Predilection
Chapter Two: Meeting Grounds
a tale by corey j.
Tobias had a very busy morning - he had four appointments before lunch, and could not seem to keep up with them with so much on his mind. Although, he had to admit: most of what he was pondering was quite exciting. Jesse was having a baby! he thought. She's going to have a little lion cub...he hoped he would have opportunities to play with it. He spent the evening with Jesse the night before, and he convinced her that the best thing she could do was tell her boyfriend. That way, if he gets scared off, she can start planning accordingly. Of course he didn't, however (who would ever want to leave Jesse?), and it was revealed that at the end of the summer he was planning on proposing to her anyways. So things worked out there, but he knew that there's still quite a bit ahead of the two of them. For the three of them, for that matter.
He pondered all of this in addition to his fascination with Oliver, who seemed to consume his thoughts more often than not. Tobias wanted quite badly to see him again, but lunchtime would not come fast enough. He absent-mindedly spotted a giraffe on the weight bench, pressed his paw on the tummy of an alligator on an aerobics ball, and held a stopwatch while a cheetah did push-ups. His mind simply was not with him, and apologized such to each of his clients at the end of their appointments.
By the time lunch finally did arrive, he had made a resolution. He was going to tell Oliver that he was gay. It was no use avoiding it; he had to do it. Preferably before the football game, so that he didn't have to guess at passes - and not the ones thrown on the field, either.
He grabbed his towel and thrust it eagerly into his gym bag. He slid it under the desk in his office, and hopped around his chair before scurrying out the door.
He got to the deli where they agreed to meet, and he got a water - he told himself that he'd better rehydrate himself before meeting with him, but he really wanted to wait to order until Oliver arrived. While he waited, he daydreamed of Oliver...he could not wait to sink into the striking blue eyes that he had, and wanted so bad to just watch them observe everyday things. An almost voyeuristic fantasy, but a comparably innocent one. His floppy black ears were almost ridiculously snuggly, and the glasses behind his nose were more than complimentary. They were frameless with clear nose-pads; they didn't have the illusion of floating atop his muzzle, rather than quietly accentuating. His arms were painted with occasional torrent of black, and were respectively large for an office worker, and in no way was the rest of him scrawny...and he hoped that some other aspects of him were just as inviting... Just as his mind began wandering towards more impotent thoughts, there was a ring of the bell above the deli's door. In walked Oliver, silhouetted against the yellow light flooding the outdoors. As Tobias watched, Oliver let the door close behind him, he examined the tables and until he found Tobias. He smiled cheerily and waved. Tobias got up to join him in the quite short lunch line.
"Hey! How are you?" Oliver said around his grin.
"I'm really good! You?"
"I'm good, too. Work was boring. I couldn't wait to get to my lunch hour. I'm starving! How was your morning?"
"Long. Heh. I had a busy morning, and I couldn't seem to focus on my clients. A lot is going on in my life right now. Well, no...that's not true. My best friend Jesse is having a baby, and that's really exciting, but it's not really deterring from my life...something else is, though."
"Oh?" They both arrived to the sneeze-guard-plated buffet where they instructed the employees of the deli how they wanted their sandwiches constructed. After which they got their drinks. "Which friend? That lioness that I saw you with the other day, or someone else?" Oliver asked hopefully.
"Yeah, that was Jesse. We've been through a lot together, and her and her boyfriend are getting married this Christmas. It's really exciting for her."
When Tobias turned his back to Oliver while heading to a seat, Oliver did a small happy dance, nearly splashing his drink. He was overcome with excitement, and could hardly contain himself with the news that the lioness was a friend, and taken by someone else. He nearly toppled the Coke on his tray, however, and quickly regained his composure as he followed Tobias to the booth.
"So, what did you say was deterring from your life? Didn't you say that something was earlier?"
"Yeah...uh, listen. I have to be honest about something with you, or else things might get really messed up later, and I really don't want that. There's something about me that you may or may not know, and I sort of hope it's true about you, too. Although it's totally cool if you aren't! I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, but - "
"Just say it." Oliver was grinning.
"I'm gay."
Oliver leapt across the table, knocking over his Coke all over the table, and gave Tobias an enormous hug. Tobias hugged back very confusedly, noting the furiously wagging tail in front of his face. When Oliver let go, he sat back down, tail still thumping against the booth. He got some napkins from the dispenser next to the saltshaker, and started mopping up the spill on the table. He looked up, still grinning. "So am I. And I'm really glad that you are too."
He got up to throw away the soiled napkins, momentarily leaving Tobias alone with his befuddled - but very happy - smile. He couldn't believe that this great of a guy could be that affectionate, and loved the idea that things could develop between them.
Oliver sat back down. "So, about Saturday. You still up to it?"
"Absolutely! I can't wait!" He looked down to see his sandwich missing - only crumbs remained. He was so lost in his adoration of Oliver that he hardly noticed eating it. "Jesse's the friend that's coming. She works with me at the gym, I don't know if I mentioned that before."
"Oh, cool! It's going to be loads of fun. Bart is a riot, and him and I are big sports fans."
"Wait..." Tobias cocked his head. "Didn't you just say...you were gay?"
"Yeah. What, gay guys can't like sports? I love football, and all my friends come to my house on Sundays to watch whoever's playing. I like hockey, too, but there isn't any this year..."
"Oh. Well, that's cool. I never really got into sports, I guess. But football is entertaining enough - I mean, I understand it."
"What about fighting? Isn't that a sport?"
Tobias acquired a very serious demeanor at this question. "Fighting isn't a sport, and never will be to me. I fight for protection against those who think that killing me will help the earth become a better place...I got put in the hospital quite a few times in college, and I determined to not let my life be like that. That's when I started taking classes at my gym, and where I met Jesse. She was my personal trainer for two years, and we became very close friends...but that's a story for another time." He took a sip of his drink when he noticed Oliver's rather sullen expression, drooping his ears a bit.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that. I was straight-acting and fast-talking enough to get out of most dangerous situations. It took me a long time to get a group of friends that I'm out to, though." He munched lazily on some chips.
Tobias decided to lighten the mood a little. "Well, hey, how long have you known Bart?"
"Oh, years and years. We go way back...I can't remember how we met specifically - it was so long ago. It seems like forever. He was one of the first people to stand up for me when I first got outed in college. We became roommates and good friends, but moved to different directions after we graduated. I found him at this deli one day, and it turned out that we both moved to the same city. After a few months, we were working together."
"Wow. He sounds like a really good friend."
"Yeah...yeah, he is." A thoughtful silence followed while Oliver finished his sandwich.
Tobias then asked, "So...should I be expecting anything more than just a friendship after Saturday? I mean, are you seeing anyone?"
"Oh, no! Err, no, I'm not seeing anyone. Why? Were you hoping for a goodnight kiss?" Oliver teased, grinning.
"Well, maybe...I mean, I think I'd really like to get to know you better, and perhaps things could grow between us?" Tobias suddenly got a look in his eyes that reflected nothing less than a yearning - a craving for a specific answer.
"I...I'd like that." Oliver's mischievous smile became very sincere and tender.
***
Oliver began his Saturday morning to the unsettlingly loud - albeit, quite triumphant - roars of distorted guitars as his alarm played Parabola by Tool. He started with a fright, from lying on his stomach to being on all fours, back arched and body poised with apprehension on his face.
After forcing himself to relax, he put on his glasses, got out of bed and tentatively played air guitar along with Maynard Keenan on his way to the closet. He stopped midway to strum through the lyrics, which immediately transformed into the almost simplistic melody theme. He rushed over, turned the volume up to as loud as he could without hurting his ears, and then rushed back to the empty space in his room to pose and play. He contorted his body backwards, as if presenting his guitar-wielding awesomeness to the gods, until he fell on his back panting. He wasn't wearing anything throughout this whole ordeal, and his excitement of the song soon gave way to the exciting thoughts of what today had in store for him. He was meeting Tobias. And he liked him. And Tobias liked him back. He imagined himself snuggling close to his large, protective body. He felt sheltered under those imaginary arms, safe from danger. He then realized that he wished for more, of which his plumping sheath notified him. He could hardly wait to sit next to him at the game today, and wondered if he could take him home afterwards...He knew that was less than likely, seeing as it was the first date (if it could be considered a date in the first place). But hey, he thought. I can dream until it happens, right?
He quickly made his bed, and set his alarm for tomorrow, and then set out his clothes on the chair across the room, so he needn't rush after he gave himself some release. After he was satisfied with his actions, he plopped onto his bed.
After getting comfortable, he looked down at his groin. He imagined Tobias' strong paws toying with his sheath as he did so himself. He tugged it at the base with one paw, just below the knot, and massaged his furry sac with the other. He saw his pink tapered tip emerge from the top, and pulled his furry sheath behind his quickly growing knot. He put his cool pads on his shaft and started stroking himself, lubricating his pads with his pre that covered his now erect, canid cock.
"Oh, Tobias..." He could feel orgasm coming closer, and he fantasized about Tobias' body - his warmth, his vigor, and his manhood . . . He took both paws upon his cock at its full size, one squeezing vigorously at his knot, tugging it up and down in rhythm with the paw on the upper shaft, and he felt the wonderful, familiar burning from within his penis - he held it in for as long as he possibly could, letting out a gentle whimper followed by a small, almost pained bark as his seed was released. Thick ropes of doggy cum covered his belly, and the first strand of which just barely reaching his nose. Four intense spurts later, he gave a final squeeze to his cock from base to tip to excrete all remaining fluid, and closed his eyes as it retracted back into his sheath. He looked down at the mess he made all over himself and smiled, thinking of how great the real thing will be. He brought his paws up to his nose and lapped happily at them, cleaning each pad of his sticky juices. He then got up and to his bathroom, where he got a washcloth to clean himself off. He sighed, slightly tired from his release.
After he was clean, he felt invigorated and prepared for his day. Only three hours until the game...
***
Tobias slept in. He always slept late on Saturdays - usually until about lunchtime. But today was different. Instead of the usual noontime slumber, he woke up a whole half hour earlier at 11:30 from sheer excitement of the day. He got out of bed and drudged over to the shower. He took off his socks, and turned on the faucet to allow the water to heat up. After brushing his teeth, he looked himself over in the full-length mirror. A strip of black fur surrounded his cream chest - the same fur that tipped his long ears, tail and all four of his paws. He looked over his torso, and his eyes fell upon his tan sheath and scrotum, whose colour spread all the way between his legs, beneath his body, through the inside of his muscular legs, over his buttocks and on the bottom half of his tail. He was proud of his "work" - he knew that his stature was a trophy of all of the hardships he'd endured throughout school.
He stepped into the bathtub and pulled the plug on the faucet to direct the water to the showerhead. He felt the steamy water pour over his chest, and let his muscles relax under the weight of his wet fur. And then the phone rang.
He rumbled a growl in his chest, and turned off the water. He took a shower last night, and he was fairly clean - he just liked waking up to a shower.
He toweled the top of his head and his legs, and then wrapped the towel around his waist. He trotted to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is Tobias there?"
"This is he."
"Oh, hey, it's Ollie."
"Oh, hi!"
"Hey, do you need a ride to the game today?"
Not if I'm going home with you, he thought. "Uh, no, actually. Jesse's driving. TBarts, though."
"No problem! Should we just meet in the C section?"
"Yeah, sure. It's pretty small, come to think of it, and I'm sure I could find you easily enough. Y'know, with the spots and all." They both giggled excitedly, a little bit of a nervous twinge from both ends.
"Alright, great. I'll see you in a few hours! I'm gonna go get ready to brave the game-day traffic."
"Yeah, I'd better start getting ready, too. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, see you in a bit!"
"Mmkay, bye."
"G'bye."
After they hung up, Tobias hurriedly went to get dressed - he forgot that there would be traffic, and should probably show up at Jesse's pretty soon if he planned on getting there for the kickoff.
***
Bart and Oliver sat in the plastic box seats near the south twenty-yard line.
"Man, these are great seats!" Bart shouted above the noise.
"I know! It's going to be exciting - the games are pretty equally strong in respective areas. Who do you think has the best defense?" The two chatted of team statistics, each providing their own predictions of the outcome of the game. As they chatted, a large figure sat down beside Oliver.
He turned slightly. "Um, I'm sorry, but we're expecting someone in these...Tobias!"
Tobias grinned. "Hiya. Traffic was a bitch on the way here, but we made it in time for the coin toss, it looks like. Oh, Oliver, this is Jesse." He moved aside to let the two shake hands.
"Nice to meet you." Jesse said to Oliver in a surprisingly feminine voice. She gestured towards the larger of the two canines sitting on the other side of Oliver. "And you must be Bart." She shook his paw, too.
"Guilty. It's a pleasure." He flashed his teeth through a big droopy grin. Jesse climbed over the knees of the three to sit by Bart.
"So, do you think they'll hit it off?" She said in a low voice.
"Oh yeah. Ollie was falling head over heels for him when he just saw Toby passing by on the street. Sparks are gonna fly." He looked affectionately at the two chatting. "I can tell."
***
After copious shouting towards the various bounding, pummeling, grunting, sprinting, padded furs, the group tired quickly by the end of the fourth quarter. The score was tied at 37 - 37, and the Oilers had the ball. The four of them were excited, but dark was setting, and the dusk reminded them of their exhaustion.
Bart took note of the tiredness among all of them, and also saw two doggy elbows touching more than nonchalantly. He leaned forward. "Hey, you guys wanna get out of here? I'm getting a little worn out from all this commotion."
"Yeah, I'm pooped. Next time, let's watch the game from home." Jesse said.
"Sure, why not." Oliver looked at Tobias straight in the face. "Wanna come over for a bit?" Oliver grinned wide.
"I'd love to."
Jesse chimed in, "I'll drop you off, Toby."
As they were getting ready to leave, Jesse hugged Bart. "TBarts for a fun time."
Bart smiled over her shoulder. "Anytime, Jess. I had fun, too."
They all dispersed in their respective pairs.
Once in the car, Bart interrogated Oliver.
"So? What did I tell you? You guys are great together! AND he's going to be in your apartment tonight!" Bart could hardly contain his excitement.
"Hey, man, I'm the one taking him home, not you." Oliver teased.
They arrived in front of Oliver's house. He gave a small sigh of relief to see that he beat Tobias there.
"Have fun." Bart continued grinning as Oliver stepped out of the car.
"Sure thing." He smiled back. "TBarts for the ride." He waved as he watched Bart drive off. He went to his doorstep and unlocked his door. His paws were shaking slightly with excitement, and had a little trouble. Once open, though, he immediately dashed about the house, straightening anything that he decided looked out of place. He turned on the TV, sat eagerly on the edge of the couch and searched the guide for some good movies to watch. He was pleased to find his favourite movie of all time was starting in 25 minutes: City of Angels. He switched the TV off, and immediately heard the doorbell ring.