Burdens [Furry BxB]

Chapter 39 - Calm

It was dark outside. The night was still; even the air was stagnant. Was it just calm weather, or would a storm follow?

Roger had been lying beside Hunter. He had not fallen asleep and convinced himself that even if he wanted to, he could not. They had school tomorrow and the wolf needed to get home eventually. Still, it was not too late, as he had checked his watch.

He had his paw on the wolf's chest. He felt the heartbeat under his paw, the rise and fall of the wolf's slow, steady respiration.

He could smell him very strongly, being allowed to be so close. It was intoxicating, or so he thought. He did not want to move from this position, and the thought popped into his head that perhaps he could allow the wolf to stay the night and they could just be in this position, but he extruded the thought. While certainly a possibility, he did not want to be in trouble with the wolf's mother, or even his own parents if they caught them.

He trailed his paw across the wolf's chest and abdomen as if petting him. There was still a shirt, and he wanted to remove it, but he knew that it would be inappropriate.

He could still feel the muscles that hid under the fabric and fur, and he traced his paw across them, counting subconsciously. He took the time to properly examine the wolf's torso in the fashion he had desired, albeit with a shirt as an obstruction. He did not really mind, he figured he could hope for no more than what he currently had.

He looked up at the wolf. His eyes were still closed and he was still breathing softly, so Roger decided that he was still asleep. He moved his paw to the bottom of the wolf's shirt, slipped his paw under it, and then moved it up a bit. He checked periodically to see if the wolf had made any motions to signify that he had woken, but there was nothing.

He rubbed the wolf's belly, moving his paw amidst the fur. It was soft like a plush animal and warm. He moved his paw around in a circle and felt the wolf twitch. He quickly retracted his paw and tried to look inconspicuous.

The wolf had not woken, though, it seemed. Still, it was more risk than what the fox had intended. He returned to put his paw on the wolf's chest, taking a deep breath and then exhaling. It was comfortable and he enjoyed himself much more than he wanted to.

He ached through the entire ordeal, as he wanted so desperately to satisfy its heeding call, but he knew he could not. He forced himself to stifle such thoughts and feelings and relish in what little he could, for he knew not when he would encounter another situation like it.

Roger had been facing Hunter and his body was pressed against the wolf's side. He could feel part of himself swell, but he ignored it. He hoped that the wolf did not wake too soon, at least after he managed to think it away, lest the wolf is able to feel it, as well. Upon thinking this, he turned a bit, shifting onto his back somewhat, so that his region of guilt did not press against his friend.

His gaze had turned downward as he no longer really needed to keep a lookout for the wolf's attention. There were more curves on the body than it appeared when he was standing or sitting. Everything seemed different when he got a closer look.

It was like a landscape, with hills and valleys, but it was covered in cloth. It moved like the land would do through the ages, the ebb and flow of the terrain. It was a living creature that he rested himself against and he took the time to appreciate it, so much that he began to get lost in the existential value of it. He mentally shook it off, though.

He moved his paw back to the wolf's abdomen. It was the dip in the wolf's body, the valley and indent. The foundation like rock, yet covered in a soft blanket. There was a hill on either side, one also like the mountains that would burst and erupt; it grew and shrank, it shuddered, it was the sign of life.

The other hill, the fox assumed to be soft, though he did not know. He took the moment to look at it, noticing that were it a hill, it was a sizeable hill. He wanted to inspect it but refrained. It would only remain in his thoughts, he supposed.

He felt the wolf move. Something had stirred the volcano. It was but an earthquake, and he waited for the aftershock.

The wolf finally had woken and the fox froze. He shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep, but if the wolf had felt any of the movements he had done with his paw, then it was a futile attempt. Still, it would give him some sort of alibi, he figured.

Roger was pulled a bit up the bed so that he was level with Hunter. He was then taken into an embrace.

"Thanks," the wolf said softly. "And I'm sorry, you didn't have to see that."

Asleep or not before, the fox was surely awake now. He patted the wolf's back and said, "It's- it's alright. I'm your friend, after all."

He was released. The wolf nodded and smiled. "Yeah... yeah. You do so much for me, I have to pay you back sometime. Maybe I'll be able to talk to her."

Her? The fox was confused for a moment, but then realized he was referring to Mary. He shook his head, saying, "No, you don't have to do that. I can do it myself, otherwise, it might not even be worth anything."

The wolf nodded. They laid there for a moment in silence, no longer in contact. It was not an awkward silence, but there was just nothing to be said.

After a few minutes, the wolf said, "I probably should get going home. School tomorrow."

Roger nodded in response, but rolled toward the wolf, managing to get an arm around him, embracing him as best as he could. "Yeah, I guess," he said. His voice was muffled somewhat as he had landed in a way nearly burying his face in the wolf.

He could not see but heard the wolf's tail. He smiled in a manner of which the wolf could not observe, and then looked up. Hunter was looking at him, a warm smile on his face.

Roger waved his tail in return meekly. He then asked, "Could we lay like this a little before you leave?"

Hunter nodded. "That would be nice."