Dane’s Birthday
“Happy birthday!!”  The elated shout was accompanied by a flying tackle.  They almost missed the couch.  Gemini peppered Dane’s face with energetic kisses like a newly adopted puppy while Johanna closed the front door, eyes never leaving her phone.  The Doberman was wearing a snug set of denim boy-shorts below a loose, ruffled top cut high in the midriff, making nearly every movement a gamble on how much of, not if, her bra and panties would be exposed to watching eyes.
“Tha—!” Dane started to chuckle, before she stuffed her tongue into his mouth and swirled it around his, stymieing all speech for a moment.  “Whoa!” he blinked when she let him go, smiling and a little dizzy, “What’s got you even more bubbly than usual?”  She was usually boisterous and energetic, but this was something extra-special.  Spring had come and gone, along with most of the summer, since they began dating, and he had seen her in...quite a few states...since then.
“It’s your first birthday since we became a couple!” the female straddling his lap cheered, “Of course I’m excited!  First birthday date!  A two-tailed date!”  Her little bobbed tail was patting a thousand miles an hour as she gave him a sly look, and added in a much softer voice, “Two sexy tails!”  Not their first one of those, either, though they had to be careful not to make the situation between brother and sister too obvious while in town.  Too many people knew them, or at least that they were siblings, so Gemi tended to be extra-gushy-affectionate on those outings to make it obvious who the “real” couple were.
He chuckled and kissed the cheek she presented to him.  “Two tails taking me out in public,” he reminded her, “Don’t get carried away.  In jail for indecent exposure is not how I’d like to spend a birthday.”
Gemini giggled and ran her fingers through his hair, nodding in agreement.  “We’d better get going if that’s still the plan,” Johanna observed as she scrolled through something on her phone, still leaning against the wall beside the front door.  Like Gemini, his sister had gone for ruffles this morning, though the narrow-shouldered, sleeveless top and knee-length skirt all appeared to be one continuous piece of blue fabric, circled at the waist by a belt that rode directly on her hips without any loops.  Much more modest, though not much less sexy, in his view.  It was the first time in forever Dane could remember seeing his sister in anything like a dress.  She grabbed a small canvas day-pack (already containing a bundle of something, though Dane could hardly guess what) and slung the strings over her shoulder.  “We’ll miss the bus if we don’t scoot,” she warned.
“Bus?” Dane blinked...
Forty-five minutes later, they were settled into a pair of seats on one of the small buses tourists usually took to get into Three-Peaks from the (semi-)nearby city of Rhinton, about an hour’s drive through the mountains.  “So I know I’m supposed to let you two handle all the details today,” Dane told Gemini quietly in the seat beside him, “But...just where are we going?  This is already looking more expensive than dinner and a movie.”  He also felt kind of bad for Johanna, stuck by herself in the seat behind them.  Not that she seemed at all bothered about being separated, nose buried in her phone as usual and a pair of ear-buds trailing down to it to-boot.
The Doberman giggled.  “Like we’d do something so ordinary for your birthday?” she winked, giving him a kiss.  “We’re going to visit Twinstar for the day.  No dinner, just walking and shopping, then come home for cake.”
“Twinstar...the mall?  With the indoor amusement park?” he blinked.
“No, the bowling alley,” she giggled, “Of course the mall!  We’ve got a surprise for you there,” his girlfriend promised, raising all sorts of questions in Dane’s mind.  Just going to the nationally known mall was quite a bit of a surprise.  Even if they avoided the park and just stuck to shopping...it was an exciting trip for someone who had never been to an amusement park.  He wondered if Johanna was as excited as he was getting.
As if on cue, Gemini’s phone chimed, and she smiled as she read it.  “Hehe...she says to tell you ‘Yes to the roller coaster, No to the pirate ship, Yes to the sky-wheel, and Absolutely Not to the spin-stars’.  I think she gets motion-sick.  Do you?”
Dane shrugged. “Honestly...I have no idea.  I’ve never been to a place like this.  I’m just kind of excited that’s part of the plan.”
“Really?” his girlfriend asked, genuinely surprised, “It’s not that far away.  I figured you guys had been there at least a time or two before.”
The Dalmatian shook his head.  “Maybe she has, but not that I know of.  I definitely haven’t.”  Something about that seemed to amuse Gemi terribly, but she didn’t seem keen to tell him what it was, as she suddenly found the summer-time forest on either side of the road much more interesting, and switched to talking about which stores she and Johanna would like to visit, and her brother getting picked up by some e-sport team, and a book she had apparently been reading over the summer when not hanging out at their place.
As soon as the bus pulled into the station, Gemini grabbed Johanna’s arm and dragged her off to the nearest public restroom.  Thinking that was a good idea, Dane availed himself of the facilities as well.  Johanna was already outside waiting when he came back out, leaning against a post and scrolling quickly through something on her phone.
Dane stopped the instant he saw her.  She had changed into a two-toned skort and snug sport-top with a heart-shaped “window” cut out of the front, revealing an eye-catching amount of cleavage.  The light blue top matched the skirt portion of her bottom perfectly, while the white shorts underneath were just enough shades off from her fur to make it clear it wasn’t just fur underneath the outer layer of fabric.  The fabric of the shorts only came down to mid-thigh at best, and the skirt part didn’t even make it that far.
“What is this?” her brother arched a brow, indicating her change of dress.
Johanna glanced up at him, apparently just realizing he was there, and then down at her clothes.  “Oh.  That’s part of Gemini’s plan for today.  She’s taking longer because she had to actually change,” the Dalmatian explained, bouncing the day-pack on her shoulder.  Dane caught on easily enough: she’d worn the dress over this outfit, so all she had to do was pull it over her head and be done.
He glanced around, checking to see if anyone else was looking...then looked her over appreciatively.  “Is it alright for your brother to say you look hot in that?”
“Only if nobody hears you,” she answered nonchalantly, just as Gemini came skipping out with her clothes in her arms.  They were wearing matching outfits now, with Gemini’s being red where Johanna’s was blue and black where Johanna’s was white.  In the right context, they’d look like trendy, body-confident jogging enthusiasts.  Or sporty escorts.
The Doberman quickly shoved her things into the day-pack, then held it out and open toward Johanna.  “Honeypot...we are here,” she coaxed gently, causing the Dalmatian to look up and stare at her for a minute.  Then she flicked her phone into silent mode and dropped it into the pack, which was promptly handed to Dane to carry.  The male Dalmatian was a little concerned about how his sister was going to handle that disconnection for an entire afternoon.  While Gemini took him by the arm, Johanna just stared at them for a moment, as if trying to figure out where she fit in this arrangement.
Johanna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face scrunching up in what looked for a second like pain...then practically exploded with bright-eyed excitement.  “Happy birthday, baby!” she squealed as she flung herself on his other arm, leaning into her brother so hard he nearly staggered into Gemini.  Johanna planted a kiss on his cheek, then practically dragged him by the hand toward the street outside the bus station, which was conveniently only two blocks from the mall.  Her tail was wagging so hard it was a threat to other pedestrians walking too close.  “Oo, I’m so excited!  Do you want to hit the park first or the shops?”
Dane had no idea how to respond to this person impersonating his sister impersonating his girlfriend.  “Uh, si—!”  Gemini caught his chin before he could finish the syllable, turning it toward herself and planting a kiss on his lips.  Having successfully cut him off, she then leaned in close on his arm and explained quietly in his ear: “You’d better find another pet-name for today.  You don’t have a sister here.  You have two girls...very physically friendly girls...of ambiguous relationship.”
He quirked a brow.  “So she’s going to be putting on an act all day?  Sounds exhausting,” he remarked dubiously.
“Oh, it will be,” Johanna beamed as they all three got their alignment down, “But it’s your birthday.  Being happy is the least I can do.  And the least you can do,” she added, moving his arm around her hip and seating his hand smoothly on the curve of her rump, “Is keep hands on at least one of us at all times, all day.”  She likewise moved the arm nearest him around his hips, and Gemini matched on the other side, sandwiching him snugly but comfortably between them.
Dane’s eyes went wide and his cheeks a little red.  He took a deep breath of his own...and nodded.  “I understand...but no to the ‘baby’.  And don’t hurt yourself trying to out-beam Ms. Sunshine herself over here,” he warned, brazenly giving Gemi’s rump a jiggle.  His girlfriend cooed at the attention, bumping her hip against his encouragingly as they walked.
His sister giggled, giving his butt an approving little pat.  “Is it a bit thick?”
“Very,” he nodded.
“Okay, I’ll dial it back a bit then, sunshine,” she promised, nuzzling his cheek, “Reward me for it, okay?”
“I promise, sunflower,” he nodded, and she smiled her approval at the new pet-name.  “Hmm...I’m also going to shorten your name to ‘Jo’, if I need to use it.”
That made the female Dalmatian quirk a brow and crack a grin.  “‘Jo’?  So you’re out on the town with Gemi and Jo.  Are you gay now?  Do I have to wuff you with a strap-on?”
Gemini, on his other arm, was trying desperately to choke back a fit of giggles, snorting with the effort.  She and Johanna both squealed, at almost exactly the same pitch, when he slipped his hands below their skirts and pinched them both firmly on the tush.  That was when Dane discovered the fabric of the shorts underneath was deceptively thin, probably to help the stretchy material conform to nearly every fold and curve it covered.
Dane felt his chest tighten and his cheeks go red as a possibility dawned on him, and he considered whether it was worth investigating.  They were almost to the front door of the mall when he decided...and if he waited any longer, it would be a problem, as there were more and more people around as they got closer to the mall.  “I’m going to ask you both to do something I would definitely never ask my girlfriend to do, much less my sister,” he warned them quietly, “Turn toward me...and flip your skirts.”
The girls looked at each other briefly, Gemini with a sly smile, as if she knew he’d figured them out.  Then they both skipped a couple of steps ahead of him, spun around, and quickly flipped the front of their skirts up at him.  His suspicions were confirmed, and Dane actually pinched the brow of his nose.  “Those clothes are dangerous.  Please be mindful of where you’re facing.”
They weren’t wearing panties.  The thin, elastic fabric beneath their skirts hugged the contours of their muffins flawlessly, leaving only their color to the imagination.  “Mmm, we probably should try not to bend over much, either,” Gemini mused as they turned their backs to him, then whispered, “3, 2, 1.”  They synchronized their hip-sway perfectly as they resumed walking, wagging their skirts as much as their tails in time to each step and flashing him a generous view of the way their shorts even rode into the cleft between the cheeks.  It was probably a little uncomfortable, actually, but very visually enticing.  His own shorts were uncomfortable too, by the time he caught back up with them.
Lunch was on the venue first, then the amusement park.  Probably not the order those things should have been done.  The rides were fun.  Walking between them was almost as much fun.  Gemini seemed to know the area, and kept finding discreet spots for brief moments of other amusements.  She pulled them behind one of the roller coaster supports (disguised as a rock by plastic molding around the base), pinned Johanna’s back against it, and felt her up while they shared a tongue-sucking kiss and Dane watched.  They went two rounds in the photo-booth: the first time taking normal, memento photos, and the second...making it look like more happened than actually happened in that limited time.  Like the one where Gemini’s ears were the only part of her visible at the bottom-center of the frame, Dane looking straight down between them in shock, and Johanna looking down with delighted surprise.  They both flashed him in the carriage of the sky-wheel, rolling their tight tops up over their breasts while they were well off the ground at a concealing angle...and even got him to unzip his shorts and bring his bone into full display the second time they went up.
They tried very briefly to tease Johanna onto the spin-stars.  “If I get in one of those,” she explained flatly, breaking the bouncy, cheerful character she’d been playing for the first and only time the entire trip, “I won’t be able to participate anymore until everything inside of me is outside of me.”  They immediately left for the shops.
They had to dial it back somewhat as they wandered around the mall proper...which probably grated on Gemini terribly.  Here there were more people around them actually paying attention to the other people around them, and the girls were drawing plenty of attention without making a show of it.  Most of it was guys merely appreciating their tails in passing, more-or-less discretely.  None of the trio minded them, and Gemini would go so far as to tease them with a swing of her skirt if she caught one looking.  A few were disapproving scowls from other girls, mothers steering their kids around the opposite side of kiosks, or guys obviously envious of Dane’s position.  Only once was it security.  As soon as that one started toward them, Gemini hooked her fingers into the hem of the shorts riding high on her legs and pulled down just a little, smoothing out the fabric and—more importantly—proving they actually did have on something under the skirt.  Having effectively cut off any complaints that could be elevated to a legal level, the guard returned to his regular patrolling.
“...You have practice at this, don’t you?” Dane quirked a brow, a little surprised but grateful.
His girlfriend shrugged with a disarming smile.  “I miiiight have brought a few boys here before.  I miiiight also have an unspoken agreement with some of the supervisors, if it comes to that, but that’s only ever happened once.”  Dane didn’t ask for the details, but he could easily see how she might have caused concern in the past.  She pulled Johanna over to one display window or another several times, especially if there was something to look at near floor-level.  The Doberman wasn’t shy about putting her hands on her knees and bending down for a closer look...flashing Dane (and everyone else in line of sight) a nearly unfiltered view of her backside.  Johanna played along, but made a habit of holding her hands behind her casually, conveniently self-censoring by knitting her fingers under her tail.  In a brief moment of actual shopping, Johanna dragged them both into a fitness outlet, where they playfully modeled with the weights and an exercise bike (probably generating a little extra business for the shop in the process), and left with a new pair of wind-breakers that matched their sporty outfits well enough to make one think they were a complete set.  The jackets were soon tied loosely around their hips, adding an extra layer of discretion and effectively ending most concern about being approached due to their clothing.
The small, plain wristwatch looped around Gemini’s wrist beeped, bringing a disappointed pout to the Doberman’s face.  “Oh foo...we’ve got to get back to the bus station,” she sighed, “We didn’t even get to RedClover.”
“Lingerie store,” Johanna explained quietly to Dane when he looked askance, “She wanted to have you pick something.”
Despite her disappointment, Gemini turned them around and hurried them back to the station, pausing only at the entrance to the mall to snap a last few, suggestive pictures of Johanna with Dane’s phone.  “Something to enjoy on the ride home,” she winked.  At the station, she pulled Johanna’s dress out of the day-pack, and the Dalmatian pulled it back on right over the snug outfit she’d worn all day, tying the belt loosely, right there on the side-walk.  Gemini herself seemed content to make the trip home without changing back into her clothes from that morning.
“May I...?” Johanna asked Dane as soon as she was dressed, holding out her empty hand.  It took him a moment to understand what she was asking, then he fished her silenced phone out of the pack.
“On one condition,” he declared, dangling it in front of her, “You sit next to me on the ride back.”
Johanna tilted her head, looking first at him and then at Gemini.  The Doberman shrugged and smiled, obviously not bothered by being singled-out for the return trip.  Dane dropped the phone into her waiting hand, but instead of checking the screen she simply slid it into the pocket of her dress, then clung lightly to his shirt and pulled him forward into a long, warm kiss...with tongue.  “Mmm...I hope you had fun here, sunshine,” she cooed against his chest after they broke for air.
“Definitely, sunflower,” he chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulder as they climbed onto the bus.  The trip back was mostly quiet.  Johanna scanned through her many notifications and messages as soon as they found their seats, then leaned against her brother’s shoulder and ended up taking a nap with his arm around her.  Dane half-expected Gemini to attempt some antics from directly behind him, but glanced over his shoulder as they pulled onto the main road to find her likewise passed out against the window.  The male Dalmatian chuckled and watched the familiar peak of Witch-Mountain and the surrounding woods slowly approaching through his window.
He was contented, if somewhat tired himself, as he turned the key to let them back into their own apartment.  And definitely ready for some cake.  Dane barely got through the door before someone set off a party popper, causing him to jump just before Johanna and Gemini shouted “SURPRISE!” in unison with a male voice from inside.  Ares was standing by the kitchen table, spent popper in hand, wearing a pointed party-hat and a big smile.  Behind him, a banner reading “Happy Birthday!” had been hung in the little space above the kitchen table, and nearly every horizontal space had been covered with a colorful, spotted vinyl cloth and sequins.  A small but heavily iced cake waited on the table with two little candles lit on top that declared Dane’s new age, and a couple of pizzas sat on top of the stove if they needed something more substantial.
To say he was surprised was an understatement.  “What’s this?!  How did you even get in here?” the Dalmatian laughed, clapping hands with the friend he had not actually seen in years...despite dating his sister for the last season or so.
Gemini shoved in between them, quietly chastising them for blocking the door.  “I left him the key you gave me,” Gemini beamed, nudging her shoulder against Dane’s before pecking her brother’s cheek with a light kiss.  “Thanks, bro!  You did a great job!”
“Yeah, well, it was probably less work than you’ve been doing,” he chuckled, indicating her snug, revealing clothing.
“She had to take a nap on the way home,” Johanna betrayed her friend as she stepped in, “We both did.  It’s good to see you, though,” she welcomed him with a hug, then moved in the direction of the pizza.
“Yeah, always nice to see you,” he agreed, returning the brief embrace genuinely.  The girls called Dane over to blow out his candles before they melted, and everyone set in to cake, pizza, and soda with a ravenous appetite.  No leftovers tonight.
“So, what’s going on over there?” Dane asked around a mouthful of cake, pointing his thumb at the living room behind him.  He was specifically referring to the coffee table that had been turned up on one end against the wall beside the TV, leaving the center of the floor wide and clear.
“Party games,” Ares chuckled, staring hard at the plate of cake in his own hands as he leaned up against the fridge.
Something in the way he said it made Dane pause, brow quirked, and swallow his cake.  “Please tell me it’s not ‘Twister’,” he urged suspiciously.
“Spin-the-bottle,” said Gemini.
“Truth-or-Dare,” said Johanna.
“Poker,” said Ares.  All three at once, making it hard to hear the individual claims.  That much, at least, was apparently unplanned, as they all looked surprised at each other before bursting into laughter...except Johanna, who had settled comfortably back into her usual, dead-pan demeanor, despite her phone still being tucked into her pocket.
“Okay,” Dane got control of his lungs again, “Okay, just don’t expect a big reaction to whatever you bring out.  I’m about out of capacity for surprise in one day.”
“Ooo, challenge accepted!” giggled Gemini, collecting the empty plates and dumping them into the sink for later.  She gave her brother a quick hug.  “Thanks again for the help today.  Now take him outside while we get his present ready,” she urged, pushing him toward the door and shooing Dane along behind him.
Ares rolled his eyes as the apartment door closed behind them.  Dane propped his elbows on the rail of the stairwell between the apartments, looking out over the bit of town visible down the hill outside.  “Somehow, I’m honestly afraid she’s going to win that challenge.”
“Probably,” grunted the larger Doberman, joining the other male at the rail.  Something in his demeanor changed, and a subtle sense of alarm crept up Dane’s spine.  It felt justified when Ares added, “I ought to punch you.”
Dane...just nodded, doing a good impression of his sister for a moment.  “I wouldn’t blame you, actually.  I’d naturally be suspicious of anyone who dated my sister, even if I did know the guy.”
“Suspicious?” Ares arched a brow, “Exactly what do you think has been left to suspicion?  She spends as many nights here as not, and she’s not exactly shy about talking about how well you satisfy her.  Or Johanna.”
Dane’s face couldn’t decide whether to turn red or make even his spots go white, and he couldn’t face the other male.  “...Oh.”
“Yeah,” Ares grunted, then sighed, “Lucky you, I know my sister, and if this wasn’t at least half her idea it would be entirely her idea.  I can’t even say right now that it isn’t.  But,” he added, “Either way, she’s definitely been happier since you started going out than she has for a while.  So...keep being nice to her, okay?”
The Dalmatian blinked.  “You can tell?  She always seems happy when I see her.  Even when she’s mad, or disappointed.”
“Yeah, well, you know how Johanna’s hard for other people to interpret.  Don’t be so surprised Gemi is the same way.”  Dane admitted that made sense, so he’d take the other brother’s word for it...and consider it a compliment.  “Anyway, I had something else to talk about,” Ares continued, “My old PC is sitting in a tub under the camper now, and needs a new home.  Still works fine, I just got an upgrade, but we don’t have the space to keep ‘spares’ around, so if you don’t want it it’s going to recycling tomorrow.”  The Doberman shrugged.  “Not much of a birthday present, I know, but funds stay tight at our place.”
“No, that would be great, actually!” Dane answered sincerely.  He’d heard Gemini talk about her brother’s gaming and the specs on his machine before.  It was easily the most expensive thing they owned, and an electronic beast.  It was hard to imagine what he’d gotten that would be a worthwhile ‘upgrade’...much less how...
“Good,” his old friend clapped his back, “Then I’m also going to make a suggestion: start a streaming schedule, until you find some other work.  I won’t call it a living, but it’s better than nothing.  I’ll run some co-op with you to help kick off your exposure.  Sound like fun?”  His pocket chimed, and he pulled his phone out of it.  “Ah, they’re ready.  We’ll talk about this later.  Don’t forget to lock the door behind you.”
Dane blinked, confused.  “You’re not coming in?”
“Nope,” Ares shook his head, already headed for the stairs, “This is the part where I get lost.  Happy birthday.  Remember what I said...and it really was nice to see you,” the Doberman added, waving as he started down the steps, “Don’t let my sister be the only one to hear from you for another season.”
The Dalmatian wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, so he just waved back with a weak, “You, too,” and suddenly felt much less like a boyfriend than a very bad friend.  The girls didn’t give him much time to dwell in that mindset, though.