Juvenalas Penitatas
Lesson 25 – Coming Out

Where most lessons in Northrock Correctional Elementary were rarely met with any enthusiasm from penitatas, perhaps the sole exception was Games, doubly so when Mr Dax was in charge. He was a plump Karrian male, and of a mindset that it was important for children – boys especially – needed time and space to burn off their youthful energy. Thus, while the girls mostly busied themselves playing field hockey, lacrosse or tennis, more than half the boys were congregated around 'the circle'.
“Alright, who's first?” Mr Dax asked, as if he needed to; the Kyyreni boy opposite was so incapable of containing his eagerness to scrap that he already had a foot in the ring before his paw was raised. Kost was given an approving nod, and his first match was to be a Karrian boy of eight. Both began their match in pristine white shorts and shirts; they'd soon change that.
The rules were as simple as could be: using only shoves and grapples, each boy had to try and force the other out of the arena, marked by a thick rope placed in a circle on the grass. Spectators lined the circle, many eager for their own turn.
The first bout, as was often the case, passed by lightning fast – Kost clashed with the boy and quickly found purchase, driving his right shoulder down and against the lizard's sternum, claws hooking into the waistband of his opponent's shorts and yanking upwards. The act, as well as drawing a yelp of discomfort, caused the boy to rise off his heels and thus reduce his purchase on the ground; seconds later he was staggering backwards, and stumbled over the line first. The fact he dragged Kost along with him meant nothing; Kost bounded back into the ring, whooping and punching the air as those who'd backed him celebrated the win.
The rule was, of course, winner stays on: it ensured competitive spirit. The second bound was far closer, Kost being dumped onto his back right at the edge of the ring following the initial grappling. Yet he proved slippery in the extreme, locking himself around the leg of his opponent as they tried to kick him out of bounds, and ultimately causing the larger boy to face-plant onto the ground.
“Who's next?” the blond wolf-like youth called out, spinning in circles with arms wide. He spied his desired mark. “Ki! Come on!”
“No thanks,” the Aspatrian replied, waving away the invitation.”
“Oh come on! Step up and show me what you've got!”
Again, Ki'reth refused, this time with a shake of his head. “No, I'm good. Besides, you've worn yourself out on two boys already. It wouldn't be fair.”
A collective 'oooh' rose from the boys in response to the verbal slap-down. Ki'reth realised his mistake when he caught the teacher's grin. “You can't go throwing shade like that and not expect to back it up! Go on, into the ring!”
Laughing, Kost danced back to give Ki'reth space. The fox-boy was nude, which was hardly unusual; if he wore anything at all it was typically only a waistcoat, and even that was purely for the convenience of pockets. Kost took the time to throw off his shirt, the fur beneath already glistening with a thin sheen of sweat born of exercise and a lingering summer warmth.
“Begin!” Mr Dax cried, and the two boys charged. They bounced off one another, shoulder to chest, and span away, only to charge and grapple again. Ki'reth tried to copy Kost's original technique, but the Kyyreni boy was wise to it and would not let him make purchase; far more than the last two bouts, Kost snarled and snapped his fangs, though Ki'reth refused to be intimidated by it: he knew full well it was a ruse, for actually biting would land Kost in a deep, dark pit of pain! Still, cognisant as he was of the consequences, he felt turnabout was fair play and snapped at Kost's face in kind. To his surprise, this bought him a moment's hesitation – one he exploited.
As Kost stumbled backwards he tried to pull away, only for Ki'reth to grab tight to him and try to turn the escape into a swinging launch. Round and round they went, both overbalanced, limbs and tails outstretched to compensate. Then Ki'reth felt himself tumble. He leaned into it, turning his misfortune into advantage, and brought Kost down with him. The pair finally broke, but as Kost rose he lashed out with a wild, claw-fingered swing that sliced across Ki'reth's face. He staggered, surprised by the blow, and Kost used the opening to lunge. In sheer panic, Ki'reth sidestepped and brought his knee up to block, though this turned into a fierce blow to the groin that knocked the wind out of the Kyyreni lad. As the pair hit again, Ki'reth fell, and used his knee to lever Kost up and over. The blond boy tumbled, slamming onto his back outside of the ring.

Almost immediately, Kost was back on his feet and ready to resume the brawl, but his fury changed to cold terror when the adult claw of Mr Dax closed upon his shoulder. “Are you alright, Ki'reth?” the teacher asked, pointing to the fox's cheek. Ki'reth dabbed at where Kost had scratched him, wincing softly as he finally registered the pain. There was a hint of pink on his fingertips.
“I didn't mean to scratch him!” Kost blurted out upon realising what he'd done.
“What you meant to do doesn't matter, it's what you did!” the teacher replied. “You are done for the day. Showers.”
Kost briefly opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. Huffing and sulking, head bowed and tail heavy, he slunk off towards the changing rooms. Mr Dax then turned his focus to Ki'reth. “What did you do wrong, little fox?”
The boy sighed, head bowing in defeat. “I don't suppose it matters that it really was an accident?”
“Not in the least. Showers.”
Ki'reth caught up to his friend at the drinking fountain by the door. When Kost looked round he wore a fierce scowl, but it swiftly faded. “You got a bollocking too?”
“Afraid so. Quit hogging the water.” Kost made room so Ki'reth could quench his thirst, then took another slurp himself. Both boys were naturally well adapted to Northrock's normally cold climate, but the summer heat was hell for the pair. They walked indoors together, resigned to their fate, and wasted no time in entering the large, open shower bay. The water was auto-set to a pleasant warmth, though both boys would have liked it slightly cooler. Dispensers built into the wall provided handfuls of dark blue shower gel to scrub with, though as both of them had fur rather than scale they were required to bring their own from home. “Mind doing my back?” Ki'reth asked, offering over his shampoo of choice. “I feel like I've got a river of sweat running down my spine.”
“You do, I can smell it from here!” Kost laughed as he dutifully worked up suds and got to working them into his friend's back fur. “Such a waste of potential, really; two handsome, fit, soapy young men and no woman to share!”
Ki'reth let out a snort of amusement. “Oh? Let me guess who you want to share – Isabelle?”
“Nah. Well, she'd do to scratch the itch, but I have another woman in mind.”
“Really? I wasn't even sure you were interested.”
Kost frowned. “Oi! Just because I don't hump a girl's leg every five minutes doesn't mean I don't have needs. Just means I have self control.”
“It's the only time you show any self control. Turn around so I can do you.”
“Wanker.” Kost handed over his own shampoo. He turned, then glanced back over his shoulder. “Remember, you're washing my back, not groping my arse. No 'homo' stuff allowed!”
Ki'reth blew a raspberry in reply. “I think you got us sent in here early on purpose. You've probably been dreaming of my soft paws running up and down your back.”
“Not happening. Not unless you can turn into a girl on demand. Although, you being my friend and all... maybe I'd make a woman of you.”
Another snorting laugh replied. “Oh sure, nothing 'homo' about putting your dick up another boy's backside!”
“It's not gay if you're giving it!”
The pair separated to wash themselves, Ki'reth still smirking over the faux-bigotry of his companion. Kost's abrasive humour had taken a little getting used to, but it had grown on him. A year as a penitatas had certainly helped wear down some of the walls Ki'reth had built in the early days. “Who is it then?”
“Who's who?”
“The girl you want in the shower with us, duh!”
To Ki'reth's surprise, Kost began to blush. “Keep it between us, yeah?”
“Of course.”
“It's... Persephone.”
The fox furrowed his brow, trying to put a face to the name. “Wait... you mean the therapist?”
“Yeah.”
“Got a thing for older women, do you?”
“Oh piss off!” Kost pooled a pawful of water and threw it ineffectually towards Ki'reth.
With a soft chuckle and a building blush, Ki'reth glanced towards the changing room door. “I don't know about company, but I'm tempted to risk a bit of 'self care'. It feels like a lifetime since I last got a milking.”
“Is this a not-so-subtle hint you'd like a helping paw?” Kost asked with a dirty smirk.
“I'd like that, but I wouldn't want you to do something you're not comfortable with.”
“Well, if I have a failing it's my willingness to help a friend,” Kost sidled over, his expression showing more anxiousness than his calm words suggested. He put a paw around Ki'reth's waist, pulling the boy close, and let his other paw wander down towards the fox's crotch. The feeling of another boy's fingers caressing the tip of his cock, barely poking from its sheath sent a jolt of blissful electricity up Ki'reth's spine, drawing a short, hungry gasp from the Aspatrian's lips. As Kost's fingers closed around his tip and began their slow, deliberate massage, Ki'reth's breathing grew heavy, letting out low murrs of pleasure as the touch roused him to full hardness.
“Well now, someone's having fun,” Kost chuckled into his friend's ear. “You really were lusting after me!”
Ki'reth turned his head a little so he could glance at Kost's face. Smirking, he pushed his rear against the Kyyreni's crotch and felt a half-hardened cock press against his cheeks. “Someone else is having fun I see.”
The tempo of Kost's stroking faltered. For a moment, his bravado vanished, though he recovered quickly. “Well, you're not the only one with needs.”
“Want me to lend a paw?” The fox-boy asked softly, turning to face his now blushing friend.
“I-” before Kost could answer, both Pennys turned at the sound of the door opening. Ki'reth froze, caught in the act, while Kost barked out a terrified curse and flung himself against the wall to hide his arousal. Mr Hachi, a stern scowl on his greying face, locked eyes with Ki'reth.
“Well, now I see what's taking you two so long!”
“T-this isn't what it looks like, sir!” Ki'reth protested.
Mr Hachi let out a dismissive snort. “Oh really? I expect better from you, Ki'reth!”
The fox boy glanced toward Kost, who was uncharacteristically timid in the face of their discovery. He despised being punished as much as any penitatas, but Ki'reth had never seen him so guilt-wracked before. “Sir, please, just give me two minutes to explain before you punish us.”
“You can have one minute,” Mr Hachi replied.
Head lowered, tail heavy behind himself, paws wrung together, Ki'reth crept towards the scowling teacher. In a low whisper he said, “Kost is... closeted. About his feelings.”
Ki'reth saw the subtle shift in the teacher's expression. “Oh. I see,” he whispered back. “Be that as it may, rules are rules.”
The boy couldn't stand to look at the teacher as he mumbled out a shameful reply. “Neither of us got to finish. Could... could we just...”
A soft chuckle answered. “So it doesn't count if you're not done?” he snorted again, standing up and speaking at full volume so Kost would hear. “Go on with you! Get dry and dressed before I change my mind! You'll spend the rest of class serving corner time in my office for your rough-housing; assuming you both keep still and quiet, that'll be the end of it.”
Mercifully, both boys had calmed down by the time they were escorted out. Corner time was every bit as dull and frustrating as it ever was, only made worse by the lingering itch of a release lost out on. But worse, from Ki'reth's perspective, was the sudden distance Kost put between them; he barely even glanced at the fox once the pair were released, and was uncharacteristically defensive for the rest of the day. Sullen at the clear loss of what might have been, Ki'reth's mood only worsened when the school day ended and his mother met him with a scowl upon her snout. He knew his evening was going to be filled with yet more misery.

In front of one wall of the nine year old fox's bedroom was a triangular wooden wedge, fixed to the floor. Ki'reth hated it more than anything else in the world. All too often he was made to kneel on it, his bodyweight pressing the wood painfully against him, leaving him to huff and whine and whimper into the wall for what often seemed hours on end. His suffering was amplified by the use of a switch: the evil branch whistled as it cut the bedroom air, its swing ending in a sharp crack against his exposed footpaws. With each blow he threw his head back and howled, a shameful, feral cry of pain and anguish. Shikka, his Karrian mother, had heard these sounds plenty of times before. They were certainly expected today.
Five red welts formed on each of his twitching, squirming footpaws by the time the switching ended. Ki'reth was left to kneel, paws on head, crying openly at the two distinct and unwelcome flavours of pain that pulsed through his feet and legs.
“You can get up now, Ki'r,” his mother announced. The Karrian woman offered a helping paw to ease him off the kneeling block, which had left deep indentations in his flesh, visible even through his fur. Fresh yelps escaped as the soles of his footpaws caressed the carpet. She kept tight hold of his ebony paw, squeezing gently to give support as he yelped and whimpered out his intense discomfort. “I trust you'll show more restraint next time you engage in contact sports?”
“Y-yes, mother!” the boy whimpered, his ears folded flat against his skull in a vulpine display of contrition.
The reptilian woman accepted the boy's words with a nod. “Would you like a little writing time before bed?”
Ki'reth shook his head, sending teardrops flying with the frantic motion. The words 'before bed' made him sick, given how early it still was.
“Okay, my little fox. Let's get you to bed then.”
Ki'reth knew better than to argue, but he still risked a petulant little whine as he shuffled under the covers. Sleep was always elusive following a bedtime punishment, with neither the adrenalin of the ordeal, nor the lingering pain were quick to fade; but at least with a normal bedtime the physical exhaustion would take hold eventually. This time, Ki'reth knew he'd be awake for ages yet. Plenty of time to linger in discomfort. Plenty of time to dwell on the day's events. “It's not fair!” he wailed into his pillow. “Why can't anything go my way? Why can't I catch a break for once?”
The pillow had no answers.

The black mood that had formed yesterday lingered, following Ki'reth like a storm cloud from the moment his ebony paws touched the bedroom floor to the point where his rear touched the seat of his classroom chair. In that funk, he bore witness to a commotion; Talek entered the classroom, escorted by Miss Bassel, and was steered to stand in front of her desk. The boy had been absent yesterday – absent all week in fact, now that Ki'reth thought about it. It wasn't all that uncommon for penitatas to miss school, so Ki'reth had assumed his friend had done something monumentally stupid at some point.
These thoughts had drifted through Ki'reth's head as he stared forwards, vacant and only half-heartedly pretending otherwise. The fox's ears pricked as he realised what Miss Bassel had just said - “soft time.” He focused on Talek's paws, seeing now what he'd failed to spot earlier. Gone were the bespoke 'JP' letters, and in their place the broken-looped 'P' like letter of a soft timer.
“You're kidding!” Ki'reth rasped under his breath. Talek had been a Penny all of one year! Now he was already on his way to parole? It tore at the Aspatrian; though his inner, self-reflective voice knew to be spiteful over his friend's good fortune was wrong, the child-body he now wore had its own way of shaping his thoughts, and child Ki'reth could only think of how unfair it was that Talek had been fast-tracked towards freedom while he, as ever, was left to walk the slow and painful path on welted, blistered footpaws.
He reached a boiling point by lunchtime, no longer able to stomach the hypocrisy of it all. Storming away, he settled down at a new table and ate rapidly, expecting someone – Isabelle, probably – to come over and try to bring him back. Nobody did. That burned him as he stomped from the cafeteria, eyes reddening and harsh, sharp breaths rasping from between clenched teeth. “Some friends you all are!” he snarled between gasps as he scurried away. He had no destination in mind, other than that he wanted somewhere away from his friends, classmates, and the world in general. He settled on a quiet spot behind the music building: there was a wooden bench facing an allotment used by the gardening elective to grow vegetables. His furred rear thudded against the varnished wood, vulpine muzzle set in a snarl as though daring the plants to judge him.
“You left lunch in a hurry.” Ki'reth snapped his head around towards the speaker. Kost stood with his paws on his hips, blond, wolfish head cocked to one side like a dog fishing for a treat.
“I want to be left alone,” Ki'reth said, his words curt and clipped.
Kost came over anyway. He hovered at the side of the bench, and when Ki'reth refused to move over he crossed and sat on the far side of the wooden seat. “Seems weird to me you'd be mad about our friends having dirty thoughts, given those stories you write.”
The Aspatrian snarled. “Those are just stories. I don't pretend it's me in them, and I don't pretend we're not here for a reason! We all earned these letters!” He looked down at his paws, studying the silver, closed-loop 'P' on each paw, and sighed. “Even if I do wish I had it easier sometimes.”
“We know the girls were being all kinky, and Talek was pitching a tent over whatever he was dreaming about, but-” Kost paused, his smile becoming glassy, his paws clutching at one another. He took a deep breath. “-but you never asked about my fantasy.”
“I don't really care.”
“If I were an Inna- whatever. Maybe... Mr Hachi wouldn't have interrupted us.”
A long, pregnant pause followed in which Ki'reth studied the shamed boy's features, trying to discern what truth, if any, lay in this seeming confession. “You've made your feelings clear plenty of times.”
Kost shook his head. “I'm not saying I don't have any interest in women. But I- well- it...” he turned his face away completely. “I don't know what it's like growing up on Drakon, or here for that matter, but the company I kept had a clear-cut idea of what it meant to be a man. It's not... not easy to break that idea, you know?”
“They weren't keen on the idea of homosexuality?”
Another shy shake. “Not... not exactly that. More... more the... the role you play. The... submissive?”
Ki'reth edged closer to his companion. “Are you trying to say you want me to penetrate you?” he knew the answer by the way Kost hid his face with a paw. The fox felt his earlier anger fade in the light of this curious, faltering confession. “I know we got a little frisky yesterday, but I don't generally like to play around, if you take my meaning. I want sex to be about more than just the release.”
“I know,” Kost said as he finally turned to look Ki'reth in the eye. The boy looked like he was on the verge of tears. “I think I might like that closeness too. I've been told I should be more... more open. About a lot of things. I think I could... I'd like to try being open with you.”
The words caught Ki'reth off-guard. Slowly, as if expecting some sudden snap or reversal of attitude, he reached out and carefully, gingerly took one of Kost's paws in his own. “When you said yesterday you wanted to sleep with your therapist, this is why, isn't it?”
“I guess,” Kost flashed a fleeting smile.
“How long have you had feelings for me?”
“Not... not really sure. Thought about it on and off for a few months, I guess. Never... never felt quite sure how to mention it.”
An ill-timed snort came from Ki'reth, making Kost's eyes widened in surprise. “Sorry!” the fox blurted out. “I just thought of Lusu!”
A moment later, Kost joined in the laughter. “Oh shit! Please tell me I haven't been acting like that soft cow!”
“No no, you've done a much better job at hiding it – and at least yesterday you were up front about what you wanted!”
“Thank the Gods! Urgh, it's so damn annoying watching her make those clumsy moves on Rilka every day!”
Ki'reth nodded along. “Yup, and Rilka never seems to notice!”
“She's so bloody clueless!”
Both boys laughed at their friends, and as the mirth passed each separately glanced down at their joined paws. It was Ki'reth who spoke of it first. “I just need to know if it's real, Kost. If it's just a passing urge then that's okay. You're my friend, and I'm willing to help a friend in need however he needs it. Just like you are with me.”
Kost put on his familiar, dirty smirk. “Like when I offered to paw you off?”
“No.” Ki'reth squeezed the other boy's paw. “Like when you saw I was hurting and came after me.”
Kost stared at their shared grip a moment longer before turning away, seemingly embarrassed by some fresh thought that crossed his mind. “I... I shouldn't have made this about me. I should have just sat down and let you vent.”
“I'm glad you did. You trying to make this about you seems to have made it about us. If you're okay with it, I think... I'd like to kiss you.”
Kost squirmed subtly in his seat. “I'm... I'm still working up to... I don't know if I'm ready for this to be public yet. I know that probably sounds bad, but-”
“No, it's okay. Holding paws is enough.” Ki'reth smiled a warm, genuine smile, which spread infectiously to Kost little by little. The blond boy's grip tightened for a moment, then loosened; a gesture Ki'reth repeated. “Actually, if it's not asking too much of you, perhaps a kiss?”
Kost's shy blush made the fox's heart flutter. Kost closed his eyes and leaned in, lips pursed, in an awkward attempt to fulfil the request. Their lips met, Ki'reth allowing his lips to part a little in invitation, which Kost obliged; the fox dared to caress the wolfish boy's teeth with his tongue, which parted for him; just enough for their tongues to meet and intertwine for a fleeting instant before the pair broke apart once more.
“I think I liked that,” Kost whispered, which drew a playful little giggle from Ki'reth.
“I liked it too.”

The warmth of that shared moment buoyed the little fox's spirits as he braved the remainder of the day. His lecture materials seemed easier, the tone of Miss Bassel more forgiving; it was almost enough to make him forget he was a penitatas at all. The feeling was made all the better in those moments when he dared glance Kost's way: the other boy's expression was light, with lips curved into a subtle smile, brow free of furrow, ears raised and attentive. He never lingered too long, but several times he felt sure that Kost's own gaze was resting upon him, no doubt seeing the same as Ki'reth did – to share a glance and know the true meaning behind it.
All it took to wipe away that joy was a single instant. Walking out of the main building and into an overcast afternoon, Ki'reth felt an icy claw close on his heart at the sight of Mr Hachi speaking with his mother. The fact both of them smiled as he approached did little to sooth him. A motherly claw extended towards him as Shikka said, “Come on, my little fox. Time to go home.”
Ki'reth tried to appear brave, fighting the urge to shrink in the face of whatever misery he'd earned this time, but as they walked his mother's voice took on a soft, supporting tone. “Mr Hachi told me you had some sort of falling out with your friends at lunchtime. What happened?”
The boy swallowed, trying to work out what the teacher might have overheard. “It was nothing, ma. Just a silly argument.”
“About what?”
The probing question made Ki'reth wince. “I was in a bad mood after yesterday. I didn't take the punishment well and it left me down. Then I learned Talek made soft time and I was overcome with jealousy. Before you say anything, I know that our sentences are completely different! I know he's just a teenager and all of that, but I can't help how I felt!”
“It's alright, Ki'r! I'm not judging you.”
The boy desperately wanted to contradict her and point out she was always judging him, but that was a remark that would be swiftly punished with a spanking. Instead he followed up with, “I'm feeling a lot better now. I talked with Kost and... I'm good.”
Shikka flashed her son a knowing smile. “He mentioned Kost as well, actually. He said the two of you seemed to have gotten very close indeed.”
Her knowing tone made the boy blush. “We... we did kiss...”
Ki'reth could feel his mother's smirk as she asked “How long have you two been a couple?”
“S-since yesterday,” the boy answered, feeling a blush begin under his facial fur.
“Is it serious, or just boys being boys?”
“I don't know. I hope it's real.”
Shikka put a caring claw on Ki'reth's shoulder, offering a supportive squeeze to assure him this dalliance wasn't going to end in tears. The return to their humble apartment saw no cruelties waiting for the fox beyond a subtle nudging of “why not play outside while the weather's nice?” shortly after arriving back. In truth, Ki'reth was in a writing mood, but he was also wise enough in the ways of Penny life to know when a suggestion was in fact an order. The neighbours in question were a pair of longer serving penitatas who he didn't know well, nor did he particularly care to know them – they were what was colloquially referred to as 'unsocialised' penitatas; hard-timers kept at home and not sent to school or similar social events. He understood this marked them as among the worst of Northrock's community, but equally he recognised that something as simple as playing in the street was a rare treat for them.
When Shikka called him home she did so with a conspiratorial smile upon her scaled features, her thick, Karrian tail swaying behind her in an almost playful fashion as she said, “your bad mood yesterday wasn't just from the spanking, was it? I've noticed you getting a little colder these past few weeks. Penny life is getting to you.”
“Isn't that the idea?” Ki'reth asked, his bluntness born of the mockery he perceived in her expression.
She let the accusation slide. “Raising a penitatas isn't an exact science. We have to walk a fine line, balancing the need to punish your past wrongdoings and correct your present mistakes, but wherever possible we need to preserve that which is good about you. No matter what some people think it's impossible to spank a child into being good. Pain is only half the equation.”
“Why are you telling me this?” the fox couldn't keep the slight tremble from his voice as he spoke.
Shikka's smile widened. “Tomorrow, school will be a little different. You can take your NotePADD and your papers with you, and Mr Hachi will make sure you have time and space to focus on your creative side. We're both willing to give you the space to be yourself. Afterwards, assuming his parents approve, I thought you might like to stay over with Kost.”
“You really mean all that?”
“Of course! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!”
Ki'reth threw his arms around his Karrian mother, squeezing her tight as his tail wagged puppy-like with glee. The rest of the afternoon and evening was free of the all-too-common melancholy frequently experienced in Penny life; there wasn't even an 'unearned' bedtime spanking to even out the joy!

He woke up the next morning earlier than needed. Most children in Northrock clung to every precious second of sleep, desperately willing that they would somehow be forgotten and not have to put up with school; not so for Ki'reth! He got out of bed and put on a red waistcoat rather than going in bare fur, though his bottom half remained exposed – something that did not bother him in the slightest. Into one pocket went his NotePADD, into another a paper notebook and some pencils. As he stood waiting for his mother to arrive he let his paw cradle the heavy pocket containing the typing machine; it was an extremely limited computer with only a word processing program installed. Even something as simple as getting the document printed out required him to surrender it to his mother. She made no secret that anything in the print queue would be read beforehand, but aside from that small intrusion she had never made any attempt to keep him from the device. In fact, not long after being gifted it, Ki'reth had blundered in his behaviour hard enough to earn him a punishment weekend, but even then Shikka had gone out of her way to assure that the PADD wasn't being confiscated. Ki'reth remained oblivious to just how monumental a boon this was – he simply assumed any 'creative' penitatas would be given similar treatment.
Isabelle met him at the school gates. The completas was, unusually for her, wearing nothing at all. Every follicle of her snow-white fur was on display for the world to see; the subtle perk of her nipples told Ki'reth that she was doing this for her own entertainment. Just another sign of how divergent the pair's upbringing had been, Ki'reth supposed. “What's brought this on?”
The fox-girl glanced down at her own nude self as though surprised at the lack of clothing. “Oh! This is... for Talek.”
“Of course it is!” Ki'reth snorted. “Most of us are lucky to get one playmate, and he gets two!”
“I hope I'm not making you jealous,” Isabelle said, her voice sincere in its tone of concern.
Ki'reth shook his head. “No. I'm good. In fact-” he paused, recalling Kost's anxiousness over confessing his feelings. “-I don't really want to go into details yet, but I've caught someone else's eye recently.”
“Really? That's great! When do I get to meet them?” There was just enough sweetness in her tone to make Ki'reth wonder if Isabelle knew more than she was letting on, but thankfully Mr Hachi arrived to save him from further interrogation.
“Come along, Ki'reth!” the older teacher said with a grandfatherly smile and a gentle wave of his claw. The fox fell into step alongside him, paws on his pockets to assure himself his precious possessions hadn't gone missing. Mr Hachi led him to his office. Beyond the door a small folding desk and chair had been placed inside. With a gesture, Mr Hachi indicated Ki'reth should take a seat. “I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but I will regardless; keep to your own desk and focus on your own writing. I'll do my best not to disturb you when I'm coming and going. Do you need anything before you settle in?”
“No sir,” Ki'reth replied. He eagerly parked himself on the thin chair and set the NotePADD down. He didn't even look up when the door clicked shut. He folded the device's cover out into its stand position and placed it down, then pressed his thumb against the power button – the screen instantly lit up and the projectors along the top edge created a holographic keyboard on the desk in front of him. Cracking his knuckles in anticipation, the fox got to work. Blissful hours passed in what seemed like minutes as Ki'reth was left in his own world, free to imagine and invent without the distractions of chores or punishments or fear of the same. He decided to hammer out a long overdue gift for Lusu, caring little that the erotic nature of the tale left him sat with his boyhood out and pointing for any to see should they drop by the office. First break came and went unheeded, and only the growling of his stomach convinced Ki'reth to abandon his activity. As he slipped in beside his social circle he caught the tail end of a discourse over Isabelle and Talek's nudity, the sound of which made him smirk.
“There he is! We were starting to worry you'd earned a hiding!” Kost declared.
“Anything but! I've had a great morning, actually. Got a lot of work done.” He could feel the words 'sexy vampires' on everyone's lips. “Since you're all probably curious, I've been working on a... private commission. I won't say more in case they don't want to share it.”
Lusu let out a lewd moan. “Well now, what does a girl have to do to earn a perk like that?”
Ki'reth was worried he'd give the game away, so he tried to look casual. “Time permitting, I don't mind doing stories like that for my friends.”

He wrapped up his day feeling good, if a little huffy. Writing a fantasy for Lusu wasn't difficult, but it did require imagining two good friends in intimate situations; he hoped those images wouldn't spark an embarrassing reaction next time he sat with the girls! Wishing Mr Hachi a good weekend and thanking him for his trust, Ki'reth pocketed his possessions and headed for the main gates to join the throng of rejuves heading for home. He paused at the step of the main building to scan for his mother, but instead saw Kost's parents waving and beckoning. He pointed at his own chest in confusion and, upon receiving a nod, weaved over to them. “There he is! We got a call from Shikka that said you might like a sleepover. Had a rough week, have we?”
The fox gave a slow nod. “Yes sir. Today was a lot better though.”
When their usual charges arrived, both parents steered the trio homeward. They waited until the pedestrian traffic thinned out before addressing the boys. “We've been told that you two boys have been wanting to get closer.”
Kost let out an audible gasp at the blunt outing. Ki'reth reached for his paw to offer a comforting squeeze. “It's okay.”
“It most certainly is okay,” the boy's mother added. “We know rejuves often chafe against some of the restrictions put on your freedoms, and we don't encourage self-gratification, but we're a little more tolerant on relationships.”
“All we ask for now is you don't try to hide things from us. We don't want you two trying your luck behind closed doors, or in the school showers.” Kost sagged with shame at learning just how much his parents knew.
The fox-boy put an arm around Kost's shoulders. “Sir, ma'am, I think Kost would have appreciated you giving him time and space to discuss his preferences on his own terms, rather than you outing him in public. Not every culture is as open as Halkat.”
It seemed his words struck home. Both Karrians had the decency to appear sheepish rather than go on the attack over being scolded by a Penny. “We're sorry, Kost. We didn't think something like that would matter to you. If you need a little space, we'll give it to you.”
These assurances did little to improve Kost's mood. Ki'reth could tell he was fighting to hold himself together as they entered the boy's home; he didn't run upstairs to his room, but he certainly walked at a brisk pace. Ki'reth followed after a pause to receive a nod of permission and found the Kyyreni lying on his bed, face down and huffing quietly into his pillow. Ki'reth crossed the room, moving slowly and softly, waiting to see what his friend would do. A teary eye emerged as the boy rocked his head to the side. “You think I'm being stupid, don't you?”
Ki'reth said nothing.
“Nobody else in this town cares if two boys are sucking each other off!” Kost hauled himself upright and sat facing his friend. “I wish I could be that open about this. I... I want to be... but...”
“Maybe it's easier not to talk about it.” Ki'reth came to the bed and sat down beside Kost. “Words will come when you're ready to speak them.”
“Urgh! That's such a-” Kost showed uncharacteristic restraint in holding back his gut outburst.
Smirking, Ki'reth offered a possible finish. “-a gay thing to say?”
“It was incredibly gay. Unbearably so.” the wolfish boy flashed a smile that the fox returned. “You look stupid in that waistcoat. Take it off.”
“Oh? I thought you were the submissive one!”
The subtle blush told Ki'reth he was pushing on a boundary, but he suspected that was what Kost wanted, or perhaps needed. “I would like you to take it off, please?”
Ki'reth obliged. It wasn't easy to sensually remove a waistcoat when it was all you wore, but he tried his best. Kost wriggled out of his own shorts, daring to cast them onto the floor rather than putting them into the laundry hamper like a good boy should. The only reason Ki'reth showed more care was he didn't want to damage the contents of his pockets. “So,” the Kyyreni boy said with a grin, “what happens next?”
“Now we lie down and hold each other,” the fox answered. “We don't worry about what should happen, or what's supposed to happen. We hold each other, and we let our feelings guide us.”
“You'd really be okay with just cuddling?”
“I would.”
The tender smile that those words earned him made Ki'reth's heart flutter. The boys settled onto the bed, bodies pressed together, nuzzling close as they found a pleasant way to rest. Through nothing more than static contact, Kost's anxiousness bled away, his breathing becoming calm and steady. The silent cuddling continued for a few minutes before Ki'reth felt a probing paw upon his crotch; a gentle touch of his sac followed by a slow, upward stroke. He let out a soft giggle, returning the gesture to find Kost more excited than he was. The fox put the soft black pad of his paw against the tip of Kost's erection, applying just a little pressure so the boy would have pleasant friction to hump against should he desire it. The feeling of a boy's 'head' grinding against his sensitive palm sent pleasant shivers through his body, and Ki'reth felt his own arousal grow. Kost was kind enough to return the gesture, each boy's humping spurred on by the heavy breathing and soft gasps of his partner. It became a test of self denial; both boys clearly wanting more as their thrusts became more rapid, yet neither speaking that desire aloud. Ki'reth was first to oblige, curling his fingers around Kost's shaft and adding a slow stroking motion for good measure. The blissful whimper that drew from the blond boy's lips was heavenly to his foxy ear, and he was rewarded by a mirrored act of stimulation.
With Kost panting hard in his ear, Ki'reth recalled what he knew of Kyyreni biology and slid his paw to the boy's knot. He gave the reddened flesh a gentle squeeze and Kost let out a yelp as a thick white string of seed splashed across Ki'reth's forearm. The second jolt flicked a droplet up onto the fox's shoulder. Quite involuntarily, Kost's own paw spasmed and clenched against Ki'reth's cock, providing him his own release. A thick bubble of precum flicked clear as the fox convulsed and let himself go, caring little where his seed might land. Both boys fell still, their sticky paws coming to rest palm-up between them, unsure where else to be. They met each other's gaze, faces full of the warm afterglow of ejaculation, the bed well scented by the sweat and fluids of the canine- and vulpine- like pair.
“What happens now?” Kost's words came out at a whisper, as though he was afraid that speaking too loud might end their blissful moment.
Ki'reth flicked his gaze towards the windowed inner wall of the bedroom. “You know how this place works as well as I do. We're probably supposed to do a 'walk of shame' or something.”
“What if we don't? What if we just stay here?”
The fox turned his focus back to the bed. He could feel a beat of spunk sliding off his arm and onto the bedding. “Best case scenario we might be sleeping in a messy bed tonight.”
“Would that be so bad?” Kost asked with a blush. “I... I like the scent.”
The confession made Ki'reth grin ear to ear. He wiped his dirty paw on his own chest, then dipped his fingers in one of the pools he felt sure was his own before moving the sticky discharge to Kost's pillow and wiping it there. “I just thought, given how your parents haven't checked on us, maybe they really are giving us space. Which means-”
“We'd come back to clean sheets at bedtime.” Kost caught up with the thought. “Urgh... so... I'm going to have to ask my parents... for permission to sleep in our mess.”
“I could do it if you prefer?”
“No, my parents, my... fetish. I'll do it. I would like some company though?”
“Of course!”
The pair headed downstairs with paws locked to find Kost's parents busying themselves with idle tasks, ones that conveniently made little noise and could be dropped at a moment's notice. Their smiles made Ki'reth suspect they knew exactly what had gone on, though they made Kost squirm. “If you boys want to spend a little time with Bubbles in the pool you'll have to shower first,” his father said in a neutral tone.
“Actually, father... I wanted to ask about our... bed.”
Without a hint of pause the Karrian male answered, “We can change your sheets while you play.”
Kost gave Ki'reth's paw a squeeze for support. “I'd actually like it if you didn't.”
That confession drew a raised eyebrow. The two parents joined for a brief, conspiratorial whisper before coming to an agreement. “Alright, Kost. Ki'reth is going to be staying tomorrow night as well. If you'd rather not have to 'wash up' until the weekend is over we'll allow that.”
Giddy from the confession, the boys retreated back to Kost's room in pursuit of more platonic forms of play. “Maybe we wash up tomorrow morning?” Ki'reth suggested. “I would enjoy going in your pool.”
“Alright,” Kost turned to face the fox boy, a drunken grin upon his features. He stole a cheeky kiss. “Thank you for helping me through this. I couldn't have asked for a better friend. Or... I guess we're more than friends now, huh?”
“We are whatever you need us to be.”
Kost's smile trembled. “What about what you need?”
Ki'reth blushed at the question. “I want this to be real. I know you wouldn't lead me on deliberately, but I have this nagging voice in my head that says what we're doing here is just... horniness. That afterwards we'll just want to be friends again and nothing more.”
“Then, since you helped me with my 'coming out', maybe it's time I helped you with your fear. Just tell me what you need.”
Ki'reth locked eyes with the Kyyreni boy, seeing nothing but an earnest desire to aid someone close. “I think I need to kiss you again.”
The boy nodded. “Okay. Then... I promise, whenever or wherever you need me to, I will kiss you.”
An eager fox took up the offer. Though they would indulge in more adult play before the day was over, there and then it was enough to have shared a kiss, to hold paws, and indulge in childish play. The feeling of sticky fur and a messy bed had never felt so welcoming; to Ki'reth's relief, the thorough scrubbing the next morning did not wash away the closeness that had formed. When they went outside they did so together, paw in paw, and the once-shy Kyyreni even offered up his promised kiss where anyone could see. That's when Ki'reth felt sure it was real, and that certainty felt more wonderful than any mutual masturbation ever could.