Peb felt like such an idiot. He had just gotten off the plane, and the first thing he did was discover that he sent his friend to the wrong side of the airport. Okay, maybe in the grand scheme of things, that wasn’t such a big deal, but he still felt like a buffoon. He glanced down at his phone and re-read his messages.

[2:26:44] car crash at 200% speed: weve landed. you here?
[2:27:00] Wiggly!: :D!!!
[2:27:06] Wiggly!: yep!! i’m here!
[2:27:12] Wiggly!: gate 6 right?
[2:27:19] car crash at 200% speed: uhh i think
[2:28:38] car crash at 200% speed: fuuuuuuck i just asked an attendant and its 16
[2:28:42] car crash at 200% speed: sorry god
[2:29:06] Wiggly!: ohhh fuck! That’s
[2:29:15] Wiggly!: on the other side of the airport lmao omg
[2:29:21] Wiggly!: okay i’m running over there!! sorry!
[2:29:29] car crash at 200% speed: why are you apologizing lol
[2:29:51] Wiggly!: well i wanted to be there when you got off and now you have to wait :(
[2:30:16] car crash at 200% speed: its fine dude lol its not like the suns crashing into the planet. and its my fault anyway lol

He looked around the crowded terminal for any sign of Kura. Still nothing. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he imagined the sable running through the airport, his short legs carrying him forward as he wiggled and wobbled gracelessly around the other passengers.

God, that would be so cute.

As the crowd dispersed, he walked toward the middle of the terminal and stood on his tiptoes to get a better view. Man, why did everyone else have to be so damn tall? And then he spotted him in the distance. A dark brown, nearly black mustelid, even shorter than he was, zigzagging through the crowd, almost as he imagined it. Peb put his arm in the air and waved. No response. He jumped, waving harder. After a moment, the figure broke into a full sprint, swinging his arms frantically through the air. 

“Peb!” Kura said as he got close. Peb walked toward him as Kura sprinted, until they finally got within arm’s reach. Peb stopped, but Kura didn’t, and the sable threw his arms around the otter and pulled him into a deep hug. 

“Peb!” Kura said again, leaning back and lifting a very surprised otter off his feet.

“Whoa! Holy shit!” Peb said, his arms and legs flailing as he lost contact with the ground.

Kura giggled and put his victim down. “Sorry! I’m just so excited!” His voice came out quickly and with a squeak, as though all the words were trying to escape at the same time.

“No, no, it’s fine, I just… didn’t think you could do that.”

Kura flexed. “Can’t do a handstand without having at least a little muscle!” There was absolutely no muscle visible through his thick, fluffy fur, and frankly, he looked kind of ridiculous. Cute, but ridiculous.

Peb stared at the beaming, panting sable. Up close, he could more clearly see the tuft of golden fur sticking out of the top of his shirt, a stark contrast to his otherwise dark coat. The amber fur continued running up the sides of his neck and head, creating a yellow trim around his ears. “Hey, uh, good to see you too, man.” 

Kura hummed and leaned against Peb. “Let’s get outta here.”

The otter took a short, sharp breath. The weight of his friend against him did something funny to his insides, like they were all thrumming and twisting up. His heart sped up and he cleared his throat. “Yeah… sounds good.” He knew what he was feeling, but he pushed those thoughts to the side. The middle of an airport was not the place for that kind of thing.

The two made their way out of the terminal, Kura practically skipping as Peb plodded along behind. Peb shivered as the chill of the late autumn air struck his face, and he grew increasingly uncomfortable with each step through the enormous parking lot.

“Damn… should have brought a heavier coat,” he said.

“It’s not that cold!” Kura said with a lilt to his voice.

“Yeah, well, you’re made for snow. I’m made for drifting through nice warm water…”

“I know, I know. I’m just playing. It’s alright. We’re almost there,” the sable said, his voice softer. He scanned the parking lot for a few seconds before pointing off in the distance. “There’s my car. Let’s go!”

Peb’s instinct was to quip about how he should have parked closer, but for some reason, he just didn’t want to. Kura’s bouncy steps and hurried, excited talking were just too damn cute. He didn’t want to do anything that would bring him down. When they got to the car, they wasted no time getting in and pulling out of the parking lot.

“So, how long of a drive is this?” Peb asked.

“Mmm, about half an hour. I’m a little ways away.”

“Gotcha.” Peb looked out the window and watched as the unfamiliar city passed by. For some reason, he was seizing up. Shouldn’t he have lots to talk about? His best friend in the world was sitting right next to him, and he was just resting his chin on his hand, staring at indistinct buildings. He cleared his throat. “So, uh,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleaned his throat again. “What’s the plan?”

Kura giggled. “Let’s just go back to my place and rest for a bit. We can go out and do stuff tomorrow. We’ve got lots of time, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that seems good.”

The rest of the drive was mostly uneventful. For a city so large, it all looked the same. Kura would occasionally point out landmarks, but for the most part, there wasn’t anything to see. Just buildings, pedestrians, and cars blending together, then immediately forgotten. Just as Peb was starting to feel depressed, Kura turned down a side street where the city completely changed into a welcoming residential area, where the trees were tall and grass a deep green. Houses big and small, of all sorts of colours, flanked the street, each interesting to look at. He watched a pair of deer cubs play catch as they drove past, and he smiled. The contrast was jarring, but he felt so much more comfortable here.

“Damn, this is a nice neighbourhood.”

“Mmhmm. My house is just around this corner.”

“Wait, you live here? I thought we were just passing through.”

“Yup!” Kura said as he took a left turn. “Third house on the left.” When they got to the house, Kura pulled into the driveway and hopped out of the car. “Voilà!” 

Peb took a closer look at the house as he got out. New roof, fresh siding, big windows… “Wait… this is actually a really nice place. Damn, you’re doing alright for yourself, dude.”

Kura smiled. “Thanks…”

Peb turned his head. “But… isn’t it kinda big for one person?”

“Mmm, it is… but I really like this neighbourhood, and I wanted a place where…”

Peb waited for the sentence to end, but it never did. “Where…?”

Kura looked at Peb, then quickly looked away. “Ah, well, I just like it. Hey, let me show you around!”

Something about that felt odd to the otter. Kura was honest and straightforward, but this felt like he was hiding something. But what would he have to hide? Why would he hide it? Peb blinked and tried to put the thought out of his mind. This was supposed to be a relaxing, fun vacation. No need to make it weird.

He followed Kura around as the sable showed off his house. It was as nice on the inside as it was on the outside. Good furniture, modern appliances, new floors… Peb knew that Kura made pretty decent money, but it did surprise him that so much effort was put into a home that no one else would see. As his eyes wandered around the living room, he noticed a little exercise mat near the wall, and his mind shot back to the video Kura sent him.

“Oh, hey, this is where you do your handstands, right?” Peb asked.

“Yup!” Kura said, jumping onto the mat. He moved into a pushup position, crawled his hands back until they were close to his feet, then pushed off, holding himself upside down, toes pointed toward the ceiling. Just as it did in the video, his shirt fell over his face. 

Peb stared at the long, dark-furred torso, and his eyes slid down to the golden fur at the top of his chest. God, he loved that colour. It felt like the warm sun beating down on his face. But before he could bask in it, Kura curled his legs back toward the floor, and landed on his feet. 

“Tada!”

Peb shook his head. “Dude, holy shit. That was a lot better than the one you sent me.”

“Well, it has been two months… I work on it every day.”

“Still! Damn, I guess you are strong.”

Kura grinned. “What, you doubted me?”

Peb reached forward and grabbed Kura’s bicep. “I mean—” The words stopped in his throat. Beneath that heavy, fluffy fur was a thick, hard slab of muscle. He slid his hand up the arm and felt its contour, the sable’s invisible strength now very obvious to him. He imagined Kura lifting him off the ground again like he did in the airport, and it made his chest tight. His stomach fluttered, and he felt the blood rush into his groin. He blinked hard and pulled his hand away before his thoughts got out of control. “Well, uh…”

Kura snickered and flexed. “Told you!”

Peb still couldn’t see anything through the fur, but he knew that muscle was there. Man, Kura could probably pin him to the bed and totally have his way with him… couldn’t he? No, no no no. This is not the time for that. He swallowed and turned around, trying to hide the growing bulge in his pants. “So, uh, what else?”

“Kitchen and my room!”

Peb followed him into the kitchen and shook his head as he walked through the door. Just like the rest of the house, everything was new and fancy. But the refrigerator… the refrigerator was enormous. It was twice as large as his own. What the heck did Kura need such a big fridge for? He couldn’t help himself, so he pried a bit. “You sure you live alone?”

“Huh?”

Peb pointed at the massive appliance. “It’s so huge. Can you even fill that thing?”

“Mmm, well, I mean…”

“Doesn’t that suck back a lot of electricity?”

Kura’s eyes defocused and he stared across the room. “Look, can’t a guy have a little comfort?” he said, his voice growing quiet and distant.

Peb’s stomach churned. “Sorry, I wasn’t, like, you know, I was only—”

The sable giggled. “I know, silly. It’s just…”

There he goes again, trailing off before finishing his sentence. Still, something felt weird. How does a fridge you can’t fill bring you comfort? Couldn’t that money have been spent on something more… joyous? Before Peb could ruminate further, Kura continued speaking, the energy returning to his voice.

“Well, anyway, let me show you my room!” 

The two walked toward the back of the house and into the master bedroom. Like all the other rooms, it was filled with nice stuff—a big television, a large dresser that was clearly made of real wood, and so on—but once again, something huge captured Peb’s attention: the bed. It was bigger than his parents’ bed, and two people had to sleep on that. He stared at it for a bit, then craned his neck toward Kura, who looked at him with a half-cocked smile.

“I know what you’re going to ask,” the sable said. “Yes, it’s king-size.”

“I see that, but—”

“I just… wanted a big bed, okay?” Kura said, starting to fidget.

Peb smiled and sat on the bed, trying to let the evasiveness bounce off him. “Hey man, you want what you want.” His small, light body sunk into the mattress almost as soon as his butt hit it. It was so comfortable. He fell onto his side, and could feel his eyes growing heavy as the plush surface felt like it was going to envelop him. How much did this bed cost?

“Do you like it?” Kura asked. 

Peb’s ears perked up. The way Kura’s voice changed pitch felt less like he was asking an opinion and more like he was seeking validation. Why? Validation for what? 

It was a damn nice bed, though.

“Huh? Sorry, what did you say? I was falling asleep…” Peb said, his voice drifting off as he closed his eyes.

Kura snickered. “So, is that a yes?”

“Mmmm… good night…” 

The bed creaked next to Peb. 

“You’re such a goof!”

The otter’s eyes popped open. There was Kura, lying right next to him, his cute mouth half-open. The sable’s little black nose wiggled almost like a rabbit’s, and his dark eyes shimmered with expectation. 

Peb’s heart sped up. “This is the nicest bed I’ve ever been on.” Especially since you’re on it too. He didn’t say that last part out loud, but the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he had to fight to keep them there.

The sable clenched his fists in front of his chest as he beamed. “Great! I’m so glad!” 

The gears in Peb’s head started spinning at maximum speed. What a weird reaction. Why would Kura care so much about what he thought of his bed? Why would it matter so much?

Because he wants you to sleep with him, you idiot.

It wasn’t so much a realization; it was more like a pot boiling over. They were both playing this stupid game. It would all be so much easier if one of them just said it. Peb’s mind drifted to a fantasy that he had been having almost every night. He would fall asleep, legs and arms wrapped around his blanket, imagining he was holding Kura close. It was a source of deep comfort, and he wanted so desperately to feel that for real. And now he was right there. He wanted to reach out and caress the sable’s thick, fluffy fur, to feel the warmth of his paws on his own, to tell him that he lo… that he lo…

Peb chuckled nervously and rolled off the bed. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” Kura asked, his voice quiet and level.

Peb walked over to the window, the sun beating down on his face as he looked at the other houses on the street. What a nice neighbourhood. What a nice place. He wanted to be here. It felt right.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m just… looking. Everything here is so… it’s…”

“Cozy? Safe?”

“Yeah… yeah, something like that. It’s just… I’ve been living in, like, it’s not awful or anything, but it’s like… just a roof over my head, you know?”

“Right… that’s how I felt before I moved.”

“And I thought that was good enough, but… I dunno. I just wish I lived in a place like this.”

Peb turned around and looked at the sable, who smiled and rolled off the bed.

“I’m really happy that you like it so much,” Kura said as he walked toward the otter. “It’s gonna be your home for the next week, so…”

God fucking damn. He was so cute when he smiled. He wanted to just wrap his arms around the sable and pull him into a deep kiss. But… wait, home? Home… he played with the word in his mind for a few moments. True, he wished he lived in a place like this, but anxiety crept in. Did he deserve this kind of comfort? Was he good enough for Kura? Peb was never the type to get overly self-conscious, but when he looked at the sable’s sweet smile, he saw the future he wanted right before his eyes. Could he do it, or would he just fuck it up? “Y-yeah. Uh, anyway…” Peb said, his voice turning to breath half way as his throat closed up.

“Yes, Peb?” Kura asked, smiling wider and stepping closer to the otter. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment before the sable fell forward, throwing his arms around Peb’s torso, his head coming to rest on his chest. “I’m just so happy that you’re here. I missed you so much.”

Peb locked up. He felt like the air was being squeezed out of his lungs—not by the force of the hug, but by the maelstrom of emotions that suddenly kicked up inside of him. Surprise, happiness, trepidation, relief… but most of all, a sense of correctness. It just felt right. It felt natural. It felt like this is how it was supposed to be all along. He tried to return the hug, his arms jerking mechanically as they wrapped around the sable’s long, slim body. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he couldn’t put his feelings into words. “It… it has been a long time, huh…” he said, finally settling on something. It didn’t feel like the right thing to say, but nothing would have been.

“Too long,” Kura said as he nuzzled Peb’s chest. “Too long…”

The two held each other close, Peb running his hands up and down Kura’s back. His heart thumped against his chest… right against his friend’s head. But Kura didn’t seem to mind. The sable continued to rub his forehead against Peb’s ribs, and the two stayed like that for what felt like forever, yet not long enough.

“Um, well… anyway,” Kura said, releasing the hug and stepping back. “Have you eaten yet?”

Peb wanted to reach forward and pull the sable back in, but the mention of eating made his stomach grumble. “Not since this morning.”

“Ooh! I know this great fish place! Let’s go!” Kura grabbed Peb’s hand and began pulling him toward the front of the house, and Peb once again felt flushed. The sable’s paw pads were squishy yet firm, and their warmth ran through his Peb, making his arm tingle. And his legs tingle. And his chest tingle. Okay, maybe it wasn’t just the warmth. He swallowed.

“I thought we were just resting today,” Peb said, his voice bouncing out of him as the sable dragged him along.

“I changed my mind!” Kura said, giggling. “It’s on me! You’ll love it, I promise!”

Peb didn’t protest. He would hold Kura’s hand for as long as the sable wanted to. As he was pulled through the house and out the front door, he couldn’t help but laugh a little bit.

“What’s so funny?” Kura asked.

Peb shook his head. “You’re just… so excited.”

“Well… I just know you’ll love it! Come on!”

They got back into Kura’s car and he took them to a little restaurant downtown. And he was right. The fish—halibut was Peb’s choice—was absolutely delicious. As they ate, Kura went on about this and that, jumping from topic to topic, talking about things that Peb knew or cared little about. And yet, he found himself lost in the sable’s words. Just seeing his friend so full of passion and energy made him so happy. When they were done, Kura left a generous tip, and they returned to his home. As they got out of the car, Peb turned around, looking at the orange-rimmed sky as the sun went down.

“Damn, is it already evening?” Peb said.

“Mmhmm. The days are shorter now… winter’s coming.” Something about Kura’s voice was off-putting. It seemed wistful and distant, as though his thoughts were suddenly jerked to another time.

“Winter’s not so bad for you, right?”

“Mmm?” Kura said, still sounding distant. 

“All that fur you’ve got. Better at keeping you warm than mine is.”

“Ah, yeah, well,” Kura said. Another unfinished sentence. His voice brightened up. “Oh, hey! Let me show you my save.”

Right. Peb remembered Kura rambling about his favourite game in the restaurant. “Yeah, let’s get outta this chill,” he said, and the two turned around and walked into the house. They sat together on the big bed as Kura played the game, showing off all the stuff he had made. Once again, Peb found himself absorbed in the sable’s enthusiasm, but as the evening turned to night, a thought in the back of his mind started to get louder. There was something that was bugging him a bit. A question that he was pretty sure of the answer to, but was scared to ask. He glanced out the window at the now-dark sky. Yeah, there wasn’t putting it off any longer. After some hesitation and false starts, he finally managed to get out his question.

“Hey, uh, so, where am I sleeping tonight?”

Kura turned and looked at him with a slight smirk, then toward the headboard. “Where do you think, silly?”

Peb sighed and fell back on the bed. Yeah, that’s what he thought.

“Why… is that a problem?” Kura’s voice sounded disappointed, almost… hurt?

Peb rubbed his forehead. “No, it’s just… like… what are we doing, Kura?”

The sable paused the game and rolled onto his side. He reached down, took the otter’s hand, and stared into his eyes. “Whatever feels right, Peb.”

Another shockwave ran through Peb’s body. He glanced down at their interlocked fingers, then back up into Kura’s eyes. He could see the fear in them. His chest tightened up and he gulped. “I mean, just feels like you’ve got something specific in mind,” Peb said, breaking eye contact. He didn’t didn’t mean to, but he just wasn’t good at this kind of thing.

“Don’t you… want to…” Kura said, now definitely sounding hurt. His voice shook as he spoke, and Peb felt his insides twist up as though they had been caught in a lathe.

“S-sorry. But like… remember, I’m the one who asked to visit.”

Kura groaned softly and let go of Peb’s hand. “You’re confusing me, Peb.”

The otter sighed and sat up. “Sorry. I’m just not, I’ve never like, I mean… I-I’ve… never actually, had a boy… boyfriend before, you know.”

Kura’s brow furrowed and he pulled his head back. “Wow, really? How old are you again?”

“Thirty. No, wait, I’m… okay, yeah, thirty. Either way… it’s pathetic, isn’t it?”

The sable also sat up and slid close to Peb. “And just to be clear, no girlfriends, either?”

Peb puffed his cheeks out as he pantomimed a gag. 

Kura laughed. “Jeez, they’re not that bad.”

The otter hurked and retched, crossing his eyes and making choking sounds as he did so.

“Ewww,” Kura said, giggling and leaning against the otter. “Don’t be so gross.”

The otter chuckled and relaxed. “But, yeah, no boyfriends, no girlfriends, no any friends. Just me.” He rested his head against Kura’s and took a deep breath. The sable smelled nice. His fur felt nice. His voice sounded nice. This was all just nice.

“I’ve had a girlfriend and a few boyfriends… but not for a couple of years now…”

“Why not?”

Kura nuzzled the otter’s chest. “Well, my last relationship was pretty abusive—”

Peb felt his throat drop into his chest. “Right, sorry, I—”

The sable put a finger against Peb’s lips. “Shhh.” The soft, fleshy pad was surprisingly warm against his mouth, so he didn’t say anything else.

“A few weeks after I got out of that one, I got to hang out with a bunch of my friends. I stayed in a hotel room with one of them, and—”

Peb closed his eyes. He knew exactly where this was going.

“—I always thought he was so cute and funny. And we… I want to say we made love, but I don’t think he saw it that way…”

“Ahh, man, I—”

Kura pushed his finger into Peb’s mouth. The otter reflexively wrapped his lips around the intruding digit, sucking on it a bit. He quickly realized what he was doing and opened back up, trying not to make a weird face. He totally failed as his visage crinkled up in a desperate attempt to keep from laughing.

The sable seemingly had no such reservations, and he cracked up. “What did you do that for?”

“I don’t know! It just seemed like the thing to do!”

“What, you mean sucking on things that go into your mouth?”

Peb looked at Kura, still desperately trying to keep a straight face. An impromptu staring contest broke out, and the corners of Peb’s mouth wiggled as he started talking, trying to keep his voice level. “So, you were saying…”

Kura snorted softly, his face quivering. “Uh, right, I… what was I talking about again?”

Peb rubbed the bridge of his nose and finally lost it. He fell backwards on the bed, laughing softly. As he hit the soft mattress, he realized just how comfortable he felt here. Even in his moments of trepidation, Kura had this special power to put his heart at ease. He didn’t feel that need to encase himself in his armour of irony and detachment like usual. He felt free.

“I win,” Kura said, falling onto his side and staring at the otter’s smirking face. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Peb said. “Uhh, you were talking about the con.”

“Oh, right right right right right! So, after I spent some time with that guy—”

Peb rolled his eyes. “You don’t gotta keep doing that.”

Kura smiled and pushed his finger against the otter’s nose. “Oh, fine. So, after that weekend, it was just like… compared to my ex, I just felt so safe and comfy around you. The other guys too! But you especially…”

“But you didn’t ask me out or anything…”

Kura whimpered. “I was hurting… I was scared. My ex, he… did I ever tell you that he hit me?”

Peb’s fur bristled. He fucking did what? His mouth curled up into a pucker and he closed his eyes. “No… you did not tell me that.” 

“It was why I finally broke up with him… it was so scary. I didn’t want him near me ever again…”

“When did this happen?”

“Sixteen days before I left for the con.”

The speed and accuracy with which the sable recalled that detail made Peb shudder. “I had no idea. I’m… sorry.”

“For what?”

“I dunno… I guess if I had known, maybe—”

Peb’s words were cut short by his nose being gently squished. He opened his eyes and nearly jumped as Kura, who had slid next to him, was pressing his face against his own.

“Silly… you just don’t get it, do you?” the sable said, beaming.

A tingle ran through Peb’s body. He could feel the warmth of Kura’s breath against his face as he spoke. It felt nice. It even smelled nice. His heart sped up as he searched for the words to say, but Kura continued talking.

“I wasn’t lying when I said it was the best week of my life. I felt so lonely and unloved after what had happened. I thought that maybe… I was just unlovable. But the time we spent together made me feel like there were really people out there who cared for me…”

Peb smiled, but something still didn’t quite feel right. “But… why didn’t you say it then? Why did you say that it didn’t mean anything? Why haven’t you said anything for these past four years?”

Kura’s smile disappeared and he cast his eyes toward the mattress. “It’s just… my relationships always go bad. You’re my dearest friend, Peb. I was scared that if we took things more seriously… it’d just go the same way it always does. I don’t want to lose you too. That’s why I’m so… so…”

Peb shuffled closer to the sable until their bodies pressed into each other. He was so warm. He was so soft. But now that they were touching, Peb could also feel that Kura was shaking.

“So you kept it inside for four years?” Peb asked.

“I… didn’t exactly mean to. But… you know how sometimes, like… you get an email or a message or something, and then you forget to respond to it, and then it’s a week later and you feel like it would look weird if—”

Peb laughed. “Oh, I’m just an email, am I?”

The sable giggled and rubbed Peb’s cheek. “No! You know what I mean!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get ya…”

“When you sent me those messages about wanting to come down here and see me, I, uh… I ran around the house like twenty times.”

“Wow, no shit?” Peb tilted his head. “Wait, didn’t I send those at like, midnight or something? And you said you had to work the next day?”

“Yeah, my boss was all”—he dropped his voice an octave—“Kura! You look like you haven’t slept in a week!”

Peb snickered. “Dude, c’mon. Take care of yourself.”

Kura smiled and pushed his head against the otter’s chest. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

The two stayed like that for a while. As Peb breathed, he felt the resistance in his chest as it expanded against the sable’s head. He lifted his arm and wrapped it around Kura’s back, rubbing him between the shoulders. As he did so, he could hear Kura softly chittering, almost like a purring cat.

“So… we’re doing this, right?” Peb asked.

“Doing what?” Kura asked. His voice was softer than usual, almost as though he were falling asleep. 

“The whole, like, boyfriends thing.”

Kura looked up and stared at the otter, his mouth hanging open in a wild smile. The sable’s brown and black eyes shimmered as the light scattered off of them, and he looked almost as though he were about to cry. “If that’s what you want,” he said, his voice squeaking.

He turned the word “boyfriend” over and over in his mind. It made his muscles relax. It made his worries go away. It made him feel whole in a way that he didn’t know he was missing. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.”

Kura gasped. “O-okay, h-honey.”

Honey? Peb felt as though he should be recoiling from the nickname. He was certainly no honey. And yet, as he looked into Kura’s sparkling eyes, he just didn’t have a problem with it. It was a nickname from the heart of the one he l… lov—

“Can I… call you that?” Kura said, interrupting Peb’s thoughts. His smile seemed even bigger than before.

Peb nodded. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking. “Yeah, that’s… that’s nice. I like it” His voice shook a bit as the words came out, but he held it together. Can’t be crying in front of his new boyfriend, could he?

“Aww, I’m so glad… do you have a nickname for me?”

Peb froze up. Oh no. Names were his archnemesis. He tilted his head back and forth, trying out some names in his mind. Kura… Kura… Ku… Kool-a? No, uh… Ku… Ku… Kury? That sounds—

Kura giggled. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No no, it’s just, you’ve kinda put me on the spot here,” Peb said, chuckling. 

“Oh, sorry!”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Ku… Kyu… Kyutie? That sounds so stupid. Peb rubbed his forehead. Kur… Kuka… Kukie… Cookie? Oh, absolutely n—

“Cookie? Seriously?” Kura said, his voice squeaking loudly. 

Peb suddenly felt very hot. Did he say that out loud? “I, uh—”

“Cookie…” Kura said, more softly. He giggled again, repeating the word several times. 

Peb turned his head and pressed his face into the mattress, groaning as he did so. Truly, getting the relationship off to a perfect start.

“I actually kinda like it…” Kura said, rubbing his cheek against Peb’s. “It’s cute.”

Peb sighed. Seriously? Well, if Kura liked it, that’s all that matters. But… maybe he wouldn’t use it in public. Or maybe he would! Maybe he didn’t care if anyone heard about his silly nickname for his boyfriend. He rolled over onto his back and sighed. “Not gonna lie… really fuckin’ glad I got that off my chest.”

Kura crawled over and put his head on Peb’s torso. “We could have done this long ago…”

“Yeah… but, hey, better late than never, right?”

“Right.”

The two caressed each other for a little while longer, not saying much of anything. Peb felt his eyes getting heavy as the sable continued to rest his head on his stomach, but he was snapped to attention by a ringing from Kura’s desk.

“Oh, shoot,” the sable said, rolling off the bed.

“What’s up?” Peb asked, sitting up and watching Kura mess with his phone.

The ringing stopped. “Just my alarm. Gotta take my medicine.”

Peb recalled Kura telling him about some new anti-anxiety medicine. “You take those at night?”

“Mmhmm. They make me really sleepy,” Kura said, unscrewing the cap from a water bottle. He popped a pill into his mouth, took a big swig, and swallowed. “There we go.” He walked back toward the bed and sat next to Peb, then grabbed his controller and unpaused his game. “Now, where was I…?” he asked as he leaned against the otter.

Peb stroked the sable as he watched the action on the screen. Not long after, Kura started yawning, and after finishing a particularly long section, he stretched and yawned again, then put the controller down.

“Ooh, goodness… that pill’s really doing a number on me,” he said.

Peb yawned as well. “Time for bed?”

Kura nodded. “Mmhmm, I think so. Let’s go brush our teeth and then hop in bed, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

Kura used the washroom first, then Peb, and after he was done, the otter walked back into the bedroom, where Kura was standing, fidgeting with his fingers.

“Everything alright?” Peb asked.

“Ah, it’s fine. It’s just… I, um… usually sleep in my underwear,” Kura said, his ears flicking as he wrung his hands together. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

Peb smiled and pulled his shirt off. “Oh, a huge problem. In fact, I think you should put your jacket on, and some snow pants, and maybe a big pair of boots, and—”

Kura laughed, visibly relaxing. “Ooh, how about a big top hat?”

Off came Peb’s pants. “Let’s get you a monocle and a cane while we’re at it.”

Kura’s laughter got louder as he took his own shirt off. “Okay, so we’re clear, I’m going to bed in my day clothes, wearing my winter gear on top, but I’m also some old property baron?”

“Yup, sounds like we’ve got it figured out.”

“Ahhh, you’re so funny,” Kura said, laughing as he kicked his pants off. 

Peb barely had any time to admire the sable’s slender form before it slipped under the blankets. He joined him under the covers, and Kura reached over and turned off the lamp, swallowing the room in darkness. Peb could barely see his boyfriend’s face in the dark room, but he could hear him, smell him, and, as he reached forward, feel him. 

Kura chittered. “Mmm… thank you again… for all this,” he said. His voice was quiet, his words slightly slurred as he yawned again.

“I think this means more to me than it does to you,” Peb said, mumbling as well.

“Nuh-uh…”

“Uh-huh…”

“Nuh-uh…”

“Alright, alright, you win,” Peb said before a yawn forced its way out of his mouth. He was at ease, but something still felt a little off. Something was missing. If this were his own bed, he’d be wrapping himself around his blanket right now. Deep longing stirred inside of him. “Hey, cookie?”

Kura giggled. “Yes, honey?”

“Um… can we… do one thing before we go to bed?”

“Oh, I, um, I’m really tired…”

“No, no, nothing… nothing like that. It’s just, uh, I’ve… never actually fallen asleep cuddling someone before.”

“Wow, seriously? Not even once?”

Peb sighed. “Nope.”

There was some movement next to the otter, and he felt Kura push up against him. Their contours were perfect matches, the slightly shorter sable fitting perfectly against the otter. He could feel his boyfriend’s fluffy tail coming to rest between his lutrine legs as Kura lifted himself off the bed slightly.

“Slide your arm under—yeah, just like that…”

Peb wrapped his arms around Kura and pulled him close. The sable’s fluffy, plush body felt heavenly as it pressed back into his own. Tension that he didn’t even know he had drained out of his body and was replaced with a kind of ecstatic bliss. It was better than he had ever imagined. There was nowhere that he would rather be. There was nothing he would rather be doing. Everything was exactly as it should be.

“Good night, Kura.”

“Good night, Peb.”

As he succumbed to the night, a new tension arose inside of Peb. Wasn’t there something he was supposed to say? He knew what it was, but… was the L-word going too far? But it was true. He loved Kura. He had for years. And he was pretty sure Kura loved him too. But did he know for certain? Come on. What was all this if not love? His heart pounded, yet the thrumming in his chest was not all his own. Was Kura’s heart going crazy too? He slid his hands up the fuzzy chest, and a powerful thumping against his fingers confirmed his suspicion. Tell him. Just say it.

Peb took a slow, deep breath. “I… I l-love you.” As he said it, the sable gasped, his back pushing into his boyfriend’s chest. Then, the otter felt a soft paw squeeze his clasped hands.

“I love you too, honey,” Kura said, his voice a squeaky whisper. “Thank you… thank you…”

They held each other close and tight as the room fell silent. Peb slowly caressed Kura’s chest as his eyes grew heavier and heavier, until he moved no longer, and his world faded away.

And then he opened his eyes. The room was now softly lit by the morning sunlight creeping in around the glowing edges of the curtains. And his arms were still wrapped around the fluffy sable. So, it really wasn’t a dream. He was actually here with Kura, and they really were a couple now. He pulled himself a little closer. Usually, he woke up wishing he hadn’t, but not today. He wanted to stay like this forever, with the sable’s soft fur tickling his fingertips, but his bodily functions were beginning to protest. Gingerly and reluctantly, he slid his arms away from Kura, trying his hardest to avoid jostling him. When he freed himself, he slithered backwards and stepped onto the floor, then tiptoed around to the other side and looked at the sable. He felt like he was watching an angel slumber. He watched Kura’s chest as it rose and fell softly, subtly. The sable’s mouth was half-open, and he was drooling on his pillow, but that didn’t bother Peb at all. It was even kind of cute…

His bladder sent him another reminder, so he pried his eyes away from the slumbering sable and began walking back around the bed. He figured that if he was going to the washroom, he might as well take a shower, so after a quick search, he found a pen and some paper, and scrawled a little note for Kura, reassuring him that he hadn’t bailed. He set it on the bed next to the sable, then set off to clean, making extra sure that he washed as thoroughly as he could. When he was done, he put a pair of underwear on and returned to the bedroom, opening the door slowly just in case Kura was still asleep. He peeked around the corner and saw the sable, who had rolled onto his back, and—oh. Oh. 

The otter’s blood pressure spiked. There was definitely no mistake: Kura had a serious case of morning wood. Peb crept into the room to take a closer look. The underwear’s thin fabric did almost nothing to constrain the rock-hard length stretching it out. Peb crawled onto the bed, doing his best not to disturb the sleeping sable. He wanted to slide his hand under the band of the taut underwear, but… was that right? And it’s not like he hadn’t had sex with Kura before, but it was the principle of the thing. Yet he could not deny his own lust. Ever since they agreed to meet, it had been a lot easier for him to abstain from hookups, but the desire had been building all the same. His mind wandered back to the convention. Kura’s cock was certainly no equine or even canine penis; it was big in its own right, but that wasn’t the fun part. The simple fact was that Peb just really fucking liked being filled with cum, and on that night, in that hotel room, Kura did not disappoint him. Just remembering it made his own cock swell. He slid his paw down his silver-furred chest, slipping it into his underwear, and grabbed his penis. With a soft moan, he began gently stroking it as he looked at Kura’s tented member. God, he just wanted to rip the sable’s underwear off and slam himself down on his boyfriend’s cock over and over and over. He closed his eyes and exhaled shakily as the fantasy played out in his mind. Precum dripped as his hand slid up and down his erection, and—

“Having fun?”

The voice was a quiet mumble, but it startled Peb like a popped balloon. He recoiled and yanked his hand out of his underwear. “Oh, uh, I, uh—”

Kura rubbed his head on Peb’s elbow. “It’s fine, silly…”

Peb exhaled and chuckled nervously. “It’s just, you’re, uh…”

“I know… I can feel it,” the sable said, still mumbling. 

Peb took a deep breath. He put his hand on Kura’s chest, feeling the gold-coloured fur between his fingers. His hand moved up and down, massaging his boyfriend’s chest, who moaned softly. As he caressed Kura’s upper body, he once again looked at the fabric clinging to the sable’s cock. Fuck, he wanted it. He slid himself down, his fur rubbing against Kura’s as he moved, and put his hand at the base of the underwear. “Can I?” 

“Of course, honey,” Kura said. He still sounded very tired, and Peb hesitated.

“You sure? You just woke up.”

Kura giggled. “You really asking a guy if he’s sure he wants his dick touched?”

Peb’s eyebrows bounced. He looked down at the underwear and saw a wet spot where the sable’s cock pressed up against it. “Looks like you’re already getting excited.”

“Maybe…”

Peb smirked and hooked his thumb under the band of the underwear, sliding it down the sable’s thighs. Kura grunted softly as his cock popped free. Damn, he remembered it being big, but not this big. Sure as hell bigger than his own. And… oh, what do we have here? He reached down and scooped up the sable’s balls in his hands. Holy crap, they were big, too. Not the biggest he’d ever seen, but those were usually on a horse or something. He whistled. “Shit, dude… you’re really packin’ down here.”

Kura giggled. “You’re acting like it’s the first time you’ve seen it…”

Peb thought back to the convention. It had been dark out, the lights were off, there wasn’t any foreplay, and Kura just went for it. Did he actually see the sable’s cock? Or did he just feel it? “I think it actually is. You just kinda fucked me in the dark last time.”

“O-oh… sorry.”

Peb juggled Kura’s nuts in his hand. “Don’t be… just means I get to discover these beauties for the first time.

Kura gasped as the otter played with his scrotum. “So, you’re a balls guy, huh?”

“Big balls mean big loads…” 

Kura giggled. “You know, I, uh, ah!—”

Peb grasped the bottom of Kura’s shaft with his other hand and leaned over it. “You what?” he asked before wrapping his lips around the tip of his boyfriend’s cock and slowly lowering his head down.

“I—oh my god—I’ve… been saving up…”

“Mmm?” Peb hummed, not breaking the seal his lips made around the stiff length. He swirled his tongue around the shaft as he rolled the sable’s testicles around in his hand. The cock twitched in his mouth, releasing salty precum, which he eagerly lapped up. Fuck, he loved precum. 

“I haven’t—ah!—jerked off… in like—holy hell, honey—a week…”

Oh fuck yes. Music to Peb’s ears. He continued licking the sable’s cock, his tongue—wait, hang on. That didn’t make sense. Peb pulled his head back, a string of fluid falling from his lips.

“You saved up a load for just a friend?”

Kura tilted his head forward and smiled at the otter, eyes half closed. “Oh, Peb… don’t be so silly. We both knew this was going to happen…”

Peb sighed and smirked. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Mmhmm… now, are you gonna get me off or not?”

Peb smirked and slid back up the bed, getting his head level with Kura’s ear. “I don’t think I’ve told you… what really excites me.”

Kura gulped. “Umm… not really…” he said, his voice quiet and shaking. 

“You saving up for me was a better choice than you realize.”

“O-oh?”

Peb dropped his voice, trying to get it as low and rumbly as he could manage. He reached down and grasped Kura’s penis as he spoke, slowly stroking it. “The thing I like the most… is when a dude is balls deep, twitching, filling me to the brim with him cum…”

“Oh my god, Peb.” 

“I love to feel it coating my insides, sliding around inside of me, before leaking out of my hole…”

The sable’s cock twitched violently in the otter’s hand. His voice quivered and squeaked. “That’s… that’s…”

“That’s what, cookie?”

“That’s…” Kura closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth shaking. Then he giggled. “Fuck!” Sorry!”

“What’s so funny?” Peb said, pulling his head back and rubbing Kura’s chest with his other hand.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I’m still… just not quite used to ‘cookie.’ Sorry!”

Peb chuckled. “It is a little…”

“I like it! Just takes a bit of getting used to. But… um.” His voice quieted again. “For real, um… that’s… that’s basically… my fetish.”

Peb’s eyes sprung open. “What is, exactly?”

“Like… what you said.”

Peb leaned back in and dropped his voice. “Tell me.”

Kura closed his eyes and put a hand over them. “I just, whenever I… jerk off, I just, I imagine… I imagine…”

The otter got his mouth right up against Kura’s ear. “You imagine what?”

“Oh… Peb… god… I… I imagine myself… thrusting hard… unloading as deep as I can… anything else just feels wrong…”

“Mmmm, a breeder, are we?”

“A-ah… god…”

“You know, back at the con, when you blew inside of me… there was so fucking much. It was still leaking out next morning.”

Kura gasped. 

“You wanna feel that again? Because I do.”

“Peb… god, please… I want it so bad…”

The otter felt the sticky, slippery precum as it dripped down his paw. His own penis felt like it was going to explode. He needed this. He needed this now. He pulled his underwear down to his knees and swung his leg over the sable’s torso, straddling him. “You ready?”

“Sh-shouldn’t you grab some lube?”

Peb slid his hand up and down the sable’s precum-drenched cock. “You’re leaking like the roof at my old apartment… we don’t need any of that.” He leaned forward as far as he could go. “It’ll be all natural… just our own fluids—”

“Fuck! You’re going to make me cum before you even put it in!” Kura said, turning his head to the side and throwing his arm over it. “Hurry up!”

Peb wasted no more time. He leaned back and lined up Kura’s penis with his anus and slowly sank down. The two mustelids exhaled heavily as the sable’s cock pushed deeper and deeper inside. As his ass stretched around his boyfriend, Peb felt an unfamiliar joy .There was something special about having sex with someone you deeply cared about. It wasn’t just sex; it was making love. He never knew how incredible it would be—and they hadn’t even really started. Soon, his glutes came to rest on Kura’s hips as he bottomed out.

“Oh, Peb… you’re so warm…”

Peb looked down into his boyfriend’s eyes, and Kura smiled at him. It was such a sweet smile. Gentleness and love radiated from it, telling him that everything was exactly as it should be. The otter smiled back and began slowly moving his hips up, then down, then up, then down.

Kura’s head fell back, his mouth half-open. “Fuck… that’s so good.”

Peb agreed completely. He clenched his anus, eliciting a gasp from the sable, and he continued to rise up and down. Kura’s cock scraped against the otter’s prostate with each bounce, making his dick twitch as it flopped up and down, the tip landing on Kura’s fluffy torso every time he bottomed out. “Fuck, this is so good, man.”

“Mmm… you’re wrapping around me so tightly…” Kura said as he began subtly thrusting in time with the otter’s movement.

Peb reached down and grabbed his cock. It dripped with precum—though not quite as much as the sable’s—and he slid his hand up and down. Pleasure ripped through him, both in the front as he teased his sensitive length, and in the back, as his hole flexed and squeezed on Kura’s cock. 

The sable raised his head and looked at Peb, his eyes half-lidded and his tongue poking out slightly.

Peb snickered at the blissed-out sable, then leaned forward so that his face was right in front of Kura’s. And then he kissed him. It started as a peck on the lips, but then Kura stuck his tongue out the rest of the way, directly into Peb’s mouth. The otter’s eyes popped open, not expecting the tongue to be so long, but he recovered and swirled his own around the sable’s. Now pleasure was hitting him from three directions. He had occasionally kissed a hookup, but it was never quite like this. That was just wild lust. This was love, affection, care, and wild lust. He stretched forward as far as he could, then turned his head to get a deeper kiss. Kura reached up and put his kneaded Peb’s cheeks as their tongues swirled together, both enjoying the other’s taste. All the while, the otter continued his riding, his bucking hips still slamming against the sable’s as he moaned into his boyfriend’s mouth. After a few moments, he pulled his head back and took a deep breath.

“Our first kiss…” Kura said, his tongue hanging out.

“Dam… really?” Peb said, panting slightly. He had totally forgotten to breathe during all of that.

“Yeah—ah!—what a time to have it…”

The otter leaned back down. “Want another?”

“Ye—mmm!” Kura said as Peb planted another kiss. They stayed like that for a while, exploring each other’s mouth while the otter bounced on the sable’s dick. They moaned and gasped as they did so, with Kura’s fingers running up and down Peb’s body. His paws made their way down to Peb’s, which were planted on the bed for support, and slipped his fingers between the otter’s. “It’s okay. I can hold you up.”

“You sure?”

Kura giggled. “Of course!” He dropped his voice’s pitch. “I’m strong!”

Peb laughed and took Kura’s hands, and the two locked fingers as Peb sat upright and continued gyrating his hips. The sable’s hands were so soft. They were so warm. They felt so good, so right to hold. He wanted to squeeze them forever. He looked down and lost himself in the smiling sable’s glistening eyes. “Have I ever told you that you’re absolutely beautiful?” 

Kura gasped. “I… no, I don’t—”

“You’re absolutely beautiful.”

“P-Peb…” Kura said, the corners of his mouth quivering. “No one’s ever told me that…”

Peb smiled and leaned down once again. “Well, I am.”

“Oh, I love you, Peb…”

“I love you too, cookie,” Peb said. This time, there was no laughter. Just warm, affectionate smiles as they gazed into each other’s eyes. They continued like this for a little while, the both breathing hard as the exertion of sex slowly took its toll on them. Peb noticed the sable breathing slowly growing more strained. Was he getting close? He wanted to make this as perfect as he could for his boyfriend—not just because he loved him, but because he wanted everything the sable had. Everything. He had an idea. “Hey… you want a better view?”

“Huh?”

“Let me show you,” Peb said as he dismounted the sable, his hole trying and failing to cling on to the cock as it slipped out. He spun around, pointing his ass toward Kura’s face, then lowered himself back on to the slick length. He grinded back and forth for a moment before leaning forward and placing his hands on Kura’s thighs, using them as leverage as he pushed himself up, letting the sable’s cock almost fall out of him, before slamming his plush, fuzzy ass onto his boyfriend’s hips. 

“Augh!” Kura said, grunting as the otter bottomed out.

Peb swung his head around. “Hey, everything good?”

Kura laughed. “Your tail whacked my chest.”

Peb smiled and swung his thick tail to the side. “Sorry, you okay?” 

“It’s alright… didn’t hurt—ah!” Kura said as Peb lifted off again. 

The otter continued riding the sable, and the room was filled with the sound of groans, gasps, and wet smacks.

“Ah… god, it’s so hot… watching it go in and out,” Kura said. 

Peb wiggled his hips and continued bouncing. His thighs were sore and tired, but the pleasure coursing through his body gave him the energy to push on. Ecstasy filled him every time his ass met the sable’s hips. His whole body tingled, a harbinger of his impending climax. But he’d resist. No, it had been too long. Too long since he took his last load. Too long since he took Kura’s. He wanted to feel his boyfriend’s—no—his lover’s cock pulsing as it seeded and filled his hole. He wanted to feel the cum sloshing around inside of him, drooling out of his hole. And right on cue, Kura, as he so often was, was there to fulfill his wishes.

“Oh… oh, Peb… I’m… I’m…”

Peb’s fur prickled with excitement. He gritted his teeth and rode faster, despite his legs screaming and burning, begging him to stop. “You’re what?” Peb went back into his deep voice. “You’re gonna cum?”

“Ah! Y-yeah…”

“Gonna breed me?”

Kura’s voice was reduced to a breathy, high-pitched squeak. “Peb… oh, Peb…”

“Gonna give me that one week load?”

“Fuck!” Kura thrust into the air, forcing his cock as deep as he could as Peb slammed down onto the sable.

“Yeah… fill me up,” Peb said, frantically jerking his cock as he grinded his hips against the sable. “Give me every last drop… don’t let any spill out.” He continued moving his hips back and forth as Kura thrashed and squealed beneath him, seemingly losing control of his body. The sable’s thighs quavered under the otter’s paws as his cock, buried to the hilt, spewed its seed deep into his boyfriend. And Peb felt it. He felt the powerful throbbing. He felt the cum slide down his walls. He felt his whole body shake as Kura spasmed beneath him. And fuck, he loved it.

Gradually, the shaking stopped. The room, so noisy just moments ago, fell silent but for the heavy panting of one very satisfied sable.

“Peb… oh Peb… I love you…” Kura said, panting. “That was the most wonderful thing I’ve… wait, you didn’t cum?”

“I’m so close… can you reach your phone?” Peb said, his arm still shaking up and down. He was trying so hard to keep his orgasm at bay. It was a battle he would not win for much longer.

“Huh? Maybe...” Kura said. 

Peb looked over his shoulder at the sable, who was extending his arm toward the nightstand. Kura touched the tip of his middle finger to his phone, and after a few flicks of the wrist, managed to move it close enough to grab. 

“Got it… what did you want?”

“Start recording. I wanna see your cum leak out.”

Kura gasped. “O-oh… okay. There, ready when you are.”

Peb leaned forward and pushed off. The sable’s semi erect cock slurped out, and almost instantly, a wet gush of cum followed. Peb reached back, spread his ass cheek, and pushed, and more cum ran out, sliding down his thighs and scrotum.

Kura moaned. “Holy… did… did I actually cum that much? This is so hot…”

“Fuck yes…” Peb said, pushing until he no longer felt anything leak out. He spun around and looked at Kura. His torso was a mess. There was cum all over his dick, his balls, his pubis… just everywhere. “Oh my god dude. You were so fucking pent up.”

Kura giggled.

Peb crawled over to the night stand, grabbed a piece of tissue paper, and pushed it against his anus before flopping down next to his boyfriend. “Okay, let me see it,” he said as he stroked his dripping cock.

Kura swiped the screen, pulling up the video. “There, ready when you are,” past Kura said. 

Peb jerked as he watched the semi-erect cock flop out of his ass. Thick, heavy blobs of clingy white cum followed, pouring out of his hole, leaving dangling strands as they dropped onto the sable. His anus twitched and contracted as more gushed out. The video was longer, but Peb didn’t see it. He moaned loudly, barely managing to say “I’m gonna,” before he threw his head back and let out a guttural noise. His whole body tingled with pleasure as his orgasm took over, but just before he blew, he felt a wet warmth on the tip of his length. He craned his neck forward just enough to see Kura leaning over him, lips wrapped around the top half of his dick. And that did it. He shouted out, his whole body bucking and convulsing as he shot straight into his boyfriend’s mouth. A jolt ran through his body with each swirl of the sable’s tongue as his cock continued to pulse and fire its load. He was seeing stars. Forget that fucking zebra—this was the best orgasm of his life. Every part of his body felt like it was acting independently, the euphoria overwhelming his brain’s ability to coordinate his limbs. All the while, Kura’s tongue continued to twirl around his jumping cock, until at long last, nothing more came out. The otter was reduced to a twitching mess on the bed as he gasped for air. He felt  one last wave of sensation as the sable’s lips slid up and off his shaft, which flopped against his torso without the mouth to hold it in place.

Kura sat back up and locked eyes with Peb before slowly opening his mouth. He stuck his curled tongue half-way out, the otter’s cum pooled up on it. “Aaaah!” he said, like a child at the dentist.

“Oh shit…” Peb said, his voice uneven and jumpy. “What… what are you gonna do with that?”

The sable’s tongue curled back and retracted into his mouth, and then he tilted his head back and loudly gulped. “Mmmm… you’re delicious…” Kura said, opening his mouth half way and licking his lips with his now-clean tongue. “I put some in you, you put some in me… it’s only fair, right?”

“Damn… I didn’t know you were into that.” 

Kura giggled. “Honestly? I didn’t know either. But when you started cumming, it just… felt like the right thing to do.”

“It was hot, man… just don’t expect me to do it to you.” Peb rolled over onto his side and raised his ass to Kura, his tail swishing back and forth. “As long as I’m around, it doesn’t go anywhere else.”

“Ummm… the tissue is still stuck to your butt…”

“Oh, god damn it.” Peb reached back, pulled it off, and tossed it at the garbage pail in the corner of the room, which he missed by about six feet. Groaning, he rolled off the bed and picked it up, gently dropping it into the bin. He looked back at Kura, who was covering his mouth with his hand and shaking gently.

“You’re so silly, honey,” he said, his words trembling with subtle laughter. He looked down at the sticky mess covering his lower body. “Good thing I needed a shower anyway…”

“I took one while you were sleeping, but, uh, well,” Peb said, twisting around and looking at the fur matted around his thighs.

Kura pushed himself off the bed. “This is all your fault,” he said, pointing at his torso. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Peb grinned. “Hey, it’s your cum. You’ll figure something out,” he said as he sauntered out of the room.

“H-hey! Wait up!” Kura said, laughing as he chased the otter. The sound of water filled the hallway, and the two gently washed the other, removing all signs of their lovemaking. When they were done, they took turns blow-drying each other, until Peb was dry and Kura looked more like a stuffed toy.

Peb snickered, rubbing his hand through his boyfriend’s golden chest fluff. “God, you’re so fuzzy.”

Kura smiled and walked back toward the bedroom. “We can’t all have hydrophobic fur.”

Peb followed the sable, who walked over to the window and threw open the curtain. Light coated the room, and the otter fell backwards onto the bed, sighing as he bounced against the luxurious mattress. “God, this is so comfy.” He expected to feel a whump next to him, and when it didn’t come, he looked up at Kura, who was staring out the window, his fingers clasped and held against his chin. “Cookie? What’s up?”

“So, you really like it here?” Kura said, not making eye contact.

“Dude, I love it here. Everything is so nice.”

Kura’s mouth moved slowly, as though trying to form words, but failing to produce any sound. He licked his lips, swallowed, and took a deep breath. “How… attached are you… to your current place?”

Peb’s entire torso seized up. The only time he was the smartest guy in the room was when he was alone, but he immediately caught Kura’s implication. He sighed, almost scared to answer. “It’s… a roof. It keeps me warm and dry, I guess.”

Kura whispered something that Peb couldn’t hear.

The otter pushed himself off the bed and stepped next to the sable. He stared into those deep, dark eyes, which shone as a ray of morning sunlight fell across Kura’s face. Peb reached forward and guided the sable’s hands into his own. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“I just said…” Kura said, slowly and quietly, “that my roof can keep you warm and dry too…”

Peb closed his eyes. Was this happening? “That’s true…”

“And, well… um, if you… ah, never mind.” The sable tried to turn away, but Peb tensed his arms and kept him in place.

“No, no. I want to hear it.”

“Well, I mean… you’re right. All this nice stuff I have… it is a lot for one guy, isn’t it? But… but I think… that it’s just right for two.”

Peb pulled Kura against his chest. Their hearts pounded against each other as their bodies pressed together, and Peb’s mind raced for an answer. His instinct was to make a joke—oh, inviting me to live with you after the first date?—or perhaps to give an aloof, detached reply, but as he felt the sable’s warm, soft paws against his own, he knew there was only one thing he could say.

“It’s perfect for two.”