Snake 1

(Cover fan art by MayceeMouse :)) 

Kicking his feet, Pyre leaned back on one of the brick pillars behind the school. It was chilly, somewhere around forty or so, but he didn’t mind the cold. It kept him awake enough to smoke a few cigarettes while he skipped class. Tugging his hood farther over his eyes, he pressed his lips tighter over his cigarette and took in a nice, long drag. 

Before he could exhale it through his nose, however, the cancer stick had been snatched from his mouth. 

Darn you, Fox. 

Grumbling, he slowly sat up and looked down and to the side. There he was, the cigarette-stealing, shapeshifting, adorable-as-fuck guy who he’d found in a random classroom months ago. He’d been sitting by himself with one of the cafeteria’s shitty pepperoni pizzas in front of him. 

Unfortunately for him, the guy was one-hundred percent off limits now. He had no interest in fighting his two boyfriends, and then there were the adoptive parents… 

Yeah, nope. 

The kid stuck around, however, and slowly, he’d grown on him. He watched as the guy stomped out his cigarette, then ran over to a trash can to dispose of the butt before returning with a beaming smile. 

“More morning sex?” Pyre asked, already knowing what the answer would be. 

The guy had never done it before finally banging one of his boyfriends a month or so ago. After that… yeah. He also had no filter, so Pyre knew quite a bit more than anyone would ever care to about another person’s stamina and other… bits. 

It really didn’t bother him, though. 

When Fox nodded, Pyre chuckled and slid down from the long pillar. He landed with ease, then straightened right into a tight hug from Fox. He gave the guy a few moments before poking him in the belly enough times to make him release him. 

He seemed to have this second sense about when he was feeling like shit, but he really wasn’t the affectionate type, unless it was the physical kind where the other person was on their back or knees. 

“Don’t worry, Pyre. One day you will find a person.” 

One day? I don’t plan to be around that much longer.

Instead of dampening the mood, he reached up and mussed up Fox’s hair, then nudged him back toward the school. 

“Get going. I know that you’re close to graduating. You’ve been working hard, don’t slip up now.” 

Thankfully, the guy never pried. He simply offered him a warm smile and then turned and ran, disappearing around the corner a moment later. 

Fishing another cigarette out of his pocket, Pyre set it between his lips but didn’t bother lighting it as he began walking toward the forest that bordered the school. He could hear kids yelling far off in the distance. 

Maybe I’ll have myself some fun today, after all. 

It took him a few minutes to find the boys, and another one to realize what they were actually doing. 

Really? Trying to kill a snake? 

It was a pretty big one, too. 

“Hey!” he yelled, immediately getting the attention of the five guys that were surrounding the curled up reptile. 

“Fuck off, hot head!” one of them yelled. 

Funny enough, they had once been his friends, but the nick name was established after they realized that he was unstable in most situations. He coveted the rare times he was able to go see his mother, and she would always cook for him. Making extra for his lunch the next day. She never said anything about the tattoos and cigarettes. Every time he’d walked through her doorway, she’d wrap him in a tight hug and immediately ask him what he wanted for dinner and show him the new hoodie or other clothing item she’d bought him. 

He truly did love her… but that love wouldn’t keep him walking for much longer. The times he could make the trip to her home were becoming fewer and further in between. 

They had tried to take the lunch his mother had made him once. That was all it had taken for him to give the entire group matching black eyes and bruised bodies. It had happened in the woods, away from the cameras at the school, so he’d only been sentenced to a month of detention, but that had been the day that he’d decided he didn’t need friends. 

But then he somehow grew closer with that Fox kid. 

The guy had been the only one deserving of sharing his mother’s cooking with. Too bad he was taken so quickly. 

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Pyre jumped down, smirking as the three closest boys immediately jumped back and put up their fists. Instead of taking the same stance, Pyre looked down at the snake now at his feet. He nudged it with one of his worn out, dirty, dark red shoes. It shook its rattle at him and hissed, but he had no fear of it. If it bit him, he’d leave the world a little earlier than planned. 

“Come at me, you worthless assholes,”  he said as he kept his eyes on the snake, which had tilted its head up higher, as if trying to get a better look at its foul-mouthed hero. 

None of them dared move, though. It was no surprise. He was standing right next to an agitated rattlesnake. He’d also beaten the crap out of every single one of them, at the same time, the last time they’d tried to gang up on him. 

After a few minutes of contemplation, the boys decided to get lost. It was a wise move, but Pyre had honestly hoped that at least one of them wanted to fight. Sighing, he dropped down into the leaf litter and reached over, poking the snake on its nose. 

“Boop, stupid snake.” 

The snake sneezed, then unhinged its jaw, flashed its fangs, then shut it again as it straightened the slightest bit higher. 

“You know, if you had just bitten one of them they would have all run off like sissies,” Pyre mumbled as he poked the snake’s snout again. “Even if you hadn’t used any venom.” 

The snake tilted its head to one side, then coiled back up. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to waste my time on a dry bite, either. If you’re going to bite, mean it,” Pyre said as he reached forward and picked up the large snake. 

If he had to guess, he’d put it at about eight pounds. Settling it in his lap, he grinned down at it and poked its nose for a third time. 

“You’re a pretty well fed snake. I almost want to bring you back to the house to bite my dad, but with my luck he’d just kill you before you can attack. Wouldn’t want that.” 

Flopping down onto his back, Pyre sighed up at the sky. Storm clouds were beginning to gather, which meant that sleeping in the woods wouldn’t cut it. He really didn’t want to go, but being sick sucked, so he pushed himself back up, then stood after setting the snake aside. 

“Well, it’s been nice, but I need to go find somewhere to sleep before it starts raining.”

He started walking away, but after a few moments he stopped and looked over his shoulder. 

You’re following me? 

“I don’t have anything for you. Hell, I don’t even have anything for myself. Dad beat my ass yesterday when he saw me try to take something from the fridge that he wanted… which was everything, considering that there was only two pieces of bologna and a slice of tomato for a sandwich that we had no bread for.” 

He turned back around and began walking as his eyes scoured the area. 

“Maybe I can find some berries nearby…” 

With that thought, he set out over fallen logs and through thick brush. He’d been walking for about five minutes when he had to stumble over the snake he’d just rescued to keep from stepping right on it! Landing in a pile of damp, dead leaves, Pyre glared at the reptile behind him. 

“I said I don’t have anything, you dumb snake, get lost,” he growled as he got back up and brushed off his pants. 

The reptile flicked its tongue several times before looking to the side and slithering in that direction. Pyre thought that it was finally going to leave when he noticed it stop by an old, overgrown path. 

“What?” 

It looked at him, then toward the path, then back to him again. 

Wait a minute. You seem like you want me to follow you… but then that would make you… 

“You’re a fucking shifter?” he asked, annoyed. 

The snake rattled its tail once, as if to say bingo, you got it , then turned and began slithering onto the old trail. 

“Hey! You seriously can’t be a shifter,” Pyre said as he hurried to fallow. “If you were, why didn’t you just change and beat the crap out of those guys that were bullying you? Are you a tiny kid, maybe? Handicap? Suck at fighting?” he asked, not caring that he was getting no answers. 

He followed the snake for about ten minutes before his feet came to a halt in front of a massive blackberry bush. 

“Jackpot!” he yelled, honestly excited as he ran forward and began pulling blackberries off of the plant after tucking away his unused cigarette. “I thought it was already too cold to see any, but these look delicious!” 

He made short work of every berry he could reach, then spent the next half hour trying to get to the rest. By the time he’d finished his mission, his stomach was surprisingly full. He turned to see the snake staring up at him, its tongue flicking out to taste the air lazily. 

“Thanks for showing me this. Didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Pyre said with a chuckle as he licked juice from his lips. 

He turned back to the bush after a moment, frowning when he noticed that he’d eaten every single berry. There probably wouldn’t be anymore until after winter, either. 

“Well, having a full stomach is better than nothing. Used to going hungry anyway, so those berries should at least last me a full day or so,” he said, shrugging before turning back to the snake… only to find it missing. 

He hadn’t expected it to stick around in general, so after a few moments of looking for it, he wiped off his mouth and began heading back toward the school. As he walked, he swore he could feel eyes on him, but each time he looked behind himself, there was nothing. No snake, and definitely no person. 

You won’t see it again, and there’s no one following you. 

Shaking his head, Pyre fished the cigarette he’d tucked away earlier from his pocket and put it between his lips. 

Time to go find a covered bench to sleep on before the good ones are all taken. 

(Not too sure what I want to do with this story yet, but figured I’d put a starting chapter out while I think about it. That includes whether it’s mxm or mxmxm)

Snake 2

The rain came a little faster than he’d expected. By the time Pyre had returned to the school building to grab his tattered backpack over by where he’d left it, it was already starting to drizzle. A chilly wind was also whipping his thin jacket as the storm blew in, making him hurry toward the bus station. It wasn’t his first choice, but it was the closest. 

He ran the last two blocks, stepping beneath the large overhang right as the sky opened up completely. Several of the benches were already taken by sleeping drunks or the homeless, but there were quite a few left, too. 

Walking over to a free one, he set his bag at the end to use as a pillow, then moved to lie down. He considered changing into his one spare pair of clothing he had with him, but decided against it since he hadn’t gotten too wet. 

Pretty soon, he was out cold. 

Unfortunately, his peace was short lived. Someone had touched his hair… and that was a big no-no. He swung his left arm up and grabbed the person’s own hair with a vise-like grip, not giving a shit about the pained grunt he heard as he used his meager weight to throw them off balance. The person fell partially on top of him and partially off the bench, but he’d gotten what he’d needed… which was his other arm hooked beneath their neck in a chokehold. 

While his reflexes were nearly perfect, his mind was still taking a few moments to comprehend the situation. In that time, the person leaning against him slowly changed, in both body shape and weight. In fact, it didn’t stop until his mind cleared, his eyes blinking away the fog of confusion to reveal the snake now coiled up on top of his right arm. 

“It’s you again…” 

The snake seemed to give him a frustrated look before it slowly began descending to the ground. There, Pyre noticed a set of clothing and a pair of shoes. 

“Oh, shit. You really are a person,” he said as he hurried to his feet and gathered up their items. 

He easily deduced that it was a guy, judging from the style and size of the clothing, but besides that, he didn’t have too much too much to go on. Nor did he really care to dig about, except… he quickly found the man’s wallet in the back pocket of the pair of black jeans. After taking a glance at the address on the license there, he tucked it into his own pocket, then stuffed the rest of the guy’s things into his backpack. Finally, once everything was put away, he picked up the remaining shoes, and the snake, then began heading for the address since the rain had slowed down a bit. 

“I’m not sure how you found me, but you really should be careful waking someone up who’s sleeping outside. They’ve seen some things… and had to deal with other things. It’s not a smart idea.” 

The snake had wandered its way upward and ended up coiled around Pyre’s neck as he spoke. The few people that were actually out and about, with umbrellas, of course, all gave him a wide berth with horrified expressions. 

“Stupid people afraid of you. Even if you were just a regular snake, there’s rarely anything to worry about… at least when you don’t give a shit about life,” Pyre said with a laugh toward the end. 

The snake didn’t seem interested in laughing with him, so he quickly shut his mouth. 

After about eight blocks he knelt down and fished out the coat the man had been wearing. It was made of heavy leather and lined with faux fur. It also swallowed his frame, but that was no surprise. He could stand to gain about twenty or thirty pounds, but again, no reason to bother. Food wasn’t something that was easily accessible. 

Of course, he’d visited the local food bank a few times, but his father had beaten him for taking such handouts. He also ate the extra sandwich he’d brought home from it afterward, too. 

He thought about going again and just making sure to eat it all there, but his stomach was still surprisingly full from the berries, and he still had to get Snaky home. 

His attention turned at that point to the snake that had coiled itself a little closer against his skin once he’d zipped up the jacket. He had no doubt that it was uncomfortable in such dreary weather, which was why he was taking it home instead of leaving it where it had shifted. 

It took them about an hour and a half to get his new scaly friend back. 

“Don’t suppose I could just set you and your stuff in your mailbox and hightail it the hell out of here, could I?” he asked, completely serious. 

He’d stopped at one of the priciest condo buildings in town. 

“I’m sure they’re heated. Because you clearly have the money to do that,” he said even as he stepped inside the main entrance. To no one’s surprise, the guard at the front immediately walked up to him with a fake smile. 

“Excuse me, young man. How can I help you?”

Well, if you really want to know, I’ll take fifteen sandwiches, a pair of new shoes, and some brass knuckles. 

“I came to see Fen. He’s one of your residents.” 

He’d thought about just showing the guy the man’s I.D., but then that would have likely opened a very prison-esk can of worms. 

The man eyed him suspiciously, and then backed up a few extra feet when he noticed the snake around his neck. He watched as the guy walked over to a phone and dialed three numbers as he glanced back at him. 

Right. I probably look like a lunatic. 

Sighing, he quickly hurried from the building. After a two block run, he heard a siren heading his direction and quickly ducked into an alley to avoid being seen. He reemerged after a few minutes, and it was no surprise when he looked down the street to see a cop car parked in front of the fancy condo place. 

“I guess you’re coming home to meet my dad, then. Maybe he’ll even have the heater on so you don’t freeze,” Pyre said with a fake cheery tone as he began heading back the way they’d come. 

That walk took them quite a bit longer, mainly because he just really didn’t want to go, but he knew that a snake left out in the cold wouldn’t fair too well. Of course, he could just take it back to the woods, but then he’d have to leave the guy’s stuff out there, too. Considering the fact that the dude hadn’t changed back yet, he didn’t think that was a good idea. 

As they walked, he took out the driver’s license again and took a closer look. 

“Fuck, you’re hot.” 

He also noticed that the guy was the one he’d seen in the ice cream shop one of the days he’d gone with Fox a few months ago. There was no way he’d forget such a hot piece of meat.  

“I don’t really care what your personality is like, but if you ever want to bend over for me, I’ll take care of you,” Pyre said with well-earned cockiness. 

He felt the snake constrict around his neck tighter and quickly backtracked. 

“Not that you have to, or anything. It’s just an offer. I’ve heard from quite a lot of guys that I’m the best they’ve ever had… and there’s an expiration date on it, so I wouldn’t want you to miss out,” he said with a shrug. 

It took the snake a few moments, but it eventually calmed down and relaxed its hold on him right before Pyre turned into a trashy mobile home park. The front couple were the newest models and tried their best to look presentable, but there was no hiding the partially boarded up windows, caving in roofs and, of course, the decapitated lawn flamingos. 

“Sorry, it’s a little less classy than your place, but I’m sure you’ll hate it just as much as I do,” he said as he walked all the way to the back lot where a disgustingly-dirty, vine-choked immobile home sat partially lopsided and screaming for help. 

Trudging up the steps, Pyre hesitated one last time before reaching for the knob. It fell off in his hand, unsurprisingly. He nonchalantly dropped it and walked inside. He’d hoped that his dad was out, but it was always impossible to tell since he didn’t own a car. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side, but as his drunk ass father stumbled into the main living area from the hall, he was thankfully aware of the little friend he’d brought home with him. 

It didn’t seem to process in his mind exactly what it was, though, considering the look on his face. Just that he shouldn’t run right up to it and start beating on the person carrying it. 

“His name is Snaky,” Pyre said with a fake smile before he darted past his father, taking his chance while the man’s intoxicated brain was still processing the fact that he had a rattlesnake in his house. 

He managed to make it to his room and shut the door before he heard the sound of his father puking up whatever cheap ass alcohol he’d spent his faked disability income on this time. Thankfully, he never dared come into his room anymore. Not since he’d boobytrapped it with a bunch of dirty knives he’d found during the days he hadn’t bothered coming back to the house. 

Speaking of which, he walked around his uneven room, keeping away from the worst of the sagging floor as he reset each of his traps. When that was finally done, he took in a deep breath of stale air, then blew it out as he fell back onto a pile of dirty jackets… also things he’d picked up while wandering the streets. 

He felt the snake make its way farther beneath the coat, and his shirt, before it finally curled up against his belly. The just-barely there flick of its tongue every so often against his skin was an odd sensation, but he didn’t really mind it. 

“If you want any mice, there are a few dead ones in the kitchen corner of the living room. They had been alive, but yeah… can’t live if there’s no food to eat.” 

A muffled rattle was the snake’s response, which made Pyre chuckle lightly, rocking the snake on his belly the slightest bit. 

“We should be good until we have to leave, but I’m thinking that through the window is a viable option when that happens.” 

He was honestly considering never coming back, too. The streets weren’t that bad, and he could take care of himself. He’d also be able to eat at the food pantry whenever he wanted.

Just the thought of it sounded so relaxing. He’d also be able to live in an area closer to his mother’s house so that he could perhaps visit a little more often. Of course, he didn’t want to intrude on her amazing new family, but one day a month or so, just maybe, he could walk through her door and into a hug.  

Those thoughts, and the added weight of his new scaly friend, lulled him to sleep in no time.

Snake 3

The faint touch against his hair yanked Pyre out of his slumber faster than a three-thousand alarm clocks ever could. He had someone pinned beneath him before his eyes were even open. His muscles were tense, ready to attack, because simply defending himself didn’t usually work against his father, but when he blinked his blurry eyes, clearing his vision, he realized that it hadn’t been his father that had touched him.

“Snaky…” he whispered, accidentally using the nickname he’d given his new snake friend instead of his real name. 

The man beneath him stared up at him with calm eyes, but there was something else there that Pyre couldn’t quite read. He wasn’t given much time to consider it, either, because he soon found himself at a loss for words, or any other general reaction, when the man lifted his arm and pressed a finger to his nose… then slowly pushed it until Pyre found himself off balance, fumbling backwards with his arms waving as a surprised yelp left his lips. 

As he regained himself, then hurried to his feet, Pyre noticed that the other man was already up and staring at him with his arms crossed over his chest. His expression didn’t seem upset, though. He just seemed to be waiting for something. 

I’m guessing that he’s not wanting what I’m wanting, but then why is he staring at me like that? 

He crossed his own arms over his chest before he realized what Fen was staring at. 

I’m still wearing his expensive jacket. 

Pyre quickly shrugged off the clothing and offered it to the taller man with a nervous smile. 

“Sorry, I totally forgot I was wearing it.” 

Fen reached forward and took the coat, but hesitated putting it back on. 

Does it smell weird? I swear I took a shower two days ago when dad wasn’t home… and I definitely used deodorant this morning. 

The man lifted the coat slightly, eyeing it for a moment before looking over it toward Pyre again. He did that several more times before pursing his lips and swinging the coat forward. 

Pyre immediately became defensive, but he managed to hold his fists back just enough to realize that the man wasn’t intending to use the jacket to restrain him, but was just draping it back over his shoulders. 

Alarm bells began going off in the back of his head, but he tamped them down just enough so that he could try to make sense of the situation without jumping to conclusions. 

He watched the man’s expressions change over the time they stared at each other. Several of them he could figure out. Curiosity, confusion, displeasure, and of course, judgement, but there were quite a few others things mixed in there, as there had been previously, that he couldn’t put his finger on. 

The awkward tension finally broke, however, when Fen looked toward his partially-broken door with several fist-sized holes punched in it at different heights and angles, then looked over toward the dirty window opposite it. 

Guessing his silent question, Pyre hurried to the window and grabbed the bottom ledge. After a few good yanks he felt it begin to give, then after two more determined shoves, it slammed upward and got stuck. 

“There we go,” he said, proud that it had only taken him a few tries to get it. The window was finicky as hell and often refused to be opened if it had been shut for any decent amount of time. 

I swear he glues it shut just to fuck with me, but I don’t intend on ever coming back after today, so who cares. 

He hopped up and was about to climb out when he felt strong hands on his waist. They easily tugged him back inside and deposited him on the partially-buckled floor. 

Pyre had a few choice words he wanted to yell at the guy for touching him, again, but he bit his tongue as he watched Fen step up to the small window and carefully maneuver himself out of it. There were a few spots on his left arm that got cut from the broken glass in that area, but he didn’t even seem to notice as he finally disappeared from view, having dropped down to the ground. 

Uh, okay. I guess you can go first… jerk. 

Grumbling, Pyre tucked his arms into the sleeves of his, evidently, new coat, then climbed up again. He was careful not to cut the left arm, but because he made himself stay away from that side, he had to partially fall out of the window. 

Of course, he didn’t mind. There was just mud below, so it wouldn’t really hurt and the jacket could be washed… hopefully. It was pretty fancy…

He didn’t give himself time to really contemplate his actions further because he could hear his father waking up in the other room. Thus, he quickly shoved himself out the window without hesitation. 

The landing he expected came… kind of. His legs hit the mud at the same time he felt arms sloppily catch him from behind around his upper torso.

He stayed to make sure I didn’t get hurt? 

Pyre let himself be carried away from the mud, but it took a fuck-ton of effort not to squirm his way out of the man’s arms. Even if that meant diving face-first into the foul-smelling muck that surrounded his father’s house. 

When he knew that he was clear, he did wiggle free of the guy, and thankfully, he didn’t fight him on it. He did, however, grab his arm right as he was about to fall and made sure to straighten him out at the last second so that he landed safely on his feet. 

Okay, I’m done with all this caring crap. 

Shaking off Fen’s hand, Pyre straightened and shrugged off the guy’s coat. When he offered it back to him, the man just stared at him, his brows furrowed slightly in confusion. 

Don’t get him wrong, it was a damn nice coat, and seriously warm, but he knew that it would only put a target on his head. People would either think that he stole it, or would try to steal it from him, themselves. He was good at fighting, but people on the streets didn’t always fight with their fists. It wasn’t worth it. 

Fen reached forward after a few more moments of contemplation, but instead of taking the jacket, he gently set his hand atop Pyre’s head. 

This guy…

“Thanks for offering it to me, but I can’t keep it,” he said honestly. 

The guy seemed about to say something when they both turned, hearing a car approaching. 

Holy damn. That’s a Mercedes Benz.

It stopped a few yards away, and as soon as the door opened a man dressed like a literal butler got out and bowed to Fen, then spoke as he straightened back up. 

“Master Merkallo,” he said, then hesitated as he realized that his master wasn’t even wearing his coat in the cold weather, and on top of that, his clothing had quite a bit of mud on it, too. 

Fen gave the man a slight nod of acknowledgement, then turned back to Pyre. 

“Come with us,” he finally said. 

Holy fuck that voice does things to me. 

It was too bad that he didn’t trust people. Sure, he’d brought him home, but going to his place? The one that the doorman had just chased him away from because he didn’t look good enough to be there? 

Hard pass. 

Pyre stepped forward and shoved the coat into Fen’s arms, then turned and started walking away. He wasn’t sure what he expected the guy to do in response, but when absolutely nothing happened and no sound met his ears, he picked up his pace, stopping only when he reached the front of the crappy development. He turned around at that point, yet neither Fen, nor his butler, had stopped watching him from where they still stood. 

Deciding to get the hell out of there, Pyre began running. He left footprints for about half a block before most of the mud was knocked off of his shoes. He took a few turns and exited onto a different street that lead back into town. 

He had a feeling that they might have tried to follow him, but at the same time, it made no sense for them to do so. He was just some ratty kid from a, literally, broken house. It had stopped being a home the moment his mother had left. 

The thought to go to her house nudged at his mind, but he quickly shoved it away. He wouldn’t bother her. He’d already been there last week. He would hold onto those memories, those smiles, until he couldn’t take it any longer. Then he’d go back… but just for a few hours, if she wasn’t busy. 

Licking his lips, Pyre felt a shiver go down his spine. It was getting cold again, even though it was still pretty early in the morning. The wind definitely didn’t help. 

I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted. I had plenty of sweatshirts in the pile in my room. 

It was too bad. He didn’t ever plan on going back, and especially not just for a sweatshirt. Thinking for a moment, he turned and started heading toward the homeless shelter fourteen blocks away. 

He did his best to block out the chill and keep as close to buildings as he could to cut some of the wind, but by the time he finally got there he was shivering hard. 

Thankfully, the building was heated. It smelled like old gym socks and dirty carpet, but it was a rare reprieve. There were several security guards milling about, but no one really dared to mess with anyone when they were inside. It was a safe space. 

He walked past the entryway and stepped into one of the back rooms where they usually had food available. Since he wasn’t planning on ever going back to his father’s house, he greedily took two bagged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as well as an apple and a bottle of water before making his way to a cafeteria-like area and finding a spot to sit against the wall in the back corner. 

He tore into the sandwiches first, making short work of both. The apple was taken slower. It was one of his favorite fruits, and since he rarely came down to the shelter, he rarely got any. Of course, they were just the basic, cheap ones, but he still greatly appreciated being allowed to have one. The flavor, which really wasn’t bad, was just a plus. 

Just the thought of being able to come back more than once a month to eat a full meal instead of trying to sneak scraps out of his father’s fridge to eat had him blinking back tears. He could come as much as he wanted now. 

He let himself relax as he slowly worked on his apple and water. By the time he was finished the room had cleared out a bit, the breakfast crowd dispersing out onto the streets to panhandle or just find a place to spend the day. 

I need something warmer before I go wandering around. 

Finishing off his breakfast, he hopped up, feeling pretty darn good for once. Nothing pushed away the dark clouds over his head like warmth and an apple.

Looking around the room, he located the sign he was looking for above a doorway and headed over. There were four laundry machines going and several massive stacks of different clothing items all sorted into different areas. 

“Hey Ann,” he said to the elderly worker busily folding towels. 

The old woman turned around slowly, her eyes lighting up when she noticed who had spoken to her. 

“Oh my little fire,” she said in a rasping, quiet voice as she hobbled toward him to pull his skinny body into her bony arms for a hug. 

“My little Pyre. I have missed you,” she said as she patted his back, then released him and grasped her hands in front of her.

Ann was one of the few people he was okay being close to. She came to the shelter many, many years ago needing help. They had helped her so much, and she had been so appreciative, that she had signed on to volunteer once she had gotten back on her feet. Now, some fifteen years later, she was still helping with the laundry, or cooking the evening meal, or even vacuuming the floors after most of the needy had left for the day. 

Pyre offered her a genuine smile and gestured down at his old, worn clothing. 

“Got anything nice for me today, Ann?” 

The little old lady beamed and hurried him toward a long table with stacks of different clothing on them. She had an outfit in her arms in moments and was holding the small bundle out to him with a cheerful smile. 

Pyre took the items with a “thank you,” and walked into one of the two changing rooms in the back corner. 

He came out about three minutes later with a pair of decently-fitting black jeans on, a bright red sweater and a matching beanie that appeared brand new. 

“Oh, look at you, sweetheart. I am so glad I chose that sweater. It goes very well with the hat I made,” she said as she reached her little arms up and adjusted the hat just-so. 

“You look very handsome, young man,” she said proudly. 

Pyre looked away from a moment, rubbing at his neck before returning his attention to her. 

“You made me a hat?” he asked, honestly so, so grateful. 

He stepped forward and hugged her as she nodded. 

“Thank you. It’s really soft and warm,” he said before releasing the poor lady that he hadn’t meant to squeeze so tightly. 

“You are very welcome, my fire. I—” her words cut off abruptly as Pyre heard someone walk into the room behind and to the left of him. 

“Ah, Mr. M! Welcome, welcome,” Ann said as she hurried toward the man that Pyre couldn’t believe was standing before him. 

Except, instead of his muddy jeans and warm jacket, he had on a perfectly tailored charcoal gray suit and matching tie. His messy hair had also been styled perfectly with just a few wisps of dark hair settled here and there across his forehead. 

When Fen finished speaking with Ann about something Pyre’s ears refused to pick up because of the nervous ringing making him deaf, the older woman hurried off to deal with a dryer that had just buzzed for her attention. 

That’s when Pyre felt his mouth go dry as the man’s attention finally turned to him.

Snake 4

Everything in him was screaming to run, but the only way out of the room was through the door that Fen was currently blocking. 

Huh?

The man slowly stepped to the side, then sat down in one of the little folding chairs against the wall. There was now plenty of room to run out the door, but the urge to do so had subsided enough for Pyre to calm himself with a few deep breaths. He wasn’t afraid of Fen at all, but having an exit always available was an important part of not getting attacked by his father. 

It definitely helped that the guy wasn’t his father’s age, too. He was probably around twenty two or so, but numbers weren’t really a thing that Pyre cared about. 

“What’s your name?” Fen asked, snapping Pyre out of his thoughts. 

He wanted to ask why it mattered, but he knew why. If a guy dressed like that was at a homeless shelter, they either made a huge donation and had just come to look around, or they were from the government and checking in on the people using the facility. 

Considering the guy had his own butler to come pick him up at random, he had a hunch that it was the first option. He was honestly about to respond when he bit his tongue. If the guy was from the government as well, he might think he was a run away, which was true… but that also meant that he might try to return him to his father. Of course, he was nineteen and a legal adult, but just hearing someone tell him that he really should go back and talk to his father would probably start a fight. 

“Sparky,” he grumbled as he shoved his hands into his new pant’s pockets and walked out the door. 

He could hear the man’s polished shoes behind him a few moments later, but since he was keeping a reasonable distance, he didn’t try to run… yet. 

“My name seems to be Snaky,” Fen replied after about a block. 

Damn that voice. 

It hadn’t seemed to mess with him when Fen had been talking to Ann, but now that he was the focus of the man’s words? 

Fuck, I’m out before I do something stupid. 

He began running at that point, actually managing a decent pace since he’d eaten a good meal earlier. When he finally stopped after about three blocks and turned around, he wasn’t surprised to see that Fen hadn’t moved an inch. He couldn’t see is expression from so far away, but he doubted that he was happy about being run from a second time. 

“Well, at least now he knows I’m a run away, literally,” Pyre joked as he turned back around… and promptly tripped over something. 

A metallic tang touched his tongue as he slowly pushed himself up, spitting a bit of blood on the sidewalk from his new split lip. 

“Are you alright?” 

A soft cloth was suddenly placed against his lip, making him hiss as it stung for a moment due to the added pressure. 

Pyre took a minute to calm his racing heart and take note of who was now in front of him before he decided to lift his eyes to meet Fen’s. He got a smile out of the man in return, but he didn’t feel like smiling… partially because of his lip, but also because he just didn’t want to. 

He did, however, want to do something else. 

“Why didn’t you talk after you had shifted back to your human form before?” 

It was a valid question, albeit a bit random. 

When the guy didn’t respond immediately, Pyre narrowed his eyes. 

“His snake sometimes makes him mute. Especially if he’s cold,” came a voice from behind the other man. 

Why do I recognize that voice? Why do I wish I didn’t?

His eyes found a pair of bare feet that slowly, ever so slowly, led up to a pair of dark blue cargo shorts and a white sweater. 

Oh man. Of all the people. 

The guy’s appearance at least answered one of the questions he’d wanted to ask. 

The chubby cat that had tripped me… Gin. 

The guy had graduated two years ahead of him. He’d always been a large kid, though as an adult his body had evened out nicely. 

“It’s nice to see you again, Sparky,” Gin said as he leaned over and easily helped Pyre to his feet. 

As soon as he was up he shrugged off the guy’s hand and stepped back, scowling. His heart, which he’d finally managed to calm after falling, was jumping around like a sugar-crazed five year old. Gin had always done that to him. 

While most of the student body made fun of the guy for being a fat kid, Pyre had taken one look at him and had just fucking fallen, hard. Gin had been the only person he’d even bottomed for… but after their first  time together, the guy had switched schools and since neither of them had had phones at the time, they hadn’t bothered exchanging information. 

“You know him, Gin?” Fen asked, snapping Pyre out of his thoughts. 

He quickly took a few more steps backward, intent on getting the hell out of his current situation, but when Gin nodded to his friend, then reached forward, holding out his phone, Pyre hesitated. 

“It’s not turned on,” he mumbled about his own phone. 

His father had never helped him pay for it to begin with, and after he’d finished the temporary work he’d been doing at a construction site on the other side of town, the money had dried up. 

Gin slowly withdrew his device and slid it into his back pocket with a nervous frown. 

“How have you been, Sparky?” he asked instead, using the nickname he’d given him when they’d first met. 

He’d been getting bullied and Pyre had stepped in and tried to beat the shit out of the kids bothering him, but he’d been a bit too small at the time and while he’d done some good damage, the older group of kids had eventually overwhelmed him. 

They had spent the hour after the fight in a dark classroom tending to his injuries. He’d tried to brush Gin off beforehand, but the guy had been persistent in wanting to help since the kids had been bullying him to begin with. It hadn’t been worth trying to argue with him. Besides, he had kept a first aid kit in his backpack because of the bullying and had been quite helpful taking care of his injuries. 

His mind returned to the question he had been asked, but what exactly could he answer? Good? Great? Horrifically bad? He thought about it for quite a long time before finally feeling his injured lips tilt upward. 

“Pretty damn good, actually,” he said, meaning it. 

He was finally free of his father and could pretty much do whatever he wanted until he was tired of existing. The date was definitely subject to change, but he was still pretty content that he would be good to go in two years or so. 

“We can help you get your phone back on for free, if you’d like?” Gin said with a warm smile that just melted Pyre’s twisted heart. 

Don’t go there again. 

He wasn’t even sure where there was, but considering that Gin had gotten him on his back, legs spread and begging, after only having known him for a week a few years ago… 

Nope. Step away from the candy. 

“Thanks, but I’m good. No need for it now, anyways,” he said, turning to start his awkward walk away. 

He heard someone try to follow him, but the footsteps stopped after a few moments, making him finish walking to the end of that block before turning, just wanting one more glimpse of his old crush. 

The guy had followed him about halfway, with Fen just a few feet behind him. He looked like he wanted to yell something to him, but instead, he turned to Fen and gently took his hand to tug him forward. 

Pyre waited, curious to hear what he was going to say. It took him a minute, but eventually Fen spoke just loud enough for him to hear. 

“You are welcome at my home if you find yourself in need of a safe place to rest. I have already spoken with the door guard and he has, and will, profusely apologize for being so rude to you.” 

Well, no thanks, but at least you put him in his place. 

Instead of bothering with words, Pyre glanced up at the darkening sky, then back to the two men. He had no intention of getting stuck in the rain, but he also wasn’t interested in going back to the shelter, and definitely not to Fen’s home, so he had to make some tracks to get himself a spot somewhere else. 

Shrugging one should as his final response, Pyre turned and left. His feet knew where they needed to go, but he felt his heart thrum uncomfortably in his chest, wanting him to turn around so that he could finally feel Gin’s arms around him again like they had been for that one short moment two years ago.

Snake 5

(I’m not sure what’s going on with this chapter but Imma push Publish anyway lol) 

Just keep walking. One foot in front of the other. Just keep moving forward. There aren’t two hot guys behind you. 

He stopped about four blocks away and finally looked back for a second time. When he only saw a speck of Fen standing there, with no Gin in sight, he felt his stomach twist into a knot. Of course, he unwound it quickly enough, because who was he to be waited on? 

Sure, they might want to help him, but after that? Well, things could go two ways, but both of them still ended in about two years time. It was best not to start another chapter when he already had the ending planned out. 

With those thoughts in mind, Pyre nodded to himself and turned, then continued to walk right into a chubby cat. His face hit the concrete for a second time that day, and it was about as pleasant as the first. 

“This isn’t my year… maybe I should just burn this book,” he mumbled as he slowly pushed himself up and spit out a bit of blood. 

How am I not missing teeth yet? 

When he sat back on his heels, the chubby perpetrator was sitting in front of him. It’s fuzzy ears were pinned to the side of its head and those big eyes…

“You know, you can get my attention many other ways besides tripping me. Might I suggest calling my name or stripping naked? Both are perfectly acceptable means,” Pyre said as he stood up, brushing off the dirt, once again, from his new clothes. 

Already a hole in the left arm of my sweater, fantastic. 

Feeling the cat paw at his pant leg, Pyre looked down, but soon found himself frustrated. He didn’t want the guy interfering. Nothing good would come of it. At least not for Gin. 

“Go away. I don’t want your help,” he said as he quickly walked around the cat and began jogging. 

It was beginning to rain again, and that meant that his dirty clothing was now getting wet, too. 

They’re bad luck. Definitely wasn’t a good thing running into them. 

He made it two blocks before he chanced looking back. When he did, he realized that outrunning Gin didn’t take much effort. His fat cat had stopped after one block, then flopped over to catch its breath on the sidewalk. 

I just want to squeeze you so hard right now…

Scowling, Pyre turned and continued walking, but after another half block, he glanced over his shoulder. 

You really should just give up. I’m not going to roll over for you this time. 

Of course, when you tell a cat to stop doing something, that just makes it do it more. Even if the command was just a thought in the back of your mind. And thus, he watched as Gin’s cat hobbled its way another half block, then fell onto its side, clearly struggling to breathe. 

Wait a minute…

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Pyre turned around and ran back to the dumbass cat. 

“The hell are you doing when you have such bad asthma!” he growled as he hefted the large feline up into his arms, then began walking back toward the shelter, doing his best to stay under the store overhangs whenever possible. 

Unfortunately, by the time he made it back to the shelter, he was soaked and panting about as much as the fat cat falling out of his arms. He was just about to drop him and was already lowering himself to the ground when strong hands easily lifted the damp feline from his grasp. 

Ah, so you came back here. 

Fen straightened, but held Gin’s cat at arm’s length to keep his fancy suit from getting wet. He also didn’t seem too appreciative of his wet-cat smell, either. 

“Someone is getting a bath, right now,” he said as he carried the now-squirming feline toward the back where they had dressing rooms for each gender. 

Figuring that he was stuck for the time being until the storm passed, Pyre hesitantly followed them. He couldn’t just pass up watching a cat get bathed. That was a once in a lifetime show, and his tickets were free!

Except… when he stepped into the small area that held the bathtub and tugged the courtesy sheet closed, then turned around to face the other two, he realized something that he had somehow previously forgotten. 

Gin was a shapeshifter and had shifted back. 

His arms were crossed over the edge of the tub with his chin resting on them. He looked so fucking carefree and inviting.

At least his breathing has calmed down… but if I keep staring, mine is going to speed up.

“I’m sorry I tripped you twice. I don’t usually shift much, but he really likes you,” Gin said before Fen stepped between them and pushed Gin away from the edge. 

“You smell like wet fur, scrub, or you’re sleeping on the couch,” he warned, drawing Pyre’s attention at the same time Gin responded as he scrubbed himself with soap, sounding like a scolded puppy. 

“…but I rent my own room from you.” 

They live together? 

“How many times have you two done it?” he questioned abruptly. It was the most important thing he could come up with right then. 

Evidently, it hadn’t been the right thing to inquire about, because he was getting some rather strange looks from both of them right about then. 

“We just live together,” Fen eventually replied as Gin, with his face slightly red, turned and got busy scrubbing himself with whatever soap was available. 

That’s a total disappointment. Gin is damn good in bed, even back when— He cut off that thought immediately. 

Not going to happen again. Don’t stick your nose in other people’s business. 

“How is school going, Sparky?”

Here we go. 

Pursing his lips, Pyre shrugged one shoulder and turned around, tugging aside the curtain just enough so that he would be able to walk out.

“Don’t know, I quit.” 

The awkwardness in the room was growly steadily after that little bit of information was out, and it didn’t help that another guy had come in and was now drunkenly singing Aqua’s Barbie Girl in the shower stall closest to the door. 

“I’ll see you guys around,” he lied, hopefully, then hurried for the exit. 

He was just grabbing for the handle when thick, soaking wet arms wrapped around his waist and easily picked up his scrawny body. 

“You smell worse than me now, Sparky. At least wash up and let me wash those clothes for you while it’s still raining,” Gin said as he nonchalantly carried Pyre back toward the area they’d been using. 

Thankfully, or not, Pyre noticed a towel wrapped around the larger guy’s waist when he finally set him down again. He wanted to stare at certain places but he forced himself to look back toward the bathtub that Fen was currently refilling with fresh water. 

He didn’t want a bath… and especially not with an audience. 

“I’ll wait till I get back,” he said while looking away from both men. 

“Get back?” Gin asked, digging further than Pyre was willing to answer. Which really wasn’t far at all. Basic questions, and all that. 

Silence is the safest answer, right? 

Except, Gin didn’t seem as easy to convince. 

Stop looking at me with those big brown eyes. 

“We’ll step out while you wash up?” he tried, knowing that there was clearly something going on that he didn’t want known. Granted, if they really did work around the homeless often, then it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for them to assume that he had bruises on his body from some sort of abuse situation and didn’t want them to be seen. Of course, Fen had already been to his house and had seen all of the things he’d had to rig up as defenses from his father…

Yeah, abuse  would be a correct guess. Most of his injuries had healed and were now old scars, especially along his back, but there were a few that were newer from earlier in the week. Thankfully, nothing was infected, but he had a few things he didn’t need known. It would all heal on its own, then there would be no more unless he got into a fight on the streets. 

Whatever. 

“Fine, get out,” he grumbled as he turned toward the bathtub. 

Fen stood up immediately, leaving the water running since it was only half full, then turned and stepped out before tugging the curtain closed behind him. He could hear them chatting quietly as Gin got dressed, but he couldn’t make out anything over the sound of the running water. 

His curiosity got the better of him and he turned it off a bit early, but of course, it was as if him turning off the spigot had shut off their dialogue, on top of the flow of hot water. 

Again, whatever. 

After quickly tossing his damp clothing, he stepped into the warm water. He didn’t intend to stay long, but knowing that he would have two sets of eyes on him as soon as he got out made him a lot more interested in just staying put and enjoying the soak. 

“There are a few towels in there in the cubby behind you,” came Gin’s voice a few minutes later. It was quickly followed by Fen’s. “We’ll go grab some clothes for you to use while yours are being washed.”

Can you find me some sex out there, too? You guys are stressing me out like hell. 

Refocusing his attention as the man in the other area switched to singing The Macarena, Pyre quickly washed himself and scrubbed his hair, then folded his arms on the edge of the tub and rested his head atop them. He’d only planned to close his eyes for a few moments, but by the time they blinked open again, the water was cold and there was someone staring at him from where the privacy drape had been pulled back. 

Yawning, he sat up and rubbed at his eyes, then looked back at the man. 

“Snaky,” he mumbled, drawing a slight upward tilt to the left side of Fen’s lips. 

The guy walked forward, but something was off. 

Ah. 

He was walking as if approaching a scared animal. 

And here I am having fallen asleep in the bathtub with scars clearly visible. 

Fen seemed to realize that he was acting strange, because he hesitated after another step, then slowly moved his left hand from behind his back to reveal some sort of drink. 

“The rain had gone down a little so I drove Gin home instead of making him walk. I wasn’t expecting you to still be here, but in case you were, I got you a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake from O’donal’s.”

Okay, that is the one thing I can think of that’s better than sex. 

Ignoring his remaining worries about his body’s condition, Pyre climbed out of the tub and hurried the three steps it took to get to the large cup being held out to him. As soon as he had it Fen walked around him, disappearing from view for a moment as Pyre greedily sucked up his treat. 

He felt a towel gently being wrapped around his waist a few moments later, but ignored it in favor of popping off the lid to his milkshake and fishing out a big chunk of peanut butter cup with his spoon-straw. It was the best invention ever and worked especially well with thick milkshakes. 

A few seconds after the towel was secured around his waist, he felt another begin gently rustling his messy hair. He wasn’t a fan of the attention, but hell, the milkshake still took priority over swatting the guy’s hands away. 

Once his hair was dry, Pyre felt something unfamiliar. Fen was tugging at his hair, but not really hurting him. He let him be for a few moments before finally nodding his head forward and turning with a scowl. 

Wait a second. 

“Sorry, I just thought that you might want it tied up so that it doesn’t get the neck of your clothing damp,” Fen said as he turned slightly so that he could point to the small pile of clothing he’d evidently brought in and set on a folding chair in the corner of the curtained-off room. 

Oh. 

He’d never really cared about such a thing, but at the same time, he usually took scissors to his hair before it got long enough to be annoying in such a way. 

I guess I should get dressed. 

Setting the straw back in his drink, he sealed the lid and frowned, realizing that he had already drunk half of his milkshake. Not wanting it gone so soon, he held it out to Fen with narrowed eyes. He seemed to get the idea right away, because he took the drink with one hand and gestured toward the clothing with the other. 

Pyre hurried to tug on the soft gray sweatpants and black and white hoodie. 

Wait a second… these look and feel brand new. 

Glancing over his shoulder at Fen, the guy looked away quickly, clearly guilty. 

How the hell did he have time to get me new clothing? How long had I been asleep in the bathtub? 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand settled atop his head. 

“I had my butler got get them earlier.” 

Pyre wasn’t sure what look he was giving the guy, but it had to have been entertaining because Fen actually burst into laughing after just one glance. It was odd, seeing such a well-dressed, clearly sophisticated, man just start laughing out of nowhere. 

God that voice. 

Pyre quickly grabbed his drink from him and ducked out of the makeshift room. He focused immediately on the guy who had finally turned off his shower. His song had changed again, but this time he wasn’t sure what it was. Either way, it got his attention off of the repeating deep, hot laughter that echoed in his mind even as the source of it had long-since quieted to follow behind him. 

He headed straight for the front door and was relieved to see that the rain had turned into a drizzle. Lifting his straw to his lips, he took a long sip from his milkshake, then glanced to the side where Fen had stopped beside him. 

“Gin would love to see you more. He had to finish an assignment, which was why I dropped him off. He took your clothes to just do them at our place, too. I actually texted him earlier mentioning you, and he remembered you from when you two had been in school together,” Fen said, making Pyre nearly choke on his sip of milkshake. 

Was there really anything memorable about me besides my wanting his junk up my arse? 

“I told him I had been rescued by this spitfire kid when a bunch of punks had been picking on my snake,” Fen said. 

“He asked for a description and sure enough, the moment I said skinny guy with bright red hair and a fiery attitude, he asked for a picture. The guy was so excited when he saw it and confirmed that it really was you.” 

Wait, did he say picture? 

“You took a picture of me?” he mumbled as he finished the last few sips of his milkshake. Sadness. 

Fen fished his phone from his back pocket and turned on the screen. Right there, as his main background image behind the clock was a picture of him from when he had been asleep on his makeshift bed of sweatshirts back in his room at his father’s crumbling home. A few faint rays of light had snuck in from the window to illuminate just enough of his face for the camera to work without any actual lighting. 

“You… took a picture of me after I brought you home,” Pyre said, honestly having trouble processing it. And why set it as his background image? 

Fen looked only slightly embarrassed as he hurried to put his phone back into his back pocket, except, Pyre reached for it the moment it slipped into the fabric. 

He almost had it, too, because Fen clearly hadn’t thought that he’d reach right for his butt to try and grab it! 

You, sir, have lost your phone privileges! 

They danced down the sidewalk with Pyre taking several swipes at Fen’s backside, not caring how odd they looked to those few people that were walking down the humid streets. He was actually surprised with the guy’s stamina and ability to dodge in his fancy suit and expensive shoes. 

He wasn’t sure how, but when they finally stopped, both completely out of breath and panting hard, they were in front of Fen’s penthouse building. 

Damn, have to give him points for effort. 

Fen grinned and took his phone from his pocket and held it up, tilting it back and forth slightly. 

Pyre put a hand on his hip and huffed out a breath. 

“Let me guess. Come upstairs for just a night so that you’re not sleeping on the streets and I’ll delete the picture of you ,” he said, trying to mock Fen’s deep, sexy voice, but just sounding dumb for his pathetic attempt. 

It made the guy’s smile warm at least, but that hadn’t been his intention. 

Instead of agreeing with his idea, though, Fen slipped the phone back into his pocket and mirrored Pyre’s pose… though somehow, he made it look sexy as hell. 

“I’d love the first part, but I’m not deleting the photo.” 

Huh? 

“Why?” 

Seriously, why? He had no reason to keep such a bad photo, or a photo of a random dude in general. 

“Because, it’s the only picture I have of the guy who rescued me when I got stuck in my snake form,” Fen said, taking Pyre by surprise. 

He’d been stuck? 

Fen turned and began walking into the building, but Pyre wasn’t done talking! He ran after him and even swiped for the phone again, but the guy somehow saw it coming, even when not looking at him, because he yanked it from his pocket a millisecond before Pyre could snag it. 

The elevator opened as soon as Fen scanned a key card and tapped the button mid-dodge from another swipe. Pyre followed him inside, but only because it put them in much closer quarters. He upped his effort and after five more aggressive attempts, he just barely managed to grab hold of the guy’s phone after partially pinning him against the back of the elevator with one of his arms bent backwards. Unfortunately, it was through his pants and, not unfortunately, he also had a decent handful of the guy’s firm backside to go along with it. 

The doors opened at that exact moment, too. 

Gin looked up from where he sat at a large glass dinner table, a laptop in front of him and a can of Sprite to the side of it. 

“Oh… well, welcome home guys.”

Snake 6

(This book is going to be labeled Mature because of language and possible future scenes or jokes. Just a heads up.) 

He totally wasn’t embarrassed, in the least, but judging from the fact that he now held a length of a rattlesnake in his hand instead of Fen’s ass, the guy was. 

“Snaky, that was a hard block, man,” he said as he nonchalantly draped the venomous reptile around his shoulders like a scarf. 

The sound of muffled laughter brought his attention back to Gin as he gave the guy a wink he couldn’t quite hold back, then turned and leaned over to pick up Fen’s clothing. He found the key card beneath it all, clearly having fallen out of his pocket. 

To get out of here or to stay…

“I have fish sticks and french fries in the oven if you’d like to stay for dinner…?” 

Why do you sound so fucking adorable when you’re nervous? 

Turning, he hesitated for only one more moment before stepping off the elevator. It closed a few seconds later, leaving him feeling like a mouse trapped in a maze. 

“I promise I won’t eat you,” Gin said as he slid back from the table and walked around a long length of gray granite countertop to go check on the cooking food. 

Can you please? 

Pyre watched him move but was hesitant to really walk away from the elevator. 

I feel something cold feeling me down, and for once, I don’t think it’s a good thing. 

Looking down, Pyre let Fen’s clothing fall from his hands as he watched the guy’s massive snake begin making its way beneath his new hoodie. 

“Do you need me to get him? He doesn’t do well with the cold… his heating vest probably ran its charge out a bit ago,” Gin said as he hurried over, an over mitt with little cartoon snakes on it still settled on his left hand. 

Pyre lifted an eyebrow as he let the snake continue vanishing into his sweater. 

“You mean he didn’t just shift because I grabbed his ass?” he asked, sounding a little disappointed. 

Gin tilted his head, clearly a bit surprised by the comment, but he seemed to remember who he was talking to and simply shook his head with a smile.

“I’ve missed you, Sparky.” 

Pyre held back what he wanted to say, knowing that flirting with the guy wasn’t going to change anything. He could mess with Fen… a little, but he didn’t want to make Gin sad when he realizes that one day, he won’t ever be coming back. 

“Enjoying yourself in there, Snaky?” he asked Fen instead of replying to Gin’s words. 

He felt the snake’s tail rattle where it was tucked against his lower back. 

“Oh yeah, he has several heated blankets around the house, if you would like to get him situated in one of them,” Gin said as he turned and looked toward the blanket folded on the edge of the couch.

Pyre patted the thick lengths of snake wrapped around his middle and shrugged one shoulder. 

“I kind of like this look,” he said as he walked forward anyway. 

He was enjoying messing with Fen, but if the guy truly was stuck in his snake form and had had no choice but to curl up beneath his sweatshirt to keep warm, he didn’t think it was right to just keep him. 

Instead of reaching beneath his hoodie, he calmly tugged it up and over his head. He felt warm eyes on him immediately but fought himself not to turn around and tackle the man he always dreamed would be a fantastic teddy bear. 

Instead, he took a deep breath, then sighed it out as he turned on the large electric blanket, then partially unwrapped it before reaching for Fen. 

Uh, why aren’t you letting me move you? 

“He can be a bit stubborn, especially if he’s found something really warm,” Gin said, stepping up next to him. 

I was really stubborn when I found you… you were really warm and I didn’t want to let you go, either. 

But he’d been stubborn in a bad way, too. They could have found a way to communicate once Gin had moved, but he was hot-headed and refused to see anything beyond simple moments of pleasure or pain. And at that time, Gin had been too nervous to argue, if he’d even thought about it. 

“Here, let me help,” Gin said after setting aside his oven mitt, drawing Pyre out of his thoughts as his large, warm fingers began carefully untangling Fen’s snake from around his thin frame. 

Each time Gin’s fingers brushed his skin Pyre considered holding back a shiver, but soon gave up. Who cared if he let the guy know he affected him still? He’d let Gin screw his brains brains out before, of course he’d still affect him. 

“You’re still an adorable spitfire,” Gin said, surprising Pyre into an awkward blush. 

He didn’t get embarrassed often, but he did get self-conscious around Gin. When they had first met, he had fallen for him hard, but he’d actually been worried that Gin wouldn’t see him as anything but a young thug who happened to have done a charity case for him. 

When he snapped back to himself, Gin had already completely removed Fen and was tucking him gently into the warm blanket. 

Maybe I’ll let him do that for me before I go…

He quickly shook his head and scowled to the side, angry that he’d let his mind continuously wander to what should never happen. 

Don’t get attached. You need to leave. 

Coming there had been a mistake. He shouldn’t have chased after Fen for some stupid dark, blurry picture, and he shouldn’t have gotten into the elevator with him. And the key card… 

Too many mistakes. 

“Hey Sparky?” 

Blinking, Pyre looked up at the man now standing before him. 

I want to kiss that face. Bite his neck and suck on a lot more than that…

“Can we talk, my sweet fire?” 

Sweet? Who are you looking at?

He  opened his mouth to say no, that he was going to grab the keycard he’d set on the counter and get his backside right on out of the trap he’d let himself be dragged into, but the only words that came out were, “I guess.” 

After checking on Fen’s curled-up, dozing snake, Gin took Pyre’s hand and gently lead him to another room that appeared to be a large den area. 

Two living rooms… because why not? 

This one had several of those huge, expensive bean bag chairs dotting the area and game consoles were stacked beneath a massive television hanging on the wall. 

There was also a very long black couch stretched along a slightly raised portion of floor a few inches above where the beanbags rested, but who the hell would choose the couch over them? 

He was right in the process of doing a running leap into a jet blue one when he noticed Gin dropping down into a black one a few feet away. 

Without permission from his brain, Pyre redirected and leaped right onto the guy. He was careful not to land his knee on the most important no-no area, but the rest of his descent was up to Gin. 

And that’s when he realized that he really was underweight. 

Gin caught him easily, holding him up like a toddler waiting for an airplane ride. 

“You can let me go any time now…” he mumbled in a whisper, almost too embarrassed to make his words audible. 

Gin stared up at him for a few moments before tilting his head on the beanbag and smiling softly. 

“Do you want me to?” 

Fuck no. Well, the airplane pose can go, but I’ll take like, ten years worth of cuddles in the next fifteen minutes… and maybe another forty years worth of sex. I’m sure my ass will recover from it one day. 

“I remember that look,” Gin said as he finally lowered Pyre to settle against him. 

Fucking teddy bear. 

Pyre didn’t hesitate to snuggle right into the guy, loving that he wasn’t hard anywhere. Well, he definitely wouldn’t have minded him hard in one place, but he just fucking loved that while he had some nice muscles, he had plenty of softness covering them that was so fucking nice to snuggle into. 

“I’m glad that I remembered that you love to snuggle, too,” Gin said as he gave Pyre such a tight hug that he felt his back crack in several places. 

Feels so fucking good, but also so fucking bad. Need to get the heck out of here. 

“…after sex,” Pyre mumbled as he turned his head to rest against Gin’s chest instead of getting his arse up and running like he knew he should. 

When Gin didn’t respond right away, Pyre reached down between them, but unfortunately his hand was stopped, then warm fingers wrapped around it. 

“I’m sorry, Sparky, but there won’t be any of that,” he said, making Pyre’s heart both sing and sink. 

“Then what did you want to talk about?” he grumbled, no longer interested in messing with the guy. 

“I’m going to skip past the basic questions and save us both some frustration,” Gin said, making Pyre tense slightly in his arms. 

“Are you homeless, Pyre?” 

Oh no, he used my real name. He’s serious.

“Depends what you consider a home . I’m actually quite happy exactly where I am.”

He paused for a moment, then realized what he’d said and quickly backtracked. 

“I mean, living in a house doesn’t make it a home. I’m perfectly fine on the streets right now. I can take care of myself.” 

Gin began gently rubbing his back, making Pyre fidget for a moment before settling down and accepting the extra attention. 

“You’re right. A home isn’t just four walls and a roof. I left mine as soon as I turned eighteen thanks to Fen’s help,” Gin said, surprising him a bit. 

“You left?” he asked, looking up at the other man for the first time as he got himself situated a little higher. 

Gin turned his head and smiled at him, his eyes shining with the same soft spirit he’d fallen in love with when they’d first met. 

“My house wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t feel like a home to me anymore. Here, though? Fen is such a sweet guy. He has a lot of health issues due to his shift and often needs help, but he’s also cool as hell and will give you the shirt off his back if you’d let him.”

So he’s not superman…

“Will you stay here with us… at least just for tonight? There are fish sticks… and I might have left a small pint of peanut butter chocolate ice cream in the freezer,” Gin said, making Pyre perk up and push himself up on the guy’s chest. 

“See, you can’t just say peanut butter and chocolate. That’s bribery and unfair,” Pyre said as he half-heartedly glared down at Gin, who was grinning sheepishly up at him. 

When he saw the guy lift a hand toward his face, Pyre wanted to jerk away out of habit since he hadn’t exactly had great physical interactions lately, but he bit back his nerves and allowed Gin to make contact. 

Surprisingly, he seemed to read him somehow, even though he swore he’d managed to keep his worry inside, and quickly withdrew his hand after a quick poke to his nose. 

“There’s also fish sticks. Don’t forget them. I remember you swore that you didn’t want my lunch money as payment for helping me that one time, but when I did finally buy lunch that day, you just had to have two of my fish sticks.” 

How does this guy remember such things? 

“I know it might not make sense, but you’re the person who made the biggest impact on my life next to Fen. You made me realize that I wasn’t just some fat kid that should accept the beatings I’m given from bullies because of the way I look and lock all the pain up inside.” 

Pyre blinked, feeling like things were getting a little too sentimental for his tastes. There was not enough sex woven into this situation already…

“Don’t give me that look, Sparky,” Gin said as he reached up, tugging on Pyre’s nose gently for a moment before slowly sitting up, making him slide down to straddle his lap. 

“I can tell that you’re already ready to vomit over this sappy stuff, so we’ll pause the story to finish another time and switch our activity to dinner?” Gin asked with a one-sided grin. 

There are other activities that involve eating, but I guess I can roll with dinner, too. 

“Sure, I guess,” Pyre said as he carefully got back to his feet, then held out a hand for Gin. 

Instead of allowing him to help him up, Gin gave him a wide, white-toothed smile before yanking him back down into a much more aggressive hug that had him being rolled back and forth in the guy’s arms like a ragdoll. 

“I freaking missed you so much.” 

While he was partially being suffocated and felt a few more muscles pop in his back, Pyre couldn’t find it in himself to argue. Because honestly, he’d missed the guy so fucking much the moment he’d moved away when they were kids. 

I think I will stay, just for the night. Besides, what difference could a few hours make, anyways?

Snake 7

He’d totally intended to leave after the fish sticks and french fries… but then there was ice cream, so he’d had to push off his departure by another thirty minutes or so. Unfortunately, it seemed like Gin had forgotten to actually put his clothes in the dryer, too, and since it was going to be close to freezing outside soon and he’d likely need the extra layers, he’d had to grudgingly stay longer, again.

By the time he heard the machine buzz that it was done, he was half asleep on the couch staring at some nature documentary that Gin had to watch for one of his biology classes. It took him a few moments to realize that the machine had even finished, then another minute to push himself up. Except, strong but careful arms gently guided him back down against the warmth he’d been resting against.

“It’s almost over, Sparky. Just stay till it ends?” came Gin’s voice from right above his head.

He could feel the man’s words vibrating all around him, making him realize that he’d actually crawled into his lap at some point. There was even a knitted blanket covering them both.

Trap…

There was no way he wasn’t getting up immediately. If he fell asleep now, he definitely wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. He was just about to push himself up again when he realized something he really should have a lot sooner.

I’m getting way too used to this guy…

A certain scaly friend had secured itself beneath his hoodie and was comfortably coiled around his waist and part of his right leg.

“You do realize that this isn’t fair?” he grumbled as he settled down again, pouting as he glared at the hallway leading to the laundry room, then farther down, the elevator area.

He felt himself being suddenly squeezed tighter in Gin’s arms and grunted, squirming a bit at the unfamiliar attention. Hugs he didn’t initiate were rarely good. They meant that he was usually being grabbed from behind and if he didn’t break out of them soon enough, he’d get pinned or thrown against something.

His fight or flight response kicked in, and thankfully for Gin, he managed to wrestle back the fight one. The flight one, however, kicked into overdrive, allowing him to wiggle his way out of the guy’s arms and fumble awkwardly onto the cushions beside him. The entire time he was moving he heard his new belt rattle, but the warning was ignored, because honestly, a snake bite from a venomous reptile was preferred over most of the situations he’d had to fight his way out of in the past few years.

Gin looked a little startled by his sudden freak-out, but he quickly calmed himself and offered a reassuring smile. “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing that he’d likely caused whatever had happened.

Dammit. I love hugging, but sometimes it just scares the shit out of me. Especially if he isn’t let go the first time he tried to move out of one. Seeing the hidden look of upset on Gin’s face also hurt a lot. After so many years of pretending to play nice with people, he was quite used to seeing when smiles were fake. At least part of Gin’s was real… he was just trying to calm him down without allowing himself to get up and flitter around him worriedly.

It was appreciated.

“I’m just gonna go get my spare clothes and head out,” he mumbled as he slowly got up from the couch, watching the other man carefully, though he felt terrible for it. He knew that Gin wasn’t the type of person his father was, but you couldn’t just shrug off ingrained reactions and emotions.

“A-alright, Sparky,” Gin said, clearly upset but not wanting to be more of a bother.

I’m sorry. I should have never come here.

Pyre tried to give him a reassuring smile, but he knew that it likely looked more like a grimace, so he just hurried down the hall. The laundry room was a tiny little area tucked off to the side and when he stepped inside, warmth enveloped him. He let out an exhausted sigh and turned toward the door.

He knew that he had no right to do it in someone else’s home, but he reached forward and shut it, then turned the lock. Looking down at his hand still on the knob, he felt his shoulders sag as he realized that his hand was shaking slightly where it still gripped the cold item.

Realizing this, he took a few steps backward until he felt the wall behind him, then slowly slid down to the floor. Crossing his arms over his knees, he let his forehead fall against them and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. His mind partially shut down as he tried to fight back his panic attacks, digging his nails into his elbows before letting his arms slide from atop his knees to wrap himself in a painful hug.

He felt something around his waist and leg move slightly off and on, but his attention was completely directed inward, focused on keeping away the nightmares threatening to overwhelm him.

Sweat began to inch its way down his back and forehead as he shivered in the warm room. The stress coursing through him turned his limbs to ice as his heart skipped and fumbled trying to pump blood to where it needed to go.

He was just beginning to get dizzy when he felt something soft and warm drape over his shoulders. When a second item was added a few moments later, he felt his whole body sag with relief as the shivers began to subside and his breathing stabilized enough for him to tilt his head back and slowly, cautiously, open his eyes.

The lights were thankfully still off, leaving just enough coming in from beneath the door for him to be able to see around himself. His shaking hands had moved to hold the two soft fleece blankets that had somehow found their way around his shoulders, closer. They had likely just come out of the dryer, too, because they were much warmer than they normally would be and they definitely weren’t electric ones.

Huh?

Looking down at something that caught his eye, he noticed a tall glass of water next to his left foot, and beside that, a small pint of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream with a spoon.

That’s when he remembered something important.

Snaky had been wrapped around me when I ran in here earlier…

His heart sank at the thought of Fen being there for his whole breakdown. Looking around, he noticed a large container of bleach sitting on top of the shelf above the dryer. Without thinking, Pyre slowly stood with the help of the wall, then began reaching up toward the bottle, only to pause when he heard a light tap on the other side of the door.

The sound made him jump slightly and lower his arm, suddenly worried that someone might come in and see what he’d been about to do.

“Can I come in?”

Fen…

He wasn’t sure why, because if it had been Gin who had asked, he would have definitely said no, but when Pyre hesitantly whispered out a tired “okay,” the door slowly inched its way open. Before the other man could see, he quickly wiped off his damp face.

“Hey,” Fen said calmly when he was finally visible.

Holy fucking abs.

Pyre glanced down at the pint of ice cream by his foot, then back up to the man’s six pack, then back down. He spent quite a few moments envisioning how he could get the guy to let him rub the ice cream all over his muscles, then slowly lick it off.

“You seem distracted…” Fen said with a slight hint of humor to his words, finally drawing Pyre’s eyes up to his own.

“Oh no, I’m definitely focused,” he said as he leaned over and picked up the glass of water and ice cream container. He downed the water in less than a minute, then licked the remaining droplets from his lips as he stared blatantly at the guy before him.

“I’ve dismissed my butler for the day, but if you want me to drop you off anywhere…” Fen offered, though it was obvious that he didn’t want to let him go anywhere. It was freezing out and probably would be snowing soon, if it wasn’t already.

He wouldn’t mind a ride to the local bus station so that he could have a bench, but considering what time it probably was already, all of the ones sheltered from the elements were probably taken. He knew that he didn’t want to go back to the shelter so soon, either…

Lifting the small pint of ice cream still in his hand, he shook it slightly, pleased to feel that it was completely full.

“I need to deal with this first,” he said as he took a hesitant step forward.

He didn’t like that Fen was completely blocking the door, and it seemed like the guy figured that out, because he quickly moved down the hall toward the kitchen.

Curious, and smelling something that made his mouth water, Pyre followed him… at a safe distance.

Oh damn, is that what I think it is?

A huge stack of chocolate chip pancakes sat on the counter, piled high on a large plate.

“I tend to cook when I’m nervous… and I’m starving since I’ve been a snake for a while and couldn’t eat dinner,” Fen said as he got himself down a plate and piled three pancakes on it before adding a small amount of peanut butter to each.

“You can have some if you’d like,” he said as he exited the kitchen, making Pyre comfortable enough to walk into the area.

Granted, it was completely open and he could easily jump over the counter to get to the dining area near the elevator, but he still liked to have multiple escape options, especially after a panic attack.

He took his time getting himself two pancakes, then covered them in syrup, butter, and some frozen blueberries he found after a curious browse through the freeze, after asking, of course. Once done, he walked over to a far corner in the living room and sat down with his food and refilled glass of water. He set his ice cream back in the freezer, not wanting to melt it before he could get to it.

Eating another full meal, then dessert, would take a good while, but time wasn’t something he was focused on at that moment.

He should go shirtless more often.

Although, Fen didn’t look all that comfortable being so, and was shivering every once in a while as he ate, so Pyre wasn’t sure why he didn’t just put a sweatshirt or blanket on, but he couldn’t argue that he greatly appreciated the eye candy and it made for a wonderful distraction from his previously-tormenting thoughts.

Snake 8

Pyre didn’t remember having fallen asleep. 

At some point he had begun to doze and knew that it was time to head out, but then he’d caught Fen shivering pretty badly out of the corner of his eye as he’d gotten up to leave. He really wouldn’t have minded running right over and smothering the guy, because he knew that he ran pretty darn hot after managing to sleep outside in the dead of winter often and not die, but he did have a moral line that he would never cross. 

He knew that the guy hadn’t put a shirt on to distract him, and he honestly appreciated it. Pyre knew that Fen  knew he was as perverted as they came, and the guy had totally used that little obvious fact to keep his attention on him for a while. 

Either way, he knew that he needed to at least lend him a hand before his snake forced itself out again. With his luck it would have probably gone straight for him because of his heat, too. He ended up plugging in a few of the heating blankets that were on the back of the couch as Fen silently watched him with squinted eyes and slightly blue, shivering lips. 

Unfortunately, the blankets took forever to warm up, so Pyre had hesitantly sat down beside the guy and carefully draped the three he’d plugged in around them, then nonchalantly leaned against Fen’s side as he focused his attention back on the television. 

And thus, he awoke some time later beneath three super hot blankets, and wrapped tightly in the arms of one hotter government case worker. 

I’m sweating my literal ass off, but fuck if his face isn’t adorable when he’s asleep. 

They were literally forehead to forehead, allowing Pyre to use the limited light from the quiet television to see his features in between the pictures shifting with different colored lights. 

His breathing hasn’t even settled yet. 

The dark circles beneath his eyes also told him that Fen had likely just fallen asleep recently. 

I don’t get why you guys are trying so hard. Everyone dies one day, why not just let things happen and enjoy your own life? Especially you, mister buff, rich man. Government case worker? You don’t need to waste your time on that crap. You are loaded… yet you helped fund that homeless shelter and now you’ve got me in such a tight hug that I feel like if we weren’t each wearing pants that we’d be having sex. 

He sighed silently and was about to just let his eyes rest until Fen was awake when he heard someone walk into the room. 

Every single muscle in his body was immediately on high alert. His ears traced every single step the person made, and as they began heading toward the TV, likely to turn it off, he began to feel his heartbeat hammering in his chest. 

Don’t turn off the TV. 

He knew that it was Gin, but his brain didn’t care. It was a person in a dimly lit room who was walking behind him while he was being restrained. They were also about to turn off the only decent light source in the room. 

“S-stop,” he gasped out, his plea evidently stopping Gin just in time. 

He heard the man turn after a moment of hesitation, but thankfully, he didn’t walk closer. 

“Sparky?” he whispered nervously. 

Pyre was struggling to calm himself and not hurt Fen, so he couldn’t manage a reply. 

“It’s okay. I’ll leave the TV on and I’ll turn on the little hall light, too. Do you need me to get you out of his arms?” he asked quietly. 

The answer to that was going to be no, but Pyre felt something beginning to roil in his stomach and quickly nodded. Gin was there in seconds and, to  his surprise, easily undid Fen’s vise-like grip around his waist. They both worked on the blankets until he was free, then resettled them over the slightly-stirring man. 

The moment that was done Pyre ran for the bathroom. After having lived on the streets for so long, he was pretty used to fights and needing to find food for himself, but his last few hours with Gin and Fen had brought out a whole new wave of unfamiliar stressors. 

He gratefully shut the door and ran for the toilet, not even thinking about locking it. His bowels emptied not a second after he’d sat down. 

Thank god. My stomach hurts so bad. 

He flushed as soon as he was done so that he didn’t stink up the room, but he still felt terrible so he didn’t risk getting up after cleaning himself up. There was a calm silence in the air that he appreciated as he tried to just calm himself down. His stomach still felt like it was twisting badly, and after about twenty minutes, he began to feel why. 

“Garbage can please!” 

There was a tiny one next to the toilet, but it was pretty full and there was no way he wanted to take the bag out to puke into the container. He also didn’t want to throw up in the toilet if he could help it. He’d just pooped, and even after flushing, it was kind of gross if he could just get a bag instead. 

Gin came running in a few moments later with a small trash can that seemed to belong in an officer, judging from the few pieces of paper in the bottom of its bag. Pyre couldn’t even get out a thank you before he lost what remained of the food he’d eaten the previous day. 

This is what I get for eating a reasonable amount of food for once. Lesson learned. 

He was also beginning to shiver pretty badly. It had been a long time since he’d had enough to eat to even consider the possibility of throwing it up. 

He felt a warm towel settle over his shoulder a little while later, making him sigh with relief from the chill that always overtook him when he got sick to his stomach. 

“Would you like me to draw you a bath so you can rinse off that sweat and warm up?” came Fen’s exhausted, yet gentle voice. 

Pyre slowly lifted his head, feeling as if it weighed a hundred pounds. He didn’t even think that he’d be able to hold it up at that point, but when a gentle hand settled beneath his jaw, he allowed himself to drop its weight. 

“I think a rinse off can wait until tomorrow? You look like you just want to pass out now,” Fen said with a sleepy smile and hair that would have had Pyre harder than a popsicle if he didn’t feel so terrible. 

How do you not have people falling at your feet you sexy god? 

“I’m going to take that blank stare as a yes,” Fen said with a slight smile as he carefully reached forward and helped Pyre tug his pants up. 

He then got him standing and helped him walk over to the sink to wash his hands. It was a sloppy job, and he’d definitely needed the guy’s assistance, but it got done, at least. 

Walking much more didn’t seem very feasible, though. He’d seriously drained all of his energy. He just barely managed to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth out before he felt himself losing his balance. 

“I gotcha.” 

Large, warm arms caught him as he began to drift off right in front of the sink. 

Gin…

His light body was easily lifted and carried off to he didn’t care where. He was just about asleep when he felt himself being laid down against cool, crisp sheets. 

Okay, that feels freaking amazing. 

He knew that he was in a bed, and his normal alarm bells were beginning to ring since his brain knew that he didn’t own a bed and that he was too tired to defend himself, but he just didn’t have the energy to let himself be worked up anymore. 

He felt Gin gently guide his body into a more comfortable position as Fen’s slimmer fingers got his head settled on the softest pillow that had ever existed. 

“You guys could… ’tly run a hotel for… sexy guys and soft ’illows,” he mumbled, knowing that he didn’t make the most sense, but still proud of his idea. 

“That’s an adorable idea, Sparky,” Gin said as he felt the man beginning to tuck him in with a warm, soft, but light blanket. 

“I’ll have to run it by my landlord. He’s the sexy one that would bring in everybody,” Gin added with a light laugh. 

Pyre slowly rolled onto his side and squinted open one heavy eyelid. 

“Yer fucking hot ‘s hell… be my t’y bear d’nigh’.” 

He hadn’t meant to say that last part. It had just been a distant mumbled thought, but he couldn’t take it back because his mind decided to shut down at that exact moment, finally allowing him to sink into a deep, much-needed sleep.

Snake 9

(Pepperjack told me she was done with pictures and to talk to the paw today)

A very faint, continuous sound slowly woke Pyre from his sleep. He’d almost woken up a few times before, but it had been ages since he’d slept in a real bed, and with a real teddy bear to snuggle? His brain might have been telling him it was time to get up, but his body was quite content to fall right back to sleep after a quick safety check with his ears. 

Now, though, the near-silent hum of a television program did finally pull him completely out of his slumber. His eyes creaked open, but his mind was much slower to configure what they were seeing. 

“Are you eating a Poptart in bed?” he mumbled sleepily, drawing Gin’s attention down to him. 

The guy glanced at the strawberry Poptart in his hand, then slowly lowered it toward Pyre’s mouth. 

“Are you?” he asked, instead of answering Pyre’s question. 

Touché. 

Leaning up, Pyre took a small bite of the sugary, cardboard-esque pastry, then settled right back down against, and partially on, Gin. 

His stomach had thankfully calmed itself overnight, but as he began to actually listen in on the news that was quietly playing on the television, he realized something strange. 

“Did I just sleep for nearly a day?” he asked as he considered getting up… but then realized he had nothing on the agenda for the month and decided to stay put until he began feeling uncomfortable. It would inevitably happen, so he was fine with enjoying the moment as it was. 

“You did,” Gin replied, a tiny hint of humor to his words as he offered another bite of Poptart. 

Pyre accepted, nibbling a corner before he heard Gin speak again. 

“Did I wake you up?” 

That question had him glancing up at the guy. He had a faint blush on his face, but he knew that the color was normally part of who Gin was. He got embarrassed and nervous pretty easily. 

“Not the way I wanted you to,” Pyre eventually replied before yawning. 

When he opened his eyes back up, the color on Gin’s face had darkened considerably. 

You’re so fucking cute. 

“You’re thinking strange things… I just know it,” Gin said before he suddenly disappeared, shrinking down into the form of his fluffy fat cat. 

Pyre grabbed the remaining tiny portion of Poptart and tossed it into his mouth, then grabbed his new fuzzy friend from his unnecessary clothing before tugging him into a tight hug. The chubby creature was purring like a motorboat in seconds as it returned the snuggles, clearly quite happy with the suffocating cuddles it was receiving. 

“You are so fucking adorable. Don’t ever change,” he said with a cheeky grin on his face. 

The cat seemed to agree with his request because it squirmed a little to get more comfortable in his arms, then settled down for a cat nap with quiet snoring and little foot-kicks from exciting dreams, included. 

Now I really can’t get up. 

He paused for a moment, then reached down and tugged up the blankets so that they were mostly over his and the cat’s shoulders. 

Wait. How can he fall asleep so quickly?

The faint sound of the door being nudged open drew his attention past his fluffy friend. 

Fen…

“Oh, good. He hadn’t slept much last night because he was studying for his exams for today.” 

Wait, he was up all night? They’d been cuddling all night… he totally felt the guy against him the entire time. 

Fen smiled, seemingly understanding what he was thinking. 

“He was reading over chapters in bed while you slept, then he took both of his exams online a few hours ago,” Fen said, nodding to the laptop on the nightstand. 

“Besides that, he only got up twice to go bathroom or grab his evening Poptart.” 

You don’t need to tell me all this. I’m not his keeper…

“Would you like anything to eat, by the way? I can make, or order, just about anything.” 

Pyre was about to outright decline, considering how badly his stomach had done with actual food yesterday… but then he thought better of it. He did need to eat something. 

“Peanut butter and jelly?” he asked after a few hesitant moments. 

Fen looked a little surprised by the simple request, but then shrugged one shoulder and nodded. 

“I can do that. I’ll be back soon.”

 Pyre nodded, hugging his snoring cat a little closer. It wasn’t that Fen bothered him, or Gin, but both of them in the same area together were quite daunting to deal with sometimes. 

Since there was nothing much else to do and he didn’t feel the need to go bathroom yet, Pyre let his eyes drift closed as he listened to the faint sound of the news broadcasters. 

He awoke some time later to see a sandwich, juice box, and cup of water on the nightstand. Carefully, as to not wake his still-dozing feline friend, he reached over and grabbed one half of the cut sandwich. 

…he took the crust off. 

He stared at it for a long moment before mentally shrugging. It was probably just a habit and preference of his own. Pyre took a small bite to taste it first, then grinned in approval before devouring the half. He went back for the second part once finished, but his hand was promptly grabbed right before he could lift the remaining portion to his mouth. 

“Excuse me, but this is human food, my good sir,” he told Gin’s cat, who had awoken just in time to reach up and grab his arm with both clawed paws. 

It tried to make him lower the sandwich so that it could get a good bite, but Pyre wasn’t that easy to manipulate. 

“I’m pretty sure I heard Fen tell me that you’ve already had your evening Poptart,” Pyre said with a raised eyebrow as the cat only spared him a slight glance before it swished its tail beneath the blanket and continued its task.

Pyre leaned over and took a huge bite out of the sandwich, earning himself a hiss in response as the cat scratched at his hand. It hurt a little, but pain meant that he was still alive… and living. 

“I give. You can have the rest,” he said as he let the cat demolish the last half of his dinner. 

While it worked on that, Pyre slowly got himself out of bed and stretched a bit. He felt his back pop in a few places, then groaned as he stretched his arms over his head. 

I should take a shower since I smell like sweat, but I’m kind of curious where Fen is.

He liked to know where people were. Especially if they were likely to be in close proximity to him. Thus, he decided to skip the shower for the moment and go find his host. Except, after checking all of the rooms and noting that the bathroom was empty, he scratched his head in front of the elevator. 

“He’s probably in the gym upstairs… if you’re looking for Fen.” 

Gin’s nervous voice stole his attention immediately, making Pyre turn around to see the guy hurrying to tug a sweatshirt on over his bare torso. 

You really don’t need to put that on… unless you’re cold. 

But he doubted that he was anywhere close to cold. After sleeping against him all night, he knew that the guy ran very hot. That meant that he was likely self-conscious. He wanted to tell him that he looked perfectly fine and should just wear what he wanted, but at the same time, he didn’t want to be anything more to either him or Fen than just a passing guest. 

He went to the counter and swiped the keycard that still sat there, then stepped up to the elevator. He was actually pretty comfortable with the fact that the guy was busy upstairs, but to get a front row seat to see a man  that ripped working out? Definitely not something he was willing to pass up. 

“Coming?” he asked Gin over his shoulder as he stepped into the elevator. 

Gin seemed to hesitate, but after a few moments of staring down at his bare feet and rubbing the back of his neck, he fumbled his way onto the elevator, somehow managing to trip over nothing on his way there. 

Pyre took the few seconds they had alone together as they ascended to look over Gin’s outfit. 

Superman shorts and a gray knit sweater. 

It fit his personality, and his body, perfectly. 

“Y-you look like you’re still hungry. I’m sorry my cat ate the other half of your sandwich,” Gin said apologetically, looking pretty embarrassed. 

Only slightly hungry for food. I’d much rather prefer eating you. 

Instead of speaking his perverted mind and making Gin feel even more awkward, Pyre just stuck his tongue out before the doors to the elevator opened. 

Holy shit balls…

The guy might have been exaggerating about him being upstairs in a gym. He had all of the weights and running machines, sure, but there was also a massive ninja obstacle course set up in an area larger than he thought could possibly fit into the building they were standing in. 

As it were, he easily located Fen, shirtless, swinging lazily through a long set of slanted monkey bars. His muscles flexed perfectly with each motion, making Pyre’s mouth water. 

Fuck, I want to lick his sweat. 

Fen’s fingers missed a bar as he suddenly glanced over toward them. He landed on a safety mat but lost his balance immediately and collapsed onto it. They both hurried over to him, but as they got closer Pyre noticed that Fen was just stretching, clearly exhausted but quite content, judging from the look on his face. 

I’m actually surprised how much you’re sweating since you’re always cold. 

“I want to lick it off,” he mumbled, then pursed his lips as he realized that he should have said the other sentence out loud and kept his second one to himself. 

Oh well. It’s not a lie, at least. 

Fen slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position and lifted one bent arm in front of him, then looked up at Pyre with a raised eyebrow. 

“I can do it myself,” he said before hesitantly licking his wrist, then making a face at how salty it probably tasted. 

Tease!

“Looks like you’ve been busy,” Gin said, allowing everyone to move on from Pyre’s awkward statement and Fen’s strange response. 

The guy shrugged one shoulder, but his smile was hard to hide. 

“It feels good being warm,” he said, making something click in Pyre’s brain. 

He works out like crazy so that he can generate warmth from his muscles since, being a snake shifter, his body doesn’t normally generate it very well. No wonder he looks like a damn cover boy for a fitness magazine. 

Looking around, Pyre actually saw a few things he wouldn’t mind trying out. He’d been quite a gymnast on the playground during elementary school…

“Go ahead, if you want to,” Fen said, drawing Pyre’s attention back to him for only a moment before he stood and hurried over to a length of monkey bars. It took him no time at all to traverse it, leaving him standing on a raised platform with a length of rope in his hands. 

Okay, this is actually going to be hella fun. 

He jumped from the platform and swung over a small pit of foam, then grabbed hold of a vertical ladder after missing it on his first attempt. The upward ascent was definitely harder than the horizontal one, but he just barely managed to get to the top and onto another little platform before running out of steam. 

Oh man, I need to get in shape… right after I find a way to eat more than one little sandwich a day. 

He straightened after regaining his breath, only to notice Gin starting the horizontal monkey bars. The guy didn’t seem too sure of himself and hesitated several times, but the second his foot touched the little end platform Pyre jumped in the air and gave a loud yell of excitement. 

Of course, Gin looked up nervously as his face turned even more red, but it was just that much more adorable. 

As Gin got ready to try the rope swing, Pyre looked ahead to what his own next obstacle was. 

My nemeses… balancing. 

It was actually a few tilted platforms that were just a little higher and to the side, over the same foam pit he’d just crossed a moment ago. He waited as Gin tried the vertical ladder, and was honestly surprised and excited when the guy made it to the very top, but then slipped on the last rung. He dropped down into the foam pit with a laugh, then decided to just hang out there for a minute and catch his breath. He did, however, reach up one arm and give Pyre a thumbs up. 

“You got it, Sparky!” 

Okay, I have two weaknesses. Balancing obstacles and Gin cheering for me while looking adorably-sweaty right below me. 

He had half, or really, three-fourths a mind to say fuck the obstacle and just jump down to wrestle with the guy below him, but his stubborn side wanted to see if he could complete the balance jumps. 

After shaking the nerves from his body, Pyre stepped to the far edge of the platform, then did a short running leap onto the first balancing wedge. He nearly slipped off right away since his bare feet didn’t allow for much traction, but thankfully he managed to lean over and catch himself, keeping himself on the platform with more upper body strength than anything. 

“You want to keep going so that you don’t have to stop. Momentum is how you do that obstacle,” Fen said, drawing his attention to the far side of the platforms. 

You came up on the other side? 

“There are two ways to get up. You can do either one,” Fen said with a shrug, reading his mind. 

Pyre didn’t bother with a response as he focused on the advice he’d been given. He’d pretty much killed his momentum after having stopped on the first jump, but that didn’t stop him from trying to pick up a bit as he leap to the next one. He panicked again as he began to slip, however, and just barely managed to grip the edges before his feet slipped off. 

Recovering from that seriously winded him, as it forced his upper body to hold all of his weight as he struggled to get his feet back onto the platform. 

“You can do it, Sparky!” came Gin’s cheer from below. 

I’m totally gonna tackle you when I finish this obstacle. 

“There’s no shame is admitting defeat.” 

Pyre glared to the side at Fen, who was only two more jumps away. He was lazily standing there with his hands nonchalantly behind his back and a grin on his face that just screamed challenge. 

“You’re gonna get it when I get over there, Snaky,” Pyre replied, earning a deep chuckle from Fen that made his insides feel a little mushy. 

Determined to finish the obstacle, Pyre ground his teeth and lifted his feet just high enough to feel comfortable making another leap. In fact, he planned to immediately jump off the next slanted ledge so that he didn’t have to waste anymore energy trying to hang onto it… because he really didn’t have any left. 

So, with his game plan decided, he gave out a quiet grunt as he pushed off his current platform, then jumped to the third. He lost his balance almost immediately, but refused to go down. Instead, he bent his knees and jumped again. Unfortunately, his right foot slipped at the same time, barely giving him any momentum as he started falling. 

Fen dropped to his knees and reached out at that moment, somehow managing to snag his wrist. The guy’s grip was solid, and he would have easily been able to pull him up… but Pyre had other ideas. 

Two hot guys, one foam pit? I’m in… literally. 

He swung up after getting his free hand on the edge of the platform, then kicked it from underneath, surprising Fen and throwing the guy off balance and over the side with him. Pyre laughed maniacally all the way down until they both landed in the foam squares below. 

“You’re a pain in my butt,” Fen said on a laugh before looking sideways over at Pyre. 

Pyre returned the look with a smirk. “Please?” 

Fen scoffed and sat up, his movements a bit awkward since the foam didn’t have a definite form. 

’You can’t handle this snake, kid,“ he said before beginning to maneuver his way out. 

Pyre had intended on messing with Gin, but the guy had already gotten out… and after hearing that challenge from Fen? 

Using his much lighter weight, Pyre easily traversed the foam pit until he managed to hop up and grab Fen’s shoulders, easily sending the guy flailing backwards back into the foam with a yelp. Another second later and Pyre was straddling his waist with his hands settled on, and slightly groping, the guy’s rock-hard abs. 

“I would love to be allowed to prove you wrong on that,” Pyre whispered into his ear as he leaned over. 

He could see Fen’s face darkening with a strong blush as he leaned back a little to give him breathing room, but right as he thought he might be able to declare victory for the first time, he felt strong and determined fingers poking at his belly. 

Oh no.

In an instant Pyre was on his back, laughing and kicking as Fen tickled the ever loving hell out of him! He tried to land any kind of blow that might make the guy back off, but even a solid kick to his abs only made Pyre’s own foot ache. 

“I give, I give!” he eventually yelled, finally earning himself a respite to catch his breath. 

By the time he was calm enough to open his eyes again and breathe normally, Fen was nowhere to be seen and Gin was leaning over the foam pit with a knowing grin on his face. 

“I ordered pizza.” 

Sitting up, Pyre shook the last bit of dizziness from his head and snorted out a laugh. 

“I guess that’s one way to end whatever the hell that just was,” he said as he fumbled to the edge and allowed Gin to easily help him up and out of the safety pit. 

When he was back on his feet, he looked around, noticing that Fen was actually gone from the entire room. 

“He went down to take a shower first,” Gin said, making Pyre scowl, then smirk. 

“I guess me and you can share the second one? Y’know, saving water and all that…” 

Gin’s normal blush reappeared, but to his credit, he simply nudged Pyre until he was forced to hop to the side a bit, then stuck his tongue out. 

“Some dreams are meant to stay unfulfilled so that you have something to look forward to when you go to sleep.” 

His words had Pyre pausing as the elevator doors opened. 

“Damn, that was way too deep for me… and you haven’t even put it in yet.” 

He hopped on the elevator after finishing speaking, pretty proud of the red tint that was shading all the way from the bridge of Gin’s nose, out to the tips of his ears.

Snake 10

Gin didn’t skimp on his pizza. 

The thing was an extra large with banana peppers, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, pineapple and triple cheese. Oh, and don’t forget the garlic, cheese-stuffed crust. 

It took him nearly an hour to make himself eat a massive slice. He didn’t take so long because he wasn’t hungry. He was absolutely starving, but he knew that stuffing his face like the previous day would likely end with the same result. 

Fen managed to take down two pieces while Gin devoured the rest after making sure no one else wanted more. It was getting close to ten at night by the time they were done with dinner. He could feel himself nodding off, even though he’d slept most of the day away already. 

I seriously need to take a shower before I figure out the rest of my night. 

The pizza had gotten there far quicker than any of them had anticipated so Fen was the only clean one. Glancing sideways at the guy sitting next to him, Pyre winked at Gin, who was still slowly chewing at the last bit of crust. 

He was about to ask if he wanted to finish his last few bites with him in the shower, and maybe add a few more of himself, but he then thought better of it. The joke was terrible and he’d already flirted with the guy a bit too much today. 

“I’m gonna go shower.”

When he got simple nods from the other two, Pyre hopped up and headed down the hallway. He made sure to stop at the laundry room and retrieved his spare change of clothing on the way. 

“Would you like to check out the second bathroom?” came a question from someone out of sight. 

Second bathroom? 

Fen appeared a moment later, gesturing for him to follow. Pyre hesitated, but then shrugged and hurried after him. They went down a small hallway and past a room with a door that was slightly ajar. He glanced in, being the curious guy that he was, and wasn’t too surprised to see a large office set up inside. 

Past that was a linen closet on the right, then another door on the right a few feet farther. That door was also open, giving him a very nice view of Fen’s massive master bedroom. He expected the guy to keep walking, so he was a bit startled when he ran right into him. 

Firm hands grabbed his shoulders just long enough to keep him from face-planting. He immediately wanted to react aggressively, but since Fen released him almost immediately and took a step back, he was able to calm himself down enough to allow the panic to subside. 

Once that meltdown had been averted, he glanced sideways at Fen, who grinned and nodded toward his open door. 

Oh damn. Do we have enough condoms for this? I totally wasn’t prepared.

He fumbled forward as Fen gave him a light shove, then walked past him and to the left toward a closed door. When Pyre tilted his head and eyed it suspiciously, but didn’t move to open it, Fen sighed and stepped forward. 

He grabbed the handle and calmly opened it before stepping inside, then moved to the side and glanced back at him. 

Holy shit. 

Pyre slowly inched forward until he was standing on the mixture of tan and black mosaic tiles of the man’s monstrous bathroom floor. There was a massive vanity on either side of the room with two sinks each and mottled tan granite countertops. Beyond them was an open floorplan nearly as big as the first family room in front of the elevator. And beyond that? A gorgeous view of the darkened city skyline. 

“How is this for only one person?” he said without really meaning to. 

Fen stepped up beside him and shrugged one shoulder. 

“Gin sometimes comes in and uses the hot tub with me, especially after a stressful exam.” 

That’s a second person, I suppose… and I want details. 

Staring at the guy, Pyre slowly shook his head, earning a confused look right back. 

“I still don’t get how you two haven’t gone at each other yet.”

Fen’s face tinted pink as he quickly looked away and walked forward, pointing toward a huge shower with a frosted glass door that didn’t do too well at leaving things to the imagination. He could even see the guy’s shampoo and conditioner bottles pretty easily through it. 

“You can use whatever you want in here. No need to ask,” Fen said, making Pyre grin a little as he walked closer and nudged the guy with his shoulder. 

“Even if you’re asleep?” 

Clearly unable to help himself, Fen let a surprised laugh slip from his lips before he caught it and quieted. 

“I suppose, as long as you’re only coming in to use this area.” 

Caught me. 

Taking another glance around, Pyre decided that he wouldn’t mind making quite a few trips to the nicer bathroom, but he had other things on his mind as he hopped up to sit on the counter.

“How often do you sleep with Gin?” he asked abruptly, making Fen flinch as he turned around to look at him. 

He could tell that the guy was about to decline the accusation, again, but then he slowly closed his mouth and looked down at his feet. 

“Usually at least five times a week…” he eventually mumbled nervously, seeming uncomfortable about it. 

Why are you so stressed about such a thing? 

“I’m not going to make fun of you for wanting to sleep next to someone because you’re really cold,” Pyre said as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. 

He waited silently until Fen finally glanced sideways at him, then slowly straightened and lifted his head to meet his eyes. 

“I know you two aren’t sleeping together, even though I can tell that Gin really likes you,” Pyre said, making Fen’s eyes widen. 

“He… what?” he asked, his face turning pale. 

Maybe I said too much. I thought it was obvious…

“Gin is just my housemate. I rented him a room on the condition that he wouldn’t mind if I borrowed his body heat once in a while…” he said awkwardly as he turned around and started walking toward the covered hot tub. 

Pyre watched him, contemplating his next words carefully. 

“That doesn’t mean that feelings can’t develop. I mean, look at me for example. I barely knew the guy for a few weeks and I practically begged him to fuck me. I didn’t want to let him move away, either, but I knew that if I didn’t cut ties completely once he did that I’d be after him like candy no matter how far I had to go to get him,” Pyre said with a sad laugh towards the end. 

He really did still love Gin. The bastard was adorable and cared so much about the people around him. He just kept it well hidden beneath nervous looks and gentle words. 

“I’m sorry that what I said stressed you out. I’m sure Gin is quite happy with exactly how things are now. I mean, I’d totally be content to cuddle you every night,” Pyre said with another quiet chuckle. 

He’d looked down when he’d said that, the slightest bit embarrassed about the confession since it had actually been honest and not just an innuendo for the hell of it. So, when he looked up again and saw Fen staring at him seriously, but not saying a word, he fidgeted a little where he still sat on the counter. 

When Fen took a step closer, Pyre heard alarm bells begin to ring in the back of his mind. His body began to tense and he started holding his breath… but just as quickly as it had begun, he felt his muscles relax and his held breath slowly slip through his parted lips. 

Fen wasn’t going to attack him. The man’s body posture was relaxed and his hands were loose at his sides. He wasn’t smiling, but he also wasn’t wearing any kind of negative expression, either. 

He’s not going to hurt you. 

Of course, he’d told himself that so many times throughout his life when trying to deal with other people, but his mind had never listened. It had to be shown that there was no danger. Had to see the signals and expressions that meant there would be no ill will toward him. Most people didn’t understand how to express those.

Once he’d finally calmed himself completely, Pyre hunched a little as he leaned backwards on his hands and sighed. 

Leave it to a government abuse caseworker to know how to defuse a situation.

“Would you really want to sleep with me in such a way?” Fen finally asked, surprising Pyre. 

Guy has some guts. 

He wouldn’t have thought that he’d have the strength to ask him without feeling too awkward. 

Pyre slowly slid from the counter, landing silently on his bare feet before addressing the man only a few inches away. 

“I’d love to sleep with you in any way you’d let me,” he said with a wink. 

Fen finally cracked a smile and rolled his eyes before opening his mouth… and promptly dropping down to the floor as his shift took over without a single warning. 

“Well, that was unexpected, but I can roll with it,” Pyre said as he leaned over and carefully lifted the snake. 

It gladly began coiling around his neck and waist. A faint brush of cold air had him looking up toward the ceiling. 

“You were standing beneath an air-conditioning vent…” 

He looked down at the snake now flicking its tongue in his direction as its head rested on his left shoulder. 

“You know that I have to shower now, right? You can’t just stay there,” he said as he walked over to the huge shower door and slid it open. 

The snake didn’t seem to get the memo. Instead of just leaving, it simply moved up and down his body as he worked on removing his clothing. 

He would have thought that the creature would have the decency to at least act embarrassed, but nope, it still gladly clung to him around his chest and neck once he was completely naked. 

“You already had a shower, but I guess you’re getting another one now, Snaky,” Pyre said as he reached in to the set the temperature. 

The sprayer had some serious pressure as he stepped in and slid the door shut, but the little buttons on the wall in front of him had his curiosity piqued. 

“Wonder what this does…” he mumbled as he reached forward and pressed the top button. 

The showerhead suddenly turned off at the same time the long square above his head let out a torrential downpour of hot water. Pyre yelped and immediately fumbled with the buttons through the waterfall of water running in front of his eyes. 

He managed to hit the third button and the water shut off again. On high alert, Pyre looked around, nervous about what would come on next. Thankfully, the normal showerhead began spraying water again instead of some other random sprayer. It was just much lighter. He did notice several more possible sprayers built into the wall to his side, though, so he decided not to mess with the buttons anymore for the time being and just accepted the lighter pressure. 

After giving himself a moment to relax, Pyre reached over and picked up Fen’s fancy shampoo bottle. It was black with gold lettering and listed all this random shit that was probably good for you, but that he didn’t give a damn about. 

“Hope you don’t mind…” he said as he put a decent amount into the palm of his hand, then lifted it up to begin scrubbing his messy hair. 

He felt Fen’s snake move as he washed himself, but when he finally rinsed the sweet-smelling shampoo from his hair and opened his eyes, he was surprised to see it slithering its way to the floor. It settled against the tile in between his bare feet after only a few moments. 

It seemed content to rest there, so Pyre just made sure not to step on it as he added a conditioner to his hair that smelled more woodsy than sweet. It actually evened out the scent of the other quite well, leaving a pleasant smell that didn’t overpower his nose. 

He was just reaching for the bottle of body wash when he noticed a something tap his right foot, drawing his attention downward again. 

Ah. 

Carefully stepping over Fen, he turned the water off and was about to grab a towel from the bar outside the sliding glass door when he felt shaking arms wrap around his right leg. 

Normally it would have triggered something within him to defend himself, but for some reason, Fen had been getting around his normally-aggressive guard lately. 

Leaving the door shut, he glanced down to see the guy with his head down, forehead pressed against his outer leg. 

“It’ll force its way back out if I get too cold too fast,” he said quietly, stress clear in his tone and posture. 

He had no doubt that he definitely didn’t want to have to sit naked in the shower with him, but he really had no other choice. 

“Were you planning to go to bed after showing me this bathroom?” Pyre asked as he calmly turned the water back on, then began cleaning his body with the minty body wash Fen had available. 

Fen nodded against his leg, then yawned as if on cue. 

Adorable. 

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Pyre asked as he got his body scrubbed up, except for the spot on his leg Fen was hugging. 

The guy was silent for a long moment, but as Pyre partially turned to rinse off his front, Fen finally spoke. 

“Have a business meeting tomorrow. On my computer,” he said, making Pyre smile.

“That sounds like an absolute blast,” he said jokingly as he finally turned off the water, ending his shower. 

He felt Fen’s arms tighten around his leg and could also feel him beginning to shiver. 

It must really suck to be so sensitive to the temperature around you. 

Instead of shaking the guy off to go get a towel, Pyre looked toward the wall of buttons. 

“Would one of these be a heater by chance?” he asked, thinking that it was a logical thing to install considering his disability. 

When he felt Fen nod against him again, Pyre grinned, but then frowned. 

“It’s broken.” 

Alright, no problem. 

He slowly slid the door open and grabbed the fluffy white towel hanging on the bar in front of it before shoving it closed again. 

Instead of drying himself off, Pyre carefully knelt down. Fen adjusted as he moved, eventually looking up just in time to allow Pyre to settle the large, soft towel upon his head. 

The man looked confused, but Pyre let his actions speak for him as he carefully but quickly dried Fen’s hair, then worked his way around his body without spending an uncomfortable amount of time anywhere. 

By the time he was done Fen was nearly completely dry, except for his private bits. Pyre let him have the towel to do that once he was satisfied with his previous job, then slid out of the shower and pushed the door closed again. 

He found himself a towel folded on the counter a few feet away and quickly got himself dried off, even though he’d air-dried decently well while he’d been working on Fen. 

By the time he got his change of clothing on Fen was walking past him with his towel around his waist. He watched as the man hurried around the large, dark-themed room. The lights were off and it was pretty dark outside, but Fen seemed to have no trouble finding himself a set of soft pajamas. 

He then hurried to switch on several things by his bed, which Pyre quickly figured out were electric blankets. 

“I’ll get out of your hair now,” Pyre said as he headed for the door. 

Stepping out, he realized that Gin must have already gone to bed because all of the lights were out except for the little guide light plugged in by the baseboards in the living room that seemed to be struggling not to go out. 

It’s really dark…

He wasn’t a fan of not being able to see well. One too many times, pain had come out of complete darkness. 

“Wait.” 

Pyre glanced over his shoulder, but couldn’t see much in the room since he’d already switched off the bathroom light. To his surprise, though, a faint glow appeared in the far corner, illuminating just enough of the room to make him feel less uneasy. 

He could see Fen quickly return to where he’d likely been getting comfortable beneath his blankets. 

“I can keep that light on…” the man said after he finished tucking himself in tightly, leaving only his slightly damp hair and eyes visible. 

Pyre took a few moments to process the situation before he took a step forward and carefully closed the door behind himself. 

“There is a lot of room in that bed,” he commented as he slowly walked closer. 

It really was a massive thing. Clearly bigger than a normal king. 

Hearing Fen give a sleepy yawn, Pyre decided to push his nerves to the side and just accept the offer that was being given to him. He was just about to climb into the comfortable-looking bed when he heard a light tap on the door behind him, making him jump and spin around with his fingers curling into fists at his sides. 

Gin’s head popped inside after a moment, his brow furrowed with worry. 

“Oh, Pyre. I thought that you had already gone to bed. Fen, are you okay?” he asked as he glanced past him toward the man hiding beneath his blankets in his too-big bed. 

“I should be okay. The blankets are all working well,” Fen said after an awkward silence. 

Gin frowned, opening the door a little bit more as Pyre managed to relax his hands and calm his heart. 

“Are you sure? You know that you’re always welcome in my bed.” 

Smooth. You forgot to add the ‘if you’re cold’ part. 

Fen ducked a little more beneath his blankets. 

“I’ll be good tonight. You guys go ahead and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” 

Stressed him out too much. 

The guy had clearly been uncomfortable asking him to stay in the first place, and then add Gin to the mix after having just told him that the guy liked him. Yeah, he wasn’t surprised that Fen backed away from the whole situation. 

“Alright, we’ll see you tomorrow,” Pyre said as he stepped out into the hallway, then took Gin’s hand. 

The guy hesitated for a few moments before bidding goodnight to Fen, too, then stepping out of the room and shutting the door. 

“I suppose it’s just us tonight,” Gin said, making Pyre offer him a slight smile. 

“Maybe we can have a full sleepover another night,” he said, earning a quiet chuckle, then hum of agreement from the guy as they walked through the darkness toward Gin’s room hand in hand.

Snake 11

(So, I know I said one thing awhile ago when people asked, but my stories also tend to do whatever the heck they want. So… this short chapter before work.)

That feels so damn good.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten a good belly rub.

Wait, I think it was after I did that one kid behind the bleachers in ninth grade…

Either way, it felt freaking amazing. It almost seemed like Gin was using a soft blanket, too, which somehow just made it that much better.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen something cuter than this,” Gin said, sounding like an old lady cooing over a drooling baby.

Pyre adjusted his upper body this way and that as he let the guy continue his attentions, too caught up in the feeling to really care about anything else.

He heard the door open a few moments later and blinked open one eye to see Fen’s head poking inside. The guy had clearly just finished showering, but the expression he wore had Pyre slowly coming out of his euphoria.

Is it that weird to rub someone else’s belly? Do we need to have sex beforehand? Cause I’m totally down.

“I… don’t think that’s a possibility right now,” Fen mumbled, confusing Pyre even further as he finally reached up and grabbed Gin’s arm with stubby little black paws, then tried to move it aside.

What is going on here? Why can’t I move his hand away?

“I don’t think he realizes what’s happened,” whispered Gin, as if he was trying to only be heard by Fen, who was farther away than him!

What is with you two? Do I have something on my face? Did I drool really bad?

Pyre slowly sat up, then yawned and lifted a paw to swat at a slight itch behind his ear. He then felt one on his nose, making him twitch it, then swat at it, too.

“I’m not usually one for cute things, but I really just want to walk over there and hug him,” Fen said as he stepped inside the room, still staring at him strangely.

You can totally come over here and hug me. We can also do quite a few other things after that, too.

Fen looked like he was thinking about it, and when he just shrugged and walked forward, Pyre hurried to the edge of the bed.

“God, I can’t believe how adorable he is. And that fluffy tail!” Gin cooed, making one of Pyre’s ears perk up as he sat back on his haunches.

Tail?

Fen didn’t have a tail… at least not at that moment. Gin also wasn’t shifted right then, and he was the one speaking, so that definitely ruled him out.

I know I definitely don’t have a tail.

But just in case…

Pyre glanced over his shoulder and looked down.

Am I sitting on a stuffed animal?

He got onto his hands and knees again and turned, but the tail moved at the same time he did.

This isn’t funny.

He turned a bit more, but at some point his back foot somehow got caught on something that made him feel as if someone was literally pulling on his butt, and then he lost his balance and flopped right off the bed!

Not my brightest move. At least there was a blanket down here to break my fall.

Rolling over, Pyre got to his paws and shook out his body.

Oh… there was no blanket down here.

He frowned and looked up as hands appeared and scooped him up.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t catch you in time. Are you alright, Pyre?” Gin said as he cuddled him like a baby.

Okay, I swear I’m not that small, and you’re not this big…

“Pyre? Are any of your relatives shifters?” Fen asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to Gin, his expression suddenly more serious than earlier.

Blinking, Pyre slowly shook his head, then turned it so that he could get a few licks of Gin’s neck, because why not? There was a cuddling fee.

“This is really odd, then. Shifter genetics don’t usually skip generations entirely,” Fen said, earning a nod from Gin as he continued to joyfully snuggle him.

“How should we handle this?” Gin eventually asked, a hint of worry to his voice that changed Fen’s expression to one closer to nervousness.

Handle what? You can handle me all day long if you don’t mind being bottom.

“Pyre, hun?” Gin said, making Pyre put his little paws on the man’s chest so that he could push himself back enough to look up and meet his eyes.

Yeah? Wanna bang?

“You’re um…” he glanced back to Fen, then back down to Pyre.

“You’re a red panda, Pyre.”

A… what?

He stared at the guy looking down at him, then looked lower.

I…

His eyes found little cute red paws.

No way.

He flexed his fingers, but the paws moved against Gin’s shirt instead. That was about the time his brain short-circuited. Slimmer hands wrapped around his waist, lifting him away from Gin and up into Fen’s arms. He had a little blanket wrapped around him within a moment, then he was being carried across the house and into Fen’s large office.

The guy took a seat at his large, comfy office chair, then turned on his computer and began typing. Normally, he wouldn’t have the attention span to just stay still, but Pyre was struggling with his new reality and didn’t have the ability to do much of anything at that moment.

Soon he felt fingers stroking the thick fur on his head, but again, he didn’t react.

“It will be okay, I promise,” Fen whispered in the dim room as he clicked through a bunch of things on his computer that Pyre didn’t bother turning his head to look at.

The smell of cooking bacon and eggs did catch his attention after a little while, but he was actually comfortable right where he was. He also wasn’t sure how well he would handle his new self if he actually tried to function on his own right then.

“Ah, here’s our answer,” Fen said after another ten minutes.

Gin walked in at that moment, carrying a small plate.

“What did you find?” he asked, clearly having heard him.

Instead of speaking, Pyre felt Fen reach forward with one hand, likely to point at the screen. That gesture brought Gin closer so that he could read whatever he had found.

“Oh…”

The sudden sadness in the guy’s voice finally had Pyre turn his fuzzy head to peek at the screen.

Name: Pyre Rite

Sex: Male

Reason for relinquishing custody: Death of guardians

Age when relinquished: 3 months

Age when adopted: 5 months

There was quite a bit more information, but he wasn’t interested in any of it. His mind was stuck on the simple fact that someone had let him go to a home with such an abusive man. He remembered that his earlier years weren’t too bad, but as middle school had started, so had the beatings and threats.

He’d been able to take the target off of his mother. Or, well, the woman who had adopted him, but that just made his life much harder. Then when she’d left? It was an all out battle to keep himself safe.

They really left me with someone like him… Everyone left me there.

His nose twitched as a tiny piece of bacon was put in front of it, but instead of taking the offered food he tucked his head into the blanket wrapped around himself. There was no way food would settle in his stomach and he honestly didn’t want to eat, anyways.

I should just jump off the balcony and be done with this.

There was just too much going on in his mind now. He’d barely wanted to stay alive for the next two years, but now he was stuck being an animal he’d never even freaking heard of. He didn’t even want to try.

His mind was getting darker and darker as he began to think of how he could get the sliding glass door to the balcony open with his tiny new height and stubby paws when he felt himself being shifted a little in Fen’s arms, then a light pressure settled on the top of his head.

It was too light to be a hand, but he wasn’t quite sure what else it could be. So, he hesitantly looked up with wide, watery eyes.

Oh, Fen had kissed the top of my head.

The guy slowly turned his seat and stood, carefully holding him to his chest as they walked into the second living room area and sat down in one of the large beanbag chairs. Gin joined them in a matter of moments, easily making room for himself on the beanbag by lifting Fen, with him still tucked in his arms, right up onto his lap.

Pyre felt one of Gin’s arms wrap around Fen’s middle, then one of his hands settle beneath his fuzzy backside beyond the blanket still wrapped around him.

The TV turned on a few seconds later to a nature documentary, then the lights were lowered with another controller.

“Let’s take a day off from life and learn a little bit about you, hmm?” Gin said, drawing Pyre’s attention between him and the screen.

He really didn’t want to know anything about his new curse, but when a little red, black, and white creature hobbled its way onto the screen and twitched its little nose, he couldn’t help but stare.

Fuck… why am I so cute?

Where are the muscles and teeth?

That’s not a panda, I got cheated!

I wonder if this cuteness can help me get laid.

Snake 12

The pediatrician was never somewhere Pyre thought he’d go after he’d gotten his necessary shots to begin grade school. His father had always ignored the calls for check-ups and quite frankly, he didn’t give a shit about it, either. 

He stared up at the mural that covered the longest wall in the waiting room, eying the fish with distrust. It said that the shark was the sick one, but unless the artist painting the mural had a seizure in the middle, he definitely didn’t buy it, because that dolphin looked like a wreck. 

“This is the case file. It has all of his information in it and our reason for the visit.” 

Pyre turned his fuzzy head and looked way up as Fen glanced over at him with a nervous smile. He hadn’t been aware that he’d even had a case file , or that Fen had any real information on him, but the guy did work for the government and specialized in work with the homeless. He had no doubt that finding a bit of information on a nineteen year old run away wouldn’t be too hard for him. 

The woman behind the desk was silent for a few minutes as she read through it, taking enough time with the task that Pyre’s little panda mind lost interest and began swatting at some of the little fish on the mural before him. 

Can you focus for five seconds, please? 

His animal wasn’t exactly out of his control, but it also didn’t really listen to him all that well, either. It made him get way more distracted than he normal would be, and it also had a habit of excessively gnawing on things, as if it were still teething. 

“Alright, you’re all set,” Fen said as he suddenly appeared beside him and scooped up his suddenly-squirmy red panda. 

It wanted to continue its attack on the paintings, but when he was snuggled up against Fen’s firm chest, Pyre out-muscles the stubborn punk and settled in to his rightful place. 

Too bad he has to wear a shirt in here… and he also put on a jacket cause the air-conditioner is chilly. So sad. 

“Behave,” Fen said, making Pyre glare up at him. 

I am clearly behaving. I haven’t even tried to pee on you once even though this bladder is terrible. 

The man was silent as he took a seat in one of the many chairs lining the area by one of the two large windows. He expected him to take out his phone and try to get a bit of work done with his emails or something, but instead, he simply began running his fingers through the soft fur on Pyre’s head. It was actually quite soothing once he got a tempo going, allowing Pyre to settle down a bit. 

They waited for a while after that, and Pyre watched as person after person came and went. He didn’t mind, though, since he was still getting plenty of attention from Fen, and the guy was also being pretty chill about being skipped over a lot. It had to have been about two hours later when their name was finally called. 

No one else was in the room now beside the receptionist, making Pyre a little more comfortable as he gently tapped his paw against Fen’s chest, requesting to get down. He hadn’t quite gotten the hang of walking right in his animal form. It was probably because he didn’t want his panda to have more control of that aspect than he did, so he was constantly fighting himself on how to place his paws so that he could balance right with his fluffy tail swinging awkwardly behind himself. 

Thankfully, he didn’t make himself look like too much of a fool as he slowly managed to follow Fen into a back room. There was a young guy standing at the far end, making Pyre and his animal side agree on hesitation. He wasn’t technically afraid of him, but he did remember the stress of the shots as a kid, and his animal was blaring alarms of stranger danger in his mind. 

He saw Fen a few feet away, having knelt down to try and coax him inside, but he just couldn’t make his paws move forward anymore. 

“It’s alright. He’s probably having a tough time with this whole situation. We finished with all of our patients today, so there’s no need to rush,” the young guy in a white doctor’s coat said as he carefully got himself seated on the floor, then looked across the small room to Fen. 

“So, how have you been, Fen? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in here,” the man said, making Pyre flick a stubby little ear as he stared between them, confused. 

His brain soon put together the pieces as Fen responded with gratitude about being allowed to get in for an appointment on such short notice. They then spoke for a few moments about a previous case he’d taken a few months ago. The topic then changed to different things as time went on, eventually boring him enough that his animal nudged its way into control just enough to take two steps inside, then turn toward a metal tray table that had been pushed against the wall. He began trying to chew on it almost immediately, and wouldn’t listen when Pyre told it that it was being stupid, since there was no way it was going to do anything to a bar of metal. 

The stubborn red ball of fur was determined to try, though, and didn’t even stop when he felt eyes on him. 

“I see you have a very confused little panda there,” the doctor said with a chuckle that drew a warm smile from Fen as he looked over at Pyre. 

“I’m not sure why he’s acting like he’s teething when he’s clearly an adult animal,” he said, earning a nod from the doctor as he gestured slightly toward him. 

“Some of that can definitely be stress, but I think most of it is going to be related to the fact that he had never shifted before yesterday. Most people shift into their animal forms when they are young and still developing. That means that the shift is automatically programmed, to a point, to come with the habits of a young child,” he said, earning a nod from Fen as they both continued to watch him. 

Pyre felt his animal side slowly retreat once it had had its chewing fill sated, allowing him back in control, for the most part. He shook out his coat and licked a paw before looking up at Fen. 

“Hey there, bud,” he said, earning a head tilt in response before Pyre fumbled over to him. 

He definitely didn’t have his running down yet, but he made it far enough so that the guy could catch him before he face-planted or ran right into his crossed legs. 

“Gotcha,” he said as he easily lifted him up and snuggled him into his chest. 

Pyre greedily squirmed in as close as he could get, but refused to take his eyes off of the doctor still staring at him. 

“Do you think he would let you hold him while you step on the scale?” the doctor asked as he gestured toward an electronic weight scale next to a manual one. 

Fen looked down at Pyre, who had looked up at him in response, then flicked an ear a few times. 

I don’t really care. Just don’t put me down, this is freaking me out. 

He felt the man begin to carefully get up after his thought had finished, making Pyre dig his claws in a little. Fen didn’t seem to notice, or at least didn’t react as he walked over to the scale and stepped up. 

There was silence for a few moments as the number flashed beneath them, then Fen seemed to do some sort of calculation in his head before stepping back off and leaning against a counter with storage cabinets beneath it. 

“He weighs about five and a half pounds,” he said, making the doctor pick up the clipboard he’d left sitting beside himself and jot down a few things. 

“Do you happen to know how much his human half weighs?” the doctor asked, making Fen shake his head. 

“I honestly didn’t think about it. He’s definitely malnourished, though. If I had to guess, I’d put him around one-hundred and five or so. Height probably around five eight, give or take.”

The doctor nodded as Fen carefully lowered himself back down to the ground, making sure to keep a good hold on Pyre as he moved. 

“I’d like him to gain at least twenty pounds to start,” the doctor said as he wrote down a few more things, then looked up with a cautious smile. 

“Pyre, can I take a look at your coat and eyes?” 

Pyre pinned his ears down and tucked his head beneath Fen’s chin. 

I don’t want to move away from Fen. 

“Would it be alright if he sits next to us and does a little check up? I promise no shots,” Fen said, making Pyre hesitate for a few moments before giving a very slight nod.

He got an immediate pat to his head as he felt Fen nod toward the man. As soon as the doctor began moving closer Pyre felt his fur begin to stand on edge. He let out a quiet warning growl as the man found a seat about a foot away, but it sounded more like a squeak. 

First I’m a fake panda. Now my growl sounds like I’m a dog toy. 

“It’s okay, he got the message,” Fen said with a chuckle that made the doctor tilt his head. 

“Can you… hear him?” he asked, making Fen look back up at him with a raised eyebrow. 

They stared at each other for a few moments before Fen looked down at Pyre, then back to the other man for a moment more. 

“You can’t?” Fen finally asked, confused. 

The doctor smiled, seeming to relax quite a bit. 

“You actually have a bond with a guy whose case you’re working.”

Fen fidgeted at that statement as he held Pyre a tiny bit closer. 

“I guess so,” he eventually said with a half shrug. 

The doctor seemed to think over the situation as he slowly reached forward. 

Pyre bit back another grumble but did pin his ears down. He’d honestly missed the fact that Fen could hear his inner musings until the doctor actually said it, but his mind couldn’t focus on that right then. 

“Just a little check,” the man said as he gave Pyre’s panda a gentle pat on its head.  

He let the guy slowly move his hands down his body as he checked his different places around his ribs, backbone, legs, and haunches. He then turned his attention to his little left ear, as it was the only one available. He finished with that fast, then took out a small flashlight-looking item. 

“I’m just going to shine this into your eye for a second,” he said before doing just that. 

Pyre let out an annoyed squeak, but managed to keep his eyes open for the moment the man needed in order to check them. 

“Perfect,” just one more little thing. 

“Can you smile for me, please?” 

I guess…

Pyre pulled his lips back from his teeth, baring them at the man. The guy clearly found it amusing, but thankfully didn’t reach forward again and instead, grabbed his clipboard and wrote down a few more things. 

“He doesn’t have any baby teeth, so I’d just get him some chews so that he doesn’t hurt his teeth on the random things his panda finds to nibble on until it grows out of that,” he said, then continued. 

“I definitely want his weight up. I’ll give you some vitamins to take home and, I’m sure you know, but make sure that you don’t give him too much food at any one sitting. His body will need to adjust to eating regular meals again.”

Fen nodded as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Pyre’s head. 

“Yeah, we made that mistake already.” 

He paused as he thought about something, then looked up at the doctor, deciding to voice it. 

“So, would you happen to know why he has shifted now? And why he isn’t shifting back?” 

That had been the main reason Fen had managed to get him to agree to even come to the pediatrician in the first place. 

“Well, I can answer the first one easily. Late shifting is something we see often in abuse cases. His shift just wasn’t comfortable during his childhood and kept itself hidden for safety,” the doctor said, making Pyre tilt his head. 

Can’t blame it there. It would have gotten the shit beaten out of it pretty easily.

“Your other question, though. I’m not too sure. It could just be that because his shift hasn’t been out yet that it is wanting to learn the ropes before it lets Pyre take control back. That is fairly common with young kids when they first shift. I wouldn’t be too worried about it right now. If he’s still having trouble returning to his human form after a week or so, then please give me a call and we can look further into it.” 

Fen slowly stood back up as the doctor scooted away, then got back to his own feet. 

“Do you have any other questions? I’ll add all of the information I got today to his case file,” the man asked with a warm smile down to Pyre. 

While he’d been freaked out by the guy most of their appointment, Pyre was now realizing just how hot the young dude was. 

Can I get his phone number? He’s actually pretty hot… I wouldn’t mind working him into my schedule. 

Fen’s face immediately turned pink as he put one hand over Pyre’s panda’s mouth. 

The doctor raised an eyebrow, making Fen rub at the back of his neck as he mumbled awkwardly, “you just got sexually propositioned by a panda.” 

The guy’s face immediately broke into a grin before he outright laughed. He managed to calm himself pretty quickly, but he couldn’t hide the faint blush on his face. 

Fuck, he’s cute. 

When the man reached forward with one hand, Pyre accepted and settled a little paw in it for a pawshake. 

“Well, I’m afraid that I have a strict rule about dating patients, but you are adorable. I think I did forget to introduce myself, though, since Fen already knows me well. My name is Blake and I wish you the best, little guy. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon at your next appointment, but until then, take care of this guy,” he said as he glanced up at Fen and gave a half-grin. 

Fen scowled and halfheartedly put a hand over Pyre’s eyes as he turned and headed for the door with the doctor slowly following. 

“Hush, you. You’re still nothing but trouble,” he said, earning another laugh from Blake. 

“Always will be. Take care, friend.”

Fen tossed the guy one final look before waving and opening the door, then stepping outside into the chilly weather.

Snake 13

(Sorry I haven’t replied to some comments lately, been very busy. This is technically half a chapter but I figured it worked well enough as a whole and I’ll do the other part when I have time lol )

He still hadn’t shifted, but he could at least walk a lot easier and could even climb up on the bed without help now. It had been two days since they’d gone to the pediatrician and within those two days, he was always with either Fen or Gin. He couldn’t really blame them, though.

Since Fen could read his mind, he definitely must have heard his bad episode the morning after his appointment. It wasn’t that he hated his current situation. In fact, it was probably the best one he’d had in his entire life, but sometimes those things just didn’t matter when you started feeling bad.

Before he could get into the toxic stuff beneath the sink, however, Fen had rushed out of his office, leaving his work call abruptly to catch him in time. He’d scooped him up and tucked him right into his dress shirt, then sat back down to finish his meeting early. None of the people seemed very attentive on what he was saying after he’d returned, though. Part of the reason had likely been because their ultra-rich boss, or CEO, or he thought one of them might have called him a CFO, had an adorable little red panda tucked into his shirt with its fuzzy head partially poking out to stare at all of them.

After the video meeting, they went upstairs to the gym. He hadn’t really been in the mood to run around right then, but when Fen literally began swinging across the monkey bars in his damn suit, with him still tucked into his shirt? His mood brightened a bit. A lot a bit.

Fast forward to Friday, and Pyre was staring up at Gin as the guy worked feverishly on his laptop. He had a test the coming Monday and had gotten behind on his homework because of a date he’d been asked out on. Pyre didn’t really know the details, but Gin had mentioned that he’d wanted to study that day so he didn’t plan to stay out long.

Unfortunately for him, the guy didn’t bring him back home for at least six hours, severely messing up his homework plans. That was the first time he’d seen him angry over something. Even though his anger was nothing to Pyre’s, or his adoptive father’s when he got mad, but everyone had their own way of expressive their levels of frustration.

“Can I borrow some of your fluff for a minute?” Gin asked with a stressed sigh.

Of course. Anytime.

Pyre easily scaled the bed with the help of a slightly hanging blanket, then hobbled his way across Gin’s body until he was snuggled in beneath the guy’s chin. Gin settled a big hand on his back and began gently scratching there, making Pyre tilt this way and that so that the guy could get to the perfect spot.

He wasn’t sure what happened after that because his panda decided that right then was the perfect time for a nap. He awoke about four hours later with his little body being hugged snuggly against Gin’s chest as the guy snored quietly.

I’ve dreamed of waking up beside you like this for years, and now here we are… and I’m a midget panda who probably can’t even get an erection that can be seen past all this fur.

The sound of the door opening drew Pyre’s head up as he carefully wiggled out of Gin’s arms, then lifted his front paws on top of the guy’s shoulder, then pushed himself higher to see.

Instead of speaking, Fen simply nodded toward somewhere down the hall, silently asking if he wanted to come.

Why not…

Carefully but clumsily climbing over Gin, because he was too lazy to go around, Pyre made his way off the bed. He then ran out of the room and down the hall, testing his tiny legs just for the hell of it. He’d had quite a bit of oatmeal earlier and had managed to keep it down, so he had some energy to spare for once. In fact, he decided to do a quick lap around the living room, too, just because he could.

“Someone’s got a little more energy than usual today,” Fen said as he watched him with a smile.

Pyre finished his lap, coming to rest at Fen’s feet. He was clearly out of breath, but also quite proud of his little zoom session. When Fen began to lean down, Pyre got up on his stubby hind legs and reached up with his little paws, knowing that he was getting picked up. He really could walk quite well now, but both guys seemed to prefer holding him, and who was he to say no?

He was just being carried past the elevator entrance when the chime above it dinged, alerting them to someone’s arrival.

Someone else has a key card for your place?

“A few people, but he’s a bit early,” Fen said as he turned to face the elevator, but didn’t move closer.

Early? You didn’t mention that someone was coming over.

Not that it was really his business. It was Fen’s home, after all.

“I don’t mind you asking and I should have told you since you’re living here too at the moment. It’s Blake,” Fen replied, making Pyre’s ears twitch slightly.

On one paw, he was nervous about the doctor being in his safe place, but on the other paw, the guy was hot as hell in his doctor’s coat… maybe he’d be even hotter in normal clothing. Before he could begin fantasizing, the doors to the elevator slowly slid open, revealing their guest.

Oh damn. Fen, let’s have a foursome, he thought without hesitation as he squirmed his way down from his arms, only to run halfway toward the pediatrician before stopping short. His panda mind was sounding alarms, but he didn’t want to hear them.

He’s safe. Look how hot he is! He’s not going to do anything bad.

The panda wasn’t buying his reassurances.

Frustrating stupid cotton ball, he grumbled as he plopped his backside down right there, not having the strength to really fight the animal’s instincts.

“Looks like someone is almost happy to see me,” Blake said as he stepped off the elevator and put down a small messenger bag. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt with some random design on it. It was simple yet perfect.

I am, he’s not.

Fen chuckled as he walked over and held out a hand to Blake. Instead of shaking it, like he’d thought he would, the guy reached forward and pulled Fen into a quick hug, then released him before turning his attention down to Pyre.

Am I missing something? Are you two together-ish? Is there room for more? I’m compact.

His panda seemed to think that last part was important because it slowly began trying to scrunch itself up into a little ball of fluff. It didn’t work too well, because legs just didn’t bend that way, but he made a good enough fool of himself to earn two laughs from the people staring at him.

After his animal’s failed attempt at looking cute, Pyre awkwardly righted himself, then licked a paw a few times before returning his attention back to the two men.

You saw nothing.

“Anyways, thanks for stopping by,” Fen said as he stepped forward and picked Pyre back up, then walked over to the couch and dropped down onto it.

They hadn’t actually sat down on the real living room couch since he’d been there. They always seemed to gravitate toward the beanbag room instead. Not that he minded the switch… especially when Blake sat down right next to them, allowing him to wiggle his way free from Fen and nonchalantly stride right over into the guy’s lap. He then dropped his bum and curled up like a self-righteous cat claiming its person, and it’s person’s space.

“Looks like he’s getting a bit more comfortable,” Blake said as he began to gentle run his fingers through Pyre’s fur.

He paid special attention to his ears, making Pyre realize that there was more to life than just sex.

“He, uh… likes the ear scratches,” Fen said awkwardly, drawing a grin out of Blake as his hand changed to rubbing Pyre’s belly.

You just had to throw him that hint, huh? I might be a panda but I still have needs… and I needs ear scratches.

“I did,” Fen replied as he reached over and poked Pyre’s little jaw, earning a paw swipe in the process. “I haven’t heard you verbally talk in days, but your potty mouth hasn’t stopped flowing in the least,” he added, making Pyre stick his tongue out.

At that exact moment, Blake lifted his hand and grabbed it, tugging slightly with a chuckle before Pyre squeaked out a growl and moved to bite him, making the guy quickly withdraw his fingers.

“So, how has his eating been going? I emailed you about trying some lighter food…” Blake said, making Fen nod.

“Much better. He wasn’t a fan of oatmeal at the beginning, but I added in some brown sugar and blueberries and he was all for it.”

Correction, the panda was all for it. I was slightly disgusted but hungry enough to force it down.

Fen ignored him, making Pyre twitch his whiskers and curl up a bit tighter in Blake’s lap.

Too bad he’s wearing pants…

Pyre was abruptly lifted from his spot and hugged against Fen’s chest.

“We’re going to do boiled chicken and rice tonight and see if he can eat a decent portion of that,” he said, completely ignoring Pyre’s squirms as he tried to get loose.

Come on.

“Has he been to your gym yet, by chance?” Blake asked as he got a bit more comfortable, crossing his legs and reaching one arm up to rest on the top of the sofa.

He seems really relaxed here… are you sure you guys aren’t bumping buddies?

Ignoring him, again, Fen replied to Blake.

“He has. He was actually pretty good. We weren’t there for long, though.”

The other guy seemed to be thinking as he remained silent for a few long moments. When he finally replied, Pyre twitched an ear.

“Want to go work out for a bit?”

Fen seemed confused, at first, but then he simply shrugged a shoulder and stood up, being careful not to drop him.

“Sure, why not?”

This is a very random turn of events.

He didn’t mind it, though. Especially if there was a chance of two people losing their shirts in the process. He was suddenly quite eager for some exercise.

Once they were upstairs he wiggled his way free from Fen’s hold and easily climbed down to the floor. In that amount of time, Blake had pulled his hair back into a tiny ponytail to keep it out of his face and set his phone and wallet off to the side.

He’s so cute. How can you not try to hit that?

Of course, Blake was a little bit taller than Fen, and held a slight air of dominance, too, but that just meant more fun when it got time to get down and dirty. He would totally pay all the money he didn’t have to watch them go at each other.

“Let’s get that mind on other things… that are PG or under,” Fen said, making Pyre tilt his fuzzy head.

Practically Grinding?

“I think this guy really needs some mind soap,” Fen mumbled right before his hand was grabbed by Blake and he was promptly pulled into a run.

“Maybe you just need to get a little sweaty, yourself,” he said, making Fen’s entire face turn bright red as they came to a very brief stop next to a long rope hanging down from the ceiling.

Fen was clearly mulling over what he wanted to say in his panicking mind, and was just about to open his mouth when Blake suddenly began ascending the rope faster than Pyre thought possible.

“H-hey!” Fen yelled as he fumbled for the rope, but waited until Blake was safely off of it and onto the ten foot tall platform before he began climbing, himself.

Instead of yelling back, Blake simply stuck his tongue on the slightest bit, then hurried across a long balance beam, then began climbing up some odd hanging rings. Fen was quick to follow, but definitely not pushing himself too hard… yet.

I truly believe that I am watching some sort of foreplay here.

In fact, Pyre decided to settle down right there on the floor and tucked his tail up against his side, then crossed his front paws. He had totally planned to run around in order to get them all sweaty and want to take their shirts off, but they were doing that plenty themselves. He clearly wasn’t needed.

I hope this movie eventually turns PG.

Snake 14

Blake was much more fun than Pyre thought he’d be. Of course, the guy was hot as hell and looked great in his doctor’s coat and all, but seeing him easily maneuver over Fen’s obstacle course in his normal clothing, and at a pace even faster than its creator?

Wait a minute. Has he been up here before?

He caught himself answering his own question when he remembered that Blake had been the one to mention if he’d gone up to the gym at all yet.

Wonder what their relationship really is…

He watched Fen specifically for any kind of reaction to his thoughts, but the guy was hiding everything well as he easily made his way across a second balance beam, then began swinging on a rope that evidently landed you on a platform about ten feet away. He missed his first try at landing, giving Blake enough time to easily do another balancing obstacle and put himself comfortably ahead.

Blake ended up sitting down on the edge of the platform he was on and kicking his feet nonchalantly as he watched Fen finally land correctly with the rope obstacle. He even waited for the man to cross the balancing obstacle. That allowed Fen to get to him and do something that startled not only the guy waiting for him, but also Pyre.

Fen literally tackled Blake to the floor of the platform, making Pyre jump to his tiny paws, then stand up on his stubby back legs.

I can’t see! Come on, no censoring!

He inched his way closer to the equipment several times before finally trying to hobble up onto it. Unfortunately, some of the platforms were just a bit too high, wearing him out by the time he got up to the spot to start the first obstacle in his area.

I shouldn’t have run around so much earlier.

He got up on his hind legs again as he heard something on the platform the two others were still on. They had moved a little bit, and he could now see Fen’s right foot, as well as Blake’s shoed left one right up against it.

This is totally unfair.

He plopped his fuzzy but down on the padded platform and sulked, tugging at his stubby right ear a few times before licking his paw. He refused to glance up, even as his curiosity begged him to try and get a better look.

Pyre began to get fixated on licking the back of his paw, focusing so much on it that it took him a minute to realize that he was licking the back of a hand, instead.

Oh.

He flipped it over, wiggled his fingers, and tilted his head.

I’m back.

Smirking, he slowly looked up toward the platform, then licked his lips. It took him no time at all to get high enough to see what was actually going on. Standing on the other side of the last balancing obstacle, Pyre paused, slightly confused.

Just a hug…?

He noticed Fen finally react to one of his thoughts as the guy leaned his head up the slightest amount to look at him over Blake’s shoulder. They had switched initial positions. Blake’s arms were snuggly wrapped around Fen’s head, making it a bit difficult for the guy to move much. It was almost like he was holding him as if he needed to be extra gentle, but couldn’t bear to let go, either. His body was also partially on top of the guy, though Fen didn’t seem too bothered by it.

Now that he’d actually seen what was really going on, Pyre hesitated on his own platform. He waited there for several moments before he saw Blake finally push himself up and off of Fen, then sat down beside the man as he pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked toward Pyre.

I guess that’s my invitation to join them… I think?

He was more than a bit confused as he easily walked across the balance obstacle, confident in his naked body, though a little nervous about Blake possibly making a big deal out of his scars. When he stepped off on the other side, he felt his heartbeat pick up a little.

“Sorry about that,” Blake said, drawing Pyre’s attention for a moment before he decided to just sit down on the padded surface. He also leaned slightly forward after a few moments and put his hands at a decent-enough position to hide his extra bits a little.

He was just about to say something to break the awkward silence that followed Blake’s apology when he felt a warm shirt being tugged over his head. It settled around him, covering his lap well enough for him to feel more comfortable.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in your human form, Pyre,” Blake said with a calm, warm smile. “I’m sorry I had to trick you.”

Wait, what?

Fen took that moment to push himself the rest of the way up, his flexing abs drawing Pyre’s eyes and making his tongue slip from his lips to swipe across his lower one. He really did need to reign in his suicidal tendencies until he could get a chance to lick those abs. They would probably taste so damn good with whipped cre—“How are you feeling? That was your first shift to and from your animal form, if I remember correctly?” Blake said, taking Pyre’s attention away from the candy.

“I feel fine, I guess. Maybe a little tired, but I’m glad to finally be back in my regular body,” he said, then tilted his head curiously.

“You aren’t going to take off your shirt, too?”

His sudden question had Blake shaking his head and smiling as a tiny chuckle slipped from his lips.

“It wasn’t in today’s plans, no,” he said, his eyes crinkling a little at the sides as his smile grew a bit.

So cute.

“Hey, um… how do you know Fen?” Pyre asked, changing the subject.

That had the guy smiling genuinely, but Fen seemed a little uncomfortable with the new topic. Instead of simply beginning to tell him, Blake reached over and gently set his hand atop Fen’s messy hair.

He then gave him a quizzical look, almost as if he were asking him a question silently. When Fen blinked a few times, then awkwardly shrugged one shoulder, Blake rustled his hair and removed his hand.

“We used to date, a long time ago.”

I was right! Kind of…

Looking between the two, Pyre noticed Fen’s nervous body language, but Blake still seemed perfectly chill with his own.

“Did it… not end on good terms?” he asked, not really seeing how that could be possible since the two were just chasing each other around like gorillas in heat. And if he had to guess, he’d put money on Blake being the actual chaser, even though Fen was the one trying to catch him earlier.

The guy just seemed to ooze self confidence, while Fen appeared much more reserved and uncomfortable in most situations.

He definitely doesn’t act how I thought he would when I first met him dressed in his leather jacket and dark jeans, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed at all. He’s still really fucking awesome.

“It ended very uncomfortably, for both of us,” Blake answered, making Pyre frown.

He might always think about sex first and foremost, but he definitely wouldn’t want his official partner to feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. When Blake didn’t continue right away, Pyre turned his attention to Fen, who’s face seemed a little more pale than it should be.

“Why did you guys break up?”

Fen began to hunch as he looked down at his hands grasping at his crossed legs. He truly did look extremely uncomfortable. In fact, Pyre was about to say that it didn’t really matter and that they could just forget the topic entirely, when Fen mumbled out something that he could barely hear.

He felt terrible for asking, but he had no choice but to respond, “what did you say?”

When he just shrunk in on himself a little more, Blake turned and gently but easily pulled Fen into his lap. To Pyre’s surprise, Fen let him, and even wrapped his own arms around the guy’s neck and nuzzled his face into the crook.

“He’s venomous, Pyre. He’d always been hesitant to kiss anyone because his mother, in her human form, had been venomous but his father hadn’t. It was a fifty-fifty chance that he would be, too. So, he had decided early on not to try dating, because, of course, what comes with that? Kissing other people.”

Oh, shit.

“We met in high school and hit it off so well that after about a year, I finally convinced him to try dating me.”

Dang, that’s some persistence.

If he were into trying to win over a single guy, he’d totally set his sights on Fen, too, though.

“Well, he made the no kissing rule right off the bat, and I agreed to it,” Blake said, getting a nod from Pyre. The rule made sense, since he hadn’t known whether he was venomous or not yet.

That was when Blake paused for a moment and took a deep breath, hugging Fen closer to his chest as he sighed out the extra air.

“We made a mistake and got really drunk one night at a party. Fen was normally really careful about how much he drank, but I told him that I’d get him home safely and that he could enjoy himself there.”

Pyre waited with baited breath as the guy paused again, but continued shortly after.

“Well, I did get him home, but not before being an absolute dumbass and breaking the most important, and only rule Fen had for us.”

Oh, shit. You kissed him.

“I did.”

Now the guy looked downright exhausted as he reached up and ran his fingers through Fen’s soft dark hair.

“I was a stupid kid and had desperately wanted to kiss my boyfriend for months at that time. I didn’t drink much, either. I wasn’t under the influence, I was just being a stupid teenager.”

He licked his lips and looked down at his hand as it began to rub up and down Fen’s well-muscled back.

“When he fell asleep in the passenger’s seat of my car, I couldn’t help myself. I leaned over and pressed my lips to his.”

Pyre released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, then replied when Blake didn’t continue.

“And?”

The guy looked up at him with sad, dark eyes.

“And… I felt nothing. No burn, or sting, or really anything, that might tell me that I had venom on my lips.”

Oh?

“So I did something even dumber,” Blake said, making Pyre sag his shoulders and frown.

“You deepened the kiss.”

Blake turned and pressed his face into Fen’s soft hair, clearly trying to hide his own humility and frustration at his past self.

“I did. It was just a little bit, because I really wasn’t the guy who did those things. I hated myself right afterwards and got so angry that I barely held myself back from confessing everything when I dropped him back off at home and hugged him goodnight.”

But…

“The pain came about five minutes after I dropped him off. Normally, ingesting venom instead of injection it, isn’t all that dangerous. Of course, who the hell just drinks it, though? Studies were pretty minimal back then, especially because venomous shifters were not very common. Anyways, I didn’t even make it back to my house fifteen minutes away before I had to pull over and call 911. I ended up in a coma in the hospital for two weeks while the doctors tried to keep my body from being destroyed from the inside out.”

Holy…

“It was completely my fault, but there was no coming back from that. Once I got out of the hospital he refused to talk to me. He wouldn’t answer my calls and he wouldn’t come anywhere near me. He practically shut out the world until we graduated, then he disappeared.”

Pyre felt his chest hurt for the man still wrapped silently in Blake’s arms. He couldn’t imagine how painful it must have been to know that the first and only person you’d ever tried to love didn’t listen to your one rule and nearly died because they wanted to kiss you so badly that they were willing to take the risk.

“We found each other again several years later when he brought in one of his first cases from an abusive home. It was a little girl that had been left to starve by her father whenever her addicted mother wasn’t home for days on end. When he walked through that door carrying that tiny, scared little girl, I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He had changed so much, yet, to me, he still looked like that quiet, adorable, nervous kid I fell in love with so many years prior.”

Blake slowly shook his head, then leaned his head gently against Fen’s.

“I know that I can’t fix the past, but I’m so glad that we’re talking again and he’s allowing me into some parts of his life.”

The guy’s lips turned up into a slight grin before he lifted a finger to his lips, drawing Pyre’s attention to the slow, steady, rise and fall of Fen’s back.

Oh damn. He fell asleep.

“It’s a little chilly up here without a shirt. Sometimes he just falls asleep when he’s cold,” Blake whispered, earning an agreeing nod from him.

It was quite chilly, especially since he was mostly naked.

“I’ll wake him in a few minutes. Would you mind going down and running a warm bath? He’s going to need to warm up or his snake is going to take over soon.”

Oh, right.

“Sure, I got it,” Pyre said as he carefully got up and jumped right off the edge. He landed safely in the foam pit below, then crawled out. His mind was buzzing with the information he’d just been given, so, for once, he wasn’t thinking about anything perverted as he went to take care of Fen’s bath.

Snake 15

The bath water was partially filled by the time Blake walked into the room. He’d expected him to be carrying Fen on his back, but, well, he technically was. Fen’s snake wrapped awkwardly around Blake’s body, moving constantly as if trying to get comfortable. 

“Here,” Pyre said, hurrying over to the two and reaching out to grab Fen. 

Blake backed up a few steps, holding up his hands slightly. 

“Be careful. His snake can be very aggressive,” he said, making Pyre roll his eyes. 

“Good, it can bite me,” he said as he grabbed the snake and began uncoiling it from Blake’s body. 

The poor guy looked about ready to have a panic attack, but Pyre wasn’t worried. He’d messed with Fen’s snake plenty, and even though it hissed at him often, it never bothered even trying to nibble at him… unfortunately. 

He had it off of Blake in two minutes flat. Before it could wrap around himself completely, though, Pyre tugged off his borrowed shirt. 

“There we go, problem solved,” he said with a grin that Blake definitely didn’t mirror. 

Instead of worrying about it, Pyre simply gave a one-shouldered shrug and turned, then climbed right into the hot bath water. 

He wasn’t one for cooking himself, but he definitely didn’t mind warming up. So, while Fen’s snake coiled around his lower and middle half, Pyre crossed his arms on the edge of the tub and leaned his chin down to rest on top of them. 

“I’m… really confused. His snake isn’t usually very friendly,” Blake said as he took an awkward step closer, only to stop short when the aforementioned reptile lifted its tail above water to rattle out a warning. 

Blake seemed like he was about to say something else when the door to the bathroom creaked open, drawing their attention behind him. 

Gin!

The guy looked like he was still half asleep as he rubbed at one eye and yawned. His shirt was all wrinkled and his hair was an absolute mess… and he desperately wanted to lick him from head to toe. 

A faint rattle from behind him made Pyre glare down at his shoulder, where Fen’s snake had decided to rest its head. 

“Don’t give me that. You’re the one who’s partially wrapped around my junk right now, not him,” he said in disappointment. 

Of course, if it was the human Fen, he’d be all for it, but he wasn’t really into snakes… unless they were the kind you find between a guy’s legs. 

 The rattle sounded again, making Pyre’s expression deadpan. 

I’m not even going to comment on the fact that you are, in fact, partially between my legs. 

He quickly refocused his attention on the two men in front of him, because, quite frankly, he must have missed one hell of a story, because Gin looked so excited, in a sheepish way, to see Blake standing in their home. 

“Hey there, Gin Bear,” Blake said with a smile that told Pyre there was definitely something else going on between the two. 

“You know the story here, Snakey?” he asked, earning a quiet hiss from the snake before it flicked its tongue twice and seemed to lose interest. 

“Got it,” he muttered as he watched the show play out before him. 

Gin was the one to close the distance and envelope Blake in a massive, tight hug. He even lifted him off the ground for a few seconds, but the guy didn’t seem to mind at all. 

Oh, wait a second. 

Pyre leaned a little closer and narrowed his eyes. 

Did I just see what I think I saw? 

“How are you doing? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” Gin said cheerfully, clearly overjoyed with the man’s visit. 

Blake laughed as he was snuggled in Gin’s arms, then quickly straightened out his shirt the moment he was set down. 

“I’ve been well. Very busy with work,” he said with a smile that made Pyre suspicious. 

He knew that look. It was one he had perfected, evidentially much better than Blake, over the years. 

Don’t get involved. 

Granted, he didn’t seem to need to, because Gin clearly knew something was up, too. Perhaps even before he had caught it? 

Maybe even before he walked in the door. Is there something that’s been going on that’s making Blake uneasy? 

His kindness at the office hadn’t been fake, but right now he seemed incredibly nervous… but that hadn’t started until Gin appeared. 

The thought that they might have had something bad in their past together made him suspicious, but he quickly dropped the idea when he remembered who he was dealing with. Gin was a loveable teddy bear. There didn’t seem to be a mean bone in his body, and he also seemed super excited to see their doctor friend… so what was up? 

Gin didn’t seem like he was interested in beating around the bush, at least, because he didn’t hesitate to reach for Blake’s shirt. 

Normally, Pyre would be all for it, but he knew that it likely wasn’t what he wanted to see. He could also tell that Blake was extremely uncomfortable, but wasn’t willing to push Gin away, either. 

He’s being abused in some way. 

Gin’s hand stopped, tightly grasping the bottom hem of Blake’s shirt. 

“You still see him…” he whispered, just barely loud enough for Pyre to catch the sentence. 

Blake looked embarrassed for only a few moments before he grabbed Gin’s wrist and removed his hand from his shirt. 

“I can make my own decisions,” he ground out between clenched teeth as he glared at Gin’s chest. 

Hmm, and here I thought Gin was more of a submissive dominant, but he’s not backing down. Blake isn’t, either, and didn’t even let him check for injuries I’m pretty sure are under his shirt, but he’s also not meeting his eyes. 

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the show he’d been hoping for when Gin walked in so excitedly. He also knew that it wasn’t his place to say anything, either, and Fen was quite unable to add input, too. His snake seemed quite disconnected from the drama as it swam about in the warm water, then returned to his body every few moments to rest. 

“Hey Gin?” Pyre said, breaking the tension between the two so that they could look back at him. 

Gin seemed like he wanted to keep talking to Blake, but when he saw Fen’s snake’s head poke up over the edge of the tub, he hurried over and reached in. 

“I’m sorry, Fen, I fell asleep after my exams,” he said as he lifted the venomous reptile’s head a little higher so that he could press a kiss to the top of it. 

“I’ll go get you some towels and turn on your heated blankets,” he said as he quickly got back up and hurried into Fen’s bedroom. 

That left just Pyre and Blake, which drew the other man’s attention back to him once Gin had exited the room. 

Instead of trying to push him into talking or showing him what he knew was there, Pyre simply nodded toward Fen’s room. 

Blake looked hesitant, because that would put him right back into Gin’s line of sight, but the other guy seemed to have calmed down and switched his attention to helping Fen, so, after a long minute of hesitation, Blake left to help him. 

“You have some interesting friends, Snakey,” he said, earning a slight hiss from the snake, while at the same time hearing something very distant in the back of his mind. 

It was hard to pick up the first time, but as he went over each scratchy word, he put together a sentence he was quite familiar with telling himself. 

I don’t want to live like this. 

He felt his body begin to take in a deep breath to sigh out in frustration, but he stopped himself immediately. The main reason he never told anyone he was suicidal was because he’d seen that reaction, so many times, directed at other people who were honestly telling their friends or loved ones that they were struggling with something. 

It could be something as simple as just paying a bill or dealing with the loss of a hamster, but the other person judged their loss before they even bothered to ask how it was truly affecting them. Telling someone was the hardest part, and he noticed that most people often kept their true emotions and grief hidden unless they were accepted by the person they were talking to. Then they began to say what they really needed to. To lean on that person. To cry. 

He’d never gotten to that part. Or really, any of it, because he’d already decided that it was okay to leave early. Hearing those words from Fen’s mind, though… 

“Why?” he whispered quietly, the word meant only for Fen’s ears. 

Of course, he had a feeling that he knew exactly why. His shift. 

Even after living on the streets more often than his father’s house, he couldn’t imagine not being able to find a place where he could just be warm that wasn’t in the bathtub or working out his body to near-death. It seemed like his heating blankets didn’t even quite do it anymore, considering he still seemed to sleep with Gin most nights… if he wasn’t there. 

Pushing that thought away for the moment, because he felt as if him leaving might make Fen’s mentality worse, Pyre leaned back in the water and tugged the snake against his chest. 

“Can you shift for me?” he asked, but didn’t demand. 

He would be totally fine if Fen wished to remain a snake, but when he felt the reptile begin to unwrap itself from around him, he moved this way and that to make it was easier. 

Never…

Pyre tilted his head, mulling over the word. He knew that it wasn’t to his question, because he could already feel the man replacing the reptile, but then that meant…

“You hate your shift,” he said, understanding the word he’d caught from Fen’s thought. 

When the man was finally back in control he wrapped his arms around him, one around his middle and the other higher up on his back. Fen settled his face into the crook of Pyre’s neck as his own hands found purchase on his shoulder and around his waist. 

When neither of them spoke for a long while, Pyre let his hand slowly wander up to stroke Fen’s damp hair. 

“Does he only come out when you get too cold?” he eventually asked as he stared up at the ceiling, but didn’t really see it. 

He felt Fen nod against him, his cold hair brushing his neck. Pyre leaned his head against Fen’s a little and hummed, thinking. 

“Have you ever tried to let him out, just to let him out?” he asked, making the man snuggling against him slowly lean away to sit in his lap. 

He had a confused, surprised expression on his face, which pretty much answered Pyre’s question. 

“I’m definitely way too new to shifting to really know anything about it, but perhaps he just wants some time out, too? My panda wouldn’t let me even think about returning to being human until he was content with his time out. And even then, you and Blake had to make me super jealous before I could finally push him back. Maybe the only way your snake can get free of your human body is to make you hypersensitive to cold?”

Fen sagged his shoulders as he digested that information, but didn’t respond. After a few more moments of thinking Pyre continued speaking. 

“How do you feel when he’s out?” 

A shiver quickly wracked the man’s body, making Pyre lean forward and tug him back down into his arms and partially beneath the warm water. 

“I don’t feel anything. I can barely even see through his eyes and I can’t hear too well. It’s all muffled and dark.” 

So you have no actual control? 

Fen shook his head against Pyre’s shoulder but didn’t respond verbally. 

“If you tried, could you shift to him at will?” Pyre asked, curious. 

He felt Fen’s body tense under his hands, but the man relaxed after a few seconds and nodded against him again. 

“He always wants out.” 

The man’s voice was getting scratchy, making Pyre realize that he was probably very close to crying. It was time to end the conversation for the moment. 

Smiling calmly, Pyre leaned down a little and hugged Fen’s head to his chest a bit too-tightly, then mussed up his hair like crazy until the guy was forced to shake his head and lean back with a grumble. 

When he finally managed to swipe his hair out of his face he was scowling, which just made Pyre smirk wider. 

“Sorry that took a bit. One of the blankets actually shorted out so I ran down to the store and grabbed a new one,” Gin said as he walked in, panting hard. 

Blake was right behind him with an armful of towels that seemed like they might be fresh from the dryer. 

Guess naked cuddle time is over now. Oh well. 

He watched, unashamed, as Fen climbed out of the bathtub and was promptly wrapped in two towels. He tied the one around his waist with shaky hands as Blake switched to towel-drying his hair with a third one. 

That actually looks nice…

He’d never really had anyone help dry him, for as long as he could remember. Maybe his mom had done it when he was really young, but those memories were long-since erased. 

I can do it myself, anywa— The feeling of a soft, warm towel settling around his shoulders as he sat up drew Pyre’s eyes up to meet Fen’s beautiful brown ones. 

He was at a loss for words, which didn’t seem to bother the other man as he easily lifted him from the cooled water and hugged him against his chest. 

A large towel suddenly came around both of them as Gin began to dry his back and legs. 

Too bad Fen still has a towel around his waist…

He totally earned the unamused look he got from the guy hugging him as a towel was settled around his own waist. 

“Do you need me to rest with you for a while?” Gin asked as he straightened back up. 

Pyre noted the mostly-hidden hopeful look in the guy’s eyes, but when Fen just smiled and reached up to settle a hand on Gin’s head, the guy seemed confused. 

“I’m going to rest with Pyre for a little bit,” he said, then looked toward the doorway where Blake had retreated to, clearly still nervous. 

“Perhaps you two should talk for a bit.” 

He wasn’t sure if Gin was the right person for that discussion, but at least he was a very calm individual and didn’t push people. He had been upset earlier, and possibly rightfully so, but he’d reigned himself in pretty quickly. 

Before Gin seemed able to make up his mind on if that would be a good idea or not, Blake turned and walked out, leaving him no other choice but to decide right then and there. 

He ended up looking back at them for only another second or so before running after Blake. 

“I hope he’s okay,” Fen said as he continued to stare at where the two had been. 

Meanwhile, Pyre was unable to help himself. He stole a super quick lick of Fen’s upper torso. 

God, the muscles…

He glanced up when he felt eyes on him, his tongue still partially out, pressing against one of Fen’s gorgeously-shaped pectoral muscles. 

When the guy raised an eyebrow, Pyre slowly forced his tongue to withdraw, then grinned sheepishly. 

“You… uh, just had something there. I got it…” he said quietly as he averted his eyes for a fraction of a second before returning them to the muscles right in front of his face. 

Gonna drool…

The target of his gaze was abruptly covered when Fen tugged a shirt on. 

Pyre immediately pouted, only to feel a too-big shirt settle over his own head. Fen finished his punishment by pulling on a pair of boxers for himself, then sticking his own tongue out at him before disappearing out the bathroom door. 

Tease! Tease tease tease! Pyre yelled in his mind as he hurried after him, intent on wrestling the man into submission and at least getting his shirt removed. His warm cuddles and poor life advice didn’t come cheap!

Snake 16

To his surprise, Fen didn’t head straight for his bed. Instead, the guy stopped beside a dresser and pulled out a pair of dark green and blue checkered pajama pants. Before he could even try to put them on, however, Pyre yanked them out of his hand.

He got another unamused look from over Fen’s shoulder, but the guy didn’t say anything as he got out another pair of pants. Those, too, were stolen before they could be dawned. Fen, somehow, still didn’t seem deterred, because he continued to empty his dresser until Pyre could barely see over the massive stack of clothing in his arms. He noticed a tiny bit of movement over the top of the mountain of stuff he was carrying and saw Fen settle one pair of socks neatly on top of the whole stack with an amused grin.

You…

“And you,” Fen said before walking over to the far side of the bed and picking up a pair of black pajama pants that had been sitting on the nightstand.

Wait. What are those doing over there?

Fen shrugged one shoulder and pulled the garment on before dropping down to sit on the edge of the bed. Pyre wanted to start grumbling at him, but he could already see the guy beginning to shiver so he bit his tongue and dropped the armful of clothing he held, then scurried up onto the thick blankets.

It took him no time at all to crawl over to his target, then wrap him in a tight hug from behind.

“Fen…” he whispered as his nose nudged the man’s ear.

“Mm?” Fen replied nonchalantly.

Pyre wanted to stick his tongue on and lick at the ear right in front of him, as well as nip and tug on it, but he knew that he’d be pushing his luck. Fen was extremely chill as far as certain situations went, but there was always a limit to that. Especially if you really didn’t know each other that well, or for that long.

What do I even say to him?

He didn’t feel right asking him for sex right after having heard his thought earlier. Not even as a joke.

We could die together, you know, he thought reflexively.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he had someone with him when he did it. Not that he wanted Fen to die, but that wasn’t his decision to make.

“I know quite a few ways that would end it all pretty quickly, without too much pain,” he said out loud with his chin resting against Fen’s shoulder.

The other man waited a few moments before responding as he lifted one hand up to grab Pyre’s right arm.

“I’m really enjoying this deep conversation, but someone’s hand is going pretty deep into my shirt right now, too.”

Caught me.

Not that he’d been trying to hide the fact that he’d been feeling up Fen’s pecs as he talked. His hands had a mind of their own… especially around such a hot piece of deliciousness.

“Deliciousness, huh?” Fen mused as he tilted his head to the side enough to give Pyre a look .

Got it, got it.

He released the guy and flopped down onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. It was too early to actually sleep, but he was clearly not going to get very far with the guy right then.

“Do I at least get cuddling privileges now?” he asked as Fen got himself tucked comfortably beneath the three heavy blankets before resting his head on the fluffiest looking pillow Pyre had ever seen.

The guy seemed to consider his words carefully before replying.

“If you put on some pants.”

Pyre let out a loud, distraught groan as he rolled to the right, then back to the left, leaving him facing Fen.

“You may look like a super buff angel, but you’re a devil. A devil, I say!” he grumbled even as he pushed himself up and scooted off the bed toward the pile of clothes he’d dropped on the floor.

Wait. There aren’t just pants in this pile.

“You seriously pulled out pants, sweaters, shirts, and socks to pile in arms?” he asked, his tone annoyed as he glared back at Fen, who was clearly trying to hide his growing smile beneath the blankets.

This guy…

He was acting like a childish kid.

So says the childish kid.

Pyre bristled at that jab and folded his arms over his chest. He wanted to tell the guy to find a new human heater, but he knew that he had two people that were more than willing right in the other room.

No way am I losing my touching time.

Thus, biting back a scowl, he pulled on a pair of super loose pants, tied the drawstring, then shuffled back over to the bed. He was a bit surprised when Fen sat up as he approached, crawling on top of the blanket. When he got within reach, Fen gently grabbed his upper arm and pulled him right into his lap.

Pyre gave up hoping that the guy would lose his pants already, so he didn’t bother grumbling about him already having the blankets over his lap as he settled in against him.

To be honest, he was often too hot in most places, so having a guy that runs much colder than normal was quite nice.

“You feel like a furnace,” Fen said as he calmly wrapped his arms around Pyre’s middle and leaned back against the pillow he’d just propped up with a few others.

“I can run a lot hotter if we lose the clothes…” Pyre said half-heartedly, knowing that Fen wouldn’t just toss his clothing.

His words got a simple chuckle from the guy, making Pyre slowly close his eyes and settle in. He wouldn’t fall asleep, but he didn’t mind just relaxing for a bit against a bed of muscles.

It didn’t take long before his eyes blinked open again, however, because he felt Fen begin sifting his fingers through his messy hair.

“How are you feeling?”

That was a random ass question.

Oh, right. You’re a case worker.

Huffing, Pyre pushed himself up and, after a bit of maneuvering and a few grunts from Fen, he managed to settle beneath the heavy blankets but still overtop the other man.

Much better now.

He could just tell that Fen was internally rolling his eyes at his comment but shrugging it off at the same time.

I have this weekend off if you’d like to do anything. Maybe we can get Gin and Blake to come, too.

Pyre turned his head on Fen’s shoulder to look at the man as he heard his voice inside his head. He definitely wasn’t used to someone just being able to talk there, but it seemed like he was going to have to learn to live with it. He didn’t mind that much, especially since it was Fen.

Not sure. I don’t usually do things besides eat, sleep, and screw people.

Fen’s arms returned to wrap around him as the man’s quiet laughter rumbled against Pyre’s own chest.

“Well, do you like animals? We could go to the zoo?”

He’d… never even considered going to such a place. It was pretty expensive, especially when he could rarely even afford to feed himself.

“I hear they have quite a nice collection, and it’s massive, so there’s plenty of things to look at. Last time I was there they even had some carnival games and rides, too,” Fen said, making Pyre actually think through the idea.

He did like animals, and considering how much he was being fed recently, he seemed to have quite a lot of extra energy to burn that, unfortunately, wasn’t being used on sex. Perhaps a trip to the zoo would actually be nice…

“Oh, hey,” he said as he sat up abruptly, straddling Fen.

The guy’s eyes had evidently been closed, because they slowly opened when Pyre moved on him.

“What’s up, my Fire?” he asked, making Pyre tilt his head at the nickname.

“Can I invite a friend? I haven’t seen him a while, but I’m sure he’d love to go, too,” he asked, honestly beginning to look forward to the trip.

Fen tilted his head, curious but smiling.

“Of course. You can invite whoever you’d like,” he said, making Pyre actually smile widely.

“Hang on, I’m going to go grab my phone so that I can text him and see if he can go,” Pyre said as he hurried off the bed and ran from the room.

He ’d expected to run into Gin or Blake while going through the living room, or even see them in Gin’s bedroom, but neither man was around.

Maybe they went upstairs to exercise? Or out to get something to eat?

Either way, they weren’t there, so he didn’t dawdle and quickly grabbed his phone, then returned to Fen’s room. As soon as he was settled up against the guy’s side he held up his phone and quickly pulled up his contacts. There were only a couple, and the person he mainly talked to was at the top, of course.

“Hmm? Fox? That’s an interesting name,” Fen said as he glanced at the screen Pyre didn’t bother trying to hide. He didn’t give a damn if Fen looked at what he wrote.

Pyre: Hey Fox, come to the zoo with me and my man this weekend?

He noticed the three typing dots a few moments later but it took Fox quite a bit of time to actually figure out what he wanted to say.

Probably asking his bodyguards for permission, he thought, making Fen tilt his head with a raised eyebrow.

“He’s got two boyfriends,” Pyre said, answering his unasked question.

He expected Fen to give a quiet laugh or comment on that, but the guy just nodded and watched as a response finally came onto the screen.

Fox: Sure! Amos has to work but Owen will come with me if that’s okay?

Of course it is, I know you guys are a packaged deal.

Pyre: No problem. I’ll message you later with the specific day and time.

Fox: Sounds good!

Pyre tossed his phone to the other side of the bed after that message, then turned and smirked at Fen, who looked quite confused about the sudden grin until Pyre suddenly jumped him with a yell.

It didn’t take him long to subdue the guy the same way he’d managed to do it when they’d both been on the elevator, fighting over the picture that was still on Fen’s phone.

The guy could easily out-muscle him in just about any situation, but he’d learned that he wasn’t the fastest so if he could just get his arm behind his back, he had a chance. It helped that he had a bed to push him down into.

God, this view is making me salivate.

“Alright, alright. I give, you got me,” Fen mumbled against the sheets.

Pyre licked his lips and leaned down the slightest amount, being careful not to put too much pressure on the man’s arm. He definitely didn’t want to hurt him.

“Hmm, what do you give?” he asked curiously.

When Fen remained silent, Pyre hesitantly released his arm and leaned over him farther, worried. He was just about to ask him if he was okay when he was abruptly spun onto his back, then pinned down by Fen’s much-larger body as the man crossed his arms over Pyre’s chest, then leaned his chin on them with a quirky grin.

You cheater… I approve.

“Why thank you,” Fen said before Pyre reached up and poked his cheek.

“You still said you give, though. What do I get?”

Fen hesitated, honestly seeming to consider his words before he reached over and grabbed Pyre’s phone. He then sat down on Pyre’s lower abdomen as he easily guessed the password and began messing with it.

Pyre didn’t give a shit if he did stuff to his phone, so he watched silently, waiting for Fen to show off whatever he was doing. When he finally turned the phone around and handed it to him, there was a faint blush on his cheeks.

Oh?

He had three new contacts now…

“I uh, gave you their numbers, too. They definitely wouldn’t mind,” Fen said as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

Pyre wasn’t really sure why he was acting off until he realized that Fen had done one more thing with his phone.

He put a message in my notes…

Please use me as your emergency contact for any forms or situations you might need one for.

He retyped his number below that message, as well as his full name and address, making Pyre stare at it, not sure how to respond. They remained that way for quite a while until Pyre lifted his phone abruptly and took a picture of Fen, messy shirt, unkempt hair and all.

“H-hey!” the guy said as he reached for the phone but was promptly denied when Pyre chucked it across the room and into the closet.

Glad this place has a lot of carpet.

Fen stared across the room for a few seconds with a dumbfounded expression before looking back down at Pyre.

“Needed a good picture for your contact photo,” he said, shrugging his left shoulder, which was now mostly out of the too-big shirt.

Fen opened and closed his mouth several times before a few words came fumbling out of it.

“B-but I don’t look good at all like this. My hair’s amess and my shirt is wrinkled.”

Those words made Pyre annoyed, making him sit up abruptly and grab hold of fistfuls of hair on either side of Fen’s head before pulling him close.

“Say one more negative thing about your sexy as fuck self and I’m going to be a very bad boy,” Pyre warned, making Fen’s eyes widen as his face turned bright red.

When the man didn’t dare say anything else, Pyre released his hair and flopped back down onto the bed, then yawned.

“You know what, a nap actually sounds good right now,” he said as he patted the spot next to him while looking up at Fen.

The guy settled right up against him, then turned onto his side to face him. Not wanting to miss his chance, Pyre nudged himself a tiny bit closer, then wrapped his arms around Fen’s neck and pressed his lips to his forehead.

They remained that way for several long moments before he felt Fen wrap his own arms around him. He then hugged him tightly as he tucked his head against Pyre’s chest.

“A little nap does sound good,” he whispered as he took a few deep, relaxing breaths.

Before Pyre could come up with a response that he deemed worth speaking, he realized that Fen had fallen asleep.

Rest well. I’ll keep you warm forever.

Snake 17

He had not been anticipating so many people. They’d woken up pretty early to try and beat the rush, but if this wasn’t the rush, he really didn’t want to stay long enough to see it. In fact, if Fen wasn’t holding his hand, he probably would have turned right around and gotten back into the guy’s fancy car.

Wait. His butler drove us here, so the car’s not even there anymore.

He could walk back. That was his specialty, even if it was twelve miles.

“It’ll be fine. You’re going to have a blast, I promise,” Fen said right as Pyre heard a familiar fumble of footsteps running their way.

He turned just in time to catch Fox as the guy launched himself into his arms. If Fen hadn’t moved behind him to catch them both, they probably would have ended up in a pile on the ground.

“Well hello to you, too,” Pyre said with an honest smile as Fox leaned away just enough to beam the light of the sun at him with his gigantic smile.

He knew that the guy wanted to say a ton of stuff, especially since he hadn’t recently responded to his texts or calls before moving in with Fen, but he also knew that that was a very thin line to walk.

For a kid who has lived a good chunk of his life in the wild, you know how to handle situations much better than most.

He felt Fen’s curiosity pique in the back of his mind at that thought but the guy remained quiet.

“This is my little wild child,” Pyre said out loud as he grabbed Fox around the shoulders and did his best to mess up his already-unruly hair.

The guy squirmed and growled a little, but he was also laughing and clearly having a good time playing around. Pyre continued messing with him until bodyguard number two came walking up calmly, likely having dropped Fox off once he’d seen his friend, then gone to park the car.

Thank god number one didn’t come today, too.

He hadn’t been over to their place too often, but the times he’d gone, he very quickly learned which guy was safest to joke around with. He considered Owen to be the less aggressive of the two, so he got the number two guard position. Not that he wouldn’t go after him if he did something mean to his adorable Fox, but he was a lot less hot-headed about things than the number one guard, Amos.

“Good morning, Pyre. It’s nice to see you again,” Owen said as he finally stopped in front of them and offered a hand…. except, it wasn’t proffered to him, but to Fen.

Smart man. I don’t give a shit about formalities.

“My name is Owen, I’m Fox’s boyfriend,” he said as Fen reached forward and grasped his hand in a firm shake.

“Fen, I—” Pyre leaned up against him with Fox still squirming in his arms, startling him into silence.

“He’s mine.”

That statement got a slight grin from Owen before everyone’s attention turned to Fen’s reddening face. Luckily for the guy, Gin and Blake appeared at that moment. It took Pyre no time at all to release Fox and jump into Gin’s arms. The guy thankfully caught him easily, laughing as he slowly lowered him back to the ground after a good squeeze.

“We just saw each other a little bit ago, Pyre. I only went to pick up Blake so we all didn’t have to drive,” he said, though his words fell on deaf ears as Pyre grabbed Blake’s hands, stopping him from moving for a moment as he assessed his outfit.

Dark, partially faded blue jeans, hot. An easily unbuttoned-down crisp white shirt, hot. Sunglasses and deliciously-messy h— His thoughts were cut off when Blake tugged him forward and into a quick hug, then took his hand and began pulling him toward the front gate.

“It seems like we’re all here?” he asked, offering a warm smile to both Fox and Owen as they fell in line.

Fen paid for everyone, much to no one’s dismay, and then they stepped inside. Pyre had totally intended on trying to at least stick his hand in Blake’s pocket during the first few minutes, but his attention was quickly stolen away when a giant red and blue bird dove for his freaking head!

While he jumped into Gin’s arms and hid his face with a yelp, he noticed Fox’s eyes flash as he tried to jump up and swipe the darn thing out of the sky!

The bird squawked loudly as it dodged Fox’s attack, then swung back around and flew over their heads toward a tall post set up right in the middle of the massive entryway. Several other birds were already on the large perch, cleaning their feathers and generally squabbling nonsense to each other.

“That was pretty cool,” Blake said as he tugged a hesitant Pyre forward.

Fox was already running ahead, clearly still fixated on catching himself some colorful dinner. Thankfully, their group skirted the large post by a few feet, though Pyre still kept his eyes on the large birds, especially when the one who’d dive-bombed them turned its head and screeched “Stupid!”

over its shoulder at him.

Normally he’d be ready to fight after being called such a thing, but he saw the claws on that chicken… not fighting the mini velociraptor.

A gentle squeeze to his hand drew his attention forward and into the first exhibit they were stopping at. He wasn’t too impressed by the gorgeous greenery and waterfall, but his inner panda was wiggling with excitement, wanting to be out and explore the huge enclosure.

No, you behave.

He could sense it sass him back, making him unable to hold back a grin. The thing might be adorable and have its own mind most times, but it was also definitely him, too.

You’re both adorable , Fen replied in his mind, making Pyre look up and to the side, then stick his tongue out slightly before returning his attention to the exhibit. He couldn’t really see anything at first, but after hearing a sound from somewhere behind the scenes, a massive orange and black tiger stalked out from behind several massive boulders.

“Holy shit! That’s a tiger? They get that big? That could eat me in three bites!” he practically yelled, startling a few people around them.

The large animal wasted no time scoping out its territory, then, after catching sight of something floating in its huge pool, it dove straight in.

“Dude!”

Pyre was leaning so far over the railing that he might have fallen like an idiot, but thankfully an arm and a hand were each holding him. Fen’s arm was snuggly around his waist while Blake’s hand held his right arm firmly.

“Pyre! They have a better view down the ramp!” Fox yelled, making Pyre quickly lean back, and right into Fen’s arms.

The guy set him down carefully, then began following him as Pyre darted down the ramp with Fox leading the way. When he followed the guy around the corner, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

The tiger was literally swimming right in front of them!

He hurried to the giant glass wall and pressed his hands against it as the huge beast grabbed a hold of what appeared to be frozen meat, then dove.

This is so cool!

He’d never thought that he’d ever see a real tiger. It was so much bigger than he’d ever thought possible, and its color? Absolutely gorgeous.

“Hey Pyre? Fox?”

Turning at the sound of their names, Pyre grinned when he noticed both Gin and Owen holding up their phones.

“Can we take a photo?” Owen asked as he looked like he was legitimately falling for Fox all over again.

He grabbed his friend and smirked at the same time Fox beamed at his boyfriend. As the two men took a few pictures, Pyre glanced over to Fen, a bit surprise by the look on the guy’s own face when he finally lowered his own phone.

He… wasn’t used to being looked at like that.

His mind began to wander as Fox turned back to the tiger, but Pyre felt like he was stuck staring into Fen’s warm eyes.

“Hey little Spitfire.”

Gin’s words snapped him out of his daze, drawing his attention to the man standing next to him.

“Hello, my teddy bear,” Pyre responded, earning a quiet chuckle from Gin, along with a faint blush as he held out his hand.

“Want to keep going? We can always come back to this one later.”

Pyre looked back at the tiger for a few more moments before taking Gin’s hand and starting toward the walking path that lead to the next exhibit. He noticed Fox already at the entrance to the plant-covered walkway, staring back at him with a big grin as he held Owen’s hand.

They walked together toward the next area, and honestly, he was actually enjoying the landscaping. It felt like they were walking through a jungle. When they stepped out into an open viewing area, he hurriedly pulled Gin over to the railing, then looked out into the densely-planted enclosure.

He didn’t see anything, at first, but as they quieted and focused, he heard something. A rustle to the left. Then one lower and on the right. Several things were moving in the big bunches of bamboo before them.

Wait a second…

Oh no.

Please no.

Looking down, since he could no longer see over the exhibit fencing, Pyre sagged his shoulders and felt his eyes begin to water as he noticed his two dark blackish-red paws beneath him.

This is so embarrassing. Don’t look at me. Ignore me…

He wanted to just curl up into a little fluff ball and cease to exist, but it seemed like someone had other plans, because he was soon being picked up and snuggled against a warm chest. It took him a minute of getting gentle pets and light kisses atop his head before he dared lift it enough to look around.

Fen withdrew his hand at that time, but since the man wasn’t the one who had picked him up, Pyre turned his attention to the side and up a little higher.

Blake.

“Someone got excited to see other pandas, hmm?” the guy said as he walked up to the fence and looked out toward the enclosure.

He really didn’t want to look, but his animal side didn’t seem to care what he wanted to do. It jerked his head around so fast that he felt his neck nearly kink. A little, fluffy red and white head poked out from within a bushy clump of bamboo near the ground.

Pyre stared at the little panda as it stared up at him, clearly confused. Soon, another head appeared, this one higher up in a tree. The panda attached to it hobbled out on the branch that extended to about five feet away from them.

Feeling his nose twitch, Pyre’s panda tried to lean closer, but Blake had a pretty solid hold on the fluffy midget. Either way, since it couldn’t move to inspect the other panda, it decided to give out a pathetic-sounding yip.

The other panda, seemingly offended somehow, pinned its ears back and slowly got up on its back legs. It sniffed the air for a few seconds before lifting its tiny paws up and giving out a much louder, yet still pathetic, chirping yip.

I find this posturing absolutely pathetic, but at the same time, I wanna beat his ass for thinking he can handle this ball of fuzz and attitude.

He felt Blake’s chest shake against him as the guy laughed quietly, drawing his panda’s attention up to him for a brief moment before it returned to its opponent.

“I think it might be best if we continue on.”

Before he could respond, Pyre was carried away from the enclosure, but not before his panda squirmed its way up just high enough to pokes its head over Blake’s shoulder and squeak one more time!

“I feel like we were about to have a panda smackdown,” Gin said with humor as they headed higher up the path, then turned a few small corners.

A large aviary stood before them with two sets of double doors and some hanging plastic chains. Fox was already pulling Owen through the first set of door with Fen holding them open, so Blake and Gin quickly hurried to follow.

After nearly getting decapitated by the bright colored birds earlier, he’d decided that he wasn’t a fan, but he did at least spare a few glances at the random storks and ducks below them.

No like. If it’s not chicken and already cooked, I’m good.

Unlike him, however, Fen seemed absolutely enthralled by the array of less decorative feathered demons. He was reading each plaque that was displayed, then looking over the railing down into the exhibit to find each animal. He even got his phone out and snapped a few pictures of, what Pyre honestly thought, were some of the dullest looking ones there.

“He absolutely loves birds,” Gin said from beside them, drawing Pyre’s attention toward him.

Come to think of it, he does have quite a bit of bird artwork on the walls at his place.

Not that he’d really noticed, but now that he thought about it, he remembered seeing plenty as he meandered about the area.

Wait a second. I feel more eyes on me…

Looking around, he noticed Owen glance up and smile at him from a few feet away, but his attention quickly returned back to something lower as he knelt down to pick up clothing, drawing Pyre’s own eyes downward until he saw Fox, as a fox, doing little excited circles in front of Blake’s shoes.

He wasn’t too sure he wanted to be set down yet. His panda, too, was hesitant. Of course, he trusted Fox with his life, but he was still a fox, and that kind of freaked out his animal half.

“I think he wants to play with you,” Blake said, though thankfully, didn’t put him down.

He can play with your shoelaces, Pyre responded, earning a chuckle from the guy as Fen finally walked back over to them, an excited smile on his face.

“Sorry, I got distracted,” he said, making Gin nudge him with his elbow before taking his hand and beginning to guide their group out of the aviary.

“That’s what this whole trip is about,” Gin said with a smile that Pyre couldn’t help but stare at.

Fen leaned close to Gin’s ear and whispered something as they stepped back outside. A moment later, Gin walked over to where he was still held snuggly in Blake’s arms, then leaned in to kiss Pyre’s tiny nose.

M

arry

me, Pyre thought as his mind turned to mush.

“Mind if I take him for a bit?” Gin asked as Pyre flailed his stubby little arms toward him.

The guy chuckled and handed him over. Pyre immediately snuggled into his teddy bear’s arms, then stole a lick of his chin before they continued on their way.

The next few exhibits were all different kinds of hoof stock, which included deer, gazelle, and some weird midget deer called a muntjac.

After those was a massive bear enclosure. They had a ton of room to run around and a bunch of different tire swings, rope toys, and even fruit scattered about. It was actually a pretty cool set up… but the bears were out cold, sleeping on their backs underneath a large maple tree.

I feel you guys, it’s getting hot out.

They moved on quickly since the animals were resting, and found their way down into the reptile house. The air-conditioning felt amazing, but Pyre immediately wiggled his way upward until he could look at Fen over Gin’s shoulder.

Oh… hot.

Blake had had a light jacket tied around his waist when he’d arrived, but Pyre hadn’t even felt the need to note it when he’d examined the man’s choice of outfits. Now he realized why it was definitely worth noting.

He hadn’t brought it for himself…

Fen had the thing zipped up around himself, as well as Blake’s arm around his waist. While he knew that the guy was stubborn, he also knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to seek out warmth when he began to get cold in order to keep his shift at bay.

We’ll just have a quick look in here, then go back outside.

The heat didn’t really bother him much, anyway. Surprisingly, his fur worked better than clothing when it came to managing his body temperature, so even the heat didn’t bother him much.

This is Gin’s favorite area.

Hearing Fen’s words, Pyre looked up at Gin’s face as they began perusing the different reptiles and fish inside the cool building.

It turns out, that Gin’s favorite of them all, of course, was the rattlesnakes. He actually seemed to be a snake guy in general, and loved reading all of the interesting facts and catching glimpses of the mostly-hidden reptiles.

Pyre thought they looked cool, but after the third or fourth one, he lost interest and, instead, turned his attention to Blake and Fen as they walked together, nearly tied at the hip with Fen shivering and tucked under Blake’s arms.

Thankfully, they left a few minutes later, allowing him to give a quiet sigh of relief at the same time Fen did when he stepped back outside.

Fen… he whined a little, giving a little yip just for good measure.

I want part of that snuggle. I’m small, I can fit between you guys.

The guy didn’t hesitate to walk forward and gently take him from Gin. By this time, Fox had actually found his way into his own man’s arms, clearly enjoying the added height as he looked around the upward sloping area they were walking on.

When they got to the top, a few more exhibits were on the left and right side. One was actually red foxes, which Fox was more than happy to watch for a while. The other took Pyre’s attention and he pawed at Fen until the guy brought him over.

The enclosure was actually completely fenced off from top to bottom, but the wire was more than thin enough to see easily.

“Mountain lion,” Fen read out loud as the large tan feline walked by the fence, only a few feet away from them.

It didn’t look like any lion he’d even seen, but he did remember learning about them years ago in school. They were America’s version of a lion, and they lived in quite a few different states.

Pretty cat.

Fen nodded in agreement as they watched the large feline explore its enclosure. It was quite active considering the temperature, but they soon found out why when it lifted its head from nuzzling something in the leaf litter and pulled out what appeared to be a dead rat.

Ah, they hid a treat for you.

“Makes for decent exercise, at least,” Fen said as they finally turned away from the exhibit and rejoined their moving group.

They made it through a few more areas before they came across a huge play area of sorts. There were tons of carnival games and little rides, but what took Pyre’s attention right away was the splash pad that had a bunch of different holes shooting up water off and on.

“Alright alright, I know what you want,” Fen said as he carefully set a wiggling Pyre down on his little paws.

He was immediately tackled by a fox that did not understand boundaries. Thankfully, the guy understood that he didn’t want to be crowded after taking an unfortunately-soft paw to the face.

With Fox just barely two feet away and wiggling with excitement, Pyre righted himself, then shook out his thick coat before licking a whisker and twitching his nose.

“You have quite an adorable guy on your hands,” Owen said as the group found themselves seats a little bit away from the spraying water.

Pyre kind of wanted to go with them, since he honestly hadn’t been on his own in a bit. He’d gotten spoiled with having people to lean on recently.

You’re fine. You’re a big, grown up panda… Well, your a panda. You can handle a little play time.

He told himself that, but every time he took a step closer to the water Fox darted around him, clearly still overjoyed, but also, thankfully, giving him a smidgen of space.

There were other kids and shifted animals around, but none of them dared come closer since their parents weren’t interested in doing so.

Pyre made it right to the edge of the area before Fox rolled in front of him on his back, still wiggling with eager energy.

You know what? You are way too happy for this situation. Whatever it is.

In a blur of red and black fur, Pyre pounced on the startled fox, making him yelp as he began to lay the panda smackdown!

Stop squirming you overly excited ball of fur!

He tried to get a hold of the guy’s scruff or ears several times, but Fox was definitely not one to stay still, and pretty soon he was chasing the antagonistic butthole through the water jets as fast as his awkward little paws could take him.

They ran around so much in such a short amount of time that when Pyre finally stopped to catch his breath at the edge of the area so that he didn’t get sprayed anymore, he was sopping wet and looked like a drowned rat-panda. His chin also hurt a bit, since he still wasn’t used to running and had taken quite a few spills on the slippery surface.

On the other hand, Fox was still dancing around. Evidently, he realized that it was break time for Pyre, but his energy seemed to be endless, because he was already trying to stop the water jets from shooting up with his paws like a cat trying to catch a bug. It wasn’t working, but he was definitely getting an A for effort.

“Hey little Spitfire.”

Pyre looked up as Fen crouched down in front of him.

Pick me up?

He was already beginning to walk forward when Fen pressed a finger to his nose, effectively stopping him.

“I’m sorry, but someone’s soaked. You need to walk a bit and dry off before we’ll pick you back up.”

Aw, we?

No one wanted damp panda Pyre?

Pinning his ears to the side of his head, Pyre widened his little brown eyes and put on his best panda pout.

“That’s horrifically adorable, but no. You’ll dry off quickly enough,” Fen said as he stood back up.

Pyre watched him begin to walk back to their group, who were getting up from the benches, when he noticed Fox walk up beside him.

You brat… took away my carrying time.

Of course, he’d been the one who had wanted to play in the water, but that wasn’t his point.

With a stubborn squeak he turned abruptly and jumped Fox, sending them into a fumbling mass of soggy fur and strange noises.

Gonna teach you a lesson, you darn punk.

He actually managed to pin the slightly bigger animal, but when his swung his paw downward… it barely hit with enough force to consider it being a boop, let alone a smack.

I give up. These darn things must survive simply on being cute and adorable. There’s no way it’s any kind of threat to anything in the wild.

“You’ve got that right,” Blake said as he reached down and mussed up the fur atop Pyre’s head.

“Ready to head out, guys? Fen bought yearly passes, so we can come back and get to whatever we missed next time,” he said with a smile.

Pyre was already reaching up as Blake spoke, withdrawing his hand in the process. He managed to catch it, just barely, and swung awkwardly as it tail flicked this way and that.

Blake straightened and held him up at eye level, but refused to hold him normally against his chest.

I want cuddles, Pyre grumbled as he tried to reach the man’s shirt with his back paws while still hanging on to his hand with his front ones.

“You need to dry off more first,” Blake said as he began walking.

Pyre squired as he continued his quest to get higher on the man, but after a few moments, and Blake’s slow swinging of his hand, he began to realize that he was actually having fun hanging around.

He swung on the man’s fingers until they got to the front of the zoo, then finally let go and, after one more bit of pouting that was quickly dissolved by an ice cream cone bigger than him and cuddles, after being wrapped in the jacket Fen relinquished for him, they said their goodbyes to Owen and Fox with the promise of another day out together, then headed home.

Snake 18

He needed a shower. While his panda didn’t really sweat much in the heat, he’d definitely gotten dirty tussling with Fox and running through the water fountains. Fen had already gone to use his own, though, and Gin had taken the guest one.

That left him with a few minutes to rummage through the pantry after returning to his human form and reluctantly tugging on a pair of boxers. He decided on simply dipping a butter knife into a container of peanut butter, then spending the next few minutes licking off the sticky contents as he sat on the counter. 

I wish this was Fen’s cum, but I think I’ve got a while to go before I get to that meal. 

He felt an awkward sensation in his mind, possibly something close to dread? 

Oh, right. We’ve got a pretty good connection now. 

Well, crap. He was going to have to try and tone down the horny radio a bit. 

It was going to take a lot of work. 

It probably wasn’t going to work. 

It’s alright. 

Hearing Fen’s voice abruptly drew Pyre’s attention toward his bathroom down the hall. 

You like it? he asked excitedly, ready to run right in there and hopefully live out some of his fantasies right away. 

A faint coughing sound was heard in the back of his mind at the same time Blake walked into the kitchen with a warm but tired smile on his face. 

“I’ve got to head home,” he said as he held up his phone slightly, signaling that he’d gotten a call or text to return. 

Is that person there? 

Blake’s smile fell before he caught himself and forced something closer to a grimace to return. 

“I’m glad we were all able to go to the zoo together, and I hope to join you guys next time, too,” he said as he stepped forward and reached up, messing up Pyre’s already horridly mussed hair. 

“Take care of Fen and Gin for me,” he added before leaning in, clearly intent on pressing a kiss to Pyre’s cheek. 

Too bad for him, Pyre was no longer in the mood to be a good boy. 

He reached up, grabbing Blake’s hair on either side of his head, then yanked him to the right and slightly upward as he leaned down. He had never said mentioned anything about a shift, let alone a toxic one, so he didn’t hesitate to take a quick but aggressive kiss. 

God I want to stick my tongue so far down his throat that I can taste his— The sound of Fen walking into the room cut off his thought, making him slowly withdraw and release Blake’s soft hair. 

The guy leaned away just as slowly, clearly stunned into silence by the sudden kiss.

Oops, bruised his lower lip a tiny bit. 

“Did I miss something?” Fen asked as he rubbed at his head with a damp towel. 

Not really, but I did… you naked in the shower. 

“I’ve got to head out. I’ll see you next time, Fen,” Blake said as he walked over to the guy and gave him a strong hug. “Take care. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

Fen returned the hug with one arm, then smiled as they leaned away from each other. 

“Same for you. If there is anything I can ever help you with, my door is always open.” 

 Pyre wanted to yell at the guy to just stay, for many, many unprofessional reasons, but he knew better than anyone that changing someone else’s mind when they were in a negative situation wasn’t that easy. 

They both watched as Blake nodded, then tucked his phone into his back pocket and made his exit. It wasn’t until the elevator doors closed that Fen turned his full attention to him and raised an eyebrow. 

“Ah, right. I would say I’m sorry, but there’s no way I can. He tasted so damn good,” Pyre said, earning a shake of Fen’s head in response. 

“You’re supposed to ask before you kiss someone, Pyre,” he said, his tone the slightest bit reprimanding as he walked forward and took the open jar of peanut butter from him. 

He also took the butter knife out of his hand and took a swipe of peanut butter for himself to slowly lick at. 

I know I’m supposed to be apologetic and stuff, but that’s so fucking hot I can’t think right now. 

Fen’s tongue slowed to a stop as he glanced up at Pyre. 

“You’re making this really hard,” Pyre said, then felt his face heat the slightest amount as he imagined Fen’s tongue on something other than the knife. 

“Am I missing something?” Gin asked as he stopped near the entrance with a towel around his shoulders. 

He was minus a shirt, and Pyre didn’t hesitate to drink him in with his eyes as he licked his lips. 

“Please tell me you want to lick the peanut butter, too,” he said, leaning forward as his interest grew. 

Gin gave a nervous chuckle and shook his head a little. 

“Peanut butter’s okay, but I’m not a fan of it straight out of the jar.” 

Bummer. 

“Anything specific you want for dinner?” he asked, making Pyre quickly open his mouth, only for Fen to speak first. 

“That isn’t one of us.” 

Bummer, again. 

“I’m not really sure. Not used to having options,” he said with a shrug. 

The massive ice cream cone from earlier had honestly filled him up quite a bit, so whatever the two decided to get, he’d likely only nibble at it. 

“How about Chinese food, then?” Gin asked, hope in his voice. 

Ah, right. I do remember you mentioning that you really liked it back when we first met. 

Fen gave a half shrug and nodded. 

“Sure, why not. I know your order already, Gin. What would you like, Pyre?” 

I… don’t remember the last time I got it, or what I liked. Or if I even got to eat any of it. 

“Pick for me? I’m good as long as it isn’t too spicy,” he said. 

Fen took out a menu from a drawer near the refrigerator and browsed through it for a few moments before seemingly making his decision. 

“Alright, I think I know what I’ll get you,” he said as he opened an app on his phone and began putting in their order. 

While he did that, Gin got himself a glass of ice water, then wandered into the other room where the beanbags were set up. Figuring that Fen would join them when he was done, Pyre hopped off the counter and hurried after his target. 

He found Gin settled down into the biggest bean bag, his ankles hanging over the edge as he relaxed back into it. 

“Gin Gin,” Pyre said as he walked up to the beanbag. 

The guy had closed his eyes by then, but opened them after hearing his name. 

“Hey there, little Spitfire,” he said, sounding quite a bit more tired than he had a few moments ago. 

The guy’s lips turned up into a smile as he held his arms open. Pyre took the invitation with delight and snuggled himself right in against his teddy bear. 

“A bit more tired than I thought I’d be after the zoo. Took a cold shower, but it didn’t keep the drowsiness away for long,” Gin explained before he gave a big yawn.  

Pyre was soon mirroring it, and honestly feeling a little tired, himself. 

“Nap time?” he asked as Gin carefully turned onto his side, then pulled Pyre snuggly against him. 

“Sounds perfect,” Gin mumbled, his breath warming the back of Pyre’s neck perfectly. 

We’re going to rest for a bit. Could you wake us up when the food comes? Pyre thought to Fen. 

The guy took a minute to respond, but then replied, Of course. I’m throwing both of your guy’s clothes in the washing machine, by the way. And I’m also going to order you a few more changes of clothing. Is there anything specific you’d like?

But more clothes means that I can’t accidentally forget to wash them as easily so that I have to walk around naked for a day, Pyre replied with only partially-faked sadness. 

You wouldn’t anyway. I’d just give you a pair of my drawstring pants or a shirt. 

Pyre wanted to roll his eyes, but he was quite comfortable with them closed. 

Get what you want to see me in. I don’t care what it is, he eventually said. 

When Fen didn’t respond again for several minutes, he figured that the conversation was over and, after one more yawn, settled in against his big bear for a nice short nap.

Snake 19

Pyre awoke without his cuddle buddy. He wasn’t quite sure what had actually gotten him up until he looked over toward the door and saw Fen holding up a huge bag of food. 

“I thought that you might want to eat it while its hot,” he said before disappearing out the door. 

Yawning, Pyre rubbed at an eye as his mind mumbled a response that seemed to slip past his new filter app. 

I want to eat you hot. 

To his surprise, he didn’t feel any kind of awkward sensation from his words, which made him get up faster than he normally would. 

Err, I still need a shower. 

He wandered out of the room, intending to turn toward the bathroom, but the smell of sweet and savory wrapped a rope around his heart and easily won the fight. 

Fen looked up as he approached, making Pyre wonder where his Gin bear was. 

“I already gave him his. He’s studying, since we were all out earlier,” Fen said, making Pyre glance back toward Gin’s room. 

“I got you a few things. We’ll finish whatever you don’t end up liking,” Fen said as he set out several containers. 

Pyre quickly set to opening them all, and when it came to the bag of egg rolls, he quickly plopped one into his mouth, letting it hang out the side like a cigar as he continued his work. It was hot as hell, but even just the outer shell of it tasted so damn good. 

He really did buy quite a lot…

There were four different containers of entrees, as well as two different kinds of rice and one massive container that contained nothing but vegetables and cashews. He knew that he might startle the guy a bit with his decision, but Pyre actually reached for the steamed vegetables first. They had a light sauce on them that tasted like garlic and soy, making him drool a bit as he downed them in record speed. 

“I’m kind of surprised that you went for the vegetables first,” Fen finally said after Pyre had eating over half the container in five minutes. 

He slowed himself down at that point, knowing that his stomach was still hesitant on keeping certain foods down. In fact, he set it back on the counter, giving himself a chance to see if it would be accepted in general, or if he might need to run to the bathroom for something other than a shower. 

“Vegetables give me the most energy. If I’m going to eat, I’d rather feel fuller, longer, than simply enjoy the flavor of something else a little more,” he said with a slight shrug. His father also hated the taste of them, so if he ever managed to snag any from the food bank, they were the few things the man wouldn’t eat. 

Fen nodded in understanding as he picked up a small fried thing called a crab rangoon. 

Oh? Crunchy…

He really liked crunchy stuff…

Seemingly catching his thought, Fen reached into the bag again with his free hand, then offered the little fried ball to him. 

God, I really wanted to just take a bite out of his…

Internally grumbling about Fen’s cursed venom problem, Pyre took the proffered food and, after a quick nibble at one of its edges, took a decent bite. 

Oh, wow. 

It was a little sweet, but mostly savory. And the crunch? 

I think I’m gonna c— “There’s dipping sauce for it, too,” Fen said, cutting off his impure thought just in time. “It’s a little too sweet for me, but you might like it.” 

Pyre glanced over by where Fen had gestured as he spoke, noting the faintly colored orange sauce. He dipped a tiny edge of a new crab rangoon into it, but after a swipe of his tongue, he made a face that had Fen laughing quietly. 

“Too sweet for you, too, huh?” he said as he got two plates down from the cabinet and handed Pyre one. 

“Take whatever you’d like. There will be plenty of leftovers, too, so don’t worry about saving any one specific thing.”

Hell yeah. 

Pyre added a few more scoops of the vegetables to his plate, two more crab rangoon, and then a small portion from each of the other containers. He might not be able to actually eat it all in one go, but he could definitely put what remained on his plate away for later. Throwing perfectly good food out was definitely not going to happen with him. 

He was just about to grab his fork and head to the dinner table when he realized that he was getting shorter and shorter. 

You were just out most of the day…

Slowly sitting down on his bum, Pyre let his ears droop and twitched his tiny nose, trying not to let himself get upset. It wasn’t working…

“Hey now, it’ll be okay.” 

Strong but gentle hands lifted his little panda up into Fen’s arms. The cuddles helped, but it was hard for him not to be depressed after shifting twice in one day. He didn’t mind his panda much, but there had been no need to change again so soon, had there? 

“Shifts can be stubborn sometimes,” Fen said as he pressed a kiss to the top of Pyre’s head… right before he, too, began to slowly descend to the floor. 

Uh oh. 

Pyre hurried to get off of Fen’s snake as it squirmed its way free from his clothes. 

There are so many innuendos with this situation. It’s a good thing I’m stuck as a panda right now and don’t have an audience. 

There was a pause for a moment before he felt his face warm beneath his fur. 

Well, except for my captive one. 

Fen’s snake stuck its tongue out a few times, tasting the air before it glanced up toward the counter way above their heads. 

I could climb and get it, but then we’d be eating off the floor. He, of course, didn’t mind that at all, but he knew that Fen probably wasn’t a fan. 

Pyre tilted his head this way and that as he hobbled over to one of the barstools set up on the other side of the counter. He carefully gripped one of the crossbars near the bottom and pulled it out a few inches, being careful not to accidentally have it fall on his head. He could hear Fen’s tail rattling in warning not to do it, but since he didn’t verbally say anything, Pyre went ahead anyway.

Okay, chair’s out. 

Climbing it was definitely the harder part. It was made of smooth, coated metal, so his claws slipped quite a bit trying to reach up to the padded seat for an actual grip. He’d been just about to reach it when he slipped for the fourth time and plopped back down to the wooden floor with a squeak. 

Darn it. 

He was about to try again when he noticed Fen’s snake beginning to coil around the chair, heading up toward the seat. 

Oh? 

When it stopped with its head looking over the edge down at him, Pyre tilted his head again, confused. 

Climb my scales. It should be much easier. 

He hesitated for only a moment before carefully beginning the task given to him. It was a bit awkward, at first, since he’d never actually climbed a snake… just sucked on a few , but once he got his footing, it was actually pretty easy to scale the scales. 

The second he was high enough he hopped off Fen and hurried up onto the counter. There, he waited for his man to finish his own ascent before they both made their way back to their dinner. 

I think we burned off most of what we’d just eaten during that little climb, he thought as he took a seat in front of his massive plate of food and reached his paw right into a small stack of long noodles. After trying, and failing, to not make a gigantic mess, Pyre decided to just have at. Besides, he hadn’t taken a shower yet anyways. 

He ate a good portion of his noodles and veggies before glancing sideways at Fen, only to pause with his sauce-soaked paw halfway to his mouth, holding a big piece of delicious chicken. 

Oh. 

Setting his food down, Pyre got up and walked the whole eight inches over to where Fen was nudging around a piece of shrimp mixed into a bed of thin noodles and carrots. 

You want the shrimp, but not the noodles?

It took Fen a few moments to respond as he lifted his head away from the dish and turned to look at him. 

He wants the shrimp. I’d like it all, but he just seems to want meat… and I don’t want to just pick it out because I’ll get venom on everything. 

Oh, he could help with that. If anything, Fen could finish the rest of it later, too. 

I got ya, he said as he sat down next to the container and began digging out each piece of shrimp with his sticky paws. They already had other sauce on them, but his snake didn’t seem to mind at all, because the pieces disappeared a second after he set each of them down on the counter. Snaky actually finished all of the shrimp after only a few minutes, making Pyre switch to another container. This time it was beef, and considering how fast Fen’s snake took each of those pieces, it liked it even better than the shrimp. 

They were just finishing off that container, too, when Gin walked in and paused by the counter, which had somehow, suspiciously, gotten covered in quite a few different flavors of sauces… and there might have been a small mountain of noodles between Pyre’s bear’s legs since he’d found it easier to pick out the meat for Snaky by doing that. He’d still eat it later, anyways…

“I… think it’s bath time,” Gin said as he awkwardly reached over the food disaster and picked up a very sticky Pyre, whose panda refused to release its last handful of beef and noodles. 

Hey now, we were busy having a moment there, he grumbled as he heard Fen’s snake slither about behind him. By the time he was settled into Fen’s bathtub and the water was turned on, he noticed Fen’s snake slither into his bedroom.  

A few moments later and his human self appeared wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a long dark red hoodie. He even had the hood up, silently telling Pyre that he was still feeling pretty cold, even after being able to shift back. 

Why don’t you just let him out for a bit longer? It’s bath time, and I know I accidentally, maybe-intentionally, put a bit of sauce on your head. 

Fen paused in the doorway and took his hoodie off, frowning when he reached up and found that his hair was, indeed, quite sticky now. 

“You’re a brat,” he grumbled as he walked forward. 

He wasn’t sure exactly what he intended to do, but when he actually did shift back to his snake form, Gin seemed just as surprised as Pyre. 

“You… did you do that on purpose?” he asked as he watched Fen’s snake slowly climb into the warm tub of filling water. 

It ignored him, though, and instead began swimming about happily, soaking up the heat and abrupt second bout of freedom. 

Pyre decided to respond for him, giving a nod as he pointed one saucy paw toward Fen’s head. 

“Oh… you got sauce on him. I’m still kind of surprised he allowed his snake back out to wash it off instead of just washing his hair like normal, but if he’s happy, I’m happy.” 

You went a little deep on that last bit, hmm? 

He felt Fen question those words in his mind, but he didn’t bother responding. He wasn’t going to say what Gin wasn’t comfortable with yet. Instead, he turned toward the chilling snake and lifted one tiny, dirty paw. Just when Fen’s snake looked up at it, Pyre sent it flying toward the edge of the water with all of his might! 

And that is when he realized that his panda truly was the most useless animal shift he could have gotten. The splash from his paw wouldn’t have even bothered a fly… 

I’ll trade you, Fen. You take the adorable fluffy panda and I’ll be the awesome venomous snake. 

Right as he finished that thought he felt something beneath his fuzzy bum and tail, but before he could look down it moved abruptly, making him flail his paws in the air before he flopped backwards into the water!

Gin thankfully helped him upright again, then wiped his eyes with a towel to clear the water from them. The moment he could see again Pyre narrowed his glare on Fen’s snake. The animal was in the far corner, its head tilting as it watched him. 

You…

The snake’s response to his grumble? It flicked its tongue out, holding it there for just long enough for Pyre to realize that Fen actually had control of it for that tiny, little moment. 

You!

Snake 20

(My roommate drew me this picture :D I’ve also started a new book if you guys haven’t checked it out yet and like werewolf/vampire stories. Bleeding Heart :) )

Pyre might have tackled Fen’s snake after it had stuck its tongue out at him, but their little wrestling match, which was honestly just himself getting wrapped up tightly by Fen’s snake while he tried to boop its nose with his soaked paws, was quickly broken up by a worried Gin. 

“Now now, I know that you’re both playing around, but it would be much safer if you shift before you do that,” he said, making Pyre stop struggling to get away from his hand, allowing Gin to carefully unwrap Fen’s coils from around his soggy panda self. 

You heard him. We should shift first, then continue, he thought to Fen. 

Of course, he couldn’t make himself shift yet. His panda still controlled that. He honestly didn’t expect Fen’s snake to allow the guy to have his human body back yet, either, but he was proved wrong when there was suddenly a very naked man sitting in the bathtub in front of him. 

Oh dang, let me go, Gin!

His little panda arms reached forward as he kicked his back legs, but he might as well have been asleep with how much good his struggling did. Smirking at him, Fen leaned down and splashed his hair with some water, then grabbed some shampoo and got busy scrubbing it while Pyre got wrapped in a towel, then settled on the closed toilet seat so that Gin could get his fluffy panda somewhat dried off. 

I don’t want to get dry. I want to get wet with Fen!

“Well, you’re just going to have to wait,” Gin said, then paused with his lips slightly parted. 

Well, everyone paused. Fen still had his fingers entwined in his soapy hair as he turned to stare at the guy, and Pyre was laser-focused on the person suddenly blushing down at him. He was just about to start thinking all sorts of perverted thoughts just to torture him when he noticed that he was getting closer and closer to Gin’s face while not really moving. 

“Oh,” he whispered at the same time Gin did. He’d shifted back. 

“I’ll… go get you a shirt. You should put a shirt on,” Gin whispered right before Pyre responded, “you should take off your shirt. I can help.” 

The guy’s face burned brighter as he fumbled with a response that just ended with him hurrying from the room. Pyre watched him go, frowning. He’d held back all of his bad perverted thoughts, yet still scared him away. 

“I think he’s just a bit overwhelmed with the sudden bond,” Fen said, drawing his attention over to him. 

How is that water so soapy already? I can’t see any of the important bits. 

“Magic,” Fen said as he reached forward and tugged the curtain backward to shield himself from view. 

Pyre scowled as he saw the faint shadow behind the curtain stand up after opening the drain and turning on the shower. He was just about to say something when he heard Gin return, drawing his attention to him. 

Boo. 

The guy had brought a shirt, but he’d also brought a pair of pajama pants, too. When he’d tugged it over Pyre’s head, however, he realized something immediately. 

This smells like Gin. This is Gin’s shirt, not Fen’s or mine…

Gin fidgeted, clearly hearing the thought and taking it the wrong way. Before the guy could consider going to get a different one Pyre tugged it all the way down over his body, then reached out for the pants. There was no chance he was gonna let the guy have his shirt back. 

He slid the pants on as soon as Gin’s mind restarted and reminded him to hand them over. 

“I’m going to go clean up the counter and put away what I can salvage of our dinner,” he said after a long moment of awkward silence. 

Pyre watched him go, then slowly sank back down onto the toilet seat lid with a sigh. 

I really thought that if I ever bonded with more than one person that it would be an instant orgy…

The sound of something dropping in the other room took his attention for half a second before the curtain sliding open beside him had it redirecting to something much more important. He didn’t hesitate to look at what he could see beyond the towel around Fen’s waist that he swore hadn’t been in the shower before. 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find your orgy one day,” Fen said as he walked by him to stand at one of the sinks. 

Pyre stood up, joining him to lazily lean against the counter and watch as Fen began running a comb through his damp hair. He was just about to say something when the guy suddenly began brushing his own hair with it. 

“I don’t know how your hair tangles so much. It’s not even that long,” he mused as he gently but quickly worked out tangle after tangle. 

Never took much care of it. 

Hygiene products hadn’t been something his father bothered with most times. Who needed a shower when you rarely left your house? 

“It’s beautiful, though,” Fen said as he finished working out one last tangle, then leaned back with a smile that had Pyre’s heart thumping awkwardly in his chest. 

What the heck was that? 

“Are you okay?” Fen asked, having caught that he’d had a strange reaction to… something. 

Shaking unwarranted nerves from his mind, Pyre grinned up at Fen, who immediately changed his expression from one of worry, to one of hesitant existential dread. 

“You’re adorable,” Pyre said, surprising himself into immediate silence. 

He had meant to say something about him being welcome to check if he was okay, but then those words had come out of his mouth, instead. 

I think I might be getting sick. 

He’d looked down, honestly a little embarrassed, when he felt a warm palm press against his forehead, making him lift his head until his eyes met Fen’s gentle ones. 

“You do feel a little warm, but considering I’m cold blooded…” Fen said quietly, a faint hint of laughter in his words as he let them drift off. He then spread his fingers where they rested against Pyre’s forehead just enough to be able to kiss the little space between them. 

Fuck.

“Hey Fen…” Pyre replied after a long moment of silence. 

The guy leaned back so that he could meet his eyes again. 

“Hmm?” 

Glancing up slightly, Pyre lifted his hand and pointed. 

“Look up at that light for a second?” 

The guy’s brows drew together, confused, but he did as told. 

There was nothing wrong with the light, but Pyre needed the guy’s eyes off of him for a moment. His heart just wasn’t calming down. Unfortunately, it didn’t help, because, while his eyes were definitely off of him, he’d tilted his head backwards, baring a delicious-looking throat. 

Without thinking, Pyre leaned forward and slightly up until his lips pressed against cool skin. 

Smells so good…

“It…” 

Huh? 

Pyre blinked, having missed most of Fen’s thought to him. 

“What did you say?” he whispered against the man’s skin, his lips just barely brushing against it as he spoke. 

“I-it might taste good… too?” Fen whispered, his words almost too quite to hear, again. 

Almost. 

Pyre’s heart leaped into his own throat as he lifted a shaky hand upward until it settled on Fen’s right shoulder. His other one grasped his waist, its thumb slipping beneath the towel before he refocused his attention on the man’s neck right in front of his nose. 

He let the tip of his tongue hesitantly slip past his lips, but then stopped when he noticed the faint red color beginning to paint Fen’s skin. The blush, which had traveled all the way down from his cheeks, captivated him, making Pyre nuzzle at the soft skin there greedily. 

At that moment he noticed Fen’s breathing. It had picked up quite a bit, as well as his own as his breath brushed softly against the man’s skin with each exhale. 

I want to be in your bed right now…

He knew that such a request wasn’t practical right then, since this was the first time Fen had actually allowed him to show him some affection, so he ignored his own thought, not expecting an answer, and instead focused on finally pressing his damp tongue against the skin right in front of it. 

Fucking delicious. 

He was just sealing his lips over the first spot he wanted to place a mark, his mark, when the sound of Fen’s cell phone chimed from the kitchen. 

A cold shiver wandered down his spine as he realized that their moment was about to be over. When Fen began lowering his head and stepping backwards, intent on going to catch whoever was calling before his phone went to voicemail, Pyre abruptly tightened his hold on his shoulder as his other hand grabbed the fold of the towel still tied at his the man’s waist, bunching the fabric in his grip. His teeth were the last thing to find their target, nipping just enough to break skin for the briefest of moments before he released the guy completely. 

Fen hesitated, a startled look on his reddened face as he lifted a hand to his nipped neck, but he then quickly turned and hurried from the room as his phone began its last warning ring. 

Pyre slowly ran his tongue along his lips before exhaling abruptly as he watched the guy go, a huge smile forming on his own blush-colored face. 

Don’t know what the hell that was, but I want more.

Snake 21

“Hey Gin?” Pyre called as he stepped into the guy’s room.

To his surprise, he wasn’t there.

He hadn’t mentioned that he was going anywhere…

Turning, he scratched at the side of his head for a moment before walking back into the living room. The kitchen had been cleaned spotless and all of the salvageable containers put away. The dishes that had been sitting in the sink from a couple days ago were also hand-washed and drying on their designated rack.

Fuck, he’s going to be my wife.

He frowned at the thought, shaking it from his head. It was rude to consider someone in such a way just because of their house-keeping skills.

He’s going to be my second husband.

Feeling much better about that deduction, Pyre got himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter as he slowly sipped at it. He’d actually gotten a call from his mother right after Fen had left to go to the orthodontist earlier that morning. Normally, that phone call was his one lifeline. The reason that he stayed in this world as long as he did… and yet, he had allowed it to go to voicemail.

He considered calling her back, but right as his thumb reached up to hover over the home button to unlock the screen, he saw a text come through that completely redirected his attention.

Quickly downing the remainder of his water, he set the cup next to the sink, intent on reusing it later, then hurried to the elevator. Instead of descending, he pressed the up button. In no time at all he was stepping out through the double doors and into Fen’s gym.

His eyes made a quick sweep around the area before he noticed Gin perched on one of the highest platforms. He couldn’t help but feel proud, since the guy had struggled on some of the lower equipment previously. He’d seen him sneak up to the gym a few times during the past week, though, and it was clearly paying off.

Good job , he thought to him as he started forward, removing his shirt in the process. He knew that he was going to get quite sweaty, so there was no reason to soak it. Just the thought of what could happen made him drop the clothing without a care and hurry toward the first obstacle.

He cleared it in no time, loving the feeling of eyes on him the entire time. The second one was completed almost as quickly as it had been started, giving him a good warm up as he turned to the third obstacle. The rope climb took a bit more effort, and he might have gotten a bit distracted and let his grip slip a tiny bit when he noticed that Gin was missing his shirt, too.

Damn I want to lick.

Gin definitely heard his thought, because the guy quickly looked away, his blush becoming visible even from such a distance. The guy had invited him up there to work out, but there was plenty of space to read between those lines.

He knew that Gin definitely wasn’t up to his level of perversion, but those words…

Pushing himself faster, Pyre scaled another two obstacles before finding himself in front of the final balancing one that would bring them together. He was panting by that time, his eyes completely locked on Gin even as he stepped up onto the beam.

The closer he got, the more Gin refused to meet his eyes. It was fucking adorable, but he also wanted his man to look at him. It would be something they could work on, after he devoured his mouth and touched a few naughty places.

“W-we should just work on the eyes thing first,” Gin said as Pyre finally stepped off of the balancing beam and onto the platform.

As much as he wanted to just tackle the man, he knew that he had to tone it down a bit. Sure, they had done the deed in the past, but that was many years ago. So, cleaning up his dirty thoughts just a tad, Pyre sat down in front of Gin with a smile that probably bordered on sweet… with a good bit of naughty mixed in.

When Gin realized that he wasn’t going to get jumped right away, he seemed to relax and lift his eyes back to Pyre’s.

I’ve missed looking into those chocolate beauties.

“I… I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with this situation,” Gin eventually said, making a few suggestions quickly come to Pyre’s mind that he had to shove away before he let them slip out of his mouth.

He was doing his best to behave, but Gin wasn’t making it easy as he nibbled at his lower lip nervously.

It seems like the guy caught that thought somehow, because he quickly stopped, making Pyre frown. After a few moments of contemplation, he reached up and gently grasped the guy’s jaw, settling his thumb on that little nibbled area of his lip.

The action had Gin freezing in place, his eyes wide with worry. Instead of withdrawing his hand, however, Pyre let it stay there but made sure to relax the rest of his body as he calmly, slowly, lowered his own eyes.

He could sense Gin’s confusion build almost to the point of panic, but then, after a few quiet minutes, he took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Then he did it again, before finally, a third time.

That’s it. You can relax around me. I’m not going to eat you every time.

He heard the guy try to stifle a chuckle, but it had been useless. The sound drew Pyre’s eyes upward again, as well as the edges of his lips. Looking at Gin’s face now, he could tell that he’d finally managed to calm himself down. He was even smiling with both his mouth and his eyes as he slowly turned his head the slightest amount to press a kiss to Pyre’s thumb.

When Gin lowered his head a little more Pyre carefully took his chance and slid his finger between Gin’s lips. To his surprise, Gin’s tongue met the tip of it as it entered his mouth, but then it quickly withdrew. Thankfully, the guy didn’t lean away, nor did he try to remove his finger. So, Pyre gave him another few moments to move, but when he didn’t, he pressed his thumb farther into his mouth, eventually finding Gin’s withdrawn tongue.

“Lick me,” Pyre requested quietly, his voice the slightest bit raspy as he leaned closer, his left hand settling on, and gripping, Gin’s crossed right left.

The man hesitated for only a moment before he did as asked, his tongue cautious but determined to complete the task. Pyre waited until Gin’s tongue retreated again, the guy’s face burning like the sun after having done such a thing, before he leaned in closer. He waited a few inches away from his target, and when Gin still didn’t lean away or tell him to stop, he finished closing the distance between their mouths.

The kiss grew heated right away, and surprisingly, it was Gin who, after finding his footing against Pyre’s aggressive mouth, took control of the situation. Not that Pyre didn’t try, but there was no stopping Gin when he was determined, and considering their difference in size and strength, the guy easily had Pyre pinned on his back in a matter of seconds.

Gin had definitely improved his skills since they’d had their little tryst during high school, too. Pyre was struggling just to keep up as the guy easily subdued his tongue with his own, pinned his arms over his head with one hand, and dug strong fingers into his hair.

They kissed until their mouths hurt, only stopping to catch their breath as Pyre’s phone chimed with a text message from Fen. He considered answering it, but at the same time he was going to voice that idea, Gin lifted himself off of him the slightest amount, then leaned down to begin licking and sucking at his neck.

I’m sorry Fen, you’ll have to wait your turn.

There was no way in hell he was going to pass up Gin’s mouth on any part of himself. He squirmed a little when the guy found a sensitive spot, but there was really nowhere to go, since part of his hair was already hanging off the edge of the platform, along with his left foot on the opposite side.

His mind began to blur as Gin moved slowly down his neck, then started working on leaving marks along his chest as the hand that had been gripping Pyre’s hair withdrew to reposition itself on his bare waist.

Damn it feels so good.

He was more than ready to get to the final part, but there was no way in hell he’d push Gin to hurry up. The guy was clearly enjoying himself, and so was he. The humping-like-bunnies could wait… at least for a little while.

When Gin gave out an impressive groan Pyre squirmed again, wanting to grab at the guy, but he refused to release his wrists.

You can only go so low before you have to let me go…

Just the thought of what he would do the second his hands were free again made Pyre lick his bruised lips. He could tell that Gin was already getting close to that distance, but the guy was being stubborn and, instead of just releasing him so that he could go lower, he just continued making marks around Pyre’s midsection.

By the time Gin finally lifted his head to catch his breath, Pyre was just about ready to explode… in more ways than one.

Please tell me you brought a condom up here with you.

Of course, he highly doubted that he had. Just doing what he was right then was a huge step for the guy. He doubted that he’d planned ahead enough to consider bringing protection… or really, getting as far as needing to use it in general.

He could sense Gin’s hesitation and nervousness quickly returning, but their connection was cut off abruptly when Gin’s phone alarm began going off.

Huh?

The guy quickly moved off of him and sat to the side, picking up his phone to silence the obnoxious sound. Pyre hoped that he’d put it down, then turn right back around to finish what they’d started, but instead, Gin smiled at him with a face as red as a cherry and held up his phone.

“The fish sticks are done.”

The… what?

Seemingly noticing his dumbfounded look, Gin quickly pressed a few buttons on his phone, then held it up for him to see.

“I texted you earlier…” he said, his voice becoming a little more quiet.

He remembered the text. It had said that he wanted to play around on the gym equipment. Except, when Pyre read the remaining message, the part that he had evidently completely skipped over after the important part was cemented into his brain, he realized what Gin was talking about.

You wanted to play around… until the fish sticks were done cooking in the oven.

Pyre felt his entire body deflate, including a certain item that he swore was going to finally get some attention. Of course, he shouldn’t feel upset, because honestly, he hadn’t expected Gin to let him do what he had… and the response the guy gave him?

So hot…

“Come on, let’s head down and eat. I think Fen is also going to be home from his appointment soon, too,” Gin said as he nonchalantly jumped down from the platform into the foam pit below.

Sticking his tongue out down at the guy, Pyre shook his head and retrieved his own phone from his pocket to check and see what Fen had texted him previously.

Mine: I’m back from my appointment and took the fish sticks out of the oven. Are you with Gin?

I was, very much so.

He paused for a moment, realizing that if he had checked his phone, Gin might not have jumped down to go get the fish sticks out of the oven.

“Argh!”

Grinning like the idiot that he was, Pyre gave up and hopped down from the platform, too, then waded through the foam until he could climb out. It was no surprise that Gin was already gone, but he didn’t mind. He probably needed a few minutes to decompress and rinse off.

He picked up his discarded shirt on the way to the elevator, but swung it over his shoulder instead of bothering to put it on. He wasn’t embarrassed at all to let Fen see Gin’s artwork.

Perhaps next time, there would be two mouths on him instead of one.

Mm, one can dream.

Snake 22

This fish sticks tasted like betrayal. He had eaten them strictly to be rid of them from the planet before deciding to check on Fen, who had gone to his room to take a nap. He’d taken several pain pills after coming home from his orthodontist appointment, and considering he simply texted him that he couldn’t talk that great yet, Pyre didn’t bother him. 

Just checking on him now… behave. 

Thankfully, the guy was tucked beneath several of his heavy heated blankets, not giving Pyre’s mind a chance to come up with too many perverted scenarios. 

I think he might actually still be asleep. 

Pyre inched closer, noticing that it was getting pretty late. His vendetta against the remaining fish sticks had really made the time fly by. 

Pyre? 

Pausing by Fen’s bedside, Pyre glanced back toward the open door. Most of the lights were already off, but one small one in the hallway allowed him to see Gin’s outline standing in the doorway. 

Is he doing okay? Still asleep? 

Pyre quietly hurried from the room after one more glance down at Fen. As soon as he was back in the hall and had Fen’s door shut he nodded. 

“Yeah, he’s out cold. I’m glad they gave him good pain medication. I didn’t realize he got surgery,” he said as he walked with Gin back toward the main room. 

“He’s been planning on trying it for a while, but it wasn’t a sure thing. I guess he just needed the right push to go for it,” Gin said, making Pyre stop walking and tilt his head, curious. 

He would have asked what the guy had had done, but he was sure that Fen would tell him when he was ready… if he felt like it. 

“If it helps him in any way, I’m glad he went ahead and did it,” he eventually said as he turned into the kitchen and got himself a cup of cold water. 

He downed most of it before a sound drew his attention toward the elevator. 

It’s almost eleven…

When the doors opened, he set his glass down on the counter and briskly walked up to the man who was stepping out. Gin met him there, their previous intentions completely forgotten. 

They both clearly wanted to ask the same thing; What happened? But they also both knew just by glancing at each other, that neither would. Instead, Pyre allowed Gin to take the lead and step forward. When he offered Blake a hand, the man hesitantly set his own bruised one in it. 

Since Fen was asleep and neither of them wanted to risk waking him, they brought Blake to their smaller bathroom and had him sit up on the counter. 

As Gin carefully helped him out of his torn shirt, Pyre dug through the medicine cabinet and found some band-aids, gauze, antiseptic, and whatever else they were going to need. By the time he refocused his attention on Blake, the man was missing his shirt… and what he saw there actually made Pyre’s stomach angry that it had eaten earlier. 

Are you going to be okay? came Gin’s worried thought as he began gently patting a long cut that looked like it had actually been caused by some sort of belt with a damp washcloth. 

He could sense Gin’s worry grow, but Pyre understood what to say and not say. 

I’m fine. 

Instead of saying anything more, they both worked together quietly to tend to the many injuries on Blake’s chest. It took about thirty minutes before Pyre leaned back, proud of their work. Thankfully, most of the cuts weren’t very deep, but they would definitely leave a scar or two, and the skin around them was already bruising. 

As Gin gently guided Blake to turn a bit so that they could look at his back, Pyre hurried to the kitchen and filled a cup with warm water, then added some honey and lemon juice. 

Blake took the drink with an exhausted smile, nursing it gratefully as Pyre returned his attention back to helping Gin. 

The more they both worked, the more Pyre realized that Blake’s injuries weren’t normal. At least, not for most people. 

He wanted to ask Gin if he knew that Blake was into hardcore BDSM, but there was no way of communicating without Blake hearing since he seemed to have a bond with them both, too. So, they continued on in silence until they finished with his back. 

He watched as Gin carefully helped Blake down from the counter afterward, but when the guy’s legs nearly buckled and his face twisted with pain, he realized that they had some more work to do. 

Instead of beginning to help right away, though, Pyre went back to the kitchen and found a small pair of scissors, then returned. 

When he reached up toward Blake’s neck with one hand, the guy flinched, but he didn’t say anything or try to pull away when he grabbed the thick, tight collar at his neck. 

He waited a full ten more seconds before lifting the scissors and very, very carefully cutting through the leather until it dropped to the floor. Blake’s eyes followed the item as it fell, lingering on it for a long time as Gin began working on his right leg after having taken the scissors Pyre had brought to cut away the ruined clothing. 

Pyre handed Gin whatever he needed as time went on, but instead of helping more with his hands, he simply leaned against the counter beside Blake. He honestly didn’t know much about the BDSM lifestyle, but he’d seen enough to put two and two together. It was odd, though. Blake didn’t act like a submissive guy, at all, but then again, everyone was different. He could prefer to be a dominant person in his daily life, but then appreciate someone being above him at home, or vise versa. 

Either way, he wasn’t one to judge about other people’s life choices. The only thing he wanted to say about their current situation was that whoever Blake’s dominant currently was, they were clearly overdoing it. 

“I was just about to make some eggs and toast for a quick snack before bed, would you guys like any?” Gin asked, even though Pyre knew for a fact that the guy was already plenty stuffed from the fish sticks from earlier, as was he. 

Still, Pyre shrugged one shoulder and nodded. 

“Sure, I’ll take a slice and an egg.” 

To his relief, Blake slowly nodded as Gin helped him into a pair of borrowed sweatpants, then tied the drawstrings to keep them up. 

“Cool, I’ll get on that. Feel free to lounge around until its done,” he said as he headed for the kitchen. 

Pyre stayed back and watched Blake through the corner of his eye, reading his body language and posture. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he knew better. When Blake wanted to talk, he would talk. 

Just as he was straightening up to walk out of the bathroom Pyre felt arms wrap around his middle. He let them pull him backwards into an extremely careful hug. They stayed that way for several quiet minutes before he felt Blake’s body finally begin to relax against his own. They ended up carefully maneuvering themselves to the floor, where he allowed the man to settle him in his lap. 

Once situated, Pyre leaned his head back as Blake buried his face in the crook of his neck. He could tell that the guy was crying, but that was totally fine. Somehow, some way, his situation turned negative and he had to remove himself from it. Considering the amount of injuries he had on himself, he was surprised that he’d held it together so well for so long. 

They both seemed to lose track of time as they rested there, but eventually a sound drew Pyre’s sleepy mind from its doze and made him open eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed. He was trying to process what was going on when he saw Blake’s arm lift from where it had been wrapped around his waist, to extend forward and upward, taking a plate that Gin was offering to him. 

Blake, surprisingly, settled the plate in Pyre’s lap, then picked up a piece of the beautifully-crisp toast and lifted it to Pyre’s lips. He hadn’t exactly wanted to eat anymore that evening, but the smell of melted butter and fresh strawberry jam had him changing his mind and taking a bigger-than-necessary bite out of the snack. 

Feeling the guy chuckle against his back, Pyre couldn’t help but smile. When Blake leaned forward over his shoulder to take a bit for himself, Pyre leaned up and grabbed hold of the edge of the toast with his teeth. 

His reaction took Blake by slight surprise, but then the guy simply shook it off and leaned a little closer to take his own bite. 

Needless to say, the toast disappeared quickly. The eggs took a bit longer, but not because they didn’t taste amazing. It was mainly because him and Blake were fighting each other with their forks, trying to see who could get the most egg onto theirs before the other knocked it off. 

By the time they were done with their remaining food, there was more egg on the floor than in their stomachs, but they were both laughing quietly as Gin returned to take their empty plate after having loaded the dishwasher. 

“Uh?” 

The guy’s confused mumble drew their attention up to him, a crooked smile on Pyre’s face as Blake pursed his lips, looking at least a tiny bit embarrassed as he moved Pyre from his lap and stood, then offered him a hand up. 

Pyre accepted, then looked down at his egg-covered sweatpants. After hearing both the guys before him trying to hold back another round of laughter, he shrugged and dropped his pants before heading to Gin’s room and retrieving one of his. 

Whatever Fen had ordered him would be there in the next day or two, but until then he just borrowed whatever. No one seemed to mind. 

Once done, he walked out, only to have each of his arms grabbed by the two guys as they walked into the room. 

“We already cleaned up the mess. Let’s get some rest, Pyre. It’s super later,” Gin said at the same time Blake offered him an exhausted but honest smile. 

They tugged him over to Gin’s large queen bed before releasing him to climb in. He waited until the two were situated before flipping off the light and getting himself in bed. 

He wasn’t too sure where he should go, since he honestly didn’t want to accidentally stress Blake out, but when he felt Gin grab his wrist in the darkness and guide him forward, he went where directed. 

That spot ended up being snuggly settled in his arms. He’d thought that Blake would have taken that spot once they’d all gotten comfortable, but it did make sense that he didn’t want to be too close to others right then. 

Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the guy had lied down nearby, but not close enough to touch them. He considered saying something, but when he felt Gin lean forward and press a kiss to his own exposed neck, Pyre quickly turned his head back around and even tucked his chin slightly, somehow embarrassed by the sneak attack. 

His reaction drew a quiet bit of laughter from Gin before he hugged him tighter and nestled his nose into his hair. Soon, he heard two both their breathing even out as sleep took them. 

Pyre stayed awake for another half hour or so, just to make sure that Blake was still okay, then allowed himself to finally drift off nestled in the arms of his Gin-bear, around one in the morning.

Snake 23

(I got a friend from the zoo who wanted to help write this chapter. His name, of course, is Pyre. XD He is a big boi.) 

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Pyre hurried down the street with a messenger bag over his shoulder. It had been a few days since Blake had joined them at Fen’s home, but the guy was still pretty distant. His injuries were at least healing, and he was spending quite a bit of time cooking them all sorts of things in Fen’s huge kitchen. 

Just the thought of what might be for lunch made him hungry. He, himself, had been given small tasks by Fen as he healed, too, and he actually found that he enjoyed running the errands. It gave him something to do besides sit around and think about certain people naked. Now he got to run around and make some money while thinking about said people naked. 

He was just rounding the corner for the street that Fen’s home was on when he suddenly tripped, then flopped over onto the sidewalk. 

Well, you could have picked a worse time, at least. 

Twitching his whiskers, Pyre stood up on his hind legs and carefully packed his clothing and shoes into the messenger bag, then lifted it back onto his tiny shoulder. After making a few adjustments, he continued on his way. Quite a few people were staring at him, but he just flicked an ear and ignored them as he finished his trip home. 

The doorman raised an eyebrow as he walked into the air-conditioned lobby, clearly surprised to see a tiny panda carrying a messenger bag… and walking on its hind legs. Pyre made it all the way to the elevator before realizing that his journey had hit a snag that he couldn’t solve himself. He couldn’t reach the buttons. 

“I’ll get it,” the doorman said as he hurried to press the button for him. 

Thankfully, he knew where he was going, too, since he’d seen him in his panda form with Fen before, and slid his own master key card into the slot before stepping back off the elevator. The man smiled and nodded afterward, but when the doors didn’t close, they both looked down. 

Oh right. Long tail. 

Leaning over, Pyre let his bag slip from his shoulder as he reached for his fluffy tail, then tugged it inside the elevator. As soon as it was far enough, the doors closed. They then opened a few moments later to the smell of something delicious. 

He didn’t know many dishes, but the longer he lived with Fen and Gin, the more he was learning about different ones. He’d definitely loved the Chinese food Fen had bought him a few nights ago, and the biscuits and gravy Blake had made for breakfast yesterday were delicious, too. 

“Hey there, little Spitfire,” Blake said as Pyre stepped off the elevator. 

Looking up, he saw the guy walk over to him and take his messenger bag off the elevator with one hand, then pick him up with the other. A few moments later, after Blake had set aside the bag, he carried Pyre over to the counter and sat him next to the stove. 

“Try this for me?” he asked as he got down a little bowl and ladled a small helping of something into it. 

Pyre eyed the grayish slop with interest, but didn’t dive in right away. 

“I promise it’s not bad. I just want an opinion.” 

…okay. It does smell good, at least. 

Reaching forward, Pyre dipped one black paw into the gray mushy stuff, then lifted it to his mouth. 

Oh?

Tilting his head, Pyre considered the flavor, then dipped his paw again. By the fourth time he was addicted. 

“I’ll take that as a strong approval of those chicken and dumplings,” Blake said as Pyre leaned forward and shoved his fuzzy face right into the mushy goodness. 

Once he had licked the entire thing clean, he came up for air… and was a bit surprised to see a large, plump feline sitting in front of him.

Gin bear!

He got up on his back legs, intent on giving the fluffy kitty a hug, but as soon as he got closer Gin’s cat reached out and swatted his face, sending a few bits of chicken and dumplings he’d been saving in his fur for later onto the floor. Thankfully he’d kept his claws retracted.

The cat then looked down at the bowl and reached over, tapping the side of the object until it went over the edge. 

Pyre reached for it, but his paws weren’t exactly hands. Thankfully, Blake was paying attention even as he was kneeling down to wipe up the bit of food that had been smacked to the floor, so he quickly leaned to the side and caught the bowl right before it could break on the floor. 

With his plan thwarted, Gin’s cat hopped off the counter and flicked its fluffy tail up as it strutted away. It was rare to see him in his cat form, making Pyre think that the animal might have decided that it wanted control for a bit… especially considering its current attitude. 

That sass is hot. 

Pyre leaned over the edge, considering jumping, too, but when he heard the sound of feet shuffling around the corner, his ears perked up and he looked toward the hallway leading to Fen’s room. 

Husband? 

Fen came around the corner a moment later, his hair an absolute mess and his pajama pants sagging a bit low on his hips, but not quite low enough. 

“Hey there, my Fire,” he said as he walked right over and happily picked up Pyre’s wiggling panda. 

After a tight hug, he settled him in his left arm and carried him over to a few large boxes sitting near the couch. Pyre eyed them curiously as he was set down on a cushion, then watched as Fen knelt in front of one of the boxes and cut it open with a key. 

What he saw him pull out made his head tilt. 

“Your clothing came in, but I added a few things to the order that would fit your panda, too,” Fen said as he turned and tugged a tiny little pink and black shirt over Pyre’s fuzzy head. 

It settled right at his middle, and honestly fit quite well as Pyre looked down, then moved this way and that. He’d never thought about putting clothing on his panda, but he found that he didn’t mind the look, and his animal was actually quite intrigued by the cute shirt. 

“I got one of these, too, in case we go back to the zoo or out somewhere else,” Fen said, drawing Pyre’s attention back to him right before he felt a light blue cap settle on his head. 

It even had little holes for his ears, too. 

Let me see.

Fen heard the request and pulled his phone from his pocket, then turned on the camera function. He expected him to just switch it to selfie mode, but when he took several pictures, Pyre tilted his head again. 

A moment later and he was being shown the photos as Fen gladly flipped through each several times. 

Is he… enjoying dressing me up? 

Fen hesitated to swipe to the next photo, clearly having heard his thought and taken it the wrong way. 

I don’t mind the clothes. 

Blake walked over at that moment, taking a seat in the recliner nearby. 

“That outfit does look really good on you,” he said, making Pyre nod to him, then turn back to Fen. 

I like it. Do you have anymore? 

Fen hesitated for a few more moments before reaching back into the box and pulling out a little blue jumpsuit. 

Okay, I would normally never be caught dead in such a thing, but that looks like it would be adorable as hell on my panda, Pyre thought to Fen as he quickly but carefully tugged off his current outfit, ready to try on the new item. 

Pyre thought that Blake might join them, but he just put his feet up and simply watched with a content smile as Fen began helping him into the jumpsuit. When he finished snapping the two buttons for the shoulder straps, Fen lifted his camera with an excited smile and snapped several more photos. 

Pyre leaned forward and reached up after he was done, pawing at the phone until his little toes managed to turn it just right in Fen’s hand. 

Oh my god. I’m freaking adorable. 

“You really are!” Fen said before wincing slightly. 

Be good. Your mouth is still healing, Pyre chided, even though he was just as excited. 

Fen’s face reddened slightly as he reached forward and unclipped the jumpsuit, replying quietly, “almost healed. Just a little sore now.” 

So I can kiss you soon? 

There was an awkward silence from not only Fen, but Blake, making Pyre flick an ear and tilt his head. 

So… I can kiss you soon? 

He knew that Fen was toxic, yet neither him, nor Blake, were telling him that he couldn’t. His eyes narrowed on the man staring down at him from where he was still kneeling in front of the couch. 

That surgery you got done… was it to remove your venom glands? 

Another stretch of silence and a darkening blush told him that his guess had been correct. 

But if that’s the case… 

His eyes widened as he tapped the edge of the cushion he was on several times with his paw, excited. 

That means that I can really kiss you soon? I can, right? Can I? 

Fen rubbed at the back of his neck as he slowly stood up with a nervous smile. 

“Technically, yes, but I need to wait at least another day to finish the testing kit they gave me to make sure that I’m really not making anymore venom.”

Pyre sat back on his fuzzy bum and clapped his little paws together, too excited to keep still. 

That’s what those little chemical test strips were in your bathroom’s garbage the past few days? He guessed, wiggling with even more enthusiasm when Fen gave him a nod. 

“He’s been wanting to try removing them for a while, but the surgery is very new. He’s one of the first people who have actually tried it,” Blake said, drawing their attention to him. 

He looked like he was about to say something else when they heard footsteps approaching from Gin’s room. Said person appeared a moment later, unfortunately clothed and looking a little sleepy. 

Your cat got the best of you for a bit? Pyre questioned, earning a nod from Gin as he yawned, then settled onto the sofa next to him. 

Pyre took the silent invitation and made himself completely at home in Gin’s waiting arms. The pets that he got as a result were perfect. 

“Um, well, if you’d guys like, I made chicken and dumplings with garlic bread for dinner,” Blake said after another stretch of silence. 

Oh yeah, it was really good. 

He’d been able to eat a lot more recently, too, and could definitely empty another bowl. 

“Dinner it is,” Gin said as he began getting up, only for Fen to reach forward and settle a hand on his head, then muss his hair the slightest bit. 

“Go ahead and sit. Your cat has been making you wander around all day trying to get into trouble, and Pyre did some errands for me,” he said, then turned to Blake. 

“And you made dinner. I’ll get everyone their meals.” 

Pyre settled in, not bothering to argue since he was practically useless at the moment besides looking cute. 

“Looking cute is very important,” Gin said as he lifted him up from beneath his little fuzzy arms and held him up to press a kiss to his tiny black nose. 

Gin kissed me…

Pyre felt his face heat beneath his fur as Gin set him back down in his lap. Except, he wasn’t done. One little kiss? Definitely not the way of panda Pyre. He carefully got himself back up on all four paws, then leaned forward and up until his front paws were just below Gin’s shoulders. He then leaned onto his back tip-toes and let his tiny tongue tap the edge of Gin’s chin. 

He got two more licks in before Gin lifted him up again, then turned him around and reached up for the plate Fen was offering him. 

“Thank you,” Gin said as he quickly dug the fork Fen offered a second later into the food.

Instead of lifting it to his own mouth, however, he leaned over Pyre’s shoulder and blew on the big dumpling he’d gotten onto the fork, then held it up to Pyre’s panda’s mouth. Since it was being offered, he didn’t hesitate to lift his little black paws to awkwardly grasp the middle of the utensil, then guide it forward as he opened his mouth. 

He gratefully nibbled until the dumpling was no more, then waited as Gin got himself a forkful of food before it was reloaded and offered to him again. 

By the time they had a quarter of their plate gone Blake had his own food and Fen was sitting down beside them. It was a bit of a tight squeeze since Gin was sitting kind of close to the armrest, but not completely on either cushion, but Fen didn’t seem to mind at all as he even tucked his legs up and leaned against Gin’s left shoulder. 

Thank you for the meal, Blake , Pyre thought to the man, drawing his attention toward him as he smiled. 

You’re welcome. I’m glad to see that you are doing so well. 

Pyre took a huge mouthful of crunchy garlic bread and began chewing quite messily. He didn’t really mean to… his panda just really liked it and wanted it chewed up and swallowed as soon as possible so that it could have another bite. 

I gained five pounds already. I think I might get fat if I keep eating so much. 

His words made Blake have to bite back a chuckle, though he could still hear it faintly in the back of his mind. 

You would make a very cute chubby panda. 

He couldn’t really argue with that. His panda, while absolutely useless in almost any kind of important situation, made looking adorable seem effortless. 

Hey, by the way, I’m curious about something, he asked, wanting to ask a question. 

Blake finished off the last bite of his meal and set his plate down on the coffee table in front of him, then leaned back in the recliner. 

What’s up? 

Pyre took another big mouthful of garlic bread as he replied. 

We don’t actually have a bond, do we?

The surprised look on Blake’s face was only there for the briefest moment, but he’d caught it well enough. 

Smart kid. 

Pyre let the kid  thing go, since the guy was actually talking to him. He’d been so quiet lately that he knew talking through their thoughts would probably be the only way he’d really get him to have any kind of conversation. 

I can hear everyone, to a point, Blake replied when Pyre didn’t say anything else. 

That was really impressive, but at the same time, he knew that he’d go insane if he could hear everyone’s thoughts. 

It isn’t too bad if I don’t focus on anyone, but if I do, or if I’m touching them, I can hear their thoughts very well. 

Pyre settled back against Gin’s belly, letting the guy finish off their shared plate of food as he closed his eyes, his tummy, perhaps, a tad too full. 

Then he really did love you. 

His thought made Blake immediately withdraw from his mind, but he could feel him pacing at the edge of it still and, eventually, reenter. 

Yes, he did love me. Very much so. 

Pyre fought himself to open his eyes, then glance over at Blake. The movement caught Fen’s attention, earning him a head pat and an ear scratch that was graciously accepted. 

What will you do now? he asked, curious. 

He really did like Blake, but he didn’t see the same kind of possibilities with him that he saw with Gin and Fen. It was almost like Blake was looking for something very different, but the thought made him nervous. He’d gotten hurt pretty badly already. 

Don’t worry, little Fire. I will try not to make the same mistake again. 

He appreciated that the guy wasn’t lying. You could never truly promise something like that. Everyone made mistakes, and for some, they had to make the same mistake two or three times before they finally figured things out. 

I’m going to leave for Ohio in the next few days. I’d been looking at taking a break from my job for a while, and there’s a really cool facility up there that specializes in pediatrics and even has available courses that I can take at the college nearby to further my education. 

Pyre wrinkled his nose at the word education , but he knew better than to judge others for their choices in life. He didn’t really hate learning, but it was just so hard to care when you didn’t plan on living long enough to use the lessons. 

You have two very sweet people around you now that, I believe, want you in their lives permanently. They’re just a little too new to such emotions to say some things out loud just yet. 

Pyre tilted his head up until he could see Gin. The guy looked down at him as he finished chewing the last bite of their meal, smiling with his mouth closed without hesitation. His attention turned to Fen next, but he noticed very quickly that he wouldn’t get any kind of response from him. 

The pain medicine has knocked him out again. 

“I think it’s time for someone to go back to bed,” Blake said, drawing Gin’s attention to Fen. 

The guy gave a quiet chuckle as he leaned forward the slightest bit to set their bowl down on the coffee table without jostling Fen, then turned. Pyre hopped down from his lap since it was clear Gin needed to stand up. He quickly made sure that he was out of the way, then turned around and watched as his Gin bear lifted his other husband up into his arms as if he weighed nearly nothing. 

He watched until the two disappeared into Fen’s room, then turned when he heard Blake stand from the recliner. 

“I think I’m going to turn in early, too. Go ahead with them. I’m sure Fen won’t mind waking up to you two keeping him warm,” Blake said with a wink that had Pyre questioning exactly how much the guy actually heard. 

“Just enough,” Blake said with a grin before turning toward the kitchen, clearly intent on putting away the leftovers before heading to bed. 

Deciding that he was now dismissed, Pyre hurried into Fen’s room. By the time he got to his bedroom, Gin had already tucked him in and turned on his heating blankets. He seemed to hear him coming because as soon as he stopped nearby, Gin turned and leaned over to scoop him up. 

Instead of tucking him in, however, he carried him into Fen’s bathroom and set him near one of the sinks. 

“Teeth,” he said as he rinsed off Pyre’s toothbrush, then added some toothpaste before lifting it up to him. 

His panda really wasn’t a fan of having its teeth brushed, but it pouted its way through the ordeal and hurried to rinse its mouth out as soon as Gin had finished torturing it. 

“Such a dramatic little guy,” Gin said quietly as he brushed his own teeth, then rinsed out his mouth. 

When he finally straightened back up to look at him, his eyes widened and his face reddened enough to be visible even beneath the dimmed bathroom lights. 

“I behaved… now let’s misbehave a little,” Pyre said as he reached forward, tangling his now-human fingers in Gin’s adorably-messy hair. 

When Gin simply swallowed, but refused to look away at all, Pyre moved his left leg to the side and gently pressed it against Gin’s right hip, guiding him closer until he was settled between Pyre’s naked legs. 

He gave the guy another ten full seconds before tugging him downward by his hair until their lips met. The kiss was slow and careful since neither of them wanted to risk waking Fen, but he could still feel Gin trying to take control almost immediately, but he didn’t give in until Gin literally pushed him backwards, forcing him to lean against the mirror as his mouth began to be devoured. 

They took out any  and all of their frustrations for the week on each others’ mouth’s, only pulling away once both their lips were deliciously bruised. 

Fuck. 

Pyre stayed leaning against the mirror as Gin shakily walked over to Fen’s door and quietly shut it, then turned back to him. His nervousness was beginning to shine through, making Pyre lean forward, completely unembarrassed by his lower body’s reaction to their make-out session. 

“Want to rinse off before we settle down for the night?” he asked quietly. 

Gin hesitated on a response for a few moments, and even averted his eyes twice, but then… His Gin bear straightened his shoulders and licked his bruised lip before stepping forward and easily lifting Pyre right off the counter. 

Considering the invitation, Pyre wrapped his arms around his man’s neck, then did the same with his bare legs around the guy’s waist as he was calmly carried into the large frosted-glass shower in the far right corner. It didn’t have a tub like the other they tended to use in his bathroom, but that was perfectly okay… The extra room would be nice since he was planning to be on his knees, anyways.

Snake 24

(Remmy the panda, from zoo Atlanta.) 

He wasn’t sure how, but he’d managed to sleep in… way longer than intended. When Pyre finally opened his eyes, he expected to see Gin, his arms still around him and snuggling tightly. Except, he wasn’t there. 

Turning sleepily, he reached for Fen… but he, also, wasn’t there. His mind immediately pushed past the obvious signs that the other two had just gotten up to get work or school tasks done and had decided to let him rest longer. He ignored the alarm clock on the night stand that was flashing one in the afternoon, which would make it illogical for most people to remain in bed so long. He also didn’t even consider the scent of something cooking floating in the air around him. 

All his mind allowed him to process was that he was in a large room, in a bed, by himself. 

By myself. 

It had been a long time since he’d been by himself. There was always someone. Fen, Gin, and even Blake a couple times. 

I’m by myself now. 

He didn’t like that thought. Shaking his head against the pillow, Pyre looked around the room again, silently wondering if he just wasn’t awake yet. Maybe he just needed to wake up, and then everyone would be there again. 

  I can do that. 

His eyes focused on the flashing alarm clock as he slowly sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. With just a simple tug, he had the cord free from the wall. It weighed almost nothing in his hand, but that was fine. It was strong enough. 

I just need to hurt myself. That always wakes me up. 

He looked up at the ceiling fan as it rotated slowly above him, considering his options. 

The cord might not be long enough… or the fan strong enough, but this is a dream. It should work. 

He was just about to stand up on the bed when he heard the door open. The moment he saw Fen his eyes widened and the cloudiness in his mind cleared. 

“I am awake…” he whispered as the guy practically scrambled across his bed and tackled him into a painfully-tight hug. 

He was kind of surprised that Fen didn’t try to take the alarm clock cord out of his hand, but was, instead, holding him tightly as they both fell back onto the soft blankets. 

“If you’re ever not sure about something, about anything , call for us. With your mouth. With your phone. With your mind. Asleep or awake, we’ll come for you,” Fen said as he sniffled a few times between words. 

“I… didn’t think,” Pyre eventually whispered as he slowly wrapped his arms around Fen. 

It was several minutes before the guy was finally able to calm his breathing and push himself up on his elbows, allowing him to look down at him. 

“You’re never going to be alone anymore now, even if one of us can’t be there right away, you always have that little guy inside you who loves you more than you know,” Fen said, drawing a curious expression to Pyre’s face. 

He was about to argue that the little brat didn’t seem to care about him at all, but he found that the words wouldn’t come out when he tried to speak them. He’d only even known about his shift for a short time, but in those few weeks it had honestly just become a part of him. 

It was even letting him have most of the control recently, and rarely pushed itself out when it wasn’t appropriate… except for yesterday, but at least he’d been close enough to home that it didn’t really matter. 

That day also ended pretty well, since I got to give Gin a b— The bright red color that spread across Fen’s face had Pyre cut off his thought a bit early. 

“Wait a minute…” he mused, drawing one of Fen’s eyebrow upward slightly. 

Pyre reached up and grabbed the guy’s bottom lip, startling him into a quiet gasp. 

“You’re not venomous anymore.” 

Fen’s blush, which had been desperately trying to vanish from his face, immediately came back in full force. 

I-I’m actually in a conference call for work… I just had them take a short break. 

Pyre couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face. The guy leaning over him was buff as hell, with muscles in places he knew he’d never get them, even if he tried for a hundred years, yet he was so embarrassed about possibly kissing him that he couldn’t even say the words out loud. 

“How short?” he eventually asked after beating back a bunch of other, less appropriate things he wanted to say. 

Fen’s face burned brighter, and instead of replying, he pressed his forehead to Pyre’s chest, making him release his lip. 

Come to think of it, he is dressed up pretty nicely. 

He was just about to start thinking about how fun it would be to take that suit off with his teeth when he caught himself, just barely, and reached up instead. After messing up his gelled hair just enough, Fen leaned back, then pushed himself up and off of him. 

Haven’t gotten to stare at him in a suit in a while… fucking hot. 

“I-I’ll just go finish that meeting. There’s fish sticks and french fries in the oven that should be done in a few minutes, if you’re hungry,” he said before hurrying back to his office. 

Fish sticks…

Even his inner panda wasn’t happy with the those two words. 

“We really are the same,” Pyre mumbled as he walked into the kitchen. 

The oven timer went off a minute later, so he just took the trays of food out, then turned off the appliance before hopping up to sit on the counter. He definitely wanted to go into Fen’s office and bother him, perhaps even in panda form, but he knew that he should only do that every so often. It was cute the firs time. He might be able to get away with a second time, but he didn’t want to use that card up so soon. 

Wait a minute…

Looking toward the living room area, he saw the huge boxes of clothing that Fen had bought him pushed off into the far corner. 

hmm…

Hopping down from the counter, he walked over and opened the first box. It was completely jampacked with different things. 

Holy crap. 

He quickly began sorting through everything inside, taking out several pairs of black, blue, and khaki cargo pants before finding a few pairs of beautiful dark blue and black jeans. Some of the sizes were spot on, while others would be a bit too big… unless he gained a few more pounds, which was highly likely. 

Twenty minutes later and he’d sorted out the giant box and refolded everything to sit on the coffee table. There were at least eight full outfits and two pairs of shoes already, but as he moved to open the other box, h realized that Fen might have had a slightly ulterior motive. 

The second box was completely full of stuff, too, and as he removed five cool looking belts and another four sets of clothing for himself, with some added sweatshirts and hoodies, he noticed something else. Well, two something’s else. 

Pulling out the first box that had been buried in the much larger one, he noted the label on it and grinned. 

“For Gin bear, huh?” 

The elevator chimed as he finished speaking, drawing his attention over his shoulder as the doors opened to reveal the man he’d been talking about. 

“Hey Gin, Fen got you something,” he said, earning a surprised expression as Gin set his laptop and bag on the table before hurrying over. 

“He did? I thought these were all for you,” he said as he took the box Pyre offered him. 

He waited patiently as Gin cut it open with his keys, then tugged up the cardboard flaps. The excited sound that came out of him when he saw what was in it was absolutely adorable. And so was what was inside. 

Gin quickly pulled out a big sweater that had a fluffy orange cat printed on the front. It was sitting in a cardboard box, its ears perked up as it eyed them suspiciously from just above the rim. 

“That’s freaking adorable,” Pyre said as Gin quickly folded the sweater and set it on the coffee table so that he could pull out the other items. 

Fen had gotten him two whole outfits, as well as a brand new pair of dark red and white tennis shoes. Considering that Gin was a college student and busting his ass just to afford to keep up with his bills, it was so freaking sweet to help him out, especially since, Pyre noticed, his current pair of shoes were already duct-taped, yet still falling apart in several places. 

When he looked back at Gin, Pyre felt his heart flutter a tiny bit. He quickly looked away so that he could get it under control, then turned back to Gin and leaned over, tugging him into a hug as he began to sniffle. 

“He’s so nice!” Gin said as quietly as he could as tears began to streak down his face. 

He couldn’t argue those words. Fen was the nicest person he’d ever met. They hugged for a few more minutes before Gin got ahold of himself and looked back into the box. 

“What does this box mean?” he asked as Pyre leaned over with him, eying the second smaller box that had been hidden within the second big one. 

It said don’t open  right on top. 

They looked at each other, then the box… then each other again. 

“You did it if he asks me?” Gin said right before Pyre replied, “and you did it if he asks me?” 

They both nodded and said “deal” at the same time before turning back to the box and cutting it open. 

“Oh?” Gin mumbled as Pyre pulled out two long sleeved shirts that were definitely not going to fit anyone else but him. Except, the sleeves weren’t just long, they were extra long, and probably not the most logical thing to wear if you intended to use your hands at all. There were also ties all the way up either side. 

It was really, really cute… for a girl. 

He folded the two items and set them aside, then looked into the box again, a little more nervous than he had previously been. The next item was definitely not for a girl. Or at least, it wasn’t normally bought for one. 

“Boxer briefs?” he questioned, eying the package curiously. 

They, too, looked pretty nice, but also appeared to be a tiny bit too small for him. They would show off quite a bit of certain bits. He set those aside a little slower than the shirts, then watched as Gin leaned in and held up something with a huge grin. 

That box is definitely for me…

Reaching out, he took the beautiful set of earrings Gin offered him. They were little red pandas with tiny diamonds set for eyes… that somehow matched the color of his own to a T. 

“Wow…” 

He wanted to put them on immediately, but instead, he decided to put everything back in the box and, after luckily finding a matching roll of tape beneath the counter, retaped it shut. 

It was good timing, too, because they both heard Fen heading their way a few moments later. Pyre quickly stood up as Gin hopped up onto the couch. 

“Oh? Thanks for going through those, I got so tired last night that I just passed out again,” he said as he walked over and glanced in the first box. When he didn’t find anything in it, he quickly looked in the second one, then gave a quiet sigh of relief as he picked up the little box and tucked it under his arm. 

“Thank you for all of the new clothes. They all look great,” Pyre said before Gin hopped up from the couch and pulled Fen into his arms for a quick hug. 

“Thank you so much!” 

Fen returned the hug with his free arm, patting Gin on the back when he began to sniffle again. 

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked what I found on that site.”

Gin leaned away, his face shining with new tears as his smile beamed at the man before him. 

“I love all of it! I’m going to go try something on right now!” he said before running around the corner with his armful of items. 

Pyre watched him go, then turned his attention back to Fen as the guy turned to him, a warm smile on his face. It was hard to keep his mind from thinking about that little box tucked under the guy’s arm, but thankfully he’d gotten more than enough things to be honestly excited about. Hell, he loved all the stuff Fen had picked out for him. 

“Do you, uh, want to try some of your stuff on, too?” Fen asked after neither of them spoke for a few moments. 

Tilting his head, Pyre considered the guy’s words carefully. He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, and he knew that that was highly possible with how much Fen was honestly dealing with right then. He had to tell himself so many times to not try to kiss him, too, even though he’d gotten his venom glands removed. That didn’t mean that he would just be open to having his face sucked off. 

That sounds like so much fun though…

“O-oh? Then you should try some on, too,” Fen said, snapping Pyre out of his thoughts and back to his current situation. 

Right, trying on clothing. 

Since Fen hadn’t told him to go anywhere to do it, Pyre decided to just shrug off his shirt right there, then removed his sweatpants before looking down at the stacks of clothing. He could feel eyes on him, but that was the point. 

Deciding on trying the darker of the outfits, he tugged on the black jeans first. They fit perfectly, but to his surprise, weren’t the skinny variety that he normally used to scavenge from the stuff the local thrift stores threw away because this reason or that. 

The pants were boot-cut, and hugged his hips quite well since he’d already gained some weight in the past few weeks. He was about to reach for one of the hoodies, a maroon, white, and dark blue one, when cool fingers settled within the hem of his pants, adjusting them this way and that until they fit perfectly. 

“I’m glad I got these. They look great on you,” Fen said as he ran his fingers around the waistband, then had his hands pause on either side of his hips, his pointer fingers tucking hesitantly into the belt loops. 

Since he wasn’t letting go, even after Pyre counted to ten, he reached forward, himself, and slid his thumbs into the waistband of Fen’s suit-pants. 

“I don’t even have a shirt on yet,” he mused playfully as he gave the guy’s pants a tiny tug toward him. 

That seemed to snap Fen out of his daze, because he inched his foot forward to stop himself from actually taking a step, sending a clear signal. Pyre removed his hands at the same time Fen did, then reached down to grab that hoodie he wanted to try on. 

He was just about to lift it over his head when he felt another set of eyes on him and noticed Gin leaning against the wall behind Fen with his new clothing on, including his cat sweatshirt, and his arms crossed over his chest, clearly intent on enjoying the show. The guy even gave him a grin, then a wink. 

It was odd seeing him act in such a way, but also really cool. The guy used to be really nervous around him, but also not really take him seriously as a possible candidate in terms of a lover… but now. 

I got a wink from Gin bear! 

He evidently really needed to learn how to control his thoughts better, because his shout made both of the guys jump, then look over at each other before returning their attention to him. To avoid having to see their expressions in response to his slip-up, Pyre quickly tugged the sweatshirt over his head, but made sure to tuck the hood over his face so that they couldn’t see his reddening cheeks. 

“Someone’s showing a rare glimpse at his embarrassed side, hmm?” Fen teased gently as he tugged Pyre into his arms, then pressed a kiss to his forehead through the fabric of the hoodie. 

Pyre refused to lift his head as his blush continued to darken, making his face ache a little. 

He felt Gin’s hand settle atop his head a moment later, then muss up his hood just enough to make sure that his hair would look worse than the bed head it already was. 

“It’s okay, our little Spitfire, you’ll get used to it quickly,” Gin said as he reached down and actually tapped Pyre’s backside, making him jump closer up against Fen. 

Both of the guys laughed quietly as Pyre tugged his hood up just enough to scowl at a grinning, yet-still-blushing, Gin. 

“I don’t need to get used to it . You guys are the ones who are gonna have to get used to my awesomeness,” he said, but allowed his voice to fade to near nothingness by the time he’d finished speaking. 

When he heard Fen chuckle, he finally looked up, only for his eyes to widen and his brain to freeze up. 

Fen’s… kissing me. 

It was only on the absolute edge of his lips… and most people wouldn’t have even considered it a kiss, or even a real show of affection, but… fuck. 

Fen’s kissing me. 

“Oh hey, you guys made fish sticks. Heck yeah,” Gin said cheerfully as he headed for the kitchen.

Fen leaned away, his face tinting a warm pink as he slipped his hand into Pyre’s, then tugged him toward the kitchen, too. 

“Yeah, I figured you guys would be hungry and my meeting got done early, so let’s eat,” he said, earning a nod from Gin and a one-shouldered shrug from Pyre. 

He could eat… though he was really craving something a lot longer than a fish stick. 

Maybe Gin will let me suck him off again tonight.

He realized his mistake the moment he caught Fen, right as he tripped on his own feet. 

“Oops, sorry. I’m still working on keeping the volume down,” he said with a cheeky grin that earned him a shake from Fen’s head as he straightened back up. 

“By the time you do, I’ll be completely immune to it,” he said, making Gin chuckle as he nodded while getting the ketchup out of the fridge. 

“Can not argue there.”

Snake 25

(Pyre and Fox, and Ruoka (from Bleeding Heart) My dogs want them so bad lol) 

The sound of Fen’s alarm clock going off pulled Pyre out of a nice, perverted dream. He tried to keep his eyes shut until it was silenced, but after a minute he realized that it was likely him  that had to push the button. 

Groaning, he sat up and forced one eye to creak open. 

Oh, well that would explain why it’s not being turned off. 

Fen’s snake’s head was settled overtop the buttons, but it couldn’t quite figure out how to press the alarm one quite right. 

“I got it,” Pyre said as he scooted to the edge of the bed and silenced it. 

He was going to start talking to Fen right away, but raised an eyebrow when the snake hurried down from the bed and slithered toward the bathroom. Curious, he followed, stopping at the entrance so that he could watch Fen’s snake somehow stretch all the way up and onto the counter. 

It seemed stuck after that point, and eventually turned its head to look at him. 

“Assistance panda is here,” Pyre said. 

He’d meant it as a joke, but the moment he stepped into the bathroom his size abruptly shrunk and he gained a nice fuzzy coat of fur. 

We are so going to talk later, panda. I thought we were friends…

Thankfully, the brat still let him have full control, so he quickly managed to climb his way up onto the counter to join Fen’s snake. When he saw it nudge Fen’s toothbrush in the the little cup holder, Pyre reached over and awkwardly grabbed it. It took a bit of practice, but he managed to get the cap off the toothpaste, too. Thankfully, that hadn’t been on very tightly. A step on the tube gave him a messy spout of the minty stuff, allowing him to turn the brush and add just enough. 

Okay, open up. 

Fen’s snake did as told, allowing him access to brush his sharp teeth and fangs. 

When he finally set the brush down with the top portion hanging over the sink, Pyre nodded at his handiwork, then leaned over the sink and turned on the water so that Fen could rinse his mouth out. 

Once that was done, Fen made his way over to the toilet. He wasn’t exactly sure how that was going to work, but he wasn’t too interested in watching, so he turned his attention back to the cup of toothbrushes. He was just about to reach for one when his panda decided that it would be a perfect time to take control back. 

So, instead of brushing his teeth like a normal civilized mammal, Pyre leaned over and, after smacking the toothpaste tube with his paw a few time, promptly took a giant bite out of the toothpaste. 

Oh dear god, I can’t. 

The overwhelming taste of mint was, evidently, not his panda’s favorite flavor, at all. It squeaked and pawed at its mouth, sticking its tongue out constantly to try and push the sticky paste out. After only a few moments it retreated back into his mind, shoving Pyre forward to face the mistakes it had made… and boy, were there quite a few. 

Looking up at the mirror in front of him, Pyre realized that his panda should never  be allowed within a hundred feet of a toothpaste tube again. He was absolutely covered  in the sticky white stuff. 

I feel like a walking innuendo for some strange fetish, but the smell of mint is so strong that I can’t even think perverted thoughts. I think he even got some up my nose.

“…mm, what are you guys do—eh?”

Hearing Gin’s voice, Pyre turned around with excitement, only for it to slowly drain away when he saw the mortified look on the guy’s face. 

So, um… there was this epic battle where the toothpaste tube tried to attack F—  His story was cut off abruptly as he was picked up and promptly carried over to the bathtub by a rather distraught-looking Gin. 

Pyre sat there, staring down at his pasty paws as Gin got the warm water started for the bath he knew he was about to endure. His spirits rose when Fen’s snake appeared over the edge a moment later, though, slipping into the bathtub with him. He immediately grabbed for him, but Gin had been paying enough attention that he managed to intercept him at the last second, saving Fen’s snake from joining in the toothpaste fun. 

It slithered over to curl up beneath the faucet, clearly loving the waterfall of warm water against its scales. 

Pyre sat still as Gin reached up, retrieving the sprayer once the water was of appropriate temperature. He then proceeded to spray down Pyre’s coat, making him look like a soggy rat more than a panda. 

He then added a healthy dose of shampoo and began scrubbing, being careful, however, to go section by section so as to not spread the toothpaste around or push it deeper into his thick coat. 

Pyre ended up leaning his chin against the edge of the tub as he gave up being forlorn. It wasn’t that he disliked taking baths, or having Gin give him them, but he just wasn’t used to taking so many and it kind of got frustrating. 

“It’s okay, I don’t think Gin really minds, at least. I can also take over from here since I’ve shifted back. I just need to grab a pair of boxers,” Fen said as he began climbing out of the tub. 

Hell no!

Pyre nipped Gin’s finger as the guy reached for him with his free hand, clearly intent on restraining him. 

That’s my eye candy! 

Squirming absurdly, Pyre managed to free his soggy panda and leap onto Fen’s shoulder, effectively using his waterlogged weight, and the element of slight surprise to make the guy drop back down to his backside in the tub. 

Pyre didn’t hesitate  to get an eye full of everything without hesitation, but then he turned and carefully slid down Fen’s firm chest until he was settled on the one leg he had bent sideways on the floor of the tub. 

“I think he might need a rabies shot. He bit my thumb,” Gin said, his tone teasing as he leaned against the tub with a grin on his face. 

I’m rabid for this gorgeous snake, and its owner, Pyre thought, making Fen’s reddening face break out into a hopeless smile.  

His eyes crinkle at the corners just right when he’s happy. 

Pyre felt his heart thump strangely in his chest, making him pin his ears and twitch his whiskers. 

“Com on, you. I want you to come to work with me today, but I definitely can’t show up with a toothpaste panda,” Fen said as he took the bottle of shampoo from Gin and began gently scrubbing the remainder of the minty substance from his fur. 

Fen had told Gin that he could go after a few moments, since he could just rinse him off whenever he needed to by himself, but Gin seemed adamant about saying, and Pyre easily saw why. The guy was sneaking more than a few glances at Fen… and Fen’s snake . 

He’s got it so bad for you…

“Hmm?” Fen questioned, drawing Pyre’s attention back up at him. 

Oh nothing, I’m just a perverted panda, Pyre replied, not really good at deflecting situations. 

“But that’s one of the things that’s really cute about you,” Fen said as he finished rinsing out Pyre’s fur. 

Cute…? 

He honestly wasn’t trying to be cute . 

“You’re adorable, even in your human form,” Gin added, making Pyre look over his fuzzy shoulder at him. 

He normally wouldn’t allow himself to be called such things, but he knew that his panda really was cute. His human side, though? He didn’t see it at all. 

Hey Fen, we should bring Gin to work, too. He has today off, right? 

Since he kind of sucked at controlling his thoughts, it was no surprise when both the men tilted their heads at the same time. 

“I mean, I do have today off and I’ve already finished all the homework for my class tomorrow,” Gin said quietly, his nervousness decreasing the volume of his words. 

Fen seemed a bit surprised by the idea and remained silent for a few moments before shrugging one shoulder. 

“I mean, I definitely don’t mind. You are going for a business degree anyways, right? It would be good experience,” he said, making Gin glance up from where he probably shouldn’t have been looking. 

The guy’s face reddened as he quickly nodded. 

“Y-yeah, it would be great experience. I’d love to come with you guys.” 

They all remained quiet for another moment. Each person simply staring at the other two. Fen was the first to finally speak up again, his face a little more red than he had been previously. 

“You might want to go run and shower, then.” 

Caught red handed there. 

He couldn’t blame him, but poor Gin couldn’t hide his blush as he quickly fumbled with words until he said something that sounded like an agreement, then ran for the other bathroom. Once the guy was gone, Fen gave out a little chuckle and double-checked Pyre’s coat before turning off the water and reaching over the edge of the tub for a clean towel. 

“He’s acting a bit funny today, don’t you think?” 

Pyre sat still as Fen got busy drying his fur, trying to figure out what he should and shouldn’t say right then. He knew that simply saying Gin absolutely wants to do you , or possibly the other way around, wasn’t the best idea. He also knew that Gin, unfortunately, wasn’t one to simply confess his feelings, either. Fen also didn’t seem all that great at catching on that people were into him. After a few more minutes of thought, and a full-body blow dry that ended with a slightly too-warm set of paws, ears, and a butthole, Pyre finally looked up at Fen from where he’d set him down on the closed toilet seat lid. 

When you two bang, can I record it for… purposes? 

Fen blinked at him in confusion before glancing toward the open bathroom door, then back to him. 

“Huh?” 

Face-pawing, Pyre rubbed at his forehead before hopping down from the toilet. He’d thought that Fen might have at least thought  about maybe liking Gin a bit, but the guy really was clueless. He heard the shower turn on and figured that the awkward discussion had been dismissed and he had a few minutes to walk around before Fen came back into the room, so Pyre wandered over to the little upside down box Fen had set up for him with his panda’s couple outfits folded neatly on top of it. 

He picked out a simple black shirt and managed to tug it over his head with a bit of extra wiggling. He then picked up the hat he’d tried on previously and settled it atop his head, making sure that it was just right so that his ears could fit through their designated holes. 

Once he was done, he wandered into the living room and opened one of the lower cabinets. It had recently been designated for him, since he still couldn’t climb onto the counter safely. He tugged out a little premade container of trail mix and brought it over to the couch. It took a bit of effort to set it up onto the seat, but he managed, then hopped up, himself. 

He munched away at his snack for a few minutes before Gin joined him, dropping down onto the sofa beside him before picking him up and settling him in his lap. His container of trail mix was given to him a second later, making him quite the happy camper as he snuggled against his Gin bear. 

“You look much better now without all the toothpaste,” Gin said as he patted Pyre’s capped head, then turned on the TV. 

They only had to wait another five minutes before Fen walked out of his room and appeared in the hallway entrance. 

Hot damn. 

“Hell…” Gin whispered at the same time, making Pyre glance over his shoulder at him with a grin. 

Fen gave them both a relaxed smile as he grabbed his keys, wallet, and slipped on his fancy shoes. 

“I figured we’ll just order something to arrive at the office for breakfast, if that’s okay with you guys?” he asked, clearly noticing Pyre’s little snack container. 

Quickly nodding, Pyre hopped off Gin’s lap to allow the guy to get up. Thankfully, Gin returned his snack container to its rightful place, then scooped him back up before heading toward the elevator. 

Once they all stepped in, Pyre noticed that his eyes weren’t the only ones wandering. 

Fen…? 

Fen quickly straightened, returning his attention to facing forward. 

Hey, if you’re going to look, at least compliment, too. I’m sure he’d appreciate it. 

More than the guy knew. 

Fen fidgeted as he stared down at the little lit up buttons on the control panel, making Pyre think that he might not take the nudge. Except, right before they were about to stop on the first floor, Fen licked his lips and glanced over at Gin. 

“That outfit looks really good on you.” 

It was a simple sentence, and Pyre thought that it could have been a little flashier with an added I’d love to take off those jeans for you when we get back , but it was a nice first step. 

Fen didn’t wait around for Gin to reply, though, because as soon as the elevator doors opened, he was booking it across the main entryway. Pyre swished his long tail back and forth as he watched him for a brief moment, then glanced up at Gin. 

Oh boy. Someone just made someone else’s day… and there’s still plenty of time to play in-between work later. 

Looking back toward a retreating Fen, Pyre rubbed his paws together as Gin finally stepped off the elevator and hurried after their love. 

Today is going to be delicious.

Snake 26

Had he known how much work they were going to have to do, Pyre might have stayed home… if he were his old, depressed self. As it were, his panda was currently having the back loop of its car harness, which had been left on to his dismay, loaded with a rolled up set of papers. He’d been delivering documents that needed signed by other workers in the company for certain projects.

He’d asked what some of them were for out of curiosity, but it soon dwindled as he got busy running around. Gin’s interest, however, only seemed to grow. He was currently typing while Fen reloaded Pyre’s harness, then gave him a big smile and pat on the head.

“You are doing wonderfully,” he said before Pyre forced himself to head for the door for his fifth trip.

This time, he needed to go to the floor above, so he ran over to the elevator and gestured at the lady sitting at the receptionist desk. She seemed to be in a daze as she stared at him in shock, but thankfully she snapped out of it after a few waves of his little black paw.

She looked hesitant to open the door for him when she finally came over, but after Pyre turned and showed her the number on the paper rolled up in his harness, she quickly pushed the up button, then stepped into the elevator with him before hitting the button for the next floor.

The ride was quiet, but also a tad awkward. She was staring quite intently with palpable excitement.

I get that I’m fucking adorable, but I have two husbands, sorry.

Of course, she couldn’t hear him, so when the elevator chimed and the doors opened, he hurried off. It took a bit to actually find the correct room this time, since the floor they’d gone up to was built more like a cubicle office than an executive one.

Eventually, he ended up finding the correct door. It was a supervisory office, at least, so he didn’t have to go walking around in the main busy areas. After a few awkwardly soft knocks, a lot more scratches, and one awkwardly-loud squeak, it finally opened.

Oh no…

Everything in him told him to run, but the old lady standing before him was much faster than one would think. She scooped him up with the speed of a ninja, making Pyre have to fight his panda’s instincts and keep his clawed paws tucked against his belly.

It took a lot of effort. Especially when she leaned over and peppered his fuzzy head with old person kisses, but he somehow managed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen something cuter than you, little fellow,” she said as she calmly turned around and closed the door, effectively trapping Pyre inside as she happily hobbled over to her little desk and sat down in a squeaky office chair.

Pyre allowed her to settle him in her lap, but he was not a happy panda. Thankfully, she took the paperwork from his harness and got busy reading it after adjusting her glasses, but…

I’m going to be here all day at this rate.

He watched as she moved the paper closer, than farther, then closer again, trying to see the normal-sized words. There were quite a few pieces of paper in the stack, and by the time she managed to finish reading the first page, fifteen minutes had gone by.

Save me.

Alas, no one came through the door, so he resigned himself to a very quiet, Fen-less time with grandma-worker. He thought that he’d dissolve into boredom and misery, but when the lady finished the second page she seemed to realize that his panda was still sitting in her lap.

“Oh, here dear. I always keep snacks around for any kids that come to the office, but I haven’t restocked recently. I hope this will be okay?” she asked as she reached over and pulled out a little blueberry lollipop.

Oh?

Pyre reached for it immediately, but the lady lifted it out of his stubby arms’ range with a happy little chuckle.

“Hang on there, wouldn’t want your mommy or daddy getting mad at me for letting you eat the wrapper,” she said as she struggled to unwrap the tiny treat.

It’s daddy and daddy.

After what felt like forever, the candy was presented to him and Pyre didn’t hesitate to chomp down on it. With the sugary distraction in place, he flicked his tail this way and that as he nursed the lollipop and the woman continued reading her papers.

They sat in silence for some time before his ears perked up at the sound of a knock at the door. Said door opened before the woman could even finish looking up.

Husband!

His enthusiasm gushed through their bond as Pyre hurried to fall from the woman’s lap without accidentally scratching her. He landed in a fluffy lump on the floor, but that was no deterrent! He was climbing Fen’s leg as the man leaned down to lift him the rest of the way within two seconds flat.

Fen, she pat my head, gave me candy, and I think there was mention of a white van…

Fen burst out laughing as he mussed up the fur on Pyre’s head before looking over at the woman still sitting behind the desk. They had her attention as Pyre glanced back at her, her smile warm.

“I’ve never seen you laugh like that, sir,” she said, her eyes shining with honest respect and pleasant surprise.

Fen tried to hide his excitement, but ended up not bothering as he gave Pyre a squeeze and the woman a gentle smile.

“I hope my little messenger panda wasn’t too much of a bother to you, ma’am.”

Bother? I’m not a bother. I’m a sexy, wild beast!

“Oh, he was no bother at all. Please, if he comes to visit again, I would love to spend some time with him,” the woman said cheerfully.

“I’m sure he’ll be around again. I’m training him to become one of my assistants,” Fen said, making Pyre jerk his head up to look at the man.

He was going to argue, but honestly, he didn’t mind helping Fen out. All he was really doing was getting some exercise, and that was actually pretty nice after being inside way more than he was used to.

“Oh, how wonderful! I am so happy that you finally decided to hire some. You truly deserve to have some of the burden relieved from your shoulders,” the lady said, making Fen blush slightly as Pyre squirmed his way up a bit higher in his arms.

She’s not wrong, you know. You work too hard. Me and Gin can help relieve a lot of stress for you at work, in your office, with the door loc— His thought was cut off by a hand covering his little mouth as Fen quickly dismissed himself and ducked out of the room.

They were soon back downstairs and inside of Fen’s office, and much to Pyre’s delight, the man locked the door before dropping down into his oversized office chair and removing his car harness.

Pyre was about to start talking again when his form suddenly wavered, then shifted.

“That works,” he mused as he adjusted a bit so that he could straddle Fen’s lap, then leaned forward after tossing his panda’s shirt, which thankfully was designed with some Velcro in case of shifting, to the side with its hat.

He could see the guy’s hesitation to reciprocate what was about to happen clearly in his expression, so he decided to divert his target and lean upward. The kiss to his forehead was brief, but when Fen gave out a quiet sigh of relief, Pyre knew that it had been the right thing to do.

And speaking of right thing to do…

Glancing to his left, Pyre noticed Gin look away abruptly, clearly trying to hide behind his laptop after being caught peeping.

You can totally peep. In fact, I’m absolutely okay with trading places with you right now.

Gin’s brow furrowed as he hesitantly lifted his head just enough so that his eyes could look at them over the top of the computer.

“Switch places…?”

He could hear the faint hope, but also slight confusion in the man’s words, so Pyre figured that he’d just make room for him and see what happened. Thus, with reluctant determination, he scooted himself off of his first husband’s lap and turned. He then hopped up onto the desk, completely butt-naked, and grinned down at Fen’s slightly horrified expression.

“I… forgot your change of clothing in the car,” Fen whispered as his face warmed.

He was clearly trying not to stare, but he was also clearly failing at said task.

“You can look all you want. You and Gin are the only ones I want staring at this eye candy,” Pyre said as he gestured to himself, earning a coughed laugh from Gin as Fen lifted a hand to try and stifle his own chuckle.

He didn’t mind them laughing at him a bit. There wasn’t much to look at on him unless someone really enjoyed scars, but he was definitely filling out well and if he actually began working for Fen full time, he didn’t doubt that he’d bulk up a bit more as he ran around doing tasks for him all day.

“Hey, how was your guy’s day, by the way?” he asked, curious.

He’d been running back and forth for quite a while, then got stuck with the grandma for a good bit of time before Fen rescued him.

“Her name is Mary-Sue, and I could have honestly sent that paperwork by email, but she just lost her husband of forty years last week and has been extremely depressed. I thought that you coming to her office might raise her spirits a little bit,” Fen said, making Pyre’s face redden a little with embarrassment.

He shouldn’t have judged her so quickly, or joked about her.

“It’s alright. Nothing was said out loud and you are feeling sorry for it, so we’ll just not say anything else about it,” Fen said, making Pyre hesitantly nod. He would definitely go visit the lady again.

Since that discussion seemed to be over, Pyre returned to his previous question.

“What have you guys been doing while I’ve been gone?”

Fen glanced at Gin as his cheeks tinted the slightest bit pink, making Pyre zero in immediately. Gin’s face was an even brighter color as he tried to hide before the laptop again.

Pyre was about to leap on the guy from across the desk but managed to reign himself in at the last second. He was slowly getting used to not jumping the gun, or people’s bones.

Definitely going to need to take a long shower later.

“W-we just talked a bit,” Gin finally said, drawing Pyre out of his thoughts as he slowly got himself situated a little more comfortably on the desk.

“Go on,” he said as he looked between the two.

Both of them were quiet for another long stretch of time before Fen replied, his voice sounding almost as nervous as Gin’s had.

“Well, he um… confessed to me.”

Pyre screeched so loud that his voice cracked as his head jerked back and forth so fast that his neck was beginning to kink. After what felt like an hour, but was likely closer to about a minute, he did lunge off the table and tackle Gin!

Thankfully, the guy moved the expensive laptop in front of him right before he could knock it off the desk. It was no surprise when the poor guy’s chair made them fall backwards from the momentum, but Pyre quickly hugged Gin’s head to protect him from smacking it against the hard tile. Sure, his arms would bruise, but who the hell cared about that? His Gin bear was way more important.

“I’m so proud of you!” Pyre squealed as he hugged his second husband with excessive enthusiasm.

It seems like his excitement managed to break the awkward tension in the room, because Gin began laughing as Pyre began to pepper kisses all over his face.

He even heard Fen’s quiet laughter after a few more moments, making him relax a bit, himself.

Perhaps I overreacted a bit, but dang, I’m so proud!

“Okay, so now we’re husbands, yeah?” he asked as he sat up on Gin’s waist and looked over his shoulder at Fen with a huge smile.

Except, instead of a confirmation, Fen licked his lips, swallowed, and looked away for a moment before returning his attention to them.

“I can’t give him an answer yet.”

Pyre’s smile vanished in an instant as he looked back down at Gin. He expected him to be a little upset, but to his surprise, the guy was grinning up at him as he lifted a hand to sift through Pyre’s soft red hair.

“I am more than happy with his answer,” he said, making Pyre tilt his head in confusion.

“I never thought that someone like him would ever even consider looking at someone like me. I was just a roommate. A guy he took pity on and helped out, because honestly, we all know that Fen will never need financial help with such an amazing job,” Gin said, making Pyre’s heart sink lower in his chest with every word he said.

“But, he didn’t brush me off. He’s taking me seriously and said that he needs to think about it, since we don’t even really know each other all that well,” Gin said, pushing himself up with his arms as he spoke.

When he finished, he leaned the slightest bit closer and pressed a kiss to Pyre’s parted lips.

I’m was to supposed thing do…

His thoughts didn’t seem to be connected to his brain any longer as Gin deepened the kiss for a split second before retreating with a deep blush as he cleared his throat.

“A-anyway, thank you for lending me your courage.”

Pyre still wasn’t able to form a complete sentence, even in his mind, so he simply nodded slowly. Thankfully, Fen rescued him as one of the man’s hands appeared to the right, drawing his attention.

“Come on, we’ve done quite a bit today since you two have helped me out. Let’s go get an early dinner and call it a night?” he said as Pyre took his hand, allowing Fen to help him up and off of Gin.

Can I call it an orgy?

Fen barely even skipped a beat as he took the long coat he’d brought with him and tugged it onto Pyre’s shoulders, then buttoned it so that he wouldn’t be flashing everyone in the building as they headed out.

“Of course, but I must warn you,” Fen said as he leaned in a bit closer, making Pyre lean back the slightest amount nervously.

“An orgy, while generally considered a sexual event, can also legally be defined as just a really crazy party.”

After completely ruining his hopes and dreams, Fen grinned and took Pyre’s hand, then tugged his forlorn self from the office. He heard Gin following them onto the elevator, but there was nothing that could fix the damage Fen had just done to his mind.

“…—er together.”

Wait, what?

His mind suddenly crystal clear, Pyre looked up at Fen, then to Gin and back.

“Who said that? What was the er ? I want to do the er together!”

Both of his husbands looked like they were about to die holding back their laughter as they stared at each other, then back to him, but no matter how much he bugged them on the ride home, neither would repeat whatever had been said.

Snake 27

(So, I accidentally ordered two Fens. I canceled one, but they sent it anyways and gave a refund. Now Pyre is extra happy.) 

Waking up to a faint pressure against the side of his neck wasn’t something Pyre had planned, but when he realized exactly what it was, he quickly reigned in his thoughts and body, pretending to still be asleep. 

It only took him another few moments to realize exactly who it was, too. Soft, cold lips hesitantly pressed against his skin as slightly warm breath misted it every couple of seconds. Pyre struggled to keep himself relaxed when all he wanted to do was pin the guy and lick every inch of him.

He was also beginning to have trouble trying to keep a certain object calm between his legs. 

“Think he’s awake yet?” came Gin’s voice to his right. 

A deep chuckle made an unwanted blush creep up into Pyre’s cheeks. 

“Someone’s definitely awake,” came Fen’s voice right next to his ear. 

Unable to help himself any longer, Pyre stretched beneath the blankets and groaned as he rolled onto his belly and opened his blurry eyes. Seeing Fen’s face so close had him quickly blinking a few times to clear his vision. 

“Did you just give me a hickey while I slept?” he asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from Fen’s mouth. 

Of course, the guy quickly became embarrassed and tried to hide his face in the pillow, but Pyre wasn’t going to let him slide that easily this time. 

Behave, though… just a little bit. 

Grinning, Pyre pushed himself up and leaned over, grabbing Fen’s bare shoulder as he nuzzled his own face into the crook of the guy’s neck. He felt Fen flinch a little, but after he nudged at his skin with his nose a second time, he realized that it wasn’t really a flinch, as much as it was a jerk because of a sensitivity. 

Oh, hell yeah. 

Reaching up with his other hand, Pyre got himself a nice, tight grip in Fen’s hair, then promptly began nipping and tugging at a spot just beneath the right side of his jaw. It didn’t take long for him to notice Fen’s breathing increase, spurring him on to bite a little harder. 

He could also feel eyes on him as he worked, but Gin didn’t seem like he planned to interfere. At least, not yet, since he quietly slid off the bed and disappeared into the other room. 

Pyre was just about to give one final, hard bite to finish off his handiwork when Fen suddenly shoved him with his shoulder and flipped him over onto his back. Before he could process what was going on, Pyre had his hands pinned above his head and a sexy muscle god staring down at him with half-lidded eyes. 

He knew that he should have said something to spur him on, since this was definitely not normal for Fen, but he couldn’t figure out how to make his mouth work again. 

And that’s when he noticed the dark red blush creeping up from Fen’s neck. 

Aww…

Now that he really looked at the guy, it was clear that he was more than a little terrified of the situation he’d put himself in. 

He wanted to try and be a little more dominant for you, came Gin’s response through their link, drawing Pyre’s attention over to the open door for a brief moment before it returned to the man leaning over him. 

While he greatly appreciated Fen’s effort, and the wonderful view of his gorgeous body, Pyre knew that the guy would never be comfortable in the role he was trying to play. 

Sometimes society really sucks. You’re the sweetest submissive I’ve ever met. 

When he’d first met Fen, the guy screamed dominant, but as he got to really know him, it had become painfully clear that he was only trying to conform to what people expected him to be. 

Instead of saying anything out loud, Pyre simply reached up and sifted his fingers through Fen’s soft, messy hair. The guy’s eyes widened at his touch, but then, slowly, ever so slowly, he began to relax. 

That’s it, love. No need to be anyone but yourself with me. 

Pyre glanced back toward the entrance to the room where Gin was now leaning against the wall, a nervous smile on his face. 

Us, no need to be anything but yourself with us. 

Fen’s eyes widened slightly, having clearly caught that thought, but instead of becoming nervous, he calmly glanced over his shoulder at Gin. The guy immediately turned beat red and looked like he was about to hurry away, but then Fen actually said something that surprised even Pyre. 

“What do you think I am?” 

Gin remained frozen in place for what seemed like forever before he took a hesitant step forward. Another soon followed it, then another. Pyre had to keep his excitement tamped down as the guy finally made it back to the bed. Instead of going straight for Fen, which he’d slightly hoped he’d do, since he had a great front row seat, Gin settled himself on the edge and smiled. 

“I think that you’re an amazing man who works hard at everything he does. You take your life seriously, but are also learning how to goof off a bit, too.” 

Fen carefully sat himself down onto Pyre’s abdomen so that he didn’t have to hold himself up any longer. He also released his hands, allowing Pyre to tuck them comfortably behind his head. 

This story is about to get good.

Of course, it was already pretty great, but he knew that it could get even better. 

Minus some clothes. Add a little tongue. Maybe some whipped cr—

“Oh, right,” he mumbled as he realized that both men’s eyes were now on him. 

When he remained awkwardly silent, Fen looked back at Gin, whose expression was surprisingly hard to read. 

I’ll learn to keep my thoughts quieter, I swear! 

He’d actually been doing a somewhat decent job at it, considering they hadn’t caught every single one recently… just every other one. 

When Fen carefully got off of him, Pyre felt his entire body deflate. He’d screwed up again with his stupid perverted mind. He watched silently as Fen made his way out of the room, not even daring to look at his fine backside within his slightly tight dark green boxers. 

Okay… he looked a tiny bit, but only for a second!

“You got really quiet all of a sudden there, Spitfire,” Gin said as he climbed farther onto the bed until he was close enough to tug Pyre into his lap. 

He wasn’t exactly sure what the guy was doing, but any kind of attention was generally good to him if it came from his Gin bear or Snaky, so he gladly snuggled in against him.  

Less than a minute later he heard the sound of a plastic container being opened and straightened up enough to glance over Gin’s shoulder. 

What is that? 

Fen had walked in and was now heading toward them with a container of… 

I’m excited, but we need to talk, too. 

The guy smirked, doing his best not to laugh outright as he scooted up onto the bed and sat down next to them with a container of coconut whipped cream. 

“Hey now, you don’t think these abs strictly come from my obsessive workout routine, do you?” 

Am I allowed to answer that truthfully? 

“No,” Fen said as he dipped a finger into the cold semi-solid abomination and promptly began using it to draw a smiley face on the side of Pyre’s face. 

This… is not how it’s supposed to go. 

He quickly tried to squirm his way out of Gin’s arms, but to his dismay, the guy wasn’t budging and his grip had turned into that of a real bear!

“Gin…!” he groaned as he tucked his face into the crook of the guy’s neck to try and hide it from getting covered in more cream. 

Soon, he felt Fen redirect his attention and begin to paint his bare back, sending chills down his spine. 

“You’re going to get that stuff in my underwear,” Pyre grumbled as he tried again to wiggle free of Gin’s hold. 

When Fen’s fingers suddenly vanished from his back, Pyre glanced over his shoulder in confusion. 

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” the guy asked, looking more than a bit confused, himself. As well as horrifically embarrassed. 

His face is so red…

Pyre was just about to tell him that it was actually okay to do whatever the heck he wanted with him, and that container of strange whipped cream, when he suddenly felt the arms around him fade away. 

Huh? 

Turning back to facing forward, Pyre looked down. 

“Gin cat…” 

The plump orange feline promptly stood up, flicked its tail, then padded over to the container Fen had resting in his hand in his lap. 

“You might want to move th—” Before Pyre could finish his sentence Gin’s cat lunged, grabbing the container on either side with its paws as it dove face-first into the strange concoction. 

There goes my slightly altered strange hopes and dreams. 

Sighing quietly, Pyre began to turn back around so that he could at least watch Gin’s cat rid the world of that strange whipped cream, but before he could fully do so Fen set the container aside and grabbed his left arm. 

Pyre glanced at his fingers in confusion, but before he could question him, the guy was pushing him down onto his belly. 

Um…?

“I don’t like wasting dessert,” Fen said as Pyre turned his head against the blankets to try and see him better. 

“The cat’s already eating it. Good luck taking it away from him,” Pyre reminded him. 

A hiss was the cat’s response, reminding them that it wasn’t theirs anymore. Just in case they had forgotten. 

“I can still have a little bit,” Fen said, his words the slightest bit mumbled as he leaned over Pyre.

“I’m not connecting the dots on this conversation.” 

“That’s okay, I’ll do it for you,” Fen said as he leaned down and pressed his tongue to a spot just beneath Pyre’s lower back, then began licking his way slowly upward. 

Wait! This isn’t the right way! I should be licking you! I’m not built for this! You’re gonna panda me! 

He squirmed repeatedly as the guy licked and nibbled at his illogically sensitive back, but Fen refused to let him go. He also seemed to be paying a lot of attention to areas that he knew didn’t have any cream on them! Especially right beneath his left shoulder-blade, which was somehow horrifically sensitive and kept making him jerk every few seconds. 

Fen took his sweet time cleaning up every last drop of cream, as well as several other places, before he finally leaned away enough to allow Pyre to figure out how to breathe again. 

“Oops, did I overdo it? Was that too much?” Fen asked nervously as he quickly released Pyre’s arm. 

Is this how it feels to get teased with a dair—non-dairy product? 

He wasn’t sure he liked it because of how giddy and embarrassed it made him feel, but on the other hand, Fen’s freaking tongue was on his skin for an extended period of time! 

“I… I think we’re gonna need more of that terrible whipped cream,” Pyre mumbled out as he continued to work on catching his breath. 

His words got a nervous chuckle from Fen as he felt something depress a few spots along the bed to his right. Before he could turn his head, he felt Gin’s cat settle the empty container of whipped cream upside down atop his head like a hat. It then swatted at his forehead a few times before sauntering to the edge of the bed, then hopping down to go about its cat business. 

“Well, I can definitely order some more for later tonight… I’ll just have to get a few extra ones to divert Gin’s cat,” Fen said, making Pyre’s face immediately burn with a new blush. 

Tonight? 

That was a tad soon. He needed some time to recover, but he also didn’t want to seem like it had worn him out so much to simply been licked by his husband… 

Panda, your go. 

His body immediately shrunk and became fluffy, surprising him a bit by the abrupt change. It must have wanted to come out. Even with his new fuzzy self, Pyre didn’t feel much like moving, so instead, he settled down and closed his eyes, focusing on calming his body and mind. 

“I guess that’s it till you switch back, but I’ll go order stuff for whenever your human self is ready again,” Fen said as he got off the bed and headed for the door, making Pyre blink open one eye, since his other one was covered by the now-lopsided empty container. 

“I’ll get some chocolate syrup and maybe some extra peanut butter, too. That sounds good, right?” he said as he glanced back at Pyre… who was having a miniature heart attack. 

It sounds so fucking good… but I don’t think I’ll be able to stay alive through that much torture! 

Seemingly having not caught his thought that time, Fen offered him a wide smile, then disappeared from the doorway. 

Where did this part of my husband come from? It’s so fucking hot, even though I feel like I’m being teased. I’m doomed. I’m going to have to live the rest of my life as a perverted panda!

“I’m grabbing strawberry jam, too!” came Gin’s shout from somewhere beyond the door. 

Oh… oh no. How do I make dramatic sad panda sounds that aren’t squeaks? 

He didn’t think that he’d actually get a response to that thought, but after a few moments the TV in the room turned on and a nature documentary about red pandas started playing. 

You guys and your Wi-Fi are evil…

Snake 28

(Pyre again, because I’m gonna blame him for breaking part of my keyboard  ; ; hopefully the computer place can repair it. He really didn’t do it… it was me.) 

They were late. 

It wasn’t really a big deal, but at the same time, he’d never been left completely alone since moving in with his two husbands. If Gin was at work or school, then he was with Fen. If Fen had to go to the office or out for something else, he either went with him, or Gin was there to keep an eye on him. 

Of course, he wasn’t a kid and he didn’t need a babysitter… at least, not for the basics. He could kind-of cook, and his cleaning skills weren’t terrible. 

Fen was actually supposed to have been home before Gin left for work, but when he hadn’t shown up and his phone wasn’t reachable, Pyre had had to force Gin to go before he was late. The guy had argued that it would be fine, but he knew that his boss wasn’t the nicest person. 

He eventually got him to go, but that left him standing by himself, alone in Fen’s penthouse. 

It’s fine. He’ll be back soon. He’s just running a little late. 

Pyre kept telling himself that as he slowly and methodically cooked himself a box of macaroni and cheese. He also did the dishes as the pasta boiled, then after eating quickly, went about cleaning up Fen’s bedroom. 

They’d spent quite a lot more time in it the past couple of days, and it definitely showed. He wasn’t the cleanliest of guys, but Gin and Fen tended to toss their stuff the moment they got home.

Thankfully, he’d gotten them a second large hamper, and most of the time, they managed to throw their stuff into it and not on the floor. Most of the time. After dragging the laundry to the laundry room and loading up the bed linens first, he started the washing machine, then turned to look back out over the living room. 

He needed to be doing something, but at the same time, he knew that he’d do something bad if he got out the bleach cleaners. Pursing his lips, he methodically walked into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of small towels. After wetting them briefly in the sink, he began wiping down just about every surface he could reach. 

Thankfully, that took nearly an hour to complete and wore him out quite a bit in the process. By the time he was finished he had a big bin of dirty towels that also needed to be washed. 

Oh wait, I can switch the laundry. 

Glad that he still had stuff to do, Pyre switched over the bed stuff, then got their basic laundry going. He’d do the towels afterwards. Once that was done and he’d flicked the laundry room light off, he was just heading over to sit down for a few short minutes when a familiar chime vibrated his phone on the coffee table. 

The sound made him stop in his tracks as his heartbeat picked up in his chest. He stared at the flashing device until it went quiet, then heard it beep once after finishing recording a voicemail. 

He hadn’t talked to her in a long while… ever since he’d met Fen, honestly.

Pyre slowly walked around the edge of the sofa, his movements robotic until he stopped in front of the table, staring down at the darkened cell phone screen. 

Calling his mother, well, his adoptive mother, and being able to spend tiny bits of time with her had literally saved his life many times over… but now, he couldn’t find the strength in himself to pick up the phone and check the voicemail. Let alone call her back. 

I don’t want to. 

The idea didn’t sit well with him, but at the same time, he couldn’t argue it. He honestly did not want to return his mother’s phone call. 

“Pyre?” 

Blinking out of his daze, Pyre looked up toward the elevator, surprised to see Fen stepping off and heading toward him. 

My husband…

Fen set his briefcase and bag on the table as he passed it, freeing up his arms so that he could pull him into a tight hug as soon as he got close enough. Pyre settled against the man gratefully, needing something to hold him together at that moment. 

“What do you need me to do?” he asked as he began running his fingers through Pyre’s messy hair. 

I don’t know. Mom called… 

“Oh?” Fen said as he carefully guided Pyre with him to sit down on the couch. 

The guy picked up Pyre’s phone as they sat, then waited until he was completely comfortable in his lap before moving the device in front of them and turning on the screen. 

“She did, and there’s a voicemail,” he said, his tone relaxed and even a tiny bit cheerful. 

He didn’t understand, but that was partially because his mind was trying to not go into panic mode. His mom was from his old life, and while she had been a ray of hope within it, now her call just made him anxious. 

“Do you mind if I listen to what she said?” Fen asked as he hugged him a little closer with his right arm. 

Pyre nuzzled his face against Fen’s suitcoat as he considered his request. 

I suppose it can’t hurt. 

“Okay,” he whispered as he reached forward and typed in his password, not minding at all that Fen was still watching. The guy probably already had it memorized by now, but asked because it was the right thing to do. 

He withdrew his hand immediately once it was unlocked, then silently watched as the guy pulled up his call records, then switched it over to voicemail. Each action he did made Pyre more and more nervous, but when Fen finally lifted the phone to his ear to listen to what his mother had wanted to tell him, he couldn’t hear anything…

Did he turn the volume way down? 

He probably had, and he’d just been freaking out too much to realize it. When Fen removed the phone from his ear a few moments later and smiled down at him, Pyre tilted his head, curious, but still nervous. 

“What did she say?” 

Fen leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead before handing Pyre his phone back. 

“She said that when you didn’t answer last time she called, she called your father. They got into it over the phone about some things, so she went there personally with a police officer to check on you, but you weren’t there. She’s extremely worried and wants you to give her a call back whenever you can.” 

I really don’t want to…

“She also said that she wouldn’t try to ask you to live with her again, since you had already said no several times.”

Pyre stared at his phone as he snuggled in a little more against Fen. He knew that he should call her, but what if she just went back to her old ways of trying to get him to move in with her? He loved her for wanting to get him away from his dad, he always had, but he would never ruin her new life with his terrible personality and habits. 

“How about we put her on speaker phone and I can talk if you don’t want to? That way she’ll at least know you’re doing well and you have a handsome and wise husband now?”

He… couldn’t think straight. The connection to Pyre’s brain had been severed by Fen’s abrupt words, making him stare into space for a whole two minutes before it connected again and he turned to straddle the guy’s lap while pressing a hand to either side of his face. 

“No take backs on that!” 

Fen leaned his head back against the top of the couch and grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners just the right amount to make Pyre’s heart stumble a little. 

“I’m a no take backs kind of guy, anyway,” he said right before Pyre leaned down for a very rough kiss. 

To his surprise, again, Fen didn’t try to nudge him away after a few moments. In fact, he tangled one hand in his messy red hair while the other easily found its way to his clothed backside. They honestly got so into it that when his phone rang again, he didn’t even realize it. 

The thing went to voicemail again by the time he’d gotten Fen on his back. The guy was a good kisser, especially for someone who had rarely ever kissed anyone in his entire life, but he needed to work on breathing through them. He was bright red and panting hard, his eyes falling closed as he tried to focus on refilling his lungs with oxygen. 

My husband is so fucking hot. 

He was just about to begin exploring more with his hands while Fen focused on catching his breath, but then his stupid phone rang for a third time. 

Groaning in frustration, Pyre grabbed it and flopped down on top of Fen, then hit the accept button for speaker phone before he could stop himself. 

“Hi mom, I’m fine. I left dad’s a long time ago and found my future husbands. I’m living with them now, and no, they aren’t exploiting me… though I wish they would. Oh right, I’m also a panda. Who would have thought?” 

There was a long stretch of awkward silence on the other end before his mother hesitantly spoke. 

“Th-that’s wonderful, sweetie. What are your husband’s names?” 

He… was beyond shocked that his mother just replied in such a way. He’d never told her that he was gay, or really anything personal about himself, and while she definitely seemed a little stunned with that huge information dump, she actually took it shockingly well. 

“My name is Fen, and his other husband is currently at work right now. His name is Gin,” Fen replied when Pyre just stared at the phone in shock for too long. 

“Oh, why hello there. I hope my son hasn’t given you too much trouble,” she said, a bit of humor to her words now. 

Fen chuckled as Pyre relaxed against him, not minding that he was taking over the phone call in the least. 

“Oh, he’s been quite a handful, but he’s also been the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said, making Pyre’s eyes widen as he lifted himself up on the guy’s chest just enough to look down at him. 

“Oh, that is so wonderful. I told you that people would see how sweet you really are if you would just let them in a little,” his mom said, making Pyre scowl at the phone. 

I’ve told Gin a bunch of times that I’d let him in, but he still won’t screw me. 

“Uh, yeah, you’re right, mom,” he replied as his hand nonchalantly slipped beneath Fen’s suit jacket and began feeling up his abs. 

There was a quiet pause for a few moments before his mother spoke again. 

“So, are you going to send me a picture of your husbands or keep them all to yourself?” 

Fen actually gave a quiet laugh at that as he wrapped one arm around Pyre’s back and nudged his face with his own before lifting the phone and swiping it over to the camera selfie mode. 

Not being one for photos, Pyre scowled at the screen, but when Fen tilted his head the slightest bit and pressed a kiss to his cheek, he couldn’t help but flip his frown into a stupid grin… right at the same time the guy pressed the shutter button for the camera. 

“There we go,” Fen mused as he calmly sent the picture to Pyre’s mother. 

I… can’t even be mad because Fen just kissed me and took a photo of it as proof. I’m going to print that and frame it to hang on his bedroom wall so I can look at it every time I give him a blow job. 

“Oh my gosh! You’re going to get his nice suit all wrinkled if you lie on him like that, Pyre,” his mother chastised, making Pyre and Fen both glance at each other, then burst out laughing. 

Of all of the things his mom could have replied with after having been sent a picture of Fen kissing him, she’d choose that!

It took them a little bit to settle down, and by that time, Pyre honestly felt pretty good about having called his mom. 

“Hey, did you know that I was a red panda shifter?” he asked her after finally having caught his breath. 

“I didn’t, but those are absolutely adorable. I’d love to see a picture of him sometime, too,” she said, making Pyre grin without even realizing it. He was also glad that his mom didn’t bring up the obvious fact that he was adopted. She just went with whatever he was saying, happy to simply be talking to him. 

“I’m sure I can get you plenty of adorable photos, ma’am,” Fen said as they heard something in the background from his mother’s end. 

“Oh, that would be absolutely wonderful, Fen. One of my boys just made a huge mess in the kitchen so I’m going to have to go take care of that, but please do call me sometime. Both of you?” she asked, her voice filled with hope. 

Pyre glanced at Fen as he raised an eyebrow at him and grinned. 

“Okay, we’ll call you. You can meet my other husband when he’s free next time,” Pyre said, surprising himself. 

“I can’t wait! Thank you so much for getting back with me, sweetheart, and take care you two,” she said before they all said their goodbyes and hung up. 

A peaceful silence hung in the air for a short time after the phone was hung up and tossed on the coffee table. 

“Did you eat dinner?” Fen eventually asked, making Pyre blink out of his thoughts as he sat up on Fen’s belly. 

“Yeah, I made some mac and cheese. Did you eat?” 

Fen nodded and sat up, making Pyre slide back a little until he was sitting in his lap. 

“My meeting ran really late so I ordered in. There was also a pretty bad storm at the office so most of our equipment was down,” he said, making Pyre realize that the storm had probably been the reason why he hadn’t been able to call him. 

It was actually getting pretty late now, and Gin wouldn’t be home for a while, since he was working until two or so… 

“So… you need a shower before bed?” Pyre asked with a hint of hope to his words. 

He expected Fen to simply laugh off his suggestion and tell him that he’d meet him in the bedroom after he rinsed off, but to his surprise, the guy actually leaned forward and pressed their lips together. It was brief, and definitely not as aggressive as their last bout of kissing, but that was okay. Especially because when Fen got up a moment later after nudging Pyre to his feet, he didn’t reply to his words. In fact, he didn’t say anything. He just simply headed for his gigantic bathroom while unbuttoning his fancy dress shirt along the way. 

Not being one to ever  miss a possible chance to get closer to one of his husbands, Pyre followed. He wanted to just grab the guy’s clothing and help him remove it so that they could just get busy right away… if that was Fen’s intention, but he held himself back and simply waited. He would make sure that Fen knew he was available if he wanted to try something new together, but he wasn’t going to shove himself in the guy’s face. 

I feel like I’ve grown up a little too much. 

A faint chuckle from beyond the doorway ahead of him quickly pulled him out of his thoughts. 

“You’re growing up just right, Pyre,” came Fen’s response from inside. 

He knew that he hadn’t been invited inside yet, so he reluctantly leaned his back against the wall right next to the open door and sighed out a tired breath. 

Oh right, I need to go switch the laundry again, then make the bed. 

He was just walking away to do that when he felt a cool hand wrap around his warm wrist. 

After…  

His eyes widened at Fen’s simple thought as his heart picked up its pace. 

“A-after works,” he replied quietly as he allowed the guy to pull him backwards and into the bathroom…

Snake 29 R

(Such a cute picture of Ball behaving… until you look in the background at the Cheese trying to get the fish.

Content Warning.

Content warning.)

The soft glow from the dimmed lights in Fen’s bathroom actually made his racing heart relax as he was tugged back against a cool, firm chest. He was about to think how surprising it was for Fen to be taking the initiative with physical contact, but he caught himself right before the thought manifested itself.

He actually wasn’t too surprised when he actually thought about it.

Sure, Fen wasn’t a very handsy person, unlike himself, but he had definitely given plenty of signals concerning wanting to give and receive attention. Ever since the first moments they’d met, Fen had been trying to hold his attention one way or the other. Hell, he still had that same photo as his phone’s background from when he’d brought him back to his dad’s home and snuck the picture while he’d been asleep.

I really do need to get him to change that picture sometime…

“Never,” came Fen’s whispered reply as he nuzzled his nose into the crook of Pyre’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine that only made Fen tighten his hold around him.

Pyre nudged him with the side of his face, making him slowly lift his head just enough to look at him through lengths of dark bangs with half-lidded eyes.

Fuck, he’s so hot.

Pyre blinked out of his daze quickly when he felt Fen press a kiss to his cheek, then reach up and grasp his jaw so that he could turn it enough to settle his lips over his own. It was an extremely brief kiss, but that was just fine. He was more than happy to let Fen take the lead.

“You’re hot as hell, too,” Fen whispered against his mouth, making Pyre bite back his thoughts.

Feeling Fen’s fingers tighten against his jaw, he realized that they had probably been readable on his face, anyways.

“You are absolutely gorgeous. And I mean every, single, inch ,” Fen said as he slowly guided Pyre to turn until his lower back was pressed against the edge of the counter.

He wanted to respond by disagreeing immediately, but Fen beat him to the verbal punch, again.

“I’ve seen you naked more than enough times. If there was a flaw, I would have noticed.”

Unable to find words, Pyre leaned forward and pressed their lips together again. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but he wasn’t sure if Fen was ready for that quite yet. The guy also seemed to have other plans at that moment, because he finally released his jaw so that he could lower his hands to Pyre’s hips, then easily lift him up and onto the counter.

Before he could think, Fen was pressing himself between his legs, making Pyre suddenly glad that the lights were dimmed, because he could feel the heat rising to his face. There was no way Fen wouldn’t be able to feel his reaction to him where they were practically glued together below the waist.

“I know what I do to you… I’ve heard you call my name many times when you don’t think I’m close enough to hear,” Fen whispered as he reached up with one hand and brushed aside some of Pyre’s bangs.

Instead of going in for another kiss, Fen leaned forward and to the side slightly, taking Pyre’s earlobe between his teeth with a deep, curious hum.

Holy shit, how has no one ever tried to bite me there before?

Pyre quickly wrapped his legs around Fen’s waist, pulling him closer as the guy gently tugged at his ear. It was clear that he was still nervous about doing anything with him, but he was loving every single thing he was willing to try.

I wonder if he would use his fangs to bite me there…

As if reading his mind… because he probably was, Fen carefully allowed his snake’s fangs to extend and nibble at his ear.

Fucking adorable.

He’d wanted a hard bite, but damn it if the little nibbles weren’t turning him on even more.

“I feel like I have my own personal vampire now,” he said with a grin as Fen finally leaned back so that they could look at each other. The guy also seemed to need to catch his breath a bit, which only made Pyre grin.

It was pretty dark in the bathroom with only one light dimmed above them, but he could still see the adorable blush that always colored his husband’s face whenever they talked a little perversely.

“Hey Fen, can I take off your pants?”

Fen fidgeted for a moment, making Pyre quickly loosen his legs around the guy’s waist, but not quite let him go just yet.

“You’ve seen me naked before…” Fen eventually replied nervously.

It was odd, but his worried words actually made Pyre feel a little nervous, too.

“I absolutely have. You are gorgeous… and I’m a pervert,” Pyre replied before sticking his tongue out the slightest bit.

His relaxed reply seemed to calm Fen’s nerves a bit, because the guy slowly stepped backwards. Pyre allowed his legs to drop from his waist so that he could move away. He honestly wasn’t sure what the guy would do, since this was Fen’s first time actually trying to be pervy around him, so Pyre waited silently, his focus locked on the other man as he hesitantly reached to the side and completely turned off the light.

Oh?

He was about to comment about how it was a good idea to turn off the lights and just use what came in through the door since he was so nervous, but when Fen reached over and actually shut the door, too, Pyre tilted his head. It was nearly pitch black in the bathroom now…

“I-is this okay?” he asked as Pyre heard him move again.

“Of course. Whatever you want is fine with me,” he replied quickly, not wanting the guy to hesitate or get colder feet.

He heard the sound of fabric being messed with and really wished that he were able to see, but when he felt Fen return to the spot that he’d previously vacated between his legs, Pyre immediately straightened. Heat was quick to spread through his cheeks as he felt the guy’s bare skin against his own pants. That brought a question to mind that he couldn’t help but broadcast.

How am I not naked yet?

“Y-you can…” Fen mumbled quietly, the words clearly forced.

So cute!

It was very clear that he wasn’t quite comfortable about them rubbing their junk together yet, and that was totally fine. In fact…

“Actually, can I, um… touch you?” Pyre asked instead, wanting to divert Fen’s attention away from his previous thoughts.

He expected a response right away, but when he felt Fen’s cold fingers slip beneath the hem of his shirt and lift it the slightest amount, he grinned.

“Trade? You touch where you want, and I touch where I want?” he said, earning a quiet chuckle from the guy in front of him in the darkness.

The hands that were now grasping the edge of his shirt on either side suddenly yanked it upwards as Fen replied with a little more confidence, “deal.”

Pyre was ready to go straight for his target, because no amount of darkness was going to mess up his homing radar, but when he heard his shirt land somewhere off to the side, then felt Fen’s shaky fingers begin to feel him up with a shocking amount of fervor, he actually hesitated.

Fen’s fingers worked their way up along his lower torso quickly, then slowed as they got to his ribs where some of his old scars began to be palpable. The guy circled a couple of them with his thumbs, but he didn’t spend any extra time on them besides that, thankfully. He didn’t mind his scars, but he never wanted them to take away time from himself. He knew that a lot of people would say that they made him unique, and they technically did, but he wanted to be worshipped, not his past.

Fen’s right hand paused for a moment before it lifted up along his body until its fingers sifted into Pyre’s soft hair and tangled there. As soon as the guy had a good grip he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Pyre’s right nipple, making him jump from the sudden contact. Fen’s mouth immediately disappeared and his fingers loosened in his hair, making Pyre quickly reached forward and tangle his own fingers into Fen’s hair in order to try and guide him back toward him.

“You just surprised me since I can’t see well. Please…” Pyre said quietly as Fen allowed himself to be returned to his previous position.

As soon as Fen seemed comfortable again Pyre lowered his hands from the guy’s hair and settled them against his upper back to hug him closer as he began to need to focus on his own breathing.

He was honestly surprised by how long Fen decided to focus on his nipple. They definitely wouldn’t have been his first, second, or third target, but he was all for anything Fen wanted to do, especially if it included his mouth on any part of his body.

“Hey Pyre?”

Pyre leaned back a little from where he’d been nuzzling his nose against Fen’s hair.

“Hmm?”

There was a lengthy pause before he heard Fen whisper so quietly that he had to focus to understand what he was saying… but oh boy when he realized what he’d heard?

He filled an entire drawer in here with lubes and toys…

Pyre lunged forward to wrap his arms around the guy’s neck as a giant grin planted itself on his lips. Fen was clearly taken aback by his response, because he actually fumbled backwards into the wall behind him. Thankfully, he managed to wrap his own arms around Pyre’s backside so that he didn’t fall.

“I guess that was the right thing to do,” Fen said with a hint of laughter to his nervous words.

You don’t know how precious you are.

“Hey husband?”

Fen made a sound of acknowledgement as he carefully began walking farther into the massive bathroom.

“What do you want to do?”

He was curious where they were going when he was suddenly set down on the edge of what had to be the hot tub in the middle of the room. Fen kept one hand on his upper right arm so that he didn’t risk falling as he did something with his other hand. After only a few moments the jets and bubbler system came on in the hot tub behind him, making Pyre realize that Fen was probably getting pretty cold without any clothes on.

Damn, my husband doesn’t have any clothing on…

He felt Fen’s hand lower to his waist as the other joined it on the opposite side, then gently pulled him forward until he slid from the ledge back to his feet.

“Um… I hope you don’t mind, but I’m getting really cold,” Fen said, telling him what he’d already guessed.

Pyre was about to turn around and hop into the hot tub, as well as pull Fen right in with him, but he was stopped by those strong, cold hands on his sides. Since he couldn’t move, he returned his attention up to the shadowed figure in front of him.

“I-I should ask, right?” Fen said as he nudged at the waistband of Pyre’s pants with his thumbs.

Pyre bit back a little laugh as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Fen’s chin.

Oops, was aiming for his mouth, but that’s good enough when I can’t see much, I guess.

It evidently got the point across, because Fen hesitantly began inching Pyre’s pants and boxers down together. As soon as they were dropped to his ankles Pyre lifted his feet to step out of them. He expected Fen to stand back up and get into the hot tub to warm up since his intended task was complete, but when he suddenly felt the guy’s cold hand abruptly wrap around his length, Pyre nearly jumped to the ceiling!

As it were, he forced himself to just have an internal heart attack as Fen squeezed him a bit too hard, making a tiny whimper escape his lips. The guy immediately loosened his hold and moved slightly, making him think that he was looking up at him, but damn it was hard to see.

“Sorry, did I hurt you?” Fen asked, already worried.

Pyre had to shove back a million words and a thousand sounds before he managed to get his voice to sound somewhat normal as he responded, “I’m good. Just surprised me a little.”

I’m gonna die. My heart’s gonna beat out of my butt. My panda’s also trying to turn me fuzzy but there’s no way in hell I’m letting him out now.

“Pyre?”

Blinking out of his erratic thoughts, Pyre licked his lips.

“Y-yeah?”

A soft chuckle met his ears, making him tilt his head slightly in silent question.

“You are beautiful right now,” Fen said, really confusing him.

“But we can’t really see each other…” Pyre replied, his voice becoming more hoarse as Fen nonchalantly squeezed and relaxed his grip on him several times.

Another chuckle sounded before he suddenly felt the man’s free hand settle against his cheek.

“I’m a snake, love. The hotter you get…” Fen whispered as he got closer, his breath ghosting over Pyre’s lips, “the brighter you shine in my eyes.”

Holy…

Pyre choked on his next breath as he was tugged forward by his length until his own body was nearly pressed right up against Fen’s. His mind was going a mile a minute as his arms wrapped around the man in front of him until each of his hands settled on Fen’s absurdly-firm butt cheeks. When he wasn’t reprimanded for touching, he greedily began squeezing as a hungry smirk found its way onto his lips. He was just about to begin really groping, but his mind was suddenly short-circuited again when Fen leaned forward and pressed their lips together firmly.

Pyre’s lips parted the slightest amount from surprise, allowing Fen to slip his tongue inside.

I am not prepared!

Not that he was complaining! Pyre quickly got his mind in gear and began to reciprocate Fen’s affections. For someone who had never kissed someone in such a way, the guy was not holding back. He was still struggling with his breathing a bit, but at this point, Pyre was also having trouble keeping himself from getting dizzy.

He was just about to try and get the guy to turn around so that he could press him up against the wall when he realized something important. Forcing himself to lean away, Pyre broke the kiss. He could sense Fen’s confusion about his action, but didn’t fight him when he gently grabbed his arm and guided him into the hot tub.

Pyre quickly joined him and wasn’t too surprised when he noticed that the guy had settled himself as low as he could in the bubbling water. He was about to say something in his thoughts, but decided to speak the words out loud as he lowered himself into the hot water and wrapped his arms around Fen.

“I love you, and everything you’ve been trying with me, but please be careful with your health.”

Fen’s shivering calmed quickly, and to Pyre’s surprise, the guy was quick to seek out his lips again once his shaking subsided.

So stubborn… fucking love it.

He wanted to tangle his fingers into the guy’s hair, but his mind was focused on other things now. Pyre kissed Fen back until they both ran out of breath and needed a break, then tried his plan again. It was a little more awkward since he wasn’t standing now and still couldn’t see, but if it was one thing he was good at, it was getting into position quickly.

He had Fen pressed up against the edge of the hot tub in seconds before he leaned forward and got busy sucking and nipping at his neck. Fen’s body tensed when he realized what was nudging at his backside, but when he didn’t try to push inside or restrict his movements at all in case he wanted to move away, he slowly relaxed. The quiet moans that soon followed told Pyre that Fen was getting more comfortable.

Forcing himself to take his time, Pyre moved one of his hands away from the edge of the hot tub and reached down beneath the water. His fingernails faintly skimmed Fen’s muscles, sending shivers through them until he found his target in the darkness and wrapped his fingers around it.

As soon as he gripped him Fen gave out a much louder moan and leaned slightly over the edge of the hot tub, pressing his backside flush up against Pyre’s hard length. It felt like fucking heaven, without the fucking.

Patience…

He never knew he had so much of the stuff, but he felt like he was doing a damn good job at not jumping the guy.

“Do you want me to get anything from the drawer?” he eventually asked, his voice raspy as he began licking along Fen’s well-defined shoulder-blades.

It took Fen quite a bit before he was able to get enough air in to reply through his panting breaths.

“Not for the first time.”

I’m gonna embarrass the hell out of myself if I can’t get inside him soon…

Biting his lower lip to force himself to concentrate on anything besides his own pulsing need between his legs, Pyre reached his other hand down into the water and, very, very gently, began nudging one finger into Fen’s backside.

He made himself take his time getting the guy ready, and damn if it didn’t take a while. Fen kept tensing around his fingers, as if expecting him to just go ham after every poke. After nearly ten minutes Pyre finally felt him begin to relax and allow him to touch him without flinching or clenching his muscles.

“Remember to breathe,” he whispered as he finally began pushing his length inside.

Of course, Fen didn’t heed his advice, but he couldn’t blame the guy. He’d been nervous as hell when he’d let Gin do him, but at the same time, he was also a insatiable pervert, so the pain had been worth the pleasure.

Needing to distract him enough to get him breathing normally again, Pyre stopped his hips and leaned in to nibble at the guy’s ear.

“Breathe, Fen.”

He waited for a few moments until he felt Fen slowly relax again and take in a few deep breaths.

There you go.

Not wanting to prolong the guy’s worry and risk having him tense up again, Pyre got to work nibbling and tugging at his ear as his hand worked between Fen’s legs. At the same time, he carefully pushed himself farther inside.

His entire body was shaking with adrenaline by the time he was finally completely situated inside. There were so many words whirling around in his mind as he gently began moving his hips back and forth, but instead of focusing on his own growing pleasure, he wrapped his arm that wasn’t between Fen’s legs around the guy’s firm chest, then moved his attention from his ear down to his neck.

“I love you, Fen,” he rasped out, making sure that his voice was loud enough to be heard over the hot tub’s jets.

In fact, he said it again through their thought bond, just in case. Then he said it again, and again. It wasn’t a phrase that he’d ever used often, especially when having sex with random people, but this time was very different.

This is one of the two people I want to have sex with for the rest of my life.

I want to wake up every morning with him there.

I want to grow older with him.

Pyre blinked at his last thought as his hips settled on a pace that was comfortable for Fen.

I just thought…

It was strange to be questioning himself while literally screwing his husband for the first time, but he was a strange person.

Seemingly having picked up on his thoughts, Fen actually gave out a small chuckle between his panting as he reached down and retrieved Pyre’s hand from around his length, then lifted it up and out of the water so that he could press a kiss to his fingers.

“I want to grow older with him… you’re a no take-backs sort of guy, right? Because I have a ring waiting for you inside the safe…”

Pyre felt himself release abruptly inside Fen as his hips paused and his brain went blank. It didn’t turn back on until Fen pressed himself backwards, making him move with him, then forward, allowing him to remove Pyre from his backside so that he could turn around and pull him into a tight hug.

“A ring…” he eventually mumbled, connecting the dots, though still in shock.

Fen hugged him tighter before lifting one hand to settle beneath his jaw and tilt it up at the perfect angle for him to lean forward and press a kiss to his lips.

“A ring, for you, my handsome, smart, perverted, panda husband.”

Pyre nipped Fen’s lip abruptly, making him break the kiss.

“I’m not a panda husband. He gets none of you,” he said in a grumble, making Fen laugh outright as he pressed a kiss to Pyre’s forehead.

“But I love him, just as much as I love you. Because you are two in the same. Just like me and my snake.”

He… couldn’t argue. Fen’s snake was absolutely adorable to him, especially when it was being a brat.

“We’ll talk about it,” he eventually said before reaching up and pressing a hand to either side of Fen’s face, then leaning in again for another kiss.

Wait a second, did he get to cum?

Pyre was about to lean back and ask that exact question when Fen reached up and settled a hand against the back of his head, holding him where he was so that he could begin deepening the kiss.

I’m fine, love. More than that, actually…

Every alarm in Pyre’s mind began going off that he’d failed in getting Fen to cum, but they were all silenced the moment Fen reached down with his free hand. His fingers slid along Pyre’s damp back until they disappeared beneath the water, then continued even farther until, finally, Pyre jumped a little as he felt Fen’s finger tap his hole.

“I’m more curious about how it will feel than anything, because I honestly don’t think that I’m going to be one to top much, if at all, but…”

He wants to try…

It definitely wasn’t something he normally let people do to him, since was definitely not a bottom, except for Gin, but hell, his husband was asking to try.

Honestly feeling a little excited about the idea, Pyre turned around and settled himself right on top of Fen’s hard length, then leaned back into his arms in the water.

“I’m all yours, my sweet husband.”

Snake 30

(When you just feel like messing with your dog who hates baths…)

Pyre stepped out of the homeless shelter with a brand new knitted red sweater courtesy of the old lady that followed him out to steal one more hug.

“I’m so happy to see you again, Pyre, and that panda of yours was absolutely adorable,” Ann said as she squeezed him tighter than an old woman should have been able to.

“Don’t you forget to come back in a week. Oh, I’m going to have so much fun making little clothes for your panda!” Ann practically squealed before finally releasing him.

Pyre quickly straightened out his clothing and offered her another charming smile.

“I’ll look forward to it, then,” he said as he bid her a final farewell and began heading home.

I’m sure Fen will definitely like that little sailor outfit you have planned, too.

A few days had passed since his husband had finally let him love him, and his mood was better than it had ever been. Lifting his left hand, Pyre stared at the little red ruby on his ring finger.

My husband…

He decided to hurry and started running, his grin on full display as he sprinted down sidewalk after sidewalk. When he finally stepped into Fen’s building he was panting quietly but still unable to hide his smile.

I’ve got fish sticks and french fries in the oven, came Gin’s thought to him as he rode the elevator up to their floor.

He expected to see the guy as soon as the elevator doors opened, but when no one was there, he stepped off and walked around the corner to the kitchen.

Oh, well that would explain it.

Pyre walked over and checked on the fish sticks, then scooped up Gin’s chunky cat. It grumbled and swatted at his face, but then settled after it was set on one of the couch’s throw pillows.

He went to the fridge next and filled a little bowl with cream, then brought it over to Gin’s cat.

“Alright, now let’s finish up making dinner,” he said as he heard the timer for the food go off behind him.

He had everything out of the oven in moments, and even plated a little miniature plate for Gin’s cat, complete with tarter sauce and a tiny bit of ketchup, in case he wanted to switch it up from his usual.

By the time he returned to his furry friend the cat had finished the little bowl of cream and knocked it onto the carpet. It now sat indignantly upon its pillow, swishing its fluffy tail as it waited impatiently for its sticks of fish.

“Your highness,” Pyre said as he set the plate next to it, then returned to the kitchen to fix himself some lunch, too.

By the time he was done he heard the elevator chime, making him completely forget his meal and hurry around the corner to greet his husband.

Fen!

He was in the guy’s arms as soon as he stepped off the elevator. Fen dropped his briefcase and coat so that he could catch him, which just made the hug that much better!

“Miss me?” Fen said with a chuckle as he wrapped him up tightly in his arms and pressed a kiss to his hair.

“Always, all the time,” Pyre said, completely unembarrassed by the words since they were one-hundred percent true.

He’d honestly become addicted to having the guy around.

“I smell fish sticks,” Fen said when he finally released Pyre and walked forward.

Pyre followed behind him but stopped near the dining room table when Fen went over to kneel down in front of Gin’s cat. It had already finished its meal, so it didn’t bother hissing at him. Instead, it turned its full attention to him and reached out with a paw to swat at some of Fen’s bangs.

“Hello to you too, good sir,” Fen said with a smile that made Pyre’s heart melt.

It evidently made Gin’s cat melt, too, because there was soon a very naked Gin lying in front of Fen on the couch.

I’m all for this shift of events.

In fact, Pyre allowed his panda to take over and hopped up onto the table. He sat down with his tail hugged to his chest, his attention completely focused on the show he was hoping to see.

Of course, Gin was absolutely petrified by his abrupt shift, but Pyre kept his mouth, and mind, shut so that he didn’t interfere. He needed his husbands to fall for each other, and his smart mouth, unfortunately, didn’t always help.

“I-I’m sorry!” Gin yelped as he quickly yanked the blanket folded on top of the couch down over his lower half. The guy was turning red faster than Pyre when he shifted to his panda form.

Fen sat back on his heels, his calm smile still in place.

“It’s okay, we’ve all shifted unintentionally at times,” he said as Gin turned around and quickly shoved his face into the corner of the couch.

Pyre was vibrating with excitement as he nibbled a bit at his tail, his eyes widening at the gorgeous scene playing out in front of him.

They both remained quiet for a few moments before Fen leaned back against the coffee table.

“Why are you hiding, Gin?”

It really was a valid question, though they both knew that the guy was also just really hard on himself and often got embarrassed. He wanted to yell to teach him how fucking sexy he was, but he’d decided not to interfere… but dammit it was hard!

“I-it’s embarrassing,” Gin eventually replied as he tried to shove his face farther into the couch, but couldn’t.

Fen looked over at Pyre for a brief moment, making him blush beneath his fur as he quickly gave him a thumbs up, but it just looked like he was raising his hand because… paws, but it seemed to get the idea across since Fen’s smile widened and he stuck his tongue out for the briefest moment before returning his attention back to Gin.

“Well, I don’t mind seeing you naked at all. I hope you don’t mind the few times I’ve accidentally shifted back from my snake form in front of you,” he said, making Gin immediately roll back over.

“Of course I didn’t mind! I really like you and while it’s probably kind of rude to say and I swear I’m not meaning this as some sort of pervert, b-but your body is beautiful.”

Pyre noticed a blush begin to creep up Fen’s neck and felt his heart stumble in his chest.

I believe in you, he thought as quietly as possible, then added, I would totally mean it as some sort of pervert.

Licking his lips nervously, Fen seemed to push back his worry and reached up to settle a hand atop Gin’s soft hair.

“Thank you for being honest, and I suppose I should be, too,” Fen said, making Gin’s eyes widen slightly as he tucked his chin a little.

“I also like looking at your body and think it’s beautiful, too.”

Pyre clapped his tiny paws together in silent excitement as he heard those gorgeous words of truth.

Gin seemed to have trouble getting Fen’s words through his head, though, because he honestly looked like he was about to cry. Thankfully, Fen didn’t wait for the tears to begin flowing. He leaned forward and tugged the guy into an awkward, but adorable hug. And… then he dragged him right off the couch and into his lap, making Gin yelp from surprise.

That’s my husbands! Pyre finally cheered, unbale to hold back any longer.

Gin glanced over his shoulder at him, a bit surprised to see him sitting on the table in his panda form, no doubt. He looked like he was about to say something but his words clearly got caught in his throat when Fen leaned forward and nipped his neck, making him squeak and jump as he whirled his head back around.

Unfortunately, Fen leaned away as soon as Gin turned back around to face him, but just seeing the adorable pink blushes on both their faces was worth it… for now.

Love first, orgy later.

“So um, I know that we haven’t really talked about… this , since you confessed to me, but what do you see our relationship being?” Fen asked, his voice nervous, yet also serious.

Gin licked his lips as he looked down, unable to meet Fen’s eyes for a moment until he seemed to decide upon his answer. When he looked back up, his expression showed a surprising amount of determination.

“I see this relationship as a chance for the three of us to start a family together,” Gin said, his voice tapering off into a whisper as he finished speaking and tucked his head into the crook of Fen’s neck.

So adorable!

He wanted to squeeze him, and kiss him, and get naked for him!

“The three of us, hmm?” Fen replied as he hugged Gin and looked over at Pyre.

The second the guy gave him a smile and curt nod Pyre hopped from the table and bolted right into their hug. There wasn’t a whole lot of room, but he was compact and made it work!

“While I’m definitely not ready to jump into a double relationship, I would like to give things a try between us. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if we start dating? That is, of course, if my new husband is okay with it?” Fen asked, looking down at Pyre’s overexcited wiggling panda.

I’m good with it! That’s totally cool! There’s extra fish sticks if you’re hungry! Let’s get naked!

“I think he’s okay with it,” Gin said as he reached between them with an arm and wrapped it snuggly around Pyre’s panda. When the guy leaned down to press a kiss to his fuzzy head, Pyre tilted it up and reached upward with his little black paws.

The kiss was a bit weird since it was really just a boop to his nose, but there was only so much a panda could do…

There was an awkward silence after that moment since everything seemed to finally be settled, so Pyre took it upon himself to break the ice.

So, you’re my boyfriend now too, right?

Gin gave a quiet chuckle and lifted his hand to muss up the fur on Pyre’s head.

“Of course, you little pervert.”

Hey! I’m not little!

Another awkward pause followed his statement before he squirmed his way free of their hug and plopped his fuzzy butt down on the carpet.

The panda form doesn’t count! And I’m pretty big for a panda, anyway. You saw that one at the zoo, right? I’m easily a whole pound larger!

Gin and Fen both looked at each other, then back to him before Gin hopped up and disappeared into his room, likely to put on some clothing so that he was more comfortable. While he did that, Fen stood up and walked over to where Pyre had shifted previously.

“Oh, did Ann make you a new sweater?” he asked as he picked up Pyre’s clothing and headed for their room to put them away.

Pyre hurried to follow, his tail swishing with excitement behind him.

Yeah! It’s actually really warm and soft! You can borrow it if you want.

He really hoped the guy would say yes. Just the idea of Fen’s muscles stretching that sweater… delicious.

“U-um, perhaps…” he said, clearly trying to hold back a little laugh.

“By the way, Pyre?”

Yes?

Fen paced over by the closet for a moment before walking inside. It took the guy three full minutes before he stepped back out with a familiar-looking little box.

“Um, I got you something else when I ordered all that stuff before.”

Pyre got up on his back legs to try and look into the box soon as Fen lowered it to set in front of him. Of course, he already knew what was in it because him and Gin had looked before, but he wasn’t going to ruin the surprise.

So, as soon as the guy opened the box, Pyre dug in with fervor. As he pawed about, his body slowly shifted back to his human form, allowing him to lift up and tug on the oversized long-sleeved shirt. The sleeves, as he’d expected, were definitely past his hands, but the fabric was actually super soft and comfortably thin, allowing him to still grab things without much of a problem.

He picked up the pair of red panda earrings next, holding them up with a grin as Fen sat down beside him.

“Can you put these in for me?”

Fen was more than willing to assist. While he worked on his left ear, however, Gin walked in and settled on his other side. Pyre quickly offered him the other earring, and soon, he had both secured in his ears. He was kind of curious how they looked on him, or if they’d even be visible while he was in panda form, but he wasn’t too interested in shifting again so soon, so he’d make a note to glance at it later.

“So, I know there are extra fish sticks on the stove, and you guys might have ate already… but would you want to go out for something? Maybe ice cream or a movie?” Fen asked, then looked over at Gin with a faint blush on his cheeks.

“I think it would be a good first date?”

Gin returned the blush but quickly nodded.

“I-I finished my school work early and I’m off today, so I can go,” he said, then looked at Pyre at the same time Fen turned his attention toward him, too.

“Oh… I suppose my schedule can be cleared. I already shed for the day, thought about orgies, and I’m already halfway dressed,” Pyre said, earning an eye roll from Fen and a little laugh from Gin.

Fen was the first to hop up, then offered them each a hand up at the same time.

That strength… I want it to crush me in a hug.

“When we get home, my perverted panda,” Fen said as he walked over to the dresser and, after seemingly considering a few different pairs of pants for a moment, tossed Pyre a pair of ripped black jeans.

“You probably should switch that shirt out for now, since it’s not the most practical,” he said as he glanced at the sweater he’d set on the bed. He’d gotten distracted from putting it away, but that was nothing new.

Pyre tugged off the extra long-sleeved shirt and handed it to Fen, then lifted the sweater to pull over his head. He was just tugging it down into place when he felt something wet and warm swipe over his left nipple, making him jump before yanking the clothing down.

He expected to see someone snickering in front of him, but when both Gin and Fen appeared quite busy brushing their hair or putting on a tie, Pyre scowled and pointed at them both.

“You two are messing with me! Don’t think that I can’t handle you both.”

Fen tilted his head as he leaned against his dresser, his corded arms crossed over his chest. Gin joined him there a moment later, his thumbs in his jean pockets and a half-smile on his face.

“Think he can handle us both, Gin bear?” Fen asked as he glanced at Gin for a brief moment before returning his confident stare to Pyre.

“Mm, one way to find out? We got more of that coconut whipped cream, yeah?” Gin replied as he took a step forward.

…mistakes were made!

Pyre was suddenly a panda again, and booking his fluffy buttocks out of the room!

Ice cream sounds wonderful! I’ll meet you guys at the elevator! I’m just a harmless, fluffy panda!

-End. There is an Epi to pull some extra stuff together :)

Snake 31 Epilogue

(So, this is actually going to be the epilogue. I had planned for one more chapter

before an epi

but everything I want to put into it is already being added to this one.

There will be a

fun little

bonus chapter in a bit.

There is also a new book up that will start soon-ish, called Wild Dog. If you liked the glimpses of Blake’s character from this book, go ahead over to that one for his story :) )

The ice cream had been the best idea ever. Not because it was delicious, because it was, but because the abso-fucking-lutely adorable interactions had been like watching the beginning of a porno between the sexy hunk of a guy and his target. Except, the hunk guy was actually the target of the yummy, nervous bear man.

If their mouths hadn’t both been full of ice cream more often than not, they might have eaten each other right there on the table. Shame…

“I think I’m getting used to his thoughts now, finally,” Gin said as he set a stack of papers down on Fen’s desk.

Pyre flicked an ear as his panda quickly climbed up onto the desk. He considered sitting next to the papers, but he wanted to be the focal point, so he hopped up onto the tall stack that Gin had just set down, then plopped his bum down directly on top them.

It had been two days since their little ice cream outing, and he was already jittery and looking forward to another one.

Fen looked up over his laptop and raised a brow at Pyre before smiling as Gin walked around the desk and took the seat beside him. The guy still seemed a bit nervous, but that no longer stopped him from leaning over and stealing little kisses here and there. 

Pyre watched as Fen blushed slightly, but damn if he wasn’t proud of him when he not only reciprocated the kiss, but even licked Gin’s nose as the guy hurried to pull away. He always seemed to think that he was being annoying when wanting attention, but he was honestly just being adorable.

I want a kiss, too…

“I would be more interested in obliging your request if your butthole was not on the documents I have to sign,” Fen said as he gestured for him to get off so that he could slide the papers closer to himself.

But you know that my butthole is super clean… your tongue was quite close to it last night.

Pyre pouted as he finished that thought but slowly climbed off of the papers as Fen turned bright red. He didn’t get much time to pretend to sulk, however, because he was quickly tugged across the table and into Gin’s arms.

“You have your meeting now, right?” Gin asked as Fen clicked a few times on his laptop after situating the papers to his left.

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be too long, though. It will be good for you to watch it, too,” he said as he quickly went through the stack of documents and began signing what was needed.

Gin nodded in agreement as he scooted a little closer so that he could see well. Pyre scowled at the screen and after very briefly considering his options, wiggled out of Gin’s arms and hopped over into Fen’s lap right as the man had finished his previous task and clicked into the online meeting room… right as it turned on everyone’s cameras.

There was a long chorus of awww ’s as Pyre turned around and plopped down. He leaned back against his husband’s delicious abs as he glared at every single person on the screen that would be looking at his person during the meeting.

Pyre, come on… this is an important meeting. I can’t have them distracted.

He knew that it was important. Fen had been talking about it all morning. It was for a huge project they had coming up.

But all these people are looking at my husband…

He was totally not used to being so jealous.

Where had all this angst even come from!

He was just about to start having a mental breakdown when he was suddenly lifted from Fen’s lap and turned, then his husband was leaning toward him. When his love pressed a kiss to his nose, then hugged him to his chest, Pyre felt his brain short-circuit.

“I’m sorry about that, but I suppose that I should introduce you guys to my husband, Pyre.”

There was a collective gasp from the group attending the meeting before a loud round of applause sounded through the speakers.

Why are you hiding your face in my suitcoat? You wanted me to make sure that they knew I was taken, right?

Absolutely, but that had been so abrupt!

I’m just making sure that your shirt isn’t dirty and stuff… Pyre replied awkwardly.

Fen chuckled quietly, his chest rumbling against Pyre’s face as he felt his husband’s warm hand begin to rub his back.

“I think I surprised him a bit, but anyways. Let’s get this meeting started,” he said as he began to get down to business immediately.

The meeting itself didn’t take too long, but that was mainly because Fen was extremely focused throughout and Gin was right there with him, handing him different papers he’d prepared for it at the perfect times and chiming in whenever he missed something they’d reviewed together that he’d wanted to bring up.

Pyre turned his fluffy head around to watch as his husbands practically owned the entire meeting. Gin even provided some excellent feedback several different times, proving that he’d worked his butt off to make sure that he was ready and understood all of the material.

As Fen began to wrap up the discussions, Pyre slipped from his arm that had been holding him against his chest and hopped back over to Gin’s lap so that he was no longer visible on the screen.

He settled there and waited anxiously until Fen finally clicked out of the video call and all of the people on his computer screen vanished.

I’m definitely more of an errand boy.

“And you’re the best one I’ve ever had,” Fen said as he reached over and mussed up the fur on top of Pyre’s head, making his panda squeak and reach up to swat his hand away.

“You’ve been staying in your panda form quite a lot recently. Is anything the matter?” Gin asked, making Pyre look up at him as his tiny heart gave an extra big thump in his fuzzy chest.

Nothing’s wrong… I just feel a little more comfortable as a panda sometimes. I can change back whenever you guys want me to, though. Especially if you’re feeling horny, cause y’know, paws just won’t quite do it in that kind of situation.

He hadn’t really thought about it too much, though, but at the same time, it had been weighing on the back of his mind for a while. It wasn’t that he disliked his human form, at all. He was a hot, sexy, beast of a twig that was starting to finally fill out. It was just that…

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. If you’re comfortable being a panda, then be a panda. It makes you much cuter, anyways,” Gin said with a teasing grin that Pyre reached up to immediately try and smack off his face. Except, of course, his pathetic shift made it look like he was just consoling the side of Gin’s mouth instead of reprimanding him for being snarky.

“Gin, can you get everything situated and meet me at the elevators when you’re done?”  Fen said as he stood up and headed for the door. “I need to make a phone call real quick.”

Pyre watched as Fen slipped his phone from his pocket and lifted it to his ear as he stepped out of his office. He wanted to go with him, but if he wanted a few moments of peace, then he would respect that.

So, he hopped up onto the desk and ran around trying to not get in Gin’s way, but also, kind of, get in Gin’s way.

You guys seem to be getting along really well now, he said to Gin as the guy carefully put away Fen’s laptop in the Fen’s briefcase before adding the notes from the meeting and a few other things.

Yeah, we really. I’m not nearly as nervous as I had been around him, either.

When he was finally done, Pyre hopped up onto his shoulder and they headed out. Fen was standing at the elevator and was tucking his phone into his back pocket right as they walked up.

“Everything okay?” Gin asked with a smile that showed just enough of his dimples.

Fen returned it and nodded, his face turning the slightest hint of pink.

“Definitely, let’s go home?” he said as he stepped onto the elevator and held the door for them.

The ride down tot he lobby was quiet, which he normally wouldn’t mind, but there was definitely something making Fen quieter than usual. He really wanted to ask, but it was his husband’s business, and he would respect it. Besides, if he was blushing, that probably meant that it had something to do with them and he just didn’t want them to know about it yet.

So, to keep himself distracted, he turned to straddle Gin’s shoulder and took his time messing up his carefully-styled hairdo.

Once they got to Fen’s car, he allowed Gin to strap him into his little car seat. It had been an uphill battle to get him to agree to one, but he eventually caved when the promise of a certain blow job in front of a blown-up picture of a certain kiss that had happened on the couch with Fen, got involved.

At least the straps are blue and not pink , he thought as he kicked his fuzzy feet and the car began to move. He ended up taking a short nap during the drive and awoke as the car was pulling into the garage at Fen’s building.

Gin got him out of his seat and held him gently against his chest as Pyre’s nose picked up the scent of Chinese food. He heard them talk quietly amongst themselves as they headed up in the elevator, but he was still waking up and didn’t want to bother them with the mumbling nonsense he’d likely input into their conversation at the moment, so he just relaxed and kept his eyes closed.

When they finally got back to Fen’s penthouse he was more awake and his stomach was grumbling. Gin set him on the counter so that he could get the food containers open and some plates down, so Pyre took that type to rub at his eyes and give a little yawn before finally opening them.

He was a bit startled when he saw Fen leaning on the counter right in front of him so that he could unabashedly stare.

“Sorry, you’re way too cute when you’re a panda… and being a tired panda on top of that? I didn’t know that I needed this level of adorableness in my life until I got it.”

Pyre blushed beneath his fur before reaching out to be picked up. Except, Fen took a step back and held his hands behind his back with a slightly nervous smile.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, then glanced over at Gin until the guy finished messing with the food containers and realized his attention was wanted, too. 

“So, um… I’ve been thinking about this a lot the past few days, and I know that I’m just going to stress myself out more the longer I let it sit in my mind,” Fen said, making Pyre tilt his head and glance at Gin for a moment before he returned his attention to Fen.

He wanted to beg him not to disregard Gin’s affections, if that was what he was considering, but it honestly wasn’t up to him. Dealing with one person who wanted your attention often was a lot of work. Managing two together? That was definitely a lot of work. He loved doing it, but perhaps it wasn’t quite right for his husband?

Pyre grabbed his tail to nibble at as Fen continued speaking after another moment of silence.

“So, well, I know I said that I would take some time and date you,” he said as he turned toward Gin with a nervous smile.

Smile is good, at least. I’ll take a smile.

Gin nodded, clearly now horrifically nervous, but also trying to hide it as best he could.

“But um, well, it honestly feels like we’ve been together for awhile now. I-I mean, not in a relationship sort of way, but I guess also… kind of?”

Confused. I’m getting so confused.

Even though he wasn’t putting anything together, Pyre was still completely, one-hundred percent, invested in the conversation as he scooted to the edge of the counter and tugged at the fur on his tail.

Gin looked confused, too, but there was also a hint of hopeful understanding in his eyes that made the knot in Pyre’s tiny belly untwist the tinniest amount.

“Well, I guess to keep this as short as possible so we all don’t pass out from stress…” Fen said as he turned to lock eyes with Pyre.

“The first thing I need to make sure I say first… Pyre, I can legally on marry one person.”

Pyre pinned his ears, feeling unbelievably sad at his words… until he realized something.

He wouldn’t have brought that up if…

Looking at the little ring on his panda’s finger, he felt his lips tilt up into a funny smile.

I just want him in my life. He knows that he’s my husband and as long as everyone else knows that he’s taken, I would be forever happy.

Looking back up at Fen, Pyre kicked his little furry feet and released his tail from between his teeth.

Do you love Gin?

Fen’s face warmed a little at his words, but the man, thankfully, didn’t hesitate to nod before looking over at Gin.

“Yeah, I really do. I thought that I’d need some time to see that, but honestly, we’ve been living together for a long time, and he’s even slept with me more times than I can count when I couldn’t control my snake very well.”

There’s an innuendo in there but I’m going to behave because this is an important talk.

“You’re a walking innuendo,” Gin added with a cheeky grin.

Pyre scratched at the side of his face lightly with one paw, then licked the paw once.

Why thank you.

“Anyways, um, as long as Pyre’s okay with it… Gin, would you accept this ring?” Fen asked as he pulled out a little gray ring case and opened it to show a beautiful diamond ring.

Where were you hiding that? I swear I felt up every inch of you when you put on that suit this morning!

“I have places,” Fen said with a wink his way.

Pyre crossed his arms over his fuzzy chest and scowled. He’d probably had someone holding onto it for him and he’d had them bring it to him during that quick phone call, but he wasn’t going to bother asking. However…

My tongue is gonna find those places later, just in case you did have it on you earlier.

Before Fen could turn his attention back to Gin, the bigger guy had his arms around him and his face buried in his fancy white dress shirt. Thankfully, he didn’t drop the ring, and instead set it down on the counter so that he could wrap his arms around his new hubby.

“Can I take that reaction as a yes ?” Fen asked with a quiet chuckle.

Yes! It’s a yes! Husband number two! Pyre cheered as he kicked his little feet and leaned forward… then promptly fell off the counter with a startled squeak.

He hopped back up quickly, then shook out his coat before bounding over and climbing Gin’s pant-leg. Fen released Gin as the guy leaned back a bit so that he could lift Pyre into his arms. Gin guy was clearly crying, but there was no doubt in his mind that they were happy tears as he began to nod his head and sniffle.

“Yes, please,” he said in such a polite manner that Pyre thought that he was honestly making some sort of business agreement instead of accepting a marriage proposal.

Fen grinned and took Gin’s free hand and, after reaching over for the ring, slid it onto his finger.

“Then I believe we have some paperwork to get done and signed…” Fen said as he leaned forward and finally, finally , kissed Gin without an ounce of hesitation.

Pyre leaned up and stole one from the edge of their joined lips, too, because he totally could.

Oh my god. Can I plan the wedding? he asked suddenly, wiggling in Gin’s arms so much that Fen had to take him before he fell.

“Of course,” his husbands said at the same time, making Pyre’s tail swish back and forth as he was held over Fen’s head like a toddler so that his flailing limbs didn’t accidentally hit either of them.

Oh my gosh. This is going to be so epic. There’s going to be tons of food. Only a couple people. I’ll invite my mom! And oh! I can be your ring panda!

Fen hugged him tightly to his chest for a moment as they all walked over to their dinner. After setting him down on the counter, they both began taking different things from each container and putting them onto the same plate in front of Pyre, building him a tower of just about everything they remembered he’d liked before. Except for the rangoons things, of course.

Once done, Fen leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead before leaning away and giving Gin room to lift his paw and press a kiss to his own ruby ring.

“Do you have anymore ideas for our wonderful day, sweet husband?”

Pyre hunched and raised his paws to his cheeks, trying to tamp down the warmth growing there as he curled his tail around himself and unintentionally dipped it into some of the beef noodles near the edge of his plate.

U-um… only one more right now.

Fen and Gin looked at each other, then back down to him.

“What would that be?” Fen eventually ended up asking.

Well um, since I’m obviously coming on the honeymoon and everything… can I film it for, you know, purposes?

Snake Bonus Chapter

(I told my roommate to put as much sass as she could into her picture XD)

Pyre couldn’t help staring at his shirtless husbands… which was why he kept pressing a saucy meatball to the side of his face instead of into his mouth. He’d probably covered his poor panda in quite a few things already with how distracting it was to try and eat and stare at the same time.

The little smooshed ball of meat eventually made it to his mouth, but the chewing took even longer than its original quest to actually get between his lips.

You’re going to need a bath after that snack , came Gin’s teasing voice, making Pyre rip his eyes away from Fen walking up onto a diving board above his head and redirect it to where his other husband was relaxing against the wall of the pool facing him, his arms folded over the edge to easily hold him in place.

Forgetting the few bits of food that remained on his little plate, Pyre jumped off of the lounging chair and ran right up to the edge of the water. It was a bit awkward to do so since he wasn’t used to wearing a doggy life vest, but he managed well enough.

Gin seemed a bit surprised, but didn’t hesitate to reach out and pet his head.

“Want to actually try swimming now?” he asked, making Pyre quickly shake his fuzzy head.

Turns out, his panda was not a fan of swimming. Even after he’d let Gin snap a doggy vest on him, it still wanted nothing to do with the water. He hadn’t really minded, though, since that gave him a front row seat to watch both his husbands, shirtless, in the giant swimming pool at their resort hotel, but now that Gin was asking him to go swimming…

I’ll be right back.

Pyre hurried off to the bathroom with his swimming trunks between his teeth. He tripped a few times on them on his way, but managed to make it there with only a scratch to his nose. The three stalls there were already in use, so he simply shrugged and shifted in front of the sinks, then tugged on his swimsuit. It had little red pandas running around on it, of course, but there were also some sassy, orange fat cats and even a couple of snakes. Fen had gotten them specially made for him.

Why do I feel eyes on me?

Pyre glanced over his shoulder. Some young dude had opened a stall door and was now staring at him with a perverted grin on his face. If he had been his old self, he would have gladly walked right over and asked the guy for some oral, but things have changed, drastically.

Instead of giving the man any kind of hint that he wanted his attention, Pyre lifted his left hand, flashing the man his ring, before walking right out of the bathroom and heading straight for the pool.

The wedding between Fen and Gin had been a few days ago, and it had honestly been the best day of his life. He’d never cared to go through all that official stuff, but he’d had so much fun as he’d walked down the aisle in his panda form and thrown tiny handfuls of petals to either side, then handed the ring boxes to both of his husbands. He’d disappeared immediately afterward as the priest guy began droning on about matrimony and what not, then returned in a dark red suit right before the vows were to be said.

To his surprise, his husbands had both grabbed one of his hands as he got closer, pulling him right up onto the alter with them. He hadn’t intended to be part of the actual ceremony, even though he definitely considered himself their husband, too, but neither Gin nor Fen would release him as they began to say their vows… first to themselves, but then to him.

They were as mushy as he’d thought they would be, but he hadn’t expected them to be directed at him at all. To say that he’d blushed bright red and gotten tongue-tied trying to say something remotely not perverted back, was an understatement.

Eventually, he’d just mumbled out an awkward I love you guys , then stood like a stunned statue as Gin and Fen both leaned over and kissed him when the officiator said I now pronounce you husband and husband.

Gin had even replied with another “and husband,” after the surprised man had finished speaking.

The rest of the ceremony had been a blur of food, more kissing, and a red panda trying to climb the three-tiered wedding cake as if he were King Kong.

I was covered in so much frosting by the end of the night that it took Gin and Fen an entire hour to lick it off once I’d shifted back to my human form at home.

Licking his lips at the memory, he walked down the little path back to the pool and slipped into the warm water right before he was grabbed by Gin and tugged against his chest. Before Pyre could even say anything the guy was licking at the sauce on his left cheek.

“I swear you are the messiest eater I’ve ever met,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the now-clean patch of skin before leaning away with a proud grin.

Pyre felt his face warm slightly, but he was getting used to his husbands wanting to lick things off of him. Especially Fen… the guy definitely was coming into his fetishes.

So much coconut whipped cream…

“You like it,” Gin said right before he felt familiar arms wrap around his waist and press him closer to Gin, but also back against a firm chest.

I’m a happy sandwich.

“You’re our happy sandwich,” Fen said as he pressed his face into the crook of Pyre’s neck and began to nibble at the already-red area.

Another thing he’d noticed about the guy once they really began exploring their physical relationship… he loved marking what was his. The entire left side of his neck was different colors of red, and while most people might think it was a bit overboard, Pyre was more than happy to let him do whatever the hell he wanted to him.

Poor Gin, though. The guy was a little more embarrassed about his hickeys and made Fen to promise not to give him any that would be visible in his work outfit… which was now a a suit and tie since he’d quit his former job at one of the local restaurants and joined Fen’s company as his personal assistant.

He’d also joined as an as needed employee, but even though his schedule wasn’t set in stone, he was there more often than he wasn’t, especially when Marie-Sue requested his assistance with a project or just wanted to have a chat.

“Did you want to swim, or would you rather go back up to the room?” Fen asked before lifting his head from Pyre’s neck and leaning forward to kiss Gin.

He had intended to swim with his husbands, but considering Fen already had his hand slipping into his swimsuit?

“Upstairs is fine. I just ate anyways, shouldn’t go swimming, and all that fake rule stuff,” he said as he hurried to climb out of the pool before he got a hard on.

He heard Gin chuckle before both his husbands got themselves out, too. Pyre had towels waiting for them when they walked up to the lounge chairs they’d set their stuff on. He also noticed quite a few people around them sneaking glances at his men and bit back a smirk as he toweled himself off, then wrapped it around his waist and picked up their one backpack of stuff they’d brought down.

“Ready?” he said as Fen wrapped his towel around his waist and nodded at the same time Gin draped his over his shoulders and offered him a happy grin.

Pyre lead the way back to the outdoor elevators, then up to the eighth floor of the posh hotel. The cold air-conditioner made him hurry toward their giant bathroom once they finally got to their room. He quickly tossed his swimsuit onto the bar in the huge shower, then dried himself the rest of the way as his husbands followed suit.

He was just about to go put on a too-big sweater, another one of Fen’s fetishes, when he felt hands wrap around his length from behind. To his surprise, it was Gin who stared back at him in the mirror.

“Why hello there,” Pyre said as he leaned back and pressed a kiss to Gin’s pink cheek as the man’s hands began to work.

The guy wasn’t usually the aggressor in sexual situations, but once he got going? There was nothing hotter. He was the sweetest, most-considerate lover, too. And even purred when he was content and snuggling afterward!

“Gonna share, hmm?” Fen said from the door, making Pyre turn his head against Gin’s shoulder to smirk at him.

Oh damn, he’s naked, too.

Pyre licked his lips as he felt Gin turn his head to look at their other husband.

“Always, love. What part would you like?” he asked, making Pyre tilt his head back to glance at the man curiously.

I might be compactable, but I’m pretty sure nothing on me is detachable.

When there wasn’t an immediate verbal response, Pyre turned his head back to see Fen looking him up and down as if he were trying to decide on what specialty cut of steak he wanted for dinner.

He eventually pointed to Pyre’s lips, making Gin give an excited squeeze to the item he happily held between his legs.

I feel like I’m about to get eaten alive…

“I don’t know,” Fen said as he leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his deliciously-buff arms over his equally-delicious chest.

“What was that word again? The crazy parties and such?” Fen asked, making Gin hum happily as he considered his husband’s words.

“Organic? Organism?” he replied playfully.

Pyre was about to scream, but thankfully Fen didn’t let him suffer any longer as he walked forward and, after grabbing his chin firmly in his hand, tilted it to the side and up so that he could begin devouring his mouth.

Neither of his husbands seemed interested in joking anymore as they both got down to business, leaving Pyre gasping for breath when Fen finally leaned away and Gin relaxed his hold the slightest bit on the pulsing item between his legs.

“Ah, now I remember what the word was,” Fen said with a smirk on his lips as he leaned closer.

“Would our sinfully-hot husband like to have an orgy with us?”

Pyre’s mind fumbled about in his skull as it tried to get the necessary words out of his mouth to accept the offer. It eventually did manage to get him to say something, but it wasn’t his proudest moment.

“H-happy panda noises.”

(Love you guys, thanks for coming along on this strange, perverted journey and I hope to see you all in my new Wild Dog story :D)

I’ll also be putting my Ko-fi link at the bottom of the final chapters of my books from here on. It’s totally optional, of course :) See you guys on the next story!)

Tips always appreciated :) https://ko-fi.com/theorykierei