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“A Friend In Winter” by MikasiWolf (part 2 of 2) (18+)
[18+] Today’s story is the second of 2 parts of “A FRIEND IN WINTER by MikasiWolf, a Singaporean Wolf Mercenary writer. “A FRIEND IN WINTER” have formerly appeared in the FANG 10 Anthology, published by FurPlanet Publications. His works have been published by Thurston Howl Publications, Rabbit Valley, Goal Publications among others. You can find links to more of his stories on his FA or WikiFur page.
Last time, Tsang decided on looking for a like-minded friend through a hookup app.
After going for that hookup, Tsang feels even more depressed at the way his personal problems didn’t seem to matter to others. He discovered that perhaps a listening ear did not have to be that far off after all...
Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.
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Transcript
Today I'm reading an adult story for mature listeners.
Speaker:If that's not your cup of tea,
Speaker:or if there are youngsters listening,
Speaker:you can skip this one
Speaker:and I'll have a new story for you next time.
Speaker:You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.
Speaker:I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,
Speaker:and Today’s story is the second of 2 parts of
Speaker:“A FRIEND IN WINTER
Speaker:by MikasiWolf, a Singaporean Wolf Mercenary writer.
Speaker:“A FRIEND IN WINTER” have formerly appeared in the FANG 10 Anthology,
Speaker:published by FurPlanet Publications.
Speaker:His works have been published by Thurston Howl Publications,
Speaker:Rabbit Valley, Goal Publications among others.
Speaker:You can find links to more of his stories
Speaker:on his FA or WikiFur page. Please enjoy:
Speaker:“A Friend in Winter”
Speaker:by MikasiWolf, Part #2
Speaker:of #2 Elden’s Gate was an older dorm block that seemed even further behind in its renovation plans.
Speaker:The landscaping on the exterior looked recently redone
Speaker:but the building itself was still of the old brick that came with the university back when it was built in the 1950s.
Speaker:Tsang figured not every student could afford the costs of living in a more modern building,
Speaker:and what mattered was the character of the people who lived inside.
Speaker:He got buzzed in by H4ppy at the intercom and made his way up the creaky wooden steps to the second floor.
Speaker:The door opened as soon as the leopard cat reached it.
Speaker:“Hey man, come on in!”
Speaker:A huge jaguar with an accent greeted him at the door,
Speaker:silhouetted by the light from the common room.
Speaker:He moved aside as Tsang entered,
Speaker:his eyes blinking at the change in lighting.
Speaker:The common room had the makings of a place that saw extensive use,
Speaker:with sofas that looked to have their cushions unchanged since the last decade.
Speaker:Even the TV was one of those older boxy CRT models
Speaker:that had crap resolution and took up all the space on the table.
Speaker:Someone managed to connect an old PS2 to it, at least.
Speaker:The leopard cat turned to regard his host,
Speaker:only to stare at the fact he wasn’t clad in anything at all,
Speaker:save his own pelt.
Speaker:“I...um...” Tsang stuttered.
Speaker:“Like what you see?
Speaker:Don’t be too shy to say so.”
Speaker:The jaguar chuckled.
Speaker:A faint scent of beer came from his breath
Speaker:as he walked towards the common room’s fridge.
Speaker:Tsang knew it was wrong to stare,
Speaker:but he couldn’t quite resist looking at that well-toned ass,
Speaker:rosetted pelt
Speaker:meandering into cream fur where the jaguar’s balls met.
Speaker:“What can I get you?
Speaker:Beer? Coke? Pepsi?” The jaguar’s balls swung away from view as he turned with a smile.
Speaker:“Not sure why the roommate buys both;
Speaker:Coke and Pepsi’s basically the same thing.”
Speaker:“Umm,” Tsang tried and failed to think of anything else
Speaker:other than the felid’s bare balls.
Speaker:“No thanks, I already had some milk beer before coming.”
Speaker:“Direct and straight to the point.
Speaker:Good.” The jaguar strode over to Tsang
Speaker:and stroked his cheek ruff.
Speaker:Tsang was far too surprised to react.
Speaker:“Look, you’re a cute one, and playing the hard to get angle, I get it.
Speaker:But I showed you mine,
Speaker:so how about you show me yours, hmm?”
Speaker:“But I...” this wasn’t how Tsang expected things to go.
Speaker:No one he’d met was ever this direct and upfront about something so
Speaker:unspoken as sex, not even the dorm or class talk about
Speaker:who’d fucked whom, and whether they did oral or missionary or whatever.
Speaker:“I thought we could talk first.
Speaker:I’m Tsang from Economics.”
Speaker:“And I’m Fabian from Civil Engineering.”
Speaker:The jaguar rolled his eyes.
Speaker:“Look, kit, I get you’re new to this.
Speaker:When you meet someone out there in the wild, you make
Speaker:small talk and shoot the breeze about whatever the hell you manage to come up with.
Speaker:But when you arrange a meetup through Grindr,
Speaker:it means less talk,
Speaker:more play.” The jaguar placed both paws upon Tsang’s smaller shoulders.
Speaker:“So let’s play.” Tsang wanted to say something,
Speaker:anything to get out of this.
Speaker:The leopard cat had figured that apps like Grindr were similar to social media apps, except catered towards gays like him.
Speaker:He’d thought he’d finally found a listening ear for his problems, but instead
Speaker:this guy wanted something else entirely.
Speaker:And he’d been so sincere about it online!
Speaker:But then, there was something nice about this guy’s scent,
Speaker:something about the way his rosettes moved in the light that had Tsang wonder
Speaker:if it’s such a bad idea after all.
Speaker:Maybe if he gave this guy what he wanted, he’d be more amenable to talking about his problems, and maybe more.
Speaker:It wasn’t like Tsang was in any particular hurry,
Speaker:given his current situation. “Y
Speaker:-yeah, let’s,” Tsang replied.
Speaker:He’d watched a lot of porn back in Taiwan and most especially in the States,
Speaker:so he decided to tap on some of that experience.
Speaker:He gave a few experimental licks on Fabian’s neck,
Speaker:his raspy tongue scratching across the pelt of the larger felid’s neck,
Speaker:detecting a faint taste of musky sweat in it.
Speaker:The jaguar gasped at the sudden sensation,
Speaker:a low purr emanating from his throat.
Speaker:Tsang figured he’d done something right,
Speaker:so he proceeded to nuzzle beneath the jaw of the larger felid,
Speaker:his tongue rasping his neck as he did.
Speaker:“Alright, enough of this foreplay bullshit,” Fabian said, and Tsang
Speaker:stopped in mid-nuzzle.
Speaker:“Get your clothes off already!”
Speaker:His claws snagged upon the bottom of Tsang’s sweater as he pulled,
Speaker:and for a moment the leopard cat couldn’t see a thing,
Speaker:his arms tangled in a flurry of fabric.
Speaker:He swore he could hear some ripping in the thick fabric,
Speaker:but figured the guy was one of those “dom” types he’d heard about on some of the gay sites,
Speaker:always acting like everything should go their way.
Speaker:Suits him fine for now.
Speaker:Before Tsang could get free of his confounded sweater,
Speaker:Fabian had already yanked his pants forcefully down,
Speaker:belt be damned. Being a little hard by now, Tsang yowled as the waistband of his jeans caught upon the tip of his shaft,
Speaker:leaving it smarting. “Aw,
Speaker:did I hurt little puddy
Speaker:cat? Here’s to making it better.”
Speaker:Fabian purred as he knelt.
Speaker:With no warning to speak of, his mouth engulfed Tsang’s member in one gulp,
Speaker:the leopard cat gasping at the sudden warmth across his shaft.
Speaker:Never in his wildest dreams had he expected to feel something so
Speaker:wonderful, so right.
Speaker:He knew oral was supposed to be enjoyable,
Speaker:as attested by those in class who’d supposedly done it,
Speaker:but he had neither the flexibility nor outgoingness
Speaker:to ever have tried it before.
Speaker:Tsang moaned as the warm slick maw slid over his own similarly warm slick shaft,
Speaker:collapsing back onto the sofa as Fabian nuzzled forward,
Speaker:his tongue and muzzle coaxing every pent-up emotion,
Speaker:every hidden wish and dream the leopard cat had
Speaker:or could ever have dreamt.
Speaker:Tsang wished he could relish this forever,
Speaker:but Fabian was really good at what he did.
Speaker:The leopard cat yowled, his body exploding in a flurry of emotions clear and intangible,
Speaker:sparks of light dancing before his eyes as column
Speaker:after column of cum passed through his cock,
Speaker:spurts of ecstasy making itself known
Speaker:in Fabian’s enthusiastic muzzle,
Speaker:his throat gulping as he made room for more.
Speaker:And as Tsang thought he was done with the first barrage of long-overdue release,
Speaker:Fabian’s tongue got him cumming once more, a two-hit combo of carnal satisfaction.
Speaker:Tsang’s chest rose
Speaker:and heaved as he panted,
Speaker:and the leopard cat was vaguely aware of Fabian cleaning the remaining drops of cum from his rapidly-waning shaft.
Speaker:He wondered why he was so stupid to wait so long before this moment,
Speaker:when he would have been far happier and more confident of himself
Speaker:should he have done all this earlier.
Speaker:He knew men also had sex in other ways,
Speaker:but couldn’t imagine himself having the energy to have a go at that
Speaker:just yet, at least for the next hour or so.
Speaker:“Little kitty like that very much?”
Speaker:asked Fabian with a chuckle,
Speaker:to which Tsang nodded.
Speaker:“Well, it’s my turn now.”
Speaker:“Er, yeah, I guess that’s fair.”
Speaker:Tsang made to get up,
Speaker:but a hard yank on both his legs made him fall back on the couch with a meow.
Speaker:He made to scrabble upright
Speaker:to better see what Fabian was doing, but a firm push on his chest made him lie back down.
Speaker:Tilting his head slightly,
Speaker:he could see Fabian
Speaker:lathering his sizable cock with lots of lube from a bottle,
Speaker:his barbs out in full storm.
Speaker:“I like to fuck twinks when they just came.
Speaker:Makes them real nice and tight,”
Speaker:grunted Fabian as he got the lube on.
Speaker:Tsang shivered as the jaguar slid several cold
Speaker:lubricated fingers into him,
Speaker:turning them round to get it all slick.
Speaker:He then proceeded to hold Tsang’s legs apart,
Speaker:his shaft prodding his entrance.
Speaker:“Wait, can you please put on a condom first or something?”
Speaker:Tsang asked, suddenly remembering what’s wrong in his mind.
Speaker:He shuffled backwards quickly with his paws.
Speaker:Fabian growled and flipped him over,
Speaker:such that the leopard cat’s belly was now on the couch.
Speaker:Tsang tried to twist and wriggle back, but Fabian lay his entire weight upon Tsang’s back,
Speaker:his huge paws pinning Tsang’s arms by his side.
Speaker:Try as he might, Tsang could never hope to break free from the stronger jaguar,
Speaker:even as his wriggles tried and failed to do so.
Speaker:As he did so, however, he could hear the ripping of a plastic wrapper,
Speaker:followed by the sound of rubber rubbing over flesh,
Speaker:followed by another lathering of lube.
Speaker:“If you say so, puddy cat.” came Fabian’s growl next to his ear.
Speaker:“I’m really big, by the way.
Speaker:Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Speaker:And with that, Fabian pushed himself slowly into Tsang’s
Speaker:clenched pucker, millimeter by millimeter.
Speaker:Tsang had never felt such an intense pain in his life and
Speaker:yelled, his pucker barely conditioned to accommodate someone of Fabian’s girth.
Speaker:Even with dedicated feline condoms, he could still feel the rubbing of the barbs.
Speaker:He knew from online self-help quides that he should be relaxing,
Speaker:not clenching, but how could he relax when he finally had someone mounting him
Speaker:after all these months
Speaker:of only imagining how that would feel like?
Speaker:Fabian seemed to understand, however,
Speaker:quickly withdrawing as Tsang groaned.
Speaker:He slid his lubed fingers into Tsang once more,
Speaker:easing him for what was to come.
Speaker:“You ready for more?”
Speaker:Fabian asked. Not being in much state to answer,
Speaker:Tsang merely nodded.
Speaker:Fabian slid back into him with a slick slurp.
Speaker:Strangely enough, the jabbing in Tsang’s asshole felt far less painful now,
Speaker:pleasant even after he’d been loosened up.
Speaker:He could feel his own dick reawakening from its limp slumber,
Speaker:bouncing along as Fabian gave thrust after thrust,
Speaker:stretching Tsang’s confines wider and better.
Speaker:Tsang hadn’t had sex with anyone before,
Speaker:and already he could feel the aching and soreness on his chest from being pressed on the sofa for so.
Speaker:Fabian’s breaths started coming low and ragged, however, and Tsang could feel a certain urgency to the jaguar’s tempo.
Speaker:“Oh, fuck, yes.” Fabian huffed.
Speaker:And then he roared,
Speaker:Tsang jerking in surprise.
Speaker:Fabian’s cock pulsed and throbbed inside Tsang’s asshole,
Speaker:and were it not for the condom, he would probably have felt a warmth spreading inside him.
Speaker:Fabian huffed, holding Tsang to him as he climaxed,
Speaker:turning such that they both lay on their sides on the sofa.
Speaker:The leopard cat felt hard,
Speaker:but hadn’t yet came, so he stroked himself off with a paw,
Speaker:grunting as a rope of cum erupted off his tip.
Speaker:“That’s it, little
Speaker:cat,” Fabian sighed as Tsang’s asshole clenched on his shaft.
Speaker:He held the leopard cat closer to him,
Speaker:the smaller felid
Speaker:feeling the breath squeezed out of him,
Speaker:yet relishing being held so close like this,
Speaker:the chest of the jaguar warm against his back.
Speaker:The two of them lay there for a few minutes in silence.
Speaker:Only the wind outside blowing across the building could be heard,
Speaker:along with the almost inaudible clank of the ventilation system.
Speaker:“So…what do you want to do now?”
Speaker:Tsang asked, for need of something to say,
Speaker:and to be released from Fabian’s tight grip.
Speaker:“Want to…erm…grab a drink at the city center?”
Speaker:“I’ve got what I need on the table and fridge.
Speaker:Besides, it’s damn cold out.”
Speaker:Fabian mumbled. “That’s what I’ve got my kitty here for.”
Speaker:He gave a pat on Tsang’s belly.
Speaker:“Okay.” Tsang kept silent for a while longer.
Speaker:“So, how’s your family back home?”
Speaker:Fabian got back upright,
Speaker:his wrapped shaft flopping against Tsang’s thigh. “Fuck,
Speaker:kit. Do you have to ruin the mood like that?
Speaker:I don’t want to talk about them. Not now, not ever.”
Speaker:“Yeah, I get it, it’s fine.”
Speaker:Tsang sought for something else to talk about.
Speaker:“Well, the reason why I’m still in campus is because I’m afraid what my family thinks about me.
Speaker:They found out I’m gay a few weeks back, you see—”
Speaker:“Yeah, well. You family can go hang for that.”
Speaker:Fabian got up, peeling his condom off as he did.
Speaker:Tsang stared in shock at his vehemence.
Speaker:“Look kit, you’re fun as a fuck toy and all, but I got myself some stuff to do in my room.
Speaker:But if you ever want to get together like this again, that’s fine. Just add me on Grindr and you’re all set.”
Speaker:The jaguar stood at the door to the dorm,
Speaker:and it took Tsang several moments to realize
Speaker:Fabian’s telling him to leave.
Speaker:“Erm, alright. Let me just get my clothes on.”
Speaker:Tsang quickly got dressed,
Speaker:trying his best to ignore Fabian’s
Speaker:hard stare. As he made his way past the leopard,
Speaker:the door shut behind him,
Speaker:followed by the beep of the electronic lock.
Speaker:Tsang made his way slowly down the wooden staircase,
Speaker:his mind processing everything that had happened.
Speaker:Even as he walked through the cold to his own dorm building,
Speaker:Tsang couldn’t believe that his efforts to find a listening ear
Speaker:had been met with dismissal.
Speaker:The cold of the air outside didn’t exactly make him feel any better
Speaker:as he thought about all this.
Speaker:And when he finally got inside
Speaker:his cold and silent dorm,
Speaker:turning on all the lights,
Speaker:the leopard cat fell into the sofa
Speaker:and cried. Fuck. Ma-de.
Speaker:Some attempt at finding a friend that turned out to be.
Speaker:Now that the leopard cat wasn’t pent up any longer, he could already feel that what he’d done had been nothing more than a mistake,
Speaker:that all Fabian had wanted
Speaker:was for a twink to fuck.
Speaker:The jaguar practically admitted he only saw him as a sex object,
Speaker:a “fuck toy”, no less. How could he have been so stupid to think hooking up is the same think as finding a friend?
Speaker:Tsang felt he should have seen that mistake,
Speaker:but he was so desperate for someone, anyone to talk to him,
Speaker:when there was no one else.
Speaker:Well, not no one. Mike had tried to help him.
Speaker:Dear Mike whom he’d not two hours back told to get out of his dorm,
Speaker:all because he had the heart to ask Tsang what was troubling him so much.
Speaker:Tsang felt like shit,
Speaker:not because he’d been a complete asshole to what might have been his only friend in the world, but perhaps because he was self-centered enough to believe
Speaker:no one other than he would understand his problems to begin with.
Speaker:And despite Mike trying to do what any good friend would,
Speaker:Tsang had accused him
Speaker:of using the leopard cat as a means to pass the time
Speaker:before heading back home to a family that cared about him.
Speaker:Tsang had no idea what to do now,
Speaker:and he didn’t look forward to meeting the marten in classes after the holidays.
Speaker:Assuming his education wasn’t cancelled by then.
Speaker:Tsang’s phone rang,
Speaker:and he jerked so hard that his head slammed on the sofa backrest.
Speaker:Wondering whether his parents or brother were trying to add further insult to injury by chosing to call now,
Speaker:Tsang reached slowly for the phone,
Speaker:turning it screen-up.
Speaker:He stared worriedly
Speaker:as the Caller ID showed the caller as Mike,
Speaker:the marten he’d kicked out,
Speaker:then decided it’s best to get this over with.
Speaker:He swiped the blinking green icon with a sheathed thumb,
Speaker:and listened to the earpiece.
Speaker:“Hi, Tsang. Look, I’m sorry I asked you what’s going on with your family. It’s just,
Speaker:you know, I don’t think anyone should have to bear this alone,”
Speaker:the marten took a breath.
Speaker:“Can I come up and we just, erm,
Speaker:talk? I’m at the front door. You mentioned the intercom wasn’t working?”
Speaker:For a moment, Tsang couldn’t believe it.
Speaker:Despite treating him like shit,
Speaker:Mike still came round to ask how he’s doing?
Speaker:Who else would do such a thing?
Speaker:“You still there?” Mike’s voice came through the earpiece.
Speaker:“Yes, hang on a minute.”
Speaker:Tsang went down the stairs two at a time,
Speaker:not wanting Mike to wait any longer than necessary in the cold.
Speaker:The marten stood in plain view
Speaker:at the glass set in the door,
Speaker:his muzzle looking worried.
Speaker:“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier, Tsang,”
Speaker:Mike began as the door opened, but Tsang
Speaker:threw his arms around him with a sob.
Speaker:The marten stiffened in surprise,
Speaker:but Tsang didn’t care, the words coming hard and fast as he sobbed into the marten’s shoulder,
Speaker:wishing the marten didn’t think him weird and creepy and needy.
Speaker:“Mike, I’m sorry!
Speaker:I shouldn’t have asked you to leave!
Speaker:I was just so fucking pissed for the last two weeks
Speaker:that I told my parents I’m gay and I don’t know whether they hate me so much
Speaker:that I cancelled my flight back home,
Speaker:and I was so lonely and depressed that I decided to try finding a friend on Grindr, and instead all he wanted to do was fuck but not even talk—”
Speaker:“Whoa, settle down, my friend. Settle down, alright?”
Speaker:soothed Mike uncertainly as he stroked Tsang across the back.
Speaker:Tsang would have purred if he wasn’t breathing hard and fast from all the things he wanted to say.
Speaker:“Could we talk inside? I’m getting a little sick of the cold.
Speaker:They say this winter’s one of the coldest yet.”
Speaker:Mike gave an involuntary shiver.
Speaker:“Oh, yes, right.” Tsang said hastily.
Speaker:He led Mike up to the common room and set the kettle to boil some water.
Speaker:“You want tea or coffee?”
Speaker:“Hot chocolate, if you have it,”
Speaker:Mike managed a chuckle.
Speaker:When Tsang had gotten some cocoa powder another dormmate had bought in a cup,
Speaker:Mike came up to him.
Speaker:“Tsang, you told me you’re gay, I get that.
Speaker:I might even get why you don’t think it’s a great idea to go back to see the family. But can
Speaker:you tell me what you’re going on about earlier?
Speaker:It seems I’m missing something here.”
Speaker:“Yes, I understand, Mike.”
Speaker:Tsang’s ears flattened as he heard that.
Speaker:So he told Mike about what he did after the marten left,
Speaker:desperate to find someone who would understand the problems he faced,
Speaker:someone he could relate to
Speaker:by the sole fact that the person was also gay and horny like him.
Speaker:Only that it’d proven
Speaker:not to be the case, and now Tsang was all alone again.
Speaker:The incident with Fabian happened so fast,
Speaker:Tsang wondered if he had imagined it all,
Speaker:but the rip on his sweater and soreness of his asshole was as plain as can be.
Speaker:“But you aren’t alone, Tsang.
Speaker:I’m here for you.
Speaker:That’s why I called.”
Speaker:Mike’s ears flattened.
Speaker:“I’m sorry if I didn’t seem like much of a friend before,
Speaker:but I do care. It’s just;
Speaker:well, I was pretty surprised at what you said.”
Speaker:The kettle whistled,
Speaker:and Tsang poured its contents into the mug,
Speaker:a homely aroma filling the room.
Speaker:The leopard cat decided that perhaps
Speaker:he should get a mug for himself too.
Speaker:Mike uncrossed his arms as he accepted the cup from Tsang,
Speaker:taking a deep breath of the still-hot contents.
Speaker:The two of them went to the sofa to sit across one another.
Speaker:“Listen, Tsang. Whatever problems we may have, sometimes we need help from others to get through it.
Speaker:Even if you don’t have anyone you consider a friend, you could always talk to the school counsellor. They have
Speaker:really strict laws on confidentiality here.
Speaker:Keeping problems to yourself just make things worse.
Speaker:I’ve been there.” said Mike.
Speaker:Tsang couldn’t quite imagine what problems the affable marten could have had, but perhaps that was the nature of problems themselves.
Speaker:They were often embarrassing enough that people kept silent about them, so that others didn’t think poorly of them.
Speaker:“As for hookups; well, they’re just that.
Speaker:A chance for people to satisfy whatever desire or urge they have at the time;
Speaker:not a listening ear for your problems.
Speaker:Whatever trouble you may face, know that
Speaker:I’m here for you.
Speaker:Do you understand that?”
Speaker:“I do now. Thanks, Mike.”
Speaker:Tsang sniffed. And for a moment,
Speaker:there was silence between the two,
Speaker:punctuated only by Mike slurping the cup, and for Tsang,
Speaker:that was enough. No one was criticizing or ostracizing him for what he believed in
Speaker:or who he fucked, and that was pretty great considering there wasn’t
Speaker:anyone else Tsang could imagine him
Speaker:having this conversation with.
Speaker:Not his dormmates.
Speaker:Not the school counsellor, certainly, because even with all the student confidentiality crap, he didn’t know whether it would get back to affect
Speaker:enrollment in the university in some way,
Speaker:or whether the counsellor would know what a big deal it was to be gay back home in the first place.
Speaker:For now, Mike cared, and that was enough.
Speaker:“You know, Tsang. I was thinking that you shouldn’t spend Christmas
Speaker:—I mean Dongzhi alone.
Speaker:Be on one’s lonesome isn’t exactly a good feeling.”
Speaker:Mike said. “I get that, Mike, but I don’t have anywhere else to go.
Speaker:I might not even have a university to come back to,
Speaker:should my family get round to cancelling my tuition.”
Speaker:Tsang replied, averting his eyes.
Speaker:“I want to enjoy whatever time I’ve left in the States, even if it’s not for long.”
Speaker:“Well, that’s why I’m asking if you want to spend the holidays at my place. You know, with the family. Mum and Dad won’t mind.” Mike look Tsang right in the
Speaker:eyes as he said it. Spend the holidays with Mike? Tsang felt the beginnings of a blush creeping into his face. “Mike, I don’t know what to say.”
Speaker:“You can say yes. Can’t think of a good reason not to.”
Speaker:Mike took a sip from his mug.
Speaker:“Mike, just wondering,
Speaker:are you...?” Tsang frowned.
Speaker:“Sorry to disappoint, Tsang, but being gay isn’t the reason for my wanting to spend time with you,”
Speaker:Mike chuckled. “I’m straight as an arrow, there’s really no denying it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t count you among those I call
Speaker:friend. Friend enough that I’ll see if I can get my parents to try to make things right with yours, and a place to stay if not.
Speaker:But our parents are both of the same generation, so they’ll at least see some things eye-to-eye.
Speaker:But it’s hard for my parents to speak up for you if they haven’t met you,
Speaker:and for that, they’re more than happy to welcome you at our home.
Speaker:We can even do a Dongzhi celebration at our place.
Speaker:My family does that every year, though not always with me around.
Speaker:So how about you say yes?”
Speaker:The marten reached his mug forward.
Speaker:Mike’s eyes were so bright,
Speaker:so earnest, and Tsang dared to say, cute,
Speaker:and it was impossible for him to turn down the marten’s invitation.
Speaker:He no longer had to spend Dongzhi or Christmas break alone, but more importantly,
Speaker:what Mike was suggesting held some hope for the future.
Speaker:A future that no longer looked uncertain and bleak.
Speaker:And with that, the leopard cat smiled
Speaker:for the first time in many long months,
Speaker:and tapped his mug against Mike’s,
Speaker:toasting to a better future
Speaker:soon to come. For now,
Speaker:nothing else mattered
Speaker:as long as he had someone who accepted him
Speaker:for who he was. This was the the #2 of #2 parts of
Speaker:“A Friend In Winter” by MikasiWolf,
Speaker:read for you by Khaki,
Speaker:your faithful fireside companion. Tune in next time to find out how Tsang’s search for friendship goes?
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog.
