When Artie thought back on that night, he still felt himself getting worked up at the memory. A memory of pleasing his older friend, exploring another person’s body for the first time, and of the promise of repeat sessions on future visits. Reuven was a Charizard two years ahead of him, a soon to be junior in highschool where Artie was just about to begin. He’d met him through lunch time discussions with his friends about fighting games, and the older, fully evolved Charizard eagerly joined in. Despite the built frame, the football team spot, and the jockish nature, he was just as big a nerd as Artie, and just as invested in his games. 

The weekend stay at Reuven’s house was a rare treat in the later days of the school year. As finals and end of the year projects bogged the highschool students and middle schoolers alike, time to have friends over grew more and more limited. The house he grew accustomed to was small and modest, but it felt far more comfortable than he expected. It helped that only Ven and his mother lived there, but it was still cramped at times. The kitchen was his favorite room of the house. Fake granite countertops, a chipping tile floor, and a small table fit to seat three. The stove was old and nearly caught fire during a few visits, and the sink was shallow, but the dinners his mom cooked and the rowdy conversations he had with them overshadowed it all.

The kitchen lead into the living room where a CRT and game consoles provided Ven and Artie with all the entertainment they could hope for. Luckily, Ven’s mom had a TV to herself in her room where she often went to escape the loud, overly enthusiastic yells and conversation sparked by the games. Ven’s room though, was a place he remembered being the most relaxing. When they would finally retire to his bedroom, it was right before they would sleep, and they’d just talk and talk until eventually dozing off. Ven talked to him plenty in school, but he told Artie more personal things from up above on the mattress. Artie would sleep on the floor with a sleeping bag, and listen while offering the best advice he could. Things went like this time and time again, and Artie looked up to and treasured Ven as a friend. One night however, it’d all change. 

Artie eagerly stepped off of the bus with Ven, smiling as he saw the chipping white siding of the house he came to love so much. Ven lead him to the door before stepping in, letting the scent of baking chicken and pine cleaner waft towards the two. 
“Moooom! I brought your other kid!” Ven called out, and soon, an older, heavier Charizard rushed from the kitchen and Artie was caught in a crushing embrace. 

“Artie is that you?! Where you been?? It’s been at least a month!” She cried out, only letting go once she felt Artie tapping at her claws. 

After a bit of coughing and some time to catch his breath, Artie was finally able to reply. “It’s.. oof… been tough with all the finals and all... “ 

Her smile was beaming as she took the chicken out of the oven, a pot of freshly made mashed potatoes sat right beside it on the stove. “Well, in any case, we’re so glad to have you over again. This summer you’ll hopefully have more time, right? You’re still going with us to the Poke Park in July right?” 

“Ah! Yeah, my mom said it’s okay.” Artie pulled up a chair next to Ven who’d already settled down, eagerly awaiting the plate his mom was loading with potatoes. 

“Good, maybe this year you can try and go on the phantom!” She giggled to herself afterwards, setting a plate down for each of them. 

Finally, the three of them had their plates, and at first, silence reigned over the table as they dug into the chicken. After a few moments of savoring the salty chicken, the silence was finally broken by Ven.

“Last year you barely went on any of the coasters. I mean, I get you’re scared, but maybe this year you could give more of them a try? It’s honestly not that scary, dude.” Ven smirked at Artie, who pouted a bit as he ripped the meat from his chicken leg. 

“To you, maybe. Honestly I dunno how you guys do it, just looking at them makes me queasy..” Artie said as he set down the clean bone on his plate.

“Oh let him be, he can try them if he wants to. Not everyone’s built to handle that kinda thing.” She snickered before going on. “I mean he screams on the kiddie coasters.”

“They go so high!! I dunno how they do it!!” He was getting red in the face, but eventually joined the two laughing Charizards. 

“It’s fine, really, we just like teasing you.” Ven said, shoveling half of his helping of potatoes into his mouth. “Mmh. I meanh ish not really that big a deal, you at least go on the water slides.” 

“The water park’s a lot more chill, though I’m a little afraid to go into the big pools after what happened last year..” Artie shuddered at the memory. 

“You always roll the dice when you go into the busiest pool in the busiest amusement park in the town. I don’t think that really justifies people skinny dipping and all that though… To be fair, at least the dragonite was hot.” Ven grinned at Artie, but his mother’s disapproving glare made short work of that. 

	Ven’s mom told Artie time and time again how he was his favorite each time he helped her clean up after dinner, and as upbeat jazz played through the bluetooth stereo, he lost himself in the rhythm of the bass and found himself swaying his hips right along with her. 

“Oooh~ Lookit you! You got some moves after all, Arite!” She laughed as she set the plate of wet plates into the cupboard, and bumped her hips into Artie’s, almost sending him and the plate he held tumbling over. She caught him just before he fell, laughing as she tugged him back towards the sink. “Sorry hon, I forgot you’re such a tiny thing.”

“It’s okay! You really get into your chores don’t you? I mean, I’ve never seen someone have so much fun doing house work.” Artie commented while rinsing down the chicken pan. 

“You get used to it after being a mom for so long, you gotta find ways to make things fun or you’ll go nuts. It kinda becomes a special downtime for me too. Just me, my music, and my mountain of dishes.” 

	Once the dishes were put away, she returned to her room, leaving Ven and Artie to the consoles and the cabinets of snacks. They dove onto the couch, switching on the TV and starting the night off with some older fighting games. The sounds of rapidly tapped buttons, cries of disappointment and shouts of triumph filled the room as close rounds and games came to a close one after another. Artie had missed this so much. Trading rounds with Ven was the highlight of his week most of the time, and he was only aware at how much he missed his company once he was robbed of it for more than a week. At around midnight, still very early into the night for the two, they switched to something more casual, and started some Mario Kart. It was meant to be more quiet, but alas, no one stays quiet while playing Mario Kart.

“ANOTHER blue shell?! C’mon!” Artie growled as the spikey shell exploded, leaving him dazed while the pack of racers zipped past him.

“See, that’s how they balance this game. You had it too good for too long, now you pay the pri-” Ven began to mock him, just as another blue shell indicator flashed on screen and he fell from 1st to 11th. “FUCK.” 

“Karma’s a bitch, neerrrd” Artie teased him as he used a star to plow through the remaining racers until he finished the course in first place. 

Ven, clearly irritated, set his controller down and gave a dissatisfied huff. “Fuck Mario Kart. Wanna take a break and watch a movie or somethin’?” 

Artie’s claws ached a bit, so he gave a little nod. “Sure, whatever you wanna do.” 
	Ven’s room was a surprising deviation from what might’ve been expected of a jockish football player. His room was organized, clean, and clearly meticulously upkept. The scent of some scented candles hung in the air, Artie could pick out apple pie and vanilla. His bed frame was pushed against the wall right next to the door, a computer desk faced it, and above that computer desk were posters of some famous football players and his favorite characters from the fighting games he played. The sleeping bag Artie would sleep in was already set up beside the mattress, and Artie smiled to himself as he actually looked forward to winding down and being able to have a personal chat with Ven. They sat beside each other on the bed, reclining against the wall in the dark, the room only being illuminated by the flashing screen as an anime they’d decided to try out played on screen. It didn’t hold their interest though, and soon enough, they were having trouble keeping their eyes open. 

“Shit… I didn’t expect it to be that boring. Oh well… ready to turn in for the night, dude?” Ven asked, his maw stretching in a long yawn. 

“Mm… mm? Oh fuck uh, yeah, yeah.” Artie had almost dozed off, and scrambled to shake the sleep from his eyes. 

“You always do fall asleep first, ya neerd. Just don’t fall asleep right away, okay? It’s been forever since we got to talk.” 

Artie gave a few eager nods, and slid off the mattress, settling into the fluffy, insulating layers of the sleeping bag. Had it not been for the excitement of being able to talk to Ven like this again, he’d have fallen asleep right then and there. He heard the rustling of sheets, the creak of the mattress springs, then finally a relaxed sigh as Ven adjusted and slid into his bed. After a bit of silence, Ven spoke.

“So you doing okay? Last time we talked you said you were feeling super depressed.” 

Artie was surprised he remembered that during their last sleepy session. “Oh, yeah I’m doing a lot better. I was just… figuring some stuff out ya know.” Artie was skirting what he really wanted to say, he desperately wanted someone besides his mom to confide in about “discovering himself”. 

“Good, good. It sucks seeing you all bummed out like that, makes me wonder what was really going on, ya know? I never saw you that beat up about something. You know you can tell me anything, right? Like, I’m not gonna blab about anything.” Artie could tell he was prodding at him in a nice way, reasserting his trustworthiness so he could get the truth and better help him. Still, the thought of telling him terrified him, despite the relief it would bring. 

“It’s uh… It’s nothing really, I mean, it’s like… it’s over with now? So really, don’t worry. I’m okay.” Artie expected him to drop it, but Ven pressed on.

“Still! I want to help. You’re my best friend, mom like… She thought you were gonna hurt yourself or something, we were both super worried about you. What happened??” 

Silence stood between them for a solid couple of minutes, but to Artie, it felt like an eternity. “I…” Artie began to speak, his stomach ablaze with anxiety and excitement alike. 

“I. Okay listen you gotta promise not to tell anyone. The only other person I’ve told is my mom, and she’s fine with it but, this is a small stupid town and…” Artie was speaking fast, almost stumbling over the words in his rush to get them out before his nerves got the better of him. 

“I’m… I’m gay. Or, at least Bi I guess? I dunno. I was afraid of telling anyone and it was eating me up fast.” 

Again, silence. For a few moments, Artie felt terrified, like he was about to get kicked out of the house or he was about to lose a friend. Until he heard Ven cackling and heaving for breath as he sat up. 

“That’s it? That’s what you were so afraid of telling us? Buddy. Buuuuddy. We were waiting for this, holy shit.” He said, still laughing. 

Relief and confusion washed over Artie as he looked at his friend, laughing and smiling at him after the big reveal. He thought it’d be a lot more dramatic than this in his head. 

“You mean, you knew? How?” Artie asked, starting to crack up a bit himself. 

“Your body language, you just seemed to like, be that way anyway? No offense. And like, we’ve known each other for how long now? I know you way too well. Plus, I’m not blind. I’ve seen you sneak a peak when you’re waiting for me to finish changing after practice so we can hang out.” Ven smirked at the suddenly ruby red cheeks of his embarrassed friend. 

“I’m.. wow, okay uh.. Sorry for being such a creep with that last thing.” Artie was looking anywhere but towards the Charizard. 

“Psh, no worries. Kinda flattering anyway.”

	For a few minutes, neither of them could think of anything to say to each other. Until, again, Ven broke the silence. 

“Alright so, elephant in the room, just gonna ask it. You been with any guys before?” 

Artie gave a quick shake of his head. “Nah, remember I said I never told anyone before. No interesting experimentation stories from me.”

“Well, do you want to?” 

Artie did a double take, looking incredulously at his friend. “Want to.. Want to what?”

“Well… ya know. Do something, like, to know what it’s like? I mean. You’re my best friend, so if you’re real curious you can like… I dunno, suck me off or something?? Whatever you think you can handle.” Ven’s cheeks were red, his eyes were darting around, trying not to meet Artie’s stunned gaze. 

“I mean…. I don’t think I’m exactly straight or anything, plus… I think you’d look real cute between my legs, but that’s just me.” 

Artie was beyond shocked, but more than that, he was tantalized by the offer. He seemed serious enough, probably just as nervous as he was, but if he was offering… “S-Sure… uh, I guess you could just sit there on the bed if I’m just gonna uh-uh.. Uh...:” He had to force himself to finish the sentence. “S-Suck you off..” 

Ven pulled the cover off of himself, and scooted up on the bed until his legs hung over the side, and his clothed crotch faced Artie. As Artie got up and knelt down between his legs, he was able to stare at his crotch without worrying about being caught or being judged. Red briefs that were fairly worn concealed his prize, though, it was making a clear outline against the thin fabric. Ven must be more into it than he thought. He gave a nervous look up to the Charizard, who gave Artie’s head a few encouraging pats with his claws. 

“You can do more than just stare, ya know. This is for you, but if you’re too afraid to undress me, then…” He trailed off, hooking the waistband of his briefs with his claws before tugging them down around his feet. Now, his scent filled the air, and the erect, throbbing shaft of his cock stood before him. The humanoid shaft was huge, thick, and kept throbbing as his eyes took it all in. Every thick, girthy inch all the way down to those hanging, full balls. 

“I-I.. holy fucking shit dude, you’re huge! How doesn’t your underwear just rip to shreds??” Artie stammered out as he brought his head closer to the turgid member. It was radiating a heat that he longed to feel more intimately. 

Ven just gave a nervous smile, his cock gave a few hard throbs, the compliments clearly pleased him. “Pshh… it’s not that impressive. Really. Uh.. well, there it is. You uhm. You like it?”

Artie tentatively wrapped his fingers around it, barely able to hold the entire girth in his grasp. It pulsed in his claw, the heat seeped into his palm, and suddenly, he was more aware of his own arousal. He didn’t focus on himself through, despite how painful it was getting as his arousal surged with every passing second. 

“It’s.. it’s impressive. I dunno what to do really, I mean, I’ve seen porn but…” Artie began to dissuade himself before Ven shushed him. 

‘Shhh. Just do what you can, no pressure, okay?” Ven said, trying to soothe the poor charmeleon’s frayed nerves. 
	Artie willed himself to calm down, and gingerly stuck his tongue out to give the tip a quick, testing lick. The quick brush of his tongue was enough to elicit a low groan from Ven, and after the initial taste test, he gave a longer one to truly get a handle on the taste. It was salty and a bit musky, but it was good to him. Feeling more confident, he wrapped his lips around his head, and, being mindful of his teeth, gave it a few gentle suckles. That set Ven off, a low, breathy moan escaped him and he felt his shaft jump in his maw, a thick bead of pre spilling onto his tongue. He lapped it up, shuddering as the taste of his friend spread through his maw. He pushed his head down a bit, managing a few more inches before he suddenly sputtered and coughed, pulling off of the now glistening inches, leaving it to throb and slap against his friend’s stomach. 

“Whoa whoa, careful dude. It feels amazing so far, your mouth’s super warm.. Uh, how does it like… taste? I don’t know what to say here.” Ven chuckled nervously, a free paw idly stroking his shaft as Artie composed himself. 

“It’s like, salty, but it’s like, I dunno. It’s a good salty? I kinda like it.” Artie said, giving a nervous, excited smile up to his encouraging friend. 

“Good.. here uh, how about, you just suck on the tip, and I’ll jack myself off. If you feel like you wanna take more, just push my claw away and I’ll let you at it, alright?” Ven said, his claw rhythmically stroking dripping shaft. 

Artie nodded, wrapping his lips around the tip while Ven’s claw worked the lower part of his shaft. He started to experiment with his tongue, swathing all around the tip, lapping at the slit. He tried suckling harder or lighter, and all the while, his friend gave varying degrees of approving grunts and moans. He really seemed to like it when he licked his slit, so he kept at that, lapping hungrily at it while he kept feeding him more and more thick globs of pre. 

“Ffff. Your t-tongue dude, keep it up, I’m close..”  Ven struggled to get the words out between growls and moans of bliss. 

Artie pushed his claw away, pushed his head down until he felt like he was going to gag, and rapidly worked the remaining inches with his claws, closing his eyes and bracing for the orgasm as his shaft jumped and pulsed in his mouth. Ven’s claws shoved his head down, choking him with his girth, but Artie couldn’t pull away. He tried his best to breath through his nose and will himself to take it with stride, but he barely hung on as torrents of thick cum shot down his throat. He finally yanked his head up after the third shot, gasping and coughing as Ven’s cock flopped out of his throat. He opened his eyes just in time to see the remainder of his load painting his belly, Ven’s eyes were closed and he just let himself enjoy the orgasm, humping into the air, his balls swaying with his thrusts until his shaft calmed down. 
	Ven, finally coming down from his afterglow, was suddenly aware he’d forced his friend down more than he could handle, and gave a guilty chuckle. 

“I-I’m so sorry dude, but it felt so amazing. You’ve got quite the talented mouth on ya~” 

Artie was shaking, the realization he’d just sucked his friend off to orgasm washed over him, and the taste of his seed lingered in his mouth. He gave a few feeble nods, moving to stand up; however, his shorts made that just as hard as he was, and he finally unzipped them before joining his friend on the bed. 

“D-don’t worry about it, it’s fine. I uh, I really enjoyed that. You… you taste pretty good? I dunno that sounds so weird…” 

Ven smirked, tugging his friend into his side. Artie let himself rest against the warm, sweaty body of his friend, and let his eyes drop down to the slick, still very erect cock he’d just sucked. He cautiously let his claw wander in across his thighs, and grasped his shaft again. 

“Oh, yeah. It takes a couple rounds to tire me out so… Wanna just try using your claw for this one? If so..:” Ven nudged Artie’s claw off of him, reaching beneath his pillow. He produced a clear bottle without a label on it. He handed it to Artie before reclining back, laying with his legs hanging off the bed. 

“Go ahead, I’ll let you know when i’m close so you can decide how you wanna take it.” Ven teased, laying his head back and staring up at the ceiling. 
	Artie popped the cap of the bottle open, poured a generous amount of the gel onto his friend’s cock, then tenderly wrapped his fingers around the now slick length. The gel was cold, but as his paw slid across his length, it quickly began to warm up. At first, his grip was light and his pace was slower. Even though he could feel Ven throbbing, he spoke up. 

“Grip it a little harder and go faster, don’t be afraid~” 

Artie complied, tightening his grip, and began to rapidly jerk his paw along the impressive length of his friend’s cock. Lewd, wet squelches rang out as his paw stroked in a blur from the tip down to the base. Now Ven was bucking into his claw, growling and panting with each full stroke. He felt every throb, every little twitch. He was mesmerized, watching it bounce in his paw as he worked it. He was so absorbed in watching that he barely registered Ven’s breathy warning behind him. 

“C-Close, real close, just a little more..” 

Artie brought his head close to the tip, just watching the pre ooze and dribble from his slit while his paw furiously worked the length. He would take it just like this, and after a gasp from Ven, he closed his eyes. Warmth spilled over him in waves as he felt the throbs and jumps of his friend’s shaft, a long, drawn out moan following after the first few shots. It just kept coming, covering his face, dripping down his cheeks, it felt like an entire minute before he felt some of that same warmth just ooze down his claws. A towel pressed against his face and after a few rough wipes, he grabbed it and cleared the rest of the load off himself. He was greeted by the lazy, satisfied smile of his friend, and the softening shaft of his cock. He passed the towel to Ven, and he lazily wiped his stomach clean of his first load. 

	Artie flopped down beside Ven, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed along his as his friend’s arm tugged him closer. 
“Well.. I think that was pretty awesome. You down to do this again in the morning before my mom gets up?” Ven yawned after asking. 

“Duh, like i’d say no to you..” Artie said, yawning and letting his body rest against his friend. 

He couldn’t remember when he fell asleep, just that when he woke up, it was barely 4 AM, and Ven was tugging down his briefs barely seconds after he saw Artie’s eyes open.