. Josh looked me in the eyes and said, "are you ok?" I could tell he was worried about me. "What do you think! People are going to act weird around me now that they know," I answered. He looked slightly hurt, "You're not weird, just different." That didn't feel all that different. I then said, "I just don't want to be different." Maranda found it to be her turn to try to calm me. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it, "You're special, and being special isn't bad. It means you are unique. Being unique only makes you more interesting." I don't think they understand.

We just sat in silence for a bit before Josh asked me, "What is it like to have both parts?" It was funny seeing Maranda give him a warning glare. I couldn't help but think about how if I had only male parts how I would be interested too. So I answered, "Well, I don't quite know how it differs from being a normal male. It has just always been there. Sometimes the fur of my balls tickles my clit. I never really touched down there..." That seemed to be enough for Josh to stop asking. Josh had his ears back, and I could see him twitching his whiskers. I dared to look down. I could see he was tenting his shorts. My ears went back instinctively in a mock blush. 

Before I could wrap my head about it, Lyra, who was watching with a smile, said she would have to check on the principles office and that we needed to behave. She left the room and closed it. What I wasn't expecting was Josh asking, "Now that we three are alone, can we see it?". I was not ready for that question. I-I don't know what to say. Maranda then spoke up, "Josh! Stop trying to weird him out. I am just as curious as you, but this isn't the right time to ask that." Maranda then came over to me. I then said, "you can look if you want, but please don't touch me." I could see the excitement in Josh's eyes. I exposed more of my body to them. I could hear my own heartbeat increasing. Josh got onto his knees and looked at my genitalia. I looked down, and I could see the crimson tip of my penis poking out of my sheath. Oh shit, am I getting aroused by them looking at me? Maranda was squinting, "Xerxes, mind holding your balls up?" I complied, thus giving them a nice view of my pussy. I know by now that my pussy is an innie. I have looked, and I know my pussy is black on the inside. Josh then said, "Wow, your balls look so full." I don't quite get what he means. Then we heard steps outside the room, so the other two shot up on their feet, and I moved the towels to cover my body again. 

We then saw the school's principal step into the room with Josh and Maranda's parents. Wait, were they in trouble? Josh and Maranda looked worried. Principle Lewis then said, "Don't worry, the three of you are not in trouble, but your parents should know about what happened." He sat down at the table with Jason and Janet. "Oh, by the way, Xerxes, Hector is coming to pick you up," Lewis said. Great, I really want to get changed. "So, what happened..." Jason said before he noticed me. Lewis then said, "There was an incident of bullying that happened today. A boy decided it would be fun to pants Xerxes, and well, now the whole school knows their secret." Janet looked at me, "Are you ok? Does this hurt?" She said as she then made sure my tail was fine. Well, nothing was broken, just sore. She was gentle as she checked for any damage. Josh then piped up, "Xerxes, we won't treat you differently even now that we know you have both parts...".

The look on Jason and his wife's face was that of surprise, but not disgust. Janet then said, "I would have never thought you were a hermaphrodite." I then replied, "Actually, I am a maleherm, meaning I won't develop breasts as I grow up. Heck, if I did get them, I heard there is a surgery for that." Jason then spoke up, "Guess you're a rarity. Take that as a compliment as many wish they were like you." That truly made me smile a little. Janet then whispered to me, "If you ever need a person to talk to about your feminine parts, I can talk with you about the changes your body might be going through. I know your brother might not be the best person to talk to about it." I am surprised by how well they received my truth.

We then heard a knock at the door. It was the secretary bringing my brother into the room. I was so glad he got here so fast. My brother was holding a bag with clothing. He handed me the bag with my clothes in it. Principal Lewis then pointed at a bathroom off to the side of the room. Apparently, the teacher's lounge had a bathroom in it for the teachers. I went in there and quickly got changed while principal Lewis briefed my brother. 

I got out of the bathroom to see my brother looking worried. "Xerxes, are you alright?" I could see my big brother was deeply worried about me, "Yes, I am alright." Principal Lewis then said, "Just to let you know, the board of directors knows about what has occurred, and they will decide Leroy's fate. We want you to feel safe here. Josh, we will overlook how you knocked over Leroy after he did what he did, as you were defending Xerxes. But please don't get physical if this kind of thing ever happens again in your life." 

The rest of the talk lasted an hour, and we had to tell them about Jarad's bullying too, so now they know about both brothers. Before we left, Josh and Maranda asked if I wanted to have a sleepover with them. I told them it wouldn't be a good idea, my nightmares. But my brother was already talking with Jason about the idea of me sleeping over with the twins. I learned later that my older brother had told him about the nightmares I get when I am not sleeping next to him in his comforting presence. Jason proposed that Hector sleepover too if I was. So, we have plans to have a sleepover over the weekend.

Chapter 10: The Other Side of The Coin
(Quick note, this chapter is from Hector's point of view)

I remember the day my mom brought home my baby brother. I was seven at the time. I remember sitting on the couch when my mom handed me my new baby brother, Xerxes, for the first time. His fur was a darker shade of silver back then. Any hints of browns or oranges were not present. 

He felt so fragile in my small arms. I remember crying softly, tears of joy wetting my fur. I had always wanted a brother, and I would protect him. His eyes were yet to open. It would be a week or two before then. 

I remember being there when his eyes opened for the first time. His eyes were crystal sky blue. I remember getting lost in his eyes. It only served to make him exceptional. 

I remember seeing him take his first steps from my father to my mother across the floor. He was still so tiny, just my kit brother, my precious little brother. He moved around with his tail excitedly moving to and fro.

I remember when he used to try to play with my tail. He was so cute and delicate. I was just so enamored with my little brother's cuteness to care that he was tugging on my tail.

⋯

I remember my own sexual awakening. I had come across a porno with a hermaphrodite in it. I realized that I liked it: I liked seeing herms, topping and subbing. I realized that I had a kink for those with both parts. I was bisexual, but herms brought me to another level, especially if they were shorter than I was and submissive. I remember that the masturbation session was interrupted. It was interrupted by my kit brother knocking on my door to tell me my mom wanted me to clean my room. Then it struck me that my brother fit my kink too well. I forced the thought out of my head. It would be wrong for me to masturbate to my lil' bro. 

I did masturbate to fantasies of him at times, but I always felt guilty after. He was so young and innocent. Maybe that's why he is so appealing to me. Hormones can be intense during your first ruts. So I took steps to find things to distract myself from my thoughts of him. And eventually, the fantasies stopped. I had vowed to myself to never act on my sexual instincts, especially around my little brother. He is my brother, not a potential mate or a kinky quick fuck.

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I remember the day when he came back from school, and something seemed off. I had known for years that he was a maleherm. I never thought that he didn't know, that he was a maleherm. He just thought he was a boy. Guess they finally did an activity at school where they separated the cubs based on gender. Xerxes came to sit on my bed in our shared room. Xerxes looked confused. I then lightly closed the door.

"Big bro, is something wrong with me?" Xerxes asked. He looked worried, confused, and most of all, Xerxes looked troubled. I couldn't stand seeing him like this, "Xerxes, there is nothing wrong with you. Now how did you come to think that?" "Mrs. Baily told me I was not a male, but I am a boy. How could I not be?" He then replied. This kind of surprised me, "Xerxes, gender identity and biological gender are two different things. You're a boy by identity-" Then he cut me off, "Then I am a girl by biology?" I had to stop myself from laughing, "No, silly, your neither a male nor female, your kind of both? You're a maleherm, meaning you have both reproductive parts. Come here." I watched as my brother jumped into my lap. I felt so happy as I scruffed through his head fur, "You're special, don't ever let anyone tell you that being different is bad." I then wiped the tear out of his eye.

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I remember when I got the call that fateful night. I was sick, and now I felt sick to my stomach. They had told me that a gas leak had occurred at my parent's home. They didn't tell me if anyone survived. How could this happen? I felt like throwing up. You always think your parents are going to be there until they are not. I couldn't bear to ask if my kit brother was ok.

My mind was racing. Xerxes had to be ok. He was the one thing in my life I cared about the most. Hours went by, one by one. It was the next day when I got the call from the hospital. My brother was alive! He was on a ventilator, but he was alive!

Even though I was still sick, I tried to make my house ready. I needed to take in my brother. I was not letting him live in an orphanage when I owned a house!

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After I began to feel better, I had called a few friends, and we went and brought stuff over. Well, I mean better enough to get his things, but I still didn't want to risk getting Xerxes sick. I tried calling the hospital to talk to Xerxes multiple times, every time, I got informed he was asleep. I spent time preparing a room for Xerxes. Now I had to speak to Xerxes. I was constantly talking with the hospital staff, checking in on Xerxes's condition. The hospital staff told me they hadn't told Xerxes yet. Oh, this was going to suck. 

I told them I was coming. Then I drove to the hospital in silence, not even thinking. My mind felt shot with emotional distress. I just had to get in there and see my kit brother, now that I knew I was better and so should he be. I arrived, and I had to sit in the waiting room until a nurse could bring me to him. It felt like hours by the time a nurse came and got me. I walked down the halls, following them as he brought me to the room. The nurse then turned around and left. I could feel my heartbeat as I turned the doorknob to enter the room. 

There he was laid down in the hospital bed. He looked weak still, and I could hear the strain in his breathing still. I was holding back tears as I walked over to him and sat down next to the bed. I prepared myself the said, "Xerxes, I need to tell you something." Xerxes looked at me, "What do you need to tell me? Why do you look so sad big brother?" I had to tell him the truth. How would you even sugarcoat this? I took a deep breath, "Xerxes, my sweet little brother. What I have to tell you will be just as painful for you to hear as it is for me to say. Xerxes, our mom and dad died in the gas leak." I just leaned forward and hugged him as we both cried. What else was there for me to do?

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The day finally came where I could bring him home. When I got him into the car, I could tell he was still depressed, not that I wasn't too. The ride was silent. I helped him into the house and said, "Welcome to our home, lil' bro." That sounded nice to me. I only wish it wasn't for this circumstance. He asked where his room was in a quiet tone. I told him where it was, and I let him find it on his own. I would later check on him and found that he had laid down in his new bed. I went over and laid down next to him, looking up at the ceiling. I suddenly heard him crying. I turned over, and I hugged him and told him, "We will get through this together, Xerxes." I let him cry himself to sleep in my arms as I brushed over his back.

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I will not let him suffer any more than he already has alone. I made a promise that night to myself. I will always be there for him. Whenever he needs me, I will be there. I will guide him to be all that he can be, to be himself without fear. I want him to live a life without fear. I know these events would leave a stain on his life. I will become his guardian and protect him from reality if I have to for his sake. Xerxes is all I have left of my family, and I will be damned before I lose him.

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I remember the night Xerxes told me about his nightmares. It was a quiet night. I was still awake. I was actually waiting to make sure he was asleep. I then pulled my underwear off, and I began to caress my balls. I watched as my red tip slowly came out of my sheath. The spaded, red-colored fox cock slowly came out of its fleshy cave. I began stroking myself and lost myself to the pleasure. I began to make a mess on my sheets with how much clear and musky precum was leaking from my spaded tip. I began to play with my knot as I got closer to release.

Abruptly I heard a knock at my door. I felt like my heart had stopped for a moment. I then pick up my kit brother's worried voice. My erection quickly went down. I got up and rushed to get more modest. I just hoped he wouldn't pick on my musk. I open the door and let him into my room. 

He took twenty minutes to tell me about his nightmare and for me to comfort him enough for him to sleep. I couldn't help but hug Xerxes to my chest. Xerxes just looked so cute and vulnerable. He felt so small in my arms. I wrapped my tail around him and closed my eyes. He is my precious little brother.

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There was also that stormy night. I remember seeing that Xerxes looked scared and uncomfortable. He was embarrassed about something. I took a sniff of the air, and it confirmed what I thought it was. The air smelled slightly acrid and pungent, but the smell was not wholly unappealing. Xerxes had urinated himself. Oh boy, I feel bad for him. I lead him to the bathroom. I had to think fast of a way to clean him without showering him. I decided to use some wipes.

It then dawned on me, Xerxes would have to get naked. I felt my heart rate increase and some blood rush to my sheath. Come on, Hector, control yourself. He is your little brother. 

I hadn't seen him naked in many years since I used to help bathe him. I had no idea how he developed. I knew this was not a good idea, but I had to do it. I got him to take off his clothes so that I could get his fur clean. Midway through it, I could tell I had an erection and was tenting my pants. I couldn't help it seeing him naked with all his goods on display. I was at eye level with his fluffy, plump, white balls. I could see his innie pussy and his black insides. His privates are covered in piss, thus making his pussy look wet. God damn it, why did he have to have such a sexy body! I need to find a way to exorcise these thoughts.

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The night after the bullying incident, I took my brother to the theaters. As we waited and walked into the theater room, Xerxes insisted on holding my hand the whole time. It was a romantic movie he had wanted to see. I wasn't as interested in romance movies as Xerxes was, but I would watch them with him. He was leaning over onto me during the film. He was so cute. During a date at night scene, Xerxes grabbed my hand and held it.

I then heard him say three words, "I love you." I turned my head to see he was looking directly at me. My heart melted with how cute he looked. Suddenly Xerxes leaned forward and kissed me on the lips, surprising me. Time seemed to slow down as I felt emotions I had suppressed coming back. I could tell this was not an innocent kiss. When he broke the kiss, I said, "I love you too, lil' brother, I always have."

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I had a wet dream that night. In the wet dream, I saw Xerxes. Xerxes had laid down on top of me. I looked down and saw him naked, grinding his dick on mine. I woke up and realized I had jizzed in my underwear. Luckily I wasn't spooning my brother the last night. So I rushed to clean up the mess before he woke up. During this, I was deep in thought, what was it I truly desired? I want to be the best big brother a kit could have, but I am beginning to lust after him. Is something wrong with me? Maybe, but is wanting to have sex with him bad?. Only if he doesn't solicit it. I-I truly do desire him. I cannot deny it any longer. Does craving him mean I am a terrible brother? I eventually came up with a rule for myself. I will never elicit sex from him, but if he does, then it is ok. I will only give into my lust if sex is what Xerxes truly desires from his older brother, from me.