Off-Season M.D. Doyle I originally wrote this story a couple of years back for a different character and a different story line. I'm really happy with the improvements that came with rewriting this story and hope that you enjoy it as well! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aiden Rhett hated the off-season. Hated? No, scratch that. He loathed the off-season. Sure, he was lucky to get the position of reserve forward of one of the top basketball teams of the league but it was just way too quiet around the court. He missed the hustle and bustle around the when the season was in full swing and he missed the excitement of the games, between playing them and the energy of the crowd around them. Now everything was just quiet. Too quiet. There were weekly meetings, yes, but they were short and just touched base on a couple of things for the next season. There was practice, of course but, for the most part? There was no excitement in them anymore, except for the last one in which management had told Aiden that they wanted him to be “the voice of Long Beach” for their weekly Pangolin Podcast. He would be perfect, they told him. He would be the voice that would embody all of the fans and the culture that the Long Beach Pangolins basketball franchise brought to the city. They seemed to have forgotten that the raccoon was originally from Boston and had a thick accent to boot. This, of course, would be a problem if they tried to make him an “authentic” voice of southern California. That plan was scrapped as soon as they remembered. Then again, Aiden thought, a pangolin really didn’t embody the culture of California either. He missed being out on the road, traveling in the bus if the distance was short, flying when the Pangolins were playing games. He missed the energy in the locker room of getting ready for a game and the excitement on being on the court itself. Even though he had been playing for the Pangolins for the last five years of his life, every game gave him butterflies in his stomach as if it was like his first. That was during the season Now his nights just generally consisted of coming home after practice or appearances or whatever. He would cook up some sort of dinner or another, before flopping in front of the air conditioner. Even though he had lived in Long Beach for fifteen years now, he never really got used to the heat. It wasn't that he didn't have any friends. There were a few guys from the team that he would go out drinking with, from their invitations of course, but by the end of the night he would still end up home alone in his apartment, sipping down a few beers. Dating? Dating was completely out. Sure. He spent a few months with an ermine but between all the games and travel, they saw each other maybe a total of three weeks. The mustelid just couldn’t deal with how busy Aiden was and how passionate he was about the Pangolins. Aiden really couldn’t blame him. He had a feeling that the ermine was just trying to be able to boast that he was dating a professional basketball player. Hook ups? They happened now and then, more than Aiden really wanted to admit. There was a certain bar down on fourth that he would slip in some nights that there wasn’t a game. He’d settle up on a barstool, order a few drinks, catch the eye of another patron and, before he knew it, he was either on his knees in the stall of the bathroom or back at the other’s place, his paws gripping at the sheets as the fox or horse or bear or whoever pushed into him over and over and over while his imagination wandered to the one person he knew he never had a chance in hell with. Then he’d pay them a few hundred to keep quiet about what went on. Even though he wasn’t a star player on the team, a scandal like that was not something that he really needed. He really hated the offseason. He missed there being plenty of things to do. And he really missed Gregory. Gregory “Hop Shot” Wright a, kangaroo straight from Australia, was one of the newest player on the Pangolins and took the league by storm. The other teammates joked that, even though it was his first year, they looked up to Wright as if he was the captain. Hell, even the captain eagle George Stutes stated that Wright’s attitude was nothing like he had ever seen in a rookie. Cool, calm, and collected, the kangaroo always kept his head up about pretty much everything. Oh sure, he knew he was good, but he never took credit. There was even a joke around the locker room that the team could be down 126-2 at the middle of the fourth quarter and Gregory would still have faith that the team could not only make enough baskets to tie the game, but surpass the other team. He would always thank his entire team and the Pangolin franchise for giving him an opportunity to play in the States whenever he was in the spotlight and the fact that he was as attractive as he was? This happened often. Greg and Aiden became close through his first year to the point that when Aiden wasn’t drinking at that bar on 6th, or out with others, he was drinking with Gregory or just hanging out together. They would sometimes spend hours hoops on the practice court or they would go over to Greg’s place for dinner and video games. It was a crush that made Aiden feel guilty at times. He knew the kangaroo was straight. Hell, he met his wife and joey plenty of times and, honestly, he felt really lucky that he had such a great relationship with the kangaroo and his family. But at least during the season, his mind was constantly active. He had more than enough things to distract him from Greg. The team’s forum was always active, though. He had to be thankful for that. Most of his time now was spent on the website where he answered questions, made comments here and there, and encouraged everyone to keep cheering, brush off the loss in the Playoffs, and get ready for the 2012-2013 season. He always felt a sense of pride in knowing that he was the link between the fans and the Pangolins. He smiled as yet another fan posted a question, this time asking him about his experience when Greg came to his apartment with some remedial chicken soup the last time that he had gotten a head cold. The kangaroo had tweeted about it, complete with a picture of the raccoon with his runny nose and red eyes. "It was an absolutely amazing experience" Aiden typed back. "Hop Shot is truly very generous and really cares about his fans a lot.” He chuckled and blushed slightly as he remembered how he heard the knock at his front door, having just stepped out of the shower in a feeble attempt to unclog his nose. Not knowing who it was, what they were there about, or really caring at that point, he just threw on a pair of boxers for decency and answered it. Thank goodness for his need of decency. He, in his Pangolins boxers with his fur still dripping wet, his eyes bloodshot and puffy and nose constantly sniffling, had opened the door to find the kangaroo from the aforementioned team standing there with a couple of containers of chicken soup that his wife had made once she heard the news that Aiden was ill. He remembered how the kangaroo just laughed it off as the raccoon scampered back into his bedroom, calling out for Wright to make himself at home. "It was a day that I'll never forget. My hero." It didn't take too long for him to answer as much of the threads that he could and then work on updating the website; discussing how the Summer Hoops clinics for kids were wrapping up and how he would be at the opening of a Mick's Sporting Goods location in Long Beach. Before long, it was time for him to head home. During the offseason, after work, he had the nights to himself. Now almost every night, he went to the beach. If it wasn't the beach, or Greg’s house, it was the bar. Tonight was the beach. Tonight, he just wanted to swim. Being that it was in the middle of tourist season, it took him awhile to find a quiet alcove. He had changed in the office before hand so he left his backpack on the beach and waded in before he dove into water. He bobbed for a moment as he broke the surface and glanced at the horizon. The pattern continued for awhile; dip, bob, tread, splash, swim a couple of laps, dart into the waves, look at the horizon, dive, see how long he could hold his breath under water, crawl stroke, back stroke, butterfly stroke, look to the horizon. At one point he left the comfort of the waves and made his way back onto the beach to his backpack. He pulled his towel out and shook himself dry before he placed it on the sand. He pulled a wrapped sandwich from his bag and some soda that he bought from the local sandwich shop on his way from the office before he settled down on his towel and waited. For fifteen years he'd lived in Long Beach and the sunsets never ceased to amaze him. It was the only thing he liked about the city when he first moved there. Tonights night's show was no different and a smile came across his muzzle as he watched the reflection of the sun dance and shimmer on the water. He watched the sky turn magnificent shades of oranges, yellows, and purples as the sun made its descent. He looked around and frowned. There was no one around, really. He bit his lower lip then slid his paw down to the crotch of his swim trunks. He teased himself, at first, pressing his paw into his groin as he ground up against it, his eyes darting this way and that to make sure that he was truly alone. He had never done anything like this before but, this time, this time he really couldn’t wait until he got home. The thought of doing something like this out in the open excited him even further. The raccoon undid his trunks and wiped his paws on the towel before he wrapped his fingers around his red shaft. Last thing he needed then was sand on his paw while doing that. He closed his dark brown eyes as a low groan slipped from his muzzle. His mind went to his usual fantasy, how he and Greg would have one too many drinks after a game on the road at the hotel bar. How they would go back to the hotel room that they shared together. How Aiden would just lean in and playfully kiss the roo’s muzzle. How the kangaroo wouldn’t kick his ass in return and, instead, how Greg would grab the raccoon and deeply kiss him. He sighed as his head dropped back slightly. His paw moved faster up and down his leaking cock as he imagined the roo’s paws sliding along his body. He imagined how powerful Greg’s thrusts would be with his strong legs that would propel the marsupial on the court, hitting dunk after dunk. He brought his fingers to his muzzle and licked away his own clear slightly salty fluid from his paw, his nose and whiskers twitching as he breathed in the musky scent of his own arousal before he gripped his cock once more. He stroked himself faster, tightening his grip around his throbbing shaft, more pre flowing onto his fingers. His free paw gripped the towel under him as he began to thrust his hips up into his fist. In his mind, it was Greg’s paw pumping him as he fucked him from behind and, with that thought, and a loud moan, he reached his much needed climax, his swollen cock twitching in his grip as his load covered his lower stomach. He panted heavily as he wipe his sticky paw on the towel and quickly pulled his shorts up. The beach was empty but he still wasn’t going to take any risks. After there was nothing more to watch of the sunset and the stars filled the night sky, he would go home to his apartment, wash the salt and the sand from his fur, down a couple of beers and go to sleep. It was the same schedule he had every day when the Pangolins weren't playing. Aiden Rhett really hated the offseason. It reminded him how alone he truly was.